John 18:33 - Printer Friendly

ESV: So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?”

NIV: Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, 'Are you the king of the Jews?'

NASB: Therefore Pilate entered the Praetorium again, and summoned Jesus and said to Him, 'You are the King of the Jews?'

CSB: Then Pilate went back into the headquarters, summoned Jesus, and said to him, "Are you the king of the Jews? "

NLT: Then Pilate went back into his headquarters and called for Jesus to be brought to him. 'Are you the king of the Jews?' he asked him.

KJV: Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews?

NKJV: Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”

Pilate has already indicated a lack of interest in Jesus (John 18:29–31). He's well aware of the jealous tension between Christ and the religious leaders of Jerusalem (Matthew 27:18; Mark 15:10). He has only two reasons for interviewing Jesus. First, the scribes and Pharisees are accusing Jesus of rebelling against Roman rule by declaring Himself a "king" (Luke 23:2). Second, Jesus' unusual popularity (Matthew 21:1–11; John 12:12–19) makes that something worth looking in to.

Most likely, John's record condenses the conversation between Pilate and Jesus (John 18:34–38). John includes the crucial points: Jesus is not claiming an earthly kingdom, Pilate has no interest in Jewish spirituality, and Pilate's preference is to let Jesus go.

Jesus was brought inside Pilate's Roman offices, as most accused prisoners would be. His accusers have remained outside to avoid contact with a Gentile's "unclean" home prior to Passover (John 18:28). The fact that Pilate has to come back outside to speak with religious leaders also lets Jesus' enemies apply mob pressure, threatening to riot (John 19:12–15; Matthew 27:24).

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 gospel of John was written by the disciple John, decades later than the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. 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”—in order to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in all of the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.