In 22:66—23:25 the Man-Savior was judged by the Jewish Sanhedrin (22:66-71) and by the Roman rulers (23:1-25). “When day came, the elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes, were gathered together, and they led Him away to their Sanhedrin, saying, If you are the Christ, tell us” (22:66-67a). The Sanhedrin was a council composed of the chief priests, the elders, the lawyers, and the scribes. It was the highest court of the Jews (Acts 4:5-6, 15; 5:27, 34, 41).
When the Man-Savior was asked if He was the Christ, “He said to them, If I tell you, you will by no means believe; and if I ask you, you will by no means answer. But from now on the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God” (Luke 22:67b-69). The Lord’s answer indicates that He not only was the Son of Man on earth before His crucifixion, but also indicates that He will be the Son of Man in the heavens on the right hand of God after His resurrection (Acts 7:56) and also at His coming back on the clouds. His answer also indicates that He is God’s Christ, His anointed. Otherwise, He could not be seated at the right hand of the power of God.
Luke 22:70 says, “And they all said, Are you then the Son of God? And He said to them, You say that I am.” The question the Man-Savior was asked here is the same question the Devil used in tempting Him (4:3, 9).
The Greek words rendered, “You say that I am,” may also be translated, “You say it, because I am.” When the ones judging the Lord heard His answer, they said, “What further need do we have of testimony, for we have heard it ourselves from his mouth?” (v. 71). They were excited and, thinking that He was blaspheming God in saying that He was the Son of God, they condemned Him.
Realizing that according to Roman law they did not have the power to execute anyone, the religious leaders transferred the Man-Savior to Pilate: “And the entire multitude of them rose up and led Him before Pilate” (23:1). Pilate was a Roman procurator, an agent of Caesar Tiberius in Judea, A.D. 26-35. Not long after he unjustly delivered the Lord Jesus up to be crucified, his government ended abruptly. He was banished and later committed suicide.
Under God’s sovereignty the Man-Savior was judged not only by the Jewish leaders as a sheep before the shearers (Isa. 53:7), but also by the Roman governor as a criminal before the accusers. He was judged in this way so that He might die to save sinners with His life as a ransom (Mark 10:45), not only for the Jews represented by the Jewish leaders, but also for the Gentiles, represented by the Roman governor.
The Jewish leaders accused the Lord before Pilate, saying, “We found this man perverting our nation and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king” (23:2). The Greek word translated “perverting” may also be rendered “turning away” or “misleading” (v. 14). Pilate then asked Him saying, “Are you the King of the Jews? And answering him, He said, You are saying it” (v. 3). The Lord’s answer, according to Alford, is to be understood as a strong affirmative.
Pilate was not able to find any fault in the Man-Savior. “And Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, I find not one fault in this man” (v. 4). Nevertheless, “they were insisting, saying, He stirs up the people, teaching throughout the whole of Judea, beginning from Galilee even unto here” (v. 5). This indicates that the whole of Judea comprises Galilee and the region in which Jerusalem was. Galilee was a part of the country of the Jews which was commonly called Judea.
Pilate was a politician. As an officer working for the Roman Empire, he was afraid to offend the Jewish people among whom he was working. It was not easy for any Roman ruler to handle the Jews, and Caesar often complained about the way his officers in Judea handled them. Because he did not want to offend the Jews, Pilate acted in a subtle way. When Pilate realized that the Lord Jesus was of the jurisdiction of Herod, “he sent Him up to Herod, who also himself was in Jerusalem in those days” (v. 7). Pilate must have been glad to learn that the Lord was from Galilee, which was under the jurisdiction of Herod. Pilate, therefore, transferred this problem to Herod.
Luke 23:8 says, “And when Herod saw Jesus, he rejoiced greatly, for he was wanting to see Him for a considerable time, because he had heard concerning Him, and was hoping to see some sign done by Him.” Herod questioned the Lord “with many words; but He answered him nothing” (v. 9). The Greek word rendered “many” also means “considerable,” “sufficient.” The Lord’s not answering Herod was a fulfillment of Isaiah 53:7.
Herod may have been disappointed when the Man-Savior did not answer his questions. “Herod with his soldiers, despising Him and mocking, threw around Him splendid clothing and sent Him back to Pilate” (v. 11). We need to be impressed with the fact that the One who was despised and mocked, the One who was sent from Pilate to Herod and back again, was God Himself in a man. The Lord Jesus was not merely a man; He was the God-man, the complete God and a perfect man. Nevertheless, this One was mocked. Pilate, Herod, and the soldiers played with Him like children playing with a toy.
Luke 23:13 and 14 say, “And Pilate, calling together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, said to them, You brought this man to me as one who turns away the people, and behold, I have examined him before you and found not one fault in this man regarding the accusations you bring against him.” Here “turns away” implies turning away the people from their civil and religious allegiance. Pilate went on to tell the people that neither did Herod find anything in the Lord Jesus worthy of death. Then Pilate declared, “I will therefore discipline him and release him” (v. 16). When Pilate said this, “they cried out all together, saying, Away with this man, and release to us Barabbas!” (v. 18).
Wanting to release the Lord Jesus, Pilate again called the people (v. 20). “But they were shouting, saying, Crucify, crucify him! But he said to them a third time, Why, what evil has this man done? I have found no cause of death in him; I will therefore discipline him and release him. But they were urgent with loud voices, asking that He be crucified; and their voices prevailed” (vv. 21-23). The Jewish death penalty was by stoning (Lev. 20:2, 27; 24:14; Deut. 13:10; 17:5). Crucifixion was a heathen practice (Ezra 6:11), adopted by the Romans for the execution of slaves and heinous criminals only. To crucify the Lord Jesus was not only a fulfillment of the Old Testament (Deut. 21:23; Gal. 3:13; Num. 21:8-9); it was also a fulfillment of the Lord’s own word concerning the mode of His death (John 3:14; 8:28; 12:32), which could not be fulfilled by stoning.
Luke 23:24 and 25 say, “And Pilate gave sentence that their demand be carried out. And he released him who, because of insurrection and murder, had been thrown into prison, whom they were asking for; but Jesus he delivered up to their will.” The sentence given by Pilate exposed to the uttermost the darkness and injustice of man’s politics. This was a fulfillment of the prophecy in Isaiah 53:5, 8 concerning the Man-Savior’s suffering.
The accusations of the Jewish religious leaders exposed their falsehood and deceitfulness in their religion, and the judgment of the Roman rulers exposed their darkness and corruption in their politics. At the same time, they both vindicated the Man-Savior in His highest standard of human perfection with His all-surpassing divine splendor. This was the strongest sign that He was fully qualified to be the Substitute for the sinners for whom He intended to die.
The judgments by the Jewish leaders and the Roman rulers were the last step of the examination of the Man-Savior. The first part of this examination was accomplished in the temple, and the last part was accomplished before the Jewish Sanhedrin and before the Roman government. After all the steps of this examination, the Man-Savior was found to be without fault. Therefore, He was vindicated. He was proved to be the One qualified to die as the unique Substitute for sinners.