Then Jesus answered: "No, you have no power over me. Power comes only from above."
Luke XXin, 8-16; Matt. XXVII, 15-23; John XIX, 6-11.
LI.
Pilate so wished to set Jesus free that he again spoke to the people, and said: "How is it that you want to crucify your 'king'?"
But the Jews answered: "If you set Jesus free, you will
show that you are not a faithful servant of Cxsar, because he who makes himself king is Caesar's enemy. We have one Cassar; so crucify this 'king*!"
When Pilate heard these words he saw that he must crucify Jesus. Then Pilate came out to the Jews, poured water on his hands, and said: "I wash my hands of the blood of this innocent man,"
And the people cried: "Let his blood be on us and on our children t"
Then Pilate ordered Jesus to be beaten. And when the soldiers had beaten him, they put a crown on his head, and a stick in his hand, and threw the red mantle over his shoulders and began to mock him. They bowed before him, saying: "Rejoice, King of the Jews!" And they struck him on the cheek, and on the head, and spat in his face. And they all shouted: "Crucify him I Our king is Oesar. . . . Crucify him!"
And after that Pilate ordered Jesus to be crucified. Then they took off the red mantle and put his own clothes on him, and made him carry the cross to the place of execution, called Golgotha, that he might be crucified there. And they nailed him to the cross, and two other men with him; one at each side of him, and Jesus in the middle.
And Jesus said: "Fatherl forgive them, for they know not what they do!"
John XIX. 12-18; Malt. XXVII, 24-31; Luke XXIII, 34.
LII.
And when Jesus was hanging on the cross the people surrounded him and abused him. Some came up to him, nodding their heads at him, and saying: "There now! You wished to destroy the Temple o( Jerusalem and build it
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300 THE PATHWAY OP LIPE
up again in three days. Well now! Save yourself— come down from the cross!"
And the High Priests and Scribes stood there and also laughed at him, saying: "He saved others, but cannot save himself! Show now that you are the Christ. Come down from the cross and then we will believe you! He said he was the Son of God, and that God would not forsake him. . .. Why has God now forsaken him?"
And the people and the High Priests and the soldiers all abused him.
And one of the robbers who were crucified beside him also said: "If you are the Christ, save yourself and us!" But the other robber, hearing this, said: "You do not fear God. You are yourself hanging on a cross for your evil deeds, yet you abuse an innocent man. You and I are crucified for a reason; but this man has done nothing bad."
At the ninth hour Jesus said loudly: "Eli, Eli, lama sabacthani!"—which means "My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?"
And when the people heard it, they laughed and said: "He is calling Elias the prophet. Let us see if Elias will come!"
Afterwards Jesus said: "Give me something to drink!' And a man took a sponge and soaked it in vinegar, and held it up on a reed to Jesus. Jesus sucked the sponge, and then said in a loud voice: "It is finished! Father, into Thy hands I yield my spirit!" Then his head drooped and he died. Matt, XXV Ц 39-44; Luke XX Г 11, 39-41;
Matt, XXVII, 46-9; John XIX, 28-30.
KOV : 1919