Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1890-10-31
JESUS ACCUSED.
LESSON V, FOURTH QUARTER, IN
TERNATlONAL SERIES, NOV. 2.

$500 ~
Commit Verses 66-7O-Golden Text,
lisa. lii, documentary by Rev. d. NJ.
Stearns.
compiled from Lesson Helper Quarterly by per-
mission Of II. S. Hoffman, publisher, Philadel
phia.l
81. "Then took they Him, and led Him,
and brought Him into the high priests
house. And Peter followed afar off"
John says that they took Him and bound
Him, and led Him away to Annas first
John xviii, IL, 13). Matthew and Mark
both say that then all the disciples forsook
Him and fled, but John adds that Peter
and another disciple mo doubt HIMSELF
afterward followed Matt. xvii, SO; Mark
xiv, so; John xviii, 15). When Jesus sur
rendered Himself to them He asked that
the disciples might be allowed to go their
way John xviii, 81, but yet by their for.
saking Him what became of their assertion
that they would die with Him rather than
deny Him Mark xiv, 3Df
So. "And when they had kindled a fire
In the midst of the hall, and were set down
together, Peter sat down among them"
This is surely a down grade. For a few
verses now we leave our Lord in the hands
of His captors, and consider Peter being
sifted. And what a contrast between the
disciple and his Master! The one faithful
unto death, the other in the company of
those who hated Him and were seeking
His life.
Sc. "But q certain maid beheld him as
he sat by the fire, and earnestly looked
upon him and said, This man was also
with Him." We are observed when we
least think it, and by those whom we think
see nothing. Let a person go from home,
and being among strangers, and unknown
las he thinks, let him do the least thing
that he would not do II at home, and it
will surely be carried abroad and at some
time brought home 10 him. But Peter
was here accused of nothing wrong, he
was simply pointed out by this maid as a
follower of Jesus, and judging from his
previous confessions in Matt. xvi, 16; John
vi, 6S, 80, we would nave expected him to
stand by his colors and rejoice to own Je-
sus as his Lord. But he was alone now
and in the midst Of s~coffers. How have
you acted under similar circumstances
81. "And he denied Him, saying, Wo-
man, l know Him not" Did you act that
way when you found yourself among the
scoffersf Or if you did not openly say
that you were not a Christian, did your
silence when He was ridiculed, or the Bible
sneered at, give consent? Or do you al
ways by word and deed proclaim yourself
on the Lords slider
IS. And after a little while another saw
him and said, Thou art also one of them.
And Peter said, Man, l am not" Another
opportunity Of confessing Christ is given
to this poor erring man, but again he loses
it and adds sin to sin.
80. "And about the space of one hour
after another confidently affirmed, saying,
OF a truth this fellow also was with Hin,
for lie is II Galilean."
60. "And Peter said, Man | know not
what thou sayest. And Immediately, while
he yet spake, the cock crew Matthew
says that he now began to curse and swear
Clatt. XVI, "a. What II sink of iniquity is
the heart of man! owdesperately wickedl
81. And the Lord turned, and looked
upon Peter. And Peter remembered the
word of the Lord, how He had said unto
him, Before the cock crow hot shalt deny
me thrice" The Lord had seen and heard
it all, and no doubt it grieved Him to His
heart, and Peter had added TO His much
sorrow, but He loved His SHINING one
through it all, and this look now turned
upon him must have been full of tenderest
love, mingled with deepest sadness.
G2. And Peter went out and wept bit
terly." That loving look pierced his heart
and brought him to his senses.
CD. "And the men that held Jesus
Knocked Him and smote Him." We now
turn from Peter, who failed, to Peters
Lord, who faileth never. Peter they only
spoke to and accused of being with Jesus;
but Jesus they mock and even smite.
ca. And when they had blindfolded
Him they struck him on the face, and
asked him, saying, Prophesy, who is it that
smote thee?" Lose not sight of the fact
that this i'll treated one is God manifest in
the flesh. The Lord of Hosts, the God OF
Israel, the mighty one of Jacob, the only
Redeemer Of men, and thus is His treat
mem from those whom He came to save,
Not for Israel only did He suffer thus, but
for you too, dear reader, and for every
scholar in your class.
65. "And Many other things blasphem.
ously spake they against Him." Buffet
ed, Knocked, spoken against, but He fails
not.
&c. "And as soon as it was day, the elders
of the people, and the chief priests and the
scribes came together, and led Him unto
their council" The fearful night had
passed and the more fearful day had come
OF, %. ArI unOu tne CurlSt! tel US
And He said unto them, If | tell you, ye
will not believe; and if | also ask you, ye
will not answer me nor let me co. He
knew that they meant to kill Him, and
that their question was an idle one. He
knew that His hour had come to be offered
up, and that this was the way to the cross
60. thereafter shall the Son of Man sill
on the right hand of the power of God. >
Matthew adds, And come in the clouds
of heaven" (XXvi, 6), He has not yet beer
brought before the Roman governor. He
has been before Annas and Caiaphas, anG
now He is still before the Jewish council
and He reminds them of the words of theil
prophet Daniel vii, 49, concerning the
coming of the Son of Man in glory,
10. Then said they all. Art Thou theI
the Son of Godg And He said INTO them
Ye say that | am" He acknowledges that
it is even so. He is the Son of Man ant
the Son of God, the Divine human Mes
siah, the God man to sit in due time OF
David's throne. He has by word and deco