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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadBob Utley You Can Understand the Bible - Luke 23:18 - 23:25
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NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Luk_23:18-25
18But they cried out all together, saying, "Away with this man, and release for us Barabbas!" 19(He was one who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection made in the city, and for murder.) 20Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed them again, 21but they kept on calling out, saying, "Crucify, crucify Him!" 22And he said to them the third time, "Why, what evil has this man done? I have found in Him no guilt demanding death; therefore I will punish Him and release Him." 23But they were insistent, with loud voices asking that He be crucified. And their voices began to prevail. 24And Pilate pronounced sentence that their demand be granted. 25And he released the man they were asking for who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, but he delivered Jesus to their will.
Luk_23:18 "they cried out all together" This "they" includes the Sanhedrin and a mob (cf. Luk_23:13). The makeup of this mob is not specified, but it surely did not include the many pilgrims from Galilee and Perea, Jesus' supporters from Jerusalem, or some members of the leadership (like Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea). It is quite possible that the supporters of Barabbas (zealots) had been informed and recruited for this very purpose or that the family and friends of the Sadducean leadership had gathered their supporters.
▣ "Away with this man" This imperative form is found only in Luke's Gospel. It is a present active imperative of the term airô, which basically means to lift up. Here it is used in its metaphorical sense of "take away and kill" (cf. Joh_19:15). It has this sense in the Septuagint (cf. 1Ma_16:19; Est_4:1). This metaphorical usage may have come from the Hebrew idiom "to lift the hand against" (cf. Job_15:25).
▣ "and release for us Barabbas" This is an aorist active imperative. Apparently it was a common Roman practice to release (but unknown in historical documents) one prisoner at the Passover to gain Jewish favor (cf. Mat_27:15; Mar_15:6; Joh_18:39). It is ironic that the man released was guilty of the very same crime for which Jesus is being accused (cf. Luk_23:19, which may be a comment from Luke's source, cf. TEV).
Luk_23:20 This is an amazing verse. Why did Pilate want to release Jesus?
1. his sense of Roman justice
2. his animosity for the Jewish leadership
3. his personal superstition or his wife's warning
4. his desire not to cause a riot at Passover
Luk_23:21 "Crucify, crucify Him" These are both present active imperatives. This shout of condemnation by the mob is recorded in all four Gospels.
1. Mat_27:22-23, aorist passive imperative
2. Mar_15:13-14, aorist active imperative
3. Luk_23:21 (twice), present active imperative
4. Luk_23:24, aorist passive infinitive
5. Joh_19:6 (twice), aorist active imperative
The Gospels do not dwell on the physical aspect of Jesus' death (cf. Psa_22:16). This form of death was developed in Mesopotamia and was taken over by the Greeks and Romans. It was meant to be an extended, excruciating death taking several days. Its purpose was to humiliate and cause fear as a deterrent to rebellion against Rome. A thorough article is in the Zondervan Pictorial Bible Encyclopedia, Vol. 1, pp. 1040-42.
Luk_23:22 "a third time" Luke repeats Pilate's statements of Jesus' innocense three times for emphasis! Jesus was not seditious!
Luk_23:23 "But they were insistent" This is an imperfect middle (deponent) indicative, which denotes repeated action. The Jewish authorities in essence blackmailed Pilate (cf. Joh_19:12).
Luk_23:25 "but he delivered Jesus to their will" This same term is used in the Septuagint in Isa_53:12, "was delivered up."