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NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Joh_18:28-32
28Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas into the Praetorium, and it was early; and they themselves did not enter into the Praetorium so that they would not be defiled, but might eat the Passover. 29Therefore Pilate went out to them and said, "What accusation do you bring against this Man?" 30They answered and said to him, "If this Man were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him to you." 31So Pilate said to them, "Take Him yourselves, and judge Him according to your law." The Jews said to him, "We are not permitted to put anyone to death," 32to fulfill the word of Jesus which He spoke, signifying by what kind of death He was about to die.
Joh_18:28
NASB, NKJV,
JB"to the Praetorium"
NRSV "to Pilate's headquarters"
TEV "to the governor's palace"
This is a Latin term referring to the Roman governor's official residence when they were in Jerusalem. This may have been the fortress Antonio, which was next to the Temple or Herod the Great's palace.
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▣ "it was early" We know from Roman records that Roman officials in Palestine met for court at daybreak. Apparently, it was right at dawn when the Sanhedrin met to give some semblance of credibility and legality to the illegal night trials. They immediately took Jesus to Pilate.
▣ "they themselves did not enter into the Praetorium so that they would not be defiled" By entering a Gentile's residence they would have been defiled for the Passover meal. It is ironical that they were so squeamish about ceremonial items, but had no qualms about illegally putting a man to death.
This verse is the center of a controversy over an apparent historical discrepancy between the Synoptic Gospels, which assert that Jesus ate the Passover meal with His disciples (cf. Mat_26:17; Mar_14:12; Luk_22:1), and John, which asserts that this took place the day before (Thursday), the preparation day of the traditional Passover feast. The renowned Roman Catholic Johannine scholar, Raymond Brown, makes these comments in the Jerome Biblical Commentary:
"If the chronicle of events as reported in the Syn tradition is to be preferred invariably to that of Jn from the standpoint of 'historicity,' the following passage-the report of a witness who certainly knew the Syn tradition-presents some insoluble difficulties. If, on the other hand, we recognize that the eyewitness testimony from which Jn has been formed is often closer to the factual events than the schematic Syn outline, the passage becomes more understandable" (p. 458).
There is also some possibility of two different dates to observe the Passover, on Thursday and on Friday. There is also the added problem that the term "Passover" can be used of the one-day feast and the eight-day festival (Passover combined with Unleavened Bread, cf. Exodus 12).
▣ "might eat the Passover" There are still problems over the exact date of the Last Supper. The Synoptic Gospels seem to imply it was the Passover meal, but John states it was the day before the official Passover meal (cf. Joh_19:14 and this verse). The answer may be in
1. the fact that the term "passover" can refer to the week, the meal, or the special Sabbath
2. the fact that some Jewish separatist groups (i.e., Essenes) follow a lunar calendar from the intertestamental book of Jubilees
3. the fact that John's "double meanings" present Jesus as the Passover lamb (Joh_1:29), which was slain the day before the Passover
Joh_18:29 God used Pilate's personality much like He used Pharaoh's in Exodus. He was appointed procurator of Judea in a.d. 26 by the Emperor Tiberius. He replaced Valerius Gratus (who removed Annas as High Priest). Pontius Pilate was the fifth Roman procurator. He administered the kingdom of Archelaus (son of Herod the Great), which included Samaria and Judea, Gaza, and the Dead Sea. Most of the information about Pilate comes from Flavius Josephus' writings.
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Joh_18:30 "If this Man were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him to you" This is a second class conditional sentence often called "contrary to fact." Jesus was not an evil doer. This was a sarcastic remark of Pilate who refused to indulge in the "nit-picking" religious charges of Jews.
This verb "delivered" is the same one usually translated "betrayed" when used of Judas (cf. Joh_6:64; Joh_6:71; Joh_12:4; Joh_13:2; Joh_13:11; Joh_13:21; Joh_18:2; Joh_18:5). The term literally means "to hand one over to an authority" or "to pass on a tradition." In connection with Judas, the term has intensified in meaning among English translators.
Joh_18:31 "We are not permitted to put anyone to death" The Jewish leadership had condemned Jesus for blasphemy, but they used the charge of insurrection to have Him executed by the Romans. It was very important to the Jewish leaders that Jesus be crucified because of Deu_21:23 (i.e., being crucified was understood by 1st century Rabbis as being cursed by God). Jesus had predicted this in Joh_18:32; Joh_3:14; Joh_8:28; Joh_12:32-33; and Gal_3:13.
Joh_18:32 "signifying by what kind of death He was about to die" Why did the Jewish leaders want Jesus crucified? It is obvious from Acts 7 that they executed people for blasphemy by immediate stoning. Possibly it relates to the OT divine curse of Deu_21:22-23. Originally this referred to public impalement after death, but the contemporary rabbis interpreted this verse in light of Roman crucifixion. They wanted Jesus, this Messianic pretender, cursed by God. This was God's plan for the redemption of fallen humanity. Jesus, the Lamb of God (i.e., Joh_1:29), offered Himself as a substitute (cf. Isaiah 53; 2Co_5:21). Jesus became "the curse" for us (cf. Gal_3:13).