Why did the crowd choose Barabbas over Jesus in Luke 23:18? Setting the Scene • Luke 23:18 records: “But they all cried out together, ‘Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!’” • The moment unfolds in Pilate’s court during Passover, when a prisoner could be released (cf. Luke 23:17; John 18:39). • Two men stand before the crowd: Jesus, innocent and miracle-working; Barabbas, “a man who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city and for murder” (Luke 23:19). Who Was Barabbas? • A violent rebel (Mark 15:7). • A “robber” (John 18:40)—a word often used for guerrilla fighters against Rome. • To nationalistic Jews, such a man could seem like a folk hero resisting foreign rule. Who Stirred the Crowd? • “The chief priests and elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to put Jesus to death” (Matthew 27:20). • “But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release Barabbas instead” (Mark 15:11). • Religious leaders, threatened by Jesus’ authority and teaching (John 11:47–53), orchestrated the outcome. Reasons the Crowd Chose Barabbas • Influence of corrupt leadership – Trusted spiritual guides urged the people toward Barabbas. – Proverbs 29:12: “If a ruler listens to lies, all his servants become wicked.” • Misplaced political hopes – Many expected a Messiah who would overthrow Rome (Luke 24:21). – Barabbas looked more like that kind of liberator than the meek, silent Jesus (Isaiah 53:7). • Fear and mob psychology – Public opinion in a packed fortress courtyard can shift quickly (Acts 19:32). – Pilate’s soldiers and the Sanhedrin’s attendants added intimidation. • Spiritual blindness – “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers” (2 Corinthians 4:4). – Though Jesus had healed, taught, and done only good (Acts 10:38), sin-darkened hearts preferred darkness (John 3:19). • Prophetic necessity – Isaiah 53:3: “He was despised and rejected by men.” – Psalm 118:22: “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.” – Their choice fulfilled God’s redemptive plan, placing the sinless One in the place of the guilty (2 Corinthians 5:21). Prophetic Irony: The Innocent for the Guilty • Barabbas walks free while Jesus is condemned—an earthly picture of substitutionary atonement. • “The righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God” (1 Peter 3:18). • Every believer, like Barabbas, is released because Jesus takes the penalty. Key Takeaways • Popular opinion can oppose divine truth; Scripture must guide convictions, not the crowd. • Political and religious expectations can blind people to God’s true salvation. • Christ’s voluntary sacrifice, even amid unjust rejection, secures freedom for all who believe (John 8:36). |
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