A glorious plot twist

Every story ever told can be broken down into three parts:  The beginning; the middle; and the plot twist.  --RL Stine

According to the literary site ReedsyBlog (blog.reedsy.com), "A plot twist is a story development that readers do not expect in which either something shocking happens or something shocking is revealed.  Generally, the storyteller will set up expectations and then 'twist' those expectations by revealing new information through subsequent plot points.  The criteria for a plot twist tends to be made up of the following:  It must be narratively sound, it must be unexpected, and it might be foreshadowed.  To no one's surprise, plot twists are particularly prevalent in mysteries, thrillers, and suspense fiction.  However, the twist takes no prisoners and has reared its head in almost every genre out there." 

At certain points in history, we see those "plot twists" in the historical narrative that might give you whiplash if you lived through it, but that in hindsight we know to be true.  In the same way, the Gospel story as told in Mark 15 takes on a few plot twists of its own.  Here is the beginning of the story.

And as soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council.  And they bound Jesus and led Him away and delivered Him over to Pilate.  And Pilate asked Him, "Are you the king of the Jews?"  And He answered him, "You have said so."  And the chief priests accused Him of many things.  And Pilate again asked Him, "Have you no answer to make?  See how many charges they bring against you."  But Jesus made no further answer, so that Pilate was amazed.  (Mark 15:1-5)

Think of a Venn Diagram with two overlapping circles.  The first circle represents the Jews, with their religious beliefs, their ethical laws, and their expectations.  The second circle represents Pilate and the Romans, with their pagan beliefs, their Law and Order, and their own expectations.  In this narrative, Jesus is in the space where these two circles intersect.

The Jews, especially the Jewish leaders, arrested Jesus and accused Him of claiming to be God.  They did not have legal authority under Roman rule to execute anyone, so they brought Him to Pilate for sentencing.  At the consultation with Pilate, they changed the charge from blasphemy (claiming to be God) to treason (claiming to be King of the Jews), knowing that Pilate would not care about their religious laws but would be bound to prosecute a purveyor of a political uprising.

Pilate was no friend of the Jews.  He was bound to look at the accusations from a group of Jewish zealots with some suspicion.  History tells us that Pilate simply didn't like the Jews, and that he believed they were a stubborn and rebellious people.  For this reason, whenever they brought him a prisoner for execution he immediately expected that there was a hidden agenda at work.  Nevertheless, he was bound to give Jesus a hearing, and to make it appear fair and reasonable.  He heard the accusations of the Jewish leaders, and then asked Jesus to make a defense. "Are you the King of the Jews?"  Jesus' answer was passive yet positive.  "You have said it."  Pilate expected the prisoner to beg for his life, and was amazed that there was not a more passionate or vigorous defense.

Let's now look at the middle of our narrative.

Now at the feast he (Pilate) used to release for them one prisoner for whom they asked.  And among the rebels in prison, who had committed murder in the insurrection, there was a man called Barabbas.  And the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do as he usually did for them.  And he answered them, saying, "Do you want for me to release for you the King of the Jews?"  For he perceived that it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered Him up.  --Mark 15:5-10

The Jewish leaders, the chief priests, Scribes and Pharisees, did indeed see Jesus as a threat to their authority in things both spiritual and political, insofar as their sphere of influence was in jeopardy.  They had put their best case forward to Pilate, making a convincing case that Jesus should be executed.

Pilate, on the other hand, saw that they were jealous of Jesus.  He decided to put them to the test.  It was the season of clemency, and Pilate found a true insurrectionist in the Roman prison, one called Barabbas.  Perhaps to gauge the support that Jesus had among the Jewish people, that is to see how many of them might follow Jesus as their king, he offered to set Jesus free.  If they truly though of Him as their King, then there may be something to the charges brought against Him by the Jews, and Rome would release Him and then keep an eye on Him.  The other choice Pilate gave them was a true criminal, a murderer and insurrectionist who would most certainly be arrested again if set free.  Ironically, the man was called Barabbas, meaning "Son of his father".  Jesus had called Himself the Son of the Father (God).

Here comes the plot twist in our story.

But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release for them Barabbas instead.  And Pilate again said to them, "Then what shall I do with the man you call the King of the Jews?" And they cried out again, "Crucify Him."  And Pilate said to them, "Why? What evil has He done?"  But they shouted all the more, "Crucify Him."  So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified.  --Mark 15:10-15

The Jewish leaders had expected Jesus to be convicted and executed on the charges they brought against Him.  They did not expect for Barabbas to be a part of the bargain.  Their eyes were so blinded by evil and their hatred of Jesus that they were willing to swallow this bitter pill, the parole of an evil lawbreaker, just to make sure that Jesus was killed.

Pilate had expected the crowd to come to Jesus' aid, to have Him released rather than the convicted criminal called Barabbas.  I don't believe he woke up that morning knowing he would have to quell a near riot over this One with the reputation of peace and healing and forgiveness.

I also don't expect that the man known as Barabbas had any expectation that the One known as the Son of Man would die in his place, yet that is exactly what happened.  Pilate was not the only one amazed at this turn of events, for no one could be as surprised as Barabbas.  He was accused; he was convicted; he was forgiven, and saw Jesus take on the punishment that he himself deserved.

It is the same with you and me.  Yes, all of us, dear friends and readers, stand accused; we stand guilty; we deserve death and eternal separation from God.  But we can look up the One who knew no sin, who became Sin for us and sacrificed Himself for our sin, to be our Savior and Redeemer, the One who took our place.

That, my friend, is a glorious plot twist.