Epochs in The Life of Jesus (A. T. Robertson, 1907)

EPOCHS
IN
THE LIFE OF JESUS
EPOCHS IN THE LIFE OF JESUS

A STUDY OF DEVELOPMENT AND STRUGGLE IN THE MESSIAH'S WORK
A. T. ROBERTSON, M.A., D.D., PROFESSOR OF NEW TESTAMENT INTERPRETATION IN THE SOUTHERN

BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY, LOUISVILLE, KT.
"Sir,
we would
see Jesus."
John 12
21.
CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS NEW YORK 1907

:
Copyright, 1907
By Charles
Scribner's Sons
Published November, 1907
TO
CHARLES
E.
TAYLOR
SOMETIME PRESIDENT OF
WAKE FOREST COLLEGE
PKEFACE
I
Jesus.
MAKE no apology The theme
for presenting another

is
book on
can
tell
exhaustless.
Who
"the unsearchable riches of Christ"?

has to interpret Christ for
itself.
Each age
Indeed, each
man
re-
has to do the same thing.
We
have passed through
an age of acute criticism of the sources.

sult,
The
on the whole, has been exceedingly helpful.
All that pertains to the historical aspects of Christ's
career has been sifted.
We know
well
more
of the times of
and the thought

the
of the period.
is
The background
worked
out.
work
of Christ
now
We
are
entering another period of theological controversy
over the person of Christ.

issue in the thoughts of
It is still
the dominant
modern men.
This
little
book attempts a straightforward con-
structive discussion of the career of Jesus as set forth

in the Gospels.
There
is
no technical criticism of
the sources, though the writer has reached his
own
inci-
conclusions on
dentally.
many
eight
points which
come out
The
chapters
were
delivered
as
popular lectures at a
summer Chautauqua
at Pertle
viii
PREFACE
composed
of
Springs, Mo., July, 1906, to an audience

ministers
and a large and

workers.
intelligent
body
of other
Christian
The assembly
It is
requested
the
publication of the lectures.

lished they
hoped that as pubdesire a
may be
useful to
some who
positive presentation of the career of Jesus in the

light of
modern know^ledge and
in
full
sympathy
with the position given to Christ in the Gospels.
No attempt is here made to

of Jesus, save as a brief
tell
the story of the
life
summary now and then is necessary to the interpretation of that life. The attention is rather called to the movement and climacteric power in the career of Christ. The historic
forces of that
life
seem narrow from one point
of
view, but the current runs deep and swift.
The
turning points in the
life
of Christ are
brought out
sharply with less accent on other things, so that one
may
the better feel the titanic struggle that Jesus

ecclesiastical
had with
tyranny and bigotry.
If the
reader can thus "realize" Jesus, he will find the
Gospels luminous with fresh

learning
is all left
light.
The lumber
who
of
out here, that the attention of the

battled for
reader
may be
focussed on Christ,
human freedom in the most heroic of all conflicts. He won the freedom of the human spirit at the greatThe Gentiles can now indeed see est possible cost.
Jesus without throwing any preachers into a panic.
PREFACE
ix
The whole world can now see Christ, if forsooth men have eyes to see. " In the midst of you standeth one whom ye know not" (John 1 62).
:
might add that for twenty years
have been
teaching theological students "the things of Christ."

I
give no bibliography, but
my
obligations to the
great writers on the Life of Christ are too

to mention.
I
numerous
cannot, however, forbear acknowledg-
ing
my
debt to the matchless teaching of John A.

in this institution.
Broadus
selves
But the Gospels themA. T. Robertson.
have been
my
chief inspiration in this study.
Louisville, Ky.,
September, 1907.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTEH
I.
PAGE
The The
Messianic Consciousness of Jesus
II.
First Appeal of Jesus
26
III.
The New Departure
51
IV.
The Galilean Campaign
76
V.
The
Special Training of the
Twelve
^
. .
98
VI.
The Attack Upon Jerusalem
120
VII.
The Answer
of Jerusalem
145
VIII.
The Final Triumph
of Jesus
160
Index
191
EPOCHS
IN
THE LIFE
I
OF JESUS
CHAPTER
THE MESSIANIC CONSCIOUSNESS OF

"This
is
JESUS
well
my
beloved Son, in
whom
am
pleased" (Matt. 3:17).
There
Jesus.
are
many ways
the
of approaching the
life
of
No
and
other theme
steady
is
has produced so
stream
flows
on.
books,
many The
knowledge of Jesus
the sciences.
indeed the most excellent of
And
yet no one has written an exIt
haustive or comprehensive discussion of Christ.
has always been
so.
No
one of the Gospels gives

all
a complete picture of the Master, nor do Gospels

tell
four
us
all
in fact, all that

lies
we should was once known

that
like to
know, nor,
Herein
of Jesus.
a strong argument for the deity of Christ, his
inexhaustibleness.
"The
of Jesus. 1
riches
of
Christ"
are
"unsearchable" and past finding out.

1.
The Problem
He
is
a constant chal-

It
v,
lenge to men, to the greatest of men.

the
first
as so at
and
is
true to-day.
Men
have grappled
with the universe under the spell of a great theory

of
development.
Orderly
development has
been
found
in the various spheres of
human
Is
knowledge.
But what about Jesus
of
Nazareth ?
he the prodecclesiastical
uct of the narrow ceremonialism
and
bigotry of Palestinian Pharisaism?
No
connection
can be traced between Christ and Plato, Socrates,
Buddha, or any
Judaism.
of the great thinkers

is
outside
of
Here
universal
and absolute truth that

most
sprang out of an atmosphere of intense racial pride
and
hate.
Here
is
the
man who
laid
stress
on the
spiritual
and moral aspects of
religion in the
midst of teachers
who
all.
tithed mint, anise
and cumin.
sinless
But
life
is
this is not
Here
is
one who led a
in the face of
malignant enemies, whose character

all
the unapproachable ideal of
men who have
ever
read his story.
Here
is
one who made the greatest

himself on a par with the
claims for himself,

living
who put
God, according
to the testimony of the Gospels his career.
which bring us the story of
Here
is
one
who who
and
asserts his right to the allegiance of all

offers to rescue all that
its effects.
men,
sin
come
to
him from
His perfect
life
and
his lofty teach-
ings give a serious aspect to
what would otherwise
be absurd claims.
THE MESSIANIC CONSCIOUSNESS OF JESUS
The tremendous power of Jesus over the world commands respect, whatever the explanation. The men who are most loyal to Christ are just the men who have been foremost in the advancement of civiUzation and the uplift of the race. The nations
where the influence of Jesus
is
greatest are those

of
whose people stand highest among the kingdoms

earth.
The
Protestant nations which have freedom
from
priestly
domination have long led the world.

reject the claims of Jesus to deity
like Prof.
critical
Even those who
on philosophical grounds,
(following Pfleiderer), or
G. B. Foster
dis-
on
grounds by
posing of the evidence for his career, like Prof. N,
Schmidt (following Bousset and Wrede), are reverent in their treatment of the person of Jesus, even
enthusiastic about his character.
"What
Israel,
think ye of Christ?"
He was
many
is
indeed set
for the falling
and the
rising of
not only in
but in
all
the world.
He
that
the loadstone of
life.
human
Charles
hearts, the test of
every man's
if
Like
into
Lamb, we
all
feel
Jesus
came
our presence we should instinctively kneel.

presses himself
Jesus
upon our hearts and upon our minds.

"We need
difficulty
He
does not expect us to give up our reason when

to settle the question with him.
we come
then
is
all
the intellect that
we
have.
The
it
to see the
problem as a whole and as
really
is.
4 In
this

study
we
seize the
main things
in their historto
ical
development and seek to grasp their relation

results.
is
each other and their

planation of Jesus
No
it.
merely natural exIt is irrational, in
possible.
view of
all
is
the facts, to attempt

here, the
to
"greater than
Jonah"
see him.
Son
of
God.
Men
have not
al-
ways been able
show Jesus
to those
who asked
to
Philip and
Andrew were puzzled over
the
simple and polite request of the Greeks.
Sometimes
our sermons hide Christ,

him.
alas, instead of revealing
Our
theology
may become
is
a veil that rests on
the heart so that Jesus

is
not seen
when
the Gospel
read.
Our wranglings may
picture an absent
Christ and reflect the ecclesiastical ambitions of the

first
disciples instead of
the spiritual elevation of
Jesus.
The
and
search-light of
modern
historical investigation
has brought out into clearer

his
relief the historic
Christ
environment.
We
can go back behind
Calvin and Augustine to Christ.
We
can even go
behind Paul, Peter and John to Christ himself.
We
can see
how each
of the Apostles
to our
apprehended Jesus,
what each contributed

Master.
zled
knowledge of the
first
We
can see
how
they at
that
were dazthem,
by the great
gradually they
Light
bewildered
how
his
came
their
to
understand him and
message
and
mission.
The
revolution

wrought
in the first disciples is the eternal
JESl.'S
miracle of
Christianity
It is
and
is
repeated every day of the world.
the vision of the Eternal Christ.
We
can-
not put mere historical limitations around Jesus in
our study of him.
While we follow the
struggle,
the greatest of the ages,
which he made with the

forces about him,
human and superhuman
we
are
conscious of a higher element in him.
He
himself
spoke of this transcendent
fact,
life
and
it
puzzled and
dazed
all
around him.
it
His
did not begin
when
he was born, nor did

the world
still
end when he died.

of hate
To-day
bows not before a hero

on Golgotha's
sits
hill,
whose body
lies
but before the Risen

at
Christ
who
on the throne of majestic glory

of the Father.
the right
hand
That
is
the
New
tri-
Testament picture of the Redeemer who has
umphed
This
to
is
over death and the grave and
who
is
leadevil.
ing a victorious warfare against the hosts of the Saviour from sin
our hearts and in whose
So, while
we study
together
who has spoken peace name we work to-day. the human conditions
of
and the various
historic
epochs in the career
Christ, let us not think that such
an attempt can ex-
plain
all
that
is
true of Jesus then
and now.
But
let
our hearts burn within us as Jesus comes and walks

with us and talks with us as we seek to explain some
of the mystery of the Nazarene.
6
2.

The First Glimpse
that he
of Jesus.
When
I
the boy
Jesus comes to Jerusalem at twelve years of age, he
knows
is
the
Son
of
God
in a sense not true
of other
men.
"Wist ye not that
must be
in
my
Father's house?"
His parents were astonished at
the ease and powers he showed in such a place of

dignity, teaching
and amazing the doctors

seminary.
of divinity
in the rabbinical theological
But none
the less
is
he astonished at their ignorance of the fact

the place of
all
that this
is
the world for him.

till
Who
some
has
can
tell
a boy's golden dreams of the future

in full glory?
day the sun bursts out
The boy
and
gone forever with the revelation of the man, and the
manly purpose has come
to
fill
the heart
life.
The word "must" throws

speculate learnedly on the
a long light back into the
boy's quiet years at Nazareth.
Modern theologians time when Jesus first bewas God's Son

to perform.
came conscious
idle
of the fact that he
and had a Messianic mission

speculation.
That
is
know that at twelve years of age Jesus is aware that God has laid his hand upon him. He is at home in the Father's
only
We
house and rejoices to discuss high and holy themes.
The whole problem

brought before us by
this
of the
person of Jesus
is
this incident.
By
lies
the side of
early
Messianic
in
consciousness
the
other
fact that
he grew
wisdom and
in stature.
He was

a real boy for
all
the divine element in him,
and an
obedient one, too, for he was subject to his parents

gladly after this event.
The one boy
that really
knew more than

of obedience.
his father
and mother was a model

at this time im-
The
loneliness of the
boy Jesus
presses one.
He was
not understood by the theo-
logical professors at Jerusalem,
nor by his parents,

long ago been told
not even by his mother

of the future of her
who had Had child.

it
she hid her secret

lost?
so deep
in
her heart that
was well-nigh
But the time was long and he probably did

things told by the apocryphal gospels.
is
little, if
aught, out of the ordinary, certainly none of the
silly
Only once
the veil lifted during the silent thirty years, and
thus light shines on the Messianic consciousness of

Jesus.
He had
human
education those years at
Nazareth, in his home, in the synagogue, in the

fields
with the birds and flowers, with his playmates,
at his
work
is
in the carpenter's shop.

it
Luke
the writer of this incident, and

is
is
he
whose introduction
so
historian Thucydides.
much like that Luke it is who
of the
Greek
said that he
had made
careful examination of the sources

to
and
of
had taken pains

truthfulness
is
be accurate.
The stamp
its
on the narrative with

herself
simplicity
and
reality.
Mary
may
well have told
Luke

is
what
here narrated.
It is
the fashion to-day with

to say
some
but
to discount
what John has
about Jesus,
this is
Luke
is
the historian.
in passing
word
needed
concerning the natis
uralness and reaUty of a Hfe that

of a high mission.
to the facts.
so soon conscious
lies in
The explanation
is
the appeal
There
no vestige
of artificiality, of
playing a part, in the career of Jesus.

of sight as wilfully blind those
We
drop out
ever thought that he was the

that the
who deny that Jesus Messiah, who even say

predict a Messiah.
Old Testament does not

is
This surprising result
obtained either by rejecting
the passages or by marvellous exegesis of everything

that points to a Messiah.
It is
not strange that
God's Son should be acquainted with his Father.
What
larger
better place for that consciousness to
come
to
and more vivid
activity
than in the temple of
the people of God, dedicated to the worship of
God ?
This boy of twelve who loved the birds and the

flowers
and worked well
at the carpenter's trade
grew
in favor with
God and
with men.
And no
in
wonder.
He combined
early piety with popularity.
When
the
Joseph died he doubtless became
a sense
mainstay of his mother.
Did ever mother's

?
heart have so
much
to
make
her glad
or so
much
boy?
that she did not understand in her wonderful

3.
Was
Jesus Born of a Virgin
We purposely

passed over his birth
till
now.
This has become an
acute question in our time.
The
scientific
temper
demands
it
to
know
everything and sometimes thinks
has succeeded;
but
this
feeling of omniscience
scientific
spirit.
is
not monopolized by the
The
X-rays, wireless telegraphy, radium, and radiobes, to
go no further, make
scientist to say
it
difficult
to-day for the real

in
what can and what cannot happen
nature, even
ist,
if
God
real
does not
exist.
If
God
does ex-
there
is
no
difficulty
from God's point of
view.
Now Matthew
points of view;
and Luke both give the story
of
the supernatural birth of Jesus, but from different
Luke from
independent
the standpoint of Mary,
Matthew from
therefore two
event, both of
that of Joseph.
Evidently there are
accounts of this great
which come from sources near Jerusstill
alem, while James and Jude, brothers of Jesus,

lived,
and possibly while Mary, the Mother,
sur-
vived.
Luke
spent two years in Csesarea, and was
a careful historian.
In the opening chapters of his

of this
Gospel which
tell
wondrous event there are
signs that he used
an Aramaic or Hebrew document
or heard the story from one
who spoke Aramaic.

There are mira-
The
very
first
is
thing told, after his careful historical

the birth narrative.
introduction,
cles here recorded, not necessarily beautiful legends
10

Legends would be possible
to idealize or deify Jesus.

if
the incarnation of Jesus were inherently impossi-
ble.
But who can say that with confidence?

silence of
The
Mark
cannot be turned against
Matthew and Luke.

written in
This Gospel was probably
Rome
under the influence of Peter and

It is
first in
away from
the Jerusalem circle.
not surprispublic con-
ing that nothing should be said at
cerning the true birth of Jesus.
He
passed as the
Syriac
son of Joseph and Mary.

script of
The new
manu-
Matthew from
Sinai does say that Joseph
begat Jesus in one passage, but in another place the

old reading
is
left.
The
text
was probably under

wondrous survey
Ebionitic influence which denied the deity of Jesus.

If
the prologue of John, with
its
of the pre-incarnate state of Jesus, does omit a dis-
cussion of the birth of Jesus and so has nothing con-
cerning the Virgin Birth,
it is
not to give us an easier
interpretation of the origin
and person of Christ.
Certainly John, for I do not doubt that he wrote the
Fourth Gospel, does not circumscribe the career

nor the person of Jesus within purely
human
limits.
The earthly career of

momentous portion
of
Jesus
is
but a very small though
of the eternal existence of the

in
Son
God, who was with the Father
heaven before
the incarnation and
who has
returned to the Father

It is
since the resurrection
and ascension.
not mere

ideal pre-existeiice that
John has here
in
mind, but
fur-
personal presence with the Father.

ther
still.
John goes
He
is
says pointedly of the Logos: lie was
God.
That
a conception capable of comprehen-
sion, that the
Father should have a Son, a necessary
corollary of Father in fact.
But John even says

flesh
that this
Son or Logos became
and dwelt
among
existed
us.
The Son
of
God, who was God and coflesh.
with the Father, became
venture to ask.
Jesus a real
after all
Was
it
a mere theophany?
How? I Was
man ?
Were
the Docetic Gnostics right
man ?
is
who held that Jesus only seemed to be a The proper interpretation of John's language
found in the Virgin Birth, and only thus.

it
He
assumes
as well
known and
implies
it.
If
he were
in truth the son of Joseph,
he would not be
"God
only begotten" (true text).
The difficulty is He does say that

real
just as great
if
we turn
to Paul.
Jesus was born of
woman, and
Gnosticism. He was a man according to Paul. But did Paul hold him to be God as John clearly believed ? He does not use the term God of Jesus unless we so punctuate Rom. 9 5, and read church of God (correct text)
thus disposes of Docetic
:
in
Acts 20
in
28.
But
:
in Col.
15-18 and elsewhere

:
(as
H. Cor. 8
9 and Phil. 2
6.)
Paul so deelse
scribes Jesus that he can be to
him nothing
but
12

Paul
God.
may
or
may
not have faced the question
of the Virgin Birth of Jesus.
But the
is
real deity of
Jesus
is
taught by Paul, and that
the crux of the
whole matter.
He
has nothing inconsistent thereAll the positive testimony of

is
with, nor has John.
the
New
Testament
is
in favor of this explanation,

it.
and there
not a word against
Indeed, the
theological conceptions of Paul

it.
and John demand
Professor Briggs
(in
North American Review
for June, 1906) boldly claims that to give
up the
Virgin Birth
is
to give
up the philosophical
basis for
the incarnation of Christ.
One may
still
believe in
the deity of Jesus and be illogical.

disturb a good
figure in
That does not

But
not pos-
many
people.
Logic cuts a small

it is
a good deal of theology.
sible to think of
God becoming man

has entered.
in
except by the
Virgin Birth and not thereby have two persons in

the one into
whom God
And
even
if
The
heresy
is
of Nestorianism or
inevitable.
two persons
Christ
then
God
could thus enter such
a man, he would not thereby affect any other man.

If Jesus is
indeed the God-Man, Son of

the Virgin Birth
is
God and
Son
of
Man,
the only conceivable
way
this
for that great event to
happen.
And, indeed,
That
problem
is
no more
difficult
than anything else

is
connected with the deity of Jesus.
the
problem
after
all.
The
ancient deification of the

Roman emperor and
Jesus.
13
other heroes and demi-gods

is
does not prove that this
what happened with
So
let
us take our place with the shepherds on the
hills of
Bethlehem and hear the angels sing about
peace on earth to
of
men who
receive the
good pleasure
God.
Iêt
us
fall
under the
spell of this transcend-
ent mystery.
The
Child in the
new hope
has
felt
to every
mother
in the world,
Manger has brought new glory to

God.
every child on earth,
new
dignity for every
the touch of the
Son
of
man who He will inof the
deed save his people from their
sins.
Zacharias and
Mary, Simeon and Anna caught a glimpse

Light that brightens Jew and Gentile.
the
first
They sang
the salhis feet,
Christian hymns.
vation of Israel.
The
wise
They had seen men still fall at

still
and the Herods and Satan are

pass the ruin of the Christ.
trying to
priest,
com-
But not
nor king,
of
nor devil can stay the march of the
Kingdom
God.
Who
is
Jesus then?
all
No
doctrine that
we can
word
in
frame meets
the facts.
The Kenosis
theories of
the humiliation of Christ put into Paul's

Phil. 2
:
9 more than he had.
minimize, the problems.

ness and vagueness.
self
They multiply, not They fade away into dimChrist empty him?
Of what did
when he
left
the place beside the Father on high
14

it
Did
apply to his divine nature or only to his di-
vine glory?
How much
of God's knowledge
and
God's power did Christ have while he was
man?
up
in
How
could the infinite Son of

flesh
God
tie
himself
human
he had
with
human
limitations?
How
sin.
could
?
the sinless one dwell in flesh and not have sin

sin,
If
he could not save us from

is
If the
it
true theologian
humble and reverent

the Source of
here,
must
about
be recalled that the true

life,
scientist is not boastful

all
ultimate
life,
things.
We do not
or man.
imderstand either half of this problem,

It is
God
not strange that the combination causes
new
difficulties.
Perhaps when we do reach clearness of
vision about both
the subject of
God and man, we shall approach the God-Man with more confidence.
are sure that this sublime union of
At any
rate,
we
God and man

is
does offer the only real solution of

It
the career and character of Jesus of Nazareth.

in
personality that God and man can properly
meet.
Philosophy can help a
little
way here by
the
new emphasis on
the problems of personality.

intelligible
We
can in Christ form an
conception of God. tend to fade away
Without Christ our ideas

into abstractions.
4.
of
God
The Father's Sanction

to Jesus in
of the Son.
The
a
news
came
Nazareth that strange things were

river.
going on
down by Jordan
He was
man

now, the
for him.
15
man
It
Jesus,
and the news had a fascination

call of the wilderness,
was not the
but
the call of his Father that he heard, though he must
go to the desert.
the wilderness, a
habits,
A new prophet had appeared in man with odd garments, queer

But the charm
diet.
and a marvellous message.

in his
of
John was not
garb nor in his
Great-
ness cannot be counterfeited

tricities.
by imitating eccenof Elijah, not
It
was the
spirit
and power
the hairy raiment of Elijah, that most characterized the Baptist.
The message was
the most wonderful
thing about the man.
He
said that the
Kingdom
was at hand, no longer in the distant future.

it
Was
true?
The news
in
spread
till
all
Jerusalem and
Judea went out

shaken
the
to see
what was more than a reed

Finally
wind.
the
preachers and
teachers went also with the crowd to hear this mountain prophet,
some perhaps
to scoff
and
sneer.
It
was amazing, the audacity of the man!

tliat
even the preachers must repent like
He said common
But
sinners, publicans
and Gentiles, and be baptized.
As
this
if
we were
nor
not the children of
Abraham!
prophet spared not high nor low, soldier, pubpriest.
lican,
in
Those
that repented he
rite
immersed
the Jordan, and the
new
made many suppose

For a
little
that he
was the Messiah
himself.
while
then John was taken at more than his real value
16

but he soon dispelled such
(as reformers often are),

false estimates
by bluntly saying that he was not the

only the Voice of the Herald
Messiah.
He was
crying in the wilderness.
He was
not worthy to unthe
loose the shoes of the Messiah,
who would have
baptism of the Holy
-Spirit.
But where was the
Messiah
Did Jesus
he
it.
tell
his
?
mother where he was going when

His
crisis
left
Nazareth
had come and he knew

side.
John and Jesus met by the water
John
had had a sign given him by which

Messiah.
to recognize the
Doubtless he had each day watched for
that sign as he baptized the multitudes
and eagerly
scanned each upturned
face.
He
probably had not
seen Jesus, certainly not for a long time, and he did
not
sign
know who the Messiah was. came he had an instinctive

It
But before the

feeling that here
INIessiah
was he!
was incongruous that the
should ask baptism at his hands.

seems, been himself baptized.
for confession of sin,
less
John had
not,
it
His baptism called
and
in the presence of the sin-
One, John
felt
afresh his
own unworthiness and

But Jesus held
for
asked baptism at the hands of Jesus.

his ground.
It
was
right
enough
John
to feel that
way, but Jesus was a
man and
The
the call that his Father
a Jew and must obey made on all to be baptized

fact that
on confession of
sin.
he had no sin to

confess did not relieve
JESUS 17
him from
the obligation to do
this righteous act of obedience.
Let us never
for-
get that Jesus thought
it
worth while to come from
Nazareth to the Jordan, not to be saved, for he needed
no saving, and baptism saves no one except symbolically.
He
gave the sanction of his

Jordan, and
later
own example
he enjoined
to
it
baptism
in the
upon
all
his disciples.
his
all
He was
indeed in a symbolic
resurrection
way
also,
setting forth
own death and
but John in
likelihood did not see that
point.
John soon saw that Jesus was

tized, for the
right in being bap-
Father spoke audibly to the Son, and
the Spirit of
God
in the
form of a dove rested on

It
Jesus as he
came out
of the water praying.
was
an august moment.
in celebrating
Father, Son, and Spirit join

Clearly the baptism of
It
this event.
Jesus had a wonderful personal significance.
has
been variously interpreted.

for the first time Jesus
Some imagine
of of
that
now
became aware
the fact
that he
was the Messiah, the Son

is
God, but that

His pro-
interpretation
test to
not justified by the facts.
John
just before the
baptism was no disclaimer
of the Messiahship.
His whole bearing with John
was that
settled
it.
of
one who had faced his destiny and had
Some
of the Corinthian Gnostics imag-
ined that the Christ as an
Aeon or Emanation
of
18

Jesus at his baptism like a dove,
God came down on

and that
it
was
this
Aeon Christ
that
was
divine,
while Jesus was himself a mere man.
His baptism
was, however, the beginning of the public Messianic
work.
Jesus was
now
stepping out into the open.
He had crossed the Rubicon and there was no turning back. He had put his hand to this plow and he
must follow
It
it
to the
end and sink the plow
in deep.
was the coming
of the
Holy
Spirit that constituted
the anointing of Jesus, and not the baptism.
Let us
the
not confuse the two things.

prophetic
5.
We may compare
Old Testament.
endowment
in the
The Moral Issue
in the Temptation.
The Gosfrom
pel writers
can only have gotten
this narrative
Jesus himself.
He
probably told the disciples long
afterwards about this fierce struggle with the prince

of evil that
met him
comes
at the threshold of his ministry,
as
it
often
just then to the
young preacher.
Mark
Luke
barely mentions the fact, while

tell
Matthew and
the details of the Titanic struggle.
The
time of the occurrence could only be at the beginning of the ministry.
Satan would wish at once to
challenge the Messiah.
Like a
lion of the jungle
he challenges the newcomer into his domain.

ly or
Right-
wrongly
the devil claimed
this
world as his
own.
and woe.
He had done much to make it a jungle of sin He felt that there could only be enmity

between himself and Jesus.
all
JESUS
19
The
Synoptic Gospels
agree in putting the temptation just after the

It
baptism.
was the psychological moment.

"
Every
new
convert has a fresh struggle with
the devil
after his baptism.
Now, you have gone and made

was an
a fool of yourself," the devil will say.
We may
not pause to discuss whether
it
objective visitation of the devil or merely the pressure

of devilish suggestion
on the mind of Jesus.

It
is
Most
mani-
proba})ly
difficult to
both elements existed.

think of the devil
no more
making a
visible
festation of himself to Jesus than to believe in the
existence of the devil at
all.
That
is
the real probaccess
lem.
to
If there is
a real
spirit of evil
who has
and power over the soul of man, we need trouble

little
ourselves
about the
rest.
It
would be comno
forting to believe, as
is
some
is
writers do, that the devil
dead.
it
Certainly sin
is
not dead.
If
there
is
devil,
not complimentary to
man
to
make him
originally responsible for all the evil in the world.
But, whether the devil appeared objectively to Christ

or not,
it
was
in the
realm of
spirit that the
tempta-
tion took place.
Mark
is
even says that Jesus was
led of the Spirit into the wilderness to be
tempted
of the devil.
This
at first a
hard saying, but probhis
ably
it
only means that
God wished
it
Son
to
meet
the tempter at once and have
out once for
all.
Not
20
that the devil would not try again, but the line for
future conflict would be clearly defined.
The
of the
devil has
an evident allusion
to the
approval
Father at Christ's baptism when he said "if
thou art a son of God," as

that the devil denies that this
of the condition implies that
God had
is
it is
said.
Not
form
so; in fact, the
true,
and he says
" a son of
said.
God," not " the Son
of
God," as God had

it
But he suggests
to Jesus that
would be
said.
just
as well for
him
to test
what God had
That
would do no harm.
experience to
He would then have personal sustain him. He was very hungry

God
did.
It
and,
ative
if
he was God's Son, surely he could do creas
work
was a
subtle appeal.
Jesus would work miracles for others.
Why
not
begin by working one for himself ?
In a word, shall
Jesus be a selfish Messiah?
But the temptation

in that form.
its
would have been no temptation put
That
is
the peril with a temptation, that

is
real
character
at first concealed
and
difficult to see.
There was here concealed
distrust of
God.
The Jews
great
expected the Messiah to come with a

display.
They will often ask Jesus to do a sign, not merely work miracles, but some great portent in the heavens, for instance. The
spectacular
devil suggests that Jesus
accommodate himself
let
to
the popular expectation and
them
see
him come

sailing
2i
out of
down from the pinnacle of tlie temple, right heaven. They would hail him with acclaim.
to
But Jesus was
be no mere performer of
tricks,
no
balloon or parachute aeronaut.
The
it.
devil
it
grows
pious and quotes Scripture, not misquotes
as
some
good people do, but he misapplies

the devil has no monopoly.
In that also
But Jesus saw that he

trustful
if
would be presumptuous and not

such a
feat.
he dared
Besides, he might as well settle
now
had
as later whether he
was
to
be the kind of a Messiah
that the people wished or the one that the Father
planned.
Every preacher
in
a humbler way has to

easy to
fall
meet a similar problem.
It is so
fall in
with
the drift of things, so easy as to
over a great
height
when nervous and

devil
afraid.
But the
was not done.
He
appealed to the
ambition of Jesus.
the world.
He would
help him to be king of

at
it.
The
devil
was an old hand

better than
He
would not exactly abdicate; he and Jesus could run

it
together.
That would be
It
open war.
He
it
offered Jesus all the
kingdoms
of the world
and
the glory of them.
was a fascinating picture as
passed before the mind of Jesus.

Jesus
He
only asked
in return that
on the mountain.
bow down before him up here Nobody else was there, and it
of the facts of the case.
in his
would merely be a recognition
The
devil did
have the kingdoms of the world
22

the
great
power,
Roman
Empire,
for
instance.
Was
it
not better to
it
make peace and be
friends than
to fight
out?
He
Jesus,
could turn this great
Roman
this
Empire against
and,
if
who had no
disciples as yet,
he should win some, he could use
em-
pire against the
Kingdom
of Jesus.
This was the
heart of the temptation.
Jesus wanted the world.
In
to
fact,
he had come to win the world, but he was

devil^ not take the
win the world from the

devil's
world
on the
terms and with the devil as dictator.
Christ was not confused by the issue.
He knew
not
what
his decision meant.

it
But he loved the world
too well to betray
in that fashion.
He would
have a mixture of the kingdom of heaven and the
kingdom
of the world.
He would
die for the world.
Strange to say, the devil did fight Jesus with the
Roman Empire and

aside
all
did graft
much
of the world
on
the church of the Middle Ages.
But Jesus brushed
compromise and surrender and ordered
Satan to go hence.
He
did go, cowed for the
mo-
ment, but he will bide his time and wait for another
chance.
ning.
Death then
faces Jesus at the very begin-
He must
be willing to die for
men
before he
can save men.
So Jesus chose the high and stony
path that led to Calvary, a lonely

one.
till
way and a weary

with Satan
this
His decision meant eternal
conflict
he has conquered and the kingdoms of
world
23
have become the kingdom of our Lord and of his

Christ.
6.
The Johannine Presentation
of Jesus.
is
It har-
monizes with the synoptic picture as seen

temptation, for instance.
in
the
In John, Jesus
repreis
sented as conscious from the very start that he

the Messiah charged with a mighty
work
for
God,
conscious also of his death for men.
The
is
point to
note
is
that this conception of Christ
given also
in the
Synoptic Gospels.
is
John has merely accented

and expressed by
is
what
God.
siah
implicit in the temptation
the Father at the baptism.
Jesus
the
Son
of
John represents Christ

and even claiming
is
as addressed as
Mesfirst.
to
be Messiah at the
Just as John
That
not strange, but natural.
tells
of the early baptizing
done by the
disciples of Jesus,
which apparently ceased because of the popularity

of Jesus with the people
and consequent
hostility
of the Pharisees, so
he narrates the early Messianic
claims which were soon stopped in terms and for

the
same
reason.
The
collision
first
with the rulers at
Jerusalem at the very

that matters would
passover
made
it
plain
come
to
a focus at once
if
Jesus
in
persisted in openly claiming to be the
Messiah or
allowing himself to be so called.

straint of Jesus, therefore,
this restraint
The
Messianic re-
became a
necessity.
But
does not at
all
mean
that Jesus began
24
his public career merely as another rabbi or even a
prophet like John looking for the Messiah,
finally
drawn by popular expectation

Messiah or
tives are alike inconceivable
all
to think
he was the
alterna-
to pose as the Messiah.
Those
and inconsistent with
that
we know of
There are
Jesus.-
He was no mere dreamer,

in thinking of Jesus
no
fanatic,
no play-actor, no demagogue, no chardifficulties
latan.
as
knowing
at the beginning of his ministry that
he
was the Messiah and would be put

fate
is
to death, but that
before every true soldier.
Jesus goes on
bravely to meet his hour and live out his day.

tual experience
Ac-
shows that the highest type of man-
hood
7.
is
developed in a time of stress and storm.

of Jesus
The Terms Used
Have
a Peculiar In-
terest.
His own favorite word, Son of Man, had a

It served as It
Messianic import, though not generally so understood at the time.
a claim for his

certainly
office,
and yet
in
a veiled form.
was
more than
In some
the jejune
Aramaic "barnasha," a man.

idea
is
passages
sides, the
that
positively
ridiculous.
Be-
term accents the incarnation of Christ.
He
is
the representative man.
few times Jesus
called himself the
Son
of
God
(Synoptic as well as
Johannine) in a sense not true of other men.

claim
the
This
Jews regarded as blasphemy, for he
claimed to be equal with
God and
received worship

as God.
JESUS 25
After the opening ministry he did not alin so
low himself to be called Messiah

till
many words
dis-
he pointedly asked Peter to say what he thought
of him.
Even then he warned Peter and the him Messiah

of
in public.
ciples not to call
And
yet
on oath before the Sanhedrin, Jesus did say that he
was the Messiah, the Son
God, and the Son
of
Man.
death.
He
It
paid the penalty of that confession by
would not be blasphemy
for the
real
Messiah
identified
to
make
away
this claim.
And
Jesus had been
by John the Baptist as the
Lamb
of
God
last
that taketh
the sin of the world.
The
time that the Baptist saw the Messiah he stood looking, rapt
with the glory of the vision.
"He
stand-
eth in the midst of you," he
had
said,
"and ye know
him not."
And
that
is
often true to-day of the un-
seen and unrecognized Christ.
CHAPTER
II
THE FIRST APPEAL OF

"Come, and ye
shall see"
JESUS
1
:
(John
39).
We
are told in Heb. 5: 8 that, though Jesus
was a
son, yet he learned obedience
by what he
suffered.
He had
come
2:
to
be made perfect by the discipline of ex-
perience (Heb. 2: 10).
Thus
to
alone he could be-
the Captain (or Author) of salvation, and thus
he could gain power

18).
help the tempted
(Heb.
Experience does not come as a

it
gift or
an
inheritance, nor can
be bought.
Already Jesus
has settled accounts with the great tempter as to

the character of his work.
The
long war for the
rescue of the world has begun, for Jesus
came
to
bring not peace, but a sword.

1.
Connection ivith John the Baptist's Work.
Christ was not wholly alone in his
work
for the
Kingdom
tion,
of
God.
few
spirits like
Simeon and
Anna, Zacharias and Elizabeth, of a former generalingered
on,
waiting for the consolation of
Israel,
though as a whole the "seed-plot of Chris-
tianity" in Sanday's words
was
in
uncongenial
soil.
26
THE FIRST APPEAL OF
JESUS
27
of the
But John the Baptist, as the Forerunner
Messiah, had brought to the surface some choice

spirits
who would
hail the
Messiah with
joy.
John the Baptist never wavered

about the Messiah.
He
could take his
perfectly, a very difficult thing to
moment own measure do. We make

for a
mental misfits very

or intrigue to turn
easily.
He
did not allow flattery

loyalty to Jesus
him from hearty
as the true Messiah, the

pel of
Hope
of Israel.
The Gosof Jesus
John does not narrate the baptism

it
by the Baptist, though

sign of the
implies
it
in alluding to the
Holy
Spirit descending
on him
(1
33).
After the baptism of Jesus,

twice, so far as
John only saw him

that on two successive
his soul
we know, and
the
days.
But on each occasion

There
is
was rapt with
the vision.
else
Lamb
of
God!
to
Naught
be seen.
1
:
was worth seeing while Jesus was
"
He looked upon Jesus as he walked" He rejoiced to bear his testimony of

"I have
the
seen,
(John
36).
identification.
this is
and
have borne witness that

1: 34).
Son
of
God" (John
of
He saw
away
truly also
the sacrificial aspect of the Messiah's work.
He
not,
is
"the
Lamb
God
that taketh
the sin of the

as
world" (John 1:29).
The
Baptist did
some maintain, wholly mistake the work

siah, for
of the
Mes-
he expressly said that Jesus would perform
a spiritual ministry (baptize with the Spirit), though
28
his

coming did bring inevitable judgment upon the
world.
2.
The
First
Disciples.
These
were
disciples
Andrew and probably John the who took the Baptist at his word and went with Jesus. It was a moment of great sigof
the
Baptist,
Evangelist,
nificance for Jesus,
Here
at least
was a beginning,
John
old
two souls prepared by the Baptist's work.

the Evangelist wrote of
it
when an
man, but he
never forgot across the years the event nor the hour
of the day, time).
ten o'clock in the
morning (Roman
first
They
spent the day with Jesus, the
of
many
like days.
The
first
leaven of the
Kingdom was
already at work.
tion of
text
To Andrew
to
belongs the distinc-
moving
1:
win another.
The
is
correct
(John
41) indeed says that this
the
first
thing that
Jesus,
for
Andrew
put
else.
first
did after his

things
first.
communion with
He
He had no
It
time
aught
To
Simon, his brother, he says
simply:
"We
have found the Messiah,"
was a
Simon
of
piece of tremendous news.

is
Could
it
be true ?
soon face to face with Jesus,
At once the eye
Jesus was taken with the man. He "looked upon him" with all the penetration of human nature so
characteristic of Christ,
He saw
in
Simon what
insta-
nobody
bility,
else
had ever seen
saw
indeed the
the impulsiveness, the weakness of his nat-
THE FIRST APPEAL OF

ure,
JESUS
the
29
but
saw
beyond
all
that
deeper
and
stronger possibilities of this
he always does, to the best

a
man and appealed, as in him. He prophesied
new name
did not
for
Simon, that of Cephas or Peter.
now deserve to be called a Rock, but he What Jesus did with Simon he does with every man. The most remarkable thing about Jesus is
will.
He
what he puts
into a
man, not what he
sees in him.
Thus
new
says:
Christ has lifted
up the world, by
that,
finding the
best thing in a
life
man, developing
and putting
into him, the
Kingdom
of
God.
On
the next day Jesus finds Philip and pointedly
"Follow me."
Philip did not

this stranger?
It was a strange command. know Jesus. Why should he follow He may have been a disciple of the
Baptist, but at
saida, the
any rate Philip came from Bethof
town
Andrew and
fact
Peter,
who
Avere
now
with Jesus.
of Jesus.
This
it is
gave weight to the demand
So
to-day.
We
follow Christ partly
because our friends do.

of insistence in the
Besides, there
of Jesus.
was a tone
to
words
this
He seemed
it is
have the right to ask
supreme service
of Philip.
Men
will listen to the plea of Jesus,
It will
be possible to win
men
to the
now clear. Kingdom of
Christ in opposition to the
kingdom
also
of the devil.
As Andrew (and probably

ist)
John the Evangel-
was
stirred
by the power of the leaven, so Philip
30
is

stirred to find
Nathanael.
is
Each one wins

work
of the
one.
Why
dom
eries.
not?
of
That
the normal
Kingsays.
God.
It
"We
have found him," Philip
Evp'^Kufiev.
was the
greatest of earth's discov-
Not
gold, nor
diamond, nor planet, nor new
sun, nor radium can be mentioned beside this dis-
covery of
whom Moses
and the prophets did

like
write.
But Nathanael was not impulsive was a

sceptic.
Simon.
He
of
"Can any good

1
:
thing
come out
Nazareth?" (John
tics,
43).
Like many other scepissue.
he
settled the
whole matter on a side
Philip
had
called
him "Jesus
of Nazareth, the
Son
of Joseph."
eth.
Nathanael lived not far from Nazar-
To
be a citizen of that town was enough for
him.
Nazareth had a bad name, and was the

to the
wrong place anyhow according
Old Testa-
ment
Logic
therefore the Messiah could not live there.

is
after all
a poor coach to ride
in.
One
only
has said that the best thing in the world

of
came out
Nazareth.
trial.
But Philip was
patient.
He
asked a
"Come
and see."
The
claims of
Jesus are not to be settled finally in the realm of

abstract discussion.
is
The argument from
experience
a scientific argument.
Philip rested his whole case
right there.
He knew what
Jesus had done for him.

to
Nathanael could not refuse
come.
So he came
to
investigate Jesus, but found that Jesus
had already
THE FIRST APPEAL OF JESUS

indeed in
31
diagnosed him and pronounced him "an Israelite
whom
there
is
no guile."
Thus
and
it
is
a personal issue between Nathanael
Jesus.
"Whence knowest thou me"? It is the first time that Jesus exhibits to men supernatural knowledge.
Nathanael's scepticism vanishes before this personal
experience.
He
takes Jesus as the
Son
of
God and
and
of
the
King
of Israel.
He
leaps to the full length
recognizes the divine element in Jesus "the
Son
Joseph."
Jesus
prophesies
greater
things
is
than
these which Nathanael will see, for Jesus

of union between earth
the
bond
and heaven.
ascend and descend upon the Son of

calls himself
The Man, as
angels
Christ
now
to
for the first time.
It is significant
to note
how
the chief terms used of Jesus after-
wards come
the front right at the beginning.
He
the
is
the Messiah, the son of Joseph, of Nazareth,

of
Son
Man,
of
rabbi or teacher, the

of
King
of Israel,
the
3.
Lamb
The
God, the Son
God.
tried to get
First Miracle.
The devil had
Jesus to work his
first
miracle for himself.
He
never wrought miracles for himself simply, though
he was and
is
himself the great Miracle.
John the
say
Baptist wrought no miracle, so that

that a prophet
we cannot
was expected
to
work miracles as a
mind.
matter of course.
difficulty to the
The
miracles of Jesus do present

scientific
modern
They
ere-
32

much
so indeed that the
devil.
ated difficulty then also, so
enemies of Jesus attributed them to the

the
But
is
modern approach
Son
of
to the subject of miracles

If
through the person of Christ.

the
he was
in reality
God,
it is
not surprising that he should
exercise the
power
of
God.
culty lies in the relation of
The remaining diffiGod to the world. If
God
has not exhausted his power in the laws of
to us, we may not limit the expression The more real and spiritual God is, the less reason we have for denying his power in The suggestion for this miracle came from nature. the mother of Jesus, and shows that she knew that
nature
known
of his will.
he had entered upon his Messianic work and that

she believed in him.
And
yet, while the suggestion re-
was
perfectly natural
and indicates an intimate
lation of fellowship
between mother and son, a deit
mand was
situation.
created by
for
an outline of the new
The
very fact that he had entered upon
his
Messianic work
made
it
impossible for
Mary
Jesus
longer to exercise a mother's power over him.
had no harshness
but
it
in the use of the
word
"
Woman,"
new
was necessary
for her to understand the
relation.
Perhaps his "hour" had not come for a
public demonstration or issue as will
come
later in
Jerusalem.
He
did
adopt the suggestion of his

real wine.
mother and change the water into wine,
THE FIRST APrEAL OF JESUS

Jesus thus had power over nature.
is
33
His
first
miracle
as hard as any.
He is Lord of nature, and

fact
the water
his
will.
recognized
that
and responded saw

its
to
"The
Jesus
conscious water
God and
blushed."
knew how
to
mingle in social
life in
such a
recluse
way
as to bless
and gladden.
He was no
The
who
held aloof from men.
He
is
lived in the world,
but was not tainted by the world.
lover of
temperance, as Jesus was,
not driven to false exeto justify his plea
gesis of this beautiful incident
even
for
local
option
or
prohibition.
The
light
wines of that time were taken with three parts of
water and were about like our tea or coffee in
effect.
Jesus was no advocate of the modern saloon with

its traffic
in
human
souls.
The
glory of Jesus
was
manifest to the
ciples
little
group of a half dozen dis-
who now
exercised fresh faith in the
new
feast
Master.
A brief visit to Capernaum with his mother

disciples followed the
and the band of

at
wedding
Cana.
4.
The Issue with
the
Jerusalem Authorities.
It
was proper that Jesus should go

passover.
siah to
to the feast of the
There was no better time

Here
for the
Mes-
meet the
religious leaders of the people than

first
at this great feast.
we come
to
a note of
it is
time in the public ministrv of Christ, and
John
34

gives
it,
who
tell,
not the Synoptics.

of Christ
For
all
that they
in
the
work
might have culminated
year, though a crowded one.

his
But John,
if
we
take
Gospel to be
fairly chronological,
makes
So
at least
two and a half years with three passovers, with the

possibility of three
and a
let
half years.
it
was
is
in
the spring of A.D. 27,
us say, that Jesus
in
Jerusalem for the

six
first
time since his baptism some

is
months
before.
He
he
in the temple,
where he
loved to be
Father.
when a boy
also
is
of twelve, the house of his

it is
Here
realizes that
his Father's
house that
desecrated with the barter and sale of
doves and sheep, the clink of money, and the clamor

of the
money changers
in the corridors of the
Court
of the Gentiles.
He
is
not engaged in theological
discussion as before, but this outrage, this graft
which enriches the
priestly rulers, so stirred Jesus
that he turns reformer at once
and
asserts his pro-
phetic
and Messianic
authority.
this
It is
objected that
the
close
the Synoptics give

Christ's ministry
incident
at
of
and not
it
at the beginning as
John
has
it.
But
it
surely
was
of such a nature as to
make
Jesus
likely to occur again
returned
to
their
when the tradesmen The influence of desecration.
was only personal and momentary.
The
for
men
rallied
and wondered what they went out
anyhow.
The Jews demanded
a sign in proof of

his claims in
35
doing what only the Messiah had a
right to do.
So here
at the start the issue

ecclesiastical
is
drawn
between
Jesus
and the
authorities.
He could
him ?
have wrought a great sign and made verbal
claim to be the Messiah.
Would
they have accepted

killed
Nay, rather they would have
him now
instead of three years hence.
He
does give them
a sign, but one which they do not understand, nor

the disciples.
He
It
gave the sign of his death and
resurrection, the great sign
on which he staked
his
whole career.
was
in
symbolic and parabolic
form, but for that very reason stuck in the minds of

the people, though with a misunderstanding, as
is
shown when
tation
is all
at the trial of Christ this misinterpre-
that the enemies of Jesus can find against
him.
And on
raise
it
the cross
it
will
be flung in his teeth
that he
had said that he would destroy the temple

again in three days.
and
that.
He had
not said
He had
if
it
said a great deal more.
He had
said that,
they destroyed the temple of his body,
he would raise
up
in three days.
This is not merely

It is
John's interpretation of the parable of Jesus.

the only interpretation in
of Christ.
It is
harmony with the

an anti-climax
career
objected that
it
is
for Jesus
thus at the start to announce his death, that he
could have no spirit to go on
if
that
was the foreseen
36
end.

But
this objection takes too
narrow a view of
the career of Jesus and
makes
to
his soul too small.
He came
work out
to
earth at
all
die for sinners.

let
He
would not commit
suicide.
their course.
He would He would not
events
hasten his
it.
"hour," but would go bravely on to meet

take out from the
To
ele-
mind
of Christ this early
knowl-
edge of his death would rob him of the chief
ment
of transcendent heroism,
would make him a
blind groper after the good, rather than the great

constructive spirit
race was for

in doing so
him
to lay
who saw that the only hope of the down his own life for it. But
will
and before doing so he
do a man's
all
part
also.
He
will
attack the evil conditions
about him
in religion
and
in
life.
He
will set
up
His
the ideal before men, both in
word and deed.

living,
death will rest upon a

will
life
worth
and that
This
is
be to
men
the appeal of the ages.

it is
conception worthy of Christ, and

in the Gospels.
the one given
That
calls for
He will begin with the house of God. Even if men with vested cleansing.
winked
at
privileges granted or
by the rulers profane
the house of God, he will protest.
He
will protest
even
his
if
they
come back.
is lifted
He
will lift his voice
and
hand
against the violators of
law and decency.
That hand
of
yet and scourges every breaker
law and order.
THE FIRST AITEAL

5.
Ul-
JESUS
37
An
Inter viciv
with a Jewish Scholar.

to Jesus as
Nicoansigns
demus
other.
felt
drawn
one scholar
a
is to
Here was a kindred

wrought
with the
spirit,
man
versed in
the deepest things.

that he
in
But there was more.
The
Jerusalem proved to him that

teacher.
God was
new
And
yet Jesus
was
persona non grata to the Sanhedrin, of which Nico-
demus was a member.

due
to
Christ was already a

It
man
taboo with the doctors of divinity.

the
fact
in
was partly
that
Jesus
was not a technical
schoolman
their sense, not a graduate of their
rabbinical seminary,
had not learned from them;
but partly also to an element of novelty in his teachings.
His standpoint was so unconventional and
so different.
They could not

accented
all.
at
first
place him.
collision in
He was
the
unsafe for their theology.

it
His
temple
The
rabbis
appre-
hended
trouble.
to him.
But
all
the more Nicodemus was
drawn
We may
with
picture this timid
and inquiring scholar

hill
going by night to a tent on the
outside of the city,
many a
covert glance by the way.
His
intro-
ductory remarks pave the

conversation.
either
way
for
more intimate
Here
is
a very different
man from
Simon or Nathanael. drawn by

truth
He
if
is
the inquiring
scholar hedged
abstraction,
about by custom and intellectual

only he can see his
38

the maze.
way through
Nicodemus
is
the slave of
it.
the ceremonial system, and does not
know
So
Jesus at once puts before him the heart of the whole

matter, the necessity of the
into
new
birth for entrance
the
Kingdom
of grace
of
God.
The
helplessness of
in
Nicodemus before
that
fundamental idea
the
kingdom
in the
shows how much he was entangled

Jesus attempts to help
his
meshes of legalism.
him by suggesting an advance from

of view.
birth,
own
point
There must be not only ceremonial new

to
which was easy
Nicodemus, but
us.
spiritual
new
birth,
which
is
axiomatic with
"Ye must
be born anew."
Nicodemus had come

destined
for light
to
and he had received

it
more than he knew what

to
do with, though
the
was But
bring
that
him
this
into
Kingdom.
Jesus
insisted
was a mere elementary

not a heavenly
eternal
earthly truth in the

truth
Kingdom and
back
to
that
reached
the
purpose
atoning
in
of
God
as
shown
in the necessity of the
death of Christ.
too deep,
This "must" took Nicodemus

still
and we
wonder over the depth

:
of love
as set forth in John 3

gelist's
16,
whether
it
is
the
Evan-
own
interpretation or the closing
words of
Jesus to Nicodemus.
The work
ful
of Christ in
Judea was more success-
than that in Jerusalem, though even there more
THE FIRST APPEAL OF
JESUS
39
people believed nominally in Jesus than he could

trust.
In Judea the tide of popularity rose so high
that the jealousy of the Pharisees
was aroused.
But
the Baptist did not
let
jealousy enter his heart
when
Jesus passed him in popular favor.
The
arrest of
John merely showed what was
in store for Christ
when
G.
is
the issue
was sharply
joined.
An
Interview with a Samaritan
Woman.
It
hard to put ourselves
in the place of Jesus as
he
talked with the Samaritan
woman by
Jacob's well.
this
Everything was against his endeavoring to win
one lone woman.
day's mountain travel.
He was worn out with a long He was hungry. She was a

was not expected by the Jews
a woman.
all
woman, and
itan,
a rabbi
to talk in public with
She was a Samarthe
whom
the Jews hated
more
cordially
because she was half Jew.
She was a woman who

and
had had too many husbands and whose character and reputation made a very
to handle.
delicate
difficult
case
Surely here was a more hopeless proposi-
tion than that of
Nicodemus.
Every reason
of race
prejudice and personal inclination argued for letting
her alone.
But Jesus never rose
to greater heights
this
than when he roused himself to win
sinful
woman.
He
began with a drink of water, the one

them.
common
topic between
There
is
no
finer
study in the method of soul-winning than in the su-
40

skill
preme
shown by Jesus here
in
overcoming
every obstacle and finally reaching the conscience

of the
woman
herself.
She was eager
for theologi-
cal controversy
a prophet.
pute.
when she suspected That was her use for a

"
that Jesus
was
preacher, a dis-
But Jesus held her
to
the point and rethat he
vealed to her the highest
word
had
to give
about
God and
The
worship, and told her plainly that
he was the Messiah, a thing he had not told Nico-
demus.
result
justified
the
patient
perse-
verance of Jesus, for her conversion led to that of
many
others.
Jesus saw in the saving of this Sathe
maritan
woman
promise
of
victory.
The
harvest of the world

of the reaper
was indeed
ripe for the sickle
converted. the reapers.

fruitage.
when such a woman as this could be The harvest is still ripe, waiting for
But the soul
of Jesus fed
on
this blessed
He
cared naught for food and water now.
The
will of
God was
enough.
He was now becom-
ing the Saviour of the World, for even Samaritans
can be saved.
7.
The Call
to
Nazareth.
It
is
not surprising
that Jesus should wish to visit Nazareth.
Indeed,
he made a second
in
visit later,
according to the account
Mark and Matthew. It was only fair to give Nazareth, the home of his childhood and youth, a
opportunity.
good
True,
Jesus
remained
away

after his
41
baptism
till
his ministry
was
well under
way.
He came
then with an acquired reputation

for
as a rabbi,
and with even more,
many had heard

in their
of his miracles.
But with some there was lingering

town,
doubt how a young carpenter, reared
whom
to him.
felt.
they knew, could do
all
the things ascribed
There must be a mistake somewhere, they

at the start Jesus
A\l'ien
But
was treated with every

back
to the attendant,
courtesy.
roll
he read the famous passage in the

it
of Isaiah
and gave
Jesus sat
down by
the reading desk.

to
That was
and
the
in-
sign that he
was going
make an
address,
stantly all eyes
were fastened on him.
They were
tell
on the qui
vive, for
now
they would be able to

in
for themselves
what there was
him
to justify his
sudden reputation since he had
left
them.
claimed the
They had not long

fulfillment
just read.
to wait, for Jesus
on
this
day
of
the jMessianic promise
The
very boldness of the claim

first.
won a
it!
sympathetic hearing at
Just to think of
The Messiah
has arisen in our town!

fell
still,
Their pride
spell of his
was aroused, and they
under the
wondrous speech.
son?
Incredulity
in
But
was not
this Joseph's
was expressed
It
is
in their faces
and
perhaps
whispers.
a mortal offense with
some people
for their neighbors
and friends
to suc-
ceed beyond them.
The
idea of superior gifts and
42

is
work
out of the question.
It is this
underlying
it
resentment that Jesus meets when he interprets
by
the parable or proverb, "Physician, heal thyself."
They were longing

of
for
him
to
do some of the miracles

all,
which they had heard.

a miracle or twO.
After
talk
was
easy.
Work
Jesus could interpret ac-
curately the psychology of a crowd.
But instead
of
accommodating
their idle curiosity,
he gave them
a stern rebuke, with the example of the sovereignty

of
God
as
shown
in the case of the
widow
of Zare-
phath, and
Naaman
the Syrian.
Nazareth had no
other
natural privileges in the
Kingdom above any

filled
town.
pride,
They took
this as
a thrust at their town
and instantly anger

life
them
all,
so that
they attempted the

fore.
It
of the hero of the
hour besur-
was a sad outcome, but Jesus was not
prised, for he said,
"No
prophet
is
acceptable in his
own
country."
It
was now
clear that
Nazareth
Jesus
could not be the centre of the Galilean work.
had been too popular

his
in
Judea and so had

is
to cease
work
The
there.
But he
not too popular in Naz-
areth.
8.
New Home. Where

It
should Jesus
now
in
make
his headquarters?
must be somewhere
Galilee.
Judea had become impossible, and SaIn Galilee
maria was obviously out of the question.
no town was more cosmopolitan than Capernaum.

The
43
Pharisees had less influence in Galilee than in
Judea, and here at least was an opportunity of sowing the seed of the
Kingdom
still
free
from the domi-
nating ecclesiastics of Jerusalem.
The
Gentile ele-
ment
in
Galilee
was
considerable, especially
around the Sea of Galilee, which was the centre of

a large trade.
The outer world
pressed
upon Caperthere, the
naum, though the Jews had a synagogue

gift
itself
of
a generous
Roman
centurion.
Nazareth
was near one
of the great caravan routes be-
tween Egypt and Syria and Mesopotamia.
Aramaic
both
and Greek were the languages

of
chiefly heard,
which Jesus and the
disciples probably
spoke ac-
cording to occasion, as was true of Paul
also.
The
in
half
dozen disciples who had been with Jesus

to
Judea and Samaria seem not
have gone with

homes.
him
to Nazareth, but rather to their several
Four
of them,
two pairs of brothers, were back at
their fishing.
live,
When
Jesus
came
to
Capernaum
to
he soon found Andrew and Simon, James and
John.
They had
not indeed had any luck on this

their nets.
occasion,
and were mending and washing
To Simon
once more.
at thy
Jesus suggested that he put out in his
boat and try again.
fisherman can always try
But Simon had no further hope.

I will let
try
"But
pleased
word
down
the net."
If
it
Jesus, he
would
once more, though he had toiled
44
all night and caught nothing. The result humbled Simon and enabled Christ to draw a valuable spir-
itual lesson
for
Simon and
the rest.
Will he have
is
as
little
faith as a fisher of
men ?
This
the sec-
ond time these four men follow

yet as Apostles.
Christ,
though not
leaving
They continue with him,
their fishing for good.
In the synagogue at Capernaum Jesus
is
before
a strange audience, though not a hostile one.
What
astonished the assembly was the personal independ-
ence of Jesus as a teacher.

the past, as the usual rabbi
He was
not the slave of

afraid of a
was who was
new opinion
scrilês,
that did not have the support of
some
the
self-
learned rabbi of old.
But Jesus taught not as the
but as one having authority.
He had
some
authority of truth and not the dictum of
appointed custodian of orthodoxy.

long
this
It
had been a
time since a
new
it
idea had been expressed in
synagogue and
is
created a commotion.
W^hat
or old.
age.
the world needs
the truth, whether
new
lie is
no more true because hoary with
pulpit should not have the dry rot nor the itch for
the merely new.

sation.
In this case the truth was a senis
"What
this?
A new
teaching?"
We
have here
also the first incident of
healed a poor demoniac. Jesus as the Holy
many when Jesus The demon recognized

his testimony
One
of
God, but
THE FIRST APPEAL OF

was not welcome
for obvious
JESUS
It
45
reasons.
would
not help Jesus to have such attestation.
But the
people were amazed at his power to cast the

out.
demon
There are serious
difficulties
connected- with
the subject of demons, their reality and their relation to disease.
We know
too
little
of the spirit-
world and psychic phenomena to be able to deny

the reality of demons.
If the devil exists,
demons
may
without doubt.
Missionaries in China to-day
claim to have met similar phenomena in modern

times.
One
is
slow to credit Jesus with merely
humoring the
ian
illusions of the time.
The Babylonwas
illusion
and Persian teachings of demons do not prove

or
necessarily that the idea of Jesus
delusion.
The
life
at
Capernaum was
manifestly a busy one.
On
this very
Sabbath Jesus raised Peter's motherPlease observe that no pro-
in-law from a fever.

test is
made on
to
this
Sabbath
against
the cures
wrought on
this day.
The
Pharisees have not yet

in Galilee.
begun
work against him
One
is
of the
at the
most beautiful scenes

close of this day.
in the
in the life of Jesus

setting,
all
As the sun was
he stood
passed
door of the house and healed

filled all
who
by.
9.
His name and fame
the town.
The Lines Drawn in
Galilee Also.
The
him
strain
rising
upon Jesus was now very
great.
We find
46
a great while before day to secure a quiet place for

prayer, and then the multitudes seek him.
Jesus no
of
longer lingers in
Capernaum, but makes a tour
most
of Galilee, apparently with these four disciples.
We have no incidents recorded of his first formal tour

of the country, though" the healing of the leper
may
be one.
We
must expand the general statements

Gospels and imagine the vast amount
In the case of the leper so
made
of
in the
work done.
much
ex-
citement arose that Jesus had to withdraw again to

the desert places to pray.
He had
strictly
charged
the
man
not to
tell,
but, as often happens, all the
more the report spread.
We
One
The
are told, however, several incidents of this
period falling in
of
Capernaum
after the return

let
home.
them
is
the case of the paralytic
down
through the roof because of the press at the door.

significant thing here
is
that the Pharisees are
present,
and eager
to find fault
is
and make charges
against Jesus.
sees
This
the
first
time that the PhariChrist will
appear
in opposition in
Galilee.
no more have a
free
hand even
here.
It is to
be ob-
served also that they

village of
come not only "out
of every
Galilee," but also
"out of Judea and
Jerusalem/* these "Pharisees and doctors of the
law
sitting
by" (Luke 5:17).

up the waters
The
recent tour
local
had
stirred
in Galilee,
and the
THE
FIIiST
APPEAL OF JESUS
47
theologians had
for help.
evidently
appealed to Jerusalem
What was
Jesus to do in the midst of so
much
traditional
orthodoxy?
They had
already
condemned him
in their hearts as guilty of heresy.
Their eyes gleamed with envy and they smiled with

satisfaction, the long-bearded hypocrites!
He
will
not attempt any hocus-pocus

for
now
that
we
are here,
we
are ready for the impostor!
Jesus gave them
a handle at once.
ness of sins.
He
offered the paralytic forgivein their hearts, for ac-
This rankled
cording to their theology no one can forgive sins but
God.
Hence Jesus had claimed

felt
to
be God.
But
even so they only
and looked
their indignation.
They were not so brave as they supposed. But Jesus knew their hearts and accepted the unexpressed
challenge.
He bade
the paralytic take
up
his
bed
and walk right then and there as a proof of his
power on earth as the Son

It
of
Man
to forgive sins.
all
was audacious.
The
worst offence of
was that
the palsied
man
did get up without even asking their
permission!
"We
never saw
it
on
this
fashion,"
the people said.
And
the Pharisees?
They now
his ruin.
If
feared him, but were the

let
more bent on
all
alone he will overturn
Pharisaical theology.
survive!
That calamity the world could not

Jesus
won a
notable disciple
when Levi
the publi-
can responded to his
invitation.
The
Pharisees
48

to
would not have asked him

licans
be their
disciple.
" Pub-
and sinners" were branded together as the

This was worse than
to pick
lowest of men.
up
ignorant fishermen to follow him.
Perhaps Levi
broke over
real
was impressed by the very

social caste
fact that Jesus
and sought him.

and he
There was a
man
loyal
in this publican,
instantly
went with Jesus.
He was
very grateful to the
new Teacher and

feast
to his old friends.
So he gave Jesus a
and
asked a great multitude of publicans and other sinners,

isees,
and Christ accepted.

but they went!
He did
not ask the Phar-
formal invitation.
with such "trash."
They would have declined a They were too pious to associate

It
was a custom then
for all
who wished
sees
to
come
if
to the feast
and stand by the
wall and watch,
they liked.
These pious Pharidid

this.
and
their scribes
(students)
They
stood off and
made remarks about

feast,
Jesus while he
enjoyed the
eats
a delightful occupation!
"He
Jesus
and drinks with publicans and sinners."
heard their talk and said: "
Go ye and
learn."
This
to the doctors of theology!
Yes, go ye and learn
that spirit
is
more than form with God, though not

at their
with you.
Taking the Pharisees
own
esti-
mate
of themselves, Jesus
had come
to heal the sick,
not the well.
Growing out
of this dispute
comes the discussion
THE FIRST APPEAL OF

about fasting.
JESUS
49
Even some
of the disciples of
John
the Baptist are led by the Pharisees to complain that the disciples of Jesus
do not observe the stated
fasts.
They
are, therefore, not orthodox.
This complaint
in outline
gives Christ an opportunity to
draw
by
three illustrations (bridegroom,

skin), the vital distinction
new garment, wineand

Judaism
between Christianity and

spirit
is
Judaism.
form.
It
Christianity
is
is
impossible
to
graft
Judaism
upon
Christianity.
The
failure to see this nearly
wrecked
Christianity in Paul's day,
and did ultimately make
a hybrid type of religion dominant through the middle ages, to the lasting injury of the cause of Christ.
For the
death.
first
time
we
see Jesus in the
chamber
of
He
took only Peter, James, and John, and

father
the
the
little girl's
and mother.
arose.
He
took her by
hand and she
Death could not stay

If this
where Life was when Life spoke.

seems hard to believe, we
that
all
miracle
may remind
all
ourselves
are hard to us
and
are easy to God.
Jesus was anxious to keep this great deed quiet,
because the envy of the Pharisees had already been

aroused and he foresaw renewed hostility on their
part.
So
no
in the case of the

it,
two blind men, he charged

effect.
that
man know "By
but to no
The
result
was what Christ expected.

dare to say,
Already the Pharisees
the prince of
demons
casteth he
50

They
it
out demons."
they attributed
did not deny the cure, but
to the devil.
The demons merely

His
is
obliged their master.
Jesus
is
no longer obscure nor unknown.

all
appeal has been heard
over the land.
He
the
cynosure of
all eyes.
But has he won
in the rapidly
growing struggle with the Pharisees?
CHAPTER
III
THE NEW DEPARTURE

"Take my yoke upon
(Matt. 11
:
you, and learn of
me"
29).
John
ever,
takes
up the narrative again, and we are
in
Jerusalem at a feast (John 5:1).
We
do not, how-
know what
is
feast
it is,
nor what time of the year
Jesus
it
here.
All things considered,
we may
take
as a passover, though with
much
reservation
and
uncertainty.
If so, the ministry of
Jesus has been

rate,
it is
going on a year and a
half.
At any
the
second time that we find Christ in Jerusalem, both

occasions being described by John, who gives as a rule
the Jerusalem or
optics
largely
Judean ministry, while the Syn-
present the Galilean work.
When
Jesus was here before he had a certain popularity with the people, both in the city and in the country.
But the
rulers
were hostile to him.
Jesus
now
comes no more as an unknown rabbi from Nazareth,

but as a teacher and miracle worker
all
who has
stirred
Galilee.
1.
He
has a great reputation already.
Conflict over the Sabbath.

literal
The
Pharisees not
simply held to the
and ceremonial regulations

51
52
in the

Old Testament, but they had added many Indeed, they had made the day a burden
more.
instead of a blessing.
ligion
large part of Pharisaic reit
consisted in seeing to
all
that other people
carried out to the letter
the pettifogging rules
which they had
laid
down.
One
If a
could hardly turn
around on the Sabbath day without running against
one of the Pharisaic laws.
woman
looked into
a mirror on the Sabbath, she might see a gray hair
and be tempted
to pull
it
out.
To wear
false teeth
on the Sabbath was to carry a burden.

case of Jesus the Sabbath question casion than cause.
But
in the
was more
octo
They had long ago decided

In
Galilee
for eating with publicans his disciples fast, for
oppose him and his teachings.
they
found
fault with
him
and
sinners, for not
making
assum-
ing to forgive sins and hence for blasphemy, for being

in league
with the devil.

in the chain is
Each new
welcome.
link that they
can forge
Jesus was not asked to heal the
man by
the Pool of
Bethesda.
He was
a stranger
to the
impotent
It
man
was
who had
the
long waited by the pool for a cure.
Sabbath day
and Jesus took the
initiative.
told
Though the poor man did not know who it was him to get up and walk away with his
very
thing
that
that
bed,
the
he could
to
try.
not do,
yet
he
somehow was impelled
The
Jews,
who
THE NEW DEJ'ARTURE

saw him, cared
little
53
about
his
being healed.
That
his
was a comparatively small matter.

ant thing to
The
that
import-
them was
that he
was carrying
felt
hfe
bed on the Sabbath.

guilty
The man
was
and
laid
the
blame on the man who had

gratitude surely.
healed him
all,
strange
learn
To
cap
it
when he did
who had
healed him, he went
and
told the Jews.
Jesus had not courted trouble over the matter, but he would not run from
it.
We
are not told

first
what the form of persecution was which they

example of the Father.
than the offense.
cause he
used against Jesus, but he defended himself by the
The
defense was worse

kill
Now
they sought to
him be-
made
himself equal with God, calling
God
his own Father. Jesus The rather he admitted
did not deny the accusation.

it
and proceeded
in the first
formal apology of his person and work that

sess
we
pos-
(John 5
19-47) to prove that he
is
equal with
the Father in all essential things,
though he does
the other hand,
nothing contrary to the Father.
On
will,
he joyfully does the Father's
and the Father
has set his seal upon him, and will do so to the end.
It
was, as
we
say, throwing
down
the gauntlet to his

it
enemies, though they did

did not
not take
up.
They
know
exactly
how
to proceed, for the
man
who was
healed was a tremendous arirument for
54
Christ.

They were no match
in deeper. for
him
in debate,
with
all their dialetical
subtleties.
But the wedge
had gone
2.
The
Battle
Renewed in
Galilee.
To
the Jeru-
salem Pharisees Jesus was

breaker.
now a common Sabbath

Galilee the Pharisees
On
again.
his return to
appear
fields
While going through the wheathis disciples pluck
on the Sabbath,
some
of the
heads and rub the grain out in their hands.

technical offence to the Pharisees
The
was the rubbing

Instantly the
disciples.
It is
out of the grain.

Pharisees
That was work.

upon the
to think of
make
the attack
pitiful
wearisome and
having to deal
seriously with such hair-splitters.
But Jesus pro-
ceeded to defend what his disciples had done by

five
arguments.
of
He
flight.
appealed to the historical exate the
ample
David who
in
shewbread on the Sab-
bath when
priests
He
reminds them that the
worked
in the temple
on the Sabbath, and
calls the
He reGod in Hosea: "I desire mercy, and not sacrifice." The ceremony counted for nothing with God unless the spiritual worship went
Jesus claims to be greater than the temple.
message of
along with
it,
a lesson that scribism had obscured

difiiculty in en-
and one that the prophets had great

forcing.
Besides,
man was
not
made
for the Sabtruth.
bath, but the Sabbath for
man, an obvious
THE NEW DEPARTURE

but one often hid from view.
itself.
55
Bible
It is true of the
Men
come
are not saved that there

is
may
be some
to
obey the Bible, but revelation

to to
given to help
men
God.
And,
to
end the whole matter,

Jesus observed
Jesus
is
Lord even
of the Sabbath.
the spirit of the
Old Testament teaching, but was
not a slave to the mere form.

the disciples
of the
He
denied that what

real
had done contradicted the But even

if it
import
Old Testament.
did,
he claimed he
is
the right to institute a
new order
of things, for
greater than the Sabbath.
This point he did not
expand, but in
it is
contained the germ of the

rest.
New
He
Testament attitude towards the day of
had brushed
sting
off
his enemies,
but
left
a rankling
by
his
supreme claim concerning the day.

controversy goes on
The Sabbath
now
in various
parts of Palestine to the end,
and yet the enemies
of
Christ are not able to
make
out anything against
him
serious
enough
to stand.
One
difficulty
with
the rabbis was that they did not themselves strictly
observe what they so diligently preached to others.
They had
orthopraxy.
in
Pharisaic orthodoxy, but not Pharisaic
Hence they could never go
to the limit
the matter.
On
the very next Sabbath, however,
in
a synagogue in Galilee the storm breaks out again.
This time the Pharisees are ready beforehand.
They
seemed
to
know
that Jesus would attend this syna-
56

if
gogue, and were watching to see

heal the poor
there.
he would dare
man
with a withered hand

it
who was
Would he do expose him? They

thoughts
when
they were on hand to
felt
their
importance keenly,
their
these regulators of the faith.
But Jesus knew
solemn thought
to us
and made a point

is
of the matter.
could see him.

mies.
He made the man step out where all Then he joined issue with his enedepends on the way a thing
put.
Much
Jesus asked
if it
was
right to
do good or
to
do harm
on the Sabbath.
he asked
if
That was unanswerable.

of
Then
They
man was
more value than a sheep.
This was the crux of the whole question.

feared to answer this.
Jesus' eyes flashed with anger
over them as he bade the
man
to stretch forth his
hand, right before and almost at the Pharisees.

the Pharisees this utter rout
yet
To
was unendurable, and

not keep the
what could they do?
They could
kill
man from
one thing
stretching out his arm.
There was but
left.
They would
is
Jesus.
A man will
They even
Herodians,
never forgive you for giving
him an unanswerable
offence.
argument.
counsel
It
mortal
old
with
their
enemies,
the
on the subject, so
Nazarene.
3.
bitterly
do they now hate the
The Neiv Organization.
The need of
it is
now
manifest.
We
need not speculate on what was
THE NEW DEPARTURE

Christ's plan before this time, nor say that
57
now he
is
made a
true
is
radical change in his views.
There
noth-
ing to justify such a statement.

that
What
is
clearly
now he can no
longer wait for things to
take their course.
There was organized opposition
to Jesus with headquarters in Jerusalem, a regular
conspiracy bent on leaving no stone unturned to
compass
his downfall.
Satan
is
carrying out his
threat with speed.
He
has arrayed against Jesus
the religious leaders of the time, the exponents of

the traditional orthodoxy of the day.
The
devil
becomes anxious
the Pharisees.
faith.
to preserve the harmless faith of
He
is
poses as the champion of the
Jesus
If
is
put in the light of an innovator, a

to win,
heretic.
Jesus
he must conquer rabof the world

all this,
binical
Judaism as well as the powers
of sin.
However much Jesus foresaw
there
as
was
inevitable isolation in the result.
He came
the Messiah of his people, and the accredited teachers of the time shut the
door in his
face.
Nor
bound
is
this
all.
He had some
band
of steel.
true believers, but
as yet no organized
to
of followers,
It
no force
him by hooks
was a world-
wide and an age-long
conflict.
Steps must be taken
looking towards the future.

public ministry
Already half of the
was
of
over.
this
The purpose
band
is
stated
in
Mark
58
3:14f.
to

They
are to be with Jesus, to preach, and
have authority over demons.
This body of preachchurch general.
ers
was not a
local church, nor the
It is
a special body of
men
chosen for a special pur-
pose.
They
are to be charged with the
work
of
starting Christianity
upon
till
its
world career.
They
are to be with Jesus

that they
of of
he returns to the Father, so
may
learn Christ
and be true exponents
him and
the
is
his ideas.
These men must be teachers

policy of
Kingdom.
The
Jesus evidently,
will
then,
to teach the teachers.
Thus he
guaran-
tee the proper interpretation of his
message and
of
mission and the work of the

true that the
Kingdom
God.
will
It is
work
of Jesus with these
men
need
the further teaching of the Holy Spirit, but the
foundation on which they will build will be laid by

Jesus himself.
When
this
group of
men
work
shall
be
trained by Jesus, he can leave the
to their
hands under the guidance of the Holy

great Teacher then
Spirit.
The
choice
had a
class of twelve to
go with
him constantly
for nearly
two years.
The
was a
was made under very solemn circumstances.
Jesus
crisis,
had spent a whole night

for,
in prayer.
all
It
humanly speaking,
men.
depended on the choice

all
of these
He
talked with the Father
night
about
it.
In the gray
dawn
of the
morning he came
down
the mountain side with the
dew
of
heaven on
THE NEW DEPARTURE

his brow.
59
great multitude of believers
and
of un-
believers
ing.
was assembled already

seems
to
in the early
mornhe
He
have called the men,
"whom
himself would," up to hira out of the crowd.
Then
he appointed them as Apostles.

but henceforth
ing.
it
It
was an old term,
was
to
have with them a new mean-
Afterwards he came
down with them

Here
at least
to
is
level
place on the mountain.
nucleus.
Will they justify the choice of Jesus?

risked his
all
He had
on them and had chosen them,
as he afterwards said, because he

of them, a majority indeed,
knew them.
Some
al-
had been with him
ready a good while.

noticed carefully.
The
rest
Jesus had probably
But who are these men? Six of them probably, Andrew and Simon, James and John, Philip and Nathanael, became disciples at the beginning at
Bethany, beyond Jordan.
publican's seat
five,
Another, Levi,
left
his
some while afterwards.
The
other
James, the son of Alpheus, and Thaddeus,

Iscariot,
all
Thomas, Simon the Cananean. and Judas

meet us here for the
first
time.
They
are
of
Galilee save Judas Iscariot,
who comes from Judea.

rest at once,
This
fact
marks him
off
from the
but
he seems to have business capacity (though a preacher)
and soon becomes the treasurer

of
of the band.
There are three groups
brothers,
Simon and
60

of
Andrew, James and John, James the son

and Judas the brother of James.
Alpheus
lists
The
four
that
we have
ing
to
of the twelve
were evidently made accord-
later
developments in the group.

first
Simon
Peter always appears

save in Acts
fall
and Judas
Iscariot last,
when he has dropped out entirely.

James the son
of
They
third.
into three groups of four, Philip
heading the
second, and
Alpheus the
Nathanael appears as Bartholomew, and Thaddeus

is
also called
Judas the brother of James.
Simon
the Cananean, or Zelotes, had belonged to the party

of zealots
who
Four
later
brought on the war with the
Romans.
them had
of
them were fishermen.

training
until
None
of
theological
now.
With
Jesus they were to be in the greatest school that

earth has ever seen.
Aristotle
taught Alexander
the Great, but Jesus was the teacher of these men.
They had
less to
unlearn than
if
they had been to
Jerusalem to school, but they
still
shared in the
It will
lift
common
theological views of the time.
be a
these
task even beyond the power of Christ to
men up to the spiritual interpretation of the Kingdom of God before his death and resurrection. Did Jesus make a mistake in choosing these men ? Where could he have gotten men better adapted to
his purposes?
Not
in
Jerusalem nor in Judea, and
Judas came out of Judea.
They were
all
men
of
THE NEW DEPARTURE

ability,
61
as the sequel shows.
No
rarer spirit has

versatile
ever lived than John.
Simon Peter was

of counsel.
and
alert.
Andrew was a man

Nathanael
guile,
if
Thomas
was a
was cautious.
(Bartholomew)
man man
free
from
a bit sceptical.
habits.
Levi was a
of
methodical
zeal in
business
Simon, the
zealot,
had
abundance.
James, the brother
of John,
was one
of the chosen inner circle of three,
and a
tical
man
to be trusted.
Philip seems to be prac-
Of James the Less and his brother Judas (Thaddeus) we are not able to form a very clear picture, though we cannot assume that
and prudent.
they were negative characters.
Judas once shows a

:
lack of spiritual insight (John 14
22).
There was
was not
thus great variety in personal

his
traits,
and each had
strong points.
Even Judas
Iscariot
without special aptitudes, else he would not have
been treasurer
(so as to
absconding treasurers
if
to-
day who would not have been trusted

not
they had
shown
capacity).
it.
He
had
his opportunity, poorly
as he used
4.
The Declaration
of Principles.
The
Sermon
dis-
on the Mount has been the occasion of much

cussion and even controversy.
No
other words of
Jesus stand
are
out quite so sharply as these.

as typical of the
They
the
commonly taken
mind
of Christ.
is still
The
ideal of righteousness here set forth
62
goal of the civilized world in spite of the notion of
a few that the teachings of Jesus are wholly out of
sympathy with modern
life.
The
occasion of this discourse seems to have been
the choosing of the twelve apostles.

sents the matter,
Luke
so repre-
and he
is
usually chronological.
According to Matthew the Sermon stands at the beginning of the Galilean ministry, more as a type
of the teaching
done by Jesus.
it
But both Matthew

circum-
and Luke give

place.
as a real discourse at a definite

differ essentially in the
They do not
stances, for
Luke's "plain" need only be a "level

it,
place" as the revised version has

level place
probably a
finds
on the mountain such as one
on
the
Horns
of Hattin near Tiberias.
From
this level
place Jesus probably went
up on the mountain
to address the people.
side
little
way and
sat
down
But we are not
to think of Jesus as speaking only
to the twelve or simply to believers, for
both Matthew
and Luke mention the presence
of the multitudes,
Luke indeed recording

the
the fact that they

to
came
all
way from Jerusalem

Jews.
Tyre and Sidon.
Many
many
Gentiles were probably on hand, or certainly
Greek-speaking
It
is
possible,
though not
certain, that Jesus
on
this occasion
spoke in Greek.
in its nature
But while the discourse was general

and
suitable for
all, it
had a
special application to
THE NEW DEPARTURE

the twelve and
63
may be compared
It is
with the closing
address to them on the night before his death, as

given in John 14 :17.
these two occasions.
a long journey between

reality
The
and unity
of the
Sermon may
therefore be assumed.
Matthew has
teaching.
much more than Luke, but
chiefly things that con-
cerned his attitude towards the
Jewish
The
alike
reports in
Matthew and Luke begin and end

in general
and agree
argument.
It is possible,
though not necessarily

sayings
true, that
some
of Christ's later
may have been

far
put into this great address.

that the
But
it is
more probable
same or
similar
sayings occurring at other points were simply re-
peated by Jesus on other occasions.

not simply allowable;
it
Repetition
is
is
necessary for effective
service, especially in the case of
a popular teacher
who had
to
meet
different audiences in various parts

is
of the land.
This sermon
admitted by
all to
have
essential rhetorical unity as reported
by INIatthew
is
and Luke.
The Sermon on
the INIount
a fine exof
ample
of the teaching of Jesus.

is
The element
parable
not as pronounced as in some of the later

it is
discourses, but
here in the case of the two ways,
the two builders, and in
numerous figurative
drawn,
allusions.
Here are sharp

tive,
distinctions
antithesis, invec-
paradox, illustration, precept, warning, appeal.

of supposing
But one must not make the mistake
04

all
that Jesus has on this occasion said

to say in
that he has
condensed form.
By no means.
Many
great ideas taught by Jesus are not even alluded to

here.
Others are merely assumed or implied, as the

birth,
new
for
all
instance.
The
disciples
were not
yet ready for
Christ had to say, nor will they be

to die.
ready for
all
by the time Jesus comes
The
up the teaching and carry it on. down a platform of very important principles pertaining to the Kingdom of heaven. He by no means wishes men to understand that this
Holy
Spirit will take
laid
But Christ has
is all
the teaching that they need, though one can

is
readily admit that this
enough, and too
much
for
many.
Those who decry theology the most and ap-
peal to the
Sermon on the Mount
as the sole stand-
ard for
men
are likely to be the very ones
who
fall
farthest short of the ideal of

lined.
human
life
is
here outimpossible
This ideal of righteousness
save to one
who has a new
heart to begin with and

all
the help of the Holy Spirit
through to the end.
But
this clear-cut
epitome of ethical principles
made
a pronounced impression then and does to-day soar
above
all
human
is
ethical
standards.
The
is
people
wondered
still.
at these words,
and the world
wondering
This
probably not a complete report of the

brief abstract, the
Sermon, but a
that were
most striking things
remembered and
told over
and
over.
THE NEW DEPARTURE

There
of the
is
65
some
difference of opinion as to the
theme
Sermon
(as often to-day
about sermons)", bein INIatt.
cause
5
:
Luke does not

There
give
what we have
17-20.
Christ's
Idea of Righteousness
theme.
seems to be
set forth as the
And even
in
Luke
this is the
impHed subject
of discussion.
It is
introduced by the Beatitudes and ilkistrated and

discussed
from various points of view.

is
Christ's
Idea of Righteousness
of Righteousness,
to-day the world's Ideal
though one cannot say that the

its ideal.
world as yet approximates
But
this
much
is
gained, to have put the goal before the world.
At one
the
blow Jesus struck down the standards

scribes
set
up by
and Pharisees.
He
even said that

that, they
if
his hear-
ers did not

all.
do better than
had no hope
at
The
scribes
and Pharisees were the
religious
leaders of the time.
The
pity
and the pathos of
the
tions
situation!
is
The
boldness of Christ's concep-
here manifest.
He
did not compromise nor

all
hesitate.
He was
his
laying foundations for
time.
He went
are.
to the heart of things
and saw them as they

universal, pervasive,
Hence
teaching
is
eternal.
The
Beatitudes form the introduction to this great

It is
discourse.
not a
new
style of speech, occur-
ring often in the Psalms.
There are two parts
to
each
Beatitude
and
special
significance in each.
66

gives only four
Luke
woes.
which are balanced by four
The most
is
outstanding thing about the BeChrist's
atitudes
that
conception of happiness
of the
differs so radically
from that of the teachers
time, both Jewish
and Greek.
The formal
ceremoni-
alism of the Pharisees was set at naught by the lofty

spirituality here insisted
upon.
The mere Sadducee

in this transcendental
would
find
little
to attract
If
him
spiritual
philosophy.
any Greeks were
there,
they would be equally puzzled.
The Epicurean
spir-
would prefer the world

the
spirit.
of sense to this happiness of
The
Stoic
would understand the
itual plea better,
but
it
was
all
too altruistic for him.
All of
them had rather do the persecuting than enit.
dure
Vengeance was sweeter
to
them than
mercy, pride than humility, self-conceit than craving to be better.

ient for
Purity of heart was too inconven-
a work-a-day world.
Only
in portions of
the
find
Old Testament,
an approach
especially the Psalms,
do we
to this
sublime spiritual idealism.
The Beatitudes imply a new heart or regeneration. The Kingdom of heaven belongs to those who rejoice in these qualities. joice in them.
It
In truth no one else will re-
should never be forgotten that the

lies at
possession of the spiritual renewal

of Christ's idea of righteousness.
to all others.
It is
the basis
It is
impossible
to
mere mechanical imitation
THE NEW DEPARTURE

foundation laid by Jesus.
67
seek to reach this ideal without beginning with the
The Kingdom
"Seek
of
first
God
the
comes before the righteousness.
Kingdom of God and his righteousness." The ideal of righteousness is unfolded from
ous points of view.
It
vari-
must exceed the standard

teachers of the time
of the scribes, the accepted
among
the Jews.
These
scribes
taught the Old

it,
Testament plus
their
own
interpretation of
first.
a
of
second Bible covering up the

that teaching
is
One specimen
it is
here condemned by Jesus, "and hate

(Matt. 5 :43).
thine
enemy"
But
not enough
to seek
mere formal obedience

Revelation
is
to the
Old Testa-
ment.
progressive.
Jesus does not
set aside the
Old Testament teaching on these points

merely inadequate for the
as wrong.
It is
new
time.
direc-
He
carries the teaching further in the
same
His
tion,
from
letter to spirit, as illustrated
by murder,
adultery,
oaths,
retaliation,
enemies.
own
at
all
words here are not

points.
to
be pressed
literally
He
used paradox and even hyperbole to
make an
fact,
impression.
But
his point
is
is
plain.
In
the ideal of Christ's teaching

therefore shall be
is
the Father.
"Ye
perfect as your heavenly
Father
perfect"
(Matt.
5:48).
]\Iere
labored
conformity to this or that detail will not answer.
Nor
is
the practical righteousness of the Pharisees
68

this
one whit better than

traditionaUsts.
It
unsound teaching of the

by a grievous
fault,
was
vitiated
that of self-consciousness.
Alms, prayer,
fasting,
all
its
were
all
done
to
be seen of men.
Missing that,
was
lost to
the Pharisee.
Virtue to him was not
own
reward.
A man
must be known
to give alms.
If necessary,
sound a trumpet before you, so as to
attract a
crowd and be seen!

all life into
first.
The model
prayer of
Jesus brings
puts his
of
its
relation to the Father

It is
and
Kingdom
not original in
many
phrases.
How could
a model prayer be wholly
original ?
The warning
place.
against worldliness hits a sensitive
Trust in
God may be
is
all
very well, but the
worldly-wise had rather keep one eye on the main
chance.
But the good eye

point.
It is
when both
It is
eyes focus
on the same
not forethought that Jesus not work, but

life.
here condemns, but anxiety.
worry that wears out the machinery of

always a sign that something
is
It is
the matter
machine makes too much

as they take
noise.
what God sends.

judgment on
when the The birds sing Most men assume

It is
that they are themselves right.

privilege of passing
Hence they have the

others.
second
nature,
if
not
first.
It is easier to see
the mote in
the brother's eye than the big
beam
in one's
own.
Jesus does not
mean
that
we
shall not
form opinions
THE NEW DEPARTURE

about people.
69
That cannot be helped.

shall not be hasty, captious,
He
does
mean
that
we
nor -unis
just in
our criticisms.
The
habit of criticism
very vicious.
disagreeable.
One can
is
so easily be snappish
and
The Golden Rule

though he
first
not original
with Jesus,
put
it
so crisply in the positive form.
The practice of it is the original The man who says that this is his
law and the prophets.
thing with Jesus.

religion has
it
some
is
justification in theory, for Jesus said that
the
Clearly,
however, Jesus
meant
that this
was the sum
of the law
and the
prophets as they bore upon our relations with our

fellows.
If
it
be extended toward God, everything
would be included with no reservations.

ever, a
Howis
word
of caution
is
needed
to
one who
so
is
easily satisfied.
This inclusive principle of
life
the very hardest one to live
up
to.
It
means
far
more than
love towards
is
mere
good-natured
It
is
well-wishing
the
'practice
for
everybody and everything.
of
It
God and man
in the widest sense.

to
more than mere abstinence from harm

It is to
our
neighbors.
be an exponent of every positive
grace and virtue.
The narrow
images
It
gate and the broad
way
is
are favorite
in
in ethical teaching.
The
in
idea
Psalm
etc.
1.
appears in the
Two
Ways,
Barnabas,
It
70
is

an obvious parable of
necessarily
life.
It is the straitened,
not
the
straight,
way.
The supreme
is
test is that of life.
Character, not profession,
the
element that endures the crucible of this examination.
Many
now.
will glibly
say then
who
are not willing
to do
Excuses and explanations are always

is
handy, and mere talk
very easy.
One
is
not to
this
imagine that Jesus has changed his theology by
demand that the tree be judged by its fruits. Kingdom of heaven with the new birth lies
basis
of
If the
at the
Christ's
idea of righteousness,
built
the
man
whose house stands because

pictures graphically the
upon
the rock
consummation
of that rightfruit.
eousness.
The good
tree
does bear some good
There
here.
is
a note of confidence as well as of warning

all
Jesus differs from
other ethical teachers

to
in just this.
He
gives the
power
put into practice
these ethical ideals.

is in
It is just
because the
Kingdom
man
that he can finally reach Christ's ideal.

will.
He
life
can and he
is
of the seed
the
The final and supreme test The man whose perfected fruit.
is
conforms
to the great ideal
indubitably one
spirit
whose heart was renewed by the

Here, then,
is
of
God.
a vital system of ethics.

life,
It is rightfruit.
is
eousness applied to
teaching
is
and that bears

but
The
no longer
in the clouds,
brought
down
to
men.
No wonder
that the people were
THE NEW DEPARTURE

astonished at such words.
It
71
glint of the
was the
sunshine through the clouds and fog of rabbinism.

Jesus actually had ideas of his
own and spoke

still
with
the authority of transparent truth, not the mechanical

repetition of former rabbis.
His words
challenge
our admiration and appeal to our highest be what Jesus here

type of
selves.
To
commends
is to
be the noblest
to the world,
man
that
was ever presented
for the conscience of Jesus has
become
the delicate
standard for
all
the world.
His condemnation leaves
no further appeal.
5.
The Despair
of
John
the Baptist.
At the very
camHis friends
life,
time that Jesus was
planning for
an aggressive
paign with some organization, John the Baptist was

languishing in the prison at Machaerus.
were allowed
to see
him, but
it
was a dreary
so
utterly different
from the wild freedom of the wilderof the great multitudes.
ness
all
and the favor
After
the excitement to
come
to
this
dark solitude
was too much even
for a robust nature like John's.
Doubts would come even about Jesus

and out by the Jordan
whom
he had
baptized and identified as the Messiah.

cell
is
Logic in a
not the same thing.

so slow in
If
Jesus was the Messiah,
why was he
setting
up the Kingdom
Perhaps
Why
did he
let
John stay
in prison ?
after all there
was some mistake.
Maybe
Jesus was only another forerunner like him-
72
self,

and the
real
Messiah was
still
to
come.
Re-
ports of the
work
of Jesus
came
to
John
occasionally.
Probably the account of the raising of the son of the
widow
of
Nain reached him and quickened
his de-
pressed spirit into fresh interest.
So he sent two
of his disciples with the pathetic appeal to Jesus for
more
light.
Jesus was busy at the time with his

till
cures and kept on
he was done.
tell
Then he bade
ef-
these two disciples to go
John what they had

a beatitude to the
seen and heard.

fect that
He added
he was blessed who found no occasion of
stumbling in him
a gentle rebuke
for
to at
John.
Jesus
was not without sympathy
John
such a time,
but the most effective reply was work, not words.
He was
doing the work of the Messiah.
Jesus
is
treated this request
from John
it
seriously.
There
nothing to indicate that
was mere make-believe

that
on John's
part.
If
we wonder
John could
fall
into doubt, let us recall the case of Elijah, the proto-
type of John, and even the mother of Jesus

After
all,
later.
Jesus was not the conventional Messiah,

in the
and hid
easily
dark as John now was he could
go astray.
to pass
But Jesus took occasion

ute
a wonderful
trib-
upon John, one
that
would have cheered him

it.
greatly could he have heard of
He
recalls the
multitudes
who
flocked to the wilderness to see, not
THE NEW DEPARTURE

a reed shaken
in the
73
wind, not an effeminate

soil,
man
of
the city, but a son of the
a prophet and more,
man
as great as any born of
woman, an epochfuture.
making man who divided the past from the
He was
the close of the old age and the beginning of

all
the new, so that in one sense
those in the
is
new
was
men,
have an advantage over him.

to
He
Elijah that
all
come.
True, he was not accepted by
as Jesus
was
not.
The
and
Pharisees and Sadducees
rejected his baptism, while the masses
and even the

because of
publicans justified
glorified
God
John.
ascetic.
To the leaders John was too much of an He was peculiar, different from other folks.
diet, his
His dress, his
home
all
marked him from
men.
But
to the
same men Jesus was equally ob-
jectionable.
lived in their
He
did live with men, ate their food,
homes.
They
called
him
therefore a
wine-bibber and
a glutton, a palpable falsehood.

fault with
But they had
to find
him somewhere.
a
They
rabbi!
said he
So
it
was too much goes. What
like other people for

is
a preacher to do?
It is
How
can he please the people ?
doubtful
if
if
he
can succeed, and he ought not to succeed

merely that his aim.
to
he makes
The
best that one can
do
is
do
right
is
and
let
the results speak for themselves.
Wisdom
works).
justified in the
end by her children
(or
In the long run the
man
wins
who goes
74
straight

ahead and does his duty.
It
was not long
now
before
Herod yielded
to the wiles of his wife in
Herodias
John.
her.
and was caught
her
trap
to
kill
She had never forgiven him She held

it
for rebuking
against
him
{ivelx^v avro)).
The
disciples of
John "went and
told Jesus."
He would
this great
understand.
6.
The Son's Relation
to the
Father.
In
crisis of his
career Jesus
is fully
conscious that the

:
Father
is
with him.
is
In Matt. 11
25-30
we have a
of view
section that
identical in tone
and point
and even
in style with the
Gospel of John.
Chorazin,
Bethsaida,
ished,
Capernaum
will reject
him and be punAll
but Jesus sees victory in the future.
things have been delivered into his hands by the
Father.
No
one
really
knows him but the Father,

will of the
as no one really
knows the Father but the Son.
The way
to the
Father depends on the
Son, a marvellous claim of elective power.

basis of that
On
the
in-
power he extends the most gracious

weary and heavy-laden.
vitation to the
all to
He
The
invites
come
will
to school to
him and promises

light.
that his
yoke
be easy and his burden
twelve
Apostles are already in his school.

pupils
He
asks for
more
who
are willing to learn of one who, though
the Son of
3'et
God
with
all
knowledge and power,
is
meek and lowly
in heart.
Who
can refuse to
THE NEW DEPARTURE

learn from such a
75
linger in
Teacher whose words
the
mind
like
sweet bells at eventide?

offer as Jesus
No
teacher
ever
will
made such an
does here.
He
is,
indeed put us under the yoke, but the yoke
after all, easy
and the burden grows
light.
CHAPTER
IV
THE GALILEAN CAMPAIGN OR THE REJECTION OF A SPIRITUAL KINGDOM

"Would ye
also go
away?" (John 6
67).
now endeavor by vigorous work to win a foothold for the Kingdom in Galilee. He has already preached much in various parts of the country, but the results have not been large. The crowds
Jesus
will
are great
1.
and excitement
is
intense.
He Makes
a Second Tour of Galilee, taking the
twelve with him, his
be an experience of
new band of disciples. much value to them.
It will
Certain
women, a noble band

began
to
of workers, followed also dur-
ing this preaching tour.
How
is
early
the
women
its
work
for Jesus,
and how
faithfully they
have served him!
church
never better than
women, and not always as good.
These good
women
later
ministered of their substance for the sup-
port of Christ and his company.
Perhaps Judas
was influenced by
this fact
Mary
of Bethany's spending so
when he resented much money for the

and
is
ointment, though he spoke of the poor at the time.
Mary Magdalen was one
of this band,
now
76
THE GALILEAN CAAIPAIGN

mentioned
that
for the first time.
77
She
is
not the
woman
washed
was a sinner who
at the Pharisee's feast

is
the feet of Jesus.
That legend
an unpardonable
Mary Magdalen. Nor was Mary Magdaas Mary of Bethany, the sister We know nothing of this journey save of Lazarus. the general statements made, but we can easily
slander on
len the
same woman
imagine the character of the work done.

2.
Jesus Repels the Attacks of
His Enemies.
He
has a
new
cross to bear, that of misunderstanding at
home.
His mother and his brethren have become

all this stir
puzzled over
and confusion.
The crowds
family conto take
It
are so great that they fail to eat.
The
come
clude that he
is
beside himself and
him
home.
He
has gone crazy!
Poor
INIary!
must
have been a sad hour for her.

tist
Even John
the Bap-
had doubted, and now

It
his
all
mother has given up

turned out so
differ-
hope about him.

ently
has
from the way that she expected the Messiah
would do.
He was
it is
still
just a
mere preacher, with
great crowds,
in so
less
true,
but he was not
many words
to
be the Messiah.
now claiming Mary doubtconduct from
heard
this explanation of Jesus'
some
are
of her friends
possible
on the
situation.
who wanted to put the best face Our "friends" sometimes

in
excessively
kind
all
explaining
our conduct.
The
people were
seeking to explain the career
78

he studiously avoided saying anything
his
of Jesus, while
that
would give
enemies a handle.
So the
mystery about him grew and deepened.
But the Pharisees were not

construction that they put
so charitable in the
upon the matter.
They
had already hinted
at their view.
One day when

so far as
the multitudes in their

to ask, Is this the
amazement went
of
Son
David
the Pharisees re-
torted that he
was
!
in league
is
with Beelzebub, the
prince of
demons
That
It
the true explanation of his

to the multitude
miracles, they said.
was a shock
and was a public attack
right in the presence of Jesus
which could not be passed by.

distance from him, but he
called
them
to him.
They were at some knew their thoughts and They had made a bold shot
Jesus claimed to be the ser-
and a desperate one.
vant of God; in reality he was the agent of Beelzebub.
The
issue
was
fairly joined.
Jesus replied with a
string of sententious aphorisms (parables) that cut

to the quick.
He
points out the absurdity of their
charge, for
Satan would be casting out Satan, a
thing he would never do.
He
uses the
argumentum
also to cast
It
ad hominem on them.
out demons.
fair turn.
They claimed
By whom
did they do it?
was a
Here
Jesus could use this weapon without com-
mitting himself to the reality of their claim.

is
a reductio ad absurdum.
Christ then presses the
THE GALILEAN CAMPAIGN

alternative that he cast out
79
demons by
the spirit of
is
God
rather than by the devil,
^^he conclusion
that the
Kingdom
yet.
of
God
has come upon them.
It
is
was a complete turning

not
of the tables, but Jesus
done
They have themselves committed
the unpardonable sin of attributing the manifest
work
of the Spirit of
God
to the
power
of the devil.
That was inexcusable and would never be
forgiven.
They were
excusable
well as
if
guilty of
an eternal
sin.
It
was more
one blasphemed Jesus, who was
God.
is
He was
fire
the
Son
of
Man.
man as Even now

With
of his
Christ
not through with his arraignment.

of
something of the
John the Baptist and
own
later denunciation of his

calls
enemies (Matt. 23),
he turns upon them and

vipers."
them "offspring
evil.
of
They
are evil
and can only speak

that
One would have

denunciation.
thought
the
this
Pharisees
righteous
would have withered away under
But some
of
them blandly stepped

sign!
up and asked that Jesus work a

ably meant
nunciation.
it
They
still
prob-
in ridicule, but they got
more deJewish
Christ calls
them " an
evil
and adulter-
ous generation."
They
repeat the usual
idea of the ^Messiah, that he will

display.
come with
spectacular
Jesus gives
them the
sign of his death
and
resurrection, with a reference to the story of
Jonah.
The
sign of
Jonah was,
of course, lost
upon
80
them, though Jesus expressly said that the Son of
Man
should be three days and three nights in the

i.
heart of the earth,

days, not
e.,
three days as
men
count
meaning
to accent
unduly night from day.

of
He
reminds them how the
men
Nineveh repented
at the preaching of
Jonah, a thing which they were
not doing.
The mother and
brethren of Jesus press up to the
house to have a word with him and take him home. Jesus " looked round on them which sat round about
him" and
ren."
said:
"Behold,
my
mother and
my
breth-
his mother.
He was no longer to be commanded even by He had entered a larger fellowship of

who
did
the Spirit to which he admitted every one
the will of God.

for at this
His disciples were his real kindred,

those
to
moment
had
bound
to
him by
the
ties
of
the
flesh
failed
understand him.
lost
Mary,
her way.
though so close to Jesus, just now had
But she
will find
it
again and some day even his
brothers will believe.

3.
Jesus Adopts a
first
New
Style of Teaching.
It is
not the
first
time that Jesus used parables, but the
time that he had
made
a point of doing
brief
so.
Those
used theretofore
had been
and
isolated.
On
this occasion they are
many and
at
much
in his
length.
But from now on

of his teaching
they form a marked characteristic
and make a definite turn
method

of instruction.
as a teacher
81
Jesus will bear the closest scrutin}^

followed the deepest laws of nature
who
in his efforts to
reach the hearts of men, followed

artlessly,
them naturally and almost
while
we blunder
on and painfully discover some of the great principles of teaching.

It is
one of the hopeful signs of
modern times
that
we
are seeing the importance of
studying the pupil as well as the subject to be taught. Jesus in this very context urged his hearers to take
heed what they heard and
how
they heard.
The
parable
is
not an invention of Jesus.

this
The
in-
Jewish rabbis were fond of using

struction.
form of
There
is
nothing to prevent any modern
teacher from using the parable, and
some
do.
all
But
other
the parables of Jesus so far surpass those of
men
that the rest sink
away
into oblivion.
perfect.
His paraare not

rather
bles ring clear
and true and
They
overdone nor underdone.

than darken the point.
least
They
is
illustrate
This
by no means the
parable
is is
noteworthy
fact.
The term
used in
that of
truth
a variety of ways, but the essential idea
an objective parallel to moral or

{irapaôXr)).
spiritual
On
this
occasion,
as
usual,
the
parables of Jesus grew out of the circumstances.
The
hostile attitude of friends
and enemies on
his
busy day gave the tone to
this entire group.

in
They
had accused him of being
league with the devil.
82

to receive
Hence they did not deserve

teaching of Jesus.
more
of the
The
use of parables
now
served
to hide the mysteries of the
Kingdom from
his ene-
mies, while the spiritually
minded would remem-
ber the wonderful story and by and by understand

the teaching contained in
it.
The
harshness of this
is
judgment upon the enemies

lieved
of Christ
much
re-
when
the actual circumstances of this day are
perceived.
The day
will
come when
the Pharisees
will see the point of those parables directed against
them.
It is
no wonder that Jesus wished

hostile
to get out of
the
stuify
atmosphere of the house and
into the bracing air of beautiful Galilee.
But even
people
here he found a crowd and sat down in the boat and
taught the multitudes on the shore.
The
were astonished as he taught them
in parables,
and
even the disciples could not understand him.
We
how
are such slaves to routine and intellectual ritual that the
new gives many parables
us a
jolt.
We
do not know
Jesus spoke on this day.
Matthew
gives
seven and
Mark one
it
more, but he spoke

added.
"many
such parables,"
is
Things new
and old Jesus brought out

spoken after he
house.
left
of his store.
Some were
the shore and went back to the

(the
Two
of
them
Sower and the Tares)

dis-
were explained by Jesus at the request of the

ciples.
83
They
serve as models for the interpreta-
tion of the parables that are not explained.
The
eight that are preserved for us

fall
from
this day's
teaching
into four pairs: the
Sower and the Seed,

of Great Price.
the Tares
and the Net, the Leaven and Mustard
Seed, the
Hid Treasure and the Pearl
They
illustrate together
many
sides of the
Kingdom
is
of heaven,
which
is
indeed like a diamond with
numerous
facets;
and again the Kingdom of God

life
a vital growth and cannot be analyzed, as

to
refuses
be put under the microscope.
The Kingdom
is
of
God
and
has various results due to the diversity of

the secret of
its
soil,
growth
in the heart
like that
of nature.
The
line of cleavage
between those who

is
have the Kingdom and those who have not
not
made
of the
nings,
perfectly clear as yet.
They grow
in the
same
field (the
world)
till
the harvest time.
The growth
cover
dis-
Kingdom, while slow and from small beginis
sure and pervasive.
It will ultimately
the earth.
INIeanwhile, spite of
much
evil
and
couragement,
many
it
will
find joy in the
Kingdom
There
will
and consider
will
the greatest treasure of earth.
be other great groups of parables, but none

first
surpass in suggestiveness this

4.
one.
Jesus in Heathen Territory.
It
had been a day

in the life
of stress
and storm, the sample of many
of Jesus.
The wedge had entered deeper and the
84
cleft

was wider between Jesus and the had indeed entered the soul
rulers.
The
iron
of Christ.
With a
heavy heart and a weary body he sank down into

the stern of the boat "even as he
was" and pushed
out with the disciples at eventide to cross over the

lake.
rest.
Perhaps the wind and the waves would bring
No wonder
little
that
Jesus
was soon
fell
asleep.
When
the sudden squall from the north
down
upon the
lake and tossed the water into fury,

till
Jesus slept on
the excited disciples
awoke him
with a cry of despair.

sea
sees
to
He
;
spoke to the wind and the

they did, though the Phari-
and they obeyed him had
just reviled him.

of
what manner
man
he
it
is.
The disciples marvel as They had taken him

perfectly clear to
be.
to
be the Messiah, but
was not
their
minds what the Messiah would

in perception of the content of the
They
there-
grew
term Mes-
siah to the end of their career.

fore,
self
There was,
a twofold development.
Jesus revealed him-
more and more
to the disciples,
and they grew
in apprehension of him.
On
the shore the Master

It
had an experience
from Gadara.
of horror.
was
in the region
of Decapolis at the village of

far
Khersa (Gerasa) not
The
wild demoniac rushing along

spirit.
among And even
the rocks was not a sight to give rest of the sea had turned to storm.
But
at least
Jesus gave peace of heart to this unfortunate man.

The
pears darker than in this incident.
of the swine
85
mystery of the demoniacal possessions never ap-
The
destruction
added
to the ravings of the
man make
a dreadful background in the twilight on this heathen

shore.
The mystery
of evil
is
not relieved by the
denial of the devil

disease here ina.y or
and demons.
The
presence of
may
not be in conjunction with
the power of the evil one.
The assumption
all
that
Jesus was merely accommodating himself to custom

in
speaking of demons cannot solve
the difficulties
concerning the
said,
demon
little
possession.
As previously
we know
word
is
too
about psychic matters to say

let
the final
here.
But
us at least rejoice that
Jesus
master over both sin and disease.

bless
He
will
it.
sometimes
those
who do
not appreciate
The
people of the community begged Jesus to leave
their shores for good,
but the picture of the man,
once so wild,
sitting clothed, in his right
mind
is
comfort to those
in city.
who
battle with sin in country or
Here, where no Pharisees are to molest,

the
Jesus
tells
great things
5.
man to go to his house and God has done for him.

to
tell
what
Jesus Makes a Last Visit

did not deserve
this
Nazareth.
Nazbut on
areth
second
it
opportunity.
so,
Some
visit
scholars indeed deny that

it
was
the whole
seems probable that

It
is
this is not the early
recorded by Luke.
not surprising that
86

come
his to Nazareth, the
Jesus should once more
home
True
last-
of his childhood, in spite of the treatment received
the
last
time.
It
was
own
country.
enough, as he
finds,
a prophet has no honor, no
own country, among his own kin, own house. But he would give them their chance. They are astonished. They are incredulous. How can it be ? Where did it all come from ? We know his family and we know him. They stumbled
ing honor, in his
and
in his
at
him and even refused
to believe
what they saw

So great
at
it.
with their
own
eyes.
In such a sceptical atmosin fact

this
phere Jesus did few mighty deeds.
was
their unbelief that

It
he marvelled
And
at Nazareth.
must have been a sad look that Jesus

it
gave Nazareth as he saw

over the
hill
for the last time
and passed
and out
of sight.
Who
will
welcome
Jesus
now?
turned
aside.
The heathen region of Decapolis had him away. His own home had pushed him
Jerusalem
was
bent
on
his
destruction.
Will Galilee endure him,

6.
when she knows
the truth
Third Tour of
Galilee.
is
This tour
concerned.
will settle
It will
the matter so far as Galilee

the
last.
be
The
occasion was the compassion of Jesus
for the multitudes.
He had
indeed a
little
band
of
laborers, but they
were utterly unable
to
cope with
the situation in Galilee.
the laborers few.
The harvest was great and The remedy suggested by Christ

for this
87
new
recruiting
dilemma
is
prayer to the
fail
Lord
of the Harvest.
Somehow we
to
em-
phasize the one item laid upon preachers by Jesus,

that they pray for other preachers to be raised up.
There can be no jealousy

need.
here, for
it
is
a world
But these twelve must go and reap what they can.

So Jesus sends them forth
him.
vation.
for the first time without
They have had much
instruction
it
and obserIt is
Now
they can put
into practice.
It is
one thing to study about preaching.

other thing to preach.
quite an-
Will they succeed as they go

of
and preach the Kingdom
God ?
?
Will sinners be
converted under their preaching
Will the
demons
go out
first
at their
command ?
them
Who
does not recall his
experience in leading a soul to Christ?

will follow
The
Master
out, for
to see
how
their
work turns
much depends on
these men.
In the strug-
gle with the
Jerusalem authorities they had the power
and
prestige of State
if
and the strength
of prejudice.
What
ing?
the disciples
fail utterly after all their train-
Jesus renews his instructions to them, or rather

gives
them
in
condensed form the main ideas that
they will need for this tour, incidental details as well

as fundamental principles.
Some
of the things here
enjoined
were
afterwards
expressly
changed
by
88
Jesus, as

the
direction
not to go in the
way
of
the Gentiles or the Samaritans.

spirit
The "Hardshell"
the
has always
made
literal interpretation of
words of Jesus on
this point,
but with blind obscurlater
ing of the historical situation

of the Master.
and the
commands
little
But
let
no one think that common-
sense details as to food, clothing,

value.
manners have
They go
largely to determine the ultimate
success of every minister.
The
spirit
point that Jesus laid most stress on was the
with which they should go.
They go
forth as
sheep in the midst of wolves, a vivid picture of helplessness.
But they are not
to fear the wolves.
If
they are persecuted in one city, they will go on to

the next.
all,
The one
to fear is
God, not man.
After
Jesus came to send a sword, not peace.

like a flat contradiction of
This
seems
what Christ had

all
said elsewhere.
But we must put together

it
that
he
said,
however paradoxical
the result will be clear.

fear to save his
life
may appear. Then The man who cringes with

will lose his life.
it is
from the wolves
This
is
the paradox of courage and sacrifice, but

life.
the law of
Along with dove-like innocence,
they are to have the
wisdom
of serpents.
It is
the
combination that Jesus commands, not the isolated

possession of either quality.
of the gospel
So the new preachers
went forth
into all Galilee.
They
did

cast out
89
many demons and preached

of
the gospel of
the
Kingdom.
The dread The disciples

some degree
stirred
Herod Antipas was one

success.
result.
manifested due courage and achieved

of
Galilee
was apparently
to
the foundation by this concerted camthe
paign.
Antipas
News of who was

never
felt
commotion reached Herod

John the
already the victim of his fears.

right about the death of
to see
if it
He had
Baptist,
and was anxious

life
was not John

Jesus
come
to
again.
Others
thought
was
Elijah or another of the prophets.
But Jesus
studi-
ously kept out of the
way
of
Herod, a name that
boded no good
7.
to him.
Will the Galileans Accept a Spiritual Messiah f

they do not fully understand what Jesus
As yet
er,
claims to be.
They know him
as a wonderful teach-
a worker of miracles, a
man who
in
has
won
is
the
enmity of the ecclesiastical forces

is
Jerusalem,
who
im-
reviled
by the Pharisees
in Galilee,
but
who
is
mensely popular with the people.

to
He had
not said
them
that he
was the Messiah.

in
Who
he ?
Great as was the favor
which Jesus was held

five
by the people, the feeding of the

besides
thousand men,
women and
all
children, carried the enthusiasm
beyond
bounds.
Christ and the disciples had

of Galilee
just returned
from the great tour
and were
90

rest.
seeking the hillsides near Bethsaida Julias for
But a great host
of
people awaited
for his
him
there.
They
lined the
mountain eager
words and
all
his works.
Jesus stood out in
full
view of
who
had come.
tude.
His heart was tender towards the multi-
He taught them,.and he did more.

there.
It
He offered
to feed the entire host
with a few loaves and fishes
from a lad who was
was a
glorious scene
as with their colored garments they reclined in rows

like
garden beds on the green grass.
They saw
the
constant dispensing of fish and loaves from the
hands of Jesus, and, what was more, they ate them.
There was but one conclusion.
He was the Messiah.

make him King. think. We know
We
No
will
take him to Jerusalem and
matter what the Pharisees

is
that Jesus
the Messiah.
We will set up the Messiand drive out the hated
anic reign in Jerusalem
Romans and win
the world for the Jews.
That was
It
the Messianic hope of the Pharisees.
was the
voice of the people, but not the voice of God.

voice of the people
is
The
vox
dei
if it is
not vox diaboli.
This time
it
was the same temptation that Satan had

Christ saw that he
to
offered Jesus in the beginning.
must act quickly.

their
So he dismissed the people back

mountain
homes and
sent the disciples
in the boat.
He
himself went
up
into the
to talk with
the Father
who
alone would understand
him and
his

loneliness.
91
There he found the sympathy that he

his victory again over this fresh
needed.
He won
temptation, but he lost the GaUleans as

see.
we
shall
soon
a
To
the disciples Jesus at
first
seemed
like
spectre as they see
him
gliding over the water towards
them.
Peter was bold enough to wish to walk on
the water with heart sank,
him till he saw the wind coming and his

he.
and so did
In the boat the disciples
worship Jesus as the Son of God.

Christ
was now
at the height of favor with the
Galileans.
people; yes,
He was the man of the hour with the the man of the hour. Was he the man
them ?
Jesus was determined to
let
of all time with
the multitude
know
his true character.
They
la-
bored under a misapprehension.
He will not employ

to
terms to give his enemies a club to use on him, but

the Galileans
must know that he does not claim

dreams.
be a temporal Messiah.
their political
He has not come to fulfill He has come to give them

if
eternal
it.
life,
a far greater blessing,
they only
knew
to the
So Jesus makes a point of coming over

tell
synagogue the next morning in order to

ple the truth.
loyalty,
the peo-
He would
all
like to
have their love and

bluntly
but on proper terms.
The Master
told
them that
fishes.
they wished was to get the loaves
and
Step by step he seeks to lead them on
to wish for the
meat that abides
to eternal life, to
92

God, which
is
eat the true bread of

to take
Jesus himself,
him
as the bread of Hfe, in a
word
to
"eat"
him.
A perfect storm at last broke loose in the synait
gogue when
to
dawned on
the people that he claimed
have come down from heaven and to be himself

life.
the bread of eternal
Their rage was assisted
by keen scepticism which scouted his claims and the

possibility of eating him.
These
rationalists finally
in disgust.
wrangled with each other and strode out
One
lace.
thing was
now
certain.
Jesus had deliberately
broken his hold on a large part of the Galilean popu-
He was
no longer a popular
here.
idol with
them.
But the matter did not stop

a hard saying, especially
out.
Christ had in
the audience of professed disciples those

this
who found hard now that so many

Their theological
diffi-
had gotten up and gone

culties increased
till
they too began to leave.

too, stalked out.
PeoFinally
ple go in herds.
all
They,
had
left
Jesus save the twelve.
This then was

the people began
If
the outcome in
to
Capernaum when
understand what Jesus really claimed to be.

is
that
the kind of a Messiah that he
is,
we do
not
want him!
failed.
The campaign
It is only
in Galilee has definitely
Christ had no sure foothold in Judea nor
Samaria.
one year now
till
the end.
He
al-
has labored probably two and a half years, and
most nothing
is
the
spiritual
result.
He knew

crowds, but
test this
it
93
fatal
saddened Christ when under the
assemblage melted away.
Jesus turned to the twelve.

It
What
will
they do?
was a solemn moment

all
in
his ministry.
Once
more
hinged on them.
Had
they, too,
still
succumbed
here in the
loyal
to the
outgoing tide?
They were
house, but did they wish to go?

yet in heart to Christ?
Were they
also go
"Would ye
away?"
Simon
is
the speaker.
His reply indicates that they
had considered going. But they had decided

thing, to
How
?
could they help it?
to stay with him.
For one
whom
should they go
There was no hope
back with the Pharisees.

tled
Besides, they have a setis
trust
and experimental knowledge that he
the Holy
v.ith
One
of
God.
It is
not a
it
new
experience
first,
them.
They have had

as he has told
from the
but
with varying lights and shadows over this blessed

hope.
Now,
most about himself,
they are
closer
drawn most
to him.
They would come

is
and learn more.
This then
any
rate.
the joy of Jesus.

of
He
8.
has these
is
men
at
But even one
them
devil.
The Jerusalem Pharisees Renew

populace
their Attack.
It
was an opportune time

the
after the breach

in
between
Jesus and
Capernaum.
So the
regulating committee from Jerusalem boldly chal-
lenge the orthodoxy of Jesus on the question of eat-
94
ing with

unwashed hands.
this
His disciples had been
found guilty of
it
heinous crime.
To
their
minds
re-
brought up the whole question of ceremonial
ligion.
The
disciples of Jesus
had transgressed the

say, but as-
tradition of the elders.
They did not

also the
sumed,
that this
is
was
command
it.
of
God.
Now
right here
where they missed
Jesus did
not object to washing the hands before meals.
That
did
was a good and a proper thing

object to
to do.
What he
was making a doctrine out
of this very
proper custom, a doctrine on a par with fundamental

spiritual matters.
With keen irony the Master exposed the hypocrisy

of these
champions of ceremonial orthodoxy who
violated with impunity the
command
of
God and
bound upon others the
tradition of
men, who knew
how
to get the credit for punctilious observance of
these traditions without the trouble

of strictly
and privation
keeping them, whose orthodoxy consisted
in seeing that other people
obeyed them, and not
in
You make void the observing them word of God by your tradition "and many such
themselves.
things ye do."
self-righteous
This sword cut through the armor of
complacency with which they had ap-
proached Christ.
of father
They would even wink

if
at robbery
and mother under the traditional use of " Corpart of the
ban," especially
money came
their
way.

and arraignment,
he
95
Jesus was not content with this terrible exposure

for
felt
that the whole case be-
tween him and the Pharisees was

this motto,
summed up
in
a spiritual religion versus ceremonialism.
He
called the multitudes to
him and warned them

was not external obor bad, but the state
specifically
on the point.
It
servance that
of the heart.
made
man good
Jesus here laid the axe at the root of

It
the tree of the current Judaism.

in
was a
conflict,
a word, between spiritual truth and mere tra-
ditionalism.
disciples
So strongly had Jesus spoken that the

In the house they ventured
grew uneasy.
if
to ask Christ
he had not noticed that the Pharisaid.
sees
were made to stumble at what he had

still
They
cherished a wholesome dread of the power
of the Pharisees.
They were
afraid that the
Master
of re-
had gone too
far.
But Christ had no notion
tracing his steps along that line.
He saw
mere
that
it
was impossible
for
him
and
to
cooperate with these

religious oblife.
sticklers for the p's
q's of
servance to the neglect of the spiritual
"Let
is
them alone: they are blind guides."

pathetic description of the
of Jesus.
This
the
Pharisees in the reply

to point
others to the truth,
They pose as religious lights when they themselves

in
are blind
and are merely stumbling around

Luckless travellers are those
the
dark.
who
follow such spir-
96
itual

guides.
Peter even insisted that Christ exof
plain this paraboUc description
the Pharisees,
and received a rebuke from Jesus
for his dullness in
not understanding what he had said about the differ-
ence betvsreen the spiritual and the ceremonial.

plain terms he tells Peter that out of the heart forth
all evil
In
come
thoughts and deeds.

is
This
lesson, so
diflBcult
of
apprehension then,
a commonplace
now with
all
evangelical Christians.
But even yet
the majority of those
who name
the
name
of Christ
have bound themselves to the externals, to the obscuring or even the destruction of the spiritual realities.
Mark adds
meats clean.
tion to take
that in saying this Jesus

It
made
all
was, indeed, a revolutionary posi-
from the point of view of the average

It
is,
Jew, not to say Pharisee.
perhaps, not strange

it.
that the disciples themselves stumbled at
It is
worth noting that Peter
is
the one
who
will receive
the vision on the housetop of
Simon the tanner when
he
will
be invited
to eat all kinds of meats.
The
far
stoutness of his protest then will

is
show how
all
he
here from fully comprehending
that Jesus
had
in
mind when he spoke.

was
to
But the seed has been sown

However, the
first
that will bear fruit.

this conflict
result of
sharpen the issues between Christ
and the Pharisees.
They have one more
definite

ground of complaint against him.
spiritual religion will not
97
The
in
struggle for
be won
all
a day, has not
indeed been fully
won
is
yet in
parts of Christen-
dom.
But Jesus
clear that the path of duty lies
straight ahead.
He
has, however, reached a real
crisis in his ministry.
Evidences multiply that his
effective
work
in Galilee is over.
More and more
his
hopes centre in the twelve.
To them
if
he must
devote himself more exclusively

qualified to carry
they are to be
to
on the work without him and
meet the crucial events now rapidly coming on.
Are they now ready for the gloom of

is less
his death
It
than a year to that awful event.
CHAPTER V
THE SPECIAL TRAINING OF THE TWELVE
"But who say ye
1.
is
that I
am?"
(Matt. 16
15).
The Reasons
for
Such Training Are Obvious.

till
It
now
less
than a year
the end will come.
For
nearly six months Jesus will devote himself chiefly

to the chosen
band
of
around him.
it
If these
men whom he has gathered men come to understand him

rest.
will
not matter so greatly about the
As
yet
they do not fully appreciate either the Messiah or

his message.
It is
supremely
difficult for
one to
rise
above his environment.

to
One's standpoint has much
do with what he
is
that Jesus
One of the greatest proofs more than man is just this, that in an
sees.
environment of cold ceremonialism and external

punctiliousness he came* with
spiritual
abundant
life
and
power.
So
far Jesus has sought to teach
mainly the great ideas concerning the Kingdom.
He had
of the
indeed, in a vital way, outlined the theology
Kingdom.
all
The
disciples did not
now undertill
stand
later.
that they
had heard, nor would they

it
But meanwhile
was necessary that they

Hence-
should learn more of the Messiah himself. 98

forth Jesus will speak
99
more concerning the King

This
is
and
less
concerning the Kingdom.

order,
not a
wrong
historical
but the right one.
The
early Messianic disclosures were personal

largely ceased for obvious reasons.
and they
the broad
built,
On
foundation of the
till
Kingdom
teaching Jesus had
now
they ought to be able, however far the people
fell
short, to rise to the true idea of the Messiah.
The
disciples
had
to
expand before he could

tell
tell
The time had come when he could not wait longer. The shadow of the cross was coming rapidly towards him. The
more.
But now he must
more.
total eclipse
would
find the twelve wholly unpreIt

is
pared for the catastrophe.

even
all
not certain that
now
the disciples are capable of appreciating
that Jesus has to say about himself
and
his mission.
They have shown

are encouraging.
truth.
signs of development of late which
At any rate they must be

be
told the
Jesus sees that
it
will
difficult to
devote himself
or in
the
so exclusively to the disciples in

Galilee.
Capernaum
The
distractions are too
many and
acute
interruptions too frequent in the midst of the excited
multitudes.
Besides the tension
is
Capernaum
issue will
since the crisis in the synagogue.

lines
now in The
tightly
is
be sharper and the
more
drawn between him and the
Pharisees.
There
100

fol-
danger of a fanatical outburst on the part of his

lowers, as
was shown
Besides,
after the feeding of the five
thousand.
jealous
Herod
himself
had
grown
and uneasy and was

mountain
likely to cause trouble.
So Jesus spends the hot summer away from

chiefly in the
Galilee,
school in theology.
of
that
little
districts. He has a summer What a joy to have been one company. They appear in several
places
and are not
entirely alone even in the

it
heathen
of
regions.
But, on the whole,
is
summer
freedom from disturbance and of intimate fellowship.

Jesus unburdens his heart to the
as far as they will allow him.
2.
men
of his choice
The Trip
to
Phcenicia.
to the
The
work
of
Jesus
was limited mainly
Jews
for clear reasons.
They were the chosen people, the people of promise. They must have the first chance. To work much
in
Samaria or
in Phoenicia
would prejudice the Jews
generally against the gospel.
Hence Jesus spent

territory.
most of
is
his ministry in
Jewish
will
Now
he
on heathen ground and

his
be for most of the
summer, but
Jesus
is
work
is
chiefly with the disciples.
the Saviour of the world as the Samaritans
saw and
as he himself accented, but he
was
to begin
to the
with the Jew.

Gentile.
To
the
Jew
first
and then
in
All this
must be borne
mind and
yet
Jesus did mingle with the Gentiles and
was destined

by his gospel of grace and
liberty to
101
break down the
middle wall of partition between Jew and Gentile,

as he
had already indicated
in his teaching concern-
ing eating with

to
unwashed hands.
He
it.
even seems
:
have entered a Gentile house
(Mark 7
24)
though he would have no

his seclusion
man know
However,
seems due
to
a desire for quiet from
the crowds rather than to any sense of ceremonial
defilement such as Peter

nelius.
felt
in the
house of Cor-
The
reluctance of Jesus to heal the daughter of
the Syrophoenician
in the light of
woman
is
not hard to understand

It
what has
just been said.
was not
be
hardness of heart on the part of Christ.
It is to
noticed that Jesus did not abruptly send her

as
away
the
disciples
it
suggested.
He
heard her plea,
though he made
plain that his mission
was
first to
the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
He
tested the
woman and brought out the greatness of her faith. He did grant her request, a thing that the disciples would not have done. The disciple is often narrower than his master. The cleverness of this woman is as striking as her faith. " Even the little
dogs {Kvvdpia) eat of the crumbs which
their master's table."
fall
from
for
She deserved a hearing
that bright turn to the Master's protest.
Jesus did
not long tarry here, but went on from Tyre
up
102

we have no One would infer
in Galilee,
north to Sidon, though

of this journey.
further details
that the
it is
work
be
re-
done was
less
than
though
to
called that
when Jesus preached

there
the
Sermon on
the
Mount
were people present from the
seacoast of
Tyre and Sidon.

to
Hence Jesus was not
an entire stranger
the Phoenicians and
many
more had heard

3. I71
of the wonderful Galilean Rabbi.
Decapolis.
They
kept to the mountains

briefly
after
leaving
Sidon.
Mark
sketches
the
journey as from Sidon through the borders of Decapolis to the seacoast of Galilee.
This would mean
probably a journey east from Sidon, then south and

to the east of the
to the
Sea of Galilee into the high

This
is
still
cliffs
southeast.
heathen
territory.
The
were
Decapolis was a league of Greek

practically
entirely
cities
which
Alex-
Hellenized
after
ander's conquest.
The
teaching of Jesus in this
region as well as in Phoenicia shows that he used
Greek when necessary.

deaf and
the
The
people here "were
astonished beyond measure" at the healing of the
dumb man, and they wondered as they saw dumb speaking, the maimed whole, and the
glori-
lame walking, and the blind seeing: and they

fied the
God
of Israel.
As elsewhere,
therefore,
so here also the
work
of Jesus
made
a marvellous
impression.
In the modern sense of the term Jesus
THE SPECIAL TRAINING OF THE TWEL\'E

was
here
103
foreign
missionary.
It
These
Greeks
glorified
"The God
of Israel."
was
to the north
of this section a little that Jesus
had come when he
healed the wild demoniac with a legion of demons.
As a
result of that excitement,
though no Pharisees
all
are here, Jesus charges
them
not to
tell
about
the
the healing of the deaf
and dumb man.
"But
more he charged them, so much the more a great

deal they published it"
(Mark 7
36).
There was here
also a feeding of four thousand
similar to that of the five thousand at Bethsaida

Julias.
Some
critics
cannot see
twice,
could have
happened
although
how such a thing Mark and
Matthew mention
arate.
in detail
both incidents and each
records that Jesus referred to both incidents as sep-
Other
distinctions,
like
the
name
of
the
baskets on the two occasions, are preserved also.
One can be
too particular as well as too credulous.

in great variety,
It is
Nature works
similarity also.
but with marvellous
remarkable
how
and
in
each great
region
where Jesus labored similar events take

to a less ex-
place, as in Judea, Galilee, Perea,
tent
in
Samaria,
Phoenicia,
Decapolis,
and the
region of Csarea Philippi.

alike after
all.
People are very
much
there,
Christ delivers the
same teachings
and
in these regions with modifications here
and he works the same kind of
cures.
The
people
104
are

astonished everywhere.
The
slowness of the
disciples to
obey the Master
in the case of the four

five
thousand after their experience with the

is
thousand
dullness
not to be wondered at too greatly.
The
and forgetfulness
of the disciples concerning these
two incidents were pointedly condemned by Jesus.

Besides their slowness here
is
not an isolated instance,
but
is
a characteristic of their whole experience be-
fore the
coming
of the
Holy
Spirit.
The
surround-
ings in the case of the four thousand are quite differ-
ent and the points of likeness are such as belong to the nature of the case.
4.
Brief Visit
to Galilee.
One day Jesus went

it
with the disciples over to the other side into Galilee.
We do not know exactly where the parts of Dalmanutha or
Magadan
were, except that
was on the
western side, possibly
down towards
?
Tiberias.
He
has been absent from Galilee for some time now.
How
as
if
will
he be received
Instantly, the ubiquitous

to question him,
Pharisees
came
forth
and began
they had missed
him and were
so glad to see
him back.
a strange
The Sadducees are with the Pharisees, combination. The Herodians had also.
ready taken sides with the Pharisees against Jesus
and now the Sadducees do

all
Christ had united
three parties on one point at any rate, hostility
to himself.
This
is
the
first
time that the Sad-

one
the Passion
105
ducees are mentioned in the Gospels and the only

till
Week.
On the last day of Christ's
ministry in the temple these three parties will appear together against Jesus.
to say.
Here they have nothing new

from heaven
in proof
They ask
for a sign
of his claims as the Pharisees
had done
before.
this is his
Jesus "sighed deeply in his spirit."

reception in Galilee!
fact
It is
So
as hopeless as ever, in
more
so.
Jesus answered them with reproach
and
denial.
They could
tell
the weather, the face
of the heaven, but not the signs of the times.
They
in
could not
tell
a sign from heaven
if
they saw one.
He
repeats this answer to the
same demand made
Capernaum.
was
He
will give
them the
sign of Jonah.
This enigmatic allusion perhaps only puzzled them.

It
useless to explain.
Galilee.
So Jesus abruptly
left
them and
ciples
He
took boat with the dis-
and turned up towards Bethsaida Julias on the
northeastern shore.
On
the
way he
pointedly warned the disciples
against the leaven of the Pharisees, the Sadducees,
and Herod.
and
He had
The
just
been
in the land of
Herod
and
had
been
attacked
by
the
Pharisees
the Sadducees.
disciples are hopelessly at sea
with this simple simile and rather jejunely reply,
"We
have no bread!" (Mark 8:16).
They
did
not have any kind of bread and so Jesus need not
106
caution them against the particular brand of the

Pharisees,
Sadducees,
and
Herod
Jesus was led to rebuke them sharply.

they had a mind,
if
No wonder He asked if
Perhaps
this
they had eyes,
if
they had ears.
Their dullness seemed incomprehensible.

every teacher has
moments
of
sympathy with
patiently
mood
of
Jesus here.
five
Christ
explained
about the
thousand and the four thousand and
then said that by leaven he meant teaching.

they
Did
poor blind
5.
now understand? man who at first saw men
They saw dimly like the

as trees walking.
The Examination
of the Twelve.
It
was time
sumSo
for examination.
They had now had a
special
mer course with Jesus
in addition to all the rest.
he took the disciples up to the slopes of Hermon

in the region of Csesarea Philippi.
He
still
kept
away from
a better
Galilee.
Philip
was a milder
Antipas.
ruler
and
tried
all
man than Herod

it
He had
But
Galilee (Bethsaida, Chorazin,
Capernaum, and
the rest) and

all
it
had been found wanting.

little
after
mattered
what Galilee thought

clear
of him,
provided these
men were
in
and
loyal.
They had
been true that day
Capernaum, but a deeper
probing was necessary.
They
it
are here
alone.
by themselves
and Jesus had been praying

So on the way he took
asked what
up with them.
He
first
men
thought of him or said he was.

He knew
that well
107
enough already, but
it
served as a
crucial
background
for their
own
attitude.
It
was a
moment when Jesus abruptly asked: "But who say ye that I am?" (Matt. 16 15). They had taken
:
him as the Messiah
at the start,
it is
true,
but they
knew
little
about him then.
They had
their
own
preconceived ideas as to
like.
what the Messiah would be

to that.
He had
The
not
come up
The
discovery
of that fact had sent the Galilean populace

disgust.
away
in
twelve had been loyal.

himself.
them much more about

think
now
?
after they
know
still
so
He had told What do they much of the truth

to
about him
siah, the
Do
of
they
think
him
be the Mesthe force
Son
God ?
Or have
the people
they
felt
is
of uncertain popular opinion
which
now much
hold him to
divided
Few among
now
be the Messiah, though

Baptist
many
consider
him John the
come
to life or Elijah or
Jeremiah or one of
the prophets.
It
was Peter who found

had done that day
his
tongue
first
and spoke
as he
in the
synagogue in Caper-
He rose to the dignity of the occasion. Jesus "Thou art " the Christ, the Son of the living God (Matt. 16 16).
naum.
had said that Simon would be a Rock.
:
They
fully
are noble words
and
rightly expressed his con-
viction
and that of the

all
rest.
They
did not indeed
understand
that these words signified, but
108
they could joyfully use them as their creed about

Jesus.
The
heart of Jesus was
made
glad by these
words and he made no
effort to conceal the fact.
Now Simon was

of
worthy his name.
On
this truth,
trust in Jesus as the
Son
of
God, rested the Kingdom
God,
his glorious church.
What
Peter has done,
all will
do who come into the Kingdom.
They
In
will
take Jesus as the
Son
of
God and
Saviour.
this
clear confession Jesus sees the sure promise of victory.

it is
Satan had often tried to overturn him, but
now
clear that these
men
will
be true and
will
carry on the
work
of the
Kingdom.
The
all
gates of
Hades
or
will not
be able to prevail against the Church

'
Kingdom
of Christ.
Peter and
the rest,
all
teachers of Christ, have the keys of the

all
Kingdom,
who proclaim
life
to
men on
these terms.'
God
will
stand by the acceptance or rejection of Christ
as His Son.
Not
is
yet does Jesus wish

secret.
It
them
to
tell
others
what
if
a great
would
to
set the
land ablaze
yet.
the great truth

is
came
be preached as
There
much more that they themselves need to know. They have made good progress on this point. Will they be true when they learn this "more"? When
they learn of his death, what will they do?
So a
shadow comes over the hour

not doubt
the final
of joy, but Christ does
outcome.
The
present situation
THE SPECUL TRAINING OF THE TWELVE

has vindicated what Christ said.
109
Look
It
at the
King-
dom
6.
of
God
to-day in the world.
The
New
all
Great Lesson.
their
seemed Hke a
just as they
mockery of
announce
words.
hopes that
now
had made afresh the great confession, Jesus should

his death.
There was no mistaking
his
He had
indeed heretofore used symbolic

it
language that pointed to his death, but

veiled that little impression
was
all
so
was made.
It is in fact
a distinct epoch in the career of Jesus, and

says that
Matthew
"from
:
that time began
Jesus to shew"
(Matt. 16
21) that he
must be
and
killed at Jerusalem.
Observe "must" and "at Jerusalem" and "at the

hands of the chief
priests
scribes."
to kill
So he ex-
pects the Sadducees

all.
and Pharisees
him
after
All this
it
was not only disconcerting
to the dis-
ciples;
was absolutely depressing.
It is true that
Jesus said also that he would rise on the third day,
but this ray of hope was always obscured by the

dreadful darkness of his death.
all
That overshadowed
in
else.
The
eclipse
was coming and they were
the penumbra.
Jesus spoke of his death "openly"
and without parable.

Peter
felt
so strongly this chilling of their Messianic
hopes that he even took Jesus aside and dared rebuke
him
for talking so.

ouijht to
Of
course Peter
knew more
of
what Jesus
do than Jesus himself!
This
no
none the
audacity was grounded in solicitude to be sure, but

less it
was inexcusable.
Besides, he
was
grossly in the wrong.
He
did not understand the
philosophy of the Messianic Kingdom.
He
did not
know that self-sacrifice was the law of life, that one who tries to save his life shall lose it, that every man must take up his own cross if he means to follow
Jesus.
Already his cross
is
before the eye of Christ,
as
it
was a familiar
figure to all the
Jews
in
Roman
times.
All this goes to explain the sharpness of the rebuke
that Jesus administered to Peter for his presumption.
" Get thee behind me, Satan "
(Matt. 16
23).
It
was a hard name,
to call a disciple Satan,
and
especially Peter
who had
so recently been the spokes-
man
in calling
Jesus the Son of God.
He
is
acting
the part of Satan
now
as he
was
like
a rock then.
"Thou
art a stumbling block to
me."
That was
the point.
Peter was tempting Jesus to do the
very thing that the devil had urged.
The most
prominent of the disciples was actually persuading
him not
to die for the sins of
men!
It
was a strange
had used
discovered
coalition,
Peter and Satan!
The
devil
Peter once and he will try again.
He has
a way to handle the very foremost of the disciples.

If
he could only win him wholly!
Peter was mind-
ing the things of men, not the things of God.
Un-

about the career of Jesus.
to
1 1
consciously he had taken the devil's point of view

It
was a shock
It
to Christ
have
it
come from
Peter.
was a rude awakenwere far from
ing to Peter, this agony of Jesus, but a necessary one.

It
was now
clear that the disciples
being ready for the great catastrophe.
Can
they
be
his
made ready
knot
in
time?
How
can they reconcile
Messiahship with his death ?

difficult of solution.
That was a theo-
logical
7.
Heavenly Light on
the
Subject.
From
life.
the
human
circle
point of view Jesus was absolutely without

in
sympathy
the deepest things of his

it
The
had once widened, but now

point.
was very narrow,

were indeed
and almost a
faithful to
The
apostles
him, but they could not comprehend the

nor the necessity and
in
spiritual nature of his mission
significance of his death.

to
They were
poor plight
be
left
alone in a world that understood
him
still
less.
How
could they pass through the dark hour
of his death ? of Jesus
One
can
little
imagine the loneliness

his only
at this
time.
The Father was
sympathizer.
About a week
after Peter's
rebuke
Jesus went up into a mountain one night to pray.
He
took with him Peter, James, and John, the inner

within the twelve.
circle
Jesus cherished no hard

all,
feeling
toward Peter.
After
did the rest
know
any more ?
There
is
no indication that Jesus was
112

of
expecting what came, though,

possible.
course,
that
is
Certainly
the
three disciples were not.
In
fact,
while Jesus was praying they went to sleep,

If
it
or were on the point of sleeping at any rate.

spirit
the
was
willing, the flesh
was very weak as
was
in
the Garden of Gethsemane.
The
transfigura-
tion of Jesus took place as
he prayed.
Was
it
the
glory brought from heaven by
Moses and Elijah?
Or was
The
lieve,
it
the restoration of Jesus to his pre-incar?
nate state as he talked with these heavenly visitors
miracle consists not in the glory, but in the

If genuine, as I be-
presence of Moses and Elijah.
we have
full
proof of
life
beyond the grave,
and of heavenly recognition.
There was something unusual
in the
death of both
Moses and
Elijah
Elijah.
God
buried Moses and took
up
in
a chariot of
JBre.
But Moses stood
for
the law and Elijah for prophecy.
Both law and
prophecy have representatives to speak with Jesus
who
least
is
the gospel of grace.
They spoke
heart
of the de-
cease of Jesus, of his exodus from earth.
They
at
understood,
and
Christ's
was com-
forted at this dread hour.
No
doubt the Father

to
graciously sent
spirit of
Moses and Elijah
console the
Christ in this time of darkness.

of
this
In the
strength
meat he could go on
steadily to
the cross.
We
do not know the words that were

said,
13
but they
were words of comfort beyond a
doubt.
It
would seem that another object
in
view was to
help these three disciples to look at the death of

Christ from the standpoint of heaven rather than
from that of the world or Satan.

larger vision
glimpse of the
was
offered
them
here, but they were
so heavy with sleep that Peter blundered again.
He
did indeed like the glory
all
about him, so
that he wished to stay there always.

(9
:
much so Luke says

saying
33) that he did not
know what he was

afraid
when he suggested
three tabernacles, but though
dazed he was talking.
They were
when
they
saw the cloud overshadow and envelop them and

heard the voice out of the cloud.
The
voice not
only identified Jesus as the Son of God, but ex-
horted that the disciples hear him, hear

pecially in the matter of his death.
him
es-
But
it
was soon
over,
and with Jesus they went
down
telling
the mountain.
Christ broke the silence by
them not
till
to
speak of what they had seen and
heard
the
Son was
of
tell
man
should
rise
from the dead.
Then
they might
it
for the consolation of others.
Meanwhile
to
be for their own strength.
But
over again they missed the point and went to questioning
among
themselves as to what the rising from
the dead should mean.
They
did notice
now
his
114

But
if
allusion to the resurrection.
he referred to
the resurrection at the end of the world, that
was a
long way off. So they relapsed into confusion again. They did ask Christ about the coming of Elijah, but
not about the real problem in their heart.
At the bottom of the mountain they found the

of the disciples harried
rest
by the scribes because they
had
failed to heal a
demoniac boy.
When
Jesus suc-
ceeded they learned that their

to lack of prayer.
8.
own
failure
was due
Back in
Galilee
and Fresh Teaching about His

to
Death.
Jesus wishes no one

:
know
that he
is
in
Galilee
lee is over.
now (Mark 9 30). His real work in GaliHe attempts again to explain about his
death and resurrection "Let these words sink into
your ears!" (Luke 9
They did get in, but 44). "They understood not." It seemed concealed from them somehow and they were afraid to ask further,
:
though they were exceeding

hopeless
sorry.
It
was
really
and the hour was drawing nigh.
The
Galileans did find out that Jesus had returned, at

least the tax-collector did, for the
demand was made
that
he pay the half-shekel for the temple-tax.
Jesus paid the tax for himself and Peter, though in a

rather unusual way.
9.
Rivalry among the Twelve.

full
Surely the cup of

And
yet, after
Jesus was
enough without
this.
THE SPECIAL TRAINING OF THE TWT5LVE

all
1 1
the careful teaching about his death
and
resurin
rection they
go on parcelling out the chief places
an earthly kingdom among themselves.

into a quarrel
to
They
get
on the great
is
ecclesiastical question as
which of them
greatest in the
is rife,
kingdom
of heaven
Ecclesiastical jealousy
therefore, right
among
the
bosom
friends of Christ
and
in his very presence.
\Vhen he asked them what they were disputing about,

they would not say.
They had
already asked
him
did
who was
not wish
the greatest in the
Kingdom.
They
This
him
to
know
of their envy.
it
So Jesus
called
litde
it
little
child.
Was
Peter's child?
child should teach them.
They had missed
all
again and did not

least
know
the law of service that the
was the
greatest, the
one who humbled himself
most
to serve.
is
This
of
it is
a pathetic incident, but the saddest part
that the lesson
wa^ not learned then or now.

spirit of
Soon John, the beloved John, showed a

narrow
Jesus.
in the
intolerance
that
caused
rebuke
from
too!
John had seen a man casting out demons name of Christ. He actually cast them out, What was his offence? He did "not follow
us!"
That was
all.
John expected
to
be pro-
moted
for extra zeal in orthodoxy!
Here we have
a needed lesson in tolerance about methods of work

for Christ.
How
little
John here understood the
116
spirit of

Jesus.
But Christ was patient with the

is
narrowness of John as he
to-day with ours.

all,
What
is
poor earthen vessels we are after

erings, jealousies
with our bick-
and prejudices.
The wonder
that Jesus can use any of us in his service.
We
and
self-
preach the
practice seeking.
spirit
of service for other people
too
It
often
self-aggrandizement
and
was
pitiable then
and
it
is
lamentable
now.
Christ cares for his
little
ones, those
It is
who
are
weak
and tender
in the faith.
easy to be heedless
and
reckless of consequences to those

is
who
love Jesus.
of
Sometimes the millstone

those
hung around the neck

It is
who wrong
the people of God,

little
not God's
will that
one of those
ones perish.
opposi-
The
mean
him.
spirit of forgiveness of injury is in
tion to that of self-aggrandizement.
Jesus does not
that a brother shall injure as a matter of policy
and then turn around and demand that we forgive
That
is
rather
a cold-blooded
proceeding.
shall
But he does mean that genuine repentance

followed by forgiveness.
be
is
And
real
forgiveness
"from your hearts."

is
The
eternal need of this spirit
accented in almost every church in the land.
There are some who are very
officious in their
service of Christ, not to say flippant.
Jesus discour-
ages such loud followers and reminds them of the
THE SPECIAL TIUINING OF THE TWELVE

privations ahead of them.
11
At
this particular
time
Jesus had not where to lay his head.

outcast in the land of his people.
He was
will
an
On
the other
hand,
if
one wishes to follow Christ, he
not turn
back
will
die.
after
having put his hand to the plough.

till
He
he
not turn back even to stay with a father
This
is
what the expression "Bury

years and service for
my
father"
father
means.
That was a pious duty, but the
might
live
many
God was
im-
perative.
10.
Light Advice from the Brothers of Jesus.

Jesus going to the feast of tabernacles
last of
?
Was
It
was
near that time now, the
September.
It
had
apparently been a year and a half since Christ had
been
in
Jerusalem.
To go now offered
festivals.
little
of hope.
The
ably
brothers of Jesus had noticed his long absence
from Jerusalem at the public
They prob-
knew
also about his long
and recent absence from
Galilee.
So they come and taunt him with being a

if
secret
Messiah as
tell
he were rather ashamed of

to
it.
They
him
to
go up to Jerusalem and
do
his
work "openly."
There are always plenty
of people
who know how to manage our business better than we do ourselves, especially if they dislike us a bit. It It is amazing how much wisdom is misapplied.
looks sometimes as
to
if all
of us
have the wrong task,
judge by the advice so freely and generously
118
given.
will

But Jesus
asserts
his
independence.
He
go to Jerusalem when he pleases and conduct the
affairs of the
Kingdom
as seems
good
to him.
He
went up privately and not publicly, as they had suggested,

11.
and
at his
own
time.
Facing Jerusalem.
It is
So
he was going
to Jeru-
salem again.
a significant event in his career.
He
has returned from his seclusion, but not to

in
make
new campaigns
than that.
Galilee.
He
has higher ends
He
will
go to Jerusalem and bring
matters to a focus there.
When
that
is
done, the
end
will
not be far
off.
Will he win Jerusalem?
He
goes
through Samaria again and excites the

set
hatred of the Samaritans because his face was
towards Jerusalem.
all right.
When
he went north
it
was
Once more James and John show a

fire
spirit of bitter-
ness and lack of self-control as they wish to call
on a Samaritan
spirit
village.
of,
They
it
did not
down know
what
they were
and certainly they missed

Is
utterly the spirit of Christ.
with a heavy heart
that Jesus goes
on
to the storm-centre of militant
and hardened Judaism?

in Galilee
They
will
not have him

in Jeru-
and he had already been rejected
salem.
Heretofore Christ had been on the defensive
as to his enemies in the

aloof
Holy City and had kept

in Jerusalem,
from them not only
but lately

in Galilee also. in
119
But now the Master boldly appears

His an attack upon
Jerusalem, not on the defensive entirely.

is
appearance then
in the nature of
the enemy's country.
Will
it
succeed?
Suppose
Is
it
Jesus should win
Jerusalem to his cause.
worth trying?
CHAPTER
VI
THE ATTACK UPON JERUSALEM

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killeth the prophets and stoneth them that are sent unto
her" (Luke 13:34).
Jesus
salem
will
itself.
now make a series of attacks upon JeruHe had come here in the beginning;
he
will finish his career here.
He
will not, indeed, else the
be able to stay in Jerusalem continuously,
end would come
at once.
But there
is
nowhere
in
Palestine where Jesus can gain a permanent foot-
hold so long as the city of Jerusalem
is
wholly in the
hands of
his enemies.
They
are intrenched behind
ages of tradition and walls of prejudice and pride.
Somehow
from
the idea had gotten out that Jesus might

time, possibly
come to the feast of the tabernacles this

his brothers, possibly
from the Galilean multiis
tudes.
present.
But
in the
opening days of the feast he

is
not
All at once Jesus
the chief topic of con-
Where is he? What do you think of him anyhow ? The Galilean multitudes are divided over him. They had once been almost unanimously on his side, but now it is not so.
versation.
Will he
come?
120

Capernaum, some take up
a good
for
121
In the murmuring like that in the synagogue at
him and
say:
"He
is
is
man" this
not.
at
any
rate,
whether he
the
Messiah or
But others
stoutly protest:
"Nay,
but he leads the multitude astray."

versy
This controall
was
largely in
an undertone because
knew
one
affair.
that the
Jews of Jerusalem hated Jesus.

to
No
from Galilee wished
be mixed up in the
But one day
in the
midst of the discussion Jesus
settled all speculation
on
this point
by appearing
in
the temple
1.
and teaching.
at
The Jerusalem Conspirators Outwitted

he
is!
Home,
This
There
was
What
will his
enemies do?
their opportunity.
fail to
They
arrest Jesus at the feast.

is
The
first
effect of his
tile
teaching
the astonishment of the hos-
Jews that he can
talk so well since he did not at-
tend their rabbinical seminary in Jerusalem.
He
But
had attended God's school,

that alternative they
if
they but
knew
it.
would not admit.
Jesus cut
matters short by boldly charging them with wishing

to kill him.
They
are hushed to silence, but the
Galilean multitude protest that no one sought to

kill
him.
They
little all
knew; but the people

about
it
of Jeruof
salem understood
and a group
them
comment on
7
:
the fact
when
they see Jesus (John
25)
and even poke fun
at the rulers for not arrest-
122

Their theology as to the origin of the
interesting
ing Christ.
Messiah
is
and Christ took notice
of
it.
His enemies resented the ridicule of the people of

the city and actually sought to seize
there.
him then and

as yet.
But Jesus bore a charmed
life
His
hour had not come.
Some
of the Galilean multi-
tude become outspoken champions of Christ.

this
At
time the Pharisees and Sadducees (chief priests)

Jesus,
his
ordered some oflScers to arrest him.

while,
in
meaninde-
mystic
language
announces
pendence of them, which his enemies
fail to
under-
stand, thinking he will teach the Greeks (as he did
indeed!)
The
people become more excited over his
words, taking sides for and against, some even
ready to seize him.
But the
soldiers sent for that
purpose stood and heard his wondrous words and
came back
Jesus.
sheepishly
to
the Sanhedrin
without
The Sanhedrin stormed

them and
at the officers
and
fol-
sneered at
at the ignorant rabble

officers
who
lowed Christ.
The
had
fallen
under the
spell of the speech of Jesus, a tribute to his char-
acter as well.
It is to the credit of
Nicodemus
that,
when Jesus was there under fire by the Sanhedrin, he dared to make a point of law in his favor. He has more courage now than when he went to see
Jesus by night, but he received scorn for his courage.
The
rulers are exasperated
by Christ
after the
THE AITACK UPON JERUSALEM

feast.
123
distant
The
multitudes had
left
for
their
homes, but Jesus remained a while

continued to teach in the temple.
sisted
in the city
and
His teaching con-
of short, crisp sayings that
drew
attention.
One
of these stirred the Pharisees mightily.

:
"I
am
the light of the world" (John 8
12),
he said.
It is
an astonishing saying,
if
one
is
not prepared to go
to the full length of the deity of Christ, indeed other-
wise an impossible saying.
The
Pharisees took
it
up
instantly.
The
dispute turned on the claim of

his Father.
Jesus that
fication
God was
That was
its justi-
and that the Pharisees would not admit.

if
Jesus stung them again by saying that,
they did
not believe in him, they would die in their sins.
"WTio
art
thou?" they demanded.
If
he would
only say a plain word that they could lay hold of!
But he points
what he claims
to the cross as the proof that
he
is
to
be (John 8
28), a proof that to

Still
them was only a stumbling block.

believed on him.
some
of
the Pharisees were impressed and said that they
But Jesus had been suspicious

:
of the Jerusalem converts the first visit (John 2
24),
and proceeded
offered
to
test
these
new
believers.
He
re-
them the freedom
of truth,
which they
sented; he offered to
make them
insulted;
true children of
Abraham, but they were

they were not children of
he showed that
God
in the full sense
and
124

it
they proved
by trying
to kill Jesus,
man who
told
them the
before
truth.
This sublime claim of existence

to
Abraham was
them unendurable.
The
Pharisees are twitted by a blind
man who had

The openamong the
been healed by Jesus.
He had
been a well-known
sit.
beggar and had a regular place to

ing of his eyes by Jesus created a
stir
man's neighbors.
simple narrative.
sees
They were not satisfied with his They took the man to the Pharieverything, but
it
who knew
was
pitiful,
the
embarrassment of these pious wiseacres.
It
was
done on the Sabbath and therefore God did not do

it.
But then
it ?
it
was done, and who

that Jesus
it
else
but
God
could do
else
Some argued
was a
sinner,
he would not have done
on the Sabbath
all.
others that the
man was
never blind at
They
proceeded to
settle
the facts in the case by logic!
The
doctors differed and the man's parents were

to.
appealed
They
identified the
man and
to
proved
his blindness.
So the Pharisees were
in a corner.
Their logic and theology were bound

but
be correct,
how
to explain this miserable fact without ad-
mitting the natural impression as to Jesus was a

puzzle!
They had appealed
to the devil as the exfal-
planation of the expulsion of demons, but that

lacy
had been exposed.

likely to
The
devil
at
any rate
would be more
put eyes out rather than open
"
THE ATlÂCK UPON JERUSALEM

them.
fact,
125
They took
is
this
new
turn.
We
admit the
that that
but deny the conckision.
Jesus
a sinner and we, well,
You just admit we will admit
you can
tion.
point
The man saw the humor of the situasee! He was no theologian, but he could see a He opened my eyes and you as plain as this.
tell
cannot
whence he
is!
That
But
is
strange,
all
when
you know everything!

does not hear sinners.
Besides,
we
know God
are open!
my
eyes
They turned on him

had cut
to the quick.
in
a rage.
"Thou
him out
wast alto-
gether born in sins, and dost thou teach us?"
He
They
cast
of the syn-
agogue, but Jesus then led him into the

of
Kingdom
God and gave him spiritual sight also. The enemies of Christ have their picture drawn by Jesus. They did not sit for it voluntarily, but
provoked
the
characterization
:
by
40).
asking
Jesus
"Are we also blind ?" (John 9

the allegory of the
He
told
them
Good Shepherd who knows his and whose sheep know him. There are thieves sheep and robbers who want to get the sheep, but who will
run at the sight of a wolf like a hireling.
But the was a
Good Shepherd
vivid picture
will die for his sheep,
and the one

It
flock has Gentile as well as
Jewish sheep.
and some of them cried out:

is
a demon, and
mad."
Yes, but others said,

?
"He hath "Can
a demon open the eyes of the blind
126
2.
Campaign
in Judea.
There
had been an
successful.
early
Judean ministry which was only too
Now, when Jesus has
to leave Jerusalem,
he turns
again to the country round about.
As yet no permahere.
nent impression had been

cariot
made
Judas
Is-
had come from the town

own.
of Kerioth,
and
in
Bethany Jesus had one home that he could almost

call his
He
rest
needed
it,
too, as a place
where
he could find
and sympathy.
Lazarus, Martha
and Mary
ways
of
all
loved Jesus though they had different

it,
showing
and Jesus greatly loved them.

is
This Judean ministry
recorded only by
Luke
who
his
fills
out largely the events of the last six months,

contribution to the
life
distinctive
of
Christ.
Many
of the events are similar to those in Galilee

of the teachings
and many
All this
in
is
are almost identical.
perfectly natural.
There were Pharisees

is
Judea and hence the blasphemous accusation
repeated.
Some
of the Pharisees
showed
courtesies
also to Jesus here as
some did
in Galilee.
But the
breakfast with the Pharisee did not turn out well.
He
put on
airs
because Christ did not bathe before

all
the meal so that he and his lawyer guests were

sorely
rebuked for insistence on the externals to the
neglect of the moral and spiritual.
The
breakfast
seems
to
have been broken up
in disorder.
One
of
the sharp lawyers
who
tried to entrap Jesus fell into

the pit himself, but
127
we
forgive
him
since he
was
the occasion of Christ's teUing the parable of the
Good Samaritan which has

world.
It is
so richly blessed the
not strange that Jesus should send out

in
a band of preachers
Judea with similar
instruc-
tions to those given the twelve.
Luke
to
told also of
the sending forth of the twelve.
Christ followed after
them
also
and
their success
was
him a prophecy
of the downfall of Satan.
Some
of the sayings of Jesus during this period

like portions of the
(Luke 12) are much

the INIount.
Sermon on
have done
One must
it is
never forget that he repeated

to
his sayings often

so.
and as a teacher ought

possible that
In the abstract
Luke has here

it
recorded what Jesus said in Galilee, but
cannot be
assumed that Christ would not repeat

in different parts of the country, or
his teachings
even in the same
region.
The
eagerness of Jesus to meet his fate comes out

:
(Luke 12 49
f.).
He
longs to see the
fire blaze, to
receive his baptism of blood.
One cannot wonder

So
still
at this
when he
recalls
what the Master has already

and fewer
is
undergone and how hopeless the task seems.
few understand what he has

seek to put
it
to say
into practice.
it
This outburst
not
impatience but
helps us to catch a glimpse of the
volcano of emotion locked in the Saviour's heart.
128
3.

In Jerusalem Again.
Without
It
is
the blare of
trumpets Christ comes again.

feast of dedication),
winter
(the
about our Christmas time, and
he
is
walking in the corridors of the temple.
The
know
hostile
Jews gather round him
at
once with a petuto
lant question of impa"tience.
They want
to say
who he
is
and what he has

visit
about himself.
impression
it.
Evidently his last
made a profound
still
on them, and they are

thou art the Christ,
tell
talking about
"If
:
us plainly" (John 10
25).
The question was a legitimate one, but they wished They knew very to make a bad use of his answer. well who he claimed to be, but they wished to charge
him with blasphemy.
word Messiah But Jesus would not say the
it
for another reason, because
would
inflame the populace beyond control.

his
So he stood
ground and repeated
his claim of oneness with
the Father.
They jumped
at this
and hurled the was not
charge of blasphemy at him for making himself

equal with God.
He
did do that, but
it
blasphemy, for he was equal with God.
He would
in their
not argue that point, however, but he used an argu-
mentum ad hominem by showing how

was a
law
It
the rulers with God's authority are termed gods.

deft turn, but did not appease them.
kill
If
they
could not argue with him, they could
him.
But
he was
swiftly gone.
THE ATlÂCK UPON JERUSALEM

4.
129
Beyond Jordan Again.
The
stay of Jesus in
Jerusalem had been brief and the collision was sharp
and soon
first
over.
He
did not stop in Judea, but went
to
Bethany beyond Jordan where John the
Baptist had identified

first
disciples.
him and where he had won What memories would come
his
to
is
Jesus as he thinks over the past.
In a sense he
now a
fugitive
from Jerusalem.
Had
he made a
mistake in joining issue so quickly and so persistently

with the Jerusalem religious leaders?
Could he
have been more conciliatory and more effective?
The
devil
had
offered
him compromise and power.

There
is
He
will
go on as he began.
one item that
glorifies the
preaching of John the Baptist.
These
people
about him.
of
knew Jesus because of what John had said That is a pertinent and a piercing test
gives us the story of this Perean min-
modern preaching.
Luke alone
istry,
save a few verses from John, but not
much
is
preserved.
We
have to think over what we know

in Galilee
about the work
and Judea and imagine
similar scenes here.
There was a man who had a
theological point that troubled him.
He wanted
to
know how many would be

that he
saved.
Jesus told him
had better
try to get to
is
heaven himself.
One
point that comes out

lest
the anxiety of the Pharisees
Jesus shall
fall
into the
hands of Herod Antipas
130
in

whose
territory
he
now
is.
Christ understands
"that fox" very well and asserts his independence
both of Herod and of the Pharisees.

to
It is difficult
make
out the frame of mind of these Pharisees,

to Jesus,
whether they were really friendly
whether
they were mere cat's-paws of Herod
who wished
all
Jesus to
move
on, or whether they were trying to into Jerusalem.
veigle Jesus
back
Christ saw
to
that
was involved and said that he would go

to die at the right time.
Jerusalem
Meanwhile
his heart
went
out in sorrow over Jerusalem.
A
fast
Pharisee in Perea also invites Christ to break-
and three parables were spoken by Jesus, one

one to the host, and one
to
to the guests,
a guest
who made a
14
:
pious and platitudinous remark (Luke

also
15f).
There were great crowds here

test
and
Jesus put them to the
much
as he did in Galilee
and probably with the same
result.
The hard
If
con-
ditions of discipleship, like hating one's father, etc.,
are to be interpreted in this light.
the issue
is
made between
tate.
father
and
Christ, one
must not
hesi-
It
was
in
Perea also that the scribes and Pharisees
sneered at Jesus for receiving sinners and eating
with them as he had done in Galilee.

defense
In the formal
made by him
for his
conduct in seeking to
win the publicans rather than the Pharisees, he takes

them
that
at their
it
131
own estimate of themselves, not meaning

But
his
was
correct.
answer was complete.

Well and
They assumed
publicans did.
that they were righteous.
good, therefore; they did not need Christ, while the
Hence Christ came
after the lost

like
sheep, the lost coin, the lost son.
They were
the elder brother and were sulking because publi-
cans and harlots were entering the
Kingdom
of
Heaven.
When
he spoke further the story of the
Unjust Steward, the Pharisees scoffed at him, for

they were lovers of money.
But they ceased
scoflSng
when he
told
the parable of the Rich

all
Man
They
and
Lazarus, though they hated him
the more.
We
fur-
may thank
the Pharisees for one thing.
nished the occasion for the most marvellous parables

in all the world.
5.
The Sanhedrin
in Desperation.
The raising of
God and
was preIt
Lazarus was for the purpose of glorifying

Jesus the Son of
God (John
11
4).
meditated and so a deliberate expression of divine
power
right in the teeth of the
enemies of Jesus.
The
miracle has been fiercely attacked in

if
modern
for
its
times, but
Christ
is
divine, the
argument
reality stands.
The
larger purpose of Jesus here
explains his apparent indifference to the request of
the sisters and then his seeming recklessness from

the point of view of the disciples and especially of
132

the courage of despair.
hints that Jesus has
Thomas who had

he comes
with
it is
When
power
Martha who
God
even now.
It is to
Martha
that he uses
the supreme language of deity; "I

tion
am
the resurrec-
and the Hfe."
It is
Martha
also
who makes a
emo-
confession of faith in Jesus as noble as that of Peter
(John 11
27).
With Mary he
and even
his
exhibits great
at the
tion in spite of himself,

diflficulty
tomb he has
Martha
re-
in
controlling
feelings.
is
coils at the last
moment, but Jesus
masterful.
It
was a majestic
now calm and moment when at his

of the tomb.
command Lazarus stepped forth out The bearing of Jesus was never more
more serene than
arus would
at this instant.
forth.
in great
dignified nor
He knew that Laznumbers from Jeru-
come
The Jews had come

salem to console the
wealth and position.
arus
sisters, for
Lazarus was a
man
of
Many
of those that
saw Laz-
come out of the tomb believed on Jesus. Others went and told the Pharisees what had occurred, as
if
in search of help.
It
They were on
all
the point of be-
lieving too.
was
clear that something
had
to
be
for
done, and that at once, or good.

It
would be
lost
and
was indeed outrageous.
Jesus had done this
wonderful deed right at Jerusalem without their help

or permission.
meeting of the Sanhedrin was

called to deliberate over the situation.
133
asked the other:

easy,
for
"What do we?"
and
They each The answer was

They
pre-
they
were doing nothing.
dicted the loss of their place
of the nation
by
the
Romans, putting place before

that they
correct.
patriotism.
at
Caiaall,
phas remarked
knew nothing
in
which he was
He
suggested that they
make
a sacrifice of Jesus for the sake of the country.
There was a deeper sense
in his
words than he knew,

failure.
but his sense of the proposal was a

did
They
their
diffi-
make
a sacrifice of Jesus, but the nation was delose
stroyed
places.
by the Romans and they did

It is
an easy and an old way out of a
culty to propose to get rid of the other
man.
By
the
death of Jesus there have been gathered into one the

children of
God
scattered
all
over the world, but that
was God's plan, not Caiaphas's purpose.

at last a formal decision
But now
has been reached by the
Sanhedrin to put Christ to death as soon as possible.

It
was
intolerable that Jesus should raise the
dead
right at their doors.
Of
of
course, he
was a deceiver!
No amount of power or
6.
proof could change that fact
In
the
Mountains
Ephraim.
Back into the

It
wilderness Jesus goes near the region where he had
been tempted of the devil after his baptism.

a dark hour from the
was
human
point of view.
This
then was the outcome of the Jerusalem campaign.
134

had not
tried to kill
Galilee at least
him
save at
Nazareth.
True, Jerusalem had several times belife,
fore attempted his
but in a sporadic way.
Now
he had to meet the formal decision of the Sanhedrin.

If
anything,
now
the Sadducees are
more
active than
the Pharisees in their hatred.

that there in the mountains of
One
cannot doubt
the devil
Ephraim
brought to the mind of Jesus

against him.
all
the points that told
He
could remind Jesus
how
it
might
It
have been
just as
It
if
his advice
had been followed.
was
he had predicted.
late
was not too
now
to
mend
them
matters on the
same terms.
The
devil
had influence with the Sancall
hedrin and could easily
off
from
their
this
murderous purpose!
battle long ago.
But Jesus had fought
had the
but
disciples with
little
He would go to meet his hour. He him now in the wilderness,
how
they understood the tragedy that was
going on before their very eyes.

7.
Going
to
Face the Issue.

leaves the
if
The hour
hills of
is
near at
hand and Jesus

first it
Ephraim.
At
looks as
he were going away from Jeru-
salem for he turns north through Samaria and into

the edge of Galilee.
But
it
is
only to join one of
the caravans from Galilee for the passover feast.
His brothers had once suggested that he go down in

public.
Now he will do so.
He will go to
Jerusalem

as a King, the
135
King Messiah.
In the throng would
many who were more or less friendly. The Pharisees who are along seem to feel that something is in the air. They ask Jesus when the Kingdom of God comes. He does not
be some followers of Jesus and
answer that question, but the one that lay back of

it,
the character of the
Kingdom.
it
]\Ien will not see
it
with their eyes nor point

is
:
out as here or there.
It
in the hearts of
men, "within you" (Luke
17
20f.).
The
Pharisees
make no
sort of a
reply, for the
answer of Jesus made

wider.
the gulf between
them
still
This was not the
Kingdom
that
they wished.
talk of
his
his
To
the disciples Jesus proceeded to
second coming.
That subject looms

draws so near.
up before
mind now
will
as his death
The Son
went up
of
Man
be fully revealed.
Meanwhile
he gave an immortal picture of the Pharisee who

into the temple
and gave the Lord a great
deal of pious information about himself and called

it
it,
prayer.
The how
publican was " the sinner" and

till
knew
but the Pharisee had to wait
the next world
to find out
big a sinner he was.
The
procession
is
goes on through Perea.

all
Now
the story
told
by
the Synoptics.
The
Pharisees seek to catch Jesus on the question
of divorce.
They were
divided on
it
themselves,
one side favoring easy, the other, hard divorce.
In
136
EPOCHS IN THE LHÊ OF JESUS

would hurt himself.
either case Jesus
But they were showed
amazed
to
as he cut through their pettifogging scruples
the eternal principle of marriage and

bill
that Moses'
of divorcement
was due
to the hard-
ness of the hearts of the people and
was a great ad-
vance for that time.
The
attitude of Jesus towards
children comes out well here.
Even the
Christ has
disciples
regarded them as in the way.
made
the
true place for the child in the world.
No wonder
they love him.
Jesus had to correct the ideas of the disciples about
money.
that one
They
was a
is
actually
supposed
favorite of heaven!
is
money proved The tendency

1
to-day
to think that poverty
a proof of piety
One young man found out how much he loved money,

more than he did
effort to
Christ.
Jesus makes another
teach his disciples about his death and uses

this time.
the
word "crucify"
His looks
made
the
disciples
amazed and
afraid, but they
understood
them
and
not.
right
They were merely dazed for a moment away James and John with their mother
the two chief places for themselves
come up and beg

in the
It
Kingdom
pitiful,
What Kingdom ?
at such a time
!
What
places
was
and
Jesus offered them
the martyr's cup, the baptism of death,

lightly
which they
the phil-
accepted.
How
little
they
knew
osophy of the Kingdom.
Even
the son of
Man
had

come
18
:
137
to give his life a
ransom
for
many (Luke
same
45).
The
ten, of course,
were indignant, not
that
spirit.
8.
they were themselves innocent of the
The Challenge
all
is
to
Jerusalem.
Jesus
is
at Jeri-
cho and
astir.
Blind
Bartimeus and Zac-
cheus are but incidents by the way.

to
He was
nigh
Jerusalem and the people supposed that the

of
Kingdom
:
God was immediately
to
appear (Luke
19 11). They felt it in the air. Their sort of a Kingdom was now to appear. The real Kingdom had already come and was continually coming.
Jesus told the parable of the Pounds to discourage

their false expectations,
and yet he had decided
to
gratify the people to a certain extent.
He went on
in rest
up toward Jerusalem
and
to Bethany.
Here with the
Bethany family he can spend the Sabbath

quiet.
Great events are ahead of him and he

In Jerusalem
itself
all
needs the respite.
was on
to the
the qui vive as to whether Jesus

feast or not
kill
would come
him.
now that the Sanhedrin had decided to They had made public request for his arin the
rest,
perhaps by placard
temple courts.
Out
at
Bethany many came not only

also.
to see Jesus, but
Lazarus
in
The
feeling
was tense
at both places,
Jerusalem antagonism,
in
Bethany sympathy.
In
Bethany with
his dear friends
he had a sweet haven
138
and the sun shone on Ohvet, but the clouds hung

low over Jerusalem.
Jesus
knew
that the people could not understand
his claim to
be Messiah without plainer language
than he had used.

of action, well
He will now employ the language

his death
knowing that
was the
re-
ward
for his boldness.
His enemies had long wished he

is
him
to say in plain terms that

will
the Messiah.
picture of
That wish
now be
gratified.
The
Jesus that Sunday morning on the colt of an ass, as
Zechariah had said the King Messiah would
ride,
was not one
to strike terror to the heart.
He was
all
King
of Peace,
and yet as the multitude from the
city joined
the multitude from the village, and
turned
down
the slope of Olivet toward Jerusalem
the Pharisees
who saw
it
thought that
all
was
over.
This popular demonstration meant

Jesus had won.
to
them
that
him while he had
They would not dare lay hands on so many friends. So they turned
for this outcome.
lo,
and blamed each other
" Behold,
how ye prevail him" (John 12

to
nothing:
:
the world
is
gone
after
19).
Others of the Pharisees sought
shame Jesus
:
into rebuking his disciples for the up39).
roar (Luke 19
But
David.
they
are
hailing
of
Jesus
as
the
Son
of
The Kingdom
Peace
in
God
has come at
last.
Hosannah.
heaven
and glory
in
the

highest.
If these
139
had stopped now, the very stones

out.
would have cried

in the
The clamor grew
worse, for
temple courts the very boys took up the strains

to the chagrin of the chief priests
to get Jesus to stop
all this
from the crowd,
and scribes who even sought

that.
With a look around upon

to
scene Christ
went back
he was
Bethany with the
disciples.
What
did they think of the Master

INIaster indeed, the
now ?
For the moment
hero of the hour and in
Jerusalem at
9.
that.
tJie
Foretaste of
Struggle.
Jesus had crossed

He
cleansed
the Rubicon and
now
the issue was to be fought out.
The
came
this
exasperation of his enemies increased as he

to the
temple next day to teach.
the temple again as he had done at the beginning and
maddened
the rulers
still
more.
The
popularity
of Jesus
was unendurable.
They came
early to get
standing
his
room about
listening.
the great Teacher and
hung on
all eyes.
words
rulers
He was
the centre of
The
had found out where he was very
well,
but what to do with him was the problem, for they

feared this nniltitude.
Some Greeks
Philip
felt
at the feast
heard of him and courte-
ously asked of Philip to be presented to him.
But
embarrassed by the request and consulted
Andrew
the
man
of
counsel.
But even Andrew
was not able
to untie this knot.
They
bring the
140

The middle
to
problem, but not the Greeks, to Jesus for his decision.
wall of partition between

to
Jew
him
up.
and Greek Jesus had come
break down, but there

will
was only one way

indeed, as will
all
do
it.
Greeks
come
to
classes of
men, when he
is lifted
The law
of
life is
death, as Christ explains by the
grain of wheat.
Jesus in profound words sets forth
the principle of his atoning death, the voluntary giving of his

life
for
men.
So vivid does
all this
bein
come
to him, as
in
he contemplates his hour, that

cries out to the
agony as
to save
Gethsemane he
this
Father
with
him from
hour (John 12
:27), but
instant
submission.
is
"Father, glorify
Thy name."
:
This, then,
Christ's idea of his death
it is
a glori-
fication of the Father's
name.
Once more,
the third
time, the Father speaks in audible voice words of
approval.
The Father
thus understands this view
of his death.
either
eclipse
10.
No
one
else at that
hour understood
darkness of the
him or the Father.

is
The
coming on.
The Victorious Debate.
The rulers
felt
keenly
their disadvantage
now
before the people.
There
was
the raising of Lazarus, the triumphal entry, the
cleansing of the temple, the marvellous teaching.
The
spell
must be broken somehow.
He must
be
exposed
and made
ridiculous,
if
nothing
more.
in the
Tuesday morning, as Jesus walked and taught
141
corridors of the temple with admiring crowds of

listeners,
he suddenly found himself confronted by a

of the rulers
company
But
all at
who
challenged his authority.
once they are themselves on the defensive as
Jesus by a pertinent question asked their opinion of
John's baptism.
John had introduced, baptized,

If
and
identified
Jesus as the Messiah.
John's
baptism were of God, that was the answer to their

question, for he
tion of Jesus put
was the Messiah.
But the quesquandary, and
them
in a hopeless
they timidly begged to be excused, and so they are
laughed
at,
not Jesus.
Christ pressed his advan-
tage by then telling parables which the rulers
saw
were against them, but which they were helpless

to turn.
They stepped back, cowed, saddened, but
no wiser.
The
Pharisees
and Herodians
rallied
and came
to the rescue
by sending some
of their
brightest students to ask a question about tribute to

Caesar,
the
The people, Roman taxes and

But
to
of course,
were opposed to
hated the publicans
who
col-
lected them.
oppose the taxes publicly was

It
treason against Caesar.
was with a deal

But
of pious
palaver that these youngsters gave him what they
thought was a hopeless dilemma.
at the reply of
Jesus they looked simple, held their peace, and stepped back, wondering greatly at finding one wiser than
they were.
The Sadducees
enjoyed the defeat of the
"
142

now
their
Pharisees and Herodians and tried
hand
with a stock story about the resurrection which the

Pharisees had never been able to meet.
But Jesus
They,
showed by the word

in error, not
of
God
to
Moses
that they were

too,
knowing the
Scriptures,
were keep
20
:
silent,
still,
but the Pharisees (scribes) could not
"Master thou hast
well said"
(Luke
39).
this the Pharisees
At
gathered in a jubilant group

his
and one of the lawyers among them volunteered

services to his
embarrassed
friends.
He
tempted
Jesus by a question in his
own
specialty, the law.
He
could only acquiesce in the reply of Jesus and
retire.
Our Lord now turned on
the assembled
Pharisees and asked them a question about the person of the Messiah, the very thing that they had
so often asked him.
How
of
could he be the Lord of

at the
David and the Son
David
same time?
carried the
The problem
war
really
was that
of the
humanity and
the divinity of the Messiah,

into Africa
He had
and put them
all to rout.
dared ask him another word.

ple heard
No one "The common peo-
him
gladly.
still
They were
once he
let
cowering before Jesus, and for
loose the vials of his wrath
upon
his re-
lentless foes.
He
called attention to the high posi-
tion of these teachers
and how they had degradcfl

their office.
lytes
143
They hid
the truth, they
made
prose-
worse than they were before, they were mere
hair-sphtters, they put
wrong emphasis on
truths,
they were ceremonialists without the
spirit,
they
were professional
in
religionists, boasters of heredity,
a word hypocrites, serpents, offspring of vipers,

It
with the judgment of hell upon them.

rific;
was
ter-
before this hailstorm and lightning his enemies
shrunk away and the crowd dispersed.
The heart
of
Jesus bursts out in lament over Jerusalem soon to be

desolate, while the disciples gathered in silence apart.
Jesus sat
down
in
exhaustion and watched the people
cast their gifts into the treasury, especially
one poor
All
widow whose
quiet
piety doubtless cheered him.
was
His
now
after the
storm.
He went
hornets.
out of the
all.
temple, his Father's house, for good and
enemies were
11.
like
maddened
of
The Prophecy
Doom.
them
As
It
they went out
Jesus pointed to the fine temple buildings and prophesied the destruction of
all.
sounded, as
it
was, like an echo of his recent denunciation of his

enemies.
The
desolation of Jerusalem would be
due
to their treatment of him.
The
debate had
closed with Christ as complete victor.
But Jesus
knew
will
that people are seldom convinced against their
by debate.
They would answer him

lies
hi
some
other way.
Behind the death of Christ
the de-
144

Further in the background
struction of Jerusalem.
still lies
the end of the world.
As Jesus
sat
on Olivet
to
and looked down

blend into one
all
is
at the city that
he had longed
save, all these catastrophes pressed
upon him and
common
picture.
Language
after
pictographical.
all
It is
hardly possible to sep-
arate
the details of each part of this composite
picture of
doom.
And
Jesus expressly disclaimed
knowledge of the time of the end of the world,

though he expected the destruction of the
city to
come
tology
in that generation, as
is
indeed
it
did.
Escha-
not a lucid subject at best and on this occa-
sion the double

for us.
theme makes
of
it
extremely
will
difficult
But the Kingdom
God
be taken from
the Jews and given to the Gentiles. the city will be in

in
The doom
final
of
one sense a coming of Jesus again

will
judgment and
symbolize the
coming.
is
The main
be ready.
practical lesson then
and now
for us
to
The
very uncertainty
demands
diligence,
not carelessness.
It is easy to say that
Jesus was
mistaken because he has not yet come, but one

believes in Jesus as
who
and
it
Lord
will prefer to
wait and trust

of Olivet
and be ready.
went down
to
They
left
the
summit
night.
Bethany that
What
a day
had been!
What
thoughts were in the hearts of
Jesus and the disciples!
CHAPTER
VII
THE ANSWER OF JERUSALEM

"Crucify, crucify
him" (Luke 23
31).
But
1.
it
was not yet
to rest that Jesus
went
to
Bethany.
His friends there had a social service to render him.
An
Appreciative Group hi Bethany.
They did
not meet at the house of
Mary and Martha but with

show
his love
Simon, who had been a leper (not Simon the Pharisee),
and who wished
to
and gratitude
to Jesus.
Christ had told his disciples that after

crucified, thus for the first
two days he would be
time setting a date for the event.

least,
Their hearts, at
feast.
would be heavier than usual during the
John mentions
this feast out of place in connection
with his last account of Bethany, but

the Synoptic order.
we
follow
Lazarus was there back from the grave, and Jesus
was there soon
to die.
The
occasion thus brought
forth mingled emotions.
not
fit
It was Mary of Bethany, Mary Magdalene, whose spiritual devotions found
expression in the ointment with which she anointed
his
head and his
feet.
She wiped
145
his feet with her his death
hair.
She had caught the truth about
146
EPOCHS IN THE LHÊ OF JESUS
and thus delicately expressed her love for the Master.

It
would seem that even those who would not thus

have been willing for Mary to do
one of the disciples followed
the
have shown their feelings toward Christ could at

least
so.
But
of
every
lead
Judas in his blunt and brutal protest against Mary's

wasteful
extravagance.
She found
champion,
however, in Jesus,
who understood
it
her motives and

for the dull disto
approved her deed, interpreting

ciples.
But
it
was a
distinct
rebuke
Judas and,
as
it
proved, the last straw that was needed to break
the back of his impatience.

2.
The Sanhedrin Receive Unexpected Help.
At
met
the very hour of this feast

in
when
the rulers had
Jerusalem to talk over the situation, they were
stung beyond endurance by the triumph and defiance

of Jesus that
morning
they
felt
in the temple,
and
all
the
more
so that
now
so helpless.
They had
before
the
passover
made
public
proclamation of their
purpose to arrest Jesus, but

his
now
and
they timidly feared

they
is
power with the people.

stealth,
It is evident that
must take Jesus by
after the passover
over and the crowds have gone.
This
still
is
the part of
wisdom
kill
as
all
agree.
They
are
determined to
him
to save the state
and themselves.
But
all
at once Judas,
one of the twelve

first,
disciples, steps into
the room.
At
perhaps, the conspirators are

but
147
stunned and fear some new attack from Christ,
Judas
relieves
their
fears
by
blurting
I will
out:
"What
liver
are ye willing to give
me and
:
deelse
him unto you?" (Matt. 26
15).
What
he said to convince them of his sincerity we do not
know.
He may have
he would
sible.
said that he
was
tired of the
in
it
whole
business, that there
was nothing
for him,
and
like to see the
bubble burst as soon as pos-
In his heart he was disappointed that Jesus

to die
was going
and not be the kind
of a INIessiah
that he expected; perhaps envy had arisen toward

Peter,
idle
John and James.
Jesus had proven to be an
dreamer and had thrown away his opportunity.

feast, this
At the
lic
very night, he had given him a pub-
insult while the
money bag was empty.

and so could
He knew
the haunts and habits of Christ at night, his place

of prayer, for instance,
if
easily catch
they would furnish the soldiers.

till
him They must not

could be done
convinced.
It
wait
right
after the passover feast.
It
away.
The Sanhedrin were
seemed providential
to these pious murderers, this

circle
opportune convert, and one right from the very

of Jesus' friends.
Who
could have believed such
good fortune possible ?
They were
glad,
which was
more than they had been
for a long time.
The
price
agreed on was the price of a slave, thirty pieces of
148
silver,

and perhaps was meant
in that sense.
It
remained for Judas

he was now wholly
to fulfill his contract.
now What
It is
ever the motives that prompted Judas were, clearly

in the
power
of the devil.
are,
amazing how common turncoats

easily rebuffed
men who
are
and wish
secret,
to
show
it
their spite.
The
act of
Judas was
but
did not escape the
knowledge of Christ.
that Jesus
Did Judas suspect next day
The day was spent in rest at Bethany, for it was useless now to go again to Jerusalem to teach anyone. The die had been cast and
knew?
Jesus would take the consequences.
3.
Jesus'
Concern for the Disciples.

the
How
will
they
stand
awful
catastrophe
effort to
before
them?
Christ will
his
arrest,
make one more

to
prepare them for

Peter and
condemnation and death.
John are sent

meal the
in the
make ready the
passover, and at the
evening hour at the time of the regular passover

disciples assemble in
Jerusalem with Jesus
supper-room, perhaps in the house of Mary,
the mother of
stirred with
John Mark.
The
heart of Jesus
is
:
emotion before he suffers (Luke 22
15
f).
Judas had put on a bold front and come
in,
but besides his presence the contention of the twelve

for the chief place grated
on the
spirit
of Christ
(Luke 22 24
:
f),
and
finally led to his
rebuking them
:
by an object lesson of humility (John X3
15).
It

was a poor
But
such a fashion.
this,
149
start for this last passover to begin in
bad as
it
was, was a small matter com-
pared with what Christ had to disclose to them.
One
drin.
of
them was going
to betray
him
to the
Sanhe-
The
it.
thing seemed incredible, but Jesus had

startled
said
With
faces they looked at each
other and then at Jesus, one after the other asking,
"Is
it I,
Lord ?"
Of
course Judas had to ask also.
Peter motioned to John to ask Jesus
who
it
was,
but the disciples did not seem to understand the

sign given
to
it
by Christ nor
to
have heard what he said
Judas when he went
out.
But he was gone and
was
night.
Jesus drew closer to the eleven and his heart went out to them.
those
He
urged that they love one another,
who had
just contended for the chief places.

all,
Satan was after them
had Judas
for good,
and
was hard
after Peter.
But Jesus had prayed

he would stand the
especially for Peter so that
sifting.
Peter really thought
the anxiety of Christ needless in his case.

forgotten
He had
how he had once
played the part of Satan.
So
all felt,
but Peter was vehement in his assertion

if
of readiness to die for Jesus,
necessary.
If they
only knew!
to fight,
They
will
need to struggle
literal
now and
though not with
swords as they un-
150
derstood Christ, but Jesus cannot explain further,

for
they
would
not
understand.
Probably
the
Lord's Supper was instituted by Christ after Judas

left, if
we
follow the order of
Mark and Matthew and

in the
not Luke.
There was a hush
upper chamber
as Jesus talked on of his death, symbolized by this
ordinance.
He
really
It is
meant
to
die.
That was
for
perfectly plain.
John who has preserved
us this unbosoming of the heart of Christ.
He
told
them
Holy
all
that they could bear
and more than they

But the
then understood about the Father, the Son, the

Spirit,
and the future

it all
of Christianity.
insistent note in
was
their
need of faith in Jesus
after his death.
They must
believe in
him as they
believed in God, for he
was one with the Father
whom
he had manifested to them in himself.

will hear.
They
send
can pray to him also and he
He
will
the Holy Spirit besides to take his place as comforter
and guide
to truth
and
life.
They must,
But
after all
in a word,
abide in him and love one another, for the world will
hate and persecute them.

for
it
was
best
them that he go away,
best for their
ment, best for the progress of the
own developKingdom of God.

is
The new Teacher

and then they
will explain
Jesus himself to them
will
know what he
in a little while
now
trying to
make Thev
clear.
Besides he will come back to them.
will see
him
when he
returns
THE AXS\VER OF JERUSALEM

from the grave.
151
They
will
have
his presence
through
the Holy Spirit even after his ascension.
INIoreover,
he will at death take each one of them to the Father.
come again at the end of the world. He from the Father and is going back to came himself
He
will
the Father.
Thomas,
Philip,
Judas (not
Iscariot),
at
all
first
asked questions, as he talked, but soon

silent attention.
was
Now
If
at last they
seem
to appre-
hend the meaning of Jesus.

lieve,
all
They know and

But he could
be-
they say.
they only did!

while.
Christ had said

talk
in
to
them that was worth
to
the Father about
them.
Either while
still
the upper
room or
possibly in the moonlight on the
street outside,
Jesus stopped and prayed a wonderful
prayer about himself, these eleven

disciples
men and
As
the other
through
all
the ages.
for himself
he
longed to
go back
to the Father, to the glory, to the
fellowship.
solicitude.
As
for the eleven apostles, his best with

to leave
he had great
He had done
now he
is
them while
in the
with them, but
them
world
without him.
Will they leaven the world or will the
world master them?
Satan
will seek to
win them.
He
prays that the Father will keep them
now from
jeal-
the evil one.
If only all the disciples in all the ages

rivalries,
can keep down bickerings, personal

ousies, rancors, divisions
on unimportant matters,
152

know that
It is
the world will soon
Jesus
is
the Saviour of
men and
the Son of God.
It is
not organic unity
that Christ has in mind.
something far deeper,
unity of Spirit and freedom from strife such as the

disciples
4.
had shown
this very night.
The Struggle
of Jesus with Himself.
The
in the
it
Master had held up boldly while exhorting and consoling the disciples, but in reaUty he
was
depths himself.
is
Every true preacher knows what
to comfort other hearts while his to
own
is
breaking.
But the reaction had
come
after the strain of so

brief
much
emotional talk.
There were a few
hours
before the crisis came, and these Jesus would spend

in prayer.
He had
the habit of going to the
Garden
custom
of
Gethsemane
for prayer at night
and
it.
this
Judas knew and took advantage of

est
In his greatBesides
to
agony Jesus naturally sought

obvious advantages,
it
this spot.
many
to
was a comfort
him
be in the place where he had often
communed
felt
with the Father.
The
very surroundings would help
him
on.
in his
hour of depression which he
coming
He never needed the support of prayer so much,
not even in the dreadful temptations in the begin-
ning of his ministry.

Christ
knew
that Judas would
come here and
so
he divided the
disciples, leaving eight
near the gate

further in to
and taking
Peter,
James and John

watch while he prayed.
be
greatly
felt
153
to
Instantly Jesus
:
"began
never
amazed" (Mark 14 33). He had that way before. He turned to the three
into
and
said:
"Pray that ye enter not

:
temptation"
all
(Luke 22
tions
40).
The
temptation
of
tempta-
was now upon him,

had offered
bitter,
to recoil
from the cup

did not
wliich he
it
to drink.
He
know
would be so
and he had
free
to take the very

sin,
dregs of the cup.

sin to
He was
from
and now for
smite
him was hard.
On his face on the ground
he prayed,
"O My
Father," "Abba, Father" in the
Aramaic
to
of his chiklhood.
How
He
could he endure
cried out against
be looked upon as sin?
the cup, but instantly he acquiesced in the Father's

will,
"as Thou
wilt."
That was
victory, to
submit
to the Father.
An
angel from heaven strengthened
him, and that was the Father's answer to his prayer.
But the agony increased
till
his sweat
became, as
it
were, great drops of blood (probable text of lyuke).
But
in
it
all
Jesus had
won and now was

them
calmer.
asleep!
He
turns to the disciples and finds
They were only a

gone
for
stone s throw away, but they had
to sleep as the
Son
of
God
battled with himself

if
human
redemption.
It
did seem hard
they
could not watch at such a time for one hour.
They
had no excuse
to offer, save weariness, but they slept
again through the two succeeding struggles of Christ.
154

little
little
How How
they understood what
it
was
all
about.
sympathy they gave Jesus
in his
hour of
great
great need.
But Christ had won the
last
battle with himself.
He
could go to Calvary now.

It
He would
5.
drink the cup.

not.
matters
little
now
whether they sleep or
Jesus Gives Himself up
to
never be overlooked that Christ

surrender
of
His Foes. made a

enemies.
It
should
voluntary
himself
to
his
Vain the
torches,
Roman
vain
all
soldiers with all their
weapons and
the treachery of Judas, vain the persistent

if
hatred of the Sanhedrin,

willing to die.
help.
Jesus had not been
He
could call legions of angels to his
He
did indeed smite the soldiers to the earth

forth to
with a word as he stepped
meet them.
Jesus rallied them for their timidity in coming there
by night instead of arresting him openly
in the temple.
But Judas did not
lose his nerve.
He had
taken
advantage of his knowledge of the devotional habits

of Jesus in order to betray him.
to sink
still
His infamy was
lower
when he gave
the kiss as a sign to
the soldiers.
Peter's blood
Christ was shocked at this depravity.
was
stirred at the baseness
and he
wanted
to fight.
He did
indeed try to
kill
Malchus, a
ear
servant of the
as he
High
Priest,
and cut
off his right
dodged
his head.
But Jesus would not allow
that
much
use of the sword for himself.
He
healed

the ear
filled.
155
ful-
and
insisted that the Scriptures
must be
He must
drink the cup.
It
:
was the hour

53).
and the power of darkness (Luke 22

hour and the power of
disciples
light will
Christ's
come
later.
The
re-
were paralyzed with fear when Jesus
fused to use his power to protect himself and for-
bade
in
their
doing anything.
The
spectacle of Christ
bonds was too much
for them.
He had
them
always
not
defeated his enemies before but
now he would
fled, too,
do anything.
It
was
clearly time for
to take
after all
care of themselves.
his talk of courage.
Even Peter
young man, possibly Mark,

naked.
came near
after
getting into trouble for following Jesus

arrest.
the
He had
to flee
Surely
it
blackness of night had
now come.
Accusers.
To Judas
was
6.
all
easier than
he had thought.
Jesus Faces
His
Peter
and John
followed
him
to the palace of the
High
Priest.
John
went on
court.
inside,
but Peter remained in the outer

is
Now
Jesus
in
the
toils
of his enemies.
At
of
last
they have
him
they
in their clutches after years
effort.
How
chuckled
with satisfaction.
They
now show him who understands the law and whose theology is right. Thev will answer all The logic of persecution his arguments by death. that the truth cannot be The troubJe is limps badly. killed though you kill the man who teaches it. The
will
156

But the persecutor
vitality of truth is marvellous.
never learns anything and unhesitatingly flings himself
against eternal truth

trials,
and the eternal God. There
are two
the Jewish and the
Roman, though,
as a
matter of
fact,
only the
Roman was
pertinent, for the
Sanhedrin had already decided on his death, and did

not have the power of death.
strange for
Still
it
would look
them
to
demand
his death without a trial
and so they would go through the form
of
it.
But
nearly every form of law and every principle of justice

is
disregarded to get a conviction.
The Jewish
trial
has three stages in

is
it,
though the
appearance before Annas
merely a preliminary ex-
amination by the ex-high priest probably, while the
Sanhedrin
disciples
is
assembling.
his
He
asks Jesus about his
and
teaching with
a fling at both.
Christ with dignity appealed to the publicity and success of his work.
strike Jesus,
His protest led a bystander to

did not turn the other cheek, but
who
made a
blow.
calm, yet firm denial of the justice of that
Soon the Sanhedrin meets, possibly

palace,
of
in the
same
full
meeting,
with the
probable
exception
presides
Joseph
and Nicodemus.
Caiaphas
It
and
acts as chief prosecutor as well.
was
illegal to try
such a case at night, anyhow.

nothing after
The
all.
witnesses were hired and told
The farce was
at
an end when two witnesses brought

up what Jesus had said about the destruction
Jerusalem three years before, misconstrued
disagreed
priest in
it,
157
of
and
the
misconstruction.
But the high
had
in
to pretend that
something had been made
out,
and
a great rage demanded that Jesus defend
himself.
There
if
was nothing
there
to
defend
himself
to
against, and,
had been, he did not have

It
incriminate himself.
priest
was only when the high
put Christ on oath as to whether he was the

This, after
all,
Messiah or not that Jesus spoke.
was what was the matter.
To
refuse to answer
now would have been proper

Then
legally,
but would
have been understood as a denial of his Messiahship.

Jesus spoke with clearness, "I am."
Morewill
over, the
day
will
come when
this
Sanhedrin
stand before him
who
will sit at the right

it
hand
of
power.
This transcendent claim made have a show of right

After
easier for
them
to
in voting that
he was
meet-
guilty of blasphemy.
dawn a
ratification
ing was held, but no ratification can ever
make a
trial
wrong
right.
Somewhere
in the midst of the
Jewish
the
denials of Jesus by Peter took place.
It is
a sorPeter
rowful story and humiliating in the extreme.
had been
specially
honored and warned by Jesus,

in his protestations of fidelity.
fire
and had been loudest
He
sought to hide in the crowd of servants by the
158
in the

open court, but the
fire
had Hght as
go
to the
well as heat.
His exposure then led him

street,
to
door by the
but even here he was recognized.
He
did
conceal himself for an hour, but finally a kinsman

of the high priest's servant, Malchus,
whose ear he
garden
had cut
with
off,
said
"
Did not
:
I see thee in the
Him?"
all
(John 18
26).
That was enough, and

and cursed
prove his ignorance
Peter lost
like
control of himself, swore,

in the business to
an adept
of Jesus.
He
caught the eye of Jesus through the

his heart.
open door, and the look broke

out and wept bitterly,
after the resurrection.
details,
He went
until
in
and appeared no more
The Gospels
vary
many
but somehow
thus these things seem to have
occurred.
Before
Pilate
the
accusers
come with
quite
different charges.
They now make
political,
not
religious accusations.
The
first
charge of pervert-
ing the nation
was mere
fiction.
The
second one of
forbidding to give tribute to Caesar was a downright falsehood, the very thing that they
had
tried
to get Jesus to say.
The
third charge of claiming to
be a king was
true, but not
a king in the sense that In fact the chief
Caesar was, as they well knew.
complaint the Jews had against Christ's claiming

to
be the Messiah was just
this, that
he would not
be a temporal king.
The
triumphal entry gave
THE ANS^^^R OF JERUSALEM

enough color
to the charge for
150
them
to use
it.
When
Pilate learns that
he
is
king of truth, he sees that this
does not at
all
infringe
on the province of Caesar.

will-
He
even endeavors to persuade the Jews to be
ing for Jesus to be set free, announcing his

cision that
own
de-
he
is
innocent.
Surely this
is
a strange
attitude for a judge to assume.
Pilate catches at
to
the mention of Galilee to send
him
Herod Antipas,
nothing but
who
quickly sends
him back.
He was
a puzzle to him.
He
seeks to win favor for Jesus

in the choice of
by putting him against Barabbas

the people as a released prisoner.
priests stir
tries to
But the
chief
up the people
to ask for Barabbas.
Pilate
make a
joke out of the thing and brings out
Christ with a crown of thorns on his head.
In disof
gust
he
surrenders,
repeating
the
innocence
Jesus, not his guilt.
In superstitious dread he once
more
recoils
from the deed and the people shout
Csesar at him.
They
will tell Ca-sar that Pilate par-
doned a man who claimed
to be a rival king.
It
was
it.
their strong appeal,
and
Pilate withered before
Vainly did he remind the Jews that they had

it,
done
not he.
He
could wash his hands, but not
his soul.
all
In truth, Sanhedrin, mob, Pilate, Judas,
had
their share in the crime of the ages.
There
was
guilt
enough
for
all.
The
cry of the people to
crucify Jesus
was a nightmare
to Pilate
and
is
a stain
160

all,
upon the Sanhedrin, Sadducees, Pharisees,

has never been erased.
7.
that
Jesus Dies a Shameful Death.
It is
a dreadful
story,
a harrowing narrative, the tragedy of the uniJesus
verse.
came
to
redeem
to his
Israel
and
Israel
re-
crucified him.
He came
own, and his own
ceived
him
not, preferred a
highway robber
to him,
took his blood on their heads with spiteful
glee.
Jesus began the journey to the cross, carrying his
own
cross,
but Simon of Cyrene was shortly imit
pressed to carry
after
him, probably because of the
fatigue of Christ, exhausted
by the
fearful night.
his fate
The women of Jerusalem who bewailed little knew what would befall their fair city
of this deed.
because
Jesus reminds them of the fate of the

it
dry tree when once the flames light

Christ
up.
In a sense
took the place
literally
of Barabbas,
who
hill
would have been crucified between these two robbers

as
the
like
ringleader
skull,
of
them.
Upon
city,
the
shaped
overlooking the
they nailed
Jesus to the cross.
He would
not take the wine
mingled with
gall or
myrrh, which some sympathetic
person offered him to relieve his sufferings.
would go
would
into the
shadow with unclouded

whole cup.
brain.
He He
taste the
first
The
three hours on the cross, from 9 a. m.
to 12 noon,
were hours of torture and scorn.
But

for forgiveness for his murderers,
in
Kil
Jesus showed the subUmity of his spirit by praying
who
did not
know
their
blind
rage
what they were doing.

preached.
He
practised
now what he had

Pilate
But while
he prayed, the soldiers gambled for his robe at the

foot of the cross.
after his
had a spasm
of stubbornness
point.
weak surrender on the main
He
stoutly refused to alter the accusation written

cross.
It
on the
was indeed the charge on which Jesus had

by him, but
it
been
drin.
sentenced
stung the Sanhe-
He
would show them that he could not be

the time.
run over
to his
all
The
heart of Jesus went out

cross.
mother who stood by the
The sword
so
had indeed pierced her soul now. The brothers and

sisters of
Jesus did not believe

is
in
him yet and
John, the beloved disciple,

console
INIary
in
this
the only one
who can
unutterable hour.
He
home
led
in
her away from the dreadful scene to his
Jerusalem.
One
of the bitterest drops in the
cup was the mock-
ery of the crowds as they swept by in lofty scorn.
Jesus was
now a
fallen
idoKand they
gleefully hurled
into his teeth his great claims as Saviour,
Son
of
God,
the Christ,
King
of Israel, his
power
to build the
temple
in
three days.
Why
see
not step
down from
That
will
the cross that
we may
and believe?
convert us
all!
So the crowds, the members
of the
162

who
lost control of
Sanhedrin,
themselves in their
hour of triumph, so the soldiers with loud rudeness,

so even the robbers on the cross
by
his side.
Even
the robbers looked
them,
in in
till
one of
rebuke to the
down on this scapegoat between them came to his senses and turned other. The revulsion was so great
to faith in Jesus.
him
that he
swung over
That
was
trust, indeed, to believe that
Jesus had a king-
dom
in
such an hour as
this.
He
trusted that a
better
day would come
for Christ,
and Jesus honored

of
his faith then
and
there,
and opened the portals
Paradise.
aye,
Even on the
cross Jesus saved a soul,

all
on the cross he saved
who
are saved.
if
At noon came the black darkness, as

could
night
nature
veil
not longer behold the scene.

is
The
of
drawn over these

upon
three slow hours
when
silence reigned.
The mocking
It
ceased and a strange

eclipse of the sun,
awe
for
fell
all.
was not an
it
was the time
of the full
moon.
The
stillness
was
at last
felt
broken by
a cry of desolation
from Jesus.
He
that
somehow
be
sin,
in all the dreariness of these
hours the Father had withdrawn his presence.
He
not
was made
left to feel
to
who knew no
sin,
and he was
the sting of death for sin.
We may
:
penetrate the mystery further, but someone has well

said that the answer to this cry
was John 3
16.
It
was God's love
for the world that
had made
possible

this
163
hour of unutterable gloom.
Jesus retained his
consciousness of what he was doing.

of vinegar
He
took a sip
:
and
cried, "It is finished"
(John 19
30).
only defeat.
his lips,
He saw victory where the devil and the Sanhedrin saw He died with a cry of resignation on
and gave up
his spirit to the Father.
And
of
all
Jesus was dead.
His head was bowed and
the light
was gone out
of his eye.
The
great artists
ages have sought to put on canvas this sublime
and awful tragedy.
The temple had

The
graves of
the veil rent
from top to bottom by the earthquake which came
when Jesus
opened,
rection,
many saints were who themselves came forth after his resurso Matthew records (Matt. 27 53). The
died.
:
Roman
centurion in charge of the crucifixion was
greatly impressed
by the darkness, the earthquake,
and the bearing of Jesus.

ful
He
realized that a dread-
mistake had been
made and
faithful
a good
man
put to
death.
The
people were smitten with dread and
fled to the city.
The
all.
women
stood alone
and watched
it
When
the soldiers
came
to finish the
work
that the
bodies might not remain over the Sabbath, they
found Jesus already dead.

the cross and
John had come back
to
saw a
soldier pierce the side of Jesus
when blood and water came, proving thus two
things:
One
that he
was a
real
man, and no mere phantom
1G4
because of the blood, the other that he had died rather
suddenly because some blood
still
remained
in
him,
probably from a broken heart, according to the suggestion of Stroud.
The
blood, so Dr. Stroud argues,

in
would not otherwise be found

death.
the body after

insists
But John, whatever the explanation,

is
that his witness to the fact
true (19
35).
The
will
courage of Joseph and Nicodemus at this dark hour

is
not strange after bold as
all,
just as timid
in
women
often be
lions
a great
crisis.
They
two
took this stand for Jesus after his star had sunk
out of sight.
Let
it
be put
to the credit of those
men
cost
of high position that,
though they waited long,
they did take their stand openly for Christ
when
it
most
to
do
so,
when
in fact
many
of the leading
disciples
faithful.
were
in
hiding.
But the women were
They watched
the place, the
new tomb
was
laid,
of Joseph in the garden,
where Jesus
watched
till
the Sabbath drew on (dawned), and then

It
rested with heav}' hearts that night.
was a
restless
Sabbath
that the rulers spent, for,
though Jesus was
dead, he had spoken of rising from the dead.
They
but
did not believe any such nonsense themselves,

the case
of
Lazarus made them
uneasy.
They
Pilate
feared Jesus, though dead, as
Herod Antipas did

it
John the
Baptist.
They gave
out
to
that they were afraid of the disciples of Jesus.
At

any
rate,
165
they had their
by the sepulchre sealed with the
way and a guard was placed Roman seal. Then

and thank God
of the way.
the Sanhedrin could go to prayers

that "that deceiver"
was out
No more
to the
would he
people.
lace.
violate their rules
and teach heresy
No more could he ridicule them to the popuRabbinism and sacerdotalism were

still
tri-
umphant.
from
this
They had saved

upstart!
the
Kingdom
of
God
They could
stroke themselves
with pious satisfaction this Sabbath day.
Did he
it
brand them "hypocrites"?

again,
He
will
never do
still
thank heaven.
Yet, they could
hear
those words ring out in the corridors of the temple

as the people cheered Jesus.
Was
he really dead, or
was
it
all
a fancy that he was saying those words

bit over-
again
Perhaps their nerves were just a
strained.
8.
That was
all.
Jesus in the Tomb.
The
masters
Sabbath seemed an
eternity.
The
excitement
had died down.

of
The
Sanhedrin were
grim
the
situation.
at times,
Pilate's flickering conscience worried
him
and perhaps
his wife
still
had dreams.
The Roman
new re-
soldiers gossiped
about the strange prisoner who had
been
crucified.
The
people of the city had a

of the Sanhedrin
spect for the
power
who
after all
had carried out

Nazareth.
their threat against the
Prophet of
The
Galilean
multitudes
which
had
166
joined so enthusiastically in the triumphal entry ac-
cepted the matter philosophically.

said,
Many
of
them
"I
told
you so."
in
They always knew
that
some
bad end was
store for this reckless teacher
who
did not hesitate to oppose the ecclesiastics of Jerusalem.
They were
the scholars
and the custodians

had
to
of orthodoxy.
to believe
All that other people

to
do was
rabbis.
silent.
what was doled out
them by the
Others were sorry and disappointed, but
What
could they say
now ?
It
Jesus was dead.
beat into the soul of Mary,
his mother, like the pouring rain.
What had
It
the
angel Gabriel said?
And now
this!
was too
much
to
for her mother's heart to
understand.
He
was a prophet; he did work
miracles; he did claim
be the Messiah, the Son of God.
She would behe
lieve
him
against
all
the world.
Besides John the

Still
is
Baptist said that he was the Messiah.
dead.
their
The other women had too much grief of own to comfort her. And what could they say ? The disciples were scattered like sheep without a
Judas the
traitor
shepherd.
had committed
suicide.
Peter the denier was in tears in secret.

covering up his
John was
bequest to his
own woe in fulfilling Jesus' dying mother. The other disciples were not
Ah, but they
they had deserted
seen after the arrest in the garden.
knew what had happened, how

him
in this
167
hour of need.
John alone had been per-
fectly true
and brave
in
it all,
John and the women.
The hopes
tomb.
in the
of the disciples lay buried in Joseph's
No more
Kingdom.
petty disputes over the chief places
To
their
minds the Kingdom was

It
dead as well as the King.
was
all
over with
tri-
Christianity, for the kingdom of the world had
umphed.
tomb.
The hope
of the world
was buried
in that
The enemies
It is
of Jesus
have manifestly triumphed.

it.
Satan's triumph and he knew
The Sanhethough they
drin
had been but
tools in his hands,
piously imagined that they were serving
God by
this
what they had done.

There was joy
bath.
in hell
and Jerusalem
Sab-
Christ had chosen battle rather than comthis is Satan's
promise and
answer.
Will Jesus rein that
main
in that
tomb
Did he remain
tomb ?
The
light of the
world has gone out. Will that Sun of

again with healing in his wings?
Righteousness
rise
On
the answer hinges the future of Christianity and
the future of the world.
During that Sabbath no

lost
one expected
all
it.
All
had
hope and forgotten

subject.
that Christ
had said on the
The
the-
ology of the disciples went
down with a
crash beout-
fore the great fact of his death.
That was the
standing fact that obscured their minds, and that
168

off.
they could not throw
The
funeral knell of the
solemn Sabbath hours
tolled
on the bleeding hearts

Jesus had chosen
raise
and hopeless minds

for this very day.
of those
whom
But they could not
him
from the grave, and to them a dead Christ was a dead

Christianity.
It is easy fof others to offer doctrinaire
sympathy
in the
hour of death as the clods echo our
gloom upon the grave.
But
in this
grave lay buried
the best flower of the race, the hope of those

trusted
all to
who had
him.
Put yourself by that tomb and

It is vain to
imagine what you could have said.

recall the
promises of a dead Christ.
CHAPTER
VIII
THE FINAL TRIUMPH OF

"The Lord
is
JESUS
:
risen
indeed" (Luke 24
34).
It was blackness of despair for the disciples.

night
The
was long and there were no

rise
stars.
True, Jesus
had said that he would
on the third day, but no
one thought of that now but his enemies, nor did

they
believe
it.
The
cruel,
blighting,
staggering
fact of the
death of the Master stared them in the
face at every turn.
He had
indeed raised Lazarus
from the dead

but
after
being in the tomb for four days,

fast.
now
the grave held Jesus himself

all
With him
they had buried
their hopes.
It
was not a mo-
mentary eclipse of
but settled night.
full this situation
faith that
It is
had come upon them,
important to realize to the
so that one can see clearly that
any light on the matter had to

else
come from someone
than the disciples themselves.
No
conspiracy
to
on the part of these dejected disciples

Christianity with the
alive,
revive
announcement that Jesus was

is
though he was not,
conceivable.
If Chris-
tianity
was born again with the

169
belief in the
difficult
Risen
it
Saviour,
one must understand how
was
170

come
to this belief.
If
it
for the disciples to
be said
that the
women imagined
that they
had seen angels

of the disciples,
and Jesus, and so restored the hopes

it is
to
be observed that the disciples did not believe

If
it
the
women.
be said that the narratives are

this
conflicting,
one must" remember that

If
shows indethis is
pendence
in the testimony.
one says that
the after-reflection and
theological interpretation of
the disciples, one must recall the fact that the narratives tell unhesitatingly their
own
blunders, short-
sightedness, lack of faith, diflSculty of belief in the
resurrection of Jesus.
In simple truth, no theory
has yet been advanced that harmonizes with the fact

of the revival of a
dead Christianity save the
fact of
the resurrection of Christ.
The
disciples
saw
Jesus.
To
not
say that they
saw
his spirit, not his body, does

It is
make
it
easier of belief.
spirit.
a miracle to see a
disembodied
Let us linger over the frag-
mentary narratives of the events of those wonderful

forty days.
The hopes
of the
human
race centre in
what took place
at this time.
Let us observe the
steps toward the light.

1.
The Fact
of the
Empty Tomh.
new
This
was the
It is
discovery of the
the
first
women and
admitted by
all.
cardinal fact in the
situation.
The
in
enemies of Christ had overreached themselves
having the
Roman
seal
on the
tomb and the Roman

guard
to
JESUS
171
watch
it.
That guard guaranteed

the
that no
man
could
steal
body
of
Jesus.
When
the
affrighted soldiers fled to the Sanhedrin, not to Pilate,
they told the truth.

of the tomb.
They
said that Jesus
came out
Did
the Sanhedrin believe in Jesus?
Not much.
believe
Christ had said that they would not
though one rose from the dead.
The Santo kill
hedrin had killed Jesus, and

the fact of his resurrection.
now undertook
fact
is
the hardest
thing in the world to destroy and has perpetual
power
than a
of rejuvenation.
fact.
It is far easier to kill
man
San-
But Jesus did not appear
to the
hedrin and they ceased to worry, for the soldiers
were compelled for their
were told to
if
say.
own safety to say what they One may remark in passing that,
knew nothing
took
the
to
the soldiers were really asleep, they
about what had happened.

care of
The Sanhedrin
But
to return
them with
Pilate.
women.
of faithful
Late on the Sabbath afternoon the group
women gave
themselves the sad privilege
of viewing the sepulchre again.
For some reason

guard, perhaps not
they did not observe the
Roman
going close enough.

spices with
After
sundown they bought

body
of Jesus,
which
till
to anoint the
and
then rested
morning. With the
dawn
was
they started,
doubtless, from Bethany,
and before they reached the

risen.
knoll north of Jerusalem, the sun
They
172

for rolling
had made no plan

of a
away
the stone, and

that.
all lo,
it
sudden they are troubled over

is
But,
the stone
already rolled away!

his
What
by
his
could
mean?
gestion
Had
body been
stolen
enemies?
Their ignorance of the guard would make such a sugnatural

to-
them.
They
entered
timidly
the open
tomb and behold two men.

is
At a glance
is
they see that Jesus
not there.
This
the
first
indisputable fact that stands out and confronts us.
The empty tomb

2.
calls for explanation.
The Story
of the Angels.
The
two men turn
out to be two angels and they have an interpretation

of the situation.
empty tomb.
weakened
for
They offer an explanation of the The strength of this evidence is

fact that angels are
if
some minds by the
brought into the narratives.
But
men can
rise
from the dead,

also.
Still,
it
it
may be
possible for angels to appear
is
indirect, for the
women have
is ?
only
heard the angels say that Jesus

seek ye the living
risen.
"Why
not here
among
the dead
He
is
but
is
risen" (Luke 24 :5f).
It is the angels
who
seek to remind the

of Jesus that he
women
rise
of the forgotten promise
would
on the third day.
They
now
begin to understand.
it
Strange they had not

are charged with
thought of
before.
The women
a message to the apostles and Peter in particular,

Jesus promises to meet them in Galilee as he had

said
.JESUS
:
173
28).
he would before his death

naturally agitated.
(Mark 14
The women were

in silence
Astonishment,
fear, trembling, joy, haste seized
them and they ran

it
on
their mission.
Was
all
true?
The
?
women
alive.
3.
at least
seem
to
be convinced that Jesus was

it
But what
will the disciples think of
Johns
Intuition.
The
sceptics of the resurdisciples.
rection of Jesus
were his own
The
probof
lem
of the Risen Christ

It
was how
to convince
them
this fact.
was impossible
to revive faith
and hope
dead.
in
them while they looked on Jesus

resurrection of Christianity
as
still
The
depended on the
Risen Christ as a fact and as a force.
Mary Magtomb was

angels,
dalen quickly caught the fact that the
empty and hurried on, without seeing the

to tell Peter
and John.
Peter
grief
is
with John now, no
longer
alone.
Common
body
has brought Peter
back.
They
are both greatly distressed over the

of Jesus has
idea that the

grave, as
been stolen from the

first
Mary
supposed.
They must
first,
see
if
it
be true.
John reached the tomb
both far out-
running Mary, but hesitated about going in after

seeing the linen clothes lying to one side.
Peter
did not hesitate to go
in,
whereat John did likewise.

his
John noticed that the napkin that had been on

a place by itself" (John 20
head was not with the linen clothes, "but rolled up

in
:
7).
To
this sensitive
174
spiritual

temperament here was evidence that Jesus
risen
had indeed
from the grave.
It
was no grave
robbery, no sign of a struggle with the guard or

haste in the removal of the clothes, which indeed
would probably not have been removed

a case.
at all in such
Jesus himself laid that napkin carefully to
one
side.
"He saw and

of fact
believed."
still
But Peter was

Peter and
of Jesus that he
more matter
would
and
doubted.
John had both forgotten the pledge

rise
on the third day, had forgotten indeed the
glory of the transfiguration mount.

risen,
But
if
he was
It
where was he?
No
one had seen Jesus.
was
still
an unsolved mystery.
The
soldiers alone
tell
knew what had taken
place and they did not
the
disciples but the Sanhedrin.
The mouths
of the
only eye witnesses to the salient facts were closed.

Possibly the Sadducees
soldiers
had not believed what the

had taken
it
had
said, but the Pharisees
more
seriously.
It
was a grave
situation
on the whole.
Perhaps, how-
Were
ever,
they to be baffled after all?
he had appeared only as a
spirit
and had van-
ished to bother
4.
left
them no more.
Jesus and Mary.
After
Peter and John had
the
empty tomb, Mary
arrived, for they
had been
is
too swift for her.
Another interesting item
the
fact that the angels did not
appear to Peter and John,
but reappeared to Mary.
One might
argue that

this
JESUS
all
17.j
proves that the
women
started
it
out of their
excited imaginations, but no one believed the

till
women
to
their
testimony
was confirmed.
I
So another
have none
solution
offer.
must be sought, though
Gabriel appeared to Joseph as well as to

]\Iary
the
out,
mother of Jesus.
weeping
in
was standing withIt
inconsolable grief.
it is
was bad
enough before, but now
far worse.
last
To
have
dishonored his body was to go to the

of shame.
extremity
She stooped and looked
into the tomb.
The
joy.
angels are surprised at her grief and she at their
She gave the angels the same answer of perconcerning what had been done with the
plexity
body
of Jesus,
and then turned and saw one
whom
she took to be the gardener.

ray of
light.
Here, perhaps, was a
Possibly he had removed the body of
Jesus to another part of the garden.

of
if
The
very soul
Mary went
out in her reply
when she
tell
said: "Sir,
thou hast borne him hence,

I
me where
thou
hast laid him, and
will
take him
away" (John
20
15).
It
was a pathetic appeal.
The answer
to
was the
to a
first
word that Jesus

But
is
known
have spoken
it
human
being since his resurrection and

it
was
simply "Mary."
of voice.
was the old accent and tone

it
She had not been thinking
possible that
Jesus was alive and did not recognize him.

Christ had another appearance to
Besides
It
some
extent.
176

to
was not easy

ing him.
apprehend him
at
first,
and some-
times he held the disciples back in a sense from know-
But now there was no doubt.

Jesus.
By
the open
grave
boni."
Mary saw
She could only
say,
"Raball
She ventured
to lay her
hand tenderly upon

is
him, but he restrained her.
He
here at
be-
cause he has not yet ascended to the Father.
He
stops
is
on the way from the grave

disciples.
to glory
and
some days with the
He
calls
them
sends
"My
brethren" and identifies himself in sympathy
with them in relation to
God
is
the Father.
He
a message
Father.
to
them that he
other
going to ascend to the

a promise from the
in
test
The
women had
them
angels that he would see
Galilee.
Both
messages were true and would

is
them.
Mary
all
ablaze with the wondrous reality and comes
running to the disciples with the tremendous words,
"I have seen the Lord" (John 20

one believed
her.
If
18).
But no
quiet.
John heard
fast.
this,
he kept
Doubt held
be
true.
It
the apostles
It
simply could not

seized
was some new delusion that had

Other
the
Mary.
5.
Perhaps the demons had her again.
Jesus and the

the
Women.
He
met the
women on
way from
9
tomb with the message

had seen the
disciples
of the angels before they
though Luke 24
livered the
may
indicate that they
had de-
message of the angels.
Jesus repeats the

message of the angels
to
JESUS
177
them that he would meet

was soon
to see
them
in Galilee.
And
it
yet he
them
in Jerusalem.
Was
that he
was gradually
getting
them ready
for seeing
him?
Before the great re-
union in Galilee they would need

ing.
all in
much
strengthen-
His appearances to them

the nature of a surprise.
in
Jerusalem were
Synoptics
all
The
day
give the Galilee appointment
and some
of the Jeru-
salem appearances on
this first
also.
No more
:
did the apostles believe the testimony of the group

of
women.
6.
It
was
to
them
as idle talk
the
(Luke 24
11).
Unexpected Light on
lived
at
Problem.
Cleopas
and a friend
west of Jerusalem.
first
Emmaus, some eight miles They had come into town this
if
day of the week
to see
there were any developsituation.

It
ments among the

late
disciples
on the
was
afternoon and they were plodding their

still
way
in
home with heavy hearts. It was Jerusalem. They were talking it

went along.
It
all
dark
all
over as they
was a time
for reviewing the
whole
to ex-
career of Jesus of Nazareth.

plain the
Each sought
work
of this marvellous
man and
asked
the other questions on diflScult points.

there so
Why
was
much promise
if it
was
all to
end thus ?
stranger joined
them and
it
listened to their talk.

all
Finally he asked
what
was
about.
stood
still,
looking sad"
(Luke 24:17).
"They Where
178

to
all
had he been these days not

of Nazareth
?
have heard of Jesus

alone in Jerusalem
?
Had
he hved
There was but one theme on people's

days and that was Jesus.
lips in these
They
briefly
recounted the
story of the Nazarene, his works, his character,

his end.
and
They added what had been hope about him, a hope now buried in
"
their
own
the tomb.
We
were hoping that
it
was he that should redeem

risen fast
Israel."
The
nation's
hope had
around
him.
It
did look once as though he were the long-
looked-for Messiah.
But now
it
is all
over, for he
has been dead three days.

the
It is true that
some
of
women had a
to
story that the
tomb was empty,
which turned out

Jesus was alive.
be
so,
but nobody believed what
they said about a vision of angels
who
alleged that
When
they
left
town, no one had
seen Jesus himself.
The
stranger
now began
to talk.
He
took up the
of
Old Testament and explained how the career

Jesus, as they
tion of the
had outlined
in
it,
tallied
with the descrip-
Messiah
it
the Scriptures.
for the
He
even
to
argued that
suffer.
was necessary
Messiah
It
was a new and very
interesting interpreit.
tation to
them and they would consider
It
was
wonderful, for their hearts burned as he spoke.
They had never heard it put that way before. But they are at home and must stop. The stranger hesi-

tated
JESUS
179
and started
to
go on.
Only upon
their urgent
invitation did he stop for the evening meal.
Across
the table they

grace.
It
now
at
sat
and he took the bread and said
was the old voice and the old charm.

each other and he was gone!
It
They looked
was Jesus, and they had seen him.

were right after
all.
The women
Christ had risen from the dead

tell
and was
alive.
They must
the brethren in Jeru-
salem and bring joy to their hearts.

7.
Conference on the Situation.
It
was
in the
same upper room where they had assembled on

fateful night
that
when Jesus had
foretold all that
had
come
to pass.
Probably Simon Peter was the cause
of the meeting.
The women had brought a

all
special
message from the angels for him from the Master.
But
to
crown
Peter.
it
Jesus himself had appeared to

created the utmost excite-
Simon
The news
apostles.
ment among the

surely he
He was
the leader and

if
would not be deceived, even

It
the
women
had been.
of
all
was a
If
crisis of Christianity,
the crisis
crises.
all
Jesus was indeed risen from the

lost: in truth, all
dead, then
was not
still
was won.
There would
be a future, a glorious future,

It
for Christianity.
was important that the apostles

at
do not disband.
They must meet
once with those
disciples that could be reached
and confer on the
next step.
Probably Mary and other
women were
180

Thomas was
absent.
here also, but
Possibly in
cer-
the hurry he could not be found.

tainly be
There would
all
an interesting time with
these personal
witnesses to the fact that Jesus
was
alive.
Perhaps
Mary, the other women, Peter,
all
told
how he looked
and what he
It
said.
What had
Jesus said to Peter?
was the
first
time that Peter had seen the Master
since the denials.

all
The
rest
it
would eagerly weigh
that
was
said.
Was
valid evidence?
Was
it
conclusive?
Could they not be mistaken
after all?
In the midst of the meeting the two disciples from
Emmaus come
they can
tell it,
with their wonderful story.
Before
they are greeted with the glad anis
nouncement: "The Lord
risen indeed,
:
and hath
last
appeared to Simon" (Luke 24

the salient point to the disciples.
32).
This
was
Then
the two went

It
on with their remarkable confirmation.

deed look as
if it
did init
were true, wonderful though
was.
The
doors had been shut for fear of the Jews, for
they must take no chances.
As they talked
of Jesus all at
once he stood in
the midst of them.
He had
risen
?
from the dead!

strange reaction
But were they now convinced

set in, for they
were now
terrified
and supposed that
they saw a spirit or ghost, just what some modern

critics
now
allege.
This entire appearance as
reit
corded by Luke and John opposes the idea that

was only the
disciples.
spirit of
JESUS
ISI
Jesus that was seen by the

his
He showed them
hands and
his side
spirit,
and expressly alleged that he was not mere

but even had "flesh and bones" (Luke 24
:
30).
This passage adds to the

mit, for flesh
difficulty,
one must adheaven.
and blood
body
is
will not enter
The
resurrection
spiritual
body.
is
But one
entirely
must remember that the case

exceptional.
of Jesus
He
spent forty days on earth between
the resurrection and the ascension.
His body was

be.
not as
it
had been nor as
it
would
He
could
fish.
go through closed doors and yet eat broiled
We
to
must leave that mystery unsolved, as we have

all
do with
the deeper mysteries of

is
God and
nature.
But
after all this
no more
difficult
than the fact of
resurrection,
and we can see how
this transition state
could be a mighty help to the faith of the disciples.
Their doubt was so great on

Jesus upbraided their unbelief.
said,
this
occasion that
they doubted that
As one has quaintly we may believe. At last

It is well for
our Lord had convinced his owti disciples that he
was no longer dead, but

the proof
is
alive.
us that
was
conclusive, for the resurrection of Jesus

all
the foundation of
our hopes and struggles.

is
Christ has convinced them, but this

ning.
only the begin-
They have a
it.
mission to the world to go and

sent him, so he
win
As the Father had
now
182

:
sends them (John 20

to
21).
They
are to announce
is
men
the terms of forgiveness.
Their task
now
to convince others.
Can
they prove to others that

is
Jesus
is
aUve, that Christianity

?
it
ahve also and

at least
destined to conquer the world
They have
themselves.
one qualification; they believe
They
have hope and

power.
8.
faith,
but they lack experience and
The
Case of
Thomas.
They
in the
soon
meet
Thomas, who was absent on the Sunday night when

Jesus appeared to the
company
upper room.
They
move
try to convince
seen the
him by saying: "We have Lord" (John 20:25), and fail utterly to
his unbelief.
He was
still
as sceptical as they
had been before Peter's experience and before they
had seen the

and
feet.
prints of
the nails in Christ's hands
I will not believe,
I see
what you claim
Thomas bluntly said, till After all Thomas to have seen.

had been
was not much more

It is true that
sceptical than the rest
even after they had Jesus right before their eyes.
he had their testimony added to

is
all
the rest.
There
an honest doubt which

is
is
the foe
of all credulity.
Christianity
the foe of idle superChristianity
stition as well as of blatant infidelity.
wishes
Still
its
adherents to look the facts in the face.

all
the disciples had
carried their doubt too far

for
it.
and were openly rebuked by Jesus
Thomas

is
JESUS
183
not a comfort to the
man who
prides himself on
his scepticism.
Jesus was good to Thomas.

disciples
On
same
just
the next
Sunday the
meet again
in the
upper room where Jesus had appeared

a week before.
to
them
They have not

is
seen him during the
week, for Christ does not remain with them bodily
now though he
to-night
?
with them in
spirit.
Will he
come
Who
can
tell ?
They have
not yet gone
to Galilee
because the time had not arrived for that.

in their conviction that Jesus
They have not wavered

is
alive.
They have
not formulated any plans for
the future of Christianity, but are waiting for further
developments.
rulers
The
doors are closed again, for the

in
must be kept
ignorance of the present
situation.
Thomas
is
there to-night.
Suddenly Jesus stood before them again and

speaks to Thomas.
of
He had
accepted the challenge

his side.
It
doubt and showed his hands and
was enough and Thomas could only say
to him,
If
"My
faster
Lord
and
My God"
rest.
(John
20:28).
Thomas had doubted

than that of the
longer, his faith
now grew
Lord
He
hails Jesus as
and God without any
reservation.
Christ allowed
himself to be declared divine, and added that the

greatest
faith
was that which would reach
this
height without having seen him, the faith of those
who "have
not seen and yet have believed."
This
184

all
beatitude belongs to
of us
who
are convinced of
the resurrection and deity of Jesus.

as
if
John adds
is
here,
closing his Gospel, that this
the reason
why
he has written, to bring to pass just

in Jesus as the
this state of faith
Messiah, the Son of God.
Surely
his ambition has been nobly realized even his
though
fiercely
Gospel for that very reason has been
assailed through the ages.
But, sooth to say, John
has given us such a picture of Christ as would him,

if it is
make
artist
not genuine, the greatest creative
of all the ages, a thing that

9.
no one
believes.
By
the
Sea of
Galilee.
The days went by and

The
time had not
reveal himself to the
the disciples turned to Galilee. yet
come when Jesus would

appointed
body
the
of believers (over five hundred,
Paul said) on
mountain
in
Galilee.
There was
nothing to do but to wait in the midst of the scenes

of so
much
of the
work
of Christ.
At every turn
along the beloved lake they would be reminded of
They had left their all and cast their fortunes with the new teacher on these shores. Had it been
Jesus.
worth while ?
What
it
has the future in store for them
now ?
Truly
had been wonderful.
Most
of
them
had been fishermen and

initiative
so one night Peter took the

fishing.
and said that he was going

to call
That
was enough
at
back the old days.
Six of them
fished all
once offered to go with him.
They
THE FINAL TRIUMPH OF JESUS

They were used
shore in the early
185
night and had fisherman's luck and caught nothing.

to that
and were pulUng
for the
dawn when
they saw a figure in the
dim
light
walking on the shore.

familiar,
voice
came
to
them that was strangely
though the word
"children" as applied to them in address was apparently unusual, but John's fine spiritual sense perceived
the truth, he said: "It
is
the
Lord" (John
21
7).
The
sight
impulsiveness of Peter responded to John's in-
and he was soon on the shore beside Jesus.

scene between Jesus and Peter on the shore
The
in the early
morning
is
wonderful indeed.
It Avas
after the breakfast of fish
and bread that Christ

Simon, but
turned to Simon.
a
fire
One
other morning he had sat by

significant to
and
this of itself
was
Jesus was pointed enough to bring the whole scene

of the denial
back
to his all too vivid

to
memory.
He
seized the right
moment
probe Simon's heart by

It
three searching questions.
was Simon who had

It
spoken for the disciples at Ca?sarea Philippi.
was Simon who had said on the night of the betrayal

that,
though
all
men
forsook Jesus, yet he would be
faithful
even unto death.
Time makes
in
short
work
of the boaster
and now Simon was
poor shape to
say a word.
Jesus was gentle, but persistent with
Peter, challenging his superior love
and even
his
very love
itself
with the word chosen by Simon.
186

came
for each denial
question
heart.
and each cut
to the
re-
The
result
was
gratifying indeed
and
vealed a humility in Simon not manifest before,
but which reappears
in
Peter 5
1-11.
He
is
now
horts
converted after the sifting by Satan and the
prayers of Jesus for
bim have
availed.
Jesus ex-
him
to feed the
sheep and he
will later
(I
urge the
:
elders to "tend the flock of
God"
Peter 5
2).
Once Peter had promised Jesus

a martyr's death,
if
that he would die
need be, and then turned and

is
ran in disgrace.
But now that he
humble he
will
is
have a martyr's death by and by.
But Simon
Simon
still
in his
personal characteristics, and his

to
curiosity leads
shall this
him
ask about John,

21
:
"And what
man do?" (John
22).
Peter's ques-
tion bordered
upon impertinence and was sharply

the second coming, a mistake
to correct.
rebuked by Jesus, though he did not mean that John

actually
would
live
till
that
John takes pains
James and John

to
had once rashly said that they were able

tized with Christ's fact
be bapin
baptism of blood, and James
was soon
to drink that cup.
10.
On
a Mountain in Galilee.
The
location of
date.
this
mountain we do not know nor the precise
Doubtless the bulk of the believers are here assembled.
There had been time enough

It
for
word
to
reach them.
was a
signal occasion, for here were
JESUS
187
visible
assembled the people who represented the
fruitage of the ministry of Jesus, something over

five
hundred
to
disciples.
The
grain of mustard-seed
had begun
earth.
grow and would ultimately cover the
This Jesus knew.

battle,
Some few
still
doubted,
having a hard
but most had come already
to a militant faith in the Risen
Redeemer.
Jesus
met
this
goodly company as the Leader of a world-
conquering host.
a magnificent
No
statesman ever outlined such

as Jesus here laid
programme
down,
the Christian's Charter for
the conquest for the
world.
No
general was ever

of
more
certain of victory.
is
The sublime optimism

when one
weapons, no influence.
Christ
transcendent
recalls that his disciples
had no money, no
the
of
They had, however,

It is
supreme message and the presence and power

Christ by the Holy Spirit.
critics
objected by some
is
that the great
Commission
is
too ecclesiastical
is
to
be genuine, but baptism

to
the only item that
open
such a charge and no detailed directions
are here given for the execution of that

All that
command.
of the
we
get elsewhere.
lays
It is
a missionary propa-
ganda that Jesus here

five
upon the hearts
hundred men and women, primarily upon them

of the
as
members
Kingdom
of
God, redeemed
is
indi-
viduals.
The
local
church
God's
appointed
means
for carrying
on the work
of the
kingdom, but
188
the responsibility rests ultimately on every believer
apart from a church's failure, or performance of

duty.
The
disciples are the salt of the earth, the
hope of the world, and the future of Christianity

rested on their shoulders.
11.
In Jerusalem Again.
The
Apostles
now
re-
turned to Jerusalem, the scene of their sore discomfiture, yes,
but the scene of Christ's triumphant resur-
rection
will
also.
Henceforth Jerusalem, not Galilee,

activity.
be the place of their
They
itself,
will seek to
win a foothold right in Jerusalem
for
now
they
know
tion
that
God
is
with them to the end.
James, the
brother of Jesus, had received a special manifesta-
and
is
now
a devout believer along with John

his mother, has a
and the
rest.
Mary,
new song
in
her heart.
She can sing a new Magnificai, with She had indeed seen the salvation
a clearer
faith.
of the Lord.
Already, then, a nucleus exists in Jeruin the his-
salem.
Lazarus does not appear more
tory, because, perhaps, of the relentless hatred of the
rulers
toward him
for
coming out
of the tomb.
Jesus meets the disciples again in Jerusalem and

takes pains to give
tation of the
them a
last lesson in the interpre-
Old Testament,
for
he knew the Old
Testament.
He
was, and
is,
the great interpreter
of Scripture for all time.
He found
himself in the
writings of Moses, the prophets, and the Psalms,

though he had
to
JESUS
189
disciples
open the minds of the

it
before they could see
(Luke 24
45).
The open
and more
mind
is
as necessary as the open Scripture
difficult to get.
The
closed
mind
is
the chief foe
of Scripture
truth.
Jesus expects us to use our
minds
in the
study of the Bible.
Once more
are the very
Christ
urged them on to the conquest of the world.

is
That
life
the
main
thing.
INIissions
of
Christianity.
for
They must indeed
wait in Jerusalem
to
power from on high with which

spiritual
win the world.
The
will
dynamo
is
absolutely necessary.
They
not,
soon receive the Holy Spirit and then they must world
enterprise.
till
undertake this
They
all
are
however, to tarry in Jerusalem

is
of Jerusalem
won.
That
is
not true yet
They
are not indeed

still
ready for this world-mission, for they
look for a
temporal kingdom (Acts

Spirit will
ciples will
12.
6),
an error that the Holy

Indeed, the disis
remove when he comes.
understand Jesus better after he
gone.
A
its
Last
View on Mt.
Olivet.
Jesus
led the
disciples out of the eastern gate, past
Gethsemane
with
tragic
memories, up the familiar slope
towards Bethany, beloved Bethany.
The view was

IMediterranean.
sublime in every direction, the Jordan, the Dead

Sea,
Mt.
Nebo,
Jerusalem,
the
1
:
"They were
looking
up"
(Acts
9)
and Jesus was

cloud swept by
giving them a parting blessing.
190

Long
after the cloud disappeared
and he was gone.
the entranced disciples kept gazing into the heaven
whither Jesus had gone.

13.
Till
He
Come.
Their
of the
upward look was

(Acts 1
in-
terrupted by the
word
two angels that "this

:
Jesus"
will so
come back in like manner
11).
He had
said so himself.
They now know
that he
has risen and believe that he will come back.

short time they will be under
In a
the tutelage of the
Holy
Spirit
and
will
come
to understand the spiritual
nature of the
Kingdom
of
:
God.
And now
they
worshipped Jesus (Luke 24
52) with joy and praise.

to understand, to inter-
The
pret,
still
task of the disciples
is
and
to
obey Jesus.
in
The
Christian world
is
engaged
doing these things.
His
life
and
teachings, his death
and
resurrection, his
power over
men
all
to uplift
and
to
make
god-like, the greatest of
themes,
still fill
the horizon of the
modern world.
is
Science has done wonders, but science

side the life of Jesus.
barren be-
He
has stood the searchlight
of minute historical investigation.
Most
of all
still
he
endures the
test of life.
His pitying eye

still
looks
upon
us, his
powerful hand
reaches out to save.
When
Lord
he came before they crucified him; when he

will
comes again he
of Lords.
be crowned King of Kings and

let
Meanwhile
him
rule in all our

.
hearts.
"Amen: come. Lord
Jesus."
INDEX
Abraham
Aeons Alexander
15 18
60
28
of
f..
Andrew
Angeb, story
Anna
Annas Answer of Jerusalem Aramaic
any
Ascension Attack upon Jerusalem Augustine
13,
43 ff. 172 26
156 S. 145
9,
DecapolLs 86, 102 Declaration of Principles. ... 61 Demonology 85 Description of the Twelve.. .60 f. Despair of John the Baptist.. 71 Dies a shameful death 160 Docetic Gnosticism 11
.
43
Ebionites
10, 15,
Appreciative group in Beth145 189 f 120 4
Egypt
Elijah
26 43
Emmaus
Examination
of the
Twelve.
72f. 177 106 155 118 170

14
Babylonian teachings Baptism of Jesus Barnabas Battle renewed in Galilee.

Beatitudes
45
16
...
Faces hi.s accusers Facing Jerusalem

P'act of the
empty tomb
Beelzebub
69 54 65 78 76 ff. 27 f. 106 105
Father's sanction of the Son. Final Triumph of Jesus First appeal of Jesus
First disciples First glimpse of Jesus First miracle Foretaste of the struggle. Foster. G. B
169 26
Bethany Bethany beyond Jordan

Beth-îaida
28 6
.
. .
31 139
Beth.saida -Julias Belhesda, pool of
3
10 114
52
129 3 104 12 117 2
141
Beyond Jordan again

Bousset
Brief visit to Galilee
Fourth Gospel Fresh teaching about death.

Galilean campaign Galileans and a spiritual Messiah
Galilee
76 89
BriKKS Brothers of Jesus
Buddha
Caesar Csesarea Philippi
106
137, 156
flF.
Gethsemane Gives up to his foes Going to face the issue

Gnosticism Greek language
Caiaphas Call to Nazareth

Calvin
44 ff. 152 ff. 154 134 11, 17
40
43 83
Ill 9
4 Campaign in Judea 126 ('aperiiaum 33, 43 fif. ('a,ie of Thomas 182 ( 'eph;v.s 29 Challenge to Jerusalem 137 China 45 Choice of the Twelve 59 ('horazin 106 Cleopas 177 Concern for the Disciples. 148 Conference of the DLsciples. 179 Conflict over the Sal)bath. 151 Connection with John the Baptist's work 26 Corinthian Gnostics 17
.
Heathen territory Heavenly light on the death

of Christ
Hebrew Herod Antipas

Herods Herodians Horns of Hattin Hosea
89
13
104, 140
62 54
In Jeru.salem again 128 Incompleteness of the Gospel

story
1
Interview
scholar
with
Jewish 37
Cornelius Cross Crucifixion
101
Interview with a Samaritan
160 160
ff.
woman
I.saiah I.ssue with ties
39
41
ff.
Jerusalem authori-
Dalmanutha David
104
54
191
In Jerusalem last time
33 188
192
James
INDEX
Phopnicia
Pilate
9, 43 ff. Jeremiah 107 Jerusalem 15, 32 ff. Jerusalem authorities renew their attack.. 93 Jerusalem conspirators out.
100 158
ff
ff.
Plato
2
1
Problem of Jesus Prophecy of doom

Reason for training Twelve
of
143
the
witted at home 121 174 Jesus and Mary 176 Jesus and the other women. Johannine presentation of 23 Jesus
.
98
76 77
169
ff. ff.
Rejection of a spiritual king-
dom
Repels attack Resurrection of Jesus Roman people
John...
4,
10
ff.
John's intuition at the tomb. 173 John the Baptist 15 ff. 105 Jonah Jordan 15 ff. Joseph 9, 10 Judas 148 ff. Judas, not Iscariot 151
Rome
Sadducees Samaria Sanhedrin
Sanhedrin's desperation
90
10
104
ff.
ff.
39
25
131
Jude
Kenosis
Last visit to Nazareth Lazarus Levi
9
13
Sanhedrin receives pected help
unex146 103 187 76

61
13,
ff.
85 140 47 f.
7, 9ff.
Schmidt Sea of Galilee Second tour of Galilee Sermon on the Mount

Sidon
Luke
62, 100
Magadan
Malchus
104 154 Mark 10, 40, 148 ff. Mary Magdalen 76 ff. Mary, mother of Jesus 7, 9 ff. Mary of Bethany 145 ff. Matthew 9 ff. 43 Mesopotamia Messianic consciousness of 1 Jesus Moral issue iji the temptation, 18
Simeon Simon Simon of Gyrene Simon the Pharisee

Sinai
26
28 ff. 160 145 10
Socrates Struggle of Jesus with himself
2
152
Syria Syriac Syrophoenician
43
10 101
18 24
Temptation
Naaman
Nain Nathanael Nazareth
30
Terms used
42 72
30, 31
ff.
of Christ of Jesus
Third tour of Galilee
86
151
ff.
Thomas
Thucydides
Tiberius
Till
New departure New home New lesson New organization New style of teaching
Nicodemus North American Review
62
190 165 98 Ill 145 ff. 69 62, 102
51
he come
44 109
Tomb
Training of the Twelve Transfiguration
Trial
56 80
156
ff.
Two ways
Tyre
Unexpected
light
12
.
On
a mountain
in Galilee.
188
ff.
ff.
177 140 8 ff.
Parables Paul Peter

Peter's confession Pfleiderer
80
14
Victorious debate Virgin birth
ff.
Pharisees Philip
107 3 23 ff. 29 f.
Wrede
Zaeharias
13.
3 26
Zarephath
42
BS2420 .R649
Epochs
in
the
life
of Jesus;
Princeton Theological Semmary-Speer Library
1012 00013 0882
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Epochs in The Life of Jesus (A. T. Robertson, 1907)

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EPOCHS

THE LIFE OF JESUS

EPOCHS IN THE LIFE OF JESUS

A. T. ROBERTSON, M.A., D.D., PROFESSOR OF NEW TESTAMENT INTERPRETATION IN THE SOUTHERN

CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS NEW YORK 1907

Published November, 1907

MAKE no apology The theme

for presenting another

"the unsearchable riches of Christ"?

has to do the same thing.

have passed through

an age of acute criticism of the sources.

on the whole, has been exceedingly helpful.

All that pertains to the historical aspects of Christ's

career has been sifted.

and the thought

entering another period of theological controversy

over the person of Christ.

book attempts a straightforward con-

structive discussion of the career of Jesus as set forth

the sources, though the writer has reached his

Springs, Mo., July, 1906, to an audience

and a large and

publication of the lectures.

hoped that as pubdesire a

positive presentation of the career of Jesus in the

modern know^ledge and

with the position given to Christ in the Gospels.

No attempt is here made to

the story of the

seem narrow from one point

view, but the current runs deep and swift.

turning points in the

sharply with less accent on other things, so that one

the better feel the titanic struggle that Jesus

tyranny and bigotry.

reader can thus "realize" Jesus, he will find the

Gospels luminous with fresh

out here, that the attention of the

might add that for twenty years

teaching theological students "the things of Christ."

give no bibliography, but

great writers on the Life of Christ are too

cannot, however, forbear acknowledg-

debt to the matchless teaching of John A.

But the Gospels themA. T. Robertson.

chief inspiration in this study.

Messianic Consciousness of Jesus

First Appeal of Jesus

The New Departure

The Galilean Campaign

Special Training of the

The Attack Upon Jerusalem

The Final Triumph

THE MESSIANIC CONSCIOUSNESS OF

pleased" (Matt. 3:17).

indeed the most excellent of

yet no one has written an exIt

haustive or comprehensive discussion of Christ.

has always been

one of the Gospels gives

a complete picture of the Master, nor do Gospels

in fact, all that