We here quote three short paragraphs from St. Matthew’s Gospel.[178] The first describes what took place after the members of the Jewish Sanhedrin had decided that Jesus deserved to be put to death:— “Then did they spit in His face, and buffet Him; and some smote Him with the palms of their hands, saying, Prophesy unto us, Thou Christ: who is he that struck Thee?”[179] Then those model judges carried their prisoner before Pontius Pilate, the Roman Governor, and after much persuasion got him to condemn Jesus to death, when the following scenes took place:— “Then the soldiers of the Governor took Jesus into the palace, and gathered unto Him the whole band. And they stripped Him, and put on Him a scarlet robe. And they plaited a crown of thorns and put it upon His head, and a reed in His right hand; and they kneeled down before Him, and mocked Him, saying, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ And they spat upon Him, and took the reed and smote Him on the head. And when they had mocked Him, they took off from Him the robe, and put on Him His garments and led Him away to crucify Him.”[180] “And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name; him they compelled to go with them, that he might bear His cross. And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, The place of a skull, they gave Him wine to drink mingled with gall: and when He had tasted it, He would not drink. And when they had crucified Him, they parted His garments among them, casting lots: and they sat and watched Him there. And they set up over His head His accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS. Then are there crucified with Him two robbers, one on the right hand, and one on the left. And they that passed by railed on Him, wagging their heads, and saying, ‘Thou that destroyest the temple and buildest it in three days, save Thyself: if Thou art the Son of God, come down from the cross.’ In like manner also the chief priests mocking Him with the scribes and elders said, ‘He saved others: Himself He cannot save. He is the King of Israel; let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe on Him. He trusteth on God; let Him deliver Him now, if He desireth Him: for He said, I am the Son of God.’ And the robbers also that were crucified with Him cast upon Him the same reproach.”[181] How was it that of all men Jesus should be the man subjected to all this? How can we reconcile His character and His destiny? Let us recollect what Plato had written 400 years earlier:— “The just man will be scourged, racked, fettered, will have his eyes burned out, and at last, after suffering every kind of torture, will be crucified.”