6 Now at the feast every year he let one prisoner go free at their request. 7 And there was one named Barabbas, in prison with those who had gone against the government and in the fight had taken life. 8 And the people went up, requesting him to do as he had done for them in other years. 9 And Pilate said in answer to them, Is it your desire that I let the King of the Jews go free? 10 For he saw that the chief priests had given him up through envy.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Mark 15:6-10
Commentary on Mark 15:1-14
(Read Mark 15:1-14)
They bound Christ. It is good for us often to remember the bonds of the Lord Jesus, as bound with him who was bound for us. By delivering up the King, they, in effect, delivered up the kingdom of God, which was, therefore, as by their own consent, taken from them, and given to another nation. Christ gave Pilate a direct answer, but would not answer the witnesses, because the things they alleged were known to be false, even Pilate himself was convinced they were so. Pilate thought that he might appeal from the priests to the people, and that they would deliver Jesus out of the priests' hands. But they were more and more urged by the priests, and cried, Crucify him! Crucify him! Let us judge of persons and things by their merits, and the standard of God's word, and not by common report. The thought that no one ever was so shamefully treated, as the only perfectly wise, holy, and excellent Person that ever appeared on earth, leads the serious mind to strong views of man's wickedness and enmity to God. Let us more and more abhor the evil dispositions which marked the conduct of these persecutors.