Page:PracticalCommentaryOnHolyScripture.djvu/727

 to it.”  The  Jews  cried  out:  “His  Blood  be  upon  us,  and  upon our children.”  Then  Pilate  released  Barabbas,  and  delivered  Jesus to be  crucified  (Fig.  88).

"He suffered  under  Pontius  Pilate."  The  words  of  the  Apostles’ creed do  not  merely  mean  that  our  Blessed  Lord  suffered  during  the time that  Pontius  Pilate  was  governor  of  Judaea,  but  are  meant  to  show that Pontius  Pilate  was  guilty  of  our  Lord’s  Passion  and  Death  by  his cowardly compliance  with  the  Pharisees’  demands.

The Innocence  of  Jesus  was  supernaturally  revealed  a short  time before His  Death;  for  the  dream  of  Pilate’s  wife  was  a supernatural dream. In it  God  revealed  to  her  that  Jesus  was  a just  Man,  and that Pilate  would  incur  a heavy  punishment  if  he  condemned  Him  to be  crucified.

The Abasement  of  Jesus.  It  was  a great  humiliation  to  our  Lord Jesus not  only  to  be  named  in  the  same  breath  as  Barabbas,  but  to  have this ill-famed  malefactor  preferred  before  Him. Judas had  valued  his Lord at  the  price  of  a slave,  and  now  the  blinded  people  bartered away the  life  of  their  Messias  for  the  liberty  of  an  utter  scoundrel  who had robbed  the  peaceful  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem  of  safety,  possessions and life! Could a greater  insult  be  offered  to  the  Most  Holy? Why did Almighty  God  suffer  His  Son  to  be  so  grievously  insulted? The answer is  this:  It  was  our  Blessed  Lord’s  will  to  be  “reputed  with  the wicked”, and  to  be  treated  as  if  He  were  the  worst  of  men,  because