in earnest. Scoffers they are, who regard the Gospel as a fable, and who look upon the Christian as a great fool for offending great lords and endangering his possessions by his faith. Let every one, therefore, avoid such people, and do as Christ here did with Herod, have no communication with them.

This also is worthy of observation here that just as Pilate and Herod, who before were enemies, now become friends by their contact with Christ the Lord, even so do we see men act in our day. Men who could not be reconciled among themselves before, are harmonious in their opposition to the Gospel. One bishop cannot agree with another, and one order cannot be friendly toward another order. Princes are dissatisfied with each other. Each one wishes to be the best, to have the preference, and to oppress and silence all the rest. But when Christ comes among them and His Gospel shows its might, they all unite, are the best friends in the world, and stand together with their goods and lives, as David prophesied long ago in the 2. Psalm.

After the Lord was brought again from Herod to Pilate, "Pilate," so says Luke, "when he had called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, said unto them, Ye have brought this man unto me, as one that perverteth the people; and behold, I, having examined Him before you, have found no fault in this man touching those things whereof ye accuse Him; no, nor yet Herod; for I sent you to him; and lo, nothing worthy of death is done unto Him. I will therefore chastise Him and release Him. (For of necessity he must release one unto them at the feast.)"

“And they had then," says Matthew, as we have heard, “a notable prisoner, called Barabbas." Him Pilate places before the Jews, together with Christ, that the Jews might choose between the two, hoping that no one would ask for Barabbas, as he was a great rebel and murderer, well worthy of death.

"But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas." "And," so Luke proceeds, "they cried out all at once, saying, Away with this man and release unto us Barabbas; (who for a certain sedition made in the city, and for murder, was cast into prison.) Pilate, therefore, willing to release Jesus, spake again to them. But they cried, saying, Crucify Him, crucify Him. And he said unto them the third time, Why, what evil hath He done? I have found no cause of death in Him; I will therefore chastise Him, and let Him go. And they were instant with loud voices, requiring that He might be crucified."

Matthew writes that when Pilate "was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man; for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of Him."

And this was, indeed, an excellent warning, sent perhaps by some good angel, who, in a dream, announced to Pilate's wife the misfortunes and calamities which Pilate would bring upon himself and his house in case he should listen to the Jews and, at their command, destroy the innocent Jesus. But as admonitions were useless and vain in Judas' case, so did they at last avail nothing with Pilate. Nevertheless, he resists the Jews for a while. The

Jews, to whom Christ was promised, wish the most villainous murderer to live, but Him, the Prince of life, they are in haste to slay. Since in this way Pilate's proposition to "let Him go" is discouraged, Pilate makes still another effort: he takes Jesus and scourges Him, as the Evangelists continue to relate.

"Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto Him the whole band of soldiers. And they stripped Him," "and scourged Him," "and put on Him a scarlet robe. And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon His head, and a reed in His right hand" instead of a scepter; "and they bowed the knee before Him, and mocked Him," "and began to salute Him," "saying, Hail, King of the Jews!" and smote Him in the face. "And they spit upon Him, and took the reed, and smote Him on the head," "and bowing their knees worshiped Him."

Here and throughout the entire Passion-history you will observe, dear Christian, how Satan poured out all his poisonous, bitter, hellish hatred, rage and fury upon our dear Lord in such a way that surely no human being ever has endured such great and dreadful suffering, torture, insult, abuse and derision as the Son of God; and this He bore for the sake of my sin, thy sin and the sin of all the world. But now, since the suffering and death of Christ are the only sacrifice that was able to expiate sin, it is easy to calculate how immensely great and terrible God's wrath against sin must be; and also, how ineffably, yea, unfathomably great must be His grace and mercy toward us condemned beings,—

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that grace and mercy whereby He gave His only begotten Son to die an ignominious death upon the cross for our sins.

Now it was customary among the Romans to beat malefactors before executing them; for which reason Pilate commanded Christ also to be scourged. At the same time he still hopes and labors to liberate the Lord. Therefore he led Jesus forth, after the soldiers had scourged Him and put on Him the purple robe and the crown of thorns, and said to the Jews: "Behold, I bring Him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in Him."

"Then," says John, "came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man!" meaning by this: You should be satisfied with such punishment as this, seeing that your accusations are so groundless and His innocence is so evident. But neither did he succeed in this way.

As soon as the chief priests and their officers saw Jesus, and perceived that Pilate still sought to acquit Him, "they cried out, saying, Crucify Him, crucify Him." Pilate was displeased with such great injustice, "for," as we are informed by Matthew, "he knew that for envy they had delivered Him." Therefore he answers them bluntly: "Take ye Him and crucify Him; for I find no fault in Him. The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God."

"When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more afraid; and went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art Thou? But Jesus gave him no answer. Then

saith Pilate unto Him, Speakest Thou not unto me? knowest Thou not that I have power to crucify Thee, and have power to release Thee? 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."

And this was also a powerful warning. For Pilate here went too far, thinking that in virtue of his authority Jesus' fate was in his hands, to be decided for or against Him at his own pleasure, as temporal authorities in such pride commit many sins. No, Pilate, says Christ, you overdo this matter; keep within proper bounds. If you have power, you have it not of yourself; power comes from above. Therefore, use your power in such a manner that you may know how to give an account of its exercise. Pilate accepts this admonition, and seeks the more how he might release Him. But the Jews would not hear of such a thing and "cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Cæsar's friend; whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Cæsar."

"When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha. And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour,” i. e., about noon. "And he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King!" in other words, You still maintain that He had made Himself a king. Alas, for the king! You do Him great injustice. Does He look like a king or like a seditious person? vain; "They cried out, Away with Him, away with

But all was