Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1914-11-18
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson VII. Fourth Quarter,
For Nov. q, 1914.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.


Memory verses, Il, zS--eoioen ieSt,
Matt. xvii, 22--commentary Prepared
by Rev. D. M. Stearns.
This chapter begins with the words,
when the morning WIS come. What
an eventful night Ii had been the last
passover. with all its incidents; the
great discourse and prayer; the agony
of Gethsemane; the betrayal and the
arrest: the mockery of d 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 aud lead
Him away to Pontius Plate. the
Roman governor. that He may be put
to death. II the Jews had the power
to kill Him He would have been stoned
rs Stephen afterward was, but the pre-
diction in Ps. xxi. 16-"they pierced
my hands and my fee" Indicated
crueifxion. and every Scripture must
be fulfilled
The record in John xviii, %. to xix.
IA, seems to come in before our lesson
verses, telling of Pilates private in
teryiew with Jesus and how he came
out again and again and said, Il find
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 robber and murderer. How Pr
late had Jesus scourged. and the sol
diers made a crown OF thorns and put
It on Him and Knocked Him aud smote
Him. How PLATE brought Him forth
wearing the crown of thorns and the
purple robe and said, Behold the
Mani" And they all cried out, Cruel
our law He ought to die because He
made Himself the Son of God"
When Jesus made no reply to Pilates
question. Whence art Theu?" 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 were 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 judg-
ment seat, and Jesus stood before him,
the Creator before one of His crea-
lures.
1t is even SO as you read this-your
Creator In the person of the Lord Je-
sus Is before you to be worshiped, rev.
erenced, adored If you have already
received Him as your own personal
Saviour; il 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 Christi" 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 in 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 peryerting the
nation, forbidding to give tribute to
Caesar. proclaiming Himself King.
To all these accusations Jesus answer
ed never a word. and Plate marveled
greatly verses 12-14; Luke xiii. 2. 81
1t is trying to be lied about and false
~ 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 the better
way
Nothing can be said or done to any
member Of His body without His per-
mission or without His feeling 1t, and
all suffering with Him and for His
sake is very great privilege. Con-
slider continually that He who bore
all this so meekly 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 Deut.
K. II; Ps. lxxi;, IL: Rev. /. 5; XIV. 3;
xvii, IA; xix. 16). Oh, the stupendous
wonder of 1t all that He should con-
descend to submit 10 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. IA. 15,. Pilates wife sent
to him. saying. Have thou nothing to
do with that just man. for | have suf-
fered many things this day in 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" verses 10. 20.
"a, 25)