The criminal escaped; Christ was condemned. The one guilty of many crimes received a pardon; he who had remitted the crimes of all who confess was condemned. And yet the cross itself also, if you reflect upon it, was a courtroom. In the middle of it stood the final judge.
It now is clear enough that Mark means by “King of the Jews” what Matthew means by the word, “Christ”; for no kings but those of the Jews were called Christs. For in this place according to Matthew it is said, “What then shall I do with Jesus which is called Christ? "There follows: “And they cried out again, “Crucify him!”
Pilate furnished many opportunities for releasing Jesus, in the first place contrasting a robber with the Just One. Wherefore it is said: “Now at that feast he released unto them one prisoner, whomsoever they desired.”.
This demand which the Jews made with such toil to themselves still sticks to them. Because, when the choice was given to them, they chose a robber instead of Christ, a murderer instead of the Saviour, they deservedly lost their salvation and their life, and they subjected themselves to such a degree to robbery and sedition, that they lost their country and their kingdom which they preferred to Christ, and never regained their liberty, body or soul. Then Pilate gives another opportunity of releasing the Saviour, when there follows, “And Pilate answered and said again unto them, What will ye then that I should do unto the King of the Jews?”
But the Jews giving loose to their madness do not answer the question of the judge. Wherefore it goes on, “And they cried out the mo...
He himself suffered the lash, in whose name his servants now scourge the devil and his angels. He who now crowns the martyrs with eternal garlands was himself crowned with thorns.
[The daughter of Zion] repaid him with evil for the immensity of his grace. The Father had washed her from her blood, but she defiled his Son with her spitting. The Father had clothed her with fine linen and purple, but she clothed him with garments of mockery. He had placed a crown of glory on her head, but she plaited a crown of thorns for him. He had nourished her with choicest food and honey, but she gave him gall. He had given her pure wine, but she offered him vinegar in a sponge. The One who had introduced her into cities, she drove out into the desert. The One who had put shoes on her feet, she made hasten barefoot towards Golgotha. The One who had girded her loins with sapphire, she pierced in the side with a lance. When she had outraged the servants [of God] and killed the prophets, she was led into captivity to Babylon, and when the time of her punishment was completed, her return [from captivity] took place. Commentary on Tatian’s Diatessaron.
Which indeed he was accustomed todo, to obtain favour with the people, and above all, on the feast day, when the people of the whole province of the Jews flocked to Jerusalem. And that the wickedness of the Jews might appear the greater, the enormity of the sin of the robber, whom they preferred to Christ, is next described. Wherefore there follows: “And there was one Barabbas, who lay bound with them that had made insurrection with him, who had committed murder in the insurrection. "In which words their wickedness is shewnboth from the heinousness of his signal crime, in that he had committed murder, and from the way in which he did it, because he had in doing it raised as edition and disturbed the city, and also because his crime was notorious, forhe was bound with seditious persons. It goes on: “And the multitude,” when it had come up, “began to desire him to do as he had ever done unto them. "There follows: “But Pilate answered them, saying, Will ye that I release unto you the King...
Here are two goats; one is the scape goat, that is, one loosed and sent out into the wilderness of hell with the sin of the people; the other is slain, as a lamb, for the sins of those who are forgiven. The Lord’s portion is always slain; the devil’s part,(for he is the master of those men, which is the meaning of Barabbas,) when freed, is cast headlong into hell.
Now see the wickedness of the Jews, and the moderation of Pilate, though he too was worthy of condemnation for not resisting the people. For they cried out, “Crucify”; he faintly tries to save Jesus from their determined sentence, and again puts a question to them.
He wished indeed to satisfy the people, that is, to do their will, not what was agreeable to justice and to God.
