Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Matthew 27:2

"and they bound him, and led him away, and delivered him up to Pilate the governor." — Matthew 27:2 (ASV)

Jesus is led to Pontius Pilate, prefect appointed by Tiberius Caesar in A. D. 26. Prefects held the power of life and death, apart from appeal to Caesar (see comment on Lk 23:1–5). Extrabiblical sources portray Pilate as a cruel, imperious, and insensitive ruler who hated his Jewish subjects and took few pains to understand them. He stole money to build an aqueduct; and when the population of Jerusalem rioted in protest, he sent in soldiers who killed many. He defiled Jerusalem more than once (cf. Lk 13:1). Both the Sanhedrin trial and the trial before Pilate were necessary for capital punishment. Without the Sanhedrin, Pilate would never have taken action against Jesus unless he had become convinced Jesus was a dangerous Zealot leader; without Pilate the Sanhedrin might whip up mob violence against Jesus, but it would not be a legally binding death sentence.