An experience between Jesus and Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor. Jesus has been arrested and is brought from Caiaphas’ house to Pilate’s headquarters early in the morning on the day of preparation for Passover. There are essentially two trials happening simultaneously: Inside Pilate’s headquarters, Jesus stands trial before Pilate. Outside the headquarters, Pilate stands trial before the Jewish religious leaders. Pilate asks Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?” He wants to know why the chief priests handed Jesus over to him. Jesus explains that His kingdom is not of this world; it is not political, violent, or revolutionary. His kingdom rests on making God known, bearing witness to the truth, and gathering those who listen to the truth. Pilate dismisses Jesus’ offer, asking, “What is truth?” He doesn’t grasp the spiritual nature of Jesus’ kingdom. Pilate finds Jesus innocent but faces pressure from the religious leaders. Instead of crucifying Jesus, he has Him flogged. The soldiers mockingly hail Jesus as “the king of the Jews.” This experience reveals Jesus’ unique identity as both a king and the true Passover lamb. His kingdom transcends earthly politics, inviting all to know God and embrace the truth.
It reads in John 18:28-40 Easy: Then the guards took Jesus from Caiaphas’ house to the Roman governor’s palace. It was early in the morning. The Jews there would not go inside the palace. They did not want to make themselves unclean, because they wanted to eat the Passover meal. So Pilate went outside to them and asked, “What do you say this man has done wrong?” They answered, “He is a bad man. That is why we brought him to you.” Pilate said to them, “You take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.” The Jewish leaders answered, “But your law does not allow us to punish anyone by killing them.” (This was to show the truth of what Jesus said about how he would die.) Then Pilate went back inside the palace. He called for Jesus and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus said, “Is that your own question, or did other people tell you about me?” Pilate said, “I’m not a Jew! It was your own people and their leading priests who brought you before me. What have you done wrong?” Jesus said, “My kingdom does not belong to this world. If it did, my servants would fight so that I would not be handed over to the Jewish leaders. No, my kingdom is not an earthly one.” Pilate said, “So you are a king.” Jesus answered, “You are right to say that I am a king. I was born for this: to tell people about the truth. That is why I came into the world. And everyone who belongs to the truth listens to me.” Pilate said, “What is truth?” Then he went out to the Jewish leaders again and said to them, “I can find nothing against this man. But it is one of your customs for me to free one prisoner to you at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to free this ‘king of the Jews’?” They shouted back, “No, not him! Let Barabbas go free!” (Barabbas was a rebel.)