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The Spirit of Prophecy Volume 3
arising among the Jews against the Roman government, for many
affirmed that it was against the Jewish law to pay tribute to a foreign
power. The authorities had found it necessary to deal very rigorously
with these revolts among the people, and were constantly on the watch
for developments of that character, in order to suppress them at once.
But Jesus had always been obedient to the reigning power. When
the scheming priests sought to entrap him by sending spies to him
with the question, “Is it lawful to render tribute to Caesar?” he had
directed their attention to the image and superscription of Caesar upon
the tribute money, and answered, “Render unto Caesar the things
which are Caesar’s.” Jesus himself had paid tribute, and had taught his
disciples to do so.
In their extremity the priests called the false witnesses to their
aid. “And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow
perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying
that he himself is Christ, a king.”
Pilate was not deceived by this testimony. He now became confi-
dent that a deep plot had been laid to destroy an innocent man, who
stood in the way of the Jewish dignitaries. He turned to the prisoner
and “asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he an-
swered him and said, Thou sayest it.” Jesus stood before Pilate, pale,
bruised, and faint from loss of sleep and food. He had been hurried
from place to place, and subjected to insult and violence; yet his bear-
ing was noble, and his countenance was lighted as though a sunbeam
were shining upon it.
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When his answer was heard by Caiaphas, who stood at the thresh-
old of the judgment hall, the high priest joined with others in calling
Pilate to witness that Jesus had admitted his crime by this answer,
which was a virtual acknowledgment that he was seeking to establish
a throne in Judah in opposition to the power of Caesar. Priests, scribes,
and rulers, all united in noisy denunciations of Jesus, and in impor-
tuning Pilate to pronounce sentence of death upon him. The lawless
uproar of the infuriated priests and dignitaries of the temple confused
the senses of the Roman governor. Finally, when some measure of
quiet was secured, he again addressed Jesus, saying, “Answerest thou
nothing? behold how many things they witness against thee. But Jesus
yet answered nothing; so that Pilate marveled.” The silence of the
Saviour perplexed him. He saw in the prisoner no marks of a seditious