15 Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted. 16 And they had then a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. 17 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?” 18 For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up. 19 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.” 20 Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. 21 The governor again said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” 22 Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Let him be crucified!” 23 And he said, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified!”
24 So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves.” 25 And all the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!” 26 Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified.
27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole battalion before him. 28 And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29 and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30 And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. 31 And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him.
32 As they went out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. They compelled this man to carry his cross.
(ESV)
STOP! Think a little 🤔 What is God saying to you?
- What is the writer saying?
- How do I apply this to my life?
Each Passover the governor had a custom of releasing one prisoner to the Jews. Pilate knew that the chief priests had turned Jesus over out of envy. He’d also received a message from his wife telling him that she’d suffered terrible dreams over Jesus’ innocence. His clever plan, offer the crowds Jesus and Barabbas. Barabbas was a notorious criminal so he figured the crowd would choose Jesus over Barabbas. But the chief priests and elders had persuaded the crowd to choose Barabbas. When Pilate asked them who they wanted to be released, they all cried out to have Barabbas released. When he asked what he should do with Jesus who is called Christ, they shouted back, “let him be crucified.” He tried to reason with them by asking what Jesus had done wrong but they just shouted louder, “crucify him!” Pilate saw he was getting nowhere and feared the crowd would begin to riot so he washed his hands in their presence and declared himself innocent of Jesus’ blood—then he had Jesus whipped and beaten and handed Him over to be crucified. Pilate was not innocent. He didn’t get to just wash his hands and be clear of what he did. The crowed all called back that they were happy to have Jesus’ blood on them and their children. They willingly accepted their guilt and proceeded to have Jesus crucified anyway.
Our choices all have very real, and eternal consequences. We cannot be flippant about guilt and innocence. All of our guilt before God is real and has the eternal consequence of death. We all need a substitution to pay our penalty for us. That day Barabbas had a physical experience of that as Jesus died in his place. We all need a perfect substitute to take our guilt and give us innocence. Jesus gave His life that day to take on your guilt and give you His innocence.