Pilate repeated his proposal of release, but it was all but lost in the roar of hatred. Note the contrast between Pilate spoke' (v. 20) and they shouted.' It suggests his feeble effort swept away by the rush of ferocity. And they have gathered boldness from his hesitation, and are now prescribing the mode of Christ's punishment. Now first the terrible word Crucify' is heard. Both Matthew and Mark tell us that the priests and rulers had stirred up' the people to choose Barabbas, but apparently the mob, once roused, needed no further stimulant.
Crowds are always cruel, and they are as fickle as cruel. The very throats now hoarse with fiercely roaring Crucify Him' had been strained by shouting Hosanna' less than a week since. The branches strewed in His path had not had time to wither. The voice of the people is the voice of God,'--sometimes. But sometimes it sounds very like the voice of the enemy of God, and one would have more confidence in it if it did not so often and so quickly speak, not only in divers,' but in diverse, manners.' To make it the arbiter of men's merit, still more to trim one's course so as to catch the breeze of the popular breath, is folly, or worse. Men admire what they resemble, or try to resemble, and Barabbas has more of his sort than has Jesus.
