Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Luke 23:3

"And Pilate asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answered him and said, Thou sayest." — Luke 23:3 (ASV)

Verse 1 links the Jewish and Roman trials. The “whole assembly” is the Sanhedrin. Pilate was Roman governor (procurator) of the province of Judah. His official residence was at Caesarea, a magnificent city boasting Roman culture, where Pilate would no doubt have preferred to be at the time of Jesus’ trial, were it not the Passover season (when special precautions were needed in Jerusalem against civil disturbances).

The Sanhedrin’s accusation contains three distinct charges. The first (subverting the Jewish nation) would have been of concern to Pilate, who wanted no internal strife among the Jewish people. But it was not a matter for Roman jurisprudence. The second (opposing payment of taxes to Caesar) and third (claiming to be king) were more to the point. Luke has already shown (20:20–26) that the second charge was untrue. The third one became the key issue. Jesus’ responses to the questions asked him by his Jewish interrogators had been understood as being clearly affirmative (22:66–71). It is also clear that the word Christ, or Messiah (v.2), was deliberately used to imply to Pilate that Jesus was a political activist and a threat to Roman sovereignty (note “king” in apposition to “Messiah”).

In Luke’s gospel, Pilate clearly declares Jesus’ innocence (v.4). This point is especially important for Luke, who seeks throughout his gospel and Acts to vindicate Christianity through vindicating both Jesus and Paul in their appearances in court. The response from the Sanhedrin is clever. It implies seditious actions by saying that the people are being stirred up by Jesus’ (unspecified) teaching.