Reading the Gospels Together

The Trials – Part 7

The Roman trial before Pontius Pilate takes center stage in John’s gospel – this is the only trial during the Passion Narrative in John’s gospel. This trial is a very skillfully written story. The Jewish religious leaders work incredibly hard to remain “pure” so they can celebrate Passover the coming evening. They refuse to enter Pilate’s headquarters so the mighty Pilate is forced to come outside to meet them. The initial inquiry produces nothing. Pilate attempts to avoid making judgment and attempts to send the religious leaders away to take care of their own business. They protest claiming that they are not permitted to carry out the death penalty for this crime. We have already discussed the fact that it is likely the Jewish authorities actually could carry out the death sentence of stoning someone – they did so with Stephen. So perhaps what we need to read between the lines is that the question is not really about whether or not they can punish by death but that they are not able to crucify – the punishment carried out only by the Romans and only against insurrectionists! That the crime they are accusing Jesus of is sedition gets the attention of Pilate. He will need to look into this after all. But John tells his readers that the deeper truth is that crucifixion will fulfill Jesus’ own prediction of the way he will die – he will be lifted up like the serpent in the wilderness. The word “lifted up” was a euphemism for the practice of crucifixion – to crucify was spoken of as to “lift up.” What John is really doing with all of this is testifying that Jesus is ultimately in control of what is happening – not the Jewish leaders and not Pilate.

So Pilate goes back inside his headquarters and summons Jesus – who he suspects might actually be an insurrectionist. The synoptic writers had told there readers that Jesus was silent before his accusers, including Pilate. Jesus is far from silent in this exchange. Pilate begins the interrogation by asking Jesus if he is the king of the Jews. Jesus does not answer Pilate’s question but asks one of his own – inviting Pilate to a conversation. Pilate does not bite at Jesus’ bait and fires back the accusation he had likely heard in the initial inquiry outside – they are accusing Jesus of being an insurrectionist. So he asks Jesus what he has done. Jesus response is typical of the way John tells stories of the encounter between Jesus and humanity. Jesus speaks on one level and the person to whom he is speaking answers on another. They do not understand one another. Jesus tells Pilate that his kingdom is not of this world. Pilate immediately jumps to the conclusion that Jesus then is a king – the charge of sedition may be true after all. When Pilate says to Jesus, “So you are a king” the response he gets is not what he expected. Jesus is king but not in the way Pilate is thinking. Jesus has come into the world for one purpose and that is to testify to the truth – this is not a political purpose but a deeper purpose at the very ground of life. Pilate is really not interested in truth. So he concludes that Jesus is not really an insurrectionist after all.

Pilate returns outside to announce to the religious leaders his verdict that he does not find Jesus guilty. In John’s gospel it is Pilate who brings up the matter of the customary release of a prisoner during the feast and suggests that his release of Jesus, who he sarcastically identifies as the king of the Jews, will fulfill his obligation. The religious leaders will have none of it and ask for the release of Barabbas. The synoptic writers, especially Luke, had identified Barabbas as an insurrectionist. John speaks of him as a bandit – a lesser crime not necessarily connected with political sedition. John never tells his readers that Barabbas is released – he is left in limbo.

For a second time Pilate returns inside his headquarters where Jesus has been waiting. The scene is one of stark violence. Jesus is flogged and beaten. A crown of thorns is placed on his head by the Roman soldiers and a purple robe is placed upon him. Jesus is mocked as the king of the Jews. Likely Pilate enjoyed the entertainment! We might remember that the synoptic writers tell of a similar humiliation but that is only after Jesus has been convicted. Could it be that Pilate thinks that if he “bloodies” Jesus to the point of near death the religious leaders will be moved to sympathy toward him?

Once Jesus has been humiliated and beaten near unto death Pilate brings him outside and for the third time he meets with the religious leaders. Once again Pilate is prepared to pronounce his judgment. John tells us that Pilate bring Jesus out to his accusers dressed like a king yet bloodied like a criminal and says to Jesus’ accusers, “Here is the man!” Here is your king! The point Pilate is making is that this pathetic, beaten one is the best the Jews could do in producing a king. Pilate is in control – or is he? For a second time Pilate declares Jesus to be innocent. He tells the Jewish leaders to take Jesus and crucify him themselves. Again they persist adding one more piece of evidence to their accusation. They tell Pilate that Jesus’ crime is really that he has claimed to be the Son of God. John tells his readers that this news causes Pilate to freeze in fear. For a third time he enters his headquarters bringing Jesus with him. This time his question is the question that has been looming throughout John’s gospel – “Where do you come from?” Readers of John’s gospel know that Jesus has come from God! But Jesus refuses to answer Pilate and remains silent. In anger Pilate reminds Jesus that he has power to release Jesus or to crucify him. Jesus retorts reminding Pilate that he really has no power except that which has been given to him from above – from God. Once again John emphasizes that it is really Jesus who is in charge. It is clear that John wants his readers to think that Pilate genuinely wanted to release Jesus, thus placing the full blame for Jesus’ execution upon the Jews. He joins Matthew in placing blame on the Jewish nation for the death of Jesus. Like Matthew, it is likely that John’s community was also locked and a hostile and perhaps deadly battle with the Jewish community living beside them. John’s gospel betrays this hostility throughout as we have seen in the awful arguments during the Jerusalem controversy.

Determined to release Jesus, for a fourth time Pilate moves back outside to speak to the Jewish religious authorities. For a third time Pilate finds Jesus to be innocent. He joins Luke who also told his readers that three times Pilate declared Jesus to be innocent. Pilate is determined to release Jesus but the religious leaders go “over his head” threatening to report Pilate to his superiors in Rome for not dealing with one who claims to be king. Pilate knew full well that the punishment for insurrection was crucifixion. It didn’t matter what he thought about Jesus. And so Pilate brings Jesus out for a second time and placed Jesus upon the judgment seat with the declaration, “Here is your king!” – The king on his throne bloodied and beaten. Pilate will have the last word after all as once again the scene is one of humiliation. With the question, “Shall I crucify your king?” Pilate implicates the Jewish religious authorities who shout back, “We have no king by Caesar!” The final conviction of the Jews is complete. Pilate hands Jesus over to them to be crucified.

Clearly all four gospel writers are reflecting upon the same events. But each one of them has a different purpose in the telling of their story. These are trial scenes but, in a way, there are different people on trial. Mark is intent in putting the whole human race on trial – no one is left standing as Mark narrates his story. Everyone, including Mark’s readers, comes up short as the world is on trial. In some ways Luke shares this motive of Mark as Jesus is finally portrayed as the innocent one who goes to his death unjustly. In a different way, Luke places the whole world on trial too. Matthew and John have told their stories in a way that places the Jewish nation on trial for the conviction and crucifixion of Jesus. Both nearly exonerate Pilate and the Romans. Their exuberance to hold the Jewish nation responsible likely reflects a bitter conflict between their own communities and their Jewish neighbors. In the end neither Matthew nor John are helpful in their indictment. In my opinion it remains that Mark has told the more powerful story. We can learn from all four but it is Mark whose words finally function best as the Word of God directed to us.