Matthew 27:20
Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The real power here isn't just that the crowd chose a murderer, but that the chief priests and elders manipulated the crowd into making this choice. They didn't just influence the people; they actively persuaded them to trade the "Holy One and Just" for a known criminal, effectively demonstrating how easily religious leaders can sway a populace toward destruction. This wasn't the people's spontaneous desire, but a carefully orchestrated act of malice.
The religious leaders, realizing Pilate might release Jesus, deliberately stirred up the crowd. They manipulated the custom of releasing a prisoner during Passover, convincing the people to demand the notorious criminal Barabbas be freed instead of Jesus. This intensified the crowd's cry for Jesus' crucifixion, overriding Pilate's attempts to find a way to let him go.
Have you ever seen a crowd get carried away, with emotions running high and reason taking a backseat? This passage shows that power, but with eternal consequences.
The Power of Persuasion
The chief priests and elders didn't just suggest to the crowd; they persuaded them. They actively manipulated the emotions and desires of the people.
This highlights the dangerous potential of mob mentality when it's expertly steered by those with ulterior motives.
The choice presented was stark: a murderer or the Messiah. Yet, the crowd, swayed by religious leaders, chose the wrong one. What does this tell us about human nature?
Saving the Rebel, Condemning the Righteous
The core of this moment is the deliberate exchange: the people were urged to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus.
Understand the original words
archiereus · Greek Noun
The leaders of the Jewish religious establishment, responsible for temple worship and interpreting the Law. They held significant political and social influence and were the primary instigators in the legal pursuit of Jesus.
presbyteros · Greek Noun
The leaders of the people who held authority in matters of community governance and religious tradition. They were integral to the judicial councils that opposed Jesus' ministry.
apollymi · Greek Verb
To ruin, kill, or bring to an end. Biblically, it often refers to physical death or the spiritual ruin of one's purpose or soul, specifically used here to describe the desire of Jesus' enemies to end His earthly ministry.
The choice to release Barabbas, a prisoner involved in sedition and murder, over Jesus highlights the intense political and religious pressures at play, with the chief priests and elders manipulating the crowd's emotions to condemn Jesus.
c. AD 28-33
Jesus' Ministry and Growing Opposition
Jesus' teachings and miracles gained him a following but also attracted the intense scrutiny and animosity of the Jewish religious establishment.
c. AD 30-33
Pilate's Governorship in Judea
Pontius Pilate served as the Roman prefect (governor) of Judea during Jesus' ministry, a period marked by Roman military presence and occasional unrest.
Passover Week, c. AD 30-33
Triumphal Entry and Temple Cleansing
Jesus entered Jerusalem hailed by crowds, then overturned the money changers' tables in the Temple, actions that deeply angered the religious leaders.
Passover Week, c. AD 30-33— this verse
Arrest and Trials of Jesus
Jesus was arrested, interrogated by Jewish leaders, and then brought before Pontius Pilate for trial, facing accusations of sedition.
Peter directly accuses the crowd, saying they denied and rejected the 'Holy and Just One,' asking for a murderer (Barabbas) to be released instead. This passage powerfully echoes the choice made in Matthew 27:20, highlighting the stark contrast between Jesus and Barabbas.
John 18:39-40This passage shows Pilate offering a choice to the crowd during Passover, just as in Matthew, but John emphasizes the crowd's loud insistence on Barabbas' release and Jesus' crucifixion, revealing their active participation in the decision.
Galatians 3:13Paul explains that Christ 'became a curse for us,' which relates to the crowd's rejection of the righteous Jesus in favor of a condemned criminal, effectively transferring the curse and punishment onto Christ.
1 Peter 2:22Peter states that Jesus 'committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in his mouth,' underscoring the profound injustice of the crowd's demand to 'destroy Jesus' when he was truly innocent, as they were persuaded to believe by the leaders.
henryMatthew 27:11-25: "And Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest."
27:11-25 Having no malice against Jesus, Pilate urged him to clear himself, and laboured to get him discharged. The message from his wife was a warning. God has many ways of giving checks to sinners, in their sinful pursuits, and it is a great mercy to have such checks from Providence, from faithful friends, and from our own conscience…
barnesMatthew 27:20: "But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus."
Persuaded the multitude - The release of a prisoner was to be to the people, not to the rulers. The rulers, therefore, in order to secure the condemnation of Jesus, urged on the people to demand Barabbas. The people were greatly under the influence of the priests. Galileans among the citizens of Jerusalem were held in contempt. The priests turned the pretensions of Jesus i…
The real power here isn't just that the crowd chose a murderer, but that the chief priests and elders manipulated the crowd into making this choice. They didn't just influence the people; they actively persuaded them to trade the "Holy One and Just" for a known criminal, effectively demonstrating how easily religious leaders can sway a populace toward destruction. This wasn't the people's spontaneous desire, but a carefully orchestrated act of malice.
The religious leaders, realizing Pilate might release Jesus, deliberately stirred up the crowd. They manipulated the custom of releasing a prisoner during Passover, convincing the people to demand the notorious criminal Barabbas be freed instead of Jesus. This intensified the crowd's cry for Jesus' crucifixion, overriding Pilate's attempts to find a way to let him go.
The religious leaders, realizing Pilate might release Jesus, deliberately stirred up the crowd. They manipulated the custom of releasing a prisoner during Passover, convincing the people to demand the notorious criminal Barabbas be freed instead of Jesus. This intensified the crowd's cry for Jesus' crucifixion, overriding Pilate's attempts to find a way to let him go.
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Passover Week, c. AD 30-33
Pilate's Wife's Warning
Pilate's wife sent him a message urging him to "have nothing to do with that righteous man," after suffering in a dream.
Passover Week, c. AD 30-33
Release of Barabbas
As part of Passover custom, Pilate offered the crowd a choice between releasing Jesus or Barabbas, a known prisoner; they chose Barabbas.
"Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus." — The real power here isn't just that the crowd chose a murderer, but that the chief priests and elders manipulated the crowd into making this choice. They didn't just influence the people; they acti…
