seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Matthew 27:21 “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” asked the governor.
“Barabbas,” they answered.
22 “What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” Pilate asked.
They all answered, “Crucify him!”
23 “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate.
But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”
24 When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility!”
25 All the people answered, “His blood is on us and on our children!”
26 Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.
“Barabbas,” they answered.
22 “What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” Pilate asked.
They all answered, “Crucify him!”
23 “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate.
But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”
24 When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility!”
25 All the people answered, “His blood is on us and on our children!”
26 Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.
The commentary paints a good picture of Barabbas that night.
We can imagine Barabbas, in a dark prison cell with a small window, waiting to be crucified. Through the window he could hear the crowd gathered before Pilate, not far away from the Fortress Antonia where he was imprisoned. Perhaps he could not hear Pilate ask, "Which of the two do you want me to release to you?" But surely he heard the crowd shout back, "Barabbas." He probably could not hear Pilate's one voice ask, "What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?" But he certainly heard the crowd roar in response, "Let Him be crucified." If all Barabbas heard from his cell was his name shouted by the mob, then the "Let Him be crucified," when the soldiers came to his cell, he surely thought it was time for him to die a tortured death. But when the soldiers said, "Barabbas, you are a guilty man - but you will be released because Jesus will die in your place," Barabbas knew the meaning of the cross better than most. We wonder if he ever took it to heart.
The easy english commentary says this about these verses.
A crowd can be dangerous. Someone can easily encourage them to cause trouble. The priests and other Jewish leaders may have found ways to make the crowd excited. Some of Barabbas’s friends could have been in the crowd to cause trouble. Some people would have supported anyone who opposed the Romans.
It was a Jewish custom for someone to wash his hands in that way. It showed that he was not responsible for a crime or for a sin. And the Jews said that they would accept responsibility for Jesus’ death. They and their children did suffer because they had refused to accept Jesus. The Romans attacked Jerusalem city and destroyed it in the year AD 70. Since that time, some people have said that all Jews are responsible for Jesus’ death. Because of this, some people have been cruel to the Jews. And they have been glad when Jews suffer. But it is wrong to blame only the Jews. The sins of every person caused Jesus’ death. So, all people everywhere share the responsibility.
Pilate wanted to protect his job. So he freed the guilty man called Barabbas. And he ordered his soldiers to kill Jesus. They beat him before they fixed him on the cross with the nails. It was a terrible punishment. They made the whips from long pieces of leather and they tied pieces of sharp bone or metal to them. The men in the prison suffered terrible injuries from these whips. Even strong men went mad sometimes. Some men even died before the soldiers could fix them to a cross.
It was a Jewish custom for someone to wash his hands in that way. It showed that he was not responsible for a crime or for a sin. And the Jews said that they would accept responsibility for Jesus’ death. They and their children did suffer because they had refused to accept Jesus. The Romans attacked Jerusalem city and destroyed it in the year AD 70. Since that time, some people have said that all Jews are responsible for Jesus’ death. Because of this, some people have been cruel to the Jews. And they have been glad when Jews suffer. But it is wrong to blame only the Jews. The sins of every person caused Jesus’ death. So, all people everywhere share the responsibility.
Pilate wanted to protect his job. So he freed the guilty man called Barabbas. And he ordered his soldiers to kill Jesus. They beat him before they fixed him on the cross with the nails. It was a terrible punishment. They made the whips from long pieces of leather and they tied pieces of sharp bone or metal to them. The men in the prison suffered terrible injuries from these whips. Even strong men went mad sometimes. Some men even died before the soldiers could fix them to a cross.
Jesus withstood the beating and took the place of Barabbas on the cross that day.
He knew what was going to happen.
