was in His Hand, and with it they struck His Head, driving the thorns still deeper into the flesh and bone. Every torment and every insult that malice could invent was then inflicted on His Sacred Person. At last they blindfolded Him, and then they renewed all manner of insult and injury.
By this time the Saviour was reduced to a state so pitiable that Pilate thought the sight of Him would inspire the Jews with compassion. He, therefore, took Jesus out on the balcony and showed Him to the people, saying: “Behold the Man!" (Fig. 87.) [1] But they [2] Cried Out: "Crucify Him! Crucify Him!" Pilate exclaimed: “Take you Him and crucify Him, for I find no cause in Him." The Jews cried out. “We have a law[3], and
- ↑ Behold the Man. “Behold, how pitiable He is! See, His Body is covered with wounds and streaming with blood, His Head is pierced with thorns, and disfigured with bruises and blood.” It was, indeed, a sight to have softened the very stones, and Pilate felt sure that the Jews must spare Him when they saw how terribly He had been punished.
- ↑ But they. i. e. the chief priests and scribes. The people themselves were, doubtless, moved to compassion by the sight of the sorrowful, thorn-crowned Figure, but the chief priests and their adherents cried out the more vehemently: “Crucify Him 1” for they feared lest mercy should gain the day.
- ↑ We have a law. They now dropped the accusation of disloyalty to Caesar, for Pilate had declared it to be unfounded, and returned to their first accusation of blasphemy. “He has offended against our religious law”, they said, “and in the case of such a crime you cannot be judge. We have already examined the case and sentenced Him to death; all you have to do is to confirm the sentence, and see it carried out.”
