The death of Jesus was a result, which, no doubt, left him satisfied (as it did the major part of the Jewish nation) that his surmises respecting his claim to be the promised king of the Jews were unfounded; and he was even less likely than before to pay any attention to the preaching of Christ's followers, or to the account of the resurrection. His test had been applied, and his mind was, probably, henceforth made up. He did not, indeed, continue very much longer procurator of Judæa. His mal-administration of the province led to his recall and banishment, from which he never returned. His end was that of Judassuicide. JESUS BEFORE HEROD. Luke xxiii. 6—11. When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked whether the man were a Galilæan. And as soon as he knew that he belonged unto Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who himself also was at Jerusalem at that time. And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him. Then he questioned with him in many words; but he answered him nothing. And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused him. And Herod with his men of war set him at nought, and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe, and sent him again to Pilate. That Jesus was sent by Pilate to Herod, and returned by Herod to Pilate's tribunal, after having been dealt with as is related in this Scripture, we learn from St. Luke, and St. Luke only. In the same Evangelist's report of the Christian Assembly's words of praise and gladness, which they addressed to the Lord, on Peter and John being dismissed by the Jewish Council, reference is made to it. Of a truth, against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together.* The Herod here spoken of was the son of that Herod who was king of Judæa when Jesus was born. On his father's death, and the subsequent division of his father's kingdom, Galilee fell to his portion. Jesus was, therefore, said to belong to his jurisdiction. Pilate's object in making the reference to him, was, apparently, to relieve himself of the responsibility, of either condemning one whom he knew to be innocent, or acquitting one who was obnoxious to the people. Herod would not accept the responsibility so thrown on him; but, having entertained himself and his military attendants with ridiculing the supposed pretensions of Jesus to royalty, sent him back to Pilate. Pilate, being thus forced to decide for himself, made some weak attempts, as we have seen, to save Jesus; but finally yielded to popular clamour, and committed him to a guard of soldiers to be taken to the Cross. JESUS ON HIS WAY TO THE CROSS. And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified. And the soldiers led him *Acts iv. 27. away into the hall, called Prætorium; and they called together the whole band. And they clothed him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about his head, and began to salute him, Hail, King of the Jews! And they smote him on the head with a reed, and did spit upon him, and bowing their knees worshipped him. And when they had worshipped him, they took off the purple from him, and put his own clothes on him, and led him out to crucify him. And they compel one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross. And they bring him unto the place Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, The place of a skull. And they gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrh: but he received it not. In the preceding portions of the narrative, we were told how Jesus was dealt with by those in authoritythe men of power and rank. He had been before the Sanhedrim, or great Council of the Jewish nation; before Herod, who may be regarded as the representative of the last race of Judæa's kings; and before Pilate, the heathen Governor. The Sanhedrim pronounced him guilty, but did not, because they could not, order him to be put to death; Pilate pronounced him innocent, but consented to his death whilst Herod treated him with merriment and contempt, as though his case was not worthy of a serious tribunal. We now see how he was dealt with by another description of persons-the common soldiery and the Jewish people. Thus all orders and degrees of men, Jews and Gentiles, rulers and ruled, had their several shares in the guilt of bringing the Saviour to his mysterious doom. How strange and sad the picture which Scripture now sets before us! 6 especially if, while we look at it, we glance back at the earlier portion of his history-at the narrative of his nativity, when a multitude of the heavenly host heralded his coming into the world, praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill towards men,'*-or at that of his infancy, when Simeon, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, took him up in his arms, and described him as a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of God's people Israel.'+ But so it was; it was necessary that he should be rejected and put to death, in order that he may glorify God, manifest his goodwill towards man, and be our peace, and a light to lighten every man that cometh into the world. All orders and degrees of men had their share in the guilt of his death; but none of them knew what it was that they were doing. Even as men who commit crime when drunk, know not what they do, but are guilty of having brought themselves into that blinded condition, in which they ignorantly commit the crime, and incur its penalty; so was it with the several parties concerned in the death of Jesus. So, indeed, is it with all and each of us, when we commit any sin. We never know all that is involved in it. We know but in part either its intrinsic evil, or its effects in generating further evil. Thus was it with our first parents, when they sinned the original sin: thus is it with all who have inherited their fallen nature. Ponder we on all *Luke ii. 13, 14. + Luke ii. 27-32. ‡ John i. 9. the meaning of those words of the Saviour on his Cross, 'Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.'* JESUS ON HIS CROSS. Ver. 25, 26. And it was the third hour, and they crucified him. And the superscription of his accusation was written over, THE KING OF THE JEWS. Crucifixion was a terrible death-a death of protracted suffering, and a death of ignominy. It was the doom of the worst and the vilest criminals. Our Saviour's cross has divested it of the latter character. Instead of associations of shame and degradation which once attached to it, our associations with it are holy and exalted. Nor is this all the change which has taken place in popular impressions of Crucifixion. We are wont to look at his, in particular, through a deceptive medium—a medium of imaginative genius, taste, and refinement-and to picture it to ourselves as we see it on the painter's canvass, and in the graven image. All there is solemn and elevating; nothing is mean and humiliating. Ought we not, however, to strive to think of his crucifixion as it really was-the infliction of death by a rude and barbarous process, with nothing ennobling in it, nothing but what was disgusting and degrading to humanity? Such was the cross, of which St. Paul speaks, when he says that Jesus endured it, 'despising the shame.'+ *Luke xxiii. 34. + Hebrews xii. 2. |