1 Then the
whole multitude of them arose and led Him to Pilate. 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.” 6 When
Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked if the Man were a Galilean. 7 And as
soon as he knew that He belonged to Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent Him to Herod,
who was also in Jerusalem at that time.
Commentary
Vs. 1 “Then the whole multitude of them arose and led Him to Pilate.”
The Sanhedrin counsel having had their staged trial and arrived at their predetermined verdict, and condemned the Lord Jesus Christ to death for “blasphemy”, now lead Him to Pilate for the execution of their death sentence against Him. Now Pilate was the governor appointed by Rome to govern the affairs in Judea (Luke 3:1).
Vs. 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.”
However, when they came before Pilate their charges against Jesus changed from simple blasphemy to that which was more conducive to having Pilate condemn Jesus, by saying, “We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, saying that He Himself is Christ, a King.” Thus, three specific charges are now laid against Jesus, first is perverting the nation, that is the nation of Israel, which would be understood by Pilate as meaning, seeking to change the Jews laws and customs by His doctrine, which Pilate and Rome would not want because Jews were historically a powder keg which they had had many problems with in trying to subdue those within the nation who wanted to separate themselves from Rome’s rule, and one of the ways they maintained peace and order within was by allowing the Jews a relative autonomy in their religious sphere.
And so, for Jesus’ accusers to say that He was seeking to pervert the nation, i.e. usurp their laws and customs, would be a red flag to Pilate who would not want a civil war amongst them on his hands. For Pilate was placed they’re by Rome to keep the Jews subservient and subject to Rome. Anyone or anything that would threaten that would be quickly and severely quashed. That said, Pilate indeed had his finger on the pulse of the nation, and to him Jesus was not a Person that he was aware of as being a potential trouble maker, indeed, many Jews and even Gentiles liked Him and spoke well of Him. And so, I think Pilate (in his mind) would’ve quickly dismissed that charge against Him. Now their next charge against Jesus is much more serious, for in it they say that Jesus was forbidding His disciples to pay taxes to Caesar. Now we know that is a total lie on their part because Jesus (as does the rest of the N.T. Scripture) always commends us to obeying lawful authority; and in this regard paying taxes (and due regard, respect, and honor to all in authority) is always to be paid and rendered by us all (see Matt. 22:15-22; 23:1-3; Mark 12:13-17; Luke 20:26; Rom. 131-7; 1 Tim. 2:1-4 etc.). And so, their saying as much about Jesus was only their trying to move Pilate against Jesus. However, Pilate wasn’t stupid, for if Jesus had forbidden His disciples to pay taxes to Rome then he would have soon known about it, and would’ve dealt with it very severely. Therefore, their charging Jesus in this way was only a slanderous lie, which Pilate again would’ve quickly dismissed in his mind as being without merit. Now their finial charge against Jesus is that He was saying of Himself that He Himself is Christ, a King. Now their charging Jesus as running around declaring Himself Christ, a King is completely false. For again Jesus never made public declarations about Himself like that, though others did, which He always tried to quell because He did not want to incite the people to try to make Him their King. And so generally He Himself often only referred to Himself as the Son of Man, except when He was with His disciples, specifically the twelve, for it was to them that it was revealed, and both He and His Father confirmed, both at His baptism, and when He was by transfigured before them, that He is the indeed the Christ, the Son of God!
Vs. 3-4 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.”
And so, with the three charges laid against Jesus, Pilate now focuses only on the third, because it is the only one which he himself believes can hold any weight or merit. And so, Pilate asks Jesus directly, “Are You the King of the Jews?” To which Jesus responds; just as He responded to the Sanhedrin counsel; “It is as you say.” (please see John 18:28-38 and Pilates private interview with Jesus to get the sense of the whole scene). Therefore, when Jesus said that, Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find no fault in this Man.” For Jesus’ wasn’t trying to usurp Rome’s authority as the Jews would have Pilate believe, nor was He denying who He really was. And so how could Pilate find any fault with Him, for in Pilates eyes people are free to believe whatever they want about themselves, as long as they don’t incite insurrections, or threaten his or Rome’s position and rule. Therefore, Pilate can see no reason to condemn Jesus to death.
Vs. 5-7 5 But they were the more fierce, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee to this place.” 6 When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked if the Man were a Galilean. 7 And as soon as he knew that He belonged to Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent Him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time.
Now when the chief priests and their supporters heard that Pilate found no fault in Jesus, they became even more fierce in their accusations and words against Him, saying to Pilate, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee to this place.” (vs. 5). Thus, they return to their original charge that Jesus is trying to arose the people to insurrection against their laws and customs by teaching in Judea, beginning from Galilee. However, at this point Pilate is only looking for a way out, for clearly Jesus has done nothing wrong, and He is a threat to no one, though they keep trying to make Him out to be one. And so, when Pilate heard that Jesus was from Galilee, he decides to send Jesus to Herod, for Herod was the tetrarch of Galilee (i.e. a Governor of one fourth, or to rule as minor “king”) for Herod was in Jerusalem at that time. And so, Pilate basically defers making a decision, and now tries to pass this problem off on Herod.
Scripture Quotations
Commentary
Vs. 1 “Then the whole multitude of them arose and led Him to Pilate.”
The Sanhedrin counsel having had their staged trial and arrived at their predetermined verdict, and condemned the Lord Jesus Christ to death for “blasphemy”, now lead Him to Pilate for the execution of their death sentence against Him. Now Pilate was the governor appointed by Rome to govern the affairs in Judea (Luke 3:1).
Vs. 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.”
However, when they came before Pilate their charges against Jesus changed from simple blasphemy to that which was more conducive to having Pilate condemn Jesus, by saying, “We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, saying that He Himself is Christ, a King.” Thus, three specific charges are now laid against Jesus, first is perverting the nation, that is the nation of Israel, which would be understood by Pilate as meaning, seeking to change the Jews laws and customs by His doctrine, which Pilate and Rome would not want because Jews were historically a powder keg which they had had many problems with in trying to subdue those within the nation who wanted to separate themselves from Rome’s rule, and one of the ways they maintained peace and order within was by allowing the Jews a relative autonomy in their religious sphere.
And so, for Jesus’ accusers to say that He was seeking to pervert the nation, i.e. usurp their laws and customs, would be a red flag to Pilate who would not want a civil war amongst them on his hands. For Pilate was placed they’re by Rome to keep the Jews subservient and subject to Rome. Anyone or anything that would threaten that would be quickly and severely quashed. That said, Pilate indeed had his finger on the pulse of the nation, and to him Jesus was not a Person that he was aware of as being a potential trouble maker, indeed, many Jews and even Gentiles liked Him and spoke well of Him. And so, I think Pilate (in his mind) would’ve quickly dismissed that charge against Him. Now their next charge against Jesus is much more serious, for in it they say that Jesus was forbidding His disciples to pay taxes to Caesar. Now we know that is a total lie on their part because Jesus (as does the rest of the N.T. Scripture) always commends us to obeying lawful authority; and in this regard paying taxes (and due regard, respect, and honor to all in authority) is always to be paid and rendered by us all (see Matt. 22:15-22; 23:1-3; Mark 12:13-17; Luke 20:26; Rom. 131-7; 1 Tim. 2:1-4 etc.). And so, their saying as much about Jesus was only their trying to move Pilate against Jesus. However, Pilate wasn’t stupid, for if Jesus had forbidden His disciples to pay taxes to Rome then he would have soon known about it, and would’ve dealt with it very severely. Therefore, their charging Jesus in this way was only a slanderous lie, which Pilate again would’ve quickly dismissed in his mind as being without merit. Now their finial charge against Jesus is that He was saying of Himself that He Himself is Christ, a King. Now their charging Jesus as running around declaring Himself Christ, a King is completely false. For again Jesus never made public declarations about Himself like that, though others did, which He always tried to quell because He did not want to incite the people to try to make Him their King. And so generally He Himself often only referred to Himself as the Son of Man, except when He was with His disciples, specifically the twelve, for it was to them that it was revealed, and both He and His Father confirmed, both at His baptism, and when He was by transfigured before them, that He is the indeed the Christ, the Son of God!
Vs. 3-4 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.”
And so, with the three charges laid against Jesus, Pilate now focuses only on the third, because it is the only one which he himself believes can hold any weight or merit. And so, Pilate asks Jesus directly, “Are You the King of the Jews?” To which Jesus responds; just as He responded to the Sanhedrin counsel; “It is as you say.” (please see John 18:28-38 and Pilates private interview with Jesus to get the sense of the whole scene). Therefore, when Jesus said that, Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find no fault in this Man.” For Jesus’ wasn’t trying to usurp Rome’s authority as the Jews would have Pilate believe, nor was He denying who He really was. And so how could Pilate find any fault with Him, for in Pilates eyes people are free to believe whatever they want about themselves, as long as they don’t incite insurrections, or threaten his or Rome’s position and rule. Therefore, Pilate can see no reason to condemn Jesus to death.
Vs. 5-7 5 But they were the more fierce, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee to this place.” 6 When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked if the Man were a Galilean. 7 And as soon as he knew that He belonged to Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent Him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time.
Now when the chief priests and their supporters heard that Pilate found no fault in Jesus, they became even more fierce in their accusations and words against Him, saying to Pilate, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee to this place.” (vs. 5). Thus, they return to their original charge that Jesus is trying to arose the people to insurrection against their laws and customs by teaching in Judea, beginning from Galilee. However, at this point Pilate is only looking for a way out, for clearly Jesus has done nothing wrong, and He is a threat to no one, though they keep trying to make Him out to be one. And so, when Pilate heard that Jesus was from Galilee, he decides to send Jesus to Herod, for Herod was the tetrarch of Galilee (i.e. a Governor of one fourth, or to rule as minor “king”) for Herod was in Jerusalem at that time. And so, Pilate basically defers making a decision, and now tries to pass this problem off on Herod.
Scripture Quotations
New King James Version (1982): Thomas Nelson.
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