Mark 15:2-5: Pilate Investigates Jesus. Pilate questions Jesus about the charges brought against Him. The chief priests are harsh in their accusations, and Pilate gives Jesus an opportunity to counter their accusations, but Jesus remains silent, to Pilate's amazement. The First Phase of Jesus's Civil Trial: Jesus's Arraignment before Pilate
In Mark 15:2-5,Pilate questions Jesus on the political charges that the religious leaders have accused Him of, but despite their harsh accusations, Jesus answers only briefly and then remains silent, astonishing the Roman governor.
Mark 15:1 described the third and final phase of Jesus's religious trial that took place at sunrise and the transition from Jesus's religious trial to His civil trial before Pilate, the Roman governor,
"Early in the morning the chief priests with the elders and scribes and the whole Council, immediately held a consultation; and binding Jesus, they led Him away and delivered Him to Pilate." (Mark 15:1)
This Roman trial was necessary because the Romans did not grant the Jews the authority to execute people. Therefore, if the Jews were to have Jesus killed, they would have needed Rome to do this for them. This was also expedient in a way for the religious leaders, because Jesus was a popular figure, whom many regarded as the Messiah, and the religious leaders could shift the blame to Rome as the ones who killed Him.
Mark 15:2-5, like its parallel counterpart in Matthew 27:11-14, is a concise account of the first phase of Jesus's civil trial. The first phase of Jesus's civil trial is called "Jesus's Arraignment before Pilate."
This scripture describes Pilate's first interview with Jesus and the aftermath of Pilate declaring Jesus not guilty (the first time) as summarized by Mark. The happenings of this account took place inside and outside the Praetorium (likely Herod's Palace which was built on the western side of the upper city along the city wall).
Jesus's civil trial began while it was early (John 18:28) in the morning (likely before 7:00 am). Pilate appears to have been ready for this early trial. The reason he was ready was because he had already approved Jesus's arrest with a Roman cohort the night before and made arrangements with the religious leadership to conduct the trial early in the morning to avoid a riot. It was in both Pilate's and the religious leaders' political interests to not attract the attention of the common people to Jesus's arrest and trial until after He was condemned.
According to the Jewish calendar the date was likely Nisan 15—the first day of Unleavened Bread. By Roman reckoning, the day was probably a Friday.
Just as Jesus's religious prosecution took place over three trials, so will His civil or political trial occur over the course of three distinct phases.
The three phases of Jesus's civil trial under the Roman authorities were:
And just as Jesus's religious trials were chaotic and disorganized, because the Jewish leadership was unprepared when Judas suddenly informed them in the middle of the night of Passover that Jesus was aware of the plot, so too was Jesus's civil trial chaotic and full of disorder because the Jews' star witness--Judas--had suddenly hanged himself out of remorse for betraying Jesus and was no longer living to testify against Him.
Therefore, the civil trial began with the religious leaders lacking evidence to support their accusations and would have to rely on other means to persuade Pilate to crucify Jesus.
Judas's remorse and suicide seriously jeopardized the religious leaders' case againstJesus in His Roman trials because he would have been the witness againstJesus. But shortly before they came to Pilate they lost their star witness, since Judas was dead.
Matthew mentions Judas's suicide and explains how it fulfills prophecy for the benefit of His Jewish audience (Matthew 27:3-10), but Mark omits Judas's death in effort to keep the central action moving to hold the interest of his action-oriented Roman audience.
As mentioned above, the first phase of Jesus's civil trial is called "Jesus's Arraignment before Pilate."
John details the beginning and middle of the first phase of Jesus's political trial (John 18:28-38a), and he summarizes the end (John 18:38b).
Luke summarizes the entire first phase (Luke 23:1-7).
Mark, mirroring Matthew’s account, focuses on the middle and end of this first phase (Matthew 27:11-14 andMark 15:1-5).
Reading all four Gospel accounts together gives us a complete picture of what happened during this phase of Jesus's civil trial.
Pilate and the Praetorium
John identifies the place they brought Jesus to as "the Praetorium" (John 18:28).
The Praetorium was the Jerusalem residence and office of the Roman governor of Judea. It was located in the western side of the upper city along the city wall. Inside was a fortress-palace built by Herod the Great. Because it was constructed under Herod, the Praetorium is sometimes called Herod's Palace. Its judgment hall, with its paved court and judgment seat, was built on the outer side of the city wall and was likely canopied. This judgment hall, where Jesus was tried before Pilate can still be visited today.
Pilate was also known to be intolerant, bloody, and cruel. For instance, elsewhere in Luke's Gospel, Jesus discusses a recent incident where Pilate executed some Galileans and mixed their blood with their sacrifices (Luke 13:1-2). Later, Pilate will be recalled to Rome and relieved of his appointment by the Emperor after the Samaritans complained about how he slaughtered their worshippers on Mount Gerizim (Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews XVIII.4.1-2).
History shows Pontius Pilate to be the opposite of a merciful or sympathetic man. He had all the qualities of an insecure, overbearing, appointed politician who was prone to excessive violence to get his way.
Pilate's main residence as the Roman governor of Judea was in the town of Caesarea on the Mediterranean coast. Even though Jerusalem was the cultural and religious capital of Judea, Caesarea was the Roman capital, and its seaside location was optimal for communicating quickly with Rome. But as governor, Pilate's duties necessitated that he visit Jerusalem from time to time. The Jewish Passover was apparently one of those occasions.
The Chief Priests Accused Jesus Before Pilate
Pilate opened the civil trial asking the chief priests and elders to state their accusation and evidence against Jesus (John 18:29). The answer they gave was unacceptable (John 18:30). The reason their initial accusation was insufficient was possibly because their star witness (Judas) had recently hanged himself (Matthew 27:3-5). At that point Pilate seemed ready to toss the case, telling them to judge Him according to their own laws (John 18:31a).
The chief priests explained that they were unable to judge Him because Rome did not permit them to put anyone to death (John 18:31b). Pilate seems to have then allowed them to resubmit their case. At this point, the chief priests and elders accused Jesus of three things:
"We found this man misleading our nation" (Luke 23:2a).
"and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar" (Luke 23:2b).
"and saying that He Himself is Christ, a King" (Luke 23:2c).
The first charge was that Jesus was a public nuisance because His teachings upset the status quo and threatened the fragile stability and order Rome desired. Depending on the severity of this crime, the penalty under Roman law could be death.
The second charge they stated was that Jesus was instructing the people to rebel against Roman authority by not paying their taxes. This charge was a total fabrication (see Matthew 22:15-22). It was a charge of sedition and likely carried the death penalty under Roman law.
The third charge was that Jesus was challenging Caesar's political authority as the sovereign ruler of Judea. It was the charge of insurrection, and it was most serious. Under Roman law the penalty for insurrection was death.
Pilate Interviews Jesus
Such charges, especially the third one, required the Roman governor to take them seriously. But without a witness (like Jesus's disciple Judas) to testify, Pilate would have to interview Jesus personally. All four Gospels record that this is precisely what he did next (Matthew 27:11; Mark 15:2; Luke 23:3; John 18:33-38).
Mark's summary of this interview consists of a single verse:
Pilate questioned Him, "Are You the King of the Jews?" And He answered him, "It is as you say" (v 2).
Of the four Gospel accounts of Pilate's first interview of Jesus, John's is the most extensive.
The first thing Pilate did was to enter the Praetorium and summon Jesus so he could interview Him away from His accusers who waited outside (John 18:28b, 33). Once there, it appears that the conversation focused on the most serious of the three charges--the charge of insurrection.
Mark, like Matthew and Luke, appears to summarize this interview by stating Pilate's main question and Jesus's main answer (Matthew 27:11,Luke 23:3).
Pilatequestioned Him, "Are You the King of the Jews?" (v 2a).
As the judge of this case, Pilate was interested in whether or not Jesus was guilty of claiming to be a king and therefore attempting to usurp Caesar's political authority in Judea. The title "King of the Jews" is the functional equivalent of how the Gentiles would have understood the title Messiah or Christ. The Messiah/Christ was widely expected to be the King of the Jews as David was once a king of the Jews. The only difference was that the Messiah’s reign was to be even more grand and complete than David's or any other Jewish king's reign ever was.
Jesus was the Messiah, therefore He was the anointed King of the Jews.
And He (Jesus) answered him(Pilate) accordingly. Jesusanswered Pilate's question: "It is as you say" (v 2b).
From John's much fuller account we see that Pilate basically asked Jesus a version of the question--Are You the King of the Jews? (v 2)--at least twice.
The first time Pilate asks this question was at the beginning of John's account of this interview:
Jesus replied by asking Pilate a probing question to ascertain where the Roman governor was coming from: "Are you saying this on your own initiative, or did others tell you about Me?" (John 18:34). This could be a version of Jesus's response recorded in the synoptic Gospels: It is as you say (v 2) (Matthew 27:11,Mark 15:2,Luke 23:3).
Pilate was asking Jesus this question from the perspective as a Roman governor presiding over a trial: "I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests delivered You to me; what have You done?" (John 18:35).
Jesus then responded accordingly that He was not a threat to Rome or guilty of insurrection because His kingdom was not of this world (John 18:36a). The proof Jesus provided to support His claim that His kingdom was not of this world was that neither Jesus nor His followers were resisting the Jewish authorities or the Romans (John 18:36b).
Jesus appeared to answer in the affirmative, but He did so ambiguously:
"You say correctly that I am a king" (John 18:37b). Note the NASB 95 interpretively inserts the word "correctly" in Jesus's reply in John 18:37. There is no such word in the Greek text of this answer. The NASB's translation is therefore interpretive concerning Jesus's response. The interpretation is reasonable because Jesus likely intended to signal an affirmative response to Pilate, but the interpretive translation masks the shrewdness of Jesus to both signal to Pilate that He is a king, and to do so without saying anything that would constitute self-incrimination and make Him guilty of the chargesagainst Him.
Again, Jesus's literal response to Pilate here as recorded by John, "You say that I am a king" (John 18:37b), is functionally the same as the responses in Matthew, Mark, and Luke: It is as you say (Matthew 27:11,Mark 15:2,Luke 23:3).
In John's Gospel, Jesus elaborates upon His answer: "For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice" (John 18:37b). Pilate retorts, "What is truth?" as he ends the interview and exits the Praetorium to announce his verdict of not guilty to the chief priests and elders waiting outside (John 18:28, 38).
Pilate Announces his Initial Verdict
After the governor stepped out of the Praetorium, "Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, 'I find no guilt in this man'" (Luke 23:4—see also John 18:38b).
This was not the verdict or outcome the chief priests and the crowds of Christ's accusers had come for.
It was an unacceptable outcome to the chief priests and elders who brought Jesus before Pilate in order to kill Him. They hated Jesus. The people believed He was the Messiah, but the priests and elders could not control Him. He had outraged them when He cleared out their money changers in the Temple (Matthew 21:12-16).
He had humiliated them as He answered their questions while teaching publicly in the temple (Matthew 21:23 - 23:39). Even before those events, the chief priests had conspired to murder Him because they feared if they let Jesus go on, He would turn the nation against them, and Rome would strip away their power (John 11:47-57).
Now He was aware of their conspiracy (Matthew 26:21-25) and they had illegally arrested (Matthew 26:55) and condemned Him (Matthew 26:57-66) and physically abused Him (Matthew 26:67-68). If Pilate were to release Jesus now, they would likely be ruined once their crimes and abuse against the Man many people regarded as the Messiah came to light. The chief priests and elders were desperate for Jesus to die.
The chief priests and elders erupted in angry protest at this verdict. An avalanche of harsh accusations broke down upon Jesus as they furiously demanded that Pilate reconsider.
Mark records this moment with characteristic brevity:
The chief priests began to accuse Him harshly (v 3).
The chief priests had delivered Jesus to Pilate so that he would kill Him. They wanted Jesus out of the way because they were jealous that He was drawing people to God through Himself and away from them. They were angry at Him for turning over the tables in the temple. And they needed Jesus killed because they had conspired to kill Him and illegally broken many of their own laws to condemn Him. If Pilate did not kill Him, then their own crimes would be exposed and they would be ruined.
Their accusations againstHim were harsh because they hated Jesus and were desperate to be rid of Him.
Then Pilate questioned Him again, saying, "Do You not answer? See how many charges they bring against You!" (v 4).
Pilate gave Jesus an opportunity to respond to the chief priests'harsh accusations.
Perhaps Pilate was trying to get Jesus to say something that would either cause Pilate to change his mind and see Him as guilty so the governor could appease the angry priests and elders, or perhaps to say something that would shame His accusers and thus give Pilate an opportunity to finalize his verdict of innocence in such a way that Jesus's accusers would blame themselves for losing the case, rather than blaming Pilate.
But Jesus made no further answer; so Pilate was amazed (v 5).
Jesus's silence as His oppressors shouted their accusations against Him was in fulfillment of a Messianic prophecy within the fourth servant song of Isaiah (Isaiah 52:13 - 53:12):
"He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth" (Isaiah 53:7)
This prophecy foretold how the Messiah would be silent before His oppressors as a lamb is before the priests who slaughter and sacrifice it.
Pilatewas amazed at Jesus's composure and silence during the slanders being made against Him as His life was on the line. Jesus was putting into practice His teaching: "do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also" (Matthew 5:39).
Pilate's Dilemma and his Solution
As the Roman governor of the Roman province of Judea, the final verdict was vested in Pilate. But tensions were high. The leading Jews--the chief priests--hated Jesus and desperately wanted Him executed. And it was becoming apparent that they were determined to accept nothing other than this deadly outcome. This was not a fight for justice. It was a fight over who would maintain or gain power.
Pilate's responsibilities were to uphold Rome's laws and to maintain good order. On one hand, he believed Jesus to be innocent (Luke 23:4,John 18:38). But the governor needed the chief priests' and elders' help in maintaining control over the masses of Jews who had crowded the city of Jerusalem for the Passover.
If the province turned againstPilate, he would lose his honor, his job, and possibly his life. Fear and indecision crept and festered within Pilate's heart as he tried to balance justice under Roman law, under which he had already declared Jesus's innocence, against keeping civil order. Meanwhile, the Jewish religious leaders obsessed over one goal--kill Jesus.
How the First Phase of Jesus's Civil Trial Ended
The Gospel of Luke describes how the first phase of Jesus's civil trial ended (Luke 23:5-7).
The chief priests and elders were relentless and "kept on insisting" that Jesus be killed (Luke 23:5a). In their many accusations, they said, "He stirs up the people, teaching all over Judea, starting from Galilee even as far as this place" (Luke 23:5).
Something in this remark gave Pilate an idea--an idea that could absolve him from having to make a decision that was becoming harder and harder to make the longer this trial went on.
Judea was the Roman province over which Pilate was governor. Herod was the tetrarch of Galilee where Jesus was raised and had conducted much of His ministry.
When Pilate heard how Jesus stirred up the people of Judea, starting from Galilee, the governor "asked whether the man was a Galilean" (Luke 23:6).
Jesus was raised in Galilee (Nazareth) (Matthew 2:21-23), and Hebegan and headquartered His public ministry in and around the town of Capernaum of Galilee (Matthew 4:12-13).
Luke says that when Pilate learned that Jesus "belonged to Herod's jurisdiction, he sent Him to Herod, who himself also was in Jerusalem at that time" (Luke 23:7).
This "Herod" was Herod Antipas, son of King Herod the Great. Herod Antipas was the Roman magistrate of Galilee, the district Jesus was from. Thus, Pilate sent Jesus to Herod to let him deal with this matter.
Sending Jesus to Herod conveniently shifted unwelcome blame and unwanted responsibility away from the Roman governor from having to decide between justice under the law and peaceful order. The law demanded the release of Jesus because no guilt was found in this man (Luke 23:4,John 18:38b). But such a verdict enraged the chief priests who helped maintain good order, and the reaction of these leaders threatened civil unrest.
The chief priests and elders demanded that Jesus be put to death. But such a verdict broke the law and condemned an innocent man to death. Pilate could not both follow the law and also appease the priests. He had to cross one for the sake of the other. He would be criticized for whichever side he chose. By sending Jesus to Herod, Pilate had (at least for the moment) seemed to solve his dilemma. The Roman politician had extricated himself from having to make a decision that would risk criticism from his superiors in Rome.
Herod Antipas, the authority Pilate sent Jesus to be judged by, was the son of Herod, the ruler who had tried to execute Jesus when Christ was first born (Matthew 2:16), and he was the same ruler who beheaded John the Baptizer, Jesus's cousin (Matthew 14:1-12,Mark 6:14-29,Luke 9:9).
In Mark's account, the narrative moves directly from this arraignment (Mark 15:1-5) to Pilate's Judgment and the release of Barabbas (Mark 15:6-15), since Mark does not record the audience before Herod that Luke alone preserves.
Mark 15:2-5
2 Pilate questioned Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?” And He answered him, “It is as you say.”
3 The chief priests began to accuse Him harshly.
4 Then Pilate questioned Him again, saying, “Do You not answer? See how many charges they bring against You!”
5 But Jesus made no further answer; so Pilate was amazed.
Set to dark mode
Mark 15:2-5 meaning
The parallel Gospel accounts for Mark 15:2-5 are found in Matthew 27:11-14, Luke 23:1-5, and John 18:29-38.
In Mark 15:2-5, Pilate questions Jesus on the political charges that the religious leaders have accused Him of, but despite their harsh accusations, Jesus answers only briefly and then remains silent, astonishing the Roman governor.
Mark 15:1 described the third and final phase of Jesus's religious trial that took place at sunrise and the transition from Jesus's religious trial to His civil trial before Pilate, the Roman governor,
"Early in the morning the chief priests with the elders and scribes and the whole Council, immediately held a consultation; and binding Jesus, they led Him away and delivered Him to Pilate."
(Mark 15:1)
This Roman trial was necessary because the Romans did not grant the Jews the authority to execute people. Therefore, if the Jews were to have Jesus killed, they would have needed Rome to do this for them. This was also expedient in a way for the religious leaders, because Jesus was a popular figure, whom many regarded as the Messiah, and the religious leaders could shift the blame to Rome as the ones who killed Him.
Mark 15:2-5, like its parallel counterpart in Matthew 27:11-14, is a concise account of the first phase of Jesus's civil trial. The first phase of Jesus's civil trial is called "Jesus's Arraignment before Pilate."
This scripture describes Pilate's first interview with Jesus and the aftermath of Pilate declaring Jesus not guilty (the first time) as summarized by Mark. The happenings of this account took place inside and outside the Praetorium (likely Herod's Palace which was built on the western side of the upper city along the city wall).
Jesus's civil trial began while it was early (John 18:28) in the morning (likely before 7:00 am). Pilate appears to have been ready for this early trial. The reason he was ready was because he had already approved Jesus's arrest with a Roman cohort the night before and made arrangements with the religious leadership to conduct the trial early in the morning to avoid a riot. It was in both Pilate's and the religious leaders' political interests to not attract the attention of the common people to Jesus's arrest and trial until after He was condemned.
According to the Jewish calendar the date was likely Nisan 15—the first day of Unleavened Bread. By Roman reckoning, the day was probably a Friday.
Just as Jesus's religious prosecution took place over three trials, so will His civil or political trial occur over the course of three distinct phases.
The three phases of Jesus's civil trial under the Roman authorities were:
(Matthew 27:1-2, 11-14; Mark 15:1-5; Luke 23:1-5; John 18:28-38)
(Luke 23:6-12)
(Matthew 27:15-26; Mark 15:6-15; Luke 23:13-25; John 18:38 - 19:16)
And just as Jesus's religious trials were chaotic and disorganized, because the Jewish leadership was unprepared when Judas suddenly informed them in the middle of the night of Passover that Jesus was aware of the plot, so too was Jesus's civil trial chaotic and full of disorder because the Jews' star witness--Judas--had suddenly hanged himself out of remorse for betraying Jesus and was no longer living to testify against Him.
Therefore, the civil trial began with the religious leaders lacking evidence to support their accusations and would have to rely on other means to persuade Pilate to crucify Jesus.
Judas's remorse and suicide seriously jeopardized the religious leaders' case against Jesus in His Roman trials because he would have been the witness against Jesus. But shortly before they came to Pilate they lost their star witness, since Judas was dead.
Matthew mentions Judas's suicide and explains how it fulfills prophecy for the benefit of His Jewish audience (Matthew 27:3-10), but Mark omits Judas's death in effort to keep the central action moving to hold the interest of his action-oriented Roman audience.
As mentioned above, the first phase of Jesus's civil trial is called "Jesus's Arraignment before Pilate."
Reading all four Gospel accounts together gives us a complete picture of what happened during this phase of Jesus's civil trial.
Pilate and the Praetorium
John identifies the place they brought Jesus to as "the Praetorium" (John 18:28).
The Praetorium was the Jerusalem residence and office of the Roman governor of Judea. It was located in the western side of the upper city along the city wall. Inside was a fortress-palace built by Herod the Great. Because it was constructed under Herod, the Praetorium is sometimes called Herod's Palace. Its judgment hall, with its paved court and judgment seat, was built on the outer side of the city wall and was likely canopied. This judgment hall, where Jesus was tried before Pilate can still be visited today.
Pilate was appointed under Tiberius Caesar to be the Roman governor of the imperial province of Judea in 26 A.D. and served until 36 A.D. Jesus's trial likely took place around the midpoint of his tenure. Pilate was greatly disliked by the Jews. According to the Jewish historian Josephus, Pilate had a habit of provoking Jews by flaunting Rome's supremacy and pouring salt on Jewish sensibilities (Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews XVIII.3.1-2).
Pilate was also known to be intolerant, bloody, and cruel. For instance, elsewhere in Luke's Gospel, Jesus discusses a recent incident where Pilate executed some Galileans and mixed their blood with their sacrifices (Luke 13:1-2). Later, Pilate will be recalled to Rome and relieved of his appointment by the Emperor after the Samaritans complained about how he slaughtered their worshippers on Mount Gerizim (Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews XVIII.4.1-2).
History shows Pontius Pilate to be the opposite of a merciful or sympathetic man. He had all the qualities of an insecure, overbearing, appointed politician who was prone to excessive violence to get his way.
Pilate's main residence as the Roman governor of Judea was in the town of Caesarea on the Mediterranean coast. Even though Jerusalem was the cultural and religious capital of Judea, Caesarea was the Roman capital, and its seaside location was optimal for communicating quickly with Rome. But as governor, Pilate's duties necessitated that he visit Jerusalem from time to time. The Jewish Passover was apparently one of those occasions.
The Chief Priests Accused Jesus Before Pilate
Pilate opened the civil trial asking the chief priests and elders to state their accusation and evidence against Jesus (John 18:29). The answer they gave was unacceptable (John 18:30). The reason their initial accusation was insufficient was possibly because their star witness (Judas) had recently hanged himself (Matthew 27:3-5). At that point Pilate seemed ready to toss the case, telling them to judge Him according to their own laws (John 18:31a).
The chief priests explained that they were unable to judge Him because Rome did not permit them to put anyone to death (John 18:31b). Pilate seems to have then allowed them to resubmit their case. At this point, the chief priests and elders accused Jesus of three things:
The first charge was that Jesus was a public nuisance because His teachings upset the status quo and threatened the fragile stability and order Rome desired. Depending on the severity of this crime, the penalty under Roman law could be death.
The second charge they stated was that Jesus was instructing the people to rebel against Roman authority by not paying their taxes. This charge was a total fabrication (see Matthew 22:15-22). It was a charge of sedition and likely carried the death penalty under Roman law.
The third charge was that Jesus was challenging Caesar's political authority as the sovereign ruler of Judea. It was the charge of insurrection, and it was most serious. Under Roman law the penalty for insurrection was death.
Pilate Interviews Jesus
Such charges, especially the third one, required the Roman governor to take them seriously. But without a witness (like Jesus's disciple Judas) to testify, Pilate would have to interview Jesus personally. All four Gospels record that this is precisely what he did next (Matthew 27:11; Mark 15:2; Luke 23:3; John 18:33-38).
Mark's summary of this interview consists of a single verse:
Pilate questioned Him, "Are You the King of the Jews?" And He answered him, "It is as you say" (v 2).
Of the four Gospel accounts of Pilate's first interview of Jesus, John's is the most extensive.
The first thing Pilate did was to enter the Praetorium and summon Jesus so he could interview Him away from His accusers who waited outside (John 18:28b, 33). Once there, it appears that the conversation focused on the most serious of the three charges--the charge of insurrection.
Mark, like Matthew and Luke, appears to summarize this interview by stating Pilate's main question and Jesus's main answer (Matthew 27:11, Luke 23:3).
Pilate questioned Him, "Are You the King of the Jews?" (v 2a).
As the judge of this case, Pilate was interested in whether or not Jesus was guilty of claiming to be a king and therefore attempting to usurp Caesar's political authority in Judea. The title "King of the Jews" is the functional equivalent of how the Gentiles would have understood the title Messiah or Christ. The Messiah/Christ was widely expected to be the King of the Jews as David was once a king of the Jews. The only difference was that the Messiah’s reign was to be even more grand and complete than David's or any other Jewish king's reign ever was.
Jesus was the Messiah, therefore He was the anointed King of the Jews.
And He (Jesus) answered him (Pilate) accordingly. Jesus answered Pilate's question: "It is as you say" (v 2b).
From John's much fuller account we see that Pilate basically asked Jesus a version of the question--Are You the King of the Jews? (v 2)--at least twice.
The first time Pilate asks this question was at the beginning of John's account of this interview:
"Are You the King of the Jews?"
(John 18:33)
Jesus replied by asking Pilate a probing question to ascertain where the Roman governor was coming from: "Are you saying this on your own initiative, or did others tell you about Me?" (John 18:34). This could be a version of Jesus's response recorded in the synoptic Gospels: It is as you say (v 2) (Matthew 27:11, Mark 15:2, Luke 23:3).
Pilate was asking Jesus this question from the perspective as a Roman governor presiding over a trial: "I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests delivered You to me; what have You done?" (John 18:35).
Jesus then responded accordingly that He was not a threat to Rome or guilty of insurrection because His kingdom was not of this world (John 18:36a). The proof Jesus provided to support His claim that His kingdom was not of this world was that neither Jesus nor His followers were resisting the Jewish authorities or the Romans (John 18:36b).
Pilate then asked his question a second time:
"So You are a king?"
(John 18:37a)
Jesus appeared to answer in the affirmative, but He did so ambiguously:
"You say correctly that I am a king" (John 18:37b). Note the NASB 95 interpretively inserts the word "correctly" in Jesus's reply in John 18:37. There is no such word in the Greek text of this answer. The NASB's translation is therefore interpretive concerning Jesus's response. The interpretation is reasonable because Jesus likely intended to signal an affirmative response to Pilate, but the interpretive translation masks the shrewdness of Jesus to both signal to Pilate that He is a king, and to do so without saying anything that would constitute self-incrimination and make Him guilty of the charges against Him.
Again, Jesus's literal response to Pilate here as recorded by John, "You say that I am a king" (John 18:37b), is functionally the same as the responses in Matthew, Mark, and Luke: It is as you say (Matthew 27:11, Mark 15:2, Luke 23:3).
In John's Gospel, Jesus elaborates upon His answer: "For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice" (John 18:37b). Pilate retorts, "What is truth?" as he ends the interview and exits the Praetorium to announce his verdict of not guilty to the chief priests and elders waiting outside (John 18:28, 38).
Pilate Announces his Initial Verdict
After the governor stepped out of the Praetorium, "Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, 'I find no guilt in this man'" (Luke 23:4—see also John 18:38b).
This was not the verdict or outcome the chief priests and the crowds of Christ's accusers had come for.
It was an unacceptable outcome to the chief priests and elders who brought Jesus before Pilate in order to kill Him. They hated Jesus. The people believed He was the Messiah, but the priests and elders could not control Him. He had outraged them when He cleared out their money changers in the Temple (Matthew 21:12-16).
He had humiliated them as He answered their questions while teaching publicly in the temple (Matthew 21:23 - 23:39). Even before those events, the chief priests had conspired to murder Him because they feared if they let Jesus go on, He would turn the nation against them, and Rome would strip away their power (John 11:47-57).
Now He was aware of their conspiracy (Matthew 26:21-25) and they had illegally arrested (Matthew 26:55) and condemned Him (Matthew 26:57-66) and physically abused Him (Matthew 26:67-68). If Pilate were to release Jesus now, they would likely be ruined once their crimes and abuse against the Man many people regarded as the Messiah came to light. The chief priests and elders were desperate for Jesus to die.
The chief priests and elders erupted in angry protest at this verdict. An avalanche of harsh accusations broke down upon Jesus as they furiously demanded that Pilate reconsider.
Mark records this moment with characteristic brevity:
The chief priests began to accuse Him harshly (v 3).
The chief priests had delivered Jesus to Pilate so that he would kill Him. They wanted Jesus out of the way because they were jealous that He was drawing people to God through Himself and away from them. They were angry at Him for turning over the tables in the temple. And they needed Jesus killed because they had conspired to kill Him and illegally broken many of their own laws to condemn Him. If Pilate did not kill Him, then their own crimes would be exposed and they would be ruined.
Their accusations against Him were harsh because they hated Jesus and were desperate to be rid of Him.
Then Pilate questioned Him again, saying, "Do You not answer? See how many charges they bring against You!" (v 4).
Pilate gave Jesus an opportunity to respond to the chief priests' harsh accusations.
Perhaps Pilate was trying to get Jesus to say something that would either cause Pilate to change his mind and see Him as guilty so the governor could appease the angry priests and elders, or perhaps to say something that would shame His accusers and thus give Pilate an opportunity to finalize his verdict of innocence in such a way that Jesus's accusers would blame themselves for losing the case, rather than blaming Pilate.
But Jesus made no further answer; so Pilate was amazed (v 5).
Jesus's silence as His oppressors shouted their accusations against Him was in fulfillment of a Messianic prophecy within the fourth servant song of Isaiah (Isaiah 52:13 - 53:12):
"He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He did not open His mouth;
Like a lamb that is led to slaughter,
And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers,
So He did not open His mouth"
(Isaiah 53:7)
This prophecy foretold how the Messiah would be silent before His oppressors as a lamb is before the priests who slaughter and sacrifice it.
Pilate was amazed at Jesus's composure and silence during the slanders being made against Him as His life was on the line. Jesus was putting into practice His teaching: "do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also" (Matthew 5:39).
Pilate's Dilemma and his Solution
As the Roman governor of the Roman province of Judea, the final verdict was vested in Pilate. But tensions were high. The leading Jews--the chief priests--hated Jesus and desperately wanted Him executed. And it was becoming apparent that they were determined to accept nothing other than this deadly outcome. This was not a fight for justice. It was a fight over who would maintain or gain power.
Pilate's responsibilities were to uphold Rome's laws and to maintain good order. On one hand, he believed Jesus to be innocent (Luke 23:4, John 18:38). But the governor needed the chief priests' and elders' help in maintaining control over the masses of Jews who had crowded the city of Jerusalem for the Passover.
If the province turned against Pilate, he would lose his honor, his job, and possibly his life. Fear and indecision crept and festered within Pilate's heart as he tried to balance justice under Roman law, under which he had already declared Jesus's innocence, against keeping civil order. Meanwhile, the Jewish religious leaders obsessed over one goal--kill Jesus.
How the First Phase of Jesus's Civil Trial Ended
The Gospel of Luke describes how the first phase of Jesus's civil trial ended (Luke 23:5-7).
The chief priests and elders were relentless and "kept on insisting" that Jesus be killed (Luke 23:5a). In their many accusations, they said, "He stirs up the people, teaching all over Judea, starting from Galilee even as far as this place" (Luke 23:5).
Something in this remark gave Pilate an idea--an idea that could absolve him from having to make a decision that was becoming harder and harder to make the longer this trial went on.
Judea was the Roman province over which Pilate was governor. Herod was the tetrarch of Galilee where Jesus was raised and had conducted much of His ministry.
When Pilate heard how Jesus stirred up the people of Judea, starting from Galilee, the governor "asked whether the man was a Galilean" (Luke 23:6).
Jesus was raised in Galilee (Nazareth) (Matthew 2:21-23), and He began and headquartered His public ministry in and around the town of Capernaum of Galilee (Matthew 4:12-13).
Luke says that when Pilate learned that Jesus "belonged to Herod's jurisdiction, he sent Him to Herod, who himself also was in Jerusalem at that time" (Luke 23:7).
This "Herod" was Herod Antipas, son of King Herod the Great. Herod Antipas was the Roman magistrate of Galilee, the district Jesus was from. Thus, Pilate sent Jesus to Herod to let him deal with this matter.
Sending Jesus to Herod conveniently shifted unwelcome blame and unwanted responsibility away from the Roman governor from having to decide between justice under the law and peaceful order. The law demanded the release of Jesus because no guilt was found in this man (Luke 23:4, John 18:38b). But such a verdict enraged the chief priests who helped maintain good order, and the reaction of these leaders threatened civil unrest.
The chief priests and elders demanded that Jesus be put to death. But such a verdict broke the law and condemned an innocent man to death. Pilate could not both follow the law and also appease the priests. He had to cross one for the sake of the other. He would be criticized for whichever side he chose. By sending Jesus to Herod, Pilate had (at least for the moment) seemed to solve his dilemma. The Roman politician had extricated himself from having to make a decision that would risk criticism from his superiors in Rome.
Herod Antipas, the authority Pilate sent Jesus to be judged by, was the son of Herod, the ruler who had tried to execute Jesus when Christ was first born (Matthew 2:16), and he was the same ruler who beheaded John the Baptizer, Jesus's cousin (Matthew 14:1-12, Mark 6:14-29, Luke 9:9).
This ended the first phase of Jesus's civil trial. It was Jesus's Arraignment before Pilate (Matthew 27:11-14; Mark 15:1b-5, Luke 23:1-7, John 18:28-38).
The second phase of Jesus's trial takes place in the court of Herod Antipas. It is called Jesus's Audience before Herod Antipas (Luke 23:8-12).
To learn more about the second phase of Jesus's Civil Trial, see The Bible Says Commentary for Luke 23:8-12.
In Mark's account, the narrative moves directly from this arraignment (Mark 15:1-5) to Pilate's Judgment and the release of Barabbas (Mark 15:6-15), since Mark does not record the audience before Herod that Luke alone preserves.