Get Ready
Have you ever been a witness in a legal proceeding or hearing? How did you feel when you were being questioned? How easy or difficult was it to frame your answers? How did you feel about the person who was asking the questions? Did you feel you were treated fairly as a witness?
The Word
18 28 Then they took Jesus from Caiaphas to Pilate’s headquarters. It was early in the morning. They themselves did not enter the headquarters, so as to avoid ritual defilement and to be able to eat the Passover. 29 So Pilate went out to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?” 30 They answered, “If this man were not a criminal, we would not have handed him over to you.” 31 Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and judge him according to your law.” The Jews replied, “We are not permitted to put anyone to death.” 32 (This was to fulfill what Jesus had said when he indicated the kind of death he was to die.)
33 Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” 34 Jesus answered, “Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?” 35 Pilate replied, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?” 36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.” 37 Pilate asked him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.” 38 Pilate asked him, “What is truth?”
After he had said this, he went out to the Jews again and told them, “I find no case against him. 39 But you have a custom that I release someone for you at the Passover. Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” 40 They shouted in reply, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a bandit.
19 Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. 2 And the soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they dressed him in a purple robe. 3 They kept coming up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and striking him on the face. 4 Pilate went out again and said to them, “Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no case against him.” 5 So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!” 6 When the chief priests and the police saw him, they shouted, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him; I find no case against him.” 7 The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has claimed to be the Son of God.”
8 Now when Pilate heard this, he was more afraid than ever. 9 He entered his headquarters again and asked Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. 10 Pilate therefore said to him, “Do you refuse to speak to me? Do you not know that I have power to release you, and power to crucify you?” 11 Jesus answered him, “You would have no power over me unless it had been given you from above; therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.” 12 From then on Pilate tried to release him, but the Jews cried out, “If you release this man, you are no friend of the emperor. Everyone who claims to be a king sets himself against the emperor.”
13 When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus outside and sat on the judge’s bench at a place called The Stone Pavement, or in Hebrew Gabbatha. 14 Now it was the day of Preparation for the Passover; and it was about noon. He said to the Jews, “Here is your King!” 15 They cried out, “Away with him! Away with him! Crucify him!” Pilate asked them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but the emperor.” 16 Then he handed him over to them to be crucified. NRSV
Get into the Word
1. Where did the Jews take Jesus after he was questioned by the high priest? Why did they take him there? What do you suppose John and Peter were doing at this point?
2. What is Pilate’s initial reaction to the situation? How do the Jews respond? How does Jesus respond? What do you think Pilate was feeling?
3. How does Pilate begin his questioning of Jesus? Why do you think he started as he did? How does Jesus respond to Pilate’s questions? How does this dialogue compare to other conversations Jesus had with the Jews?
4. What is Pilate’s conclusion about Jesus? How does Pilate try to end the confrontation? Why is he not successful? What does Pilate do after the Jews reject his suggestion? Why do you think he humiliated Jesus at this point? Why does Pilate try to get rid of the situation and free Jesus?
5. What claim do the Jewish leaders make against Jesus? How does Pilate react to this new situation? How does Jesus deal with the turn of events?
What kind of power is Pilate talking about? What kind of power is Jesus referring to? Do you think Pilate understands the difference?
7. What is ironic about the Jews final statements about Jesus and Caesar?
Get Personal
If you had a chance to interview Jesus what questions would you ask? How would such an interview help you in your walk with Christ?
Notes . . .
18:28. Early in the morning — Jewish law prohibited night trials.
18:29. Accusation — Rome did not have prosecutors as we do; charges were brought by a person against another person.
18:31. We are not permitted — Rome did not grant the Jews the right to execute anyone, so the Jews had to appeal to Pilate to carry out their action against Jesus. |
18:32. Fulfill — Rome used crucifixion to execute criminals, and several prophecies speak of the Messiah’s death [check out Zech 12:10 and Deut 21:23].
18:33. Summoned Jesus — even though Pilate had the absolute right to decide a case, he decides to investigate the situation. The Jews charged treason: Jesus’ claim to be “king” usurped Caesar’s position.,
18:36-37. Kingdom — Jesus is talking about the spiritual kingdom, but Pilate can only think about kingdoms of this world.
18:39. Custom that I release — Pilate is clearly looking for a way out
of this situation when he offers to release Jesus. But the Jews saved an actual revolutionary rather than a savior.
19:1. Flogged — a number of Old Testament verses look ahead to Jesus’ agony: Isaiah 50:6 is a well-known example.
19:4. No case — Pilate tries one last time.
19:7. Law — the Jews were referring to Leviticus 24:16: Anyone who blasphemes the name of the Lord must be put to death.
19:10. Refuse to speak — Pilate’s must consider the political consequences in Rome. (In fact, Pilate’s political supporter fell from Tiberius’ favor in the fall of 31 C.E., which Pilate may have known.)
19:13. Stone Pavement — probably similar to the raised platform speakers and judges use today. 19:14. Day of Preparation for Passover — more irony because one of the tasks for Preparation Day was to slaughter the sacrificial lamb for the Passover – a symbol of Christ as our sacrifice.
19:15. No king — the Jews hated Rome.
Memory Verse
For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth, [John18:37].
Next Lesson
The crucifixion and death of Jesus — John 19
