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Pilate, caught between his sense that Jesus was innocent of any crime and the clamor for his blood, had Jesus flogged (v.1). He may have hoped that a punishment less severe than execution might both restrain Jesus and satisfy his accusers. Even so, the penalty was vicious, and the soldiers added their own refinements of torture and humiliation (vv.2-3).
If this was Pilate’s motive, then his further action was an attempt to placate the crowd with the spectacle of a man marred by harsh treatment but not worthy of death (vv.4-5). His presentation of Jesus was heavy with unconscious irony (v.5). Jesus was God’s own Son and was indeed King of Israel, but he was believed by both Pilate and the Jews to be a mere man and a pretender to the kingly office.
The Jews, far from being pacified, cried out even more vehemently for Jesus' death (v.6). By naming crucifixion, they acknowledged that the affair had passed irrevocably into Roman hands. Pilate responded with a taunt. He knew well that capital punishment was beyond their jurisdiction (cf. 18:31). In any case, stoning, not crucifixion, was the Jewish punishment for blasphemy.
The further accusation that Jesus had claimed to be the Son of God persuaded the superstitious Pilate to delve into the matter more deeply, but he had no success (vv.7-10). To his plea for some response, Jesus told him that ultimate authority in his case came from beyond Pilate (v.11). Jesus was amenable to God’s will and God’s timing, and God was the real mover in the events of that day. Even Pilate, acting for Rome, had no real autonomy in the case.
After further questioning, Pilate was of a mind to release Jesus, but the Jews wanted a conviction on the capital charge of sedition (v.12). With their veiled threat to convey the tale of an unsatisfactory result to Caesar, the outcome was assured. Pilate’s standing at the imperial court was already shaky, and he had no wish to face further scrutiny. So he capitulated, and about noon on the Friday of Passover week he condemned Jesus to death by crucifixion (vv.12-16). The Jews revealed their spiritual condition by rejecting their true King and pledging allegiance to Caesar.