The Gospel of Mark: Pilate Hands Jesus Over to be Crucified

Now at the festival he used to release a prisoner for them, anyone for whom they asked. Now a man called Barabbas was in prison with the rebels who had committed murder during the insurrection. So the crowd came and began to ask Pilate to do for them according to his custom. Then he answered them, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” For he realized that it was out of jealousy that the chief priests had handed him over. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release Barabbas for them instead. Pilate spoke to them again, “Then what do you wish me to do with the man you call the King of the Jews?” They shouted back, “Crucify him!” Pilate asked them, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him!” So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas for them; and after flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified. ~ Mark 15:6-15



Sometimes Pilate comes off pretty easy in terms of Jesus' execution compared to the Jewish leaders.

Here in fact, he "realizes" they are doing this out of jealousy.

Makes him seem smarter than them to an extent. And he wasn't entirely wrong. Male rivalry was quite a thing in Roman society. It would be expected that a Roman leader would think this way.

But was that it? Was that the only reason the Jewish leaders wanted to kill Jesus?

Well, it's true that they had reason to be jealous of Jesus' popularity.

But they were also afraid. And history would tell them they had reason to be.

Jesus' popularity could easily have brought Rome down hard on them.

And within 30 years, Rome did come down hard on them - destroying even the Temple.

Rightly or wrongly, they felt as if their religion was being endangered from every side.

Are the Jewish leaders free from culpability?

No.

Is Pilate? No. At any time he could have freed Jesus. He didn't even need to do the show of offering to free him over Barabbas.

But in the midst of this passion of Jesus, decisions were made for more than one reason by some very human, fallible, but real people.


Holy God, thank you for the gospel - the good news - of your Son. Open my mind and heart to this good news and enliven me with your Spirit of servanthood that I might share this good news with a world in need. Amen



Engagement Questions:


Imagine yourself as one of the Jewish leaders. What would you think of Jesus?

 

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