The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1895-05-02
SUNDAY MEDITATION
A Study Of the International Sunday
School Lesson Appointed for May
IL, 1895.


IL, 1895.
Subject: The Arraignmcnt OF Christ Before
the Sanhedrim. st. Mark, ID: 30, 55-65.
zone reading these notes should first carefully
study the paragraph from the Holy Scriptures as
indicated abovc.l Ac
1. Data
It Is everything to read all the accounts
given. See st. Matt, &c: 81, 59-6S; st. Mark,
IA: 3d. 55-65; st. Luke, %: 63-7l. st. John
does not mention this arraignment. The re-
ports of SITS. Matthew, Mark and Luke were
written about 81 years after the events occur
red, The first two wrote in Rome, while
st. Luke issued his book from Achaia, in
Greece There is no contradiction In the sew
cral reports. They differ, as would be expected
in the instance of three honest witnesses.
Exactness of the accounts would lead to sus-
picion as suggesting collision.
@ Time.
The arraignment took place March 10, A. d.
%, Friday morning, from, say, 3 o'clock to 8
o'clock, 1866 years ago. Notice an incident
occurring toward the close Of the trial men,
toned in St. Matt. %: IA" the cock crew."
Christ was in his Saith year. He was crucfed
on the same day. lingering on the cross from
9 a. m. to 3 D. m. The proceedings before the
Sanhedrim during the night hours were not
legal, and the morning session was required to
give effectiveness to measures which had prao-
tically been decided upon not far after the mid
night before.
3. Place.
The trial of Christ took place in Jerusalem.
It was in the court of the palace or private
mansion of Caiaphas, the high priest st.
Matt, 90: 3. The Sanhedrim generally held
H. do If ali
of the Temple north of the gate Parbar. The
place was called Gazith. Hastiness called for
some irregularity as to locality; as one now in
special emergency seeks judge at his private
residence being too impatient or too pressed
TO wait for Office hours 1t is possible also that
the palace, rather than the council chamber
proper, Was sought by reason Of their concern
not to make any necessary stir or publicity
about the arrest and trial Of Christ, they we'll
knowing that many of the common people were
in sympathy with him.
4. The Court and Jury.
Christ was arraigned before the Sanhedrim.
It was the final court of the jewish Nation. 1t
numbered II persons. being composed Of high
priest, ex-high priest rulers of synagogs and
other leading men of Jewish nationality. We
know by name four of the members; to wit,
Caiaphas, Annss, Nicodemus, and Joseph of
Aramathea. The last two were friends of
Christ From the fact st. Mark IA: Ga states
all who were present condemned Jesus, we
know that Nicodemus and Joseph were absent.
Being known or suspected as adherents Of
Christ, they may not have been apprised of the
meeting See st. L., % 81; st. John, z: So
81; 10: 49, The high priest serving was the
President OF the Council. Said Council had
special supervision in all ecclesastic matters
and originally possessed Tie power of capital
punishment. After their su Election to the Ro-
mans the right to execute offenders was, how
ever, taken from the Sanbedfim. 1t seems the
Council was in some wayAsnggested to the Jews
during their captivity at BaBylon for the San
hedrim was not organized It'll some time after
their return. The first mention of the Council
is supposed to be in Mac, Il: 10. The Judge
in the case of Christ's eeceIesiastic trial was
Caiaphas; the jury the Remembers of the San.
hedrim. We notice that afthis trial Christ had
no advocate. ois /"
ss s. PrisSner1
II seems saerilegious to speak of Christ as
felon, culprit, fellow. St Mt, 26: 81. It is only
the lower orders of even heather nations which
presume to whip their gods. Wonderful is it
to see the Son of God under arrest, treated i'm
pertipenty, denied the tight Of even fair trial,
subjected to insults which gonld enrage a real
criminal and offend dog, Without record
against him OF single mix induces or Injustice,
and without any charge of crime against him,
he was treated as only becomes violator of
most sacred law.
6. Prosecutors.
We find from st. Mt, 26: 3-5, that the accus-
ers Of Christ were certain chief priests, scribes
and elders. Many of them were members of
the Sanhedrim, the very body that tried and
condemned Christ. The court and jury were
from the start opposed to Jesus and their ver-
dict against him foregone fact Their atti-
~ cd lar lxyf taal
and prejudice. As leaders of the people relig-
iously, they hated one who seemed more popu-
lar aud successful than they proved themselves
to be.
z. The Charge.
The Sanhedrim dealt specially with ecclesi-
astical matters. The Roman courts handled
cases of treason, sedition and the like. The
against Christ with which the Coun-
Gil could deal was blasphemy. That sin con-
sists in the speaking in such way as to harm
God in the opinion of men, causing them not
to respect him so highly, nor to obey him SO
reverently. 1t is also the assumption on the
part of any man of prerogatives belonging
alone to Deity. For man to claim to be the
son Of some prominent person when in fact he
is not so related, would be an insult and gross
wrong. To claim intimacy with some re-
nowned person. and to assert one had great in
fuence with him, would be an outrage. Bias
death. The jews however. having been sub
iected to Roman rule, were denied the right of
inflictipg capital punishment. Hence, even
had they succeeded in honestly proving Christ
guilty of blasphemy, they could not have put
him to death unless the sentence secured the
approval of the Roman Governor. We find it
was necessary for them, before an order could
be issued for the execution, to bring Christ be-
fore the Roman representative on charge
affecting not religious propriety. but civil OBJ
legation. The two specifications OF tho charge
of blasphemy made against Christ were as fol-
lows: /. He claimed that if they destroyed the
Temple he would rebuild it within three days.
1t had taken centuries TO put the structure
into shape, and repairs had been going on for
46 years. To assume to rebuild it in three days
was to claim su perhuman power; was in reality
to make ones self equal to God. 2. Jesus said:
81 am. and ye shall see tho Son of man sitting
on the right hand of power and coming in the
clouds of heaven" st. Mark, IA: 62.
8. Witnesses.
The Mosaic law requires that no man be
found guilty on any charge unless two wit.
nesses appear whose testimonies agree. Deu,
10: Is. They must not contradict each other
and they must both give evidence OF the same
points There were men hit the time Of Christ's
trial who stood ready to swear against him, but
the Sanhedrim found none for some time whose
evidence did not prove contradictory. Know
ing they could not prove him guilty of any
wicked charge, they sought for witnesses who
were so corrupt as to be willing to swear to
fasehoods. But it is very difficult to secure
such evidence from evil witnesses as will tally.
The Sanhedrim found such difficulty, and very
likely were forced TO do AS in the case of St.