They also that seek after my life lay snares for me; and they
that seek my hurt speak mischievous things, and imagine deceits
all the day long.--Psalm xxxviii. 12.
Where shall we find the person to whom these words are so
applicable, as to Jesus. From the manger to the cross, he was
constantly encircled by men who were plotting his destruction. If we
trace the line from Herod, the Tetrarch of Galilee, to Pilate, the
Governor of Judea, we find that the enemies of Jesus were neither
few nor weak. We see marshalled against him, kings, priests, and
governors; Pharisees, Scribes, and Sadducees; the learned and the
wealthy; the noble and the peasant; the Jewish nation and the Roman
soldiery. No scheme that malice, iniquity, or falsehood could devise
or suggest, was suffered to escape; all were pressed into their
service, and made to bear against him. Every stratagem was resorted
to, that they might entangle him in his discourse, to form an excuse
for seizing his person. At one time, the Herodians are sent with
the question, "Is it lawful to give tribute to Cæsar, or not?" and
though they preface their inquiry with "Master, we know that thou
art true, and carest for no man, for thou regardest not the person
of men, but teachest the way of God in truth," yet he discovered
their hypocrisy; and who but must admire the Godlike wisdom that
sparkles in his bold reply? We next behold the Pharisees approach
with cautious step and flattering tongue, to ask his opinion of
the laws enacted by Moses for divorcement. On the other side, the
Sadducees appear to present their queries touching the resurrection
of the dead. However artfully their plans were laid, they could
not surprise or deceive Infinite Wisdom. Their next scheme is to
present before him a woman guilty of adultery, hoping, from the
known kindness of his character, that he would pronounce her pardon,
and then they could accuse him as a violator of the commands of
their great lawgiver, Moses, who ordered all persons guilty of
such offences to be stoned to death; but he, who knew what was in
man, could foil his adversaries, whilst he pardoned the trembling
penitent. "Let him that is without sin, first cast a stone at her,"
sent home to their conscience, proved the wisdom and Almighty power
of him with whom they were contending. Yet still his enemies spake
against him, and they that laid wait for his soul, took counsel
together.