John
18:28-38
Lesson 210
18:28-38
Lesson 210
In this lesson:
It's early Friday morning and Jesus is brought before Pontius Pilate.
"What is truth?"
It's early Friday morning and Jesus is brought before Pontius Pilate.
"What is truth?"
Christ before Pilate
Study Tip:
"In Bible reading, we need to watch ourselves very closely, lest our thoughts wander, and our reading become perfunctory and meaningless. We must determine resolutely to keep our minds on what we are reading, doing our best to form an intelligent conception of it, and being on the lookout for lessons for ourselves."
Henry Hampton Halley, minister and religious writer (1874-1965).
"In Bible reading, we need to watch ourselves very closely, lest our thoughts wander, and our reading become perfunctory and meaningless. We must determine resolutely to keep our minds on what we are reading, doing our best to form an intelligent conception of it, and being on the lookout for lessons for ourselves."
Henry Hampton Halley, minister and religious writer (1874-1965).
The Gospel According to St. John
The King James Bible
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John 18:28-38
Jesus' Roman trial 28 Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment: and it was early; and they themselves went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the passover. 29 Pilate then went out unto them, and said, What accusation bring ye against this man? 30 They answered and said unto him, If he were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered him up unto thee. 31 Then said Pilate unto them, Take ye him, and judge him according to your law. The Jews therefore said unto him, It is not lawful for us to put any man to death: 32 That the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spake, signifying what death he should die. 33 Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews? 34 Jesus answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me? 35 Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done? 36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. 37 Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. 38 Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all. |
Margin notes:
"The hall of judgment." (18:28) - The Romans called it the Praetorium. A Praetorium was any Roman headquarters, from an ornate palace to a simple tent on the battlefield. In Jerusalem, it was King Herod's palace. The Roman Governor lived and worked there whenever he visited Jerusalem. In 35 years, Paul will stand trial in this same "judgment hall" (Acts 23:35). "It was early." (18:28) - Jewish law mandated that death penalty trials be held in the light of day, so the chief priests rushed Jesus over to the Roman governor as soon as the sun came up. They were sticklers when it came to minor legalities, yet had no problem trying a man they knew to be innocent. "They themselves went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled." (18:28) - Entering a Gentile's home or workplace would make Jews ceremonially "unclean" for seven days. Being defiled would prevent the priests from participating in the upcoming Passover festival. These hypocrites were too pious to enter a Gentile's home but could plot murder. "Pilate then went out unto them." (18:29) - Pilate accommodated the priest's fear of defilement by meeting them outside. "What accusation bring ye against this man?" (18:29) - Jesus was brought to stand trial before Pilate because the Jewish high council (Sanhedrin) couldn't legally condemn anyone to death (see verse 18:31). Only the Romans had that power, and Pilate was the highest Roman authority in Judea. See today's question below. "If he were not a malefactor." (18:30) - Means, "If he were not a criminal." "It is not lawful for us to put any man to death." (18:31) - After seeing their supporters executed on trumped-up charges by Jewish courts, the Romans stopped the Jews from imposing the death penalty. "That the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spake, signifying what death he should die." (18:32) - Even though the Jews used stoning, Jesus predicted He would be crucified (Matthew 20:19; John 3:14; 8:28; 12:32-33). "But now is my Kingdom not from hence." (18:36) - "But now, my kingdom is not of this world." "I should bear witness unto the truth." (18:37) - "I should testify to the truth." "Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice." (18:37) - See John 8:47 and 1 John 4:6. "I find in him no fault at all." (18:38) - "I find no guilt in Him at all." This is the first of three times Pilate declared Jesus an innocent man. The following two can be found in verses 19:4 and 19:6. |
You can read more about Jesus' trial in Matthew 27:11-23 (lessons 58 and 59), Mark 15:2-15 (lesson 97) and Luke 23:1-5; 23:18-25 (lesson 158). Reading four accounts gives a more complete picture of our Saviors trial.
New Living Translation
John 18:28-38
Jesus' Trial before Pilate
28 Jesus' trial before Caiaphas ended in the early hours of the morning. Then he was taken to the headquarters of the Roman governor. His accusers didn't go inside because it would defile them, and they wouldn't be allowed to celebrate the Passover.
29 So Pilate, the governor, went out to them and asked, "What is your charge against this man?"
30 "We wouldn't have handed him over to you if he weren't a criminal!" they retorted.
31 "Then take him away and judge him by your own law," Pilate told them.
"Only the Romans are permitted to execute someone," the Jewish leaders replied.
32 (This fulfilled Jesus' prediction about the way he would die.)
33 Then Pilate went back into his headquarters and called for Jesus to be brought to him. "Are you the king of the Jews?" he asked him.
34 Jesus replied, "Is this your own question, or did others tell you about me?"
35 "Am I a Jew?" Pilate retorted. "Your own people and their leading priests brought you to me for trial. Why? What have you done?"
36 Jesus answered, "My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world."
37 Pilate said, "So you are a king?"
Jesus responded, "You say I am a king. Actually, I was born and came into the world to testify to the truth. All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true."
38 "What is truth?" Pilate asked. Then he went out again to the people and told them, "He is not guilty of any crime.
Jesus' Trial before Pilate
28 Jesus' trial before Caiaphas ended in the early hours of the morning. Then he was taken to the headquarters of the Roman governor. His accusers didn't go inside because it would defile them, and they wouldn't be allowed to celebrate the Passover.
29 So Pilate, the governor, went out to them and asked, "What is your charge against this man?"
30 "We wouldn't have handed him over to you if he weren't a criminal!" they retorted.
31 "Then take him away and judge him by your own law," Pilate told them.
"Only the Romans are permitted to execute someone," the Jewish leaders replied.
32 (This fulfilled Jesus' prediction about the way he would die.)
33 Then Pilate went back into his headquarters and called for Jesus to be brought to him. "Are you the king of the Jews?" he asked him.
34 Jesus replied, "Is this your own question, or did others tell you about me?"
35 "Am I a Jew?" Pilate retorted. "Your own people and their leading priests brought you to me for trial. Why? What have you done?"
36 Jesus answered, "My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world."
37 Pilate said, "So you are a king?"
Jesus responded, "You say I am a king. Actually, I was born and came into the world to testify to the truth. All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true."
38 "What is truth?" Pilate asked. Then he went out again to the people and told them, "He is not guilty of any crime.
This second Bible text from the "New Living Translation" (Tyndale House, Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois) is a paraphrase and not an accurate word for word translation of the Bible. However, it is a helpful tool when read with the "King James Version."
Today's question:
1. Who was Pontius Pilate? (18:29)
Would you please forward this lesson to others.
1. Who was Pontius Pilate? (18:29)
Would you please forward this lesson to others.
Answer: (Do you agree?)
1. Pontius Pilate was the fifth Roman procurator (governor) of Judea and Samaria. He served from AD 26 to 36 and disliked his Judean assignment so far from home. Pilate, no fan of the Jews, was routinely charged with cruelty against them, accusations he usually deserved, and Jesus was well aware of Pilate's brutal reputation (Luke 13:1). The Jewish religious leaders returned Pilate's animosity and frequently complained about him to Rome. They accused him of corruption, cruelty, insensitivity to their customs and religion, and once of stealing money from the Temple to build an aqueduct. Pilate's headquarters was in Caesarea, but he was in Jerusalem with his wife Claudia to keep order as the Holy City filled with pilgrims over the Passover holiday. While in Jerusalem, the Jewish high council (Sanhedrin) brought Jesus to stand trial before him. The Sanhedrin lacked the authority to sentence a prisoner to death (18:31), so they pressured Pilate to crucify Jesus. A pure politician, Pilate was more interested in political expediency than justice. Already disciplined by Rome once, Pilate wasn't willing to release Jesus and risk more Jewish complaints. He repeatedly declared Jesus innocent (Luke 23:4; 23:14; 23:22; John 18:38) yet was prepared to order His execution (Matthew 27:24-26; Mark 15:15). In AD 36, Pilate finally lost favor with Rome after the Governor of Syria brought more charges of cruelty against him. He was exiled to Vienne in Gaul, where he committed suicide in AD 38.
Application thought for the day:
What does verse 18:37 mean to you and your life?
1. Pontius Pilate was the fifth Roman procurator (governor) of Judea and Samaria. He served from AD 26 to 36 and disliked his Judean assignment so far from home. Pilate, no fan of the Jews, was routinely charged with cruelty against them, accusations he usually deserved, and Jesus was well aware of Pilate's brutal reputation (Luke 13:1). The Jewish religious leaders returned Pilate's animosity and frequently complained about him to Rome. They accused him of corruption, cruelty, insensitivity to their customs and religion, and once of stealing money from the Temple to build an aqueduct. Pilate's headquarters was in Caesarea, but he was in Jerusalem with his wife Claudia to keep order as the Holy City filled with pilgrims over the Passover holiday. While in Jerusalem, the Jewish high council (Sanhedrin) brought Jesus to stand trial before him. The Sanhedrin lacked the authority to sentence a prisoner to death (18:31), so they pressured Pilate to crucify Jesus. A pure politician, Pilate was more interested in political expediency than justice. Already disciplined by Rome once, Pilate wasn't willing to release Jesus and risk more Jewish complaints. He repeatedly declared Jesus innocent (Luke 23:4; 23:14; 23:22; John 18:38) yet was prepared to order His execution (Matthew 27:24-26; Mark 15:15). In AD 36, Pilate finally lost favor with Rome after the Governor of Syria brought more charges of cruelty against him. He was exiled to Vienne in Gaul, where he committed suicide in AD 38.
Application thought for the day:
What does verse 18:37 mean to you and your life?
Thanks to the writings and commentary of John Wesley and Adam Clarke. Also, "The Layman's Bible Study Notebook" by Irving Jensen published by Harvest House Publishing, Irvine, California; the "Life Change Series" published by NavPress Books, Colorado Springs, Colorado; the "Life Application Study Bible" published by Tyndale House Publishing, Carol Stream, Illinois; the "Quest Study Bible" published by The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "Robertson's New Testament Word Studies;" "The MacArthur Bible Commentary" by John MacArthur published by Thomas Nelson, Nashville, Tennessee; "Wisdom of the Bible" CD by Topics Entertainment, Inc., Renton, Washington for their inspiring pictures; "My utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers published by Barbour Publishing, Inc., Uhrichsville, Ohio; The "Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge" by Reuben Archer Torrey; "Hope For Each Day" by Billy Graham published by J. Countryman, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee; "Easton's Bible Dictionary" by Matthew George Easton; "Unger's Bible Dictionary" by Merrill F. Unger, published by Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois; "Halley's Bible Handbook" by Henry H. Halley, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "The Everyday Bible" published by World Wide Publications, Minneapolis, Minnesota; "The Living New Testament" published by Tyndale house; "The New Living Translation" published by Tyndale House; "The New Testament" translated from the Latin Vulgate, published by Guild Press, New York, New York; BibleGateway.com for all their wonderful links; and of course the "King James Bible." All were critical in putting these lessons together.
© 2025 evolke
© 2025 evolke