Jesus Returned to Pilate

Pilate again tried to have Jesus released. Though he says Jesus bears no guilt, he still offers to punish him. Remembering his earlier offer to release someone, the leaders block the possibility of that being Jesus by requesting the release of Barabbas.

Apparently, the crowd had grown and now included a broader segment of the populous. The request for the release of Barabbas grew to be a popular demand. One can’t help but suspect that the religious leaders had a hand in the crowd’s call for the release of a murderer, rather than Jesus. On the other hand, Barabbas may have been popular with the people because of notoriety as a revolutionary.

We don’t actually know his name, but only know his family line. Bar in Hebrew means the son of. Some have speculated that his name may have also been Yeshua (Jesus,) and that the synoptic writers didn’t want to degrade Jesus’s name by mentioning the murderer’s given name.

Matthew adds the unique note of a warning to Pilate from his wife. This may have added to his desire to release Jesus, but it wasn’t enough to overcome his reluctance to offend the Jewish leaders. Pilate again tries to release Jesus, but the crowd is growing and the leaders are moving them toward mob violence.

Pilate succumbs to the demand to release a prisoner, making a feeble suggestion that it be Jesus. He couldn’t have expected the crowd to choose Jesus, considering the dynamics that were developing. Finally, Pilate gives up and gives the crowd the death they demand, sacrificing justice for political expediency.