4th Trial – Jesus before Pontius Pilate for the first time

Luke 23:1-7. Jesus in front of Pontius Pilate the Roman Governor of Judea.

This was Jesus’ fourth trial, the first of two trials in front of Pontius Pilate.

This was the first of three trials in front of Gentile leaders. They were needed because Israel as an occupied territory could not pass the death sentence on anybody. Only the ruling Romans could pass the death sentence.

Pontius Pilate could find no reason to pass the death sentence on Jesus. In only a few hours this was reversed under pressure from a few ruling Jewish leaders.

Background Reading:

4th Trial — Jesus before Pontius Pilate for the first time

23:1Then the whole crowd got up and took him to Pilate. 2They began to accuse him, “We found this man corrupting our nation, forbidding us to pay taxes to Caesar, and saying that he is the Messiah, a king.”

3Then Pilate asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

He answered, “You say so.”

4Then Pilate told the high priests and crowds, “I do not find anything chargeable in this man.”

5But they kept insisting, “He is stirring up the people with what he teaches all over Judea, from where he started in Galilee to this place.”

6 When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. 7 When he learned with certainty that Jesus came from Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him off to Herod, who was in Jerusalem at that time.
Luke 23:1-7
Read also: Matthew 27:2,11-14, Mark 15:1-5, John 18:28-38.


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