The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-03-17
Sunday Study.

Jesus and plate
The International Sunday school les
son for March II is found In Luke xxiii,
1923. The subject Is Jesus and Plate.
The golden text Is: II find no fault in
this man" The time is early In the
morning of April Z. A. D. 30. The actual
trial and condemnation of Jesus by the
Sanhedrin was illegal, since the earliest
! hour for a legal meeting was sunrise.
This formal session was to confirm the
decision of the previous one, and to de-
eide what to do next. The power of life
and death had been taken away from
the Sanhedrin. They were therefore
obliged to call on PLATE, the governor
(who was in Jerusalem at this time to
preserve order among the crowds COM
ing up. to the passover), to try, con-
denim and execute their prisoner. It will
be seen by comparison Of the four ac-
counts in the Gospels that the Jews first
tried to gain Pilates consent to sput
Jesus to death without a formal accuSa-
ton. The charge on which they had
themselves condemned him would, they
knew, make no impression on the Ro-
man governor so they accused him on
political grounds When Plate came
to investigate that charge he found moth
ing in it, and wished to let Jesus go.
Then came that terrible struggle between
Plate and the people, which at last
the people conquered. PLATE s. NJ Jesus
to Herod, who was in Jerusalem at this
time, from his home at Liberals. Herod
wished to curry favor with the Jews by
paying some attention to their religion.
Herod had wished to see Jesus ever since
the death of John the Baptist. Now
was his chance, yet no chance after
all, for Jesus would neither do mira
Gle nor so much as speak word. After
the mocking undergone at the hands of
Herod and his soldiers, Jesus was sent
back, uncondemned. to Plate. The
scourging which Jesus received during
this trial was intended by Plate as
sort Of compromise, in the hope of saw
ing Him from crucifxion 1t was too
late, however, to waken pity in the hearts
of the Jewish rulers. What do you
think Plate ought to have done when he
found that Jesus was innocent of any
wrengdoing? Are you ever obliged to do
wrong? What should you say If people
threaten you unless you do some &C.
action? Which is better, to do right and
suffer for it, or TO do wrong and gain
by it? What did Jesus once say about
such bad bargain? See Matt xvi, 26.
"Our High Priest
The Christian Endeavor topic for the
week beginning March II, Is found IN
hebrews VII, Zt-Z0. 1H6 topic -
Our High Priest" In the topical ref
Christ as a high priest set forth and the
superiority of His priesthood over that
of Aaron illustrated. 1t is shown that
Christ is the real priest Of mankind for
whom all the nations of the world had
been looking and longing. "A study Of
the characteristics of His priesthood
should help as to appreciate more fully
Him and His work as our high priest.
The priesthood of Christ Is superior to
the Aaronic priesthood. "a Christs
character is "holy harmless and undefI-
ed" He is absolutely sinless and needs
not therefore to make sacrifices for
himself. This was not the case with the
Levitical priests. They had %'infirmities;"
they were human only and therefore
weak and sinful, and before Offering sac
rif1ces for the people they were compelled
to offer sacrifices for themselves. (9
Christ made but one sacrifice The
Aaronic priests sacrificed daily and the
high priest once a year. on the day OF
atonement But one sacrifice was
enough for Christ, because he offered up
himself, "a sacrifice to satisfy Divine
Justice" 90 Christ ministers in the
heavenly sanctuary. Aaron ministered in
an earthly tabernacle and his successors
in perishable temples, but Christ per-
forms the Offices of his high priesthood
at the right hand of God IN heaven
He IS "a high priest who is set on the
right hand Of the throne of the Majesty
in the heavens, a minister of the sanct-
uaFy Of the true tabernacle which the
Lord pitched, and not man" But with
all the superiority Of the priesthood of
Christ it will avail us nothing unless we
accept Christ as our high priest.