SECTION LXXIX. CHRIST CONDEMNED. JOHN xix. 1-15; MATTHEW Xxvii. 19-31; MARK XV. 12-20; LUKE Xxiii. 23-25. "THEN Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged Him." This was the cruel but usual preliminary to a Roman execution. Pilate seems to have given way in appearance to the clamour for the death of Jesus, yet not without a lingering expectation of being able ultimately to save the prisoner's life. He might think that their revenge would be satisfied by the scourging, and that he should be saved the wrong of putting to death a man whose only crime was having provoked the envy of the priests.* He gave Him up therefore into the hands of the soldiers to suffer the pain and ignominy of this mode of punishment. "And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe" (Herod had set the example of this insulting treatment, and these unthinking ment were incited to imitate it)" and said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote Him with their hands." It may have been during, or just after, this scene, that Pilate (who doubtless was not present) received the message from his wife (Matth. xxvii. 19) entreat *Matth. xxvii. 18. Olshausen says the soldiers employed in the crucifixion were part of the German Legion, then stationed in Palestine, ing him to have nothing to do with that "just man," for that she had suffered much distress in her dreams concerning Him. Her mind was filled with forebodings of the guilt her husband would incur by participating in the murder of One of whose innocence she was persuaded, and whose dignity she perhaps suspected. The message was brought just as Pilate had resumed his place on the tribunal. And If he "Pilate therefore went forth again"-to the Jewish priests who could not enter the hall-" and saith unto them, Behold, I bring Him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in Him". there is implied in this, "And yet though I think Him innocent, to satisfy you I have subjected Him to pain and shame. Is not that sufficient, without taking his life ?" "Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man!" expected to work upon the feelings of those wicked men by this appeal, he was greatly mistaken. "When the chief priests therefore and officers saw Him"-as if the very sight added fuel to their hate -"they cried out, saying, Crucify Him, crucify Him. Pilate saith unto them, Take ye Him, and crucify Him; for I find no fault in Him. The Jews"—who did not dare to take this responsibility on themselves-" answered and said, We have a law, and by our law He ought to die, because He made Himself”-professed to be "the Son of God." They had said nothing about this charge before, hoping to get Him condemned on political grounds, but were now reduced to bring it forward as a last resource. Instead, however, of this helping their cause, it rather went against them, by awakening in the mind of the judge a religious awe, connected probably with the warning he had had from his wife. "When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more afraid; and went again into the judg ment hall"-taking the prisoner with him-" and saith unto Jesus, Whence art Thou?"-art Thou indeed any one above man? "But Jesus gave him no answer. Then saith Pilate unto Him, 'Speakest Thou not unto me? knowest Thou not that I have power to crucify Thee, and have power to release Thee?' Jesus answered, 'Thou couldest have no power at all against Me, except it were given thee from above' ” this was in substance an answer to the question, Whence art Thou?-"therefore he that delivered Me unto thee hath the greater sin.' "And from thenceforth Pilate sought"-anew"to release Him"-more and more convinced there was something mysterious in the case-"but the Jews cried out, saying, 'If thou let this man go, thou art not Cæsar's friend' "-not loyal to the Emperor thy master-" whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Cæsar."" This was a threat, and not a light one; for a suggestion of disloyalty was quite enough, under such a prince as Tiberius, to work a man's ruin. "When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha." This was probably in t open over" air. the sixth hour. "And it was the preparation of the Passeve of the Passover-" and about the And he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King! But they cried out, 'Away with Him; away with Him; crucify Him.' Pilate saith unto them, 'Shall I crucify your King?””—taunting them. "The chief priests answered"-what at any other time they would have winced to acknowledge" We have no king but Cæsar.'"* To this narrative of St. John, St. Matthew adds another incident. "When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, 'I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it."'" As if the judge who permitted the legal murder of one he was bound to protect could be innocent! "Then answered all the people, and said, 'His blood be on us, and on our children." "+ Fatal words, by which they endorsed the sin of their rulers, and fixed the doom of their nation! "And Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required. And he released unto them him that for sedition and murder was cast into prison, whom they had desired; but he delivered Jesus to their will"-thus shamefully abdicating his judicial functions, and losing for ever the honour of protecting the Saviour in the day of His humiliation. SECTION LXXX. CHRIST CRUCIFIED. JOHN xix. 16-24; LUKE xxiii. 26—28; MARK XV. 21—28; "THE "THEN delivered he Him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led Him away. And He bearing His cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha; where they crucified Him, and two others with Him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst." On the way to the place of execution there occurred two incidents, not mentioned in St. John's account. "As they led Him away," says St. Luke, "they laid hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenian, coming out of the country, and on him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus." This probably was a measure of humanity on the part of the centurion who conducted the execution. Simon was apparently a stranger, coming into the city about his own business; but being named by St. Mark as "the father of Alexander and Rufus,"* he seems to have been well known in the Church, and there is a probability that this incident was the introduction of Simon to the knowledge of Jesus. If so, there were three persons out of those who were brought into contact * "Salute Rufus, chosen in the Lord," Rom. xvi. 13. |