John 18:28-40 & 19:1-16
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.
John 19:1-16
1 So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him.
2 And the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe.
3 Then they said, "Hail, King of the Jews!" And they struck Him with their hands.
4 Pilate then went out again, and said to them, "Behold, I am bringing Him out to you, that you may know that I find no fault in Him."
5 Then Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said to them, "Behold the Man!"
6 Therefore, when the chief priests and officers saw Him, they cried out, saying, "Crucify Him, crucify Him!"
Pilate said to them, "You take Him and crucify Him, for I find no fault in Him."
7 The Jews answered him, "We have a law, and according to our law He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God."
8 Therefore, when Pilate heard that saying, he was the more afraid,
9 and went again into the Praetorium, and said to Jesus, "Where are You from?" But Jesus gave him no answer.
10 Then Pilate said to Him, "Are You not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release You?"
11 Jesus answered, "You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin."
12 From then on Pilate sought to release Him, but the Jews cried out, saying, "If you let this Man go, you are not Caesar's friend. Whoever makes himself a king speaks against Caesar."
13 When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus out and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called The Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha.
14 Now it was the Preparation Day of the Passover, and about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, "Behold your King!"
15 But they cried out, "Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him!"
Pilate said to them, "Shall I crucify your King?"
The chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar!"
16 Then he delivered Him to them to be crucified. Then they took Jesus and led Him away.
There was a Jewish trial and a Roman trial. The Jewish trial was religious in nature and the charge against Jesus was blasphemy because He said that He was the Son of God. Blasphemy called for the dearth penalty but under the Romans the Jews could not execute anyone.
So in order to get the Romans to execute Jesus, the Jews had to bring a charge of insurrection, or treason, against Jesus. The Romans used crucifixion, perhaps the cruelest form of capital punishment ever devised.
The Jewish trial began with a hearing before Annas whom the Jews regarded as their legitimate high priest. Annas, was called a “hissing viper”, because of his reputation of being able to use cunning questions to trick unwitting men into condemning themselves by his manner of questioning them. Annas asked Jesus “innocent” questions about His disciples and His doctrine but Jesus knew his motive. Annas failed in his attempt to get Jesus to say something that could be used to condemn the Son of Man.
Then in frustration, Annas sent Jesus bound to Caiaphas, the high priest appointed by the Romans and who was Annas’ son in law.
Matthew’s gospel records that after many false witnesses were heard and when Caiaphas saw that he was not going to get the evidence from witnesses to condemn Jesus he put Jesus under an oath before the living God to say whether or not He was the Christ, the Son of God.
Because Jesus could not lie He confessed that He was as Caiaphas had said and that he [Caiaphas] would see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of power and coming on the clouds of heaven.
Caiaphas understood the meaning of Jesus’ words. For Jesus to say that He was the Son of Man and that He would sit on the right hand of power is to say that He is the Christ. Then in a feigned show of shock and horror Caiaphas tore his garments and declared that Jesus had spoken blasphemy and that there was no further need of witnesses.
In the hardness of his reprobate heart Caiaphas would not heed the warning that Jesus had given to him. Paul quotes Isaiah 45:23 in his Philippian letter and we have the NT interpretation of the OT prophecy.
Isaiah 45:22-23
22 "Look to Me, and be saved,
All you ends of the earth!
For I am God, and there is no other.
23 I have sworn by Myself;
The word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness,
And shall not return,
That to Me every knee shall bow,
Every tongue shall take an oath.
Paul draws from Isaiah to show the humility of Christ and to prove His ultimate power as the Lord who will be worshipped by every creature, both the saved and the lost.
Philippians 2:5-11
5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,
6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,
7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,
11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Yes, Caiaphas, you will see the glory of God in Christ Jesus, and you will bow the knee and confess that Jesus is Lord, but it will be a view from hell.
Paul reminds us also, that Jesus was a willing and obedient Servant sent from God as the only sufficient sacrifice for sin.
Sinner, when will you bow before King Jesus?
It is not a question of if you will bow but when you will bow.
If by grace, the Holy Spirit has convicted you of your guilt and just condemnation, you will bow and confess Jesus is Lord and receive the gift of eternal life.
If you remain stiff necked and stubborn in your love for your bosom sin and refuse to repent then you will join Caiaphas and Judas in hell and you will bow and confess that Jesus is Lord but it will be too late to repent.
And so Caiaphas has the evidence that he needed to condemn Jesus but under the control of Rome he could not carry out the sentence of death.
Besides, in God’s providence, if the Jews had been able to execute Jesus they would have put Him to death by stoning. But it was in God’s determined counsel and eternal purpose, and according to the OT prophecy, that the one who is hung on a tree is cursed.
When we come to the trial and crucifixion of Jesus there is much written in Matthew, Mark, and Luke that needs to be worked into our explanation of John’s Gospel.
In order to get a more complete idea of the events that are taking place, I am going to use “A HARMONY of the GOSPELS” by Mr. Loraine Boettner, Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company, 1977.
The book that I have has no statement of copyright restrictions. Unique to Mr. Boettner in all of his books by this same publisher is this statement:
“Any one is at liberty to use material from this book with or without credit. In preparing this book the writer received help from many sources, some acknowledged and many unacknowledged. He believes the material herein set forth to be a true statement of Scripture teaching, and his desire is to further, not to restrict its use.”
Mr. Boettner’s harmony takes all four gospels and arranges the verses in chronological order as the he believes them to be.
My comments are indented under each section of the Scripture harmony.
CHRIST BEFORE PILATE
John 18:28-19:16. (Matt. 27:1, 2, 11-30; Mark 15:1-19; Luke 23:1-25)
(And straightway in the morning the chief priests with the elders and scribes, and the whole council, held a consultation [against Jesus to put him to death - Matt 27:1]: and bound Jesus, and carried him away, and delivered him up to Pilate (Mark 15:1) (the governor - Matt 27:2). 28 They lead Jesus therefore from Caiaphas into the Praetorium : and it was early ; …
And so as early in the morning as he dared, probably before dawn, Caiaphas sends Jesus to the official Roman palace to be tried before Pilate. Pilate was not a Jew and he had very little patience with the religious fervor of these Jews.
… and they themselves entered not into the Praetorium, that they might not be defiled, but might eat the passover. …
Again and again we see how selective the Jews were in their choice of scruples. They could rationalize violating every rule of trial law in order to condemn this Man they hated, but were careful not to “defile” themselves by entering into this Gentile residence.
… 29 Pilate therefore went out unto them, and saith, What accusation bring ye against this man? 30 They answered and said unto him, If this man were not an evil-doer, we would not have delivered him up unto thee. (And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this man perverting our nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ a king – Luke 23:2). 31 Pilate therefore said unto them, Take him yourselves, and judge him according to your law. The Jews said unto him, It is not lawful for us to put any man to death : 32 that the word of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spake, signifying by what manner of death he should die.
Jesus was kept inside the courtroom while Pilate went out to the Jews to get a clear understanding of the charges being brought against Jesus. Instead of giving Pilate a specific charge they insisted that Jesus was an “evildoer” or else they would not have brought Him to Pilate.
To Pilate, an evildoer referred to moral and religious matters. Such matters would fall under the jurisdiction of the Sanhedrin and so Pilate told them to try Jesus under their religious law.
The Jews made it clear that they wanted to put Jesus to death and that would require Roman court judgment and execution.
John’s Gospel brings out that the manner of death was prophesied by Jesus in John 3:14 and 12:32. The OT prophecies say that Messiah must be put up on a pole or tree. Jesus must be “lifted up.”
See the working of God’s providence as the Jews and Pilate freely argue their positions yet all the while they are moving to fulfill the purpose of God in every exact detail.
… 33 Pilate therefore entered again into the Praetorium, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews? 34 Jesus answered, Sayest thou this of thyself, or did others tell it thee concerning me? 35 Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests delivered thee unto me : what hast thou done? 36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world : if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews : but now is my kingdom not from hence. 37 Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end have I been born, and to this end am I come into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. 38 Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? …
Pilate is caught in a moral dilemma because he sees no cause under Roman law for Jesus to be condemned but at the same time he has a selfish interest in keeping the Jews from rioting. If Pilate loses control of the people his own position as governor would be in jeopardy.
If we read only John’s Gospel Pilate’s question seems abrupt and without background. The Sanhedrin said that Jesus claimed to be a king. When Pilate asked Jesus, “Are You King of the Jews?” [33]
Jesus answered him in the way that Pilate interpreted the charge. Do you say this of your own accord, or did other say this about Me? [34]
The background for Pilate’s question is found in Luke’s account of Pilate’s request for the charges against Jesus. The Sanhedrin accused Jesus of three things: (1) Leading Israel astray; (2) forbidding the payment of taxes to Caesar; (3) claiming to be Christ, a king.
These charges, if true, would be sufficient to get Pilate’s attention. If Jesus claims to be a king then He is a threat to the Romans.
Jesus’ answer is not at all clear to Pilate. Luke 23:3 is literally: “You are speaking.”
Some say Jesus affirms what Pilate said, i.e. “It is as you say.”
But others interpret Luke’s account as a denial, i.e. “You are saying that; I am not.” In John’s account Jesus answers with a question, “Is this from you or, is this what the Sanhedrin are saying?”
Pilate’s answer is shows his anger at either the way that Jesus answered him or at the Sanhedrin for bothering him so early in the day.
“I am not a Jew! What does this ‘Christ, a King’ business mean to me? What have you done to cause the Jews to want to execute You?”
In a second response to Pilate, Jesus uses the Hebrew mashal or riddle. Jesus has a “kingdom” but it not a kingdom of this world.
A “this world” kingdom has servants that would fight for Me against the Jews, but My “kingdom” is not a “this world” “kingdom.” Jesus uses the word “kingdom” three times in this one sentence. And Pilate seems to have gotten the drift of what Jesus said.
A literal translation of what Pilate said would be, “So then, You are a king, aren’t you?” According to the experts in Greek, this is the only place where this particle ‘so then’ is found and it implies that it also could be added, “But what kind of a king are you?”
Jesus’ answers in two parts:
First, “You are saying that I am a king, but I am not a king in the sense that you understand the word king.”
Second, “For this cause was I born into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”
When Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on the donkey of Zechariah’s prophecy [9:9] of Messiah He accepted the acclaim of the people as King of Israel.
As Pilate understood a king, Jesus says He is not a king but a witness.
Jesus says that He has come into the world as a witness to the truth.
Read John’s Gospel and keep a tally of all of the times that Jesus refers to Himself as having been sent by God.
A cursory check gives me about 45 times in John’s Gospel where Jesus refers to Himself as the One sent by God. Jesus is God’s witness to truth.
We recently watched John’s Gospel in the WatchWord Bible on DVD. In about 2 ½ hours we watched and listened to John’s Gospel and as much as I have studied John, I had not appreciated how many times the phrase ‘the sent one’ or some equivalent expression is used.
Jesus is God’s witness!
To this end have I been born, and to this end am I come into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. John 18:37
In John 14:6 Jesus says that He is “the Truth.”
True hearers of the truth receive Jesus as their Lord and King in truth.
Pilate seems to respond with sarcasm and asked what the philosophers of all of the ages ask: “What is truth?”
And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find no crime in him. Luke 23:5-15:
Pilate did not want to execute Jesus. “I find no crime in him…” means there is no crime against Rome that calls for execution.”
In fact, Pilate then tries three different ways to avoid having to pronounce the death sentence.
First, Pilate learns that Jesus is a Galilean and he knows that Herod, the tetrarch of that territory is in Jerusalem for the Passover. So Pilate tries to pass Jesus off on Herod.
The second attempt to free Jesus comes when Pilate offers to release Jesus or Barabbas who is a known murderer and traitor.
The third attempt to free Jesus is when Pilate scourges Jesus thinking that when the Jews see how beaten and abused He is that their bloodlust would be satisfied.
Pilate’s first attempt to avoid passing the death sentence - turn Him over to Herod:
But they were the more urgent, saying, He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Judaea, and beginning from Galilee even unto this place. 6 But when Pilate heard it, he asked whether the man were a Galilaean. 7 And when he knew that he was of Herod's Jurisdiction, he sent him unto Herod, who himself also was at Jerusalem in these days.
8 Now when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was of a long time desirous to see him, because he had heard concerning him; and he hoped to see some miracle done by him.
9 And he questioned him in many words; but he answered him nothing.
10 And the chief priests and the scribes stood, vehemently accusing him.
11 And Herod with his soldiers set him at nought, and mocked him, and arraying him in gorgeous apparel sent him back to Pilate.
12 And Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day: for before they were at enmity between themselves.
Herod, the Jewish tetrarch, had murdered John the Baptist.
The second hearing before Pilate.
13 And Pilate called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people,
14 and said unto them, Ye brought unto me this man, as one that perverteth the people: and behold, I, having examined him before you, found no fault in this man touching those things whereof ye accuse him:
15 no, nor yet Herod: for he sent him back unto us; and behold, nothing worthy of death hath been done by him.
(And the chief priests accused him of many things – Mark 15:3).
Matt. 27:12-14: And when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing. 13 Then saith Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee? 14 And he gave him no answer, not even to one word: insomuch that the governor marveled greatly.
Pilate’s second attempt to avoid passing the death sentence – follow the custom of releasing a prisoner at Passover.
Pilate recalls the custom of releasing a prisoner at Passover to honor the release of the Israelites out of the bondage in Egypt.
All four Gospels record the case of Barabbas.
John 18 :39, 40: (Then said Pilate), 39 Ye have a custom, that I should release unto you one at the passover : will ye therefore that I .release unto you the King of the Jews. 40 They cried out therefore again, saying, Not this man, but Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber.
Mark 15 :6-8: Now at the feast he (the governor – Matt 27:15) used to release unto them one prisoner, whom they ask of him. 7 And there was one called Barabbas, lying bound with them that had made insurrection, men who in the insurrection had committed murder. 8 And the multitude went up and began to ask him to do as he was wont to do unto them.
Matt. 27:17-23: 17 When therefore they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ? 18 For he knew that for envy they had delivered him up. 19 And while he was sitting on the Judgment-seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that righteous man; for I have suffered Many things this day in a dream because of him. 20 Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the multitudes that they should ask for Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. 21 But the governor answered and said unto them, Which of the two will ye that I release unto you? And they said, Barabbas. 22 Pilate saith unto them, What then shall I do unto Jesus who is called Christ? They all say, Let him be crucified. 23 And he said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out exceedingly, saying, Let him be crucified. Luke 23:16-23: (Pilate said,) 16 I will therefore chastise him, and release him. 18 But they cried out all together, saying, Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas :-19 one who for a certain insurrection made in the city, and for murder, was cast into prison. 20 And Pilate spake unto them again, desiring to release Jesus; 21 but they shouted, saying, Crucify, crucify him. 22 And he said unto them the third time, Why, what evil hath this man done? I have found no cause of death in him: I will therefore chastise him and release him. 23 But they were urgent with loud voices, asking that he might be crucified. And their voices prevailed. Matt. 27:24- 25 : 24 So when Pilate saw that he prevailed nothing. but rather that a tumult was arising, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this righteous man ; see ye to it. 25 And all the people answered and said, His blood be on us, and on our children. (And Pilate gave sentence that what they asked for should be done – Luke 23:24). (And Pilate, wishing to content the multitude, released unto them Barabbas – Mark 15:15).
BAR ABBAS (son of his father) A picture of Substitution.
Use your imagination and try to put yourself in the cell where Barabbas was. Barabbas was waiting to be crucified. Barabbas was guilty and under the Roman law he was justly condemned to die. He was waiting for the call to bring him out and kill him.
But Barabbas cannot hear everything that is being said, only the shouts of the people. When Pilate asked the crowd which man they wanted to be released they shouted “Barabbas, Barabbas!” And Barabbas can hear his name being shouted.
When Pilate asked them, “What shall I do with Jesus?” the mob shouts, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!”
So Barabbas hears his name shouted and “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!”
But then Barabbas is released.
Do you often think of the grace of God when you, like Barabbas, were released from the sentence of death and that Jesus was crucified in your place?
Pilate’s third attempt to avoid passing the death sentence – scourge Him and appeal to their sympathy.
John 19:1-16
1 Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him. (Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium, and gathered unto him the whole band. And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe – Matt 27:27-28).
2 And they platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and arrayed him in a purple garment. (And they put a reed in his right hand; and they kneeled down before him, and mocked him – Matt 27:29) ;
3 and they came unto him, and said, Hail, King of the Jews! (And they spat upon him, and took the reed and smote him on the head – Matt 27:30), and struck him with their hands.
4 And Pilate went out again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring him out to you, that ye may know that I find no crime in him.
5 Jesus therefore came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple garment. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold, the man!
6 When therefore the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, saying, Crucify him, crucify him! Pilate saith unto them, Take him yourselves, and crucify him : for I find no crime in him.
7 The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by that law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.
8 When Pilate therefore heard this saying, he was the more afraid;
9 and he entered into the Praetorium again, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer.
10 Pilate therefore saith unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to release thee, and have power to crucify thee?
11 Jesus answered him, Thou wouldest have no power against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee bath greater sin.
12 Upon this Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou release this man, thou art not Caesar's friend : every one that maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar.
13 When Pilate therefore heard these words, he brought Jesus out, and sat down on the judgment-seat at a place called The Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha.
14 Now it was the Preparation of the Passover: it was about the sixth hour. And he saith unto the Jews, Behold, your King!
15 They therefore cried out, Away with him away with him, crucify him! Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar. 16 Then therefore he delivered him unto them to be crucified.
The scourge was a wooden handle with several leather thongs embedded with bits of brass, stones and sharp bones. The victim is stripped, bent back so when scourged the entrails and organs are exposed. Roman citizens were exempt from such cruel and shameful treatment. Pilate thought that such a beating would satisfy their lust for blood. Cf. Isaiah 53 & Psalm 22
Isaiah 52:13-15
Behold, My Servant shall deal prudently;
He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high.
14 Just as many were astonished at you,
So His visage was marred more than any man,
And His form more than the sons of men;
15 So shall He sprinkle many nations.
Kings shall shut their mouths at Him;
For what had not been told them they shall see,
And what they had not heard they shall consider.
Amen
Sola Scriptura 
