effort to
entangle him in his talk, as shown in Matthew 22:15-46, was a total
failure, and they knew that the people rejoiced at their discomfiture.
This was most galling to their pride as religious leaders of the
nation. Add to this the terrific denunciation that Jesus poured forth
on them, as told in Matthew 23:1-39, and bear in mind that this was in
the presence of all the people, and you have an explanation of the
resentment on their part.

(3) Just about at this juncture Judas came with his offer, which to
them must have seemed most timely. He knew where he could find the
Master when the people would be absent, and they relied on their
influence with Pilate to carry their scheme through swiftly, so that
there would be no chance of any rescue. So, with this combination of
circumstances, they determined to go ahead in spite of the fact of the
approaching Passover.

#143. The Trial.#--This was twofold. In the first place, it was an
ecclesiastical trial. It was before Annas (informal), then before
Caiaphas, and the Sanhedrin. Here the charges were all ecclesiastical.
They were that he had spoken against the temple; that he had broken
the Sabbath, and that he was guilty of blasphemy in calling himself
the Son of God. These charges they could not prove, but that made no
difference, for the issue was already determined in their minds. So
they condemned him to death. But they had no power under the Roman
government to inflict the death penalty. So they had to take him
before the Roman Governor. This brings us to the second trial. This
was political. Here the charges were entirely different from those on
which they had condemned him to death. Now they charged him with
forbidding to pay taxes, and with setting himself up to be a king, in
rivalry with Caesar. All this was false, and they knew it, but they
cared nothing for that, so long as they could persuade Pilate to give
them the desired verdict. Pilate repeatedly declared him innocent, as
did also Herod, to whom Pilate sent him. But the ecclesiastics would
take nothing but his death as their right. So at last Pilate weakly
yielded, and gave sentence as they desired.

#144. The scene at the cross# surpasses all description. Note who were
there. Gentiles were there in the form of Roman soldiers. Jews were
there in the persons of the ecclesiastics, who reviled on the cross
him who for so long had gone about doing good. Even at this time they
bore witness to his power, cr