John 18:30 - Printer Friendly

ESV: They answered him, "If this man were not doing evil, we would not have delivered him over to you."

NIV: "If he were not a criminal," they replied, "we would not have handed him over to you."

NASB: They answered and said to him, 'If this Man were not a criminal, we would not have handed Him over to you.'

CSB: They answered him, "If this man weren’t a criminal, we wouldn’t have handed him over to you."

NLT: We wouldn’t have handed him over to you if he weren’t a criminal!' they retorted.

KJV: They answered and said unto him, If he were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered him up unto thee.

NKJV: They answered and said to him, “If He were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him up to you.”

The statement here seems obvious, but does nothing to answer the question Pilate has asked (John 18:29). This reflects the mutual disrespect between Jewish leaders and the Roman governor. Not only did Pilate rule on behalf of a conquering Roman Empire, but he was also known for being cruelly violent. This remark is a not-so-subtle way for the scribes and Pharisees to imply that they, not Pilate, are the legitimate judges of guilt or innocence. They would not have stooped to consulting with a Gentile unless there was no other choice. Pilate's dismissive response (John 18:31) corresponds with what he already knows: that Jesus is being targeted out of jealousy, not an actual crime (Matthew 27:18).

As he often does, John omits details clearly given in other Gospels, focusing instead on his unique message. Using an artificial mob, the scribes and Pharisees will insist that Jesus' claims are rebellion against the Roman Empire (Matthew 27:24), and imply that there will be civil unrest if Jesus is not executed (John 19:12–15). In this passage, John moves quickly to explain that Jesus' enemies are seeking the death penalty (John 11:49–53; 18:31), setting up Pilate's fascinating private conversation with Christ (John 18:33).

John 18:28–40 describes Jerusalem's religious leaders taking Jesus to the local Roman governor. While Jewish authorities are allowed punish blasphemers, Roman law will not let them administer the death penalty. Jesus is too well-liked to be assassinated, so His enemies will attempt to paint Him as a rebel against Rome. In a private interview with Pilate, Jesus claims His role as King, but also notes that His purpose is not yet to rule an earthly kingdom. Pilate attempts to appease the crowd, trying to spare a clearly innocent man, but a mob has formed to demand Jesus' death. John continues his habit of skipping details offered in other Gospels. He does not repeat the account of Jesus before the Sanhedrin (Mark 14:55–65), nor the part of Pilate's investigation where Jesus is sent briefly to Herod (Luke 23:6–12).

Jesus is secretly, quietly arrested in the garden of Gethsemane and taken to a series of sham trials before Jewish leadership. This leads to His encounter with the local Roman governor. Jesus accepts being described as "King" but denies that His current purpose is earthly rule. A mob assembled by Jesus' enemies reject Pilate's attempt to free Jesus. In the meantime, Peter fulfills Christ's prophecy about a three-fold denial.

John's Gospel was written well after the other three, so he frequently chooses to present different details. Chapter 17 detailed Jesus' High Priestly Prayer, just before He entered the garden of Gethsemane. This chapter describes Jesus' arrest, sham trials before Jewish leadership, and the beginning of His trial before the Roman governor. In the following chapter, Jesus will be unfairly condemned, executed, and buried.

The disciple John wrote the gospel of John decades after the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls "signs"— to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.