For the third time he demanded, "Why? What crime has He committed? I have found no reason to sentence Him to death. So, I will have Him flogged, and then I will release Him." But the mob shouted louder and louder, demanding that Jesus be crucified, and their voices prevailed. Luke 23:22-23
After Jesus was arrested and placed under trial by many political and religious leaders of His day, He was found innocent and finally sent back to Pilate in Luke 23. After examining the situation, Pilate found Jesus innocent as well. Standing before many leaders of his day and a crowd of people, he said to them in Luke 23:14, "You brought this man to me, accusing Him of leading a revolt. I have examined Him thoroughly on this point in your presence and find Him innocent." He further added, "Nothing this man has done calls for the death penalty" (Luke 23:15). As a result, Pilate said that He would have Jesus flogged and then release Him.
Pilate's statement could have been the end of the story, but after he told everyone his plans to flog and release Jesus, the crowd surrounding him began shouting, "Kill Him, and release Barabbas to us" (Luke 23:18). Barabbas was a man who had been in prison for insurrection (uprising against the government) and murder. Ironically, Jesus was being accused of something Barabbas had actually done (insurrection). Three times Pilate told the crowd that he was going to have Jesus flogged and then release Him, but finally, the uproar of the crowd was too much. Pilate gave in to the demands of the crowd and sentenced Jesus to death, just like the crowd wanted.
In this moment, an innocent man was sentenced to death while a guilty man walked away free. What a picture of what was to come. You see, we are all like Barabbas. We are guilty of sin. We have all done things that are against God's will. We have lied, cheated, stolen, or any other thing that we know we should not have done. Yet, when we deserved death and punishment as a result of our sin, Jesus died in our place. He, the innocent one, died a criminal's death, and we walk away free if we place our faith in Him. Praise God for His glorious grace to us in giving us what we do not deserve, eternal life!
Take some time today to reflect on the fact that we are all like Barabbas. We deserved to die, yet Jesus died in our place so that we could walk away free if we place our faith in Him. In your journal, write out a prayer of thanksgiving to God for His incredible grace to you by sending Jesus to die in our place.
Read Luke 23:13-25 (NLT)
Then Pilate called together the leading priests and other religious leaders, along with the people, and he announced his verdict. “You brought this man to me, accusing him of leading a revolt. I have examined him thoroughly on this point in your presence and find him innocent. Herod came to the same conclusion and sent him back to us. Nothing this man has done calls for the death penalty. So I will have him flogged, and then I will release him.”
Then a mighty roar rose from the crowd, and with one voice they shouted, “Kill him, and release Barabbas to us!” (Barabbas was in prison for taking part in an insurrection in Jerusalem against the government, and for murder.) Pilate argued with them, because he wanted to release Jesus. But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”
For the third time he demanded, “Why? What crime has he committed? I have found no reason to sentence him to death. So I will have him flogged, and then I will release him.”
But the mob shouted louder and louder, demanding that Jesus be crucified, and their voices prevailed. So Pilate sentenced Jesus to die as they demanded. As they had requested, he released Barabbas, the man in prison for insurrection and murder. But he turned Jesus over to them to do as they wished.
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