Luke 23:1-25

2 d. The Civil Judgment: Luke 23:1-25.

Here we have the description, on the one hand, of the series of manoeuvres used by the Jews to obtain from Pilate the execution of the sentence, and on the other, of the series of Pilate's expedients, or counter-manoeuvres, to get rid of the case which was forced on him. He knew that it was out of envy that the chiefs among the Jews were delivering Jesus over to him (Matthew 27:18; Mark 15:10), and he felt repugnance at lending his power to a judicial murder. Besides, he felt a secret fear about Jesus. Comp. John 19:8, where it is said: “ When Pilate therefore heard that saying (‘He made Himself the Son of God'), he was the more afraid; ” and the question, Luke 23:9: Whence art thou? a question which cannot refer to the earthly birthplace of Jesus, that was already known to him (Luke 23:6), and which can only signify in the context: From heaven or from earth? The message of his wife (Matthew 27:19) must have contributed to increase the superstitious fears which he felt.