John 19:12Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

But when they did not attain their goal, because Christ called His kingdom not earthly, they presented to Pilate a sin against the Godhead itself.

Although Pilate was defending the honor and laws of the Romans, they said, "He made Himself the Son of God."

The miserable men thought by this to move Pilate, even against his will, to irrational anger. They thought to make him bolder in decreeing death for the Savior.

They tried to provoke anger under the pretext of reverence for God.

But when this treachery also proved useless to them, they returned again to their first audacity. They said that He plotted against Caesar's authority.

They shamelessly accused the judge himself of rebellion against Caesar's glory, if he did not wish to condemn and duly punish One who, they said, contradicted Caesar.

For He had permitted Himself to receive the name of King.

Yet Caesar did not possess the heavenly authority that Christ truly and exclusively bore. Caesar possessed an authority below and earthly, which also depends on Christ's authority.

For through Him kings reign, as it is written, and rulers through Him possess the earth (Prov 8:15-16).

Thus the most impious of all men spoke with insolent babbling and blasphemed the Savior's glory through their exceeding godlessness.

The prophet Isaiah strikes them very justly with the words: "But draw near here, you sons of lawlessness, offspring of adulterers and a harlot. In whom did you delight? Against whom did you open your mouth and stretch out your tongue? Are you not children of perdition, a lawless seed?" (Isa 57:3-4).

For they did not bring an accusation against some ordinary man, nor did they compose every kind of slander by letting loose their unbridled tongue.

They did this against their own Master and Ruler over all, together with the Father.

For this reason they were justly called, and truly were, children of perdition and a lawless seed.

They thought that by frightening him with Caesar, they would fill Pilate with greater fear than when they had said earlier, "We have a law, and according to our law He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God" (Jn 19:7).

By this they hoped to make him kill Christ.

Certainly he did not fear their Law so much that he would kill Him. He feared the Son of God more, being afraid to kill Him.

But now he could not disregard Caesar, the source of his own authority, to the same degree that he could disregard the law of another people.

But why do you accuse Him of seeking royal power? By what can you prove it? By purple, or by a diadem, or by a chariot, or by some other royal attribute or sign of power?

Does not everything bear witness to His abasement: His food, His clothing, His dwelling, and all else?

He walked accompanied only by His twelve disciples, pitiable in appearance, and for the most part He walked alone.

They could also use this time to deliberate about the direction in which to sustain further accusations.

They decided that if Pilate attached no significance to this Man's presenting Himself as the Son of God, they would again accuse Him of appropriating royal power.

They would also frighten Pilate himself by saying that he was poorly defending the rights of his Caesar, if he paid no attention to the appearance of false kings.

With this decision they again approached the Lithostrotos as soon as Pilate appeared from the praetorium.

The Evangelist does not explain precisely what Pilate now said to the Synedrion and the people.

But since Pilate sought to release Jesus, we must suppose that he again declared, with still greater conviction, that he found no guilt in Him.

If the Synedrion considered Him guilty for naming Himself the Son of God, He had already been sufficiently punished for that.

It would be extremely unjust to subject Him to another punishment.

Seeing Pilate's stubborn desire to free Christ, the chief priests arrogantly remarked to him, "If you release Him, you will prove that you are not Caesar's friend.

You must know that whoever appropriates royal power within Caesar's dominion is considered Caesar's opponent.

And are you taking such an Opponent under your protection, and wanting to free Him from the execution He deserves?

Act as you know best. But remember, by freeing this Man who calls Himself King, you yourself will become Caesar's opponent."

The chief priests were supported by the other Jews, who at once cried out, "If you release Him, you are not Caesar's friend."

John's remark, he did not change his former position as defender of Jesus' innocence. Rather, he began still more zealously to seek a way to save Him from death. The evangelist's silence does not allow us to say with certainty what means the procurator used to achieve this goal. Nor can we say what he said to the chief priests. The procurator clearly could not affirm that the Accused did not acknowledge Himself guilty of assuming the name Son of God. Besides the fact that the Lord had not denied this title before him, the chief priests could suddenly produce witnesses that He had called Himself the Son of God. Nor could Pilate state that the accusation against Jesus Christ, for calling Himself the Son of God, did not constitute a crime worthy of death. It was not his business to judge the gravity of crimes concerning the Jewish religion. But with all the more right Pilate could declare to the chief priests that the Prisoner on trial, if guilty of anything, had already been punished for it too much. It would be unjust to punish the same thing so cruelly twice. He could again decline the final decision of the case, under the pretext of needing consultation with Herod, to whose district Jesus Christ belonged. As Caesar's representative, he could even openly take the Lord under the protection of Roman justice. He could treat Him as a man persecuted by the Sanhedrin for personal motives. However it may have been, Pilate's defense was so effective that the chief priests were forced to abandon the charge that the Lord had violated the ancestral laws. They judged it better to return again to a single criminal accusation: treason against Caesar. During Pilate's last interrogation, the Pharisaic and Sadducean false politicians had full opportunity to confer among themselves. They found a means to strengthen this accusation and make it irresistible to the procurator. "So you wish," cried the chief priests proudly, "to save Him from execution? Act as you please. But know this: if you release Him, you are not Caesar's friend. Everyone who calls himself a king opposes Caesar." The incited rabble shouted the same thing, reproaching Pilate for unfaithfulness to his sovereign. At these unexpected words, all Pilate's firmness suddenly vanished. "Caesar's friend" was a title in which the most noble men in Rome took pride, as did the governors of the greatest provinces. Herod the Great himself considered it a special honor to be called, and to be known among the people, as Augustus' friend. All the more must a Roman equestrian have valued this title. He was still very far from having the ruler of the world call him his friend. "If you release Him, you are Caesar's enemy." These words, spoken before all the people by the mouth of the whole Sanhedrin, were more terrible than thunder. They revealed that the chief priests were ready to transfer the case to Caesar's judgment. There they would accuse Pilate together with Jesus Christ, as a traitor careless of his lord's honor and interests. These threats had all the more force for Pilate because, as governor of Judea, he was not free from offenses. For these he could justly and successfully be accused before Caesar, especially by enemies who acted in Rome with both gold and intrigue. An accusation of treason before Caesar would not have been so terrifying if Augustus, or someone like him, had then sat on the Roman throne. One might have hoped that the Roman demigod would magnanimously examine the matter in its true form. He would not blame Jesus Christ for merely calling Himself king. But Rome then groaned beneath the iron scepter of Tiberius. He was a monster who trusted and pitied not even his own relatives. Feeding on suspicion and pretense, he tormented everyone at the slightest suspicion. The most shameless accusations always found response and reward with him. Besides the future danger from Caesar, Pilate had to fear the present danger from the people. The unrestrained crowd, incited by the Pharisees, grew more insolent and rebellious from hour to hour. Its savage cry already showed that it was ready for any violence. A handful of praetorians meant nothing in comparison with the countless multitude of Jews gathered from all over the world for the feast of Passover. Besides the danger of a popular uprising, Pilate would also have to answer for it before Caesar. What if Tiberius learned that the sole cause of the uprising was the Roman procurator's refusal to the Jewish people? They were demanding execution for the personal enemy of Tiberius, as they regarded this supposed claimant to the Jewish throne. Such thoughts could have troubled even someone other than Pilate. He was a man whose conscience was not finally stifled, who had some notion of justice and a certain inclination toward it. But from childhood, after the example of Roman grandees, he was accustomed to place his own advantage above morality. He looked not so much at conscience as at circumstances. He considered pleasing Caesar the highest law of his actions. He appeared just where he could do so without harm to himself, at least without serious harm. He was a man unacquainted with true religion, and with the better experiences and hopes of the human race. These experiences create the true heroes of virtue. Without these hopes, even the most exalted morality is unstable and unreliable. To defend an innocent man, one would have had to renounce Caesar's friendship publicly and despise danger to one's own life. For such a lofty sacrifice, even in paganism, the firm spirit of Regulus and the disinterestedness of Cincinnatus were needed. But the spirit of the Reguli and Cincinnatuses had long since left the Capitol, now filled with flatterers of Augustus and slaves of Tiberius. Let us add one more thought. Some ancient teachers of the Church supposed that Judas sold his Teacher in the hope that He would free Himself from His enemies' hands by supernatural powers. It is still more reasonable to suppose this about Pilate. Having resolved to condemn Jesus Christ to death, he probably hoped that the gods, if He was their son, would not delay in saving Him from execution. Such an execution was so shameful to their divine dignity. Considering all this, one easily understands how the cry of the people and chief priests overpowered the judge's weakened will. Having resolved to yield to necessity, Pilate ascended the judgment seat to conclude the trial. The Lord, who until then had remained in the praetorium, was brought out to the Lithostrotos to hear the sentence. The accusers also drew near. Instead of noise, silence fell. All awaited what Pilate would say and how this most extraordinary case would end. "Behold your King!" Pilate involuntarily exclaimed, looking at Him whom he now had to condemn to death, contrary to conscience and desire.

The old Roman vigilance in suppressing attempts against Rome now received new force. It was transformed into the jealous personal suspicion of a despot.

It was no accidental turn of speech that the cunning Jewish politicians preferred the expression, "Whoever makes himself a king opposes Caesar."

They did not say, "whoever makes himself a king opposes" the majesty of the Roman state.

Long before this period, though still in the reign of Tiberius, the latter kind of crime had become the most dangerous to life.

Some of the accusers must have remembered the earlier days of the dynasty. Julius and Octavius themselves had successfully trampled on the rights of the "majesty of the republic."

The Jews, having shown attachment to them during that great upheaval, earned the name "friends of Caesar," which later became an honorary title.

All of them had to know that the first emperor extended the law of treason by establishing punishment for pamphlets against his own person.

Tiberius, distinguished by zeal for despotism and terrible suspicion, used the leges majestatis against all who did not show servility to him personally.

He did so even if they said nothing against him and did not support the claims of others hostile to Caesar.

The great Roman historian mentions that even before Pilate was sent to Judea, provinces appeared before Tiberius with complaints against their proconsuls.

They tried to add to the usual accusations of extortion the charge of treason.

They added the crime of majesty, which at that time was the completion of all accusations.

Struck by so profound an answer, which one might rather have heard from some very deep philosopher than from a wretched Galilean Prisoner, Pilate again became thoughtful.

He did not know what he should now do. In any case, the Evangelist remarks, from then on Pilate desired still more to release Him.

They threatened to accuse the procurator himself of treason against the Roman emperor.

The emperor, or Roman Caesar, at that time was Tiberius, a cruel and suspicious despot.

Denunciations for treason against majesty were received by him with great favor. The Lord's accusers resolved to threaten Pilate with such a denunciation if he released Him.

"You are not Caesar's friend" means, you are unfaithful, a traitor to the emperor, if you do not sentence to death the one who presents himself as king.

By making himself a king, cf. Jn 10:33, he is therefore supposedly raging against imperial authority.

The Roman prefect leaves unpunished one who calls himself king of the Jews, without being recognized as king by Caesar's will. Is he Caesar's friend?

Pilate knew that in Rome much could be done by money and intrigues. He also had no few sins behind him in his administration.

He knew too that the Caesar then reigning, Tiberius, was suspicious. He saw treason and offense against majesty everywhere, and trusted not even his relatives.

Pilate, for whom earthly happiness was a deity, resolves to sacrifice the Righteous One to death for the sake of his own interests.

It is strange that the Synedrion had not previously brought forward what it now said to Pilate. Why conduct such a long struggle with Pilate, when it had at hand a sure means of victory over him?

There is only one true answer: such was the will of God, always solicitous for the benefit of mankind.

Do not millions now see that human passions, malice, cunning, insolence, and vanity exhausted every measure to blacken Jesus Christ? And whom did they blacken? Themselves.

The greatness of Jesus before the Synedrion and Pilate is divine greatness.

Now they see what a pitiable actor the Synedrion was. "Though they found no cause of death in Him, they asked Pilate that He should be killed" (Acts 13:28).

So the Apostle Paul described the Synedrion's actions in the hearing of the Jewish synagogue.