Before Pilate the First Time, and Before Herod

S. Mark xv. 2–5; S. Luke xxiii. 8–12

“It was early,” probably not yet seven o’clock, when the members of the Sanhedrim arrived at the gate of the Praetorium. Pilate was already astir, for he could hardly be indifferent to the result of the proceedings in which his own soldiers had been taking part. He must have been surprised by the sight of such a deputation, and he gave orders at once for their admission into the hall; but as they were Jews, and intended to eat the Passover that evening, they were precluded from entering a heathen dwelling. There was certain to be something there that would make them ceremonially unclean.

The Governor, with some political tact, deferred to their religious scruples, and went out himself to meet them in the courtyard. They hoped to settle the matter with little delay; so pointing, no doubt, to the Prisoner, Who stood in their midst with His hands bound, and, if tradition be true, with a cord fastened round His neck, they told him that He had been tried and condemned to suffer the extreme penalty of the law. It may be they thought the presence of such an august body would overawe Pilate, and with an air of importance claimed that it was the duty of the Roman authority to execute their judgment when once it had been pronounced. But he had no idea of accepting such a position as that, and submitting to be a mere tool in the hands of the Sanhedrim. His instincts, too, as a Roman judge rose up in protest against such a course, and he demanded that the nature of their charge should be formally stated: “What accusation bring ye against this Man?” But they were most anxious to avoid another examination, and they replied that he might rely upon it that He was a criminal of a dangerous character, otherwise they would hardly have brought Him for execution. With no little irony he advised them to carry out their own sentence, and drew from them the humiliating confession that they had been deprived of the power to do it.

Finding that there was no chance of getting Him executed off-hand, they brought forward an accusation. Pilate’s question, which S. Mark introduces so abruptly, leaves no doubt what it was. They changed their ground completely. Jesus had been condemned for an ecclesiastical offence; but their indictment was purely political. They accused Him of setting up a rival kingdom to that of Caesar. It must have excited Pilate’s suspicions at once, for “he knew too much about Jewish expectations to suppose that the Sanhedrim would hate and persecute one who would free them from the Roman authority.” He determined, however, to examine the Prisoner, and took Him into the judgment-hall. Probably a certain number of the Jews sacrificed themselves, and, disregarding their scruples about ceremonial impurity, went in also, for Pilate speaks afterwards of the examination having taken place in their presence.

“And Pilate asked Him, Art Thou the King of the Jews?” There is much more implied by the order of the words in the original. “Thou, — is it possible that Thou,” this poor defenceless Prisoner I see before me, “art a king?” Before He could answer, it must be clearly understood in what sense the title was used. He was no king in rivalry with Caesar; but He was the King Messiah, the Head of the spiritual empire; and in this sense He accepted the title, and said unto him, “Thou sayest it.”

Pilate, probably not understanding such subtle distinctions, put to Him a practical question touching His conduct: “What hast Thou done?” and he was so fully satisfied by the answer, that he went out, and not without some show of displeasure at their attempt to entrap him into the execution of an innocent Man, told them that their charge 2 had completely broken down upon examination.

The announcement was received with a storm of charges: “The chief priests accused Him of many things.” But to the Governor’s amazement they drew forth not a word of defence. Not even a direct appeal from himself could induce Jesus to break silence; and again the charges were reiterated: “He stirs up the nation; He rebels against Caesar; He tells us that we ought not to pay the Imperial taxes; there is not a town or village from Dan to Beersheba, from Galilee to Jerusalem, where He has not preached His seditious doctrines.”

Pilate was in the greatest perplexity. He was satisfied of the Prisoner’s innocence, but he lacked the moral courage to act upon his convictions. He knew that he himself was in disgrace at Rome; for complaints had been made at headquarters of his disregard for the customs and feelings of the native population, and he was not prepared to face another reprimand, especially as his enemies would be sure to make capital out of the alleged claims to royal authority, and put the matter before the Emperor in the worst possible light. It was a great relief therefore to him when he discovered a way of escape from his embarrassing situation. The Jews, in the multitude of accusations, had spoken of Galilee as the scene of Christ’s revolutionary teaching. It was a common practice to try a prisoner, not where he was arrested, but where his crime had been committed. By a fortunate coincidence the Tetrarch of Galilee was then in Jerusalem for the Passover; he would at once shift the responsibility from himself, and send the chief priests to make good their charges before Herod’s tribunal.

Now, if Pilate was delighted to be rid of the Prisoner, Herod was overjoyed to receive Him. Long before this, he had been hoping and wishing to see Him. Tales of His miracles were in every one’s mouth in Galilee. It so happened that his steward’s wife was one of a number of women who had been healed by His touch or word; and, like Susanna and Mary Magdalene, she could not tear herself from His side. Doubtless she- sent home to her husband reports of the wonderful works which Jesus did, and being repeated at Herod’s court, they wrought his curiosity to the highest pitch.

And now at last the Wonder-worker was before him, and, as he probably congratulated himself, under the most favourable circumstances, for, coming as a Prisoner on trial for His life, He would naturally be anxious to conciliate His judge. But how little did he understand with Whom he had to deal!

Herod began the examination by asking about His miracles, — scoffing questions perhaps connected with His followers. It may be that he reminded Him of the death of the Baptist, and hinted that if He kindled his displeasure He might share his fate; 1 but it was all in vain. Not a word, not a syllable, could he extract from Him! And why this silence? He had replied to Caiaphas, and to Pilate; why not to Herod? It must have been because He knew all his shameful history, and if He had spoken then it could only be to brand him as a murderer and adulterer, and to ask by what right one who had so outraged morality, and transgressed the laws of God, dared to sit in the seat of judgment for the administration of justice. But “there is a time to speak, and a time to keep silence,” and so He held His peace; for it was part of His predestined sufferings that He should be oppressed and persecuted by His enemies, and yet not open His mouth.

The proud prince of Galilee found himself treated with disdain by a Prisoner in chains. Had Herodias been with him, no doubt she would have urged His immediate execution, but he had suffered too many pangs of remorse through the Baptist’s death to wish himself to risk a repetition.

The chief priests and scribes were in despair. Driven from one tribunal to another, they could get no judge to speak the fatal word. They must have almost wished that they had taken the matter into their own hands, and stoned Him for blasphemy. Anything would have been better than this prolonged suspense. “They stood and vehemently accused Him;” but no vehemence, no remonstrance, could move Herod to deal with the case seriously. He was quite ready to make Jesus suffer for His contemptuous behaviour, but the charge of aspiring to the throne of the Caesars was too ridiculous to be entertained for a single moment. They might, if they chose, treat Him with the ridicule He seemed to deserve. Let them give Him in mockery the Royalty He claimed, and see how He would bear His royal honours. And so the King of kings submitted to be made a laughingstock of the soldiers, and to be set at nought by a profligate prince, who should have covered his face with shame in His Presence. They dressed Him “ina gorgeous robe, and sent Him again to Pilate,” and with this the fifth act in the trial ends.

“And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together; for before they were at enmity between themselves.” It is an echo of the alliance between Pharisees and Herodians; another illustration of the acknowledged principle that there is something so hateful to the carnal mind in truth and innocence that men are ready to forget all their differences and oppositions in creeds, and in politics, in habits of life and thought, provided only they can compass its overthrow.

Everything that Christ said was out of harmony with His generation. Hypocrisy and falsehood had impregnated society everywhere, and when He came to bear witness to the truth, there were none to welcome His coming; but all wicked men and sinners of every kind became confederate against Him.

“The servant is not above his lord;” and though none of His followers will ever be called to bear the same isolation from the world, every one who loves truth and righteousness above all else, may have to suffer loss of friendship and sympathy, for He Who foresaw the end from the beginning, declared: “If they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you.” Every faithful disciple, however, can feel assured of that which was His support: “And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.”

Note: It will be remembered that since sunrise, when the Sanhedrim met, time must have elapsed for the trial, and for taking the Prisoner to the Praetorium.

Note: The expression, eat ’ the Passover, “implies, as was maintained above, that it was not limited to “the Paschal lamb,” for the latter would not be eaten till after 6 p.m., when the day on which their uncleanness had been contracted would close.

Note: Pilate being only a Procurator, would have no Quaestor to examine prisoners, but must conduct the inquiry in person. It marks the accuracy of the Gospel narrative.

Note: ovdev a’tTiou (S. Luke), ovSe/xiap alrlav (S. John), ‘clearly refer to a judicial charge or indictment, which is hardly implied in “no fault at all.” A.V.

Note: It was to take him, as it was said, from the “forum apprehensionis ad forum originis vel domicilii.”

Note: It was Herod Antipas, the same who had John beheaded. 2 Cf. xxviii., pp. 129 ff.

Note: If, as has been supposed, lafnrpbs means white, it may have been chosen in mockery to indicate that He was candidatus, seeking the kingly office. Cf. Polybius, x. 15. Plumptre on S. Luke xxiii. 11 traces in this a vindictive retaliation for His denunciation of those Herodian courtiers who were “gorgeously apparelled.” S. Mark xi. 8; S. Luke vii. 25.

Note: Possibly it arose through the slaughter of certain of his Galilean subjects mentioned in S. Luke xiii. 1. At all events this may have been one cause of the quarrel.