Albert Barnes Commentary John 19

Behold, I bring him forth, etc. Pilate, after examining Jesus, had gone out and declared to the Jews that he found no fault in him (John 18:38). At that time Jesus remained in the judgment hall. The Jews were not satisfied with that, but still demanded that he should be put to death (John 18:39–40).

Pilate, disposed to gratify the Jews, returned to Jesus and ordered him to be scourged, as if preparatory to death (John 19:1). The patience and meekness with which Jesus bore this seemed to have convinced him still more that he was innocent, and he again went out to declare his conviction of this. To do it more effectively, he said, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know, etc.—that they might themselves see, and be satisfied, as he had been, of his innocence.

All this shows his anxiety to release him and also shows that the meekness, purity, and sincerity of Jesus had power to convince a Roman governor that he was not guilty. Thus, the highest evidence was given that the charges were false, even when he was condemned to die.

Behold the man. It is probable that Pilate pointed to the Saviour, and his object evidently was to move them to compassion and to convince them, by a sight of the Saviour Himself, that He was innocent. Therefore, he brought Him out with the crown of thorns, the purple robe, and with the marks of scourging. Amid all this, Jesus was meek, patient, and calm, giving evident proofs of innocence. Pilate's conduct was as if he had said:

"See! The man whom you accuse is arrayed in a gorgeous robe, as if a king. He has been scourged and mocked. All this He has borne with patience. See! How calm and peaceful! Behold His countenance! How mild! His body scourged, His head pierced with thorns! Yet in all this He is meek and patient. This is the man whom you accuse; and He is now brought out, so that you may see that He is not guilty."

They cried out, saying, Crucify him, and so on. The view of the Savior's meekness only exasperated them further. They had resolved on his death; and as they saw Pilate disposed to acquit him, they redoubled their cries and endeavored to gain by tumult, clamor, and terror what they saw they could not obtain by justice.

When people are determined on evil, they cannot be reasoned with. Every argument tends to defeat their plans, and they press on in iniquity with an earnestness that increases as sound reasons are urged to halt their progress. Thus, sinners go in the way of wickedness down to death. They make up in firmness of purpose what they lack in reason. They become all the more fixed in their plans as God faithfully warns them and their friends admonish them.

Take ye him, and so on. These are evidently the words of a man weary of their insistence and with the subject, and yet resolved not to sanction their conduct. It was not the act of a judge delivering him up according to the forms of the law, for they did not understand it so. It was equivalent to this:

"I am satisfied of his innocence, and shall not
pronounce the sentence of death. If you are bent
on his ruin—if you are determined to put to death an
innocent man—if my judgment does not satisfy you—take
him and put him to death on your own responsibility,
and take the consequences. It cannot be done with
my consent, nor in the due form of law; and if done,
it must be by you, without authority, and in the face
of justice."

See Matthew 27:24.

We have a law—the law respecting blasphemy (Leviticus 24:16; Deuteronomy 13:1–5). They had arraigned Jesus on that charge before the Sanhedrin and condemned him for it (Matthew 26:63–65). But this was not the charge on which they had arraigned him before Pilate. They had accused him of sedition (Luke 23:2).

On this charge, they were now convinced that they could not get Pilate to condemn him. He declared him innocent. Still bent on his ruin and resolved to gain their purpose, they now, contrary to their first intention, brought forward the original accusation on which they had already pronounced him guilty.

If they could not obtain his condemnation as a rebel, they now sought it as a blasphemer, and they appealed to Pilate to sanction what they believed was required by their law. Thus, it became more manifest to Pilate himself that Jesus was innocent, that they had attempted to deceive him, and that the charge on which they had arraigned him was a mere pretense to obtain his sanction for their wicked design.

Made himself. That is, he declared himself, or claimed to be.

The Son of God. The law did not forbid this, but it forbade blasphemy; and they considered the assumption of this title to be the same as blasphemy (John 10:30, 33, 36), and therefore condemned him.

When Pilate therefore heard that saying. That they had accused him of blasphemy. As this was not the charge on which they had arraigned him before his tribunal, he had not heard it before, and it now convinced him more of their malignity and wickedness.

He was the more afraid. What was the ground of his fear is not declared by the evangelist. It was probably, however, the alarm of his conscience, and the fear of vengeance if he allowed such an act of injustice to be done as to put an innocent man to death.

He was convinced of his innocence. He saw more and more clearly the design of the Jews; and it is not improbable that a heathen, who believed that the gods often manifested themselves to men, dreaded their vengeance if he allowed one who claimed to be divine, and who might be, to be put to death.

It is clear that Pilate was convinced that Jesus was innocent; and in this state of agitation—between the convictions of his own conscience, the clamors of the Jews, the fear of vengeance, and the certainty that he would do wrong if he gave him up—he was thrown into this state of alarm and resolved again to question Jesus, that he might obtain satisfaction on the subjects that agitated his mind.