The Crowd often makes Bad Choices

Matthew 27:15-23

If we were to have read the Jerusalem newspaper of that day the headlines would have been titled “The Crowd Chooses Barabbas over Jesus.”  Matthew’s account of that day tells us that it was the yearly feast of the governor and it was the custom to release for the crowd any one prisoner they wanted.  Not having any understanding of the feast, I look to men who have spent their lives looking into such things, one such person was John Gill, (23 November 1697 – 14 October 1771) an English Baptist pastor, biblical scholar, and theologian who held to a firm Calvinistic soteriology.  Gill shed some light on the feast of the governor in this statement, “I have not met with the least trace of any such custom of theirs at the time of the pass over in any of their writings; but it seems to be a Roman one: and from all the accounts of the evangelist, it appears to be peculiar to the Roman governor, who, either by the order of Caesar, or of himself, introduced such a custom to get the favor of the people; for it was to them the release was made, and the person, whom they pleased; and this being repeated annually for some time, was expected by them, and at last became necessary.

It seems that on that day in history, Barabbas the one Matthew refers to as a notorious prisoner, was famous for doing something bad, and in Mark’s gospel chapter 15:7, “There was one named Barabbas, who was in prison with rebels who had committed murder during the rebellion.”  Some have speculated that the rebels who were in prison with Barabbas probably included the two criminals who were crucified with Jesus. 

Pilate is between a rock and a hard place, he understands the reason for Jesus’ arrest, it was envy, and his wife had a dream and sent this word to Pilate; “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today in a dream.”  (Matthew 27:19b)  The other factor involved is the religious guys, chief priests and the elders who have persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus crucified.  What will a politician do when confronted on one side with truth and on the other side try to please the crowd?  The same thing they are doing today, truth will always lose its place with one who desires power.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice