Handed Over Series

The only thing Jesus had going for him was that Pilate despised the Jewish leaders. Pilate is not a man of integrity worried over condemning an innocent Jew; but he hated the idea of the Jewish leaders using him to carry out their personal agenda and certainly suspected their intentions, not only in regard to Jesus but to him. So, what does Pilate do?

2 “Are you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate.

“Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied.

3 The chief priests accused him of many things. 4 So again Pilate asked him, “Aren’t you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of.”

5 But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed.

This is one time we want to say to Mark, “A little more detail please.” Pilate asks Jesus his question because this is the case that the Sanhedrin is bring against him. They have condemned Jesus for blasphemy; Rome and Pilate could care less; to get their way they needed Jesus to be charged with treason. Their charge, by the way, fits in with their own concerns. Jesus has confessed to believing he is the Messiah. The Messiah is by definition the king of the Jews.

The NIV records Jesus has saying, “Yes, it is as you say.” Literally, Jesus says, “You say.” That’s what you say. The NIV translators are taking into account the local idiom and that this is most likely a way of affirming what Pilate says. But I think Jesus intentionally gives an ambiguous response so that he neither denies what in one sense a true statement, nor affirms clearly a title that would be misconstrued on the other hand. What Jesus means by king and Pilate means are two different things, which John more clearly brings out in his gospel. If Jesus really had clearly affirmed that he was king of the Jews, the trial would have ended at that moment and he sent on his way to the cross.

Instead, he accusers are compelled to push their case. We know from Luke 23:2 a couple of the other accusations: subverting the nation (i.e. causing unrest) and opposing the giving of taxes to Caesar (an outright lie).

Following the same pattern as before the Sanhedrin, Jesus remains silent before his accusers, which astonishes Pilate. The most powerful (and dangerous) leaders of the nation are presenting accusations that call for execution, and Jesus says nothing. I think there is more behind just the matter that Jesus keeps quiet. A defeated man will do the same thing. This type of incident is not new to Pilate. He is not a novice at dealing with serious charges and with victims. There is something in Jesus’ composure that astonishes him. Again, we see this more in John’s record:

“Where do you come from?” he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer. 10 “Do you refuse to speak to me?” Pilate said. “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?”

11 Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above” (John 18:9-11).