i. Trials and crucifixion. — His implacable enemies brought Him at last to bay. Deep in that memorable night when He was in the depths of the impenetrable gloom of Gethsemane, the .s.acred privacy of His last hours and His last
f)rayer was invaded by n howling mob of under- ings, hangers-on, .-ind s.iMiers of the temple guard, guided by one of \\\- ..wii .li~eiples (Mt 26-", Lk 22-"). They took .le-w-, .m,! ^^llen they had bound
li.' l;iiiti~iii. (Ill' Temptation, and the presuut wriUT'b 6on 0/ Man,
the part of His own disciples. (Mt 16=^) and denied (26S'-'-') by .
• See chapters
HUMILIATION OF CHRIST
HUMILITY
Him witli ropes (Jn IS'-), they led tiim by the halter, as if He were a desperado, to the house of tlie high priest. He had a keen sense of this humiliation, and protested against it (iMk 14'"'). Nevertheless, conscious though He was of His ! of any evil deed or design, of His abso-
lute purity, yea, even of His Divine dignity : ■ ■ 1, He ■ "
le submitted to the humiliation of being put on trial before the corrupt and conscienceless occupant of the high-priestly office and the white- washed hypocrites who, for the most part, consti- tuted the governing body of tlie nation. After the solemn mockery was enacted and they had con- demned Him to death (14''^), they heaped on Him the most humiliating insults their malicious in- genuity could devise. They spat in His face {ivi'n-TUffar eis rb Trpoauiirov airoO, Mt 26"') ; they threw a cloth over Him and then beat Him on the head, mockingly demanding that He should tell them who it was that struck each blow (26"'-''*). When it was morning, they bound Him again with ropes, and led Him thus to the Pra'torium to secure sentence of death from the Roman Pro- curator (Mk 15\ Mt 27^). Pilate, though con- vinced of His inno(-enic, ilid iml care to involve himself in the truulil.' mii.1 .niii.iy:Mi. e of taking His jiart, ami lie was ;4l,iil In .-.liirk his duty and get rid of the eraliarriissnH'iit l>y turning Him over to Herod Antipas, who was at that time in Jeru- salem (Lk 23'). The poor prisoner, whom no one was found to befriend or defend, was drag
of findiim sm >iic w
the p(.^^r,■ I,, ri.l !!„■ tosuil'i-i- llie liuinili:d before this abaiuloiu lighted to come face
thecouraoeaswellas of Him, and He had i|i]ii!aring as a culin'it rh. llrrod was de-
at last he was to have the l(.ii:^-r(i\ I'lcJ (i|.|hii (unity of having Him show oil' with .i irw mirarles in his presence. But, though he plied Him \\ ith all sorts
„c i._ g^jjjj iniportuniti(
de word. But Herod
of reque.sts and importunities, Jesus answered hii not a single word, baulked. If he could not induce Jesus to enter- tain him in one way, he could at least force Him to furnish entertainment for him in another way. And this Herod, this creature of low cunning, this unwashed hog of a sensualist, this seducer of his own brother's wife, this cowardly murderer of the other of the two great prophets of the day, grati- lied his brutal instincts by joining his soldiers in putting Jesus to scorn. They dressed Him up in a gorgeous and ;4Lnin- red UKi'iitlc nf mock royalty, and scut Iliiu tliu^ IliK.uiih the slr.'ets back to the Pra-loi-iiiiii of I'il.'ilc (■_'.".■"'']. i'ilate, overcome by the p.TMslrii.c of tl„. .Ic«isl, loaders .and by his own selfish and cowardly ir:iv-. .l.Mi,li.(l at last
to deliver Jesus up to the'tcii'loi rrjos of the
human bloodhounds who could Ijo aiiiic a-.d l)y nothing but His death. But bofoiu doing so, he made his soldiers strij) Him and inflict on Him the terrible Roman flagellation (Mk 15'=, Mt 27-"), a punishment so severe that the victim often died under it. This bitter torture and bitterer humilia- tion Jesus endun-d in sulmiisvion and silence. While theprepaialiou is l.eiim i":ole foi' tlio eruei- lixion, He is left in (lie liands of the soldiers, the whole coliort is invited in to enjoy the sport, and now for the third time He is made'the amuse- ment of a band of ruffians, for it is now their turn to have a little entertainment with the Nazarene fanatic. They torment Ilini as a cat teases and tortures a wonmled hird hiMore devcui- ingit. They puf on Him a seariel n.ilil iiry rol.r. and h.aving twisted hianeliesof thorn hushi's inio a sort of crown, they place it on 11 is ]iatient brow, put a mock sceptre in His unresisting hand, and then go down on their knees before Him, shouting, ' Long live the king of the Jews ! '
They too indulged in the sport of spitting on Him, and, yielding to the wild beast instinct which their op]iortunity had aroused in them, they kept lieating Him o\'er the head {ImrTov eh ttjh K«(>a\r]v aiiToO, Sit 27"" ; eTvirTOf airrov rriv Ke(pa\Tii> KaXd/Uifj, Mk 15'"). While He was dressed up as a mock king, His face stained with blood and marred with spittle, Pilate, moved with pity, led "Him out to the view of the_ clamorous mob, hoping that the spectacle of so abject an object might move them to pity (Jn 19^- ^). But it seemed the more to inflame their rage (v."). His crucifixion was then finally decided on. And now a new humiliation was inflicted on Him. He leaves the Prastorium, and is led or driven along the crowded streets through the avenue of onlookers, bearing on His back the heavy wooden beam that was to be the instrument of His execu- tion (v."). It was the symbol of His degradation and the advertisement of His disgaace.