But you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover. So do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Pilate's question, "Will you therefore release to you the King of the Jews?" is dripping with sarcasm. He's not genuinely offering them a choice; he's mocking their perceived "king" by framing him against a notorious criminal, highlighting the absurdity of their accusations.
But you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover. So do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Pilate, having already declared Jesus innocent, tries a new tactic to appease the crowd and avoid sentencing Him. He reminds them of the Passover tradition where a prisoner is released, and sarcastically offers them a choice between Jesus, whom he calls "the King of the Jews," and Barabbas, a notorious criminal. The crowd, incited by the chief priests, demands the release of Barabbas and the crucifixion of Jesus.
Pilate, seeking to navigate a political minefield, poses a question dripping with sarcasm. What's really behind his words?
Pilate, under immense pressure from the Jewish leaders, faces a dilemma. He's declared Jesus innocent, yet the crowd demands his crucifixion. To diffuse the situation and perhaps to subtly mock the religious leaders, he reminds them of a Passover custom: the release of a prisoner.
His question, 'Will you therefore that I release unto you the King of the Jews?' is loaded. The title 'King of the Jews' was one that Jesus' accusers had pinned on him, likely with treasonous intent. Pilate uses it here sarcastically, knowing that the Jewish leaders would likely reject a figure they themselves had presented as a threat to Roman authority. He's essentially saying, 'You've accused him of being this king, so do you want your king back, or this criminal?' It's a political gambit, attempting to manipulate the crowd's desires and expose the hypocrisy of their demands.
The Passover was a sacred festival, yet it became the backdrop for a choice between liberation and condemnation. What does this tell us about traditions?
The custom of releasing a prisoner at Passover was an established practice, a tradition meant to coincide with the festival's theme of liberation. However, in this scene, it’s twisted into a tool for political maneuvering and mob manipulation.
Pilate, a Roman governor, acknowledges this Jewish custom, showing he's aware of their religious calendar and practices. But his intention isn't to genuinely honor the Passover's spirit of freedom. Instead, he uses it to shift responsibility for Jesus' fate. He offers a choice: the innocent Jesus or Barabbas, a known criminal and rebel.
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This highlights how traditions, even those with noble origins, can be corrupted or misused when they are disconnected from their core meaning and used for self-serving purposes. The Passover, which commemorated Israel's freedom from slavery, tragically becomes the occasion for condemning the true Liberator.
The crowd's deafening cry rejects the true King and chooses a rebel. What does this choice reveal about human desires?
The climax of this exchange is the crowd's immediate and fervent rejection of Jesus. When offered a choice between Jesus, whom Pilate mockingly calls 'the King of the Jews,' and Barabbas, a notorious criminal associated with insurrection, they overwhelmingly choose the latter.
This decision isn't just a random whim; it’s a profound statement about the crowd's desires and allegiances. They reject a King whose kingdom is not of this world, whose power is spiritual, and whose message is truth. Instead, they opt for a figure embodying rebellion, violence, and earthly power – perhaps someone who promised a more immediate, tangible form of liberation from Roman rule.
This choice starkly contrasts the nature of Jesus' kingdom with the world's expectations. It shows how easily people can be swayed by popular opinion, fear, and a preference for the familiar or the seemingly powerful, even when it leads to injustice and the rejection of divine truth.
Understand the original words
pascha · Greek Noun
A Jewish festival commemorating the deliverance of Israel from slavery in Egypt. It serves as a shadow of the ultimate deliverance from sin through the blood of Christ, the true Passover Lamb.
This verse highlights Pilate's political maneuvering, using a traditional Passover custom to deflect responsibility and appease the Jewish leaders, ultimately leading to the unjust condemnation of Jesus.
c. 27-30 AD— this verse
Roman Governor's Passover Custom
Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea, followed a custom of releasing a prisoner to the Jewish people during the Passover festival. The origins of this custom are unknown, but it was likely a way to appease the populace during a significant religious period.
c. 27-30 AD
Jesus and Barabbas Trial
During the Passover festival, Jesus, accused of claiming to be the King of the Jews, was brought before Pilate. Pilate, finding no guilt in Jesus, offered the crowd a choice between releasing Jesus or a known insurrectionist and murderer named Barabbas.
c. 27-30 AD
Crowd Demands Barabbas
Influenced by the chief priests and elders, the crowd demanded the release of Barabbas and the crucifixion of Jesus, rejecting Jesus despite Pilate's attempts to save him.
c. 27-30 AD
Pilate Condemns Jesus
Yielding to the crowd's persistent demand, Pilate sentenced Jesus to be scourged and then crucified, while releasing Barabbas to them.
This passage in Matthew describes the same Passover custom of releasing a prisoner, directly paralleling Pilate's offer and the crowd's choice between Jesus and Barabbas. It highlights the crowd's manipulation and Pilate's attempt to appease them.
Mark 15:6-15Mark also recounts this event, emphasizing Pilate's desire to please the crowd and the people's insistence on releasing Barabbas. It underscores the theme of human preference for rebellion over righteousness.
Luke 23:13-25Luke presents a similar account, detailing Pilate's attempts to avoid condemning Jesus and his ultimate yielding to the crowd's demand for Barabbas. This emphasizes the political pressures and the tragic irony of releasing a known insurrectionist over the King of Kings.
Isaiah 53:7This prophetic passage describes the suffering servant being led like a lamb to the slaughter, who opens not his mouth. It powerfully illuminates Jesus' silent acceptance of his unjust condemnation, mirroring the scene where he is offered as a sacrifice instead of a criminal.
John 1:14This verse states that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth. It provides a profound contrast to the crowd's rejection of Jesus, the embodiment of truth and grace, in favor of a violent criminal.
vincentJohn 18:39: "But ye have a custom, that I should release unto you one at the passover: will ye therefore that I release unto you the King of the Jews?"
Ye have a customThe word συνήθεια, custom, originally means intimacy, habitual intercourse, and thence naturally passes into the meaning of habit or custom. Only John puts the statement of this custom into the mouth of Pilate. Matthew and Mark relate it as a fact.At the Passover (ἐν τῷ πάσχα)More specific than Matthew and Mark, where the ex…
henryJohn 18:33-40: "Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews?"
18:33-40 Art thou the King of the Jews? that King of the Jews who has been so long expected? Messiah the Prince; art thou he? Dost thou call thyself so, and wouldest thou be thought so? Christ answered this question with another; not for evasion, but that Pilate might consider what he did. He never took upon him any earthly power, never were any traitorous princ…
Pilate's question, "Will you therefore release to you the King of the Jews?" is dripping with sarcasm. He's not genuinely offering them a choice; he's mocking their perceived "king" by framing him against a notorious criminal, highlighting the absurdity of their accusations.
Pilate, having already declared Jesus innocent, tries a new tactic to appease the crowd and avoid sentencing Him. He reminds them of the Passover tradition where a prisoner is released, and sarcastically offers them a choice between Jesus, whom he calls "the King of the Jews," and Barabbas, a notorious criminal. The crowd, incited by the chief priests, demands the release of Barabbas and the crucifixion of Jesus.
Pilate, having already declared Jesus innocent, tries a new tactic to appease the crowd and avoid sentencing Him. He reminds them of the Passover tradition where a prisoner is released, and sarcastically offers them a choice between Jesus, whom he calls "the King of the Jews," and Barabbas, a notorious criminal. The crowd, incited by the chief priests, demands the release of Barabbas and the crucifixion of Jesus.
"But you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover. So do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”" — Pilate's question, "Will you therefore release to you the King of the Jews?" is dripping with sarcasm. He's not genuinely offering them a choice; he's mocking their perceived "king" by framing him ag…
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Last reviewed October 2026