628
The Desire of Ages
She saw the hands tightly bound as the hands of a criminal. She saw
Herod and his soldiers doing their dreadful work. She heard the priests
and rulers, filled with envy and malice, madly accusing. She heard
the words, “We have a law, and by our law He ought to die.” She saw
Pilate give Jesus to the scourging, after he had declared, “I find no
fault in Him.” She heard the condemnation pronounced by Pilate, and
saw him give Christ up to His murderers. She saw the cross uplifted
on Calvary. She saw the earth wrapped in darkness, and heard the
mysterious cry, “It is finished.” Still another scene met her gaze. She
saw Christ seated upon the great white cloud, while the earth reeled in
space, and His murderers fled from the presence of His glory. With a
cry of horror she awoke, and at once wrote to Pilate words of warning.
While Pilate was hesitating as to what he should do, a messenger
pressed through the crowd, and handed him the letter from his wife,
which read:
“Have thou nothing to do with that just Man: for I have suffered
many things this day in a dream because of Him.”
[733]
Pilate’s face grew pale. He was confused by his own conflicting
emotions. But while he had been delaying to act, the priests and rulers
were still further inflaming the minds of the people. Pilate was forced
to action. He now bethought himself of a custom which might serve
to secure Christ’s release. It was customary at this feast to release
some one prisoner whom the people might choose. This custom was
of pagan invention; there was not a shadow of justice in it, but it was
greatly prized by the Jews. The Roman authorities at this time held a
prisoner named Barabbas, who was under sentence of death. This man
had claimed to be the Messiah. He claimed authority to establish a
different order of things, to set the world right. Under satanic delusion
he claimed that whatever he could obtain by theft and robbery was his
own. He had done wonderful things through satanic agencies, he had
gained a following among the people, and had excited sedition against
the Roman government. Under cover of religious enthusiasm he was
a hardened and desperate villain, bent on rebellion and cruelty. By
giving the people a choice between this man and the innocent Saviour,
Pilate thought to arouse them to a sense of justice. He hoped to gain
their sympathy for Jesus in opposition to the priests and rulers. So,
turning to the crowd, he said with great earnestness, “Whom will ye
that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ?”