Ecce Homo.
The cruel executioners then reconducted our Lord to Pilate's palace,
with the scarlet cloak still thrown over his shoulders, the crown of
thorns on his head, and the reed in his fettered hands. He was
perfectly unrecognisable, his eyes, mouth, and beard being covered with
blood, his body but one wound, and his back bowed down as that of an
aged man, while every limb trembled as he walked. When Pilate saw him
standing at the entrance of his tribunal, even he (hart-hearted as he
usually was) started, and shuddered with horror and compassion, whilst
the barbarous priests and the populace, far from being moved to pity,
continued their insults and mockery. When Jesus had ascended the
stairs, Pilate came forward, the trumpet was sounded to announce that
the governor was about to speak, and he addressed the Chief Priests and
the bystanders in the following words: 'Behold, I bring him forth to you,
that you may know that I find no cause in him.'
The archers then led Jesus up to Pilate, that the people might again
feast their cruel eyes on him, in the state of degradation to which he
was reduced. Terrible and heartrending, indeed, was the spectacle he
presented, and an exclamation of horror burst from the multitude,
followed by a dead silence, when he with difficulty raised his wounded
head, crowned as it was with thorns, and cast his exhausted glance on
the excited throng. Pilate exclaimed, as he pointed him out to the
people; 'Ecce homo! Behold the man!' The hatred of the High Priests and
their followers was, if possible, increased at the sight of Jesus, and
they cried out, 'Put him to death; crucify him.' 'Are you not content?' said
Pilate. 'The punishment he has received is, beyond question, sufficient
to deprive him of all desire of making himself king.' But they cried out
the more and the multitude joined in the cry, 'Crucify him, crucify him!'
Pilate then sounded the trumpet to demand silence, and said: 'Take you
him and crucify him, for I find no cause in him.' 'We have a law, and
according to that law he ought to die,' replied the priests, 'because he
made himself the Son of God.' These words, 'he made himself the Son of God,'
revived the fears of Pilate; he took Jesus into another room, and asked
him; 'Whence art thou?' But Jesus made no answer. 'Speakest thou not to me?'
said Pilate; 'knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and
power to release thee?' 'Thou shouldst not have any power against me,'
replied Jesus, 'unless it were given thee from above; therefore he that
hath delivered me to thee hath the greater sin.'
The undecided, weak conduct of Pilate filled Claudia Procles with
anxiety; she again sent him the pledge, to remind him of his promise,
but he only returned a vague, superstitious answer, importing that he
should leave the decision of the case to the gods. The enemies of
Jesus, the High Priests and the Pharisees, having heard of the efforts
which were being made by Claudia to save him, caused a report to be
spread among the people, that the partisans of our Lord had seduced
her, that he would be released, and then join the Romans and bring
about the destruction of Jerusalem, and the extermination of the Jews.
Pilate was in such a state of indecision and uncertainty as to be
perfectly beside himself; he did not know what step to take next, and
again addressed himself to the enemies of Jesus, declaring that 'he found
no crime in him,' but they demanded his death still more clamorously. He
then remembered the contradictory accusations which had been brought
against Jesus, the mysterious dreams of his wife, and the unaccountable
impression which the words of Jesus had made on himself, and therefore
determined to question him again in order thus to obtain some
information which might enlighten him as to the course he ought to
pursue; he therefore returned to the Praetorium, went alone into a
room, and sent for our Saviour. He glanced at the mangled and bleeding
Form before him, and exclaimed inwardly: 'Is it possible that he can be
God?' Then he turned to Jesus, and adjured him to tell him if he was God,
if he was that king who had been promised to the Jews, where his
kingdom was, and to what class of gods he belonged. I can only give the
sense of the words of Jesus, but they were solemn and severe. He told
him 'that his kingdom was not of this world,' and likewise spoke strongly
of the many hidden crimes with which the conscience of Pilate was
defiled; warned him of the dreadful fate which would be his if he did
not repent; and finally declared that he himself, the Son of Man, would
come at the last day, to pronounce a just judgment upon him.
Pilate was half frightened and half angry at the words of Jesus; he
returned to the balcony, and again declared that he would release
Jesus; but they cried out: 'If thou release this man, thou art not Caesar's
friend. For whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar.'
Others said that they would accuse him to the Emperor of having
disturbed their festival; that he must make up his mind at once,
because they were obliged to be in the Temple by ten o'clock at night.
The cry, 'Crucify him! Crucify him!' resounded on all sides; it re-echoed
even from the flat roofs of the houses near the forum, where many
persons were assembled. Pilate saw that all his efforts were vain, that
he could make no impression on the infuriated mob; their yells and
imprecations were deafening, and he began to fear an insurrection.
Therefore he took water, and washed his hands before the people,
saying, 'I am innocent of the blood of this just man; look you to it.' A
frightful and unanimous cry then came from the dense multitude, who
were assembled from all parts of Palestine, 'His blood be upon us, and
upon our children.'