WHAT ROLE DID PONTIUS PILATE PLAY IN THE TRIAL OF JESUS? (PART TWO)

What role did Pilate play in Jesus' trial?

Here is the second part of this teaching:

INTRODUCTION:

In this sub-sub-theme, "What role did Pilate play in Jesus' trial?", we continue our sub-theme, "The Conviction of Jesus," which is part of our main theme, "Discovering the Historical and Prophetic Portrait of the Life of Jesus Christ."

Previously, in the first part of this lesson during worship and in the introduction to this lesson, the prophet first guided us through an in-depth study of the Bible to help us understand: "WHO IS PILATE?", then "WHAT FUNCTION DID PILATE PERFORM IN JUDEA?", and finally "WHY WAS JESUS' TRIAL TRANSFERRED TO PILATE?"

All of these lessons are already available on our website. Take the time to read all the teachings on this topic, already available free online on this site for your edification. If you have any questions, please feel free to send them directly to our email address available on this website.

In the second part of this lesson, we will examine the question: "What role did Pilate play in Jesus' trial?" We will explore the Gospels and study Jesus' trial before Pilate step by step, leading up to the final decision that resulted in his condemnation, in order to understand the lessons and prophetic revelations hidden in this historic trial.

WHAT ROLE DID PILATE PLAY IN JESUS' TRIAL?

At Jesus' trial, Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea, played a central role as

the supreme judge of the High Court. This position gave him the ultimate power to determine, through his judgment, whether Jesus should be sentenced to death or not. Although he acknowledged Jesus' innocence throughout the trial, Pilate unfortunately gave in to pressure from the crowd and the Jewish religious leaders and ultimately ordered his crucifixion.

MARK 13:1

So early in the morning the chief priests held a consultation with the elders, the scribes, and the entire council (SANHEDRIN). After binding Jesus, they led him away and handed him over to Pilate.

HERE'S HOW PILATE PROCEEDS TO ARRIVE AT JESUS'S CONDEMNATION:

Jesus' trial before Pilate, from the filing of the case to the final decision, involves the following eight stages:

FIRST STAGE OF JESUS' TRIAL:

JESUS' PRESENTATION BEFORE PILATE:

In the first part, Jesus is bound by Roman soldiers after the failure of the Jewish tribunal called the Sanhedrin. He is taken before the Roman tribunal of Governor Pilate, governor of the province of Judea, to be tried and condemned.

At this stage of the trial, the Jews, unable to condemn Jesus according to their laws due to insufficient evidence, decide to bring him before Pilate, knowing full well that they will use their notoriety to gain his approval and ultimately condemn him.

MATTHEW 27:1

When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death. 2 After binding him, they led him away and handed him over to Pontius Pilate, the governor.

LUKE 23:1-2

1They all got up and brought Jesus before Pilate. 2They began to accuse him, saying, "We found this man stirring up our nation, forbidding tribute to Caesar, and calling himself Christ the king."

SECOND STAGE OF JESUS' TRIAL:

OPENING OF THE CASE AND LIST OF CHARGES:

Arriving at the tribunal where Pilate was sitting, they presented their case to Pilate so that Jesus could be tried and condemned as a criminal.

Pilate asked them, "What do you accuse this man of?"

Here, according to the biblical account in the Gospels, is the list of charges that the religious leaders of the time and the Sanhedrin brought against Jesus before Pilate:

1. A criminal

2. He disturbs the public peace

3. They prevent people from paying taxes to Caesar

4. They proclaim themselves kings of the Jews

5. They claim to be the Messiah, the savior of the Jews.

JOHN 18:29-31

29 So Pilate went out to them and said, "What do you accuse this man of?" 30 They answered him, "If he were not a criminal, we would not have handed him over to you." 31 Pilate then said to them, "Take him yourselves and judge him according to your law."

The Jews said to him, "It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death."

LUKE 23:1-2

1They all got up and brought Jesus before Pilate. 2They began to accuse him, saying, "We found this man stirring up our nation, preventing tribute from being paid to Caesar, and calling himself Christ the king."

So before the Roman tribunal, represented by the governor Pilate,

the Jews accused Jesus of five political and economic charges.

A CRIMINAL:

First, they portrayed him as a criminal, someone who refused to submit to the laws of the Roman Empire.

REBEL, DISTURBATOR, AND AGITATOR:

Second, they portrayed him as a disturber of public order, in other words, a rebel, an agitator. They incited the crowd to revolt, which was extremely dangerous, and the Roman authorities paid great attention to such crimes.

TEACHING AGAINST THE CAESAR TAX:

Third, they accused him of having led a malicious campaign against Caesar's tax through his teachings, inciting the population not to pay it, which was all the more serious because it was a crime against the country's economy and, above all, against the Roman government.

PROCLAIMS HIMSELF KING OF THE JEWS:

Fourth, they accused him of proclaiming himself king of the Jews, which made him a rebel, a serious political offense in the eyes of the Roman authorities.

PROCLAIMS HIMSELF AS SAVIOR AND MESSIAH:

Fifth, they presented him as the Messiah, that is, the savior of the Jews. In other words,

he had come to put an end to Roman rule, which constituted a further serious political offense to the ruling power.

IMPORTANT TO KNOW ABOUT ALL THESE ACCUSATIONS:

In all the accusations brought against Jesus before Pilate, we see that the Jewish leaders and the Sanhedrin attempted to portray him as a major criminal and evildoer, that is, as someone seeking to challenge the power of Pilate and the Roman emperor. According to them, he committed serious political and economic crimes against the ruling power and the country, deserving a trial and the death penalty according to the Roman laws of the time.

THIRD STAGE OF JESUS' TRIAL:

PILATE REFUSES TO JUDGE AND CONDEMN JESUS:

After hearing all their accusations against Jesus, according to the Scriptures, we see Pilate refuse the responsibility of judging and condemning Jesus. Pilate told his religious leaders and the members of the Sanhedrin in John 18:31: "Then Pilate said to them, 'Take him yourselves and judge him according to your law.' The Jews answered him, 'It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death.'"

Thus, the Sanhedrin and the religious leaders refused to return with Jesus or release him, using their social position to force Pilate to try and condemn him. Finally, under pressure from his religious leaders, the members of the Sanhedrin, and the crowd, Pilate relented and conducted one of the most complex trials in human history.

LUKE 23:4-5

4 Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowd, "I find no fault in this man." 5 But they persisted, saying, "He is stirring up the people by teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee, where he began, to this place."

This was the only time the Supreme Judge defended a condemned man without being able to free him. A true Messiah, named Jesus Christ, was condemned to death by cricifiction—a death inflicted on criminals of his time, even without witnesses or evidence. They were executed by his enemies, who wanted him gone because his presence would disturb them and their affairs.

FOURTH STAGE OF THE TRIAL OF JESUS:

INTERROGATION OF JESUS BEFORE PILATE;

Traditionally, as in any trial, there is the person bringing the case, the accused, the lawyers, the witnesses, the physical evidence, and the judges.

The account of Jesus' trial before Pontius Pilate is found primarily in the four Gospels: Matthew 27, Mark 15, Luke 23, and John 18-19. During his trial, Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea, interrogated Jesus and, under pressure from the crowd, religious leaders, and the Sanhedrin, finally condemned him to crucifixion, while acknowledging his innocence.

TRIAL PROCEDURE:

In any trial, the plaintiff always begins by explaining himself by citing or naming the accusations against the accused person. The judge then proceeds with the interrogation to allow him to establish the truth and rule fairly. This is the same procedure used by Pilate to settle the case between Jesus and his enemies, his accusers.

BEGINNING OF THE INTERROGATION:

Pilate questioned Jesus about the accusations brought against him, particularly that of being the "king of the Jews." This was indeed one of the most serious accusations, since claiming to be king of the Jews constituted a serious political offense under Roman law, punishable by death.

This stage of the interrogation was very important in Jesus' trial because it allowed Pilate to discover who Jesus Christ really was. During these interrogations, Pilate understood that Jesus was merely an innocent man and, according to the Scriptures, even sought to free him.

LUKE 23:3-5

Pilate questioned him, saying, "Are you the king of the Jews?" Jesus answered, "You say so." 4 Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowd, "I find no fault in this man." 5 But they persisted, saying, "He is stirring up the people by teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee, where he began, to this place."

In the technicality of the questions, Pilate was not seeking to trap Jesus, but rather to save him, for, according to him, they knew that Jesus would effectively defend himself against all these accusations by rejecting them.

But what is surprising about these trials is that Jesus himself did not want to be saved from this death, for when he is questioned by Pilate, in his answers we see a Jesus who is not seeking to defend himself, but rather to confirm certain points, like the king of the Jews who also put Pilate in a difficult position to save or free him.

MATTHEW 27:11-14

11 Jesus appeared before the governor (PILATE). The governor questioned him and said, "Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus answered him, "You say so." 12 But he made no reply to the accusations of the chief priests and elders. 13 Then Pilate said to him, "Do you not hear how many things they accuse you of?" 14 And Jesus did not answer a single word, to the great astonishment of the governor.

MARK 13:2-4

Pilate questioned him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus answered him, "You say so." 3 The chief priests brought many accusations against him. 4 Pilate questioned him again, "Do you not answer anything? See how many things they accuse you of!" 5 And Jesus made no further reply, to the great astonishment of Pilate.

FIFTH STAGE OF JESUS' TRIAL:

JESUS TRANSFERRED TO HEROD, KING OF GALILEE:

During Jesus' trial before Pilate, it was discovered that he was not from the province of Judea, but from the province of Galilee. Indeed, he was originally from Galilee, more precisely from Nazareth, his parents' hometown, where he had grown up and begun his ministry, and where he had also spent much of his life and ministry.

Therefore, according to the law, if he were from Galilee, he would normally have been a judge in Galilee and would have judged according to the jurisdiction of his province, Galilee. Pilate therefore saw fit to transfer him to the tribunal of his king, Herod, who was then ruling in Galilee.

But by a strange coincidence, Pilate noticed that Herod was on vacation in Jerusalem. So he sent Jesus to his home to judge the case, because he was a Jewish citizen of his territory. He therefore had the right to judge and condemn Jesus according to the jurisdictions of the province of Galilee.

According to the Gospel of Luke, Herod was filled with joy when he saw Jesus.

He eagerly desired to see him again because of what he had heard about him and hoped that he would perform miracles for him. But he was disappointed because Jesus refused to perform any miracles during his stay.

He then asked him many questions, but, according to the account, Jesus did not answer him. The chief priests and scribes were there, vehemently accusing him, and Herod and his servants treated him with contempt.

After mocking him and dressing him in bright garments to mock his royalty, they sent him back to Pilate. That same day, Pilate and Herod became friends after longtime enemies.

During his interrogation and trial, Herod found nothing unusual that would have led him to condemn Jesus according to the Roman courts in Galilee. He therefore sent Jesus back to Pilate for his final sentence, thus giving Pilate even more power to legally decide the fate of Jesus of Nazareth. Thus, Jesus was brought back before Pilate for the final decision.

LUKE 23:3-17

3 Pilate asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus replied, "You say so." 4 Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowd, "I find no fault in this man." 5 But they persisted, saying, "He is stirring up people with his teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee, where he began, to this place." 6 Having heard about Galilee, Pilate asked if this man was a Galilean. 7 When he learned that he was under Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him back to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time.

8 When Herod saw Jesus, he was very pleased, for he longed to see him because of what he had heard about him, and he hoped to see a sign. 9 He questioned him at length, but Jesus gave him no answer. 10 The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him. 11 Herod and his servants despised him, 12 That same day, Pilate and Herod became friends, even though they had been enemies.

13 Pilate, having called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, 14 said to them, "You have brought this man to me as one who is annoying. And behold, I have examined him before you, and I have found him guilty of none of the crimes of which you accuse him. 15 Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us, and behold, this man has done nothing worthy of death. 16 Therefore, after having him flogged, I will release him.” 17 At each festival, he was obliged to release one prisoner to them.

SIXTH STAGE OF JESUS' TRIAL:

PILATE ACKNOWLEDGES JESUS'S INNOCENCE:

Jesus was not condemned by the Jewish Sanhedrin due to lack of evidence. He was then brought before Pilate for a final judgment, which resulted in his death sentence.

Throughout this trial, we see the supreme judge, Governor Pilate, pleading and acknowledging Jesus' innocence in the face of all the accusations brought against him before his tribunal. In the Gospels, Pilate repeatedly states that he finds no fault in Jesus that would justify his death sentence.

The saddest part of this story is that, despite his innocence being acknowledged by the supreme judge, Pilate, he was nonetheless sentenced to death. For despite his innocence, neither Pilate, nor Caesar, nor Herod king of Galilee, nor the crowd could save Jesus from the death sentence, because the religious leaders, along with the Sanhedrin, used their notoriety to influence Jesus' execution and death by crucifixion.

LUKE 23:3-5

Pilate questioned him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus replied, "You say so." 4 Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowd, "I find no fault in this man." 5 But they persisted, saying, "He is stirring up the people by teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee, where he began, to this place."

LUKE 23:13-25

13 Then Pilate gathered together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people, 14 and said to them, "You brought this man to me as a seditious man. And behold, I have examined him before you, and I have found him guilty of none of the crimes of which you accuse him. 15 Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us, and behold, this man has done nothing worthy of death. 16 Therefore, I will release him after having him flogged.” 17 At every festival, he was obliged to release a prisoner to them. 18 They all shouted together, “Kill this man and release Barabbas to us.”19 This man had been imprisoned for a sedition that had broken out in the city, and for murder. 20 Pilate spoke to them again, wanting to release Jesus. 21 And they shouted, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” 22 Pilate said to them the third time,“What evil has he done? I have found nothing worthy of death in him. Therefore, I will scourge him and release him.” » 23But they cried out with a loud voice, demanding that he be crucified. And their cries became even louder. 24Then Pilate decided that what they had asked for would be done. 25He released the one they had asked for, the one who was imprisoned for sedition and murder, and delivered Jesus over to their will.

7TH STAGE OF THE TRIAL OF JESUS:

ATTEMPT TO FREE JESUS:

Pilate attempted to take advantage of the Easter custom of releasing a prisoner to avoid condemning Jesus, by offering the people a choice between Jesus or Barabbas, another prisoner. It was clear that the people would certainly choose the death of the criminal Barnabas, but once again, in an unprecedented move, the people preferred Barnabas' release and voted for Jesus' crucifixion.

In Luke 23, Pilate, overwhelmed and confused about the right decision to make, tries at all costs to avoid the burden of the death of this innocent man. He therefore seeks to preserve his conscience and shift the blame onto the crowd and Jesus' enemies who were accusing him.

According to Luke 23, he insists three times on Jesus's innocence and tries to convince the crowd, the magistrates, the Sanhedrin, and the religious leaders that Jesus is innocent and does not deserve the death penalty imposed on the empire's true criminal.

But too late, the condemnation machine is already in motion, and nothing can stop it. The pressure mounts and continues to mount, to the point that Pilate, fearing unrest in the city on his territory, finally gives in, washing his hands of the matter, of course.

FINAL STAGE OF JESUS' TRIAL:

FINAL DECISION OF THE HIGH COURT:

After a very long and complex trial, without witnesses or evidence, and convinced of Jesus' innocence, the supreme judge of the High Court, Pilate, accompanied by his magistrates, was to decide the case and deliver his final decision to the people and Jesus' accusers before his tribunal.

According to the biblical account, Pilate initially attempted to save Jesus from the death penalty using several strategies. He began by strategically questioning him to demonstrate his innocence to those present at the trial. He then addressed the magistrates, the crowd, the religious leaders, the elders, and the entire Sanhedrin to make them understand that the man was innocent and should be freed.But all these efforts were in vain, as the crowd, the religious leaders, and all the elders were deeply motivated by the desire to kill Jesus.

Pilate then informed them of his decision to release Jesus after beating them, but they all refused. Pilate then played his last card. After careful consideration, he proposed, according to the Easter custom, to release a prisoner to avoid Jesus' condemnation, offering the people the choice between Jesus and Barabbas, another prisoner. It was clear that the people would certainly choose the death of the criminal Barnabas, but once again, they preferred his release and voted for Jesus' crucifixion.

Pilate was therefore forced to make a decision contrary to his trial because, according to the trial, Jesus was innocent and should be released, but according to the people and the religious leaders, Jesus was guilty and deserved the death penalty. Thus, Pilate declared Jesus guilty by default.

Faced with the insistence of the crowd and the religious leaders, Pilate finally relented and condemned Jesus to crucifixion, symbolically washing his hands to show that he was not responsible for his death.

Pilate finally gave the order for his crucifixion, which led to his execution. For nothing could prevent him from condemning Jesus. Pressure from the religious leaders and the people intensified, to the point that Pilate, fearing unrest in the city on his territory, finally gave in, washing his hands of the matter, of course.

Stay tuned, we'll talk about Jesus' crucifixion soon.