Lucas 23
J. Vernon McGee · Citado em PreceptAustin
Lucas 23
Vernon McGee comments on Pilates compromising offer - "Wait a minute! That is wrong. If Jesus is guilty of something, He should be punished. If He is innocent, He should be set free. To chastise Him and let Him go is compromise. I agree with Marlowe, the Englishman, that compromise is the most immoral word in the English language. (Thru The Bible) Indeed compromise is always wrong when it means sacrificing principle. Pilate sacrificed the principles of truth and justice because of the pressure of the crowd. See more on compromise. Therefore - Term of conclusion. Since Jesus is "Not Guilty," therefore...If righteousness and justice ruled the day, what would we have expected the conclusion to be? Therefore "I release Him!" But such was not to be, for lady "Justice" was not blindfolded (signifying "she" was objective - pix, note) on this fateful day! Justice was not to be objective on this day! And so the failed attempt to have Herod try the case begins Pilate's is deadly dance (the "Pilate two-step") in his attempts to appease the Jews on one hand and set Jesus free on the other. Mark 15:15 ("Wishing to satisfy the crowd") gives us insight into Pilate's motivation stating that he was not interested in satisfying justice but of satisfying the crowd and his conscience. Pilate was a morally weak man who caved to worldly pressure. We've never done that before have we? (Rhetorical question!) POSB - Pilate was more willing to satisfy and please the people than to do what was right. Fear, of course, lay behind Pilate's action—the fear...of losing the people's favor, of causing problems for himself, of losing his position and security. Pilate had the authority and the duty to do what was right. But he failed. He was too weak...to stand for the truth, to declare the truth as the thing to do, to free himself from the evil influence of the world. (The Preacher's Outline & Sermon Bible – Mark) I will punish Him (paideuo) and release Him - In Luke 23:22 Pilate repeats the same proposal in another vain attempt to solve his ethical dilemma. As discussed below the verb for punish (paideuo) suggests a lighter degree of scourging then normally be administered to prisons who were subsequently crucified. The idea would be to "teach a lesson" to Jesus. Of course any punishment by Pilate at this point is clearly illegal and unjust because he himself had exonerated Jesus. Kent
Lucas 23
Vernon McGee - Pilate is trying to escape making a decision about Jesus, but he cannot. Careful analysis of Pilate's part in the trial will reveal that he is on trial and Jesus is the Judge. Jesus is not trying to escape, but Pilate is. Pilate sought for an easy escape from these astute religious politicians. He hit upon giving them a choice between Barabbas and Jesus. To him the decision was obvious. He detected that they wanted Jesus dead because of envy. Pilate did not reckon with the depth to which religion can sink when it goes wrong. Matthew tells us that the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude to ask for Barabbas. Pilate was startled when the crowd demanded Barabbas to be released. Imagine a judge asking a crowd for their decision as to what should be done with a man on trial! He decided that Jesus was innocent; yet he handed Jesus over to be crucified. What Roman justice! Pilate finally had to make a decision, just as every man today has to make a decision relative to Jesus Christ. What have you decided about Him? (Thru The Bible) Question: Who was Barabbas in the Bible? BARABBAS (SEE ALSO DICTIONARY NOTE) - 10V - Matt. 27:16; Matt. 27:17; Matt. 27:20; Matt. 27:21; Matt. 27:26; Mk. 15:7; Mk. 15:11; Mk. 15:15; Lk. 23:18; Jn. 18:4 Answer: Barabbas is mentioned in all four gospels of the New Testament: Matthew 27:15–26; Mark 15:6–15; Luke 23:18–24; and John 18:40. His life intersects that of Christ at the trial of Jesus. Jesus was standing before Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor who had already declared Jesus innocent of anything worthy of death (Luke 23:15). Pilate knew that Jesus was being railroaded and it was “out of self-interest that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him” (Mark 15:10), so he looked for a way to release Jesus and still keep the peace. Pilate offered the mob a choice: the release of Jesus or the release of Barabbas, a well-known criminal who had been imprisoned “for an insurrection in the city, and for murder” (Luke 23:19). The release of a Jewish prisoner was customary before the feast of Passover (Mark 15:6). The Roman governor granted clemency to one criminal as an act of goodwill toward the Jews whom he governed. The choice Pilate set before them could not have been more clear-cut: a high-profile killer and rabble-rouser who was unquestionably guilty, or a teacher and miracle-worker who was demonstrably innocent. The crowd chose Barabbas to be released. Pilate seems to have been surprised at the crowd’s insistence that Barabbas be set free instead of Jesus. The governor stated that the charges against Jesus were baseless (Luke 23:14) and appealed to the crowd three times to choose sensibly (verses 18–22). “But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed” (verse 23). Pilate released Barabbas and handed over Jesus to be scourged and crucified (verse 25). In some manuscripts of Matthew 27:16–17, Barabbas is referred to as “Jesus Barabbas” (meaning “Jesus, son of Abba [Father]”). If Barabbas was also called “Jesus,” that would make Pilate’s offer to the crowd even more spiritually loaded. The choice was between Jesus, the Son of the Father; and Jesus, the Son of God. However, since many manuscripts do not contain the name “Jesus Barabbas,” we cannot be certain that was his name. The story of Barabbas and his release from condemnation is a remarkable parallel to the story of every believer. We stood guilty before God and deserving of death (Romans 3:23; 6:23a). But then, due to no influence of our own, Jesus was chosen to die in our stead. He, the Innocent One, bore the punishment we rightly deserved. We, like Barabbas, were allowed to go free with no condemnation (Romans 8:1). And Jesus “suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18ESV). What happened to Barabbas after his release? The Bible gives no clue, and secular history does not help. Did he go back to his life of crime? Was he grateful? Did he eventually become a Christian? Was he affected at all by the prisoner exchange? No one knows. But the choices available to Barabbas are available to us all: surrender to God in grateful acknowledgment of what Christ has done for us, or spurn the gift and continue living apart from the Lord. (Source: GotQuestions.org) Luke 23:19 (He was one who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection made in the city, and for murder.) KJV Luke 23:19 (Who for a certain sedition made in the city, and for murder, was cast into prison.) Lk 23:2,5; Acts 3:14 Luke 23 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries See Trial & Crucifixion of Jesus - Parallel Passages - to arrange the events chronologically and bring out details unique to each Gospel A PARENTHETICAL DESCRIPTION OF BARABBAS He was one who had been thrown into prison (phulake) for an insurrection made in the city, and for murder - Mark 15:7 says Barabbas "had committed murder in the insurrection." Some Jews (especially the Zealots) might have regarded him as a hero for seeking to overthrow the Romans oppressors. Notice that the insurrection had actually been in the city of Jerusalem. Imagine Pilate's thoughts as they now asked for Barabbas to be released into the streets of the very city he had committed an insurrection! It was another reason Pilate would much rather release Jesus than Barabbas! He - This refers to Barabbas who is only described in the Bible. However the Holman Bible Dictionary has an interesting note "According to Origen, supported by a relatively small number of late manuscripts at Matthew 27:16 , Barabbas was named “Jesus Barabbas.” Though not well attested, the reading is possible. If it is correct, Pilate's question to the crowd in Matthew 27:17 would have added poignancy. - "So when the people gathered together, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?”"
Lucas 23
McGee on Pilate - He detected that they wanted Jesus dead because of envy (Mt 27:18, Mk 15:10). Pilate did not reckon with the depth to which religion can sink when it goes wrong. Matthew tells us that the chief priests and elders persuaded (peitho) the multitude to ask for Barabbas (Mt 27:20, "stirred up" [anaseio] Mk 15:11). Pilate was startled when the crowd demanded Barabbas to be released (Mt 27:21). Imagine a judge asking a crowd for their decision as to what should be done with a man on trial! He decided that Jesus was innocent; yet he handed Jesus over to be crucified. What Roman justice! (Thru The Bible) But they were insistent (epikeimai) - This verb is different than the verb for insisting in Luke 23:5, but the Jewish reaction is the same as it was when Pilate issued his first not guilty verdict (Lk 23:4). Now Pilate says not only is Jesus innocent but he tries to assuage the Jewish hated of Jesus by promising to "punish Him and release Him.” (Lk 23:22). Metaphorically as used here epikeimai means to be insistent (pictures one putting pressure on Pilate and the imperfect tense = over and over). The verb insistent is in the vivid imperfect tense picturing the crowd shouting out louder and louder, again and again. Nothing but Jesus' blood would satisfy the evil intentions of their hearts! These Jews were responding to Pilate with force and pressure, in a sense piling evidence and accusations (false) on top of Pilate (so to speak), nearly burying him with reasons which would force him to sentence Jesus to crucifixion (cf Pilate's efforts in Jn 19:12) A T