"And Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest. (12) And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing. (13) Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee? (14) And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly. (15) Now at that feast the governor was wont to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they would. (16) And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas. (17) Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ? (18) For he knew that for envy they had delivered him. (19) When he 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. (20) But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. (21) The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas. (22) Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified. (23) And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified. (24) When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. (25) Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children. (26) Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified."
We here enter upon the wonderful scene of Christ's trial. And here stands the Lord of life and glory, the judge both of quick and dead, before the unjust judge Pilate, to witness a good confession. 1 Timothy 6:13. Every incident is of the highest moment to be regarded, and may the Lord, the Holy Ghost, open to both Writer and Reader, the marvellous things which the Evangelist hath here recorded.
The court before which Jesus had stood the night before, was, or should have been, the Sanhedrim, that is, Seventy Elders of Israel; men in whom the spirit of God was, for so was the original appointment of this court. See Numbers 11:16-17. But in the time when Jesus stood before it, it appears that this court, was composed of Scribes and Pharisees, whom our Lord (who knew the heart of men) declared to be hypocrites. At the head of this council now presided as High Priest, Caiaphas. A man who had little of the fear of God before his eyes, that in order to curry favor with the Romans, to whom Judæa was at this time under tribute, he very freely gave counsel, that it was expedient that one man should die for the people: lest the Romans should come and take away both the place and nation. So that this time-serving man, made no scruple to say, that the life of any individual was of no consequence, if by the sacrifice, the peace of the Romans could be obtained! And though we perfectly well know, that it was God the Holy Ghost prompted this High Priest, as High Priest, to utter these words in a way of prophecy, and in a very different sense from what the unfeeling speaker meant (and a most blessed prophecy it became, for the joy and comfort of the Church in all ages); yet they serve to shew at once the awfulness of his character. See John 11:47-53. compared with Genesis 49:10
But the power of the Sanhedrim was now, and for a considerable time before had been, abridged, (Josephus, the Jewish historian, saith, that Herod in the beginning of his reign had taken it away), they were obliged to have recourse to the judgment seat of Pilate, for sentence of death upon the Lord Jesus; for as they told Pilate, it was not lawful for them to put any man to death. John 18:31. Pilate's conscience, as we perceive in the account here given by the Evangelist, was dreadfully alarmed, at this business. His wife also sent to tell him of her alarms. Luke in his relation of this history saith, that, in order to get rid of it, he sent Christ to Herod. Luke 23:6-7. And when the Lord was brought back to him again, Pilate tried and tampered with the Chief Priests and Elders all he could, to gain their favor, and yet be spared from the murder of Christ. And when nothing would do, but he must consent to the deed; with all the marks of horror, unable to conceal what passed within, he took water to wash his hands, as if to shew that he bore no part in the cruel transaction: and in the very moment he passed sentence of death on Jesus, proclaimed his innocence. Was there ever an instance in history of such conduct?
It is time, however, to leave the unjust judge, and the awful Sanhedrim to themselves. Our meditation should be wholly directed to the Lord, in those solemn seasons here recorded. For in the history of Jesus, in every minute transaction of his life and death, for the salvation of his people, there is enough to employ our thoughts until we behold him coming in the clouds to judgment. Revelation 1:7. But there is one thought which ariseth out of what is here said by the people, and which is so intimately connected with the view of Jesus, that I would beg the Reader's patience, while I detain him for offering it. When Pilate said, I am innocent of the blood of this just person, see ye to it: Then answered all the people and said: His blood be upon us and on our children. They said it, no doubt, in a way of defiance: but like the speech of Caiaphas, which the Lord over-ruled to a very different purpose; did not the Lord, here also, answer it in mercy? Are we not told that after the descent of the Holy Ghost, on the day of Pentecost, when Peter charged the men of Israel with having by wicked hands, crucified and slain him, whom God had made both Lord and Christ; they were pricked in the heart, and said unto Peter and unto the rest of the Apostles: men and brethren what shall we do? And do we not read, that a saving work of grace immediately passed upon some of them. And was not then the blood of Christ, though in a very different sense from what they meant, truly upon them? Yea, was not the very first prayer of Jesus on the cross to this purpose, when he said, Father! forgive them, for they know not what they do? And thus between the intercession of Christ and the gifts of God the Holy Ghost there is a beautiful and gracious correspondence. Reader! do not overlook these things. Even the Jerusalem sinners, who embrued their hands in the blood of Christ are made partakers in the blessedness of salvation in his blood. What a thought to encourage every poor conscious sinner. See those scriptures: John 6:37-64; Acts 2:22 to the end.
But while we look at the bright side of this cloud, it is proper to meditate a moment on the reverse. Is not the Jewish nation even at this hour, as a nation reeking under the awful imprecation: His blood be on us and on our children? Lord I would say! Look upon thine ancient people the Jews, and in mercy hasten that long promised day, when the Deliverer shall arise out of Zion to turn away ungodliness from Jacob. Romans 11:26
We ought not to overlook the patience and silence of Jesus, under the various provocations shewn to his sacred person, during the process of this part of the trial we have read. In the after circumstances of the Lord's sufferings, to which these were but the prelude, much shall we have to observe on this account, but for the present, it should not be passed by unnoticed, how the Lamb of God stood surrounded by those wolves of the night, waiting to suck his blood; and yet stood silent and answered nothing. It was predicted of him, that he was oppressed and he was afflicted; yet he opened not his mouth: he was brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth. And what a correspondence between the prediction and the event? Isaiah 53:7
But let us prosecute the solemn account. The cloud becomes more and more gloomy. When Pilate had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.