The question has to be asked, “Why did the mob demand the death of Jesus?” After all, during the preceding days, the people of Jerusalem had been coming in their hundreds, and perhaps even thousands, to hear his teaching. A few days ago, they had hailed Jesus as their king, and now they called for his execution.
What could have caused this change? The Chief Priests had rounded them up to influence Pilate so that he might condemn Jesus. This is the fickle mob, which always finds it easier to do the bidding of its leaders than to do what is right based on principle. These are the majority, who do the bidding of their political and religious leaders and who always vote along religious or party lines. And so the mob demands the death of Jesus.
Pilate is desperately searching to find a way to release Jesus because he knows that he is innocent. So, Pilate tries to argue with the crowd. But the mob is unreasoning, and the more that Pilate insists that Jesus is innocent, the more that they scream for his blood.
“They” shouted, “Crucify him!” We live under the tyranny of “they” – the tyranny of the crowd. “They” shout into our lives in a million different ways. “They” each have their own reasons for why they choose to crucify Jesus in the way they think, the way they live, and the way they treat others. Stop and take stock of your life. In what ways do you follow the mob?