The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1886-10-16
JESUS To BE CRUCIFIED.
Or. JOHN HALLS NOTES ON THE
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON.
Lesson III of the International Series
for sunday. Oct. 17-Golden Text, Then
Delivered lie Him Therefore Unto
Them To be Crucincd."-Lesson Text,
John Xxx, Lie,

| Delivered lie Him Therefore Unto
John Xxx. I-16.
1t is proper to remind the pupils that the
| four evangclists each give the details of that
dreadful morning on which Christ was cruel
fled, in his own way, not closely repeating
one another So it occurs that some things
are recorded 10y one, not by others, This is
natural and rs it would be in our own life.
| We can put their narratives together and see
how Plate sent Jesus to Herod as piece of
polite policy, and Jesus was silent before him,
| how Pilates wife warned her husband Matt
xvii 19l, and how the Jews pressed the
point that to let Off one who set himself up as
rival to Caesar would put Plate in bal
! light before Caesar. This was their strong
point These are three lines of study we may
| take rs We see Jesus in the hands of sinful
men, Pilatn being for the time prominent
Plate is, first, trying a compromises; this
fails and he is frightened, and III the third
stage be yields,
l. The compromise. Not admitting that
,IeSu, has done ANYTHING worthy of DEATH he
will practically own that he may have broken
jewish law, and may DE 50 far punished; so
thinking that this would satisfy their rage
An offender about to be scourgcd was bound
by the hands to a post, or something fixed
and beaten with cords made sharp and heavy
with bone or lead fastened on them, to the
torture, and loss of mnch blood, flesh, and
even it is said, at times the eyes of the vic
tim. The doing Of this hy the approval at
least Of the governor who was the highest
authority there embollcned the soldiers,
who, it is probable, resented the idea of any
king but Caesar, They proceeded, as the
cruel are apt to do, from bad to worse, TIL
the climax is reached with blows. Begin
ming with mock crown of the prickly shrub
nubk, which is found around Jerusalem still,
they proceed 10 robe him in n garment in
imitation of that worn by king or gen
eral then they make mock SaluteS 10y bend
ing their bodies before Him and calling ont,
Hail, King of the Jews Then, as if they
were bringing Him gifts in their hands, they
strike Him blowsl Plate tries on the prose-
ecutors the effect of this. He brings Jesus
out, in obvious suffering and indeScribable
humiliation, with the crown and purple robe
on Him, and says in effect, See! have
brought Him out thus to you You deem
Him guilty. Well, if so He is punished
enough, and | want you to know that find
no reason for putting Him to death" Even
his language seems to imply an appeal to
their pity-"Behold the mani He is not
quite diSregariing their wishes; but he sees
10 reason for a sentence of death.
He thought he knew much, but he did not
understand all the case, nor the depth of wild
fury to which wounded pride, revenge and
fanaticism can carry those whom they
possess" Whatever feeling the common
people had, the chief priests and officers"
made them cry out ". g for his crucitixion.
They have gone farther than in refusing his
release. Evil men wax worse" He is
partly indignant and partly scornful: Take
him yourselves and cruelty him" 1t is not
sentence on Jesus; it is an angry mockery of
their rage and thor impotence. 1t is not
uttered 10y him as judge lsee v 39) He
adds, Il find no fault in him" Then why let
him he scourged and cruelty Knocked.
Y. Z The Jews now bring in another ele-
ment: He made himself the Son of God"
CSee Lev xiv, l6). Even bad men can be
superstitious, and their fears can be played
upon. The idea Of something unusual in
Christ must have been raised already in Pr
late's mind. The idea of son of God"
would not be foreign TO a Roman. If he had
received his wifo's warning now, he must
have felt the solemn mystery about the mat
ter yet more. He was more perpleXed and
alarmed He went again into the Judgment
hall and set about cross-questioning Christ;
but in vain ". 81, for ~ Plate would not
understand, and (a he had already done or
allowed great and cruel wrong, and his aim
now was not to do what was right, but what
would bc safe for himself. He had not the
single eye.
V. TO- He demonstrates against this silence,
alleging that it was the interest of Jesus to
speak to him who had power to release or
cruelty But Jesus had already spoken. The
case was no stronger against Him now than
at first. If Plate found no fault i'll Him,
was not that enough. Cruelty after that
avowa! Silence was dignited, just, proper
protest against the weak and cruel conces-
sions OF Plate to the passions Of the Jews.
V. H. Jesus now sets him right and again
las John xviii, 81 puts the fault where it lay:
Thou couldst have no power, etc. He
means, as lie often said elsewhere if it were
hi, Fathers will TO save him he could have no
power 1t was the Fathers will that he
should drink of this cup: but that did not lift
responsibility from the parties. PLATE would
u lhOSe NNN utc'A SUI iliOiC opi
for they knew more than Plate did They
were nominal worshipcrs of the God of
Israel, readers of the Scriptures, approached
by conclusive evidences, having the light and
yet loving the darkness.
Deeper still is the impression now made on
Pilates mind and he would lain ". l9 re-
lease him: but "A new argument Is now ut
tered by the prosecutors; If thou let,' etc.
This las plausible. 1t appealed to Pilates
fears At this stage of the Roman empire
CORFU ion was very bad. \ rival or an as
pirant for Pilates place could easily make use
of a report like this to his ruin. He was HIM
self conscious of many a charge that could be
brought against him. Some, in fact, had
been brought The phrase Caesars friend
had become honorary, and was given to sue
ceSSful Roman governors. He probably
hoped for it. Old Roman simplicity had now
vanished. Pride, show, plumber, power and
degrading pleasures took its place.
This new aspect Of the case Plate recoS-
nzed He knew the hostility of Jews and
Samaritans to him. He saw the passionate
fury of the prosecutors of JESUS His diplo-
macy had failed He sees nothing for it but
sentence of death. He had "Sought'-re-
peatedly sought the word implies-to get the
approval of the people To his design of spar