Motley Crew Bible Study
August 3, 2011
Matthew 27:19-26
Can you believe it is August?
I guess Christmas is next week!
The Questions
Matthew 27:19-26
1. Had any good dreams lately? What do they mean?
2. How could the chief priests and elders be so persuasive?
3. What happened to Pilate's plan to restore Jesus?
4. Do you find it ironic that Pilate's plan to release Jesus was based upon the crowd behaving in a moral and just manner?
5. Why would Pilate wash his hands, was he getting ready to eat?
6. Did it work?
7. How could they respond in such a horrible way?
8. What do we know about Roman floggings?
All citations from the Holy Bible are from the New International Version, used with permission.
Motley Crew Bible Study
August 3, 2011
Matthew 27:19-26
Can you believe it is August?
I guess Christmas is next week!
Some Suggested Answers
Read Matthew 27:19-26
19 While Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat, his wife sent him this message: “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him.”
20 But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed.
21 “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” asked the governor.
“Barabbas,” they answered.
22 “What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” Pilate asked.
They all answered, “Crucify him!”
23 “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate.
But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”
24 When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility!”
25 All the people answered, “His blood is on us and on our children!”
26 Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.
1. Had any good dreams lately? What do they mean?
Some say they mean nothing. Some say they all mean something. Some say some combination. I say take it to the Lord in prayer … especially if you are an old man. Pastor had us turn to Acts 2:17
17 “‘In the last days, God says,
I
will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters
will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
Although one of the “senior” gentlemen left the room after this, it was only to get some more food.
Several mentioned the dreams of Mary, Joseph and the Magi as reported by Matthew in his Gospel, as well as many others in the Bible. (A “keyword” search at Bible Gateway for the word “dream” returned 98 matches in the Old and New Testaments.)
2. How could the chief priests and elders be so persuasive?
They must have assembled their own crowd for this early morning illegal trial. Certainly there would be no spontaneous gathering of Jews at daybreak at the Royal Palace / Praetorium where Pilate had his offices and official residence, which were on the opposite side of Jerusalem relative to the Temple.
Source: Bible
History,
http://www.bible-history.com/jewishtemple/JEWISH_TEMPLECity_of_Jerusalem.htm
(http://www.bible-history.com/jewishtemple/JEWISH_TEMPLE00000020.jpg)
Matthew confirms the role of the chief priests and elders:
20 But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed.
Also see Mark 15:11:
But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas instead.
However, by the time that Pilate finally sentenced Jesus – and with the scourging and mocking of Jesus – word must have spread to the greater community of Jews in Jerusalem. Turn to Luke 23:27, “A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him.”
Here would be some of those who had either followed Jesus from Jericho or met Jesus with great acclaim at Jerusalem when He entered the city the preceding Sunday.
It was also pointed out that the chief priests and elders were leaders in the community, and would be very persuasive by virtue of their position, whether they used threats or merely advanced their position to the mob.
Beth mentioned note27:20 in the Lutheran Study Bible:
Crowd. Probably a mob formed by people employed in the temple and under the chief priests' sway. They are to be distinguished from the majority of people in Jerusalem, who may have been more sympathetic to Jesus.
In note 27:25, they are referred to as “a mob of temple partisans, not a representative sample of the Jewish people.”
But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude,.... Among whom the choice lay who should be released. This they did not by haranguing them, or making a public oration to them; but by sending their servants, or proper persons among them, telling them that Jesus had been examined before the Sanhedrim that morning, and was found to be a blasphemer; and that the whole court had unanimously condemned him to death, and therefore it became them to act according to their decree: and besides, should this man be set free, they might suggest to them, since he has given out that he is the king Messiah, the Romans hearing of it, will be jealous of such a person, and come and take away both our place and nation, or deprive us of the privileges we have remaining: with such sort of arguments as these, it may be supposed they worked upon the common people. The Persic version reads, "commanded", instead of "persuaded", Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible
3. What happened to Pilate's plan to restore Jesus?
Mob rule – Pilate's biggest fear. Both Luke and John state that Pilate attempted three times to get the mob to release Jesus, but that he got shouted down.
Pilate hoped the crowd's decency would lead them to ask for a man they did not like (Jesus), instead of one who had committed serious crimes (Barabbas). LSB, Note 27:18, p. 1645.
4. Do you find it ironic that Pilate's plan to release Jesus was based upon the crowd behaving in a moral and just manner?
Pilate was wanting to, he just couldn't quite muster the strength at this time. Clearly, he didn't know the crowd, or who had put the crowd together.
We are reminded, however, that this was God's plan, both directed and allowed. God had put together a tremendous number of people in order to get Jesus to the point of crucifixion, from before His birth to this point. He put it together at the time that it had to be in order to fulfill Old Testament prophecy. Earlier in His ministry, our Lord had said “It is not my time.” But, finally, His time had come.
The actions of God in placing Jonah before the Jews also shows how far ahead God puts things together. God has wanted to punish the Jews, but not to destroy them. Jonah preceded the Assyrian takeover by 70 years!
And continuing today, we see this happening. One member mentioned that he had been put into a monastery 40 years earlier, but still didn't know why. Pastor pointed out that because God acts in such long-ranging ways, that we may never know why we have been called to certain places and people. Sometimes, the reason for the earlier action hasn't yet occurred, and may not occur during our lifetimes.
Beth told a story of a man who felt called to preach at a logging camp. When he got there, however, no one was present. Rather than turning around and going home, the man was obedient to the call of God, and preached the sermon. Many years later, a man touched him on the shoulder. The stranger said that he had heard the sermon – he was out of sight behind a woodpile at the edge of the camp – and because of that sermon, he became a Christian, and was then called to be a minister himself, together with three other men in the camp who the stranger had witnessed to.
Pastor urged us all to think about how we've been touched by having God in our lives, so that when we are asked, we can give this testimony to one who asks.
God's answers can be “yes,” “no,” and “later.” Pastor noted that it's easier to steer a car if its moving … but that we've always got to keep God in the navigator's seat, lest we go in a direction that is not His will.
5. Why would Pilate wash his hands, was he getting ready to eat?
He very well might have known enough to know he was claiming no responsibility. It was mentioned that the “washing of his hands” had an Old Testament basis.
Pastor Eddie asked us to turn in our Bibles to Deut. 21:6-7:
6 Then all the elders of the town nearest the body shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley, 7 and they shall declare: “Our hands did not shed this blood, nor did our eyes see it done.
Another Old Testament reference includes this verse from the Psalm 26:6:
I wash my hands in innocence,
and go about your
altar, LORD,
One member mentioned that this practice was widespread throughout the Middle East at that time.
Pilate - took water, and washed his hands - Thus signifying his innocence. It was a custom among the Hebrews, Greeks, and Latins, to wash the hands in token of innocence, and to show that they were pure from any imputed guilt. In case of an undiscovered murder, the elders of that city which was nearest to the place where the dead body was found, were required by the law, Deuteronomy 21:1-10, to wash their hands over the victim which was offered to expiate the crime, and thus make public protestation of their own innocence. David says, I will wash my hands in innocence, so shall I compass thine altar, Psalm 26:6. Clarke's Commentary on the Bible
Another member pointed out that this expression is still used in conversation today.
Pilate condemns Jesus to death while he seeks to absolve himself of responsibility for it. No matter how a sinner tries to evade responsibility for sin, he cannot wash himself of it. Thanks be to God that Christ took responsibility for the sins of the whole world and let Himself be crucified for our sakes. LSB, Note 27:24-26, p. 1647.
6. Did it work?
Not really, and certainly not according to the Apostle's Creed.
And in Jesus
Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy
Spirit,
and born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under
Pontius Pilate,
We can never escape responsibility for our actions in this way, but we can receive forgiveness from God through Christ Jesus.
7. How could they respond in such a horrible way?
25 All the people answered, “His blood is on us and on our children!”
Satan had complete control. We looked at Ephesians 6:10-12:
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
They were calling down a curse on themselves and their children in the belief that Jesus was not the Son of God, not the Messiah. They were wrong.
Also, this crowd had first been churned up by the chief priests and elders, but then continued on its path because of the mentality that mobs often seem to acquire. Good, moral people can sometimes to immensely bad, immoral actions under the influence of a mob's mentality.
What would happen to them? Hell, unless they asked for forgiveness.
The topic of two kingdoms – God's Kingdom and Satan's kingdom – will be the topic for this weekend's sermon.
8. What do we know about Roman floggings?
Dr. Lenski had this description at page 1098:
Stripped of clothes, the body was bent forward across a low pilar and the back was stretched and exposed to the blows. In order to hold the body in position the victim's hands must have been tied to rings in the floor or in front at the base of the pillar and his feet to rings behind. We cannot agree that the hands were tied behind the back, for this would place them across the small of the back where some of the blows were to fall and would shield the ribs where the whipends were to lacerate the flesh.
The Romans did not use rods as the Jews did, each rod making only one stripe and cutting only the back; they used short-handled whips, each provided with several leather lashes and ugly, acorn-shaped pieces of lead or lumps of bone that were fastened to the end of each short lash. The strokes were laid on with full force, and officer often shouting, Adde virgas! (Livy, 26, 16), or Firme! (Suetonius, Caligula, 26), in order to get more vigor into the action. The effect was horrible. The skin and the flesh were gashed to the very bone in every direction, and where the armed ends of the lashes struck, deep bloody holes were torn. See Josephus, Wars, 6, 6, 3; Eusebius 4, 15.
This would also confirm why Jesus couldn't carry His cross by Himself, and His early death on the cross. They must have beat him mercilessly … He, the King of Mercy.
So what form did a more normal crucifixion take? First came the flogging or scourging. The flogging usually was done by two soldiers using a short whip (flagrum, flagellum) that had several leather thongs of different lengths. Tied to these leather thongs were small iron balls or sharp pieces of sheep bones. The victim was stripped of his clothing and his hands were tied above him to a post. The back, legs and buttocks would then be flogged until the person collapsed. With the back and legs thus torn open there would be extensive blood loss. This blood loss from the flogging often determined how long it took the crucified person to die on the cross. The fact that Jesus was not able to carry his cross all the way, and the fact that he died in six hours, indicates that this flogging must have been especially severe. The ancient sources tell us that many some people died just from the flogging. … Death by crucifixion at times came quickly, but sometimes didn't come to the crucified for several days. “Crucifixion in the Ancient World,” By Dr. Richard P. Bucher, Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, Lexington, KY. http://www.orlutheran.com/html/crucify.html
Considering the brutality of the scourging, it's a wonder that some people survived on the cross for several days before dying.
One member mentioned that he hadn't seen the movie precisely because of the graphic descriptions that he's heard of Jesus' flogging in the movie.
Others mentioned that they had seen the movie, but had seen people in the theater covering their eyes during that scene.
Several commentators believed that Pilate had Jesus scourged in an attempt to appease the mob and avoid the crucifixion, but that this, too, failed.
They beat the King of Mercy unmercifully. But the Triune God was in control throughout, and the process would not be ended until Jesus proclaimed, “It is finished.”
We closed with prayer.
25 All the people answered, “His blood is on us and on our children!”
The NIV Study Bible note 27:25, p. 1663:
A chilling response by a blood thirsty crowd. It has often been used to justify the persecution of the Jewish people. It should be noted, however, that it was not God but the people themselves who uttered these words. If there was a fulfillment of their declaration, it was most likely in the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. All the following passages should be studied regarding responsibility for Christ's death on the cross: Isa 53:10; Ac 2:23; Jn 10:17-18; Heb 9:14; Mt 26:47, 50, 57, 59, 63-66; 27:1-2, 20, 22, 26-27, 31, 41; Ro 5:8. Because of these and other similar Scriptures, a truly Biblical Christian should never be guilty of anti-Semitism.
Parallel Verses:
Mark 15:11-15
11But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas instead.
12"What shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews?" Pilate asked them.
13"Crucify him!" they shouted.
14"Why?
What crime has he committed?" asked Pilate.
But
they shouted all the louder, "Crucify him!"
15Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.
Luke 23:13-27
13Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, 14and said to them, "You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him.15Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death. 16Therefore, I will punish him and then release him."
18With one voice they cried out, "Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!"19(Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.)
20Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. 21But they kept shouting, "Crucify him! Crucify him!"
22For the third time he spoke to them: "Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him."
23But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. 24So Pilate decided to grant their demand. 25He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will. 26As they led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. 27A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him.
John 19:12-16
12From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jews kept shouting, "If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar."
13When
Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge's
seat at a place known as the Stone Pavement (which in Aramaic is
Gabbatha). 14It was
the day of Preparation of Passover Week, about the sixth hour.
"Here
is your king," Pilate said to the Jews.
15But
they shouted, "Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!"
"Shall I crucify your king?" Pilate asked.
"We
have no king but Caesar," the chief priests answered.
16Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified.
Cited & Consulted Sources:
Lenski, R.C.H., The Interpretation of St. Matthew's Gospel (Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1943)
The Lutheran Study Bible (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2009).
For Additional Study:
The Prayer And Study Resources web page has a listing of some research web sites that I use. In addition, Additional Research Resources is a page with a more complete list of Bible and Lutheran resources, plus there is the Research Resources Checklist, which is the web page I use when I first begin a Bible study. Both of these last two web pages are always growing, and please let me know if you are aware of other great sites.
