The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1904-06-03
TIE SUN 81 scHoo
Lesson In the international Series for
June S, 1904 Christ's Trial
Before plate. -
THE LESSON TEXT.
mark 15:1-15.).

THE LESSON TEXT.
= ozark 15:1-15)
GOLDEN TEXT.AThen said Plate to
the chief priests and TO the people. find
no fault in this man.-Luke 1874.
OUTLINE OF SCRIPTURE SECTION.
Foretelling Peters Fall........ Matt. 26:31-s5
Foretelhng Peters Fall. ...... Mark 14:27-31
F>oretelling Peters Fall........Luke 22:31-3s
jesus agony. Matt. 26:S6-46
Jesus Agony. Mark A:32-42
Jesus Agony. Luke 2:S9-46
Betrayal and Matt. 26:47-56
Betrayal and Arrest. Mark A:43-52
Betrayal and Arrest. Luke 22:47-53
Trial Before Jewish Authorities.
Matt. 2657-27:10
Trial Before Jewish Authorities. .......
................. Mark H:53-72
Trial Before Jewish Authorities. .......
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. luke 22:54-71
Trial Before PLATE. Matt 27:11-31
Trial Before PLATE. Mark 15:1-20
Trial Before Plate. Luke 23:1-25
TIME.-Early morning
PLACE.-Tower of Antonio, adjoining
the temple
NOTES AND COMMENTS.
I'm the morning the chief priests . {.
held consultations" 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 a
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 uf~to Pilate:" The Sanhe-
drin in the time of Christ had no power
to inflict the death penalty. Their Ro-
man conquerors would not permit it, so
their action was practically only 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 charge. The Sanhedrin had con-
demned Jesus for blasphemy, but that
is not what they told the Roman gov
ernor. They told him that the charge
was of conspiring against Rome. art
thou the King Of the Jews" A plain
question, Guilty. or not guilty."
Thou sayest:" Eyes, l am the King"
This was summary of Jesus answer.
The full conversation, in which He ex-
plains to PLATE what He means by being
King. is found in John 18:33-38.
After this Plate pronounced Jesus not
guilty.
PLATE was not a man wicked beyond
any that have lived since. He had pro-
nounced 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. 1t occurred to him that
he could avoid the decision entirely by
sending Jesus, who was a Galilaean, to
Herod, the governor of Galilee, 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
it. and in chagrin sent Jesus back to
PLATE, in mock state. but uncondemned.
Read the account of Luke 23:3-12.
Luke 25:13-16 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 sconrge Him to pacify them, and
then release Him to pacify his own con-
science. The priests would not hear to
it. THE question had finally come to
this, whether he would save Jesus or
save himself" He would save Jesus if
he could; he must save himself in any
case. 1t was trial of strength between
Plate, in Jesus behalf, and the chief
priests against him. ''Barrabas:" "A
notable prisoner" Matt. 27:16), who
for a certain insurrection made in the
city and for murder" duke 29:19), was
Lying bound with them that had made
insurrection." He was a robber or
brigand John 1S:40). "Will ye> that
release. .. the King of the Jews"
An attempt to get the crown (not the
priests on his side. PLATE knew that
Jesus had a good deal ofhold on the
the common people and that that was
one reason the priests hated him. Read
here Matt 27:19, the dream of Pilates
wife,
'The chief priests stirred up the null
titude:" There are not words in the
English language with which to ade-
quately characterize the spirit of these
champions of orthodoxy, and it need not
be done. But think of the state of re-
ligion in the land when such men were
it's official leaders! What then shall
I do .. unto the King of the Jews: )"
PLATE was yielding by inches. There
are some matters on which men have