“Guilty of Death”

BY GEBHARD FUGEL, A CONTEMPORARY GERMAN ARTIST.

+

"Ye have heard the blasphemy: what think ye? And they all condemned him to be guilty of death."-Mark, 14, 64.

AVING failed to entrap Jesus into an immediate

H

conviction of Himself, Caiaphas hastily sum

moned a council of the Sanhedrim, the court of the chief priests and scribes. Sometime through the darkness of that evil night, probably about two o'clock on Friday before daybreak, the Sanhedrim met. They feared to delay lest the common folk, hearing of Jesus' arrest, should rise and free him.

Before this council, witness after witness was examined, false witnesses some of them; but no two agreed in fixing any one point wherein Jesus had broken the law. Our Saviour stood silent until, all else having failed, the highpriest rose and demanded of Him directly if He claimed to be a God. To say yes would by law of the Jews be a blasphemy; and doubtless Caiaphas had little hope that this quiet, self-contained prisoner would break His silence in answer. But it was for this supreme challenge that Jesus had been waiting, that His formal statement might stand on record for all time. At the demand if He were the Son of God, He responded calmly, "I am."

Imagine the amazement, the shocked religious feelings. of the Jews, their sudden frenzy! "Then the high-priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy." He was at once condemned to death.

ACTS XXI-PAUL BOWETH TO THE LAW

1743

15 And after those days we took up our carriages, and went up to Jerusalem.1

16 There went with us also certain of the disciples of Cæsarea, and brought with them one Mnason of Cyprus, an old disciple, with whom we should lodge.

17 And when we were come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly.

18 And the day following Paul went in with us unto James; and all the elders were present.

19 And when he had saluted them, he declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry.

20 And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law:

21 And they are informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs. 22 What is it therefore? the multitude must needs come together: for they will hear that thou art come.

23 Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men which have a vow on them;

24 Them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave their heads: and all may know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law.

25 As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood and from strangled, and from fornication.

26 Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them entered into the temple, to signify the accomplishment of the days of purification, until that an offering should be offered for every one of them.

27 And when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews which were of Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the people, and laid hands on him,

28 Crying out, Men of Israel, help: This is the man, that teacheth all men every where against the people, and the law, and this place: and further brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place.

29 (For they had seen before with him in the city Trophimus an Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.) 30 And all the city was moved, and the people ran together: and they took Paul, and drew him out of the temple: and forthwith the doors were shut.

"Carriages" here means "luggage."