Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1886-10-07
JESUS BEFORE PLATE.
DR.. HJoHN HALLS NOTES ON THE
SUNDAY. SCHOOL LESSON.

. Sunday, Oct. IO--Golden Tcxt; "I Find
d. in Him no Fault John xviii, 80. 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 ". ID and V. "a in open court, for forms
sake, before PLATE; and before Herod 'Quke
xiii, T-l2l. 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 Hero1 had charges
of civil kind brought before them against
Jesus, rs tho 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 It 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 Je us
| lost no time. early" in the morning they
led him into the Judgment hall, for the Roman
| procurator must give sentence. The illustra-
| tion they give here of being scrupulous about
| TUGS WHlic OH lUOTul WrOIlR nus Dc6H
often noticed. So many men 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 OF
palace, or pretoriunl, was counted by them
defiling place, being 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 oc tho castle
of Antonia. So common were popular dis
turbances at the passover time that the Roman
ruler was wont 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 defllement before eating the passover has
been counted a difficulty. II 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, oil 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 ac-
cused prisoner.
V. 30. PLATE "went out unto them" It
was his duty to keep peace and deal promptly
with cases. Like magistrates in time of
popular riot, he had probably been at his
post all night. See v. 81 His question.
"What accusation bring We against this man?'
they hardly expected. They hoped that their
sentence would be ratified as a matter of
course; hence
-V. 30) their reply, off He were not male
factor" etc. They did not mean or desire tc
go in!o evidence in the case, but if possible tc
set sentence on their verdict. They stand on
their dignity. "Is it not enough that we,
chief priests, ETC., tell you He is a malefac-
torF' He took it for granted it was mere
dispute about some Jewish religious matter.
He 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,
~. 31.) "Take him." etc. Now they have
to shift their grodnd They cannot get a sen-
tence of death on "blasphemy" or Christs
messanic claims. They must bring a 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 subsection to Rome. Had they pos
sessed this power, stoning would have been
Christ's doom. But He had spoken John iii,
IA, and xii, S2 of being gifted up" Their
inability to put to death made good His words
". p.
V. 33. In his condensing the narrative John
omits what Luke tells us luke xiii, q, the
charge-forbidding tribute to Cesar and
claiming to be himself king-which they
now bring. Hence Pilates question, in the
form of which lin the Creek some find tone
of scor1,. "You, prisoner, in poverty-are
you kings Are you the king of the Jews9n
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. 81 "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 mind?" Il 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
Of the Jews, in the question
sam a Jew?" What interest, he SAYS in
effect, have in this matter? What should l
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?"
V. &c. Here it is that Jesus witnessed his
good confession. He claims to be in true
sense king, but not in the sense in which
they alleged. He was not O rival of Cesar.
IL he had been king "of this world"-of the
accepted kind--he would have trained his
servants to fight for him. $50 Mohammed
lid and many another. But his kingdom
was not of an earthly origin-"from hence"
lnce to the officers. He stopped all resist
ance Tvs. 10, 1D. Plate could easily learn
hat. "Now" does not imply that it would
ret become "of this world" He means "now"
or strong statement Of its place and nature.
V. 81. third question is put, and in the
anne spirit: cart thou king, then" 1t is
n contemptuous surprise, in Greek: "A king,
is what thou art!" The reply is a
title obscure. PLATE did not say Jesus was
ling. Our Lords words mean. "Thou appli-
st the word king to me, and it is true, but
lot in the sense of this world. was born
SO he owns his humanity and came into
his world this refers to pre-existence and
ower) to witness to the truth. This is my
oyalty." How far-reaching is this word!
he truth as to the divine nature, attributes,
S to mercy and hope for men, as to Justice ]
nd Righteousness, as to love and grace-all
bis he came to witness to. Truth makes
rec, elevates, Strengthens. This is kings
randest work. He who witnesses to truth,
8 Christ did, makes free, elevates, strength
iC N ho nj. laIo 4