Mark 15:6-15
The Crowd Chose Barabbas
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6Now it was Pilate’s custom at the feast to release to the people a prisoner of their choosing.
7And a man named Barabbas was imprisoned with the rebels who had committed murder during the insurrection.
8So the crowd went up and began asking Pilate to keep his custom.
9“Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” Pilate asked.
10For he knew it was out of envy that the chief priests had handed Jesus over.
11But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release Barabbas to them instead.
12So Pilate asked them again, “What then do you want me to do with the One you call the King of the Jews?”
13And they shouted back, “Crucify Him!”
14“Why?” asked Pilate. “What evil has He done?” But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify Him!”
15And wishing to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed Him over to be crucified.
Berean Standard Bible
Read aloud
Pilate offers the crowd a prisoner release according to his custom at the feast. Barabbas is imprisoned with rebels who committed murder during an insurrection. Jesus stands before the governor, and Pilate knows the chief priests have handed Him over out of envy.
He asks whether the crowd wants him to release the King of the Jews. The priests stir them up to ask for Barabbas instead. When Pilate asks what to do with Jesus, they demand crucifixion. He asks what evil Jesus has done. Their answer is louder shouting.
Pilate wants to satisfy the crowd. He releases Barabbas, has Jesus flogged and hands Him over to be crucified. Recognizing the envy behind the accusation has not made him act justly. The desire to please others wins over the responsibility he holds.
The account identifies the people involved: these leaders, this crowd and this governor. It gives no basis for blaming Jewish people as a whole, then or now. Hatred of a people is not a faithful response to the suffering of Jesus.
Barabbas goes free while Jesus is condemned. Mark does not tell us what Barabbas later believed or did. We cannot turn his release into a complete account of salvation. Yet the contrast directs our attention to the innocent One who suffers while the guilty benefit. Isaiah speaks more fully of that saving exchange: the servant is pierced for our transgressions and bears the punishment that brings peace. Jesus' death is the mercy sinners need, received through repentance and faith in Him.
Questions
1 What does Pilate know about the priests' reason for handing Jesus over?
AnswerMark says he knows they acted out of envy. That knowledge makes his later decision especially troubling: he recognizes a corrupt motive and still yields to the crowd.
2 Why does Pilate release Barabbas and condemn Jesus?
AnswerHe wants to satisfy the crowd. Their demands prevail even though he has asked what evil Jesus has done and receives no answer establishing guilt.
3 Does this account justify blaming an entire people for Jesus' death?
AnswerNo. It describes particular leaders, a crowd and Pilate making wrongful choices. We must not extend their responsibility to a whole people or use the passage to excuse hatred.
4 How does Barabbas' release help us consider Christ's saving death?
AnswerA prisoner goes free while Jesus is condemned. That contrast points toward the innocent Savior suffering for sinners, but Mark does not tell us that Barabbas personally repented or believed.
What This Means for Us
Where are you tempted to keep people pleased at someone else's expense? It may be easier to join an unfair joke, ignore a dishonest decision or stay silent about mistreatment. Ask God for courage to act justly before approval becomes your excuse.
Then receive the passage's deeper call to gratitude. We need more than a governor who makes better decisions; we need the Savior who bears sin. Bring your guilt to Christ in repentance and faith, thanking Him for mercy you could never deserve.
Prayer
Father, forgive the ways we have chosen approval over justice. Give us courage to protect people from unfair treatment. Thank You for Jesus, the innocent Savior who suffered for sinners and gives us peace through His sacrifice. Amen.