So Pilate came out to them and asked, ‘’What charges are you bringing against this man?”
‘’If he were not a criminal,” they replied, ‘’we would not have handed him over to you.”
The phrase “non sequitur” is Latin and means “it does not follow.” If a parent tells their son to clean up his room and he responds, “It is dark outside!” That is an example of a non sequitur. There is no relationship between the first statement and the one that follows it.
On the surface, the response given to Pilate seems related to his question. After all, criminals are criminals because they have been charged with a crime and found to be guilty. In this case, everything is mixed up. The Jewish leaders are asking Pilate to judge a man that they have already judged. In effect, they are not so much asking Pilate to pass judgment as they are asking (demanding, really…) him to rubber-stamp the judgment they have already rendered. And so their answer to him comes across as a non sequitur.
Pilate: What are the charges against this man (so that I know what kind of judgment I need to make).
Jews: Charges smarges. All you need to know is that he is a criminal because we say so.
The Jews want Jesus dead. If they were in charge of their own country as in the days of old, they would simply kill Jesus as they did to the prophets who came before him. But times have changed, if they kill Jesus, they are the guilty of breaking Roman law and subject to punishment. So the only option open to them is to have the Romans kill Jesus for them.
These opening lines of the conversation between Pilate and the Jews set the stage for what is to come. Pilate is trying to be reasonable. The Jews want nothing to do with reason. They know that they have no rational argument with which to convict him under Roman law. Blinded by their resentment towards Jesus they resort to pure political force. As their opening statement to Pilate suggests, whatever else happens, logic and reason will have nothing to do with it.
Personal Application: We live in a world where the kind of non sequitur we see in this story happens all the time. Political forces seek to manipulate people with fear instead of reason. It is so prevalent these days that it is sometimes difficult to know what or who to believe. Thank God for God! When we need to find our bearings in life, we can always turn to Him. Scripture says, ‘’The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” (Proverbs 9:10)
Food for Thought: When you are confronted by something that doesn’t make sense, how do you respond? What would you advise others to do? What would you have suggested Pilate do?
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I believe one good response brother is what you have said here. Go with what God’s word says. Study it in its context and other related passages in their context to receive God’s wisdom for the guidance and discernment you need.