John 18:1-16

1-16. Then Pilate took Jesus. For notes on these verses, see Matthew 27:19-31. John gives a few more details.

5. Look! Here is the man. Jesus had been lacerated in the whipping, and wore the crown of thorns and the purple robe (see note on Matthew 27:28). Pilate may think pity will make them agree to allow Jesus to go free.

6. Nail him to the cross! The mob is angry and savage! You take him, then. That is, "If he is to be nailed to the cross, it is you who must do it."

7. We have a law. That is, "He may be innocent under Roman law, but our law says he is guilty."

9. Where do you come from? "He claimed to be the Son of God?" Fear strikes deep into the heart of Pilate!

11. Only because it was given to you by God. Suddenly, Jesus is the judge, and Pilate is on trial! What Jesus says are really words of kindness and mercy.

12. If you set him free. Pilate wants to set Jesus free! Tiberias is Emperor, suspicious and cruel. If the Jews accuse him to the Emperor, Pilate's career will be over. He would rather sacrifice an innocent man, than sacrifice himself.

14. It was almost noon of the day before the Passover. John carefully notes the time when Pilate gave in to them. Mark says it was nine o'clock, but this is not really a problem, since the Jews divided the day into quarters which they called hours, and both nine o'clock [the third hour] and almost noon [the sixth hour] would fall into the same quarter. This small detail shows that each writer wrote independent of the others. Compare Luke 1:1-4; 2 Timothy 3:16. (1) Jesus ate a Passover in the upstairs room. (2) The Jews had not yet eaten their Passover (John 18:28). (3) Jesus wanted so much to eat this Passover (Luke 22:15) that he ate it a day early, so that he, the True Lamb of God ["Our Passover feast" (1 Corinthians 5:6-8)], could die at the time the Jews were killing their passover lambs.