Deliverance from the Cross — Page 48
ask for Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. The Governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas. Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus, which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified. And the Governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified. When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. Then answered all the people and said, His blood be on us, and on our children'. (Matt. 27:20-25) Thus, Jesus was condemned to be crucified and was taken to Golgotha, the place of execution. The multitude went on mocking him and reviling him from the sixth hour to the ninth hour. About the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? That is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?' (Matt. 27:47) Apparently, this exclamation was wrenched from him by the perplexity from which he began to suffer that so far as he could see there was no way 48