Jesus Brought Before a Ruler on a Balconyby CBPepper
23:6Luke 23:6
When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked whether the man were a Galilæan.
When the accusers charged that Jesus stirred the people by teaching from Galilee to Jerusalem, Pilate seized on the mention of Galilee to ask if He was a Galilean, and on learning He belonged to Herod's jurisdiction sent Him to Herod who was then at Jerusalem. Pilate was already convinced that Jesus was innocent and that the priests had delivered Him up from envy and malice with no guilt proved against Him. He asked in order to rid himself of the trial and escape responsibility and further difficulty, and also to acknowledge Herod's authority and mend their old quarrel, so that the two rulers who had been enemies became friends over the trial. Herod likewise found no fault in Jesus and nothing worthy of death and would not pronounce sentence against Him, but mocked Him and heaped insult upon Him and sent Him back to Pilate. Pressured by the Jewish priests and rulers under the inspiration of Satan, the Roman governor then carried out their will toward condemnation and crucifixion.
Setting and Question
The question belongs to the trial before Pilate in the judgment hall, after Jesus had already been taken to Annas and then to Caiaphas, and it stands in the sequence from Pilate to Herod and back to Pilate. It places Him among earthly tribunals where He was mocked and treated violently, mocked, insulted, and condemned, before being led away to be crucified toward Calvary. That betrayal and condemnation in the judgment hall, with its humiliation and crucifixion, was a most trying test that Jesus foresaw, knowing who among His followers were unbelieving and weak in faith. He deliberately permitted an earlier crisis that sifted out the weak and undecided while He was still present to comfort and strengthen His chosen and prepare them for His betrayal and death. Therefore when the multitude that had hailed Him as king hissed at Him and reviled Him, when the jeering crowd cried Crucify Him, and when professed lovers turned from Him in His trouble, the faithful twelve were not overwhelmed with surprise, did not sink beneath fear and disappointment, and were not carried away by that apostasy, because they had already seen the fickleness of those who once followed Him, remembered that the same turning had occurred before for less reason, and no longer hung their faith upon the opinions of others. From insult to renewed insult, from mockery to mockery, Jesus bore Himself with dignity, failed not, spoke no word but what tended to glorify God, and uttered not one syllable more than was essential.
The question was prompted by the accusers' charge that Jesus stirred up the people by teaching throughout all Jewry beginning from Galilee to Jerusalem. Pilate seized on the mention of Galilee and asked whether Jesus was a Galilean. Pilate had already heard reports of Jesus and His works, and seeing Jesus brought those reports to mind as Pilate sought to learn the charges against Him. Those reports included his wife's account of the Galilean prophet who healed the sick and raised the dead.
The question identifies Jesus as a Galilean by origin, under Herod's jurisdiction as ruler and tetrarch of Galilee. On learning He was a Galilean, Pilate sent Him to Herod, who was then at Jerusalem, as the next judge in the case. That transfer acknowledged Herod's authority, indeed his superior authority, over Galilee.
Motives and Outcome
Pilate was already certain that Jesus was innocent, that no guilt could be proved against Him, and that the priests had delivered Him up from envy, malice and designing purpose even while they pressed their charges more fiercely. He had no thought of condemning Him, though he held power to condemn or to release Him. He seized on the mention of Galilee to ask whether Jesus was a Galilean in order to rid himself of the whole trial, to refuse to decide the case, to spare himself further difficulty and to escape responsibility. He dreaded the ill will of the people.
He also used the transfer to mend his old quarrel with Herod by acknowledging Herod's superior authority over Galilee, and the plan succeeded, for the two rulers who had been enemies became friends over the trial. Learning that Jesus was under Herod's jurisdiction and that Herod was then at Jerusalem, he sent Him to Herod as the next judge. Jesus arrived before Herod amid the crowd's accusations, and Herod ordered the crowd quiet and had Jesus unbound so he could question Him. Herod expected a miracle, but Jesus did not use His power to satisfy curiosity or to defend Himself.
Herod recognized that malice and envy had led the Jewish leaders to condemn an innocent man. He found no fault in Jesus and nothing worthy of death, and would not pronounce sentence against Him. Instead he mocked Him, heaped insult upon Him, and sent Him back to Pilate. From insult to renewed insult and from mockery to mockery Jesus bore Himself with dignity and failed not, speaking no word but what tended to glorify God and uttering not one syllable more than was essential.
Under the inspiration of Satan the Jewish priests and rulers pressed their charges and pressured the Roman governor to carry out their will, leading to Jesus' crucifixion. The humiliation in the judgment hall and the crucifixion toward Calvary was a most trying test that Jesus foresaw, knowing who among His followers were unbelieving and weak in faith. He had deliberately permitted an earlier crisis that sifted out the weak and undecided while He was still present to comfort and strengthen His chosen and to prepare them for His betrayal and death. So when the multitude that had hailed Him as king hissed at Him and reviled Him, when the jeering crowd cried Crucify Him, and when professed lovers turned from Him in His trouble, the faithful twelve were not overwhelmed with surprise, did not sink beneath fear and disappointment, and were not carried away by apostasy. They had already seen the fickleness of those who once followed Him and no longer hung their faith upon the opinions of others.
When the accusers charged that Jesus stirred the people by teaching from Galilee to Jerusalem, Pilate seized on the mention of Galilee to ask if He was a Galilean, and on learning He belonged to Herod's jurisdiction sent Him to Herod who was then at Jerusalem. Pilate was already convinced that Jesus was innocent and that the priests had delivered Him up from envy and malice with no guilt proved against Him. He asked in order to rid himself of the trial and escape responsibility and further difficulty, and also to acknowledge Herod's authority and mend their old quarrel, so that the two rulers who had been enemies became friends over the trial. Herod likewise found no fault in Jesus and nothing worthy of death and would not pronounce sentence against Him, but mocked Him and heaped insult upon Him and sent Him back to Pilate. Pressured by the Jewish priests and rulers under the inspiration of Satan, the Roman governor then carried out their will toward condemnation and crucifixion.
Setting and Question
The question belongs to the trial before Pilate in the judgment hall, after Jesus had already been taken to Annas and then to Caiaphas, and it stands in the sequence from Pilate to Herod and back to Pilate. It places Him among earthly tribunals where He was mocked and treated violently, mocked, insulted, and condemned, before being led away to be crucified toward Calvary. That betrayal and condemnation in the judgment hall, with its humiliation and crucifixion, was a most trying test that Jesus foresaw, knowing who among His followers were unbelieving and weak in faith. He deliberately permitted an earlier crisis that sifted out the weak and undecided while He was still present to comfort and strengthen His chosen and prepare them for His betrayal and death. Therefore when the multitude that had hailed Him as king hissed at Him and reviled Him, when the jeering crowd cried Crucify Him, and when professed lovers turned from Him in His trouble, the faithful twelve were not overwhelmed with surprise, did not sink beneath fear and disappointment, and were not carried away by that apostasy, because they had already seen the fickleness of those who once followed Him, remembered that the same turning had occurred before for less reason, and no longer hung their faith upon the opinions of others. From insult to renewed insult, from mockery to mockery, Jesus bore Himself with dignity, failed not, spoke no word but what tended to glorify God, and uttered not one syllable more than was essential.
The question was prompted by the accusers' charge that Jesus stirred up the people by teaching throughout all Jewry beginning from Galilee to Jerusalem. Pilate seized on the mention of Galilee and asked whether Jesus was a Galilean. Pilate had already heard reports of Jesus and His works, and seeing Jesus brought those reports to mind as Pilate sought to learn the charges against Him. Those reports included his wife's account of the Galilean prophet who healed the sick and raised the dead.
The question identifies Jesus as a Galilean by origin, under Herod's jurisdiction as ruler and tetrarch of Galilee. On learning He was a Galilean, Pilate sent Him to Herod, who was then at Jerusalem, as the next judge in the case. That transfer acknowledged Herod's authority, indeed his superior authority, over Galilee.
Motives and Outcome
Pilate was already certain that Jesus was innocent, that no guilt could be proved against Him, and that the priests had delivered Him up from envy, malice and designing purpose even while they pressed their charges more fiercely. He had no thought of condemning Him, though he held power to condemn or to release Him. He seized on the mention of Galilee to ask whether Jesus was a Galilean in order to rid himself of the whole trial, to refuse to decide the case, to spare himself further difficulty and to escape responsibility. He dreaded the ill will of the people.
He also used the transfer to mend his old quarrel with Herod by acknowledging Herod's superior authority over Galilee, and the plan succeeded, for the two rulers who had been enemies became friends over the trial. Learning that Jesus was under Herod's jurisdiction and that Herod was then at Jerusalem, he sent Him to Herod as the next judge. Jesus arrived before Herod amid the crowd's accusations, and Herod ordered the crowd quiet and had Jesus unbound so he could question Him. Herod expected a miracle, but Jesus did not use His power to satisfy curiosity or to defend Himself.
Herod recognized that malice and envy had led the Jewish leaders to condemn an innocent man. He found no fault in Jesus and nothing worthy of death, and would not pronounce sentence against Him. Instead he mocked Him, heaped insult upon Him, and sent Him back to Pilate. From insult to renewed insult and from mockery to mockery Jesus bore Himself with dignity and failed not, speaking no word but what tended to glorify God and uttering not one syllable more than was essential.
Under the inspiration of Satan the Jewish priests and rulers pressed their charges and pressured the Roman governor to carry out their will, leading to Jesus' crucifixion. The humiliation in the judgment hall and the crucifixion toward Calvary was a most trying test that Jesus foresaw, knowing who among His followers were unbelieving and weak in faith. He had deliberately permitted an earlier crisis that sifted out the weak and undecided while He was still present to comfort and strengthen His chosen and to prepare them for His betrayal and death. So when the multitude that had hailed Him as king hissed at Him and reviled Him, when the jeering crowd cried Crucify Him, and when professed lovers turned from Him in His trouble, the faithful twelve were not overwhelmed with surprise, did not sink beneath fear and disappointment, and were not carried away by apostasy. They had already seen the fickleness of those who once followed Him and no longer hung their faith upon the opinions of others.