The Trial Before Pilate

185:8.1Here stood the Son of God in­car­nate as the Son of Man. He was ar­rested with­out in­dict­ment; ac­cused with­out ev­i­dence; ad­judged with­out wit­nesses; pun­ished with­out a ver­dict; and now was soon to be con­demned to die by an un­just judge who con­fessed that he could find no fault in him. If Pi­late had thought to ap­peal to their pa­tri­o­tism by re­fer­ring to Je­sus as the “king of the Jews,” he ut­terly failed. The Jews were not ex­pect­ing any such a king. The dec­la­ra­tion of the chief priests and the Sad­ducees, “We have no king but Cae­sar,” was a shock even to the un­think­ing pop­u­lace, but it was too late now to save Je­sus even had the mob dared to es­pouse the Mas­ter’s cause.

185:8.2Pi­late was afraid of a tu­mult or a riot. He dared not risk hav­ing such a dis­tur­bance dur­ing Pass­over time in Je­ru­sa­lem. He had re­cently re­ceived a rep­ri­mand from Cae­sar, and he would not risk an­other. The mob cheered when he or­dered the re­lease of Barab­bas. Then he or­dered a basin and some wa­ter, and there be­fore the mul­ti­tude he washed his hands, say­ing: “I am in­no­cent of the blood of this man. You are de­ter­mined that he shall die, but I have found no guilt in him. See you to it. The sol­diers will lead him forth.” And then the mob cheered and replied, “His blood be on us and on our chil­dren.”