Jesus before Pilate Flashcards
Who does Pilate act as the representative of?
The Romans
What do the Jews believe will happen if they enter a Gentile’s house?
They will become spiritually unclean. This means they stay outside Pilate’s house so as to not corrupt themselves on a holy day
What is the Johannine irony behind the Jews concerning themselves with ceremonail uncleanness?
They do this while trying to kill the Son of God
What does Pilate ask Jesus?
If he is the true King of the Jews
What does Jesus do in response to being questioned by Pilate?
He starts interrogating him in return. Pilate responds by saying ‘am I a Jew’ to sum up his disdain for religious matters
What is the irony of Pilate asking ‘am I a Jew’?
Because Jews symbolise unbelief so the question really asks whether Pilate is an unbeliever. For John, it is Pilate rather than Christ who is really on trial
What does Culpepper say about this interaction?
‘It is Pilate who is on trial and his judgement will be a verdict on himself as much as it is on Jesus’
What does Jesus say when revealing his identity to Pilate?
He says that he is the King of a spiritual realm of which unbelievers know nothing
What does Pilate represent when he says ‘what is truth’ in response to Jesus telling him about the truth of God?
Agnostics and atheists who don’t recognise the truth even after it has taken human form and stands infront of them
What is Pilate’s response to Jesus?
He finds Jesus fascinating and seems reluctant to kill him. He goes over the heads of the religious leaders and asks the crowd if they would like to see him released as part of a Passover amnesty, but they elect to release a criminal called Barabbas instead
How does John preserve Jesus’ dignity when he is being punished?
Because the soldiers think they are punishing him, but they really are dressing him as the King that he is
How is Pilate still reluctant to have Jesus executed?
Matthew claims that Pilate’s wife has a dream about Jesus and begs Pilate to have nothing to do with the trial; John suggests that Pilate is becoming aware that Jesus is someone special. Pilate hopes that the crowd will be satisfied with seeing Jesus whipped but it only makes them more determined for him to be crucified
What does Culpepper claim the key issue is once Pilate has realised that Jesus is someone special?
The issue is no longer his guilt or innocence but whether Pilate will protect him from the Jews
Why do the Jewish leaders say Jesus has to die?
Because he is a blasphemer who claims to be the Son of God
Why does Pilate become afraid discovering what the Jewish leaders have charged Jesus with?
Pilate had assumed up until that point that Jesus had just broken one of the senseless Jewish rules. Pilate now sees Jesus as someone who could actually be God and becomes nervous about what is taking place
