Matthew 27:11-14 And Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, Are you the King of the Jews? And Jesus said to him, You say. I. THE CIVIL MAGISTRATE UNDER WHOSE ADMINISTRATION HE SUFFERED. Pilate's name intimately interwoven with the history of Christ's sufferings; mentioned more than twenty times. The elements which composed his character were contradictory. He had good qualities, but associated with bad principles. 1. He was influenced by the fear of man. 2. He had a sordid regard to place and power. 3. He discovers a servile love of human applause. 4. The sequel of his history is affecting and instructive; the thing he dreaded came, he lost the favour of the emperor. II. THE PECULIAR NATURE AND CHARACTER OF THOSE SUFFERINGS WHICH HE ENDURED. Look at the sufferings of Christ. 1. In their visible form. 2. Their moral design. III. THE LESSONS THEY TEACH. 1. The infinite evil of sin. 2. The unbounded love of Jesus. 3. The full compatibility between the irreversible decrees of God and the freedom of man's agency, and the culpability of man's transgression. 4. The true ground of hope for the self-accusing sinner. 5. What a provision of comfort for the suffering Christian. 6. The fear of man bringeth a snare. (G. Clayton.) Parallel Verses KJV: And Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest. |