John 18:31 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Pilate said to them, "Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law." The Jews said to him, "It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death."

NIV: Pilate said, "Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law." "But we have no right to execute anyone," they objected.

NASB: So Pilate said to them, 'Take Him yourselves, and judge Him according to your law.' The Jews said to him, 'We are not permitted to put anyone to death.'

CSB: Pilate told them, "You take him and judge him according to your law." "It’s not legal for us to put anyone to death," the Jews declared.

NLT: Then take him away and judge him by your own law,' Pilate told them. 'Only the Romans are permitted to execute someone,' the Jewish leaders replied.

KJV: Then said Pilate unto them, Take ye him, and judge him according to your law. The Jews therefore said unto him, It is not lawful for us to put any man to death:

NKJV: Then Pilate said to them, “You take Him and judge Him according to your law.” Therefore the Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death,”

Jesus' entry into Jerusalem a few days prior (Matthew 21:1–11; John 12:12–19) was extravagant and unusual. Had there been any reason for the Roman Empire to think He was a true threat, no other evidence would have been needed for them to act. It's certain, then, that Pilate was already vaguely aware of who Jesus was, and that Jewish religious leaders hated Him (Matthew 27:18). When he asked why Jesus had been brought for judgment, the scribes and Pharisees gave a derisive answer (John 18:30).

Pilate's retort is equally snide. He's not interested in their religious bickering (Mark 15:10). Since Rome allows local religious leaders to police certain offenses, including religious ones, squabbles between rabbis should not require a governor's intervention. The mention of the death penalty, however, implies their accusations are more serious. Other passages make the strategy of Jesus' enemies clear: to paint Him as an insurrectionist (Luke 23:2) actively rebelling against Roman rule (John 19:12–15). This would allow them to not only eliminate Jesus, but to deflect any resulting anger towards the Roman occupiers, instead of themselves.

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.