The Pulpit Commentary — Luke — Volume 2 — Section 205

in self-indulgence and sin I Oh that the gentle, reproachful "why?" may be as ao alarum-clock to conscience, a continual incitement to will and heart l The spirit may be willing, but the flesh is ever weak. "Rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation! • Ver. 47-ch. :xxiii. 46.-Thursday night to Friday evening. It is time to be going. The footfall of the coming host has already been heard, and the gleam of the lantcrn:-1 and the flashing of the swords have been detected at no great distance. Guiltily, un<ler shadow of night, the conspirators have approached. "While Jesus is yet speakioc:.'' (ver. 4 7), the traitor is bending forward to give the salute of friendship. Note the question, so full of gentle dignity, "Companion, wherefore art thou come? BetrayPst thou the Son of man with a. kiss?" Note what follows down to the flight of the apostles, when to them it seems that the end has come. "\Ve trusted that it had been be who should have redeemed Israel;" and now? Betrayed into the hands of sinners, he is "led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep dumb before her shearers." Priest, Pharisee, scribe, he who scourged you with the whip of his holy indignation is now the Prisoner on whose bleeding body the furrows of your scourge may be made long. No legion of angels will interpose. The Son of God only waits to die. There are: (1) a precognition by Annas; (2) an arraignment before Gaiaphas and the Sanhe- drin; and, finally (3 ), the deliverance to the ;"udicature of the governor. .Brit,fly trace the narrative. I. THE PRECOGNITION BY ANll'AS. Annas, or Hanan, to whom first the fettered Jesus is borne, occupied at the time a peculiar position. His son-in-law, Joseph Caiaphas, was the actual high priest. But Annas, havin~ been deposed by the Roman governor, was still regarded as the priest Jure divino, and his influence seems to have been immense. Five of his sons and his son-in-law wern raised to the pontifical throne. It was under the last of his five sons that James, the brother of our Lord, was put to death. He was nn unscrupulous. intriguer. A Sadducee, who had been mixed up in foul plots and conspiracies, the head of "a viper brood," as a Jewish chronicler says, which amassed wealth b.v unlawful gains. Farrar has called attention to the fact that, when 1he cap- ture of Jesus is determined, the Pharisees disappear from the scene; his implacable enemies are the chief priests and scribes. Before this Acnas Jesus stands (Johe xviii. 13-23). Some questions are put as to his disciples and doctrine. And these, a.:i has well been remarked, Jesus answers" with dignified repulsion "-a repulsion so sharp that the first blow inflicted on that sacred face was bestowed by oce of the menials of the court. "Answerest thou the high priest so?" How complete the self-rpstraint expressed in the only action which followed-the reply, "If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but if not, why strikest thou me?" II. THE ARRAIGNMENT BEFORE CAIAPHAS AND THE SANHEDRIN. All that Annas could do was to order his Prisoner to be still more tightly bound, and to send him to the portion of the temple court which was occupied by the priest, his son-io-law, Caiaphas. The morning had not yet dawned, and until dawn no meeting of council could be convened. It wan during this interval that the predicted denial of the Lord by Peter occurred (vers. 54-62). The clock marks the hour of six, when Caiapbas and his assessors confront the Nazarene. Their object is to establish a charge of blas- phemy, and suborned witnesses are cited. 'l'hey are clumsy perjurers, who contradict one another and contradict themselves. And the evidence breaks down. 'l'heo tho tactics are cha~ged. 'l'he high priest, directly addressing the Prisoner, deman,ls a " yea " or "nay" to the in terrogntion, " Art thou the Christ?" Jesus bas been silent, but now (vers. 60-71), calmly and solemnly, he answers," Thou hast ~aid;" and add~ that, by-and-by, they should see "the Son of man sitting on the right haod of the power of God.'' It is enough. "Blasphemy ! " is the shout, and he is condemned as worthy of death. And there ensues a scene of brutal ferocity. The wretches in attendance spit on the face, buffet, strike him with the palms of their hands, aod rcml the air with ribald cries. For the world shows its baseness when 1\ mau is down; then the many rush forward to have their fling and kick. III. JESUS IB DELIVERED TO THE JUDICATURE OF THE GOVERNOR. What priests ana. elders could do has been done. The procurator alone could inflict the sentence of ,death. 'rheir next movement must be to coerce him into the carrying out of their plan, .And they know that in Pontius Pilate, stained with violences the report of which to  214 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. LUKE. [en. nn. 1-71.