Each of these nine choruses are rather long and drawn-out, and possess the potential to stand as separate works, however Bach manages to link these separate entities into one cohesive work through the use of a narrative given by the Evangelist. The Evangelist ties these choruses together while at the same time giving minimal lyrical commentary which is deemed an asset of the work. Bach however does use meditative repose late in the work to ease the tension created throughout this tense scene.
As Bach proceeds through the second scene, he is seen to have used the same musical material for two different choruses. The musical material presented in "Wir haben ein Gesetz" (We have a law, No. 38), returns in the later chorus "Läßest du diesen los" (If you let this Man go, No. 42). Bach also quotes his other earlier works which also provide some material for this Passion. It is questionable as to why Bach repeated and borrowed this particular music, however the three most likely hypotheses are; first, he may have repeated the music with different text at a different pitch to provide a sense of unity to the entire work. A returning melody would aid the listener in comprehending the work as a whole. The second hypothesis is that Bach simply wanted to cut down on the quantity of original composition put into this work. Original composition was very time consuming and few people could actively identify any borrowed material from other works, in this way he could cut down on the creative work needed to produce the work. And thirdly, Bach did have deadlines for his compositions. In this case Bach wanted the St. John Passion completed in time for his tenure of office in Leipzig, so he may have run out of time to compose new material for these later choruses.
Bach still had difficulties with the solo vs. choral balance in the final scene of the Passion. The Crucifixion has an abundance of material for soloists, but is lacking in quantity for chorus. Bach in his attempt to maintain balance was forced to exaggerate and extend the inconsequential dialogue of the soldiers and peasants into entire choruses while speeding through the more important solo lines.
Despite the difficulties that Bach faced in trying to force the text of the Gospel into an oratorio style musical work with alternating choruses and solo sections, the contrast that Bach created between the anger of the crowds and the peacefulness and tranquility of Christ is seen as an important strength of the work.