Condemnation of Jesus
99
nation, who also found nothing worthy of death against the prisoner.
Said Pilate, “I will therefore chastise him and release him.”
Here Pilate exposed his weakness. He had declared that Jesus was
innocent of the crimes of which he was accused, yet he was willing to
make a partial sacrifice of justice and principle in order to compromise
with an unfeeling mob; he was willing to suffer an innocent man to be
scourged, that their inhuman wrath might be appeased. But the fact that
he proposed to make terms with them placed Pilate at a disadvantage
with the ungovernable crowd, who now presumed upon his indecision,
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and clamored the more for the life of the prisoner. Pilate turned to
the people, and represented to them that the priests and elders had
not substantiated in any degree the charges brought against Jesus. He
hoped by this means to raise their sympathy for him, so they would be
willing to release him. Meanwhile Jesus had fallen through exhaustion
upon the marble pavement. Just then a messenger pressed through the
crowd, and placed in Pilate’s hand a letter from his wife, which ran
thus:—
“Have thou nothing to do with that just man; for I have suffered
many things this day in a dream because of him.” Pilate’s wife was not
a Jew; but the angel of God had sent this warning to her, that, through
her, Pilate might be prevented from committing the terrible crime of
delivering up to death the divine Son of God.
Pilate turned pale when he read the message; but the priests and
rulers had occupied the interval in farther inflaming minds of the
people, till they were wrought up to a state of insane fury. The governor
was forced to action; he turned to the crowd and spoke with great
earnestness: “Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or
Jesus who is called Christ.?” It was customary at this feast for the
governor to release one prisoner, whomsoever the people desired to
be set at liberty. Pilate seized this as an opportunity to save Jesus; and
by giving them a choice between the innocent Saviour and the notable
robber and murderer, Barabbas, he hoped to rouse them to a sense of
justice. But a great was his astonishment when the cry, “Away with
this man, and release unto us Barabbas!” was started by the priests,
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and taken up by the mob, resounding through the hall like the hoarse
cry of demons.
Pilate was dumb with surprise and disappointment; but by appeal-
ing to the people, and yielding his own judgment, he had compromised