Pilate replied to him—“Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me; what hast thou done?” Ib. 35.
All the particulars of this procedure are important; I cannot too often repeat the remark, that in no part of the transactions before Pilate is there any question at all respecting a previous sentence, a judgment already passed—a judgment, the execution of which was the only subject of consideration; it was a case of a capital accusation; but an accusation which was then just beginning; they were about the preliminary interrogatories put to the accused, and Pilate says to him, “What hast thou done?”
Jesus, seeing by the explanation what was the source of the prejudging of his case, and knowing the secret thoughts which predominated in making the accusation, and that his enemies wanted to arrive at the same end by an artifice, answered Pilate—“My kingdom is not of this world; if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews;” (we see, in fact, that Jesus had forbidden [pg 562] his people to resist) but, he added, “now is my kingdom not from hence.” John xviii. 36.
This answer of Jesus is very remarkable; it became the foundation of his religion, and the pledge of its universality, because it detached it from the interests of all governments. It rests not merely in assertion, in doctrine; it was given in justification, in defence against the accusation of intending to make himself King of the Jews. Indeed, if Jesus had affected a temporal royal authority, if there had been the least attempt, on his part, to usurp the power of Cæsar, he would have been guilty of treason in the eyes of the magistrate. But, by answering twice, my kingdom is not of this world, my kingdom is not from hence, his justification was complete.
Pilate, however, persisted and said to him: “Art thou a king then?” Jesus replied, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. John xviii. 37.
Pilate then said to him: What is the truth?
This question proves, that Pilate had not a very clear idea of what Jesus called the truth. He perceived nothing in it but ideology; and, satisfied with having said (less in the manner of a question than of an exclamation) “What is the truth,” he went on to the Jews (who remained outside) and said to them, “I find in him no fault at all.” John xviii. 38.
Here, then, we see Jesus absolved from the accusation by the declaration of the Roman judge himself.
But the accusers, persisting still farther, added—“He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Jewry, beginning from Galilee to this place.” Luke xxiii. 5.
“He stirreth up the people!” This is a charge of sedition; and for Pilate. But observe, it was by the doctrine which he teaches; these words comprehend the real complaint of the Jews. To them it was equivalent to saying—He teaches the people, he instructs them, he enlightens them; he preaches new doctrines which are not ours. “He stirs up the people!” This, in their months signified—the people hear him willingly; the people follow and become attached to him; for he preaches a doctrine [pg 563] that is friendly and consolatory to the people; he unmasks our pride, our avarice, our insatiable spirit of domination!