Jasper County Democrat, Volume 13, Number 66, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 November 1910 — THE SAVIOR'S TEACHINGS BROOKLYN TABERNACIE BIBLE STUDIES [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE SAVIOR'S TEACHINGS BROOKLYN TABERNACIE BIBLE STUDIES

ARRAIGNED AS A BLASPHEMER Matthew 26:57-68 November 27 __ "Who when kt tens recited, recited aol efria.” ' t fttdr £.-t3. ■ E cannot do better at the openCwM Ic S of this study than quote the words of Mr. Chandler. He said: “Many remarkable trials have characterized the judicial history of mankind. The trial of Socrates, before the dicastery of Athens, charged with corrupting the Athenian youth, with blaspheming the Olympic gods and seeking to destroy the constitution of the Athenian Republic, is still a sublime and thrilling chapter in the history of a wonderful people. “The trial of Alfred Dreyfus is still fresh in the memories of men. The Frepch Republic is still rent by contending factious. His friends say that Dreyfus was a Prometheus who was chained to an ocean-girt rock while the vulture of exile preyed upon his heart. His enemies still, assert that he was a Judas who betrayed’ not God nor Christ, but France and the Fatherland. Rut these trials, one and all, were tame and commonplace compared w ith the trial aad crucifixion of the Galilean peasant, Jesus of Nazareth.” In Defense of the Jews It is net for us to say that the Jews were wholly excusable in their course of injuries toward Jesus in causing his crucifixion by the Romans, Ou the other hand, it is projier for us to consider everything that could be thought of calculated to mitigate the severity of our judgment regarding the injustices there practised. And it is proper also that we should consider what, from their standpoint, would seem to be extenuating circumstances. This is everywhere recognized as just treatment. The attorney, defending a criminal who has plead guilty to the Charges against him. is considered to do only his duty by his criminal client when he presents whatever in the circumstances of tile case would tend to prove that the culprit had cause, or thought that he had a reason for his misdemeanor.

Viewing the Jewish people of nearly nineteen centuries ago from«this standpoint we get a more reasonable view of the situation than is othertvise possible. We hearken first to St. Peter's words respecting the transaction. He said, “I wot that through ignorance ye did it. as did.also your rulers.” Had they known, they would not have killed the Prince of life (Acts iii. The Jews did not for one moment suppose that (he great Messiah, foretold to be their Prophet. Priest and King—like unto Moses, but greater; like unto David and Solomon. but greater; like unto Meichisedek. but greater—would appear as "a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.” Although those very words were written of him by the Prophet, they were hidden from their eyes of understanding by the glorious things related of him jn other prophecies. They saw the glories. They saw not, understandingly. the sufferings. To this day they interpret the sufferings of their nation as being those which will ultimately inure to their advantage. The prophetic descriptions are not concentrated. nor collected, but scattered, “here a little and there a little.” so written that they could not be understood at the time; nor were they understood ev?n by the Lord's disciples until after his resurrection from the dead, when he explained them. and. subsequently, by the holy Spirit. ea-

abled them still'more folly to understand that thus it was written in the prophets and thus it behooved the Son of Man to seller before entering into his glory—before beginning the work of blessing Israel and the world. Tea. today many Christians are as deeply confused on this matter as are the Jews. Many have rejected entirely the thought of Messiah's glorious Kingdom reign for the general blessing and uplifting of Israel and all humanity. From their standpoint, if “the lufferings of Christ” were intended t*prepare the way and usher in his Kingdom of glory, then the program must have failed, or else his Kingdom of glory is to be a heavenly one and not, as they believe, in accord with the prayer taught by our Lord, “Thy Kingdom come; thy will be done on rartfc.” The trouble is that they will not realize that where the suffering* of Christ, the Head, ended, ,the suffer-

Ings of the “Body of Christ” began—the sufferings of be Church, which is his Body”—filiingup the of the afflictions of Christ, wh/ch are behind (Colossians i. 24». As soon as the “Church, the Body of Christ,” shah bare finished the bearing of the cross, after him, following in his steps to the end of the journey, then the Kingdom glories will be ushered, in. Israel's blindness will be turned away and the blessing of the Lord will begin to fill the whole earth. The Jews, who caused the erocL fixion of Jesus. certainly did so in much the same spirit which led St. Paul—then .Saul of Tarsus—to cause the stoning of St. Stephen. As Saul was forgiven, so Israel /is to be forgiven; as the Scriptures declare. "The Lord will pour upon them the spirit of prayer ami -supplication.” and then they will see. with eyes of their understanding, “him whom they pierced and they will ait mourn for him” (Zechariah xii; 10». and their mourning will be turned into joy; for.

as Joseph forgave his brethren, so will this great antitypical Joseph of the throne of earth freely forgive those who caused his crucifixion Politics and Selfishness as Religion The Jews are net so different from other f>eople now, nor were they then. History indicates that some of their highest offices, were held by irreligionists for their political influence; thus the chief-priests, at the first advent of our Lord, was a Sadducee. who wholly disbelieved in the promises of God to Israel, including a disbelief in the resurrection of the dead. Similarly today there are high-priests. b&li amongst Jews and Christians. who disbelieve, and yet hold high positions. Amongst Christians there are D. D.'s who are unbelievers and many of the most notable rabbis amongst the Jews also declare themselves thorough unbelievers. We are hot claiming that such unbelieving Christians and Jewish ministers would I ghtly espouse and support an unjust procedure against an innocent man. We do not know about this. It has yet to be tested, perhaps. We do know, however, that when faith in a Divine Revelation and in a Divine supervision of human affairs is lost the natural effect is that the losers of the faith become more and more policymen and consider policy the extreme of human wisdom, particularly in the guidance of affairs of Church and State. .

Taking history for it. that the leaders of Judaism at the time of onr Lord were Higher Critical unbelievers (Sadducees*. we can readily see that their policy was to curry favor with the Boman Emperor and to seek to bold the common people in subjection to themselves- To these, then, it mast have seemed almost a calamity that a poor man. although of noble birth, of the family of David and the Tribe of Judah, should gather about him a handful of nondescript fishermen, taxgatherers, etc.; that be should pronounce himself a king and declare the setting up of his Kingdom to be near, and that by the exercise of some supernatural power for the healing of their diseases be should attract the “common people” to his standard, but not the learned. We can well imagine their reasoning that, if this thing, the popularity of Jesus, continued to increase. it would shortly reach the ears of the Roman Emperor and then all their claims for imperial favors would be discounted and they would be rated as a nation of rebels.

The riding of Jesus into Jerusalem, just before the Passover, on an ass, after the manner of the kings of Israel and surrounded'by a multitude shouting. “Hosanna to the Son of David who cometh in the name of the Lord.” capped the climax, so to speak, and convinced these unbelieving Jews, politicians, occupying religious offices, that it would be far better that one innocent man should die than that the whole nation should be turned into turmoil and wrecked by the Romans in consequence. How many American preachers, judges, officials, etc., would in this enlightened day be inclined similarly to decide such a matter! And is not this the policy which always prevails in monarchies? Fahey such a commotion in the capital of Germany, Italy. France. Austria. Russia, Great Britain, the United- States. Fancy that after such a parade, mimic though it might appear, the adored one should go to the temple and execute a longneglected law and. in thus exercising his religious rights, suppose that he should drive out the money-changers and merchants from the outer precincts of their chief religious Cathedral! What would be donr to nmc I*l a person today? Do we not know that in the most civilized lands he would be arrested and imprisoned, and in the more savage lands he would be beat

en or executed? When, therefore, we • view the situation from this standpoint we lose any siurit of antagonism which might have been ours;it turns to sympathy—that a religious nation should ’allow itself to get into,the hands of politicians bwlt’ift extent. I Brought Before Caiaphas -It was very courageous on the part Of St. Peter that. after having smitten off the 'ear of the High Priest's ' servant (tbcugb tbe wound was healed by. Jesusf, be followed his. Master into the Court of that high-priest to see what would be done. The arraignment was at night; a 4, though It was contrary to Jewish Law to try a prisoner at night for any serious offenke. ■ But there was an excuse.•-> This was a- * special case; haste was necessary. because whatever, would be <Jone must be done quickly: the very next day the | unbelieving officials . perceived ■ that Jesus hr.d er: at iiiffueitre with the ■ common i- op’o. They bcilerid,- him ■ to be. a brilliant but harmless fraud. He had committed no crime, but lie was a ,disturber of the peace, and they felt fully justified in taking life life. The Feast of Passover was at hand and would last a week and it would be contrary to their Law that any ex-, ecutiop should take place during tlrnt week. Besides, they feared the amount of influence, which Jesus might ‘ exercise, during the Week, when ‘ there would be from one to two millions of people in and ground Jerusalem from all over Palestine. They bad already determined that their action must be short, sharp and decisive. This was decided before the arrest was made. They were ready and waiting at that midnight hope to carry out their murderous designs, for the good of their nation, as they thought. The examination was merely a preliminary one to get togetheF such evidence as at the morning Tribunal could be rushed through rapidly at a prearranged session. He Was Charged With Blasphemy They had difficulty in finding a charge. For what bad Jesus ever done except acts es kindness and the uttering of words cf wisdom and correction and bo|ie? Blasphemy was a serious charge under the Jewish cede. They would charge him with that as being the easiest to prove. He had said, when near the Temple. “Destroy this Temple, and 1 will rear it up in three days.” “But he spake of the temple of his Body. ' Some of those who heard him understood him to speak of the literal temple. This they charged was blasphemy, because it took years to build the temple, and for Jesus to rebuild it in three days would mean a claim on his part of Divine power. But the charge did not seem sufficiently strong, even for those who had premeditated his murder. -They wanted something to give a color of justice, at least, to their findings. So ' the chief-priest thought to get Jesus to : commit himself in their presence and said. 1 adjure thee by the Living God to tell us whether thou be the Chrfet. the Son of God. Jesus replied that this was true and that they would yet i see him in heavenly glory and power at the right hand of Divine favor. This, the High Priest declared, was sufficient proof of blasphemy. “Behoid. now ye have heard his blasphe-. my. What reply ye?” And the council answered that he was worthy of death. The rabble in the Court, hearing the commotion, felt at liberty *to abuse this prisoner, as they had done others. They showed their contempt of him by spitting upon him. They derided him by smiting him and saying. Prophesy, tell who smote thee. “He was reviled, yet reviled not again.” -7