Luke 23:4 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, "I find no guilt in this man."

NIV: Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, "I find no basis for a charge against this man."

NASB: But Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, 'I find no grounds for charges in the case of this man.'

CSB: Pilate then told the chief priests and the crowds, "I find no grounds for charging this man."

NLT: Pilate turned to the leading priests and to the crowd and said, 'I find nothing wrong with this man!'

KJV: Then said Pilate to the chief priests and to the people, I find no fault in this man.

NKJV: So Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find no fault in this Man.”

The "whole company" of elders, chief priests, and scribes has brought Jesus to Pilate (Luke 22:66; 23:1). The chief priests and elders have turned a crowd against Jesus, as well (Matthew 27:20). As a group, they want Pilate to convict Jesus of a capital offenses and crucify Him. Yet not all individuals in the group agree (Luke 23:50–51). They introduce Jesus as "this man" (Luke 23:2) a derogatory, dismissive term. Pilate repeats their phrase as if to say Jesus is harmless.

This is the first of four times in the chapter where Pilate shows he believes Jesus is innocent, and the first of three times he states it plainly. Pilate will repeat his findings after Jesus returns to Herod (Luke 23:13–14). When the crowd responds with calls that Pilate should take Jesus and release Barabbas, Pilate tries to release Jesus (Luke 23:20). They shout to crucify Jesus, and Pilate again asks what Jesus has done (Luke 23:22).

Here, when the chief priests press, Pilate sends Jesus to Herod Antipas. Ironically, Antipas has referred to himself as "King Herod" for years (Mark 6:14). Josephus, in The Wars of the Jews 2.181, explains that when Antipas finally asks emperor Caligula to be granted the title "king," Agrippa brings to light Antipas has enough weapons for 70,000 soldiers. Instead of giving Antipas more power, Caligula sends him into exile in Spain.

Pilate knows that Jesus claiming to be king doesn't mean He's a threat. He's a poor itinerant teacher. If He had a history of trying to grasp for power and suddenly showed up with several thousand soldiers—or even armed laborers—then He would be a threat. Later, Pilate will attack a group of Samaritans on Mount Gerizim. Contrary to what He seems to think, they are not armed; they are farmers caught under the influence of a false prophet who claims to know the location of artifacts left by Moses. Pilate's vicious response leads to his removal. This is recorded in Josephus' Antiquities of the Jews 18.4.1–2.

We don't know who the "crowd" is. Jerusalem is filled with tens- or hundreds of thousands of people. It's unlikely this crowd is the same that accompanied Jesus during the triumphal entry (Luke 19:28–40). In a few years, Jews in Jerusalem from Cyrene, Alexandria, Cilicia, and southwest modern-day Asia Minor will kill Stephen. A couple of decades later, Paul will be attacked by people from the province of Asia (Acts 6:9; 21:27). The crowd that demands Jesus' death may be made of Jews who have traveled for the Passover from the Roman Empire who don't know anything about Jesus. It would be disconcerting to finally return to Jerusalem to worship at the temple and discover—they think—a false prophet is claiming to be the Christ.

Luke 23:1–5 records how the Jewish religious leaders take Jesus to Pilate after questioning Him for most of the night (Luke 22:54–71). The Sanhedrin tries to convince Pilate that Jesus is a threat to the empire because He claims to be king. Their accusations include half-truths and outright lies, but Pilate does not find Jesus guilty. When Pilate discovers Jesus is from Galilee, he sends Him to Herod Antipas who happens to be in town for the Passover. Matthew 27:11–14 and Mark 15:1–5 record much of the same information; John 18:28–38 includes a conversation Pilate has with Jesus.

Luke 23 records Jesus' civil trials, crucifixion, and burial. The members of the Sanhedrin have put Jesus through three trials in their attempt to convince Pilate He's a threat (Luke 22:47–71). Their case is weak, but their political influence is powerful enough to force Pilate's hand. Jesus is executed. Three days after Joseph of Arimathea buries Jesus, Jesus reappears on the road to Emmaus where He explains Messianic prophecies in Jewish Scriptures. After spending time with His followers, Jesus ascends into heaven (Luke 24) and the disciples build the church (Acts).

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.