John 19:9 - Printer Friendly

ESV: He entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave him no answer.

NIV: and he went back inside the palace. 'Where do you come from?' he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer.

NASB: and he entered the Praetorium again and *said to Jesus, 'Where are You from?' But Jesus gave him no answer.

CSB: He went back into the headquarters and asked Jesus, "Where are you from? " But Jesus did not give him an answer.

NLT: He took Jesus back into the headquarters again and asked him, 'Where are you from?' But Jesus gave no answer.

KJV: And went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer.

NKJV: and went again into the Praetorium, and said to Jesus, “Where are You from?” But Jesus gave him no answer.

Pilate had ample reasons to avoid putting Jesus to death. The conflict with religious leaders is obviously personal (Matthew 27:18). Jesus is clearly not a political threat (John 18:36–37). Pilate's own wife has expressed concerns (Matthew 27:19). To make matters worse, Jewish leaders have now told Pilate that Jesus claims to be the "Son of God" (John 19:7). This is true (Matthew 26:63–66), but instead of considering it blasphemy, Pilate is afraid it might be true (John 19:8).

In Roman religion, it was possible for gods to have children with mortals. These demigods were usually favored by their divine parent, so those who harmed a demigod could expect consequences. Pilate's fear and motivation to again speak with Jesus is probably rooted in that concern. He's already had Jesus viciously whipped and humiliated (John 19:1–5), though the crowd wants more (John 19:6–7). If there's any reason to think Jesus is connected to some deity, he won't dare have Him killed.

However, Jesus doesn't respond. He knows Pilate has no interest in deep thinking over these issues (John 18:38). He's not familiar with Jewish Scriptures or prophecies (John 18:35). There's no reason for Jesus to debate those nuances when He already knows how this will end (Matthew 20:19). As in His sham trials before the Jewish council, Jesus simply leaves those questions unanswered (Matthew 26:62–63). He only replies when it's necessary (Matthew 26:63–66), and this is not one of those times.

In frustration, Pilate will fall back to the tactics of a petty tyrant: trying to intimidate Jesus into an answer (John 19:10).

John 19:1–16 continues Jesus' interrogation by the Roman governor, Pilate. Pilate has already recognized Jesus' innocence and continues to look for ways to release Him without an execution. Religious leaders refuse this, using the threat of a riot to coerce the governor. Eventually, Pilate gives in and orders Jesus to be crucified. Parallel accounts are found in Matthew 27:24–30, Mark 15:12–15, and Luke 23:20–25.

Pilate recognizes Jesus' innocence, but fears the mob assembled by Jewish religious leaders. He attempts to satisfy them by having Jesus viciously whipped and mocked. This only results in more cries for Jesus' death. The governor then shifts to protect his own reputation, ordering Jesus to be crucified on a charge of being "King of the Jews." John is directly present as Jesus is executed. He notes the fulfillment of several prophecies as Jesus dies. Once He is confirmed to be dead, Jesus' body is taken by two friendly members of the ruling council. They hastily bury Him in the borrowed crypt of a rich man.

When Jesus was first brought to Pilate, His innocence was obvious (John 18:36–38). However, the mob refuses to be satisfied with anything less than crucifixion. Pilate gives in to these demands. John, who is present for the entire gory spectacle, notes several instances of fulfilled prophecy (Psalm 22:18; Psalm 69:21; Exodus 12:46; Zechariah 12:10). Jesus is then buried in the borrowed tomb of a rich man (Isaiah 53:9) to complete yet another Old Testament prediction. A guard will be posted to ensure no one steals the body (Matthew 27:62–68), which will only serve to confirm that Jesus' eventual resurrection was a true miracle (John 20:1–8).

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.