(28) “THEY led Jesus therefore from Caiaphas into the Prætorium; and it was early; and they themselves entered not into the Prætorium, that they might not be defiled, but might eat the Passover. (29) Pilate therefore went out unto them, and saith, What accusation bring ye against this Man? (30) They answered and said unto him, If this Man were not an evil-doer, we should not have delivered Him up unto thee. (31) Pilate therefore said unto them, Take Him yourselves, and judge Him according to your law. The Jews said unto him, It is not lawful for us to put any man to death; (32) that the word of Jesus might be fulfilled, which He spake, signifying by what manner of death He should die.
(33) “Pilate therefore entered again into the Prætorium, and called Jesus, and said unto Him, Art Thou the King of the Jews? (34) Jesus answered, Sayest thou this of thyself, or did others tell it thee concerning Me? (35) Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests delivered Thee unto me; what hast Thou done? (36) Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world; if My kingdom were of this world, then would My servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now is My kingdom not from hence. (37) Pilate therefore said unto Him, Art Thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end have I been born, and to this end am I come into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth My voice. (38) Pilate saith unto Him, What is truth?
“And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find no crime in Him. (39) But ye have a custom, that I should release unto you one at the Passover; will ye therefore that I release unto you the King of the Jews? (40) They cried out therefore again, saying, Not this man, but Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber.”
Golden Text.—“Every one that is of the truth heareth My voice.” Verse 37.
SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS.
(1) After Jesus was condemned by the Jewish council, where was He taken? What time of day was it? Why did not His accusers go into the palace of the governor? Verse 28. Note 1. (2) What concession did Pilate make to their tradition? Verse 29. Note 2. (3) How did the priests answer the governor? Verse 30. Note 3. (4) What then did Pilate tell them to do? What reply did the Jews make to this decision? Verse 31. Note 4. (5) What word of Jesus was fulfilled in this reply? Verse 32. Note 5. (6) What then did Pilate do? And what pointed question did he ask Jesus? Verse 33. (7) How did Jesus answer the governor's question? Verse 34. Note 6. (8) What reply did Pilate then make? Verse 35. Note 7. (9) What then did Jesus say of His kingdom? How does it differ from the kingdoms of this world? Verse 36. Note 8. (10) What further question did Pilate then ask? How did Jesus answer this question? Verse 37. (11) What question did this arouse in Pilate's mind? What verdict did he then render to the accusers of Jesus? Verse 38. Note 9. (12) To what custom did the governor then refer? And what did he propose to the people? Verse 39. Note 10. (13) What answer did the people give? Verse 40; Mark 15: 11-14. Note 11.
NOTES.
1. “That they might eat the Passover” does not necessarily mean the eating of the paschal lamb; but may refer to the whole Passover week, which was a festal season. During the entire week everything containing leaven was to be rigidly excluded from Jewish dwellings; and it was a Jewish tradition (not the law of God) that if a Jew entered into a Gentile house during that week he would be defiled, and therefore could not eat with his family until cleansed.
2. Pilate catered to their tradition by going out to see what the accusers of Jesus had to say against Him. This was his first weak step in the transaction.
3. The Jewish counselors assumed that their judgment was infallible and not to be questioned; and that all Pilate needed to do was to issue the death warrant.
4. The Jews had to admit that they wanted to go beyond what their position warranted. If Jesus was guilty of a crime which they could not adequately punish, they had exceeded their authority in presuming to try Him at all.
5. “The saying of Jesus” about His death is recorded in Matt. 20: 18, 19: “Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn Him to death, and shall deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify Him; and the third day He shall rise again.” See also Mark 10: 33, 34; Luke 18: 31-33.
6. “Sayest thou this of thyself?” When Pilate asked the question, “Art Thou the King of the Jews?” Jesus would have him commit himself definitely, whether it was merely the accusations of the Jews or a desire to learn of Him, that prompted the question.
7. Pilate's pride overcame his rising conviction, and he suddenly assumed an air of disinterest in the matter. The Spirit that strove to convict him was rejected, and his opportunity was gone. God has given this warning to every one, “My Spirit shall not always strive with man.”
8. In spite of Christ's words, “My kingdom is not of this world,” many enthusiastic people are to-day clamoring to have Christ formally recognized as king of this world's governments. But it never can be anything else than a formality. He evaded a temporal crown when on earth. See John 6: 14, 15.
9. “What is truth?” The Scriptures answer this query: “Thy law is the truth.” “All Thy commandments are truth.” Ps. 119: 142, 151. And Jesus Himself testified, “Thy Word is truth” (John 17: 17), and of Himself he says, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” Chapter 14: 6.
10. Pilate still hoped to release Jesus, for he had no sympathy with the Jews, knowing that “the chief priests had delivered Him for envy.” Mark 15: 10. He was willing to release Jesus (Luke 23: 20), but, notwithstanding his boast to Jesus that he had power to release Him (John 19: 10), he had compromised with the enemies of Christ until he was powerless before them.
11. Barabbas was not only a robber, but a murderer as well (Luke 23: 19); but in his insurrection against the government, he evidently had sympathizers among the leading Jews. So they had a double purpose in calling for his release. Therefore Pilate's judgment was so warped that, in putting up one for release whom he thought the people would least of all desire to have released, he unwittingly set up the man with whom there was influential sympathy.
