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JUNE 10
saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which He
spoke, signifying by what death He would die.
33 Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again,
called Jesus, and said to Him, “Are You the King 18:36 My kingdom is not of this world.By
of the Jews?” this phrase, Jesus meant that His kingdom is
34 Jesus answered him, “Are you speaking for not connected to earthly political and nation-
yourself about this, or did others tell you this al entities,nor does it have its origin in the evil
concerning Me?” world system that is in rebellion against God.
35 Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own If His kingdom was of this world, He would
nation and the chief priests have delivered have fought. The kingships of this world pre-
You to me. What have You done?” serve themselves by fighting with force.
36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of Messiah’s kingdom does not originate in the
this world. If My kingdom were of this world, efforts of man but with the Son of Man force-
fully and decisively conquering sin in the lives
My servants would fight, so that I should not of His people and someday conquering the
be delivered to the Jews; but now My king- evil world system at His Second Coming when
dom is not from here.” He establishes the earthly form of His kingdom.
37 Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a His kingdom was no threat to the national
king then?” identity of Israel or the political and military
Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a identity of Rome. It exists in the spiritual
king. For this cause I was born, and for this dimension until the end of the age (Rev.11:15).
cause I have come into the world, that I should
bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of
the truth hears My voice.” release someone to you at the Passover. Do
38 Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” And you therefore want me to release to you the
when he had said this, he went out again to King of the Jews?”
the Jews, and said to them, “I find no fault in 40 Then they all cried again, saying, “Not this
Him at all. Man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a rob-
39 “But you have a custom that I should ber.
DAY 10:Why was the trial of Jesus conducted by the Romans rather than the Sanhedrin?

Jesus was led from the trial before Caiaphas to the Praetorium in John 18:28.This was the head-
quarters of the commanding officer of the Roman military camp or the headquarters of the Roman
military governor (i.e.,Pilate).Pilate’s normal headquarters was in Caesarea,in the palace that Herod
the Great had built for himself. However, Pilate and his predecessors made it a point to be in
Jerusalem during the feasts in order to quell any riots. Jerusalem became his praetorium or head-
quarters.It was “early morning.”The word is ambiguous.Most likely,it refers to around 6:00 a.m.since
many Roman officials began their day very early and finished by 10:00 or 11:00 a.m. Those who
brought Jesus did not go into the Praetorium “lest they should be defiled.”Jewish oral law gives evi-
dence that a Jew who entered the dwelling places of Gentiles became ceremonially unclean.Their
remaining outside in the colonnade avoided that pollution. John loads this statement with great
irony by noting the chief priests’scrupulousness in the matter of ceremonial cleansing,when all the
time they were incurring incomparably greater moral defilement by their proceedings against Jesus.
“What accusation…?” (v. 29). This question formally opened the Roman civil phase of pro-
ceedings against Jesus.The fact that Roman troops were used at the arrest proves that the Jewish
authorities communicated something about this case to Pilate in advance.Although they most like-
ly had expected Pilate to confirm their judgment against Jesus and order His death sentence,Pilate
ordered instead a fresh hearing in his presence.
When Pilate told them to take Jesus back and try Him themselves, the Jews objected on the
basis that “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death” (v. 31). When Rome took over Judea and
began direct rule through a prefect in A.D.6,capital jurisdiction (i.e.,the right to execute) was taken
away from the Jews and given to the Roman governor. Capital punishment was the most jealously
guarded of all the attributes in Roman provincial administration.
By a Roman crucifixion, it also fulfilled “the saying of Jesus”(v. 32) that He would die by being
lifted up (3:14; 8:28; 12:32,33). If the Jews had executed Him, it would have been by throwing Him
down and stoning Him.But God providentially controlled all the political procedures to assure that,
when sentence was finally passed, He would be crucified by the Romans and not stoned by the
Jews, as was Stephen (Acts 7:59).

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