the desire of ages-第114节

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　remembered　the　scene　in　the　temple；　when　Jesus；　then　a　child　of　twelve；　stood　before　the　learned　doctors　of　the　law；　asking　them　questions　at　which　they　wondered。　The　miracle　just　performed　bore　witness　that　Jesus　was　none　other　than　the　Son　of　God。　In　their　true　significance；　the　Old　Testament　Scriptures　regarding　Christ　flashed　before　their　minds。　Perplexed　and　troubled；　the　rulers　asked；　〃What　do　we？〃　There　was　a　division　in　the　council。　Under　the　impression　of　the　Holy　Spirit；　the　priests　and　rulers　could　not　banish　the　conviction　that　they　were　fighting　against　God。

While　the　council　was　at　the　height　of　its　perplexity；　Caiaphas　the　high　priest　arose。　Caiaphas　was　a　proud　and　cruel　man；　overbearing　and　intolerant。　Among　his　family　connections　were　Sadducees；　proud；　bold；　reckless；　full　of　ambition　and　cruelty；　which　they　hid　under　a　cloak　of　pretended　righteousness。　Caiaphas　had　studied　the　prophecies；　and　although　ignorant　of　their　true　meaning；　he　spoke　with　great　authority　and　assurance：　〃Ye　know　nothing　at　all；　nor　consider　that　it　is　expedient　for　us；　that　one　man　should　die　for　the　people；　and　that　the　whole　nation

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perish　not。〃　Even　if　Jesus　were　innocent；　urged　the　high　priest；　He　must　be　put　out　of　the　way。　He　was　troublesome；　drawing　the　people　to　Himself；　and　lessening　the　authority　of　the　rulers。　He　was　only　one；　it　was　better　that　He　should　die　than　that　the　authority　of　the　rulers　should　be　weakened。　If　the　people　were　to　lose　confidence　in　their　rulers；　the　national　power　would　be　destroyed。　Caiaphas　urged　that　after　this　miracle　the　followers　of　Jesus　would　likely　rise　in　revolt。　The　Romans　will　then　come；　he　said；　and　will　close　our　temple；　and　abolish　our　laws；　destroying　us　as　a　nation。　What　is　the　life　of　this　Galilean　worth　in　comparison　with　the　life　of　the　nation？　If　He　stands　in　the　way　of　Israel's　well…being；　is　it　not　doing　God　a　service　to　remove　Him？　Better　that　one　man　perish　than　that　the　whole　nation　be　destroyed。

In　declaring　that　one　man　should　die　for　the　nation；　Caiaphas　indicated　that　he　had　some　knowledge　of　the　prophecies；　although　it　was　very　limited。　But　John；　in　his　account　of　this　scene；　takes　up　the　prophecy；　and　shows　its　broad　and　deep　significance。　He　says；　〃And　not　for　that　nation　only；　but　that　also　He　should　gather　together　in　one　the　children　of　God　that　were　scattered　abroad。〃　How　blindly　did　the　haughty　Caiaphas　acknowledge　the　Saviour's　mission！

On　the　lips　of　Caiaphas　this　most　precious　truth　was　turned　into　a　lie。　The　policy　he　advocated　was　based　on　a　principle　borrowed　from　heathenism。　Among　the　heathen；　the　dim　consciousness　that　one　was　to　die　for　the　human　race　had　led　to　the　offering　of　human　sacrifices。　So　Caiaphas　proposed　by　the　sacrifice　of　Jesus　to　save　the　guilty　nation；　not　from　transgression；　but　in　transgression；　that　they　might　continue　in　sin。　And　by　his　reasoning　he　thought　to　silence　the　remonstrances　of　those　who　might　dare　to　say　that　as　yet　nothing　worthy　of　death　had　been　found　in　Jesus。

At　this　council　Christ's　enemies　had　been　deeply　convicted。　The　Holy　Spirit　had　impressed　their　minds。　But　Satan　strove　to　gain　control　of　them。　He　urged　upon　their　notice　the　grievances　they　had　suffered　on　account　of　Christ。　How　little　He　had　honored　their　righteousness。　He　presented　a　righteousness　far　greater；　which　all　who　would　be　children　of　God　must　possess。　Taking　no　notice　of　their　forms　and　ceremonies；　He　had　encouraged　sinners　to　go　directly　to　God　as　a　merciful　Father；　and　make　known　their　wants。　Thus；　in　their　opinion；　He　had　set　aside　the　priesthood。　He　had　refused　to　acknowledge　the　theology　of　the　rabbinical　schools。　He　had　exposed　the　evil　practices　of　the　priests；

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and　had　irreparably　hurt　their　influence。　He　had　injured　the　effect　of　their　maxims　and　traditions；　declaring　that　though　they　strictly　enforced　the　ritual　law；　they　made　void　the　law　of　God。　All　this　Satan　now　brought　to　their　minds。

Satan　told　them　that　in　order　to　maintain　their　authority；　they　must　put　Jesus　to　death。　This　counsel　they　followed。　The　fact　that　they　might　lose　the　power　they　then　exercised；　was；　they　thought；　sufficient　reason　for　coming　to　some　decision。　With　the　exception　of　a　few　who　dared　not　speak　their　minds；　the　Sanhedrin　received　the　words　of　Caiaphas　as　the　words　of　God。　Relief　came　to　the　council；　the　discord　ceased。　They　resolved　to　put　Christ　to　death　at　the　first　favorable　opportunity。　In　rejecting　the　proof　of　the　divinity　of　Jesus；　these　priests　and　rulers　had　locked　themselves　in　impenetrable　darkness。　They　had　come　wholly　under　the　sway　of　Satan；　to　be　hurried　by　him　over　the　brink　of　eternal　ruin。　Yet　such　was　their　deception　that　they　were　well　pleased　with　themselves。　They　regarded　themselves　as　patriots；　who　were　seeking　the　nation's　salvation。

The　Sanhedrin　feared；　however；　to　take　rash　measures　against　Jesus；　lest　the　people　should　become　incensed；　and　the　violence　meditated　toward　Him　should　fall　upon　themselves。　On　this　account　the　council　delayed　to　execute　the　sentence　they　had　pronounced。　The　Saviour　understood　the　plotting　of　the　priests。　He　knew　that　they　longed　to　remove　Him；　and　that　their　purpose　would　soon　be　accomplished。　But　it　was　not　His　place　to　hasten　the　crisis；　and　He　withdrew　from　that　region；　taking　the　disciples　with　Him。　Thus　by　His　own　example　Jesus　again　enforced　the　instruction　He　had　given　to　the　disciples；　〃When　they　persecute　you　in　this　city；　flee　ye　into　another。〃　Matt。　10：23。　There　was　a　wide　field　in　which　to　work　for　the　salvation　of　souls；　and　unless　loyalty　to　Him　required　it；　the　Lord's　servants　were　not　to　imperil　their　lives。

Jesus　had　now　given　three　years　of　public　labor　to　the　world。　His　example　of　self…denial　and　disinterested　benevolence　was　before　them。　His　life　of　purity；　of　suffering　and　devotion；　was　known　to　all。　Yet　this　short　period　of　three　years　was　as　long　as　the　world　could　endure　the　presence　of　its　Redeemer。

His　life　had　been　one　of　persecution　and　insult。　Driven　from　Bethlehem　by　a　jealous　king；　rejected　by　His　own　people　at　Nazareth；　condemned　to　death　without　a　cause　at　Jerusalem；　Jesus；　with　His　few　faithful　followers；　found　a　temporary　asylum　in　a　strange　city。　He　who

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was　ever　touched　by　human　woe；　who　healed　the　sick；　restored　sight　to　the　blind；　hearing　to　the　deaf；　and　speech　to　the　dumb；　who　fed　the　hungry　and　comforted　the　sorrowful；　was　driven　from　the　people　He　had　labored　to　save。　He　who　walked　upon　the　heaving　billows；　and　by　a　word　silenced　their　angry　roaring；　who　cast　out　devils　that　in　departing　acknowledged　Him　to　be　the　Son　of　God；　who　broke　the　slumbers　of　the　dead；　who　held　thousands　entranced　by　His　words　of　wisdom；　was　unable　to　reach　the　hearts　of　those　who　were　blinded　by　prejudice　and　hatred；　and　who　stubbornly　rejected　the　light。




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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Chapter　60

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　The　Law　of　the　New　Kingdom


The　time　of　the　Passover　was　drawing　near；　and　again　Jesus　turned　toward　Jerusalem。　In　His　heart　was　the　peace　of　perfect　oneness　with　the　Father's　will；　and　with　eager　steps　He　pressed　on　toward　the　place　of　sacrifice。　But　a　sense　of　mystery；　of　doubt　and　fear；　fell　upon　the　disciples。　The　Saviour　〃went　before　them：　and　they　were　amazed；　and　as　they　followed；　they　were　afraid。〃

Again　Christ　called　the　twelve　about　Him；　and　with　greater　definiteness　than　ever　before；　He　opened　to　them　His　betrayal　and　sufferings。　〃Behold；〃　He　said；　〃we　go　up　to　Jerusalem；　and　all　things　that　are　written　by　the　prophets　concerning　the　Son　of　man　shall　be　accomplished。　For　He　shall　be　delivered　unto　the　Gentiles；　and　shall　be　mocked；　and　spitefully　entreated；　and　spitted　on：　and　they　shall　scourge　Him；　and　put　Him　to　death：　and　the　third　day　He　shall　rise　again。　And　they　understood　none　of　these　things：　and　this　saying　was　hid　from　them；　neither　knew　they　the　things　which　were　spoken。〃

Had　they　not　just　before　proclaimed　everywhere；　〃The　kingdom　of　heaven　is　at　hand〃？　Had　not　Christ　Himself　promised　that　many　should　sit　down　with　Abraham　and　Isaac　and　Jacob　in　the　kingdom　of　God？　Had　He　not　promised　to　all　who　had　left　aught　for　His　sake　a　hundredfold　in　this　life；　and　a　part　in　His　kingdom？　And　had　He　not　given　to　the　twelve　the　special　promise　of　positions　of　high　honor　in　His　kingdom；to　sit　on　thrones　judging　the　twelve　tribes　of　Israel？　Even

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now　He　had　said　that　all　things　written　in　the　prophets　concerning　Him　should　be　fulfilled。　And　had　not　the　prophets　foretold　the　glory　of　the　Messiah's　reign？　In　the　light　of　these　thoughts；　His　words　in　regard　to　betrayal；　persecution；　and　death　seemed　vague　and　shadowy。　Whatever　difficulties　might　intervene；　they　believed　that　the　kingdom　was　soon　to　be　established。

John；　the　son　of　Zebedee；　had　been　one　of　the　first　two　disciples　who　had　followed　Jesus。　He　and　his　brother　James　had　been　among　the　first　group　who　had　left　all　for　His　service。　Gladly　they　had　forsaken　home　and　friends　that　they　might　be　with　Him；　they　had　walked　and　talked　with　Him；　they　had　been　with　Him　in　the　privacy　of