They all cried, "He is guilty of death;" and they began to beat Him and strike Him; and they blindfolded Him, and struck Him on the face, and bade Him say whose blow it was. And all the time He stood gentle and patient, and said not one word of complaint or anger. Since the reign of the great wicked Herod, the Romans had not allowed the Jews to put anybody to death without their leave; so the chief priests were obliged to take JESUS before the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate. But it was not possible to find anything that a Roman would think He deserved to be put to death for. When the chief priests said that "by our law He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God," Pilate only feared to do anything against Him; for he saw that there was no fault in JESUS, but that the chief priests were spiteful, and hated Him. Then the chief priests said that He called Himself King of the Jews. This made Pilate more anxious, for to set up to be an earthly king would have been rebelling against the Romans; but still he wanted to let JESUS go, because he saw that He was innocent; yet he did not like to offend the priests, who might have accused him to the Emperor of Rome. Pilate saw what was just; but he was afraid, and cared for himself more than for his duty. QUESTIONS. 1. Where did the chief priests meet? 2. Who was brought there before them? 3. What did they intend to do? 4. But could they find any fault in Him? 5. So what did the chief priest ask Him? 6. What did He say? 7. What did they all cry out? 8. How did they begin to treat Him? 9. How did He bear it all? 10. How can we try to be like Him? 11. What were not the Jews allowed to do? 12. Who had the power over them? 13. Before whom did the chief priests take our Lord? 14. Who was Pilate? 15. What did Pilate think of the charges against Him? 16. But why did not Pilate set Him free? 17. Why was he afraid of His being called King of the Jews? [Illustration] THIRD READING. "Ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you."--_Acts 3:14._ PILATE thought he had found a way of saving the Lord Jesus without offending the Romans. It was the custom that at the feast of the Passover he should set some prisoner free, whomsoever the Jews asked for. And he thought, as the people loved our Lord, that they would ask for Him. [Illustration: JESUS CROWNED WITH THORNS.--Mark 15:16-19.] But there was a robber and murderer in prison named Barabbas, and the enemies of our Lord went about among the people, stirring them up to ask for him to be set free; so that the poor, foolish people all broke out with a great shout to ask that this murderer Barabbas might be set free. Pilate asked them what he was to do with JESUS, and then there was a great roar from all the people, "Crucify Him! crucify Him!"