Matthew 27:16 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And they had then a notorious prisoner called Barabbas.

NIV: At that time they had a well-known prisoner whose name was Jesus Barabbas.

NASB: And at that time they were holding a notorious prisoner called Barabbas.

CSB: At that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas.

NLT: This year there was a notorious prisoner, a man named Barabbas.

KJV: And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas.

NKJV: And at that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas.

Pilate has been amazed at Jesus' virtual silence in the face of an onslaught of accusations from the Jewish religious leaders (Matthew 27:11–15). Jesus will simply offer no defense, no resistance. Pilate seems to want to release Jesus, however, perhaps because of what he sees in Jesus. Or perhaps he just wants to spite the Jewish leaders. History depicts Pilate as a cruel and relatively condescending politician, who would eventually be removed from his role for inciting unrest. He's no fool, however. He already knows Jesus is popular (Matthew 21:10–11), and this is a personal feud (Matthew 27:18). His discussions with Jesus showed no threat of insurrection (John 18:36). For a variety of reasons, the governor wants to see Jesus released instead of executed.

Every year at Passover, the governor of Judea would release one prisoner in custody. The choice of which prisoner was up to the crowds, or so it seemed. Pilate takes advantage of this to give the crowds a choice. His idea is to offer someone obviously guilty, and distasteful, assuming the gathering crowd will choose Jesus. If so, he can be done with the matter. What Pilate is about to realize is that the crowd assembling at his court is hostile (Matthew 27:20, 24; Mark 15:11, 15), likely because Jesus' enemies have called them for this purpose.

Matthew mentions another prisoner in custody called Barabbas. Several translations describe Barabbas as "notorious." He was apparently well known, anyway. The other Gospels describe him as an insurrectionist and a murderer (Mark 15:7; Luke 23:19). If he was known for trying to start an uprising against Rome, Barabbas may have been popular with the Jewish people and thought of as a Jewish hero. And yet, in this situation, he was far more guilty of what the religious leader were claiming about Jesus: to be a threat to Roman rule. More than likely, this man was scheduled to be crucified that very day.

Adding intense symbolism to this moment, many manuscripts of Matthew name the guilty prisoner as "Jesus Barabbas," meaning he had the same common given name as Jesus of Nazareth. Pilate is about to offer the people a choice between a Jesus the people know is innocent and one they know is guilty, and they will choose to reject the Messiah (Matthew 27:21–23). In an almost crass way, the world will reject goodness in favor of someone more to their liking.

Matthew 27:11–26 describes Jesus' trial before the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate. The Jewish religious leaders are asking Pilate to condemn Jesus to death, hurling accusations. Pilate is amazed that Jesus remains silent, barely saying anything in His own defense. Pilate offers the Passover crowds the choice between releasing Jesus or releasing Barabbas. They choose Barabbas and call for Jesus to be crucified. Pilate recognizes the obvious feud driving this persecution; he is more concerned with civil order than with justice. He agrees to execute Jesus while claiming no responsibility for the decision. Further details are found in Mark 15:1–15, Luke 23:1–25, and John 18:28—19:16.

When Judas learns Jesus has been condemned, he regrets betraying the Lord. He throws down his ill-gotten money and hangs himself. Jesus is taken to Pilate, who finds nothing to charge Him with. Given the choice, the people shout for the release of a convicted murderer and insist on Jesus' death. Jesus is mocked by a battalion of soldiers and then taken to be crucified. On the cross, He is mocked for not being able to save Himself. After three hours of darkness, Jesus dies. He is buried by a rich follower in a new tomb. This location is tightly guarded to prevent anyone from stealing the body.

Matthew 27 begins with an official meeting of the Jewish ruling council. They affirm Jesus' condemnation from the previous night, described in chapter 26. Judas confesses his betrayal and hangs himself. Pilate tries to release Jesus, but the mob shouts for Jesus to be crucified. Jesus is humiliated by Roman soldiers and marched to be executed. On the cross, He is mocked by Jewish religious leaders and others. He dies and is buried in a never-used tomb. Extensive efforts to secure His body from being stolen only serve to prove the miraculous nature of His resurrection, which is detailed in chapter 28.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.