'And Pilate, when he had called together the chief
priests and the rulers and the people, 14. 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: 15. No,
nor yet Herod; for I sent you to him: and lo, nothing
worthy of death is done unto Him. 16. I will therefore
chastise Him, and release Him. 17. (For of necessity
he must release one unto them at the feast.) 18. And
they cried out all at once, saying, Away with this
man, and release unto us Barabbas: 19. (Who for a
certain sedition made in the city, and for murder, was
cast into prison.) 20. Pilate therefore, willing to
release Jesus, spake again to them. 21. But they cried,
saying, Crucify Him, crucify Him. 22. 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. 23. And they were
instant with loud voices, requiring that He might he
crucified. And the voices of them and of the chief
priests prevailed. 24. And Pilate gave sentence that
it should be as they required. 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. 26. And as they led Him away,
they laid hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenian, coming out
of the country, and on him they laid the cross, that
he might bear it after Jesus.'--LUKE xxiii. 13-26.
Luke here marks out three stages of the struggle between Pilate and
the Jews. Thrice did he try to release Jesus; thrice did they yell
their hatred and their demand for His blood. Then came the shameful
surrender by Pilate, in which, from motives of policy, he
prostituted Roman justice. Knowingly he sacrificed one poor Jew to
please his turbulent subjects; unknowingly he slew the Christ of
God.