“Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me?”
The full verse · John 18:34 · KJV
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Asked by
Jesus: the Son of God and promised Messiah, questioned by Pilate in the judgment hall (John 18:33)
Asked to
Pilate: Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor, who had just asked Jesus, "Art thou the King of the Jews?" (John 18:33)
The Scene
Inside the judgment hall, Pilate has just asked Jesus, "Art thou the King of the Jews?" (John 18:33).
Why It Was Asked
The purpose behind the questionJesus asked Pilate to consider where his question came from. Had Pilate himself seen anything that made him think Jesus was a rebel king, or was he repeating what others had said? Barnes says this was "intended to remind Pilate that nothing was proved against him, and to caution him against being influenced by the malicious accusations of others." Matthew Henry paraphrases Jesus' meaning as asking whether Pilate spoke "from a suspicion arising in thy own breast." Gill says Jesus meant "to expose the baseness and wickedness of the Jews, to charge him with this."
The Response
What Scripture recordsPilate answered with questions of his own: "Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done?" (John 18:35). In effect he admitted the charge came from others. Jesus then explained His kingdom: "My kingdom is not of this world" (John 18:36). Pilate pressed, "Art thou a king then?" and finally asked, "What is truth?" before going out to say, "I find in him no fault at all" (John 18:37-38).
Historical Context
The world behind the wordsPilate was a Roman, not a Jew, and he said so: "Am I a Jew?" (John 18:35). The charge of kingship came from Jesus' own nation, who told Pilate that Jesus was "forbidding to give tribute to Caesar" and called Himself "Christ a King" (Luke 23:2). Gill notes that the charge was false, since Jesus had paid tribute Himself and taught others to do so. Jesus had said, "Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's" (Matthew 22:21).
The Bigger Picture
Where this fits in God's storyIn this exchange the prisoner examines the judge. Jesus does not let Pilate hide behind other people's words. He invites him to face the question for himself: who is this man before me? Barnes says that "Jesus demanded a just trial" and that Pilate should not be influenced by reports he had heard.
Pilate never faced the question for himself. He shifted the matter to others (John 18:35) and later brushed truth aside with "What is truth?" (John 18:38). Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary observes that "Pilate was willing to please all sides; and was governed more by worldly wisdom than by the rules of justice." Jesus' question still comes to every reader: are your thoughts about Him your own, or only what others have told you?
Look Closer
What was Jesus asking Pilate to consider?
Carry the question into prayer and conversation.
Lord Jesus, are my beliefs about You truly my own, or have I only repeated what others have said? Where would You have me look at You for myself?
A prayer to carry into the day.
- Pilate shifted Jesus' question onto others. Why is it easier to repeat other people's opinions about Jesus than to face Him for yourself?
- Tell about a time your faith moved from something you were told to something you knew for yourself.
For you, a small group, a friend, or the dinner table.
Jesus asks Pilate a question that reaches every reader: "Sayest thou this thing of thyself?" It is possible to talk about Jesus using only what others have said, for or against Him. His question calls for a personal answer, not a borrowed one.
The question also helps when you hear charges against others. Before you repeat a report, ask whether you know it yourself or only heard it. Pilate knew the accusations came from others (John 18:35), yet he let them drive the outcome. Listening to others is not wrong. But it cannot replace your own honest look at the truth.
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