The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 2 — Section 385

lbtcrviow with Pilate throwe on the eynoptio and rererred to in this Gospel by th,i intm- nnrro.tivo: that, in faot, Pile.te'e whole con- duotion or a. 1rb,w (ver. 10). For o.lthough duot ie only explicable on the euppoeitiou John does not mention the first o.ttempt to th11t he h11d received cogent rooeoue to dis- secure the eo.fety of B11mbbo.s, he implied arm all politioal mistrust (see• Lire of J eeue,' that the infernal shout, •• Not this Man, but vol. iii. pp. 818, 319). W'eetoott ee.ye, "It ill B11ro.bbo.e I" ho.d 11lreo.dy burst upon hie of gre11t Interest to compare this confceeio111 ears, and wo.e repeated eo soon o.e Pilate before Pilate with the oorreeponding con-• had exclaimed, ee John briefly repnrte, Ye fceeion before the high priest (Matt. xxvi. ho.ve a. custom, tho.t I should release unto 64). The one addreeeecl to the Jews ie in you one o.t the l!'asaover (or, Ka-rri Ii, fop-r-lw, the language of prophecy, the other adclreeeed Mark xv. 6). We know nothing of the to 11, Rome.u 11,ppee.le to the verclict of origin of this "custom," nnr is it elsewhere univere11l conecieuce. The one epe11ke of e. referred to. The two classes into which future mo.nireetation of glory, the other of a critics are divided about the "day nf our present manifestation of truth." Lord's death," here take opposite views as Vera. 39, 40.-(o) [Without the Pre- to the meo.ning of the phrase, iv -rqi ..-&axa. torium.J The Roman trial continued without The one clo.ee press the fact tba t the Paschal the Prmtorium, where Pilate declared ChriBt meal must be over, and that this mUBt have innocent, and made another effort to Bai,e been the first day of unleavened bread, in him. The Barahbaa-propoBal. Before the order to justify this expression; the other scene whioh John here introduces with a critics urge that since the feast had not but-as though it followed immediately commenced, Pilate was prepared to grant upon the utterance of 11, verdict of acquittal release in time for Barabbas to take his -Luke tells ue that casual reference waa place with hie friends in all the national made to the cirnumstance that Jesus was a ceremonies. 'fbe phrase, according to Meyer Galilean, and wne in Herod's jurisdiction. and others, ie eo indefinite that it may Eager to quit himself of 11, troublesome most cettainly belon.~ to both the 14th and presence and business, Pile.ta caught at the 15th days of Nimn, and no concllliiive o.rgu. expedient of sending Jesus o.t once to the ment can, from its use, be drawn in favour of court of Herod (Luke niii. 6-12). Thie either day. Will ye therefore that I releue issuing in no result except in fresh and nnto you the King of the .Tews l A.gain hideous mockery of t.he King of kings, and therefore they oried a.11, Not this Man, but in a renewed protestation of hie innocence :Barabba.s ! Now :Ba.rabbo.s was a robber. and harmlessness, so for ae the Roman Possibly Pilate wished to find out whether Pilate or the Herodian tetrarch could dis- among the ox}l.os there were o.ny sympathizers cover, Pilate offered to scourge the Son of with Jesus, who might be gratified at the God, and release him. The utter meanness expense of the hated priests; for he " knew and cowardice of his offer to add ignomi- that by reason of envy they bad delivered up nious pain and insnlt to the brutal mockeries Jesus to him." He wished to set the multi- of Herod and bis soldiers, brands Pile.ta tude and the priesthood at variance, and to with eternal shame. As soou as the word mve Jesus through their mutual recrimi- " release " broke upon their en.re, there was no.tio!lB. He would have made a diversion a rerninder from the people that Pilate in favour of his Prisoner. He adroitly should follow o.t the feast the custom for suspected that some of the surging crowd some time iu vogue, of releasing a prisoner. might have been the friends or accomplices Now, there was e. notorious criminal, who of Jesne, and he would have been gratified ho.d stirred up a bloody insurrection in the to free himself from the respollBibility of city, one which had resulted in murder. slaying an innocent man. The phraseology He may !Jave been popular among the ve- of Mo.rk suggests that Pilate woulcl have hement anti-imperial party for some seditious been justified in such a conjecture, for a proceedings agaillBt constituted authorities; momentary pause occurred. There were he may, in fo.ct, really hnvo been guilty of some symptoms of wavering in the crowd. the very cho.rge brought wickedly against But the suggestiollB of the chief priests passed the holy Jesus. Thie ie only conjecture. to the people. Ma.ttllew (x.xvii. 20) suye, "The But there he etood-Be.rabbas, and, according chief priests o.nd elders persuaded t,..-«aav) to some manuscripts," Jesus" o.lso by name, the multitudes thnt thev should clemo.nd "Son of the Father," but II violent man, a Barabba.e, a.nd destroy Jesus." They needed }l.paT~r, stained with crime, whether he were some persuasion, then! but,alaa ! they yielcled a Gaulonite or not. The notion of releo.s- to it. Ma.rk (xv. 11) is still more explicit: ing BC1re.bbas, in accordance with a time- "The ohief priests stirred up the people ( avi- honoured custom, did, aocording to Luke, a ..aa.v), in order that he might release Ba.rab- originate first of nil with some of the people; bas unto them." The double phrase sets 1md this apparent difference between the forth, in vivid touches, the eager circulntion 1ynoptio narro.tive and Joho's ie represutecl to and fro among the orowcle of the hot-  898 THE G-OSPEL AOCORDING TO ST, JOHN. [cu. xvm. 1-40,