The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1891-11-19
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Christ Betrayed--John 1s:i-15-hiemory
T. Verses 4-6.


GOLDEN TESr.-The Son of Man is betrayed
into the hands Of sinners MARK HAL
CENTRAL TRUTH. The best men and the
best causes have their hours Of darkness
agony desertion aad defeat, but through these
they achieve final victory.
TIME.-From midnight till three o'clock Fri
day morning April I, A. d. 30.
PLACE. The garden OF Gethsemane and the
palace OF Caiaphas.
PARALLEL ACCOUNTS. 26:3J Ss1Sc
Mark "a :26. G!T3. Luke a2 $500
CIRCUMSTANCES After Jesus prayer they
sang o hymn, thus closing their long and
blessed meeting and went out into the streets
Of Jerusalem. toward the Mount OF Olives.
HELPS OVER HARD PLACEs.-1 "Bfook Ced-
ron:" or kidrou; a ravnc. brook In the rainy
season, that ran between Jerusalem and tho
Mount OF Olives. "a gardcn:" Gethsemane. ON
the lower slope of the Mount of Olives. Here
Jesus uttered His agonzing prayer three times,
from twelve to one O'Clock Friday morning.
q "a band Of" Eoman soldiers from the tower
Of Antonia. About ono O'Clock. A. Jesus.
knowing:" Tie went willingly, conscious OF all
that was before Him. Here is probably whero
Judas gave his kiss Of betrayal. 6. "They went
backward aad fell to the Ground:' The reasoas
Tor this display OF power may have been; I'd
1t took place that He might show that He sur
rendered Himself to death Willingly. Not only
was it impossible TO take Ills life from Him.
but even to seize His person, till lie willed that
men might do so. (2) II took place also that He
convinced those who came to apprehend Him,
that even in the extremity Of weakness and
submission. in which Ec suffered Himself 10 De
bound, He had power to protect His own IL
they had not Thus felt His power, the whole
co,.lnanv OF the disciples would have been ap-
pretended CD It would show His disciples
His power, ana awaken courage and faith in
thc,a. THE sayiur:' spoke in chap. 17:12-
THIS was one fluff .lnont. 10. Peter
smote cut OFF his right ear:" Peter was
il-n1r to
cause the disciples to be arrested as rebels,
and to make Jesus Himself seem rebel
against Rome. and His Kingdom temporal
kiugdom Jesus DESTROYED the evil effects by
healing MGichus. i2. TOOK Jcsus:' then all
the disciples fo-sook Jesus and fed. 13
"Aanas:" formerly high priest and now very
influential. He sent Elm to Caiaphas, the high
priest. who first examined Him: then called
the SGnhcdrim (wo to thrco o'clock, and they
decided He must die During this hour Peter
three times denied his Master. who was in tho
| hal opening into the court where Peter and
| John were around the Ere. TO understand tho
| postlon Cf Peter so must remember that
| Oriental palaces are built around an open
| Quadrangular court; sometimes there is
| large room open in front TO this court In such
| room Jesus had His first trial before tho
| Sanhedrra. Peter and Joan were in the court
| near the fire whore they could see jesus and
| watch the proceedings The first two denials
| were in the early part Of the trial. or at the ex-
| animation before Caiaphas, soon after Els en-
| tering (John 1878, Ia Luke 22:59.) The third
| denial must have been about three O'Clock,
| toward the close OF this first trial; for it was
| about an hour after the others duke 22:53) and
| at the hou r Of cock Growing.
LESSON COMMENT.
While Jesus was speaking these
words"--nameiy, John l4-17--Judas was
busy with the chief priests and Phari-
sees, making the final preparation for
His betrayal, Judas knew that Jesus
would probably go to the quiet Garden
of Gethscmane that night, SO he
guided the officers to that spot, and
there indicated which one was Jesus by
saluting him with a kiss AS the
armed throng gathered around Jesus
and His disciples, Jesus made no hesi-
tation about revealing Himself AS he
said ~ am He," it would seem as
though the Divine majesty of His per-
son in some way became for a moment
apparent, for the officers staggered back
and fell to the ground. When they had
recovered their presence of mind they
again proceeded to their business.
Then it was that Peter, full of excite
meut, drew his sword and struck out.
Jesus healed the damage done by His
over-zealous apostle and yielded Him
self quietly to the band of officers.
They tied the Master with ropes and
led him away for preliminary exam
ination to Annas, father-in-law to
Caiaphas, the high priest. This was
probably about two o'clock in the
morning.
Until the very last, none of the apos-
ties in any way suspected that they had
q traitor in their midst In fact, they
must have had a good deal of confidence
in Judas, for they had made him their
treasurer. After his character was re-
vealed, they found that he had been a
thief; but before the end came they un-
doubtedly entertained no such suspi-
cion. How was it, then, that Judas
came to betray his Lord and Master?
Did he leap at one bound from the posi-
tion of true and royal disciple to that
of grasping, covetous traitor? Look
at him, as months before he stood up
preaching the Gospel and then look at
him hanging on a tree, q suicide! Can
it be the same man? Alas, yes! it is
the same. How came this dire end to
! overtalse him? OF one thing we may
be sure: he reached the position OF
; traitor and suicide not at one leap, but
step By step FIRST, Ne aras cOret0us No
man steals before he covcts. Desire al
ways prcccdes action. First we want
! to do thing; then we go ahead and do
it, SECOND, actual theft. Wishing grew
into doing, and covcting ripened into
stealing THIRD, he became traitor.
Now he has gone very far from where
he once stood. He has given the reins
e to his wicked desires, and the crisis
comes soon. Conscience is aroused
{ He sees himself in his true light. Hor
ror fills his mind; but instead Of turn
> ing around and confessing his sin t.
: God, he pushes ahead and FOURTH, h
commits suicide An apostle, and sui
cide Is this possible? Yes, not only pos