Luke 23:18 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But they all cried out together, "Away with this man, and release to us Barabbas" —

NIV: But the whole crowd shouted, "Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!"

NASB: But they cried out all together, saying, 'Away with this man, and release to us Barabbas!'

CSB: Then they all cried out together, "Take this man away! Release Barabbas to us!"

NLT: Then a mighty roar rose from the crowd, and with one voice they shouted, 'Kill him, and release Barabbas to us!'

KJV: And they cried out all at once, saying, Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas:

NKJV: And they all cried out at once, saying, “Away with this Man, and release to us Barabbas”—

Pilate has questioned Jesus and found Him innocent. Then he sent Jesus to Herod Antipas, who agreed. Finally, he has given the results of his investigation to Jesus' accusers: the chief priests, elders, and scribes, as well as the mob they've enticed to their side. They won't be satisfied if Jesus is simply released. Pilate knows this, so he's promised to beat Him first (Luke 23:1–16).

Other Gospels note that releasing a prisoner was a Passover custom for Pilate in Judea (Matthew 27:15; Mark 15:6). It's unclear how the fortunate prisoner is chosen, but Pilate wants it to be Jesus. He seems to give the people the option: Jesus, who has done nothing worthy of death, or Barabbas, a murderer and insurrectionist (Luke 23:19). Luke simply notes that the mob demands Barabbas; Matthew 27:17 clarifies that Pilate makes them choose. His hope was probably that the people wouldn't side with an actual insurgent over someone like Jesus. He is wrong.

"They all" includes the crowd brought by Jerusalem's religious leaders. Some teachers claim, strangely, that this mob are the exact same people who accompanied Jesus into Jerusalem during the triumphal entry (Luke 19:29–40). It's possible that some who celebrated Jesus' initial arrival turned against Him. But it's more than a stretch to presume that all or nearly all those condemning Him now were His supporters only a few days ago.

This event happens during Passover in Jerusalem. There are tens of thousands—if not hundreds of thousands—of Jews who have come from all over the Roman Empire. The crowd at the triumphal entry likely came from the Jordan River, like Jesus, so they were from Galilee, Decapolis, and Perea. Jesus spent much of His ministry in Galilee and Decapolis; there's little reason the people who benefited from His healing miracles would demand His death, now.

It's more likely these Jews are from outside of the local area. When Stephen preached and performed miracles in Jerusalem, it wasn't the locals who condemned him, it was people from northern Africa and modern-day Turkey (Acts 6:8–15). And when Paul came to Jerusalem, it wasn't the Jews from Judea who attacked him but the Jews from the district in southwest Asia Minor (Acts 21:27–28). Devout Jews from outside of Judea and Galilee, who come to Jerusalem rarely and know little about Jesus, would be easier to influence than those who knew of Jesus and witnessed His miracles (Matthew 27:20; Mark 15:11).

Luke's narrative highlights the fact that the nation of Israel, overall, was complicit in Jesus' death. This doesn't make them solely responsible for it, nor their descendants liable. Instead, it reinforces the idea that all people sin and reject God and need redemption (Romans 3:10).

Luke 23 records Jesus' civil trials, crucifixion, and burial. The members of the Sanhedrin have put Jesus through three trials in their attempt to convince Pilate He's a threat (Luke 22:47–71). Their case is weak, but their political influence is powerful enough to force Pilate's hand. Jesus is executed. Three days after Joseph of Arimathea buries Jesus, Jesus reappears on the road to Emmaus where He explains Messianic prophecies in Jewish Scriptures. After spending time with His followers, Jesus ascends into heaven (Luke 24) and the disciples build the church (Acts).

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.