BibleTrack Bible Commentary

• Jesus continues to be subjected to a series of illegal trials.
• These trials take place in Jerusalem throughout the night on Nisan 14, the passover day.

2 And when they had bound Him, they led Him away and delivered Him to Pontius Pilate the governor.

1 Immediately, in the morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council; and they bound Jesus, led Him away, and delivered Him to Pilate.

1 Then the whole multitude of them arose and led Him to Pilate.

28 ¶ Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium, and it was early morning. But they themselves did not go into the Praetorium, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover.

Matthew goes forward through his genealogical account and Luke goes backward through his. Luke goes all the way back to Adam with his, but Matthew seems satisfied to simply show the Jewish ancestry of Jesus back to Abraham. Matthew lists the legal line of descent, probably to demonstrate the validity of the Messiahship of Jesus. Luke, on the other hand, lists the actual physical ancestry of Jesus in great detail. Both genealogies make a path from Abraham to Jesus, but Luke’s list completely departs from that of Matthew after David. The records converge for only two generations between David and Joseph. I’ve provided a chart taken from both Gospel accounts.

Pilate, Pontius: probably connected with the Roman family of the Pontii, and called “Pilate” from the Latin pileatus, i.e., “wearing the pileus”, which was the “cap or badge of a manumitted slave,” as indicating that he was a “freedman,” or the descendant of one. He was the sixth in the order of the Roman procurators of Judea (A.D. 26-36). His headquarters were at Caesarea, but he frequently went up to Jerusalem. His reign extended over the period of the ministry of John the Baptist and of Jesus Christ, in connection with whose trial his name comes into prominent notice. Pilate was a “typical Roman, not of the antique, simple stamp, but of the imperial period, a man not without some remains of the ancient Roman justice in his soul, yet pleasure-loving, imperious, and corrupt. He hated the Jews whom he ruled, and in times of irritation freely shed their blood. They returned his hatred with cordiality, and accused him of every crime, maladministration, cruelty, and robbery. He visited Jerusalem as seldom as possible; for, indeed, to one accustomed to the pleasures of Rome, with its theatres, baths, games, and gay society, Jerusalem, with its religiousness and ever-smouldering revolt, was a dreary residence. When he did visit it he stayed in the palace of Herod the Great, it being common for the officers sent by Rome into conquered countries to occupy the palaces of the displaced sovereigns.”

After his trial before the Sanhedrin, Jesus was brought to the Roman procurator, Pilate, who had come up to Jerusalem as usual to preserve order during the Passover, and was now residing, perhaps, in the castle of Antonia, or it may be in Herod’s palace. Pilate came forth from his palace and met the deputation from the Sanhedrin, who, in answer to his inquiry as to the nature of the accusation they had to prefer against Jesus, accused him of being a “malefactor.” Pilate was not satisfied with this, and they further accused him (1) of sedition, (2) preventing the payment of the tribute to Caesar, and (3) of assuming the title of king (Luke 23:2). Pilate now withdrew with Jesus into the palace (John 18:33) and examined him in private (37,38); and then going out to the deputation still standing before the gate, he declared that he could find no fault in Jesus (Luke 23:4). This only aroused them to more furious clamour, and they cried that he excited the populace “throughout all Jewry, beginning from Galilee.” When Pilate heard of Galilee, he sent the accused to Herod Antipas, who had jurisdiction over that province, thus hoping to escape the difficulty in which he found himself. But Herod, with his men of war, set Jesus at nought, and sent him back again to Pilate, clad in a purple robe of mockery (23:11, 12).

Pilate now proposed that as he and Herod had found no fault in him, they should release Jesus; and anticipating that they would consent to this proposal, he ascended the judgment-seat as if ready to ratify the decision (Matt. 27:19). But at this moment his wife (Claudia Procula) sent a message to him imploring him to have nothing to do with the “just person.” Pilate’s feelings of perplexity and awe were deepened by this incident, while the crowd vehemently cried out, “Not this man, but Barabbas.” Pilate answered, “What then shall I do with Jesus?” The fierce cry immediately followed. “Let him be crucified.” Pilate, apparently vexed, and not knowning what to do, said, “Why, what evil hath he done?” but with yet fiercer fanaticism the crowd yelled out, “Away with him! crucify him, crucify him!” Pilate yielded, and sent Jesus away to be scourged. This scourging was usually inflicted by lictors; but as Pilate was only a procurator he had no lictor, and hence his soldiers inflicted this terrible punishment. This done, the soldiers began to deride the sufferer, and they threw around him a purple robe, probably some old cast-off robe of state (Matt. 27:28; John 19:2), and putting a reed in his right hand, and a crowd of thorns on his head, bowed the knee before him in mockery, and saluted him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” They took also the reed and smote him with it on the head and face, and spat in his face, heaping upon him every indignity.

Pilate then led forth Jesus from within the Praetorium (Matt. 27:27) before the people, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, saying, “Behold the man!” But the sight of Jesus, now scourged and crowned and bleeding, only stirred their hatred the more, and again they cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him!” and brought forth this additional charge against him, that he professed to be “the Son of God.” Pilate heard this accusation with a superstitious awe, and taking him once more within the Praetorium, asked him, “Whence art thou?” Jesus gave him no answer. Pilate was irritated by his continued silence, and said, “Knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee?” Jesus, with calm dignity, answered the Roman, “Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above.”

After this Pilate seemed more resolved than ever to let Jesus go. The crowd perceiving this cried out, “If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar’s friend.” This settled the matter. He was afraid of being accused to the emperor. Calling for water, he washed his hands in the sight of the people, saying, “I am innocent of the blood of this just person.” The mob, again scorning his scruples, cried, “His blood be on us, and on our children.” Pilate was stung to the heart by their insults, and putting forth Jesus before them, said, “Shall I crucify your King?” The fatal moment had now come. They madly exclaimed, “We have no king but Caesar;” and now Jesus is given up to them, and led away to be crucified.

By the direction of Pilate an inscription was placed, according to the Roman custom, over the cross, stating the crime for which he was crucified. Having ascertained from the centurion that he was dead, he gave up the body to Joseph of Arimathea to be buried. Pilate’s name now disappears from the Gospel history. References to him, however, are found in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 3:13; 4:27; 13:28), and in 1 Tim. 6:13. In A.D. 36 the governor of Syria brought serious accusations against Pilate, and he was banished to Vienne in Gaul, where, according to tradition, he committed suicide.

Only Matthew deals with the remorse of Judas and his resulting demise. The word translated “repented” in the KJV (verse 3) is not the usual word for “repent.” This word (metamelomai) is only used 5 times in the New Testament and holds the connotation of remorse or regret. The NKJV translates it as “remorseful.” The common words for repent (metanoeo) and repentance (metanoia) are used 58 times in the New Testament and mean “change of mind or attitude.” So…Judas regretted having done what he did. However, this remorse did not constitute salvation. Keep in mind the words of Jesus in John 6:70 (see notes) regarding Judas, “Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?” Judas was remorseful that he had committed a tactical error as we see in verse 3, “…seeing that He had been condemned.” Well…that wouldn’t be the last miscalculation an emissary of Satan would make.

Incidentally, regarding the allusion to Jeremiah in verse 9, Ryrie (“The Ryrie Study Bible”) writes the following explanation:

These words are found in Zechariah 11:12-13 with allusions to Jeremiah 18:1-4; 19:1-3. They are ascribed to Jeremiah since, in Jesus’ day, the books of the prophets were headed by Jeremiah, not Isaiah as now, and the quotation is identified by the name of the first book of the group, rather than by the name of the specific book within the group. Similarly in Luke 24:44, “Psalms” includes all the books known as the “Writings,” because it is the first book of the group.

11 ¶ Now Jesus stood before the governor. And the governor asked Him, saying, “Are You the King of the Jews?” ¶ Jesus said to him, “It is as you say.”
12 And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He answered nothing.
13 ¶ Then Pilate said to Him, “Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?”
14 But He answered him not one word, so that the governor marveled greatly.

2 Then Pilate asked Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?” ¶ He answered and said to him, “It is as you say.”
3 ¶ And the chief priests accused Him of many things, but He answered nothing.
4 Then Pilate asked Him again, saying, “Do You answer nothing? See how many things they testify against You!”
5 But Jesus still answered nothing, so that Pilate marveled.

2 And they began to accuse Him, saying, “We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, saying that He Himself is Christ, a King.”
3 ¶ Then Pilate asked Him, saying, “Are You the King of the Jews?” ¶ He answered him and said, “It is as you say.”
4 ¶ So Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find no fault in this Man.”
5 ¶ But they were the more fierce, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee to this place.”

29 Pilate then went out to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this Man?”
30 ¶ They answered and said to him, “If He were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him up to you.”
31 ¶ Then Pilate said to them, “You take Him and judge Him according to your law.” ¶ Therefore the Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death,”
32 that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which He spoke, signifying by what death He would die.
33 ¶ Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”
34 ¶ Jesus answered him, “Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?”
35 ¶ Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me. What have You done?”
36 ¶ Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.”
37 ¶ Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?” ¶ Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”
38 ¶ Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, “I find no fault in Him at all.

Pilate wants no part of this. He suggests they take him back and give him a Jewish trial. Not good enough! Look at John 18:31, “Therefore the Jews said to him, ‘It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death.'” Interestingly enough, if the Jews had executed him, it would have been done illegally by stoning. However, Roman execution is done on a cross. Look at John 18:32, “that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which He spoke, signifying by what death He would die.” Jesus had already prophesied in John 3:14 (see notes) and John 12:31-33 (see notes) that he would die on a cross, an impossible scenario, had the Jews succeeded on those occasions when they sought to kill him.

The charge vocalized by the Jewish leadership to Pilate is found in Luke 23:2, “And they began to accuse Him, saying, ‘We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, saying that He Himself is Christ, a King.'” While the first two points of the accusation were not true, obviously the three-point charge is designed to make Jesus a Roman security threat so that Pilate cannot simply dismiss Jesus.

John records more of the actual conversation between Jesus and Pilate than do the other three writers. John notes that Jesus establishes that he has not come to set himself up as a king over a physical kingdom with an army (that comes later in Revelation 19:11-21, see notes); Jesus reasons that, were those his intentions, he would have defended himself from being taken in the garden with his own army. Pilate is convinced that Jesus is not guilty of a conspiracy to overthrow the Roman government as the Jewish leaders claim. Therefore, Pilate finds Jesus innocent of wrong doing, but prophecy is prophecy; Jesus must die on the cross.

Another motivation for these wicked Jewish leaders here is plausible deniability in the eyes of the common Jewish folks who had embraced the ministry of Jesus. You will recall that the point of the Judas betrayal was to capture Jesus in private – not while he was teaching during the day among the people. That was Judas’ deal with the Jewish leaders – a private capture. All the Jewish trials were done during the night while the Jewish people slept. Obviously, the reasoning of the Jewish leaders involved the people waking up on passover day and seeing Jesus being crucified by Romans…not Jews. One can safely recognize that those bad ol’ Romans were to be the culprits here; most people would never realize that their Jewish leaders had orchestrated the whole ordeal.

In the chronology, Pilate discovers that Jesus is from Galilee and sees a possible opportunity to pass this problem off to Herod Antipas who was the governor of that region and happens to be in Jerusalem at this time, apparently for the Passover Feast. Only Luke records this incident. It doesn’t work, however; Herod and his rag-tag crew simply mock and torment Jesus before they send him back to Pilate. Luke then records that Pilate explains to the Jewish leadership that neither he nor Herod could find a capital offense regarding Jesus. We saw in Luke 23:2-5 (see above) that the Jewish leaders were trying to present Jesus to Pilate as a threat to Caesar’s authority. However, their presentation failed. At this point, it is Pilate’s thinking that he should chastise Jesus and release him.

Incidentally, notice that Herod “arrayed Him in a gorgeous robe” before sending him back to Pilate. Later, the Roman soldiers stripped this robe from Jesus and clothed him with a purple/scarlet robe (Matthew 27:28; Mark 15:17; John 19:2 (see below).

Herod Antipas, a son of Herod the Great by his Samaritan wife Malthace. He was tetrarch of Galilee and Peraea during the whole period of our Lord’s life on earth (Luke 23:7). He was a frivolous and vain prince, and was chargeable with many infamous crimes (Mark 8:15; Luke 3:19; 13:31, 32). He beheaded John the Baptist (Matt. 14:1-12) at the instigation of Herodias, the wife of his half-brother Herod-Philip, whom he had married. Pilate sent Christ to him when he was at Jerusalem at the Passover (Luke 23:7). He asked some idle questions of him, and after causing him to be mocked, sent him back again to Pilate. The wife of Chuza, his house-steward, was one of our Lord’s disciples (Luke 8:3).

15 ¶ Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to releasing to the multitude one prisoner whom they wished.
16 And at that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas.
17 Therefore, when they had gathered together, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release to you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?”
18 For he knew that they had handed Him over because of envy.
19 ¶ While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, “Have nothing to do with that just Man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of Him.”
20 ¶ But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitudes that they should ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus.
21 The governor answered and said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” ¶ They said, “Barabbas!”
22 ¶ Pilate said to them, “What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” ¶ They all said to him, “Let Him be crucified!”
23 ¶ Then the governor said, “Why, what evil has He done?” ¶ But they cried out all the more, saying, “Let Him be crucified!”
24 ¶ When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, “I am innocent of the blood of this just Person. You see to it.”
25 ¶ And all the people answered and said, “His blood be on us and on our children.”
26 ¶ Then he released Barabbas to them; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified.

6 ¶ Now at the feast he was accustomed to releasing one prisoner to them, whomever they requested.
7 And there was one named Barabbas, who was chained with his fellow rebels; they had committed murder in the rebellion.
8 Then the multitude, crying aloud, began to ask him to do just as he had always done for them.
9 But Pilate answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”
10 For he knew that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy.
11 ¶ But the chief priests stirred up the crowd, so that he should rather release Barabbas to them.
12 Pilate answered and said to them again, “What then do you want me to do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?”
13 ¶ So they cried out again, “Crucify Him!”
14 ¶ Then Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has He done?” ¶ But they cried out all the more, “Crucify Him!”
15 ¶ So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to them; and he delivered Jesus, after he had scourged Him, to be crucified.

17 (for it was necessary for him to release one to them at the feast).
18 ¶ And they all cried out at once, saying, “Away with this Man, and release to us Barabbas”—
19 who had been thrown into prison for a certain rebellion made in the city, and for murder.
20 ¶ Pilate, therefore, wishing to release Jesus, again called out to them.
21 But they shouted, saying, “Crucify Him, crucify Him!”
22 ¶ Then he said to them the third time, “Why, what evil has He done? I have found no reason for death in Him. I will therefore chastise Him and let Him go.”
23 ¶ But they were insistent, demanding with loud voices that He be crucified. And the voices of these men and of the chief priests prevailed.
24 So Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they requested.
25 And he released to them the one they requested, who for rebellion and murder had been thrown into prison; but he delivered Jesus to their will.

39 ¶ “But you have a custom that I should release someone to you at the Passover. Do you therefore want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”
40 ¶ Then they all cried again, saying, “Not this Man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber.

19:1 So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him.

Keep in mind, the crowd had been transported from the Sanhedrin to Pilate. As a matter of fact, Matthew tells us in verse 18 that Pilate is aware that the real issue here is “envy” on the part of these Jewish leaders. However, when given the choice between the release of Jesus or the murderer Barabbas, Pilate is certain they will call for the release of Jesus over a murderer. Wrong! There is no morality with the Jewish leaders. Barabbas only threatens their lives, not their livelihoods. Only Matthew records that Pilate’s wife weighs in on the controversy. She’s had a dream, “Pilate…just step away!” Hmmmm…my wife or these angry Jews – to whom do I listen? That’s when Pilate does the infamous hand washing. Influenced by the polls, he fails to act on his own moral conscience and his wife’s dream. As he washes his hands, look at what he says in verse 24, “When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, “I am innocent of the blood of this just Person. You see to it.” However, pay careful attention to the reply made by these Jewish leaders in verse 25, “And all the people answered and said, ‘His blood be on us and on our children.'” Matthew, Mark and John then record that Jesus was scourged.

27 ¶ Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around Him.
28 And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him.
29 When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!”
30 Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head.

16 ¶ Then the soldiers led Him away into the hall called Praetorium, and they called together the whole garrison.
17 And they clothed Him with purple; and they twisted a crown of thorns, put it on His head,
18 and began to salute Him, “Hail, King of the Jews!”
19 Then they struck Him on the head with a reed and spat on Him; and bowing the knee, they worshiped Him.

2 And the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe.
3 Then they said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they struck Him with their hands.

Matthew, Mark and John record that the Roman soldiers mocked, spit and smote Jesus after replacing his robe (the one Herod had given him) with a purple/scarlet one and placing the homemade crown of thorns on his head. What kind of an adult male finds this entertaining? These Roman soldiers had no stake in this controversy whatsoever. So…why did they do what they did? Prophecy…Isaiah 53 (see notes) – the account of the suffering of the Messiah had been written down centuries before.