The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1890-11-14
JESUS IN COURT.
EssoN VI, FOURTH QUARTER, IN.
TERNATlONAL SERIES, NOV. 8.


Commit Verses II, 1s-Golden Text.
Luke kill, documentary by Rev. ID.
NJ. stearns.
compiled from Lesson Helper Quarterly by per.
mission Of H. S. Hoffman, publisher, Phlladel-
phia.]
!. Sand the whole multitude of them
prose, and led Him unto Plate" 1t Is
written In Ps Ii, l., 2, that the Gentiles
fage and the kings Of the earth set them
belves and the rulers take counsel together
against the Lord and against His anointed;
10 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.
A D. And they began to accuse Him, say
ing, We found this fellow perverting
the nation, and forbidding to give trib-
fute to Caesar, saying that He Him.
self is Christ a 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.
Z "And PLATE asked Him, saying, Art
Thou the King of the Jews9 And He an
swered him, and said, Thou sayest it,"
l The accounts in Matthew and Mark agree
with this, but John gives the additional
information that Jesus said to PLATE,
"Sayest thou this thing Of thyself, or did
others tell it thee of Me?" John xviii, 34).
Y 4. "Then said PLATE to the chief priests
and to the people, find no fault in this
man." According to the account in John,
y PLATE said these words three different
j times John xviii, 3S; XIX 4, g., thus giving
a threefold direct testimony to the inno-
cence of Jesus. And this from the Roman
governor, who was certainly supposed to be
. capable of forming somewhat correct
Judgment concerning persons guilt or in
nocence
B. "And they were the more fierce, say
ing, He stirreth up the people, teaching
throughout all Jewry, beginning from Gal
lice to this place" Afraid of losing their
prey, they lie more vehemently concerning
Him.
6. "When PLATE heard of Galilee, he
asked whether the man were a Galilean."
He saw himself in difficult position and
was glad of the possibility of escape from
it. He had before him an innocent man.
and also cruel and bloodthirsty people
crying for the death of that innocent man.
How could it be that from Galilee to Jeru-
salem all the people were stirred up against
Caesar by this mans teaching and the Ro-
man governor. never have heard of 1t.
PLATE sees how foolish and ungrounded
this accusation is and he pays no heed to it.
He is only anxious for some way out of his
difficulty.
z. "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. iii, l.,
we read 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.
8. "And when Herod saw Jesus he was
exceeding glad, for he was DESTROYS to see
Him of long season, because he had heard
many things of Him; and he hoped to have
seen some miracle done by Him" In
.Ghaps- tx &, Wa learn that after heheading
John, Herod heard of Jesus and desired to
see Him. In Mark vi, IA, we read that
Herod thought that Jesus was John the
Baptist risen from the dead, and that that
accounted for His mighty works. Jesus tho
Nazarene was evidently talked about even
at Herod's court, but it must have been as
some wonder worker among the poor, OF
whom the rich and the great knew very
little If Herod wanted much to see Him
why did he not see Him? Jesus did not
keep Himself hid. AS this verse indicates,
his desire was only to see the wonder work
er and some of His wonders, but it was not
worth his while to put himself out for it.
He really wanted nothing from the poor
Jew of Nazareth, for what could a poor
despised Nazarene do for so great Roman
citizen as Herod? But now at last they are
face to face; let us observe and listen.
9. "Then he questioned with Him in
many words, but He answered Him moth
ing" Jesus is quietly going forward to
His death. He is in the hands of His en-
emies, 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 He came to bear witness. So He is
the Jews want only His death; entertain
that purpose; He came to give eternal life,
but that Herod does not want.
TO- "And the chief priests and scribes
stood and vehemently accused Him." Rep
resentatives 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 His, nor be in
the least moved; they can only go as far as
God permits, but hair Of our heads they
cannot hurt beyond this present time
H. "And Herod with his men of war set
Him at naught, and Knocked Him, and ar
rayed Him in a gorgeous robe, and sent
Him again to PLATE" Thus is His meek
ness rewarded by these cruel ones. He will
not crafty their curiosity nor entertain
them with His wonders, and this is their
revenge, and He suffers it meekly, like all
the rest of their ill treatment. Is there not
something like this on the part of many to-
day, who will not say anything good Of
such as refuse to provide entertainment
for the curious in the house of God, and
prefer the truth and the truth alone to
draw and keep the people, believing that
Jesus lifted up Is sufficient to draw and
save and keep; in fact, that the old, old
story of Jesus and His love is all our need,
and even though we be set at nought and
Knocked and despised for it we will meekly
keep on our wayi Be not discouraged,
dear teachers and preachers, if the Herodi-
ans (the worldly ones) despise you for your
narrow ways when you join not with them.
Think of Jesus despised and crucifed, and