The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1899-05-25
CHRIST BEFORE PLATE.



GOLDEN TEXT find no fault in him.
John 1874
PARALLELS.-Matt. N:11-31; Mark Is:
1-20; Luke 23:1-25. See Isa. s..
TIME.-A. d. 90. Friday morning. from
dawn till seven or eight o'clock.
PLACE.-The Judgment hall Of PLATE.
probably in the tower of Antonia. just out
side Of the northwest corner Of the temple
area. in Jerusalem, or at Herod's palace on
Mount Zion.
LESSON EXPOSITION.
As in the ecclesiastical trial. so in the
civil trial before plate there were three
stages, each with its own incidents, and
in each one Jesus was shown to be inno-
cent, although He was condemned at
last for other reasons than guilt
I. The First Trial Before Pilate.--vs.
1888; Matt. 27-11-14; Mark Is; IS;
Luke 23:1-4.
/. The place of trial. Pretorium
signifies the house of the pretor, or
governor. ut was in part tyrant's
stronghold, and in part fairy pleas
ure house."
q. PLATE. 'The man before whom He
was arraigned we know as one of the
most unjust, violent, cruel and danger
GUS of scourges, one who was truly
what his name signifies, the staying
'Javelin' of the unhappy nation
Keim. 1.
8. The accusation. v. 20. "What ac-
cusation bring ye against this man?"
DR.. Deems emphasizes this question
thus: What accusation do you bring
against Him?" It was He that had
reason for accusing them. They were
the guilty party. 80. SThat the saying
of Jesus" (John 1882; Matt. 20-19).
The Jews, in their very effortsto destroy
Jesus, were fulfilling His own proph-
ecy. They then presented their three
fold accusation Uuke 23:2), saying
nothing Of the blasphemy for which
their own court had condemned Him.
4. What is truth? 49, "Pilate saith
unto Him: What is truth?" "And
| turned on his heel and did not wait
for an answer."-Stalker.
s. The verdict. "He went out again
to the jews" And rendered His ver-
dict: II find in Him no fault" or
crime. PLATE, therefore, should have
released Jesus; but he had no principle,
and was overborne by the angry clam
ors of the rulers. He was afraid to do
right. It might cost too much.
II. The trial before Herod is report
ed in Luke 23:6-12. A new way of es-
cape from his embarrassing situation
suddenly opened before him. Hearing
Galilee mentioned as a part of the conn
try where Jesus had stirred up the'peo-
Pile, PLATE next attempts to escape
from his perplexity by delivering Jesus
up to Herod, the tetrarch of Galilee.
who was then visiting in Jerusalem.
The verdict here, too, was: Nothing
worthy of death hath been done by
| Him" (Luke 23:15 R. w.
| III. The Second Trial Before PLATE.
VS.. 80, 40. On Jesus return to his
| Jurisdiction, PLATE again summons the
chief priests and elders, and tells them
that Herod agrees with his decision
that Jesus has done nothing woythy OF
death. He still is afraid to release Him
without the consent of the chief priests,
and hence makes third attempt to
save himself from condemning an in
nocent man without throwing any
slight upon the action Of the San
hedrim. This was suggested by the
people loudly calling upon him to re-
lease the accustomed prisoner MARK
1880.
/. The dream of Pilates wife. At this
Juncture, while the people were de-
Gliding whom to choose, it is probable
that the messengers came from Pilates
/ - In ~ nd =
ing him not to condemn Jesus Matt
27:19). Thus Plate was moved to do
right.
Q. Pilate washes his hands, as SYM
boil (Matt. 27:24-26). Just before Pilate
gave his final decision, he took water
and washed his hands publicly before
the people, thus expressing IN symbol
what he uttered in words: II am in
nocent of the blood of this just per-
son; see ye to it," But this action and
these words in no degree removed the
responsibility and the guilt from Pi-
late's soul.
8. The scourging. st. John, combined
with st. Luke. makes it clear that the
scourging was inflicted as a separate
punishment, in the hope that it would
suffice, and not merely as the usual
accompaniment Of crucifxion.-Cam.
bridge Bible.
4. The mockery. The soldiels then in
Jest dressed Jesus either in "the red
robe, the soldiers commonmantle,r rep
resenting the purple robe worn by
kings" (Godet), or a cast-off royal robe
They mt on him a crown Of thorns, the
green leaves of which would represent
the laurel wreath worn by conquerors
as Caesar himself, They put rod in
His hand for scepter. They smote
Him, Knocked Him in every insulting
way.
8. Ecce Homo, PLATE once more ap-
peals to the pity Of the Jews by bring
ing Jesus out before them and saying:
"Ecce Homo, Behold the man."
L.