Trial before Pilate 

Basic Info

Matthew 27:1–25, Mark 15:1–15, Luke 23:1–25, John 18:28―19:16

Pontius Pilate was the Roman prefect of Judea. His main jobs were to prevent or quell rebellions and make sure the taxes were collected for the Roman Emperor. The synoptic accounts of the trial are fairly similar. John’s is much longer and includes more reference to the political tensions of the time. This summary relies heavily on John’s account.

An encounter between Pilate and the high priest and his crowds takes place in the courtyard of Pilate’s house (the praetorium) because if the Jews were to enter this place it would make them unclean before the Passover festival and they couldn’t risk that. Jesus is handed over to Pilate. Pilate questions Jesus about the charges against him, finds no cause to condemn him, and tries to give him back to the high priest. Pilate is in a tough position. He doesn’t want to risk rebellion from Jesus’ followers, nor does he want to risk rebellion from the chief priests and the Jews faithful to them. The high priest preys on this by suggesting that Jesus’ alleged claim to be a king threatens Caesar as well as God.

Episodes known as Scourging, Crowning with Thorns and Mocking, and Ecce Homo show up during the episode with Pilate in some Gospels but not others. Each is treated in a separate article. Luke includes an extra trial before Herod, but that will be described with the Crown of Thorns and Mocking.

What to Look For

• Power dynamics
• Pilate’s catch-22
• Jesus’ continued acquiescence to God’s will
• Indications of Pilate’s authority
• Indications of Jesus’ authority

Questions to Focus a General Interpretation

What does the artwork say about the relationship between earthly and divine authority? between civil and religious authority? between Christian and pagan religions?

Does the artwork attend to Pilate’s attempt to disown responsibility for condemning Jesus and put it back on the Jews?

Questions to Guide a Personal Interpretation

Put yourself in the shoes of the various characters in the artwork. Can you relate to Jesus’ position? Can you relate to Pilate’s position? As a bystander, what would you have done or thought?

Questions to Suggest a Historical Interpretation



What might have been going on between the various civil and religious authorities in the artist’s time and place that might have influenced the artwork? between Christian and non-Christian religious groups?