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So we left off last week wrapping up chapter 22 of Luke where Jesus was deemed guilty of death.
Let’s read beginning at verse 1 of chapter 23
Luke 23.1- 16
July 5th 2020
Meat
1 And the whole multitude of them arose, and led him (Jesus) unto Pilate.
2 And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a King.
3 And Pilate asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answered him and said, Thou sayest it.
4 Then said Pilate to the chief priests and to the people, I find no fault in this man.
5 And they were the more fierce, saying, He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Jewry, beginning from Galilee to this place.
6 When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked whether the man were a Galilaean.
7 And as soon as he knew that he belonged unto Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who himself also was at Jerusalem at that time.
8 And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him.
9 Then he questioned with him in many words; but he answered him nothing.
10 And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused him.
11 And Herod with his men of war set him at nought, and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe, and sent him again to Pilate.
12 And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together: for before they were at enmity between themselves.
13 And Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people,
14 Said unto them, Ye have brought this man unto me, as one that perverteth the people: and, behold, I, having examined him before you, have found no fault in this man touching those things whereof ye accuse him:
15 No, nor yet Herod: for I sent you to him; and, lo, nothing worthy of death is done unto him.
16 I will therefore chastise him, and release him.
Back to verse 1
Luke 23:1 And the whole multitude of them arose and led him unto Pilate.
The name Pontius Pilate was probably connected with the Roman family of the Pontii, with “Pilate” from the Latin pileatus, which was the “cap or badge of a slave that was set free” or signifying the descendant of one set free.
Judea had six procurators from Rome and Pilate was the sixth working from around 26-36 AD).
His headquarters were at Caesarea, but he apparently frequented Jerusalem especially during the high holidays of the Jews as a means to retain control and order over them.
Tradition says that he hated Jerusalem with its religiousness and rigidity and missing the bathhouse pleasures of bacchanalia would have preferred to never visit the place.
Pilate was a “typical Roman,” in the sense that he appears to have appreciated justice but was also pleasure-loving, imperious, and ultimately corrupt.
Because of his hated for the Jews over whom he ruled, and in times of irritation shed their blood openly.
They returned his hatred for them with fox-like cordiality while simultaneously accusing him of crime, faults, and flat out bad administration skills.
When he did visit it them, he stayed in the palace of Herod the Great or another place known as the Castle of Antonia. This was a common practice for officers sent by Rome into their “conquered countries.”
It appears that Pilate came forth from his palace and met the Sanhedrin. Taking all the charges against him from the four accounts, it appears that Jesus was accused of
1. being a malefactor (which Pilate would not accept as a general charge)
2. of sedition,
3. of preventing the payment of the tribute to Caesar, and
4. of assuming “the title of King.”
Pilate then takes Jesus into the palace (according to John 18:33) and examined him in private (John 18:37-38)
After the interaction with Pilate that we are about to read, excepting his allowing Joseph of Arimathea to take Jesus body, Pilate disappears actively from the Gospel history but he is referenced in Acts 3:13; 4:27; 13:28 and in 1st Timothy 6:13.
Several years after Jesus death and resurrection, in A.D. 36, the governor of Syria brought serious accusations against Pilate, and he was banished to Vienne in Gaul, where, according to tradition, he committed suicide.
In any case, while he was still alive and overseeing his part of Judea, the leaders brought Jesus to Pilate (verse 2)
2 And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this “fellow” (not found in the manuscript record – it should read, ”we found this man”) perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a King.
“We found this man perverting the nation.” Meaning exciting the nation to riot and uprisings. Now it is really interesting that this was the first charge against him but we NEVER read of him doing anything of the sort – he actually went to great lengths to separate himself and purpose from the state affairs.
Again: In Jesus ministry there was an absolute distinction and separation between church and state.
It’s possible that they accused him of perverting the Nation because the Galileans as a whole and as Josephus reports, were prone to seditions and tumults and the fact that many multitudes were drawn to him may have given the appearance of such.
Then they added that he was ,
“Forbidding to give tribute and that saying that he himself is Christ a king.”
A total lie and a partial truth as he wisely told others to give unto Caesar what is Caesars (to pay tribute) but he did not deny that He was Lord.
But there is a subtle suggestion at play here and that is, if he was making Himself the Messiah (Christ) – “a” King, the inference is that he was also indirectly telling others not to pay taxes to any other King but himself.
Again, this is not true of Jesus, but it could have been true of other religious leaders claiming to be the Christ.
I mean we see it all the time in others (even in this day) who step in and claim that they are the new Messiah and therefore all things should be paid to them.
The charge was probably common, but it could not be assigned to Jesus who clearly maintains that his Kingdom is NOT of this world. So, verse three:
3 And Pilate asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answered him and said, Thou sayest it.
As we move forward into this conversation with Pilate and Jesus I am going to appeal to John’s account because it is far more fleshed out than the other Gospels.
But still here in Luke Jesus stood before the governor who straight up asks him if he is “the King of the Jews.”
This question is related to the accusation that he made himself Christ the King and therefore perverted the Nation bringing sedition and tumults and teachings to not pay taxes or tribute to Caesar.
They Jews had condemned him for blasphemy. It was on this charge that, after consultation, they had agreed to arraign him before Pilate.
We remember that they had condemned him for blasphemy, but they well knew that Pilate would altogether disregard an accusation of that kind.
So they attempted to substitute a totally different accusation from the on which they had found him guilty; to excite the jealousy of the Roman governor, and to procure his death on a false charge of treason against the Roman emperor.
In the King James Jesus replies to the question, “Thou sayest,” which becomes more understandable if we simply add the word right to that, as in, “thou sayest right.” IOW, “You have spoken the truth.”
4 Then said Pilate to the chief priests and to the people, I find no fault in this man.
They had charged him with sedition etc, but in Luke’s account the only thing Pilate asks is if he was “the King of the Jews” – to which Jesus said, that he was.
Obviously, something is missing from the conversation, and that is why we are going to supplement our coverage by looking at John’s account. But first let’s read a little deeper into what Luke has to say. So, after saying that he found no fault “in the man,” Luke adds:
5 And they were the more fierce, saying, He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Jewry, beginning from Galilee to this place.
Apparently in the face of what looked like they were losing their petition to have him put to death, they grew, “more fierce,” more urgent and excited and demanding. They did this in part by adding:
“He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Jewry, beginning from Galilee to this place.”
That line, beginning from Galilee, caught Pilates ear. (verse
6 When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked whether the man were a Galilaean.
As a Galilean, Jesus would have fallen under Herod’s jurisdiction which reigned over Galilee. (verse 7)
7 And as soon as he knew that he belonged unto Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who himself also was at Jerusalem at that time.
This Herod was Herod Antipas, a son of Herod the Great. He was the same “Herod” that put John the Baptist to death.
Jesus lived most of his life in the part of the country Antipas ruled, and it was therefore considered that he belonged to his jurisdiction–that is, that it belonged to Herod, not to Pilate, to try this cause.
So quickly, a rehearsal of the Herod’s.
It all started with a guy named “Herod the Great,” who was the son of a guy named, Antipater.
In 47 BC Julius Caesar made Antipater, a “wily Idumaean,” procurator of Judea, and he ultimately divided his territories between his four sons, with Galilee falling to the lot of Herod the Great, who was later appointed to be tetrarch of Judea by Mark Antony in 40 BC and also King of Judea by the Roman senate.
“Herod the Great” was an extremely cruel brutal man and it was said that he was, “a stranger to all of humanity.”
He was the one who was alarmed by the tidings of one “born King of the Jews,” and he responded by sending forth and “slaying all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under” (according to Matthew 2:16).
He was fond of splendor, especially architectural splendor and lavished great sums of money in rebuilding and adorning the cities of his empire.
He rebuilt the city of Caesarea on the coast, and also the city of Samaria, which he called Sebaste, in honor of Augustus.
Of course he also restored the ruined temple of Jerusalem, a work that he started in 20BC and was not finished till after his death, probably around 50 AD (according to John 2:20).
After a troubled reign of thirty-seven years, Herod the Great died at Jericho, around 4BC, suffering from great agonies both of body and mind.
According to the common chronology, this was the year in which Jesus was born and this in one of the major ways we know his birth was not at 0 BC/AD but rather 3 or 4 years prior.
After his death his kingdom was divided among three of his sons.
Philip had the land east of Jordan, (between Caesarea Philippi and Bethabara) Antipas had Galilee and Peraea, and Archelaus had Judea and Samaria. All were called Herod after their father.
Antipas is the guy Jesus is being sent to by Pilate. Antipas was a bad dude as well, as we know this from his dealings with his brother Philips wife, and the dancing of his step daughter who asked for the head of John the Baptist.
So (verse 8)
8 And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him.
From what he says this paints quite a picture in my mind. I could just see this Herod Antipas sitting on an ornate throne of gold, dressed in all manner of Liberace-like apparel and surrounded by bevies of God-knows-what and him FINALLY getting to see Jesus of Nazareth of whom he had “heard so much about over the course of his reign over Galilee!”
I see his attitude of being like, “oh do give us a little show, Jesus! Please. Just a little trick for old Anti?” (verse 9)
9 Then he questioned with him in many words; but he answered him nothing.
Of all the people Jesus ever dealt with, (outside of the religious rulers of his day), he only once called anyone a name. And this name he applied to Herod Antipas:
Old Fox.
Being the creator of all things including the animals, I find that the creator of the fox, which is such a wiley creature, would assign that name to this human being.
I also find it fascinating that Jesus does not throw down an emotional attack on Herod Antipas for killing John. He doesn’t tell him he is evil or going to hell – He says nothing. Silent before Him – even before His questions.
To me that is power and ultimate self-control. I love and admire it so deeply. And his silence before Herod drove the chief priests and scribes batty (verse 10)
10 And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused him.
They wanted him to say something, anything, to convict himself before Herod – and so they attacked him with words – vehemently, but He was too smart for them and remained . . . silent. (verse 11)
11 And Herod with his men of war set him at nought, and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe, and sent him again to Pilate.
This is an indirect fulfillment of Isaiah 53:3. Unable to get Jesus to speak, Herod, with his bodyguards who probably traveled with him everywhere and whom Luke identifies as his “men of war,”set him at nought, mocked him and put a gorgeous robe upon him (signifying royalty) and sent him back to Pilate.
To “set someone at nought,” means to treat them with contempt and ridicule.
The term “gorgeous” with reference to the robe, probably means a white or shining robe.
The Roman princes wore purple robes, and Pilate therefore put such a robe on Jesus but the Jewish kings wore a white robe, which was often rendered very shining or gorgeous by the tinsel or silver interwoven in the fabric.
Josephus says that the robe which King Agrippa wore was so bright with silver that when the sun shone on it, it so dazzled the eyes that it was difficult to look on it.
The Jews and Romans therefore decked him in the manner appropriate to their own country – all for the purposes of mockery and they sent him back to Pilate. (Verse 12)
12 And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together: for before they were at enmity between themselves.
We cannot say for sure what caused the rift between Pilate and Herod Antipas but it is believed that the cause was when Pilate had some Galileans killed in Jerusalem.
But this sending Jesus back and forth to each other appears to have paved the way toward reconciliation between the two men, sick as that might be.
It is true that otherwise evil men, who are at odds in the world over some thing or another, are known to unite in a common cause against something good and right and so this is not unheard of or unusual. (Verse 13-15)
13 And Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people,
14 Said unto them, Ye have brought this man unto me, as one that perverteth the people: and, behold, I, having examined him before you, have found no fault in this man touching those things whereof ye accuse him:
15 No, nor yet Herod: for I sent you to him; and, lo, nothing worthy of death is done unto him.
In other words, the charges you have all presented to both me and Herod are not proved. He is not worthy of death.
16 I will therefore chastise him and release him.
Which means, “I will therefore scourge or whip him,” an act that was often done in the capital punishment cases as a means to increase the sufferings of the person condemned.
It’s pretty strange that Pilate, first claiming Jesus innocence, says that he will chastise him.
The belief is therefore that this was a conciliatory offer, something to try and appease the Jews bloodthirst while sparing the life of the Lord at the same time.
Perhaps Pilate knew that Jesus had a following and that he was sort of causing some trouble in Jerusalem and this justified his willingness to scourge him.
We don’t really know. All we know is that the offer was made.
Now at this point in Luke’s account, prior to Pilate sending Jesus to be scourged, John includes details not found in the synoptic Gospel that add so much to the narrative between Pilate and our Lord we have to cover them.
So, let me defer to that for a moment found in John 18 and we will start with verse 28 which goes back a bit in the story but adds some important details to the whole trial for us, as it says:
28 Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment: and it was early; and they themselves went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the passover.
This passage proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jesus did NOT participate in a Passover meal the night before his trial because the Passover meal was to occur that evening.
And so, Jesus has been delivered to Pilate but the Jews await outside the palace so as to not be defiled (and therefore rendered unclean by association with the Great unwashed and ineligible to eat the Passover meal that night).
Verse 29-30
29 Pilate then went out unto them, and said, What accusation bring ye against this man?
30 They answered and said unto him, If he were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered him up unto thee.
We see a tug of war of power going on right off that bat between Pilate and the Jewish leaders. He asked them a question and their response was not to answer but to say, if he was not guilty of a wrongdoing we would not have brought him to you.
This is two powers maneuvering for position with the Jews not wanting Pilate to try him (but to simply comply with their wishes that he would be put to death based on their recommendation) and Pilate being unwilling to grant them such power right off the bat.
In any case, because of their answer back to Pilate, he replies (verse 31)
31 You take him and judge him according to your law. The Jews therefore said unto him, It is not lawful for us to put any man to death:
Apparently the Jews had not directly informed him that they had judged him and pronounced him worthy of death and when they responded the way they did he simply told them to take him into their own system of judgment and deal with him.
This would not do, of course, because the Jews wanted him put to death. And so in response to Pilate telling them to handle it, they said,
“It is not lawful for us to put any man to death!”
Meaning, the ROMAN law that you represent won’t allow us to take him and do to him what we think he deserves – death.
So, the ball is back in Pilates hands – but John adds that this was all purposeful, saying (at verse 32):
32 That the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spake, signifying what death he should die.
Meaning, Jesus has said that he was to be delivered into the hands of the Gentiles to be crucified (Matthew 20:19) and that he would “be lifted up” so the manner of death he was to experience was to include crucifixion by the Gentiles with piercings through his hands and lifting him up to fulfill scripture.
None of this could or would have happened if the Jews stoned him.
At this point, according to John’s account, Pilate returns to Jesus and they engage in one of the most dramatic exchanges in scripture – at least from my perspective. (verse 33)
33 Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Are you the King of the Jews?
Strait up. (verse 34)
34 Jesus answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me?
I just love Jesus. He is sitting in the presence of the man who will order his life to be taken, and he flips the question back on Him! Talk about being in a position of control. He actually asks Pilate a question to His question – did you ask this from your own mind or from the comments of others.
In other words, “during all the time that you have been over this area, did you personally ever consider me a threat to the well-being of the Roman Empire or have others whispered this in your ear?”
(verse 35)
35 Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you to me: what have you done?
I read frustration into Pilates reply here. I read anger.
“Am I a Jew? Who are you to question my question with a question. I’ve got a whole bunch of your own people outside clamoring for your death, and you are asking me about who or what motivates me!! You have been delivered to me by your own Nation of priests – what have YOU done?
This response indirectly answers Jesus question though, doesn’t it?
Jesus asked him if he wondered if He was a Jew on his own or from the accusations of others and he says to Jesus:
Am I a Jew? How would I have ever heard about you and your ways. Your own people are outside sending you to me with complaints! This is how I know you claim to be something that troubles them – like a King.
In verse 33 of John 18 Pilate asked Jesus are you the King of the Jews?
This was asked hand in hand with the charge that he was perverting the nation, causing insurrection. And so Jesus now adds (verse 36)
36 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 here.
This answer beautifully covers all of the charges and any possible concerns Pilate could have had about Jesus. He asked him if He was the King of the Jews and Jesus responds with, “My Kingdom,” (which means, yes, I am a King) “but MY kingdom is NOT of this world.”
Ingenious. In other words, Pilate, I am a King but my Kingdom does not reside on this earth, so you have nothing to worry about relative to my reign. And then he adds:
“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 here.”
In other words, IF my kingdom was of or on this earth and part of this world, THEN my followers, servants, and disciples would FIGHT so that I would NOT be delivered up to the Jews like I have been!
In other words, I have been charged with causing tumults and riots and perverting the nation and forbidding paying tribute to Caesar BUT my Kingdom is NOT of this world, and therefore I pose zero threat to you, or Herod or Caesar whom you represent!
All true. All on the record. All irrefutable in terms of him being a non-threat. I have to comment that I wish believers from that day forward would take the words of the Lord to heart and fully realize that His Kingdom is NOT of this world – at all. That his servants or disciples do not fight against flesh and blood, but live to serve, suffer and share.
I could spend all day on that one. But I will spare you. In the face of hearing this we now read at verse 37:
37 Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.
Pilate asks Jesus again if he admits to being a King, and Jesus responds with the affirmation, yes, as you say it, or “Pilate, you have declared the truth,” and he adds:
To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.
Again, “For this reason I was born – to be a King, of another Kingdom that is not of this world, and to bear witness of the truth on this earth because everyone that is of the truth hears my voice.”
At the heart of this, Jesus came to speak and share the truth with the world, and those “who are of the truth” will hear his voice.
What makes a person, OF THE TRUTH? All I can say, from my experience with people, is they want the truth, they seek it, and they desire it over everything else in their lives.
Nothing comes between them and the truth – not comfort, not family, spouse or children, not this world, not luxuries money, wealth or jobs, not friends, not fame, NOTHING takes precedence.
I’ve met great people, kind good citizens who are fantastic parents and citizens, artists and leaders who have no ears for the truth. They are not, therefore, “of the truth,” though they may be fine individuals.
But Jesus tells Pilate right here that the reason he was born was to be a King, of another Kingdom that is not of this world, and to bear witness of the truth on this earth because everyone that is of the truth hears my voice.”
And we will end, and begin next week with what Pilate says in return:
What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all.
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