Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man! (6) When the chief priests therefore and officers saw him, they cried out, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Take ye him, and crucify him: for I find no fault in him. (7) The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God. (8) When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more afraid; (9) And went again into the judgement hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer. (10) 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? (11) 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. (12) And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Cesar's friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Cesar. (13) When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgement seat, in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha. (14) And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King? (15) But they 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 Cesar. (16) Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus and led him away. (17) And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew, Golgotha: (18) Where they crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst.
I beg the Reader to notice with particular regard, his Redeemer coming forth with his thorny crown and purple robe, his sacred body lacerated with stripes, and the blood streaming in every direction, and ponder well the cause. Isaiah, ages before, proclaimed the cause, and here the history confirms it; He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities. Isaiah 53:5. Without an eye to this, as the surety of his people, how impossible would it be to reconcile the wonderful appearance on any principles of common justice. But, beheld as the Sponsor of his Church, and what a ray of light shines at once upon the whole, to explain the cause, and to endear such love to every heart.
If the Reader will read with attention the first verse in this paragraph, he will perceive, that in our translation it is said, when Jesus thus came forth, Pilate saith, behold the man! But if he observes, the name of Pilate is in Italics, by which is meant that the word is not in the original. And though I do not mean to speak decidedly upon the subject, I venture to think that it ought not to be there. For if it be supposed, that it is Jesus himself that saith, behold the man! it would be in conformity to the analogy of scripture. In the Old Testament Christ is introduced as calling upon his Church in like manner; Behold me! Behold me! Isaiah 65:3. Look unto me, and be ye saved. Isaiah 45:22. And God the Father proclaims him to the Church in like manner, and bids the people to behold him. Isaiah 42:1 with Matthew 12:18. And so doth God the Holy Ghost. John 1:36; John 1:36. Hence, therefore, when the Lord Jesus came forth before the high priests and rulers,, having given his back to the smiters, and his cheeks to them that plucked off the hair, as the Prophet described him, Christ calls upon them to behold the man! And their cry at the sight of Christ to crucify him, becomes a yet further confirmation of this prophecy, which said, that he would be despised and rejected of men. Isaiah 53:3. Lord! grant to me grace to eye thee with that melting look described by the prophet, until the whole heart goeth out in desires after thee, and every affection is awakened into love to thee. Zechariah 12:10
I stay not to make long remarks upon the conduct of Pilate. It would keep us from higher subjects. But, it is interesting in some measure to observe, what different passions of fear and guilt, and the contending conflicts of this man's conscience, operated upon his mind. But I more particularly request the Reader to keep in view that most precious answer of the Lord Jesus, when after long silence, he reproved the unjust judge for his insolent assumption of power, which he said he had, either to crucify Christ or to release him. Thou couldest have no power, said Jesus, at all against me, except it were given thee from above. Jesus looked over the heads of all his foes, to eye the hand of Jehovah in this appointment. And, Reader! it would be always well for you and for me, and for all the Lord's people to do the same, in all the lesser considerations we meet with in life. See Genesis 45:7-8; Acts 2:23
On the subject of Christ bearing his cross, I have already taken notice in the former Evangelists, to which therefore I refer.