11 AndJesus stood before the gov- ernor : and the governor asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest.
12 And when he was accused of the Chief Priests and elders, he answered nothing.
13 Then said Pilate unto him, Hear- est tliou not how many things they witness against thee ?
14 And lie answered him to never a word ; iusomueh that the governor marvelled greatly.
15 Now at that feast the governor was wont to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they would.
16 And they had tlien a notable prisoner, called Barabbas.
17 Therefore when they were gath- ered together, Pilate said unto them, "Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is calle.i Christ ?
18 For he knew that for envy they had delivered him.
19 When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife seat unto him, saying. Have thou nothing to do with tliat just man; for I have suffered
many things this day in a dream be- cause of him.
20 But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus.
21 The governor answered and said unto them. Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas.
22 Pilate saith unto them. What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ ? TJiey all say unto him, Let him be crucified.
23 And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done ? But they cried out the more, saying. Let him be crucified.
24 When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but tfiat rather a tu- mult was made, he took water, and washed Ids hands before the multi- tude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person : see ye to it.
25 Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.
26 Then released he Barabbas unto them : and when he had scourged Je- sus, he delivered him to be crucified.
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These verses describe our Lord's appearance before Pontius PilatCj the Koman governor. That sight must have been wonderful to the angels of God. He who will one day judge the world allowed himself to be judged and condemned, though " he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth." (Isaiah liii, 9.) He from whose lips Pilate and Caiaphas will one day receive their eternal sentence, sufiered silently an unjust sentence to be passed upon him. Those silent sufferings fulfilled the words of Isaiah, "as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.'* (Isaiah liii. 7.) To those silent sufferings believers owe all their jDcace and hope. — Through them they will have boldness in the day of judgment, who in themselves would have nothing to say.
Let us learn from the conduct of Pilate^ how pitiful is the condition of an unprincipled great man. ')
Pilate appears to have been inwardly satisfied that our Lord had done nothing worthy of death. We are told distinctly, " that he knew that for enyjjfche^ had deliv- ered^hi^-" Left to the exercise of his own unbiassed judgment, he would probably have dismissed the charges against our Lord, and let Him go free.
But Pilate was governor of a jealous and turbulent people. His great desire was to procure favor with them and please them. He cared little how much he sinned against Grod and conscience, so long as he had the praise of man. Though willing to save our Lord's life, he was afraid to do it, if it offended the Jews. And so, after a feeble attempt to divert the fury of the people from Jesus to Barabbas, — and a feebler attempt to satisfy his own conscience, by washing his hands publicly before the
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