Matthew 27:17-19 is a passage from the New Testament of the Bible that describes an event that took place during Jesus' trial before his crucifixion. In these verses, Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea, gives the crowd a choice between releasing Jesus or Barabbas, a notorious prisoner.
In this passage, Pilate is trying to appease the crowd by giving them a choice between releasing Jesus or Barabbas. Barabbas was a notorious criminal who had been arrested for his involvement in a rebellion against the Roman authorities. Jesus, on the other hand, was a religious leader who had been arrested on charges of blasphemy.
Pilate knew that the religious leaders who had brought Jesus before him were motivated by envy and that they wanted him to be put to death. He was not convinced of Jesus' guilt and had even tried to release him earlier, but the crowd had demanded that he be crucified.
As Pilate is making his decision, his wife sends him a message urging him to have nothing to do with Jesus, whom she calls a righteous man. She had suffered in a dream because of him, and this warning adds to the sense that there is something unusual and important about Jesus.
This passage highlights the tension between Pilate's desire to do what is right and his need to maintain his political power. Pilate knows that Jesus is innocent, but he is afraid of the crowd and does not want to risk a rebellion. He tries to avoid responsibility for Jesus' fate by giving the crowd a choice between Jesus and Barabbas.
The choice that Pilate presents to the crowd is symbolic of a deeper choice that each person must make between following Jesus and following the ways of the world. Barabbas represents the ways of the world - the pursuit of power, wealth, and status at any cost. Jesus, on the other hand, represents a different way of living, one that values love, compassion, and self-sacrifice.
In the end, the crowd chooses to release Barabbas and have Jesus crucified. This decision highlights the darkness of human nature and the way that people can be easily swayed by their fears and desires.
In summary, Matthew 27:17-19 tells the story of Pilate's choice between releasing Jesus or Barabbas and the tension that exists between his desire to do what is right and his need to maintain his power. This passage highlights the symbolic choice that each person must make between following Jesus and following the ways of the world, and it emphasizes the darkness of human nature and the ease with which people can be swayed by their fears and desires.
Matthew 27:17-19. Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release to you? Barabbas, or Jesus, who is called Christ?” For he knew that because of envy they had delivered him up. While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of him.”