The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1904-06-02


Jesus Agony Matt. %:so-4e
Jesus Agony. y..................Ma Mark H:s2-42
Jesus Agony....,........... .....Luke 2;ss-4e
Betrayal and Arrest. Matt B47-66
Betrayal and Arrest. Mark 1882
Betrayal and Arrest............Luke 2;47-5S
Trial Before Jewish Authorities. .."..
.......................... Matt. .26:57-27:10
Trial Before Jewish Authorities...."S
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. Mark H:5S-72
Trial Before Jewish Authorities.
........................... .......Luke 2:a-U
Trial Before PLATE. Matt. N:i1-8
Trial Before Pilate..... Mark 151-O
Trial Before Plate. Luke 23!l-25
TIME-Eary morning
PLACE Tower of Antonia, adjoining
the temple
NOTES AND COMMENTS.
an the morning the chief priests =.
held a consultation" An illegal trial
had been going on before the Jewish au-
thorities during the latter part Of the
night. Though they had the trial In the
night, they were careful not to pro-
nounce tentence till after sunrise, that
its legality might not be questioned.
Even the sentence thus pronounced was
illegal, for the law forbade passing
death sentence till the day after the
trial. Furthermore their law forbade
the trying of criminal cases on the day
before the Sabbath. This was Friday,
the day before the Jewish Sabbath. DE
livered Him up to Pilate:" The Sanhe-
drin in the time Of Christ had no power
to infiict the death penalty. Their Ro-
man conquerors would not permit it, so
their action was practically only a rec
ommendation. Pontius Plate had been
procurator Of Judaea for four or five
years, at this time under commission
from Tiberius Caesar. Read at this point
John 17:29-32, which shows that the
chief priests tried to get PLATE to ratify
their action without looking into the
matter. PLATE would have nothing TO
do with such procedure and insisted
upon a charge. The Sanhedrin had con-
demned Jesus for blasphemy. but that
Is not what they told the RoTSr gov
ernor. They told him that the csarge
was Of conspiring against Rome. art
thou the King Of the Jews" A plain
question. Guilty, or not guilty."
Thou sayest:" "Yes, I am the King"
This was summary OF Jesus answer.
The full conversation, in which He ex-
plains to PLATE what He means by being
a King, Is found In John 18:33-3S
After this PLATE pronounced Jesus not
guilty.
PLATE was not man wicked beyond
hot box To Il a
nodnced Jesus innocent; he wanted to
have Him set at liberty. But he did not
want to bring upon himself the enmity
of the angry priests, for there was no
denying that they were still very pow
erful in Judaea. II occurred to him that
he could avoid the decision entirely by
sending Jesus, who was a Galilaean. to
Herod, the governor OF Gailee, who
happened to be in the city. Herod was
glad to see Jesus, for the interview
would bring him a new kind of diver
sion But in that encounter Jesus was
king and Herod clown. Herod realized
1t, and In chagrin sent Jesus back to
PLATE, In mock state. but uncondemned
Read the account Of Luke 23:3-12.
Luke 23:13-16 tells of Pilates formal
acquittal Of Jesus. He should have re-
leased Him, but instead He takes an
other step In the way of compromise; he
will scourge Him to pacify them and
then release Him to pacify his own con-
science. The priests would not hear Ia
II. "The question had finally come to
this, whether he would save Jesus or
save himself" He would save Jesus il
he could: he must save himself in any
case II was trial of strength between
PLATE, in Jesus behalf, and the chiei
priests against him. "Barrabas:"' - "A
notable prisoner" Matt. 27:16), "who
for certain insurrection made in the
city and for murder" Uuke 29:19), was
. Lying bound with them that had made
insurrection." He was a robber or
brigand (John 1s:4O. "Will ye that |
release. 80. the King of the Jews
An attempt to get the crown mot the
priests) on his side. PLATE knew that
Jesus had good deal OF hold on the
: the common people and that that was
one reason the priests hated him. Read
here Matt 27:19, the dream of Plate:
wife
"The chief priests stirred up the mul.
titude:" There are not words in the
English language with which to ade.
quately characterize the spirit Of these
champions of orthodoxy and II need no,
be done. But think of the state of re-
ligion In the land when such men were
its Official leaders. What then shall
do -. unto the King of the Jews:
Plate was yielding by inches. Their.
are some matters on which men hav,
no business to ask advice. Conscienc,
told PLATE what he ought to do with
Jesus. That should have been the end o.
II, The words: IF thou release thi.
man, thou art not Caesars friend" wer,
a threat, and 1t was that that inall,
; broke the opposition of Plate.
BARBED ARROWS.
Virtue for wage is first cousin Il