Part of That Crowd
Then Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people, said to them, “You have brought this man to me, as one who misleads the people. And indeed, having examined Him in your presence, I have found no fault in this man concerning those things of which you accuse Him; no, neither did Herod, for I sent you back to him; and indeed nothing deserving of death has been done by Him. I will therefore chastise Him and release Him” (for it was necessary for him to release one to them at the feast). And they all cried out at once, saying, “Away with this Man, and release to us Barabbas”— who had been thrown into prison for a certain rebellion made in the city, and for murder. Pilate, therefore, wishing to release Jesus, again called out to them. But they shouted, saying, “Crucify Him, crucify Him!” Then he said to them the third time, “Why, what evil has He done? I have found no reason for death in Him. I will therefore chastise Him and let Him go.” But they were insistent, demanding with loud voices that He be crucified. And the voices of these men and of the chief priests prevailed. So Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they requested. And he released to them the one they requested, who for rebellion and murder had been thrown into prison; but he delivered Jesus to their will. (Luke 23: 13-25)
Pilate found no fault in Jesus. Three times He tried to find a way to release Him, but to no avail. Even Pilate’s wife, who had a dream, warned Him to not oppose Jesus. Herod couldn’t find any fault worthy of death in the Lord either. Yet, against his conscience and good judgment, Pilate was about to deliver Jesus into the hands of His enemies.
The people of Israel knew Jesus was innocent. They also knew Barabbas deserved death. This rebellious man, who was also an assassin and a thief, was, according to Matthew, well-known in that region.
How could this crowd choose an assassin, thief, and rebel over a Holy man in whom there was no fault?
Well, it shouldn’t surprise us. Our generation is no different from them. Isn’t it true that we have excluded God from schools in America? No praying, no sharing of our faith at school at the cost of the lives of innocent children who end up being murdered by their classmates. In the name of tolerance we’ve allowed the enemies of God to fill the heads of our children with atheistic propaganda and we have done nothing about it. We live in a society who desperately needs God, but is determined to live without Him!
We have changed the light for the darkness, the good for the bad, righteousness for lawlessness, and we seem to have adjusted very well to it. Even our churches have changed their focus from Christ to people, our worship services giving evidence that we are more interested in pleasing the crowds than in pleasing God.
When Pilate washed his hands trying to wash away the wickedness of his actions, the multitude told him, “His blood be on us and on our children.” And this single statement holds so much truth, even coming from them. We all are part of that crowd; part of those who chose unrighteousness over holiness. We have participated in Jesus’ death as much as they did, and we have not repented.
Yet, His promise remains, “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1: 11-14)
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