of Man
sit on the right hand of the power of God." This suggests to them that
His claim was to something more than they ordinarily considered to be
involved in the claim to Messiahship, and at once they pass to their
second question, "Art Thou then the Son of God?" And on His refusing to
disown this title, the High Priest rends His clothes, and Jesus is there
and then convicted of blasphemy.

The different significance of the two claims is brought out more
distinctly in the trial before Pilate. At first Pilate treats Him as an
amiable enthusiast who fancies Himself a King and supposes He has been
sent into the world to lead men to the truth. And accordingly after
examining Him he presents Him to the people as an innocent person, and
makes light of their charge that He claims to be King of the Jews. On
this the Jews with one voice cry out, "We have a law, and by our law He
ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God." The effect of
this charge upon Pilate is immediate and remarkable: "When Pilate heard
that saying _he was the more afraid_, and went again into the judgment
hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art Thou?" But Jesus gave him no
answer.

It is plain then that it was for blasphemy Christ was condemned; and not
simply because He claimed to be the Messiah. But if this is so, then how
can we evade the conclusion that He was in very truth a Divine person?
The Jews charged Him with making Himself equal with God; and, if He was
not equal with God, they were quite right in putting Him to death. Their
law was express, that no matter what signs and wonders a man performed,
if he used these to draw them from the worship of the true God he was to
be put to death. They crucified Jesus on the ground that He was a
blasphemer, and against this sentence He made no appeal. He showed no
horror at the accusation, as any good man must have shown. He accepted
the doom, and on the Cross prayed, "Father, forgive them, for they know
not what they do." That which they considered an act of piety was in
truth the most frightful of crimes. But if He was not Divine, it was no
crime at all, but a just punishment.

But no doubt that which lodges in the heart of each of us the conviction
that Christ is Divine is the general aspect of His life, and the
attitude He assumes towards men and towards God. We may not be able to
understand in what sense there are Three Persons in the Godhead, and may
be disposed with Calvin to wish that t