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Author: Stephen Weller
565 words, 3 minutes read time

Jesus Found Innocent By Pilate

Scripture: Luke 23:5-7; John 18:37-38

We ended the previous lesson with Pilate and Jesus having a conversation about an unseen kingdom. In this lesson the hearing before Pilate will end with Pilate stating that he finds no guilt in Jesus.

J^{n 18:37} Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose, I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” ³⁸ Pilate said to him, “What is truth?” After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, “I find no guilt in him. ^{Lk 23:5} But they were urgent, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee even to this place.” ⁶ When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. ⁷ And when he learned that he belonged to Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him over to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time.

Pilate picks up the conversation and asks Jesus if he is a king, to which Jesus indirectly says that he is and then adds a statement of witness to Pilate. Jesus states that he came into this world and was born for the purpose of bearing witness to the truth, and everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.

It was the Son of God that the Father sent into the world. He came to take on flesh of man through a virgin birth, becoming the Son of Man, who we know as Jesus. “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6 ESV).

“The law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17 ESV). Jesus as the truth fulfills the teaching of the Old Testament and reveals the true God. “The Word (God; John 1:1-2) became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14 ESV), and he “is the image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15 ESV).

Pilate ends the conversation with the statement, “What is truth?”, not unlike what many ask today. Saying this he goes back outside to the Jews and tells them that he finds no guilt in Jesus. In total frustration they urgently say, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee even to this place.” Hearing this, Pilate asks them if Jesus was a Galilean, and learning that he was, he then belonged under Herod’s jurisdiction. Since Herod was in Jerusalem at the time of the Passover, Pilate sends Jesus over to him.

Conclusion

Up to this point the Jews are not having much success in convincing the Roman authorities that Jesus is guilty of any crime worthy of death. Pilate finds him innocent and since Jesus was a Galilean and thus under the jurisdiction of Herod, who happened to be in Jerusalem at the time, he sends Jesus to him for questioning.