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. 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.” 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.
Vs. 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.
From Annas to Caiaphas to now Pilate, the Jews religious authorities having interrogated Jesus and tried Him overnight, now bring Him early in the morning (thus as soon as they could) to the Praetorium the official state grounds and residence of the Roman governor who then ruled over them. For under Roman rule they were required to being anyone whom they wanted a death sentence executed against, to bring them first to the Praetorium where the Roman Governor must first sign off on their verdict, thus Praetorium lit. means “Hall of Judgment.” Therefore, having already condemned Jesus to death at His trial before their Sanhedrin council, they now bring Jesus to the Roman Governor Pilate for His consent and execution of their death sentence. Now when they brought Jesus there, they themselves did not enter the grounds (because they wanted to keep themselves undefiled so that they might eat the upcoming Passover meal). And so rather then entering the state grounds themselves (the Jews who according to their own laws and customs were not permitted to have any direct contact with Gentiles, which would then make them ceremonially defiled if they did), and so rather then entering the grounds the priests and such with them spoke with others there at the gate, who then conveyed their request to Pilate for his consent of their judgment against Jesus.
Vs. 29 Pilate then went out to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this Man?”
Pilate then comes out to the gate and being early morning cuts to chase and asks them, “What accusation do you bring against this Man?” Which is a valid and direct inquiry, for if they want Pilate to consent to Jesus’ death it seems reasonable that he should ask such a thing.
Vs. 30 They answered and said to him, “If He were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him up to you.”
The Jews though in responding have no real accusation to lay against Jesus other than to say that He is an evildoer. And so, without any evidence or any real crime to charge Jesus with, they make about as a generic accusation that one can make.
Vs. 31-32 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.
When Pilate heard that he immediately tried to recuse himself of their evil plot and said to them, “You take Him and judge Him according to your law.” However, the Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death,” That is with their being under Rome’s rule they were forbidden from executing people according to their law which required stoning of the individual to death, while Roman law always executed by Crucifixion. Thus, when the Jews said they could not execute Jesus they inadvertently fulfilled His very Word which foretold that they would have Him Crucified (John 3:14; 8:28; 12:32, 34 also Plasm 22:16).
Vs. 33 Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”
Pilate then leaves the Jews at gate and takes Jesus by His guard into Praetorium and there He asks Jesus directly, “Are You the King of the Jews?”
Vs. 34 Jesus answered him, “Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?”
In responding, Jesus in a kind of sarcasm now says to Pilate, “Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?”
Vs. 35 Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me. What have You done?”
Pilate though is unamused and retorts back, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me. What have You done?”
Vs. 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.”
The Lord Jesus Christ now makes it clear to Pilate that His Kingdom is not of this world, not founded in it, or ruled by it! Thus, Jesus makes it clear to Pilate that His servants do not fight to obtain worldly power as this worlds power brokers and people do. Thus, neither He nor His disciples have done anything against either the Jews or Rome. Indeed, Jesus goes on and makes it clear to Pilate that His servants will not even use force of arms to resist those evil forces that wish to take and kill Him. For as He says to Pilate, My Kingdom is not from here!
Vs. 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.”
Jesus then having told Pilate that His Kingdom was not of this world, Pilate in an almost condescending way now asks Jesus if He is a King. Now the Lord Jesus does not directly say that He is a King, for that would give grounds for both Pilate and the Jews to condemn Him, instead He confesses that He is a King by saying to Pilate, “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.” Notice that it is because the Lord Jesus Christ is God’s King, (i.e. Messiah) that He was born to fulfill the Word of God as King which entails several things which do not all take place at once. One of which is Jesus Christ was born according to the Word of God so that He might take His place on the throne of David, for Jesus Christ is God’s Messiah and He was born to fulfill that Word about Him that He would be born from the seed of David. However, Jesus Christ was also born to be a King, but not of the Jews only, but to rule and reign over all of God’s creation in heaven and on earth. Therefore, having accomplished His Mission and fulfilled the Word of God Jesus Christ is now seated at the Right hand of God, waiting till all His enemies are made His footstool, upon which He Will establish His everlasting Reign and Rule and that is where we currently are in the prophetic timetable, waiting for His Return which will then usher in the God ordained events that will accomplish this. Now this is because neither the unbelieving Jews, nor the unbelieving Gentiles, would have Him reign over them, either then or now. And so that is also why the Lord Jesus Christ was born a King, (and was acknowledged as God’s King at His birth), for as He says, He came into this world to bear witness to the truth, therefore as Jesus also says everyone who is of the truth (i.e. of God) hears His voice! The only question then is do you hear the Lord Jesus Christ’s Voice calling you to repentance towards God and faith in His Person. If you do then act on it, and repent and believe and receive the Lord Jesus Christ for yourselves!
Vs. 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 though even after hearing such powerful and profound Words then fulfills them by simply saying to Jesus, “What is truth?” Having then confessed his own unbelief Pilate goes out and says to the Jews, “I find no fault in Him at all.” Which again is not a profession of faith, it is simply an acknowledgment that Jesus has done, or is doing nothing wrong.
Vs. 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?”
Pilate now knowing that he was compelled to release someone to them according to their feasts traditions under Roman rule now offers the Jews to release Jesus, i.e. “the King of the Jews” to them.
Vs. 40 Then they all cried again, saying, “Not this Man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber.
The Jews however did not want Jesus Christ, instead they cried out that Pilate should release to them Barabbas who was a robber, and who we also read in the other Gospels was a murderer. The very traits then that Jesus said the devil himself always exemplifies! Thus, they rejected the Sinless Son of God, who only sought their well-being, and rather choose for themselves a Godless and evil man who was just like themselves.
Scripture Quotations
New King James (182):Thomas Nelson.
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