#142.# _Bear in mind_ that the ecclesiastics had by this time determined on his death. But they did not want that to take place on the feast day, lest there should be an uproar among the people, who believed on him. That is, they were afraid of a rescue (Matt. 26:5).

Yet it did come on the feast day. The reasons for this are as follows:

(1) His triumphal entry. The jubilation among the people angered them.

They perceived that the people welcomed him, and that they prevailed against him not at all. Of course this was stinging to their pride, and they feared the outcome of this popular enthusiasm.

(2) They were further angered by their failure to discomfit him in argument in the very presence of the mult.i.tude. Their effort to entangle him in his talk, as shown in Matthew 22:15-46, was a total failure, and they knew that the people rejoiced at their discomfiture.

This was most galling to their pride as religious leaders of the nation. Add to this the terrific denunciation that Jesus poured forth on them, as told in Matthew 23:1-39, and bear in mind that this was in the presence of all the people, and you have an explanation of the resentment on their part.

(3) Just about at this juncture Judas came with his offer, which to them must have seemed most timely. He knew where he could find the Master when the people would be absent, and they relied on their influence with Pilate to carry their scheme through swiftly, so that there would be no chance of any rescue. So, with this combination of circ.u.mstances, they determined to go ahead in spite of the fact of the approaching Pa.s.sover.

#143. The Trial.#--This was twofold. In the first place, it was an ecclesiastical trial. It was before Annas (informal), then before Caiaphas, and the Sanhedrin. Here the charges were all ecclesiastical.

They were that he had spoken against the temple; that he had broken the Sabbath, and that he was guilty of blasphemy in calling himself the Son of G.o.d. These charges they could not prove, but that made no difference, for the issue was already determined in their minds. So they condemned him to death. But they had no power under the Roman government to inflict the death penalty. So they had to take him before the Roman Governor. This brings us to the second trial. This was political. Here the charges were entirely different from those on which they had condemned him to death. Now they charged him with forbidding to pay taxes, and with setting himself up to be a king, in rivalry with Caesar. All this was false, and they knew it, but they cared nothing for that, so long as they could persuade Pilate to give them the desired verdict. Pilate repeatedly declared him innocent, as did also Herod, to whom Pilate sent him. But the ecclesiastics would take nothing but his death as their right. So at last Pilate weakly yielded, and gave sentence as they desired.

#144. The scene at the cross# surpa.s.ses all description. Note who were there. Gentiles were there in the form of Roman soldiers. Jews were there in the persons of the ecclesiastics, who reviled on the cross him who for so long had gone about doing good. Even at this time they bore witness to his power, crying out, "He saved others; himself he cannot save." Had they put it, "He saved others, himself he _will not_ save," they would have been strictly within the truth. For he could have saved himself, since it lay within his power to call for twelve legions of angels, and they would have responded at once. Then where would the chief priests or even the Roman soldiers have been?

#145.# There, too, were _the Apostles_, who were filled with despair at the fate of him who they had hoped would redeem Israel. Now their hope perished, and they gave way to dark despair. All his acquaintances from Galilee were there, the women beating their b.r.e.a.s.t.s for sorrow. Criminals were there as his companions in agony and shame.

Yes, the scene at the cross was the most dramatic that the world had ever seen. For the time, the powers of darkness seem to have triumphed, and the best man in the world was nailed to the accursed cross.

#146. The Penitent Robber.#--Yet even here a sudden ray of light divine breaks the darkness, and in the penitent robber we have the most wonderful record of the triumph of faith that the world has ever seen. How he was led out into the light of faith just at the moment that the faith of all others was eclipsed we cannot tell, but the fact remains. Note, all, even the Apostles, had given up faith in Jesus as the Messiah. But just at this moment, like the sun bursting through the dark thunder-cloud, we see the faith of this robber emerge, resplendent, for he recognized in the crucified man next him his "Lord." He also recognizes in him a king, for he speaks to him concerning his kingdom, to which he is about to go. More than this.

The robber believes that it will be well with him in the next world if his dying companion in pain remembers him, and he also believes that he will be willing to remember him. What a most wonderful exhibition of faith this was, under the circ.u.mstances. At the moment when the powers of darkness were most triumphant the power of the Holy Spirit was also most clearly shown. And in response to all this faith comes the rea.s.suring reply, "To-day shalt thou be with me in Paradise."

#147.# At the cross, too, we may see the epitome of all men in their relation to sin and death, for while all three of the victims that day were brought to the cross by sin, they stood in very different relationships to sin. See, all died because of sin. But the impenitent robber died _in_ his sin. On the other hand, the penitent robber that day died _to_ sin. Jesus could do neither of these things, for he had no sin. But that day he died _for_ sin. This truth is set forth in the accompanying diagram, and is most suggestive. None but Jesus can die for sin, but all sinners must either die in sin or die to sin.

[Ill.u.s.tration: HE DIED IN FOR TO __|__ __|__ __|__ | | | | | | | | | SIN]

Test Questions

When did our Lord arrive at Bethany?

How do we know that the events of these eight days were of the utmost importance in the minds of the evangelists?

Why did the ecclesiastics not want to put Jesus to death on the feast day?

Give the first reason why his death came on a feast day.

Give the second reason for this.

Give the third reason for this action.

State in what respect the trial of Jesus was twofold.

What were the charges in the ecclesiastical trial?

What were the charges in the political trial?

What was the verdict of both Pilate and Herod about Jesus?

State in detail who were present at the crucifixion.

Give the story of the wonderful triumph of faith on the part of the penitent robber.

What was the relationship of the three crucified men to sin?

Lesson 7

The Forty Days

New Testament Division--Second Period (Concluded)

---------------------+-----------+----------+----------+---------- EVENTS | MATTHEW | MARK | LUKE | JOHN ---------------------+-----------+----------+----------+---------- The Resurrection | | | | Morning. Women Visit | | | | the Sepulcher. | 28:1-8 | 16:1-8 | 24:1-11 | 20:1, 2 | | | | Peter and John Visit | | | | the Sepulcher. | ... | ... | 24:12 | 20:3-10 | | | | Appearance to Mary | | | | Magdalene. | ... | 16:9-11 | ... | 20:11-18 | | | | Second Appearance. | 28:9, 10 | | | | | | | Report of the Guard. | 28:11-15 | | | | | | | Appearance to Peter; | 1 Cor. | 16:12, | | Walk to Emmaus. | 15:5 | 13 | 24:13-35 | | | | | Appearance to Ten | | | | Disciples. | ... | 16:14-18 | 24:36-43 | 20:19-25 | | | | Appearance to Eleven | | | | Disciples. | ... | ... | ... | 20:26-29 | | | | Sea of Galilee. | | | | Appearance to Seven | | | | Disciples. | 28:16 | ... | ... | 21:1-24 | | | | Appearance to Many | | 1 Cor. | | Disciples. | 28:16-20 | 15:6 | | | | | | Final Appearance; | Acts | 16:19, | | Ascension. | 1:3-12 | 20 | 24:44-53 | | | | | Conclusion. | ... | ... | ... | 20:30, | | | | 31; 21:25 ---------------------+-----------+----------+----------+----------

#TIME.#--A. D. 30.

#PLACES.#--Jerusalem, Galilee, Mt. of Olives.

The Incomparable Life (Concluded)

#148. The Forty Days.#--As it is unfortunately customary on the part of certain modern critics to deny the physical resurrection of our Lord, and to maintain that all that we know about him after his resurrection is that he was alive, it seems needful to give a whole lesson to these forty days. The critics above referred to claim that the disciples of Jesus _expected_ his physical resurrection, and, being ignorant and unlearned, they were easily deceived by the reports of the women. In reply to this unwarranted claim the following truths must be insisted on.

#149.# _First truth._ The disciples never expected Jesus _to die_, least of all on the cross. Indeed, the general expectation was that the Messiah must abide forever (John 12:34). So when he spoke of his death, they did not even understand what he meant. (See Mark 9:32; Luke 9:45; Luke 18:34.) At one time when Jesus spoke of all this, Peter even ventured to rebuke him (Matt. 16:22).

#150.# _Second truth._ From the above it is most apparent that they never _even thought_ of a resurrection (see Mark 9:10). When they saw him die, and knew from the physical signs of the blood and water that he was dead, they at once gave up all hope in him as the expected Messiah. This is apparent from the remark of the two to the Master as they were going to Emmaus (Luke 24:21). Their remark implies that now they had given up any such hope. But more than this. Had they thought of any resurrection, would they not have remained near the garden where his body was laid? Surely John and the Master's mother would not have abandoned that garden for Jerusalem. Nor would they have prepared spices for his final entombment had they had any reasonable hope of his resurrection. What took the women to the tomb on that Easter morning was not any remotest hope that they might find him alive, but only the completion of plans for his final burial. All this is apparent from the unvarnished narrative of all of the evangelists.

Rightly read, the narrative reveals the one fact that they had not the least hope that they would ever see him alive in this world.

#151.# _Third truth._ When the tomb was found empty on that Easter morning, even that did not awaken any thought that the Lord had risen.

This is proved by the whole story of Mary on that day (John 20). All her thought was, where is _the body_? Even when Jesus appeared to Mary, she did not recognize him at first, so far was it from her thought that he could be living. And when the women reported to the disciples that they had seen him alive, their words seemed to the Apostles as "idle talk" (Luke 24:11). So when Peter and John ran to the tomb and found not his body, they simply believed that it had been taken away by some one, and not at all that he had risen from the dead, for as yet they knew not the truth that he must rise (John 20:9).

#152.# _Fourth truth._ When the women were convinced that the Lord was really risen, still the men remained unconvinced. The two on their way to Emmaus did not recognize him, for they never thought that it could be he. Peter seems to have been convinced when the Lord appeared to him, but in that upper chamber, when they all (excepting Thomas) saw him, still they would not believe that it was really he, but thought that they saw a spirit (Luke 24:36-40). It took physical demonstration to prove to these men that he was really in their presence. No, they were not the "credulous" men that the critics would have us believe.

#153.# _Fifth truth._ But as yet Thomas would not believe, and a whole week of arguing on the part of the other disciples did not move him.

It took the personal appearance of the Master himself to convince Thomas that the others had not been deceived (John 20:24-29). All this is proof positive that the critics are wrong in this matter and that the evangelists are telling the simple truth about the physical resurrection of our blessed Lord.

#154.# _Sixth truth._ If the body had not risen, but was still in the grave, it would have been easy for the Jews to disprove the story of the physical resurrection. All they would have had to do was to say, "Here we have the body, and to talk of resurrection under these circ.u.mstances is absurd." The concocted falsehood (Matt. 28:11-15) shows that the body was not in the grave. But for the disciples to steal it while the Roman soldiers were on guard was absolutely impossible. This is why money had to be given to the soldiers, and they made sure that Pilate would be "fixed" also, and so the soldiers be saved from punishment.

#155. The Conclusion.#--No, the arguments offered to convince us that Jesus' body did not rise are all based on unbelief, and b.u.t.tressed by false presentation of the whole case. To all these we simply respond, "Now IS Christ risen from the dead."

The appearances of the Master, given in their order, so far as we can arrange it, are as follows:

1. To Mary at the tomb (John 20:11-18).

2. To the women as they were returning from the empty tomb (Matt.

28:9).