Now it was the custom at the festival to release a prisoner whom the people requested. A man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the uprising. The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did. “Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate, knowing it was out of self-interest that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas instead. “What shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews?” Pilate asked them. “Crucify him!” they shouted. “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!” Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.

Bloodlust. This is what it looks like. We saw it in the Roman gladiator games after Jesus’ time. We have seen it throughout history. There was no reason to kill Jesus. The Pharisees were likely motivated by jealousy, greed, and a lust for power. The people were probably motivated by a combination of fear and confusion. Once the seed was planted by the Pharisees, the “mob mentality” took over.

What is even more horrible is the people’s response to Pilate’s appeal to release Jesus. Pilate had determined there was no credible evidence of Jesus breaking any laws. And so he offered to release Jesus directly to the people - likely knowing the chief priests, Pharisees, and teachers of the law stirred up the people against him. So the people had a choice and a way out: Jesus was not guilty of anything; Barabbas was an insurrectionist and a murderer. But their hatred of Jesus, fear of the Jewish leaders, or mere bloodlust won the day. With evil intent, they shouted to crucify an innocent man who had helped heal their sick, cast out demons, and miraculously fed them. And they asked for the release of Barrabas.

Lord, thank you for standing firm in your resolve to save us and sacrifice your life for ours. When it seemed like everyone turned against you or left you, you loved them anyway. And when I sin and fall away at times from you, you still love me too.