Mark 15:12Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Observe the fierce desire for blood exhibited by the Jewish leaders and the restraint shown by Pilate, who, despite his shortcomings, failed to uphold what is just. The crowd shouted, ‘Crucify Him,’ yet Pilate, in his wavering manner, still sought ways to spare Jesus from judgment. He repeatedly questioned, What shall I do with Jesus?—giving them a chance to proclaim the Lord as innocent, which led him to hesitate and postpone the final decision.

Pilate questioned the crowd, asking, "What should I do with Jesus, who is known as the Christ?" In response, they shouted once more, "Crucify him." Matthew notes that they all replied to Pilate, "Let him be crucified."

The gathered crowd approached the stone pavement. Pilate inquired, "Which of the two do you want me to release for you? Shall I free the King of the Jews?" This title, used by Pilate, was perceived by the scholars as a mocking jab. The people responded from all directions, “Not him, but Barabbas!” In a state of confusion and unable to conceive an alternative, Pilate asked the crowd, seemingly with hesitation, “What should I do with the so-called King of the Jews?” The crowd responded with fervor, “Crucify him, crucify him!” – as if they had been granted authority over the verdict. Their unanimous call for a specific method of execution highlighted that those calling for it were acutely aware of all the grim implications.

The Roman governor displayed a perplexing oversight. According to tradition, the crowd had the option to request the release of one condemned individual. However, they lacked the authority to determine the fate of the other accused. Pilate, having erred in his misguided hope to exonerate an innocent party, now committed a clear breach of rationality by seeking the crowd's judgment on a matter that was not theirs to decide. In such circumstances, the crowd might have easily claimed a right not afforded to them, even without the instigation from Jesus' adversaries. Nevertheless, they acted with such fervor that they indicated how Jesus ought to be condemned. Consequently, the crowd responded in unison: crucify, crucify Him (Mk. 14:12, 13; Lk. 23:20, 21).

Pilate observed the determination of the chief priests and proposed that Jesus might be released, as it was customary to pardon a criminal during Passover. This would allow the decree of the Sanhedrin to stand while keeping the accused alive. To appease their animosity towards Jesus, Pilate ordered Him to be scourged. However, the crowd shouted as directed by the chief priests: let Jesus be released, but Barabbas instead. Confused about how to proceed, Pilate received a message from his wife, who had experienced a significant dream concerning the Just One. Without explicitly naming Him, she implored Pilate not to condemn this Righteous One, which he realized might be the situation (Matt. 27:19).

Pilate was caught off guard by such a response. Confounded by this unexpected development, he spoke again to the assembly: ‘Very well, I will release Barabbas to you; but what shall I do with Jesus, who is called the Christ?’ This was yet another unjustifiable concession from the judge. To declare the accused innocent and then, rather than freeing Him right away, to ask the uncontrollable crowd what should be done with Him—innocent of any wrongdoing—reveals a profound weakness, uncertainty, and a wish to conform to the crowd's sentiments. While it is possible for the crowd to be swayed by the influence of the spirit and compelled to follow that influence, to then display one's own impotence before the crowd breeds a reckless audacity. What could Pilate anticipate at this point when he asked the crowd to pass judgment on Jesus Christ? The response was relentless: ‘Let Him be crucified,’ they shouted.

Overwhelmed by intense frustration, Pilate attempted to postpone the proceedings and inquired, "What do you want me to do with the king of the Jews?" He intentionally used this term to provoke the people's awareness, temporarily setting aside even the Roman authorities' interest, which insisted there be no reference to a king of the Jews. His aim was to highlight their absurd situation, as they, overcome by rage, insisted on the release not of one whom the chief priests had labeled a deceiver, and whom they had welcomed with palm branches as the Son of David, but rather of a common thief and murderer.

Simultaneously, the resounding shouts of "crucify Him, crucify Him" (Luke 23:20) powerfully illustrated the resolve of the crowd gathered below. The duration of Pilate's indecision remains uncertain, yet as the tumult escalated, the frenzied appeals of the deluded masses not only overshadowed his wife's pleas but also silenced his own inner voice. "And the cry of them and of the chief priests prevailed," the evangelist notes, "and Pilate resolved to be at their petition."