Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1886-10-07
JESUS BEFORE PLATE.
DR.. JOHN HALLS NOTES ON THE
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON.


Lesson II of the International Series for
Sunday, Oct. IO-Golden Text: 'I Find
in Him no Fault" John xviii, 50. Les
son Text, John xviii, 2S-4O.
The pupils may be reminded that our
Saviour went through three forms Of trial
before the chief priests in a sort of secret ses-
sion ". Is and V. "a &; in open court, for forms
sake, before PLATE; and before Herod luke
xiii, 7-12). They may have it explained to
them that the chief priests conducted the jew
ish trial, and ON religious and church grounds;
the Roman governor and Herod had charges
of a civil kind brought before them against
Jesus, as the only grounds on which Christ's
enemies could hope for his death. The Jews
had not, of course, the power of life and
death in their hands. 1t is of the trial before
Plate we are now to study the details.
Joseph Caiaphas, as Josephus calls him, Is
named as high priest by Matthew, Luke and
John. and again in Acts iv, g. He held office
during the whole time of Pontius PLATE, but
was afterwards deposed He married the
daughter of Annas- The prosecutors of Jesus
lost no time "Early" in the morning they
led him into the Judgment hall, for the Roman
procurator must give sentence. The ilustra-
ton they give here of being scrupulous about
rites while bent on moral wrong has been
often noticed. So many fnen keep up the
form of religion while carrying on unjust,
dishonest or violent proceedings FanaticiSm
and horrible injustice and cruelty often went
together in the middle ages. The court or
palace, or pretorium, was counted by them
defiling place, being a Gentle dwelling; so
they remained at the door, and the Roman
Judge had to go to the door to hear their
charges. 1t was, likely, part Of the castle
of Antonia- So common were popular dis
turbances at the passover time that thu Roman
ruler was won't to come to keep order 1t was
contrary to Roman usage for judge to pro-
nounce sentence in court before o'clock in
the morning, at which time PLATE John xix,
13 ''sat in the Judgment seat" All the Incl
dents of our lesson occurred between the
cock-crowing and the sixth hour. Their fear
ing defilement before eating the passover has
been counted difficulty. If we assume that
they had been interrupted and kept from
their service by Judas and the proceedings of
the night, and wished to get through with it
before the next day, all difficulty is removed.
They hoped to get Christ condemned-the
true Passover-and then to eat the typical;
and even this latter they seem to have been
kept FROM for Plate took time with the &c
rused prisoner.
V. 49, PLATE "went out unto Them 1t
was his duty to keep peace and deal promptly
with cases. Like magistrates in a time of
popular riot, he had probably been at his
post all night. GSee V. 81 His question,
"What accusation bring ye against this man?'
they hardly expected. They hoped that their
sentence would be ratified as matter of
course; hence
V. 3O their reply. "If He were not male
factor" ETC. They did not mean or desire to
go in 20 evidence in the case; but if possible to
set sentence on their verdict They stand on
their dignity. "Is it not enough that we,
chief priests, etc., tell you He is malefac-
tora" He took it for granted it was mere
dispute about some Jewish religious matter.
--Hs held them and their religion in scorn;
was arbitrary and sometimes cruel Like
Gallo, he "cared for none of these things"
and he said accordingly,
V. 31.) "Take him." etc. Now they have
to shift their ground. They cannot get a SEN
tence of death on "blasphemy" or Christ's
messanic claims. They must bring politi-
cal charge, and they have to recall their hu-
initiation as nation. They cannot lawfully
put any one to death; they lost this power in
their subjection to Rome. Had they pos
sessed this power, stoning would have been
Christ's DOOM But He had spoken John iii,
IA, and xii, 32 of being 'lifted up" Their
inability to put to death made good His words
~.
V. 49, In his condensing the narrative John
omits what Luke tells us luke xiii, p, the
charge-forbidding tribute to Caesar and
claiming to be himself king-which they
now bring Hence Pilates question, in the
form of which Gn the Creek some find a tone
of scorl,. "You, a prisoner, in poverty-are
you king? Are you the king of the Jews?"
1t is every way likely that Jesus bore the
marks of blows and violence. The dignity
and self-control of the Saviour appear in His
reply.
V. "a. "You are judge, set for the vindi-
cation of the innocent and the punishment of
the guilty, and bound to go upon evidence
Is this charge, implied in your question, on
evidence, or from your own mind7" 1t was
proper that the guilt of bringing such unjust
charges should be brought home to his per-
secutors.
V. 35 PLATE resents the question, speaks
contemptuously of the Jews, in the question
@Am l JewG" What interest, he says in
effect, have in this matter2 What should 1
know about it but from 'thine own nation
and chief priests, ETC.? What is thy crime?
What hast thou done to make them condemn
thee?n
V. SO. Here it is that Jesus witnessed his
good confession. He claims to be in a true
sense a king, but not in the sense in which
they alleged. He was not a rival of Cesar.
If ne had been king "of this world"-of the
accepted kind-he would have trained his
servants to fight for him. $50 Mohammed
did and many another). But his kingdom
was not of an earthly origin-'from hence"
had hoar fbora bau haoy
ance to the officers. He stopped all resist
anee Tvs. 10, III. PLATE could easily learn
that. "Now" does not imply that it would
yet become "of this world" He means "now"
for strong statement of its place and nature.
Y. 81. A third question is put, and in the
sane spirit: cart thou a king, thenp 1t is
in contemptuous surprise, in Greek: "A king,
then-that is what thou artl" The reply is
little obscure. PLATE did not say Jesus was
king. Our Lords words mean: "Thou appli-
est the word king to me- and it is true, but
not in the sense of this world. l was born
sohe owns his humanity and 1 came into
this world this refers to pre-exetence and
power to witness to the truth. This is my
royalty" How far-reaching is this word
Tn. truth as to the divine nature, attributes,
as 70 mercy and hope for men, as to justice
and righteousness, as to love and grace-all
IIlk u6 CdIlle W WlLlSSS W. 1IuGu ludh6S
fre,, elerates, strengthens. This is a kings
grndest work. He who witnesses to truth,
as Christ did, makes free, elevates, strength
ems and is to be acknowledged as a king by
hissaved ones. See II Cor. iv, g. for pict-
ureof Christ's witnessing. Our Lord adds
ant this is for PLATE, for Gust as he dealt with
his betrayer, tenderly and faithfully, he is
deaing with him: Everyone that is of the
truth heareth my voice" If we be so far in
fiunced by the Spirit of God as to live the
truth, we shall recognize Christs voice as
spaking it.
len living in sin, bent on wrong doing,
with no love for goodness, but fixed love for
evi, will not feel kindly to Christ's message
Tlrir hearts are closed against it. So it was
with Plate. He thought of self, pride, pas
sio, power, his procuratorship. Things in
tersted him as they bore on these
Z. 3S), so he says, not in seriousness, nor
inimity, nor yet in mockery, for he was con-
ceried about this case, but in self-defense.
"Wat is TRUTH" There are SO many views,
onewith one thing, another its opposite, of