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hands of the Jews. But you see what they have done to me! My kingdom is not of earth."

Then Pilate asked :< "You still consider yourself a king?" ,

Jesus said: "I teach the people the truth about the Kingdom of Heaven. And he who lives by the truth, is a king."

Pilate said: "Truth? What is truth?"

And Pilate turned his back to Jesus, and went out to the Jews, and said to them: "I don't think that this man has done anything wrong; nor is there anything to put him to death for."

But the High Priests insisted, saying that he did much evil, and stirred up the people, and had aroused the whole of Judaea.

Then Pilate, in the presence of the High Priests, again questioned Jesus, and said to him: "You sec how they accuse you? Why do you not defend yourself?" But Jesus remained silent, and did not say another word; so that Pilate was surprised at him.

Then Pilate remembered that Galilee was under King Herod, and asked: "Is he not from Galilee ?" They replied that he was. Then Pilate said: "If he is from Galilee, he

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is in the power of Herod." And to gfet rid of the Jews, Pilate sent Jesus to Herod,

John XVIH, 28-38; Luke XXUl. 2-7; Mark XV. 3-5.

And Jesus was taken to Herod. And Herod had heard much about Jesus, and was glad to see him. Herod had Jesus brought before him, and began questioning him about several things; but Jesus did not reply. And before Herod, the High Priests and the Scribes accused Jesus of many things, as they had done before Pilate, and said that he was a rebel. But Herod considered Jesus to be an empty fellow, and to make him look ridiculous, gave orders to put a red mantle on him; and in this fool's dress, sent him back to Pilate.

When he was brought to Pilate the second time, Pilate again called the rulers of the Jews, and said to them: "You brought this man before me, as one who rouses the people to revolt, and I have examined him before you, and do not find that he has been a rebel. I sent him with you to Herod, and as you see, there too, nothing serious has been found against him. So I think that he should not be executed, but should be flogged and then set free."

But when they heard this, they all shouted: "No 1 Put him to death in the Roman way. . . . Nail him to a cross I"

Pilate heard them, and said: "Very well. But it is an old custom that one criminal should be pardoned at Passover. There is a robber, Barabbas, who has been condemned to death, and there is this man. One of the two can be set free. Who shall it be—Jesus, or Barabbas?"

Pilate wished to save Jesus; but the High Priests persuaded the people, and they all shouted: "Barabbas t Barabbas!"

Then Pilate asked: "And what is to be done with Jesus?" And again they all shouted: 'Crucify him in the Roman way!"

But Pilate still did not wish to execute Jesus, and again began trying to persuade the High Priests to let Jesus go. He said: "Why are you set against him? He has done no evil; and there is no reason to execute him."

But the High Priests and their servants again shouted: "Crucify him! Crucify him in the Roman way! Crucify him! Crucify him!"

Then Pilate said: "If so, then take him and crucify him yourselves, for I find no fault in him."

And the High Priests said: "We demand what is lawful. By the law he should be crucified, for calling himself the 'Son of God.' "

Then Pilate was puzzled, because he did not know what "Son of God" meant.

And he went back into the Court, and again called Jesus and asked him: "Whence are you? Who are you, and where do you come from?" But Jesus did not answer. Pilate said: "Why do you not answer me? Do you know that you are in my power; and that I can crucify you or set you free?"

Then Jesus answered: "No, you have no power over me. Power comes only from above."

Luke XXin, 8-16; Matt. XXVII, 15-23; John XIX, 6-11.

LI.

Pilate so wished to set Jesus free that he again spoke to the people, and said: "How is it that you want to crucify your 'king'?"

But the Jews answered: "If you set Jesus free, you will

show that you are not a faithful servant of Cxsar, because he who makes himself king is Caesar's enemy. We have one Cassar; so crucify this 'king*!"

When Pilate heard these words he saw that he must crucify Jesus. Then Pilate came out to the Jews, poured water on his hands, and said: "I wash my hands of the blood of this innocent man,"

And the people cried: "Let his blood be on us and on our children t"

Then Pilate ordered Jesus to be beaten. And when the soldiers had beaten him, they put a crown on his head, and a stick in his hand, and threw the red mantle over his shoulders and began to mock him. They bowed before him, saying: "Rejoice, King of the Jews!" And they struck him on the cheek, and on the head, and spat in his face. And they all shouted: "Crucify him I Our king is Oesar. . . . Crucify him!"

And after that Pilate ordered Jesus to be crucified. Then they took off the red mantle and put his own clothes on him, and made him carry the cross to the place of execution, called Golgotha, that he might be crucified there. And they nailed him to the cross, and two other men with him; one at each side of him, and Jesus in the middle.

And Jesus said: "Fatherl forgive them, for they know not what they do!"

John XIX. 12-18; Malt. XXVII, 24-31; Luke XXIII, 34.

LII.

And when Jesus was hanging on the cross the people surrounded him and abused him. Some came up to him, nodding their heads at him, and saying: "There now! You wished to destroy the Temple o( Jerusalem and build it

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up again in three days. Well now! Save yourself— come down from the cross!"

And the High Priests and Scribes stood there and also laughed at him, saying: "He saved others, but cannot save himself! Show now that you are the Christ. Come down from the cross and then we will believe you! He said he was the Son of God, and that God would not forsake him. . .. Why has God now forsaken him?"

And the people and the High Priests and the soldiers all abused him.

And one of the robbers who were crucified beside him also said: "If you are the Christ, save yourself and us!" But the other robber, hearing this, said: "You do not fear God. You are yourself hanging on a cross for your evil deeds, yet you abuse an innocent man. You and I are crucified for a reason; but this man has done nothing bad."

At the ninth hour Jesus said loudly: "Eli, Eli, lama sabacthani!"—which means "My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?"

And when the people heard it, they laughed and said: "He is calling Elias the prophet. Let us see if Elias will come!"

Afterwards Jesus said: "Give me something to drink!' And a man took a sponge and soaked it in vinegar, and held it up on a reed to Jesus. Jesus sucked the sponge, and then said in a loud voice: "It is finished! Father, into Thy hands I yield my spirit!" Then his head drooped and he died. Matt, XXV Ц 39-44; Luke XX Г 11, 39-41;

Matt, XXVII, 46-9; John XIX, 28-30.

KOV : 1919