The Weekend Word

Matthew 27: 15-31

The Crowd Chooses Barabbas

¹⁵ Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted.

• This was probably an arrangement set up to keep the peace.
• The release of a prisoner whom the people thought was unjustly incarcerated.

¹⁶ And they had then a notorious prisoner called Barabbas.

• Perhaps Barabbas was a Charles Manson type of character. A person that everyone hates and would never want to see released.

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?”

• Pilate thinks he ha found a way out of this dilemma.
• So perhaps he has them stand together – the killer Barabbas and Jesus, the one everyone knows as the guy who wandered the countryside healing others.

¹⁸ For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up.

• A little editorial side note by Matthew.
• ‘Delivered him up’ = handed over in Jesus’ words

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.”

• Pilate’s wife calls him righteous – she tells the truth. It’s a small sermon, but it is a true sermon – “that righteous man”.
• What was Peter’s sermon short time earlier? “I don’t know him.”

²⁰ Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus.

• The chief priest and elders are working the crowd to get their plan carried out. They are pulling the strings to get an anonymous crown to do their dirty work.

²¹ The governor again said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.”

• Note that the Roman governor and the Jewish crowd – not just the chief priest and the elders, are all working together – no one is innocent.

²² Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Let him be crucified!”

• Supposedly crucifixion was disgusting to the Jews … except in this case.

²³ And he said, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified!”

• The account in Luke states that Pilate asked the crowd 3 times – Luke 23:22 = “²² A third time he said to them, “Why? What evil has he done? I have found in him no guilt deserving death. I will therefore punish and release him.”
• Time for the gospel lesson. Why did Jesus have to die?
• We see that it is obvious that Barabbas should die for his sin – we just don’t think we should die for ours.
• In the end, this is THE PLAN of God playing out here.
• We are Barabbas – guilty, condemned to death and Jesus is chosen to die in our place.
• Jesus dies for sinners. Jesus died for Barabbas, Judas, Peter and us.

Pilate Delivers Jesus to 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.”

• Pilate is a practical political figure – what is going to work best … for me.
• This is what self centered sinners do – what’ in it for me.
• Can’t we just wash our hands of Jesus and declare ourselves innocent? You know, I just didn’t have enough information about Jesus to make up my mind about Jesus.
• Many evangelical churches work on this premise. If we just provide enough information, people will come to believe – so they lecture instead of preach.
• “see to it yourselves” – so much like Judas was told earlier (Matt 27:4)

²⁵ And all the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!”

• There really are no truer words – this is a good example of “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Luke 23:34

²⁶ Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified.

• As I said earlier most don’t read this passage with this emphasis – that right here the gospel message is presented.
• Directly put, the innocent one is ‘handed over’ for death so that the guilty may go free.
• This is what Luther called the Great Exchange – all our sins Jesus bares – and the righteous man dies.
• So here is the big question. If you were in the crowd, how would you vote? Jesus or Barabbas.

Jesus Is Mocked

²⁷ Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole battalion before him.

• The mockery begins. This humiliation is to show that Jesus is nothing special and that his claims we wild fantasies.
• Where did the soldiers take Jesus – look at the many descriptions in the various translations.
• What was the size of the group and what were they called.

²⁸ And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him,

• We see the total mockery of the ‘kingly’ charge – the scarlet (purple) robe of royal color – the thorny crown, a droopy reed for a scepter in his hand.

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!”

• Somewhere (Philippians 2:10-11) it says every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord. Even in jest, they don’t realize that they are the fulfillment of this prophecy – later it will either be in terror or shame.

³⁰ And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head.

• A repeat of the mocking back in 25:66-67 – “⁶⁶ What is your judgment?” They answered, “He deserves death.” ⁶⁷ Then they spit in his face and struck him. And some slapped him,”

 

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.

• Their savagery has been satisfied – now back to business.