which the city was thronged on these festive occasions.
The governor with his attendants was in Jerusalem at this momentous
Passover season. Early on Friday morning, the "whole council," that is
to say, the Sanhedrin, led Jesus, bound, to the judgment hall of Pontius
Pilate; but with strict scrupulosity they refrained from entering the
hall lest they become defiled; for the judgment chamber was part of the
house of a Gentile, and somewhere therein might be leavened bread, even
to be near which would render them ceremonially unclean. Let every one
designate for himself the character of men afraid of the mere proximity
of leaven, while thirsting for innocent blood!

In deference to their scruples Pilate came out from the palace; and, as
they delivered up to him their Prisoner, asked: "What accusation bring
ye against this man?" The question, though strictly proper and
judicially necessary, surprized and disappointed the priestly rulers,
who evidently had expected that the governor would simply approve their
verdict as a matter of form and give sentence accordingly; but instead
of doing so, Pilate was apparently about to exercize his authority of
original jurisdiction. With poorly concealed chagrin, their spokesman,
probably Caiaphas, answered: "If he were not a malefactor, we would not
have delivered him up unto thee." It was now Pilate's turn to feel or at
least to feign umbrage, and he replied in effect: Oh, very well; if you
don't care to present the charge in proper order, take ye him, and judge
him according to your law; don't trouble me with the matter. But the
Jews rejoined: "It is not lawful for us to put any man to death."

John the apostle intimates in this last remark a determination on the
part of the Jews to have Jesus put to death not only by Roman sanction
but by Roman executioners;[1280] for, as we readily may see, had Pilate
approved the death sentence and handed the Prisoner over to the Jews for
its infliction, Jesus would have been stoned, in accordance with the
Hebrew penalty for blasphemy; whereas the Lord had plainly foretold that
His death would be by crucifixion, which was a Roman method of
execution, but one never practised by the Jews. Furthermore, if Jesus
had been put to death by the Jewish rulers, even with governmental
sanction, an insurrection among the people might have resulted, for
there were many who believed on Him. The crafty hierarchs were
determined to bring about His death under Ro