In desperation, Pilate decided to take advantage of a Jewish custom by which the Roman governor in
Passover week released a prisoner as a gesture of good will. There is a precedent for this in Roman law. An
imperial magistrate could pardon and acquit individual prisoners in response to the shouts of the populace.
Among the prisoners held by the Roman at this time there was one, interestingly enough, also called Y‘shua
- Y‘shua Barabbas.
This man was a prisoner of some notoriety: a bandit and a murderer and a member of a local resistance
movement that to most of the Jews would make him a hero. The crowd was given a choice. He also hoped to
get himself out of his dilemma and to get the best of both worlds. If his plan succeeded, Y‘shua would be
released; but on the other hand, technically he would be convicted as a criminal who had then been found
not guilty.
While Pilate was sitting on his judgment seat waiting for the people to make their choice, he received a
message from his wife. She was Claudia Procula, the illegitimate daughter of Claudia, the third wife of the
Emperor Tiberius. It has been suggested that it was due to her connections that Pilate had been appointed
the prefect of Judea.
Her action was certainly unusual. Judges should not be interrupted when sitting in court. But Claudia had
dreamt that night about Y‘shua. Perhaps she had heard him personally and knew that her husband had
made an arrangement with the Jewish authorities to try Y‘shua that day. This dream had interested her and
she had to send an urgent message, ―Have nothing to do with that righteous man. I suffered much in a
dream today because of him‖ (Matt 27:19.) The whole of human history would have changed if Pilate had
paid attention to his wife‘s message. He did not, but this message strengthened his resolve to see that
justice was done.
Pilate‘s plan to have Y‘shua released failed. While he waited in court for the crowd‘s decision, the Chief
Priest and the elders persuaded the crowd to choose Y‘shua Barabbas instead of Y‘shua HaMashiach. They
knew what this meant. Y‘shua HaMashiach would be sentenced to death and destroyed. More desperate
than ever, Pilate cried out,
― ̳Then what shall I do with Jesus called Messiah?‘ They all said, ̳Let him be crucified!‘‖ (Matt 27:22-23)
It was now quite clear to Pilate that the Chief Priest and the crowd were determined to kill Y‘shua. As a last
bid to satisfy them, he made his final attempt to release Y‘shua. He cried out his earlier promise and took
Y‘shua and had him flogged.
Flogging was usually a type of a replacement to crucifixion. It was a terrifying punishment. The victim was
stripped, tied to a pillar or stake and then beaten with a whip made up of leather lashes to which pieces of
metal and bone were inserted. According to Roman law, no maximum number of strokes was prescribed by
law; but Jewish law only allowed forty strokes (Deut 25:2-3.) Very often, the victim‘s back was reduced to a
pulp and many died beneath the lash.
Pilate was still hoping to satisfy the crowd‘s blood lust and make them willing to let Y‘shua go free. Y‘shua
was not scourged in order to be crucified but in order to escape crucifixion. While flogging Y‘shua, the
Roman soldiers could not resist some crude horseplay. Y‘shua had been accused of being ―king of the
Jews‖, so they would treat him as a king. They twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head.
They clothed Him in a purple robe and went up to Him again and again, saying, ―Hail, King of the Jews!" And
they struck him repeatedly‖ in the face (John 19:2).
Y‘shua was then taken outside. The very sight of Him should have been enough to show the crowd that he
could not possibly claim to be a king, and thus allow Pilate to release him. But when Pilate said to the crowd,
―Behold, the man!‖ (John 19:5) it only stirred up the crowd to greater anger. Cries of ̳Crucify him, crucify
him!‘ now echoed through the court.
Despite the fact that he had just had Y‘shua flogged, Pilate for the third time declared that he was innocent,
―Take him yourselves and crucify him. I find no guilt in him.‖ (John 19:6) Pilate could have been talking to the
wind for all the effect this had on the Jews. They insisted, ―We have a law, and according to that law he
ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.‖ (John 19:7)
The truth was out! The real charge against Y‘shua was at last revealed. Pilate could not be called a religious
man; but like many Romans of his day, he was evidently superstitious. The Romans had many stories about