as Luke tells us, a short speech to
them, reiterating his conviction of His innocence, corroborating his
own opinion by Herod's, and closing by a proposal which he hoped would
meet the whole case. "I will therefore chastise Him and release Him."
Was there ever such a compromise? A little before he had solemnly
affirmed that he could find in Him no fault at all, but if that were
the case, why chastise Him? And if He were guilty of the charges
brought against Him, as chastisement might seem to suggest, surely He
should not be released. Pilate meant to do the best. The chastisement
was intended as a sop to the priests, and to win their acquiescence to
their victim's release. But it was not straightforward, or strong, or
right. And, like all compromises, it miserably failed.

Those keen Jewish eyes saw in a moment that Pilate had left the ground
of simple justice. He had shifted from the principle on which Roman
law was generally administered, and they saw that it was only a
question of bringing sufficient pressure to bear on him, and they could
make him a tool for the accomplishment of the fell purpose on which
their heart was set. The proposal, therefore, was swept ignominiously
away, and Pilate could never regain the position he had renounced.

Pilate then resorted to another expedient for saving Jesus. It was the
custom to carry out capital sentences at feast times, which were the
occasions of great popular convocations; but it was also customary for
the governor to release any one prisoner, condemned to death, whom the
multitude, on the Passover week, might agree to name. Pilate
recollected this, and also that there was a notorious criminal awaiting
execution, who for sedition and murder had been arrested and condemned
to die. It occurred to him that, instead of asking the people
generally whom they wished him to release, he should narrow the choice
and present the alternative between Barabbas and Jesus. They would
hardly fail, he thought, to choose the release of this pale Prisoner,
who was innocent of crime, and, indeed, had lived a life notable for
its benevolence.

Pilate took care to announce his proposal with the greatest effect.
The vast space before his palace was rapidly filling with excited
crowds, who guessed that something unusual was astir, and were pouring
in surging volumes into the piazza, although it was still early. That
he might be the better seen and heard he ascended a movable rost