Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Let him be crucified!”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Pilate's question, "Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?", isn't just a plea for instructions; it’s a loaded challenge that forces the crowd to confront the identity they are rejecting. By using the title "Christ," Pilate highlights the very claim the religious leaders despise, pushing them to declare openly that they will not have this man as their Messiah.
Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Let him be crucified!”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Pilate, having found no guilt in Jesus and even warned by his wife, tries to release him by offering the crowd a choice between Jesus and the violent criminal Barabbas. When the crowd, incited by the chief priests, chooses Barabbas, Pilate asks what he should do with Jesus, and the mob cries out for his crucifixion. This highlights the priests' manipulation and the crowd's irrational hatred, pushing Pilate to yield despite knowing Jesus' innocence.
Pilate clearly didn't want to execute Jesus. So why did he give in so easily? It all comes down to the overwhelming power of the crowd's demands.
The scene here is intense! Pilate, the Roman governor, is faced with Jesus and a furious crowd. He's already heard from his wife, who had a disturbing dream warning her to "have nothing to do with that righteous man" (Matthew 27:19). This probably made him uneasy. He even offers the crowd a choice: release Barabbas, a notorious prisoner, or Jesus. Yet, despite his own hesitations and his wife's warning, Pilate yields.
He asks, "Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?" This isn't a genuine question about justice; it's more of a desperate plea, trying to shift the responsibility. He's hoping they'll back down or choose Jesus. But the crowd, stirred up by the chief priests and elders, shouts back with one voice: "Let him be crucified!" This wasn't just a suggestion; it was a terrifying demand that Pilate, fearing a riot or worse, ultimately couldn't ignore.
When the crowd screamed "Crucify him!", they weren't just demanding a death sentence. They were calling for a specific, brutal punishment that carried a profound message.
The word 'crucify' itself (Greek: stauroō) was significant. It wasn't just any execution method; it was a Roman form of punishment typically reserved for rebels, slaves, and the worst criminals. By demanding crucifixion for Jesus, the crowd was labeling him as a traitor and a criminal, stripping him of any claim to kingship or divine status.
This wasn't an accident. The religious leaders had already tried to frame Jesus as a threat to Rome. Now, by demanding this specific punishment, the crowd was echoing that accusation, essentially saying, 'He deserves the fate of a criminal!' It was a way to publicly discredit him and satisfy their own twisted sense of justice, fueled by envy and hatred.
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The choice between Jesus and Barabbas wasn't just a legal formality; it was a spiritual crossroads. And the crowd's decision reveals a timeless human tendency.
The custom of releasing a prisoner during Passover was meant to be a gesture of goodwill. But here, it becomes a stark illustration of the human heart. Pilate offers them a choice: Barabbas, described as a notorious prisoner, possibly involved in an insurrection and murder (Matthew 27:16, Luke 23:19), or Jesus, the Son of God. What do they choose?
They choose Barabbas. This choice is more than just picking a prisoner; it's a rejection of righteousness in favor of wickedness, of the Messiah in favor of a criminal. It mirrors how people throughout history, and even today, often prefer their 'darling sins' – the things that enslave them – over the freedom and truth offered by Christ. They cry for Barabbas, essentially saying 'Not this man, but Barabbas!' This choice tragically fulfills the prophecy that the people would reject their King.
Understand the original words
Iēsous · Greek (derived from Hebrew) Noun
The central figure of the Gospel; the name means 'YHWH is salvation' and is paired here with the title 'Christ' (Messiah).
Christos · Greek Noun
The Greek translation of the Hebrew 'Messiah' (Anointed One), referring to the King and Savior promised to Israel by God through the prophets.
stauroō · Greek Verb
A form of execution used by the Romans, characterized by extreme physical agony, shame, and public degradation, which became the instrument of Christ's atoning sacrifice.
The verse captures a critical moment where Roman authority, Jewish religious politics, and the crowd's volatile will collide. Pilate, caught between his own sense of justice and the political expediency of appeasing the religious elite and the masses during Passover, ultimately condemns Jesus.
c. AD 26-36
Pilate's Governorship in Judea
Pontius Pilate served as the Roman prefect (governor) of Judea, overseeing a volatile region with a mix of Jewish and Roman interests. His tenure was marked by several clashes with the Jewish populace.
c. AD 30-33
Passover Festival
The Jewish Passover festival was a time of great religious significance and often political tension, as crowds gathered in Jerusalem. Roman governors typically stayed in the city during this period to maintain order.
c. AD 30-33
Pilate's Wife's Warning
Pilate's wife sent him a message about a troubling dream regarding Jesus, urging him to 'have nothing to do with that righteous man.' This reflects the supernatural and divine awareness surrounding Jesus's fate.
c. AD 30-33— this verse
The Choice: Jesus or Barabbas
Pilate offered the crowd a choice between releasing Jesus or a notorious prisoner named Barabbas, a practice sometimes observed during Passover. The crowd, incited by the chief priests, demanded Barabbas's release and Jesus's crucifixion.
c. AD 30-33
Pilate Condemns Jesus
Despite his attempts to release Jesus and his acknowledgment of Jesus's innocence, Pilate ultimately yielded to the crowd's pressure and handed Jesus over to be crucified.
AD 70
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
Fulfilling Jesus's own prophecies and the Jews' rejection of Him, Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed by the Romans. This event is seen by many Christians as a judgment upon the Jewish leadership and people for their role in Jesus's crucifixion.
This passage echoes the crowd's rejection of Jesus, showing their preference for a known rebel (Barabbas) and their ultimate demand for Caesar's approval over acknowledging Christ's kingship.
Acts 7:52Stephen's powerful accusation directly links the crowd's ancestors to the rejection and murder of Jesus, mirroring the demand for crucifixion made in Matthew's Gospel.
Luke 23:20-23This passage highlights Pilate's attempts to release Jesus and the crowd's escalating demands, reinforcing the intense pressure and hostility Jesus faced from the religious leaders and the mob.
Isaiah 53:7This prophetic passage describes the suffering servant being led like a lamb to slaughter, without opening his mouth, which powerfully contrasts with the clamoring crowd demanding Jesus' crucifixion.
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…
ellicottMatthew 27:22: "Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified."
(22) Let him be crucified. —It may be noted that this was the first direct intimation of the mode of death to which the priests destined their prisoner. It was implied, indeed, in their fixed resolve to make the Roman governor the executioner of their sentence, as shown in the dialogue recorded by St. John ( John 18:31 ); but now the cry came from the mul…
Pilate's question, "Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?", isn't just a plea for instructions; it’s a loaded challenge that forces the crowd to confront the identity they are rejecting. By using the title "Christ," Pilate highlights the very claim the religious leaders despise, pushing them to declare openly that they will not have this man as their Messiah.
Pilate, having found no guilt in Jesus and even warned by his wife, tries to release him by offering the crowd a choice between Jesus and the violent criminal Barabbas. When the crowd, incited by the chief priests, chooses Barabbas, Pilate asks what he should do with Jesus, and the mob cries out for his crucifixion. This highlights the priests' manipulation and the crowd's irrational hatred, pushing Pilate to yield despite knowing Jesus' innocence.
Pilate, having found no guilt in Jesus and even warned by his wife, tries to release him by offering the crowd a choice between Jesus and the violent criminal Barabbas. When the crowd, incited by the chief priests, chooses Barabbas, Pilate asks what he should do with Jesus, and the mob cries out for his crucifixion. This highlights the priests' manipulation and the crowd's irrational hatred, pushing Pilate to yield despite knowing Jesus' innocence.
"Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Let him be crucified!”" — Pilate's question, "Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?", isn't just a plea for instructions; it’s a loaded challenge that forces the crowd to confront the identity they are rejecti…
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Last reviewed October 2026