15 Now at that feast the governor was wont to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they would. 16 And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas. 17 Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ? 18 For he knew that for envy they had delivered him. 19 When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him. 20 But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. 21 The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas. 22 Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified. 23 And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified. 24 When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. 25 Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children. (Matthew 27:15-26 KJV)
Barabbas and Jesus before the crowd
The chief priests, who held great sway over the people, stirred up the crowd to demand Christ’s crucifixion. The people, who once praised Jesus, were now manipulated by their leaders into condemning him. Unable to achieve their goal on their own, the priests used mob pressure to sway the governor.
At the feast, it was customary for the Roman governor to release a prisoner chosen by the people (Matthew 27:15). Though it was meant to honor the Passover, it was a poor practice—one that undermined justice. That year, Pilate offered them a choice between Jesus and Barabbas, a notorious criminal guilty of treason, murder, and robbery (Luke 23:19; John 18:40).
Pilate, aware of Jesus’ innocence and the priests’ envy (Matthew 27:18), hoped the crowd would choose Jesus. Instead of using his authority to acquit him, he deferred to public opinion, seeking to satisfy both his conscience and the crowd. He even reminded them that Jesus was “the Christ” (Matthew 27:17), hoping this would influence their decision.
While Pilate was deliberating, his wife sent a message urging him to have nothing to do with “that just man,” because she had suffered in a dream on his account (Matthew 27:19). Her warning likely came by divine providence, as dreams had often been used by God in the past (Job 33:15–16). She honored Jesus by calling him just, and her concern for her husband reflected the way God often warns people before they commit grave sins.
Meanwhile, the chief priests and elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus (Matthew 27:20). They maligned Jesus’ character and presented Barabbas as the lesser evil. The people, once moved by Jesus’ ministry, were now led by blind guides into injustice.
Pilate, still hoping for a different outcome, asked, “Which of the two do you want me to release?” They chose Barabbas (Matthew 27:21). This choice was shocking—a murderer over the Messiah. Peter later reminded them of this tragic decision: “You asked for a murderer” (Acts 3:14).
Pilate then asked, “What shall I do with Jesus?” They all cried, “Crucify him!” (Matthew 27:22). They chose this most degrading form of execution to dishonor him and his followers. Though it was not their place to dictate a judge’s sentence, their fury overwhelmed justice. Just days earlier, they had shouted “Hosanna.” Now, it was “Crucify him!” Such is the instability of public favor (2 Corinthians 6:8).
Pilate protested, “Why, what evil has he done?” (Matthew 27:23). But the crowd offered no reason—only louder cries. His innocence was clear: he honored God, respected authority, and helped others. Lacking evidence, they demanded crucifixion through sheer noise, and Pilate, like the unjust judge (Luke 18:4–5), gave in.
Seeing he could not prevail, and that a riot was forming, Pilate took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood” (Matthew 27:24). He borrowed the gesture from Deuteronomy 21:6–7, hoping to signal his disapproval. But washing his hands could not remove his guilt. Though he claimed innocence, Scripture still holds him accountable (Acts 4:27). No one can escape guilt by shifting blame. We are not forced to sin—tempted, yes, but never compelled.
Pilate declared, “See to it yourselves.” In trying to clear himself, he exposed the contradiction of condemning an innocent man. Yet the people readily accepted the blame: “His blood be on us and on our children” (Matthew 27:25). To secure the release of Barabbas, they embraced guilt for Christ’s death—blind to the weight of what they were invoking. They not only cursed themselves, but their descendants as well—without limit, unlike God’s judgment which only lasts to the third or fourth generation.
This reckless statement showed their cruelty. Like the ostrich, they were hardened against their young (Job 39:13–17). By calling down guilt on their families, they forfeited the covenant promise: “I will be your God, and the God of your descendants.” Instead of embracing the blessings offered through Christ’s blood, they rejected them and inherited a legacy of judgment.
God answered their curse with justice. From that moment, they suffered calamities until their nation was destroyed. Yet, even then, grace remained for some. To those who later repented and believed, the blood they once rejected became their salvation. God’s mercy is greater than our folly.
Barabbas, that notorious criminal, was released, but Jesus was sentenced to death at the same time. If Barabbas had not been put in competition with Christ for the people’s favor, he likely would have died for his crimes. But that became the means of his escape, showing that Christ was condemned so that sinners—even the worst—might be released. He was delivered up so we might be delivered. Usually, divine justice requires that the wicked be a ransom for the righteous and the transgressor for the upright (Proverbs 21:18; 11:18), but in this unique instance of grace, the upright became a ransom for transgressors—the just for the unjust.
Jesus was then scourged—a humiliating and cruel punishment. The Romans inflicted this without the restraint of the Jewish law, which limited whippings to forty lashes. This punishment was unreasonable, especially since he was already sentenced to die. The rods were not meant to precede the axe, but to replace it. Yet the Scriptures were fulfilled: “The plowmen plowed upon my back” (Psalm 129:3), “I gave my back to those who strike me” (Isaiah 50:6), and “by his stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). He was whipped so we might not be punished forever.
He was then handed over to be crucified. Though his scourging was part of securing our peace, peace was ultimately made through the blood of his cross (Colossians 1:20). Therefore, scourging alone was not enough—he had to be crucified. Crucifixion was a Roman form of execution, designed to be as painful and degrading as possible. A cross was planted in the ground, and the victim’s hands and feet were nailed to it. The person hung there until death came through sheer agony.
This was the death Christ was sentenced to, fulfilling the image of the bronze serpent lifted on a pole. It was a bloody, painful, shameful, and cursed death. It was so miserable that some merciful rulers ordered those condemned to be strangled first and then nailed to the cross. Julius Caesar did this for some pirates, according to Suetonius (Book 1). Constantine, the first Christian emperor, later abolished crucifixion among the Romans, according to Sozomen (Book 1), so that the symbol of salvation might not be associated with destruction.