Evening star., 1925-02-28

Immediately upon the arrest OF
Jesus in the Garden OF Gethsemanc,
He was conducted by the soldiers to
those who had insticated His arrest
with the view of having Him CON
demned to die. John informs us that
He was taken first to Annas. who,
though deposed from the office of high
priest, had retained the leadership of
Jewish religious life through the sue
cessive appointment Of his relatives.
1 He was the director of the plan TO
have Jesus Crucitied. His home was
probably the same as that of his SON
in-law, Caiaphas. who, with "A group
Of his associates in the Sanhedrin,
conducted an informal examination of
Jesus and other witnesses with "A view
OF preferring charges against the
Master before the Sanhedrin. This ir
regular and Illegal conclave OF reli-
gious priests determined to secure the
death Of Christ.
Early the next morning the Master
was placed on trial before the Sanhe
drin, whose powers had been restrict
ed by the Roman authorities so that
they no longer had the right to in
tlict death penalty. They rapidly
reviewed the informal proceeding and
agreed with the high priest ana his
fellow couSpirators that Jesus should
die, although there was q difference
in the testimony presented by the
witnesses against Christ.
Although they based their decision
upon the Lords claim to be the
Messiah their decision was based
upon something deeper than religious
pre- judice. They construed Christ's
claim as blasphemy, although they
were looking for the coming of the
Messiah - free the nation from the
yoke of Rome. They had been aroused
by His refusal to accept the political
throne and His attacks upon their
vested rights and personal interests.
These exploiters of the people bound
the Lord with shackles and brought
II i'm before plate, the Roman COVER
nor, who alone could issue a death
warrant.
Suffered Under Pontius PiInte.
"Pilate had evidently been drawn
to Jerusalem because of the Passover
feast. The first to enter his palace
was the Lord, although His enemies
refrained from entering the prae
torium, lest they should become cere-
monially unClean and be debarred from
eating the paschal lamb. The mem
! bers of the Sanhedrin We're disap
pointed when the governor did not
approve Of their verdict as a matter
of form. When he required that they
present some accusations that would
Justify his issuing the death warrant,
in accordance with Roman law, a
thre efold charge was presented
against Christ. He was accused of
attempting to start revolution
against the Roman powers by per-
veTting the nation. forbiddinE them
70 give tribute 10 Caesar and declar-
ing that He Himself was King Each
of these charges was false for His
accusers hated Him because He re-
fused 10 become a rival of Tiberius
or to use His powers as political
Messiah. There was no evidence pre-
sented at the Lords trial before the
Sanhedrin along these lines.
Pilates sense of fair play moved
him to give Jesus a square deal He
understood that the religious leaders
were moved by envy or jealousy. He
knew that Jesus was the only one
who had dared to publicly condemn
their double life and dealings. Christ's
statement of His kingship removed
Him from the class of revolutionists
whose program would be dangerous
TO the Roman empire. He found no
fault in Him and, had he exhibited
the backbone of Roman official who
desired to be just he would have
freed Christ.
Popular prejudice weighed as much
with the trimming politician who oc-
cupied the executive Office in Jerusa-
lem as it does today with the modern
/ demagogue who considers carefully
what the people back home think and
want. PLATE had been warned by
his wife against doing anything
against Christ. If he had listened to
her suggestion he would have re
leased Jesus and his name would have
been enShrined forever in the hearts
OF humanity. He revealed his cow
ardice by seeking to evade his duty
He feared that his official position
and life were in danger if another
uprising with public disorder should
break out, so he sought to evade his
responsibility.
EHadinG Duty.
PLATE tried to evade his duty by
sending Christ TO Herod upon a mere
technicality. In referring the question
TO Herod. in all probability, the gov
ernor was acting as a shrewd poll
tician. He thought that by sending
| the prisoner and his accusers to
| Herod he would be relieved of all
responsibility in the case. PLATE saw
an opportunity TO effect a desira BILE
political reconciliation with He-od by
graceful act of courtesy in recog-
nizing Herod's authority in this case
even though 1t was in Jerusa lem
! between the two rulers over some
Gali1eans, whom he had put to death
, IN Jerusalem, in a most summary
manner, without consulting Herod
| He may have been moved by his in
| terest in Jesus to learn Herod's view
! of the Christ.
PLATE succeeded in patching up his
| differences with Herod, though he did
/ it at the cost of humiliation and
| further insult to Jesus. Many enemies
! have been united in conspiracy
| against Jesus, but centuries have
/ demonstrated that those who fail to
| do their duty by the Lord Jesus re-
| gret it too late. Plate, when Herod
! returned Christ to him, sought the
| advice OF the people, hoping that they
would demand the Lords release.
| The leaders saw through his plans
| and they outgeneraled PLATE by per-
! suading the people to demand with
! an increasing clamor that Jesus be
! crucfed He tried to place upon the
| multitude the responsibility for his
! decision. He has been rightly con-
| denned throughout the centuries for
| his vacillating and coward1y policy
! by the followers of the Lord in their
ancient creed repeating how Christ
! suffered under Pontius PLATE.
The Peoples Problem.
PLATE revealed his weakness by his
| appeal to the mob. No craven cow
| ard such as Plate was could have
/ changed their decision. If he had
! been q strong man he would have
| exercised his authority and freed the
Christ. He became the tool of the