The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 542

they were bringing to paae the uUerancee of God through the prophets. The Scriptures muet be fulfilled, Bt. Matthew dwells reverently upon that great truth. He recurs to it again antl again. Let us remember It, and treasure it in our hearts for warning and for encouragement, 3. The flighe of the disciples. They had looked, perhaps, for some exertion of power. But the Lord did not resist; he meekly yielded himself to die. And their heart eank within them. Fear became stronger than love. "They all forsook him, and fled." Even Peter, who had just drawn the sword in his defence; even John and James, the sons of thunder-all fletl, Alas I for human nature; how much weakness and cowardice and selfishness there is even in the best of us! Let us learn to distrust ourselves, to recognize our own weakness, to trust in him whose strength is made perfect in weakness. LESSONS, 1. Many knew Christ after the flesh; and yet they were not saved. Let us pray to know him by faith through the presence of his Spirit. 2. The kiss of Judas could not hide his treason. Outward reverence will not conceal a selfish, wicked heart. 3. We must use gentle means to win hearts to Gotl. 4. Apostles fled. Let us beware of self-confidence ; let us watch and pray. Vere. 57-75.-The palace of Oaiaphas. L TnE PRELIMINARY TRIAL, 1. The meeting of the Sanhedrin. St. J ohu tells us that our Lord was led first bdore Annas, for a hasty informal examination. Perhaps it was thought that the astute Annas, with that snakelike cunning which was attributed to him, might elicit something which might tell against the Prisoner. But the craft of the old high priest and the brutality of his officers were alike unavailing; and the Lord was sent to Caiapha.s. The Sanhedrin had assembled at his house. In their haste and malice they violated the rules of their court. They met in the night; they assigned no counsel to the Prisoner; they called no witnesses in his favour; they passed judgment of death at once. 2. The witnes&eS, In their intense wickedness they deliberately sought false witness to destroy the Innocent; they could not find it. Even the perversion of the Lord's words, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up," could not be sustained. "Neither so," says St. Mark, "did their witness agree together." The Lord preserved a calm and holy silence amid this falsehood and calumny. We flash into indignation when we are unjustly accused. Let us learn meekness of onr Lord. II. THE INTERVENTION OF CAIAPHAS, 1, His questions. He started up in fierce excitement. He urged the Lord to speak. .And when Christ still answered nothing, he put him upon his oath, and addressed to him directly the awful question, "Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?" It was a flagrant violation of all the rules of judicial procedure. The judge constitutes himself the accuser; he tries to force the Accused to acknowledge the charge. He had, at a previous meeting of the Sanhedrin (John xi. 49-52), maintained the necessity of putting Jesus to death. Did he think that Jesus was indeed the Christ; and, thinking this, did he seek to slay him? Was his guilt like the guilt of Herod, who sought to destroy the young Child that was born King of the Jews? Certainly Caiaphas had" prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation." But probably that prophecy was unconscious; probably he did not under- stand the full meaning of his words. If he understood it, his guilt would be too awful to contemplate; it would be beyond the limits of human guilt; it would be hellish, Satanic. 2. The Lorr£s answer. When he was adjured by the living God, put upon his oath solemnly by the high priest, the Lord kept silence no longer. "Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said;" or, in the equivalent words of St. Mark, "Jesus said, I am." Standing bound before his judge, knowing that he WIIS pronouncing his own death-warrant, he asserted in simple majesty the tremendous truth. He was the Son of God. Caiaphas should one day know it-in that day when "he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him." Caiaphas should see him then, the Son of God, but manifested as the Son of man (for it is as the Son of man that he shall exeoute judgment,~ch. xxv. 31; John v. 27; Dan. vii 13), "sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven." 3. The condsmnation. Caiaphas had gained his point now. He rent his clothes (an action forbidden to the high priest, Lev. ni. 10) in affectation of horror, There was no further need of witnesses, he said; for the Sanhedrin had heard the awful words-awful words, which he called blasphemy; which we know were the truth of God. Caiaphas at once put.  5-18 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTllEW,, [011. xxv1. 1-7lJ.