»You are no Friend of Caesar«: Threat and Intrigue in the Johannine Account of the Sentencing of Jesus in John 19:12-16a

Abstract

: The handing over of Jesus by the Johannine Pilate for crucifixion in John 19:12-16a may be closely linked to the implications of the phrase, »you are no friend of Caesar« in v 12b. This phrase harbours an element of threat and intrigue that may be political and economical. The aim of this work, therefore, is to identify the threat content of the phrase ‚Friend of Caesar‘ by undertaking a historical-critical analysis of v. 12b in its immediate narrative context of John 19:12-16a. The study reveals that the expression ‚Friend of Caesar‘ was used to observe, recognize and monitor loyalty in the Roman Empire especially in the satellite territories su-perintended by the emperor’s appointees. To fail to be a friend of Caesar therefore meant disloyalty and risking one’s political and economic position and life. The conclusion is that the Jewish party intriguingly employed the statement as a threat to destabilize Pilate and constrain him to hand Jesus over for crucifixion.