Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1899-05-27
T~HESUNDAY SCHOOL.
-EsSoNtx, SECOND QUARTER. INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, MAY %.

by VIM. X Fisher-suhjeet:
Christ Before Plate. John Is: IS. 40
Golden Text. L Find No Fault I'm Him.
John 10; A. Commit Verses S. &o-Com-
pare Matthew 81 l1-e6.)
The Sanhedrim. under the leader
ship of Calaphas had condemned Je-
u TO death, but under the Roman
law they were unable TO execute the
sentence without the aid of the Ro-
man authorities. so they led Jesus
from Caiaphas 10 the hall of judg-
ment, or, accorssng 70 the marginal
reading, the PretoriUm. which, we are
told. signifies the house Of the pretor,
or governor.
keim says: "The man before whom
he was arraigned we know as one OF
the most unjust. violent, cruel and
dangerous of scourges. One who was
truly what his name signitied, a
Staying Jayelin or the unhappy ma
ton" BY the word early in the
original is meant THE fourth watch
from 3 TO q a. M"
They went into the judgment hall
lest they should be .ceremoniailyN ua-
clean. Clark SAYS: sIt was not the
divine law. but Jewish tradition
which taught that a jew became cere-
mOnlally unclean during the passover
by entering the house of a Gentle, be-
cause it might not be properly
cleansed of ~leaven.'' They feared to
do anything that would prevent their
participating in the entire passover
season, with it's peace and thank-otfer-
ings. This has been well called A curl
Gus illustration of conscience. they
feared defilement from entering the
house of a heather. but none from
their endeavor to secure by fraud and
violence the condemnation of their
Lord"
.'rilate seated himself on his chair
of state. with his secretaries beside
him. and behind him no doubt num-
bers OF bronzed Roman soldiers with
their stolid looks and upright spears.
The accused would have TO ascend the
platform too. and over against him
stood his accusers with Caiaphas at
their headlg- Stalker.
Lacking grounds for a definite
charge. they made it In a general
sense, by declaring him to be an evil
doer. They wanted to act rs accu-
sers, Judge and jury, and really de-
sired PLATE to pronounce the sentence
as they should demand.
"Take him yourselves OR. w. and
Judge him according to your law"
was not what they wanted PLATE to
say. They did not desire Judgment
melted out to him; they wanted him
to die, and knew 1t was not lawful
for them to put any man to death.
To have PLATE believe Jesus guilty.
Of treason meant the satisfying OF
the desire that he be put to death, and
thereby, also. the fulfilling the saying
Tor word of Jesus: And /, If ! be
lifted up from the earth, will draw all
men unto me-"
Biblical students call attention to
the fact thai in all four of the Gospels
the first words of PLATE to Jesus are
the same. and that special emphasis
in all four Is laid on the word thou
indicating that PLATE spoke with as
constituent and scorn that the meek
md lowly Nazarene should ever pre-
tend to be the King Of the Jews.
PLATE attempted to rid himself of
the responsibility and in the question
Am / n JewY' he disclaims any
knowledge of the matter. The re-
minder that Christ's own nation and
the chief priests had delivered him up.
was placing the responsibility upon
the Jews. The question what hast
thou done f" was an invitation for
Jesus t. give his own version of the
affair.
The word fight" in the Beth verse
has really the same meaning in the
original as our word '.agonize'' or
contend for" or contest in favorof."
peloubet says no one could be earthly
king at that time without fighting.
cart thou a king tllen?, it Is sup
posed, wa asked by PLATE with bit
ter sarcasm, and Jesus in responding
''Thou sayest that | am a king prac-
tically said. what you say is true; l
am q King"
Jesus thus preached to his Judge.
He who fishes must use many angles:
and on this occasion Jesus uses a rare
one
Had PLATE been true TO his yerdict.
II find in him no fault" he would
have released Jesus; instead of that.
h e-went out again unto the jews"
and said.
"But We have n custom. that L
should release unto you one at the
passover: will We therefore that | re-
lease unto you the King of the Jews?'
plate knew Jesus should be released
and this must have been an attempt to
luiet his conscience: fearing the conse-
1uences of doing what he knew was
right.
Rarabbas was a robber and also a
murderer.
The dream Of Pilates wife. II is sup
posed. was related to him while the
people were making their choice. and
his conscience smote him severely: he
was moved to do right. but lacked the
courage. and so went through the
mockery of washing his hands of the
responsibility.