Barabbas is Released | Family Times

Commentary

Pontius Pilate hits on a brilliant idea which he though would get him out of this no win situation. He knew that Jesus was innocent, but he was on the hot seat between the Jewish leaders and what he knew to be the prisoners innocence. Every year it was customary for him to release a prisoner during the Passover Feast. He makes a suggestion that the favored person this year should be Jesus. (vv. 6-10). It happens that there is a prisoner named Barabbas who had tried to over-throw Rome in a revolt and in the process had killed a man. Fearful that Jesus might be released the chief priests stirred up the people to ask for Barabbas to be released instead of Christ (v. 11). Barabbas was an insurrectionist and a murder, but also he was sort of a hero with the people. Evidently he was a revolutionary leader in Israel at that time, hoping to overthrow the Roman power.

Application

Can I think of a time I have been tempted to substitute wrong for right, in order to please someone?

Mark 15:6– 15 (NET)

⁶ During the feast it was customary to release one prisoner to the people, whomever they requested. ⁷ A man named Barabbas was imprisoned with rebels who had committed murder during an insurrection. ⁸ Then the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to release a prisoner for them, as was his custom. ⁹ So Pilate asked them, “Do you want me to release the king of the Jews for you?” ¹⁰ (For he knew that the chief priests had handed him over because of envy.) ¹¹ But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release Barabbas instead. ¹² So Pilate spoke to them again, “Then what do you want me to do with the one you call king of the Jews?” ¹³ They shouted back, “Crucify him!” ¹⁴ Pilate asked them, “Why? What has he done wrong?” But they shouted more insistently, “Crucify him!” ¹⁵ Because he wanted to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas for them. Then, after he had Jesus flogged, he handed him over to be crucified.