John 18:28-40
Let’s continue to pray for Jim and Marty.
“Notice what you notice.” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.” The Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death.” (v. 31) It must have been frustrating to the Jewish leaders – they wanted Jesus dead and they could do it by their own Law (and their evaluation of blasphemy by Jesus), but they could not do it under Roman law. Only the Romans could put someone to death. So the Jewish leaders had to go to the Romans, to Pilate, to have Jesus killed. But even then, so difficult for them…! They could take Jesus to the Praetorium to be judged by Pilate, but they could not enter themselves (or they would be defiled). They had to wait for Pilate to go back and forth, in and out to Jesus and to them, in order to get judgment pronounced. But with so many difficulties it’s what they wanted – Jesus dead – and they were willing to suffer these “small inconveniences” in order to get it done. Again, so sad…!
About this interchange between Jesus and Pilate in verses 35 and 36: Pilate answered, “…What have you done?” Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world…” At first I did not understand Jesus’ response to Pilate’s question. Then I surmised that John had left out a transition sentence, that the Jews had brought Jesus to Pilate with the charge that Jesus was declaring Himself to be a King. So if prior to verse 33 we put in that accusation, then Jesus’ reply to Pilate makes more sense.
Slava Bohu!