“So Pilate, the governor, went out to them and asked, ‘What is your charge against this man?’”
John 18:29 (NLT)
Jesus is standing trial before Pilate, after already being questioned by Annas and Caiaphas. The Jewish leaders bring Him to the Roman governor but refuse to enter the praetorium so they won’t be ceremonially defiled before eating the Passover meal. Pilate has to come out to them. Right away, irony fills the scene.
They are careful about outward cleanliness while actively pursuing the death of an innocent man. They are concerned about defilement, yet completely blind to the blood they are about to put on their own hands. Their hatred for Jesus is so strong that stoning under their own law is not enough—they want the most brutal punishment Rome can offer.
When Pilate asks a simple and fair question—What is your charge against this man?—they cannot answer. They offer no crime, no evidence, only offense. If He weren’t a criminal, we wouldn’t have handed Him over to you. It is accusation without substance. Condemnation without cause.
This is where the heart of the passage comes into focus. The accusers cannot name a sin, yet they insist on guilt. Jesus does not defend Himself because there is nothing to defend. He is the spotless Lamb. Silent. Innocent. And their failure to name a charge only proves it.
This is exactly how the enemy still works today. Scripture often presents Satan as the accuser. He labels, shames, and condemns—but he cannot point to an actual charge when you are in Christ. Through the blood of Jesus, your identity has changed. You may still sin, but you are no longer a sinner by nature. When sin is confessed, it is washed, forgotten, and gone.
The devil can accuse you, but he has no case. Just like these leaders standing before Pilate, all he has are words with no evidence. Jesus was proven spotless—and if you belong to Him, His blood has covered you too. Stop listening to accusations that carry no authority.