Now
at the feast he used to release to them one prisoner, whom they asked of him. There was one called Barabbas, bound with his fellow insurgents, men who in the insurrection had committed murder. The multitude, crying aloud, began to ask him to do as he always did for them. Pilate answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” For he perceived that for envy the chief priests had delivered him up.
Mark 15:6-10
Mark 15 [5.] But Jesus made no further answer, so that Pilate marveled.
Mark 15 [6.] Now at the feast he used to release to them one prisoner, whom they asked of him. There was one called Barabbas, bound with his fellow insurgents, men who in the insurrection had committed murder. The multitude, crying aloud, began to ask him to do as he always did for them. Pilate answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” For he perceived that for envy the chief priests had delivered him up. But the chief priests stirred up the multitude, that he should release Barabbas to them instead. Pilate again asked them, “What then should I do to him whom you call the King of the Jews?”
Mark 15 [13.] They cried out again, “Crucify him!”
Meaning:
Jesus has stood silent before Pilate, and the governor has marveled (Mark 15:5). Pilate now sees a way out of an awkward case: a Passover custom of releasing one prisoner. He offers the crowd “the King of the Jews”, hoping they will choose Jesus. Mark adds a revealing comment about why the chief priests wanted Jesus dead.
- “Now at the feast he used to release to them one prisoner”
Passover celebrated Israel’s release from slavery in Egypt, so a pardon at this feast carried a strong symbolic meaning. This custom is known to us from the Gospels. John records Pilate saying, “But you have a custom, that I should release someone to you at the Passover” (John 18:38-39). It was a gesture of goodwill by the occupying power toward a restless people at a time when Jerusalem was crowded with pilgrims.
- “There was one called Barabbas … who in the insurrection had committed murder”
Barabbas was no petty thief. He was held with “fellow insurgents”, men who had taken part in a violent uprising against Rome and had committed murder. Many in Judea longed for such men to drive out the Romans by force. His name means son of the father in Aramaic (bar abba), a striking detail, because the true Son of the Father stood beside him on trial.
The contrast could not be sharper. Barabbas took life by violence; Jesus came “to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). Peter later told the people of Jerusalem that they “denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you” (Acts 3:14).
- “The multitude, crying aloud, began to ask him to do as he always did for them”
The crowd came to Pilate asking for the customary release. Pilate seized the opportunity. He was convinced Jesus was no real threat, so he offered him, using the very title the priests had used to accuse him: “Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” There may also be scorn in the words, aimed at the leaders who had brought him a helpless, bound “king”.
- “For he perceived that for envy the chief priests had delivered him up”
Pilate saw through the accusers. Their concern was not loyalty to Caesar but jealousy. Matthew says the same: “For he knew that because of envy they had delivered him up” (Matthew 27:18). Jesus’ authority, his teaching and his popularity threatened their position. Earlier Mark noted that they “feared him, because all the multitude was astonished at his teaching” (Mark 11:18).
The Significance of Mark 15:6-10
- The danger of envy
Envy is a sin of the heart that can grow into hatred and even murder, as it did here. James warns, “For where jealousy and selfish ambition are, there is confusion and every evil deed” (James 3:16). Religious leaders were not immune, and neither are we. When someone else’s gifts or success make us resentful, it is time to bring that resentment to God.
- Seeing the truth is not enough
Pilate perceived the truth about the priests’ motives, yet he did not act on it with courage. He tried to find a clever way to release Jesus without taking a stand himself. Knowing what is right but avoiding the cost of doing it is a common failure. Scripture warns, “The fear of man proves to be a snare” (Proverbs 29:25).
- The Son of the Father in the place of the guilty
The choice between Barabbas and Jesus became a picture of the gospel. The guilty man would go free while the innocent one went to the cross. Paul writes, “But God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
Cross-References:
Matthew 27:18: "For he knew that because of envy they had delivered him up." Pilate recognized the leaders’ motive.
Acts 3:14: "But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you," Peter recalled the choice of Barabbas.
James 3:16: "For where jealousy and selfish ambition are, there is confusion and every evil deed." The fruit of envy.
Mark 10:45: "For the Son of Man also came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Jesus gave his life for others.
Conclusion: Pilate hoped to release Jesus through the Passover custom, offering the crowd “the King of the Jews” instead of Barabbas, a violent insurgent and murderer. He knew that the chief priests had handed Jesus over out of envy. The passage exposes the destructive power of envy and the weakness of knowing the truth without acting on it. It also sets the stage for the great exchange at the heart of the gospel: the guilty set free, and the innocent Son of the Father condemned in his place.
PIB Scriptures are derived from the World English Bible