MARCH 24, 2019
CHRIST’S ARRAIGNMENT BEFORE PILATE (CONT’D)
INTRODUCTION:
1. Though John seems industriously to have avoided repeating such passages as had been related by the other evangelists, when he comes to the suffering and death of Christ, he records everything that had been before related, however, with considerable enlargements.
2. Here is a further account of the unfair trial of our Lord before Pilate.
a) The first part of the trial involved the Jews attempting to persuade the governor to pass sentence upon Christ based solely on their request, even though Pilate found in Him nothing worthy of death, actually, no fault at all. The governor therefore tried unsuccessfully to avoid the issue by having the people to choose Christ over Barabbas to be released according to their custom in honor of the Passover. (Verses 28-40)
b) The remainder of the trial which they gave our Lord was very tumultuous and confused. The prosecutors carried it on with great confusion among the people, and the judge’s unjust and cruel treatment of the prisoner is also unorthodox and mysterious.
I. THE JUDGE ORDERED THE PRISONER TO BE ABUSED, HAVING ALREADY DECLARED HIM INNOCENT. (VERSES 1-3) Supposing that Pilate hoped, by this, to pacify Christ’s accusers; even if his intentions were good, cannot justify this injustice. Some are of the opinion that Pilate scourged Jesus himself, with his own hand, because it is said, “He took him and scourged him.” It seems more likely that he appointed the lectors that attended him to do it. Roman scourgings were ordinarily very severe, not limited to forty stripes, as among the Jews, yet this pain and shame Jesus submitted to for our sakes. (See Isa. 53:5)
A. THOUGH INNOCENT, JESUS WAS TREATED AS A CRIMINAL. (VERSE 1)
1. Matthew and Mark both mention His scourging after His condemnation but here it appears to have been before.
2. Pilate did this to pacify the Jews, and in so doing showed that he was willing to go this far for them against his own sentiments.
3. This was necessary according to prophetic Scripture (Isa. 50:6); according to His own words (Matt. 20:19); and forsake of our healing (I Pet. 2:24).
B. THOUGH AN EXCELLENT PERSON, JESUS WAS GIVEN OVER TO BASE MOCKING AND RIDICULE. (VERSES 2, 3)
1. The soldiers who were the governor’s protection detail, made sport of Christ. They in mockery put a crown on His head that was made of thorns; they took away His garment and put a mock-robe of purple upon Him; they put a reed in His right hand for a scepter, and then bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews.” (See Matt. 27:27-29) They then smote Him with their hands. (Verse 3)
2. Pilate suffered this cruel mockery of one whom he believed to be innocent to oblige his soldiers’ merry humor, and perhaps his own too, notwithstanding the gravity that one might expect in a judge. Herod and his men of war had just before this done the same. (Luke 23:11)
3. One day all of these mockers will doubtless recall this day, when indeed they shall bow the knee to Him and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. (Phil 2:10, 11) They will not be jesting and laughing when that day comes.
II. PILATE, HAVING ABUSED THE PRISONER, NEXT PRESENTED HIM TO THE PROSECUTORS IN HOPES THAT THEY WOULD BE SATISFIED. (VERSES 4-7)
A. HE PROPOSED TWO THINGS FOR THEIR CONSIDERATION WHICH HE HOPED WOULD SUFFICE. (VERSES 4, 5)
1. That he had found nothing in Him that made Him a threat to the Roman government. (Verse 4) He repeated the declaration that he had made before: “I find no fault in him.”(Ch. 18:38)
2. That he had done that to Him which would convince everyone that He was not a threat and not to be taken seriously. (Verse 5)
a) He brought Him forth as an object of contempt and ridicule, and as he presented Christ bruised and beaten, wearing a mock-robe and crown of thorns, and said, “Behold the man!”
b) Or perhaps, as many understand it, Pilate so presented Christ to them as one to be pitied rather than prosecuted.
c) We see Him going forth bearing our reproach. Let us therefore go forth unto Him bearing His reproach. (Heb. 13:13)
B. THE PROSECUTORS, INSTEAD OF BEING PACIFIED, WERE EVEN MORE EXASPERATED.(VERSES 6, 7)
1. See here the unreasonable outrage and fury of the chief priests and officers who headed the mob. (Verse 6a)
a) The sight of Jesus in humiliation; rather than pacify them, only inflamed their malice and rage.
b) The people perhaps would have acquiesced in Pilate’s declaration of His innocence, but their leaders, even though they were unable to make a good charge against Him, began to cry out, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”
2. Pilate was clearly angered by their unwillingness to accept His compromise. (Verse 6b)
a) He said to them in irony, “Take ye him and crucify him.” He knew they had no such authority, but he was saying essentially, “I will not be the drudge to your malice. If you think him worthy of death, then you see to it because I find no fault in him.”
b) This was an honorable stand, had he stuck with it. He did not wish to have the blood of an innocent man on his conscience. However, he should not have continued to parley with them. Rulers are not to be a terror to the innocent. (Rom. 13:3)
c) Pilate had a duty to protect the innocent, but he lacked the courage to act according to his conscience, and his cowardice betrayed him into a snare. Of course, politics also played a role. (See Acts 12:2, 3)
3. Christ’s prosecutors now resort to their law in order to bring a charge worthy of death. (Verse 7)
a) They had failed to convince Pilate that Jesus was guilty of sedition against Rome, so they resort to their law.
b) They could not move Pilate by alleging that He claimed to be a king so they urged this, that He claimed to be God.
c) This claim if made by any ordinary man would constitute blasphemy, and would be worthy of death by that law. (Lev. 24:16)
(1) Note: The Jews understood that to claim to be the Son of God was to claim to be God. (See Ch. 5:18)
(2) Had the claim been false, the Jews would have been right in calling it blasphemy. It was true that blasphemers, idolaters, and false prophets were to be put to death, but this was not a false claim.
d) This charge did not change anything with respect to Roman law and Pilate’s decision, but it did strike fear into the governor, as the following verses reveal.
III. PILATE, BEING SHAKEN BY THE CHARGE OF BLASPHEMY AGAINST CHRIST FOR CLAIMING TO BE THE SON OF GOD RETURNS WITH THE PRISONER INTO THE JUDGEMENT HALL. (VERSES 8-11)
A. PILATE WAS GREATLY CONCERNED AND VISIBLY SHAKEN WHEN HE HEARD IT ALLEGED THAT JESUS CLAIMED TO BE THE SON OF GOD. (VERSE 8)
1. An acquittal would enrage the Jews even more because of their jealousy over the unity of the Godhead.
2. There was the more danger of offending his own conscience should he condemn Him. What if it should prove that He really is the Son of God!! The heathen had some fabulous traditions concerning incarnate deities.
B. THE GOVERNOR HEREUPON RESUMED HIS INTERROGATION OF CHRIST IN THE PRIVACY OF THE JUDGMENT HALL, AWAY FROM THE NOISE AND CLAMOR OF THE CROWD. (VRS. 9-11)
1. The first question indicates that Pilate had not dismissed the possibility that the alleged claim was actually true. (Verse 9a) “Whence art thou?” Are you from men or from heaven? Are you from beneath or from above?
2. Jesus held His peace. “But Jesus gave him no answer.” (Verse 9b)
a) Why was He silent? For one thing, it was for the fulfillment of Scripture. (Isa. 53:7)
b) Why was He silent? Perhaps it was because He would not hinder His suffering. Had He avowed His Deity as strongly as He avowed that He was a king (Ch. 18:37), Pilate would have been reluctant to condemn Him.
c) Why was He silent? Perhaps it was because He knew that Pilate did not understand his own question. Compare this to Mark 14:61, 62, where He knew that the priest was asking Him if He was the Messiah of whom the prophets had spoken, and He answered, “I am.”
3. Pilate haughtily expressed his indignation for the silent treatment that he received. (Verse 10)
a) The governor clearly knew not to whom he was speaking as he boasted of his own authority. (Compare Dan. 5:19)
b) Men of power can become puffed up with their authority. Here Pilate magnifies his power to an exorbitant degree when he boasts that he has power to crucify one who he had himself declared innocent.
c) He here addresses Christ as if He were –
(1) disrespectful to authority;
(2) ungrateful to one who had tried to secure his release; and
(3) unwise for Himself in not speaking to clear Himself.
4. Christ boldly rebuked the haughty arrogance of His would-be judge. (Verse 11)
a) In breaking His silence here, He not only put the proud governor in his place, but in effect answered the former question at the same time. (See Prov. 26:4, 5)
b) Christ reminds this proud ruler that all powers that he possesses were given to him from above. (Eccl. 5:8)
(1) This was so generally speaking. It is God Who exalts and authorizes rulers. (Dan. 2:21; Prov. 21:1; Psa. 17:13, 14)
(2) This was especially so regarding his power against Him. (Acts 2:23; 4:27)
c) Notice how the greatness of Pilate’s sin is here insinuated, while the still greater sin was theirs who had delivered Christ into his hand. He here refers to either –
(1) the Jews who cried crucify Him, crucify Him;
(2) or rather he means Caiaphas in particular, who was at the head of the conspiracy;
(3) or some think Christ means Judas, who betrayed Him.
d) Though Pilate’s sin was great, any and all of the above deserve the greater condemnation because of despised light and privilege.
e) Clearly all sins are not equal, and sins against light and privilege deserve the greater condemnation.
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