The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 616

still God often thue speaks to men; and some woman's anxious look or word, or some child's innocent question, will give the conscience new strength or arm it with new weapons, The moments given to ponder this message are not neglected by the leaders. 'l'hey wind throu~h the crowd, and prompt the people to ask for Barabbae. By offering them the alternative between a Man whom both he and they knew to be innocent of sedition, and a man notoriously guilty of it, he put them into the very difficulty they sought to fix him in. But they have already seen that he has a deeper conviction than the innocence of Jesus, namely, a fear of them, and this they nee. Pilate, therefore, having done, as he persuaded himself, all he could to save Jesus, gives him up to the scourging-a barbarous punishment, under which many died. He may have interfered to prevent the full amount being inflicted. He did not interfere when the soldiers proceeded to mock their victim. In this mockery we hav~ a concrete and visible representation of the manner in which Christ is continually used, We salute him as King; but what is the sceptre we put in his hands? Is it not in many cases a mere reed, in hands that are bound? Is it not ae real a mockery for us to profess allegiance to him, and use the strongest language we can command to express our adoration, and then go and show that he has not the slightest control over our lives? In this would-be equitable Roman governor coming to the people and saying, "What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ?" we see: 1. The predicament of many among ourselves who would gladly be rid of the question. But it cannot be. There is this judgment to pronounce, Even if there were no blessedness in following Christ, the fact remains that he is presented to you, and that it is your duty to ac.::ept him. 2. We see how futile was the attempt of Pilate to transfer the guilt of this action to the Jews. They were wi1ling to take the blood of Christ on their hearls; but, though history shows how terrible has been their share in the vengeance they ignorantly invoked, Pilate was not necessarily exempt. Men frequently mistake the point at which their own power, and therefore their own responsibility, ends. They consent to iniquity, and say they were forced to it. How were youfcm;ed1 Would every man in your circumstances do as you are doing? Or, men invite you to share their sin, persuading you that the guilt is theirs, if there is any; you will find that they cannot bear your share, and that vou vainly seek to lay the guilt on them. The very fate Pilate feared, and to avoid which he sacrificed the life of our Lord, came upon him. Six years later he was deposed from his office, and died by his own hand. We are apt to say of him that he was weak rather than wicked, forgetting that moral weakness is that which makes a man capable of any wickedness. And who is the weak 1Lan but the one who is not single-minded, who attempts to gratify both his conscience and his evil or weak feelings, to secure his own selfish ends as well as the great ends of justice and righteousness? Such a man will often be in as great a perplexity as Pilate, and will come to as ruinous, if not so appalling, an end.-D. Ver. 62-ch. x.xviii.15.-The Resurrection, The resurrection of Jesus Christ is not merely the greatest event of history, it is the hinge on which all history turns. If Christ died and lies still in his grave like other men, then the whole preaching of the apostles falls to the ground. It is plain he can afford us no help of the kind we. especially neecl-he cannot hear our prayer, he cannot guide our life. His own word has failed, for he said he would rise. The whole revelation of God he made, all the information about things unseen and future, has doubt cast upon it. It is the resur- rection of Jesus that establishes a clear and close connection between this world and the unseen and spiritual world. If he rose from the dead, then the world into which he is gone is real, and his invitation to u~ to join him there is one we may confidently trust to. It becomes us, therefore, to consider with candour and seriousness whatever difficulties men have felt in accepting as true this stupendous fact. May not some mistaken and ill-advised person have surreptitiously conveyed away the body and have given out that I\ resurrection had taken place P The authorities took the most effectual means they could think of to prevent this. So beyond doubt was it that the grave was emptied by an actual resurrection, that when Peter stood before the Sanhedrin and affirmed it, they could not deny it. This idea, therefore, may be dismissed. It is a.greed, by those who deny the Resurrection as much as by those who o.ffirm it, that the disciples bad a bond.ft.de belief that Jesus had risen from the dead and 'll'as nlive, 6~2 THE GOSPEL .ACCORDING TO ST. M.AT'l'HEW, [ce. xxvn. 1-06.