Pilate was a cruel ruler who made little attempt to understand the Jews whom he hated.1047He had treated them unfairly and brutally on many occasions, but recently Caesar had rebuked him severely.1048This probably accounts for the fairly docile attitude he displayed toward the Sanhedrin in the Gospel accounts. He wanted to avoid another rebuke from Caesar. However, his relations with the Jews continued to deteriorate until 39 A.D. when Caesar removed him from office and banished him. In the Gospels Pilate appears almost for Jesus, but he was probably favorable to Jesus because he hated the Sanhedrin that opposed Him. Pilate may also have dealt with Jesus as he did because Jesus posed no threat whatsoever to him from his viewpoint. Conviction by both the Sanhedrin and Pilate were necessary to condemn Jesus. These inveterate enemies united against Him.1049
27:11 The location of this trial is uncertain. It probably took place in the fortress of Antonia that stood just northwest of the northern temple courtyard wall. This was the site of Peter's later imprisonment and miraculous release (Acts 12:3-11) and Paul's defense before the people of Jerusalem and imprisonment (Acts 21:27-23:30). However, Jesus may have stood before Pilate in Herod's palace. It stood near the Jaffa Gate in western old Jerusalem.
Pilate's question grew out of Jesus' claim to be Israel's Messiah (26:64) that the Sanhedrin undoubtedly reported to Pilate (cf. 2:2). This was a political charge whereas the charge that Caiaphas had brought against Jesus had been religious (26:61, 63). Jesus responded to Pilate's question with the same affirmative but qualified statement that He had formerly given Judas (26:25) and the Sanhedrin (26:64). He was the King of the Jews but not in the way that Pilate would have thought of such a person. He was not a military rebel come to throw off Rome's yoke violently. Matthew recorded Jesus' claim to be the Messiah again.
27:12-14 Having responded to the charge against Him, Jesus made no further attempt to defend or clear Himself (cf. 26:63). Pilate could hardly believe that Jesus would not try to defend Himself. Obviously Jesus was not trying to avoid the Cross (cf. Isa. 53:7). Such an attitude led Pilate to conclude that Jesus was either foolish or crazy.
Only Luke reported that now Pilate sent Jesus to Herod Antipas for questioning (Luke 23:6-12). Herod then returned Jesus to Pilate.
27:15 Evidently it had become traditional for Pilate to release one Jewish prisoner, that he had taken, as a favor to the Jews each Passover. He probably did this to improve relations with his subjects on a politically important occasion.
27:16 Barabbas' name means "son of the father."Jesus, of course, was the true Son of the Father. The Greek word translated "notorious"(episemos) really means eminent or outstanding (cf. Rom. 16:7). He was a famous prisoner but not necessarily one that the Jews regarded as an undesirable character. On the contrary, he had evidently been leading an insurrection against the Roman government (cf. Mark 15:7; Luke 23:19; John 18:40). These guerrilla actions were fairly common then.1050Many of the Jews would have viewed Barabbas as a hero rather than as a villain. He was more of a messianic figure, in the minds of most Jews, than Jesus was.
Possibly the two men crucified with Jesus were Barabbas' partners. Matthew used the same Greek word to describe them as the other evangelists used to describe Barabbas (i.e., lestes, "rebels"or "insurrectionists,"v. 38). All three were more than common robbers.
Jesus really took the place of one rebel, Barabbas, because the people preferred one who tried to overthrow Rome's power to the Messiah that God had provided for them. This shows their insistence on having a Messiah of their own design (cf. 1 Sam. 8:5, 19-20).
27:17-18 The "them"(NASB) or "crowd"(NIV) is the multitude of common people (v. 15; cf. Mark 15:8). Pilate saw that the Sanhedrin was trying to get him to eliminate someone they saw as a threat to their own authority, namely Jesus. He knew the Sanhedrin had no special desire to advance the welfare of Rome. Pilate undoubtedly knew that Jesus enjoyed great popularity among the Jewish people (cf. 21:1-16). Therefore he appealed to the people to let him know which prisoner they wanted him to release. He undoubtedly thought the crowd would request Jesus thus giving him a reason to humiliate the Sanhedrin by releasing Jesus.
27:19 Pilate's wife interrupted him as he sat on the judgment seat about to render a verdict in Jesus' case. Matthew probably recorded this incident because it is another indication of Jesus' innocence. Somehow Pilate's wife had come to conclude that Jesus was a righteous person, that He did what was right. It is impossible to tell if her dream was a supernatural revelation from God or something less. Obviously God permitted it so she would encourage her husband to release Jesus.
"Pilate's wife' (27:19) serves as a foil for Pilate himself: her warning to Pilate not to have anything to do with that innocent man (Jesus) contrasts with Pilate's decision to accede to the Jewish demand that Jesus be put to death. Barabbas' (27:15-26) serves as foil for Jesus; a notorious prisoner is set free, whereas an innocent man is delivered up to be crucified."1051
27:20-21 The Sanhedrin members persuaded the crowd to insist that Pilate release Barabbas and crucify Jesus (cf. Mark 15:11). Initially this may seem incredible, but remember that both Jesus and Barabbas were popular with the people. Pilate seemed to the people to be favoring Jesus' release, but their religious leaders favored Barabbas' release. It was quite natural that the Jewish people would side with their leaders against Pilate given such a choice. The Sanhedrin had previously sowed doubts about Jesus in the people's minds by circulating reports that He had blasphemed. Jesus Himself had failed to attempt what Barabbas had attempted, namely overthrowing Rome's authority over Israel. This may have been another reason the people wanted Barabbas released.
27:22-23 Pilate tried to reverse his tactical error by asking more questions, but mob sentiment against him and his choice became stronger with each question he asked the crowd. First, Pilate offered a milder sentence for Jesus, but the crowd would have none of it (v. 22). Second, he attested Jesus' innocence, but the crowd's original answer had become a mob chant that the governor could not change or silence.
"One can almost picture this scene, somewhat like a football stadium in which the crowd shouts Defense!' Their cheer was Crucify, crucify!'"1052
The Jews wanted Pilate to crucify Jesus rather then to punish Him another way because, for the Jews, a person hanging on a tree was a demonstration that he was under God's curse (Deut. 21:23).
27:24 Washing one's hands to symbolize one's innocence was a Jewish custom, not a Roman custom (cf. Deut 21:6; Ps. 26:6).1053Evidently Pilate did this to show contempt for the Jews. Pilate could wash his hands with a clear conscience because he had tried to release Jesus, but the Jews would not allow him to do so. This is not saying he was innocent of guilt, but he undoubtedly felt justified in doing what he did. Pilate delivered Jesus up for crucifixion out of cowardice and fear of the Jews whom he despised. He could no more pass his personal responsibility for Jesus' death off on the people than the chief priests and elders could avoid their responsibility for it by blaming Judas (v. 4).
27:25 The people's response was not new (2 Sam. 1:16; 3:28; cf. Acts 18:6; 20:26). "All the people"in the context refers to the crowd present, not just the Sanhedrin or the whole Jewish nation. This phrase did not cover the Jews who believed on Jesus but unbelieving Israel. Therefore it is inappropriate to use this verse to justify anti-Semitism.1054
"The viciousness of their anger could hardly be described more graphically than by this horrible utterance."1055
"Owing to the leaders' abject repudiation of Jesus, they unwittingly effect, not the salvation of Israel as they had anticipated, but just the opposite, Israel's demise as God's special people: they bring a curse upon themselves and the people (27:25); they provoke the destruction of Jerusalem (22:7); and they unknowingly make themselves responsible for the transfer of God's Rule to another nation, the church, which becomes God's end-time people (21:43; 16:18; 13:38)."1056
27:26 Under Mosaic Law the Jews could not scourge someone with more than 40 lashes (Deut. 25:3; cf. 2 Cor 11:24). However here the Romans, not the Jews, were scourging Jesus. They had no limit on the number of lashes they could impose on a prisoner. They customarily used a leather whip with pieces of bone and or metal embedded in the thongs, a flagellum. Scourging with this whip often turned human flesh into pulp and exposed the bones and internal organs.1057People frequently died from this type of flogging. The Romans used it to weaken prisoners before crucifixion. After this beating, Pilate sent Jesus to die (cf. Isa. 53:6, 12). This scourging fulfilled Jesus' words in 20:19.
Matthew's account of the trial before Pilate makes Jesus' innocence clear.1058As in the religious trial, Jesus stood before an unjust judge whose personal prejudices guided him rather than justice. The self-sacrifice of the Suffering Servant also comes through in this trial. No one took Jesus' life from Him as a martyr. He laid it down for others in self-sacrifice.
