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18:33 A persistent theme in the Gospel of John is misunderstanding: what Jesus says is taken literally and misunderstood. Pilate asks Jesus about the nature of his kingship and cannot comprehend his response. Jesus is indeed a king, but not of one people, one place, rather of all peoples and every place.
Christ mocked by Fra Angelico (1395-1455)
18:38 Pilate asks the question, “What is truth?” Some have interpreted this as a genuine question, as if Pilate were truly seeking wisdom, but it is signi cant that he does not wait for an answer. “What is truth?” With this relativistic question—suggesting that really, there is no such thing as truth—Pilate rejects Jesus’ invitation to listen to his voice, to belong to the truth.
CHAPTER 18
o. [18:32] 3:14; 8:28; 12:32–33.
p. [18:35] 1:11.
q. [18:36] 1:10; 8:23.
r. [18:37] 8:47; 1 Tm 6:13.
s. [18:38b–40] Mt 27:15–26;
Mk 15:6–15; Lk 23:18–25; Acts 3:14.
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execute anyone,”* 32* in order that the word of Jesus might be ful lled that he said indicating the kind of deatho he would die. 33So Pilate went back into the praetorium and summoned Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” 34Jesus answered, “Do you say this on your own or have others told you about me?” 35Pilate answered, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests handed you over to me. What have you done?”p 36Jesus answered, “My kingdom does not belong to this world. If my kingdom did belong to this world, my attendants [would] be ghting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not here.”q 37So Pilate said to him, “Then you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say I am a king.* For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”r 38Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”s
When he had said this, he again went out to the Jews and said to them, “I nd no guilt in him. 39But you have a custom that I release one prisoner to you at Passover.* Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” 40They cried out again, “Not this one but Barabbas!”* Now Barabbas was a revolutionary.
..* [18:32] The Jewish punishment for blasphemy was stoning (Lv 24:16). In coming to the Romans to ensure that Jesus would be cruci ed, the Jewish authorities ful lled his prophecy that he would be exalted (Jn 3:14; 12:32–33). There is some historical evidence, however, for Jews crucifying Jews.
* [18:37] You say I am a king: see Mt 26:64 for a similar response to the high priest. It is at best a reluctant a rmative.
* [18:39] See note on Mt 27:15.
* [18:40] Barabbas: see note on Mt 27:16–17. Revolutionary: a guerrilla warrior ghting
for nationalistic aims, though the term can also denote a robber. See note on Mt 27:38.