Note 14 — Chapter XVI · THE TRIAL CRUX
Reading edition
What can it mean? All the exegetes now agree that the “Thou sayest” of Jesus has the force of “I am.”14 By avowing that he called himself King of the Jews he committed a very grave offence towards Rome, unless he explained the title in a mystic sense; and the records exclude any such explanation. In Mark and Matthew the effect is the same: Pilate finds no guilt, and proposes release; but yields to the multitude and the priests. Could any serious student bring himself to regard this as history unless he presupposed the historicity of the crucifixion and was ready to let pass any semblance of motivation for it?