Reading the Gospels Together

The Trials – Part 5

Luke is also very free in his telling of the trial before Pilate. To begin with Luke provides his readers with some of the accusations Mark and Matthew had only implied and left unspoken. Jesus is accused of perverting the nation, forbidding the payment of taxes to the emperor and saying the he is the Messiah, a king. Luke’s readers know that Jesus has done none of these things – or has he? Luke’s readers remember how Jesus avoided the question of taxes. They also remember the symbolic action of Jesus entering Jerusalem as King. Luke’s readers remember how Jesus had violated the Sabbath, at least from the religious leaders’ point of view. It all depends on your point of view. The story Luke unfolds has an open-ended quality to it.

When Pilate asks Jesus if he is the king of the Jews Jesus’ response is again the mysterious, “You say so” – the response is indirect and non-committal. Following the response Pilate makes his first declaration that he finds Jesus innocent. The religious leaders protest accusing Jesus of causing sedition throughout the country beginning in Galilee. The mention of Galilee provides Pilate a way out – or so he thinks. Pilate suggests a change of jurisdiction since Herod Antipas was the ruler of Galilee and thus Jesus was his subject. Only Luke tells us this story of Jesus being sent to Herod Antipas. Luke tells his readers that Herod is delighted to receive Jesus and hopes Jesus will provide him with some sort of spectacular sign. He is disappointed. Luke provides no dialogue between Jesus and Herod and only reports that Jesus refuses to speak to the king. Just as Jesus was mocked and abused earlier following his arrest Luke tells his readers that he is abused by Herod’s soldiers too. But in the end Jesus is sent back to Pilate. Herod refuses to pass judgment on him. Pilate’s attempt to “pass the buck” gains him nothing. Pilate surmises that Herod has found Jesus innocent as he had earlier since he sends him back to Pilate. And Luke tells his readers that for the second time Pilate declares Jesus to be innocent.

The religious leaders persist in their demand that Jesus be found guilty and at this point Luke introduces Barabbas to his story. Luke makes is clearer that Barabbas was in fact an insurrectionist and a murderer. At the time of the Jewish War in 66-70 AD a group of assassins had arisen in Jerusalem who attacked Roman soldiers whenever they were vulnerable. Barabbas fits the description of these rebels. At the time when Jesus was alive these rebels had not yet appeared so Luke, and even Mark and Matthew before him, may have been writing the character of these assassins back into their stories. To ask Pilate to release such a person was incredible. For a third time Luke tells his readers that Pilate declares Jesus to be innocent. Pilate pronounces his verdict that he will flog Jesus and then release him. But the religious leaders and the crowd persist once again not accepting Pilate’s verdict and demand that Jesus be crucified. And so Pilate relents. Jesus is handed over and Barabbas is released. Once again we need to remember that the way in which Pilate is portrayed does not match the Pilate of history. The gospel writers have their own interests in implicating the Jews and in the process removing at least some responsibility from Pilate. In reality, regardless of what happened, Pilate however remains responsible for the death of Jesus.

When we consider the three synoptic writers together the similarities in their stories are many although the differences are significant. Mark has the darker picture. Matthew chooses to implicate the Jewish leaders and place more responsibility on the Jews. Luke makes it clear that Pilate knows Jesus to be innocent although that does not prevent his execution. Mark’s Jesus will die alone – abandoned by all. Matthew’s Jesus will die at the hands of the Jews. Luke’s Jesus will die as the innocent one.