The Tupelo journal., 1906-11-16
JESUS BEFORE
CAIAPHAS
Sunday School Lesson Tor Nov. Is. 1906
Specially Prepared for This Paper.
Specially Prepared for This Paper.

DRY verses, ", %.
GOLDEN TExT.-"He Is despised ana
rejected of ~men."-Isaiah 5S:2.
TIME.-The lesson covers a period OF
several hours. from some time between
one and two o'clock Friday morning tul
after sunrise April Z, A. ID. 80.
PLACE.-The palace Of the high priest
and tho hall of the Sanhedrin at Jeru-
salem.
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
v. 81. They that had laid hold"
The Roman soldiers. who still had the
arrested man In charge. Led him to
Caiaphas." To the apartment OF the
acting high-priest where, instead OF
in its usual hall, a hastily called meet.
ing of the Sanhedrim was held.
"Scribes and elders were assembled"
Chief priests also were there. as Mark
mentions (14:53).
v. IS. peter followed him afar off,"
Peters trouble came through his fol-
lowing afar off. Sat with the serv-
ants" Tor ~oficers). Stood or sat
among them as they clustered about
the fire in the open court, whence they
could see what was going on In the
council chamber.
v. SO. "Chief priests . . sought
false witness" It was the religious
leaders of the people who were prime
movers in the trial Of Jesus. But
what they sought was witness
against Jesus to put him to death"
and they had to seek far for witness
against One who ever went about
doing good" Then. as now, only those
who knew him not could say anything
against him.
v. 60. Found none." 1t was no
easy matter to agree upon a charge
against the blameless One. Many
false witnesses came" Inscriptions
persons, by threats or money, could
be brought to give such testimony as
the judges sought. But the trouble
was, the accounts of such men did not
agree with one another. Jewish law
required that at least two witnesses
must agree before n could be con-
victed of capital offense (Deut. 1870.
". 81. Said, 1 IN able to destroy"
etc. Read what Jesus had said early
in his ministry John 2:19-21), and
note how it's whole spirit was altered
by this report.
", 62. The high priest arose."
Thus far every effort had utterly
failed to bring to light anything
against Jesus. Caiaphas, forgetting
his official dignity, and leaving his Of
fetal seat, stepped toward the Ac-
cused, e~xasperated by his silence. and
determined to make him criminate
himself. "Answerest thou nothing?"
Jesus had maintained unbroken 81.
lence. He endured the contradiction
of sinners against himself" without
one word of self-defense. Here, as
elsewhere, he is our great example.
v. SO. Jesus held his peace" For
perhaps an hour he listened in 81.
lence, fulfilling lisa. 53:7. "The high
priest answered" He responded to
the situation into which he vas forced
by the persistent silence Of Jesus. Il
adjure thee by the living God" This
was the ordinary formula Of admins
tering an oath. The action was illegal
and Jesus at first protested against 1t
duke 22:67-7O). Tell us whether
thou be the Christ, the Son Of God"
The high priest asked Jesus under
oath to testify concerning his claims,
first, as to his Messianic vocation. and
second, as to his peculiar relation to
the heavenly Father.
v. 81. Thou hast said" That is.
You have stated the truth. This was
equivalent to saying. as Mark renders
1t. Il am" Nevertheless" More
than this, Hereafter shall we see."
etc. This would call to mind a we'll
known prophecy concerning the Mes
siah (Dan. 7:13, 14).
v. IS. Rent his clothes" This had
been originally an involuntary express
sion Of grief. but it bad now become
a formal act, when one was found
guilty Of blasphemy.
V. 66. What think ye? Caiaphas
appeals to the assembled Sanhedrim
for a verdict. He is guilty of DEATH"
The verdict guilty was unanimous.
He was guilty Of blasphemy, hence
WOIIuy Va 0CdtA NACV. S1.1oJs AAlo
council then adjourned to meet at day
break. During the interim Jesus was
delivered to the care of soldiers and
servants of the Sanhedrim. who SUBJ
jected him to every form of indignity
which their brutal instincts could de.
wise.
VS.. 81, 6S. "Buffeted him." Struck
him with their fists. "Prophesy unto
u.s." They first blindfolded him duke
22:64), then called upon him to dis
play his supernatural power by nam.
ing the man who struck him.
Practical Points.
V. So. We run into danger as soon
as we permit the slightest separation
between ourselves and Jesus.-John
1874, s. :.
v. 50. The world to-day seeks wit
less Of Jesus In the lives of his pro-
fessed followers.-Acts 1:8.
v. G.. A righteous character is tho
unimpeachable answer to calumny.-
/ Pet. 1916.
". So. Let VI look to Christ for
grace to bear reproach in silence
Heb. 1878.
v. 81. There come times when to
remain silent would be treason to tho