I. Pilate blaming Jesus, for refusing to answer him—­boasting of his power, and appealing to our Lord, that he possessed it. Speakest thou not unto me?  Knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee?

II.  Christ reminding Pilate, that he possessed only delegated power; intimating that he was accountable for the use he made of it. Thou couldest have no power against me, except it was given thee from above.

III.  Christ aggravating the guilt of those who had delivered him to Pilate, from a consideration of the power which he possessed, in which there might be an allusion to Pilate’s character as an unprincipled man. Therefore, he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.  We will treat of these in their order.

I. We observe Pilate blaming Jesus for refusing to answer him; boasting of his power, and appealing to our Lord that he possessed it. Speakest thou not unto me?  Knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee?

But why is Christ faulted?  He had said enough to convince the court of his innocence.  The judge had repeatedly and publicly declared it.  “I find no fault in him.”

Christ’s silence was not sullen, or contemptuous.  He had said enough.  His silence was prudent—­perhaps necessary.  He had come into the world to suffer—­“to make his soul an offering for sin.”  Had he said more, perhaps Pilate had not dared to give sentence against him.  Had not Christ died the ends of his coming had been frustrated.  Therefore was he now dumb before his oppressors, agreeably to the prophecy.  “He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep is dumb before his shearers, so he opened not his mouth.”

It was necessary that evidence should be given of Christ’s innocence, sufficient to convince the honest mind, that he was not a malefactor —­that he did not die for his own sin.  This had been given.  It was enough—­rendered his murderers inexcuseable.  The wisdom of providence permitted no more.

Pilate declared himself convinced.  But then he had power either to crucify Christ, or to release him.  He felt himself possessed of this power, and appealed to our Lord whether he did not possess it.

Pilate knew what was right—­what he ought to do.  Conscience directed him to acquit the guiltless.  But this did not necessitate him to do it.  He had power to do right.  He had power also to do wrong.

Others possess similar power.  Every moral agent hath power to obey or disobey the dictates of his conscience.  It is not the method of heaven to compel men to good, or leave them to be compelled to evil.  God intended man to be a free agent, who should choose for himself the part he would act; and endowed him with a self determining power, to capacitate him to choose.  Devoid of this power, he could not be accountable.

Man ought to be governed by reason and conscience.  These make known his duty, and offer proper motives to induce him to discharge it.  But they do not oblige him to it.  It is referred to his own choice.  If he prefer doing wrong, to doing right, he may do it.