“I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests delivered You to me; what have You done?”

Obviously, Pilate didn’t like Jesus’ answer. It was getting below the surface, maybe a little too personal?

So, Pilate answered quickly and defensively, declaring that he was different than Jesus. He was different from the Jews, who felt they were so much above him that they couldn’t dirty themselves by entering his palace. At the same time, there was a surge of pride as a ruler of a conquering nation holding the power of life and death.

And since he is not a Jew, he feels he does not have preconceived notions. He’s not like the Jews who handed Jesus over with their minds made up. No, he represents the Roman government, the law of the land.

Objectivity is reestablished. In fact, it doesn’t make any difference to him personally who Jesus is. it is just a legal matter, a part of his job.

And to make a judgement, he gets to the real question for Jesus, “What have you done?”

It is no longer about who Jesus is but what he has done.

Jesus could have listed the long line of miracles he performed. He could have brought in blind men he healed or the groom from the wedding when he made water into wine. He could have brought in lepers who were healed and the lame who could now walk. He could have brought in the prostitute or talked about his message on the Mount. He could have even brought in Lazarus, raised from the dead.

But Jesus read the attitude of Pilate’s heart and knew Pilate didn’t really want to hear about changed lives and miracles. He wanted to make a judgment; that was all he cared about. To Pilate, it doesn’t matter who he was but what crime he had committed. This is a legal proceeding.

So Jesus also cut to the chase. No, Pilate was not a Jew, and what Jesus had done that the Pharisees objected to had nothing to do with Pilate or the Romans. 

^“Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.’” 

It’s as if Jesus was saying that what he did had nothing to do with Pilate and the Roman government. It was a God and spiritual matter. If it were a Roman matter, his servants would be revolting, storming the Praetorium as they spoke.

You see, governments are not evil in and of themselves. It’s the hearts of men that are evil, yours and mine. Jesus didn’t come as Messiah to defeat Rome. He came as the Messiah to be the Savior of women and men.

What you believe spiritually doesn’t determine government. Power determines governments. What leaders believe spiritually about their own good and evil will turn the direction of that power for good or evil.

Jesus is no threat to Pilate or Rome since his kingdom is “not of this realm.”

But I can’t help but feel that in his answer, if Jesus is baiting Pilate to ask a different question?

Maybe a question concerning, “What realm?” Maybe even getting more personal about Pilates’ thoughts about his own spiritual life?

But Pilate doesn’t take the bait.

Comment: What realm do you think Jesus was talking about?