18. — [Barahhcu.] I am quite unable to receive the opinion held by some, that the scape-goat in the Jewish law was a type of Barahbas. I believe that the sca|)e-goat was a type of Christ rising a^ain, and not of Christ crucified. Barahbas was a type of the sinner deserving judgment, and yet set free.
20. — [WiUing to release Jesus.] Pilate's desire to acquit our Lord and set Him free, coupled with his great desire to please the Jews and get the praise of man« is a striking picture of the slavery to which a great man without principle may be reduced.
21. — [Crucify him.] Crucifixion was not only the most painful, but the most ignominious and disgraceful death, to which a person could be sentenced. Bishop Pearson remarks, " By the ignominy of this punishment, we are taught how far our Saviour descended for us, that while we were slaves, and in bondage un- to sin. He might redeem us by a servile death."
22. — [The third time.] Pilate's thrice repeated declaration of our Lord's innocence is deserving of notice. Bishop Pearson re- marks, " It was thought necessary to include the name of Pilate in the creed, as of one who gave a most poweiful external testi- mony to the certainty of our Saviour s death, and the innocency
• of his life. He did not only profess, to the condemnation of the Jews, that he found nothmg worthy of death in Christ ; but left the same written to the Gentiles of the Roman Empire. Two ways he is related to have given most ample testimony to the truth, first by an express written to Tiberius and by him presented to the senate, and secondly by records written in tables of all things of moment which were acted in his govern- ment." For this last statement Pearson gives the authority of Tertullian, Eusebius, and Justin Martyr.
23. — [They were instant.] This is the same Greek word that is translated "pressed upon him" in Luke v. 1, and "lay upon us " in Acts xxvii. 20.
24. — [Hiat it should he as tJiey required.] These words would have been rendered more literally " that their request should be."
25. — [To their wiU.] This means " the will of the Jews." Let it be noted here, and throughout St. Luke's account of our Lord's passion, how much less he says of the things done by the Ro- man soldiers, than either Matthew, Mark, or John. The reason is simple. St. Luke wrote specially for the use of the Gentile Christians. He desired to keep before their minds prominently, that though our Lord was crucified under Pontius Pilate, the persons most to blame for His death were not Gentiles but Jews.