15Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to releasing to the multitude one prisoner whom they wished. 16And at that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. 17Therefore, when they had gathered together, Pilate said to them, "Whom do you want me to release to you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?" 18For he knew that they had handed Him over because of envy.
19While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, "Have nothing to do with that just Man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of Him."
20But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitudes that they should ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. 21The governor answered and said to them, "Which of the two do you want me to release to you?"
They said, "Barabbas!"
22Pilate said to them, "What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?"
They all said to him, "Let Him be crucified!"
23Then the governor said, "Why, what evil has He done?"
But they cried out all the more, saying, "Let Him be crucified!"
24When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, "I am innocent of the blood of this just Person. You see to it."
25And all the people answered and said, "His blood be on us and on our children."
26Then he released Barabbas to them; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified.
The chief priests were very thorough in their work. They had met with Caiaphas ahead of time to plot Jesus’ death before Jesus had been brought to him. They got Judas to betray Jesus. They got a multitude to go with Judas to help capture Jesus. And now they got the multitude at Pilate’s feast to demand to have Jesus crucified.
I am curious, who is this multitude that demanded to free Barabbas and crucify Jesus? I had always assumed it was some of the same multitude that has been surrounding Jesus for years. I felt so let down that these people could be so fickle, to love Jesus one minute and to demand him crucified the next. But this was at the governor’s feast. Who would be at the governor’s feast?
Is this multitude simply a crowd of merrymakers who come to watch the judgment of condemned prisoners. Were they like those I read about who attended the gladiator fights in the arena? Were they easily roused to shout whatever it would take to stir things up? Had anyone in the crowd even heard of Jesus before now?
I had sometimes wondered if maybe there were just some in the crowd more vocal than others, whose voices drowned out others who would have rather have Jesus released. But here it says all the people answered. So it seems that the multitude was all in agreement.
What happened to those who had followed Jesus wherever he went, the multitude that thirsted for the good news from Jesus? Did they change their mind about Jesus? Or were they just not present? In Matthew 26:31, Jesus quoted scripture about striking the shepherd and the sheep would scatter. I don’t think any of the multitude that supported Jesus were present. Especially when I consider who might have been present at the feast of the governor.
Another interesting point of this text is the influence of the multitude. The chief priests had wanted to destroy Jesus, but feared the multitude who considered Jesus a prophet. Their actions were swayed by the multitude. Pilate felt Jesus was a just Man, undeserving of this punishment. He even offered a way to free Jesus. But the multitude wanted to see Jesus crucified. His actions were swayed by the multitude. There are times that it seems like I as an individual with little power could not possibly influence anything. But individuals gathered together can sway what those in power do.
Pilate was warned by his wife to not have anything to do with Jesus. I had always thought of Pilate’s washing of his hands as a cop out. He could have saved Jesus, but instead he washed his hands and claimed Jesus blood to be on the hands of the people. I still felt Pilate was ultimately responsible. It especially bothered me because it seemed that Pilate felt that Jesus was innocent.
But was the dream given to his wife a divine intervention? Had God provided this means to Pilate specifically so Pilate would not have to be responsible for the death of Jesus? Had God wanted the responsibility of the death of Jesus to be on the multitude rather than Pilate? The people accepted the responsibility. Maybe I shouldn’t have been so quick to judge Pilate responsible. This crucifixion had to happen. Responsibility would not be set to just one person. Pilate, who did not know God, was given a means by God to carry out God’s wishes without his own responsibility.
Pilate marveled at Jesus. Pilate knew they handed Jesus over because of envy. He felt Jesus was a just Person. But God did not let Pilate, who felt this way about Jesus, be responsible for Jesus’ death. Pilate was warned through his wife’s dreams to not have anything to do with Jesus’ death.
Sure, there are things that must happen, some things that would go against everything we believe in. But just like Pilate, if these things go against what we believe in, I do not believe that God would make us do these things either. Someone may have to do these things. But it doesn’t have to be me. We all make our own choices. And God is there to help us keep those choices.