Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of John 19:9
And went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer.
9. judgment-hall ] See on Joh 18:28.
Whence art thou? ] Pilate tries a vague question which might apply to Christ’s dwelling-place, which he already knew (Luk 23:6), hoping for an answer as to His origin. Would the prisoner assert his mysterious claim to him, or explain it?
no answer ] Pilate could not have understood the answer; and what had it to do with the merits of the case? Comp. Mat 27:12-14 and Christ’s own precept, Mat 7:6.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Whence art thou? – See the notes at Joh 7:27. Pilate knew that he was a Galilean, but this question was asked to ascertain whether he claimed to be the Son of God – whether a mere man, or whether divine.
Jesus gave him no answer – Probably for the following reasons:
- Jesus had already told Pilate Jesus design, and the nature of his kingdom, Joh 18:36-37.
- Jesus had said enough to satisfy Pilate of Jesus innocence. Of that Pilate was convinced. Pilates duty was clear, and if he had had firmness to do it, he would not have asked this. Jesus, by his silence, therefore rebuked Pilate for his lack of firmness, and his unwillingness to do what his conscience told him was right.
- It is not probable that Pilate would have understood Jesus if Jesus had declared to Pilate the truth about Jesus origin, and about his being the Son of God.
- After what had been done – after he had satisfied Pilate of his innocence, and then had been beaten and mocked by his permission he had no reason to expect justice at his hands, and therefore properly declined to make any further defense. By this the prophecy Isa 53:7 was remarkably fulfilled.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Joh 19:9
Whence art Thou?
But Jesus gave him no answer
The silences of Christ
I. CHRIST PRESERVES SILENCE IS THE PRESENCE OF FALSE AND MALIGNANT ACCUSATIONS (Mat 27:12-14). But why? Not simply because He was sublimely conscious of innocence, for there may come times when it is the duty of the innocent to defend their reputation by every lawful means. But there was no necessity for answer. Neither the men who made the statements nor the people who heard them put any faith in them–nay, they knew them to be manufactured lies. The echo of their own voices, not His voice, should condemn them–the most powerful condemnation of all. The memory of that Prisoners calmness and quiet dignity would haunt the false accusers night and day like a perpetual shadow until death stilled the throbbing of their tortured brains and hearts. Does not something of the same kind mark the history of the past and Christs dealings with men? Since the days of His earthly life false charges have been made against Him and His gospel without number. His character has been maligned, His words perverted, His claims despised. Men who hate the grandeur and purity of His teachings, who fear lest their own pretensions should be despised, have sought, by every false and selfish means, to slander Christ and Christianity. Eager, impatient Christians have even prayed for some mighty display of power to put an end to the wicked accusations, though it might involve swift judgment on the enemies of the faith. But the heavens have been dumb, Christ has been silent, and His disciples have wondered why it should be so. But such silence has been best for the Church and for the foes of the faith, while it is most in harmony with the dignity and majesty of the Divine nature. Christ cannot answer every false accuser. There is the truth; let that be His vindication. And this silence has justified itself; for where to-day are the many charges that have been urged against our Lord? Have they not disappeared, or confuted one another? We have only to set one class of opponents of Christianity over against another, and their statements become mutually destructive.
II. CHRIST PRESERVES SILENCE IN THE PRESENCE OF UNWORTHY CURIOSITY. The scene which illustrates this point is recorded for us by Luke alone (Luk 23:9). Let any man treat religion as a thing to be speculated about, as a matter for purely intellectual pleasure, as a question for exciting controversy, as only one of many strange phenomena abounding in the world, and therefore to be accounted for, and there will be no response from the heavens. Christ will be silent to that man; he will never discover the truth. Religion belongs to our moral and spiritual nature; it has to do with our hearts sad their profoundest needs. Cur desire to ascertain its truth and its meaning must be accompanied by a resolve that if we discover it to be true we will apply it to our individual necessities, a resolve to reverence it with our whole natures, to obey its every command, to cling to it with an enthusiasm and love strong as life itself. Then Christ will speak, and testify to mind and heart concerning Himself. To other motives Christ will not deign a reply. His deathlike silence will be our greatest reproach.
III. CHRIST PRESERVES SILENCE IN THE PRESENCE OF RESISTED CONVICTION. Perhaps history does not present a more saddening picture than that of Pilate, the governor, in his judicial dealings with Jesus Christ. Whence art Thou? But Jesus gave him no answer. The mans nature evidently quivers with anxiety–yet his question is met with absolute silence. Why is this? Here is a truly anxious inquirer. At first sight the conduct of Christ seems strange. But we must remember two things.
1. The mans previous conduct. He had been convinced of Christs innocence, and yet had given way to the clamours of a mob. When men have despised the voices that have appealed to them, what right have they to expect further revelations?
2. Jesus Christ knew the man, knew his weakness, knew he would ask but with no desire to do, and the King of Truth was not to be trifled with. There are men who have trifled with truth and conscience, with all the interests of their souls, with every influence given to draw them heavenward, and yet they wonder they are not saved, that Christ does not answer their first prayer. Why, so far as right is concerned, they have forfeited it all by their contemptuous treatment of Divine influences. More than that, they have thus rendered themselves, in a measure, incapable of receiving further revelations from heaven. (W. Braden.)
The silences of Jesus
I. BEFORE CAIAPHAS AND FALSE WITNESSES (Mat 26:63; Mar 14:61). The Faithful and True Witness before liars and hypocrites.
II. BEFORE HEROD (Luk 23:9). The Holy One of God before the idle curiosity of a flagitious prince.
III. BEFORE THE ACCUSATIONS OF THE CHIEF PRIESTS AT PILATES BAR Mat 27:14). The Sinless One before charges the speakers knew were lies.
IV. BEFORE PILATE (Joh 19:9). The King of Truth before an insincereinquirer.
V. BEFORE THE SYRO-PHOENICIAN WOMAN (Mat 15:23). Incarnate love before a humble and earnest petitioner. (T. Whitelaw, D. D.)
Christs silence
He was acting according to His own precept Mat 7:6).
Christs silence
This is very strange. Hitherto He had spoken freely and replied to questions; now He refused to speak any more.
I. THE REASON MUST BE SOUGHT IN THE STATE OF PILATES SOUL. He deserved no answer, and therefore got none. He had forfeited his title to any further revelation about his prisoner. He had been told plainly the nature of our Lords kingdom, and the purpose of His coming, and been obliged to confess publicly His innocence. And yet he had treated Him with flagrant injustice. He had, in short, sinned away his opportunities, forsaken his own mercies, and turned a deaf ear to the cries of his own conscience. Hence our Lord would have nothing more to do with him.
II. Here, as in many other cases, WE LEARN THAT GOD WILL NOT FORCE CONVICTION ON MEN, and will not compel obstinate unbelievers to believe, and will not always strive with mens consciences. Most men, like Pilate, have a day of grace, and an open door put before them. If they refuse to enter in, and choose their own sinful way, the door is often shut, and never opened again. There is such a thing as a day of visitation, when Christ speaks to men. If they will not hear His voice they are often left to reap the fruit of their own sins. It was so with Pharaoh, Saul, and Ahab, and Pilates case was like theirs.
III. We must not forget that PILATES WICKED REFUSAL TO LISTEN to his own conscience, AND OUR LORDS consequent REFUSAL TO SPEAK TO HIM ANY MORE, WERE ALL OVERRULED BY THE ETERNAL COUNSELS OF GOD to the carrying out of His purpose of redemption. If our Lord had revealed who He was, and forced Pilate to see it, the crucifixion might perhaps never have taken place, and the great sacrifice for a worlds sins might never have been offered. Our Lords silence was just and well merited. But it was also part of Gods counsels about mans salvation.
IV. Note that THERE IS A TIME TO BE SILENT, as well as a time to speak. This is a matter in the social intercourse of daily life, about which we all need to pray for wisdom. To be always saying to everybody everything we know, is not the line of a wise follower of Christ.
V. Note that IF WE DO NOT MAKE A GOOD USE OF LIGHT AND OPPORTUNITIES,–and if we resist Christ speaking to our conscience,–A TIME MAY COME WHEN, LIKE PILATE, WE MAY SPEAK TO CHRIST, and ask things of Him, AND HE MAY GIVE US NO ANSWER (Pro 1:24-32). (Bp. Ryle.)
The tribute of Christs silence to His Deity
This silence was the most emphatic answer to all who had ears to hear it, was a reference to what He had said before (chap. 18:37), and so a witness to His Divine origin. Would any mere man, of true and upright character, have refused an answer to a question so put? Let the modern rationalist consider this. (Dean Alford.)
The situation
I. SILENT DIGNITY.
II. UNCOMPLAINING SUBMISSION.
III. HELPLESS TYRANNY. (S. S. Times.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 9. Whence art thou?] This certainly does not mean, From what country art thou? for Pilate knew this well enough; but it appears he made this inquiry to know who were the parents of Christ; what were his pretensions, and whether he really were a demigod, such as the heathens believed in. To this question ve find our Lord gave no answer. He had already told him that his kingdom was not of this world; and that he came to erect a spiritual kingdom, not a temporal one: Joh 18:36-37. This answer he deemed sufficient; and he did not choose to satisfy a criminal curiosity, nor to enter then into any debate concerning the absurdity of the heathen worship.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Our Lord, who knew the secrets of all mens hearts, very well knew, that though Pilate had for some time withstood his temptations, yet he would at last yield: he also was ready to lay down his life, as he knew was determined for him; having therefore made a reasonable defence, he thinks fit to add no more of that nature.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
9. and went again into the judgmenthall, and saith to Jesus, Whence art thou?beyond all doubt aquestion relating not to His mission but to His personalorigin.
Jesus gave him no answerHehad said enough; the time for answering such a question was past; theweak and wavering governor is already on the point of giving way.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And went again into the judgment hall,…. From whence he came out, taking Jesus along with him, in order to interrogate him alone upon this head:
and saith unto Jesus, whence art thou? meaning not of what country he was, for he knew he was of the nation of the Jews; nor in what place he was born, whether at Bethlehem or at Nazareth, for this was no concern of his; but from whence he sprung, who were his ancestors, and whether his descent was from the gods, or from men; and if from the former, from which of them; for as Pilate was an Heathen, he must be supposed to speak as such:
but Jesus gave him no answer; for his question was frivolous, and deserved none; and besides, he was not worthy of one, who had used him so ill, when he knew, in his own conscience, that he was innocent; nor was he capable of taking in an answer, or able to judge whether it was right or wrong; and since Christ was come to die for the salvation of his people, it was not proper he should say anything that might be a means of hindering it.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Whence art thou? ( ;). Pilate knew that Jesus was from Galilee (Lu 23:6f.). He is really alarmed. See a like question by the Jews in 8:25.
Gave him no answer ( ). See same idiom in 1:22. (old word from ) occurs also in Luke 2:47; Luke 20:26. The silence of Jesus, like that before Caiaphas (Mark 14:61; Matt 26:63) and Herod (Lu 23:9), irritates the dignity of Pilate in spite of his fears.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
1) “And went again into the judgment hall,” (kai eiselthen eis to praitorion palin) “And again he entered or went back into the praetorium or judgment hall,” away from the clamor and howling of the chief priests for the blood of Jesus by crucifixion, Joh 19:6.
2) “And said unto Jesus,” (kai legei to lesou) “And asked Jesus,” personally and directly, regarding His person and identity, 1Ti 3:16.
3) “Whence art thou?” (pothen ei su) “Whence are you?” or bluntly he asked what is your ancestry, your origin? Is it from heaven or of the earth? That is, are you the Son of God? Since Pilate had already declared Him innocent three times after which he still told the Jews they had his permission to take Jesus and crucify Him, and since Pilate could not act on Jewish religious issues, to have answered Pilate He would have been “casting pearls before swine,” See? Mat 7:6.
4) “But Jesus gave him no answer.” (ho de lesous apokrisin ouk edoken auto) “However Jesus did not give him an answer,” thus fulfilling the Scriptures, Psa 39:9; Isa 53:7; as declared fulfilled, Mat 27:12; Mat 27:14; 1Pe 2:23.
Jesus simply refused to wrangle or become party to Pilate’s “flip-flop” vacillation, because he had now three times declared Him innocent.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
9. And he entered again into the hall, and said to Jesus; Whence Art Thou? It is evident from this that he was in a state of perplexity and anguish, because he was afraid that he would be punished for sacrilege, if he laid his hand on the Son of God It ought to be observed that, when he asks whence Christ is, he does not inquire about his country, but the meaning is, as if he had said, “Art thou a man born on the earth, or art thou some god?” The interpretation which I give to this passage, therefore, is, that Pilate, struck with the fear of God, was in perplexity and doubt as to what he ought to do; (162) for he saw, on the one hand, the excitement of a mutiny, and, on the other hand, conscience held him bound not to offend God for the sake of avoiding danger.
This example is highly worthy of observation. Though the countenance of Christ was so disfigured, yet, as soon as Pilate hears the name of God, he is seized with the fear of violating the majesty of God in a man who was utterly mean and despicable. If reverence for God had so much influence on an irreligious man, must not they be worse than reprobate, who now judge of divine things in sport and jest, carelessly, and without any fear? for, indeed, Pilate is a proof that men have naturally a sentiment of religion, which does not suffer them to rush fearlessly in any direction they choose, when the question relates to divine things. This is the reason why I said that those who, in handling the doctrine of Scripture, are not more impressed with the majesty of God, than if they had been disputing about the shadow of an ass, are given up to a reprobate mind, (Rom 1:28.) Yet they will one day feel to their destruction, what veneration is due to the name of God, which they now treat with such disdainful and outrageous mockery. It is shocking to relate how haughtily the Papists condemn the plain and ascertained truth of God, and with what cruelty they shed innocent blood. Whence, I beseech you, comes that drunken stupidity, but because they do not recollect that they have anything to do with God?
And Jesus gave him no answer. We ought not to think it strange that Jesus makes no reply; at least, if we keep in mind what I have formerly mentioned, that he did not stand before Pilate to plead his own cause, — as is customary with persons accused who are desirous to be acquitted, — but rather to suffer condemnation; for it was proper that he should be condemned, when he appeared in our room. This is the reason why he makes no defense; and yet Christ’s silence is not inconsistent with what Paul says,
Remember that Christ, before Pilate, made a good confession, (1Ti 6:13😉
for there he maintained the faith of the Gospel, as far as was necessary, and his death was nothing else than the sealing of the doctrine delivered by him. Christ left nothing undone of what was necessary to make a lawful confession, but he kept silence as to asking an acquittal. Besides, there was some danger that Pilate would acquit Christ as one of the pretended gods, as Tiberius wished to rank him among the gods of the Romans. Justly, therefore, does Christ, by his silence, frown on this foolish superstition.
(162) “ Il estoit en perplexite et doute de ce qu’il devoir falre.” — The Latin phraseology is highly idiomatic, being formed on a noted passage of Plautus: — “ Quod inter sacrum, ut aiunt, et saxum haeserit .” — “That he stuck fast, as they say, between the victim and the sacrificial knife.” A close resemblance to this may be observed in a French idiom — “ Etre entre le marteau et l’enclume ;” — To be between the hammer and the anvil. — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(9) And went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus.He had brought Jesus out to the people. He now led Him back to the palace in order to inquire further of Him in private.
Whence art thou?The question is based upon the claim to be Son of God, of which he had heard. He knew that Jesus was a Galilean before sending Him to Herod (Luk. 23:6). It is not of His earthly habitation, therefore, that he inquires, but of His origin and nature. (Comp. the same word, and in the same sense, in Joh. 8:14, and Mat. 21:25.)
But Jesus gave him no answer.This silence of our Lord has seemed hard to understand, and very many and very different have been the explanations suggested. An explanation can only be suggested; it cannot be given with any degree of certainty; but that which seems most in harmony with the position is that Pilates question was one which to him could not be answered in reality, and therefore was not answered in appearance. The answer had, indeed, already been given (Joh. 18:37), but he had treated it with the impatience which showed he could not receive it now. Not of the truth, he could not hear the voice of the Son of God, and therefore that voice did not speak.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
9. Whence art thou? A most significant question. The sceptical and inquiring world has been asking it ever since. O most supernatural man, reveal thy origin! “Who shall declare his generation?” Isa 53:8.
No answer Alas! to none but the true inquirer comes there any response but absolute silence. No explanation proper for Jesus to give could the mind of Pilate have properly received. Wounded pride now mingles with his fear. He will test this superhuman personage with a threat.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘And he entered into the Praetorium again and says to Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave him no answer.’
Pilate’s words indicate his uneasiness. Superstitious ideas were taking hold of him. Could this man really be from another world? ‘Where are you from?’ he asked, and there was apprehension in his voice. But the silent figure before him simply looked at him and gave no answer.
For Jesus knew that this was not the question of a seeker seeking truth and He knew that no reply would make any difference. So He said nothing. If Pilate did genuinely want to know there were ways for him to find out. But He knew that in the end Pilate was going to give way to the Judaisers. It was only Pilate’s anger at being outmanoeuvred by those whom he despised that had kept him going thus long. Any answer Jesus gave would therefore only prolong His suffering.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Joh 19:9-10 . He therefore took Jesus again away with him into the praetorium for a private audience.
] asks after His origin , but not in the sense of the place of birth (Paulus), but in the sense occasioned by , Joh 19:7 , in order to obtain a declaration from Jesus on this point , whether He were of human or divine origin. Comp. on Joh 8:14 ; Mat 21:25 .
. . ] Both this observation, as well as the peculiarity of Pilate’s question, betraying a certain timidity, (how entirely different is his question, Joh 18:33 ; while here he shrinks from asking directly), has the stamp of originality. Jesus is silent; for what He would have had to say would only have been misunderstood by Pilate, or not understood at all (Joh 17:25 ; Mat 7:6 ). Moreover, He had already in truth sufficiently indicated His heavenly origin, Joh 18:36-37 , had Pilate only possessed susceptibility for the truth. But as it was, he was unworthy of further discussion, and in the silence of Jesus it is precisely the self-assurance and greatness of the Son of God which are implied. Luthardt explains it from the assumption that Jesus will not give Pilate occasion to release Him from motives of fear, and thereby to interfere with the will of God. But on that supposition He must also have withheld the great and bold words, Joh 19:11 . A resolute opposition on the part of the sceptical man of the world to the desire of the Jews, Jesus assuredly neither hoped nor feared.
Joh 19:10 . , Euth. Zigabenus.
;] bears the emphasis of mortified power, which then also attempts alike to terrify and to entice . To mention at first the , and then , not before, the , corresponded to the state of the procedure. But A. B. E. . Lachm. Tisch. have the converse order, which would, however, more readily suggest itself to the mechanical copyist. The repetition of . is solemn.
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
9 And went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer.
Ver. 9. Whence art thou? ] He questioneth not Christ of his country, but of his condition, q.d. Art thou a man or a God? Such a dunghill deity, he meant, as the heathens worshipped. And therefore our Saviour would not once answer him. Especially since if he should have asserted his Deity, Pilate likely would have acquitted and dismissed him; whereas Christ knew that he was now and here to be condemned. There are those who think that Pilate’s wife’s dream was from the devil, who sought thereby to have hindered the work of our redemption, which could not be wrought but by the death of Christ.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
9. ] He entered, taking Jesus with him.
i.e. not ‘from what province?’ for he knew this, Luk 23:6-7 ; nor, ‘of what parents?’ but whence? in reference to : cf. , Hom. Od. . 373. Observe that the fear of Pilate is not mere superstition, nor does it enter into the Jewish meaning of .: but arises from an indefinite impression made on him by the Person and bearing of our Lord. We must not therefore imagine any fear of Him as being a ‘son of the gods,’ in Pilate’s mind (so even Luthardt): this gives a wrong direction to his conduct, and misses the fine psychological truth of the narrative.
Our Lord, in His silence, was acting according to His own precept, Mat 7:6 . Notwithstanding Pilate’s fear of Him, he was not in earnest; not determined to be led by his conscience, but had already given way to the unjust demands of the people; and He who saw his heart, knew how unworthy he was of an answer to so momentous a question. Besides, this silence was the most emphatic answer to all who had ears to hear it; was a reference to what He had said before, ch. Joh 18:37 , and so a witness to His divine origin. Would any mere man , of true and upright character, have refused an answer to such a question, so put? Let the modern rationalist consider this.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
into. Greek. eis. App-104.
judgment hall. See Joh 18:28.
Whence art thou? This was Pilate’s fifth question of
the Lord. See Joh 18:33, Joh 18:35, Joh 18:37, Joh 18:38. It expressed the fear that was growing within him. Pilate may have been a freethinker (as some infer from Joh 18:38), but like free-thinkers of all ages, he was not free from superstition. Was this Man, so different from all others he had ever seen, really a supernatural Being?
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
9.] He entered, taking Jesus with him.
-i.e. not from what province?-for he knew this, Luk 23:6-7; nor, of what parents?-but whence? in reference to : cf. , Hom. Od. . 373. Observe that the fear of Pilate is not mere superstition, nor does it enter into the Jewish meaning of .: but arises from an indefinite impression made on him by the Person and bearing of our Lord. We must not therefore imagine any fear of Him as being a son of the gods, in Pilates mind (so even Luthardt): this gives a wrong direction to his conduct, and misses the fine psychological truth of the narrative.
Our Lord, in His silence, was acting according to His own precept, Mat 7:6. Notwithstanding Pilates fear of Him, he was not in earnest;-not determined to be led by his conscience, but had already given way to the unjust demands of the people; and He who saw his heart, knew how unworthy he was of an answer to so momentous a question. Besides, this silence was the most emphatic answer to all who had ears to hear it;-was a reference to what He had said before, ch. Joh 18:37, and so a witness to His divine origin. Would any mere man, of true and upright character, have refused an answer to such a question, so put? Let the modern rationalist consider this.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Joh 19:9. whence) Dost thou ask, Pilate? He was of God and from above, as He Himself implies in Joh 19:11, whilst seeming to give no answer to this question. Comp. ch. Joh 18:36-37, [where He states only from whence His kingdom is not, viz. not of this world; but not from whence it is, viz. from heaven; but He implies this in saying, I came into the world.]
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Joh 19:9
Joh 19:9
and he entered into the Praetorium again, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer.-[All the interviews with the Jews had taken place outside, because these eminently religious (?) gentlemen feared to be defiled on this sacred day by entering a Gentile room. Pilate took Jesus with him for a private audience, but Jesus made no reply to his question, and why should he? His silence was answer enough-that, if he did not make this claim, he would certainly have denied it.]
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Whence: Joh 8:14, Joh 9:29, Joh 9:30, Jdg 13:6
But: Psa 38:13-15, Isa 53:7, Mat 27:12-14, Mar 15:3-5, Act 8:32, Act 8:33, Phi 1:28
Reciprocal: Mat 26:62 – Answerest Mat 27:27 – common hall Mar 14:60 – General Mar 15:5 – Jesus Mar 15:16 – Praetorium Joh 8:25 – Who Joh 18:28 – unto Jam 5:6 – and he 1Pe 2:23 – when he was
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
PILATES QUESTION
Whence art Thou?
Joh 19:9
I do not know of anything of more vital importance than that we should discover truly the source from which Jesus came, and why it is that from that source He should come to bear grief and agony, and for what purpose it is that He should have left His former position to come among men.
I. We stand before Christ ourselves; looking aside, we say: Whence art Thou? Instantly we have our own answer; and there is not one believer present here but does not say, I believe Jesus came from God. We are quoting His own words in Joh 8:42, I proceeded forth and came from God. In Joh 8:23 we have it again: I am from above. We, of course, choose to believe that He is that Man come from God. Though the eye seeks a revelation, the conscience compels us to believe that Jesus is absolutely one with the Almighty God; and that leads us to look back through eternity to the time before the foundation of the world, when our Blessed Saviour was in the glory of the Father in the deepest possible sense of the word when He was with God and was God, as the opening in Johns Gospel expresses it, signifying equality with God.
II. If that be the true source of Jesus, I ask you to think of the infinite majesty of this Peasant, though He stands before Pilate; He stands, in reality, one in power, majesty, and dignity with the Father. We turn to think of the words He used Himself: I and My Father are one; and Glorify Thou Me with Thine own self with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was. We begin to think this Being was indeed a marvellous man when we have realised something of what His position means; and the moment the inquiry comes, we have the answer that He comes from that glory, from that position in which he shared the dignity of the Godhead, was indeed one with the Father in the glory of the unapproachable throne.
III. Never, till we stand face to face with our Creator God shall we be able to measure the full beauty of holiness, or to realise all it means in Christ and to ourselves in all its aspects. I would humbly say one thing, however, and that is that it has no limits. As we look on Christ with all His attributes of holiness and beauty, and say: Whence art Thou? we get the reply, From God, to take you to God! That is the answer of this question; Whence art Thou? from the point of view of Christs first Advent. Look at it again from the point of view of the second. Our Lord said to His disciples, I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you; and again, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.
Rev. Prebendary Webb-Peploe.
Illustration
Whence art Thou? Of course from the lips of the judge this simply meant: What is this man? Where has He come from? Who can He be? The greatest commentators have written in various ways upon this question. Some have said that Pilate was seeking to know the province from which Jesus came; but we know from other narratives of Christs trial that this had already been settled, because Pilate sent Him to Herod, as He understood Him to be of Galilee, and therefore in Herods jurisdiction. Others think the question concerns Christs birth; while yet others say that Pilate, as a heathen, was inquiring as to the heroes which the people honoured in Christs country. None of these explanations suffice. We have to look deeper, and when we acknowledge that Pilate simply recognised in Christ a peasant of Galilee, and when we further remember that he liberated a man who was undergoing imprisonment for insurrection, we shall be able to see something of the contempt which Pilate had for Christ and for righteousness. Moreover, the way in which he turned from one subject to another in his questions shows either contempt or cowardice.
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary
9
Pilate was still unwilling to let the matter drop, but made another effort to get Jesus to commit himself. The question whence art thou was related to the claim just made that he was the Son of God. Jesus made no answer to the question, but that was not because he could not do so, neither was it from pure contempt of the court, for he did speak presently. In the appearances of Jesus be fore the rulers, he was silent when his personal comfort or safety was all that was involved, and that fulfilled the predictions in Isa 53:7. But when an important issue was called up, he would speak out and give the teaching upon it, as we shall see very soon.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
This explains why Pilate asked Jesus where He had come from. Jesus did not answer him. Jesus’ silence undoubtedly increased Pilate’s uneasiness. Jesus had earlier refused to answer questions from Caiaphas, Pilate, and Herod (Mat 26:63; Mat 27:14; Mar 14:61; Mar 15:5; Luk 23:9; cf. Isa 53:7). He probably did not respond here because Pilate had already showed that he had no real interest in the truth. He only wanted to do what was personally expedient.
Moreover the answer to this question in Jesus’ case was quite complex. Pilate had shown little patience with Jesus’ explanation about His otherworldly kingdom. He would hardly have been more receptive to what Jesus might say about His otherworldly origin. The decision Pilate faced was clear-cut. Should he release this innocent man or not? The question of Jesus’ origin was irrelevant.