Pilate Bears No Responsibility Pilate and the Religious Authorities both Responsible Healing at the Pool
In the trial before Pilate, Jesus himself says the RA are to Pilate tried not to crucify Jesus by attempting to apply the custom of releasing one Jesus threatened the RA’s authority by breaking the Sabbath
blame, ‘the one who handed me over to you is guilty of prisoner at Passover, suggesting that Jesus is flogged instead, showing that it was law, and there is a lot of symbolism to suggest that Jesus has
greater sin’. The RA accused Jesus of blasphemy, which the RA who demanded crucifixion, so they must bear some responsibility. Pilate replaced Judaism, ie. The sheep gate, the five colonnades, the
was punishable by death under the Jewish law, and it and Caiaphas had a close working relationship and colluded over his death, so thirty-eight years, ‘Jesus was doing these things on the
was this that caused Jesus’ death, ‘because he claimed to must share the blame, as neither man wanted an uprising as the Jewish Sabbath’. Jesus claims to be the Son of God and that salvation
§ The RA threatened Pilate that if they
be the Son of God’. revolutionaries had gathered for Passover, so it wouldn’t take much to spark an and eternal life are through him, ‘my Father is always at his
didn’t get what they wanted, they would report him to uprising which would cause the Romans to attack, and Pilate’s position was work’, ‘the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it’. The
Caesar, ‘if you let this man go, you are no friend of precarious, so they needed to scare Jesus’ followers into hiding. ‘He could not RA understood Jesus’s claims, but thought he was
Caesar’. ‘In rejecting their king and claiming they have no avoid making the fateful decision’ (Morris), ‘his existence was politically expedient, blaspheming, ‘they tried all the more to kill him’. ‘The Jews…
king but Caesar, they commit the ultimate blasphemy’ he might cause the Romans to take away what little liberty remained’ (Morris). persecute Jesus, they misunderstand him, and they are the
(Hooker). The account of the trial puts the blame on the Crucifying Jesus gave Pilate the political advantage, however he was forced into ones who refuse to believe in him’ (Kysar).
RA, not Pilate, who didn’t act out of evil intention, but handing Jesus over by the Jews, showing his weakness. ‘Pilate’s fatal flaw is his
genuinely misunderstood who Jesus was and wanted to reluctance to endanger his popularity’ (Kysar). ‘Coward of history’ (Fitzmyer).
protect the Jewish people from Roman harm. ‘It was not Children of Abraham
the Romans or Pilate who called for Jesus’ execution; it Jesus threatens the RA by claiming to be the light of the world and scares them by saying
was the Jewish chief priests and their followers’ (Morris). Shepherd and the Sheep that they are not children of Abraham but children of the devil, ‘he said “I am the light of
‘Good men are sometimes driven to evil by the very Jesus threatened the RA’s authority as he claims to be the shepherd, the true the world”’, ‘you belong to your father, the devil’. Jesus claims to be God and that salvation
soundness of their intention’ (Marsh). leader of the Jewish people, not the RA, ‘my sheep listen to my voice, I know is through him as light was used to represent God in the Old Testament, ‘before Abraham
them, and they follow me’. Jesus claims to be God as he portrays himself as the was born, I am’, ‘I am the light of the world’. The RA misunderstand Jesus; they think he is
good shepherd, the image used for God in the Old Testament, ‘I and the Father a Samaritan or demon possessed, they are not children of Abraham but children of
Conclusion darkness, ‘now we know that you are demon possessed!’.
Pilate was weak in his position are one’, ‘I give them eternal life’. The RA misunderstand Jesus as they think he
of authority and was pressured is committing blasphemy by claiming to be God, and Jesus says that they have
by the RA to sentence Jesus to not understood the meaning of the signs, ‘you, a mere man, claim to be God’,
‘believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me’. Cleansing of the Temple
death. ‘[Pilate allowed himself Jesus threatened the RA’s authority over the Temple and Jewish
to be drawn into] an argument, practices. The Book of Psalms had said that God did not want
then a losing argument… in the animal sacrifice but genuine worship, ‘he made a whip out of cords
Jesus’ Arrest and Trial
end, he could not avoid making
the fateful decision’ (Caird). Jesus threatened the RA in his entry into Jerusalem as it has fulfilled Old
Why did Jesus have to and drove all from the temple courts’. Jesus claims to be the Son
of God, and to fulfil Old Testament prophecy, ‘stop turning my
One cannot be sure of the Testament prophecy, a direct challenge to the RA’s authority which Die? Father’s house into a market!’, ‘zeal for your house will consume
truth or accuracy of the prompted his trial and death, ‘gentle and riding on a donkey’. Jesus does me’. The RA misunderstand Jesus as they think he is going to
gospels, as if John wrote at a not make any claims about himself to incriminate himself, ‘I have spoken
destroy the Temple, but he is talking about his body, and they
time when relations between openly to the world’. The RA don’t understand who Jesus is, which fulfils don’t understand who he is, ‘the Temple he had spoken of was his
Christians and Jews were very Old Testament prophecy, ‘are you the King of the Jews?’, ‘what is it that
body’, ‘what sign can you show to prove’.
strained, it is not surprising you have done?’. ‘Although they do not recognise who Jesus is, there is
that Pilate is known in such a wilfulness is their blindness’ (Culpepper).
positive light. ‘There is an Healing of the Blind Man
apologetic motive to the Lucan Jesus threatened the RA’s authority by breaking the Sabbath law, and the Jewish people are scared of
form of the narrative; the Scene after the Raising of Lazarus the RA, ‘now the day on which Jesus had… opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath’, ‘they were afraid of
tendency to exculpate the The RA were threatened by the wave of popular support that the sign had the Jewish leaders’. The blind man claims that Jesus is the Son of God, ‘if this man were not from
Roman prefect and inculpate produced, as they didn’t want the Romans to destroy the Temple, ‘many God, he could do nothing’. The RA misunderstand Jesus and ignored the sign because he did it on the
the Jewish authorities’ of the Jews… believed in him’, ‘everyone will believe in him, and then the Sabbath, so they accuse him of blasphemy rather than recognising who Jesus is, so they remain in
(Fitzmyer). Ultimately, it is Romans will come’. In the sign, Jesus claims to be the Son of God by darkness, ‘this man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath’, ‘they still did not believe’.
irrelevant who was historically fulfilling his own prophecy, ‘the dead will hear the voice of the Son of
to blame for Jesus’ death, as it God’. The RA understand the threat Jesus posed to their peace with the
was all part of God’s plan for Romans, but misunderstand the real truth of Caiaphas’ statement, ‘it is Pilate Solely Responsible for Jesus’ Death
the salvation of humanity, and better for you that one man die than that the whole nation perish’. Evidence For
John’s Prologue confirms this. Pilate was in overall charge as the Roman governor for Judea, and only Romans had the authority to pass the death sentence
(ius gladis), so Pilate must bear sole responsibility, as the RA only had the power to fire accusations against Jesus, but their
powers were limited to verbal insults. ‘Had there been no Roman imperial system… he would have stood no trial, been affixed
Division over who Jesus is to no cross’ (Rivkin). Pilate believed the charges brought by the RA and sentenced Jesus to death accordingly, so he is solely to
At that start of the scene, the RA are not scared as they allow Jesus to speak, ‘they are not saying a word to him’, blame. Pilate asked Jesus if he was king of the Jews, and this was his crime, so he clearly believed that Jesus was guilty. ‘It was
however the growing support for Jesus because of the signs threatens their popularity, and by the end they are not easy for the authorities… were these charismatic harmless preachers or were they troublemakers?’ (Rivkin).
scared, ‘you mean he has deceived you also?’. Jesus claims to have been sent by God, and that salvation and Evidence Against
eternal life are through him, ‘I know him because I am from him and he sent me’, ‘whoever believes in me… rivers Pilate repeatedly believed Jesus’ innocence and believed it to be a Jewish problem; he can see he is being drawn into a
of living water will run through them’. The RA misunderstand Jesus when he speaks of his divinity, as they think religious matter, ‘I find no crime against him’, ‘take him yourselves and judge him by your own law’. Pilate had the power to
he is talking about preaching to gentiles, ‘where I am, you cannot come’. release Jesus, but didn’t as he was in darkness and didn’t understand who Jesus was.
