Now Barabbas was in jail because he had started a riot in the city and had murdered someone.
You rejected Jesus, who was holy and good. You asked for a murderer to be set free,
But they all kept on saying, “He has been teaching and causing trouble all over Judea. He started in Galilee and has now come all the way here.”
They started accusing him and said, “We caught this man trying to get our people to riot and to stop paying taxes to the Emperor. He also claims that he is the Messiah, our king.”
And at that time there was a prisoner named Barabbas. He and some others had been arrested for murder during a riot.
But the whole crowd shouted, “Kill Jesus! Give us Barabbas!”
Pilate wanted to set Jesus free, so he spoke again to the crowds.
“Aren't you that Egyptian who started a riot not long ago and led 4,000 terrorists into the desert?”