Then said Pilate to the chief priests and to the people, I find no fault in this man.
After examining the accusations Pilate found no evidence to support the charges and no valid basis for condemnation, being convinced Jesus was innocent and had been handed over out of envy. He publicly proclaimed to the chief priests and the people that he found no fault in Him, a declaration even by a heathen Roman magistrate that stands as proof the charges were false. The verdict testifies to His blameless, sinless humanity, against whom His enemies had no just cause because He had spent His life doing good. Although he three times declared Him without fault, Pilate compromised with wrong and handed Him over to be scourged and crucified to please the Jews. His innocent suffering, witnessed by the heavenly universe, was His bearing the penalty in behalf of the human race so that the law might be honored and all who believe might be saved.
Pilate's Examination and Verdict
After examining the accusations of blasphemy and sedition, Pilate found no evidence to support the charges and no valid basis for condemnation. The witnesses contradicted one another so that their testimony was worthless. His appearance bore no sign of guilt, and Pilate refused to condemn Him without a charge that could be brought and proved. He was convinced Jesus was not guilty, but that the priests had handed Him over out of envy and were plotting to destroy an innocent man. Jesus' calm silence under false charges and abuse strengthened that conviction.
Pilate publicly proclaimed to the chief priests and the people that he found no fault in Jesus. That public declaration by even a non-Jewish Roman magistrate stands as evidence that the charges were false. The declaration frustrated, enraged and disappointed the leaders, who feared their effort to secure execution would fail and faced His possible release. They did not stop but accused Him of stirring up the people through His teaching. They lost reason and self-control, cursed Him, loudly censured Pilate, and threatened him with Roman vengeance if he refused to condemn one they claimed had set Himself against Caesar.
Pilate sent Jesus to Herod because Galilee was under Herod's jurisdiction, also hoping to avoid responsibility and to repair their quarrel. Herod also found nothing worthy of death. Yet Pilate and Herod were made friends by the act of crucifying Him. Although he had three times declared Jesus without fault, Pilate compromised with wrong and handed Him over to be scourged and crucified. He did this to please the Jews and to make their enmity effective.
His offer to chastise and release Jesus contradicted his own finding, for punishment of an innocent man was wrong. His weakness allowed the accusers to press their advantage until Jesus was condemned. The trial became a mockery of justice exposing oppression and rejection of truth, even though the sentence was pronounced that He should be crucified while found not at fault.
Testimony to Christ's Innocence
Pilate, a non-Jewish Roman magistrate, publicly declared Jesus innocent, and that declaration stands forever as inspired proof to the world of the treachery, baseness and falsehood of the charges against Him. Even a heathen magistrate pronounced Him innocent, exposing accusations brought through entrapment and hired witnesses as deceitful and worthless. That finding enraged and disappointed the priests and elders who had labored to secure His death and now faced His possible release, so that they lost reason and self-control, cursed Him, acted like demons, loudly censured Pilate, and threatened him with Roman vengeance if he refused to condemn one they claimed had set Himself against Caesar. Pilate repeated the finding three times but still surrendered Christ to the mob instead of protecting Him, making the trial a mockery of justice and exposing the rulers' oppression and rejection of truth.
The finding that Jesus was without fault is echoed in Judas's confession that he had betrayed innocent blood and that Jesus was innocent of crime. That testimony exposed that the priests had bribed Judas to deliver Jesus to them, but the high priest dismissed Judas and urged the people not to release Jesus. The verse testifies to Christ's blameless, perfect humanity as Lord of life and glory, who had spent His life doing good for the people. His sinless character and teachings gave His enemies no just cause for accusation, yet He was crucified to satisfy Jewish malice and to make their enmity effective. Their hostility was driven by His reproof and purity, because the principles He presented did not coincide with their ideas and ambitious aims, for He condemned all guile, all underhanded scheming for supremacy, and every unholy practice.
The condemned thief had heard in the hall the judgment that Jesus was a just man, and seeing His Godlike conduct and pitying forgiveness, acknowledged Him as the Son of God. The trial in the judgment hall was a mock trial in which the accusers found nothing by which He could be proved guilty, yet although Pilate three times declared Him without fault he ordered Him scourged and delivered Him up to suffer the most cruel death that could be devised. The scenes of betrayal, trial, scourging and crucifixion were witnessed by the heavenly universe, God the Father, Satan and his angels. Christ's innocent suffering was His bearing the penalty in behalf of the human race in order that the heavenly universe might see the conditions of the covenant of redemption, so that all doubts would be forever settled, every mouth among unfallen worlds, the heavenly universe, Satanic agencies and the fallen race would be stopped, the throne of justice would be eternally secured, honor would be restored to God's government, the law would be exalted and honored as unchangeable and could not in any way be changed to meet man in his sinful condition, and the human race would be saved if they would return to allegiance.
Christ foresaw beforehand this humiliation as part of taking the guilt of every sinner, seeing Himself in the hands of men moved by demons, betrayed by a professed disciple, denied by Peter, rejected, condemned though innocent, mocked and scourged while enduring the contradiction of sinners against Himself. He took it as part of bearing the guilt of every sinner and gave His life for the world so that all who believe in Him would not perish. He remained sinless and faithful to His Father through suffering and death, thereby proving false Satan's claim that God's law could not be kept and exposing the falsehood of Satan's charges against God. Although declared faultless, He was with cruel injustice handed over to the crowd to please the Jews and crucified.
Example and Contrast for Believers
Luke 23:4 is Pilate's public declaration that he found no fault in Jesus and knew Him to be an innocent man. Yet he went on to do Him injustice and failed to protect an innocent man from it. In this he stands opposite to Gallio, who would not be made the dupe of the Jews and refused to do injustice to Paul when he knew Paul was innocent.
The verse shows Jesus utterly helpless under the Jewish priests and rulers forcing even the Roman governor to work their will, opposed even on the cross. Yet in that helplessness He trusted the word of God and withstood the power of the whole world. His stand is an example of saving faith as confiding trust by which, through the grace of Christ, the soul becomes a conquering power. Pilate declared Him innocent after He had been judged, even as the people demanded His crucifixion. His innocence did not protect Him from persecution because His tormentors were controlled by evil, and His suffering is an example for those who may also face persecution.
The verse belongs to the great trial of His betrayal and death, when He was betrayed and condemned in the judgment hall, humiliated, hissed at and reviled by the multitude that had hailed Him as king, while the cruel jeering crowd cried for Him to be crucified. He knew beforehand this ordeal of betrayal, agony in Gethsemane, and crucifixion, with its fear and disappointment and grief and horror and ruin of fondest hopes. He brought on an earlier testing while still present to comfort and strengthen His chosen, so the faithful would not be overwhelmed with surprise at the insult to their Master and would be prepared for His betrayal and death. In that preparation they were taught not to hang faith on the inconstant favor of the world and the opinions of others, not to sink beneath fear, and not to be carried away by faint-hearted apostasy in the hour of His trouble.
After examining the accusations Pilate found no evidence to support the charges and no valid basis for condemnation, being convinced Jesus was innocent and had been handed over out of envy. He publicly proclaimed to the chief priests and the people that he found no fault in Him, a declaration even by a heathen Roman magistrate that stands as proof the charges were false. The verdict testifies to His blameless, sinless humanity, against whom His enemies had no just cause because He had spent His life doing good. Although he three times declared Him without fault, Pilate compromised with wrong and handed Him over to be scourged and crucified to please the Jews. His innocent suffering, witnessed by the heavenly universe, was His bearing the penalty in behalf of the human race so that the law might be honored and all who believe might be saved.
Pilate's Examination and Verdict
After examining the accusations of blasphemy and sedition, Pilate found no evidence to support the charges and no valid basis for condemnation. The witnesses contradicted one another so that their testimony was worthless. His appearance bore no sign of guilt, and Pilate refused to condemn Him without a charge that could be brought and proved. He was convinced Jesus was not guilty, but that the priests had handed Him over out of envy and were plotting to destroy an innocent man. Jesus' calm silence under false charges and abuse strengthened that conviction.
Pilate publicly proclaimed to the chief priests and the people that he found no fault in Jesus. That public declaration by even a non-Jewish Roman magistrate stands as evidence that the charges were false. The declaration frustrated, enraged and disappointed the leaders, who feared their effort to secure execution would fail and faced His possible release. They did not stop but accused Him of stirring up the people through His teaching. They lost reason and self-control, cursed Him, loudly censured Pilate, and threatened him with Roman vengeance if he refused to condemn one they claimed had set Himself against Caesar.
Pilate sent Jesus to Herod because Galilee was under Herod's jurisdiction, also hoping to avoid responsibility and to repair their quarrel. Herod also found nothing worthy of death. Yet Pilate and Herod were made friends by the act of crucifying Him. Although he had three times declared Jesus without fault, Pilate compromised with wrong and handed Him over to be scourged and crucified. He did this to please the Jews and to make their enmity effective.
His offer to chastise and release Jesus contradicted his own finding, for punishment of an innocent man was wrong. His weakness allowed the accusers to press their advantage until Jesus was condemned. The trial became a mockery of justice exposing oppression and rejection of truth, even though the sentence was pronounced that He should be crucified while found not at fault.
Testimony to Christ's Innocence
Pilate, a non-Jewish Roman magistrate, publicly declared Jesus innocent, and that declaration stands forever as inspired proof to the world of the treachery, baseness and falsehood of the charges against Him. Even a heathen magistrate pronounced Him innocent, exposing accusations brought through entrapment and hired witnesses as deceitful and worthless. That finding enraged and disappointed the priests and elders who had labored to secure His death and now faced His possible release, so that they lost reason and self-control, cursed Him, acted like demons, loudly censured Pilate, and threatened him with Roman vengeance if he refused to condemn one they claimed had set Himself against Caesar. Pilate repeated the finding three times but still surrendered Christ to the mob instead of protecting Him, making the trial a mockery of justice and exposing the rulers' oppression and rejection of truth.
The finding that Jesus was without fault is echoed in Judas's confession that he had betrayed innocent blood and that Jesus was innocent of crime. That testimony exposed that the priests had bribed Judas to deliver Jesus to them, but the high priest dismissed Judas and urged the people not to release Jesus. The verse testifies to Christ's blameless, perfect humanity as Lord of life and glory, who had spent His life doing good for the people. His sinless character and teachings gave His enemies no just cause for accusation, yet He was crucified to satisfy Jewish malice and to make their enmity effective. Their hostility was driven by His reproof and purity, because the principles He presented did not coincide with their ideas and ambitious aims, for He condemned all guile, all underhanded scheming for supremacy, and every unholy practice.
The condemned thief had heard in the hall the judgment that Jesus was a just man, and seeing His Godlike conduct and pitying forgiveness, acknowledged Him as the Son of God. The trial in the judgment hall was a mock trial in which the accusers found nothing by which He could be proved guilty, yet although Pilate three times declared Him without fault he ordered Him scourged and delivered Him up to suffer the most cruel death that could be devised. The scenes of betrayal, trial, scourging and crucifixion were witnessed by the heavenly universe, God the Father, Satan and his angels. Christ's innocent suffering was His bearing the penalty in behalf of the human race in order that the heavenly universe might see the conditions of the covenant of redemption, so that all doubts would be forever settled, every mouth among unfallen worlds, the heavenly universe, Satanic agencies and the fallen race would be stopped, the throne of justice would be eternally secured, honor would be restored to God's government, the law would be exalted and honored as unchangeable and could not in any way be changed to meet man in his sinful condition, and the human race would be saved if they would return to allegiance.
Christ foresaw beforehand this humiliation as part of taking the guilt of every sinner, seeing Himself in the hands of men moved by demons, betrayed by a professed disciple, denied by Peter, rejected, condemned though innocent, mocked and scourged while enduring the contradiction of sinners against Himself. He took it as part of bearing the guilt of every sinner and gave His life for the world so that all who believe in Him would not perish. He remained sinless and faithful to His Father through suffering and death, thereby proving false Satan's claim that God's law could not be kept and exposing the falsehood of Satan's charges against God. Although declared faultless, He was with cruel injustice handed over to the crowd to please the Jews and crucified.
Example and Contrast for Believers
Luke 23:4 is Pilate's public declaration that he found no fault in Jesus and knew Him to be an innocent man. Yet he went on to do Him injustice and failed to protect an innocent man from it. In this he stands opposite to Gallio, who would not be made the dupe of the Jews and refused to do injustice to Paul when he knew Paul was innocent.
The verse shows Jesus utterly helpless under the Jewish priests and rulers forcing even the Roman governor to work their will, opposed even on the cross. Yet in that helplessness He trusted the word of God and withstood the power of the whole world. His stand is an example of saving faith as confiding trust by which, through the grace of Christ, the soul becomes a conquering power. Pilate declared Him innocent after He had been judged, even as the people demanded His crucifixion. His innocence did not protect Him from persecution because His tormentors were controlled by evil, and His suffering is an example for those who may also face persecution.
The verse belongs to the great trial of His betrayal and death, when He was betrayed and condemned in the judgment hall, humiliated, hissed at and reviled by the multitude that had hailed Him as king, while the cruel jeering crowd cried for Him to be crucified. He knew beforehand this ordeal of betrayal, agony in Gethsemane, and crucifixion, with its fear and disappointment and grief and horror and ruin of fondest hopes. He brought on an earlier testing while still present to comfort and strengthen His chosen, so the faithful would not be overwhelmed with surprise at the insult to their Master and would be prepared for His betrayal and death. In that preparation they were taught not to hang faith on the inconstant favor of the world and the opinions of others, not to sink beneath fear, and not to be carried away by faint-hearted apostasy in the hour of His trouble.