The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1914-11-19

by Rev. D. M. Stearns.
This chapter begins with the words.
when the morning. was come" What
an eventful night it mad been--thc last
passover. with all its Incidents; the
great discourse and prayer; the agony
of Gethsemane; the betrayal and the
arrest: the mockery of trial before
the chief priests and the council. With
the buffeting and splitting; the denial
of Peter with his oaths and curses.
Now they bind Him again and lead
Him away to POntius PLATE. the
Roman governor, that He may be put
to death If the Jews had the power
to Kill Him He would have been stoned
as Stephen afterward was, hut the PIE.
diction in Ps. xxi, 16-"thoy pierced
my hands ard my feet indicated
crucifiXion. and every Scripture lnGst
be fulfilled.
The record in John xviii, 2S. to Xix.
IA, seems to come in before our lesson
verses. telling of Pilates private in
terview with Jesus and how he came
out again and again and said, Il linl
no fault in Him." How when he ask
ed what prisoner he should release
unto them, as was his custom at this
feast, they asked for Barabbas, who
was a robber and murderer. How ri
late had Jesus scourged. and the sol
dierS made crown of thornS and put
it on Him and Knocked Him and smote
Him. How PLATE brought Him forth
wearing the crown of thornS and the
purple robe and said, "Behold tn
Man" And they all cried out, "Cruci
fly Him, cruelty Him. and said, BY
our law He ought to die because He
made Himself the Son of God
When Jesus made no reply to Pilates
question. Whence art Thou" and ask
ed if He did not know that he had
power to cruelty or release Him. Jesus
said that Plate could have no power
against Him except it We're given him
from above. AS PLATE persisted in his
efforts to release Him the Jews said,
IF thou let this man go thou art not
Caesars friend" Then Plate brought
Jesus forth and sat down in the juds
ment seat. and Jesus stood before him.
the Creator before one of His crca-
lures
1t is even so as you read thiS-yOur
Creator in the person of the Lord ,Ic
Sus is before you to be worshiped. rev
erenced, aGored if you have already
received Him as your own personal
Saviour; if not, then the one great and
only question for you to answer is
the one in verse - of our lesson.
What shall | do with Jesus who is
called Christ" 1t is never in any
case a question of our standing before
men. character or good works or even
church membership. which may mean
something or nothing, but only this,
Am | in Christ redeemed by His pre-
cious blood who bare my sins il His
own body on the cross?
PLATE sitting on the judgment seat
and Jesus standing before him. the
chief priests and elders accuse Him of
many things. such as pcr' tlting the
nation. fOrbidding to give tribute to
Caesar. proclaiming Himself a King.
To all these accusations Jesus answer
ed never word, and Plate marveled
greatly Oversees 12-l4: Luke xiii. > g.
1t is trying to he lied about and false
ly accused either behind ones back or
before your face, but to do as Jesus
did and answer nothing when there is
nothing TO be answered is tie better
way.
Nothing can he said or done to any
member Of His body without His per-
mission or without His feeling it, and
all suffering with Him and for His
sake is Il very great privilege. Con
slider continually that He who bore
all this SD meclly was not only IN
reality King of the Jews, but also King
of nations. ruler of the kings Of the
earth, King of kings and Lord of
lords. and all kings shall fall down be-
fore Him. all nations serve Him Oeut
Y. II; Ps. Xxi. Il; Rev. i, >; XIV, 3;
xvii. IA; xix. 16j. Oh, the stupendous
wonder of it all that He should CON
descend to submit to all this for our
sakeS then to think how little we are
willing to bear for Him.
How PLATE sent Him to HerOd to be
further Knocked and set at nought and
how there also He answered nothing is
recorded in Luke xiii, 6-12. When
He had been returned to PLATE he
brought Him forth and said to the
Jews, Behold your King" But they
cried out: away with Him. cruelty
Him. We have no king but Caesar"
John xix, II, 10. Pilates wife sent
to him, saying, Have thou nothing to
do with that just man, for / have suf-
fered many things this day in a dream
because of Him" But the chief priests
and elders prevailed. and when PLATE
washed his hands, saying. Il am inno-
cent of the blood of this just person."
they all answered, His blood be on us
and on our children oversees 10, 90
"a, 25).
So Barabbas the murderer was re-
leased and Jesus Christ the Holy One
Of God, God manifest in the flesh, de-
livered to their will TO be crucified
Verse %; Luke xiii, "a, 90.
This is the hatred of God which Is
in the heart of man, for the carnal
mind is enmity against God. and only
the Spirit Of God can convince Of sin,
the great sin of rejecting Christ. and
open the heart to receive Him.