Mark 15:6-7: Mark's Interjection about "the Passover Pardon." Mark interrupts his narrative of Jesus's civil trial to explain Pilate's custom each year at Passover of releasing one prisoner favored by the people. The prisoner who is put forth as an alternative to Jesus is Barabbas, an insurrectionist and murderer.
In Mark 15:6-7, Mark briefly explains the Roman custom of releasing a prisoner during the Feast and introduces Barabbas, whose imprisonment for murder and insurrection sets the stage for Pilate's final attempt to release Jesus.
Mark interrupts his narrative account of Jesus's civil trial to make an important interjection. The Gospel writer strategically places this interjection between his account of the first phase of Jesus's civil trial and his account of the third phase of Jesus's civil trial. Like Matthew and John, Mark omits the second phase of Jesus's civil trial--Jesus's audience before Herod Antipas--which Luke alone records in detail (Luke 23:8-12). Mark's concise account keeps the narrative moving toward the climactic decision Pilate must make concerning Jesus.
Now at the feast he used to release for them any one prisoner whom they requested. The man named Barabbas had been imprisoned with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the insurrection (vv 6-7).
Mark signals that he is breaking his narrative to interject an observation, with the word: now.
His interjection describes a custom observed at the feast. Thefeast refers to the Jewish celebration of Passover together with the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which was taking place on the very day of Jesus's trial.
To learn more about Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, see The Bible Says article "The Original Passover."
During this feast, Pilateused to releaseany one prisonerwhom they requested (v 6). This appears to have been a customary act of Roman goodwill toward the Jewish people during one of their most important national celebrations.
Matthew and Luke likewise mention this custom (Matthew 27:15,Luke 23:17). John's Gospel presents the custom from Pilate's own words when he says, "you have a custom that I release someone for you at the Passover" (John 18:39). Mark's account is characteristically concise, simply introducing the custom because it explains what Pilate is about to do.
The man named Barabbas had been imprisoned with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the insurrection (v 7).
After introducing the custom, Mark immediately introduces the prisoner who would become central to Pilate's final judgment of Jesus.
Unlike Matthew, who simply describes Barabbas as "a notorious prisoner" (Matthew 27:16), Mark omits the label, but he explains why Barabbas was notorious. Barabbas had been imprisoned with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the insurrection. Luke similarly states that Barabbas had been thrown into prison "for an insurrection made in the city, and for murder" (Luke 23:19), while John identifies him as "a robber" (John 18:40). Taken together, the Gospel accounts present Barabbas as a well-known criminal guilty of robbery, insurrection, and murder.
Ironically, Barabbas actually was guilty of insurrection--the very crime of which Jesus had been accused before Pilate (Luke 23:2), and Pilate (and Herod--Luke 23:14) had already concluded that Jesus was innocent (Luke 23:4,John 18:38).
Mark identifies this prisoner as the man namedBarabbas. Matthew says the notorious prisoner was "called Barabbas" (Matthew 27:16). The name is Aramaic and means "son of the father" (bar = "son"; abba = "father"). But "Barabbas" may have functioned as a title rather than this man's given name.
There are two primary ways Barabbas's name has been understood.
The first way Barabbas can be understood is as a kind of equivalent with Jesus.
Jesus is the Son of the Father, and Barabbas bears the same title "son of the father." The Gospel writers, and Matthew in particular, through Day of Atonement imagery, present Jesus and Barabbas as parallel figures in terms of their humanity while contrasting them completely in terms of their righteousness. Jesus is perfectly righteous; Barabbas is guilty. Barabbas was guilty of insurrection--the same crime Jesus, the innocent, would be executed for. In effect, Jesus dies for Barabbas's crime, and Barabbas is freed to live, because Jesus died in His place.
To learn more about how the Gospel writers, especially Matthew, evoke the Day of Atonement as they describe the exchange of Jesus for Barabbas, see The Bible Says article: "How Freeing Barabbas Fulfilled Messianic Prophecy."
The second way Barabbas can be understood is as an everyman.
"Son of the father" is intentionally nonspecific. Every man is the son of a father, making Barabbas a fitting representative of fallen humanity. Like every sinner, Barabbas had rebelled against rightful authority. In this sense, the guilty criminal who deserved condemnation becomes a picture of sinful humanity who are among the insurrectionists against God, while Jesus, the innocent Son of God, stands in his place.
In this sense, Barabbas is a more apt representation of every man other than Jesus because everyone but Jesus has sinned and fallen short of God's standards (Romans 3:23). And Jesus died not only for Barabbas, but for everyone in the entire world (1 John 2:2).
Another interesting layer to all of this, is that early church tradition suggests that Barabbas's given name may have been "Jesus." The early church leader, Origen, claimed Barabbas's given name was "Jesus." Some later Greek manuscripts of Matthew 27:16-17 read "Jesus Barabbas."
If this tradition is correct, Pilate's question becomes even more striking. In effect, Pilate would have asked: "Which Jesus do you want me to release for you--Jesus Barabbas or Jesus who is called Christ?" This may have been why Matthew wrote: the prisoner was "called Barabbas" (Matthew 27:16). Matthew may have phrased things this way because it heightens the contrast for his Jewish audience. Mark omits it and simply identifies the prisoner as Barabbas, keeping the narrative moving toward Pilate's decision.
Having introduced both the Passover custom and Barabbas, Mark is now prepared to describe how Pilate will use this custom in an effort to secure Jesus's release throughout the third and final phase of Jesus's civil trial. Pilate will fail to release Jesus. The final phase of Jesus’s trial is recorded in Mark 15:8-15.
Mark 15:6-7
6 Now at the feast he used to release for them any one prisoner whom they requested.
7 The man named Barabbas had been imprisoned with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the insurrection.
Set to dark mode
Mark 15:6-7 meaning
The parallel Gospel accounts for Mark 15:6-7 are found in Matthew 27:15-16, Luke 23:17; 23:19, and John 18:39.
In Mark 15:6-7, Mark briefly explains the Roman custom of releasing a prisoner during the Feast and introduces Barabbas, whose imprisonment for murder and insurrection sets the stage for Pilate's final attempt to release Jesus.
Mark interrupts his narrative account of Jesus's civil trial to make an important interjection. The Gospel writer strategically places this interjection between his account of the first phase of Jesus's civil trial and his account of the third phase of Jesus's civil trial. Like Matthew and John, Mark omits the second phase of Jesus's civil trial--Jesus's audience before Herod Antipas--which Luke alone records in detail (Luke 23:8-12). Mark's concise account keeps the narrative moving toward the climactic decision Pilate must make concerning Jesus.
The three phases of Jesus's civil trial were:
(Matthew 27:1-2, 11-14 Mark 15:1-5, Luke 23:1-7, John 18:28-38)
(Luke 23:8-12)
(Matthew 27:15-26; Mark 15:6-15; Luke 23:13-25; John 18:38 - 19:16)
Mark's interjection is:
Now at the feast he used to release for them any one prisoner whom they requested. The man named Barabbas had been imprisoned with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the insurrection (vv 6-7).
Mark signals that he is breaking his narrative to interject an observation, with the word: now.
His interjection describes a custom observed at the feast. The feast refers to the Jewish celebration of Passover together with the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which was taking place on the very day of Jesus's trial.
To learn more about Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, see The Bible Says article "The Original Passover."
During this feast, Pilate used to release any one prisoner whom they requested (v 6). This appears to have been a customary act of Roman goodwill toward the Jewish people during one of their most important national celebrations.
Matthew and Luke likewise mention this custom (Matthew 27:15, Luke 23:17). John's Gospel presents the custom from Pilate's own words when he says, "you have a custom that I release someone for you at the Passover" (John 18:39). Mark's account is characteristically concise, simply introducing the custom because it explains what Pilate is about to do.
The man named Barabbas had been imprisoned with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the insurrection (v 7).
After introducing the custom, Mark immediately introduces the prisoner who would become central to Pilate's final judgment of Jesus.
Unlike Matthew, who simply describes Barabbas as "a notorious prisoner" (Matthew 27:16), Mark omits the label, but he explains why Barabbas was notorious. Barabbas had been imprisoned with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the insurrection. Luke similarly states that Barabbas had been thrown into prison "for an insurrection made in the city, and for murder" (Luke 23:19), while John identifies him as "a robber" (John 18:40). Taken together, the Gospel accounts present Barabbas as a well-known criminal guilty of robbery, insurrection, and murder.
Ironically, Barabbas actually was guilty of insurrection--the very crime of which Jesus had been accused before Pilate (Luke 23:2), and Pilate (and Herod--Luke 23:14) had already concluded that Jesus was innocent (Luke 23:4, John 18:38).
Mark identifies this prisoner as the man named Barabbas. Matthew says the notorious prisoner was "called Barabbas" (Matthew 27:16). The name is Aramaic and means "son of the father" (bar = "son"; abba = "father"). But "Barabbas" may have functioned as a title rather than this man's given name.
There are two primary ways Barabbas's name has been understood.
The first way Barabbas can be understood is as a kind of equivalent with Jesus.
Jesus is the Son of the Father, and Barabbas bears the same title "son of the father." The Gospel writers, and Matthew in particular, through Day of Atonement imagery, present Jesus and Barabbas as parallel figures in terms of their humanity while contrasting them completely in terms of their righteousness. Jesus is perfectly righteous; Barabbas is guilty. Barabbas was guilty of insurrection--the same crime Jesus, the innocent, would be executed for. In effect, Jesus dies for Barabbas's crime, and Barabbas is freed to live, because Jesus died in His place.
To learn more about how the Gospel writers, especially Matthew, evoke the Day of Atonement as they describe the exchange of Jesus for Barabbas, see The Bible Says article: "How Freeing Barabbas Fulfilled Messianic Prophecy."
The second way Barabbas can be understood is as an everyman.
"Son of the father" is intentionally nonspecific. Every man is the son of a father, making Barabbas a fitting representative of fallen humanity. Like every sinner, Barabbas had rebelled against rightful authority. In this sense, the guilty criminal who deserved condemnation becomes a picture of sinful humanity who are among the insurrectionists against God, while Jesus, the innocent Son of God, stands in his place.
In this sense, Barabbas is a more apt representation of every man other than Jesus because everyone but Jesus has sinned and fallen short of God's standards (Romans 3:23). And Jesus died not only for Barabbas, but for everyone in the entire world (1 John 2:2).
Another interesting layer to all of this, is that early church tradition suggests that Barabbas's given name may have been "Jesus." The early church leader, Origen, claimed Barabbas's given name was "Jesus." Some later Greek manuscripts of Matthew 27:16-17 read "Jesus Barabbas."
If this tradition is correct, Pilate's question becomes even more striking. In effect, Pilate would have asked: "Which Jesus do you want me to release for you--Jesus Barabbas or Jesus who is called Christ?" This may have been why Matthew wrote: the prisoner was "called Barabbas" (Matthew 27:16). Matthew may have phrased things this way because it heightens the contrast for his Jewish audience. Mark omits it and simply identifies the prisoner as Barabbas, keeping the narrative moving toward Pilate's decision.
Having introduced both the Passover custom and Barabbas, Mark is now prepared to describe how Pilate will use this custom in an effort to secure Jesus's release throughout the third and final phase of Jesus's civil trial. Pilate will fail to release Jesus. The final phase of Jesus’s trial is recorded in Mark 15:8-15.