Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1899-05-18
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
SERIOUS SUBJECTS CAREFULLY
CONSIDERED.
a Scholarly Exposition Of the Lesson
Thoughts Worthy Of Calm Reflec'
tion-Half an Hours Study Of the
scriptures-Time Well Spent.


the high priest. 1t was now perhaps about
two o'clock on the morning of Friday. 1t
being the night after the passover, the
city was wide awake, for the temple was
open and strangers thronging its courts.
The lesson gives good opportunity to
draw a vivid picture OF the scene. The
house of the high priest was Of course
large and imposing one. All such houses
consisted of hollow square Of rooms sur
rounding court. There would. be q sec
ond story over part Of the house. Most
OF the windows and doors opened on the
court, so that persons in this open space
could see into the surrounding rooms. 1t
was here that the officers and others were
warming themselves over brazier or
metal pan of charcoal. The only light on
the scene would be the light of the fire, the
hanging lamps in the rooms where the
hearing was going on, and perhaps the sol
diers' torches. In the shadows lurked
Peter and John, until forced into public
notice. This night scene was well adapt
ed to frighten not merely timid followers
of Jesus, but even the boldest. SO the
desertion Of Jesus by his disciples, though
sad and unfaithful was not unnatural.
Most of us would have done the same. We
are not willing to admit that we should,
but it is not easy always to understand
our own weakness.
Fxplanatory.
Another disciple" was undoubtedly
John, who does not care to mention HIM
self by name in his own gospel Johns
acquaintance with the high priests house
hold secured him admittance in the crowd
that followed Jesus. The only entrance
to the house was q broad archway with
heavy gate, in which was a little open
ing to admit individuals when the large
gate was closed. After the entrance Of
the party, including John, this large gate
was evidently shut, and when Peter came
he was stopped by the maid servant at the
door, who refused to let him pass through
the small opening without identification.
John was able to secure him entrance.
The question of the woman was suggest
ed by Peters evident strangeness in the
place. He probably looked excited and
half-scared, fearing that some one would
recognize him as the assailant of Malchus.
In appearance he was quite different from
those who habtually haunted the high
priests palace.
The denial had made further derials
necessary. One lie calls for two to pre-
vent its discovery. In order to mingle
with the crowd around the fire, Peter must
keep quiet when his honor prompted him
to speak; he must speak when he could
not safely speak the truth.
''Of his disciples, and of his doctrine:
the trial began in the dark. The accusers
had many indefinite charges to bring
against Jesus, but they knew that none Of
them were likely to stand examination.
Hence the process of badgerng the pris-
oner was resorted to, in the expectation
of drawing from him some admission that
could be used against him. Wisely enough,
Jesus declined to answer.
1t would have been the natural inclina-
ton of smaller man to choose this op-
portunity for an eloquent defense, to con-
flute his opponents and show in detail their
false views and injustice. We call Socra-
ties great, and that is what he did when
on trial for his life. He delivered a fin
ished address, with courtesy and yet with
occasional irony, setting before the world
the true causes of his persecution and the
doctrines which his accusers had misrep-
resented. But Jesus needed no defense.
His life was his defense; his death his JUS
tification.
The blow was a severe one, as the word
used indicates. The margin of the revised
version has with rod instead of with
the palm of his hand" This was a shame
full insult, the beginning of the series of
blows and outrages that left Jesus, when
he was led to Calvary few hours later,
utterly exhausted.
No better reply was ever made to brutal
violence. The blow is the argument of a
blockhead or a coward. Many man can
hit prisoner in the face who could not
answer his argument.
Up to this time the hearing had been in
formal Now there was an interval before
the formal trial in the presence of the high
priest and the Sanhcdrin. 1t must have
taken an hour or two to summon the men,
bers of this body from their homes and get
them together for the purpose. During
this time the last two denials took place.
Peter had become extremely excited by
the strain of the night and the guilty con-
science that goadel him on; and his final
denial was profuse and profane. Then
Peter saw himself as he was. He looked
into the abyss into which he had almost
fallen, and recovered himself. He went
out and wept bitterly Uuke -: 62).
The formal trial before the Sanhedrin is
not recorded by John, bet by the other
three evangelists. See Matt. 26 o7-6S;
81: 1, Mark IA: 43, 65; 10: l, Luke %:
63-71. The accusations made against
Jesus in this trial were as follows ID
That he had said he would destroy the
temple and rebuild it in three days; t2)
that he claimed to be the Christ, the Son
of God. by his own admission. That is
the charges were in the nature of BIAS
phemy. To claim to be the Son of God
was an offense that according to Jewish
law must be punished by death. But since
the Jewish authorities had no power to in
fict that punishment, they were obliged
TO appeal to the Roman procurator, Plate.
The events Of that night showed at least
two things; that he voluntarily suffered all
that were inflicted on him; and that in the
hatred of him men lost all their reasoning
powers and sense of justice. 1t is claimed
to-day by many Jews that the Jewish ma
ton did not put Jesus to death, but rather
a small faction Of fanatic priests and
scribes. There is some truth in this, yet
we must not forget the mob that shouted
before Pilates judgment seat later in the
morning and the thousands that watched
the crucifixion. But that there was a
large number of peaceable men, more than
half convinced OF the innocence and good
ness of Jesus, who would have prevented
his death had II been in their power, we
must certainly believe. 1t is seldom that
| n whole city goes mad. We say that all
are mad when the sane ones are frighten-
| ed into silence.