1Pilate then took Jesus and scourged Him. 2And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and put a purple robe on Him; 3and they began to come up to Him and say, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and to give Him slaps in the face. 4Pilate came out again and said to them, “Behold, I am bringing Him out to you so that you may know that I find no guilt in Him.” 5Jesus then came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Behold, the Man!” 6So when the chief priests and the officers saw Him, they cried out saying, “Crucify, crucify!” Pilate said to them, “Take Him yourselves and crucify Him, for I find no guilt in Him.” 7The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and by that law He ought to die because He made Himself out to be the Son of God.”
8Therefore when Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid; 9and he entered into the Praetorium again and said to Jesus, “Where are You from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. 10So Pilate said to Him, “You do not speak to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify You?” 11Jesus answered, “You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason he who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.” 12As a result of this Pilate made efforts to release Him, but the Jews cried out saying, “If you release this Man, you are no friend of Caesar; everyone who makes himself out to be a king opposes Caesar.”
13Therefore when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out, and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha. 14Now it was the day of preparation for the Passover; it was about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, “Behold, your King!” 15So they cried out, “Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.”
Interesting Words
scourged
(μαστιγόω – Greek) – mastigoó ► whip, flog, scourge, the victim being strapped to a pole or frame; a brutal act intended to inflict severe pain and humiliation. The whip, or “mastix,” typically consisted of leather thongs with pieces of bone or metal attached, designed to tear the flesh – Matt 10:17, 23:34; Heb 12:6;
Hail
(χαίρω – Greek) – chairó ► rejoice, be glad, be joyful; also a salutation: Hail. In the Greco-Roman world, expressions of joy were often associated with celebrations, victories, and religious festivals. “glad for grace” has a direct “etymological connection with xaris (grace)” – Matt 2:10, 18:12, 13; Luke 1:26, 27-28;
afraid
(φοβέω – Greek) – phobeó ► fear, be afraid, reverence, dread, terrified, from φόβος (phobos), meaning “fear” or “terror, English phobea derived from this word – Prov 9:10 LXX, Matt 10:28, 29-31;
authority
(ἐξουσία – Greek) – exousia ► authority, power, right, jurisdiction, weight, especially: moral authority, influence, in a quasi-personal sense, derived from later Judaism, of a spiritual power, and hence of an earthly power, derived from meaning “it is lawful” or “it is permitted, power or right to act, command, or control – Matt 7:28-29, 8:9, 10;
Cross References
▪︎ Matt 27:17-18;
▪︎ Matt 27:19-20;
▪︎ Mark 15:15;
Discussion Questions
1. What was Pilate trying to do in the first few verses?
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2. Describe the torture Jesus went thru in the first few verses, both physically and mentally?
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3. What was Pilate’s thinking behind his statements in John 19:4-5?
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4. What does John 19:7, 8-9 tell you about Pilate’s frame of mind (also note references in Matthew)?
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5. “If he only knew” could be said about Pilate in John 19:10, 11. How would you explain this to Pilate if asked?
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6. What is the best application of “authority” in this situation?
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7. Why is this important?
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