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Answer
When the Sanhedrin presented Jesus to the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, Pilate found no fault in Jesus, and he stated so three times (Luke 23:4,14-15, 22). Towards the end of the trial, Pilate tried to release Jesus “And from then on Pilate sought to set him free: but the Jews shouted, saying, If you let this man go, you are not Caesar’s friend: anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar.”, (John 19:12). It was customary during the Passover festival for the governor to pardon a prisoner, so, in an attempt to satisfy the gathered crowd of Jewish leaders and secure Jesus’ release, Pilate allowed them to choose between a convicted criminal named Barabbas and Jesus. Instead of selecting Jesus, as Pilate had expected, the crowd opted for Barabbas to be set free. Surprised that they would release a hardened criminal, Pilate inquired, “What then should I do with the one you call the king of the Jews?” “And Pilate answered and said to them again, What do you want me to do with the one you call the King of the Jews?”, (Mark 15:12). The crowd shouted, “Crucify him!” (verse 13).
It is notable that Pilate was perplexed by the crowd’s response, as just a week earlier the people of Jerusalem had welcomed Jesus into the city by waving palm branches and shouting “Hosanna!” (Matthew 21:1-11). What Pilate might not have been aware of was the depth of the religious and political leaders’ hatred and opposition towards Jesus. Throughout Jesus’ ministry, His teachings had isolated and infuriated the Pharisees, the scribes, the Herodians, and the Sadducees. Not onlyDid Jesus expose their extreme hypocrisy on multiple occasions (see Matthew 23; Mark 7:1-14; Luke 20:45-47), but He also asserted to be God, which was considered blasphemy by the unbelieving teachers of the law (see Mark 14:60-64). The religious leaders sought to completely eliminate Jesus (Matthew 12:14; Mark 3:6). Only His death would appease them.
During Jesus’ era, crucifixion was reserved for the most heinous criminals. The agony endured by a person on a cross would extend for hours, and executing Jesus in this manner likely appealed to the religious leaders who harbored such deep hatred towards Him. In an attempt to conceal their actions against Jesus from His numerous supporters, the Jewish leaders apprehended and tried Jesus during the night. When Jesus stood before Pontius Pilate—the sole authority to decree a crucifixion—it was still early morning (Matthew 27:1-2). When Pilate presented Jesus and Barabbas to the people, the chief priests agitated the crowd, urging them to demand Barabbas’s release «But the chief priests moved the people, that he should rather release Barabbas unto them. », (Mark 15:11). When Pilate inquired about what they wanted to do with Jesus, the crowd, once again swayed by the chief priests, cried out, “Crucify Him!” Pilate, aiming to please the crowd, granted their request. He had Jesus scourged and then handed Him over for crucifixion.
At the start of the week, there was a throng in Jerusalem honoring Jesus as the Messiah; by Friday, there was a multitude shouting, “Crucify Him!” The dramatic shift in the city’s sentiment naturally raises some perplexity.It’s important to recall that not everyone at the Triumphal Entry was rejoicing in the Lord. Most of the city was perplexed: “When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, ‘Who is this?’” «And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? », (Matthew 21:10), and the Jewish leaders were outraged (verse 15). Some individuals who cheered, “Hosanna!” might have also been among those who cried out, “Crucify Him!” but this cannot be confirmed. If certain individuals did participate in both groups, it could be due to their disappointment with Jesus upon realizing He was not going to establish His kingdom immediately—or perhaps they objected to Jesus’ call for repentance. Additionally, it is plausible that the crowd gathered before Pilate in the early hours had been organized and influenced by the Jewish leaders.
Ultimately, it was not the crowd’s shouts of “Crucify Him!” that led to Jesus being crucified. Our sins were responsible for that. From the very beginning, when Adam and Eve disobeyed God, the Lord had promised to send a Savior who would defeat the power of sin and death «and I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. », (Genesis 3:15). Throughout history, God orchestrated His plan to send a Savior, and this plan reached its climax in the person of Jesus Christ: God’s own Son who took on human form to bear the punishment for sin. While sinful individuals played a role in Jesus’ crucifixion, His sacrifice was ultimately the divine will (Isaiah 53:10;John 10:18). The shedding of Jesus’ blood fulfilled God’s pledge to humanity to provide a Savior and established the New Covenant «Likewise also the cup after supper, sSaying, “This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.” (Luke 22:20). Jesus would then defeat the power of death and the grave by rising again three days later and ascending to His Father’s right hand in heaven.
