What is the meaning of Matthew 27:21? Which of the two do you want me to release to you? - Matthew tells us that “it was the governor’s custom at the feast to release to the crowd a prisoner of their choosing” (Matthew 27:15). Pilate honors that custom here, intentionally narrowing the choice to Jesus or Barabbas. - The scene echoes God’s pattern of setting choices before people: “I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life” (Deuteronomy 30:19). - Joshua had once challenged Israel, “Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve” (Joshua 24:15). Pilate’s question likewise forces a public decision about Jesus. - In John 18:39 Pilate words the offer this way: “But it is your custom that I release one prisoner to you at the Passover. So do you want me to release the King of the Jews?”. By calling Jesus “King,” Pilate highlights His innocence and royal claim, sharpening the contrast with Barabbas. - The moment exposes every heart. Jesus, the spotless Lamb (1 Peter 1:19), stands beside a proven criminal, and the people must decide which one they truly desire. asked the governor - Civil authority is on display: “There is no authority except from God” (Romans 13:1). Though Pilate represents Rome, his power is ultimately delegated by God, as Jesus reminds him: “You would have no authority over Me if it were not given to you from above” (John 19:11). - Pilate’s question sounds neutral, yet it reveals his struggle. Three times he will declare Jesus innocent (Luke 23:4, 14, 22), but fear of the crowd keeps him from acting on that conviction. - The governor’s inquiry underscores accountability. Leaders cannot escape responsibility by pushing decisions onto others (James 2:1). Pilate hopes the crowd will free him from moral duty; instead, their answer deepens his dilemma. Barabbas, they replied - All four Gospels concur that the crowd chooses Barabbas (Mark 15:11; Luke 23:18; John 18:40). Mark notes he was “in prison with the rebels who had committed murder in the uprising” (Mark 15:7). - Acts 3:14 recalls the choice: “You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you”. The contrast is stark—light versus darkness, innocence versus violence. - Their selection fulfills prophecy. Isaiah 53:3 foretold Messiah would be “despised and rejected by men.” The people prefer a violent insurrectionist over the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). - Substitution shines through. Barabbas walks free because Jesus takes his place on the cross, a living picture of 2 Corinthians 5:21: “God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God”. - The crowd’s cry exposes the human heart: without the Spirit’s renewal (John 3:3), we naturally reject God’s Son and cling to sin. summary Matthew 27:21 records a decisive moment where choice, authority, and substitution converge. Pilate offers a clear option between the sinless Son of God and a notorious criminal. The governor’s question spotlights human responsibility, while the crowd’s answer reveals mankind’s fallen preference for darkness over light. Yet God uses even this rejection to advance His redemptive plan: Jesus is condemned so that sinners—symbolized by Barabbas—can go free. |
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