Betrayal
From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jews kept shouting, “If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar.” When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge’s seat at a place known as the Stone Pavement (which in Aramaic is Gabbatha). It was the day of Preparation of Passover Week, about the sixth hour. “Here is your king,” Pilate said to the Jews. But they shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!” “Shall I crucify your king?” Pilate asked. “We have no king but Caesar,” the chief priests answered. Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified John 19:12-16
The drama of Jesus’ mock trial is moving quickly. Pilate is convinced Jesus has done nothing worthy of death but is under increasing pressure from the crowd and the chief priests.
“If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar.” The phrase ‘friend of Caesar’ was used of an imperial title awarded by the Emperor to senators and selected others. There is evidence that Pilate had gained the Emperor Tiberius’ favour and had become a ‘friend of Caesar.’ A common friend, Sejanis, had spoken favourably to Tiberius on Pilate’s behalf. Some months before the crucifixion, however, there had been a Roman purge that saw a number of leaders put to death, including Sejanis. This made Pilate’s position precarious. Any show of disloyalty to Rome might result in Pilate’s removal and even punishment. A Jew who claimed to be the king of the Jews was a clear threat to Rome and His release would be hard to explain to a paranoid Tiberius.
‘When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge’s seat at a place known as the Stone Pavement (which in Aramaic is Gabbatha).’ Pilate is no longer uncertain about what he must do. If he follows justice and principle, Jesus will be released; but that pathway would almost certainly end his governorship and possibly even his life. The “judge’s seat” was the official symbol of the Roman judiciary and sat on the terrace outside Pilate’s residence. When Pilate sat in the chair he was the official representative of Rome’s power. The rowdy crowd would have hushed and pressed forward to hear. Matthew adds the vivid detail of Pilate calling for water and washing his hands in protest against the crowd (Matthew 27:24). Not wanting his readers to miss the Passover symbolism, John notes ‘It was the day of Preparation of Passover Week, about the sixth hour.’ The ‘day of Preparation’ was the day the Passover lambs were slaughtered to be eaten that night and ‘the sixth hour’ was almost certainly midday.
In a further gesture of defiance and to show his contempt for the whole proceedings, Pilate calls out “Here is your king.” There was an immediate explosion of anger from the crowd, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!” John had earlier written ‘He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.’ (1:12). To their everlasting shame the chief priests answered “We have no king but Caesar.”
These words from the mouths of the official representatives of Jewish theocracy are a denial of Israel’s covenant with God. Nothing was more fundamental to that covenant than God’s Kingship over their nation. It was a conviction that no invading power could weaken or eradicate. But now in a terrible moment of apostasy Israel abandons not only its Messiah but its faith in God.
‘Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified.’ Pilate was not handing over Jesus to the chief priests to carry out the crucifixion. That was done by Roman soldiers. He was giving in to the pressure to have Jesus crucified. ‘So Pilate decided to grant their demand’ (Luke 23:24).
From this time, the time of the Jews’ denial of both their Messiah and their God, the people of God will be defined as those who are in Christ, those who are part of the new creation and not the old. The old covenant is now concluded and the new covenant has begun. We receive all the benefits of that new covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34) the moment we place our faith and trust in Christ.
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