His Life Part 31

Pilate therefore said unto him, "Art thou a king then?"

Jesus answered, "Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end have I been born, and to this end am I come into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice."

Pilate saith unto him, "What is truth?"

And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, "I find no crime in him."

But they were the more urgent, saying, "He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Judaea, and beginning from Galilee, even unto this place."

But when Pilate heard it, he asked whether the man were a Galilaean.

And when he knew that he was of Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him unto Herod, who himself also was at Jerusalem in these days.

JESUS BEFORE HEROD.

Now when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad; for he was of a long time desirous to see him, because he had heard concerning him; and he hoped to see some miracle done by him. And he questioned him in many words; but he answered him nothing. And the chief priests and the scribes stood, vehemently accusing him. And Herod with his soldiers set him at nought, and mocked him, and arraying him in gorgeous apparel sent him back to Pilate.

And Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day: for before they were at enmity between themselves.

THE TRIAL BEFORE PILATE RESUMED.

And Pilate called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, and said unto them, "Ye brought unto me this man, as one that perverteth the people: and behold, I, having examined him before you, found no fault in this man touching those things whereof ye accuse him: no, nor yet Herod: for he sent him back unto us; and behold, nothing worthy of death hath been done by him. I will therefore chastise him, and release him."

Now at the feast the governor was wont to release unto the mult.i.tude one prisoner, whom they would. And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas, lying bound with them that had made insurrection, men who in the insurrection had committed murder. And the mult.i.tude went up and began to ask him to do as he was wont to do unto them.

And Pilate answered them, saying, "Will ye that I release unto you the King of the Jews?" For he perceived that for envy the chief priests had delivered him up.

Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the mult.i.tudes that they should ask for Barabbas, and destroy Jesus.

But the governor answered and said unto them, "Which of the two will ye that I release unto you?"

And they said, "Barabbas."

Pilate saith unto them, "What then shall I do unto Jesus who is called Christ?"

They all say, "Let him be crucified."

And he said unto them a third time, "Why, what evil hath this man done? I have found no cause of death in him: I will therefore chastise and release him."

Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him.

And the soldiers led him away within the court, which is the Praetorium; and they call together the whole band.

And they stripped him, and arrayed him in a purple garment. And they platted a crown of thorns and put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand; and they kneeled down before him, and mocked him, saying: "Hail, King of the Jews!" and they struck him with their hands. And they spat upon him, and took the reed and smote him upon the head.

And Pilate went out again, and saith unto them, "Behold, I bring him out to you, that ye may know that I find no crime in him."

Jesus therefore came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple garment. And Pilate saith unto them, "Behold, the man!"

When therefore the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, saying, "Crucify him, crucify him!"

Pilate saith unto them, "Take him yourselves, and crucify him: for I find no crime in him."

The Jews answered him, "We have a law, and by that law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of G.o.d."

When Pilate therefore heard this saying, he was the more afraid; and he entered into the Praetorium again, and saith unto Jesus, "Whence art thou?"

But Jesus gave him no answer.

Pilate therefore saith unto him, "Speakest thou not unto me? Knowest thou not that I have power to release thee, and have power to crucify thee?"

Jesus answered him, "Thou wouldest have no power against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath greater sin."

Upon this Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, "If thou release this man, thou art not Caesar's friend: every one that maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar."

When Pilate therefore heard these words, he brought Jesus out, and sat down on the judgment-seat at a place called The Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha.

And while he was sitting on the judgment-seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, "Have thou nothing to do with that righteous man; for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him."

Now it was the Preparation of the pa.s.sover: it was about the sixth hour. And he saith unto the Jews, "Behold, your King."

They therefore cried out, "Away with him, away with him, crucify him!"

Pilate saith unto them, "Shall I crucify your King?"

The chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar."

So when Pilate saw that he prevailed nothing, but rather that a tumult was arising, he took water, and washed his hands before the mult.i.tude, saying, "I am innocent of the blood of this righteous man; see ye to it."

And all the people answered and said, "His blood be on us, and on our children."

And they were urgent with loud voices asking that he might be crucified. And their voices prevailed.

And Pilate, wis.h.i.+ng to content the mult.i.tude, gave sentence that what they asked for should be done. And he released unto them Barabbas, him that for insurrection and murder had been cast into prison, whom they asked for; but Jesus he delivered up to their will.

And when they had mocked him, they took off from him the robe, and put on him his garments, and led him away to crucify him.

THE SORROWFUL WAY.

They took Jesus therefore: and he went out, bearing the cross for himself.

And as they came out, they laid hold upon one Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus, who was pa.s.sing by, coming from the country; him they compelled to go with them, and laid on him the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus.

And there followed him a great mult.i.tude of the people, and of women who bewailed and lamented him.

But Jesus turning unto them said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children. For behold, the days are coming, in which they shall say, 'Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the b.r.e.a.s.t.s that never gave suck.'

Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, 'Fall on us;' and to the hills, 'Cover us.' For if they do these things in the green tree, what shall be done in the dry?"