JESUS IS DELIVERED BY PILATE TO BE CRUCIFIED Luke 23:18-25
The Gospels tell us that Christ was initially found guilty of heresy by the Sanhedrin for declaring Himself the Messiah. He was then brought to Pilate on charges that He misled the people, opposed the payment of taxes to Caesar and maintained that He was a king (23:3). Upon hearing the charges, Pilate asked Christ, "Are you the King of the Jews?" to which Christ
responded, "You say so." We are then told that Pilate addressed the Chief Priests and crowds saying, "I find this man not guilty." When they persisted, Pilate asked if Christ was a Galilean, "and upon learning that he was under Herod's jurisdiction, he sent Him to Herod who was in Jerusalem at that time" (23:7).
It is clear that Pilate, after a brief inquiry, judged Christ not to be guilty of a capital crime and decided to release Him. But when his accusers persisted in claiming that Christ was "inciting the people with his teaching" (23:5), Pilate conveniently decided that the matter fell within Herod's jurisdiction. When Pilate transferred Christ's case to Herod, he believed—as any judge who has transferred a problematic case to another judge does—that the problem was out of his hands. In essence, Pilate took the easiest and most expedient course available to him by shifting the problem to Herod. After all, if Christ was not guilty, He should have been released! Christ's appearance before Herod was uneventful because He refused to answer Herod's questions, was mocked by Herod and his soldiers, and then sent back to Pilate. Imagine Pilate's surprise and annoyance at seeing Christ appear before him a second time!
. In this next section of the gospel according to Luke, we see the Jews clamoring for Jesus’ condemnation and Pilate giving Him up to their blood-thirsty desires (23:21-25).
THE CROWD MAKES ITS CHOICE (23:18-19)
“But the whole crowd shouted, ‘Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!’ (Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.)” (vv. 18-19).
They chose Barabbas over Jesus!
The name Barabbas means “son of Abba.” Pilate thought he would get off the pin of the dilemma by offering to the blood-thirsty Jews the choice between Jesus and an obviously evil and dangerous criminal (Mt 27:15-20; Mk 15:6-11; Jn 18:39-40).
Although this specific uprising is not known, the fact that it is coupled with murder shows the seriousness of Barabba’s deeds (Jn 18:40). He was known as a terrorist and murderer. THE BLOOD-THIRSTY OPPOSITION BECOMES ADAMENT (23:20-21)
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Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” (vv. 20-21)
In all likelihood, their loud cries gave the impression that a riot was beginning to build up. It must have been obvious to Pilate that the situation was becoming increasingly violent and dangerous.
Could it be that many in this crowd had, just a few days before, been crying out "Hosanna" to Jesus? And there are always many people who follow the herd instinct.
It seems incredible that the crowd could so quickly turn against Jesus. But many of them were probably disappointed that this Messiah was not the one they were looking for. They were looking to a Messiah who would free His people—the Jews—from the shackles of the Romans. There is also a tendency for people to tear down the very heroes they have built up.
PILATE DOES NOT GIVE UP IN FREEING JESUS (23:22) Pilate gives the Jews one more chance to come to their senses and free Jesus: “For the third time he spoke to them: “Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release Him” (v. 22).
Pilate makes it clear to the crowd that there is nothing proven against Christ that can at all justify putting Him to death. In fact, Pilate repeats this judgment on several occasions after being prodded by the crowd (23:14-15,22).
But all together they shouted out, "Away with this man!" . . . Again Pilate addressed them, still wishing to release Jesus, but they continued their shouting, "Crucify him! Crucify him!" Pilate addressed them a third time, "What evil has this man done? I find Him guilty of no capital crime. Therefore, I shall have him flogged and then release him."
It is probable that since Jesus was formally justified by his judge and since this decision was publicly known, and even registered, it is evident that Christ died as an innocent person, and not as a malefactor.
After having patiently heard every thing that these wicked men could accuse Him of Pilate tried to have Him released, but the violent mob took and murdered Him.
PILATE GIVES UP AND HANDS JESUS OVER TO THE JEWS TO BE CRUCIFIED (23:23-25)
After three attempts to free Jesus, Pilate finally gives up and hands Him over to the Jews to be crucified:
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But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that He be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. So Pilate decided to grant their demand. He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will.” (vv. 23-25)
John’s version of this event includes some words from the crowd not recorded by Luke. After Pilate again expressed his desire to release Christ, the crowds responded, "If you release him you are not a friend of Caesar. Everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar." When Pilate heard these words, he "brought Jesus out and seated Him on the Judge's bench" and "handed Him over . . . to be crucified" (Jn 19:12-16).
John and the other Gospel writers point out that Pilate had already handed Jesus over to the soldiers to be scourged before He was convicted (Jn 19:1-5). The scourging is Pilate's attempts to ameliorate the people by imposing on Christ some punishment short of death. He now handed Him over to be crucified.
The Gospel of John contains the most explicit references to the judicial nature of the proceedings before Pilate. Its version of Christ's examination by Pilate is the most detailed of all the Gospels, with Pilate asking Christ the questions, “Who are you?” “What is truth?” and, “Where are you from?” (Jn 19:9). As in Luke, Pilate repeatedly states that he finds Christ not guilty: "I am bringing Him out to you, so that you may know I find no guilt in Him." (Jn 19:4). All of the Gospels are consistent in their representation of the fact that Pilate eventually adjudged Christ guilty not because He was actually guilty but because that is what the crowd wanted. In Matthew, for example, we are told that while [Pilate] was still seated on the bench, his wife sent him a message, “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of Him’" (Mt 27:19) after which he offered the people a choice: the release of Barabbas or Jesus.
When Pilate saw that he was not succeeding at all, but that a riot was breaking out instead, he took water and washed his hands in the sight of the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this man's blood. Look to it yourselves." (Mt 27:20-24).
THE JUDGMENT OF HISTORY In the end Pilate proved to be a notoriously unjust judge!
What could be a more unjust judgment than the one rendered by him? Unable to hold onto the correct and just decision he initially made concerning Jesus’ case, Pilate tried to shift responsibility for making such a momentous decision. He did so first by turning the Nazarene over to Herod, and then, to the crowds outside the Praetorium. Instead of having the people judge the case on the evidence—as a jury would—their judgment was to be based on a ridiculous and, as we know, rigged procedure in which they were to choose between prisoners. And after having placed the decision in the hands of the people, Pilate, in an act of cowardice pleaded with them to change their judgment.
Consider what kind of a judge would ask the people in his courtroom to resolve a case, rather than rendering a decision himself? And then to top it off, try to dissuade them because he believes they are wrong.
With the full knowledge that Christ was innocent, Pilate was too afraid to go against the crowd and so he reluctantly condemns Him to death. In his final judgment, Pilate’s moral and judicial cowardice for all to see as he pathetically attempts to shift the responsibility for Christ's death onto the crowd by washing his hands:
“When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. ‘I am innocent of this man’s blood,’ he said. ‘It is your responsibility!’” (Mt 27:24)
The water could not wash away Pilate’s cowardice in abrogating his duty to render a just decision on the merits. Nor could it wash away his pandering to public opinion, repeatedly vacillating and imposing an undeserved sentence. Nor could it wash away gross weakness and incompetence.
Although Jesus points out that the people who handed Christ over to Pilate were guilty of the greater sin (Jn 19:11), that does not absolve him of his guilt in failing to treat an innocent man with justice.
APPLICATION Pilate is a warning to all of us!
We must be loyal and faithful to the One who is always faithful—Jesus Christ. He is a warning not to give in to the crowd when doing the right thing may cost popularity, a promotion, even death.
