Hey Fred,
I thought I would go ahead and review this portion again. I originally only had John 18:28 in mind, but when I studied out the context a little more, I realized so many parallels between the High Priest and Pilate, each with their own set of troops, each with their own court of judgement, working together to subjugate God’s People, yet keeping themselves separate, “lest they should be defiled,” just like the feet of iron mixed with clay of Daniel 2:32-35 and Daniel 2:41-43. It should also be noted how many of the Roman nobility and rulers were married to Jewesses, each fancying herself in the role of an Esther pulling the strings of her own little, heathen, king Artexerxes. Herod, an Idumean (Ishmaelite), was married to a Jewess, as was Claudius Ceasar, I believe, and others as Josephus noted. In cahoots yet separate, like the feet of iron mixed with clay. And I agree with you Fred, that Pilate seems to display mixed feelings about the whole thing. Irregardless, Pilate and Caiphas coordinated the shared agenda all the while remaining physically separate. Roman contempt for the Jews rubbed raw by the Jews' holier-than-thou aloofness from the Romans, "lest they be defiled."
Clay = Jews, (interesting that in Hebrew, “clay” is related to the word “mud” which is related to the word “Adam”).
Iron = Romans
Excerpts from John 18:3-40 to John 19:1-22
3 Then Judas, having received A DETACHMENT OF TROOPS, AND OFFICERS FROM THE CHIEF PRIESTS AND PHARISEES, came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons.
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12 Then, THE DETACHMENT OF TROOPS AND THE CAPTAIN AND THE OFFICERS OF THE JEWS arrested Jesus and bound Him. 13 And they led Him away to Annas first, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas who was high priest that year. 14 Now it was Caiaphas who advised the Jews that it was expedient that one man should die for the people.
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19 The high priest then asked Jesus about His disciples and His doctrine.
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22 And when He had answered these things, one of the officers who stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, "Do You answer the high priest like that?"
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24 Then Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.
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28 Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium, and it was early morning. But they themselves did not go into the Praetorium, LEST THEY SHOULD BE DEFILED, but that they might eat the Passover.29 Pilate then went out to them and said, "What accusation do you bring against this Man?"
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31 "You take Him and judge Him according to your law." [the Jews already did, demonstrating that both Jew & Roman factions of the government were of the same mind & agenda, albeit it, outwardly separate].
Therefore the Jews said to him, "It is not lawful, [according to Roman law], for us to put anyone to death," 32 that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which He spoke, signifying by what death He would die.
33 Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, "Are You the King of the Jews?"
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35 YOUR OWN NATION AND THE CHIEF PRIESTS HAVE DELIVERED YOU TO ME. What have You done?"
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37 Pilate therefore said to Him, "Are You a king then?" …
38 Pilate said to Him, "What is truth?" [As if to say, in exasperation, “After all the wild accusations and unusual answers I’ve heard today, what is the truth here anyways? And what does it matter to anyone anymore?”] And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them," I find no fault in Him at all.
39 "But you have a custom that I should release someone to youat the Passover. Do you therefore want me to release to you the King of the Jews?"
40 Then they all cried again, saying, "Not this Man, but Barabbas!" Now Barabbas was a robber.
John 19:1-6
1 So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him. 2 And the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe. 3 Then they said, "Hail, King of the Jews!" And they struck Him with their hands.
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4 Pilate then went out again, and said to them, "Behold, I am bringing Him out to you, that you may know that I find no fault in Him."
5 Then Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said to them, "Behold the Man!"
6 Therefore, when the chief priests and officers saw Him, they cried out, saying, "Crucify Him, crucify Him!"
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12 The Jews cried out, saying, "If you let this Man go, you are not Caesar's friend. Whoever makes himself a king speaks against Caesar."
13 When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus out and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called The Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha. 14 Now it was the Preparation Day of the Passover, and about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, "Behold your King!"
15 But they cried out, "Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him!"
Pilate said to them, "Shall I crucify your King?"
The chief priests answered,"We have no king but Caesar!"
16 Then he delivered Him to them to be crucified. Then they took Jesus and led Him away. [Matthew’s account reports that it was the Roman soldiers who led Jesus off to be crucified].
17 And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha, 18 where they crucified Him, and two others with Him, one on either side, and Jesus in the center. 19 Now Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was:
JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.
20 Then many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. [Latin the official language of Rome but Greek the de facto common language of more than the eastern half of the Roman Empire, even that of Rome itself at times].
21 Therefore the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, "Do not write, 'The King of the Jews,' but, 'He said, "I am the King of the Jews."'"
22 Pilate answered, "What I have written, I have written."
NKJV
Luke 23:12
That very day Pilate and Herod became friends with each other, for previously they had been at enmity with each other.
NKJV
Interesting how unbelievers, both Gentile & Jew alike, were united in one people by the common saying, “We have no king but Caesar!” even as believers are united as one people by the common saying, “Jesus Christ is Lord!” So great was the separation between Jew & Gentile that it took a miracle to truly unite them into one, the miracle of the Cross of Christ, Ephesians 2:11-22. And that Home for God mentioned in Ephesians 2:22 is described in poetic detail in the vision of Rev 21-22, that City set on a Hill of Matthew 5:14 and of Hebrews 12:22-24. That Home is the Church, the home of Saints both visible & invisible: the place where Heaven & Earth meet together.
*Feel FREE to claim as your own anything I write - while I retain the right to do the same the same with it*
(All Scriptures cited from the New International Version unless noted otherwise)