God, that we the guilty might be reckoned innocent, and be set free from condemnation.
If we are true Christians, let us daily lean our souls on the comfortable thought that Christ has really been our Substitute, and has been punished in our stead. Let us freely confess, that, like Barabbas, we deserve death, judgment, and hell. But let us cling firmly to the glorious truth that a sinless Saviour has suffered in our stead, and that believing in Him the guilty may go free.
Notes. Lukb XXUI. 13—25.
1.1. — [He had called together.] This expression seems to denote a general gathering of the leading persons among the Jews, in order that the declaration of our Lord's innocence might he as puhlic and umnistakeahle as possihle. It made it impossihle for the Jews afterwards to deny that the Roman governor found our Lord " not guilty."
14. — [Have found no fault.] Burgon remarks here, that we ought to notice, " how many and what various persons bear testimony to the innocence of the Holy One, — Pilate, Herod, Pilate's wife, Judas Iscariot, the thief on the cross, and the centurion," who superintended the crucifixion. We cannot doubt that this was specially over-ruled and ordered by the providence of God.
1 5. — [Nothing worthy of death is done unto him.] There seems no doubt that these words would have been better rendered, " nothing worthy of death has been done by him." This is the opinion of Scholefield, Major, and Alford. Compare Acts xxv. 11,25; xxvi. 31.
IH. — [Chastise.] This means " chastise by scourging." Doddridge paraphrases the verse, " When I have chastised Him by scourg- ing, which will be an admonition to Him for the future not to use those wild and enthusiastical expressions, which have given so much umbrage and suspicion, L will let Him go." Pilate appears to have hoped that by this comparatively slight pun- ishment of one whom he regarded as a harmless fanatic, he should satisfy the Jews.
1 7. — [Of necessity he must release one.] Major remarks, " By whom or at what time this practice originated, is not determined. The most probable opinion is that it was introduced by the Romans, and perhaps by Pilate, at the beginning of his government, in order to gratify the Jewish people."