The Exchange

If Pontius Pilate could see that Jesus was not guilty, why didn’t he just set Him free? His failure to do the right thing reveals something in us all: the desire to please people over God. We read, “So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.” (Mark 15:15)

In Mark 15:1–15, Pilate listened to the people instead of upholding justice. And so, a guilty murderer was freed while the sinless One took his place. But what they meant for evil, God meant for salvation. In this exchange, we see both the tragedy of sin and the wonder of grace: Jesus willingly took the punishment we deserved so that sinners could go free.