Gospel of Matthew
Sentenced to Crucifixion
Chapter 27:15 to 31
All four Gospels contribute details about the events preceding the final death sentence passed by Pilate. The following includes what we find in Matthew and Mark (15: 6-15), Luke (23: 13-25) and John (18:39 to 19:16), as much as possible placing the facts in the order in which they took place.
Everything happened very quickly: at dawn, after His arrest through the betrayal of Judas, the Lord was interviewed by Annas, judged and condemned by the Sanhedrin, presented to the governor Pilate to confirm His death sentence, sent by Pilate to Herod as it was within his jurisdiction, mocked by Herod, arrayed in gorgeous apparel and returned to Pilate.
Pilate received a message from his wife telling him to have nothing to do with “that righteous man” because she had suffered greatly in a dream because of Him. He then declared to the chief priests and the people that on examining this Man he found no fault in Him touching those things they accused Him of and neither had Herod. So he concluded He had done nothing worthy of death, and would just punish Him, and release Him. However, Pilate feared being denounced to Caesar for releasing someone declared by the priests to be guilty of promoting a revolt.
It so happened that the Romans had captured a notorious prisoner, trapped with a gang accused of riot and even murder. This man, whose name was Barabbas, was apparently a popular hero for leading an insurrection or revolution, probably against Rome. Therefore, He would indeed be guilty of the crime of which they had falsely accused the Lord Jesus. There was thus a parallel between the two prisoners, in relation to the nationalist aspirations of the Jews and the sovereignty of Rome.
The people were demanding, screaming, that Pilate loose a prisoner during the Passover as he did every year, and that it should be Barabbas. However, he was a malefactor, and a true enemy of Rome. Pilate considered it would be a good way out to declare Jesus guilty (to please the priests, knowing that their motive was jealousy), start with a preliminary punishment, but soon after release Him taking advantage of the custom of releasing a prisoner, which the people demanded. So he could free Jesus and execute Barabbas.
With this purpose, Pilate summoned before him the chief priests, the rulers and the people, and said that although they had accused Jesus of perverting the people, he had not found any evidence of that, and even King Herod had found nothing in Him worthy of the death penalty. He would then "discipline" Jesus with whips (to please them), and then release Him to meet the request of the people.
The religious leaders had condemned Jesus to death long before He was acclaimed with joy by the multitude who saw Him enter Jerusalem. The priests had already prepared themselves against any such proposal by Pilate, and persuaded the people gathered there to choose Barabbas and demand the death of Jesus.
Probably because it was still very early and because of the secretive way in which they had proceeded to arrest the Lord Jesus, the crowd that was there were mostly those who were under the influence of the chief priests.
Pilate addressed the crowd and asked, "Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?" (For this was the accusation made ??against Jesus). The crowd responded as priests wanted: "Away with this Man, and release to us Barabbas" Pilate went on: “What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?" They all said to him, "Let Him be crucified!" Pilate insisted, “Why, what evil has He done?" And they cried out the more, saying, "Crucify him!"
Seeing that he could not dissuade the people and the tumult increased, Pilate took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying: "I am innocent of the blood of this just Person. You see to it.” All the people answered and said, "His blood be on us and on our children.”
This thoughtless and solemn declaration of the people shows that they acknowledged their guilt and were even proud of it. Pilate could not wash his guilt so easily with a simple gesture. The fault lay on him, as also on Judas, the priests, the leaders of the people and the people in general. In fact, the sins of all humankind nailed the Lord Jesus on the cross.
Pilate released Barabbas to them and scourged Jesus. The preliminary whipping before the crucifixion was part of the sentence of death, causing blood loss and weakening the condemned.
The soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and dressed Him with a scarlet robe (imitation of the royal mantle), shouting “Hail, King of the Jews" and struck Him on the head. The Lord Jesus endured the insults with royal dignity accepting them as part of the shame of the cross (Hebrews 12:2).
Pilate went out again and said to the people, "Behold, I bring him out, that you may know that I find no crime in him" and "Behold the man" when He came out. This was the third time that Pilate declared the innocence of Jesus (see John 18:38, John 19:4 and 6).
In presenting the Lord in that state, with these words, Pilate was evidently seeking to provoke compassion of the people, showing how absurd the accusation of treason was, made by the council against this sad figure. He never even dreamed that he was calling people's attention to the greatest figure of human history, the Son of God.
But the attempt of Pilate failed completely because at the sight of Him, the chief priests and servants, cried out, saying, "Crucify him, crucify him. "
Pilate said to them, "Take him yourselves and crucify him: for I find no crime in him." They answered, "We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made ??himself the Son of God." It would be blasphemy worthy of the death penalty if He really was not, but He had often proved His authenticity.
To hear that He made ??himself to be the Son of God, Pilate was more afraid (probably thinking, "And if He is?") and addressed Jesus, asking, "Where are You from?” No doubt, he was worried and scared now. Pilate knew that Jesus came from Galilee (Luke 23:6). However, the Lord did not deign to give him the full answer, because it was not His purpose to avoid that which what was the reason of His coming to the world: the punishment for the sin of the world.
Receiving no answer, Pilate marvelled, and said "Are You not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release You?” Pilate was the Roman authority with power of life and death within his jurisdiction. Yet this power was delegated by Caesar in Rome, and Caesar was under the sovereignty of God (John 3: 3, Romans 13: 1) - and the Lord Jesus was the Son of Sovereign God.
The Lord Jesus then declared: "You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin." Caiaphas, the high priest also had authority from God, but used Pilate to accomplish his evil purposes, so his guilt was even greater than that of Pilate.
From that moment, Pilate sought to release him; but the Jews cried out even more, saying he was no friend of Caesar if he released Him. Pilate turned to them, exclaiming: "Behold your King " But they cried: " Away with Him, crucify him. "Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar.”
In view of this, Pilate gave in and handed Jesus over to be crucified. Finally, the judge Pilate concluded that the prisoner Jesus was innocent of any guilt. Nevertheless, he pronounced the death sentence on Him. Unwittingly, he participated in the fulfilment of the prophecy of Isaiah, chapter 53, verses 5 and 11.
And they took Jesus, and led him out to be crucified.
R David Jones
15 Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to releasing to the multitude one prisoner whom they wished.
16 And at that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas.
17 Therefore, 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?"
18 For he knew that they had handed Him over because of envy.
19 While 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."
20 But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitudes that they should ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus.
21 The governor answered and said to them, "Which of the two do you want me to release to you?" They said, "Barabbas!"
22 Pilate said to them, "What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?" They all said to him, "Let Him be crucified!"
23 Then the governor said, "Why, what evil has He done?" But they cried out all the more, saying, "Let Him be crucified!"
24 When 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."
25 And all the people answered and said, "His blood be on us and on our children."
26 Then he released Barabbas to them; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified.
27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around Him.
28 And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him.
29 When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!"
30 Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head.
31 And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified.
Matthew chapter 27 verses 15 to 31
6 Now at the feast he was accustomed to releasing one prisoner to them, whomever they requested.
7 And there was one named Barabbas, who was chained with his fellow rebels; they had committed murder in the rebellion.
8 Then the multitude, crying aloud, began to ask him to do just as he had always done for them.
9 But Pilate answered them, saying, "Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?"
10 For he knew that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy.
11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd, so that he should rather release Barabbas to them.
12 Pilate answered and said to them again, "What then do you want me to do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?"
13 So they cried out again, "Crucify Him!"
14 Then Pilate said to them, "Why, what evil has He done?" But they cried out all the more, "Crucify Him!"
15 So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to them; and he delivered Jesus, after he had scourged Him, to be crucified.
Mark 15 verses 6 to 15
13 Then Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people,
14 said to them, "You have brought this Man to me, as one who misleads the people. And indeed, having examined Him in your presence, I have found no fault in this Man concerning those things of which you accuse Him;
15 no, neither did Herod, for I sent you back to him; and indeed nothing deserving of death has been done by Him.
16 I will therefore chastise Him and release Him"
17 (for it was necessary for him to release one to them at the feast).
18 And they all cried out at once, saying, "Away with this Man, and release to us Barabbas"—
19 who had been thrown into prison for a certain rebellion made in the city, and for murder.
20 Pilate, therefore, wishing to release Jesus, again called out to them.
21 But they shouted, saying, "Crucify Him, crucify Him!"
22 Then he said to them the third time, "Why, what evil has He done? I have found no reason for death in Him. I will therefore chastise Him and let Him go."
23 But they were insistent, demanding with loud voices that He be crucified. And the voices of these men and of the chief priests prevailed.
24 So Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they requested.
25 And he released to them the one they requested, who for rebellion and murder had been thrown into prison; but he delivered Jesus to their will.
Luke 23:13 to 25
See John HERE