“A third time he said to them, “Why, what evil has he done? I have found in him no guilt deserving death. I will therefore punish and release him.” But they were urgent, demanding with loud cries that he should be crucified. And their voices prevailed.” -Luke 23:22-23
He was innocent. Luke leaves no room for discussion. This is the third time that Pilate has acquitted Jesus before the populace, but they will have none of if. They will trade Jesus for a murderer and an insurrectionist, Jesus the innocent for Barabbas the guilty.
Why does Luke place such great emphasis on Jesus’s innocence? Well, the answer is simple. Because there is about to be another exchange. A trade is about to take place in which the Beloved Son of God will trade His life for the lives of the crowd that will soon kill Him.
The crowd demanded that the murderer to be freed and that the Innocent One be murdered. Their voices prevailed. Jesus will be killed, violently, barbarically. Barabbas will go free.
The crowd willed for the exchange, demanded it; but they were not the only ones.
For did not God the Father will the same? This exchange was His plan, from the beginning. Such was His love, to lay down His innocent Son for the freedom of a murderous, rebellious, evil humanity- a humanity of which you and I are a part. This is the great exchange- His innocence for our guilt.
Remarkably, in that moment, the hateful crowd’s will paralleled that of the Holy God of Love. For a moment, humanity’s will aligned with the will of God. The crowd cried out, “Crucify him!”, and at the same moment the Father cried out, “Crucify Him!” His voice prevailed with theirs. Both demanded that the murderer go free- one for spite, and one for love.
And so the murderer does.
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From the St. Andrew's City Church Blog, Reflections on our Daily Bible Reading.
