"Are you the king of the Jews?" - Mt. 27:11
Summary
When Jesus was tried before Pilate, it was early in the morning. A large crowd had gathered and brought Jesus to Pilate in the Praetorium. Pilate questioned Jesus, asking whether or not He was “King of the Jews.” Jesus says “You say so,” not giving Pilate a straight answer. Pilate finds no charge against Jesus, so instead the people say Jesus was inciting rebellion in Galilee and evading taxes. When Pilate heard that Jesus was a Galilean, he sent Him to Herod Antipas, as Herod was also a Galilean. Herod was very eager to see Jesus, as he had often heard his father talk about Jesus. He questioned Jesus and wanted to see a miracle, but Jesus remained silent and performed no miracle. So Herod and his soldiers mocked Him, but finding no charge against Him, they sent Jesus back to Pilate dressed richly.
During these events, Judas, realizing what he had done, went off, threw the thirty pieces of silver on the ground in front of the chief priests, and then hanged himself. The chief priests used the money to buy the potter’s field, as it was blood money and could not be put in the treasury.
When Jesus got back, Pilate called together his advisors and said he going to let Jesus go, as neither he nor Herod found Jesus guilty. But the advisors said bring Him out to the crowd. So as was custom during the feast of Passover, Pilate offered the crowd a choice to free one prisoner: Jesus or Barabbas. The crowd said free Barabbas, a revolutionary, and crucify Jesus, but at first Pilate was hesitant. Still the crowd insisted, and not wanting a full scale riot on his hands, Pilate handed Zeus over to be flogged first. After being flogged and having a crown of thorns stuck on His head, the crowd still wanted Jesus dead. So Pilate washed his hands and said that he is innocent of Jesus’ blood, and Jesus’ blood is on the crowd’s hands now. Then Jesus was led off to be crucified.
When Jesus was tried before Pilate, it was early in the morning. A large crowd had gathered and brought Jesus to Pilate in the Praetorium. Pilate questioned Jesus, asking whether or not He was “King of the Jews.” Jesus says “You say so,” not giving Pilate a straight answer. Pilate finds no charge against Jesus, so instead the people say Jesus was inciting rebellion in Galilee and evading taxes. When Pilate heard that Jesus was a Galilean, he sent Him to Herod Antipas, as Herod was also a Galilean. Herod was very eager to see Jesus, as he had often heard his father talk about Jesus. He questioned Jesus and wanted to see a miracle, but Jesus remained silent and performed no miracle. So Herod and his soldiers mocked Him, but finding no charge against Him, they sent Jesus back to Pilate dressed richly.
During these events, Judas, realizing what he had done, went off, threw the thirty pieces of silver on the ground in front of the chief priests, and then hanged himself. The chief priests used the money to buy the potter’s field, as it was blood money and could not be put in the treasury.
When Jesus got back, Pilate called together his advisors and said he going to let Jesus go, as neither he nor Herod found Jesus guilty. But the advisors said bring Him out to the crowd. So as was custom during the feast of Passover, Pilate offered the crowd a choice to free one prisoner: Jesus or Barabbas. The crowd said free Barabbas, a revolutionary, and crucify Jesus, but at first Pilate was hesitant. Still the crowd insisted, and not wanting a full scale riot on his hands, Pilate handed Zeus over to be flogged first. After being flogged and having a crown of thorns stuck on His head, the crowd still wanted Jesus dead. So Pilate washed his hands and said that he is innocent of Jesus’ blood, and Jesus’ blood is on the crowd’s hands now. Then Jesus was led off to be crucified.
Similarities
In all the gospels, Jesus is brought before Pilate. Pilate asks Jesus if He is the king of the Jews. Jesus always responds with, “So you say” (Mt 27:11). By saying this, Jesus displays that He is not proud or boastful like the ones who criticized Him, but humble like the people who He represents.
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All of the gospels depict Pontius Pilate as reluctant to convict and condemn Jesus to death. Pilate explicitly asks, "Why? What evil has he done?" In each account, he requires significant influence from a more malevolent entity before he actually sentences Jesus to death (Mt 27:23).
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Unique Points
Although all gospels explain explicitly that Jesus is bound and brought before Pilate, only one portrays the reaction of Judas. According to the gospel of Matthew, Judas witnesses Jesus’ maltreatment and returns the silver he has received as payment out of remorse (Mt 27:3-5). Subsequently Judas hangs himself, having found no respite from his pain. The chief priests are then placed in a dilemma over what to do with the “blood money” they possess. They dispose of it by burying all thirty silver coins in a field where strangers are left when they die, thus designating it “The Field of Blood.”
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Only in Luke is it mentioned that Jesus is brought to Herod. When Pilate finds that Jesus is a Galilean, he sends Jesus to Herod. Herod then proceeds to question Jesus, but Jesus gives no answers. Herod then sends Jesus back to Pilate and Pilate says to the crowd, “Nothing worthy of death has been done by him” (Lk 23:15)
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