The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-11
THE TRIAL OF CHRIST.
The Rev. Page Milbnrn's Sermon on
the Wonderful Biblical Event.

The last scenes in the life of Christ
have been the subjects of a series of in
terestilg sermons delivered by the Rev.
Page Ailburn at the Union Methodist
Episcopal Church for several Sundays
| The special title of the discourse deliver
ed at last evenings service was Christ
before Annas and Caiaphas." The text
was selected from John xviii:12, 13, Then
the band and the captain and officers of
the Jews took Jesus and bound him >
and led him away to Annas first for he was
tather-in-law to Caiaphas. who was the
high priest that same year" The SER
mon in part. is as follows:
Christ the Son of God, Jesus the son
Of man! He who had healed the sick and
raised the dead. He who had Gained the
raging sea, and miraculously fed the null
tttude-in all the wonderful deeds of his
career, as well as in the unexampled ex-
allied purity and dignity of his life shows
that he was inyincible and lived superior
to human weakness and human force
this. the proclaimed King, permits him
self to be bound with cords and led away
in the darkness of night by handful OF
soldiers
They led him first to Annas. He is
to be examined not by the civil authority
first, but By the Jewish law, for it is the
religious element that hate him most.
"Annas was quite a notable character
in Jewish history. He was the father-in-
law of Caiaphas, WHO was the high priest.
His opinion and d rections were obeyed
ae law. and only ret Iired the formal ap-
proyal of the high priest and his council.
At the door of Annas primarily lies the
guilt of the sentence issued against
Christ. Annas questions Christ as to his
doctrines and who his disciples were. The
thing at this time under the stress of
these agonizing circumstances which
would convict him out of his own mouth
of violence to the Mosaic religion of a
hatred for the temple, and of purpose
to set himself and his religion UP in the
stead of the old religion.
Christ saw the thought of his enemy.
In his reply there is bOldness proceed
ing from a consciousness of innocence,
which is unparalleled There is a COM
plete upsetting of the devised scheme of
the old religious politician. In his reply
Jesus offers no apology for anything he has
said, nor a defence.
"Christs meekness all through the agon-
izing scene, here, before Caiaphas, be-
fore Plate and Herod on the cross. is
the highest glory of his character. With
out the slightest intimstion of anger he
replies:
IF | have spoken evil, bear witness
of the evil; but II we'll. why smitest thou
me?'
That blow seems to have been the only
answer 20 Christ's declaration. No record
is made OF further questions by Annas
So Jesus is led away to the real high priest
and his council for the real examination
There was no elaboration. The YER
diet was decided upon before he was
seized in the garden, before Judas was
bought over to betray his master. They
were only waiting for some pretext upon
which to hinge their verdict with some
appearance of law and justice. II is not
remarkable that the sanhedrim should
unanimously cry out, He is guilty of
death
The great lesson to be learned from
this scene in Christ's life is the gentle
ness and meekness Of our Saviour under
the greatest provocation. He is our ex-
ample. Ae he endured all this for us We
should be thankful. Ae he endured as
an example we should initiate him"