Section 7
saying that He was the Son of God, they con demned 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 gover nor.
The Jewish leaders accused the Lord before Pilate, saying, "We found this man pervert ing our nation and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king" (Luke 23:2). Pilate then asked Him saying,