Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1891-11-27
{ llklSr BEFORE PLATE.
LESSON TX, FOURTH QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES. NOV 20.


nit Verses, 81 Golden Text, Rom. TX,
e5-Commentary by the Rev. ID. NJ.
stearns.
Compiled from Lesson Helper Quarterly by
permission of II. 5. Hoffman, publisher, Phil
adephia.l
l. "Then PLATE therefore took Jesus and
Eourged Him"
PLATE fuding no fault in Him xviii, 8S)
desired to release Him, but they insisted
upon the release of Barabbas, robber and
murderer How like those who now pre-
fer the devil, a murderer from the begin
ming, to Jesus, the Prince Of Life.
9 And the soldiers plated a crown of
thorns and put it on His head, and they
put on Him purple robe"
3. "And said, Hail, king of the Jewsl
and they smote Him with their hands"
4. "Pilate therefore went forth again
and saith unto them, Behold, bring Him
forth to you, that we may know that find
no fault in Him"
His second testimony to the innocence of
Jesus (see his third in verse g. Compare
the testimonies to His innocence and holi-
ness given by Judas, Pilates wife, the
thief on the cross and the Roman cen
turon (Math xvii, 4, 10; Luke xiii, II,
40 He was indeed a lamb without bem-
ish and without spot. holy, harmless, un-
deliled and separate from sinners q Pet |,
10; Heb vii, PSI
5. "Then came Jesus forth, wearing the
crown of thorns, and the purple robe.
Aad PLATE saith unto them, Behold the
man"
Concerning the first king over Israel we
are told that when Samuel saw Saul the
Lord said unto him, Behold the man"
Il Sam. tx, 10 Saul, however, was Il great
contrast to Him of whom it is written in
Xech vi, IL, 10, behold the man whose
name is the Branch. He shall
build the temple of the Lord, and He shall
bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon
His throne" The Jews recognized Him
not us He stood before them with scourged
back, and thorn crowned head, and blood
stained face; but they shall see Him again
to their great sorrow Czech. xii, l0).
G. when the chief priests therefore and
officers saw Him, they cried out, saying,
Cruelty Him, cruelty Him."
{. 1.-The Jews answered Him, We have a
law, and by our law He ought to die, be-
cause He made Himself the Son of God"
Their accusations were that He said God
was His Father, making Himself equal
with God, and that He, being "A man, made
Himself God (chapter v, Is; X, 33). His
works had clearly proved that He was
what He said He was, for who but God
could cleanse the leper, open the eyes of
one born blind and raise the dead. He
called attention to these, saying, 1.-THE
works which the Father hath given Me to
finish, the same works that do bear wit
ness of Me that the Father hath sent Me-
Chapter V, 36).
s. "When PLATE therefore heard that
saying he was the more afraid"
O. "And went again into the judgment
hall and saith unto Jesus, Whence art
Thou? But Jesus gave Him no answer"
Jesus knew when to speak, and just
what to say, and when to be silent. If we
are true believers Christ is in us, why then
should we not know just when to speak
and when to be silent
TO- "Then saith PLATE unto Him, Speak
est Thou not unto me? knowest Thou
not that have power to cruelty Thee, and
have power to release TheeY'
So it seemed to PLATE, but he like other
rulers of whom we read in Scripture knew
not that "The Most High ruleth in the
kingdom of men, and giveth it to whom
soever He will, and setteth up over it the
basest of men" dan. iv, ~.
II. Jesus answered, Thou coudst have
no power at all against Me, except it were
delivered Me unto thee hath the greater
sin"
Even the devil could not lay II finger Oh
Job, the servant of God, without Gods per
mission Dob i, II; ii, G). How much les:
could PLATE touch the Son of God without
permission from God. But permission from
God does not lessen the guilt of the sinner
IL And from thenceforth PLATE sought
to release Him; but the Jews cried out
saying, If thou let this man 90 thou art
not Caesars friend; whatsoever maketl
himself a king speaketh against Caesar"
PLATE knew Him to be innocent ant
had three times testified to that fact; he
had just acknowledged to Jesus that ht
had power to release Him; he knew thai
that was the right thing to do, and yet ht
hesitates to do it. We cannot say goot
word in favor of his fear to do right.
10. "When PLATE therefore heard thai
saying he brought Jesus forth and sal
down in the judgment seat, in place thai
is called the Pavement, but, in the He
brew, Gabbatha."
PLATE decides to continue CAESARS frienC
at all costs, however much he would lik'
to be n friend of Jesus and he sits on tn,
judgment seat as Caesars representative
We are now to see and hear the worlds de
cison in reference to the Christ of God
H. "And it was the preparation of thu
passover and about the sixth hour, and h
saith unto the Jews, Behold your kingp'
In verse it was "Behold the manl'
Son of Man. Son of God King of the Jews
it is all true. 1t shall be seen now err
long, and the passover shall have its com
plete fulfillment in the kingdom of Coz
luke xxi, 10, l6) when He shall come, n
longer in humiliation riding upon an ass
colt John xii, IA, l5), but upon the whit
horse of power and victory accompanied
by all the armies of heaven (Rev. xix, lilo
Is. "But they cried out, Away with Him
Away with Him Cruelty Himl PLAT
saith unto them, Shall | Cruelty you
king? The chief priest answered, We hav
no king but Caesar"
Contrast Ps. lXxxix, IS, The Lord is GU
defense and the Holy One of Israel is on
King" But, as it was in Samuel's days
when they rejected God as their kin
Il Sam. viii, y, so now they rejected Go
manifest in the flesh, the Son of DaviC
Son of Abraham, Son of Man, Son of Goo
and they have been reaping the fruits c
their choice from that day to this. Ma