Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1895-05-16

Lesson Tor May I'D.
Golden Text.-"But Jesus yet answered
nothing; SO that Pilate marveled. Mark
10: 8.
Subject: Jesus Before Pilate-Mark Is:
lilo. Scene: Early morning In old Jeru-
salem. The sun IL just sending its first
intimation across Ollvet to the east, down
whose slopes few days since came the
triumphal procession. On the other side
rises Golgotha's pretentious brow, just
emerging from the night mists. Yonder
lift the temple towers, to whose shadow
Christ SO often came. But the denser
shadows, just seem massed about
the Pretorium. A group of men are push
ing their way in, Pilates court IL about
to convene. The personages: Here sits
PLATE the Roman ruler who was ruled. A
little beyond, the Pharisees, representa-
tives of faith that is dying, IL not dead.
Beyond them still the soldiery, looking
heartlessly on, waiting to do their cruel
part, and apparently anxious to be Mt the
doing. Yet further on the clamorous null
titude, nervous, curious, volatile, easily
led. In the remote background, shrinking
disciples, few women amongst them.
And in the midst, One like unto the Son
of God. Great God thy Son; and SUBJ
hitting himself to earth indulgence and
indignity! "Herein is love-" not that we
loved, but that God loved us.
Jesus bound" The Son of God bend
ing to the children of earth; amazing
condescension. "He BUNDLED himself and
became obedient unto DEATH" And II
was all for us, for us who insolently bound
him. And delivered" to PLATE. He is
delivered" to this world to-day for suf-
frage. Accept him or reject him, one or
the other. "And," ms Matthew says,
Jesus stood before the governor" He
is standing there yet, confronting the
state. What will the commonwealth do
with religion? What will politics do with
Jesus? Christ Is standing before each of
the dominant parties to-day and saying.
what will you do with mew Christ is
standing before every governor, and every.
emperor and every mayor of every city.
aud every chief Of department. You must
reckon with him in the state.
"Art thou the king Of the Jews" There
must have been a little sarcasm there,
Some contempt for the Christ, none for
the Jews. For well he knows that for
envy Siey have delivered him. Why in
deed should the sly plotting Jews be re-
porting one of their number as seditious?
A King indeed! ''Thou sayst it." Equiv
alent to strong affirmation. He was
King; he is King. Not seen of men. but
Of God, and Of those enlightened of Gods
Spirit. Not over mems heads, but mems
hearts. Your King, my King, the worlds
King, King of kings, and Lord of lords
is thus king of the Jews" And some
time Plate, and all the world, twill say it,
but Jesus yet answered nothing"
What did this silence of Jesus mean?
Was it distrust of men? Certainly he
knew what WINS in man, and how useless
was self-defense before the stiff-necked
and mcrciless sanhedrin at this time.
Was it meek and humble acquiescence
to the fell enmity of his foes? The end
he knew was nigh. Was it not above all,
a calm and noble acceptance of the title
given to him? What need indeed of verbal
response? He himself was the answer
His life and his Fastening death, and his
life after death, these declare him.
"Whomsoever they desired" And they
desired" as Peter says (Acts 3: 14). "a
murderer to be granted" Christ or Bar
abbas? The choice is open still. And the
choice is being daily made We choose
either the spiritual prince or the world
prince. and one stands for life and the
other for death. For the wages of sin
is death, but the gift of God is eternal
life through Jesus Christ our Lord"
what evil hath he done?" Pilates
question is still before the world. And
for an answer this: "Crucify him." Men
make up their lack of reasonable specifi-
cations against the Christ by the loud
ness of their personal rejection of him.
The world is as irrational as ever; and as
cruel.
Hints and illustrations.
Pilates court is yet in session. There
they stand. Just now PLATE has said
"Behold the man" Behold him? How
can we help it? All eyes are upon him.
We are not looking at the richly robed
governor or the piously bedecked priests;
Christ is the cynosure of every gaze.
They thought to put him on trial, and. 10,
he has them before him, instead. Plate
is writhing: his wife wringing her hands.
the Pharisees are foaming, the tickle
people shrieking, and on the edge some
womcn's tears. This, this is the worrl
insstent beneath the whole picture:
what shall / do, then, with Jesus,
who is called Chris, ?"
Pilates court. we have called II. H.
might better be named Christ's court; his
lower court. The upper court has not yet
convened that comes next. Friend. get
ready, pass this lower tribunal first What
will you do with Jesus? For before the
Christ on trial, are gathered. themselves
in the balance, PLATE and the Pharisees,
and the multitude and the disciples. These
four classes. representative in their way.
make up thus parties to this protected
assize. 1t Is Christ before the world, and
the world before Christ.
And what will the Pharisee do with
the Christ? Hc, too. will cruelty him.
Perhaps he does not mean to at the first.
He only endeavors to suppress the new
voice. to silence il. Then comes open
disavowal, denial opposition. At last
to meet this new doctrine. The author Of
1t must be put to death. Crucifxion is
the certain end Of the Pharisee's rejection
of Christ. To religiously withstand
Christ is to cruelty him. He is wounded
in the house of his friends. wounded to
the death. And the multitudes, what will
they do with the Christ? Oh, they will
listen to him Mt the first, be interested,
indeed, for while pleased. 1.-THE COM
mon people heard him gladly"-heard
him, that was all. Out there Mt the city
gate they wave palm branches and cry.
"Hosannav' Yet it Is the same multi
tude that to-day is hoarsely shouting,
Cruelty him. They have come to un-
derstand him better to-day; what he is,
n spiritual king; and what he demands, a
spiritual surrender. That they are not