Luke 23:17-21

Rachel Workman: 17 [Now he was obliged to release to them at the feast one prisoner.] ¹⁸ Then a mighty roar rose from the crowd, and with one voice they shouted, “Kill him, and release Barabbas to us!” ¹⁹ (Barabbas was in prison for taking part in an insurrection in Jerusalem against the government, and for murder.) ²⁰ Pilate argued with them, because he wanted to release Jesus. ²¹ But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” It's my sins that caused Jesus to be crucified. Despite that, he loves me. I am nowhere near being deserving of it.

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John Burnett:  ¹⁷ [^[a]Now he was obliged to release to them at the feast one prisoner.]

¹⁸ But they cried out all together, saying, “Away with this man, and release for us Barabbas!” ¹⁹ (He was one who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection made in the city, and for murder.) ²⁰ Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed them again, ²¹ but they kept on calling out, saying, “Crucify, crucify Him!”  The Pharisee’s self-righteousness had blinded them to what they were doing to the Messiah.  The very people who should have been leading people to Christ as the Messiah were leading the cheers to crucify Him.    

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Monday’s reading for Luke 23:22-25

²² For the third time he demanded, “Why? What crime has he committed? I have found no reason to sentence him to death. So I will have him flogged, and then I will release him.”

²³ But the mob shouted louder and louder, demanding that Jesus be crucified, and their voices prevailed. ²⁴ So Pilate sentenced Jesus to die as they demanded. ²⁵ As they had requested, he released Barabbas, the man in prison for insurrection and murder. But he turned Jesus over to them to do as they wished.