The first part is divided into two: for first is set forth the offering up of Christ; second, the examination of the one offered up, at: Then he entered again etc.
In this offering up there is noted first the perversity of the Jews; second, their falsity; third, their wickedness; fourth, how from this the divine will is fulfilled.
52. (Vers. 28.). Their perversity, because they lead an innocent man on a feast day to the place of condemnation: therefore he says: They therefore lead Jesus, namely the officers, to Caiaphas the high priest into the praetorium, because he had come there so that he might hand Christ over to Pilate. Now it was morning: the time increases their malice, because it was early morning; so greatly did they thirst for the death of Christ that they could not wait long. It was also a festive time: whence he adds: And they themselves did not enter the praetorium, so that they might not be defiled, but might eat the Passover, because they could not if defiled: Numbers 9: "Those who were unclean by reason of a dead man could not keep the Passover." Augustine: "O impious blindness! They feared to be defiled by the praetorium of a foreign judge, yet did not fear to be defiled by the blood of an innocent brother."
53. (Vers. 29.). Pilate therefore went out to them and said. Here the falsity of the Jews is touched upon, because they impose a false charge upon Christ at the inquiry of Pilate: whence he says: What accusation do you bring against this man? As if he were saying: I do not wish to receive him without cause: Acts 25: "It is not the custom of the Romans to condemn any man before the one who is accused has his accusers present and receives opportunity to defend himself to clear away the charges." And the Jews respond that the charge is evildoing: whence he adds:
54. (Vers. 30.). They answered and said to him: If this man were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered him to you, wishing to observe that law: "The innocent and the just you shall not put to death," Exodus 23, as if they were saying: he is an evildoer. They do not prove it, but falsely charge him. Augustine: "Let those freed from unclean spirits answer, let the sick who were healed answer, whether Jesus is an evildoer. But these things were said by those of whom he had foretold through the Prophet: They repaid me evil for good." Job 36: "Your cause has been judged as that of the wicked."
55. (Vers. 31.). Pilate therefore said to them. Here the third point is noted, namely the deceitfulness of the Jews, because they wanted to pour the blame onto another; but Pilate refuses to judge him, not seeing that they had a proper case; whence: Pilate therefore said to them: Take him yourselves and judge him according to your Law, which says in Exodus twenty-two: "You shall not suffer sorcerers to live." But the Jews on the contrary show that he himself must judge, because the case is one of death, and it was not lawful for them to put anyone to death; on this account it says: The Jews therefore said to him: It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death; but it pertains to you, and this man "is guilty of death"; therefore you must take cognizance of this case. They deceitfully wish to kill through another, but they are not excused; whence it is said to them in Acts seven: "Of whom you were the betrayers and murderers."
56. (Vers. 32.). That the word of Jesus might be fulfilled. Here the fourth point is noted, namely that the will of Christ is fulfilled. For he willed to die the death of the cross, by which the Gentiles put to death; therefore it says: That it might be fulfilled, that is, it so happened that the word might be fulfilled which he spoke, above in the third chapter: "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up," and above in the twelfth chapter: signifying by what death he was to die, namely of the cross; Matthew twenty: "He shall be delivered to the Gentiles to be mocked and scourged and crucified." And the Lord chose this as the most vile death.
QUESTIONS.
57. Question I. But the question is raised here concerning the statement that they lead him to Caiaphas into the praetorium, because it immediately says that they did not enter the praetorium.
And Augustine responds that praetorium is said first of the place "where the governor dwelt"; but second it is said of the place where he judged, into which if they entered, they considered themselves unclean.
58. Question II. Likewise the question is raised concerning the statement: It was morning, since it was said above that before the cock crowed, Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas.
I respond: On this point Chrysostom and Augustine disagree. For Augustine says that they led him from Annas to Caiaphas into the praetorium, and he says that this can be understood either because Pilate held court in the house of Caiaphas, or because Caiaphas had gone to the house of Pilate. Chrysostom says that they do not now first lead him from Annas, but at the cock's crow they led him to the house of Caiaphas, and afterward in the morning from his house to Pilate, who had gone to the place of the praetorium.
59. Question III. Likewise the question is raised concerning the statement: Lest they be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover.
Therefore they had not yet eaten the Passover; therefore, since Christ ate it on the preceding day, he did not eat at the proper time.
To this the Greeks respond that it is true that Christ anticipated the Passover on account of his death; whence they say that he ate leavened bread and from it consecrated, and therefore they themselves consecrate with leavened bread; and from this word they take the cause of their error.
We, however, explain that the Passover is the same as the paschal food, and these are the unleavened breads which they ate for seven days.
60. Question IV. Likewise, the question is raised concerning what he says: It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death. — For it is said in Exodus twenty-two: You shall not suffer sorcerers to live, and the Law grants this many times.
Augustine responds: "It should be understood that they said this on account of the sanctity of the feast day, which they had already begun to celebrate. — Or it should be said that they say this on account of the rule of the Romans, who had taken from them the power of putting to death, from whom they also purchased the priesthood."
61. Then Pilate entered again etc. Having set forth the handing over of Christ, by which the Jews delivered him to Pilate, there is set forth here his examination conducted by Pilate, in which four things are indicated: first, the inquiry; then, the origin of the inquiry; third, the response to the inquiry; fourth, the discussion of the response.
(Vers. 33.). First, therefore, the inquiry itself is noted; on account of which he says: Then Pilate entered again into the praetorium, because he had gone out to seek the charge from the Jews and had not found it, he returned to inquire of it from the accused: and he called Jesus and said to him: Are you the King of the Jews? Truly he is king, because he is the one of whom Jeremiah twenty-three says: "I will raise up for David a righteous branch, and a king shall reign." Therefore he inquires especially about this, because by saying this he seemed to contradict Caesar, who then held dominion over the Jews.
62. (Vers. 34.). Jesus answered etc. The second point is touched upon, namely the origin of the inquiry; and so that the origin might be known, the Lord asks Pilate: Do you say this of yourself, or have others told you about me? He does not ask because he is in doubt, but so that through his response he might expose the malice of the Jews; and this indeed happens in Pilate's response; whence:
63. (Vers. 35.). Pilate answered: Am I a Jew? As if to say: I do not lay this charge upon you; your nation and your chief priests have delivered you to me; as if to say: I received this from them. What then have you done, that they accuse you so?
64. (Vers. 36.). Jesus answered. Here the third point is set forth, namely the Lord's response, in which the Lord himself refutes the wicked intention of the Jews. For the Jews intended through this to provoke Pilate and Caesar against him, as though he were unwilling to have a colleague in his kingdom; therefore the Lord excludes this by saying: My kingdom is not of this world. Augustine: "Hear, O Jews and Gentiles: My kingdom is not of this world; I do not impede your dominion in this world. What more do you want?"
And he gives the reason that his kingdom is not of this world, and his reasoning is as follows: for an earthly king, ministers fight so that he is not handed over to death; but for me, my ministers do not fight; therefore I am not an earthly king. And he sets forth the major premise of this reasoning: If my kingdom were of this world, my ministers would certainly fight, so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but now: it is apparent, supply the verb; this is the conclusion: that my kingdom is not from here, because no one defends me. And therefore his kingdom is not of this world, because, as is said in the last chapter of First John, "the whole world is set in wickedness"; therefore we pray: "Thy kingdom come"; but it is in the heavens: whence Matthew 5: "Whoever shall do and teach, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven," etc.
65. (Verse 37.). Pilate therefore said to him. Here the fourth point is set forth, namely the examination of the response. And because the Lord had said that he had a kingdom, Pilate argues from the Lord's response, as if marveling: So, he says, you are a king? As if to say: since you confess yourself to be a king, it seems from your words that you wish to reign. And the Lord indeed responds, conceding Pilate's conclusion and satisfying his intention. He concedes Pilate's conclusion when he says: You say it, because I am a king: as if to say: I do not deny what you say; but nevertheless I did not come to reign temporally, as you believe: whence he adds: For this I was born and for this I came into the world, that I might bear witness to the truth. Born, namely by temporal birth, not to rule, but to teach the truth: Isaiah 55: "Behold, I have given him as a witness to the peoples, a leader and a teacher to the nations." And he adds the sign of this: Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice: above in chapter 8: "He who is of God hears the words of God." And because Pilate did not yet fully understand, he therefore still inquires; whence there follows: