Vers. 45-52.-The mreti'flg of the Sanhedrin. The position of the officia.l guides of the people was becoming every hour more gravely compromised by the movement in favour of Jesus. I. THE EXTRAORDINARY REPORT OF THE OFFICERS TO THE SANHEDBm. " Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees ; and they said unto them, Why have ye not brought him? The officers answered, Never ma.n spake like this Man." l. This report was delivered on the holy sabbath. The exigency of the moment may have seemed to justify the Sanhedrin in sitting on that day. 2. The leaders' indignant question markB their disappointment that Jesus is not a prisoner in their hands. 3. The ojficers' answer is si'flgtda.rly frank and decisive. (1) They use no evasions to excuse themselves, such as the.t they could not find Jesus, or that they feared the multitude. (2) They proclaim without fe&r or misgiving the profound impression made upon them- selves by our Lord's address. "Never man spake like this Man "-(a) with such authority; (b) with such a grasp of Divine truth; (c) with such practical force and per- suasiveness; (d) with such a disregard for the traditional ideas of the Jewish teachers. II. THE coNTEMPToous BEJOU.'DEB OF THE PHARISEES. " Are you also deceived? Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him? But this multitude that knoweth not the Law is cursed." 1. The evil, was growing fast when their very officers, despatched to e:i:uute the law, returned with such a tribute to the power of Jesus. 2. The Pharisees see in the words of their officers the evidences of nothing but deception. "Are ye also deceived?" They had already stigmatized Jesus as one who" deceiveth the people." They were all the while ignorant of the deception which shut their own eyes to the truth. (1) They "trusted in themselves that they were righteous." (2) They thought they were something when they were nothing. (3) They followed the traditions and commandments of men, which could only lead them into deeper decep- tion. They were deceived, yet they knew it not. 3. They contrast their own hardy unbili.ef with the too-ready faith of the multitude. (1) The Pharisees had not believed in him, except Nicodemus, Joseph of Arimathrea, and a few female disciples; but the discipleship in these cases was rather secret. (2) 'l'he multitude seemed ready to accept Jesus. (a) The Pharisees regard them as" ignorant of the Law." Whose fault was diat? Was it not the fault of the rulers themselves? (b) '!.'hey regar<l them as "!1nrsed." The multitude was never so near to blessing. 011. Vil. 1-68,] 'fHE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. JOHN, 829
III. TnE EFFORT MADE ON CHRIST'S BEHALF BY ONE OF ms BEORET DISCIPLES. "Nicodemus se.ith unto them, Doth our Law then judge a man, before it hear him, and know whe.t he doeth?" 1. Nicodem'l/,8 appeatr8 first in history a8 a secret inquirer. "He that came to him by night, being one of them." 2. It is a sign of progress that hs malces an effort, however indirect, to turn aside the blow aimed at Jesus. (l) He might hu.ve tu.ken a bolder course and professed his faith openly. (2) Yet his cautious etratogy was effective. (3) It does not at these.me time exempt him from suspicion of secret sympathy with Galilrean views. " Art thou, then, also of Galilee?" 3. The delu- sion of the Sanhedrin respecting the real origin of Jes'l/,8. "Search, and look: for no prophet has arisen from Ualilee." (1) Jesus was a Prophet of Jud=, not of Galilee. (2) Mark the contempt expressed for Galilee, It was in their eyes "the refuse of the theocracy." Were they right in saying that no prophets had risen in Galilee? Elijah was of Gilead; Nahum, of Elkosh, a place unknown ; and Hosea, of Samaria; and if Jonah is an exception, their passion might have Jed them to disregard the circumstance in the thought that J udma was essentially the home of the prophets. 4. The danger to Jesus was averted. "And every man went to his own house." The Sanhedrin broke up without making any fresh effort to check the progress of Jesus,