Jesus Before Pilate

Jesus before Pilate. On top of suffering in Gethsemane, now it was time to bring Jesus before Pilate. What irony! In the very hour of saving man from hell, and thus earning the right from the Father to judge men, he will himself be judged by man!

Jesus willed himself to be alive. The suffering in Gethsemane was enough to snuff out any spark of life in any mortal body, Jesus’ included. What kept him alive? It was his determination to accomplish everything which his Father had given him to do. Being a man, he would have died. Being a god, he chose to keep life in a doomed tabernacle. Being a man with a wrecked body he was under constant and limitless pain. Being a God, he chose not to pass out - away from the un-endurable suffering. Being a sinner-by-proxy (though he himself was absolutely pure), meant that he could not use any of the merciful escape-routes that he, himself, designed for us, to limit our pains; he could not pray for forgiveness, since none of the tormenting sins that he bore was his own! He had to meet them all, head-on! His suffering had to be endless, so that no-one, ever, would have power on him by claiming that his sacrifice was not all-inclusive.

Jesus was taken. Such was the pre-existing suffering of Jesus as he was taken and bound in Gethsemane. The guards who came for the Lamb was so terrified of him that they fell over backwards at his slightest movement. But since Jesus did not resist in the least, it wouldn’t be long before they had Jesus before Pilate.
Remember, as you see the humiliation that Jesus endured, that he had the choice to call upon the Father for help, at any time, knowing that he would have been saved, all be it at the expense of all people ever to live upon the earth.

10 Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus. (John 18:10)

51 And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him. (Luke 22:51)

53 Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?  (Math 26: 53)

Malchus, the servant of the High Priest, when he had his ear restored to its proper place, is it not likely that he felt awkward arresting the man who healed him, and carry Jesus before Caiphas? But why is there no record of him refusing to do so? What more witness did he need?

57 And they that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled.

The witnesses. They tried witness after witness, trying lie upon lie, but they were so unprepared in their conspiracy that they contradicted each other, and just put themselves and the teachers and priests of the Jews to open shame.

59 Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death;
60 But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none… (Math 26: 59-60)

The situation was so embarrassing to them that they were prepared to run with anything!

61 …at the last came two false witnesses, and said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days. .

62 And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee? (Math 26: 61-62)

The silent treatment. The High Priest did not know that Jesus had talked about destroying the temple of God - being his own body of flesh and bones, and to rise again on the third day. And Jesus was not about to tell him.

63 But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.

64 Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. (Math 26: 63-64)

Jesus was reluctant to be reactive in his responses. Why? When a question was put to him, the question could be angled to trap him, or put in such a tone that whatever true answer he would give, it would sound pathetic to the listener. So instead of satisfying the High Priest by giving an answer that would ring pathetic because of the slimy way the question was put, he plugged the question with the brilliant; “thou hast said”. Thereafter he becomes the active teacher, with two purposes, firstly, to state the truth, and secondly, to give the High Priest what he needed in order to mature in wickedness, unto the sacrificing of Jesus, which was inevitable. It is interesting to see how Jesus acts the Judge when he is judged by man!

65 Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy.

66 What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death.

67 Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands,

68 Saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee? (Math 26: 65-68)

It was not blasphemy. If anyone, but the Jehovah, had said the words that Jesus said to the High Priest, it would have been blasphemous, and it would have been worthy of death, according to their laws. But remember; the voice from Heaven had declared his divinity. For three years Jesus went about doing the works of the great Jehovah. He did not hide it. Everybody in the land knew about it. Thousands of witnesses testified about his miracles. The heavens had backed up his statements for years. So, when he said it this time, it was nothing new, it was not standing alone. But it was seized upon by an opportunistic and power-hungry priest, backed up by everybody with political, economical and religious ambitions.

69 Now Peter sat without in the palace: and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee. (Math 26:69)

57 And he denied him, saying, Woman, I know him not.

58 And after a little while another saw him, and said, Thou art also of them. And Peter said, Man, I am not.

59 And about the space of one hour after another confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth this [fellow] also was with him: for he is a Galilaean.

60 And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew.

61 And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.

62 And Peter went out, and wept bitterly. (Luke 22:57-62)

That look from Jesus must have followed Peter for the rest of his life! But again, let us not forget that if Peter would have stood up and said: “Yes, I am with him. Don’t you touch him!”, most likely he would have been judged by man, and killed the same day, as would anyone standing up for Jesus. So if it was out of fear or wisdom, let us not judge. Instead, let us pity the heartbroken man, and judge the courage and devotion with which he served the risen Lord until the day he himself died a martyr. And let us remember that Peter will not be judged by man, but by the Son of Man, and he will be on his right hand.

63 And the men that held Jesus mocked him, and smote him. (Luke 22:63)

Did they mock Jesus even more when they saw Peter deny him? Did they laugh at him when his most powerful follower ran away, weeping?

The Chief Priests delivers Jesus before Pilate;

1 WHEN the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death:

2 And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor.

11 And Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest.

12 And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing.

13 Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee?

14 And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marveled greatly.

15 Now at that feast the governor was wont to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they would.

16 And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas.

17 Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ?

18 For he knew that for envy they had delivered him.

19 When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.

20 But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus.

21 The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas. (Math 27:1,2,11-21)

Now, look at this irony of ironies. There he was, Jesus, pure and undefiled. He claimed to be Jehovah, the Messiah, and the Son of the Eternal Father. Everyone in the great throngs knew who he was. Most of them had been saved by him directly, or had family or friends saved from sickness or death by him. One would think that he would be a strong contender for being let loose that day. And then there was that other man; a murderer and a rapist; Feared and despised by all. And he was bearing that name; Bar-Abbas; Hebrew for “Son of the Father”! The real Son of the Father, in all holiness and power is turned down, as the people chose the counterfeit “Son of the Father”, even the murderer: Barabbas!

And thus it was when truth and justice was railroaded with Jesus before Pilate.

22 Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified.

23 And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified.

24 When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.

25 Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children. (Math 27: 22-25)

Jesus was judged by the high priests, Pilate, and the merciless mob. Do we want to be judged by man? The Father appointed the one to be our judge whose love withstood it all.

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