But the chief priests stirred up the crowd, so that he should rather release Barabbas to them

 

 Immediately, in the morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council; and they bound Jesus, led Him away, and delivered Him to Pilate.  Then Pilate asked Him, "Are You the King of the Jews?"  He answered and said to him, "It is as you say."  And the chief priests accused Him of many things, but He answered nothing.  Then Pilate asked Him again, saying, "Do You answer nothing?  See how many things they testify against You!"  But Jesus still answered nothing, so that Pilate marveled.

Now at the feast he was accustomed to releasing one prisoner to them, whomever they requested.  And there was one named Barabbas, who was chained with his fellow rebels; they had committed murder in the rebellion.  Then the multitude, crying aloud, began to ask him to do just as he had always done for them.  But Pilate answered them, saying, "Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?"  For he knew that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy.  But the chief priests stirred up the crowd, so that he should rather release Barabbas to them.

 

- Mark 15:1–11 

 

Yesterday we read that as Peter was below in the courtyard (while Jesus was on trial inside the home of the high priest) one of the servant girls of the high priest came.  And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, "You also were with Jesus of Nazareth."  But he denied it, saying, "I neither know nor understand what you are saying."  And he went out on the porch, and a rooster crowed.  And the servant girl saw him again, and began to say to those who stood by, "This is one of them."  But he denied it again.  And a little later those who stood by said to Peter again, "Surely you are one of them; for you are a Galilean, and your speech shows it."  Then he began to curse and swear, "I do not know this Man of whom you speak!"  A second time the rooster crowed.  Then Peter called to mind the word that Jesus had said to him, "Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times."  And when he thought about it, he wept.

Immediately, in the morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council; and they bound Jesus, led Him away, and delivered Him to Pilate.  The Jewish religious law dictated the death penalty for blasphemers (Leviticus 24:16), and it is blasphemy of which the Sanhedrin has convicted Jesus (see Monday's reading).  But under Roman occupation, the Jews could not carry out an execution.  Therefore, these religious leaders must get a sentence which is issued by Pilate, who is the Roman governor.  

Then Pilate asked Him, "Are You the King of the Jews?"  He answered and said to him, "It is as you say."   Pilate's question, "Are You the King of the Jews?" comes from the political charges which have been made against Jesus.  Pilate would not execute a man over religious matters; therefore the chief priests had to come up with a political crime which would guarantee the death penalty.  Therefore, Jesus stands accused by them of making Himself an earthly king, which would be treason against Caesar (see John 19:12).  A more literal translation of Jesus' response is:  "You say."

And the chief priests accused Him of many things, but He answered nothing.  Then Pilate asked Him again, saying, "Do You answer nothing?  See how many things they testify against You!"  But Jesus still answered nothing, so that Pilate marveled.  My study Bible remarks that the fact that the Savior answered nothing is a fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah 53:7, which portrays the Messiah being silent as He is led "as a lamb to the slaughter."   The fact that Pilate marveled tells us that these circumstances are remarkable -- as is the Prisoner.

Now at the feast he was accustomed to releasing one prisoner to them, whomever they requested.  And there was one named Barabbas, who was chained with his fellow rebels; they had committed murder in the rebellion.  Then the multitude, crying aloud, began to ask him to do just as he had always done for them.  But Pilate answered them, saying, "Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?"  For he knew that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy.  But the chief priests stirred up the crowd, so that he should rather release Barabbas to them.  My study Bible comments on Mark's report that the chief priests stirred up the crowd:   Pilate was hoping to release Jesus, a Man whom he knew to be innocent, as this passage indicates (see also Mark 15:14, John 18:38, 19:4, 6).   Pilate turns to the crowd for support, hoping that they will ask for Jesus in spite of the chief priests.  Matthew calls Barabbas "a notorious prisoner" (Matthew 27:16).   My study Bible comments that Jesus is the true Son of the Father, but the name Barabbas means "son of the father."  Ironically, therefore, the crowds must choose between one Son of the Father and the other.  By influencing the crowds to choose Barabbas, the chief priests indicate to which father they belong -- the devil (John 8:44).

My study Bible says that by influencing the crowds to choose Barabbas, the chief priests indicate to which father they belong -- the devil.  What does it mean to be of one father or another?  When Jesus is lambasting the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees in Matthew's Gospel, He tells them, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves" (Matthew 23:15).  To be a son in this sense indicates that a person has become modeled in the image of whomever is being held up as father.  In this case, it would be the devil, as these people do what the devil prefers.  That is, to stir the crowd in favor of Barabbas is a clear indication of their hatred of Christ, and there is nothing that marks the devil more than a hatred of Christ.  So the chief priests are following the wrong father, and continue in the footsteps of hypocrisy as Jesus has said of them.  Again, we recall that in Matthew's Gospel, Jesus said to them, "Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:  'These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me'" (Matthew 15:7-8).  Their hypocrisy, ultimately, is to proclaim themselves the "sons" of God, while in truth they serve another of whom they become "sons."  The indication should be clear to us that we make the same choices.  We cannot claim for ourselves a spiritual inheritance through a name or nominal group to which we belong; spiritually we must live the values of the One of whom we wish to call ourselves children.  Again, in Matthew's Gospel, John the Baptist tells the Pharisees and Sadducees who come to him for baptism:  "Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones" (Matthew 3:7-9).   And here is the deeply troublesome nature of hypocrisy:  that we might claim to be "sons" (in other words heirs, regardless of gender) of one Being, while truly living as the children of another, even an enemy.  Jesus gives us an indication of what it is to oppose what is purely good and holy when He speaks of the work of the Holy Spirit in the world, and those who would condemn that work:  "Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men" (Matthew 12:31).  To be truly a child of God is to live in accordance with God's will, to seek the holy and to uphold it.   As today's reading makes clear, Pilate understands very well these the religious leaders have brought Christ to him out of envy.  It teaches us about what gets in the way of our love of God.   As Jesus has taught us, we pray:  "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.  Your kingdom come.  Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10, Luke 11:12).  Let us live these words.  Let us pray them and do our best to fulfill them.  Let us truly be "sons" and heirs with Christ.