John 19:12

19:1-18 Little did Pilate think with what holy regard these sufferings of Christ would, in after-ages, be thought upon and spoken of by the best and greatest of men. Our Lord Jesus came forth, willing to be exposed to their scorn. It is good for every one with faith, to behold Christ Jesus in his sufferings. Behold him, and love him; be still looking unto Jesus. Did their hatred sharpen their endeavours against him? and shall not our love for him quicken our endeavours for him and his kingdom? Pilate seems to have thought that Jesus might be some person above the common order. Even natural conscience makes men afraid of being found fighting against God. As our Lord suffered for the sins both of Jews and Gentiles, it was a special part of the counsel of Divine Wisdom, that the Jews should first purpose his death, and the Gentiles carry that purpose into effect. Had not Christ been thus rejected of men, we had been for ever rejected of God. Now was the Son of man delivered into the hands of wicked and unreasonable men. He was led forth for us, that we might escape. He was nailed to the cross, as a Sacrifice bound to the altar. The Scripture was fulfilled; he did not die at the altar among the sacrifices, but among criminals sacrificed to public justice. And now let us pause, and with faith look upon Jesus. Was ever sorrow like unto his sorrow? See him bleeding, see him dying, see him and love him! love him, and live to him!

From thenceforth (ἐκ τούτου) Incorrect. Rev., rightly, upon this. Sought (ἐζήτει) Imperfect tense. Made repeated attempts. Caesar's friend A title conferred, since the time of Augustus, upon provincial governors. Probably, however, not used by the Jews in this technical sense, but merely as a way of saying "Thou art not true to the emperor." Caesar (τῷ Καίσαρι) Literally, the Caesar. The term, which was at first a proper name, the surname of Julius Caesar, adopted by Augustus and his successors, became an appellative, appropriated by all the emperors as a title. Thus the emperor at this time was Tiberius Caesar. A distinction was, however, introduced between this title and that of Augustus, which was first given to Octavianus the first emperor. The title "Augustus" was always reserved for the monarch, while "Caesar" was more freely communicated to his relations; and from the reign of Hadrian at least (a.d. 117-138) was appropriated to the second person in the state, who was considered as the presumptive heir of the empire.

12-16. And from thenceforth—particularly this speech, which seems to have filled him with awe, and redoubled his anxiety. Pilate sought to release him—that is, to gain their consent to it, for he could have done it at once on his authority. but the Jews cried—seeing their advantage, and not slow to profit by it. If thou let this man go, thou art not Cæsar's friend, &c.—"This was equivalent to a threat of impeachment, which we know was much dreaded by such officers as the procurators, especially of the character of Pilate or Felix. It also consummates the treachery and disgrace of the Jewish rulers, who were willing, for the purpose of destroying Jesus, to affect a zeal for the supremacy of a foreign prince" [Webster and Wilkinson]. (See Joh 19:15). When Pilate … heard that, … he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in—"upon" the judgment seat—that he might pronounce sentence against the Prisoner, on this charge, the more solemnly. in a place called the Pavement—a tesselated pavement, much used by the Romans. in the Hebrew, Gabbatha—from its being raised.

He sought all fair and plausible means to release him, being convinced in his own conscience that he was an innocent man: but the Jews double their clamours, and (according to the usual acts of sycophants) quit their charge as to religion, though that was the true and real cause of all their malice, and pursue only the charge which was proper for the cognizance of the Roman governor, of sedition or rebellion; and tacitly accuse Pilate as a traitor, and being false to his trust, if he should let our Saviour go; for no man could set up himself as a king, but he must proclaim himself a traitor to the Roman emperor.

John 19:12 . [ Ἔκραζον , continued crying out ) They called loud enough to reach the ears of Pilate within, they being in the open air, and he in the judgment-hall; John 19:9 ; John 19:13 .—V. g.]— πᾶς , every one ) By not adding for , they add or impart ἀποτομίαν , abrupt sternness and force to their language.—[ ἀντιλέγει , speaketh against ) The world frequently attempts to harass the kingdom of Christ under a political pretext.—V. g.]

12 . And from thenceforth ] Or (as in John 6:66 ), Hereupon . Result rather than time seems to be meant; but the Greek (here and John 6:66 only in N.T.) may mean either. Omit ‘and.’ sought ] Imperfect tense, of continued efforts. Indirect means, such as the release in honour of the Feast, the appeal to compassion, and taunts having proved unsuccessful, Pilate now makes more direct efforts to release Jesus. What these were the Evangelist does not tell us. If thou let this man go ] Better, If thou release this man ; it is the same verb as in the first clause. The Jews once more shift their tactics and from the ecclesiastical charge ( John 19:7 ) go back to the political, which they now back up by an appeal to Pilate’s own political interests. They know their man: it is not a love of justice, but personal feeling which moves him to seek to release Jesus; and they will overcome one personal feeling by another still stronger. Pilate’s unexplained interest in Jesus and supercilious contempt for His accusers must give way before a fear for his own position and possibly even his life. Cesar’s friend ] Whether or no there was any such title of honour as amicus Cesaris , like our ‘Queen’s Counsel,’ there is no need to suppose that any formal official distinction is intended here. The words probably mean no more than ‘loyal to Cesar.’ whosoever ] Literally, every one who . maketh himself ] Comp. John 19:7 , John 10:33 .

The phrase perhaps implies action as well as words. speaketh against Caesar ] ipso facto declares himself a rebel; and for a Roman governor to countenance and even protect such a person would be high treason ( majestas ). The Jews perhaps scarcely knew how powerful their weapon was. Pilate’s patron Sejanus (executed a.d. 31) was losing his hold over Tiberius, even if he had not already fallen. Pilate had already thrice nearly driven the Jews to revolt, and his character therefore would not stand high with an Emperor who justly prided himself on the good government of the provinces. Above all, the terrible Lex Majestatis was by this time worked in such a way that prosecution under it was almost certain death. 12–16 . Outside the Praetorium ; the power from above controlled from below pronounces public sentence against the Innocent.

(12) And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him. —The words may be interpreted of time, as in the Authorised version, or of cause—“For this reason Pilate sought to release Him.” The latter is more probable, as the reference seems to be to the attempt which he made at once. (Comp. Note on John 6:66 .) If thou let this man go, thou art not Cæsar’s friend. . . .—There was another weapon left in the armoury of their devices, against which no Roman governor was proof. The jealous fear of Tiberius had made “treason” a crime, of which the accusation was practically the proof, and the proof was death. The pages of Tacitus and Suetonius abound with examples of ruin wreaked on families in the name of the “law of treason.” (Comp. Merivale: History of the Romans under the Empire, vol. v., p. 143 et seq.) Here was One who had claimed to be a king, and Pilate was seeking to release Him. They knew, indeed, that it was a claim to be “king” in a sense widely different from any which would have affected the empire of Cæsar; but Pilate has refused to condemn Him on the political charge without formal trial, and he has refused to accept their own condemnation of Jesus on the charge of blasphemy. He dare not refuse the force of an appeal which says that he is not Cæsar’s friend, and suggests an accusation against himself at Rome. See Note on Matthew 27:2 for the special reasons which would lead Pilate to dread such an accusation.

Sought to release him - He was more and more convinced of his innocence, and more unwilling to yield him to mere malice and envy in the face of justice. But the Jews cried out ... - This moved Pilate to deliver Jesus into their hands. He feared that he would be accused of unfaithfulness to the interests of the Roman emperor if he did not condemn a man whom his own nation had accused of sedition. The Roman emperor then on the throne was exceedingly jealous and tyrannical, and the fear of losing his favor induced Pilate to deliver Jesus into their hands. Caesar's friend - The friend of the Roman emperor. The name of the reigning emperor was Tiberius. After the time of Julius Caesar all the emperors were called Caesar, as all the kings of Egypt were called Pharaoh. This emperor was, during the latter part of his reign, the most cruel, jealous, and wicked that ever sat on the Roman throne.

John 19:12 . ʼΕκ τούτου ] Not: from this time forward (so usually); for ἐζήτει , κ . τ . λ ., is a particular act, which is immediately answered by the Jews with loud outcries; but: on this ground , as John 6:66 , occasioned by this speech of Jesus (so also Luthardt and Lange). ἐξήτει , κ . τ . λ ., he sought to release Him ( John 10:30 ; Luke 5:18 ; Luke 13:24 ; Luke 19:3 ; Acts 27:30 , et al .). In what this attempt, which, though made, yet remained unaccomplished (hence imperf.), may more definitely have consisted, John does not say, and therefore it was, probably, only in renewed representations which he made. That which is usually supplied, as though μᾶλλον , as in John 15:18 , were expressed therewith: he sought still more , he sought most earnestly (“previously he appears to John rather to have played with the matter,” Lücke), and the like, is capriciously imported, as also the rendering: now he demanded peremptorily , etc. (Steinmeyer). With ἐὰν τοῦτον , κ . τ . λ ., the Jews cunningly enough again return to and fasten upon the political side of the accusation, ὡς οὐ παροπτέον τῷ Πιλάτῳ διὰ τὸν ἀπὸ τοῦ Καίσαρος φόβον , Euth. Zigabenus. How greatly must he, who in so many features of his administration had anything but clean hands (Josephus, Antt . xviii. 3. 1 ff.; Philo, de legat. ad Caj . p. 1033), have desired to see avoided an accusation before Tiberius, so suspicious and jealous of his authority! (Suetonius, Tib . 58; Tacitus, Ann . iii. 38.) Comp.