The Desire of Ages
by Ellen G. White
Chapter 77: In Pilate's Judgment Hall
This chapter is based on Matt. 27:2, 11-31;
Mark 15:1-20; Luke 23:1-25; John 18:28-40; 19:1-16.
In the judgment hall of Pilate, the Roman governor, Christ
stands bound as a prisoner. About Him are the guard of soldiers, and the hall
is fast filling with spectators. Just outside the entrance are the judges of
the Sanhedrin, priests, rulers, elders, and the mob. {DA 723.1}
After condemning Jesus, the council of the Sanhedrin had
come to Pilate to have the sentence confirmed and executed. But these Jewish
officials would not enter the Roman judgment hall. According to their
ceremonial law they would be defiled thereby, and thus prevented from taking
part in the feast of the Passover. In their blindness they did not see that
murderous hatred had defiled their hearts. They did not see that Christ was the
real Passover lamb, and that, since they had rejected Him, the great feast had
for them lost its significance. {DA 723.2}
When the Saviour was brought into the judgment hall, Pilate
looked upon Him with no friendly eyes. The Roman governor had been called from
his bedchamber in haste, and he determined to do his work as quickly as
possible. He was prepared to deal with the prisoner with [724]
magisterial severity. Assuming his severest expression, he turned to see what
kind of man he had to examine, that he had been called from his repose at so
early an hour. He knew that it must be someone whom the Jewish authorities were
anxious to have tried and punished with haste. {DA 723.3}
Pilate looked at the men who had Jesus in charge, and then
his gaze rested searchingly on Jesus. He had had to deal with all kinds of
criminals; but never before had a man bearing marks of such goodness and
nobility been brought before him. On His face he saw no sign of guilt, no
expression of fear, no boldness or defiance. He saw a man of calm and dignified
bearing, whose countenance bore not the marks of a criminal, but the signature of
heaven. {DA 724.1}
Christ's appearance made a favorable impression upon Pilate.
His better nature was roused. He had heard of Jesus and His works. His wife had
told him something of the wonderful deeds performed by the Galilean prophet,
who cured the sick and raised the dead. Now this revived as a dream in Pilate's
mind. He recalled rumors that he had heard from several sources. He resolved to
demand of the Jews their charges against the prisoner. {DA 724.2}
Who is this Man, and wherefore have ye brought Him? he said.
What accusation bring ye against Him? The Jews were disconcerted. Knowing that
they could not substantiate their charges against Christ, they did not desire a
public examination. They answered that He was a deceiver called Jesus of
Nazareth. {DA 724.3}
Again Pilate asked, "What accusation bring ye against
this Man?" The priests did not answer his question, but in words that
showed their irritation, they said, "If He were not a malefactor, we would
not have delivered Him up unto thee." When those composing the Sanhedrin,
the first men of the nation, bring to you a man they deem worthy of death, is
there need to ask for an accusation against him? They hoped to impress Pilate
with a sense of their importance, and thus lead him to accede to their request
without going through many preliminaries. They were eager to have their
sentence ratified; for they knew that the people who had witnessed Christ's
marvelous works could tell a story very different from the fabrication they
themselves were now rehearsing. {DA 724.4}
The priests thought that with the weak and vacillating
Pilate they could carry through their plans without trouble. Before this he had
signed the death warrant hastily, condemning to death men they knew were not
worthy of death. In his estimation the life of a prisoner was [725]
of little account; whether he were innocent or guilty was of no special
consequence. The priests hoped that Pilate would now inflict the death penalty
on Jesus without giving Him a hearing. This they besought as a favor on the
occasion of their great national festival. {DA 724.5}
But there was something in the prisoner that held Pilate
back from this. He dared not do it. He read the purposes of the priests. He
remembered how, not long before, Jesus had raised Lazarus, a man that had been
dead four days; and he determined to know, before signing the sentence of
condemnation, what were the charges against Him, and whether they could be
proved. {DA 725.1}
If your judgment is sufficient, he said, why bring the
prisoner to me? "Take ye Him, and judge Him according to your law."
Thus pressed, the priests said that they had already passed sentence upon Him,
but that they must have Pilate's sentence to render their condemnation valid.
What is your sentence? Pilate asked. The death sentence, they answered; but it
is not lawful for us to put any man to death. They asked Pilate to take their
word as to Christ's guilt, and enforce their sentence. They would take the
responsibility of the result. {DA 725.2}
Pilate was not a just or a conscientious judge; but weak
though he was in moral power, he refused to grant this request. He would not
condemn Jesus until a charge had been brought against Him. {DA 725.3}
The priests were in a dilemma. They saw that they must cloak
their hypocrisy under the thickest concealment. They must not allow it to
appear that Christ had been arrested on religious grounds. Were this put
forward as a reason, their proceedings would have no weight with Pilate. They
must make it appear that Jesus was working against the common law; then He
could be punished as a political offender. Tumults and insurrection against the
Roman government were constantly arising among the Jews. With these revolts the
Romans had dealt very rigorously, and they were constantly on the watch to
repress everything that could lead to an outbreak. {DA 725.4}
Only a few days before this the Pharisees had tried to
entrap Christ with the question, "Is it lawful for us to give tribute unto
Caesar?" But Christ had unveiled their hypocrisy. The Romans who were
present had seen the utter failure of the plotters, and their discomfiture at
His answer, "Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be
Caesar's." Luke 20:22-25. {DA 725.5}
Now the priests thought to make it appear that on this
occasion Christ [726] had taught what they hoped He
would teach. In their extremity they called false witnesses to their aid,
"and they began to accuse Him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the
nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that He Himself is
Christ a King." Three charges, each without foundation. The priests knew
this, but they were willing to commit perjury could they but secure their end. {DA 725.6}
Pilate saw through their purpose. He did not believe that
the prisoner had plotted against the government. His meek and humble appearance
was altogether out of harmony with the charge. Pilate was convinced that a deep
plot had been laid to destroy an innocent man who stood in the way of the
Jewish dignitaries. Turning to Jesus he asked, "Art Thou the King of the
Jews?" The Saviour answered, "Thou sayest it." And as He spoke,
His countenance lighted up as if a sunbeam were shining upon it. {DA 726.1}
When they heard His answer, Caiaphas and those that were
with him called Pilate to witness that Jesus had admitted the crime with which
He was charged. With noisy cries, priests, scribes, and rulers demanded that He
be sentenced to death. The cries were taken up by the mob, and the uproar was
deafening. Pilate was confused. Seeing that Jesus made no answer to His
accusers, Pilate said to Him, "Answerest Thou nothing? behold how many
things they witness against Thee. But Jesus yet answered nothing." {DA 726.2}
Standing behind Pilate, in view of all in the court, Christ
heard the abuse; but to all the false charges against Him He answered not a
word. His whole bearing gave evidence of conscious innocence. He stood unmoved
by the fury of the waves that beat about Him. It was as if the heavy surges of
wrath, rising higher and higher, like the waves of the boisterous ocean, broke
about Him, but did not touch Him. He stood silent, but His silence was
eloquence. It was as a light shining from the inner to the outer man. {DA 726.3}
Pilate was astonished at His bearing. Does this Man
disregard the proceedings because He does not care to save His life? he asked
himself. As he looked at Jesus, bearing insult and mockery without retaliation,
he felt that He could not be as unrighteous and unjust as were the clamoring
priests. Hoping to gain the truth from Him and to escape the tumult of the
crowd, Pilate took Jesus aside with him, and again questioned, "Art Thou
the King of the Jews?" {DA
726.4}
Jesus did not directly answer this question. He knew that
the Holy [727] Spirit was striving with Pilate, and He gave
him opportunity to acknowledge his conviction. "Sayest thou this thing of
thyself," He asked, "or did others tell it thee of Me?" That is,
was it the accusations of the priests, or a desire to receive light from
Christ, that prompted Pilate's question? Pilate understood Christ's meaning;
but pride arose in his heart. He would not acknowledge the conviction that
pressed upon him. "Am I a Jew?" he said. "Thine own nation and
the chief priests have delivered Thee unto me: what hast Thou done?" {DA 726.5}
Pilate's golden opportunity had passed. Yet Jesus did not
leave him without further light. While He did not directly answer Pilate's
question, He plainly stated His own mission. He gave Pilate to understand that
He was not seeking an earthly throne. {DA 727.1}
"My kingdom is not of this world," He said;
"if My kingdom were of this world, then would My servants fight, that I
should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is My kingdom not from hence.
Pilate therefore said unto Him, Art Thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou
sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into
the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Everyone that is of the
truth heareth My voice." {DA 727.2}
Christ affirmed that His word was in itself a key which
would unlock the mystery to those who were prepared to receive it. It had a
self-commending power, and this was the secret of the spread of His kingdom of
truth. He desired Pilate to understand that only by receiving and appropriating
truth could his ruined nature be reconstructed. {DA 727.3}
Pilate had a desire to know the truth. His mind was
confused. He eagerly grasped the words of the Saviour, and his heart was
stirred with a great longing to know what it really was, and how he could
obtain it. "What is truth?" he inquired. But he did not wait for an
answer. The tumult outside recalled him to the interests of the hour; for the
priests were clamorous for immediate action. Going out to the Jews, he declared
emphatically, "I find in Him no fault at all." {DA 727.4}
These words from a heathen judge were a scathing rebuke to
the perfidy and falsehood of the rulers of Israel who were accusing the
Saviour. As the priests and elders heard this from Pilate, their disappointment
and rage knew no bounds. They had long plotted and waited for this opportunity.
As they saw the prospect of the release of Jesus, they seemed ready to tear Him
in pieces. They loudly denounced Pilate, and threatened him with the censure of
the Roman government. They [728] accused him of refusing to
condemn Jesus, who, they affirmed, had set Himself up against Caesar. {DA 727.5}
Angry voices were now heard, declaring that the seditious
influence of Jesus was well known throughout the country. The priests said,
"He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Jewry, beginning from
Galilee to this place." {DA
728.1}
Pilate at this time had no thought of condemning Jesus. He
knew that the Jews had accused Him through hatred and prejudice. He knew what
his duty was. Justice demanded that Christ should be immediately released. But
Pilate dreaded the ill will of the people. Should he refuse to give Jesus into
their hands, a tumult would be raised, and this he feared to meet. When he
heard that Christ was from Galilee, he decided to send Him to Herod, the ruler
of that province, who was then in Jerusalem. By this course, Pilate thought to
shift the responsibility of the trial from himself to Herod. He also thought
this a good opportunity to heal an old quarrel between himself and Herod. And
so it proved. The two magistrates made friends over the trial of the Saviour. {DA 728.2}
Pilate delivered Jesus again to the soldiers, and amid the
jeers and insults of the mob He was hurried to the judgment hall of Herod.
"When Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad." He had never before
met the Saviour, but "he was desirous to see Him of a long season, because
he had heard many things of Him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by
Him." This Herod was he whose hands were stained with the blood of John
the Baptist. When Herod first heard of Jesus, he was terror-stricken, and said,
"It is John, whom I beheaded: [729] he is risen from the
dead;" "therefore mighty works do show forth themselves in him."
Mark 6:16; Matthew 14:2. Yet Herod desired to see Jesus. Now there was
opportunity to save the life of this prophet, and the king hoped to banish
forever from his mind the memory of that bloody head brought to him in a
charger. He also desired to have his curiosity gratified, and thought that if
Christ were given any prospect of release, He would do anything that was asked
of Him. {DA 728.3}
A large company of the priests and elders had accompanied
Christ to Herod. And when the Saviour was brought in, these dignitaries, all
speaking excitedly, urged their accusations against Him. But Herod paid little
regard to their charges. He commanded silence, desiring an opportunity to
question Christ. He ordered that the fetters of Christ should be unloosed, at
the same time charging His enemies with roughly treating Him. Looking with
compassion into the serene face of the world's Redeemer, he read in it only
wisdom and purity. He as well as Pilate was satisfied that Christ had been
accused through malice and envy. {DA 729.1}
Herod questioned Christ in many words, but throughout the
Saviour maintained a profound silence. At the command of the king, the decrepit
and maimed were then called in, and Christ was ordered to prove His claims by
working a miracle. Men say that Thou canst heal the sick, said Herod. I am
anxious to see that Thy widespread fame has not been belied. Jesus did not
respond, and Herod still continued to urge: If Thou canst work miracles for
others, work them now for Thine own good, and it will serve Thee a good
purpose. Again he commanded, Show us a sign that Thou hast the power with which
rumor hath accredited Thee. But Christ was as one who heard and saw not. The
Son of God had taken upon Himself man's nature. He must do as man must do in
like circumstances. Therefore He would not work a miracle to save Himself the
pain and humiliation that man must endure when placed in a similar position. {DA 729.2}
Herod promised that if Christ would perform some miracle in
his presence, He should be released. Christ's accusers had seen with their own
eyes the mighty works wrought by His power. They had heard Him command the
grave to give up its dead. They had seen the dead come forth obedient to His
voice. Fear seized them lest He should now work a miracle. Of all things they
most dreaded an exhibition of His power. Such a manifestation would prove a
deathblow to their [730] plans, and would perhaps cost
them their lives. Again the priests and rulers, in great anxiety, urged their
accusations against Him. Raising their voices, they declared, He is a traitor,
a blasphemer. He works His miracles through the power given Him by Beelzebub,
the prince of the devils. The hall became a scene of confusion, some crying one
thing and some another. {DA
729.3}
Herod's conscience was now far less sensitive than when he had
trembled with horror at the request of Herodias for the head of John the
Baptist. For a time he had felt the keen stings of remorse for his terrible
act; but his moral perceptions had become more and more degraded by his
licentious life. Now his heart had become so hardened that he could even boast
of the punishment he had inflicted upon John for daring to reprove him. And he
now threatened Jesus, declaring repeatedly that he had power to release or to
condemn Him. But no sign from Jesus gave evidence that He heard a word. {DA 730.1}
Herod was irritated by this silence. It seemed to indicate
utter indifference to his authority. To the vain and pompous king, open rebuke
would have been less offensive than to be thus ignored. Again he angrily
threatened Jesus, who still remained unmoved and silent. {DA 730.2}
The mission of Christ in this world was not to gratify idle
curiosity. He came to heal the brokenhearted. Could He have spoken any word to
heal the bruises of sin-sick souls, He would not have kept silent. But He had
no words for those who would but trample the truth under their unholy feet. {DA 730.3}
Christ might have spoken words to Herod that would have
pierced the ears of the hardened king. He might have stricken him with fear and
trembling by laying before him the full iniquity of his life, and the horror of
his approaching doom. But Christ's silence was the severest rebuke that He
could have given. Herod had rejected the truth spoken to him by the greatest of
the prophets, and no other message was he to receive. Not a word had the
Majesty of heaven for him. That ear that had ever been open to human woe, had
no room for Herod's commands. Those eyes that had ever rested upon the penitent
sinner in pitying, forgiving love had no look to bestow upon Herod. Those lips
that had uttered the most impressive truth, that in tones of tenderest entreaty
had pleaded with the most sinful and the most degraded, were closed to the
haughty king who felt no need of a Saviour. {DA 730.4}
Herod's face grew dark with passion. Turning to the
multitude, he [731] angrily denounced Jesus as an
impostor. Then to Christ he said, If You will give no evidence of Your claim, I
will deliver You up to the soldiers and the people. They may succeed in making
You speak. If You are an impostor, death at their hands is only what You merit;
if You are the Son of God, save Yourself by working a miracle. {DA 730.5}
No sooner were these words spoken than a rush was made for
Christ. Like wild beasts, the crowd darted upon their prey. Jesus was dragged
this way and that, Herod joining the mob in seeking to humiliate the Son of
God. Had not the Roman soldiers interposed, and forced back the maddened
throng, the Saviour would have been torn in pieces. {DA 731.1}
"Herod with his men of war set Him at nought, and
mocked Him, and arrayed Him in a gorgeous robe." The Roman soldiers joined
in this abuse. All that these wicked, corrupt soldiers, helped on by Herod and
the Jewish dignitaries, could instigate was heaped upon the Saviour. Yet His
divine patience failed not. {DA
731.2}
Christ's persecutors had tried to measure His character by
their own; they had represented Him as vile as themselves. But back of all the
present appearance another scene intruded itself,—a scene which they
will one day see in all its glory. There were some who trembled in Christ's
presence. While the rude throng were bowing in mockery before Him, some who
came forward for that purpose turned back, afraid and silenced. Herod was
convicted. The last rays of merciful light were shining upon his sin-hardened
heart. He felt that this was no common man; for divinity had flashed through
humanity. At the very time when Christ was encompassed by mockers, adulterers,
and murderers, Herod felt that he was beholding a God upon His throne. {DA 731.3}
Hardened as he was, Herod dared not ratify the condemnation
of Christ. He wished to relieve himself of the terrible responsibility, and he
sent Jesus back to the Roman judgment hall. {DA 731.4}
Pilate was disappointed and much displeased. When the Jews
returned with their prisoner, he asked impatiently what they would have him do.
He reminded them that he had already examined Jesus, and found no fault in Him;
he told them that they had brought complaints against Him, but they had not
been able to prove a single charge. He had sent Jesus to Herod, the tetrarch of
Galilee, and one of their own nation, but he also had found in Him nothing
worthy of death. "I will therefore chastise Him," Pilate said,
"and release Him." {DA
731.5}
Here Pilate showed his weakness. He had declared that Jesus
was [732]
innocent, yet he was willing for Him to be scourged to pacify His accusers. He
would sacrifice justice and principle in order to compromise with the mob. This
placed him at a disadvantage. The crowd presumed upon his indecision, and
clamored the more for the life of the prisoner. If at the first Pilate had
stood firm, refusing to condemn a man whom he found guiltless, he would have
broken the fatal chain that was to bind him in remorse and guilt as long as he
lived. Had he carried out his convictions of right, the Jews would not have
presumed to dictate to him. Christ would have been put to death, but the guilt
would not have rested upon Pilate. But Pilate had taken step after step in the
violation of his conscience. He had excused himself from judging with justice
and equity, and he now found himself almost helpless in the hands of the
priests and rulers. His wavering and indecision proved his ruin. {DA 731.6}
Even now Pilate was not left to act blindly. A message from
God warned him from the deed he was about to commit. In answer to Christ's
prayer, the wife of Pilate had been visited by an angel from heaven, and in a
dream she had beheld the Saviour and conversed with Him. Pilate's wife was not
a Jew, but as she looked upon Jesus in her dream, she had no doubt of His
character or mission. She knew Him to be the Prince of God. She saw Him on
trial in the judgment hall. She saw the hands tightly bound as the hands of a
criminal. She saw Herod and his soldiers doing their dreadful work. She heard
the priests and rulers, filled with envy and malice, madly accusing. She heard
the words, "We have a law, and by our law He ought to die." She saw
Pilate give Jesus to the scourging, after he had declared, "I find no
fault in Him." She heard the condemnation pronounced by Pilate, and saw
him give Christ up to His murderers. She saw the cross uplifted on Calvary. She
saw the earth wrapped in darkness, and heard the mysterious cry, "It is
finished." Still another scene met her gaze. She saw Christ seated upon
the great white cloud, while the earth reeled in space, and His murderers fled
from the presence of His glory. With a cry of horror she awoke, and at once
wrote to Pilate words of warning. {DA 732.1}
While Pilate was hesitating as to what he should do, a
messenger pressed through the crowd, and handed him the letter from his wife,
which read: {DA 732.2}
"Have thou nothing to do with that just Man: for I have
suffered many things this day in a dream because of Him." [733]
{DA 732.3}
Pilate's face grew pale. He was confused by his own
conflicting emotions. But while he had been delaying to act, the priests and
rulers were still further inflaming the minds of the people. Pilate was forced
to action. He now bethought himself of a custom which might serve to secure
Christ's release. It was customary at this feast to release some one prisoner
whom the people might choose. This custom was of pagan invention; there was not
a shadow of justice in it, but it was greatly prized by the Jews. The Roman
authorities at this time held a prisoner named Barabbas, who was under sentence
of death. This man had claimed to be the Messiah. He claimed authority to
establish a different order of things, to set the world right. Under satanic delusion
he claimed that whatever he could obtain by theft and robbery was his own. He
had done wonderful things through satanic agencies, he had gained a following
among the people, and had excited sedition against the Roman government. Under
cover of religious enthusiasm he was a hardened and desperate villain, bent on
rebellion and cruelty. By giving the people a choice between this man and the
innocent Saviour, Pilate thought to arouse them to a sense of justice. He hoped
to gain their sympathy for Jesus in opposition to the priests and rulers. So,
turning to the crowd, he said with great earnestness, "Whom will ye that I
release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ?" {DA 733.1}
Like the bellowing of wild beasts came the answer of the
mob, "Release unto us Barabbas!" Louder and louder swelled the cry,
Barabbas! Barabbas! Thinking that the people had not understood his question,
Pilate asked, "Will ye that I release unto you the King of the Jews?"
But they cried out again, "Away with this Man, and release unto us
Barabbas"! "What shall I do then with Jesus which is called
Christ?" Pilate asked. Again the surging multitude roared like demons.
Demons themselves, in human form, were in the crowd, and what could be expected
but the answer, "Let Him be crucified"? {DA 733.2}
Pilate was troubled. He had not thought it would come to
that. He shrank from delivering an innocent man to the most ignominious and
cruel death that could be inflicted. After the roar of voices had ceased, he
turned to the people, saying, "Why, what evil hath He done?" But the
case had gone too far for argument. It was not evidence of Christ's innocence
that they wanted, but His condemnation. {DA 733.3}
Still Pilate endeavored to save Him. "He said unto them
the third time, Why, what evil hath He done? I have found no cause of death [734]
in Him: I will therefore chastise Him, and let Him go." But the very
mention of His release stirred the people to a tenfold frenzy. "Crucify
Him, crucify Him," they cried. Louder and louder swelled the storm that
Pilate's indecision had called forth. {DA 733.4}
Jesus was taken, faint with weariness and covered with
wounds, and scourged in the sight of the multitude. "And the soldiers led
Him away into the hall, called Praetorium, and they call together the whole
band. And they clothed Him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and put
it about His head, and began to salute Him, Hail, King of the Jews! And they
. . . did spit upon Him, and bowing their knees worshiped Him."
Occasionally some wicked hand snatched the reed that had been placed in His
hand, and struck the crown upon His brow, forcing the thorns into His temples,
and sending the blood trickling down His face and beard. {DA 734.1}
Wonder, O heavens! and be astonished, O earth! Behold the
oppressor and the oppressed. A maddened throng enclose the Saviour of the
world. Mocking and jeering are mingled with the coarse oaths of blasphemy. His
lowly birth and humble life are commented upon by the unfeeling mob. His claim
to be the Son of God is ridiculed, and the vulgar jest and insulting sneer are
passed from lip to lip. {DA
734.2}
Satan led the cruel mob in its abuse of the Saviour. It was
his purpose to provoke Him to retaliation if possible, or to drive Him to
perform a miracle to release Himself, and thus break up the plan of salvation.
One stain upon His human life, one failure of His humanity to endure the
terrible test, and the Lamb of God would have been an imperfect offering, and
the redemption of man a failure. But He who by a command could bring the
heavenly host to His aid—He who could have driven that mob in terror
from His sight by the flashing forth of His divine majesty—submitted
with perfect calmness to the coarsest insult and outrage. {DA 734.3}
Christ's enemies had demanded a miracle as evidence of His
divinity. They had evidence far greater than any they had sought. As their
cruelty degraded His torturers below humanity into the likeness of Satan, so
did His meekness and patience exalt Jesus above humanity, and prove His kinship
to God. His abasement was the pledge of His exaltation. The blood drops of
agony that from His wounded temples flowed down His face and beard were the
pledge of His anointing with "the oil of gladness" (Hebrews 1:9.) as
our great high priest. [735] {DA 734.4}
Satan's rage was great as he saw that all the abuse
inflicted upon the Saviour had not forced the least murmur from His lips.
Although He had taken upon Him the nature of man, He was sustained by a godlike
fortitude, and departed in no particular from the will of His Father. {DA 735.1}
When Pilate gave Jesus up to be scourged and mocked, he
thought to excite the pity of the multitude. He hoped they would decide that
this was sufficient punishment. Even the malice of the priests, he thought,
would now be satisfied. But with keen perception the Jews saw the weakness of
thus punishing a man who had been declared innocent. They knew that Pilate was
trying to save the life of the prisoner, and they were determined that Jesus should
not be released. To please and satisfy us, Pilate has scourged Him, they
thought, and if we press the matter to a decided issue, we shall surely gain
our end. {DA 735.2}
Pilate now sent for Barabbas to be brought into the court.
He then presented the two prisoners side by side, and pointing to the Saviour
he said in a voice of solemn entreaty, "Behold the Man!" "I
bring Him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in Him." {DA 735.3}
There stood the Son of God, wearing the robe of mockery and
the crown of thorns. Stripped to the waist, His back showed the long, cruel
stripes, from which the blood flowed freely. His face was stained with blood,
and bore the marks of exhaustion and pain; but never had it appeared more
beautiful than now. The Saviour's visage was not marred before His enemies.
Every feature expressed gentleness and resignation and the tenderest pity for
His cruel foes. In His manner there was no cowardly weakness, but the strength
and dignity of long-suffering. In striking contrast was the prisoner at His
side. Every line of the countenance of Barabbas proclaimed him the hardened
ruffian that he was. The contrast spoke to every beholder. Some of the
spectators were weeping. As they looked upon Jesus, their hearts were full of
sympathy. Even the priests and rulers were convicted that He was all that He
claimed to be. {DA 735.4}
The Roman soldiers that surrounded Christ were not all
hardened; some were looking earnestly into His face for one evidence that He
was a criminal or dangerous character. From time to time they would turn and
cast a look of contempt upon Barabbas. It needed no deep insight to read him
through and through. Again they would turn to the One upon trial. They looked
at the divine sufferer with feelings of deep pity. The silent submission of
Christ stamped upon their minds [736] the scene, never to be effaced
until they either acknowledged Him as the Christ, or by rejecting Him decided
their own destiny. {DA
735.5}
Pilate was filled with amazement at the uncomplaining
patience of the Saviour. He did not doubt that the sight of this Man, in
contrast with Barabbas, would move the Jews to sympathy. But he did not
understand the fanatical hatred of the priests for Him, who, as the Light of
the world, had made manifest their darkness and error. They had moved the mob
to a mad fury, and again priests, rulers, and people raised that awful cry,
"Crucify Him, crucify Him." At last, losing all patience with their
unreasoning cruelty, Pilate cried out despairingly, "Take ye Him, and
crucify Him: for I find no fault in Him." {DA 736.1}
The Roman governor, though familiar with cruel scenes, was
moved with sympathy for the suffering prisoner, who, condemned and scourged,
with bleeding brow and lacerated back, still had the bearing of a king upon his
throne. But the priests declared, "We have a law, and by our law He ought
to die, because He made Himself the Son of God." {DA 736.2}
Pilate was startled. He had no correct idea of Christ and
His mission; but he had an indistinct faith in God and in beings superior to
humanity. A thought that had once before passed through his mind now took more
definite shape. He questioned whether it might not be a divine being that stood
before him, clad in the purple robe of mockery, and crowned with thorns. {DA 736.3}
Again he went into the judgment hall, and said to Jesus,
"Whence art Thou?" But Jesus gave him no answer. The Saviour had
spoken freely to Pilate, explaining His own mission as a witness to the truth.
Pilate had disregarded the light. He had abused the high office of judge by
yielding his principles and authority to the demands of the mob. Jesus had no
further light for him. Vexed at His silence, Pilate said haughtily: {DA 736.4}
"Speakest Thou not unto me? knowest Thou not that I
have power to crucify Thee, and have power to release Thee?" {DA 736.5}
Jesus answered, "Thou couldest have no power at all
against Me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered
Me unto thee hath the greater sin." {DA 736.6}
Thus the pitying Saviour, in the midst of His intense
suffering and grief, excused as far as possible the act of the Roman governor
who gave Him up to be crucified. What a scene was this to hand down to the
world for all time! What a light it sheds upon the character of Him who is the
Judge of all the earth! [737] {DA 736.7}
"He that delivered Me unto thee," said Jesus,
"hath the greater sin." By this Christ meant Caiaphas, who, as high
priest, represented the Jewish nation. They knew the principles that controlled
the Roman authorities. They had had light in the prophecies that testified of
Christ, and in His own teachings and miracles. The Jewish judges had received
unmistakable evidence of the divinity of Him whom they condemned to death. And
according to their light would they be judged. {DA 737.1}
The greatest guilt and heaviest responsibility belonged to
those who stood in the highest places in the nation, the depositaries of sacred
trusts that they were basely betraying. Pilate, Herod, and the Roman soldiers
were comparatively ignorant of Jesus. They thought to please the priests and
rulers by abusing Him. They had not the light which the Jewish nation had so
abundantly received. Had the light been given to the soldiers, they would not
have treated Christ as cruelly as they did. {DA 737.2}
Again Pilate proposed to release the Saviour. "But the
Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar's
friend." Thus these hypocrites pretended to be jealous for the authority
of Caesar. Of all the opponents of the Roman rule, the Jews were most bitter.
When it was safe for them to do so, they were most tyrannical in enforcing
their own national and religious requirements; but when they desired to bring
about some purpose of cruelty, they exalted the power of Caesar. To accomplish
the destruction of Christ, they would profess loyalty to the foreign rule which
they hated. {DA 737.3}
"Whosoever maketh himself a king," they continued,
"speaketh against Caesar." This was touching Pilate in a weak point.
He was under suspicion by the Roman government, and he knew that such a report
would be ruin to him. He knew that if the Jews were thwarted, their rage would
be turned against him. They would leave nothing undone to accomplish their
revenge. He had before him an example of the persistence with which they sought
the life of One whom they hated without reason. {DA 737.4}
Pilate then took his place on the judgment seat, and again
presented Jesus to the people, saying, "Behold your King!" Again the
mad cry was heard, "Away with Him, crucify Him." In a voice that was
heard far and near, Pilate asked, "Shall I crucify your King?" But
from profane, blasphemous lips went forth the words, "We have no king but
Caesar." {DA 737.5}
Thus by choosing a heathen ruler, the Jewish nation had
withdrawn [738] from the theocracy. They had rejected God as
their king. Henceforth they had no deliverer. They had no king but Caesar. To
this the priests and teachers had led the people. For this, with the fearful
results that followed, they were responsible. A nation's sin and a nation's
ruin were due to the religious leaders. {DA 737.6}
"When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but
that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the
multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just Person: see ye to
it." In fear and self-condemnation Pilate looked upon the Saviour. In the
vast sea of upturned faces, His alone was peaceful. About His head a soft light
seemed to shine. Pilate said in his heart, He is a God. Turning to the
multitude he declared, I am clear of His blood. Take ye Him, and crucify Him.
But mark ye, priests and rulers, I pronounce Him a just man. May He whom He
claims as His Father judge you and not me for this day's work. Then to Jesus he
said, Forgive me for this act; I cannot save You. And when he had again
scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified. {DA 738.1}
Pilate longed to deliver Jesus. But he saw that he could not
do this, and yet retain his own position and honor. Rather than lose his worldly
power, he chose to sacrifice an innocent life. How many, to escape loss or
suffering, in like manner sacrifice principle. Conscience and duty point one
way, and self-interest points another. The current sets strongly in the wrong
direction, and he who compromises with evil is swept away into the thick
darkness of guilt. {DA
738.2}
Pilate yielded to the demands of the mob. Rather than risk
losing his position, he delivered Jesus up to be crucified. But in spite of his
precautions, the very thing he dreaded afterward came upon him. His honors were
stripped from him, he was cast down from his high office, and, stung by remorse
and wounded pride, not long after the crucifixion he ended his own life. So all
who compromise with sin will gain only sorrow and ruin. "There is a way
which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of
death." Proverbs 14:12. {DA
738.3}
When Pilate declared himself innocent of the blood of
Christ, Caiaphas answered defiantly, "His blood be on us, and on our
children." The awful words were taken up by the priests and rulers, and
echoed by the crowd in an inhuman roar of voices. The whole multitude answered
and said, "His blood be on us, and on our children." {DA 738.4}
The people of Israel had made their choice. Pointing to
Jesus they [739] had said, "Not this man,
but Barabbas." Barabbas, the robber and murderer, was the representative
of Satan. Christ was the representative of God. Christ had been rejected;
Barabbas had been chosen. Barabbas they were to have. In making this choice
they accepted him who from the beginning was a liar and a murderer. Satan was
their leader. As a nation they would act out his dictation. His works they
would do. His rule they must endure. That people who chose Barabbas in the
place of Christ were to feel the cruelty of Barabbas as long as time should
last. {DA 738.5}
Looking upon the smitten Lamb of God, the Jews had cried,
"His blood be on us, and on our children." That awful cry ascended to
the throne of God. That sentence, pronounced upon themselves, was written in
heaven. That prayer was heard. The blood of the Son of God was upon their
children and their children's children, a perpetual curse. {DA 739.1}
Terribly was it realized in the destruction of Jerusalem.
Terribly has it been manifested in the condition of the Jewish nation for
eighteen hundred years,—a branch severed from the vine, a dead,
fruitless branch, to be gathered up and burned. From land to land throughout
the world, from century to century, dead, dead in trespasses and sins! {DA 739.2}
Terribly will that prayer be fulfilled in the great judgment
day. When Christ shall come to the earth again, not as a prisoner surrounded by
a rabble will men see Him. They will see Him then as heaven's King. Christ will
come in His own glory, in the glory of His Father, and the glory of the holy
angels. Ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands of angels,
the beautiful and triumphant sons of God, possessing surpassing loveliness and
glory, will escort Him on His way. Then shall He sit upon the throne of His
glory, and before Him shall be gathered all nations. Then every eye shall see
Him, and they also that pierced Him. In the place of a crown of thorns, He will
wear a crown of glory,—a crown within a crown. In place of that old
purple kingly robe, He will be clothed in raiment of whitest white, "so as
no fuller on earth can white them." Mark 9:3. And on His vesture and on
His thigh a name will be written, "King of kings, and Lord of lords."
Revelation 19:16. Those who mocked and smote Him will be there. The priests and
rulers will behold again the scene in the judgment hall. Every circumstance
will appear before them, as if written in letters of fire. Then those who
prayed, "His blood be on us, and on our children," will receive the
answer to their prayer. Then the whole world will know [740] and
understand. They will realize who and what they, poor, feeble, finite beings,
have been warring against. In awful agony and horror they will cry to the
mountains and rocks, "Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that
sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: for the great day of His
wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?" Revelation 6:16, 17. {DA 739.3}
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"Calvary"
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