The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1901-03-07
CaOOL..

followed Him afar off untt
4 IS pa..C.. and went in, ant
t. s,rvarts 10 see the end
l. &. priests and eleders
t.. ,aGIrn. sought false witnes.
to put HIM 10 death;
GO .. Ound none: yea, though many
false Wl,E, ss,s came, yet found they none
At the as; came two false witnesses.
81. And said This fellow said: am able
to destroy the temple of God and to bulk
Il In three days.
e. And the high priest arose, and sale
unto Him: Answerest thou nothing? wha;
Is 1t which these witness against thee?
C3. But Jesus held His peace. And tht
high priest answered and said unto Him
] adjure thee by the living God. that thou
tell US whether thou be the Christ, the
Son OF God.
Ga. Jesus saith unto him: Thou has,
said; nevertheless, | say unto you: Here.
after shall ye see the Son of Man sitting
on the right hand of power. and coming ii
the clouds of Heaven.
65. Then the high priest rent his clothes
saying: He hath spoken blasphe my; what
further need have we of witnesses? Be
hold, now ye have heard His blasphemy.
66. What think ye? They answered ano
said; He is guilty Of death.
e.. Then did they spit in His face ano
Du1eted Him, ana others Smote Him WIZ
the palms of their hands,
6S. Saying: Prophesy unto us, thol
Christ. who is he that smote thee?
GOLDEN TENT.-ThOu Rrt the Christ
the Son of the living GOd.-Matt. 1915
NOTES AND COMMENTS.
There was a preliminary eXamina
tion of Jesus before Annas. He was
the high priest, according to the jew.
ish law and usage. Then there was
the form of trial before Caiaphas
and the Sanhedrim. Caiaphas was
the son-inlaw of Annas, and had been
appointed to the position of high
priest by the Roman authorities. 1t
was during the progress of this trial
that Peter denied his Lord three times
The scripture section to be studied is
contained in the following passages:
Matt. 2657-75.
Mark l4:53-72
Luke 22:54-62.
John lS12-T.
Jesus Before the Sanhedrim.-While
Jesus was before Annas the Sanhe.
drim, the highest Jewish council, was
hastily summoned in extraordinary
session. The object of the hasty meet.
ing was to condemn Jesus and have
Him crucified before His friends could
rally to His support. The means taken
to secure the verdict wished for were
extraordinary. False witnesses were
secured, but it is hard for liars to be
consistent, and no two of them pre-.
sented the same testimony. There
must be two witnesses to substantiate
any charge. Finally two came, and
their testimony seemed to agree. But
this testimony was false. Jesus did
not say: 81 am able to destroy the
temple OF God, and to build it in three
days" Jesus said (John 2:lO: DE.
stroy this temple, and in three day
will raise it up"
The Sanhedrim could have sum.
moned many and many true witness
who knew Jesus and His works and
teaching. Lame men who had been
made to walk, bind who had been
given sight, lepers and other sick who
H"' p''h lVS'oltu W HtditH ant
strength. These would have formed an
imposing array-all in favor of the
claims OF Jesus. But the Sanhedrim
was not after truth, but after a con
viction. Prof. Greenleaf, in his
Trial Of Jesus" says: "Throughout
the whole course Of the trial the rules
of the Jewish law of procedure were
grossly violated. and the accused was
deprived of rights belonging even to
the meanest citizen. He was arrest ted
in the night, bound as a male factor,
beaten before His arraignment and
struck in open court during the trial
He was tried on feast day and be-
fore sunrise. He was compelled to
criminate Himself, and this under an
oath of solemn judicial adjuration;
and He was sentenced on the same
day Of the conviction"
Mark G45s) gives different YER
sion of the testimony finally admitted
against Jesus. From this it seems
that finally the Sanhedrim had to adj
nit testimony of two witnesses which
did not fully accord. To remove an,
doubt, Caiaphas finally turned to
Jesus. and on His declaration that He
was the Christ, the Son Of God, based
the charge of blasphemy, and accord.
ingly the sentence of death was voted.
Then occurred scene more remark.
able than any that went before, if
that be possible. The dignified coun-
cilors who had just gone through the
form OF trial blindfolded Jesus, and
in mockery of the claim He had just
made struck Him and after each blow
asked Him to tell who gave it.
"Prophecy unto u.s. they said, thou
Christ, who is He that smote thee?"
Peters Denials.-During the trial
before the Sanhedrim reter, who had
followed Jesus "afar Off" entered the
palace Of the high priest and three
times denied his Master. First 1t was
simple denial, then it was a denial
with an oath. ana finally he denied
with curses and swearing. "And i'm
mediately the cock crew. And Peter
remembered the word of Jesus, which
said unto him: Before the cock crow