Mat 27:11-26 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Matt 27:11-26: 27:11-26 The Roman trial included an initial hearing before Pilate (27:11-14 ), one before Herod Antipas (Luke 23:6-16 ), and a second hearing before Pilate (Matt 27:15-26 ). 27:11 king of the Jews: The Sanhedrin’s original charge of blasphemy (26:65-66 ; 27:1 ) held no interest to the Romans, who saw it as a Jewish religious question (cp. Acts 25:18-20 ). The charge was therefore changed to incriminate Jesus in Roman eyes as a political rebel (see Luke 23:2 ).

Summary for Matt 27:11-26: 27:11-26 ^a The Roman trial included an initial hearing before Pilate (27:11-14 ^b), one before Herod Antipas (Luke 23:6-16 ^c), and a second hearing before Pilate (Matt 27:15-26 ^d). 27:11 ^e king of the Jews: The Sanhedrin’s original charge of blasphemy (26:65-66 ^f; 27:1 ^g) held no interest to the Romans, who saw it as a Jewish religious question (cp. Acts 25:18-20 ^h). The charge was therefore changed to incriminate Jesus in Roman eyes as a political rebel (see Luke 23:2 ⁱ).
27:15 ^j Pilate’s custom seems out of character; he was not known for wanting to please his Jewish subjects. However, if Pilate’s position with Caesar was precarious at this point (see study note on John 19:12; see Philo, On the Embassy to Gaius 159–161), then this gesture may have been to keep the peace and thus avoid negative attention from Rome.
27:16 ^k notorious prisoner ... named Barabbas: Elsewhere he is called a “revolutionary” (Mark 15:7 ^l; John 18:40 ^m), a term that also denotes a robber or insurrectionist (see Luke 23:19 ⁿ). To the zealots, Barabbas was a hero.
27:19 ^o through a terrible nightmare (cp. 1:20 ^p): It is ironic that a pagan recognizes and takes a stand for Jesus’ innocence, while the Jewish crowd does not.
27:24 ^q The responsibility is yours! The priests had said the same thing to Judas (27:4 ^r).
27:25 ^s all the people (see 21:43 ^t): This does not mean every living Jew. Instead, those urging Jesus’ condemnation are representative of all of unbelieving Israel, whose actions bring consequences for the nation as a whole (e.g., the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70).

• We will take responsibility for his death—we and our children (see 23:35 ^u; 2 Sam 1:16 ^v; 14:9 ^w; Jer 51:35 ^x; Acts 5:28 ^y; 18:6 ^z; 20:26 ^aa): Christians have at times misunderstood and misused this verse in persecution of Jews, but it is not an indictment against Jews in general.
27:26 ^ab When a man was flogged, he was beaten with whips that had leather thongs at the end, some with sharp bone, lead, or rock fragments stuck to the ends of the thongs (see also Deut 25:1-3 ^ac; 1 Kgs 12:11 ^ad, 14 ^ae; Acts 16:22 ^af; 22:25 ^ag; 2 Cor 11:24-25 ^ah).