Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-05-25
international 9e55ua5.
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON x, SECOND QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, JUNE S.
Text of the Lesson, Math. xvii, 11-26.
Memory Verses, 21-24-Golden Text,
ctoarpa-


Memory Verses, 21-24-Golden Text, I
Tim. !, 15-Commentary by the Rev. d.
II. Stearns.
YCopyright, 1898. by D. M. Stearns.]
II. And Jesus stood before the govern
or, and tho governor asked Him, saying,
Art Thou tho King Of the .Iews2 And 'Je-
sus said unto him, Thou saycst. He gave
tho samo answer when Judas said, "Mas-
ter, is it II" (chapter XVI, 25). After all
the agony of Gcthsemanc and tho insult
and mockery before the high priest, along
with Peters denial and all forsaking
Him, He has been brought by the chiot
priests and elders of tho Jews before the
Roman governor on thoir part determined
that He shall be put to death oversees !, y.
When the wise mon camo from the east
at the time of His birth, their inquiry was,
"Where Is He that is born King Of the
JewsP" (chapter ii, p. And it shall yet
be seen by all nations that He is what He
confessed before PLATE.
12. "And when He was accused OF the
chief priests and elders He answered moth
Ing" There was nothing to answer, for
there was no truth in thoir accusations,
and He knew that they were determined
to kill Him and that the time had come
for Him to let them.
13, II. "And He answered him to never
a word, insomuch that the governor mar
yeled greatly" PLATE saw that he had a
most extraordinary prisoner. He had new
er met one like this, and he knew not what
to think Of Him. Pilate had strange
work on hand that day, and no man be-
fore or since ever had just such an oppor-
tunity. Looking at Jesus, we see how we
should act when unjustly treated and
falsely accused, for He left us an example
Of patient endurance of wrong that is un-
parallcled Il Pet. ii, 20, 2D.
Is. "Now, at that feast tho governor
was wont to release unto tho people pris-
oner whom they would" PLATE gave the
release but the people chose the man.
Consider Him who stood dumb before Pi-
late as having up to that time released
millions of prisoners from the power OF
satan, and millions since by His going to
prison and to death for us. He still lives
to set the prisoners free, and whosoever
will accept Him is forever free. He might
have SGT Himself free, for they could not
take His life unless Ho willcd it (John x,
1S). But He could not free Himself and
US too. He died that we might live.
16, II. "Whom will yo that 1 release
unto you, Barabbas or Jesus, which is
called Christi" Our lesson says that this
man was a notable prisoner. In Luke
xiii, 10, 1t is said that no was in prison
for sedition and murder. Fancy people
asked to choose between red handed mur-
derer and the spotless Lamb Of God, be-
tween one Of the greatest Of sinners and
the only Saviour Of sinners, Barabbas or
Christ! The choice today Is between the
most notable of all prisoners (see Rev. Xxx,
l, q, the father of lies and murderer
from the beginning John viii, Az, and
this same Jesus who silcntly-but, oh, so
bcseechingly for our sakes-awaits our
choice.
1s. "For he knew that for envy they
had delivered him." 1t is written in Prov.
xvii, 4, "Wrath is cruel, and anger is
outrageous, but who is able to stand be-
fore envyp" Stephen said in his sermon
that "the patriarchS, moved with envy,
sold Joseph into Egypt" (Acts vii, %.
49, "Have thou nothing to do with that
Just Man, for l have suffered many things
this day in dream because Of Him. |"
This was tho message that came to PLATE
from his wife as he sat on the Judgment
seat Good was it for her If sho never suf-
fered but in dream because Of Him. She
acknowledged Him to be righteous Man,
but we have no evidence that she received
Him as the Son Of God. Multitudes even
yet call Him good Man. but will not 40
cept Him as God their Saviour.
30, 81. "WheUher of the twain will ye
that I release unto you? They said, Barab-
bas" The chief priests and elders put
them up to this, for they were bound to
destroy Jesus. There are many in places
of authority who influence others to do
wrong-many false teachers who teach
error.
22 "Pilate saith unto them, What shall
I do, then, with Jesus, which is called
Christi They all say unto him, Let Him
be cruciflcd." So they decided that they
would have mono of Him. Ho must be
killed-the creature hating the Creator,
man attempting to do away with God who
made him. He came unto His own, and
His own received Him not. They said:
"This is the heir. Come let us kill him,
and let us seize on his Inheritance. And
they caught him and cast him out Of the
vineyard and slew him (John i, II, 12;
Math. xxi, 3S, 3V. How He had told it
all to them over and over again, for He
knew it all from tho beginning! But their
hearts were hardened and their eyes were
blinded.
But what about Pilates question? for
there Is none liko it. Every one who has
ever heard of Christ must ask it Of his
own soul, "What shall do with Jesus?"
He is before each one for acceptance or re-
lection.
90, "a. "I am innocent Of the blood Of
this just person. See yo to it." Persuaded
of His innocence, vainly seeking to release
Him, yet afraid to do right because of the
people, PLATE washes his hands before them
all and proclaims his innocence In this
affair But it won't wash off PLATE as
easy as that, as you have found ere this.
1t is easy to say, ~ am innocent" But
what does God think of it? In Mark XIV,
Is, the record is that Pilate was willing to
content the people, but he certainly was
not willing to do right ut any cost.
25 "Then answered all the people and
said, His blood bo on us and on our chill
dren." They might have accepted this
precious cornerstone and built surely upon
it for time and eternity, but they chose
to have it fall upon them and crush them
(Math. xxi, 42, Az. They might have
been as safe under this passover blood as
were their fathers in Egypt, but they
preferred to trample it underfoot. Fear
full was tho curse they pronounced upon
themselves, and it continues to this day.
g. "Thcn released he Barabbas unto
them, and when no had scourgcd Jesus no
delivered Him to be crucifled." The MUIR
derer goes free, and the innocent is
scourgcd and cruciflcd. What about this
blood Pilate? On what ground do you
scnnrnn an innncent Man2 But O my