Matthew 27:20-23

Matthew 27:20-23

And the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd in order that they should urgently plead for Barabbas and they should destroy Jesus.  And after answering the governor said to them, “Which do you all desire that I should release to you all from the two of them?”  And they said to him, “Barabbas.”  Pilate says to them, “Therefore, what should I do with Jesus – the one who is called the Christ?”  They all say, “Let Him be crucified!”  And he was saying, “For what evil did he do?”  But they called out exceedingly more while saying, “Let Him be crucified.”

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

The human concept of mob mentality is never more clear than in this section of the story.  The religious leaders use they sway and their power to influence the crowd.  The crowd – because they are a crowd – are more easily influenced.  Instead of individuals considering their own actions, the crowd can get caught up in the emotion and passion of the moment and their actions are influenced.  Mob mentality is a very dangerous thing indeed.  Personally, I believe this is why Jesus spent so much time focusing on the individual.  Jesus was not about swaying the masses and preying upon the emotion of a large collective.  Jesus was about changing individual lives.  The religious leaders have no such standard.  They prey upon the emotions of the crowd in order to get their way.

Have you ever been a part of a crowd and got caught up in something that wasn’t right after you had time to think about it as an individual?  Why is this such an easy place to find ourselves in?  What is our best defense against falling prey to mob mentality?  What does it say about leaders who seek to manipulate the masses through their emotion?

Second Thought:

As I said yesterday, we will talk today about the irony of having Barabbas and Jesus in Pilate’s custody at the same time.  The crowd asks for Barabbas to be released.  In saying the name Barabbas, they are literally saying, “Son of the Father.”  The irony is that they are so close.  Their lips profess that they want the Son of the Father – whether they know it or not – but their eyes are blind!  They do not believe that the true Son of the Father is standing in their midst.  God is in such control of this situation that the people in the crowd are in the perfect place to cheer for exactly what they really need without ever even seeing the irony of their words.  That is the power and authority of God seen through a crowd of people who don’t even recognize His hand at work in them.

Do you find it at all ironic that God can be so clearly at work and yet so many people completely miss seeing His influence?  Why is it easy to miss seeing God’s hand in the world?

Third Thought:

I find the juxtaposition of the roles in this section incredibly important.  God teaches us to have certain sanctity of all life.  His people should likewise be about lifting up the sanctity of life.  Yet it is the Jewish crowd that is hysterically shouting for the crucifixion of Jesus. On the other hand, the Roman governors were known for having no compunction for brutality in punishment, especially with the support of the general populace.  However, it is Pilate who stands before the crowd and asks what Jesus has done that He deserves to be crucified.  It is ironic that the person who should love brutality brings the argument of the sanctity of life to a people who should understand that argument but who instead have been lathered up into a blood-seeking mob.  In truth, this causes me to give a fair amount of respect to Pilate.  He could have easily gone along with the crowd and fulfilled their desires.  But instead he boldly stands before them and questions their motives.

What do you think about Pilate as you continue to read this story?  Why is it important to see the juxtaposition of him and the crowd as Matthew relates this story?

Passage for Tomorrow: Matthew 27:24-26