The True Story of Jesus — Page 50
as 50 enraged crowd an option either to save the life of Jesus as or a noto- rious criminal named Barabbas. The Bible tells us that at every Passover Festival the Roman governor was in the habit of setting free any one prisoner the crowd asked for. At that time there was a well-known prisoner named Jesus Barabbas. So when the crowd gathered, Pilate asked them, ‘Which one do you want me to set free for you? Jesus Barabbas or Jesus called the Messiah’?’1 They answered ‘Barabbas’ because the chief priests and the elders had persuaded the crowd to ask Pilate to set Barabbas free and have Jesus as put to death. When Pilate asked them, ‘What crime has he committed?’ They started shouting at the top of their voices, ‘Crucify him. ’2 They even threatened to write to Caesar that Pilate had set free a person who claimed to be a king which meant that Pilate himself was also a rebel against the emperor. When Pilate saw that it was no use to go on, and a riot might break out, he took some water, washed his hands in front of the crowd, and said, ‘I am not responsible for the death of this man! This is your doing. ’ The whole crowd answered, ‘Let the punish- ment for his death fall on us and our children!’3 As a result, Pilate passed the sentence on Jesus as that they were asking for. He set free the man they wanted, the one who had been put in prison for riot and murder. 4 This act on the part of Pilate amounts to a confession that Jesus as was indeed innocent and that the cruel judgement passed by him was under duress. It is quite 1. Matthew 27:15–17 2. Matthew 27:23 3. Matthew 27:24, 25 4. Luke 23:24, 25