Palm Sunday — Year A — exegesis on the Gospel, Matthew 27:11-54 — part 1

For Palm Sunday 2023, I wrote an exegesis of the Gospel reading for the Liturgy of the Palms, Matthew 21:1-11.

For the next few days, my posts will be about the shorter Gospel for the Liturgy of the Passion, Matthew 27:11-54.

Those who wish to read my exegeses for Holy Week can find them below:

Readings for Wednesday of Holy Week — Spy Wednesday

• Wednesday of Holy Week — exegesis on the Epistle: Hebrews 12:1-3 (2021)
• Gospel reading for Wednesday of Holy Week — John 13:21-32 (2016)

Readings for Thursday of Holy Week — Maundy Thursday

• Maundy Thursday — exegesis on the Epistle, 1 Corinthians 23-26
• Maundy Thursday — exegesis on the Gospel: John 13:1-17, 31b-35

The shorter Gospel reading for the Liturgy of the Passion is as follows (emphases mine):

Matthew 27:11-54

27:11 Now Jesus stood before the governor; and the governor asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus said, “You say so.”

27:12 But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he did not answer.

27:13 Then Pilate said to him, “Do you not hear how many accusations they make against you?”

27:14 But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.

27:15 Now at the festival the governor was accustomed to release a prisoner for the crowd, anyone whom they wanted.

27:16 At that time they had a notorious prisoner, called Jesus Barabbas.

27:17 So after they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you, Jesus Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Messiah?”

27:18 For he realized that it was out of jealousy that they had handed him over.

27:19 While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that innocent man, for today I have suffered a great deal because of a dream about him.”

27:20 Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus killed.

27:21 The governor again said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.”

27:22 Pilate said to them, “Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” All of them said, “Let him be crucified!”

27:23 Then he asked, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified!”

27:24 So when Pilate saw that he could do nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took some water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves.”

27:25 Then the people as a whole answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!”

27:26 So he released Barabbas for them; and after flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified.

27:27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole cohort around him.

27:28 They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him,

27:29 and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on his head. They put a reed in his right hand and knelt before him and mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!”

27:30 They spat on him, and took the reed and struck him on the head.

27:31 After mocking him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.

27:32 As they went out, they came upon a man from Cyrene named Simon; they compelled this man to carry his cross.

27:33 And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull),

27:34 they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall; but when he tasted it, he would not drink it.

27:35 And when they had crucified him, they divided his clothes among themselves by casting lots;

27:36 then they sat down there and kept watch over him.

27:37 Over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.”

27:38 Then two bandits were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left.

27:39 Those who passed by derided him, shaking their heads

27:40 and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.”

27:41 In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking him, saying,

27:42 “He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him.

27:43 He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he wants to; for he said, ‘I am God’s Son.’”

27:44 The bandits who were crucified with him also taunted him in the same way.

27:45 From noon on, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon.

27:46 And about three o’clock Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

27:47 When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, “This man is calling for Elijah.”

27:48 At once one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink.

27:49 But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.”

27:50 Then Jesus cried again with a loud voice and breathed his last.

27:51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, and the rocks were split.

27:52 The tombs also were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised.

27:53 After his resurrection they came out of the tombs and entered the holy city and appeared to many.

27:54 Now when the centurion and those with him, who were keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were terrified and said, “Truly this man was God’s Son!”

Commentary comes from Matthew Henry and John MacArthur.

John MacArthur sets our Lord’s trial in context, particularly with regard to Matthew’s Gospel, which is intended to show that Jesus is the Messiah:

Matthew, who always wants to present the perfection of Christ, always wants to life up the majesty of Christ, always wants to show His purity, does so even in this scene. All the courts of men, all the efforts of men and demons combined together cannot come up with one single legitimate accusation against Christ, and the record stands that He was killed because they hated Him and rejected Him. It was the evil of their own hearts, not anything Christ had done.

And so Matthew in taking us to the Roman trial will accomplish the same thing he did through the Jewish trial and that is the exaltation of Jesus Christ. And the record stands in the Scripture for all men and women of all ages to read that Jesus Christ was crucified by the hatred of men, an absolutely perfect righteous sinless majestic person, the Son of God indeed He was against whom they could bring no accusation, not Caiaphas, not Annas, not the Sanhedrin, not false witnesses, not Judas, not Herod, and not Pilate. All the courts of men failed to come up with any accusation against the perfect Son of God.

MacArthur reminds us of the events that led to what Matthew has written about here:

Thursday night they eat the Passover, and near midnight they leave that upper room in Jerusalem to go out to the Mount of Olives to the garden of Gethsemane where the Lord wants to pray to ready His heart for the death that awaits Him later that very same day. And it is at the midnight hour, as Jesus prays in the garden of Gethsemane, sweating, as it were, great drops of blood in agonizing conflict with Satan who comes at Him in three waves of temptation, that He is completely victorious again. Resolute, He sets His face to the cross. No sooner does He come back from that prayer time then Judas arrives with all of the religious leaders along with a speira, that’s a cohort of Roman soldiers numbering about 600 men. They come into the garden. They take Jesus captive. They rush Him off to the house of Annas and Caiaphas for a mock trial in order that they might somehow legitimize their desire to execute Him to get Him out of the way …

Now remember, there were three phases to the Jewish trial. Jesus was first taken to Annas, because Annas was the power behind the scene. And they thought Annas could come up with an indictment. They didn’t have any indictment; they didn’t have any crime for which to try Him. They tried bribing false witnesses. They tried getting people to lie. They paid off Judas. But even Judas came and threw the money back and said, “I have betrayed innocent blood.” They couldn’t get any legitimate accusation against Him. They brought Him to Annas, figuring Annas might come up with something. Annas was absolutely unsuccessful, sent Him to Caiaphas. And from 1:00 to 3:00 in the morning, Friday morning from 1:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m., there was a mock trial in front of Caiaphas at which time they accused Jesus of blasphemy for saying He was the Christ the Son of God – which was not blasphemy but the truth. Then they blasphemed Him by spitting in His face, slapping Him while He was blindfolded, and asking Him who it was that hit Him. And then punching Him in the face until He was black and blue with a puffy face and spittle all over it.

Then they kept Him captive till about 5:00 in the morning, at which time they brought Him into the legal place of trial, the Judgement Hall. And they had a sort of a quick, maybe a five to ten minute trial in the dawn, because the Jewish law required that a trial had to be during the day and in the Judgment Hall. And of course, theirs was in the middle of the night in the house of Caiaphas and thus was illegal. So wanting to put a veneer of legality over their desire to kill Jesus, they had this mock trial repeated in the morning at 5:00 a.m.

They decided that He must die. The problem for them was they had not the right of execution. So they had to take Him to Pilate. And so you have three more phases in the secular Roman trial of Christ before Pilate.

On the day of our Lord’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Pilate also entered the city, albeit from a different direction. Jesus entered from the east and Pilate from the west. You can read more about it here. The Roman governor went from his home to Jerusalem for Passover to ensure that order was kept. There would have been over 2 million people there from all over the ancient world for that week.

MacArthur tells us a bit about Pontius Pilate and why he went outdoors from time to time during this trial:

They [the Jewish hierarchy] wouldn’t go into Pilate’s judgment hall because they didn’t want to be defiled, and they had this tradition that contact with a Gentile is defiling …

Pilate is a Roman governor. He has been placed in Judea in Palestine to give Roman presence. There were other rulers there. There were the Herods. There was Herod Antipas who ruled in Galilee and Peraea to the north. There was Herod Philip who was northeast of that in a very unpopulated area. And there was Archelaus – Herod Archelaus who ruled in Judea and Samaria and Idumea. They were three sons of Herod the Great who was once the Idumite king of all of Palestine … But basically the judicial processes and the military might was in the hands of the Roman governor who was placed there to maintain the Roman peace, the Pax Romana.

So Pilate is really the judicial person. And since the Romans had the right of execution only, they had to approach Pilate, at least from their standpoint that’s the reason. From the standpoint of the Scripture, Jesus had to be executed by Romans, because He would die a Roman death as we will note in a moment. Now Pilate had been governor since 26 A.D. and would be governor for about ten years, until 36 A.D. So they bring Jesus to Pilate and in a proper fashion as a judge, he steps out and holds court outside the judgment hall because they won’t come in. He’s not going to hassle them about that. Jesus is inside. They stay out … They didn’t want another trial; they wanted Pilate to just agree to take His life.

Pilate was hardly popular among the Jews, and he has to capitulate to them here:

Pilate was in a very dangerous position. Let me tell you why. When he originally came to power, he made some big mistakes. The first thing he did to make a show of power when he was appointed governor was to ride into Jerusalem with a whole entourage of soldiers to show his power. And in came the soldiers and they had these banners, these flags. And on top of the flags in brass or some kind of metal was an eagle and on top of the eagle was a molded image of Caesar. Prior governors had had the sense to remove those kinds of things because the Jews believed them to be idols – any graven image. And the Jews had left idolatry since the Babylonian captivity, they didn’t tolerate it. And the other governors had been careful about that, but Pilate, wanting to show his power, came in with his whole group of soldiers, all with the image of Caesar, which of course the Romans believed to be a god. And so here was an idol in the city of Jerusalem, the holy city. The Jews rioted and protested and demanded that he take those off his banners. In a power play, he refused to do it.

After accomplishing what he wanted to in his splendorous appearance in Jerusalem, he turned to return the 60 miles to the seacoast in Caesarea where his basic operation was headquartered, and they followed him for five days, screaming and rioting and demanding – sometimes patiently, sometimes impatiently – that he remove those graven images. He refused to do it. He called a meeting of all these rioting Jews. He put them in the amphitheater, surrounded them with his soldiers and said if they didn’t stop the demands, he would cut off their heads. At which point they bared their necks, pulled their heads to one side and told his soldiers to go ahead and cut off all their heads. And they called his bluff. There was no way he could do it. There was no way he could report back to Rome that he had massacred a whole bunch of defenseless Jews in an amphitheater with their necks bared.

Furthermore, it could have led to a wholesale national revolution. He couldn’t have survived that situation because he was sent to keep the peace, not start a war. They called his bluff. He removed all of those images. And they were one up on him. They had him where they wanted him. A little later, he realized the need for a better water supply in Jerusalem. So he decided to build an aqueduct to bring water into the city of Jerusalem. And to do it, he took the money out of the temple treasury, money which was devoted to God. This so greatly irritated the Jews that it fomented another riot which he had to deal with by sending his soldiers into a huge crowd of people with clubs and spears and swords and at a given signal they clubbed and stabbed people to death to break up the riot.

The third and really most devastating thing that happened to Pilate was when he established a residence in the city of Jerusalem and made some shields for his soldiers, and on the shields he had engraved “Tiberius, The Emperor.” Which to the Jewish people again was an emblem of a false god and they demanded that the shields be changed. And he refused to do that. And so they sent word to Tiberius. They reported him actually to Caesar that he was doing this. Caesar sent word down to get those shields changed immediately. So they have him right where they want him.

He cannot afford another message sent to Tiberius. He cannot afford another riot. He cannot afford any kind of revolution. He is really in a difficult place. He has enough of a sense of justice as a Roman and as a judge, a governor, to do what’s right. But he’s a coward because if he does what’s right and releases Christ, he’s going to have a riot on his hands. And something’s going to happen and he knows that it could end up in his losing his job. And it wouldn’t be unlike Tiberius to remove a governor and then execute him for his unfaithfulness.

And he hears the crowd say, as I mentioned in Luke 23, that Jesus started in Galilee and has come to this place, all the while stirring up the people, as I read in Luke 23:5. Something snaps in his mind – Galilee – Galilee. And that’s a solution for him. And in Luke 23 we find that when Galilee comes into his mind, he gets a great idea. Luke 23:7 says, “As soon as he knew Jesus belonged in Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent Him to Herod who himself was at Jerusalem at that time.” It’s still around 5:00 in the morning. Herod’s right in Jerusalem. But Herod was the ruler, the tetrarch of Galilee. So he says, “I know what I’ll do. I’ll pass this whole thing on to Herod.” And these kings were basically under the yoke of Rome. They functioned as Romans wished they would functioned. So I’ll just pass it off to Herod and that way I can get rid of the issue all together and I’m not going to have to be caught in this trap between what I know to be right and losing my job and my reputation with Rome. So he decides to send Him to Herod.

Now this is Herod Antipas, one of the three sons of Herod the Great who was given a third of the kingdom when Herod the Great died in 4 B.C. Herod Antipas was given the region of Galilee and Perea which is east of the Jordan River. He knew about Jesus, Herod Antipas did. Oh yes, because Jesus had a great ministry in Galilee. Jesus removed disease from Galilee, so Herod Antipas knew of Him. Judiciously, Christ in all of His Galilean ministry had never gone to the city of Tiberius, named after Caesar, where Herod had his headquarters – Herod Antipas. He had avoided that because Herod Antipas was the one who had beheaded John the Baptist. He was an incestuous man. He was a murderer. He was immoral. He was a very evil man. Jesus avoided that. And so Herod had been curious to meet Jesus. And when Herod heard that he was going to have the opportunity, Luke 23:8 says, “He was exceedingly glad.” And basically he was excited because he wanted to see Jesus. He had wanted to for a long time because he wanted to see Him do a miracle. He was fascinated by Him and what he had heard about Him.

So then Jesus is rushed off early in the morning again to Herod who sets up some kind of a court in his own presence there. And Luke 23 tells us most importantly what happened. Let me just read briefly that scene to you in Luke 23 verse 9, “Then he questioned Him” – Herod questioned Him – “in many words. But He answered nothing.” He owes nothing to Herod. Herod is not the one who has the right to judge a man in the land of Palestine. That is a Roman right. Pilate is the judge. The verdict is already in. He needs to say nothing to Herod. You say, “Why didn’t He tell him about His Kingdom? Why didn’t He tell him who He was like He told Pilate?” Because he already knew. He had heard the preaching of John the Baptist. He had heard through the grapevine everything there was to hear about the teaching of Jesus. There was nothing to say to this man. And so He answered nothing.

And the chief priests of course were there, too, and they were vehemently accusing Him again. They would just follow Him all around and scream their accusations. But Herod thought the whole thing was a joke. This is no king. This is no rival to me. This is no rival to Caesar. This is no insurrectionist. Look at this poor man with the puffy face, black and blue because of the fists that have blasted against His flesh that very night when He was punched by the Sanhedrin members and the temple guard in the place of Caiaphas. And look at His face with the slaps and the spittle all over it from those who spit on Him, this is no threat to Roman security, this is no rival to my throne.

Herod sent Jesus back to Pilate.

Pilate knew something of Jesus, although not in a spiritual sense:

Now he knew who Jesus was. There’s little doubt in my mind that the night before, when the Roman soldiers came along with the Jews to the garden to take Jesus captive, the Roman soldiers were there because Pilate had granted permission for them to be there. So he knew what was going on. And he even had an opinion about it. He even had an opinion about why they wanted to take Jesus Christ. So he was up to speed, at least in part.

Now on to what happened at our Lord’s trial.

Jesus stood before the governor — Pilate — who asked Him, ‘Are you the King of the Jews?’ Jesus said, ‘You say so’ (verse 11).

John 18 has more detail on this question and our Lord’s answer. Jesus distinguished between an earthly king and a heavenly King:

³³ So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” ³⁴ Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” ³⁵ Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?” ³⁶ Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” ³⁷ Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” ³⁸ Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”

When the chief priests and elders accused, He did not answer (verse 12).

Of His accusers, Matthew Henry’s commentary says:

They had learned, not only calumniari—to calumniate, but fortiter calumniari—to calumniate stoutly. The best men have often been accused of the worst crimes.

MacArthur tells us:

Luke 23:2 – Luke says that they then concocted an accusation. And this is what it was: That He is perverting our nation, forbidding to pay taxes, and claiming to be king, making Himself a king. Now that isn’t why they convicted Him in the Jewish trial. They convicted Him in the Jewish trial of blasphemy, because He said He was the Son of God. But they know that a blasphemy charge in a Roman court isn’t going to hold water, because the Romans aren’t interested in executing people for their religious persuasion. That is not going to be handled by Pilate. So they’ve got to come up with an accusation against Jesus that appears to be high treason against Rome. The only way they can get Pilate, they see, involved is to accuse Jesus of something that is a threat to Roman security.

And the Romans had very, very small toleration for rebels and revolutionaries and insurrectionists as they had proven by crucifying many, many Jews who had tried to revolt against their government, even in Palestine. And so they come up with this idea that Jesus is a threat to Roman security, that He perverts our nation, that is He is a rebel, stirring up the nation against Rome. Secondly, that He forbids to pay taxes, that is that He’s not rendering to Caesar what is due Caesar, and He’s telling people not to as well. And thirdly, that He’s claiming to be a king, that is He’s setting Himself up as a rival to the Caesar himself. Now this is brand new. They just concoct this on the spot. And, of course, the accusations are totally false. Jesus didn’t pervert the nation into rebellion against Rome. He never led a social revolution. He never rebelled against Roman oppression. He never called the people to do that. He never incited anybody to do that. He was very, very submissive. He even taught that if a Roman solder’s going along and asks you to carry his burden a mile, carry it two miles. He taught the people to respond to those in authority over them properly.

Pilate asked Jesus (verse 13), ‘Do you not hear how many accusations they make against you?’

Henry explains:

What these things were, may be gathered from Luke 23 3, 5, and John 19 7. Pilate, having no malice at all against him, was desirous he should clear himself, urges him to it, and believes he could do it; Hearest thou not?

But Jesus gave no answer, not even to a single charge, and Pilate was greatly amazed (verse 14).

Henry says of Jesus:

Yes, he did hear; and still he hears all that is witnessed unjustly against his truths and ways; but he keeps silence, because it is the day of his patience, and doth not answer, as he will shortly, Ps 50 3.

MacArthur says similarly:

The Jews have already railroaded Him. There’s nothing to say to them. And there’s nothing to defend for Himself because He must die, that is the Father’s will and He is committed to it. And so He says nothing when they accuse.

Of Herod’s amazement at our Lord’s silence, Henry explains:

He wondered at his silence; which was not interpreted so much into a contempt of the court, as a contempt of himself. And therefore Pilate is not said to be angry at it, but to have marvelled greatly at it, as a thing very unusual. He believed him to be innocent, and had heard perhaps that never man spake like him; and therefore he thought it strange that he had not one word to say for himself.

At this point, let’s look back at what Jesus did once He arrived in Jerusalem. He drove the money changers from their tables at the temple. He performed no miracles. He did not attempt to take over the Romans. The people who cheered him on the way into the city were now disappointed. Jesus offered them no earthly deliverance, as they had hoped.

Their disappointment turned to bitterness and now to outrage.

At the festival, the governor released a prisoner for the crowd, one of their choice (verse 15).

This was not a religious mandate but probably more of a Roman sop to the Jewish people to keep them content, inasmuch as they could.

Henry tells us:

It seems it was grown into a custom with the Roman governors, for the honouring of the Jews, to grace the feast of the passover with the release of a prisoner, v. 15. This, they thought, did honour to the feast, and was agreeable to the commemoration of their deliverance; but it was an invention of their own, and no divine institution; though some think that it was ancient, and kept up by the Jewish princes, before they became a province of the empire. However, it was a bad custom, an obstruction to justice, and an encouragement to wickedness. But our gospel-passover is celebrated with the release of prisoners, by him who hath power on earth to forgive sins.

MacArthur says:

As a concession to a conquered people, as an act of kindness and goodness, the governor annually at the Passover would release a criminal as a way of showing mercy to this conquered people. And so this custom was potentiated at this particular season, as it had been in the past. In fact if you read the other gospel record in Luke and Mark you will find that the people even asked for it.

At the time, there was a notorious prisoner called Jesus Barabbas (verse 16).

I researched Barabbas in 2011. He was truly criminal and likely to have been a zealot in attempting to overthrow Roman rule.

MacArthur tells us:

We know from Mark 15 and Luke 23 that he was an insurrectionist who was also a murderer. He must have been a threat to the Jews as well as the Romans, and perhaps even more so the Jews, or the Romans wouldn’t have been willing to release him here. He is an arch-criminal. He is a famous criminal who is a threat to the safety of the population. Obviously a severe threat. He is due to be crucified and I believe that he was the one on whose cross Jesus died between two of his own thieving buddies. Jesus literally did take Barabbas’s place in that regard.

I never thought of that before, but it seems likely.

Henry says:

Treason, murder, and felony, are the three most enormous crimes that are usually punished by the sword of justice; and Barabbas was guilty of all three, Luke 23 19; John 18 40. A notable prisoner indeed, whose crimes were so complicated.

After the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked the Jews (verse 17), ‘Whom do you want me to release for you, Jesus Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Messiah?’

Pilate knew that it was out of jealousy that the Jews had handed over Jesus (verse 18). He was more popular with the Jewish populace than the religious hierarchy was.

Henry posits that Pilate knew Jesus was good:

… it was not his guilt, but his goodness, that they were provoked at; and for this reason he hoped to bring him off by the people’s act, and that they would be for his release … and any one that heard the hosannas with which Christ was but a few days ago brought into Jerusalem, would have thought that he had been so, and that Pilate might safely have referred this matter to the commonalty, especially when so notorious a rogue was set up as a rival with him for their favours. But it proved otherwise.

MacArthur describes the scene at this point:

… his object is to pit the people against the leaders, and morning is now arrived and the people are starting to gather. It is approaching 6:00. John 19:14 says this comes sort of to a final fruition, this last phase of the trial in the sixth hour, and that’s the Roman clock which would put it at 6:00 in the morning. So he sees the crowd coming and he realizes now that he can play off the people against the leaders. The leaders will want Jesus crucified, but surely the people will want Jesus released when given this choice. You see, even pagan Pilate knows the difference between Christ and a criminal, doesn’t he? Another wonderful testimony to the beauty of Jesus Christ.

Well, verse 18 tells us that Pilate knew that the Jewish leaders had a motive and the motive was envy – just envy, that’s all. But the people wouldn’t have that motive, because the people were the recipients of Jesus’ ministry, not in competition with Him like the leaders. So he figured he had a good way out.

Then, while he was sitting on the judgement seat, his wife sent a message to him (verse 19): ‘Have nothing to do with that innocent man, for today I have suffered a great deal because of a dream about him’.

Henry elaborates:

Probably, this message was delivered to Pilate publicly, in the hearing of all that were present, for it was intended to be a warning not to him only, but to the prosecutors. Observe,

[1.] The special providence of God, in sending this dream to Pilate’s wife; it is not likely that she had heard any thing, before, concerning Christ, at least not so as to occasion her dreaming of him, but it was immediately from God: perhaps she was one of the devout and honourable women, and had some sense of religion; yet God revealed himself by dreams to some that had not, as to Nebuchadnezzar. She suffered many things in this dream; whether she dreamed of the cruel usage of an innocent person, or of the judgments that would fall upon those that had any hand in his death, or both, it seems that it was a frightful dream, and her thoughts troubled her, as Dan 2 1; 4 5. Note, The Father of spirits has many ways of access to the spirits of men, and can seal their instruction in a dream, or vision of the night, Job 33 15, 16 …

[2.] The tenderness and care of Pilate’s wife, in sending this caution, thereupon, to her husband; Have nothing to do with that just man. First, This was an honourable testimony to our Lord Jesus, witnessing for him that he was a just man, even then when he was persecuted as the worst of malefactors: when his friends were afraid to appear in defence of him, God made even those that were strangers and enemies, to speak in his favour … Secondly, It was a fair warning to Pilate; Have nothing to do with him. Note, God has many ways of giving checks to sinners in their sinful pursuits, and it is a great mercy to have such checks from Providence, from faithful friends, and from our own consciences; it is also our great duty to hearken to them … Pilate’s lady sent him this warning, out of the love she had to him; she feared not a rebuke from him for meddling with that which belonged not to her; but, let him take it how he would, she would give him the caution. Note, It is an instance of true love to our friends and relations, to do what we can to keep them from sin; and the nearer any are to us, and the greater affection we have for them, the more solicitous we should be not to suffer sin to come or lie upon them, Lev 19 17. The best friendship is friendship to the soul. We are not told how Pilate turned this off, probably with a jest; but by his proceeding against the just man it appears that he did not regard it. Thus faithful admonitions are made light of, when they are given as warnings against sin, but will not be so easily made light of, when they shall be reflected upon as aggravations of sin.

The chief priests and elders persuaded the crowd to ask for the release of Barabbas and the death of Jesus (verse 20).

The governor — Pilate — asked again which man they wanted released, and they said, ‘Barabbas’ (verse 21).

Henry says that, at the heart of it, the people were loyal to their priests:

… the mob, who otherwise were well affected to Jesus, and, if they had not been so much at the beck of their priests, would never have done such a preposterous thing as to prefer Barabbas before Jesus. Here, [1.] We cannot but look upon these wicked priests with indignation; by the law, in matters of controversy between blood and blood, the people were to be guided by the priests, and to do as they informed them, Deut 17 8, 9. This great power put into their hands they wretchedly abused, and the leaders of the people caused them to err. [2.] We cannot but look upon the deluded people with pity; I have compassion on the multitude, to see them hurried thus violently to so great wickedness, to see them thus priest-ridden, and falling in the ditch with their blind leaders.

Pilate then asked the crowd what he should do with Jesus ‘who is called the Messiah’; they all said, ‘Let him be crucified’ (verse 22).

MacArthur gives us this analysis:

It’s almost as if he is stunned. What do I do with Jesus then? And they all have become one now and, “They all say unto him, ‘Let Him be crucified.’” It’s no use. They want Jesus’ blood. He’s not going to be able to change it. He’s not going to be able to prevent it. If he would not uphold simple justice, why should he expect a rabble mob to do it? He was in a panic. He didn’t want to violate justice but he also didn’t want to start a riot. It’s no use.

Pilate asked the crowd what evil Jesus had done, but they shouted all the more (verse 23), ‘Let him be crucified!’

Henry reminds us:

This was it that Peter charged so home upon them (Acts 3 14); Ye desired a murderer to be granted to you; yet multitudes who choose the world, rather than God, for their ruler and portion, thus choose their own delusions.

… Now was truth fallen in the street, and equity could not enter; where one looked for judgment, behold, oppression, the worst kind of oppression; for righteousness, behold, a cry, the worse cry that ever was, Crucify, crucify the Lord of glory. Though they that cried thus, perhaps, were not the same persons that the other day cried Hosanna, yet see what a change was made upon the mind of the populace in a little time: when he rode in triumph into Jerusalem, so general were the acclamations of praise, that one would have thought he had no enemies; but now when he was led in triumph to Pilate’s judgment-seat, so general were the outcries of enmity, that one would think he had no friends … Bides tu istos qui te laudant; omnes aut sunt hostes, aut (quod in æquo est) esse possunt—You observe those who applaud you; either they are all your enemies, or, which is equivalent, they may become so. Seneca de Vita Beat.

MacArthur thinks that Pilate was further stunned at the crowd’s vehement hostility:

Louder, more viciously, more vehemently they keep the screaming that they did originally there that they did in front of Herod and now they’re doing it again. The whole thing is out of control, he can’t handle it. The mindless crowd is self‑damning in its hostility.

When Pilate saw that he could do nothing to change the crowd’s mind and that a riot was about to start, he took some water and washed his hands before them (verse 24), saying, ‘I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves’. He meant, ‘I’m having nothing more to do with this. From now on, this is your business’.

Henry tells us that the washing of hands was an ancient Jewish cleansing ceremony:

He took water, and washed his hands before the multitude; not as if he thought thereby to cleanse himself from any guilt contracted before God, but to acquit himself before the people, from so much as contracting any guilt in this matter; as if he had said, “If it be done, bear witness that it is none of my doing.” He borrowed the ceremony from that law which appointed it to be used for the clearing of the country from the guilt of an undiscovered murder (Deut 21 6, 7); and he used it the more to affect the people with the conviction he was under of the prisoner’s innocency; and, probably, such was the noise of the rabble, that, if he had not used some such surprising sign, in the view of them all, he could not have been heard.

However, Pilate was not innocent:

Though Pilate professed his innocency, God charges him with guilt, Acts 4 27 … Pilate here thinks to justify himself, by pleading that his heart was not in the action; but this is an averment which will never be admitted. Protestatio non valet contra factum—In vain does he protest against the deed which at the same time he perpetrates. Secondly, He casts it upon the priests and people; “See ye to it; if it must be done, I cannot help it, do you answer it before God and the world.” Note, Sin is a brat that nobody is willing to own; and many deceive themselves with this, that they shall bear no blame if they can but find any to lay the blame upon; but it is not so easy a thing to transfer the guilt of sin as many think it is. The condition of him that is infected with the plague is not the less dangerous, either for his catching the infection from others, or his communicating the infection to others; we may be tempted to sin, but cannot be forced. The priests threw it upon Judas; See thou to it; and now Pilate throws it upon them; See ye to it; for with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you.

Henry says that this was the start of God’s judgement against Jerusalem:

This rude and brutish people fell to high words, and began to threaten Pilate what they would do if he did not gratify them; and how great a matter might this fire kindle, especially when the priests, those great incendiaries, blew the coals! Now this turbulent tumultuous temper of the Jews, by which Pilate was awed to condemn Christ against his conscience, contributed more than any thing to the ruin of that nation not long after; for their frequent insurrections provoked the Romans to destroy them, though they had reduced them, and their inveterate quarrels among themselves made them an easy prey to the common enemy. Thus their sin was their ruin.

… it proved that Pilate’s endeavour to save him, caused an uproar, and that on the feast day; so uncertain are the sentiments of the crowd.

They were so stirred up that they exclaimed an oath in unison (verse 25), ‘His blood be on us and on our children!’

In exclaiming such a horrifying thing, they were effectively asking for divine judgement against themselves.

MacArthur explains the enormity of what they had said:

Frightening. They said we’ll be responsible for His blood. And that is the verdict of the nation Israel. They took upon themselves the guilt of the blood of Jesus Christ. Is it any wonder that Romans 11 says they have been broken off the stock of blessing? Is it any wonder that they have known the chastening of God? It isn’t that there is not forgiveness. Bless God, there is forgiveness for Israel. For any individual who comes to Christ there is forgiveness, be he Jew or Gentile. In fact, the gospel came to the Jew first and also to the Gentile. But as a nation, together, they said His blood be on us.

They soon forgot that egregious oath:

Oh, they forgot that they said that, because in Acts 5:28 when the Apostle started to preach and fill Jerusalem with their doctrine, the leaders said, “You have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine and intend to bring this man’s blood on us.” No, the Apostles didn’t do that, they did that themselves. They affirmed their own guilt in the death of Jesus Christ. That is a testimony to the innocence of Christ. His blood be on us. They knew Jesus was not at fault.

More to follow tomorrow.