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Christ’s Trial Before the Roman Governor
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stand the fanatical hatred of the priests. Again priests, rulers, and
people raised that awful cry, “Crucify Him, crucify Him.” At last,
losing all patience with their unreasoning cruelty, Pilate cried out
despairingly, “Take ye Him, and crucify Him: for I find no fault in
Him.”
The Roman governor, though familiar with cruel scenes, was
moved with sympathy for the suffering prisoner. But the priests
declared, “We have a law, and by our law He ought to die, because
He made Himself the Son of God.”
Jesus’ Kindness to Pilate
Pilate was startled; it might be a divine being that stood before
him! Again he said to Jesus, “Whence art Thou?” But Jesus gave
no answer. The Saviour had spoken freely to Pilate, explaining His
mission. Pilate had disregarded the light. He had abused the high
office of judge by yielding to the demands of the mob. Jesus had
no further light for him. Vexed at His silence, Pilate said haughtily:
“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: therefore he that delivered
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Me unto thee hath the greater sin.” Christ meant Caiaphas, who
represented the Jewish nation. They had light in the prophecies
that testified of Christ, and unmistakable evidence of the divinity of
Him whom they condemned to death. The heaviest responsibility
belonged to those who stood in the highest places in the nation.
Pilate, Herod, and the Roman soldiers were comparatively ignorant
of Jesus. They had not the light which the Jewish nation had so
abundantly received. Had the light been given to the soldiers, they
would not have treated Christ as they did.
Again Pilate proposed to release the Saviour. “But the Jews cried
out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar’s friend.” Of
all the opponents of Roman rule, the Jews were most bitter; but to
accomplish the destruction of Christ, they would profess loyalty to
the foreign rule which they hated.
“Whosoever maketh himself a king,” they continued, “speaketh
against Caesar.” Pilate was under suspicion by the Roman govern-