Matthew 27:1-14
Lesson 58
Lesson 58
Read both the "King James Bible" and the "New Living Translation."
In this lesson:
The Sanhedrin condemns Jesus and brings Him before Pontius Pilate.
Judas commits suicide.
The Sanhedrin condemns Jesus and brings Him before Pontius Pilate.
Judas commits suicide.
Christ before Pilate by the Hungarian realist artist Mihály Munkácsy (1844-1900).
Study Tip:
Write down important Bible verses, ponder their meaning, and memorize them. Build a list of your favorite verses.
Write down important Bible verses, ponder their meaning, and memorize them. Build a list of your favorite verses.
Who was -
Pontius Pilate -
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 Rome. Pilate, no fan of the Jews, was routinely charged with cruelty against them, accusations he usually deserved. 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 (John 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 have Him executed (Matthew 27:24-26; Mark 15:15). In AD 36, four years after Jesus was crucified, Pilate 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.
Pontius Pilate -
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 Rome. Pilate, no fan of the Jews, was routinely charged with cruelty against them, accusations he usually deserved. 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 (John 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 have Him executed (Matthew 27:24-26; Mark 15:15). In AD 36, four years after Jesus was crucified, Pilate 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.