Talk of JESUS . com

Tag: Christ

Kings, Governors, Politicians & Priests 2– Pontius Pilate
Τίνα κατηγορίαν φέρετε κατὰ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τούτου
“Tis katēgoria pherō kata ho anthrōpos hoytos?
John 18:29 – question of Pilate to the Jews who brought Jesus before him

“What accusation do you bring against this Man?”

Pilate’s question to those who brought Jesus before him is most appropriate for any judge of a man brought to law before the court.

Previously we discussed in Kings, Governors, Politicians & Priests – Power in the Palaces of Justice the political nature of the accusations of Jerusalem’s religious officials. We also addressed why the Jewish prosecutors brought their Messiah to the Roman Prefect, Pontius Pilate.

Then the Jewish leaders took Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness they did not enter the palace, because they wanted to be able to eat the Passover.
John 18:28 NIV

John 18:

29 Therefore Pilate went out to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this Man?”

30 They answered and said to him, “If this Man were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him to you.”

Did these Jewish religious prosecutors answer Pilate’s question – what charge against this man?

The Jewish officials make no specific charge before the judge of this court, the Governor Pilate. They indict Jesus as ‘an evildoer.’

31 So Pilate said to them, “Take Him yourselves, and judge Him according to your law.”

In effect, the Roman Governor of all the province of Judea acting as High Court Judge of Jerusalem tells them, ‘Case dismissed.’

Politics & Religion

If you read too quickly through the trial transcript (as we often do Scripture) you may miss more of the motivation and underpinnings of politics and religion in Jerusalem.
- Pilate (Governor and Judge) dismisses the case of the Jews against Jesus.
- The Prosecutors (Jewish officials) appeal his judgment immediately.
```
We'll return to the Praetorium of Pilate,
but first the questions of politics.
```
Who is Pontius Pilate?
Pontius Pilate (Latin: Pontius Pīlātus [ˈpɔntɪ.ʊs piːˈlaːtʊs]; Ancient Greek: Πόντιος Πιλάτος, Póntios Pilátos) was the fifth governor of the Roman province of Judaea, serving under Emperor Tiberius from 26/27 to 36/37 AD.

Source: Wikipedia

First, Pilate is Roman in every context of culture.

Second, Pilate is a politician.
He was appointed by Roman leaders as Prefect for this challenging eastern extreme of the Empire. His ten year appointment means that Pilate has full understanding of Jerusalem’s politics of religion prior to the Jews bringing Jesus to trial.

It may be helpful to think of the Roman Prefect Pilate, governing from Herod’s elegant palace during every large Jewish festival, as a governor replacing the former kings – a sort of remote emperor of Rome.

He commands nearly 3000 troops, which Pilate can order at will to control Jerusalem’s crowds and zealous pilgrims. Jesus’ trial for Pilate falls only in the jurisdiction of keeping the pax Romana peace for Rome in Jerusalem.

To understand Pilate, Rome’s Governor, you first must understand the politics & religion of Rome.

anno Domini is Medieval Latin and means “in the year of the Lord”

Rome – 1st c. Anno Domini

We know the connection of Caesar Augustus to the birth {in approximately 6-4 BC} of Jesus Christ.

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.
Luke 2:1 NIV

But understand the politics of Caesar throughout the Empire over time and gain insight into Pilate’s politics in this trial of Jesus {in approximately AD 30-33} far-removed from Rome in distant Judea.

Coin of Caesar Augustus

Caesar

Καῖσαρ, Καίσαρος , Caesar (properly, the surname of Julius Caesar, which being adopted by Octavianus Augustus and his successors afterward became an appellative, and was appropriated by the Roman emperors as a part of their title)
- Tiberius Caesar Augustus was the second Roman emperor, reigning from AD 14 to 37 (during the time of Jesus’ trial). He succeeded his stepfather, the Roman emperor Augustus. – source: Wikipedia
- Tiberius’s father, also named Tiberius Claudius Nero, a high priest and magistrate, was a former fleet captain for Julius Caesar. – source: Britannica.com
  - Don’t miss this: he was a Roman soldier commanding a fleet AND a judge AND a high priest; that is military, governing and religious authority
- Emperor (Tiberius Caesar Augustus), ‘one of the greatest Roman generals’ appointed Pontius Pīlātus [ˈpɔntɪ.ʊs piːˈlaːtʊs] governor of the Roman province of Judea in AD 26/27 {a few years prior to Jesus’ trial for which he is best known}.
More about the politics & religions of Rome to come…
```
Page TWO - Please click Page 2 below for the questions.
```
We’ll return to the Pilate’s trial of Jesus Christ, but I would like to provide a few more resources about the politics and religions of the Roman Empire before we do.
```
To be continued...
```
Pages: 1 2
October 7, 2020
Page TWO – Christ Jesus, Lord for a 21st c. Church
NEW – Page TWO

This NEW approach for talkofJesus.com posts replicates an interactive technique used for centuries: introduce the story and characters, then interrupt the storyline briefly to provoke thought about the story. The author’s design is for you to respond to the storyteller.
```
As author of most posts here I ask you:
Do you talk of Jesus?
After you read Scripture, do you comment or respond to the writer with a question?
```
Page TWO:

Thanks to Paul Harvey for this engaging media concept of communication developed for radio in the 20th century.

Story telling goes back beyond the ancient oral traditions of the Bible. Scripture; however much like contemporary BREAKING NEWS, it often reveals only page one of a continuing story.

Sometimes as Christians we need to turn the page from a first century impact of Christ Jesus as revealed in Scripture — to questions we should ask if we could talk of Jesus Christ in this 21st century. We need to think about the story of the Lord and project our conversation into contemporary application.

The BIBLE still applies to a contemporary church of struggling saints of these last days.
Roger Harned – talkofJesus.com

So as struggles of these last days unfold I ask you, my fellow followers of Christ Jesus, to turn to Page TWO.

On ‘Page TWO’ I’ll ask you questions and earnestly desire your answers or your questions.

Let’s talk of Jesus as if the Lord’s life after His death for our sins and glory of Christ’s resurrection applies to us – His saints of His Church.

Will you apply Scripture to what the Lord would have us do now, in this year of our Lord Jesus Christ twenty-one centuries into these last days?
```
Page TWO - Please click Page 2 below for the questions.
```
Pages: 1 2
October 2, 2020
The Politics of Religion – Righteousness on Trial
Jesus brought bound to Caiaphas for trial at night

The Malignant Leaven of Religious Politics

The religious rulers of the Temple discussed ad nauseam different approaches to God-justified righteousness for preservation of their personal political influence in Judaea, imperial procuratorial province of Rome.

We have slowed down our examination of the Gospel of John like politicians seeking convicting evidence against an opponent. Let’s dig for the dirt sought by Jerusalem’s powerful religious rulers who now will bring Israel’s Messiah to ‘justice‘ in the middle of the night.

We could easily focus on the caustic political potions bubbling in the dark corridors of power in this incendiary election year. I may even offer opinion of parallels to Jesus’ trial later as application to the darkness of these days to come.
Pontius Pilate

Joseph Caiaphas, High Priest
But for now, our focus continues on the political players who tried and convicted the Son of Man in a first century Jerusalem where leaders of government and religion lay together as strange bedfellows.

John 18:
```
As we detailed in previous posts:

In a few hours of just one night 
Jesus' betrayal has thus far progressed like this:

(follow links below for previous events)
```
3 So Judas took a company of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and the Pharisees and came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons.

No one is more deserving of blame than the betrayer who claims Christ, but then betrays his Lord for money or unmerited influence. Judas is a mere pawn of the powerful.

the son of perdition vs. The Son of Man

10 Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it, struck the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.)

Defending GOD!

Judas had led them into Gethsemane under the cover of night. The Roman soldiers from the local cohort of Jerusalem accompanied servants of the Temple, police who were led by Malchus.

Peter cuts off his ear! But that’s the end of the violence as Jesus heals the officer’s ear and the Temple police bound Him without resistance for trial.

12 So the Roman cohort and the commander and the officers of the Jews, arrested Jesus and bound Him…

Annas

Now we begin to meet the religious officials behind this dark plot to eliminate their opposition away from the hopeful multitudes who had welcomed their Messiah Jesus into Jerusalem just four days ago.

13 First they led him to Annas, since he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year.
- Why to the father-in-law Annas, we wonder?
- Perhaps a prearranged plan of deniability of involvement, a faux-impartiality of the High Court judge?
Who is this political player among the religious elite of Jerusalem?

Annas, an Elder among Elders, has some history of influence in Jerusalem. John and the Apostles may not have known the Temple’s political scene, but certainly every important official of the Temple must have known and respected Annas.

Ἄννας Ánnas – a high priest of the Jews, elevated to the pontificate by Quirinius the governor of Syria circa A. D. 6 or 7; but afterwards, A. D. 15, deposed by Valerius Gratus, the procurator of Judæa, who put in his place, first Ismael, son of Phabi, and shortly after Eleazar, son of Annas. From the latter, the office passed to Simon; from Simon circa A. D. 18 to Caiaphas (Josephus, Antiquities 18, 2, 1f); but Annas, even after he had been put out of office, continued to have great influence:
STRONGS NT 452: Ἄννας – courtesy BlueLetterBible.org

The Messiah Jesus is first bound up in Gethsemane and led to Annas, who then orders (perhaps by previous arrangement) the entourage holding Jesus to Caiaphas and then across town to Pilate.

.. although Annas had been deposed by the Roman procurator, the Jews may still have regarded him as legally the high priest.
More about Annas – source: BlueletterBible.org
```
Click the next page number below
to continue...
```
Pages: 1 2 3
September 21, 2020