The Jewish council had Jesus arrested because they feared his power over the crowds of people who listened to him. There were several reasons for them to fear him.

• Jesus didn’t respect the behavior of the Pharisees and that undermined their authority.
• His teaching was superior to theirs, more accessible and full of grace. People were drawn to him.
• Jesus didn’t have an organizational hierarchy that elevated some people and held others down. People who followed him felt accepted and valued.
• Jesus empowered the underclass and taught them how to lead. His disciples included women, children, poor and disabled people, and uneducated men.
•  Jesus was a recognized rabbi, but he didn’t have loyalties to any particular sect of rabbis. He operated independently so there was no one to discipline him when he upset the religious establishment.

There was also the problem of keeping peace with Rome. If Caesar suspected an insurrection was fomenting in Judea, he would crush it. In fact, he did send his armies to besiege, invade and destroy Jerusalem about forty years later.

So the Jewish Ruling Council decided to deal swiftly with Jesus. They initially charged him with blasphemy, but later added charges of insurrection against Rome and opposition to Caesar – all based on twisting what Jesus said into lies.

Reluctant Pilate

Pilate didn’t want this case when it was brought to him. Justice demanded hard evidence and he couldn’t find any. Worse he had a defendant who didn’t seem to be interested in refuting the charges. Pilate listened to the accusations against Jesus then took him aside to interview him privately.

“When [Jesus] was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer. Then Pilate asked him, ‘Don’t you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?’ But Jesus gave no reply, not even to a single charge – to the great amazement of the governor.” Matthew 27:12-14

Pilate told the Jewish leaders that he found no basis for a charge against Jesus.

“But they insisted, ‘He stirs up the people all over Judea by his teaching. He started in Galilee and has come all the way here.’” Luke 23:5

Pilate and Herod

When Pilate learned that Jesus was a Galilean, he sent him to Herod Antipas who happened to be visiting Jerusalem.

Pilate was the Roman governor of Judea, and Herod Antipas was the Jewish governor of Galilee. The Roman Senate had rewarded Antipas’s father, Herod the Great, with the title King of the Jews because he was so loyal to the Empire.

Herod Antipas was a curious man who treated people like entertainment. He imprisoned John the Baptist, but kept him around because he liked to hear him talk. Then he beheaded him to satisfy his wife who had a grudge against John.

“When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been waiting to see him. From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him perform a sign of some sort. He plied him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer.” Luke 23:8-9

Meanwhile, the chief priests and teachers of the law stood by vehemently accusing Jesus. When Herod couldn’t get Jesus to perform for him, he turned the hearing into a mockery, ridiculing Jesus and dressing him up in a royal robe before sending him back to Pilate.

Herod and Pilate became friends that day, perhaps because of their mutual disdain for Jesus’ accusers. They were both harassed by the Jewish leaders into condemning an innocent man without evidence or cause.

Jesus Talks with Pilate

Pilate asked for concrete evidence against Jesus, but the Jewish leaders simply said, “If he were not a criminal we would not have handed him over to you.” John 18:30

He told them to try the case themselves, but they wanted a death penalty for Jesus and Rome did not permit the Jews to carry out that sentence themselves.

“Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, ‘Are you the king of the Jews?’ John 18:33

Jesus wanted to know if Pilate was asking for himself or others. Pilate didn’t care who Jesus was, he was just trying to figure out what to do with him. If Jesus was the King of the Jews, the Roman government had not recognized him.

“Jesus said, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.’

‘You are a king, then!’ said Pilate.

Jesus answered, ‘You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.’” John 18:36-37

Jesus invited Pilate to listen to the truth he had come into the world to share, but Pilate wasn’t interested. This whole situation was fraught with false accusations and lies.

“‘What is truth?’ retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, ‘I find no basis for a charge against him.’” John 18:38

Pilate Offers to Free Jesus

Each year at Passover the Jewish leaders asked Pilate to free one prisoner, so he asked them whether he should free Jesus. They shouted back to him, “No, not him! Give us Barabbas!” John 18:40

Barabbas was in prison for committing real crimes, including a murder. It didn’t make sense to Pilate that they wanted him to keep an innocent man in custody while releasing a known criminal, but he recognized that they were serving their own self-interests.

“‘What shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews?’ Pilate asked them.

‘Crucify him!’ they shouted.

‘Why? what crimes has he committed?’ asked Pilate.

But they shouted all the louder, ‘Crucify him!’

Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them.” Mark 15:12-15

Pilate’s Misgivings

Pilate was not a soft-hearted man. Not long before this encounter with Jesus, Pilate killed some Galileans who came to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices at the temple. Luke 13:1-5 is the only mention of this episode, so we don’t know why Pilate killed these people, but we do know he was a tough ruler who was willing to enforce the law.

When it came to Jesus, though, there was no law to enforce; he hadn’t broken any laws. And while Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat his wife sent him a distressing 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.” Matthew 27:19

Pilate looked at the chief priests and elders mingling in the crowd and inciting people against Jesus, and he was suddenly done with the whole thing.

“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!’

All the people answered, ‘His blood is on us and on our children!’” Matthew 27:24-25

Jesus is Handed Over to be Crucified

“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.” Luke 23:24-25

Pilate had Jesus flogged then he turned him over to the Roman soldiers to be crucified.

“The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. And they began to call out to him, ‘Hail, king of the Jews!’ Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.” Mark 15:16-20