Tried By Pilate (Matthew 27:11-14)
Condemned by the Sanhedrin council, Jesus is bound and led away to stand before Pilate, the governor of the region of Judea (Matthew 27:1-2). Now you have to appreciate what the Jewish leaders have to do to get Jesus before Pilate. Pilate is a Roman governor and would have no concern if Jesus called himself their Messiah or blasphemed their God or their temple. So what is the charge that the Jews will generate to give reason for Pilate to hold a trial against Jesus? The answer is to say that Jesus was misleading the people by calling himself a king (cf. Luke 23:2). So this is why Pilate asks Jesus the question, “Are you the King of the Jews?” They say that you are going around saying that you are a king. Are you their king? Do you claim to be their king?
This helps us understand why Jesus responds the way that he does. Jesus does not deny the words but he does not embrace the words. Jesus says, “You say so” or “You have said so.” Jesus is not going to affirm the Jewish charge because that is not what he is going around doing. He is not forbidding the Jews to give tribute to Caesar (cf. Luke 23:2). The Gospel of John explores this interaction about the kind of king Jesus is in John 18. This is what ignites the chief priests and elders launching their accusations against Jesus to Pilate (Matthew 27:12). We are not told here what the charges are. But we know that they had to say things that would have made the Romans care about Jesus. They have to portray him as an insurrectionist or revolutionary or usurper of Roman power. So they hurl their charges but Jesus does not have a response, which amazes Pilate (Matthew 27:13-14). Friends, how hard is it to stay silent when accused and especially when you are falsely accused? Yet Jesus remains silent. The prophecy in Isaiah about the suffering servant will find much fulfillment in these moments. Here is one of those moments:
He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth. Like a lamb led to the slaughter and like a sheep silent before her shearers, he did not open his mouth. (Isaiah 53:7 CSB)
Tried By the Crowd (Matthew 27:15-26)
Pilate does not have a lot to work with for this trial. What Pilate does is he is going to allow the crowd to make the decision about Jesus. Since it is the Passover feast we are told that there was a custom for one prisoner to be released, chosen by the crowd (Matthew 27:15). Pilate has a notorious prisoner in his custody called Barabbas. We are told in other accounts that Barabbas had committed murder and started an insurrection. So think about how Pilate has maneuvered this moment. He has the murderer, Barabbas, and he has a guy who says he is a king, Jesus. One is harmless and one is a murderer. So Pilate puts the choice before the crowd. Who do you want me to release to you? Verses 18-19 tell us that this is a calculated act by Pilate for two reasons.
First, he knows that the only reason Jesus is in front of him is because the Jewish leaders are envious of him (Matthew 27:18). We read in history that Pilate was not interested in giving the religious leaders any favors and was not interested in pleasing them at all. So he knows what they are doing. Please notice that the text does not say that he knew that Jesus was a troublemaker or a threat to Rome. I say this because I am greatly tired of watching television shows that portray Rome as concerned about Jesus. They had no concern about Jesus and none of the gospels say that the Romans had any watchful eye on him. Jesus is just a teacher among many in Judea and Pilate knows that there is nothing to these charges that the Jewish leaders have brought to him. This is also what Isaiah proclaimed 700 years in advance:
He was taken away because of oppression and judgment, and who considered his fate? (Isaiah 53:8 CSB)
Second, Pilate’s wife sent a message to him to have nothing to do with that righteous man (Matthew 27:19). Pilate’s wife had a dream and it seems to be about the trouble that will come if they have anything to do with this innocent man, Jesus. So this is Pilate’s move. Do you want a murderer released or do you want a guy who says he is a king? Who would possibly choose a murderer to go free? Imagine wanting to release a criminal from death row! Who would do such a thing?
But we are told something in verse 20 that changes the situation. The chief priests and the elders went through the crowd and persuaded them to ask for Barabbas release and to destroy Jesus. The natural answer would be to let Jesus go free. But somehow the crowd is persuaded to change away from the obvious. So when Pilate asks the second time who to release, the crowd answers, Barabbas. This had to be a shock to Pilate. You see the shock in Pilate’s answer in verse 22. “What should I do then with Jesus who is called Christ?” If you are going to let the murderer go free who is worthy of death, what am I supposed to do with Jesus who is not worthy of any punishment? What should I do with Jesus? The answer from the crowd is perhaps more shocking than the first answer. The crowd says, “Crucify him.” Notice again the shock and outrage from Pilate in verse 23. “Why? What evil has he done?” How can you ask for this man to be crucified? He is innocent. He has done nothing wrong. What is the evil he has done that would warrant capital punishment? Give me a reason!
But the crowd kept shouting even more insistently, “Crucify him!” Please imagine the chanting of this crowd before Pilate. “Crucify him! Crucify him!” Now the mob frenzy is at full speed and you will notice in verse 24 that we are told that Pilate was getting nowhere. Rather than getting Jesus released by reasoning with the crowd, an uproar had started. The words of the prophet Isaiah should ring through this moment.
There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him. He was despised and rejected— a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care. (Isaiah 53:2-3 NLT)
No one wants Jesus. Pilate takes water and washes his hands in front of the crowd, saying these words: “I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves.” Pilate proclaims that you are the reason this is happening. You are the reason that this man is going to die. You are the reason that Jesus is not released to you. You are having him crucified, not me. Notice in verse 25 the people agree. “And all the people answered, ‘His blood be on us and on our children!’” The crowd agrees. The responsibility for Jesus’ death is on us. His death is on us and on our families. We are responsible for his death and for releasing Barabbas instead. You might be surprised by what these religious leaders say about this later. Listen to their complaint against the apostles.
And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, saying, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” (Acts 5:27-28 ESV)
The religious leaders asked for it and the crowds asked for it. They are responsible. So Barabbas is released. Jesus is scourged and then prepared for crucifixion. I need to say something that this shocking concise ending given to us in verse 26. We are not told all the details. We are not told how many times they scourged Jesus. We are not told anything about this scene. But Isaiah does and I want to simply read what Isaiah said about our suffering servant.
Just as many were appalled at you — his appearance was so disfigured that he did not look like a man, and his form did not resemble a human being. (Isaiah 52:14 CSB)
What other time in the life of Jesus would this prophecy be pointing to than when he was beaten and scourged by the Romans? All actions are all part of God’s plan.
We Are The Crowd
Friends, we are the crowd. We are the people regularly say to the Lord, “Anyone but Jesus!” We do not want Jesus. We want something else. We want someone else. How many times do we have the opportunity to receive Jesus and we say no? How many times do we choose anything else and anyone else but Jesus? We choose our comfort over Jesus. We choose entertainment over Jesus. We choose rest over Jesus. We choose hobbies over Jesus. We choose tv over Jesus. We choose fleshly desires over Jesus. We choose family over Jesus. We choose friends over Jesus. We choose careers and work over Jesus. Just think about how many times we say to release for us anything else or anything else but Jesus. We are the crowd.
We are also the crowd because it is our sins that put Jesus in this condition. Pilate squarely wants the crowd to own that fact that it is you. Isaiah again makes this point in his prophecy.
But he was pierced because of our rebellion, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on him, and we are healed by his wounds. (Isaiah 53:5 CSB)
Often as we approach the spring there will be television shows that ask the question, “Who killed Jesus?” The prayer of the first Christians recorded in scriptures gives us the answer.
“For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever Your hand and purpose predestined to occur.” (Acts 4:27-28 NASB)
In short, everyone has Jesus’ blood on them. Everyone is responsible. We are the crowd.
We Are Barabbas
But there is one more person we need to consider. We are Barabbas. We are the guilty. We are the ones worthy of death for our sins. We are the ones who are set free instead. Jesus’ death is the reason we have been set free. Jesus carried our sins away so that we would not have to carry our sins. Isaiah said that it is by his wounds that we are healed (Isaiah 53:5). So what will you do with Jesus? You are the crowd who did not want Jesus. You are Barabbas. Now here is something interesting about his name. You might be able to see it if you know a little about the Hebrew language. “Bar” in Hebrew means “son” and “abba” means “father.” His name means “son of the father.” You are Barabbas, set free in spite of our sins. You can be “son of the Father” because “The Son of the Father”, Jesus, died for you to save you. Will you live for him because he has given you the life you have?