Commentary on a Harmony of the Evangelists Matthew Mark and Luke John Calvin (continued)
Matthew 27:11-14; Mark 15:2-5; Luke 23:2-12
MATTHEW 27:11-14; MARK 15:2-5; LUKE 23:2-12
Matthew 27:11-14
Mark 15:2-5
Luke 23:2-12
11. Now Jesus stood 1573 before the governor. And the governor asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? Jesus saith to him, Thou sayest it. 1574 12.
And when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, and he answered nothing.
13. Then Pilate saith to him, Hearest thou not how many things they testify against thee? 1575 14. And he did not answer him a single word, so that the governor was greatly astonished.
2. And Pilate asked him, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answering said to him, Thou sayest it. 1576 3. And the chief priests accused him of many things. 4.
And Pilate again asked him, saying, Answerest thou nothing? Lo, how many things do they testify against thee? 1577 5. But Jesus again answered nothing, so that the governor wondered.
2. And they began to accuse him saying, We have found this man subverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying, that he is the Christ, a King.
3. And Pilate asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answering said to him, Thou sayest it. 1578 4. And Pilate said to the chief priests and to the multitudes, I find no fault in this man. 5. But they persisted, saying, He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout the whole of Judea, beginning from Galilee even to this place. 6. And when Pilate heard mention made of Galilee, he asked if the man was a Galilean. 7. And as soon as he learned that he belonged to Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who also was at Jerusalem at that time. 8. And 1573"Or Jesus fut amené devant le gouverneur." — "Now Jesus was brought before the governor."
1574"Tu le dis." 1575"Combien de tesmoignages ils amenent contre-toy?" — "how many testimonies they produce against thee?"
1576"Tu le dis." 1577"Combien de tesmoignages ils amenent contre-toy?" — "how many testimonies they produce against thee?"
1578"Tu le dis."
JOHN CALVIN
when Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad; for he had long cherished a desire to see him, because had heard many things concerning him; and he hoped that he would see some miracle 1579 wrought by him. 9. And he asked him in many words; but he made no reply to him. 10. And the chief priests and scribes stood, and vehemently accused him. 11. But Herod, with his attendants, despised him; and having mocked him, sent him back to Pilate clothed with a shining 1580 robe. 12. And came friend; for previously they had been at enmity with each other.
Matthew 27:11. Now Jesus stood before the governor. Though it was a shocking exhibition, and highly incompatible with the majesty of the Son of God, to be dragged before the judgment-seat of a profane man, to be tried on the charge of a capital offense, as a malefactor in chains; yet we ought to remember that; our salvation consists in the doctrine of the cross, which is folly to the Greeks, and an offense to the Jews, (1 Corinthians 1:23.)
For the Son of God chose to stand bound before an earthly judge, and there to receive sentence of death, 1581 in order that we, delivered from condemnation, may not fear to approach freely to the heavenly throne of God. If, therefore, we consider what advantage we reap from Christ having been tried before Pilate, the disgrace of so unworthy a subjection will be immediately washed away. And certainly none are offended at the condemnation of Christ, 1582 but those who are either proud hypocrites, or stupid and gross despisers of God, who are not ashamed of their own iniquity.
So then, the Son of God stood, as a criminal, before a mortal man, and there permitted himself to be accused and condemned, that we may stand boldly before God. His enemies, indeed, endeavored to fasten upon him everlasting infamy; but we ought rather to look at the end to which the providence of God directs us. For if we recollect how dreadful is the judgment-seat of God, and that we could never have been acquitted there, unless Christ had been pronounced to be guilty on earth, we shall never be ashamed of glorying in his chains. Again, whenever we hear that Christ stood before Pilate with a sad and dejected countenance, let us draw from it grounds of confidence, that, relying on him as our intercessor, we may come into the presence of God with joy and alacrity. To the same purpose is what immediately follows: he did not answer him a single word. Christ was silent, while the priests were pressing upon him on every hand; and it was, in order that he might open our mouth by his silence. For hence arises that distinguished privilege of which Paul speaks in such magnificent terms, (Romans 8:15,) that we can boldly cry, Abba, Father; to which I shall immediately refer again.
Art thou the King of the Jews? Although they attempted to overwhelm Christ by many and various accusations, still it is probable that they maliciously seized on the 1579"Quelque signer, ou, miracle;" — "some sign, or, miracle." 1580"D'un vestement blanc, ou, reluysant;" — "with a white (or, shining) robe." 1581"Et là estre traitté comme un criminel digne de mort;" — "and there to be reated as a criminal worthy of death."
1582"De la condamnation à laquelle Christ s'est soumis;" — "at the condemnation to which Christ submitted."
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS
title of King, in order to excite greater odium against him on the part of Pilate. For this reason Luke expressly represents them as saying, we have found him subverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to caesar, saying that he is the Christ, A King Nothing could have been more odious than this crime to Pilate, whose greatest anxiety was to preserve the kingdom in a state of quietness. From the Evangelist
John we learn that he was accused on various grounds; but it is evident from the whole of the narrative that this was the chief ground of accusation. In like manner, even at the present day, Satan labors to expose the Gospel to hatred or suspicion on this plea, as if Christ, by erecting his kingdom, were overturning all the governments of the world, and destroying the authority of kings and magistrates. Kings too are, for the most part, so fiercely haughty, that they reckon it impossible for Christ to reign without some diminution of their own power; and, therefore, they always listen favorably to such an accusation as that which was once brought unjustly against
Christ.
On this account Pilate, laying aside all the other points, attends chiefly to the sedition; because, if he had ascertained that Christ had in any way disturbed the public peace, he would gladly have condemned him without delay. This is the reason why he asks him about the kingdom. According to the three Evangelists, the answer of Christ is ambiguous; but we learn from John (18:36) that Christ made an open acknowledgment of the fact which was alleged against him; but, at the same time, that he vindicated himself from all criminality by denying that he was an earthly king.
But as he did not intend to take pains to vindicate himself, as is usually the case with criminals, the Evangelists put down a doubtful reply; as if they had said, that he did not deny that he was a king, but that he indirectly pointed out the calumny which his enemies unjustly brought against him.
12 He answered nothing. If it be asked why the Evangelists say that Christ was silent, while we have just now heard his answer from their mouth, the reason is, that he had a defense at hand, but voluntarily abstained from producing it. And, indeed, what he formerly replied about the kingdom did not arise from a desire to be acquitted, but was only intended to maintain that he was the Redeemer anciently promised, before whom every knee ought to bow, (Isaiah 45:23.)
Pilate wondered at this patience; for Christ, by his silence, allowed his innocence to be suspected, when he might easily have refuted frivolous and unfounded calumnies. The integrity of Christ was such that the judge saw it plainly without any defense. But Pilate wished that Christ might not neglect his own cause, and might thus be acquitted without giving offense to many people. And up to this point, the integrity of Pilate is worthy of commendation, because, from a favorable regard to the innocence of Christ, he urges him to defend himself.
But that we may not, like Pilate, wonder at the silence of Christ, as if it had been unreasonable, we must attend to the purpose of God, who determined that his Son— whom he had appointed to be a sacrifice to atone for our sins—should be condemned as guilty in our room, though in himself he was pure. Christ therefore was at that time silent, that he may now be our advocate, and by his intercession may deliver