Bible Verse Lookup

The decision to eliminate Jesus has already been made by the chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the Temple. The reason is apparently religious: Jesus has proclaimed himself the Son of God, which constitutes heresy; but we know that deep down there are more than religious reasons for removing Jesus from the scene; ultimately, his presence and his teachings are too uncomfortable and dangerous for the ‘stability’ of the nation, for ‘national security.’ However, Pilate finds no sufficient reason for the death sentence (4), so the accusers have to turn the religious accusation into a political one, of national scope: “He is stirring up the whole people, teaching throughout Judea; he began in Galilee and has come this far” (5), insisting on how dangerous he is to the empire (2).