Criss-Cross Gospel

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Interesting play on words:

Οἱ δὲ á¼€Ï�χιεÏ�εῖς καὶ οἱ Ï€Ï�εσβÏ�τεÏ�οι ἔπεισαν τοὺς ὄχλους ἵνα αἰτήσωνται τὸν ΒαÏ�αββᾶν τὸν δὲ Ἰησοῦν ἀπολέσωσιν. 21 ἀποκÏ�ιθεὶς δὲ á½� ἡγεμὼν εἶπεν αá½�τοῖς· Τίνα θέλετε ἀπὸ τῶν δÏ�ο ἀπολÏ�σω ὑμῖν; οἱ δὲ εἶπαν· Τὸν ΒαÏ�αββᾶν. (Matt. 27:20-21)

Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. 21 The governor again said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” 

The crowd requests to destroy (ἀπόλλυμι) Jesus and release (ἀπολ�ω) Barabbas. Both verbs are in the aorist subjunctive. It's totally twisted and backwards.

It's reinforced by a previous play on words earlier in the text, assuming the textual variant is original:

συνηγμένων οὖν αá½�τῶν εἶπεν αá½�τοῖς á½� Πιλᾶτος· Τίνα θέλετε ἀπολÏ�σω ὑμῖν, Ἰησοῦν τὸν ΒαÏ�αββᾶν á¼¢ Ἰησοῦν τὸν λεγόμενον χÏ�ιστόν; (v. 17)

Therefore, when they had gathered together Pilate said to them, “Which do you want me to release to you? [Jesus] Barabbas or Jesus the one called Christ?” 

Which Jesus will be destroyed, and which Jesus will be released? Of course, the crowd gets it backwards, but so does the Gospel. The Gospel is like Jacob crossing his arms when he blesses Joseph's sons.