The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1886-09-30
SUNDAY MEDITATION.
Practical Duties Taught by a Study OF the Inter-
national Sunday School Lesson Appointed for
Oct. 10. vt. John, Is: 2s-i0.

This lesson finds Jesus before PLATE on trial
1t was the month of March in the year % A.
ID, early IN the morning. say about o'clock,
oil Friday. The examination was conducted at
the palace of Plate. in the city of Jerusalem.
Christ mad been on the night previous charged
before Annas, the ex-High Priest Caiaphas, the
High Priest, and the Sanhedrim, with bias
phemy, in that he claimed to be the Son of
God. He was found guilty, and, had the Jews
been an independent government, he would
have been stoned TO death. As it was they did
not have the power of executing death on
criminals. No accusation would be entertained
by the Roman Government, save one affecting
civil matters. His enemies hence charge
Christ with sediton, and press his execution
as traitor. 1t was to secure order for his
crneihxion, the Roman capital punishment,
that the crowd urge the Roman Governor, Pr
late to find him guilty.
1t was the time of the annual Passover when
Jews were specially careful not to unfit them
selves for joining in the ceremonies attending
that grandest festival of the entire calendar.
Wicked as they were they had respect to their
ritual, and gave attention to prescribed restric-
hons Particularly were they apprehensive of
anything which might be contrary to the Mo-
sale laws as TO cleanliness in ceremonial sense.
ION moral defilement see Titus, /: 10; Heb,
12:l 10; Jude, 8. On the celebration of the
Passover, read 10: II; Deu., 10 Is; Ch., 30.
2I-21; 30: 7-l9; Ez., 10 1881
Christ was still in the hands of the soldiers
who arrested him in Gethsemane. (Y. 12.)
From the palace of the High Priest they led
him to the hall of judgment. (V. %; Mt,
27:27. In Mark, 10: is, it is called the Pre-
forum. Acts, %: 30; Phil, 1: 49,
1t Is curious to find men so scrupulous about
ceremonial deflement, lex, s.: 3; IL pa, 49, A /;
1924 and yet bent on the murder of the
purest, best mas who ever lived. The judg
ment hall was place into which Gentiles en-
tered. lt is. moreover, thought that there
were about it some idOlatrous objects The
Jews would defile themselves by entrance, and
so preclude their enjoyment OF the Passover
festivities. We see call for a rounded char
acter- DO not be good in strealxs. Do not be
particular about one SIN and braZen in COM
uniting another. Do not rob A to pay B.
That was queer presumption of the Jews
when they required the Governor not to in
veStIgate the charges made against Christ, but
SIMPLY to take their word as TO his guilt (Vs.
~, 3d. Practically. they said: Ask no
questions. We know what we are about. If
thlS prisoner were not a malefactOr ian evil
dnerl we would not have him arrested We
are not so seuseless as to demonstrate against
an innocent person. Take our word for it,
this fellow Is worthy DEATH SO order his exc
cution at once. Explanations are odious.
Some things can be taken for granted. We say
only in formal way; simply to secure your
Endorsement, so that the crucifxion may pro-
ceec In regular method"
Plate wanted to waive responsibility, and so
suggested as a makeshft thar the Jews conduct
the case rs purely ecclesiastic one But what
the enemies wanted was Christs death Stu
ated as they We're they could not order the ex-
ecution of criminal, even though they found
him guilty FROM the fact any sentence required
approval of the Roman Government. and that
could not be secured in the case of q mere eccle-
siastic outlines. VS.. 81, 81 1t is easy now
to see why our Savior prophesied he shall be
crucifed instead Of being stoned to death. We
now lind the Jews abandoning the charge of
biasphemy and substituting treason, affirming
Christ chained TO be the King of the Jews.
Cesar was Emperor, and was jealous of his
rights
PLATE at length looked into the charge. He
examined Christ as to his claim of being King
Ii. indeed, he set himself up to be the civil
ruler OF the Jews, he would be guilty Of trea-
son. IL Is plain Plate would never have given
the slightest personal consideration of any of
the claims of the prisoner had not the matter
been forced on his attention. He was not q
jew ". 3d. be WAS not concerned about
blasphemy. As to treason, our Savior avoided
any demonstrations looking toward him as a
ruier in n civil sense, and even repeatedly re-
strained his followers from making any show OF
recognition of him as a King in any but a re-
ligious and spiritual sense. The accusers of
Christ were they of his own nation. The
charges, therefore. did not have such appear
ance OF persecution as would have been the case
had the opponents of the Jewish religion made
them.
Jesus then explained the nature of his King
dom. ". 3D. lt Is not a earnal realm. Its
followers are to win battles without swords
The contest Is moral one. Had Jesus permit
ted his followers TO take up weapons they would
have fought bravely for the new religion His
was an imperium IN imperio-a Government
within Government; Government over the
hearts and minds of men; Government con-
sistent with any form of civil Governments
home in Republic, Kingdom, Empire Nation,
State; a moral Government, capable of spread
throughout all the Kingdoms of the world a
Government rendering its subjects all the more
faithful To every civil ruler; . Government not
to be feared by Cesar nor Plate; a Government
| demanding universal loyalty in all the relations
OF life. Christ is an empire Of truth. Truth is
| universal the same everywhere and always
Nobody should be afraid of truth. All should
be loyal TO the truth. All nationalties, Of
whatever form, should oppose the false. Sc
| Christ, in marshaling an army under the ban
ner of Truth could. without jealousy on the
part Of any civil ruler, set up recruiting Office
in every Kingdom, State, etc. Opposing Chris.
was simply resisting the truth. Indeed he is
so the representative Of the truth that he is
! styled The Truth.
PLATE became interested and asks What is
| TRUTH" IL is difficult to determine whether
| PLATE was sincere or sarcastic The most un-
| truthful see something admirable about the
truth. One not truthful wants others to be
truthful. So PLATE could not object to the
| truth rs such AS to what idea Pirate had Of
the truth We are ignorant. He may, in a sneer-
ing way, have apparently attached great i'm
portance to the truth represented by Christ,
and seemed very anxious to learn what it is
| Or he may have seen such evidences of sincerity
! in Christ as to stir up his desires for greater
| knowledge of his preeepts and doctrines. The
| question is TT one for every person To ask
Away with the false, cruelty hypocrisy. Fight
! for the truth. Keep from every igIliS fatuas
| Study the true religion. Learn more and more
of Christ. The Bible is the truth Make il
a daily study. Christ is The Truth. Affiliate
with Him. Initiate his beautiful life. He i:
our religious teacher. Sit at his feet.
What a grand cOmmendatiOn of Christ we
have in verse 80: - find in him no fault al
all" Plate lived in the region of our Savior:
public life. lie investigated to some extent
the accusations Of his enemies. He cross-ex
amined Christ himself And what is the re-
suit? Christ is actually faultless. Why such
insane opposition 10 an innocent person? Why
such frantic rage against the harmless, unde
filed. truthful? How the words of PLATE
must have grated on the ears Of the raging
| multitude.
1t has always been quite customary on grea
National days, especially on religious festivals
| to manifest some unusual act Of governments
clemency. A custom had grown up of granting
| a favor N the LEWIS al each Passover plat.