John 19:8-11 8Then when Pilate heard this word, he was even more afraid. 9And he entered the praetorian again and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. 10So Pilate said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?” 11Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore the one who delivered me over to you has the greater sin.”
The shallowness of Pilate comes out in verse 8. The unanswered question is why or of what was he afraid? The implication of the context is that it was the Jews’ last statement about Jesus being the Son of God. Pilate may have had some inclination of this truth but could not take the step of faith. His other fears overcame any curiosity. These fears could have been politically motivated because of his concern about what the Jewish leaders would say or do, or perhaps what the Roman leaders or even Emperor would say. He could lose his job and even his life if he did not handle the situation carefully.
Verse 9 supports the possibility that Pilate was thinking deeply about the identity of Jesus but could not or would not move any further toward the truth. His question to Jesus is loaded and not simply a geographical curiosity. He may have sensed something different about Jesus, whom he had just had flogged. If Jesus was some form of prophet, Pilate had greater things to fear than the crowd of Jews or Roman authorities. Since he lived in Judea, which was highly religious, he may have had some sense of divine matters. Whatever the case or Pilate’s motivation, Jesus did not answer the question (see Mark 14:61; 15:5). He could have defended himself, but by remaining silent, he let the accusation against him stand as the truth.
In verse 10, Pilate pressed Jesus again with questions but now added a threat. Jesus’ silence must have stirred anger, frustration, and surprise from Pilate. He put the situation into Jesus’ hands. Jesus could have walked free at this point. Jesus’ response is significant in several ways. One is that it shows that Pilate was not innocent. He would be held accountable for his decision to crucify Jesus. He had an opportunity to listen and believe but refused out of the unstated fears explored above.
Yet, another insight is that the Jewish leaders would even more guilty because they had more light and awareness of the truth. They had heard Jesus teach and seen or heard of his miracles. They would be judged at a higher level for their refusal to accept the truth. Notably, Jesus uses the singular substantive participle the one who delivered, possibly referring to the high priest or the whole collective and how each person involved was accountable for his decision.
A final inference is that Jesus makes Pilate accountable to a higher authority, namely God. God is the final and sovereign judge. God would vindicate Jesus through resurrection. Pilate and the Jews might think they would be the winners, but both groups failed to recognize God’s plan. Therefore, both would be guilty of sin, the Jews more so because they should have known, and Pilate less so but still guilty because he refused to recognize the truth. Both groups were fulfilling God’s plan for the redemption of the world, but both had freewill that made them accountable for their decisions.
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