Reflecting on Matthew 27:11-26
“He knew it was out of self-interest that they had handed Jesus over to him.” (Matthew 27:18)
As a Jesus follower, my life is on display before the world.
People who experience me can sense how I am, and what motivates me.
Jesus says that love is what people should notice in us (John 13:35).
Here Pilate can sense the self interest in the religious leaders.
A Pilate’s wife, through a dream, senses Jesus’s innocence.
Barabbas’s character was well known to the Jews and Romans.
Selfishness or selflessness – what did people sense?
Paul unpacks Jesus’s idea about people sensing love.
The fruit of the Spirit is what will be experienced in Jesus followers.
It starts with love, but expands to include joy and peace.
Patience, kindness and goodness.
Faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).
Why would the religious leaders and crowds vote for a crook.
Why would they cancel the crimes of an obviously selfish person?
If you had to choose between Jesus and Barabbas, who would you pick?
I am stressing this because people are still voting for Barabbas types.
Christians supporting and voting for leaders with questionable character.
And the world can sense the self-interest that motivates them.
Neither the religious people, nor those they vote for, reflect love like Jesus.
They seem more driven by making themselves great again.
They seem more motivated by protecting themselves and their interests.
God sends Jesus to show us what the eternal kind of life looks like.
Jesus teaches and models the fruit of the Spirit.
He dies because His character does not fit peoples’ self-interest.
The Spirit of Jesus is still promoting Jesus-like character.
And Jesus-followers, of all people, should reflect this Spirit.
And the world will sense whether it is so or not.
Religious self-interest is still at work today.
Religious people are still voting for Barabbas today.
And in so doing, they are betraying Jesus again and again.
Do I reflect the character of Jesus, the fruit of the Spirit.
Am I seeking to grow more like Jesus where I sense I am not.
None of us ever matches Jesus, there will always be room for growth.
But know that the character you pursue will be evident to others.
People will sense whether you are motivated by love or not.
It is not perfection they are measuring and looking for.
But they can sense and experience our motivation.
Are we motivated toward love, joy, peace?
Are we motivated toward patience, kindness, goodness?
Are we motivated toward faithfulness, gentleness, self-control?
Or are we motivated by self-interest?
People around us will sense it!
Lord Jesus, I have sensed the motivating spirit in others, so I know that others can see it in me too. As someone who represents You in the world, ignite my heart more and more for the Spirit that people sensed in You.
And please help us as Jesus followers to stop voting for Barabbas!
Reading Matthew 27:11–26, I find myself struck by the moment when the crowd chooses Barabbas over Jesus. It’s a haunting scene—one that echoes through history and still resonates today. I wonder what drove the crowd to make such a decision. Were they swayed by fear? Manipulated by power? Ignoring truth in order to protect their own interests?
It reminds me of how often, even in our own time, people in positions of influence—politicians, church leaders, celebrities, directors, CEOs, monarchs—are chosen or upheld despite their harmful actions, while those who speak truth or act with integrity are rejected, silenced, or ignored. I see the same thirst for power, greed, and control shaping decisions and silencing justice.
I have to ask myself: in what ways am I part of the crowd? Am I too easily influenced, too eager to protect comfort or security instead of standing up for what’s right? This passage is not just about a moment in history—it’s about human nature, and about the choices we continue to make every day.
Today, on Canada’s birthday, I made a conscious choice to wear a message that challenges the dominant narrative—a message that honours the voices so often silenced on this day.
“Burn sage, sweetgrass, and the Doctrine of Discovery.”
This act felt bold, but it also felt right. I thought of Jesus—how he consistently stood with the marginalized, confronted systems of injustice, and gave voice to those the world tried to ignore. His courage to speak uncomfortable truths inspires me.
As I continue to reflect, I realize that being more like Jesus means not just believing in justice, but living it. It means amplifying the voices of those who mourn and resist, even when it’s inconvenient or uncomfortable. I pray for the strength to keep choosing that path—to listen, to learn, and to stand alongside the oppressed in hope and solidarity.
Thanks Melodie, I really appreciate your reflections here, and share your heart. I also appreciate the bold step you took, a sign of God’s grace at work in and through you. I also want to amplify the voices of those who mourn and resist, but also sense that my flesh is weak. Thankful for His grace to us however we fall short, and always helping us forward.