The greatest guilt and heaviest responsibility belonged to those who stood in the highest places in the nation, the depositaries of sacred trusts that they were basely betraying. Pilate, Herod, and the Roman soldiers were comparatively ignorant of Jesus. They thought to please the priests and rulers by abusing Him. They had not the light which the Jewish nation had so abundantly received. Had the light been given to the soldiers, they would not have treated Christ as cruelly as they did.

Den største skyld og det tungeste ansvar hvilede på dem, der beklædte de højeste stillinger i landet, og som forvaltede de hellige hverv, som de forrådte på en så lumpen måde. Pilatus, Herodes og de romerske soldater var forholdsvis uvidende om Jesus. De tænkte sig at behage præsterne og rådsherrerne ved at mishandle ham. De havde ikke fået det lys, som det jødiske folk havde modtaget så rigeligt af. Hvis soldaterne havde fået dette lys, ville de ikke have behandlet Kristus så grusomt, som de gjorde.