John 19:7 Commentary and Bible Study

They have already said this sort of thing, but this strikes home once again with Pilate and causes him great fear. Why? Some people think this was due to Pilate’s deeply superstitious nature. The Jews report to Pilate that Jesus made himself the Son of God, and Pilate immediately becomes frightened. ‘What if he is the Son of God? Where will I stand?’ Another explanation is that Pilate is the more afraid because this implies that Christ claimed to be the king of the Jews, which means he is an insurrectionist, a leader of rebellion and he is going to challenge the Roman authority. The implication is then, If you don’t get rid of him then of course you will be acting against Caesar and you will not be carrying out your brief as the Roman governor or procurator of this region. That is the kind of thing that causes him fear.