according to that law He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God.’’
Pilate, fearing still more[1], entered the hall, and said to Jesus: “Whence[2] art Thou?” Jesus gave him no answer[3]. Then Pilate continued: “Speakest Thou not to me? Knowest Thou not that I have power[4] to crucify Thee, and that I have power to release Thee?” Jesus answered: “Thou shouldst not have any power against Me, unless it were given thee from above.”
Now Pilate sought to release [5] Jesus, but the high priests and ancients, seeing that Pilate was disposed to favour Him, cried out: “If thou releasest this man, thou art no friend of Caesar.”[6] Pilate, roused by this sickening hypocrisy of the Jews, retorted: “Behold your king; shall I crucify your king?” The maddened crowd replied: “We have no king but Caesar.”[7] Hearing this, Pilate was afraid lest he should lose the emperor’s favour.
But being still convinced of the innocence of Jesus, he took water in a basin and washed his hands[8] before the whole people, saying: “I am innocent of the blood of this just Man; look you[9]
- ↑ Fearing still more. His wife’s message had already made Pilate uneasy, and the calm dignity and heavenly patience of Jesus had inspired him with a feeling of awe. Never before had such a prisoner been brought to his judgment-seat. When he now learnt that Jesus made Himself the Son of God, his awe increased, and he suspected that He might, indeed, be some supernatural Being.
- ↑ Whence. Are you from earth or from heaven?
- ↑ No answer. Because He did not wish to increase the guilt of Pilate.
- ↑ I have power. By these words Pilate declares his own responsibility and therefore condemns himself. Our Lord’s words: “Thou shouldst not have” &c. bring this responsibility home to him with terrible force.
- ↑ Sought to release. Our Lord’s words made a deep impression on Pilate, and he made a final effort to release Him, though in what this effort consisted, the Gospel does not tell us.
- ↑ Friend of Caesar. Again they return to political intimidation, accusing this time Pilate himself of disloyalty to the emperor. This idea filled Pilate with fear, for the emperor Tiberius was a cruel and capricious man.
- ↑ No King but Caesar. The Pharisees avowedly detested the Roman yoke and the emperor, but now their hatred of Jesus made them explicitly acknowledge that supremacy which* they had hitherto refused to recognize. “We will have no king but Caesar!” they cried, “We will not even have the Messias as king!” With these words the representatives of God’s chosen people solemnly renounced their Messias, repudiated the “Son of David” and rejected Jesus Christ, declaring that the pagan Caesar was their only lord, and the sole leader of their people. This was national apostasy.
- ↑ Washed his hands. So as to express that none of the guilt of condemning Jesus could attach itself to him.
- ↑ Look you. Reconcile your deed to your own consciences as best you can.
