The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-11-05
SABBATH SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL EESSON FOR
NOVEMBER 8.
Lesson Text: Jesus Before PLATE ana
Herod, Luke xiii, 1-12-
Golden Text: Luke xiii,
documentary.

WIlGISu Ill L, ~, Guot eu0 0cnoAAoS
rage and the kings Of the earth set them.
selves and the rulers take counsel together
against the Lord and against His anointed;
so that to fulfill the Scriptures Jesus had
to pass through the hands Of Gentiles as
well as Jews. And there we find Him in
this lesson. There was no doubt q ful.
fllment Of this in the past expressions OF
Gods anointed Israel by Egypt, Assyrta
and other nations; there will be fulfill.
ment in tie great tribulation Of the latter
days when, just before the appearing OF
Christ in glory with His saints, all nations
shall be gathered against the Holy City and
people (zech. xiv, Is; Joel, iii, /, Q; Jer.
< tx5 7 but t., the he great central fula%snt Linen,
ings either Israel or the church have passed,
or may yet pass, all are as nothing when
compared with the suferings of Him who Is
King of Israel and the great Head of the
church; who by His sufferings made recon.
ciHation for the sins Of the whole world 4
John H., q, on whom was laid the iniquity
Of US all .--..-.
2. "And they began to accuse Him, saying,
We found this fellow perverting the nation,
and forbidding to give tribute to Cesar, say.
ing that He Himself is Christ o King" Thus
the rulers Of the Jews accused Jesus before
PLATE. What an accusation. Two Lies and
one truth in that which Is here written. Just
think Of accusing Him Of forbidding to give
tribute to Cesar, who commanded them to
give tribute to whom tribute was due; and Of
saying that He who ever taught righteous
ness and always spake openly was guilty OF
perverting the people. See His own words,
"Render therefore unto Cesar the things
which are Ceesar's" (BIatt. xii, 2D. So that
what He really said is left out and He is &C.
cused of just the opposite.
g. "And PLATE asked Him, saying, Art
Thou the King of the Jews? And BE answer
ed him, and said, Thou sayest it." The ae
counts in Matthew and Mark agree with this
but John gives the additional information
that Jesus said to Plate "Sayest thou thi,
thing of thyself. or did others tell it thee oi
Meg' John xviii, 34. See also the othei
words Of Jesus to Plate concerning His King
dom in John xviii, Sc, 81. The words my
Kingdom is not of this world" are sometimes
quoted against US when we speak Of JesW
coming back again to establish His Kingdom
on this earth. But observe the context, .:Now Il
NV Kingdom not from hence.n His Kingdom
is not from earth, but from heaven; 1t will
not be set up in this world, but in the world
to come-that is Oh this earth made new 10
the regeneration (Matt. xix, Is; II Pet. i'll,
13, IA; Heb. vi, s.. In reference to the
other accusations Of the chief priests which
were lies, Jesus answered neither them nor
PLATE anything Matt xvii, 12-l4; Mark
XIV, 3-5. Let rs treat lies about ourselves
in the same way. Let rs not be troubled by
Ing to. But let US bear witness unto tht
truth. O."
T. Then said Plate to the chief priesa
and to the people, I find no fault IN thu
man." According 20 the account In John
PLATE said these words three different times
John xviii, 3S; xix, 4, 81, thus giving
threefold direct testimony to the innocenca
of Jesus. And thi, from the Roman gover
nor, who was certainly supposed to be capable
Of forming somewhat correct Judgment
concerning q PERSONS guilt cr innocence. ~
5. Sand they were the more ferca say.
ing, He stirreth up the people, teaching
throughout all Jewry. beginning from Gal
lice to this place." Afraid Of losing their
prey, they fie more vehemently concerning
Him.
6. "When Plate hsardof Galilee he asked
whether the man were Galilean." he saw
himself in difficult position and was glad
Of the possibility Of escape from It. Hs had
before him an innocent man, and also
cruel and bloodthirsty people crying for the
death Of that innocent man. How could II
be that from Galilee to Jerusalem all the
people wefe stirred up against Cesar by
this mans teaching and the Roman COVER.
foolish and ungrounded this accusation Is
and he pays no heed to 1t. he is only anx-
ious for some way out of his difficulty.
T. "And as soon as he knew that He be-
longed unto Herod's Jurisdiction, he sent Him
to Herod, who himself also was at Jerusalem
at that time" In chap. ill.,, l, weread that
Pontius PLATE was governor OF Judea and
Herod tetrarch of Galilee. Herod's being in
Jerusalem at this time was no doubt Of God,
that he, too, as another GENTLE ruler, might
see and testify to the innocence OF Jesus,
thus providing two witnesses from among
the Gentle rulers Deut xvii, 8; xix, l0.
The most OF the three years public ministry
of Jesus had been in Galilee, and there had
the majority Of His many mighty works
been wrought.
s. 'And when Herod saw Jesus he was e1'
ceedingly glad, for he was desirous to seq
Him Of a long season, because he had heard
many things Of Him; and he hoped to have
seen some miracle done by Him. In chaps.
tx, O. we learn that after beheading John,
Herod heard Of Jesus and desired to see
Him. In Mark vi, "A, we read that Herod
thought that Jesus was John the Baptist
risen from the dead, and that that accounted
for His mighty works. Jesus the Nazarene
was evidently t.lkel about even at Herods
court. but 1t must have been as some Won
der worker among tho poor, of whom the
rich and the great knew very little go.
9. 'Then he questioned with Him IN many
words, but He answered him nothing"
Jesus is quietly going forward to His death.
He is in the hands OF His enemies, and
neither in the heart Of Herod nor in the heart
Of any one Of His accusers Is there the least
desire to hear the truth to which IL came TO
bear witness. So BE is silent. Herod would
like to be entestained; the Jews want only
His death; entertainment Jesus Will not
give: he came not for that purpose; DE
came to give eternal life, but that Herod does .
not want. q
10. "Aud the chief priests and scribes stood
md yehemently accused Him." Represents.
tiyes Of the great accuser from whom all the
followers Of Jesus suffer, the father OF lies,
the accuser of the brethren, let us not fear
either Him or Eis, nor be in the least movedt
thew can only go as far as God permits, but
hair of our heads they cannot burt beyond
his present time. Our real life IS beyond
their power, for Christ is our life; and though
Him they crucied, yet He rose from tht
dead perfect in soul and body; ard so shall II
.e with us.
IL. land Herol with his meu Of war set
Him at naught, and mccSed Him, and or
rayed Him in 6 gorgeous robe. and sent Him
again to Plate" Thus is His meekness re-
Sarded by these cruel ones. He will not
crafty their curiosity nor entertain them
With His wonders, aud this is their revenze.
and He suffers it meekly, like all the rest OF
their III treatment.
70. eAnd the same day Plate aud Herod
were made friends together: for before
they were at enmity between themselves.
It is not strange that two such as Pilats
and Herod should be at ennlity, for they
knew not the Prince of Peace; but it Is
strange indeed when those who bear the
name of the Prince of Peace are at enmity
among themselves and will not unite In His
service: yet such things are often seen. They
III ...i4s aeza;xc+ Him nnd nftan ha brnuoht