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

 

 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 has 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 

 

Yesterday we read that the whole multitude of the religious leaders who seized at night and held Him for questioning the next morning arose and led Him to Pilate.  And they began to accuse Him, saying, "We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, saying that He Himself is Christ, a King."  Then Pilate asked Him, saying, "Are You the King of the Jews?"  He answered him and said, "It is as you say."  So Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowd, "I find no fault in this Man."  But they were the more fierce, saying, "He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee to this place."  When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked if the Man were a Galilean.  And as soon as he knew that He belonged to Herod's jurisdiction, he sent Him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at this time.  Now when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceedingly glad; for he had desired for a long time to see Him, because he had heard many things about Him, and he hoped to see some miracle done by Him.  Then he questioned Him with many words, but He answered him nothing.  And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused Him.  Then Herod, with his men of war, treated Him with contempt and mocked Him, arrayed Him in a gorgeous robe, and sent Him back to Pilate.  That very day Pilate and Herod became friends with each other, for previously they had been at enmity with each other.

 

  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 has 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.  My study Bible notes of today's passage that three times Pilate attempts to release Jesus (verses 16, 20, 22), and three times the chief priest the rulers incite the people to demand He be put to death.  In the end, these men demand the release of a rebel like themselves.  Barabbas, my study Bible continues, means "son of the father" and indicates to which father these rulers belong -- the devil (John 8:44).  

 

Over the course of the past several readings, we have spoken of the darkness that is present, to which Jesus referred at His arrest, when He said, "But this is your hour, and the power of darkness" (Monday's reading).  In today's reading, the darkness is still present.  There are those who vehemently hurl false accusations against Jesus: the chief priests, rulers, and the people they've stirred up to shout against Him.  But into this darkness we start to get hints of exposure, of light shining through to expose the lies.  Three times Pilate tries to let Him go, saying he's found no fault in Jesus worthy of death.  Even Herod found no fault in the man, said Pilate.  Pilate -- a shrewd and, in a sense, disinterested administrator -- has as his top priority one thing:  to keep the peace, so that he keeps his head, so to speak, and his position as governor.  This was the difficult job of the Roman governor of Judea.  But the darkness has another evil plan in mind, and the leaders and the people demand instead the release of Barabbas.  Barabbas, as my study Bible points out, means "son of the father."  And so, for those who read the Scriptures and know them, Jesus has already pronounced who the father of the darkness is, for he is the same as the father of lies.  In an earlier encounter with these men, the religious leaders who seek to kill Him, as reported in St. John's Gospel, Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me.  Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God" (John 8:42-47).  The darkness is present, of that there is no doubt.  It's present in the murderer, Barabbas, whom they prefer.  It's present in the lies they tell.  And it's present spiritually in the reality of the one who is the father of lies.  But here, the light shines also, because the darkness is exposed in Barabbas' name and in what he's done, in the truth obvious even to Pilate and Herod about Jesus, in the open preference for a murderer and rebel to Jesus the Christ.  If we look around us in life, with our eyes opened, we may also find hints of exposure like this when we're caught in evil circumstances, for the light can't stay hidden, and evil is exposed through its own arrogance and ignorance.  The hints are all here to what is really going on.  They're there for those who are willing to see them, named and identified:  murder, lies, deceit, false accusation.  They are all there in the open for those who will see.  For again, in St. John's Gospel, Jesus says to Nicodemus, "For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed" (John 3:20).  But in St. Luke's Gospel, He also affirms, "For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light.  Therefore take heed how you hear. For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him" Luke 8:17-18).  Even in the midst of deception, the truth of these men is exposed, the lies understood, the murder in their hearts revealed.  And even what they seem to have will be taken from them.  Let us, even today, keep our full trust in the light, and remember what we're to be about as His followers.  Will we be the ones who go along with the lies, or those who remain in the truth?