The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-05-11

ennce of the clamorous priests there was
no possibility of deliberation. Plate there
fore had Jesus removed to the inner judg-
ment hall.
Jesus is now, for the only time, in an
earthly kings house. He has been led
up the noble fight of stairs, over the floors
of agate and lazuli, under the gilded roof
ceiled with cedar and painted with YER
million" He sees now what visible.splen-
doris might have been his own, if he had
consented to be the Messiah the Jews were
waiting to welcome. To be in a kings
house, even for such short period, was
not of his own choosing. Such, he knew,
were not the symbols of his kingdom.
In the quiet of the judgment hall, from
which the priests were by their sanctimo-
niousness self-exclu1ed, PLATE asked of
Jesus the question of our lesson-passage:
Art htou the King at the -Jc7os j? In the
brief reply which Mark records, 7Hou say
est, ie., III is as M0n sayeSt, us included
the result of a conversation. Jesus asked
him, "Sayest Hsou this ofHyself2" While
Jesus does not care to dispute with the
Jews, he is not averse to answering PLATE,
as man and Roman. AmIa /e7O ~
is Pilates disdainful answer; shine oqOn
nation and tie czief priests aeli0eyed kiee
unto me aoliat hast hi0n done ?" Jesus
answered, MY kingaom is not of this
aOoyld.' it my kingaom mere Of this zO0yld,
then aOould my servants fight, that I
sAould not be deli0e,ed 10 tie .Jea0s. bit
nov is my kingdom not from hence
PLATE saw in the friendless man before him
no enemy to imperial Rome. There is
tone of respect in his next question, Art
thor a King then? 1t is in response to
this question that Jesus gives the reply
which both Mark and John preserve to us
in its idiomatic form: Thou sayest. He
further explains the nature of his kingdom
70sthis end haze been born, and to this
end came + into The zOoyld, that I should
bear 7VitnesS unto the truth. PLATE sees
before him new kind of King, the King
of Truth. There is an unRoman defer
ence to the Prisoner in his next question,
What is truth
PLATE leaves Jesus in the judgment hall
and goes to the portico and speaks in his
behalf to the priests. He declares that he
finds no fault in him. The accusations
are more fierce than before. It'll declared
that Jesus has been preaching treason alike
in Galilee and Judea.
On being thus reminded that Jesus is a
Galilean and accountable to Herod An
tipas, PLATE sends the prisoner to that
king, who is now, as professed Jew, at
tending the feast in Jerusalem. Jesus for
a period stands before Herod. But not
one word will he speak to the king who
beheaded John the Baptist. Herod sends
the Prisoner back to PLATE.
And Plate brings Jesus again before his
accusers. And tie chief priests accused
him ofmany things. But Jesus will deny
no accusation of his enemies. Even when
PLATE solcits denial from him, on which
he can base the acquittal he is anxious to
bestow, Jesus mo more answered anything.
The moral grandeur of this silence is not
wholly lost upon PLATE. He beholds
self-remnciation transcending any Roman
ideal. Pslate narOel2ea
2. Rejected by the PeOple,-vs.
GIL.
When Plate said to the priests that
neither he nor Herod had found anything
worthy of death in Jesus, and proposed to
scourgc him and let him go, he no doubt
intended friendly act to the forsaken
Prisoner. But there was in his act fatal
concession. To declare Jesus innocent,
yet in Difference to the priests hatred pro.
pose to scourge him,--to have his bare
back lashed with scourge, its iron thongs
tearing his hesh,-only added to the rage
of the priests party. To liberate Jesus as
an act of imperial justice might have awed
the mob. To liberate him as an artifce,
was forfeiture of the mob's respect.
Pilates perplexity on his tribunal was
now increased by message from his wife,
named in tradition Claudia Procula, who,
because of vivid morning-dream, warned
her husband to do nothing against ''that
Just man." 1t is a fact to reflect upon that
the one voice raised in Jesus behalf during
all this cruel trial was that of woman
and pagan.
1t was custom of Plate to release a
prisoner at each of the great Jewish feasts.
IL Wdo INC IOiSSuSu PiiNiSSC Vi tuC pOPu-
lace, by the living voice, to choose what
prisoner should be set free. PLATE, on be-
ing reminded of this custom, asked of the
people, WiH ye that I release unto you
the King Of tie -JeaOs? For PLATE could
plainly see that it was for envy that the
chief priests desired the destruction of Je-
sus; and he as politician inferred that
the people would show favor to one who
dared to name himself 'King of the Jews"
Again was PLATE disappointed. The
priests had instructed the crowd to clamor
for the release of noted prisoner, Barab-
bas, an insurgent and assassin. The cry
that greeted the ears of Plate was, AaVay
70tth this man, and release unto as Bar
a66aS.
The name Barabhas signifies that he was
the son of rabbi. He had been violent
rebel against the Roman authorities, and
was now in bonds waiting his trial.
1t is to be observed that Barabbas was
unquestionably guilty of the precise acts
which the priests had falsely and hypocrit-
ically charged against Jesus.