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Some questions by Pilate are presupposed by the fragmentary beginning at 1:1 read together with reference to "son of God" in lines 6- 9 (= ch 3) and to "king of Israel" in lines 7 and 11 (in chs 3 & 4):

/1/ but of the Judeans no one washed his hands, neither Herod nor any one of his judges. Since they were [un]willing to wash, Pilate stood up. /2/ Then Herod the king orders the Lord to be [taken away], saying to them "Do what I commanded you to do to him." /3/ Joseph stood there, the friend of Pilate and the Lord, and when he realized that they were about to crucify him, he went to Pilate and asked for the body of the Lord for burial. /4/ And Pilate sent to Herod and asked for his body. /5/ And Herod replied, "Brother Pilate, even if no one had asked for him, we would have buried him, since the sabbath is drawing near. For it is written in the Law, `The sun must not set upon one who has been executed.'" And he turned him over to the people on the day before the Unleavened Bread, their feast. /6/ They took the Lord and kept pushing him along as they ran; and they would say, "Let's drag the son of God along, since we have him in our power." /7/ And they threw a purple robe around him and sat him upon the judgment seat and said, "Judge justly, king of Israel." /8/ And one of them brought a crown of thorns and set it on the head of the Lord. /9/ And others standing about would spit in his eyes, and others slapped his face, while others poked him with a rod. Some kept flogging him as they said, "Let's pay proper respect to the son of God." /10/ And they brought two criminals and crucified the Lord between them. But he himself remained silent, as if in no pain. /11/ And when they set up the cross, they put an inscription on it, "This is the king of Israel." /12/ And they piled his clothing in front of him; then they divided it among themselves, and gambled for it. /13/ But one of those criminals reproached them and said, "We're suffering for the evil that we've done, but this fellow, who has become a savior of humanity, what wrong as he done to you?" /14/ And they got angry at him and ordered that his legs not be broken so he would die in agony. [Complete Gospels]

 

(1b) Mark 15:2-5 = Matt 27:11-14 = Luke 23:2-5

/15:2/ Pilate asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" He answered him, "You say so." /3/ Then the chief priests accused him of many things. /4/ Pilate asked him again, "Have you no answer? See how many charges they bring against you." /5/ But Jesus made no further reply, so that Pilate was amazed.

= Matt 27:11-14
/27:11/ Now Jesus stood before the governor; and the governor asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus said, "You say so." /12/ But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he did not answer. /13/ Then Pilate said to him, "Do you not hear how many accusations they make against you?" /14/ But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.

= Luke 23:2-5
/23:2/ They began to accuse him, saying, "We found this man perverting our nation, forbidding us to pay taxes to the emperor, and saying that he himself is the Messiah, a king." /3/ Then Pilate asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" He answered, "You say so." /4/ Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, "I find no basis for an accusation against this man." /5/ But they were insistent and said, "He stirs up the people by teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee where he began even to this place."

 

(1c) John 18:29-38; 19:4-16

/18:29/ So Pilate went out to them and said, "What accusation do you bring against this man?" /30/ They answered, "If this man were not a criminal, we would not have handed him over to you." /31/ Pilate said to them, "Take him yourselves and judge him according to your law." The Jews replied, "We are not permitted to put anyone to death." /32/ (This was to fulfill what Jesus had said when he indicated the kind of death he was to die.) /33/ Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" /34/ Jesus answered, "Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?" /35/ Pilate replied, "I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?" /36/ Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here." /37/ Pilate asked him, "So you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice." /38/ Pilate asked him, "What is truth?" After he had said this, he went out to the Jews again and told them, "I find no case against him.

/19:4/ Pilate went out again and said to them, "Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no case against him." /5/ So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, "Here is the man!" /6/ When the chief priests and the police saw him, they shouted, "Crucify him! Crucify him!" Pilate said to them, "Take him yourselves and crucify him; I find no case against him." /7/ The Jews answered him, "We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has claimed to be the Son of God." /8/ Now when Pilate heard this, he was more afraid than ever. /9/ He entered his headquarters again and asked Jesus, "Where are you from?" But Jesus gave him no answer. /10/ Pilate therefore said to him, "Do you refuse to speak to me? Do you not know that I have power to release you, and power to crucify you?" /11/ Jesus answered him, "You would have no power over me unless it had been given you from above; therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin." /12/ From then on Pilate tried to release him, but the Jews cried out, "If you release this man, you are no friend of the emperor. Everyone who claims to be a king sets himself against the emperor." /13/ When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus outside and sat on the judge's bench at a place called The Stone Pavement, or in Hebrew Gabbatha. /14/ Now it was the day of Preparation for the Passover; and it was about noon. He said to the Jews, "Here is your King!" /15/ They cried out, "Away with him! Away with him! Crucify him!" Pilate asked them, "Shall I crucify your King?" The chief priests answered, "We have no king but the emperor." /16/ Then he handed him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus;

 

Notes

RCL: Year
ECUSA: & RC: Year

advanceWord:

John Dominic Crossan