His
kingship, and Antipas had cruelly carried it out in returning Him in
this dress to Pilate, through the streets of the city. He had been
tried the fourth time and now Pilate made another effort to set Him
free, He questioned Him again and heard the complaints of the Jews, but
Jesus would not defend Himself.

[Illustration: Jesus crowned with thorns]

"Hearest thou not how many things, they witness against thee?" said
Pilate. "Answerest thou nothing?" If Jesus would only defend Himself!

Then Pilate thought he would scourge Jesus to satisfy His enemies, and
let Him go.

"Ye have brought this man unto me," he said to the chief priests, "as
one that perverteth the people, and behold, I, having examined him
before you, have found no fault in this man. No, nor yet Herod. I
will therefore chastise him and release him."

[Illustration: Jesus before Pilate]

The cry of "Crucify him! crucify him!" rose again.

A message was sent to Pilate from his wife, which deepened the shadow
on his face. "Have thou nothing to do with that just man," she said,
"for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him."

The people had been persuaded by the priests to ask for Barabbas, and
when Pilate asked which of the two he should release to them, they
cried,

"Barabbas!"

"What shall I do with Jesus, which is called Christ?" and all cried,

"Let him be crucified!"

"Why, what evil hath he done?" asked Pilate, but the cry was so great
he could bear it no longer, and calling a slave to bring water, he
washed his hands before them as a sign that he took no blame for the
act, and said,

"I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it," but
they cried,

"His blood be upon us, and upon our children." And when Pilate had
given the order to scourge and crucify Jesus, he went into his palace.

CHAPTER XLIII.

LOVE AND DEATH.

Jesus had been meeting and conquering evil all His life, and in the
last hour of it the last enemy was overcome. There were no children at
the cross when Jesus laid down His life for us all, and we will not
lead you there to point out all the means used by evil men to increase
the suffering of our Lord. It was greatest within the great Heart of
Love which broke for the sins of the world, and when you have learned
the nature of Spirit you will be able to understand that Jesus chose to
pass through an earthly life of poverty and temptation, and die a
painful and s