390
The Desire of Ages
ready to accept it, or that it is not received by the world’s great men,
or even by the religious leaders.
Again the priests and rulers proceeded to lay plans for arresting
Jesus. It was urged that if He were longer left at liberty, He would
draw the people away from the established leaders, and the only safe
course was to silence Him without delay. In the full tide of their dis-
cussion, they were suddenly checked. Nicodemus questioned, “Doth
our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth?”
Silence fell on the assembly. The words of Nicodemus came home
to their consciences. They could not condemn a man unheard. But it
was not for this reason alone that the haughty rulers remained silent,
gazing at him who had dared to speak in favor of justice. They were
startled and chagrined that one of their own number had been so far
impressed by the character of Jesus as to speak a word in His defense.
Recovering from their astonishment, they addressed Nicodemus with
cutting sarcasm, “Art thou also of Galilee? Search and look: for out of
Galilee ariseth no prophet.”
Yet the protest resulted in staying the proceedings of the council.
The rulers were unable to carry out their purpose and condemn Jesus
without a hearing. Defeated for the time, “every man went unto his
own house. Jesus went unto the Mount of Olives.”
From the excitement and confusion of the city, from the eager
crowds and the treacherous rabbis, Jesus turned away to the quiet of
the olive groves, where He could be alone with God. But in the early
morning He returned to the temple, and as the people gathered about
Him, He sat down and taught them.
He was soon interrupted. A group of Pharisees and scribes ap-
proached Him, dragging with them a terror-stricken woman, whom
with hard, eager voices they accused of having violated the seventh
commandment. Having pushed her into the presence of Jesus, they
said to Him, with a hypocritical show of respect, “Moses in the law
commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest Thou?”
Their pretended reverence veiled a deep-laid plot for His ruin. They
had seized upon this opportunity to secure His condemnation, thinking
that whatever decision He might make, they would find occasion to
accuse Him. Should He acquit the woman, He might be charged with
despising the law of Moses. Should He declare her worthy of death, He
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