The Delivery of Jesus to Pilate

The words of Matthew 27:1-2 resonate with a somber weight: “When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death. And they bound him and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate the governor.”

Episode Transcript

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Matthew 27:1-2 "When morning came,all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death.

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And they bound him and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate the governor.

" The verb "delivered" (Greek (00:16):
paredōkan) carries a sense of betrayal and surrender.
The religious leaders,unable to execute Jesus themselves under Roman law (John 18:31),
transfer their responsibility to Pilate.

This act fulfills Jesus’ own prediction in Matthew 20:19 (00:35):
“and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified.
” The hypocrisy lies in their pretense of justice while orchestrating an unjust outcome.
The Biblical Context of Matthew 27:1-2 To grasp the prophetic weight of this passage,

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we must first examine its immediate context within Matthew’s Gospel.
The verse occurs at the climax of Jesus’ trial before the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council.
After a night of false witnesses and accusations (Matthew 26:59-66),

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the religious leaders convict Jesus of blasphemy for claiming to be the Son of God.
However,under Roman occupation,the Sanhedrin lacks the authority to execute (John 18:31),
necessitating their appeal to Pontius Pilate,the Roman governor.
The act of “delivering” Jesus—bound and led to Pilate—marks a pivotal transition from religious to secular judgment,

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fulfilling Jesus’ own predictions and Old Testament prophecies.
The Greek verb paredōkan (“delivered over”) is significant.
It appears repeatedly in the Passion narrative,linking Judas’ betrayal (Matthew 26:15),
the Sanhedrin’s actions,and Pilate’s eventual surrender of Jesus to the cross (Matthew 27:26).

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This term evokes a sense of betrayal and surrender,
echoing the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53,who is “delivered up” for the sins of many.
Matthew’s use of this verb underscores the continuity between human actions and divine purpose,
as the handoff to Pilate fulfills prophecies about the Messiah’s suffering at the hands of both Jews and Gentiles.