225. The Lord’s Passion: “Behold, the Man”. Jn. 19:4–12

After this Pilate went out again and said to them: Behold, I bring him out to you, that you may know that I find no guilt in him. Then the Lord Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the scarlet robe. Pilate said to them: Behold the man! But when the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out: Crucify, crucify him!

Pilate said to them: Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no guilt in him. The Jews answered him: We have a law, and according to our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.

When Pilate heard these words, he was more afraid; and he went into the praetorium again and said to the Lord Jesus: Where are you from? But the Lord Jesus gave him no answer. Pilate said to him: Do you not speak to me? Do you not know that I have power to crucify you and power to release you? The Lord Jesus answered: You would have no power over me if it had not been given you from above; therefore the one who delivered me to you has the greater sin.

From that moment Pilate sought to release him. But the Jews cried out: If you release him, you are not a friend of Caesar. Everyone who makes himself a king is an opponent of Caesar.