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Luke 23:18–25
“[Pilate] released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, for whom they asked, but he delivered Jesus over to their will” (v. 25).
As we begin our study today, let us note that the ESV moves right from Luke 23:16 to 23:18, skipping over verse 17. This is because verse 17 is not found in many of the older Greek manuscripts of the New Testament. Other manuscripts put the verse, which refers to the obligation of Pilate to release one Jewish prisoner during the Passover, after verse 19. Regardless of whether Luke himself originally wrote the statement, the truth that the Romans customarily released a prisoner to the Jews during the festival of the Passover is recorded in the other Gospels (Matt. 27:15; Mark 15:6; John 18:39). This custom provides important historical context for today’s passage, which begins with the Jewish crowd’s demanding the release of the prisoner Barabbas right after Pontius Pilate’s declaration of Christ’s innocence (Luke 23:18). The crowd had been incited, we read in Matthew 27:20 and Mark 15:11, by the Jewish leaders to demand Barabbas.
The crowd’s demand for the release of Barabbas, not Jesus, from Roman custody underscores the irrationality and injustice of the proceedings against our Lord. Luke 23:19 tells us that Barabbas was anything but innocent. He was truly guilty of the charge falsely leveled against Jesus—inciting others to sedition or insurrection (see vv. 1–5). Moreover, Barabbas was also a murderer (v. 19), while Jesus had never harmed anyone. Yet neither the crowd nor the Jewish leaders cared. They continued to demand Barabbas’ freedom and not the release of Jesus even though Pilate insisted on our Lord’s innocence (vv. 20–23). All this reminds us that mob justice is no justice at all.
Pilate finally gave in, preferring expediency to justice (v. 24). We have said in past studies that nationalistic aspirations for the Jews were quite high during the annual Passover feast, so Pilate likely feared a revolt if he were to not meet the crowd’s demands. Also, we know from extrabiblical sources that the Roman authorities above Pilate had urged him to improve his notoriously poor relations with the Jews. That probably also factored into his decision.
So Pilate released Barabbas—“the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder”—and gave Jesus over to be crucified (v. 25). The name Barabbas means “son of the father,” so the exchange of Jesus for Barabbas points us to the gospel. Jesus, the true Son of God the Father, took the place of the sinner Barabbas, freeing him from prison. Gloriously, Jesus took the place of sinners who trust in Him, setting us free from sin and death.
Coram Deo Living before the face of God
Christ’s taking our place as our substitute is the very heart of the gospel. Jesus was not merely a good example, but He actually substituted Himself for us, bearing God’s judgment in our place. As we share the gospel, we cannot forget that Jesus took the place of sinners and endured what He did not deserve in order to redeem His people.
For further study
- Matthew 27:15–26
- 1 Peter 3:18
The bible in a year
- Ezekiel 32–33
- 1 Peter 1
- Ezekiel 34–36
- 1 Peter 2–3