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Author: Stephen Weller
683 words, 4 minutes read time

Jesus to be Punished and Released

Scripture: Matthew 27:15-16; Mark 15:8; Luke 23:13-16, 19; John 18:39

With the previous lesson we covered a short section in which Jesus was brought before Herod for questioning and was found not guilty. With this lesson we begin a very long section containing three parts: (1) Jesus Was Not Found Guilty, (2) Release Barabbas, Crucify Jesus, and (3) Jesus Is Flogged.

^{Lk 23:13} Pilate then called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, ^{Mk 15:8} and the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do as he usually did for them. ^{Mt 27:15} Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted. ¹⁶ And they had then a notorious prisoner called Barabbas, ^{Lk 23:19} a man who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection started in the city and for murder.

Jesus was brought back to Pilate who then called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people. In the past it seems that Pilate established a custom at Passover of releasing a prisoner, who the people wanted released, in an attempt to win favor with the crowds. It seems that Pilate had a plan that might get him out of the tight spot he finds himself in. The religious rulers wanted Jesus condemned to death, but Pilate could find no evidence to condemn Jesus. He apparently thought that if selected a notorious prisoner called Barabbas and then gave the people a choice between releasing Jesus or Barabbas that they would choose Jesus.

It seems that Pilate has not noticed an important mood shift on the part of the people. The crowds that used to follow Jesus assumed that he was the coming Messiah, who would set them free from their bondage under Rome. After his triumphal ride into Jerusalem, Jesus did not do what the people expected, and they began to realize that he wasn’t going to be the kind of Messiah they expected. This set them up to be influenced by the religious leaders to respond favorably to them. With this context in place let us see what Pilate does.

^{Lk 23:14} [Pilate said] to them, “You brought me this man as one who was misleading the people. And after examining him before you, behold, I did not find this man guilty of any of your charges against him. ¹⁵ Neither did Herod, for he sent him back to us. Look, nothing deserving death has been done by him. ^{Jn 18:39} But you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover. ^{Lk 23:16} I will therefore punish and release him.”

Pilate comes before the people and explains to them that neither he nor Herod could find Jesus guilty of any of the charges brought against him. He has especially done nothing deserving death. Pilate’s initial plan was then to punish Jesus and release him but that would create a problem. The devil wants Jesus dead as he believes that would end the influence of Jesus over the people and remove the opposition of Jesus towards him. The Father’s plan was to have Jesus die on the cross to purchase our salvation. Both the devil and God were planning to use the sin of evil men to accomplish their goal. To release Jesus would cause both plans to not be realized at that time. With that in mind we should expect to see a reaction from the Jewish leadership and the crowds.

Conclusion

Jesus was questioned by both Pilate and Herod and they could not find him guilty of any charges brought against him. Therefore, Pilate planned to have Jesus punished and released to the people. This plan may have worked but both the devil and God needed Jesus dead to fulfill their plans, and Pilate has not noticed the growing mood shift toward Jesus on the part of the people. This mood shift will become very apparent in our next lesson.