Pilate Did Not Foresee the Consequences

Pilate had not thought it would come to that. He shrank from delivering an innocent Man to the most cruel death that could be inflicted. “Why, what evil has He done?” But the case had gone too far for argument.HH 338.4

Still Pilate tried to save Christ. “He said to them the third time, ‘Why, what evil has He done?’” But the very mention of His release stirred the people to frenzy. Louder and louder they cried, “Crucify Him, crucify Him!”HH 338.5

Faint and covered with wounds, Jesus was scourged. “Then the soldiers led Him away into the hall called Praetorium, and they called together the whole garrison. And they clothed Him with purple; and they twisted a crown of thorns, put it on His head, and began to salute Him, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ Then they ... spat on Him; and bowing the knee, they worshiped Him. And ... they ... mocked Him.” Occasionally some wicked hand struck the crown, forcing the thorns into His temples and sending the blood trickling down His face.HH 338.6

A maddened crowd surrounded the Savior of the world. Mocking and jeering mingled with oaths of blasphemy. Satan led the mob. It was his plan, if possible, to provoke the Savior to retaliate or to drive Him to perform a miracle to release Himself. One stain upon His human life, and the Lamb of God would have been an imperfect offering and the redemption of humanity a failure. But with perfect calmness He submitted to the coarsest insult and outrage.HH 338.7

Christ’s enemies had demanded a miracle as evidence of His divinity. They had evidence far greater than any they had asked for. His meekness and patience proved His relationship to God. The blood drops that flowed from His wounded temples were the pledge of His anointing with “the oil of gladness” as our great High Priest. See Hebrews 1:9. Satan’s rage was great as he saw that the Savior had not departed in any detail from the will of His Father.HH 338.8