Mat 27:19 | KingComments | STEP | The governor is looking for a way to release the Lord. Now he thinks of his custom of releasing a prisoner of the people’s choice on the occasion of a feast. As the Passover is drawing near, as a good politician he can use his custom to see if he can release Him that way. These are the excuses of the natural human being not to choose for himself but to pass the responsibility on to others. As the executor of justice, Pilate failed completely. But God will use Pilate’s custom to make the absolute will of the people to kill His Son even clearer. The unjust representative of the authority of the nations is powerless against evil because he is guilty of the same evil. He too thinks only of himself and his own interests. Ironically, Pilate has a certain Barabbas in mind as an ‘alternative’ to the Lord. The irony lies in the meaning of his name. Barabbas means ‘son of the father’. His father is the devil. This ‘son of the father’ is placed next to the Son of the Father. Pilate thinks he is making a smart move with Barabbas. He knows that Barabbas is a big criminal in the eyes of the people. They would certainly want him to release Jesus. His thought stems from the right conclusion that the Lord was surrendered out of envy. But he has no eye for their deep hatred of Him, just as he is blind to the corruption of his own heart. In order to dress his proposal up with authority, he sits on the judgment seat. What an exhibition! The puppet of the people and the servant of Rome represents the official authority and must do justice. He is convinced of the innocence of Christ, but he refuses to express it clearly. He even receives a warning from his wife. She sends him the message that God has given her in a dream. She calls Him “that righteous Man”. She also says that in her dream she suffered a lot because of Him. This can only be done by the Spirit of God. She listens to the message of God and wants to keep her husband from the greatest iniquity ever. With this she shows herself to be a real help, as a wife is meant to be for her husband. But Pilate is just as unattainable to his wife as his attempts to release the Lord are to no avail. He will bow to the boundless wickedness and murderousness of the chief priests and elders. They manipulate the crowds to choose Barabbas, while at the same time inciting them to demand the death of the Lord Jesus. Pilate’s weak answer consists of the choice he announces to them once more. But there is no consideration among the people. The choice is fixed. It doesn’t matter who is released, as long as Jesus is killed.

‏ Matthew 27:19

Jesus or Barabbas

The governor is looking for a way to release the Lord. Now he thinks of his custom of releasing a prisoner of the people’s choice on the occasion of a feast. As the Passover is drawing near, as a good politician he can use his custom to see if he can release Him that way. These are the excuses of the natural human being not to choose for himself but to pass the responsibility on to others.

As the executor of justice, Pilate failed completely. But God will use Pilate’s custom to make the absolute will of the people to kill His Son even clearer. The unjust representative of the authority of the nations is powerless against evil because he is guilty of the same evil. He too thinks only of himself and his own interests.

Ironically, Pilate has a certain Barabbas in mind as an ‘alternative’ to the Lord. The irony lies in the meaning of his name. Barabbas means ‘son of the father’. His father is the devil. This ‘son of the father’ is placed next to the Son of the Father. Pilate thinks he is making a smart move with Barabbas. He knows that Barabbas is a big criminal in the eyes of the people. They would certainly want him to release Jesus. His thought stems from the right conclusion that the Lord was surrendered out of envy. But he has no eye for their deep hatred of Him, just as he is blind to the corruption of his own heart.

In order to dress his proposal up with authority, he sits on the judgment seat. What an exhibition! The puppet of the people and the servant of Rome represents the official authority and must do justice. He is convinced of the innocence of Christ, but he refuses to express it clearly.

He even receives a warning from his wife. She sends him the message that God has given her in a dream. She calls Him “that righteous Man”. She also says that in her dream she suffered a lot because of Him. This can only be done by the Spirit of God. She listens to the message of God and wants to keep her husband from the greatest iniquity ever. With this she shows herself to be a real help, as a wife is meant to be for her husband.

But Pilate is just as unattainable to his wife as his attempts to release the Lord are to no avail. He will bow to the boundless wickedness and murderousness of the chief priests and elders. They manipulate the crowds to choose Barabbas, while at the same time inciting them to demand the death of the Lord Jesus.

Pilate’s weak answer consists of the choice he announces to them once more. But there is no consideration among the people. The choice is fixed. It doesn’t matter who is released, as long as Jesus is killed.