Matthew 27:22

22 Pilate sayde vnto them: what shall I do then with Iesus which is called Christ? They all sayde to him: let him be crucified.

Matthew 27:22 Meaning and Commentary

Matthew 27:22

Pilate saith unto them
As one astonished at their choice: he could not have thought they would have asked the life of so vile a wretch, that had been guilty of such capital crimes, crimes to be abhorred by all men:

what shall I do then with Jesus, which is called Christ?
Surely you would not have me put him to death, and that for no other reason but this, because he is called either by himself or others, Christ, or the Messiah, or the king of the Jews!

they all say unto him, let him be crucified;
which was a Roman punishment, inflicted on the meanest and worst of men; as wicked servants, thieves, robbers, and cut-throats ^F15; and so was not only a torturing and painful death, but a very shameful and ignominious one; yea, an accursed one: in this they all agreed, being instigated to it by the chief priests and elders.

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FOOTNOTES:

F15 Lipsius de Cruce, l. 1. c. 12, 13.

Matthew 27:22 In-Context

20 But the chefe preestes and the elders had parswaded the people that they shulde axe Barrabas and shulde destroye Iesus.

21 Then the debite answered and sayde vnto them: whether of the twayne wyll ye that I let loosse vnto you? And they sayde Barrabas.

22 Pilate sayde vnto them: what shall I do then with Iesus which is called Christ? They all sayde to him: let him be crucified.

23 Then sayde the debite: what evyll hath he done? And they cryed the more sayinge: let him be crucified.

24 When Pilate sawe that he prevayled nothinge but that moare busines was made he toke water and wasshed his hondes before ye people sayinge: I am innocent of the bloud of this iuste person and that ye shall se.