Our Lord's last days gave tragic proof of the hate and cruel mockery of his foes; yet how marvelously he endured!
Luke 23:18-19. And 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.)
Do you not see how they refuted their own accusation? If Christ was really the leader of sedition, would they have asked that he should be put to death? Would they have preferred a murderer to him? There can be no danger of a man leading people astray when those very people were crying, «Let him be put to death.» It must have been a transparent fraud. Pilate must have loathed them. Mean as he was, he must have seen through their meanness.
Luke 23:20-22. 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.
He thinks a great deal of his own inconsistent conclusion, and so many men do. When they came to a conclusion, bad as it is, contradictory, they will stick to it. Adhesive to nothing but to wrong, like a pendulum swinging between right and wrong, was this Pilate. Yet he will keep on the swing. He is only steady in that, «I will, therefore, chastise him and release him.» Oh! dear friends, it would be better for you to come to thorough decision one way or the other Christ, or no Christ; true religion, or no religion; but to halt between the two is a lame business that will be ruinous to you.
Luke 23:23. And they were instant with loud voices, requiring that he might be crucified. And the voices of them and of the chief priests prevailed.
These men were bribed. The popular feeling was with our Lord to a very large extent, but, under the influence of threats and bribes, they found a mob to cry, «Crucify him.» You know the old saying, Vox populi vox Dei,» There is no truth in it. The voice of the people is not the voice of God, for they said, «Crucify him, crucify him.»
Luke 23:24. And Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required.
Again attempting to evade the responsibility by saying that they should be both accusers and judges.
Luke 23:25. And he released unto them him that for sedition and murder was cast into prison, whom they had desired; but he delivered Jesus to their will.
Sad scene. May our hearts be broken, and made tender, end sanctified by meditation upon it.
Let us turn now to the later events.
Luke 23:32-33. And there were also two other, malefactors, led with him to be put to death. And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary,
The margin reads, or the place of a skull, when they were come to the place which is called a skull.
Luke 23:33. There they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left.
Come hither, soul. Thou who readest this chapter, come to this place of a skull. It is the first resting-place of every weary soul. There is no rest for the sole of your foot till first you come to Calvary, and see your Saviour die.
Luke 23:34. Then said Jesus,
As they crucify him.
Luke 23:34. Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.