Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted. And they had then a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up. Besides, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today in a dream.” Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. The governor again said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Let him be crucified!” And he said, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified!”
(Matthew 27:15-23)
It is a moment in time that continues to shock to the core those who read the story. Why would they? How could they? Whether or not they believed His claims of who He was, one thing was certain; Jesus had healed more than they could count and His lessons had no legitimate dissenters. None! And those who did quibble over His healings and teachings only had superficial arguments which He had thoroughly dismissed. That partly answers the question of why the crowd would refuse the Son of Man and choose the known heinous criminal, Barabbas. The other reason was the Jewish leaders wanted Barabbas because, at heart, they identified with the criminal more than the innocent.
The “how could they” answer involves a bit more wickedness and deception. The Sanhedrin had ignored the overwhelming evidence of Jesus’ Kingship and their hearts had hardened because of their willful ignorance. So at the right time God had determined, they gathered together a specific group of people, hand picked because of their zeal for the Law of Moses, loyalty to the Jewish leadership and who would follow their instructions regardless of evidence that would prove the leadership in the wrong. Then they worked that crowd up into a “mob rules” frenzy.
But has anything really changed?
Just a quick glance at the world today show us a society that would rather be controlled by chaos than corrected by truth, a world that mocks purity while celebrating evil. A world that longs for “freedom” while shackling itself to deceitfulness. Why? Because, without atonement for our sins, we remain with the sin nature engrained in us from our ancestors, Adam and Eve.
And how terrifying is this: The Jews demanded Barabbas instead of their unrealized Savior. Pilate, having been coerced into going along with their ultimatum, did not willingly command Jesus’ crucifixion. In verse John 19:15, they exclaimed, “We have no king but Caesar.” What blind betrayal! The rejecting of the King of the Universe wasn’t accidental. It was deliberate! Why? Because Jesus still challenges the heart of man but Barabbas still gives permission to resist.
So when you see truth silenced, righteousness mocked and lies crowned as virtue, don’t be surprised. Throughout Scripture, God has warned us this will happen. The crowd always gets louder right before the execution. But don’t overlook this: Barabbas walked free that day because Jesus died for him, too! And that same mercy He offered to Barabbas is still being offered to you today! ☧
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