"Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus, and led him away into the common hall, called Prætorium"; where fresh insults and sufferings were inflicted upon the holy Jesus, the Messiah: for "they call together the whole band of soldiers," and in mockery and ridicule for His having styled Himself a king, "they stripped him" of his own clothes, "and put on him a scarlet or purple robe," (for the same word signifies both colours,) and then made a crown or wreath, by twisting together some branches of a prickly plant. "And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand," to represent the sceptre, carried by kings. When the soldiers had thus arrayed our Lord, in ridicule of His claim to be a king, they went a step further, and in derision, "they bowed the knee before him, and worshipped him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!" Not satisfied with this mockery, "they smote him with their hands. And they spit upon him," to show the greatest possible degree of hatred and contempt; "and took the reed, and smote him on the head"; thus driving the thorns into Him, and so increasing His sufferings. All this He bore for us; and all He asks in return is, that we should take Him for our King, so as to let Him reign in our hearts, and rule our lives. Pilate made another attempt to save the life of Jesus; he probably hoped, that if the people saw Him bleeding and suffering, they would feel pity, and be ashamed of so treating a man, declared to be innocent, and known to all as going about doing good. "Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him. Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man!" The Priests, however, were determined that nothing should save the life of their victim, and "therefore, when the Chief Priests and officers saw him, they cried out, saying, Crucify him, Crucify him." Pilate finding all his efforts vain, and being still afraid to offend the Jews, "then saith unto them, Take ye him, and crucify him: for I find no fault in him." As if he had said, If you are determined to crucify Him, do it; but remember it is not my doing, "for I find no fault in him." "The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God." The Jews now changed their ground of accusation, and simply named the sin of blasphemy, as the cause for which their Law required our Lord's death.