Jesus before Pilate — Part One
return to the main player
Return to the Main Player

Jesus before Pilate — Part One

 (ID: 1317)

To this day, the name Pontius Pilate is used to signify callousness and injustice. Though he did not believe in the Jewish messianic prophecies, Pilate knew he was dealing with an innocent man in Jesus. Alistair Begg demonstrates that what Pilate would not or could not recognize was his participation in the larger story being told through Christ according to God’s purpose and design.


Jesus Before Pilate

28qThen they led Jesus rfrom the house of Caiaphas to sthe governor's headquarters.6 It was early morning. They themselves did not enter the governor's headquarters, tso that they would not be defiled, ubut could eat the Passover. 29vSo Pilate went outside to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?” 30They answered him, “If this man were not doing evil, we would not have delivered him over to you.” 31Pilate said to them, w“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.” 32xThis was to fulfill the word that Jesus had spoken yto show by what kind of death he was going to die.

My Kingdom Is Not of This World

33zSo Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, a“Are you the King of the Jews?” 34Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” 35Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?” 36Jesus answered, b“My kingdom cis not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, dmy servants would have been fighting, that eI might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” 37Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, f“You say that I am a king. gFor this purpose I was born and for this purpose hI have come into the world—ito bear witness to the truth. jEveryone who is kof the truth llistens to my voice.” 38Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”

After he had said this, mhe went back outside to the Jews and told them, n“I find no guilt in him. 39oBut you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover. So do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” 40They cried out again, p“Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber.7

Copyright © 2024, Alistair Begg. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language.

Alistair Begg
Alistair Begg is Senior Pastor at Parkside Church in Cleveland, Ohio, and the Bible teacher on Truth For Life, which is heard on the radio and online around the world.