John 18:39

Something, at least, makes Pilate uneasy. He does not wait for an answer, but goes off to the crowd to declare that he can find no fault with Jesus. In that case his business was only to release Him. But he seeks a compromise with his conscience instead of yielding to it. It looks to him like a way out of a difficult situation, so he puts the whole matter into the people's hands. This makes it almost impossible for him to return to the path of righteousness he has left. He shows plainly that he is not of the truth.

But Pilate cared more about his standing at Rome than about justice. He had insulted these Jews in cruel and hurtful ways several times of late. They were quite capable of appealing to Caesar against him. It might be shrewd to appease them, and here was the chance. He would fall in with one of their fiercely guarded customs. It was the great Feast, and they had been demanding that he release a prisoner to them, as usual. He would pretend to oblige them and release "the King of the Jews," if that was their wish. Surely they would not hesitate to choose between Jesus and Barabbas.

It was the Roman custom to release one prisoner at the Passover, and the Jews could choose which one. This practice assumed the prisoner was guilty. So the custom should never have applied to the Lord Jesus at all. But Pilate went against justice and let the Jews choose between Jesus and Barabbas, a rebel and a murderer.

The last two verses of this chapter show us another try by Pilate to get out. They also show a fateful choice by the people: Barabbas — Satan's counterfeit "son of the father." Their choice confirms the people's guilt. But the other side is that God watches over the scene. He makes sure His Son is not released as a guilty but pardoned criminal, but rather condemned as innocent.

His duty, therefore, is plain. Justice demands the release of an innocent man. But personal interest urged Pilate to stay on good terms with the Jews. So he tries again to avoid condemning an innocent man and to please the Jews at the same time. He falls back on a custom that set a prisoner free at the Passover. Custom or no custom, Pilate's plain duty as a judge is to release One in whom he finds no fault. The compromise fails. Worse, it shows how deep the evil of the Jewish nation had gone… Such is the evil of our hearts. However much we may dislike a murderer and a thief, apart from the grace of God we will choose him over Christ. We choose the one who takes life rather than the One who gives life.

We see Barabbas here as a chief of sinners, a rebel and a murderer. For him the feast of redemption offers a possible release — but only, by Pilate's offer, if Jesus is given up. Jesus becomes, as it were, the Substitute for the chief of sinners. To "release Barabbas" is "to destroy Jesus." Why? Because He has done evil? The judge asks in vain — where is it? Look deeper than the wicked wills of men. In the purpose of God we may see that holy Sin-offering, the true Passover. By it even a Barabbas may be delivered — not for any good in him, for Barabbas shows none. Barabbas is released; Jesus is given up.