The Lord Jesus Before Pilate

After His arrest, the Lord Jesus was taken first to Annas and then to Caiaphas, both high priests. There He was mistreated, after which the Sanhedrin was assembled and delivered its final verdict of guilt. Early in the morning, the Jews gathered the full Sanhedrin (Mark 15:1), bound the Lord Jesus, and led Him to Pilate, the Roman governor in Jerusalem.

Before Pilate, the Jews accused the Lord Jesus of these offenses (Luke 23:2.5):

• He was misleading the nation.
• He forbade the payment of taxes to Caesar.
• He claimed that He Himself was Christ, a King.
• He was stirring up the people.

Pilate Finds No Guilt in Him

But Pilate apparently cannot make sense of the accusations. He declares: “I find no grounds at all for charges in the case of this man” (v. 4). After Pilate learned that the Lord was from Galilee and had taught there, he sent Him to Herod, who normally lived and ruled in Galilee, but at that time was visiting Jerusalem.

The Lord Jesus Before Herod

Herod looked forward to this encounter with great expectations—but he was bitterly disappointed. He expected “to see some sign performed by Him” (Luke 23:8). It was pure curiosity, not a real and honest desire to get to know the Lord Jesus better and to accept Him in faith. Herod was not only disappointed in this respect; the Lord Jesus also gave no answer to his many questions.

All the more intensely the chief priests and the scribes spoke, who were again present at this interrogation as well. They “were accusing Him vehemently.” The reaction of Herod and his soldiers consisted in treating the Lord Jesus “with contempt” and mocking Him. Here another Old Testament prediction was fulfilled with regard to the Lord Jesus: “He was despised, and we had no regard for Him” (Isaiah 53:3b).

Then the Lord Jesus was brought back again to Pilate, to be interrogated there one last time before He was finally condemned to death on the cross.

The Unjust Verdict and the Cry for Crucifixion

In this final hearing, the innocence of the Lord Jesus was testified to multiple times. But the hatred of the chief priests and scribes was so great that they kept demanding: “Crucify, crucify Him!” (Luke 23:21)! “They shouted all together,” “they kept shouting,” and finally it says: “and their voices began to prevail, and the voices of the chief priests as well” (Luke 23:18.21.23). What a terrible scene! And in the midst of this tumult stands the accused, our Lord and Savior, quiet and silent, awaiting this unjust verdict. What a contrast! On the one hand the raging crowd—on the other hand the unjustly accused One in calmness and dignity.

So “the righteous One” was condemned for us, the “unrighteous,” in a scandalous trial. And He endured all of that, fully devoted to His God. And He went through these severe sufferings out of love for you and me.