The Jews’ Accusation and Pilate’s Enquiry
John 18:28–32 (NKJV)
28 Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium, and it was early morning. But they themselves did not go into the Praetorium, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover. 29 Pilate then went out to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this Man?”
30 They answered and said to him, “If He were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him up to you.”
31 Then Pilate said to them, “You take Him and judge Him according to your law.”
Therefore the Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death,” 32 that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which He spoke, signifying by what death He would die.
Message
See v28.
28 Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium, and it was early morning. But they themselves did not go into the Praetorium, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover.
Praetorium is the official residence of an ancient Roman governor [1]. The Jews didn’t go into the Praetorium, not to be defiled. God has given the Jews the books of the Law written by Moses. They are Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Leviticus 11-15 teaches ‘cleanness and uncleanness’. Uncleanness is transmittable (Numbers 19:22, Leviticus 5:2-3). Becoming unclean is a sin (Leviticus 5:2, 3, 5). The Gentiles do not know or distinguish ‘clean and unclean’. So, they must be unclean all the time. Their uncleanness would have defiled a Gentile place, such as the Praetorium. Therefore, the Jews did not enter the building to avoid having the uncleanness transmitted to them.
See v29.
29 Pilate then went out to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this Man?”
Pilate was a Roman governor of Judea and Samaria. The Jews didn’t enter the Praetorium (28), and so Pilate went outside Praetorium to talk to them. He asked what accusation they brought against Jesus. What did they answer? See v30.
30 They answered and said to him, “If He were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him up to you.”
The Jews falsely accused Jesus, treating Him as if He were an evildoer. According to Jesus, ‘false witness’ is one of the things that truly defiles a person (Matthew 15:19-20).
See v31-32.
31 Then Pilate said to them, “You take Him and judge Him according to your law.” Therefore the Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death,” 32 that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which He spoke, signifying by what death He would die.
Pilate wanted them to take Him back and judge Him according to the law of the Jews. The Jews could not inflict the death penalty on anyone during the Roman era. The Jews indicated that they intended the death penalty on Jesus. This aligned with Jesus’ prophecy about the manner of His death.
References
[1] praetorium. Merriam-Webster.
