Page:PracticalCommentaryOnHolyScripture.djvu/720

 Hearing this,  Pilate  went  into  the  hall where  Jesus  was,  and asked Him:  “Art  Thou  the  King  of  the  Jews?”  Jesus  answered : “My kingdom  is  not  of  this  world.”  Then  Pilate  went  out  again to the  Jews,  and  said  that  he  found  no  cause  for  condemning  the person whom  they  had  brought  before  him.

But they  insisted  that  Jesus  was  guilty  of  sedition,  stirring  up the  people  from  Galilee  even  to  Jerusalem. To this  charge  Jesus made no  answer. Then Pilate,  seeing  that  He  remained  silent, asked Him:  “Answerest  Thou  nothing? Behold in  how  many things they  accuse  Thee!”  Still  Jesus  was  silent,  and  His  silence surprised the  governor  exceedingly.

But as  soon  as  Galilee  was  mentioned,  Pilate  asked  if  the accused were  a Galilean ,  and  being  told  that  He  was,  he  remembered that  Herod,  king  of  Galilee,  was  then  in  Jerusalem. Now, Pilate wished  to  rid  himself  of  a case,  in  which  he  was  obliged either to  go  against  his  conscience  or  to  displease  the  Jews. He, therefore, sent  our  Saviour  to  Herod,  that  Herod  might  set  Jesus free or  condemn  Him.