Matthew 27:26 - Pilate Washes his Hands

So Pilate released Barabbas to them.
Pilate, the Roman governor, faced a choice between releasing Jesus or Barabbas, a known criminal. The crowd, influenced by the chief priests and elders, chose Barabbas. This decision highlights the rejection of Jesus by His own people, fulfilling the prophecy in Isaiah 53:3, which speaks of the Messiah being despised and rejected. Barabbas, whose name means "son of the father," ironically contrasts with Jesus, the true Son of the Father. This event underscores the substitutionary aspect of Jesus' sacrifice, as the innocent is condemned while the guilty is set free, prefiguring the atonement.

But he had Jesus flogged,
Flogging, or scourging, was a brutal Roman punishment involving a whip with multiple leather thongs, often embedded with metal or bone. This punishment was intended to weaken the victim before crucifixion. The severity of the flogging fulfilled Isaiah 53:5, which states, "by His stripes we are healed," emphasizing the physical suffering Jesus endured for humanity's sins. The flogging also reflects the fulfillment of Psalm 129:3, "The plowers plowed upon my back; they made long their furrows."

and handed Him over to be crucified.
Crucifixion was a Roman method of execution reserved for the worst criminals and slaves, symbolizing the curse of the law as described in Deuteronomy 21:23, "cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree." By being handed over for crucifixion, Jesus took upon Himself the curse of sin, as explained in Galatians 3:13. This act of handing over signifies the fulfillment of Jesus' own predictions about His death (Matthew 20:19) and aligns with the sacrificial system of the Old Testament, where the lamb was handed over for slaughter, pointing to Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29).

Persons / Places / Events

1. Pilate
The Roman governor of Judea who presided over the trial of Jesus. He is depicted as a reluctant participant in the crucifixion, attempting to absolve himself of responsibility.

2. Barabbas
A prisoner chosen by the crowd to be released instead of Jesus. His release symbolizes the substitutionary nature of Jesus' sacrifice.

3. Jesus
The central figure of the Christian faith, who is flogged and handed over for crucifixion. His suffering and death are pivotal to the salvation account.

4. The Crowd
The group of people present at Jesus' trial who demanded the release of Barabbas and the crucifixion of Jesus, illustrating the fickle nature of public opinion.

5. Crucifixion
A Roman method of execution that Jesus was subjected to, fulfilling Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah's suffering.

Teaching Points

The Injustice of Human Judgment
Pilate's decision to release Barabbas and condemn Jesus highlights the flawed nature of human justice systems. Believers are reminded to seek God's justice and wisdom in their own judgments.

The Substitutionary Atonement
Barabbas' release in place of Jesus serves as a powerful illustration of substitutionary atonement, where Jesus takes the place of sinners. This is central to understanding salvation.

The Cost of Discipleship
Jesus' willingness to endure flogging and crucifixion challenges believers to consider the cost of following Him and to embrace suffering for the sake of righteousness.

The Power of Public Opinion
The crowd's influence over Pilate's decision warns against the dangers of succumbing to peer pressure and the importance of standing firm in truth.

The Fulfillment of Prophecy
Jesus' suffering and crucifixion fulfill numerous Old Testament prophecies, reinforcing the reliability of Scripture and God's sovereign plan.

(26) When he had scourged Jesus.--The word used by St. Matthew, derived from the Latin flagellum, shows that it was the Roman punishment with knotted thongs of leather (like the Russian "knout" or the English "cat"), not the Jewish beating with rods (2Corinthians 11:24-25). The pictures of the Stations, so widely used throughout Latin Christendom, have made other nations more familiar with the nature of the punishment than most Englishmen are. The prisoner was stripped sometimes entirely, sometimes to the waist, and tied by the hands to a pillar, with his back bent, so as to receive the full force of the blows. The scourge was of stout leather weighted with lead or bones. Jewish law limited its penalty to forty stripes, reduced in practice to "forty stripes save one" (2Corinthians 11:24; Deuteronomy 25:3), but Roman practice knew no limit but that of the cruelty of the executioner or the physical endurance of the sufferer.

Verse 26. - Released he Barabbas - "him that for sedition and murder was cast into prison, whom they had desired" (Luke). When he had scourged Jesus. This was the usual preliminary to crucifixion, especially in the case of shires, and was a punishment of a most severe and cruel nature. The verb here used, φραγελλόω, is formed from the Latin flagellum, and denotes the employment of that terrible implement the Roman scourge. This was no ordinary whip, but commonly a number of leather thongs loaded with lead or armed with sharp bones and spikes, so that every blow cut deeply into the flesh, causing intense pain. The culprit was stripped of his clothes, pinioned, and bound to a stake or pillar, and thus on his bare back suffered this inhuman chastisement. To think that the blessed Son of God was subject to such torture and indignity is indeed a lesson for us written in blood. When "he gave his back to the smiters" (Isaiah 50:6), he was taking the punishment of our sin upon his sacred shoulders. "He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5). Possibly Pilate thought that the sight of Christ's suffering might arouse at this last moment the pity of the Jews (John 19:1-16). But he was mistaken. The appetite of the bloodthirsty crowd was only whetted by this anticipatory taste; they insisted on the whole programme being canted out, and Pilate yielded to the demand, giving up the useless struggle. He delivered him to be crucified. Pilate delivered Jesus to the will of the people, directing the soldiers to carry out the ordered execution. On the view taken by the Romans themselves of crucifixion, commentators quote Cicero, 'In Verr.,' 2:5. 66, "It is a crime to bind a Roman citizen; to scourge him is an act of wickedness; to put him to death is almost parricide: what shall I say of crucifying him? An act so abominable it is impossible to find any word adequately to express." Parallel Commentaries ...

Greek

[So]
Τότε (Tote)
Adverb
Strong's 5119: Then, at that time. From ho and hote; the when, i.e. At the time that.

[Pilate] released
ἀπέλυσεν (apelysen)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 630: From apo and luo; to free fully, i.e. relieve, release, dismiss, or let die, pardon or divorce.

Barabbas
Βαραββᾶν (Barabban)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 912: Barabbas. Of Chaldee origin; son of Abba; Bar-abbas, an Israelite.

to them.
αὐτοῖς (autois)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

But
δὲ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

he had Jesus flogged
φραγελλώσας (phragellōsas)
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5417: To flagellate, scourge. From a presumed equivalent of the Latin flagellum; to whip, i.e. Lash as a public punishment.

[and] handed Him over
παρέδωκεν (paredōken)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 3860: From para and didomi; to surrender, i.e yield up, intrust, transmit.

to
ἵνα (hina)
Conjunction
Strong's 2443: In order that, so that. Probably from the same as the former part of heautou; in order that.

be crucified.
σταυρωθῇ (staurōthē)
Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 4717: From stauros; to impale on the cross; figuratively, to extinguish passion or selfishness.

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