103. Pilate, Herod

[Pastor Ralph]

Please share your thoughts on one or more of the questions in this lesson. 

[AlamoIlliniRx]

1.    What charges do the leaders of the Sanhedrin bring against Jesus before Pilate? (Luke 23:2) Which of these were true or partly true? ..all the charges were false. the sanhedrin were the purveyors of "fake news" 

2.    Why doesn't Jesus answer unambiguously when Pilate asks him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" Why does he answer with," Thou sayest"? (Luke 23:3)....Jesus knew His fate. He used the time to illustrate the character of satan and his angels who were motivating the hatred of the jewish leaders.

3.    Why does Pilate send Jesus to Herod Antipas? (Luke 23:6-12)....to seek political support. 

4.    Why doesn't Jesus answer any of Herod's questions? (Luke 23:9).....he knew his fate.  he knew that herod was 100% politician and 100% corrupt.  The silence of Jesus exposes the character of herod which reflected character of satan.

5.    What kind of power do Jesus' enemies exert over Pilate? Why does Pilate finally give in? (Luke 23:23-24)....Pilate was a 100% politician and 100% corrupt.  

6.    In what way is releasing Barabbas ironic? (Luke 23:18-19, 25).  Barrabbas was a criminal and deserved death.  Jesus was not a criminal.

7.    What are we as disciples supposed to learn from this sordid story of Jesus' trial before Roman justice?.  Discipleship to Jesus Christ has a price of not receiving Justice from government and from false religions and churches.

8.    Who is responsible for Jesus' condemnation to death? The Jewish leaders? All Jews? Pilate? Herod? Others?...the jewish leaders and the people who demanded pilate crucify Jesus.

[Irmela]

1.  What charges do the leaders of the Sanhedrin bring against Jesus before Pilate? (Luke 23:2) Which of these were true or partly true?

*He perverts, corrupts, misleads the people.  ... This was certainly not so. Jesus attended the synagogue meeting just like the others, He abides by the "laws/rules" as set out BUT does not hold to the bits and pieces that have been added by man. So the man made rules and thoughts added to the original LAW were not adhered to by Jesus. 

*He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar. ... This too is not so. When He had been asked if it was lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, He had asked them whose inscription was on the coin. Then He said render to Caesar what is his and to God what is His. 

*He claims to be Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed One, a King ...  For the Jews claiming the titles Son of Man or Son of God would be blasphemous but for the Romans it was much more important to say he caims to be a king, as this could have political implications and should not be ignored. 

[hanks]

1. What charges do the leaders of the Sanhedrin bring against Jesus before Pilate? (Luke 23:2) Which of these were true or partly true? 
The Sanhedrin had accused Jesus of blasphemy, but they knew that this would have no impact before Pilate, what was needed were political charges that would have a greater chance of a conviction. Pilate wouldn't sentence a man to death merely on the basis of a theological issue. So, three political charges were now brought against Him by the religious leaders. First of all, they accused Him of perverting the nation, that is, of turning the loyalty of the people away from Rome. Secondly, they said that He forbade Jews to pay taxes to Caesar. Finally, they accused Him of making Himself a King. The irony is that the first accusation - that Jesus was subverting the nation, leading the people to ruin - was completely unfounded. No way did Jesus ever try to turn the people’s loyalty away from Rome. On the contrary He taught obedience to those in power. The fact that He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar was a downright lie, as is clear from (20:25). Another lie was that He claims to be a king, in a political sense. His entire ministry had a strong emphasis on such qualities as humility, service, self-denial. He was claiming to be a King, in the spiritual sense, to be the Messiah, was absolutely true. 
 

[hanks]

2. Why doesn't Jesus answer unambiguously when Pilate asks Him, "Are You the king of the Jews?" Why does He answer with," Thou sayest"? (Luke 23:3) 
We have to go back to Luke 22:70, where Jesus admitted He was the Son of God. They could now accuse Him of blasphemy; the sin of claiming to be God or of attacking God's authority and majesty in any way. In Jewish law, the penalty for blasphemy was death, but the Jews were under Roman power and they did not have the authority to put prisoners to death. To get the death penalty they had to take Jesus to Pilate, but the problem was he would not be the least bit interested in a religious charge such as blasphemy. They had to get a political charge against Him, so they came up with a new indictment, treason - this Jesus is claiming to be king. So, Pilate asks Jesus “Are You the king of the Jews”. He wants to see if Jesus’ accusers are right that He is a revolutionary who wishes to overthrow Rome and make Himself king. Now, had Jesus given a direct affirmation of the question, and said YES, the proceedings would have ended, and Pilate would have had the legal right to sentence Him to die. However, I think that before Jesus answered Pilate, He had clearly differentiated between a civil and a spiritual kingdom, having told Pilate that His Kingdom was not of this world (John 18:36). His answer “Thou sayest” then was an affirmative answer (22:70). Jesus does not deny He is King. We see the same question and answer in Matthew 27:11, and Mark 15:2, only John 18:34 gives more details. Pilate did not see Him as a threat to the Roman authorities and consequently of no further interest, and declares Jesus not guilty. 
 

[hanks]

3. Why does Pilate send Jesus to Herod Antipas? (Luke 23:6-12) 
Pilate saw through the motives of the religious leaders, and told the chief priests and the crowd that he could find no fault with Jesus. The mob became now more insistent and violent, accusing Jesus of stirring up disloyalty, being a leader of a rebellion that was stirring people up against Rome. This was a crime that any Roman governor would be concerned with. As soon as Pilate heard the word Galilee, he thought he had found an escape route for himself. Galilee was Herod's jurisdiction, and so Pilate tried to avoid any further involvement in this case by turning Jesus over to Herod. It so happened that Herod was visiting in Jerusalem at that very time. So, he sent Jesus to Herod, because Jesus was from Galilee, the area where Herod ruled. 
 

[hanks]

4. Why doesn't Jesus answer any of Herod's questions? (Luke 23:9) 
Herod was apparently looking forward to meeting Jesus. Earlier, word reached him that Someone was performing mighty miracles in his territory, later learning that this was Jesus (9:7-9). Herod governed Galilee, where Jesus spent most of His ministry. He had countless opportunities to hear Jesus again and again, since Jesus had spoken openly to vast crowds, not in secret meetings in hidden places. All this led Jesus to understand the truth about Herod: he was not seeking sincere answers. He was interested in Jesus only as a famous man, as a miracle worker, wanting Jesus to prove Himself, demanding a miracle. So, at this point Herod only wanted to hear from Jesus what he wanted to hear (he questioned Him with many words). Jesus knew that Herod was a despicable, shallow man and had therefore nothing to say to Him. He was the same man who murdered John the Baptist, and now regarded Jesus as a performer for his own entertainment. But when Jesus refused to speak, His enemies, the chief priests and the scribes, talked all the louder and the more incessantly, vehemently accusing Him before Herod. Herod, too, could find no basis for any charge against Jesus, but he did not set Him free. Instead, he shows his true nature, being utterly disgusted with our Lord, Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked Him. 
 

[hanks]

5. What kind of power do Jesus' enemies exert over Pilate? Why does Pilate finally give in? (Luke 23:23-24) 
Pilate believes Jesus is innocent of any real crime, and he wants to release our Lord, but the crowd is adamant in demanding His death. He thought the Jewish leaders wanted to get rid of a rival, and offers to have Jesus whipped, but they will not have anything to do with it, demanding His death. No matter what he said the vicious demands of the mob drowned him out, they persisted in demanding the death of the Son of God. “And their shouts prevailed” (23:23b), that is the constant prompting by the chief priests, scribes, and elders, the screams of the mob demanding that Jesus be crucified became louder and louder until at last they drowned out whatever opposition there may have been. “Crucify Him, crucify Him” (23:21b). Now, he becomes afraid that if he does not give in to their demands, he could have a riot on his hands. At this stage, this is the last thing he can afford; a riot in Jerusalem at Passover time, when the city was crowded with Jews from all over the Roman empire. The Roman authorities had already warned him about tensions in the region. Then there was the threat that they would report him to Caesar (John 19:12). The pressure was too great, and even after affirming His innocence, Pilate finally gives in to their demands, and he hands our Lord Jesus Christ over to the mob, to be crucified.  
 

[hanks]

6. In what way is releasing Barabbas ironic? (Luke 23:18-19, 25). 
This shocking travesty of justice is highlighted even more when one considers the release of a rebel, a murderer, and the sentence of death pronounced upon our Saviour. It was customary at Passover for the governor to release a prisoner, and Pilate had another prisoner on hand, Barabbas, a robber (John 18:40), a murderer, and an insurrectionist (23:19), who he offered the Jews as a compromise. Thinking that the Jews would never want him released, but the hatred for Jesus was so great that they demanded the death of Jesus instead. It’s ironic that Barabbas actually committed the very crime Jesus is charged with, and they want to free the guilty party and crucify the innocent man. The very name of Barabbas is supreme irony, as it means “son of the father,” who will be released instead of the true “Son of the Father/God,” Jesus. If ever there was a person who could say for certain that “Jesus died for me,” it was Barabbas. He knew Jesus died on his behalf, the innocent for the guilty. 
 

[hanks]

7. What are we as disciples supposed to learn from this sordid story of Jesus' trial before Roman justice? 
I can see us, as disciples, pictured in this story of Jesus’ trial. Jesus, an innocent man, the holy Lamb of God, has been put to death in our place. None of us deserves to be saved, like Barabbas, we are all sinners, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23). We have sinned in thought, word and deed against the Lord God Almighty - not just once but many, many times. We are the ones that deserve to die “for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (6:23). But we rejoice as “God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom 5:8). And as we consider the wonders of God’s grace when He transfers our sin to the Lord Jesus Christ, and cloths us with His precious robe of righteousness. “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). 
 

[hanks]

8. Who is responsible for Jesus' condemnation to death? The Jewish leaders? All Jews? Pilate? Herod? Others?
 Jesus prayed to the Father, asking to reveal if there is any other way by which sinners can be saved, than by Him (Jesus) going to the cross. The heavens were silent, because there was no other way. Yet it was not their will; it was, as Jesus prayed in Gethsemane, God’s will (22:42). Gethsemane was in anticipation of Calvary. The work of redemption was accomplished during the three hours of darkness on the cross. Out of love, God had pre-programmed our salvation, before creation He planned every step of the way, and He was primarily responsible for Jesus’ condemnation to death. The Jewish leaders, the Jews, Pilate, Herod, Judas, and others who played a role were secondary role players. They were all responsible for their own evil deeds, which God allow to occur, bringing His plan to completion. They were the secondary players. 
 

[Irmela]

2. Why doesn't Jesus answer unambiguously when Pilate asks him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" Why does he answer with," Thou sayest"? (Luke 23:3)

Jesus knows the hearts of people. He knew the thinking process of this man also. Jesus gives him a chance and lets him think it through himself and thereby reach his own conclusion. 

Each of the Gospel writers is basically saying "you are stating the fact", believe it if you will. John does broaden out that Jesus says that His Kingdom is not of this world. 

Jesus gives no right/need, as it were, to Pilate to fault Him. (He is not a stirrer or trying to get people to revolt against Rome etc) 

[Irmela]

 

3. Why does Pilate send Jesus to Herod Antipas? (Luke 23:6-12)

Galilee fell under Herod's jurisdiction and Herod was a higher authority than Pilate. 

This was an unpleasant matter  and Pilate saw no need for the death penalty. He was more than relieved when he could hand over the matter to Herod. 

4. Why doesn't Jesus answer any of Herod's questions? (Luke 23:9)

Herod is interested in entertainment, not truth. Jesus is silent before him and does not give in to the taunts and accusations made by "all and sundry". 

Jesus ignores the empty assertions of Herod and the chief priests and scribes. 

He means business and is not there for entertainment. Today also. 

[Irmela]

5. What kind of power do Jesus' enemies exert over Pilate? Why does Pilate finally give in? (Luke 23:23-24)

It is basically the drive exerted by  the chief priests and scribes, the Jewish leaders, that causes Pilate to give in to their request to crucify Jesus. According to Pilate and Herod, Jesus is innocent. Yet these people force Him to be punished in the most cruel way. Scourged flogged and finally crucified. That's the outside pain. Then also, the mocking, taunting, blasphemous shouting etc..... mental torture. 

Pilate sees if he does not give in there will be a riot and he needs to prevent that at all cost. 

 

[Irmela]

6. In what way is releasing Barabbas ironic? (Luke 23:18-19, 25).

Some manuscripts refer to Barabbas as being JESUS BARABBAS. 

Here we have two people with the same name. 

1) Jesus Barabbas (Jesus son of the father) who was imprisoned for insurrection in the city and for murder. 

2) Jesus Son of the Father (God), who was falsely accused of the deeds Barabbas had actually done. 

Now the people were shouting and demanding the RELEASE of the real criminal, (the one who was a danger to Rome, and who was a murderer) and demanding the crucifixion of the innocent One. 

Pilate eventually gave in to their demands out of fear for losing his job. 

[Irmela]

6. In what way is releasing Barabbas ironic? (Luke 23:18-19, 25).

Some manuscripts refer to Barabbas as being JESUS BARABBAS. 

Here we have two people with the same name. 

1) Jesus Barabbas (Jesus son of the father) who was imprisoned for insurrection in the city and for murder. 

2) Jesus Son of the Father (God), who was falsely accused of the deeds Barabbas had actually done. 

Now the people were shouting and demanding the RELEASE of the real criminal, (the one who was a danger to Rome, and who was a murderer) and demanding the crucifixion of the innocent One. 

Pilate eventually gave in to their demands out of fear for losing his job. 

[Irmela]

 

7.  What are we as disciples supposed to learn from this sordid story of Jesus' trial before Roman justice?

1) Justice as in real justice is not necessarily to be expected. Court systems can be corrupt and false charges taken to be true

2). As Jesus was persecuted, we too can expect persecution. Just because we are followers of Christ does not mean we are exempt of persecution. 

3) Jesus shows us how to behave in the midst of excruciating circumstances. He shows us how to conduct ourselves. 

4) Christ's suffering was not in vain. Our suffering too, will not be in vain. 

 

8.  Who is responsible for Jesus' condemnation to death? The Jewish leaders? All Jews? Pilate? Herod? Others?

Ultimately you can choose who you want to put the blame on. Somehow in your judging you will find the responsible party. BUT Jesus came for just that, to give Himself as the Pure Lamb to be sacrificed once for all. He took the sin of the whole world upon Himself. And gave Himself. 

He could have come down from the cross and what would have been achieved. LOVE FOR MANKIND HELD HIM TO THE CROSS. 

[Katy]

Q1. The assembly accused Jesus of subverting the nation by opposing the payment of taxes to Caesar, this was not the truth  . Jesus had told them that they must give first place to God and them to Caesar. They also accused Him of blasphemy by claiming to be the Messiah, which of course was true. However they knew that this would not be judged by Pilate as it was a religious infringement and he would only be interested and judge a political offence.

[Katy]

Q2. I think Jesus is drawing Pilate into conversation by not confirming outright but neither denying that He is a king. In John’s gospel Jesus says “ My kingdom is not of this world”, He is telling Pilate that He is king of Heaven but also that He is no threat to Roman law. He is not here to lead a rebellion against Rome. Pilate can sense this and finds no fault in Him. Pilate doesn’t inquire any further into the King standing in front of Him and misses the greatest opportunity of His life, he is too focused on guarding what was important to him on this earth. Power, position and popularity. 
Q3. Jesus was from Galilee. When Pilate found this out he saw a way to escape from the responsibility of deciding what to do with this Man that He knew was not guilty of anything which deserved a sentence of death. So he decided to send Jesus to Herod Antipas who was tetrarch of Galilee and Perea. It is seen as an honour to Herod for Pilate to refer this case to him.

Q4.To Herod, Jesus was a curiosity. He had heard about Jesus and was interested in seeing Him, Herod was hoping that Jesus would perform a miracle for him to witness. All Herod is interested in is being entertained. He had no interest in seeking out the truth. Jesus is well aware of all that is going on in Herod’s mind and his cohorts around him. Jesus remains silent and by doing so fulfils prophecy in Isaiah 53v 7,” He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so He did not open His mouth”.

Q5. Pilate knows Jesus is innocent but because of the demands of the crowds, he decides to punish Jesus for causing a nuisance, he planned to have Him whipped and them release Him. But the crowd were up in arms yelling and shouting , their mood is turning ugly. Pilate is under pressure he will be in serious trouble if a riot is started especially during this time of Passover with so many people in Jerusalem. Pilate could be in danger of losing his position of power if a riot happened at this time. The crowds roared louder and louder, and nothing Pilate suggested was acceptable to them. Eventually Pilate gave in to their demands even though he knew that Jesus was innocent.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Katy]

Q6. Barabbas also has the name Jesus. Unlike Jesus, he is not innocent. He is guilty of the very thing that Jesus is being falsely accused of : insurrection and he has also committed murder. The irony is that the crowd is demanding louder and louder for the release of Barabbas who has committed insurrection and at the same time calling for the death penalty for Jesus who is being falsely accused of insurrection.

Q7. We are horrified at what Jesus went through and we can have negative thoughts about those who perpetrated these crimes against Jesus but we all have to remember that our own personal sin helped to make it necessary for Jesus to go through all that He did. We must lived our lives in thanksgiving and obedience for all Jesus did for us. We must also take every opportunity to speak to non believers about the Lamb of God and His redemptive work on our behalf.

Q8.Because Jesus loved us so much and the only way we could be saved was through His death.  He came to earth for the purpose of dying on the cross , because He was the only sinless person who ever lived. His suffering and death was planned by God. All those who were ‘responsible’ were unwittingly carrying out God’s plan which was prophesied in the Old Testament. They did it with their own agenda’s in mind but God was working out His purposes.

[haar]

1.    What charges do the leaders of the Sanhedrin bring against Jesus before Pilate? (Luke 23:2) Which of these were true or partly true?

They accused Jesus of causing trouble among the people and also telling them not to pay taxes to the Romans. None of this is was true.

2.    Why doesn't Jesus answer unambiguously when Pilate asks him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" Why does he answer with," Thou sayest"? (Luke 23:3)

Jesus answered Pilate unambiguously because he knew that Pilate was not interested in the truth and facts.

3.    Why does Pilate send Jesus to Herod Antipas? (Luke 23:6-12)

He just wanted to get rid of Jesus for he lacked what else to do.

4.    Why doesn't Jesus answer any of Herod's questions? (Luke 23:9)

Because he knew that Herod just wanted to see Jesus perform miracles and to entertain him.

5.    What kind of power do Jesus' enemies exert over Pilate? Why does Pilate finally give in? (Luke 23:23-24)

Blackmail! Pilate finally gave in to the people’s wish to avoid causing crises that will cause his job to be at risk of dismissal by the Romans.

6.    In what way is releasing Barabbas ironic? (Luke 23:18-19, 25).

It is ironic because a criminal- Barabbas, was set free and an innocent man- my Lord Jesus was sentenced to death unjustly.

7.    What are we as disciples supposed to learn from this sordid story of Jesus' trial before Roman justice?

Many lessons, one of which is that we should expect to be persecuted and put to jail or face the worst as disciples of the Lord.

8.    Who is responsible for Jesus' condemnation to death? The Jewish leaders? All Jews? Pilate? Herod? Others?

All, the Jewish leaders, the Jews at the court sitting, Pilate  and Herod are all guilty. Not every Jew was guilty because some were Jesus’ disciples as well as some Jewish followers.