Mt. 27:15-31 (Mk. 15:6-15; Lk. 23:13-25; Jn. 18:39-40)

Three times the Gospel writers tell us that Pilate stated he could find no fault, no aiton (Greek), no legitimate cause of death, in this Man (Lk. 23:4,14,22; Jn. 18:38; 19:4,6).  This is the problem.  Pilate didn’t fall for the ploy of the high priest to say that Jesus was challenging the Roman Empire claiming to be a king.  Neither did Herod (Lk. 23:15).  Pilate is fully aware that the Jews are not motivated by any love for Caesar but by envy (Mt. 27:18).  

Pilate is further beset by the fact that his wife had trouble sleeping, having nightmares because of Jesus.  Her assessment, have nothing to do with that just Man, rings true with Pilate’s assessment.  And then there is the issue of peace:  it is Passover and if he disses the Jewish leaders with the additional tens or even hundreds of thousands of people in town he could be in real trouble with the Emperor.  What can he do?

One possibility came to Pilate’s mind.  It was traditional for him to release a prisoner at Passover time, an act of good will towards the Jews.  They could make the choice.  If he presented Jesus and Barabbas surely they would have enough sense of morality to choose the rabbi over the murderer.  But such was not the case.  Being persuaded by the chief priests, the crowd asked for Barabbas to be released and Jesus to be destroyed by crucifixion.  When Pilate saw that … a tumult was rising (Mt. 27:24), wanting to gratify the crowd (Mk. 15:15), washed his hands before the multitude (Mt. 27:24), proclaiming his innocence.  

Barabbas became a free man.  He just had to get up and walk out of his prison.  Someone Else died in his place, Someone Else who was without fault.  This exchange became a most powerful picture.  Someone Else who knew no sin became sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Cor. 5:21).  Through Someone Else God justifies the ungodly and when we believe in Him, our faith is accounted for righteousness (Ro. 4:5).  That just Man, as Pilate’s wife called Him, was numbered with the transgressors (Isa. 53:12).  

So Pilate delivered Jesus to their will (Lk. 23:25).  That word delivered is used of Judas who betrayed (delivered up) Jesus to the leaders (Mt. 26:15), of the leaders who delivered up Jesus to Pilate (Mt. 27:2), and of Pilate who delivered Jesus up to the soldiers to be crucified (Mt. 27:26).  But know this as well: God did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all (Rom.8:32).  

There is no denying the culpability of the Jews and the Romans and you and me in this; Pilate gave Jesus up to the evil will of men.  But there is no denying this was the will of our gracious, loving Father.  To go back to where we started today: Pilate could find no fault, no criminal cause of death, in Jesus.  But Heb. 5:9 uses the same Greek word to tell us that Jesus, by His death, became the author (same Greek word, the cause of death) of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.  He calls us today to the obedience of faith!

Jn. 18:28-38; Lk. 23:6-12 (Mt. 27:11-14; Mk. 15:1-5; Lk. 23:1-5)

Jesus, condemned by the Jews for blasphemy, was now taken to Pilate.  Pilate was the sixth Roman procurator of Judea, appointed about six years earlier by the emperor Tiberius.  He had already endured (some would say caused) a near-insurrection by the Jews on two or three earlier occasions.   He hated the Jews; we would call him genuinely anti-Semitic.  Yet he was charged to keep the peace, a charge he ultimately failed to keep.  Eusebius claims that, not long after his encounter with Jesus, Pilate killed himself.  (See the article on Pilate in CP.)

The priests and elders did not bring Jesus with the charge of blasphemy.  That would mean nothing to Pilate.  Instead they brought the charge that Jesus said that He Himself is Christ, a King (Lk. 23:2).  But even this charge was not really convincing to Pilate.  Jesus did not often refer to Himself as king but He did make the claims related to being the Messiah.  Jews, because they knew the Tanakh or Mikra (what Christians call the Old Testament), knew that Jesus was claiming fulfillment of the prophecies related to the Messiah.  And if you claim to be Messiah you claim to be a King who will rule from David’s throne.

Thus, in the exchange with Pilate Jesus affirms that He is, in fact, a King.  He speaks of His kingdom and tells Pilate you say rightly that I am a king.  Jesus’ words are reminiscent of His answer to the Pharisees question in Lk. 17:20-21.  The kingdom of God is a spiritual kingdom.  As we noted then, we note now: this does not mean there is not a physical or earthly manifestation of the kingdom of God where Christ rules on the throne of David (note Jesus’ words to His disciples in Lk. 17:22-37).  The point is that Jesus’ reign over the nations must be one that is submitted to from the heart.  

Jesus had a concern for Pilate as Jn. 18:34 bears out.  But the issue is what the nation of Israel was doing.  Pilate’s words are true: Your own nation … have delivered You to me (v35).  To Pilate Jesus was a problem he had to solve, a political difficulty, a problem he tries to give to Herod Antipas (the same Herod that beheaded John the Baptist and would later kill the Apostle James, Ac. 12:1-4).  But again, Herod had no true idea about Jesus.  To Herod Jesus was a curiosity, someone he hoped could provide entertainment. 

We are seeing played out here the words that John had said earlier: the world did not know Him.  He came unto His own and His own received Him not (Jn. 1:10-11).  Pilate and Herod, rulers of this world (1 Cor. 2:8), had no idea what was going on here.  They did not know Him.  The people of Israel did know Him, however.  But their problem was that they would not receive Him; they rejected Him.  Let us continue with John’s words, however, as they tell the whole story and give hope: But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name (John 1:12).