Mark 15:2 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And Pilate asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" And he answered him, "You have said so."

NIV: "Are you the king of the Jews?" asked Pilate. "You have said so," Jesus replied.

NASB: Pilate questioned Him: 'So You are the King of the Jews?' And He answered him, 'It is as you say.'

CSB: So Pilate asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" He answered him, "You say so."

NLT: Pilate asked Jesus, 'Are you the king of the Jews?' Jesus replied, 'You have said it.'

KJV: And Pilate asked him, Art thou the King of the Jews And he answering said unto him, Thou sayest it.

NKJV: Then Pilate asked Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?” He answered and said to him, “ It is as you say.”

In Roman courts in outlying areas, non-appointed native magistrates can opt to enforce their own ceremonial laws and some civil laws, in addition to Roman requirements. However, while they can accuse someone of a capital offense, they cannot execute anyone. Only an appointed Roman official can authorize capital punishment. The Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council, has convicted Jesus of the crime of claiming to be "the Christ, the Son of the Blessed" (Mark 14:61). "Christ" is Greek for Messiah, but that word has no context, yet. At this point in human history, the term would mean nothing to Pilate, or virtually anyone other than the Jewish people.

Pilate's limited understanding of Judaism seems primarily tied to ways to offend them. He probably has an unclear understanding of the Jewish Messiah. This might also be why he sends Jesus to Herod Antipas (Luke 23:6–12). When a local authority brings charges to a Roman magistrate, they usually go through an interpreter. The interpretation the translators use, then, is "King of the Jews." When Pilate places the sign "King of the Jews" above Jesus' head on the cross, he is making a legal declaration: that Jesus dies because He claims to be the Messiah.

The claim that Jesus is king of the Jews began with the wise men (Matthew 2:2). Jesus has affirmed that claim (Matthew 20:21; Mark 9:1) and the travelers to Jerusalem believe it (Mark 11:10). In addition, every time Jesus calls Himself the "son of man," He is claiming to be the figure spoken of in Daniel 7:13–14. The Ancient of Days will give the son of man "dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him…" (Daniel 7:14). That would put Caesar and Rome under Jesus' authority.

As he often does, John gives more detail (John 18:34–38). When Pilate asks Jesus if He is king of the Jews, Jesus makes the question personal and asks if Pilate is inquiring on his own behalf. This is a not-so-subtle reminder that Pilate is acting on the accusations of others, not his own knowledge. Jesus is also giving Pilate the opportunity to see the truth of who He is. Jesus explains that His kingdom is not earthly, but it is real. Pilate realizes Jesus is not a threat to him or Caesar. He tries to get Jesus to defend Himself against the accusations of the Sanhedrin. But, to the end, Jesus is more concerned about the heart right in front of Him.

Jesus' refusal to defend Himself has another result: it protects His own enemies. Pilate can rightly be accused of many things, including ineptness and cowardice—but he's not stupid. He knows the Sanhedrin's charges are false. If Jesus affirms this, His accusers can be convicted of calumnia or false witness. The punishment for such a charge is to face the same punishment the defendant would have received. Pilate could, had he been willing to pursue the matter, have crucified the chief priests, scribes, and elders!

Mark 15:1–5 continues after Jesus' trial before the Sanhedrin, which has been ongoing since His arrest in the garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14:43–65). They have convicted Him of blasphemy against God, but they do not have authority to execute Him, only Pilate does (John 18:31; 19:7–8). The Sanhedrin must convince Pilate that Jesus has broken a capital Roman law. Luckily for them, ''Jewish Messiah'' is roughly translated into Greek as ''King of the Jews.'' That's high treason against Caesar. Jesus' first trial with Pilate is also in Matthew 27:1–2 and 11–14, Luke 23:1–5 and John 18:28–38.

After sham trials, Jesus is taken to the local Roman governor, Pilate. This is the only person in Jerusalem with the legal authority to have Jesus executed. Pilate is not fooled, and he attempts to arrange for Jesus' release. But the ruler's ploys fail, in part because Jesus will not defend Himself, and partly because the mob is intent on His death. Pilate offers a prisoner exchange in Barabbas, and even has Jesus brutally beaten in order to pacify the crowd. Eventually, he caves in and Jesus is crucified. Thanks to His prior abuse, Jesus survives only a few hours on the cross before dying. Jesus is then buried in a tomb belonging to a secret follower among the Jerusalem council.

After being unfairly judged, Jesus will now be unfairly sentenced and cruelly murdered. It's reasonable to say this chapter provides context for everything else contained in the Bible. From Adam and Eve until the last baby born in the millennial kingdom, every person other than Christ is stained with sin. Conscience, law, Jesus' direct leadership, even the indwelling of the Holy Spirit cannot keep us from sinning. Sinless Jesus had to die on the cross, sacrificing Himself in our place, so our sins could be forgiven and we could be reconciled to God. Beneath the violence, darkness, dishonor, and death is the love of God for all mankind (John 3:16). Jesus' crucifixion is also found in Matthew 27, Luke 23, and John 19. The next chapter describes the miracle of His resurrection.