Arizona republican., 1919-12-14
International Bible School Lesson For
 Sunday, December IA
REV. w. S. BUCHANAN

him. Each of the three trials might from a different point of view, have been regarded as the most fatal and important of the three. That of An mas was the authorative pre- judge ment, that of Caiaphas the real de-
 termination. that of the Sanhedrim at daybreak, the final ratification. Far rar.
 HIGH PRIEST.
 In verse Is it is stated that Jesus
 was led away to Annas first" while
 here he was taken to the high priests
 palace though we have just been in
 formed as follows: Annas who had
 been high priest for seven years, was
 the father of four sons who were high | priests, but Annas was probably the
 most influential of them all and was
 considered by the Sanhedrim to be the i real high priest, since Caiaphas had
 been appointed by the Roman govern ment for that year. In Luke both | Annas and Caiaphas are named as high priests; while in Acts AS, Annas and Caiaphas are named as high priests: while in Acts 4:6. Annas is spoken of as high priest. The trial of Jesus, however, was held before both of the men and it was in the court near the office of each of the high priests where Peter made his great 1 mistake. ! PETER DISOWNS HIS MASTER. 1 At the time of the arrest of Christ
 all of the disciples fled in a panic, but 1 in a short time some of them came
 to their senses and followed the crowd, 1 one of this number was Peter. The
 other disciple is admitted by all to be
 John. John was known to the high
 priest and through his influence Peter
 was admitted to the court of the high priests palace. The maid who kept
 the gate, for it was a Jewish custom l to have female porters, would not let Peter in. She accused him of being
 one of Christ's disciples, but Peter quickly replied: q am not" three times he made the denial and then Jesus as
 he was passing from one high priests court to the other looked at Peter and immediately the cock crew. and Peter
 left the palace and went out into the
 night to weep alone. From this hour until after the resurrection of Christ
 the suffering of Peter was terrible, but
 he showed his manliness by getting to | Jesus and renpenting of his great sin
 because of this he was made the leader of the Apostolic band. The one lesson
 for us is, that it takes more and better ) manhood to repent than it does to live in our sins and remain unclean.
 , ANNAS QUESTIONS JESUS.
 Annas the high priest questioned
 Jesus about his disciples and His teaching, Jesus replied: T have spoken l openly to the world" Christ ignores the question about the disciples but l answers with reference to himself, He l had taught openly in the synagogues l and temple; he had entered into no l conspiracies. as Annas himself had l done; all his life and teaching could 7 be learned by inquiring. If they wanted information let them investi- 5 gate others besides himself. Christ l hinted that his examination could pro 3 ceed in regular order by calling wit l nesses, Ask them, why askest thou 5 me? { When Jesus had spoken, one of the
 officers struck him. This is the first - blow that was laid upon him, "by whose Q stripes we are healed" The officer, no l doubt was not accustomed to hear a 1 prisoner use such plain language or ' stand up for his own rights and hence ] insolently struck the prisoner and ex- ' claimed, as though to justify the act n "answerest thou the high priest SOP . How calm and dignified Jesus was ir y his reply: If I have spoken evil beal l. witness of the eyil!"-Note Paul under e similar circumstances (Acts 23:3) an = swers like a man, but Christ like the e Son of God. If there was evil in the d words just spoken, let it be pointed y out: but if not, to smite him was a t crime. These words were spoken tc e the servant Violence is the resort o1
 those who are in the wrong
 I From Annas, Christ was taken tC
 Caiaphas. Failing to convict Jesus o- }, any capital charge by witnesses, they V examined him and the high priest ex- O claimed. T adjure thee. art thou tho = Christ the Son of God" When Chris l, replied. T am' the high priest ren = his garments as if in horror, and cried n What need have we of further testi e mony," and all affirmed, He is worth! Is of death'' He was condemned. no Is because he said he was the Christ, bu e because he asserted that he was thu e Son of God, the crime of blasphem! = from the point of view that he was onl! e q man. Before Pilate, when he founC IT the Saviour guiltless they brought thu e additional charge, we have a law, anC ,- by our law he ought to die, because h. e made himself the Son of God. Thes l. facts are all consistent with his son n ship, his real Divinity, but are incap