BANCROFT
LIBRARY
<>
THE LIBRARY
OF
THE UNIVERSITY
OF CALIFORNIA
Gift of
Mrs. Esther C. Thomson
JESUS THE CHRIST
A Study of the Messiah and His Mission
according to Holy Scriptures both
Ancient and Modern
By
JAMES E. TALMAGE
One of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
PUBLISHED BY THE CHURCH
FIFTH EDITION INDIA PAPER
COMPRISING TWENTY-SIXTH AND TWENTY-SEVENTH THOUSAND
'
Salt Lake City, Utah
The Deseret News
1916
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Copyright
September 1915, December 1915, April 1916
and November 1916
By
JOSEPH F. SMITH
Trustee-in-Trust for the
Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints
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PREFACE.
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The scope of the subject presented in this work is ex-
pressed on the title page. It will be readily seen that the
author has departed from the course usually followed by
writers on the Life of Jesus Christ, which course, as a rule,
begins with the birth of Mary's Babe and ends with the
ascension of the slain and risen Lord from Olivet. The
treatment embodied in these pages, in addition to the narra-
tive of the Lord's life in the flesh comprizes the antemortal
existence and activities of the world's Redeemer, the revela-
tions and personal manifestations of the glorified and exalted
Son of God during the apostolic period of old and in modern
times, the assured nearness of the Lord's second advent, and
predicted events beyond all so far as the Holy Scriptures
make plain.
It is particularly congruous and appropriate that the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints the only
Church that affirms authority based on specific revelation
and commission to use the Lord's Holy Name as a distinc-
tive designation should set forth her doctrines concerning
the Messiah and His mission.
The author of this volume entered upon his welcome
service under request and appointment from the presiding
authorities of the Church ; and the completed work has been
read to and is approved by the First Presidency and the
Council of the Twelve. It presents, however, the writer's
personal belief and profoundest conviction as to the truth of
IV PREFACE.
what he has written. The book is published by the Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
A characteristic feature of the work is the guidance
afforded by modern scriptures and the explication of the
Holy Writ of olden times in the light of present day revela-
tion, which, as a powerful and well directed beam, illumines
many dark passages of ancient construction.
The spirit of the sacredness inherent in the subject has
been a constant companion of the writer throughout his
pleasing labor, and he reverently invokes the same as a min-
ister to the readers of the volume.
JAMES E. TALMAGE.
Salt Lake City, Utah,
September, 1915.
PUBLISHERS' PREFACE TO THE FIFTH
EDITION.
This imprint of Dr. Talmage's great work is made from
the plates used in the fourth edition. To meet the con-
venience of missionaries and others who make of the book
a traveling- companion, the current issue is printed on
India paper and the volume is thus greatly reduced in
bulk and weight.
THE PUBLISHERS.
r- I*. T 1 r*'*.
Salt Lake City,
December, 1916.
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CONTENTS.
Chapter 1.
INTRODUCTION.
Historicity of Jesus the Christ. Scope and purpose of the present treatise 1-5
Chapter 2.
PREEXISTENCE AND FOREORDINATION OF THE CHRIST.
Antemortal existence of spirits. Primeval council in heaven. Rebellion of
Lucifer. His defeat and expulsion. Free agency of man insured. The
Beloved Son chosen to be the Savior and Redeemer of mankind 6-16
Chapter 3.
THE NEED OF A REDEEMER.
"KM lo noc. on! -JanilJ nn<>(_
Spirits of diverse capacities. Entrance of sin into the world foreseen.
God's foreknowledge not a determining cause. Creation of man in the
flesh. Fall of man. Atonement necessary. Jesus Christ the only Being
eligible as Redeemer and Savior. Universal resurrection provided 17-31
Chapter 4.
THE ANTEMORTAL GODSHIP OF CHRIST.
H
The Godhead. Jesus Christ the Word of power. Jesus Christ the Creator.
Jehovah. The Eternal I AM. Proclamations of Jesus Christ by the
Father . . .ahiji.-^iSfni^fSe^tJrrfa 32 ' 41
Chapter 5.
EARTHLY ADVENT OF THE CHRIST PREDICTED.
Biblical prophecies. Revelation to Enoch. The Prophet predicted by Moses.
Sacrifices as prototypes. Book of Mormon predictions . . 42-56
Chapter 6.
THE MERIDIAN OF TIME.
.
Significance of the designation. Epitome of Israel's history. Jews in vassal-
age to Rome. Scribes and rabbis. Pharisees and Sadducees. Other
sects and parties . . .-^t.-r. 2. . . . . . . . 57-74
Chapter 7.
GABRIEL'S ANNUNCIATION OF JOHN AND OF JESUS.
Angelic visitation to Zacharias. Birth of John the forerunner. Annuncia-
tion to Mary the Virgin. Mary and Joseph. Their genealogies. Jesus
Christ heir to the throne of David 75-90
v i CONTENTS.
Chapter 8.
THE BABE OF BETHLEHEM.
Birth of Jesus Christ. His presentation in the temple. Visit of the magi.
Herod's evil designs. The Child taken into Egypt. Birth of Christ
made known to Nephites. Time of the birth 91-109
Chapter 9.
THE BOY OF NAZARETH.
Jesus to be called a Nazarene. At the temple when twelve years of age.
Jesus and the doctors of the law. Jesus of Nazareth . . . 110-120
Chapter 10.
IN THE WILDERNESS OF JUDEA.
John the Baptist. The voice in the wilderness. Baptism of Jesus. The
Father's proclamation. Descent of the Holy Ghost. Sign of the dove.
Temptations of Christ . . . 121-137
Chapter 11.
FROM JUDEA TO GALILEE.
John Baptist's testimony of Christ. First disciples. The Son of Man, sig-
nificance of title. Miracle of transmuting water into wine. Miracles
in general - 138-152
Chapter 12.
EARLY INCIDENTS IN OUR LORD'S PUBLIC MINISTRY.
First clearing of the temple. Jesus and Nicodemus. John Baptist's disciples
in disputation. John's tribute to and repeated testimony of the
Christ 153-171
Chapter 13.
HONORED BY STRANGERS, REJECTED BY HIS OWN.
Jesus and the Samaritan woman. Among the Samaritans. While at Cana
Christ heals a nobleman's son in Capernaum. At Nazareth Christ
preaches in synagog. Nazarenes attempt to kill him. Demons sub-
dued in Capernaum. Demoniacal possession ..... 172-187
Chapter 14.
CONTINUATION OF OUR LORD'S MINISTRY IN GALILEE.
A leper healed. Leprosy. Palsied man healed and forgiven. Imputation of
blasphemy. Publicans and sinners. Old cloth, old bottles, and the new.
Preliminary call of disciples. Fishers of men .... 188-202
Chapter 15.
LORD OF THE SABBATH.
Sabbath distinctively sacred to Israel. Cripple healed on Sabbath day.
Accusations by the Jews and the Lord's reply thereto. Disciples
charged with Sabbath-breaking. Man with a withered hand healed on
Sabbath day 203-216
CONTENTS. viJ
Chapter 16.
THE CHOSEN TWELVE.
Their call and ordination. The Twelve considered individually. Their char-
acteristics in general. Disciples and apostles .... 217-229
Chapter 17.
THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT.
The Beatitudes. Dignity and responsibility in the ministry. The Mosaic
law superseded by the gospel of Christ. Sincerity of purpose. The
Lord's Prayer. True wealth. Promise and re-assurance. Hearing and
doing 230-248
Chapter 18.
AS ONE HAVING AUTHORITY.
Healing of centurion's servant. Young man of Nain raised from the dead.
John Baptist's message to Jesus. The Lord's commentary thereon.
Death of John Baptist. Jesus in house of Simon the Pharisee. Penitent
woman forgiven. Christ's authority ascribed to Beelzebub. The sin
against the Holy Ghost. Sign-seekers 249-280
Chapter 19.
"HE SPAKE MANY THINGS UNTO THEM IN PARABLES."
The Sower. Wheat and Tares. Seed growing secretly. Mustard Seed.
Leaven. Hidden Treasure. Pearl of Great Price. Gospel Net. The
Lord's purpose in parabolic teaching. Parables in general . 281-304
.aoils.-jup B'I . -jri o;IT
Chapter 20.
"PEACE, BE STILL."
Candidates for discipleship. Stilling the storm. Quieting the demons in
region of Gadara. Raising of daughter of Jairus. Restoration to life
and resurrection. A woman healed amidst the throng. Blind see and
dumb speak , *< '** 305-326
Chapter 21.
THE APOSTOLIC MISSION, AND EVENTS RELATED THERETO.
Jesus again in Nazareth. The Twelve charged and sent out. Their return.
Five thousand people miraculously fed. Miracle of walking upon the
water. People seek Christ for more loaves and fishes. Christ the bread
of life. Many disciples turn away 327-348
.... . ._ -,*, * ' l ' y
Chapter 22.
A PERIOD OF DARKENING OPPOSITION.
Ceremonial washings. Pharisees rebuked. Jesus in borders of Tyre and
Sidon. Daughter of Syro-Phenician woman healed. Miracles wrought
in coasts of Decapolis. Four thousand people miraculously fed. More
seekers after signs. Leaven of the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Herod-
ians. Peter's great confession, "Thou art the Christ" . . 349-369
triii CONTENTS.
Chapter 23.
THE TRANSFIGURATION.
Visitation of Moses and Elijah. The Father again proclaims the Son. The
apostles temporarily restrained from testifying concerning the trans-
figuration. Elias and Elijah. The Lesser and the Higher Priest-
hood 370-377
Chapter 24.
FROM SUNSHINE TO SHADOW.
Youthful demoniac healed. Further prediction of Christ's death and resur-
rection. The tribute money; supplied by a miracle. Humility illustrated
by a little child. Parable of the Lost Sheep. In Christ's name. My
brother and I. Parable of the Unmerciful Servant '. '. . 378-397
Chapter 25.
JESUS AGAIN IN JERUSALEM.
Departure from Galilee. At the Feast of Tabernacles. Another charge of
Sabbath desecration. Living water for the spiritually thirsty. Plans to
arrest Jesus. Nicodemus protests. Woman taken in adultery. Christ
the light of the world. The truth shall make men free. Christ's
seniority over Abraham. Sight restored on Sabbath day. Physical and
spiritual blindness. Shepherd and sheep-herder. Christ the Good
Shepherd. His inherent power over life and death. Sheep of another
fold era* * V % 398-422
.
Chapter 26.
OUR LORD'S MINISTRY IN PEREA AND JUDEA.
Jesus rejected in Samaria. James and John reproved for revengeful desire.
The Seventy charged and sent. Their return. A lawyer's question.
Parable of Good Samaritan. Martha and Mary. Ask and receive.
Parable of Friend at Midnight. Criticism on Pharisees and lawyers.
Parable of Foolish Rich Man. The unrepentant to perish. Parable of
Barren Fig Tree. A woman healed on the Sabbath. Many or few to be
saved? Jesus warned of Herod's design 423-448
Chapter 27.
CONTINUATION OF THE PEREAN AND JUDEAN MINISTRY.
In the house of one of the chief Pharisees. Parable of the Great Supper.
Counting the cost. Salvation even for publicans and sinners. Parable
of the Lost Sheep repeated. Of the Lost Coin. Of the Prodigal Son.
Of the Unrighteous Steward. Of the Rich Man and Lazarus. Of the
Unprofitable Servants. Ten lepers healed. Parable of the Pharisee and
Publican. On marriage and divorce. Jesxis and the little ones. The
rich young ruler. First may be last and last first. Parable of the
Laborers ary.calli 449-486
Chapter 28.
THE LAST WINTER.
At the Feast of Dedication. Sheep know the Shepherd's Voice. The Lord's
retirement in Perea. Lazarus raised from the dead. Jewish hierarchy
agitated over the miracle. Prophecy by Caiaphas, the high priest.
Jesus in retirement at Ephraim 487-501
*
CONTENTS. i x
Chapter 29.
ON TO JERUSALEM.
Jesus again foretells His death and resurrection. Aspiring request of James
and John. Sight restored near Jericho. Zaccheus the chief publican.
Parable of the Pounds. The supper in the house of Simon the leper.
Mary's tribute in anointing Jesus. Iscariot's protest. Christ's triumphal
entry into Jerusalem. Certain Greeks seek interview with Jesus. The
Voice from heaven 502-523
Chapter 30.
JESUS RETURNS TO THE TEMPLE DAILY.
A leafy but fruitless fig tree cursed. Second clearing of the temple. Chil-
dren shout Hosanna. Christ's authority challenged by the rulers.
Parable of the two sons. Of the Wicked Husbandmen. The rejected
Stone to be head of the corner. Parable of the Royal Marriage Feast.
The wedding garment lacking 524-543
Chapter 31.
THE CLOSE OF OUR LORD'S PUBLIC MINISTRY.
Pharisees and Herodians in conspiracy. Caesar to have his due. The image
on the coin. Sadducees and the resurrection. Levirate marriages. The
great commandment. Jesus turns questioner. Scathing denunciation of
scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Lamentation over Jerusalem. The
widow's mites. Christ's final withdrawal from temple. Destruction of
temple predicted -fflo iewolaaa^-.qirfedUeoo. .... 544-568
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Chapter 32.
FURTHER INSTRUCTION TO THE APOSTLES.
Prophecies relating to destruction of Jerusalem and the Lord's future ad-
vent. Watch! Parable of Ten Virgins. Of the Entrusted Talents.
The inevitable judgment. Another and specific prediction of the
Lord's impending death . ' ; 569-590
Chapter 33.
THE LAST SUPPER AND THE BETRAYAL.
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Judas Iscariot in conspiracy with the Jews. Preparations for the Lord's last
Passover. The last supper of Jesus with the Twelve. The traitor
designated. Ordinance of washing of feet. Sacrament of the Lord's
Supper. The betrayer goes out into the night. Discourse following the
supper. The High-Priestly Prayer. The Lord's agony in Gethsemane.
The betrayal and the arrest qjjdD 591-620
Chapter 34.
THE TRIAL AND CONDEMNATION.
The Jewish trial. Christ before Annas and Caiaphas. The illegal night
court. The morning session. False witnesses and unrighteous con-
viction. Peter's denial of his Lord. Christ's first arraignment before
Pilate. Before Herod. Second appearance before Pilate. Pilate's sur-
render to Jewish clamor. The sentence of crucifixion. Suicide of
Judas Iscariot ' 621-651
x CONTENTS
Chapter 35.
DEATH AND BURIAL.
On the way to Calvary. The Lord's address to the daughters of Jerusalem.
The crucifixion. Occurrences between the Lord's death and burial.
The burial. The sepulchre guarded 652-669
iBtiqmanl ^-'t^hrlD .jaaJofq g'Ji
Chapter 36.
IN THE REALM OF DISEMBODIED SPIRITS.
Actuality of the Lord's death. Condition of spirits between death and resur-
rection. The Savior among the dead. The gospel preached to the
spirits in prison . 670-677
Chapter 37.
THE RESURRECTION AND THE ASCENSION.
Christ 13 risen. The women at the sepulchre. Angelic communications.
The risen Lord seen by Mary Magdalene. And by other women. A
priestly conspiracy of falsehood. The Lord and two disciples on the
Emmaus road. He appears to disciples in Jerusalem and eats in their
presence. Doubting Thomas. The Lord appears to the apostles at the
sea of Tiberias. Other manifestations in Galilee. Final commission to
the apostles. The ascension 678-699
Chapter 38.
.
THE APOSTOLIC MINISTRY.
Matthias ordained to the apostleship. Bestowal of the Holy Ghost at Pente-
cost. The apostles' preaching. Imprisoned and delivered. Gamaliel's
advice to the council. Stephen the martyr. Saul of Tarsus, his con-
version. Becomes Paul the apostle. The record by John the Revelator.
Close of the apostolic ministry 700-720
Chapter 39.
MINISTRY OF THE RESURRECTED CHRIST ON THE WESTERN
HEMISPHERE.
The Lord's death signalized by great calamities on western continent. The
Voice of the Lord Jesus Christ heard. His visitations to the Nephites.
The Nephite Twelve. Baptism among Nephites. The Mosaic law ful-
filled. Address to Nephites compared with Sermon on the Mount.
Sacrament of bread and wine instituted among Nephites. Name of
Christ's Church. The Three Nephites. Growth of the Church. Final
apostasy of Nephite nation . . . 721-744
Chapter 40.
THE LONG NIGHT OF APOSTASY.
The great falling away as predicted. Individual apostasy from the Church.
Apostasy of the Church. Constantine makes Christianity the religion
of state. Papal claims to secular authority. Churchly tyranny. The
Dark Ages. The inevitable revolt. The Reformation. Rise of Church
of England. Catholicism and Protestantism. The apostasy affirmed.
Mission of Columbus and the Pilgrim Fathers predicted in ancient
scripture. Fulfilment of the prophecies. Establishment of American
nation provided for . . . . . ' . . . . 745-757
CONTENTS. x i
Chapter 41.
PERSONAL MANIFESTATIONS OF GOD THE ETERNAL FATHER
AND OF HIS SON JESUS CHRIST IN MODERN TIMES.
A new dispensation. Joseph Smith's perplexity over sectarian strife. The
Eternal Father and His Son Jesus Christ appear to and personally in-
struct Joseph Smith. Visitation of Moroni. The Book of Mormon.
Aaronic Priesthood restored by John the Baptist. Melchizedek Priest-
hood restored by Peter, James, and John. The Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints. Divine manifestations in Kirtland Temple. The
Lord Jesus Christ appears. Specific authority of olden dispensations
conferred by Moses, Elias, and Elijah. The Holy Priesthood now oper-
ative on earth 758-779
Chapter 42.
JESUS THE CHRIST TO RETURN.
Ancient predictions of the Lord's second advent. Modern revelation affirms
the same. Today and tomorrow. The great and dreadful day near at
hand. Kingdom of God and Kingdom of Heaven. The Millennium.
The celestial consummation 780-793
Index US, SU 794-804
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JESUS THE CHRIST
CHAPTER 1.
INTRODUCTION.
It is a matter of history that, at or near the beginning of
what has since come to be known as the Christian era, the
Man Jesus, surnamed the Christ, was born in Bethlehem of
Judea. a The principal data as to His birth, life, and death
are so well attested as to be reasonably indisputable; they
are facts of record, and are accepted as essentially authentic
by the civilized world at large. True, there are diversities of
deduction based on alleged discrepancies in the records of
the past as to circumstantial details ; but such differences are
of strictly minor importance, for none of them nor all taken
together cast a shadow of rational doubt upon the historicity
of the earthly existence of the Man known in literature as
Jesus of Nazareth.
As to who and what He was there are dissensions of
grave moment dividing the opinions of men ; and this diver-
gence of conception and belief is most pronounced upon those
matters to which the greatest importance attaches. The
solemn testimonies of millions dead and of millions living
unite in proclaiming Him as divine, the Son of the Living
God, the Redeemer and Savior of the human race, the
Eternal Judge of the souls of men, the Chosen and Anointed
a As to the year of Christ's birth, see chapter 8.
I
2 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 1.
of the Father in short, the Christ. Others there are who
deny His Godhood while extolling the transcendent qualities
of His unparalleled and unapproachable Manhood.
To the student of history this Man among men stands
first, foremost, and alone, as a directing personality in the
world's progression. Mankind has never produced a leader
to rank with Him. Regarded solely as a historic personage
He is unique. Judged by the standard of human estimation,
Jesus of Nazareth is supreme among men by reason of the
excellence of His personal character, the simplicity, beauty,
and genuine worth of His precepts, and the influence of His
example and doctrines in the advancement of the race. To
these distinguishing characteristics of surpassing greatness
the devout Christian soul adds an attribute that far exceeds
the sum of all the others the divinity of Christ's origin and
the eternal reality of His status as Lord and God.
Christian and unbeliever alike acknowledge His suprem-
acy as a Man, and respect the epoch-making significance of
His birth. Christ was born in the meridian of time f and
His life on earth marked at once the culmination of the past
and the inauguration of an era distinctive in human hope,
endeavor, and achievement. His advent determined a new
order in the reckoning of the years ; and by common consent
the centuries antedating His birth have been counted back-
ward from the pivotal event and are designated accordingly.
The rise and fall of dynasties, the birth and dissolution of na-
tions, all the cycles of history as to war and peace, as to
prosperity and adversity, as to health and pestilence, seasons
of plenty and of famine, the awful happenings of earthquake
and storm, the triumphs of invention and discovery, the
epochs of man's development in godliness and the long
periods of his dwindling in unbelief all the occurrences that
make history are chronicled throughout Christendom by
reference to the year before or after the birth of Jesus Christ.
& See chapter 8.
INTRODUCTION,^ 3
His earthly life covered a period of thirty-three years;
and of these but three were spent by Him as an acknowl-
edged Teacher openly engaged in the activities of public
ministry. He was brought to a violent death before He had
attained what we now regard as the age of manhood's prime.
As an individual He was personally known to but few ; and
His fame as a world character became general only after
His death.
Brief account of some of His words and works has been
preserved to us; and this record, fragmentary and incom-
plete though it be, is rightly esteemed as the world's greatest
treasure. The earliest and most extended history of His
mortal existence is embodied within the compilation of
scriptures known as the New Testament; indeed but little
is said of Him by secular historians of His time. Few and
short as are the allusions to Him made by non-scriptural
writers in the period immediately following that of His min-
istry, enough is found to corroborate the sacred record as
to the actuality and period of Christ's earthly existence.
No adequate biography of Jesus as Boy and Man has
been or can be written, for the sufficing reason that a fulness
of data is lacking. Nevertheless, man never lived of whom
more has been said and sung, none to whom is devoted a
greater proportion of the world's literature. He is extolled
by Christian, Mohammedan and Jew, by skeptic and infidel,
by the world's greatest poets, philosophers, statesmen, scien-
tists, and historian?. Even the profane sinner in the foul
sacrilege of his oath acclaims the divine supremacy of Him
whose name he desecrates.
The purpose of the present treatise is that of considering
the life and mission of Jesus as the Christ. In this under-
taking we are to be guided by the light of both ancient and
modern scriptures ; and, thus led, we shall discover, even in
the early stages of our course, that the word of God as re-
vealed in latter days is effective in illuming and making plain
4 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 1.
the Holy Writ of ancient times, and this, in many matters
of the profoundest imports
Instead of beginning our study with the earthly birth
J of the Holy Babe of Bethlehem, we shall consider the part
taken by the Firstborn Son of God in the primeval councils
of heaven, at the time when He was chosen and ordained
to be the Savior of the unborn race of mortals, the Redeemer
of a world then in its formative stages of development. We
are to study Him as the Creator of the world, as the Word
of Power, through whom the purposes of the Eternal Father
were realized in the preparation of the earth for the abode
of His myriad spirit-children during the appointed period
of their mortal probation. Jesus Christ was and is Jehovah,
the God of Adam and of Noah, the God of Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob, the God of Israel, the God at whose instance the
prophets of the ages have spoken, the God of all nations, and
He who shall yet reign on earth as King of kings and Lord
of lords.
His wondrous yet natural birth, His immaculate life in
the flesh, and His voluntary death as a consecrated sacrifice
for the sins of mankind, shall claim our reverent attention ;
as shall also His redeeming service in the world of disem-
bodied spirits ; His literal resurrection from bodily death to
immortality; His several appearings to men and His con-
tinued ministry as the Resurrected Lord on both continents ;
the reestablishment of His Church through His personal
presence and that of the Eternal Father in the latter days ;
and His coming to His temple in the current dispensation.
All these developments in the ministration of the Christ are
already of the past. Our proposed course of investigation
will lead yet onward, into the future concerning which the
word of divine revelation is of record. We shall consider
cThe Holy Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants,
and the Pearl of Great Price constitute the standard works of the Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. These will be cited alike as Scrip-
tures in the following pages, for such they are.
INTRODUCTION. 5
the conditions incident to the Lord's return in power and
glory to inaugurate the dominion of the Kingdom of Heaven
on earth, and to usher in the predicted Millennium of peace
and righteousness. And yet beyond we shall follow Him,
through the post-Millennial conflict between the powers of
heaven and the forces of hell, to the completion of His vic-
tory over Satan, sin, and death, when He shall present the
glorified earth and its sanctified hosts, spotless and celestial-
ized, unto the Father.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints af-
firms her possession of divine authority for the use of the
sacred name, Jesus Christ, as the essential part of her dis-
tinctive designation. In view of this exalted claim, it is
pertinent to inquire as to what special or particular mes-
sage the Church has to give to the world concerning the
Redeemer and Savior of the race, and as to what she has to
say in justification of her solemn affirmation, or in vindi-
cation of her exclusive name and title. As we proceed
with our study, we shall find that among the specific teach-
ings of the Church respecting the Christ are these :
(i) The unity and continuity of His mission in all ages
this of necessity involving the verity of His preexistence
and foreordination. (2) The fact of His antemortal God-
ship. (3) The actuality of His birth in the flesh as the
natural issue of divine and mortal parentage. (4) The
reality of His death and physical resurrection, as a result of
which the power of death shall be eventually overcome.
(5) The* literalness of the atonement wrought by Him,
including the absolute requirement of individual compliance
with the laws and ordinances of His gospel as the means
by which salvation may be attained. (6) The restoration
of His Priesthood and the reestablishment of His Church
in the current age, which is verily the Dispensation of the
Fulness of Times. (7) The certainty of His return to
earth in the near future, with power and great dory, to
reign in Person and bodily presence as Lord and King.
JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP.
CHAPTER 2.
PREEXISTENCE AND FOREORDINATION OF THE
CHRIST.
We affirm, on the authority of Holy Scripture, that the
Being who is known among men as Jesus of Nazareth, and
by all who acknowledge His Godhood as Jesus the Christ,
existed with the Father prior to birth in the flesh ; and that
in the preexistent state He was chosen and ordained to be
the one and only Savior and Redeemer of the human race.
Foreordination implies and comprizes preexistence as an
essential condition ; therefore scriptures bearing upon the one
are germane to the other ; and consequently in this presenta-
tion no segregation of evidence as applying specifically to
the preexistence of Christ or to His foreordination will be
attempted.
John the Revelator beheld in vision some of the scenes
that had been enacted in the spirit-world before the begin-
ning of human history. He witnessed strife and contention
between loyalty and rebellion, with the hosts defending the
former led by Michael the archangel, and the rebellious
forces captained by Satan, who is also called the devil, the
serpent, and the dragon. We read : "And there was war in
heaven : Michael and his angels fought against the dragon ;
and the dragon fought and his angels."
In this struggle between unembodied hosts the forces
were unequally divided ; Satan drew to his standard only a
third part of the children of God, who are symbolized as the
"stars of heaven" ; b the majority either fought with
Michael, or at least refrained from active opposition,
a Rev. 12:7; see also verses 8 and 9.
fcRev. 12:4; see also Doc. and Cov. 29:36-38; and 76:25-27.
HIS PREEXISTENCE AND FOREORDI NATION. 7
thus accomplishing the purpose of their "first estate" ; while
the angels who arrayed themselves on the side of Satan
"kept not their first estate"/ and therefore rendered them-
selves ineligible for the glorious possibilities of an advanced
condition or "second estate"/* The victory was with Michael
and his angels ; and Satan or Lucifer, theretofore a "son of
the morning", was cast out of heaven, yea "he was cast out
into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him"/ The
prophet Isaiah, to whom these momentous occurrences had
been revealed about eight centuries prior to the time of
John's writings, laments with inspired pathos the fall of so
great a one; and specifies selfish ambition as the occasion:
"How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the
morning ! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst
weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I
will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the
stars of. God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congre-
gation, in the sides of the north; I will ascend above the
heights of the clouds ; I will be like the most High. Yet thou
shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit."/
Justification for citing these scriptures in connection with
our present consideration will be found in the cause of the
great contention the conditions that led to this war in
heaven. It is plain from the words of Isaiah that Lucifer,
already of exalted rank, sought to aggrandize himself with-
out regard to the rights and agency of others. The matter
is set forth, in words that none may misapprehend, in a reve-
lation given to Moses and repeated through the first prophet
of the present dispensation : "And I, the Lord God, spake
unto Moses, saying : That Satan, whom thou hast com-
manded in the name of mine Only Begotten, is the same
which was from the beginning, and he came before me, say-
c Tude 6.
d P. of G. P., Abraham 3:26.
*Rev. 12:9.
/Isa. 14:12-15; compare Doc. and Cov. 29:36-38; and 76:23-27.
8 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 2.
ing Behold, here am I, send me, I will be thy son, and I will
redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and
surely I will do it ; wherefore give me thine honor. But, be-
hold, my Beloved Son, which was my Beloved and Chosen
from the beginning, said unto me Father, thy will be done,
and the glory be thine forever. Wherefore, because that
Satan rebelled against me, and sought to destroy the agency
of man, which I, the Lord God, had given him, and also, that
I should give unto him mine own power; by the power of
mine Only Begotten, I caused that he should be cast down ;
and he became Satan, yea, even the devil, the father of all
lies, to deceive and to blind men, and to lead them captive at
his will, even as many as would not hearken unto my voice."* 7
Thus it is shown that prior to the placing of man upon
the earth, how long before we do not know, Christ and
Satan, together with the hosts of the spirit-children of God,
existed as intelligent individuals/ 1 possessing power and op-
portunity to choose the course they would pursue and the
leaders whom they would follow and obey. 1 ' In that great
concourse of spirit-intelligences, the Father's plan, whereby
His children would be advanced to their second estate, was
submitted and doubtless discussed. The opportunity so
placed within the reach of the spirits who were to be priv-
ileged to take bodies upon the earth was so transcendently
glorious that those heavenly multitudes burst forth into song
and shouted for joy/
Satan's plan of compulsion, whereby all would be safely
conducted through the career of mortality, bereft of free-
dom to act and agency to choose, so circumscribed that they
would be compelled to do right that one soul would not be
lost was rejected ; and the humble offer of Jesus the First-
born to assume mortality and live among men as their Ex-
g P. of G. P., Moses 4:1-4; see also Abraham 3:27, 28.
h For a further treatment of the preexistence of spirits see the author s
"Articles of Faith" x:21-30.
{Note 1, end of chapter.
; Job 38:7,
HIS P-REEXISTENCE AND FOREORDI NATION. 9
emplar and Teacher, observing the sanctity of man's agency
but teaching men to use aright that divine heritage was
accepted. The decision brought war, which resulted in the
vanquishment of Satan and his angels, who were cast out
and deprived of the boundless privileges incident to the mor-
tal or second estate.
In that august council of the angels and the Gods, the
Being who later was born in flesh as Mary's Son, Jesus,
took prominent part, and there was He ordained of the
Father to be the Savior of mankind. As to time, the term
being used in the sense of all duration past, this is our earliest
record of the Firstborn among the sons of God ; to us who
read, it marks the beginning of the written history of Jesus
the Christ*
Old Testament scriptures, while abounding in promises
relating to the actuality of Christ's advent in the flesh, are
less specific in information concerning His antemortal exist-
ence. By the children of Israel, while living under the law
and still unprepared to receive the gospel, the Messiah was
looked for as one to be born in the lineage of Abraham and
David, empowered to deliver them from personal and na-
tional burdens, and to vanquish their enemies. The actuality
of the Messiah's status as the chosen Son of God, who was
with the Father from the beginning, a Being of preexistent
power and glory, was but dimly perceived, if conceived at all,
by the people in general ; and although to prophets specially
commissioned in the authorities and privileges of the Holy
Priesthood, revelation of the great truth was given/ they
transmitted it to the people rather in the language of imag-
ery and parable than in words of direct plainness. Never-
theless the testimony of the evangelists and the apostles, the
attestation of the Christ Himself while in the flesh, and the
revelations given in the present dispensation leave us without
dearth of scriptural proof.
k Note 2, end of chapter.
/Psalm 25:14; Amos 3:7.
10 JESUS THE CHRIST. . [CHAP. 2.
In the opening lines of the Gospel book written by John
the apostle, we read : "In the beginning was the Word, and
the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same
was in the beginning with God. All things were made by
him; and without him was not anything made that was
made. . . . And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt
among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only
begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."
The passage is simple, precise and unambiguous. We
may reasonably give to the phrase "In the beginning" the
same meaning as attaches thereto in the first line of Genesis ;
and such signification must indicate a time antecedent to the
earliest stages of human existence upon the earth. That the
Word is Jesus Christ, who was with the Father in that be-
ginning and who was Himself invested with the powers and
rank of Godship, and that He came into the world and dwelt
among men, are definitely affirmed. These statements are cor-
roborated through a revelation given to Moses, in which he
was permitted to see many of the creations of God, and to
hear the voice of the Father with respect to the things that
had been made: "And by the word of my power, have I
created them, which is mine Only Begotten Son, who is full
of grace and truth.""
John the apostle repeatedly affirms the preexistence of
the Christ and the fact of His authority and power in the
antemortal state. To the same effect is the testimony of
Paul^ and of Peter. Instructing the saints concerning the
basis of their faith, the last-named apostle impressed upon
them that their redemption was not to be secured through
corruptible things nor by the outward observance of tradi-
tional requirements, "But with the precious blood of Christ,
mjohn 1:1-3, 14; see also 1 John 1:1; 5:7; Rev. 19:13; compare Doc.
and Cov. 93:1-17, 21.
11 P. of G. P., Moses 1:32, 33; see also 2:5.
o\ John 1:1-3; 2:13, 14; 4:9; Rev. 3:14.
2 Tim. 1:9, 10; Rom. 16:25; Eph. 1:4; 3:9, 11; Titus 1:2. See especially
Rom. 3:25; and note the marginal rendering "foreordained" making the
passage read: "Whom God hath foreordained to be a propitiation."
HIS PREEXISTENCE AND FOREORDI NATION. 11
as of a lamb without blemish and without spot : who verily
was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but
was manifest in these last times for you." 5
Even more impressive and yet more truly conclusive are
the personal testimonies of the Savior as to His own pre-
existent life and the mission among men to which He had
been appointed. No one who accepts Jesus as the Messiah
can consistently reject these evidences of His eternal nature.
When, on a certain occasion, the Jews in the synagog dis-
puted among themselves and murmured because of their
failure to understand aright His doctrine concerning Him-
self, especially as touching His relationship with the Father,
Jesus said unto them : "For I came down from heaven, not
to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me." And
then, continuing the lesson based upon the contrast between
the manna with which their fathers had been fed in the wil-
derness and the bread of life which He had to offer, He
added : "I am the living bread which came down from
heaven," and again declared "the living Father hath sent
me." Not a few of the disciples failed to comprehend His
teachings ; and their complaints drew from Him these
words : "Doth this offend you ? What and if ye shall see
the Son of man ascend up where he was before?' v
To certain wicked Jews, wrapped in the mantle of racial
pride, boastful of their descent through the lineage of Abra-
ham, and seeking to excuse their sins through an unwar-
ranted use of the great patriarch's name, our Lord thus pro-
claimed His own preeminence : "Verily, verily, I say unto
you, Before Abraham was, I am."-* The fuller significance of
this remark will be treated later ; suffice it in the present con-
nection to consider this scripture as a plain avowal of our
Lord's seniority and supremacy over Abraham. But as
Abraham's birth had preceded that of Christ by more than
q\ Peter 1:19, 20.
rjohn 6:38, 51, 57, 61, 62.
jjohn'8:58; see also 17:5, 24; and compare Exo. 3:14. Page 37.
12 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 2.
nineteen centuries, such seniority must have reference to a
state of existence antedating that of mortality.
When the hour of His betrayal was near, in the last inter-
view with the apostles prior to His agonizing experience in
Gethsemane, Jesus comforted them saying : "For the Father
himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have be-
lieved that I came out from God. I came forth from the
Father, and am come into the world : again, I leave the world,
and go to the Father."* Furthermore, in the course of up-
welling prayer for those who had been true to their testimony
of His Messiahship, He addressed the Father with this sol-
emn invocation: "And this is life eternal, that they might
know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou
hast sent. I have glorified thee on the earth : I have finished
the work which thou gavest me to do. And now, O Father
glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I
had with thee before the world was/'"
Book of Mormon scriptures are likewise explicit in proof
of the preexistence of the Christ and of His foreappointed
mission. One only of the many evidences therein found
will be cited here. An ancient prophet, designated in the
record as the brother of Jared, v once pleaded with the Lord
in special supplication : "And the Lord said unto him, Be-
lievest thou the words which I shall speak? And he an-
swered, Yea, Lord, I know that thou speakest the truth, for
thou art a God of truth, and canst not lie. And when he had
said these words, behold, the Lord shewed himself unto him,
and said, Because thou knowest these things, ye are re-
deemed from the fall ; therefore ye are brought back into my
presence ; therefore I shew myself unto you. Behold, I am
he who was prepared from the foundation of the world to
redeem my people. Behold, I am Jesus Christ. I am the
fjohn 16:27, 28; see also 13:3.
14 John 17:3-5; see also verses 24, 25.
v Note 3, end of chapter.
HIS FREEXISTENCE AND FOREORDI NATION. 13
Father and the Son. In me shall all mankind haye light, and
that eternally, even they who shall believe on my name ; and
they shall become my sons and my daughters. And never
have I shewed myself unto man whom I have created, for
never has man believed in me as thou hast. Seest thou that
ye are created after mine own image? Yea, even all men
were created in the beginning, after mine own image. Be-
hold, this body, which ye now behold, is the body of my
spirit ; and man have I created after the body of my spirit ;
and even as I appear unto thee to be in the spirit, will I
appear unto my people in the flesh. " w The main facts at-
tested by this scripture as having a direct bearing upon our
present subject are those of the Christ manifesting Himself
while yet in His antemortal state, and of His declaration
that He had been chosen from the foundation of the world
as the Redeemer.
Revelation given through the prophets of God in the
present dispensation is replete with evidence erf Christ's ap-
pointment and ordination in the primeval world ; and the
whole tenor of the scriptures contained in the Doctrine and
Covenants may be called in witness. The following in-
stances are particularly in point. In a communication to
Joseph Smith the prophet, in May, 1833, the Lord declared
Himself as the One who had previously come into the world
from the Father, and of whom John had borne testimony as
the Word ; and the solemn truth is reiterated that He, Jesus
Christ, "was in the beginning, before the world was", and
further, that He was the Redeemer who "came into the
world, because the world was made by him, and in him was
the life of men and the light of men." Again, He is referred
to as "the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and
truth, even the Spirit of truth, which came and dwelt in the
flesh." In the course of the same revelation the Lord said :
"And now, verily I say unto you, I was in the beginning with
wB. 'of M., Ether 3:11-16. See also 1 Nephi 17:30; 19:7: 2 Nephi 9-5-
'
14 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 2.
the Father and am the firstborn."* On an earlier occasion,
as the modern prophet testifies, he and an associate in the
priesthood were enlightened by the Spirit so that they were
able to see and understand the things of God "Even those
things which were from the beginning before the world was,
which were ordained of the Father, through his Only Begot-
ten Son, who was in the bosom of the Father, even from the
beginning, of whom we bear record, and the record which
we bear is the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ, who is
the Son, whom we saw and with whom we conversed in the
heavenly vision. "y
The testimony of scriptures written on both hemispheres,
that of records both ancient and modern, the inspired utter-
ances of prophets and apostles, and the words of the I^ord
Himself, are of one voice in proclaiming the preexistence of
the Christ and His ordination as the chosen Savior and Re-
deemer of mankind in the beginning, yea, even before the
foundation of the world.
NOTES TO CHAPTER 2.
i. Graded Intelligences in the Antemortal State. That the
spirits of men existed as individual intelligences, of varying de-
grees of ability and power, prior to the inauguration of the mor-
tal state upon this earth and even prior to the creation of the
world as a suitable abode for human beings, is shown in great
plainness through a divine revelation to Abraham : "Now the
Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were
organized before the world was ; and among all these there were
many of the noble and great ones ; and God saw these souls that
they were good, and he stood in the midst of them, and he said :
These I will make my rulers ; for he stood among those that were
spirits, and he saw that they were good ; and he said unto me :
Abraham, thou art one of them ; thou wast chosen before thou
wast born." (P. of G. P., Abraham 3:22, 23.)
That both Christ and Satan were among those exalted intel-
ligences, and that Christ was chosen while Satan was rejected as
the future Savior of mankind, are shown by the portions of the
revelation immediately following that above quoted : ''And there
stood one among them that was like unto God, and he said unto
those who were with him : We will go down, for there is space
there, and we will take of these materials, and we wi'1 make an
*Doc. and Cov. 93:1-17, 21.
yDoc. and Cov. 76:13, 14.
NOTES. 15
earth whereon these may dwell; and we will prove them herewith,
to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God
shall command them; and they who keep their first estate
shall be added upon, and they who keep not their first estate
shall not have glory in the same kingdom with those who keep
their first estate ; and they who keep their second estate shall
have glory added upon their heads forever and ever. And the
Lord said : Whom shall I send ? And one answered like unto
the Son of Man : Here am I, send me. And another answered
and said : Here am I, send me. And the Lord said : I will send
the first. And the second was angry, and kept not his first estate ;
and, at that day, many followed after him" (verses 24-28).
2. The Primeval Council in the Heavens. "It is definitely
stated in the Book of Genesis that God said, 'Let us make man in
our image, after our likeness;' and again, after Adam had taken
of the forbidden fruit the Lord said, 'Behold, the man has be-
come as one of us;' and the inference is direct that in all that re-
lated to the work of the creation of the world there was a con-
sultation ; and though God spake as it is recorded in the Bible,
yet it is evident He counseled with others. The scriptures tell us
there are 'Gods many and Lords many. But to us there is but
one God, the Father' (i Cor. 8:5). A"nd for this reason, though
there were others engaged in the creation of the worlds, it is
given to us in the Bible in the shape that it is ; for the fulness of
these truths is only revealed to highly favored persons for certain
reasons known to God ; as we are told in the scriptures : 'The
secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will show
them his covenant' Psalms 25:14.
"It is consistent to believe that at this Council in the heavens
the plan that should be adopted in relation to the sons of God
who were then spirits, and had not yet obtained tabernacles, was
duly considered. For, in view of the creation of the world and
the placing of men upon it, whereby it would be possible for
them to obtain tabernacles, and in those tabernacles obey laws of
life, and with them again be exalted among the Gods, we are told
that at that time, 'the morning stars sang together, and all the sons
of God shouted for joy.' The question then arose, how, and upon
what principle, should the salvation, exaltation and eternal glory
of God's sons be brought about? It is evident that at that Council
certain plans had been proposed and discussed, and that after a
full discussion of those principles, and the declaration of the
Father's will pertaining to His design, Lucifer came before the
Father with a plan of his own, saying, 'Behold [here am] I; send
me, I will be thy son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one
soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it; wherefore, give me
thine honor.' But Jesus, on hearing this statement made by
Lucifer, said, 'Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine
forever.' From these remarks made by the well beloved Son, we
should naturally infer that in the discussion of this subject the
Father had made known His will and developed His plan and
design pertaining to these matters, and all that His well beloved
Son wanted to do was to carry out the will of His Father, as it
would appear had been before expressed. He also wished the
16 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 2.
glory to be given to His Father, who, as God the Father, and
the originator and designer of the plan, had a right to all the
honor and glory. But Lucifer wanted to introduce a plan con-
trary to the will of his Father, and then wanted His honor, and
said: 'I will save every soul of man, wherefore give me thine
honor.' He wanted to go contrary to the will of his Father, and
presumptuously sought to deprive man of his free agency, thus
making him a serf, and placing him in a position in which it was
impossible for him to obtain that exaltation which God designed
should be man's, through obedience to the law which He had
suggested; and again, Lucifer wanted the honor and power of his
Father, to enable him to carry out principles which were con-
trary to the Father's wish." John Taylor Mediation and Atone-
ment, pp. 93, 94.
3. The Jaredites. "Of the two nations whose histories con-
stitute the Book of Mormon, the first in order of time consisted
of the people of Jared, who followed their leader from the Tower
of Babel at the time of the confusion of tongues. Their history
was written on twenty-four ^ plates of gold by Ether, the last of
their prophets, who, foreseeing the destruction of his people be-
cause of their wickedness, hid away the historical plates. They
were afterward found, B. C. 123, by an expedition sent out by
King Limhi, a Nephite ruler. The record engraved on these
plates was subsequently abridged by Moroni, and the condensed
account was attached by him to the Book of Mormon record; it
appears in the modern translation under the name of the Book of
Ether.
"The first and chief prophet of the Jaredites is not men-
tioned by name in the record as we have it; he is known only as
the brother of Jared. Of the people, we learn that, amid the con-
fusion of Babel, Jared and his brother importuned the Lord that
He would spare them and their associates from the impending
disruption. Their prayer was heard, and the Lord led them with
a considerable company, who, like themselves, were free from
the taint of idolatry, away from their homes, promising to con-
duct them to a land choice above all other lands. Their course
of travel is not given with exactness ; we learn only that they
reached the ocean, and there constructed eight vessels, called
barges, in which they set out upon the waters. These vessels
were small and dark within ; but the Lord made luminous certain
stones, which gave light to the imprisoned voyagers. After a
passage of three hundred and forty-four days, the colony landed
on the western shore of North America, probably at a place
south of the Gulf of California, and north of the Isthmus of
Panama.
"Here they became a flourishing ^ nation^ but, giving way in
time to internal dissensions, they divided into factions, which
warred with one another until the people were totally destroyed.
This destruction, which occurred near the hill Raman, afterward
known among the Nephites as Cumorah, probably took place at
about the time of Lehi's landing in South America 590 B. C."
The author, Articles of Faith, xiv: 10-12.
THE NEED OF A REDEEMER. 17
id* B etedtot^hiaaiPt
CHAPTER 3-
THE NEED OF A REDEEMER.
We have heretofore shown that the entire human race
existed as spirit-beings in the primeval world, and that for
the purpose of making possible to them the experiences of
mortality this earth was created. They were endowed with
the powers of agency or choice while yet but spirits ; and
the divine plan provided that they be free-born in the flesh,
heirs to the inalienable birthright of liberty to choose and to
act for themselves in mortality. It is undeniably essential
to the eternal progression of God's children that they be sub-
jected to the influences of both good and evil, that they be
tried and tested and proved withal, "to see if they will do
all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command
them." a Free agency is an indispensable element of such a
test.
The Eternal Father well understood the diverse natures
and varied capacities of His spirit-offspring ; and His infinite
foreknowledge made plain to Him, even in the beginning,
that in the school of life some of His children would succeed
and others would fail ; some would be faithful, others false ;
some would choose the good, others the evil; some would
seek the way of life while others would elect to follow the
road to destruction. He further foresaw that death would
enter the world, and that the possession of bodies by His
children would be of but brief individual duration. He saw
that His commandments would be disobeyed and His law
violated ; and that men, shut out from His presence and left
to themselves, would sink rather than rise, would retrograde
rather than advance, and would be lost to the heavens. It
a P. of G. P., Abraham 3:25. For a fuller treatment of man's Free
Agency, see the author's "Articles of Faith," iii:l-10, and the numerous
references there given.
18 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 3.
was necessary that a means of redemption be provided,
whereby erring man might make amends, and by compliance
with established law achieve salvation and eventual exalta-
tion in the eternal worlds. The power of death was to be
overcome, so that, though men would of necessity die, they
would live anew, their spirits clothed with immortalized
bodies over which death could not again prevail.
Let not ignorance and thoughtlessness lead us into the
error of assuming that the Father's foreknowledge as to what
would be, under given conditions, determined that such must
be. It was not His design that the souls of mankind be lost ;
on the contrary it was and is His work and glory, "to bring
to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." & Neverthe-
less He saw the evil into which His children would assuredly
fall ; and with infinite love and mercy did He ordain means
of averting the dire effect, provided the transgressor would
elect to avail himself thereof/ The offer of the firstborn Son
to establish through His own ministry among men the gospel
of salvation, and to sacrifice Himself, through labor, humilia-
tion and suffering even unto death, was accepted and made
the foreordained plan of man's redemption from death, of his
eventual salvation from the effects of sin, and of his possible
exaltation through righteous achievement.
In accordance with the plan adopted in the council of the
Gods, man was created as an embodied spirit ; his tabernacle
of flesh was composed of the elements of earth/ He was
given commandment and law, and was free to obey or dis-
obeywith the just and inevitable condition that he should
enjoy or suffer the natural results of his choice/ Adam,
the first man^ placed upon the earth in pursuance of the
& P. of G. P., Moses 1:39; compare 6:59. Note 1, end of chapter.
c Note 2, end of chapter.
dGen. 1:26, 27; 2:7; compare P. of G. P., Moses 2:26, 27; 3:7; Abraham
4-26-28; 5:7.
*Gen. 1:28-31; 2:16, 17; compare P. of G. P., Moses 2:28-31; 3:16, 17;
Abraham 4:28-31; 5:12, 13.
/Gen. 2:8; compare statement in verse 5 that prior to that time there
was "not a man to till the ground"; see also P. of G. P., Moses 3:7; Abra-
ham 1:3; and B. of M., 1 Nephi 5:11.
THE NEED OF A REDEEMER. 19
established plan, and Eve who was given unto him as com-
panion and associate, indispensable to him in the appointed
mission of peopling the earth, disobeyed the express com-
mandment of God and so brought about the "fall of man",
whereby the mortal state, of which death is an essential ele-
ment, was inaugurated.^ It is not proposed to consider here
at length the doctrine of the fall ; for the present argument
it is sufficient to establish the fact of the momentous occur-
rence and its portentous consequences. 71 The woman was
deceived, and in direct violation of counsel and command-
ment partook of the food that had been forbidden, as a result
of which act her body became degenerate and subject to
death. Adam realized the disparity that had been brought
between him and his companion, and with some measure of
understanding followed her course, thus becoming her part-
ner in bodily degeneracy. Note in this matter the words of
Paul the apostle: "Adam was not deceived, but the woman
being deceived was in the transgression." 1 '
The man and the woman had now become mortal;
through indulgence in food unsuited to their nature and
condition and against which they had been specifically
warned, and as the inevitable result of their disobeying the
divine law and commandment, they became liable to the
physical ailments and bodily frailties to which mankind has
since been the natural heir/ Those bodies, which before the
fall had been perfect in form and function, were now sub-
jects for eventual dissolution or death. The arch-tempter
through whose sophistries, half-truths and infamous false-
hoods, Eve had been beguiled, was none other than Satan, or
Lucifer, that rebellious and fallen "son of the morning",
whose proposal involving the destruction of man's liberty
had been rejected in the council of the heavens, and who had
been "cast out into the earth", he and all his angels as un-
g Gen. chap. 3; compare P. of G. P., Moses chap. 4.
h See "Articles of Faith," iii:21-32.
il Tim. 2:14; see also 2 Cor. 11:3.
/Note 3, end of chapter.
20 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 3.
embodied spirits, never to be tabernacled in bodies of their
own. fe As an act of diabolic reprisal following his rejection
in the council, his defeat by Michael and the heavenly hosts,
and his ignominious expulsion from heaven, Satan planned
to destroy the bodies in which the faithful spirits those who
had kept their first estate would be born ; and his beguile-
ment of Eve was but an early stage of that infernal scheme.
Death has come to be the universal heritage ; it may claim
its victim in infancy or youth, in the period of life's prime,
or its summons may be deferred until the snows of age have
gathered upon the hoary head ; it may befall as the result of
accident or disease, by violence, or as we say, through natural
causes ; but come it must, as Satan well knows ; and in this
knowledge is his present though but temporary triumph. But
the purposes of God, as they ever have been and ever shall
be, are infinitely superior to the deepest designs of men or
devils; and the Satanic machinations to make death inevit-
able, perpetual and supreme were provided against even be-
fore the first man had been created in the flesh. The atone-
ment to be wrought by Jesus the Christ was ordained to
overcome death and to provide a means of ransom from the
power of Satan.
As the penalty incident to the fall came upon the race
through an individual act, it would be manifestly unjust, and
therefore impossible as part of the divine purpose, to make
all men suffer the results thereof without provision for de-
liverance. 7 Moreover, since by the transgression of one man
sin came into the world and death was entailed upon all, it is
consistent with reason that the atonement thus made neces-
sary should be wrought by one. w "Wherefore, as by one
man sin entered into the world, and death by sin ; and so
death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned : . . .
Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all
k See page 7.
/ Note 4, end of chapter.
m Note 5, end of chapter.
THE NEED OF A REDEEMER. 21
men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one
the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life." M
So taught the apostle Paul ; and, further : "For since by man
came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made
alive.""
The atonement was plainly to be a vicarious sacrifice,
voluntary and love-inspired on the Savior's part, universal in
its application to mankind so far as men shall accept the
means of deliverance thus placed within their reach. For
such a mission only one who was without sin could be eligi-
ble. Even the altar victims of ancient Israel offered as a pro-
visional propitiation for the offenses of the people under the
Mosaic law had to be clean and devoid of spot or blemish ;
otherwise they were unacceptable and the attempt to offer
them was sacrilege/ Jesus Christ was the only Being suited
to the requirements of the great sacrifice :
1 As the one and only sinless Man ;
2 As the Only Begotten of the Father and therefore the
only Being born to earth possessing in their fulness the
attributes of both Godhood and manhood;
3 As the One who had been chosen in the heavens and
foreordained to this service.
What other man has been without sin, and therefore
wholly exempt from the dominion of Satan, and to whom
death, the wage of sin, is not naturally due? Had Jesus
Christ met death as other men have done the result of the
power that Satan has gained over them through their sins
His death would have been but an individual experience,
expiatory in no degree of any faults or offenses but His own.
Christ's absolute sinlessness made Him eligible, His humility
and willingness rendered Him acceptable to the Father, as
n Rom. 5:12, 18.
ol Cor. 15:21, 22.
/>Lev. 22:20; Deut. 15:21; 17:1; Mai. 1:8, 14; compare Heb. 9:14; 1 Peter
22 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 3.
the atoning sacrifice whereby propitiation could be made for
the sins of all men.
What other man has lived with power to withstand
death, over whom death could not prevail except through
his own submission? Yet Jesus Christ could not be slain
until His "hour had come", and that, the hour in which He
voluntarily surrendered His life, and permitted His own
decease through an act of will. Born of a mortal mother He
inherited the capacity to die ; begotten by an immortal Sire
He possessed as a heritage the power to withstand death
indefinitely. He literally gave up His life ; to this effect is
His own affirmation : "Therefore doth my Father love me,
because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No
man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have
power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. "
And further : "For as the Father hath life in himself ; so hath
he given to the Son to have life in himself."*" Only such a
One could conquer death ; in none but Jesus the Christ was
realized this requisite condition of a Redeemer of the world.
What other man has come to earth with such appoint-
ment, clothed with the authority of such f oreordination ?
The atoning mission of Jesus Christ was no self-assumption.
True, He had offered Himself when the call was made in the
heavens ; true, He had been accepted, and in due time came to
earth to carry into effect the terms of that acceptance; but
He was chosen by One greater than Himself. The burden
of His confession of authority was ever to the effect that He
operated under the direction of the Father, as witness these
words : "I came down from heaven, not to do mine own
will, but the will of him that sent me." J "My meat is to do
the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work."* "I
can of mine own self do nothing : as I hear, I judge : and my
q J
fj
l
t J
ohn 10:17-18.
ohn 5:26.
6:38.
ohn 4:o4.
THE NEED OF A REDEEMER. 23
judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will but the
will of the Father which hath sent me." w
Through the atonement accomplished by Jesus Christ a
redeeming service, vicariously rendered in behalf of man-
kind, all of whom have become estranged from God by the
effects of sin both inherited and individually incurred the
way is opened for a reconciliation whereby man may come
again into communion with God, and be made fit to dwell
anew and forever in the presence of his Eternal Father. This
basal thought is admirably implied in our English word,
"atonement," which, as its syllables attest, is at-one-ment,
"denoting reconciliation, or the bringing into agreement of
those who have been estranged. " v The effect of the atone-
ment may be conveniently considered as twofold:
I The universal redemption of the human race from
death invoked by the fall of our first parents; and,
2 Salvation, whereby means of relief from the results of
individual sin are provided.
The victory over death was made manifest in the resur-
rection of the crucified Christ ; He was the first to pass from
death to immortality and so is justly known as "the first
fruits of them that slept. " w That the resurrection of the
dead so inaugurated is to be extended to every one who has
or shall have lived is proved by an abundance of scriptural
evidence. Following our Lord's resurrection, others who
had slept in the tomb arose and were seen of many, not as
spirit-apparitions but as resurrected beings possessing im-
mortalized bodies : "And the graves were opened ; and many
bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the
graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and
appeared unto many."*
Those who thus early came forth are spoken of as "the
M John 5:30; see also verse 19; also Matt. 26:42; compare Doc. and Cov.
19:2; 20:24.
v New Standard Dictionary under "propitiation."
w\ Cor. 15:20; see also Acts 26:23; Col. 1:18; Rev. 1:5.
AT Matt. 27:52, 53.
24: JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 3.
saints"; and other scriptures confirm the fact that only the
righteous shall be brought forth in the earlier stages of the
resurrection yet to be consummated; but that all the dead
shall in turn resume bodies of flesh and bones is placed be-
yond doubt by the revealed word. The Savior's direct affir-
mation ought to be conclusive : "Verily, verily, I say unto you,
The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear
the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.
. . . . Marvel not at this : for the hour is coming, in
the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and
shall come forth ; they that have done good, unto the resur-
rection of life ; and they that have done evil, unto the resur-
rection of damnation." 3 ' The doctrine of a universal resur-
rection was taught by the apostles of old, 5 as also by the
Nephite prophets ; a and the same is confirmed by revelation
incident to the present dispensation. b Even the heathen who
have not known God shall be brought forth from their
graves ; and, inasmuch as they have lived and died in ignor-
ance of the saving law, a means of making the plan of salva-
tion known unto them is provided. "And then shall the
heathen nations be redeemed, and they that knew no law shall
have part in the first resurrection."^
Jacob, a Nephite prophet, taught the universality of the
resurrection, and set forth the absolute need of a Redeemer,
without whom the purposes of God in the creation of man
would be rendered futile. His words constitute a concise
and forceful summary of revealed truth directly bearing
upon our present subject:
"For as death hath passed upon all men, to fulfil the
merciful plan of the great Creator, there must needs be a
y John 5:25, 28, 29. A modern scripture attesting the same truth
reads: "They who have done good in the resurrection of the just; and
they who have done evil in the resurrection of the unjust." Doc. and
Cov. 76:17.
z For instances see Acts 24:15; Rev. 20:12, 13.
a For instances see B. of M., 2 Nephi 9:6, 12, 13, 21, 22; Helaman
14:15-17; Mosiah 15:20-24; Alma 40:2-16; Mormon 9:13, 14.
b For instances see Doc. and Cov. 18:11, 12; 45:44, 45; 88:95-98.
c Doc. and Cov. 45:54.
THE .NEED OF A REDEEMER. 25
power of resurrection, and the resurrection must needs come
unto man by reason of the fall; and the fall came by reason
of transgression ; and because man became fallen, they were
cut off from the presence of the Lord; wherefore it must
needs be an infinite atonement ; save it should be an infinite
atonement, this corruption could not put on incorruption.
Wherefore, the first judgment which came upon man, must
needs have remained to an endless duration. And if so, this
flesh must have laid down to rot and to crumble to its mother
earth, to rise no more. O the wisdom of God! his mercy
and grace ! For behold, if the flesh should rise no more,
our spirits must become subject to that an^el who fell from
before the presence of the eternal God, and became the devil,
to rise no more. And our spirits must have become like unto
him, and we become devils, angels to a devil, to be shut out
from the presence of our God, and to remain with the father
of lies, in misery, like unto himself ; yea, to that being who
beguiled our first parents; who transformeth himself nigh
unto an angel of light, and stirreth up the children of men
unto secret combinations of murder, and all manner of secret
works of darkness. O how great the goodness of our God,
who prepareth a way for our escape from the grasp of this
awful monster; yea, that monster, death and hell, which I
call the death of the body, and also the death of the spirit.
And because of the way of deliverance of our God, the Holy
One of Israel, this death, of which I have spoken, which is
the temporal, shall deliver up its dead; which death is the
grave. And this death of which I have spoken, which is
the spiritual death, shall deliver up its dead ; which spiritual
death is hell ; wherefore, death and hell must deliver up their
dead, and hell must deliver up its captive spirits, and the
grave must deliver up its captive bodies, and the bodies and
the spirits of men will be restored one to the other ; and it is
by the power of the resurrection of the Holy One of Israel.
O how great the plan of our God ! For on the other hand,
the paradise of God must deliver up the spirits of the right-
eous, and the grave deliver up the body of the righteous;
and the spirit and the body is restored to itself again, and
all men become incorruptible, and immortal, and they are
living souls, having a perfect knowledge like unto us in the
flesh ; save it be that our knowledge shall be perfect." 4
d B, of M., 2 Nephi 9:6-13; read the entire chapter.
26 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 3.
The application of the atonement to individual trangres-
sion, whereby the sinner may obtain absolution through com-
pliance with the laws and ordinances embodied in the gospel
of Jesus Christ, is conclusively attested by scripture. Since
forgiveness of sins can be secured in none other way, there
being either in heaven or earth no name save that of Jesus
Christ whereby salvation shall come unto the children of
men/ every soul stands in need of the Savior's mediation,
since all are sinners. "For all have sinned and come short
of the glory of God", said Paul of old/ and John the apostle
added his testimony in these words : "If we say that we have
no sin we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us."* 7
Who shall question the justice of God, which denies sal-
vation to all who will not comply with the prescribed condi-
tions on which alone it is declared obtainable ? Christ is "the
author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him"/ 1
and God "will render to every man according to his deeds :
to them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for
glory and honor and immortality, eternal life : but unto them
that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey un-
righteousness, indignation and wrath, tribulation and an-
guish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil."*
Such then is the need of a Redeemer, for without Him
mankind would forever remain in a fallen state, and as to
hope of eternal progression would be inevitably lost/ The
mortal probation is provided as an opportunity for advance-
ment ; but so great are the difficulties and the dangers, so
strong is the influence of evil in the world, and so weak is
man in resistance thereto, that without the aid of a power
above that of humanity no soul would find its way back to
eP. of G. P., Moses 6:52; compare B. of M., 2 Nephi 25:20; Mosiah
3:17; 5:8; Doc. and Cov. 76:1.
/Rom. 3:23; see also verse 9; Gal. 3:22.
g 1 John 1 :8.
/iHeb. 5:9.
t'Rom. 2:6-9.
/ No special treatment relating to the Fall, the Atonement, or the
Resurrection has been either attempted or intended in this chapter. For
such the student is referred to doctrinal works dealing with these
subjects. See the author's "Articles of Faith," lectures iii, iv. and xxi.
THE NEED OF A REDEEMER. 27
God from whom it came. The need of a Redeemer lies in
the inability of man to raise himself from the temporal to the
spiritual plane, from the lower kingdom to the higher. In
this conception we are not without analogies in the natural
world. We recognize a fundamental distinction between
inanimate and living matter, between the inorganic and the
organic, between the lifeless mineral on the one hand and
the living plant or animal on the other. Within the limita-
tions of its order the dead mineral grows by accretion of
substance, and may attain a relatively perfect condition of
structure and form as is seen in the crystal. But mineral
matter, though acted upon favorably by the forces of nature
light, heat, electric energy and others can never become
a living organism ; nor can the dead elements, through any
process of chemical combination dissociated from life, enter
into the tissues of the plant as essential parts thereof. But
the plant, which is of a higher order, sends its rootlets into
the earth, spreads its leaves in the atmosphere, and through
these organs absorbs the solutions of the soil, inspires the
gases of the air, and from such lifeless materials weaves the
tissue of its wondrous structure. No mineral particle, no
dead chemical substance has ever been made a constituent
of organic tissue except through the agency of life. We
may, perhaps with profit, carry the analogy a step farther.
The plant is unable to advance its own tissue to the animal
plane. Though it be the recognized order of nature that
the "animal kingdom" is dependent upon the "vegetable
kingdom" for its sustenance, the substance of the plant may
become part of the animal organism only as the latter
reaches down from its higher plane and by its own vital
action incorporates the vegetable compounds with itself. In
turn, animal matter can never become, even transitorily, part
of a human body, except as the living man assimilates it,
and by the vital processes of his own existence lifts, for the
time being, the substance of the animal that supplied him
28 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 3.
food to the higher plane of his own existence. The com-
parison herein employed is admittedly defective if carried
beyond reasonable limits of application; for the raising of
mineral matter to the plane of the plant, vegetable tissue to
the level of the animal, and the elevation of either to the
human plane, is but a temporary change ; with the dissolu-
tion of the higher tissues the material thereof falls again to
the level of the inanimate and the dead. But, as a means of
illustration the analogy may not be wholly without value.
So, for the advancement of man from his present fallen
and relatively degenerate state to the higher condition of
spiritual life, a power above his own must cooperate.
Through the operation of the laws obtaining in the higher
kingdom man may be reached and lifted ; himself he cannot
save by his own unaided effort.^ A Redeemer and Savior
of mankind is beyond all question essential to the realization
of the plan of the Eternal Father, "to bring to pass the
immortality and eternal life of man";' and that Redeemer
and Savior is Jesus the Christ, beside whom there is and
can be none other.
NOTES TO CHAPTER 3.
i. God's Foreknowledge Not a Determining Cause. "Re-
specting the foreknowledge of God, let it not be said that divine
omniscience is of itself a determining cause whereby events are
inevitably brought to pass. A mortal father, who knows the weak-
nesses and frailties of his son, may by reason of that knowledge
sorrowfully predict the calamities and sufferings awaiting his
wayward boy. He may foresee in that son's future a forfeiture
of blessings that could have been won, loss of position, self-
respect, reputation and honor ; even the dark shadows of a felon's
cell and the night of a drunkard's grave may appear in the sad-
dening visions of that fond father's soul ; yet, convinced by ex-
perience of the impossibility of bringing about that son's reform,
he foresees the dread developments of the future, and he finds
but sorrow and anguish in his knowledge. Can it be said that
the father's foreknowledge is a cause of the son's sinful life?
k A comparison related to that given in the text is treated at length
by Henry Drummond in his essay, "Biogenesis," which the reader may
study with profit.
/ P. of G. P., Moses 1:39.
NOTES. 29
The son, perchance, has reached his maturity; he is the master of
his own destiny; a free agent unto himself. The father is power-
less to control by force or to direct by arbitrary command ; and,
while he would gladly make any effort or sacrifice to save his son
from the fate impending, he fears for what seems to be an awful
certainty. But surely that thoughtful, prayerful, loving parent
does not, because of his knowledge, contribute to the son's^ way-
wardness. To reason otherwise would be to say that a neglect-
ful father, who takes not the trouble to study the nature and
character of his son, who shuts his eyes to sinful tendencies, and
rests in careless indifference as to the probable future, will by his
very heartlessness be benefitting his child, because his lack
of forethought cannot operate as a contributory cause to dere-
liction.
"Our Heavenly Father has a full knowledge of the nature
and disposition of each of His children, a knowledge gained by
long observation and experience in the past eternity of our pri-
meval childhood; a knowledge compared with which that gained
by _ earthly ^ parents through mortal experience with their children
is infinitesimally small. By reason of that surpassing knowledge,
God reads the future of child and children, of men individually
and of men collectively as communities and nations; He knows
what each will do under given conditions, and sees the end from
the beginning. His foreknowledge is based on intelligence and
reason. He foresees the future as a state which naturally
and surely will be ; not as one which must be because He
has arbitrarily willed that it shall be." From the author's Great
Apostasy, pp. 19, 20.
2. Man Free to Choose for Himself. -"The Father of souls
has endowed His children with the divine birthright of free
agency; He does not and will not control them by arbitrary
force ; He impels no man toward sin ; He compels none to right-
eousness. Unto man has been given freedom to act for himself ;
and, associated with this independence, is the fact of strict re-
sponsibility and the assurance of individual accountability. In
the judgment with which we shall be judged, all the conditions
and circumstances of our lives shall be considered. The inborn
tendencies due to heredity, the effect of environment whether
conducive to good or evil, the wholesome teachings of youth,
or the absence of good instruction these and all other con-
tributory elements must be taken into account in the rendering
of a just verdict as to the soul's guilt or innocence. Neverthe-
less, the divine wisdom makes plain what will be the result with
given conditions operating on known natures and dispositions
of men, while every individual is _ free to Choose good or ^ evil
within the limits of the many conditions existing and operative."
Great Apostasy, p. 21 ; see also Articles of Faith, iii :i, 2.
3. The Fall a Process of Physical Degeneracy. A modern
revelation given to the Church in 1833 (Doc. and Cov. Sec. 89),
prescribes rules for right living, particularly as regards the uses
of stimulants, narcotics, and foods unsuited to the body. Con-
cerning the physical causes by which the fall was brought about,
30 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 3.
and the close relation between those causes and current viola-
tions of the Word of Wisdom embodied in the revelation referred
to above, the following is in point. "This, [the Word of Wis-
dom] like other revelations that have come in the present dis-
pensation, is not wholly new. It is as old as the human race.
The principle of the Word of Wisdom was revealed unto Adam.
All the essentials of the Word of Wisdom were made known
unto him in his immortal state, before he had taken into his body
those things that made of it a thing of earth. He was warned
against that very practise. He was not told to treat his body
as something to be tortured. He was not told to look upon it as
the fakir of India has come to look upon his body, or professes
to look upon it, as a thing to be utterly contemned; but he was
told that he must not take into that body certain things which
were there at hand. He was warned that, if he did, his body
would lose the power which it then held of living for ever, and
that he would become subject to death. It was pointed out to
him, as it has been pointed out to you, that there are many good
fruits to be plucked, to be eaten, to be enjoyed. We believe in
enjoying good food. We think that these good things are given
us of God. We believe in getting all the enjoyment out of eat-
ing that we can; and, therefore, we should avoid gluttony, and
we should avoid extremes in all our habits of eating; and as was
told unto Adam, so is it told unto us : Touch not these things ;
for in the day that thou doest it thy life shall be shortened and
thou shalt die.
''Here let me say that therein consisted the fall the eating
of things unfit, the taking into the body of the things that made
of that body a thing of earth: and I take this occasion to raise
my voice against the false interpretation of scripture, which has
been adopted by certain people, and is current in their minds,
and is referred to in a hushed and half -secret way, that the fall
of man consisted in some offense against the laws of chastity
and of virtue. Such a doctrine is an abomination. What right
have we to turn the scriptures from their proper sense and mean-
ing? What right have we to declare that God meant not what
He said? The fall was a natural process, resulting through the
incorporation into the bodies of our first parents of the things
that came from food unfit, through the violation of the command
of God regarding what they should eat. Don't go around whis-
pering that the fall consisted in the mother of the race losing
her chastity and her virtue. It is not true; the human race is
not born of fornication. These bodies that are given unto _us are
given in the way that God has provided. Let it not be said that
the patriarch of the race, who stood with the gods before he
came here upon the earth, and his equally royal consort, were
guilty of any such foul offense. The adoption of that belief has
led many to excuse departures from the path of chastity and
the path of virtue, by saying that it is the sin of the race, that
it is as old as Adam. It was not introduced by Adam. It was
not committed by Eve. It was the introduction of the devil and
came in order that he might sow the seeds of early death in the
foodies of men and women, that the race should degenerate as it
NOTES. 31
has degenerated whenever the laws of virtue and of chastity have
been transgressed.
"Our first parents were pure and noble, and when we pass
behind the veil we shall perhaps learn something of their high
estate, more than we know now. But be it known that they
were pure; they were noble. It is true that they disobeyed the
law of God, in eating things they were told not to eat; but who
amongst you can rise up and condemn?" From an address by
the author at the Eighty-fourth Semiannual Conference of the
Church, Oct. 6, 1913; published in the Proceedings of the Con-
ference, pp. 118, 119.
4. Christ Wrought Redemption from the Fall. "The Savior
thus becomes master of the situation the debt is paid, the re-
demption made, the covenant fulfilled, justice satisfied, the will
of God done, and all power is now given into the hands of the
Son of God the power of the resurrection, the power of the
redemption, the power of salvation, the power to enact
laws for the carrying out and accomplishment of this
design. Hence life and immortality are brought to light, the
gospel is introduced, and He becomes the author of eternal
life and exaltation. He is the Redeemer, the Resurrector, the
vSavior of man and the world; and He has appointed the law
of the gospel as the medium which must be complied with in this
world or the next, as He complied with His Father's law; hence
'he that believeth shall be saved, and he that believeth not shall
be damned.' The plan, the arrangement, the agreement, the
covenant was made, entered into and accepted before the founda-
tion of the world; it was prefigured by sacrifices, and was car-
ried out and consummated on the cross. Hence being the me-
diator between God and man, He becomes by right the dictator
and director on earth and in heaven for the living and for the
dead, for the past, the present and the future, pertaining to man
as associated with this earth or the heavens, in time or eternity,
the Captain of our salvation, the Apostle and High-Priest of our
profession, the Lord and Giver of life." John Taylor, Mediation
and Atonement, p. 171.
5. Redemption from the Effect of the Fall. " 'Mormonism'
accepts the doctrine of the fall, and the account of the transgres-
sion in Eden, as set forth in Genesis ; but it affirms that none but
Adam is or shall be answerable for Adam's disobedience; that
mankind in general are absolutely absolved from responsibility
for that 'original sin/ and that each shall account for his own
transgressions alone; that the fall was foreknown of God, that
it was turned to good effect by which the necessary condition of
mortality should be inaugurated ; and that a Redeemer was pro-
vided before the world was ; that general salvation, in the sense
of redemption from the effects of the fall, comes to all without
their seeking it; but that individual salvation or rescue from the
effects of personal sins is to be acquired by each for himself by
faith and good works through the redemption wrought by Jesus
Christ." From the author's Story and Philosophy of 'Mormonism,'
J). III.
JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 4.
CHAPTER 4.
THE ANTEMORTAL GODSHIP OF CHRIST.
It now becomes our purpose to inquire as to the position
and status of Jesus the Christ in the antemortal world, from
the period of the solemn council in heaven, in which He
was chosen to be the future Savior and Redeemer of man-
kind, to the time at which He was born in the flesh.
We claim scriptural authority for the assertion that Jesus
Christ was and is God the Creator, the God who revealed
Himself to Adam, Enoch, and all the antediluvial patriarchs
and prophets down to Noah ; the God of Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob ; the God of Israel as a united people, and the God of
Ephraim and Judah after the disruption of the Hebrew
nation ; the God who made Himself known to the prophets
from Moses to Malachi; the God of the Old Testament
record ; and the God of the Nephites. We affirm that Jesus
Christ was and is Jehovah, the Eternal One.
The scriptures specify three personages in the Godhead ;
(i) God the Eternal Father, (2) His Son Jesus Christ, and
(3) the Holy Ghost. These constitute the Holy Trinity,
comprizing three physically separate and distinct individuals,
who together constitute the presiding council of the heavens."
At least two of these appear as directing participants in the
work of creation ; this fact is instanced by the plurality ex-
pressed in Genesis : "And God said, I^et us make man in our
image, after our likeness" ; and later, in the course of con-
sultation concerning Adam's act of transgression, "the Lord
God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us." & From
the words of Moses, as revealed anew in the present dis-
a See "God and the Godhead," in the author's "Articles of Faith," lec-
ture ii.
fc On. 1:26; and 3:22.
JESUS CHRIST THE CREATOR. 33
pensation, we learn more fully of the Gods who were actively
engaged in the creation of this earth: "And I, God, said
unto mine Only Begotten, which was with me from the be-
ginning : Let us make man in our image, after our likeness."
Then, further, with regard to the condition of Adam after
the fall: "I, the Lord God, said unto mine Only Begotten:
Behold, the man is become as one of us." c In the account of
the creation recorded by Abraham, "the Gods" are repeat-
edly mentioned/
As heretofore shown in another connection, the Father
operated in the work of creation through the Son, who
thus became the executive through whom the will, command-
ment, or word of the Father was put into effect. It is with
incisive appropriateness therefore, that the Son, Jesus Christ,
is designated by the apostle ^ohn as the Word ; or as de-
clared by the Father "the word of my power"/ The part
taken by Jesus Christ in the creation, a part so prominent as
to justify our calling Him the Creator, is set forth in many
scriptures. The author of the Epistle to the Hebrews refers in
this wise distinctively to the Father and the Son as separate
though associated Beings: "God, who at sundry times and
in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the
prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son,
whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also
he made the worlds."^ Paul is even more explicit in
his letter to the Colossians, wherein, speaking of Jesus the
Son, he says : "For by him were all things created, that are
in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether
they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers :
all things were created by him, and for him : and he is be-
fore all things, and by him all things consist."* 7 And here
let be repeated the testimony of John, that by the Word,
cP. of G. P., Moses 2:26; and 4:28.
dP. of G. P., Abraham, chaps. 4 and 5.
<?See page 10; John 1:1; and P. of G. P., Moses 1:32.
/Heb. 1:1, 2; see also 1 Cor. 8:6.
g Colos. 1:16, 17.
34 [OT/JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 4.
who was with God, and who was God even in the beginning,
all things were made; "and without him was not anything
made that was made." 71
That the Christ who was to come was in reality God the
Creator was revealed in plainness to the prophets on the
western hemisphere. Samuel, the converted L,amanite, in
preaching to the unbelieving Nephites justified his testimony
as follows : "And also that ye might know of the coming of
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of heaven and of
earth, the Creator of all things, from the beginning; and
that ye might know of the signs of his coming, to the intent
that ye might believe on his name." 1 '
To these citations of ancient scripture may most properly
be added the personal testimony of the L/ord Jesus after He
had become a resurrected Being. In His visitation to the
Nephites He thus proclaimed Himself : "Behold, I am Jesus
Christ the Son of God. I created the heavens and the earth,
and all things that in them are. I was with the Father from
the beginning. I am in the Father, and the Father in me ;
and in me hath the Father glorified his name."'' To the
Nephites, who failed to comprehend the relation between the
gospel declared unto them by the Resurrected Lord, and the
Mosaic law which they held traditionally to be in force, and
who marveled at His saying that old things had passed away,
He explained in this wise : "Behold I say unto you, that the
law is fulfilled that was given unto Moses. Behold, I am he
that gave the law, and I am he who covenanted with my
people Israel : therefore, the law in me is fulfilled, for I have
come to fulfil the law ; therefore it hath an end." &
Through revelation in the present or last dispensation
the voice of Jesus Christ, the Creator of heaven and earth,
has been heard anew : "Hearken, O ye people of my church
1-1 3
iB. of M., Helaman 14:12; see also Mosiah 3:8; 4:2; Alma 11:39.
/B. of M., 3 Nephi 9:15.
fcB. of M., 3 Nephi 15 ;4, .
DIVINE TITLES OF JESUS CHRIST. 35
to whom the kingdom has been given hearken ye and give
ear to him who laid the foundation- of the earth, who made
the heavens and all the hosts thereof, and by whom all things
were made which live, and move, and have a being."' And
again, "Behold, I am Jesus Christ the Son of the living God,
who created the heavens and the earth ; a light which cannot
be hid in darkness. " m
The divinity of Jesus Christ is indicated by the specific
names and titles authoritatively applied to Him. According
to man's judgment there may be but little importance at-
tached to names ; but in the nomenclature of the Gods every
name is a title of power or station. God is righteously
zealous of the sanctity of His own name" and of names given
by His appointment. In the case of children of promise
names have been prescribed before birth ; this is true of our
Lord Jesus and of the Baptist, John, who was sent to pre-
pare the way for the Christ. Names of persons have been
changed by divine direction, when not sufficiently definite as
titles denoting the particular service to which the bearers
were called, or the special blessings conferred upon them.
Jesus is the individual name of the Savior, and as thus
spelled is of Greek derivation; its Hebrew equivalent was
Yehoshua or Yeshua, or, as we render it in English, Joshua.
In the original the name was well understood as meaning
"Help of Jehovah", or "Savior". Though as common an
appellation as John or Henry or Charles today, the name was
nevertheless divinely prescribed, as already stated. Thus,
unto Joseph, the espoused husband of the Virgin, the angel
said, "And thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall
save his people from their sins."^
Christ is a sacred title, and not an ordinary appellation
or common name ; it is of Greek derivation, and in meaning
/Doc. and Cov. 45:1.
mDoc. and Cov. 14:9; see also 29:1, 31; 76:24.
n Exo. 20:7; Lev. 19:12; Deut. 5:11.
o Note 1, end of chapter.
p Matt, 1:21; see also verses 23, 25; Luke 1:31.
36 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 4.
is identical with its Hebrew equivalent Messiah or Messias,
signifying the Anointed Onefl Other titles, each possessing
a definitive meaning, such as Emmanuel, Savior, Redeemer,
Only Begotten Son, Lord, Son of God, Son of Man, and
many more, are of scriptural occurrence; the fact of main
present importance to us is that these several titles are ex-
pressive of our Lord's divine origin and Godship. As seen,
the essential names or titles of Jesus the Christ were made
known before His birth, and were revealed to prophets who
preceded Him in the mortal state/
Jehovah is the Anglicized rendering of the Hebrew,
Yahveh or Jahveh, signifying the Self -existent One, or The
Eternal. This name is generally rendered in our English
version of the Old Testament as LORD, printed in cap-
itals/ The Hebrew, Hhyeh, signifying / Am, is related in
meaning and through derivation with the term Yahveh or
Jehovah; and herein lies the significance of this name by
which the Lord revealed Himself to Moses when the latter
received the commission to go into Egypt and deliver the
children of Israel from bondage : "Moses said unto God,
Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall
say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto
you ; and they shall say to me, What is his name ? what shall
I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT
I AM : and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of
Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you."* In the succeeding
verse the Lord declares Himself to be "the God of Abraham,
the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." While Moses was in
Egypt, the Lord further revealed Himself, saying "I am the
LORD: and I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto
gjohn 1:41; 4:25.
r Luke 1:31; 2:21; Matt. 1:21, 25; see also verse 23 and compare Isa.
7:14; Luke 2:11. See further P. of G. P., Moses 6:51, 57; 7:20; 8:24. B. of M.,
1 Nephi 10:4; 2 Nephi 10:3; Mosiah 3:8.
.y The name appears thus in Gen. 2:5; see also Exo. 6:2-4; and read for
comparison Gen. 17:1; 35:11.
t Exo. 3:13, 14; compare with respect to the fact of eternal duration ex-
pressed in this name, Isa. 44:6; John 8:58; Colos. 1:17; Heb. 13:8; Rev. 1:4;
see also P. of G. P., Moses 1:3 and the references there given.
JESUS CHRIST IS JEHOVAH. 37
Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name
JEHOVAH was I not known to them."" The central fact
connoted by this name, / Am, or Jehovah, the two having
essentially the same meaning, is that of existence or duration
that shall have no end, and which, judged by all human
standards of reckoning, could have had no beginning; the
name is related to such other titles as Alpha and Omega, the
first and the last, the beginning and the end. v
Jesus, when once assailed with question and criticism
from certain Jews who regarded their Abrahamic lineage as
an assurance of divine preferment, met their abusive words
with the declaration : "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before
Abraham was, I am". w The true significance of this saying
would be more plainly expressed were the sentence punctu-
ated and pointed as follows : "Verily, verily, I say unto you,
Before Abraham, was I AM ;" which means the same as had
He said Before Abraham, was I, Jehovah. The captious
Jews were so offended at hearing Him use a name which,
through an erroneous rendering of an earlier scripture/
they held was not to be uttered on pain of death, that they
immediately took up stones with the intent of killing Him.
The Jews regarded Jehovah as an ineffable name, not to be
spoken; they substituted for it the sacred, though to them
the not-forbidden name, Adonai, signifying the Lord. The
original of the terms Lord and God as they appear in the
Old Testament, was either Yahveh or Adonai; and the divine
Being designated by these sacred names was, as shown by
the scriptures cited, Jesus the Christ. John, evangelist and
apostle, positively identifies Jesus Christ with Adonai, or the
Lord who spoke through the voice of Isaiah,^ and with
Jehovah who spoke through Zechariah/
u Exo. 6:2, 3. Note 2, end of chapter.
s/Rev. 1:11, 17; 2:8; 22:13; compare Isa. 41:4; 44:6; 48:12.
wjohn 8:58.
x Lev. 24:16. Note 3, end of chapter.
y Isa. 6:8-11; and compar^ John 12:40, 41.
. 12:10; compare John 19:37.
38 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 4.
The name Elohim is of frequent occurrence in the He-
brew texts of the Old Testament, though it is not found in
our English versions. In form the word is a Hebrew plural
noun;* but it connotes the plurality of excellence or in-
tensity, rather than distinctively of number. It is expressive
of supreme or absolute exaltation and power. Elohini, as
understood and used in the restored Church of Jesus Christ,
is the name-title of God the Eternal Father, whose firstborn
Son in the spirit is Jehovah the Only Begotten in the flesh,
Jesus Christ.
Jesus of Nazareth, who in solemn testimony to the Jews
declared Himself the I Am or Jehovah, who was God before
Abraham lived on earth, was the same Being who is repeat-
edly proclaimed as the God who made covenant with Abra-
ham, Isaac, and Jacob; the God who led Israel from the
bondage of Egypt to the freedom of the promised land, the
one and only God known by direct and personal revelation to
the Hebrew prophets in general.
The identity of Jesus Christ with the Jehovah of the
Israelites was well understood by the Nephite prophets, and
the truth of their teachings was confirmed by the risen Lord
who manifested Himself unto them shortly after His ascen-
sion from the midst of the apostles at Jerusalem. This is
the record : "And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto
them saying, Arise and come forth unto me, that ye may
thrust your hands into my side, and also that ye may feel the
prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet, that ye may
know that I am the God of Israel, and the God of the whole
earth, and have been slain for the sins of the world. " &
It would appear unnecessary to cite at greater length in
substantiating our affirmation that Jesus Christ was God
even before He assumed a body of flesh. During that ante-
a The singular, "Eloah," appears only in poetic visage.
b B. of M., 3 Nephi 11:13, 14; also 1 Nephi 17:40 and observe from
verse 30 that the Redeemer is here spoken of as the God who delivered
Israel. See further Mosiah 7:19. Chapter 39 herein.
ANNOUNCEMENTS OF JESUS CHRIST BY THE FATHER. 39
mortal period there was essential difference between the
Father and the Son, in that the former had already passed
through the experiences of mortal life, including death and
resurrection, and was therefore a Being possessed of a per-
fect, immortalized body of flesh and bones, while the Son
was yet unembodied. Through His death and subsequent
resurrection Jesus the Christ is today a Being like unto the
Father in all essential characteristics.
A general consideration of scriptural evidence leads to
the conclusion that God the Eternal Father has manifested
Himself to earthly prophets or revelators on very few occa-
sions, and then principally to attest the divine authority of
His Son, Jesus Christ. As before shown, the Son was the
active executive in the work of creation ; throughout the
creative scenes the Father appears mostly in a directing or
consulting capacity. Unto Adam, Enoch, Noah, Abraham
and Moses the Father revealed Himself, attesting the God-
ship of the Christ, and the fact that the Son was the chosen
Savior of mankind/ On the occasion of the baptism of
Jesus, the Father's voice was heard, saying, "This is my
beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" ; d and at the trans-
figuration a similar testimony was given by the Father/ On
an occasion yet later, while Jesus prayed in anguish of soul,
submitting Himself that the Father's purposes be fulfilled
and the Father's name glorified, "Then came there a voice
from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify
it again."/ The resurrected and glorified Christ was an-
nounced by the Father to the Nephites on the western
hemisphere, in these words: "Behold my beloved Son, in
whom I am well pleased, in whom I have glorified my name :
hear ye him."^ From the time of the occurrence last noted,
cP. of G. P., Moses 1:8, 31-33; 2:1; 4:2, 3; 6:57; compare 7:35, 39, 47,
53-59; 8:16, 19, 23, 24- Abraham 3:22-28. See chapter 5 herein.
dMatt. 3:17; also Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22.
tfMatt. 17:5; Luke 9:35.
/John 12:28.
ffE. of M., 3 Nephi 11:7.
40 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 4.
the voice of the Father was not heard again among men, so
far as the scriptures aver, until the spring of 1820, when
both the Father and the Son ministered unto the prophet
Joseph Smith, the Father saying, "This is my beloved Son,
hear him !" /l These are the instances of record in which the
Eternal Father has been manifest in personal utterance or
other revelation to man apart from the Son. God the
Creator, the Jehovah of Israel, the Savior and Redeemer of
all nations, kindreds and tongues, are the same, and He is
Jesus the Christ.
NOTES TO CHAPTER 4.
I. Names Given of God. The significance of names when
?iven of God finds illustration in many scriptural instances. The
ollowing are examples: "Jesus" meaning Savior (Matt. 1:21;
Luke 1:31); "John," signifying Jehovah's gift, specifically applied
to the Baptist, who was sent to earth to prepare the way for
Jehovah's coming in the flesh (Luke 1:13); "Ishmael," signifying
God shall hear him (Gen. 16:11) ; "Isaac," meaning laughter (Gen.
17:19, compare 18:10-15). As instances of names changed by
divine authority to express added blessings, or special callings,
consider the following: "Abram," which connoted nobility or
exaltation and as usually rendered, father of elevation, was changed
to "Abraham," father of a multitude which expressed the reason
for the change as given at the time thereof, "for a father of many
nations have I made thee" (Gen. 17:5). ^ "Sarai," ^ the name of
Abraham's wife, and of uncertain distinctive meaning, was sub-
stituted by "Sarah" which signified the princess (Gen 17:15).
"Jacob/' a name given to the son of Isaac with reference to a
circumstance attending his birth, and signifying a supplant er, was
superseded by "Israel' meaning a soldier of God, a prince of God;
as expressed in the words effecting the change, "Thy name shall
be called no more Jacob, but Israel, for as a prince hast thoti
power with God and with men, and hast prevailed." (Gen. 32:28;
compare 35:9, 10.) "Simon," meaning a hearer, the name of the
man who became the chief apostle of Jesus Christ, was changed
by the Lord to "Cephas" (Aramaic) or "Peter" (Greek) meaning
a rock (John 1:42; Matt. 16:18; Luke 6:14). On James and John
the sons of Zebedee. the Lord conferred the name or title "Boan-
erges" meaning sons of thunder (Mark 3:17)-
The following is an instructive excerpt: "Name in the scrip-
tures not only = that by which a person is designated, but fre-
quently = all that is known to belong to the person having this
designation, and the person himself. Thus 'the name of God' or
'of Jehovah/ etc., indicates His authority (Deut. 18:20; Matt.
h P. of G. P. Joseph Smith 2:17.
NOTES. 41
21:9, etc.), His dignity and glory (Isa. 48:9, etc.), His protection
and favor (Prov. 18:10, etc.), His character (Exo. 34:5, 14, com-
pare 6, 7, etc.), His divine attributes in general (Matt. 6:9, etc.),
etc. The Lord is said to set or put His name where the revela-
tion or manifestation of His perfections is made (Deut. 12:5,
14:24, etc.). To believe in or on the name of Christ is to receive
and treat Him in accordance with the revelation which the scrip-
tures make of Him (John 1:12; 2:23), etc." Smith's Comprehen-
sive Dictionary of the Bible, article "Name."
2. Jesus Christ, the God of Israel. "That Jesus Christ was
the same Being who called Abraham from his native country,
who led Israel out of the land of Egypt with mighty miracles
and wonders, who made known to them His law amid the thun-
derings of Sinai, who delivered them from their enemies, who
chastened them for their disobedience, who inspired their proph-
ets, and whose glory filled Solomon's temple, is evident from all
the inspired writings, and in none more so than in the Bible.
"His lamentation over Jerusalem evidences that, in His hu-
manity, He had not forgotten His former exalted position : 'O
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest
them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered
thy children together, and ye would not!' (Matt.
23:37). It was this Creator of the world, this mighty Ruler, this
Controller of the destinies of the human famity, who, in His last
moments, cried out in the agony of His soul, 'My God, my God,
why hast thou forsaken me?'" (Mark 15:34.) From Compendium
of the Doctrines of the Gospel, by Franklin D. Richards and James
A. Little.
3. "Jehovah" a Name Not Uttered by the Jews. Long
prior to the time of Christ, certain schools among the Jews, ever
intent on the observance of the letter of the law, though not
without disregard of its spirit, had taught that the mere utter-
ance of the name of God was blasphemous, and that the sin of
so doing constituted a capital offense. This extreme conception
arose from the accepted though uninspired interpretation of
Lev. 24:16, "And he that blasphemeth the name of the Lord, he
shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall cer-
tainly stone him : as well the stranger, as he that is born in the
land, when he blasphemeth the name of the Lord, shall be put
to death." We take the following from Smith's Comprehensive
Dictionary of the Bible, article "Jehovah" : "The true pronuncia-
tion of this name, [Yehovah] by which God was known to the
Hebrews, has been entirely lost, the Jews themselves scrupulously
avoiding every mention of it, and substituting in its stead one or
other of the words with whose proper vowel-points it may hap-
pen to be written [Adonai, Lord, or Elohini, God]
According to Jewish tradition it was pronounced but once a year
by the high priest on the day of atonement when he entered the
Holy of Holies ; but on this point there is some doubt."
42 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 5.
CHAPTER 5.
EARTHLY ADVENT OF THE CHRIST PREDICTED.
The coming of Christ to earth to tabernacle in the flesh
was no unexpected or unheralded event. For centuries
prior to the great occurrence the Jews had professed to be
looking for the advent of their King ; and, in the appointed
ceremonials of worship as in private devotions, the coming
of the promised Messiah was prominent as a matter of the
supplication of Israel to Jehovah. True, there was much
diversity in lay opinion and in rabbinical exposition as to the
time and manner of His appearing; but the certainty thereof
w r as fundamentally established in the beliefs and hopes of the
Hebrew nation.
The records known to us as the books of the Old Testa-
ment, together with other inspired writings once regarded
as authentic but excluded from later compilations as not
strictly canonical were current among the Hebrews at and
long before the time of Christ's birth. These scriptures had
their beginning in the proclamation of the law through
Moses/ who wrote the same, and delivered the writing into
the official custody of the priests with an express command
that it be read in the assemblies of the people at stated times.
To these earlier writings were added the utterances of di-
vinely commissioned prophets, the records of appointed his-
torians, and the songs of inspired poets, as the centuries
passed ; so that at the time of our Lord's ministry the Jews
possessed a great accumulation of writings accepted and
revered by them as authoritative. b These records are rich
aDeut. 31:9, 24-26; compare 17:
& "Articles of Faith," xiii:7-10.
:18-20.
CHRIST'S ADVENT REVEALED TO ADAM. 43
in prediction and promise respecting the earthly advent of
the Messiah, as are other scriptures to which the Israel of
old had not access.
Adam, the patriarch of the race, rejoiced in the assur-
ance of the Savior's appointed ministry, through the accept-
ance of which, he, the transgressor, might gain redemption.
Brief mention of the plan of salvation, the author of which
is Jesus Christ, appears in the promise given of God follow-
ing the fall that though the devil, represented by the ser-
pent in Eden, should have power to bruise the heel of
Adam's posterity, through the seed of the woman should
come the power to bruise the adversary's head. c It is sig-
nificant that this assurance of eventual victory over sin and
its inevitable effect, death, both of which were introduced to
earth through Satan the arch-enemy of mankind, was to be
realized through the offspring of woman ; the promise was
not made specifically to the man, nor to the pair. The only
instance of offspring from woman dissociated from mortal
fatherhood is the birth of Jesus the Christ, who was the
earthly Son of a mortal mother, begotten by an immortal
Father. He is the Only Begotten of the Eternal Father in
the flesh, and was born of woman.
Through scriptures other than those embodied in the
Old Testament we learn with greater fulness of the revela-
tions of God to Adam respecting the coming of the Re-
deemer. As a natural and inevitable result of his diso-
bedience, Adam had forfeited the high privilege he once
enjoyed that of holding direct and personal association
with his God ; nevertheless in his fallen state he was visited
by an angel of the Lord, who revealed unto him the plan
of redemption : "And after many days an angel of the
Lord appeared unto Adam, saying: Why dost thou offer
sacrifices unto the Lord? And Adam said unto him: I
know not, save the Lord commanded me. And then the
cGen. 3:15; compare Heb. 2:14; Rev. 12:9; 20:3.
44
JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 5.
angel spake, saying: This thing is a similitude of the sac-
rifice of the Only Begotten of the Father, which is full of
grace and truth. Wherefore, thou shalt do all that thou
doest in the name of the Son, and thou shalt repent and call
upon God in the name of the Son for evermore. And in
that day the Holy Ghost fell upon Adam, which beareth
record of the Father and the Son, saying: I am the Only
Begotten of the Father from the beginning, henceforth and
for ever, that as thou hast fallen thou mayest be redeemed,
and all mankind, even as many as will."'*
The Lord's revelation to Adam making known the or-
dained plan whereby the Son of God was to take upon
Himself flesh in the meridian of time, and become the Re-
deemer of the world, was attested by Enoch, son of Jared
and father of Methuselah. From the words of Enoch we
learn that to him as to his great progenitor, Adam, the very
name by which the Savior would be known among men was
revealed "which is Jesus Christ, the only name which shall
be given under heaven, whereby salvation shall come unto
the children of men."* The recorded covenant of God with
Abraham, and the reiteration and confirmation thereof with
Isaac and in turn with Jacob that through their posterity
should all nations of the earth be blessed presaged the
birth of the Redeemer through that chosen lineage/ Its
fulfilment is the blessed heritage of the ages.
In pronouncing his patriarchal blessing upon the head
of Judah, Jacob prophesied: "The sceptre shall not depart
from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until
Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the peo-
ple be." That by Shiloh is meant the Christ is evidenced
by the fulfilment of the conditions set forth in the predic-
<fP. of G. P., Moses 5:6-9. Note 1, end of chapter.
f P. of G. P., Moses 6:52; study paragraphs 50-56; see also Gen. 5:18, 21-
24; Jude 14. Note 4, end of chapter.
/Gen. 12:3; 18:18; 22:18; 26:4; 28:14; compare Acts 3:25; Gal. 3:8.
g Gen. 49:10.
CHRIST'S ADVENT PREFIGURED BY SACRIFICE. 45
tion, in the state of the Jewish nation at the time of our
Lord's birth. 7 * JK""
Moses proclaimed the coming of a great Prophet in
Israel, whose ministry was to be of such importance that all
men who would not accept Him would be under condemna-
tion; and that this prediction had sole reference to Jesus
Christ is conclusively shown by later scriptures. Thus spake
the Lord unto Moses: "I will raise them up a Prophet
from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my
words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that
I shall command him. And it shall come to pass, that who-
soever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak
in my name, I will require it of him." 1 The system of sac-
rifice expressly enjoined in the Mosaic code was essentially
a prototype of the sacrificial death to be accomplished by the
Savior on Calvary. The blood of countless altar victims,
slain by Israel's priests in the course of prescribed ritual,
ran throughout the centuries from Moses to Christ as a
prophetic flood in similitude of the blood of the Son of God
appointed to be shed as an expiatory sacrifice for the redemp-
tion of the race. But, as already shown, the institution of
bloody sacrifice as a type of the future death of Jesus Christ
dates from the beginning of human history ; since the offer-
ing of animal sacrifices through the shedding of blood was
required of Adam, to whom the significance of the ordi-
nance, as "a similitude of the sacrifice of the Only Begotten
of the Father", was expressly defined.'
The paschal lamb, slain for every Israelitish household at
the annually recurring feast of the Passover, was a particular
type of the Lamb of God who in due time would be slain for
the sins of the world. The crucifixion of Christ was effected
at the Passover season; and the consummation of the su-
h Note 2, end of chapter.
i Deut. 18:15-19; compare John 1:45; Acts 3:22; 7:37; see also a specific
confirmation by our Lord after His resurrection, 3 Nephi 20:23.
/ Note 1, end of chapter.
46 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 5.
preme Sacrifice, of which the paschal lambs had been but
lesser prototypes, led Paul the apostle to affirm in later
times ! "For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us." a
Job in the day of dire affliction rejoiced in his testimony
of the coming Messiah, and declared with prophetic convic-
tion : "I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall
stand at the latter day upon the earth. " k The songs of
David the psalmist abound in oft-recurring allusion to the
earthly life of Christ, many circumstances of which are de-
scribed in detail, and, as to these, corroboration of the utter-
ances is found in New Testament scriptures/
Isaiah, whose prophetic office was honored by the per-
sonal testimony of Christ and the apostles, manifested in
numerous passages the burden of his conviction relating to
the great event of the Savior's advent and ministry on
earth. With the forcefulness of direct revelation he told of
the Virgin's divine maternity, whereof Immanuel should be
born, and his prediction was reiterated by the angel of the
LyOrd, over seven centuries later." 1 Looking down through
the ages the prophet saw the accomplishment of the divine
purposes as if already achieved, and sang in triumph : "For
unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given : and the gov-
ernment shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be
called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The ever-
lasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of
his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the
throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to
cl Cor. 5:7. Tor references to Christ as the Lamb of God, see John
1:29, 36; 1 Peter 1:19; Rev. chaps. 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 19, 21, 22; also
B. of M., 1 Nephi 10:10, and chaps. 11, 12, 13, 14; 2 Nephi 31:4, 5, 6; 33:14;
Alma 7:14; Mormon 9:2, 3; Doc. and Cov. 58:11; 132:19.
k Job 19:25; see also verses 26-27.
/Instances: Psalm 2:7; compare Acts 13:33; Heb. 1:5; 5;5. Psa. 16:10;
compare Acts 13:34-37. Psa. 22:18; compare Matt. 27:35; Mark 15:24; Luke
23:34; John 13:24. Psa. 41:9; compare John 13:18. Psa. 69:9 and 21; com-
pare Matt. 27:34, 4~S; Mark 15:23; Tohn 19:29; and John 2:17. Psa. 110:1 and
4; compare Matt. 22:44; Mark 12:35-37; Luke 20:41-44; and Heb. 5:6. Psa.
118:22, 23; compare Matt. 21:42; Mark 12:10; Luke 20:17; Acts 4:11; Eph.
2:20; 1 Peter 2:4, 7. The following are known specifically as Messianic
Psalms: 2, 21, 22, 45, 67, 60, 89, 96, 110, 132; in them the psalmist extols in
poetic measure the excellencies of the Messiah, and the certainty o f rlis
C0m m g lsa. 7:14; compare Matt. 1:21-23.
OLD TESTAMENT PREDICTIONS OF CHRIST. 47
establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth
even forever.""
Immediately prior to its fulfilment, the blessed promise
was repeated by Gabriel, sent from the presence of God to
the chosen Virgin of Nazareth.* As made known to the
prophet and by him proclaimed, the coming Lord was the
living Branch that should spring from the undying root
typified in the family of Jesse f the foundation Stone insur-
ing the stability of Zion ; the Shepherd of the house of
Israel f the Light of the world,* to Gentile as well as Jew ;
the Leader and Commander of His people/ The same in-
spired voice predicted the forerunner who should cry in the
wilderness: "Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight
in the desert a highway for our God.""
Isaiah was permitted to read the scroll of futurity as to
many distinguishing conditions to attend the Messiah's lowly
life and atoning death. In Him the prophet saw One who
would be despized and rejected of men, a Man of sorrows,
acquainted with grief, One to be wounded and bruised for
the transgressions of the race, on whom would be laid the
iniquity of us all a patient and willing Sacrifice, silent under
affliction, as a lamb brought to the slaughter. The Lord's
dying with sinners, and His burial in the tomb of the wealthy
were likewise declared with prophetic certainty. 6
Unto Jeremiah came the word of the Lord in terms of
plainness, declaring the sure advent of the King by whom
the safety of both Judah and Israel should be assured ; v the
nlsa. 9:6, 7.
oLuke 1:26-33.
p Isa. 11:1 and 10; compare Rom. 15:12; Rev. 5:5; 22:16; see also Jer.
qlsa. 28:16; compare Psa. 118:22; Matt. 21:42; Acts 4:11; Rom. 9:33:
10:11; Eph. 2:20; 1 Peter 2:6-8.
rlsa. 40:9-11; compare John 10:11, 14; Heb. 13:20; 1 Peter 2:25; 5:4; see
also Ezek. 34:23.
slsa. 42:1; see also 9:2; 49:6; 60:3; compare Matt. 4:14-16; Luke 2:32;
Acts 13:47; 26:18; Eph. 5:8, 14.
t Isa. 55:4; compare John 18:37.
ttlsa. 40:3; compare Matt. 3:3; Mark 1:3; Luke 3:4; John 1:23.
b Isa. 53; study the entire chapter; compare Acts 8:32-35.
vjer. 23:5, 6; see also 33:14-16.
48 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 5.
Prince of the House of David, through whom the divine
promise to the son of Jesse should be realized. Under the
same spirit prophesied Ezekiel,* Hosea,^ and Micah/ Zec-
hariah broke off in the midst of fateful prediction to voice
the glad song of thanksgiving and praise as he beheld in
vision the simple pageantry of the King's triumphal entry
into the city of David. Then the prophet bewailed the
grief of the conscience-smitten nation, by whom, as was
foreseen, the Savior of humankind would be pierced, even
unto death f and showed that, when subdued by contrition
His own people would ask, "What are these wounds in
thy hands ?", the Lord woul3 answer : "Those with which I
was wounded in the house of my friends. " c The very price
to be paid for the betrayal of the Christ to His death was
foretold as in parable.^
The fact, that these predictions of the Old Testament
prophets had reference to Jesus Christ and to Him only, is
put beyond question by the attestation of the resurrected
Lord. To the assembled apostles He said : "These are the
words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you,
that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the
law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, con-
cerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that
they might understand the scriptures, and said unto them,
Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and
to rise from the dead the third day.' v
John the Baptist, whose ministry immediately preceded
that of the Christ, proclaimed the coming of One mightier
than himself, One who should baptize with the Holy Ghost,
and specifically identified Jesus of Nazareth as that One,
w Jer. 30:9.
w j cr. ou :.
*Ezek. 34:23; 37:24, 25.
y Hos. 11:11; compare Matt. 2:15.
sMic. 5:2; compare Matt. 2:6; John 7:42.
o Zech. 9:9; compare Matt. 21:4-9.
& Zech. 12:10; compare John 19:37.
cZech. 13:6.
d Zech. 11:12, 13; compare Matt. 26:15; 27:3-10.
e Luke 24:44, 46; see also verses 25-27.
BOOK OF MORMON PREDICTIONS OF CHRIST. 49
the Son of God, the Lamb who should assume the burden of
the world's sins/
The predictions thus far cited as relating to the life, min-
istry, and death of the Lord Jesus, are the utterances of
prophets who, excepting Adam and Enoch, lived and died
on the eastern hemisphere. All save John the Baptist are
of Old Testament record, and he, a contemporary of the
Christ in mortality, figures in the early chapters of the Gos-
pels. It is important to know that the scriptures of the
western hemisphere are likewise explicit in the declaration
of the great truth that the Son of God would be born in
the flesh. The Book of Mormon contains a history of a
colony of Israelites, of the tribe of Joseph, who left Jeru-
salem 600 B. C., during the reign of Zedekiah, king of
Judah, on the eve of the subjugation of Judea by Nebuchad-
nezzar and the inauguration of the Babylonian captivity.
This colony was led by divine guidance to the American
continent, whereon they developed into a numerous and
mighty people ; though, divided by dissension, they formed
two opposing nations known respectively as Nephites and
Lamanites. The former cultivated the arts of industry and
refinement, and preserved a record embodying both history
and scripture, while the latter became degenerate and de-
based. The Nephites suffered extinction about 400 A. D.,
but the Lamanites lived on in their degraded course, and
are today extant upon the land as the American Indians.* 7
The Nephite annals from the beginning thereof down to
the time of our Lord's birth abound in prediction and prom-
ise of the Christ ; and this chronicle is followed by a record
of the actual visitation of the resurrected Savior to the
Nephites, and the establishment of His Church among them.
Unto Lehi, the leader of the colony, the Lord revealed the
time, place, and manner of Christ's then future advent,
/Matt. 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John 1:15, 26, 27, 29-36; see also Acts
1:5, 8; 11:16; 19:4.
g Note 3, end of chapter.
50 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 5.
together with many important facts of His ministry, and
the preparatory work of John the forerunner. This revela-
tion was given while the company was journeying in the
wilderness of Arabia, prior to their crossing the great
waters. The prophecy is thus written by Nephi, a son of
Lehi and his successor in the prophetic calling : "Yea, even
six hundred years from the time that my father left Jeru-
salem, a prophet would the Lord God raise up among the
Jews; even a Messiah; or, in other words, a Saviour of the
world. And he also spake concerning the prophets, how
great a number had testified of these things concerning this
Messiah, of whom he had spoken, or this Redeemer of the
world. Wherefore all mankind were in a lost and in a
fallen state, and ever would be, save they should rely on this
Redeemer. And he spake also concerning a prophet who
should come before the Messiah, to prepare the way of the
Lord ; yea, even he should go forth and cry in the wilder-
ness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, and make his paths
straight ; for there standeth one among you whom ye know
not ; and he is mightier than I, whose shoe's lachet I am not
worthy to unloose. And much spake my father concerning
this thing. And my father said he should baptize in Betha-
bary, beyond Jordan ; and he also said he should baptize
with water ; even that he should baptize the Messiah with
water. And after he had baptized the Messiah with water,
he should behold and bear record, that he had baptized the
Lamb of God, who should take away the sins of the world.
And it came to pass after my father had spoken these words,
he spake unto my brethren concerning the gospel which
should be preached among the Jews ; and also concerning
the dwindling of the Jews in unbelief. And after they had
slain the Messiah, who should come, and after he had been
slain, he should rise from the dead, and should make him-
self manifest, by the Holy Ghost, unto the Gentiles." 7 '
AB. of M., 1 Nephi 10:4-11.
BOOK OF MORMON PREDICTIONS OF CHRIST. 51
At a later time Nephi writes, not as his father's scribe,
but as a prophet and revelator voicing the word of God as
made known to himself. He was permitted to behold in
vision and to declare to his people the circumstances of the
Messiah's birth, His baptism by John and the ministration
of the Holy Ghost with its accompanying sign of the dove ;
he beheld our Lord moving as a Teacher of righteousness
among the people, healing the afflicted and rebuking spirits
of evil; he saw and bare record of the dread scenes of
Calvary ; he beheld and predicted the calling of the chosen
Twelve, the apostles of the Lamb, for so these were desig-
nated by Him who vouchsafed the vision. Moreover he
told of the iniquity of the Jews, who were seen in contention
with the apostles ; and thus concludes the portentous proph-
ecy : "And the angel of the Lord spake unto me again,
saying, Thus shall be the destruction of all nations, kin-
dreds, tongues, and people, that shall fight against the
twelve apostles of the Lamb." 1 ' Soon after the defection
whereby the distinction between Nephites and Lamanites
was established, Jacob, a brother of Nephi, continued in
prophecy of the assured coming of the Messiah, specifically
declaring that He would minister at Jerusalem and affirming
the necessity of His atoning death as the ordained means of
human redemption.'' The prophet Abinadi, in his fearless
denunciation of sin to the wicked king Noah, preached the
Christ who was to come;^ and righteous Benjamin, who was
at once prophet and king, proclaimed the same great truth
to his people about 125 B. C. So taught Alma* in his in-
spired admonition to his wayward son, Corianton ; and so
also Amulek m in his contention with Zeezrom. So pro-
claimed the Lamanite prophet, Samuel, only five years prior
t'B. of M., 1 Nephi chapters 11 and 12; see also 19:10.
j B. of M., 2 Nephi 9:5, 6; 10:3. See also Nephi's prophecy 25:12-14; and
chap. 26.
k B. of M., Mosiah 13:33-35; 15:1-13,
IE. of M., Alma 39:15; 40:1-3.
wB. of M., Alma 11:31-44.
52 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 5.
to the actual occurrence ; furthermore he specified the signs
by which the birth of Jesus in Judea would be made known
to the people of the western world. Said he: "Behold, I
give unto you a sign ; for five years more cometh, and be-
hold, then cometh the Son of God to redeem all those who
shall believe on his name. And behold, this will I give
unto you for a sign at the time of his coming; for behold,
there shall be great lights in heaven, insomuch that in the
night before he cometh there shall be no darkness, insomuch
that it shall appear unto man as if it was day, therefore there
shall be one day and a night, and a day, as if it were one
day, and there were no night; and this shall be unto you
for a sign; for ye shall know of the rising of the sun, and
also of its setting; therefore they shall know of a surety
that there shall be two days and a night; nevertheless the
night shall not be darkened ; and it shall be the night before
he is born. And behold there shall a new star arise, such
an one as ye never have beheld; and this also shall be a
sign unto you. And behold this is not all, there shall be
many signs and wonders in heaven.""
Thus the scriptures of both hemispheres and in all ages
of ante-meridian time bore solemn testimony to the certainty
of Messiah's advent; thus the holy prophets of old voiced
the word of revelation predicting the coming of the world's
King and Lord, through whom alone is salvation provided,
and redemption from death made sure. It is a character-
istic of prophets sent of God that they possess and proclaim
a personal assurance of the Christ, "for the testimony of
Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. " Not a word of inspired
prophecy relating to the great event has been found void.
The literal fulfilment of the predictions is ample attestation
of their origin in divine revelation, and proof conclusive of
the divinity of Him whose coming was so abundantly fore-
told.
.a*
n B. of M., Helaman 14:1-6; compare 3 Nephi 1:4-21.
oRev. 19:10.
NOTES. 53
NOTES TO CHAPTER 5.
i. The Antiquity of Sacrifice as a Prototype of Christ's
Atoning Death. While the Biblical record expressly attests the
offering of sacrifices long prior to Israel's exodus from Egypt
e. g. by Abel and by Cain (Gen. 4:3, 4) ; by Noah after the deluge
(Gen. 8:20) ; by Abraham (Gen. 22:2, 13) ; by Jacob (Gen. 31:54;
46:1) it is silent concerning the divine origin of sacrifice as a
propitiatory requirement prefiguring the atoning death of Jesus
Christ. The difficulty of determining time and circumstance, under
which the offering of symbolical sacrifices originated amongst
mankind, is recognized by all investigators save those who
admit > the validity of modern revelation. The necessity of
assuming early instruction from God to man on the subject has
been asserted by many Bible scholars. Thus, the writer of
the article "Sacrifice" in the Cassell Bible Dictionary says : "The
idea of sacrifice is prominent throughout the scriptures, and
one of the most ancient and widely recognized in the rites of
religion throughout the world. There is also a remarkable sim-
ilarity in the developments and applications of the idea. On
these and other accounts it has been judiciously inferred that
sacrifice formed an element in the primeval worship of man ;
and that its universality is not merely an indirect argument for
the unity of the human race, but an illustration and confirmation
of the first inspired pages of the world's history. The notion of
sacrifice can hardly be viewed as a product of unassisted human
nature, and must therefore be traced to a higher source and viewed
as a divine revelation to primitive man."
Smith's Diet, of the Bible presents the following: "In trac-
ing the history of sacrifice from its first beginning to its perfect
development in the Mosaic ritual, we are at once met by the
long-disputed question as to the origin of sacrifice, whether it
arose from a natural instinct of man, sanctioned and guided by
God, or was the subject of some distinct primeval revelation.
There can be no doubt that sacrifice was sanctioned by God's
Law, with a special, typical reference to the Atonement of Christ;
its universal prevalence, independent of, and often opposed to,
man's natural reasonings on his relation to God, shows it to
have been primeval, and deeply rooted in the instincts of hu-
manity. Whether it was first enjoined by an external command,
or was based on that sense of sin and lost communion with God,
which is stamped by His hand on the heart of man is an his-
torical question, perhaps insoluble."
The difficulty vanishes, and the "historical question" as to
the origin of sacrifice is definitely solved by the revelations of
God in the current dispensation, whereby parts of the record of
Moses not contained in the Bible have been restored to human
knowledge. The scripture quoted in the text (pp. 43, 44) makes
clear the fact that the offering of sacrifices was required of Adam
after his transgression, and that the significance of the divinely
established requirement was explained in fulness to the patriarch
of the race. The shedding of the blood of animals in sacrifice
54 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 5.
to God, as a prototype "of the sacrifice of the Only Begotten of
the Father," dates from the time immediately following the fall.
Its origin is based on a specific revelation to Adam. See P. of
G. P., Moses 5:5-8.
2. Jacob's Prophecy Concerning "Shiloh." The prediction
of the patriarch Jacob that the sceptre should not depart from
Judah before the coming of Shiloh has given rise to much
disputation among Bible students. Some insist that "Shiloh"
is the name of a place and not that of a person. That there was
a place known by that name is beyond question (see Josh. 18:1;
19:51; 21:2; 22:9; i Sam. 1:3; Jer. 7:12); but the name occurring
in Gen. 49:10 is plainly that of a person. It should be known
that the use of the word in the King James or authorized version
of the Bible is held to be correct by many eminent authorities.
Thus, in Dummelow's Commentary on the Holy Bible, we read :
"This verse has always been regarded by both Jews and Chris-
tians as a remarkable prophecy of the coming of the Messiah.
. ... On the rendering given above, the whole verse fore-
tells that Judah would retain authority until the advent of the
rightful ruler, the Messiah, to whom all peoples would gather.
And, broadly speaking, it may be said that the last traces of
Jewish legislative power (as vested in the Sanhedrin) did not
disappear until the coming of Christ and the destruction of Jerusa-
lem, from which time His kingdom was set up among men."
Adam Clarke, in his exhaustive Bible Commentary, briefly
analyzes the objections urged against the admissibility of this
passage as applying to the Messiah's advent, and dismisses them
all as unfounded. His conclusion as to the meaning of the
passage is thus worded: "Judah shall continue a distinct tribe
until the Messiah shall come; and it did so; and after His coming
it was confounded with the others, so that all distinction has been
ever since lost."
Prof. Douglas, as cited in Smith's Dictionary, "claims that
something of Judah's sceptre still remained, a total eclipse being
no proof that the day is at an end that the proper fulfilment
of the prophecy did not begin till David's time, and is consum-
mated in Christ according to I^uke I '.32, 33."
The accepted meaning of the word by derivation is "Peace-
able," and this is applicable to the attributes of the Christ, who
in Isa. 9:6, is designated the Prince of Peace.
Eusebius, who lived between 260 and 339 A. D., and is
known in ecclesiastical history as Bishop of Csesarea, wrote :
"At the time that Herod was king, who was the first foreigner
that reigned over the Jewish people, the prophecy recorded by
Moses received its fulfilment, viz. 'That a prince should not fail
of Judah, nor a ruler from his loins, until He should come for
whom it is reserved, the expectation of nations.'" (The quoted
passage is founded on the Septuagint rendering of Genesis
49:10).
Some critics have held that in Jacob's use of the word
"Shiloh" he did not intend it as a name or proper noun at all.
The writer of the article "Shiloh" in Cassell's Bible Dictionary
NOTES. 55
says : "The preponderance of evidence is in favor of the Mes-
sianic interpretation, but opinions are very divided respecting the
retention of the word 'Shiloh' as a proper name Not-
withstanding all the objections that are urged against it being
so regarded, we are of the opinion that it is rightly con-
sidered to be a proper name, and that the English version
represents the true sense of the passage. We recommend those
who wish to enter more fully into a question which cannot well
be discussed without Hebrew criticism, to the excellent notes
upon Gen. 49:10 in the 'Commentary on the Pentateuch' by Keil
and Delitzsch. Here the text is thus rendered: 'The sceptre
shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between
his feet, till Shiloh come, and the willing obedience of the nations
be to him.'
''Notwithstanding the slight put upon the Messianic in-
terpretation by some writers, even those from whom we should
scarcely expect it, we see this explanation confirmed and not
weakened in the events of history. The text is not taken to
mean that Judah should at no time be without a royal ruler of
his own, but that the regal power should not finally cease from
Judah until Shiloh had come. The objections founded on the
Babylonian captivity, and similar intermissions, are of no force,
because it is the complete and final termination which is pointed
out, and that only happened after the time of Christ." See
further The Book of Prophecy, by G. Smith, LL.D., p. 320. See
also Compendium of the Doctrines of the Gospel, by Franklin D.
Richards and James A. Little, article "Christ's First Coming."
3. Nephites and Lamanites. The progenitors of the Ne-
phite nation were led from Jerusalem, 600 B. C., by Lehi, a Jew-
ish prophet of the tribe of Manasseh. His immediate family, at
the time of their departure from Jerusalem, comprized his wife
Sariah, and their sons, Laman, Lemuel, Sam, and Nephi ; at a
later stage of the history, daughters are mentioned, but whether
any of these were born before the family exodus we
are not told. Beside his own family, the colony of Lehi included
Zoram, and Ishmael, the latter an Israelite of the tribe of
Ephraim. Ishmael, with his family, joined Lehi in the wilder-
ness ; and his descendants were numbered with the nation of
whom we are speaking. The company journeyed somewhat east
of south, keeping near the borders of the Red Sea ; then, chang-
ing their course to the eastward, crossed the peninsula of Arabia;
and there, on the shores of the Arabian Sea, built and provisioned
a vessel in which they committed themselves to divine care upon
the waters. Their voyage carried them eastward across the
Indian Ocean, then over the south Pacific Ocean to the western
coast of South America, whereon they landed (590 B. C.) . . .
The people established themselves on what to them was the
land of promise; many children were born, and in the course of
a few generations a numerous posterity held possession of the
land. After the death of Lehi, a division occurred, some of the
people accepting as their leader, Nephi, who had been duly ap-
pointed to the prophetic office ; while the rest proclaimed Laman,
the eldest of Lehi's sons, as their chief. Henceforth the divided
56 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 5.
people were known as Nephites and Lamanites respectively. At
times they observed toward each other fairly friendly relations ;
but generally they were opposed, the Lamanites manifesting im-
placable hatred and hostility toward their Nephite kindred.
The Nephites advanced in the arts of civilization, built large
cities and established prosperous commonwealths; yet they often
fell into transgression; and the Lord chastened them by allowing
their foes to become victorious. They spread northward, occu-
pying the northern part of South America; then, crossing the
Isthmus, they extended their domain over the southern, central
and eastern portions of what is now the United States of America.
The Lamanites, while increasing in numbers, fell under the curse
of darkness; they became dark in skin and benighted in spirit,
forgot the God of their fathers, lived a wild nomadic life, and de-
generated into the fallen state in which the American Indians
their lineal descendants were found by those who rediscovered
the western continent in later times. See the author's Articles of
Faith xiv:7, 8.
4. The First Gospel Dispensation. The gospel of Jesus
Christ was revealed to Adam. Faith in God the Eternal Father,
and in His Son the Savior of Adam and all his posterity, repent-
ance of sin, water baptism by immersion, and the reception of the
Holy Ghost as a divine bestowal were proclaimed in the beginning
of human history as the essentials to salvation. The following
scriptures attest this fact. "And thus the Gospel began to be
preached, from the beginning, being declared by holy angels sent
forth from the presence of God, and by his own voice, and by
the gift of the Holy Ghost" (Moses 5:58). The prophet Enoch
thus testified : "But God hath made known unto our fathers that
all men must repent. And he called upon our father Adam by his
own voice, saying: I am God; I made the world, and men before
they were in the flesh. And he also said unto him : If thou wilt
turn unto me, and hearken unto my voice, and believe, and repent
of all thy transgressions, and be baptized, even in water, in the
name of mine Only Begotten Son, who is full of grace and truth,
which is Jesus Christ, the only name which shall be given under
heaven, whereby salvation shall come unto the children of men,
ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, asking all things in
his name, and whatsoever ye shall ask, it shall be given you"
(Moses 6:50-52; read also 53-6i). "And now, behold, I say unto
you : This is the plan of salvation unto all men, through the blood
of mine Only Begotten, who shall come in the meridian of time"
(62). "And it came to pass, when the Lord had spoken with
Adam, our father, that Adam cried unto the Lord, and he was
caught away by the Spirit of the Lord, and was carried down into
the water, and was laid under the water, and was brought forth
out of the water. And thus he was baptized, and the Spirit of
God descended upon him, and thus he was born of the Spirit, and
became quickened in the inner man. And he heard a voice out of
heaven, saying: Thou art baptized with fire, and with the Holy
Ghost. This is the record of the Father, and the Son, from hence-
forth and for ever" (64-66). Compare Doc. and Cov. 29:42.
THE MERIDIAN OF TIME. 5?
toa
CHAPTER 6.
THE MERIDIAN OF TIME.
if o;i?
Unto Moses, with whom the Lord spake "face to face,
as a man speaketh unto his f riend," a the course of the human
race, both as then past and future, was made known; and
the coming of the Redeemer was recognized by him as the
event of greatest import in all the happenings to which the
earth and its inhabitants would be witness. The curse of
God had aforetime fallen upon the wicked, and upon the
earth because of them, "For they would not hearken unto his
voice, nor believe on his Only Begotten Son, even him whom
he declared should come in the meridian of time, who was
prepared from before the foundation of the world. " & In this
scripture appears the earliest mention of the expressive and
profoundly significant designation of the period in which
the Christ should appear the meridian of time. If the ex-
pression be regarded as figurative, be it remembered the
figure is the Lord's.
The term "meridian", as commonly used, conveys the
thought of a principal division of time or space \ c thus we
speak of the hours before the daily noon as ante-meridian
(a. m.) and those after noon as post-meridian (p. m.). So
the years and the centuries of human history are divided by
,the great event of the birth of Jesus Christ. The years pre-
ceding that epoch-making occurrence are now designated as
time Before Christ (B. C.) ; while subsequent years are each
a Exo. 33:11; see also Numb. 12:8; Deut. 34:10; compare P. of G. P.,
Moses 1:2, 11, 31.
b P. of G. P., Moses 5:57; for later mention of the "meridian of time,"
see 6:56-62; and 7:46; and compare Doc. and Cov. 20:26; 39:3.
c "Meridian: figuratively, the highest point or culmin-
ating-point of anything; the zenith; as the meridian of life." "New Stand.
Diet."
58 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 6.
specified as a certain Year of our Lord, or, as in the Latin
tongue, Anno Domini (A. D.). Thus the world's chronology
has been adjusted and systematized with reference to the
time of the Savior's birth ; and this method of reckoning is
in use among all Christian nations. It is instructive to note
that a similar system was adopted by the isolated branch of
the house of Israel that had been brought from the land of
Palestine to the western continent ; for from the appearance
of the promised sign among the people betokening the birth
of Him who had been so abundantly predicted by their
prophets, the Nephite reckoning of the years, starting with
the departure of Lehi and his colony from Jerusalem, was
superseded by the annals of the new era. d
The occasion of the Savior's advent was preappointed ;
and the time thereof was specifically revealed through au-
thorized prophets on each of the hemispheres. The long
history of the Israelitish nation had unfolded a succession of
events that found a relative culmination in the earthly mis-
sion of the Messiah. That we may the better comprehend
the true significance of the Lord's life and ministry while in
the flesh, some consideration should be given to the political,
social, and religious condition of the people amongst whom
He appeared and with whom He lived and died. Such con-
sideration involves at least a brief review of the antecedent
history of the Hebrew nation. The posterity of Abraham
through Isaac and Jacob had early come to be known by the
title in which they took undying pride and found inspiring
promise, Israelites, or the children of Israel/ Collectively
they were so designated throughout the dark days of their
bondage in Egypt / so during the four decades of the exodus
and the return to the land of promise^ and on through the
period of their prosperity as a mighty people under the ad-
d B of M., 3 Nephi 2:8; compare 4 Nephi 1:1, 21; Mormon 8;6; Moroni
10:1.
<-Gen. 32:28; 35:10.
/Exo. 1:1, 7; 9:6, 7; 12:3, etc.
0Exo. 12:35, 40; 13:19; 15:1; Numb. 20:1, 19, 24, etc.
KINGDOMS OF ISRAEL AND JUDAH. 59
ministration of the judges, and as a united monarchy during
the successive reigns of Saul, David, and Solomon.' 1
Immediately following the death of Solomon, about 975
B. C. according to the most generally accepted chronology,
the nation was disrupted by revolt. The tribe of Judah,
part of the tribe of Benjamin, and small remnants of a few
other tribes remained true to the royal succession, and ac-
cepted Rehoboam, son of Solomon, as their king; while the
rest, usually spoken of as the Ten Tribes, broke their alle-
giance to the house of David, and made Jeroboam, an
Ephraimite, their king. The Ten Tribes retained the title
Kingdom of Israel though also known as Ephraim.* Reho-
boam and his adherents were distinctively called the King-
dom of Judah. For about two hundred and fifty years the
two kingdoms maintained their separate autonomy; then,
about 722 or 721 B. C., the independent status of the King-
dom of Israel was destroyed, and the captive people were
transported to Assyria by Shalmanezer and others. Subse-
quently they disappeared so completely as to be called the
IvOst Tribes. The Kingdom of Judah was recognized as a
nation for about one hundred and thirty years longer ; then,
about 588 B. C., it was brought into subjection by Nebuchad-
nezzar, through whom the Babylonian captivity was inaug-
urated. For three score years and ten Judah was kept in
exile and virtual bondage, in consequence of their transgres-
sion as had been predicted through Jeremiah.- 7 Then the
L,ord softened the hearts of their captors, and their restora-
tion was begun under the decree of Cyrus the Persian, who
had subdued the Babylonian kingdom. The Hebrew people
were permitted to return to Judea, and to enter upon the
work of rebuilding the temple at Jerusalem.*
h See mention throughout the books of Judges, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2
Kings, and references therein.
tlsa. 11:13; 17:3; Ezek. 37:16-22; Hos. 4:17.
;Jer. 25:11, 12; see also 29:10.
k Ezra 1:1-4; the author, "House of the Lord," pp. 47-53; also "Articles
of Faith" xvihl-22.
00 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAf. t).
A great company of the exiled Hebrews availed them-
selves of this opportunity to return to the lands of their
fathers, though many elected to remain in the country of
their captivity, preferring Babylon to Israel. The "whole
congregation" of the Jews who returned from the Baby-
lonian exile were but "forty and two thousand three hundred
and three score, beside their servants and their maids, of
whom there were seven thousand three hundred thirty and
seven." The relatively small size of the migrating nation
is further shown by the register of their beasts of burden.'
While those who did return strove valiantly to reestablish
themselves as the house of David, and to regain some meas-
ure of their former prestige and glory, the Jews were never
again a truly independent people. In turn they were preyed
upon by Greece, Egypt, and Syria ; but about 164-163 B. C.,
the people threw off, in part at least, the alien yoke, as a
result of the patriotic revolt led by the Maccabees, the most
prominent of whom was Judas Maccabeus. The temple
service, which had been practically abolished through the
proscription of victorious foes, was reestablished. In the
year 163 B. C., the sacred structure was rededicated, and the
joyful occasion was thereafter celebrated in annual festival
as the Feast of Dedication." During the reign of the Mac-
cabees, however, the temple fell into an almost ruinous con-
dition, more as a result of the inability of the reduced and
impoverished people to maintain it than through any further
decline of religious zeal. In the hope of insuring a greater
measure of national protection, the Jews entered into an
unequal alliance with the Romans and eventually became
tributary to them, in which condition the Jewish nation con-
tinued throughout the period of our L,ord's ministry. In the
meridian of time Rome was virtually mistress of the world.
When Christ was born Augustus Caesar was emperor of
/Ezra 2:64-67.
m "House of the Lord," pp. 51-53.
Josephus, Ant. xii:6 and 7; 2 Maccabees 2:19; 10:1-8; also John 10:22.
oLuke 2:1.
JEWISH EXCLUSIVENESS. 61
Rome, and the Idumean, Herod/ surnamed the Great, was
the vassal king of Judea.
Some semblance of national autonomy was maintained by
the Jews under Roman dominion, and their religious cere-
monials were not seriously interfered with. The established
orders in the priesthood were recognized, and the official acts
of the national council, or Sanhedrin,^ were held to be bind-
ing by Roman law ; though the judicial powers of this body
did not extend to the infliction of capital punishment with-
out the sanction of the imperial executive. It was the estab-
lished policy of Rome to allow to her tributary and vassal
peoples freedom in worship so long as the mythological dei-
ties, dear to the Romans, were not maligned nor their altars
desecrated.
Needless to say, the Jews took not kindly to alien dom-
ination, though for many generations they had been trained
in that experience, their reduced status having ranged from
nominal vassalage to servile bondage. They were already
largely a dispersed people. All the Jews in Palestine at the
time of Christ's birth constituted but a small remnant of the
great Davidic nation. The Ten Tribes, distinctively the
aforetime kingdom of Israel, had then long been lost to his-
tory, and the people of Judah had been widely scattered
among the nations.
In their relations with other peoples the Jews generally
endeavored to maintain a haughty exclusiveness, which
brought upon them Gentile ridicule. Under Mosaic law
Israel had been required to keep apart from other nations ;
they attached supreme importance to their Abrahamic lineage
as children of the covenant, "an holy people unto the Lord,"
whom He had chosen "to be a special people unto himself,
above all people that are upon the face of the earth"/ Judah
had experienced the woful effects of dalliance with pagan
pMa.it. 2:1. Page 106.
q Note 1, end of chapter.
rDeut. 7:6; see also 10:15; Exo. 19:5, 6; Psa. 135:4; Isa. 41:8; 45:4;
compare 1 Peter 2:9.
a Note 6, end of chapter.
62 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 6.
nations, and, at the time we are now considering, a Jew who
permitted himself unnecessary association with a Gentile be-
came an unclean being requiring ceremonial cleansing to free
him from defilement. Only in strict isolation did the leaders
find hope of insuring the perpetuity of the nation.
It is no exaggeration to say that the Jews hated all other
peoples and were reciprocally despized and contemned by
all others. They manifested especial dislike for the Samar-
itans, perhaps because this people persisted in their efforts
to establish some claim of racial relationship. These Samari-
itans were a mixed people, and were looked upon by the
Jews as a mongrel lot, unworthy of decent respect. When
the Ten Tribes were led into captivity by the king of Assyria,
foreigners were sent to populate Samaria/ These inter-
married with such Israelites as had escaped the captivity;
and some modification of the religion of Israel, embodying
at least the profession of Jehovah worship, survived in
Samaria. The Samaritan rituals were regarded by the Jews
as unorthodox, and the people as reprobate. At the time of
Christ the enmity between Jew and Samaritan was so intense
that travelers between Judea and Galilee would make long
detours rather than pass through the province of Samaria
which lay between. The Jews would have no dealings with
the Samaritans/
The proud feeling of self -sufficiency, the obsession for
exclusiveness and separation so distinctively a Jewish trait
at that time was inculcated at the maternal knee and em-
phasized in synagog and school. The Talmud," which in
codified form post-dates the time of Christ's ministry, en-
joined all Jews against reading the books of alien nations,
declaring that none who so offended could consistently hope
for Jehovah's favor." Josephus gives his endorsement to
s2 Kings 17:24.
fjohn 4:9; Luke 9:51-53. Pages 172, 183 herein.
u Note 2, end of chapter.
v Bab. Talmud, Sanhedrin, 90.
SCRIBES AND RABBIS. 63
similar injunction, and records that wisdom among the Jews
meant only familiarity with the law and ability to discourse
thereon. w A thorough acquaintanceship with the law was
demanded as strongly as other studies were discountenanced.
Thus the lines between learned and unlearned came to be
rigidly drawn ; and, as an inevitable consequence those who
were accounted learned, or so considered themselves, looked
down upon their unscholarly fellows as a class distinct and
inferior.*
Long before the birth of Christ, the Jews had ceased to
be a united people even in matters of the law, though the law
was their chief reliance as a means of maintaining national
solidarity. As early as four score years after the return
from the Babylonian exile, and we know not with accuracy
how much earlier, there had come to be recognized, as men
having authority, certain scholars afterward known as
scribes, and honored as rabbis 3 * or teachers. In the days of
Ezra and Nehemiah these specialists in the law constituted a
titled class, to whom deference and honor were paid. Ezra
is designated "the priest, the scribe, even a scribe of the
words of the commandments of the Lord, and of his statutes
to Israel"/ The scribes of those days did valuable service
under Ezra, and later under Nehemiah, in compiling the
sacred writings then extant; and in Jewish usage those ap-
pointed as guardians and expounders of the law came to be
known as members of the Great Synagog, or Great Assem-
bly, concerning which we have little information through
canonical channels. According to Talmudic record, the or-
ganization consisted of one hundred and twenty eminent
scholars. The scope of their labors, according to the ad-
monition traditionally perpetuated by themselves, is thus ex-
pressed : Be careful in judgment; set up many scholars, and
wjosephus, Ant. xx, 11:2.
.tfNote the emphasis given to this distinction in John 7:45-49;
9:34.
y Note 3, end of chapter.
#Ezra 7:11; see also verses 6, 10, 12.
64 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 6.
make a hedge about the law. They followed this behest by
much study and careful consideration of all traditional de-
tails in administration ; by multiplying scribes and rabbis
unto themselves ; and, as some of them interpreted the re-
quirement of setting up many scholars, by writing many
books and tractates ; moreover, they made a fence or hedge
about the law by adding numerous rules, which prescribed
with great exactness the officially established proprieties for
every occasion.
Scribes and rabbis were exalted to the highest rank in the
estimation of the people, higher than that of the Levitical or
priestly orders ; and rabbinical sayings were given precedence
over the utterances of the prophets, since the latter were re-
garded as but messengers or spokesmen, whereas the living
scholars were of themselves sources of wisdom and author-
ity. Such secular powers as Roman suzerainty permitted the
Jews to retain were vested in the hierarchy, whose members
were able thus to gather unto themselves practically all of-
ficial and professional honors. As a natural result of this
condition, there was practically no distinction between Jewish
civil and ecclesiastical law, either as to the code or its admin-
istration. Rabbinism comprized as an essential element the
doctrine of the equal authority of oral rabbinical tradition
with the written word of the law. The aggrandizement im-
plied in the application of the title "Rabbi" and the self-pride
manifest in welcoming such adulation were especially for-
bidden by the I^ord, who proclaimed Himself the one Mas-
ter; and, as touching the interpretation of the title held by
some as "father", Jesus proclaimed but one Father and He
in heaven : "But be not ye called Rabbi : for one is your
Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. And call no
man your father upon the earth : for one is your Father,
which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters : for one is
Master, even Christ." a
a Matt. 23:8-10; see also John 1:38; 3:2.
PHARISEES AND SADDUCEES. 65
The scribes, whether so named or designated by the more
distinguishing appellation, rabbis, were repeatedly denounced
by Jesus, because of the dead literalism of their teachings,
and the absence of the spirit of righteousness and virile mor-
ality therefrom ; and in such denunciations the Pharisees are
often coupled with the scribes. The judgment of the Christ
upon them is sufficiently expressed by His withering impre-
cation: "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypo-
crites !" &
The origin of the Pharisees is not fixed by undisputed
authority as to either time or circumstance; though it is
probable that the sect or party had a beginning in connection
with the return of the Jews from the Babylonian captivity.
New ideas and added conceptions of the meaning of the law
were promulgated by Jews who had imbibed of the spirit of
Babylon ; and the resulting innovations were accepted by
some and rejected by others. The name "Pharisee" does not
occur in the Old Testament, nor in the Apocrypha, though
it is probable that the Assideans mentioned in the books of
the Maccabees c were the original Pharisees. By derivation
the name expresses the thought of separatism ; the Pharisee,
in the estimation of his class, was distinctively set apart from
the common people, to whom he considered himself as truly
superior as the Jews regarded themselves in contrast with
other nations. Pharisees and scribes were one in all essen-
tials of profession, and rabbinism was specifically their doc-
trine.
In the New Testament the Pharisees are often mentioned
as in opposition to the Sadducees ; and such were the rela-
tions of the two parties that it becomes a simpler matter to
contrast one with the other than to consider each separately.
The Sadducees came into existence as a reactionary organi-
& Matt. 23:13, 14, 15, 23. etc., read the entire chapter; compare Mark
12:38-40; Luke 20:46; see also as instances of special denunciation of the
Pharisees Luke 11:37-44. Note also that the lawyers, who were profession-
ally associated with the scribes, are included in the sweeping criticism:
verses 45-54. See pages 552-560 herein.
cl Maccabees 2:42; 7:13-17; 2 Maccabees 14:6.
66 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 6.
zation during the second century B. C., in connection with an
insurgent movement against the Maccabean party. Their
platform was that of opposition to the ever-increasing mass
of traditional lore, with which the law was not merely being
fenced or hedged about for safety, but under which it was
being buried. The Sadducees stood for the sanctity of the
law as written and preserved, while they rejected the whole
mass of rabbinical precept both as orally transmitted and as
collated and codified in the records of the scribes. The
Pharisees formed the more popular party ; the Sadducees
figured as the aristocratic minority. At the time of Christ's
birth the Pharisees existed as an organized body numbering
over six thousand men, with Jewish women very generally
on their side in sympathy and effort ; d while the Sadducees
were so small a faction and of such limited power that, when
they were placed in official positions, they generally followed
the policy of the Pharisees as a matter of incumbent ex-
pediency. The Pharisees were the Puritans of the time, un-
flinching in their demand for compliance with the traditional
rules as well as the original law of Moses. In this connec-
tion note Paul's confession of faith and practise when ar-
raigned before Agrippa "That after the most straitest sect
of our religion I lived a Pharisee."* The Sadducees prided
themselves on strict compliance with the law, as they con-
strued it, irrespective of all scribes or rabbis. The Sadducees
stood for the temple and its prescribed ordinances, the Phar-
isees for the synagog and its rabbinical teachings. It is
difficult to decide which were the more technical if we judge
each party by the standard of its own profession. By way of
illustration : the Sadducees held to the literal and full exac-
tion of the Mosaic penalty an eye for an eye and a tooth for
a tooth^ while the Pharisees contended on the authority of
rabbinical dictum, that the wording was figurative, and
djosephus, Antiquities, xvii, 2:4.
fActs 28:5; see also 23:6; Philip. 3:5.
/Exo. 21:23-35; Lev. 24:20; Deut. 19:21; contrast Matt. 5:38-44.
ESSENES AND OTHER PARTIES. 67
that therefore the penalty could be met by a fine in money or
goods.
Pharisees and Sadducees differed on many important if
not fundamental matters of belief and practise, including the
preexistence of spirits, the reality of a future state involving
reward and punishment, the necessity for individual self-
denial, the immortality of the soul, and the resurrection from
the dead ; in each of which the Pharisees stood for the affirm-
ative while the Sadducees denied.^ Josephus avers the
doctrine of the Sadducees is that the soul and body perish
together ; the law is all that they are concerned to observe. h
They were "a skeptical school of aristocratic traditionalists ;
adhering only to the Mosaic law."*
Among the many other sects and parties established on
the ground of religious or political differences, or both, are
the Essenes, the Nazarites, the Herodians and the Galileans.
The Essenes were characterized by professions of ultra-
piety ; they considered even the strictness of Pharisaic pro-
fession as weak and insufficient; they guarded membership
in their order by severe exactions extending through a first
and a second novitiate; they were forbidden even to touch
food prepared by strangers ; they practised strict temperance
and rigid self-denial, indulged in hard labor preferably that
of agriculture, and were forbidden to trade as merchants, to
take part in war, or to own or employ slaves.'' Nazarites are
not named in the New Testament, though of specific record
in the earlier scriptures ; k and from sources other than scrip-
tural we learn of their existence at and after the time of
Christ. The Nazarite was one of either sex who was bound
to abstinence and sacrifice by a voluntary vow for special
service to God ; the period of the vow might be limited or
g Note 4, end of chapter.
h Josephus, Antiquities xviii, 1:4.
i "New Stand. Diet.," under "Sadducees."
j Josephus, Antiquities xviii, 1 :5.
A Numb. 6:2-21; Judges 13:5, 7; 16:17; Amos. 2:11, 12. Page 87.
68 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 6.
for life. While the Essenes cultivated an ascetic brother-
hood, the Nazarites were devoted to solitary discipline.
The Herodians constituted a politico-religious party who
favored the plans of the Herods under the professed belief
that through that dynasty alone could the status of the Jew-
ish people be maintained and a reestablishment of the nation
be secured. We find mention of the Herodians laying aside
their partisan antipathies and acting in concert with the
Pharisees in the effort to convict the L,ord Jesus and bring
Him to death. 7 The Galileans or people of Galilee were dis-
tinguished from their fellow Israelites of Judea by greater
simplicity and less ostentatious devotion in matters pertaining
to the law. They were opposed to innovations, yet were
generally more liberal or less bigoted than some of the pro-
fessedly devout Judeans. They were prominent as able de-
fenders in the wars of the people, and won for themselves a
reputation for bravery and patriotism. They are mentioned
in connection with certain tragical occurrences during our
Lord's lifetime.
The authority of the priesthood was outwardly acknowl-
edged by the Jews at the time of Christ ; and the appointed
order of service for priest and Levite was duly observed.
During the reign of David, the descendants of Aaron, who
were the hereditary priests in Israel, had been divided into
twenty-four courses," and to each course the labors of the
sanctuary were alloted in turn. Representatives of but four
of these courses returned from the captivity, but from these
the orders were reconstructed on the original plan. In the
days of Herod the Great the temple ceremonies were con-
ducted with great display and outward elaborateness, as an
essential matter of consistency with the splendor of the
structure, which surpassed in magnificence all earlier sanc-
tuaries. Priests and Invites, therefore, were in demand for
/Matt. 22:15, 16; Mark 12:13.
wLuke 13:1, 2; see also John 4:45; Mark 14:70; Acts 2:7.
nl Chron. 24:1-18.
o Note 5, end of chapter.
NOTES. 69
continuous service, though the individuals were changed at
short intervals according to the established system. In the
regard of the people the priests were inferior to the rabbis,
and the scholarly attainments of a scribe transcended in
honor that pertaining to ordination in the priesthood. The
religion of the time was a matter of ceremony and formality,
of ritual and performance; it had lost the very spirit of
worship, and the true conception of the relationship between
Israel and Israel's God was but a dream of the past.
Such in brief were the principal features of the world's
condition, and particularly as concerns the Jewish people,
when Jesus the Christ was born in the meridian of time.
NOTES TO CHAPTER 6.
i. The Sanhedrin. This, the chief court or high council of
the Jews, derives its name from the Greek sunedrion, signifying
"a council." In English it is sometimes though inaccurately
written "Sanhedrim." The Talmud traces the origin of this
body to the calling of the seventy elders whom Moses associated
with himself, making seventy-one in all, to administer as judges
in Israel (Numb. 11:16, 17). The Sanhedrin in the time of
Christ, as also long before, comprized seventy-one members, in-
cluding the high-priest who presided in the assembly. It appears
to have been known in its earlier period as the Senate, and was
occasionally so designated even after Christ's death, (Josephus,
Antiquities xii, 3:3; compare Acts 5:21); the name "Sanhedrin"
came into general use during the reign of Herod the Great; but
the term is not of Biblical usage; its equivalent in the New
Testament is "council" (Matt. 5:22; 10:17; 26:59) though it must
be remembered that the same term is applied to courts of lesser
jurisdiction than that of the Sanhedrin, and to local tribunals.
(Matt. 5:22; 10:17; 26:59; Mark 13:9; see also Acts 25:12.)
The following, from the Standard Bible Dictionary, is in-
structive : "Those qualified to be members were in general of
the priestly house and especially of the Sadducean nobility. But
from the days of Queen Alexandra (69-68 B. C.) onward, there
were with these chief priests also many Pharisees in it under
the name of scribes and elders. These three classes are found
combined in Matt. 27:41; Mark 11:27; 14:43, 53; 15:1. How such
members were appointed is not entirely clear. The aristocratic
character of the body and the history of its origin forbid the
belief that it was by election. Its nucleus probably consisted of
the members of certain ancient families, to which, however, from
time to time others were added by the secular rulers. The pre-
siding officer was the high priest, who at first exercized in it
70 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 6.
more than the authority of a member, claiming a voice equal to
that of the rest of the body. But after the reduction of the high
priesthood from a hereditary office to one bestowed by the po-
litical ruler according to his pleasure, and the frequent changes
in the office introduced by the new system, the high priest
naturally lost his prestige. Instead of holding in his hands the
'government of the nation/ he came to be but one of many to
share this power; those who had served as high priests being
still in esteem among their nation, and having lost their office
not for any reason that could be considered valid by the relig-
ious _sense of the community, exerted a large influence over the
decisions of the assembly. In the New Testament they are re-
garded as the rulers (Matt. 26:59; 27:41; Acts 4:5, 8; Luke 23:13,
35; John 7:26), and Josephus' testimony supports this view. The
functions of the Sanhedrin were religious and moral, and also
political. In the latter capacity they further exercized ad-
ministrative as well as judicial functions. As a religious tribunal,
the Sanhedrin wielded a potent influence over the whole of the
Jewish world (Acts 9:2); but as a court of justice, after the
division of the country upon the death of Herod, its jurisdiction
was limited to Judea. Here, however, its power was absolute
even to the passing of sentence of death (Josephus, Ant. xiv,
9:3, 4; Matt. 26:3; Acts 4:5; 6:12; 22:30), although it had no
authority to carry the sentence into execution except as approved
and ordered by the representative of the Roman government.
The law by which the Sanhedrin governed was naturally the
Jewish, and in the execution of it this tribunal had a police of
its own, and made arrests at its discretion (Matt. 26:47).
. . . While the general authority of the Sanhedrin extended
over the whole of Judea, the towns in the country had local
councils of their own (Matt. 5:22; 10:17; Mark 13:9; Josephus,
B. J. ii, 14:1), for the administration of local affairs. These
were constituted of elders (Luke 7:3), at least seven in number,
(Josephus, Ant. iv, 8:14; B. J. ii, 20:5), and in some of the
largest towns as many as twenty-three. What the relation of
these to the central council in Jerusalem was does not appear
clearly. ...... Some sort of mutual recognition existed
among them; for whenever the judges of the local court could
not agree it seems that they were in the habit of referring their
cases to the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem. (Josephus, Ant. iv, 8:14;
Mishna, Sanh. 11:2)."
2. Talmud. "The body of Jewish civil and religious law
(and discussion directly or remotely relating thereto) not com-
prized in the Pentateuch, commonly including the Mishna and the
Gemara, but sometimes limited to the latter; written in Aramaic.
It exists in two great collections, the Palestinian Talmud, or
Talmud of the Land of Israel, or Talmud of the West, or, more
popularly, Jerusalem Talmud, embodying the discussions on the
Mishna of the Palestinian doctors from the 2d to the middle of
the 5th century; and the Babylonian, embodying those of the
Jewish doctors in Babylonia, from about 190 to the 7th century."
New Standard Diet. The Mishna comprizes the earlier portions
of the Talmud; the Gemara is made up of later writings and is
.T& NOTES '
largely an exposition of the Mishna. An edition of the Baby-
lonian Talmud alone (issued at Vienna in 1682) comprized
twenty-four tomes. (Geikie.)
3. Rabbis. The title Rabbi is equivalent to our distinctive
appellations Doctor, Master, or Teacher. By derivation it means
Master or my Master, thus connoting dignity and rank asso-
ciated with politeness of address. A definite explanation of the
term is given by John (1:38), and the same meaning attaches
by implication to its use as recorded by Matthew (23:8). It
was applied as a title of respect to Jesus on several occasions
(Matt. 23:7, 8; 26:25, 49; Mark 9:5; 11:21; 14:45; John 1:38, 49;
3:2, 26; 4:31; 6:25; 9:2; ii :8). The title was of comparatively
recent usage in the time of Christ, as it appears to have first
come into general use during the reign of Herod the Great,
though the earlier teachers, of the class without the name of
Rabbis, were generally reverenced, and the title was carried back
to them by later usage. Rab was an inferior title and Rabban
a superior one to Rabbi. Rabboni was expressive of most pro-
found respect, love and honor (see John 20:16). At the time of
our Lord's ministry the Rabbis were held in high esteem, and
rejoiced in the afHations of precedence and honor among men.
They were almost exclusively of the powerful Pharisaic party.
The following is from Geikie's Life and Words of Christ,
vol. i, chap. 6: "If the most important figures in the society of
Christ's day were the Pharisees, it was because they were the
Rabbis or teachers of the Law. As such they received super-
stitious honor, which was, indeed, the great motive, with many,
to court the title or join the party. The Rabbis were classed
with Moses, the patriarchs, and the prophets, and claimed equal
reverence. Jacob and Joseph were both said to have been
Rabbis. The Targum of Jonathan substitutes Rabbis, or Scribes,
for the word 'prophets' where it occurs. Josephus speaks of the
prophets of Saul's day as Rabbis. In the Jerusalem Targum
all the patriarchs are learned Rabbis They were
to be dearer to Israel than father or mother because parents
avail only in this world [as was then taught] but the Rabbi
forever. They were set above kings, for is it not written
'Through me kings reign'? Their entrance into a house brought
a blessing; to live or to eat with them was the highest good for-
tune. . . . The Rabbis went even further than this in exalt-
ing their order. The Mishna declares that it is a greater crime
to speak anything to their discredit, than to speak against the
words of the Law Yet in form, the Law received
boundless honor. Every saying of the Rabbis had to be based
on some words of it, which were, however, explained in their
own way. The spirit of the times, the wild fanaticism of the
people, and their own bias, tended alike to make them set value
only on ceremonies and worthless externalisms, to the utter neg-
lect of the spirit of the sacred writings. Still it was held that
the Law needed no confirmation, while the words of the Rabbis
did. So far as the Roman authority under which they lived left
them ffee, the Jews willingly put all power in the hands of the
Rabbis- They or their nominees tilled every office, ffom the
bfiigl arft o* ba)j
72 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 6.
highest in the priesthood to the lowest in the community. They
were the casuists, the teachers, the priests, the judges, the mag-
istrates, and the physicians of the nation The
central and dominant characteristic of the teaching of the Rabbis
was the certain advent of a great national Deliverer the Messiah
or Anointed of God or in the Greek translation of the title, the
Christ. In no other nation than the Jews has such a conception
ever taken such root or shown such vitality
It was agreed among the Rabbis that His birthplace must be
Bethlehem, and that He must rise from the tribe of Judah."
Individual rabbis gathered disciples about them, and, in-
evitably, rivalry became manifest. Rabbinical schools and acad-
emies were established, each depending for its popularity on the
greatness of some rabbi. The most famous of these insti-
tutions in the time of Herod I. were the school of Hillel and
that of his rival Shammai. Later, tradition invested these with
the title "the fathers of old." It appears from the trifling mat-
ters over which the followers of these two disagreed, that only
by opposition could either maintain a distinguishing status.
Hillel is reputed as the grandfather of Gamaliel, the rabbi and
doctor of the law at whose feet Saul of Tarsus, afterward Paul
the apostle, received his early instruction (Acts 22:3). So far
as we have historic record of the views, principles or beliefs
advocated by the rival schools of Hillel and Shammai, it appears
that the former stood for a greater degree of liberality and tol-
erance, while the later emphasized a strict and possibly narrow
interpretation of the law and its associated traditions. The de-
pendence of the rabbinical schools on the authority of tradition
is illustrated by an incident of record to the effect that even the
prestige of the great Hillel did not insure him against uproar
when once he spoke without citing precedent; only when he
added that so had his masters Abtalion and Shemajah spoken
did the tumult subside.
4. Sadducean Denial of the Resurrection. As set forth in
the text, the Sadducees formed an association numerically small
as compared with the more popular and influential Pharisees.
In the Gospels the Pharisees are of frequent mention, and very
commonly in connection with the scribes, while the Sadducees
are less frequently named. In the Acts of the Apostles, the
Sadducees appear frequently as opponents of the Church. This
condition was doubtless due to the prominence given the resur-
rection from the dead among the themes of the apostolic preach-
ing, the Twelve continually bearing testimony to the actual
resurrection of Christ. Sadducean doctrine denied the actuality
and possibility of a bodily resurrection, the contention resting
mainly on the ground that Moses, who was regarded as the
supreme mortal lawgiver in Israel, and the chief mouthpiece of
Jehovah, had written nothing concerning life after death. The
following is taken from Smith's Dictionary of the Bible, article
"Sadducees," as touching this matter: "The denial of man's
resurrection after death followed in the conception of the Sad-
ducees as a logical conclusion from their denial that Moses had
revealed to the Israelites the Oral Law. For on a point so
NOTES, 73
momentous as a second life beyond the grave, no religious party
among the Jews would have deemed themselves bound to accept
any doctrine as an article of faith, unless it had been proclaimed
by Moses, their great legislator; and it is certain that in the
written Law of the Pentateuch there is a total absence of any
assertion by Moses of the resurrection of the dead. This fact
is presented to Christians in a striking manner by the well-
known words of the Pentateuch which are quoted by Christ in
argument with the Sadducees on this subject (Exo. 3:6, 16; Mark
12:26,27; Matt. 22:31, 32; Luke 20:37). It cannot be doubted
that in such a case Christ would quote to His powerful adver-
saries the most cogent text in the Law; and yet the text actually
quoted does not do more than suggest an inference on this great
doctrine. It is true that passages in other parts of the Old
Testament express a belief in the resurrection (Isa. 26:19; Dan.
12:2; Job 19:26; and in some of the Psalms) ; and it may at first
sight be a subject of surprize that the Sadducees were not con-
vinced by the authority of those passages. But although the
Sadducees regarded the books which contained these passages as
sacred, it is more than doubtful whether any of the Jews re-
garded them as sacred in precisely the same sense as the written
Law. To the Jews Moses was and is a colossal form, preemi-
nent in authority above all subsequent prophets."
5. The Temple of Herod. "Herod's purpose in the great
undertaking [that of restoring the temple, and of enlarging it on
a plan of unprecedented magnificence] was that of aggrandizing
himself and the nation, rather than the rendering of homage to
Jehovah. His proposition to rebuild or restore the temple on
a scale of increased magnificence was regarded with suspicion
and received with disfavor by the Jews, who feared that were the
ancient edifice demolished, the arbitrary monarch might abandon
his plan and the people would be left without a temple. To allay
these fears the king proceeded to reconstruct and restore the
old edifice, part by part, directing the work so that at no time
was the temple service seriously interrupted. So little of the
ancient structure was allowed to stand, however, that the temple
of Herod must be regarded as a new creation. The work was
begun about sixteen years before the birth of Christ; and while
the Holy House itself was practically completed within a year
and a half, this part of the labor having been performed by a
body of one thousand priests specially trained for the purpose,
the temple area was a scene of uninterrupted building operations
down to the year 63 A. D. We read that in the time of Christ's
ministry the temple had been forty-six years in building; and at
that time it was unfinished.
"The Biblical record gives us little information regarding
this the last and the greatest of ancient temples ; for what we
know concerning it we are indebted mainly to Josephus, with
some corroborative testimony found in the Talmud. In all
essentials the Holy House, or Temple proper, was similar to the
two earlier houses of sanctuary, though externally far more
elaborate and imposing than either; but in the matter of sur-
rounding courts and associated buildings, the Temple of Herod
74 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 6.
preeminently excelled Yet its beauty and grandeur
lay in architectural excellence rather than in the sanctity of its
worship or in the manifestation of the Divine Presence within
its walls. Its ritual and service were largely man-prescribed;
for while the letter of the Mosaic Law was professedly observed,
the law had been supplemented and in many features supplanted
by rule and priestly prescription. The Jews professed to con-
sider it holy, and by them it was proclaimed as the House of the
Lord. Devoid though it was of the divine accompaniments of
earlier shrines accepted of God, and denied as it was by priestly
arrogance and usurpation, as also by the selfish interest of traffic
and trade, it was nevertheless recognized even by our Lord the
Christ as His Father's House. (Mitti 21:12; compare Mark
11:15; Luke 19:45.) .... For thirty or more years after
the death of Christ, the Jews continued the work of adding to
and embellishing the temple buildings. The elaborate design
conceived and projected by Herod had been practically com-
pleted; the temple was well-nigh finished, and, as soon after*
ward appeared, was ready for destruction. Its fate had been
definitely foretold by the Savior Himself." From the author's
House of the Lord, pp. 54-6i.
6. State of the World at the Time of the Savior's Birth.
At the beginning of the Christian era, the Jews, in common with
most other nations, were subjects of the Roman empire. They
were allowed a considerable degree of liberty in maintaining their
religious observances and national customs generally, but their
status was far from that of a free and independent people. The
period was one of comparative peace a time marked by fewer
wars and less dissension than the empire had known for many
years. These conditions were favorable for the mission of the
Christ, and for the founding of His Church on earth. The religious
systems extant at the time of Christ's earthly ministry may be
classified in a general way as Jewish and Pagan, with a minor
system the Samaritan which was essentially a mixture of the
other two. The children of Israel alone proclaimed the existence
of the true and living God; they alone looked forward to the
advent of the Messiah, whom mistakenly they awaited as a pros-
pective conqueror coming to crush the enemies of their nation.
All other nations, tongues, and peoples, bowed to pagan deities,
and their worship comprized nought but the sensual rites of
heathen idolatry. Paganism was a religion of form and ceremony,
based on polytheism a belief in the existence of a multitude of
gods, which deities were subject to all the vices and passions of
humanity, while distinguished by immunity from death. Morality
and virtue were unknown as elements of heathen service; and the
dominant idea in pagan worship was that of propitiating the gods,
in the hope of averting their anger and purchasing their favor.
See the author's The Great Apostasy, I '.2-4, and notes following
the chapter cited.
ZACHARIAS THE PRIEST. 75
&f$b
em ;
^' 'ujTiit ftf ft ir
CHAPTER 7.
GABRIEL'S ANNUNCIATION OF JOHN AND OF JESUS.
JOHN THE FORERUNNER.
Associated with the prophecies of the birth of Christ are
predictions concerning one who should precede Him, going
before to prepare the way. It is not surprizing that the
annunciation of the immediate advent of the forerunner was
speedily followed by that of the Messiah ; nor that the procla-
mations were made by the same heavenly embassador
Gabriel, sent from the presence of God. a
About fifteen months prior to the Savior's birth, Zacha-
Has, a priest of the Aaronic order, was officiating in the
functions of his office in the temple at Jerusalem. His wife,
Elisabeth, was also of a priestly family, being numbered
among the descendants of Aaron. The couple had never
been blessed with children ; and at the time of which we
speak they were both well stricken in years and had sorrow-
fully given up hope of posterity. Zacharias belonged to the
course of priests named after Abijah, and known in later
time as the course of Abia. This was the eighth in the
order of the twenty-four courses established by David the
king, each course being appointed to serve in turn a week at
the sanctuary. b It will be remembered that on the return
of the people from Babylon only four of the courses were
represented ; but of these four each averaged over fourteen
hundred men. c
During his week of service each priest was required to
maintain scrupulously a state of ceremonial cleanliness of
a Luke 1:19, 26; see also Dan. 8:16; 9:21-23.
& Luke 1:5; compare 1 Chron. 24:10.
cEzra 2:36-39,
76 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 7.
person ; he had to abstain from wine, and from food except
that specifically prescribed; he had to bathe frequently; he
lived within the temple precincts and thus was cut off from
family association; he was not allowed to come near the
dead, nor to mourn in the formal manner if death should rob
him of even his nearest and dearest of kin. We learn that the
daily selection of the priest who should enter the Holy
Place, and there burn incense on the golden altar, was de-
termined by lot;** and furthermore we gather, from non-
scriptural history, that because of the great number of
priests the honor of so officiating seldom fell twice to the
same person.
On this day the lot had fallen to Zacharias. It was a
very solemn occasion in the life of the humble Judean
priest this one day in his life on which the special and par-
ticularly sacred service was required of him. Within the
Holy Place he was separated by the veil of the temple only
from the Oracle or Holy of Holies the inner sanctuary into
which none but the high priest might enter, and he only on
the Day of Atonement, after long ceremonial preparation/
The place and the time were conducive to the highest and
most reverential feelings. As Zacharias ministered within
the Holy Place, the people without bowed themselves in
prayer, watching for the clouds of incense smoke to appear
above the great partition which formed the barrier between
the place of general assembly and the Holy Place, and await-
ing the reappearance of the priest and his pronouncement of
the benediction.
Before the astonished gaze of Zacharias, at this supreme
moment of his priestly service, there appeared, standing on
the right of the golden altar of incense, an angel of the Lord.
Many generations had passed in Jewry since any visible
presence other than mortal had been manifest within the
d Luke 1:8, 9; read the entire chapter.
<?Lev. chap. 16; Heb. 9:1-7; see also "House of the Lord," p. 59, and
compare pp. 24 and 39, Note 6, end of chapter,
GABRIEL'S ANNUNCIATION TO ZACHARIAS. 77
temple, either in the Holy Place or the Holy of Holies ; the
people regarded personal visitations of heavenly beings as
occurrences of the past ; they had come almost to believe
that there were no longer prophets in Israel. Nevertheless,
there was always a feeling of anxiety, akin to that of troubled
expectancy, whenever a priest approached the inner sanctu-
ary, which was regarded as the particular abode of Jehovah
should He ever again condescend to visit His people. In
view of these conditions we read without surprize that this
angelic presence troubled Zacharias and caused fear to fall
upon him. The words of the heavenly visitant, however,
were comforting though of startling import, embodying as
they did the unqualified assurance that the man's prayers
had been heard, and that his wife should bear him a son,
who must be named John/ The promise went even further,
specifying that the child to be born of Elisabeth would be a
blessing to the people; many would rejoice at his birth; he
would be great in the sight of the Lord, and must be guarded
against wine and strong drink ? he would be rilled with the
Holy Ghost, would be the means of turning many souls to
God, and would go before to make ready a people prepared
to receive the Messiah.
Doubtless Zacharias recognized in the predicted future
of the yet unborn child, the great forerunner, of whom the
prophets had told and the psalmist had sung ; but that such
a one should be offspring of himself and his aged wife
seemed impossible despite the angel's promise. The man
doubted, and asked whereby he should know that what his
visitant had spoken was true: "And the angel answering
said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of
God ; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these
glad tidings. And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able
/ Page 40. For other instances of children promised in spite of barren-
ness due to a-ge or other causes, see Isaac (Gen. 17:18, 17 and 21:1-3); Sam-
son, (Judges, chap. 13); Samuel (1 Sam. chap 1); son of the Shunammite
(2 Kings 4:14-17).
g Note 1, end of chapter.
78 JESUS THE CHPviST. [CHAP. 7.
to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed,
because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled
in their season. " h When the highly blessed though sorely
smitten priest at length came from within and appeared be-
fore the expectant congregation, already made anxious by
his delayed return, he could but mutely dismiss the assembly
and by signs indicate that he had seen a vision. The penalty
for doubt was already operative ; Zacharias was dumb.
In due time the child was born, there in the hill country
of Judea* where Zacharias and Elisabeth had their home ;
and, on the eighth day following the birth the family assem-
bled in accordance with custom and Mosaic requirement, to
name the babe in connection with the rite of circumcision.''
All suggestions that he be called after his father were over-
ruled by Zacharias, who wrote with decisive finality: "His
name is John." Thereupon the dumb /e - priest's tongue was
loosed, and being filled with the Holy Ghost he burst forth
in prophecy, praise and song; his inspired utterances have
been set to music and are sung in worship by many Christian
congregations as the Benedictus :
"Blessed be the Lord God of Israel ; for he hath visited
and redeemed his people, and hath raised up an horn of
salvation for us in the house of his servant David ; as he
spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been
since the world began : that we should be saved from our
enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us ; to perform
the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy
covenant ; the oath which he sware to our father Abraham,
that he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of
the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, in
holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our
life. And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the
Highest : for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to
prepare his ways; to give knowledge of salvation unto his
JrLuke 1:19, 20.
t'Luke 1:57; compare verse 39.
/Note 2, end of chapter.
k Note 3, end of chapter.
WHAT MANNER OF CHILD SHALL THIS BE? 79
people by the remission of their sins, through the tender
mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high
hath visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness
and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way
of peace." l
The last words Zacharias had uttered prior to the inflic-
tion of dumbness were words of doubt and unbelief, words in
which he had called for a sign as proof of authority of one
who came from the presence of the Almighty ; the words with
which he broke his long silence were words of praise unto
God in whom he had all assurance, words that were as a
sign to all who heard, and the fame whereof spread through-
out the region.
The unusual circumstances attending the birth of John,
notably the months of dumbness passed by the father and
his sudden recovery of speech on the bestowal of the fore-
appointed name, caused many to marvel and some to fear,
as they asked : "What manner of child shall this be !"
When, a man grown, John raised his voice in the wilderness,
again in fulfilment of prophecy, the people questioned as to
whether he was not the Messiah." 1 Of his life between in-
fancy and the beginning of his public ministry, a period of
approximately thirty years, we have of record but a single
sentence : "And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit,
and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto
Israel.""
THE; ANNUNCIATION TO THE; VIRGIN.
Six months after the visitation of Gabriel to Zacharias,
and three months prior to the birth of John, the same heav-
enly messenger was sent to a young woman named Mary,
who lived at Nazareth, a town in Galilee. She was of the
lineage of David; and though unmarried was betrothed
/Luke 1:68-79.
m Luke 1:65, 66; see also 3:15.
nLuke 1:80.
80 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 7.
or espoused to a man named Joseph, who also was of royal
descent through the Davidic line. The angel's salutation,
while full of honor and blessing, caused Mary to wonder and
to feel troubled. "Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the
Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women";* thus
did Gabriel greet the virgin.
In common with other daughters of Israel, specifically
those of the tribe of Judah and of known descent from
David, Mary had doubtless contemplated, with holy joy and
ecstasy, the coming of the Messiah through the royal line;
she knew that some Jewish maiden was yet to become the
mother of the Christ. Was it possible that the angel's
words to her had reference to this supreme expectation and
hope of the nation? She had little time to turn these things
in her mind, for the angel continued : "Fear not, Mary : for
thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt
conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call
his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the
Son of the Highest : and the Lord God shall give unto him
the throne of his father David : and he shall reign over the
house of Jacob for ever ; and of his kingdom there shall be
no end."^
Even yet she comprehended but in part the import of
this momentous visitation. Not in the spirit of doubt such
as had prompted Zacharias to ask for a sign, but through an
earnest desire for information and explanation, Mary, con-
scious of her unmarried status and sure of her virgin con-
dition, asked: "How shall this be, seeing I know not a
man?" The answer to her natural and simple inquiry was
the announcement of a miracle such as the world had never
known not a miracle in the sense of a happening contrary
to nature's law, nevertheless a miracle through the operation
of higher law, such as the human mind ordinarily fails to
comprehend or regard as possible. Mary was informed that
o Luke 1 :28.
Luke 1:30-33.
! ' THE ONLY BEGOTTEN SON OF GOD. 81
she would conceive and in time bring forth a Son, of whom
no mortal man would be the father: "And the angel an-
swered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon
thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee :
therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee
shall be called the Son of God."?
Then the angel told her of the blessed condition of her
cousin Elisabeth, who had been barren ; and by way of suf-
ficient and final explanation added : "For with God nothing
shall be impossible." With gentle submissiveness and hum-
ble acceptance, the pure young virgin replied : "Behold the
handmaid of the Lord ; be it unto me according to thy word/'
His message delivered, Gabriel departed, leaving the
chosen Virgin of Nazareth to ponder over her wondrous
experience. Mary's promised Son was to be "The Only
Begotten" of the Father in the flesh; so it had been both
positively and abundantly predicted. True, the event was
unprecedented; true also it has never been paralleled; but
that the virgin birth would be unique was as truly essential
to the fulfilment of prophecy as that it should occur at all.
That Child to be born of Mary was begotten of Elohim, the
Eternal Father, not in violation of natural law but in
accordance with a higher manifestation thereof; and, the
offspring from that association of supreme sanctity, celes-
tial Sireship, and pure though mortal maternity, was of right
to be called the "Son of the Highest." In His nature would
be combined the powers of Godhood with the capacity and
possibilities of mortality ; and this through the ordinary oper-
ation of the fundamental law of heredity, declared of God,
demonstrated by science, and admitted by philosophy, that
living beings shall propagate after their kind. The Child
Jesus was to inherit the physical, mental, and spiritual traits,
tendencies, and powers that characterized His parents one
immortal and glorified God, the other human woman.
1:35; see also preceding verses, 31-33.
S2 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 7.
Jesus Christ was to be born of mortal woman, but was
not directly the offspring of mortal man, except so far as
His mother was the daughter of both man and woman. In
our L,ord alone has been fulfilled the word of God spoken in
relation to the fall of Adam, that the seed of the woman
should have power to overcome Satan by bruising the ser-
pent's head/
In respect to place, condition, and general environment,
Gabriel's annunciation to Zacharias offers strong contrast
to the delivery of his message to Mary. The prospective
forerunner of the Lord was announced to his father within
the magnificent temple, and in a place the most exclusively
sacred save one other in the Holy House, under the light
shed from the golden candlestick, and further illumined by
the glow of living coals on the altar of gold; the Messiah
was announced to His mother in a small town far from the
capital and the temple, most probably within the walls of a
jmple Galilean cottage.
MARY S VISIT TO HE)R COUSIN
'
It was natural that Mary, left now to herself with a
secret in her soul, holier, greater, and more thrilling than
any ever borne before or since, should seek companionship,
and that of some one of her own sex, in whom she could con-
fide, from whom she might hope to derive comfort and sup-
port, and to whom it would be not wrong to tell what at that
time was probably known to no mortal save herself. Her
heavenly visitant had indeed suggested all this in his mention
of Elisabeth, Mary's cousin, herself a subject of unusual
blessing, and a woman through whom another miracle of
God had been wrought. Mary set out with haste from Naz-
areth for the hill country of Judea, on a journey of about a
hundred miles if the traditional account be true that the little
town of Juttah was the home of Zacharias. There was
rPag 43) fend Gen. $|1A<
THE MAGNIFICAT. 83
'mutual joy in the meeting between Mary the youthful virgin,
and Elisabeth, already well advanced in life. From what of
Gabriel's words her husband had communicated, Elisabeth
must have known that the approaching birth of her son would
soon be followed by that of the Messiah, and that therefore
the day for which Israel had waited and prayed through the
long dark centuries was about to dawn. When Mary's
salutation fell upon her ears, the Holy Ghost bore witness
that the chosen mother of the Lord stood before her in the
person of her cousin; and as she experienced the physical
thrill incident to the quickening spirit of her own blessed
conception, she returned the greeting of her visitor with
reverence : "Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is
the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me, that the
mother of my Lord should come to me ?"* Mary responded
with that glorious hymn of praise, since adopted in the mu-
sical ritual of churches as the Magnificat :
"My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath re-
joiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded the low
estate of his handmaiden : for, behold, from henceforth all
generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty
hath done to me great things ; and holy is his name. And
his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to gen-
eration. He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath
scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He
hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them
of low degree. He hath filled the hungry with good things ;
and the rich he hath sent empty away. He hath holpen his
servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy ; as he spake to
our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever."*
MARY AND JOSEPH.
The visit lasted about three months, after which time
Mary returned to Nazareth. The real embarrassment of her
position she had now to meet. At the home of her cousin
.sLuke 1:42; read verses 39-56.
fLuke 1:46-55.
84 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 7.
she had been understood; her condition had served to con-
firm the testimony of Zacharias and Elisabeth; but how
would her word be received at her own home? And espe-
cially, how would she be regarded by her espoused hus-
band?" Betrothal, or espousal, in that time was in some
respects as binding as the marriage vow, and could only be
set aside by a ceremonial separation akin to divorce ; yet an
espousal was but an engagement to marry, not a marriage.
When Joseph greeted his promised bride after her three
months' absence, he was greatly distressed over the indica-
tions of her prospective maternity. Now the Jewish law
provided for the annulment of a betrothal in either of two
ways by public trial and judgment, or by private agreement
attested by a written document signed in the presence of
witnesses. Joseph was a just man, a strict observer of the
law, yet no harsh extremist; moreover he loved Mary and
would save her all unnecessary humiliation, whatever might
be his own sorrow and suffering. For Mary's sake he
dreaded the thought of publicity ; and therefore determined
to have the espousal annulled with such privacy as the law
allowed. He was troubled and thought much of his duty in
the matter, when, "behold, the angel of the Lord appeared
unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear
not to take unto thee Mary thy wife : for that which is con-
ceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring
forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS : for he shall
save his people from their sins." 1 '
Great was Joseph's relief of mind; and great his joy in
the realization that the long predicted coming of the Messiah
was at hand ; the words of the prophets would be fulfilled ;
a virgin, and she the one in the world most dear to him, had
conceived, and in due time would bring forth that blessed
Son, Emmanuel, which name by interpretation means "God
Note 4, end of chapter.
wMatt. 1:20, 21; read 18-25.
THE ROYAL LINEAGE OF JESUS. 85
with us." w The angel's salutation was significant ; "Joseph,
thou son of David/' was the form of address ; and the use of
that royal title must have meant to Joseph that, though he
was of kingly lineage, marriage with Mary would cast no
shadow upon his family status. Joseph waited not; to in-
sure Mary all possible protection and establish his full legal
right as her lawful guardian he hastened the solemnization
of the marriage, and "did as the angel of the Lord had bid-
den him, and took unto him his wife : and knew her not till
she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his
name JESUS."*
The national hope of a Messiah based on promise and
prophecy had become confused in the Jewish mind, through
the influence of rabbinism with its many vagaries, and its
"private interpretation"^ made to appear authoritative by the
artificially sustained prestige of the expositors; yet certain
conditions had been emphasized as essential, even by the
rabbis, and by these essentials would be judged the claim of
any Jew who might declare himself to be the long expected
One. It was beyond question that the Messiah was to be
born within the tribe of Judah and through the line of de-
scent from David, and, being of David He must of necessity
be of the lineage of Abraham, through whose posterity, ac-
cording to the covenant, all nations of the earth were to be
blessed/
Two genealogical records purporting to give the lineage
of Jesus are found in the New Testament, one in the first
chapter of Matthew, the other in the third chapter of Luke.
These records present several apparent discrepancies, but
such have been satisfactorily reconciled by the research of
specialists in Jewish genealogy. No detailed analysis of the
matter will be attempted here ; but it should be borne in mind
w Matt. 1:22-23; compare Isa. 7:14; see also 9:6.
*Matt. 1:24, 25. \
y2 Peter 1:20.
s Gen. 12:3; 18:18; 22:18; 26:4; compare Acts 3:25; Gal. 3:8.
86 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAI. 7.
that the consensus of judgment on the part of investigators
is that Matthew's account is that of the royal lineage, estab-
lishing the order of sequence among the legal successors to
the. throne of David, while the account given by Luke is a
personal pedigree, demonstrating descent from David with-
out Adherence to the line of legal succession to the throne
through primogeniture or nearness of kin. Luke's record
is regarded by many, however, as the pedigree of Mary,
while Matthew's is accepted as that of Joseph. The all im-
portant fact to be remembered is that the Child promised by
Gabriel to Mary, the virginal bride of Joseph, would be born
in the royal line. A personal genealogy of Joseph was
essentially that of Mary also, for they were cousins. Joseph
is named as son of Jacob by Matthew, and as son of Heli by
Luke ; but Jacob and Heli were brothers, and it appears that
one of the two was the father of Joseph and the other the
father of Mary and therefore father-in-law to Joseph. That
Mary was of Davidic descent is plainly set forth in many
scriptures ; for since Jesus was to be born of Mary, yet was
not begotten by Joseph, who was the reputed, and, according
to the law of the Jews, the legal, father, the blood of David's
posterity was given to the body of Jesus through Mary alone.
Our Lord, though repeatedly addressed as Son of David,
never repudiated the title but accepted it as rightly applied
to Himself. b Apostolic testimony stands in positive asser-
tion of the royal heirship of Christ through earthly lineage,
as witness the affirmation of Paul, the scholarly Pharisee:
"Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was
made of the seed of David according to the flesh;" and
again : "Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David
was raised from the dead." c
In all the persecutions waged by His implacable haters,
a Note 5, end of chapter.
b For instances see Matt. 9:27; 15:22; 21:9; 20:30, 31, with which com-
pare Luke 18:38, 39.
c Rom. 1:3; 2 Tim. 2:8; see also Acts 2:30; 13:23; compare Psa. 132:11;
see also Luke 1 :32.
THE RIGHTFUL HEIR TO DAVID - S THRONE. 87
in all the false accusations brought against Him, in the
specific charges of sacrilege and blasphemy based on His
acknowledgment of the Messiahship as His own, no mention
is found of even an insinuation that He could not be the
Christ through any ineligibility based on lineage. Genealogy
was assiduously cared for by the Jews before, during, and
after the time of Christ ; indeed their national history was
largely genealogical record ; and any possibility of denying
the Christ because of unattested descent would have been
used to the fullest extent by insistent Pharisee, learned
scribe, haughty rabbi, and aristocratic Sadducee.
At the time of the Savior's birth, Israel was ruled by
alien monarchs. The rights of the royal Davidic family were
unrecognized; and the ruler of the Jews was an appointee
of Rome. Had Judah been a free and independent nation,
ruled by her rightful sovereign, Joseph the carpenter would
have been her crowned king; and his lawful successor to
the throne would have been Jesus of Nazareth, the King of
the Jews.
Gabriel's annunciation to Mary was that of the Son of
David, on whose coming the hope of Israel rested as on a
sure foundation. The One, thus announced, was Emmanuel,
even God who was to dwell in flesh with His people/ the
Redeemer of the world, Jesus the Christ.
NOTES TO CHAPTER 7.
i. John the Baptist Regarded as a Nazarite. The instruc-
tion of the angel Gabriel to Zacharias, that the promised son,
John, was to "drink neither wine nor strong drink," and the adult
life of John as a dweller in the desert, together with his ^ habit of
wearing rough garb, have led commentators and Biblical spe-
cialists to assume that he was a "Nazarite for life." It is to be
remembered, however, that nowhere in scripture extant is John
the Baptist definitely called a Nazarite. A Nazarite, the name
signifying consecrated or separated, was one, who by personal
vow or by that made for him by his parents, was set apart to
some special labor or course of life involving self denial. (See
page 67). Smith's Comp. Diet, of the Bible says: "There is no
dMatt. 1:23.
88 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 7.
notice in the Pentateuch of Nazarites for life; but the regula-
tions for the vow of a Nazarite of days are given (Numb. 6:1-2).
The Nazarite, during the term of his consecration, was bound to
abstain from wine, grapes, and every production of the vine,
and from every kind of intoxicating drink. He was forbidden to
cut the hair of his head, or to approach any dead body, even
that of his nearest relation." The sole instance of a Nazarite
for life named in the scriptures is that of Samson, whose mother
was required to put herself under Nazarite observances prior to
his birth, and the child was to be a Nazarite to God from his
birth (Judges 13:3-7, 14). In the strictness of his life, John the
Baptist is to be credited with all the personal discipline required
of Nazarites whether he was under voluntary or parental vows
or was not so bound.
2. Circumcision, while not exclusively a Hebrew or an
Israelitish practise, was made a definite requirement through the
revelations of God to Abraham, as the sign of the covenant be-
tween Jehovah and the patriarch. (Gen. 17:9-14.) This cove-
nant was made to include the establishment of Abraham's pos-
terity as a great nation, and provided that through his descend-
ants should all nations of the earth be blessed (Gen. 22:18) a
promise which has been proved to mean that through that
lineage should the Messiah be born. Circumcision was a bind-
ing condition; and its practise therefore became a national char-
acteristic. Every male was to be circumcized eight days after
birth (Gen. 17:12; Lev. 12:3). This requirement as to age came
to be so rigidly enforced, that even if the eighth day fell on a
Sabbath the rite had to be performed on that day (John 7:22, 23).
All male slaves had to be circumcized (Gen. 17:12, 13) and even
strangers who sojourned with the Hebrews and desired to par-
take of the Passover with them had to submit to the require-
ment (Exo. 12:48). From the Standard Bible Dictionary we take
the following: "The ceremony indicated the casting off of un-
cleanness as a preparation for entrance into the privileges of
membership in Israel. In the New Testament, with its transfer
of emphasis from the external and formal to the inner and
spiritual side of things, it was first declared unnecessary for
Gentile converts to the gospel to be circumcized (Acts 15:28),
and afterward the rite was set aside even by Jewish Christians."
It became customary to name a child at the time it was circum-
cized, as is instanced in the case of John, son of Zacharias (Luke
i :59).
3. Zacharias' Affliction. The sign for which Zacharias
asked was thus given by the angel: "Behold, thou shalt be dumb,
and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be
performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be
fulfilled in their season." (Luke I -.20.) From the account of the
circumcision and naming of the boy, John, it is held by some that
the afflicted father was also deaf, as the company "made signs"
to him as to how he would have his son named (verse 62).
4. Jewish Betrothal. The vow of espousal, or betrothal,
has always been regarded as sacred and binding in Jewish law.
In a manner it was as binding as a marriage ceremony, though
NOTES. : 89
it carried none of the particular rights of marriage. The follow-
ing succinct statements are taken from Geikie's Life and Words
of Christ, vol. I. p. 09: "Among the Jews of Mary's day it was
even more of an actual engagement [than it later came to be].
The betrothal was formally made with rejoicings in the house
of the bride under a tent or slight canopy raised for the purpose.
It was called the 'making sacred' as the bride thenceforth was
sacred to her husband in the strictest sense. To make it legal,
the bridegroom gave his betrothed a piece of money, or the
worth of it, before witnesses, with the words, 'Lo, thou art be-
trothed unto me,' or by a formal writing in which similar words
and the maiden's name were given, and this in the same way was
handed to her before witnesses."
5. Genealogies of Joseph and Mary. "It is now almost cer-
tain that the genealogies in both Gospels are genealogies of
Joseph, which if we may rely on early traditions of their con-
sanguinity involve genealogies of Mary also. The Davidic de-
scent of Mary is implied in Acts 2:30; 13:23; Rom. 1:3; Luke
1 132, etc. St. Matthew gives the legal descent of Joseph through
the elder and regal line, as heir to the throne of David ; St. Luke
gives the natural descent. Thus, the real father of Salathiel was
heir of the house of Nathan, but the childless Jeconiah (Jer.
22:30) was the last lineal representative of the elder kingly line.
The omission of some obscure names and the symmetrical ar-
rangement into tesseradecads were common Jewish customs.
It is not too much to say that after the labors of Mill (On the
Mythical Interpretation of the Gospels, pp. 147-217) and Lord A. C.
Hervey (On the Genealogies of Our Lord, 1853 ^ scarcely a single
difficulty remains in reconciling the apparent divergencies. And
thus in this as in so many other instances, the very discrepancies
which^ appear to be most irreconcilable, and most fatal to the
historic accuracy of the four evangelists, turn out, on closer and
more patient investigation, to be fresh proofs that they are not
only entirely independent, but also entirely trustworthy."
Farrar, Life of Christ, p. 27, note.
The writer of the article "Genealogy of Jesus Christ" in
Smith's Bible Diet, says : "The New Testament gives us the
genealogy of but one person, pur Savior (Matt, i; Luke 3). . .
. . . The following propositions will explain the true con-
struction of these genealogies (so Lord A. C. Hervey) : i. They
are both the genealogies of Joseph, i.e. of Jesus Christ, as the
reputed and legal son of Joseph and Mary. 2. The genealogy
of Matthew is, as Grotius asserted, Joseph's genealogy as legal
successor to the throne of David. That of Luke is Joseph's pri-
vate genealogy, exhibiting his real birth, as David's son, and
thus showing why he was heir to Solomon's crown. The simple
principle that one evangelist exhibits that genealogy which con-
tained the successive heirs to David's and Solomon's throne,
while the other exhibits the paternal stem of him who was the
heir, explains all the anomalies of the two pedigrees, their agree-
ments as well as their discrepancies, and the circumstance of
their being two at all. 3. Mary, the mother of Jesus, was prob-
90
JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 7.
ably the daughter of Jacob, and first cousin to Joseph her hus-
band."
A valuable contribution to the literature of this subject ap-
pears in the Journal of the Transactions of the Victoria Institute,
or Philosophical Society of Great Britain, 1912, vol. 44, pp. 9-36, as
an article, "The Genealogies of our Lord," by Mrs. A. S. Lewis,
and discussion thereof by many scholars of acknowledged ability.
The author, Mrs. Lewis, is an authority on Syriac manuscripts,
and is one of the two women who, in 1892, discovered in the
library of St. Catherine's monastery on Mount Sinai, the Syriac
palimpsest MS. of the four Gospels. The gifted author holds
that Matthew's account attests the royal pedigree of Joseph,
and that Luke's genealogical table proves the equally royal
descent of Mary. Mrs. Lewis says : "The Sinai Palimpsest also
tells us that Joseph and Mary went to Bethlehem, to be en-
rolled there, because they were both of the house and lineage of
David."
Canon Girdlestone, in discussing the article, says in pertinent
emphasis of Mary's status as a princess of royal blood through
descent from David: "When the angel was foretelling to Mary
the birth of the Holy Child, he said, 'The Lord God shall give
Him the throne of His father David.' Now if Joseph, her be-
trothed, had alone been descended from David, Mary would
have answered, 'I am not yet married to Joseph,' whereas she did
answer simply, 'I am an unmarried woman/ which plainly im-
plies if I were married, since I am descended from David, I
could infuse my royal blood into a son, but how can I have a
royal son while I am a virgin ?' "
After brief mention of the Jewish law relating" to adoption,
wherein it is provided (according to Hammurabi's Code, section
188), that if a man teach his adopted son a handicraft, the son is
thereby confirmed in all the rights of heirship, Canon Girdle-
stone adds : "If the crown of David had been assigned to his
successor in the days of Herod it would have, been placed on the
head of Joseph. And who would have been the legal successor
to Joseph? Jesus of Nazareth would have been then the King
of the^ Jews, and the title on the cross spoke the truth. God
had raised Him up to the house of David."
6. The Inner Sanctuary of the Temple. The Holy of
Holies in the Temple of Herod retained the form and dimensions
of the Oracle in the Temple of Solomon ; it was therefore a cube,
twenty cubits in each principal measurement. Between this and the
Holy Place hung a double veil, of finest material, elaborately em-
broidered. The outer of the two veils was open at the north end,
the inner at the south ; so that the high priest who entered at the
appointed time once a year could pass between the veils without
exposing the Holy of Holies. The sacred chamber was empty
save for a large stone upon which the high priest sprinkled the
sacrificial blood on the Day of Atonement; this stone occupied the
place of the Ark and its Mercy Seat. Outside the veil, in the Holy
Place, stood the altar of incense, the seven-branched candlestick,
and the table of shewbread. The House of the Lord, p. 59.
THE TAXING OR ENROLMENT. 91
amfotv h . noi jsitttet^di ; ^adeliassOTiiy t tobqgaa
igacn-nrI : Daqesicsjij yd
CHAPTER 8.
-
THE BABE OF BETHLEHEM.
THE BIRTH OF JESUS.
Equally definite with the prophecies declaring that the
Messiah would be born in the lineage of David are the pre-
dictions that fix the place of His birth at Bethlehem, a small
town in Judea. There seems to have been no difference of
opinion among priests, scribes, or rabbis on the matter, either
before or since the great event. Bethlehem, though small
and of little importance in trade or commerce, was doubly
endeared to the Jewish heart as the birthplace of David and
as that of the prospective Messiah. Mary and Joseph lived
in Nazareth of Galilee, far removed from Bethlehem of
Judea ; and, at the time of which we speak, the maternity of
the Virgin was fast approaching.
At that time a decree went out from Rome ordering a
taxing of the people in all kingdoms and provinces tributary
to the empire; the call was of general scope, it provided
"that all the world should be taxed. " a The taxing herein
referred to may properly be understood as an enrolment,* 7
or a registration, whereby a census of Roman subjects would
be secured, upon which as a basis the taxation of the differ-
ent peoples would be determined. This particular census
was the second of three such general registrations recorded
by historians as occurring at intervals of about twenty years.
Had the census been taken by the usual Roman method,
each person would have been enrolled at the town of his resi-
dence ; but the Jewish custom, for which the Roman law had
' .isJa
a Luke 2:1; see also verses 2-4. Note 1, end of chapter.
b Note marginal reading, Oxford and Bagster Bibles.
9 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 8.
respect, necessitated registration at the cities or towns
claimed by the respective families as their ancestral homes.
As to whether the requirement was strictly mandatory that
every family should thus register at the city of its ancestors,
we need not be specially concerned ; certain it is that Joseph
and Mary went to Bethlehem, the city of David, to be in-
scribed under the imperial decree.
The little town was crowded at the time, most likely by
the multitude that had come in obedience to the same sum-
mons ; and, in consequence, Joseph and Mary failed to find
the most desirable accommodations and had to be content
with the conditions of an improvised camp, as travelers un-
numbered had done before, and as uncounted others have
done since, in that region and elsewhere. We cannot rea-
sonably regard this circumstance as evidence of extreme
destitution ; doubtless it entailed inconvenience, but it gives
us no assurance of great distress or suffering.** It was
while she was in this situation that Mary the Virgin gave
birth to her firstborn, the Son of the Highest, the Only
Begotten of the Eternal Father, Jesus the Christ.
But few details of attendant circumstances are furnished
us. We are not told how soon the birth occurred after the
arrival of Mary and her husband at Bethlehem. It may
have been the purpose of the evangelist who made the record
to touch upon matters of purely human interest as lightly
as was consistent with the narration of fact, in order that
the central truth might neither be hidden nor overshadowed
by unimportant incident. We read in Holy Writ this only of
the actual birth: "And so it was, that, while they were
there, the days were accomplished that she should be de-
livered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and
wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger ;
because there was no room for them in the inn."*
c Note 1, end of chapter.
d Note 2, end of chapter.
Luke 2:6, 7.
ANGELIC VISITATION TO THE SHEPHERDS. 93
In vivid contrast with the simplicity and brevity of the
scriptural account and of its paucity of incidental details, is
the mass of circumstance supplied by the imagination of
men, much of which is wholly unsupported by authoritative
record and in many respects is plainly inconsistent and un-
true. It is the part of prudence and wisdom to segregate
and keep distinctly separate the authenticated statements of
fact, in so momentous a matter, from the fanciful com-
mentaries of historians, theologians, and writers of fiction,
as also from the emotional rhapsodies of poets and artistic
extravaganzas wrought by chisel or brush.
From the period of its beginning, Bethlehem had been
the home of people engaged mostly in pastoral and agricul-
tural pursuits. It is quite in line with what is known of
the town and its environs to find at the season of Messiah's
birth, which was in the springtime of the year, that flocks
were in the field both night and day under the watchful care
of their keepers. Unto certain of these humble shepherds
came the first proclamation that the Savior had been born.
Thus runs the simple record : "And there were in the same
country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over
their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came
upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about
them : and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto
them, Fear not : for, behold, I bring you good tidings of
great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is
born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ
the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you : Ye shall find
the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the
heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the
highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.'^
Tidings of such import had never before been delivered
by angel or received by man good tidings of great joy,
/Luke 2:8-14.
94 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 8.
given to but few and those among the humblest of earth,
but destined to spread to all people. There is sublime
grandeur in the scene, as there is divine authorship in the
message, and the climax is such as the mind of man could
never have conceived the sudden appearance of a multi-
tude of the heavenly host, singing audibly to human ears
the briefest, most consistent and most truly complete of all
the songs of peace ever attuned by mortal or spirit choir.
What a consummation to be wished Peace on earth ! But
how can such come except through the maintenance of good
will toward men ? And through what means could glory
to God in the highest be more effectively rendered?
The trustful and unsophisticated keepers of sheep had
not asked for sign or confirmation ; their faith was in unison
with the heavenly communication ; nevertheless the angel
had given them what he called a sign, to guide them in
their search. They waited not, but went in haste, for in
their hearts they believed, yea, more than believed, they
knew, and this was the tenor of their resolve : "Let us now
go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come
to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us." 5 ' They
found the Babe in the manger, with the mother and Joseph
near by ; and, having seen, they went out and testified to the
truth concerning the Child. They returned to their flocks,
glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen.
There is meaning as deep as the pathos that all must feel
in the seemingly parenthetical remark by Luke : "But Mary
kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart." 71 It
is apparent that the great truth as to the personality and
mission ot her divine Son had not yet unfolded itself in its
fulness to her mind. The whole course of events, from the
salutation of Gabriel to the reverent testimony of the shep-
herds concerning the announcing angel and the heavenly
pLuke 2:15.
h Luke 2:19.
PRESENTATION OF JESUS IN THE TEMPLE. 95
hosts, was largely a mystery to that stainless mother and
wife.
,*ri]
REQUIREMENTS OF THE LAW STRICTLY OBSERVED.
The Child was born a Jew ; the mother was a Jewess, and
the reputed and legal father, Joseph, was a Jew. The true
paternity of the Child was known to but few, perhaps at that
time to none save Mary, Joseph, and possibly Elisabeth and
Zacharias; as He grew He was regarded by the people as
Joseph's son.* The requirements of the law were carried
out with exactitude in all matters pertaining to the Child.
When eight days old He was circumcized, as was required of
every male born in Israel / and at the same time He received
as an earthly bestowal the name that had been prescribed at
the annunciation. He was called JESUS, which, being in-
terpreted is Savior; the name was rightfully His for He
came to save the people from their sins. &
Part of the law given through Moses to the Israelites in
the wilderness and continued in force down through the
centuries, related to the procedure prescribed for women
after childbirth.' In compliance therewith, Mary remained
in retirement forty days following the birth of her Son ; then
she and her husband brought the Boy for presentation before
the Lord as prescribed for the male firstborn of every family.
It is manifestly impossible that all such presentations could
have taken place in the temple, for many Jews lived at great
distances from Jerusalem ; it was the rule, however, that
parents should present their children in the temple when
possible. Jesus was born within five or six miles from Jeru-
salem ; He was accordingly taken to the temple for the cere-
monial of redemption from the requirement applying to the
firstborn of all Israelites except Levites. It will be remem-
bered that the children of Israel had been delivered from the
t'Luke 4:22; Matt. 13:55; Mark 6:3.
/Gen. 17:12, 13; Lev. 12:3; compare John 7:22. Page 88.
&Luke 2:21; compare 1:31; Matt. 1:21. 25.
/Lev. chafi. 12.
96 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 8.
bondage of Egypt with the accompaniment of signs and
wonders. Because of Pharaoh's repeated refusals to let the
people go, plagues had been brought upon the Egyptians,
one of which was the death of the firstborn throughout the
land, excepting only the people of Israel. In remembrance
of this manifestation of power, the Israelites were required
to dedicate their firstborn sons to the service of the sanctu-
ary." 1 Subsequently the Lord directed that all males belong-
ing to the tribe of Levi should be devoted to this special
labor instead of the firstborn in every tribe ; nevertheless the
eldest son was still claimed as particularly the Lord's own,
and had to be formally exempted from the earlier require-
ment of service by the paying of a ransom."
In connection with the ceremony of purification, every
mother was required to furnish a yearling lamb for a burnt
offering, and a young pigeon or dove for a sin offering ; but
in the case of any woman who was unable to provide a lamb,
a pair of doves or pigeons might be offered. We learn of
the humble circumstances of Joseph and Mary from the fact
that they brought the less costly offering, two doves or
pigeons, instead of one bird and a lamb.
Among the righteous and devout Israelites were some
who, in spite of traditionalism, rabbinism, and priestly cor-
ruption, still lived in righteous expectation of inspired con-
fidence, awaiting patiently the consolation of Israel. One
of these was Simeon, then living in Jerusalem. Through the
power of the Holy Ghost he had gained the promise that he
should not see death until he had looked upon the Lord's
Christ in the flesh. Prompted by the Spirit he repaired to
the temple on the day of the presentation of Jesus, and rec-
ognized in the Babe the promised Messiah. In the moment
of realization that the hope of his life had found glorious
consummation, Simeon raised the Child reverently in his
wExo. 12:29; 13:2, 12; 22:29, 30.
nNumb. 8:15-18; 18:15, 16.
2:25; see also verse 38; Mark 15:43; compare Psa. 40.1.
SIMEON AND ANNA. 97
arms, and, with the simple but undying eloquence that comes
of God uttered this splendid supplication, in which thanks-
giving, resignation and praise are so richly blended:
-nid
"Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace,
according to thy word : for mine eyes have seen thy salva-
tion, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people ;
a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people
Israel."*
Then under the spirit of prophecy, Simeon told of the
greatness of the Child's mission, and of the anguish that the
mother would be called to endure because of Him, which
would be even like unto that of a sword piercing her soul.
The Spirit's witness to the divinity of Jesus was not to be
confined to a man. There was at that time in the temple a
godly woman of great age, Anna, a prophetess who devoted
herself exclusively to temple service ; and she, being inspired
of God, recognized her Redeemer, and testified of Him to all
about her. Both Joseph and Mary marveled at the things
that were spoken of the Child; seemingly they were not yet
able to comprehend the majesty of Him who had come to
them through so miraculous a conception and so marvelous
a birth.
WISE MEN SEARCH FOR THE KING.
Some time after the presentation of Jesus in the temple,
though how long we are not told, possibly but a few days,
possibly weeks or even months, Herod, king of Judea, was
greatly troubled, as were the people of Jerusalem in general,
over the report that a Child of Prophecy one destined to be-
come King of the Jews had been born. Herod was profess-
edly an adherent of the religion of Judah, though by birth an
Idumean, by descent an Edomite or one of the posterity
p Luke 2:29-32. These verses are known in Christian hymnology as
the Nunc Dimittis; the name has reference to the first two words of the
Latin version.
98 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 8.
of Esau, all of whom the Jews hated ; and of all Edomites
not one was more bitterly detested than was Herod the king.
He was tyrannical and merciless, sparing neither foe nor
friend who came under suspicion of being a possible hin-
drance to his ambitious designs. He had his wife and sev-
eral of his sons, as well as others of his blood kindred, cruelly
murdered; and he put to death nearly all of the great na-
tional council, the Sanhedrin. His reign was one of revolt-
ing cruelty and unbridled oppression. Only when in danger
of inciting a national revolt or in fear of incurring the dis-
pleasure of his imperial master, the Roman emperor, did he
stay his hand in any undertaking. ^
Rumors of the birth of Jesus reached Herod's ears in this
way. There came to Jerusalem certain men from afar, wise
men they were called, and they asked, "Where is he that is
born King of the Jews ? for we have seen his star in the east,
and are come to worship him." r Herod summoned "all the
chief priests and scribes of the people," and demanded of
them where, according to the prophets, Christ should be
born. They answered him: "In Bethlehem of Judea: for
thus it is written by the prophet, And thott Bethlehem, in the
land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda :
for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my
people Israel."*
Herod sent secretly for the wise men, and inquired of
them as to the source of their information, and particularly
as to the time at which the star, to which they attached such
significance, had appeared. Then he directed them to Beth-
lehem, saying: "Go and search diligently for the young
child ; and when ye have found him, bring me word again,
that I may come and worship him also." As the men set
out from Jerusalem on the last stage of their journey of
inquiry and search, they rejoiced exceedingly, for the new
q Note 3, end of chapter.
rMatt. 2:2; read 1-10.
sMatt. 2:5, 6; compare Micah 5:2; John 7:42.
WISE MEN VISIT THE INFANT JESUS. 99
star they had seen in the east was again visible. They found
the house wherein Mary was living with her husband and
the Babe, and as they recognized the royal Child they "fell
down,and worshipped him : and when they had opened their
treasures, they presented unto him gifts ; gold, and frankin-
cense, and myrrh."* Having thus gloriously accomplished
the purpose of their pilgrimage, these devout and learned
travelers prepared to return home, and would have stopped
at Jerusalem to report to the king as he had requested, but
"being warned of God in a dream that they should not return
to Herod, they departed into their own country another
way.""
Much has been written, beyond all possible warrant of
scriptural authority, concerning the visit of the magi, or wise
men, who thus sought and found the infant Christ. As a
matter of fact, we are left without information as to their
country, nation, or tribal relationship ; we are not even told
how many they were, though unauthenticated tradition has
designated them as "the three wise men," and has even given
them names; whereas they are left unnamed in the script-
ures, the only true record of them extant, and may have
numbered but two or many. Attempts have been made to
identify the star whose appearance in their eastern sky had
assured the magi that the King was born; but astronomy
furnishes no satisfactory confirmation. The recorded ap-
pearance of the star has been associated by both ancient and
modern interpreters with the prophecy of Balaam, who,
though not an Israelite had blessed Israel, and under divine
inspiration had predicted : "there shall come a Star out of
Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel. " v Moreover,
as already shown, the appearance of a new star was a pre-
dicted sign recognized and acknowledged among the people
of the western world as witness of Messiah's birth.
t Note 4, end of chapter.
Note 5, end of chapter.
t;Numb. 24:17.
wE. of M., Helaman 14:5; 3 Nephi 1:21. Pp. 52, 101 and 721 herein.
100 iHt 'j JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 8.
FLIGHT INTO EGYPT.
Herod's perfidy in directing the magi to return and re-
port to him where the royal Infant was to be found, falsely
professing that he wished to worship Him also, while in his
heart he purposed taking the Child's life, was thwarted by
the divine warning given to the wise men as already noted.
Following their departure, the angel of the Lord appeared to
Joseph, saying: "Arise, and take the young child and his
mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring
thee word : for Herod will seek the young child to destroy
him."* In obedience to this command, Joseph took Mary
and her Child, and set out by night on the journey to Egypt ;
and there the family remained until divinely directed to re-
turn. When it was apparent to the king that the wise men
had ignored his instructions, he was exceedingly angry ; and,
estimating the earliest time at which the birth could have
occurred according to the magis' statement of the star's ap-
pearing, he ruthlessly ordered the slaughter of "all the chil-
dren that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof,
from two years old and under."^ In this massacre of the
innocents, the evangelist found a fulfilment of Jeremiah's
fateful voicing of the word of the Lord, spoken six centuries
earlier and expressed in the forceful past tense as though
then already accomplished: "In Rama was there a voice
heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Ra-
chel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted,
because they are not." 2
BIRTH OF JESUS MADE KNOWN TO THE NEJPHITES.
As heretofore shown, the prophets of the western hem-
isphere had foretold in great plainness the earthly advent of
the Lord, and had specifically set forth the time, place, and
circumstances of His birth. As the time drew near the
*Matt. 2:13.
y Matt. 2:16.
z Matt. 2:17, 18; compare Jer. 31:15.
a Page 49.
SIGNS SHOWN ON THE WESTERN CONTINENT. 101
people were divided by conflicting opinions concerning the
reliability of these prophecies; and intolerant unbelievers
cruelly persecuted those, who, like Zacharias, Simeon, Anna ,
and other righteous ones in Palestine, had maintained in
faith and trust their unwavering expectation of the coming
of the Lord. Samuel, a righteous Lamanite, who, because
of his faithfulness and sacrificing devotion had been blessed
with the spirit and power of prophecy, fearlessly proclaimed
the birth of Christ as near : "And behold, he said unto them,
Behold I give unto you a sign ; for five years more cometh,
and behold, then cometh the Son of God to redeem all those
who shall believe on his name." & The prophet told of many
signs and wonders, which were to mark the great event. As
the five years ran their course, the believers grew more stead-
fast, the unbelievers more violent, until the last day of the
specified period dawned ; and this was the "day set apart by
the unbelievers, that all those who believed in those traditions
should be put to death, except the sign should come to pass
which had been given by Samuel the prophet. " c
Nephi, a prophet of the time, cried unto the Lord in
anguish of soul because of the persecution of which his peo-
ple were the victims ; "and behold, the voice of the Lord
came unto him, saying, Lift up your head and be of good
cheer, for behold, the time is at hand, and on this night
shall the sign be given, and on the morrow come I into the
world, to shew unto the world that I will fulfil all that which
I have caused to be spoken by the mouth of my holy proph-
ets. Behold, I come unto my own, to fulfil all things which
I have made known unto the children of men, from the
foundation of the world, and do the will, both of the Father,
and of the Son; of the Father, because of me, and of the
Son, because of my flesh. And behold, the time is at hand,
and this night shall the sign be given."**
&B. of M., Helaman 14:2; read 1-9.
cB. of M., 3 Nephi 1:9; read verses 4-21.
JB. of M, 3 Nephi 1:12-21.
102 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 8.
The words of the prophet were fulfilled that night; for
though the sun set in its usual course there was no dark-
ness; and on the morrow the sun rose on a land already
illumined; a day and a night and another day had been as
one day; and this was but one of the signs. A new star
appeared in the firmament of the west, even as was seen by
the magi in the east ; and there were many other marvelous
manifestations as the prophets had predicted. All these
things occurred on what is now known as the American con-
tinent, six hundred years after Lehi and his little company
had left Jerusalem to come hither.
THE TIME OF THE BIRTH o* A JESUS.
The time of Messiah's birth is a subject upon which spe-
cialists in theology and history, and those who are designated
in literature "the learned," fail to agree. Numerous lines of
investigation have been followed, only to reach divergent
conclusions, both as to the year and as to the month and day
within the year at which the "Christian era" in reality began.
The establishment of the birth of Christ as an event marking
a time from which chronological data should be calculated,
was first effected about 532 A. D. by Dionysius Exiguus;
and as a basis for the reckoning of time this method has
come to be known as the Dionysian system, and takes for its
fundamental datum A. U. C. 753, that is to say 753 years
after the founding of Rome, as the year of our Lord's birth.
So far as there exists any consensus of opinion among later
scholars who have investigated the subject, it is to the effect
that the Dionysian calculation is wrong, in that it places the
birth of Christ between three and four years too late ; and
that therefore our Lord was born in the third or fourth year
before the beginning of what is designated by the scholars
of Oxford and Cambridge, "the Common Account called
Anno Domini."'
.
* Marginal reading, Oxford and Bagster Bibles. Matt. 2:1.
THE YEAR OF CHRIST'S BIRTH. 103
Without attempting to analyze the mass of calculation
data relating to this subject, we accept the Dionysian basis
as correct with respect to the year, which is to say that we
believe Christ to have been born in the year known to us
as B. C. i, and, as shall be shown, in an early month of that
year. In support of this belief we cite the inspired record
known as the "Revelation on Church Government, given
through Joseph the Prophet, in April, 1830," which opens
with these words: "The rise of the Church of Christ in
these last days, being one thousand eight hundred and thirty
years since the coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ
in the flesh."/
Another evidence of the correctness of our commonly
accepted chronology is furnished by the Book of Mormon
record. Therein we read that "in the commencement of the
first year of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah," the word
of the Lord came to Lehi at Jerusalem, directing him to
take his family and depart into the wilderness. 6 ' In the early
stages of their journey toward the sea, Lehi prophesied, as
had been shown him of the Lord, concerning the impending
destruction of Jerusalem and the captivity of the Jews.
Furthermore, he predicted the eventual return of the people
of Judah from their exile in Babylon, and the birth of the
Messiah, which latter event he definitely declared would take
place six hundred years from the time he and his people had
left Jerusalem.* 1 This specification of time was repeated by
later prophecy; 1 ' and the signs of the actual fulfilment are
recorded as having been realized "six hundred years from
the time that Lehi left Jerusalem."'' These scriptures fix the
time of the beginning of Zedekiah's reign as six hundred
years before the birth of Christ. According to the com-
monly accepted reckoning, Zedekiah was made king in the
/Doc. and Cov. 20:1; compare 21:3. Note 6, end of chapter.
0B. of M., 1 Nephi 1:4; 2:2-4.
AB. of M., 1 Nephi 10:4.
*B. of M., 1 Nephi 19:8; 2 Nephi 25:19.
i*. of M.. 3 Nephi !:!.
104 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 8.
year 597 B. C. k This shows a discrepancy of about three
years between the commonly accepted date of Zedekiah's
inauguration as king and that given in the Book of Mormon
statement ; and, as already seen, there is a difference of be-
tween three and four years between the Dionysian reckoning
and the nearest approach to an agreement among scholars
concerning the beginning of the current era. Book of Mor-
mon chronology therefore sustains in general the correctness
of the common or Dionysian system.
As to the season of the year in which Christ was born,
there is among the learned as great a diversity of opinion as
that relating to the year itself. It is claimed by many
Biblical scholars that December 25th, the day celebrated in
Christendom as Christmas, cannot be the correct date. We
believe April 6th to be the birthday of Jesus Christ as indi-
cated in a revelation of the present dispensation already
cited/ in which that day is made without qualification the
completion of the one thousand eight hundred and thirtieth
year since the coming of the Lord in the flesh. This accept-
ance is admittedly based on faith in modern revelation, and
in no wise is set forth as the result of chronological research
or analysis. We believe that Jesus Christ was born in
Bethlehem of Judea, April 6, B. C. 1.
NOTES TO CHAPTER 8.
i. ^ The "Taxing." Regarding the presence of Joseph and
Mary in Bethlehem, far from their Galilean home, and the im-
perial Decree by compliance with which they were led there, the
following notes are worthy of consideration. Farrar (Life of
Christ, p. 24, note), says: "It appears to be uncertain whether
the journey of Alary with her husband was obligatory or volun-
tary. .... Women were liable to a capitation tax, if
this enrolment also involved taxation. But, apart from any
legal necessity, it may easily be imagined that at such a moment
Mary would desire not to be left alone. The cruel suspicion of
which she had been the subject, and which had almost led to
the breaking off of her betrothal (Matt. 1:19) would make her
cling all the more to the protection of her husband." The fol-
k "Standard Bible Dictionary," edited by Jacobus, Nourse, and Zenos,
pub. by Funk & Wagnalls Co., New York and London, 1909, p. 915, article
^Zedekiah."
I Doc. and Cov. 20:1; compare 21 A
ilflH^OTES. 105
lowing excerpt is from Geikie's Life and Words of Christ, vol. i,
chap. 9; p. 108: "The Jewish nation had paid tribute to Rome,
through their rulers, since the days of Pompey; and the method-
ical Augustus, who now reigned, and had to restore order and
soundness to the finances of the empire, after the confusion and
exhaustion of the civil wars, took good care that this obligation
should neither be forgotten nor evaded. He was accustomed to
require a census to be taken periodically in every province of his
vast dominions, that he might know the number of soldiers he
could levy in each, and the amount of taxes due to the treasury.
In an empire embracing the then known world,
such a census could hardly have been made simultaneously, or
in any short or fixed time ; more probably it was the work of
years, in successive provinces or kingdoms. Sooner or later,
however, even the dominions of vassal kings like Herod had to
furnish the statistics demanded by their master. He had re-
ceived his kingdom on the footing of a subject, and grew more
entirely dependent on Augustus as years passed, asking his
sanction at every turn for steps he proposed to take. He would,
thus, be only too ready to meet his wish, by obtaining the statis-
tics he sought, as may be judged from the fact that in one of the
last years of his life, just before Christ's birth, he made the
whole Jewish nation take a solemn oath of allegiance to the
emperor as well as to himself.
"It is quite probable that the mode of taking the required
statistics was left very much to Herod, at once to show respect
to him before his people, and from the known opposition of the
Jews to anything like a general numeration, even apart from
the taxation to which it was designed to lead. At the time to
which the narrative refers, a simple registration seems to have
been made, on the old Hebrew plan of .enrolling by families in
their ancestral districts, of course for future use; and thus it
passed over quietly. . . . The proclamation having been
made through the land, Joseph had no choice but to go to
Bethlehem, the city of David, the place in which his family
descent, from the house and lineage of David, required him to
be inscribed."
2. Jesus Born Amidst Poor Surroundings. Undoubtedly
the accommodations for physical comfort amidst which Jesus
was born were few and poor. But the environment, considered
in the light of the customs of the country and time, was far
from the state of abject deprivation which modern and western
ways would make it appear. "Camping out" was no unusual
exigency among travelers in Palestine at the time of our Lord's
birth ; nor is it considered such to-day. It is, however, beyond
question that Jesus was born into a comparatively poor family,
amidst humble surroundings associated with the inconveniences
incident to travel. Cunningham Geikie, Life and Words of Christ,
chap. 9, pp. 112, 113, says: "It was to Bethlehem that Joseph
and Mary were coming, the town of Ruth and Boaz, and the
early home of their own great forefather David. As they ap-
proached it from Jerusalem they would pass, at the last mile,
a spot sacred to Jewish memory, where the light of Jacob's life
106 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 8.
went out, when his first love, Rachel, died, and was buried, as
her tomb still shows, 'in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethle-
hem.' Travel-
ing in the East has always been very different from Western
ideas. As in all thinly-settled countries, private hospitality, in
early times, supplied the want of inns, but it was the peculiarity
of the East that this friendly custom continued through a long
series of ages. On the great roads through barren or uninhab-
ited parts, the need of shelter led, very early, to the erection of
rude and simple buildings, of varying size, known as khans,
which offered the wayfarer the protection of walls and a roof,
and water, but little more. The smaller structures consisted of
sometimes only a single empty room, on the floor of which the
traveler might spread his carpet for sleep ; the larger ones, always
built in a hollow square, enclosing a court for the beasts, with
water in it for them and their masters. From immemorial
antiquity it has been a favorite mode of benevolence to raise
such places of shelter, as we see so far back as the times of
David, when Chimham built a great khan near Bethlehem, on
the caravan road to Egypt."
f Canon Farrar (Life of Christ, chap, i) accepts the traditional
belief that the shelter within which Jesus was born was that of
one of the numerous limestone caves which abound in the region,
and which are still used by travelers as resting places. He says :
"In Palestine it not infrequently happens that the entire khan,
or at any rate the portion of it in which the animals are housed,
is one of those innumerable caves which abound in the limestone
rocks of its central hills. Such seems to have been in the case at
the little town of Bethlehem-Ephratah, in the land of Judah.
Justin Martyr, the Apologist, who, from his birth at Shechem,
was familiar with Palestine, and who lived less than a century
after the time of our Lord, places the scene of the nativity in a
cave. This is, indeed, the ancient and constant tradition both
of the Eastern and the Western Churches, and it is one of the few
to which, though unrecorded in the Gospel history, we may attach
a reasonable probability."
3. Herod the Great. The history of Herod I, otherwise
known as Herod the Great, must be sought in special works, in
which the subject is treated at length. Some of the principal
facts should be considered in our present study, and for the
assistance of the student a few extracts from works regarded as
reliable are presented herewith.
Condensed from part of article in the Standard Bible Dic-
tionary, edited by Jacobus, Nourse, and Zenos ; published by
Funk and W agnails Co., 1909: Herod I, the son of Antipater,
was early given office by his father, who had been made pro-
curator of Judea. The first office which Herod held was that of
governor of Galilee. He was then a young man of about twenty-
five, energetic and athletic. Immediately he set about the erad-
ication of the robber bands that infested his district, and soon
was able to execute the robber chief Hezekiah and several of his
followers. For this he was summoned to Jerusalem by the
Sanhedrin, tried and condemned, but with the connivance of
NOTES. 107
Hyrcanus II [the high priest and ethnarch] lie escaped by night
He went to Rome where he was appointed King of Judea by
Antony and Octavius. For the next two years he was engaged
in fighting the forces of Antigonus, whom he finally defeated,
and in 37 B. C. gained possession of Jerusalem. As king, Herod
confronted serious difficulties. The Jews objected to him be-
cause of his birth and reputation. The Asmonean family re-
garded him as a usurper, notwithstanding the fact that he had
married Mariamne. The Pharisees were shocked at his Hellen-
istic sympathies, as well as at his severe methods of government.
On the other hand the Romans held him responsible for the
order of his kingdom, and the protection of the eastern frontier
of the Republic. Herod met these various difficulties with char-
acteristic energy and even cruelty, and generally with cold
sagacity. Although he taxed the people severely, in times of
famine he remitted their dues and even sold his plate to get
means to buy them food. While he never became actually
friendly with the Pharisees, they profited by his hostility to the
party of the Asmoneans, which led at the beginning of his reign
to the execution of a number of Sadducees who were members
of the Sanhedrin.
From Smith's Comprehensive Dictionary of the Bible : The
latter part "of the reign of Herod was undisturbed by external
troubles, but his domestic life was embittered by an almost un-
interrupted series of injuries and cruel acts of vengeance. The
terrible acts of bloodshed which Herod perpetrated in his own
family were accompanied by others among his subjects equally
terrible, from the number who fell victims to them. According
to the well-known story, he ordered the nobles whom he had
called to him in his last moments to be executed immediately
after his decease, that so at least his death might be attended
by universal mourning. It was at the time of his fatal illness
that he must have caused the slaughter of the infants at Beth-
lehem" (Matt. 2:16-18).
The mortal end of the tyrant and multi-murderer is thus
treated by Farrar in his Life of Christ, pp. 54,55: "It must have
been very shortly after the murder of the innocents that Herod
died. Only five days before his death he had made a frantic at-
tempt at suicide, and had ordered the execution of his eldest son
Antipater. His death-bed, which once more reminds us of
Henry VIII., was accompanied by circumstances of peculiar
horror; and it has been asserted that he died of a loathsome
disease, which is hardly mentioned in history, except in the case
of men who have been rendered infamous by an atrocity of per-
secuting zeal. On his bed of intolerable anguish, in that splendid
and luxurious palace which he had built for himself, under the
palms of Jericho, swollen with disease and scorched by thirst,
ulcerated externally and glowing inwardly with a 'soft slow fire,'
surrounded by plotting sons and plundering slaves, detesting all
and detested by all, longing for death as a release from his
tortures yet dreading it as the beginning of worse terrors, stung
by remorse yet still unslaked with murder, a horror to all around;
108 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 8.
him yet in his guilty conscience a worse terror to himself, de-
voured by the premature corruption of an anticipated grave,
eaten of worms as though visibly smitten by the finger of God's
wrath after seventy years of successful villainy, the wretched
old man, whom men had c.illed the Great, lay in savage frenzy
awaiting his last hour. As he knew that none would shed one
tear for him, he determined that they should shed many for
themselves, and issued an order that, under pain of death, the
principal families of the kingdom and the chiefs of the tribes
should come to Jericho. They came, and then, shutting them in
the hippodrome, he secretly commanded his sister Salome that
at the moment of his death they should all be massacred. And
so, choking as it were with blood, devising massacres in its very
delirium, the soul of Herod passed forth into the night."
For mention of the Temple of Herod see Note 5, following
Chapter 6.
4. Gifts from the Wise Men to the Child Jesus. The scrip-
tural account of the visit of the wise men to Jesus and His
mother states that they "fell down and worshipped him," and
furthermore that "when they had opened their treasures, they
presented unto him gifts ; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh."
The offering of gifts to a superior in rank, either as to worldly
status or recognized spiritual endowment, was a custom of early
days and still prevails in many oriental lands. It is worthy of
note that we have no record of these men from the east offering
gifts to Herod in his palace; they did, however, impart of their
treasure to the lowly Infant, in whom they recognized the King
they had come to seek. The tendency to ascribe occult signifi-
cance to even trifling details mentioned in scripture, and par-
ticularly as regards the life of Christ, has led to many fanciful
suggestions concerning the gold and frankincense and myrrh
specified in this incident. Some have supposed a half-hidden
symbolism therein gold a tribute to His royal estate, frankin-
cense an offering in recognition of His priesthood, and myrrh
for His burial. The sacred record offers no basis for such con-
jecture. Myrrh and frankincense are aromatic resins derived
from plants indigenous to eastern lands, and they have been
used from very early times in medicine and in the preparation of
perfumes and incense mixtures. They were presumably among
the natural productions of the lands from which the magi came,
though probably even there they were costly and highly esteemed.
Such, together with gold, which is of value among aii nations,
were most appropriate as gifts for a king. Any mystical signifi-
cance one may choose to attach to the presents must be remem-
bered as his own supposition or fancy, and not as based on scrip-
tural warrant.
5. Testimonies from Shepherds and Magi. The following
instructive note on the testimonies relating to Messiah's birth,
is taken from the Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association
Manual for 1897-8: "It will be observed that the testimonies
concerning the birth of the Messiah are from two extremes, the
lowly shepherds in the Judean field, and the learned magi from
NOTES. 109
the far east. We cannot think this is the result of mere chance,
but that in it may be discerned the purpose and wisdom of God.
All Israel was looking forward to the coming of the Messiah,
and in the birth of Jesus at Bethlehem, the hope of Israel
though unknown to Israel is fulfilled. Messiah, of whom the
prophet spake, is born. But there must be those who can testify
of that truth, and hence to the shepherds who watched their
flocks by night an angel was sent to say : 'Fear not, behold I
bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people;
,for unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Saviour,
which is Christ, the Lord.' And for a sign of the truth of the
message, they were to find the child wrapped in swaddling
clothes, lying in a manger in Bethlehem. And they went with
haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a
manger ; and when they had seen it, they made known abroad
the saying which was told them concerning this child. God had
raised up to Himself witnesses among the people to testify that
Messiah was born, that the hope of Israel was fulfilled. But
there were classes of people among the Jews whom these lowly
shepherd witnesses could not reach, and had they been able to
reach them, the story of the angel's visit, and the concourse of
angels singing the magnificent song of 'Peace on earth, good
will to men/ would doubtless have been accounted an idle tale of
superstitious folk, deceived by their own over-wrought imagina-
tions or idle dreams. Hence God raised up another class of
witnesses the 'wise men from the east' witnesses that could
enter the royal palace of proud King Herod and boldly ask:
'Where is he that is born king of the Jews? for we have seen
his star in the east, and are come to worship him' ; a testimony
that startled Herod and troubled all Jerusalem. So that indeed
God raised up witnesses for Himself to meet all classes and
conditions of men the testimony of angels for the poor and
the lowly; the testimony of wise men for the haughty king and
proud priests of Judea. So that of the things concerning the
birth of Messiah, no less than of the things of His death and
resurrection from the dead, His disciples could say, 'these things
were not done in a corner.' " <--
6. The Year of Christ's Birth. In treating this topic Dr.
Charles F. Deems (The Light of the Nations, p. 28), after giving
careful consideration of the estimates, calculations, and assump-
tions of men who have employed many means in their investiga-
tion and reach only discordant results says : "It is annoying to
see learned men use the same apparatus of calculation and reach
the most diverse results. It is bewildering to attempt a recon-
ciliation of these varying calculations." In an appended note
the same author states : "For example : the birth of our L,ord
is placed in B. C. I by Pearson and Hug ; B. C. 2 by Scalinger ;
B. C. 3 by Baronius and Paulus ; B. C. 4 by Bengel, Wieseler,
and Greswell; B. C. 5 by Usher and Petavius ; B. C. 6 by Strong,
Luvin, and Clark; B. C. 7 by Ideler and Sanclemente."
110 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 9.
CHAPTER 9.
THE BOY OF NAZARETH.
Joseph, Mary, and her Son remained in Egypt until after
the death of Herod the Great, which event was made known
by another angelic visitation. Their stay in the foreign land
was probably brief, for Herod did not long survive the
babes he had slain in Bethlehem. In the return of the family
from Egypt the evangelist finds a fulfilment of Hosea's
prophetic vision of what should be : "Out of Egypt have I
called my son." a
It appears to have been Joseph's intention to make a
home for the family in Judea, possibly at Bethlehem the
city of his ancestors and a place now even more endeared to
him as the birthplace of Mary's Child but, learning on the
way that Herod's son Archelaus ruled in the place of his
wicked father, Joseph modified his purpose ; and, "being
warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of
Galilee: and he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth:
that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets,
He shall be called a Nazarene." &
While Archelaus, who appears to have been a natural
heir to his infamous father's wickedness and cruelty, ruled in
Judea, c for a short time as king, then with the less exalted
title of ethnarch, which had been decreed to him by the em-
peror, his brother Antipas governed as tetrarch in Galilee.
Herod Antipas was well nigh as vicious and reprobate as
others of his unprincipled family, but he was less aggressive
in vindictiveness, and in that period of his reign was com-
paratively tolerant.**
a Matt. 2:15; compare Hos. 11:1.
b Matt. 2:19-23. IS'ote 5. end of chapter.
c Note 1, end of chapter.
d Note 2, end of chapter.
THE BOYHOOD OF JESUS. Ill
Concerning the home life of Joseph and his family in
Nazareth, the scriptural record makes but brief mention.
The silence with which the early period of the life of Jesus
is treated by the inspired historians is impressive ; while the
fanciful accounts written in later years by unauthorized
hands are full of fictitious detail, much of which is positively
revolting in its puerile inconsistency. None but Joseph,
Mary, and the other members of the immediate family or
close associates of the household could have furnished the
facts of daily life in the humble home at Nazareth ; and from
these qualified informants Matthew and Luke probably de-
rived the knowledge of which they wrote. The record made
by those who knew is marked by impressive brevity. In this
absence of detail we may see evidence of the genuineness of
the scriptural account. Inventive writers would have sup-
plied, as, later, such did supply, what we seek in vain within
the chapters of the Gospels. With hallowed silence do the
inspired scribes honor the boyhood of their Lord; he who
seeks to invent circumstances and to invest the life of Christ
with fictitious additions, dishonors Him. Read thoughtfully
the attested truth concerning the childhood of the Christ:
"And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with
wisdom : and the grace of God was upon him."*
In such simplicity is the normal, natural development of
the Boy Jesus made clear. He came among men to experi-
ence all the natural conditions of mortality ; He was born as
truly a dependent, helpless babe as is any other child; His
infancy was in all common features as the infancy of others ;
His boyhood was actual boyhood, His development was as
necessary and as real as that of all children. Over His mind
had fallen the veil of forgetfulness common to all who are
born to earth, by which the remembrance of primeval exist-
ence is shut off. The Child grew, and with growth there
came to Him expansion of mind, development of faculties,
e Luke 2:40.
112 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 9.
and progression in power and understanding. His advance-
ment was from one grace to another, not from gracelessness
to grace ; from good to greater good, not from evil to good ;
from favor with God to greater favor, not from estrange-
ment because of sin to reconciliation through repentance and
propitiation/
Our knowledge of Jewish life in that age justifies the in-
ference that the Boy was well taught in the law and the
scriptures, for such was the rule. He garnered knowledge
by study, and gained wisdom by prayer, thought, and effort.
Beyond question He was trained to labor, for idleness was
abhorred then as it is now r ; and every Jewish boy, whether
carpenter's son, peasant's child, or rabbi's heir, was required
to learn and follow a practical and productive vocation.
Jesus was all that a boy should be, for His development was
unretarded by the dragging weight of sin; He loved and
obeyed the truth and therefore was free.*?
Joseph and Mary, devout and faithful in all observances
of the law, went up to Jerusalem every year at the feast of
the Passover. This religious festival, it should be remem-
bered, was one of the most solemn and sacred among the
many ceremonial commemorations of the Jews ; it had been
established at the time of the peoples' exodus from Egypt,
in remembrance of the outstretched arm of power by which
God had delivered Israel after the angel of destruction had
slain the firstborn in every Egyptian home and had merci-
fully passed over the houses of the children of Jacob. 7 * It
was of such importance that its annual recurrence was made
the beginning of the new year. The law required all males
to present themselves before the Lord at the feast. The
rule was that women should likewise attend if not lawfully
detained ; and Mary appears to have followed both the spirit
of the law and the letter of the rule, for she habitually ac-
/ Note 3, end of chapter.
Compare His teachings after He had reached manhood, e.g. John 8:32,,
/tDeut. 16:1-6; compare Exo. 12:2.
JESUS WHEN TWELVE YEARS OF AGE. 113
companied her husband to the annual gathering at Jeru-
salem, ^r
When Jesus had attained the age of twelve years He
was taken by His mother and Joseph to the feast as the law
required ; whether the Boy had ever before been present on
such an occasion we are not told. At twelve years of age a
Jewish boy was recognized as a member of his home com-
munity ; he was required then to enter with definite purpose
upon his chosen vocation ; he attained an advanced status as
an individual in that thereafter he could not be arbitrarily
disposed of as a bond-servant by his parents ; he was ap-
pointed to higher studies in school and home ; and, when
accepted by the priests, he became a "son of the law." It
was the common and very natural desire of parents to have
their sons attend the feast of the Passover and be present
at the temple ceremonies as recognized members of the con-
gregation when of the prescribed age. Thus came the Boy
Jesus to the temple.
The feast proper lasted seven days, and in the time of
Christ was annually attended by great concourses of Jews;
Josephus speaks of such a Passover gathering as "an innum-
erable multitude." 1 ' The people came from distant provinces
in large companies and caravans, as a matter of convenience
and as a means of common protection against the marauding
bands which are known to have infested the country. As
members of such a company Joseph and his family traveled.
When, following the conclusion of the Passover, the
Galilean company had gone a day's journey toward home,
Joseph and Mary discovered to their surprize and deep con-
cern that Jesus was not with their company. After a fruit-
less search among their friends and acquaintances, they
turned back toward Jerusalem seeking the Boy. Their in-
quiries brought little comfort or assistance until three days
had passed ; then "they found him in the temple, sitting in
Josephus; Wars of the Jews, ii, 1:3.
114 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 9.
the midst of the doctors, both hearing them and asking them
questions."' It was no unusual thing for a twelve year old
boy to be questioned by priests, scribes, or rabbis, nor to be
permitted to ask questions of these professional expounders
of the law, for such procedure was part of the educational
training of Jewish youths ; nor was there anything surpriz-
ing in such a meeting of students and teachers within the
temple courts, for the rabbis of that time were accustomed to
give instruction there ; and people, young and old, gathered
about them, sitting at their feet to learn ; but there was much
that was extraordinary in this interview as the demeanor of
the learned doctors showed, for never before had such a
student been found, inasmuch as "all that heard him were
astonished at his understanding and answers." The inci-
dent furnishes evidence of a wellspent boyhood and proof
of unusual attainments.*
The amazement of Mary and her husband on finding the
Boy in such distinguished company, and so plainly the ob-
ject of deference and respect, and the joy of seeing again the
beloved One who to them had been lost, did not entirely
banish the memory of the anguish His absence had caused
them. In words of gentle yet unmistakable reproof the
mother said: "Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? be-
hold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing." The
Boy's reply astonished them, in that it revealed, to an extent
they had not before realized, His rapidly maturing powers of
judgment and understanding. Said He: "How is it that
ye sought me ? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's
business ?"
Let us not say that there was unkind rebuke or unfilial
reproof in the answer of this most dutiful of sons to His
mother. His reply was to Mary a reminder of what she
seems to have forgotten for the moment the facts in the
/Luke 2:46; read 41-52.
k Compare Matt. 7:28, 29; 13:54; Mark 6:2; Luke 4:22.
IN HIS FATHER'S HOUSE. 115
matter of her Son's paternity. She had used the words
"thy father and I ;" and her Son's response had brought
anew to her mind the truth that Joseph was not the Boy's
father. She appears to have been astonished that One so
young should so thoroughly understand His position with
respect to herself. He had made plain to her the inad-
vertent inaccuracy of her words ; His Father had not been
seeking Him ; for was He not even at that moment in His
Father's house, and particularly engaged in His Father's
business, the very work to which His Father had appointed
Him?
He had in no wise intimated a doubt as to Mary's mater-
nal relationship to Himself ; though He had indisputably
shown that He recognized as His Father, not Joseph of
Nazareth, but the God of Heaven. Both Mary and Joseph
failed to comprehend the full import of His words. Though
He understood the superior claim of duty based on His
divine Sonship, and had shown to Mary that her authority
as earthly mother was subordinate to that of His immortal
and divine Father, nevertheless He obeyed her. Interested
as were the doctors in this remarkable Boy, much as He had
given them to ponder over through His searching questions
and wise answers, they could not detain Him, for the very
law they professed to uphold enjoined strict obedience to
parental authority. "And he went down with them, and
came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his
mother kept all these sayings in her heart." s^
What marvelous and sacred secrets were treasured in that
mother's heart ; and what new surprizes and grave problems
were added day after day in the manifestations of unfolding
wisdom displayed by her more than mortal Son! Though
she could never have wholly forgotten, at times she seem-
ingly lost sight of, her Son's exalted personality. That
such conditions should exist was perhaps divinely appointed.
There could scarcely have been a full measure of truly hu-
116 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 9.
man experience in the relationship between Jesus and His
mother, or between Him and Joseph, had the fact of His
divinity been always dominant or even prominently appar-
ent. Mary appears never to have fully understood her Son ;
at every new evidence of His uniqueness she marveled and
pondered anew. He was hers, and yet in a very real sense
not wholly hers. There was about their relation to each
other a mystery, awful yet sublime, a holy secret which that
chosen and blessed mother hesitated even to tell over to
herself. Fear must have contended with joy within her soul
because of Him. The memory of Gabriel's glorious prom-
ises, the testimony of the rejoicing shepherds, and the adora-
tion of the magi must have struggled with that of Simeon's
portentous prophecy, directed to herself in person : "Yea, a
sword shall pierce through thy own soul also." ;
As to the events of the eighteen years following the re-
turn of Jesus from Jerusalem to Nazareth, the scriptures
are silent save for one rich sentence of greatest import :
"And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor
with God and man." m Plainly this Son of the Highest was
not endowed with a fulness of knowledge, nor with the com-
plete investiture of wisdom, from the cradle. M Slowly the
assurance of His appointed mission as the Messiah, of whose
coming He read in the law, the prophets, and the psalms,
developed within His soul ; and in devoted preparation for
the ministry that should find culmination on the cross He
passed the^ears of youth and early manhood. From the
chronicles of later years we learn that He was reputed with-
out question to be the son of Joseph and Mary, and was
regarded as the brother of other and younger children of the
family. He was spoken of both as a carpenter and a car-
penter's son ; and, until the beginning of His public ministry
/Luke 2:35.
wLuke 2:52.
nNote 3, end of chapter.
JESUS OF NAZARETH.
He appears to have been of little prominence even in the
small home community.*
He lived the simple life, at peace with His fellows, in
communion with His Father, thus increasing in favor with
God and men. As shown by His public utterances after He
had become a man, these years of seclusion were spent in
active effort, both physical and mental. Jesus was a close
observer of nature and men. He was able to draw illustra-
tions with which to point His teachings from the varied
occupations, trades and professions ; the ways of the lawyer
and the physician, the manners of the scribe, the Pharisee
and the rabbi, the habits of the poor, the customs of the rich,
the life of the shepherd, the farmer, the vinedresser and the
fisherman were all known to Him. He considered the
lilies of the field, and the grass in meadow and upland, the
birds which sowed not nor gathered into barns but lived
on the bounty of their Maker, the foxes in their holes, the
petted house dog and the vagrant cur, the hen sheltering her
brood beneath protecting wings all these had contributed
to the wisdom in which He grew, as had also the moods
of the weather, the recurrence of the seasons, and all the
phenomena of natural change and order.
Nazareth was the abode of Jesus until He was about
thirty years of age; and, in accordance with the custom of
designating individuals by the names of their home towns
as additions to their personal names/ our L,ord came to be
generally known as Jesus of Nazareth.^ He is also referred
to as a Nazarene, or a native of Nazareth, and this fact is
cited by Matthew as a fulfilment of earlier prediction, though
our current compilation of scriptures constituting the Old
Testament contains no record of such prophecy. It is prac-
tically certain that this prediction was contained in some one
oMatt. 13:55, 56; Mark 6:3; Luke 4:22; compare Matt. 12:46, 47; Gal.
1:19.
p For illustrative examples see Joseph of Arimathea (Mark 15:43);
Mary Magdalene, so known from her native town of Magdala (Matt.
27:56); Judas Iscariot, possibly named after his home in Kerioth (Matt.
10:4; see page 225 herein.)
GMatt. 21:11; John 18:5; 19:19; Acts 2:22; 3:6; see also Luke 4:16.
118 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 9.
of the many scriptures extant in earlier days but since lost/
That Nazareth was an obscure village, of little honor or re-
nown, is evidenced by the almost contemptuous question of
Nathanael, who, on being informed that the Messiah had
been found in Jesus of Nazareth, asked: "Can there any
good thing come out of Nazareth ?" J The incredulous query
has passed into a proverb current even today as expressive
of any unpopular or unpromising source of good. Nathanael
lived in Cana, but a few miles from Nazareth, and his sur-
prize at the tidings brought by Philip concerning the Mes-
siah incidentally affords evidence of the seclusion in which
Jesus had lived.
So passed the boyhood, youth, and early manhood of the
Savior of mankind.
^\*
NOTES TO CHAPTER 9.
f /
1. Archelaus Reigned in Herod's Stead. "At his death
Herod [the Great] left a will according to which his kingdom
was to be divided among his three sons. Archelaus was to have
Judea, Idumea, and Samaria, with the title of king (Matt. 2:22).
Herod Antipas was to receive Galilee and Perea, with the title
of tetrarch; Philip was to come into possession of the trans-
Jordan territory with the title of tetrarch (Luke 3:1). This will
was ratified by Augustus with the exception of the title given to
Archelaus. Archelaus, after the ratification of Herod's will by
Augustus, succeeded to the rule of Judea, Samaria, and Idumea,
having the title of ethnarch, with the understanding that, if he
ruled well, he was to become king. He was, however, highly
unpopular with the people, and his reign was marked by dis-
turbances and acts of oppression. The situation became finally
so intolerable, that the Jews appealed to Augustus, and Arch-
elaus was rerrroved and sent into exile. This accounts for the
statement in Matt. 2:22, and possibly also suggested the point
of the parable (Luke 19:12, etc.)." Standard Bible Dictionary,
Funk and Wagnalls Co., article "Herod." Early in his reign he
wreaked summary vengeance on the people who ventured to
protest against a continuation of his father's violence, by slaugh-
tering three thousand or more; and the awful deed of carnage
was perpetrated in part within the precincts of the temple.
(Josephus, Antiquities xvii, 9:1-3.)
2. Herod Antipas. Son of Herod I (the Great) by a Samar-
r Note 4, end of chapter,
jjohn 1:45, 46.
NOTES. 119
itan woman, and full brother to Archelaus. By the will of his
father he became tetrarch of Galilee and Perea (Matt. 14:1; Luke
3:19; 9:7; Acts 13:1; compare Luke 3:1). He repudiated his wife,
a daughter of Aretas, king of Arabia Petrea, and entered into
an unlawful union with Herodias, the wife of his half-brother
Herod Philip I (not the tetrarch Philip). John the Baptist was
imprisoned and finally put to death, through the anger of
Herodias over his denunciation of her union with Herod Antipas.
Herodias urged Antipas to go to Rome and petition^ Caesar for
the title of king (compare Mark 6:14, etc.). Antipas is the
Herod most frequently mentioned in the New Testament (Mark
6:17; 8:15; Luke 3:1; 9:7; 13:31; Acts 4:27; 13:1). He was the
Herod to whom Pilate sent Jesus for examination, taking ad-
vantage of Christ being known as a Galilean, and of the coinci-
dent fact of Herod's presence in Jerusalem at the time in attend-
ance at the Passover (Luke 23:6, etc.). For further details see
Smith's, Cassell's, or the Standard Bible Dictionary.
3. Testimony of John the Apostle Concerning Christ's De-
velopment in Knowledge and Grace. In a modern revelation,
Jesus the Christ has confirmed the record of John the apostle,
which record appears but in part in our compilation of ancient
scriptures. John thus attests the actuality of natural develop-
ment in the growth of Jesus from childhood to maturity: "And
I, John, saw that he received not of the fullness at the first, but
received grace for grace ; and he received not of the fullness at
first, but continued from grace to grace, until he received a
fullness; and thus he was called the Son of God, because he re-
ceived not of the fullness at the first." (Doc. and Cov. 93:12-14).
Notwithstanding this graded course of growth and development
after His birth in the flesh, Jesus Christ had been associated
with the Father from the beginning, as is set forth in the revela-
tion cited. We read therein : "And he [John] bore record, say-
ing, I saw his glory that he was in the beginning before the
world was ; therefore in the beginning the Word was, for he was
the Word, even the messenger of salvation, the light and the
Redeemer of the world ; the Spirit of truth, who came into the
world, because the world was made by him, and in him was the
life of men and the light of men. The worlds were made by
him : men were made by him : all things were made by him, and
through him, and of him. And I, John, bear record that I beheld
his glory, as the glory of the Only Begotten of the Father, full
of grace and truth, even the Spirit of truth, which came and
dwelt in the flesh, and dwelt among us" (verses 7-11).
4. Missing Scripture. Matthew's commentary on the abode
of Joseph, Mary and Jesus at Nazareth, "and he came and dwelt
in a city called Nazareth : that it might be fulfilled which was
spoken by the prophets, he shall be called a Nazarene" (2:23),
with the fact that no such saying of the prophets is found^ in any
of the books contained in the Bible, suggests the certainty of
lost scripture. Those who oppose the doctrine of continual
revelation between God and His Church, on the ground that the
Bible is complete as a collection of sacred scriptures, and that
alleged revelation not found therein must therefore be spurious,
120 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 9.
may profitably take note of the many books not included in the
Bible, yet mentioned therein, generally in such a way as to leave
no doubt that they were once regarded as authentic. Among
these extra-Biblical scriptures, the following may be named;
some of them are in existence to-day, and are classed with the
Apocrypha; but the greater number are unknown. We read of
the Book of the Covenant (Exo. 24:7) ; Book of the Wars of the
Lord (Numb. 21:14) ; Book of Jasher (Josh. 10:13) ; Book of the
Statutes (i Sam. 10:25); Book of Enoch (Jude 14); Book of the
Acts of Solomon (i Kings 11:41); Book of Nathan the Prophet,
and that of Gad the Seer (i Chron. 29:29) ; Book of Ahijah the
Shilonite, and visions of Iddo the Seer (2 Chron. 9 129) ; Book of
Shemaiah (2 Chron. 12:15) ; Story of the Prophet Iddo (2 Chron.
13 :22) ; Book of Jehu (2 Chron. 20 :34) ; the Acts of Uzziah, by
Isaiah, the son of Amoz (2 Chron. 26 :22) ; Sayings of the Seers
(2 Chron. 33:19); a missing epistle of Paul to the Corinthians
(i Cor. 5:9); a missing epistle to the Ephesians (Eph. 3:3);
missing epistle to the Colossians, written from Laodicea (Col.
4:16) ; a missing epistle of Jude (Jude 3).
5. Nazareth. A town or "city" in Galilee, of which Biblica!
mention is found in the New Testament only. Josephus say?
nothing concerning the place. The name of the existing village, or
the Nazareth of to-day, is En-Nasirah. This occupies an upland
site on the southerly ridge of Lebanon, and "commands a splendid
view of the Plain of Esdraelon and Mount Carmel, and is very
picturesque in general" (Zenos). The author of the article
"Nazareth" in Smith's Bible Diet, identifies the modern En-Nazirah,
with the Nazareth of old on the following grounds : "It is on the
lower declivities of a hill or mountain (Luke 4:29); it is within
the limits of the province of Galilee (Mark 1 :9) ; it is near Cana
(John 2:1, 2, 11) ; a precipice exists in the neighborhood (Luke
4 :29) ; and a series of testimonials reaching back to Eusebius
represent the place as having occupied the same position." The
same writer adds : "Its population is 3000 or 4000 ; a few are
Mohammedans, the rest Latin and Greek Christians. Most of
the houses are well built of stone, and appear neat and com-
fortable. The streets or lanes are narrow and crooked, and after
rain are so full of mud and mire as to be almost impassable." At
the time of Christ's life the town was not only regarded as unim-
portant by the Judeans who professed but little respect for Galilee
or the Galileans, but as without honor by the Galileans themselves, as
appears from the fact that the seemingly contemptuous question,
"Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?" was uttered by
Nathanael (John I :46), who was a Galilean and a native of Cana,
a neighboring town to Nazareth (John 21 :2). Nazareth owes its
celebrity to its association with events in the life of Jesus Christ
(Matt. 2:23; 13:54; Mark 1:9; 6 :i; Luke 1:26; 2:4; 4:23, 34;
John 1:45, 46; 19^9; Acts 2:22).
noitoslloo
bnuol ion nobsb
JOHN THE BAPTIST.
CHAPTER 10.
i Jii'j'iri
IN THE WILDERNESS OF JUDEA.
"3rf3Hnte-3f[ >r5f{}
THE: VOICE) IN THE: WILDERNESS.
At a time definitely stated as the fifteenth year of the
reign of Tiberius Caesar, emperor of Rome, the people of
Judea were greatly aroused over the strange preaching of a
man theretofore unknown. He was of priestly descent, but
untrained in the schools ; and, without authorization of the
rabbis or license from the chief priests, he proclaimed him-
self as one sent of God with a message to Israel. He ap-
peared not in the synagogs nor within the temple courts,
where scribes and doctors taught, but cried aloud in the wil-
derness. The people of Jerusalem and of adjacent rural
parts went out in great multitudes to hear him. He dis-
dained the soft garments and flowing robes of comfort, and
preached in his rough desert garb, consisting of a garment
of camel's hair held in place by a leathern girdle. The
coarseness of his attire was regarded as significant. Elijah
the Tishbite, that fearless prophet whose home had been the
desert, was known in his day as "an hairy man, and girt with
a girdle of leather about his loins ;" a and rough garments
had come to be thought of as a distinguishing characteristic
of prophets. & Nor did this strange preacher eat the food of
luxury and ease, but fed on what the desert supplied, locusts
and wild honey . c
The man was John, son of Zacharias. soon to be known
as the Baptist. He had spent many years in the desert,
apart from the abodes of men, years of preparation for his
a 2 Kings 1 :8.
b Note 1, end of chapter.
c Matt. 3:1-5; compare Lev. 11:22; see also Mark 1:1-8. Note 2, end of
chapter.
122 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 10.
particular mission. He had been a student under the tutel-
age of divine teachers ; and there in the wilderness of Judea
the word of the Lord reached him;^ as in similar environ-
ment it had reached Moses* and Elijah^ of old. Then was
heard "The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye
the way of the Lord, make his paths straight."* 7 It was the
voice of the herald, the messenger who, as the prophets
had said, should go before the Lord to prepare His way. /l
The burden of his message was "Repent ye, for the kingdom
of heaven is at hand." And to such as had faith in his
words and professed repentance, confessing their sins, he
administered baptism by immersion in water proclaiming
the while, "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance :
but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes
I am not worthy to bear : he shall baptize you with the Holy
Ghost, and with fire."*
Neither the man nor his message could be ignored; his
preaching was specific in promise to the repentant soul, and
scathingly denunciatory to the hypocrite and the hardened
sinner. When Pharisees and Sadducees came to his bap-
tism, prating of the law, the spirit of which they ceased not
to transgress, and of the prophets, whom they dishonored,
he denounced them as a generation of vipers, and demanded
of them : "Who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to
come?" He brushed aside their oft-repeated boasts that
they were the children of Abraham, saying, "Bring forth
therefore fruits meet for repentance: and think not to say
within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I
say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up
children unto Abraham."-'' The ignoring of their claims to
preferment as the children of Abraham was a strong rebuke,
. .
dLuke 3:2.
<?Exo. 3:1, 2.
/I Kings 17:2-7.
pMark 1:3.
h Mark 1:2; compare Isa. 40:3; Mai. 3:1; Matt. 11:10; Luke 7:27.
Matt. 3:11.
/Matt. 3:7-10; see also Luke 3:3-9.
JOHN'S FORCEFUL PREACHING. 123
and a cause of sore affront alike to aristocratic Sadducee and
rule-bound Pharisee. Judaism held that the posterity of
Abraham had an assured place in the kingdom of the ex-
pected Messiah, and that no proselyte from among the Gen-
tiles could possibly attain the rank and distinction of which
the "children" were sure. John's forceful assertion that God
could raise up, from the stones on the river bank, children to
Abraham, meant to those who heard that even the lowest of
the human family might be preferred before themselves un-
less they repented and reformed.^ Their time of wordy
profession had passed; fruits were demanded, not barren
though leafy profusion; the ax was ready, aye, at the very
root of the tree ; and every tree that produced not good fruit
was to be hewn down and cast into the fire.
The people were astonished; and many, seeing them-
selves in their actual condition of dereliction and sin, as
John, with burning words laid bare their faults, cried out :
"What shall we do then?"' His reply was directed against
ceremonialism, which had caused spirituality to wither
almost to death in the hearts of the people. Unselfish charity
was demanded "He that hath two coats, let him impart to
him that hath none ; and he that hath meat, let him do like-
wise." The publicans or tax-farmers and collectors, under
whose unjust and unlawful exactions the people had suffered
so long, came asking : "Master, what shall we do ? And
he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is ap-
pointed you." To the soldiers who asked what to do he
replied : "Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely ;
and be content with your wages. " m
The spirit of his demands was that of a practical religion,
the only religion of any possible worth the religion of right
living. With all his vigor, in spite of his brusqueness, not-
withstanding his forceful assaults on the degenerate customs
k Compare a later instance, in which Christ similarly taught (John
"/Luke 3:10; compare Acts 2:37.
m Luke 3:10-15.
JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 10.
of the times, this John was no agitator against established
institutions, no inciter of riot, no advocate of revolt, no pro-
moter of rebellion. He did not assail the tax system but the
extortions of the corrupt and avaricious publicans; he did
not denounce the army, but the iniquities of the soldiers,
many of whom had taken advantage of their position to bear
false witness for the sake of gain and to enrich themselves
by forcible seizure. He preached, what in the now current
dispensation we call the first or fundamental principles of
the gospel "the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the
Son of God,"" comprizing faith, which is vitalized belief, in
God; genuine repentance, which comprizes contrition for
past offenses and a resolute determination to turn from sin ;
baptism by immersion in water at his hands as the hands of
one having authority ; and the higher baptism by fire or the
bestowal of the Holy Ghost by an authority greater than
that possessed by himself. His preaching was positive, and
in many respects opposed to the conventions of the times ;
he made no appeal to the people through the medium of
miraculous manifestations \ and though many of his hearers
attached themselves to him as disciples/ he established no
formal organization, nor did he attempt to form a cult. His
demand for repentance was an individual call, as unto each
acceptable applicant the rite of baptism was individually ad-
ministered.
To the Jews, who were living in a state of expectancy,
waiting for the long-predicted Messiah, the words of this
strange prophet in the wilderness were fraught with deep
portent. Could it be that he was the Christ? He spoke of
One yet to come, mightier than himself, whose shoe-latchet
he was not worthy to loosen,^ One who would separate the
people as the thresher, fan in hand, blew the chaff from the
Mark 1:1.
ojohn 10:41.
/>John 1:35, 37; Matt. 11:2; Luke 7:18.
q Note 3, end of chapter.
JESUS APPLIES FOR BAPTISM. 126
wheat; and, he added, that mightier One "will gather the
wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire
unquenchable." 1 "
In such wise did the predicted herald of the Lord deliver
his message. Himself he would not exalt; his office, how-
ever, was sacred to him, and with its functions he brooked
no interference from priest, Levite, or rabbi. He was no
respecter of persons; sin he denounced, sinners he ex-
coriated, whether in priestly vestments, peasant garb, or
royal robes. All the claims the Baptist had made for him-
self and his mission were later confirmed and vindicated by
the specific testimony of Christ/ John was the harbinger
not alone of the kingdom but of the King; and to him the
King in person came.
'
THE BAPTISM OF JESUS TO FULFIL ALL RIGHTEOUSNESS.
When Jesus began to be about thirty years of age, * He
journeyed from His home in Galilee "to Jordan unto John,
to be baptized of him. But John forbad him, saying, I have
need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And
Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now ; for
thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suf-
fered him." 1 '
John and Jesus were second cousins ; as to whether there
had existed any close companionship between the two as
boys or men we are not told. It is certain, however, that
when Jesus presented Himself for baptism, John recognized
in Him a sinless Man who stood in no need of repentance ;
and, as the Baptist had been commissioned to baptize for the
remission of sins, he saw no necessity of administering the
ordinance to Jesus. He who had received the confessions
r Luke 3:17; see also Matt. 3:12; compare Mai. 3:2.
jMatt. 11:11-14; 17:12; Luke 7:24-30.
fLuke 3:23.
Matt. 3:13-15.
JESUS THE CHRIST. 23|; [CHAP. 10.
of multitudes now reverently confessed to One whom he
knew was more righteous than himself. In the light of later
events it appears that at this time John did not know that
Jesus was the Christ, the Mightier One for whom he waited
and whose forerunner he knew himself to be. When John
expressed his conviction that Jesus needed no baptismal
cleansing, our Lord, conscious of His own sinlessness, did
not deny the Baptist's imputation, but nevertheless pressed
His application for baptism with the significant explanation :
"Thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness." If John
was able to comprehend the deeper meaning of this utter-
ance, he must have found therein the truth that water bap-
tism is not alone the means provided for gaining remission
of sins, but is also an indispensable ordinance established in
righteousness and required of all mankind as an essential
condition for membership in the kingdom of God.*'
Jesus Christ thus humbly complied with the will of
the Father, and was baptized of John by immersion in
water. That His baptism was accepted as a pleasing and
necessary act of submission was attested by what immedi-
ately ensued : "And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up
straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were
opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending
like a dove, and lighting upon him: and lo a voice from
heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well
pleased. " w Then John knew his Redeemer.
The four Gospel-writers record the descent of the Holy
Ghost upon the baptized Jesus as accompanied by a visible
manifestation "like a dove;" and this sign had been indi-
cated to John as the f oreappointed means by which the Mes-
siah should be made known to him ; and to that sign, before
specified, was now added the supreme testimony of the
Father as to the literal Sonship of Jesus. Matthew records
v For treatment of Baptism as a universal requirement, see the author's
'Articles of Faith" vi: 18-29. Note 6, end of chapter.
wMatt. 3:16, 17; compare Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21, 22.
FORTY DAYS IN THE WILDERNESS.
the Father's acknowledgment as given in the third person,
"This is my beloved Son ;" while both Mark and Luke give
the more direct address, "Thou art my beloved Son." The
variation, slight and essentially unimportant as it is though
bearing on so momentous a subject, affords evidence of in-
dependent authorship and discredits any insinuation of col-
lusion among the writers.
The incidents attending the emergence of Jesus from the
baptismal grave demonstrate the distinct individuality of the
three Personages of the Godhead. On that solemn occa-
sion Jesus the Son was present in the flesh; the presence of
the Holy Ghost was manifest through the accompanying
sign of the dove, and the voice of the Eternal Father was
heard from heaven. Had we no other evidence of the sep-
arate personality of each member of the Holy Trinity, this
instance should be conclusive; but other scriptures confirm
the great truth.*
THE TEMPTATIONS OI? CHRIST.
Soon after His baptism, immediately thereafter as Mark
asserts, Jesus was constrained by the promptings of the
Spirit to withdraw from men and the distractions of com-
munity life, by retiring into the wilderness where He would
be free to commune with His God. So strong was the in-
fluence of the impelling force that He was led thereby, or,
as stated by the evangelist, driven, into solitary seclusion,
in which He remained during forty days, "with the wild
beasts" of the desert. This remarkable episode in our
Lord's life is described, though not with equal fulness, in
three of the Gospels ; y John is silent thereon.
The circumstances attending this time of exile and test
must have been related by JesusHimself, for of other human
x Shortly before His death, the Savior promised the apostles that the
Father would send unto them the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost
(John 14:26, and 15:26). See the author's ''Articles of Faith" ii:20-24.
;yMatt. 4:1-11; Mark 1:12, 13; Luke 4:1-13.
128 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 10.
witnesses there were none. The recorded narratives deal
principally with events marking the close of the forty-day
period, but considered in their entirety they place beyond
doubt the fact that the season was one of fasting and prayer.
Christ's realization that He was the chosen and foreordained
Messiah came to Him gradually. As shown by His words
to His mother on the occasion of the memorable interview
with the doctors in the temple courts, He knew, when but
a Boy of twelve years, that in a particular and personal sense
He was the Son of God ; yet it is evident that a comprehen-
sion of the full purport of His earthly mission developed
within Him only as He progressed step by step in wisdom.
His acknowledgment by the Father, and the continued com-
panionship of the Holy Ghost, opened His soul to the glori-
ous fact of His divinity. He had much to think about, much
that demanded prayer and the communion with God that
prayer alone could insure. Throughout the period of retire-
ment, he ate not, but chose to fast, that His mortal body
might the more completely be subjected to His divine spirit.
Then, when He was hungry and physically weak, the
tempter came with the insidious suggestion that He use His
extraordinary powers to provide food. Satan had chosen
the most propitious time for his evil purpose. What will
mortals not do, to what lengths have men not gone, to
assuage the pangs of hunger? Esau bartered his birthright
for a meal. Men have fought like brutes for food. Women
have slain and eaten their own babes rather than endure the
gnawing pangs of starvation. All this Satan knew when he
came to the Christ in the hour of extreme physical need, and
said unto Him : "If thou be the Son of God, command that
these stones be made bread." During the long weeks of se-
clusion, our Lord had been sustained by the exaltation of
spirit that would naturally attend such all-absorbing concen-
tration of mind as His protracted meditation and communion
with the heavens undoubtedly produced; in such profound
'
TEMPTATION IN THE WILDERNESS. 19
devotion of spirit, bodily appetites were subdued and super-
seded; but the reaction of the flesh was inevitable.
Hungry as Jesus was, there was a temptation in Satan's
words even greater than that embodied in the suggestion
that He provide food for His famishing body the tempta-
tion to put to proof the possible doubt implied in the
tempter's "If." The Eternal Father had proclaimed Jesus
as His Son; the devil tried to make the Son doubt that
divine relationship. Why not prove the Father's interest in
His Son at this moment of dire necessity? Was it proper
that the Son of God should go hungry ? Had the Father so
soon forgotten as to leave His Beloved Son thus to suffer?
Was it not reasonable that Jesus, faint from long abstinence,
should provide for Himself, and particularly so since He
could provide, and that by a word of command, if the voice
heard at His baptism was that of the Eternal Father. //
thou be in reality the Son of God, demonstrate thy power,
and at the same time satisfy thy hunger such was the pur-
port of the diabolical suggestion. To have yielded would
have been to manifest positive doubt of the Father's ac-
knowledgment.
Moreover, the superior power that Jesus possessed
had not been given to Him for personal gratification,
but for service to others. He was to experience all the
trials of mortality ; another man, as hungry as He, could
not provide for himself by a miracle; and though by
miracle such a one might be fed, the miraculous supply
would have to be given, not provided by himself. It was
a necessary result of our L,ord's dual nature, comprizing
the attributes of both God and man, that He should endure
and suffer as a mortal while possessing at all times the
ability to invoke the power of His own Godhood by which
all bodily needs could be supplied or overcome. His reply
to the tempter was sublime and positively final : "It is writ-
ten, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word
130 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 10.
that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." 3 The word that
had proceeded from the mouth of God, upon which Satan
would have cast mistrust, was that Jesus was the Beloved
Son with whom the Father was well pleased. The devil was
foiled; Christ was triumphant.
Realizing that he had utterly failed in his attempt to in-
duce Jesus to use His inherent power for personal service,
and to trust in Himself rather than rely upon the Father's
providence, Satan went to the other extreme and tempted
Jesus to wantonly throw Himself upon the Father's pro-
tection. Jesus was standing upon one of the high parts of
the temple, a pinnacle or battlement, overlooking the spacious
courts, when the devil said unto Him: "If thou be the Son
of God, cast thyself down : for it is written, He shall give
his angels charge concerning thee : and in their hands they
shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against
a stone." Again appears the implication of doubt.* 7 // Jesus
was in fact the Son of God, could He not trust His Father
to save Him, and particularly so as it was written that
angels would guard Him and bear Him up ? Christ's reply
to the tempter in the wilderness had embodied a scriptural
citation, and this He had introduced with the impressive
formula common to expounders of sacred writ "It is writ-
ten." In the second attempt, the devil tried to support his
suggestion by scripture, and employed a similar expression
"for it is written." Our Lord met and answered the
devil's quotation with another, saying : "It is written again,
Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God."<*
Beside the provocation to sin by wantonly placing Him-
self in danger, so that the Father's love might be manifested
in a miraculous rescue, or by refusing so to challenge the
Father's interposition demonstrate that He doubted His
jsrMatt. 4:4; compare Deut. 8:3.
a Note 4, end of chapter.
b Note 5, end of chapter. Page 658 herein.
cMatt. 4:6; Psalm 91:11, 12
d Matt. 4:5-7: compare Deut. 6:16.
JESUS TEMPTED TO TEMPT THE FATHER. 131
status as the Beloved Son, there lurked an appeal to the
human side of Christ's nature, in thought of the fame which
an astounding exploit, such as that of leaping from the dizzy
height of the temple turrets and alighting unhurt, would
surely bring. We cannot resist the thought, though we be
not justified in saying that any such had even momentary
place in the Savior's mind, that to act upon Satan's sugges-
tion, provided of course the outcome proved to be such as
he had indicated, would have been to insure public recogni-
tion of Jesus as a Being superior to mortals. It would have
been a sign and a wonder indeed, the fame of which would
have spread as fire in the dry grass; and all Jewry would
have been aflame with excitement and interest in the Christ.
The glaring sophistry of Satan's citation of scripture was
unworthy a categorical reply; his doctrine deserved neither
logic nor argument ; his misapplication of the written word
was nullified by scripture that was germane ; the lines of the
psalmist were met by the binding fiat of the prophet of the
exodus, in which he had commanded Israel that they should
not provoke nor tempt the Lord to work miracles among
them. Satan tempted Jesus to tempt the Father. It is as
truly a blasphemous interference with the prerogatives of
Deity to set limitations or make fixations of time or place at
which the divine power shall be made manifest as it is to
attempt to usurp that power. God alone must decide when
and how His wonders shall be wrought. Once more the
purposes of Satan were thwarted and Christ again was
victor.
In the third temptation the devil refrained from further
appeal to Jesus to put either His own power or that of the
Father to the test. Twice completely foiled, the tempter
abandoned that plan of assault ; and, discarding all disguise
of purpose, submitted a definite proposition. From the top
of a high mountain Jesus looked over the land with its
wealth of city and field, of vineyard and orchard, of flocks
132 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 10.
and of herds; and in vision He saw the kingdoms of the
world and contemplated the wealth, the splendor, the earthly
glory of them all. Then saith Satan unto Him : "All these
things will I give thee,if thou wilt fall down and worship
me." So wrote Matthew; the more extended version by
Luke follows : "And the devil said unto him, All this power
will I give thee, and the glory of them : for that is delivered
unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If thou there-
fore wilt worship me, all shall be thine." We need not con-
cern ourselves with conjecture as to whether Satan could
have made good his promise in the event of Christ's doing
him homage ; certain it is Christ could have reached out, and
have gathered to Himself the wealth and glory of the world
had He willed so to do, and thereby have failed in His Mes-
sianic mission. This fact Satan knew full well. Many men
have sold themselves to the devil for a kingdom and for less,
aye, even for a few paltry pence.
The effrontery of his offer was of itself diabolical. Christ,
the Creator of heaven and earth, tabernacled as He then
was in mortal flesh, may not have remembered His pre-
existent state, nor the part He had taken in the great
council of the Gods f while Satan, an unembodied spirit he
the disinherited, the rebellious and rejected son seeking to
tempt the Being through whom the world was created by
promising Him part of what was wholly His, still may have
had, as indeed he may yet have, a remembrance of those
primeval scenes. In that distant past, antedating the crea-
tion of the earth, Satan, then Lucifer, a son of the morning,
had been rejected; and the Firstborn Son had been chosen.
Now that the Chosen One was subject to the trials incident
to mortality, Satan thought to thwart the divine purpose by
making the Son of God subject to himself. He who had
been vanquished by Michael and his hosts and cast down as
a defeated rebel, asked the embodied Jehovah to worship
':
e Pages 6-9.
CHRIST'S VICTORY OVER TEMPTATION. 133
him. "Tfytn saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan:
for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and
him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth him, and
behold, angels came and ministered unto him."/
It is not to be supposed that Christ's victorious emer-
gence from the dark clouds of the three specified tempta-
tions exempted Him from further assaults by Satan, or in-
sured Him against later trials of faith, trust, and endurance.
Luke closes his account of the temptations following the
forty-day fast as follows : "And when the devil had ended
all the temptation, he departed from him for a season. "^
This victory over the devil and his wiles, this triumph over
the cravings of the flesh, the harassing doubts of the mind,
the suggested reaching out for fame and material wealth,
were great but not final successes in the struggle between
Jesus, the embodied God, and Satan, the fallen angel of light.
That Christ was subject to temptation during the period of
His association with the apostles He expressly affirmed.**
That His temptations extended even to the agony in Geth-
semane will appear as we proceed with this study. It is not
given to the rest of us, nor was it given to Jesus, to meet
the foe, to fight and overcome in a single encounter, once
for all time. The strife between the immortal spirit and
the flesh, between the offspring of God on the one hand, the
world and the devil on the other, is persistent through life.
Few events in the evangelical history of Jesus of Naz-
areth have given rise to more discussion, fanciful theory,
and barren speculation, than have the temptations. All such
surmizes we may with propriety ignore. To any believer in
the holy scriptures, the account of the temptations therein
given is sufficiently explicit to put beyond doubt or question
the essential facts ; to the unbeliever neither the Christ nor
/Matt. 4:10, 11; compare Exo. 20:3; Deut. 6:13; 10:20; Josh. 24:14; 1 Sam.
7:3.
0Luke 4:13.
A Luke 22:28.
134 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 10.
His triumph appeals. What shall it profit us tcnspeculate as
to whether Satan appeared to Jesus in visible form, or was
present only as an unseen spirit ; whether he spoke in audible
voice, or aroused in the mind of his intended victim the
thoughts later expressed by the written lines; whether the
three temptations occurred in immediate sequence or were
experienced at longer intervals? With safety we may reject
all theories of myth or parable in the scriptural account, and
accept the record as it stands ; and with equal assurance may
we affirm that the temptations were real, and that the trials
to which our Lord was put constituted an actual and crucial
test. To believe otherwise, one must regard the scriptures
as but fiction.
A question deserving some attention in this connection
is that of the peccability or impeccability of Christ the ques-
tion as to whether He was capable of sinning. Had there
been no possibility of His yielding to the lures of Satan,
there would have been no real test in the temptations, no
genuine victory in the result. Our Lord was sinless yet
peccable; He had the capacity, the ability to sin had He
willed so to do. Had He been bereft of the faculty to sirt,
He would have been shorn of His free agency ; and it was
to safeguard and insure the agency of man that He had
offered Himself, before the world was, as a redeeming sac-
rifice. To say that He could not sin because He was the
embodiment of righteousness is no denial of His agency of
choice between evil and good. A thoroughly truthful man
cannot culpably lie ; nevertheless his insurance against false-
hood is not that of external compulsion, but of internal re-
straint due to his cultivated companionship of the spirit of
truth. A really honest man will neither take nor covet his
neighbor's goods, indeed it may be said that he cannot steal ;
yet he is capable of stealing should he so elect. His honesty
is an armor against temptation; but the coat of mail, the
helmet, the breastplate, and the greaves, are but an outward
JESUS PECCABLE BUT SINLESS. 135
covering; the man within may be vulnerable if he can be
reached.
But why proceed with labored reasoning, which can lead
to but one conclusion, when our lord's own words and other
scriptures confirm the fact? Shortly before His betrayal,
when admonishing the Twelve to humility, He said : "Ye
are they which have continued with me in my temptations/' 1
While here we find no exclusive reference to the temptations
immediately following His baptism, the exposition is plain
that He had endured temptations, and by implication, these
had continued throughout the period of His ministry. The
writer of the epistle to the Hebrews expressly taught that
Christ was peccable, in that He was tempted "in all points"
as are the rest of mankind. Consider the unambiguous
declaration : "Seeing then that we have a great high priest,
that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us
hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest
which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities ;
but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin."''
And further: "Though he were a Son, yet learned he
obedience by the things which he suffered. " k
NOTES TO CHAPTER 10.
1. Raiment of Camel's Hair. Through the prophet Zecha-
riah (13:4) a time was foretold in which professing prophets
would no longer "wear a rough garment to deceive." Of the
raiment of camel's hair worn by John the Baptist, the Oxford
and other marginal readings render the expression "a garment
of hair" as more literal than the Bible text. Deems (Light of the
Nations, p. 74, note) says : "The garment of camel's hair was not
the camel's skin with the hair on, which would be too heavy to
wear, but raiment woven of camel's hair, such as Josephus speaks
of (B. J. i, 24:3)."
2. Locusts and Wild Honey. Insects of the locust or grass-
hopper kind were specifically declared clean and suitable for
food in the law given to Israel in the wilderness. "Yet these
may ye eat of every flying creeping thing that goeth upon all
Luke 22:28.
/Heb. 4:14, 15.
AHeb. 5:8.
JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 10.
four, which have legs above their feet, to leap withal upon the
earth; even these of them ye may eat; the locust after his kind,
and the bald locust after his kind, and the beetle after his kind,
and the grasshopper after his kind." (Lev. 11:21, 22.) At the
present time locusts are used as food by many oriental peoples,
though usually by the poorer classes only. Of the passage re-
ferring to locusts as part of the Baptist's food while he lived as
a recluse in the desert, Farrar (Life of Christ, p. 97, note,) says:
"The fancy that it means the pods of the so-called locust tree
(carob) is a mistake. Locusts are sold as articles of food in
regular^ shops for the purpose at Medina ; they are plunged into
salt boiling water, dried in the sun, and eaten with butter, but
only by the poorest beggars." Geikie (Life and Words of Christ,
vol. i, pp. 354, 355) gives place to the following as applied to the
Baptist's life: "His only food was the locusts which leaped or
flew on the bare hills, and the honey of wild bees which he
found, here and there, in the clifts of the rocks, and his only
drink a draught of water from some rocky hollow. Locusts are
still the food of the poor in many parts of the East. 'All the
Bedouins of Arabia, and the inhabitants of towns in Nedj and
Hedjaz, are accustomed to eat them/ says Burckhardt. 'I have
seen at Medina and Tayf, locust shops, where they are sold by
measure. In Egypt and Nubia they are eaten only by the poor-
est beggars. The' Arabs, in preparing them for eating, throw
them alive into boiling water, with which a good deal of salt has
been mixed, taking them out after a few minutes, and drying
them in the sun. The head, feet, and wings, are then torn off,
the bodies cleansed from the salt, and perfectly dried. They are
sometimes eaten boiled in butter, or spread on unleavened bread
mixed with butter.' In Palestine, they are eaten only by the
Arabs on the extreme frontiers ; elsewhere they are looked on
with disgust and loathing, and only the very poorest use them.
Tristram, however, speaks of them as Very palatable.' 'I found
them very good,' says he, 'when eaten after the Arab fashion,
stewed with butter. They tasted somewhat like shrimps, but with
less flavour.' In the wilderness of Judea, various kinds abound
at all seasons, and spring up with a drumming sound, at every
step, suddenly spreading their bright hind wings, of scarlet, crim-
son, blue, yellow, white, green, or brown, according to the spe-
cies. They were 'clean/ under the Mosaic Law, and hence could
be eaten by John without offence."
Concerning the mention of wild honey as food used by John,
the author last quoted says in a continuation of the same para-
graph: "The wild bees in Palestine are far more numerous than
those kept in hives, and the greater part of the honey sold in
the southern districts is obtained from wild swarms. Few coun-
tries, indeed, are better adapted for bees. The dry climate, and
the stunted but varied flora, consisting largely of aromatic
thymes, mints, and other similar plants, with crocuses in the
spring, are very favourable to them, while the dry recesses of the
limestone rocks everywhere afford them shelter and protection
for their combs. In the wilderness of Judea, bees are far more
numerous than in any other part of Palestine, and it is, to this
NOTES. 137
day, part of the homely diet of the Bedouins, who squeeze it from
the combs and store it in skins."
3. John's Inferiority to the Mightier One He Proclaimed.
"One mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am
not worthy to unloose" (Luke 3:16), or "whose shoes I am not
worthy to bear" (Matt 3:11); this was the way by which the
Baptist declared his inferiority to the Mightier One, who was to
succeed and supersede him ; and a more effective illustration
would be difficult to frame. To loosen the shoe latchet or san-
dal thong, or to carry the shoes of another, "was a menial office
betokening great inferiority on the part of the person perform-
ing it." (Smith's Diet, of the Bible.} A passage in the Talmud
(Tract. Kidduschin xxiiiz} requires a disciple to dp for his teacher
whatever a servant might be required to do for his master, except
the loosing of his sandal thong. Some teachers urged that a
disciple should carry his humility even to the extreme of carry-
ing his master's shoes. The humility of the Baptist, in view of
the widespread interest his call aroused, is impressive.
4. The Order in which the Temptations Were Presented.
But two of the Gospel-writers specify the temptations to which
Christ was subjected immediately after His baptism; Mark mere-
ly mentions the fact that Jesus was tempted. Matthew and Luke
place first the temptation that Jesus provide for Himself by
miraculously creating bread ; the sequence of the later trials is
not the same in the two records. The order followed in the
text is that of Matthew.
5. The Devil's "If." Note the later taunting use of that
diabolical if as the Christ hung upon the cross. The rulers of
the Jews, mocking the crucified Jesus in His agony said, "Let
him save himself if he be the Christ." And the soldier, reading
the inscription at the head of the cross derided the dying God,
saying: "// thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself." And
yet again, the unrepentant malefactor by His side cried out, "//
thou be Christ, save thyself and us." (Luke 23:35-39.) How
literally did those ratters and mockers quote the very words of
their father the devil (see John 8:44). See further, page 658
herein.
6. Baptism Required of All. Baptism is required of all
persons who live to the age of accountability in the flesh. None are
exempt. Jesus Christ, who lived as a Man without sin in the
midst of a sinful world, was baptized "to fulfil all righteousness."
Six centuries before this event, Nephi, prophesying to the people
on the western continent, foretold the baptism of the Savior, and
thus drew therefrom the necessity of baptism as a universal re-
quirement : "And now, if the Lamb of God, he being holy, should
have need to be baptized by water, to fulfil all righteousness, O
then, how much more need have we, being unholy, to be baptized,
yea, even by water. . . . Know ye not that he was holy? But
notwithstanding he being holy, he sheweth unto the children of
men, that according to the flesh, he humbleth himself before the
Father, and witnesseth unto the Father that he would be obedient
unto him in keeping his commandments" (B. of M., 2 Nephi
31:5, 7). See The Articles of Faith, vi:i8-2p.
138 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 11.
CHAPTER 11.
FROM JUDEA TO GALILEE.
THE: BAPTIST'S TESTIMONY OF JESUS.
During the period of our Lord's retirement in the wilder-
ness the Baptist continued his ministry, crying repentance
to all who would pause to hear, and administering baptism
to such as came duly prepared and asking with right intent.
The people generally were greatly concerned over the iden-
tity of John; and as the real import of the voice a dawned
upon them, their concern deepened into fear. The ever
recurring question was, Who is this new prophet ? Then the
Jews, by which expression we may understand the rulers of
the people, sent a delegation of priests and Levites of the
Pharisaic party to personally question him. He answered
without evasion, "I am not the Christ," and with equal de-
cisiveness denied that he was Elias, or more accurately,
Elijah, the prophet who, the rabbis said through a misin-
terpretation of Malachi's prediction, was to return to earth
as the immediate precursor of the Messiah. b Furthermore,
he declared that he was not "that prophet," by which was
meant the Prophet whose coming Moses had foretold/ and
who was not universally identified in the Jewish mind with
the expected Messiah. "Then said they unto him, Who
art thou ? that we may give an answer to them that sent us.
What sayest thou of thyself? He said, I am the voice of
one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the
Lord, as said the prophet Esaias." J The Pharisaic envoys
then demanded of him his authority for baptizing ; in reply
o Luke 3 :4.
b John 1:21; compare Mai. 4:5. Note 1, end of chapter.
c Deut. 18:15, 18; see page 45 herein.
d John 1:22, 23; compare Isa. 4C :3.
JOHN'S TESTIMONY OF CHRIST. 139
he affirmed that the validity of his baptisms would be attested
by One who even then was amongst them, though they knew
Him not, and averred : "He it is, who coming after me is
preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to
unloose."*
John's testimony, that Jesus was the Redeemer of the
world, was declared as boldly as had been his message of the
imminent coming of the Lord. "Behold the Lamb of God,
which taketh away the sin of the world," he proclaimed ; and,
that none might fail to comprehend his identification of the
Christ, he added: "This is he of whom I said, After me
cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was
before me. And I knew him not: but that he should be
made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with
water. "f That the attestation of the ministering presence of
the Holy Ghost through the material appearance "like a
dove" was convincing to John is shown by his further testi-
mony : "And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit de-
scending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.
And I knew him not : but he that sent me to baptize with
water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the
Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he
which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare
record that this is the Son of God."^ On the day following
that of the utterance last quoted, John repeated his testimony
to two of his disciples, or followers, as Jesus passed, saying
again : "Behold the Lamb of God." /l
THE FIRST DISCIPLES OF JESUS.*'
Two of the Baptist's followers, specifically called disci-
ples, were with him when for the second time he expressly
designated Jesus as the Lamb of God. These were Andrew
Jia oj rnom o} nwsio 3d
*John 1:25-27.
/John 1:29-31.
John 1:32, 34; also verses 35, 36. Note 2, end of chapter.
N<
lote 3, end of chapter.
*John 1:35-31.
140 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 11.
and John ; the latter came to be known in after years as the
author of the fourth Gospel. The first is mentioned by
name, while the narrator suppresses his own name as that
of the second disciple. Andrew and John were so impressed
by the Baptist's testimony that they immediately followed
Jesus ; and He, turning toward them asked : "What seek
ye?" Possibly somewhat embarrassed by the question, or
with a real desire to learn where He might be found later,
they replied by another inquiry : "Rabbi, where dwellest
thou?" Their use of the title Rabbi was a mark of honor
and respect, to which Jesus did not demur. His courteous
reply to their question assured them that their presence was
no unwelcome intrusion. "Come and see," said He/ The
two young men accompanied Him, and remained with Him
to learn more. Andrew, filled with wonder and joy over the
interview so graciously accorded, and thrilled with the spirit
of testimony that had been enkindled within his soul, has-
tened to seek his brother Simon, to whom he said : "We
have found the Messias." He brought Simon to see and
hear for himself ; and Jesus, looking upon Andrew's brother,
called him by name and added an appellation of distinction
by which he was destined to be known throughout all later
history : "Thou art Simon the son of Jona ; thou shalt be
called Cephas." The new name thus bestowed is the
Aramaic or Syro-Chaldaic equivalent of the Greek "Petros,"
and of the present English "Peter," meaning "a stone. "*
On the following day Jesus set out for Galilee, possibly
accompanied by some or all of his newly-made disciples;
and on the way He found a man named Philip, in whom He
recognized another choice son of Israel. Unto Philip He
said : "Follow me." It was customary with rabbis and
other teachers of that time to strive for popularity, that many
might be drawn to them to sit at their feet and be known as
/Note 4, end of chapter.
The name thus given was afterward confirmed, with accompani-
ments of promise; Matt. 16:18.
PHILIP AND NATHANAEL. 141
their disciples. Jesus, however, selected His own immediate
associates ; and, as He found them and discerned in them the
spirits who, in their preexistent state had been chosen for the
earthly mission of the apostleship, He summoned them.
They were the servants ; He was the Master. 7
Philip soon found his friend Nathanael, to whom he testi-
fied that He of whom Moses and the prophets had written
had at last been found; and that He was none other than
Jesus of Nazareth. Nathanael, as his later history demon-
strates, was a righteous man, earnest in his hope and expec-
tation of the Messiah, yet seemingly imbued with the belief
common throughout Jewry that the Christ was to come in
royal state as seemed befitting the Son of David. The mention
of such a One coming from Nazareth, the reputed son of a
humble carpenter, provoked wonder if not incredulity in the
guileless mind of Nathanael, and he exclaimed : "Can there
any good thing come out of Nazareth?" Philip's answer
was a repetition of Christ's words to Andrew and John
"Come and see." Nathanael left his seat under the fig tree," 1
where Philip had found him, and went to see for himself.
As he approached, Jesus said : "Behold an Israelite indeed,
in whom is no guile." Nathanael saw that Jesus could read
his mind, and asked in surprize: "Whence knowest thou
me?" In reply Jesus showed even greater powers of pene-
tration and perception under conditions that made ordinary
observation unlikely if not impossible : "Before that Philip
called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee."
Nathanael replied with conviction : "Rabbi, thou art the
Son of God ; thou art the King of Israel." Earnest as the
man's testimony was, it rested mainly on his recognition of
what he took to be a supernatural power in Jesus ; our Lord
assured him that he should see yet greater things : "And he
JTo the apostles the Lord said on a subsequent occasion: "Ye hav
not chosen me, but I have chosen you" (John 15:16; see also 6:70).
mA favorite situation for rest, meditation, and study; 1 Kings 4:25;
Micah 4:4.
JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 11.
saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye
shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and
descending upon the Son of man."
SON OF MAN."
In the promise and prediction made by Christ to Na-
thanael, we find the significant title The Son of Man ap-
pearing for the first time, chronologically speaking, in the
New Testament. It recurs, however, about forty times, ex-
cluding repetitions in parallel accounts in the several Gos-
pels. In each of these passages it is used by the Savior dis-
tinctively to designate Himself. In three other instances the
title appears in the New Testament, outside the Gospels ; and
in each case it is applied to the Christ w r ith specific reference
to His exalted attributes as Lord and God. M
In the Old Testament, the phrase "son of man" occurs in
ordinary usage, denoting any human son; and it appears
over ninety times as an appellation by which Jehovah ad-
dressed Ezekiel, though it is never applied by the prophet to
himself.^ The context of the passages in which Ezekiel is
addressed as "son of man" indicates the divine intention of
emphasizing the human status of the prophet as contrasted
with the divinity of Jehovah.
The title is used in connection with the record of Daniel's
vision,^ in which was revealed the consummation, yet future,
when Adam the Ancient of Days shall sit to judge his
posterity ; r on which great occasion, the Son of Man is to
appear and receive a dominion that shall be everlasting,
transcendently superior to that of the Ancient of Days, and
embracing every people and nation, all of whom shall serve
the Lord, Jesus Christ, the Son of Man/
wActs 7:56; Rev. 1:13; 14:14.
ojob 25:6; Psalms 144:3; 146:3; see also 8:4 and compare Heb. 2:6-9.
p Ezek. 2:1, 3, 6, 8; 3:1, 3, 4; 4:1; etc.
?Do?: and'cov. 27:11; 78:15, 16; 107:54-57; 116.
jDoc. and Cov. 49:6; 58:65; 65:5; 122:8. Observe that in modern revela-
tion the title is used only as applying to the Christ in His resurrected and
glorified state.
THE SON OF MAN. 143
In applying the designation to Himself, the Lord in-
variably uses the definite article. "The Son of Man" was
and is, specifically and exclusively, Jesus Christ. While as
a matter of solemn certainty He was the only male human
being from Adam down who was not the son of a mortal
man, He used the title in a way to conclusively demonstrate
that it was peculiarly and solely His own. It is plainly
evident that the expression is fraught with a meaning be-
yond that conveyed by the words in common usage. The
distinguishing appellation has been construed by many to
indicate our Lord's humble station as a mortal, and to con-
note that He stood as the type of humanity, holding a par-
ticular and unique relationship to the entire human family.
There is, however, a more profound significance attaching
to the Lord's use of the title "The Son of Man" ; and this
lies in the fact that He knew His Father to be the one and
only supremely exalted Man/ whose Son Jesus was both in
spirit and in body the Firstborn among all the spirit-chil-
dren of the Father, the Only Begotten in the flesh and
therefore, in a sense applicable to Himself alone, He was and
is the Son of the "Man of Holiness," Elohim," the Eternal
Father. In His distinctive titles of Sonship, Jesus expressed
His spiritual and bodily descent from, and His filial submis-
sion to, that exalted Father.
As revealed to Enoch the Seer, " Man of Holiness" is one
of the names by which God the Eternal Father is known ;
"and the name of his Only Begotten is the Son of Man, even
Jesus Christ." We learn further that the Father of Jesus
Christ thus proclaimed Himself to Enoch: "Behold, I am
God; Man of Holiness is my name; Man of Counsel is my
name; and Endless and Eternal is my name, also."*' "The
t Note 5, end of chapter.
Page 38.
z/P. of G. P., Moses 6:57; 7:35; see also 7:24, 47, 54, 56, 59, 65. Observe
that Satan addressed Moses as "son of man" in a blasphemous attempt
to coerce Moses into worshiping him by emphasizing the mortal weakness
and inferiority of the man in contrast with his own false pretension of
godship. (Moses 1:12.)
144 . JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 11,
Son of Man" is in great measure synonymous with "The
Son of God," as a title denoting divinity, glory, and exalta-
tion; for the "Man of Holiness," whose Son Jesus Christ
reverently acknowledges Himself to be, is God the Eternal
Father.
THE MIRACLE AT CANA IN GALILEE.
Soon after the arrival of Jesus in Galilee we find Him
and His little company of disciples at a marriage party in
Cana, a neighboring town to Nazareth. The mother of
Jesus was at the feast ; and for some reason not explained in
John's narrative, she manifested concern and personal re-
sponsibility in the matter of providing for the guests. Evi-
dently her position was different from that of one present by
ordinary invitation. Whether this circumstance indicates
the marriage to have been that of one of her own immediate
family, or some more distant relative, we are not informed.
It was customary to provide at wedding feasts a suf-
ficiency of wine, the pure though weak product of the local
vineyards, which was the ordinary table beverage of the
time. On this occasion the supply of wine was exhausted,
and Mary told Jesus of the deficiency. Said He : "Woman,
what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come."
The noun of address, "Woman," as applied by a son to his
mother may sound to our ears somewhat harsh, if not dis-
respectful ; but its use was really an expression of opposite
import.* To every son, the mother ought to be preeminently
the woman of women ; she is the one woman in the world to
whom the son owes his earthly existence ; and though the
title "Mother" belongs to every woman who has earned the
honors of maternity, yet to no child is there more than one
woman whom by natural right he can address by that title
of respectful acknowledgment. When, in the last dread
it/John 2:1-11.
x "The address 'Woman' was so respectful that it might be and was,
addressed to the queenliest." (Farrar, "The Life of Christ," p. 134.)
THE FIRST MIRACLE IN CANA. 14
'scenes of His mortal experience, Christ hung in dying agony
upon the cross, He looked down upon the weeping Mary,
His mother, and commended her to the care of the beloved
apostle John, with the words: "Woman, behold thy son!"?
Can it be thought that in this supreme moment, our Lord's
concern for the mother from whom He was about to be sep-
arated by death was associated with any emotion other than
that of honor, tenderness and love? 5
1 Nevertheless, His words to Mary at the marriage feast
may have conveyed a gentle reminder of her position as the
mother of a Being superior to herself ; even as on that earlier
occasion when she had found her Boy, Jesus, in the temple,
He had brought home to her the fact that her jurisdiction
over Him was not supreme. The manner in which she told
Him of the insufficiency of wine probably suggested an inti-
mation that He use His more than human power, and by
such means supply the need. It was not her function to
direct or even to suggest the exercize of the power inherent
in Him as the Son of God ; such had not been inherited from
her. "What have I to do with thee ?" He asked ; and added :
"Mine hour is not yet come." Here we find no disclaimer of
the ability to do what she apparently wanted Him to do, but
the plain implication that He would act only when the time
was right for the purpose, and that He, not she, must decide
when that time hid come. She understood His meaning, in
part at least, and contented herself by instructing the servants
to do whatsoever He directed. Here again is evidence of
her position of responsibility and domestic authority at the
social gathering.
I The time for His intervention soon arrived. There stood
within the place six water pots ; a these He directed the ser-
vants to fill with water. Then, without audible command or
yjohn 19:26.
: s On a few occasions Jesus used the address "Woman" in a general
way: Matt. 15:28; Luke 13:12; John 4:21; 8:10; etc.
a Note 6, end of chapter.
146 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 11.
formula of invocation, as best we know, He caused to be
effected a transmutation within the pots, and when the
servants drew therefrom, it was wine, not water that issued.
At a Jewish social gathering, such as was this wedding fes-
tival, some one, usually a relative of the host or hostess, or
some other one worthy of the honor, was made governor of
the feast, or, as we say in this day, chairman, or master of
ceremonies. To this functionary the new wine was first
served; and he, calling the bridegroom, who was the real
host, asked him why he had reserved his choice wine till the
last, when the usual custom was to serve the best at the be-
ginning, and the more ordinary later. The immediate result
of this, the first recorded of our Lord's miracles, is thus
tersely stated by the inspired evangelist : "This beginning of
miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth
his glory ; and his disciples believed on him." &
The circumstances incident to the miraculous act are
instructive to contemplate. The presence of Jesus at the
marriage, and His contribution to the successful conduct of
the feast, set the seal of His approval upon the matrimonial
relationship and upon the propriety of social entertainment.
He was neither a recluse nor an ascetic; He moved among
men, eating and drinking, as a natural, normal Being. c On
the occasion of the feast He recognized and heeded the de-
mands of the liberal hospitality of the times, and provided
accordingly. He, who but a few days before had revolted
at the tempter's suggestion that He provide bread for His
impoverished body, now used His power to supply a luxury
for others. One effect of the miracle was to confirm the
trust of those whose belief in Him as the Messiah was yet
young and untried. "His disciples believed on him" ; surely
they had believed in some measure before, otherwise they
&John 2:11.
c The absence of all false austerity and outward show of abnormal
abstinence in His life furnished an imagined excuse for unfounded charges
of excess, through which He was said to be a glutton and a winebibber.
(Matt. 11:19; Luke 7:34.)
MIRACLES DISCUSSED. 147
would not have followed Him; but their belief was now
strengthened and made to approach, if indeed it ;did not
attain, the condition of abiding faith in their L,ord. The
comparative privacy attending the manifestation is impres-
sive; the moral and spiritual effect was for the few, -the
inauguration of the Lord's ministry was not to be marked
by public display.
MIRACLES IN GENERAL.
The act of transmutation whereby water became wine
was plainly a miracle, a phenomenon not susceptible of ex-
planation, far less of demonstration, by what we consider the.
ordinary operation of natural law. This was the beginning
of His miracles, or as expressed in the revized version of the
New Testament, "his signs." In many scriptures miracles are
called signs, as also wonders, powers, works, wonderful
works, mighty works/ etc. The spiritual effect of miracles
would be unattained were the witnesses not caused to in-
wardly wonder, marvel, ponder and inquire; mere surprize
or amazement may be produced by deception and artful
trickery. Any miraculous manifestation of divine power
would be futile as a means of spiritual effect were it unim-
pressive. Moreover, every miracle is a sign of God's power;
and signs in this sense have been demanded of prophets who
professed to speak by divine authority, though such signs
have not been given in all cases. The Baptist was credited
with no miracle, though he was pronounced by the Christ as
more than a prophet ;* and the chronicles of some earlier
prophets^ are devoid of all mention of miracles. On the
other hand, Moses, when commissioned to deliver Israel
from Egypt, was made to understand that the Egyptians
tfMatt. 7:22; 11:20; 12:38; 16:1; 24:24; Mark 6:14; Luke 10:13; John 2:18;
7:21; 10:25; 14:11; Acts 6:8; 8:6; 14:3; 19:11; Rom. 15:19; Rev. 13:13; etc.
<?John 10:41; Matt. 11:9.
/For example Zechariah and Malachi.
148 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 11.
would look for the testimony of miracles, and he was abund-
antly empowered therefor/
Miracles cannot be in contravention of natural law, but
are wrought through the operation of laws not universally or
commonly recognized. Gravitation is everywhere operative,
but the local and special application of other agencies may
appear to nullify it as by muscular effort or mechanical im-
pulse a stone is lifted from the ground, poised aloft, or sent
hurtling through space. At every stage of the process, how-
ever, gravity is in full play, though its effect is modified by
that of other and locally superior energy. The human sense
of the miraculous wanes as comprehension of the operative
process increases. Achievements made possible by modern
invention of telegraph and telephone with or without wires,
the transmutation of mechanical power into electricity with
its manifold present applications and yet future possibilities,
the development of the gasoline motor, the present accom-
plishments in aerial navigation these are no longer miracles
in man's estimation, because they are all in some degree un-
derstood, are controlled by human agency, and, moreover,
are continuous in their operation and not phenomenal. We
arbitrarily classify as miracles only such phenomena as are
unusual, special, transitory, and wrought by an agency be-
yond the power of man's control.
In a broader sense, all nature is miracle. Man has learned
that by planting the seed of the grape in suitable soil, and by
due cultivation, he may conduce to the growth of what shall
be a mature and fruitful vine ; but is there no miracle, even in
trie sense of inscrutable processes, in that development? Is
there less of real miracle in the so-called natural course of
plant development the growth of root, stem, leaves, and
fruit, with the final elaboration of the rich nectar of the vine
than there was in what appears supernatural in the trans-
mutation of water into wine at Cana?
g Exo. 3:20; 4:1-9. Note 8, end of chapter.
THE MIRACLES SUPPORTED BY EVIDENCE. 149
In the contemplation of the miracles wrought by Christ,
we must of necessity recognize the operation of a power
transcending our present human understanding. In this
field, science has not yet advanced far enough to analyze and
explain. To deny the actuality of miracles on the ground
that, because we cannot comprehend the means, the reported
results are fictitious, is to arrogate to the human mind the
attribute of omniscience, by implying that what man cannot
comprehend cannot be, and that therefore he is able to com-
prehend all that is. The miracles of record in the Gospels
are as fully supported by evidence as are many of the his-
torical events which call forth neither protest nor demand for
further proof, To the believer in the divinity of Christ, the
miracles are sufficiently attested; to the unbeliever they ap-
pear but as myths and fables.^
To comprehend the works of Christ, one must know Him
as the Son of God ; to the man who has not yet learned to
know, to the honest soul who would inquire after the lyOrd,
the invitation is ready ; let him "Come and see."
NOTES TO CHAPTER u.
i. Misunderstanding of Malachi's Prediction. In the clos-
ing chapter of the compilation of scriptures known to us as the
Old Testament, the prophet Malachi thus describes a condition
incident to the last days, immediately preceding the second com-
ing of Christ: "For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as
an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall
be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith
the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root < nor
branch. But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of right-
eousness arise with healing in his wings." The fateful prophecy
concludes with the following blessed and far-reaching promise:
"Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of
the great and dreadful day of the Lord: and he shall turn the
heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children
to their fathers, lest I come and smito the earth with a curse."
(Malachi 4:1, 2, 5, 6.) It has been held by theologians and Bible
commentators that this prediction had reference to the birth and
ministry of John the Baptist, (compare Matt. 11:14; 17:11; Mark
9:11; Luke 1:17), upon whom rested the spirit and power of
h Note 7, end of chapter.
150 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 11.
Elias (Luke 1:17). However, we have no record of Elijah hav-
ing ^ ministered unto the Baptist, and furthermore, the latter's
ministry, glorious though it was, justifies no conclusion that in
him did the prophecy find its full realization. In addition, it
should be remembered, that the Lord's declaration through
Malachi, relative to the day of burning in which the wicked
would be destroyed as stubble, yet awaits fulfilment. It is evi-
dent, therefore, that the commonly accepted interpretation is at
fault, and that we must look to a later date than the time of
John for the fulfilment of Malachi's prediction. The later occa-
sion _ has come; it belongs to the present dispensation, and marks
the inauguration of a work specially reserved for the Church in
these latter days. In the course of a glorious manifestation to
Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, in the temple at Kirtland,
Ohio, April 3d, 1836, there appeared unto them Elijah, the prophet
of old, who had been taken from earth while still in the body.
He declared unto them: "Behold, the time has fully come, which
was spoken of by the mouth of Malachi, testifying that he
(Elijah) should be sent before the great and dreadful day of the
Lord come, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and
the children to the fathers, lest the whole earth be smitten with a
curse. Therefore the keys of this dispensation are committed
into your hands, and by this ye may know that the great and
dreadful day of the Lord is near, even at the doors." (Doc. and
Cov. 110:13-16.) See also The House of the Lord, pp. 82-83.
2. The Sign of the Dove. "John the Baptist
had the privilege of beholding the Holy Ghost descend in the
form of a dove, or rather in the sign of the dove, in witness of
that administration. The sign of the dove was instituted before
the creation of the world, a witness for the Holy Ghost, and the
devil cannot come in the sign of a dove. The Holy Ghost is a
personage, and is in the form of a personage. It does not con-
fine itself to the form of the dove, but in sign of the dove. The
Holy Ghost cannot be transformed into a dove; but the sign of
a dove was given to John to signify the truth of the deed, as the
dove is an emblem or token of truth and innocence." From Ser-
mon by Joseph Smith, History of the Church, vol. 5, pp. 260-261.
3. The Testimony of John the Baptist. Observe that the
Baptist's testimony to the divinity of Christ's mission is recorded
as having been given after the period of our Lord's forty-day fast
and temptations, and therefore approximately six weeks subse-
quent to the baptism of Jesus. To the deputation of priests and
Levites of the Pharisaic party, who visited him by direction of the
rulers, probably by appointment from the Sanhedrin, John, after
disavowing that he was the Christ or any one of the prophets
specified in the inquiry, said : "There standeth one among you
whom ye know not; he it is who coming after me is preferred
before me." On the next day, and again on the day following
that, he bore public testimony to Jesus as the Lamb of God ; and
on the third day after the visit of the priests and Levites to John,
Jesus started on the journey to Galilee (John 1:19-43).
John's use of the designation "Lamb of God" implied his
NOTES. 151
conception of the Messiah as One appointed for sacrifice, and
his use of the term is the earliest mention found in the Bible.
For later Biblical applications, direct or implied, see Acts 8:32;
I Peter 1:19; Rev. 5:6, 8, 12, 13; 6:1, 16; 7:9, 10, 17; etc.
4. "Come and See." The spirit of our Lord's invitation to
the young truth seekers, Andrew and John, is manifest in a sim-
ilar privilege extended to all. The man who would know Christ
must come to Him, to see and hear, to feel and know. Mission-
aries may carry the good tidings, the message of the gospel, but
the response must be an individual one. Are you in doubt as to
what that message means to-day? Then come and see for your-
self. Would you know where Christ is to be found? Come and
see.
5. The Eternal Father a Resurrected, Exalted Being. "As
the Father hath power in himself, so hath the Son power in him-
self, to lay down his life and take it again, so he has a body of
his own. The Son doeth what he hath seen the Father do: then
the Father hath some day laid down his life and taken it again;
so he has a body of his own; each one will be in his own body."
Joseph Smith; see Hist, of the Church, vol. 5, p. 426.
"God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted
Man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens ! That is the great
secret. If the veil was rent to-day, and the Great God who holds
this world in its orbit, and who upholds all worlds and all things
by his power, was to make himself visible, I say, if you were to
see him to-day, you would see him like a man in form like your-
selves in all the person, image, and very form as a man ; for
Adam was created in the very fashion, image, and likeness of God,
and received instruction from, and walked, talked and conversed
with him, as one man talks and communes with another."
Joseph Smith ; see Compendium, p. 190.
6. Waterpots for Ceremonial Cleansing. In the house at
Cana there stood in a place specially reserved, six waterpots of
stone "after the manner of the purifying of the Jews." Vessels
of water were provided as a matter of prescribed order in Jewish
homes, to facilitate the ceremonial washings enjoined by the law.
From these pots or jars the water was drawn off as required;
they were reservoirs holding the supply, not vessels used in the
actual ablution.
7. "The Attitude of Science Towards Miracles" is the sub-
ject of a valuable article by Prof. H. L. Orchard, published in
Journal of the Transactions of the Victoria Institute, or Philo-*
sophical Society of Great Britain, 1910, vol. 42, pp. 81-122. This
article was the Gunning Prize Essay for 1909. After a lengthy
analytical treatment of his subject, the author presents the fol-
lowing summation, which was concurred in by those who took
part in the ensuing discussions : "We here complete our scientific
investigation of Bible Miracles. It has embraced (i) the nature
of the phenomenon; (2) the conditions under which it is alleged
to have occurred; (3) the character of the testimony to its occur-
rence. To the inquiry Were the Bible miracles probable? sci-
ence answers in the affirmative. To the further inquiry Did
15*
JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 11.
they actually occur? the answer of science is again, and very em-
phatically, in the affirmative. If we liken them to gold, she has
made her assay and says the gold is pure. Or the Bible miracles
may be compared to a string of pearls. If science seeks to know
whether the pearls are genuine, she may apply chemical and
other tests to the examination of their character; she may search
into the conditions and circumstances in which the alleged pearls
were found. Were they first found in an oyster, or in some
manufacturing laboratory? And she may investigate the testi-
mony of experts. Should the result of any one of these examina-
tions affirm the genuineness of the pearls, science will be slow to
believe that they are 'paste'; if all the results declare their gen-
uineness, science will not hesitate to say that they are true pearls.
This, as we have seen, is the case of the Bible miracles. Science,
therefore, affirms their actual occurrence"
8. The Testimony of Miracles. The Savior's promise in
a former day (Mark 16: 17-18), as in the present dispensation
(Doc. and Cov. 84:65-73), is definite, to the effect that specified
gifts of the Spirit are to follow the believer as signs of divine
favor. The possession and exercize of such gifts may be taken
therefore as essential features of the Church of Christ. Neverthe-
less we are not justified in regarding the evidence of miracles as
infallible testimony of authority from heaven; on the other hand,
the scriptures furnish abundant proof that spiritual powers of the
baser sort have wrought miracles, and will continue so to do, to
the deceiving of many who lack discernment. If miracles be
accepted as infallible evidence of godly power, the magicians of
Egypt, through the wonders which they accomplished in opposition
to the ordained plan for Israel's deliverance, have as good a
claim to pur respect as has Moses (Exo. 7:11). John the Revela-
tor saw in vision a wicked power working miracles, and thereby
deceiving many; doing great wonders, even bringing fire from
heaven (Rev. 13:11-18). Again, he saw three unclean spirits,
whom he knew to be 'the spirits of devils working miracles'
(Rev. 16:13-14). Consider, in connection with this, the predic-
tion made by the Savior: 'There shall arise false Christs, and
false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders, insomuch
that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect' (Matt.
24:24). The invalidity of miracles as a proof of righteousness is
indicated in an utterance of Jesus Christ regarding the events
of the great judgment : 'Many will say to me in that day, Lord,
Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have
cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you ; depart
from me, ye that work iniquity' (Matt. 7:22-23). The Jews, to
whom these teachings were addressed, knew that wonders could
be wrought by evil powers ; for they charged Christ with working
miracles by the authority of Beelzebub the prince of devils (Matt.
12:22-30; Mark 3:22; Luke 11:15). From the author's The
Articles of Faith, xii:25, 26.
JESUS AT THE PASSOVER FEAST.
163
i; n
>3edj<iB *!qtat Drill
1<&<J
CHAPTER 12.
EARLY INCIDENTS IN OUR LORD'S PUBLIC
MINISTRY.
'
FIRST CLEARING of THE TEMPLE.
Soon after the marriage festivities in Cana, Jesus, accom-
panied by His disciples, as also by His mother and other
members of the family, went to Capernaum, a town pleas-
antly situated near the northerly end of the Sea of Galilee or
Lake of Gennesaret and the scene of many of our Lord's
miraculous works ; indeed it came to be known as His own
city. & Because of the unbelief of its people it became a sub-
ject of lamentation to Jesus when in sorrow He prefigured
the judgment that would befall the placet The exact site of
the city is at present unknown. On this occasion Jesus tar-
ried but a few days at Capernaum ; for the time of the annual
Passover was near, and in compliance with Jewish law and
custom He went up to Jerusalem.
The synoptic Gospels/ which are primarily devoted to the
labors of Christ in Galilee, contain no mention of His attend-
ance at the paschal festival between His twelfth year and the
time of His death; to John alone are we indebted for the
record of this visit at the beginning of Christ's public min-
istry. It is not improbable that Jesus had been present at
other Passovers during the eighteen years over which the
evangelists pass in complete and reverent silence ; but at any
or all such earlier visits, He, not being thirty years old, could
not have assumed the right or privilege of a teacher without
contravening established customs/ It is worth our attention
a Note 1, end of chapter.
b John 2:12; compare Matt. 4:13; 3:1.
c Matt. 11:23; Luke 10: 15.
d Note 2 end of chapter.
*Note 3, end of chapter.
154 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 12.
to note that on this, the first recorded appearance of Jesus in
the temple subsequent to His visit as a Boy, He should re-
sume His "Father's business" where He had before been
engaged. It was in His Father's service that He had been
found in discussion with the doctors of the law/ and in His
Father's cause He was impelled to action on this later occa-
sion.
The multitudinous and mixed attendance at the Passover
celebration has already received passing mention;* 7 some of
the unseemly customs that prevailed are to be held in mind.
The law of Moses had been supplemented by a cumulative
array of rules, and the rigidly enforced requirements as to
sacrifices and tribute had given rise to a system of sale and
barter within the sacred precincts of the House of the Lord.
In the outer courts were stalls of oxen, pens of sheep, cages
of doves and pigeons; and the ceremonial fitness of these
sacrificial victims was cried aloud by the sellers, and charged
for in full measure. It was the custom also to pay the yearly
poll tribute of the sanctuary at this season the ransom offer-
ing required of every male in Israel, and amounting to half
a shekel^ for each, irrespective of his relative poverty or
wealth. This was to be paid "after the shekel of the sanctu-
ary," which limitation, as rabbis had ruled, meant payment in
temple coin. Ordinary money, varieties of which bore effigies
and inscriptions of heathen import, was not acceptable, and
as a result, money-changers plied a thriving trade on the
temple grounds.
Righteously indignant at what He beheld, zealous for the
sanctity of His Father's House, Jesus essayed to clear the
place ;* and, pausing not for argument in words, He promptly
applied physical force almost approaching violence the one
form of figurative language that those corrupt barterers for
/Page 114; Luke 2: 46-49.
g Page 113. Note 4, end of chapter.
AExo. 30:11-16. Note 11, end of chapter,
tjohn 2:14-17.
FIRST CLEARING OF THE TEMPLE. 155
pelf could best understand. Hastily improvizing a whip of
small cords, He laid about Him on every side, liberating and
driving out sheep, oxen, and human traffickers, upsetting the
tables of the exchangers and pouring out their heterogeneous
accumulations of coin. With tender regard for the impris-
oned and helpless birds He refrained from assaulting their
cages; but to their owners He said: "Take these things
hence;" and to all the greedy traders He thundered forth a
command that made them quail: "Make not my Father's
house an house of merchandise." His disciples saw in the
incident a realization of the psalmist's line: "The zeal of
thine house hath eaten me up."''
The Jews, by which term we mean the priestly officials
and rulers of the people, dared not protest this vigorous
action on the ground of unrighteousness ; they, learned in the
law, stood self -convicted of corruption, avarice, and of per-
sonal responsibility for the temple's defilement. That the
sacred premises were in sore need of a cleansing they all
knew ; the one point upon which they dared to question the
Cleanser was as to why He should thus take to Himself the
doing of what was their duty. They practically submitted to
His sweeping intervention, as that of one whose possible in-
vestiture of authority they might be yet compelled to ac-
knowledge. Their tentative submission was based on fear,
and that in turn upon their sin-convicted consciences. Christ
prevailed over those haggling Jews by virtue of the eternal
principle that right is mightier than wrong, and of the
psychological fact that consciousness of guilt robs the culprit
of valor when the imminence of just retribution is apparent
to his soul. fe Yet, fearful lest He should prove to be a
prophet with power, such as no living priest or rabbi even
professed to be, they timidly asked for credentials of His au-
thority "What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou
j Compare Psalm 69:9.
5, end of chapter.
156 JESUS THE CHRIST, [CHAP. 12.
doest these things ?" Curtly, and with scant respect for this
demand, so common to wicked and adulterous men/ Jesus
replied : "Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise
it up." m
Blinded by their own craft, unwilling to acknowledge the
L,ord's authority, yet fearful of the possibility that they were
opposing one who had the right to act, the perturbed officials
found in the words of Jesus reference to the imposing temple
of masonry within whose walls they stood. They took
courage ; this strange Galilean, who openly flouted their au-
thority, spoke irreverently of their temple, the visible expres-
sion of the profession they so proudly flaunted in words
that they were children of the covenant, worshipers of the
true and living God, and hence superior to all heathen and
pagan peoples. With seeming indignation they rejoined :
"Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt
thou rear it up in three days ?" n Though frustrated in their
desire to arouse popular indignation against Jesus at this
time, the Jews refused to forget or forgive His words. When
afterward He stood an undefended prisoner, undergoing an
illegal pretense of trial before a sin-impeached court, the
blackest perjury uttered against Him was that of the false
witnesses who testified : "We heard him say, I will destroy
this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I
will build another made without hands." And while He
hung in mortal suffering, the scoffers who passed by the
cross wagged their heads and taunted the dying Christ with
"Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three
days, save thyself, and come down from the cross. " p Yet
His words to the Jews who had demanded the credentials of
a sign had no reference to the colossal Temple of Herod, but
to the sanctuary of His own body, in which, more liter-
/Matt. 12:38, 39; compare 16:1; Mark 8:11; John 8:30; I Cor. 1:22.
mjohn 2:19; read verses 18-22.
n Note 6, end of chapter.
oMark 14:58. Page 624 herein.
15:29, 30.
THE TEMPLE OF THE LORD'S BODY. 157
ally than in the man-built Holy of Holies, dwelt the ever
living Spirit of the Eternal God. "The Father is in me"
was His doctrine. 9
"He spake of the temple of His body," the real tabernacle
of the Most High/ This reference to the destruction of the
temple of His body, and the renewal thereof after three days,
is His first recorded prediction relating to His appointed
death and resurrection. Even the disciples did not compre-
hend the profound meaning of His words until after His
resurrection from the dead ; then they remembered and un-
derstood. The priestly Jews were not as dense as they ap-
peared to be, for we find them coming to Pilate while the
body of the crucified Christ lay in the tomb, saying : "Sir,
we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive,
After three days I will rise again. " s Though we have many
records of Christ having said that He would die and on the
third day would rise again, the plainest of such declarations
were made to the apostles rather than openly to the public.
The Jews who waited upon Pilate almost certainly had in
mind the utterance of Jesus when they had stood, nonplussed
before Him, at the clearing of the temple courts/
Such an accomplishment as that of defying priestly usage
and clearing the temple purlieus by force could not fail to
impress, with varied effect, the people in attendance at the
feast; and they, returning to their homes in distant and
widely separated provinces, would spread the fame of the
courageous Galilean Prophet. Many in Jerusalem believed
on Him at the time, mainly because they were attracted by
the miracles He wrought ; but He refused to "commit him-
self unto them," realizing the insecure foundation of their
professions. Popular adulation was foreign to His purpose ;
qjohn 10:38; 17:21.
r John 2:19-22; com]
2:9; Heb. 8:2.
^ ^
"compare I Cor. 3:16, 17; 6:19; 2 Cor. 6:16; see further Col.
jMatt. 27:63. Page 665.
t As Canon Farrar has tersely written, "Unless the 'we remember* was a
distinct falsehood, they could have been referring to no other occasion than
this." ("Life of Christ," p. 155.)
JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 12.
He wanted no motley following, but would gather around
Him such as received the testimony of His Messiahship from
the Father. "He knew all men, and needed not that any
should testify of man : for he knew what was in man."**
The incident of Christ's forcible clearing of the temple
is a contradiction of the traditional conception of Him as of
One so gentle and unassertive in demeanor as to appear un-
manly. Gentle He was, and patient under affliction, mer-
r.iful and long-suffering in dealing with contrite sinners, yet
stern and inflexible in the presence of hypocrisy, and un-
sparing ir- His denunciation of persistent evil-doers. His
mood was adapted to the conditions to which He addressed
Himself ; tender words of encouragement or burning ex-
pletives of righteous indignation issued with equal fluency
from His lips. His nature was no poetic conception of
cherubic sweetness ever present, but that of a Man, with
the emotions and passions essential to manhood and manli-
ness. He, who often wept with compassion, at other times
evinced in word and action the righteous anger of a God.
But of all His passions, however gently they rippled or
strongly surged, He was ever master. Contrast the gentle
Jesus moved to hospitable service by the needs of a festal
party in Cana, with the indignant Christ plying His whip,
and amidst commotion and turmoil of His own making, driv-
ing cattle and men before Him as an unclean herd.
iBepa ^tofacw
JESUS AND NICODEMUS.
That the wonderful deeds wrought by Christ at and about
the time of this memorable Passover had led some of the
learned, in addition to many of the common people, to be-
lieve in Him, is evidenced by the fact that Nicodemus, who
was a Pharisee in profession and who occupied a high place
as one of the rulers of the Jews, came to Him on an errand
wjohn 2:23-25.
ojohn 3:1-21.
EVERY MAN MUST BE BORN ANEW. 159
of inquiry. There is significance in the circumstance that
this visit was made at night. Apparently the man was im-
pelled by a genuine desire to learn more of the Galilean,
whose works could not be ignored; though pride of office
and fear of possible suspicion that he had become attached
to the new Prophet led him to veil his undertaking with
privacy ? Addressing Jesus by the title he himself bore, and
which he regarded as one of honor and respect, he said:
"Rabbi, we know that thon art a teacher come from God :
for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God
be with him." w Whether his use of the plural pronoun
"we" indicates that he was sent by the Sanhedrin, or by the
society of Pharisees the members of which were accus-
tomed to so speak, as representatives of the order or was
employed in the rhetorical sense as indicating himself alone,
is of little importance. He acknowledged Jesus as a
"teacher come from God," and gave reasons for so regarding
Him. Whatever of feeble faith might have been stirring
in the heart of the man, such was founded on the evidence
of miracles, supported mainly by the psychological effect of
signs and wonders. We must accord him credit for sin-
cerity and honesty of purpose.
Without waiting for specific questions, "Jesus answered
and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a
man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
Nicodemus appears to have been puzzled ; he asked how such
a rejuvenation was possible. "How can a man be born when
he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's
womb, and be born?" We do Nicodemus no injustice in
assuming that he as a rabbi, a man learned in the scriptures,
ought to have known that there was other meaning in the
words of Jesus than that of a mortal, literal birth. More-
over, were it possible that a man could be born a second
v Note 7, end of chapter,
wjohn 3:2; read verses 1-21.
160 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 12.
time literally and in the flesh, how could such a birth profit
him in spiritual growth? It would be but a reentrance on
the stage of physical existence, not an advancement. The
man knew that the figure of a new birth was common in the
teachings of his day. Every proselyte to Judaism was
spoken of at the time of his conversion as one new-born.
The surprize manifested by Nicodemus was probably due,
in part at least, to the universality of the requirement as an-
nounced by Christ. Were the children of Abraham included ?
The traditionalism of centuries was opposed to any such
view. Pagans had to be born again through a formal ac-
ceptance of Judaism, if they would become even small
sharers of the blessings that belonged as a heritage to the
house of Israel ; but Jesus seemed to treat all alike, Jews and
Gentiles, heathen idolaters and the people who with their
lips at least called Jehovah, God.
Jesus repeated the declaration, and with precision, em-
phasizing by the impressive "Verily, verily," the greatest les-
son that had ever saluted the ears of this ruler in Israel:
"Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of
water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of
God." That the new birth thus declared to be absolutely
essential as a condition of entrance into the kingdom of God,
applicable to every man, without limitation or qualification,
was a spiritual regeneration, was next explained to the won-
dering rabbi : "That which is born of the flesh is flesh ; and
that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I
said unto thee, Ye must be born again." Still the learned
Jew pondered yet failed to comprehend. Possibly the sound
of the night breeze was heard at that moment ; if so, Jesus
was but utilizing the incident as a skilful teacher would do
to impress a lesson when He continued : "The wind bloweth
where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst
not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every
one that is born of the Spirit." Plainly stated, Nicodemus
AN UNINFORMED MASTER IN ISRAEL.
was given to understand that his worldly learning and official
status availed him nothing in any effort to understand the
things of God ; through the physical sense of hearing he
knew that the wind blew ; by sight he could be informed of its
passage : yet what did he know of the ultimate cause of even
this simple phenomenon? If Nicodemus would really be
instructed in spiritual matters, he had to divest himself of
the bias due to his professed knowledge of lesser things.
Rabbi and eminent Sanhedrist though he was, there at
the humble lodging of the Teacher from Galilee, he was in
the presence of a Master. In the bewilderment of ignorance
he asked, "How can these things be ?" The reply must have
been humbling if not humiliating to the man : "Art thou a
master of Israel, and knowest not these things ?" Plainly a
knowledge of some of the fundamental principles of the
gospel had been before accessible; Nicodemus was held in
reproach for his lack of knowledge, particularly as he was
a teacher of the people. Then our Lord graciously ex-
pounded at greater length, testifying that He spoke from
sure knowledge, based upon what He had seen, while Nico-
demus and his fellows were unwilling to accept the witness
of His words. Furthermore, Jesus averred His mission to
be that of the Messiah, and specifically foretold His death
and the manner thereof that He, the Son of Man, must be
lifted up, even as Moses had lifted the serpent in the wilder-
ness as a prototype, whereby Israel might escape the fatal
plague. x
The purpose of the foreappointed death of the Son of
Man was : "That whosoever believeth in him should not
perish, but have eternal life" ; for to this end, and out of His
boundless love to man had the Father devoted His Only
Begotten Son. And further, while it was true that in His
mortal advent the Son had not come to sit as a judge, but
to teach, persuade and save, nevertheless condemnation
,
*Numb. 21:7-9.
162 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 12.
would surely follow rejection of that Savior, for light had
come, and wicked men avoided the light, hating it in their
preference for the darkness in which they hoped to hide their
evil deeds. Here again, perhaps, Nicodemus experienced a
twinge of conscience, for had not he been afraid to come
in the light, and had he not chosen the dark hours for his
visit ? Our Lord's concluding words combined both instruc-
tion and reproof : "But he that doeth truth cometh to the
light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are
wrought in God."
The narrative of this interview between Nicodemus and
the Christ constitutes one of our most instructive and prec-
ious scriptures relating to the absolute necessity of unre-
served compliance with the laws and ordinances of the gos-
pel, as the means indispensable to salvation. Faith in Jesus
Christ as the Son of God, through whom alone men may
gain eternal life; the forsaking of sin by resolute turning
away from the gross darkness of evil to the saving light of
righteousness ; the unqualified requirement of a new birth
through baptism in water, and this of necessity by the mode
of immersion, since otherwise the figure of a birth would be
meaningless; and the completion of the new birth through
baptism by the Spirit all these principles are taught herein
in such simplicity and plainness as to make plausible no
man's excuse for ignorance.
If Jesus and Nicodemus were the only persons present at
the interview, John, the writer, must have been informed
thereof by one of the two. As John was one of the early
disciples, afterward one of the apostles, and as he was dis-
tinguished in the apostolic company by his close personal
companionship with the Lord, it is highly probable that he
heard the account from the lips of Jesus. It was evidently
John's purpose to record the great lesson of the occasion
rather than to tell the circumstantial story. The record
begins and ends with equal abruptness; unimportant inci-
DISPUTATION CONCERNING BAPTISM. 163
dents are omitted; every line is of significance; the writer
fully realized the deep import of his subject and treated it
accordingly. Later mention of Nicodemus tends to confirm
the estimate of the man as he appears in this meeting with
Jesus that of one who was conscious of a belief in the
Christ, but whose belief was never developed into such gen-
uine and virile faith as would impel to acceptance and com-
pliance irrespective of cost or consequence.^
FROM CITY TO COUNTRY.
Leaving Jerusalem, Jesus and His disciples went into the
rural parts of Judea, and there tarried, doubtless preaching
as opportunity was found or made ; and those who believed
on Him were baptized. 3 The prominent note of His early
public utterances was that of His forerunner in the wilder-
ness: "Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
The Baptist continued his labors; though doubtless, since
his recognition of the Greater One for whose coming he
had been sent to prepare, he considered the baptism he ad-
ministered as of somewhat different significance. He had
at first baptized in preparation for One who was to come ;
now he baptized repentant believers unto Him who had
come.
Disputation had arisen between some of John's zealous
adherents and one or more Jews* 7 concerning the doctrine of
purifying. The context^ leaves little room for doubt that a
question was involved as to the relative merits of John's
baptism and that administered by the disciples of Jesus.
With excusable ardor and well-intended zeal for their mas-
ter, the disciples of John, who had been embroiled in the
dispute, came to him saying : "Rabbi, he that was with thee
beyond Jordan, to whom thou bearest witness, behold, the
y Note 8, end of chapter. See "Articles of Faith," v:l-5.
s John 3:22; compare 4:2.
a Matt. 4:17; compare Mark 1:15.
.b Note 9, end of chapter,
cjohn 3:25-36.
164 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 12.
same baptizeth, and all men come to him." John's sup-
porters were concerned at the success of One whom they
regarded in some measure as a rival to their beloved teacher.
Had not John given to Jesus His first attestation ? "He to
whom thou bearest witness" said they, not deigning even to
designate Jesus by name. Following the example of
Andrew, and of John the future apostle, the people were
leaving the Baptist and gathering about the Christ. John's
reply to his ardent followers constitutes a sublime instance
of self-abnegation. His answer was to this effect: A man
receives only as God gives unto him. It is not given to me
to do the work of Christ. Ye yourselves are witnesses
that I disclaimed being the Christ, and that I said I was one
sent before Him. He is as the Bridegroom ; I am only as the
friend of the bridegroom/ His servant; and I rejoice greatly
in being thus near Him ; His voice gives me happiness ; and
thus my joy is fulfilled. He of whom you speak stands at
the beginning of His ministry ; I near the end of mine. He
must increase but I must decrease. He came from heaven
and therefore is superior to all things of earth ; nevertheless
men refuse to receive His testimony. To such a One, the
Spirit of God is not apportioned; it is His in full measure.
The Father loveth Him, the Son, and hath given all things
into His hand, and : "He that believeth on the Son hath ever-
lasting life : and he that believeth not the Son shall not see
life ; but the wrath of God abideth on him."^
In such a reply, under the existent conditions, is to be
found the spirit of true greatness, and of a humility that
could rest only on a conviction of divine assurance to the
Baptist as to himself and the Christ. In more than one
sense was John great among all who are born of women/
He had entered upon his work when sent of God so to do ?
d Note 10, end of chapter.
ejohn 3:27-36.
/Matt. 11:11.
g Luke 3:2,3.
NOTES. 165
he realized that his work had been in a measure superseded,
and he patiently awaited his release, in the meantime con-
tinuing in the ministry, directing souls to his Master. The
beginning of the end was near. He was soon seized and
thrown into a dungeon ; where, as shall be shown, he was
beheaded to sate the vengeance of a corrupt woman whose
sins he had boldly denounced. h
The Pharisees observed with increasing apprehension the
growing popularity of Jesus, evidenced by the fact that
even more followed after Him and accepted baptism at the
hands of His disciples than had responded to the Baptist's
call. Open opposition was threatened ; and as Jesus desired
to avert the hindrance to His work which such persecution
at that time would entail, He withdrew from Judea and re-
tired to Galilee, journeying by way of Samaria. This return
to the northern province was effected after the Baptist had
been cast into prison. 1 '
NOTES TO CHAPTER 12.
i. Sea of Galilee. This, the largest body of fresh water in
Palestine, is somewhat pear-shape in outline and measures ap-
proximately thirteen miles in extreme length on a northerly-
southerly line and between six and seven miles in greatest width.
The river Jordan enters it at the northeast extremity and flows
out at the south-west; the lake may be regarded, therefore, as a
great expansion of the river, though the water-filled depression
is about two hundred feet in depth. The outflowing Jordan con-
nects the sea of Galilee with the Dead Sea, the latter a body of
intensely saline water, which in its abundance of dissolved salts
and in the consequent density of its brine is comparable to the
Great Salt Lake in Utah, though the chemical composition of the
waters is materially different. The sea of Galilee is referred to
by Luke, in accordance with its more appropriate classification,
as a lake (Luke 5:1, 2; 8:22, 23, 33). Adjoining the lake on the
north-west is a plain, which in earlier times was highly culti-
vated: this was known as the land of Gennesaret (Matt. 14:34;
Mark 6:53) ; and the water body came to be known as the sea or
lake of Gennesaret (Luke 5:1). From the prominence of one of
the cities on its western shore, it was known also as the sea of
Tiberias (John 6:1, 23; 21 :i). In the Old Testament it is called
A Matt. 14:3-12.
*Matt. 4:12.
166 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 12.
the sea of Chinnereth (Numb. 34:11) or Chinneroth (Josh. 12:3)
after the name of a contiguous city (Josh. 19:35). The surface
of the lake or sea is several hundred feet below normal sea-level,
681 feet lower than the Mediterranean according to Zenos, or
700 feet as stated by some others. This low-lying position gives
to the region a semi-tropical climate. Zenos, in the Standard
Bible Dictionary, says : "The waters of the lake are noted for
abundant fish. The industry of fishing was accordingly one of
the most stable resources of the country round about
Another feature of the sea of Galilee is its susceptibility to sud-
den storms. These are occasioned partly by its lying so much
lower than the surrounding tableland (a fact that creates a dif-
ference of temperature and consequent disturbances in the at-
mosphere), and partly by the rushing of gusts of wind down
the Jordan valley from the heights of Hermon. The event
recorded in Matt. 8:24 is no extraordinary case. Those who ply
boats on the lake are obliged to exercize great care to avoid
peril from such storms. The shores of the sea of Galilee as
well as the lake itself were the scenes of many of the most re-
markable events recorded in the Gospels."
2. The Four Gospels, All careful students of the New Tes-
tament must have observed that the books of Matthew, Mark,
and Luke, treat the events of the Savior's sayings and doings in
Galilee with greater fulness than they accord to His work in
Judea; the book or Gospel of John, on the other hand, treats
particularly the incidents of our Lord's Judean ministry, without
excluding, however, important events that occurred in Galilee.
In style of v/riting and method of treatment, the authors of the
first three Gospels (evangelists as they and John are collectively
styled in theologic literature) differ more markedly from the
author of the fourth Gospel than among themselves. The events
recorded by the first three can be more readily classified, col-
lated, or arranged, and in consequence the Gospels written by
Matthew, Mark, and Luke are now commonly known as the
Synoptics, or Synoptic Gospels.
3. Thirty Years of Age. According to Luke (3:23) Jesus
was about thirty years of age at the time of His baptism, and we
find that soon thereafter, He entered publicly upon the work of
His ministry. The law provided that at the age of thirty years
the Levites were required to enter upon their special service
(Numb. 4:3). Clarke, Bible Commentary, treating the passage in
Luke 3 :23, says : "This was the age required by the law to
which the priests must arrive before they could be installed in
their office." Jesus may possibly have had regard for what had
become a custom of the time, in waiting until He had attained
that age before entering publicly on the labors of a Teacher
among the people. Not being of Levitical descent He was not
eligible to priestly ordination in the Aaronic order, and^ there-
fore, certainly did not wait for such before beginning His min-
istry. To have taught in public at an earlier age would have
been to arouse criticism, and objection, which might have re-
sulted in serious handicap or hindrance at the outset
NOTES. 167
4. Throngs and Confusion at the Passover Festival. While
it is admittedly impossible that even a reasonably large fraction
of the Jewish people could be present at the annual Passover
gatherings at Jerusalem, and in consequence provision was made
for local observance of the feast, the usual attendance at the
temple celebration in the days ot Jesus was undoubtedly enor-
mous. Josephus calls the Passover throngs "an innumerable
multitude" (Wars, ii, 1:3), and in another place (Wars, vi, 9:3)
states that the attendance reached the enormous aggregate of
three millions of souls; such is the record, though many modern
writers treat the statement as an exaggeration. Josephus says
that for the purpose of giving the emperor Nero information as
to the numerical strength of the Jewish people, particularly in
Palestine, the chief priests were asked by Cestius to count the
number of lambs slain at the feast, and the number reported was
256,500, which on the basis of between ten and eleven persons
to each paschal table would indicate the presence, he says, of at
least 2,700,200, not including visitors other than Jews, and such
of the people of Israel as were debarred from participation in
the paschal meal because of ceremonial unfitness.
The scenes of confusion, inevitable under the conditions then
prevailing, are admirably summarized by Geikie (Life and Words
of Christ, chap. 30), who cites many earlier authorities for his
statements : "The streets were blocked by the crowds from all
parts, who had to make their way to the Temple, past flocks of
sheep, and droves of cattle, pressing on in the sunken middle
part of each street reserved for them, to prevent contact and
defilement. Sellers of all possible wares beset the pilgrims, for
the great feasts were, as has been said, the harvest time of all
trades at Jerusalem, just as, at Mecca, even at this day, the time
of the great concourse of^ worshippers at the tomb of the
Prophet, is that of the busiest trade among the merchant pil-
grims, who form the caravans from all parts of the Mohammedan
world.
"Inside the Temple space, the noise and pressure were, if
possible, worse. Directions were posted up to keep to the right
or the left, as in the densest thoroughfares of London. The
outer court, which others than Jews might enter, and which was,
therefore, known as the Court of the Heathen, was in part, cov-
ered with pens for sheep, goats, and cattle, for the feast and the
thank-offerings. Sellers shouted the merits of their beasts, sheep
bleated, and oxen lowed. It was, in fact, the great yearly fair of
Jerusalem, and the crowds added to the din and tumult, till the
services in the neighboring courts were sadly disturbed. Sellers
of doves, for poor women coming for purification from all parts
of the country, and for others, had a space set apart for ^hem.
Indeed, the sale of doves was, in great measure, secretly, in the
hands of the priests themselves: Kaunas, the high priest, espe-
cially, gaining great profits from his dove cotes on Mount Olivet.
The rents of the sheep and cattle pens, and the profits on the
doves, had led the priests to sanction the incongruity of^ thus
turning the Temple itself into a noisy market. Nor was this all
168 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 12.
Potters pressed on the pilgrims their clay dishes and ovens for
the Passover lamb; hundreds of traders recommended their
wares aloud; shops for wine, oil, salt, and all else needed for
sacrifices, invited customers ; and, in addition, persons going
across the city, with all kinds of burdens, shortened their
journey by crossing the Temple grounds. The provision for
paying the tribute, levied on all, for the support of the Temple,
added to the distraction. On both sides of the east Temple
gate, stalls had for generations been permitted for changing
foreign money. From the fifteenth of the preceding month
money-changers had been allowed to set up their tables in the
city, and from the twenty-first, or twenty days before the Pass-
over, to ply their trade in the Temple itself. Purchasers of
materials for offerings paid the amount at special stalls, to an
officer of the Temple, and received a leaden cheque for which
they got what they had bought, from the seller. Large sums,
moreover, were changed, to be cast, as free offerings, into one
of the thirteen chests which formed the Temple treasury. Every
Jew, no matter how poor, was, in addition, required to pay yearly
a half-shekel about eighteen pence as atonement money for
his soul, and for the support of the Temple. As this would not
be received except in a native coin, called the Temple shekel,
which was not generally current, strangers had to change their
Roman, Greek, or Eastern money, at the stalls of the money-
changers, to get the coin required. The trade gave ready means
for fraud, which was only top common. Five per cent, exchange
was charged, but this was indefinitely increased by tricks and
chicanery, for which the class had everywhere earned so bad a
name, that like the publicans, their witness would not be taken
before a court."
Touching the matter of the defilement to which the temple
courts had been subjected by traffickers acting under priestly
license, Farrar, (Life of Christ, p. 152), gives us the following:
"And this was the entrance-court to the Temple of the Most
High! The court which was a witness that that house should
be a House of Prayer for all nations had been degraded into a
place which, for foulness, was more like shambles, and for bust-
ling commerce more like a densely-crowded bazaar ; while the
lowing of oxen, the bleating of sheep, the Babel of many lan-
guages, the huckstering and wrangling, and the clinking of
money and of balances (perhaps not always just), might ^ be
heard in the adjoining courts, disturbing the chant of the Levites
and the prayers of priests !"
5. The Servility of the Jews in the Presence of Jesus. The
record of the achievement of Jesus, in ridding the temple courts
of those who had made the House of the Lord a market place,
contains nothing to suggest the inference that He exercized
superhuman strength or more than manly vigor. He employed
a whip of His own making, and drove all before Him. They fled
helter-skelter. None are said to have voiced an objection until
the expulsion had been made complete. ^ Why did not some
among the multitude object? The submission appears to have
NOTES. 169
been abject and servile in the extreme. Farrar, (Lt/ of Christ,
pp. 151, 152) raises the question and answers it with excellent
reasoning and in eloquent lines : "Why did not this multitude of
ignorant pilgrims resist? Why did these greedy chafferers con-
tent themselves with dark scowls and muttered maledictions,
while they suffered their oxen and sheep to be chased into the
streets and themselves ejected, and their money flung rolling on
the floor, by one who was then young and unknown, and in the
garb of despised Galilee? Why, in the same way we might ask,
did Saul suffer Samuel to beard him in the very presence of his
army? Why did David abjectly obey the orders of Joab? Why
did Ahab not dare to arrest Elijah at the door of Naboth's vine-
yard? Because sin is weakness; because there is in the world
nothing so abject as a guilty conscience, nothing so invincible
as the sweeping tide of a Godlike indignation against all that is
base and wrong. How could these paltry sacrilegious buyers and
sellers, conscious of wrongdoing, oppose that scathing rebuke,
or face the lightnings of those eyes that were enkindled by an
outraged holiness? When Phinehas the priest was zealous for
the Lord of Hosts, and drove through the bodies of the prince
of Simeon and the Midianitish woman with one glorious thrust
of his indignant spear, why did not guilty Israel avenge that
splendid murder? Why did not every man of the tribe of Simeon
become a Goel to the dauntless assassin? Because Vice cannot
stand for one moment before Virtue's uplifted arm. Base and
grovelling as they were, these money-mongering Jews felt, in all
that remnant of their souls which was not yet eaten away by
infidelity and avarice, that the Son of Man was right.
"Nay, even the Priests and Pharisees, and Scribes and
Levites, devoured as they were by pride and formalism, could
not condemn an act which might have been performed by a
Nehemiah or a Judas Maccabaeus, and which agreed with all that
was purest and best in their traditions. But when they had
heard of this deed, or witnessed it, and had time to recover from
the breathless mixture of admiration, disgust, and astonishment
which it inspired, they came to Jesus, and though they did not
dare to condemn what He had done, yet half indignantly asked
Him for some sign that He had a right to act thus."
6. Jewish Regard for the Temple. The Jews professed
high regard for the temple. "An utterance of the Savior, con-
strued by the dark-minded as an aspersion upon the temple, was
used against Him as one of the chief accusations on which His
death was demanded. When the Jews clamored for a sign of
His authority He predicted His own death and subsequent resur-
rection, saying, 'Destroy this temple, and in three days I will
raise it up.' (John 2:19-22; see also Matt. 26:61; 27:40; Mark
14:58; 15:29). They blindly regarded this remark as a disre-
spectful allusion to their temple, a structure built by human
hands, and they refused to forget or forgive. That this venera-
tion continued after the crucifixion of our Lord is evident from
accusations brought against Stephen, and still later against Paul.
In their murderous rage the people accused Stephen of disrespect
170 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 12.
for the temple, and brought false witnesses who uttered perjured
testimony saying, 'This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous
words against this holy place.' (Acts 6:13.) And Stephen was
numbered with the martyrs. When it was claimed that Paul had
brought with him into the temple precincts, a Gentile, the whole
city was aroused, and the infuriated mob dragged Paul from the
place and sought to kill him. (Acts 21:26-31.)" The author;
House of the Lord, pp. 60, 61.
7. Some of the "Chief Rulers" Believed. Nicodemus was
not the only one among the ruling classes who believed in Jesus ;
but of most of these we learn nothing to indicate that they had
sufficient courage to come even by night to make independent
and personal inquiry. They feared the result in loss of popu-
larity and standing. We read in John 12:42, 43: "Nevertheless
among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because
of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be
put out of the synagogue: for they loved the praise of men more
than the praise of God." Note also the instance of the scribe
who proffered to become a professed disciple, but, probably be-
cause of some degree of insincerity or unfitness, was rather dis-
couraged than approved by Jesus. (Matt. 8:19, 20.)
8. Nicodemus. The course followed by this man evidences
at once that he really believed in Jesus as one sent of God, and
that his belief failed of development into a condition of true faith,
which, had it but been realized, might have led to a life of de-
voted service in the Master's cause. When at a later stage than
that of his interview with Christ the chief priests and Pharisees
upbraided the officers whom they had sent to take Jesus into
custody and who returned to report their failure, Nicodemus, one
of the council, ventured to mildly expostulate against the mur-
derous determination of the rulers, by stating a general proposi-
tion in interrogative form: "Doth our law judge any man before
it hear him and know what he doeth?" He was answered. by his
colleagues with contempt, and appears to have abandoned his
well-intended effort (John 7:50-53; read preceding verses 30-49).
We next hear of him bringing a costly contribution of myrrh and
aloes, about a hundred-weight, to be used in the burial of Christ's
then crucified body; but even in this deed of liberality and devo-
tion, in which his sincerity of purpose cannot well be questioned,
he had been preceded by Joseph of Arimathea, a man of rank,
who had boldly asked for and secured the body for reverent
burial (John 19:38-42). Nevertheless Nicodemus did more than
did most of his believing associates among the noble and great
ones; and to him let all due credit be given; he will not fail of
his reward.
9. "The Jews" or "A Jew." We read that "there arose a
question between some of John's disciples and the Jews about
purifying" (John 3:25). Bearing in mind that the expression
"the Jews" is very commonly used by the author of the fourth
Gospel to designate the officials or rulers among the people, ^he
passage quoted may be understood to mean that the Baptist's
disciples were engaged in disputation with the priestly rulers.
NOTES. 171
it is held, however, by Biblical scholars generally, that "the
Jews" in this passage is a mistranslation, and that the true ren-
dering is "a Jew." The disputation concerning purifying appears
to have arisen between some of the Baptist's followers and a
single opponent; and the passage as it appears in the King James
version of the Bible is an instance of scripture not translated
correctly.
10. Friend of the Bridegroom. Judean marriage customs
in the days of Christ required the appointing of a chief grooms-
man, who attended to all the preliminaries and made arrange-
ments for the marriage feast, in behalf of the bridegroom. He
was distinctively known as the friend of the bridegroom. When
the ceremonial requirements had been complied with, and the
bride had been legally and formally given unto her spouse, the
joy of the bridegroom's friend was fulfilled inasmuch as his ap-
pointed duties had been successfully discharged. (John 3:29.)
According to Edersheim, (Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah,
vol. i, p. 148), by the simpler customs prevalent in Galilee a
"friend of the bridegroom" was not often chosen; and (pp. 663-4)
the expression "children of the bridechamber" (Matt. 9:15;
Mark 2:19; Luke 5:34, in all of which citations the expression is
used by Jesus), was applied collectively to all the invited guests
at a wedding festival. He says: "As the institution of 'friends
of the bridegroom' prevailed in Judea, but not in Galilee, this
marked distinction of the 'friend of the bridegroom' in the mouth
of the Judean John, and 'sons (children) of the bridechamber' in
that of the Galilean Jesus, is itself evidential of historic ac-
curacy."
11. The Atonement Money. In the course of the exodus,
the Lord required of every male in Israel who was twenty years
old or older at the time of a census the payment of a ransom,
amounting to half a shekel (Exp. 30:12-16). See pages 383 and
396 herein. As to the use to which this money was to be put> the
Lord thus directed Moses : "And thou shalt take the atonement
money of the children of Israel, and shalt appoint it for the ser-
vice of the tabernacle of the congregation ; that it may be a
memorial unto the children of Israel before the Lord, to make an
atonement for your souls" (Exo. 30:16; see also 38:25-31). In
time, the tax of half a shekel, equivalent to a bekah (Exo. 38:26),
was collected annually, though for this exaction no scriptural
authority is of record. This tax must not be confused with the
redemption money, amounting to five shekels for every firstborn
male, the payment of which exempted the individual from service in
the labors of the sanctuary. In place of the firstborn sons in all
the tribes, the Lord designated the Levites for this special ministry ;
nevertheless He continued to hold the firstborn males as peculiarly
His own, and required the payment of a ransom as a mark of their
redemption from the duties of exclusive service. See Exo. 13 :2,
13-15; Numb. 3:13, 40-51; 8:15-18; 18:15, 16; also pages 95, 96
herein.
e < id Josh. 24:32. ,1 stoVL o
JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 13.
CHAPTER 13.
HONORED BY STRANGERS, REJECTED BY HIS OWN.
JESUS AND THE SAMARITAN WOMAN.
The direct route from Judea to Galilee lay through
Samaria; but many Jews, particularly Galileans, chose to
follow an indirect though longer way rather than traverse
the country of a people so despized by them as were the
Samaritans. The ill-feeling between Jews and Samaritans
had been growing for centuries, and at the time of our
Lord's earthly ministry had developed into most intense
hatreds The inhabitants of Samaria were a mixed people,
in whom the blood of Israel was mingled with that of the
Assyrians and other nations ; and one cause of the animosity
existing between them and their neighbors both on the north
and the south was the Samaritans' claim for recognition as
Israelites ; it was their boast that Jacob was their father ; but
this the Jews denied. The Samaritans had a version of the
Pentateuch, which they revered as the law, but they rejected
all the prophetical writings of what is now the Old Testa-
ment, because they considered themselves treated with in-
sufficient respect therein.
To the orthodox Jew of the time a Samaritan was more
unclean than a Gentile of any other nationality. It is inter-
esting to note the extreme and even absurd restrictions then
in force in the matter of regulating unavoidable relations be-
tween the two peoples. The testimony of a Samaritan could
not be heard before a Jewish tribunal. For a Jew to eat
food prepared by a Samaritan was at one time regarded by
rabbinical authority as an offense as great as that of eating
a Note 1, end of chapter.
JESUS IN SAMARIA. 173
the flesh of swine. While it was admitted that produce from
a field in Samaria was not unclean, inasmuch as it sprang
directly from the soil, such produce became unclean if sub-
jected to any treatment at Samaritan hands. Thus, grapes
and grain might be purchased from Samaritans, but neither
wine nor flour manufactured therefrom by Samaritan labor.
On one occasion the epithet "Samaritan" was hurled at
Christ as an intended insult. "Say we not well that thou
art a Samaritan, and hast a devil ?" & The Samaritan con-
ception of the mission of the expected Messiah was some-
what better founded than was that of the Jews, for the
Samaritans gave greater prominence to the spiritual king-
dom the Messiah would establish, and were less exclusive in
their views as to whom the Messianic blessings would be ex-
tended.
In His journey to Galilee Jesus took the shorter course,
through Samaria; and doubtless His choice was guided by
purpose, for we read that "He must needs go" that way. c
The road led through or by the town called Sychar,^ "near to
the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph."*
There was Jacob's well, which was held in high esteem, not
only for its intrinsic worth as an unfailing source of water,
but also because of its association with the great patriarch's
life. Jesus, travel-worn and weary, rested at the well, while
His disciples went to the town to buy food. A woman came
to fill her water- jar, and Jesus said to her: "Give me to
drink." By the rules of oriental hospitality then prevailing,
a request for water was one that should never be denied if
possible to grant; yet the woman hesitated, for she was
amazed that a Jew should ask a favor of a Samaritan, how-
ever great the need. She expressed her surprize in the ques-
tion : "How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me,
b John
cjohn 4:4; for incidents following see verses 5-43.
d Note 2, end of chapter.
<?Gen. 33:19; and Josh. 24:32.
174 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 13,
which am a woman of Samaria ? for the Jews have no deal-
ings with the Samaritans." Jesus, seemingly forgetful of
thirst in His desire to teach, answered her by saying: "If
thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee,
Give me to drink ; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he
would have given thee living water." The woman reminded
Him that He had no bucket or cord with which to draw from
the deep well, and inquired further as to His meaning, add-
ing : "Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave
us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and
his cattle?"
Jesus found in the woman's words a spirit similar to that
with which the scholarly Nicodemus had received His teach-
ings; each failed alike to perceive the spiritual lesson He
would impart. He explained to her that water from the
well would be of but temporary benefit ; to one who drank
of it thirst would return; "But," he added, "whosoever
drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst ;
but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of
water springing up into everlasting life." The woman's in-
terest was keenly aroused, either from curiosity or as an
emotion of deeper concern, for she now became the peti-
tioner, and, addressing Him by a title of respect, said : "Sir,
give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to
draw." She could see nothing beyond the material advantage
attaching to water that would once and for all quench thirst.
The result of the draught she had in mind would be to give
her immunity from one bodily need, and save her the labor
of coming to draw from the well.
The subject of the conversation was abruptly changed by
Jesus bidding her to go, call her husband, and return. To
her reply that she had no husband Jesus revealed to her His
superhuman powers of discernment, by telling her she had
spoken truthfully, inasmuch as she had had five husbands,
while the man with whom she was then living was not her
JESUS AND THE SAMARITAN WOMAN. 175
husband. Surely no ordinary being could have so read the
unpleasing story of her life; she impulsively confessed her
conviction, saying : "Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet."
She desired to turn the conversation, and, pointing to Mount
Gerizim, upon which the sacrilegious priest Manasseh had
erected a Samaritan temple, she remarked with little per-
tinence to what had been said before: "Our fathers wor-
shipped in this mountain ; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is
the place where men ought to worship." Jesus replied in
yet deeper vein, telling her that the time was near when
neither that mountain nor Jerusalem would be preeminently
a place of worship ; and He clearly rebuked her presumption
that the traditional belief of the Samaritans was equally good
with that of the Jews ; for, said He : "Ye worship ye know
not what : we know what we worship : for salvation is of the
Jews." Changed and corrupted as the Jewish religion had
become, it was better than that of her people ; for the Jews
did accept the prophets, and through Judah the Messiah had
come. But, as Jesus expounded the matter to her, the place
of worship was of lesser importance than the spirit of the
worshiper. "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him
must worship him in spirit and in truth."
Unable or unwilling to understand Christ's meaning, the
woman sought to terminate the lesson by a remark that prob-
ably was to her but casual : "I know that Messias cometh,
which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all
things." Then, to her profound amazement, Jesus rejoined
with the awe-inspiring declaration : "I that speak unto thee
am he." The language was unequivocal, the assertion one
that required no elucidation. The woman must regard Him
thereafter as either an imposter or the Messiah. She left
her pitcher at the well, and hastening to the town told of her
experience, saying: "Come, see a man, which told me all
things that ever I did : is not this the Christ ?"
Near the conclusion of the interview between Jesus and
176 AM <J JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 13.
the woman, the returning disciples arrived with the pro-
visions they had gone to procure. They marveled at finding
the Master in conversation with a woman, and a Samaritan
woman at that, yet none of them asked of Him an explana-
tion. His manner must have impressed them with the
seriousness and solemnity of the occasion. When they urged
Him to eat He said : "I have meat to eat that ye know not
of." To them His words had no significance beyond the
literal sense, and they queried among themselves as to
whether some one had brought Him food during their ab-
sence ; but He enlightened them in this way : "My meat is
to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work."
A crowd of Samaritans appeared, coming from the city.
Looking upon them and upon the grain fields nearby, Jesus
continued: "Say not ye, There are yet four months, and
then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your
eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to
harvest." The import of the saying seems to be that while
months would elapse before the wheat and the barley were
ready for the sickle, the harvest of souls, exemplified by the
approaching crowd, was even then ready ; and that from
what He had sown the disciples might reap, to their ines-
timable advantage, since they would have wages for their
hire and would gather the fruits of other labor than their
own.
Many of the Samaritans believed on Christ, at first on
the strength of the woman's testimony, then because of their
own conviction ; and they said to the woman at whose behest
they had at first gone to meet Him : "Now we believe, not
because of thy saying : for we have heard him ourselves, and
know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the
world." Graciously He acceded to their request to remain,
and tarried with them two days. It is beyond question that
Jesus did not share in the national prejudice of the Jews
against the people of Samaria ; an honest soul was acceptable
HEALING OF THE NOBLEMAN'S SON. 177
to Him come whence he may. Probably the seed sown dur-
ing this brief stay of our Lord among the despized people of
Samaria was that from which so rich a harvest was reaped
by the apostles in after years/
JESUS AGAIN IN GALILEE: AT CANA AND NAZARETH.
fibitod >\ ;$nbi dbtov/ srr) rrgj;o
Following the two days' sojourn among the Samaritans,
Jesus, accompanied by the disciples who had traveled with
Him. from Judea, resumed the journey northward into Gal-
ilee, from which province He had been absent several
months. Realizing that the people of Nazareth, the town in
which He had been brought up, would be probably loath to
acknowledge Him as other than the carpenter, or, as He
stated, knowing that "a prophet hath no honour in his own
country, "^ He went first to Cana. The people of that sec-
tion, and indeed the Galileans generally, received Him glad-
ly; for many of them had attended the last Passover and
probably had been personal witnesses of the wonders He
had wrought in Judea. While at Cana He was visited by a
nobleman, most likely a high official of the province, who
entreated Him to proceed to Capernaum and heal his son,
who was then lying at the point of death. With the prob-
able design of showing the man the true condition of his
mind, for we cannot doubt that Jesus could read his thoughts,
our Lord said to him : "Except ye see signs and wonders,
ye will not believe." 71 As observed in earlier instances,
notably in the refusal of Jesus to commit Himself to the pro-
fessing believers at Jerusalem, whose belief rested solely on
their wonder at the things He did,* our Lord would not re-
gard miracles, though wrought by Himself, as a sufficient
and secure foundation for faith. The entreating nobleman,
in anguish over the precarious state of his son, in no way
fl) }o
/Acts 8:5; 9:31; 15:3.
pTohn 4:44; compare Matt. 13:57; Mark 6:4; Luke 4:24.
h John 4:48; read verses 46-54.
tjohn 2:23, 24.
178 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 13.
resented the rebuke such as a captious mind may have found
in the Lord's reply ; but with sincere humility, which showed
his belief that Jesus could heal the boy, he renewed and em-
phasized his plea : "Sir, come down ere my child die."
Probably the man had never paused to reason as to the
direct means or process by which death might be averted and
healing be insured through the words of any being; but in
his heart he believed in Christ's power, and with pathetic
earnestness besought our Lord to intervene in behalf of his
dying son. He seemed to consider it necessary that the
Healer be present, and his great fear was that the boy would
not live until Jesus could arrive. "Jesus saith unto him, Go
thy way ; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that
Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way." The
genuineness of the man's trust is shown by his grateful ac-
ceptance of the Lord's assurance, and by the contentment
that he forthwith manifested. Capernaum, where his son
lay, was about twenty miles away ; had he been still solic-
itous and doubtful he would probably have tried to return
home that day, for it was one o'clock in the afternoon when
Jesus spoke the words that had given to him such relief ;
but he journeyed leisurely, for on the following day he was
still on the road, and was met by some of his servants who
had been sent to cheer him with the glad word of his son's
recovery. He inquired when the boy had begun to amend,
and was told that at the seventh hour on the yesterday the
fever had left him. That was the time at which Christ had
said, "Thy son liveth." The man's belief ripened fast, and
both he and his household accepted the gospel.' This was
the second miracle wrought by Jesus when in Cana, though
in this instance the subject of the blessing was in Capernaum.
Our Lord's fame spread through all the region round
about. During a period not definitely stated, He taught in
the synagogs of the towns and was received with favor,
/Note 3, end of chapter.
IN THE SYNAGOG AT NAZARETH. 179
being "glorified of all."* He then returned to Nazareth,
His former home, and, as was His custom, attended the
synagog service on the Sabbath day. Many times as boy
and man He had sat in that house of worship, listening to
the reading of the law and the prophets and to the com-
mentaries or Targums' relating thereto, as delivered by ap-
pointed readers; but now, as a recognized teacher of legal
age He was eligible to take the reader's place. On this occa-
sion He stood up to read, when the service had reached the
stage at which extracts from the prophetical books were to
be read to the congregation. The minister in charge handed
Him the roll, or book, of Isaiah ; He turned to the part
known to us as the beginning of the sixty-first chapter, and
read : "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath
anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor ; he hath sent
me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the
captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at lib-
erty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of
the Lord." m Handing the book to the minister, He sat
down. It was allowable for the reader in the service of the
Jewish synagog to make comments in explanation of what
had been read ; but to do so he must sit. When Jesus took
His seat the people knew that He was about to expound the
text, and "the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue
were fastened on him." The scripture He had quoted was
one recognized by all classes as specifically referring to the
Messiah, for whose coming the nation waited. The first
sentence of our L/ord's commentary was startling ; it involved
no labored analysis, no scholastic interpretation, but a direct
and unambiguous application: "This day is this scripture
fulfilled in your ears." There was such graciousness in His
words that all wondered, and they said, "Is not this Joseph's
son?""
T7~1 A 1, 1- J in 99 W 9f ft rfSUOlfit
k Luke 4:14, 15; read verses 16-32.
/ Note 4, end of chapter.
mLuke 4:18, 19; compare Isa. 61:1, 2.
n Luke 4:22; compare Matt. 13:55-57; Mark 6:3; John 6:42.
180 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 13.
Jesus knew their thoughts even if He heard not their
words, and, forestalling their criticism, He said : "Ye will
surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself :
whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here
in thy country. And he said, Verily I say unto you, No
prophet is accepted in his own country." In their hearts the
people were eager for a sign, a wonder, a miracle. They
knew that Jesus had wrought such in Cana, and a boy in
Capernaum had been healed by His word ; at Jerusalem too
He had astonished the people with mighty works. Were
they, His townsmen, to be slighted? Why would He not
treat them to some entertaining exhibition of His powers?
He continued His address, reminding them that in the days
of Elijah, when for three years and a half no rain had fallen,
and famine had reigned, the prophet had been sent to but
one of the many widows, and she a woman of Sarepta in
Sidon, a Gentile, not a daughter of Israel. And again,
though there had been many lepers in Israel in the days of
Elisha, but one leper, and he a Syrian, not an Israelite, had
been cleansed through the prophet's ministration, for
Naaman alone had manifested the requisite faith.
Then great was their wrath. Did He dare to class them
with Gentiles and lepers? Were they to be likened unto
despized unbelievers, and that too by the son of the village
carpenter, who had grown from childhood in their com-
munity? Victims of diabolical rage, they seized the Lord
and took Him to the brow of the hill on the slopes of which
the town was built, determined to avenge their wounded
feelings by hurling Him from the rocky cliffs. Thus early
in His ministry did the forces of opposition attain murderous
intensity. But our Lord's time to die had not yet come.
The infuriated mob was powerless to go one step farther
than their supposed victim would permit. "But he passing
through the midst of them went his way." Whether they
were overawed by the grace of His presence, silenced by the
A DEMONIAC HEALED. .181
power of His words, or stayed by some more appalling in-
tervention, we are not informed. He departed from the un-
believing Nazarenes, and thenceforth Nazareth was no
longer His home.
FlfJU
IN CAPERNAUM.
'
Jesus wended His way to Capernaum, which became to
Him as nearly a place of abode as any He had in Galilee.
There He taught, particularly on Sabbath days ; and the peo-
ple were astonished at His doctrine, for He spoke with au-
thority and power/ In the synagog, on one of these occa-
sions, was a man who was a victim of possession, and sub-
ject to the ravages of an evil spirit, or, as the text so force-
fully states, one who "had a spirit of an unclean devil." It is
significant that this wicked spirit, which had gained such
power over the man as to control his actions and utterances,
was terrified before our Lord and cried out with a loud voice,
though pleadingly : "Let us alone ; what have we to do with
thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us?
I know thee who thou art ; the Holy One of God." Jesus re-
buked the unclean spirit, commanding him to be silent, and
to leave the man ; the demon obeyed the Master, and after
throwing the victim into violent though harmless paroxysm,
left him. Such a miracle caused the beholders to wonder
the more, and they exclaimed : "What a word is this ! for
with authority and power he cornmandeth the unclean spirits,
and they come out. And the fame of him went out into
every place of the country round about."'?
In the evening of the same day, when the sun had set,
and therefore after the Sabbath had passed/ the people
flocked about Him, bringing their afflicted friends and kin-
o Note 5, end of chapter.
/>Luke 4:32; compare Matt. 7:28, 29; 13:54; Mark 1:22.
gLuke 4:33-37; and Mark 1:23-28. Note 6, end of chapter,
r The Jews' Sabbath began at sunset Friday and ended with the setting
of the sun on Saturday.
182 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 13.
dred ; and these Jesus healed of their divers maladies whether
of body or of mind. Among those so relieved were many
who had been possessed of devils, and these cried out, testi-
fying perforce of the Master's divine authority : "Thou art
Christ the Son of God."'
On these as on other occasions, we find evil spirits voic-
ing through the mouths of their victims their knowledge
that Jesus was the Christ ; and in all such instances the Lord
silenced them with a word ; for He wanted no such testimony
as theirs to attest the fact of His Godship. Those spirits
were of the devil's following, members of the rebellious and
defeated hosts that had been cast down through the power of
the very Being whose authority and power they now ac-
knowledged in their demoniac frenzy. Together with Satan
himself, their vanquished chief, they remained unembodied,
for to all of them the privileges of the second or mortal
estate had been denied;* their remembrance of the scenes
that had culminated in their expulsion from heaven was
quickened by the presence of the Christ, though He stood in
a body of flesh.
Many modern writers have attempted to explain the
phenomenon of demoniacal possession ; and beside these
there are not a few who deny the possibility of actual dom-
ination of the victim by spirit personages. Yet the scrip-
tures are explicit in showing the contrary. Our Lord dis-
tinguished between this form of affliction and that of simple
bodily disease in His instructions to the Twelve : "Heal the
sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils."" In
the account of the incidents under consideration, the evan-
gelist Mark observes the same distinction, thus : "They
brought unto him all that were diseased, and them that were
possessed with devils." In several instances, Christ, in re-
buking demons, addressed them as individuals distinct from
.yLuke 4:41; compare Mark 1:34; 3:11, 12; 5:1-18; Matt. 8:28-34.
t Pages 6, 7.
ttMatt. 10:8; see verse 1; compare 4:24; Mark 1:32; 16:17, 18; Luke 9:1
DEMONIACAL POSSESSION. 183
the human being afflicted/ and in one such instance com-
manded the demon to "come out of him, and enter no more
into him." w
In this matter as in others the simplest explanation is the
pertinent truth ; theory raised on other than scriptural found-
ation is unstable. Christ unequivocally associated demons
with Satan, specifically in His comment on the report of the
Seventy whom He authorized and sent forth, and who testi-
fied with joy on their return that even the devils had been
subject unto them through His name ; and to those faithful
servants He said: "I beheld Satan as lightning fall from
heaven. "* The demons that take possession of men, over-
ruling their agency and compelling them to obey Satanic
bidding, are the unembodied angels of the devil, whose tri-
umph it is to afflict mortals, and if possible to impel them to
sin. To gain for themselves the transitory gratification of
tenanting a body of flesh, these demons are eager to enter
even into the bodies of beasts.^
Possibly it was during the interval between the rebuking
of the evil spirit in the synagog and the miracles of heal-
ing and casting out devils in the evening of that Sabbath,
that Jesus went to the house of Simon, whom He had before
named Peter, and there found the mother-in-law of His
disciple lying ill of fever. Acceding to the request of faith
He rebuked the disease; the woman was healed forthwith,
rose from her bed, and ministered the hospitality of her
home unto Jesus and those who were with Him/
NOTES TO CHAPTER 13.
i. Animosity Between Jews and Samaritans. In any con-
sideration of the Samaritans, it must be kept in mind that a cer-
tain city and the district or province in which it was situated
were both known as Samaria. The principal facts pertaining to
. :32; Mark 1:25; Luke 4:35.
wMark 9:25.
.arLuke 10:17, 18; compare Rev. 12:7-9.
vMatt. 8:29-33; Mark 5:11-14; Luke 8:32-34.
*Matt. 8:14, 15; Mark 1:29-31; Luke 4:38, 39.
184 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 13.
the origin of the Samaritans and the explanation of the mutual
animosity existing between that people and the Jews in the time
of Christ, have been admirably summarized by Geikie (Life and
Words of Christ, vol. i, pp. 495-6). Omitting his citation of au-
thorities, we quote: "After the deportation of the Ten Tribes
to Assyria, Samaria had been repeopled by heathen colonists
from various provinces of the Assyrian empire, by fugitives from
the authorities of Judea, and by stragglers of one or other of the
Ten Tribes, who found their way home again. The first heathen
settlers, terrified at the increase of wild animals, especially lions,
and attributing it to their not knowing the proper worship of
the God of the country, sent for one of the exiled priests, and,
under his instructions, added the worship of Jehovah to that of
their idols an incident in their history from which later Jewish
hatred and derision taunted them as 'proselytes of the lions/ as it
branded them, from their Assyrian origin, with the name of
Cuthites. Ultimately, however, they became even more rigidly
attached to the Law of Moses than the Jews themselves. Anx-
ious to be recognized as Israelites, they set their hearts on join-
ing the Two Tribes, on their return from captivity, but the stern
Puritanism of Ezra and Nehemiah admitted no alliance between
the pure blood of Jerusalem and the tainted race of the north.
Resentment at this affront was natural, and excited resentment
in return, till, in Christ's day, centuries of strife and mutual
injury, intensified by theological hatred on both sides, had made
them implacable enemies. The Samaritans had built a temple on
Mount Gerizim, to rival that of Jerusalem, but it had been de-
stroyed by John Hyrcanus, who had also levelled Samaria to the
ground. They claimed for their mountain a greater holiness
than that of Moriah; accused the Jews of adding to the word of
God, by receiving the writings of the prophets, and prided them-
selves on owning only the Pentateuch as inspired ; favoured
Herod because the Jews hated him, and were loyal to him and
the equally hated Romans; had kindled false lights on the hills,
to vitiate the Jewish reckoning by the new moons, and thus
throw their feasts into confusion, and, in the early youth of
Jesus, had even defiled the very Temple itself, by strewing human
bones in it, at the Passover.
"Nor had hatred slumbered on the side of the Jews. They
knew the Samaritans only as Cuthites, or heathens from Cuth.
'The race that I hate is no race,' says the son of Sirach. It was
held that a people who once had worshipped five gods could
have no part in Jehovah. The claim of the Samaritans that
Moses had buried the Tabernacle and its vessels on the top of
Gerizim, was laughed to scorn. It was said that they had dedi-
cated their temple, under Antiochus Epiphanes, to the Greek
Jupiter. Their keeping the commands of Moses even more
strictly than the Jews, that it might seem they were really of
Israel, was not denied; but their heathenism, it was said, had
been proved by the discovery of a brazen dove, which they
worshipped, on the top of Gerizim. It would have been enough
that they boasted of Herod as their good king, who had married
a daughter of their people; that he had been free to follow, in
NOTES. 185
their country, his Roman tastes, so hated in Judea; that they had
remained quiet, after his death, when Judea and Galilee were in
uproar, and that for their peacefulness a fourth of their taxes
had been remitted and added to the burdens of Judea. Their
friendliness to the Romans was an additional provocation. While
the Jews were kept quiet only by the sternest severity, and strove
to the utmost against the introduction of anything foreign, the
Samaritans rejoiced in the new importance which their loyalty to
the empire had given them. Shechem flourished : close by, in
Csesarea, the procurator held his court: a division of cavalry, in
barracks at Sebaste the old Samaria had been raised in the
territory. The Roman _ strangers were more than welcome to
while away the summer in their umbrageous valleys.
"The illimitable hatred, rising from so many sources, found
vent in the tradition that a special curse had been uttered against
the Samaritans, by Ezra, Zerubbabel, and Joshua. It was said
that these great ones assembled the whole congregation of Israel
in the Temple, and that three hundred priests, with three hun-
dred trumpets, and three hundred books of the Law, and three
hundred scholars of the Law, had been employed to repeat,
amidst the most solemn ceremonial, all the curses of the Law
against the Samaritans. They had been subjected to every form
of excommunication ; by the incommunicable name of Jehovah ;
by the Tables of the Law, and by the heavenly and earthly syna-
gogues. The very name became a reproach. 'We know that
Thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil/ said the Jews, to Jesus,
in Jerusalem A Samaritan egg, as the hen laid it,
could not be unclean, but what of a boiled egg? Yet interest
and convenience strove, by subtle casuistry, to invent excuses for
what intercourse was unavoidable. ^ The country of the Cuthites
was clean, so that a Jew might, without scruple, gather and eat
its produce. The waters of Samaria were clean, so that a Jew
might drink them or wash in them. Their dwellings were clean,
so that he might enter them, and eat or lodge in them. Their
roads were clean, so that the dust of them did not defile a Jew's
feet. The Rabbis even went so far in their contradictory utter-
ances, as to say that the victuals of the Cuthites were allowed,
if none of their wine or vinegar were mixed with them, and even
their unleavened bread was to be reckoned fit for use at the
Passover. Opinions thus wavered, but, as a rule, harsher feeling
prevailed."
That the hostile sentiment has continued unto this day, at
least on the part of the Jews, is affirmed by Frankl and others.
Thus, as quoted by Farrar (p. 166 note): "'Are you a Jew?'
asked Salameh Cohen, the Samaritan high priest, of Dr. Frankl;
'and do you come to us, the Samaritans, who are despised by
the Jews?' (Jews in the East, ii, 329). He added that they would
willingly live in friendship with the Jews, but that the Jews
avoided all intercourse with them. Soon after, visiting Sephared-
ish Jews of Nablous, Dr. Frankl asked one of that sect, 'if he had
any intercourse with the Samaritans?' The women retreated
with a cry of horror, and one of them said, 'Have you been
JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 13.
among the worshipers of the pigeons?' I said that I had. The
women again fell back with the same expression of repugnance
and one of them said, 'Take a purifying bath!'" (idem, p. 334).
Canon Farrar adds, "I had the pleasure of spending a day among
the Samaritans encamped on Mount Gerizim, for their annual
passover, and neither in their habits nor apparent character could
I see any cause for all this horror and hatred."
2. Sychar. The town where dwelt the Samaritan woman
with whom Jesus conversed at Jacob's well, is named Sychar in
John 4:5; the name occurs nowhere else in the Bible. Attempts
have been made to identify the place with Shechem, a city dear
to the Jewish heart because of its prominence in connection with
the lives of the early patriarchs. It is now generally admitted,
however, that Sychar was a small village on the site of the pres-
ent Askar, which is, says Zenos, "a village with a spring and
some ancient rock-hewn tombs, about five eighths of a mile north
of Jacob's well."
3. The Nobleman of Capernaum. The name of the noble-
man whose son was healed by the word of Jesus is not given.
Attempts to identify him with Chuza, the steward of Herod
Antipas, are based on unreliable tradition. The family of the
nobleman accepted the teachings of Christ. "Joanna the wife of
Chuza Herod's steward" (Luke 8:3) was among the grateful and
honorable women who had been recipients of our Lord's healing
ministry, and who contributed of their substance for the further-
ance of His work. Unconfirmed tradition should not be con-
founded with authentic history.
4. The Targums are ancient Jewish paraphrases on the
scriptures, which were delivered in the synagogs in the lan-
guages of the common people. In the time of Christ the lan-
guage spoken by the Jews was not Hebrew, but an Aramaic dia-
lect. Edersheim states that pure Hebrew was the language of
scholars and of the synagog, and that the public readings from
the scriptures had to be rendered by an interpreter. "In earliest
times indeed," says he, "it was forbidden to the Methurgeman
[interpreter] to read his translation, or to write down a Targum,
lest the paraphrase should be regarded as of equal authority with
the original." The use of written targums was "authoritatively
sanctioned before the end of the second century after Christ.
This is the origin of our two oldest extant Targumim that of
Onkelos (as it is called) on the Pentateuch; and that on the
Prophets, attributed to Jonathan the son of Uzziel. These names
do not indeed, accurately represent the authorship of the oldest
Targumim, which may more correctly be regarded as later and
authoritative recensions of what, in some form, had existed be-
fore. But although these works had their origin in Palestine, it
is noteworthy that in the form in which at present we possess
them, they are the outcome of the schools of Babylon." (Life
and Times of Jesus the Messiah, vol. i, pp. 10, n.)
5. Capernaum. "The name Capernaum signifies, according
to some authorities, 'the Village of Nahum,' according to others,
'the Village of Consolation.' As we follow the history of Jesus
NOTES. 187
we shall discover that many of His mighty works were wrought,
and many of His most impressive words were spoken in Caper-
naum. The infidelity of the inhabitants, after all the discourses
and wonderful works which He had done among them, brought
out the saying of Jesus, 'And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted
unto heaven, shalt be cast down to hell.' (Matt. 11:23.) So
thoroughly has this prediction been fulfilled that no trace of the
city remains, and the very site which it occupied is now a matter
of conjecture, there being even no ecclesiastical tradition of the
locality. At the present day two spots have claims which are
urged, each with such arguments of probability as to make the
whole question the most difficult in sacred topography
. . We shall probably never be able to know the exact fact.
Jesus damned it to oblivion, and there it lies. We shall content
ourselves with the New Testament notices as bearing on the
work of Jesus.
"We learn that it was somewhere on the borders of Zabulun
and Nephtali, on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee, (com-
pare Matt. 4:13, with John 6:24). It was near or in 'the land of
Gennesaret' (compare Matt. 14:34, with John 6:17, 21, 24), a plain
about three miles long and one mile wide, which we learn from
Josephus was one of the most prosperous and crowded districts
of Palestine. It was probably on the great road leading from
Damascus to the south, 'by the way of the sea.' (Matt. 4:15.)
There was great wisdom in selecting this as a place to open a
great public ministry. It was full of a busy population. The
exceeding richness of the wonderful plain of Gennesaret sup-
ported the mass of inhabitants it attracted. Josephus (B. J., iii,
10 :8) gives a glowing- description of this land." Deems Light of
the Nations, pp. 167, 168.
6. Knowledge Does Not Insure Salvation. James of old
chided his brethren for certain empty professions (James 2:19).
Said he in effect: You take pride and satisfaction in declaring
your belief in God; you boast of being distinguished from the
idolaters and the heathen because you accept one God; you do
well to so profess, and so believe; but, remember, others do like-
wise; even the devils believe; and, we may add, so firmly that they
tremble at thought of the fate which that belief makes sure.
Those confessions of the devils, that Christ was the Son of
God, were founded on knowledge ; yet their knowledge of the
great truth did not change their evil natures. How different was
their acknowledgment of the Savior from that of Peter, who, to
the Master's question "Whom say ye that I am?" replied in prac-
tically the words used by the unclean spirits before cited, "Thou
art the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matt. 16:15-16; see
also Mark 8:29; Luke 9:20). Peter's faith had already shown its
vital power ; it had caused him to forsake much that had been
dear, to follow his Lord through persecution and suffering, and
to put away worldliness with all its fascinations, for the sacrific-
ing godliness which his faith made so desirable. His knowledge
of God as the Father, and of the Son as the Redeemer, was per-
haps no greater than that of the unclean spirits ; but while to them
that knowledge was but an added cause of condemnation, to him
it was a means of salvation. Abridged from The Articles of Faith,
v: 3, 4-
188 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 14.
CHAPTER 14.
CONTINUATION OF OUR LORD'S MINISTRY IN
GALILEE.
A LEPER MADE CLEAN.
Early in the morning following that eventful Sabbath in
Capernaum, our Lord arose "a great while before day" and
went in quest of seclusion beyond the town. In a solitary
place He gave Himself to prayer, thus demonstrating the fact
that, Messiah though He was, He was profoundly conscious
of His dependence upon the Father, whose work He had
come to do. Simon Peter and other disciples found the place
of His retirement, and told Him of the eager crowds who
sought Him. Soon the people gathered about Him, and
urged that He remain with them ; but "he said unto them, I
must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also : for
therefore am I sent." a And to the disciples He said : "Let
us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also : for
therefore came I forth. " & Thence He departed, accompanied
by the few whom He had already closely associated with
Himself, and ministered in many towns of Galilee, preaching
in the synagogs, healing the sick, and casting out devils.
Among the afflicted seeking the aid that He alone could
give came a leper , c who knelt before Him, or bowed with his
face to the ground, and humbly professed his faith, saying :
"If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean." The petition im-
plied in the words of this poor creature was pathetic; the
confidence he expressed is inspiring. The question in his
mind was not Can Jesus heal me? but Will He heal me?
a Luke 4:42-44.
bMark 1:38.
cMark 1:40-45; Matt. 8:2-4; Luke 5:12-15.
\o *%htoK sAT ra : idA .no ; inBam B
THE HEALING OF A LEPER. 189
In compassionate mercy Jesus laid His hand upon the suf-
ferer, unclean though he was, both ceremonially and physic-
ally, for leprosy is a loathsome affliction, and we know that
this man was far advanced in the disease since we are told
that he was "full of leprosy." Then the Lord said : "I will :
be thou clean." The leper was immediately healed. Jesus
instructed him to show himself to the priest, and make the
offerings prescribed in the law of Moses for such cases as
his/
In this instruction we see that Christ had not come to
destroy the law, but, as He affirmed at another time, to fulfil
it ; e and at this stage of His work the fulfilment was incom-
plete. Moreover, had the legal requirements been disre-
garded in as serious a matter as that of restoring an outcast
leper to the society of the community from which he had
been debarred, priestly opposition, already waxing strong
and threatening against Jesus, would have been augmented,
and further hindrance to the Lord's work might have re-
sulted. There was to be no delay in the man's compliance
with the Master's instruction; Jesus "straitly charged him,
and forthwith sent him away." Furthermore He explicitly
directed the man to tell nobody of the manner of his healing.
There was perhaps good reason for this injunction of silence,
aside from the very general course of our Lord in discoun-
tenancing undesirable notoriety ; for, had word of the miracle
preceded the man's appearing before the priest, obstacles
might have been thrown in the way of his Levitical recogni-
tion as one who was clean. The man, however, could not
keep the good word to himself, but went about "and began
to publish it much, and to blaze abroad the matter, insomuch
that Jesus could no more openly enter into the city, but was
without in desert places : and they came to him from every
quarter."/
JLev. 14:2-10. Note I, end of chapter.
eUatt. 5:17.
/ Mark 1 :45.
190 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 14.
A PALSIED MAN HEAU3D AND FORGIVEN.
It must be borne in mind that no one of the evangelists
attempts to give a detailed history of all the doings of Jesus,
nor do all follow the same order in relating the incidents with
which they associate the great lessons of the Master's teach-
ings. There is much uncertainty as to the actual sequence of
events.
"Some days" after the healing of the leper, Jesus was
again in Capernaum. The details of His employment dur-
ing the interval are not specified ; but, we may be sure that
His work continued, for His characteristic occupation was
that of going about doing good. 6 ' His place of abode in Ca-
pernaum was well known, and word was soon noised about
that He was in the house.' 1 A great throng gathered, so that
there was no room to receive them ; even the doorway was
crowded, and later comers could not get near the Master.
To all who were within hearing Jesus preached the gospel.
A little party of four approached the house bearing a litter
or pallet on which lay a man afflicted with palsy, a species
of paralysis which deprived the subject of the power of vol-
untary motion and usually of speech ; the man was helpless.
His friends, disappointed at finding themselves unable to
reach Jesus because of the press, resorted to an unusual ex-
pedient, which exhibited in an unmistakable way their faith
in the L,ord as One who could rebuke and stay disease, and
their determination to seek the desired blessing at His hands.
By some means they carried the afflicted man to the flat
roof of the house, probably by an outside stairway or by the
use of a ladder, possibly by entering an adjoining house,
ascending the stairs to its roof and crossing therefrom to the
house within which Jesus was teaching. They broke away
part of the roof, making an opening, or enlarging that of the
g Acts 10:38.
JtMark 2:1-12; compare Matt. 9:2-8; Luke 5:17-24.
. "THY SINS BE FORGIVEN THEE." 191
trapdoor such as the houses of that place and time were
usually provided with ; and, to the surprize of the assembled
crowd, they then let down through the tiling the portable
couch upon which the palsied sufferer lay. Jesus was deeply
impressed by the faith and works*' of those who had thus
labored to place a helpless paralytic before Him ; doubtless,
too, He knew of the trusting faith in the heart of the suf-
ferer ; and, looking compassionately upon the man, He said :
"Son, thy sins be forgiven thee."
Among the people there assembled were scribes, Phari-
sees, and doctors of the law, not only representatives of the
local synagog but some who had come from distant towns in
Galilee, and some from Judea, and even from Jerusalem.
The official class had opposed our Lord and His works on
earlier occasions, and their presence in the house at this time
boded further unfriendly criticism and possible obstruction.
They heard the words spoken to the paralytic, and were
angered thereat. In their hearts they accused Jesus of the
awful offense of blasphemy, which consists essentially in
claiming for human or demon power the prerogatives of God,
or in dishonoring God by ascribing to Him attributes short
of perfection.-'' These unbelieving scholars, who incessantly
wrote and talked of the coming of the Messiah, yet rejected
Him when He was there present, murmured in silence, say-
ing to themselves : "Who can forgive sins but God only ?"
Jesus knew their inmost thoughts,* and made reply thereto,
saying: "Why reason ye these things in your hearts?
Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins
be forgiven thee ; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and
walk ?" And then to emphasize, and to put beyond question
His possession of divine authority, He added : "But that ye
may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to for-
2
{Compare James 2:14-18.
/Note 2, end of chapter.
k See another instance of our Lord reading unuttered thoughts, Luke
7:39-50.
192 JESUS THE CHRIST. YHT*' [CHAP. 14.
give sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee,
Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house."
The man arose, fully restored ; and, taking up the mattress
upon which he had been brought, walked out before them.
The amazement of the people was mingled with reverence,
and many glorified God, of whose power they were wit-
nesses.
The incident demands our further study. According to
one of the accounts, the Lord's first words to the afflicted
one were : "Son, be of good cheer ;" followed directly by the
comforting and authoritative assurance : "Thy sins be for-
given thee." 7 The man was probably in a state of fear ; he
may have known that his ailment was the result of wicked
indulgences; nevertheless, though he may have considered
the possibility of hearing only condemnation for his trans-
gression, he had faith to be brought. In this man's condi-
tion there was plainly a close connection between his past
sins and his present affliction ; and in this particular his case
is not unique, for we read that Christ admonished another,
whom He healed, to sin no more lest a worse thing befall
him. We are not warranted, however, in assuming that
all bodily ills are the result of culpable sin ; and against such
a conception stands the Lord's combined instruction and re-
buke to those who, in the case of a man born blind, asked
who had sinned, the man or his parents to bring so grievous
an affliction upon him, to which inquiry our Lord replied that
the man's blindness was due neither to his own sin nor to that
of his parents."
In many instances, however, disease is the direct result of
individual sin. Whatever may have been the measure of
past offense on the part of the man suffering from palsy,
Christ recognized his repentance together with the faith that
accompanied it, and it was the Lord's rightful prerogative
/Matt. 9:2. Note 5, end of chapter,
mjohn 5:14. Page 208.
John 9:1-3.
: A MUTTERED CHARGE OF BLASPHEMY. 193
to decide upon the man's fitness to receive remission of his
sins and relief from his bodily affliction. The interrogative
response of Jesus to the unuttered criticism of the scribes,
Pharisees, and doctors, has been interpreted in many ways.
He inquired which was easier, to say, "Thy sins be forgiven
thee," or to say, "Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk."
Is it not a rational explanation that, when spoken authorita-
tively by Him, the two expressions were of allied meaning ?
The circumstance should have been a sufficient demonstra-
tion to all who heard, that He, the Son of Man, claimed and
possessed the right and the power to remit both physical
and spiritual penalties, to heal the body of visible disease,
and to purge the spirit of the no less real malady of sin. In
the presence of people of all classes Jesus thus openly as-
serted His divinity, and affirmed the same by a miraculous
manifestation of power.
The charge of blasphemy, which the rabbinical critics
formulated in their minds against the Christ, was not to end
as a mental conception of theirs, nor to be nullified by our
Lord's later remarks. It was through perjured testimony
that He finally received unrighteous condemnation and was
sent to His death. Already, in that house at Caper-
naum, the shadow of the cross had fallen athwart the course
of His life,
-moo aniBoad "^pj^riia bne , ' bus <muibo iBluqoq
PUBLICANS AND SINNERS.
1-11 r 2 r PP* bi 11 j kSSL^SS
From the house Jesus repaired to the seaside, whither the
people followed Him ; there He taught them again. At the
close of His discourse He walked farther and saw a man
named Levi, one of the publicans* 7 or official collectors of
taxes, sitting at the custom-house where the tariff levied
under Roman law had to be paid. This man was known
also as Matthew, a name less distinctively Jewish than is
o Compare John 10:33, and 5:18; Matt. 26:65, 66.
$ Note 3, end of chapter,
194 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 14.
L,evi. g He afterward became one of the Twelve and the
author of the first of the evangelical Gospels. To him Jesus
said, "Follow me," Matthew left his place and followed the
Lord. Some time later the new disciple provided a great
feast at his house, in honor of the Master ; and other disciples
were present. So obnoxious to the Jews was the power of
Rome to which they were subject, that they regarded with
aversion all officials in Roman employ. Particularly humil-
iating to them was the system of compulsory taxation, by
which they, the people of Israel, had to pay tribute to an
alien nation, which in their estimation was wholly pagan and
heathenofcf?
Naturally, the collectors of these taxes were abhorred;
and they, known as publicans, probably resented the dis-
courteous treatment by inconsiderate enforcement of the tax
requirements, and, as affirmed by historians, often inflicted
unlawful extortion upon the people. If publicans in general
were detested, we can readily understand how bitter would
be the contempt in which the Jews would hold one of their
own nation who had accepted appointment as such an official.
In this unenviable status was Matthew when Jesus called
him. The publicans formed a distinct social class, for from
the community in general they were practically ostracized.
All who associated with them were made to share in the
popular odium, and "publicans and sinners" became a com-
mon designation for the degraded caste. To Matthew's
feast many of his friends and some of his fellow officials
jwere invited, so that the gathering was largely made up of
these despized "publicans and sinners." And to such an
assemblage went Jesus with His disciples.
The scribes and Pharisees could not let pass such an op-
portunity for faultfinding and caustic criticism. They hesi-
tated to address themselves directly to Jesus, but of the dis-
ciples they asked in disdain: "Why eateth your Master
" ; <) JJfiM trO o
g Matt. 9:9-13; Mark 2:13-17; Luke 5:27-32.
PUBLICANS AND SINNERS. 195
with publicans and sinners?" The Master heard, and re-
plied with edifying incisiveness mingled with splendid irony.
Citing one of the common aphorisms of the day, He said:
"They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are
sick." To this He added: "I am not come to call the
righteous, but sinners to repentance." The hypercritical
Pharisees were left to make their own application of the
rejoinder, which some may have understood to mean that
their self-righteousness was arraigned and their claims to
superiority derided. Aside from the veiled sarcasm in the
Master's words, they ought to have perceived the wisdom
enshrined in His answer and to have profited thereby. Is
not the physician's place among the afflicted ones? Would
he be justified in keeping aloof from the sick and the suffer-
ing? His profession is that of combating disease, prevent-
ing when possible, curing when necessary, to the full extent
of his ability. If the festive assembly at Matthew's house
really did comprize a number of sinners, was not the occa-
sion one of rare opportunity for the ministrations of the
Physician of Souls? The righteous need no call to repent-
ance ; but are the sinners to be left in sin, because those who
profess to be spiritual teachers will not condescend to ex-
tend a helping hand?
THE OLD AND THE NEW.
Shortly after the entertainment provided by Matthew, the
Pharisees were ready with another criticism, and in this they
were associated with some of the Baptist's adherents. John
was in prison; but many of those who had been drawn to
his baptism, and had professed discipleship to him, still clung
to his teachings, and failed to see that the Greater One of
whom he had testified was then ministering amongst them.
The Baptist had been a scrupulous observer of the law ; his
strict asceticism vied with the rigor of Pharisaic profession.
196 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 14.
His non-progressive disciples, now left without a leader,
naturally fell in with the Pharisees. Some of John's disci-
ples came to Jesus, and questioned Him concerning His
seeming indifference in the matter of fasting. They pro-
pounded a plain question : "Why do the disciples of John
and of the Pharisees fast, but thy disciples fast not ?" r To
the friends of the now imprisoned Baptist our Lord's reply
must have brought memories of their beloved leader's words,
when he had compared himself to the Bridegroom's friend,
and had plainly told them who was the real Bridegroom/
"Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber
fast, while the bridegroom is with them ? as long as they have
the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. But the days
will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from
them, and then shall they fast in those days."*
If the questioners were able to comprehend the true im-
port of this reply, they could not fail to find therein an im-
plied abrogation of purely ceremonial observances comprized
in the code of rabbinical rules and the numerous traditions
associated with the law. But to make the subject clearer
to their biased minds, Jesus gave them illustrations, which
may be classed as parabolic. "No man also," said He, "sew-
eth a piece of new cloth on an old garment: else the new
piece that filled it up taketh away from the old, and the rent
is made worse. And no man putteth new wine into old
bottles : else the new wine doth burst the bottles, and the
wine is spilled, and the bottles will be marred : but new wine
must be put into new bottles.""
In such wise did our Lord proclaim the newness and
completeness of His gospel. It was in no sense a patching
up of Judaism. He had not come to mend old and torn
garments ; the cloth He provided was new, and to sew it on
rMark 2:18-22; Matt. 9:14-17; Luke 5:33-39.
s Page 164.
f Mark 2:19, 20.
u Mark 2:21, 22.
OLD CLOTH AND OLD BOTTLES. 197
the old would be but to tear afresh the threadbare fabric and
leave a more unsightly rent than at first. Or to change the
figure, new wine could not safely be entrusted to old bottles.
The bottles here referred to were really bags, made of the
skins of animals, and of course they deteriorated with age.
Just as old leather splits or tears under even slight strain,
so the old bottle-skins would burst from the pressure of fer-
menting juice, and the good wine would be lost. The gospel
taught by Christ was a new revelation, superseding the past,
and marking the fulfilment of the law; it was no mere
addendum, nor was it a reenactment of past requirements;
it embodied a new and an everlasting covenant. Attempts
to patch the Judaistic robe of traditionalism with the new
fabric of the covenant could result in nothing more sightly
than a rending of the fabric. The new wine of the gospel
could not be held in the old time-worn containers of Mosaic
libations. Judaism would be belittled and Christianity per-
verted by any such incongruous association^
FISHERS OF MEN.
It is improbable that the disciples who followed Jesus in
the early months of His ministry had remained with Him
continuously down to the time now under consideration. We
find that some of those who were later called to the apostle-'
ship were following their vocation as fishermen even while
Jesus was actively engaged as a Teacher in their own neigh-
borhood. One day, as the Lord stood by the lake or sea of
Galilee, the people pressed about Him in great numbers,
eager to hear more of the wondrous words He was wont to
speak. w Near the place were two fishing boats drawn in
upon the beach ; the owners were close by, washing and
mending their nets. One of the boats belonged to Simon
Peter, who had already become identified with the Master's
v See "The Great Apostasy" 7:5.
5::I-11; compare Matt. 4:18-22; Mark 1:16-20.
198 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 14.
work; this boat Jesus entered, and then asked Simon to
thrust out a little from the land. Seating Himself, as
teachers of that time usually did in delivering discourses, the
Lord preached from this floating pulpit to the multitude on
shore. The subject of the address is not given us.
When the sermon was ended, Jesus directed Simon to
launch out into deep water and then let down the nets for a
draught. Presumably Andrew was with his brother and
possibly other assistants were in the boat. Simon replied to
Jesus : "Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken
nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net."
It was soon filled with fishes ; so great was the haul that the
net began to break, and the busy fishermen signalled to those
in the other boat to come to their assistance. The catch
filled both boats so that they appeared to be in danger of
sinking. Simon Peter was overcome with this new evi-
dence of the Master's power, and, falling at the feet of Jesus,
he exclaimed : "Depart from me ; for I am a sinful man, O
Lord." Jesus answered graciously and with promise : "Fear
not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men."* The occu-
pants of the second boat were Zebedee and his two sons
James and John, the last named being he who with Andrew
had left the Baptist to follow Jesus at the Jordan.^ Zebedee
and his sons were partners with Simon in the fishing busi-
ness. When the two boats were brought to land, the brothers
Simon and Andrew, and Zebedee's two sons James and John,
left their boats and accompanied Jesus.
The foregoing treatment is based on Luke's record ; the
briefer and less circumstantial accounts given by Matthew
and Mark omit the incident of the miraculous draught of
fishes, and emphasize the calling of the fishermen. To Simon
and Andrew Jesus said: "Come ye after me, and I will
make you to become fishers of men." The contrast thus
x Note 4, end of chapter.
;yPage 140.
NOTES. 199
presented between their former vocation and their new call-
ing is strikingly forceful. Theretofore they had caught fish,
(and the fate of the fish was death ; thereafter they were to
draw men to a life eternal. To James and John the call
was no less definite ; and they too left their all to follow the
iMaster.
NOTES TO CHAPTER 14.
i. Leprosy. In Biblical usage this name is applied to sev-
eral diseases, all, however having some symptoms in common,
at least in the earlier stages of the malady. The real leprosy is
a scourge and a plague in many oriental lands to-day. Zenos, in
Standard Bible Diet., says : 'True leprosy, as known in modern
times, is an affection characterized by the appearance of nodules
in the eye-brows, the cheeks, the nose, and the lobes of the ears,
also in the hands and feet, where the disease eats into the joints,
causing the falling off of fingers and toes. If nodules do not
appear, their place is taken by spots of blanched or discolored
skin (Mascular leprosy). Both forms are based upon a func-
tional degeneration of the nerves of the skin. Its cause was dis-
covered by Hansen in 1871 to be a specific bacillus ; Defective
diet, however, seems to serve as a favorable condition for the
culture of the bacillus. Leprosy was one of the few abnormal
conditions of the body which the Levitical law declared unclean.
Elaborate provision was therefore made for testing its existence
and for the purification of those who were cured of it."
Deems, Light of the Nations, p. 185, summing up the condi-
tions incident to the advanced stages of the dread disease, writes:
"The symptoms and the effects of this disease are very loath-
some. There comes a white swelling or scab, with a change of
the color of the hair on the part from its natural hue to yellow ;
then the appearance of a taint going deeper than the skin, or raw
flesh appearing in the swelling. Then it spreads and attacks the
cartilaginous portions of the body. The nails loosen and drop
off v the gums are absorbed, and the teeth decay and fall out ; the
breath is a stench, the nose decays; fingers, hands, feet, may be
lost, or the eyes eaten out. The human beauty has gone into
corruption, and the patient feels that he is being eaten as by a
fiend, who consumes him slowly in a long remorseless meal that
will not end until he be destroyed. He is shut out from his fel-
lows. As they approach he must cry, 'Unclean! unclean!' that
all humanity may be warned from his precincts. He must aban-
don wife and child. He must go to live with other lepers, in
disheartening view of miseries similar to his own. He must dwell
in dismantled houses or in the tombs. He is, as Trench says, a
dreadful parable of death. By the laws of Moses (Lev. 13:45;
Numb. 6:9; Ezek. 24:17) he was compelled, as if he were mourn-
200 JESUS THE CHRTST. [CHAP. 14.
ing for his own decease, to bear about him the emblems of death,
the rent garments; he was to keep his head bare and his lip cov-
ered, as was the custom with those who were in communion with
the dead. When the Crusaders brought the leprosy from the
East, it was usual to clothe the leper in a shroud, and to say for
him the masses for the dead In all ages this in-
describably horrible malady has been considered incurable. The
Jews believed that it was inflicted by Jehovah directly, as a pun-
ishment for some extraordinary perversity or some transcendent
act of sinfulness, and that only God could heal it. When Naaman
was cured, and his flesh came back like that of a little child, he
said, 'Now I know that there is no God in all the earth but in
Israel.' (2 Kings 5:14, 15.)"
The fact that leprosy is not ordinarily communicable by mere
outward contact is accentuated by Trench, Notes on the Miracles,
pp. 165-168, and the isolation of lepers required by the Mosaic
law is regarded by him as an intended object lesson and figure to
illustrate spiritual uncleanness. He says : "I refer to the mis-
taken assumption that leprosy was catching from one person to
another; and that the lepers were so carefully secluded from their
fellowmen lest they might communicate the disease to others, as
in like manner that the torn garment, the covered lip, the cry,
'Unclean, unclean' (Lev. 13:45) were warnings to all that they
should keep aloof, lest unawares touching a leper, or drawing
unto too great a nearness, they should become partakers of this
disease. So far from any danger of the kind existing, nearly all
who have looked closest into the matter agree that the sickness
was incommunicable by ordinary contact from one person to an-
other. A leper might transmit it to his children, or the mother
of a leper's children might take it from him; but it was by no
ordinary contact communicable from one person to another. All
the notices in the Old Testament, as well as in other Jewish
books, confirm the statement that we have here something very
much higher than a mere sanitary regulation. Thus, when the
law of Moses was not observed, no such exclusion necessarily
found place; Naaman the leper commanded the armies of Syria
(2 Kings 5:1); Gehazi, with his leprosy that never should be
cleansed, (2 Kings 5 -.27) talked familiarly with the king of apos-
tate Israel (2 Kings 8:5) How, moreover, should the
Levitical priests, had the disease been this creeping infection,
have ever themselves escaped it, obliged as they were by their
very office to submit the leper to actual handling and closest
examination? .... Leprosy was nothing short of a living
death, a corrupting of all the humors, a poisoning of the very
springs, of life; a dissolution, little by little, of the whole body,
so that one limb after another actually decayed and fell away.
Aaron exactly describes the appearance which the leper presented
to the eyes of the beholders, when, pleading for Miriam, he says,
'Let her not be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed
when he cometh out of his mother's womb.' (Numb. 12:12.)
The disease, moreover, was incurable by the art and skill of man;
not that the leper might not return to health; for, however rare,
NOTES. 201
such cases are contemplated in the Levitical law. . rfgi'5 . The
leper, thus fearfully bearing about the body the outward and
visible tokens of sin in the soul, was treated throughout as a
sinner, as one in whom sin had reached its climax, as one dead
in trespasses and sins. He was himself a dreadful parable of
death. He bore about him the emblems of death (Lev. 13:45);
the rent garments, mourning for himself as one dead; the head
bare as they were wont to have it who were defiled by com-
munion with the dead (Numb. 6:9; Ezek. 24:27) ; and the lip cov-
ered (Ezek. 24:17) But the leper was as one dead,
and as such was shut out of the camp (Lev. 13:46; Numb. 5:2-4),
and the city (2 Kings 7:3), this law being so strictly enforced
that even the sister of Moses might not be exempted from it
(Numb. 12 :i4, 15) ; and kings themselves, as Uzziah (2 Chron.
26:21; 2 Kings 15:5) must submit to it; men being by this exclu-
sion taught that what here took place in a figure, should take
place in the reality with every one who was found in the death
of sin."
For the elaborate ceremonies incident to the cleansing of a
recovered leper see Lev. chap. 14.
2. Blasphemy. The essence of the deep sin of blasphemy
lies not, as many suppose, in profanity alone, but as Dr. Kelso,
Stand. Bible Diet., summarizes: "Every improper use of the di-
vine name (Lev. 24:11), speech derogatory to the Majesty of God
(Matt 26:65), and sins with a high hand i. e. premeditated trans-
gressions of the basal principles of the theocracy (Numb. 9:13;
15:30; Exo. 31:14) were regarded as blasphemy; the penalty
was death by stoning (Lev. 24:16)." Smith's Bible Diet, states:
"Blasphemy, in its technical English sense, signifies the speaking
evil of God, and in this sense it is found in Psalm 74:18; Isa. 52:5;
Rom. 2:24 etc On this charge both our Lord and
Stephen were condemned to death by the Jews. When a person
heard blasphemy he laid his hand on the head of the offender, to
symbolize his sole responsibility for the guilt, and rising on his
feet, tore his robe, which might never again be mended." (See
Matt. 26:65.)
3. Publican. "A word originally meaning a contractor for
public works or supplies, or a farmer of public lands, but later
applied to Romans who bought from the government the right to
collect taxes in a given territory. These buyers, always _ knights
(senators were excluded by their rank), became capitalists and
formed powerful stock companies, whose members received a
percentage on the capital invested. Provincial capitalists _ could
not buy taxes, which were sold in Rome to the highest bidders,
who to recoup themselves sublet their territory (at a great ad-
vance on the price paid the government) to the native (local)
publicans, who in their turn had to make a profit on their pur-
chase money, and being assessors of property as well as collectors
of taxes, had abundant opportunities for oppressing the people,
who hated them both for that reason and also because the tax
itself was the mark of their subjection to foreigners." J. R. Ster-
rett in Stand. Bible Diet.
202
JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 14.
4. Fishers of Men. "Follow me, and I will make you fishers
of men," said Jesus to fishermen who afterward became His
apostles (Matt. 4:19). Mark's version is nearly the same (1:17),
while that of Luke (5 :io) reads : "From henceforth thou shalt catch
men." The correct translation is, as commentators practically
agree, "From henceforth thou shalt take men alive." This read-
ing emphasizes the contrast given in the text that between cap-
turing fish to kill them and winning men to save them. Consider
in this connection the Lord's prediction through Jeremiah (16:
16), that in reaching scattered Israel, "Behold, I will send for
many fishers, saith the Lord, and they shall fish them;" etc.
5. "Thy Sins Be Forgiven Thee." The following commen-
tary by Edersheim (Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, vol. i,
PP- 55> 56) on the incident under consideration is instructive :
"In this forgiveness of sins He presented His person and authority
as divine, and He proved it such by the miracle of healing which
immediately followed. Had the two been inverted, [i. e. had Christ
first healed the man and afterward told him that his sins were
forgiven] there would have been evidence, indeed, of His power,
but not of His divine personality, nor of His having authority to
forgive sins; and this, not the doing of miracles, was the object of
His teaching and mission, of which the miracles were only secon-
dary evidence. Thus the inward reasoning of the scribes, which
was open and known to Him who readeth all thoughts, issued in
quite the opposite of what they could have expected. Most
unwarranted, indeed, was the feeling of contempt which we trace
in their unspoken words, whether we read them: 'Why does this
one thus speak blasphemies?' or, according to a more correct trans-
cript of them: 'Why does this one speak thus? He blasphemeth !'
Yet from their point of view they were right, for God alone can
forgive sins; nor has that power ever been given or delegated to
man. But was He a mere man, like even the most honored of
God's servants? Man, indeed; but 'the Son of Man.' ... It
seemed easy to say : 'Thy sins have been forgiven.' But to Him,
who had authority to do so on earth, it was neither more easy nor
more difficult than to say: 'Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.' Yet
this latter, assuredly, proved the former, and gave it in the sight
of all men unquestioned reality. And so it was the thoughts of
these scribes, which, as applied to Christ, were 'evil' since they
imputed to Him blasphemy that gave occasion for offering real
evidence of what they would have impugned and denied. In no
other manner could the object alike of miracles and of this special
miracle have been so attained as by the 'evil thoughts' of these
scribes, when, miraculously brought to light, they spoke out the
inmost possible doubt, and pointed to the highest of all questions
concerning the Christ And so it was once more the wrath of
man which praised Him."
ANTIQUITY OF SABBATH OBSERVANCE,
203
.
CHAPTER 15.
LORD OF THE SABBATH.
THE SABBATH DISTINCTIVELY SACRED TO ISRAEL.
The observance of the Sabbath as a holy day was prom-
inent among the Lord's requirements of His people, Israel,
from a very early period in their history as a nation. In-
deed, the keeping of the Sabbath as a day of surcease from
ordinary toil was a national characteristic, by which the
Israelites were distinguished from pagan peoples, and rightly
so, for the holiness of the Sabbath was made a mark of the
covenant between the chosen people and their God. The
sanctity of the Sabbath had been prefigured in the account of
the creation, antedating the placing of man upon the earth,
as shown by the fact that God rested after the six periods or
days of creative work, and blessed the seventh day and hal-
lowed it. a In the course of Israel's exodus, the seventh day
was set apart as one of rest, upon which it was not allowed to
bake, seethe, or otherwise cook food. A double supply of
manna had to be gathered on the sixth day, while on other
days the laying-by of a surplus of this daily bread sent from
heaven was expressly forbidden. The Lord observed the
sacredness of the holy day by giving no manna thereon. 6
The commandment to celebrate the Sabbath in strictness
was made definite and explicit in the decalog, written by the
hand of God amidst the awful glory of Sinai; and the in-
junction was kept before the people through frequent procla-
mation^ It was unlawful to kindle a fire on that day ; and
record is made of a man who was put to death for gathering
a Gen. 2:3.
&Exo. 16:16-31.
<;Exo. 20:8-11; 23:12; 31:13-15; 34:21; Lev. 19:3; 23:3; Deut. 5:12-14,
204 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 15.
sticks on the seventh day. J Under the administration of
later prophets, the holiness of the Sabbath, the blessings
promised to those who sanctified the day unto themselves,
and the sin of Sabbath desecration were reiterated in words
of inspired forcefulness.* Nehemiah admonished and re-
proved in the matter, and attributed the affliction of the na-
tion to the forfeiture of Jehovah's favor through Sabbath
violation/ By the mouth of Kzekiel the Lord affirmed that
the institution of the Sabbath was a sign of the covenant
between Himself and the people of Israel; and with stern
severity He upbraided those who heeded not the day. 5 ' To
the separate branch of the Israelitish nation that had been
colonized on the western hemisphere, regard for the sanctity
of the Sabbath was no less an imperative requirement. 7 *
The observance demanded, however, was the very oppo-
site of affliction and burden ; the Sabbath was consecrated to
rest and righteous enjoyment, and was to be a day of spir-
itual feasting before the Lord. It was not established as a
day of abstinence ; all might eat, but both mistress and maid
were to be relieved from the work of preparing food ; neither
master nor man was to plow, dig or otherwise toil ; and the
weekly day of rest was as much the boon of the cattle as of
their owners.
In addition to the weekly Sabbath, the Lord in mercy
prescribed also a sabbatic year; in every seventh year the
land was to rest, and thereby its fertility was enhanced.*
After seven times seven years had passed, the fiftieth was
to be celebrated throughout as a year of jubilee, during
which the people should live on the accumulated increase of
the preceding seasons of plenty, and rejoice in liberality by
dExo. 35:3; Numb. 15:32-36.
elsa. 56:2; 58:13; Jer. 17:21-24.
/Neh. 8:9-12; 13:15-22.
0Ezek. 20:12-24.
/tB. of M., Jarom 1:5; Mosiah 13:16-19; 18:23.
t Lev. 25:1-8; compare 26:34, 36.
RABBINICAL RULES CONCERNING THE SABBATH. 205
granting to one another redemption from mortgage and
bond, forgiveness of debt, and general relief from burdens
all of which had to be done in mercy and justice.'' The Sab-
baths established by the Lord, whether of days, of years, or
of weeks of years, were to be times of refreshing, relief,
blessing, bounty, and worship.
To the many who profess to regard the necessity of toil
as a part of the curse evoked through Adam's fall, the Sab-
bath should appeal as a day of temporary reprieve, a time of
exemption from labor, and as affording blessed opportunity
of closer approach to the Presence from which mankind has
been shut out through sin. And to those who take the
higher view of life, and find in work both happiness and
material blessing, the periodical relief brings refreshment
and gives renewed zest for the days that follow.
But long before the advent of Christ, the original purpose
of the Sabbath had come to be largely ignored in Israel;
and the spirit of its observance had been smothered under
the weight of rabbinical injunction and the formalism of re-
straint. In the time of the Lord's ministry, the technicalities
prescribed as rules appended to the law were almost innum-
erable ; and the burden thus forced upon the people had be-
come well nigh unbearable. Among the many wholesome
requirements of the Mosaic law, which the teachers and
spiritual rulers of the Jews had made thus burdensome, that
of Sabbath observance was especially prominent. The,
"hedge," which by unwarranted assumption they professedly
set about the law,* 5 was particularly thorny in the sections
devoted to the Jewish Sabbath. Even trifling infractions of
traditional rules were severely punished, and the capital
penalty was held before the eyes of the people as a supreme
threat for extreme desecration.*
/Lev. 25:10-55.
Page 64.
I Note 1, end of chapter.
206 JKSl'S 'I HE CHRIST. [CHAP. 15.
THE HEAUNG OF A CRIPPLE ON THE SABBATH.
In view of these conditions, we are not surprized to find
our Lord confronted with charges of Sabbath violation rela-
tively early in the course of His public work. An instance
attended with many great developments is recorded by
John, whose narrative covers the incident of a very impres-
sive miracle. Jesus was again in Jerusalem, at the time of
one of the Jewish festivals." There was a pool of water,
called Bethesda, near the sheep market in the city. From the
recorded description, we may understand this to have been
a natural spring; possibly the water was rich in dissolved
solids or gases, or both, making it such as we would call
today a mineral spring; for we find that the water was re-
puted to possess curative virtues, and many afflicted folk
came to bathe therein. The spring was of the pulsating
variety; at intervals its waters rose with bubbling dis-
turbance, and then receded to the normal level. Mineral
springs of this kind are known today in many parts of the
world. Some believed that the periodical upwelling of the
Bethesda waters was the result of supernatural agency ; and
it was said that "whosoever then first after the troubling of
the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease
he had." The Bethesda pool was wholly or partly enclosed ;
and five porches had been built for the shelter of those who
waited at the spring for the intermittent bubbling up of the
water.
On a certain Sabbath day, Jesus visited the pool and saw
many afflicted folk thus waiting. Among them lay a man
who for thirty-eight years had been grievously afflicted.
From the man's statement of his helplessness we may infer
that his malady was paralysis, or possibly an extreme form
of rheumatism; whatever his affliction, it was so disabling
m John, chapter 5.
n Note 2, end of chapter.
A SABBATH HEALING AT BETHESDA POOL. 207
as to give him little chance of getting into the pool at the
critical time, for others less crippled crowded him away ;
and, according to the legends regarding the curative proper-
ties of the spring, only the first to enter the pool after the
agitation of the water might expect to be healed.
Jesus recognized in the man a fit subject for blessing,
and said to him : "Wilt thou be made whole ?" The ques-
tion was so simple as almost to appear superfluous. Of
course the man wanted to be made well, and on the small
chance of being able to reach the water at the right moment
was patiently yet eagerly waiting. There was purpose, how-
ever, in these as in all other words of the Master. The
man's attention was drawn to Him, fixed upon Him; the
question aroused in the sufferer's heart renewed yearning for
the health and strength of which he had been bereft since
the days of his youth. His answer was pitiful, and revealed
his almost hopeless state of mind; he thought only of the
rumored virtues of Bethesda pool, as he said : "Sir, I have
no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool :
but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me."
Then spake Jesus : "Rise, take up thy bed, and walk/' Im-
mediately strength returned to the man, who for nearly four
decades had been a helpless invalid ; he obeyed the Master,
and, taking up the little mattress or pallet on which he had
rested, walked away.
He had not gone far, before the Jews, that is to say, some
of the official class, for so the evangelist John employs the
term, saw him carrying his bed ; and it was the Sabbath day.
To their peremptory reprimand he replied out of the grati-
tude and honest simplicity of his heart, that He who had
healed him had told him to take up his bed and walk. The
interest of the inquisitors was instantly turned from the man
toward Him who had wrought the miracle ; but the erstwhile
cripple could not name his Benefactor, as he had lost sight of
Jesus in the crowd before he had found opportunity for ques-
208 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 15.
tion or thanks. The man who had been healed went to the
temple, possibly impelled by a desire to express in prayer
his gratitude and joy. There Jesus found him, and said
unto him : "Behold, thou art made whole : sin no more, lest
a worse thing come unto thee." The man had probably
brought about his affliction through his own sinful habits.
The Lord decided that he had suffered enough in body, and
terminated his physical suffering with the subsequent ad-
monition to sin no more.
The man went and told the rulers who it was that had
healed him. This he may have done with a desire to honor
and glorify the Giver of his boon; we are not justified in
ascribing to him any unworthy purpose, though by his act
he was instrumental in augmenting the persecution of his
Lord. So intense was the hatred of the priestly faction that
the rulers sought a means of putting Jesus to death, under
the specious pretense of His being a Sabbath-breaker. We
may well ask of what act they could possibly have hoped to
convict Him, even under the strictest application of their
rules. There was no proscription against speaking on the
Sabbath ; and Jesus had but spoken to heal. He had not car-
ried the man's bed, nor had He attempted even the lightest
physical labor. By their own interpretation of the law they
had no case against Him.
OUR LORD'S REPLY TO THE ACCUSING JEWS.
Nevertheless, the Jewish officials confronted Jesus with
accusations. Whether the interview took place within the
temple walls, on the open street, at the market place, or in
the judgment hall, matters not. His reply to their charges
is not confined to the question of Sabbath observance ; it
stands as the most comprehensive sermon in scripture on the
vital subject of the relationship between the Eternal Father
and His Son, Jesus Christ.
__,
o See another instance, pages 190-192.
JESUS THE LORD OF LIFE. 209
His first sentence added to the already intense anger of
the Jews. Referring to the work He had done on the holy
day, He said: "My Father worketh hitherto, and I work."
This remark they construed to be a blasphemy/ "Therefore
the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only
had broken the Sabbath, but said also that God was his
Father, making himself equal with God." To their spoken
or unuttered protest, Jesus replied, that He, the Son, was not
acting independently, and in fact could do nothing except
what was in accordance with the Father's will, and what He
had seen the Father do ; that the Father so loved the Son as
to show unto Him the Father's works.
Be it observed that Jesus in no way attempted to explain
away their construction of His words; on the contrary He
confirmed their deductions as correct. He did associate
Himself with the Father, even in a closer and more exalted
relationship than they had conceived. The authority given
to Him by the Father was not limited to the healing of
bodily infirmities; He had power even to raise the dead--
"For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth
them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will." More-
over, the judgment of men had been committed unto Him;
and no one could honor the Father except by honoring the
Son. Then followed this incisive declaration : "Verily,
verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and be-
lieveth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall
not come into condemnation ; but is passed from death unto
life."
Christ's realm was not bounded by the grave; even the
dead were wholly dependent upon Him for their salvation ;
and to the terrified ears of His dumbfounded accusers He
proclaimed the solemn truth, that even then the hour was
near in which the dead should hear the voice of the Son of
p Pages 191 and 201. For further justification of this act of healing on the
Sabbath, see John 7:21-24.
210 JESUS THE CHRIST, [CHAP. 15.
God. Ponder His profound affirmation: "Verily, verily, I
say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead
shall hear the voice of the Son of God : and they that hear
shall live." The murderous rage of the Jews was rebuffed
by the declaration that without His submission they could
not take His life : "For as the Father hath life in himself ;
so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself." An-
other utterance was equally portentous: ''And hath given
him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the
Son of man." He, the Son of the exalted and glorified Man
of Holiness and now Himself a mortal Man,<* was to be
the judge of men.
No wonder they marveled ; such doctrine they had never
before heard nor read; it was not of the scribes nor of the
rabbis, of neither the Pharisaic nor Sadducean schools. But
He reproved their amazement, saying : "Marvel not at this :
for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the
graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth ; they that
have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that
have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation."*"
This enunciation of the resurrection, so plainly made that
the most unlettered could understand, must have offended
any Sadducees present, for they emphatically denied the
actuality of the resurrection. The universality of a resur-
rection is here unquestionably affirmed ; not only the right-
eous but even those who merit condemnation are to come
forth from their graves in their bodies of flesh and bones/
Then, renewing His solemn asseveration of the unity of
His Father's will and His own, Christ discussed the matter
of witnesses to His work. He admitted what was a recog-
nized tenet of the time, that no man's unsupported witness of
himself was sufficient; but, He added: "There is another
q Page 142.
r Compare Doc. and Cov. 76:16, 17. See page 24 herein.
,5 Page 25.
SEEKERS AFTER THE HONORS OF MEN. 211
that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness
which he witnesseth of me is true." He cites John the Bap-
tist, and reminds them that they had sent a delegation to him,
and that John had answered them by bearing testimony of
the Messiah; and John had been a burning and a shining
light, in whose illuminating ministry many had temporarily
rejoiced. The hostile Jews were left to see that the witness
of John was valid under their strictest construction of the
rules of evidence ; "But," He continued, "I receive not testi-
mony from man : But I have greater
witness than that of John : for the works which the Father
hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear wit-
ness of me, that the Father hath sent me. And the Father
himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me."
Then in terms of unqualified condemnation, He told them
they were devoid of the Father's word, for they refused to
accept Himself whom the Father had sent. With humiliat-
ing directness He admonished these learned men of the law,
these interpreters of the prophets, these professional ex-
pounders of sacred writ, to betake themselves to reading and
study. "Search the scriptures," said He, "for in them ye
think ye have eternal life : and they are they which testify
of me." Convictingly He continued that they who ad-
mitted and taught that in the scriptures lay the way to eternal
life, refused to come to Him, of whom those same scriptures
testified, though by coming they might obtain eternal life.
"I receive not honour from men," He added, "But I know
you, that ye have not the love of God in you." They knew
that they sought for honor among men, received honors from
one another, were made rabbis and doctors, scribes and
teachers, by the bestowal of titles and degrees all of men ;
but they rejected Him who came in the name of One in-
finitely greater than all their schools or societies He had
come in the supreme name of the Father. The cause of
their spiritual ignorance was pointed out they relied upon
212 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 15.
the honors of men, and sought not the honor of real service
in the cause of God.
He had spoken of the authority of judgment that had
been committed to Himself ; now He explained that they
should not think He would accuse them before the Father ;
a lesser one than He would accuse, even Moses, another of
His witnesses in whom they professed such trust Moses
whom they all were said to believe and, driving home the
full effect of His powerful arraignment, the Lord continued :
"For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me : for
he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how
shall ye believe my words ?" Such was the illuminating in-
struction combined with burning denunciation that these
men had called forth by their futile attempt to convict Jesus
on the charge of Sabbath desecration. This was but one of
many evil machinations by which they so determinedly
plotted, and strove to attach the stigma and invoke the pen-
alty of Sabbath-breaking upon the very One who had or-
dained the Sabbath and was in truth and verity the one and
only Lord thereof.
3Y if;
THE DISCIPLES CHARGED WITH SABBATH-BREAKING.
'
We may profitably consider in this connection other in-
stances of good work done by our Lord on Sabbath days;
and this we may do without undue regard to the order of the
events in time. We again find Jesus in Galilee, whether
prior to or after His visit to Jerusalem at the time of the
unidentified feast, on which occasion He wrought the mira-
cle of healing at the Bethesda pool, matters not. On a cer-
tain Sabbath, He and the disciples walked through a field of
grain/ and, being hungry, the disciples began to pluck some
of the ripening ears ; rubbing out the kernels between their
hands, they ate. There was no element of theft in what they
/Matt. 12:1-8; compare Mark 2:23-28; Luke 6:1-5.
213
did, for the Mosaic law provided that in passing through
another's vineyard or corn field one might pluck grapes or
corn to relieve hunger; but it was forbidden to use a sickle
in the field, or to carry away any of the grapes in a vessel."
The permission extended only to the relief of present need.
When the disciples of Jesus availed themselves of this lawful
privilege, there were Pharisees on the watch, and these
came at once to the Master, saying: "Behold, thy disciples
do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day."
The accusers doubtless had in mind the rabbinical dictum
that rubbing out an ear of grain in the hands was a species
of threshing; that blowing away the chaff was winnowing;
and that it was unlawful to thresh or winnow on the Sabbath.
Indeed, some learned rabbis had held ,it to be a sin to walk
on grass during the Sabbath, inasmuch as the grass might be
in seed, and the treading out of the seed would be as the
threshing of grain.
Jesus defended the disciples by citing a precedent applic-
able to the case, and of much greater import. The instance
was that of David, who with a small company of men had
asked bread of the priest Ahimelech ; for they were hungry
and in haste. The priest had none but consecrated bread,
the loaves of shewbread which were placed in the sanctuary
at intervals, and which none but the priests were allowed to
eat. In view of the condition of urgent need the priest had
given the shewbread to the hungry men. r Jesus also re-
minded the critical Pharisees that the priests in the temple
regularly did much work on the Sabbath in the slaughtering
of sacrificial victims and in altar service generally, yet were
held blameless because of the higher requirements of wor-
ship which rendered such labor necessary ; and added with
solemn emphasis : "But I say unto you, That in this place is
one greater than the temple." He cited the word of God
.
u Deut. 23:24, 25.
v Note 3, end of chapter.
: , .
S14 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 15.
spoken through Hosea, "I will have mercy, and not sacri-
fice,"* 1 ' and reproved at once their ignorance and their un-
righteous zeal by telling them that had they known what that
scripture meant they would not have condemned the guilt-
less. Be it remembered, "The sabbath was made for man,
and not man for the sabbath. " a
His reproof was followed by the affirmation of His per-
sonal supremacy : "For the Son of man is Lord even of the
sabbath day!' What can we gather from that declaration
but that He, Jesus, there present in the flesh, was the Being
through whom the Sabbath had been ordained, that it was
He who had given and written in stone the decalog, including
"Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy," and, "the sev-
enth day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God" ?
A PHARISAICAL PLOT.
Again on a Sabbath, Jesus went into a synagog, and saw
in the congregation a man whose right hand was withered.- 1 '
There were Pharisees present, and they watched to see
whether Jesus would heal the man, their purpose being to
accuse Him if He did so. The Pharisees asked : "Is it law-
ful to heal on the sabbath days ?" Our Lord countered their
poorly veiled purpose by asking: "Is it lawful to do good
on the sabbath days ?" and extended the question, "or to do
evil? to save life, or to kill?" They held their peace, for
the question was double-edged. To reply in the affirmative
would have been to justify the work of healing; a negative
answer would have stultified them. He put another ques-
tion : "What man shall there be among you, that shall have
one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he
not lay hold on it, and lift it out? How much then is a man
better than a sheep?"
As tire Pharisees could not or would not reply, He
summed up the whole matter thus : "Wherefore it is lawful
wHos. 6:6; compare Micah 6:6-9.
a Mark 2:27. Note 4, end of chapter.
*Matt. 12:10-13; Mark 3:1-6; Luke 6:6-8.
PHARISAICAL RAGE.
to do well on the sabbath days." He called upon the man
with the withered hand to stand forth before the congrega-
tion. Grief and anger were mingled in His penetrating and
sweeping glance; but, turning with compassion toward the
afflicted one, He commanded him to stretch forth his hand ;
the man obeyed, and lo ! the hand "was restored whole, like
as the other."
The discomfited Pharisees were furious, "filled with mad-
ness" lyuke says ; and they went out to plot anew against the
Lord. So bitter was their hatred that they allied themselves
with the Herodians, a political party generally unpopular
among the Jews.? The rulers of the people were ready to
enter into any intrigue or alliance to accomplish their avowed
purpose of bringing about the death of the Lord Jesus.
Aware of the wicked determination against Him, Jesus with-
drew Himself from the locality. Other accusations of Sab-
bath-breaking, brought against Christ by Jewish casuists,
will be considered later/
NOTES TO CHAPTER 15.
i. Rabbinical Requirements Concerning Sabbath Observ-
ance. "No feature of the Jewish system was so marked as their
extraordinary strictness in the outward observance of the Sab-
bath, as a day of entire rest. The Scribes had elaborated from
the command of Moses, a vast array of prohibitions and injunc-
tions, covering the whole of social, individual, and public life,
and carried it to the extreme of ridiculous caricature. Length-
ened rules were prescribed as to the kinds of knots which might
legally be tied on the Sabbath. The camel-driver's knot and the
sailor's were unlawful, and it was equally illegal to tie or to loose
them. A knot which could be untied with one hand might be
undone. A shoe or sandal, a woman's cup, a wine or oil-skin, or
a flesh-pot might be tied. A pitcher at a spring might be tied
to the body-sash, but not with a cord To kindle or
extinguish a fire on the Sabbath was a great desecration of the
day, nor was even sickness allowed to violate Rabbinical rules.
It was forbidden to give an emetic on the Sabbath to set a broken
bone, or put back a dislocated joint, though some Rabbis, more
liberal, held that whatever endangered life made the Sabbath law
void, 'for the commands were given to Israel only that they
might live by them.' One who was buried under ruins on the Sab-
yPage 68.
instances, see Luke 13:14-16; 14:3-6; John 9:14-16,
JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 15.
bath, might be dug for and taken out, if alive, but, if dead, lie
was to be left where he was, till the Sabbath was over." Geikie,
Life and Words of Christ, chap. 38.
2. The Unnamed Feast. There has been no little discussion
as to the particular festival referred to in John 5:1, at the time
of which Jesus healed the cripple at the pool of Bethesda. Many
writers ^ hold that it was the Passover, others that it was the feast
of Purim, or some other Jewish celebration. The only semblance
of importance attaching to the question is the possibility of
learning from the fact, if it could be proved, something of the
chronological order of events at this period of our Lord's life.
We are not told which feast this was, neither the year nor the
time of the year when ^ it occurred. The miracle wrought on the
occasion, and the doctrinal discourse delivered as a result thereof,
depend for their value in no degree on the determination of date.
3. Shewbread. The name means "bread of the presence,"
signifying that it was placed in the presence of Jehovah. The
bread so sanctified consisted of twelve loaves, made without
leaven. They were to be deposited in the Holy Place in two
columns of six loaves each. Zenos, in Stand. Bible Diet, writes :
'They^were allowed to remain there for a whole week, at the end
of which period they were removed, and eaten by the priest upon
holy ground, i. e. within the precincts of the sanctuary. For
other persons than priests to eat of the loaves of the shewbread
was regarded as sacrilegious, for they were 'holy/ " See Exo.
25:30; Lev. 24:5-9; i Sam. 21:1-6.
4. The Sabbath Was Made for Man and Not Man for the
Sabbath. Edersheim (vol. i, pp. 57, 58) says : "When on his
flight from Saul, David had, 'when an hungered/ eaten of the
shewbread and given it to his followers, although, by the letter
of the Levitical law, it was only to be eaten by the priests, Jewish
tradition vindicated his conduct on the plea that 'danger to life
superseded the Sabbath law/ and hence, all laws connected with
it. ... In truth, the reason why David was blameless in eating
the shewbread was the same as that which made the Sabbath
labor of the priests lawful. The Sabbath law was not one merely
of rest, but of rest for worship. The service of the Lord was
the object in view. The priests worked on the Sabbath, because
this service was the object of the Sabbath ; and David was allowed
to eat of the shewbread, not [solely] because there was danger
to life from starvation, but because he pleaded that he was on
the service of the Lord, and needed this provision. The disciples,
when following the Lord, were similarly on the service of the
Lord; ministering to Him was more than ministering in the
temple, for He was greater than the temple. If the Pharisees
had believed this, they would not have questioned their conduct,
nor in so doing have themselves infringed that higher law which
enjoined mercy, not sacrifice."
rif fid a'rmn V;
:', ' '
ORDINATION OF THE TWELVE.
CHAPTER 16.
THE CHOSEN TWELVE.
THEIR CALL AND ORDINATION/*
The night preceding the morn on which the Twelve
Apostles were called and ordained was spent by the L,ord in
solitary seclusion ; He had "continued all night in prayer to
God." & Then, when day had come, and while many people
were gathering to hear more of the new and wonderful gos-
pel of the kingdom, He called to come closer some who had
theretofore been devotedly associated together as His disci-
ples or followers, and from among them He chose twelve,
whom he ordained and named apostles/ Prior to that time
none of these had been distinguished by any special delega-
tion of authority or appointment; they had been numbered
with the disciples in general, though, as we have seen, seven
had received a preliminary call, and had promptly responded
thereto by abandoning wholly or in part their business af-
fairs, and had followed the Master. These were Andrew,
John, Simon Peter, Philip, Nathanael, James, and Levi
Matthew. Prior to this eventful day, however, none of the
Twelve had been ordained or set apart to their sacred office.
The three Gospel- writers who make record of the organ-
ization of the Twelve place Simon Peter first and Judas
Iscariot last in the category ; they agree also in the relative
position of some but not of all the others. Following the
order given by Mark, and this may be the most convenient
since he names as the first three those who later became
most prominent, we have the following list : Simon Peter,
a Matt. 10:1-4; Mark 3:13-19; Luke 6:12-16.
feLuke 6:12.
c Luke 3:13; compare John 15:16; see also Acts 1:22.
218 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 16.
James (son of Zebedee), John (brother of the last-named),
Andrew (brother of Simon Peter), Philip, Bartholomew
(or Nathanael), Matthew, Thomas, James (son of Al-
pheus), Judas (also known as Lebbeus or Thaddeus), Simon
(distinguished by his surname Zelotes, also known as the
Canaanite), and Judas Iscariot.
TWELVE CONSIDERED INDIVIDUALLY.
Simon, named as the first apostle, is more commonly
known as Peter the appellation given him by the Lord on
the occasion of their first meeting, and afterward con-
firmed/ He was the son of Jona, or Jonas, and by vocation
was a fisherman. He and his brother Andrew were partners
with James and John, the sons of Zebedee ; and apparently
the fishing business was a prosperous one with them, for
they owned their boats and gave employment to other
men/ Peter's early home had been at the little fishery town
of Bethsaida/ on the west shore of the Sea of Galilee ; but
about the time of his first association with Jesus, or soon
thereafter, he, with others of his family, removed to Ca-
pernaum, where he appears to have become an independent-
householder.^ Simon Peter was a married man before his
call to the ministry. He was well to do in a material way;
and when he once spoke of having left all to follow Jesus,
the Lord did not deny that Peter's sacrifice of temporal pos-
sessions was as great as had been implied. We are not justi-
fied in regarding him as unlettered or ignorant. True, both
he and John were designated by the council of rulers as "un-
learned and ignorant men," 7 * but this was spoken of them as
indicating their lack of training in the schools of the rabbis ;
and it is worthy of note, that the members of that same
rfjohn 1:42; compare Matt. 16:18.
IT Mark 1:16-20; Luke 5:10.
/John 1:44; 12:21. . S r.
0Matt. 8:14; Mark 1:29; Luke 4:38.
h Acts 4:13.
THE APOSTLES INDIVIDUALLY CONSIDERED. 219
council were amazed at the wisdom and power manifested
by the two apostles, whom they professed to despize.
In temperament Peter was impulsive and stern, and, un-
til trained by severe experience, was lacking in firmness. He
had many human weaknesses, yet in spite of them all he
eventually overcame the temptations of Satan and the frail-
ties of the flesh, and served his Lord as the appointed and
acknowledged leader of the Twelve. Of the time and place
of his death the scriptures do not speak; but the manner
thereof was prefigured by the resurrected L,ord/ and in part
was foreseen by Peter himself.-' Tradition, originating in
the writings of the early Christian historians other than the
apostles, states that Peter met death by crucifixion as a mar-
tyr during the persecution incident to the reign of Nero,
probably between A. D. 64 and 68. Origen states that the
apostle was crucified with his head downward. Peter, with
James and John, his associates in the presidency of the
Twelve, has ministered as a resurrected being in the present
dispensation, in restoring to earth the Melchizedek Priest-
hood, including the Holy Apostleship, which had been taken
away because of the apostasy and unbelief of men. &
James and John, brothers by birth, partners in business
as fishermen, brethren in the ministry, were associated to-
gether and with Peter in the apostolic calling. The L,ord
bestowed upon the pair a title in common Boanerges, or
Sons of Thunder* possibly with reference to the zeal they
developed in His service, which, indeed, at times had to be
restrained, as when they would have had fire called from
heaven to destroy the Samaritan villagers who had refused
hospitality to the Master. m They and their mother aspired
to the highest honors of the kingdom, and asked that the
two be given places, one on the right the.other on the left of
tjohn 21:18, 19.
;2 Peter 1:14.
A: Doc. and Cov. 27:12. Page 768 herein.
/Mark 3:17.
w Luke 9:54. See also Mark 9:38, for instance of John's impulsive zeal.
JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 16.
Christ in His glory. This ambition was gently reproved by
the Lord, and the request gave offense to the other
apostles." With Peter these two brothers were witnesses of
many of the most important incidents in the life of Jesus ;
thus, the three were the only apostles admitted to witness
the raising of the daughter of Jairus from death to life \
they were the only members of the Twelve present at the
transfiguration of Christ f they were nearest the Lord dur-
ing the period of His mortal agony in Gethsemane \ q and, as
heretofore told, they have ministered in these modern days
in the restoration of the Holy Apostleship with all its
ancient authority and power of blessing/ James is com-
monly designated in theological literature as James I, to dis-
tinguish him from the other apostle bearing the same name.
James, the son of Zebedee, was the first of the apostles to
meet a martyr's violent death ; he was beheaded by order of
the king, Herod Agrippa/ John had been a disciple of the
Baptist, and had demonstrated his confidence in the latter's
testimony of Jesus by promptly turning from the forerunner
and following the Lord/ He became a devoted servant, and
repeatedly refers to himself as the disciple "whom Jesus
loved." 1 * At the last supper John sat next to Jesus leaning
his head upon the Master's breast - v and next day as he stood
beneath the cross he received from the dying Christ the spe-
cial charge to care for the Lord's mother;"' and to this he
promptly responded by conducting the weeping Mary to his
own house. He was the first to recognize the risen Lord on
the shores of Galilee, and received from His immortal lips
encouragement of his hope that his life would be continued
in the body, in order that he might minister among men
n Mark 10:35-41; compare Matt. 20:20-24.
oMark 5:37; Luke 8:51.
pMatt. 17:1-2; Luke 9:28-29.
gMatt. 26:36, 37.
rDoc. and Cov. 27:12. Page 768 herein.
sActs 12: 1, 2.
fjohn 1:35-40; see page 140.
wjohn 13:23; 19:26; 20:2.
vjohn 13:23, 25.
wjohn 19:25-27.
THE APOSTLES INDIVIDUALLY CONSIDERED. 221
until the Christ shall come in His glory.* The realization of
that hope has been attested by revelation in modern days. 3 '
Andrew, son of Jona and brother of Simon Peter, is
mentioned less frequently than the three already considered.
He had been one of the Baptist's followers, and with John,
the son of Zebedee, left the Baptist to learn from Jesus ; and
having learned he went in search of Peter, solemnly aver-
red to him that the Messiah had been found, and brought
his brother to the Savior's feet/ He shared with Peter in
the honor of the call of the Lord on the sea shore, and in
the promise "I will make you fishers of men." a In one in-
stance we read of Andrew as present with Peter, James and
John, in a private interview with the Lord ; b and he is men-
tioned in connection with the miraculous feeding of the five
thousand/ and as associated with Philip in arranging an in-
terview between certain inquiring Greeks and Jesus. d He is
named with others in connection with our Lord's ascen-
sion/ Tradition is rife with stories about this man, but of
the extent of his ministry, the duration of his life, and the
circumstances of his death, we have no authentic record.
Philip may have been the first to receive the authori-
tative call "Follow me" from the lips of Jesus, and we find
him immediately testifying that Jesus was the long expected
Messiah. His home was in Bethsaida, the town of Peter,
Andrew, James, and John. It is said that Jesus found him/
whereas the others concerned in that early affiliation seem
to have come of themselves severally to Christ. We find brief
mention of him at the time the five thousand were fed, on
which occasion Jesus asked him "Whence shall we buy
bread, that these may eat?" This was done to test and
#John 21:7, 21-23.
yDoc. and Cov. Sec. 7; compare B. of M., 3 Nephi 28:1-12.
s John 1:35-40.
a Matt. 4:18, 19.
fcMark 13:3.
cjohn 6:8.
djohn 12:20-22.
<?Acts 1:13.
/John 1:43-45.
222 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 16.
prove him, for Jesus knew what would be done. Philip's reply
was based on a statement of the small amount of money at
hand, and showed no expectation of miraculous interven-
tion/ It was to him the Greeks applied when they sought
a meeting with Jesus as noted in connection with Andrew.
He was mildly reproved for his misunderstanding when he
asked Jesus to show to him and the others the Father -
"Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not
known me, Philip ?" a Aside from incidental mention of his
presence as one of the Eleven after the ascension, the scrip-
tures tell us nothing more concerning him.
Bartholometv is mentioned in scripture by this name
only in connection with his ordination to the apostleship, and
as one of the Eleven after the ascension. The name means
son of Tolmai. It is practically certain, however, that he
is the man called Nathanael in John's Gospel the one
whom Christ designated as "an Israelite indeed, in whom is
no guile. " h He is named again as among those who went
fishing with Peter after the resurrection of Christ/ His
home was in Cana of Galilee. The reasons for assuming
that Bartholomew and Nathanael are the same persons are
these : Bartholomew is named in each of the three synoptic
Gospels as an apostle, but Nathanael is not mentioned. Na-
thanael is named twice in John's Gospel, and Bartholomew
not at all ; Bartholomew and Philip, or Nathanael and Philip,
are mentioned together.
Matthew, or Levi, son of Alpheus, was one of the seven
who received a call to follow Christ before the ordination
of the Twelve. He it was who gave a feast, for attend-
ing which Jesus and the disciples were severely criticized by
the Pharisees/ on the charge that it was unseemly for Him
to eat with publicans and sinners. Matthew was a pub-
T , (iff
TS n ?1 8 Q
a John 14:8, y.
h John 1:45-51; see page 141.
j'John 21:2, 8.
/Page 194.
THE APOSTLES INDIVIDUALLY CONSIDERED. 223
lican ; he so designates himself in the Gospel he wrote ; k but
the other evangelists omit the mention when including him
with the Twelve. His Hebrew name, Levi, is understood
by many as an indication of priestly lineage. Of his
ministry we have no detailed account; though he is the
author of the first Gospel, he refrains from special mention
of himself except in connection with his call and ordination.
He is spoken of by other than scriptural writers as one of
the most active of the apostles after Christ's death, and as
operating in lands far from Palestine.
Thomas, also known as Didymus, the Greek equivalent
of his Hebrew name, meaning "a twin," is mentioned as a
witness of the raising of Lazarus. His devotion to Jesus is
shown by his desire to accompany the Lord to Bethany,
though persecution in that region was almost certain. To
his fellow apostles Thomas said : "Let us also go, that we
may die with him." 7 Even as late in his experience as the
night before the crucifixion, Thomas had failed to compre-
hend the impending necessity of the Savior's sacrifice; and
when Jesus referred to going away and leaving the others
to follow, Thomas asked how they could know the way.
For his lack of understanding he stood reproved. m He was
absent when the resurrected Christ appeared to the assem-
bled disciples in the evening of the day of His rising; and
on being informed by the others that they had seen the Lord,
he forcefully expressed his doubt, and declared he would not
believe unless he could see and feel for himself the wounds
in the crucified body. Eight days later the Lord visited the
apostles again, when, as on the earlier occasion, they were
within closed doors ; and to Thomas the Lord said : "Reach
hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither
thy hand, and thrust it into my side." Then Thomas, no
longer doubting but with love and reverence filling his soul,
k Matt, 10:3.
JJohn 11:16.
mjohn 14:1-7.
224 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 16.
exclaimed "My Lord and my God." The Lord said unto
him: "Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast be-
lieved: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have
believed."" Of Thomas no further record appears in the
New Testament aside from that of his presence with his
fellows after the ascension.
James, son of Alpheus, is mentioned in the Gospels only
in the matter of his ordination to the apostleship; and but
once elsewhere in the New Testament by the appellation
"son of Alpheus". In writings other than scriptural he is
sometimes designated as James II to avoid confusing him
with James the son of Zebedee. There is acknowledged un-
certainty concerning the identity of James the son of
Alpheus as the James or one of the James's referred to in
the Acts and the Epistles -f and a plenitude of controversial
literature on the subject is extant.^
Judas is called Lebbeus Thaddeus by Matthew, Thad-
deus by Mark, and Judas the brother of James by Luke.'
The only other specific reference to this apostle is made by
John, and is incident to the last long interview between
Jesus and the apostles, when this Judas, "not Iscariot,"
asked how or why Jesus would manifest Himself to His
chosen servants and not to the world at large. The man's
njohn 20:24-29. Page 689 herein.
o Acts 1:13. Note 3, end of chapter.
p Acts 12:17; 15:13-21; 21:18; 1 Cor. 15:7; Gal. 1:19; 2:9, 12; and the
Epistle of James.
q Concerning the James's mentioned in the New Testament, the opinion
of Bible scholars is divided, the question being as to whether two or three
individuals are indicated. Those who hold that there were three men of this
name distinguish them as follows: (1) James the son of Zebedee and brother
of John the apostle; all scriptural references to him are explicit; (2) James
the son of Alpheus; and (3) James the brother of the Lord (Matt. 13:55;
Mark 6:3; Gal. 1:19). If we accept this classification, the references given
in footnote "p" on this page apply to James the Lord's brother. Both the
Oxford and Bagster Bible "Helps" treat James the son of Alpheus and James
the Lord's brother as one person, the expression "son of" being understood
in its general sense only (see page 280). The Bagster designation is: "James
IT, apostle, son of Alpheus, brother or cousin to Jesus." (See Note 3, end of
chapter.) The Nave "Student's Bible" states (page 1327) that the question
as to whether James the Lord's brother "is identical with James the son of
Alpheus is one of the most difficult questions in the biographical history of the
Gospels." Faussett (in his "Cyclopedia Critical and Expository") supports
the contention that but one James is meant; and other acknowledged authori-
ties treat the two as one. For detailed consideration of the subject the reader
is referred to special works.
t Note 1. end of chapter.
THE APOSTLES INDIVIDUALLY CONSIDERED. 225
question shows that the really distinguishing character of
the apostleship was not fully comprehended by him at that
time.
Simon Zelotes, so designated in Acts," and as Simon
called Zelotes in Luke's Gospel, is distinguished by both
Matthew and Mark as the Canaanite. The last designation
has no reference to the town of Cana, nor to the land of
Canaan, neither is it in any sense of geographical significa-
tion ; it is the Syro-Chaldaic equivalent of the Greek word
which is rendered in the English translation "Zelotes." The
two names, therefore, have the same fundamental meaning,
and each refers to the Zealots, a Jewish sect or faction,
known for its zeal in maintaining the Mosaic ritual. Doubt-
less Simon had learned moderation and toleration from the
teachings of Christ ; otherwise he would scarcely have been
suited to the apostolic ministry. His zealous earnestness,
properly directed, may have developed into a most service-
able trait of character. This apostle is nowhere in the scrip-
tures named apart from his colleagues.
Judas Iscarlot is the only Judean named among the
Twelve; all the others were Galileans. He is generally un-
derstood to have been a resident of Kerioth, a small town
in the southerly part of Judea, but a few miles west from
the Dead Sea, though for this tradition, as also for the sig-
nification of his surname, we lack direct authority. . So
too we are uninformed as to his lineage, except that his
father's name was Simon. v He served as treasurer or agent
of the apostolic company, receiving and disbursing such of-
ferings as were made by disciples and friends, and purchas-
ing supplies as required.*" That he was unprincipled and
dishonest in the discharge of this trust is attested by John.
His avaricious and complaining nature revealed itself in his
murmuring against what he called a waste of costly spike-
M shsM ;'
""""
Acts 1:13; compare Luke 6:15.
z/John 6:71; 12:4; 13:26.
tt/John 12:6; 13:29.
8
226 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 16.
nard, in the anointing of the Lord by Mary but a few days
before the crucifixion; he hypocritically suggested that the
precious ointment could have been sold and the proceeds
given to the poor.* The crowning deed of perfidy in the
career of Iscariot was his deliberate betrayal of his Master
to death ; and this the infamous creature did for a price, and
accomplished the foul deed with a kiss. He brought his
guilty life to a close by a revolting suicide and his spirit
went to the awful fate reserved for the sons of perdition.?
GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE TWELVE.
A survey of the general characteristics and qualifications
of this body of twelve men reveals some interesting facts.
Before their selection as apostles they had all become close
disciples of the L,ord ; they believed in Him ; several of them,
possibly all, had openly confessed that He was the Son of
God ; and yet it is doubtful that any one of them fully under-
stood the real significance of the Savior's work. It is evi-
dent by the later remarks of many of them, and by the
instructions and rebuke they called forth from the Master,
that the common Jewish expectation of a Messiah who
would reign in splendor as an earthly sovereign after He
had subdued all other nations, had a place even in the hearts
of these chosen ones. After long experience, Peter's con-
cern was: "Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed
thee ; what shall we have therefore ?"* They were as children
to be trained and taught; but they were mostly willing pu-
pils, receptive of soul, and imbued with a sincere eagerness
to serve. To Jesus they were His little ones, His children,
His servants, and His friends, as they merited. They were
all of the common people, not rabbis, scholars, nor priestly
officials. Their inner natures, not their outward accomplish-
*John 12:1-7; compare Matt. 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9.
yMatt. 27:5; compare Acts 1:18; see also John 17:12; Doc. and Cov. 7(5:
31-48; 132:27.
2 Matt. 19:27.
a Matt. 10:42; John 21:5; 13:16, compare verse 13; 15:14, 15.
THE HOLY APOSTLESHIP. 227
ments, were taken into prime account in the Lord's choos-
ing. The Master chose them; they did not choose them-
selves ; by Him they were ordained, & and they could in con-
sequence rely the more implicitly upon His guidance and
support. To them much was given; much of them was
required. With the one black exception they all became
shining lights in the kingdom of God, and vindicated the
Master's selection, He recognized in each the characteris-
tics of fitness developed in the primeval world of spirits.
DISCIPLES AND APOSTLES.
Discipleship is general ; any follower of a man or devotee
to a principle may be called a disciple. The Holy Apostle-
ship is an office and calling belonging to the Higher or Mel-
chizedek Priesthood, at once exalted and specific, compriz-
ing as a distinguishing function that of personal and spe-
cial witness to the divinity of Jesus Christ as the one and
only Redeemer and Savior of mankind.** The apostleship
is an individual bestowal, and as such is conferred only
through ordination. That the Twelve did constitute a coun-
cil or "quorum" having authority in the Church established
by Jesus Christ, is shown by their ministrations after the
Lord's resurrection and ascension. Their first official act
was that of filling the vacancy in their organization occa-
sioned by the apostasy and death of Judas Iscariot; and in
connection with this procedure, the presiding apostle, Peter,
set forth the essential qualifications of the one who would be
chosen and ordained, which comprized such knowledge of
Jesus, His life, death, and resurrection, as would make the
new apostle one with the Eleven as special witnesses of the
Lord's work.*
The ordination of the Twelve Apostles marked the in-
6 John 15:16.
c Pages 8 and 17.
rfDoc. and Cov. 18:27-33; 20:38-44; 107:1-9, 23, 24, 39.
*Acts 1:15-26.
228 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 16.
auguration of an advanced epoch in the earthly ministry of
Jesus, an epoch characterized by the organization of a body
of men invested with the authority of the Holy Priesthood,
upon whom would rest, more particularly after the Lord's
departure, the duty and responsibility of continuing the
work He had begun, and of building up the Church estab-
lished by Him,
The word "apostle" is an Anglicized form derived from
the Greek apostolos, meaning literally "one who is sent,"
and connoting an envoy or official messenger, who speaks
and acts by the authority of one superior to himself. In this
sense Paul afterward applied the title to Christ as one spe-
cially sent and commissioned of the Father/
The Lord's purpose in choosing and ordaining the
Twelve is thus enunciated by Mark: "And he ordained
twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send
them forth to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses,
and to cast out devils. " g For a season following their or-
dination the apostles remained with Jesus, being specially
trained and instructed by Him for the work then before
them; afterward they were specifically charged and sent
forth to preach and to administer in the authority of their
priesthood, as shall be hereafter considered.
NOTES TO CHAPTER 16.
1. Judas Lebbeus Thaddeus. This Judas (not Iscariot) is
designated in the authorized version of Luke 6:16, and Acts 1:13,
as "the brother of James." That the words "the brother" are an
addition to the original text is indicated by italics. The revised
version of these passages reads in each instance "the son of
James," with italics of corresponding significance. The original
reads "Judas of James." We are uninformed as to which James
is referred to, and as to whether the Judas here mentioned was
the son, the brother, or some other relative of the unidentified
James.
2. The Meaning of "Apostle." "The title 'Apostle' is like-
\vise one of special significance and sanctity; it has been given
of God, and belongs only to those who have been called and
/Heb. 3:1; see Note 2, end of chapter.
g Mark 3:14, 15.
NOTES.
ordained as 'special witnesses of the name of Christ in all the
world, thus differing from other officers in the Church in the
duties of their calling' (Doc. and Cov. 107:23). By derivation
the word _ 'apostle' is the English equivalent of the Greek apos-
tolos,^ indicating a messenger, an ambassador, or literally 'one
who is sent.' It signifies that he who is rightly so called, speaks
and acts not of himself, but as the representative of a higher
power whence his commission issued ; and in this sense the title
is that of a servant, rather than that of a superior. Even the
Christ, however, is called an Apostle with reference to His min-
istry in the flesh (Hebrews 3: i), and this appellation is justified
by His repeated declaration that He came to earth to do not
His own will but that of the Father by whom He was sent.
"Though an apostle is thus seen to be essentially an envoy,
or ambassador, his authority is great, as is also the responsibility
associated therewith, for he speaks in the name of a power
greater than his own the name of Him whose special witness
he is. When one of the Twelve is sent to minister in any stake,
mission or other division of the Church, or to labor in regions
where no Church organization has been effected, he acts as the
representative of the First Presidency, and has the right to use
his authority in doing whatever is requisite for the furtherance
of the work of God. His duty is to preach the Gospel, admin-
ister the ordinances thereof, and set in order the affairs of the
Church, wherever he is sent. So great is the sanctity of this
special calling, that the title 'Apostle' should not be used lightly
as the common or ordinary form of address applied to living men
called to this office. The quorum or council of the Twelve Apos-
tles as existent in the Church to-day may better be spoken of as
the 'Quorum of the Twelve,' the 'Council of the Twelve,' or simply
as the 'Twelve,' than as the 'Twelve Apostles,' except as partic-
ular occasion may warrant the use of the more sacred term. It
is advized that the title 'Apostle' be not applied as a prefix to
the name of any member of the Council of the Twelve; but that
such a one be addressed or spoken of as 'Brother ,' or
'Elder ,' and when necessary or desirable, as in announc-
ing his presence in a public assembly, an explanatory clause may
be added, thus, 'Elder , one of the Council of the
Twelve.'" From "The Honor and Dignity of Priesthood,"
by the author, Improvement Era, Vol. 17, No. 5, pp. 409-410.
3. "Of Alpheus," or "Son of Alpheus." Tn all Bible pas-
sages specifying "James son of Alpheus" (Matt. 10:3; Mark
3:18; Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13) the word son has been supplied by
the translators, and therefore properly appears in Italics. The
phrase in the Greek reads "James of Alpheus." This fact must
not be given undue weight in support of the thought that the
James spoken of was not the son of Alpheus ; for the word sou
has been similarly added in the translation of other passages,
in all of which Italics are used to indicate the words supplied,
e. g. "James the son of Zebedee" (Matt. 10 :2 ; see also Mark
3:17). Read in this connection Note I on the opposite page.
,SI-t:" :3S-OS:8 x > ;SI-8:& .*J*M*
230 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 17.
CHAPTER 17.
.
THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT.
At some time very near that of the ordination of the
Twelve, Jesus delivered a remarkable discourse, which, in
reference to the place where it was given, has come to be
known as the Sermon on the Mount. Matthew presents an
extended account occupying three chapters of the first Gos-
pel; I^uke gives a briefer synopsis. Circumstantial varia-
tions appearing in the two records are of minor importance ; b
it is the sermon itself to which we may profitably devote at-
tention. Luke introduces in different parts of his writings
many of the precious precepts given as parts of the sermon
recorded as a continuous discourse in the Gospel written by
Matthew. In our present study we shall be guided princi-
pally by Matthew's account. Some portions of this compre-
hensive address were expressly directed to the disciples, who
had been or would be called to the apostleship and in conse-
quence be required to renounce all their worldly interests
for the labors of the ministry ; other parts were and are of
general application. Jesus had ascended the mountain side,
probably to escape the crowds that thronged Him in or near
the towns. c The disciples gathered about Him, and there
He sat and taught them/
THE BEATITUDES *
The opening sentences are rich in blessing, and the first
section of the discourse is devoted to an explanation of what
constitutes genuine blessedness; the lesson, moreover, was
a Matt, chaps. 5, 6, 7; Luke 6:20-49. See also the version of the Sermon
the
39
as delivered by Jesus Christ after His resurrection, to the Nephites on the
western continent; B. of M., 3 Nephi, chaps. 12, 13, 14. See also chapter
herein.
b Note 1, end of chapter.
c Matt. 4:23-25; read these verses in connection with 5:1; see also Luke
d Note 1, end of chapter.
*Matt. 5:3-12; compare Luke 6:20-26; and B. of M., 3 Nephi 12:1-12.
THE BEATITUDES. 231
made simple and unambiguous by specific application, each
of the blessed being assured of recompense and reward in
the enjoyment of conditions directly opposite to those under
which he had suffered. The blessings particularized by the
Lord on this occasion have been designated in literature of
later time as the Beatitudes. The poor in spirit are to be
made rich as rightful heirs to the kingdom of heaven; the
mourner shall be comforted for he shall see the divine pur-
pose in his grief, and shall again associate with the beloved
ones of whom he has been bereft; the meek, who suffer
spoliation rather than jeopardize their souls in contention,
shall inherit the earth ; those that hunger and thirst for the
truth shall be fed in rich abundance ; they that show mercy
shall be judged mercifully; the pure in heart shall be ad-
mitted to the very presence of God; the peacemakers, who
try to save themselves and their fellows from strife, shall be
numbered among the children of God ; they that suffer per-
secution for the sake of righteousness shall inherit the riches
of the eternal kingdom. To the disciples the Lord spake
directly, saying : "Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you,
and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against
you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad :
for great is your reward in heaven : for so persecuted they
the prophets which were before you."/
It is evident that the specified blessings and the happiness
comprized therein are to be realized in their fulness only
beyond the grave ; though the joy that comes from the con-
sciousness of right living brings, even in this world, a rich
return. An important element in this splendid elucidation
of the truly blessed state is the implied distinction between
pleasure and happiness.^ Mere pleasure is at best but fleet-
ing; happiness is abiding, for in the recollection thereof is
joy renewed. Supreme happiness is not an earthly attain-
ment; the promised "fulness of joy" lies beyond death and
/Matt. 5:11, 12; compare Luke 6:26; B. of M., 3 NepM 12:11, 12.
g Note 2, end of chapter.
232 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 17.
the resurrection. 7 * While man exists in this mortal state he
needs some of the things of the world ; he must have food
and clothing and provision for shelter ; and beside these bare
necessities he may righteously desire the facilities of edu-
cation, the incidentals of advancing civilization, and the
things that are conducive to refinement and culture; yet all
of these are but aids to achievement, not the end to attain
which man was made mortal.
The Beatitudes are directed to the duties of mortal life
as a preparation for a greater existence yet future. In the
kingdom of heaven, twice named in this part of the Lord's
discourse, are true riches and unfailing happiness to be
found. The kingdom of heaven was the all-comprizing text
of this wonderful sermon ; the means of reaching the king-
dom and the glories of eternal citizenship therein are the
main divisions of the treatise.
DIGNITY AND RESPONSIBILITY IN TH MINISTRY.*
The Master next proceeded to instruct with particular
directness those upon whom would devolve the responsibil-
ity of the ministry as His commissioned representatives. "Ye
are the salt of the earth," said He. Salt is the great pre-
servative ; as such it has had practical use since very ancient
times. Salt was prescribed as an essential addition to every
meat offering under the Mosaic law.- 7 ' Long before the time
of Christ, the use of salt had been accorded a symbolism of
fidelity, hospitality, and covenant.^ To be of use salt must
be pure; to be of any saving virtue as salt, it must be salt
indeed, and not the product of chemical alteration or of
earthy admixture, whereby its saltiness or "savor" would be
hDoc. and Cov. 93:33.
tMatt. 5:13-20; compare Luke 14:34-35; B. of M., 3 Nephi 12:13-20. jfn
/Lev. 2:13; compare Ezra 6:9; Ezek. 43:24.
k Note the expression "covenant of salt," indicating the covenant be-
tween Jehovah and Israel, Lev. 2:13; Numb. 18:19; compare 2 Chron. 13:5.
NOT ONE JOT OR TITTLE TO FAIL. 233
lost;* and, as worthless stuff, it would be fit only to be
thrown away. Against such change of faith, against such
admixture with the sophistries, so-called philosophies, and
heresies of the times, the disciples were especially warned.
Then, changing the figure, Jesus likened them to the light
of the world, and enjoined upon them the duty of keeping
their light before the people, as prominently as stands a city
built upon a hill, to be seen from all directions, a city that
cannot be hid. Of what service would a lighted candle be
if hidden under a tub or a box? "Let your light so shine
before men," said He, "that they may see your good works,
and glorify your Father which is in heaven."
That they should make no error as to the relationship of
the ancient law and the gospel of the kingdom which He
was elucidating, Jesus assured them that He had not come
to destroy the law nor to nullify the teachings and predic-
tions of the prophets, but to fulfil such and to establish that
for which the developments of the centuries gone had been
but preparatory. The gospel may be said to have destroyed
the Mosaic law only as the seed is destroyed in the growth
of the new plant, only as the bud is destroyed by the bursting
forth of the rich, full, and fragrant flowers, only as infancy
and youth pass forever as the maturity of years develops.
Not a jot or a tittle of the law was to be void. A more
effective analogy than the last could scarcely have been con-
ceived; the jot or yod, and the tittle, were small literary
marks in the Hebrew script; for present purposes we may
regard them as equivalent to the dot of an "i" or the cross
of a "t" ; with the first, the jot, our English word "iota," sig-
nifying a trifle, is related. Not even the least commandment
could be violated without penalty ; but the disciples were ad-
monished to take heed that their keeping of the command-
ments was not after the manner of the scribes and Pharisees,
whose observance was that of ceremonial externalism, lack-
l Note 3, end of chapter.
234 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 17.
ing the essentials of genuine devotion ; for they were assured
that by such an insincere course they could "in no case enter
into the kingdom of heaven."
THE LAW SUPERSEDED BY THE GOSPEL. m
The next section of the sermon deals with the superiority
of the gospel of Christ over the law of Moses, and contrasts
the requirements of the two in particular instances. Whereas
the law forbade murder, and provided a just penalty for the
crime, Christ taught that one's giving way to anger, which
might possibly lead to violence or even murder, was of itself
a sin. To maliciously use an offensive epithet such as "Raca"
laid one liable to punishment under the decree of the council,
and to call another a fool placed one "in danger of hell fire."
These objectionable designations were regarded at that time
as especially opprobrious and were therefore expressive of
hateful intent. The murderer's hand is impelled by the
hatred in his heart. The law provided penalty for the deed ;
the gospel rebuked the evil passion in its incipiency. To
emphasize this principle, the Master showed that hatred was
not to be atoned by a material sacrifice; and that if one
came to make an offering at the altar, and remembered that
he was at enmity with his brother, he should first go to that
brother and be reconciled, even though such a course in-
volved the interruption of the ceremonial, which was a par-
ticularly grievous incident according to the judgment of the
priests. Differences and contentions were to be adjusted
without delay.
The law forbade the awful sin of adultery; Christ said
that the sin began in the lustful glance, the sensual thought ;
and He added that it was better to become blind than to look
with evil eye; better to lose a hand than to work iniquity
therewith. Touching the matter of divorcement, in which
great laxity prevailed in that day, Jesus declared that except
mMatt. 5:21-48; Luke 6:27-36; compare B. of M., 3 Nephi 12:21-48.
THE LAW AND THE GOSPEL. 235
for the most serious offense of infidelity to marriage vows,
no man could divorce his wife without becoming himself an
offender, in that she, marrying again while still a wife not
righteously divorced, would be guilty of sin, and so would be
the man to whom she was so married.
Of old it had been forbidden to swear or take oaths ex-
cept in solemn covenant before the Lord ; but in the gospel
dispensation the Lord forbade that men swear at all ; and the
heinousness of wanton oaths was expounded. Grievously
sinful indeed it was and is to swear by heaven, which is the
abode of God; or by earth, which is His creation and by
Him called His footstool; or by Jerusalem, which was re-
garded by those who swore as the city of the great King;
or by one's own head, which is part of the body God has
created. Moderation in speech, decision and simplicity were
enjoined, to the exclusion of expletives, profanity and
oaths.
Of old the principle of retaliation had been tolerated, by
which one who had suffered injury could exact or inflict a
penalty of the same nature as the offense. Thus an eye was
demanded for the loss of an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a life
for a life. n In contrast, Christ taught that men should rather
suffer than do evil, even to the extent of submission without
resistance under certain implied conditions. His forceful
illustrations that if one were smitten on one cheek he
should turn the other to the smiter ; that if a man took an-
other's coat by process of law, the loser should allow his
cloak to be taken also ; that if one was pressed into service
to carry another's burden a mile, he should willingly go two
miles ; that one should readily give or lend as asked are not
to be construed as commanding abject subserviency to unjust
demands, nor as an abrogation of the principle of self-pro-
tection. These instructions were directed primarily to the
apostles, who would be professedly devoted to the work of
nExo. 21:23-25; Lev. 24:17-22; Deut. 19:21.
JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 17.
the kingdom to the exclusion of all other interests. In their
ministry it would be better to suffer material loss or personal
indignity and imposition at the hands of wicked oppressors,
than to bring about an impairment of efficiency and a hin-
drance in work through resistance and contention. To such
as these the Beatitudes were particularly applicable Blessed
are the meek, the peace-makers, and they that are persecuted
for righteousness' sake.
Of old it had been said: "Love thy neighbour, and hate
thine enemy" \ but the Lord now taught : "Love your ene-
mies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate
you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and per-
secute you." This was a new doctrine. Never before had
Israel been required to love their foes. Friendship for ene-
mies had found no place in the Mosaic code: indeed the
people had grown to look upon Israel's enemies as God's
enemies ; and now Jesus required that tolerance, mercy, and
even love be meted out to such! He supplemented the re-
quirement by an explanation through the course indicated
by Him men may become children of God, like unto their
Heavenly Father to the extent of their obedience ; for the
Father is kind, long-suffering and tolerant, causing His sun
to shine on the evil and on the good, and sending rain for the
sustenance of both just and unjust/ And further, what
excellence has the man who gives only as he receives, ac-
knowledges only those who salute him with respect, loves
only as he is loved? Even the publicans? did that much.
Of the disciples of Christ much more was expected. The
admonition closing this division of the discourse is an effec-
tive and comprehensive summary of all that had preceded :
"Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in
heaven is perfect"*
o Compare Lev. 19:18; Deut. 23:6; and Psa. 41:10.
p Compare the lesson taught in the Parable of the Tares, Matt. 13:24-30.
q Note 4, end of chapter; see also pages 193 and 201.
r Note 5, end of chapter.
>j PRAYING AND SAYING PRAYERS. 237
SINCERITY OF PURPOSE
'
In the matter of alms-giving the Master warned against,
and inferentially denounced, ostentation and hypocritical dis-
play. To give to the needy is praiseworthy ; but to give for
the purpose of winning the praise of men is rank hypocrisy.
The tossing of alms to a beggar, the pouring of offerings
into the temple treasure chests, to be seen of men/ and sim-
ilar displays of affected liberality, were fashionable among
certain classes in the time of Christ ; and the same spirit is
manifest today. Some there be now who cause a trumpet
to be sounded, through the columns of the press perchance,
or by other means of publicity, to call attention to their
giving, that they may have glory of men to win political
favor, to increase their trade or influence, to get what in
their estimation is worth more than that from which they
part. With logical incisiveness the Master demonstrated that
such givers have their reward. They have received what
they bid for; what more can such men demand or consist-
ently expect ? "But" said the Lord, "when thou doest alms,
let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That
thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father zvhich seeth in
secret himself shall reward thee openly."
In the same spirit did the Preacher denounce hypocritical
prayers the saying of prayers in place of praying. There
were many who sought places of public resort, in the syn-
agogs, and even on the street-corners, that they might be
seen and heard of men when saying their prayers. They
secured the publicity they sought; what more could they
ask? "Verily I say unto you, They have their reward."
He who would really pray pray as nearly as possible as
Christ prayed, pray in actual communion with God to whom
the prayer is addressed will seek privacy, seclusion, isola-
jMatt. 6:1-18; compare Luke 11:2-4; B. of M., 3 Nephi 13:1-18.
t Consider the incident of the gifts of the rich and the widow's mite,
Mark 12:41-44; Luke 21:1-4.
238 JESUS THE CHRIST. JJ<J [CHAP. 17.
tion; if opportunity permits he will retire to his chamber,
and will shut the door, that none may intrude ; there he may
pray indeed, if the spirit of prayer be in his heart ; and this
course was commended by the Lord. Wordy supplications,
made up largely of iterations and repetitions such as the
heathen use, thinking that their idol deities will be pleased
with their much speaking, were forbidden.
It is well to know that prayer is not compounded of
words, words that may fail to express what one desires to
say, words that so often cloak inconsistencies, words that
may have no deeper source than the physical organs of
speech, words that may be spoken to impress mortal ears.
The dumb may pray, and that too with the eloquence that
prevails in heaven. Prayer is made up of heart throbs and
the righteous yearnings of the soul, of supplication based on
the realization of need, of contrition and pure desire. If
there lives a man who has never really prayed, that man is
a being apart from the order of the divine in human nature,
a stranger in the family of God's children. Prayer is for the
uplifting of the suppliant. God without our prayers would
be God; but we without prayer cannot be admitted to the
kingdom of God. So did Christ instruct: "your Father
knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him."
Then gave He unto those who sought wisdom at His
feet, a model prayer, saying : "After this manner therefore
pray ye :
"Our Father which art in heaven, Halloived by thy
name." In this we acknowledge the relation we bear to our
Heavenly Father, and while reverencing His great and holy
Name, we avail ourselves of the inestimable privilege of ap-
proaching Him, less with the thought of His infinite glory
as the Creator of all that is, the Supreme Being above all
creation, than with the loving realization that He is Father,
and that we are His children. This is the earliest Biblical
scripture giving instruction, permission, or warrant, for ad-
THE LORD'S PRAYER. 239
dressing God directly as "Our Father". Therein is ex-
pressed the reconciliation which the human family, estranged
through sin, may attain by the means provided through the
well beloved Son. This instruction is equally definite in
demonstrating the brotherhood between Christ and human-
ity. As He prayed so pray we to. the same Father, we as
brethren and Christ as our Elder Brother.
"Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done In earth, as it is
in heaven." The kingdom of God is to be a kingdom of
order, in which toleration and the recognition of individual
rights shall prevail. One who really prays that this king-
dom come will strive to hasten its coming by living accord-
ing to the law of God. His effort will be to keep himself in
harmony with the order of the kingdom, to subject the flesh
to the spirit, selfishness to altruism, and to learn to love the
things that God loves. To make the will of God supreme
on earth as it is in heaven is to be allied with God in the
affairs of life. There are many who profess belief that as
God is omnipotent, all that is is according to His will. Such
a supposition is unscriptural, unreasonable, and untrue."
Wickedness is not in harmony with His will; falsehood,
hypocrisy, vice and crime are not God's gifts to man. By
His will these monstrosities that have developed as hideous
deformities in human nature and life shall be abolished, and
this blessed consummation shall be reached when by choice,
without surrender or abrogation of their free agency, men
shall do the will of God.
"Give us this day our daily bread." Food is indispensa-
ble to life. As we need it we should ask for it. True, the
Father knows our need before we ask, but by asking we
acknowledge Him as the Giver, and are made humble, grate-
ful, contrite, and reliant by the request. Though the sun
shines and the rain falls alike upon the just and the unjust,
the righteous man is grateful for these blessings; the un-
Page 18.
240 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 17.
godly man receives the benefits as a matter of course with
a soul incapable of gratitude. The capacity to be grateful
is a blessing, for the possession of which we should be
further grateful. We are taught to pray day by day for the
food we need, not for a great store to be laid by for the
distant future. Israel in the desert received manna as a
daily supply,^ and were kept in mind of their reliance upon
Him who gave. The man with much finds it easier to forget
his dependence than he who must ask with each succeeding
day of need.
"And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors."
He who can thus pray with full intent and unmixed purpose
merits forgiveness. In this specification of personal suppli-
cation we are taught to expect only as we deserve. The
selfish and sinful would rejoice in exemption from their law-
ful debts, but being selfish and sinful would exact the last
farthing from those who owe them. w Forgiveness is too
precious a pearl to be cast at the feet of the unforgiving \ x
and, without the sincerity that springs from a contrite heart,
no man may justly claim mercy. If others owe us, either in
actual money or goods as suggested by debts and debtors, or
through some infringement upon our rights included under
the broader designation as a trespass, our mode of dealing
with them will be taken into righteous account in the judg-
ment of our own offenses.
"And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from
evil:" The first part of this petition has occasioned com-
ment and question. We are not to understand that God
would ever lead a man into temptation except, perhaps, by
way of wise 'permission, to test and prove him, thereby
affording him ooportunity of overcoming and so of gaining
spiritual strength, which is the onlv true advancement in
man's eternal course of progress. The one purpose of pro-
v Exo. 16:16-21.
tv Note the lesson of the parable of the Unmerciful Servant, Matt. 18:
33-25.
x Compare Matt. 7:6.
THE LORD'S PRAYER. 341
viding bodies for the preexistent spirits of the race, and of
advancing them to the mortal state, was to "prove them
herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the
Lord their God shall command them."^ The plan of mor-
tality involved the certainty of temptation. The intent of
the supplication appears to be that we be preserved from
temptation beyond our weak powers to withstand; that we
be not abandoned to temptation without the divine support
that shall be as full a measure of protection as our exercize
of choice will allow.
How inconsistent then to go, as many do, into the places
where the temptations to which we are most susceptible are
strongest; for the man beset wl.h a passion for strong drink
to so pray and then resort to the dramshop; for the man
whose desires are lustful to voice such a prayer and then go
where lust is kindled ; for the dishonest man, though he say
the prayer, to then place himself where he knows the oppor-
tunity to steal will be found ! Can such souls as these be
other than hypocrites in asking God to deliver them from
the evils they have sought? Temptation will fall in our
way without our seeking, and evil will present itself even
when we desire most to do right ; for cl:!'verance from such
we may pray with righteous expectation and assurance.
"For thine is the kingdom, c::d the power, and the glory,
for ever. Amen!' Herein we acknowledge the supremacy
of the Being whom we addressed at the beginning as Father.
He is the Almighty in whom and through whose provision
we live and move and have our existence/ To assert inde-
pendence of God is both sacrilege and blasphemy; to ac-
knowledge Him is a filial duty and a just confession of His
majesty and dominion. The Lord's Prayer is closed with a
solemn "Amen," set as a seal to the document of the suppli-
cation, attesting its genuineness as the true expression of the
suppliant's soul; gathering within the compass of a word
y P. of G. P., Abraham 3:25; see pages 14, 15, herein.
3 Acts 17:28.
242 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 17.
the meaning of all that has been uttered or thought. So let
it be is the literal signification of Amen.
From the subject of prayer the Master turned to that of
fasting, and emphasized the important truth that to be of
avail fasting must be a matter between the man and his God,
not between man and his kind. It was a common thing in
the Master's day to see men parading the fact of their ab-
stinence as an advertisement of their assumed piety. That
they might appear haggard and faint, this class of hypocrites
disfigured their faces, went with unkempt hair, gazed about
with sad countenances. Of these also the I,ord said, "Verily
I say unto you, They have their reward." Believers were ad-
monished to fast secretly, with no outward display, and to
fast unto God, who could see in secret and would heed their
sacrifice and prayer.
TREASURES OF EARTH AND OF HEAVEN. 6
The transitory character of worldly wealth was next con-
trasted with the enduring riches of eternity. Many there
were and many there are whose principal effort in life has
been that of amassing treasures of earth, the mere possession
of which entails responsibility, care, and disturbing anxiety.
Some kinds of wealth are endangered by the ravages of
moths, such as silks and velvets, satins and furs; some are
destroyed by corrosion and rust silver and copper and steel ;
while these and others are not infrequently made the booty
of thieves. Infinitely more precious are the treasures of a
life well spent, the wealth of good deeds, the account of
which is kept in heaven, where the riches of righteous
achievement are safe from moth, rust, and robbers. Then
followed the trenchant lesson : "For where your treasure is,
there will your heart be also."
a Compare the instance connected with the parable of the Pharisee and
the Publican, Luke 18:10-14.
frMatt. 6:19-34; compare Luke 12:24-34; 16:13; 18:22; B. of M., 3 Nephi
INSTRUCTIONS TO THE APOSTLES. 243
Spiritual light is shown to be greater than any product
of physical illuminants. What does the brightest light avail
the man who is blind ? It is the bodily eye that discerns the
light of the candle, the lamp, or the sun; and the spiritual
eye sees by spiritual light; if then man's spiritual eye be
single, that is, pure and undimmed by sin, he is rilled with
the light that shall show him the way to God ; whereas if his
soul's eye be evil, he will be as one full of darkness. Solemn
caution is expressed in the summary, "If therefore the light
that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness !"
Those whom the Master was addressing had received of the
light of God ; the degree of belief they had already professed
was proof of that. Should they turn from the great emprise
on which they had embarked, the light would be lost, and
the succeeding darkness would be denser than that from
which they had been relieved/ There was to be no inde-
cision among the disciples. No one of them could serve two
masters ; if he professed so to do he would be an untrue ser-
vant to the one or the other. Then followed another pro-
found generalization: "Ye cannot serve God and mam-
They were told to trust the Father for what they needed,
taking no thought of food, drink, clothing, or even of life
itself, for all these were to be supplied by means above their
power to control. With the wisdom of a Teacher of teach-
ers, the Master appealed to their hearts and their understand-
ing by citing the lessons of nature, in language of such
simple yet forceful eloquence that to amplify or condense it
is but to mar :
"Behold the fowls of the air : for they sow not, neither do
they reap, nor gather into barns ; yet your heavenly Father
feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which
of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature ?
And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies
of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they
rLuke 11:34-36.
d Compare Gal. 1:10; 1 Tim. 6:17; James 4:4; I John 2:15.
24:4: JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 17.
spin : And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his
glory was not arrayed like one of these."
The weakness of faith was reproved in the reminder that
the Father who cared even for the grass of the field, which
one day flourishes and on the next is gathered up to be
burned, would not fail to remember His own. Therefore
the Master added : "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and
his righteoitsness; and all these things shall be added unto
you."
HYPOCRISY FURTHER CONDEMNED/
t
Men are prone to judge their fellows and to praise o 1 *
censure without due consideration of fact or circumstance.
On prejudiced or unsupported judgment the Master set His
disapproval. "Judge not, that ye be not judged," He ad-
monished, for, according to one's own standard of judging
others, shall he himself be judged. The man who is always
ready to correct his brother's faults, to remove the mote from
his neighbor's eye so that that neighbor may see things as the
interested and interfering friend would have him see, was
denounced as a hypocrite. What was the speck in his neigh-
bor's vision to the obscuring beam in his own eye? Have
the centuries between the days of Christ and our own time
made us less eager to cure the defective vision of those who
cannot or will not assume our point of view, and see things
as we see them?
These disciples, some of whom were soon to minister in
the authority of the Holy Apostleship, were cautioned against
the indiscreet and indiscriminate scattering of the sacred
truths and precepts committed to them. Their duty would
be to discern the spirits of those whom they essayed to teach,
and to impart unto them in wisdom. The words of the
Master were strong: "Give not that which is holy unto the
dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they
<?Matt. 7:1-5; Luke 6:37 V 38, 41, 42; compare B. of M., 3 Nephi 14:1-5.
THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS. 20
trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend
you."/
PROMISE AND REASSURANCE;^
That their supplications would be heard and answered
followed as a rich promise. They were to ask and they
would receive; they were to knock and the door would be
opened. Surely the Heavenly Father would not be less con-
siderate than a human parent ; and what father would answer
his son's plea for bread by giving him a stone, or who would
give a serpent when a fish was desired? With greater cer-
tainty would God bestow good gifts upon those who asked
according to their need, in faith. "Therefore all things what-
soever ye ^vould that men should do to you, do ye even so
to them: for this is the lazv and the prophets."
The straight and narrow way by which man may walk in
Godliness was compared with the broad highway leading to
destruction. False prophets were to be shunned, such as
were then among the people, comparable in their pretense to
sheep, and in their reality to ravening wolves. These were
to be recognized by their works and the results thereof, even
as a tree is to be judged as good or bad according to its
fruit. A thorn bush does not produce grapes, nor can this-
tles bear figs. Conversely, it is as truly impossible for a
good tree to produce evil fruit as for a useless and corrupt
tree to bring forth good fruit.
Religion is more than the confession and profession of
the lips. Jesus averred that in the day of judgment many
would pretend allegiance to Him, saying: "Lord, Lord,
have we not prophesied in thy name ? and in thy name have
cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful
works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew
you : depart from me, ye that work iniquity." Only by doing
/Matt. 7:6; compare B. of M., 3 Nephi 14:6.
(7 Matt. 7:7-23; Luke 6:43-44, 46; 11:9-13; 13:24-30; compare B. of M., 3
Nephi 14:7-23.
246 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 17.
the will of the Father is the saving grace of the Son obtain-
able. To assume to speak and act in the name of the Lord
without the bestowal of authority, such as the Lord alone
can give, is to add sacrilege to hypocrisy. Even miracles
wrought will be no vindication of the claims of those who
pretend to minister in the ordinances of the gospel while
devoid of the authority of the Holy Priesthood. 7 *
HEARING AND DOING/
The Sermon on the Mount has stood through all the
years since its delivery without another to be compared with
it. No mortal man has ever since preached a discourse of its
kind. The spirit of the address is throughout that of sin-
cerity and action, as opposed to empty profession and neg-
lect. In the closing sentences the Lord showed the useless-
ness of hearing alone, as contrasted with the efficacy of
doing. The man who hears and acts is likened unto the wise
builder who set the foundation of his house upon a rock ; and
in spite of rain and hurricane and flood, the house stood. He
that hears and obeys not is likened unto the foolish man who
built his house upon the sand ; and when rain fell, or winds
blew, or floods came, behold it fell, and great was the fall
thereof.
Such doctrines as these astonished the people. For His
distinctive teachings the Preacher had cited no authority but
His own. His address was free from any array of rabbinical
precedents ; the law was superseded by the gospel : "For he
taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes"
NOTES TO CHAPTER 17.
i. Time and Place of the Sermon on the Mount. Matthew
gives the address early mention, placing it even before the record
of his own call from the seat of custom which call certainly
preceded the ordination of the Twelve as a body and before his
account of many sayings and doings of the Lord already con-
sidered in these pages. Luke's partial summary of the sermon
h "Articles of Faith." x:l-20; and xii:l-30.
t'Matt. 7:24-29; Luke 6:46-49; compare B. of M., 3 Nephi 14:24-27.
NOTES. 247
follows his record of the ordination of the apostles. Matthew
tells us that Jesus had gone up the mountain and that He sat
while speaking; Luke's account suggests the inference that Jesus
and the Twelve first descended from the mountain heights to a
plain, where they were met by the multitude, and that Jesus
preached unto them, standing. Critics who rejoice in trifles,
often to the neglect of weightier matters, have tried to make
much of these seeming variations. Is it not probable that Jesus
spoke at length on the mountain-side to the disciples then pres-
ent, and from whom He had chosen the Twelve, and that after
finishing His discourse to them He descended with them to the
plain where a multitude had assembled, and that to these He
repeated parts of what He had before spoken? The relative
fulness of Matthew's report may be clue to the fact that he, as
one of the Twelve, was present at the first and more extended
delivery.
2. Pleasure Versus Happiness. "The present is an age of
pleasure-seeking, and men are losing their sanity in the mad
rush for sensations that do but excite and disappoint. In this
day of counterfeits, adulterations, and base imitations, the devil
is busier than he has ever been in the course of human history,
in the manufacture of pleasures, both old and new; and these he
offers for sale in most attractive fashion, falsely labeled, Happi-
ness. In this soul-destroying craft he is without a peer ; he has
had centuries of experience and practise, and by his skill he
controls the market. He has learned the tricks of the trade, and
knows well how to catch the eye and arouse the desire of his
customers. He puts up the stuff in bright-colored packages, tied
with tinsel string and tassel ; and crowds flock to his bargain
counters, hustling and crushing one another in their frenzy to
buy.
"Follow one of the purchasers as he goes off gloatingly with
his gaudy packet, and watch him as he opens it. What finds he
inside the gilded wrapping? He has expected fragrant happi-
ness, but uncovers only an inferior brand of pleasure, the stench
of which is nauseating.
"Happiness includes all that is really desirable and of true
worth in pleasure, and much beside. Happiness is genuine gold,
pleasure but gilded brass, which corrodes in the hand, and is
soon converted into poisonous verdigris. Happiness ^ is _as the
genuine diamond, which, rough or polished, shines with its own
inimitable luster; pleasure is as the paste imitation that glows
only when artificially embellished. Happiness is as the ruby,
red as the heart's blood, hard and enduring; pleasure, as stained
glass, soft, brittle, and of but transitory beauty.
"Happiness is true food, wholesome, nutritious and sweet; it
builds up the body and generates energy for action, physical,
mental and spiritual; pleasure is but a deceiving stimulant which,
like spirituous drink, makes one think he is strong when in
reality" enfeebled; makes him fancy he is well when in fact
stricken with deadly malady.
"Happiness leaves no bad after-taste, it is followed by no
JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 17.
depressing reaction; it calls for no repentance, brings no regret,
entails no remorse; pleasure too often makes necessary repent-
ance^ contrition, and suffering; and, if indulged to the extreme,
it brings degradation and destruction.
"True happiness is lived over and over again in memory,
always with a renewal of the original good; a moment of unholy
pleasure may leave a barbed sting, which, like a thorn in the
flesh, is an ever-present source of anguish.
"Happiness is not akin with levity, nor is it one with light-
minded mirth. It springs from the deeper fountains of the soul,
and is not infrequently accompanied by tears. Have you never
been so happy that you have had to weep? I have." From an
article by the author, Improvement Era, vol. 17, No. 2, pp. 172, 173.
3. Salt of the Earth. Dummelow's Commentary, on Matt.
5:13, states: "Salt in Palestine, being gathered in an impure
state, often undergoes chemical changes by which its flavor is
destroyed while its appearance remains." Perhaps a reasonable
interpretation of the expression, "if the salt have lost his savor,"
may be suggested by the fact that salt mixed with insoluble im-
purities may be dissolved out by moisture, leaving the insoluble
residue but slightly ^salty. The lesson of the Lord's illustration
is that spoiled salt ^ is of no use as a preservative. The corre-
sponding passage in the sermon delivered by Jesus to the
Nephites after His resurrection reads : "Verily, verily, I say
unto you, I give unto you to be the salt of the earth; but if the
salt shall lose its savor, wherewith shall the earth be salted?
The salt shall be thenctiorth good for nothing, but to be cast
out, and to be trodden under foot of men." (3 Nephi 12:13.)
4. Reference to Publicans. Observe that Matthew, who
had been a publican, frankly records this reference (5:46, 47) to
his despized class. Luke writes "sinners" instead of "publicans"
(6:32-34). Of course, if the accounts of the two writers refer
to separate addresses (see Note I, above), both may be accurate.
But we find Matthew's designation of himself as a publican in
his list of the apostles (10:3) and the considerate omission of the
unenviable title by the other evangelists (Mark 3:18; Luke 6:15).
5. Relative Perfection. Our Lord's admonition to men to
become perfect, even as the Father is perfect (Matt. 5:48) cannot
rationally be construed otherwise than as implying the possi-
bility of such achievement. Plainly, however, man cannot be-
come perfect in mortality in the sense in which God is perfect
as a supremely glorified Being. It is possible, though, for man
to be perfect in his sphere in a sense analogous to that in which
superior intelligences are perfect in their several spheres; yet
the relative perfection of the lower is infinitely inferior to that
of the higher. A college student in his freshman or sophomore
year may be perfect as freshman or sophomore; his record may
possibly be a hundred per cent on the scale of efficiency and
achievement; yet the honors of the upper classman are beyond
him, and the attainment of graduation is to him remote, but of
assured possibility, if he do but continue faithful and devoted to
the end.
THE SERVANT OF A GENTILE HEALED. 249
CHAPTER 18.
AS ONE HAVING AUTHORITY.
Matthew's account of the invaluable address, known to us
as the Sermon on the Mount, is closed with a forceful sen-
tence of his own, referring to the effect of the Masters
words upon the people : "For he taught them as one having
authority, and not as the scribes. " a A striking characteristic
of Christ's ministry was the entire absence of any claim of
human authorization for His words or deeds; the commis-
sion He professed to have was that of the Father who sent
Him. His addresses, whether delivered to multitudes or
spoken in relative privacy to few, were free from the labored
citations in which the teachers of the day delighted. His
authoritative "I say unto you" took the place of invocation of
authority and exceeded any possible array of precedent com-
mandment or deduction. In this His words differed essen-
tially from the erudite utterances of scribes, Pharisees and
rabbis. Throughout His ministry, inherent power and au-
thority were manifest over matter and the forces of nature,
over men and demons, over life and death. It now becomes
our purpose to consider a number of instances in which the
L,ord's power was demonstrated in divers mighty works.
THE; CENTURION'S SERVANT HEALD. &
From the Mount of Beatitudes Jesus returned to Caper-
naum, whether directly or by a longer way marked by other
works of power and mercy is of little importance. There
was at that time a Roman garrison in the city. A military
officer, a centurion or captain of a hundred men, was sta-
tioned there. Attached to the household of this officer was
oMatt. 7:29; compare Luke 4:32; John 7:46.
6 Luke 7:1-10; compare Matt. 8:5-13,
250 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 18.
an esteemed servant, who was ill, "and ready to die." The
centurion had faith that Christ could heal his servant, and
invoked the intercession of the Jewish elders to beg of the
Master the boon desired. These elders implored Jesus most
earnestly, and urged the worthiness of the man, who, though
a Gentile, loved the people of Israel and out of his munifi-
cence had built for them a synagog in the town. Jesus went
with the elders, but the centurion, probably learning of the
approach of the little company, hastily sent other envoys to
say that he did not consider himself worthy to have Jesus
enter his home, from which sense of unworthiness he had
not ventured to make his request in person/ "But," ran the
message of supplication, "say in a word, and my servant
shall be healed." We may well contrast this man's concep-
tion of Christ's power with that of the nobleman of the same
town, who had requested Jesus to hasten in person to the
side of his dying son/
The centurion seems to have reasoned in this way: He
himself was a man of authority, though under the direction
of superior officers. To his subordinates he gave orders
which were obeyed. He did not find it necessary to per-
sonally attend to the carrying out of his instructions. Surely
One who had such power as Jesus possessed could command
and be obeyed. Moreover, the man may have heard of the
marvelous restoration of the nobleman's dying son, in accom-
plishing which the L,ord spoke the effective word when miles
away from the sufferer's bed. That the centurion's trust
and confidence, his belief and faith, were genuine, is not to
be doubted, since Jesus expressly commended the same. The
afflicted one was healed. Jesus is said to have marveled*
at the centurion's manifestation of faith, and, turning to the
people who followed, He thus spake: "I say unto you, I
have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel." This re-
c Note 1, end of chapter.
d John 4:46-53; see page 177.
e Note 2, end of chapter.
A YOUNG MAN RAISED FROM THE DEAD. 251
mark may have caused some of the listeners to wonder ; the
Jews were unaccustomed to hear the faith of a Gentile so ex-
tolled, for, according to the traditionalism of the day, a
Gentile, even though an earnest proselyte to Judaism, was
accounted essentially inferior to even the least worthy of the
chosen people. Our Lord's comment plainly indicated that
Gentiles would be preferred in the kingdom of God if they
excelled in worthiness. Turning to Matthew's record we
find this additional teaching, introduced as usual with "I say
unto you" "That many shall come from the east and west,
and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob,
in the kingdom of heaven. But the children of the king-
dom shall be cast out into outer darkness : there shall be
weeping and gnashing of teeth. "f This lesson, that the
supremacy of Israel can be attained only through excellence
in righteousness, is reiterated and enlarged upon in the
Lord's teachings, as we shall see.
.
A YOUNG MAN OF NAIN RAISED FROM THI$ DF,AD.
On the day after that of the miracle last considered, Jesus
went to the little town of Nain, and, as usual, many people
accompanied Him. This day witnessed what in human esti-
mation was a wonder greater than any before wrought by
Him. He had already healed many, sometimes by a word
spoken to afflicted ones present, and again when He was far
from the subject of His beneficent power ; bodily diseases had
been overcome, and demons had been rebuked at His com-
mand; but, though the sick who were nigh unto death had
been saved from the grave, we have no earlier record of our
Lord having commanded dread death itself to give back one
it had claimed. ^ As Jesus and His followers approached
the town, they met a funeral cortege of many people; the
/Matt, 8:11, 12; see also Luke 13:28, 29; compare Acts 10:45.
0Luke 7:11-17.
h Note 3, end of chapter.
252 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 18.
only son of a widow was being borne to the tomb ; the body
was carried according to the custom of the day on an open
bier. Our Lord looked with compassion upon the sorrow-
ing mother, now bereft of both husband and son ; and, feel-
ing in Himself* the pain of her grief, He said in gentle tone,
"Weep not." He touched the stretcher upon which the dead
man lay, and the bearers stood still. Then addressing the
corpse He said : "Young man, I say unto thee, Arise." And
the dead heard the voice of Him who is Lord of all/ and
immediately sat up and spoke. Graciously Jesus delivered
the young man to his mother. We read without wonder
that there came a fear on all who were present, and that they
glorified God, testifying that a great prophet was amongst
them and that God has visited His people. Reports of this
miracle were carried throughout the land, and even reached
the ears of John the Baptist, who was confined in the prison
of Herod. The effect of the information conveyed to John
concerning this and other mighty works of Christ, now
claims our attention.
JOHN BAPTIST'S MESSAGE TO JESUS.
Even before Jesus had returned to Galilee after His bap-
tism and the forty days of solitude in the wilderness, John
the Baptist had been imprisoned by order of Herod Antipas,
tetrarch of Galilee and Perea.* During the subsequent
months of our Lord's activities, in preaching the gospel,
teaching the true significance of the kingdom, reproving sin,
healing the afflicted, rebuking evil spirits and even raising
the dead to life, His forerunner, the God-fearing, valiant
John, had lain a prisoner in the dungeons of Machaerus, one
of the strongest of Herod's citadels. l
{ Matt. 8:17; compare Isa. 53:4.
/Luke 20:36, 38; compare Acts 10:42; 2 Tim. 4:1; 1 Peter 4:5; Rom. 14:9.
k Matt. 4:12; Mark 1:14; Luke 3:19, 20; see Note 2, chap. 9, page 119, and
Note 4, end of this chapter.
/ Note 5, end of chapter,
JOHN THE BAPTIST IN PRISON. 253
The tetrarch had some regard for John, having found him
to be a holy man ; and many things had Herod done on the
direct advice of the Baptist or because of the influence of the
latter's general teaching. Indeed, Herod had listened to
John gladly, and had imprisoned him through a reluctant
yielding to the importunities of Herodias, whom Herod
claimed as a wife under cover of an illegal marriage. Her-
odias had been and legally was still the wife of Herod's
brother Philip, from whom she had never been lawfully
divorced ; and her pretended marriage to Herod Antipas was
both adulterous and incestuous under Jewish law. The Bap-
tist had fearlessly denounced this sinful association; to
Herod he had said: "It is not lawful for thee to have thy
brother's wife." Though Herod might possibly have ignored
this stern rebuke, or at least might have allowed it to pass
without punishment, Herodias would not condone. It was
she, not the tetrarch, who most hated John ; she "had a quar-
rel against him," and succeeded in inducing Herod to have
the Baptist seized and incarcerated as a step toward the
consummation of her vengeful plan of having him put to
death."* Moreover, Herod feared an uprising of the people
in the event of John being slain by his order."
In the course of his long imprisonment John had heard
much of the marvelous preaching and works of Christ ; these
things must have been reported to him by some of his disci-
ples and friends who were allowed to visit him. Particularly
was he informed of the miraculous raising of the young man
at Nain f and forthwith he commissioned two of his disciples
to bear a message of inquiry to Jesus.^ These came to Christ
and reported the purpose of their visit thus : "John Baptist
hath sent us unto thee, saying, Art thou he that should come ?
.
mMark 6:17-20.
nMatt. 14:5.
o Matt. 11 :2. Note a similar liberty allowed to Paul when in durance,
Acts 24:23.
Luke 7:18; Matt. 11:2.
qMait. 11:2-6; Luke 7:18-23.
254 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 18.
or look we for another?" The messengers found Jesus en-
gaged in beneficent ministrations; and, instead of giving an
immediate reply in words, He continued His labor, relieving
in that same hour many who were afflicted by blindness or
infirmities, or who were troubled by evil spirits. Then,
turning to the two who had communicated the Baptist's ques-
tion, Jesus said : "Go your way, and tell John what things
ye have seen and heard ; how that the blind see, the lame
walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are
raised, to the poor the gospel is preached. And blessed is he,
whosoever shall not be offended in me."
The words of John's inquiring disciples were answered
by wondrous deeds of beneficence and mercy. When the
reply was reported to John, the imprisoned prophet could
scarcely have failed to remember the predictions of Isaiah,
that by those very tokens of miracle and blessing should the
Messiah be known \ r and the reproof must have been con-
vincing and convicting as he called to mind his own citations
of Isaiah's prophecies, when he had proclaimed in fiery,
withering eloquence the fulfilment of those earlier predic-
tions in his own mission and in that of the Mightier One to
whom he had borne personal testimony/
The concluding sentence of our Lord's answer to John
was the climax of what had preceded, and a further though
yet gentle rebuke of the Baptist's defective comprehension of
the Messiah's mission. "Blessed is he, whosoever shall not
be offended in me," said the Lord. Misunderstanding is the
prelude to offense. Gaged by the standard of the then cur-
rent conception of what the Messiah would be, the work of
Christ must have appeared to many as failure ; and those who
were looking for some sudden manifestation of His power in
the conquest of Israel's oppressors and the rehabilitation of
the house of David in worldly splendor, grew impatient, then
rlsa. 35:5, 6.
.fMatt. 3:3; compare Isa. 40:3; Matt. 3:7; compare Isa. 59:5; Luke 3:6;
compare Isa. 52:10.
JOHN BAPTIST'S MESSAGE TO CHRIST. 255
doubtful ; afterward they took offense and were in danger of
turning in open rebellion against their Lord. Christ has
been an offender to many because they, being out of har-
mony with His words and works, have of themselves taken
offense/
John's situation must be righteously considered by all
who assume to render judgment as to his purpose in sending
to inquire of Christ, "Art thou he that should come?" John
thoroughly understood that his own work was that of prepar-
ation ; he had so testified and had openly borne witness that
Jesus was the One for whom he had been sent to prepare.
With the inauguration of Christ's ministry, John's influence
had waned, and for many months he had been shut up in a
cell, chafing under his enforced inactivity, doubtless yearning
for the freedom of the open, and for the locusts and wild
honey of the desert. Jesus was increasing while he de-
creased in popularity, influence, and opportunity ; and he had
affirmed that such condition was inevitable."
But, left in prison, he may have become despondent, and
may have permitted himself to wonder whether that Mightier
One had forgotten him. He knew that were Jesus to speak
the word of command the prison of Machserus could no
longer hold him; nevertheless Jesus seemed to have aban-
doned him to his fate, which comprized not only confinement
but other indignities, and physical tortured It may have
been a part of John's purpose to call Christ's attention to his
pitiable plight ; and in this respect his message was rather a
reminder than a plain inquiry based on actual doubt. In-
deed, we have good grounds for inference that John's pur-
pose in sending disciples to inquire of Christ was partly, and
perhaps largely, designed to confirm in those disciples an
fMatt. 13:57; 24:10; 26:31; Mark 6:3; 14:27; John 6:61. Note 6, end of
chapter.
u John 3 :30.
v Note that Jesus compared the sufferings of John while in prison as in
part comparable to those He would Himself have to endure, in that they did
unto John "whatsoever they listed" (Matt. 17:12; Mark 9:13).
256 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 18.
abiding faith in the Christ. The commission with which they
were charged brought them into direct communication with
the Lord, whose supremacy they could not well fail to com-
prehend. They were personal witnesses of His power and
authority.
Our Lord's commentary on John's message indicated that
the Baptist had no full understanding of what the spiritual
kingdom of God comprized. After the envoys had departed,
Jesus addressed Himself to the people who had witnessed the
interview. He would not have them underrate the im-
portance of the Baptist's serviced He reminded them of the
time of John's popularity, when some of those then present,
and multitudes of others, had gone into the wilderness to
hear the prophet's stern admonition ; and they had found him
to be no reed, shaken by the wind, but a firm and unbending
oak. They had not gone to see a man in fashionable attire ;
those who wore soft raiment were to be looked for in the
court of the king, not in the wilderness, nor in the dungeon
where John now lay. They had found in John a prophet
indeed, yea, more than a prophet ; "For," affirmed the Lord,
"I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there
is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist : but he that
is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he."* What
stronger testimony of the Baptist's integrity is needed?
Other prophets had told of the Messiah's coming, but John
had seen Him, had baptized Him, and had been to Jesus as
a body servant to his master. Nevertheless from the day of
John's preaching to the time at which Christ then spoke, the
kingdom of heaven had been rejected with violence, and
this even though all the prophets and even the fundamental
law had told of its coming, and though both John and Christ
had been abundantly predicted.
Concerning John, the Lord continued: "And if ye will
. Q ^
wLuke 7:24-30; see also Matt. 11:7-14; compare Christ's testimony of
John Baptist delivered at Jerusalem, John 5:33-35.
.rLuke 7:28; see Note 7, end of chapter.
THE ELIAS THAT WAS TO COME. 257
receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come. He that
hath ears to hear, let him hear."^ It is important to know
that the designation, Elias, here applied by Jesus to the Bap-
tist, is a title rather than a personal name, and that it has no
reference to Elijah, the ancient prophet called the Tishbite/
Many of those who heard the Lord's eulogy on the Baptist
rejoiced, for they had accepted John, and had turned from
him to Jesus as from the lesser to the Greater, as from the
priest to the great High Priest, as from the herald to the
King. But Pharisees and lawyers were present, those of the
class that John had so vehemently denounced as of a genera-
tion of vipers, and those who had rejected the counsel of
God in refusing to heed the Baptist's call to repentance.
At this point the Master resorted to analogy to make His
meaning clearer. He compared the unbelieving and dis-
satisfied generation to fickle children at play, disagreeing
among themselves. Some wanted to enact the pageantry
of a mock wedding, and though they piped the rest would
not dance; then they changed to a funeral procession and
essayed the part of mourners, but the others would not weep
as the rules of the game required. Ever critical, ever skep-
tical, by nature fault-finders and defamers, hard of hearing
and of heart, they grumbled. John the Baptist had come
amongst them like the eremitic prophets of old, as strict as
any Nazarite, refusing to eat with the merry-makers or drink
with the convivial, and they had said "He hath a devil."
Now came the Son of Man, & without austerity or hermit
ways, eating and drinking as a normal man would do, a
guest at the houses of the people, a participant in the festivi-
ties of a marriage party, mingling alike with the publicans
and the Pharisees and they complained again, saying : "Be-
hold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of pub-
yMatt. 11:12-15; compare 17:12; Luke 1:17.
jNote 8, end of chapter,
a Matt 3:7* Luke 7:30.
b Page 142.'
S58 JESUS THE CHRIST. 3H T [CHAP. IS.
licans and sinners !" The Master explained that such incon-
sistency, such wicked trifling with matters most sacred, such
determined opposition to truth, would surely be revealed
in their true light, and the worthlessness of boasted learning
would appear. "But," said He, "wisdom is justified of all
her children."
From reproof for unbelieving individuals He turned to
unappreciative communities, and upbraided the cities in
which He had wrought so many mighty works, and wherein
the people repented not : "Woe unto thee, Chorazin ! woe
unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were
done in you, had been clone in Tyre and Sidon, they would
have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say
unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at
the day of judgment, than for you. And thou, Capernaum,
which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to
hell : for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee,
had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this
day. But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for
the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee."' 7
Seemingly faint at heart over the unbelief of the people,
Jesus sought strength in prayer.** With the eloquence of
soul for which one looks in vain save in the anguish-laden
communion of Christ with His Father, He voiced His rev-
erent gratitude that God had imparted a testimony of the
truth to the humble and simple rather than to the learned
and great ; though misunderstood by men He was known
for what He really was by the Father. Turning again to the
people, He urged anew their acceptance of Him and His
gospel, and His invitation is one of the grandest outpourings
of spiritual emotion known to man : "Come unto me, all ye
that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek
cMatt. 11:20-24; compare Luke 10:13-15.
JMatt. 11:25-27; compare Luke 10:21, 22.
-
VICTIM OF A WOMAN'S VENGEANCE. 259
and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." 6 ' He invited
them from drudgery to pleasant service ; from the well-nigh
unbearable burdens of ecclesiastical exactions and traditional
formalism, to the liberty of truly spiritual worship; from
slavery to freedom; but they would not. The gospel He
offered them was the embodiment of liberty, but not of
license; it entailed obedience and submission; but even if
such could be likened unto a yoke, what was its burden in
comparison with the incubus under which they groaned?
DEATH Otf JOHN TH BAPTIST.
Reverting to John Baptist in his dungeon solitude, we are
left without information as to how he received and under-
stood the reply to his inquiry, as brought by his messengers.
His captivity was destined soon to end, though not by restor-
ation to liberty on earth. The hatred of Herodias increased
against him. An opportunity for carrying into effect her
fiendish plots against his life soon appeared/ The king
celebrated his birthday by a great feast, to which his lords,
high captains, and the principal officials of Galilee were bid-
den. To grace the occasion, Salome, daughter of Herodias
though not of Herod, came in and danced before the com-
pany. So enchanted were Herod and his guests that the king
bade the damsel ask whatever she would, and he swore he
would give it unto her, even though the gift were half of
his kingdom.
She retired to consult her mother as to what she should
ask, and, being instructed, returned with the appalling de-
mand : "I will that thou give me by and by in a charger the
head of John the Baptist." The king was astounded; his
amazement was followed by sorrow and regret ; nevertheless
he dreaded the humiliation that would follow a violation of
e Matt. 11:28-30. Istsd ,Ifc i9it
/Mark 6:21-29.
260 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 18.
the oath he had sworn in the presence of his court ; so, sum-
moning an executioner, he immediately gave the fatal order ;
and John was forthwith beheaded in the dungeon. The
headsman returned, carrying a dish in which lay the ghastly
trophy of the corrupt queen's vengeance. The bloody gift
was delivered to Salome, who carried it with inhuman tri-
umph to her mother. Some of John's disciples came, se-
cured the corpse, laid it in a tomb; and bore the tidings of
his death to Jesus. Herod was sorely troubled over the
murder he had ordered; and when, later, the marvels
wrought by Jesus were reported to him, he was afraid, and
said : "That John the Baptist was risen from the dead, and
therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him."
To those who dissented, the terrified king replied : "It is
John, whom I beheaded : he is risen from the dead."* 7
So ended the life of the prophet-priest, the direct pre-
cursor of the Christ ; thus was stilled the mortal voice of him
who had cried so mightily in the wilderness : "Prepare ye
the way of the Lord." After many centuries his voice has
been heard again, as the voice of one redeemed and resur-
rected ; and the touch of his hand has again been felt, in this
the dispensation of restoration and fulness. In May, 1829,
a resurrected personage appeared to Joseph Smith and Oliver
Cowdery, announced himself as John, known of old as the
Baptist, laid his hands upon the two young men, and con-
ferred upon them the priesthood of Aaron, which comprizes
authority to preach and minister the gospel of repentance
and of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins. ; *
IN THE HOUSE OF SIMON THE PHARISEE.
"And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat
with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat
down to meat -"*
g Mark 6:14-16.
h "Articles of Faith,** x:18; also chapter 41, herein.
t'Luke 7:36; see further, verses 37-^.
CHRIST^ RECEPTION IN SIMONS HOUSE. 26l
From the place of this incident in l,uke's narration of
events, it appears that it may have occurred on the day of the
visit of John's messengers. Jesus accepted the Pharisee's in-
vitation, as He had accepted the invitations of others, includ-
ing even publicans, and those called by the rabbis, sinners.
His reception at Simon's house appears to have been some-
what lacking in warmth, hospitality and honorable attend-
ance. The narrative suggests an attitude of condescension
on the part of the host. It was the custom of the times to
treat a distinguished guest with marked attention ; to receive
him with a kiss of welcome, to provide water for washing
the dust from his feet, and oil for anointing the hair of the
head and the beard. All these courteous attentions were
omitted by Simon. Jesus took His place, probably on one
of the divans or couches on which it was usual to partly sit,
partly recline, while eating/ Such an attitude would place
the feet of the person outward from the table. In addition
to these facts relating to the usages of the time it should be
further remembered that dwellings were not protected
against intrusion by such amenities of privacy as now pre-
vail. It was not unusual at that time in Palestine for visitors
and even strangers, usually men however, to enter a house
at meal time, observe the procedure and even speak to the
guests, all without bidding or invitation.
Among those who entered Simon's house while the meal
was in progress, was a woman ; and the presence of a woman,
though somewhat unusual, was not strictly a social impro-
priety and could not well be forbidden on such an occasion.
But this woman was one of the fallen class, a woman who
had been unvirtuous, and who had to bear, as part of the
penalty for her sins, outward scorn and practical ostracism
from those who professed to be morally superior. She ap-
proached Jesus from behind, and bent low to kiss His feet
as a mark of humility on her part and of respectful homage
iLttt) JJQI
/Note 0, end of chapter.
262 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 18.
to Him. She may have been one of those who had heard
His gracious words, spoken possibly that day : "Come unto
me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give
you rest." Whatever her motive in coming, she had certain-
ly come in a repentant and deeply contrite state. As she
leaned over the feet of Jesus her tears rained upon them.
Seemingly oblivious of her surroundings and of disapprov-
ing eyes watching her movements, she shook out her tresses
and wiped the Lord's feet with her hair. Then, opening an
alabaster box of ointment, she anointed them, as a slave
might do to his master. Jesus graciously permitted the
woman to proceed unrebuked and uninterrupted in her hum-
ble service inspired by contrition and reverent love.
Simon had observed the whole proceeding; by some
means he had knowledge as to the class to which this woman
belonged ; and though not aloud, within himself he said :
"This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and
what manner of woman this is that toucheth him : for she is
a sinner." Jesus read the man's thoughts, and thus spake:
"Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee," to which the
Pharisee replied, "Master, say on." Jesus continued, "There
was a certain creditor which had two debtors : the or*e owed
five hundred pence, and the other fifty. And when they had
nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me
therefore, which of them will love him most?" But one
answer could be given with reason^ and that Simon gave,
though apparently with some hesitation or reserve. He pos-
sibly feared that he might involve himself. "I suppose," he
ventured, "that he, to whom he forgave most." Jesus said,
"Thou hast rightly judged," and proceeded: "Seest thou
this woman ? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no
water for my feet ; but she hath washed my feet with tears,
and wiped them with the hairs of her head. Thou gavest
me no kiss : but this woman since the time I came in hath
not ceased to kiss my feet. My head with oil thou didst not
FORGIVENESS GRANTED A PENITENT SINNERi.
anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with oint-
ment."
The Pharisee could not fail to note so direct a reminder
of his having omitted the ordinary rites of respect to a spe-
cially invited guest. The lesson of the story had found its
application in him, even as Nathan's parable had drawn from
David the king a self -convicting answer.* "Wherefore,"
Jesus continued, "I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many,
are forgiven ; for she loved much : but to whom little is for-
given, the same loveth little." Then to the woman He spake
the words of blessed relief : "Thy sins are forgiven." Simon
and the others at table murmured within themselves, "Who
is this that forgiveth sins also?" Understanding their un-
spoken protest, Christ addressed the woman again, saying,
"Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace."
The latter part of the narrative brings to mind another
occasion on which Christ granted remission of sins, and be-
cause of opposition in the minds of some hearers, opposition
none the less real because unvoiced, had supplemented His
authoritative utterance by another pronouncement.'
The name of the woman who thus came to Christ, and
whose repentance was so sincere as to bring to her grateful
and contrite soul the assurance of remission, is not recorded.
There is no evidence that she figures in any other incident
recorded in scripture. By certain writers she has been rep-
resented as the Mary of Bethany who, shortly before Christ's
betrayal, anointed the head of Jesus with spikenard ; m but the
assumption of identity is wholly unfounded, 7 * and constitutes
an unjustifiable reflection upon the earlier life of Mary, the
devoted and loving sister of Martha and Lazarus. Equally
wrong is the attempt made by others to identify this repent"
ant and forgiven sinner with Mary Magdalene, no period of
k2 Sam. 12:1-7.
/Matt. 8:2-6; Mark 2:5-7; page 191 herein,
m Matt. 26:6, 7; Mark 14:3; John 11:2.
it Note 10, end ol chapter.
364 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 18.
whose life was marked by the sin of unchastity so far as the
scriptures aver. The importance of guarding against mis-
takes in the identity of these women renders advisable the
following addition to the foregoing treatment.
In the chapter following that m which are recorded the
incidents last considered, Luke* states that Jesus went
throughout the region, visiting every city and village, preach-
ing the gospel of the kingdom and showing the glad tidings
thereof. With Him on this tour were the Twelve, and also
"certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and
infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven
devils, and Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod's steward, and
Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of
their substance." Further reference is made to some or all
of these honorable women in connection with the death,
burial, and resurrection of our Lord, and of Mary Magdalene
particular mention appears/ Mary Magdalene, whose sec-
ond name is probably derived from her home town, Magdala.
had been healed through the ministrations of Jesus from both
physical and mental maladies, the latter having been asso-
ciated with possession by evil spirits. Out of her we are told
Christ had cast seven devils/? but even such grievous afflic-
tion affords no warrant for the asertion that the woman was
unvirtuous or unchaste.
Mary Magdalene became one of the closest friends Christ
had among women ; her devotion to Him as her Healer and
as the One whom she adored as the Christ, was unswerving ;
she stood close by the cross while other women tarried afar
off in the time of His mortal agony ; she was among the first
at the sepulchre on the resurrection morning, and was the
first mortal to look upon and recognize a resurrected Being
the Lord whom she had loved with all the fervor of spir-
oLuke 8:1-3.
/>Matt 27:55. 56, 61; 28:1, 6; Mark 15:40. 47; 16:1, fi; Luke 23:49. K;
24:10. 22: John 19:25; 20:1. 13. 18.
flMark 16:9; Luke 8:3.
MARY MAGDALENE UNJUSTLY CENSURED.
itual adoration. To say that this woman, chosen from among
women as deserving of such distinctive honors, was once a
fallen creature, her soul seared by the heat of unhallowed
lust, is to contribute to the perpetuating of an error for which
there is no excuse. Nevertheless the false tradition, arising
from early and unjustifiable assumption, that this noble
woman, distinctively a friend of the Lord, is the same who,
admittedly a sinner, washed and anointed the Savior's feet
in the house of Simon the Pharisee and gained the boon of
forgiveness through contrition, has so tenaciously held its
place in the popular mind through the centuries, that the
name, Magdalene, has come to be a generic designation for
women who fall from virtue and afterward repent. We are
not considering whether the mercy of Christ could have been
extended to such a sinner as Mary of Magdala is wrongly
reputed to have been ; man cannot measure the bounds nor
fathom the depths of divine forgiveness ; and if it were so
that this Mary and the repentant sinner who ministered to
Jesus as He sat at the Pharisee's table were one and the
same, the question would stand affirmatively answered, for
that woman who had been a sinner was forgiven. We are
dealing with the scriptural record as a history, and nothing
said therein warrants the really repellent though common
imputation of unchastity to the devoted soul of Mary Mag-
dalene.
CHRIST'S AUTHORITY ASCRIBED TO B3ELZBUB. r
At the time of our Lord's earthly ministry, the curing of
the blind, deaf, or dumb was regarded as among the greatest
possible achievements of medical science or spiritual treat-
ment ; and the subjection or casting out of demons was rank-
ed among the attainments impossible to rabbinical exorcism.
Demonstrations of the Lord's power to heal and restore, even
in cases universally considered as incurable, had the effect of
rMatt. 12:24-45; compare 9:33, 34; sec also Mark 3:22-30; Luke 11:14-26.
266 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 18.
intensifying the hostility of the sacerdotal classes ; and they,
represented by the Pharisaic party, evolved the wholly incon-
sistent and ridiculous suggestion that miracles were wrought
by Jesus through the power of the prince of devils, with
whom He was in league/
While the Lord was making His second missionary tour
through Galilee, going about through "all the cities and vil-
lages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel
of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease
among the people,"* the absurd theory that Christ was Him-
self a victim of demoniacal possession, and that He oper-
ated by the power of the devil, was urged and enlarged upon
until it became the generally accepted expL vlion among
the Pharisees and their kind. Jesus had withdrawn Him-
self for a time from the more populous centers, where He
was constantly watched by emissaries, whom the ruling
classes had sent from Jerusalem into Galilee ; for the Phar-
isees were in conspiracy against Him, seeking excuse and op-
portunity to take His life ; but even in the smaller towns and
rural districts He was followed and beset by great multi-
tudes, to whom He ministered for both physical and spiritual
ailments.""
He urged the people to refrain from spreading His
fame ; and this He may have done for the reason that at that
stage of His work an open rupture with the Jewish hier-
archy would have been a serious hindrance ; or possibly He
desired to leave the rulers, who were plotting against Him,
time and opportunity to brew their bitter enmity and fill to
the brim the flagons of their determined iniquity. Matthew
sees in the Lord's injunctions against publicity a fulfilment
of Isaiah's prophecy that the chosen Messiah would not
strive nor cry out on the street to attract attention, nor
would He use His mighty power to crush even a bruised
jMatt. 9:34.
/Matt. 9:35.
Matt. 12:14-15.
CHRIST'S POWER FALSE: AT ASCRIBED TO BEELZEBUB. 267
reed, or to quench even the smoking flax; He would not
fail nor be discouraged, but would victoriously establish just
judgment upon the earth for the Gentiles, as well as, by
implication, for Israeli The figure of the bruised reed and
the smoking flax is strikingly expressive of the tender care
with which Christ treated even the weakest manifestation
of faith and genuine desire to learn the truth, whether ex-
hibited by Jew or Gentile.
Soon after His return from the missionary tour referred
to, an excuse for the Pharisees to assail Him was found in
His healing of a man who was under the influence of a
demon, and was both blind and dumb. This combination of
sore afflictions, affecting body, mind, and spirit, was re-
buked, and the sightless, speechless demoniac was relieved
of his three-fold burden.^ At this triumph over the powers
of evil the people were the more amazed and said : "Is not
this the son of David?" in other words, Can this be any
other than the Christ we have been so long expecting? The
popular judgment so voiced maddened the Pharisees, and
they told the almost adoring people : "This fellow doth not
cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of devils.'*
Jesus took up the malicious charge and replied thereto, not
in anger but in terms of calm reason and sound logic. He
laid the foundation of His defense by stating the evident
truth that a kingdom divided against itself cannot endure
but must surely suffer disruption. If their assumption were
in the least degree founded on truth, Satan through Jesus
would be opposing Satan. Then, referring to the supersti-
tious practises and exorcisms of the time, by which some
such effects as we class today under mind cures were ob-
tained, He asked: "If I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by
whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall
be your judges." And to make the demonstration plainer
by contrast, He continued : "But if I cast out devils by the
vM&tt. 12:17-20; compare Isa. 4Z-.1,
wMatt. 12:22. 23.
268 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. IS.
Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you."
By the acceptance of either proposition, and surely one was
true, for the fact that Jesus did cast out devils was known
throughout the land and was conceded in the very terms of
the charge now brought against Him, the accusing Phari-
sees stood defeated and condemned.
But the illustration went further. Jesus continued : "Or
else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil
his goods, except he first bind the strong man ? and then he
will spoil his house." Christ had attacked the stronghold of
Satan, had driven his evil spirits from the human taber-
nacles of which they had unwarrantably taken possession;
how could Christ have done this had He not first subdued
the "strong man," the master of devils, Satan himself ? And
yet those ignorant scholars dared to say in the face of such
self-evident refutation of their own premises, that the
powers of Satan were subdued by Satanic agency. There
could be no agreement, no truce nor armistice between the
contending powers of Christ and Satan. Offering a sug-
gestion of self-judgment to His accusers, that they might
severally decide on which side they were aligned, Jesus
added : "He that is not with me is against me ; and he that
gathereth not with me scattereth abroad."
Then, the demonstration being complete, and the absurd-
ity of His opponents' assumption proved, Christ directed
their thoughts to the heinous sin of condemning the power
and authority by which Satan was overcome. He had
proved to them on the basis of their own proposition that
He, having subdued Satan, was the embodiment of the Spirit
of God, and that through Him the kingdom of God was
brought to them. They rejected the Spirit of God, and
sought to destroy the Christ through whom that Spirit
was made manifest. What blasphemy could be greater?
Speaking as one having authority, with the solemn affirm-
ation "I say unto you," He continued : "All manner of sin
UNPARDONABLE SIN. 263
and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blas-
phemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto
men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of
man, it shall be forgiven him : but whosover speaketh
against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither
in this world, neither in the world to come."
Who among men can word a more solemn and awful
warning against the danger of committing the dread un-
pardonable sin?* Jesus was merciful in His assurance that
words spoken against Himself as a Man, might be forgiven ;
but to speak against the authority He possessed, and par-
ticularly to ascribe that pow r er and authority to Satan, was
very near to blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, for which
sin there could be no forgiveness. Then, in stronger terms,
which developed into cutting invective, He told them to be
consistent if they admitted that the result of His labors
was good, as the casting out of devils surely was, to be
likened unto good fruit why did they not acknowledge
that the power by which such results were attained, in other
words that the tree itself, was good? "Either make the tree
good, and his fruit good ; or else make the tree corrupt, and
his fruit corrupt : for the tree is known by his fruit." With
burning words of certain conviction He continued: "O
generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good
things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth
speaketh." By the truths He had made so plain it was evi-
dent that their accusing words were drawn from hearts
stored with evil treasure. Moreover their words were
shown to be not only malicious but foolish, idle and vain, and
therefore doubly saturated with sin. Another authoritative
declaration followed : "But I say unto you, That every idle
word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof
in the day of judgment."
,ioD
11, end of chapter.
.Sl:8
bna ,St
JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 18.
^4(4i^ * ^xfojgald
SEEKERS AFT4R SIGNS.*
The Master's lesson, enforced though it was by illustra-
tion and analogy, by direct application, and by authoritative
avowal, fell on ears that were practically deaf to spiritual
truth, and found no place in hearts already stuffed with
great stores of evil. To the profound wisdom and saving
instruction of the word of God to which they had listened,
they responded with a flippant request : "Master, we would
see a sign from thee." Had they not already seen signs in
profusion? Had not the blind and the deaf, the dumb and
the infirm, the palsied and the dropsical, and people afflicted
with all manner of diseases, been healed in their houses, on
their streets, and in their synagogs; had not devils been
cast out and their foul utterances been silenced by His word ;
and had not the dead been raised, and all by Him whom
they now importuned for a sign? They would have some
surpassing wonder wrought, to satisfy curiosity, or perhaps
to afford them further excuse for action against Him they
wanted signs to waste on their lust," Small wonder, that
"he sighed deeply in his spirit" when such demands were
made. a To the scribes and Pharisees who had shown such
inattention to His words, He replied: "An evil and adul-
terous generation^ seeketh' after a sign; and there shall no
sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas."
The sign of Jonas (or Jonah) was that for three days he
had been in the belly of the fish and then had been restored
to liberty; so would the Son of Man be immured in the
tomb, after which He would rise again. That was the only
sign He would give them, and by that would they stand
condemned. Against them and their generation would the
yMatt. 12:38-45; compare 16:1; Mark 8:11; LuTce 11:16, 29; John 2:18; 1
Cor. 1:22.
2 Doc. and Cov. 46:9; compare 63:7-12.
flMark 8:12.
b Note 12, end of chapter.
AN EVIL AND ADULTEROUS GENERATION. 271
men of Nineveh rise in judgment, for they, wicked as they
were^ had repented at the preaching of Jonas ; and behold a
greater than Jonas was among them.* 7 The queen of Sheba
would rise in judgment against them, for she had journeyed
far to avail herself of Solomon's wisdom; and behold a
greater than Solomon stood before them. J
Then, reverting to the matter of unclean and evil spirits,
in connection with which they had spread the accusation that
He was one of the devil's own, He told them, that when a
demon is cast out, he tries after a season of loneliness to
return to the house or body from which he had been ex-
pelled ; and, finding that house in order, sweet and clean
since his filthy self had been forced to vacate it, he calls
other spirits more wicked than himself, and they take pos-
session of the man, and make his state worse than it was at
first/ In this weird example is typified the condition of
those who have received the truth, and thereby have been
freed from the unclean influences of error and sin, so that
in mind and spirit and body they are as a house swept and
garnished and set in cleanly order, but who afterward re-
nounce the good, open their souls to the demons of false-
hood and deceit, and become more corrupt than before.
"Even so," declared the Lord, "shall it be also unto this
wicked generation."
Though the scribes and Pharisees were mostly uncon-
vinced, if at all really impressed by His teachings, our Lord
was not entirely without appreciative listeners. A woman
in the company raised her voice in an invocation of blessing
on the mother who had given birth to such a Son, and on
the breasts that had suckled Him. While not rejecting this
tribute of reverence, which applied to both mother and Son,
Jesus answered : "Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the
word of God, and keep it."/
c Jonah chaps, 1-4.
d\ Kings 10:1; 2 Chron. 9:1; compare Luke 11:31.
*Matt. 12:43-45; Luke 11:24-26.
/Luke 11:27. 28.
JESUS THE CHRIST. jiva [CHAP. 18.
as ba>L /3nM lo
CHRIST'S MOTHER AND BRETHREN COME TO SEE HIM.?
While Jesus was engaged with the scribes and Pharisees,
and a great number of others, possibly at or near the con-
clusion of the teachings last considered, word was passed to
Him that His mother and His brethren were present and de-
sired to speak with Him. On account of the press of people
they had been unable to reach His side. Making use of the
circumstance to impress upon all the fact that His work
took precedence over the claims of family and kinship, and
thereby explaining that He could not meet His relatives at
that moment, He asked, "Who is my mother? and who are
my brethren?" Answering His own question and express-
ing in the answer the deeper thought in His mind, He said,
pointing toward His disciples : "Behold my mother and my
brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father
which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and
mother."
The incident reminds one of the answer He made to His
mother, when she and Joseph had found Him in the temple
after their long and anxious search: "How is it that ye
sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's
business?" 71 In that business He was engaged when His
mother and brethren desired to speak with Him as He sat
amidst the crowd. The superior claims of His Father's
'work caused Him to let all minor matters wait. We are
not justified in construing these remarks as evidence of dis-
respect, far less of filial and family disloyalty. Devotion,
similar in kind at least, was expected by Him of the apostles,
who were called to devote without reserve their time and
talents to the ministry.* The purpose on which the relatives
of Jesus had come to see Him is not made known ; we may
0Matt. 12:46-50; Mark 3:31-35; Luke 8:19-21.
h Ltxke 2:49. Page 114 herein.
t'Matt. 10:37; compare Luke 14:26.
NOTES.
infer, therefore, that it was of no great importance beyond
the family circle/
NOTES TO CHAPTER 18.
1. The Two Accounts of the Miracle. In the commentary
on the miraculous healing of the centurion's servant, as given in
the text, we have followed in the main Luke's more circum-
stantial account. Matthew's briefer statement of the officer's
petition, and the Lord's gracious compliance therewith, repre-
sents the man as coming in person to Jesus ; while Luke refers
to the elders of the local synagog as presenting the request.
There is here no real discrepancy. It was then allowable, as
in our time it is, to speak of one who causes something to be
done as doing that thing himself. One may properly be said to
notify another, when he sends the notification by a third party.
A man may say he has built a house, when in reality others did
the work of building though at his instance. An architect may
with propriety be said to have constructed a building, when as
a matter of fact he made the design, and directed others who
actually reared the structure.
2. Jesus Marveled. Both Matthew and Luke tell us that
Jesus marveled at the faith shown by the centurion, who begged
that his beloved servant be healed (Matt. 8:10; Luke 7:9). Some
have queried how Christ, whom they consider to have been
omniscient during His life in the flesh, could have marveled at
anything. The meaning of the passage is evident in the sense
that when the fact of the centurion's faith was brought to His
attention, He pondered over it, and contemplated it, probably as
a refreshing contrast to the absence of faith He so generally
encountered. In similar way, though with sorrow in place of
joy, He is said to have marveled at the peoples' unbelief (Mark
6 :6).
3. Sequence of the Miracles of Raising the Dead. As stated
and reiterated in the text the chronology of the events in our
Lord's ministry, as recorded by the Gospel-writers, is uncertain.
Literature on the subject embodies much disputation and dem-
onstrates absence of any near approach to agreement among
Biblical scholars. We have record of three instances of mirac-
ulous restoration of the dead to life at the word of Jesus the
raising of the son of the widow of Nain, the raiding of the
daughter of Jairus, and the raising of Lazarus; and on the se-
quence of two of these there is difference of opinion. Of course
the placing of the raising of Lazarus as the latest of the three
is based on certainty. Dr. Richard C. Trench, in his scholarly
and very valuable Notes on the Miracles of our Lord definitely as-
serts that the raising of the daughter of Jairus is the first of the
three works of restoration to life. Dr. John Laidlaw, in The
Miracles of our Lord, treats this first among the miracles of its
/Note 13, end of chapter.
JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 18.
class though without affirming its chronological precedence;
many other writers make it the second of the three. The in-
centive ^to arrange the three miracles of this group in the se-
quence indicated may, perhaps, be found in the desire to present
them in the increasing order of apparent greatness the raising
of the damsel being an instance of recalling to life one who had
but just died, ( ''hardly dead" as some wrongly describe her con-
dition), the raising of the young man of Nain being the restora-
tion^ of one on the way to the tomb, and the raising of Lazarus
an instance of recalling to life one who had lain four days in
the sepulchre. We cannot consistently conceive of these cases
as offering grades of greater or lesser difficulty to the power of
Christ; in each case His word of authority was sufficient to
reunite the spirit and body of the dead person. Luke, the sole
recorder of the miracle at Nain, places the event before that of
the raising of the daughter of Jairus, with many incidents be-
tween. The great preponderance of evidence is in favor of con-
sidering the three miracles in the order followed herein, (i) the
raising of the young man of Nain, (2) that of the daughter of
Jairus, and (3) that of Lazarus.
4. Tetrarch. This title by derivation of the term and as
originally used was applied to the ruler of a fourth part, or one
of four divisions of a region that had formerly been one coun-
try. Later it came to be the designation of any ruler or gov-
ernor over a part of a divided country, irrespective of the num-
ber or extent of the fractions. Herod Antipas is distinctively
called the tetrarch in Matt. 14:1; Luke 3:1, 19; 9:7; and Acts
13:1; and is referred to as king in Matt. 14:9; Mark 6:14, 22,
25,26.
5. Machaerus. According to the ^historian Josephus (An-
tiquities xviii ; 5:2), the prison to which John the Baptist was
consigned by Herod Antipas was the strong fortress Machaerus.
6. Christ an Offender to Many. The concluding part of
our Lord's message to the imprisoned Baptist, in answer to the
latter's inquiry, was, "Blessed is he whosoever is not offended
in me." In passing it may be well to observe that whatever of
reproof or rebuke these words may connote, the lesson was
given in the gentlest way and in the form most easy to under-
stand. As Deems has written, "Instead of saying 'Woe to him
who is offended in me/ He puts it in the softer way 'Blessed is
he who is not offended.' " In our English version of the Holy
Bible the word "offend" and its cognates, are used in place of
several different expressions which occur in the original Greek.
Thus, actual infractions of the law, sin, and wickedness in gen-
eral are all called offenses, and the perpetrators of such are
guilty offenders who deserve punishment. In other instances
even the works of righteousness are construed as causes of
offense to the wicked; but this^is so, not because the good works
were in any way offenses against law or right, but because the
law-breaker takes offense thereat The convicted felon, if un-
repentant and still of evil mind, is offended and angry at the
law by which he has been brought to justice; to him the law is
NOTES. 375
a cause of offense. In a very significant sense Jesus Christ
stands as the greatest offender in history; for all who reject His
gospel, take offense thereat. On the night of His betrayal
Jesus told the apostles that they would be offended because of
Him (Matt. 26:31; see also verse 33). The Lord's personal min-
istry gave offense not alone to Pharisees and priestly oppo-
nents, but to many who had professed belief in Him (John 6 :6i ;
compare 16:1). The gospel of Jesus Christ is designated by
Peter as "a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, even to
them which stumble at the word, being disobedient" (i Peter
2:8; compare Paul's words, Romans 9:33). Indeed blessed is he
to whom the gospel is welcome, and who finds therein no cause
for offense.
7. The Greatness of the Baptist's Mission. The exalted
nature of the mission of John the Baptist was thus testified to
by Jesus : "Verily I say unto you, Among them that . are born
of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist :
notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is
greater than he" (Matt. 11:11; compare Luke 7:28). In elucida-
tion of the first part of this testimony, the prophet Joseph Smith
said, in the course of a sermon delivered May 24, 1843, (Hist, of
the Church, under date named) : "It could not have been on
account of the miracles John performed, for he did no miracles ;
but it was First, because he was trusted with a divine mission
of preparing the way before the face of the Lord. Who was
trusted with such a mission before or since? No man. Second,
he was trusted and it was required at his hands to baptize the
Son of Man. Who ever did that? Who ever had so great a
privilege or glory? Who ever led the Son of God into the
waters of baptism, beholding the Holy Ghost descend upon Him
in the sign of a dove? No man. Third, John at that time was
the only legal administrator holding the keys of power there
was on earth. The keys, the kingdom, the power, the glory had
departed from the Jews; and John, the son of Zacharias, by
the holy anointing and decree of heaven, held the keys of power
at that time."
The latter part of our Lord's statement "notwithstanding
he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he"
(John), has given rise to diverse interpretations and comment.
The true meaning may be, that surpassingly great as was John's
distinction among the prophets, he had not learned, at the time
of the incident under consideration, the full purpose of the
Messiah's mission, and such he would surely have to learn be-
fore he became eligible for admission into the kingdom of
heaven ; therefore, the least of those who through knowledge
gained and obedience rendered, would be prepared for a place in
the kingdom of which Jesus taught, was greater than was John
the Baptist at that time. Through latter-day inspiration we
learn that "it is impossible for a man to be saved in ignorance"
(Doc. and Cov. 131:6), and that "The glory of God in intelli-
gence, or, in other words, light and truth" (Doc. and Cov. 93:36).
The Baptist's inquiry showed that he was then lacking in
276 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 18.
knowledge, imperfectly enlightened and unable to comprehend
the whole truth of the Savior's appointed death and subsequent
resurrection as the Redeemer of the world. But we must not
lose sight of the fact, that Jesus in no wise intimated that John
would remain less than the least in the kingdom of heaven.
As he increased in knowledge of the vital truths of the kingdom,
and rendered obedience thereto, he would surely advance, and
become great in the kingdom of heaven as he was great among
the prophets of earth.
8. John the Baptist the Elias that was to Come. In the
days of Christ the people clung to the traditional belief that the
ancient prophet Elijah was to return in person. Concerning this
tradition the Dummelow Commentary says, on Matt. 11:14: "It
was supposed that his [Elijah's] peculiar activity would consist
in settling ceremonial and ritual questions, doubts and difficul-
ties and that he would restore to Israel (i) the golden pot of
manna, (2) the vessel containing the anointing oil, (3) the vessel
containing the waters of purification, (4) Aaron's rod that budded
and bore fruit." For this belief there was no scriptural affirma-
tion. That John was to go before the Messiah in the spirit
and power of Elias was declared by the angel Gabriel in his an-
nouncement to Zacharias (Luke 1 :i7) ; and our Lord made plain
the fact that John was that predicted Elias. "Elias" is both a
name and a title of office. Through revelation in the present
dispensation we learn of the separate individuality of Elias and
Elijah, each of whom appeared in person and committed to
modern prophets the particular powers pertaining to his respec-
tive office (Doc. and Cov. 110:12, 13). We learn that the office
of Elias is that of restoration (Doc. and Cov. 27:6, 7; 76:100;
77:9, 14). Under date of March 10, 1844, the following is re-
corded (Hist, of Church) as the testimony of the prophet Joseph
Smith :
"The spirit of Elias is to prepare the way for a greater reve-
lation of God, which is the Priesthood of Elias, or the Priest-
hood that Aaron was ordained unto. And when God sends a
man into the world to prepare for a greater work, t holding the
keys of the power of Elias, it was called the doctrine of Elias,
even from the early ages of the world.
"John's mission was limited to preaching and baptizing; but
what he did was legal; and when Jesus Christ came to any of
John's disciples, He baptized them with fire and the Holy Ghost.
"We find the apostles endowed with greater power than
John: their office was more under the spirit and power of Elijah
than Elias.
"In the case of Philip when he went down to Samaria, when
he was under the spirit of Elias, he baptized both men and
women. When Peter and John heard of it, they went down and
laid hands upon them, and they received the Holy Ghost. This
shows the distinction between the two powers.
"When Paul came to certain disciples, he asked if they had
received the Holy Ghost? They said, No. W r ho baptized you,
then? We were baptized unto John's baptism. No, you were
NOTES. 27?
not baptized unto John's baptism, or you would have been bap-
tized by John. And so Paul went and baptized them, for he
knew what the true doctrine was, and he knew that John had not
baptized them. And these principles are strange to me, that
men who have read the Scriptures of the New Testament are so
far from it.
"What I want to impress upon your minds is the difference
of power in the different parts of the Priesthood, so that when
any man comes among you, saying, 'I have the spirit of EHas,'
you can know whether he be true or false; for any man that
comes, having the spirit and power of EHas, he will not tran-
scend his bounds.
"John did not transcend his bounds, but faithfully performed
that part belonging to his office ; and every portion of the great
building should be prepared right and assigned to its proper
place ; and it is necessary to know who holds the keys of power,
and who does not, or we may be likely to be deceived.
"That person who holds the keys of EHas hath a prepara-
tory work.
"This is the EHas spoken of in the last days, and here is
the rock upon which many split, thinking the time was past ^ in
the days of John and Christ, and no more ^ to be. But the spirit
of EHas was revealed to me, and I know it is true; therefore I
speak with boldness, for I know verily my doctrine is true."
9. At the Pharisee's Table. The expression "sat at meat,"
as in Luke 7 137 and in other instances, is stated by good au-
thority to be a mistranslation; it should be rendered "lay" or
"reclined" (see Smith's Comp. Diet, of the Bible, article "Meals"),
That sitting was the early Hebrew posture at meals is not ques-
tioned (Gen. 27:19; Judges 19:6; I Sam. 16:11; 20:5, 18, 24; i
Kings 13 :2o) ; but the custom of reclining on couches set around
the table seems to date back long before the days of Jesus
(Amos 3:12; 6:4). The Roman usage of arranging the tables
and adjoining couches along three sides of a square, leaving the
fourth side open for the passage of the attendants who served
the diners was common in Palestine. Tables and couches so
placed constituted the triclinium. In reference to the ceremonial
of the Pharisees in the matter of prescribed washing of articles
used in eating, Mark (7:4) specifies "tables"; this mention is
conceded to be a mistranslation, as couches or literally beds, are
meant by the Greek expression. (See marginal reading, "beds" in
Oxford Bible, and others.) A person reclining at table would have
the feet directed outward. Thus it was a simple matter for the
contrite woman to approach Jesus from behind and anoint His
feet without causing disturbance to others at the table.
10. The Woman's Identity not Specified. The attempt to
identify the contrite sinner who anointed the feet of Jesus in
the house of Simon the Pharisee with Mary of Bethany is thus
strongly condemned by Farrar (p. 228, note) : "Those who
identify this feast at the house of Simon the Pharisee, in Galilee,
278 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 18.
with the long-subsequent feast at the house of Simon the leper,
at Bethany, and the anointing of the feet by 'a woman that was
a sinner* in the city, with the anointing of the head by Mary
the sister of Martha, adopt principles of criticism so reckless and
arbitrary that their general acceptance would rob the Gospels of
all credibility, and make them hardly worth study ^ as truthful
narratives. As for the names Simon and Judas, which have led
to so many identifications of different persons and different inci-
dents, they were at least as common among the Jews of that day
as Smith and Jones among ourselves. There are five or six
Judes and nine Simons mentioned in the New Testament, and
two Judes and two Simons among the Apostles alone ; Josephus
speaks of some ten Judes and twenty Simons in his writings,
and there must, therefore, have been thousands of Bothers who
at this period had one of these two names. The incident (of
anointing with ointment) is one quite in accordance with the
customs of the time and country, and there is not the least im-
probability in its repetition under different circumstances.
(Eccles. 9:8; Cant. 4:10; Amos 6:6.) The custom still con-
tinues."
The learned canon is fully justified in his vigorous criticism;
nevertheless he endorses the commonly-accepted identification
of the woman mentioned in connection with the meal in the
house of Simon the Pharisee with Mary Magdalene, although he
admits that the foundation of the assumed identification is "an
ancient tradition, especially prevalent in the Western Church,
and followed by the translation of our English version" (p. 233)..
As stated in our text, there is an entire absence of trustworthy
evidence that Mary Magdalene was ever tainted with the sin
for which the repentant woman in the Pharisee's house was so
graciously pardoned by our Lord.
ii. The Unpardonable Sin. The nature of the awful sin
against the Holy Ghost, against which the Lord warned the
Pharisaic accusers who sought to ascribe His divine power to
Satan, is more fully explained, and its dread results are more
explicitly set forth in modern revelation. Concerning them and
their dreadful fate, the Almighty has said: "I say that it had
been better for them never to have been born, for they are ves-
sels of wrath, doomed to suffer the wrath of God, with the devil
and his angels in eternity; concerning whom I have said there
is no forgiveness in this world nor in the world to come. . . .
They shall go away into everlasting punishment,
which is endless punishment, which is eternal punishment, to
reign with the devil and his angels in eternity, where their worm
dieth not, and the fire is not quenched, which is their torment;
and the end thereof, neither the place thereof, nor their torment,
no man knows, neither was it revealed, neither is, neither will be
revealed unto man, except to them who are made partakers
thereof: nevertheless I, the Lord, show it by vision unto many,
but straightway shut it up again; wherefore the end, the width,
the height, the depth, and the misery thereof, they understand
not, neither any man except them who are ordained unto this
NOTES. 279
condemnation." (Doc. and Cov. 76:31-48; see also Heb. 6:4*6;
B. of M., Alma 39:6.)
12. An Adulterous Generation Seeking after Signs. Our
Lord's reply to those who clamored for a sign, that "An evil and
adulterous generation seeketh after a sign" (Matt. 12:39; see also
16:4; Mark 8:38) could only be interpreted by the Jews as a su-
preme reproof. That the descriptive designation "adulterous"
was literally applicable to the widespread immorality of the
time, they all knew. Adam Clarke in his commentary on Matt.
12:39, says of this phase of our topic: "There is the utmost
proof from their [the Jews'] own writings, that in the time of
our Lord, they were most literally an adulterous race of people ;
for at this very time Rabbi Jachanan ben Zacchi abrogated the
trial by the bitter waters of jealousy, because so many were
found to be thus criminal." For the information concerning the
trial of the accused by the bitter waters, see Numb. 5:11-31. Al-
though Jesus designated the generation in which He lived as
adulterous, we find no record that the Jewish rulers, who by
their demand for a sign had given occasion for the accusation,
ventured to deny or attempt to repel the charge. The sin of
adultery was included among capital offenses (Deut. 22:22-25).
The severity of the accusation as applied by Jesus, however, was
intensified by the fact that the older scriptures represented the
covenant between Jehovah and Israel as a marriage bond (Isa.
54-5-7; Jer. 3:14; 31:32; Hos. 2:19, 20); even as the later scrip-
tures typify the Church as a bride, and Christ as the husband
(2 Cor. 11:2; compare Rev. 21:2). To be spiritually adulterous,
as the rabbis construed the utterances of the prophets, was to
be false to the covenant by which the Jewish nations claimed
distinction, as the worshipers of Jehovah, and to be wholly
recreant and reprobate. Convicted on such a charge those sign-
seeking Pharisees and scribes understood that Jesus classed
them as worse than the idolatrous heathen. The words "adul-
tery" and "idolatry" are of related origin, each connoting the
act of unfaithfulness and the turning away after false objects of
affection or worship.
13. The Mother and the Brethren of Jesus. The attempt
of Mary and some members of her family to speak with Jesus
on the occasion referred to in the text has been construed by
many writers to mean that the mother and sons had come to
protest against the energy and zeal with which Jesus was pur-
suing His work. Some indeed have gone so far as to say that
the visiting members of the family had come to put Him under
restraint, and to stem, if they could, the tide of popular interest,
criticism, and offense, which surged about Him. The scriptural
record furnishes no foundation for even a tentative conception
of the kind. The purpose of the desired visit is not intimated.
It is a fact as will be shown in pages to follow, that some mem-
bers of Mary's household had failed to understand the great im-
port of the work in which Jesus was so assiduously engaged ; and
we are told that some of His friends (marginal rendering, "kins-
men,") on one occasion set out with the purpose of laying hold
-jrft
280 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 18,
on Him and stopping His public activities by physical force, for
they said "He is beside himself." (Mark 3:21); furthermore we
learn that His brethren did not believe on Him (John 7:5).
These facts, however, scarcely warrant the assumption that the
desire of Mary and her sons to speak with Him on the occasion
referred to was other than peaceful. And to assume that Mary,
His mother, had so far forgotten the wondrous scenes of the
angelic annunciation, the miraculous conception, the heavenly
accompaniments of the birth, the more than human wisdom and
power exhibited in youth and manhood, as to believe her divine
Son an unbalanced enthusiast, whom she ought to restrain, is to
assume responsibility for injustice to the character of one whom
the angel Gabriel declared was blessed among women, and
highly favored of the Lord.
The statement that the brethren of Jesus did not believe on
Him at the time referred to by the recorder (John 7:5) is no
proof that some or even all of those same brethren did not later
believe on their divine Brother. Immediately after the Lord's
ascension, Mary, the mother of Jesus, and His brethren were
engaged in worship and supplication with the Eleven and other
disciples (Acts 1:14). The attested fact of Christ's resurrection
converted many who had before declined to accept Him as the
Son of God. Paul records a special manifestation of the resur-
rected Christ to James (i Cor. 15:7) and the James here referred
to may be the same person elsewhere designated as "the Lord's
brother" (Gal. 1:19) ; compare Matt. 13:55; Mark 6:3. It appears
that "brethren of the Lord" were engaged in the work of the
ministry in the days of Paul's active service (i Cor. 9:5). > The
specific family relationship of our Lord to James, Joses, Simon,
Judas and the sisters referred to by Matthew (13:55, 56), and
Mark (6:3), has been questioned; and several theories have been
invented in support of divergent views. Thus, the Eastern _ or
Epiphanian hypothesis holds, on no firmer basis than assumption,
that the brethren of Jesus were children of Joseph of Nazareth
by a former wife, and not the children of Mary the Lord's mother.
The Levirate theory assumes that Joseph of Nazareth and Clopas
(the latter name, it is interesting to note, is regarded as the
equivalent of Alpheus. see footnote page 224) were brothers :
and that, after the death of Clopas or Alpheus, Joseph married
his brother's widow according to the levirate law (page 548).
The Hieronymian hypothesis is based on the belief that the persons
referred to as brethren and sisters of Jesus were children of Clopas
(Alpheus) and Mary the sister of the Lord's mother, and there-
fore cousins to Jesus. (See Matt. 27:^6: Mark 15:40; John 19:25.)
It is beyond reasonable doubt that Jesus was regarded by those,
who were acquainted with the family of Joseph and Mary as a
close blood relative of other sons and daughters bplongrinsr to the
household. If these others were children of Joseph and Mary,
they were all juniors to Jesus, for He was undoubtedly His
mother's firstborn child. The acceptance of this relationship be-
tween Jesus and His "brethren" and "sisters" mentioned by the
synoptists constitutes what is known in theological literature as
the Helvidian view.
BY THE SEASIDE^'
n -wb-jo srft '
****> ii^lw^ff^ aw ->njB i
'
CHAPTER 19.
"HE SPAKE MANY THINGS UNTO THEM IN
PARABLES."
Throughout the period of Christ's ministry with which
we have thus far dealt, His fame had continuously increased,
because of the authority with which He spoke and of the
many mighty works He did. His popularity had become
such that whenever He moved abroad great multitudes fol-
lowed Him. At times the people so thronged as to impede
His movements, some with a desire to hear more of the new
doctrine, others to plead at His feet for relief from physical
or other ills ; and many there were who had faith that could
they but reach Him, or even touch the border of His robe,
they would be healed. One effect of the people's eager-
ness, which led them to press and crowd around Him, was
to render difficult if not impossible at times the effective
delivery of any discourse. His usual place for open-air
teaching while He tarried in the vicinity of the sea, or lake,
of Galilee was the shore; and thither flocked the crowds to
hear Him. At His request the disciples had provided a
"small ship," which was kept in readiness on the beach f
and it was usual with Him to sit in the boat a short distance
off shore, and preach to the people, as He had done when
in the earlier days He called the chosen fishermen to leave
their nets and follow Him. c
On one such occasion He employed a means of instruc-
tion, which, prior to that time, had not been characteristic
of His teaching; this consisted in the use of parables/ or
simple stories to illustrate His doctrines. Some of these we
oMark 3:10; compare Matt. 9:20, 21; 14:36; Mark 6:56; Luke 6:19.
&Mark 3:9.
c Luke 5:10; page 197 herein.
d Note 1, end of chapter.
282 JESV& THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 19.
shall here consider briefly, in the order most advantageous
for treatment, and, as best we know, in what may have been
the sequence in which they were given.
A SOWER WENT FORTH TO sow."
First in the order of delivery is the Parable of the Sower.
It is a splendid type of our Lord's parables in general, and
is particularly valuable for its great intrinsic worth and be-
cause we possess a comprehensive interpretation of it by
the divine Author. This is the story :
"Behold, a sower went forth to sow ; and when he sowed,
some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and de-
voured them up: some fell upon stony places, where they
had not much earth : and forthwith they sprung up, because
they had no deepness of earth : and when the sun. was up,
they were scorched ; and because they had no root, they
withered away. And some fell among thorns; and the
thorns sprung up, and choked them : but other fell into good
ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some
sixty fold, some thirty fold. Who hath ears to hear, let him
hear."'
This new way of teaching, this departure from the Mas-
ter's earlier method of doctrinal exposition, caused even the
most devoted of the disciples to marvel. The Twelve and a
few others came to Jesus when He was apart from the mul-
titude, and asked why He had spoken to the people in this
manner, and what was the meaning of this particular par-
able. Our Lord's reply to the first part of the inquiry we
shall consider presently; concerning the second He asked
"Know ye not this parable ? and how then will ye know all
parables ?"/ Thus did He indicate the simplicity of this the
first of His parables, together with its typical and funda-
mental character, and at the same time intimate that other
rMatt. 13:3-9; compare Mark 4:3-9; Luke 8:5-8.
/Mark 4:13.
PARABLE OF THE SOWER. 283
parables would follow in the course of His teaching. Then
He gave the interpretation:
"Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. When any
one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it
not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that
which was sown in his heart. This is he which received
seed by the way side. But he that received the seed into
stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon
with joy receiveth it; yet hath he not root in himself, but
dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution
ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. He
also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth
the word ; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness
of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. But
he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth
the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit,
and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some
thirty."*?
Further exposition may appear superflous; some sug-
gestion as to the individual application of the contained les-
sons may be in place, however. Observe that the prominent
feature of the story is that of the prepared or unprepared
condition of the soil. The seed was the same, whether it fell
on good ground or bad, on mellow mold or among stones
and thistles. The primitive method of sowing, still followed
in many countries, consisted in the sower throwing the grain
by handfuls against the wind, thus securing a widespread
scattering. Running through the Galilean fields were path-
ways, hard trodden by feet of men and beasts. Though
seed should fall on such tracts, it could not grow; birds
would pick up the living kernels lying unrooted and un-
covered and some of the grains would be crushed and trod-
den down. So with the seed of truth falling upon the har-
dened heart; ordinarily it cannot take root, and Satan, as
a marauding crow, steals it away, lest a grain of it perchance
t. 13:18-23; compare Mark 4:13-20; Luke 8:11-15,
284 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 19.
find a crack in the trampled ground, send down its rootlet,
and possibly develop.
Seed falling in shallow soil, underlain by a floor of un-
broken stone or hard-pan, may strike root and flourish for a
brief season; but as the descending rootlets reach the im-
penetrable stratum they shrivel, and the plant withers and
dies, for the nutritive juices are insufficient where there is
no depth of earth. 7 * So with the man whose earnestness is
but superficial, whose energy ceases when obstacles are en-
countered or opposition met; though he manifest enthu-
siasm for a time persecution deters him ; he is offended/
and endures not. Grain sown where thorns and thistles
abound is soon killed out by their smothering growth ; even
so with a human heart set on riches and the allurements of
pleasure though it receive the living seed of the gospel it
will produce no harvest of good grain, but instead, a rank
tangle of noxious weeds. The abundant yield of thorny
thistles demonstrates the-fitness of the soil for a better crop,
were it only free from the cumbering weeds. The seed that
falls in good deep soil, free from weeds and prepared for
the sowing, strikes root and grows ; the sun's heat scorches
it not, but gives it thrift ; it matures and yields to the har-
vester according to the richness of the soil, some fields pro-
ducing thirty, others sixty, and a few even a hundred times
as much grain as was sown.
Even according to literary canons, and as judged by the
recognized standards of rhetorical construction and logical
arrangement of its parts, this parable holds first place among
productions of its class. Though commonly known to us as
the Parable of the Sower, the story could be expres-
sively designated as the Parable of the Four Kinds of Soil.
It is the ground upon which the seed is cast, to which the
story most strongly directs our attention, and which so aptly
is made to symbolize the softened or the hardened heart,
h Note 2, end of chapter.
* Pages 254 and 274.
THE FOUR KINDS OF SOIL. 285
the clean or the thorn-infested soil. Observe the grades of
soil, given in the increasing order of their fertility: (i)
the compacted highway, the wayside path, on which, save
by a combination of fortuitous circumstances practically
amounting to a miracle, no seed can possibly strike root or
grow; (2) the thin layer of soil covering an impenetrable
bed-rock, wherein seed may sprout yet can never mature;
(3) the weed-encumbered field, capable of producing a rich
crop but for the jungle of thistles and thorns ; and (4) the
clean rich mold receptive and fertile. Yet even soils classed
as good are of varying degrees of productiveness, yielding
an increase of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred fold, with
many inter-gradations.
Some Bible expositors have professed to find in this
splendid parable evidence of decisive fatalism in the lives of
individuals, so that those whose spiritual state is comparable
to the hardened pathway or wayside ground, to the shallow
soil on stony floor, or to the neglected, thorn-ridden tract,
are hopelessly and irredeemably bad ; while the souls who
may be likened unto good soil are safe against deterioration
and will be inevitably productive of good fruit. Let it
not be forgotten that a parable is but a sketch, not a picture
finished in detail ; and that the expressed or implied simili-
tude in parabolic teaching cannot logically and consistently
be carried beyond the limits of the illustrative story. In the
parable we are considering, the Teacher depicted the varied
grades of spiritual receptivity existing among men, and
characterized with incisive brevity each of the specified
grades. He neither said nor intimated that the hard-baked
soil of the wayside might not be plowed, harrowed, fertil-
ized, and so be rendered productive ; nor that the stony im-
pediment to growth might not be broken up and removed,
or an increase of good soil be made by actual addition ; nor
that the thorns could never be uprooted, and their former
habitat be rendered fit to support good plants. The parable
286 JESUS THE CHRIST. FIT [CHAP. 19.
is to be studied in the spirit of its purpose; and strained
inferences or extensions are unwarranted. A strong meta-
phor, a striking simile, or any other expressive figure of
speech, is of service only when rationally applied ; if carried
beyond the bounds of reasonable intent, the best of such
may become meaningless or even absurd.
THE WHEAT AND THE TARES.
Another parable, somewhat closely related to the fore-
going as to the actual story, dealing again with seed and
sowing, and, like the first, accompanied by an interpretation,
was delivered by the Master as follows :
"The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which
sowed good seed in his field : but while men slept, his enemy
came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.
But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit,
then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the house-
holder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good
seed in thy field ? from whence then hath it tares ? He said
unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said
unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?
But he said, Nay ; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root
up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until
the harvest : and in the time of harvest I will say to the
reapers, Gather ye together first the tares and bind them in
bundles to burn them : but gather the wheat into my barn."''
When Jesus had retired to the house in which He lodged,
the disciples came, saying : "Declare unto us the parable of
the tares of the field."
"He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the
good seed is the Son of man ; the field is the world ; the good
seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the
children of the wicked one ; the enemy that sowed them is
the devil ; the harvest is the end of the world ; and the reapers
1 ' -7 orJT . .eJnfilq boo^ tioqqu?. oJ 1ft bsisbrm e>d ta
/Matt. 13:24-30.
PARABLE OF THE WHEAT AND THE TARES. 287
are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and
burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.
The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall
gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them
which do iniquity ; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire :
there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the
righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their
Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear." k
By the Author's explication, the sower was Himself, the
Son of Man ; and, as the condition of wheat and tares grow-
ing together was one that shall continue until "the end of
the world," those who were ordained to carry on the min-
istry after Him are by direct implication also sowers. The
seed as here represented is not, as in the last parable, the
gospel itself, but the children of men, the good seed typify-
ing the honest in heart, righteous-minded children of the
kingdom; while the tares are those souls who have given
themselves up to evil and are counted as children of the
wicked one. Inspired by zeal for their Master's profit,
the servants would have forcibly rooted up the tares, but
were restrained, for their unwise though well-intended course
would have endangered the wheat while yet tender, since in
the early stages of growth it would have been difficult to
distinguish the one from the other, and the intertwining of
the roots would have caused much destruction of the
precious grain.
One cardinal lesson of the parable, apart from the repre-
sentation of actual conditions present and future, is that of
patience, long-suffering, and toleration each an attribute
of Deity and a trait of character that all men should culti-
vate. The tares mentioned in the story may be considered
as any kind of noxious weed, particularly such as in early
growth resembles the wholesome grain. 7 Over-sowing with
the seed of weeds in a field already sown with grain is a
k Verses 36-43.
/ Note 3, end of chapter.
288 T 3.1 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 19.
species of malignant outrage not unknown even in the pres-
ent day. m The certainty of a time of separation, when the
wheat shall be garnered in the store-house of the Lord,
and the tares be burned, that their poisonous seed may re-
produce no more, is placed beyond question by the Lord's
own exposition.
So important is the lesson embodied in this parable, and
so assured is the literal fulfilment of its contained predic-
tions, that the Lord has given a further explication through
revelation in the current dispensation, a period in which the
application is direct and immediate. Speaking through
Joseph Smith the Prophet in 1832, Jesus Christ said:
"But behold, in the last days, even now while the Lord
is beginning to bring forth the word, and the blade is spring-
ing up and is yet tender. Behold, verily I say unto you, the
angels are crying unto the Lord day and night, who are
ready and waiting to be sent forth to reap down the fields ;
but the Lord saith unto them, pluck not up the tares while
the blade is yet tender, (for verily your faith is weak,) lest
you destroy the wheat also. Therefore let the wheat and
the tares grow together until the harvest is fully ripe, then
ye shall first gather out the wheat from among the tares,
and after the gathering of the wheat, behold and lo! the
tares are bound in bundles, and the field remaineth to be
burned.""
THE SEED GROWING SECRETLY.
itntta **cfi intl- ine^e? ^Trftia_crr xrl+ lr -rrrkSPAT LcrrrtvTp** *vrtfi
Matthew records the Parable of the Tares as imme-
diately following that of the Sower ; Mark places in the same
position of sequence a parable found in his writings alone.
It is presented in outline form, and by critical expositors
would be classed rather as a simple analogy than a typical
parable. Read it :
"And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man
in Note 4, end of chapter.
n Doc. and Gov. 86:4-7; read the entire section.
THE SECRETLY GROWING SEED. 289
should cast seed into the ground ; and should sleep, and rise
night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he
knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of
herself ; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn
in the ear. But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately
he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come."*
We have no record of the disciples asking nor of the
Master giving any interpretation of this, or of any later
parable/ In this story we find effectively illustrated the
fact of the vitality of the seed of truth, though the secret
processes of its growth be a mystery to all save God alone.
A man having planted seed must needs leave it alone. He
may tend the field, removing weeds, protecting the plants
as best he may, but the growth itself is dependent upon con-
ditions and forces beyond his power to ultimately control.
Though it were Paul who planted and Apollos who watered,
none but God could insure the increase.*? The one who
sowed may go about his other affairs, for the field does not
demand continuous or exclusive attention ; nevertheless, un-
der the influences of sunshine and shower, of breeze and
dew, the blade develops, then the ear, and in due time the
full corn in the ear. When the grain is ripe the man gladly
harvests his crop.
The sower in this story is the authorized preacher of the
word of God; he implants the seed of the gospel in the
hearts of men, knowing not what the issue shall be. Pass-
ing on to similar or other ministry elsewhere, attending to
his appointed duties in other fields, he, with faith and hope,
leaves with God the result of his planting. In the harvest
of souls converted through his labor, he is enriched and
made to rejoice/ This parable was probably directed more
particularly to the apostles and the most devoted of the other
oMark 4:26-29.
Note 5, end of chapter,
ql Cor. 3:6.
rRead the Lord's early promise of souls as the hire of the appointed
harvesters: John 4:35-38; see also Matt. 9:37, 88; Luke 10:2.
IO
290 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 19.
disciples, rather than to the multitude at large ; the lesson is
one for teachers, for workers in the Lord's fields, for the
chosen sowers and reapers. It is of perennial value, as truly
applicable today as when first spoken. Let the seed be sown,
even though the sower be straightway called to other fields
or other duties; in the gladsome harvest he shall find his
recompense.
MUSTARD
"Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The
kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which
a man took, and sowed in his field : which indeed is the least
of all seeds : but when it is grown, it is the greatest among
herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come
and lodge in the branches thereof. " s
This little story, addressed to the assembled multitude,
must have set many thinking, because of the simplicity of
the incident related and the thoroughly un- Jewish applica-
tion made of it. To the mind taught by teachers of the time
the kingdom was to be great and glorious from its begin-
ning ; it was to be ushered in by blare of trumpets and tramp
of armies, with King Messiah at the head ; yet this new
Teacher spoke of it as having so small a beginning as to be
comparable to a mustard seed. To make the illustration
more effective He specified that the seed spoken of was "the
least of all seeds." This superlative expression was made
in a relative sense; for there were and are smaller seeds
than the mustard, even among garden plants, among which
rue and poppy have been named ; but each of these plants is
very small in maturity, while the well-cultivated mustard
plant is one of the greatest among common herbs, and pre-
sents a strong contrast of growth from tiny seed to spread-
ing shrub.
Moreover, the comparison "as small as a mustard seed"
fMatt. 13:31, 32; compare Mark 4:30-32; Luke 13:18, 19.
or
THE LEAVEN IN THE MEAL. 291
was in every-day use among the Jews of the time. The
comparison employed by Jesus on another occasion evidences
the common usage, as when He said : "If ye have faith as a
grain of mustard seed . . . nothing shall be impossible
unto you."* It should be known that the mustard plant at-
tains in Palestine a larger growth than in more northerly
climes. w The lesson of the parable is easy to read. The
seed is a living entity. When rightly planted it absorbs and
assimilates the nutritive matters of soil and atmosphere,
grows, and in time is capable of affording lodgment and food
to the birds. So the seed of truth is vital, living, and cap-
able of such development as to furnish spiritual food and
shelter to all who come seeking. In both conceptions, the
plant at maturity produces seed in abundance, and so from
a single grain a whole field may be covered.
THE LAVN.
"Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of
heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in
three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened." v
Points of both similarity and contrast between this par-
able and the last are easily discerned. In each the inherent
vitality and capacity for development, so essentially charac-
teristic of the kingdom of God, are illustrated. The mus-
tard seed, however, typifies the effect of vital growth in gath-
ering the substance of value from without ; while the leaven
or yeast disseminates and diffuses outward its influence
throughout the mass of otherwise dense and sodden dough.
Each of these processes represents a means whereby the
Spirit of Truth is made effective. Yeast is no less truly a
living organism than a mustard seed. As the microscopic
yeast plant develops and multiplies within the dough, its
/Matt. 17:20; compare Luke 17:6.
11 Note 6, end of chapter.
s/Matt. 13:33; compare Luke 13:20, 21.
JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 19.
myriad living cells permeate the lump, and every bit of the
leavened mass is capable of affecting likewise another batch
of properly prepared meal. The process of leavening, or
causing dough "to rise," by the fermentation of the yeast
placed in the mass, is a slow one, and moreover as quiet and
seemingly secret as that of the planted seed growing without
the sower's further attention or concern . w
DttK 2O1O8GB
THE HIDDEN TREASURE.
bool bri to;
"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid
in a field ; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and
for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth
that field."*
This and the two parables following are recorded by
Matthew only ; and the place assigned them in his narrative
indicates that they were spoken to the disciples alone, in the
house, after the multitude had departed. The quest for
treasure-trove is always fascinating. Instances of finding
buried valuables were not uncommon in the time of which
we speak, since the practise of so concealing treasure was
usual with people exposed to bandit incursions and hostile
invasion. Observe that the fortunate and happy man is rep-
resented as finding the treasure seemingly by accident rather
than as a result of diligent search. He gladly sold all that
he possessed to make possible his purchase of the field. The
hidden treasure is the kingdom of heaven ; when a man finds
that, he ought to be ready to sacrifice all that he has, if by
so doing he may gain possession. His joy in the new acqui-
sition will be unbounded; and, if he but remain a worthy
holder, the riches thereof shall be his beyond the graved
Casuists have raised the question of propriety as to the
man's course of action in the story, inasmuch as he concealed
iv Page 288. Note 7, end of chapter,
.rMatt. 13:44.
y Compare Matt. 6:19, 20.
THE GOODLY PEARL. 293
the fact of his discovery from the owner of the Held, to
whom the treasure, they say, rightly belonged. Whatever
opinion one may hold as to the ethics of the man's procedure,
his act was not illegal, since there was an express provision
in Jewish law that the purchaser of land became the legal
owner of everything the ground contained. 2 Assuredly
Jesus commended no dishonest course ; and had not the
story been in every detail probable, its effect as a parable
would have been lost. The Master taught by this illustration
that when once the treasure of the kingdom is found, the
finder should lose no time nor shrink from any sacrifice
needful to insure his title thereto.
THE PEARL OF GREAT PRICE.
"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant
man, seeking goodly pearls : who, when he had found one
pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and
bought it.""
Pearls have always held high place among gems, and
long before, as indeed ever since, the time of Christ, pearl-
merchants have been active and diligent in seeking the
largest and richest to be had. Unlike the man in the last
parable, who found a hidden treasure with little or no search,
the merchant in this story devoted his whole energy to the
quest for goodly pearls, to find and secure which was his
business. When at last he beheld the pearl that excelled all
others, though it was, as of right it ought to have been, held
at high cost, he gladly sold all his other gems ; indeed he sac-
rificed "all that he had" gems and other possessions and
purchased the pearl of great price. Seekers after truth may
acquire much that is good and desirable, and not find the
greatest truth of all, the truth that shall save them. Yet, if
they seek persistently and with right intent, if they are really
OS:d .miT Id
* Note 8, end of chapter,
a Matt. 13:15, 46.
JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 19.
in quest of pearls and not of imitations, they shall find. Men
who by search and research discover the truths of the king-
dom of heaven may have to abandon many of their cher-
ished traditions, and even their theories of imperfect philos-
ophy and "science falsely so called,'*' 6 if they would possess
themselves of the pearl of great price. Observe that in this
parable as in that of the hidden treasure, the price of posses-
sion is one's all. No man can become a citizen of the king-
dom by partial surrender of his earlier allegiances ; he must
renounce everything foreign to the kingdom or he can never
be numbered therein. If he willingly sacrifices all that
he has, he shall find that he has enough. The cost of the
hidden treasure, and of the pearl, is not a fixed amount, alike
for all ; it is all one has. Even the poorest may come into
enduring possession ; his all is a sufficient purchase price.
TH GOSPEL NET.
butt $M sil JMl Ifr
"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that
was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind : which,
when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and
gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. So
shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come
forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, and shall
cast them into tire furnace of fire : there shall be wailing and
gnashing of teeth."' 7
Men of many minds, men good and bad, all nationalities
and races, are affected by the gospel of the kingdom. The
"fishers of men" 4 are skilful, active, and comprehensive in
their haul. The sorting takes place after the net is brought
to shore ; and, as the fisherman discards every bad fish while
he saves the good, so shall the angels who do the bidding of
the Son of Man separate the just and the wicked, preserving
the one kind to life eternal, consigning the other to destruc-
bl Tim. 6:20.
cMatt. 13:47-50.
<*Matt. 4:19; Mark 1:17; Luke 5:10.
THE PURPOSE OF PARABLES. 295
tion. Unwise efforts to carry the application of the parable
beyond the Author's intent have suggested the criticism that
whether the fish be good or bad they die. The good, how-
ever, die to usefulness, the bad to utter waste. Though all
men die, they die not alike ; some pass to rest, and shall come
forth in the resurrection of the just; others go to a state of
sorrow and disquiet there to anxiously and with dread await
the resurrection of the wicked/ Similarity of application in
the present parable as in that of the tares, is apparent in the
emphasis given to the decreed separation of the just from the
unjust, and in the awful fate of those who are fit subjects for
condemnation. A further parallelism is noticed in the post-
ponement of the judgment until the "end of the world," by
which expression we may understand the consummation of
the Redeemer's work, subsequent to the Millennium and the
final resurrection of all who have had existence on earth/
Following His delivery of this, the last of the group of
parables recorded in the thirteenth chapter of Matthew, Jesus
asked the disciples, "Have ye understood all these things?"
They answered, "Yea, Lord." He impressed upon them
that they should be ready, like well-taught teachers, to bring,
from the store-house of their souls, treasures of truth both
old and new, for the edification of the worlds
CHRIST'S PURPOSE IN USING PARABLES.
.
As before stated, the Twelve and other disciples were
surprized at the Lord's innovation of parabolic instruction.
Prior to that time His doctrines had been set forth in un-
veiled plainness, as witness the explicit teachings in the
Sermon on the Mount. It is noticeable that the introduction
of parables occurred when opposition to Jesus was strong,
and when scribes, Pharisees, and rabbis were alert in main-
e John 5:29; see also B. of M., Alma 40:11-14; and the author, "Articles
of Faith," xxi:24-39.
/See chapter 42.
a Mat* 13-R1 A9
tf Matt. 1<J.51, 52.
JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 19.
taining a close watch upon His movements and His works,
ever ready to make Him an offender for a word. The use
of parables was common among Jewish teachers; and in
adopting this mode of instruction Jesus was really following
a custom of the time ; though between the parables He spake
and those of the scholars there is possible no comparison
except that of most pronounced contrast. 7 *
To the chosen and devoted followers who came asking
the Master why He had changed from direct exposition to
parables,, He explained* that while it was their privilege to
receive and understand the deeper truths of the gospel, "the
mysteries of the kingdom of heaven" as He expressed it,
with people in general, who were unreceptive and unpre-
pared, such fulness of understanding was impossible. To
the disciples who had already gladly accepted the first prin-
ciples of the gospel of Christ, more should be given ; while
from those who had rejected the proffered boon, even what
they had theretofore possessed should be taken away/
"Therefore," said He, "speak I to them in parables : because
they seeing see not ; and hearing they hear not, neither do
they understand." That the state of spiritual darkness then
existing among the Jews had been foreseen was instanced by
a citation of Isaiah's words, in which the ancient prophet had
told of the people becoming blind, deaf, and hard of heart
respecting the things of God, whereby though they would
both hear and see in a physical sense yet should they not
understand.^
There is plainly shown an element of mercy in the para-
bolic mode of instruction adopted by our Lord under the
conditions prevailing at the time. Had He always taught
in explicit declaration, such as required no interpretation,
many among His hearers would have come under condemna-
tion, inasmuch as they were too weak in faith and unpre-
h Note 9, end of chapter.
Matt. 13:10-17; compare Mark 4:10-13; Luke 8:9, 10.
/Matt. 13:12; compare 25:29; Mark 4:25; Luke 8:18; 19:28.
*Isa. 0:9; see also 42:20; 43:8; Ezek. 12:2; John 12:40; Acts 28:26, 27.
WHO HATH EARS TO HEAR, LET HIM HEAR. 297
pared in heart to break the bonds of traditionalism and the
prejudice engendered by sin, so as to accept and obey the
saving word. Their inability to comprehend the require-
ments of the gospel would in righteous measure give Mercy
some claim upon them, while had they rejected the truth with
full understanding, stern Justice would surely demand their
condemnation.*
That the lesson of the parables was comprehensible
through study, prayer and search was intimated in the
Teacher's admonishment: "Who hath ears to hear, let him
hear." m To the more studious inquirers, the Master added :
"Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mett, it
shall be measured to you : and unto you that hear shall more
be given. For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he
that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he
hath." n Two men may hear the same words; one of them
listens in indolence and indifference, the other with active
mind intent on learning all that the words can possibly con-
vey; and, having heard, the diligent man goes straightway
to do the things commended to him, while the careless one
neglects and forgets. The one is wise, the other foolish ; the
one has heard to his eternal profit, the other to his everlast-
ing condemnation.
Another example of the merciful adaptation of the word
of truth to the varied capacities of the people who heard the
parables is found in the psychological fact, that the incidents
of an impressive though simple story will live, even in minds
which for the time being are incapable of comprehending any
meaning beyond that of the common-place story itself. Many
a peasant who had heard the little incident of the sower and
the four kinds of soil, of the tares sown by an enemy at
night, of the seed that grew though the planter had tem-
/See the authors "Articles of Faith," iii:12, 13; B. of M., 2 Nephi 9:25-
27; Rom. 2:12; Doc. and Cov. 45:54; 76:72.
mMatt. 13:9, 43; see also 11:15; Mark 4:9.
nMark 4:24, 25.
oRead again Matt. 7:24-27; Luke 6:46-49.
298 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 19.
porarily forgotten it, would be reminded by the recurring
circumstances of his daily work ; the gardener would recol-
lect the story of the mustard seed whenever he planted
afresh, or when he looked upon the umbrageous plant with
birds nesting in its branches; the housewife would be im-
pressed anew by the story of the leaven as she mixed and
kneaded and baked; the fisherman at his nets would think
again of the good fish and the bad and compare the sorting
of his catch with the judgment to come. And then, when
time and experience, including suffering perhaps, had pre-
pared them for deeper thought, they would find the living
kernel of gospel truth within the husk of the simple tale.
PARABIvKS IN
The essential feature of a parable is that of comparison
or similitude, by which some ordinary, well-understood in-
cident is used to illustrate a fact or principle not directly
expressed in the story. The popular thought that a parable
necessarily rests on a fictitious incident is incorrect; for,
inasmuch as the story or circumstance of the parable must
be simple and indeed common-place, it may be real. There
is no fiction in the parables we have thus far studied; the
fundamental stories are true to life and the given circum-
stances are facts of experience. The narrative or incident
upon which a parable is constructed may be an actual occur-
rence or fiction; but, if fictitious, the story must be con-
sistent and probable, with no admixture of the unusual or
miraculous. In this respect the parable differs from the
fable, the latter being imaginative, exaggerated and improb-
able as to fact; moreover, the intent is unlike in the two,
since the parable is designed to convey some great spiritual
truth, while the so-called moral of the fable is at best sug-
gestive only of worldly achievement and personal advantage.
Stones of trees, animals and inanimate things talking to-
ALLEGORIES, PARABLES, AND PROVERBS. 299
gather or with men are wholly fanciful; they are fables or
apologues whether the outcome be depicted as good or bad ;
to the parable these show contrast, not similarity. The
avowed purpose of the fable is rather to amuse than to teach.
The parable may embody a narrative as in the instances of
the sower and the tares, or merely an isolated incident, as in
those of the mustard seed and the leaven.
Allegories are distinguished from parables by greater
length and detail of the story, and by the intimate admixture
of the narrative with the lesson it is designed to teach; these
are kept distinctly separate in the parable. Myths are ficti-
tious stories, sometimes with historic basis of fact, but with-
out symbolism of spiritual worth. A proverb is a short, sen-
tentious saying, in the nature of a maxim, connoting a
definite truth or suggestion by comparison. Proverbs and
parables are closely related, and in the Bible the terms are
sometimes used interchangeably/ The Old Testament con-
tains two parables, a few fables and allegories, and numer-
ous proverbs ; of the last-named we possess an entire book.<?
Nathan the prophet reproved King David by the parable of
the poor man's ewe lamb, and so effective was the story that
the king decreed punishment for the wealthy offender, and
was overcome by sorrow and contrition when the prophet
made application of his parable by the fateful words, "Thou
art the man." r The story of the vineyard, which though
fenced and well-tended yet brought forth only wild, useless
fruit, was used by Isaiah to portray the sinful state of Israel
in his attempt to awaken the people to lives of righteousness/
The parables of the New Testament, spoken by the
Teacher of teachers, are of such beauty, simplicity, and
effectiveness, as to stand unparalleled in literature.
p Note 10, end of chapter.
q Note 11, end of chapter.
r2 Sam. 12:1-7, 13.
jlsa. 5:1-7.
JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 19.
NOTES TO CHAPTER 19.
' -'' '-. '''.-'
1. The First Group of Parables. Many Bible scholars hold
that the seven parables recorded in the thirteenth chapter of
Matthew were spoken at different times and to different people,
and that the writer of the first Gospel grouped them for con-
venience in recording and with prime consideration of their sub-
jective interest. Some color is found for this claim in Luke's
mention of some of these parables in different relations of both
time and place ; thus, the parables of the Mustard Seed and the
Leaven are given (Luke 13:18, 21) as directly following the heal-
ing of the infirm woman in the synagog, and the rebuke to the
hypocritical ruler. While we must admit that Matthew may
have grouped with the parables spoken on that particular day
some of other dates, it is probable that Jesus repeated some of
His parables, as He certainly did other teachings, and thus pre-
sented the same lesson on more occasions than one. As a matter
of fact each parable is a lesson in itself, and holds its high in-
trinsic value whether considered as an isolated story or in con-
nection with related teachings. Let us give heed to the lesson
of each whatever opinions men may promulgate as to the cir-
cumstances of its first delivery.
2. Local Setting for the Parable of the Sower. Dr. R. C.
Trench, in his excellent work Notes on the Parables of our Lord
(p-. 57i note), quotes Dean Stanley's description of existing con-
ditions in the place where the Parable of the Sower was given
by Jesus; and as there is reason to believe that the environment
has changed but little since the days of Christ, the account is
here reproduced : "A slight recess in the hillside close upon the
plain disclosed at once in detail, and with a conjunction which I
remember nowhere else in Palestine, every feature of the great
parable. There was the undulating corn-field descending to the
water's edge. There was the trodden pathway running through
the midst of it, with no fence or hedge to prevent the seed fall-
ing here or there on either side of it, or upon it itself hard with
the constant tramp of horse and mule and human feet. There
was the 'good* rich soil, which distinguishes the whole of that
plain and its neighborhood from the bare hills elsewhere, de-
scending into the lake, and which, where there is no interruption,
produces one vast mass of corn. There was the rocky ground
of the hillside protruding here and there through the corn-fields,
as elsewhere, through the grassy slopes. There were the large
bushes of thorn, the 'nabk' . . . springing up, like the fruit-
trees of the more inland parts, in the very midst of the waving
wheat."
3. Tares. This term occurs nowhere within the Bible ex-
cept % in this instance of the parable. Plainly any kind of weed,
particularly a poisonous sort, such as would seriously depreciate
the ^garnered crop, would serve the Master's purpose in the illus-
tration. The traditional belief commonly held is that the plant
referred to in the parable is the darnel weed, known to botanists
NOTES. 301
as Lolium temulentum, a species of bearded rye-grass. This plant
closely resembles wheat in the early period of growth, and exists
as a pest to the farmers in Palestine to-day; it is called by the
Arabians "Zowan" or "Zawan" which name, says Arnot, citing
Thompson, "bears some resemblance to the original word in the
Greek text." The writer of the article "Tares" in Smith's Dic-
tionary says : "Critics and expositors are agreed that the Greek
plural zizania, A. V. 'tares,' of the parable (Matt. 13:25) denotes
the weed called 'bearded darnel' (Lolium temulentum), a widely-
distributed grass, and the only species of the order that has
deleterious properties. The bearded darnel before it comes into
ear is very similar in appearance to wheat, and the roots of the
two are often intertwined ; hence the command that the 'tares'
should be left till the harvest, lest while men plucked up the
tares 'they should root up also the wheat with them/ This
darnel is easily distinguishable from the wheat and barley when
headed out, but when both are less developed, 'the closest
scrutiny will often fail to detect it. Even the farmers, who in
this country generally weed their fields, do not attempt to sep-
arate the one from the other The taste is bitter, and,
when eaten separately, or even when diffused in ordinary bread,
it causes dizziness, and often acts as a violent emetic.' " The
secondary quotation is from Thompson's The Land and the Book,
ii, in, 112. It has been asserted that the darnel is a degenerated
kind of wheat; and attempts have been made to give additional
significance to our Lord's instructive parable by injecting this
thought ; there is no scientific warrant for the strained concep-
tion, however, and earnest students will not be misled thereby.
4. The Wickedness of the Sower of Tares. Attempts have
been made to disparage the Parable of the Tares on the ground
that it rests on an unusual if not unknown practise. Trench thus
meets the criticism (Notes on the Parables, pp. 72, 73) : "Our
Lord did not imagine here a form of malice without example,
but adduced one which may have been familiar enough to His
hearers, one so easy of execution, involving so little risk, and
yet effecting so great and lasting a mischief, that it is not strange,
where cowardice and malice meet, that this should have been
often the shape in which they displayed themselves. We meet
traces of it in many quarters. In Roman law the possibility of
this form of injury is contemplated; and a modern writer, illus-
trating Scripture from the manners and habits of the East, with
which he had become familiar through a sojourn there, affirms
the same to be now practised in India." In a subjoined note
the author adds : "We are not without this form of malice
nearer home. Thus in Ireland I have known an outgoing tenant,
in spite at his eviction, to sow wild oats in the fields which he
was leaving. These, like the tares in the parable, ripening and
seeding themselves before the crops in which they were mingled,
it became next to impossible to extirpate."
5. The Parable of the Seed Growing Secretly. This parable
has given rise to much discussion among expositors, the question
being as to who is meant by the man who cast seed into the
I
302 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 19.
ground. If, as in the parables of the Sower and the Tares, the
Lord Jesus be tne planter, then, some ask, how can it be said
"that the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how,"
when all things are known unto Him? If on the other hand the
planter represents the authorized teacher or preacher of the
gospel, how can it be said that at the harvest time "he putteth
in the sickle," since the final harvesting of souls is the preroga-
tive of God? The perplexities of the critics arise from their
attempt to find in the parable a literalism never intended by the
Author. Whether _ the seed be planted by the Lord Himself, as
when He taught in Person, or by any one of His authorized
servants, the seed is alive and will grow. Time is required; the
blade appears first and is followed by the ear, and the ear ripens
in season, without the constant attention which a shaping of the
several parts by hand would require. The man who figures in
the parable is presented as an ordinary farmer, who plants, and
waits, and in due time reaps. The lesson imparted is the vitality
of the seed as a living thing, endowed by its Creator with the
capacity to both grow and develop.
6. The Mustard Plant. The wild mustard, which in the
temperate zone seldom attains a height of more than three or
four feet, reaches in semitropical lands the height of a horse and
its rider (Thompson, The Land and the Book ii, 100). Those who
heard the parable evidently understood the contrast between
size of seed and that of the fully developed plant. Arnot, (The
Parables, p. 102), aptly says: "This plant obviously was chosen
by the Lord, not on account of its absolute magnitude, but be-
cause it was, and was recognized to be, a striking instance of
increase from very small to very great. It seems to have been
in Palestine, at that time, the smallest seed from which so large
a plant was known to grow. There were, perhaps, smaller seeds,
but the plants which sprung from them were not so great;
and there were greater plants, but the seeds from which they
sprung were not so small." Edersheim (i, p. 593) states that the
diminutive size of the mustard seed was commonly used in com-
parison by the rabbis, "to indicate the smallest amount such as
the least drop of blood, the least defilement, etc." The same au-
thor continues, in speaking of the grown plant: "Indeed, it
looks no longer like a large garden-herb or shrub, but 'becomes'
or rather appears like 'a tree' as St. Luke puts it, 'a great
tree,' of course, not in comparison with other trees, but with
garden-shrubs. Such growth of mustard seed was also a fact
well known at the time, and, indeed, still obzerved in the. East.
And the general meaning would the more easily
be apprehended, that a tree, whose wide-spreading branches
afforded lodgment to the birds of heaven, was a familiar Old
Testament figure for a mighty kingdom that gave shelter to the
nations (Ezek. 31:6, 12; Dan. 4:12, 14, 21, 22). Indeed, it is spe-
cifically used as an illustration of the Messianic Kingdom (Ezek.
17:23)."
7. The Symbolism of Leaven. In the parable, the kingdom
of heaven is likened unto leaven. In other scriptures leaven is
NOTES. 303
figuratively mentioned as representing evil, thus, "the leaven of
the Pharisees and of the Sadducees" (Matt. 16:6, see also Luke
12:1), "the leaven of Herod" (Mark 8:15). These instances,
and others (i Cor. 5:7, 8) are illustrative of the contagion of
evil. In the incident of the woman using leaven in the ordinary
process of bread-making, the spreading, penetrating, vital effect
of truth is symbolized by the leaven. The same thing in differ-
ent aspects may very properly be used to represent good in one
instance and evil in another.
8. Treasure Belonging to the Finder. As to the justifica-
tion of the man who found a treasure hidden in another's field
and then, concealing the fact of his discovery, bought the field
that he might possess the treasure, Edersheim (i, p. 595-6) says:
"Some difficulty has been expressed in regard to the morality of
such a transaction. In reply it may be observed, that it was, at
least, in entire accordance with Jewish law. If a man had found
a treasure in loose coins among the corn it would certainly be
his if he bought the corn. If he had found it on the ground, or
in the soil, it would equally certainly belong to him if he could
claim ownership of the soil, and even if the field were not his
own, unless others could prove their right to it. The law went
so far as to adjudge to the^ purchaser of fruits anything found
among these fruits. This will suffice to vindicate a question of
detail, which, in any case, should not be too closely pressed in
a parabolic history."
9. Superiority of our Lord's Parables. "Perhaps no other
mode of teaching was so common among the Jews as that by
parables. Only in their case, they were almost entirely illustra-
tions of what had been said or taught; while in the case of Christ,
they served as the foundation for His teaching. ... In the
one case it was intended to make spiritual teaching appear Jew-
ish and national, in the other to convey spiritual teaching in a
form adapted to the stand-point of the hearers. This distinction
will be found to hold true, even in instances where there seems
the closest parallelism between a Rabbinic and an Evangelic
parable. ... It need scarcely be said that comparison be-
tween such parables, as regards their spirit, is scarcely possible,
except by way of contrast" (Edersheim, i, pp. 580-1). Geikie
tersely says : "Others have uttered parables, but Jesus so far
transcends them, that He > may justly be called the creator of
this mode of instruction" (ii, p. 145).
10. Parables and Other Forms of Analogy. "The parable
is also clearly distinguishable from the proverb, though it is true
that, in a certain degree, the words are used interchangeably in
the New Testament, and as equivalent the one to the other.
Thus 'Physician, heal thyself (Luke 4:23) is termed a parable,
being more strictly a proverb; so again, when the Lord had
used that proverb, probably already familiar to His hearers 'If
the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch'; Peter said
'Declare unto us this parable' (Matt. 15:14, 15) ; and Luke 5:36 is a
proverb or proverbial expression, rather than a parable, which
name it bears. . . . . . . . . So, upon the other hand,;
304 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 19.
those are called 'proverbs' in St. John, which if not strictly
parables, yet claim much closer affinity to the parable than
to the proverb, being in fact allegories ; thus Christ's set-
ting forth of His relations to His people under those
of a shepherd to his sheep is termed a 'proverb,' though our
translators, holding fast to the sense rather than to the letter,
have rendered it a 'parable' (John 10:6; compare 16:2^, 29). It
is easy to account for this interchange of words. Partiy it arose
from one word in Hebrew signifying both parable and proverb."
Trench, Notes on the Parables, pp. 9, 10.
For the convenience of readers who may not have a dic-
tionary at hand as they read, the following definitions are given :
Allegory. The setting forth of a subject under the guise of
some other subject or aptly suggestive likeness.
Apologue. A fable or moral tale, especially one in which
animals or inanimate things speak or act, and by which a useful
lesson is suggested or taught.
Fable. A brief story or tale feigned or invented to embody
a moral, and introducing animals and sometimes even inanimate
things as rational speakers and actors ; a legend or myth.
Myth. A fictitious or conjectural narrative presented as his-
torical, but without any basis of fact.
Parable. A brief narrative or descriptive allegory founded
on real scenes or events such as occur in nature and human life,
and usually with a moral or religious application. ^
Proverb. A brief, pithy saying, condensing in witty or strik-
ing form the wisdom of experience; a familiar and widely known
popular saying in epigrammatic form.
ii. Old Testament Parables, Etc. "Of parables in the
strictest sense the Old Testament contains only two" (2 Sam.
12:1-; and Isa. 5:1-). "Other stories, such as that of the trees
assembled to elect a king (Judges 9:8), and of the thistle and
cedar (2 Kings 14:9), are more strictly fables. Still others, such
as Ezekiel's account of the two eagles and the vine (17:2-), and
of the caldron (24:3-) are allegories. The small number of
parabolic narratives to be found in the Old Testament must not,
however, be taken as an indication of indifference toward this
literary form as suitable for moral instruction. The number is
only apparently small. In reality, similitudes, which, though not
explicitly couched in the terms of fictitious narrative, suggest
and furnish the materials for such narrative, are abundant."
Zenos, Stand. Bible Diet., article "Parables."
By applying the term "parable" in its broadest sense, to in-
clude all ordinary forms of analogy, we may list the following as
the most impressive parables of the Old Testament. Trees elect-
ing a king (Judges 9 17-) ; the poor man's ewe lamb (2 Sam.
12:1-) ; the contending brothers and the avengers (2 Sam. 14:1-) :
story of the escaped captive (i Kings 20:3^-); ^the thistle and
the cedar (2 Kings 14:9); the vineyard and its wild grapes (Isa.
5:1-); the eagles and the vine (Ezek. 17:3-); the lion's whelps
(Ezek. 19:2-); the seething pot (Ezek. 24:3-).
-
UNACCEPTABLE CANDIDATES FOR THE MINISTRY. 305
torr Brsri
?itt Gi
CHAPTER 20.
"PEACE, BE STILL."
INCIDENTS PRELIMINARY TO THE VOYAGE.
Near the close of the day on which Jesus had taught the
multitudes for the first time by parables, He said to the dis-
ciples, "Let us pass over unto the other side." The destina-
tion so indicated is the east side of the sea of Galilee. While
the boat was being made ready, a certain scribe came to
Jesus and said: "Master, I will follow thee whithersoever
thou goest." Prior to that time, few men belonging to the
titled or ruling class had offered to openly ally themselves
with Jesus. Had the Master been mindful of policy and de-
sirous of securing official recognition, this opportunity to at-
tach to Himself as influential a person as a scribe would have
received careful consideration if not immediate acceptance ;
but He, who could read the minds and know the hearts of
men, chose rather than accepted. He had called men who
were to be thenceforth His own, from their fishing boats and
nets, and had numbered one of the ostracized publicans
among the Twelve ; but He knew them, every one, and chose
accordingly. The gospel was offered freely to all; but au-
thority to officiate as a minister thereof was not to be had
for the asking ; for that sacred labor, one must be called of
God. &
In this instance, Christ knew the character of the man,
'
and, without wounding his feelings by curt rejection, pointed
out the sacrifice required of one who would follow whitherso-
ever the Lord went, saying : "The foxes have holes, and the
oMark 4:33.
b "Articles of Faith," x:l-20-"Men called of God,-"
306 JESUS THE CHRIST. [ATta [CHAP. 20.
birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not
where to lay his head." As Jesus had no fixed place of
abode, but went wherever His duty called Him, so was it
necessary that they who represented Him, men ordained or
set apart to His service, be ready to deny themselves the en-
joyment of their homes and the comfort of family associa-
tions, if the duties of their calling so demanded. We do not
read that the aspiring scribe pressed his offer.
Another man indicated his willingness to follow the L,ord,
but asked first for time to go and bury his father; to him
Jesus said : "Follow me ; and let the dead bury their dead."
Some readers have felt that this injunction was harsh,
though such an inference is scarcely justified. While it
would be manifestly unfilial for a son to absent himself from
his father's funeral under ordinary conditions, nevertheless,
if that son had been set apart to service of importance tran-
scending all personal or family obligations, his ministerial
duty would of right take precedence. Moreover, the re-
quirement expressed by Jesus was no greater than that made
of every priest during his term of active service, nor was it
more afflicting than the obligation of the Nazarite vow, c un-
der which many voluntarily placed themselves. The duties
of ministry in the kingdom pertained to spiritual life; one
dedicated thereto might well allow those who were negligent
of spiritual things, and figuratively speaking, spiritually dead,
to bury their dead.
A third instance is presented ; a man who wanted to be
a disciple of the Lord asked that, before entering upon his
duties, he be permitted to go home and bid farewell to his
family and friends. The reply of Jesus has become an
aphorism in life and literature: "No man, having put his
hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom
of God." 4
cPage 87.
JLuke 9:57-62; see also Matt. 8:19-22.
JESUS ASLEEP IN THE SHIP. 307
From Matthew's record we draw the inference that the
first two of these candidates for discipleship offered them-
selves to our Lord as He stood on the shore or in the boat
ready to begin the evening voyage across the lake. Luke
places the instances in a different connection, and adds to
the offers of the scribe and the man who would first bury his
father, that of the one who wished to go home and then re-
turn to Christ. The three incidents may be profitably con-
sidered together, whether all occurred in the evening of that
same eventful day or at different times.
STILLING THS STORM/
The instruction to launch forth and cross to the opposite
side of the lake was given by Jesus, who probably desired a
respite after the arduous labors of the day. No time had
been lost in unnecessary preparation; "they took him, even
as he was, into the ship," and set out without delay. Even
on the water some of the eager people tried to follow; for a
number of small boats, "little ships" as Mark styles them,
accompanied the vessel on which Jesus was embarked ; but
these lesser craft may have turned back, possibly on account
of the approaching storm; anyway, we do not hear of
them further.
Jesus found a resting place near the stern of the ship
and soon fell asleep. A great storm arose/ and still He
slept. The circumstance is instructive as it evidences at once
the reality of the physical attributes of Christ, and the
healthy, normal condition of His body. He was subject to
fatigue and bodily exhaustion from other causes, as are all
men ; without food He grew hungry ; without drink He
thirsted; by labor He became weary. The fact that after
a day of strenuous effort He could calmly sleep, even amidst
the turmoil of a tempest, indicates an unimpaired nervous
<?Matt. 8:23-27; Mark 4:35-41; Luke 8:22-25.
/Note 1, end of chapter.
308 JESUS THE CHRIST. "231 [CHAP. 20.
system and a good state of health. Nowhere do we find rec-
ord of Jesus having been ill. He lived according to the laws
of health, yet never allowed the body to rule the spirit ; and
His daily activities, which were of a kind to make heavy de-
mands on both physical and mental energy, were met with
no symptoms of nervous collapse nor of functional dis-
turbance. Sleep after toil is natural and necessary. The
day's w r ork done, Jesus slept.
Meanwhile the storm increased in fury; the wind ren-
dered the boat unmanageable ; waves beat over the side ; so
much water was shipped that the vessel seemed about to
founder. The disciples were terror-stricken ; yet through it
all Jesus rested peacefully. In their extremity of fear, the
disciples awakened Him, crying out, according to the sev-
eral independent accounts, "Master, Master, we perish" ;
"Lord, save us : we perish" ; and, "Master, carest thou not
that we perish?" They were abjectly frightened, and at
least partly forgetful that there was with them One whose
voice even death had to obey. Their terrified appeal was not
wholly devoid of hope nor barren of faith : "Lord, save us"
they cried. Calmly He replied to their piteous call, "Why
are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?"
Then He arose; and out through the darkness of that
fearsome night, into the roaring wind, over the storm-
lashed sea, went the voice of the Lord as He "rebuked the
wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind
ceased, and there was a great calm." Turning to the disci-
ples, He asked in tones of gentle yet unmistakable reproof :
"Where is your faith ?" and "How is it that ye have no
faith?" Gratitude for rescue from what but a moment be-
fore had seemed impending death was superseded by amaze-
ment and fear. "What manner of man is this," they asked
one ot another, "that even the wind and the sea obey him?"
Among the recorded miracles of Christ, none has elicited
greater diversity in comment and in attempt at elucidation
CHRIST'S CONTROL OVER MATTER AND ENERGY. 309
than has this marvelous instance of control over the forces
of nature. Science ventures no explanation. The Lord of
earth, air, and sea spoke and was obeyed. He it was who,
amidst the black chaos of creation's earliest stages, had com-
manded with immediate effect Let there be light ; Let there
be a firmament in the midst of the waters ; Let the dry land
appear and, as He had decreed, so it was. The dominion
of the Creator over the created is real and absolute. A small
part of that dominion has been committed to man* 7 as the
offspring of God, tabernacled in the very image of his di-
vine Father. But man exercizes that delegated control
through secondary agencies, and by means of complicated
mechanism. Man's power over the objects of his own de-
vizing is limited. It is according to the curse evoked by
Adam's fall, which came through transgression, that by the
strain of his muscles, by the sweat of his brow, and by stress
of his mind, shall he achieve. His word of command is but
a sound-wave in air, except as it is followed by labor.
Through the Spirit that emanates from the very Person of
Deity, and which pervades all space, the command of God
is immediately operative.
Not man alone, but also the earth and all the elemental
forces pertaining thereto came under the Adamic curse ; /l
and as the soil no longer brought forth only good and use-
ful fruits, but gave of its substance to nurture thorns and
thistles, so the several forces of nature ceased to be obedient
to man as agents subject to his direct control. What we call
natural forces heat, light, electricity, chemical affinity-
are but a few of the manifestations of eternal energy through
which the Creator's purposes are subserved; and these few,
man is able to direct and utilize only through mechanical
contrivance and physical adjustment. But the earth shall
yet be "renewed and receive its paradisaical glory"; then
<7Gen. 1:28; P. of G. P., Moses 2:26; 5:1.
h Gen. 3:17-19.
310 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 20.
soil, water, air, and the forces acting upon them, shall di-
rectly respond to the command of glorified man, as now
they obey the word of the Creator.*
.
QUIETING THU DEMONS/
Jesus and the disciples with Him landed on the eastern
or Perean side of the lake, in a region known as the country
of the Gadarenes or Gergesenes. The precise spot has not
been identified, but it was evidently a country district apart
from the towns.* 5 As the party left the boat, two maniacs,
who were sorely tormented by evil spirits, approached.
Matthew states there were two ; the other writers speak of
but one ; it is possible that one of the afflicted pair was in a
condition so much worse than that of his companion that to
him is accorded greater prominence in the narrative ; or, one
may have run away while the other remained. The demoniac
was in a pitiful plight. His frenzy had become so violent
and the physical strength incident to his mania so great that
all attempts to hold him in captivity had failed. He had
been bound in chains and fetters, but these he had broken
asunder by the aid of demon power ; and he had fled to the
mountains, to the caverns that served as tombs, and there he
had lived more like a wild beast than a man. Night and day
his weird, terrifying shrieks had been heard, and through
dread of meeting him people traveled by other ways rather
than pass near his haunts. He wandered about naked, and in
his madness often gashed his flesh with sharp stones.
Seeing Jesus, the poor creature ran toward Him, and,
impelled by the power of his demon control, prostrated
himself before Christ, the while crying out with a loud
voice: "What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of
the most high God ?" As Jesus commanded the evil spirits
to leave, one or more of them, through the voice of the man,
i Note 2, end of chapter.
/Matt. 8:28-34; Mark 5:1-19; Luke 8:26-39.
k Note 3, end of chapter.
DEMONS ENTER SWINE. 311
pleaded to be left alone, and with blasphemous presumption
exclaimed: "I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me
not." Matthew records the further question addressed to
Jesus : "Art thou come hither to torment us before the
time?" The demons, by whom the man was possessed and
controledj recognized the Master, whom they knew they
had to obey ; but they pleaded to be left alone until the de-
creed time of their final punishment would come.'
Jesus asked, ''What is thy name ?" and the demons within
the man answered, "My name is L,egion, for we are many."
The fact of the man's dual consciousness or multi-person-
ality is here apparent. So complete was his possession by
wicked spirits that he could no longer distinguish between his
individual personality and theirs. The devils implored that
Jesus would not banish them from that country ; or as Luke
records in words of awful import, "that he would not com-
mand them to go out into the deep." m In their wretched
plight, and out of diabolical eagerness to find abode in bodies
of flesh even though of beasts, they begged that, being com-
pelled to leave the man they be allowed to enter a herd of
hogs feeding nearby. Jesus gave permission ; the unclean
demons entered the swine ; and the whole herd, numbering
about two thousand, went wild, stampeded in terror, ran
violently down a steep place into the sea, and were drowned.
The swineherds were frightened, and, hastening to the town,
told what had happened to the hogs. People came out in
crowds to see for themselves ; and all were astounded to be-
hold the once wild man of whom they had all been afraid,
now clothed, and restored to a normal state of mind, sitting
quietly and reverently at the feet of Jesus. They were afraid
of One who could work such wonders, and, conscious of
their sinful unworthiness, begged Him to leave their coun-
try."
r~ *,
/Compare Rev. 20:3 ;
m Revised Version, "abyss" Jtietea* of ''"
nNote 4, nd &t chapter,
312 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 20.
i
The man who had been rid of the demons feared not ; in
his heart love and gratitude superseded all other feelings ;
and as Jesus returned to the boat he prayed that he might
go also. But Jesus forbade, saying: "Go home to thy
friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done
for thee, and hath had compassion on thee." The man be-
came a missionary, not alone in his home town but through-
out Decapolis, the region of the ten cities ; wherever he went
he told of the marvelous change Jesus had wrought on him.
The testimony of wicked and unclean spirits to the
divinity of Christ as the Son of God is not confined to this
instance. We have already considered the case of the de-
moniac in the synagog at Capernaum \ and another instance
appeared, when Jesus, withdrawing from the towns in Gal-
ilee, betook Himself to the sea shore, and was followed by a
great multitude comprizing Galileans and Judeans, and peo-
ple from Jerusalem and Idumea, and from beyond Jordan
(i. e. from Perea), and inhabitants of Tyre and Sidon,
amongst whom He had healed many of divers diseases ; and
those who were in bondage to unclean spirits had fallen
down and worshiped Him; while the demons cried out:
"Thou art the Son of God."*
In the course of the short journey considered in this chap-
ter, the power of Jesus as Master of earth, men and devils,
was manifest in miraculous works of the most impressive
kind. We cannot classify the Lord's miracles as small and
great, nor as easy and difficult of accomplishment ; what one
may consider the least is to another of profound import.
The Lord's word was sufficient in every instance. To the
wind and the waves, and to the demon-ridden mind of the
man possessed, He had but to speak and be obeyed. "Peace,
be still."
Mark 1:24; Luke 4:34, also verse 41; see page 181 herein.
3:7-11; compare Luke 6:17-19. See page 187.
PITIFUL REQUEST BY THE RULER OF A SYNAGOG. 313
ft l j b n i rf t <i J o ) vij Wuf i )-, J i O -e 1 1
THE RAISING OF THE DAUGHTER OF JAIRUS.3
Jesus and His attendants recrossed the lake from the land
of Gadara to the vicinity of Capernaum, where He was re-
ceived with acclamation by a multitude of people, "for they
were all waiting for him." Immediately after landing, Jesus
was approached by Jairus, one of the rulers of the local
synagog, who "besought him greatly, saying, My little
daughter lieth at the point of death : I pray thee, come and
lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed ; and she shall
live."
The fact of this man's coming to Jesus, with the spirit
of faith and supplication, is an evidence of the deep impres-
sion the ministry of Christ had made even in priestly and
ecclesiastical circles. Many of the Jews, rulers and officials
as well as the people in common, believed in Jesus ; r though
few belonging to the upper classes were willing to sacrifice
prestige and popularity by acknowledging their discipleship.
That Jairus, one of the rulers of the synagog, came only
when impelled by grief over the impending death of his only
daughter, a girl of twelve years, is no evidence that he had
not before become a believer ; certainly at this time his faith
was genuine and his trust sincere, as the circumstances of
the narrative prove. He approached Jesus with the rever-
ence due One whom he considered able to grant what he
asked, and fell at the Lord's feet, or as Matthew says, wor-
shiped Him. When the man had started from his home
to seek aid of Jesus, the maiden was at the point of death ;
he feared lest she had died in the interval. In the very brief
account given in the first Gospel, he is reported as saying to
Jesus: "My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay
thy hand upon her and she shall live."* Jesus went with the
imploring father, and many followed.
F
gMark 5:22-24, 35-43; Luke 8:41, 42, 49-56; Matt. 9:18, 19, 23-26.
rjohn 11:45; compare 8:30; 10:42.
s Note 5, end of chapter.
314 JESUS THE CHRIST. 33U( [CHAP. 20.
On the way to the house an incident occurred to hinder
progress. A sorely afflicted woman was healed, under cir-
cumstances of peculiar interest ; this occurrence we shall con-
sider presently. No intimation is given that Jairus showed
impatience or displeasure over the delay ; he had placed trust
in the Master and awaited His time and pleasure ; and while
Christ was engaged in the matter of the suffering woman,
messengers came from the ruler's house with the saddening
word that the girl was dead. We may infer that even these
dread tidings of certainty failed to destroy the man's faith ;
he seems to have still looked to the Lord for help, and those
who had brought the message asked, "Why troublest thou
the Master any further?" Jesus heard what was said, and
sustained the man's sorely-taxed faith by the encouraging
behest: "Be not afraid, only believe." Jesus permitted
none of His followers save three of the apostles to enter the
house with Himself and the bereaved but trusting father.
Peter and the two brothers James and John were admitted.
The house was no place of such respectful silence or sub-
dued quiet as we now consider appropriate to the time and
place of death ; on the contrary it was a scene of tumult, but
that condition was customary in the orthodox observances of
mourning at the time/ Professional mourners, including
singers of weird dirges, and minstrels who made great noise
with flutes and other instruments, had already been sum-
moned to the house. To all such Jesus said, on entering:
"Why make ye this ado, and weep ? the damsel is not dead
but sleepeth." It was in effect a repetition of His command
uttered on a then recent occasion Peace, Le still. His
words drew scorn and ridicule from those who were paid for
the noise they made, and who, if what He said proved true,
would lose this opportunity of professional service. More-
over, they knew the maid was dead; preparations for the
funeral, which custom required should follow death as speed-
t Note 6, end of chapter.
"TALITHA CUMI." 315
ily as possible, were already in progress. Jesus ordered
these people out, and restored peace to the house.* He then
entered the death chamber, accompanied only by the three
apostles and the parents of the girl. Taking the dead maiden
by the hand He "said unto her, Talitha cumi ; which is, being
interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise." To tfie astonish-
ment of all but the Lord, the girl arose, left her bed, and
walked. Jesus directed that food be given her, as bodily
needs, suspended by death, had returned with trie girl's re-
newal of life.
The Lord imposed an obligation of secrecy, charging all
present to refrain from telling what they had seen. The
reasons for this injunction are not stated. In some other
instances a similar instruction was given to those who had
been blessed by Christ's ministrations ; while on many occa-
sions of healing no such instructions are recorded, and in
one case at least the man who had been relieved of demons
was told to go and tell how great a thing had been done for
him. v In His own wisdom Christ knew when to prudently
forbid and when to permit publication of His doings.
Though the grateful parents, the girl herself, and the three
apostles who had been witnesses of the restoration, may all
have been loyal to the Lord's injunction of silence, the fact
that the maiden had been raised to life could not be kept
secret, and the means by which so great a wonder had been
wrought would certainly be inquired into. The minstrels
and the wailers who had been expelled from the place while
it was yet a house of mourning, and who had scornfully
laughed at the Master's assertion that the maiden was asleep
and not dead as they thought, would undoubtedly spread re-
ports. It is not surprizing, therefore, to read in Matthew's
short version of the history, that the fame of the miracle
"went abroad into all that land."
Note 7, end of chapter.
z'Mark 5:19-20; Luke 8:39. Page 312.
316 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 20.
RESTORATION TO LIFE AND RESURRECTION.
The vital distinction between a restoration of the dead to
a resumption of mortal life, and the resurrection of the body
from death to a state of immortality, must be thoughtfully
heeded. In each of the instances thus far considered that
of the raising of the dead man of Nain, w and that of the
daughter of Jairus, as also in the raising of Lazarus to be
studied later the miracle consisted in reuniting the spirit
and the body in a continuation of the interrupted course of
mortal existence. That the subject of each of these mira-
cles had to subsequently die is certain. Jesus Christ was the
first of all men who have lived on earth to come forth from
the tomb an immortalized Being; He is therefore properly
designated as "the first fruits of them that slept."*
Though both Elijah and Klisha, many centuries prior to
the time of Christ, were instrumental in restoring life to the
dead, the former to the widow's son in Zareptha, the latter
to the child of the Shunammite woman/ in these earlier
miracles the restoration was to mortal existence, not to im-
mortality. It is instructive to observe the difference in the
procedure of each of the Old Testament prophets mentioned
as compared with that of Christ in analogous miracles.
By both Elijah and Elisha the wonderful change was brought
about only after long and labored ministrations, and earnest
invocation of the power and intervention of Jehovah ; but
Jehovah, embodied in flesh as Jesus Christ, did nothing out-
wardly but command, and the bonds of death were immedi-
ately broken. He spoke in His own name and by inherent
authority, for by the power with which He was invested He
held control of both life and death.
w Page 251.
x\ Cor. 15:20, 23; see also Acts 26:23; Col. 1:18; Rev. 1:5; and "Articles
of Faith," xxi:24-27.
yl Kings 17;17-24; 2 Kings 4:31-37, 4^ .
A WOMAN HEALED AMIDST THE THRONG. 31
A REMARKABLE HEALING BY THE WAY*
While Jesus was walking to the house of Jairus with a
great crowd of people thronging about Him, the progress of
the company was arrested by another case of suffering. In
the throng was a woman who for twelve years had been
afflicted with a serious ailment involving frequent hem-
orrhage. She had spent in medical treatment all she had
owned, and "had suffered many things of many physicians,"
but had steadily grown worse. She worked her way through
the crowd, and, approaching Jesus from behind, touched His
robe ; "For she said, If I may touch but his clothes I shall be
whole." The effect was more than magical ; immediately
she felt the thrill of health throughout her body, and knew
that she had been healed of her affliction. Her object at-
tained, the blessing she sought being now secured, she tried
to escape notice by hastily dropping back into the crowd.
But her touch was not unheeded by the Lord. He turned to
look over the throng and asked, "Who touched my clothes ?"
or as Luke puts it, "Who touched me ?" As the people de-
nied, the impetuous Peter speaking for himself and the
others said: "Master, the multitude throng thee and press
thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me ?" But Jesus an-
swered : "Somebody hath touched me : for I perceive that
virtue is gone out of me."
The woman, finding that she could not escape identifica-
tion, came tremblingly forward, and, kneeling before the
Lord, confessed what she had done, her reason for so doing,
and the beneficent result. If she had expected censure her
fears were promptly set at rest, for Jesus, addressing her by
a term of respect and kindness, said : "Daughter, be of good
comfort : thy faith hath made thee whole ; go in peace," and
as Mark adds, "be whole of thy plague." ^
This woman's faith was sincere and free from guile,
#Mark 5:25-34; Matt. 9:20-22; Luke 8:43-48.
318 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 20.
nevertheless it was in a sense defective. She believed that
the influence of Christ's person, and even that attaching to
His raiment, was a remedial agency, ample to cure her
malady ; but she did not realize that the power to heal was
an inherent attribute to be exercized at His will, and as the
influence of faith might call it forth. True, her faith had
already been in part rewarded, but of greater worth to her
than the physical cure of her illness would be the assurance
that the divine Healer had granted the desire of her heart,
and that the faith she had manifested was accepted by Him.
To correct her misapprehension and to confirm her faith,
Jesus gently subjected her to the necessary ordeal of con-
fession, which must have been made easier through her con-
sciousness of the great relief already experienced. He con-
firmed the healing and let her depart with the comforting
assurance that her recovery was permanent.
In contrast with the many cases of healing in connection
with which the Lord charged the beneficiaries that they
should tell none how or by whom they had been relieved, we
see here that publicity was made sure by His own action, and
that too, when secrecy was desired by the recipient of the
blessing. The purposes and motives of Jesus may be but
poorly understood by man; but in this woman's case we see
the possibility of stories strange and untrue getting afloat,
and it appears to have been the wiser course to make plain
the truth then and there. Moreover the spiritual worth of
the miracle was greatly enhanced by the woman's confession
and by the Lord's gracious assurance.
Observe the significant assertion, "Thy faith hath made
thee whole." Faith is of itself a principle of power; and
by its presence or absence, by its fulness or paucity, even the
Lord was and is influenced, and in great measure controled,
in the bestowal or withholding of blessings; for He min-
isffers according to law, and not with caprice or uncertainty.
a "Articles of Faith," v:lM3.
kH3 PASSIVE BELIEF AND ACTIVE FAITH. 319
We read that at a certain time and place Jesus "could
there do no mighty work " because of the people's unbelief . b
Modern revelation specifies that faith to be healed is one of
the gifts of the Spirit, analogous to the manifestations of
faith in the work of healing others through the exercize of
the power of the Holy Priesthood/
Our Lord's inquiry as to who had touched Him in the
throng affords us another example of His asking questions
in pursuance of a purpose, when He could readily have de-
termined the facts directly and without aid from others.
There was a special purpose in the question, as every teacher
finds a means of instruction in questioning his pupils. d
But there is in Christ's question, "Who touched me?" a
deeper significance than could inhere in a simple inquiry as
to the identity of an individual; and this is implied in the
Lord's further words : "Somebody hath touched me : for I
perceive that virtue is gone out of me." The usual external
act by which His miracles were wrought was a word or a
command, sometimes accompanied by the laying on of hands,
or by some other physical ministration as in anointing the
eyes of a blind man/ That there was an actual giving of
His own strength to the afflicted whom He healed is evident
from the present instance. Passive belief on the part of a
would-be recipient of blessing is insufficient ; only when it is
vitalized into active faith is it a power; so also of one who
ministers in the authority given of God, mental and spiritual
energy must be operative if the service is to be effective.
THE BLIND SEE AND THE DUMB SPEAK/
Two other instances of miraculous healing are chronicled
by Matthew as closely following the raising of the daughter
of Jairus. As Jesus passed down the streets of Capernaum,
& Mark 6:5, 6; compare Matt. 13:58.
cDoc. and Cov. 46:19; compare Matt. 8:10; 9:28, 29. Acts 14:9.
d Note 8, end of chapter.
<?Matt. 8:3; Luke 4:40; 13:13; John 9:6; compare Mark 6:5; 7:33; 8:23.
/Matt. 9:27-35.
320 JESUS THE CHRIST. 3VI8S [CHAP. 20.
presumably on His departure from the house of the ruler of
the synagog, two blind men followed Him, crying out :
"Thou son of David, have mercy on us." This title of ad-
dress was voiced by others at sundry times, and in no case
do we find record of our Lord disclaiming it or objecting
to its use.* 7 Jesus paused not to heed this call of the blind,
and the two sightless men followed Him, even entering the
house after Him. Then He spoke to them, asking: "Be-
lieve ye that I am able to do this ?" And they replied, "Yea,
Lord." Their persistency in following the Lord was evi-
dence of their belief that in some way, though to them un-
known and mysterious, He could help them ; and they
promptly and openly confessed that belief. Our Lord
touched their eyes, saying: "According to your faith be it
unto you." The effect was immediate ; their eyes were
opened. They were explicitly instructed to say nothing of
the matter to others; but, rejoicing in the inestimable bless-
ing of sight, they "spread abroad his fame in all that coun-
try." So far as we can unravel the uncertain threads of
sequence in the works of Christ, this is the earliest instance,
recorded with attendant details, of His giving sight to the
blind. Many remarkable cases follow. h
It is worthy of note that in blessing the sightless by the
exercize of His healing power, Jesus usually ministered by
some physical contact in addition to uttering the authorita-
tive words of command or assurance. In this instance, as
also in that of two blind men who sat by the wayside, He
touched the sightless eyes ; in the giving of sight to the blind
indigent in Jerusalem He anointed the man's eyes with clay ;
to the eyes of another He applied saliva.* An analogous
circumstance is found in the healing of one who was deaf
and defective of speech, in which instance the Lord put His
fingers into the man's ears and touched his tongue/ In no
0Matt. 15:22; 20:30, 31; Mark 10:47, 48; Luke 18:38, 39.
h Note 9, end of chapter.
tMatt. 20:30-34: John 9:6; Mark 8:23.
/Mark 7:32-37.
A DUMB DEMONIAC HEALED.
case can such treatment be regarded as medicinal or thera-
peutic. Christ was not a physician who relied upon curative
substances, nor a surgeon to perform physical operations ;
His healings were the natural results of the application of a
power of His own. It is conceivable that confidence, which
is a stepping-stone to belief, as that in turn is to faith, may
have been encouraged by these physical ministrations,
strengthened, and advanced to a higher and more abiding-
trust in Christ, on the part of the afflicted who had not
sight to look upon the Master's face and derive inspiration
therefrom, nor hearing to hear His uplifting words. There
is apparent not alone an entire absence of formula and
formalism in His ministration, but a lack of uniformity of
procedure quite as impressive.
As the two men, once sightless but now seeing, departed,
others came, bringing a dumb friend whose affliction seems
to have been primarily due to the malignant influence of an
evil spirit rather than to any organic defect. Jesus rebuked
the wicked spirit cast out the demon that had obsessed the
afflicted one and held him in the tyranny of speechlessness.
The man's tongue was loosened, he was freed from the evil
incubus, and was no longer dumb. &
NOTES TO CHAPTER 20.
i. Storms on the Lake of Galilee. It is a matter of record
that sudden and violent storms are common on the lake or sea
of Galilee; and the tempest that was quieted by the Lord's word
of command was of itself no unusual phenomenon, except per-
haps in its intensity. Another incident connected with a storm
on this small body of water is of scriptural record, and will be
considered later in the text (Matt. 14:22-26; Mark 6:45-56; John
6:15-21). Dr. Thompson (The Land and the Book ii :32) gives a
description founded on his personal experience on the shores of
the lake: "I spent a night in that Wady Shukaiyif, some three
miles up it, to the left of us. The sun had scarcely set when
the wind began to rush down toward ^ the lake, and it continued
all night long with constantly increasing violence, so that when
we reached the shore next morning the face of the lake was a
k Matt. 0:32, 33. Note 10, end of chapter.
II
322 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 20.
huge boiling caldron. The wind howled down every wady from
the north-east and east with such fury that no efforts of rowers
could have brought a boat to shore at any point along that coast.
. ^ To understand the causes of these sudden and
violent tempests, we must remember that the lake lies low six
hundred feet lower than the ocean ; that the vast and naked
plateaus of the Jaulan rise to a great height, spreading backward
to the wilds of the Hauran, and upward to snowy Hermon; and
the water-courses have cut out profound ravines and wild gorges,
converging to the head of this lake, and that these act like gigan-
tic funnels to draw down the cold winds from the mountains."
2. The Earth Before and After Its Regeneration. That the
earth itself fell under the curse incident to the fall of the first
parents of the race, and that even as man shall be redeemed so
shall the earth be regenerated, is implied in Paul's words : "Be-
cause the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage
of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in
pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also,
which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan
within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption
of our body" (Rom. 8:21-23). The present author has written
elsewhere : "According to the scriptures, the earth has to un-
dergo a change analogous to death, and to be regenerated in a
manner comparable to a resurrection. References to the elements
melting with heat, and to the earth being consumed and passing
away, such as occur in many scriptures already cited, are sug-
gestive of death; and the new earth, really the renewed or regen-
erated planet, which is to result, may be compared with a resur-
rected organism. The change has been likened unto a transfig-
uration (Doc. and Cov. 63:20, 21). Every created thing has been
made for a purpose ; and everything that fills the measure of its
creation is to be advanced in the scale of progression, be it an
atom or a world, an animalcule, or man the direct and literal
offspring of Deity. In speaking of the degrees of glory pro-
vided for His creations, and of the laws of regeneration and
sanctification, the Lord, in a revelation dated 1832, speaks plainly
of the approaching death and subsequent quickening of the
earth. These are His words : 'And again, verily I say unto you,
the earth abideth the law of a celestial kingdom, for it filleth the
measure of its creation, and transgresseth not the law. Where-
fore it shall be sanctified; yea, notwithstanding it shall die, it
shall be quickened again, and shall abide the power by which it
is quickened, and the righteous shall inherit it.' (Doc. and Cov.
88:25-26.)"
The vital Spirit that emanates from God and is coextensive
with space, may operate directly and with as positive effect upon
inanimate things, and upon energy in its diverse manifestations
known to us as the forces of nature, as upon organized intelli-
gences, whether yet unembodied, in the flesh, or disembodied.
Thus, the Lord may speak directly to the earth, the air, the sea,
and be heard and obeyed, for the divine affluence, which is the
NOTES. 323
sum of all energy and power may and does operate throughout
the universe. In the course of a revelation from God to Enoch,
the earth is personified, and her groans and lamentations over
the wickedness of men were heard by the prophet : "And it
came to pass that Enoch looked upon the earth ; and he heard a
voice from the bowels thereof, saying : Wo, wo is me, the mother
of men; I am pained, I am weary, because of the wickedness of
my children. When shall I rest, and be cleansed from the filth-
iness which is gone forth out of me? When will my Creator
sanctify me, that I may rest, and righteousness for a season abide
upon my face ?" Enoch pleaded : "O Lord, wilt thou not have
compassion upon the earth?" Following further revelation as
to the then future course of mankind in sin and in the rejection
of the Messiah who was to be sent, the prophet wept with
anguish, and asked of God "When shall the earth rest?" It was
then shown unto him that the crucified Christ shall return to
earth and establish a millennial reign of peace : "And the Lord
said unto Enoch : As I live, even so will I come in the last days,
in the days of wickedness and vengeance, to fulfil the oath which
I have made unto you concerning the children of Noah ; and the
day shall come that the earth shall rest, but before that day the
heavens shall be darkened, and a veil of darkness shall cover the
earth ; and the heavens shall shake, and also the earth ; and great
tribulations shall be among the children of men. " And the
glorious assurance followed "that for the space of a thousand
years the earth shall rest." (P. of G. P., Moses 7:48, 49, 58, 60,
61, 64.)
A partial description of the earth in its regenerated state has
been given through the prophet Joseph Smith in the present dis-
pensation : "This earth, in its sanctified and immortal state, will
be made like unto crystal and will be a Urim and Thummim to
the inhabitants who dwell thereon, whereby all things pertaining
to an inferior kingdom, or all kingdoms of a lower order, will be
manifest to those who dwell on it; and this earth will be Christ's."
(Doc. and Cov. 130:9).
That Jesus Christ, in the exercize of His powers of Godship,
should speak directly to the wind or the sea and be obeyed, is no
less truly in accord with the natural law of heaven, than that He
should effectively command a man or an unembodied spirit. That
through faith even mortal man may set in operation the forces
that act upon matter and with assurance of stupendous results
has been explicitly declared by Jesus Christ : "For verily I say
unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall
say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place ; and it
shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you" (Matt.
17:20; compare Mark 11:23; Luke 17:6).
3. The Land of the Gergesenes. Attempts have been made
to discredit the account of Christ's healing the demoniac in "the
country of the Gadarenes" (Mark 5:1; Luke 8:26) on the claim
that the ancient town of Gadara the capital of the district (see
Josephus, Wars, iii, 7:1), was too far inland to make possible the
precipitous dash of the swine into the sea from that place. Others
324: JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 20.
lay stress on the fact that Matthew differs from the two other
Gospel-historians, in specifying "the country of the Gergesenes"
(8:28). As stated in the text, a whole region or section is re-
ferred to, not a town. The keepers of the swine ran off to the
towns tc report the disaster that had befallen their herd. In
that district of Perea there were at the time towns named re-
spectively Gadara, Gerasa, and Gergesa ; the region in general,
therefore, could properly be called the land of the Gadarenes or
of the Gergesenes. Farrar (Life of Christ, p. 254 note) says :
"After the researches of Dr. Thompson (The Land and the Book,
ii:25), there can be no doubt that Gergesa . . was the name of
a little town nearly opposite Capernaum, the ruined site of which
is still called Kerza or Gersa by the Bedawin. The existence of
this little town was apparently known both to Origen, who first
introduced the reading, and to Eusebius and Jerome; and in their
day a steep declivity near it, where the hills approach to within a
little distance from the lake, was pointed out as the scene of
the miracle."
4. Jesus Entreated to Leave the Country. The people were
frightened over the power possessed by Jesus, as demonstrated
in the cure of the demoniac, and in the destruction of the swine,
which latter occurrence, however, was not in pursuance of His
command. It was the fear that sinful men feel in the presence
of the Righteous. They were not prepared for other manifesta-
tions of divine power, and they dreaded to think who among them
might be directly affected thereby should it be exerted. We must
judge the people mercifully, however, if at all. They were in
part heathen, and had but superstitious conceptions of Deity.
Their prayer that Jesus leave them brings to mind the ejacula-
tion of Simon Peter in his witnessing one of Christ's miracles :
"Depart from me: for I am a sinful man, O Lord" (Luke 5:8).
5. "Dead," or "At the Point of Death." According to Luke
(8:42) the daughter of Jairus "lay a dying" when the grief-
stricken father sought help of the Lord; Mark (5:23) reports the
man as stating that the girl lay "at the point of death." These
two accounts agree; but Matthew (9:18) represents the father as
saying : "My daughter is even now dead." Unbelieving critics
have dwelt at length on what they designate an inconsistency
if not a contradiction in these versions ; and yet both accounts
embodied in the three records are plainly true. The maid was
seemingly breathing her last, she was in the very throes of death,
when the father hurried away. Before he met Jesus he felt that
the end had probably come ; nevertheless his faith endured. His
words attest his trust, that even had his daughter actually died
since he left her side, the Master could recall her to life. He
was in a state o'f frenzied grief, and still his faith held true.
6. Mourning Customs Among Orientals. Observances that
to us seem strange, weird, and out of place, prevailed from very
early times among oriental peoples, some of which customs were
common to the Jews in the days of Christ. Noise and tumult,
including screeching lamentations by members of the bereaved
family and by professional mourners, as also the din of instru-
. NOTES. 325
ments, were usual accompaniments of mourning. Geikie, citing
Buxtorf's quotation from the Talmud, gives place to the follow-
ing: "Even a poor Israelite was required to have not fewer than
two flute players and one mourning woman at the death of his
wife; but if he be rich all things are to be done according to his
quality." In Smith's Dictionary of the Bible, we read : "The
number of words (about eleven Hebrew and as many Greek)
employed in scripture to express the various actions character-
istic of mourning, shows in a great degree the nature of Jewish
customs in this respect. They appear to have consisted chiefly
in the following particulars: (i) Beating upon the breast or
other parts of the body. (2) Weeping and screaming in an ex-
cessive degree. (3) Wearing sad-colored garments. (4) Songs
of lamentation. (5) Funeral feasts. (6) Employment of per-
sons, especially women, to lament. One marked feature of ori-
ental mourning is what may be called its studied publicity, and
the careful observance of prescribed ceremonies (Gen. 23:2; Job
1:20; 2:8; Isa. 15:3; etc.)."
7. "Not Dead, but Sleepeth." That the daughter of Jairus
was dead is placed beyond reasonable doubt by the scriptural
record. Our Lord's statement to the noisy mourners that "the
damsel is not dead but sleepeth" told that her sleep was to be
of short duration. It was a rabbinical and common custom of
the time to speak of death as a sleep, and those who laughed
Jesus to scorn for His statement chose to construe His words in
a sense of such literalism as the context scarcely warrants. It is
noticeable that the Lord used a strictly equivalent expression
with respect to the death of Lazarus. "Our friend Lazarus
sleepeth," said He, "but I go that I may awake him out of
sleep." The literal construction placed upon these words by the
apostles evoked the plain declaration "Lazarus is dead" (John
11:11, 14). In the Talmud death is repeatedly designated as
sleep hundreds of times says Lightfoot, a recognized authority
on Hebrew literature.
8. Why Did Jesus Make Inquiries? We have already con-
sidered many instances of Christ's possession of what man would
call superhuman knowledge, extending even to the reading of
unuttered thoughts. Some people find difficulty in reconciling
this superior quality with the fact that Jesus often asked ques-
tions even on matters of minor circumstance. We should realize
that even complete knowledge may not preclude the propriety of
making inquiries, and, moreover, that even omniscience does not
imply ever-present consciousness of all that is. Undoubtedly
through his paternal heritage of divine attributes, Jesus had the
power of ascertaining for Himself, by means not possessed by
others, any facts He might have desired to know; nevertheless
we find Him repeatedly asking questions on circumstantial detail
(Mark 9:21; 8:27; Matt. 16:13; Luke 8:45) ; and this He did even
after His resurrection (Luke 24:41; John 21:5; B. of M., 3 Nephi
177).
That catechization is one of the most effective means of
mind development is exampled in the methods followed by the
326 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 20.
best of human teachers. Trench (Notes on the Miracles, pp. 148-9),
thus instructively points the lesson as illustrated by our Lord's
question concerning the woman who was healed of her issue of
blood : With little force "can it be urged that it would have been
inconsistent with absolute truth for the Lord to profess ignor-
ance, and to ask the question which He did ask, if all the while
He perfectly knew what He thus seemed implicitly to say that
He did not know. A father among his children, and demanding
Who committed this fault? himself conscious, even while he
asks, but at the same time willing to bring the culprit to a full
confession, and so to put him in a pardonable state, can he be
said, in any way to violate the law of the highest truth? The
same offense might be found in Elisha's 'Whence comest thou,
Gehazi?' (2 Kings 5:25) when his heart went with his servant all
the way that he had gone; and even in the question of God Him-
self to Adam, 'Where art thou?' (Gen. 3:9), and to Cain, 'Where
is Abel thy brother?' (Gen. 4:9). In every case there is a moral
purpose in the question, an opportunity given even at the latest
moment for making good at least a part of the error by its un-
reserved confession."
9. The Blind See. In his treatment of the miraculous heal-
ing of the two blind men who had followed Jesus into the house,
Trench (Notes on the Miracles of our Lord, p. 152) says: "We
have here the first of those many healings of the blind recorded
(Matt. 12:22; 20:30; 21:14; John 9) or alluded to (Matt. 11:5) in
the Gospels ; each of them a literal fulfilment of that prophetic
word of Isaiah concerning the days of Messiah: 'Then the eyes
of the blind shall be opened' (35:5). Frequent as these miracles
are, they yet will none of them be found without distinguishing
features of their own. That they should be so numerous is noth-
ing wonderful, whether we regard the fact x from a natural or spir-
itual point of view. Regarded naturally they need not surprize
us if we keep in mind how far commoner a calamity is blindness
in the East than with us. Regarded from a spiritual point of
view we have only to remember how commonly sin is contem-
plated in Scripture as a moral blindness (Deut. 28:29; Isa. 59:10;
Job 12:25; Zeph. i:j7), and deliverance from sin as a removal of
this blindness (Isa. 6:9, 10; 43:8; Eph. 1:18; Matt. 15:14); and
we shall at once perceive how fit it was that He who was the
'light of the world' should often accomplish works which sym-
bolized so well that higher work which He came into the world
to accomplish."
10. Imputation of Satanic Agency. Observe that in the
matter of healing the dumb demoniac referred to in the text,
Christ was charged with being in league with the devil. Although
the people, impressed by the manifestation of divine power in the
healing, exclaimed in reverence, "It was never so seen in Israel,"
the Pharisees, intent on counteracting the good effect of the Lord's
miraculous ministration, said "He casteth out devils through the
prince of the devils." Matt. 9-32-34-) For further treatment of this
inconsistent and, strictly speaking blasphemous charge, see pages
265-269.
JESUS THE CARPENTER. 327
CHAPTER 21.
THE APOSTOLIC MISSION, AND EVENTS RELATED
THERETO.
JESUS AGAIN IN NAZARETH - a
It will be remembered that, in the early clays of His public
ministry, Jesus had been rejected by the people of Nazareth,
who thrust Him out from their synagog and tried to kill
Him. & It appears that subsequent to the events noted in our
last chapter, He returned to the town of His youth, and again
raised His voice in the synagog, thus mercifully affording
the people another opportunity to learn and accept the
truth. The Nazarenes, as they had done before, now again
openly expressed their astonishment at the words He spoke,
and at the many miraculous works He had wrought ; never-
theless they rejected Him anew, for He came not as they
expected the Messiah to come; and they refused to know
Him save as "the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of
James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon ;" all of whom
were common folk as were also His sisters. "And they were
offended at him." c Jesus reminded them of the proverb then
current among the people, "A prophet is not without honour,
but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his
own house." Their unbelief was so dense as to cause Him
to marvel f and because of their lack of faith He was unable
to accomplish any great work except to heal a few excep-
tional believers upon whom He laid His hands. Leaving
Nazareth, He entered upon His third tour of the Galilean
towns and villages, preaching and teaching as He went/*
a Matt. 13:53-58; Mark 6:1-6.
&Luke 4:28-30. See pages 179-181.
c Pages 254, 274.
*Note 2, page 273.
d Note 1, end of chapter.
328 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 21.
THE TWELVE CHARGED AND SENT/
About this time, also, Jesus inaugurated a notable expan-
sion of the ministry of the kingdom, by sending forth the
Twelve on assigned missions. Since their ordination the
apostles had been with their Lord, learning from Him by
public discourse and private exposition, and acquiring inval-
uable experience and training through that privileged and
blessed companionship. The purpose of their ordination was
specified "that they should be with him, and that he might
send them forth to preach."/ They had been pupils under the
Master's watchful guidance for many months ; and now they
were called to enter upon the duties of their calling as
preachers of the gospel and individual witnesses of the
Christ. By way of final preparation they were specifically
and solemnly charged.* 7 Some of the instructions given them
on this occasion had particular reference to their first mis-
sion, from which they would in due time return and report ;
other directions and admonitions were to be of effect
throughout their ministry, even after the Lord's ascension.
They were directed to confine their ministrations for the
time being "to the lost sheep of the house of Israel," and
not to open a propaganda among the Gentiles/ 1 nor even in
Samaritan cities. This was a temporary restriction, im-
posed in wisdom and prudence ; later, as we shall see, they
were directed to preach among all nations, with the world
for their field. 1 ' The subject of their discourses was to be
that upon which they had heard the Master preach "the
kingdom of heaven is at hand." They were to exercize the
authority of the Holy Priesthood as conferred upon them by
ordination ; it was a specified part of their mission to "heal
eMatt. 10:5-42; Mark 6:7-13; Luke 9:1-6.
/Mark 3:14.
gMatt. 10:5-42; Mark 6:7-13; Luke 9:1-6.
h Note 2, end of chapter.
tMatt. 28:19; Mark 16:15. Page 695 herein.
THE TWELVE SOLEMNLY CHARGED. 329
the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils,"
as occasion presented itself ; and they were commanded to
give freely, even as they had freely received. Personal com-
fort and bodily needs they were not to provide for ; the peo-
ple were to be proved as to their willingness to receive and
assist those who came in the name of the Lord ; and the
apostles themselves were to learn to rely upon a Provider
more to be trusted than man ; therefore money, extra cloth-
ing, and things of mere convenience were to be left be-
hind. In the several towns they entered they were to
seek entertainment and leave their blessing upon every wor-
thy family into which they were received. If they found
themselves rejected by a household or by a town as a whole,
they were to shake the dust from their feet on leaving, as a
testimony against the people/ and it was decreed that, in
the day of judgment, the place so denounced would fare
worse than wicked Sodom and Gomorrha upon which fire
from heaven had descended.
The apostles were told to be prudent, to give no needless
offense, but to be wise as serpents, and harmless as doves ;
for they were sent forth as sheep into the midst of wolves.
They were not to recklessly entrust themselves to the power
of men; for wicked men would persecute them, seek to ar-
raign them before councils and courts, and to afflict them in
the synagogs. Moreover they might expect to be brought
before governors and kings, under which extreme condi-
tions they were to rely upon divine inspiration as to what
they should say, and not depend upon their own wisdom in
preparation and premeditation; "For," said the Master, "it
is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which
speaketh in you." &
They were not to trust even the claims of kinship for
protection, for families would be divided over the truth,
y Note 3, end of chapter.
A; Matt. 10:18-20; compare Mark 13:9; Luke 12:10-12.
JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 21.
brother against brother, children against parents, and the
resulting strife would be deadly. These servants of Christ
were told that they would be hated of all men, but were
assured that their sufferings were to be for His name's sake.
They were to withdraw from the cities that persecuted them,
and go to others; and the Lord would follow them, even
before they would be able to complete the circuit of the cities
of Israel. They were admonished to humility, and were
always to remember that they were servants, who ought not
to expect to escape when even their Master was assailed.
Nevertheless they were to be fearless, hesitating not to preach
the gospel in plainness ; for the most their persecutors could
do was to kill the body, which fate w r as as nothing compared
to that of suffering destruction of the soul in hell.
Assurance of the Father's watchful care was impressed
upon them by the simple reminder that though sparrows
were sold two for a farthing, and yet not a sparrow could
be sacrificed without the Father's concern, they, who were
of more value than many sparrows, would not be forgotten.
They were solemnly warned that whosoever would freely
confess the Christ before men would be acknowledged by
Him in the Father's presence, while they who denied Him
before men would be denied in heaven. And again they
were told that the gospel would bring strife, whereby house-
holds would be disrupted; for the doctrine the Lord had
taught would be as a sword to cut and divide. The duties
of their special ministry were to supersede the love for kin-
dred ; they must be willing to leave father, mother, son, or
daughter, whatever the sacrifice; for, said Jesus "He that
taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy
of me."
The significance of this figure must have been solemnly
impressive, and actually terrifying; for the cross was a
symbol of ignominy, extreme suffering, and death. How-
ever, should they lose their lives for His sake, they would
.
RETURN OF THE TWELVE. 331
find life eternal ; while he who was not willing to die in the
Lord's service should lose his life in a sense at once literal
and awful. They were never to forget in whose name they
were sent; and were comforted with the assurance that
whoever received them would be rewarded as one who had
received the Christ and His Father; and that though the
gift were only that of a cup of cold water, the giver should
in no wise lose his reward.
Thus charged and instructed, the twelve special wit-
nesses of the Christ set out upon their mission, traveling in
pairs/ while Jesus continued His personal ministry.
THE TWELVE) RETURN.
We are without definite information as to the dura-
tion of the apostles' first mission, and as to the extent
of the field they traversed. The period of their absence
was marked by many important developments in the indi-
vidual labors of Jesus. It is probable that during this time
our L,ord visited Jerusalem, on the occasion mentioned by
John as coincident with the unnamed feast of the Jews. w
While the apostles were absent, Jesus was visited by the
Baptist's disciples, as we have already seen, n and the re-
turn of the Twelve occurred near the time of the infamous
execution of John the Baptist in prison.
The missionary labors of the apostles greatly augmented
the spread of the new doctrine of the kingdom, and the
name and works of Jesus were proclaimed throughout the
land. The people of Galilee were at that time in a state of
discontent threatening open insurrection against the gov-
ernment ; their unrest had been aggravated by the murder of
the Baptist. Herod Antipas, who had given the fatal order,
trembled in his palace. He heard, with fear due to inward
wjohn 5;' pages 206, 216.
wMatt. 11:2-19; Luke 7:18-34; see page 252.
o Page 259.
332 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 21.
conviction of guilt, of the marvelous works wrought by
Jesus, and in terror averred that Christ could be none other
than John Baptist returned from the tomb. His fawning
courtiers essayed to allay his fears by saying that Jesus was
Elijah, or some other of the prophets whose advent had been
predicted ; but the conscience-stricken Herod said : "It is
John whom I beheaded : he is risen from the dead." Herod
desired to see Jesus; perhaps through the fascination of
fear, or with the faint hope that sight of the renowned
Prophet of Nazareth might dispel his superstitious dread
that the murdered John had returned to life.
Upon the completion of their missionary tour, the apos-
tles rejoined the Master and reported to Him both what they
had taught and what they had done by way of authoritative
ministration. They had preached the gospel of repentance
in all the cities, towns, and villages to which they had gone ;
they had anointed with oil many afflicted ones, and the
power of their priesthood had been attested by consequent
healings; even unclean spirits and devils had been subject
unto them.*' They found Jesus attended by great multi-
tudes ; and they had little opportunity of private confer-
ence with Him ; "for there were many coming and going,
and they had no leisure so much as to eat/' The apostles
must have heard in gladness the Lord's invitation : "Come
ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest awhile." In
quest of seclusion, Jesus and the Twelve withdrew from the
throng, and privately entered a boat in which they crossed
to a rural spot adjacent to the city of Bethsaida.s Their
departure had not been unobserved, however, and eager
crowds hastened along the shore, and partly around the
northerly end of the lake, to join the party at the landing
place. From John's account we are led to infer that, before
p Mark 6:12, 13; Luke 9:10. Note similar testimony of the Seventy,
who were sent out at a later time, and who returned rejoicing in the
power t'hat had been manifest in their ministry; Luke 10:17.
q Note 4, end of chapter.
FIVE THOUSAND MIRACULOUSLY FED. 333
the arrival of great numbers, Jesus and His companions had
ascended the hillside near the shore, where, for a short time
they had rested. As the multitude gathered on the lower
slopes, our Lord looked upon them as upon sheep without a
shepherd ; and, yielding to their desire and to His own emo-
tions of divine pity, He taught them many things, healed
their afflicted ones, and comforted their hearts with com-
passionate tenderness.
FIVE THOUSAND FED IN THE DESERT/
So intent were the people on hearing the Lord's words,
and so concerned in the miraculous relief resulting from His
healing ministrations, that they remained in the wilderness,
oblivious to the passing of the hours, until the evening ap-
proached. It was the springtime, near the recurrence of
the annual Passover festival, the season of grass and flowers/
Jesus, realizing that the people were hungry, asked Philip,
one of the Twelve, "Whence shall we buy bread, that these
may eat?" The purpose of the question was to test the
apostle's faith; for the Lord had already determined as to
what was to be done. Philip's reply showed surprize at the
question, and conveyed his thought that the suggested un-
dertaking was impossible. "Two hundred pennyworth of
bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may
take a little," said he. Andrew added that there was a lad
present who had five barley loaves, and two small fishes,
"But," said he, "what are they among so many?"
Such is John's account ; the other writers state that the
apostles reminded Jesus of the lateness of the hour, and
urged that He send the people away to seek for themselves
food and lodging in the nearest towns. It appears most
probable that the conversation between Jesus and Philip oc-
curred earlier in the afternoon ; f and that as the hours sped,
rjohn 6:5-14; compare Matt. 14:15-21; Mark 6:35-44; Luke 9:12-17.
sjohn 6:4; Matt. 14:19; Mark 6:39.
t Note 5, end of chapter.
JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 21.
the Twelve became concerned and advized that the multitude
be dismissed. The Master's reply to the apostles was:
"They need not depart; give ye them to eat." In amazed
wonder they replied: "We have here but five loaves and
two fishes ;" and Andrew's despairing comment is implied
again What are they among so many?
Jesus gave command, and the people seated themselves
on the grass in orderly array; they were grouped in fifties
and hundreds; and it was found that the multitude num-
bered about five thousand men, beside women and children.
Taking the loaves and the fishes, Jesus looked toward heaven
and pronounced a blessing upon the food; then, dividing
the provisions, He gave to the apostles severally, and they
in turn distributed to the multitude. The substance of both
fish and bread increased under the Master's touch ; and the
multitude feasted there in the desert, until all were satisfied.
To the disciples Jesus said : "Gather up the fragments that
remain, that nothing be lost ;" and twelve baskets were filled
with the surplus.
As to the miracle itself, human knowledge is powerless
to explain. Though wrought on so great a scale, it is no
more nor less inexplicable than any other of the Lord's mirac-
ulous works. It was a manifestation of creative power, by
which material elements were organized and compounded
to serve a present and pressing need. The broken but un-
used portion exceeded in bulk and weight the whole of the
original little store. Our Lord's direction to gather up the
fragments was an impressive object-lesson against waste ;
and it may have been to afford such lesson that an excess
was supplied. The fare was simple, yet nourishing, whole-
some and satisfying. Barley bread and fish constituted the
usual food of the poorer classes of the region. The con-
version of water into wine at Cana was a qualitative trans-
mutation ; the feeding of the multitude involved a quantita-
"
oower 'ha<- had been manifest hi .flSidr jh\sl/ ' \^
a Note 4, i ' .islqsno lo ons ,c 9)on*
THE PEOPLE TRY TO MAKE JESUS A KING. 335
tive increase; who can say that one, or which, of these
miracles of provision was the more wonderful?
The multitude, now fed and filled, gave some considera-
tion to the miracle. In Jesus, by whom so great a work had
been wrought, they recognized One having superhuman
powers. "This is of a truth the prophet that should come
into the world," said they the Prophet whose coming had
been foretold by Moses and who should be like unto himself.
Even as Israel had been miraculously fed during the time of
Moses, so now was bread provided in the desert by this new
Prophet. In their enthusiasm the people proposed to pro-
claim Him king, and forcibly compel Him to become their
leader. Such was their gross conception of Messianic su-
premacy. Jesus directed His disciples to depart by boat,
while He remained to dismiss the now excited multitude.
The disciples hesitated to leave their Master; but He con-
strained them and they obeyed. His insistence, that the
Twelve depart from both Himself and the multitude, may
have been due to a desire to protect the chosen disciples
against possible infection by the materialistic and unright-
eous designs of the throng to make Him king. By means
that are not detailed, He caused the people to disperse;
and, as night came on, He found that for which He had
come in quest, solitude and quiet. Ascending the hill, He
chose a secluded place, and there remained in prayer during
the greater part of the night.
"If IS i; BE NO* AFRAID.""
rrirl rial: ttirn
The return by boat proved to be a memorable journey for
the disciples. They encountered a boisterous head-wind,
which of course rendered impossible the use of sails; and
though they toiled heavily at the oars the vessel became
practically unmanageable and wallowed in the midst of the
wMatt. 14:22-33; compare Mark 6:45-52; John 6:15-21.
336 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 21.
sea. v Though they had labored through the night they had
progressed less than four miles on their course ; to turn and
run before the wind would have been to invite disastrous
wreck ; their sole hope lay in their holding the vessel to the
wind by sheer power of muscle. Jesus, in His place of
solitary retirement, was aware of their sad plight, and along
in the fourth watch, that is, between three and six o'clock
in the morning, He came to their assistance, walking upon
the storm-tossed water as though treading solid ground.
When the voyagers caught sight of Him as He approached
the ship in the faint light of the near-spent night, they were
overcome by superstitious fears, and cried out in terror,
thinking that they saw a ghostly apparition. "But straight-
way Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is
I ; be not afraid."
Relieved by these assuring words, Peter, impetuous and
impulsive as usual, cried out : "Lord, if* it be thou, bid me
come unto thee on the water." Jesus assenting, Peter
descended from the ship and walked toward his Master ; but
as the wind smote him and the waves rose about him, his
confidence wavered and he began to sink. Strong swimmer
though he was/ he gave way to fright, and cried, "Lord,
save me." Jesus caught him by the hand, saying: "O
thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?"
From Peter's remarkable experience, we learn that the
power by which Christ was able to walk the w T aves could be
made operative in others, provided only their faith was en-
during. It was on Peter's own request that he was per-
mitted to attempt the feat. Had Jesus forbidden him, the
man's faith might have suffered a check ; his attempt, though
attended by partial failure, was a demonstration of the effi-
cacy of faith in the Lord, such as no verbal teaching could
s/Page 321.
w Note 6, end of chapter.
x That is to say, "since" or "inasmuch".
y Compare Peter's impetuous leap into the sea to reach th" resurrected
Lord on the shore, John 21 :7.
THE MIRACLE OF WALKING UPON THE WATER. 337
ever have conveyed. Jesus and Peter entered the vessel;
immediately the wind ceased, and the boat soon reached the
shore. The amazement of the apostles, at this latest mani-
festation of the L,ord's control over the forces of nature,
would have been more akin to worship and less like terri-
fied consternation had they remembered the earlier wonders
they had witnessed ; but they had forgotten even the miracle
of the loaves, and their hearts had hardened/ Marveling at
the power of One to whom the wind-lashed sea was a sus-
taining floor, the apostles bowed before the L,ord in reverent
worship, saying: "Of a truth thou art the Son of God."
Aside from the marvelous circumstances of its literal oc-
currence, the miracle is rich in symbolism and suggestion.
By what law or principle the effect of gravitation was super-
seded, so that a human body could be supported upon the
watery surface, man is unable to affirm. The phenomenon
is a concrete demonstration of the great truth that faith is a
principle of power, whereby natural forces may be condi-
tioned and controled. & Into every adult human life come
experiences like unto the battling of the storm-tossed voy-
agers with contrary winds and threatening seas ; ofttimes the
night of struggle and danger is far advanced before succor
appears ; and then, too frequently the saving aid is mistaken
for a greater terror. As came unto Peter and his terrified
companions in the midst of the turbulent waters, so comes to
all who toil in faith, the voice of the Deliverer "It is I ;
be not afraid."
IN THE LAND OF GENNF,SARET.
The night voyage, in the course of which Jesus had
reached the boat with its frightened occupants while "in the
midst of the sea," ended at some point within the district
z Mark 6:52.
a Note that this is the first occurrence of this title in the Synoptic Gos-
pels, as applied to Jesus by mortals; compare an earlier instance of its
application by Nathanael, John 1 :49.
b "Articles of Faith," v:ll-13 "Faith a Principle of Power."
338 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 21
known as the land of Gennesaret, which, as generally be-
lieved, embraced the rich and fertile region in the vicinity of
Tiberias and Magdala. Of the natural beauties for which
the region was famed much has been written. Word of
our Lord's presence there spread rapidly, and, from "all
that country round about " the people flocked to Him, bring-
ing their afflicted to receive of His beneficence by word or
touch. In the towns through which He walked, the sick
were laid in the streets that the blessing of His passing
might fall upon them; and many "besought him that they
might touch if it were but the border of his garment; and
as many as touched him were made whole. " d Bounteously
did He impart of His healing virtue to all who came asking
with faith and confidence. Thus, accompanied by the
Twelve, He wended His way northward to Capernaum,
making the pathway bright by the plentitude of His mercies.
IN SEARCH OF LOAVES AND
The multitude who, on the yesterday, had partaken of
His bounty on the other side of the lake, and who dispersed
for the night after their ineffectual attempt to force upon
Him the dignity of earthly kingship, were greatly surprized
in the morning to discover that He had departed. They
had seen the disciples leave in the only boat there present,
while Jesus had remained on shore ; and they knew that the
night tempest had precluded the possibility of other boats
reaching the place. Nevertheless their morning search for
Him was futile ; and they concluded that He must have re-
turned by land round the end of the lake. As the day ad-
vanced some boats were sighted, bound for the western
coast; these they hailed, and, securing passage, crossed to
Capernaum.
.sj.0
cjosephua, Wars. HI, 10:7, 8.
dM
dMark 8:83-88; compare Matt. 14:34-36. Note 7, end of chapter.
* John 6:22*27.
jiJiA
THE MULTITUDE SEEK MORE LOAVES AND FISHES. 339
Their difficulty in locating Jesus was at an end, for His
presence was known throughout the town. Coming to Him,
probably as He sat in the synagog, for on this day He taught
there, some of the most "intrusive of the crowd asked,
brusquely and almost rudely, "Rabbi, when earnest thou
hither?" To this impertinent inquiry Jesus deigned no
direct reply ; in the miracle of the preceding night the people
had no part, and no account of our Lord's movements was
given them. In tone of impressive rebuke Jesus said unto
them: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not be-
cause ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the
loaves, and were filled." Their concern was for the bread
and fishes. One who could supply them with victuals as He
had done must not be lost sight of.
The Master's rebuke was followed by admonition and in-
struction : "Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for
that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the
Son of man shall give unto you : for him hath God the Father
sealed." This contrast between material and spiritual food
they could not entirely fail to understand, and some of them
asked what they should do to serve God as Jesus required.
The answer was : "This is the work of God, that ye believe
on him whom he hath sent." That Jesus was referring to
Himself none could doubt; and straightway they demanded
of Him further evidence of His divine commission; they
would see greater signs. The miracle of the loaves and
fishes was nearly a day old; and its impressiveness as evi-
dence of Messianic attributes was waning. Moses had fed
their fathers with manna in the desert, they said ; and plainly
they regarded a continued daily supply as a greater gift than
a single meal of bread and fish, however much the latter may
have been appreciated in the exigency of hunger. More-
over, the manna was heavenly food -/ whereas the bread He
had given them was of earth, and only common barley bread
~ : '->l ^
/ Note 8, end of chapter.
340: .83H2r* a JESUS THE CHRIST* [CHAP. 21.
at that. He must show them greater signs, and give them
richer provender, before they would accept Him as the One
whom they at first had taken Him to be and whom He now
declared Himself to be.
CHRIST, THE BREAD OP UFE.^
"Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto
you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven ; but my
Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the
bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and
giveth life unto the world." They were mistaken in assum-
ing that Moses had given them manna ; and after all, the
manna had been but ordinary food in that those who ate of
it hungered again ; but now the Father offered them bread
from heaven such as would insure them life.
As the Samaritan woman at the well, on hearing the Lord
speak of water that would satisfy once for all, had begged
impulsively and with thought only of physical convenience,
"Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither
to draw," 7 * so these people, eager to secure so satisfying a
food as that of which Jesus spake, implored: "Lord, ever-
more give us this bread." Perhaps this request was not
wholly gross ; there may have been in the hearts of some of
them at least a genuine desire for spiritual nourishment.
Jesus met their appeal with an explanation : "I am the
bread of life : he that cometh to me shall never hunger ; and
he that believeth on me shall never thirst." He reminded
them that though they had seen Him they believed not His
words ; and assured them that those who really accepted
Him would do as the Father directed. Then, without
metaphor or symbolism, He affirmed : "I came down from
heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that
sent me." And the Father's will was that all who would
accept the Son should have everlasting life.
Fohn 6:32-59.
|"ohn 4:13-15; page 174 herein.
THE BREAD OF LIFE. 341
There were present in the synagog some of the rulers
Pharisees, scribes, rabbis and these, designated collectively
as the Jews, criticized Jesus, and murmured against Him
because He had said, "I am the bread which came down
from heaven." They averred that He could do nothing
more than any man could do; He was known to them as
the son of Joseph, and as far as they knew was of ordinary
earthly parentage, and yet He had the temerity to declare
that He had come down from heaven. Chiefly to this class
rather than to the promiscuous crowd who had hastened after
Him, Jesus appears to have addressed the remainder of His
discourse. He advized them to cease their murmurings;
for it was a certainty that they could not apprehend His
meaning, and therefore would not believe Him, unless they
had been "taught of God" as the prophets had written ;* and
none could come to Him in the sense of accepting His saving
gospel unless the Father drew them to the Son; and none
save those who were receptive, willing, and prepared, could
be so drawn.' Yet belief in the Son of God is an indispen-
sable condition to salvation, as Jesus indicated in His affirm-
ation: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on
me hath everlasting life."
Then, reverting to the symbolism of the bread, He re-
iterated : "I am the bread of life." In further elucidation
He explained that while their fathers did truly eat manna
in the wilderness, yet they were dead ; whereas the bread of
life of which He spake would insure eternal life unto all who
partook thereof. That bread, He averred, was His flesh.
Against this solemn avowal the Jews complained anew, and
disputed among themselves, some asking derisively : "How
can this man give us his flesh to eat." Emphasizing the doc-
trine, Jesus continued : "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ex-
cept ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood,
tlsa. 54:13; Jer. 31:34; Micah 4:2; compare Heb. 8:10; 10:16.
/Note 9, end of chapter.
34:2 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 21.
ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh
my blood, hath eternal life ; and I will raise him up at the
last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is
drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my
blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father
hath sent me, and I live by the Father : so he that eateth me,
even he shall live by me. This is that bread which came
down from heaven : not as your fathers did eat manna, and
are dead : he that eateth of this bread shall live forever."
There was little excuse for the Jews pretending to un-
derstand that our Lord meant an actual eating and drinking
of His material flesh and blood. The utterances to which
they objected were far more readily understood by them than
they are by us on first reading ; for the representation of the
law and of truth in general as bread, and the acceptance
thereof as a process of eating and drinking, were figures in
every-day use by the rabbis of that tinie.^ Their failure to
comprehend the symbolism of Christ's doctrine was an act
of will, not the natural consequence of innocent ignorance.
To eat the flesh and drink the blood of Christ was and is to
believe in and accept Him as the literal Son of God and
Savior of the world, and to obey His commandments. By
these means only may the Spirit of God become an abiding
part of man's individual being, even as the substance of the
food he eats is assimilated with the tissues of his body*
It is not sufficing to accept the precepts of Christ as we
may adopt the doctrines of scientists, philosophers, and
savants, however great the wisdom of these sages may be ;
for such acceptance is by mental assent or deliberate exer-
cize of will, and has relation to the doctrine only as inde-
pendent of the author. The teachings of Jesus Christ en-
dure because of their intrinsic worth ; and many men respect
His aphorisms, proverbs, parables, and His profoundly
philosophical precepts, who yet reject Him as the Son of
*~
k Note 10, end of chapter.
THE SYMBOLISM OF EATING AND DRINKING. 343
God, the Only Begotten in the flesh, the God-Man in whom
were united the attributes of Deity with those of humanity,
the chosen and foreordained Redeemer of mankind, through
Whom alone may salvation be attained. But the figure used by
Jesus that of eating His flesh and drinking His blood as
typical of unqualified and absolute acceptance of Himself as
the Savior of men, is of superlative import ; for thereby are
affirmed the divinity of His Person, and the fact of His pre-
existent and eternal Godship. The sacrament of the Lord's
supper, established by the Savior on the night of His be-
trayal* perpetuates, the symbolism of eating His flesh and
drinking His blood, by the partaking of bread and wine in
remembrance of Him.* Acceptance of Jesus as the Christ
implies obedience to the laws and ordinances of His gospel ;
for to profess the One and refuse the other is but to convict
ourselves of inconsistency, insincerity, and hypocrisy.
A CRUCIAL TEST MANY TURN AWAY.
The truth respecting Himself, as taught by the Lord in
this, His last, Discourse in the synagog at Capernaum, proved
to be a test of faith through which many fell away. Not
alone critical Jews of the official class, whose hostility was
openly avowed, but those who had professed some measure
of belief in Him were affected. "Many therefore of his
disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard
saying; who can hear it?" Jesus, cognizant of their dis-
affection, asked : "Doth this offend you ?" and added : "What
and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was
before ?" His ascension, which was to follow His death and
resurrection, is here definitely implied. The spiritual sig-
nificance of His teachings was put beyond question by the
explanation that only through the Spirit could they compre-
/Matt. 26:26-28; Marfc 14:22-25; Luke 22:19, 20. Page 596.
m John 6:59-71.
344 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 2-1.
hend; "Therefore," He added, "said I unto you, that no
man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of
my Father."
Many deserted Him, and from that time sought Him no
more. The occasion was crucial ; the effect was that of sift-
ing and separation. The portentous prediction of the Bap-
tist-prophet had entered upon the stage of fulfilment : "One
mightier than I cometh, . . . Whose fan is in his hand,
and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat
into the garner ; but he will burn up the chaff with unquench-
able fire." n The fan was in operation, and much chaff was
blown aside.
It appears that even the Twelve were unable to compre-
hend the deeper meaning of these latest teachings ; they were
puzzled, though none actually deserted. Nevertheless, the
state of mind of some was such as to evoke from Jesus the
question: "Will ye also go away?" Peter, speaking for
himself and his brethren, answered with pathos and convic-
tion: "L,ord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of
eternal life." The spirit of the Holy Apostleship was mani-
fest in this confession. Though they were unable to com-
prehend in fulness the doctrine, they knew Jesus to be the
Christ, and were faithful to Him while others turned away
into the dark depths of apostasy.
While Peter spoke for the apostolic body as a whole,
there was among them one who silently revolted ; the treach-
erous Iscariot, who was in worse plight than an openly
avowed apostate, was there. The Lord knew this man's
heart, and said : "Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of
you is a devil?" The historian adds: "He spake of Judas
Iscariot the son of Simon : for he it was that should betray
him, being one of the twelve."
nLuke 3:16, 17; Matt. 3:11, 12.
o Compare this confession (John 6:68, 69) with Peter's later testimony
(Matt. 16:16). Note 11, end of chapter.
NOTES -
NOTES TO CHAPTER 21.
1. Jesus at Nazareth. As no one of the Gospel-writers
records two occasions of our Lord's ministry in Nazareth, and
as the separate accounts appearing in the synoptic .Gospels
closely resemble one another in a few particulars, some com-
mentators hold that our Lord preached to His townsmen in
Nazareth and was rejected by them but once. Luke's account
(4:14-30) refers to an occasion immediately following the first
return of Jesus to Galilee after His baptism and temptations,
and directly preceding the preliminary call of the fishermen-
disciples, who afterward were numbered among the apostles.
Matthew (13:53-58) and Mark (6:1-6) chronicle a visit of Jesus
to Nazareth later than the occasion of the first teaching in para-
bles, and the events immediately following the same. We have
good reason for accepting Luke's record as that of an early inci-
dent, and the accounts given by Matthew and Mark as those of
a later visit.
2. Gentiles. In a general way the Jews designated all other
peoples as Gentiles; though the same Hebrew word is rendered
in the Old Testament variously, as "Gentiles" (Gen. 10:5; Judg.
4:2, 13, 16; Isa. 11:10; etc.), "nations" (Gen. 10:5, 20, 31, 32;
14:1, 9; etc.), and "heathen" (Neh. 5:8; Psa. 2:1, 8, etc.), the es-
sential element of designation being that of foreigners. In
Smith's Diet, of the Bible, we read "It [the name 'Gentiles'] ac-
quired an ethnographic and also an invidious meaning, as other
nations were idolatrous, rude, hostile, etc., yet the Jews were able
to use it in a purely technical, geographical sense, when it was
usually translated 'nations.' " Dr. Edward E. Nourse, writing for
the Standard Bible Dictionary, says : "In New Testament times,
the Jew divided mankind into three classes, (i) Jews, (2) Greeks
(Hellenes, made to include Romans, thus meaning the civilized
peoples of the Roman Empire, often rendered 'Gentiles' in Au-
thorized Version), and (3) barbarians (the uncivilized, Acts 28:4;
Rom. 1:14; i Cor. 14:11)." The injunction laid by Jesus upon
the Twelve "Go not into the way of the Gentiles" was to re-
strain them for the time being from attempting to make con-
verts among the Romans and Greeks, and to confine their min-
istry to the people of Israel.
3. Shaking the Dust from the Feet. To ceremonially shake
the dust from one's feet as a testimony against another was un-
derstood by the Jews to symbolize a cessation of fellowship and
a renunciation of all responsibility for consequences that might
follow. It became an ordinance of accusation and testimony by
the Lord's instructions to His apostles as cited in the text In
the current dispensation, the Lord has similarly directed His au-
thorized servants to so testify against those who wilfully and
maliciously oppose the truth when authoritatively presented,
(see Doc. and Coy. 24:15; 60:15; 75:20; 84:92; 99:4). The re-
sponsibility of testifying before the Lord by this accusing symbol
346 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 21.
is so great that the means may be employed only under unusual
and extreme conditions, as the Spirit of the 'Lord may direct.
4. The Two Bethsaidas. It is held by many Bible students
that Bethsaida, in the desert region adjoining which Jesus and
the Twelve sought rest and seclusion, was the town of that name
in Perea, on the eastern side of the Jordan, and known more
specifically as Bethsaida Julias to distinguish it from Bethsaida
in Galilee, which latter was close to Capernaum. The Perean
village of Bethsaida had been enlarged and raised to the rank of
a town by the tetrarch, Philip, and by him had been named Julias
in honor of Julia, daughter of the reigning emperor. The Gospel
narratives of the voyage by which Jesus and His companions
reached the place, and of the return therefrom, are conformable
to the assumption that Bethsaida Julias in Perea and not Beth-
saida in Galilee, was the town to which the "desert place" re-
ferred to was an outlying district.
5. The Earlier and the Later Evening. Matthew specifies
two evenings of the day on which the five thousand were fed;
thus "when it was evening" the disciples asked Jesus to send
away the multitude; and later, after the miraculous feeding and
after the disciples had left by boat, and after the crowds had
departed, "when the evening was come" Jesus was alone on the
mountain (Matt. 14:15, 23; compare Mark 6:35, 47). Trench
Notes on the Miracles, (p. 217) says: "St. Matthew and St. Mark
with him, makes two evenings to this day one which had already
commenced before the preparations for the feeding of the multi-
tude had begun (verse 15), the other now, when the disciples had
entered into the ship and set forth on their voyage (verse 23).
And this was an ordinary way of speaking among the Jews, the
first evening being very much our afternoon. . . . the second
evening being the twilight, or from six o'clock to twilight, on
which absolute darkness followed." See Smith's Diet., article
"Chronology," from which the following excerpt is taken : " 'Be-
tween the two evenings' (margin of Exo. 12:6; Numb. 9:3; 28:4)
is a natural division between the late afternoon when the sun is
low, and the evening when his light has not wholly disappeared,
the two evenings into which the natural evening would be cut
by the commencement of the civil day if it began at sunset."
6. Watches of the Night. During the greater part of Old
Testament time, the people of Israel divided the night into three
watches, each of four hours, such a period being that of indi-
vidual sentinel duty. Before the beginning of the Christian era,
however, the Jews had adopted the Roman order of four night-
watches> each lasting three hours. These were designated num-
erically, e. g. the fourth watch mentioned in the text (see Matt.
14:25), or as even, midnight, cock-crowing, and morning (see
Mark 13:35). The fourth watch was the last of the three-hour
periods between sunset and sunrise, or between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m.
and therefore extended from 3 to 6 o'clock in the morning.
7. The Hem of the Garment The faith of those who be-
lieved that if they could but touch the border of the Lord's gar-
ment they would be healed, is in line with that of the woman
NOTES. 347
who was healed of" her long-standing malady by so touching His
robe (see Matt. 9:21; Mark 5:27, 28; Luke 8:44). The Jevvs re-
garded the border or hem of their outer robes as of particular
importance, because of the requirement made of Israel in earlier
days (Numb. 15:38, 39) that the border be fringed and supplied
with a band of blue, as a reminder to them of their obligations
as the covenant people. The desire to touch the hem of Christ's
robe may have been associated with this thought of sanctity
attaching to the hem or border.
8. Traditions Concerning Manna. The supplying of manna
to the Israelites incident to the exodus and the long travel in
the wilderness, was rightly regarded as a work of surpassing
wonder (Exo. 16:14-36; Numb. 11:7-9; Deut. 8:3, 16; Josh. 5:12;
Psa. 78:24, 25). Many traditions, some of them perniciously
erroneous, gatherer! about the incident, and were transmitted
with invented additions from generation to generation. In the
time of Christ the rabbinical teaching was that the manna on
which the fathers had fed was literally the food of the angels,
sent down from heaven; and that it was of diverse taste and
flavor to suit all ages, conditions, or desires; to one it tasted like
honey, to another as bread, e.tc. ; but in all Gentile mouths it was
bitter. Moreover it was said that the Messiah would give an
unfailing supply of manna to Israel when He _came amongst
them. These erroneous conceptions in part explain the demand
of those who had been fed on barley loaves and fishes, for a
sign that would surpass the giving of manna in the olden days,
as evidence of the Messiahship of Jesus.
9. Faith a Gift of God. "Though within the reach of all
who diligently strive to gain it, faith is nevertheless a divine gift,
and can be obtained only from God (Matt. 16:17; John 6:44, 65;
Eph. 2:8; i Cor. 12:9; Rom. 12:3; Moroni 10:11). As is fitting
for so priceless a pearl, it is given to those only who show by
their sincerity that they are worthy of it, and who give promise
of abiding by its dictates. Although faith is called the first prin-
ciple of the Gospel of Christ, though it be in fact the foundation
of all religion, yet even faith is preceded by sincerity of disposi-
tion and humility of soul, whereby the word of God may make
an impression upon the heart (Rom. 10:17). No compulsion is
used in bringing men to a knowledge of God ; yet, as fast as
we open our hearts to the influences of righteousness, the faith
that leads to life eternal will be given us of our Father." Articles
of Faith, v:i6.
10. Spiritual Symbolism of Eating. "The idea of eating, as
a metaphor for receiving spiritual benefit, was familiar to Christ's
hearers, and was as readily understood as our expressions 'de-
vouring a book/ or 'drinking in' instruction. In Isaiah 3:1, the
words 'the whole stay of bread,' were explained by the rabbis as
referring to their own teaching, and they laid it down as a rule,
that wherever, in Ecclesiastes, allusion was made to food or
drink, it meant study of the law, and the practise of good works.
It was a saying among them 'In the time of the Messiah the
Israelites will be fed by Him.' Nothing was more common in
348 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP, 21.
the schools and synagogs than the phrases of eating and drink-
ing, in a metaphorical sense. 'Messiah is not likely to come to
Israel,' said Hillel, 'for they have already eaten Him' that is,
greedily received His words 'in the days of Hezekiah.' A cur-
rent conventionalism in the synagogs was that the just would
'eat the Shekinah.' It was peculiar to the Jews to be taught in
such metaphorical language. Their rabbis never spoke in plain
words, and it is expressly said that Jesus submitted to v the pop-
ular taste, for 'without a parable spake he not unto them' (Mark
4:34)-" Geikie, Life and Words of Christ, vol. i, p. 184.
ii. The Crucial Nature of the Discourse. Commenting on
the effect of our Lord's discourse (John 6:26-71), Edersheim
(vol. ii, p. 36) says : "Here then we are at the parting of the
two ways; and, just because it was the hour of decision, did
Christ so clearly set forth the highest truths concerning Himself,
in opposition to the views which the multitude entertained about
the Messiah. The result was yet another and a sorer defection.
Upon this many of His disciples went back, and walked no more
with Him. Nay, the searching trial reached even unto the hearts
of the Twelve. Would they also go away? It was an anticipation
of Gethsemane its first experience. But one thing kept them
true. It was the experience of the past. This was the basis of
their present faith and allegiance. They could not go back to
their old past; they must cleave to Him. So Peter spake it in
name of them all: Lord, to whom shall we go? Words of eternal
life hast thou ! Nay, and more than this, as the result of what
they had learned: And we have believed and know that thou art
the Holy One of God. It is thus, also, that many of us, whose
thoughts may have been sorely tossed, and whose foundations
terribly assailed, may have found our first resting-place in the
assured, unassailable spiritual experience of the past. Whither
can we go for words of eternal life, if not to Christ? If He
fails us, then all hope of the eternal is gone. But He has the
words of eternal life and we believed when they first came to
us ; nay, we know that He is the Holy One of God. And this
conveys all that faith needs for further learning. The rest will
He show when He is transfigured in our sight. But of these
Twelve Christ knew one to be a devil like that angel, fallen from
highest height to lowest depth. The apostasy of Judas had already
commenced in his heart. And the greater the popular expectancy
and disappointment had been, the greater the reaction and the
enmity that followed. The hour of decision was past, and the
hand on the dial pointed to the hour of His death."
BEGINNING OF THE LAST YEARNS WORK. 349
CHAPTER 22.
A PERIOD OF DARKENING OPPOSITION.
Our Lord's last recorded discourse in the synagog at
Capernaum, which followed close upon the miracle of feed-
ing the five thousand and that of walking upon the water,
marked the beginning of another epoch in the development
of His life's work. It was the season of an approaching
Passover festival ; a and at the next succeeding Passover, one
year later, as shall be shown, Jesus would be betrayed to His
death. At the time of which we now speak, therefore, He
was entering upon the last year of His ministry in the flesh.
But the significance of the event is other and greater than
that of a chronological datum-plane. The circumstance
marked the first stage of a turn in the tide of popular regard
toward Jesus, which theretofore had been increasing, and
which now began to ebb. True, He had been repeatedly
criticized and openly assailed by complaining Jews on many
earlier occasions ; but these crafty and even venomous critics
were mostly of the ruling classes; the common people had
heard Him gladly, and indeed many of them continued so
to do f nevertheless His popularity, in Galilee at least, had
begun to wane. The last year of His earthly ministration
was inaugurated by a sifting of the people who professed to
believe His word, and this process of test, trial, and separa-
tion, was to continue to the end.
We are without information as to Jesus having attended
this Passover feast ; and it is reasonable to infer that in view
of the increasing hostility on the part of the rulers, He re-
frained from going to Jerusalem on the occasion. Conjecture
ojohn 6:4. Note 1, end of chapter.
&Mark 12:37.
350 JESUS THE CHRTST, [CHAP. 22.
as to whether any of the Twelve went up to the festival is
profitless ; we are not told. Certain it is that immediately
after this time, the detectives and spies who had been sent
from Jerusalem into Galilee to watch Jesus, became more
active than ever in their critical espionage. They dogged
His footsteps, noted every act, and every instance of omis-
sion of traditional or customary observance, and were con-
stantly on the alert to make Him out an offender.
C3REMONIAI, WASHINGS, "AND MANY SUCH UK THINGS/'*
Shortly after the Passover to which allusion has been
made, and probably in accordance with a plan decided upon
by the Jewish rulers, Jesus was visited by a delegation of
Pharisees and scribes who had come from Jerusalem, and
who made protest against the disregard of traditional re-
quirements by His followers. It appears that the disciples,
and almost certainly the Master Himself, had so far trans-
gressed "the tradition of the elders" as to omit the cere-
monial washing of hands before eating; the Pharisaic critics
found fault, and came demanding explanation, and justifica-
tion if such were possible. Mark tells us that the disciples
were charged with having eaten with "defiled", or, as the
marginal reading gives it, with "common" hands ; and he
interpolates the following concise and lucid note concerning
the custom which the disciples were said to have ignored:
"For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their
hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders. And
when they come from the market, except they wash, they
eat not. And many other things there be, which they have
received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brasen
vessels, and of tables/'** It should be borne in mind that
~77att. 15:1-9; Mark 7:1-13.
d As the Oxford marginal note shows "beds" is a more literal render-
ing than "tables", the couches upon which the eaters reclined at table
being meant. See page 261.
EATING WITH UNWASHEN HANDS. 351
the offense charged against the disciples was that of cere-
monial uncleanness, not physical uncleanliness or disregard
of sanitary propriety; they were said to have eaten with
common or denied hands, not specifically with dirty fingers.
In all the externals of their man-made religionism, the Jews
were insistent on scrupulous exactitude; every possibility of
ceremonial defilement was to be carefully guarded against,
and the effects thereof had to be counteracted by prescribed
washings/
To the question : "Why do thy disciples' transgress the
tradition of the elders ? for they wash not their hands when
they eat bread'*, Jesus gave no direct reply ; but asked as a
rejoinder : Why do ye also transgress the commandment
of Cod by your tradition?" To the Pharisaic mind this
must have been a very sharp rebuke ; for rabbinism held that
rigorous compliance with the traditions of the elders was
more important than observance of the law itself ; and Jesus
in His -counter question put their cherished traditions as in
direct conflict with the commandment of God. Adding to
their discomfiture, He cited the prophecy of Isaiah, and ap-
plied to them whom He designated hypocrites, the prophet's
words : "Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as
it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but
their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship
me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."/
With deserved severity Jesus carried the lesson home to their
consciences, declaring that they had laid aside the command-
ments of God in order that they might follow the traditions
of men.
This accusing affirmation was followed by the citing of
an undeniable instance: Moses had voiced the direct com-
mandment of God in saying: "Honour thy father and thy
e Note 2, end of chapter.
/Mark 7:6, 7; see also Matt. 15:7-9; Isa. 29:13; compare the words of
the resurrected Christ to the prophet Joseph Smith, in the present dis-
pensation, P. of G. P., Joseph Smith, 2:19.
352 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 22.
mother," and had proclaimed the ordained penalty in ex-
treme cases of unfilial conduct thus : "Whoso curseth father
or mother, let him die" f but this law, though given of God
direct to Israel, had been so completely superseded that any
ungrateful and wicked son could find ready means, which
their traditions had made lawful, of escaping all filial obliga-
tions, even though his parents were destitute. If a needy
father or mother craved help of a son, he had but to say
What you ask of me is Corban or in other words, an in-
tended gift to God; and he was held to be legally exempt
from all requirements to contribute of that substance to the
support of his parents. h Other obligations could be sim-
ilarly evaded. To declare that any article of property real or
personal, or any part or proportion of one's possessions was
"corban," was generally understood as an averment that the
property so characterized was dedicated to the temple, or at
least was intended to be devoted to ecclesiastical purposes,
and would eventually be turned over to the officials, though
the donor might continue to hold possession during a spec-
ified period, extending even to the end of his life. Property
was often declared to be "corban" for other purposes than
dedication to ecclesiastical use. The result of such established
though utterly unlawful and pernicious traditions was, as
Jesus emphatically stated to the Pharisees and scribes, to
make the word of God of none effect, and, He added,
"Many such like things do ye."
Turning from His titled visitors, He called the people
together and proclaimed unto them the truth, as follows:
"Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand : There
is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can
defile him : but the things which come out of him, those are
they that defile the man. If any man have ears to hear, let
him hear." This was directly in conflict with rabbinical pre-
g Compare Exo. 20:12; Deut. 5:16; Exd. 21:17; Lev. 20:9.
3, end of chapter.
THINGS THAT DEFILE. 353
cept and practise ; the Pharisees were offended, for they had
said that to eat with hands that had not been ritualistically
cleansed was to defile the food touched, and in turn to be-
come yet more defiled from the food thus rendered unclean.
The apostles were not sure that they understood the
Master's lesson ; though couched in plain, non-figurative lan-
guage, it was to some of them very like a parable, and Peter
asked an exposition. The Lord explained that the food one
eats is but temporarily part of his body; having served its
purpose of nourishing the tissues and supplying energy to
the organism, it is eliminated ; therefore the food that enters
the body through the mouth is of small and transient im-
portance compared with the utterances that issue from the
mouth, for these, if evil, are truly defiling. As Jesus set
forth : "Those things which proceed out of the mouth come
forth from the heart ; and they defile the man. For out of
the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, forni-
cations, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: these are the
things which defile a man ; but to eat with unwashen hands
defileth not a man." 1 '
Some of the disciples asked Jesus whether He knew that
the Pharisees had taken offense at His saying; His answer
was a further denunciation of Pharisaism: "Every plant,
which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted
up. Let them alone : they be blind leaders of the blind. And
if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch."
There could be no compromize between His doctrine of the
kingdom and the corrupt Judaism of the time. The rulers
were plotting against His life; if their emissaries chose to
take offense at His words, let them be offended and stand
the consequences; but blessed would they be if they were
not offended because of Him/ He had no conciliatory
measures to offer those whose inability to understand His
iMatt. 15:10-20; compare Mark 7:14-23.
/Matt. 11:6; Luke 7:23; pages 255 and 274 herein.
12
354 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 22.
meaning was the result of wilful obstinacy, or darkness of
mind produced by persistence in sin.
WITHIN TH$ BORDERS .OF TYR AND SIDON.*
Unable to find in Galilee rest, seclusion, or adequate op^
portunity of instructing the Twelve as He desired to do,
Jesus departed with them northward, and journeyed into the
coasts or borders of Phenicia, a district commonly known,
by the names of its prominent cities, Tyre and Sidon. In one
of the little towns near the border, the party took lodgings ;
but the attempt to secure privacy was futile, for the Master's
presence "could not be hid." His fame had preceded Him
beyond the boundaries of the land of Israel. On earlier oc-
casions, people from the region of Tyre and Sidon had been
among His listeners, and some of them had been blessed
by His healing mercies. 7
A woman, hearing of His presence within her own land,
came asking a boon. Mark tells us she was a Greek^ or
more literally a Gentile m who spoke Greek, and by national-
ality a Syro-Phenician ; Matthew says she was "a woman of
Canaan" ; these statements are in harmony, since the Phenic-
ians were of Canaanite descent. The Gospel-historians make
clear the fact that this woman was of pagan or heathen birth ;
and we know that among the peoples so classed the Canaan-
ites were held in particular disrepute by the Jews. The
woman cried aloud to Jesus, saying: "Have mercy on me,
O Lord, thou son of David ; my daughter is grievously
vexed with a devil." Her words expressed at once faith in
the Lord's power, and a fulness of mother-love, for she im-
plored as though she were the afflicted sufferer. The fact
that she addressed Jesus as Son of David demonstrates her
belief that He was the Messiah of Israel. At first Jesus re-
fcMatt. 15:21-28; Mark 7:24-30.
/Mark 3:8; Luke 6:17.
M See marginal reading in Oxford and Bagster Bibles; see also Note 2,
page 345.
THE CRUMBS THAT FALL FROM THE TABLE. 355
f rained from answering her. Undeterred, she pleaded the
more, until the disciples besought the Lord saying: "Send
her away ; for she crieth after us." Their intervention was
probably an intercession in her behalf ; she could be quieted
by the granting of her request ; as it was, she was making an
undesirable scene, probably on the street, and the Twelve
knew well that their Master sought quietude. To them
Jesus said : "I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the
house of Israel," and the remark must have reminded them
of the restriction under which they had been sent out. n
The woman, with importunate desire came near, possibly
entering the house ; she fell at the Lord's feet and worshiped
Him, pleading pitifully, "Lord, help me." To her Jesus said,
"It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to
dogs." The words, harsh as they may sound to us, were
understood by her in the spirit of the Lord's intent. The
original term here translated "dogs" connoted, as the narra-
tive shows, not the vagrant and despized curs elsewhere
spoken of in the Bible as typical of a degraded state, or of
positive badness,* but literally the "little dogs" or domestic
pets, such as were allowed in the house and under the table.
Certainly the woman took no offense at the comparison, and
found therein no objectionable epithet. Instantly she adopted
the analogy, and applied it in combined argument and sup-
plication.^ "Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs
which fall from their masters' table;" or, in the words of
Mark's version : "Yes, Lord : yet the dogs under the table
eat of the children's crumbs." Her prayer was immediately
granted ; for Jesus said unto her, "O woman, great is thy
faith : be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter
was made whole from that very hour." Mark emphasizes
the special recognition of her final plea, and adds: "And
n Matt. 10:5, 6; see also page 328 herein,
oDeut. 23:18; 1 Sam. 17:43; 24:14; 2 Sam. 3:8; 16:9; Jeb 30:1; Matt. 7:6;
Philip 3:2; Rev. 22:15,
p Note 4, end of chapter.
356 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 22.
when she was come to her house, she found the devil gone
out, and her daughter laid upon the bed." The woman's
commendable persistency was based on the faith that over-
comes apparent obstacles and endures even under discour-
agement. Her case reminds one of the lesson taught by the
Lord on another occasion through the story of the impor-
tunate widow. q
Many have queried as to why Jesus delayed the blessing.
We may not be able to fathom His purposes ; but we see that,
by the course He adopted, the woman's faith was demon-
strated and the disciples were instructed. Jesus impressed
upon her that she was not of the chosen people, to whom He
had been sent; but His words prefigured the giving of the
gospel to all, both Jew and Gentile : "Let the children first
be filled" He had said. The resurrected Christ was to be
made known to every nation \ r but His personal ministry as
a mortal, as also that of the apostles while He was with
them in the flesh, was directed to the house of Israel/
$$!^0 &*>
IN THE COASTS OF DECAPOUS.*
We are not told how long Jesus and the Twelve tarried
in the land of Tyre and Sidon, nor which portions of the dis-
trict they traversed. They went thence into the region ad-
joining the sea of Galilee on the east, "through the midst of
the coasts of Decapolis."" Though still among semi-pagan
peoples, our Lord was greeted by great crowds, amongst
whom were many lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and otherwise
afflicted ; and them He healed. Great was the astonish-
ment of these aliens, "when they saw the dumb to speak, the
maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see :
and they glorified the God of Israel."
gLuke 18:1-8. Page 436.
rMatt. 28:19; Mark 16:15.
sActs 3:25, 26; 13:46-48; Rom. 15:8.
fMark 7:31-37; compare Matt. 15:29-31.
u Note 5, end of chapter.
MIRACLES OF HEALING AND FEEDING. 357
Among the many who were healed was one of whom
special mention is made. He was deaf and defective in
speech. The people asked the L,ord to lay His hands upon the
man ; but Jesus led him away from the multitude, put His
fingers in the man's ears, spat, and touched the man's
tongue ; then looking upward in prayer, and sighing the
while, He uttered a word of command in Aramaic, "Ephpha-
tha, that is, Be opened. And straightway his ears were
opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake
plain." The manner of effecting this cure was different
again from the usual mode of our L,ord's healing ministra-
tions. It may be that by the finger-touch to the closed ears
and to the bound tongue, the man's faith was strengthened
and his confidence in the Master's power increased. The
people were forbidden to tell abroad what they had wit-
nessed ; but the more they were charged the more they pub-
lished the news. Their conclusion as to Jesus and His works
was : "He hath done all things well : he maketh both the
deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak."
.
ANOTHER MEAL IN THE DESERT ; OVER FOUR THOUSAND FED.*'
For three days the glad crowds remained with Jesus and
the apostles. Camping out at that season and in that region
entailed no great hardship incident to exposure. Their sup-
ply of food, however, had become exhausted ; and many of
them were far from home. Jesus had compassion upon the
people, and was loath to send them away fasting, lest they
would faint by the way. When He spoke to the disciples
on the matter they intimated the impossibility of feeding so
great a number, for the entire stock of food at hand com-
prized but seven loaves and a few little fishes. Had they
forgotten the former occasion on which a greater multitude
had been fed and filled with but five loaves and two small
vMatt. 15:32-39; Mark 8:1-9.
JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 22.
fishes ? Rather let us believe that the disciples remembered
well, yet deemed it beyond their duty or privilege to suggest
a repetition of the miracle. But the Master commanded ;
and the people seated themselves on the ground. Blessing
and dividing the small provision as before, He gave to the
disciples and they distributed to the multitude. Four
thousand men, beside women and children, were abundantly
fed; and of the broken but uneaten food there remained
enough to fill seven baskets. With no semblance of the
turbulent enthusiasm that had followed the feeding of the
five thousand, this multitude dispersed quietly and returned
to their homes, grateful and doubly blessed.
AGAIN BESET BY SIGN-SEEKERS.
Jesus and the apocdes returned by boat to the western
shore of the lake, and landed near Magdala and Dalmanu-
tha. These towns are understood to have been so close to-
gether as to virtually make the latter a suburb of the other.
Here the party was met by the ever-vigilant Pharisees, who
on this occasion were accompanied by their usually un-
friendly rivals, the Sadducees. That the two parties had
temporarily laid aside their mutual differences, and had com-
bined their forces in the common cause of opposition to
Christ, is .a demonstration of the determined purpose of the
ecclesiastical authorities to find occasion against Him, and, if
possible, destroy Him. Their immediate object was to fur-
ther alienate the common people, and to counteract the influ-
ence of His former teachings with the masses. They set
anew the old-time snare of demanding from Him a super-
natural sign of His Messiahship, though thrice already had
they or others of their kind so attempted to entrap Him, and
thrice had they been f oiled.* Before them, Satan in person
liad similarly tried and failed.^ To their present .impertinent
wMatt. 15:29; 16:1-5; Mark 8:10-13.
*John 2:18; 6:30; Matt. 12:38.
^Matt. 4:6, 7; Luke 4:9-12.
THE LEAVEN OF EVIL, 359
and impious demand He gave a brief and definite refusal
coupled with an exposure of their hypocrisy. This was His
reply : "When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather :
for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul
weather today : for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypo-
crites, ye can discern the face of the sky ; but can ye not dis-
cern the signs of the times ? A wicked and adulterous gener-
ation seeketh after a sign ; and there shall no sign be given
unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them,
and departed."*
THE; LEAVEN OF THE PHARISEES AND OF THE SADDUCEES.
Again with the Twelve upon the water, since on the
Galilean coast neither peace nor opportunity for effective
teaching was found, Jesus directed the vessel's course toward
the north-easterly shore. When well out from land, He said
to His companions: "Take heed and beware of the leaven
of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees," and, as Mark adds,
"and of the leaven of Herod." In their hasty departure the
disciples had forgotten to take a supply of food; they had
with them but a single loaf. They construed His words
respecting leaven as a reference to bread, and possibly as a
reproof for their neglect. Jesus chided them as of little
faith for thinking then of material bread, and refreshed their
recollection of the miracles by which the multitudes had been
fed, so that their lack of loaves would not further trouble
them. Finally they were made to understand that the Mas-
ter's warning was directed against the false doctrines of the
Pharisees and those of the Sadducees, and against the polit-
ical aspirations of the scheming Herodians. &
The party left the boat near the site of the first mirac-
ulous feeding of the multitude, and made their way to Beth-
8 Matt. 16:2-4; compare 12:38-41; pages 155-157 herein.
oMatt. 16:8-12; Mark 8:14-21; compare Luke 12:1.
b Page 68,
.y >
JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 22.
saida Julias. A blind man was brought, and Jesus was
asked to touch him. He took the sightless one by the hand,
led him outside the town, applied saliva to his eyes, laid
hands upon him in a ministration, and asked him if he could
see. The man answered that he saw dimly, but was unable
to distinguish men from trees. Applying His hands to the
man's eyes, Jesus told him to look up ; the man did so and
saw clearly. Bidding him not to enter the town, nor to tell
of his deliverance from blindness to any in the place, the
Lord sent him away rejoicing. This miracle presents the
unique feature of Jesus healing a person by stages ; the re-
sult of the first ministration was but a partial recovery. No
explanation of the exceptional circumstance is given,
srfr no aonia #t: sirw niB^A
"THOU ART THS CHRIST."'
biav
Accompanied by the Twelve, Jesus continued His way
northward to the neighborhood or "coasts" of Csesarea
Philippi, an inland city situated near the eastern and prin-
cipal source of the Jordan, and near the foot of Mount
Hermon. d The journey afforded opportunity for special
and confidential instruction to the apostles. Of them Jesus
asked: "Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?"
In reply they reported the rumors and popular fancies that
had come to their notice. Some people, sharing the super-
stitious fears of the conscience-stricken Herod Antipas, said
that Jesus was John the Baptist returned to life, though such
a belief could not have been entertained seriously by many,
as John and Jesus were known to have been contemporaries ;
others said He was Elias, or more exactly, Elijah ; still others
suggested He was Jeremiah or some other one of the ancient
prophets of Israel. It is significant that among all the con-
ceptions of the people as to the identity of Jesus there was
no intimation of belief that He was the Messiah. Neither
cMatt. 16:13-20; Mark 8:27-30; Luke 9:18-21. Note 10, end of chapter.
JNote 6, end of chapter.
THE GREAT CONFESSION. 361
by word nor deed had He measured up to the popular and
traditional standard of the expected Deliverer and King of
Israel. Fleeting manifestations of evanescent hope that He
might prove to be the looked-for Prophet, like unto Moses,
had not been lacking ; but all such incipient conceptions had
been neutralized by the hostile activity of the Pharisees and
their kind. To them it was a matter of supreme though evil
determination to maintain in the minds of the people the
thought of a yet future, not a present, Messiah.
With deep solemnity, and as a soul-searching test for
which the Twelve had been in unconscious preparation
through many months of close and privileged companion-
ship with their Lord, Jesus asked of them : "But whom say
ye that I am?" Answering for all, but more particularly
testifying as to his own conviction, Peter, with all the fervor
of his soul, voiced the great confession: "Thou art the
Christ, the Son of the living God." This was no avowal of
mere belief, no expression of a result at which he had arrived
by mental process, no solution of a problem laboriously
worked out, no verdict based on the weighing of evidence;
he spoke in the sure knowledge that knows no question and
from which doubt and reservation are as far removed as is
the sky from the ground.
"And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art
thou, Simon Barjona : for flesh and blood hath not revealed
it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven." Peter's
knowledge, which was also that of his brethren, was of a
kind apart from all that man may find out for himself ; it was
a divine bestowal, in comparison with which human wisdom
is foolishness and the treasure of earth but dross. Address-
ing Himself further to the first of the apostles, Jesus con-
tinued : "And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and
upon this rock I will build my church ; and the gates of hell
shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the
keys of the kingdom of heaven : and whatsoever thou shalt
362 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 22.
bind on earth shall be bound in heaven : and whatsoever thou
shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."
Through direct revelation from God Peter knew that
Jesus was the Christ ; and upon revelation, as a rock of se-
cure foundation, the Church of Christ was to be built/
Though torrents should fall, floods roll, winds rage, and
all beat together upon that structure, it would not, could not,
fall, for it was founded upon a rock / and even the powers
of hell would be impotent to prevail against it. By revela-
tion alone could or can the Church of Jesus Christ be builded
and maintained; and revelation of necessity implies revela-
tors, through whom the will of God may be made known
respecting His Church. As a gift from God comes the tes-
timony of Jesus into the heart of man. This principle was
comprized in the Master's teachings at Capernaum, that none
could come to Him save such as the Father would brings
The Lord's promise, that unto Peter He would give "the
keys of the kingdom of heaven," embodies the principle of
divine authority in the Holy Priesthood, and of the commis-
sion of presidency. Allusion to keys as symbolical of power
and authority is not uncommon in Jewish literature, as was
well understood in that period and is generally current to-
day. ^ So also the analogies of binding and loosing as indica-
tive of official acts were then usual, as they are now, particu-
larly in connection with judicial functions. Peter's presidency
among the apostles was abundantly manifest and generally
recognized after the close of our Lord's mortal life. Thus,
it was he who spoke in behalf of the Eleven, in the council
meeting at which a successor to the traitor Iscariot was
chosen ; he was the spokesman of his brethren on the occa-
sion of the Pentecostal conversion; it was he who opened
ij.wmt
c Note 7, end of chapter.
/Compare Matt. 7:24, 25.
g John 6:46; compare verses 37, 39, 40.
7iSee Isa. 22:22; Luke 11:52; Rev. 1:18; 3:7; compare Doc. and Cov.
6:28; 7:7; 27:5, 6, 9; 28:7; 42:69; 84:26; etc.
THE TWELVE TEMPORARILY RESTRAINED. 363
the doors of the Church to the Gentiles ;* and his office of
leadership is apparent throughout the apostolic period.
The confession by which the apostles avowed their ac-
ceptance of Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God,
was evidence of their actual possession of the spirit of the
Holy Apostleship, by which they were made particular wit-
nesses of their Lord. The time for a general proclamation
of their testimony had not arrived, however ; nor did it come
until after Christ had emerged from the tomb a resurrected,
immortalized Personage. For the time being they were
charged "that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the
Christ." Proclamation of Jesus as the Messiah, particularly
if made by the apostles who were publicly known as His
most intimate disciples and associates, or open assumption of
the Messianic title by Himself, would have aggravated the
hostility of the rulers, which had already become a grave
interference if not an actual menace to the Savior r s minis-
try ; and seditious uprisings against the political government
of Rome might easily have resulted. A yet deeper reason
for the secrecy enjoined upon the Twelve appears in the fact
that the Jewish nation was not prepared to accept their
Lord; and to ignore Him through lack of certain knowledge
involved a lesser degree of culpability than would have at-
tached to an unpalliated rejection. The particular mission
of the apostles at a time then future was to proclaim to all
nations Jesus, the crucified and resurrected Christ.
From the time of Peter's confession, however, Jesus in-
structed the Twelve more plainly and with greater intimacy
concerning the future developments of His mission, and
particularly as touching His appointed death. On earlier
occasions He had referred in their hearing to the cross, and
to His approaching death, burial, and ascension ; but the
mention in each case was in a measure figurative, and they
had apprehended but imperfectly if at all. Now, however,
Acts 1:15-26; 2:14-40; chap. 10, compare with 15:7.
364 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 22.
He began to show, and often afterward made plain unto
them, "how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many
things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be
killed, and be raised again the third day."
Peter was shocked at this unqualified declaration, and,
yielding to impulse, remonstrated with Jesus, or, as two of
the evangelists state, "began to rebuke him," even going so
far as to say : "This shall not be unto thee."' The Lord
turned upon him with this sharp reproof : "Get thee behind
me, Satan : thou art an offence unto me : for thou savourest
not the things that be of God, but those that be of men."
Peter's words constituted an appeal to the human element in
Christ's nature; and the sensitive feelings of Jesus were
wounded by this suggestion of unfaithfulness to His trust,
coming from the man whom He had so signally honored but
a few moments before. Peter saw mainly as men see, under-
standing but imperfectly the deeper purposes of God.
Though deserved, the rebuke he received w r as severe. The
adjuration, "Get thee behind me, Satan," was identical with
that used against the arch-tempter himself, who had sought
to beguile Jesus from the path upon which He had en-
tered,* and the provocation in the two instances was in some
respects similar the temptation to evade sacrifice and suf-
fering, though such was the world's ransom, and to follow
a more comfortable way. 7 The forceful words of Jesus
show the deep emotion that Peter's ill-considered attempt to
counsel if not to tempt his Lord had evoked.
Beside the Twelve, who were immediately about the
Lord's person, others were nearby; it appears that even in
those remote parts, far removed from the borders of Galiles
the habitat of a heathen population, with whom, however,
many Jews were intermixed the people gathered around the
Master. These He now called together, and to them and the
^T , oo oo i o *o ^ItosHaqrni tod babnarbiqqr.
/Matt. 16:22, 23; Mark 8:32, 33.
k Luke 4:8.
/Note 8, end of chapter.
THE FIGURE OF THE CROSS. 365
disciples said : "If any man will come after me, let him deny
himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." Here the
frightful figure of the cross was again made prominent.
There was left no shadow of excuse for the thought that
devotion to Christ would not mean denial and privation.
He who would save his life at the cost of duty, as Peter had
just suggested that Christ should do, would surely lose it in
a sense worse than that of physical death ; whereas he who
stood willing to lose all, even life itself, should find the life
that is eternal.
As evincing the soundness of His teachings, Jesus uttered
what has since become an inspiring aphorism of life : "For
what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and
lose his own soul ? or what shall a man give in exchange for
his soul ?" Whosoever is ashamed of Christ because of His
lowly estate, or through offense at His teachings, shall yet
find that the Son of Man, when He comes in the glory of the
Father, with attending cohorts of angels, will be ashamed of
that man. The record of this memorable day in the Savior's
life closes with His blessed promise : "Verily I say unto you,
There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death,
till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom."" 1
NOTES TO CHAPTER 22.
i. Passover Celebrations Comprized within the Period of
Our Lord's Public Ministry. The dates on which specific acts
occurred in the ministry of Jesus are difficult if not impossible
to fix, except in few instances; and as heretofore stated and
reiterated, even the order of events is often found to be uncer-
tain. It will be remembered that Jesus was in Jerusalem at the
time of the Passover soon after His baptism, and that on the
visit referred to He forcibly cleared the temple courts of traf-
fickers and their property. This is known as the first Passover
during the public life of Jesus. If the unnamed "feast of the
Jews" referred to by John (5:1) was a Passover, as many Bible
students hold, it marked the close of the year following the
cleansing the temple ; it is commonly spoken of and written
about as the second Passover in the course of our Lord's min-
istry. Then the Passover near which Jesus fed the five thousand
m Note 9, end of chapter.
JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 22.
(John 6:4) would be the third, and would mark the expiration of
two years and a fraction since the baptism of Jesus; it certainly
marks the beginning of the last year of the Savior's 'life on earth.
2. Ceremonial Ablutions. The numerous washings required
by Jewish custom in the time of Christ were admittedly incident
to rabbinism and "the tradition of the elders" and not in com-
pliance with the Mosaic law. Under certain conditions, succes-
sive washings were prescribed, in connection with which we find
mention of "first," "second" and "other" waters, the "second
water" being necessary to wash away the "first water," which
had become defiled by contact with the "common" hands ; and so
further with the later waters. Sometimes the hands had to be
dipped or immersed; at other times they were to be cleansed by
pouring, it being necessary that the water be allowed to run to
the wrist or the elbow according to the degree of supposed defile-
ment ; then again, as the disciples of Rabbi Shammai held, only
the finger tips, or the fingers up to the knuckles, needed to be
wetted under particular circumstances. Rules for the cleansing
of vessels and furniture were detailed and exacting; distinct
methods applied respectively to vessels of clay, wood, and metal.
Fear of unwittingly defiling the hands led to^ many extreme pre-
cautions. It being known that the Roll of the Law, the Roll of
the Prophets, and other scriptures, when laid away were some-
times touched, scratched, or even gnawed by mice, there was
issued a rabbinical decree, that the Holy Scriptures, or any part
thereof comprizing as many as eighty-five letters (the shortest
section in the law having just that number), defiled the hands by
mere contact. Thus the hands had to be ceremonially cleansed
after touching a copy of the scriptures, or even a written passage
therefrom.
Emancipation from these and "many such like things" must
have been relief indeed. Escape from this thraldom Jesus freely
offered, saying : "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are
heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you,
and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall
find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden
is light." (Matt. 11:28-30.)
3. "Corban," a Gift. The law of Moses prescribed rules re-
lating to vows (Lev. 27; Numb. 30). "Upon these rules," says
the writer in Smith's Bible Diet., "the traditionalists enlarged, and
laid down that a man might interdict himself by vow, not only
from using for himself, but from giving to another or receiving
from him, some particular object whether of food or any other
kind whatsoever. The thing thus interdicted was considered
as corban. A person might thus exempt himself from any in-
convenient obligation under plea of corban. Our Lord denounced
practises of this sort (Matt. 15:5; Mark 7:11), as annulling the
spirit of the law."
The revised version, Matt. 15 :5 is made to read "But ye
say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, That
wherewith thou mightest have been profited by me is given to
God; he shall not honor his father (or, his mother)." The fol-
NOTES. 367
lowing account of this pernicious custom appears in the Com-
mentary on The Holy Bible edited by Dummelow, " 'Corban/
meaning originally a sacrifice or a gift to God, was used in New
Testament times as a mere word of vowing, without implying
that the thing vowed would actually be offered or given to God.
Thus a man would say 'Corban to me is wine for such a time/
meaning that he took a vow to abstain from wine. Or a man
would say to a friend 'Corban to me for such a time is whatso-
ever I might be profited by thee/ meaning that for such a time
he vowed that he would receive neither hospitality nor any other
benefit from his friend. Similarly, if a son said to his father or
mother, 'Corban is whatsoever thou mightest have profited by
me' he took a vow not to assist his father or mother in any way,
however much they might require it. A vow of this kind was
held by the scribes to excuse a man from the duty ot supporting
his parents, and thus by their tradition they made void the word
of God."
4. The "Dogs" that Eat of the Crumbs. The woman's fer-
vid rejoinder, "Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which
fall from their masters' table," (Matt. 15:27), is thus commented
upon and paraphrased by Trench (Notes on the Miracles, p. 271) :
"The rendering of her answer in our translation is not, however,
altogether satisfactory. For, indeed, she accepts the Lord's
declaration, not immediately to make exception against the con-
clusion which He draws from it, but to show how in that very
declaration is involved the granting of her petition. 'Saidest
thou dogs ? It is well ; I accept the title and the place ; for the
dogs have a portion of the meal, not the first, not the children's
portion, but a portion still, the crumbs which fall from the mas-
ter's table. In this very putting of the case, Thou bringest us
heathen, Thou bringest me, within the circle of the blessings
which God, the Great Householder, is ever dispensing to His
family. We also belong _ to His household, though we occupy
but the lowest place therein.' "
The Dummelow Commentary, on Matt. 15 :26, reads in part as
follows : "The rabbis often spoke of the Gentiles as dogs, e. g.
'He who eats with an idolater is like one who eats with a dog.'
.... The nations of the world are compared to dogs.'
'The holy convocation belongs to you, not to the dogs.' Yet
Jesus in adopting the contemptuous expression slightly softens
it. He says not 'dogs,' but 'little dogs/ i. e. household, favorite,
dogs; and the woman cleverly catches at the expression, arguing
that if the Gentiles are household dogs, then it is only right that
they should be fed with the crumbs that fall from their masters'
table." Edersheim, referring to the original text, says : "The
term means 'little dogs/ or 'house dogs.'"
5. Decapolis, The name means "the ten cities," and was
applied to a region of indefinite boundaries lying mostly on the
east of Jordan and southerly from the sea of Galilee. Scythop-
olis, which Josephus (Wars of the Jews, iii, 9:7) refers to as the
largest of the ten cities, was on the west side of the river. There
is Tack of agreement among historians as to the cities comprized
368 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 22.
under the name. Biblical mention (Matt. 4:25; Mark 5:20; 7:31)
implies a general region rather than a definite area.
6. The Coasts of Caesarea Philippi. The term "coast" as it
appears in the Bible (authorized, or King James version), is used
to connote boundary, limit, or border, and not distinctively a sea-
shore. (For examples see Exo. 10:4, 14, 19; Josh. 15:1, 4; Judg.
11:20; Matt. 2:16, etc.) It is applied therefore to inland areas,
and frequently occurs as indicating a vicinity or neighborhood.
Csesarea Philippi, a town located, as stated in the text, near
Mount Hermon at the source of the Jordan, had been enlarged
and beautified by Philip the tetrarch, and by him was named
Csesarea in honor of the Roman emperor. It was called Caesarea
Philippi to distinguish it from the already existing Caesarea,
which was situated on the Mediterranean shore of Samaria, and
which in later literature came to be known as Caesarea Palestina.
Csesarea Philippi is believed to be identical with the ancient Baal
Gad (Josh. 11:17) and Baal Hermon (Judg. 3:3). It was known
as a place of idolatrous worship, and while under Greek sover-
eignty was called Paneas in recognition of the mythological deity
Pan. (See Josephus, Ant. xviii, 2:1); this designation persists in
in the present Arabic name of the place, Banias.
7. Simon Peter and the "Rock" of Revelation. Simon the
son of Jonas, on the occasion of his first recorded interview with
Jesus had received from the Lord's lips the distinguishing name-
title "Peter," or in the Aramaic tongue "Cephas," the English
equivalent of which is "a rock" or "a stone" (John 1:42; see also
page 140 herein). The name was confirmed upon the apostle on
the occasion now under consideration (Matt. 16:18). Jesus said
to him "thou art Peter," adding, "and upon this rock I will build
my church." In the course of the general apostasy subsequent
to the ancient apostolic ministry, the Bishop of Rome laid claim
to supreme authority as the alleged lineal successor to Peter ;
and an erroneous doctrine gained currency to the effect that
Peter was the "rock" upon which the Church of Christ was
founded. Detailed consideration of this inconsistent and in-
famous claim cannot be undertaken here ; it is sufficient to say
that a church founded or dependent upon Peter or any other man
would be Peter's or the other man's church, and not the Church
of Jesus Christ. (See The Great Apostasy, chap 9; also B.'of M.,
3 Nephi 27:1-8; also chapter 40 herein). That upon Peter rested
the responsibility of presidency -in the ministry, after the ascen-
sion of the resurrected Christ, is not questioned; but that he was,
even typically, the foundation upon which the Church was built,
is at once unscriptural and untrue. The Church of Jesus Christ
must authoritatively bear His name, and be guided by revelation,
direct and continuous, as the conditions of its building require.
Revelation from God to His servants invested with the Holy
Priesthood through authorized ordination as was Peter, is the
impregnable "rock" upon which the Church is built. (See Articles
of Faith, xvi, "Revelation.")
8. Christ's Rebuke to Peter. In addressing Peter as "Sa-
tan," Jesus was obviously using a forceful figure of speech, and
NOTES. 369
not a literal designation; for Satan is a distinct personage, Luci-
fer, that fallen, unembodied son of the morning (see page 7) ;
and certainly Peter was not he. In his remonstrance or "re-
buke" addressed to Jesus, Peter was really counseling what Satan
had before attempted to induce Christ to do, or tempting, as
Satan himself had tempted. The command, "Get thee behind me,
Satan," as directed to Peter, is rendered in English by some au-
thorities "Get thee behind me, tempter." The essential meaning
attached to both Hebrew and Greek originals for our word
"Satan" is that of an adversary, or "one who places himself in
another's way and thus opposes him." (Zenos.) The expression
"Thou art an ^offense unto me" is admittedly a less literal transla-
tion than "Thou art a stumbling-block unto me." The man
whom Jesus had addressed as Peter "the rock," was now
likened to a stone in the path, over which the unwary might
stumble.
9. Some to Live Until Christ Returns. The Savior's declar-
ation to the apostles and others in the neighborhood of Caesarea
Philippi, "Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here
which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man com-
ing in his kingdom," (Matt. 16:28; compare Mark 9:1; Luke
9:27), has occasioned great and diverse comment. The event
referred to, that of the Son of Man coming in the glory of His
Father attended by the angels, is yet future. At least a partial
fulfilment of the prediction is presented in the prolongation of
the life of John the apostle, who was there present, and who yet
lives in the flesh according to his desire (John 21:20-24; see fur-
ther B. of M., 3 Nephi 28:1-6; Doc. and Cov. Sec. 7).
10. "Thou Art the Christ." Peter's solemn and soulful con-
fession of Jesus as the Christ is worded differently by each of the
three synoptists. To many the most expressive version is that of
Luke: "The Christ of God." On earlier occasions, some or all
of the Twelve had acknowledged Jesus Christ to be the Son of
God, e. g. following the miracle of walking upon the sea (Matt.
I4:33)> an d again, after the crucial sermon at Capernaum (John
6:69); but it is evident that Peter's up welling and reverential
confession in answer to the Lord's question "But whom say ye
that I am?" had a significance, greater in assurance and more
exalted in kind, than had any prior expression of his conception
concerning his Lord. Yet even the conviction given through direct
revelation (Matt. 16:17) did not at the time comprize a compre-
hensive knowledge of the Savior's mission. Indeed, a fulness of
understanding and assurance came to the apostles after the Lord's
resurrection (compare Romans 1:4). Nevertheless, Peter's tes-
timony in the land of Caesarea Philippi evidences a very exalted
attainment. At that stage of the Savior's ministry, the public
proclamation of His divine status would have been as the casting
of pearls before swine (Matt. 7:6); therefore the Lord instructed
the apostles that at that time "they should tell no man that he
was Jesus the Christ."
Jt-K:0
370 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 23.
CHAPTER 23.
THE TRANSFIGURATION.
Of the week following the events last considered, no
record is found in the Gospels. We may safely assume that
the time was devoted, in part at least, to the further instruc-
tion of the Twelve respecting the rapidly approaching con-
summation of the Savior's mission on earth, the awful cir-
cumstances of which the apostles were loath to believe pos-
sible. When the week had passed" Jesus took Peter, James,
and John & and with them ascended a high mountain, where
they would be reasonably safe from human intrusion/ There
the three apostles witnessed a heavenly manifestation, which
stands without parallel in history ; in our Bible captions it
is known as the Transfiguration of Christ. d
One purpose of the Lord's retirement was that of prayer,
and a transcendent investiture of glory came upon Him as
He prayed. The apostles had fallen asleep, but were awak-
ened by the surpassing splendor of the scene, and gazed with
reverent awe upon their glorified Lord. "The fashion of his
countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and
glistering." His garments, though made of earth-woven
fabric, "became shining, exceeding white as snow ; so as no
fuller on earth can white them ;" "and his face did shine as
the sun." Thus was Jesus transfigured before the three
privileged witnesses.
With Him were two other personages, who also were in
a state of glorified radiance, and who conversed with the
Lord. These, as the apostles learned, by means not stated
~
a Note 1, end of chapter.
6 Note 2, end of chapter.
c Note 3, end of chapter.
17:1-8; Mark 9:2-8; Luke 9:28-36.
MOSES AND ELIJAH MINISTER TO CHRIST. 371
though probably as gathered from the conversation in prog-
ress, were Moses and Elias, or more literally to us, Elijah;
and the subject of their conference with Christ was "his
decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem." As the
prophet visitants were about to depart, "Peter said unto
Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here : and let us make
three tabernacles ; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one
for Elias : not knowing what he said." Undoubtedly Peter
and his fellow apostles were bewildered, "sore afraid" in-
deed ; and this condition may explain the suggestion respect-
ing the three tabernacles. "He wist not what to say;" yet,
though his remark appears confused and obscure, it becomes
somewhat plainer when we remember that, at the annual
feast of Tabernacles, it was customary to erect a little bower,
or booth of wattled boughs, for each individual worshiper,
into which he might retire for devotion. So far as there was
a purpose in Peter's proposition, it seems to have been that
of delaying the departure of the visitants.
The sublime and awful solemnity of the occasion had not
yet reached its climax. Even as Peter spake, "behold, a
bright cloud overshadowed them : and behold a voice out of
the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I
am well pleased ; hear ye him." It was Elohirn/ the Eternal
Father, who spake ; and at the sound of that voice of supreme
Majesty, the apostles fell prostrate. Jesus came and touched
them, saying, "Arise, and be not afraid." When they looked
they saw that again they were alone with Him.
The impression made upon the three apostles by this
manifestation was one never to be forgotten ; but they were
expressly charged to speak of it to no man until after the
Savior had risen from the dead. They were puzzled as to
the significance of the Lord's reference to His prospective
rising from the dead. They had heard with great sorrow,
and reluctantly they were being brought to understand it to
<?Page 38.
372 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 23.
be an awful certainty, that their beloved Master was to
"suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of
the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed."/ Such had been
declared to them before, in language devoid of ambiguity
and admitting of no figurative construction ; and with equal
plainness they had been told that Jesus would rise again ; but
of this latter eventuality they had but dim comprehension.
The present reiteration of these teachings seems to have left
the three with no clearer understanding of their Lord's
resurrection from the dead than they had before. They
seem to have had no definite conception as to what was
meant by a resurrection; "And they kept that saying with
themselves, questioning one with another what the rising
from the dead should mean."* 7
The comprehensiveness of the Lord's injunction, that
until after His rising from the dead they tell no man of their
experiences on the mount, prohibited them from informing
even their fellows of the Twelve. Later, after the Lord had
ascended to His glory, Peter testified to the Church of the
wondrous experience, in this forceful way: "For we have
not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known
unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,
but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received from
God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a
voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved
Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which
came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the
holy mount. " h And John, reverently confessing before the
world the divinity of the Word, the Son of God who had
been made flesh to dwell among men, solemnly affirmed :
"And we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten
of the Father, full of grace and truth."*
.
/Mark 8:31. Note 6, end of chapter.
0Mark 9:10.
h2 Peter 1:16-18.
tjohn 1:14.
THE FATHER AGAIN PROCLAIMS THE SON. 373
The divine purpose as shown forth in the Transfiguration
may be as incomprehensible to the human mind as is a full
conception of the attendant splendor from verbal descrip-
tion; some features of the results achieved are apparent,
however. Unto Christ the manifestation was strengthening
and encouraging. The prospect of the experiences imme-
diately ahead must naturally have been depressing and dis-
heartening in the extreme. In faithfully treading the path
of His life's work, He had reached the verge of the valley
of the shadow of death ; and the human part of His nature
called for refreshing. As angels had been sent to minister
unto Him after the trying scenes of the forty days' fast and
the direct temptation of Satan/ and as, in the agonizing
hour of His bloody sweat, He was to be sustained anew by
angelic ministry/ 5 so at this critical and crucial period, the
beginning of the end, visitants from the unseen world came
to comfort and support Him. What of actual communica-
tion passed in the conference of Jesus with Moses and Elijah
is not of full record in the New Testament Gospels.
The voice of His Father, to whom He was the Firstborn
in the spirit-world, and the Only Begotten in the flesh, was
of supreme assurance ; yet that voice had been addressed to
the three apostles rather than to Jesus, who had already re-
ceived the Father's acknowledgment and attestation on the
occasion of His baptism. The fullest version of the Father's
words to Peter, James, and John is that recorded by
Matthew : "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well
pleased ; hear ye him." Aside from the proclamation of the
Son's divine nature, the Father's words were otherwise de-
cisive and portentous. Moses, the promulgator of the law,
and Elijah the representative of the prophets and especially
distinguished among them as the one who had not died/ had
been seen ministering unto Jesus and subservient to Him.
/Matt. 4:11; Mark 1:13.
k Luke 22:43; compare John 12:27-28.
12 Kings 2:11.
374 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 23.
The fulfilment of the law and the superseding of the prophets
by the Messiah was attested in the command Hear ye Him.
A new dispensation had been established, that of the gospel,
for which the law and the prophets had been but prepara-
tory. The apostles were to be guided neither by Moses nor
Elijah, but by Him, their Lord, Jesus the Christ.
The three selected apostles, "the Man of Rock and the
Sons of Thunder" had seen the Lord in glory ; and they mar-
veled that such a thing could be at that time, since as they
had interpreted the scriptures, it had been predicted that
Elijah should precede the Messiah's triumphal advent. As
they wended their way down the mountain-side, they asked
the Master : m "Why then say the scribes that Elias must
first come ?" Jesus confirmed the prophecy that Elias should
first come, that is, before the Lord's advent in glory, which
event they had in mind ; "But," He added, "I say unto you,
That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have
done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also
the Son of man suffer of them. Then the disciples under-
stood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist." That
John the Baptist would officiate "in the spirit and power of
Elias," as the forerunner of the Christ, had been announced
by the angel Gabriel to Zacharias," before the Baptist's birth ;
and that John was that particular Elias had been shown by
Jesus in His memorable tribute to the Baptist's fidelity and
greatness. That His words would not be generally accepted
with understanding is evidenced by the context; Jesus, on
that occasion, had said: "And if ye will receive it, this is
Elias, which was for to come."
It is not possible that Jesus could have meant that John
was the same individual as Elijah ; nor could the people have
so understood His words, since the false doctrine of trans-
wMatt. 17:10-13; Mark 9:11-13.
it Luke 1:17; pages 77 and 257 herein.
oMatt. 11:14.
ELIAS AND ELIJAH. 375
[migration or reincarnation of spirits was repudiated by the
Jews/ The seeming difficulty is removed when we consider
. that, as the name appears in the New Testament, "Elias" is
used for "Elijah,"* with no attempt at distinction between
Elijah the Tishbite, and any other person known as Elias.
Gabriel's declaration that the then unborn John should mani-
jfest "the spirit and power of Elias" indicates that "Elias" is
a title of office; every restorer, forerunner, or one sent of
God to prepare the way for greater developments in the
gospel plan, is an Elias. The appellative "Elias" is in fact
both a personal name and a title.
In the present dispensation both the ancient Elias, who
belonged to the Abrahamic dispensation and in the spirit of
whose office many have officiated in different periods, and
also the prophet Elijah, have appeared in person and have
conferred their particular and separate authority upon latter-
day bearers of the Holy Priesthood, and the keys of the
powers exercized by them while on earth are today inherent
in the restored Church of Jesus Christ. The authority of
Elias is inferior to that of Elijah, the first being a function
of the Lesser or Aaronic order of Priesthood, while the
latter belongs to the Higher or Melchizedek Priesthood.
Malachi's prediction, that before "the great and dreadful
day of the Lord" Elijah the prophet would be sent to earth
to "turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart
of the children to their fathers,"*" did not reach fulfilment in
the mission of John the Baptist, nor in that of any other
"Elias" ; J its complete realization was inaugurated on the
third day of April, 1836, when Elijah appeared in the temple
at Kirtland, Ohio, and committed to Joseph Smith and
Oliver Cowdery the keys of the authority theretofore vested
in himself. "The great and dreadful day of the Lord" was
p Edersheim, "Life and Times of Jesus," vol. ii, p. 79.
<j Note 4, end of chapter.
rMal. 4:5, 8; see page 149 herein.
s Note 5, end of chapter.
376 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 23.
not the meridian of time; that awful though blessed period
of consummation is yet future, but "near, even at the doors. "*
NOTES TO CHAPTER 23.
1. Interval Between Time of Peter's Confession and that of
the Transfiguration. Both Matthew (17:1) and Mark (9:2) state
that the Transfiguration occurred "after six days" following the
time of Peter's great confession that Jesus was the Christ; while
Luke (9 128) notes an interval of "about an eight days." It is
probable that the six-day period was meant to be exclusive of the
day on which the earlier events had occurred and of that on
which Jesus and the three apostles retired to the mountain ; and
that Luke's "about an eight days" was made to include these two
days. There is here no ground for a claim of discrepancy.
2. Peter, James, and John who were selected from among
the Twelve as the only earthly witnesses of the transfiguration
of Christ, had been similarly chosen as witnesses of a special
manifestation, that of the raising of the daughter of Jairus (Mark
5:37; Luke 8:51); and, later, the same three were the sole wit-
nesses of our Lord's night agony in Gethsemane (Matt. 26:37;
Mark 14:33).
3. Place of the Transfiguration. The mountain on which
the Transfiguration occurred is neither named nor otherwise in-
dicated by the Gospel-writers in such a way as to admit of its pos-
itive identification. Mount Tabor, in Galilee, has long been held
by tradition as the site, and in the sixth century three churches
were erected on its plateau-like summit, possibly in commemora-
tion of Peter's desire to make three tabernacles or booths, one
each for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. Later a monastery was built
there. Nevertheless, Mt. Tabor is now rejected by investigators,
and Mt. Hermon is generally regarded as the place. Hermon
stands near the northerly limits of Palestine, just beyond Cses-
area Philippi, where Jesus is known to have been a week before
the Transfiguration. Mark (9:30) distinctly tells us that after
His descent from the mount, Jesus and the apostles departed and
went through Galilee. Weight of evidence is in favor of Her-
mon as the Mount of Transfiguration, though nothing that may
be called decisive is known in the matter.
4. The Names "Elias" and "Elijah." The following state-
ment which appears in Smith's Bible Dictionary is supported by
authorities in general : " 'Elias' " is "the Greek and Latin form
of 'Elijah' given in the Authorized Version of the Apocrypha and
New Testament."
5. "The Spirit and Power of Elias." That John the Baptist,
in his capacity as a restorer, a forerunner, or as one sent to pre-
pare the way for a work greater than his own, did officiate as an
"Elias" is attested by both ancient and latter-day scripture.
Through him water bapt'sm for the remission of sins was
2 jd ,e.-* .:
fDoc. and Cov. 110:13-16. See chapter 41, herein.
NOTES. 377
preached and administered, and the higher baptism, that of the
Spirit, was made possible. True to his mission, he has come in
the last dispensation, and has restored by ordination the Priest-
hood of Aaron, which has authority to baptize. He thus prepared
the way for the vicarious labor of baptism for the dead, the au-
thority for which was restored by Elijah, (see page 149 herein),
and which is preeminently the work by which the children and
the fathers shall be united in an eternal bond.
On the loth of March, 1844, the Prophet Joseph Smith gave
the following exposition of the power of Elias as compared with
higher authority: "The spirit of Elias is first, Elijah second,
and Messiah last. Elias is a forerunner to prepare the way, and
the spirit and power of Elijah is to come after, holding the keys
of power, building the temple to the cap-stone, placing the seals
of the Melchizedek Priesthood upon the house of Israel, and mak-
ing all things ready; then Messiah comes to His temple, which is
last of all.
"Messiah is above the spirit and power of Elijah, for He
made the world, and was that spiritual rock unto Moses in the
wilderness. Elijah was to come and prepare the way and build
up the kingdom before the coming of the great day of the Lord,
although the spirit of Elias might begin it." Hist, of the Church,
under date named.
6. Mention of the Lord's Approaching "Decease." Of
the three synoptists, Luke alone makes even brief mention of the
matter upon which Moses and Elijah conversed with the Lord
at the Transfiguration. The record states that the visitants, who
appeared in glory, "spake of his decease which he should accom-
plish at Jerusalem" (Luke 9:31)- It is significant that the decease,
which the Lord should accomplish, not the death that He should
suffer or die, was the subject of that exalted communion. The
Greek word of which "decease" appears as the English equivalent
in many of the MSS. of the Gospels, is one connoting "exodus"
or "departure," and the word occurring in other early versions
signifies "glory." So also the Greek original of "accomplish," in
the account of the Transfiguration, connotes the successful filling
out or completion of a specific undertaking, and not distinctively
the act of dying. Both the letter of the record and the spirit in
which the recorder wrote indicate that Moses and Elijah conversed
with their Lord on the glorious consummation of His mission in
mortality a consummation recognized in the law (personified in
Moses) and- the prophets (represented by Elijah) and an event
of supreme import, determining the fulfilment of both the law
and the prophets, and the glorious inauguration of a new and
higher order as part of the divine plan. The decease that the
Savior was then so soon to accomplish was the voluntary sur-
render of His life in fulfilment of a purpose at once exalted and
foreordained, not a death by which He would passively die
through conditions beyond His control. (See pp. 418, and 662).
,fc-Y8:6 9>Iu>J ;6S-J
378 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 24.
-
CHAPTER 24.
: ,t" (. iW 1OI X* nof "
FROM SUNSHINE TO SHADOW.
Our Lord's descent from the holy heights of the Mount
of Transfiguration was more than a physical return from
greater to lesser altitudes ; it was a passing from sunshine
into shadow, from the effulgent glory of heaven to the mists
of worldly passions and human unbelief ; it was the begin-
ning of His rapid descent into the valley of humiliation.
From lofty converse with divinely-appointed ministers, from
supreme communion with His Father and God, Jesus came
down to a scene of disheartening confusion and a spectacle
of demonized dominion before which even His apostles stood
in impotent despair. To His sensitive and sinless soul the
contrast must have brought superhuman anguish ; even to
us who read the brief account thereof it is appalling.
HEADING OF YOUTHFUL DEMONIAC.
Jesus and the three apostles returned from the mount on
the morrow following the Transfiguration ; b this fact sug-
gests the assumption that the glorious manifestation had oc-
curred during the night. At or near the base of the moun-
tain the party found the other apostles, and with them a
multitude of people, including some scribes or rabbis. c There
was evidence of disputation and disturbance amongst the
crowd ; and plainly the apostles were on the defensive. At
the unexpected approach of Jesus many of the people ran
to meet Him with respectful salutations. Of the contentious
scribes He asked: "What question ye with them?" thus
a Compare 2 Peter 1:18.
fcLuke 9:37.
cMatt. 17:14-21; Mark 9:14-29; Luke 9:37-42.
FUTILE ATTEMPT OF APOSTLES TO HEAL. 379
assuming the burden of the dispute, whatever it might be,
and so relieving the distressed disciples from further active
participation. The scribes remained silent ; their courage
had vanished when the Master appeared. A man, "one of
the multitude," gave, though indirectly, the answer. "Mas-
ter," said he, kneeling at the feet of Christ, "I have brought
unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit ; and wheresoever
he taketh him, he teareth him : and he f oameth, and gnasheth
with his teeth, and pineth away : and I spake to thy disciples
that they should cast him out ; and they could not."
The disciples' failure to heal the stricken youth had evi-
dently brought upon them hostile criticism, taunts and ridi-
cule from the unbelieving scribes ; and their discomfiture
must have been intensified by the thought that through them
doubt had been cast upon the authority and power of their
Lord. Pained in spirit at this another instance of dearth of
faith and consequent lack of power among His chosen and
ordained servants Jesus uttered an exclamation of intense
sorrow : "O faithless generation, how long shall I be with
you? how long shall I suffer you?" These words, in which
there is evident reproof, however mild and pitying it may be,
were addressed primarily to the apostles; whether exclu-
sively so or to them and others is of minor importance. As
Jesus directed, the afflicted lad was brought nearer; and
the tormenting demon, finding himself in the Master's pres-
ence, threw his youthful victim into a terrible paroxysm, so
that the boy fell to the ground and wallowed in convulsions,
the while frothing and foaming at the mouth. With calm
deliberation, which contrasted strongly with the eager im-
patience of the distracted parent, Jesus inquired as to when
the malady had first befallen the lad. "Of a child," an-
swered the father, adding, "And ofttimes it hath cast him
into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him." With
pathetic eagerness he implored, "If thou canst do anything,
have compassion on us and help us." The man spoke of
JESUS THE CHRIST.'TA [CHAP. 24.
his son's affliction as though shared by himself. "Help us,"
was his prayer.
To this qualifying expression "If thou canst do any-
thing," which implied a measure of uncertainty as to the
ability of the Master to grant what he asked, and this per-
haps as in part a result of the failure of the apostles, Jesus
replied : "If thou canst believe" ; and added, "all things are
possible to him that believeth." The man's understanding
was enlightened ; up to that moment he had thought that all
depended upon Jesus ; he now saw that the issue rested
largely with himself. It is noteworthy that the Lord speci-
fied belief rather than faith as the condition essential to the
case. The man was evidently trustful, and assuredly fervent
in his hope that Jesus could help ; but it is doubtful that he
knew what faith really meant. He was receptive and eagerly
teachable, however, and the Lord strengthened his feeble
and uncertain belief. The encouraging explanation of the
real need stimulated him to a more abounding trust. Weep-
ing in an agony of hope he cried out : "Lord, I believe ;"
and then, realizing the darkness of error from which he was
just beginning to emerge, he added penitently "help thou
mine unbelief. " d
Looking compassionately upon the writhing sufferer at
His feet, Jesus rebuked the demon, thus : "Thou dumb and
deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no
more into him. And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and
came out of him : and he was as one dead ; insomuch that
many said, He is dead. But Jesus took him by the hand,
and lifted him up; and he arose;" and as Luke adds, "and
delivered him again to his father." The permanency of the
cure was assured by the express command that the evil spirit
enter no more into the lad;* it was no relief from that
present attack alone; the healing was permanent.
dNote 1, end of chapter.
e Compare Matt. 12:40-45.
THE QUALITY OF FAITH. 381
The people were amazed at the power of God manifested
in the miracle ; and the apostles who had tried and failed to
subdue the evil spirit were disturbed. While on their mis-
sion, though away from their Master's helpful presence, they
had successfully rebuked and cast out evil spirits as they had
received special power and commission to do/ but now,
during His absence of a day they had found themselves
unable. When they had retired to the house, they asked of
Jesus, "Why could not we cast him out ?" The reply was :
"Because of your unbelief ;" and in further explanation the
Lord said, "Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer
and fasting."^
Hereby we learn that the achievements possible to faith
are limited or conditioned by the genuineness, the purity, the
unmixed quality of that faith. "O ye of little faith;" "Where
is your faith?" and "Wherefore didst thou doubt?" 71 are
forms of admonitory reproof that had been repeatedly ad-
dressed to the apostles by the Lord. The possibilities of
faith were now thus further affirmed: "Verily I say unto
you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say
unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it
shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you."*
The comparison between effective faith and a grain of mus-
tard seed is one of quality rather than of quantity; it con-
notes living, virile faith, like unto the seed, however small,
from which a great plant may spring/ in contrast with a
lifeless, artificial imitation, however prominent or demon-
strative.
THE LORD'S DEATH AND RESURRECTION AGAIN PREDICTED.*
From the locality whereat the last miracle was wrought,
Jesus departed with the Twelve, and passed through Galilee
/Mark 6:12, 13; compare verse 7; also 3:15; Matt. 10:1.
g Note 2, end of chapter.
h Matt. 14:31; 16:8; Luke 8:25.
i Matt. 17:20; compare 21:21; Mark 11:23; Luke 17:6; see also Note 3,
end of chapter.
j Compare Parable of the Mustard Seed, page 290.
jfeMatt. 17:22-23; Mark 9:30-32; Luke 9:44, 45.
382 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 24.
toward Capernaum. It is probable that they traveled by
the less frequented roads, as He desired that His return
should not be publicly known. He had gone into com-
parative retirement for a season, primarily it seems in quest
of opportunity to more thoroughly instruct the apostles in
their preparation for the work, which within a few months
they would be left to carry on without His bodily companion-
ship. They had solemnly testified that they knew Him to be
the Christ; to them therefore He could impart much that
the people in general were wholly unprepared to receive.
The particular theme of His special and advanced instruc-
tion to the Twelve was that of His approaching death and
resurrection ; and this was dwelt upon again and again, for
they were slow or unwilling to comprehend.
"Let these sayings sink down into your ears" was His
forceful prelude on this occasion, in Galilee. Then followed
the reiterated prediction, spoken in part in the present tense
as though already begun in fulfilment : "The Son of man is
delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him ; and
after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day." We read
with some surprize that the apostles still failed to under-
stand. Luke's comment is : "But they understood not this
saying, and it was hid from them, that they perceived it not :
and they feared to ask him of that saying." The thought of
what the Lord's words might mean, even in its faintest out-
line, was terrifying to those devoted men ; and their failure
to comprehend was in part due to the fact that the human
mind is loath to search deeply into anything it desires not
to believe.
TRIBUTE MONEY SUPPLIED BY A MIRACLE.'
Jesus and His followers were again in Capernaum. There
Peter was approached by a collector of the temple tax, who
, , , .. ,_ . _ .basS IXTE BqmoD t,
/Matt. 17:24-27.
THE TRIBUTE MONEY. 383
asked: "Doth not your Master pay tribute?""* Peter an-
swered "Yes." It is interesting to find that the inquiry was
made of Peter and not directly of Jesus ; this circumstance
may be indicative of the respect in which the Lord was held
by the people at large, and may suggest the possibility of
doubt in the collector's mind as to whether Jesus was amen-
able to the tax, since priests and rabbis generally claimed
exemption.
Tire annual capitation tax here referred to amounted to
half a shekel or a didrachm, corresponding to about thirty-
three cents in our money ; and this had been required of
every male adult in Israel since the days of the exodus;
though, during the period of captivity the requirement had
been modified." This tribute, as prescribed through Moses,
was originally known as "atonement money," and its pay-
ment was in the nature of a sacrifice to accompany supplica-
tion for ransom from the effects of individual sin. At the
time of Christ the annual contribution was usually collected
between early March and the Passover. If Jesus was sub-
ject to this tax, He was at this time several weeks in arrears.
The conversation between Peter and the tax-collector had
occurred outside the house. When Peter entered, and was
about to inform the Master concerning the interview, Jesus
forestalled him, saying: "What thinkest thou, Simon? of
whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of
their own children, or of strangers? Peter saith unto him,
Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children
free."
Peter must have seen the inconsistency of expecting
Jesus, the acknowledged Messiah, to pay atonement money,
or a tax for temple maintenance, inasmuch as the temple was
the House of God, and Jesus was the Son of God, and par-
ticularly since even earthly princes were exempted from
m Note 4, end of chapter.
n Exo. 30:13; 38:26. Page 171.
384 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 24.
capitation dues. Peter's embarrassment over his inconsid-
erate boldness, in pledging payment for his Master without
first consulting Him, was relieved however by Jesus, who
said: "Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go
thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that
first cometh up ; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou
shalt find a piece of money : that take, and give unto them
for me and thee."
The money was to be paid, not because it could be right-
fully demanded of Jesus, but lest non-payment give offense
and furnish to His opponents further excuse for complaint.
The "piece of money," which Jesus said Peter would find in
the mouth of the first fish that took his bait, is more correctly
designated by the literal translation "stater,"* indicating a
silver coin equivalent to a shekel, or two didrachms, and
therefore the exact amount of the tax for two persons. "That
take, and give unto them for me and thee" said Jesus. It is
notable that He did not say "for us." In His associations
with men, even with the Twelve, who of all were nearest and
dearest to Him, our Lord always maintained His separate
and unique status, in every instance making the fact apparent
that He was essentially different from other men. This is
illustrated by His expressions "My Father and your Father,"
"My God and your God,"^ instead of our Father and our
God. He reverently acknowledged that He was the Son of
God in a literal sense that did not apply to any other being.
While the circumstances of the finding of the stater in
the fish are not detailed, and the actual accomplishment of
the miracle is not positively recorded, we cannot doubt that
what Jesus had promised was realized, as otherwise there
would appear no reason for introducing the incident into the
Gospel narrative. The miracle is without a parallel or even
a remotely analogous instance. We need not assume that
o See reading in revised version, and in margin of Oxford and Bagster
Bibles.
f John 20:17.
THE LORD'S PURPOSE IN PAYING TRIBUTE.
the stater was other than an ordinary coin that had fallen
into the water, nor that it had been taken by the fish in any
unusual way. Nevertheless, the knowledge that there was
in the lake a fish having a coin in its gullet, that the coin was
of the denomination specified, and that that particular fish
would rise, and be the first to rise to Peter's hook, is as in-
comprehensible to man's finite understanding as are the
means by which any of Christ's miracles were wrought. The
Lord Jesus held and holds dominion over the earth, the sea,
and all that in them is, for by His word and power were
they made.
The Lord's purpose in so miraculously supplying the
money should be studiously considered. The assumption
that superhuman power had to be invoked because of a sup-
posed condition of extreme poverty on the part of Jesus and
Peter is unwarranted. Even if Jesus and His companions
had been actually penniless, Peter and his fellow fishermen
could easily have cast their net, and, with ordinary success
have obtained fish enough to sell for the needed amount.
Moreover, we find no instance of a miracle wrought by the
Lord for personal gain or relief of His own need, however
pressing. It appears probable, that by tiie means employed
for obtaining the money, Jesus intentionally emphasized His
exceptional reasons for redeeming Peter's pledge that the
tax would be paid. The Jews, who did not know Jesus as
the Messiah, but only as a Teacher of superior ability and a
Man of unusual power, might have taken offense had He
refused to pay the tribute required of every Jew. On the
other hand, to the apostles and particularly to Peter who had
been the mouth-piece of all in the great confession, the pay-
ment of the tax in ordinary course and without explanation
by Jesus might have appeared as an admission that He was
subject to the temple, and therefore less than He had claimed
and less than they had confessed Him to be. His catechiza-
tion of Peter had clearly demonstrated that He maintained
13
386 .STUaiflT JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 24.
His right as the King's Son, and yet would condescend to
voluntarily give what could not be righteously demanded.
Then, in conclusive demonstration of His exalted status, He
provided the money by the utilization of knowledge such as
no other man possessed.
AS A UTTLE CHILD.*
:o/nrrn a'tehrfO lo '^rrfi rbi
On the way to Capernaum the apostles had questioned
among themselves, as they supposed beyond the Master's
hearing; questioning had led to argument, and argument
to disputation. The matter about which they were so greatly
concerned was as to who among them should be the greatest
in the kingdom of heaven. The testimony they had received
convinced them beyond all doubt, that Jesus was the long-
awaited Christ, and this had been supplemented and con-
firmed by His unqualified acknowledgment of His Messianic
dignity. With minds still tinctured by the traditional ex-
pectation of the Messiah as both spiritual I^ord and tem-
poral King, and remembering some of the Master's fre-
quent references to His kingdom arid the blessed state of
those who belonged thereto, and furthermore realizing that
His recent utterances indicated a near crisis or climax in
His ministry, they surrendered themselves to the selfish con-
templation of their prospective stations in the new kingdom,
and the particular offices of trust, honor, and emolument
each most desired. Who of them was to be prime minister;
who would be chancellor, who the commander of the troops ?
Personal ambition had already engendered jealousy in their
hearts.
When they were together with Jesus in the house at
Capernaum, the subject was brought up again. Mark tells
us that Jesus asked : "What was it that ye disputed among
yourselves by the way?" and that they answered not, be-
t. 18:1-11; Mark 9:33-37, 42; Luke 9;46-48.
NOT CHILDISH BUT CHILDLIKE. 387
cause, as may be inferred, they were ashamed. From
Matthew's record it may be understood that the apostles
submitted the question for the Master's decision. The ap-
parent difference of circumstance is unimportant; both ac-
counts are correct; Christ's question to them may have
eventually brought out their questions to Him. Jesus, com-
prehending their thoughts and knowing their unenlightened
state of mind on the matter that troubled them, gave them
an illustrated lesson. Calling a little child, whom He lov-
ingly took into His arm, He said : "Verily I say unto you,
Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye
shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever
therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same
is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall re-
ceive one such little child in my name receiveth me. But
whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in
me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged
about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of
the sea." With this lesson we may profitably associate a
later teaching, that little children are typical of the kingdom
of heaven/
Even the apostles were in need of conversion;* respect-
ing the matter at issue their hearts were turned, partly at
least, from God and His kingdom. They had to learn that
genuine humility is an attribute essential to citizenship in the
community of the blessed; and that the degree of humility
conditions whatsoever there is akin to rank in the kingdom ;
for therein the humblest shall be greatest.
Christ would not have had His chosen representatives
become childish ; far from it, they had to be men of courage,
fortitude, and force ; but He would have them become child-
like. The distinction is important. Those who belong to
Christ must become like little children in obedience, truthful-
rMatt. 19:13-15; Mark 10:13-16; Luke 18:15-17.
s Compare Luke 22:32.
388 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 24.
ness, trustfulness, purity, humility, and faith. The child is
an artless, natural, trusting believer; the childish one is
careless, foolish, and neglectful. In contrasting these char-
acteristics, note the counsel of Paul : "Brethren, be not
children in understanding : howbeit in malice be ye children,
but in understanding be men."' Children as such, and chil-
dren as types of adults who are true believers, are closely
associated in this lesson. Whosoever shall offend, that is
cause to stumble or go astray, one such child of Christ, incurs
guilt so great that, it would have been better for him had he
met death even by violence before he had so sinned.
Dwelling upon offenses, or causes of stumbling, the Lord
continued : "Woe unto the world because of offences ! for it
must needs be that offences come ; but woe to that man by
whom the offence cometh !" Then, repeating some of the
precious truths embodied in His memorable Sermon on the
Mount, 1 ' He urged the overcoming of evil propensities what-
ever the sacrifice. As it is better that a man undergo sur-
gical treatment though he lose thereby a hand, a foot, or an
eye, than that his whole body be involved and his life for-
feited, so is it commended that he cut off, tear away, or root
out from his soul the passions of evil, which, if suffered to
remain shall surely bring him under condemnation. In that
state his conscience shall gnaw as an undying worm, and
his remorse shall be as a fire that cannot be quenched. Every
human soul shall be tested as by fire; and as the flesh of
the altar sacrifices had to be seasoned with salt, as a type
of preservation from corruption," so also the soul must re-
ceive the saving salt of the gospel ; and that salt must be
pure and potent, not a dirty mixture of inherited prejudice
and unauthorized tradition that has lost whatever saltness it
may once have had. "Have salt in yourselves, and have
tl Cor. 14:20; compare 13:11; Matt. 11:25; Psa. 131:2.
Page 234.
t/Mark 9:49,50; compare Lev. 2:13; Ezek. 43:24.
THE NINETY AND NINE AND THE LOST ONE. 389
peace one with another," was the Lord's admonition to the
disputing Twelve.^
As applicable to children of tender years, and to child-
like believers young and old, the Savior gave to the apostles
this solemn warning and profound statement of fact : "Take
heed that ye despise not one of these little ones ; for I say
unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the
face of my Father which is in heaven." The mission of the
Christ was presented as that of saving those who are tem-
porarily lost, and who, but for His aid would be lost forever.
In elucidation of His meaning, the Teacher presented a
parable which has found place among the literary treasures
of the world.
THE PARABLE OF THE LOST SHEEP/
"How think ye ? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one
of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine,
and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone
astray? And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you,
he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine
which went not astray. Even so it is not the will of your
Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should
perish."
In this effective analogy the saving purpose of Christ's
mission is made prominent. He is verily the Savior. The
shepherd is portrayed as leaving the ninety and nine, pastured
or folded in safety we cannot doubt, while he goes alone
into the mountains to seek the one that has strayed. In find-
ing and bringing back the wayward sheep, he has more, joy
than that of knowing the others are yet safe. In a later ver-
sion of this splendid parable, as addressed to the murmuring
Pharisees and scribes at Jerusalem, the Master said of the
shepherd on his finding the lost sheep :
} W
wMark 9:43-50; compare Matt. 18:8, 9. Page 232 herein.
.trMatt. 18:12-14; compare Luke 15:3-7 in which occurs a repetition of
this impressive parable, as given on a later occasion to Pharisees and
scribes at Jerusalem with a somewhat different application.
390 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 24.
"And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders,
rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together
his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with
me ; for I have found my sheep which was lost. I say unto
you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that
repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons,
which need no repentance."^
MbfWte
Many have marveled that there should be greater rejoic-
ing over the recovery of one stray sheep, or the saving of a
soul that had been as one lost, than over the many who have
not been in such jeopardy. In the safe-folded ninety and nine
the shepherd had continued joy ; but to him came a new
accession of happiness, brighter and stronger because of his
recent grief, when the lost was brought back to the fold.
To this parable in connection with others of analogous im-
port we shall recur in a later chapter.
IN MY
In continuation of the lesson illustrated by the little child,
Jesus said : "Whosoever shall receive this child in my name
receiveth me : and whosoever shall receive me receiveth him
that sent me: for he that is least among you all, the same
shall be great." It may have been Christ's reference to
deeds done in His name that prompted John to interject a
remark at this point: "Master, we saw one casting out
devils in thy name, and he followeth not us : and we forbad
him, because he followeth not us. But Jesus said, Forbid
him not : for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my
name, that can lightly speak evil of me. For he that is not
against us is on our part." The young apostle had allowed
his zeal for the Master's name to lead to intolerance. That
the man who had attempted to do good in the name of Jesus
was evidently sincere, and that his efforts were acceptable to
y Luke 15:1-7. See further page 454 herein.
*Luke 9:48-50; Mark 9:37-41.
BE RECONCILED WITH THY BROTHER. 391
the I^ord we cannot doubt; his act was essentially different
from the unrighteous assumptions for which some others
were afterward rebuked; he was certainly a believer in
Christ, and may have been one of the class from which the
Lord was soon to select and commission special ministers
and the Seventy. & In the state of divided opinion then ex-
isting among the people concerning Jesus, it was fair to say
that all who were not opposed to Him were at least tenta-
tively on His side. On other occasions He asserted that
those who were not with Him were against Him. c
MY BROTHER AND I. d
The proper method of adjusting differences between
brethren and the fundamental principles of Church discipline
were made subjects of instruction to the Twelve. The first
step is thus prescribed : "Moreover if thy brother shall tres-
pass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and
him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy
brother." The rule of the rabbis was that the offender must
make the first advance; but Jesus taught that the injured
one should not wait for his brother to come to him, but go
himself, and seek to adjust the difficulty ; by so doing he
might be the means of saving his brother's soul. If the
offender proved to be obdurate, the brother who had suffered
the trespass was to take two or three others with him, and
again try to bring the transgressor to repentant acknowledg-
ment of his offense; such a course provided for witnesses, by
whose presence later misrepresentation would be guarded
against.
Extreme measures were to be adopted only after all
gentler means had failed. Should the man persist in his
obstinacy, the case was to be brought before the Church, and
,
o Contrast the instance of the sons of Sceva, Acts 19:13-17.
& Compare Luke 9:52; 10:1.
c Matt. 12:30; Luke 11:23.
d Matt. 18:15-20; compare Luke 17:3, 4.
392 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 24.
in the event of his neglect or refusal to heed the decision of
the Church, he was to be deprived of fellowship, thereby be-
coming in his relationship to his former associates "as an
heathen man and a publican." In such state of non-member-
ship he would be a fit subject for missionary effort ; but, until
he became repentant and manifested willingness to make
amends, he could claim no rights or privileges of communion
in the Church. Continued association with the unrepentant
sinner may involve the spread of his disaffection, and the
contamination of others through his sin. Justice is not to
be dethroned by Mercy. The revealed order of discipline in
the restored Church is similar to that given to the apostles
of old/
The authority of the Twelve to administer the affairs of
Church government was attested by the Lord's confirming
to them as a body the promise before addressed to Peter:
"Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth
shall be bound in heaven : and whatsoever ye shall loose on
earth shall be loosed in heaven."/ Through unity of purpose
and unreserved sincerity they would have power with God,
as witness the Master's further assurance: "Again I say
unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching
any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my
Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are
gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of
them." Peter here broke in with a question : "Lord, how
oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him ? till
seven times?" He would fain have some definite limit set,
and he probably considered the tentative suggestion of seven
times as a very liberal measure, inasmuch as the rabbis pre-
scribed a triple forgiveness only.* 7 He may have chosen
seven as the next number above three having a special Phari-
e Compare Doc. and Cov. 20:80; 42:88-93; 98:39-48.
/Matt. 18:18; compare 16:19, and John 20:23.
fir They based this limitation on Amos 1:3 and Job 33:29. In the latter
passage, as it appears in the authorized version, the word "oftentimes" is
an erroneous rendering of the original, which really signified "twice and
thrice."
MERCY IS FOR THE MERCIFUL. 393
saical significance. The Savior's answer was enlightening:
"Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times :
but, Until seventy times seven." This reply must have meant
to Peter as it means to us, that to forgiveness man may set
no bounds ; the forgiveness, however, must be merited by
the recipient.* 1 The instruction was made memorable by the
following story:
PARABLE OF THE UNMERCIFUL SERVANT.
"Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a cer-
tain king, which would take account of his servants. And
when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him,
which owed him ten thousand talents. But forasmuch as
he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and
his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be
made. The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped
him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay
thee all. Then the lord of that servant was moved with
compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. But
the same servant went out, and found one of his fellow-
servants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid
hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me
that thou owest. And his fellowservant fell down at his
feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and
I will pay thee all. And he would not : but went and cast
him into prison, till he should pay the debt. So when his
f ellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and
came and told unto their lord all that was done. Then his
lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou
wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou
desiredst me : Shouldest not thou also have had compassion
on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? And his
lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he
should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my
heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts
forgive not every one his brother their trespasses."*
Ten thousand talents are specified as expressive of a sum
A Compare Luke 17:3, 4.
Matt. 18:23-35.
394 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 24.
so great as to put the debtor beyond all reasonable possibility
of paying. We may regard the man as a trusted official, one
of the king's ministers, who had been charged with the cus-
tody of the royal revenues, or one of the chief treasurers of
taxes ; that he is called a servant introduces no inconsistency,
as in an absolute monarchy all but the sovereign are subjects
and servants. The selling of the debtor's wife and children
and all that he had would not have been in violation of the
law in the supposed case, which implies the legal recognition
of slavery/ The man was in arrears for debt. He did not
come before his lord voluntarily but had to be brought. So
in the affairs of our individual lives periodical reckonings are
inevitable; and while some debtors report of their own ac-
cord, others have to be cited to appear. The messengers
who serve the summons may be adversity, illness, the ap-
proach of death ; but, whatever, whoever they are, they
enforce a rendering of our accounts.
The contrast between ten thousand talents and a hundred
pence is enormous.^ In his fellowservant's plea for time in
which to pay the hundred pence, the greater debtor should
have been reminded of the dire straits from which he had
just been relieved ; the words, "Have patience with me, and
I will pay thee all," were identical with those of his own
prayer to the king. The base ingratitude of the unmerciful
servant justified the king in revoking the pardon once
granted. The man came under condemnation, not primarily
for defalcation and debt, but for lack of mercy after having
received of mercy so abundantly. He, as an unjust plaintiff,
had invoked the law ; as a convicted transgressor he was to
be dealt with according to the law. Mercy is for the mer-
ciful. As a heavenly jewel it is to be received with thank-
fulness and used with sanctity, not to be cast into the mire of
undeservedness. Justice may demand retribution and pun-
; Compare 2 Kings 4:1; Lev. 25:39.
k Note 5, end of chapter.
NOTES. 395
ishment : "With what measure ye mete, it shall be measured
to you again. " l The conditions under which we may confi-
dently implore pardon are set forth in the form of prayer
prescribed by the Lord : "Forgive us our debts, as we for-
give our debtors."
NOTES TO CHAPTER 24.
1. Faith in Behalf of Others. The supplication of the ago-
nized father for the benefit of his sorely afflicted son "Have
compassion on us, and help us" (Mark 9:22) shows that he
made the boy's case his own. In this we are reminded of the
Canaanite woman who implored Jesus to have mercy on her,
though her daughter was the afflicted one (Matt. 15:22; page 354
herein). In these cases, faith was exercized in behalf of the
sufferers by others; and the same is true of the centurion who
pleaded for his servant and whose faith was specially commended
by Jesus (Matt. 8:5-10; page 249 herein) ; of Jairus whose daugh-
ter lay dead (Luke 8:41, 42, 49, 50; page 313 herein), and of many
who brought their helpless kindred or friends to Christ and
pleaded for them. As heretofore shown, faith to be healed is as
truly a gift of God as is faith to heal (page 318) ; and, as the
instances cited prove, faith may be exercized with effect in behalf
of others. In connection with the ordinance of administering to
the afflicted, by anointing with oil and the laying on of hands,
as authoritatively established in the restored Church of Jesus
Christ, the elders officiating should encourage the faith of all
believers present, that such be exerted in behalf of the sufferer.
In the case of infants and of persons who are unconscious, it is
plainly useless to look for active manifestation of faith on their
part, and the supporting faith of kindred and friends is all the
more requisite.
2. Power Developed by Prayer and Fasting. The Savior's
statement concerning the evil spirit that the apostles were unable
to subdue "Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and
fasting" indicates gradation in the malignity and evil power of
demons, and gradation also in the results of varying degrees of
faith. The apostles who failed on the occasion referred to had
been able to cast out demons at other times. Fasting, when
practised in prudence, and genuine prayer are conducive to the
development of faith with its accompanying power for good. In-
dividual application of this principle may be made with profit.
Have you some besetting weakness, some sinful indulgence that
you have vainly tried to overcome? Like the malignant demon
that Christ rebuked in the boy, your sin may be of a kind that
goeth out only through prayer and fasting.
3. Nothing Impossible to Faith. Many people have ques-
JMatt. 7:1; see also verse 8.
mMatt. 6:12; compare Luke 11:4; B. of M., 3 Nephi 13:11; page 240.
JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 24.
tioned the literal truth of the Lord's declaration that by faith
mountains may be removed from their place. Plainly there
would have to be a purpose in harmony with the divine mind and
plan, in order that faith could be exerted at all in such an under-
taking. Neither such a miracle nor any other is ppssible as a
gratification of the yearning for curiosity, nor for display, nor
for personal gain or selfish satisfaction. Christ wrought no
miracle with any such motive; He persistently refused to show
signs to mere sign-seekers. But to deny the possibility of a
mountain being removed through faith, under conditions that
would render such removal acceptable to God, is to deny the
word of God, both as to this specific possibility, and as to the
general assurance that "nothing shall be impossible" to him who
hath faith adequate to the end desired. It is worthy of note,
however, that the Jews in the days of Christ and since often
spoke of removing mountains as a figurative expression for the
overcoming of difficulties. According to Lightfoot and other
authorities a man able to solve intricate problems, or of partic-
ular power in argument or acumen in judgment, was referred to
as a "rooter up of mountains."
4. The Temple Tribute. That the tribute money referred
to in the text was a Jewish contribution to the temple and not a
tax levied by the Roman government, is apparent from the speci-
fication of the "didrachma," which in the authorized version is
translated "tribute." This coin was equivalent to the half shekel,
reckoned "after the shekel of the sanctuary," which was the fixed
amount to be paid, annually by every male "from twenty years
old and above," with the provision that "the rich shall not give
more and the poor shall not give less" (Exo. 30:13-15). A tax
levied by the political powers would not be designated as the
didrachma. Moreover, had the collector who approached Peter
been one of the official publicans, he probably would have de-
manded the tax instead of inquiring as to whether or not the
Master was to be counted among the contributors.
Among the many humiliations to which the Jews were sub
jected in later years, after the destruction of the temple, was the
compulsory payment of what had been their temple tribute, to
the Romans, who decreed it as a revenue to the pagan temple of
Jupiter Capitolinus. Of the emperor Vespasian, Josephus (Wars
of the Jews, vii, 6 :6) says : That he also laid a tribute whereso-
ever they were, and enjoined every one of them to bring two
drachmae every year into the capitol, as they used to pay the
same to the temple at Jerusalem.
5. Talents and Pence. It is evident that by specifying ten
thousand talents as the debt due the king, and a hundred pence
as that owed by the fellow-servant, the Lord intended to present
a case of great disparity and^ striking contrast. The actual
amounts involved are of minor significance in the story. We are
not told which variety of talent was meant; there were Attic
talents, and both silver and gold talents of Hebrew reckoning;
and each differed from the others in value. The Oxford mar-
ginal explanation is: "A talent is 750 ounces of silver, which
NOTES. 397
after five shillings the ounce is 187 pounds, ten shillings." This
would be in American money over nine and a quarter millions of
dollars as the sum of the ten thousand talents. The same au-
thority gives as the value of the penny (Roman) sevenpence half-
penny, or fifteen cents, making the second debt equivalent to
about fifteen dollars. Comparison with talents mentioned else-
where may be allowable. Trench says : "How vast a sum it was
we can most vividly realize to ourselves by comparing it with
other sums mentioned in Scripture. In the construction of the
tabernacle, twenty-nine talents of gold were used (Exo. 38:24);
David prepared for the temple three thousand talents of gold,
and the princes five thousand (i Chron. 29:4-7); the queen of
Sheba presented to Solomon one hundred and twenty talents (i
Kings 10:10); the king of Assyria laid upon Hezekiah thirty
talents of gold (2 Kings 18:14); and in the extreme impoverish-
ment to which the land was brought at the last, one talent of
gold was laid upon it, after the death of Josiah, by the king of
Egypt (2 Chron. 36:3)." Farrar estimates the debt owed to the
king as 1,250,000 times that owed by the lesser to the greater
debtor.
6. An Assumed Approval of Slavery. Some readers have
assumed that they find in the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant
an implied approval of the institution of slavery. The greater
debtor, who figures in the story, was to be sold, together with
his wife and children and all that he had. A rational consideration
of the story as a whole is likely to find at most, in the particular
incident of the king's command that the debtor and his family be
sold, that the system of buying and selling bondservants, serfs,
or slaves, was legally recognized at the time. The purpose of the
parable was not even remotely to endorse or condemn slavery or
any other social institution. The Mosaic law is explicit in matters
relating to bondservants. The "angel of .the Lord" who brought
to Hagar a message of encouragement and blessing respected the
authority of her mistress (Gen. 16:8, 9). In the apostolic epoch,
instruction was directed toward right living under the secular
law, not rebellion against the system (Eph. 6:5; Col. 3:22; i Tim.
6:1-3; I Peter 2:18). Recognition of established customs, insti-
tutions, and laws, ^ and proper obedience thereto, do not neces-
sarily imply individual approval. The gospel of Jesus Christ,
which shall yet regenerate the world, is to prevail not by revo-
lutionary assaults upon existing governments, nor through anarchy
and violence but by the teaching of individual duty and by the
spread of the spirit of love. When the love of God shall be
given a place in the hearts of mankind, when men shall unselfishly
love their neighbors, then social systems and governments shall
be formed and operated to the securing of the greatest good to the
greatest number. Until men open their hearts to the reception of
the gospel of Jesus Christ, injustice and oppression, servitude and
slavery, in some form or other, are sure to exist. Attempts to
extirpate social conditions that spring from individual selfishness
cannot be otherwise than futile so long as selfishness is left to
thrive and propagate.
398 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 25.
CHAPTER 25.
JESUS AGAIN IN JERUSALEM.
DEPARTURE FROM GAULEE.
Of our Lord's labors during His brief sojourn in Galilee
following His return from the region of Csesarea Philippi
we have no record aside from that of His instructions to the
apostles. His Galilean ministry, so far as the people in gen-
eral were concerned, had practically ended with the discourse
at Capernaum on His return thither after the miracles of
feeding the five thousand and walking upon the sea. At
Capernaum many of the disciples had turned away from the
Master,^ and now, after another short visit, He prepared to
leave the land in which so great a part of His public work
had been accomplished.
It was autumn; about six months had passed since the
return of the apostles from their missionary tour ; and the
Feast of Tabernacles was near at hand. Some of the kins-
men of Jesus came to Him, and proposed that He go to
Jerusalem and take advantage of the opportunity offered by
the great national festival, to declare Himself more openly
than He had theretofore done. His brethren, as the visiting
relatives are called, urged that He seek a broader and more
prominent field than Galilee for the display of His powers,
arguing that it was inconsistent for any man to keep himself
in comparative obscurity when he wanted to be widely
known. "Shew thyself to the world," said they. Whatever
their motives may have been, these brethren of His did not
advize more extended publicity through any zeal for His
a John 7:1-10.
&Page 343.
JESUS ATTENDS THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES. 399
divine mission ; indeed, we are expressly told that they did
not believe in Him. c Jesus replied to their presumptuous
advice : "My time is not yet come : but your time is alway
ready. The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, be-
cause I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil. Go ye
up unto this feast : I go not up yet unto this feast ; for my
time is not yet full come." It was not their prerogative to
direct His movements, not to say when He should do even
what He intended to do eventually . d He made it plain that
between their status and His there was essential difference ;
they were of the world, which they loved as the world loved
them; but the world hated Him because of His testimony.
This colloquy between Jesus and His brethren took place
in Galilee. They soon started for Jerusalem leaving Him
behind. He had not said that He would not go to the feast ;
but only "I go not up yet unto this feast ; for my time is not
yet full come." Some time after their departure He fol-
lowed, traveling "not openly, but as it were in secret."
Whether He went alone, or accompanied by any or all of the
Twelve, we are not told.
vHfil;^]3W.XV3 fli 2S7/':3 > i Mxitl fc tJItbll^b
AT THE; FEAST OF TABERNACLES/
The agitated state of the public mind respecting Jesus is
shown by the interest manifest in Jerusalem as to the prob-
ability of His presence at the feast. His brethren, who
probably were questioned, could give no definite information
as to His coming. He was sought for in the crowds ; there
was much discussion and some disputation concerning. Him.
Many people expressed their conviction that He was a good
man, while others contradicted on the claim that He was a
deceiver. There was little open discussion, however, for the
people were afraid of incurring the displeasure of the rulers.
cjohn 7:5; compare Mark 3:21 in which "friends" is an inaccurate ren-
dition for "kinsmen".
d Compare Christ's answer to His mother, John 2:4; see also 7:30; 8:20.
f John 7:11-53.
400 JESUS THE CHRIST. ,13^ [CHAP. 25.
As originally established, the Feast of Tabernacles was a
seven day festival, followed by a holy convocation on the
eighth day. Each day was marked by special and in some
respects distinctive services, all characterized by cere-
monies of thanksgiving and praise/ "Now about the midst
of the feast," probably on the third or fourth day, "Jesus
went up into the temple, and taught." The first part of His
discourse is not recorded, but its scriptural soundness is inti-
mated in the surprize of the Jewish teachers, who asked
among themselves : "How knoweth this man letters, having
never learned?" He was no graduate of their schools; He
had never sat at the feet of their rabbis; He had not been
officially accredited by them nor licensed to teach. Whence
came His wisdom, before which all their academic attain-
ments were as nothing? Jesus answered their troubled
queries, saying : "My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent
me. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doc-
trine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself."
His Teacher, greater even than Himself, was the Eternal
Father, whose will He proclaimed. The test proposed to
determine the truth of His doctrine was in every way fair,
and withal simple; anyone who would earnestly seek to do
the will of the Father should know of himself whether Jesus
spoke truth or error.^ The Master proceeded to show that
a man who speaks on his own authority alone seeks to ag-
grandize himself. Jesus did not so; He honored His
Teacher, His Father, His God, not Himself ; and therefore.
was He free from the taint of selfish pride or unrighteous-
ness. Moses had given them the law, and yet, as Jesus
affirmed, none of them kept the law.
Then, with startling abruptness, He challenged them with
the question, "Why go ye about to kill me ?" On many occa-
sions had they held dark counsel with one another as to how
/ Note 1, end of chapter.
g Note 2, end of chapter.
ANOTHER CHARGE OF SABBATH DESECRATION. 401
they could get Him into their power and put Him to death ;
but they thought that the murderous secret was hidden
within their own circle. The people had heard the seducing
assertions of the ruling classes, that Jesus was possessed by
a demon, and that He wrought wonders through the power
of Beelzebub ; and in the spirit of this blasphemous slander,
they cried out : "Thou hast a devil : who goeth about to kill
thee?"
Jesus knew that the two specifications of alleged guilt on
which the rulers were striving most assiduously to convict
Him in the popular mind, and so turn the people against
Him, were those of Sabbath-breaking and blasphemy. On
an earlier visit to Jerusalem He had healed an afflicted man
on the Sabbath, and had utterly disconcerted the hypercrit-
ical accusers who even then had sought to compass His
death. h To this act of mercy and power Jesus now referred,
saying : "I have done one work, and ye all marvel." Seem-
ingly they were still of unsettled mind, in doubt as to accept-
ing Him because of the miracle or denouncing Him because
He had done it on the Sabbath. Then He showed the
inconsistency of charging Him with Sabbath-desecration for
such a merciful deed, when the law of Moses expressly
allowed acts of mercy, and even required that the mandatory
rite of circumcision should not be deferred because of the
Sabbath. "Judge not according to the appearance, but judge
righteous judgment" said He.
The masses were still divided in their estimate of Jesus,
and were moreover puzzled over the indecision of the rulers.
Some of the Jerusalem Jews knew of the plan to arrest Him,
and if possible to bring Him to death, and the people queried
why nothing was done when He was there teaching publicly
within reach of the officials. They wondered whether the
rulers had not at last come to believe that Jesus was indeed
the Messiah. The thought, however, was brushed aside when
h John 5; see pages 206-208 herein.
408 JESUS THE CHRIST. H3 H31- [CHAP. 25.
they remembered that all knew whence He came ; He was a
Galilean, and from Nazareth, whereas as they had been
taught, however wrongly, the advent of the Christ was to be
mysterious so that none would know whence He came.
Strange it was, indeed, that men should reject Him because
of a lack of mystery and miracle in His advent ; when, had
they known the truth, they would have seen in His birth a
miracle without precedent or parallel in the annals of time.
Jesus directly answered their weak and faulty reasoning.
Crying aloud within the temple courts, He assured them that
while they knew whence He came as one of their number,
yet they did not know that He had come from God, neither
did they know God who had sent Him : "But," He added,
"I know him : for I am from him, and he hath sent me." At
this reiterated testimony of His divine origin, the Jews were
the more enraged, and they determined anew to take Him
by force; nevertheless none laid hands upon him "because
his hour was not yet come."
Many of the people believed in their hearts that He was
of God, and ventured to ask among themselves whether
Christ would do greater works than Jesus had done. The
Pharisees and chief priests feared a possible demonstration
in favor of Jesus, and forthwith sent officers to arrest Him
and bring him before the Sanhedrin. 1 The presence of the
temple police caused no interruption to the Master's dis-
course, though w r e may reasonably infer that He knew the
purpose of their errand. He spoke on, saying that He
would be with the people but a little while; and that after
He had returned to the Father, they would seek Him vainly,
for where He would then be they could not come. This re-
mark evoked more bitter discussion. Some of the Jews
wondered whether He intended to leave the borders of the
land and go among the Gentiles to teach them and the dis-
persed Israelites.
Page 69.
LIVING WATER FOR THOSE WHO THIRST. 403
As part of the temple service incident to the feast, the
people went in procession to the Pool of SiloanV where a
priest rilled a golden ewer, which he then carried to the altar
and there poured out the water to the accompaniment of
trumpet blasts and the acclamations of the assembled hosts. fe
According to authorities on Jewish customs, this feature was
omitted on the closing day of the feast. On this last or
"great day," which was marked by ceremonies of unusual
solemnity and rejoicing, Jesus was again in the temple. It
may have been with reference to the bringing of water from
the pool, or to the omission of the ceremony from the ritual-
istic procedure of the great day, that Jesus cried aloud, His
voice resounding through the courts and arcades of the tem-
ple : "If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of
his belly shall flow rivers of living water."'
John, the recorder, remarks parenthetically that this
promise had reference to the bestowal of the Holy Ghost,
which at that time had not been granted, nor was it to be
until after the ascension of the risen Lord. m
Again many of the people were so impressed that they
declared Jesus could be none other than the Messiah ; but
others objected, saying that the Christ must come from Beth-
lehem of Judea and Jesus was known to have come from
Galilee." So there was further dissension ; and though some
wanted Him apprehended, not a man was found who would
venture to lay hold on Him.
The police officers returned without their intended pris-
oner. To the angry demand of the chief priests and Phari-
sees as to why they had not brought Him, they acknowledged
that they had been so affected by His teachings as to be
/ Note 3, end of chapter.
k This was regarded as a literal fulfilment of Isa. 12:3.
/John 7:37, 38; compare with the assurance respecting "living water'*
given to the Samaritan woman, 4:10-15.
m John 7:39; compare 14:16, 17, 26; 15:26; 16:7; Luke 24:49; Acts 2:4.
n Note 4, end of chapter.
404 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 25.
unable to make the arrest. "Never man spake like this
man," they said. Their haughty masters were furious. "Are
ye also deceived ?" they demanded ; and further, "Have any
of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him?" What was
the opinion of the common people worth? They had never
learned the law, and were therefore accursed and of no con-
cern. Yet with all this show of proud disdain, the chief
priests and Pharisees were afraid of the common people, and
were again halted in their wicked course.
One voice of mild protest was heard in the assembly.
Nicodemus, a member of the Sanhedrin, and the same who
had come to Jesus by night to inquire into the new teaching,
mustered courage enough to ask : "Doth our law judge any
man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth?" The
answer was insulting. Maddened with bigotry and blood-
thirsty fanaticism, some of his colleagues turned upon him
with the savage demand : "Art thou also of Galilee ?" mean-
ing, Art thou also a disciple of this Galilean whom we hate?
Nicodemus was curtly told to study the scriptures, and he
would fail to find any prediction of a prophet arising in
Galilee. The anger of these learned bigots had blinded
them even to their own vaunted knowledge, for several of
the ancient prophets were regarded as Galileans;* 7 if, how-
ever they had meant to refer only to that Prophet of whom
Moses had spoken, the Messiah, they were correct, since all
predictions pointed to Bethlehem in Judea as His birthplace.
It is evident that Jesus was thought of as a native of Naz-
areth, and that the circumstances of His birth were not of
public knowledge.
"GO, AND SIN NO MORE."
[
After the festivities were over, Jesus went to the tem-
ple one morning early ; and as He sat, probably in the
ojohn 3; page 158 herein.
p According to many excellent authorities, Jonah, Nahum, and Hosea
were all of Galilee; and it is further believed that Elijah also was of
Galilean nativity.
8:1-11.
THE WOMAN CHARGED WITH ADULTERY. 405
Court of the Women, which was the usual place of public
resort, many gathered about Him and He proceeded to teach
them as was His custom. His discourse was interrupted by
the arrival of a party of scribes and Pharisees with a woman
in charge, who, they said, was guilty of adultery. To Jesus
they presented this statement and question : "Now Moses in
the law commanded us, that such should be stoned ; but what
sayest thou?" The submitting of the case to Jesus was a
prearranged snare, a deliberate attempt to find or make a
cause for accusing Him. Though it was not unusual for
Jewish officials to consult rabbis of recognized wisdom and
experience when difficult cases were to be decided, the case
in point involved no legal complications. The woman's
guilt seems to have been unquestioned, though the witnesses
required by the statutes are not mentioned as appearing un-
less the accusing scribes and Pharisees are to be so con-
sidered ; the law was explicit, and the custom of the times
in dealing with such offenders was well known. While it
is true that the law of Moses had decreed death by stoning
as the penalty for adultery, the infliction of the extreme
punishment had lapsed long before the time of Christ. One
may reasonably ask why the woman's partner in the crime
was not brought for sentence, since the law so zealously
cited by the officious accusers provided for the punishment
of both parties to the offense/
The question of the scribes and Pharisees, "But what
sayest thou?" may have intimated their expectation that
Jesus would declare the law obsolete; perhaps they had
heard of the Sermon on the Mount, in which many require-
ments in advance of the Mosaic code had been proclaimed/
Had Jesus decided that the wretched woman ought to suffer
death, her accusers might have said that he was defying the
existing authorities; and possibly the charge of opposition
rDeut. 22:22-27.
.jMatt. 5:21-48.
406 JESUS TH CHRIST. [CHAP. 25.
to the Roman government might have been formulated, since
power to inflict the death penalty had been taken from all
Jewish tribunals ; and moreover, the crime with which this
woman was charged was not a capital offense under Roman
law. Had He said that the woman should go unpunished
or suffer only minor infliction, the crafty Jews could have
charged Him with disrespect for the law of Moses. To
these scribes and Pharisees Jesus at first gave little heed.
Stooping down He traced with His finger on the ground;
but as He wrote they continued to question Him. Lifting
Himself up He answered them, in a terse sentence that has
become proverbial : "He that is without sin among you, let
him first cast a stone at her." Such was the law; the ac-
cusers on whose testimony the death penalty was pronounced
were to be the first to begin the work of execution.*
Having spoken, Jesus again stooped and wrote upon the
ground. The woman's accusers were "convicted by their
own conscience" ; shamed and in disgrace they slunk away,
all of them from the eldest to the youngest. They knew
themselves to be unfit to appear either as accusers or judges."
What cowards doth conscience make! "When Jesus had
lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto
her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man
condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus
said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee : go and sin no
more."*'
The woman was repentant ; she remained humbly await-
ing the Master's decision, even after her accusers had gone.
Jesus did not expressly condone ; He declined to condemn ;
but He sent the sinner away with a solemn adjuration to a
better life.
fDeut. 17:6, 7; also 13:9.
ii Compare Rom. 2:1, 22; Matt. 7:1, 2; Luke 6:37; 2 Sam. 12:5-7.
v John 8:10, 11; compare 5:14. Consider another instance of mercy
granted through contrition Luke 7:36-50.
w Note 5, end of chapter.
HIS HOUR WAS NOT YET COME. 407
Father hath jiofc left r ,<ays those things
THE I4GHT OF THE WORU> *
Sitting within the temple enclosure in the division known
as the Treasury, which was connected with the Court of the
Women/ our Lord continued His teaching, saying : "I am
the light of the world : he that f olloweth me shall not walk
in darkness, but shall have the light of life."- The great
lamps set up in the court as a feature of the joyful celebra-
tion just ended gave point to our Lord's avowal of Himself
as the Light of the World. It was another proclamation of
His divinity as God and the Son of God. The Pharisees
challenged His testimony, declaring it of no worth because
He bore record of Himself. Jesus admitted that He testified
of Himself, but affirmed nevertheless that what He said was
true, for He knew whereof He spoke, whence He came and
whither He would go, while they spoke in ignorance. They
thought, talked, and judged after the ways of men and the
frailties of the flesh; He was not sitting in judgment, but
should He choose to judge, then His judgment would be
just, for He was guided by the Father who sent Him. Their
law required the testimony of two witnesses for the legal
determination of any question of fact ; a and Jesus cited Him-
self and His Father as witnesses in support of His affirma-
tion. His opponents then asked with contemptuous or sar-
castic intent, "Where is thy Father?" The reply was in
lofty tone ; "Ye neither know me, nor my Father : if ye had
known me, ye should have known my Father also." Enraged
at their own discomfiture, the Pharisees would have seized
Him, but found themselves impotent. "No man laid hands
on him ; for his hour was not yet come."
.
*John 8:12-20.
y Note 6, end of chapter.
3 John 8:12; compare 1:4, 5, 9; 3:19; 9:5; 12:35, 36, 46. See also Doc. and
Cov. 6:21; 10:58, 70; 11:11; 14:9; 84:45, 46; 88:6-13.
aDeut. 17:8; 19-W: Numb. 35:30; Matt. 18:16.
408 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 25.
THE TRUTH SHAU, MAKE YOU FREE. &
Again addressing the mixed assemblage, which probably
comprized Pharisees, scribes, rabbis, priests, Levites, and lay
people, Jesus repeated His former assertion that soon He
would leave them, and that whither He went they could not
follow; and added the fateful assurance that they would
seek Him in vain and would die in their sins. His solemn
portent was treated with light concern if not contempt. Some
of them asked querulously, "Will he kill himself ?" the impli-
cation being that in such case they surely would not follow
Him ; for according to their dogma, Gehenna was the place
of suicides, and they, being of the chosen people, were bound
for heaven not hell. The Lord's dignified rejoinder was:
"Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this
world ; I am not of this world. I said therefore unto you,
that ye shall die in your sins : for if ye believe not that I am
he, ye shall die in your sins."
This reiteration of His distinctive supremacy brought
forth the challenging question, "Who art thou?" Jesus re-
plied, "Even the same that I said unto you from the begin-
ning." The many matters on which He might have judged
them He refrained from mentioning, but testified anew of
the Father, saying : "He that sent me is true ; and I speak
to the world those things which I have heard of him." Ex-
plicit as His earlier explanations had been, the Jews in their
gross prejudice "understood not that he spake to them of the
Father." To His Father Jesus ascribed all honor and glory,
and repeatedly declared Himself as sent to do the Father's
will. "Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up
the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that
I do nothing of myself ; but as my Father hath taught me, I
speak these things. And he that sent me is with me: the
~ , fi 91 :;S
o Jonn 8:il-oy.
THE SERVITUDE OF SIN. 409
Father hath not left me alone ; for I do always those things
that please him."
The evident earnestness and profound conviction with
which Jesus spoke caused many of His hearers to believe on
Him ; and these He addressed with the promise that if they
continued in that belief, and shaped their lives according to
His word, they should be His disciples indeed. A further
promise followed: "And ye shall know the truth, and the
truth shall make you free." At these words, so rich in bless-
ing, so full of comfort for the believing soul, the people were
stirred to angry demonstrations ; their Jewish temper was
immediately ablaze. To promise them freedom was to imply
that they were not already free. "We be Abraham's seed,
and were never in bondage to any man : how sayest thou,
Ye shall be made free ?" In their unbridled fanaticism they
had forgotten the bondage of Egypt, the captivity of Baby-
lon, and were oblivious of their existing state of vassalage to
Rome. To say that Israel had never been in bondage was
not only to convict themselves of falsehood but to stultify
themselves wretchedly.
Jesus made it clear that He had not referred to freedom
in its physical or political sense alone, though to this concep-
tion their false disavowal had been directed ; the liberty He
proclaimed was spiritual liberty ; the grievous bondage from
which He would deliver them was the serfdom of sin. To
their vaunted boast that they were free men, not slaves, He
replied : "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever com-
mitteth sin is the servant of sin." As a sinner, every one of
them was in slavery. A bond-servant, Jesus reminded them,
was allowed in the master's house by sufferance only ; it was
not his inherent right to remain there ; his owner could send
him away at any time, and might even sell him to another;
but a son of the family had of his own right a place in his
father's home. Now, if the Son of God made them free
they would be free indeed. Though they were of Abrahamic
410 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 25/
lineage in the flesh, they were no heirs of Abraham in spirit
or works. Our Lord's mention of His Father as distinct
from their father drew forth the angry reiteration, "Abraham
is our father", to which Jesus replied: "If ye were Abra-
ham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham. But
now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth,
which I have heard of God : this did not Abraham. Ye do
the deeds of your father." In their blind anger they appar-
ently construed this to imply that though they were children
of Abraham's household some other man than Abraham was
their actual progenitor, or that they were not of unmixed
Israelitish blood. "We be not born of fornication" they
cried, "we have one Father, even God. Jesus said unto
them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I
proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of
myself, but he sent me."
They failed to understand because of their stubborn re-
fusal to listen dispassionately. With forceful accusation
Jesus told them whose children they actually were, as evinced
by the hereditary traits manifest in their lives: "Ye are of
your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do.
He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in
the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he
speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own : for he is a liar, and
the father of it. c And because I tell you the truth, ye be-
lieve me not." He challenged them to find sin in Him;
and then asked why, if He spake the truth, they so per-
sistently refused to believe Him. Answering His own
question, He told them that they were not of God and
therefore they understood not the words of God. The
Master was unimpeachable ; His terse, cogent assertions
were unanswerable. In impotent rage the discomfited Jews
resorted to invective and calumny. "Say we not well that
c Compare P. of G. P., Moses 4:4; 5:24; B. of M., 2 Nephi 2:18; Doc. and
Cov. 10:25; 93:25.
CHRIST'S SUPREMACY OVER ABRAHAM. 411
i '
thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?" they shrieked.
They had before called Him a Galilean ; that appellative
was but mildly depreciatory, and moreover was a truthful
designation according to their knowledge ; but the epithet
"Samaritan" was inspired by hate/ and by its appli-
cation they meant to disown Him as a Jew.
The charge that He was a demoniac was but a repetition
of earlier slanders. "J esus answered, I have not a devil; 1
but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me." Revert-
ing to the eternal riches offered by His gospel, the Master
said : "Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my say-
ing, he shall never see death." This rendered them the more
infuriate : "Now we know that thou hast a devil" they cried,
and as evidence of what they professed to regard as His in-
sanity, they cited the fact that great as were Abraham and
the prophets they were dead, yet Jesus dared to say that
all who kept His sayings should be exempt from death. Did
He pretend to exalt Himself above Abraham and the proph-
ets ? "Whom makest thou thyself ?" they demanded. The
Lord's reply was a disclaimer of all self-aggrandizement;
His honor was not of His own seeking, but was the gift of
His Father, whom He knew ; and were He to deny that He
knew the Father He would be a liar like unto themselves.
Touching the relationship between Himself and the great
patriarch of their race, Jesus thus affirmed and emphasized
His own supremacy : "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see
my day : and he saw it, and was glad." Not only angered
but puzzled, the Jews demanded further explanation. Con-
struing the last declaration as applying to the mortal state
only, they said: "Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast
thou seen Abraham ?" Jesus answered, "Verily, verily, I say
unto you, Before Abraham was, I am."
This was an unequivocal and unambiguous declaration of
our Lord's eternal Godship. By the awful title I AM He had
^
d Pages 174, 183.
412 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 25.
made Himself known to Moses and thereafter was so known
in Israel/ As already shown, it is the equivalent of "Yah-
veh," or "Jahveh," now rendered "Jehovah," and signifies
"The Self-existent One," "The Eternal," "The First and the
L,ast."^ Jewish traditionalism forbade the utterance of the
sacred Name ; yet Jesus claimed it as His own. In an orgy
of self-righteous indignation, the Jews seized upon the stones
that lay in the unfinished courts, and would have crushed
their Lord, but the hour of His death had not yet come, and
unseen of them He passed through the crowd and departed
from the temple.
His seniority to Abraham plainly referred to the status
of each in the antemortal or preexistent state ; Jesus was as
literally the Firstborn in the spirit-world, as He was the
Only Begotten in the flesh. Christ is as truly the Elder
Brother of Abraham and Adam as of the last-born child of
earths
BODILY AND SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS SIGHT GIVEN TO A MAN
: [[ ON THIv SABBATH.^
At Jerusalem Jesus mercifully gave sight to a man who
had been blind from his birth. 1 ' The miracle is an instance of
Sabbath-day healing, of more than ordinary interest because
of its attendant incidents. It is recorded by John alone, and,
as usual with that writer, his narrative is given with descrip-
tive detail. Jesus and His disciples saw the sightless one
upon the street. The poor man lived by begging. The dis-
ciples, eager to learn, asked : "Master, who did sin, this man,
or his parents, that he was born blind?" The Lord's reply
e Exo. 3:14; compare 6:3.
/Compare Isa. 44:6; Rev. 1:4, 8; see also John 17:5, 24; Col. 1:17. Page
36 herein.
g Page 13.
/tjohn 9.
i Whether this incident occurred in immediate sequence to the events
last considered, or at a later time after the return of Jesus to Jerusalem
following an unrecorded departure therefrom, is not stated in the scrip-
tural record. The value of the lesson is not affected by its place in the
catalog of our Lord's works.
A BLIND MAN HEALED ON THE SABBATH. 413
was: "Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but
that the works of God should be made manifest in him."
The disciples' question implied their belief in a state of moral
agency and choice antedating mortality ; else, how could they
have thought of the man having sinned so as to bring upon
himself congenital blindness ? We are expressly told that he
was born blind. That he might have been a sufferer from
the sins of his parents was conceivable.'' The disciples evi-
dently had been taught the great truth of an antemortal ex-
istence. It is further to be seen that they looked upon bodily
affliction as the result of personal sin. Their generalization
was too broad ; for, while as shown by instances heretofore
cited,* individual wickedness may and does bring physical
ills in its train, man is liable to err in his judgment as to the
ultimate cause of affliction. The Lord's reply was sufficing ;
the man's blindness would be turned to account in bringing
about a manifestation of divine power. As Jesus explained
respecting His own ministry, it was necessary that He do the
Father's work in the season appointed, for His time was
short. With impressive pertinency as relating to the state of
the man who had been in darkness all his days, our Lord
repeated the affirmation before made in the temple, "I am the
light of the world."
The outward ministration to the blind man was different
from the usual course followed by Jesus. "He spat on the
ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the
eyes of the blind man with the clay" ; and then directed him
to go to the pool of Siloam and wash in its wafers. 7 The
man went, washed, and came seeing. He was evidently a
well-known character ; many had seen him in his accustomed
place begging alms, and the fact that he had been blind from
birth was also of common knowledge. When, therefore, it
;Exo. 20:5; 34:7; Lev. 26:39; Numb. 14:18; 1 Kings 21:29; compare Ezek.
chap. 18.
k Pages 192 and 208.
/ Note 3, end of chapter.
414 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 25.
was noised about that he could see, there was much excite-
ment and comment. Some doubted that the man they ques-
tioned was the once sightless beggar; but he assured them
of his identity, and told how he had been made to see. They
brought the man to the Pharisees, who questioned him rigor-
ously ; and, having heard his account of the miracle, tried to
undermine his faith by telling him that Jesus who had healed
him could not be a man of God since He had done the deed
on the Sabbath. Some of those who heard demurred to the
Pharisaic deduction, and asked : "How can a man that is a
sinner do such miracles?" The man was questioned as to
his personal opinion of Jesus, and promptly answered : "He
is a prophet." The man knew his Benefactor to be more
than any ordinary being ; as yet, however, he had no knowl-
edge of Him as the Christ.
The inquisitorial Jews were afraid of the result of such a
wondrous healing, in that the people would support Jesus
whom the rulers were determined to destroy. They assumed
it to be possible that the man had not been really blind ; so
they summoned his parents, who answered their interrog-
atories by affirming that he was their son, and they knew
him to have been born blind ; but as to how he had received
sight, or through whose ministration, they refused to commit
themselves, knowing the rulers had decreed that any one who
confessed Jesus to be the Christ should be cast out from the
community of the synagog, or, as we would say today, ex-
communicated from the Church. With pardonable astute-
ness the parents said of their son : "He is of age ; ask him :
he shall speak for himself."
Compelled to acknowledge, to themselves at least, that
the fact and the manner of the man's restoration to sight
were supported by irrefutable evidence, the crafty Jews
called the man again, and insinuatingly said unto him:
"Give God the praise : we know that this man is a sinner."
He replied fearlessly, and with such pertinent logic as to com-
PHARISEES HUMILIATED BY AN UNLEARNED BEGGAR. 415
pletely offset their skill as cross-examiners : "Whether he
be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that,
whereas I was blind, now I see." He very properly declined
to enter into a discussion with his learned questioners as to
what constituted sin under their construction of the law ; of
what he was ignorant he declined to speak ; but on one mat-
ter he was happily and gratefully certain, that whereas he
had been blind, now he could see.
The Pharisaical inquisitors next tried to get the man to
repeat his story of the means employed in the healing, prob-
ably with the subtle purpose of leading him into inconsistent
or contradictory statements ; but he replied with emphasis,
and possibly with some show of impatience, "I have told you
already, and ye did not hear : m wherefore would ye hear it
again? will ye also be his disciples?" They retorted with
anger, and reviled the man ; the ironical insinuation that they
perchance wished to become disciples of Jesus was an insult
they would not brook. "Thou art his disciple," said they,
"but we are Moses' disciples. We know that God spake
unto Moses : as for this fellow, we know not from whence
he is." They were enraged that this unlettered mendicant
should answer so boldly in their scholarly presence ; but the
man was more than a match for all of them. His rejoinder
was maddening because it flouted their vaunted wisdom, and
withal was unanswerable. "Why herein is a marvellous
thing," said he, "that ye know not from whence he is, and
yet he hath opened mine eyes. Now we know that God
heareth not sinners : but if any man be a worshipper of God,
and doeth his will, him he heareth. Since the world began
was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that
was born blind. If this man were not of God, he could do
nothing."
For such an affront from a layman there was no prece-
dent in all the lore of rabbis or scribes. "Thou wast alto-
m That is, "heed" or "believe".
416 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 25.
gether born in sins, and dost thou teach us?" was their de-
nunciatory though weak and inadequate rejoinder. Unable
to cope with the sometime sightless beggar in argument or
demonstration, they could at least exercize their official au-
thority, however unjustly, by excommunicating him ; and this
they promptly did. "J esus heard that they had cast him out ;
and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou be-
lieve on the Son of God? he answered and said, Who is he,
Lord, that I might believe on him? And Jesus said unto
him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with
thee. And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped
him."
In commenting upon the matter Jesus was heard to say
that one purpose of His coming into the world was "that
they which see not might see ; and that they which see might
be made blind." Some of the Pharisees caught the remark,
and asked in pride : "Are we blind also ?" The Lord's reply
was a condemnation : "If ye were blind, ye should have no
sin : but now ye say, We see ; therefore your sin remaineth."
#>{.
SHEPHERD AND SHEEP- HERDER."
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by
the door into the sheep fold, but climbeth up some other way,
the same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by
the door is the shepherd of the sheep." With these words
Jesus prefaced one of His most impressive discourses. The
mention of shepherd and sheep must have brought to the
minds of His hearers many of the oft-quoted passages from
prophets and psalms. The figure is an effective one, and
all the more so when we consider the cirrumstances under
which it was used by the Master. Pastoral conditions pre-
vailed in Palestine, and the dignity of the shepherd's voca-
nTohn 10:1-21.
oNote the promise of a Shepherd to Israel, Isa. 40:11; 49:9, 10; Ezek.
34:23; 37:24; compare Ter. 3:15; 23:4; Heb. 13:20; 1 Peter 2:25; 5:4; Rev.
7:17. Read studiously Psalm 23.
JESUS CHRIST THE GOOD SHEPHERD. 417
tion was very generally recognized. By specific prophecy a
Shepherd had been promised to Israel. David, the king of
whom all Israelites were proud, had been taken directly from
the sheepfold, and had come with a shepherd's crook in his
hand to the anointing that made him royal.
As the Teacher showed, a shepherd has free access to the
sheep. When they are folded within the enclosure of safety,
he enters at the gate ; he neither climbs over nor creeps in.^
He, the owner of the sheep loves them ; they know his voice
and follow him as he leads from fold to pasture, for he goes
before the flock ; while the stranger, though he be the herder,
they know not; he must needs drive, for he cannot lead.
Continuing the allegory, which the recorder speaks of as a
parable, Jesus designated Himself as the door to the sheep-
fold, and made plain that only through Him could the under-
shepherds rightly enter. True, there were some who sought
by avoiding the portal and climbing over the fence to reach
the folded flock; but these were robbers, trying to get at
the sheep as prey ; their selfish and malignant purpose was
to kill and carry off.
Changing the figure, Christ proclaimed : "I am the good
shepherd." He then further showed, and with eloquent
exactness, the difference between a shepherd and a hireling
herder. The one has personal interest in and love for his
flock, and knows each sheep by name, the other knows them
only as a flock, the value of which is gaged by number; to
the hireling they are only as so many or so much. While
the shepherd is ready to fight in defense of his own, and if
necessary even imperil his life for his sheep, the hireling
flees when the wolf approaches, leaving the way open for the
ravening beast to scatter, rend, and kill.
Never has been written or spoken a stronger arraign-
nent of false pastors, unauthorized teachers, self-seeking
hirelings who teach for pelf and divine for dollars, deceivers
{> Note 7, end of chapter.
418 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 25.
who pose as shepherds yet avoid the door and climb over
"some other way," prophets in the devil's employ, who to
achieve their master's purpose, hesitate not to robe them-
selves in the garments of assumed sanctity, and appear in
sheep's clothing, while inwardly they are ravening wolves. 9
With effective repetition Jesus continued: "I am the
good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father : and
I lay down my life for the sheep." For this cause was Jesus
the Father's Beloved Son that He was ready to lay down
His life for the sake of the sheep. That the sacrifice He
was soon to render was in fact voluntary, and not a forfeit-
ure under compulsion, is solemnly affirmed in the Savior's
words : "Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay
down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh
it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to
lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This com-
mandment have I received of my Father." The certainty of
His death and of His subsequent resurrection are here reit-
erated. A natural effect of His immortal origin, as the
earth-born Son of an immortal Sire, was that He was im-
mune to death except as He surrendered thereto. The life
of Jesus the Christ could not be taken save as He willed and
allowed. The power to lay down His life was inherent in
Himself, as was the power to take up His slain body in an
immortalized state/ These teachings caused further division
among the Jews. Some pretended to dispose of the matter
by voicing anew the foolish assumption that Jesus was but
an insane demoniac, and that therefore His words were not
worthy of attention. Others with consistency said "These
are not the words of him that hath a devil. Can a devil open
the eyes of the blind ?" So it was that a few believed, many
doubted though partly convinced, and some condemned.
T T7Db jnsllob 10! snivib t> >1 ffofisJ orlv/ a^nibiirt
gMatt. 7:15; compare 24:4, 5, 11, 24; Mark 13:22; Rom. 16:17, 18; Eph.
5:6; Col. 2:8; 2 Peter 2:1-3; 1 John 4:1; Acts 20:29.
r Pages 22 and 81.
5 .1AHJ>] SHEEP BELONGING TO ANOTHER FOLD. 419
As part of this profound discourse, Jesus said: "And
other sheep I have, which are not of this fold : them also I
must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall
be one fold, and one shepherd. " s The "other sheep" here
referred to constituted the separated flock or remnant of
the house of Joseph, who, six centuries prior to the birth of
Christ, had been miraculously detached from the Jewish fold
in Palestine, and had been taken beyond the great deep to
the American continent. When to them the resurrected
Christ appeared He thus spake: "And verily, I say unto
you, that ye are they of whom I said, other sheep I have
which are not of this fold ; them also I must bring, and they
shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one
shepherd. "* The Jews had vaguely understood Christ's
reference to other sheep as meaning in some obscure way,
the Gentile nations; and because of their unbelief and conse-
quent inability to rightly comprehend, Jesus had withheld
any plainer exposition of His meaning, for so, He informed
the Nephites, had the Father directed. "This much did the
Father command me," He explained, "that I should tell
unto them, That other sheep I have, which are not of this
fold ; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice ;
and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd." On the
same occasion the L,ord declared that there were yet other
sheep, those of the Lost, or Ten, Tribes, to whom He was
then about to go, and who would eventually be brought forth
from their place of exile, and become part of the one blessed
fold under the governance of the one supreme Shepherd and
King.**
NOTES TO CHAPTER 25.
I. The Feast of Tabernacles. In the order of yearly occur-
rence this was the third of the great festivals, the observance of
which was among the national characteristics of the people of
s John 10:16; compare as to "one fold and one shepherd/' Ezek. 37:22; Isa.
11:13; Jer. 3:18; 50:4. See "Articles of Faith," xviii, "The Gathering of
Israel."
t B. of M., 3 Nephi 15:21; read verses 12-24: see chapter 39 herein.
3 Nephi 16:1-5.
420 JESUS THE CHRIST. : 133 [CHAP. 5.
Israel; the others were the Passover, and the feast of Weeks or
Pentecost; at each of the three all the males in Israel were re-
quired to appear before the Lord in formal celebration of the re-
spective feast (Exo. 23:17). The feast of Tabernacles was also
known as the "feast of ingathering" (Exo. 23:16); it was both a
memorial and a current harvest celebration. In commemoration
of their long journeying in the wilderness following their deliv-
erance from Egypt, in the course of which journey they had to
live in tents and improvized booths, the people of Israel were
required to observe annually a festival lasting seven days, with
an added day of holy convocation. During the week the people
lived in booths, bowers, or tabernacles, made of the branches or
"boughs of goodly trees" wattled with willows from the brook
(Ley. 23:34-43; Numb. 29:12-38; Deut. 16:13-15; 31:10-13). The
festival lasted from the 15th to the 22d of the month Tizri, the
seventh in the Hebrew calendar, corresponding to parts of our
September and October. It was made to follow soon after the
annual Day of Atonement which was a time of penitence and
affliction of the soul in sorrow for sin (Lev. 23:26-32). The altar
sacrifices at the feast of Tabernacles exceeded those prescribed
for other festivals, and comprized a daily offering of two rams,
fourteen lambs, and a kid as a sin offering, and in addition a
varying number of young bullocks, thirteen of which were sacri-
ficed on the first day, twelve on the second, eleven on the third,
and so on to the seventh day, on which seven were offered, mak-
ing in all seventy bullocks (Numb. 29:12-38). Rabbinism in-
vested this number, seventy, and the graded diminution in the
number of altar victims, with much symbolical significance not
set forth in the law.
At the time of Christ, tradition had greatly embellished
many of the prescribed observances. Thus the "boughs of
goodly trees," more literally rendered "fruit" (Lev. 23:40), had
come to be understood as the citron fruit ; and this every ortho-
dox Jew carried in one hand while, in the other he bore a leafy
branch or a bunch of twigs, known as the "lulab," when he re-
paired to the temple for the morning sacrifice, and in the joyous
processions of the day. The ceremonial carrying of water from
the spring of Siloam to the altar of sacrifice was a prominent
feature of the service. This water was mingled with wine at the
altar and the mixture was poured upon the sacrificial offering.
Many authorities hold that the bringing of water from the pool
was omitted on the last or great day of the feast, and it is in-
ferred that Jesus had in mind the circumstance of the omission
when He cried: "If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and
drink." At night, during the progress of the feast, great lamps
were kept burning in the temple courts, and this incident Christ
may have used as an objective illustration in his proclamation:
"I am the light of the world."
For fuller account see any reliable and comprehensive Bible
Dictionary, and Josephus Ant. viii, 4:1; xv, 3 :3, etc. The follow-
ing is an excerpt from Edersheim, Life and Times of Jesus The
Messiah, vol. ii, p. 158-160: "When the Temple-procession had
NOTES. 421
reached the Pool of Siloam, the priest filled his golden pitcher
from its waters. Then they went back to the Temple, so timing
it that they should arrive just as they were laying the pieces of
the sacrifice on the great altar of burnt-offering, towards the
close of the ordinary morning-sacrifice service. A threefold
blast of the priests' trumpets welcomed the arrival of the priest
as he entered through the Water Gate, which obtained its name
from this ceremony, and passed straight into the Court of the
Priests Immediately after the 'pouring of the
water,' the great 'Hallel,' consisting of Psalms 113 to 118 inclu-
sive, was chanted antiphonally, or rather, with responses, to the
accompaniment of the flute In further symbolism of
this Feast, as pointing to the ingathering of the heathen nations,
the public services closed with a procession round the altar by
the priests But on 'the last, the Great Day of the
Feast,' this procession of priests made the circuit of the altar,
not only once, but seven times, as if they were again compass-
ing, but now with prayer, the Gentile Jericho which barred their
possession of the promised land."
2. The Test of our Lord's Doctrine. Any man may know
for himself whether the doctrine of Christ is of God or not by
simply doing the will of the Father (John 7:17). Surely it is a
more convincing course than that of relying upon another's word.
The writer was once approached by an incredulous student in
college, who stated that he could not accept as true the pub-
lished results of a certain chemical analysis, since the specified
amounts of some of the ingredients were so infinitesimally
small that he could not believe it possible to determine such
minute quantities. The student was but a beginner in chem-
istry; and with his little knowledge he had undertaken to judge
as to the possibilities of the science. He was told to do the things
his instructor prescribed, and he should some day know for
himself whether the results were true or false. In the senior
year of his course, he received for laboratory analysis a portion
of the very substance whose composition he had once ques-
tioned. With the skill attained by faithful devotion he success-
fully completed the analysis, and reported results similar to those,
which in his inexperience he had thought impossible ^to obtain. He
was manly enough to acknowledge as unfounded his earlier skep-
ticism and rejoiced in the fact that he had been able to demon-
strate the truth for himself.
3. The Pool of Siloam. "The names 'Shiloah' ('Shelah,'
Neh. 3:15, 'Siloah' in authorized version) and 'Siloam' are the
exact equivalent in Hebrew and Greek, respectively, of 'Silwan'
in the modern Arabic name ('Ain Silwan') of the pool at the
mouth of El-Wad. All the ancient references agree with this
identification (compare Neh. 3:15; Josephus, Wars of the Jews,
v, 4:1, 2; 6 :i ; 9:4; 12:2; ii, 16:2; vi, 7:2; 8:5). In spite of its mod-
ern designation as an 'ain' (spring), Siloam is not a spring, but
is fed by a tunnel cut through the rock from the Gihon, or Vir-
gin's Fountain." L,. B. Paton, in article "Jerusalem," Stand. Bible
Dictionary.
422 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 25.
4. Whence was the Messiah to Come? Many stifled their
inward promptings to a belief in Jesus as the Messiah, by the
objection that all prophecies relating to His coming pointed to
Bethlehem as His birthplace, and Jesus was of Galilee. Others
rejected Him because they had been taught that no man was to
know whence the Messiah came and they all knew Jesus came
from Galilee. The seeming inconsistency is thus explained : The
city of David, or Bethlehem in Judea, was beyond question the
fore-appointed place of the Messiah's birth ; but the rabbis had
erroneously taught that soon after birth the Christ Child would
be caught away, and after a time would appear as a Man, and
that no one would know whence or how He had returned.
Geikie (ii, p. 274), citing Ljghtfoot in part, thus states the pop-
ular criticism : " 'Do not the rabbis tell us' said some, 'that the
Messiah will be born at Bethlehem, but that He will be snatched
away by spirits and tempests soon after His birth, and that when
He returns the second time no one will know from whence He
has come?' But we know this man comes from Nazareth."
5. The Record Relating to the Woman Taken in Adultery.
Some modern critics claim that the verses John 7:53 and 8:1-11
inclusive are out of place as they appear in the authorized or
King James version of the Bible, on the grounds that the inci-
dent therein recorded does not appear in certain of the ancient
manuscript copies of John's Gospel, and that the style of the
narrative is distinctive. In some manuscripts it appears at the
end of the book. Other manuscripts contain the account as it
appears in the English Bible. Canon Farrar pertinently asks
(p. 404, note), why, if the incident is out of place or not of John's
authorship, so many important manuscripts give place to it as
we have it?
6. The Treasury, and Court of the Women. "Part of the
space within the inner courts was open to Israelites of both sexes,
and was known distinctively as the Court of the Women. This
was a colonnaded enclosure, and constituted the place of general
assembly in the prescribed course of public worship. Chambers
used for ceremonial^ purposes occupied the four corners of this
court ; and between "these and the houses at the gates, were other
buildings, of which one series constituted the Treasury wherein
were set trumpet-shaped receptacles for gifts." (See Mark 12:
41-44.) The House of the Lord, pp. 57-58.
7. The Sheepfold. Dummelow's Commentary says, on
John 10:2: "To understand the imagery, it must be remembered
that Eastern folds are large open enclosures, into which
several flocks are driven at the approach of night. There is only
one door, which a single shepherd guards, while the others go
home to rest. In the morning the shepherds return, are recog-
nized by the doorkeeper, call their flocks round them, and lead
them forth to pasture."
BEGINNING OF A SLOW JOURNEY TOWARD JERUSALEM. 423
bns. JnsmnrcfriaJfw baanloi gjsw sH
// 00l ai
CHAPTER 26.
OUR LORD'S MINISTRY IN PEREA AND JUDEA.
When or under what attendant circumstances our Lord
departed from Jerusalem after the Feast of Tabernacles, in
the last autumn of His earthly life, we are not told. The
writers of the synoptic Gospels have recorded numerous dis-
courses, parables, and miracles, as incidents of a journey
toward Jerusalem, in the course of which, Jesus, accom-
panied by the apostles, traversed parts of Samaria and Perea,
and the outlying sections of Judea. We read of Christ's pres-
ence in Jerusalem at the Feast of Dedication, between two
and three months after the Feast of Tabernacles ; and it is
probable that some of the events now to be considered oc-
curred during that interval. 6 That Jesus left Jerusalem soon
after the Feast of Tabernacles is certain; whether He re-
turned to Galilee, or went only into Perea, possibly with a
short detour across the border into Samaria, is not conclu-
sively stated. We shall here as heretofore devote our study
primarily to His words and works, with but minor regard
to place, time, or sequence.
As the time of His foreknown betrayal and crucifixion
drew near, "he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,"* 7
though, as we shall find, He turned northward on two occa-
sions, once when He retired to the region of Bethabara, and
again to Ephraim. J
HIS REJECTION IN SAMARIA/
Jesus sent messengers ahead, to announce His coming
and to prepare for His reception. In one of the Samaritan
_
a John 10:22.
b Note 1, end of chapter.
cLuke 9:51.
djohn 10:40; 11:54.
*Luke 9:51-58.
424 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 26.
villages He was refused entertainment and a hearing, "be-
cause his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem."
Racial prejudice had superseded the obligations of hospi-
tality. This repulse is in unfavorable contrast with the cir-
cumstances of His earlier visit among the Samaritans, when
He had been received with gladness and entreated to remain ;
but on that occasion He was journeying not toward but
farther from Jerusalem/
The disrespect shown by the Samaritans was more than
the disciples could endure without protest. James and John,
those Sons of Thunder, were so resentful as to yearn for
vengeance. Said they : "Lord, wilt thou that we command
fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as
Hlias did ?" 9 Jesus rebuked His uncharitable servants thus :
"Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the
Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save
them." Repulsed in this village the little company went to
another, as the Twelve had been instructed to do under like
circumstances. ^ This was but one of the impressive lessons
given to the apostles in the matter of tolerance, forbearance,
charity, patience, and long-suffering.
gives next place to the incident of three men who
were desirous or willing to become disciples of Christ; one
of them seems to have been discouraged at the prospect of
hardship such as the ministry entailed; the others wished
to be temporarily excused from service, one that he might
attend the burial of his father, the other that he might first
bid his loved ones farewell. This, or a similar occurrence,
is recorded by Matthew in another connection, and has
already received attention in these pages.*
/John 4:4-42; page 176 herein.
fir Luke 9:54; compare 2 Kings 1:10, 12.
A Matt. 10:23.
iLuke 9:57-62; see pages 305-307 herein,
;J
MISSION OF THE SEVENTY. 425
I t*ra // - / // -^rf* i^lhtfxl; t^e *&$
THS SEVENTY CHARGED AND .
The supreme importance of our Lord's ministry, and the
shortness of the time remaining to Him in the flesh, de-
manded more missionary laborers. The Twelve were to
remain with Him to the end ; every hour of possible instruc-
tion and training had to be utilized in their further prepara-
tion for the great responsibilities that would rest upon them
after the Master's departure. As assistants in the ministry,
He called and commissioned the Seventy, and straightway
sent them forth/ "two and two before his face into every
city and place, whither he himself would come." The need
of their service was explained in the introduction to the im-
pressive charge by which they were instructed in the duties
of their calling. "Therefore said he unto them, The harvest
truly is great, but the labourers are few : pray ye therefore
the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers
into his harvest."*
Many matters on which the Twelve had been instructed
prior to their missionary tour were now repeated to the
Seventy. They were told that they must expect unfriendly
and even hostile treatment ; their situation would be as that
of lambs among wolves. They were to travel without purse
or scrip, and thus necessarily to depend upon the provision
that God would make through those to whom they came. As
their mission was urgent, they were not to stop on the way
to make or renew personal acquaintanceships. On entering
a house they were to invoke peace upon it ; if the household
deserved the gift peace would rest therein, but otherwise the
Lord's servants would feel that their invocation was void. 1
/Luke 10:1-12.
k Compare Matt. 9:37, 38; see also John 4:35.
/ Edersheim (vol. ii, p. 138) says: "The expression 'if the son of peace
be there' is a Hebraism, equivalent to 'if the house be worthy' (compare
Matt. 10:13) and refers to the character of the head of the house and
the tone of the household."
4:26 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 26.
To any family by whom they were received they were to
impart blessing healing the afflicted, and proclaiming that
the kingdom of God had come nigh unto that house. They
were not to go from one house to another seeking better
entertainment, nor should they expect or desire to be feasted,
but they should accept what was offered, eating that which
jwas set before them, thus sharing with the family. If re-
jected in any city, they were to depart therefrom, leaving,
however, their solemn testimony that the city had turned
away from the kingdom of God, which had been brought to
its doors, and attesting the same by ridding themselves of
the dust of that place." 1 It was not for them to pronounce
anathema or curse, but the Lord assured them that such a
city would bring upon itself a fate worse than the doom of
;Sodom." He reminded them that they were His servants,
and therefore whoever heard or refused to hear them would
be judged as having so treated Him.
They were not restrained, as the Twelve had been, from
entering Samaritan towns or the lands of the Gentiles. This
difference is consistent with the changed conditions, for now
the prospective itinerary of Jesus would take Him into non-
Jewish territory, where His fame had already spread; and
jfurthermore, His plan provided for an extension of the
gospel propaganda, which was to be ultimately world-wide.
[The narrow Jewish prejudice against Gentiles in general and
Samaritans in particular was to be discountenanced; and
proof of this intent could not be better given than by send-
ing authorized ministers among those peoples. We must
,keep in mind the progressiveness of the Lord's work. At
(first the field of gospel preaching was confined to the land
;of Israel, but the beginning of its extension was inaugurated
^during our Lord's life, and was expressly enjoined upon the
m Compare Matt. 10:14; page 329 herein.
n Compare the charge given the Seventy with that of the Twelve, Matt.
10:5-42; Mark 6:7-11; Luke 9:1-5; see page 328 herein.
oMatt. 10:5, 6; 15:24.
THE SEVENTY RETURN AND REPORT. 427
apostles after His resurrection/ Duly instructed, the Sev-
enty set out upon their mission.^
Mention of the condemnation that would follow wilful
rejection of the authorized servants of God aroused in our
.Lord's mind sad memories of the repulses He had suffered,
and of the many unrepentant souls, in the cities wherein He
had accomplished so many mighty works. In profound
sorrow He predicted the woes then impending over Cho-
razin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum/
THE SEVENTY RETURN.
Considerable time may have elapsed, weeks or possibly
months, between the departure of the Seventy and their
return. We are not told when or where they rejoined the
Master ; but this we know, that the authority and power of
Christ had been abundantly manifest in their ministry ; and
that they had rejoiced in the realization. "Lord," said they,
"even the devils are subject unto us through thy name."- 9
This testimony was followed by the Lord's solemn state-
ment : "I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven." This
was said with reference to the expulsion of the rebellious
son of the morning, after his defeat by Michael and the
heavenly hosts/ Commending the Seventy for their faithful
labors, the Lord gave them assurance of further power, on
the implied condition of their continued worthiness : "I give
unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over
all the power of the enemy : and nothing shall by any means
hurt you."" The promise that they should tread on serpents
and scorpions included immunity from injury by venomous
/'Matt. 28:19; Mark 16:15.
q Doc. and Cov. 107:25; 124:137-140; see also "Articles of Faith," xi:20,
28. The special office of the Seventy has been reestablished in the restored
Church; and in this, the last dispensation, many quorums of Seventy are
maintained for the work of the ministry. The office of the Seventy is one
belonging to the Higher or Melchizedek Priesthood.
-/Luke 10:13-15; compare Matt. 11:20-24; see page 258 herein.
jLuke 10:17.
t Rev. 9:1; 12:8, 9; see pages 6 and 7 herein.
u Luke 10:19; read verses 20-24.
428 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 26.
creatures if encountered in the path of duty 27 and power to
prevail over the wicked spirits that serve the devil, who is
elsewhere expressly called the serpent. Great as was the
power and authority thus imparted, these disciples were told
not to rejoice in such, nor primarily in the fact that evil
spirits were subject unto them, but rather because they were
accepted of the Lord, and that their names were written in
heaven/
The righteous joy of His servants and His contemplation
of their faithfulness caused Jesus to rejoice. His happiness
found its most appropriate expression in prayer, and thus
He prayed : "I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and
earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and pru-
dent, and hast revealed them unto babes : even so, Father ;
f or so it seemed good in thy sight." Compared with the
learned men of the time, such as the rabbis and scribes,
whose knowledge served but to harden their hearts against
the truth, these devoted servants were as babes in humility,
trust, and faith. Such children were and are among the
nobles of the kingdom. As in the hours of darkest sorrow,
so in this moment of righteous exultation over the faithful-
ness of His followers, Jesus communed with the Father, to
do whose will was His sole purpose.
Our Lord's joy on this occasion is comparable to that
which He experienced when Peter had burst forth with the
confession of his soul : "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the
living God." In solemn discourse Jesus said : "All things
are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth
who the Son is, but the Father ; and who the Father is, but
the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him." Then
in more intimate communion with the disciples He added :
"Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see : For
I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see
v Compare Mark 16:18; Acts 28:5.
w Rev. 12:9; 20:2; compare Gen. 3:1-4, 14, 15.
;r Compare Rev. 13:8; 20:12; 21:27.
A LAWYER'S QUESTION. 429
those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to
hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them."
WHO IS MY NEIGHBOR?
We have seen that the Pharisees and their kind were con-
stantly on the alert to annoy and if possible disconcert Jesus
on questions of law and doctrine, and to provoke Him to
some overt utterance or deed.^ It may be such an attempt
that is recorded by Luke in immediate sequence to his ac-
count of the joyous return of the Seventy," for he tells us
that the "certain lawyer," of whom he speaks, put a question
to tempt Jesus. Viewing the questioner's motive with all
possible charity, for the basal meaning of the verb which ap-
pears in our version of the Bible as "to tempt" is that of put-
ting to test or trial and not necessarily and solely to allure
into evil," though the element of entrapping or ensnaring is
connoted, we may assume that he wished to test the knowl-
edge and wisdom of the famous Teacher, probably for the
purpose of embarrassing Him. Certainly his purpose was
not that of sincere search for truth.
This lawyer, standing up among the people who had gath-
ered to hear Jesus, asked: "Master, what shall I do to in-
herit eternal life?" & Jesus replied by a counter question, in
which was plainly intimated that if this man, who was pro-
fessedly learned in the law, had read and studied properly,
he should know without asking what he ought to Ho. "What
is written in the law? how readest thou?" The man replied
with an admirable summary of the commandments : "Thou
shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all
thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind ;
and thy neighbour as thyself. " c The answer was approved.
"This do, and thou shalt live" said Jesus. These simple
.
3> Compare Mark 12:13; see also Luke 11:53, 54.
XT Luke 10:25-37.
a Compare Gen. 22:1.
b Compare Matt. 19:16; Mark 10:17; Luke 18:18.
cLuke 10:27; compare Deut. 6:5, and Lev. 19:18; see also Matt. 22:35-40.
430 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 26.
words conveyed a rebuke, as the lawyer must have realized ;
they indicated the contrast between knowing and doing.
Having thus failed in his plan to confound the Master, and
probably realizing that he, a lawyer, had made no creditable
display of his erudition by asking so simple a question and
then answering it himself, he tamely sought to justify him-
self by inquiring further: "And who is my neighbour?"
We may well be grateful for the lawyer's question; for it
served to draw from the Master's inexhaustible store of wis-
dom one of His most appreciated parables.
The story is known as the Parable of the Good Samar-
itan; it runs as follows :
"A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho,
and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment,
and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And
by chance there came down a certain priest that way : and
when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And
likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked
on him, and passed by on the other side. But a certain
Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was : and when
he saw him, he had compassion on him, and went to him,
and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set
him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took
care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took
out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him,
Take care of him ; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when
I come again, I will repay thee."
Then of the lawyer Jesus asked : "Which now of these
three, thinkest thou, was neighbor unto him that fell among
the thieves? And he said, He that shewed mercy on him.
Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise. " d
Whatever of motive there may have been in the lawyer's
query, "Who is my neighbour?" aside from that of self-justi-
fication and a desire to retreat in the best form possible from
an embarrassing situation, we may conceive to lie in the wish
rfLuke 10:80-37.
THE PRIEST, THE LEVITE AND THE GOOD SAMARITAN. 431
to find a limitation in the application of the law, beyond
which he would not be bound to go. If he had to love his
neighbors as he loved himself, he wanted to have as few
neighbors as possible. His desire may have been somewhat
akin to that of Peter, who was eager to learn just how many
times he was required to forgive an offending brother/
The parable with which our I^ord replied to the lawyer's
question is rich in interest as a story alone, and particularly
so as an embodiment of precious lessons. It was withal so
true to existing conditions, that, like the story of the sower
,who went forth to sow, and other parables given by the lyord
Jesus, it may be true history as well as parable. The road
between Jerusalem and Jericho was known to be infested
by highway robbers ; indeed a section of the thoroughfare
was called the Red Path or Bloody Way because of the fre-
quent atrocities committed thereon. Jericho was prominent
as a residence place for priests and L,evites. A priest, who,
out of respect to his office, if for none other cause, should
have been willing and prompt in acts of mercy, caught sight
of the wounded traveler and passed by on the far side of the
road. A Levite followed ; he paused to look, then passed
on. These ought to have remembered the specified require-
ment of the law that if one saw an ass or an ox fall down
by the way, he should not hide himself, but should surely
help the owner to lift the creature up again/ If such was
their duty toward a brother's beast, much greater was their
obligation when a brother himself was in so extreme a plight.
Doubtless priest as well as Levite salved his conscience
with ample excuse for his inhumane conduct ; he may have
been in a hurry, or was fearful, perhaps, that the robbers
would return and make him also a victim of their outrage.
Excuses are easy to find ; they spring up as readily and
plentifully as weeds by the wayside. When the Samaritan
e Matt. 18:21, 22; compare Luke 17:4; page 392 herein.
/Deut. 22:4; compare Exo. 23:5.
432 JESUS THE CHRIST. in\TS [CHAP. 26.
came along and saw the wretched state of the wounded man,
he had no excuse for he wanted none. Having done what
he could by way of emergency treatment as recognized in
the medical practise of the day, he placed the injured one
upon his own beast, probably a mule or an ass, and took him
to the nearest inn, where he tended him personally and
made arrangements for his further care. The essential dif-
ference between the Samaritan and the others was that the
one had a compassionate heart, while they were unlov-
ing and selfish. Though not definitely stated, the victim of
the robbers was almost certainly a Jew ; the point of the
parable requires it to be so. That the merciful one was a
Samaritan, showed that the people called heretic and de-
spized by the Jews could excel in good works. To a Jew,
none but Jews were neighbors. We are not justified in re-
garding priest, Levite, or Samaritan as the type of his class ;
doubtless there were many kind and charitable Jews, and
many heartless Samaritans ; but the Master's lesson was ad-
mirably illustrated by the characters in the parable ; and the
words of His application were pungent in their simplicity
and appropriateness.
MARTHA AND MARY&
On one of His visits to Bethany, a small town about two
miles from Jerusalem, Jesus was received at the home where
dwelt two sisters, Martha and Mary. Martha was house-
keeper, and therefore she assumed responsibility for the
proper treatment of the distinguished Guest. While she
busied herself with preparations and "was cumbered about
much serving," well intended for the comfort and entertain-
ment of Jesus, Mary sat at the Master's feet, listening with
reverent attention to His words. Martha grew fretful in her
bustling anxiety, and came in, saying : "Lord, dost thou not
' ,12:81
g Luke 10:38-42. Note 2, end of chapter. ox g 9
THE ONE THING NEEDFUL. 433
care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her
therefore that she help me." She was talking to Jesus but
really at Mary. For the moment she had lost her calmness
in undue worry over incidental details. It is reasonable to
infer that Jesus was on terms of familiarity in the household,
else the good woman would scarcely have appealed to Him in
a little matter of domestic concern. He replied to her com-
plaining words with marked tenderness : "Martha, Martha,
thou art careful and troubled about many things : but one
thing is needful : and Mary hath chosen that good part,
which shall not be taken away from her."
There was no reproof of Martha's desire to provide well ;
nor any sanction of possible neglect on Mary's part. We
must suppose that Mary had been a willing helper before the
Master's arrival; but now that He had come, she chose to
remain with Him. Had she been culpably neglectful of her
duty, Jesus would not have commended her course. He de-
sired not well-served meals and material comforts only, but
the company of the sisters, and above all their receptive atten-
tion to what He had to say. He had more to give them than
they could possibly provide for Him. Jesus loved the two
sisters and their brother as well. 7 ' Both these women were
devoted to Jesus, and each expressed herself in her own way.
Martha was of a practical turn, concerned in material ser-
vice ; she was by nature hospitable and self-denying. Mary,
contemplative and more spiritually inclined, showed her de-
votion through the service of companionship and apprecia-
tion. i
By inattention to household duties, the little touches that
make or mar the family peace, many a woman has reduced
her home to a comfortless house ; and many another has elim-
inated the essential elements of home by her self-assumed
and persistent drudgery, in which she denies to her dear
hjohn 11:5.
i Compare John 12:2, 3.
434 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 26.
ones the cheer of her loving companionship. One-sided
service, however devoted, may become neglect. There is a
time for labor inside the home as in the open; in every
family time should be found for cultivating that better part,
that one thing needful true, spiritual development.
ASK, AND IT SHAI^ BE) GIVEN YOU/
"And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a cer-
tain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him,
LyOrd, teach us to pray." Our Lord's example and the spirit
of prayer manifest in His daily life moved the disciples to
ask for instruction as to how they should pray. No form
of private prayer was given in the law, but formal prayers
had been prescribed by the Jewish authorities, and John the
Baptist had instructed his followers in the mode or manner
of prayer. Responding to the disciples' request, Jesus re-
peated that brief epitome of soulful adoration and supplica-
tion which we call the Lord's Prayer. This He had before
given in connection with the Sermon on the Mount.* On
this occasion of its repetition, the Lord supplemented the
prayer by explaining the imperative necessity of earnestness
and enduring persistency in praying.
The lesson was made plain by the Parable of the Friend
at Midnight:
y
"And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a
friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him,
Friend, lend me three loaves; For a friend of mine in his
journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?
And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not :
the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed;
I cannot rise and give thee. I say unto you, Though he will
not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of
his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he
needeth."
/Luke 11:1-13.
k Pages 238-241.
THE LESSON OF THE IMPORTUNATE NEIGHBOR. 435
The man to whose home a friend had come at midnight
could not let his belated and weary guest go hungry, yet
there was no bread in the house. He made his visitor's
wants his own, and pleaded at his neighbor's door as though
asking for himself. The neighbor was loath to leave his
comfortable bed and disturb his household to accommodate
another; but, finding that the man at the door was impor-
tunate, he at last arose and gave him what he asked, so as
to get rid of him and be able to sleep in peace. The Master
added by way of comment and instruction: "Ask, and it
shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it'
shall be opened unto you. )}
The hospitable man in the parable had refused to be re-
pulsed ; he kept on knocking until the door was opened ; and
as a result received what he wanted, found what he had set
out to obtain. The parable is regarded by some as a difficult
one to apply, since it deals with the selfish and comfort-
loving element of human nature, and apparently uses this to
symbolize God's deliberate delay. The explanation, how-
ever, is clear when the context is duly considered. The
Lord's lesson was, that if man, with all his selfishness and
disinclination to give, will nevertheless grant what his neigh-
bor with proper purpose asks and continues to ask in spite
of objection and temporary refusal, with assured certainty
will God grant what is persistently asked in faith and with
righteous intent. No parallelism lies between man's selfish
refusal and God's wise and beneficent waiting. There must
be a consciousness of real need for prayer, and real trust in
God, to make prayer effective; and in mercy the Father
sometimes delays the granting that the asking may be more
fervent. But in the words of Jesus : "If ye then, being
evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children : how
much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit
to them that ask him ?"
Sometime later Jesus spake another parable, the moral of
436 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 26.
which is so closely akin to that of the story of the midnight
visitor, as to suggest the study of the later lesson here. It
is known as the Parable of the Unjust Judge, or of the Im-
portunate Widow:
"There was in a city a judge, which feared not God,
neither regarded man : And there was a widow in that city ;
and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adver-
sary. And he would not for a while : but afterward he said
within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man ; Yet
because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by
her continual coming she weary me."'
The judge was of wicked character ; he denied justice to
the widow, who could obtain redress from none other. He
was moved to action by the desire to escape the woman's
importunity. Let us beware of the error of comparing his
selfish action with the ways of God. Jesus did not indicate
that as the wicked judge finally yielded to supplication so
would God do ; but He pointed out that if even such a being
as this judge, who "feared not God, neither regarded man,"
would at last hear and grant the widow's plea, no one should
doubt that God, the Just and Merciful, will hear and answer.
The judge's obduracy, though wholly wicked on his part,
may have been ultimately advantageous to the widow. Had
she easily obtained redress she might have become again
unwary, and perchance a worse adversary than the first
might have oppressed her. The Lord's purpose in giving
the parable is specifically stated ; it was "to this end, that
men ought always to pray, and not to faint."" 1
CRITICISM ON PHARISEES AND LAWYERS.
Varied comment as to the source of our Lord's super-
human powers was aroused afresh by His merciful act of
/Luke 18:2-5; read verses 1, and 6-8. See also Doc. and Cov. 101:81-94.
HI Luke 18:1; compare 21:36; Rom. 12:12; Eph. 6:18; Col. 4:2; 1 Thess.
5:17.
'a Luke 11:37-54.
CEREMONIAL CLEANSING OF CUPS AND PLATTERS. 437
expelling a demon from a man, who, in consequence of this
evil possession had been dumb. The old Pharisaic theory,
that He cast out devils through the power of "Beelzebub,
the chief of the devils," was revived. The utter foolishness
of such a conception was demonstrated, as it had been on
an earlier occasion to which we have given attention." The
spiritual darkness, in which evil men grope for signs, the
disappointment and condemnation that await them, and other
precious precepts, Jesus elucidated in further discourse.
Then, by invitation He went to the house of a certain
Pharisee to dine. Other Pharisees, as also lawyers and
scribes, were present. Jesus intentionally omitted the cere-
monial washing of hands, which all others in the company
scrupulously performed before taking their places at table.
This omission caused a murmur of disapproval if not an open
expression of fault-finding. Jesus utilized the occasion by
voicing a pungent criticism of Pharisaic externalism, which
He likened to the cleansing of cups and platters on the out-
side, while the inside is left filthy. "Fools" said He, "did
not he that made that which is without make that which is
within also?" In another form we may ask, Did not God
who established the outward observances of the law, ordain
the inward and spiritual requirements of the gospel also?
In response to a question by one of the lawyers, Jesus in-
cluded them in His sweeping reproof. Pharisees and scribes
resented the censure to which they had been subjected, and
"began to urge him vehemently, and to provoke him to speak
of many things : laying wait for him, and seeking to catch
something out of his mouth, that they might accuse him."
As our Lord's recorded utterances on this occasion appear
also in His final denunciation of Pharisaism, later delivered
at the temple, we may w r ell defer further consideration of
the matter until we take up in order that notable occurrence/
n Luke 11:14-28; see page 265 herein.
o Luke 11:29-36; see page 270 herein.
p Matt. 23; see chapter 31 herein.
4:38 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 26.
THE DISCIPLES ADMONISHED AND ENCOURAGED.*?
Popular interest in our Lord's movements was strong in
the region beyond Jordan, as it had been in Galilee. We
read of Him surrounded by "an innumerable multitude of
people, insomuch that they trode one upon another." Ad-
dressing the multitude, and more particularly His disciples,
Jesus warned them of the leaven of the Pharisees, which He
characterized as hypocrisy/ The recent scene at the table
of a Pharisee gave special significance to the warning. Some
of the precepts recorded in connection with His Galilean
ministry were here repeated, and particular stress was laid
upon the superiority of the soul to the body, and of eternal
life as contrasted with the brief duration of mortal existence.
One man in the company, intent on selfish interests and
unable to see beyond the material affairs of life, spoke out
saying, "Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the in-
heritance with me." Jesus promptly refused to act as media-
tor or judge in the matter. "Man, who made me a judge or
a divider over you?" was the Master's rejoinder. The wis-
dom underlying His refusal to interfere is apparent. As in
the case of the guilty woman who had been brought before
Him for judgment/ so in this instance, He refrained from
intervention in matters of legal administration. An opposite
course would have probably involved Him in useless disputa-
tion, and might have given color to a complaint that He was
arrogating to Himself the functions of the legally established
tribunals. The man's appeal, however, was made the nu-
cleus of valuable instruction ; his clamor for a share in the
family inheritance caused Jesus to say : "Take heed, and be-
ware of covetousness : for a man's life consisteth not in the
abundance of the things which he possesseth."
9 r Page' 359
s Page 404.
"THIS NIGHT THY SOUL SHALL BE REQUIRED." 439
This combined admonition and profound statement of
truth was emphasized by the Parable of the Foolish Rich
Man. Thus runs the story :
"The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plenti-
fully : And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I
do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits ? And
he said, This will I do : I will pull down my barns, and build
greater ; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.
And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid
up for many years ; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall
be required of thee : then whose shall those things be, which
thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for
himself, and is not rich toward God."'
The man's abundance had been accumulated through
labor and thrift ; neglected or poorly-tilled fields do not yield
plentifully. He is not represented as one in possession of
wealth not rightfully his own. His plans for the proper
care of his fruits and goods were not of themselves evil,
though he might have considered better ways of distributing
his surplus, as for the relief of the needy. His sin was two-
fold; first, he regarded his great store chiefly as the means
of securing personal ease and sensuous indulgence ; secondly,
in his material prosperity he failed to acknowledge God, and
even counted the years as his own. In the hour of his selfish
jubilation he was smitten. Whether the voice of God came
to him as a fearsome presentiment of impending death, or by
angel messenger, or how otherwise, we are not informed ; but
the voice spoke his doom : "Thou fool, this night thy soul
shall be required of thee. " u He had used his time and his
powers of body and mind to sow, reap and garner all for
himself. And what came of it all? Whose should be the
fLuke 12:14-21.
Compare the fate that overtook Nebuchadnezzar, while the words of
boastful pride were yet in his mouth (Dan. 4:24-33); and that of Belshazzar,
before whose eyes appeared the hand of destiny in the midst of his riotous
feast; in that night was the king's soul required of him. (Dan. 6,)
440 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 26,
wealth, to amass which he had jeopardized his soul? Had
he been other than a fool he might have realized as Solomon
had done, the vanity of hoarding wealth for another, and he
perhaps of uncertain character, to possess.*'
Turning to the disciples Jesus reiterated some of the glo-
rious truths He had uttered when preaching on the mount, w
and pointed to the birds of the air, the lilies and grass of the
field, as examples of the Father's watchful care ; He admon-
ished His hearers to seek the kingdom of God, and, doing
so, they should find all needful things added. "Fear not,
little flock," He added in tone of affectionate and paternal
regard, "for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you
the kingdom." They were urged to store their wealth in
bags that wax not old/ containers suited to the heavenly
treasure which, unlike the goods of the foolish rich man,
shall not be left behind when the soul is summoned. The
man whose treasure is of earth leaves it all at death; he
whose wealth is in heaven goes to his own, and death is
but the portal to his treasury.
The disciples were admonished to be ever ready, waiting
as servants wait at night with lights burning, for their mas-
ter's return ; and, inasmuch as the lord of the household
comes at his will, in the early or later watches, if when he
comes he finds his faithful servants ready to open imme-
diately to his knock he will honor them as they deserve. So
is the Son of Man to come, perhaps when least expected.
To a question interjected by Peter as to whether "this para-
ble" was spoken to the Twelve only or to all, Jesus made
no direct reply ; the answer, however, was conveyed in the
continuation of the allegory of contrast between faithful and
wicked servants.^ "Who then is that faithful and wise
steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household,
v Eccles. 2:18, 19; compare succeeding verses; see also Psa. 39:6; 49:6-20;
Job 27: 16, 17.
12:22-31; compare Matt. 6:25-34,
THE APOSTLES AS STEWARDS. 441
to give them their portion of meat in due season?" The
faithful steward is a good type of the apostles, individually
or as a body. As stewards they were charged with the care
of the other servants, and of the household ; and as to them
more had been given than to the others, so of them more
would be required ; and they would be held to strict account-
ability for their stewardship.
The Lord then referred feelingly to His own mission,
and especially to the dreadful experiences then soon to befall
Him, saying: "I have a baptism to be baptized with; and
how am I straitened till it be accomplished !" He told again
of the strife and dissension that would follow the preaching
of His gospel, and dwelt upon the significance of then cur-
rent events. To those who, ever ready to interpret the signs
of the weather yet remained wilfully blind to the important
developments of the times, He applied the caustic epithet,
hypocrites \ 3
"a
Some of the people who had been listening to our Lord's
discourse reported to Him the circumstances of a tragical
event that had taken place, probably but a short time before,
inside the temple walls. A number of Galileans had been
slain by Roman soldiers, at the base of the altar, so that their
blood had mingled with that of the sacrificial victims. It is
probable that the slaughter of these Galileans was incident
to some violent demonstration of Jewish resentment against
Roman authority, which the procurator, Pilate, construed
as an incipient insurrection, to be promptly and forcibly
quelled. Such outbursts were not uncommon, and the
Roman tower or fortress of Antonia had been erected in a
commanding position overlooking the temple grounds, and
connected therewith by a wide flight of steps, so that soldiers
z Luke 12:49-57; compare Matt. 10:34-37. oelfi (I
a Luke 13:1-5.
442 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 26.
could have ready access to the enclosure at the first indication
of turmoil. The purpose of the informants who brought this
matter to the attention of Jesus is not stated ; but we find
probability in the thought that His reference to the signs of
the times had reminded them of the tragedy, and that they
were inclined to speculate as to the deeper significance of the
occurrence. Some may have wondered as to whether the
fate of the Galilean victims had befallen them as a merited
retribution. Anyway, to some such conception as this Jesus
directed His reply. By question and answer He assured
them that those who had so been slain were not to be con-
sidered as sinners above other Galileans ; "But," said He,
"except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish."
Then, referring on His own initiative to another catastro-
phe, He cited the instance of eighteen persons who had been
killed by the fall of a tower at Siloam, and affirmed that
these were not to be counted greater sinners than other
Jerusalemites. "But," came the reiteration, "except ye re-
pent, ye shall all likewise perish." There were perhaps some
who believed that the men upon whom the tower had fallen
had deserved their fate ; and this conception is the more
probable if the generally accepted assumption be correct,
that the calamity came upon the men while they were en-
gaged under Roman employ in work on the aqueduct, for
the construction of which Pilate had used the "corban" or
sacred treasure, given by vow to the temple. b
It is not man's prerogative to pass upon the purposes and
designs of God, nor to judge by human reason alone that this
person or that suffers disaster as a direct result of individual
sin. c Nevertheless men have ever been prone to so judge.
There are many inheritors of the spirit of Job's friends, who
assumed his guilt as certain because of the great misfortunes
and sufferings that had come upon him. rf Even while Jesus
b Josephus, Wars ii, 9:4; also page 352 herein.
c Compare John 9:2, 3; also page 413 herein,
rfjob 4:7; 8:2-14, 20; 22:5.
THE BARREN FIG TREE. 443
spake, calamity dark and dire was impending over temple,
city and nation; and unless the people would repent and
accept the Messiah then in their midst, the decree of de-
struction would be carried to its dread fulfilment. Hence,
as Jesus said, except the people repented they should perish.
The imperative need of reformation was illustrated by the
Parable of the Barren Fig Tree.
; J:m3 boote briB rbiwrlJio^bo 3fi8
"A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard;
and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none.
Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these
three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find
none : cut it down ; why cumbereth it the ground ? And he
answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till
I shall dig about it, and dung it : And if it bear fruit, well :
and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down."*
In Jewish literature, particularly in rabbinical lore, the
fig tree is of frequent mention as a symbol of the nation.
The warning conveyed in the parable is plain; the element
of possible escape is no less evident. If the fig tree repre-
sents the covenant people, then the vineyard is naturally the
world at large, and the dresser of the vineyard is the Son
of God, who by personal ministry and solicitous care makes
intercession for the barren tree, in the hope that it may yet
bear fruit. The parable is of universal application; but so
far as it had special bearing upon the Jewish "fig tree" of
that time, it was attended by an awful sequel. The Baptist
had cried out in warning that the ax was even then in readi-
ness, and every unfruitful tree would be hewn down/
A WOMAN HAL3D ON THE SABBATH .^
On a certain Sabbath Jesus was teaching in a synagog, of
what place we are not told, though it was probably in one of
the towns of Perea. There was present a woman who for
*Luke 13:6-9.
/Luke 3:9.
#Luke 13:11-17.
444 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 26.
eighteen years had been suffering from an infirmity that had
so drawn and atrophied the muscles as to bend her body so
that she could in no wise straighten herself. Jesus called
her to Him, and without waiting for petition or request, said
simply, "Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity."
These words He accompanied by the laying-on of hands, a
feature of His healing ministrations not always performed.
She was healed forthwith and stood erect ; and, acknowledg-
ing the source of the power by which she had been released
from her bonds, glorified God in a fervent prayer of thanks-
giving. Doubtless many of the beholders rejoiced with her ;
but there was one whose soul was stirred by indignation
only ; and he, the ruler of the synagog. Instead of address-
ing himself to Jesus, of whose power he may have been
afraid, he vented his ill feeling upon the people, by telling
them there were six days in which men ought to work, and
that on those days they who wished to be healed should
come, but not on the Sabbath. The rebuke was ostensibly
directed to the people, especially to the woman who had
received the blessing, but in reality against Jesus ; for if
there were any element of work in the healing it had been
done by Him, not by the woman nor by others. Upon the
ruler of the synagog the Lord turned with direct address :
"Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath
loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to
watering? And ought not this woman, being a daughter
of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen
years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?"
It may be inferred that the woman's affliction had been
more deeply seated than in the muscles ; for Luke who was
himself a physician' 1 tells us she "had a spirit of infirmity,"
and records the significant words of the Lord to the effect
that Satan had held her bound for eighteen years. But
whatever her ailment, whether wholly physical or in part
> ".. ^' ; ; ~r aJuJ <*
,
JiColos. 4:14.
THE LAST MAY BE FIRST AND THE FIRST LAST. 445
mental and spiritual, she was freed from her bonds. Again
was the Christ triumphant; His adversaries were shamed
into silence, while the believers rejoiced. The rebuke to
the ruler of the synagog was followed by a brief discourse in
which Jesus gave to these people some of the teachings be-
fore delivered in Galilee ; these included the parables of the
mustard seed and the leaven.*
WILL MANY OR FEW BE SAVED ?'
Continuing His journey toward Jerusalem, Jesus taught
in many of the cities and towns of Perea. His coming had
probably been announced by the Seventy, who had been sent
to prepare the people for His ministry. One of those who
had been impressed by His doctrines submitted this question :
"Lord, are there few that be saved ?" Jesus replied : "Strive
to enter in at the strait gate : for many, I say unto you, will
seek to enter in, and shall not be able."^ The counsel was
enlarged upon to show that neglect or procrastination in
obeying the requirements for salvation may result in the
soul's loss. When the door is shut in judgment many will
come knocking, and some will plead that they had known
the I^ord, having eaten and drunk in His company, and that
He had taught upon their streets; but to them who had
failed to accept the truth when offered the Lord shall say :
"I tell you, I know you not whence ye are ; depart from me,
all ye workers of iniquity." The people were warned that
their Israelitish lineage would in no wise save them, for
many who were not of the covenant people would believe
and be saved, while unworthy Israelites would be thrust out. 1
So is it that "There are last which shall be first, and there are
first which shall be last."
t'Luke 13:19-21; see pages 290, 291 herein.
/Luke 13:23-30. Note 3, end of chapter.
k Compare Matt. 7:13.
/Compare Matt. 7:23; 8:11, 12; 19:30; Mark 10:31.
446 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 26.
JESUS WARNED OF HEROD^S DESIGN." 1
On the day of the discourse last noted, certain Pharisees
came to Jesus with this warning and advice : "Get thee out,
and depart hence : for Herod will kill thee." n We have here-
tofore found the Pharisees in open hostility to the Lord, or
secretly plotting against Him; and some commentators re-
gard this warning as another evidence of Pharisaic cunning
possibly intended to rid the province of Christ's presence,
or designed to drive Him toward Jerusalem, where He
would be again within easy reach of the supreme tribunal.
Ought we not to be liberal and charitable in our judgment
as to the intent of others? Doubtless there were good men
in the fraternity of Pharisees, and those who came inform-
ing Christ of a plot against His life were possibly impelled
by humane motives, and may even have been believers at
heart. That Herod had designs against our Lord's liberty
or life appears most probable in the answer Jesus made.
He received the information in all seriousness, and His com-
ment thereon is one of the strongest of His utterances against
an individual. "Go ye," said He, "and tell that fox, Behold,
I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and
the third day I shall be perfected." The specifying
of today, tomorrow, and the third day, was a means of
expressing the present in which the Lord was then act-
ing, the immediate future, in which He would continue
to minister, since, as He knew, the day of His death
was yet several months distant, and the time at
which his earthly work would be finished and He be per-
fected. He placed beyond doubt the fact that He did not
intend to hasten His steps, neither cut short His journey nor
mLuke 13:31-33.
n In the revised version the last clause reads "for Herod would fain
kill thee."
o Paul the apostle had been a Pharisee of the most pronounced type.
(Acts 23:6; 26:5.)
NOTES. 447
cease His labors through fear of Herod Antipas, who for
craft and cunning was best typified by a sly and murderous
fox. Nevertheless it was Christ's intention to go on, and
soon in ordinary course He would leave Perea, which was
part of Herod's domain, and enter Judea ; and at the fore-
known time would make His final entry into Jerusalem, for
in that city was He to accomplish his sacrifice. "It cannot
be," He explained, "that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem."
The awful reality that He, the Christ, would be slain in
the chief city of Israel wrung from Him the pathetic apos-
trophe over Jerusalem, which was repeated when for the
last time His voice was heard within the temple walls.^
r
NOTES TO CHAPTER 26.
i. Christ's Ministry Following His Final Withdrawal From
Galilee. John tells us that when Jesus went from Galilee to Jeru-
salem to attend the Feast of Tabernacles, He went "not openly,
but as it were in secret" (7:10). It appears improbable that the
numerous works recorded by the synoptic writers as features of
pur Lord's ministry, which extended from Galilee through Perea,
into Samaria and parts of Judea, could have attended that special
and, as it were secret, journey, at the time of the Feast of Taber-
nacles. The lack of agreement among writers as to the sequence
of events in Christs' life is wide. A comparison of the "Har-
monies" published in the most prominent Bible Helps (see e. g.
Oxford and Bagster "Helps") exemplifies these divergent views.
The subject-matter of our Lord's teachings maintains its own
intrinsic worth irrespective of merely circumstantial incidents.
The following excerpt from Farrar (Life of Christ, chap. 42) will
be of assistance to the student, who should bear in mind, how-
ever, that it is professedly but a tentative or possible arrange-
ment. "It is well known that the whole of one great section in
St. Luke from 9:51 to 18:30 forms an episode in the Gospel
narrative of which many incidents are narrated by this Evan-
gelist alone, and in which the few identifications of time and
place all point to one slow and solemn, progress from Galilee to
Jerusalem (9:51; 13:22; 17:11; 10:38). Now after the Feast of
Dedication our Lord retired into Perea, until He was summoned
thence by the death of Lazarus (John 10:40, 42; 11:1-46); after
the resurrection [raising] of Lazarus, He fled to Ephraim
(11:54); and He did not leave His retirement at Ephraim until
He went to Bethany, six days before His final Passover (i2:i).
"This great journey, therefore, from Galilee to Jerusalem,
Luke 13:34, 35; compare Matt. 23:37-39.
448 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP.26.
so rich in occasions which called forth some of His most memor-
able utterances, must have been either a journey to the Feast of
Tabernacles or to the Feast of Dedication. That it could not
have been the former may be regarded as settled, not only on
other grounds, but decisively because that was a rapid and secret
journey, this an eminently public and leisurely one.
"Almost every inquirer seems to differ to a greater or less
degree as to the exact sequence and chronology of the events
which follow. Without entering into minute and tedious dis-
quisitions where absolute certainty is impossible, I will narrate
this period of our Lord's life in the order which, after repeated
study of the Gospels, appears to me to be the most probable, and
in the separate details of which I have found myself again and
again confirmed by the conclusions of other independent inquir-
ers. And here I will only premise my conviction
"i. That the episode of St. Luke up to 18:30, mainly refers
to a single journey, although unity of subject, or other causes,
may have led the sacred writer to weave into his narrative some
events or utterances which belong to an earlier or later epoch.
11 2. That the order of the facts narrated even by St. Luke
alone is not, and does not in any way claim to be, strictly
chronological; so that the place of any event in the narrative by
no means necessarily indicates its true position in the order of
time.
"3. That this journey is identical with that which is par-
tially recorded in Matt. 18:1; 20:16; Mark 10:1-31.
'.'4. That (as seems obvious from internal evidence) the events
narrated in Matt. 20:17-28; Mark 10:32-45; Luke 18:31-34, belong
not to this journey but to the last which Jesus ever took the
journey from Ephraim to Bethany and Jerusalem."
2. Jesus at the Home in Bethany. Some writers (e.g.
Edersheim) place this incident as having occurred in the course
of our Lord's journey to Jerusalem to attend the Feast of Taber-
nacles; others (e. g. Geikie) assume that it took place immediately
after that feast; and yet others (e. g. Farrar) assign it to the
eve of the Feast of Dedication, nearly three months later. The
place given it in the text is that in which it appears in the scrip-
tural record.
3. Shall but Few be Saved? Through latter-day revelation
we learn that graded conditions await us in the hereafter, and
that beyond salvation are the higher glories of exaltation. The
specified kingdoms or glories of the redeemed, excepting the sons
of perdition, are the Celestial, the Terrestrial, and the Telestial.
Those who obtain place in the Telestial, the lowest of the three,
are shown to be "as innumerable as the stars in the firmament
of heaven, or as the sand upon the seashore." And these shall
not be equal, "For they shall be judged according to their works,
and every man shall receive according to his own works, his own
dominion, in the mansions which are prepared. And they shall
be servants of the Most High, but where God and Christ dwell
they cannot come, worlds without end." See Doc. and Cov.
76:111, 112; read the entire section; see also The Articles of
Faith xxii:i6-27; and p. 601 herein.
A LESSON IN GOOD MANNERS, 449
CHAPTER 27.
CONTINUATION OF THE PEREAN AND JUDEAN
MINISTRY.
IN THE HOUSE OF ONE OF THE CHIEF PHARISEES.
r od ov.
On a certain Sabbath Jesus was a guest at the house of a
prominent Pharisee. A man afflicted with dropsy was
there ; he may have come with the hope of receiving a bless-
ing, or possibly his presence had been planned by the host or
others as a means of tempting Jesus to work a miracle on
the holy day. The exercize of our L,ord's healing power was
at least thought of if not openly intimated or suggested, for
we read that "Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and
Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day ?" &
No one ventured to reply. Jesus forthwith healed the man ;
then He turned to the assembled company and asked:
"Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit,
and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day ?" c
The learned expositors of the law remained prudently silent.
Observing the eager activity of the Pharisee's guests in
securing for themselves prominent places at table, Jesus in-
structed them in a matter of good manners, pointing out not
only the propriety but the advantage of decent self-restraint.
An invited guest should not select for himself the seat of
honor, for some one more distinguished than he may come,
and the host would say : "Give this man place." Better is
it to take a lower seat, then possibly the lord of the feast may
say: "Friend, go up higher." The moral follows: "For
a Luke 14:1-24.
b The question is identical with that asked of Jesus in the synagog at
Capernaum preliminary to the healing of the man with the withered hand
(Matt. 12:10).
cExo. 23:5; Deut. 22:4; Luke 13:15.
15
450 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 27.
whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased ; and he that
humbleth himself shall be exalted."**
This festive gathering at the house of the chief Pharisee
included persons of prominence and note, rich men and
officials, leading Pharisees, renowned scholars, famous rabbis
and the like. Looking over the distinguished company,
Jesus said : "When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call
not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor
thy rich neighbours ; lest they also bid thee again, and a
recompence be made thee. But when thou makest a feast,
call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind : And thou
shalt be blessed ; for they cannot recompense thee : for thou
shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just." This
bit of wholesome advice was construed as a reproof ; and
some one attempted to relieve the embarrassing situation by
exclaiming : "Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the king-
dom of God."* The remark was an allusion to the great fes-
tival, which according to Jewish traditionalism was to be a
feature of signal importance in the Messianic dispensation.
Jesus promptly turned the circumstance to good account by
basing thereon the profoundly significant Parable of the
Great Supper:
"A certain man made a great supper, and bade many:
And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were
bidden, Come; for all things are now ready. And they all
with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto
him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go
and see it : I pray thee have me excused. And another said,
I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them : I
pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have mar-
ried a wife, and therefore I cannot come. So that servant
came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master
of the house being angry said to his servant. Go out quickly
into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the
d Compare Matt. 23:12; Luke 1:52; 18:14; James 4:8; 1 Peter 5:5.
e Compare Matt. 8:11; Rev. 19:9. The expression "eat bread" is a Hebra-
ism, signifying eating in full as at a feast rather than partaking of bread only.
PARABLE OF THE GREAT SUPPER. 451
poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. And the
servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and
yet there is room. And the lord said unto the servant, Go
out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come
in, that my house may be filled. For I say unto you, That
none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my
supper."/
.q.in & : i&tei
The story implies that invitations had been given suffi-
ciently early to the chosen and prospective guests ; then on
the day of the feast a messenger was sent to notify them
again, as was the custom of the time. Though called a sup-
per, the meal was to be a sumptuous one ; moreover, the
principal meal of the day was commonly spoken of as supper.
One man after another declined to attend, one saying: "I
pray thee have me excused" ; another : "I cannot come."
The matters that engaged the time and attention of those
who had been bidden, or as we would say, invited, to the
feast, were not of themselves discreditable, far less sinful ;
but to arbitrarily allow personal affairs to annul an honorable
engagement once accepted was to manifest discourtesy, dis-
respect and practical insult toward the provider of the feast.
The man who had bought a field could have deferred the
inspection; he who had just purchased cattle could have
waited a day to try them under the yoke ; and the newly mar-
ried man could have left his bride and his friends for the
period of the supper that he had promised to attend. Plainly
none of these people wanted to be present. The master of
the house was justly angry. His command to bring in the
poor and the maimed, the halt and the blind from the city
streets must have appealed to those who listened to our
Lord's recital as a reminiscence of His counsel given a few
minutes before, concerning the kind of guests a rich man
could invite with profit to his soul. The second sending out
/Luke 14:16-24. Compare the parable relating to the marriage of th
king's son (Matt. 22:2-10); study points of resemblance and difference be-
tween the two and the distinctive lessons of each. See page 536.
452 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. .27.
of the servant, this time into the highways and hedges out-
side the city walls, to bring in even the country poor, indi-
cated boundless benevolence and firm determination on the
householder's part.
Explication of the parable was left to the learned men to
whom the story was addressed. Surely some of them would
fathom its meaning, in part at least. The covenant people,
Israel, were the specially invited guests. They had been
bidden long enough aforetime, and by their own profession
as the Lord's own had agreed to be partakers of the feast.
When all was ready, on the appointed day, they were sev-
erally summoned by the Messenger who had been sent by
the Father ; He was even then in their midst. But the
cares of riches, the allurement of material things, and the
pleasures of social and domestic life had engrossed them ;
and they prayed to be excused or irreverently declared they
could not or would not come. Then the gladsome invitation
was to be carried to the Gentiles, who were looked upon as
spiritually poor, maimed, halt, and blind. And later, even
the pagans beyond the walls, strangers in the gates of the
holy city, would be bidden to the supper. These, surprized
at the unexpected summons, would hesitate, until by gentle
urging and effective assurance that they were really included
among the bidden guests, they would feel themselves con-
strained or compelled to come. The possibility of some of
the discourteous ones arriving later, after they had attended
to their more absorbing affairs, is indicated in the Lord's
closing words : "For I say unto you, That none of those
men which were bidden shall taste of my supper."
COUNTING THE COST.* 7
.
As had been in Galilee, so was it in Perea and Judea
great multitudes attended the Master whenever He appeared
g Luke 14:25-35.
THE COST OF DISCIPLESHIP. 453
in public. When once a scribe has presented himself as a
disciple, offering to follow wherever the Master led, Jesus
had indicated the self-denial, privation and suffering incident
to devoted service, with the result that the man's enthusiasm
was soon spent.* 1 So now to the eager multitude Jesus ap-
plied a test of sincerity. He would have only genuine disci-
ples, not enthusiasts of a day, ready to desert His cause when
effort and sacrifice were most needed. Thus did He sift the
people : "If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and
mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters,
yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And
whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, can-
not be my disciple." Literal hatred toward one's family
was not specified as a condition of discipleship ; indeed a
man who indulges hatred or any other evil passion is a sub-
ject for repentance and reformation. The preeminence of
duty toward God over personal or family demands on the
part of one who had assumed the obligations of a disciple
was the precept.*
As Jesus pointed out, it is good common-sense to count
well the cost before one enters upon a great undertaking,
even in ordinary affairs. A man who wishes to build, say
a tower or a house, tries to determine, before he begins the
work, what the expense will be ; otherwise he may be able to
do no more than lay the foundation ; then, not only will he
find himself a loser, for the unfinished structure will be of no
service, but people may laugh at his lack of prudent fore-
thought. So also a king, finding his realm menaced by hostile
invaders, does not rush into battle recklessly; he first tries
to ascertain the strength of the enemy's forces ; and then, if
the odds against him be too great, he sends an embassage to
treat for peace. "So likewise," said Jesus to the people
around Him, "whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all
h Matt. 8:19, 20; compare Luke 9:57, 58; page 305 herein,
t Compare the requirement under the Mosaic administration, Deut. 13:6-
11; and note the application of the principle to the apostles, Matt. 10:37-39.
454 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 27.
that he hath, he cannot be my disciple." All who entered
His service would be expected to maintain their self-sacrific-
ing devotion. He wanted no disciples who would become
like salt that had spoiled, unsavory and useless. "He that
hath ears to hear, let him hear."-''
-. imt&g ylno yTBri
SALVATION FOR "PUBLICANS AND SINNERS"- ILLUSTRATIVE
PARABLES. 6
The Pharisees in Galilee had intolerantly criticized Jesus
because of His friendly and helpful ministry among the pub-
licans and their associates, who were disparagingly classed
together as "publicans and sinners."' He had replied to
these uncharitable aspersions by saying that a physician is
most needed by them that are sick, and that He had come to
call sinners to repentance. The Judean Pharisees raised a
similar complaint, and were particularly virulent when they
saw that "all the publicans and sinners" drew near to hear
Him. He met their murmurs by presenting a number of
parables, designed to show the incumbent duty of trying to
recover the lost, and the joy of success in such God-like
endeavor. The first of the series of parables was that of
the Lost Sheep; this we have considered in connection with
its earlier delivery in the course of instruction to the disciples
in Galilee." 1 Its application in the present instance, how-
ever, is somewhat different from that of its former presenta-
tion. The lesson on this later occasion was directed to the
self-seeking Pharisees and scribes who personified the theoc-
racy, and whose bounden duty it should have been to care
for the strayed and the lost. If the "publicans and sinners/'
whom these ecclesiasts so generally contemned, were nearly
as bad as they were represented to be, if they were men who
had broken through the close-hedged path of the law and
/Compare Matt. 5:13; Mark 9:50.
feLuke 15.
/Matt. 9:10-13; Mark 2:15-17; Luke 5:29-32. See page 193 herein.
mMatt. 18:12-14. See page 389 herein.
JOY IN HEAVEN WHEN THE LOST ARE FOUND. 455
had become in a measure apostate, they were the ones toward
whom the helping hand of missionary service could be best
extended. In no instance of Pharisaic slur upon, or open
denunciation of, these "publicans and sinners," do we find
Jesus defending their alleged evil ways ; His attitude toward
these spiritually sick folk was that of a devoted physician:
His concern over these strayed sheep was that of a loving
shepherd whose chief desire was to find them out and bring
them back to the fold. This neither the theocracy as a sys-
tem nor its officials as individual ministers even attempted
to do. The shepherd^ on finding the sheep that was lost,
thinks not at the time of reprimand or punishment; on the
contrary, "when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoul-
ders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth to-
gether his friends and neighbours, saying unto them: Re-
joice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost."
A direct application of the parable appears in the Lord's
concise address to the Pharisees and scribes: "I say unto
you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that
repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons,
which need no repentance." Were they the ninety and nine,
who, by self -estimation had strayed not, being "just persons,
which need no repentance?" Some readers say they catch
this note of just sarcasm in the Master's concluding words.
In the earlier part of the story, the Lord Himself appears
as the solicitous Shepherd, and by plain implication His ex-
ample is such as the theocratic leaders ought to emulate.
Such a conception puts the Pharisees and scribes in the posi-
tion of shepherds rather than of sheep. Both explications
are tenable ; and each is of value as portraying the status and
duty of professing servants of the Master in all ages.
Without break in the narrative, the Lord passed from
the story of the lost sheep to the Parable of the Lost Coin.
"Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she
456 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 27.
lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house,
and seek diligently till she find it? And when she hath
found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together,
saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which
I had lost. Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the
presence of the angels of God over one sinner that re-
penteth."
Between this parable and that of the lost sheep there are
certain notable differences, though the lesson in each is in
general the same. The sheep had strayed by its own voli-
tion ; the coin" had been dropped, and so was lost as a result
of inattention or culpable carelessness on the part of its
owner. The woman, discovering her loss institutes a dili-
gent search; she sweeps the house, and perhaps learns of
dirty corners, dusty recesses, cobwebby nooks, to which she
had been oblivious in her self-complacency as an outwardly
clean and conventional housewife. Her search is rewarded
by the recovery of the lost piece, and is incidentally bene-
ficial in the cleansing of her house. Her joy is like that of
the shepherd wending his way homeward with the sheep
upon his shoulders once lost but now regained.
The woman who by lack of care lost the precious piece
may be taken to represent the theocracy of the time, and the
Church as an institution in any dispensational period ; then
the pieces of silver, every one a genuine coin of the realm,
bearing the image of the great King, are the souls committed
to the care of the Church ; and the lost piece symbolizes the
souls that are neglected and, for a time at least, lost sight of,
by the authorized ministers of the Gospel of Christ. These
cogent illustrations were followed by one yet richer in im-
agery and more impressively elaborate in detail. It is the
never to be forgotten Parable of the Prodigal Son.
n That the lost piece of silver was a coin, and not a piece of unstamped
bullion nor an ornament, is apparent from the original, "drachma," a silver
coin. See page 384 herein,
oLuke 15;ll-32.
PARABLE OF THE PRODIGAL SON. 4.57
"And he said, A certain man had two sonsi And the
younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the por-
tion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them
his living. And not many days after the younger son gath-
ered all together, and took his journey into a far country,
and there wasted his substance with riotous living. And
when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that
land; and he began to be in want. And he went and joined
himself to a citizen of that country ; and he sent him into
his fields to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his
belly with the husks that the swine did eat : and no man gave
unto him. And when he came to himself, he said, How
many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and
to spare, and I perish with hunger ! I will arise and go to
my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned
against heaven, and before thee, And am no more worthy to
be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.
And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was
yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion,
and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son
said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in
thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But
the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and
put it on him ; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his
feet : And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it ; and let us
eat, and be merry : For this my son was dead, and is alive
again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be
merry. Now his elder son was in the field : and as he came
and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing.
And he called one of the servants, and asked what these
things meant. And he said unto him, Thy brother is come ;
and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath
received him safe and sound. And he was angry, and would
not go in : therefore came his father out, and intreated him.
And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years
do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy com-
mandment : and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might
make merry with my friends : But as soon as this thy son
was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou
hast killed for him the fatted calf. And he said unto him,
Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. It
was meet that we shouM make merry, and be glad : for this
458 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 27.
thy brother was dead, and is alive again ; and was lost, and is
found/'
The demand of the younger son for a portion of the
patrimony even during his father's lifetime, is an instance
of deliberate and unfilial desertion ; the duties of family co-
operation had grown distasteful to him, and the wholesome
discipline of the home had become irksome. He was deter-
mined to break away from all home ties, forgetful of what
home had done for him and the debt of gratitude and duty
by which he was morally bound. He went into a far coun-
try, and, as he thought, beyond the reach of the father 's
directing influence. He had his season of riotous living, of
unrestrained indulgence and evil pleasure, through it all
wasting his strength of body and mind, and squandering his
father's substance ; for what he had received had been given
as a concession and not as the granting of any legal or just
demand. Adversity came upon him, and proved to be a
more effective minister for good than pleasure had been.
He was reduced to the lowest and most menial service, that
of herding swine, which occupation,, to a Jew, was the ex-
treme of degradation. Suffering brought him to himself. He,
the son of honorable parentage^ was feeding pigs and eating
with them, while even the hired servants at home had good
food in plenty and to spare. He realized not alone his abject
foolishness in leaving his father's well-spread table to batten
with hogs, but the unrighteousness of his selfish desertion ;
he was not only remorseful but repentant. He had sinned
against his father and agamst God ; he would return, confess
his sin, and ask, not to be reinstated as a son, but to be
allowed to work as a hired servant. Having resolved he
delayed not, but immediately set out to find his long way
back to home and father.
The father became aware of the prodigal's approach and
hastened to meet him. Without a word of condemnation,
THE PRODIGAL AND HIS BROTHER. 459
the loving parent embraced and kissed the wayward but now
penitent boy, who, overcome by this undeserved affection,
humbly acknowledged his error, and sorrowfully confessed
that he was not worthy to be known as his father's son It
is noteworthy that in his contrite confession he did not ask
to be accepted as a hired servant as he had resolved to do ;
the father's joy was too sacred to be thus marred, he would
please his father best by placing himself unreservedly at that
father's disposal. The rough garb of poverty was discarded
for the best robe ; a ring was placed on his finger as a mark
of reinstatement; shoes told of restored sonship, not of em-
ployment as a hired servant. The father's glad heart could
express itself only in acts of abundant kindness ; a feast was
made ready ; for was not the son, once counted as dead now
alive ? Had not the lost been found again ?
So far the story sustains a relation of close analogy to
the two parables that preceded it in the same discourse ; the
part following introduces another important symbolism. No
one had complained at the recovery of the stray sheep nor
at the finding of the lost coin ; friends had rejoiced with the
finder in each case. But the father's happiness at the return
of the prodigal was interrupted by the grumbling protest of
the elder son. He, on approaching the house, had observed
the evidences of festal joy ; and, instead of entering as was
his right, 'had inquired of one of the servants as to the cause
of the unusual rejoicing. On learning that his brother had
returned and that the father had prepared a festival in honor
of the event, this elder son grew angry, and churlishly re-
fused to enter the house even after his father had come out
and entreated him. He cited his own faithfulness and de-
votion to the routine labor of the farm, to which claim of
excellence the father did not demur ; but the son and heir
reproached his father for having failed to give him so much
as a kid with which to make merry with his friends ; while
now that the wayward and spendthrift son had come back the
JESUS THE CHRIST, [CHAP. 27.
father had killed for him even the fatted calf. There is
significance in the elder one's designation of the penitent as
"this thy son," rather than "my brother." The elder son,
deafened by selfish anger, refused to hear aright the affec-
tionate assurance ; "Son, thou art ever with me, and all that
I have is thine," and with heart hardened by unbrotherly
resentment he stood unmoved by the emotional and loving
outburst, "this thy brother was dead, and is alive again ; and
was lost, and is found."
We are not justified in extolling the virtue of repentance
on the part of the prodigal above the faithful, plodding'
service of his brother, who had remained at home, true to
the duties required of him. The devoted son was the heir ;
the father did not disparage his worth, nor deny his deserts.
His displeasure over the rejoicing incident to the return of
his wayward brother was an exhibition of illiberality and
narrowness ; but of the two brothers the elder was the more
faithful, whatever his minor defects may have been. The
particular point emphasized in the Lord's lesson, however,
had to do with his uncharitable and selfish weaknesses.
Pharisees and scribes, to whom this masterpiece of illus-
trative incident was delivered, must have taken to themselves
its personal application. They were typified by the elder
son, laboriously attentive to routine, methodically plodding
by rule and rote m the multifarious labors of the field, with-
out interest except that of self, and all unwilling to welcome
a repentant publican or a returned sinner. From all such
they were estranged; such a one might be to the indulgent
and forgiving Father, "this thy son," but never to them, a
brother. They cared not who or how many were lost, so
long as they were undisturbed in heirship and possession by
the return of penitent prodigals. But the parable was not
for them alone ; it is a living perennial yielding the fruit of
wholesome doctrine and soul-sustaining nourishment for all
time. Not a word appears in condonation or excuse for the
THE UNRIGHTEOUS STEWARD. 461
prodigal's sin; upon that the Father could not look with
the least degree of allowance ; but over that sinner's repent-
ance and contrition of soul, God and the household of heaven
rejoiced.
The three parables which appear in the scriptural record
as parts of a continuous discourse, are as one in portraying
the joy that abounds in heaven over the recovery of a soul
once numbered among the lost, whether that soul be best
symbolized by a sheep that had wandered afar, a coin that
had dropped out of sight through the custodian's neglect,
or a son v/ho would deliberately sever himself from home
and heaven. There is no justification for the inference that
a repentant sinner is to be given precedence over a righteous
soul who has resisted sin ; were such the way of God, then
Christ, the one sinless Man, would be surpassed in the
Father's esteem by regenerate offenders. Unqualifiedly
offensive as is sin, the sinner is yet precious in the Father's
eyes, because of the possibility of his repentance and return
to righteousness. The loss of a soul is a very real and a
very great loss to God. He is pained and grieved thereby,
for it is His will that not one should perish.?
THE DISCIPLES INSTRUCTED BY PARABI^.
Addressing Himself more directly to the disciples pres-
ent, who on this occasion probably comprized in addition to
the apostles, many believers, including even some of the pub-
licans, Jesus spake the Parable of the Unrighteous Steward*
"And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain
rich man, which had a steward ; and the same was accused
unto him that he had wasted his goods. And he called him,
and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee ? give an
account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer
p Compare Doc. and Cov. 1:31; B. of M., Alma 45:16,
q Compare Matt. 18:14; P. of G. P.. Moses 1:39.
rLuke 16:1-8.
4:62 .aHA'JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 27.
steward. Then the steward said within himself, What shall
I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship:
I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed. I am resolved what
to do, that, when I am put out of fche stewardship, they may
receive me into their houses. So he called every one of his
lord's debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much
owest thou unto my lord ? And he said, An hundred meas-
ures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit
down quickly, and write fifty. Then said he to another, And
how much owest thou ? And he said, An hundred measures
of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write
fourscore. And the lord commended the unjust steward,
because he had done wisely : for the children of this world
are in their generation wiser than the children of light/'
The three preceding parables show forth their lessons
through the relationship of close analogy and intimate sim-
ilarities ; this one teaches rather by its contrast of situa-
tions. The steward in the story was the duly authorized
agent of his employer, holding what we would call the
power-of -attorney to act in his master's name/ He was
called to account because a report of his wastefulness and
lack of care had reached the master's ears. The steward
did not deny his guilt, and forthwith he received notice of
dismissal. Considerable time would be required for making
up his accounts preparatory to turning the stewardship over
to his successor. This interval, during which he remained
in authority, he determined to use so far as possible to his
own advantage, even though he wrought further injustice
to his master's interests. He contemplated the condition of
dependence in which he would soon find himself. Through
unthrift and extravagance he had failed to lay by any store
from his earnings; he had wasted his own and his lord's
substance. He felt that he was unfit for hard manual labor ;
and he would be ashamed to beg, particularly in the com-
munity in which he had been a lavish spender and a man of
* Note 1, end of chapter.
THE MORAL OF THE PARABLE. 463
influence. With the desire to put others under some obliga-
tion to himself so that when he was deposed he could the
more effectively appeal to them, he called his lord's debtors
and authorized them to change their bonds, bills of sale, or
notes of hand, so as to show a greatly decreased indebted-
ness. Without doubt these acts were unrighteous; he de-
frauded his employer, and enriched the debtors through
whom he hoped to be benefited. Most of us are surprized
to know that the master, learning what his far-seeing though
selfish and dishonest steward had done, condoned the offense
and actually commended him for his foresight, "because he
had done wisely" as our version reads, or "because he had
done prudently" as many scholars aver to be the better ren-
dering.
In pointing the moral of the parable Jesus said :* "For
the children of this world are in their generation wiser than
the children of light. And I say unto you, Make to your-
selves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness ; that,
when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habita-
tions." Our Lord's purpose was to show the contrast be-
tween the care, thoughtfulness, and devotion of men engaged
in the money-making affairs of earth, and the half hearted
ways of many who are professedly striving after spiritual
riches. Worldly-minded men do not neglect provision for
their future years, and often are sinfully eager to amass
plenty; while the "children of light," or those who believe
spiritual wealth to be above all earthly possessions, are less
energetic, prudent, or wise. By "mammon of unrighteous-
ness" we may understand material wealth or worldly things.
While far inferior to the treasures of heaven, money or that
which it represents may be the means of accomplishing good,
and of furthering the purposes of God. Our Lord's admoni-
tion was to utilize "mammon" in good works, while it lasted,
for some day it shall fail, and only the results achieved
/Luke 16:9-13.
464 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 27.
through its use shall endured If the wicked steward, when
cast out from his master's house because of unworthiness,
might hope to be received into the homes of these whom he
had favored, how much more confidently may they who are
genuinely devoted to the right hope to be received into the
everlasting mansions of God ! Such seems to be part of the
lesson.
It was not the steward's dishonesty that was extolled;
his prudence and foresight were commended, however; for
while he misapplied his master's substance, he gave relief to
the debtors ; and in so doing he did not exceed his legal
powers, for he was still steward though he was morally guilty
of malfeasance. The lesson may be summed up in this wise :
Make such use of your wealth as shall insure you friends
hereafter. Be diligent; for the day in which you can use
your earthly riches will soon pass. Take a lesson from even
the dishonest and the evil ; if they are so prudent as to pro-
vide for the only future they think of, how much more should
you, who believe in an eternal future, provide therefor ! If
you have not learned wisdom and prudence in the use of
"unrighteous mammon," how can you be trusted with the
more enduring riches? If you have not learned how to use
properly the wealth of another, which has been committed
to you as steward, how can you expect to be successful in
the handling of great wealth should such be given you as
your own? Emulate the unjust steward and the lovers of
mammon, not in their dishonesty, cupidity, and miserly
hoarding of the wealth that is at best but transitory, but in
their zeal, forethought, and provision for the future. More-
over, let not wealth become your master ; keep it to its place
as a servant, for, "No servant can serve two masters: for
either he will hate the one, and love the other ; or else he
will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve
God and mammon."
Note 2, end of chapter.
PHARISEES PROUD OF THEIR FALSE HUMILITY. 465
DERISION OF THE PHARISEES MET; ANOTHER ILLUSTRATIVE
PARABLES
The Pharisees, who were covetous, or more precisely
stated, who were lovers of money , w overheard the foregoing
instructions to the disciples, and openly scoffed at the
Teacher and the lesson. What did this Galilean, who owned
nothing but the clothes He wore, know about money or the
best way of administering wealth? Our Lord's reply to
their words of derision was a further condemnation. They
knew all the tricks of the business-world, and could outdo
the unrighteous steward in crafty manipulation ; and yet so
successfully could they justify themselves before men as to
be outwardly honest and straightforward ; furthermore, they
made ostentatious display of a certain type of simplicity,
plainness, and self-denial, in which external observances they
asserted superiority over the luxury-loving Sadducees ; they
had grown arrogantly proud of their humility, but God knew
their hearts, and the traits and practises they most esteemed
were an abomination in His sight. They posed as custodians
of the law and expounders of the prophets. The "law and
the prophets" had been in force until the Baptist's time, since
which the gospel of the kingdom had been preached, and
people were eager to enter it* though the theocracy strove
mightily to prevent. The law had not been invalidated;
easier were it that heaven and earth pass away than that one
tittle of the law fail of fulfilment ? yet those Pharisees and
scribes had tried to nullify the law. In the matter of divorce,
for example, they, by their unlawful additions and false in-
terpretations, had condoned even the sin of adultery.
The Master gave as a further lesson the Parable of the
Rich Man and Lazarus:
s/Luke 16:14-31.
w Note 2, end of chapter.
# Revised version, Luke 16:16: "The law and the prophets were until
John; from that time the gospel of the kingdom of God is preached, and
every man entereth violently into it."
y Compare Matt. 5:18; see page 233 herein.
466 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 27.
"There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in
purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day : And
there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid
at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the
crumbs which fell from the rich man's table : moreover the
dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that
the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abra-
ham's bosom : the rich man also died, and was buried ; And
in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abra-
ham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and
said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, arid send Lazarus,
that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my
tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham
said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy
good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things : but now he is
comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, be-
tween us and you there is a great gulf fixed : so that they
which would pass from hence to you cannot ; neither can
they pass to us, that would come from thence. Then he said,
I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to
my father's house : For I have five brethren ; that he may
testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of tor-
ment. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the
prophets ; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father
Abraham ; but if one went unto them from the dead, they
will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses
and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though
one rose from the dead." 2
The afflicted beggar is honored with a name; the other
is designated simply as "a certain rich man." The two are
presented as the extremes of contrast between wealth and
destitution. The rich man was clothed in the costliest attire,
purple and fine linen ; and his every-day fare was a sumptu-
ous feast. Lazarus had been brought to the gates of the
rich man's palace, and there left, a helpless mendicant, his
body covered with sores. The rich man was attended by
servitors ready to gratify his slightest desire ; the poor beg-
Luke 16:10-31.
.No,. 3, end of chapter.'
THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS.
gar at his gates had neither companions nor attendants except
the dogs, which like himself waited for the refuse from the
rich man's table. Such is the picture of the two in life. An
abrupt change of scene brings into view the same two on the
far side of the veil that hangs between the here and the here-
after. Lazarus died ; no mention is made of his funeral ; his
festering body was probably thrown into a pauper's grave ;
but angels bore his immortal spirit into Paradise, the resting
place of the blessed and commonly known in the figurative
lore of the rabbis as Abraham's bosom. The rich man also
died; his burial was doubtless an elaborate affair, but we
read not of any angelic escort receiving his spirit. In hell
he lifted up his eyes and saw, afar, Lazarus at peace in the
abode of Abraham.
As a Jew the man had often boasted of having Abraham
for his father ; and now the wretched spirit appealed to the
patriarch of his race by the paternal address, "Father Abra-
ham," and asked only the boon of a single drop of water to>
be placed on his parched tongue ; this he prayed that Lazarus,
the erstwhile beggar, might bring. The reply throws light
on certain conditions existing in the spirit world, though as
in the use of parables generally, the presentation is largely
figurative. Addressing the poor tormented spirit as "Son,"
Abraham reminded him of all the good things he had kept
for himself on earth, whilst Lazarus had lain a suffering,
neglected beggar at his gates ; now by the operation of
divine law, Lazarus had received recompense, and he, retri-
bution. Moreover, to grant his pitiful request was impossi-
ble, for between the abode of the righteous where Lazarus
rested and that of the wicked where he suffered "there is a
great gulf fixed," and passage between the two is interdicted.
The next request of the miserable sufferer was not wholly
selfish ; in his anguish he remembered these from whom he
had been separated by death, fain would he save his brothers
from the fate he had met; and he prayed that Lazarus be
468 ^riH/JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 27.
sent back to earth to visit the ancestral home, and warn those
selfish, pleasure-seeking, and yet mortal brothers, of the
awful doom awaiting them except they would repent and re-
form. There may have been in this petition an insinua-
tion that had he been sufficiently warned he would have done
better, and would have escaped the torment. To the re-
minder that they had the words of Moses and the prophets,
which they should obey, he replied that if one went to them
from the dead they would surely repent. Abraham answered
that if they would not heed Moses and the prophets neither
would "they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead."
In any attempt to interpret the parable as a whole or
definitely apply any of its parts, we should bear in mind that
it was addressed to the Pharisees as an instructive rebuke
for the derision and scorn with which they had received the
Lord's warning concerning the dangers attending servitude
to mammon. Jesus employed Jewish metaphors, and the
imagery of the parable is such as would most directly appeal
to the official expounders of Moses and the prophets. While
as a practise it would be critically unfair to deduce doctrinal
principles from parabolic incidents, we cannot admit that
Christ would teach falsely even in parable ; and therefore we
accept as true the portrayal of conditions in the world of the
disembodied. That righteous and unrighteous dwell apart
during the interval between death and resurrection is clear.
Paradise, or as the Jews like to designate that blessed abode,
"Abraham's bosom," is not the place of final glory, any more
than the hell to which the rich man's spirit was consigned is
the final habitation of the condemned. b To that preliminary
or intermediate state, however, men's works do follow them \ c
and the dead shall surely find that their abode is that for
which they have qualified themselves while in the flesh.
The rich man's fate was not the effect of riches, nor was
& Compare B. of M., Alma 40:11-14; see "Articles of Faith," xxi, Note 5.
"The Intermediate State of the Soul."
<rRev. 14:13.
FAITH, AS TO QUANTITY AND QUALITY. 469
the rest into which Lazarus entered the resultant of poverty.
Failure to use his wealth aright, and selfish satisfaction with
the sensuous enjoyment of earthly things to the exclusion of
all concern for the needs or privations of his fellows, brought
the one under condemnation; while patience in suffering,
faith in God and such righteous life as is implied though not
expressed, insured happiness to the other. The proud self-
sufficiency of the rich man, who lacked nothing that wealth
could furnish and who kept aloof from the needy and suffer-
ing, was his besetting sin. The aloofness of the Pharisees,
on which indeed they prided themselves, as their very name,
signifying "separatists," expressed, was thus condemned.
The parable teaches the continuation of individual existence
after death, and the relation of cause to effect between the
life one leads in mortality and the state awaiting him beyond.
UNPROFITABLE SERVANTS/
From the Pharisees, Jesus turned to His disciples and
admonished them to diligence. Having cautioned them
against unguarded utterances or actions at which others
might take offense, He proceeded to impress the absolute
necessity of unselfish devotion, toleration and forgiveness.
The apostles, realizing the whole-souled service required of
them, implored the Lord, saying: "Increase our faith."
They were shown that faith was less fitly reckoned in terms
of quantity than by test of quality ; and the analogy of the
mustard seed was again invoked. "And the Lord said, If
ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto
this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be
thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you."* Their
faith could best be gaged by obedience and untiring service.
This was emphasized by the Parable of the Unprofitable
Servants.
dLuke 17:1-10.
e Compare Matt. 17:20; 21:21; Mark 9:23; 11:23; see page 381 herein.
470 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 27.
"But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding
cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from
the field, Go and sit down to meat ? And will not rather say
unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thy-
self, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken ; and after-
ward thou shalt eat and drink ? Doth he thank that servant
because he did the things that were commanded him? I
trow not. So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those
things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable
servants : we have done that which was our duty to do."
The servant might well feel that after a day's work in the
field he is entitled to rest; but on reaching the house he
finds other demands made upon him. The master has a
right to the servant's time and attention ; such was among
the conditions under which the servant had been engaged ;
and while his employer might thank him or give some sub-
stantial reward, the servant cannot demand such recompense.
So the apostles, who had given themselves entirely up to
their Master's service, were not to hesitate nor demur, what-
ever the effort or sacrifice required. The best they could
do would be no more than their duty required ; and, without
regard to the Master's estimate of their worth, they were to
account themselves as unprofitable servants/
TEN LEPERS
In the course of His journey toward Jerusalem Jesus
"passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee." Ten
men afflicted with leprosy approached, probably they came
as near as the law permitted, yet they were afar off. These
men were of mixed nationality; the plague under which
they suffered in common had made them companions in dis-
tress. They cried aloud "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us."
/Compare Job 22:3; 35:7.
g Luke 17:11-19. Many writers treat this occurrence as having immed-
iately followed the repulse of Jesus and the apostles in a certain Samari-
tan village (Luke 9:52-56). We give it place in the order followed by Luke,
the sole recorder of the two incidents.
GRATITUDE OF A SAMARITAN LEPER. 471
The Lord answered : "Go shew yourselves unto the priests. "^
This instruction implied their ultimate healing; obedience
would be the test of their faith. None who had been leprous
could be lawfully restored to community life until pro-
nounced clean by a priest. The stricken ten hastened to obey
the Lord's command, "and it came to pass, that, as they
went, they were cleansed."* One of the ten turned back, and
with loud voice glorified God; then he prostrated himself
at the feet of Christ, giving thanks. We are told that the
grateful one was a Samaritan, from which we infer that
some or all of the others were Jews. Pained over the lack
of gratitude on the part of the nine, Jesus exclaimed : "Were
there not ten cleansed ? but where are the nine ? There are
not found that return to give glory to God, save this
stranger." And to the cleansed Samaritan, still worshiping
at His feet, the Lord said : "Arise, go thy way : thy faith
hath made thee whole." Doubtless the nine who came not
back were obedient to the strict letter of the Lord's com-
mand ; for He had told them to go to the priests ; but their
lack of gratitude and their failure to acknowledge the power
of God in their restoration stand in unfavorable contrast
with the spirit of the one; and he was a Samaritan. The
occurrence must have impressed the apostles as another evi-
dence of acceptability and possible excellence on the part
of aliens, to the disparagement of Jewish claims of super-
iority irrespective of merit.
THE: PHARISEE AND THE) PUBLICAN/
"And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in
themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:
h Compare Lev. 13:2; 14:2; see also page 189 herein.
i Compare case of Naaman the Syrian, 2 Kings 5:14.
/Luke 18:9-14. Luke's narrative, the order of which we have followed
in the events succeeding Christ's departure from Jerusalem after the Feast
of Tabernacles, includes our Lord's reply to the Pharisee's question as to
"when the kingdom of God should come," and additions thereto (17:20-37);
these matters were afterward treated with greater fulness in a discourse near
Jerusalem (Matt. 24) and will be considered in connection with that later
event. The Parable of the Importunate Widow (Luke 18:1-7) has already
received attention, (page 436).
472 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 27.
Two men went up into the temple to pray ; the one a Phari-
see, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and
prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not
as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even
as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of
all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off,
would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but
smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sin-
ner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified
rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself
shall be abased; and he that hurnbleth himself shall be ex-
alted."
We are expressly told that this parable was given for the
benefit of certain ones who trusted in their self-righteous-
ness as an assurance of justification before God. It was not
addressed to the Pharisees nor to the publicans specifically.
The two characters are types of widely separated classes.
There may have been much of the Pharisaic spirit of self-
complacency among the disciples and some of it even among
the Twelve. A Pharisee and a publican went up to the tem-
ple to pray. The Pharisee prayed "with himself"; his
words can hardly be construed as a prayer to God. That
he stood while praying was not an impropriety, for the
standing attitude was usual in prayer; the publican also
stood. The Pharisee thanked God that he was so much bet-
ter than other men; he was true to his class, a separatist
who looked with disdain upon all who were not like him.
That he was not like "this publican" was made a point of
special thanksgiving. His boast, that he fasted twice a
week and gave tithes of all that he possessed, was a speci-
fication of worthiness above what was required by the law
as then administered; he thus implied that God was his
debtor.* The publican, standing afar off, was so oppressed
by his consciousness of sin and his absolute need of divine
k Note to what blasphemous extreme the doctrine of supererogation, OT
excess of meri':, was carried by the papacy in the 13th century; see "The
Great Apostasy," 913-15.
THE SANCTITY OF MARRIAGE. 473
help, that he cast down his eyes and smote upon his breast,
craving mercy as a penitent sinner. The Pharisee departed,
justified in his own conscience and before man, prouder
than ever; the other went down to his house justified be-
fore God though still a despized publican. The parable is
applicable to all men; its moral was summed up in a repe-
tition of our Lord's words spoken in the house of the chief
Pharisee : "For every one that exalteth himself shall be
abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted." 7
ON MARRIAGE AND DIVORC. m
While wending His way by short stages toward Jerusa-
lem, and while still "beyond" or on "the farther side" of
Jordan, and therefore in Perean territory, Jesus was met by
a body of Pharisees, who had come with the deliberate pur-
pose of inciting Him to say or do something on which
they could base an accusation. The question they had
agreed to submit related to marriage and divorce, and no
subject had been more vehemently contested in their own
schools and among their own rabbis." The crafty ques-
tioners may have hoped that Jesus would denounce the
adulterous state in which Herod Antipas was then living,
and so bring upon Himself the fury of Herodias, to which
the Baptist had already died a victim. "Is it lawful for a
man to put away his wife for every cause?" they asked.
Jesus cited the original and eternal law of God in the mat-
ter ; and indicated the only rational conclusion to be drawn
therefrom : "Have ye not read, that he which made them
at the beginning made them male and female, and said, For
this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall
/Compare Luke 14:11.
m Matt. 19:3-12; see also Mark 10:2-12. This subject is introduced by
Matthew and Mark directly preceding that of Christ blessing little chil-
dren; which latter is recorded by Luke next after the Parable of the Phari-
see and the Publican. We therefore turn from Luke's record to the ac-
counts given by the other synoptic writers.
n Note 4, end of chapter.
474 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAF. 27.
cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?
Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What
therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asun-
der." God had provided for honorable marriage, and had
made the relation between husband and wife paramount
even to that of children to parents; the severing of such a
union was an invention of man, not a command of God.
The Pharisees had a ready rejoinder: "Why did Moses
then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to
put her away?" Be it remembered that Moses had not
commanded divorce, but had required that in case a man
should separate from his wife he give her a bill of divorce-
ment.^ Jesus made this fact plain, saying: "Moses be-
cause of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put
away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so."
The higher requirement of the gospel followed: "And
I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except
it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth
adultery ; and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth
commit adultery."^ The Mosaic provision had been but
permissive, and was justified only because of existing un-
righteousness. Strict compliance with the doctrine enun-
ciated by Jesus Christ is the only means by which a perfect
social order can be maintained. It is important to note,
however, that in His reply to the casuistical Pharisees, Jesus
announced no specific or binding rule as to legal divorces;
the putting away of a wife, as contemplated under the
Mosaic custom, involved no judicial investigation or action
by an established court. In our Lord's day the prevailing
laxity in the matter of marital obligation had produced a
state of appalling corruption in Israel ; and woman, who
by the law of God had been made a companion and partner
o Compare Gen. 1:27; 2:24; 5:2; Eph. 5:31.
p Deut. 24:1-4.
q Compare Matt. 5:32; Luke 16:18; see also 1 Cor. 7:10-13.
CHILDREN BROUGHT TO CHRIST FOR BLESSING. 475
with man, had become his slave. The world's greatest
champion of woman and womanhood is Jesus the Christ/
The Pharisees retired foiled in purpose and convicted in
conscience. The Lord's strict construction of the marriage
bond was startling even to some of the disciples; these
came to Him privately, saying that if a man was so bound
it would be better not to marry at all. Such a broad gen-
eralization the Lord disapproved except so far as it might
apply in special cases. True, there were some who were
physically incapacitated for marriage; others voluntarily
devoted themselves to a celibate life, and some few adopted
celibacy "for the kingdom of heaven's sake," that thereby
they might be free to render all their time and energy to
the Lord's service. But the disciples' conclusion that "it is
not good to marry" was true only in the exceptional in-
stances stated. Marriage is honorable;* for neither man
without woman nor woman without man can be perfect in
the Lord's sight/
JESUS AND THE LITTLE ONES."
The next event of record is one of surpassing sweetness,
rich in precept and invaluable in example. Mothers brought
their little children to Jesus, reverently desiring that the
lives of those little ones be brightened by a sight of the
Master and be blessed by a touch of His hand or a word
from His lips. The circumstance appears in appropriate
sequence to that of the Lord's instructions concerning the
sacredness of marriage and the sanctity of the home. The
disciples, zealous that their Master be not troubled unneces-
sarily, and conscious of the continuous demands on His time
and attention, rebuked those who had so ventured to tres-
rNote 5, end of chapter.
s Compare Heb. 13:4.
t Compare 1 Cor. 11:11.
Mark 10:13-16; compare Matt. 19:13-15; Luke 18:15-17.
JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 27.
pass. Even the disciples seem to have been yet under the
influence of the traditional conception that women and chil-
dren were of inferior status, and that for such to seek the
Lord's attention was an act of presumption. Jesus
was displeased over the misdirected zeal of His followers,
and rebuked them. Then He uttered that memorable sen-
tence of infinite tenderness and divine affection : '' 'Suffer
the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for
of such is the kingdom of God." Taking the children one
by one into His arms, He laid His hands upon them and
blessed them.*' Then said He: "Verily I say unto you,
Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a lit-
tle child, he shall not enter therein."
Jesus was accosted on the way by a young man, who
came running to meet or overtake Him, and who knelt at
His feet, inquiring : "Good Master, what shall I do that I
may inherit eternal life?" The question was asked in earn-
estness ; the questioner was in very different spirit from that
of the lawyer who made a similar inquiry with the purpose
of tempting the Master.^' Jesus said : "Why callest thou
me good? there is none good but one, that is, God." This
remark was no denial of sinlessness on the Savior's part;
the young man had called Him "good" by way of polite
compliment rather than in recognition of His Godship, and
Jesus declined to acknowledge the distinction when applied
in that sense. The Lord's remark must have deepened the
young man's conception as to the seriousness of his question.
Then said Jesus: "If thou wilt enter into life, keep the
commandments." To the further inquiry, as to which com-
v Compare B. of M., 3 Nephi 17:11-25. See Note 6, end of chapter.
w Page 386.
*Matt. 19:16-26; Mark 10:17-27; Luke 18:18-30.
10:25; page 429 herein.
THE RICH YOUNG RULER. 477
mandments were meant, Jesus cited the prohibitions against
murder, adultery, theft, and the bearing of false witness,
and the requirements as to honoring parents, and loving
one's neighbor as one's self. In simplicity and without
pride or sense of self-righteousness, the young man said :
"All these things have I kept from my youth up : what lack
I yet ?" His evident sincerity appealed to Jesus, who looked
upon him lovingly and said: "One thing thou lackest: go
thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor,
and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up
the cross, and follow me." 5
The young man was disappointed and saddened. He
had probably expected to hear the great Teacher prescribe
some one special observance, by which excellence could be
achieved. L,uke tells us that the young man was a ruler ;
this may mean that he was a presiding official in the local
synagog or possibly a Sanhedrist. He was well versed in
the law, and had been strict in obedience thereto. He de-
sired to advance in good works and make clear his title to
an eternal heritage. But the Master prescribed what he had
least expected ; "And he was sad at that saying, and went
away grieved: for he had great possessions." In his way,
he yearned for the kingdom of God, yet more devotedly
he loved his great possessions. To give up wealth, social posi-
tion, and official distinction, was too great a sacrifice ; and
the necessary self-denial was a cross too heavy for him to
bear, even though treasure in heaven and life eternal were
offered him. Love of worldly things was this man's beset-
ting weakness ; Jesus diagnosed his case and prescribed a
suitable remedy. We are not warranted in saying that the
same treatment would be best in all cases of spiritual defec-
tion ; but where the symptoms indicate the need, it may be
employed with confidence as to the cure.
.EfThis is Mark's record, (10:21) which is the most detailed of the three
accounts.
JESUS THE CHRIST.HT [CHAP. 27.
Gazing sorrowfully upon the retreating figure of the
wealthy young ruler Jesus said to the disciples : "Verily I
say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the
kingdom of heaven." To impress the lesson more thor-
oughly He applied one of the figurative proverbs of the age,
and said: "It 'is easier for a camel to go through the eye
of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom
of God." a At this statement the disciples were amazed.
"Who then can be saved?" they wondered. Jesus under-
stood their perplexity, and encouraged them with the assur-
ance that with God all things are possible. Thus were they
given to understand that while wealth is a means of tempta-
tion to which many succumb, it is no insuperable obstacle,
no insurmountable barrier, in the way of entrance to the
kingdom. Had the young ruler followed the advice called
forth by his inquiry, his possession of riches would have
made possible to him meritorious service such as few are
able to render. Willingness to place the kingdom of God
above all material possessions was the one thing he lacked.-
Everyone of us may pertinently ask, What do I lack?
THE) FIRST MAY BE) LAST, AND THE) LAST FIRST.* 7
The sorrowful departure of the rich young ruler, whose
great possessions were so much a part of his life that he
could not give them up at the time, though we may hope that
he afterward did, brought forth from Peter an abrupt ques-
tion, which revealed the course of his thoughts and aspira-
tions : "Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee ;
what shall we have therefore?" Whether he spoke for
himself alone, or by his use of the plural "we" meant to in-
clude all the Twelve, is uncertain and unimportant. He
a Note 7, end of chapter.
z Consider the lessons of the parables of the Hidden Treasure, and the
Pearl of Great Price, pages 292-4.
&Matt. 19:27-30; Mark 10:28-31; Luke 18:28-30.
RICH REWARD FOR MERIT ASSURED. 479
was thinking of the home and family he had left, and a
longing for them was pardonable ; he was thinking also of
boats and nets, hooks and lines, and the lucrative business
for which such things stood. All these he had forsaken;
what was to be his reward? Jesus answered: "Verily I
say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the re-
generation when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of
his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the
twelve tribes of Israel." It is doubtful that Peter or any
other of the Twelve had ever conceived of so great a dis-
tinction. The day of regeneration, when the Son of Man
shall sit on the throne of His glory, as Judge and King, is
even yet future ; but in that day, those of the Lord's Twelve
who endured to the end shall be enthroned as judges in
Israel. The further assurance was given that "every one
that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father,
or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's
sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit ever-
lasting life." Rewards of such transcendent worth could
scarcely be reckoned or their meaning comprehended. Lest
those to whom they were promised might count too surely
upon successful attainment, to the neglect of effort, and
become proud withal, the Lord added this profound precept
of caution : "But many that are first shall be last ; and the
last shall be first."
It was the text of the sermon known to us as the Parable
of the Laborers. Hear it :
"For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is
an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire
labourers into his vineyard. And when he had agreed with
the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vine-
yard. And he went out about the third hour, and saw
others standing idle in the marketplace, and said unto them :
c Matt. 20:1-16. The parable is the outgrowth of the events immediately
preceding it. Matt. 19:27-30 should be read as part of the narrative contin-
ued in chap. 20. The existing division into chapters is unfortunate.
480 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 27.
Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will
give you. And they went their way. Again he went out
about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. And
about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others stand-
ing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day
idle ? They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He
saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard ; and whatso-
ever is right, that shall ye receive. So when even was come,
the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the
labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last
unto the first. And when they came that were hired about
the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. But
when the first came, they supposed that they should have
received more; and they likewise received every man a
penny. And when they had received it, they murmured
against the goodman of the house, saying, These last have
wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto
us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. But
he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no
wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? Take
that thine is, and go thy way : I will give unto this last, even
as unto thee. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with
mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good? So the
last shall be first, and the first last : for many be called, but
few chosen."
rioqu
The procedure of a householder going into the market-
place to hire laborers was common to the time and place,
and is still an ordinary occurrence in many lands. The
first to be hired in the course of the story made a definite
bargain as to wages. Those who were employed at nine,
twelve, and three o'clock respectively went willingly with-
out agreement as to what they were to receive; so glad
were they to find a chance to work that they lost no time in
specifying terms. At five o'clock in the afternoon or eve-
ning, when but a single hour of the working day remained,
the last band of laborers went to work, trusting to the mas-
ter's word that whatever was right they should receive.
That they had not found work earlier in the day was no
LABORERS AND THEIR WAGE. 481
fault of theirs; they had been ready and willing, and had
waited at the place where employment was most likely to be
secured. At the close of the day, the laborers came for
their wages; this was in accordance with law and custom,
for it had been established by statute in Israel that the em-
ployer should pay the servant, hired by the day, before the
sun went down.<* Under instructions, the steward who acted
as paymaster began with those who had been engaged at the
eleventh hour ; and to each of them he gave a denarius, or
Roman penny, worth about fifteen cents in our money, and
the usual wage for a day's work. This was the amount for
which those who began earliest had severally bargained;
and as these saw their fellow-workers, who had served but
an hour, receive each a penny, they probably exulted in the
expectation of receiving a wage proportionately larger, not-
withstanding their stipulation. But each of them received a
penny and no more. Then they complained ; not because
they had been underpaid, but because the others had re-
ceived a full day's pay for but part of a day's work. The
master answered in all kindness, reminding them of their
agreement. Could he not be just to them and charitable
to the rest if he so chose? His money was his own, and he
could give of it as he liked. Were those grumblers justified
in their evil displeasure because their master was charitable
and good? "So," said Jesus, passing directly from the
story to one of the lessons it was designed to teach, "the
last shall be first, and the first last : for many be called, but
few chosen. " e
The parable was plainly intended for the edification of
the Twelve. It was called out by Peter's question, "What
shall we have therefore?" It stands as truly in force today
as when it was delivered by the Master, as a rebuke of the
bargaining spirit in the L,ord's work. God needs workers,
dDeut. 24:15.
ie c
iron
16
e The concluding clause, "for many be called but few chosen," 1$
omitted from the revised version. Note 8, end of chapter.
482 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 27.
md such as will labor faithfully and effectively are welcomed
into the vineyard. If, before beginning they insist on the
stipulation of a wage, and this be agreed to, each shall re-
ceive his penny provided he has not lost his place through
idleness or transgression. But those who diligently labor,
knowing that the Master will give to them whatever is right,
and with thought for the work rather than for the wage,
shall find themselves more bountifully enriched. A man
may work for wages and yet not be a hireling. Between
the worthy hired servant and the hireling there is the differ-
ence that distinguishes the shepherd from the sheep herder/
Was there not a suggestion of the hireling's spirit in the
query of even the first of the apostles, "What shall we have
therefore?" The Twelve had been called into service early
in the Savior's ministry; they had responded to the call,
without promise of even a penny ; they were yet to feel the
burden and heat of the day; but they were solemnly cau-
tioned against attempt or desire to fix their reward. The
Master shall judge as to the deserts of each servant; the
wage at best is a free gift ; for on the basis of strict account-
ing who of us is not in debt to God? The last called is as
likely as the first to prove unworthy. No general reversal
is implied whereby all the late comers shall be advanced and
all the early workers demoted. "Many that are first shall
be last" was the Lord's statement, and by implication we
may understand that not all the last, though some of them,
may be counted among the first. Of the many called or per-
mitted to labor in the vineyard of the Lord, few may so excel
as to be chosen for exaltation above their fellows. Even
the call and ordination to the Holy Apostleship is no guar-
antee of eventual exaltation in the celestial kingdom. Iscariot
was so called and placed among the first ; now, verily he is
far below the last in the kingdom of God.
/ Page 416.
NOTESo 483
NOTES TO CHAPTER 27.
1. Rich Men and Their Stewards. " A certain rich man
had a steward.' We learn here, incidentally, how evenly bal-
anced are the various conditions of life in a community, and how
little of substantial advantage wealth can confer on its possessor.
As your property increases, your personal control over it di-
minishes ; the more you possess the more you must entrust tf
others. Those who do their own work are not troubled with
disobedient servants ; those who look after their own affairs, are
not troubled with unfaithful overseers." Arnot's Parables of our
Lord, p. 454.
2. The Mammon of Unrighteousness. The revised version
of Luke 16 -.9, reads : "And I say unto you, Make to yourself
friends by means of the mammon of unrighteousness, that, when
it shall fail, they may receive you into the eternal tabernacles."
The Lord's counsel to the disciples was to so use worldly wealth
as to accomplish good thereby, that when "it," i. e. all earthly
possessions, fail, they would have friends to welcome them into
"the eternal tabernacles" or heavenly mansions. In studying a
parable based on contrasts, such as this one is, care must be
exercized not to carry too far any one point of analogy. Thus,
we cannot reasonably gather that Jesus intended even to inti-
mate that the prerogative of receiving any soul into the "eternal
tabernacles" or excluding therefrom, rests with those who on
earth had been benefited or injured through that person's acts,
except so far as their witness to his deeds may be taken into
account in the final judgment The whole parable is full of wis-
dom for him who is in search of such ; to the hypercritical mind
it may appear inconsistent, as so it did appear to the Pharisees
who derided Jesus for the story He had told. Luke 16:14 is ren-"
dered in the revised version, "And the Pharisees, who were lovers
of money, heard all these things; and they scoffed at him."
3. Lazarus and Dives. Of all our Lord's recorded parables
this is the only one in which a personal name is applied to any
of the characters. The name "Lazarus" used in the parable was
also the true name of a man whom Jesus loved, and 'who, subse-
quent to the delivery of this parable, was restored to life after
he had lain for days in the tomb. The name, a Greek variant of
Eleazar, signifies "God is my help." In many theological writ-
ings, the rich man of this parable is called Dives, but the name
is not of scriptural usage. "Dives" is a Latin adjective mean-
ing "rich." Lazarus the brother of Martha and Mary (John 11:1,
2, 5) is one of three men mentioned by name as subjects of our
Lord's beneficent miracles; the other two are Bartimeus (Mark
10:46) and Malchus (John 18:10). Commenting on the fact that
our Lord gave a name to the beggar but left the rich man name-
less in the parable, Augustine (in Sermon xli) suggestively asks :
"Seems He not to you to have been reading from that book
where He found the name of the poor man written, but found
not the name of the rich; for that book is the Book of Life?"
484 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 27.
4. Divergent Views Concerning Divorce. In relation to the
different opinions upon this subject among Jewish authorities in
the time of Christ, Geikie (vol. ii, p. 347-8) says : "Among the
questions of the day fiercely debated between the great rival
schools of Hillel and Shammai, no one was more so than that
of divorce. The school of Hillel contended that a man had a
right to divorce his wife for any cause he might assign, if it were
no more than his having ceased to love her, or his having seen
one he liked better, or her having cooked a dinner badly. The
school of Schammai, on the contrary, held that divorce could be
issued only for the crime of adultery, and offences against chas-
tity. If it were possible to get Jesus to pronounce in favor of
either school, the hostility of the other would be roused, and,
hence, it seemed a favorable chance for compromising Him."
The following from Dummelow's Commentary, dealing with Matt.
5:32, is further illustrative: "Rabbi Akiba (Hillelite) said, 'If a
man sees a woman handsomer than his own wife he may put her
[his wife] away, because it is said, If she find not favor in his
eyes.' _ The school of Hillel said 'If the wife cook her husband's
food ill, by over-salting or over-roasting it, she is to be put
away.' On the other hand Rabbi Jochanan (a Shammaite) said
'The putting away of a wife is odious.' Both schools agreed that
a divorced wife could not be taken back Rabbi
Chananiah said 'God has not subscribed His name to divorces, ex-
cept among Israelites, as if He had said: I have conceded
to the Israelites the right of dismissing their wives; but to the
Gentiles I have not conceded it.' Jesus retorts that it is not the
privilege but the infamy and reproach of Israel, that Moses found
it necessary to tolerate divorce."
5. Jesus the Ennobler of Woman. Geikie thus paraphrases
part of Christ's reply to the Pharisee's question concerning di-
vorce, and comments thereon. " 'I say, therefore, that whoever
puts away his wife, except for fornication, which destroys the
very essence of marriage by dissolving the oneness it had formed,
and shall marry another, commits adultery; and whoever mar-
ries her who is put away for any other cause commits adultery,
because the woman is still, in God's sight, wife of him who had
divorced her.' ^This statement was of far deeper moment than
the mere silencing of malignant spies. It was designed to set
forth for all ages the law of His New Kingdom in the supreme
matter of family life. It swept away for ever from His Society
the conception of woman as a mere toy or slave of man, and
based true relations of the sexes on the eternal foundation of
truth, right, honor, and love. To ennoble the House and the
Family by raising woman to _ her true position was essential to
the future stability of His Kingdom, as one of purity and spir-
itual worth^ By making marriage indissoluble, He proclaimed
the ^ equal rights of woman and man within the limits of the
family, and, in this, gave their charter of nobility to the mothers
of the world. For her nobler position in the Christian era, com-
pared with that granted her in antiquity, woman is indebted to
Jesus Christ" Life and Words of Christ, vol. ii, p. 349.
NOTES. 23\ 485
6. The Blessing of Children. When Christ, a resurrected
Being, appeared among the Nephitss on the western continent, He
took the children, one by one, and blessed them; and the assem-
bled multitude saw the little ones encircled as with fire, while
angels ministered unto them. (3 Nephi 17:11-25.) Through
modern revelation the Lord has directed that all children born
in the Church be brought for blessing to those who are author-
ized to administer this ordinance of the Holy Priesthood. The
commandment is as follows : "Every member of the church of
Christ having children, is to bring them unto the elders before
the church, who are to lay their hands upon them in the name
of Jesus Christ, and bless them in His name." (Doc. and Cov.
20:70.) Accordingly, it is now the custom in the Church to bring
the little ones to the Fast-day service in the several wards, at
which they are received one by one into the arms of the elders,
and blessed, names being given them at the same time. The father
of the child, if he be an elder, is expected to participate in the
ordinance.
The blessing of children is in no sense analogous to, far
less is it a substitution for, the ordinance of baptism, which is
to be administered only to those who have come to years of
understanding, and who are capable of repentance. As the
author has written elsewhere, "Some point to the incident of
Christ blessing little children, and rebuking those who would
forbid the little ones coming unto Him, (Matt. 19:13; Mark 10:13;
Luke 18:15) as an evidence in favor of infant baptism; but, as
has been tersely said : 'From the action of Christ's blessing in-
fants, to infer they are to be baptized, proves nothing so much
as that there is a want of better argument ; for the conclusion
would with more probability be derived thus : Christ blessed
infants, and so dismissed them, but baptized them not ; therefore
infants are not to be baptized.' " The author, Articles of Faith,
vi:i4. See paragraphs 11-17 in same lecture.
7. The Camel and the Needle's Eye. In comparing the dif-
ficulty of a rich man entering the kingdom with that of a camel
passing through the eye of a needle, Jesus used a rhetorical
figure, which, strong and prohibitory as it appears in our transla-
tion, was of a type familiar to those who heard the remark.
There was a "common Jewish proverb, that a man did not even
in his dreams see an elephant pass through the eye of a needle"
(Edersheim). Some interpreters insist that a rope, not a camel,
was mentioned by Jesus, and these base their contention on the
fact that the Greek word kamelos (camel) differs in but a single
letter from kamilos (rope), and that the alleged error of substi-
tuting "earner^ for "rope" in the scriptural text is chargeable to
the early copyists. Farrar (p. 476) rejects this possible interpre-
tation on the ground that proverbs involving comparisons of a
kind with that of a camel passing through the eye of a needle are
common in the Talmud.
It has been asserted that the term "needle's eye" was applied
to a small door or wicket set in or alongside the great gates in
the walls of cities ; and the assumption has been raised that Jesus
486 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 27.
had such a wicket in mind when He spoke of the seeming im-
possibility of a camel passing through a needle's eye. It would
be possible though very difficult for a camel to squeeze its way
through the little gate, and it could in no wise do so except when
relieved of its load and stripped of all its harness. If this con-
ception be correct, we may find additional similitude between
the fact that the camel must first be unloaded and stripped, how-
ever costly its burden or rich its accoutrement, and the necessity
of the rich young ruler, and so of any man, divesting himself of
the burden and trappings of wealth, if he would enter by the
narrow way that leadeth into the kingdom. The Lord's expo-
sition of His saying is all-sufficient for the purposes of the les-
son : "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are
possible. ' ' (Matt. 1 9 126. )
8. Undue Concern as to Wages in the Lord's Service.
The instructive and inspiring Parable of the Laborers was called
forth by Peter's question of self-interest "What shall we have
therefore?" In tender mercy the Lord refrained from directly
rebuking His impulsive servant for undue concern as to the wage
to be expected; but He turned the incident to excellent purpose
by making it the text of a valuable lesson. The following treat-
ment by Edersheim (vol. ii : p. 416) is worth consideration. "There
was here deep danger to the disciples : danger of lapsing into
feelings akin to those with which the Pharisees viewed the par-
doned publicans, or the elder son in the parable his younger
brother; danger of misunderstanding the right relations, and with
it the very character of the kingdom, and of work in and for it.
It is to this that the Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard
refers. The principle which Christ lays down is, that, while noth-
ing done for Him shall lose its reward, yet, from one reason or
another, no forecast can be made, no inferences of self-righteous-
ness may be drawn. It does not ty any means follow, that most
work done at least, to our seeing and judging shall entail a
greater reward. On the contrary, 'many that are first shall be
last; and the last shall be first.' Not all, nor yet always and
necessarily, but 'many.' And in such cases no wrong has been
done; there exists no claim, even in view of the promises of due
acknowledgment of work. Spiritual pride and self assertion can
only be the outcome either of misunderstanding God's relation
to us, or else of a wrong state of mind towards others that is,
it betokens mental or moral unfitness. Of this the Parable of the
Laborers is an illustration. . . . But, while illustrating how
it may come that some who were first are last, and how utterly
mistaken or wrong is the thought that they must necessarily receive
more than others, who, seemingly, have done more how, in short,
work for Christ is not a ponderable quantity, so much for so
much, nor yet we be the judges of when and why a worker has
come it also conveys much that is new, and, in many respects,
most comforting."
INTERVIEW IN SOLOMON'S PORCH. 487
jfljj^ WR-ll:
CHAPTER 28.
THE LAST WINTER.
AT THE FEAST OF DEDICATION.
Jesus returned to Jerusalem in time to attend the Feast
of Dedication during the last winter of His earthly life. This
feast, like that of Tabernacles, was one of national rejoicing,
and was celebrated annually for a period of eight days be-
ginning on the 25th of Chislev, & which corresponds in part
to our December. It was not one of the great feasts pre-
scribed by Mosaic statute, but had been established in 164 or
163 B. C. at the time of the rededication of the Temple of
Zerubbabel following the rehabilitation of the sacred struc-
ture after its profane desecration by Antiochus Epiphanes,
the pagan king of Syria/ While the festival was in progress,
Jesus went to the temple and was seen walking in the part of
the enclosure known as Solomon's Porch. d His presence
soon became known to the Jews, who came crowding about
Him in unfriendly spirit, ostensibly to ask questions. Their
inquiry was: "How long dost thou make us to doubt? If
thou be the Christ, tell us plainly/' The mere asking of
such a question evidences the deep and disturbing impression
which the ministry of Christ had produced among the official
classes and the people generally; in their estimation, the
works he had wrought appeared as worthy of the Messiah.
The Lord's reply was indirect in form, though in sub-
stance and effect incisive and unmistakable. He referred
them to His former utterances and to His continued works.
"I told you," He said, "and ye believed not : the works that
a John 10:22-39.
&Also rendered Kislev, Chisleu, and Cisleu. See Zech. 7:1.
c Josephus, Antiquities, xii, 5:3-5. See Ezra 6:17, 18; also Note 1, end of
chapter.
d Note 2, end of chapter*
488 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 28.
I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me. But ye
believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto
you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they
follow me : And I give unto them eternal life ; and they shall
never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my
hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all ;
and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
I and my Father are one." The reference to what had been
before told was a reminder of His teachings on the occasion
of an earlier sojourn among them, when He had proclaimed
Himself as the I AM, who was older and greater than Abra-
ham, and of His other proclamation of Himself as the Good
Shepherd/
He could not well answer their inquiry by a simple un-
qualified affirmation, for by such He would have been under-
stood as meaning that He claimed to be the Messiah accord-
ing to their conception, the earthly king and conqueror for
whom they professed to be looking. He was no such Christ
as they had in mind ; yet was He verily Shepherd and King
to all who would hear His words and do His works ; and to
such He renewed the promise of eternal life and the assur-
ance that no man could pluck them out of His own or the
Father's hand. To this doctrine, both exalted and profound
in scope, the casuistical Jews could offer no refutation, nor
could they find therein the much desired excuse for open
accusation ; our Lord's concluding sentence, however, stirred
the hostile throng to frenzy. "I and my Father are one"
was His solemn declaration/ In their rage they scrambled
for stones wherewith to crush Him. Owing to the unfin-
ished state of the temple buildings, there were probably many
blocks and broken fragments of rock at hand ; and this was
the second murderous attempt upon our Lord's life within
the purlieus of His Father's Housed
e John 8:58; and 10:11; see also pages 411 and 416 herein.
/Revised version gives "I and the Father." See Note 3, end of chapter.
g John 8:59; Page 412.
CHRIST AGAIN CHARGED WITH BLASPHEMY. 489
Fearless, and with the compelling calmness of more than
human majesty, Jesus said : "Many good works have I
shewed you from my Father ; for which of those works do
ye stone me?" They angrily retorted: "For a good work
we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that
thou, being a man, makest thyself God."* 1 Plainly they had
found no ambiguity in His words. He then cited to them
the scriptures, wherein even judges empowered by divine
authority are called gods/ and asked : "Is it not written in
your law, I said, Ye are gods? If he called them gods,
unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture
cannot be broken: say ye of him, whom the Father hath
sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest ; be-
cause I said, I am the Son of God ?" Then, reverting to the
first avouchment that His own commission was of the Father
who is greater than all, He added : "If I do not the works
of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe
not me, believe the works : that ye may know, and believe,
that the Father is in me, and I in him."'' Again the Jews
sought to take Him, but were foiled by means not stated;
He passed from their reach and departed from the temple.
OUR LORD'S RETIREMENT IN PEREA.*
The violent hostility of the Jews in Jerusalem, the head-
quarters of the theocracy, was such that Jesus withdrew from
the city and its neighborhood. The day for His sacrifice had
not yet come, and while His enemies could not kill Him until
He allowed Himself to be taken into their hands, His work
would be retarded by further hostile disturbances. He re-
tired to the place at which John the Baptist had begun his
-
h Concerning blasphemy see pages 191 and 269, also page 629.
i Psa. 82, particularly verses 1 and 6. Note 8, end of chapter.
/A better rendering of the last verse is: "But if I do them [i. e. the
Father's works], though ye believe not me, believe the works; that ye may
know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father." (Re-
vi&ed version.)
fejohn 10:40-42.
490 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 28.
public ministry, which is probably also the place of our
Lord's baptism. The exact location is not specified ; it was
certainly beyond Jordan and therefore in Perea. We read
that Jesus abode there, and from this we gather that He re-
mained in one general locality instead of traveling from town
to town as had been His custom. People resorted to Him
even there, however, and many believed on Him. The place
was endeared to those who had gone to hear John and to be
baptized by him ; l and as these recalled the impassioned call
to repentance, the stirring proclamation of the kingdom by
the now murdered and lamented Baptist, they remembered
his affirmation of One mightier than himself, and saw in
Jesus the realization of that testimony. "John," they said,
"did no miracle : but all things that John spake of this man
were true."
The duration of this sojourn in Perea is nowhere record-
ed in our scriptures. It could not have lasted more than a
few weeks at most. Possibly some of the discourses, in-
structions, and parables already treated as following the
Lord's departure from Jerusalem after the Feast of Taber-
nacles in the preceding autumn, may chronologically belong
to this interval. From this retreat of comparative quiet,
Jesus returned to Judea in response to an earnest appeal from
some whom He loved. He left the Bethany of Perea for the
Judean Bethany, where dwelt Martha and Mary. m
LAZARUS RESTORED TO UFE. M
Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha, lay ill in the
family home at Bethany of Judea. His devoted sisters sent
a messenger to Jesus, with the simple announcement, in
which, however, we cannot fail to recognize a pitiful appeal :
"Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick." When Jesus
^
/Pages 121-124.
m Note 4, end of chapter.
11:1-46.
THE DEATH OF LAZARUS. 491
received the message, He remarked : "This sickness is not
unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God
might be glorified thereby." This was probably the word
carried back to the sisters, whom Jesus loved. Lazarus had
died in the interval ; indeed he must have expired soon after
the messenger had started with the tidings of the young
man's illness. The Lord knew that Lazarus was dead ; yet
He tarried where He was for two days after receiving the
word ; then He surprized the disciples by saying : "Let us
go into Judea again." They sought to dissuade the Master by
reminding Him of the recent attempt upon His life at Jeru-
salem, and asked wonderingly, "Goest thou thither again?"
Jesus made clear to them that He was not to be deterred
from duty in the time thereof, nor should others be ; for as
He illustrated, the working day is twelve hours long ; and
during that period a man may walk without stumbling, for
he walks in the light, but if he let the hours pass and then
try to walk or work in darkness, he stumbles. It was then
His day to work, and He was making no mistake in return-
ing to Judea.
He added : "Our friend Lazarus sleepeth ; but I go, that
I may awake him out of sleep." The simile between death
and sleep was as common among the Jews as with us \ but
the disciples construed the saying literally, and remarked
that if the sick man was sleeping it would be well with him.
Jesus set them right. "Lazarus is dead," He said, and
added, "And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there,
to the intent ye may believe ; nevertheless let us go unto
him." It is evident that Jesus had already decided to re-
store Lazarus to life ; and, as we shall see, the miracle was
to be a testimony of our Lord's Messiahship, convincing to
all who would accept it. A return to Judea at that time was
viewed by at least some of the apostles with serious appre-
hension ; they feared for their Master's safety, and thought
o Compare Matt. 9:24; Mark 5:39; Luke 8:52; Job. 14:12; 1 Thess. 4:14.
JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 28.
that their own lives would be in peril; nevertheless they
did not hesitate to go. Thomas boldly said to the others:
"Let us also go, that we may die with him."
Arriving on the outskirts of Bethany, Jesus found that
Lazarus "had lain in the grave four days already."^ The
bereaved sisters were at home, where had gathered, accord-
ing to custom, friends to console them in their grief. Among
these were many prominent people, some of whom had come
from Jerusalem. Word of the Master's approach reached
Martha first, and she hastened to meet Him. Her first
words were: "Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother
had not died." It was an expression of anguish combined
with faith; but, lest it appear as lacking in trust, she has-
tened to add: "But I know, that even now, whatsoever
thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee." Then said
Jesus in words of assuring tenderness : "Thy brother shall
rise again." Perhaps some of the Jews who had come to
comfort her had said as much, for they, the Sadducees ex-
cepted, believed in a resurrection ; and Martha failed to find
in the Lord's promise anything more than a general assur-
ance that her departed brother should be raised with the rest
of the dead. In natural and seemingly casual assent she
remarked : "I know that he shall rise again in the resurrec-
tion at the last day." Then said Jesus : "I am the resur-
rection, and the life : he that believeth in me, though he were
dead, yet shall he live : And whosoever liveth and believeth
in me shall never die. Believest thou this ?"
The sorrowing woman's faith had to be lifted and cen-
tered in the Lord of Life with whom she was speaking.
She had before confessed her conviction that whatever Jesus
asked of God would be granted ; she had to learn that unto
Jesus had already been committed power over life and death.
She was hopefully expectant of some superhuman inter-
position by the Lord Jesus in her behalf, yet she knew not
p Note 5? end of chapter.
JESUS AND THE SORROWING SISTERS. 493
what that might be. Apparently at this time she had no
well-defined thought or even hope that He would call her
brother from the tomb. To the Lord's question as to
whether she believed what He had just said, she answered
with simple frankness; all of it she was not able to under-
stand ; but she believed in the Speaker even while unable
to fully comprehend His words. "Yea, Lord," she said, "I
believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which
should come into the world."
Then she returned to the home, and with precaution of
secrecy on account of the presence of some whom she knew
to be unfriendly to Jesus, said to Mary: "The Master is
come, and calleth for thee." Mary left the house in haste.
The Jews who had been with her thought that she had been
impelled by a fresh resurgence of grief to go again to the
grave, and they followed her. When she reached the Mas-
ter, she knelt at His feet, and gave expression to her con-
suming sorrow in the very words Martha had used : "Lord,
if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died." We
cannot doubt that the conviction so voiced had been the bur-
den of comment and lamentation between the two sisters
if only Jesus had been with them they would not have been
bereft of their brother.
The sight of the two women so overcome by grief, and
of the people wailing with them, caused Jesus to sorrow,
so that He groaned in spirit and was deeply troubled.
"Where have ye laid him ?" He asked ; and Jesus wept. As
the sorrowing company went toward the tomb, some of the
Jews, observing the Lord's emotion and tears, said : "Be-
hold how he loved him !" but others, less sympathetic be-
cause of their prejudice against Christ, asked critically and
reproachfully : "Could not this man, which opened the eyes
of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have
died?" The miracle by which a man blind from birth had
been made to see was very generally known, largely because
494 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 28.
of the official investigation that had followed the healing.*?
The Jews had been compelled to admit the actuality of the
astounding occurrence ; and the question now raised as to
whether or why One who could accomplish such a wonder
could not have preserved from death a man stricken with
an ordinary illness, and that man one whom He seemed to
have dearly loved, was an innuendo that the power pos-
sessed by Jesus was after all limited, and of uncertain or
capricious operation. This manifestation of malignant un-
belief caused Jesus again to groan with sorrow if not in-
dignation/
The body of L,azarus had been interred in a cave, the
entrance to which was closed by a great block of stone.
Such burial-places were common in that country, natural
caves or vaults hewn in the solid rock being used as sepul-
chres by the better classes of people. Jesus directed that
the tomb be opened. Martha, still unprepared for what was
to follow, ventured to remonstrate, reminding Jesus that the
corpse had been four days immured, and that decomposition
must have already set in/ Jesus thus met her objection:
"Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou
shouldest see the glory of God?" This may have had refer-
ence both to His promise spoken to Martha in person that
her brother should rise again and to the message sent from
Perea that the illness of Lazarus was not unto final death
at that time, but for the glory of God and that the Son of
God might be glorified thereby.
The stone was removed. Standing before the open por-
tal of the tomb, Jesus looked upward and prayed : "Father,
I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that
thou hearest me always : but because of the people which
stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent
me." He did not ask the Father for power or authority;
q John 9; see page 412 herein.
rNote 6, end of chapter.
s Note 5, end of chapter.
LAZARUS, COME FORTH. 495
such had already been given Him ; but He gave thanks, and
in the hearing of all who stood by acknowledged the Father
and expressed the oneness of His own and the Father's pur-
poses. Then, with a loud voice He cried : "Lazarus, come
forth." The dead man heard that voice of authoritative
command ; the spirit straightway reentered the tabernacle
of flesh, the physical processes of life were resumed ; and
Lazarus, again alive, came forth. His freedom of motion
was limited, for the grave clothes hampered his movements,
and his face was still bound by the napkin by which the
lifeless jaw had been held in place. To those who stood
near, Jesus said : "Loose him, and let him go."
The procedure throughout was characterized by deep
solemnity and by the entire absence of every element of un-
necessary display. Jesus, who when miles away and with-
out any ordinary means of receiving the information knew
that Lazarus was dead, doubtless could have found the tomb ;
yet He inquired: "Where have ye laid him?" He who
could still the waves of the sea by a word could have mirac-
ulously effected the removal of the stone that sealed the
mouth of the sepulchre ; yet He said : "Take ye away the
stone." He who could reunite spirit and body could have
loosened without hands the cerements by which the reani-
mated Lazarus was bound; yet He said: "Loose him, and
let him go." All that human agency could do was left to
man. In no instance do we find that Christ used unneces-
sarily the superhuman powers of His Godship ; the divine
energy was never wasted ; even the material creation result-
ing from its exercize was conserved, as witness His instruc-
tions regarding the gathering up of the fragments of bread
and fish after the multitudes had been miraculously fed.*
The raising of Lazarus stands as the third recorded in-
stance of restoration to life by Jesus. In each the miracle
t John 6:12; Matt. 15:37; see pages 334 and 358 herein.
u Matt. 9:23-25; Luke 7:11-17; pages 251 and 313 herein.
496 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 28.
resulted in a resumption of mortal existence, and was in no
sense a resurrection from death to immortality. In the
raising of the daughter of Jairus, the spirit was recalled to
its tenement within the hour of its quitting; the raising of
the widow's son is an instance of restoration when the corpse
was ready for the grave ; the crowning miracle of the three
was the calling of a spirit to reenter its body days after
death, and when, by natural processes the corpse would be
already in the early stages of decomposition. Lazarus was
raised from the dead, not simply to assuage the grief of
mourning relatives ; myriads have had to mourn over death,
and so myriads more shall have to do. One of the Lord's
purposes was that of demonstrating the actuality of the
power of God as shown forth in the works of Jesus the
Christ, and Lazarus was the accepted subject of the mani-
festation ; just as the man afflicted with congenital blindness
had been chosen to be the one through whom "the works of
God should be made manifest."*'
That the Lord's act of restoring Lazarus to life was of
effect in testifying to His Messiahship is explicitly stated.* 4 '
All the circumstances leading up to final culmination in the
miracle contributed to its attestation. No question as to
the actual death of Lazarus could be raised, for his demise
had been witnessed, his body had been prepared and buried
in the usual way, and he had lain in the grave four days.
At the tomb, when he was called forth, there were many
witnesses, some of them prominent Jews, many of whom
were unfriendly to Jesus and who would have readily denied
the miracle had they been able. God was glorified and the
divinity of the Son of Man was vindicated in the result.
HIERARCHY GREATLY AGITATED OVER THE MIRACLE.*
As in connection with most of our Lord's public acts
while some of those who heard and saw were brought to
w John 9 12 3 9.11 17
*rjohn 11:46-54.
THE RULERS AGAIN IN CONSPIRACY. 497
believe in Him, others rejected the proffered lesson and
reviled the Master so with this mighty work some were
stirred to faith and others went their ways each with mind
darkened and spirit more malignant than ever. Some of
those who had seen the dead man raised to life went imme-
diately and reported the matter to the rulers, whom they
knew to be intensely hostile toward Jesus. In the parable
we have recently studied, the spirit of the rich man pleaded
from his place of anguish that Lazarus, the once pitiable
beggar, be sent from paradise to earth, to warn others of
the fate awaiting the wicked, to which appeal Abraham
replied : "If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither
will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead."^
Now a Lazarus had been in reality raised from the dead,
and many of the Jews rejected the testimony of his return
and refused to believe in Christ through whom alone death
is overcome. The Jews tried to get Lazarus into their
power that they might kill him and, as they hoped, silence
forever his testimony of the Lord's power over death/
The chief priests, who were mostly Sadducees, and the
Pharisees with them assembled in council to consider the
situation created by this latest of our Lord's great works.
The question they discussed was: "What do we? for this
man doeth many miracles. If we let him thus alone, all
men will believe on him : and the Romans shall come and
take away both our place and nation." As stated by them-
selves, there was no denying the fact of the many miracles
wrought by Jesus ; but instead of earnestly and prayerfully
investigating as to whether these mighty works were not
among the predicted characteristics of the Messiah, they
thought only of the possible effect of Christ's influence in
alienating the people from the established theocracy, and of
the fear that the Romans, taking advantage of the situation,
y Luke 16:31; page 466 herein.
sjohn 12:10.
498 JESUS THE CHRIST. [ 3HT [CHAP. 28.
would deprive the hierarchs of their "place" and take from
the nation what little semblance of distinct autonomy it
still possessed. Caiaphas, the high priest," cut short the
discussion by saying : "Ye know nothing at all." This sweep-
ing assertion of ignorance was most likely addressed to the
Pharisees of the Sanhedrin ; Caiaphas was a Sadducee. His
next utterance was of greater significance than he realized :
"Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man
should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish
not." John solemnly avers that Caiaphas spake not of him-
self, but by the spirit of prophecy, which, in spite of his
implied unworthiness, came upon him by virtue of his office,
and that thus: "He prophesied that Jesus should die for
that nation ; and not for that nation only, but that also he
should gather together in one the children of God that were
scattered abroad." But a few years after Christ had been
put to death, for the salvation of the Jews and of all other
nations, the very calamities which Caiaphas and the San-
hedrin had hoped to avert befell in full measure; the hier-
archy was overthrown, the temple destroyed, Jerusalem de-
molished and the nation disrupted. From the day of that
memorable session of the Sanhedrin, the rulers increased
their efforts to bring about the death of Jesus, by whatever
means they might find available. They issued a mandate
that whosoever knew of His whereabouts should give the
information to the officials, that they might promptly take
Him into custody , &
JESUS IN RETIREMENT AT EPHRAIM. C
,rfj;ise^M &i
The hostility of the ecclesiastical rulers became so great
that Jesus once more sought retirement in a region suf-
ficiently far from Jerusalem to afford Him security from the
a Note 7, end of chapter,
fcjohn 11:57.
c John 11 :54.
JESUS AT EPHRAIM. 499
watchful and malignant eyes of His powerful and openly
avowed enemies. But a few weeks of mortal life remained
to Him, and the greater part of this brief period had to be
devoted to the further instruction of the apostles. He pru-
dently withdrew from the vicinity of Bethany and "went
thence unto a country near to the wilderness, into a city
called Ephraim, and there continued with his disciples."
Thus did our Lord spend the rest of the winter and prob-
ably the early days of the succeeding spring. That His re-
treat was private if not practically secret is suggested by
John's statement that "J esus therefore walked no more
openly among the Jews" ; and further indication is found
in the fact that although the chief priests and Pharisees had
virtually set a price upon His head, no man gave informa-
tion as to His whereabouts. The place of this last retire-
ment is not definitely known ; it is generally thought to be
the locality elsewhere called Ephrain and Ephron/ which
lay a little less than twenty miles northerly from Jerusalem.
Equally uncertain is the duration of our Lord's abode there.
When He emerged again into public notice, it was to enter
upon His solemn march toward Jerusalem and the cross.
NOTES TO CHAPTER 28.
i. Origin of the Feast of Dedication. Concerning the sec-
ond temple, known as the Temple of Zerubbabel, the author has
written elsewhere: "Of the later history of this temple the
biblical record gives but few details ; but from other sources we
learn of its vicissitudes. In connection with the Maccabean per-
secution the House of the Lord was profaned. A Syrian king,
Antiochus Epiphanes, captured Jerusalem (168 to 165 B. C.) and
perpetrated blasphemous outrage against the religion of the peo-
ple. He plundered the temple and carried away its golden can-
dlestick, its golden altar of incense, its table of shewbread, and
even tore down the sacred veils, which were of fine linen and
scarlet. His malignity was carried SG far that he purposely dese-
crated the altar of sacrifice by offering swine thereon, and erected
a heathen altar within the sacred enclosure. Not content with
the violation of the temple, this wicked monarch had altars erected
in the towns, and ordered the offering of unclean beasts upon
d2 Chron. 13:19; Josh. 15:9.
500 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 28.
them. The rite of circumcision was forbidden on pain of
death, and the worship of Jehovah was declared a crime. As a
result of this persecution many of the Jews apostatized, and
declared that they belonged to the Medes and Persians the
nations from whose dominion they had been delivered by the
power of God Then in the year 163 B. C. the House
was rededicated ; and the occasion was remembered in annual
festival thereafter under the name of the Feast of Dedication."
The House of the Lord, pp. 51-53. According to Josephus (Ant.
xii, 7:7) the festival came to be known as The Lights; and bril-
liant illumination both of the temple and of dwellings, was a
feature of the celebration. Traditional accounts say that eight
days had been set a i ,3 the duration of the feast, in commemoration
of a legendary miracle by which the consecrated oil in the only
jar found intact, and beaving the unbroken seal of the high priest,
had been made to serve for temple purposes through eight days,
which time was required for the ceremonial preparation of a
new supply.
2. Solomon's Porch. This name had been applied to the
eastern colonnade or row of porticoes within the temple en-
closure, in recognition o a tradition that the porch covered and
included a portion of the original wall belonging to the Temple
of Solomon. See The House of the Lord, pp. 55-57.
3. The Oneness of Christ and the Father. The revised ver-
sion gives for John r.o 130 : "I and the Father are one" instead of
"I and my Father are one." By "the Father" the Jews rightly
understood the Eternal Father, God. In the original Greek "one"
appears in the neuter gender, and therefore expresses oneness in
attributes, power, or purpose, and not a oneness of personality
which would have required the masculine form. For treatment
of the unity of the Godhead, and the separate personality of each
Member, see Articles of Faith, ii, 20-24.
4. The Place of our Lord's Retirement. Jesus went "be-
yond Jordan into the place where John at first baptized" (John
10:40). This was probably Bethabara (1:28), which is called
Bethany in some of the earliest manuscripts and is so designated
in the latest revised version. Care must be taken not to confuse
this Perean Bethany with the Bethany in Judea, the home of
Martha and Mary, which was within two miles of Jerusalem.
5. Lazarus in the Tomb Four Days. On the very probable
assumption that the journey from Bethany in Judea to the place
where Jesus was, in Perea, would require one day, Lazarus must
have died on the day of the messenger's departure ; for this day
and the two days that elapsed before Jesus started toward Judea,
and the day required for the return, would no more than cover
the four days specified. It was and still is the custom in Pales-
tine as in other oriental countries to bury on the day of death.
It was the popular belief that on the fourth day after death
the spirit had finally departed from the vicinity of the corpse,
and that thereafter decomposition proceeded unhindered. This
may explain Martha's impulsive though gentle objection to hav-
ing the tomb of her brother opened four days after his death
NOTES. 501
(John 11:39). It is possible that the consent of the next of kin
was required for the lawful opening of a grave. Both Martha
and Mary were present, and in the presence of many witnesses
assented to the opening of the tomb in which their brother lay.
6. Jesus Groaned in Spirit. The marginal readings for "he
groaned in the spirit" (John n :33) and "again groaning in him-
self" (v. 38), as given in the revised version, are "was moved with
indignation in the spirit" and "being moved with indignation in
himself." All philological authorities agree that the words in
the original Greek express sorrowful indignation, or as some
aver, anger, and not alone a sympathetic emotion of grief. Any
indignation the Lord may have felt, as intimated in verse 33,
may be attributed to disapproval of the customary wailing over
death, which as vented by the Jews on this occasion, profaned
the real and soulful grief of Martha and Mary; arid His indigna-
tion, expressed by groaning as mentioned in verse 38, may have
been due to the carping criticism uttered by some of the Jews as
recorded in verse 37.
7. Caiaphas, High Priest that Year. John's statement that
Caiaphas was high priest "that same year" must not be construed
as meaning that the office of high priest was of a single year's
tenure. Under Jewish law the presiding priest, who was known
as the high priest, would remain in office indefinitely ; but the
Roman government had arrogated to itself the appointive power
as applying to this office ; and frequent changes were made. This
Caiaphas, whose full name was Josephus Caiaphas, was high
priest under Roman appointment during a period of eleven years.
To such appointments the Jews had to submit, though they often
recognized as the high priest under their law, some other than
the "civil high priest" appointed by Roman authority. Thus we
find both Annas and Caiaphas exercizing the authority of the
office at the time of our Lord's arrest and later. (John 18:13,
24; Acts 4:6; compare Luke 3:2.) Farrar (p. 484, note) says:
"Some have seen an open irony in the expression of St. John
(11:49) that Caiaphas was high priest 'that same year,' as though
the Jews had got into this contemptuous way of speaking dur-
ing the rapid succession of priests mere phantoms set up and
displaced by the Roman fiat who had in recent years succeeded
each other. There must have been at least five living high priests,
and ex-high priests at this council Annas, Ismael Ben Phabi,
Eleazar Ben Haman, Simon Ben Kamhith, and Caiaphas, who
had gained his elevation by bribery."
8. Divinely Appointed Judges Called "gods." In Psalm
82 :6, judges invested by divine appointment are called "gods."
To this scripture the Savior referred in His reply to the Jews in
Solomon's Porch. Judges so authorized officiated as the repre-
sentatives of God and are honored by the exalted title "gods."
Compare the similar appellation applied to Moses (Exo. 4:16;
7:1). Jesus Christ possessed divine authorization, not through
the word of God transmitted to Him by man, but as an inherent
attribute. The inconsistency of calling human judges "gods," and
of ascribing blasphemy to the Christ who called Himself the Son
of God, would have been apparent to the Jews but for their sin-
darkened minds.
502 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 29.
CHAPTER 29.
ON TO JERUSALEM.
JSSUS AGAIN FORETELLS HIS DEATH AND RESURRECTION.
Each of the three synoptic writers has made record of
this last journey to Jerusalem and of occurrences connected
therewith. The deep solemnity of the developments now so
near at hand, and of the fate He was setting out to meet so
affected Jesus that even the apostles were amazed at His
absorption and evident sadness ; they fell behind in amaze-
ment and fear. Then He paused, called the Twelve about
Him, and in language of absolute plainness, without meta-
phor or simile, He said : "Behold, we go up to Jerusalem,
and all things that are written by the prophets concerning
the Son of man shall be accomplished. For he shall be de-
livered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully
entreated, and spitted on : And they shall scourge him, and
put him to death : and the third day he shall rise again."
It is to us an astounding fact that the Twelve failed to
comprehend His meaning ; yet Luke unqualifiedly affirms :
"And they understood none of these things: and this saying
was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were
spoken." This avouchment of the Savior's approaching
death and resurrection spoken in confidential certainty to the
Twelve was the third of its kind; and still they could not
bring themselves to accept the awful truth. & According to
Matthew's account, they were told of the very manner by
which the Lord should die that the Gentiles should crucify
Him; yet they understood not. To them there was some
oMatt. 20:17-19; Mark 10:32-34; Luke 18:31-34.
& The earlier predictions were: (1) that spoken shortly before the Trans-
figuration (Matt. 16:21; Mark 8:31), and (2) that which followed, in Galilee
(Matt. 17:22, 23; Mark 9:31: compare Luke 9:44).
.abnrrn D^mxific
I
THE APOSTLES FAIL TO UNDERSTAND. 503
dreadful incongruity, some dire inconsistency or inexplicable
contradiction in the sayings of their beloved Master. They
knew Him to be the Christ, the Son of the living God ; and
how could such a One be brought into subjection and be
slain? They could not fail to realize that some unprece-
dented development in His life was impending; this they
may have vaguely conceived to be the crisis for which they
had been waiting, the open proclamation of His Messianic
dignity, His enthronement as Lord and King. And such
indeed was to be, though in a manner far different from
their anticipations. The culminating prediction that on the
third day He would rise again seems to have puzzled them
the most ; and, at the same time, this assurance of ultimate
triumph may have made all intermediate occurrences appear
as of but secondary and transitory import. They persistently
repelled the thought that they were following their L,ord to
the cross and the sepulchre.
THE QUESTION OP PRECEDENCE AGAIN. C
Notwithstanding all the instructions the apostles had re-
ceived concerning humility, and though they had before them
the supreme example of the Master's life and conduct, in
which the fact that service was the only measure of true
greatness was abundantly demonstrated, they continued to
dream of rank and honor in the kingdom of the Messiah.
Perhaps because of the imminence of the Master's triumph,
with which they all were particularly impressed at this time
though ignorant of its real significance, certain of the Twelve
appealed to the L,ord in the course of this journey with a
most ambitious request. The petitioners were James and
John, though according to Matthew's record their mother^
was the first to ask. The request was that when Jesus came
into possession of His kingdom, He would so signally honor
cMatt. 20:20-28; Mark 10:35-45.
4 Note l,end of chapter.
504 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 29.
the aspiring pair as to install them in seats of eminence, one
on His right hand, the other on His left. Instead of sharply
rebuking such presumption, Jesus gently but impressively
asked : "Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of,
and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized
with?" The answer was full of self-confidence inspired by
ignorant misapprehension. "We are able," they replied.
Then said Jesus : "Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be
baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with : but to
sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give,
but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my
Father."
The ten apostles were indignant at the two brothers, pos-
sibly less through disapproval of the spirit that had prompted
the petition than because the two had forestalled the others
in applying for the chief posts of distinction. But Jesus,
patiently tolerant of their human weaknesses, drew the
Twelve around Him, and taught them as a loving father
might instruct and admonish his contentious children. He
showed them how earthly rulers, such as princes among the
Gentiles, domineer over their subjects, manifesting lordship
and arbitrarily exercizing the authority of office. But it was
not to be so among the Master's servants ; whoever of them
would be great must be a servant indeed, willingly minister-
ing unto his fellows ; the humblest and most willing servant
would be the chief of the servants. "For even the Son of
man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and
to give his life a ransom for many."*
SIGHT RESTORED TO THE BLIND NEAR JERICHO/
In the course of His journey Jesus came to Jericho, at
or near which city He again exerted His wondrous power
in opening the eyes of the blind. Matthew states that two
e For earlier lessons on the greatness of humility see pages 386 and
471; for the significance of the title, Son of Man, see pages 142-144.
/Matt. 20:30-34; Mark 10:46-52; Luke 18:35-43.
"jESUS OF NAZARETH PASSETH BY." 505
sightless men were made to see, and that the miracle was
enacted as Jesus was leaving Jericho; Mark mentions but
one blind man, whom he names Bartimeus or the son of
Timeus, and agrees with Matthew in saying that the healing
was effected when Jesus was departing from the city ; Luke
specifies but one subject of the Lord's healing mercy, "a
certain blind man," and chronicles the miracle as an inci-
dent of Christ's approach to Jericho. These slight varia-
'tions attest the independent authorship of each of the
records, and the apparent discrepancies have no direct bear-
ing upon the main facts, nor do they detract from the in-
structional value of the Lord's work. As we have found
to be the case on an earlier occasion, two men were men-
tioned though but one figures in the circumstantial account.^
The man who is more particularly mentioned, Bartimeus,
sat by the wayside, asking alms. Jesus approached, accom-
panied by the apostles, many other disciples, and a great
multitude of people, probably made up largely of travelers
on their way to Jerusalem to attend the Passover festival,
the time for which was about a week ahead. Hearing the
tramp of so great a company the sightless beggar inquired
what it all meant, and was answered, "Jesus of Nazareth
passeth by." Eager lest the opportunity of gaining the
Master's attention be lost, he immediately cried in a loud
voice : "Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me."
His appeal, and particularly his use of the title, Son of
David, show that he knew of the great Teacher, had confi-
dence in His power to heal and faith in Him as the promised
King and Deliverer of Israel. 7 * Those who were in advance
of Jesus in the company tried to silence the man, but the
more they rebuked him the louder and more persistently did
he cry: "Thou son of David, have mercy on me." Jesus
halted in His course and directed that the man be brought
g See account of the two demoniacs, Matt. 8:28, compare Mark 5:1,
Luke 8:27. See also page 310 herein.
h Compare Matt. 9:27; 15:22; page 85 herein.
506 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 29.
to Him. Those who but a moment before would have
stopped the blind man's yearning appeal, now that the Mas-
ter had noticed him were eager to be of service. To the
sightless one they brought the glad word: "Be of good
comfort, rise; he calleth thee"; and he, casting aside his
outer garment lest it hinder, came in haste to Christ. To
the Lord's question, "What wilt thou that I shall do unto
thee?" Bartimeus answered: "Lord, that I may receive
my sight." Then Jesus spake the simple words of power'
and blessing: "Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved
thee." The man, full of gratitude and knowing that nothing
short of divine interposition could have opened his eyes,
followed his Benefactor, glorifying God in heartfelt prayers
of thanksgiving, in which many of those who had witnessed
the miracle fervently joined.
ZACCH^US, TH CHIEF AMONG THE PUBLICANS.*
Jericho was a city of considerable importance ; among its
resident officials was a staff of publicans, or collectors
of customs, and of these the chief was Zaccheus/ who had
grown rich from the revenues of office. He had doubtless
heard of the great Galilean who hesitated not to mingle with
publicans, detested though they were by the Jews in gen-
eral ; he may have known, also, that Jesus had placed one of
this publican class among the most prominent of the disci-
ples. That Zaccheus was a Jew is indicated by his name,
which is a variant of "Zacharias," with a Greek or Latin
termination; he must have been particularly obnoxious to
his people on account of his advanced status among the pub-
licans, all of whom were in Roman employ. He had a great
desire to see Jesus ; the feeling was not one of mere curi-
osity ; he had been impressed and set thinking by the things
he had heard about this Teacher from Nazareth. But
*Luke 19:1-10.
2, end of chapter.
ZACCHEUS ENTERTAINS CHRIST AT HIS HOME. 507
Zaccheus was a little man, and could not ordinarily see over
the heads of others ; so he ran ahead of the company and
climbed a tree alongside the road. When Jesus reached
the place, to the great surprize of the man in the tree He
looked up and said : "Zaccheus, make haste, and come
down ; for to day I must abide at thy house." Zaccheus
came down with haste, and joyfully received the Lord as his
guest. The multitude by whom Jesus had been accom-
panied appear to have been generally friendly toward Him ;
but at this turn of affairs they murmured and criticized, say-
ing that the Master "was gone to be guest with a man that
is a sinner" ; for all publicans were sinners in Jewish eyes,
and Zaccheus admitted that the opprobrium in his case was
possibly deserved. But having seen and conversed with
Jesus, this chief among the publicans believed and was con-
verted. As proof of his change of heart Zaccheus then and
there voluntarily vowed unto the Lord to make amends and
restitution if it were found that he owed such. "Behold,
Lord," he said, "the half of my goods I give to the poor;
and if I have taken anything from any man by false accusa-
tion, I restore him fourfold." These were works meet for
repentance. The man realized that he could not change his
past ; but he knew he could in part at least atone for some
of his misdeeds. His pledge to restore in fourfold measure
whatever he had wrongfully acquired was in line with the
Mosaic law as to restitution, but far in excess of the recom-
pense required.^ Jesus accepted the man's profession of
repentance, and said: "This day is salvation come to this
house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham." Another
stray sheep had been returned to the fold ; another lost
treasure had been found ; another wayward son had come
back to the Father's housed "For the Son of man is come
to seek and to save that which was lost."
k Exo. 22:1-9.
I Compare pages 389 and 454 to 461.
508 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 29.
UNTO EVERY ONE THAT HATH SHAU, BE GIVEN. m
As the multitude approached Jerusalem, Jesus being in
their midst, expectation ran high as to what the Lord would
do when He reached the capital of the nation. Many of
those with Him were looking for a proclamation of His royal
authority and "they thought that the kingdom of God should
immediately appear." Jesus told them a story ; we call it
the Parable of the Pounds:
"A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive
for himself a kingdom, and to return. And he called his ten
servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them,
Occupy till I come. But his citizens hated him, and sent a
message after him, saying, We \vill not have this man to
reign over us. And it came to pass, that when he was re-
turned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded
these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given
the money, that he might know how much every man had
gained by trading. Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy
pound hath gained ten pounds. And he said unto him, Well,
thou good servant : because thou hast been faithful in a very
little, have thou authority over ten cities. And the second
came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds.
And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities.
And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound,
which I have kept laid up in a napkin : For I feared thee,
because thou art an austere man : thou takest up that thou
layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow. And
he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee,
thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere
man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did
not sow : Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the
bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own
with usury? And he said unto them that stood by, Take
from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds.
(And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.) For
I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be
wLuke 19:11-27.
PARABLE OF THE POUNDS. 509
given ; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall
be taken away from him. But those mine enemies, which
would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and
slay them before me."
tfcgri
Both the circumstances of the story and the application
of the parable were more readily apparent to the Jewish
multitude than they are to us. The departure of a certain
nobleman from a vassal province to the court of the suzerain
to seek investiture of kingly authority, and the protest of the
citizens over whom he asserted the right to reign, were in-
cidents of Jewish history still fresh in the minds of the peo-
ple to whom Christ spoke. w The explication of the parable
is this : The people were not to look for an immediate estab-
lishment of the kingdom in temporal power. He who would
be king was pictured as having departed for a far country
from which he would assuredly return. Before leaving he
had given to each of his servants a definite sum of money ;
and by their success in using this he would judge of their
fitness to serve in offices of trust. When he returned he
called for an accounting, in the course of which the cases of
three servants are specified as types. One had so used the
pound as to gain ten pounds ; he was commanded and re-
ceived a reward such as only a sovereign could give, the
governorship of ten cities. The second servant, with equal
capital had increased it only five fold ; he was properly re-
warded in proportion by appointment as governor over five
cities. The third gave back what he had received, without
increase, for he had failed to use it. He had no reason and
only a very poor excuse to offer for his dereliction. In jus-
tice he was severely reprimanded, and the money was taken
from him. When the king directed that the pound so for-
feited by the unfaithful servant be given to him who already
had ten, some surprize was manifest amongst those who
stood by ; but the king explained, that "unto every one that
n Note 3, end of chapter.
510 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 29.
hath shall be given," for such a one uses to advantage the
means entrusted to his care, while "from him that hath not,
even that he hath shall be taken away from him"; for he
has demonstrated his utter unfitness to possess and use
aright. This part of the parable, while of general applica-
tion, must have appealed to the apostles as particularly apt ;
for each of them had received in trust an equal endowment
through ordination, and each would be required to account
for his administration.
The fact is apparent that Christ was the nobleman who
was to be invested with the authority of kingship, and who
would return to require the accounting at the hands of His
trusted servants.* But many of the citizens hated Him and
would protest His investiture, saying they would not have
Him to reign over them/ When He does return in power
and authority, these rebellious citizens shall surely receive
the punishment they deserved
IN THE HOUSE Off SIMON THE LEPER/
Six days before the Feast of the Passover, that is to say
before the day on which the paschal lamb was to be eaten/
Jesus arrived at Bethany, the home town of Martha and
Mary, and of Lazarus who had recently died and been re-
stored to life. The chronology of events during the last
week of our Lord's life supports the generally accepted belief
that in this year, the fourteenth day of Nisan, on which the
Passover festival began, fell on Thursday ; and this being so,
the day on which Jesus reached Bethany was the preceding
Friday, the eve of the Jewish Sabbath. Jesus fully realized
that this Sabbath was the last He would live to see in mor-
<? Compare Mark 13:34.
p Note 4, end of chapter.
q Comparison of similarities and differences between this parable and
that of the Talents (Matt. 25:14-30) will be made in chapter 32, pages 580-584.
rjohn 12:1-8; Matt. 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9.
jSee Exo. 12:1-10; also page 112 herein.
A MEMORABLE SUPPER AT BETHANY. 511
tality. The Gospel- writers have drawn a veil of reverent
silence over the events of that day. It appears that Jesus
passed His last Sabbath in retirement at Bethany. The
journey afoot from Jericho had been no easy walk, for the
road ascended to an altitude of nearly three thousand feet,
and was withal otherwise a toilsome way.
On Saturday/ probably in the evening after the Sabbath
had passed, a supper was spread for Jesus and the Twelve
in the house of Simon the leper. No other mention of this
man, Simon, appears in scripture. If he was living at the
time our Lord was entertained in the house known by his
name, and if he was present, he must have been previously
healed of his leprosy, as otherwise he could not have been
allowed within the town, far less to be one of a festal com-
pany. It is reasonable to think that the man had once been
a victim of leprosy and had come to be currently known as
Simon the leper, and that he was one among the many suf-
ferers from this dread disease who had been healed through
the Lord's ministrations.
Martha was in charge of the supper arrangements on this
memorable occasion, and her sister Mary was with her, while
Lazarus sat at table with Jesus. Many have assumed that
the house of Simon the leper was the family home of the
two sisters and Lazarus, in which case it is possible that
Simon was the father of the three ; but of such relationship
we have no proof . u There was no attempt to secure unusual
privacy at this supper. Such occasions were customarily
marked by the presence of many uninvited lookers-on in that
time ; and we are not surprized to learn, therefore, that
many people were there and that they had come "not for
Jesus' sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom
he had raised from the dead." Lazarus was a subject of
much interest and doubtless of curiosity among the people ;
t Note 5, end of chapter.
u Note 6, end of chapter.
512 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 29.
and at the time of his privileged and intimate association
with Jesus in Bethany, the chief priests were plotting to put
him to death, on account of the effect his restoration had had
upon the people, many of whom believed on Jesus because
of the miracle.
That supper in Bethany was an event never to be forgot-
ten. Mary, the more contemplative and spiritually minded
of the two sisters, she who loved to sit at the feet of Jesus
and listen to His words, and who had been commended for
having so chosen the one needful thing, which her more
practical sister lacked,* 7 brought from among her treasures
an alabaster cruse containing a pound of costly spikenard
ointment ; she broke the sealed flask w and poured its fra-
grant contents upon the head and feet of her Lord, and
wiped His feet with her loosened tresses.* To anoint the
head of a guest with ordinary oil was to do him honor ; to
anoint his feet also was to show unusual and signal regard ;
but the anointing of head and feet with spikenard, and in
such abundance, was an act of reverential homage rarely
rendered even to kings. 3 ' Mary's act was an expression of
adoration ; it was the fragrant outwelling of a heart over-
flowing with worship and affection.
But this splendid tribute of a devout woman's love was
made the cause of disagreeable protest. Judas Iscariot,
treasurer of the Twelve, but dishonest, avaricious, and small-
souled in character, vented his grumbling complaint, saying :
"Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence,
and given to the poor?"" His seeming solicitude for the
poor was all hypocrisy. He was a thief and lamented that
he had not been given the precious ointment to sell, or that
v Luke 10:40-42; page 432 herein
w The better rendering is "cruse" or "flask" instead of "box." See re-
vised version.
x This occurrence must not be confused with that of an earlier anointing
of Jesus by a penitent sinner in the house of Simon the Pharisee (Luke 7:36-
50) in Galilee. See page 262 herein.
y Note 7, end of chapter.
z Three hundred pence or Roman denarii would be approximately equal
in value to forty-five dollars.
MARY OF BETHANY UNJUSTLY CRITICIZED. 513
the price had not been turned into the bag of which he was
the self-interested custodian. Mary's use of the costly
unguent had been so lavish that others beside Judas had let
their surprize grow into murmuring; but to him is attrib-
uted the distinction of being the chief complainer. Mary's
sensitive nature was pained by the ungracious words of dis-
approval; but Jesus interposed, saying: "Why trouble ye
the woman ? for she hath wrought a good work upon me."
Then in further rebuke and by way of solemn instruction He
continued : "For ye have the poor always with you ; but me
ye have not always. For in that she hath poured this oint-
ment on my body, she did it for my burial. Verily I say
unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the
whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done,
be told for a memorial of her."
We are left without certain information as to whether
Mary knew that within a few days her beloved Lord would
be in the tomb. She may have been so informed in view of
the hallowed intimacy between Jesus and the family; or
she may have gathered from the remarks of Christ to the
apostles that the sacrifice of His life was impending; or
perhaps by inspired intuition she was impelled to render the
loving tribute by which her memory has been enshrined in
the hearts of all who know and love the Christ. John has
preserved to us this remark of Jesus in the rebuke called
forth by the grumbling Iscariot: "Let her alone; against
the day of my burying hath she kept this" ; and Mark's ver-
sion is likewise suggestive of definite and solemn purpose on
Mary's part : "She is come aforehand to anoint my body to
the burying."
CHRIST'S TRIUMPHAL ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM.
While still in Bethany or in the neighboring village of
Bethphage, and according to John's account on the next day
a Matt. 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:29-44; John 12:12-19.
17
514 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 29.
after the supper at Simon's house, Jesus directed two of His
disciples to go to a certain place, where, He told them, they
would find an ass tied, and with her a colt on which no man
had ever sat. These they were to bring to Him. If stopped
or questioned they were to say the Lord had need of the
animals. Matthew alone mentions both ass and colt; the
other writers specify the latter only ; most likely the mother
followed as the foal was led away, and the presence of the
dam probably served to keep the colt tractable. The disci-
ples found all to be as the I^ord had said. They brought
the colt to Jesus, spread their coats on the gentle creature's
back, and set the Master thereon. The company started
toward Jerusalem, Jesus riding in their midst.
Now, as was usual, great numbers of people had come
up to the city many days before the beginning of the Pass-
over rites, in order that they might attend to matters of
personal purification, and make good their arrears in the
offering of prescribed sacrifices. Though the great day, on
which the festival was to be inaugurated, was yet four days
ahead, the city was thronged with pilgrim crowds; and
among these much questioning had arisen as to whether
Jesus would venture to appear publicly in Jerusalem during
the feast, in view of the well-known plans of the hierarchy
to take Him into custody. The common people were inter-
ested in every act and movement of the Master ; and word
of His departure from Bethany sped ahead of Him ; so that
by the time He began the descent from the highest part of
the road on the flank of the Mount of Olives, great crowds
had gathered about Him. The people were jubilant over the
spectacle of Jesus riding toward the holy city ; they spread
out their garments, and cast palm fronds and other foliage
in His path, thus carpeting the way as for the passing of a
king. For the time being He was their king, and they His
adoring subjects. The voices of the multitude sounded in
reverberating harmony : "Blessed be the King that cometh
THE PRINCE OF PEACE RIDES INTO JERUSALEM. 515
in the name of the Lord : peace in heaven, and glory in the
highest"; and again: "Hosanna to the son of David:
Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord ; Hosanna
in the highest.''^
But amidst all this jubilation, Jesus was sad as He came
in sight of the great city wherein stood the House of the
Lord ; and He wept, because of the wickedness of His peo-
ple, and of their refusal to accept Him as the Son of God ;
moreover He foresaw the awful scenes of destruction before
which both city and temple were soon to fall. In anguish
and tears, He thus apostrophized the doomed city : "If thou
hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things
which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from
thine eyes. For the days shall come upon thee, that thine
enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee
round, and keep thee in on every side, And shall lay thee
even with the ground, and thy children within thee ; and
they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another ; be-
cause thou knewest not the time of thy visitation." The
multitude was increased by tributary crowds who fell in with
the imposing procession at every crossway; and the shouts
of praise and homage were heard inside the city while the
advancing company was yet far from the walls. When the
Lord rode through the massive portal and actually entered
the capital of the Great King, the whole city was thrilled.
To the inquiry of the uninformed, "Who is this ?" the multi-
tude shouted: "This is Jesus, the prophet of Nazareth of
Galilee." It may be that the Galilean pilgrims were first to
answer and loudest in the gladsome proclamation ; for the
proud Judeans held Galilee in low esteem, and on this .day,
Jesus of Galilee was the most prominent personage in Jeru-
salem. The Pharisees, resentful of the honors thus shown
to One whom they had long plotted to destroy, impotently
condoled with one another over the failure of all their nefar-
b Note 8, end of chapter.
516 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 29.
ious schemes, saying: "Perceive ye how ye prevail noth-
ing? behold, the world is gone after him." Unable to
check the surging enthusiasm of the multitudes, or to silence
the joyous acclamations, some of the Pharisees made their
way through the throngs until they reached Jesus, and to
Him they appealed, saying : "Master, rebuke thy disciples."
But the Lord "answered and said unto them, I tell you that,
if these should hold their peace, the stones would immedi-
ately cry out." c
Dismounting, He entered afoot the temple enclosure;
shouts of adulation greeted Him there. Chief priests, scribes,
and Pharisees, the official representatives of the theocracy,
the hierarchy of Judaism, were incensed ; there was no deny-
ing the fact that the people were rendering Messianic honors
to this troublesome Nazarene ; and that too within the very
purlieus of the temple of Jehovah.
The purpose of Christ in thus yielding Himself for the
day to the desires of the people and accepting their homage
with kingly grace may not be fully comprehended by us of
finite mind. That the occasion was no accidental or fortu-
itous happening, of which He took advantage without pre-
conceived intention, is evident. He knew beforehand what
would be, and what He would do. It was no meaningless
pageantry ; but the actual advent of the King into His royal
city, and His entry into the temple, the house of the King of
kings. He came riding on an ass, in token of peace, ac-
claimed by the Hosanna shouts of multitudes ; not on a
caparisoned steed with the panoply of combat and the accom-
paniment of bugle blasts and fanfare of trumpets. That the
joyous occasion was in no sense suggestive of physical hos-
tility or of seditious disturbance is sufficiently demonstrated
by the indulgent unconcern with which it was viewed by the
Roman officials, who were usually prompt to send their
legionaries swooping down from the fortress of Antonia at
c Compare Hab. 2:11.
PROPHECY FULFILLED IN CHRIST'S TRIUMPHAL ENTRY. 517
the first evidence of an outbreak ; and they were particularly
vigilant in suppressing all Messianic pretenders, for false
Messiahs had arisen already, and much blood had been shed
in the forcible dispelling of their delusive claims. But the
Romans saw nothing to fear, perhaps much to smile at, in
the spectacle of a King mounted upon an ass, and attended
by subjects, who, though numerous, brandished no weapons
but waved instead palm branches and myrtle sprigs. The
ass has been designated in literature as "the ancient symbol
of Jewish royalty," and one riding upon an ass as the type
of peaceful progress.
Such triumphal entry of Jesus into the chief city of the
Jews would have been strikingly inconsistent with the gen-
eral tenor of His ministry in its early stages. Even the in-
timation that He was the Christ had been made with guarded
care, if at all ; and every manifestation of popular regard in
which He might have figured as a national leader had been
suppressed. Now, however, the hour of the great consum-
mation was near at hand; the public acceptance of the
nation's homage, and the acknowledgment of both kingly
and Messianic titles, constituted an open and official procla-
mation of His divine investiture. He had entered city and
temple in such royal state as befitted the Prince of Peace.
By the rulers of the nation He had been rejected and His
claims derided. The manner of His entry should have ap-
pealed to the learned teachers of the law and the prophets ;
for Zechariah's impressive forecast, the fulfilment of which
the evangelist, John, finds in the events of this memorable
Sunday/ was frequently cited among them: "Rejoice
greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jeru-
salem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and
having salvation ; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon
a colt the foal of an ass."*
d The Sunday before Easter is annually celebrated by many Christian
sects as Palm Sunday, in commemoration of our Lord's triumphal entry
into Jerusalem.
?Zech. 9:9.
518 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 29.
CERTAIN GREEKS VISIT CHRIST/
Among the multitudes who came to Jerusalem at the time
of the annual Passover were people of many nations. Some
of these, though not of Jewish descent, had been converted
to Judaism ; they were admitted to the temple precincts, but
were not allowed to pass beyond the court of the Gentiles.^
Sometime during our Lord's last week of mortal life, possi-
bly on the day of His royal entry into the city/* certain
Greeks, who were evidently numbered among the proselytes
since they had come "to worship at the feast/' sought an in-
terview with Jesus. Imbued with a becoming sense of de-
corum they hesitated to directly approach the Master, and
applied instead to Philip, one of the apostles, saying : "Sir,
we would see Jesus." Philip consulted with Andrew, and
the two then informed Jesus, who, as we may reasonably
infer from the context though the fact is not explicitly stated,
graciously received the foreign visitors and imparted to them
precepts of the utmost worth. It is evident that the desire
of these Greeks to meet the Master was not grounded 011
curiosity or other unworthy impulse ; they earnestly wished
to see and hear the Teacher whose fame had reached their
country, and whose doctrines had impressed them.
To them Jesus testified that the hour of His death was
near at hand, the hour in which "the Son of man should be
glorified." They were surprized and pained by the Lord's
words, and possibly they inquired as to the necessity of such
a sacrifice. Jesus explained by citing a striking illustration
drawn from nature : "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except
a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone :
but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit."* The simile is an
/John 12:20-26.
g See "House of the Lord," pages 56, 57.
h John records this event in immediate sequence to the Lord's triumphal
entry, though without any specific indication of the time of its occurrence.
* Compare 1 Cor. 15:36.
THE SEED AND THE RESULTING CROP. 519
apt one, and at once impressively simple and beautiful. A
farmer who neglects or refuses to cast his wheat into the
earth, because he wants to keep it, can have no increase ; but
if he sow the wheat in good rich soil, each living grain may
multiply itself many fold, though of necessity the seed must
be sacrificed in the process. So, said the Lord, "He that
loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this
world shall keep it unto life eternal." The Master's mean-
ing is clear; he that loves his life so well that he will not
imperil it, or, if need be, give it up, in the service of God,
shall forfeit his opportunity to win the bounteous increase of
eternal life; while he who esteems the call of God as so
greatly superior to life that his love of life is as hatred in
comparison, shall find the life he freely yields or is willing
to yield, though for the time being it disappear like the
grain buried in the soil ; and he shall rejoice in the bounty of
eternal development. If such be true of every man's exist-
ence, how transcendently so was it of the life of Him who
came to die that men may live ? Therefore was it necessary
that He die, as He had said He was about to do ; but His
death, far from being life lost, was to be life glorified.
THE VOICE FROM HEAVEN.'
The realization of the harrowing experiences upon which
He was about to enter, and particularly the contemplation of
the state of sin, which made His sacrifice imperative, so
weighed upon the Savior's mind that He sorrowed deeply.
"Now is my soul troubled," He groaned ; "and what shall I
say?" He exclaimed in anguish. Should He say, "Father,
save me from this hour" when as He knew "for this cause"
had He come "unto this hour ?" To His Father alone could
He turn for comforting support, not to ask relief from, but
strength to endure, what was to come; and He prayed:
j John 12:27-36.
520 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 29.
"Father, glorify thy name." It was the rising of a mighty
Soul to meet a supreme issue, which for the moment had
seemed to be overwhelming. To that prayer of renewed
surrender to the Father's will, "Then came there a voice
from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify
it again."
The voice was real ; it was no subjective whisper of com-
fort to the inner consciousness of Jesus, but an external,
objective reality. People who were standing by heard the
sound, and interpreted it variously; some said it was thun-
der ; others, of better spiritual discernment, said : "An angel
spake to him" ; and some may have understood the words as
had Jesus. Now fully emerged from the passing cloud of
enveloping anguish, the Lord turned to the people, saying:
"This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes."
And then, with the consciousness of assured triumph over
sin and death, He exclaimed in accents of divine jubilation,
as though the cross and the sepulchre were already of the
past: "Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the
prince of this world be cast out." Satan, the prince of the
world was doomed.* "And I," the Lord continued, "if I be
lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me." John
assures us that this last utterance signified the manner of the
Lord's death ; the people so understood, and they asked an
explanation of what seemed to them an inconsistency, in that
the scriptures, as they had been taught to interpret the same,
declared that the Christ was to abide forever/ and now He
who claimed to be the Messiah, the Son of Man, averred that
He must be lifted up. "Who is this Son of man?" they
asked. Mindful as ever not to cast pearls where they would
not be appreciated, the Lord refrained from a direct avowal,
but admonished them to walk in the light while the light was
with them, for darkness would surely follow; and, as He
k Compare John 14:30; 18:11.
/See e. g. Isa. 9:7; Dan. 7:14. 27; Ezek. 37:25.
( y] - NOTES.
reminded them, "he that walketh in darkness knoweth not
whither he goeth." In conclusion the L,ord admonished
them thus : "While ye have light, believe in the light, that
ye may be the children of light. " m
At the close of this discourse Jesus departed from the
people "and did hide himself from them." The record of
the first day of what has come to be known as the week of
our Lord's passion" is thus concluded by Mark : "And when
he had looked round about upon all things, and now the
eventide was come, he went out unto Bethany with the
twelve."*
NOTES TO CHAPTER 29.
1. The Mother of James and John. The mother of these
two sons of Zebedee (Matt. 20:20; compare 4:21) is generally
understood to have been the Salome mentioned as one of the
women present at the crucifixion (Mark 15:40; compare Matt.
27:56 in which "the mother of Zebedee's children" is mentioned,
and the name "Salome" is omitted), and one of those who arrived
first at the tomb on the morning of the resurrection (Mark 16:1).
From the fact that John mentions the mother of Jesus and "his
mother's sister" (19:25) and omits mention of Salome by name,
some expositors hold that Salome was the sister of Mary the
mother of Jesus ; and therefore the Savior's aunt. This rela-
tionship would make James and John cousins to Jesus. While
the scriptural record does not disprove this alleged kinship, it
certainly does not affirm the same.
2. Jericho. This was an ancient city, lying north-easterly
from Jerusalem, a little less than fifteen miles in a straight line.
In the course of the exodus it was captured by the people of
Israel through a miraculous interposition of divine power. (Josh.
6). The productiveness of the region is indicated by the de-
scriptive appellation "city of palm trees" (Deut. 34:3; Judg. 1:16;
3:13; 2 Chron. 28:15). The name Jericho means "place of fra-
grance." Its climate was semi-tropical, a consequence of its
low altitude. It lay in a valley several hundred feet below the
level of the Mediterranean; this explains Luke's statement (19:
28) that after Jesus had spoken the Parable of the Pounds. when
on the way from Jericho, "he went before, ascending up to
Jerusalem." In the time of Christ, Jericho was an important
city; and the abundance of its commercial products, particularly
balsam and spices, led to the maintenance of a customs office
there, over which Zaccheus seems to have presided.
m Compare John 1:9; 3:19; 8:12; 9:5; 12:46; see page 407.
n Acts 1:3.
o Mark 11:11. Note 9, end of chapter.
522 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 29.
3. The Nobleman and the Kingdom. The local setting of
the part of the Parable of the Pounds that relates to a certain
nobleman going into a far_ country to receive for himself a king-
dom, had its parallel in history. Archelaus, who by the will of
his father, Herod the Great, had been named king of the Jews,
set out for Rome to ask of the emperor the confirmation of his
royal status. He was opposed by a protest from the people. On
the utilization of this circumstance in the parable, Farrar (p. 493,
note) says : " 'A nobleman going into a far country to receive a
kingdom' would be utterly unintelligible, had we not fortunately
known that this was done both by Archelaus and by Antipas
(Jos. Ant xvii, 9:4). And in the case of Archelaus the Jews had
actually sent to Augustus a deputation of fifty, to recount his
cruelties and oppose his claims, which, though it failed at the
time, was subsequently successful (Josephus, Ant. xyii, 13:2).
Philipus defended the property of Archelaus, during his absence,
from the encroachments of the Proconsul Sabinus. The
magnificent palace which Archelaus had built at Jericho (Jos.
Ant. xvii, 13:1) would naturally recall these circumstances to the
mind of Jesus, and the parable is another striking example of
the manner in which He utilized the most ordinary circumstances
around Him, and made them the bases of His highest teachings.
It is also another unsuspected indication of the authenticity and
truthfulness of the Gospels."
4. "We Will Not Have this Man to Reign Over Us." On
this phase of the parable, Trench (Miracles, p. 390) very aptly
remarks: "Twice before He had gone to receive His kingdom,
this very declaration found formal utterance from their lips,
once when they cried to Pilate, 'We have no king but Caesar'; and
again when they remonstrated with him, 'Write not, The King
of the Jews' (John 19:15, 21; compare Acts 17:7). But the
stricter fulfilment of these words is to be found in the demeanor
of the Jews after His ascension, their fierce hostility to Christ
in His infant Church (Acts 12:3; 13:45; 14:18; 17:5; 18:6; 22:22;
23:12; i Thes. 2:15)."
5. The Day of the Supper at Bethany. John places this
event as having occurred on the day following Christ's arrival
in Bethany, for as we see from 12:12, the triumphal entry into
Jerusalem took place on the next day after the supper, and, as
stated in the text, Jesus most probably reached Bethany on Fri-
day. The joyous processional into Jerusalem did not occur on
the day following Friday, for that was the Jewish Sabbath.
Matthew (26:2-13) and Mark (14:1-9) give place to the incident
of the supper after the record of the triumphal entry and other
events, from which some have drawn the inference that these
two writers place the supper two days before the Passover. This
inference lacks confirmation. In this matter the chronological
order given by John appears to be the true one.
6. The Family Home at Bethany. The home of Martha,
Mary, and Lazarus appears to have been the usual abiding place
of Jesus when He was in Bethany. Undoubtedly He was on
terms of very close and affectionate acquaintanceship with all
NOTES. 523
members of the family, even before the miraculous raising of
Lazarus from the dead, and, this supremely blessed occurrence
must have intensified into worshipful reverence the esteem in
which our Lord had been held in that household. As to whether
this home was identical with the house of Simon the leper, the
scriptural record does not state. John, who gives a fairly de-
tailed account of the supper served by Martha, makes no men-
tion of Simon or his house. It is noticeable that the synoptic
writers say very little about this home in Bethany. Farrar has
aptly remarked (p. 483) : "We seem to trace in the Synoptists
a special reticence about the family at Bethany. The house in
which they take a prominent position is called 'the house of
Simon the leper'; Mary is called simply 'a woman' by St. Matthew
and St. Mark (Matt. 26:6, 7; Mark 14:3) ; and St. Luke contents
himself with calling Bethany 'a certain village' (Luke 10:38),
although he was perfectly aware of the name (Luke 19:29)."
7. Spikenard Ointment. This was among the most highly
prized of oriental unguents. That with which Mary anointed
Jesus is described by Matthew and Mark as "very precious,"^ and
by John as "very costly." In the original the adjective "pistic"
appears; this is translated by some as meaning "liquid," but by
others as signifying "genuine." There were many inferior imi-
tations of the real spikenard, or nard; and we are left without a
doubt that Mary's precious gift was of the best. The plant from
which the fragrant extract is obtained is a species of bearded
frass indigenous in India. Spikenard is mentioned in Song of
olomon i :I2; 4:13, 14,
8. Hosanna! "Hosanna" is a Greek form of the Hebrew
expression for "Save us now," or "Save, we pray," which occurs'
in the original of Psalm 118:25. It occurs nowhere in the Eng-
lish Bible except in the acclamations of the people at Christ's
triumphal entry into Jerusalem, and in the joyous shouts of
children in the temple (Matt. 21:9, !5)- Note the rendering of
the "Hosanna Shout" in the restored Church of Christ in the cur-
rent dispensation on occasions of particular rejoicing before the
Lord (see the House of the Lord, pp. 120, 150, 210). "Halle-
lujah," literally rendered, means "Praise ye Jehovah." It occurs
in the Greek form "Alleluia" in Rev. 19:1, 3, 4, 6.
9. The First Day in Passion Week. A comparison of the
accounts of the Lord's triumphal entry into Jerusalem, and of
certain events following, as recorded by the three synoptists, shows
at least a possibility of discrepancy as to sequence. It appears
certain that Jesus visited the temple grounds on the day of the
royal advent into the city. From Matthew 21:12 and Luke .19:45
and the context preceding these passages, the inference has been
drawn that the second clearing of the temple occurred on the
day of the processional entry; while others interpret Mark 11:11
and 15 as meaning that the event took place on a later day. The
question is admittedly an open one; and the order of presentation
followed in the text is one of convenience of treatment based on
rational probability.
JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 30.
CHAPTER 30.
JESUS RETURNS TO THE TEMPLE DAILY.
AN INSTRUCTIVE INCIDENT ON THE WAY.
On the morrow, which, as we reckon, was Monday, the
second day of Passion week, Jesus and the Twelve returned
to Jerusalem and spent the greater part of the day at the
temple. The start from Bethany was an early one, and
Jesus hungered by the way. Looking ahead He saw a fig
tree that differed from the rest of the many fig trees of the
region in that it was in full leaf though the season of fruit
had not yet come. & It is well known that the fruit-buds of a
fig-tree appear earlier than do the leaves, and that by the
time the tree is in full foliage the figs are well advanced to-
ward maturity. Moreover, certain species of figs are edible
while yet green; indeed the unripe fruit is relished in the
Orient at the present time. It would be reasonable, there-
fore, for one to expect to find edible figs even in early April
on a tree that was already covered with leaves. When Jesus
and His party reached this particular tree, which had rightly
been regarded as rich in promise of fruit, they found on it
nothing but leaves ; it was a showy, fruitless, barren tree. It
was destitute even of old figs, those of the preceding season,
some of which are often found in spring on fruitful trees.
Jesus pronounced upon that tree the sentence of perpetual
barrenness. "No man eat fruit of thee hereafter forever",
He said according to Mark's account; or, as Matthew re-
cords the judgment, "Let no fruit grow on thee hencefor-
ward for ever." The latter writer tells us in immediate
a Matt. 21:18-22; Mark 11:12-14. 20-26.
b Note 1, end of chapter.
THE BLIGHTED FIG TREE. 525
sequence that "presently the fig tree withered away"; but
the former makes it appear that the effect of the curse was
not observed until the following morning, when, as Jesus
and the apostles were once again on the way between Beth-
any and Jerusalem, they saw that the fig tree had withered
and dried from the roots up. Peter called attention to the
blasted tree, and, addressing Jesus, exclaimed : "Master,
behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away."
Applying the lesson of the occasion, Jesus said, "Have
faith in God"; and then He repeated some of His former
assurances as to the power of faith, by which even moun-
tains may be removed, should there be need of such miracu-
lous accomplishment, and through which, indeed, any neces-
sary thing may be done. The blighting of a tree was shown
to be small in comparison with the greater possibilities of
achievement through faith and prayer. But to so achieve
one must work and pray without reservation or doubt, as
the Lord thus made plain : "Therefore I say unto you,
What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that
ye receive them, and ye shall have them." Prayer must be
acceptable unto God to be effective ; and it follows that he
who desires to accomplish any work through prayer and
faith must be fit to present himself before the Lord in sup-
plication ; therefore Jesus again instructed the apostles say-
ing: "And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought
against any : that your Father also which is in heaven may
forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive,
neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your
trespasses." c
The blighting of the barren fig tree is regarded by many
as unique among the recorded miracles of Christ, from the
fact that while all the others were wrought for relief, bless-
ing, and beneficent purposes generally, this one appears as
an act of judgment and destructive execution. Neverthe-
cPage 240.
'526 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 30.
Jess in this miracle the Lord's purpose is not hidden ; and the
result, while fatal to a tree, is of lasting blessing to all who
iwould learn and profit by the works of God. If no more has
been accomplished by the miracle than the presenting of
so impressive an object lesson for the instructions that fol-
lowed, that smitten tree has proved of greater service to hu-
manity than have all the fig orchards of Bethphage/ To
the apostles the act was another and an indisputable proof of
the L,ord's power over nature, His control of natural forces
and all material things, His jurisdiction over life and death.
He had healed multitudes ; the wind and the waves had
obeyed His words ; on three occasions He had restored the
'dead to life; it was fitting that He should demonstrate His
power to smite and to destroy. In manifesting His command
over death, He had mercifully raised a maiden from the
|couch on which she had died, a young man from the bier
on which he was being carried to the grave, another from
jthe sepulchre in which he had been laid away a corpse ; but
I in proof of His power to destroy by a word He chose a bar-
Ten and worthless tree for His subject. Could any of the
iTwelve doubt, when, a few days later they saw Him in the
,hands of vindictive priests and heartless pagans, that did He
so will He could smite His enemies by a word, even unto
death? Yet not until after His glorious resurrection did
even the apostles realize how truly voluntary His sacrifice
had been.
But the fate that befell the barren fig tree is instructive
from another point of view. The incident is as much para-
ble as miracle. That leafy tree was distinguished among
'fig trees ; the others offered no invitation, gave no promise ;
"the time of figs was not yet" ; they, in due season would
bring forth fruit and leaves; but this precocious and leafy
4 "Bethphage," the name of a village close to Bethany, and therefore
near to the Mount of Olives, means "house of figs." See mention, Matt.
21:1; Mark 11:1; Luke 19:29. "Bethany" signifies "house of dates." For
"house" in the literal translation we may read "place."
SYMBOLISM OF THE WITHERED TREE.
pretender waved its umbrageous limbs as in boastful asser-
tion of superiority. For those who responded to its osten-
tatious invitation, for the hungering Christ who came seek-
ing fruit, it had naught but leaves. Even for the purposes of
the lesson involved, we cannot conceive of the tree being
blighted primarily because it was fruitless, for at that season
the other fig trees were bare of fruit also ; it was made the
object of the curse and the subject of the Lord's instructive
discourse, because, having leaves, it was deceptively barren.
Were it reasonable to regard the tree as possessed of moral
agency, we would have to pronounce it a hypocrite ; its utter
barrenness coupled with its abundance of foliage made of
it a type of human hypocrisy.
The leafy, fruitless tree was a symbol of Judaism, which
loudly proclaimed itself as the only true religion of the age,
and condescendingly invited all the world to come and par-
take of its rich ripe fruit; when in truth it was but an un-
natural growth of leaves, with no fruit of the season, nor
even an edible bulb held over from earlier years, for such
as it had of former fruitage was dried to worthlessness and
made repulsive in its worm-eaten decay. The religion of
Israel had degenerated into an artificial religionism, which in
pretentious show and empty profession outclassed the abom-
inations of heathendom. As already pointed out in these
pages, the fig tree was a favorite type in rabbinical represen-
tation of the Jewish race, and the L,ord had before adopted
the symbolism in the Parable of the Barren Fig Tree, that
worthless growth which did but cumber the ground/
TH SECOND CLEARING OF THE TEMPLE/
Within the temple grounds Jesus was filled with indig-
nation at the scene of tumult and desecration which the place
presented. Three years before, at Passover time, He had
e Luke 13:6-9; page 443 herein.
/Matt. 21:12, 13; Mark 11:15-17; Luke 19:45, 46.
JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 30.
been wrought up to a high state of righteous anger by a sim-
ilar exhibition of sordid chaffering within the sacred pre-
cincts, and had driven out the sheep and oxen, and forcibly
expelled the traders and the money-changers and all who
were using His Father's house as a house of merchandized
That was near the beginning of His public labor, and the
vigorous action was among the first of His works to attract
general attention; now, within four days of the cross, He
cleared the courts again by casting out all "them that sold
and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the
moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves";
nor would He suffer any to carry their buckets and baskets
through the enclosure, as many were in the habit of doing,
and so making the way a common thoroughfare. "Is it not
written," He demanded of them in wrath, "My house shall
be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have
made it a den of thieves." On the former occasion, before
He had declared or even confessed His Messiahship, He had
designated the temple as "My Father's house" ; now that He
had openly avowed Himself to be the Christ, He called it
"My house." The expressions are in a sense synonymous;
He and the Father were and are one in possession and do-
minion. The means by which the later expulsion was accom-
plished are not stated ; but it is plain that none could with-
stand His authoritative command ; He acted in the strength
of righteousness, before which the forces of evil had to
give way.
His wrath of indignation was followed by the calmness
of gentle ministry ; there in the cleared courts of His house,
blind and lame folk came limping and groping about Him,
and He healed them. The anger of the chief priests and
scribes was raging against Him ; but it was impotent. They
had decreed His death, and had made repeated efforts to
take Him, and there He sat within the very area over which
g John 2:14-17; pages 153-158 herein.
CHILDREN SHOUT "HOSANNA TO THE) SON Otf DAVID." 529
they claimed supreme jurisdiction, and they were afraid to
touch Him because of the common people, whom they pro-
fessed to despize yet heartily feared "for all the people
were very attentive to hear him."
The rage of the officials was further aggravated by a
touching incident, which seems to have accompanied or to
have immediately followed His merciful healing of the af-
flicted folk at the temple. Children saw what He did ; with
their innocent minds yet unsullied by the prejudice of tra-
dition and their sight }ret undarkened by sin, they perceived
in Him the Christ, and burst forth into praise and worship
in a hymn that was heard by the angels: "Hosanna to the
son of David. " With ill-concealed anger the temple offi-
cials demanded of Him: "Hearest thou what these say?"
They probably expected Him to disclaim the title, or possibly
hoped that He would reassert His claim in a manner that
would afford excuse for legal action against Him, for to most
of them the Son of David was the Messiah, the promised
King. Would He clear Himself of the blasphemy that
attached to the unjustified acknowledgment of so awful a
dignity? Jesus answered, with an implied rebuke for their
ignorance of the scriptures : "Yea ; have ye never read, Out
of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected
praise?"' 1
It was now Monday evening ; Jesus left the city and re-
tired again to Bethany, where He lodged. This course was
a prudent one, in view of the determination of the rulers to
get Him into their power provided they could do so without
arousing the people. This they could not accomplish by day,
for wherever He appeared He was the center of a multitude ;
but had He remained in Jerusalem over night the vigilant
emissaries of the hierarchy might have succeeded in taking
Him, unless He withstood them by some miraculous action.
Near as was His hour, it had not yet struck ; and He would
ft Matt. 21:16; compare Psalm 8:2; see also Matt. 11:25; 1 Cor. 1:27,
530 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 30.
be made captive only as He permitted Himself, a voluntary
victim, to be taken into the hands of His enemies.
ID!
CHRIST'S AUTHORITY CHALLENGED BY THE RULERS.*
On the following day, that is on Tuesday, He returned
to the temple with the Twelve, passing the withered fig tree
on the way and impressing the moral of the combined mir-
acle and parable as we have already seen. As He taught in
the sacred place, preaching the gospel to all who would hear,
the chief priests with a number of scribes and elders came
upon Him in a body. They had been debating about Him
over night, and had resolved on at least one step ; they would
challenge His authority for what He had done the day be-
fore. They were the guardians of the temple, both the ma-
terial structure and the theocratic system for which the holy
edifice stood ; and this Galilean, who permitted Himself to
be called the Christ and defended those who so acclaimed
Him, had for the second time ignored their authority within
the temple walls and in the presence of the common people
over whom they lorded so arrogantly. So this official depu-
tation, with plans matured, came to Him saying: "By what
authority doest thou these things ? and who gave thee this
authority ?" This action was doubtless a preliminary step in
a preconcerted attempt to suppress the activities of Jesus,
both of word and deed, within the temple precincts. It will
be remembered that after the first cleansing of the temple,
the Jews had angrily demanded pf Jesus a sign by which
they might judge the question of His divine commission;'
and it is significant that on this latter occasion no sign was
asked, but instead thereof, a specific avowal as to the author-
ity He possessed and by whom it had been given Him. A
three years' course of miracle and teaching was known to
I Matt. 21:23-27; Mark 11:27-33; Luke 20:1-8.
/John 2:18-21; page 156 herein.
QUESTION AND COUNTER QUESTION. 531
them ; on the yesterday blind and lame had been healed inside
the temple walls; and Lazarus, the living testimony of the
Lord's power over death and the grave was before them.
To ask a further sign would have been to flagrantly expose
themselves to the ridicule of the people.
They knew what authority the Lord claimed ; their ques-
tion was of sinister purpose. Jesus did not condescend to
voice an answer in which they could possibly find further
excuse for antagonizing Him; but He availed Himself of a
method very common among themselves that of countering
one question with another. "And Jesus answered and said
unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me,
I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these
things. The baptism of John, whence was it ? from heaven,
or of men?" They consulted among themselves as to what
answer would best serve to extricate them from an embar-
rassing position ; no mention is made of any attempt to ascer-
tain the truth and reply accordingly; they were thoroughly
nonplussed. Should they answer that John's baptism was of
God, Jesus would probably demand of them why then they
had not believed in the Baptist, and why they did not accept
John's testimony concerning Himself. On the other hand,
should they aver that John had no divine authority to
preach and baptize, the people would turn against them, for
the martyred Baptist was revered by the masses as a prophet.
In spite of their boasted learning, they answered as puz-
zled school-boys might do when they perceive hidden diffi-
culties in what at first seemed but a simple problem. "We
cannot tell" said they. Then Jesus replied "Neither tell I
you by what authority I do these things."
Chief priests, scribes, and elders of the people were out-
witted and humiliated. The tables were completely turned
upon them ; Jesus, whom they had come to question, became
the examiner; they a class of cowed and unwilling listen-
ers, He the ready instructor, and the multitude interested
532 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 30.
observers. With little likelihood of immediate interruption
the Master proceeded in calm deliberation to relate to them
a series of three splendid stories, each of which they felt ap-
plied to themselves with incisive certainty. The first of the
narrations we call the Parable of the Two Sons.
-fisuiwtbrl} ' bsrnieb b3<x
"But what think ye ? A certain man had two sons ; and
he came to the first, and said, Son, go work today in my'
vineyard. He answered and said, I will not : but afterward
he repented, and went. And he came to the second, and said
likewise. And he answered and said, 1 go, sir: and went
not. Whether of them twain did the will of his father?
They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Ver-
ily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go
into the kingdom of God before you. For John came unto
you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not:
but the publicans and the harlots believed him : and ye, when
ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe
him."*
The opening sentence, "But what think ye ?" was a call to
close attention. It implied a question soon to follow; and
that proved to be : Which of the two sons was the obedient
one? There was but one consistent answer, and they had
to give it, however loath. The application of the parable
followed with convicting promptness. They, the chief
priests, scribes, Pharisees and elders of the people, were
typified by the second son, who, when told to labor in the
vineyard answered so assuringly, but went not, though the
vines were running to wild growth for want of pruning, and
such poor fruit as might mature would be left to fall and rot
upon the ground. The publicans and sinners upon whom
they vented their contempt, whose touch was defilement,
were like unto the first son, who in rude though frank refusal
ignored the father's call, but afterward relented and set to
work, repentantly hoping to make amends for the time he
had lost and for the unfilial spirit he had shown.* Publicans
k Matt. 21:28-32.
I Note 2, end of chapter.
PARABLE OF THE WICKED HUSBANDMEN. 533
and sinners, touched in their hearts by the clarion call to re-
pentance, had flocked to the Baptist in the wilderness with
the earnest inquiry: "Master, what shall we do?" m John's
call had been to no particular class ; but while self-confessed
sinners had repented and sought baptism at his hands,
those very Pharisees and elders of the people had rejected
his testimony and had hypocritically sought to ensnare him.*
Through the parable Jesus answered His own question as to
whether the baptism of John was of God or of man. The
Lord's affirmation, "Verily I say unto you, That the publi-
cans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you,"
was condemnatory of the corrupt though sanctimonious pol-
ity of the hierarchy throughout. It was not wholly without
intimation of possible reformation, however. He did not
say that the repentant sinners should enter, and the priestly
hypocrites stand forever excluded ; for the latter there was
hope if they would but repent, though they would have to
follow, not lead, in the glorious procession of the redeemed.
In a continuation of the same discourse the Lord pre-
sented the Parable of the Wicked Husbandmen, as follows :
\
"Hear another parable: There was a certain house-
holder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about,
and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out
to husbandmen, and went into a far country : And when the
time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the hus-
bandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. And the
husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed an-
other, and stoned another. Again, he sent other servants
more than the first: and they did unto them likewise. But
last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will rev-
erence my son. But when the husbandmen saw the son,, they
said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill
him, and let us seize on his inheritance. And they caught
him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him. When
the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do
m Luke 3:12; compare 7:29; see page 123 herein.
wMatt. 3:7.
JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 30.
unto those husbandmen ? They say unto him, He will mis-
erably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vine-
yard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the
fruits in their seasons."*
Again the Jews were compelled to make answer to the
great question with which the parable dealt, and again by
their answer they pronounced judgment upon themselves.
The vineyard, broadly speaking, was the human family, but
more specifically the covenant people, Israel; the soil was
good and capable of yielding in rich abundance; the vines
were choice and had been set out with care ; and the whole
vineyard was amply protected with a hedge, and suitably
furnished with winepress and tower/ The husbandmen
could be none other than the priests and teachers of Israel,
including the ecclesiastical leaders who were then and there
present in an official capacity. The Lord of the vineyard had
sent among the people prophets authorized to speak in His
name ; and these the wicked tenants had rejected, maltreated,
and, in many instances, cruelly slain.s In the more detailed
reports of the parable we read that when the first servant
came,, the cruel husbandmen "beat him and sent him away
empty" ; the next they wounded "in the head, and sent him
away shamefully handled"; another they murdered and all
who came later were brutally mistreated, and some of them
were killed. Those wicked men had used the vineyard of
their Lord for personal gain, and had rendered no part of
the vintage to the lawful Owner. When the Lord sent
other messengers, "more than the first," or in other words,
greater than the earlier ones, the most recent example being
John the Baptist, the husbandmen rejected them with evil
determination more pronounced than ever. At last the Son
had come in person ; His authority they feared as that of the
lawful heir, and with malignity almost beyond belief, they
oMatt. 21:33-41; compare Mark 12:1-9; Luke 20:9-16.
P Note 3, end of chapter.
q Compare Luke 11:47, 48; Matt. 23:29-33.
THE CHIEF CORNER STONE. 585
determined to kill Him that they might perpetuate their un-
worthy possession of the vineyard and thenceforward hold
it as their own.
Jesus carried the story without break from the criminal
past to the yet more tragic and awful future, then but three
days distant; and calmly related in prophetic imagery, as
though already fulfilled, how those evil men cast the well
beloved Son out of the vineyard and slew Him. Unable to
evade the searching question as to what the Lord of the
vineyard would naturally and righteously do to the wicked
husbandmen, the Jewish rulers gave the only pertinent an-
swer possible that He would surely destroy those wretched
sinners, and let out His vineyard to tenants who were more
honest and worthy.
Suddenly changing the figure, "J esus saith unto them, Did
ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the build-
ers rejected, the same is become the head of the corner : this
is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes ? There-
fore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from
you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.
And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken ; but
on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. " r
There could be no misapprehension as to the Lord's mean-
ing; the rejected Stone which was eventually to have chief
place, "the head of the corner," in the edifice of salvation,
was Himself, the Messiah. To some that Stone would be a
cause of stumbling; wo unto them, for thereby would they
be broken, and only through repentance and works of right-
eousness could they even in part recover; but upon others,
those who would persist in their opposition, the Stone would
fall in judgment ; and wo, wo to them, for beneath it they
would be destroyed as though ground to powder/ From
them, the leaders, and from the people who followed their
j-Matt. 21:42-44; see also Mark 12:10, 11; Luke 20:17, 18; compare Psalm
118:22; Isa. 28:16; Acts 4:11; Eph. 2:20; 1 Peter 2:8, 7.
S Compare Dan. 2:44, 45; Isa. 60:12.
536 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 30.
unholy precepts and foul example, the kingdom of God was
about to be taken, and would in time be given to the Gentiles,
who, the L,ord affirmed, would prove more worthy than
Israel had been. We gather from Luke's account that in
contemplation of this awful penalty, "they," whether priestly
rulers or common people we are not told, exclaimed in
despair, "God forbid!"
As the chief priests and Pharisees realized the complete-
ness of their discomfiture and the extent of the humiliation
to which they had been subjected in the eyes of the people,
they were incensed beyond measure, and even attempted to
lay hold on Jesus there in the temple ; but the sympathies of
the multitude were so unmistakably in His favor that the
angry ecclesiasts desisted. The people in general, while not
prepared to openly proclaim Him as the Christ, knew that
He was a prophet of God, and their dread of official dis-
pleasure arid possible penalty did not deter them from
friendly demonstrations.
Jesus resumed His teaching by relating the Parable of
the Royal Marriage Feast.
"And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by
parables, and said, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a cer-
tain king, which made a marriage for hi's son, And sent forth
4iis servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding :
and they would not come. Again, he sent forth other ser-
vants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have
prepared my dinner : my oxen and my f atlings are killed,
and all things are ready : come unto the marriage. But they
made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, an-
other to his merchandise: And the remnant took his ser-
vants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. But
when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent
forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned
up their city. Then saith he to his servants, The wedding
is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. Go
ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find,
bid to the marriage. So those servants went out into the
THE ROYAL MARRIAGE FEAST. 537,
highways, and gathered together all as many as they found,
both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with
guests."*
The invitation of a king to his subjects is equivalent to a
command. The marriage feast was no surprize event, for
the selected guests had been bidden long aforetime ; and, in
accordance with oriental custom were notified again on the
opening day of the festivities," which, according to Hebrew
customs, would be understood as extending over a period
of seven or fourteen days ; in this case of a marriage in the
royal family the greater duration would be assumed. Many
of the bidden guests refused to come when formally sum-
moned; and of the tolerant king's later and more pressing
message they made light and went their ways, while the
most wicked turned upon the servants who brought the royal
summons, mistreated them cruelly, and some of them they
killed. It is plainly evident that the refusal to attend the
king's feast was a deliberate rebellion against the royal
authority and a personal indignity against both the reigning
sovereign and his son. It was as much a duty as an honor
for loyal subjects to attend the marriage festival of the
prince, whom we cannot err in regarding as the lawful heir
to the throne, and therefore the one who might some day
reign over them. The turning away by one man to his farm
and by another to his merchandize is in part an evidence
of their engrossment in material pursuits to the utter dis-
regard of their sovereign's will; but it signifies further an
effort to deaden their troubled consciences by some absorb-
ing occupation ; and possibly also a premeditated demonstra-
tion of the fact that they placed their personal affairs above
the call of their king. The monarch executed a terrible retri-
bution upon his rebellious subjects. If the parable was in-
tended to be an allegorical presentation of actual events, it
JMatt. 22:1-10.
Note 4, end of chapter.
JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 30.
passes at this point from the story of the past to that of
the future, for the destruction of Jerusalem postdates by sev-
eral decades the death of Christ. Finding the guests who
had some claim on the royal invitation to be utterly un-
worthy, the king sent out his servants again, and these gath-
ered in from the highways and cross-roads, from the byways
and the lanes, all they could find, irrespective of rank or
station, whether rich or poor, good or bad ; "and the wedding
was furnished with guests."
The great feast by which the Messianic reign was to be
ushered in was a favorite theme of jubilant exposition in
both synagog and school ; and exultation ran high in the rab-
binical dictum that none but the children of Abraham would
be among the blessed partakers. The king in the parable is
God ; the son whose marriage was the occasion of the feast
is Jesus, the Son of God; the guests who were bidden early,
yet who refused to come when the feast was ready, are the
covenant people who rejected their Lord, the Christ; the
later guests, who were brought in from the streets and the
roads, are the Gentile nations, to whom the gospel has been
carried since its rejection by the Jews; the marriage feast is
symbolical of the glorious consummation of the Messiah's
mission.*'
All students of the subject must have noted the points of
resemblance by which this parable is related to that of the
great supper ; w fewer perhaps have considered the differences
between the two. The earlier story was told in the house of
one of the chief Pharisees, probably in some town in Perea ;
the later one was related within the temple, after Pharisaic
opposition to Christ had reached its height. The first is of
simpler plot and of gentler climax. The neglect of the in-
vited guests in the first story was accompanied by excuses
in which some approach to polite apology appears: the
v Compare Matt. 25:10; 2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 5:32; Rev. 19:7; 21:2, 9.
w Luke 14:16-24; page 450 herein.
THE WEDDING GARMENT. 539
refusal of those bidden in the second parable was markedly
offensive, and was coupled with outrageous abuse and mur-
der. The host in one instance was a wealthy though private
citizen, in the other the giver of the feast was a king. In
the first, the occasion was one of ordinary though abundant
entertainment ; in the second, the determining time was that
of the appointed marriage of the royal heir. Retribution in
the first instance was limited to exclusion from the banquet ;
in the latter the individual punishment was death, which was
followed by the punitive -example of the city's destruction.
Our account of the royal marriage feast is not yet com-
plete; the story already considered is supplemented by the
following:
"And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw
there a man which had not on a wedding garment : And he
saith unto him, Friend, how earnest thou in hither not hav-
ing a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then
said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and
take him away, and cast him into outer darkness ; there shall
be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called,
but few are chosen."
The lessons embodied in this section of the parable may
be advantageously considered apart from those of the first
division. As was befitting his dignity, the king came into
the banquet hall after the- guests had taken their places in
orderly array. His immediate detection of one who was
without the prescribed garment implies a personal scrutiny
of the guests. One may be led to inquire, how, under the
circumstances of hurried summoning, the several guests
could have suitably attired themselves for the feast. The
unity of the narrative requires that some provision had been
made whereby each one who properly applied was given the
garment prescribed by the king's command, and in keeping
with the established custom at court. That the unrobed
guest was guilty of neglect, intentional disrespect, or some
more grievous offense, is plain from the context. The king
540 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 30.
at first was graciously considerate, inquiring only as to how
the man had entered without a wedding garment. Had the
guest been able to explain his exceptional appearance, or
had he any reasonable excuse to offer, he surely would have
spoken ; but we are told that he remained speechless. The
king's summons had been freely extended to all whom his
servants had found ; but each of them had to enter the royal
palace by the door ; and before reaching the banquet room,
in which the king would appear in person, each would be
properly attired ; but the deficient one, by some means had
entered by another way ; and not having passed the attend-
ant sentinels at the portal, he was an intruder, of a kind with
the man to whom the Lord had before referred as a thief and
a robber because, not entering by the door, he had climbed
up some other way.* The king gave a command, and his
ministers^ bound the offender and cast him forth from the
palace into outer darkness, where the anguish of remorse
caused weeping and gnashing of teeth.
As summary and epilogue of the three great parables
constituting this series, the Lord spake these words of sol-
emn import : "For many are called, but few are chosen." 2
Each of the parables has its own wealth of wisdom ; and the
three are as one in declaring the great truth that even the
children of the covenant will be rejected except they make
good their title by godly works ; while to the heathen and the
sinners the portals of heaven shall open, if by repentance
and compliance with the laws and ordinances of the gospel
they shall merit salvation.
The story of the royal marriage feast was the last of our
Lord's parables delivered publicly to a mixed audience. Two
others were spoken to the apostles, as they sat in solemn
converse with the Lord on the Mount of Olives after the
public ministry of Christ had been brought to a close.
x Compare page 416.
yNote 5, end of chapter.
*Matt. 22:14; compare 20:16; see page 481. Note 6, end of chapter.
NOTES. 541
NOTES TO CHAPTER 30.
.
1. Fig Tree. "The^ fig tree is very common in Palestine
(Deut. 8:8). Its fruit is a well known and highly esteemed
article of food. In the East this is of three kinds; (i) the early
fig, ripening about the end of June; (2) the summer fig, ripening
in August; (3) the winter fig, larger and darker than No. 2,
hanging and ripening late on the tree, even after the leaves were
shed, and sometimes gathered in the spring. The blossoms ofj
the fig tree are within the receptacle or so-called fruit, and not
visible outwardly; and this fruit begins to develop before the
leaves. Hence the fig tree which had leaves before the usual
time might naturally have been expected to have also some figs
on it (Mark 11:13); but it was not true to its pretensions.",
(Smith's Comp. Bible Diet.) \
2. The Two Sons in the Parable. Although this excellent
parable was addressed to the chief priests, scribes, and elders,
who had come in hostile spirit to demand of Christ the creden-
tials of His authority, its lesson is of universal application. The
two sons are yet alive in every human community the one
openly boastful of his sin, the other a hypocritical pretender.
Jesus did not commend the rough refusal of the first son of
whom the father made a righteous demand for service; it was
his subsequent repentance attended by works that made him
superior to his brother who had made fair promise but had kept
it not. There are many today who boast that they make no
profession of religion, nor pretense of godly life. Their frank-
ness_ will not mitigate their sins ; it simply shows that a certain
species of hypocrisy is not prominent among their numerous
offenses ; but that a man is innocent of one vice, say that of
drunkenness, in no wise diminishes his measure of guilt if he be
a liar, a thief, an adulterer, or a murderer. Both the sons in the
parable were grievous sinners; but the one turned from his evil
ways, which theretofore he had followed with flagrant openness,
while the other continued in dark deeds of sin, which he sought
to cover by a cloak of hypocrisy. Let no man think that because
he becomes intoxicated at the public bar he is any the less a
drunkard than is he who swallows the "beverage of hell" in com-
parative privacy, though the latter be both drunkard and hypocrite, j
For these sins, as for all others, genuine repentance is the only
saving antidote.
3. Israel Symbolized by Vineyard and Vines. The aptness
of our Lord's representation of Israel as a vineyard could not
have escaped the perception of the Jews, to whom Old Testa-
ment similes of analogous form were familiar figures. Notable
among others is the striking picture presented by Isaiah (5:1-7),
in which the well provided vineyard is shown as producing wild
grapes only, for which grievous disappointment of his expecta-
tions the owner determined to break down the wall, remove the
hedge, and leave the vineyard to its fate of abandonment. The
explication of the parable voiced by Isaiah is thus given:
JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 30.
"For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel,
and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for judg-
ment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a
cry." The worthlessness of a vine save only for its fruit was
set forth by the Lord through His prophet Ezekiel (15:2-5);
and truly it is so, that the wood of the grape plant is fit for
nothing but burning; the whole vine as wood is inferior to a
branch from a forest tree (verse 3). And Israel is represented
as such a vine, precious if but fruitful, otherwise nothing but
fuel and that of poor quality. The psalmist sang of the vine
that Jehovah had brought out of Egypt and which, planted with
care and hedged about, had flourished even with goodly boughs ;
but the favor of the Lord had been turned from the vine, and it
had been left desolate (Psalm 80:8-16). For further allusions
see Isa. 27:2-6; Jer. 2:21; Ezek. 19:10-14; Hosea 10:1.
4. The Call to the Marriage Feast. The calling of the
guests who had been bidden aforetime is thus commented upon
by Trench (Parables, pp. 175-6) : "This summoning of those
already bidden, was, and, as modern travellers attest, is still,
quite in accordance with Eastern manners. Thus Esther invites
Haman to a banquet on the morrow (Esth. 5:8), and when the
time has actually arrived, the chamberlain comes to usher him
to the banquet (6:14). There is, therefore, no slightest reason
why we should make 'them that were bidden' to mean them that
were now to be bidden; such an interpretation not merely violat-
ing all laws of grammar, but the higher purpose with which the
parable was spoken; for our Lord, assuming that the guests had
been invited long ago, does thus remind His hearers that what
He brought, if in one sense new, was in another a fulfilment of
the old ; that He claimed to be heard, not as one suddenly start-
ing up, unconnected with aught which had gone before but as
Himself 'the end of the law,' to which it had been ever tending,
the birth with which the whole Jewish dispensation had been
pregnant, and which alone should give a meaning to it all. In
His words, 'them that were bidden' is involved the fact that there
was nothing abrupt in the coming of His kingdom, that its
rudiments had a long while before been laid, that all to which
His adversaries clung as precious in their past history was
prophetic of blessings now actually present to them in Him.
The original invitation, which had now come to maturity, reached
back to the foundation of the Jewish commonwealth, was taken
up and repeated by each succeeding prophet, as he prophesied of
the crowning grace that should one day be brought to Israel
(Luke 10:24; I Pet. 1:12), and summoned the people to hold
themselves in a spiritual readiness to welcome their Lord and
their King."
5. Servants and Ministers. According to good philological
authority, "ministers" or "ministering attendants" is a more
literal rendering of the original than "servants" in Matt. 22:13.
In the earlier verses 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, of the same chapter, "servants"
or "servitors" best expresses the meaning of the original. The
distinction is significant, as it implies an important difference of
NOTES. 543
station between the servants who were sent out to bid the people
to the feast, and the ministers in immediate attendance upon the
king. The first are typical of God's servants who proclaim His
word in the world; the latter symbolize the angels who shall
execute His judgments on the wicked by gathering out from His
kingdom all things that offend. Compare Matt. 13 130, 39, 41 ;
Doc. and Cov. 86:5.
6. The Called and the Chosen. Edersheim's reflections upon
this subject follow in part (vol. ii, pp. 429, 430) : "The King
entered to see His guests, and among them he descried one who
had not on a wedding garment. ... As the guests had been
travelers, and as the feast was in the King's palace, we cannot be
mistaken in supposing that such garments were supplied in the
palace to all who sought them. And with this agrees the circum-
stance, that the man so addressed 'was speechless.' His conduct
argued utter insensibility as regarded that to which he had been
called ignorance of what was due the King, and what became
such a feast. For, although no previous state of preparedness was
required of the invited guests, all being bidden, whether good or
bad, yet the fact remained that, if they were to take part in the
feast they must put on a garment suited to the occasion. All are
invited to the gospel feast; but they who will partake of it must
put on the King's wedding garment of evangelical holiness. And
whereas it is said in the parable that only one was descried with-
out this garment, this is intended to teach, that .the King will
not only generally view His guests, but that each will be sepa-
rately examined, and that no one no, not a single individual
will be able to escape discovery amidst the mass of guests, if he
has not the wedding garment. In short, in that day of trial, it
is not a scrutiny of churches, but of individuals in the Church.
. . . The call comes to all; but it may be outwardly accepted,
and a man may sit down to the feast, and yet he may not be chosen
to partake of the feast, because he has not the wedding garment
of converting, sanctifying grace. And so, one may be thrust
even from the marriage board into the darkness without, with its
sorrow and anguish. Thus, side by side, yet wide apart, are these
two God's call and God's choice. The connecting link between
them is the wedding garment, freely given in the Palace. Yet,
we must seek it, ask it, put it on. And as here also, we have, side
by side, God's gift and man's activity. And still, to all time, and
to all men, alike in its warning, teaching, and blessing, is it true:
Many are called, but few chosen !" Many words of related mean-
ing, both Hebrew and Greek, are translated "garment" in our
English Bible. The Greek original in the mention of the wedding
garment is enduma; this does not occur in other Bible passages
as the original of "garment." The noun is related to the Greek
verb enducin, "to put on, as a garment." Compare Luke 24:49,
"until ye be endued with power from on high."
'
544: JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 31.
CHAPTER 31.
THE CLOSE OF OUR LORD'S PUBLIC MINISTRY.
A CONSPIRACY OF PHARISEES AND HRODIANS. a
The Jewish authorities continued unceasingly active in
their determined efforts to tempt or beguile Jesus into some
act or utterance on which they could base a charge of offense,
under either their own or Roman law. The Pharisees coun-
seled together as to "how they might entangle him in his
talk"; and then, laying aside their partisan prejudices, they
conspired to this end with the Herodians, a political faction
whose chief characteristic was the purpose of maintaining in
power the family of the Herods, & which policy of necessity
entailed the upholding of the Roman power, upon which the
Herods depended for their delegated authority. The same
incongruous association had been entered into before in an
attempt to provoke Jesus to overt speech or action in Galilee ;
and the Lord had coupled the parties together in His warn-
ing to the disciples to beware of the leaven of both. c So, on
the last day of our Lord's teaching in public, Pharisees and
Herodians joined forces against Him; the one watchful for
the smallest technical infringement of the Mosaic law, the
other alert to seize upon the slightest excuse for charging
Him with disloyalty to the secular powers. Their plans
were conceived in treachery, and put into operation as the
living embodiment of a lie. Choosing some of their number
who had not before appeared in personal antagonism to
Jesus, and who were supposed to be unknown to Him, the
chief conspirators sent these with instructions to "feign
a Matt. 22:15-22; Mark 12:13-17; Luke 20:19-26.
b Page 68.
cMark 3:6; 8:15.
PAYING TRIBUTE TO CESAR. 545
themselves just men, that they might take hold of his words,
that so they might deliver him unto the power and authority
of the governor."
This delegation of hypocritical spies came asking a ques-
tion, in pretended sincerity, as though they were troubled in
conscience and desired counsel of the eminent Teacher.
"Master," said they with fawning duplicity, "we know that
thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither
carest thou for any man : for thou regardest not the person
of men." This studied tribute to our Lord's courage and
independence of thought and action was truthful in every
word ; but as uttered by those fulsome dissemblers and in
their nefarious intent, it was egregiously false. The honeyed
address, however, by which the conspirators attempted to
cajole the Lord into unwariness, indicated that the question
they were about to submit was one requiring for its proper
answer just such qualities of mind as they pretendingly at-
tributed to Him.
"Tell us therefore," they continued, "What thinkest thou ?
Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not?" The ques-
tion had been chosen with diabolic craft ; for of all acts at-
testing compulsory allegiance to Rome that of having to pay
the poll-tax was most offensive to the Jews. Had Jesus an-
swered "Yes," the guileful Pharisees might have inflamed the
multitude against Him as a disloyal son of Abraham; had
His answer been "No," the scheming Herodians could have
denounced Him as a promoter of sedition against the Roman
government. Moreover the question was unnecessary; the
nation, both rulers and people had settled it, however grudg-
ingly, for they accepted and circulated among themselves the
Roman coinage as a common medium of exchange; and it
was a criterion of recognition among the Jews that to make
current the coins of any sovereign was to acknowledge his
royal authority. "But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and
said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites?" All their artful
18
546 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 31.
expressions of false adulation were countered by the wither-
ing epithet "hypocrites." "Shew me the tribute money," He
commanded, and they produced a penny a Roman denarius
bearing the effigy and name of Tiberius Caesar, emperor of
Rome. "Whose is this image and superscription?" He
asked. They answered "Caesar's." "Then saith he unto
them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are
Caesar's ; and unto God the things that are God's."<*
The reply was a masterly one by whatever standard we
gage it ; it has become an aphorism in literature and life. It
swept away any lingering thought or expectation that in the
mind of Him who had so recently ridden into Jerusalem as
King of Israel and Prince of Peace, there was even the sem-
blance of aspiration for earthly power or dominion. It
established for all time the one righteous basis of relationship
between spiritual and secular duties, between church and
state. The apostles in later years builded upon this founda-
tion and enjoined obedience to the laws of established gov-
ernments/
One may draw a lesson if he will, from the association of
our Lord's words with the occurrence of Caesar's image on
the coin. It was that effigy with its accompanying super-
scription that gave special point to His memorable instruc-
tion, "Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are
Caesar's." This was followed by the further injunction :
"and unto God the things that are God's." Every human soul
is stamped with the image and superscription of God, how-
ever blurred and indistinct the lines may have become
through the corrosion or attrition of sin/ and as unto Caesar
should be rendered the coins upon which his effigy appeared,
so unto God should be given the souls that bear His image.
Render unto the world the stamped pieces that are made
legally current by the insignia of worldly powers, and give
Jf T3TSJUD
dNote 1, end of chapter.
e Note 2, end of chapter.
/Pages 12, 13.
-: 81
SADDUCEES AND THE RESURRECTION. 547
unto God and His service, yourselves the divine mintage
of His eternal realm.
Pharisees and Herodians were silenced by the unanswer-
able wisdom of the Lord's reply to their crafty question. Try
as they would, they could not "take hold of his words," and
they were put to shame before the people who were witnesses
to their humiliation. Marveling at His answer, and unwill-
ing to take the chance of further and possibly greater em-
barrassment, they "left him, and went their way." Never-
theless these perverted Jews persisted in their base and
treacherous purpose, as appears nowhere more glaringly evi-
dent than in their utterly false accusation before Pilate that
Jesus was guilty of "forbidding to give tribute to Caesar,
saying that he himself is Christ a King."*? yL
SADDUCEES QUESTION ABOUT THE RESURRECTION. h
Next, the Sadducees tried to discomfit Jesus by propound-
ing what they regarded as an involved if not indeed a very
difficult question. The Sadducees held that there could be
no bodily resurrection, on which point of doctrine as on many
others, they were the avowed opponents of the Pharisees.*
The question submitted by the Sadducees on this occasion
related directly to the resurrection, and was framed to dis-
credit the doctrine by a most unfavorable and grossly exag-
gerated application thereof. "Master," said the spokesman
of the party, "Moses said, If a man die, having no children,
his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his
brother. Now there were with us seven brethren : and the
first, when he had married a wife, deceased, and, having no
issue, left his wife unto his brother: Likewise the second
also, and the third, unto the seventh. And last of all the
woman died also. Therefore in the resurrection whose wife
shall she be of the seven? for they all had her." It was
g Luke 23 :2. Page 633.
h Matt. 22:23-33; Mark 12:18-27; Luke 20:27-38.
* Pages 65, 72.
MS JESUS THE CHRIST. [cHAP. 31.
beyond question that the Mosaic law authorized and required
that the living brother of a deceased and childless husband
should marry the widow with the purpose of rearing children
to the name of the dead, whose family lineage would thus
be legally continued.- 7 ' Such a state of affairs as that pre-
sented by the casuistical Sadducees, in which seven brothers
in succession had as wife and left as childless widow the
same woman, was possible under the Mosaic code relating
to levirate marriages ; but it was a most improbable instance.
Jesus stopped not, however, to question the elements of
the problem as presented to Him ; whether the case was as-
sumed or real mattered not, since the question "Whose wife
shall she be ?" was based on an utterly erroneous conception.
"Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing
the scriptures, nor the power of God. For in the resurrec-
tion they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are
as the angels of God in heaven." The Lord's meaning was
clear, that in the resurrected state there can be no question
among the seven brothers as to whose wife for eternity the
woman shall be, since all except the first had married her for
the duration of mortal life only, and primarily for the pur-
pose of perpetuating in mortality the name and family of the
brother who first died. Luke records the Lord's words as
follows in part : "But they which shall be accounted worthy
to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead,
neither marry, nor are given in marriage : Neither can they
die any more : for they are equal unto the angels ; and are
the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.";
In the resurrection there will be no marrying nor giving in
marriage ; for all questions of marital status must be settled
before that time, under the authority of the Holy Priesthood,
which holds the power to seal in marriage for both time and
eternity.*
;Deut. 25:5.
k Note 3, end of chapter.
GOD .IS GOD OF THE LIVING. 549
From the case presented by His treacherous questioners,
Jesus turned to the actuality of the resurrection, which was
involved in and implied by the inquiry. "But as touching
the resurrection of the dead," said He, "have ye not read
that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, I am the
God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of
Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living."
This was a direct assault upon the Sadducean doctrine of
negation concerning the literal resurrection of the dead. The
Sadducees were distinctively the zealous upholders of the
law, wherein Jehovah affirms Himself to be the God of
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob ;' yet they denied the possible
resurrection of these patriarchs, and made the exalted title,
under which the Lord had revealed Himself to Moses, valid
only during the brief mortal existence of the progenitors of
the Israelitish nation. The declaration that Jehovah is not
the God of the dead but of the living was an unanswerable
denunciation of the Sadducean perversion of scripture ; and
with solemn finality the Lord added: "Ye therefore do
greatly err." Certain of the scribes present were impressed
by the incontrovertible demonstration of the truth, and ex-
claimed with approbation : "Master, thou hast well said/'
The proud Sadducees were confuted and silenced ; "and
after that they durst not ask him any question at all."
THE GREAT COMMANDMENT.*"
The Pharisees, covertly rejoicing over the discomfiture
of their rivals, now summoned courage enough to plan an-
other attack of their own. One of their number, a lawyer,
by which title we may understand one of the scribes who was
distinctively also a professor of ecclesiastical law, asked :
"Which is the first commandment of all?" or, as Matthew
states the question: "Master, which is the great command-
/Gen. 28:13; Exo. 3:6, 15.
roMatt. 22:34-40; Mark 12:28-34.
550 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 31.
ment in the law?" The reply was prompt, incisive, and so
comprehensive as to cover the requirements of the law in
their entirety. With the imperative call to attention with
which Moses had summoned Israel to hear and heed, the
very words of which were written on the phylacteries* 7 which
the Pharisees wore as frontlets between their eyes, Jesus
answered : "Hear, O Israel ; The Lord our God is one Lord :
And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart,
and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy
strength : this is the first commandment. And the second
is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
There is none other commandment greater than these."
Matthew's wording of the concluding declaration is: "On
these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."
The philosophic soundness of the Lord's profound gen-
eralization and comprehensive summarizing of the "law and
the prophets"'* will appeal to all students of human nature.
It is a common tendency of man to reach after, or at least to
inquire after and marvel about, the superlative. Who is the
greatest poet, philosopher, scientist, preacher or statesman?
Who stands first and foremost in the community, the nation,
or even, as the apostles in their aspiring ignorance asked, in
the kingdom of heaven? Wliich mountain overtops all the
rest? Which river is the longest or the largest? Such
queries are ever current. The Jews had divided and sub-
divided the commandments of the law, and had supplemented
even the minutest subdivision with rules of their own con-
triving. Now came the Pharisee asking which of all these
requirements was the greatest.* To love God with all one's
heart and soul and mind is to serve Him and keep all His
commandments. To love one's neighbor as one's self is to
be a brother in the broadest and, at the same time, the most
exacting sense of the term. Therefore the commandment
n^ 3iit ai rbirfw
oDeut. 6:4, 5.
b Note 5, page 565.
n Compare page 245.
o Note 4, end of chapter.
THE GREAT COMMANDMENT. 551
to love God and man is the greatest, on the basis of the sim-
ple and mathematical truth that the whole is greater than
any part. What need of the decalog could there be if man-
kind would obey this first and great and all-embracing com-
mandment? The Lord's reply to the question was convinc-
ing even to the learned scribe who had acted as spokes-
man for his Pharisaic colleagues. The man was honest
enough to admit the righteousness and wisdom on which the
reply was grounded, and impulsively he voiced acceptance,
saying, "Well, Master, thou hast said the truth : for there is
one God; and there is none other but he: And to love him
with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with
all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neigh-
bour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and
sacrifices." Jesus was no whit less prompt than the well-
intending scribe in acknowledging merit in the words of an
opponent ; and to the man He gave the encouraging assur-
ance : "Thou art not far from the kingdom of God." As to
whether the scribe remained firm in purpose and eventually
gained entrance into that blessed abode, the scriptural record
is silent.
JSSUS TURNS QUESTIONER/
Sadducees, Herodians, Pharisees, lawyers, and scribes,
all had in turn met discomfiture and defeat in their efforts
to entangle Jesus on questions of doctrine or practise, and
had utterly failed to incite Him to any act or utterance on
which they could lawfully charge Him with offense. Hav-
ing so effectually silenced all who had ventured to challenge
Him to debate, either covertly or with open intent, that "no
man after that durst ask him any question," Jesus in turn
became the aggressive interrogator. Turning to the Phari-
sees, who had clustered together for greater facility in con-
sultation, Jesus began a colloquy which proceeded as follows :
rus
^Matt. 22:41-46; Mark 12:35-37; Luke 20:41-44.
552 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 31.
"What think ye of Christ ? whose son is he ? They say unto
him, The son of David. He saith unto them, How then doth
David in spirit call him Lord, saying, The Lord said unto
my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine ene-
mies thy footstool? If David then call him Lord, how is he
his son?" The Lord's citation of David's jubilant and wor-
shipful song of praise, which, as Mark avers, Jesus said was
inspired by the Holy Ghost, had reference to the Messianic
psalm? in which the royal singer affirmed his own reverent
allegiance, and extolled the glorious reign of the promised
King of kings, who is specifically called therein "a priest for-
ever after the order of Melchizedek." r Puzzling as was the
unexpected question to the erudite Jews, we fail to perceive
in it any inexplicable difficulty, since to us, less prejudiced
than they who lived in expectation of a Messiah who would
be David's son only in the sense of family descent and royal
succession in the splendor of temporal rule, the eternal God-
ship of the Messiah is a fact demonstrated and undeniable.
Jesus the Christ is the Son of David in the physical way of
lineage by which both Jesus and David are sons of Jacob,
Isaac, Abraham, and Adam. But while Jesus was born in
the flesh as late in the centuries as the "meridian of time"*
He was Jehovah, Lord and God, before David, Abraham, or
Adam was known on earth/
'>bi3
WICKED SCRIBES AND PHARISEES DENOUNCED."
The humiliating defeat of the Pharisaic party was made
all the more memorable and bitter by the Lord's final denun-
ciation of the system, and His condemnation of its unworthy
representatives. Addressing Himself primarily to the disci-
ples, yet speaking in the hearing of the multitude, He di-
q Psalm 110.
r Psalm 110:4; compare Heb. 5:6; 6:20; 7:17, 21.
s Chapter 6.
t Chapters 4 and 5.
wMatt. 23; Mark 12:38-40; Luke 20:45-47; compare Luke 11:39-52.
TO BE SEEN OF MEN. 553
rected the attention of all to the scribes and Pharisees, who,
He pointed out, occupied the seat of Moses as doctrinal
expounders and official administrators of the law, and who
were therefore to be obeyed in their authoritative rule ; but
against their pernicious example the disciples were forcefully
warned. "All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe,
that observe and do," said the L^ord, "but do not ye after
their works ; for they say, and do not." Distinction between
due observance of official precept and the personal respon-
sibility of following evil example, though it be that of men
high in authority, could not have been made plainer. Diso-
bedience to law was not to be excused because of corruption
among the law's representatives, nor was wickedness in any
individual to be condoned or palliated because of another's
villainy.
In explanation of the caution He so openly blazoned
against the vices of the rulers, the L,ord continued : "For
they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay
them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not
move them with one of their fingers." Rabbinism had prac-
tically superseded the law in the substitution of multitudi-
nous rules and exactions, with conditional penalties ; the day
was filled with traditional observances by which even the
trivial affairs of life were encumbered; yet from bearing
these and other grievous burdens hypocritical officials could
find excuse for personal exemption.
Their inordinate vanity and their irreverent assumption
of excessive piety were thus stigmatized: "But all their
works they do for to be seen of men : they make broad their
phylacteries/ 7 and enlarge the borders of their garments,
and love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats
in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets, and to be
called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi." The high-sounding title,
Rabbi, signifying Master, Teacher, or Doctor, had eclipsed
v Note 5, end of chapter.
554 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 31.
the divinely recognized sanctity of priesthood ; to be a rabbi
of the Jews was regarded as vastly superior to being a priest
of the Most High God. "But be not ye called Rabbi," said
Jesus to the apostles and the other disciples present, "for
one is your Master, even Christ ; and all ye are brethren.
And call no man your father upon the earth : for one is
your Father, which is in heaven. Neither be ye called mas-
ters : for one is your Master, even Christ."*
Those upon whom would rest the responsibility of build-
ing the Church He had founded were not to aspire to
worldly titles nor the honors of men ; for those chosen ones
were brethren, and their sole purpose should be the render-
ing of the greatest possible service to their one and only
Master. As had been so strongly impressed on earlier occa-
sions, excellence or supremacy in the apostolic calling, and
similarly in the duties of discipleship or membership in the
Church of Christ, was and is to be achieved through humble
and devoted service alone ; therefore said the Master again,
"he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And
whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that
shall humble himself shall be exalted."
From the mixed multitude of disciples and unbelievers,
comprizing many of the common people who listened in glad
eagerness to learn/ Jesus turned to the already abashed yet
angry rulers, and deluged them with a veritable torrent of
righteous indignation, through which flashed the lightning
of scorching invective, accompanied by thunder peals of
divine anathema.
"But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!
for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men : for ye
neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are en-
tering to go in." The Pharisaic standard of piety was the
learning of the schools; one unversed in the technicalities
vj Pages 63, 71.
x Note 6, end of chapter.
y Mark 12:37.
.IAHD] SCRIBES AND PHARISEES; HYPOCRITES! 555
of the law was accounted as unacceptable to God and verit-
ably accursed." By their casuistry and perverted explica-
tions of scripture they confused and misled the "common
people," and so stood as obstacles at the entrance to the
kingdom of God, refusing to go in themselves and barring
the way to others.
"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for
ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long
prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation."*
The avarice of the Jewish hierarchy in our Lord's lifetime
was an open scandal. By extortion and unlawful exaction
under cover of religious duty the priestly rulers had amassed
an enormous treasure,^ of which the contributions of the
poor, and the confiscation of property, including even the
houses of dependent widows, formed a considerable propor-
tion ; and the perfidy of the practise was made the blacker
by the outward pretense of sanctity and the sacrilegious
accompaniment of wordy prayer.
"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for
ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when
he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than
yourselves." It is possible that this woe was directed more
against the effort to secure proselytes to Pharisaism than
that of converting aliens to Judaism ; but as the latter was
thoroughly degraded and the former disgustingly corrupt,
the application of our Lord's denunciation to either or both
is warranted. Of the Jews who strove to make proselytes
it has been said that "out of a bad heathen they made a
worse Jew." Many of their converts soon became perverts.
"Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever
shall swear by the temple, it is nothing ; but whosoever shall
swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor ! Ye fools
and blind : for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple
z John 7:49; compare 9:34.
a Note 7, end of chapter.
fcNote 8, end of chapter.
556 JESUS THE CHRIST. Paaifl [CHAP. 31.
that sanctifieth the gold? And, Whosoever shall swear by
the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift
that is upon it, he is guilty. Ye fools and blind : for whether
is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?
Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it,
and by all things thereon. And whoso shall swear by the
temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein.
And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne
of God, and by him that sitteth thereon." Thus did the
Lord condemn the infamous enactments of the schools and
the Sanhedrin concerning oaths and vows ; for they had
established or endorsed a code of rules, inconsistent and
unjust, as to technical trifles by which a vow could be en-
forced or invalidated. If a man swore by the temple, the
House of Jehovah, he could obtain an indulgence for break-
ing his oath; but if he vowed by the gold and treasure of
the Holy House, he was bound by the unbreakable bonds of
priestly dictum. Though one should swear by the altar of
God, his oath could be annulled ; but if he vowed by the
corban gift or by the gold upon the altar, c his obligation was
imperative. To what depths of unreason and hopeless de-
pravity had men fallen, how sinfully foolish and how wilfully
blind were they, \vho saw not that the temple was greater
than its gold, and the altar than the gift that lay upon it !
In the Sermon on the Mount the Lord had said "Swear not
at all"; J but upon such as would not live according to that
higher law, upon those who persisted in the use of oaths and
vows, the lesser and evidently just requirement of strict
fidelity to the terms of self-assumed obligations was to be
enforced, without unrighteous quibble or inequitable dis-
crimination.
"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites ! for
ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have
cPage 352.
d Matt. 5:33-37; page 235 herein.
SCRIBES AND PHARISEES J HYPOCRITES ! 557
omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy,
and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave
the other undone. Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat,
and swallow a camel." The law of the tithe had been a
characteristic feature of the theocratic requirements in Israel
from the days of Moses ; and the practise really long ante-
dated the exodus. As literally construed, the law required
the tithing of flocks and herds, fruit and grain/ but by tra-
ditional extension all products of the soil had been included.
The conscientious tithing of all one's possessions, even pot-
herbs and other garden produce, was approved by the Lord ;
but He denounced as rank hypocrisy the observance of such
requirements as ah excuse for neglecting the other duties of
true religion. The reference to "the weightier matters of
the law" may have been an allusion to the rabbinical classi-
fication of "light" and "heavy" requirements under the law ;
though it is certain the Lord approved no such arbitrary
distinctions. To omit the tithing of small things, such as
mint leaves, and sprigs of anise and cummin, was to fall
short in dutiful observance; but to ignore the claims of
judgment, mercy, and faith, was to forfeit one's claim to
blessing as a covenant child of God. By a strong simile, the
Lord stigmatized such inconsistency as comparable to one's
scrupulous straining at a gnat while figuratively willing to
gulp down a camel/
"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for
ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but
within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind
Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and
platter, that the outside of them may be clean also."^ Phar-
isaic scrupulosity in the ceremonial cleansing of platters and
cups, pots and brazen vessels, has been already alluded to.
e Lev. 27:30; Numb. 18:21; Deut. 12:6; 14:22-28. See also the author's
"The Law of the Tithe"; 20 pp.. 1914.
/The revised version, generally admitted the more nearly correct, reads
"strain out the gnat" instead of "strain at a gnat."
g Compare Luke 11:39, 40; Mark 7:4; page 437 herein.
558 JESUS THE CHRIST. 439151 [CHAP. 31.
Cleanliness the Lord in no wise depreciated ; His shafts of
disapprobation were aimed at the hypocrisy of maintaining
at once outward spotlessness and inward corruption. Cups
and platters though cleansed to perfection were filthy before
the Lord if their contents had been bought by the gold of
extortion, or were to be used in pandering to gluttony,
drunkenness or other excess.
"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for
ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear
beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones,
and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear
righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and
iniquity." It was an awful figure, that of likening them to
whitewashed tombs, full of dead bones and rotting flesh.
As the dogmas of the rabbis made even the slightest contact
with a corpse or its cerements, or with the bier upon which
it was borne, or the grave in which it had been lain, a cause
of personal defilement, which only ceremonial washing and
the offering of sacrifices could remove, care was taken to
make tombs conspicuously white, so that no person need be
defiled through ignorance of proximity to such unclean
places ; and, moreover, the periodical whitening of sepul-
chres was regarded as a memorial act of honor to the dead.
But even as no amount of care or degree of diligence in
keeping bright the outside of a tomb could stay the pu-
trescence going on within, so no externals of pretended
righteousness could mitigate the revolting corruption of a
heart reeking with iniquity. Jesus had before compared
Pharisees with unmarked graves, over which men inad-
vertently walked and so became defiled though they knew
it not ; h on the occasion now under consideration He de-
nounced them as whitened tombs, flauntingly prominent,
but sepulchres nevertheless.
"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! be-
".'in si<>rn orlJ [ A
[fiiJa
ft Luke 11:44.
FINAL DENUNCIATION OF PHARISAISM. 559
cause ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the
sepulchres of the righteous, And say, If we had been in the
days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with
them in the blood of the prophets. Wherefore ye be wit-
nesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them
which killed the prophets." National pride, not wholly
unlike patriotism, had for centuries expressed itself in formal
regard for the burial crypts of the ancient prophets, many
of whom had been slain because of their righteous and fear-
less zeal. Those modern Jews were voluble to disavow all
sympathy with the murderous deeds of their progenitors,
who had martyred the prophets, and ostentatiously averred
that if they had lived in the times of those martyrdoms they
would have been no participators therein, yet by such avouch-
ment they proclaimed themselves the offspring of those who
had shed innocent blood.
With scorching maledictions the Lord thus consigned
them to their fate: "Fill ye up then the measure of your
fathers. Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye
escape the damnation of hell? Wherefore, behold, I send
unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes : and some of
them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye
scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city
to city: That upon you may come all the righteous blood
shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto
the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew be-
tween the temple and the altar. Verily I say unto you, All
these things shall come upon this generation." To their
sanctimonious asseverations of superiority over their fathers
who had slain Jehovah's envoys, Jehovah Himself replied by
predicting that they would dye their hands in the blood of
prophets, wise men, and righteous scribes, whom He would
send amongst them ; and thus would they prove themselves
literal sons of murderers, and murderers themselves, so that
upon them should rest the burden of all the righteous blood
.fl L 3iqraoo jeS-TEiSS J;
JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 31.
that had been shed for a testimony of God, from righteous
Abel to the martyred Zacharias.* That dread fate, outlined
with such awful realism, was to be no eventuality of the
distant future; every one of the frightful woes the. Lord had
uttered was to be realized in that generation.
THE LORD'S LAMENTATION OVER JERUSALEM/
.tftn\\gfeiflfBflq :<fi
Concerning scribes, Pharisees, and Pharisaism, Jesus
had uttered His last word. Looking from the temple
heights out over the city of the great King, soon to be
abandoned to destruction, the Lord was obsessed by emo-
tions of profound sorrow. With the undying eloquence of
anguish He broke forth in such a lamentation as no mortal
father ever voiced over the most unfilial and recreant of
sons.
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets,
and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would
I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gath-
ereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not !
Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto
you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed
is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." Had Israel but
received her King, the world's history of post-meridian time
would never have been what it is. The children of Israel
had spurned the proffered safety of a protecting paternal
wing ; soon the Roman eagle would swoop down upon them
and slay. The stupendous temple, which but a day before
the Lord had called "My house," was now no longer spe-
cifically His ; "Your house," said He, "is left unto you
desolate." He was about to withdraw from both temple
and nation ; and by the Jews His face was not again to be
seen, until, through the discipline of centuries of suffering
they shall be prepared to acclaim in accents of abiding faith,
T^te 9, end of chapter.
/Matt. 23:37-39; compare Luke 13:34, 35.
THE WIDOW'S MITES. 561
as some of them had shouted but the Sunday before under
the impulse of an erroneous conception, "Blessed is he that
cometh in the name of the Lord."
A WIDOW'S
From the open courts Jesus moved over toward the
colonnaded treasury of the temple, and there He sat, seem-
ingly absorbed in a revery of sorrow. Within that space
were thirteen chests, each provided with a trumpet-shaped
receptacle ; and into these the people dropped their contri-
butions for the several purposes indicated by inscriptions on
the boxes. Looking up, Jesus observed the lines of donors,
of all ranks and degrees of affluence and poverty, some
depositing their gifts with evident devoutness and sincerity
of purpose, others ostentatiously casting in great sums of
silver and gold, primarily to be seen of men. Among the
many was a poor widow, who with probable effort to escape
observation dropped into one of the treasure-chests two
small bronze coins known as mites ; her contribution amount-
ed to less than half a cent in American money. The Lord
called His disciples about Him, directed their attention to
the poverty-stricken widow and her deed, and said : "Verily
I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in,
than all they which have cast into the treasury : For all they
did cast in of their abundance ; but she of her want did cast
in all that she had, even all her living."
In the accounts kept by the recording angels, figured out
according to the arithmetic of heaven, entries are made in
terms of quality rather than of quantity, and values are de-
termined on the basis of capability and intent. The rich gave
much yet kept back more ; the widow's gift was her all. It
was not the smallness of her offering that made it especially
acceptable, but the spirit of sacrifice and devout intent with
&Mark 12:41-44; Luke 21:1-4.
563 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 31.
which she gave. On the books of the heavenly accountants
that widow's contribution was entered as a munificent gift,
surpassing in worth the largess of kings. "For if there be
first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man
hath, and not according to that he hath not." ;
CHRIST'S FINAL WITHDRAWAL FROM THE
y . <}B2 aH 3i9ffJ i -bsniioloD'
Our Lord's public discourses and the open colloquies in
which He had participated with professionals and priestly
officials, in the course of His daily visits to the temple during
the first half of Passion week, had caused many of the chief
rulers, beside others, to believe on Him as the veritable Son
of God; but the fear of Pharisaic persecution and the dread
of excommunication from the synagog m deterred them from
confessing the allegiance they felt, and from accepting the
means of salvation so freely offered. "They loved the praise
of men more than the praise of God.""
It may have been while Jesus directed His course for
the last time toward the exit portal of the one-time holy
place that He uttered the solemn testimony of His divinity
recorded by John.^ Crying with a loud voice to priestly
rulers and the multitude generally, He said : "He that be-
lieveth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me.
And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me." Allegiance
to Himself was allegiance to God ; the people were plainly
told that to accept Him was in no degree a weakening of
their adherence to Jehovah, but on the contrary a confirma-
tion thereof. Repeating precepts of earlier utterance, He
again proclaimed Himself the light of the world, by whose
rays alone mankind might be delivered from the enveloping
darkness of spiritual unbelief. The testimony He left with
n Cor. 8:12.
wjohn 12:42; compare 7:13; 9:22.
n John 12:43; compare 5:44.
J hn I2:44 - 50 ' T ;.:
compare Luke 13;34. 3- r ,.
SOLEMN CLOSE OF OUR LORD^S PUBLIC MINISTRY. 563
the people would be the means of judgment and condemna-
tion to all who wilfully rejected it. "For," said He in solemn
finality, "I have not spoken of myself ; but the Father which
sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say,
and what I should speak. And I know that his command-
ment is life everlasting; whatsoever I speak therefore, even
as the Father said unto me, so I speak."
DESTRUCTION OF THE TEMPLE PREDICTED/
As Jesus was departing from the enclosure wherein stood
what once had been the House of the Lord, one or more of
the disciples called His attention to the magnificent struc-
tures, the massive stones, the colossal columns, and the lavish
and costly adornment of the several buildings. The Lord's
answering comment was an unqualified prophecy of the utter
destruction of the temple and everything pertaining to it.
"Verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone
upon another, that shall not be thrown down." Such was
the definite and dire prediction. Those who heard were
dumbfounded; neither by question nor other response did
they attempt to elicit more. The literal fulfilment of that
awful portent was but an incident in the annihilation of the
city less than forty years later.
With the Lord's final departure from the temple, which
probably occurred in the afternoon of the Tuesday of that
last week, His public ministry was brought to its solemn end-
ing. Whatever of discourse, parable, or ordinance was to
follow, would be directed only to the further instruction and
investiture of the apostles.
NOTES TO CHAPTER 31.
i. The Image on the Coin. The Jews had an aversion for
images or effigies in general, the use of which they professed to
hold as a violation of the second commandment. Their scruples,
Matt. 24:1, 2; Mark 13:1, 2; Luke 21:5, 6. Note 10, end of chaptac.
..,. ^..
564 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 31.
however, did not deter them from accepting coins bearing the
effigies of kings, even though these monarchs were pagans. Their
own coins bore other devices, such as plants, fruits, etc., in place
of a human head; and the Romans had condescendingly per-
mitted the issue of a special coinage for Jewish use, each piece
bearing the name but not the effigy of the monarch. The or-
dinary coinage of Rome was current in Palestine, however.
2. Submission to Secular Authority. Governments are in-
stituted of God, sometimes by His direct interposition, some-
times by His permission. When the Jews had been brought into
subjection by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, the Lord com-
manded through the prophet Jeremiah (27:4-8) that the people
render obedience to their conqueror, whom He called His ser-
vant ; for verily the Lord had used the pagan king to chastize the
recreant and unfaithful children of the covenant. The obedience
so enjoined included the payment of taxes and extended to com-
plete submission. After the death of Christ the apostles taught
obedience to the powers that be, which powers, Paul declared
"are ordained of God." See Rom. 13:1-7; Titus 3:1; I Tim. 2:1-3;
see also I Peter 2:13, 14. Through the medium of modern reve-
lation, the Lord has required of His people in the present dis-
pensation, obedience to and loyal support of the duly established
and existing governments in all lands. See Doc. and Cov. 58:21-
22; 98:4-6; and section 134 throughout. The restored Church
proclaims as an essential part of its belief and practise : "We
believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magis-
trates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law." See Arti-
cles of Faith, xxiii.
3. Marriage for Eternity. Divine revelation in the dispen-
sation of the fulness of times has made plain the fact, that con-
tracts of marriage, as indeed all other agreements between parties
in mortality, are of no validity beyond the grave, except such
contracts be ratified and validated by the^ duly established or-
dinances of the Holy Priesthood. Sealing in the marriage cove-
nant for time and eternity, which has come to be known as celes-
tial marriage, is an ordinance established by divine authority in
the restored Church of Jesus Christ. See the author's treatment
of this subject in Articles of Faith, xxiv, 18-24; and House of the
Lord, under "Sealing in Marriage," pp. 101-109.
4. Divisions and Subdivisions of the Law. "The Rabbinical
schools, in their meddling, carnal, superficial spirit of word-
weaving and letter- worship, had spun large accumulations _ of
worthless subtlety all over the Mosaic law. Among other things
they had wasted their idleness in fantastic attempts to count,
and classify, and weigh, and measure all the separate command-
ments of the ceremonial and moral law. They had come to the
sapient conclusion that there were 248 affirmative precepts, being
as many as the members in the human body, and 365 negative
precepts, being as many as the arteries and veins, or the days of
the year: the total being 613, which was also the number of let-
ters in the decalog. They arrived at the same result from the
fact that the Jews were commanded (Numb. 15:38) to wear
NOTES.
fringes (tsitsith) on the corners of their tallith, bound with a
thread of blue; and as each fringe had eight threads and five
knots, and the letters of the word tsitsith make 600, the total
number of commandments was, as before 613. Now surely, out
of such a large number of precepts and prohibitions, all could
not be of quite the same value; some were 'light' (kal), and some
were 'heavy' (kobhed). But which? and what was the greatest
commandment of all? According to some Rabbis, the most im-
portant of all is that about the tephillin and the tsitsith, the fringes
and phylacteries; and 'he who diligently observes it is regarded
in the same light as if he had kept the whole Law.'
"Some thought the omission of ablutions as bad as homi-
cide; some that the precepts of the Mishna were all 'heavy';
those of the Law were some 'heavy' and some 'light/ Others
considered the third to be the greatest commandment. None of
them had realized the great principle, that the wilful violation of
one commandment is the transgression of all (James 2:10), be-
cause the object of the entire Law is the spirit of obedience to
God. On the question proposed by the lawyer the Shammaites
and Hillelites were in disaccord, and, as usual, both schools were
wrong: the Shammaites, in thinking that mere trivial external
observances were valuable, apart from the spirit in which they
were performed, and the principle which they exemplified; the
Hillelites, in thinking that any positive command could in itself
be unimportant, and in not seeing that great principles are essen-
tial to the due performance of even the slightest duties." Far-
rar, Life of Christ, chap. 52.
5. Phylacteries and Borders. Through a traditional in-
terpretation of Exo. 13 :Q and Deut. 6 :8, the Hebrews adopted the
custom of wearing phylacteries, which consisted essentially of
strips of parchment on which were inscribed in whole or in part
the following texts: Exo. 13:2-10 and 11-17; Deut 6:4-9, and
11:13-21. Phylacteries were worn on the head and arm. The
parchment strips for the head were four, on each of which one
of the texts cited above was written. These were placed in a
cubical box of leather measuring from ^ inch to i*/2 inches
along the edge ; the box was divided into four compartments and
one of the little parchment rolls was placed in each. Thongs
held the box in place on the forehead between the eyes of the
wearer. The arm phylactery comprized but a single roll of
parchment on which the four prescribed texts were written ; this
was placed in a little box which was bound by thongs to the
inside of the left arm so as to be brought close to the heart
when the hands were placed together in the attitude of devotion.
The Pharisees wore the arm phylactery above the elbow, while
their rivals, the Sadducees, fastened it to the palm of the hand
(see Exo. 13:9). The common people wore phylacteries only at
prayer time; but the Pharisees were said to display them through-
out the day. Our Lord's reference to the Pharisees' custom of
making broad their phylacteries had reference to the ^ enlarging
of the containing box, particularly the frontlet. The size of the
parchment strips was fixed by rigid rule.
566 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 31.
The Lord had required of Israel through Moses (Numb.
15/38) that the people attach to the border of their garment a
fringe with a ribbon of blue. In ostentatious display of assumed
piety, the scribes and Pharisees delighted to wear enlarged bor-
ders to attract public attention. It was another manifestation of
hypocritical sanctimoniousness.
6. Ecclesiastical Titles. Our Lord severely condemned the
seeking after titles as insignia of rank in His service. Neverthe-
less He named the Twelve whom He chose, Apostles; and in the
Church founded by Himself the offices of Evangelist, High
Priest, Pastor, Elder, Bishop, Priest, Teacher, and Deacon were
established (see Articles of Faith, xi:i-4). It was the empty
man-made title that attached to the individual, not the author-
ized title of office to which men were called through authorita-
tive ordination, to which the Lord affixed the seal of His dis-
approval. Titles of office in the Holy Priesthood are of too
sacred a character to be used as marks of distinction among men.
In the restored Church in the current dispensation, men are or-
dained to the Priesthood and to the several offices comprized
within both the Lesser or Aaronic, and the Higher or Mel-
chizedek Priesthood ; but though one be thus made an Elder, a
Seventy, a High Priest, a Patriarch or an Apostle, he should not
court the usage of the title as a mere embellishment of his name.
(See "The Honor and Dignity of Priesthood' by the author in
Improvement Era, Salt Lake City, March, 1914.)
Chas. F. Deems, in The Light of the Nations, pp. 583-4, says
in speaking of the irreverent use of ecclesiastical titles : "The
Pharisees loved also the highest places in the synagogs, and it
gratified their vanity to be called Teacher, Doctor, Rabbi.
Against these Jesus warned His disciples. They were not to
love to be called Rabbi, a title which occurs in three forms, Rab,
Teacher, Doctor; Rabbi, My Doctor or Teacher; Rabboni, My
great Doctor. Nor were they to call any man 'Father/ in the
sense of granting him any infallibility of judgment or power
over their consciences 'Papa/ as the simple Mora-
vians call their great man, Count Zinzendorf : 'Founder/ as
Methodists denominate good John Wesley; 'Holy^ Father in
God/ as bishops are sometimes called; 'Pope/ which is the same
as 'Papa'; 'Doctor of Divinity/ the Christian equivalent of the
Jewish 'Rabbi/ are ail dangerous titles. But it is not the em-
ployment of a name which Jesus denounces, it is the spirit of
vanity which animated the Pharisees, and the servile spirit which
the employment of titles is apt to engender. Paul and
Peter spoke of themselves as spiritual fathers. Jesus teaches
that positions in the societies of his followers, such as ^ should
afterward be formed, were not to be regarded as dignities, but
rather as services; that no man should seek them for the honor
they might confer, but for the field of usefulness they might af-
ford; and that no man should lead off a sect, there being but one
leader; and that the whole body of believers are brethren, of
whom God is the Father."
The writer last quoted very properly disparages aspirations,
>', ''
NOTES. 567
stimulated by vanity and self-righteous assumption, to the use of
the title "Reverend" as applied to men.
7. Seven or Eight Woes? Some of the early Mss. of the
Gospels omit verse 14 from Matt. 23. Such omission reduces the
number of specific utterances beginning "Woe unto you" from
eight to seven. There is no question as to the appearance in the
original of the passages in Mark 12:40 and Luke 20:47, which are
one in meaning with Matt. 23:14.
8. The Temple Treasure. In connection with the incident
of the widow's mites, Edersheim (vol. ii, pp. 387-8) writes :
"Some might come with appearance of self-righteousness, some
even with ostentation, some as cheerfully performing a happy
duty. 'Many that were rich cast in much' yes, very much, for
such was the tendency that a law had to be enacted forbidding
the gift to the Temple of more than a certain proportion of one's
possessions. And the amount of such contributions may be in-
ferred by recalling the circumstance, that at the time of Pompey
and Crassus, the Temple treasury, after having lavishly defrayed
every possible expenditure, contained in money nearly half a mil-
lion, and precious vessels to the value of nearly two millions
sterling." See also Josephus, Antiquities xiv, 4:4; 7:1, 2,
9. Zacharias the Martyr. In referring to the martyrs of
ante-meridian time the Lord is recorded as having used the ex-
pression "from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of
Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple
and the altar" (Matt. 23:35). The Old Testament as at present
compiled, contains no mention of a martyr named Zacharias son
of Barachias, but does chronicle the martyrdom of Zechariah son
of Jehoiada (2 Chron. 24:20-22). "Zechariah" and "Zacha-
rias" are equivalent names. It is the opinion of most Bible
scholars that the Zacharias referred to in Matthew's record is
Zechariah son of Jehoiada. In the Jewish compilation of Old
Testament scriptures, the murder of Zechariah appears as the
last recorded martyrdom ; and the Lord's reference to the right-
eous men who had been slain, from Abel to Zechariah or Zacha-
rias, may have been a sweeping inclusion of all the martrys down
to that time, from first to last. However, we have a record of
Zechariah son of Berechiah (Zech. 1:1, 7), and this Berechiah
was the son of Iddo. Then again, Zechariah son of Iddo is
mentioned (Ezra 5:1); but, as is elsewhere found in the older
scriptures, the grandson is called the son. The Old Testament
does not number this Zechariah among the martyrs, but tradi-
tional accounts (Whitby's citation of the Targum) say that he
was killed "in the day of propitiation." That the Lord referred
to a late and probably the latest of the recorded martyrdoms is
probable; and it is equally evident that the case was well known
among the Jews. It is likely that a fuller account appeared in
scriptures current among the Jews at the time of Christ but
since lost See Note 4, page 119.
10. Destruction of the Temple. "For thirty or more years
after the death of Christ, the Jews continued the work of adding
to and embellishing the temple buildings. The elaborate design
568 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 31.
conceived and projected by Herod had been practically com-
pleted; the Temple was well-nigh finished, and, as soon after-
ward appeared, was ready for destruction. Its fate had been
definitely foretold by the Savior Himself. Commenting on a
remark by one of the disciples concerning the great stones and
the splendid buildings on the Temple hill, Jesus had said, 'Seest
thou these great buildings ? There shall not be left one stone
upon another, that shall not be thrown down.' (Mark 13:1, 2;
see also Matt. 24:1, 2; Luke 21:5, 6.) This dire prediction soon
found its literal fulfilment. In the great conflict with the Roman
legions under Titus, many of the Jews had taken refuge within
the Temple courts, seemingly hoping that there the Lord would
again fight the battles of His people and give them victory. But
the protecting presence of Jehovah had long since departed
therefrom and Israel was left a prey to the foe. Though Titus
would have spared the Temple, his legionaries, maddened by
the lust of conflict, started the conflagration and everything that
could be burned was burned. The slaughter of the Jews was
appalling; thousands of men, women and children were ruth-
lessly butchered within the walls, and the temple courts were
literally flooded with human blood. This event occurred in the
year 70 A. D. ; and according to Josephus, in the same month
and on the same day of the month as that on which the once
glorious Temple of Solomon had fallen a prey to the flames
kindled by the king of Babylon. (Josephus, Wars of the Jews,
vi, 4 :5, 8. For a detailed and graphic account of the destruction
of the Temple see chapters 4 and 5 in their entirety.) Of the
Temple furniture the golden candlestick and the table of shew-
bread from the Holy Place were carried by Titus to Rome as
trophies of war; and representations of these sacred pieces are
to be seen on the arch erected to the name of the victorious
general. Since the destruction of the splendid Temple of Herod
no other structure of the kind, no Temple, no House of the
Lord as the terms are used distinctively, has been reared on
the eastern hemisphere." The House of the Lord, pp. 61, 62.
Josephus ascribes the destruction of the Temple of Herod to the
anger of God, and states that the devouring flames "took their
rise from the Jews themselves, and were occasioned by them."
The soldier who applied the torch to the Holy House, which had
remained intact while fire raged in the courts, is regarded by the
historian as an instrument of divine vengeance. We read (Wars,
vi, 4 15) : "One of the soldiers, without staying for any orders,
and without any concern or dread upon him at so great an under-
taking, and being hurried on by a certain divine fury, snatched
somewhat out of the materials that were on fire, and being lifted
up by another soldier, he set fire to a golden window, through
which there was a passage to the rooms that were round the Holy
House, on the north side of it. As the flames went upward, the
Jews made a great clamor, such as so mighty an affliction required."
DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM PREDICTED. 569
CHAPTER 32.
'
FURTHER INSTRUCTION TO THE APOSTLES.
PROPHECIES RELATING TO THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM
AND THE LORD'S FUTURE ADVENT.*
In the course of His last walk from Jerusalem back to
the beloved home at Bethany, Jesus rested at a convenient
spot on the Mount of Olives, from which the great city and
the magnificent temple were to be seen in fullest splendor,
illumined by the declining sun in the late afternoon of that
eventful April day. As He sat in thoughtful revery He was
approached by Peter and James, John and Andrew, of the
Twelve, and to them certainly, though probably to all the
apostles, He gave instruction, embodying further prophecy
concerning the future of Jerusalem, Israel, and the world at
large. His fateful prediction that of the temple buildings
not one stone would be left upon another had caused the
apostles to marvel and fear ; so they came privately request-
ing explanation. "Tell us," said they, "when shall these
things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and
of the end of the world?" The compound character of the
question indicates an understanding of the fact that the de-
struction of which the L,ord had spoken was to be apart
from and precedent to the signs that were to immediately
herald His glorious advent and the yet later ushering in of
the consummation commonly spoken of then and now as "the
end of the world." An assumption that the events would
follow in close succession is implied by the form in which
the question was put.
H
a Matt. 24:3-51; Mark 13:3-37; Luke 21:5-36. Compare P. of G. P., Joseph
Smith, 1.
570 JESUS THE CHRIST. >IT01 [CHAP. 32.
The inquiry referred specifically to time when were
these things to be? The reply dealt not with dates, but
with events ; and the spirit of the subsequent discourse was
that of warning against misapprehension, and admonition to
ceaseless vigilance. "Take heed that no man deceive you"
was the first and all-important caution ; for within the lives
of most of those apostles, many blaspheming imposters
would arise, each claiming to be the Messiah. The return
of Christ to earth as Lord and Judge was more remote than
any of the Twelve realized. Before that glorious event,
many wonderful and appalling developments would be wit-
nessed, among the earliest of which would be wars and
rumors of wars, caused by nation rising against nation and
kingdom against kingdom, to the dread accompaniment of
famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in many places ; yet
all these would be but the beginning of the sorrow or travail
to follow.
They, the apostles, were told to expect persecution, not
only at the hands of irresponsible individuals, but at the
instance of the officials such as they who were at that mo-
ment intent on taking the life of the Lord Himself, and who
would scourge them in the synagogs, deliver them up to
hostile tribunals, cite them before rulers and kings, and even
put some of them to death all because of their testimony
of the Christ. As they had been promised before, so again
were they assured, that when they would stand before coun-
cils, magistrates, or kings, the words they should speak
would be given them in the hour of their trial, and therefore
they were told to take no premeditative thought as to what
they should say or how they should meet the issues con-
fronting them ; "for," said the Master, "it is not ye that
speak, but the Holy Ghost. " & Even though they found
themselves despized and hated of men, and though they
were to suffer ignominy, torture, and death, yet as to their
r
&Mark 13:11; compare Matt. 10:19, 20; Luke 12:11, 12; 21:14, 15.
THE ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION. 571
i >VKNT.
eternal welfare they were promised such security that by
comparison they would lose not so much as a hair of their
heads. In consoling encouragement the Lord bade them
possess their souls in patience/ In face of all trials and
even the direst persecution, it was incumbent upon them to
persevere in their ministry, for the divine plan provided and
required that the gospel of the kingdom be preached amongst
all nations. Their labors would be complicated and opposed
by the revolutionary propaganda of many false prophets,
and differences of creed would disrupt families, and engen-
der such bitterness that brothers would betray one another,
and children would rise against their parents, accusing them
of heresies and delivering them up to death. Even among
those who had professed discipleship to Christ many would
be offended and hatred would abound; love for the gospel
would wax cold, and iniquity would be rampant among men ;
and only those who would endure to the end of their lives
could be saved.
From this circumstantial forecast of conditions then
directly impending, the Lord passed to other developments
that would immediately precede the destruction of Jerusalem
and the total disruption of the Jewish nation. "When ye
therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of
by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place," said He,
according to Matthew's account, and virtually so also as
stated by Mark, or "when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed
with armies" as Luke writes, "then know that the desolation
thereof is nigh." This was a specific sign that none could
misunderstand. Daniel the prophet had foreseen the desola-
tion and the abominations thereof, which comprized the
forcible cessation of temple rites, and the desecration of
Israel's shrine by pagan conquerors/
The realization of Daniel's prophetic vision was to be
heralded by the encompassing of Jerusalem by armies.
cLuke 21:19; compare Doc. and Cov. 101:38.
9:27.
-on JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 32.
Then all who would escape should make haste ; from Judea
they should flee to the mountains ; he who was on the house-
top would have no time to take his goods, but should hasten
down by the outer steps and flee ; he who was in the field
would better leave without first returning to his house even
for his clothes. Terrible, indeed, would that day be for
women hampered by the conditions incident to approaching
maternity, or the responsibility of caring for their suckling
babes. All would do well to pray that their flight be not
forced upon them in winter time ; nor on the Sabbath, lest
regard for the restrictions as to Sabbath-day travel, or the
usual closing of the city gates on that day, should diminish
the chances of escape. The tribulations of the time then
foreshadowed would prove to be unprecedented in horror
and would never be paralleled in all their awful details in
Israel's history ; but in mercy God had decreed that the
dreadful period should be shortened for the sake of the elect
believers, otherwise no flesh of Israel would be saved alive.
Multitudes were to fall by the sword ; other hosts were to
be led away captive, and so be scattered amongst all nations ;
and Jerusalem, the pride and boast of degenerate Israel,
should be "trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of
the Gentiles be fulfilled." In every frightful detail was the
Lord's prediction brought to pass, as history avouches/
After the passing of those terrible times, and thence on-
ward for a period of unspecified duration, Satan would de-
ceive the world through false doctrines, spread by evil men
masquerading as ministers of God, who would continue to
cry "IyO, here is Christ ; or, lo, he is there" ; but against all
such the Twelve were put on their guard, and through them
and other teachers, whom they would call and ordain, would
the world be warned. Deceiving prophets, emissaries of the
devil, would be active, some alluring people into the deserts,
and impelling them to hermit lives of pernicious asceticism,
'
1, end of chapter.
UNMISTAKABLE SIGNS OF CHRIST'S ADVENT. 573
others insisting that Christ could be found in the secret
chambers of monastic seclusion; and some of them showing
forth through the power of Satan, such signs and wonders
as "to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect" ; but of all
such scheming of the prince of evil, the Lord admonished
His own : "Believe it not" ; and added, "take ye heed ; be-
hold I have foretold you all things."/
In the day of the Lord's advent in glory and vengeance,
no man shall be in doubt ; there shall be no chance of con-
flicting claims by contending sects, "For as the lightning
cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so
shall also the coming of the Son of man be."^ The gather-
ing of Israel in the last days was pictured as the flocking
of eagles to the place where the body of the Church would
be established.^
The chronological order of the predicted occurrences so
far considered in this wonderful discourse on things to come,
is clear ; first there was to be a period of virulent persecu-
tion, of the apostles and the Church of which they would
be in charge; then the destruction of Jerusalem, with all
the horrors of merciless warfare was to follow; and this
in turn was to be succeeded by a long period of priestcraft
and apostasy with bitter sectarian dissension and cruel per-
secution of the righteous. The brief reference to the non-
localized, universal phenomena, by which His advent is to
be signalized, is a parenthetical demonstration of the false
claims as to where Christ would be found; later the Lord
passed to distinctive and unquestionable reference to the
/ Note 2, end of chapter.
fir Matt. 24:27; compare Lulce 17:22-24. '
h The "body," as that of the Church, is rendered "carcase" in both au-
thorized and revised versions. For the application of the figure of eagles
gathering about a carcase to the assembling of scattered Israel, see P. of
G. P., Joseph Smith, 1:27, where we read: "so likewise shall mine elect be
gathered from the four quarters of the earth." Among Bible scholars, a fav-
orite interpretation of the passage, "For wheresoever the carcase is, there
will the eagles be gathered together," is that Christ was likening unto
eagles (revised version "vultures") the angels that shall come with Him
to execute judgment upon mankind, and unto a carcase the corruption of
sin. See Matt. 24:28; compare Luke 17:37.
m
JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 32.
circumstances of His then and yet future advent. Follow-
ing the age of man-made creeds, and unauthorized ministry
characteristic of the great apostasy, marvelous occurrences
are to be manifested through the forces of nature, and the
sign of the Son of Man shall ultimately appear, one accom-
panying feature of which shall be the completion of the gath-
ering of the elect from all parts of the earth to the places
appointed.
The duty that Jesus enjoined upon the apostles as of first
importance throughout all the coming scenes of sorrow, suf-
fering and turmoil, was that of vigilance. They were to
pray, watch, and work, diligently and with unwavering faith.
The lesson was illustrated by a masterly analogy, which,
under the broadest classification, may be called a parable.
Directing their attention to the fig tree and other trees which
flourished on the sunny slopes of Olivet, the Master said:
"Behold the fig tree, and all the trees ; when they now shoot
forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is
now nigh at hand. So likewise ye, when ye see these things
come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at
hand." Of the fig tree in particular the Lord remarked :
"When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye
know that summer is nigh." This sign of events near at
hand was equally applicable to the premonitory conditions
which were to herald the fall of Jerusalem and the termina-
tion of the Jewish autonomy, and to the developments by
which the Lord's second advent shall be immediately pre-
ceded.
The next declaration in the order of the evangelical
record reads : "Verily I say unto you, This generation shall
not pass, till all these things be fulfilled." This may be
understood as applying to the generation in which the por-
tentous happenings before described would be realized. So
far as the predictions related to the overthrow of Jerusalem,
they were literally fulfilled within the natural lifetime of
TIME OF THE LORD'S ADVENT UNKNOWN TO MAN. 575
several of the apostles and of multitudes of their contem-
poraries ; such of the Lord's prophecies as pertain to the
heralding of His second coming are to be brought to pass
within the duration of the generation of some who witness
the inauguration of their fulfilment. The certainty of ful-
filment was emphasized by the Lord in the profound affirm-
ation: "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words
shall not pass away." 1
All speculation concerning the time of the Lord's ap-
pearing, whether based on assumption, deduction, or calcu-
lation of dates, was forestalled, by Christ's averment: "But
of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the
angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father."'*
That His advent in power and glory is to be sudden and un-
expected to the unobserving and sinful world, but in imme-
diate sequence to the signs which the vigilant and devout
may read and understand, was made plain by comparison
with the prevailing social conditions of Noah's time, when
in spite of prophecy and warning the people had continued
in their feasting and merry-making, in marrying and giving
in marriage, until the very day of Noah's entrance into the
ark, "And knew not until the flood came, and took them all
away ; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be."
In the last stages of the gathering of the elect, the ties of
companionship shall be quickly severed; of two men labor-
ing in the field, or of two women engaged side by side in
household duties, the faithful one shall be taken and the
sinner left. "Watch therefore," was the solemn behest, "for
ye know not what hour your Lord doth come." In explica-
tion of this admonishment, the Lord condescended to com-
pare the suddenness and secrecy of His coming to the move-
ments of a night-prowling thief ; and pointed out, that if a
t'Matt. 24:35; compare 5:18; Mark 13:31; Luke 21:33; compare 16:17; see
Heb. 1:10, 11; 2 Peter 3:7-10; Rev. 21:1. N
j This is Mark's version; in the parallel pass;
__.ither the Son" are not found in the King Jar
the revised version. See Note 3, end of chapter.
i matt. 21:30; compare 0:10; mark 10:01; I^UKC zi:oa; compare io:i/; se
also Heb. 1:10, 11; 2 Peter 3:7-10; Rev. 21:1. Note 5, end of chapter.
j This is Mark's version; in the parallel passage Matt. 24:36, the word
"neither the Son" are not found in the King James text, but do appear i
words
appear in
576 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 32.
householder had certain knowledge as to the time of a
burglar's predetermined visit, he would remain on vigilant
watch; but because of uncertainty he may be found off his
guard, and the thief may enter and despoil the home.
Again likening the apostles to duly appointed stewards
in a great household,^ the Lord spoke of Himself as the
householder, saying: "The Son of man is as a man taking
a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his
servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the
porter to watch. Watch ye therefore: for ye know not
when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at mid-
night, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning : Lest com-
ing suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto
you I say unto all, Watch." But if the steward grow neg-
ligent because of his master's long absence, and give him-
self up to feasting and unlicensed pleasure, or become auto-
cratic and unjust toward his fellow-servants, his lord shall
come in an hour when least expected, and shall consign that
wicked servant to a place among the hypocrites, where he
shall weep bitter tears of remorse, and gnash his teeth in
impotent despair.*
THE NEED OF WATCHFULNESS AND DILIGENCE ILLUSTRATED
BY PARABLES.
To more indelibly impress upon the apostles, and, through
their subsequent ministry, upon the world, the absolute need
of unceasing watchfulness and unwavering diligence in
preparation for the coming of the Lord in judgment, Jesus
depicted in parables the prospective condition of mankind
in the last times. The first of these illustrative portrayals
is the Parable of the Ten Virgins. The only report of it we
have is that given by Matthew," 1 as follows :
k Page 441.
/Matt. 24:45-51; Mark 13:34-37; Luke 21:34-36, compare 12:35-48.
mMatt. 25:1-13.
WISE AND FOOLISH VIRGINS. 577
"Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten
virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the
bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were
foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took
no oil with them : but the wise took oil in their vessels with
their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slum-
bered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made,
Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And
the foolish said unt9 the wise, Give us of your oil ; for our
lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so ;
lest there be not enough for us and you : but go ye rather
to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they
went to buy, the bridegroom came ; and they that were ready
went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.
Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord,
open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto
you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither
the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh."
The story itself is based on oriental marriage customs,
with which the Lord's attentive listeners were familiar. It
was and yet is common in those lands, particularly in con-
nection with marriage festivities among the wealthy classes,
for the bridegroom to go to the home of the bride, accom-
panied by his friends in processional array, and later to
conduct the bride to her new home with a larger body of
attendants composed of groomsmen, bridesmaids, relatives
and friends. As the bridal party progressed, to the accompan-
iment of gladsome music, it was increased by little groups
who had gathered in waiting at convenient places along the
route, and particularly near the end of the course where
organized companies came forth to meet the advancing pro-
cession. Wedding ceremonies were appointed for the eve-
ning and night hours ; and the necessary use of torches and
lamps gave brilliancy and added beauty to the scene.
In the parable ten maidens were waiting to welcome and
join in with the bridal company, the time of whose arrival
578 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 32.
was uncertain. Each had her lamp attached to the end of
a rod so as to be held aloft in the festal march ; but of the
ten virgins five had wisely carried an extra supply of oil,
while the other five, probably counting on no great delay,
or assuming that they would be able to borrow from others,
or perchance having negligently given no thought at all to
the matter, had no oil except the one filling with which their
lamps had been supplied at starting. The bridegroom tar-
ried, and the waiting maidens grew drowsy and fell asleep.
At midnight, the forerunners of the marriage party loudly
proclaimed the bridegroom's approach, and cried in haste:
"Go ye out to meet him." The ten maidens, no longer
sleepy, but eagerly active, set to work to trim their lamps;
then the wise ones found use for the oil in their flasks, while
the thoughtless five bewailed their destitute condition, for
their lamps were empty and they had no oil for replenish-
ment. They appealed to their wiser sisters, asking a share
of their oil ; but these declined ; for, in a time of such exi-
gency, to give of their store would have been to render them-
selves unfit, inasmuch as there was oil enough for their own
lamps only. Instead of oil they could impart only advice
to their unfortunate sisters, whom they directed to go to the
nearest shop and buy for themselves. While the foolish
virgins were away in quest of oil, the wedding party passed
into the house wherein the feast was provided, and the
door was shut against all tardy comers. In time the unwise
maidens, too late to participate in the processional entry,
called from without, pleading for admittance ; but the
bridegroom refused their request, and disclaimed all ac-
quaintanceship with them, since they had not been numbered
among his attendants or those of the bride.
The Bridegroom is the Lord Jesus; the marriage feast
symbolizes His coming in glory, to receive unto Himself the
Church on earth as His bride. M The virgins typify those
n Compare Rev. 21:2, 9; 22:17; see also Matt. 9:15; John 3:29.
EXPLICATION OF PARABLE OF THE TEN VIRGINS. 579
who profess a belief in Christ, and who, therefore, confi-
dently expect to be included among the blessed participants
at the feast. The lighted lamp, which each of the maidens
carried, is the outward profession of Christian belief and
practise; and in the oil reserves of the wiser ones we may
see the spiritual strength and abundance which diligence
and devotion in God's service alone can insure. The lack of
sufficient oil on the part of the unwise virgins is analogous
to the dearth of soil in the stony field, wherein the seed
readily sprouted but soon withered away. The Bride-
groom's coming was sudden; yet the waiting virgins were
not held blamable for their surprize at the abrupt announce-
ment, but the unwise five suffered the natural results of
their unpreparedness. The refusal of the wise virgins to
give of their oil at such a critical time must not be regarded
as uncharitable; the circumstance typifies the fact that in
the day of judgment every soul must answer for himself;
there is no way by which the righteousness of one can be
credited to another's account; the doctrine of supereroga-
tion is wholly false/ The Bridegroom's condemnatory dis-
claimer, "I know you not," was equivalent to a declaration
that the imploring but neglectful ones, who had been found
unready and unprepared, did not know Him.'?
The application of the parable and its wealth of splendid
suggestion are summarized in a masterly manner by the
Lord's impressive adjuration : "Watch therefore, for ye
know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man
cometh." The fulfilment of the predictions enshrined in
this precious parable is yet future, but near. In 1831 the
L,ord Jesus Christ revealed anew the indications by which
the imminence of His glorious advent may be perceived.
Through the mouth of His prophet Joseph Smith He thus
spake: "And at that day, when I shall come in my glory,
i
o See Parable of the Sower, Matt. 13:5, 6, 20, 21; page 282 herein.
p Note 4, end of chapter.
q Compare John 10:14.
580 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 32.
shall the parable be fulfilled which I spake concerning the
ten virgins : for they that are wise and have received the
truth, and have taken the Holy Spirit for their guide, and
have not been deceived; verily I say unto you, they shall
not be hewn down and cast into the fire, but shall abide the
day, and the earth shall be given unto them for an inherit-
ance; and they shall multiply and wax strong, and their
children shall grow up without sin unto salvation, for the
Lord shall be in their midst, and his glory shall be upon
them, and he will be their King and their Lawgiver." r
Still discoursing in solemn earnestness to the apostles as
the evening shadows gathered about the Mount of Olives,
the Lord delivered the last of His recorded parables. We
call it the Parable of the Entrusted Talents. 5
\ : ' .:-..'
"For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into
a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered
unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five talents, to
another two, and to another one ; to every man according to
his several ability; and straightway took his journey. Then
he that had received the five talents went and traded with
the same, and made, them other five talents. And likewise
he that had received two, he also gained other two. But he
that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid
his lord's money. After a long time the lord of those ser-
vants cometh, and reckoneth with them. And so he that had
received five talents came and brought other five talents, say-
ing, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents : behold, I
have gained beside them five talents more. His lord said
unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant : thou
hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler
over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. He
also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou
deliveredst unto me two talents : behold, I have gained two
other talents beside them. His lord said unto him, Well
done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful
over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things :
rDoc. and Cov. 45:56-59; see also 63:53, 54.
*Matt. 25:14-30.
PARABLE OF THE TALENTS. 581
enter thou into the joy of thy lord. Then he which had
received the one talent came and said, L,ord, I knew thee that
thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown,
and gathering where thou hast not strawed : And I was
afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there
thou hast that is thine. His lord answered and said unto
him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I
reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not
strawed: Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money
to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have
received mine own with usury. Take therefore the talent
from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. For
unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have
abundance : but from him that hath not shall be taken away
even that which he hath. And cast ye the unprofitable ser-
vant into outer darkness : there shall be weeping and gnash-
ing of teeth."
Some of the resemblances between this parable and that
of the Pounds* appear on even a casual reading ; significant
differences are discovered by comparison and study. The
earlier parable was spoken to a mixed multitude in the
course of our Lord's last journey from Jericho to Jerusalem ;
the later one was given in privacy to the most intimate of
His disciples in the closing hours of the last day of His
public preaching. The two should be studied together. In
the story of the Pounds, an equal amount of capital is given
to each of the servants, and men's diverse ability to use and
apply, with commensurate results in reward or penalty, is
demonstrated ; in that of the Entrusted Talents, the servants
receive different amounts, "every man according to his sev-
eral ability"; and equal diligence, though shown in one in-
stance by great gain and in the other by small but propor-
tionate increase, is equally rewarded. Unfaithfulness and
negligence are condemned and punished in both.
In the parable now under consideration, the master Is
presented as delivering his wealth into the hands of his own
/Luke 19:12-27; see also page 508 herein.
582 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 32.
servants, literally, bondservants ;** they, as well as the pos-
sessions held by them in trust were his. Those servants
had no rights of actual ownership, nor title of permanent
proprietorship in the treasure committed to their care; all
they had, the time and opportunity to use their talents, and
they themselves, belonged to their lord. We cannot fail to
perceive even in the early incidents of the story that the
Master of the servants was the Lord Jesus ; the servants,
therefore, were the disciples and more particularly the apos-
tles, who, while of equal authority through ordination in the
Holy Priesthood, as specifically illustrated by the earlier
parable of the Pounds, were of varied ability, of diverse
personality, and unequal generally in nature and in such
accomplishments as would be called into service throughout
their ministry. The Lord was about to depart ; He would
return only "after a long time" ; the significance of this latter
circumstance is in line with that expressed through the par-
able of the Ten Virgins in the statement that the Bridegroom
tarried.
At the time of reckoning, the servants who had done
well, the one with his five talents, the other with his two,
reported gladly, conscious as they were of having at least
striven to do their best. The unfaithful servant prefaced his
report with a grumbling excuse, which involved the imputa-
tion of unrighteousness in the Master. The honest, diligent,
faithful servants saw and reverenced in their Lord the per-
fection of the good qualities which they possessed in meas-
ured degree ; the lazy and unprofitable serf, afflicted by dis-
torted vision, professed to see in the Master his own base
defects. The story in this particular, as in the other features
relating to human acts and tendencies, is psychologically
true; in a peculiar sense men are prone to conceive of the
attributes of God as comprizing in augmented degree the
dominant traits of their own nature.
Margin, revised version..
.<IAH EXPLICATION OF PARABLE OF THE TALENTS. 583
Both the servant who had been entrusted with five talents
and he who had received but two were equally commended,
and, as far as we are told, were equally recompensed. The
talents bestowed upon each were the gift of his Lord, who
knew well whether that servant was capable of using to
better advantage one, two, or five. Let no one conclude
that good work of relatively small scope is less necessary or
acceptable than like service of wider range. Many a man
who has succeeded well in business with small capital would
have failed in the administration of vast sums; so also in
spiritual achievements "there are diversities of gifts, but the
same Spirit. " v Of the man endowed with many talents
greater returns were expected ; of the one-talented man
relatively little was required, yet in that little he failed.^ At
the least he could have delivered the money to the bank,
through which it would have been kept in circulation to the
benefit of the community, and would have earned interest
meanwhile. Likewise, in the spiritual application, a man pos-
sessed of any good gift, such as musical ability, eloquence,
skill in handicraft, or the like, ought to use that gift to the
full, that he or others may be profited thereby ; but should he
be too neglectful to exercize his powers in independent ser-
vice, he may assist others to profitable effort, by encourage-
ment if by nothing more.
Who can doubt in the spirit of the Lord's teaching, that
had the man been able to report the doubling of his single
talent, he would have been as cordially commended and as
richly recompensed as were his more highly endowed and
faithful fellows? It is notable that to the charge of un-
righteousness made by the unfaithful servant, the Lord
deigns no refutation ; the spirit of the reply was the same
as that expressed in the earlier parable : "Out of thine own
mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant."* The un-
iisL sfii 3o abirttnslq srft \d
v 1 Cor. 12:4; study the entire chapter.
?22;- compare Matt. 12:37.
584 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 32.
worthy man sought to excuse himself by the despicable but
all too common subterfuge of presumptuously charging cul-
pability in another, and in this instance, that other was his
Lord. Talents are not given to be buried, and then to be
dug up and offered back unimproved, reeking with the smell
of earth and dulled by the corrosion of disuse. The unused
talent was justly taken from him who had counted it as of
so little worth, and was given to one, who, although possess-
ing much, would use the additional gift to his own profit, to
the betterment of his fellows, and to the glory of his Lord.
THE INEVITABLE JUDGMENT?
!JB3h;
The Lord had uttered His last parable. In words of
plainness, though suffused with the beauty of effective
simile, He impressed upon the listening disciples the cer-
tainty of judgment by which the world shall be visited in
the day of His appearing. Then shall the wheat be segre-
gated from the tares,- and the sheep divided from the goats.
"When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the
holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of
his glory : And before him shall be gathered all nations : and
he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd
divideth his sheep from the goats : And he shall set the
sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left." Unto
those on His right hand the King shall give commendation
and blessing, bestowing a rich recompense for their good
works, as attested by the hungry they had fed, the thirsty to
whom they had given drink, the stranger they had lodged,
the naked they had clothed, the sick to whom they had min-
istered, the prisoners they had visited and encouraged, all
of which mercies are accredited to them as having been ren-
dered to their Lord in person. The blessed company, over-
whelmed by the plenitude of the King's bounty, of which
..-,_ 9- 01 Afi
SlS'-SQ; page 286 herein.
THE GREAT JUDGMENT.
they regard themselves as undeserving, will fain disclaim
the merit attributed to them; "And the King shall answer
and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye
have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye
have done it unto me."
Unto them who wait on the left in terrified expectancy,
the King shall recount their several deficiencies, in that they
had given Him neither food nor drink, shelter nor clothing
despite His need; neither had they visited Him though ill,
nor ministered unto His wants when He lay in a prison cell.
In the desperation of anguish these shall ask when and
where they had had such opportunity of comforting Him,
and He shall answer, "Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as
ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me."
The righteous shall be welcomed with "Come ye blessed of
my Father" ; the wicked shall hear the awful sentence, "De-
part from me ye cursed." Eternal life is the inestimable
reward; everlasting punishment the unfathomable doom.
Viewing as one discourse the two parables and the teach-
ing that directly followed, we find in it such unity of subject
and thoroughness of treatment as to give to the whole both
beauty and worth beyond the sum of these qualities exhib-
ited in the several parts. Vigilant waiting in the Lord's
cause, and the dangers of unreadiness are exemplified in the
story of the virgins; diligence in work and the calamitous
results of sloth are prominent features of the tale of the
talents. These two phases of service are of reciprocal and
complementary import ; it is as necessary at times to wait
as at others to work. The lapse of a long period, as while
the Bridegroom tarried, and as during the Master's absence
in "a far country,"^ is made plain throughout as intervening
between the Lord's departure and His return in glory. The
absolute certainty of the Christ coming to execute judgment
a Page 286.
b The revised version reads "another country" instead of "a far coun-
try," in Matt. 25:14.
586 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 32.
upon the earth, in the which every soul shall receive accord-
ing to his deserts, is the sublime summary of this unparal-
leled discourse. ovccrtrmt^
, icf <\iH 383lfrt }pi tf gfiS L
ANOTHER SPECIFIC PREDICTION OF THE I^ORD^S DEATH.
Following the instructions to the apostles at the resting
place on Olivet, and probably in the course of the continued
walk toward Bethany that evening, Jesus reminded the
Twelve of the awful fate awaiting Him, and specified the
time of His betrayal and the manner of His death. "Ye
know," He said, "that after two days is the feast of the
passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified. " c
NOTES TO CHAPTER 32.
i. Early Fulfilment of the Lord's Prophecies. As to the
literal fulfilment of the Lord's predictions relating to the times
immediately following His ascension and down to the destruc-
tion of Jerusalem, the student must be referred to scriptural
and other history. Only a brief summary of the most notable
events can be attempted here.
On the matter of wars and rumors or threats of wars, sec
Josephus, Antiquities xviii, ch. g, and Wars, ii, ch. 10. The latter
reference is to the account of the decree issued by Caligula that
his statue be set up and duly reverenced in the temple, in conse-
quence of which the Jews protested so strenuously that war was
declared against them, but was averted by the death of the em-
peror. Concerning the death of Caligula, Josephus remarks that
it "happened most happily for our nation in particular, which
would have almost utterly perished, if he had not been suddenly
slain." Other threats of war against the Jews were severally
made by the emperors Claudius and Nero.
Nation rose against nation, as for example, in the assault of
Greeks and Syrians upon ^ the Jews, in the course of which 50,000
Jews were slain at Selucia on the Tigris, and 20,000 at Csesarea,
13,000 at Scythopolis, and 2,500 at Ascalqn. Famine and its at-
tendant pestilence prevailed during the reign of Claudius, (41-54
A. D.) and such had been specifically predicted by inspiration,
through Agabus (Acts 11:28). The famine was very severe in
Palestine (Josephus, Antiquities, xx, ch. 2). Earthquakes were
of alarming frequency and of unusual severity, between the death
of Christ and the destruction of Jerusalem, particularly in Syria,
Macedonia, Campania, and Achia. See Tacitus, Annals, books
xii and xiv; and for account of violent seismic disturbances at
t. 26:2.
NOTES.
Rome, see Suetonius in his Life of Galba. Josephus (Wars iv,
ch. 4) records a particularly severe earthquake that disrupted
parts of Judea, and was accompanied by "amazing concussions
and bellowings of the earth a manifest indication that some
destruction was coming upon men." The portent of "fearful
sights and great signs" from heaven, as recorded by Luke was
realized in the phenomenal events chronicled by Josephus (Preface
to "Wars").
Of the persecution that befell the apostles and others, and of
their arraignment before rulers, Dr. Adam Clarke, in his com-
mentary on passages in Matt. 24, says : "We need go no farther
than the Acts of the Apostles for the completion of these par-
ticulars. Some were delivered to councils, as Peter and John
(Acts 4:5). Some were brought before rulers and kings, as Paul
before Gallic (18:12); before Felix (ch. 24); before Festus and
Agrippa (ch. 25). Some had utterance and wisdom which their
adversaries were not able to resist; so Stephen (6:10), and Paul
who made even Felix himself tremble (24:25). Some were im-
prisoned, as Peter and John (4:3). Some were beaten, as Paul
and Silas (16:23). Some were put to death, as Stephen (7:59);
and James the brother of John (12:2). But if we look beyond
the book of the Acts of the Apostles, to the bloody persecutions
under Nero, we shall find these predictions still more amply
fulfilled; in these, numberless Christians fell, besides those two
champions of the faith, Peter and Paul. And it was, as says
Tertullian, a war against the very name of Christ; for he who
was called Christian had committed crime enough in bearing the
name to be put to death. So true were our Savior's words that
they should be hated of all men for His Name's sake."
Among the false prophets, and men who claimed to be the
duly accredited ministers of Christ, were Simon Magus who drew
many people after him (Acts 8:9, 13, 18-24; see also The Great
Apostasy, 7:1, 2), Menander, Dositheus, and Theudas, and the
false apostles referred to by Paul (2 Cor. 11:13) and others, such
as Hymeneus and Philetus (2 Tim. 2:17, 18). Dummelow's
Commentary applies here the record by Josephus concerning "a
body of wicked men, who deceived and deluded the people under
pretense of divine inspiration, who prevailed with the multitude
to act like madmen, and went before them into the wilderness,
pretending that God would there show them the signals of vic-
tory." Compare 2 Peter 2:1; i John 2:18; 4:1. That the- love
of many did wax cold, both before and after the destruction of
Jerusalem, is attested by the facts of the world-wide apostasy,
which was the result of corruption within and persecution from
without the Church (see The Great Apostasy, chaps. 3-9).
The preaching of the gospel of the kingdom "in all the
world" was no less truly an essential characteristic of the apos-
tolic period than it is of the current or last dispensation. The
rapid spread of the gospel and the phenomenal growth of the
Church under the direction of the apostles of old, is recorded
as one of the marvels of history (Great Apostasy, 1 :2i, and cita-
tion of Eusebius). Paul, writing about thirty years after Christ's
JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 32.
ascension, affirms that the gospel had already been carried to
every nation, and "preached to every creature under heaven"
(Col. 1:23, compare verse 6).
The "abomination of desolation" cited by the Lord from the
prophecy by Daniel was strictly fulfilled in the investment of
Jerusalem by the Roman army (compare Luke 21 -.20, 21). To
the Jews the ensigns and images of the Romans were a disgust-
ing abomination. Josephus (Wars vi, ch. 6) states that the
Roman ensigns were set up inside the temple and that the sol-
diery offered sacrifices before them.
The warning to all to flee from Jerusalem and Judea to the
mountains when the armies would begin to surround the city
was so generally heeded by members of the Church, that accord-
ing to the early Church writers not one Christian perished in
the awful siege (see Eusebius, Ecclcs. Hist., book iii, ch. 5). The
first siege by Gallus was unexpectedly raised, and then, before
the armies of Vespasian arrived at the walls, all Jews who had
faith in the warning given by Christ to the apostles, and by
these to the people, fled beyond Jordan, and congregated mostly
at Pella (compare Josephus, Wars ii, ch. 19).
As to the unprecedented horrors of the siege, which cul-
minated in the utter destruction of Jerusalem and the temple,
see Josephus, Wars vi, chaps. 3 and 4. That historian estimates
the number slain in Jerusalem alone as 1,100,000 and in other
cities and rural parts a third as many more. For details see
Josephus, Wars ii, chaps. 18, 20; iii, 2, 7, 8, 9; iv, I, 2, 7, 8, 9; vii,
6, 9, II. Many tens of thousands were taken captive, to be after-
ward sold into slavery, or to be slain by wild beasts, or in glad-
iatorial combat in the arena for the amusement of Roman spec-
tators.
In the course of the siege, a wall was constructed about the
entire city, thus fulfilling the Lord's prediction (Luke 19:43),
"thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee," in which, by the ad-
mittedly better translation, "bank," or "palisade" should appear
instead of "trench". In September A. D. 70 the city fell into
the hands of the Romans ; and its destruction was afterward
made so thorough that its site was plowed up. Jerusalem was
"trodden down of the Gentiles", and ever since has been under
Gentile dominion, and so shall continue to be "until the times of
the Gentiles be fulfilled". (Luke 21 124.)
2. In the Deserts and in Secret Chambers. The 24th chap-
ter of Matthew, and its parallel scriptures in Mark 13 and Luke
21, may be the more easily understood if we bear in mind that
the Lord therein speaks of two distinct events, each a consum-
mation of long ages of preparation, and the first a prototype of
the second. Many of the specific predictions are applicable both
to the time preceding or at the destruction of Jerusalem, and to
developments of succeeding time down to the second coming of
Christ. The passage in Matt. 24 126 may be given this two-fold
application. Josephus tells of men leading others away into the
desert, saying under pretended inspiration that there should
they find God; and the same historian mentions a false prophet
NOTES. 589
who led many into the secret chambers of the temple during the
Roman assault, promising them that there would the Lord give
them deliverance. Men, women, and children followed this
fanatical leader, and were caught in the holocaust of destruction,
so that 6,000 of them perished in the flames (Josephus, Wars vi,
ch. 5). Concerning an application of the Lord's precepts to
later times and conditions, the author has elsewhere written
(The Great Apostasy, 7:22-25): One of the heresies of early
origin and rapid growth in the Church was the doctrine of an-
tagonism between body and spirit, whereby the former was re-
garded as an incubus and a curse. From what has been said
this will be recognized as one of the perversions derived from
the alliance of Gnosticism with Christianity. A result of this
grafting in of heathen doctrines was an abundant growth of
hermit practises, by which men sought to weaken, torture, and
subdue their bodies, that their spirits or "souls" might gain
greater freedom. Many who adopted this unnatural view of
human existence retired to the solitude of the desert, and there
spent their time in practises of stern self-denial and in acts of
frenzied self-torture. Others shut themselves up as voluntary
prisoners, seeking glory in privation and self-imposed penance.
It was this unnatural view of life that gave rise to the several
orders of recluses, hermits, and monks.
Think you not that the Savior had such practises in mind,
when, warning the disciples of the false claims to sanctity that
would characterize the times then soon to follow, He said :
"Wherefore if they shall say unto you. Behold he [Christ] is in
the desert, go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers,
believe it not"?
3. The Time of Christ's Advent Not Known. The Lord's
statement that the time of His advent in glory was unknown to
man, and that the angels knew it not, "neither the Son", but that
it was known to the Father only, appears plain and unambiguous
notwithstanding many and conflicting commentaries thereon.
Jesus repeatedly affirmed that His mission was to do the will of
the Father; and it is evident that the Father's will was revealed
to Him from time to time. While in the flesh He laid no claim
to omniscience ; though whatever He willed to know He learned
through the medium of communication with the Father. Christ
had not asked to know what the Father had not intimated His
readiness to reveal, which, in this instance, was the day and
hour of the Son's appointed return to earth as a glorified, resur-
rected Being. We need not hesitate to believe that at the time
Jesus delivered to the apostles the discourse under considera-
tion, He was uninformed on the matter ; for He so states. In
the last interview between Christ and the apostles immediately
before His ascension (Acts 1 :6, 7) they asked "Lord, wilt thou
at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel ? And he said
unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons,
which the Father hath put in his own power." Nor has the
date of the Messianic consummation been since revealed to any
man; though even now, the fig tree is rapidly putting forth its
Ilsrfe
590 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 32.
leaves, and he who hath eyes to see and a heart to understand
knows that the summer of the Lord's purpose is near at hand.
4. The False Doctrine of Supererogation. Among the per-
nicious fallacies promulgated as authorized dogmas by the apos-
tate church during the long period of spiritual darkness follow-
ing the close of the apostolic ministry, was the awful enormity
known as the doctrine of supererogation. As stated by Mosheim
(Bed. Hist. Cent, xii, part ii, ch. 3 14) the dreadful doctrine was
formulated in the thirteenth century as follows : "That there
actually existed an immense treasure of merit, composed of the
pious deeds and virtuous actions which the saints had performed
beyond what was necessary for their own salvation, and which were
therefore applicable to the benefit of others; that the guardian
and dispenser of this precious treasure was the Roman pontiff,
and that of consequence he was empowered to assign to such
as he thought proper a portion of this inexhaustible source of
merit, suitable to their respective guilt, and sufficient to deliver
them from the punishment due to their crimes." Concerning
the fallacy of this doctrine the author has written (The Great
Apostasy,9;i$),'m this wise: "This doctrine of supererogation is
as unreasonable as it is unscriptural and untrue. Man's indi-
vidual responsibility for his acts is as surely a fact as is his
agency to act for himself. He will be saved through the merits
and by the atoning sacrifice of our Redeemer and Lord; and his
claim upon the salvation provided is strictly dependent on his
compliance with the principles and ordinances of the gospel as
established by Jesus Christ. Remission of sins and the eventual
salvation of the human soul are provided for; but these gifts of
God are not to be purchased with money. Compare the awful
fallacies of supererogation and the blasphemous practise of as-
suming to remit the sins of one man in consideration of the
merits of another, with the declaration of the one and only
Savior of mankind: 'But I say unto you that every idle word
that men shall speak, they shall give an account thereof in the
day of judgment.'" If conclusions as to doctrine may be drawn
from our Lord's parables, the parable of the Ten Virgins affords
refutation of the Satanic suggestion that one man's sin may be
neutralized by another's righteousness. We know no superero-
gation but that of the Lord Jesus Christ, through whose merits
salvation is placed within the reach of all men.
5. "This Generation." Consult any reliable unabridged dic-
tionary of the English language for evidence of the fact that the
term "generation," as connoting a period of time, has many mean-
ings, among which are "race, kind, class." The term is not con-
fined to a body of people living at one time. Fausett's Bible
Cyclopedia, Critical and Expository, after citing many meanings
attached to the word, says: "In Matthew 24:34 'this generation
shall not pass (viz. the Jewish race, of which the generation in
Christ's days was a sample in character; compare Christ's address
to the "generation," 23:35, 36, in proof that "generation" means
at times the whole Jewish race) till all these things be fulfilled'
a prophecy that the Jews shall be a distinct people still when He
shall come again."
PA> CONSPIRACY OF 'EVIL COUNSEL. 591
CHAPTER 33.
V ;i91T9W!Od
THE LAST SUPPER AND THE BETRAYAL.
PRIESTLY CONSPIRATORS AND Tll TRAITOR.
As the time for the annual Feast of the Passover ap-
proached, and particularly during the two days immediately
preceding the beginning of the festival, the chief priests,
scribes, and elders of the people, in short the Sanhedrin and
the entire priestly party, conspired persistently together as
to the best manner of taking Jesus into custody and putting
Him to death. At one of these gatherings of evil counsel,
which was held at the palace of the high priest, Caiaphas, a
it was decided that Jesus should be taken by subtlety if possi-
ble, as the probable effect of an open arrest would be an
uprising of the people. The rulers feared especially an out-
break by the Galileans, who had a provincial pride in the
prominence of Jesus as one of their countrymen, and many
of whom were then in Jerusalem. It was further concluded
and for the same reasons, that the Jewish custom of making
impressive examples of notable offenders by executing public
punishment upon them at times of great general assemblages,
be set aside in the case of Jesus ; therefore the conspirators
said : "Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar among
the people." &
On earlier occasions they had made futile attempts to get
Jesus into their hands \ c and they were naturally dubious as
to the outcome of their later machinations. At this juncture
they were encouraged and gladdened in their wicked plots
a Matt. 26:3-5; see also Mark 14:1; Luke 22:1, 2.
& Revised version of Matt. 26:5 reads: "Not during the feast, lest there
be a tumult among the people."
cjohn 7:30, 44, 45-53; 11:47-57.
592 JESUS THE CHRIST. I3MOD [CHAP. 33.
by the appearance of an unexpected ally. Judas Iscariot,
one of the Twelve, sought an audience with these rulers of
the Jews, and infamously offered to betray his Lord into
their hands.** Under the impulse of diabolic avarice, which,
however, was probably but a secondary element in the real
cause of his perfidious treachery, he bargained to sell his
Master for money, and chaffered with the priestly pur-
chasers over the price of the Savior's blood. "What will
ye give me?" he asked; "and they covenanted with him for
thirty pieces of silver."* This amount, approximately seven-
teen dollars in our money, but of many times greater pur-
chasing power with the Jews in that day than now with us,
was the price fixed by the law as that of a slave ; it was also
the foreseen sum of the blood-money to be paid for the
Lord's betrayal/ That the silver was actually paid to Judas,
either at this first interview or at some later meeting between
the traitor and the priests, is demonstrated by after events. 5 '
He had pledged himself to the blackest deed of treachery
of which man is capable, and from that hour he sought the
opportunity of superseding his infamous promise by its more
villainous fulfilment. We are yet to be afflicted by other
glimpses of the evil-hearted Iscariot in the course of this
dread chronicle of tragedy and perdition ; for the present let
it be said that before Judas sold Christ to the Jews, he had
sold himself to the devil; he had become Satan's serf, and
did his master's bidding.
THS LAST SUPPER.
The day preceding the eating of the passover lamb had
come to be known among the Jews as the first day of the
feast of unleavened bread/ 1 since on that day all leaven had
dMatt. 26:14-16; Mark 14:10, 11; Luke 22:3-6.
e Matt. 26:15. The revised version reads: "And they weighed
him thirty pieces of silver." Compare Zech. 11:12.
/Exo. 21:32; Zech. 11:12, 13.
g Matt. 27:3-10.
/tMatt. 26:17.
PREPARATIONS FOR OUR LORD^S LAST PASSOVER. 593
to be removed from their dwellings, and thereafter for a
period of eight days the eating of anything containing leaven
was unlawful. On the afternoon of this day, the paschal
lambs were slain within the temple court, by the representa-
tives of families or companies who were to eat together ; and
a portion of the blood of each lamb was sprinkled at the
foot of the altar of sacrifice by one of the numerous priests
on duty for the day. The slain lamb, then said to have been
sacrificed, was borne away to the appointed gathering place
of those by whom it was to be eaten. During the first of
the days of unleavened bread, which in the year of our
Lord's death appears to have fallen on Thursday/ some of
the Twelve inquired of Jesus where they should make prep-
arations for the paschal meal.'" He instructed Peter and
John to return to Jerusalem, and added : "Behold, when ye
are entered into the city, there shall a man meet you, bearing
a pitcher of water ; follow him into the house where he en-
tereth in. And ye shall say unto the goodman of the house,
The Master saith unto thee, Where is the guest chamber,
where I shall eat the passover with my disciples? And he
shall shew you a large upper room furnished : there make
ready. And they went, and found as he had said unto them :
and they made ready the passover."
In the evening, Thursday evening as we reckon time,
but the beginning of Friday according to the Jewish calen-
dar,* Jesus came with the Twelve, and together they sat
down to the last meal of which the Lord would partake be-
fore His death. Under strain of profound emotion, "He said
unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover
with you before I suffer : for I say unto you, I will not any
more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God.
And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this,
iNote 1, end of chapter.
/Matt. 26:17-19; Mark 14:12-16; Luke 22:7-13.
k It should be remembered that the Jews counted their days as begin-
ning at sunset, not, as with us, at midnight. ^icna Jc
JESUS THE CHRIST, :oiTAfly [CHAP. 33.
and divide it among 1 yourselves : for I say unto you, I will
not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God
shall come." The pronouncing of a blessing by the host
upon a cup of wine, which was afterward passed round the
table to each participant in turn, was the customary manner
of beginning the Passover supper. At this solemn meal
Jesus appears to have observed the essentials of the Passover
procedure ; but we have no record of His compliance with
the many supernumerary requirements with which the di-
vinely established memorial of Israel's deliverance from
bondage had been invested by traditional custom and rab-
binical prescription. As we shall see, the evening's proceed-
ings in that upper room comprized much beside the ordinary
observance of an annual festival.
The supper proceeded under conditions of tense sadness.
As they ate, the Lord sorrowfully remarked : "Verily I say
unto you, One of you which eateth with me shall betray me."
Most of the apostles fell into a state of introspection; and
one after another exclaimed: "Is it I?" "Lord, is it I?"
It is pleasing to note that each of those who so inquired was
more concerned with the dread thought that possibly he was
an offender, however inadvertently so, than as to whether his
brother was about to prove himself a traitor. Jesus an-
swered that it was one of the Twelve, then and there eating
with Him from the common dish, and continued with the
terrifying pronouncement: "The Son cf man indeed goeth,
as it is written of him: but woe to that man by whom the
Son of man is betrayed! good were it for that man if he
had never been born." Then Judas Iscariot, who had
already covenanted to sell his Master for money, and who
at this moment probably feared that silence might arouse
suspicion against himself, asked with a brazen audacity that
was veritably devilish: "Master, is it I?" With cutting-
promptness the I<ord replied : "Thou hast said." ;
^ _
ffs], srft iBrft toiodniamai ad bfi/orfa Jl A
/Note 2, end of chapter, .jrfjjnbim 1& ,ew
THE DIGNITY OF SERVICE. 595
There was further cause of sorrow to Jesus at the supper.
Some of the Twelve had fallen into muttering dispute among
themselves over the matter of individual precedence, possi-
bly as to the order in which they should take their places at
table, over which triviality scribes and Pharisees as well as
the Gentiles often quarreled ;" and again the Lord had to
remind the apostles that the greatest of them all was he who
most willingly served his fellows. They had been taught
before; yet now, at this late and solemn hour, they were
suffused with vain and selfish ambition. In sorrowful earn-
estness the Lord pleaded with them, asking who is greater,
he that sits at the table, or he that serves ? And the obvious
reply He supplemented by the statement : "But I am among
you as he that serveth." With loving pathos He added :
"Ye are they which have continued with me in my tempta-
tions;"' 7 and then He assured them that they should lack
neither honor nor glory in the kingdom of God, for if they
proved faithful they should be appointed to thrones as the
judges of Israel. For those of His chosen ones who were
true to Him, the Lord had no feeling less than that of love,
and of yearning for their victory over Satan and sin.
THE ORDINANCE OF THE) WASHING OF
Leaving the table, the Lord laid aside His outer garments
and girded Himself with a towel as an apron ; then having
provided Himself with a basin and a supply of water, He
knelt before each of the Twelve in turn, washed his feet, and
wiped them with the towel. When He reached Peter, that
impulsive apostle protested, saying : "Lord, dost thou wash
my feet ?" That the proceeding was something more than
mere service for personal comfort, and more than an object-
lesson of humility, appears in the Lord's words to Peter
mLuke 22:24-30.
Luke 14:7-11; see page 449 herein.
I.* Se PagG eren "
13:1-20.
596 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 33.
"What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know
hereafter." Peter, failing to understand, objected yet more
vehemently; "Thou shalt never wash my feet," he ex-
claimed. Jesus answered: "If I wash thee not, thou hast
no part with me." Then, with even greater impetuosity
than before, Peter implored as he stretched forth both feet
and hands, "Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and
my head." He had gone to the other extreme, insisting,
though ignorantly and unthinkingly, that things be done his
way, and failing yet to see that the ordinance had to be ad-
ministered as the Lord willed. Again correcting His well-
intending though presumptuous servant, Jesus said to him:
"He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but
is clean every whit : and ye are clean, but not all." Each of
them had been immersed at baptism; the washing of feet
was an ordinance pertaining to the Holy Priesthood, the full
import of which they had yet to learnt
Having resumed His garments and returned to His place
at the table, Jesus impressed the significance of what he had
done, saying : "Ye call me Master and Lord : and ye say
well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have
washed your feet ; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.
For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I
have done to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The ser-
vant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent
greater than he that sent him. If ye know these things,
happy are ye if ye do them." r
THE SACRAMENT OF THE LORD'S SUPPER/
While Jesus with the Twelve still sat at table, He took a
loaf or cake of bread, and having reverently given thanks
and by blessing sanctified it, He gave a portion to each of the
q Note 3, end of chapter.
r The Lord's expression "neither he that is sent greater than he that
sent him" (John 13:16) is more correctly rendered "neither the apostle than
he that sent him" (revised version, margin); see pages 228, 229 herein.
jMatt. 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:19. 20.
THE SACRAMENT INSTITUTED. 597
apostles, saying : "Take, eat ; this is my body" ; or, accord-
ing to the more extended account, "This is my body which
is given for you: this do in remembrance of me." Then,
taking a cup of wine, He gave thanks and blessed it, and
gave it unto them with the command: "Drink ye all of it;
for this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for
many for the remission of sins. But I say unto you, I will
not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day
when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom."* In
this simple but impressive manner was instituted the ordi-
nance, since known as the Sacrament of the lord's Supper.
The bread and wine, duly consecrated by prayer, become
emblems of the Lord's body and blood, to be eaten and drunk
reverently, and in remembrance of Him.
The proceedings at the institution of this sacred rite were
afterward revealed to Paul the apostle, whose recorded testi-
mony as to its establishment and sanctity is in accord with
the accounts given by the Gospel-writers." As shall be here-
inafter shown, the ordinance was instituted by the Lord
among the Nephites, on the western continent, and has been
reestablished in the present dispensation. 1 ' During the dark
ages of apostasy, unauthorized changes in the administration
of the Sacrament were introduced, and many false doctrines
as to its meaning and effect were promulgated.
BETRAYER GOES OUT INTO THE NIGHT.*
In saying to the Twelve, whose feet He had washed, "Ye
are clean," the Lord had specified an exception by His after
remark, "but not all." John, the recorder, takes care to ex-
plain that Jesus had in mind the traitor, and, "therefore said
t In the revised version we read "covenant" instead of "testament" in
Matt. 26:28, and in parallel passages.
1 Cor. 11:23-34.
v B. of M., 3 Nephi 18:6-11; Doc. and Cov. 20:75; see also the "Articles
of Faith," ix.
to See "The Great Apostasy" 8:15-19.
*John 13:18-30.
598 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 33.
he, Ye are not all clean." The guilty Iscariot had received
without protest the Lord's service in the washing of his
recreant feet, though after the ablution he was spiritually
more filthy than before. When Jesus had again sat down,
the burden of His knowledge concerning the treacherous
'heart of Judas again found expression. "I speak not of
yoti all," He said, "I know whom I have chosen : but that the
scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath
lifted up his heel against tne."^ The Lord was intent on
impressing the fact of His foreknowledge as to what was to
come, so that when the terrible development was an accom-
plished fact, the apostles would realize that thereby the
scriptures had been fulfilled. Troubled in spirit, He reiter-
ated the dreadful assertion that one of those present would
betray Him. Peter made signs to John, who occupied the
place next to Jesus and was at that moment leaning his head
on the Lord's breast, that he ask which of them was the
traitor. To John's whispered inquiry the Lord replied :
"He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it."
There was nothing unusual for a person at table, par-
ticularly the host, to dip a piece of bread into the dish of
gravy or savory mixture, and hand it to another. Such
action on the part of Jesus attracted no general attention.
He dipped the morsel of bread and gave it to Judas Iscariot,
with the words : "That thou doest, do quickly." The others
understood the Lord's remark as an instruction to Judas to
attend to some duty or go upon some errand of ordinary
kind, perhaps to purchase something for the further celebra-
tion of the Passover, or to carry gifts to some of the poor,
for Judas was the treasurer of the party and "had the bag."
: But Iscariot understood. His heart was all the more har-
dened by the discovery that Jesus knew of his infamous
plans, and he was maddened by the humiliation he felt in the
Master's ; presence. After the sop, which he had opened his
y Compare Psalm 41:9.
A NEW COMMANDMENT LOVE ONE ANOTHER. 599
mouth to receive from the Lord's hand, "Satan entered into
him" and asserted malignant mastership. Judas went out
immediately, abandoning forever the blessed company of his
brethren and the Lord. John chronicles the traitor's de-
parture with the terse and ominous remark, "and it was
night."
DISCOURSE FOLLOWING THE SUPPER.
The departure of Judas Iscariot appears to have dissi-
pated to some degree the cloud of utter sadness by which the
little company had been depressed; and our Lord Himself
was visibly relieved. As soon as the door had closed upon
the retreating deserter, Jesus exclaimed, as though His vic-
tory over death had been already accomplished: "Now is
the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him." Ad-
dressing the Eleven in terms of parental affection, He said :
"Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall
seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye
cannot come; so now I say to you. A new commandment
I give unto you, That ye love one another ; as I have loved
you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men
know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to an-
other." 5 The law of Moses enjoined mutual love among
friends and neighbors; but the new commandment, by
which the apostles were to be governed, embodied love of a
higher order. They were to love one another as Christ
loved them; and their brotherly affection was to be a dis-
tinguishing mark of their apostleship, by which the world
would recognize them as men set apart.
The Lord's reference to His impending separation from
them troubled the brethren. Peter put the question, "Lord,
whither goest thou?" Jesus answered: "Whither I go,
thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me
afterwards. Peter said unto him, Lord, why cannot I follow
z John 13:31-34.
a Lev. 19:18.
600 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 33.
thee now? I will lay down my life for thy sake." Peter
seems to have realized that his Master was going to His
death ; yet, undeterred, he asserted his readiness to follow
even that dark way rather than be separated from his Lord.
We cannot doubt the earnestness of Peter's purpose nor the
sincerity of his desire at that moment. In his bold avowal,
however, he had reckoned with the willingness of his spirit
only, and had failed to take into full account the weakness
of his flesh. Jesus, who knew Peter better than the man
knew himself, thus tenderly reproved his excess of self-
confidence : "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to
have you, that he may sift you as wheat : but I have prayed
for thee, that thy faith fail not : and when thou art con-
verted, strengthen thy brethren." The first of the apostles,
the Man of Rock, yet had to be converted, or as more pre-
cisely rendered, "turned again" f for as the Lord foresaw,
Peter would soon be overcome, even to the extent of denying
his acquaintanceship with Christ. When Peter stoutly de-
clared again his readiness to go with Jesus, even into prison
or to death, the Lord silenced him with the remark : "I tell
thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou
shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me."
The apostles had to be prepared to meet a new order of
things, new conditions and new exigencies ; persecution
awaited them, and they were soon to be bereft of the Mas-
ter's sustaining presence. Jesus asked of them: "\Vhen I
sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any-
thing? And they said, Nothing. Then said he unto them,
But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise
his scrip : and he that hath no sword, let him sell his gar-
ment, and buy one. For I say unto you, that this that is
written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reck-
oned among the transgressors : for the things concerning me
have an end." The Lord was soon to be numbered among
&So reads the revised version of Luke 22:32.
THE MANY MANSIONS. 601
the transgressors, as had been foreseen ; c and His disciples
would be regarded as the devotees of an executed criminal.
In the mention of purse, scrip, shoes, and sword, some of
the brethren caught at the literal meaning, and said, "Lord,
behold, here are two swords." Jesus answered with curt
finality, "It is enough," or as we might say, "Enough of
this." He had not intimated any immediate need of weapons,
and most assuredly not for His own defense. Again they had
failed to fathom His meaning ; but experience would later
teach them.*
For such information as we have concerning the last dis-
course delivered by Jesus to the apostles before His cruci-
fixion, we are indebted to John alone among the Gospel-
writers ; and every reader is advized to study with care
the three chapters in which these sublime utterances are
preserved for the enlightenment of mankind/ Observing
the sorrowful state of the Eleven, the Master bade them be
of good cheer, grounding their encouragement and hope on
faith in Himself. "Let not your heart be troubled," He
said, "ye believe in God, believe also in me." Then, as
though drawing aside the veil between the earthly and the
heavenly state and giving His faithful servants a glimpse
of conditions beyond, He continued : "In my Father's house
are many mansions : if it were not so, I would have told you.
I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a
place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto my-
self ; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I
go ye know, and the way ye know."^ Thus in language
simple and plain the Lord declared the fact of graded condi-
tions in the hereafter, of variety of occupation and degrees
of glory, of place and station in the eternal worlds.*? He
.
c Isa. 53:12; compare Mark 15:28.
dRead John 13:36-38; Luke 22:31-38; compare Matt. 26:31-35; Mark 14:
27-31.
tfjohn, chaps. 14, 15, 16.
/John 14:1-4.
gr See "The Articles of Faith," iv:28, 29; and xxii:16-27.
602 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 33.
had affirmed His own inherent Godship, and through their
trust in Him and obedience to His requirements would they
find the way to follow whither He was about to precede
them. Thomas, that loving, brave, though somewhat skep-
tical soul, desiring more definite information ventured to
say: "Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how
can we know the way ?" The Lord's answer was a reaffirma-
tion of His divinity ; "I am the way, the truth, and the life :
no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If ye had known
me, ye should have known my Father also : and from hence-
forth ye know him, and have seen him."
At this point Philip interposed with the request, "Lord,
shew us the Father, and it sufHceth us." Jesus answered
with pathetic and mild reproof : "Have I been so long time
with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that
hath seen me hath seen the Father ; and how sayest thou then,
Shew us the Father?" He was grieved by the thought that
His nearest and dearest friends on earth, those upon whom
He had conferred the authority of the Holy Priesthood,
should be yet ignorant of His absolute oneness with the
Father in purpose and action. Had the Eternal Father
stood amongst them, in Person, under the conditions there
existing, He would have done as did the Well Beloved and
Only Begotten Son, whom they knew as Jesus, their Lord
and Master. So absolutely were the Father and the Son
of one heart and mind, that to know either was to know
both ; nevertheless the Father could be reached only through
the Son. So far as the apostles had faith in Christ, and did
His will, should they be able to do the works that Christ in
the flesh had done, and even greater things, for His mortal
mission was of but a few hours further duration, and the
unfolding of the divine plan of the ages would call for yet
greater miracles than those wrought by Jesus in the brief
period of His ministry.
For the first time the Lord directed His disciples to pray
THE COMFORTER PROMISED. 603
in His name to the Father, and assurance of success in
righteous supplication was given in these words: "And
whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the
Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any
thing in my name, I will do it." h The name of Jesus Christ
was to be thenceforth the divinely established talisman by
which the powers of heaven could be invoked to operate in
any righteous undertaking.
The Holy Ghost was promised to the apostles; He would
be sent through Christ's intercession, to be to them "another
Comforter," or as rendered in later translations, "another
Advocate" or "Helper," even the Spirit of Truth, who,
though the world would reject Him as they had rejected the
Christ, should dwell with the disciples, and in them even as
Christ then dwelt in them and the Father in Him. "I will
not leave you comfortless,"" Jesus assured the brethren, "I
will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world seeth me
no more ; but ye see me : because I live, ye shall live also.
At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye
in me, and I in you."' This was followed by the assurance
that Christ though unknown by the world would manifest
Himself to those who loved Him and kept His command-
ments.
Judas Thadeleus, otherwise known as Lebbeus/ "not
Iscariot," as the recorder is careful to particularize, was puz-
zled over the untraditional and un-Jewish thought of a Mes-
siah who would be known but to the chosen few and not to
Israel at large; and he asked: "Lord, how is it that thou
wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?"
Jesus explained that His and the Father's companionship
was attainable only by the faithful. He further cheered the
apostles by the promise that when the Comforter, the Holy
Ghost, whom the Father would send in the name of the Son,.
h John 14:13, 14; compare 16:24.
t'John 14:15-20; compare verse 26; and 15:26.
/Matt. 10:3, and Luke 6 -16; also page 224 herein.
604 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 33.
would come to them, He would teach them further, and
would bring to their remembrance the teachings they had
received from the Christ. The distinct personality of each
member of the Godhead, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, is
here again plainly shown. & Comforting the yet troubled
disciples, Jesus said: "Peace I leave with you, my peace I
give unto you" ; and that they might realize that this meant
more than the conventional salutation of the times, for
"Peace be with you" was an every-day greeting among the
Jews, the Lord affirmed that He gave that invocation in a
higher sense, and "not as the world giveth." Again bidding
them put aside their grief and be not afraid, Jesus added :
"Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come
again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because
I said, I go unto the Father : for my Father is greater than
I." The Lord made clear to His servants that He had told
them these things beforehand, so that when the predicted
events came to pass the apostles would be confirmed in their
faith in Him, the Christ. He had time to say but little more,
for the next hour would witness the beginning of the su-
preme struggle ; "the prince of this world cometh," He
said, and with triumphal joy added, "and hath nothing in
me."'
In superb allegory the Lord thus proceeded to illustrate
the vital relationship between the apostles and Himself, and
between Himself and the Father, by the figure of a vine-
grower, a vine, and its branches : m "I am the true vine, and
my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that
beareth not fruit he taketh away : and every branch that
beareth fruit, he purgeth it," that it may bring forth more
fruit." A grander analogy is not to be found in the world's
literature. Those ordained servants of the Lord were as
k See "Articles of Faith," ii:20-24; page 127 herein,
/John 14:22-31.
mjohn 15:1-8.
n Revised version, "cleanseth it."
THE TRUE VINE AND THE BRANCHES. 605
helpless and useless without Him as is a bough severed from
the tree. As the branch is made fruitful only by virtue of
the nourishing sap it receives from the rooted trunk, and if
cut away or broken off withers, dries, and becomes utterly
worthless except as fuel for the burning, so those men,
though ordained to the Holy Apostleship, would find them-
selves strong and fruitful in good works, only as they re-
mained in steadfast communion with the Lord. Without
Christ what were they, but unschooled Galileans, some of
them fishermen, one a publican, the rest of undistinguished
attainments, and all of them weak mortals? As branches of
the Vine they were at that hour clean and healthful, through
the instructions and authoritative ordinances with which they
had been blessed, and by the reverent obedience they had
manifested.
"Abide in me," was the Lord's forceful admonition, else
they would become but withered boughs. "I am the vine/'
He added in explication of the allegory "ye are the branches :
He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth
much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man
abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered ;
and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they
are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you,
ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit : so
shall ye be my disciples." Their love for one another was
again specified as an essential to their continued love for
Christ. In that love would they find joy. Christ had been
to them an exemplar of righteous love from the day of their
first meeting; and He was about to give the supreme proof
of His affection, as foreshadowed in His words, "Greater
love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for
his friends." And that those men were the Lord's friends
was thus graciously affirmed ; "Ye are my friends, if ye do
ojohn 15:9-17.
COG JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 33.
whatsoever I command y<m Henceforth I call you not
servants ; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth :
but I have called you friends ; for all things that I have heard
of my Father I have made known unto you." This intimate
relationship in no sense modified the position of Christ as
their Lord and Master, for by Him they had been chosen and
ordained ; and it was His will that they should so live that
whatever they asked in the name of the holy friendship
which He acknowledged should be granted them of the
Father.
They were again told of the persecutions that awaited
them, and of their apostolic calling as special and individual
witnesses of the Lord/ That the world then did, and would
yet more intensely hate them was a fact they had to face;
but they were to remember that the world had hated their
Master before them, and that they had been chosen and by
ordination had been set apart from the world ; therefore they
must not hope to escape the world's hatred. The servant
was not greater than his master, nor the apostle than his
Lord, as on general principles they knew, and as they had
been specifically told. They that hated them hated the
Christ ; and they that hated the Son hated the Father ; great
shall be the condemnation of such. Had the wicked Jews
not closed their eyes and stopped their ears to the mighty
works and gracious words of the Messiah, they would have
been convinced of the truth, and the truth would have saved
them ; but they were left without cloak or excuse for their
sin ; and Christ affirmed that in their evil course had the
scriptures been fulfilled in that they had hated Him without
a caused Then, reverting to the great and cheering promise
of support through the coming of the Holy Ghost, the Lord
said : "But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send
unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which
cJ-Jfit 8Y/
/>John 15:18-27.
q Verse 25; compare Psalms 35:19;
THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH THE HOLY GHOST. 607
proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: and ye
also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from
the beginning."
These things had Jesus declared unto them that they
might not "be offended," or in other words, taken by sur-
prize, misled, and caused to doubt and stumble by the un-
precedented events then impending. The apostles were fore-
warned of persecution, of their expulsion from the synagogs,
and of a time in which hatred against them should be so
bitter and the Satanic darkness of mind and spirit so dense
that whosoever succeeded in killing one of them would pro-
fess that his foul deed had been done in God's service. In
view of their overwhelming sorrow at the Lord's departure,
He sought again to cheer them, saying: "Nevertheless I
tell you the truth ; It is expedient for you that I go away :
for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you ;
but if I depart, I will send him unto you."
The assured descent of the Holy Ghost, through whom
they should be made strong to meet every need and emer-
gency, was the inspiring theme of this part of the Lord's dis-
course. Many things which Christ yet had to say to His
apostles, but which they were at that time unable to under-
stand, the Holy Ghost would teach them. "Howbeit," said
Jesus, "when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide
you into all truth : for he shall not speak of himself ; but
whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will
shew you things to come. He shall glorify me : for he shall
receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. All things that
the Father hath are mine : therefore said I, that he shall take
of mine, and shall shew it unto you.' v
Turning again to the matter of His departure, then so
near as to be reckoned by hours, the Lord said, in amplified
form of what He had before affirmed : "A little while, and
ye shall not see me : and again, a little while, and ye shall
rjohn 16:13-15; read verses 1-15.
608 ) YJOJESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 33.
see me, because I go to the Father."* The apostles pondered
and some questioned among themselves as to the Lord's
meaning, yet so deep was the solemnity of the occasion that
they ventured no open inquiry. Jesus knew of their per-
plexity and graciously explained that they would soon weep
and lament while the world rejoiced; this had reference to
His death ; but He promised that their sorrow should be
turned into joy ; and this was based on His resurrection to
which they should be witnesses. He compared their then
present and prospective state to that of a woman in travail,
who in the after joy of blessed motherhood forgets her
anguish. The happiness that awaited them would be beyond
the power of man to take away ; and thenceforth they should
ask not of Christ alone, but of the Father in Christ's name ;
"And," said the Lord, "in that day ye shall ask me nothing.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the
Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye
asked nothing in my name : ask, and ye shall receive, that
your joy may be full."* They were to be advanced to such
honor and exalted recognition that they should approach the
Father in prayer direct, but in the name of the Son ; for they
were beloved of the Father because they had loved Jesus,
the Son, and had accepted Him as One sent by the Father.
The Lord again solemnly averred : "I came forth from
the Father, and am come into the world : again, I leave the
world, and go to the Father." The disciples were gratified
at this plain avouchment, and exclaimed : "Lo, now speakest
thou plainly, and speakest no proverb. Now are we sure
that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man
should ask thee: by this we believe that thou earnest forth
from God." Their satisfaction threatened danger through
over-confidence; and the Lord cautioned them, saying, that
in an hour then close they should all be scattered, every man
.yjohn 16:16; compare 7:33; 13:33; 14:19.
* John 16:17, 23, 24; read verses 17-28.
THE LORD^S HIGH-PRIESTLY PRAYER. 609
to his own, leaving Jesus alone, except for the Father's
presence. In the same connection He told them that before
the night had passed every one of them would be offended
because of Him, even as it had been written : "I will smite
the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered
abroad. " M Peter, the most vehement of all in his protesta-
tions, had been told, as we have seen, that by cock-crow that
night he would have thrice denied his Lord ; but all of them
had declared they would be faithful whatever the trials In
further affirmation of the material actuality of His resurrec-
tion, Jesus promised the apostles that after He had risen
from the grave He would go before them into Galilee. w
In conclusion of this last and most solemn of the dis-
courses delivered by Christ in the flesh, the Lord said:
"These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might
have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation : but be
of good cheer ; I have overcome the world. "*
THE; CONCLUDING PRAYER.
The impressive discourse to the apostles was followed by
a prayer such as could be addressed to none but the Eternal
Father, and such as none but the Son of that Father could
offers It has been called, and not inappropriately, the Lord's
High-Priestly Prayer. In it Jesus acknowledged the Father
as the source of His power and authority, which authority
extends even to the giving of eternal life to all who are
worthy: "And this is life eternal, that they might know
thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast
sent." By way of reverent report as to the work assigned
Him, the Son said: "I have glorified thee on the earth: I
have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And
now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the
Matt. 26r31; Mark 14:27; compare Zech. 13:7; see also Matt. 11:6.
v Matt. 26:31-35; Mark 14:29-31.
wMatt. 26:32; Mark 14:28; compare 16:7.
^John 16:33.
y John 17.
20
610 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 33.
glory which I had with thee before the world was." With
unfathomable love the Lord pleaded for those whom the
Father had given Him, the apostles then present, who had
been called out from the world, and who had been true to
their testimony of Himself as the Son of God. Of them but
one, the son of perdition, had been lost. In the fervor of
devoted supplication, the Lord pleaded :
"I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the
world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
Sanctify them through thy truth : thy word is truth. As thou
hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them
into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that
they also might be sanctified through the truth. Neither
pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall be-
lieve on me through their word ; that they all may be one ;
as thou. Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may
be one in us : that the world may believe that thou hast sent
me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them ;
that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and
thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one ; and that
the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved
them, as thou hast loved me. Father, I will that they also,
whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am ; that
they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for
thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. O
righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I
have known thee, and these have known that thou hast
sent me. And I have declared unto them thy name, and
will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved
me may be in them, and I in them."
When they had sung a hymn, Jesus and the Eleven went out
to the Mount of Olives. 2
THE LORD'S AGONY IN GETHSEMAN^.
Jesus and the eleven apostles went forth from the house
in which they had eaten, passed through the city gate, which
s Note 4, end of chapter.
a Matt. 26:36-46; Mark 14:32-42; Luke 22:39-46.
IN GETHSEMANE. 611
was usually left open at night during a public festival,
crossed the ravine of the Cedron, or more accurately Kidron,
brook, and entered an olive orchard known as Gethsemane, &
on the slope of Mount Olivet. Eight of the apostles He left
at or near the entrance, with the instruction : "Sit ye here,
while I go and pray yonder" ; and with the earnest injunc-
tion : "Pray that ye enter not into temptation." Accom-
panied by Peter, James and John, He went farther ; and was
soon enveloped by deep sorrow, which appears to have been,
in a measure, surprizing to Himself, for we read that He
"began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy." He was
impelled to deny Himself the companionship of even the
chosen three ; and, "Saith he unto them, My soul is exceed-
ing sorrowful, even unto death : tarry ye here, and watch
with me. And he went a little farther, and fell on his face,
and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this
cup pass from me : nevertheless not as I will, but as thou
wilt." Mark's version of the prayer is : "Abba, Father, all
things are possible unto thee ; take away this cup from me :
nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt." c
This part of His impassioned supplication was heard by
at least one of the waiting three ; but all of them soon yielded
to weariness and ceased to watch. As on the Mount of
Transfiguration, when the Lord appeared in glory, so now in
the hour of His deepest humiliation, these three slumbered.
Returning to them in an agony of soul Jesus found them
sleeping ; and addressing Peter, who so short a time before
had loudly proclaimed his readiness to follow the Lord even
to prison and death, Jesus exclaimed : "What, could ye not
watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter
not into temptation" ; but in tenderness added, "the spirit in-
deed is willing, but the flesh is weak." The admonition to
b Note 5, end of chapter.
c "Abba" is expressive of combined affection and honor, and signifies
"Father." It is applied to the Eternal Father by Jesus in the passage
above, and by Paul (Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:6).
612 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 33.
the apostles to pray at that time lest they be led into tempta-
tion may have been prompted by the exigencies of the hour,
under which, if left to themselves, they would be tempted to
prematurely desert their Lord.
Aroused from slumber the three apostles saw the Lord
again retire, and heard Him pleading in agony: "O my
Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I
drink it, thy will be done." Returning a second time He
found those whom He had so sorrowfully requested to Watch
with Him sleeping again, "for their eyes were heavy" ; and
when awakened they were embarrassed or ashamed so that
they wist not what to say. A third time He went to His
lonely vigil and individual struggle, and was heard to im-
plore the Father with the same words of yearning entreaty.
Luke tells iis that "there appeared an angel unto him from
heaven, strengthening him" ; but not even the presence of
this super-earthly visitant could dispel the awful anguish of
His soul. "And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly :
and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling
down to the ground."**
Peter had had a glimpse of the darksome road which he
had professed himself so ready to tread ; and the brothers
James and John knew now better than before how unpre-
pared they were to drink of the cup which the Lord would
drain to its dregs/
When for the last time Jesus came back to the disciples
left on guard, He said : "Sleep on now, and take your rest :
behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed
into the hands of sinners." There was no use of further
watching; already the torches of the approaching band con-
ducted by Judas were observable in the distance. Jesus ex-
claimed : "Rise, let us be going : behold, he is at hand that
doth betray me." Standing with the Eleven, the Lord
calmly awaited the traitor's coming.
dNote 6, end of chapter.
ejohn 13:37; Matt. 20:22; Mark 10:38, 39.
THE AGONY AND BLOODY SWEAT. 613
Christ's agony in the garden is unfathomable by the finite
mind, both as to intensity and cause. The thought that He
suffered through fear of death is untenable. Death to Him
was preliminary to resurrection and triumphal return to the
Father from whom He had come, and to a state of glory
even beyond what He had before possessed ; and, moreover,
it was within His power to lay down His life voluntarily/
He struggled and groaned under a burden such as no other
being who has lived on earth might even conceive as possible.
It was not physical pain, nor mental anguish alone, that
caused Him to suffer such torture as to produce an extrusion
of blood from every pore ; but a spiritual agony of soul such
as only God was capable of experiencing. No other man,
however great his powers of physical or mental endurance,
could have suffered so ; for his human organism would have
succumbed, and syncope would have produced unconscious-
ness and welcome oblivion. In that hour of anguish Christ
met and overcame all the horrors that Satan, "the prince of
this world"* 7 could inflict. The frightful struggle incident
to the temptations immediately following the Lord's bap-
tism* 1 was surpassed and overshadowed by this supreme
contest with the powers of evil.
In some manner, actual and terribly real though to man
incomprehensible, the Savior took upon Himself the burden
of the sins of mankind from Adam to the end of the world.
Modern revelation assists us to a partial understanding of
the awful experience. In March 1830, the glorified Lord,
Jesus Christ, thus spake : "For behold, I, God, have suffered
these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would
repent, but if they would not repent, they must suffer even
as I, which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest
of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore,
and to suffer both body and spirit : and would that I might
/John 5:26, 27; and 10:17, 18; also page 418 herein.
g John 14:30.
h Page 127.
614: JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 33.
not drink the bitter cup and shrink nevertheless, glory be
to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations
unto the children of men."*
From the terrible conflict in Gethsemane, Christ emerged
a victor. Though in the dark tribulation of that fearful hour
He had pleaded that the bitter cup be removed from His lips,
the request, however oft repeated, was always conditional;
the accomplishment of the Father's will was never lost sight
of as the object of the Son's supreme desire. The further
tragedy of the night, and the cruel inflictions that awaited
Him on the morrow, to culminate in the frightful tortures
of the cross, could not exceed the bitter anguish through
which He had successfully passed.
"f>'W c iW:<nir{r
THE BETRAYAL, AND THE ARREST.- 7
During the period of the ford's last and most loving com-
munion with the Eleven, Judas had been busy in his treach-
erous conspiracy with the priestly authorities. It is probable
that the determination to make the arrest that night was
reached when Judas reported that Jesus was within the city
walls and might easily be apprehended. The Jewish rulers
assembled a body of temple guardsmen or police, and ob-
tained a band of Roman soldiers under command of a trib-
une ; this band or cohort was probably a detachment from the
garrison of Antonia commissioned for the work of the night
on requisition of the chief priests.^ This company of men
and officers representing a combination of ecclesiastical and
military authority, set forth in the night with Judas at their
head, intent on the arrest of Jesus. They were equipped
with lanterns, torches, and weapons. It is probable that they
were first conducted to the house in which Judas had left
Doc and Cov. 19:16-19; compare 18:11. See also B. of M., 2 Nephi 9:5,
7, 21; Mosiah 3:7-14; 15:12; Alma 7:11-13; 11:40; 22:14; 34:8-15; 3 Nephi
11:11; 27:14, 15; and chapter 4 herein.
/Matt. 26:47-56; Mark 14:43-52; Luke 22:47-53; John 18:1-12.
k "Cohort," a term descriptive of a Roman body, and "military tribune"
are more literal renderings of the Greek original than "band" and "cap-
tain" in John 18:3, 12. See revised version, margin.
THE TRAITOR'S KISS. 615
his fellow apostles and the Lord, when the traitor had been
dismissed ; and that finding the little company had gone out,
Judas led the multitude to Gethsemane, for he knew the
place, and knew also that "J esus ofttimes resorted thither
with his disciples."
While Jesus was yet speaking to the Eleven whom He
had roused from slumber with the announcement that the
betrayer was at hand, Judas and the multitude approached.
As a preconcerted sign of identification the recreant Iscariot,
with treacherous duplicity, came up with a hypocritical show
of affection, saying, "Hail, master," and profaned his Lord's
sacred face with a kiss. 7 That Jesus understood the treach-
erous significance of the act appears in His pathetic, yet
piercing and condemning reproach: "Judas, betrayest thou
the Son of man with a kiss ?" Then, applying the title with
which the other apostles had been honored, the Lord said :
Friend, do that for which thou art come. m It was a reiter-
ation of the behest given at the supper table, "That thou
doest, do quickly."
The armed band hesitated, though their guide had given
the signal agreed upon. Jesus walked toward the officers,
with whom stood Judas, and asked, "Whom seek ye?" To
their reply, "Jesus of Nazareth," the Lord rejoined: "I am
he." Instead of advancing to take Him, the crowd pressed
backward, and many of them fell to the ground in fright.
The simple dignity and gentle yet compelling force of
Christ's presence proved more potent than strong arms and
weapons of violence. Again He put the question, "Whom
seek ye?" and again they answered, "Jesus of Nazareth."
Then said Jesus : "I have told you that I am he ; if there-
fore ye seek me, let these go their way." The last remark
had reference to the apostles, who were in danger of arrest ;
/The Greek text of Matt. 26:49, and Mark 14:45 clearly implies that
Judas "kissed him much," that is many times, or effusively. See margin
of revised version.
m This is a more nearly correct translation than "wherefore art thou
come?" in the common version. ee revised version. Matt. 26:50.
JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 33.
and in this evidence of Christ's solicitude for their personal
safety, John saw a fulfilment of the Lord's then recent utter-
ance in prayer, "Of them which thou gavest me have I lost
none." M It is possible that had any of the Eleven been ap-
prehended with Jesus and made to share the cruel abuse and
torturing humiliation of the next few hours, their faith might
have failed them, relatively immature and untried as it then
was ; even as in succeeding years many who took upon them-
selves the name of Christ yielded to persecution and went
into apostasy.
When the officers approached and seized Jesus, some of
the apostles, ready to fight and die for their beloved Master,
asked, "Lord, shall we smite with the sword ?" Peter, wait-
ing not for a reply, drew his sword and delivered a poorly
aimed stroke at the head of one of the nearest of the crowd,
whose ear was severed by the blade. The man thus wounded
was Malchus, a servant of the high priest. Jesus, asking
liberty of His captors by the simple request, "Suffer ye thus
far,"^ stepped forward and healed the injured man by a
touch. Turning to Peter the Lord rebuked his rashness,
and commanded him to return the sword to its scabbard, with
the reminder that "all they that take the sword shall perish
with the sword." Then, to show the needlessness of armed
resistance, and to emphasize the fact that He was submitting
voluntarily and in accordance with foreseen and predicted
developments, the Lord continued : "Thinkest thou that I
cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give
me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall
the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?" 1 ? And
further, "the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I
not drink it?" r
But, though surrendering Himself unresistingly, Jesus
njohn 18:9; compare 17:12.
o See "The Great Apostasy," chaps. 4 and 5.
p Note 7, end of chapter.
q Compare Isa. 53:8.
rNote 8, end of chapter.
IN THE HANDS OF THE JEWS. 617
was not unmindful of His rights ; and to the priestly officials,
chief priests, captain of the temple guard, and elders of the
people who were present, He voiced this interrogative protest
against the illegal night seizure : "Are ye come out as against
a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I sat daily
with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me.
But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets
might be fulfilled." L,uke records the Lord's concluding
words thus : "but this is your hour, and the power of dark-
ness." Unheeding His question, and without deference to
His submissive demeanor, the captain and the officers of the
Jews bound Jesus with cords and led Him away, a Prisoner
at the mercy of His deadliest enemies.
The eleven apostles, seeing that resistance was useless,
not only on account of disparity of numbers and supply of
weapons but chiefly because of Christ's determination to sub-
mit, turned and fled. Every one of them forsook Him, even
as He had foretold. That they were really in jeopardy is
shown by an incident preserved by Mark alone. An un-
named young man, aroused from sleep by the tumult of the
marching band, had sallied forth with no outer covering but
a linen sheet. His interest in the arrest of Jesus and his
close approach caused some of the guardsmen or soldiers to
seize him ; but he broke loose and escaped leaving the sheet
in their hands.
-
NOTES TO CHAPTER 33.
i. The Day of the Passover Feast. Controversy has been
rife for many centuries as to the day of the passover feast in
the week of our Lord's death. That He was crucified on Friday,
the day before the Jewish Sabbath, and that He rose a resur-
rected Being on Sunday, the day following the Sabbath of the
Jews, are facts attested by the four Gospel-writers. From the
three synoptists we infer that the last supper occurred on the
evening of the first day of unleavened bread, and therefore at
the beginning of the Jewish Friday. That the Lord's last supper
was regarded by Himself and the apostles as a passover meal
appears from Matt. 26:2, 17, 18, 19 and parallel passages, Mark
14:14-16; Luke 22:11-13; as also from Luke 22:7, 15. John, how-
618 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 33.
ever, who wrote after the synoptists and who probably had their
writings before him, as is indicated by the supplementary char-
acter of his testimony or "Gospel", intimates that the last supper
of which Jesus and the Twelve partook together occurred be-
fore the Feast of the Passover (John 13:1, 2); and the same
writer informs us that on the following day, Friday, the Jews
refrained from entering the Roman hall of judgment, lest they
be denied and so become unfit to eat the Passover (18:28). It
should be remembered that by common usage the term "Pass-
over" was applied not only to the day or season of the observ-
ance, but to the meal itself, and particularly to the slain lamb
(Matt. 26:17; Mark 14:12, 14, 16; Luke 22:8, n, 13, 15; John 18:28;
compare I Cor. 5:7). John also specifies that the day of the
crucifixion was "the preparation of the passover" (19:14), and
that the next day, which was Saturday, the Sabbath, "was an
high day" (verse 31), that is a Sabbath rendered doubly sacred
because of its being also a feast day.
Much has been written by way of attempt to explain this
seeming discrepancy. No analysis of the divergent views of
Biblical scholars on this subject will be attempted here; the mat-
ter is of incidental importance in connection with the funda-
mental facts of our Lord's betrayal and crucifixion ; for brief
summaries of opinions and concise arguments the student may
be referred to Smith's Comprehensive Bible Dictionary, article
"Passover" ; Edersheim's Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, pp.
480-2, and 566-8; Farrar's Life of Christ, Appendix, Excursus 10;
Andrews' Life of our Lord, and Gresswell's Dissertations. Suffice
it here to say that the apparent inconsistency may be explained
by any of several assumptions. Thus, first, and very probably,
the Passover referred to by John, for the eating of which the
priests were desirous of keeping themselves free from Levitical
defilement, may not have been the supper at which the paschal
lamb was eaten, but the supplementary meal, the Chagigah.
This later meal, the flesh part of which was designated as a
sacrifice, had come to be regarded with veneration equal to that
attaching to the paschal supper. Secondly ; it is held by many
authorities on Jewish antiquities that before, at, and after the
time of Christ, two nights were devoted yearly to the paschal
observance, during either of which the lamb might be eaten, and
that this extension of time had been made in consideration of the
increased population, which necessitated the ceremonial slaugh-
tering of more lambs than could be slain on a single day; and in
this connection it is interesting to note that Josephus (Wars, vi,
ch. 9:3) records the number of lambs slain at a single Passover as
256,500. In the same paragraph, Josephus states that the lambs
had to be slain between the ninth and the eleventh hour (3 to 5
p. m.). According to this explanation, Jesus and the Twelve
may have partaken of the passover meal on the first of the two
evenings, and the Jews who next day feared defilement may have
deferred their observance until the second. Thirdly; the Lord's
last paschal supper may have been eaten earlier than ^the time
of general observance, He knowing that night to be His last in
NOTES. 619
mortality. Supporters of this view explain the message to the
man who provided the chamber for the last supper, "My time is
at hand" (Matt. 26:18) as indicating a special urgency for the
passover observance by Christ and the apostles, before the reg-
ularly appointed day. Some authorities assert that an error of
one day had crept into the Jewish reckoning of time, and that
Jesus ate the passover on the true date, while the Jews were a
day behind. If "the preparation of the passover" (John 19:14)
on Friday, the day of Christ's crucifixion, means the slaughtering
of the paschal lambs, our Lord, the real sacrifice of which all
earlier altar victims had been but prototypes, died on the cross
while the passover lambs were being slain at the temple.
2. Did Judas Iscariot Partake of the Sacrament of the
Lord's Supper? This question cannot be definitely answered
from the brief accounts we have of the proceedings at the last
supper. At best, only inference, not conclusion, is possible.
According to the records made by Matthew and Mark, the Lord's
announcement that there was a traitor among the Twelve was
made early in the course of the meal; and the institution of the
Sacrament occurred later. Luke records the prediction of
treachery as following the administering of the sacramental
bread and wine. All the synoptists agree that the Sacrament of
the Lord's Supper was administered before the sitting at the
ordinary meal had broken up ; though the Sacrament was plainly
made a separate and distinct feature. John (13:2-5) states that
the washing of feet occurred when supper was ended, and gives
us good reason for inferring that Judas was washed with the rest
(verses 10, n), and that he later (verses 26-30) went out into
the night for the purpose of betraying Jesus. The giving of a
"sop" to Judas (verses 26, 27) even though supper was prac-
tically over, is not inconsistent with John's statement that the
supper proper was ended before the washing of feet was per-
formed; the act does not appear to have been so unusual as to
cause surprize. To many it has appeared plausible, that be-
cause of his utter baseness Judas would not be permitted to par-
ticipate with the other apostles in the holy ordinance of the
Sacrament; others infer that he was allowed to partake, as a
possible means of moving him to abandon his evil purpose even
at that late hour, or of filling his cup of iniquity to overflowing.
The writer's personal opinion is based on the last conception.
3. Washing of Feet. The ordinance of the washing of feet
was reestablished through revelation December 27, 1832. It was
made a feature of admission to the school of the prophets, and
detailed instructions relating to its administration were- given
(see Doc. and Cov. 88:140, 141). Further direction as to the
ordinances involving washing were revealed January 19, 1841 (see
Doc. and Cov. 124:37-39).
4. Discontinuity of the Lord's Last Discourse to the Apos-
tles. It is certain that part of the discourse following the last
supper was delivered in the upper room where Christ and tha
Twelve had eaten; it is possible that the latter portion was
spoken and the prayer offered (John 15, 16, 17) outdoors aa
JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 33.
Jesus and the Eleven wended their way toward the Mount of
Olives. The I4th chapter of John ends with "Arise, let us go
hence"; the next chapter opens with another section of the dis-
course. From Matt. 26:30-35, and Mark 14:26-31 we may infer
that the prediction of Peter's denial of his Lord was made as
the little company walked from the city to the mount. On the
other hand, John (18:1) states that "When Jesus had spoken
these words", namely, the whole discourse, and the concluding
prayer, "he went forth with his disciples over the brook Cedron".
Not one of our Lord's sublime utterances on that night of solemn
converse with His own, and of communion between Himself and
the Father, is affected by the circumstance of place.
5. Gethsemane. The name means "oil-press" and probably
has reference to a mill maintained at the place for the extraction
of oil from the olives there cultivated. John refers to the spot
as a garden, from which designation we may regard it as an
enclosed space of private ownership. That it was a place fre-
quented by Jesus when He sought retirement for prayer, or op-
portunity for confidential converse with the disciples, is indicated
by the same writer (John 18:1, 2).
6. The Bloody Sweat. Luke, the only Gospel-writer who
mentions sweat and blood in connection with our Lord's agony
in Gethsemane, states that "his sweat was as it were great drops
of blood falling down to the ground" (22:44). Many critical ex-
positors deny that there was an actual extrusion of blood, on the
grounds that the evangelist does not positively affirm it, and that
the three apostles, who were the only human witnesses, could
not have distinguished blood from sweat falling in drops, as
they watched from a distance in the night, even if the moon,
which at the passover season was full, had been unobscured.
Modern scripture removes all doubt. See Doc. and Cov. 19:16-19
quoted in the text (page 613), also 18:11. See further a specific
prediction of the bloody sweat, B. of M., Mosiah 3 7.
7. "Suffer Ye thus Far." Many understand these words,
uttered by Jesus as He raised His hand to heal the wounded
Malchus, to have been addressed to the disciples, forbidding
their further interference. Trench (Miracles, 355) considers the
meaning to be as follows : 'Hold now ; thus far ye have gone in
resistance, but let it be no further; no more of this.' The dis-
puted interpretation is of little importance as to the bearing of
the incident on the events that followed.
8. The Cup as a Symbol. Our Lord's frequent mention of
His foreseen sufferings as the cup of which the Father would
have Him drink (Matt. 26:39, 42; Mark 14:36; Luke 22:42; John
18:11; compare Matt. 20:22; Mark 10:38; I Cor. 10:21) is in line
with Old Testament usage of the term "cup" as a symbolic ex-
pression for a bitter or poisonous potion typifying experiences
of suffering. See Psa. 11:6; 75:8; Isa. 51 :i;, 22; Jer. 25:15,
17; 49:12. In contrast, the opposite meaning is attached to the
use of the term in some passages, e. g. Psa. 16:5; 23:5; 116:13;
Jer. 16:7.
'* .c* '
BEFORE ANNAS AND CAIAPHAS. 621
ind punish, aad that loo m tty | of th< 1 ijgk jie*i*
,'j>0 Jj
CHAPTER 34.
THE TRIAL AND CONDEMNATION.
'
THE: JEWISH TRIAL.
From Gethsemane the bound and captive Christ was
haled before the Jewish rulers. John alone informs us that
the Lord was taken first to Annas, who sent Him, still
bound, to Caiaphas, the high priest ; a the synoptists record
the arraignment before Caiaphas only. & No details of the
interview with Annas are of record ; and the bringing of
Jesus before him at all was as truly irregular and illegal, ac-
cording to Hebrew law, as were all the subsequent proceed-
ings of that night. Annas, who was father-in-law to
Caiaphas, had been deposed from the high-priestly office
over twenty years before ; but throughout this period he had
exerted a potent influence in all the affairs of the hierarchy/
Caiaphas, as John is careful to remind us, "was he, which
gave counsel to the Jews, that it was expedient that one
man should die for the people. " d
At the palace of Caiaphas, the chief priests, scribes, and
elders of the people were assembled, in a meeting of the
Sanhedrin, informal or otherwise, all eagerly awaiting the
result of the expedition led by Judas. When Jesus, the
object of their bitter hatred and their predetermined victim,
was brought in, a bound Prisoner, He was immediately put
upon trial in contravention of the law, both written and tra-
ditional, of which those congregated rulers of the Jews pro-
fessed to be such zealous supporters. No legal hearing on
cjohn 18:13, 24.
b Matt. 26:57; Mark 14:53; Luke 22:54.
c Note 1, end of chapter.
djohn 18:14; compare 11:49, 50.
622 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 34.
a capital charge could lawfully be held except in the ap-
pointed and official courtroom of the Sanhedrin. From the
account given in the fourth Gospel we infer that the Pris-
oner was first subjected to an interrogative examination by
the high priest in person/ That functionary, whether Annas,
or Caiaphas is a matter of inference, inquired of Jesus
concerning His disciples and His doctrines. Such a prelim-
inary inquiry was utterly unlawful; for the Hebrew code
provided that the accusing witnesses in any cause before the
court should define their charge against the accused, and
that the latter should be protected from any effort to make
him testify against himself. The Lord's reply should have
been a sufficient protest to the high priest against further
illegal procedure. "J esus answered him, I spake openly to
the world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the tem-
ple, whither the Jews always resort ; and in secret have I said
nothing. Why askest thou me ? ask them which heard me,
what I have said unto them: behold, they know what I
said." This was a lawful objection against denying to a
prisoner on trial his right to be confronted by his accusers.
It was received with open disdain ; and one of the officers
who stood by, hoping perhaps to curry favor with his superi-
ors, actually struck Jesus a vicious blow/ accompanied by
the question, "Answerest thou the high priest so ?" To this
cowardly assault the Lord replied with almost superhuman
gentleness : 9 "If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the
evil: but if well, why smitest thou me?" Combined with
submissiveness, however, this constituted another appeal to
the principles of justice; if what Jesus had said was evil,
why did not the assailant accuse Him ; and if He had spoken
well, what right had a police officer to judge, condemn,
<>John 18:19-23.
/The common text of John 18:22, says that the man "struck Jesus with
the palm of his hand," that is to say slapped Him; such an act added
humiliating insult to violence; the marginal reading of the revised version
is "with a rod." There is lack of agreement on this point in the early Mss.
g Note 2, end of chapter.
THE SEARCH FOR FALSE WITNESSES. 623
and punish, and that too in the presence of the high priest?
Law and justice had been dethroned that night.
"Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council,
sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death."* 1
Whether "all the council" means a legal quorum, which
would be twenty-three or more, or a full attendance of the
seventy-two Sanhedrists, is of small importance. Any sit-
ting of the Sanhedrin at night, and more particularly for the
consideration of a capital charge, was directly in violation
of Jewish law. Likewise was it unlawful for the council to
consider such a charge on a Sabbath, a feast day, or on the
eve of any such day. In the Sanhedrin, every member was
a judge; the judicial body was to hear the testimony, and,
according to that testimony and nought else, render a de-
cision on every case duly presented. The accusers were re-
quired to appear in person ; and they were to receive a pre-
liminary warning against bearing false witness. Every de-
fendant was to be regarded and treated as innocent until
convicted in due course. But in the so-called trial of Jesus,
the judges not only sought witnesses, but specifically tried
to find false witnesses. Though many false witnesses came,
yet there was no "witness" or testimony against the Pris-
oner, for the suborned perjurers failed to agree among
themselves ; and even the lawless Sanhedrists hesitated to
openly violate the fundamental requirement that at least two
concordant witnesses must testify against an accused person,
for, otherwise, the case had to be dismissed.
That Jesus was to be convicted on some charge or other,
and be put to death, had been already determined by the
priestly judges ; their failure to find witnesses against Him
threatened to delay the carrying out of their nefarious
scheme. Haste and precipitancy characterized their pro-
cedure throughout; they had unlawfully caused Jesus to be
arrested at night; they were illegally going through the
A Matt. 26:59-61; Mark 14:55-59.
6M JESUS THE CHRIST. 1 3HT [CHAP. 34.
semblance of a trial at night; their purpose was to convict
the Prisoner in time to have Him brought before the Roman
authorities as early as possible in the morning as a criminal
duly tried and adjudged worthy of death. The lack of two
hostile witnesses who would tell the same falsehoods was a
serious hindrance. But, "at the last came two false wit-
nesses, and said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the
temple of God, and to build it in three days." Others, how-
ever, testified : "We heard him say, I will destroy this tem-
ple that is made with hands, and within three days I will
build another made without hands." 4 And so, as Mark ob-
serves, even in this particular their "witness" or testimony
did not agree. Surely in a case at bar, such discrepancy as
appears between "I am able to" and "I will," as alleged ut-
terances of the accused, is of vital importance. Yet this
semblance of formal accusation was the sole basis of a charge
against Christ up to this stage of the trial. It will be re-
membered that in connection with the first clearing of the
temple, near the commencement of Christ's ministry, He had
answered the clamorous demand of the Jews for a sign of
His authority by saying "Destroy this temple, and in three
days I will raise it up." He spoke not at all of Himself as
the one who would destroy ; the Jews were to be the destroy-
ers, He the restorer. But the inspired writer is particular
to explain that Jesus "spake of the temple of his body," and
not at all of those buildings reared by man.'
One may reasonably inquire as to what serious import
could be attached to even such a declaration as the perjured
witnesses claimed to have heard from the lips of Christ.
The veneration with which the Jews professed to regard the
Holy House, however wantonly they profaned its precincts,
offers a partial but insufficient answer. The plan of the con-
spiring rulers appears to have been that of convicting Christ
on a charge of sedition, making Him out to be a dangerous
Matt. 26:61 and Mark 14:58.
/John 2:18-22; see pages 156, 157 herein.
THE HIGH PRIEST'S UNRIGHTEOUS ADJURATION. 625
disturber of the nation's peace, an assailant of established
institutions, and consequently an inciter of opposition against
the vassal autonomy of the Jewish nation, and the supreme
dominion of Rome.*
The vaguely defined shadow of legal accusation pro-
duced by the dark and inconsistent testimony of the false
witnesses, was enough to embolden the iniquitous court.
Caiaphas, rising from his seat to give dramatic emphasis to
his question, demanded of Jesus : "Answerest thou nothing?
what is it which these witness against thee?" There was
nothing to answer. No consistent or valid testimony had
been presented against Him ; therefore He stood in dignified
silence. Then Caiaphas, in violation of the legal proscription
against requiring any person to testify in his own case except
voluntarily and on his own initiative, not only demanded an
answer from the Prisoner, but exercized the potent prerog-
ative of the high-priestly office, to put the accused under
oath, as a witness before the sacerdotal court. "And the
high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by
the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ,
the Son of God.' 5/ The fact of a distinct specification of
"the Christ" and "the Son of God" is significant, in that it
implies the Jewish expectation of a Messiah, but does not
acknowledge that He was to be distinctively of divine origin.
Nothing that had gone before can be construed as a proper
foundation for this inquiry. The charge of sedition was
about to be superseded by one of greater enormity that of
blasphemy.'"
To the utterly unjust yet official adjuration of the high
priest, Jesus answered : "Thou hast said : nevertheless I say
unto you : Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on
the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of
heaven." This expression "Thou hast said" was equivalent
k Note the accusation reported to Pilate that Jesus was guilty of "per-
verting the nation," Luke 23:2.
/Matt. 26:63-66; compare Mark 14:61-64.
m Pages 191, 201.
626 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 34.
to I am what thou hast said." It was an unqualified avowal
of divine parentage, and inherent Godship. "Then the high
priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy ;
what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye
have heard his blasphemy. What think ye ? They answered
and said, He is guilty of death. "
Thus the judges in Israel, comprizing the high priest,
the chief priests, the scribes and elders of the people, the
Great Sanhedrin, unlawfully assembled, decreed that the Son
of God was deserving of death, on no evidence save that of
His own acknowledgment. By express provision the Jew-
ish code forbade the conviction, specifically on a capital
charge, of any person on his own confession, unless that was
amply supported by the testimony of trustworthy witnesses.
As in the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus had voluntarily sur-
rendered Himself, so before the judges did He personally
and voluntarily furnish the evidence upon which they un-
righteously declared Him deserving of death. There could
be no crime in the claim of Messiahship or divine Sonship,
except that claim was false. We vainly search the record for
even an intimation that inquiry was made or suggested as
to the grounds upon which Jesus based His exalted claims.
The action of the high priest in rending his garments was a
dramatic affectation of pious horror at the blasphemy with
which his ears had been assailed. It was expressly forbid-
den in the law that the high priest rend his clothes -f but
from extra-scriptural writings we learn that the rending of
garments as an attestation of most grievous guilt, such as
that of blasphemy, was allowable under traditional rule.^
There is no indication that the vote of the judges was taken
and recorded in the precise and orderly manner required by
the law.
n Compare Mark 14:62.
o Matt. 26:65, 66. Revised version reads: "He is worthy of death," and
gives in margin a yet more literal rendering: "liable to" death.
gjosephus, Wars, ii, 15:2, 4; also 1 Maccabees 11:71.
BLASPHEMOUS INDIGNITIES. 627
OK MATWXI3
Jesus stood convicted of the most heinous offense known
in Jewry. However unjustly, He had been pronounced
guilty of blasphemy by the supreme tribunal of the nation.
In strict accuracy we cannot say that the Sanhedrists sen-
tenced Christ to death, inasmuch as the power to authori-
tatively pronounce capital sentences had been taken from the
Jewish council by Roman decree.. The high-priestly court,
however, decided that Jesus was worthy of death, and so
certified when they handed Him over to Pilate. In their ex-
cess of malignant hate, Israel's judges abandoned their L,ord
to the wanton will of the attendant varlets, who heaped upon
Him every indignity their brutish instincts could suggest.
They spurted their foul spittle into His face ; r and then, hav-
ing blindfolded Him, amused themselves by smiting Him
again and again, saying the while : "Prophesy unto us,
thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee?" The miscreant
crowd mocked Him, and railed upon Him with jeers and
taunts, and branded themselves as blasphemers in fact/
The law and the practise of the time required that any
person found guilty of a capital offense, after due trial be-
fore a Jewish tribunal, should be given a second trial on
the following day ; and at this later hearing any or all of the
judges who had before voted for conviction could reverse
themselves; but no one who had once voted for acquittal
could change his ballot. A bare majority was sufficient for
acquittal, but more than a majority was required for convic-
tion. By a provision that must appear to us most unusual,
if all the judges voted for conviction on a capital charge the
verdict was not to stand and the accused had to be set at
liberty ; for, it was argued, a unanimous vote against a pris-
oner indicated that he had had no friend or defender in
court, and that the judges might have been in conspiracy
against Him. Under this rule in Hebrew jurisprudence the
verdict against Jesus, rendered at the illegal night session
r Matt. 26:67; Mark 14:65; compare Luke 18:32; see also Isa. 50:6.
*Matt. 26:68; Luke 22:62-65.
628 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 34.
:
of the Sanhedrists, was void, for we are specifically told that
"they all condemned him to be guilty of death."'
Apparently for the purpose of establishing a shadowy
pretext of legality in their procedure, the Sanhedrists ad-
journed to meet again in early daylight. Thus they tech-
nically complied with the requirement that on every case in
which the death sentence had been decreed the court should
hear and judge a second time in a later session but they
completely ignored the equally mandatory provision that the
second trial must be conducted on the day following that of
the first hearing. Between the two sittings on consecutive
days the judges were required to fast and pray, and to give
the case on trial calm and earnest consideration.
Luke, who records no details of the night trial of Jesus,
is the only Gospel-writer to give place to a circumstantial
report of the morning session. He says : "And as soon as it
was day, the elders of the people and the chief priests and
the scribes came together, and led him into their council.""
Some Biblical scholars have construed the expression, "led
him into their council," as signifying that Jesus was con-
demned by the Sanhedrin in the appointed meeting-place of
the court, viz. Gazith or the Hall of Hewn Stones, as the law
of the time required ; but against this we have the statement
of John that they led Jesus directly from Caiaphas to the
Roman hall of judgment.^
It is probable, that at this early daylight session, the
irregular proceedings of the dark hours were approved, and
the details of further procedure decided upon. They "took
counsel against Jesus to put him to death" ; nevertheless they
went through the form of a second trial, the issue of which
was greatly facilitated by the Prisoner's voluntary affirma-
tions. The judges stand without semblance of justification
for calling upon the Accused to testify ; they should have
- ' "orlJ JK
fMark 14:64.
wLuke 22:66.
z/John 18:28.
THE SON" OF MAN FALSELY CONVICTED OF BLASPHEMY. 629
examined anew the witnesses against Him. The first ques-
tion put to Him was, "Art thou the Christ? tell us." The
L^ord made dignified reply : "If I tell you, ye will not be-
lieve : and if I also ask you, ye will not answer me, nor let
me go. Hereafter shall the Son of man sit on the right hand
of the power of God." Neither did the question imply nor
the answer furnish cause for condemnation. The whole na-
tion was looking for the Messiah ; and if Jesus claimed to be
He, the only proper judicial action would be that of inquir-
ing into the merit of the claim. The crucial question fol-
lowed immediately : "Art thou then the Son of God ? And
he said unto them, Ye say that I am. And they said, What
need we any further witness? for we ourselves have heard
of his own mouth. " w
Jehovah was convicted of blasphemy against Jehovah.
The only mortal Being to whom the awful crime of blas-
phemy, in claiming divine attributes and powers, was im-
possible, stood before the judges of Israel condemned as a
blasphemer. The "whole council," by which expression we
may possibly understand a legal quorum, was concerned in
the final action. Thus ended the miscalled "trial" of Jesus
before the high-priest and elders* of His people. "And
straightway in the morning the chief priests held a consul-
tation with the elders and scribes and the whole council, and
bound Jesus, and carried him away, and delivered him to
Pilate."^ During the few hours that remained to Him in
mortality, He would be in the hands of the Gentiles, betrayed
and delivered up by His own/
PETER'S DENIAL OF HIS LORD.
When Jesus was taken into custody in the Garden of
Gethsemane, all the Eleven forsook Him and fled. This is
wLuke 22:66-71.
x Note 3, end of chapter.
y Mark 15:1; compare Matt. 27:1, 2; John 18:28.
s Note 4, end of chapter, gives further details of the unlawful irregu-
larities of the Jewish trial of Jesus.
a Matt. 26:58, 69-75; Mark 14:54, 66-72; Luke 22:54-62; John 18:15-18.
630 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 34.
not to be accounted as certain evidence of cowardice, for
the Lord had indicated that they should go. & Peter and at
least one other disciple followed afar off; and, after the
armed guard had entered the palace of the high priest with
their Prisoner, Peter "went in, and sat with the servants to
see the end." He was assisted in securing admittance by the
unnamed disciple, who was on terms of acquaintanceship
with the high priest. That other disciple was in all probabil-
ity John, as may be inferred from the fact that he is men-
tioned only in the fourth Gospel, the author of which charac-
teristically refers to himself anonymously/
While Jesus was before the Sanhedrists, Peter remained
below with the servants. The attendant at the door was a
young woman ; her feminine suspicions had been aroused
when she admitted Peter, and as he sat with a crowd in the
palace court she came up, and having intently observed him,
said: "Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee." But Peter
denied, averring he did not know Jesus. Peter was restless ;
his conscience and the fear of identification as one of the
Lord's disciples troubled him. He left the crowd and sought
partial seclusion in the porch ; but there another maid spied
him out, and said to those nearby : "This fellow was also
with Jesus of Nazareth" ; to which accusation Peter replied
with an oath : "1 do not know the man."
The April night was chilly, and an open fire had been
made in the hall or court of the palace. Peter sat with oth-
ers at the fire, thinking, perhaps, that brazen openness was
better than skulking caution as a possible safeguard against
detection. About an hour after his former denials, some of
the men around the fire charged him with being a disciple
of Jesus, and referred to his Galilean dialect as evidence that
he was at least a fellow countryman with the high priest's
Prisoner; but, most threatening of all, a kinsman of Mai-
fcjohn 18:8, 9; page 615 herein.
cjohn 1:35, 40; 13:23; 19:26; 20:2; 21:7, 20, 24.
631
chus, whose ear Peter had slashed with the sword, asked per-
emptorily: "Did not I see thee in the garden with him?"
Then Peter went so far in the course of falsehood upon
which he had entered as to curse and swear, and to vehem-
ently declare for the third time, "I know not the man."
As the last profane falsehood left his lips, the clear notes of
a crowing cock broke upon his ears/ and the remembrance
of his Lord's prediction welled up in his mind. Trembling
in wretched realization of his perfidious cowardice, he turned
from the crowd and met the gaze of the suffering Christ,
who from the midst of the insolent mob looked into the face
of His boastful, yet loving but weak apostle. Hastening
from the palace, Peter went out into the night, weeping bit-
terly. As his later life attests, his tears were those of real
contrition and true repentance.
ttB'ftt B-*/5 }'
CHRIST'S FIRST APPEARANCE BEFORE PILATE.
As we have already learned, no Jewish tribunal had
authority to inflict the death penalty ; imperial Rome had
reserved this prerogative as her own. The united acclaim
of the Sanhedrists, that Jesus was deserving of death, would
be ineffective until sanctioned by the emperor's deputy, who
at that time was Pontius Pilate, the governor, or more prop-
erly, procurator, of Judea, Samaria, and Idumea. Pilate
maintained his official residence at Csesarea/ on the Medi-
terranean shore; but it was his custom to be present in
Jerusalem at the times of the great Hebrew feasts, probably
in the interest of preserving order, or of promptly quelling
any disturbance amongst the vast and heterogeneous multi-
tudes by which the city was thronged on these festive occa-
sions. The governor with his attendants was in Jerusalem
at this momentous Passover season. Early on Friday morn-
d Observe that Mark, who alone states that the Lord said to Peter
"before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice," (14:30) records
a first crowing of the cock after Peter's first denial (v. 68) and a second
crowing after the third denial (v. 72).
e Caesarea Palestina, not Caesarea Philippi.
632 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 34,
ing, the "whole council," that is to say, the Sanhedrin, led
Jesus, bound, to the judgment hall of Pontius Pilate; but
with strict scrupulosity they refrained from entering the hall
lest they become defiled; for the judgment chamber was
part of the house of a Gentile, and somewhere therein might
be leavened bread, even to be near which would render them
ceremonially unclean. Let every one designate for himself
the character of men afraid of the mere proximity of leaven,
while thirsting for innocent blood !
In deference to their scruples Pilate came out from the
palace; and, as they delivered up to him their Prisoner,
asked : "What accusation bring ye against this man ?" The
question, though strictly proper and judicially necessary,
surprized and disappointed the priestly rulers, who evidently
had expected that the governor would simply approve their
verdict as a matter of form and give sentence accordingly ;
but instead of doing so, Pilate was apparently about to exer-
cize his authority of original jurisdiction. With poorly con-
cealed chagrin, their spokesman, probably Caiaphas, an-
swered : "If he were not a malefactor, we would not have
delivered him up unto thee." It was now Pilate's turn to
feel or at least to feign umbrage, and he replied in effect :
Oh, very well; if you don't care to present the charge in
proper order, take ye him, and judge him according to your
law ; don't trouble me with the matter. But the Jews re-
joined : "It is not lawful for us to put any man to death.'*
John the apostle intimates in this last remark a deter-
mination on the part of the Jews to have Jesus put to death
not only by Roman sanction but by Roman executioners/
for, as we readily may see, had Pilate approved the death
sentence and handed the Prisoner over to the Jews for its
infliction, Jesus would have been stoned, in accordance with
the Hebrew penalty for blasphemy ; whereas the Lord had
plainly foretold that His death would be by crucifixion,
/John 18:28-32.
CHRIST FALSELY ACCUSED BEFORE PILATE. 633
which was a Roman method of execution, but one never
practised by the Jews. Furthermore, if Jesus had been put
to death by the Jewish rulers, even with governmental sanc-
tion, an insurrection among the people might have resulted,
for there were many who believed on Him. The crafty
hierarchs were determined to bring about His death under
Roman condemnation.
"And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this
fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute
to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a King."^ It is
important to note that no accusation of blasphemy was made
to Pilate ; had such been presented, the governor, thoroughly
pagan in heart and mind, would probably have dismissed the
charge as utterly unworthy of a hearing ; for Rome with her
many gods, whose number was being steadily increased by
current heathen deification of mortals, knew no such offense
as blasphemy in the Jewish sense. The accusing Sanhedrists
hesitated not to substitute for blasphemy, which was the
greatest crime known to the Hebrew code, the charge of
high treason, which was the gravest offense listed in the
Roman category of crimes. To the vociferous accusations
of the chief priests and elders, the calm and dignified Christ
deigned no reply. To them He had spoken for the last time
until the appointed season of another trial, in which He
shall be the Judge, and they the prisoners at the bar.
Pilate was surprized at the submissive yet majestic de-
meanor of Jesus ; there was certainly much that was kingly
about the Man ; never before had such a One stood before
him. The charge, however, was a serious one ; men who
claimed title to kingship might prove dangerous to Rome;
yet to the charge the Accused answered nothing. Entering
the judgment hall, Pilate had Jesus called.* 1 That same of
the disciples, and among them almost certainly John, also
gLuke 23:2.
h John 18:33-38; compare Matt. 27:11; Mark 15:2; Luke 23:3, 4.
634 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 34.
went in, is apparent from the detailed accounts of the pro-
ceedings preserved in the fourth Gospel. Anyone was at
liberty to enter, for publicity was an actual and a widely pro-
claimed feature of Roman trials.
Pilate, plainly without animosity or prejudice against
Jesus, asked: "Art thou the King of the Jews? Jesus
answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did oth-
ers tell it thee of me?" The Lord's counter-question, as Pi-
late's rejoinder shows, meant, and was understood to mean,
as we might state it : Do you ask this in the Roman and lit-
eral sense as to whether I am a king of an earthly king-
dom or with the Jewish and more spiritual meaning? A
direct answer "Yes" would have been true in the Messianic
sense, but untrue in the worldly signification; and "No"
could have been inversely construed as true or untrue. "Pi-
late answered, Am I a Jew ? Thine own nation and the chief
priests have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done?
Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world : if my
kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight,
that I should not be delivered to the Jews : but now is my
kingdom not from hence. Pilate therefore said unto him,
Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I
am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came
I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth.
Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice."
It was clear to the Roman governor that this wonderful
Man, with His exalted views of a kingdom not of this
world, and an empire of truth in which He was to reign, was
no political insurrectionist; and that to consider Him a
menace to Roman institutions would be absurd. Those last
words about truth were of all the most puzzling; Pilate
was restive, and perhaps a little frightened under their im-
port. "What is truth?" he rather exclaimed in apprehen-
sion than inquired in expectation of an answer, as he started
to leave the hall. To the Jews without he announced offi-
CHRIST IN DIGNIFIED SILENCE BEFORE HEROD. 635
cially the acquittal of the Prisoner. "I find in him no fault
at all" was the verdict.
But the chief priests and scribes and elders of the people
were undeterred. Their thirst for the blood of the Holy
One had developed into mania. Wildly and fiercely they
shrieked : "He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout
all Jewry, beginning from Galilee to this place." The men-
tion of Galilee suggested to Pilate a new course of procedure.
Having confirmed by inquiry that Jesus was a Galilean, he
determined to send the Prisoner to Herod, the vassal ruler
of that province, who was in Jerusalem at the time. 1 ' By
this action Pilate hoped to rid himself of further responsi-
bility in the case, and moreover, Herod, with whom he had
been at enmity, might be placated thereby.
^teil&te#^<lW&l f
CHRIST BEFORF, HEROD/
rift *^rft p f j t i'jfihI > rP ; 'f[j ''i!~ : "xlrt0d 'Jfll lol
Herod Antipas, the degenerate son of his infamous sire,
Herod the Great,* was at this time tetrarch of Galilee and
Perea, and by popular usage, though without imperial sanc-
tion, was flatteringly called king. He it was who, in fulfil-
ment of an unholy vow inspired by a woman's voluptuous
blandishments, had ordered the murder of John the Baptist.
He ruled as a Roman vassal, and professed to be orthodox
in the observances of Judaism. He had come up to Jerusa-
lem, in state, to keep the feast of the Passover. Herod was
pleased to have Jesus sent to him by Pilate; for, not only
was the action a gracious one on the part of the procurator,
constituting as after events proved a preliminary to recon-
ciliation between the two rulers/ but it was a means of grat-
ifying Herod's curiosity to see Jesus, of whom he had heard
so much, whose fame had terrified him, and by whom he
now hoped to see some interesting miracle wrought." 1
i Luke 23:5-7.
/Luke 23:8-12.
k Pages 110, 118; see also page 106.
*&^ Mark 6:14; Luke 9:7, 9.
JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 34.
Whatever fear Herod had once felt regarding Jesus,
whom he had superstitiously thought to be the reincarna-
tion of his murdered victim, John the Baptist, was replaced
by amused interest when he saw the far-famed Prophet of
Galilee in bonds before him, attended by a Roman guard,
and accompanied by ecclesiastical officials. Herod began to
question the Prisoner ; but Jesus remained silent. The chief
priests and scribes vehemently voiced their accusations ; but
not a word was uttered by the Lord. Herod is the only char-
acter in history to whom Jesus is known to have applied a per-
sonal epithet of contempt. "Go ye and tell that fox" He once
said to certain Pharisees who had come to Him with the
story that Herod intended to kill Him. n As far as we know,
Herod is further distinguished as the only being who saw
Christ face to face and spoke to Him, yet never heard His
voice. For penitent sinners, weeping women, prattling chil-
dren, for the scribes, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the rab-
bis, for the perjured high priest and his obsequious and inso-
lent underling, and for Pilate the pagan, Christ had words
of comfort or instruction, of warning or rebuke, of protest or
denunciation yet for Herod the fox He had but disdainful
and kingly silence. Thoroughly piqued, Herod turned from
insulting questions to acts of malignant derision. He and his
men-at-arms made sport of the suffering Christ, "set him at
nought and mocked him" ; then in travesty they "arrayed
him in a gorgeous robe and sent him again to Pilate." Her-
od had found nothing in Jesus to warrant condemnation.
CHRIST AGAIN BEFORE PILATE/
The Roman procurator, finding that he could not evade
further consideration of the case, "called together the chief
priests and the rulers and the people," and "said unto them,
n Luke 13:31, 32; page 446 herein.
o Luke 23:11. Revised version reads, "arraying him in gorgeous ap-
parel." Clarke ("Commentaries") and many other writers assume that the
robe was white, that being the usual color of dress amongst the Jewish
nobility.
pLuke 23:13-25; Matt. 27:15-31; Mark 15:6-20; John 18:39, 40; 19:1-16.
PILATE PRONOUNCES JESUS INNOCENT. 637
Ye have brought this man unto me, as one that perverteth
the people : and, behold, I, having examined him before
you, have found no fault in this man touching those things
whereof ye accuse him : No, nor yet Herod : for I sent you
to him ; and, lo, nothing worthy of death is done unto him.
I will therefore chastise him, and release him." Pilate's
desire to save Jesus from death was just and genuine; his
intention of scourging the Prisoner, whose innocence he
had affirmed and reaffirmed, was an infamous concession to
Jewish prejudice. He knew that the charge of sedition and
treason was without foundation ; and that even the framing
of such an accusation by the Jewish hierarchy, whose simu-
lated loyalty to Caesar was but a cloak for inherent and un-
dying hatred, was ridiculous in the extreme; and he fully
realized that the priestly rulers had delivered Jesus into his
hands because of envy and malice.' 3 '
It was the custom for the governor at the Passover sea-
son to pardon and release any one condemned prisoner
whom the people might name. On that day there lay in dur-
ance, awaiting execution, "a notable prisoner, called Barab-
bas,''' who had been found guilty of sedition, in that he had
incited the people to insurrection, and had committed mur-
der. This man stood convicted of the very charge on which
Pilate specifically and Herod by implication had pronounced
Jesus innocent, and Barabbas was a murderer in addition.
Pilate thought to pacify the priests and people by releasing
Jesus as the subject of Passover leniency; this would be a
tacit recognition of Christ's conviction before the ecclesias-
tical court, and practically an endorsement of the death sen-
tence, superseded by official pardon. Therefore he asked of
them : " Whom will ye that I release unto you ? Barabbas, or
Jesus which is called Christ?" There appears to have been
a brief interval between Pilate's question and the people's
answer, during which the chief priests and elders busied
q Matt. 27:18; Mark 15:10.
638 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 34.
themselves amongst the multitude, urging them to demand
the release of the insurrectionist and murderer. So, when
Pilate reiterated the question: "Whether of the twain will
ye that I release unto you ?" assembled Israel cried "Barab-
bas." Pilate, surprized, disappointed, and angered, then
asked: "What shall I do then with Jesus which is called
Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified. And
the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done ? But they
cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified."
The Roman governor was sorely troubled and inwardly
afraid. To add to his perplexity he received a warning mes-
sage from his wife, even as he sat on the judgment seat:
"Have thou nothing to do with that just man : for I have
suffered many things this day in a dream because of him."
Those who know not God are characteristically superstitious.
Pilate feared to think what dread portent his wife's dream
might presage. But, finding that he could not prevail, and
foreseeing a tumult among the people if he persisted in the
defense of Christ, he called for water and washed his hands
before the multitude a symbolic act of disclaiming respon-
sibility, which they all understood proclaiming the while:
"I am innocent of the blood of this just person : see ye to it."
Then rose that awful self-condemnatory cry of the covenant
people : "His blood be on us and on our children." History
bears an appalling testimony to the literal fulfilment of that
dread invocation/ Pilate released Barabbas, and gave Jesus
into the custody of the soldiers to be scourged.
Scourging was a frightful preliminary to death on the
cross. The instrument of punishment was a whip of many
thongs, loaded with metal and edged with jagged pieces of
bone. Instances are of record in which the condemned died
under the lash and so escaped the horrors of living cruci-
fixion. In accordance with the brutal customs of the time,
Jesus, weak and bleeding from the fearful scourging He had
r Note 5 t end of chapter.
JESUS SUBJECTED TO TORTURE AND RIBALD MOCKERY. 639
undergone, was given over to the half-savage soldiers for
their amusement. He was no ordinary victim, so the whole
band came together in the Pretorium, or great hall of the
palace, to take part in the diabolical sport. They stripped
Jesus of His outer raiment, and placed upon Him a purple
robe/ Then with a sense of fiendish realism they platted a
crown of thorns, and placed it about the Sufferer's brows ;
a reed was put into His right hand as a royal scepter ; and,
as they bowed in a mockery of homage, they saluted Him
with : "Hail, King of the Jews !" Snatching away the reed
or rod, they brutally smote Him with it upon the head, driv-
ing the cruel thorns into His quivering flesh ; they slapped
Him with their hands, and spat upon Him in vile and vicious
abandonment/
Pilate had probably been a silent observer of this bar-
barous scene. He stopped it, and determined to make an-
other attempt to touch the springs of Jewish pity, if such ex-
isted. He went outside, and to the multitude said : "Behold,
I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no
fault in him." This was the governor's third definite procla-
mation of the Prisoner's innocence. "Then came Jesus forth,
wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pi-
late saith unto them, Behold the man !"" Pilate seems to have
counted on the pitiful sight of the scourged and bleeding
Christ to soften the hearts of the maddened Jews. But the
effect failed. Think of the awful fact a heathen, a pagan,
who knew not God, pleading with the priests and people of
Israel for the life of their Lord and King! When, unmoved
by the sight, the chief priests and officers cried with increas-
ing vindictiveness, "crucify him, crucify him," Pilate pro-
nounced the fatal sentence, "Take ye him and crucify him,"
but added with bitter emphasis : "I find no fault in him."
It will be remembered that the only charge preferred
;)!/[ SflJ HI 9: Olfil
s Matthew says "scarlet," Mark and John say "purple."
t Compare Luke 18:32.
u "Ecce Homo."
640 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 34.
against Christ before the Roman governor was that of sedi-
tion; the Jewish persecutors had carefully avoided even the
mention of blasphemy, which was the offense for which they
had adjudged Jesus worthy of death. Now that sentence
of crucifixion had been extorted from Pilate, they brazenly
attempted to make it appear that the governor's mandate
was but a ratification of their own decree of death; there-
fore they said : "We have a law, and by our law he ought
to die, because he made himself the Son of God." What
did it mean? That awe-inspiring title, Son of God, struck
yet deeper into Pilate's troubled conscience. Once more he
took Jesus into the judgment hall, and in trepidation asked,
"Whence art thou?" The inquiry was as to whether Jesus
was human or superhuman. A direct avowal of the Lord's
divinity would have frightened but could not have enlight-
ened the heathen ruler ; therefore Jesus gave no answer. Pi-
late was further surprized, and perhaps somewhat offended
at this seeming disregard of his authority. He demanded an
explanation, saying: "Speakest thou not unto me? knowest
thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power
to release thee ?" Then Jesus replied : "Thou couldest have
no power at all against me, except it were given thee from
above : therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the
greater sin." The positions were reversed ; Christ was the
Judge, and Pilate the subject of His decision. Though not
found, guiltless, the Roman was pronounced less culpable
than he or those who had forced Jesus into his power, and
who had demanded of him an unrighteous committal.
The governor, though having pronounced sentence, yet
sought means of releasing the submissive Sufferer. His first
evidence of wavering was greeted by the Jews with the cry,
"If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar's friend : who-
soever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar." Pi-
late took his place in the judgment seat, which was set up
in the place of the Pavement, or Gabbatha, outside the hall.
"NO KING BUT CyESAR." 641
He was resentful against those Jews who had dared to inti-
mate that he was no friend of Caesar, and whose intimation
might lead to an embassy of complaint being sent to Rome
to misrepresent him in exaggerated accusation. Pointing
to Jesus, he exclaimed with unveiled sarcasm : "Behold your
King !" But the Jews answered in threatening and ominous
shouts : "Away with him, away with him, crucify him." In
stinging reminder of their national subjugation, Pilate asked
with yet more cutting irony, "Shall I crucify your King?"
And the chief priests cried aloud : "We have no king but
Caesar."
. jjiJ io
Even so was it and was to be. The people who had by
covenant accepted Jehovah as their King, now rejected Him
in Person, and acknowledged no sovereign but Caesar.
Caesar's subjects and serfs have they been through all the
centuries since. Pitiable is the state of man or nation who in
heart and spirit will have no king but Caesar \ v
Wherein lay the cause of Pilate's weakness? He was
the emperor's representative, the imperial procurator with
power to crucify or to save; officially he was an autocrat.
His conviction of Christ's blamelessness and his desire to
save Him from the cross are beyond question. Why did
Pilate waver, hesitate, vacillate, and at length yield contrary
to his conscience and his will? Because, after all, he was
more slave than freeman. He was in servitude to his past.
He knew that should complaint be made of him at Rome, his
corruption and cruelties, his extortions and the unjustifiable
slaughter he had caused would all be brought against him.
He was the Roman ruler, but the people over whom he exer-
cized official dominion delighted in seeing him cringe, when
they cracked, with vicious snap above his head, the whip of
a threatened report about him to his imperial master,
Tiberius.
v Note 6, end of chapter.
w Note 7, end of chapter.
21
642 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 34.
JUDAS ISCARIOT *
When Judas Iscariot saw how terribly effective had been
the outcome of his treachery, he became wildly remorseful.
During Christ's trial before the Jewish authorities, with its
associated humiliation and cruelty, the traitor had seen the
seriousness of his action ; and when the unresisting Sufferer
had been delivered up to the Romans, and the fatal consum-
mation had become a certainty, the enormity of his crime
rilled Judas with nameless horror. Rushing into the pres-
ence of the chief priests and elders, while the final prepara-
tions for the crucifixion of the Lord were in progress, he
implored the priestly rulers to take back the accursed wage
they had paid him, crying in an agony of despair: "I have
sinned, in that I have betrayed the innocent blood." He may
have vaguely expected a word of sympathy from the con-
spirators in whose wickedly skilful hands he had been so
ready and serviceable a tool ; possibly he hoped that his
avowal might stem the current of their malignancy, and that
they would ask for a reversal of the sentence. But the rulers
in Israel repulsed him with disgust. "What is that to us?"
they sneered, "see thou to that." He had served their pur-
pose ; they had paid him his price ; they wished never to look
upon his face again ; and pitilessly they flung him back into
the haunted blackness of his maddened conscience. Still
clutching the bag of silver, the all too real remembrancer of
his frightful sin, he rushed into the temple, penetrating even
to the precincts of priestly reservation, and dashed the silver
pieces upon the floor of the sanctuary y Then, under the
goading impulse of his master, the devil, to whom he had be-
come a bond-slave, body and soul, he went out and hanged
himself.
x Matt. 27:3-10; compare Acts 1:16-20.
y Revised version of Matt. 27:5 reads, "And he cast down the pieces of
silver into the sanctuary" instead of "in the temple," signifying that her
flung the money into the Porch of the Holy House, as distinguished from
the outer and public courts.
NOTES.
The chief priests gathered up the pieces of silver, and in
sacrilegious scrupulosity, held a solemn council to deter-
mine what they should do with the "price of blood." As
they deemed it unlawful to add the attainted coin to the sa-
cred treasury, they bought with it a certain clay-yard, once
the property of a potter, and the very place in which Judas
had made of himself a suicide ; this tract of ground they set
apart as a burial place for aliens, strangers, and pagans.
The body of Judas, the betrayer of the Christ, was probably
the first to be there interred. And that field was called
"Aceldama, that is to say, The field of blood." 3
NOTES TO CHAPTER 34.
'
i. Annas, and His Interview with Jesus. "No figure is bet-
ter known in contemporary Jewish history than that of Annas ;
no person deemed more fortunate or successful, but also none
more generally execrated than the late high priest. He had held
the pontificate for only six or seven years ; but it was filled by
not fewer than five of his sons, by his son-in-law Caiaphas, and
by a grandson. And in those days it was, at least for one of
Annas' disposition, much better to have been than to be high
priest. He enjoyed all the dignity of the office, and all its influ-
ence also, since he was able to promote to it those most closely
connected with him. And while they acted publicly, he really
directed affairs, without either the responsibility or the restraints
which the office imposed. His influence with the Romans he
owed to the religious views which he professed, to his open
partisanship of the foreigner, and to his enormous wealth. . . .
We have seen what immense revenues the family of Annas must
have derived from the Temple booths, and how nefarious and
unpopular was the traffic. The names of those bold, licentious,
unscrupulous, degenerate sons of Aaron were spoken with whis-
pered curses. Without referring to Christ's interference with
that Temple-traffic, which, if His authority had prevailed, would
of course have been fatal to it, we can understand how antithetic
in every respect a Messiah, and such a Messiah as Jesus, must
have been to Annas No account is given of
what passed before Annas. Even the fact of Christ's being first
brought to him is only mentioned in the fourth Gospel. As the
disciples had all forsaken Him and fled, we can understand that
they were in ignorance of what actually passed, till they had
again rallied, at least so far, that Peter and 'another disciple',
evidently John, 'followed Him into the palace of the high priest'
that is, into the palace of Caiaphas, not of Annas. For as,
s Acts 1:19; Matt. 27:8. Note 8, end of chapter.
644 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 34.
according to the three synoptic Gospels, the palace of the high
priest Caiaphas was the scene of Peter's denial, the account of it
in the fourth Gospel must refer to the same locality, and not to
the palace of Annas." Edersheim, Life and Times of Jesus the
Messiah; vol. 2, pp. 547-8.
2. Christ's Forbearance when Smitten. That Jesus main-
tained His equanimity and submissiveness even under the provo-
cation of a blow dealt by a brutish underling in the presence of
the high priest, is confirmatory of our Lord's affirmation that He
had "overcome the world" (John 16:33). One cannot read the
passage without comparing, perhaps involuntarily, the divine sub-
missiveness of Jesus on this occasion, with the wholly natural
and human indignation of Paul under somewhat similar condi-
tions at a later time (Acts 23:1-5). The high priest Ananias,
displeased at Paul's remarks, ordered someone who stood by to
smite him on the mouth. Paul broke forth in angry protest:
"God shall smite thee, thou whited wall: for sittest thou to judge
me after the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to
the law?" Afterward he apologized, saying that he knew not
that it was the high priest who had given the command that he
be smitten. See Articles of Faith, xxiii, n, and Note I following
the same lecture; and Farrar's Life and Works of St. Paul, pp.
539-540.
3. High Priests and Elders. These titles as held by officials
of the Jewish hierarchy in the time of Christ must not be con-
fused with the same designations as applied to holders of the
Higher or Melchizedek Priesthood. The high priest of the Jews
was the presiding priest; he had to be of Aaronic descent to be
a priest at all; he became high priest by Roman appointment.
The elders, as the name indicates, were men of mature years and
experience, who were appointed to act as magistrates in the
towns, and as judges in the ecclesiastical tribunals, either in the
Lesser Sanhedrins of the provinces, or in the Great Sanhedrin at
Jerusalem. The term "elder" as commonly used among the
Jews in the days of Jesus had no closer relation to eldership in
the Melchizedek Priesthood than had the title "scribe". The
duties of Jewish high priests and elders combined both ecclesi-
astical and secular functions ; indeed both offices had come to be
in large measure political perquisites. See "Elder" in Smith's
Bible Dictionary. From the departure of Moses to the coming
of Christ, the organized theocracy of Israel was that of the Lesser
or Aaronic Priesthood, comprizing the office of priest, which was
confined to the lineage of Aaron, and the lesser offices of teacher
and deacon, which were combined in the Levitical order. See
"Orders and Offices in the Priesthood" by the author in The
Articles of Faith, xi:i3-24.
4. Illegalities of the Jewish Trial of Jesus. Many volumes
have been written on the so-called trial of Jesus. Only a brief
summary of the principal items of fact and law can be incor-
porated here. For further consideration reference may be made
to the following treatments : Edersheim, Life and Times of Jesus
the Messiah; Andrews, Life of Our Lord; Dupin, Jesus before
NOTES. 645
Caiaphas and Pilate; Mendelsohn, Criminal Jurisprudence of the
Ancient Hebrews; Salvador, Institutions of Moses; Innes, The
Trial of Jesus Christ; Maimonides, Sanhedrin; MM. Lemann,
Jesus before the Sanhedrin; Benny, Criminal Code of the Jews; and
Walter M. Chandler, of the New York Bar, The Trial of Jesus
from a Lawyer's Standpoint. The last named is a two volume
work treating respectively, "The Hebrew Trial" and "The Roman
Trial", and contains citations from the foregoing and other
works.
Edersheim (vol. 2, pp. 556-8) contends that the night ar-
raignment of Jesus in the house of Caiaphas was not a trial be-
fore the Sanhedrin, and notes the irregularities and illegalities
of the procedure as proof that the Sanhedrin could not have done
what was done that night. With ample citations in corrobor-
ation of the legal requirements specified, the author says: "But
besides, the trial and sentence of Jesus in the palace of Caiaphas
would have outraged every principle of Jewish criminal law and
procedure. Such causes could only be tried, and capital sentence
pronounced, in the regular meeting-place of the Sanhedrin, not,
as here, in the high priest's palace ; no process, least of all such
an one, might be begun in the night, nor even in the afternoon,
although if the discussion had gone on all day, sentence might
be pronounced at night. Again, no process could take place on
Sabbaths or feast-days, or even on the eves of them, although
this would not have nullified proceedings ; and it might be argued
on the other side, that a process against one who had seduced
the people should preferably be carried on, and sentence exe-
cuted, on public feast-days, for the warning of all. Lastly, in
capital causes there was a very elaborate system of warning, and
cautioning witnesses ; while it may safely be affirmed that at a
regular trial Jewish judges, however prejudiced, would not have
acted as the Sanhedrists and Caiaphas did on this occasion. . .
But although Christ was not tried and sentenced in
a formal meeting of the Sanhedrin, there can, alas ! be no ques-
tion that His condemnation and death were the work, if not of
the Sanhedrin, yet of the Sanhedrists of the whole body of them
('all the council') in the sense of expressing what was the judg-
ment and purpose of all the supreme council and leaders of
Israel, with only very few exceptions. We bear in mind that the
resolution to sacrifice Christ had for some time been taken."
The purpose in quoting the foregoing is to show on acknowl-
edged and eminent authority, some of the illegalities of the night
trial of Jesus, which, as shown by the above, and by the scrip-
tural record, was conducted by the high priest and "the council"
or Sanhedrin, in admittedly irregular and unlawful manner.' ^ If
the Sanhedrists tried and condemned, yet were not in session
as the Sanhedrin, the enormity of the proceeding is, if possible,
deeper and blacker than ever.
In Chandler's excellent work (vol. I, "The Hebrew Trial"),
the record of fact in the case, and the Hebrew criminal law bear-
ing thereon are exhaustively considered. Then follows an elab-
orate "Brief", in which the following points are set forth in order.
646 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 34.
"Point i: The Arrest of Jesus was illegal", since it was effect-
ed by night, and through the treachery of Judas, an accomplice,
both of which features were expressly forbidden in the Jewish
law of that day.
"Point 2: The private examination of Jesus before Annas or
Caiaphas was illegal"; for (i) it was made by night; (2) the hear-
ing of any cause by a 'sole judge' was expressly forbidden; (3)
as quoted from Salvador, 'A principle perpetually reproduced in
the Hebrew scriptures relates to the two conditions of publicity
and liberty/
"Point 3: The indictment against Jesus was, in form, illegal.
'The entire criminal procedure of the Mosaic code rests upon
four rules : certainty in the indictment ; publicity in the discus-
sion ; full freedom granted to the accused; and assurance against
all dangers or errors of testimony' Salvador, p. 365. 'The San-
hedrin did not and could not originate charges; it only investi-
gated those brought before it.' Edersheim, vol. i, p. 309. 'The
evidence of the leading witnesses constituted the charge. There
was no other charge; no more formal indictment Until they
spoke and spoke in the public assembly, the prisoner was scarcely
an accused man.' Innes, p. 41. 'The only prosecutors known to
Talmudic criminal jurisprudence are the witnesses to the crime.
Their duty is to bring the matter to the cognizance of the court,
and to bear witness against the criminal. In capital cases they
are the legal executioners also. Of an official accuser or prose-
cutor there is nowhere any trace in the laws of the ancient He-
brews.' Mendelsohn, p. no.
"Point 4: The proceedings of the Sanhedrin against Jesus were
illegal because they were conducted at night. 'Let a capital offense
be tried during the day, but suspend it at night.' Mishna, San-
hedrin 4:1. 'Criminal cases can be acted upon by the various
courts during daytime only, by the Lesser Sanhedrions from
the close of the morning service till noon, and by the Great San-
hedrion till evening.'- Mendelsohn, p. 112.
"Point 5: The proceedings of the Sanhedrin against Jesus were
illegal because the court convened before the offering of the morning
sacrifice. 'The Sanhedrin sat from the close of the morning sac-
rifice to the time of the evening sacrifice.' Talmud, Jer. San.
1 119. 'No session of the court could take place before the offer-
ing of the morning sacrifice'. MM. Lemann, p. 109. 'Since the
morning sacrifice was offered at the dawn of day, it was hardly
possible for the Sanhedrin to assemble until the hour after that
time.' Mishna, Tamid, ch. 3.
"Point 6: The proceedings against Jesus were illegal because
they were conducted on the day preceding a Jewish Sabbath; also
on the first day of unleavened bread and the eve of the Passover.
'They shall not judge on the eve of the Sabbath nor on that of
any festival.' Mishna, San. 4:1. 'No court of justice in Israel
was permitted to hold sessions on the Sabbath or any of the
seven Biblical holidays. In cases of capital crime, no trial could
be commenced on Friday or the day previous to any holiday,
because it was not lawful either to adjourn such cases longer
.T? NOTES. 8U 647,
than over night, or to continue them on the Sabbath or holiday.'
Rabbi Wise, 'Martyrdom of Jesus', p. 67.
"Point ?: The trial of Jesus was illegal because it was con-
cluded within one day. 'A criminal case resulting in the acquittal
of the accused may terminate the same day on which the trial
began. But if a sentence of death is to be pronounced, it cannot
be concluded before the following day.' Mishna, San. 4:1.
"Point 8: The sentence of condemnation pronounced against
Jesus by the Sanhedrin was illegal because it was founded upon His
uncorroborated confession. 'We have it as a fundamental prin-
ciple of our jurisprudence that no one can bring an accusation
against himself. Should a man make confession of guilt before
a legally constituted tribunal, such confession is not to be used
against him unless properly attested by two other witnesses.'
Maimonides, 4:2. 'Not only is self-condemnation never extorted
from the defendant by means of torture, but no attempt is ever
made to lead him on to self-incrimination. Moreover, a volun-
tary confession on his part is not admitted in evidence, and
therefore not competent to convict him, unless a legal number
of witnesses minutely corroborate his self -accusation.' Mendel-
sohn, p. 133.
"Point 9: The condemnation of Jesus was illegal because the
verdict of the Sanhedrin was unanimous. 'A simultaneous and
unanimous verdict of guilt rendered on the day of the trial has
the effect of an acquittal.' Mendelsohn, p. 141. 'If none of the
judges defend the culprit, i. e., all pronounce him guilty, having
no defender in the court, the verdict of guilty was invalid and
the sentence of death could not be executed.' Rabbi Wise,
'Martyrdom of Jesus', p. 74.
"Point 10 : The proceedings against Jesus were illegal in that:
(i) The sentence of condemnation was pronounced in a place for-
bidden by law; (2) The high priest rent his clothes; (3) The ballot-
ing was irregular. 'After leaving the hall Gazith no sentence of
death can be passed upon any one soever.' Talmud, Bab. 'Of
Idolatry' i :8. 'A sentence of death can be pronounced only so
long as the Sanhedrin holds its sessions in the appointed place.'
Maimonides, 14. See further Levit. 21:10; compare 10:6. 'Let
the judges each in his turn absolve or condemn." Mishna,
San. 15 15. The members of the Sanhedrin were seated in the
form of a semicircle, at the extremity of which a secretary was
placed, whose business it was to record the votes. One of these
secretaries recorded the votes in favor of the accused, the other
those against him.' Mishna, San. 4:3. 'In ordinary cases the
judges voted according to seniority, the oldest commencing; in
a capital case the reverse order was followed.' Benny, p. 73.
"Point ii : The members of the Great Sanhedrin were legally
disqualified to try Jesus. 'Nor must there be on the judicial bench
either a relation or a particular friend, or an enemy of either the
accused or of the accuser.' Mendelsohn, p. 108. ^ 'Nor under any
circumstances was a man known to be at enmity with the ac-
cused person permitted to occupy a position among the judges.'
*- Benny, p. 37.
648 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 34.
"Point 12: The condemnation of Jesus was illegal because the
merits of the defense were not considered. 'Then shalt thou enquire,
and make search, and ask diligently.' Deut. 13:14. 'The judges
shall weigh the matter in the sincerity of their conscience/
Mishna, San. 4:5. 'The primary object of the Hebrew judicial
system was to render the conviction of an innocent person im-
possible. All the ingenuity of the Jewish legists was directed
to the attainment of this end.' Benny, p. 56."
Chandler's masterly statements of fact and his arguments
on each of the foregoing points are commended to the investi-
gator. The author tersely avers : "The pages of human history
present no stronger case of judicial murder than the trial and
crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth, for the simple reason that all
forms of law were outraged and trampled under foot in the pro-
ceedings instituted against Him." (p. 216.)
5. "His Blood be on us, and on Our Children." Edersheim
(vol. 2, p. 578) thus forcefully comments on the acknowledgment
of responsibility for the death of Christ: "The Mishna tells us
that, after the solemn washing of hands of the elders and their
disclaimer of guilt, priests responded with this prayer: 'Forgive
it to thy people Israel, whom thou hast redeemed, O Lord, and
lay not innocent blood upon thy people Israel.' But here, in an-
swer to Pilate's words, came back that deep, hoarse cry : 'His
blood be upon us,' and God help us ! 'on our children.' Some
thirty years later, and on that very spot, was judgment pro-
nounced against some of the best in Jerusalem; and among the
3,600 victims of the governor's fury, of whom not a few were
scourged and crucified right over against the Pretorium, were
many of the noblest of the citizens of Jerusalem. (Josephus,
Wars, xiv, chap. 8:9). A few years more, and hundreds of
crosses bore Jewish mangled bodies within sight of Jerusalem.
And still have these wanderers seemed to bear, from century to
century, and from land to land, that burden of blood ; and still
does it seem to weigh 'on us and on our children'."
6. "We Have no King but Caesar." "With this cry Juda-
ism was, in the person of its representatives, guilty of denial of
God, of blasphemy, of apostasy. It committed suicide; and ever
since has its dead body been carried in show from land to land,
and from century to century, to be dead and to remain dead,
till He come a second time, who is the resurrection and the life."
Edersheim, vol. 2, p. 581.
7. The Underlying Cause of Pilate's Surrender to the Jew-
ish Demands. Pilate knew what was right but lacked the moral
courage to do it. He was afraid of the Jews, and more afraid of
hostile influence at Rome. He was afraid of his conscience, but
more afraid of losing his official position. It was the policy of
Rome to be gracious and conciliatory in dealing with the re-
ligions and social customs of conquered nations. Pontius Pilate
had violated this liberal policy from the early days of his pro-
curatorship. In utter disregard of the Hebrew antipathy against
images and heathen insignia, he had the legionaries enter Jeru-
salem at night, carrying their eagles and standards decorated
NOTES. 649
with the effigy of the emperor. To the Jews this act was a
defilement of the Holy City. In vast multitudes they gathered
at Caesarea, and petitioned the procurator that the standards and
other images be removed from Jerusalem. For five days the
people demanded and Pilate refused. He threatened a general
slaughter, and was amazed to see the people offer themselves as
victims of the sword rather than relinquish their demands. Pi-
late had to yield (Josephus, Ant. xviii, chap. 3:1; also Wars,
ii, chap. 9:2, 3). Again he gave offense in forcibly appropriating
the Corban, or sacred funds of the temple, to the construction
of an aqueduct for supplying Jerusalem with water from the
pools of Solomon. Anticipating the public protest of the people,
he had caused Roman soldiers to disguise themselves as Jews;
and with weapons concealed to mingle with the crowds. At a
given signal these assassins plied their weapons and great num-
bers of defenceless Jews were killed or wounded (Josephus,
Ant. xviii, chap. 3:2; and Wars, ii, chap. 9:3, 4). On another
occasion, Pilate had grossly offended the people by setting up in
his official residence at Jerusalem, shields that had been dedi-
cated to Tiberius, and this "less for the honor of Tiberius than
for the annoyance of the Jewish people." A petition signed by
the ecclesiastical officials of the nation, and by others of influ-
ence, including four Herodian princes, was sent to the emperor,
who reprimanded Pilate and directed that the shields be removed
from Jerusalem to Caesarea (Philo. De Legatione ad Caium ;
sec. 38).
These outrages on national feeling, and many minor acts of
violence, extortion and cruelty, the Jews held against the pro-
curator. He realized that his tenure was insecure, and he dreaded
exposure. Such wrongs had he wrought that when he would
have done good, he was deterred through cowardly fear of the
accusing past.
8. Judas Iscariot. Today we speak of a traitor as a "Judas"
or an "Iscariot". The man who made the combined name in-
famous has been for ages a subject of discussion among theo-
logians and philosophers, and in later times the light of psycho-
logical analysis has been turned upon him. German philoso-
phers were among the earliest to assert that the man had been
judged in unrighteousness, and that his real character was of
brighter tint than that in which it had been painted. Indeed
some critics hold that of all the Twelve Judas was the one most
thoroughly convinced of our Lord's divinity in the flesh ; and
these apologists attempt to explain the betrayal as a deliberate
and well-intended move to force Jesus into a position of diffi-
culty from which He could escape only by the exercize of His
powers of Godship, which, up to that time, He had never used
in His own behalf.
We are not the invested judges of Judas nor of any other;
but we are competent to frame and hold opinions as to the
actions of any. In the light of the revealed word it appears
that Judas Iscariot had given himself up to the cause of Satan
while ostensibly serving the Christ in an exalted capacity. Such
JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 34.
a surrender to evil powers could be accomplished only through
sin. The nature and extent of the man's transgressions through
the years are not told us. He had received the testimony that
Jesus was the Son of God; and in the full light of that con-
viction he turned against his Lord, and betrayed Him to death.
Modern revelation is no less explicit than ancient in declaring that
the path of sin is that of spiritual darkness leading to cer-
tain destruction. If the man who is guilty of adultery, even in
his heart only, shall, unless he repents, surely forfeit the com-
panionship of the Spirit of God, and "shall deny the faith", and
so the voice of God hath affirmed (see Doc. and Cov. 63:16), we
cannot doubt that any and all forms of deadly sin shall poison
the soul and, if not forsaken through true repentance, shall bring
that soul to condemnation. For his trained and skilful servants,
Satan will provide opportunities of service commensurate with
their evil ability. Whatever the opinion of modern critics as
to the good character of Judas, we have the testimony of John,
who for nearly three years had been in close companionship with
him, that the man was a thief (12:6) ; and Jesus referred to him
as a devil (6:70), and as "the son of perdition" (17:12). See in
this connection Doc. and Cov. 76:41-48.
That the evil proclivities of Judas Iscariot were known to
Christ is evidenced by the Lord's direct statement that among
the Twelve was one who was a devil; (John 6:70; compare 13:27;
Luke 22:3); and furthermore that this knowledge was His when
the Twelve were selected is suggested by the words of Jesus :
"I know whom I have chosen", coupled with the explanation
that in the choice He had made would the scriptures be fulfilled.
As the sacrificial death of the Lamb of God was foreknown and
foretold so the circumstances of the betrayal were foreseen. It
would be contrary to both the letter and spirit of the revealed
word to say that the wretched Iscariot was in the least degree
deprived of freedom or agency in the course he followed to so
execrable an end. His was the opportunity and privilege com-
mon to the Twelve, to live in the light of the Lord's immediate
presence, and to receive from the source divine the revelation of
God's purposes. Judas Iscariot was no victim of circumstances,
no insensate tool guided by a superhuman power, except as he
by personal volition gave himself up to Satan, and accepted a
wage in the devil's employ. Had Judas been true to the right,
other means than his perfidy would have operated to bring the
Lamb to the slaughter. His ordination to the apostleship placed
him in possession of opportunity and privilege above that of the
uncalled and unordained ; and with such blessed possibility of
achievement in the service of God came corresponding capability
to fall. A trusted and exalted officer of the government can
commit acts of treachery and treason such as are impossible to
the citizen who has never learned the secrets of State. Ad-
vancement implies increased accountability, even more literally
so in the affairs of God's kingdom than in the institutions of
men.
There is an apparent discrepancy between the account of
NOTES. 651
Judas Iscariot's death given by Matthew (27:3-10) and that in
Acts (1:16-20). According to the first, Judas hanged himself;
the second states that he fell headlong, "and all his bowels
gushed out." If both records be accurate, the wretched man
probably hanged himself, and afterward fell, possibly through
the breaking of the cord or the branch to which it was attached.
Matthew says the Jewish rulers purchased the "field of blood" ;
the writer of the Acts quotes Peter as saying that Judas bought
the field with the money he had received from the priests. As
the ground was bought with the money that had belonged to
Iscariot, and as this money had never been formally taken back
by the temple officials, the field bought therewith belonged tech-
nically to the estate of Judas. The variations are of importance
mainly as showing independence of authorship. The accounts
agree in the essential feature, that Judas died a miserable
suicide.
Concerning the fate of the "sons of perdition," the Lord has
given a partial but awful account through a revelation dated Feb-
ruary 16, 1832: "Thus saith the Lord, concerning all those who
know my power, and have been made partakers thereof, and suf-
fered themselves, through the power of the devil, to be overcome,
and to deny the truth and defy my power They are they who are
the sons of perdition, of whom I say that it had been better for
them never to have been born, For they are vessels of wrath,
doomed to suffer the wrath of God, with the devil and his angels
in eternity; Concerning whom I have said there is no forgiveness
in this world nor in the world to come, Having denied the Holy
Spirit after having received it, and having denied the Only Be-
gotten Son of the Father having crucified him unto themselves
and put him to an open shame. These are they who shall go away
into the lake of fire and brimstone, with the devil and his angels,
And the only ones on whom the second death shall have any
power. . . . Wherefore, he saves all except them : they shall
go away into everlasting punishment, which is endless punish-
ment, which is eternal punishment, to reign with the devil and
his angels in eternity, where their worm dieth not, and the fire
is not quenched, which is their torment; And the end thereof,
neither the place thereof, nor their torment, no man knows.
Neither was it revealed, neither is, neither will be revealed unto
man, except to them who are made partakers thereof : Neverthe-
less I, the Lord, show it by vision unto many, but straightway shut
it up again; Wherefore the end, the width, the height, the depth,
and the misery thereof, they understand not, neither any man
except them who are ordained unto this condemnation.'" Doc. and
Cov. 76:3i-37, 44-48.
.
JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 35.
CHAPTER 35-
DEATH AND BURIAL.
ON THE WAY TO CALVARY.
'
Pontius Pilate, having reluctantly surrendered to the
clamorous demands of the Jews, issued the fatal order ; and
Jesus, divested of the purple robe and arrayed in His own
apparel, was led away to be crucified. A body of Roman
soldiers had the condemned Christ in charge ; and as the
procession moved out from the governor's palace, a motley
crowd comprizing priestly officials, rulers of the Jews, and
people of many nationalities, followed. Two convicted
criminals, who had been sentenced to the cross for robbery,
were led forth to death at the same time ; there was to be a
triple execution; and the prospective scene of horror at-
tracted the morbidly minded, such as delight to gloat over
the sufferings of their fellows. In the crowd, however,
were some genuine mourners, as shall be shown. It was
the Roman custom to make the execution of convicts as
public as possible, under the mistaken and anti-psychological
assumption, that the spectacle of dreadful punishment would
be of deterrent effect. This misconception of human nature
has not yet become entirely obsolete.
The sentence of death by crucifixion required that the
condemned person carry the cross upon which he was to
suffer. Jesus started on the way bearing His cross. The
terrible strain of the preceding hours, the agony in Gethse-
mane, the barbarous treatment He had suffered in the palace
of the high priest, the humiliation and cruel usage to which
He had been subjected before Herod, the frightful scourging
a Matt. 27:31-33; Mark 15:20-22; Luke 23:26-33; John 19:16, 17.
SIMON BEARS THE CROSS OF JESUS. 653
under Pilate's order, the brutal treatment by the inhuman
soldiery, together with the extreme humiliation and the
mental agony of it all, had so weakened His physical organ-
ism that He moved but slowly under the burden of the cross.
The soldiers, impatient at the delay, peremptorily impressed
into service a man whom they met coming into Jerusalem
from the country, and him they compelled to carry the cross
of Jesus. No Roman or Jew would have voluntarily in-
curred the ignominy of bearing such a gruesome burden ;
for every detail connected with the carrying out of a sentence
of crucifixion was regarded as degrading. The man so
forced to walk in the footsteps of Jesus, bearing the cross
upon which the Savior of the world was to consummate His
glorious mission, was Simon, a native of Cyrene. From
Mark's statement that Simon was the father of Alexander
and Rufus we infer that the two sons were known to the
evangelist's readers as members of the early Church, and
there is some indication that the household of Simon the
Cyrenian came to be numbered with the believers.**
Among those who followed or stood and watched the
death-procession pass, were some, women particularly, who
bewailed and lamented the fate to which Jesus was going.
We read of no man who ventured to raise his voice in protest
or pity ; but on this dreadful occasion as at other times,
women were not afraid to cry out in commiseration or
praise. Jesus, who had been silent under the inquisition of
the priests, silent under the humiliating mockery of the sen-
sual Herod and his coarse underlings, silent when buffeted
and beaten by the brutal legionaries of Pilate, turned to the
women whose sympathizing lamentations had reached His
ears, and uttered these pathetic and portentous words of
admonition and warning : "Daughters of Jerusalem, weep
not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children.
For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall
b Note 1, end of chapter.
654 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP," 35.
say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare,
and the paps which never gave suck. Then shall they begin
to say to the mountains, Fall on us ; and to the hills, Cover
us. For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall
be done in the dry?" It was the Lord's last testimony of
the impending holocaust of destruction that was to follow
the nation's rejection of her King. Although motherhood
was the glory of every Jewish woman's life, yet in the terri-
ble scenes which many of those there weeping would live
to witness, barrenness would be accounted a blessing ; for
the childless would have fewer to weep over, and at least
would be spared the horror of seeing their offspring die of
starvation or by violence ; for so dreadful would be that day
that people would fain welcome the falling of the mountains
upon them to end their sufferings. If Israel's oppressors
could do what was then in process of doing to the "Green
Tree," who bore the leafage of freedom and truth and
offered the priceless fruit of life eternal, what would the
powers of evil not do to the withered branches and dried
trunk of apostate Judaism?
Along the city streets, out through the portal of the
massive wall, and thence to a place beyond but yet nigh unto
Jerusalem, the cortege advanced. The destination was a
spot called Golgotha, or Calvary, meaning "the place of a
skull."*
THE CRUCIFIXION.*
At Calvary the official crucifiers proceeded without delay
to carry into effect the dread sentence pronounced upon
Jesus and upon the two criminals. Preparatory to affixing
the condemned to the cross, it was the custom to offer each
a narcotic draught of sour wine or vinegar mingled with
myrrh and possibly containing other anodyne ingredients,
c Note 2, end of chapter.
d Note 3, end of chapter.
*Matt. 27:34-50; Mark 15:23-37, Luke 23:33-46; John 19:18-30.
CRUCIFIXION. 655
for the merciful purpose of deadening the sensibility of the
victim. This was no Roman practise, but was allowed as a
concession to Jewish sentiment. When the drugged cup
was presented to Jesus He put it to His lips, but having
ascertained the nature of its contents refused to drink, and
so demonstrated His determination to meet death with facul-
ties alert and mind unclouded.
Then they crucified Him, on the central cross of three,
and placed one of the condemned malefactors on His right
hand, the other on His left. Thus was realized Isaiah's
vision of the Messiah numbered among the transgressors/
But few details of the actual crucifixion are given us. We
know however that our Lord was nailed to the cross by
spikes driven through the hands and feet, as was the Roman
method, and not bound only by cords as was the custom in
inflicting this form of punishment among some other na-
tions. Death by crucifixion was at once the most lingering
and most painful of all forms of execution. The victim
lived in ever increasing torture, generally for many hours,
sometimes for days. The spikes so cruelly driven through
hands and feet penetrated and crushed sensitive nerves and
quivering tendons, yet inflicted no mortal wound. The
welcome relief of death came through the exhaustion caused
by intense and unremitting pain, through localized inflam-
mation and congestion of organs incident to the strained
and unnatural posture of the body.* 7
As the crucifiers proceeded with their awful task, not
unlikely with roughness and taunts, for killing was their
trade and to scenes of anguish they had grown callous
through long familiarity, the agonized Sufferer, void of
resentment but full of pity for their heartlessness and ca-
pacity for cruelty, voiced the first of the seven utterances
delivered from the cross. In the spirit of God-like mercy
/Isa. 53:12; compare Mark 15:28; Luke 22:37.
g Note 4, end of chapter.
JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 35.
'He prayed : ''Father, forgive them; for they know not what
[they do." Let us not attempt to fix the limits of the Lord's
mercy; that it would be extended to all who in any degree
could justly come under the blessed boon thereof ought to
be a sufficing fact. There is significance in the form in
which this merciful benediction was expressed. Had the
Lord said, "I forgive you," His gracious pardon may have
been understood to be but a remission of the cruel offense
against Himself as One tortured under unrighteous con-
demnation; but the invocation of the Father's forgiveness
was a plea for those who had brought anguish and death to
the Father's Well Beloved Son, the Savior and Redeemer
of the world. Moses forgave Miriam for her offense
against himself as her brother; but God alone could remit
the penalty and remove the leprosy that had come upon her
for having spoken against Jehovah's high priest.^
It appears that under Roman rule, the clothes worn by
a condemned person at the time of execution became the
perquisites of the executioners. The four soldiers in charge
of the cross upon which the Lord suffered distributed parts
of His raiment among themselves ; and there remained His
coat,* which was a goodly garment, woven throughout in
one piece, without seam. To rend it would be to spoil ; so
the soldiers cast lots to determine who should have it; and
in this circumstance the Gospel-writers saw a fulfilment of
the psalmist's prevision : "They parted my garments among
them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots."- 7 '
To the cross above the head of Jesus was affixed a title
or inscription, prepared by order of Pilate in accordance
with the custom of setting forth the name of the crucified
and the nature of the offense for which he had been con-
demned to death. In this instance the title was inscribed in
|three languages, Greek, Latin, and Hebrew, one or more of
JiNumb. 12.
i Revised version, marginal reading, "tunic."
/Matt. 27:35; Mark 15:24; Luke 23:34; John 19:23, 24; compare Psa.
22:18.
THE KING OF THE JEWS. 657
which would be understood by every observer who could
read. The title so exhibited read : "This is Jesus the King
of the Jews"; or in the more extended version given by John
"Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews" k The inscription
was read by many, for Calvary was close to the public thor-
oughfare and on this holiday occasion the passers-by were
doubtless numerous. Comment was aroused ; for, if literally
construed, the inscription was an official declaration that the
crucified Jesus was in fact King of the Jews. When this
circumstance was brought to the attention of the chief
priests, they excitedly appealed to the governor, saying:
"Write not, The King of the Jews ; but that he said, I am
King of the Jews. Pilate answered, What I have written
I have written." Pilate's action in so wording the title, and
his blunt refusal to permit an alteration, may have been an
intended rebuff to the Jewish officials who had forced him
against his judgment and will to condemn Jesus; possibly,
however, the demeanor of the submissive Prisoner, and His
avowal of Kingship above all royalty of earth had impressed
the mind if not the heart of the pagan governor with a con-
viction of Christ's unique superiority and of His inherent
right of dominion ; but, whatever the purpose behind the
writing, the inscription stands in history as testimony of a
heathen's consideration in contrast with Israel's ruthless re-
jection of Israel's King.*
The soldiers whose duty it was to guard the crosses, until
loitering death would relieve the crucified of their increasing
anguish, jested among themselves, and derided the Christ,
pledging Him in their cups of sour wine in tragic mockery.
Looking at the title affixed above the Sufferer's head, they
bellowed forth the devil-inspired challenge: "If thou be the
king of the Jews, save thyself." The morbid multitude, and
the passers-by "railed on him, wagging their heads, and
k Note 5, end of chapter,
/ Pages 85 and 89.
658 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 35.
saying, Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it
in three days, save thyself, and come down from the cross."
But worst of all, the chief priests and the scribes, the elders
of the people, the unvenerable Sanhedrists, became ring-
leaders of the inhuman mob as they gloatingly exulted and
cried aloud: "He saved others; himself he cannot save.
If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the
cross, and we will believe him. He trusted in God; let him
deliver him now, if he will have him : for he said, I am the
Son of God." m Though uttered in ribald mockery, the
declaration of the rulers in Israel stands as an attestation
that Christ had saved others, and as an intended ironical but
a literally true proclamation that He was the King of Israel.
The two malefactors, each hanging from his cross, joined
in the general derision, and "cast the same in his teeth."
One of them, in the desperation incident to approaching
death, echoed the taunts of the priests and people : "If thou
be Christ, save thyself and us."
The dominant note in all the railings and revilings, the
ribaldry and mockery, with which the patient and submissive
Christ was assailed while He hung, "lifted up" as He had
said He would be," was that awful "If" hurled at Him by the
devil's emissaries in the time of mortal agony; as in the
season of the temptations immediately after His baptism it
had been most insidiously pressed upon Him by the devil
himself. That "If" was Satan's last shaft, keenly barbed and
doubly envenomed, and it sped as with the fierce hiss of a
viper. Was it possible in this the final and most dreadful
stage of Christ's mission, to make Him doubt His divine
Sonship, or, failing such, to taunt or anger the dying Savior
into the use of His superhuman powers for personal relief
m Matt. 27:42, 43. The clause "if he be the King of Israel" in verse 42
of the common text is admittedly a mistranslation; it should read "He is
the King of Israel." See revised version; also Edersheim, vol. 2, p. 596;
compare Mark 15:32.
wjohn 3:14; 8:28; 12:32.
o Matt. 4:3, 6; see pages 130, 137 herein.
THE PENITENT MALEFACTOR. 659
or as an act of vengeance upon His tormentors ? To achieve
such a victory was Satan's desperate purpose. The shaft
failed. Through taunts and derision, through blasphemous
challenge and diabolical goading, the agonized Christ was
silent.
Then one of the crucified thieves, softened into penitence
by the Savior's uncomplaining fortitude, and perceiving in
the divine Sufferer's demeanor something more than human,
rebuked his railing fellow, saying: "Dost not thou fear
God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we
indeed justly ; for we receive the due reward of our deeds :
but this man hath done nothing amiss." His confession of
guilt and his acknowledgment of the justice of his own con-
demnation led to incipient repentance, and to faith in the
Lord Jesus, his companion in agony. "And he said unto
Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy king-
dom."^ To the appeal of penitence the Lord replied with
such a promise as He alone could make : "Verily I say unto
thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise. "
Among the spectators of this, the greatest tragedy in
history, were some who had come in sympathy and sorrow.
No mention is found of the presence of any of the Twelve,
save one, and he, the disciple "whom Jesus loved," John the
apostle, evangelist, and revelator ; but specific record is made
of certain women who, first at a distance, and then close by
the cross, wept in the anguish of love and sorrow. "Now
there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his
mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Mag-
dalene."''
In addition to the women named were many others, some
of whom had ministered unto Jesus in the course of His
labors in Galilee, and who were among those that had come
p Luke 23:42; the revised version reads "when thou comest in thy
kingdom."
q See chapter 36, following.
r John 19:25; compare Matt. 27:55, 56; Mark 15:40. 41; Luke 23:48, 49. See
Note 6, end of chapter.
660 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 35.
up with Him to Jerusalem/ First in point of consideration
among them all was Mary, the mother of Jesus, into whose
soul the sword had pierced even as righteous Simeon had
prophesied/ Jesus looking with tender compassion upon
His weeping mother, as she stood with John at the foot of
the cross, commended her to the care and protection of the
beloved disciple, with the words, 'Woman, behold thy son!"
and to John, "Behold thy mother!" The disciple tenderly
led the heart-stricken Mary away from her dying Son, and
"took her unto his own home," thus immediately assuming
the new relationship established by his dying Master.
Jesus was nailed to the cross during the forenoon of that
fateful Friday, probably between nine and ten o'clock." At
noontide the light of the sun was obscured, and black dark-
ness spread over the whole land. The terrifying gloom con-
tinued for a period of three hours. This remarkable phe-
nomenon has received no satisfactory explanation from
science. It could not have been due to a solar eclipse, as
has been suggested in ignorance, for the time was that of
full moon ; indeed the Passover season was determined by
the first occurrence of full moon after the spring equinox.
The darkness was brought about by miraculous operation of
natural laws directed by divine power. It was a fitting sign
of the earth's deep mourning over the impending death of
her Creator. v Of the mortal agony through which the Lord
passed while upon the cross the Gospel-scribes are reverently
reticent.
At the ninth hour, or about three in the afternoon, a loud
voice, surpassing the most anguished cry of physical suffer-
ing issued from the central cross, rending the dreadful dark-
ness. It was the voice of the Christ: "Eloi, Eloi, lama
sabachthanif which is, being interpreted, My God, my God,
jSee references last cited; and Luke 8:2, 3; also page 264 herein.
fLuke 2:34, 35; page 97 herein.
Mark 15:25; see Note 7, end of chapter.
V Compare P. of G. P., Moses 7:37, 40, 48, 49, 56.
"IT IS FINISHED." 661
I
why hast thou forsaken me?" What mind of man can
fathom the significance of that awful cry? It seems, that in
addition to the fearful suffering incident to crucifixion, the
agony of Gethsemane had recurred, intensified beyond hu-
man power to endure. In that bitterest hour the dying
Christ was alone, alone in most terrible reality. That the
supreme sacrifice of the Son might be consummated in all
its fulness, the Father seems to have withdrawn the support
of His immediate Presence, leaving to the Savior of men the
glory of complete victory over the forces of sin and death.
The cry from the cross, though heard by all who were near,
was understood by few. The first exclamation, Eloi, mean-
ing My God, was misunderstood as a call for Elias.
The period of faintness, the conception of utter forsaken-
ness soon passed, and the natural cravings of the body reas-
serted themselves. The maddening thirst, which constituted
one of the worst of the crucifixion agonies, wrung from the
Savior's lips His one recorded utterance expressive of phys-
ical suffering. "I thirst" He said. One of those who stood by,
whether Roman or Jew, disciple or skeptic, we are not told,
ihastily saturated a sponge with vinegar, a vessel of which
was at hand, and having fastened the sponge to the end of
a reed, or stalk of hyssop, pressed it to the Lord's fevered
lips. Some others would have prevented this one act of
human response, for they said : "Let be, let us see whether
Elias will come to save him." John affirms that Christ
uttered the exclamation, "I thirst," only when He knew "that
all things were now accomplished" ; and the apostle saw in
the incident a fulfilment of prophecy . w
Fully realizing that He was no longer forsaken, but that
His atoning sacrifice had been accepted by the Father, and
that His mission in the flesh had been carried to glorious
consummation, He exclaimed in a loud voice of holy tri-
umph : "It is finished" In reverence, resignation, and re-
w John 19:28; compare Psa. 69:21,
662 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 35.
lief, He addressed the Father saying: "Father, into thy
hands I commend my spirit!'* He bowed His head, and
voluntarily gave up His life.
Jesus the Christ was dead. His life had not been taken
from Him except as He had willed to permit. Sweet and
welcome as would have been the relief of death in any of the
earlier stages of His suffering from Gethsemane to the
cross, He lived until all things were accomplished as had
been appointed. In the latter days the voice of the Lord
Jesus has been heard affirming the actuality of His suffer-
ing and death, and the eternal purpose thereby accomplished.
Hear and heed His words: "For, behold, the Lord your
Redeemer suffered death in the flesh ; wherefore he suffered
the pain of all men, that all men might repent and come unto
him.""
IMPORTANT OCCURRENCES BETWEEN THE LORD'S DEATH AND
BURIAL.
'
The death of Christ was accompanied by terrifying phe-
nomena. There was a violent earthquake ; the rocks of the
mighty hills were disrupted, and many graves were torn
open. But, most portentous of all in Judaistic minds, the
veil of the temple which hung between the Holy Place and
the Holy of Holies a was rent from top to bottom, and the
interior, which none but the high priest had been permitted
to see, was thrown open to common gaze. It was the rend-
ing of Judaism, the consummation of the Mosaic dispensa-
tion, and the inauguration of Christianity under apostolic
administration.
The Roman centurion and the soldiers under his com-
mand at the place of execution were amazed and greatly
x The Gospel-writers leave us in some uncertainty as to which of the
last two utterances from the cross, "It is finished," and "Father, into thy
hands I commend my spirit," was spoken first.
y Doc. and Coy. 18:11; revelation given in June 1829; see also 19:16-19,
and page 613 herein.
a See "The House of the Lord," pages 59, 60.
THE MIRACLE OF THE SAVIOR'S DEATH. 663
affrighted. They had probably witnessed many deaths on
the cross, but never before had they seen a man apparently
die of his own volition, and able to cry in a loud voice at the
moment of dissolution. That barbarous and inhuman mode
of execution induced slow and progressive exhaustion. The
actual death of Jesus appeared to all who were present to
be a miracle, as in fact it was. This marvel, coupled with
the earthquake and its attendant horrors, so impressed the
centurion that he prayed to God, and solemnly declared :
"Certainly this was a righteous man." Others joined in
fearsome averment : "Truly this was the Son of God." The
terrified ones who spoke and those who heard left the place
in a state of fear, beating their breasts, and bewailing what
seemed to be a state of impending destruction.^ A few
loving women, however, watched from a distant point, and
saw all that took place until the Lord's body was laid away.
It was now late in the afternoon; at sunset the Sabbath
would begin. That approaching Sabbath was held to be
more than ordinarily sacred for it was a high day, in that it
was the weekly Sabbath and a paschal holy day. c The
Jewish officials, who had not hesitated to slay their L,ord,
were horrified at the thought of men left hanging on crosses
on such a day, for thereby the land would be defiled ; d so
these scrupulous rulers went to Pilate and begged that Jesus
and the two malefactors be summarily dispatched by the
brutal Roman method of breaking their legs, the shock of
which violent treatment had been found to be promptly fatal
to the crucified. The governor gave his consent, and the
soldiers broke the limbs of the two thieves with cudgels.
Jesus, however, was found to be already dead, so they broke
not His bones. Christ, the great Passover sacrifice, of whom
all altar victims had been but suggestive prototypes, died
through violence yet without a bone of His body being
&Matt. 27:51-54; Mark 15:38, 39; Luke 23:47-49.
cjohn 19:31-37.-
JDeut. 21:23.
664 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 35.
broken, as was a prescribed condition of the slain paschal
lambs/ One of the soldiers, to make sure that Jesus was
actually dead, or to surely kill Him if He was yet alive,
drove a spear into His side, making a wound large enough
to permit a man's hand to be thrust thereinto/ The with-
drawal of the spear was followed by an outflow of blood and
water/ an occurrence so surprizing that John, who was an
eye-witness, bears specific personal testimony to the fact,
and cites the scriptures thereby fulfilled.' 1
THE BURIAL.*
A man known as Joseph of Arimathea, who was at heart
a disciple of Christ, but who had hesitated to openly confess
his conversion through fear of the Jews, desired to give the
Lord's body a decent and honorable interment. But for
some such divinely directed intervention, the body of Jesus
might have been cast into the common grave of executed
criminals. This man, Joseph, was "a counsellor ; and he
was a good man, and a just." It is expressly said of him
that he "had not consented to the counsel and deed of
them"; from which statement we infer that he was a San-
hedrist and had been opposed to the action of his colleagues
in condemning Jesus to death, or at least had refrained from
voting with the rest. Joseph was a man of wealth, station,
and influence. He went in boldly unto Pilate and begged
the body of Christ. The governor was surprized to learn
that Jesus was already dead ; he summoned the centurion
and inquired as to how long Jesus had lived on the cross.
The unusual circumstance seems to have added to Pilate's
troubled concern. He gave command and the body of
Christ was delivered to Joseph.
The body was removed from the cross; and in prepar-
<?Exo. 12:46; Numb. 9:12; Psa. 34:20; John 19:36; 1 Cor. 5:7.
/John 20:27; B. of M., 3 Nephi 11:14, 15.
g Note 8, end of chapter.
fcjohn 19:34-37; compare Psa. 22:16, 17; Zech. 12:10; Rev. 1:7.
Matt. 27:57-61; Mark 15:42-47; Luke 23:50-55; John 19;38-42.
DEAD AND BURIED. 665
ing it for the tomb Joseph was assisted by Nicodemus, an-
other member of the Sanhedrin, the same who had come to
Jesus by night three years before, and who at one of the
conspiracy meetings of the council had protested against the
unlawful condemnation of Jesus without a hearing.' Nico-
demus brought a large quantity of myrrh and aloes, about a
hundredweight. The odorous mixture was highly esteemed
for anointing and embalming, but its cost restricted its use
to the wealthy. These two revering disciples wrapped the
Lord's body in clean linen, "with the spices, as the manner
of the Jews is to bury" ; and then laid it in a new sepulchre,
hewn in the rock. The tomb was in a garden, not far from
Calvary, and was the property of Joseph. Because of the
nearness of the Sabbath the interment had to be made with
haste; the door of the sepulchre was closed, a large stone
was rolled against it ; k and thus laid away the body was left
to rest. Some of the devoted women, particularly Mary
Magdalene, and "the other Mary," who was the mother of
James and Joses, had watched the entombment from a dis-
tance ; and when it was completed "they returned, and pre-
pared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day
according to the commandment."
THE SEPULCHRE GUARDED.'
On the day following the "preparation," that is to say on
Saturday, the Sabbath and "high-day," m the chief priests
and Pharisees came in a body to Pilate, saying : "Sir, we
remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive,
After three days I will rise again. Command therefore
that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his
disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say Unto
the people, He is risen from the dead : so the last error shall
be worse than the first." It is evident that the most invet-
ee pages 158
k See revised version, Mark 15:46.
/Matt. 27:62-66.
m Note 9, end of chapter.
JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 35.
erate of the human enemies of Christ remembered His pre-
dictions of an assured resurrection on the third day after
His death. Pilate answered with terse assent: "Ye have
a watch : go your way, make it as sure as ye can." So the
chief priests and Pharisees satisfied themselves that the
sepulchre was secure by seeing that the official seal was
affixed at the junction of the great stone and the portal, and
that an armed guard was placed in charge.
.vr[jfjj37/ aril ot
NOTES TO CHAPTER 35.
1. Simon the Cyrenian. Simon, upon whom the cross of
Jesus was laid, was a member of the Jewish colony in northern
Africa, which had been established nearly three centuries before
the birth of Christ by Ptolemeus Lagi, who transported thither
great numbers of Jews from Palestine (Josephus, Antiquities, xii,
chap. i). Cyrene, the^ home of Simon, was in the province of
Libya; its site is within the present boundaries of Tunis. That
the African Jews were numerous and influential is evidenced by
the fact that they maintained a synagog in Jerusalem (Acts 6:9)
for the accommodation of such of their number as visited the
city. Rufus and his mother are mentioned in friendly reference
by Paul over a quarter of a century after the death of Christ
(Romans 16:13). If this Rufus be one of the sons of Simon
named by Mark (15:21), as tradition indicates, it is probable that
Simon's family was prominently identified with the Primitive
Church. As to whether Simon had become a disciple before the
crucifixion, or was converted through his compulsory service in
bearing the Lord's cross, or became a member of the Church at
a later date, we are not definitely told.
2. Christ's Words to the Daughters of Jerusalem. "The
time would come, when the Old Testament curse of barrenness
(Hosea 9:14) would be coveted as a blessing. To show the
fulfilment of this prophetic lament of Jesus it is not necessary
to recall the harrowing details recorded by Josephus (Wars, vi,
3:4), when a frenzied mother roasted her own child, and in the
mockery of desperateness reserved the half of the horrible meal
for those murderers who daily broke in upon her to rob her of
what scanty food had been left her; nor yet other of those inci-
dents, too revolting for needless repetition, which the historian
of the last siege of Jerusalem chronicles. But how often, these
many centuries, must Israel's women have felt that terrible long-
ing for childlessness, and how often must the prayer of despair
.for the quick death of falling mountains and burying hills rather
than prolonged torture (Hosea 10:8), have risen to the lips of
Israel's sufferers ! And yet, even so, these words were also
prophetic of a still more terrible future (Rev. 6:10). For, if
Israel had put such flame to its 'green tree* how terribly would
V G< rgiflj NOTES. 667
the divine judgment burn among the dry wood of an apostate
and rebellious people, that had so delivered up its Divine King,
and pronounced sentence upon itself by pronouncing it upon Him !"
Edersheim, Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah vol. 2, p.
588.
Concerning the prayer that mountains fall to crush and hide,
Farrar (Life of Christ, p. 645, note), says: "These words of
Christ met with a painfully literal illustration when hundreds of
the unhappy Jews at the siege of Jerusalem hid themselves in
the darkest and vilest subterranean recesses, and when, besides
those who were hunted out, no less than two thousand were
killed by being buried under the ruins of their hiding places."
A further fulfilment may be yet future. Consult Josephus, Wars,
vi. 9:4. See also Hos. 9:12-16; 10:8; Isa. 2:10; compare Rev. 6:16.
3. "The Place of a Skull." The Aramaic Hebrew name
"Golgotha", the Greek "Kranion", and the Latin "Calvaria" or,
as Anglicized, "Calvary", have the same meaning, and connote
"a skull". The name may have been applied with reference to
topographical features, as we speak of the brow of a hill ; or, if
the spot was the usual place of execution, it may have been so
called as expressive of death, just as we call a skull a death's
head. It is probable that the bodies of executed convicts were
buried near the place of death; and if Golgotha or Calvary was
the appointed site for execution, the exposure of skulls and other
human bones through the ravages of beasts and by other means,
would not be surprizing ; though the leaving of bodies or any
of their parts unburied was contrary to Jewish law and senti-
ment. The origin of the name is of as little importance as are
the many divergent suppositions concerning the exact location
of the spot.
4. Crucifixion. "It was unanimously considered the most
horrible form of death. Among the Romans also the degrada-
tion was a part of the infliction, and the punishment if applied
to freeman was only used in the case of the vilest criminals.
. . . . The criminal carried his own cross, or at any rate
a part of it. Hence, figuratively, to take, take up or bear one's
cross is to endure suffering, affliction, or shame, like a criminal on
his way to the place of crucifixion (Matt. 10:38; 16:24; Luke
14:27, etc.). The place of execution was outside the city (i Kings
21:13; Acts 7:58; Heb. 13:12), often in some public road or other
conspicuous place. Arrived at the place of execution, the suf-
ferer was stripped naked, the dress being the perquisite of the
soldiers (Matt. 27:35). The cross was then driven into the
ground, so that the feet of the condemned were a foot or two
above the earth, and he was lifted upon it; or else stretched upon
it on the ground and then lifted with it." It was the custom to
station soldiers to watch the cross, so as to prevent the removal
of the sufferer while yet alive. "This was necessary from the
lingering character of the death, which sometimes did not super-
vene even for three days, and was at last the result of gradual
benumbing and starvation. But for this guard, the persons
668 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 35.
might have been taken down and recovered, as was actually done
in the case of a friend of Josephus. ... In most cases the
body was suffered to rot on the cross by the action of sun and
rain, or to be devoured by birds and beasts. Sepulture was gen-
erally therefore forbidden; but in consequence of Deut. 21:22, 23,
an express national exception was made in favor of the Jews
(Matt. 27:58). This accursed and awful mode of punishment
was happily abolished by Constantine." Smith's Bible Diet.
5. Pilate's Inscription "The King of the Jews." No two
of the Gospel-writers give the same wording of the title or in-
scription placed by Pilate's order above the head of Jesus on the
cross; the meaning, however, is the same in all, and the unessen-
tial variation is evidence of individual liberty among the re-
corders. It is probable that there was actual diversity in the
trilingual versions. John's version is followed in the common
abbreviations used in connection with Roman Catholic figures
of Christ : J. N. R. J. ; or, inasmuch as "I" used to be an or-
dinary equivalent of "J", I- N. R. I. "Jesus of Nazareth. King
[Rex] of the Jews."
6. The Women at the Cross. "According to the authorized
version and revised version, only three women are named, but
most modern critics hold that four are intended. Translate,
therefore, 'His mother, and His mother's sister, (i. e. Salome,
the mother of the evangelist [John] ) ; and Mary the wife of
Cleophas ; and Mary Magdalene.' " Taken from Dummelow's
commentary on John 19 :25.
7. The Hour of the Crucifixion. Mark (15:25) says: "And
it was the third hour and they crucified him"; the time so spec-
ified corresponds to the hour from 9 to 10 a. m. This writer
and his fellow synoptists, Matthew and Luke, give place to many
incidents that occurred between the nailing of Christ to the cross
and the sixth hour or the hour from 12 noon to I p. m. From
these several accounts it is clear that Jesus was crucified during
the forenoon. A discrepancy plainly appears between these
records and John's statement (19:14) that it was "about the
sixth hour" (noon) when Pilate gave the sentence of execution.
All attempts to harmonize the accounts in this particular have
proved futile because the discrepancy is real. Most critics and
commentators assume that "about the sixth hour" in John's ac-
count is a misstatement, due to the errors of early copyists of
the manuscript Gospels, who mistook the sign meaning 3rd for
that signifying 6th.
8. The Physical Cause of Christ's Death. While, as
stated in the text, the yielding up of life was voluntary on the
part of Jesus Christ, for He had life in Himself and no man
could take His life except as He willed to allow it to be
taken, (John 1:4; 5:26; 10:15-18) there was of necessity a direct
physical cause of dissolution. As stated also the crucified some-
times lived for days upon the cross, and death resulted, not from
the infliction of mortal wounds, but from internal congestion,
inflammations, organic disturbances, and consequent exhaustion
Of vital energy. Jesus, though weakened by long torture during
NOTES. 669
the preceding night and early morning, by the shock of the cru-
cifixion itself, as also by intense mental agony, and particularly
through spiritual suffering such as no other man has ever en-
dured, manifested surprizing vigor, both of mind and body, to
the last. The strong, loud utterance, immediately following
which He bowed His head and "gave up the ghost", when con-
sidered in connection with other recorded details, points to a
physical rupture of the heart as the direct cause of death. If
the soldier's spear was thrust into the left side of the Lord's
body and actually penetrated the heart, the outrush of "blood and
water" observed by John is further evidence of a cardiac rupture;
for it is known that in the rare instances of death resulting from
a breaking of any part of the wall of the heart, blood accumu-
lates within the pericardium, and there undergoes a change by
which the corpuscles separate as a partially clotted mass from
the almost colorless, watery serum. Similar accumulations
of clotted corpuscles and serum occur within the pleura. Dr.
Abercrombie of Edinburgh, as cited by Deems (Light of
the Nations, p. 682), "gives a case of the sudden death of a
man aged seventy-seven years, owing to a rupture of the
heart. In his case 'the cavities of the pleura contained about
three pounds of fluid, but the lungs were sound.' " Deems also
cites the following instance : "Dr. Elliotson relates the case of a
woman who died suddenly. 'On opening the body the peri-
cardium was found distended with clear serum, and a very large
coagulum of blood, which had escaped through a spontaneous
rupture of the aorta near its origin, without any other morbid
appearance.' Many cases might be cited, but these suffice." For
detailed treatment of the subject the student may be referred to
Dr. Wm. Stroud's work On the Physical Cause of the Death of
Christ. Great mental stress, poignant emotion either of grief
or joy, and intense spiritual struggle are among the recognized
causes of heart rupture.
The present writer believes that the Lord Jesus died of a
broken heart. The psalmist sang in dolorous measure according
to his inspired prevision of the Lord's passion : "Reproach hath
broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for
some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but
I found none. They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my
thirst they gave me vinegar to drink." (Psalm 69:20, 21; see
also 22:14.)
9. The Request that Christ's Tomb be Sealed. Many critics
hold that the deputation called upon Pilate on Saturday evening,
after the Sabbath had ended. This assumption is made on the
ground that to do what these priestly officials did, in personally
supervizing the sealing of the tomb, would have been to incur
defilement, and that they would not have so done on the Sab-
bath. Matthew's statement is definite that the application was
made on "the next day, that followed the day of the prepara-
tion." The preparation day extended from sunset on Thursday
to the beginning of the Sabbath at sunset on Friday.
670 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 36.
CHAPTER 36.
IN THE REALM OF DISEMBODIED SPIRITS.
t
Jesus the Christ died in the literal sense in which all men
die. He underwent a physical dissolution by which His
immortal spirit was separated from His body of flesh and
bones, and that body was actually dead. While the corpse
lay in Joseph's rock-hewn tomb, the living Christ existed as
a disembodied Spirit. We are justified in inquiring where
He was and what were His activities during the interval
between His death on the cross and His emergence from the
sepulchre with spirit and body reunited, a resurrected Soul.
The assumption that most naturally suggests itself is that
He went where the spirits of the dead ordinarily go ; and
that, in the sense in which while in the flesh He had been a
Man among men, He was, in the disembodied state a Spirit
among spirits. This conception is confirmed as a fact by
scriptural attestation.
As heretofore shown a Jesus Christ was the chosen and
ordained Redeemer and Savior of mankind ; to this exalted
mission He had been set apart in the beginning, even before
the earth was prepared as the abode of mankind. Unnum-
bered hosts who had never heard the gospel, lived and died
upon the earth before the birth of Jesus. Of those departed
myriads many had passed their mortal probation with vary-
ing degrees of righteous observance of the law of God so
far as it had been made known unto them, but had died in
unblamable ignorance of the gospel ; while other multitudes
had lived and died as transgressors even against such moiety
of God's law to man as they had learned and such as they
had professed to obey. Death had claimed as its own all of
a Chapters 2 and 3 herein.
THE SAVIOR IN PARADISE. 671
these, both just and unjust. To them went the Christ, bear-
ing the transcendently glorious tidings of redemption from
the bondage of death, and of possible salvation from the
effects of individual sin. This labor was part of the Savior's
foreappointed and unique service to the human family. The
shout of divine exultation from the cross, "It is finished,"
signified the consummation of the Lord's mission in mor-
tality ; yet there remained to Him other ministry to be ren-
dered prior to His return to the Father.
To the penitent transgressor crucified by His side, who
reverently craved remembrance when the Lord should come
into His kingdom,** Christ had given the comforting assur-
ance : "Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thoit be with me
in paradise." The spirit of Jesus and the spirit of the re-
pentant thief left their crucified bodies and went to the same
place in the realm of the departed/ On the third day fol-
lowing, Jesus, then a resurrected Being, positively stated to
the weeping Magdalene : "I am not yet ascended to my
Father." He had gone to paradise but not to the place
where God dwells. Paradise, therefore, is not Heaven, if
by the latter term we understand the abode of the Eternal
Father and His celestialized children/ Paradise is a place
where dwell righteous and repentant spirits between bodily
death and resurrection. Another division of the spirit world
is reserved for those disembodied beings who have lived
lives of wickedness and who remain impenitent even after
death. Alma, a Nephite prophet, thus spake of the condi-
tions prevailing among the departed :
korfwej;
"Now concerning the state of the soul between death and
the resurrection. Behold, it has been made known unto me,
by an angel, that the spirits of all men, as soon as they are
departed from this mortal body ; yea, the spirits of all men,
whether they be good or evil, are taken home to that God
&Page 659.
cNote 1, end of chapter.
the distinction made by Paul 2 Cor. 12:2-4.
672 JESUS THE CHRIST. HT [CHAP. 36.
who gave them life. And then shall it come to pass that
the spirits of those who are righteous, are received into a
state of happiness, which is called paradise ; a state of rest ;
a state of peace, where they shall rest from all their troubles
and from all care, and sorrow, &c. And then shall it come
to pass, that the spirits of the wicked, yea, who are evil ; for
behold, they have no part nor portion of the Spirit of the
lyOrd ; for behold, they chose evil works rather than good ;
therefore the spirit of the devil did enter into them, and take
possession of their house; and these shall be cast out into
outer darkness ; there shall be weeping, and wailing, and
gnashing of teeth ; and this because of their own iniquity ;
being led captive by the will of the devil. Now this is the
state of the souls of the wicked : yea, in darkness, and a state
of awful, fearful, looking for the fiery indignation of the
wrath of God upon them ; thus they remain in this state, as
well as the righteous in paradise, until the time of their res-
urrection."*
While divested of His body Christ ministered among the
departed, both in paradise and in the prison realm where
dwelt in a state of durance the spirits of the disobedient.
To this effect testified Peter nearly three decades after the
great event: "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins,
the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being
put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit : By
which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison ;
Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffer-
ing of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was
a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by
water."/
The disobedient who had lived on earth in the Noachian
period are especially mentioned as beneficiaries of the L,ord's
ministry in the spirit world. They had been guilty of gross
offenses, and had wantonly rejected the teachings and ad-
monitions of Noah, the earthly minister of Jehovah. For their
flagrant sin they had been destroyed in the flesh, and their
e~B. of M., Alma 40:11-14.
fl Peter 3:18-20; see Note 2, end of chapter.
THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO THE DEAD. 673
spirits had endured in a condition of imprisonment, without
hope, from the time of their death to the advent of Christ,
who came as a Spirit amongst them. We are not to assume
from Peter's illustrative mention of the disobedient ante-
diluvians that they alone were included in the blessed oppor-
tunities offered through Christ's ministry in the spirit realm ;
on the contrary, we conclude in reason and consistency that
all whose wickedness in the flesh had brought their spirits
into the prison house were sharers in the possibilities of
expiation, repentance, and release. Justice demanded that
the gospel be preached among the dead as it had been and
was to be yet more widely preached among the living. Let
us consider the further affirmation of Peter, as part of his
pastoral admonition to the members of the Primitive Church :
"Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the
quick and the dead. For for this cause was the gospel
preached also to them that are dead, that they might be
judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to
God in the spirit."* 7
That Jesus knew, while yet in the body, that His mission
as the universal Redeemer and Savior of the race would not
be complete when He came to die is sufficiently demonstrated
by His words to the casuistical Jews, following the Sabbath
day healing at Bethesda: "Verily, verily, I say unto you.
The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear
the voice of the Son of God : and they that hear shall live.
For as the Father hath life in himself ; so hath he given to
the Son to have life in himself; and hath given him au-
thority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of
man. Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the
which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and
shall come forth ; they that have done good, unto the resur-
rection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the res-
urrection of damnation."* 1 The solemn truth, that through
g\ Peter 4:5, 6. See Note 2, end of chapter.
h John 5:25-29; see also page 210 herein.
22
674 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 36.
the atonement of Christ salvation would be made possible
to the dead as well as to the living, was revealed to the
prophets centuries before the meridian of time. Isaiah was
permitted to foresee the fate of the ungodly, and the state
prepared for haughty and rebellious offenders against right-
eousness; but the dread vision was in part brightened by
the deliverance that had been provided. "And it shall come
to pass in that day, that the Lord shall punish the host of the
high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon
the earth. And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners
are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison,
and after many days shall they be visited."* To the same
mighty prophet was shown the universality of the Savior's
atoning victory, as comprizing the redemption of Jew and
Gentile, living and dead ; and convincingly he voiced the
word of revelation: "Thus saith God the Lord, he that
created the heavens, and stretched them out ; he that spread
forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that
giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them
that walk therein : I the Lord have called thee in righteous-
ness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give
thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles ;
to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the
prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison
house."''
David, singing the praises of the Redeemer whose do-
minion should extend even to the souls in hell, shouted in
joy at the prospect of deliverance : "Therefore my heart is
glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in
hope. For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell ; neither wilt
thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou wilt
shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joyj
at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore."*
tlsa. 24:21, 22.
jlsa. 42:5-7. .Jqsrfo 5o bns , sJotf 998 .8 ,fi:* 73!^ lo
k Psalm 16:9.11.
WHY ARE THEY THEN BAPTIZED FOR THE DEAD? 675
From these and other scriptures it is evident that the
ministry of Christ among the disembodied was foreseen,
predicted, and accomplished. The fact that the gospel was
preached to the dead necessarily implies the possibility of the
dead accepting the same and availing themselves of the
saving opportunities thereof. In the merciful providence
of the Almighty, provision has been made for vicarious
service by the living for the dead, in the ordinances essential
to salvation; so that all who in the spirit-world accept the
word of God as preached to them, develop true faith in
Jesus Christ as the one and only Savior, and contritely
repent of their transgressions, shall be brought under the
saving effect of baptism by water for the remission of sins,
and be recipients of the baptism of the Spirit or the bestowal
of the Holy Ghost/ Paul cites the principle and practise
of baptism by the living for the dead as proof of the actuality
of the resurrection : "Else what shall they do which are
baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all ? why are
they then baptized for the dead ?""* Free agency, the divine
birthright of every human soul, will not be annulled by death.
Only as the spirits of the dead become penitent and faithful
will they be benefited by the vicarious service rendered in
their behalf on earth.
Missionary labor among the dead was inaugurated by the
Christ ; who of us can doubt that it has been continued by
His authorized servants, the disembodied, who while in the
flesh had been commissioned to preach the gospel and ad-
minister in the ordinances thereof through ordination in the
Holy Priesthood ? That the faithful apostles who were left
to build up the Church on earth following the departure of
its divine Founder, that other ministers of the word of God
ordained to the Priesthood by authority in the Primitive as
well as in the Latter-day Church, have passed from minis-
/See page 124 herein; also "The Articles of Faith," vii:18-33; and "The
House of the Lord," pages 63-93.
ml Cor. 15:29; see also "House of the Lord," p. 92.
676 , JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 36.
terial service among mortals to a continuation of such labor
among the disembodied, is so abundantly implied in scripture
as to be made a certainty. They are called to follow in the
footsteps of the Master, ministering here among the living,
and beyond among the dead.
The victory of Christ over death and sin would be in-
complete were its effects confined to the small minority who
have heard, accepted, and lived the gospel of salvation in the
flesh. Compliance with the laws and ordinances of the
gospel is essential to salvation. Nowhere in scripture is a
distinction made in this regard between the living and the
dead. The dead are those who have lived in mortality upon
earth ; the living are mortals who yet shall pass through the
ordained change which we call death. All are children of
the same Father, all to be judged and rewarded or punished
by the same unerring justice, with the same interposition
of benign mercy. Christ's atoning sacrifice was offered,
not alone for the few who lived upon the earth while He was
in the flesh, nor for those who were to be born in mortality
after His death, but for all inhabitants of earth then past,
present, and future. He was ordained of the Father to be
a judge of both quick and dead ; n He is Lord alike of living
and dead, as men speak of dead and living, though all are
to be placed in the same position before Him ; there will be
but a single class, for all live unto Him/ While His body
reposed in the tomb, Christ was actively engaged in the
further accomplishment of the Father's purposes, by offer-
ing the boon of salvation to the dead, both in paradise and
in hell.
NOTES TO CHAPTER 36.
i. Paradise. The scriptures prove that at the time of the
final judgment every man will stand before the bar of God,
clothed in his resurrected body, and this, irrespective of his con-
dition of righteousness or guilt. While awaiting resurrection,
nActs 10:42; 2 Tim. 4:1; 1 Peter 4:5.
o Rom. 14 :9.
20:36, 38; "The Articles of Faith," vii:18.
NOTES. 677
disembodied spirits exist in an intermediate state, of happiness
and rest or of suffering and suspense, according to the course
they have elected to follow in mortality. Reference to paradise
as the abode of righteous spirits between the time of death and
that of the resurrection is made by the prophet Nephi (2 Nephi
9:13), by a later prophet of the same name (4 Nephi 14), by
Moroni (Moroni 10:34); as also by Alma whose words are
quoted in the text (Alma 40:12, 14). New Testament scripture
is of analogous import (Luke 23:43; 2 Cor. 12:4; Rev. 2:7). The
word "paradise" by its derivation through the Greek from the
Persian, signifies a pleasant place, or a place of restful enjoy-
ment. (See The Articles of Faith, xxi, note 5). By many the
terms "hades" and "sheol" are understood to designate the place
of departed spirits, comprizing both paradise and the prison realm;
by others the terms are applied only to the latter, the place of
the wicked, which is apart from paradise, the abode of the
just.
The assumption that the gracious assurance given by Christ
to the penitent sinner on the cross was a remission of the man's
sins, and a passport into heaven, is wholly contrary to both the
letter and spirit of scripture, reason, and justice. Confidence in
the efficacy of death-bed professions and confessions on the
basis of this incident is of the most insecure foundation. The
crucified malefactor manifested both faith and repentance; his
promised blessing was that he should that day hear the gospel
preached in paradise; in the acceptance or rejection of the word
of life he would be an agent unto himself. The requirement of
obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel as an essen-
tial to salvation was not waived, suspended, or superseded in
his case.
2. The Scripture Relating to Christ Among the Spirits in
Prison. The revised version of i Peter 3:18-20 reads: "Because
Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the unright-
eous, that he might bring us to God ; being put to death in the
flesh, but quickened in the spirit; in which also he went and
preached unto the spirits in prison, which aforetime were dis-
obedient, when the longsuffering of God waited in the days of
Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is eight
souls were saved through water." This is regarded by scholars
as a closer approach to accuracy in translation than the common
version. Certain important differences between the two ver-
sions will appear to the studious reader. The common version
of the latter part of verse 18 and the whole of verse 19 reads :
"being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the spirit:
By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison."
The revised text expresses the true thought that Christ was
quickened, that is to say, was active, in His own spirit state,
although His body was inert and in reality dead at the time; and
that in that disembodied state He went and preached to the dis-
obedient spirits. The later reading fixes the time of our Lord's
ministry among the departed as the interval between His death
and resurrection.
678 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 37.
CHAPTER 37-
THE RESURRECTION AND THE ASCENSION.
CHRIST IS RISEN.
Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath, had passed, and the night
preceding the dawn of the most memorable Sunday in his-
tory was well nigh spent, while the Roman guard kept watch
over the sealed sepulchre wherein lay the body of the Lord
Jesus. While it was yet dark, the earth began to quake ; an
angel of the Lord descended in glory, rolled back the mas-
sive stone from the portal of the tomb, and sat upon it.
His countenance was brilliant as the lightning, and his rai-
ment was as the driven snow for whiteness. The soldiers,
paralyzed with fear, fell to the earth as dead men. When
they had partially recovered from their fright, they fled from
the place in terror. Even the rigor of Roman discipline,
which decreed summary death to every soldier who deserted
his post, could not deter them. Moreover, there was noth-
ing left for them to guard; the seal of authority had been
broken, the sepulchre was open, and empty.
At the earliest indication of dawn, the devoted Mary
Magdalene and other faithful women set out for the tomb,
bearing spices and ointments which they had prepared for
the further anointing of the body of Jesus. Some of them
had been witnesses of the burial, and were conscious of the
necessary haste with which the corpse had been wrapped
with spicery and laid away by Joseph and Nicodemus, just
before the beginning of the Sabbath ; and now these ador-
ing women came early to render loving service in a more
thorough anointing arid external embalmment of the body.
a Matt. 28:1-4, see also verse 11.
HE IS RISEN, AS HE SAID. 679
On the way as they sorrowfully conversed, they seemingly
for the first time thought of the difficulty of entering the
tomb. "Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of
the sepulchre?" they asked one of another. Evidently they
knew nothing of the seal and the guard of soldiery. At the
tomb they saw the angel, and were afraid; but he said unto
them : "Fear not ye : for I know that ye seek Jesus, which
was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said.
Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly,
and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and,
behold, he goeth before you into Galilee ; there shall ye see
him : lo, I have told you." &
The women, though favored by angelic visitation and
assurance, left the place amazed and frightened. Mary
Magdalene appears to have been the first to carry word to
the disciples concerning the empty tomb. She had failed to
comprehend the gladsome meaning of the angel's proclama-
tion "He is risen, as he said" ; in her agony of love and
grief she remembered only the words "He is not here," the
truth of which had been so forcefully impressed by her own
hasty glance at the open and tenantless tomb. "Then she
runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disci-
ple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken
away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where
they have laid him."
Peter, and "that other disciple" who, doubtless, was John,
set forth in haste, running together toward the sepulchre.
John outran his companion, and on reaching the tomb
stooped to look in, and so caught a glimpse of the linen
cerements lying on the floor ; but the bold and impetuous
Peter rushed into the sepulchre, and was followed by the
younger apostle. The two observed the linen grave-clothes,
and lying by itself, the napkin that had been placed about the
head of the corpse. John frankly affirms that having seen
fcMatt. 28:5-7; compare Mark 16:1-7; Luke 24:1-8; John 20:1-2.
680 JESUS THE CHRIST. 3H [CHAP. 37.
these things, he believed, and explains in behalf of himself
and his fellow apostles, "For as yet they knew not the
scripture, that he must rise again from the dead." c
The sorrowful Magdalene had followed the two apostles
back to the garden of the burial. No thought of the Lord's
restoration to life appears to have found place in her grief-
stricken heart ; she knew only that the body of her beloved
Master had disappeared. While Peter and John were within
the sepulchre, she had stood without, weeping. After the men
had left she stooped and looked into the rock-hewn cavern.
There she saw two personages, angels in white; one sat
u at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of
Jesus had lain." In accents of tenderness they asked of her :
"Woman, why weepest thou ?" In reply she could but voice
anew her overwhelming sorrow : "Because they have taken
away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him."
The absence of the body, which she thought to be all that
was left on earth of Him whom she loved so deeply, was a
personal bereavement. There is a volume of pathos and
affection in her words, "They have taken away my Lord."
Turning from the vault, which, though at that moment
illumined by angelic presence, was to her void and desolate,
she became aware of another Personage, standing near. She
heard His sympathizing inquiry : "Woman, why weepest
thou? whom seekest thou?" Scarcely lifting her tearful
countenance to look at the Questioner, but vaguely suppos-
ing that He was the caretaker of the garden, and that He
might have knowledge of what had been done with the body
of her Lord, she exclaimed : "Sir, if thou have borne him
hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him
away." She knew that Jesus had been interred in a bor-
rowed tomb ; arid if the body had been dispossessed of that
resting place, she was prepared to provide another. "Tell
me where thou hast laid him," she pleaded.
* John 20:1-10.
THE RISEN LORD AND MARY MAGDALENE. 681
It was Jesus to whom she spake, her beloved Lord,
though she knew it not. One word from His living lips
changed her agonized grief into ecstatic joy. "Jesus saith
unto her, Mary." The voice, the tone, the tender accent she
had heard and loved in the earlier days lifted her from the
despairing depths into which she had sunk. She turned, and
saw the Lord. In a transport of joy she reached out her
arms to embrace Him, uttering only the endearing and
worshipful word, "Rabboni," meaning My beloved Master.
Jesus restrained her impulsive manifestation of reverent
love, saying, "Touch me not \ d for I am not yet ascended to
my Father," and adding, "but go to my brethren, and say
unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father ; and
to my God, and your God." e
To a woman, to Mary of Magdala, was given the honor
of being the first among mortals to behold a resurrected
Soul, and that Soul, the Lord Jesus/ J^ To other favored
women did the risen Lord next manifest Himself, including
Mary the mother of Joses, Joanna, and Salome the mother
of the apostles James and John. These and the other women
with them had been affrighted by the presence of the angel
at the tomb, and had departed with mingled fear and joy.
They were not present when Peter and John entered the
vault, nor afterward when the Lord made Himself known
to Mary Magdalene. They may have returned later, for
some of them appear to have entered the sepulchre, and to
have seen that the Lord's body was not there. As they
stood wondering in perplexity and astonishment, they be-
came aware of the presence of two men in shining garments,
and as the women "bowed down their faces to the earth" the
angels said unto them : "Why seek ye the living among the
dead ? He is not here, but is risen : remember how he spake
unto you when he was yet in Galilee, saying, The Son of man
d Revised version, "Take not hold on me" (margin).
<?John 20:11-17.
/Mark 16:9.
JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 37.
must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be
crucified, and the third day rise again. And they remem-
bered his words. "o As they were returning to the city to
deliver the message to the disciples, "J eslls met them, saying,
All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and
worshipped him. Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid :
go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall
they see me."* 1
One may wonder why Jesus had forbidden Mary Mag-
dalene to touch Him, and then, so soon after, had permitted
other women to hold Him by the feet as they bowed
in reverence. We may assume that Mary's emotional
approach had been prompted more by a feeling of personal
yet holy affection than by an impulse of devotional worship
such as the other women evinced. Though the resurrected
Christ manifested the same friendly and intimate regard as
He had shown in tfje mortal state toward those with whom
He had been closely associated, He was no longer one of
them in the literal sense. There was about Him a divine
dignity that forbade close personal familiarity. To Mary
Magdalene Christ had said : "Touch me not ; for I am not
yet ascended to my Father." If the second clause was spoken
in explanation of the first, we have to infer that no human
hand was to be permitted to touch the Lord's resurrected and
immortalized body until after He had presented Himself to
the Father. It appears reasonable and probable that be-
tween Mary's impulsive attempt to touch the Lord, and the
action of the other women who held Him by the feet as they
bowed in worshipful reverence, Christ did ascend to the
Father, and that later He returned to earth to continue His
ministry in the resurrected state.
Mary Magdalene and the other women told the won-
derful story of their several experiences to the disciples, but
g Luke 24:3-8.
h Matt. 28:9, 10.
PERPLEXITY OF THE APOSTLES. 683
the brethren could not credit their words, which "seemed to
them as idle tales, and they believed them not."* After all
that Christ had taught concerning His rising from the dead
on that third day/ the apostles were unable to accept the
actuality of the occurrence; to their minds the resurrection
was some mysterious and remote event, not a present possi-
bility. There was neither precedent nor analogy for the
stories these women told of a dead person returning to life,
with a body of flesh and bones, such as could be seen and felt
except the instances of the young man of Nain, the daugh-
ter of Jairus, and the beloved Lazarus of Bethany, between
whose cases cf restoration to a renewal of mortal life and the
reported resurrection of Jesus they recognized essential
differences. The grief and the sense of irreparable loss
which had characterized the yesterday Sabbath, were re-
placed by profound perplexity and contending doubts on this
first day of the week. But while the apostles hesitated to
believe that Christ had actually risen, the women, less skep-
tical, more trustful, knew, for they had both seen Him and
heard His voice, and some of them had touched His feet.
A PRIUSTLY CONSPIRACY OF FALSEHOOD. 6
When the Roman guardsmen had sufficiently recovered
from fright to make their precipitate departure from the
sepulchre, they went to the chief priests, under whose orders
they had been placed by Pilate/ and reported the super-
natural occurrences they had witnessed. The chief priests
were Sadducees, of which sect or party a distinguishing
feature was the denial of the possibility of resurrection from
the dead. A session of the Sanhedrin was called, and the
disturbing report of the guard was considered. In the spirit
t'Luke 24:9-11; compare Mark 16:9-13.
/Note 1, end of chapter.
k Matt. 28:11-15.
JMatt. 27:65, 66; page 665 herein.
684 JESUS THE CHRIST, rjtaq [CHAP. 37.
in which these deceiving hierarchs had tried to kill L/azarus
for the purpose of quelling popular interest in the miracle
of his restoration to life, they now conspired to discredit the
truth of Christ's resurrection by bribing the soldiers to lie.
These were told to say "His disciples came by night, and
stole him away while we slept" ; and for the falsehood they
were offered large sums of money. The soldiers accepted
the tempting bribe, and did as they were instructed ; for this
course appeared to them the best way out of a critical situa-
tion. If they were found guilty of sleeping at their posts,
immediate death would be their doom; but the Jews en-
couraged them by the promise: "If this come to the gov-
ernor's ears, we will persuade him and secure you." It must
be remembered that the soldiers had been put at the disposal
of the chief priests, and presumably therefore were not re-
quired to report the details of their doings to the Roman
authorities.
The recorder adds that until the day of his writing, the
falsehood of Christ's body having been stolen from the tomb
by the disciples was current among the Jews. The utter
untenability of the false report is apparent. If all the soldiers
were asleep a most unlikely occurrence inasmuch as such
neglect was a capital offense how could they possibly know
that any one had approached the tomb? And, more par-
ticularly, how could they substantiate their statement evert
if it were true, that the body was stolen and that the disciples
were the grave-robbers?" The mendacious fiction was
framed by the chief priests and elders of the people. Not
all the priestly circle were parties to it however. Some, who
perhaps had been among the secret disciples of Jesus before
His death, were not afraid to openly ally themselves with
the Church, when, through the evidence of the Lord's resur-
rection, they had become thoroughly converted. We read
_, .iSJt
tn Compare Acts 12:19.
tt Note 2, end of chapter.
ON THE EMMAUS ROAD. 685
that but a few months later "a great company of the priests
were obedient to the faith."*
CHRIST WALKS AND TALKS WITH TWO Otf THS DISCIPLES/
During the afternoon of that same Sunday, two disciples,
not of the apostles, left the little band of believers in Jeru-
salem and set out for Emmaus, a village between seven and
eight miles from the city. There could be but one topic of
conversation between them, and on this they communed as
they walked, citing incidents in the lord's life, dwelling par-
ticularly upon the fact of His death through which their
hopes of a Messianic reign had been so sadly blighted, and
marveling deeply over the incomprehensible testimony of the
women concerning His reappearance as a living Soul. As
they went, engrossed in sorrowful and profound discourse,
another Wayfarer joined them ; it was the Lord Jesus, "but
their eyes were holden that they should not know him." In
courteous interest, He asked: "What manner of communi-
cations are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and
are sad?" One of the disciples, Cleopas by name, replied
with surprize tinged with commiseration for the Stranger's
seeming ignorance : "Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem,
and hast not known the things which are come to pass there
in these days?" Intent on drawing from the men a full
statement of the matter by which they were so plainly agi-
tated, the unrecognized Christ asked, "What things ?" They
could not be reticent. "Concerning Jesus of Nazareth" they
explained, "which was a prophet mighty in deed and word
before God and all the people : and how the chief priests and
our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have
crucified him." In sorrowful mood they went on to tell how
they had trusted that the now crucified Jesus would have
proved to be the Messiah sent to redeem Israel; but alas!
oActs 6:7; compare John 12:42.
/>Luke 24:13-32; compare Mark 16:12.
686 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 37.
this was the third day since He had been slain. Then, with
brightening countenances, yet still perplexed, they told of
certain women of their company who had astonished them
that morning by saying that they had visited the sepulchre
early and had discovered that the Lord's body was not there,
but, "that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said
that he was alive." Moreover, others beside the women had
gone to the tomb, and had verified the absence of the body
but had not seen the L,ord.
Then Jesus, gently chiding His fellow travelers as foolish
men and slow of heart in their hesitating acceptance of what
the prophets had spoken, asked impressively, "Ought not
Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his
glory?" Beginning with the inspired predictions of Moses,
He expounded to them the scriptures, touching upon all the
prophetic utterances concerning the Savior's mission. Hav-
ing continued with the two men to their destination Jesus
"made as though he would have gone further," but they
urged Him to tarry with them, for the day was already far
spent. He so far acceded to their hospitable entreaty as to
enter the house, and, as soon as their simple meal was pre-
pared, to seat Himself with them at the table. As the Guest
of honor, He took the loaf, "blessed it and brake, and gave
to them." There may have been something in the fervency
of the blessing, or in the manner of breaking and distributing
the bread, that revived memories of former days ; or, possi-
bly, they caught sight of the pierced hands; but, whatever
the immediate cause, they looked intently upon their Guest,
"and their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he
vanished out of their sight." In a fulness of joyful wonder-
ment they rose from the table, surprized at themselves for
not having recognized Him sooner. One said to the other,
"Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us
t>y the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?"
Straightway they started to retrace their steps and hastened
;aC-8t:
THE RESURRECTED LORD PARTAKES OF FOOD. 687
back to Jerusalem to confirm by their witness what, before,
the brethren had been slow to believe.
RISEN LORD APPEARS TO THE DISCIPLES IN JERUSALEM
AND EATS IN THEIR PRESENCE. 5
When Cleopas and his companion reached Jerusalem that
night, they found the apostles and other devoted believers
assembled in solemn and worshipful discourse within closed
doors. Precautions of secrecy had been taken "for fear of
the Jews." Even the apostles had been scattered by the ar-
rest, arraignment, and judicial murder of their Master ; but
they and the disciples in general rallied anew at the word of
His resurrection, as the nucleus of an army soon to sweep
the world. The two returning disciples were received with
the joyous announcement, "The Lord is risen indeed, and
hath appeared to Simon." This is the sole mention made by
the Gospel- writers of Christ's personal appearance to Simon
Peter on that day. The interview between the Lord and His
once recreant but now repentant apostle must have been
affecting in the extreme. Peter's remorseful penitence over
his denial of Christ in the palace of the high priest was deep
and pitiful ; he may have doubted that ever again would the
Master call him His servant ; but hope must have been en-
gendered through the message from the tomb brought by the
women, in which the Lord sent greetings to the apostles,
whom for the first time He designated as His brethren/ and
from this honorable and affectionate characterization Peter
had not been excluded ; moreover, the angel's commission
to the women had given prominence to Peter by particular
mention/ To the repentant Peter came the Lord, doubtless
with forgiveness and loving assurance. The apostle himself
maintains a reverent silence respecting the visitation, but the
T 1 a, n, ,o f 1 n- <A no
?&& l;fo ; Vu oI S:n. ;W - 23 -
jMark 16:7.
688 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 37.
fact thereof is attested by Paul as one of the definite proofs
of the Lord's resurrection/
Following the jubilant testimony of the assembled be-
lievers, Cleopas and his fellow traveler told of the Lord's
companionship with them on the Emmaus road, of the things
He had taught them, and of the manner in which He had
become known unto them in the breaking of bread. As the
little company communed together, "J esus himself stood in
the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you."
They were affrighted, supposing with superstitious dread
that a ghost had intruded amongst them. But the Lord
comforted them, saying "Why are ye troubled? and why do
thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my
feet, that it is I myself : handle me, and see ; for a spirit hath
not flesh and bones, as ye see me have." Then He showed
them the wounds in His hands and feet and side. "They
yet believed not for joy," which is to say, they thought the
reality, to which they all were witnesses, too good, too glori-
ous, to be true. To further assure them that He was no
shadowy form, no immaterial being of tenuous substance, but
a living Personage with bodily organs internal as well as
outward, He asked "Have ye here any meat?" They gave
Him a piece of a broiled fish and other food," which He
took "and did eat before them."
These unquestionable evidences of their Visitant's cor-
poreity calmed and made rational the minds of the disciples ;
and now that they were composed and receptive the Lord
reminded them that all things that had happened to Him
were in accordance with what He had told them while He
had lived amongst them. In His divine presence their un-
derstanding was quickened and enlarged so that they com-
prehended as never before the scriptures the Law of
#1 Cor. 15:5.
11 The words "and of an honeycomb" (Luke 24:42) are omitted from the
revised version, and by ir.-ny authorities are declared to be a spurious
addition to the original text.
'THUS IT BEHOVED CHRIST TO SUFFER. 689
Moses, the books of the prophets and the psalms concern-
ing Him. That His now accomplished death was a necessity,
He attested as fully as He had predicted and affirmed the
same aforetime. Then He said unto them : "Thus it is writ-
ten, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the
dead the third day : and that repentance and remission of sins
should be preached in his name among all nations, begin-
ning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things."
Then were the disciples glad. As He was about to de-
part the Lord gave them His blessing, saying "Peace be unto
you : as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you." This
specification of men sent by authority points directly to the
apostles ; "And when he had said this, he breathed on them,
and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: whose
soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and
whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained." v
" fited
DOUBTING THOMAS.
When the Lord Jesus appeared in the midst of the disci-
ples on the evening of the Resurrection Sunday, one of the
apostles, Thomas, was absent. He was informed of what
the others had witnessed, but was unconvinced; even their
solemn testimony, "We have seen the Lord," failed to
awaken an echo of faith in his heart. In his state of mental
skepticism he exclaimed: "Except I shall see in his hands
the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the
nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe."
Caution and charity must attend our judgment in any con-
clusion as to the incredulous attitude of this man. He could
scarcely have doubted the well attested circumstance of the
empty sepulchre, nor the veracity of Mary Magdalene and
the other women as to the presence of angels and the Lord's
appearing, nor Peter's testimony nor that of the assembled
ma
rjohn 20:21-23.
rjohn 20:21-23.
wjohn 20:24-29; compare Mark 16:14.
690 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 37.
company ; but he may have regarded the reported manifes-
tations as a series of subjective visions; and the absence of
the Lord's body may have been vaguely considered as a
result of Christ's supernatural restoration to life followed by
a bodily and final departure from earth. It was the cor-
poreal manifestation of the risen Lord, the exhibition of the
wounds incident to crucifixion, the invitation to touch and
feel the resurrected body of flesh and bones, to which
Thomas demurred. He had no such definite conception of
the resurrection as would accord with a literal acceptance of
the testimony of his brethren and sisters who had seen,
heard, and felt.
A week later, for so the Jewish designation, "after eight
days/' is to be understood, therefore on the next Sunday,
which day of the week afterward came to be known to the
Church as the "Lord's Day" and to be observed as the Sab-
bath in place of Saturday, the Mosaic Sabbath/ the disciples
were again assembled, and Thomas was with them. The
meeting was held within closed and, presumably, guarded
doors, for there was danger of interference by the Jewish
officers. "Then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood
in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith he to
Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands;
and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side : and
be not faithless, but believing."
The skeptical mind of Thomas was instantly cleansed,
his doubting heart was purified; and a conviction of the
glorious truth flooded his soul. In contrite reverence he
bowed before his Savior, the while exclaiming in worshipful
acknowledgment of Christ's Deity: "My Lord and my
God/' His adoration was accepted, and the Savior said:
"Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed:
blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed."
X Rev. 1:10; compare Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:2.
,H:91 sT
THE SECOND MIRACULOUS DRAUGHT OF FISHES. 691
iffat&Bd&betei-
AT
The angel at the sepulchre and the risen Christ Himself
had severally sent word to the apostles to go into Galilee,
where the Lord would meet them as He had said before His
death. 5 They deferred their departure until after the week
following the resurrection, and then once again in their
native province, they awaited further developments. In the
afternoon of one of those days of waiting, Peter said to six
of his fellow apostles, "I go a fishing" ; and the others re-
plied, "We also go with thee." Without delay they em-
barked on a fishing boat; and though they toiled through
the night, the net had been drawn in empty after every
cast. As morning approached they drew near the land, dis-
appointed and disheartened. In the early dawn they were
hailed from the shore by One who asked : "Children, have
ye any meat?"* They answered "No." It was Jesus who
made the inquiry, though none in the boat recognized Him.
He called to them again, saying: "Cast the net on the right
side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore,
and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of
fishes." They did as directed and the result was so sur-
prizing as to appear to them miraculous ; it must have
aroused memories of that other remarkable draught of fishes,
in the taking of which their fishermen's skill had been super-
seded; and at least three witnesses of the earlier miracle
were now in the boat. &
John, quick to discern, said to Peter, "It is the Lord" ;
and Peter, impulsive as ever, hastily girt his fisher's coat
about him and sprang into the sea, the sooner to reach land
and prostrate himself at his Master's feet. The others left
yjohn 21:1-23.
2 Matt 28:10; Mark 16:7; compare Matt. 26:32, Mark 14:28.
a The noun of address, "Children'^ is equivalent to our modern use of
Sirs," "Men" or "Lads." It was quite in Harmony with the vernacular.
fcLuke 5:4-10; also page 198 herein.
693 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 37.
the vessel and entered a small boat in which they rowed to
shore, towing the heavily laden net. On the land they saw
a fire of coals, with fish broiling thereon, and alongside a
supply of bread. Jesus told them to bring of the fish they
had just caught, to which instruction the stalwart Peter re-
sponded by dashing into the shallows and dragging the net
to shore. When counted, the haul was found to consist of
a hundred and fifty-three great fishes; and the narrator is
careful to note that "for all there were so many, yet was
not the net broken."
Then Jesus said "Come and dine" ; and as the Host at the
meal, He divided and distributed the bread and fish. We
are not told that He ate with His guests. Everyone knew
that it was the Lord who so hospitably served ; yet on this,
as on all other occasions of His appearing in the resurrected
state, there was about Him an awe-inspiring and restraining
demeanor. They would have liked to question Him, but durst
not. John tells us that this was the "third time that Jesus
shewed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from
the dead"; by which we understand the occasion to have
been the third on which Christ had manifested Himself to
the apostles, in complete or partial assembly; for, including
also the appearing to Mary Magdalene, to the other women,
to Peter, and to the two disciples on the country road, this
was the seventh recorded appearance of the risen Lord.
When the meal was finished, "Jesus saith to Simon Peter,
Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these?"
The question, however tenderly put, must have wrung Peter's
heart, coupled as it was with the reminder of his bold
but undependable protestation, "Though all men shall be of-
fended because of thee, yet will I never be offended" ; c fol-
lowed by his denial that he had ever known the Man. J To
the Lord's inquiry Peter answered humbly, "Yea, Lord;
cMatt. 26:33; Mark 14:29; compare Luke 22:33; John 13:37; p. 600 herein.
JMatt. 26:70, 72, 74; also page 629 herein.
FEED MY SHEEP. .693
thou knowest that I love thee." Then said Jesus, "Feed my
lambs." The question was repeated; and Peter replied in
identical words, to which the Lord responded, "Feed my
sheep." And yet the third time Jesus asked, "Simon, son
of Jonas, lovest thou me?" Peter was pained and grieved
at this reiteration, thinking perhaps that the Lord mis-
trusted him ; but as the man had three times denied, so now
was he given opportunity for a triple confession. To the
thrice repeated question, Peter answered: "Lord, thou
knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus
saith unto him. Feed my sheep."
The commission "Feed my sheep" was an assurance of
the Lord's confidence, and of the reality of Peter's presi-
dency among the apostles. He had emphatically announced
his readiness to follow his Master even to prison and death.
Now, the Lord who had died said unto him : "Verily, verily,
I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdest thy-
self, and walkedst whither thou wouldst : but when thou
shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another
shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldst not."
John informs us that the Lord so spake signifying the death
by which Peter should find a place among the martyrs ; the
analogy points to crucifixion, and traditional history is with-
out contradiction as to this being the death by which Peter
sealed his testimony of the Christ.
Then said the Lord to Peter, "Follow me." The com-
mand had both immediate and future significance. The man
followed as Jesus drew apart from the others on the shore ;
yet a few years and Peter would follow his Lord to the cross.
Without doubt Peter comprehended the reference to his
martyrdom, as his writings, years later, indicate/ As Christ
and Peter walked together, the latter, looking backward,
saw that John was following, and inquired : "Lord, and
what shall this man do?" Peter wished to peer into the
e2 Peter 1:14.
694: JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 37.
future as to his companion's fate was John also to die for
the faith? The Lord replied: "If I will that he tarry till
I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me." It was an
admonition to Peter to look to his own course of duty, and
to follow the Master, wherever the road should lead.
Concerning himself, John adds: "Then went this saying
abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die :
yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die ; but, If I will
that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee ?" That John
still lives in the embodied state, and shall remain in the flesh
until the Lord's yet future advent, is attested by later reve-
lation/ In company with his martyred and resurrected com-
panions, Peter and James, the "disciple whom Jesus loved"
has officiated in the restoration of the Holy Apostleship in
this the dispensation of the fulness of times.
OTHER MANIFESTATIONS OF THE RISEN LORD IN
Jesus had designated a mountain in Galilee whereon He
would meet the apostles; and thither the Eleven went.
When they saw Him at the appointed place, they worshiped
Him. The record adds "but some doubted," by which may
be implied that others beside the apostles were present,
among whom were some who were unconvinced of the actual
corporeity of the resurrected Christ. This occasion may
have been that of which Paul wrote a quarter of a century
later, concerning which he affirms that Christ "was seen of
above five hundred brethren at once," of whom, though
some had died, the majority remained at the time of Paul's
writing, living witnesses to his testimony.
To those assembled on the mount Jesus declared : "All
power is given unto me in heaven and in earth." This could
be understood as nothing less than an affirmation of His ab-
/ Doc. and Cov. Sec. 7; compare B. of M., 3 Nephi 28:1-12.
fir Matt. 28:16-18.
fll Cor. 15:6.
GO YE INTO ALL THE WORLD. 695
solute Godship. His authority was supreme, and those who
were commissioned of Him were to minister in His name,
and by a power such as no man could give or take away.
THE FINAL COMMISSION AND THE ASCENSION.
Throughout the forty days following His resurrection,
the Lord manifested Himself at intervals to the apostles, to
some individually and to all as a body,* 1 and instructed them
in "the things pertaining to the kingdom of God."* The
record is not always specific and definite as to time and place
of particular events; but as to the purport of the Lord's
instructions during this period there exists no cause for
doubt. Much that He said and did is not written/ but such
things as are of record, John assures his readers, "are writ-
ten, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son
of God; and that believing ye might have life through his
name."*
As the time of His ascension drew nigh, the Lord said
unto the eleven apostles: "Go ye into all the world, and
preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and
is baptized shall be saved ; but he that believeth not shall be
damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe;
In my name shall they cast out devils ; they shall speak with
new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink
any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them ; they shall lay hands
on the sick, and they shall recover."' In contrast with their
earlier commission, under which they were sent only "to the
lost sheep of the house of Israel,"" 1 they were now to go to
Jew and Gentile, bond and free, to mankind at large, of
whatever nation, country, or tongue. Salvation, through
h Note 3, end of chapter.
iActs 1:3.
/John 20:30; compare 21:25 remembering that the latter passage may
have reference to occurrences both before and after the Lord's deati
k John 20:31.
/Mark 16:15-18.
wMatt. 10:5, 6.
JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 37.
faith in Jesus the Christ, followed by repentance and bap-
tism, was to be freely offered to all; the rejection of the
offer thenceforth would bring condemnation. Signs and
miracles were promised to "follow them that believe," thus
confirming their faith in the power divine ; but no intimation
was given that such manifestations were to precede belief,
as baits to catch the credulous wonder-seeker.
Assuring the apostles anew that the promise of the
Father would be realized in the coming of the Holy Ghost,
the Lord instructed them to remain in Jerusalem, whither
they had now returned from Galilee, until they would be
"endued with power from on high" ; n and He added : "For
John truly baptized with water ; but ye shall be baptized with
the Holy Ghost not many days hence. "
In that last solemn interview, probably as the risen
Savior led the mortal Eleven away from the city toward the
old familiar resort on the Mount of Olives, the brethren,
still imbued with their conception of the kingdom of God
as an earthly establishment of power and dominion, asked of
Him, "Ivord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom
to Israel ?" Jesus answered, "It is not for you to know the
times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own
power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy
Ghost is come upon you : and ye shall be witnesses unto me
both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and
unto the uttermost part of the earth. "^ Their duty was
thus defined and emphasized : "Go ye therefore, and teach
all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and
of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost : teaching them to observe
all things whatsoever I have commanded you : and, lo, I am
with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen."
n "Clothed with power from on high" according to revised version,
Luke 24:49.
oActs 1:5; see also Luke 24:49; and compare John 14:16, 17, 26; 15:26;
16:7, 13.
pActs 1:7, 8; compare Matt. 24:36; Mark 13:32.
flMatt. 28:19, 20.
THE LORD'S VISIBLE ASCENSION. 697
When Christ and the disciples had gone "as far as to
Bethany," the Lord lifted up His hands, and blessed them ;
and while yet He spake, He rose from their midst, and they
looked upon Him as He ascended until a cloud received
Him out of their sight. While the apostles stood gazing
steadfastly upward, two personages, clothed in white ap-
parel, appeared by them ; these spake unto the Eleven, say-
ing: "Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into
heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into
heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him
go into heaven." r
Worshipfully and with great joy the apostles returned
to Jerusalem, there to await the coming of the Comforter.
The Lord's ascension was accomplished; it was as truly a
literal departure of a material Being as His resurrection had
been an actual return of His spirit to His own corporeal
body, theretofore dead. With the world abode and yet
abides the glorious promise, that Jesus the Christ, the same
Being who ascended from Olivet in His immortalized body
of flesh and bones, shall return, descending from the heavens,
in similarly material form and substance.
.
NOTES TO CHAPTER 37.
i. Precise Time and Manner of Christ's Emergence from
the Tomb Not Known. Our Lord definitely predicted His res-
urrection from the dead on the third day, (Matt. 16:21; 17:23;
20:19; Mark 9:31; 10:34; Luke 9:22; 13:32; 18:33), and the angels
at the tomb (Luke 24:7), and the risen Lord in Person (Luke
24:46) verified the fulfilment of ( ; he prophecies; and apostles so
testified in later years (Acts 10:40; I Cor. 15:4). This specifica-
tion of the third day must not be understood as meaning after
three full days. The Jews began their counting of the daily
hours with sunset; therefore the hour before sunset and the
hour following belonged to different days. Jesus died and was
interred during Friday afternoon. His body lay in the tomb,
dead, during part of Friday (first day), throughout Saturday,
or as we divide the days, from sunset Friday to sunset Saturday,
(second day), and part of Sunday (third day). We know not
at what hour between Saturday sunset and Sunday dawn He
rose.
rActs 1:9-11; see also Luke 24:50, 51.
698 JESUS THE CHRIST, [CHAP. 37.
The fact that an earthquake occurred, and that the angel of
the Lord descended and rolled the stone from the portal of the
tomb in the early dawn of Sunday for so we infer from Matt
28:!, 2 does not prove that Christ had not already risen. The
great stone was rolled back and the inside of the sepulchre ex-
posed to view, so that those who came could see for themselves
that the Lord's body was no longer there; it was not necessary
to open the portal in order to afford an exit to the resurrected
Christ. In His immortalized state He appeared in and disap-
peared from closed rooms. A resurrected body> though of tan-
gible substance, and possessing all the organs of the mortal
tabernacle, is not bound to earth by gravitation, nor can it be
hindered in its movements by material barriers. To us who
conceive of motion only in the directions incident to the three
dimensions of space, the passing of a solid, such as a living body
of flesh and bones, through stone walls, is necessarily incom-
prehensible. But that resurrected beings move in accordance
with laws making such passage possible and to them natural, is
evidenced not only by the instance of the risen Christ, but by
the movements of other resurrected personages. Thus, in Sep-
tember, 1823, Moroni, the Nephite prophet who had died about
400 A. D., appeared to Joseph Smith in his chamber, three times
during one night, coming and going without hindrance incident
to walls or roof, (see P. of G. P., Joseph Smith 2:43; also The
Articles of Faith, 1:15-17). That Moroni was a resurrected man
is shown by his corporeity manifested in his handling of the
metallic plates on which was inscribed the record known to us
as the Book of Mormon. So also resurrected beings possess the
power of rendering themselves visible or invisible to the physical
vision of mortals.
2. Attempts to Discredit the Resurrection Through False-
hood. The inconsistent assertion that Christ had not risen but
that His body had been stolen from the tomb by the disciples,
has been sufficiently treated in the text. The falsehood is its
own refutation. Unbelievers of later date, recognizing the pal-
pable absurdity of this gross attempt at misrepresentation, have
not hesitated to suggest other hypotheses, each of which is con-
clusively untenable. Thus, the theory based upon the impossi-
ble assumption that Christ was not dead when taken from the
cross, but was in a state of coma or swoon, and that He was
afterward resuscitated, disproves itself when considered in con-
nection with recorded facts. The spear-thrust of the Roman
soldier would have been fatal, even if death had not already
occurred. The body was taken down, handled, wrapped and
buried by members of the Jewish council, who cannot be thought
of as actors in the burial of a living man; and so far as subse-
quent resuscitation is concerned, Edersheim (vol. 2, p. 626)
trenchantly remarks : "Not to speak of the many absurdities
which this theory involves, it really shifts if we acquit the
disciples of complicity the fraud upon Christ Himself." A
crucified person, removed from the cross before death and sub-
sequently revived, could not have walked with pierced and man-
NOTES. 699
gled feet on the very day of his resuscitation, as Jesus did on
the road to Emmaus. Another theory that has had its day is
that of unconscious deception on the part of those who claimed
to have seen the resurrected Christ, such persons having been
victims of subjective but unreal visions conjured up by their
own excited and imaginative condition. The independence and
marked individuality of the several recorded appearing^ of the
Lord disprove the vision theory. Such subjective visual illusions
as are predicated by this hypothesis, presuppose a state of ex-
pectancy on the part of those who think they see; but all the
incidents connected with the manifestations of Jesus after His
resurrection were directly opposed to the expectations of those
who were made witnesses of His resurrected state.
The foregoing instances of false and untenable theories
regarding the resurrection of our Lord are cited as examples of
the numerous abortive attempts to explain away the greatest
miracle and the most glorious fact of history. The resurrection
of Jesus Christ is attested by evidence more conclusive than
that upon which rests our acceptance of historical events in
general. Yet the testimony of our Lord's rising from the dead
is not founded on written pages. To him who seeks in faith
and sincerity shall be given an individual conviction which shall
enable him to reverently confess as exclaimed the enlightened
apostle of old : "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living
God." Jesus, who is God the Son, is not dead. "I know that
my Redeemer liveth." (Job 19:25.)
3. Recorded Appearances of Christ Between Resurrection
and Ascension.
1. To Mary Magdalene, near the sepulchre (Mark 16:9, 10;
John 20:14).
2. To other women, somewhere between the sepulchre and
Jerusalem (Matt. 28:9).
3. To two disciples on the road to Emmaus (Mark 16:12; Luke
24:13).
4. To Peter, in or near Jerusalem (Luke 24:34; i Cor. 15:5).
5. To ten of the apostles and others at Jerusalem (Luke 24:36;
John 20:19).
6. To the eleven apostles at Jerusalem (Mark 16:14; John
20:26).
7. To the apostles at the Sea of Tiberias, Galilee, (John 21).
8. To the eleven apostles on a mountain in Galilee (Matt.
28:16).
9. To five hundred brethren at once (i Cor, 15:6); locality, not
specified, but probably in Galilee.
10. To James (i Cor. 15:7). Note that no record of this mani-
festation is made by the Gospel-writers.
11. To the eleven apostles at the time of the ascension, Mount
of Olives, near Bethany (Mark 16:19; Luke 24:50, 51).
The Lord's manifestations of Himself to men subsequent to
the ascension will be considered later.
700 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 38.
-.'iBJfa ^Tfha aawW lo veb vn- .
CHAPTER 38.
THE APOSTOLIC MINISTRY.
MATTHIAS ORDAINED TO THE) APOSTlvESHIP. a
)
After witnessing the Lord's ascension from Olivet, the
eleven apostles returned to Jerusalem filled with joy and
thoroughly suffused with the spirit of adoring worship. Both
in the temple and in a certain upper room, which was their
usual place of meeting, they continued in prayer and suppli-
cation, often in association with other disciples, including
Mary the mother of the Lord, some of her sons, and the
little sisterhood of faithful women who had ministered to
Jesus in Galilee and had followed Him thence to Jerusalem
and to Calvary. 6 The disciples, most of whom had been
dispersed by the tragic events of that last and fateful Pass-
over, had gathered again, with renewed and fortified faith,
about the great fact of the Lord's resurrection. Christ had
become "the firstfruits of them that slept," "the first begot-
ten of the dead," and "the firstborn" of the race to rise from
death to immortality/ They knew that not only had the
grave been compelled to give up the body of their Lord, but
that a way had been provided for the striking of the fetters
of death from every soul. Immediately following the resur-
rection of the Lord Jesus, many righteous ones who had slept
in the tomb had been resurrected, and had appeared in Jeru-
salem, revealing themselves unto many.^ The universality
of the resurrection of the dead was soon to become a promi-
nent feature of apostolic teaching.
The first official act undertaken by the apostles was the
a Acts 1:15-26.
&Luke 24:52, 53; Acts 1:12-14.
cl Cor. 15:20; Rev. 1:5; Colos. 1:18.
JMatt. 27:52. 53.
MATTHIAS BECOMES ONE OF THE TWELVE. 701
filling of the vacancy in the council of the Twelve, occasioned
by the apostasy and suicide of Judas Iscariot. Sometime
between the ascension of Christ and the feast of Pentecost,
when the Eleven and other disciples, in all about a hundred
and twenty, were together "with one accord in prayer and
supplication," Peter laid the matter before the assembled
Church, pointing out that the fall of Judas had been fore-
seen/ and citing the psalmist's invocation : "Let his habita-
tion be desolate, and let no man dwell therein : and his
bishoprick let another take.'^ Peter affirmed the necessity
of completing the apostolic quorum ; and he thus set forth
the qualifications essential in the one who should be ordained
to the Holy Apostleship : "Wherefore of these men which
have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus
went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of
John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us,
must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resur-
rection." Two faithful disciples were nominated by the
Eleven, Joseph Barsabas and Matthias. In earnest suppli-
cation the assembly besought the Lord to indicate whether
either of these men, and if so which, was to be chosen for
the exalted office ; then, "they gave forth their lots ; and the
lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the
eleven apostles."
The proceeding throughout is deeply significant and in-
structive. The Eleven fully realized that on them lay the re-
sponsibility, and in them was vested the authority, to organ-
ize and develop the Church of Christ; that the council or
quorum of the apostles was limited to a membership of
twelve ; and that the new apostle, like themselves, must be
competent to testify in special and personal witness concern-
ing the earthly ministry, death, and resurrection of the Lord
e Acts 1:16; compare Psalm 41:9; see also John 13:18.
/Acts 1:20. The revised version substitutes on a preponderance of au-
thority "office" or, (marginal reading), "overseership," for the erroneous
rendering "bishoprick" in the common version. Compare Psalm 109:8.
702 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 38.
Jesus. The selection of Matthias was accomplished in a
general assembly of the Primitive Church; and while the
nominations were made by the apostles, all present appear
by implication to have had a voice in the matter of installa-
tion. The principle of authoritative administration through
common consent of the membership, so impressively exem-
plified in the choosing of Matthias, was followed, a few
weeks later, by the selection of "seven men of honest re-
port, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom," who having been
sustained by the vote of the Church, were set apart to a
special ministry by the laying-on of the apostles' hands.0
THE BESTOWAI, OF THE HOLY GHOST.**
.
At the time of Pentecost, which fell on the fiftieth day
after the Passover/' and therefore, at this particular recur-
rence, about nine days after Christ's ascension, the apostles
"were all with one accord in one place," engaged in their
customary devotions, and waiting, as instructed, until they
would be endowed with a particular bestowal of power from
on high/ The promised baptism by fire and the Holy Ghost
befell them on that day. "Suddenly there came a sound
from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all
the house where they were sitting. And there appeared
unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each
of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and
began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them
utterance."
The "sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind"
was heard abroad ;^ and a multitude gathered about the
place. The visible manifestation of "cloven tongues like as
of fire," by which each of the Twelve was invested, was seen
g Acts 6:1-6; Note 1, end of chapter.
h Acts 2:1-41. Note 7, end of chapter.
i Note 2, end of chapter.
/Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4, 5, 8.
k Acts 2:6, in a better rendering than that of the common text (see
revised version) reads: "And when this sound was heard, the multitude
came together."
THE PENTECOSTAL MIRACLE. 703
by those within the house, but apparently not by the gath-
ering crowds. The apostles spoke to the multitude, and a
great miracle was wrought, by which "every man heard them
speak in his own language" ; for the apostles, now richly
gifted, spake in many tongues, as the Holy Ghost, by whom
they had been endowed, gave them utterance. There were
present men from many lands and of many nations, and their
languages were diverse. In amazement some of them said :
"Behold, are not all these which speak Galileans ? And how
hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were
born?" While many were impressed by the preternatural
ability of the brethren, others in mocking tones said the men
were drunken. This instance of Satanic prompting to in-
considerate speech is especially illustrative of inconsistency
and rash ineptitude. Strong drink gives to no man wisdom ;
it steals away his senses and makes of him a fooL
Then Peter, as the president of the Twelve, stood up and
proclaimed in behalf of himself and his brethren : "Ye men
of Judea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known
unto you, and hearken to my words : for these are not
drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the
day." It was the Jewish custom, particularly on festival
days, to abstain from food and drink until after the morning
service in synagog, which was held about the third hour, or
nine o'clock in the forenoon. The apostle cited ancient
prophecy embodying the promise of Jehovah that He would
pour out His Spirit upon all flesh, so that wonders would be
wrought, even as those there present witnessed. 7 Then
boldly did Peter testify of Jesus of Nazareth, whom he char-
acterized as "a man approved of God among you by miracles
and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst
of you, as ye yourselves also know" ; and, reminding them,
in accusing earnestness, of the awful crime to which they
had been in some degree parties, he continued : "Him, being
/Joel 2:28, 29; compare Zech. 12:10.
I) bsasa'f
704 JESUS THE CHRIST. iHT [CHAP. 38.
delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of
God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and
slain : whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of
death : because it was not possible that he should be holden
of it." Citing the inspired outburst of the psalmist, who
had sung in jubilant measure of the soul that should not be
left in hell, and of the flesh that should not see corruption,
he showed the application of these scriptures to the Christ ;
and fearlessly affirmed: "This Jesus hath God raised up,
whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore being by the right
hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the
promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye
now see and hear." With increasing fervency, fearing
neither derision nor violence, and driving home to the hearts
of his enthralled listeners the fearful fact of their guilt, Peter
proclaimed as in voice of thunder : "Therefore let all the
house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that
same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ."
The power of the Holy Ghost could not be resisted; to
every earnest soul it carried conviction. They that heard
were pricked in their hearts, and in contrition cried out to
the apostles : "Men and brethren, what shall we do ?" Now
that they were prepared for the message of salvation, it was
given without reserve. "Repent," answered Peter, "and be
baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for
the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the
Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your
children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the
Lord our God shall call."
To the apostles' testimony, to the exhortation and warn-
ing, the people responded with profession of faith and re-
pentance. Their joy was comparable to that of the spirits in
prison, to whom the disembodied Christ had borne the au-
thoritative word of redemption and salvation. Those who
repented and confessed their belief in Christ at that memor-
RAPID GROWTH OF THE PRIMITIVE CHURCH. 705
able Pentecost were received into the Church by baptism,
to the number of about three thousand. That their conver-
sion was genuine and not the effect of a passing enthusiasm,
that they were literally born again through baptism into a
newness of life, is evidenced by the fact that they endured
in the faith "and they continued stedfastly in the apostles'
doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in
prayers." So devoted were these early converts, so richly
blessed with the outpouring of the Holy Ghost was the
Church in those days, that the members voluntarily disposed
of their individual possessions and had all things in common.
To them faith in the Lord Jesus Christ was of greater worth
than the wealth of earth." 1 Among them, there was noth-
ing called "mine" or "thine," but all things were theirs in
the L,ord. n Signs and wonders followed the apostles, "and
the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved."
Through the bestowal of the Holy Ghost the apostles had
become changed men. As made clear to them by the Spirit
of Truth, the scriptures constituted a record of preparation
for the events to which they were special and ordained wit-
nesses. Peter, who but a few weeks earlier had quailed
before a serving-maid, now spoke openly, fearing none.
Seeing once a lame beggar at the Gate Beautiful which led
into the temple court, he took the afflicted one by the hand,
saying : "Silver and gold have I none ; but such as I have
give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise
up and walk."* 7 The man was healed and leaped in the ex-
uberance of his newly found strength; then he went with
Peter arid John into the temple, praising God aloud. An
amazed crowd, which grew to include about five thousand
men, gathered around the apostles in Solomon's Porch ; and
Peter, observing their wonderment, seized on the occasion to
preach to them Jesus the Crucified. He ascribed all praise
m Note 3, end of chapter.
wActs 2:44-46; 4:32-37; 6:1-4.
o Acts 3:6; read the entire chapter.
23
706 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 38.
for the miracle to the Christ whom the Jews had delivered
up to be slain, and in unambiguous accusation declared:
"The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God
of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye de-
livered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when
he was determined to let him go. But ye denied the Holy
One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto
you; and killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised
from the dead; whereof we are witnesses." In merciful
recognition of the ignorance in which they had sinned, he
exhorted them to expiatory penitence, crying: "Repent ye
therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted
out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the pres-
ence of the Lord ; and he shall send Jesus Christ, which be-
fore was preached unto you : whom the heaven must receive
until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath
spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world
began." There was no encouragement to a belief that their
sins could be annulled by wordy profession ; a due season of
repentance was their privilege, if so be they would believe,
As Peter and John thus testified, the priests and the cap-
tain of the temple, together with the ruling Sadducees, came
upon them toward evening, and put them in prison to await
the action of the judges next day/ On the morrow they
were arraigned before Annas, Caiaphas, and other officials,
who demanded of them by what power or in whose name
they had healed the lame man. Peter, impelled by the power
of the Holy Ghost, answered: "Be it known unto you all.
and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus
Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised
from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before
you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of
you builders, which is become the head of the corner.
Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none
p Acts 4:1-22.
THE APOSTLES DELIVERED FROM PRISON. 707
other name under heaven given among men, whereby we
must be saved. "
The hierarchy learned to their consternation that the
work they had sought to destroy through the crucifixion of
Jesus Christ was spreading now as it had never spread be-
fore. In desperation they commanded the apostles, "Not to
speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus." But Peter and
John answered boldly : "Whether it be right in the sight of
God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.
For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and
heard." This rejoinder of righteous defiance the priestly
rulers dared not openly resent ; they had to content them-
selves with threats.
The Church grew with surprizing rapidity; "believers
were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men
and women." So abundantly was the gift of healing mani-
fest through the ministrations of the apostles that as for-
merly to Christ, now to them, the people flocked, bringing
their sick folk and those possessed of evil spirits ; and all
were healed. So great was the faith of the believers that
they laid their afflicted ones on couches in the streets, "that
at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might over-
shadow some of them." r
The high priest and his haughty Sadducean associates
caused the apostles to be again arrested and thrown into the
common prison. But that night the angel of the Lord opened
the dungeon doors and brought the prisoners forth, telling
them to go into the temple and further proclaim their testi-
mony of the Christ. This the apostles did, and were so en-
gaged when the Sanhedrin assembled to put them on trial.
The officers who were sent to bring the prisoners to the
judgment hall returned, saying: "The prison truly found
we shut with all safety, and the keepers standing without
__ q Acts 4:8-12; compare Psalm 118:22; Isa. 28:16; Matt. 21:42.
" rActs 5:12-17.
JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 38.
before the doors ; but when we had opened, we found no man
within." As the judges sat in impotent consternation, an in-
former appeared with the word that the men they wanted
were at that moment preaching in the courts. The captain
and his guard arrested the apostles a third time, and brought
them in, but without violence, for they feared the people. The
high priest accused the prisoners by question and affirmation :
"Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach
in this name ? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your
doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us." Yet,
how recently had those same rulers led the rabble in the aw-
ful imprecation, "His blood be on us, and on our children."*
Peter and the other apostles, undaunted by the august
presence, and undeterred by threatening words or actions,
answered with the direct counter-charge that they who sat
there to judge were the slayers of the Son of God. Ponder
w r ell the solemn affirmation : "We ought to obey God rather
than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom
ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with
his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give
repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. And we are
his witnesses of these things ; and so is also the Holy Ghost,
whom God hath given to them that obey him."
Closing, locking, bolting their hearts against the testimony
of the Lord's own, the chief priests, scribes, and elders of the
people counseled together as to how they could put these
men to death. There was at least one honorable exception
among the murderously inclined councilors. Gamaliel, who
was a Pharisee and a noted doctor of the law, the teacher of
Saul of Tarsus afterward known through conversion, works,
and divine commission, as Paul the apostle/ rose in the
council, and having directed that the apostles be removed
from the hall, warned his colleagues against the injustice they
^Matt. 27:25; compare 23:35; see pages 638 and 648 herein.
* Acts 22:3.
GAMALIEL/S ADVICE TO THE COUNCIL. 709
had in mind. He cited the cases of men falsely claiming to
have been sent of God, everyone of whom had come to grief
with utter and most ignominious failure of his seditious
plans ; so would these men come to nought if the work they
professed proved to be of men; "But," added the dispas-
sionate and learned doctor, "if it be of God, ye cannot over-
throw it ; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God." a
Gamaliel's advice prevailed for the time being, to the extent
of causing the apostles' lives to be spared ; but the council, in
contravention of justice and propriety, had the prisoners
beaten. Then the brethren were discharged with the re-
newed injunction that they speak not in the name of Jesus.
They went out rejoicing that they were counted worthy to
suffer stripes and humiliation in defense of the Lord's name ;
and daily, both in the temple, and by house to house visi-
tation, they valiantly taught and preached Jesus the Christ.
Converts to the Church were not confined to the laity ; a
great company of the priests swelled the number of the dis-
ciples, who multiplied greatly in Jerusalem." rjo^ni
STEPHEN THE MARTYR; HIS VISION OF THE iyORD. v
First among the "seven men of honest report" who were
set apart under the hands of the apostles to administer the
common store of the Church community, was Stephen, a man
eminent in faith and good works, through whom the Lord
wrought many miracles. He was zealous in service, aggres-
sive in doctrine, and fearless as a minister of Christ. Some
of the foreign Jews, who maintained a synagog in Jeru-
salem, engaged Stephen in disputation, and being unable
"to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake," con-
spired to have him charged with heresy and blasphemy. He
was brought before the council on the word of men suborned
to witness against him ; and these averred that they had
a Acts 5:33-40.
Acts 6:7.
v Acts 6:8-15; and 7.
?10 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 38.
"heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and
against God." The perjured accusers further testified that
he had repeatedly spoken blasphemously against the temple,
and the law, and had even declared that Jesus of Nazareth
would some day destroy the temple, and change the Mosaic
ceremonies. The charge was utterly false in spirit and fact,
though possibly in a sense partly true in form ; for, judging
by what we have of record concerning Stephen's character
and works, he was a zealous preacher of the word as a world
religion, through which the exclusiveness and alleged sanc-
tity of Jerusalem as the holy city and of the now desecrated
temple as the earthly abiding-place of Jehovah, would be
abrogated ; furthermore he seems to have realized that the
law of Moses had been fulfilled in the mission of the Messiah.
When the Sanhedrists looked upon him, his face was
illumined, and they saw it "as it had been the face of an
angel." In answer to the charge, he delivered an address,
which on critical analysis appears to have been extem-
poraneous, nevertheless it is strikingly logical and impres-
sive in argument. The delivery was abruptly terminated,
however, by a murderous assault.^ In effective epitome
Stephen traced the history of the covenant people from the
time of Abraham down, showing that the patriarchs, and in
turn Moses and the prophets, had lived and ministered in
progressive preparation for the development of which those
present were witnesses. He pointed out that Moses had
foretold the coming of a Prophet, who was none other than
Jehovah, whom their fathers had worshipped in the wilder-
ness, before the tabernacle, and later in the temple ; but, he
affirmed, "the most High dwelleth not in temples made with
hands," the most gorgeous of which could be but small to
Him who said : "Heaven is my throne, and earth is my foot-
stool."*
wActs 7:1-53.
.visa. 66:1, 2; see also Matt. 5:34, 35; 23:22.
STEPHEN'S TESTIMONY OF JESUS CHRIST. 711
It is plain to be seen that Stephen's speech was not one of
vindication, and far from a plea in his own defense ; it was a
proclamation of the word and purposes of God by a devoted
servant who had no thought for personal consequences. In
forceful arraignment he thus addressed his judges: "Ye
stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always
resist the Holy Ghost : as your fathers did, so do ye. Which
of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted ? and they
have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the
Just One ; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and
murderers." Maddened at this direct accusation, the San-
hedrists "gnashed on him with their teeth." He knew that
they thirsted for his blood; but, energized by the Holy
Ghost, he looked steadfastly upward, and exclaimed in
rapture : "Behold I see the heavens opened, and the Son of
man standing on the right hand of God."^ This is the first
New Testament record of a manifestation of Christ to mor-
tal eyes by vision or otherwise, subsequent to His ascension.
The priestly rulers cried aloud, and stopped their ears to
what they chose to regard as blasphemous utterances ; and,
rushing upon the prisoner with one accord, they hurried him
outside the city walls and stoned him to death. True to his
Master, he prayed : "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit" ; and
then, crushed to earth, he cried with a loud voice: "Lord,
lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this,
he fell asleep."
So died the first martyr for the testimony of the risen
Christ. He was slain by a mob comprizing chief priests,
scribes, and elders of the people. What cared they that no
sentence had been pronounced against him, or that they were
acting in reckless defiance of Roman law ? Devout men bore
the mangled body to its burial ; and all the disciples lamented
greatly. Persecution increased, and members of the Church
y Acts 7:56. Note this exceptional application of the title, Son of Man,
to Christ by anyone other than Himself. See page 142 herein.
JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 38.
were scattered through many lands, wherein they preached
the gospel and won many to the Lord. The blood of Stephen
the martyr proved to be rich and virile seed, from which
sprang a great harvest of souls.*
CHRIST MANIFESTS HIMSELF TO SAUIy OF TARSUS, LATER
KNOWN AS PAUL THE APOSTLE.
Among the disputants who, when defeated in discussion,
conspired against Stephen and brought about his death, were
Jews from Cilicia. Associated with them was a young man
named Saul, a native of the Cilician city of Tarsus. This
man was an able scholar, a forceful controversialist, an ar-
dent defender of what he regarded as the right, and a vig-
orous assailant of what to him was wrong. Though born in
Tarsus he had been brought to Jerusalem in early youth and
had there grown up a strict Pharisee and an aggressive sup-
porter of Judaism. He was a student of the law under the
tutelage of Gamaliel, one of the most eminent masters of the
time f and had the confidence of the high priest. c His
father, or perhaps an earlier progenitor, had acquired the
rank of Roman citizenship, and Saul was a born heir to that
distinction. Saul was a violent opponent of the apostles and
the Church, and had made himself a party to the death of
Stephen by openly consenting thereunto and by holding in
personal custody the garments of the false witnesses while
they stoned the martyr.
He wrought havoc in the Church by entering private
houses and haling thence men and women suspected of belief
in the Christ, and these he caused to be cast into prison.**
The persecution in which he took so prominent a part caused
s Acts 8:4; 11:19.
cActs 6:9.
& Acts 22:3; compare 5:34; page 708 herein.
c In view of Saul's social status and recognized ability, many believe
him to have been a member of the Sanhedrin; but for this assumption we
find no definite warrant in scripture.
dActs 7:58; 8:1-3.
CHRIST MANIFESTS HIMSELF TO SAUL. 713
a scattering of the disciples throughout Judea, Samaria, and
other lands; though the apostles remained and continued
their ministry in Jerusalem/ Not content with local activity
against the Church, "Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and
slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the
high priest, and desired of him letters to Damascus to the
synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they
were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jeru-
salem."/
As Saul and his attendants neared Damascus they were
halted by an occurrence of awe-inspiring grandeur.^ At
noontide there suddenly appeared a light far exceeding the
brightness of the sun, and in this dazzling splendor the whole
party was enveloped, so that they fell to the ground in terror.
In the midst of the unearthly glory, a sound was heard, which
to Saul alone was intelligible as an articulate voice ; he heard
and understood the reproving question spoken in the Hebrew
tongue : "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me ?" In trepi-
dation he inquired : "Who art thou, Lord ?" The reply
sounded the heart of Saul to its depths : "I am Jesus of Naz-
areth, whom thou persecutest" ; and continued, as in sym-
pathetic consideration of the persecutor's situation and the
renunciation that would be required of him : "It is hard for
thee to kick against the pricks. " h The enormity of his hos-
tility and enmity against the Lord and His people filled the
man's soul with horror, and in trembling contrition he asked :
"Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" The reply was:
"Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told* thee what
thou must do." The brilliancy of the heavenly light had
blinded Saul. His companions led him into Damascus, where,
e Acts 8:1.
/Acts 9:1, 2. Observe that "way" here used for the first time to
connote the gospel or religion of Christ, occurs frequently in Acts (16:17;
18:25, 26; 19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14, 22).
^ g Three versions of this manifestation and Its immediate results ap-
pear in Acts (9:3-29; 22:6-16; and 26:12-18): the first is the historian's narra-
tive, while the others are given as reports of Saul's own words.
h Note 4, end of chapter.
714: JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 38.
at the house of Judas, in the street called Straight, he sat in
darkness for three days, during which period he neither ate
nor drank.
There lived in that city a faithful disciple named Ananias,
to whom the Lord spake, instructing him to visit Saul and
minister unto him that he might be healed of his blindness.
Ananias was astonished at the commission, and ventured to
remind the Lord that Saul was a notorious persecutor of the
saints, and had come at that time to Damascus to arrest and
put in bonds all believers. But the Lord answered: "Go
thy way : for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name
before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel :
for I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my
name's sake." Ananias went to Saul, laid his hands upon the
penitent sufferer, saying: "Brother Saul, the Lord, even
Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou earnest,
hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be
rilled with the Holy Ghost." The physical obstruction to
vision was removed; scaly particles fell from the eyes of
Saul, and his sight was restored. Without delay or hesita-
tion, he was baptized. When strengthened by food he com-
muned with the disciples at Damascus and straightway began
to preach in the synagogs, declaring Jesus to be the Son of
God.
When Saul returned to Jerusalem, the disciples were
doubtful of his sincerity, they having known of him as a
violent persecutor ; but Barnabas, a trusted disciple, brought
him to the apostles, told of his miraculous conversion and
testified of his valiant service in preaching the word of God.
He was received into fellowship, and afterward was ordained
under the hands of the apostles.- 7 ' His Hebrew name, Saul,
was in time substituted by the Latin Paulus, or as to us,
Paul.* 5 In view of his commission to carry the Gospel to the
t Note 4, end of chapter.
/Acts 9:26-28; 13:2, 3.
fcActs 13:9.
PAUI/S TESTIMONY OF JESUS CHRIST. 715
Gentiles, the use of his Roman name may have been of ad-
vantage, and particularly so as he was a Roman citizen and
therefore could claim the rights and exemptions attaching
to the status of citizenship.'
It is no part of our present purpose to follow even in
outline the labors of the man thus peremptorily and miracu-
lously called into the ministry ; the fact of Christ's personal
manifestations to him is the sole subject of present consid-
eration. While in Jerusalem Paul was blessed with a visual
manifestation of the Lord Jesus, accompanied by the giving
of specific instructions. His own testimony is to this effect :
"While I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance ; and saw
him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of
Jerusalem : for they will not receive thy testimony concern-
ing me." In explanation of his rejection by the people, Paul
confessed his evil past, saying, "Lord, they know that I im-
prisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on
thee : and when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed,
I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and
kept the raiment of them that slew him." To this the Lord
replied : "Depart ; for I will send thee far hence unto the
Gentiles."" 1 Once again, as he lay a prisoner in the Roman
castle, the Lord stood by him in the night, and said : "Be
of good cheer, Paul : for as thou hast testified of me in
Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome."* 1
Paul's personal witness that he had seen the resurrected
Christ is explicit and emphatic. With his enumeration of
some of the risen Lord's appearances he associates his own
testimony, as addressed to the Corinthian saints, in this wise :
"For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also re-
ceived, how that Christ died for our sins according to the
scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again
the third day according to the scriptures : and that he was
/Acts 16:37-40; 22:25-28; 23:27; 25:11; 26:32] 28:19.
mActs 22:17-21.
Acts 23:11.
716 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 38.
seen of Cephas, then of the Twelve : after that, he was seen
of above five hundred brethren at once ; of whom the greater
part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.
After that, he was seen of James ; then of all the apostles.
And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out
of due time. For I am the least of the apostles, that am
not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the
church of God."
&tf$iy u
CLOSE OF THE APOSTOUC MINISTRY THE REVELATION
THROUGH JOHN.
The period of apostolic ministry continued until near the
close of the first century of our era, approximately sixty
to seventy years from the time of the Lord's ascension. In the
course of that epoch the Church experienced both prosperity
and vicissitude. At first the organized body increased in
membership and influence in a manner regarded as phenom-
enal, if not miraculous/ The apostles andthe many other min-
isters who labored under their direction in graded positions
of authority strove so effectively to spread the word of God,
that Paul writing approximately thirty years after the ascen-
sion affirmed that the gospel had already been carried to
every nation, or, to use his words, "preached to every crea-
ture under heaven. " Through the agency of the Holy Ghost
Christ continued to direct the affairs of His Church on the
earth ; and His mortal representatives, the apostles, traveled
and taught, healed the afflicted, rebuked evil spirits, and
raised the dead to a renewal of life/
We are without record of any direct or personal appear-
ance of Christ to mortals between the manifestations to Paul
and the revelation to John on the isle of Patmos. Tradition
confirms John's implication that he had been banished thither
o\ Cor. 15:3-9.
p Note 5, end of chapter.
q Col. 1:23; see verse 6; also "The Great Apostasy," 1:20, 21.
r-Acts 9:36-43.
MANIFESTATIONS TO JOHN THE REVELATOR. 717
"for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus
Christ. " s He avers that what he wrote, now known as the
book of Revelation, is "The Revelation of Jesus Christ,
which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things
which must shortly come to pass ; and he sent and signified
it by his angel unto his servant John."' The apostle gives a
vivid description of the glorified Christ as seen by him ; and
of the Lord's words he made record as follows : "Fear not ;
I am the first and the last : I am he that liveth, and was dead ;
and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen ; and have the
keys of hell and of death."" John was commanded to write
to each of the seven churches, or branches of the Church of
Christ, then existing in Asia, administering reproof, admoni-
tion and encouragement, as the condition of each required.
The final ministry of John marked the close of the apos-
tolic administration in the Primitive Church. His fellow
apostles had gone to their rest, most of them having entered
through the gates of martyrdom, and although it was his
special privilege to tarry in the flesh until the Lord's advent
in glory , v he was not to continue his service as an acknowl-
edged minister, known to and accepted by the Church. Even
while many of the apostles lived and labored, the seed of
apostasy had taken root in the Church and had grown with
the rankness of pernicious weeds. This condition had been
predicted, both by Old Testament prophets^ and by the Lord
Jesus.* The apostles also spake in plain prediction of the
growth of the apostasy all too grievously apparent to them
as then in progress.^ Personal manifestations of the Lord
Jesus to mortals appear to have ceased with the passing of
jRev. 1:9; see Note 6, end of chapter.
t Rev. 1:1; read the whole chapter.
Rev. 1:10-20.
v Page 694 herein.
u/Isa. 24:1-6; Amos. 8:11, 12.
*Matt. 24:4, 5, 10-13, 23-26.
yActs 20:17-31, particularly 29, 30; 1 Tim. 4:1-3; 2 Tim. 4:1-4; 2 Thess.
2:3, 4, 7, 8; 2 Peter 2:1-3, read the entire chapter and observe its applica-
tion to conditions in the world today; Jude 3, 4, 17-19; Rev. 13:4, 6-9; 14:6, 7.
See "The Great Apostasy," chapter 2.
718 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 38.
the apostles of old, and were not again witnessed until the
dawn of the Dispensation of the Fulness of Times.
NOTES TO CHAPTER 38.
1. Presiding Authority and Common Consent. "Another
instance of official action in choosing and setting apart men to
special office in the Church arose soon after the ordination of
Matthias. It appears that one feature of the Church organiza-
tion in early apostolic days was a common ownership of material
things, distribution being made according to need. As the mem-
bers increased, it was found impracticable for the apostles to
devote the necessary attention and time to these temporal mat-
ters, so they called upon the members to select seven men of
honest report, whom the apostles would appoint to take special
charge of these affairs. These men were set apart by prayer
and by the laying on of hands. The instance is instructive as
showing that the apostles realized their possession of authority
to direct in the affairs of the Church, and that they observed
with strictness the principle of common consent in the adminis-
tration of their high office. They exercized their priestly powers
in the spirit of love, and with due regard to the rights of the
people over whom they were placed to preside." The author^
The Great Apostasy, 1:19.
2. Pentecost. The name means "fiftieth" and was applied
to the Jewish feast that was celebrated fifty days after the second
day of unleavened bread, or the Passover day. It is also known
as "the feast of weeks" (Exo. 34:22; Deut 16:10), because ac-
cording to the Hebrew style, it fell seven weeks, or a week of
weeks, after the Passover; as "the feast of harvest" (Exo. 23:16) ;
and as "the day of the first-fruits" (Numb. 28:26). Pentecost was
one of the great feasts in Israel, and was of mandatory
observance. Special sacrifices were appointed for the day, as was
also an offering suitable to the harvest season, comprizing two
leavened loaves made of the new wheat; these were to be waved
before the altar and then given to the priests (Lev. 23:15-20).
Because of the unprecedented events that characterized the first
Pentecost after our Lord's ascension, the name has become cur-
rent in Christian literature as expressive of any great spiritual
awakening or unusual manifestation of divine grace.
3. Having All Things in Common. No condition recorded
of the early apostolic ministry expresses more forcefully the
unity and devotion of the Church in those days than does the
fact of the members establishing a system of common owner-
ship of property (Acts 2:44, 46; 4:32-37; 6:1-4). One result of
this community of interest in temporal things was a marked
unity in spiritual matters; they "were of one heart and of one
soul." Lacking nothing, they lived in contentment and godli-
ness. Over thirty centuries earlier the people of Enoch had
rejoiced in a similar condition of oneness, and their attainments
NOTES. 719
in spiritual excellence were so effective that "the Lord came and
dwelt with his people ; And the Lord called his
people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, and
dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them."
(P. of G. P., Moses 7:16-18.) The Nephite disciples grew in
holiness, as "they had all things common among them, every man
dealing justly, one with another." (B. of M., 3 Nephi 26:19; see
also 4 Nephi i :2-3.) A system of unity in material affairs has
been revealed to the Church in this current dispensation, (Doc.
and Cov. 82:17, 18; 51:10-13, 18; 104:70-77), to the blessings of
which the people may attain as they learn to replace selfish con-
cern by altruism, and individual advantage by devotion to the
general welfare. Se'e The Articles of Faith, xxiv:i3-i5.
4. Saul's Conversion. The sudden change of heart by
which an ardent persecutor of the saints was so transformed as
to become a true disciple, is to the average mind a miracle. Saul
of Tarsus was a devoted student and observer of the law, a strict
Pharisee. We find no intimation that he ever met or saw Jesus
during the Lord's life in the flesh; and his contact with the
Christian movement appears to have been brought about through
disputation with Stephen. In determining what he would call
right and what wrong the young enthusiast was guided too much
by mind and too little by heart. His learning, which should
have been his servant, was instead his master. He was a leading
spirit in the cruel persecution of the first converts to Christianity;
yet none can doubt his belief that even in such he was rendering
service to Jehovah (compare John 16:2). His unusual energy
and superb ability were misdirected. As soon as he realized the
error of his course, he turned about, without counting risk, cost,
or the certainty of persecution and probable martyrdom. His
repentance was as genuine as had been his persecuting zeal. All
through his ministry he was tortured by the past (Acts 22:4, 19,
20; i Cor. 15:9; 2 Cor. 12:7; Gal. 1:13) ; yet he found a measure
of relief in the knowledge that he had acted in good conscience
(Acts 26:9-11). It was "hard for him to kick against the pricks"
(revised version "goad," Acts 9:5; 26:14) of tradition, training,
and education ; yet he hesitated not. He was a chosen instrument
for the work of the Lord (Acts 9:15) ; and promptly he responded to
the Master's will. Whatever of error Saul of Tarsus had committed
through youthful zeal, Paul the apostle gave his all his time,
talent, and life to expiate. He was preeminently the Lord's
apostle to the Gentiles; and this opening of the doors to others
than Jews was the main contention between himself and Stephen.
In accordance with the divine and fateful purpose, Paul was
called to do the work, in opposition to which he had been a par-
ticipant in the martyrdom of Stephen. At the Lord's word of di-
rection Paul was ready to preach Christ to the Gentiles; only by
a miracle could the Jewish exclusiveness of Peter and the Church
generally be overcome (Acts 10; and 11:1-18).
5. Rapid Growth of the Primitive Church. Eusebius, who
wrote in the early part of the fourth century, speaking of the
JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 38.
first decade after the Savior's ascensi9n, says: "Thus, then,
under a celestial influence and cooperation, the doctrine of the
Savior, like the rays of the sun, quickly irradiated the whole
world. Presently, in accordance with divine prophecy, the sound
of His inspired evangelists and apostles had gone throughout all
the earth, and their words to the ends of the world. Throughout
every city and village, like a replenished barn floor, churches
were rapidly abounding and filled with members from every
people. Those who, in consequence of the delusions that had
descended to them from their ancestors, had been fettered by
the ancient disease of idolatrous superstition, were now liberated
by the power of Christ, through the teachings and miracles of
His messengers." (Eusebius, Eccles. Hist., Book i, ch. 3.)
6. Patmos. A small island in the Icarian section of the
Aegean Sea. Dr. John R. Sterret writes of it in the Standard
Bible Dictionary as follows: "A volcanic island of the Sporades
group, now nearly treeless. It is characterized by an indented
coast and has a safe harbor. By the Romans it was made a place
of exile for the lower class of criminals. John, the author of
'Revelation' was banished thither by Domitian, 94 A. D. Ac-
cording to tradition he lived there at hard labor for eighteen
months."
7. The Holy Ghost Given. In answer to a question as to
whether the Holy Ghost was received by the apostles at or before
Pentecost, a statement was published by the First Presidency of
the Church on February 5, 1916 (see Deseret News of that date),
from which statement the following excerpts are taken : 'The
answer to this question depends upon what is meant by 'receiving'
the Holy Ghost. If reference is made to the promise of Jesus
to His apostles about the endowment or gift of the Holy Ghost
by the presence and ministration of the 'personage of Spirit,' called
the Holy Ghost by revelation (Doc. and Cov. 130:22), then the
answer is, it was not until the day of Pentecost that the promise
was fulfilled. But the divine essence called the Spirit of God,
or Holy Spirit, or Holy Ghost, by which God created or organized
all things, and by which the prophets wrote and spoke, was be-
stowed in former ages, and inspired the apostles in their ministry
long before the day of Pentecost. . . '. We read that Jesus, after
His resurrection, breathed upon His disciples and said, 'Receive ye
the Holy Ghost.' But we also read that He said, 'Behold, I send
the promise of my Father upon you : but tarry ye in the city of
Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high' (John
20 :22 ; Luke 24 :49) . We read further : 'For the Holy Ghost was
not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.' (John
7:39.) Thus the promise was made, but the fulfilment came after,
so that the Holy Ghost sent by Jesus from the Father did not come
in person until the day of Pentecost, and the cloven tongues of
fire were the sign of His coming."
CHRIST'S DEATH SIGNALIZED ON WESTERN CONTINENT. 721
'} rlffEfcq buriiooopfe toil ajfctewe bbo^ :& r rl Ji/ste
CHAPTER 39.
MINISTRY OF THE RESURRECTED CHRIST ON THE
WESTERN HEMISPHERE.
By considering the apostolic ministry in immediate se-
quence to our study of the Lord's ascension from the Mount
of Olives, we have departed from the chronological order of
the several personal manifestations of the risen Savior to
mortals ; for very soon after His final farewell to the apostles
in Judea He visited His "other sheep," not of the eastern
fold, whose existence He had affirmed in that impressive
sermon concerning the Good Shepherd and His sheep. a
Those other sheep who were to hear the Shepherd's voice
and eventually be made part of the united fold, were the
descendants of L,ehi who, with his family and a few others,
had left Jerusalem 600 B. C. and had crossed the great deep
to what we now know as the American continent, whereon
they had grown to be a mighty though a divided peopled
THE LORD'S DEATH SIGNALIZED BY GREAT CALAMITIES ON THE
AMERICAN CONTINENT.
As already set forth in these pages, the birth of Jesus at
Bethlehem had been made known to the Nephite nation on
the western hemisphere by divine revelation; and the glad
event had been marked by the appearance of a new star, by a
night devoid of darkness so that two days and the night
between had been as one day, and by other wonderful occur-
rences, all of which had been predicted through the prophets
of the western world/ Samuel the Lamanite, who through
cjohn 10:16; compare B. of M. f 3 Nephi 15:17-21; page 416 herein.
b See pa
c Fazes
.
b See pages 49, 55 herein.
49-52.
722 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 39.
faithfulness and good works had become a prophet, mighty
in word and deed, duly chosen and commissioned of God,
had coupled with his predictions of the glorious occurrences
that were to mark the birth of Christ, prophecies of other
signs of darkness, terror, and destruction by which the
Savior's death on the cross would be signalized. 4 Every
prophetic word concerning the phenomena that were to at-
tend the Lord's birth had been fulfilled; and many people
had been brought thereby to believe in Christ as the promised
Redeemer ; but, as is usual with those whose belief rests on
miracles, many among the Nephites "began to forget those
signs and wonders which they had heard, and began to be
less and less astonished at a sign or a wonder from heaven,
insomuch that they began to be hard in their hearts, and
blind in their minds, and began to disbelieve all which they
had heard and seen."*
Thirty and three years had sped their course since the
illumined night and the other signs of Messiah's advent;
then, on the fourth day of the first month, or, according to
our calendar, during the first week of April, in the thirty-
fourth year, there arose a great and terrible tempest, with
thunderings, lightnings, and both elevations and depressions
of the earth's surface, so that the highways were broken up,
mountains were sundered, and many cities were utterly de-
stroyed by earthquake, fire, and the inrush of the sea. For
three hours the unprecedented holocaust continued ; and
then thick darkness fell, in the which it was found impossible
to kindle a fire ; the awful gloom was like unto the darkness
of Egyptf in that its clammy vapors could be felt. This
condition lasted until the third day, so that a night a day and
a night were as one unbroken night, and the impenetrable
blackness was rendered the more terrible by the wailing of
the people, whose heart-rending refrain was everywhere the
. _
14:14-27.
e 3 Nephi 2:1.
/Exo. 10:21-23.
THE VOICE OF JESUS CHRIST HEARD. 723
same, "O that we had repented before this great and terrible
day."^
Then, piercing the darkness, came a Voice,* 1 before which
the frightful chorus of human lamentation was silenced;
"Wo, wo, wo unto this people" resounded throughout the
land. The Voice proclaimed increasing woes except the peo-
ple should repent. Destruction had befallen because of wick-
edness, and the devil was then laughing over the number of
the dead and the retributive cause of their destruction. The
extent of the dread calamity was detailed ; cities that had
been burned with their inhabitants, others that had sunk into
the sea, yet others buried in the earth, were enumerated ;
and the divine reason for this widespread destruction was
plainly set forth that the wickedness and abominations of
the people might be hidden from the face of the earth. Those
who had lived to hear were declared to be the more righteous
of the inhabitants ; and to them hope was offered on condi-
tions of more thorough repentance and reformation.
The identity of the Voice was thus made known: "Be-
hold, I am Jesus Christ the Son of God. I created the
heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are. I
was with the Father from the beginning. I am in the Father,
and the Father in me ; and in me hath the Father glorified
his name." The Lord commanded that the people should
no longer serve Him with bloody sacrifices and burnt offer-
ings ; for the law of Moses was fulfilled; and thenceforth
the only acceptable sacrifice would be the broken heart and
the contrite spirit; and such should never be rejected. The
humble and repentant the Lord would receive as His own.
"Behold," He said, "for such I have laid down my life, and
have taken it up again ; therefore repent, and come unto me
ye ends of the earth, and be saved."
The Voice ceased; and through the space of many hours
03 Nephi 8:5-25; compare Helaman 14:20-27.
h 3 Nephi chap. 9.
JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 39.
of continuing darkness vociferous lamentations were hushed,
for the people were convicted of their guilt and silently wept
in astonishment over what they had heard, and in hopeful
anticipation of the salvation that had been offered. A second
time the Voice was heard, as in sorrow over those who had
refused to accept the Savior's succor ; for often had He pro-
tected them, more often would He have so done had they
been willing, and yet in the future would He cherish them,
"as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings" if they
would repent and live in righteousness. On the morning of
the third day the darkness dispersed, seismic disturbances
ceased, and the storms abated. As the pall was lifted from
the land the people saw how profound had been the convul-
sions of earth, and how great had been their loss of kindred
and friends. In their contrition and humiliation they re-
membered the predictions of the prophets, and knew that the
mandate of the Lord had been executed upon them.*
Christ had risen ; and following Him many of the right-
eous dead on the western continent rose from their graves,
and appeared as resurrected, immortalized beings among the
survivors of the land-wide destruction; even as in Judea
many of the saints had been raised immediately after the
resurrection of Christ/
FIRST VISITATION OF JESUS CHRIST TO TH NE)PHITS. &
About six weeks or more after the events last considered, 1
a great multitude of the Nephites had assembled at the tem-
ple in the land called Bountiful/" and were earnestly dis-
coursing with one another over the great changes that had
been wrought in the land, and particularly concerning Jesus
Christ, of whose atoning death the predicted signs had been
t*3 Nephi, chap. 10.
/Helaman 14:25; 3 Nephi 23:7-13; compare Matt. 27:52, 53.
k3 Nephi, chaps. 11-18 inclusive.
/3 Nephi 10:18. Bear in mind that Christ's ascension took place forty
days after His resurrection.
m Note 1, end of chapter.
CHRIST'S APPEARANCE TO THE NEPHITES. 725
witnessed in all their tragic details. The prevailing spirit of
the assembly was that of contrition and reverence. While
thus congregated they heard a sound as of a Voice from
above ; but both a first and a second utterance were to them
unintelligible. As they listened with rapt intentness, the
Voice was heard a third time, and it said unto them : "Be-
hold my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, in whom I
have glorified my name: hear ye him." n
While gazing upward in reverent expectation, the people
beheld a Man, clothed in a white robe, who descended and
stood among them. He spake, saying : "Behold, I am Jesus
Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world ;
and behold, I am the light and the life of the world; and I
have drunk out of that bitter cup which the Father hath
given me, and have glorified the Father in taking upon me
the sins of the world, in the which I have suffered the will
of the Father in all things from the beginning." The multi-
tude prostrated themselves in adoration for they remembered
that their prophets had foretold that the Lord would appear
among them after His resurrection and ascension.
As He directed, the people arose, and one by one came
to Him, and did see and feel the prints of the nails in His
hands and feet, and the spear-wound in His side. Moved
to adoring utterance, with one accord they cried : "Hosanna !
blessed be the name of the Most High God !" then, falling at
the feet of Jesus, they worshiped Him.
Summoning Nephi and eleven others to approach, the
Lord gave them authority to baptize the people after His
departure, and prescribed the mode of baptism with par-
ticular injunction against disputation in the matter or altera-
tion of the given form, as witness the Lord's words :
"Verily I say unto you, that whoso repenteth of his sins
3 Nephi 11:7; compare Matt. 3:17; Mark 1:11; Luke 9:35; P. of G. P.,
Joseph Smith 2:17.
<?3 Nephi 11:12; compare 1 Nephi 12:6; 2 Nephi 26:1, 9; Alma 16:20.
726 JESUS THE CHRIST. ZTZ1 [CHAP. 39.
through your words, and desireth to be baptized in my name,
on this wise shall ye baptize them : behold, ye shall go down
and stand in the water, and in my name shall ye baptize
them. And now behold, these are the words which ye shall
say, calling them by name, saying, Having authority given
me of Jesus Christ, I baptize you in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. And then
shall ye immerse them in the water, and come forth again out
of the water. And after this manner shall ye baptize in my
name, for behold, verily I say unto you, that the Father, and
the Son, and the Holy Ghost are one ; and I am in the Father,
and the Father in me, and the Father and I are one. And
according as I have commanded you thus shall ye baptize.
And there shall be no disputations among you, as there hath
hitherto been ; neither shall there be disputations among you
concerning the points of my doctrine, as there hath hitherto
been."^
The people in general, and particularly the Twelve, chosen
as stated, were impressively warned against contention over
matters of doctrine, the spirit of which was declared to be of
the devil, "who is the father of contention." The doctrine of
Jesus Christ was set forth in simple yet comprehensive sum-
mary in these words:
"Behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, I will declare unto
you my doctrine. And this is my doctrine, and it is the doc-
trine which the Father hath given unto me; and I bear
record of the Father and the Father beareth record of me,
and the Holy Ghost beareth record of the Father and me,
and I bear record that the Father commandeth all men ;
everywhere, to repent and believe in me ; And whoso be-
lieveth in me, and is baptized, the same shall be saved ; and
they are they who shall inherit the kingdom of God. And
whoso believeth not in me, and is not baptized, shall be
damned."?
Repentance, and humility akin to that of the innocent
trusting child were the prerequisites for baptism, without
p3 Nephi 11:23-28; compare Doc. and Cov. 20:72-74.
q 3 Nephi 11:31-34; compare Mark 16:15, 16; see also John 1?:48.
THE NEPHITE TWELVE. 727
which none could inherit the kingdom of God. With the
incisiveness and simplicity that had characterized His teach-
ings in Palestine, the L,ord thus instructed His newly chosen
Twelve :
l
>f FB 'IVerily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine,
and whoso buildeth upon this, buildeth upon my rock, and
the gates of hell shall not prevail against them. And whoso
shall declare more or less than this, and establish it for my
doctrine, the same cometh of evil, and is not built upon my
rock, but he buildeth upon a sandy foundation, and the gates
of hell standeth open to receive such, when the floods come
and the winds beat upon them. Therefore go forth unto this
people, and declare the words which I have spoken unto the
ends of the earth. " r
Then, turning to the multitude, Jesus admonished them to
give heed to the teachings of the Twelve, and continued with
a discourse embodying the sublime principles He had taught
among the Jews in the Sermon on the Mount/ The Beati-
tudes, the Lord's Prayer, and the same splendid array of en-
nobling precepts are set forth, and the same wealth of effec-
tive comparison and apt illustration appear, in both Matthew's
and Nephi's versions of this unparalleled address; but a
significant difference is observed in every reference to the
fulfilment of the Mosaic law ; for where the Jewish scriptures
record the Lord's words as pointing to a fulfilment then in-
complete, the corresponding expressions in the Nephite ac-
count are in the past tense, the law having been already ful-
filled in its entirety through the death and resurrection of
Christ. Thus, to the Jews Jesus had said : ''Till heaven and
earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from
the law, till all be fulfilled" ; but to the Nephites : "For verily
I say unto you, one jot nor one tittle hath not passed away
from the law, but in me it hath all been fulfilled."*
r3 Nephi 11:39-41.
^3 Nephi, chaps. 12, 13, 14; compare Matt, chaps. 5, 6, 7.
fMatt. 5:18, and 3 Nephi 12:18; compare 46, 47; 15:2-10; and :17-20.
See Note 2, end of chapter.
728 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 39.
Many marveled over this matter, wondering what the
Lord would have them do concerning the law of Moses ; "for
they understood not the saying that old things had passed
away, and that all things had become new." Jesus, conscious
of their perplexity, proclaimed in plainness that He was the
Giver of the law, and that by Him had it been fulfilled and
therefore abrogated. His affirmation is particularly explicit :
"Behold I say unto you, that the law is fulfilled that was
given unto Moses. Behold, I am he that gave the law, and
I am he who covenanted with my people Israel : therefore,
the law in me is fulfilled, for I have come to fulfil the law ;
therefore it hath an end. Behold, I do not destroy the
prophets, for as many as have not been fulfilled in me, verily
I say unto you, shall all be fulfilled. And because I said
unto you, that old things hath passed away, I do not destroy
that which hath been spoken concerning things which are
to come. For behold, the covenant which I have made with
my people is not all fulfilled ; but the law which was given
unto Moses, hath an end in me." M
-
Addressing Himself to the Twelve He affirmed that never
had the Father commanded Him to inform the Jews con-
cerning the existence of the Nephites, except indirectly by
mention of other sheep not of the Jewish fold ; and as, "be-
cause of stiffneckedness and unbelief," they had failed to
comprehend His words, the Father had commanded Him to
say no more with reference either to the Nephites or to the
third fold comprizing "the other tribes of the house of
Israel, whom the Father hath led away out of the land."
To the Nephite disciples Jesus taught many other matters
that had been withheld from the Jews, who through unfitness
to receive had been left in ignorance. Even the Jewish
apostles had wrongly supposed that those "other sheep"
were the Gentile nations, not realizing that the carrying of
the gospel to the Gentiles was part of their particular mis-
.? -9 ,5 .aqsrfo .jJsM g-rsqmoo ;M ,r
w3 Nephi 15:4-8. See pages 234, 373, 374 herein.
CHRIST'S BENEFICENT MINISTRATIONS. 729
sion, and oblivious to the fact that never would Christ mani-
fest Himself in person to those who were not of the house
of Israel. Through the promptings of the Holy Ghost and
under the ministrations of men commissioned and sent would
the Gentiles hear the word of God ; but to the personal mani-
festation of the Messiah they were ineligible. 1 ' Great, how-
ever, will be the Lord's mercies and blessings to the Gentiles
who accept the truth, for unto them the Holy Ghost shall
bear witness of the Father and of the Son ; and all of them
who comply with the laws and ordinances of the gospel shall
be numbered in the house of Israel. Their conversion and
enfoldment with the Lord's own will be as individuals, and
not as nations, tribes, or peoples.
The adoring multitude, numbering about two thousand
five hundred souls, thought that Jesus was about to depart ;
and they tearfully yearned to have Him remain. He com-
forted them with the assurance that He would return on the
morrow, and admonished them to ponder upon the things He
had taught, and to pray in His name to the Father for un-
derstanding. He had already informed the Twelve, and now
stated to the people, that He would show Himself and min-
ister "unto the lost tribes of Israel, for they are not lost
unto the Father, for he knoweth whither he hath taken
them." Voicing the compassion He felt, the Lord directed
the people to fetch their afflicted ones, the lame, halt,
maimed, blind and deaf, the leprous, and the withered ; and
when these were brought He bealed them, every one. Then,
as He commanded, parents brought their little children, and
placed them in a circle around Him. The multitude bowed
in prayer ; and Jesus prayed for them ; "And," wrote Nephi,
"no tongue can speak, neither can there be written by any
man, neither can the hearts of men conceive so great and
marvellous things as we both saw and heard Jesus speak ;
'
i>3 Nephi 15:11-24.
;3 Nephi 16:4-20.
730i JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 39.
and no one can conceive of the joy which filled our souls at
the time we heard him pray for us unto the Father." The
prayer being ended, Jesus bade the multitude arise ; and
joyfully He exclaimed : "Blessed are ye because of your
faith. And now behold, my joy is full." Jesus wept. Then
He took the children, one by one, and blessed them, praying
unto the Father for each.
"And when he had done this he wept again, and he spake
unto the multitude, and saith unto them, behold your little
ones. And as they looked to behold, they cast their eyes
towards heaven, and they saw the heavens open, and they
saw angels descending out of heaven as it were, in the midst
of fire; and they came down and encircled those little ones
about, and they were encircled about with fire; and the
angels did minister unto them.'-'*
The Lord Jesus sent for bread and wine, and caused the
people to sit down. The bread He brake and blessed, and
gave thereof to the Twelve ; these, having eaten, distributed
bread to the multitude. The wine was blessed, and all par-
took, the Twelve first, and afterward the people. With im-
pressiveness similar to that attending the institution of the
Sacrament of the Lord's Supper among the apostles in Jeru-
salem, Jesus made plain the sanctity and significance of the
ordinance, saying that authority for its future administration
would be given ; and that it was to be participated in by all
who had been baptized into fellowship with Christ, and was
always to be observed in remembrance of Him, the bread
being the sacred emblem of His body, the wine the token of
His blood that had been shed. By express commandment,
the Lord forbade the sacrament of bread and wine to all but
the worthy ; "For," He explained, "whoso eateth and drink-
eth my flesh and blood unworthily, eateth and drinketh
damnation to his soul; therefore if ye know that a man is
unworthy to eat and drink of my flesh and blood, ye shall
#3 Nephi 17:22-24; read entire chapter.
THE TWELVE EMPOWERED TO CONFER THE HOLY GHOST. 731
forbid him." But the people were forbidden to cast out from
their assemblies those from whom the Sacrament was to
be withheld, if so be they would but repent and seek fellow-
ship through baptism.^
The necessity of prayer was explicitly emphasized by the
Lord, the commandment to pray being given to the Twelve
and to the multitude separately. Individual supplication,
family devotions, and congregational worship were thus en-
joined :
"Therefore ye must always pray unto the Father in my
name ; and whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name,
which is right, believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall
be given unto you. Pray in your families unto the Father,
always in my name, that your wives and your children may
be blessed. And behold, ye shall meet together oft, and ye
shall not forbid any man from coming unto you when ye
shall meet together, but suffer them that they may come unto
you, and forbid them not ; but ye shall pray for them, and
shall not cast them out ; and if it so be that they come unto
you oft, ye shall pray for them unto the Father, in my
name."^
The Lord then touched with His hand each of the
Twelve, investing them, in words unheard by others, with
power to confer the Holy Ghost by the imposition of hands
upon all repentant and baptized believers.^ As he finished
the ordination of the Twelve, a cloud overshadowed the peo-
ple, so that the Lord was hidden from their sight; but the
twelve disciples "saw and did bear record that he ascended
again into heaven."
. ,
CHRIST S SECOND VISITATION TO THF, NUPHITUS.*
On the morrow a yet greater multitude assembled iri ex-
pectation of the Savior's return. Throughout the night mes-
;y 3 Nephi 18:1-14, 27-34; compare 1 Cor. 11:23-30. For the prescribed
manner of administering the Sacrament, see Moroni, chaps. 4 and 5; com-
pare Doc. and Cov. 20:75-79.
s 3 Nephi 18:19-23.
c3 Nephi 18:36, 37; Moroni 2:1-3.
3 Nephi, chaps. 19-25, and 26:1-5.
733 ] JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 39.
sengers had spread the glorious tidings of the Lord's appear-
ing, and of His promise to again visit His people. So great
was the assembly that Nephi and his associates caused the
people to separate into twelve bodies, to each of which one
of the disciples was assigned to impart instruction and to
lead in prayer. The burden of supplication was that the
Holy Ghost should be given unto them. Led by the chosen
disciples the whole vast concourse approached the water's
edge, and Nephi, going first, was baptized by immersion;
he then baptized the eleven others whom Jesus had chosen.
When the Twelve had come forth out of the water, "they
were filled with the Holy Ghost, and with fire. And behold,
they were encircled about as if it were fire; and it came
down from heaven, and the multitude did witness it, and do
bear record ; and angels did come down out of heaven, and
did minister unto them. And it came to pass that while the
angels were ministering unto the disciples, behold, Jesus
came and stood in the midst, and ministered unto them." c
Thus Jesus appeared in the midst of the disciples and
ministering angels. At His command the Twelve and the
multitude knelt in prayer ; and they prayed unto Jesus, call-
ing Him their Lord and their God. Jesus separated Himself
by a little space, and in humble attitude prayed, saying in
part : "Father, I thank thee that thou hast given the Holy
Ghost unto these whom I have chosen ; and it is because of
their belief in me, that I have chosen them out of the world.
Father, I pray thee that thou wilt give the Holy Ghost unto
all them that shall believe in their words." The disciples
were yet fervently praying to Jesus when He returned to
them ; and as He looked upon them with merciful and ap-
proving smile, they were glorified in His presence, so that
their countenances and their apparel shone with a brilliancy
like unto that of the face and garments of the Lord, even so
that "there could be nothing on earth so white as the white-
.6-1:2
cNote 3, end of chapter.
THE SACRAMENT AGAIN ADMINISTERED. 733
ness thereof." A second and a third time Jesus retired and
prayed unto the Father ; and while the people comprehended
the meaning of His prayer, they confessed and bare record
that "so great and marvellous were the words which he
prayed, that they cannot be written, neither can they be
uttered by man." The Lord rejoiced in the faith of the peo-
ple, and to the disciples He said: "So great faith have I
never seen among all the Jews ; wherefore I could not shew
unto them so great miracles, because of their unbelief. Verily
I say unto you, there are none of them that have seen so great
things as ye have seen ; neither have they heard so great
things as ye have heard. " J Then the Lord administered the
Sacrament in manner as on the yesterday ; but both the bread
and the wine were provided without human aid. The sanc-
tity of the ordinance was thus expressed : "He that eateth
this bread, eateth of my body to his soul, and he that drinketh
of this wine, drinketh of my blood to his soul, and his soul
shall never hunger nor thirst, but shall be filled."
This was followed by instructions concerning the cove-
nant people, Israel, of whom the Nephites were a part, and
of the relation they would bear to the Gentile nations in the
future development of the divine purpose. Jesus declared
Himself to be that Prophet whose coming Moses had fore-
told, and the Christ of whom all the prophets had testified.
The temporary supremacy of the Gentiles, whereby the
further scattering of Israel would be accomplished, and the
eventual gathering of the covenant people, were predicted,
with frequent reference to the inspired utterances of Isaiah
bearing thereon/ The future of Lehi's descendants was
pictured as a dwindling in unbelief through iniquity ; in con-
sequence of which the Gentiles would grow to be a mighty
people on the western continent, even though that land had
been given as an ultimate inheritance to the house of Israel.
d3 Nephi, chap. 19:35, 36; read the entire chapter.
eZ Nephi, chap. 20; see references to Isaiah given therein.
734 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 39.
The establishment of the then future but now existent Amer-
ican nation, characterized as "a free people," was thus fore-
told and God's purpose therein explained : "For it is wis-
dom in the Father that they should be established in this
land, and be set up as a free people by the power of the
Father, that these things might come forth from them unto
a remnant of your seed, that the covenant of the Father may
be fulfilled which he hath covenanted with his people, O
house of Israel."^
As a sign of the time in which the gathering of the sev-
eral branches of Israel from their long dispersion should take
place, the Lord specified the prosperity of the Gentiles in
America, and their agency in bringing the scriptures to the
degraded remnant of Lehi's posterity or the American In-
dians.* 7 It was made plain that all Gentiles who would re-
pent, and accept the gospel of Christ through baptism, should
be numbered among the covenant people and be made par-
takers of the blessings incident to the last days, in which
the New Jerusalem would be established on the Amer-
ican continent. The joyful account of gathered Israel
as Jehovah had given it aforetime through the mouth of
His prophet Isaiah, was repeated by the resurrected
Jehovah to His Nephite flock. h Admonishing them to pon-
der the words of the prophets, which were of record amongst
them, and to give heed to the new scriptures He had made
known, and especially commanding the Twelve to teach the
people further concerning the things He had expounded, the
Lord informed them of the revelations given through Mal-
achi, and directed that the same be written.*
The prophecies so reiterated by Him who had inspired
Malachi to utterance, were at that time obviously of the
future, and are even yet unfulfilled in their entirety. The
/3 Nephi 21:4.
g 3 Nephi 21:1-7; for prophecies concerning subsequent events see re-
mainder of chapter.
ft 3 Nephi, chap. 22; compare Isa. chap. 54.
t'3 Nephi, chaps. 24 and 25; compare Malachi, chap. 3 and 4.
THE LORD'S SECOND VISITATION TO THE NEPHITES. 735
advent of the Lord, to which these scriptures testify, is yet
future; but that the time is now near that "great and
dreadful day of the Lord" is attested by the fact that Elijah
who was to come before that day, has appeared in the dis-
charge of his particular commission that of turning the
hearts of the living children to their dead progenitors, and
the hearts of the departed fathers to their still mortal pos-
terity/
The personal ministry of Christ on the occasion of this
second visitation lasted three days, during which He gave
the people many scriptures, such as had been before given
unto the Jews, for so the Father had commanded ; and He
expounded unto them the purposes of God, from the begin-
ning until the time at which Christ shall return in His glory ;
"And even unto the great and last day, when all people, and
all kindreds, and all nations and tongues shall stand before
God, to be judged of their works, whether they be good or
whether they be evil ; if they be good, to the resurrection of
everlasting life; and if they be evil, to the resurrection of
damnation, being on a parallel, the one on the one hand, and
the other on the other hand, according to the mercy, and the
justice, and the holiness which is in Christ, who was before
the world began." In merciful ministration He healed their
afflicted folk, and raised a man from the dead. At later but
unspecified times, He showed Himself among the Nephites,
and "did break bread oft, and bless it, and give it unto
them."*
After His second ascension from among them, the spirit
of prophecy was manifest among the people, and this ex-
tended even to children and babes, many of whom spake of
marvelous things, as the Spirit gave them utterance. The
Twelve entered upon their ministry with vigor, teaching all
/Doc. and Cov. 110:13-16. Elijah appeared in the Kirtland Temple
April 3, A. D. 1830, and committed to the Church the keys of authority for
vicarious work in behalf of the dead. See chapter 41 herein, page 775.
3 Nephi 26:4, 5, 13-15.
736 - JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 39.
who would hear, and baptizing those who, through repent-
ance, sought communion with the Church. Upon all who
thus complied with the requirements of the gospel, the Holy
Ghost was bestowed ; and those so blessed lived together in
love, and were called the Church of Christ.'
I
CHRIST'S VISITATION TO HIS CHOSEN TWELVE AMONG THE
NEPHlTES. m
jfi 1
Under the administration of the twelve ordained disci-
ples the Church grew and prospered in the land of Nephi."
The disciples, as special witnesses of the Christ, traveled,
preached, taught, and baptized all who professed faith and
showed forth repentance. On a certain occasion the Twelve
were assembled in "mighty prayer and fasting," seeking in-
struction on a particular matter which, notwithstanding the
Lord's injunction against contention, had given rise to dis-
putation among the people. As they supplicated the Father
in the Son's name, Jesus appeared amongst them, and asked :
"What will ye that I shall give unto you?" Their answer
was : "Lord, we will that thou wouldst tell us the name
whereby we shall call this church ; for there are disputations
among the people concerning this matter." They had pro-
visionally called the community of baptized believers the
Church of Christ ; but, apparently this true and distinguish-
ing name had not been generally accepted without question.
"And the Lord said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto
you, why is it that the people should murmur and dispute
because of this thing? Have they not read the scriptures,
which say ye must take upon you the name of Christ, which
is my name? for by this name shall ye be called at the last
day; and whoso taketh upon him my name, and endureth
to the end, the same shall be saved at the last day ; therefore
whatsoever ye shall do, ye shall do it in my name ; therefore
/3 Nephi 26:14-21.
w3 Nephi, chaps. 26, 27, and 28:1-12.
Note 1, end of chapter.
THE NAME OF CHRIST^ CHURCH. 737
ye shall call the church in my name ; and ye shall call upon
the Father in my name, that he will bless the church for my
sake ; And how be it my church, save it be called in my name ?
for if a church be called in Moses' name, then it be Moses'
church ; or if it be called in the name of a man, then it be the
church of a man ; but if it be called in my name, then it is
my church, if it so be that they are built upon my gospel.
Verily I say unto you, that ye are built upon my gospel;
therefore ye shall call whatsoever things ye do call, in my
name; therefore if ye call upon the Father, for the church,
if it be in my name, the Father will hear you ; and if it so be
that the church is built upon my gospel, then will the Father
shew forth his own works in it ; but if it be not built upon
my gospel, and is built upon the works of men, or upon the
works of the devil, verily I say unto you, they have joy in
their works for a season, and by and by the end cometh, and
they are hewn down and cast into the fire, from whence there
is no return ; for their works do follow them, for it is be-
cause of their works that they are hewn down; therefore
remember the things that I have told you."
In such wise did the Lord confirm as an authoritative be-
stowal, the name which, through inspiration, had been as-
sumed by His obedient children, The Church of Jesus Christ.
The Lord's explanation as to the one and only Name by
which the Church could be appropriately known is cogent
and convincing. It was not the church of Lehi or Nephi, of
Mosiah or Alma, of Samuel or Helaman ; else it should
have been called by the name of the man whose church it
was, even as today there are churches named after men;^
but being the Church established by Jesus Christ, it could
properly bear none other name than His.
Jesus then reiterated to the Nephite Twelve many of
the cardinal principles He had before enunciated to them and
to the people at large; and commanded that His words be
written, excepting certain exalted communications which He
forbade them to write. The importance of preserving as a
03 Nephi 27:4-12.
p E. g. of Calvin, Luther, Wesley; see also "The Great Apostasy,"
24
738 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 39.
priceless treasure the new scriptures He had given was
shown, with assurance that in heaven records were kept of
all things done by divine direction. The Twelve were told
that they were to be the judges of their people ; and in view
of such investiture they were admonished to diligence and
godliness. 4 The Lord was made glad by the faith and ready
obedience of the Nephites amongst whom He had minis-
tered; and to the twelve special witnesses He said: "And
<"tnjfi"i 3fij fiooij oioioipnj
now behold, my joy is great, even unto fulness, because of
you, and also this generation; yea, and even the Father
rejoiceth, and also all the holy angels, because of you and
this generation ; for none of them are lost. Behold, I would
that ye should understand; for I mean them who are now
alive of this generation ; and none of them are lost ; and in
them I have fulness of joy." His joy, however, was min-
gled with sorrow because of the apostasy into which the later
generations would fall; this He foresaw as a dire condition
that would attain its climax in the fourth generation from
that time/
THREE
In loving compassion the Lord spoke unto the twelve dis-
ciples, one by one, asking : "What is it that ye desire of me,
after that I am gone to the Father ?" J All but three ex-
pressed the desire that they might continue in the ministry
until they had reached a goodly age, and then in due time
be received by the Lord into His kingdom. To them Jesus
gave blessed assurance, saying: "After that ye are seventy
and two years old, ye shall come unto me in my kingdom,
and with me ye shall find rest." He turned to the three who
had reserved the request they ventured not to express ;
"And he said unto them, Behold, I know your thoughts,
q Note the assurance of a similar commission promised the Jewish
apostles: Matt. 19:28; Luke 22:30. See also 1 Nephi 12:9.
r3 Nephi 27:32 and references given therewith.
j3 Nephi 28:1; read verses 1-12.
THE THREE NEPHITES. 739
and ye have desired the thing which John, my beloved, who
was with me in my ministry, before that I was lifted up by
the Jews, desired of me ; therefore more blessed are ye, for
ye shall never taste of death, but ye shall live to behold all the
doings of the Father, unto the children of men, even until
all things shall be fulfilled, according to the will of the
Father, when I shall come in my glory, with the powers of
heaven; and ye shall never endure the pains of death; but
when I shall come in my glory, ye shall be changed in the
twinkling of an eye from mortality to immortality : and then
shall ye be blessed in the kingdom of my Father."'
The blessed three were assured that in the course of their
prolonged life they should be immune to pain, and should
know sorrow only as they grieved for the sins of the world.
For their desire to labor in bringing souls unto Christ as
long as the world should stand, they were promised an
eventual fulness of joy, even like unto that to which the Lord
Himself had attained. Jesus touched each of the nine who
were to live and die in the Lord, but the three who were to
tarry till He would come in His glory He did not touch.
"And then he departed."
A change was wrought in the bodies of the Three
Nephites, so that, while they remained in the flesh, they were
exempt from the usual effects of physical vicissitude. The
heavens were opened to their gaze; they were caught up,
and saw and heard unspeakable things. "And it was for-
bidden them that they should utter; neither was it given
unto them power that they could utter the things which
they saw and heard." Though they lived and labored as
men among their fellows, preaching, baptizing, and con-
ferring the Holy Ghost upon all who gave heed to their
words, the enemies to the truth were powerless to do them
injury. Somewhat later than a hundred and seventy years
after the Lord's last visitation, malignant persecution was
waged against the Three. For their zeal in the ministry
*3 Nephi 28:6-8; see page 694 herein.
740 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 39.
they were cast into prison ; but "the prisons could not hold
them, for they were rent in twain." They were incarcerated
in underground dungeons; "But they did smite the earth
with the word of God, insomuch that by his power they were
delivered out of the depths of the earth; and therefore they
could not dig pits sufficient to hold them." Thrice they were
cast into a furnace of fire, but received no harm ; and three
times were they thrown into dens of ravenous beasts, but,
"behold they did play with the beasts, as a child with a suck-
ling lamb, and received no harm/'** Mormon avers that in
answer to his prayers the Lord had made known unto him
that the change wrought upon the bodies of the Three, was
such as to deprive Satan of all power over them, and that
"they were holy, and that the powers of the earth could not
hold them ; and in this state they were to remain until the
judgment day of Christ; and at that day they were to re-
ceive a greater change, and to be received into the kingdom
of the Father to go no more out, but to dwell with God
eternally in the heavens."*' For nearly three hundred years,
and possibly longer, the Three Nephites ministered visibly
among their fellows; but as the wickedness of the people
increased these special ministers were withdrawn, and there-
after manifested themselves only to the righteous few.
Moroni, the last prophet of the Nephites, when engaged in
completing the record of his father, Mormon, and adding
thereto matters of his own knowledge, wrote concerning
these three disciples of the Lord, that they "did tarry in the
land until the wickedness of the people was so great, that
the Lord would not suffer them to remain with the people ;
and whether they be upon the face of the land no man
knoweth. But behold, my father and I have seen them, and
they have ministered unto us." w Their ministry was to be
3 Nephi 28:13-23; compare 4 Nephi 1:14, 29-33.
z/3 Nephi 28:39, 40.
it- Mormon 8:10, 11; see also 3 Nephi 28:26-32, 36-40,; 4 Nephi 1:14, 37;
Ether 12:17.
GENERAL APOSTASY ON WESTERN CONTINENT. 741
extended to Jews and Gentiles, amongst whom they labor
unrecognized as of ancient birth ; and they are sent unto the
scattered tribes of Israel, and to all nations, kindreds,
tongues and peoples, from whom they have brought and are
bringing many souls unto Christ, "that their desire may be
fulfilled, and also because of the convincing power of God
which is in them."*
'
GROWTH OF THE CHURCH FOLLOWED BY THE APOSTASY OE
THE NEPHITE NATION.
The Church of Jesus Christ developed rapidly in the land
of Nephi, and brought to its faithful adherents unprece-
dented blessings. Even the hereditary animosity between
Nephites and Lamanites was forgotten; and all lived in
peace and prosperity. So great was the unity of the Church
that its members owned all things in common, and "there-
fore they were not rich and poor, bond and free, but they
were all made free, and partakers of the heavenly gift."^
Populous cities replaced the desolation of ruin that had be-
fallen at the time of the Lord's crucifixion. The land was
blessed, and the people rejoiced in righteousness. "And it
came to pass that there was no contention in the land, be-
cause of the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of
the people. And there were no envyings, nor strifes, nor
tumults, nor whoredoms, nor lyings, nor murders, nor any
manner of lasciviousness ; and surely there could not be a
happier people among all the people who had been created
by the hand of God."" Nine of the twelve special wit-
nesses chosen by the Lord passed at appointed times to their
rest, and others were ordained in their stead. The state of
blessed prosperity and of common ownership continued for
a period of a hundred and sixty-seven years ; but soon there-
after came a most distressing change. Pride displaced
*3 Nephi 28:27-32.
y 4 Nephi 1:3; read 1:23; see pages 705 and 718 herein.
s 4 Nephi 1:15, 16.
JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 39.
humility, display of costly apparel superseded the simplicity
of happier days; rivalry led to contention, and thence the
people- "did have their goods and their substance no more
common among them, and they began to be divided
into classes, and they began to build up churches
unto themselves, to get gain, and began to deny the true
church of Christ." Man-made churches multiplied, and
persecution, true sister to intolerance, became rampant. The
red-skinned Lamanites reverted to their degraded ways, and
developed a murderous hostility against their white brothers ;
and all manner of corrupt practises became common among
both nations. For many decades the Nephites retreated
before their aggressive foes, making their way north-east-
ward through what is now the United States. About 400
A. D. the last great battle was fought near the hill Cu-
morah; & and the Nephite nation became extinct. c The de-
generate remnant of Lehi's posterity, the Lamanites or
American Indians, have continued until this day. Moroni,
the last of the Nephite prophets, hid away the record of his
people in the hill Cumorah, whence it has been brought forth
by divine direction in the current dispensation. That record
is now before the world translated through the gift and
power of God, and published to the edification of all nations,
as the BOOK OF MORMON.
NOTES TO CHAPTER 39.
1. The Land Bountiful. This comprized the northerly
part of South America, extending to the Isthmus of Panama.
On the north it was bounded by the Land of Desolation, which
embraced Central America, and, in later Nephite history, an in-
definite extent north of the Isthmus. The South American con-
tinent in general is called, in the Book of Mormon, the Land of
Nephi.
2. The Jewish and Nephite Versions of the "Sermon on the
Mount." As indicated in the text, one of the most impressive
contrasts between the Sermon on the Mount and the virtual
a 4 Nephi 1:25, 26.
b Near Manchester, Ontario county, New York.
c See Mormon, chapters 1-9; and Moroni, chapter 10.
NOTES. 743
repetition of the discourse by our Lord on the occasion of His
visit to the Nephites, is that of prediction concerning the fulfil-
ment of the law of Moses in the first delivery, and unqualified
affirmation in the second that the law had been fulfilled. Among
the Beatitudes certain differences appear, in each of which the
Nephite sermon is more explicit. Thus, instead of, "Blessed are
the poor in spirit" (Matt. 5:3), we read, "Blessed are the poor
in spirit who come unto me" (3 Nephi 12:3). Instead of, "Blessed
are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness ;
for they shall be filled" (Matt.), we read, "And blessed are
all they who do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they
shall be filled with the Holy Ghost" (Nephi). Instead of, "for
righteousness' sake," (Matt.) we have "for my name's sake,"
(Nephi). For the difficult passage, "Ye are the salt of the earth:
but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted?"
(Matt.), we have the clearer expression, "I give unto you to be
the salt of the earth; but if the salt shall lose its savor, where-
with shall the earth be salted?" (Nephi). And, as already noted,
in place of "one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the
law, till all be fulfilled" (Matt), we have "one jot nor one tittle
hath not passed away from the law, but in me it hath all been
fulfilled" (Nephi). Variations in succeeding verses are incident
to this prospective fulfilment (Matt), and affirmed accomplish-
ment (Nephi). Instead of the strong analogy concerning the
plucking out of an offending eye. or the severing of an evil hand
(Matt.), we find: "Behold, I give unto you a commandment, that
ye suffer none of these things to enter into your heart; for it is
better that ye should deny yourselves of these things, wherein ye
will take up your cross, than that ye should be cast into hell"
(Nephi). Following the illustrative instances of the gospel re-
quirements superseding those of the law, the Nephite record pre-
sents this splendid summation: "Therefore those things which
were of old time, which were under the law in me, are all ful-
filled. Old things are done away, and all things have become new;
therefore I would that ye should be perfect even as I, or your
Father who is in heaven is perfect."
In Matthew's report of the sermon, little distinction is made
between the precepts addressed to the multitude in general, and
the instructions given particularly to the Twelve. Thus, Matt.
6 '.25-34 was spoken inf erentially to the apostles ; for they and
not the people were to lay aside all worldly pursuits ; in the
sermon delivered to the Nephites the distinction is thus made
clear : "And now it came to pass that when Jesus had spokefi
these words, he looked upon the twelve whom he had chosen,
and said unto them, Remember the words which I have spoken.
For behold, ye are they whom I have chosen to minister unto
this people. Therefore I say unto you, take no thought for your
life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your
body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and
the body than raiment?" etc. (See 3 Nephi 13:25-34). Matt. 7
opens with "Judge not that ye be not judged," without intima-
tion as to its general or special application; 3 Nephi 14 begins
744 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 39.
"And now it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these
words, he turned again to the multitude, and did open his mouth
unto them again, saying, Verily, verily, I say unto you, judge
not, that ye be not judged." A careful, verse-by-verse compari-
son between the Sermon on the Mount as recorded by Matthew,
and the risen Lord's discourse to His people on the western con-
tinent is earnestly recommended to every student.
3. Baptisms Among the Nephites After the Lord's Visita-
tion. We read that before the second appearing of Christ to the
Nephites, the chosen Twelve were baptized (3 Nephi 19:10-13).
These men had doubtless been baptized before, for Nephi had
been empowered not only to baptize but to ordain others to the
requisite authority for administering baptism (3 Nephi 7:23-26).
The baptism of the disciples on the morn of the Savior's second
visit, was in the nature of a rebaptism, involving a renewal of cove-
nants, and confession of faith in the Lord Jesus.
It is possible that in the earlier Nephite baptisms some irregu-
larity in mode or impropriety in the spirit of administering the
ordinance may have arisen; for, as we have seen the Lord enjoined
upon the people in connection with the instructions concerning
baptism that disputations must cease. (3 Nephi 11:28-33.)
As to second or later baptisms, the author has written elsewhere
(see The Articles of Faith, vii:i2-i7) practically as follows. Re-
baptisms recorded in scripture are few, and in each instance the
special circumstances justifying the action are apparent. Thus,
we read of Paul baptizing certain disciples at Ephesus, though
they had already been immersed after the manner of John's bap-
tism. But in this case the apostle was evidently unconvinced that
the baptism had been solemnized by due authority, or that the
believers had been properly instructed as to the import of the
ordinance. When he tested the efficacy of their baptism by asking
"Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed ?" they answered
him, "We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy
Ghost." Then asked he in seeming surprize, "Unto what then were
ye baptized? and they said, Unto John's baptism. Then said
Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying
unto the people, that they should believe on him which should
come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard this,
they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus." (See Acts
19:1-6.)
In the Church today a repetition of the baptismal rite on an
individual is allowable under certain specific conditions. Thus,
ff one, having entered the Church by baptism, withdraws from it,
or is excommunicated therefrom, and afterward repents and de-
sires to regain his standing in the Church, he can do so only
through baptism. However, such is a repetition of the initiatory
ordinance as previously administered. There is no ordinance of
"rebaptism" in the Church distinct in nature, form, or purpose,
from other baptism ; and, therefore, in administering baptism to a
subject who has been formerly baptized, the form of the ceremony
is exactly the same as in first baptisms.
noiJ
THE GREAT FALLING AWAY. 745
CHAPTER 40.
THE LONG NIGHT OF APOSTASY.
For over seventeen hundred years on the eastern hem-
isphere, and for more than fourteen centuries on the western,
there appears to have been silence between the heavens and
the earth. Of direct revelation from God to man during
this long interval, we have no authentic record. As already
shown, the period of apostolic ministry on the eastern con-
tinent probably terminated before the dawn of the second
century of the Christian era. The passing of the apostles
was followed by the rapid development of a universal apos-
tasy as had been foreseen and predicted. 6
In the accomplishment of this great falling away, external
and internal causes cooperated. Among the disintegrating
forces acting from without, the most effective was the per-
sistent persecution to which the saints were subjected, inci-
dent to both Judaistic and pagan opposition. Vast numbers
who had professed membership and many who had been of-
ficers in the ministry deserted the Church ; while a few were
stimulated to greater zeal under the scourge of persecution.
The general effect of opposition from the outside of ex-
ternal causes of decline in faith and works considered as a
whole was the defection of individuals, resulting in a wide-
spread apostasy from the Church. But immeasurably more
serious was the result of internal dissension, schism and
disruption, whereby an absolute apostasy of the Church from
the way and word of God was brought about.
a Note 1, end of chapter.
b No extended account of the apostasy of the Primitive Church can be
attempted here; the reader is referred to special works treating this im-
Eortant subject. See the author's "The Great Apostasy, considered in the
ight of Scriptural and Secular History," a work of 176 pages.
746 JESUS THE CHRIST. IHT [CHAP. 40.
Judaism was the earliest oppressor of Christianity, and
became the instigator and abettor of the succeeding atrocities
incident to pagan persecution. Open and vigorous hostility
of the Roman powers against the Christian Church became
general during the reign of Nero, (beginning about 64
A. D.), and continued with occasional respites of a few
months or even years at a time to the close of Diocletian's
reign (about 305 A. D."). The inhuman cruelty and savage
barbarity to which were subjected those who dared profess
the name of Christ during these centuries of heathen domina-
tion are matters of accepted history/ When Constantine the
Great came to the throne in the first quarter of the fourth
century, a radical change was inaugurated in the attitude of
the state toward the church. The emperor straightway
made the so-called Christianity of the time the religion of
his realm; and zealous devotion to the church became the
surest recommendation to imperial favor. But the church
was already in great measure an apostate institution and
even in crude outline of organization and service bore but
remote resemblance to the Church of Jesus Christ, founded
by the Savior and builded through the instrumentality of the
apostles. Whatever vestiges of genuine Christianity may
have possibly survived in the church before, were buried be-
yond the sight of man by the abuses that followed the eleva-
tion of the churchly organization to secular favor through
the decree of Constantine. The emperor, even though un-
baptized, made himself the head of the church, and priestly
office was more sought after than military rank or state pre-
ferment. The spirit of apostasy, by which the church had
become permeated before Constantine threw about it the
mantle of imperial protection and emblazoned it with the
insignia of state, now was roused to increased activity as the
leaven of Satan's own culture flourished under the conditions
most favorable for such fungoid growth.
c See "The Great Apostasy," chaps. 4 and 5-
PAPAL CLAIMS TO SECULAR AUTHORITY. 747
The bishop of Rome had already asserted supremacy over
his fellows in the episcopate ; but when the emperor made
Byzantium his capital, and renamed it in his own honor,
Constantinople, the bishop of that city claimed equality with
the Roman pontiff. The claim was contested; the ensuing
dissension divided the church ; and the disruption has per-
sisted until the present day, as is evidenced by the existing
distincton between the Roman Catholic and the Greek Cath-
olic churches.
The Roman pontiff exercized secular as well as spiritual
authority ; and in the eleventh century arrogated to himself
the title of Pope, signifying Father, in the sense of paternal
ruler in all things. During the twelfth and thirteenth cen-
turies the temporal authority of the pope was superior to that
of kings and emperors ; and the Roman church became the
despotic potentate of nations, and an autocrat above all sec-
ular states. Yet this church, reeking with the stench of
worldly ambition and lust of dominance, audaciously claimed
to be the Church established by Him who affirmed: "My
kingdom is not of this world." The arrogant assumptions
of the Church of Rome were not less extravagant in spiritual
than in secular administration. In her loudly asserted con-
trol over the spiritual destinies of the souls of men, she blas-
phemously pretended to forgive or retain individual sins,
and to inflict or remit penalties both on earth and beyond
the grave. She sold permission to commit sin and bartered
for gold charters of indulgent forgiveness for sins already
done. Her pope, proclaiming himself the vicar of God, sat
in state to judge as God Himself ; and by such blasphemy
fulfilled the prophecy of Paul following his warning in rela-
tion to the awful conditions antecedent to the second coming
of the Christ : "Let no man deceive you by any means : for
that day shall not come, except there come a falling away
first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition ;
Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called
748 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 40.
God, or that is worshipped ; so that he as God sitteth in the
temple of God, shewing himself that he is God." d
In her unrestrained abandon to the license of arrogated
authority, the Church of Rome hesitated not to transgress the
law of God, change the ordinances essential to salvation,
and ruthlessly break the everlasting covenant, thereby defil-
ing the earth even as Isaiah had foretold/ She altered the
ordinance of baptism, destroying its symbolism and associat-
ing with it imitations of pagan rites ; she corrupted the
Sacrament of the Lord's Supper and befouled the doctrine
thereof by the vagary of transubstantiation ; a she assumed to
apply the merits of the righteous to the forgiveness of the
sinner in the unscriptural and wholly repellent dogma of
supererogation; she promoted idolatry in most seductive and
pernicious forms ; she penalized the study of the holy scrip-
tures by the people at large; she enjoined an unnatural state
of celibacy upon her clergy ; she revelled in unholy union
with the theories and sophistries of men, and so adulterated
the simple doctrines of the gospel of Christ as to produce a
creed rank with superstition and heresy ; she promulgated
such perverted doctrines regarding the human body as to
make the divinely formed tabernacle of flesh appear as a
thing fit only to be tortured and contemned ; she proclaimed
it an act of virtue insuring rich reward to lie and deceive if
thereby her own interests might be subserved ; and she so
thoroughly departed from the original plan of Church organ-
ization as to make of herself a spectacle of ornate display,
fabricated by the caprice of man/
The most important of the internal causes by which the
apostasy of the Primitive Church was brought about may be
d2 Thess. 2:3, 4.
elsa. 24:5.
a The false doctrine of "transubstantiation" is to the effect that the
bread and wine administered as emblems of Christ's flesh and blood in the
Sacrament of the Lord's Supper are transmuted by priestly consecration
into the actual flesh and blood of Jesus Christ. See "The Great Apostasy,"
8:16-19. As to "supererogation" see page 590 herein.
/ "The Great Apostasy," chaps. 6, 7, 8.
THE DARK AGES. 749
thus summarized: (i) The corrupting of the simple doc-
trines of the gospel of Christ by admixture with so-called
philosophic systems. (2) Unauthorized additions to the
prescribed rites of the Church and the introduction of vital
alterations in essential ordinances. (3) Unauthorized
changes in Church organization and government. 6 '
Under the tyrannous repression incident to usurped and
unrighteous domination by the Roman church, civilization
was retarded and for centuries was practically halted in its
course. The period of retrogression is known in history
as the Dark Ages. The fifteenth century witnessed the
movement known as the Renaissance or Revival of Learn-
ing ; there was a general and significantly rapid awakening
among men, and a determined effort to shake off the stupor
of indolence and ignorance was manifest throughout the
civilized world. By historians and philosophers the revival
has been regarded as an unconscious and spontaneous
prompting of the "spirit of the times" ; it was a development
predetermined in the Mind of God to illumine the benighted
minds of men in preparation for the restoration of the gospel
of Jesus Christ, which was appointed to be accomplished
some centuries later. 7 '
With the renewal of intellectual activity and effort in
material betterment, there came, as a natural and inevitable
accompaniment, protest and revolt against the ecclesiastical
tyranny of the age. The Albigenses in France had risen in
insurrection against churchly despotism during the thir-
teenth century ; and in the fourteenth, John Wickliffe of
Oxford University had boldly denounced the corruption of
the Roman church and clergy, and particularly the restric-
tions imposed by the papal hierarchy on the popular study
of the scriptures. Wickliffe gave to the world a version of
the Holy Bible in English. These manifestations of inde-
g "The Great Apostasy," 6:14, 15; for comprehensive treatment of the
subject see chapters 6 to 9 inclusive.
h Note 2, end of chapter.
750 JESUS THE CHRIST [CHAP. 40.
pendent belief and action the papal church sought to repress
and punish by force. The Albigenses had been subjected to
inhuman cruelties and unrestrained slaughter. Wickliffe was
the subject of severe and persistent persecution ; and though
he died in his bed the vindictiveness of the Roman church
was unsated until she had caused his body to be exhumed
and burned and the ashes scattered abroad. John Huss
and Jerome of Prague were prominent on the continent of
Europe in agitation against papal despotism, and both fell
martyrs to the cause. Though the church had become apos-
tate to the core, there were not lacking men brave of heart
and righteous of soul, ready to give their lives to the further-
ance of spiritual emancipation.
A notable revolt against the papacy occurred in the six-
teenth century, and is known as the Reformation. This
movement was begun in 1517 by Martin Luther, a German
monk ; and it spread so rapidly as soon to involve the whole
domain of popedom. Formal protests against the despotism
of the papal church were formulated by the representatives
of certain German principalities and other delegates at a diet
or general council held at Spires A. D. 1529; and the re-
formers were thenceforth known as Protestants. An inde-
pendent church was proposed by John, Elector of Saxony, a
constitution for which was prepared at his instance by Luther
and his colleague, Melanchthon. The Protestants were dis-
cordant. Being devoid of divine authority to guide them in
matters of church organization and doctrine, they followed
the diverse ways of men, and were rent within while assailed
from without. The Roman church, confronted by deter-
mined opponents, hesitated at no extreme of cruelty. The
court of the Inquisition, which had been established in the
latter part of the fifteenth century under the infamously
sacrilegious name of the "Holy Office," became intoxicated
with the lust of barbarous cruelty in the century of the
CATHOLICISM AND PROTESTANTISM. 751
Reformation, and inflicted indescribable tortures on persons
secretly accused of heresy.
In the early stages of the Reformation instigated by
Luther, the king of England, Henry VIII, declared himself
a supporter of the pope, and was rewarded by a papal be-
stowal of the distinguishing title "Defender of the Faith."
Within a few years, this same British sovereign was excom-
municated from the Roman church, because of impatient
disregard of the pope's authority in the matter of Henry's
desire to divorce Queen Catherine so that he could marry
one of her maids. The British parliament, in 1534, passed
the Act of Supremacy, by which the nation was declared
free from all allegiance to papal authority. By Act of Parlia-
ment the king was made the head of the church within his
own dominions. Thus was born the Church of England, a
direct result of the licentious amours of a debauched and in-
famous king. With blasphemous indifference to the absence
of divine commission, with no semblance of priestly succes-
sion, an adulterous sovereign created a church, provided
therein a "priesthood" of his own, and proclaimed himself
supreme administrator in all matters spiritual.
With the conflict between Catholicism and Protestantism
in Great Britain the student of history is familiar. Suffice
it here to say that the mutual hatred of the two contending
sects, the zeal of their respective adherents, their professed
love of God and devotion to Christ's service, were chiefly
signalized by the sword, the ax, and the stake. Revelling
in the realization of at least a partial emancipation from the
tyranny of priestcraft, men and nations debauched their
newly acquired liberty of thought, speech, and action, in a
riot of abhorrent excess. The mis-called Age of Reason,
and the atheistical abominations culminating in the French
Revolution stand as ineffaceable testimony of what man may
become when glorying in his denial of God.
Is it to be wondered at, that from the sixteenth century
752 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 40.
onward, churches of man's contriving have multiplied with
phenomenal rapidity ? Churches and churchly organizations
professing Christianity as their creed have come to be num-
bered by hundreds. On every side is heard in this day, "Lo,
here is Christ" or "Lo, there." There are sects named
from the circumstances of their origin as the Church of
England; others after their famous founders or promoters
as Lutheran, Calvinist, Wesleyan ; some are known by
peculiarities of doctrine or plan of administration as Meth-
odist, Presbyterian, Baptist, Congregationalist ; but down to
the third decade of the nineteenth century there was no
church on earth affirming name or title as the Church of
Jesus Christ. The only organization called a church existing
at that time and venturing to assert claim to authority by suc-
cession was the Catholic church, which for centuries had
been apostate and wholly bereft of divine authority or recog-
nition. If the "mother church" be without a valid priest-
hood, and devoid of spiritual power, how can her offspring
derive from her the right to officiate in the things of God?
Who would dare to affirm that man can originate a priesthood
which God is bound to honor and acknowledge? Granted
that men may and do create among themselves societies,
associations, sects, and even "churches" if they choose so to
designate their organizations ; granted that they may pre-
scribe rules, formulate laws, and devize plans of operation,
discipline, and government, and that all such laws, rules, and
schemes of administration are binding upon those who as-
sume membership granted all these rights and powers
whence can such human institutions derive the authority of
the Holy Priesthood, without which there can be no Church
of Christ ?
The apostate condition of Christendom has been frankly
admitted by many eminent and conscientious representatives
of the several churches, and by churches as institutions.
t This paragraph is in part a paraphrase of "The Great Apostasy,*'
10:21, 22.
APOSTASY AFFIRMED BY CHURCH OF ENGLAND. 753
Even the Church of England acknowledges the awful fact
in her official declaration of degeneracy, as set forth in the
"Homily Against Peril of Idolatry," in these words :
.
"So that laity and clergy, learned and unlearned, all ages,
sects, and degrees of men, women, and children of whole
Christendom an horrible and most dreadful thing to think
have been at once drowned in abominable idolatry ; of all
other vices most detested of God, and most damnable to
man; and that by the space of eight hundred years and
more."''
Let it not be concluded that through the night of the
universal apostasy, long and dark as it was, God had forgot-
ten the world. Mankind had not been left wholly to itself.
The Spirit of God was operative so far as the unbelief of
men permitted. John the apostle, and the Three Nephite
disciples/ were ministering among men, though unknown.
But through the centuries of spiritual darkness men lived
and died without the administration of a contemporary
apostle, prophet, elder, bishop, priest, teacher, or deacon.
Whatever of the form of Godliness existed in the churches
of human establishment was destitute of divine power.
The time foreseen by the inspired apostle had fully come
mankind in general refused to endure sound doctrine, but,
having itching ears, did they heap to themselves teachers,
after their own lusts, and verily had they turned away their
ears from the truth to follow after fables.' The first quarter
of the nineteenth century witnessed the cumulative fulfilment
of the conditions predicted through the prophet Amos : "Be-
hold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a
famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirs.t for
water, but of hearing the words of the Lord : And they shall
wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east,
/ Note 3, end of chapter.
k Pages 694 and 738.
/See 2 Tim. 4:1-4; also "The Great Apostasy," 2:30.
754: JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 40.
they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and
shall not find it." m
Throughout the period of apostasy the windows of
heaven had been shut toward the world, so as to preclude all
direct revelation from God, and particularly any personal
ministration or theophany of the Christ. Mankind had
ceased to know God ; and had invested the utterances of
prophets and apostles of old, who had known Him, with a
pall of mystery and fancy, so that the True and the Living
God was no longer believed to exist ; but in His place the
sectaries had tried to conceive of an incomprehensible being,
devoid of "body, parts, or passions," an immaterial nothing."
But it had been determined in the councils of heaven, that
after many centuries of benighted ignorance the world
should be illumined anew by the light of truth. Through
the operation of the genius of intelligence, which is the Spirit
of Truth, the soul of the race had been undergoing a prepar-
ation, like unto the deep plowing of a field, for the planting
of the gospel afresh. The principle of the mariner's com-
pass was revealed by the Spirit; the material embodiment
thereof was invented by man; and by its aid the unknown
oceans were explored. Toward the end of the fifteenth cen-
tury Columbus was led by the inspiration of God to the dis-
covery of the New World, whereon dwelt the degenerate
posterity of Lehi, a dark-skinned remnant of the house of
Israel the American Indians. In due time the good ships
Mayflower and Speedwell brought to the western world the
Pilgrim Fathers, as the vanguard of a host escaping from
exile and seeking a new home wherein they could worship
according to the dictates of their consciences. The coming
of Columbus and the later immigration of the Puritan Pil-
grims had been predicted nearly six hundred years before
Christ ; their respective missions had been as truly appointed
in Amos. 8:11, 12.
n See Church of England "Book of Common Prayer," "Articles of Re-
ligion" i. Note 4, end of chapter.
PREDICTIONS CONCERNING THE AMERICAN NATION. 755
unto them as has been the sending of any prophet with a
message to deliver and a work to do. The war between the
American Colonies and the Mother Country, and the vic-
torious issue thereof in the emancipation of the American
nation once and forever from monarchial rule, had been fore-
told as further steps in preparation for the restoration of the
gospel. Time was allowed for the establishment of a stable
government, for the raising up of men chosen and inspired
to frame and promulgate the Constitution of the United
States, which promises to every man a full measure of
political and religious freedom. It was not meet that the
precious seed of the restored gospel be thrown upon un-
plowed soil, hardened by intolerance, and fit to produce only
thorns of bigotry and rank weeds of mental and spiritual
serfdom. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the embodiment of
liberty ; it is the truth that shall make free every man and
every nation who will accept and obey its precepts.
At the appointed time, the Eternal Father and His Son
Jesus the Christ appeared to man upon the earth, and inaug-
urated the Dispensation of the Fulness of Times.
NOTES TO CHAPTER 40.
1. Cessation of Revelation on the Western Hemisphere.
"The eastern world had lost this knowledge of the Lord earlier
than the western hemisphere. Upon the land of North America,
four hundred years after the birth of our Savior and Master,
there stood at least one man who knew the Lord God Almighty
as a distinct personality, a Being capable of communicating
Himself to man. That man was Moroni, the son of Mormon,
whose testimony abides now and must abide through all the ages
to come." George Q. Cannon, Life of Joseph Smith, p. 21. See
B. of M., Moroni 10:27-34.
2. Results of the Great Apostasy Divinely Overruled for
Eventual Good. The thoughtful student cannot fail to see in
the progress of the great apostasy and its results the existence
of an overruling power operating toward eventual good, how-
ever mysterious its methods. The heart-rending persecutions to
which the saints were subjected in the early centuries of our
era, the anguish, the torture, the bloodshed incurred in defense
o See B. of M., 1 Nephi 13:10-13. Note 5, end of chapter.
JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 40.
of the testimony of Christ, the rise of an apostate church, blight-
ing the intellect and leading captive the souls of men all these
dread conditions were foreknown to the Lord. While we cannot
say or believe that such exhibitions of human depravity and
blasphemy of heart were in accordance with the divine will, cer-
tainly God willed to permit full scope to the free agency of man,
in the exercize of which agency some won the martyr's crown,
and others filled the flagon of their iniquity to overflowing.
Not less marked is the divine permission in the revolts and
rebellions^ in the revolutions and reformations, that developed
in opposition to the darkening influence of the apostate church.
Wickliffe and Huss, Luther and Melanchthon, Zwingli and Cal-
vin, Henry VIII in his arrogant assumption of priestly authority,
John Knox in Scotland, Roger Williams in America these and
a host of others builded better than they knew, in that their
efforts laid in part the foundation of the structure of religious
freedom and liberty of conscience and this in preparation for
the restoration of the gospel as had been divinely predicted.
The Great Apostasy, 10:19, 20.
3. Declaration of a General Apostasy by the Church of
England. The Book of Homilies, from which the quotation given
in the text is taken, was published about the middle of the sixteenth
century. The official proclamation of a universal apostasy was
made prominently current, for the Homilies were "appointed to
be read in churches" in lieu of sermons under certain conditions.
In the statement cited, the Church of England solemnly avers
that a state of apostasy affecting all ages, sects, and degrees
throughout whole Christendom, had prevailed for eight hundred
years prior to the establishment of the church making the decla-
ration. That this affirmation remains effective today, as both
confession and profession of the Church of England, ap-
pears from the fact that the homily "Against Peril of Idolatry"
and certain other homilies are specifically ratified and endorsed,
and withal prescribed "to be read in Churches by the Ministers
diligently and distinctly that they may be understanded of the
people." See "Articles of Religion" xxxv, in current issues of
Church of England, Book of Common Prayer.
4. The "Creed of Athanasius." At the Council of Nice,
convoked by the emperor, Constantine, 325 A. D., a formal state-
ment of belief concerning the Godhead was adopted. Later a
modification was issued, known as the "Creed of Athanasius," and
though the authorship is questioned, the creed has a place in the
ritual of some of the Protestant churches. No more conclusive
evidence that men had ceased to know God need be adduced than
the Athanasian Creed. As confessed by the Church of England
in this day, and as published in the official ritual (see Prayer
Book) "The Creed of Saint Athanasius" is this: "We worship
one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; neither confounding
the Persons : nor dividing the Substance. For there is one
Person of the Father, another of the Son : and another of the
Holy Ghost. But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and
NOTES. 757
of the Holy Ghost, is all one: the Glory equal, the Majesty co-
eternal. Such as the Father is, such is the Son : and such is the
Holy Ghost. The Father uncreate, the Son uncreate : and the
Holy Ghost uncreate. The Father incomprehensible, the Son
incomprehensible : and the Holy Ghost incomprehensible. The
Father eternal, the Son eternal : and the Holy Ghost eternal. And
yet they are not three eternals : but one eternal. As also
there are not three incomprehensibles, nor three uncreated : but
one uncreated, and one incomprehensible. So likewise the
Father is Almighty, the Son Almighty : and the Holy Ghost
Almighty. And yet they are not three Almighties : but one
Almighty. So the Father is God, the Son is God: and the Holy
Ghost is God. And yet they are not three Gods : but one God.
So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son Lord, and the Holy Ghost
Lord. And yet not three Lords : but one Lord."
Then follows this strange confession of what is at once
required by "Christian verity," and forbidden by the "Catholick
Religion" : "For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity :
to acknowledge every Person by himself to be God and Lord ;
so are we forbidden by the Catholick Religion: to say, There be
three Gods, or three Lords."
5. The Mission of Columbus and Its Results. Unto Nephi,
son of Lehi, was shown the future of his people, including the
degeneracy of a branch thereof, afterward known as Lamanites
and in modern times as American Indians. The coming of a
man from among the Gentiles, across the deep waters, was re-
vealed in such plainness as to positively identify that man with
Columbus; and the coming of other Gentiles to this land, out of
captivity, is equally explicit. The revelation is thus recorded by
Nephi to whom it was given : "And it came to pass that I
looked and beheld many waters ; and they divided the Gentiles
from the seed of my brethren. And it came to pass that the
angel said unto me, Behold the wrath of God is upon the seed of
thy brethren. And I looked and beheld a man among the Gen-
tiles who was separated from the seed of my brethren by the
many waters; and I beheld the Spirit of God, that it came down
and wrought upon the man ; and he went forth upon the many
waters, even unto the seed of my brethren, who were in the
promised land. And it came to pass that I beheld the Spirit of
God, that it wrought upon other Gentiles ; and they went forth
out of captivity, upon the many waters." (i Nephi 13:10-13).
The establishment of a great Gentile nation on the American
continent, the subjugation of the Lamanites or Indians, the war
between the newly established nation and. Great Britain, or "their
mother Gentiles," and the victorious outcome of that struggle
for independence, are set forth with equal clearness in the
same chapter.
758 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 41.
CHAPTER 41.
PERSONAL MANIFESTATIONS OF GOD THE ETERNAL
FATHER AND OF HIS SON JESUS CHRIST
IN MODERN TIMES,
A NEW DISPENSATION.
In the year of our Lord 1820 there lived at Manchester,
Ontario county, state of New York, a worthy citizen named
Joseph Smith. His household comprized his wife and their
nine children. The third son and fourth child of the family
was Joseph Smith Jr., who at the time of which we speak
was in his fifteenth year. In the year specified, New York
and adjacent states were swept by a wave of intense agitation
in religious matters ; and unusual zeal was put forth by min-
isters of the numerous rival sects to win converts to their
respective folds. The boy Joseph was profoundly affected
by this intense excitement, and was particularly puzzled and
troubled over the spirit of confusion and contention manifest
through it all. As our present subject has to do with him
specifically, and in view of the transcendent importance of
his testimony to the world, his own account of what ensued
is given herewith.
"Some time in the second year after our removal to
Manchester, there was in the place where we lived an un-
usual excitement on the subject of religion. It commenced
with the Methodists, but soon became general among all the
sects in that region of country. Indeed, the whole district
of country seemed affected by it, and great multitudes united
themselves to the different religious parties, which created
no small stir and division amongst the people, some crying,
'L,o, here !' and others, %o, there !' Some were contending
JOSEPH SMITH'S PERPLEXITY OVER SECTARIAN STRIFE. 759
for the Methodist faith, some for the Presbyterian, and some
for the Baptist.
"For notwithstanding the great love which the converts
to these different faiths expressed at the time of their con-
version, and the great zeal manifested by the respective
clergy, who were active in getting up and promoting this
extraordinary scene of religious feeling, in order to have
everybody converted, as they were pleased to call it, let them
join what sect they pleased yet when the converts began to
file off, some to one party and some to another, it was seen
that the seemingly good feelings of both the priests and the
converts were more pretended than real ; for a scene of
great confusion and bad feeling ensued; priest contending
against priest, and convert against convert ; so that all their
good feelings one for another, if they ever had any, were
entirely lost in a strife of words and a contest about opinions.
"I was at this time in my fifteenth year. My father's
family was proselyted to the Presbyterian faith, and four of
them joined that church, namely my mother Lyucy ; my
brothers Hyrum and Samuel Harrison; and my sister So-
phronia.
"During this time of great excitement, my mind was
called up to serious reflection and great uneasiness ; but
though my feelings were deep and often poignant, still I
kept myself aloof from all these parties, though I attended
their several meetings as often as occasion would permit.
In process of time my mind became somewhat partial to the
Methodist sect, and I felt some desire to be united with
them ; but so great were the confusion and strife among the
different denominations, that it was impossible for a person
young as I was, and so unacquainted with men and things,
to come to any certain conclusion who was right and who
was wrong,
"My mind at times was greatly excited, the cry and
tumult were so great and incessant. The Presbyterians
were most decided against the Baptists and Methodists, and
used all the powers of either reason or sophistry to prove
their errors, or, at least, to make the people think they were
in error. On the other hand, the Baptists and Methodists
in their turn were equally zealous in endeavoring to establish
their own tenets and disprove all others.
r
t60 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 41.
"In the midst of this war of words and tumult of opin-
ions, I often said to myself, What is to be done? Who of
all these parties are right ; or, are they all wrong together ?
If any one of them be right, which is it, and how shall I
know it?
"While I was laboring under the extreme difficulties
caused by the contests of these parties of religionists, I was
one day reading the Epistle of James, first chapter and fifth
verse, which reads : // any of you lack wisdom, let him
ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth
not; and it shall be given him.
"Never did any passage of scripture come with more
power to the heart of man than this did at this time to mine.
It seemed to enter with great force into every feeling of my
heart. I reflected on it again and again, knowing that if
any person needed wisdom from God, I did ; for how to act
I did not know, and unless I could get more wisdom than I
then had, I would never know ; for the teachers of religion
of the different sects understood the same passages of
scripture so differently as to destroy all confidence in settling
the question by an appeal to the Bible.
"At length I came to the conclusion that I must either
remain in darkness and confusion, or else I must do as James
directs, that is, ask of God. I at length came to the deter-
mination to 'ask of God/ concluding that if He gave wisdom
to them that lacked wisdom, and would give liberally, and
not upbraid, I might venture.
"So, in accordance with this, my determination to ask of
God, I retired to the woods to make the attempt. It was on
the morning of a beautiful, clear day, early in the spring of
eighteen hundred and twenty. It was the first time in my
life that I had made such an attempt, for amidst all my
anxieties I had never as yet made the attempt to pray
vocally.
"After I had retired to the place where I had previously
designed to go, having looked around me, and finding myself
alone, I kneeled down and began to offer up the desires of
my heart to God. I had scarcely done so, when imme-
diately I was seized upon by some power which entirely
overcame me, and had such an astonishing influence over
me as to bind my tongue so that I could not speak. Thick
THE GREAT THEOPHANY TO JOSEPH SMITH. 761
darkness gathered around me, and it seemed to me for a
time as if I were doomed to sudden destruction.
"But, exerting all my powers to call upon God to deliver
me out of the power of this enemy which had seized upon
me, and at the very moment when I was ready to sink into
despair and abandon myself to destruction not to an im-
aginary ruin, but to the power of some actual being from
the unseen world, who had such marvelous power as I had
never before felt in any being just at this moment of great
alarm, I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above
the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until
it fell upon me.
"It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered
from the enemy which held me bound. When the light
rested upon me I saw two personages, whose brightness and
glory defy all description, standing above me in the air.
One of them spake unto me, calling me by name, and said,
pointing to the other This is my beloved Son, hear him!
"My object in going to inquire of the Lord was to know
which of all the sects was right, that I might know which
to join. No sooner, therefore, did I get possession of my-
self, so as to be able to speak, than I asked the personages
who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects was
right and which I should join.
"I was answered that I must join none of them, for they
were all wrong; and the personage who addressed me said
that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight ; that
those professors were all corrupt; that 'they draw near to
me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me ; they
teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a
form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.'
"He again forbade me to join with any of them ; and
many other things did he say unto me, which I cannot write
at this time. When I came to myself again, I found myself
lying on my back, looking up into heaven.
"Some few days after I had this vision, I happened to
be in company with one of the Methodist preachers, who
was very active in the before mentioned religious excite-
ment; and, conversing with him on the subject of religion,
I took occasion to give him an account of the vision which
I had had. I was greatly surprised at his behavior; he
762 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 41.
treated my communication not only lightly, but with great
contempt, saying, it was all of the devil, that there were no
such things as visions or revelations in these days; that all
such things had ceased with the apostles, and that there
would never be any more of them.
"I soon found, however, that my telling the story had
excited a great deal of prejudice against me among pro-
fessors of religion, and was the cause of great persecution,
which continued to increase; and though I was an obscure
boy, only between fourteen and fifteen years of age, and
my circumstances in life such as to make a boy of no conse-
quence in the world, yet men of high standing would take
notice sufficient to excite the public mind against me, and
create a bitter persecution ; and this was common among
all the sects all united to persecute me.
"It caused me serious reflection then, and often has
since, how very strange it was that an obscure boy, of a little
over fourteen years of age, and one, too, who was doomed
to the necessity of obtaining a scanty maintenance by his
daily labor, should be thought a character of sufficient im-
portance to attract the attention of the great ones of the
most popular sects of the day, and in a manner to create in
them a spirit of the most bitter persecution and reviling.
But strange or not, so it was, and it was often the cause of
great sorrow to myself.
"However, it was nevertheless a fact that I had beheld a
vision. I have thought since, that I felt much like Paul,
when he made his defense before King Agrippa, and related
the account of the vision he had when he saw a light, and
heard a voice; but still there were but few who believed
him ; some said he was dishonest, others said he was mad ;
and he was ridiculed and reviled. But all this did not de-
stroy the reality of his vision. He had seen a vision, he
knew he had, and all the persecution under heaven could not
make it otherwise; and though they should persecute him
unto death, yet he knew, and would know to his latest
breath, that he had both seen a light, and heard a voice
speaking unto him, and all the world could not make him
think or believe otherwise.
"So it was with me. I had actually seen a light, and in
the midst of that light I saw two personages, and they did
OPENING OF THE LAST DISPENSATION. 763
in reality speak to me ; and though I was hated and perse-
cuted for saying that I had seen a vision, yet it was true ;
and while they were persecuting me, reviling me, and speak-
ing all manner of evil against me falsely for so saying, I was
led to say in my heart: Why persecute me for telling the
truth? I have actually seen a vision, and who am I that I
can withstand God, or why does the world think to make
me deny what I have actually seen? For I had seen a
vision ; I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could
not deny it, neither dared I do it, at least I knew that by so
doing I would offend God, and come under condemnation.
"I had now got my mind satisfied so far as the sectarian
world was concerned ; that it was not my duty to join with
any of them, but to continue as I was until further directed.
I had found the testimony of James to be true, that a man
who lacked wisdom might ask of God, and obtain, and not
be upbraided."
In this wise was ushered in the Dispensation of the Ful-
ness of Times. b The darkness of the long night of apos-
tasy was dispelled; the glory of the heavens once more
illumined the world; the silence of centuries was broken;
the voice of God was heard again upon the earth. In the
spring of A. D. 1820 there was one mortal, a boy not quite
fifteen years old, who knew as well as that he lived, that the
current human conception of Deity as an incorporeal essence
of something possessing neither definite shape nor tangible
substance was as devoid of truth in respect to both the
Father and the Son as its statement in formulated creeds was
incomprehensible. The boy Joseph knew that both the
Eternal Father and His glorified Son, Jesus Christ, were in
form and stature, perfect Men; and that in Their physical
likeness mankind had been created in the flesh. c He knew
further that the Father and the Son were individual. Per-
sonages, each distinct from the other a truth fully attested
a P. of G. P., Joseph Smith 2:5-26; also "History of the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints," vol. 1, pp. 2-8.
b Eph. 1:9, 10. Note 1, end of chapter,
c See page 151 herein; Note 5, end of chapter.
764 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 41.
by the Lord Jesus during His mortal existence, but which
had been obscured if not buried by the sophistries of human
unbelief. He realized that the unity of the Godhead was a
oneness of perfection in purpose, plan, and action, as the
scriptures declare it to be, and not an impossible union of
personalities, as generations of false teachers had tried to
impress. This resplendent theophany confirmed the fact of
a universal apostasy, with the inevitable corollary that the
Church of Christ was nowhere existent upon the earth. It
effectively dissipated the delusion that direct revelation from
the heavens had forever ceased ; and affirmatively proved
the actuality of personal communication between God and
mortals.
For the fourth time since the Savior's birth in the flesh,
the voice of the Father had attested the Son's authority in
matters pertaining to earth and man/ In this latter-day
revelation of Himself, as on the earlier occasions, the Father
did no more than affirm the fact of the Son's identity, and
command that He be obeyed.
"A MESSENGER SENT FROM THE PRESENCE OF GOD."*
For about three and a half years following the glorious
appearing of the Father and the Son to Joseph Smith, the
youthful revelator was left to himself, so far as further
manifestations from heaven were concerned. The period
was one of probation. He was subjected to the sneers of
youths of his age, and to aggressive persecution on the part
of older men, "who," as he very justly and somewhat accus-
ingly remarks, "ought to have been my friends and to have
treated me kindly, and if they supposed me to be deluded to
have endeavored in a proper and affectionate manner to have
reclaimed me."^ He pursued his usual vocation, that of
d For earlier instances, see pages 126, 371, and 725.
eP. of G. P., Joseph Smith 2:29-54, 59; also "History of the Church,"
vol. 1, pp. 10-16, 18.
/P. of G. P., Joseph Smith 2:28.
VISITATION OF MORONI TO JOSEPH SMITH. 765
farm work in association with his father and brothers, from
whom he received kindness, consideration, and sympathy ;
and in spite of raillery, abuse, and denunciation from the
community at large he remained firm and faithful in his
solemn avouchment that he had seen and heard both the
Eternal Father and Jesus the Christ, and that he had been in-
structed to join none of the contending sects or churches
because they were all fundamentally wrong.
On the night of the 2ist of September 1823, while en-
gaged in fervent prayer to God in the solitude of his cham-
ber, Joseph observed the room become illuminated until the
light exceeded that of a cloudless noon. A glorious person-
age appeared within the room, standing a little space above
the floor. Both the body of the visitant and the loose robe he
wore were of exquisite whiteness. Calling Joseph by
name he announced himself as Moroni, "a messenger sent
from the presence of God"; and informed the young man
that the I^ord had a work for him to do, and that his name
should come to be spoken of both for good and for evil
among all nations, kindreds, and tongues. The angel told of
a record engraven on plates of gold, which contained
an account of the former inhabitants of the American con-
tinent, and the fulness of the everlasting gospel as delivered
by the Savior to those ancient people ; and furthermore, that
with the record were a breastplate, and the Urim and Thum-
mim, which had been prepared by divine instrumentality for
use in translating the book. The place at which the plates
and the other sacred things were deposited was shown to
Joseph in vision, and so clear was the demonstration that he
readily recognized the spot when he visited it next day.
The angel quoted several passages from the Old and one
from the New Testament, some verbatim, and some with
small variations from the Biblical version. Joseph's state-
ment concerning the scriptures cited by Moroni is as follows :
.jrfO atli io yioJaiH" bus ;U-9S:S iWm2 rfqszot ,.<! .0 lo -<I u
.81 ,SI .qq ,1
766 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 41.
"He first quoted part of the third chapter of Malachi, and
he quoted also the fourth or last chapter of the same proph-
ecy, though with a little variation from the way it reads in
pur Bibles. Instead of quoting the first verse as it reads
in our books, he quoted it thus :
"For behold, the day cometh that shall burn as an oven,
and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall burn
as stubble; for they that come shall burn them, saith the
Lord of Hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor
branch.
"And again, he quoted the fifth verse thus: Behold, I
will reveal unto you the Priesthood, by the hand of Elijah
the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful
day of the Lord.
"He also quoted the next verse differently: And he
shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made
to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to
their fathers; if it were not so, the whole earth would be
utterly wasted at his coming.
"In addition to these, he quoted the eleventh chapter of
Isaiah, saying that it was about to be fulfilled. He quoted
also the third chapter of Acts, twenty-second and twenty-
third verses, precisely as they stand in our New Testament,
He said that that prophet was Christ ; but the day had not yet
come when they who would not hear his voice should be cut
off from among the people, but soon would come.
"He also quoted the second chapter of Joel, from the
twenty-eighth verse to the last. He also said that this was
not yet fulfilled but was soon to be. And he further stated
that the fulness of the Gentiles was soon to come in."*
The messenger departed, and the light disappeared with
him. Twice during the same night, however, the angel re-
turned, each time repeating what had been said at his first
appearing and adding words of instruction and caution. On
the next day Moroni appeared to the young man again, and
directed him to inform his father of the visitations and com-
mandments he had received. Joseph's father instructed him
gP. of G. P., Joseph Smith 2:36-41; and "History of the Church," vol.
1, pp. 12, 13.
RESTORATION OF THE AARONIC PRIESTHOOD. 76?
to obey the messenger's instructions and testified that they
were given of God. Joseph then went to the locality speci-
fied by the angel, on the side of a hill called in the record
Cumorah, and immediately identified the spot that had been
shown him in vision. By the aid of a lever he removed a
large stone, which proved to be the cover of a stone box
wherein lay the plates and other articles described by
Moroni. The angel appeared at the place, and forbade
Joseph to remove the contents of the box at that time. The
young man replaced the massive stone lid and left the spot.
Four years later, the plates, the Urim and Thummim,
and the breastplate were delivered into Joseph's keeping by
the angel Moroni. This Moroni, who now came as a resur-
rected being, was the last survivor of the Nephite nation;
he had completed the record, and then shortly before his
death had hidden away the same in the hill Cumorah,
whence it was brought forth through his instrumentality and
delivered to the modern prophet and seer, Joseph Smith,
September 22, 1827. That record, or, strictly speaking a
part thereof, is now accessible to all ; it has been translated
through divine instrumentality and is now published in many
languages as the Book of Mormon.^
AARONIC PRIESTHOOD CONFERRED BY JOHN TH BAPTIST.
On the 1 5th of May, 1829, Joseph Smith and his scribe
in the work of translating the Nephite record, Oliver Cow-
dery, retired to a secluded glade to pray. Their special
purpose was to inquire of the Lord concerning the ordinance
of baptism for the remission of sins, some account of which
they had found on the plates. Joseph writes :
"While we were thus employed, praying and calling upon
the Lord, a messenger from heaven descended in a cloud
of light, and having laid his hands upon us, he ordained us,
saying :
h See B. of M.. Mormon 6:6; Moroni 10:2.
768 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 41.
"Upon you my fellow servants, in the name of Messiah,
I confer the Priesthood of Aaron, which holds the keys of
the ministering of angels, and of the Gospel of repentance,
and of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; and
this shall never be taken again from the earth, until the sons
of Levi do offer again an offering unto the Lord in right-*
eousness."
The angelic visitor stated that his name was John, the
same who is designated in the New Testament, John the
Baptist; and that he had acted in ordaining the two under
the direction of Peter, James, and John, who held the keys
of the Higher or Melchizedek Priesthood. He explained
that the Aaronic Priesthood did not comprize "the power of
laying on hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost"/ but he
predicted that the Higher Priesthood, having this power,
would be conferred later. By his express direction, Joseph
baptized Oliver, and the latter in turn baptized Joseph, by
immersion in water.
THE MELCHIZEDEK PRIESTHOOD CONFERRED BY
PETER, JAMES, AND JOHN.
Shortly after their ordination to the Lesser or Aaronic
Priesthood, Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery were visited
by the presiding apostles of old, Peter, James, and John,
who conferred upon them the Melchizedek Priesthood and
ordained them to the Holy Apostleship. In a later revela-
tion the Lord Jesus thus specifically acknowledges the re-
spective ordinations as having been done by His will and
commandment :
"Which John I have sent unto you, my servants, Joseph
Smith, jun., and Oliver Cowdery, to ordain you unto this
first priesthood which you have received, that you might be
called and ordained even as Aaron And also
with Peter, and James, and John, whom I have sent unto
*P. of G. P., Joseph Smith 2:68, 69; Doc. and Cov. sec. 13; "History of
the Church," vol. 1, p. 39.
j Notes 2 and 6. end of chanter.
THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS. 769
you, by whom I have ordained you and confirmed you to be
apostles, and especial witnesses of my name, and bear the
keys of your ministry, and of the same things which I re-
vealed unto them : Unto whom I have committed the keys of
my kingdom, and a dispensation of the gospel jfor the last
times ; and for the fulness of times, in the which I will gather
together in one all things, both which are in heaven, and
which are on the earth." k
ESTABLISHMENT OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF
LATTER-DAY SAINTS.
On the sixth day of April A. D. 1830, the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was formally organized, at
Fayette, Seneca county, New York, in accordance with the
secular law governing the establishment of religious asso-
ciations. The persons actually participating in the organiza-
tion numbered but six, such being the minimum required by
law in such an undertaking ; many others were present how-
ever, some of whom had already received the ordinance of
baptism for the remission of sins. By revelation to Joseph
Smith, the Lord had previously specified the day on which
the organization was to be effected, and had made known
His plan of Church government with detailed instructions
as to the requisite conditions for membership ; the indispen-
sability of baptism by immersion, and the precise manner in
which the initiatory ordinance was to be administered; the
manner of confirming baptized believers as members of the
Church ; the duties of elders, priests, teachers, and deacons
in the Church; the exact procedure to be followed in the
administration of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper; the
order of Church discipline, and the method of transferring
members from one branch to another. 7 The baptized con-
verts present at the organization were called upon to express
their acceptance or rejection of Joseph Smith and Oliver
Cowdery as elders in the Church; and in accordance with
&Doc. and Cov. 27: 8, 12, 13.
/ Doc. and Cov. sec. 20.
JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 41.
the unanimous vote in the affirmative the ordination or set-
ting apart of these two men as respectively first and second
elder in the new organization was performed.
While the Book of Mormon had been in course of trans-
lation, particularly during the two years immediately pre-
ceding the organization of the Church, several revelations
had been given through Joseph the prophet and seer, relat-
ing to the work of translation and to the preparatory labor
necessary to the establishment of the Church as an institu-
tion among men. The Author of these several revelations
declared Himself definitely to be Jesus Christ, God, the Son
of God, the Redeemer, the Light and Life of the World,
Alpha and Omega, Christ the Lord, the Lord and Savior."
As early as A. D. 1829, the calling of the Twelve Apostles
was indicated, and appointment was made for the searching
out of the Twelve who should stand before the world as
special witnesses of the Christ; these were subsequently
ordained to the Holy Apostleship, and the council or quorum
of the Twelve has been recognized, and instructions con-
cerning their exalted duties have been given, in numerous
revelations of later dates.
In such manner has the Church of Jesus Christ been re-
established upon the earth, with all the powers and authority
pertaining to the Holy Priesthood as committed by the Lord
Jesus to His apostles in the period of His personal ministry.
The inauguration of a new dispensation of the gospel, with
a restoration of the Priesthood, was absolutely necessary ;
since through the apostasy of the Primitive Church there
lived not a man empowered to speak or administer in the
name of God or His Christ. John the Revelator saw in his
vision of the last days an angel bringing anew "the everlast-
ing gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and
m Doc. and Cov. 20:2, 3; compare 21:11; see also "History of the
Church." vol. 1, pp. 40, 41. Note 3, end of chapter.
Doc. and Cov. sections 5, 6, 8, 10-12, 14-20.
oDoc. and Cov. 18:27, 31-36; 20:38-44; 84:63, 64; 9fi:4; 107:23-25; 112:1,
14, 21; 118; 124:127-130.
MODERN REVELATION FROM GOD TO MAN. 771
to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying
with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him ; for the
hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made
heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters."^
Such an angelic embassage would have been but a need-
less and empty display, and therefore an impossibility, had
the everlasting gospel remained upon the earth with its pow-
ers of priesthood perpetuated by succession. The scriptural
assurances of a restoration in the last days through direct
bestow.al from the heavens is conclusive proof of the actu-
ality of the universal apostasy. Moroni came to Joseph
Smith as "a messenger sent from the presence of God/'
and delivered a record containing "the fulness of the ever-
lasting gospel," as it had been imparted to the Lord's people
in ancient times; and the world-wide distribution of the
Book of Mormon, and of other publications embodying the
revealed word in modern times, and the ministry of thou-
sands who labor in the authority of the Holy Priesthood
combine as the loud voice addressed to every nation, crying :
"Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judg-
ment is come."
FURTHER COMMUNICATIONS FROM THU HEAVUNS TO MAN.
Following the organization of the Church as heretofore
described, direct communication between the Lord Jesus
Christ and His prophet Joseph was frequent, as the needs of
the Church required. Numerous revelations were given,
and these are accessible to all who will read. 9 A marvelous
manifestation was granted to the prophet and his associate
in the presidency of the Church, Sidney Rigdon, the record
of which appears as follows :
"We, Joseph Smith, jun., and Sidney Rigdon, being in
the Spirit on the sixteenth of February, in the year of our
/>Rev. 14:6, 7.
q See Doctrine and Covenants, and "History of the Church."
TO JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 41.
Lord, one thousand eight hundred and thirty-two, by the
power of the Spirit our eyes were opened and our under-
standings were enlightened, so as to see and understand the
things of God even those things which were from the be-
ginning before the world was, which were ordained of the
Father, through his Only Begotten Son, who was in the
bosom of the Father, even from the beginning, of whom we
bear record, and the record which we bear is the fulness of
the gospel of Jesus Christ, who is the Son, whom we saw
and with whom we conversed in the heavenly vision; For
while we were doing the work of translation, which the
Lord had appointed unto us, we came to the twenty-ninth
verse of the fifth chapter of John, which was given unto us
as follows. Speaking of the resurrection of the dead, con-
cerning those who shall hear the voice of the Son of Man,
and shall come forth ; they who have done good in the resur-
rection of the just, and they who have done evil in the resur-
rection of the unjust. Now this caused us to marvel, for it
was given unto us of the Spirit ; and while we meditated
upon these things, the Lord touched the eyes of our under-
standings and they were opened, and the glory of the Lord
shone round about ; and we beheld the glory of the Son, on
the right hand of the Father, and received of his fulness ;
and saw the holy angels, and they who are sanctified before
his throne, worshiping God, and the Lamb, who worship him
for ever and ever. And now, after the many testimonies
which have been given of him, this is the testimony last of
all, which we give of him, that he lives; for we saw him,
even on the right hand of God, and we heard the voice bear-
ing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father that
by him and through him, and of him the worlds are and
were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons
and daughters unto God." r
The vision was followed by further revelation both
through sight and hearing; and the Lord showed unto His
servants and proclaimed aloud the fate of the wicked and
the characteristic features of the varied degrees of glory
provided for the souls of mankind in the hereafter. The
rDoc. and Cov. 76:11-24; also "History of the Church" under date
specified.
MANIFESTATIONS IN THE KIRTLAND TEMPLE. 773
several states of graded honor and exaltation pertaining to
the telestial, the terrestrial, and the celestial kingdoms were
revealed, and the ancient scriptures relating thereto were
illumined with the new light of simplicity and literalness/
PERSONAL. APPEARING OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST IN THE
KIRTLAND TEMPLE.
In less than three and a half years after its organization
the Church began the erection of the first temple of modern
times at Kirtland, Ohio. The work was undertaken in com-
pliance with a revelation from the Lord requiring this labor
at the hands of His people. The Church membership was
small; the people were in poverty; the period was one of
determined opposition and relentless persecution/ Be it
understood that to the Latter-day Saints a temple is more
than chapel, church, tabernacle, or cathedral; it is no place
of common assembly even for purposes of congregational
worship, but an edifice sacred to the ordinances of the Holy
Priesthood distinctively and essentially a House of the
Lord. The temple at Kirtland stands today, a substantial
and stately building ; but it is no longer in possession of the
people who reared it by unmeasured sacrifice of time, sub-
stance, and effort extending through years of self-denial and
suffering. Its corner-stones were laid July 23, 1833, and
the completed structure was dedicated March 27, 1836. The
dedicatory service was made ever memorable by a Pente-
costal outpouring of the Spirit of the Lord accompanied by
the visible presence of angels. In the evening of the same
day the several quorums of priesthood assembled in the
house, and a yet greater manifestation of divine power and
glory was witnessed. On the succeeding Sunday April 3,
1836 after a service of solemn worship, including the ad-
Doc. and Cov. 76:25-119: also "The Articles of Faith," iv:29; and
xxii:18-27.
/See "The House of the Lord," pages 114-123.
26
774 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 41.
ministration of the Lord's Supper, the prophet Joseph and
his counselor, Oliver Cowdery, retired for prayer within the
veils enclosing the platform and pulpit reserved for the pre-
siding authorities of the Melchizedek Priesthood. They
bear this solemn testimony to the personal appearing of the
Lord Jesus Christ at that time and place :
"The veil was taken from our minds, and the eyes of our
understanding were opened. We saw the Lord standing
upon the breast work of the pulpit, before us, and under his
feet was a paved work of pure gold in color like amber. His
eyes were as a flame of fire, the hair of his head was white
like the pure snow, his countenance shone above the bright-
ness of the sun, and his voice was as the sound of the rushing
of great waters, even the voice of Jehovah, saying I am
the first and the last, I am he who liveth, I am he who was
slain, I am your advocate with the Father. Behold, your
sins are forgiven you, you are clean before me, therefore
lift up your heads and rejoice, let the hearts of your brethren
rejoice, and let the hearts of all my people rejoice, who have,
with their might, built this house to my name. For behold,
I have accepted this house, and my name shall be here, and
I will manifest myself to my people in mercy in this house,
Yea, I will appear unto my servants, and speak unto them
with mine own voice, if my people will keep my command-
ments, and do not pollute this holy house, Yea the hearts of
thousands and tens of thousands shall greatly rejoice in
consequence of the blessings which shall be poured out, and
the endowment with which my servants have been endowed
in this house; and the fame of this house shall spread to
foreign lands, and this is the beginning of the blessing
which shall be poured out upon the heads of my people.
Even so. Amen." u
After the Savior's withdrawal, the two mortal prophets
were visited by glorified beings, each of whom had officiated
on earth as a specially commissioned servant of Jehovah,
and now came to confer the authority of his particular office
u Doc. and Cov. 110:1-10; also "History of the Church" under date
specified. Note 4, end of chapter.
AUTHORITY OF EARLIER DISPENSATIONS RESTORED. 775
upon Joseph and Oliver, thus uniting all the powers and
authorities of olden dispensations in the restored Church of
Christ, which characterizes the last and greatest dispensa-
tion of history. This is the record:
"After this vision closed, the heavens were again opened
unto us, and Moses appeared before us, and committed unto
us the keys of the gathering of Israel from the four parts of
the earth, and the leading of the ten tribes from the land of
the north. After this, Elias appeared, and committed the
dispensation of the gospel of Abraham, saying, that in us,
and our seed, all generations after us should be blessed.
After this vision had closed, another great and glorious
vision burst upon us, for Elijah the prophet, who was taken
to heaven without tasting death, stood before us, and said
Behold, the time has fully come, which was spoken of by the
mouth of Malachi, testifying that he (Elijah) should be sent
before the great and dreadful day of the Lord come, to turn
the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the children to
the fathers, lest the whole earth be smitten with a curse.
Therefore the keys of this dispensation are committed into
your hands, and by this ye may know that the great and
dreadful day of the Lord is near, even at the doors." 2 '
baiirm er!T .nsJBJOMriief j i)o bits ;booii
JESUS THE CHRIST IS WITH HIS CHURCH TODAY.
Right gloriously has the Lord brought about a fulfilment
of the promises uttered through the mouths of His holy
prophets in by-gone ages to restore the gospel with all its
former blessings and privileges; to bestow anew the Holy
Priesthood with authority to administer in the name of God ;
to reestablish the Church bearing His name and founded
upon the rock of divine revelation ; and to proclaim the
message of salvation to all nations, kindreds, tongues, and
peoples. In spite of persecution both mobocratic and judic-
ially sanctioned, in spite of assaults, drivings, and slaugh-
ter, the Church has developed with marvelous rapidity and
strength since the day of its organization. Joseph, the
v Doc, and Cov. 110:11-16. Note 5, end of chapter.
776 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 41.
prophet, and his brother Hyrum, the patriarch of the Church,
were brutally slain as martyrs to the truth at Carthage,
Illinois, June 27, 1844. But the Lord raised up others to
succeed them; and the world learned in part and yet shall
know beyond all question that the Church so miraculously
established in the last days is not the church of Joseph Smith
nor of any other man, but in literal verity, the Church of
Jesus Christ. The Lord has continued to make known His
mind and will through prophets, seers, and revelators whom
He has successively chosen and appointed to lead His people ;
and the voice of divine revelation is heard in the Church
today. As provided for in its revealed plan and constitution,
the Church is blessed by the ministry of prophets, apostles,
high priests, patriarchs, seventies, elders, bishops, priests,
teachers, and deacons.^ The spiritual gifts and blessings of
old are again enjoyed in rich abundance.* New scriptures,
primarily directed to present duties and current develop-
ments in the purposes of God, yet which illuminate and
make plain in simplicity the scriptures of old, have been
given to the world through the channel of the restored priest-
hood ; and other scriptures shall yet be written. The united
membership of the Church proclaims:
"We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does
now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many
great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of
God.""
The predicted gathering of Israel from their long dis-
persion is in progress under the commission given by the
Lord through Moses. The "mountain of the Lord's house"
is already established in the top of the mountains, and all
peoples flow unto it; while the elders of the Church go
w/See "Plan of Government in the Restored Church," in "The Articles
of Faith," xi:13-32.
x See "Spiritual Gifts" in "The Articles of Faith," xn.
y No. 9 of "The Articles of Faith of the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints,"
THE HOLY PRIESTHOOD AGAIN OPERATIVE ON EARTH. 777
forth among the nations, saying : "Come ye, and let us go
up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of
Jacob ; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk
in his paths : for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the
word of the Lord from Jerusalem. "*
Within sacred temples, the living are officiating vicari-
ously in behalf of the dead; and the hearts of mortal chil-
dren are turned with affectionate concern toward their de-
parted ancestors, while disembodied hosts are praying for
the success of their posterity, yet in the flesh, in the service
of salvation.* 1 The saving gospel is offered freely to all, for
so hath its Author commanded. Through the medium of
the press, and by the personal ministrations of men invested
with the Holy Priesthood whom the Church sends out by
thousands, this Gospel of the Kingdom is today preached
throughout the world. When such witness among the na-
tions is made complete, "then shall the end come" ; and the
nations "shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of
heaven, with power and great glory."*
NOTES TO CHAPTER 41.
I. The Dispensation of the Fulness of Times. "Now the
thing to be known is, what the fulness of times means, or the
extent and authority thereof. It means this, that the dispensa-
tion of the fulness of times is made up of all the dispensations
that ever have been given since the world began, until this time.
Unto Adam first was given a dispensation. It is well known
that God spake to him with His own voice in the garden, and
gave him the promise of the Messiah. And unto Noah also was
a dispensation given; for Jesus said, 'As it was in the days of
Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the coming of the Son of
Man;' and as the righteous were saved then, and the wicked de-
stroyed, so it will be now. And from Noah to Abraham, and from
Abraham to Moses, and from Moses to EHas, and from Elias
to John the Baptist, and from then to Jesus Christ, and from
Jesus Christ to Peter, James, and John, the Apostles all having
received in their dispensation by revelation from God, to accom-
plish the great scheme of restitution, spoken by all the holy
zlsa. 2:2, 3; compare Micah 4:1, 2; see also Doc. and Cov. 29:8.
cSee "The House of the Lord," pp. 63-109.
bP. of G. P., Joseph Smith 1:31. 36; compare Matt 24:14. 30.
778 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 41.
Prophets since the world began; the end of which is, the dis-
pensation of the fulness of times, in which all things shall be
fulfilled that have been spoken of since the earth was made."
See Millennial Star, vol. 16, p. 220.
2. Limitations of the Aaronic Priesthood. After conferring
the Lesser or Aaronic Priesthood upon Joseph Smith and
Oliver Cowdery, the officiating angel, who had been known
while a mortal being as John the Baptist, explained that the
authority he had imparted did not extend to the laying-on of
hands for the bestowal of the Holy Ghost, the latter ordinance
being a function of the Higher or Melchizedek Priesthood. Con-
sider the instance of Philip, (not the apostle Philip), whose ordi-
nation empowered him to baptize, though a higher authority than
his was requisite for the conferring of the Holy Ghost; and con-
sequently the apostles Peter and John went down to Samaria to
officiate in the case of Philip's baptized converts (Acts 8:5, 12-17).
See Doc. and Cov. 20:41, 46.
3. Priesthood and Office Therein. It is important to know
that although Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery had been or-
dained to the Holy Apostleship, and therefore to a fulness of the
Melchizedek Priesthood, by Peter, James, and John, it was nec-
essary that they be ordained as elders in the Church. When
they received the Melchizedek Priesthood from the three ancient
apostles, there was no organized Church of Jesus Christ, and
consequently no need of Church officers, such as elders, priests,
teachers, or deacons. As soon as the Church was established,
officers were chosen therein and these were ordained to the re-
quisite office or grade in the Priesthood. Moreover, the principle
of common consent in the conduct of Church affairs was
observed in this early action of the members in voting to sustain
the men nominated for official positions, and has continued to
be the rule of the Church to this day. It is pertinent to point
out further that in conferring upon Joseph and Oliver the Aaronic
Priesthood, John the Baptist did not ordain them to the office of
priest, teacher, or deacon. These three offices are included in
the Aaronic, as are the offices of elder, seventy, high priest, etc.,
in the Melchizedek Priesthood. Read Doc. and Cov. 20:38-67;
The Articles of Faith, xi.
4. Modern Temples. The Lord's gracious promise given in
the Kirtland Temple to appear unto His servants at times then
future, and to speak unto them with His own voice, provided the
people would keep His commandments and not pollute that holy
house has been in no wise abrogated nor forfeited through the
enforced relinquishment of the Kirtland Temple by the Latter-
day Saints. The people were compelled to flee before the fury
of mobocratic persecution; but they hastened to erect another
and yet more splendid sanctuary at Nauvoo, Illinois, and were
again dispossessed by lawless mobs. In the valleys of Utah the
Church has erected four great temples, each more stately than
the last; and in these holy houses the sabred ordinances per-
taining to salvation and exaltation of both the living and the
NOTES. 779
dead are in uninterrupted progress. The temples of the present
dispensation, at the time of the present writing designated ac-
cording to location, are those of Kirtland, Ohio; Nauvoo, Illinois;
St. George, Logan, Manti, and Salt Lake City, Utah; Cards-
ton, Canada, and Laie, Hawaii. See The House of the Lord, pp.
63-232.
5. Consistency of the Church's Claim to Authority. The
proofs of order and system in the restoration of authority to
officiate in particular functions pertaining to the priesthood are
striking, and go to prove the continued validity, beyond the
grave, of authoritative ordination on earth. The keys of the
Aaronic order, comprizing authority to baptize for the remission
of sins, were brought by John the Baptist, who had been espe-
cially commissioned in that order of priesthood in the time of
Christ. The apostleship, comprizing all powers inherent in the
Melchizedek Priesthood, was restored by the presiding apostles
of old, Peter, James, and John. Then, as has been seen, Moses
conferred the authority to prosecute the work of gathering; and
Elijah, who, not having tasted death, held a peculiar relation to
both the living and the dead, delivered the authority of vicarious
ministry for the departed. To these appointments by heavenly
authority should be added that given by Elias, who appeared to
Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, and "committed the dispen-
sation of the gospel of Abraham." It is evident, then, that the
claims made by the Church with respect to its authority are com-
plete and consistent as to the source of the powers professed and
the channels through which such have been delivered again to earth.
Scripture and revelation, both ancient and modern, support as an
unalterable law the principle that no one can delegate to another
an authority which the giver does not possess.
6. Cessation of the Melchizedek Administration in Ancient
Times. The Higher or Melchizedek Priesthood was held by the
patriarchs from Adam to Moses. Aaron was ordained to the
priest's office, as were his sons ; but that Moses held superior au-
thority is abundantly shown (Numb. 12:1-8). After Aaron's death
his son Eleazar officiated in the authority of the Lesser Priest-
hood; and even Joshua had to take counsel and authority from
him (Numb. 27:18-23). From the ministry of Moses to that of
Jesus Christ, the Lesser Priesthood alone was operative upon the
earth, excepting only the instances of specially delegated authority
of the higher order such as is manifest in the ministrations of
certain Chosen prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and others.
It is evident that these prophets, seers, and revelators were indi-
vidually and specially commissioned; but it appears that they had
not authority to call and ordain successors, for in their time the
Higher _ Priesthood was not existent on earth in an organized
state with duly officered quorums. Not so with the Aaronic and
Leyitical Priesthood, however. The matter is made particularly
plain through latter-day revelation. See Doc. and Cov 84-23-28-
read the entire section; also The House of the Lord pp 235-238'
JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 42.
CHAPTER 42.
JESUS THE CHRIST TO RETURN.
IvORD'S SECOND ADVENT PREDICTED IN ANCIENT
SCRIPTURE.
"Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing 1 up into heaven?
this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven,
shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into
heaven."* So spake the white-robed angels to the eleven
apostles as the resurrected Christ ascended from their midst
on Olivet. The scriptures abound in predictions of the
Lord's return.
By the "second advent" we understand not the personal
appearing of the Son of God to a few, such as His visitation
to Saul of Tarsus, to Joseph Smith in 1820, and again in the
Kirtland Temple in 1836; nor later manifestations to His
worthy servants as specifically promised f but His yet future
coming in power and great glory, accompanied by hosts of
resurrected and glorified beings, to execute judgment upon
the earth and to inaugurate a reign of righteousness.
The prophets of both hemispheres, who lived prior to the
meridian of time, said comparatively little concerning the
Lord's second coming ; their souls were too full of the mer-
ciful plan of redemption associated with the Savior's birth
into mortality to permit them to dwell upon the yet more
distant consummation appointed for the last days. Certain
of them, however, were permitted to behold in vision the
working out of the divine purposes even to the end of time ;
and these testified with unsurpassed fervency concerning the
aActs 1:11.
b Papres 713, 715, 761, and 774; see also Doc. and Cov. 110:8; compare
36:8; 42:36; 97:15, 16; 109:5; 124:27; 133:2.
EARLY PREDICTIONS OF THE LORD'S SECOND COMING. 781
glorious coming of Christ in the final dispensation. Enoch,
the seventh from Adam, prophesied saying, "Behold the Lord
cometh with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment
upon all." c In a more extended account of the Lord's reve-
lations to Enoch than is included in the Bible, we read that
after this righteous prophet had been shown the scenes of
Israel's history, down to and beyond the death, resurrection
and ascension of Jesus Christ, he pleaded with God, saying :
"I ask thee if thou wilt not come again on the earth. And
the Lord said unto Enoch : As I live, even so will I come in
the last days, in the days of wickedness and vengeance, to
fulfil the oath which I have made unto you concerning the
children of Noah And it came to pass that
Enoch saw the day of the coming of the Son of Man, in the
last days, to dwell on the earth in righteousness for the
space of a thousand years. " d Isaiah, in rapturous contem-
plation of the eventual triumph of righteousness, exclaimed :
"Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not :
behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with
a recompence ; he will come and save you" ; and again :
"Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and his
arm shall rule for him : behold, his reward is with him, and
his work before him."^ The conditions specified were not
realized in the earthly life of the Redeemer ; moreover the
context clearly shows that the prophet's words are applicable
to the last days only the time of the ransomed of the Lord,
the time of restitution, and of the triumph of Zion.
Of all Biblical scriptures relating to our subject, the utter-
ances of the Christ Himself in the course of His earthly
ministry are most direct and certain. Many of these we
have already considered in the narrative of the Savior's life ;
the few following are sufficient for present demonstration.
cjude 14, 15; compare Gen. 5:18; see next reference following.
dP. of G. P., Moses 7:59, 60, 65. Note 1, end of chapter.
elsa. 35:4; and 40:10; see also Psalms 50:3; Mai. 3:1; 4:5, 6; compare
Note 1 on page 149 herein.
783 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 42.
"For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father
with his angels ; and then he shall reward every man accord-
ing to his works."/ To the apostles and the people generally
He proclaimed : "Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of
me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful genera-
tion; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when
he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."^
When a bound prisoner before proud Caiaphas, Jesus an-
swered the unlawful adjuration of the corrupt high priest,
by affirming: "I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the
Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming
in the clouds of heaven." 71
The apostles had been so impressed with the Master's
assurance that He would return to earth in power and glory,
that they eagerly questioned as to the time and signs of His
coming.* He stated explicitly, though at the time they
failed to comprehend Him, that many great events would
intervene between His departure and return, including the
long era of darkness associated with the apostasy.-' But
as to the certainty of His advent in glory, as Judge, and
Lord, and King, Jesus left no excuse for dubiety in the
minds of His apostles. After the ascension, throughout the
course of apostolic administration, the future coming of the
Lord was preached with earnest emphasis.*
Book of Mormon prophecies concerning the advent of the
Lord in the last days are specific and definite. On the occa-
sion of His appearing to the Nephites on the American
continent shortly after His ascension from the Mount of
Olives, Christ preached the gospel to assembled multitudes ;
"And he did expound all things, even from the beginning
/Matt. 16:27.
g Mark 8:28; compare Luke 9:26.
/-.Matt. 26:64.
iMatt. 24:3; Mark 13:26; Luke 21:7; Acts 1:6; compare page 149 herein.
/Matt. 24; see chapters 32 and 40 herein.
k See Acts 3:20, 21; 1 Cor. 4:5; 11:26; Philip, 3:20; 1 Thess. 1:10; 2:19;
3-13; 4:15-18; 2 Thess. 2:1, 8; 1 Tim. 6:14, 15; Titus 2:13; James 5:7, 8; 1
Peter 1:5-7; 4:13; 1 John 2:28; 3:2; Jude 14, etc.
THE LORD'S ADVENT AGAIN AFFIRMED. 783
until the time that he should come in his glory"; and the
events to follow, "even unto the great and last day." ; In
granting the wish of the three Nephite disciples who de-
sired to continue their ministry in the flesh throughout the
generations to come, the Lord said unto them :
"Ye shall live to behold all the doings of the Father, unto
the children of men, even until all things shall be fulfilled,
according to the will of the Father, when I shall come in my
glory, with the powers of heaven ; And ye shall never endure
the pains of death ; but when I shall come in my glory, ye
shall be changed in the twinkling of an eye from mortality to
immortality : and then shall ye be blessed in the kingdom of
my Father." m
THE COMING OF THE. LORD PROCLAIMED THROUGH MODERN
REVELATION.
To the Church of Jesus Christ, restored and reestablished
in these the last days, the word of the Lord has come re-
peatedly, declaring the actuality of His second advent and
the nearness of that glorious yet dreadful event. But a few
months after the Church was organized, the voice of Jesus
Christ was heard, admonishing the elders to vigilance and
proclaiming as follows :
"For the hour is nigh, and the day soon at hand when the
earth is ripe : and all the proud, and they that do wickedly,
shall be as stubble, and I will burn them up, saith the Lord
of Hosts, that wickedness shall not be upon the earth; for
the hour is nigh, and that which was spoken by mine apostles
must be fulfilled ; for as they spoke so shall it come to pass ;
for I will reveal myself from heaven with power and great
glory, with all the hosts thereof, and dwell in righteousness
with men on earth a thousand years, and the wicked shall
not stand." n
/B. of M., 3 Nephi 26:3, 4.
;;i B. of M., 3 Nephi 28:7, 8; see also 29:2.
n Doc. and Cov. 29:9-11.
784 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 42.
In the month following, the Lord gave instructions to
certain elders, concluding with these portentous words:
"Wherefore, be faithful, praying always, having your
lamps trimmed and burning, and oil with you, that you may
be ready at the coming of the Bridegroom : for behold, verily,
verily, I say unto you, that I come quickly. Even so.
Amen."
Again we read in a later revelation:
"And blessed are you because you have believed; and
more blessed are you because you are called of me to preach
my gospel, to lift up your voice as with the sound of a
trump, both long and loud, and cry repentance unto a crooked
and perverse generation, preparing the way of the Lord for
his second coming ; for behold, verily, verily, I say unto you,
the time is soon at hand, that I shall come in a cloud with
power and great glory, and it shall be a great day at the
time of my coming, for all nations shall tremble." *
The Lord Jesus addressed a general revelation to His
Church in March 1831, through which His earlier predic-
tions uttered to the Twelve shortly before His betrayal were
made plain, and the assurances of His glorious coming were
thus reiterated:
"Ye look and behold the fig-trees, and ye see them with
your eyes, and ye say when they begin to shoot forth, and
their leaves are yet tender, that summer is now nigh at
hand ; even so it shall be in that day when they shall see all
these things, then shall they know that the hour is nigh.
And it shall come to pass that he that feareth me shall be
looking forth for the great day of the Lord to come, even
for the signs of the coming of the Son of man : And they
shall see signs and wonders, for they shall be shown forth
in the heavens above, and in the earth beneath ; and they shall
behold blood, and fire, and vapors of smoke ; and before the
day of the Lord shall come, the sun shall be darkened, and
the moon be turned into blood, and stars fall from heaven ;
and the remnant shall be gathered unto this place, and then
oDoc. and Cov. 33:17, 18.
pDoc. and Cov. 34:4-8.
TODAY AND TOMORROW. 785
they shall look for me, and, behold, I will come; and they
shall see me in the clouds of heaven, clothed with power and
great glory, with all the holy angels ; and he that watches
not for me shall be cut off."
So near is the consummation that the intervening period
is called "today" ; and, in applying this time designation in
the year 1831, the Lord said:
"Behold, now it is called today (until the coming of the
Son of man), and verily it is a day of sacrifice, and a day
for the tithing of my people; for he that is tithed shall not
be burned (at his coming) ; For after today cometh the
burning: this is speaking after the manner of the Lord; for
verily I say, tomorrow all the proud and they that do wick-
edly shall be as stubble ; and I will burn them up, for I am
the Lord of hosts : and I will not spare any that remain in
Babylon. Wherefore, if ye believe me, ye will labor while
it is called today."'
TIME AND ACCOMPANIMENTS OF THE LORD'S COMING.
The date of the future advent of Christ has never been
revealed to man. To the inquiring apostles who labored
with the Master, He said: "But of that day and hour
knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father
only."-* In the present age, a similar declaration has been
made by the Father : "I, the Lord God, have spoken it, but
the hour and the day no man knoweth, neither the angels in
heaven, nor shall they know until he comes. "* Only through
watchfulness and prayer may the signs of the times be cor-
rectly interpreted and the imminence of the Lord's appearing
be apprehended. To the unwatchful and the wicked the
event will be as sudden and unexpected as the coming of a
thief in the nights But we are not left without definite
q Doc. and Cov. 45:37-44; compare this section with Matt. 24, and Luke
21:5-36. See also Doc. and Cov. 49:23-28.
rDoc. and Cov. 64:23-25.
s Matt. 24:36; compare Mark 13:32-37; see pages 575, 696 herein.
t Doc. and Cov. 49:7; the context shows that the words are those of
the Father.
ul Thess. 5:2; 2 Peter 3:10; compare Matt. 24:43, 44; 25:13; Luke 12:39,
40; page 575 herein.
786 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 42.
information as to precedent signs. Biblical prophecies bear-
ing upon this subject we have heretofore considered.*' As
later scriptures affirm : "Before the great day of the Lord
shall come, Jacob shall flourish in the wilderness, and the
Lamanites shall blossom as the rose. Zion shall flourish
upon the hills and rejoice upon the mountains, and shall
be assembled together unto the place which I have ap-
pointed.""' War shall become so general that every
man who will not take arms against his neighbor must of
necessity flee to the land of Zion for safety.* Ephraim shall
assemble in Zion on the western continent, and Judah shall
be again established in the east; and the cities of Zion and
Jerusalem shall be the capitals of the world empire, over
which Messiah shall reign in undisputed authority. The
Lost Tribes shall be brought forth from the place where God
has hidden them through the centuries and receive their
long deferred blessings at the hands of Ephraim. The peo-
ple of Israel shall be restored from their scattered condition.^
In addressing the elders of His Church in 1832, the Lord
urged upon them the imperative need of devoted diligence,
and said:
^t ^OJl Oi
"Abide ye in the liberty wherewith ye are made free;
entangle not yourselves in sin but let your hands be clean,
until the Lord come; For not many days hence and the
earth shall tremble and reel to and fro as a drunken man,
and the sun shall hide his face, and shall refuse to give light,
and the moon shall be bathed in blood, and the stars shall
become exceeding angry, and shall cast themselves down as
a fig that falleth from off a fig tree. And after your testi-
mony cometh wrath and indignation upon the people; For
after your testimony cometh the testimony of earthquakes,
that shall cause groanings in the midst of her, and men shall
fall upon the ground, and shall not be able to stand. And
also cometh the testimony of the voice of thunderings, and
v Page 573.
wDoc. and Cov. 49:24, 25.
*Doc. and Cov. 45:68-71.
yDoc. and Cov. 133:7-14, 21-35; "Articles of Faith," xviii and xix.
THE LORD'S COMING NEAR AT HAND. 787
the voice of lightnings, and the voice of tempests, and the
voice of the waves of the sea, heaving themselves beyond
their bounds. And all things shall be in commotion; and
surely, men's hearts shall fail them ; for fear shall come upon
all people ; And angels shall fly through the midst of heaven,
crying with a loud voice, sounding" the trump of God, say-
ing, Prepare ye, prepare ye, O inhabitants of the earth ; for
the judgment of our God is come : behold, and lo ! the Bride-
groom cometh, go ye out to meet him."*
A characteristic of present-day revelation is the reitera-
tion of the fact that the event is nigh at hand, "even at the
doors." The fateful time is repeatedly designated in scrip-
ture, "the great and dreadful day of the Lord." Fearful
indeed will it be to individuals, families, and nations, who
have so far sunk into sin as to have forfeited their claim to
mercy. The time is not that of the final judgment when
the whole race of mankind shall stand in the resurrected
state before the bar of God nevertheless it shall be a time
of unprecedented blessing unto the righteous and of con-
demnation and vengeance upon the wicked. & With Christ
shall come those who have already been resurrected; and
His approach shall be the means of inaugurating a general
resurrection of the righteous dead, while the pure and just
who are still in the flesh shall be instantaneously changed
from the mortal to the immortal state and shall be caught
up with the newly resurrected to meet the Lord and His
celestial company, and shall descend with Him. To this
effect did Paul prophesy: "Even so them also which sleep
in Jesus will God bring with him For the
Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with
the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and
the dead in Christ shall rise first : Then we which are alive
and remain shall be caught up together with them in the
xr Doc. and Cov. 88:86-92.
a Doc. and Cov. 110:14, 16; compare Joel 2:31; Mai. 4:5; B. of M., 3
Nephi 25:5.
b Doc. and Cov. 29:11-17.
788 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 42.
clouds, to meet the Lord in the air." c Compare the promise
made to the Three Nephites : "And ye shall never endure
the pains of death ; but when I shall come in my glory, ye
shall be changed in the twinkling of an eye from mortality
to immortality. " d Of the superlative glories awaiting the
righteous when the Lord shall come, we have received in this
day a partial description as follows : "And the face of the
Lord shall be unveiled; and the saints that are upon the
earth, who are alive, shall be quickened, and be caught up
to meet him."* The heathen nations shall be redeemed and
have part in the first resurrection/
THE: KINGDOM OF HEAVEN TO COME.
The coining of Christ in the last days, accompanied by
the apostles of old. 5 ' and by the resurrected saints, is to mark
the establishment of the Kingdom of Heaven upon earth.
The faithful apostles who were with Jesus in His earthly
ministry are to be enthroned as judges of the whole house of
Israel ;^ they will judge the Nephite Twelve, who in turn
will be empowered to judge the descendants of Lehi, or that
branch of the Israelitish nation which was established upon
the western continent.*
While the expressions "Kingdom of God" and "Kingdom
of Heaven" are used in the Bible synonymously or inter-
changeably, later revelation gives to each a distinctive mean-
ing. The Kingdom of God is the Church established by
divine authority upon the earth; this institution asserts no
claim to temporal rule over nations; its sceptre of power is
that of the Holy Priesthood, to be used in the preaching of
the gospel and in administering its ordinances for the salva-
tion of mankind living and dead. The Kingdom of Heaven
cl Thess. 4:14-17.
dE. of M., 3 Nephi 28:8; see page 738 herein.
<?Doc. and Cov. 88:95-98.
f Note 2, end of chapter.
g Doc. and Cov. 29:12.
h Doc. and Cov. 29:12; compare Matt. 19:28; Luke 22:30; page 479 herein.
iE. of M., 3 Nephi 27:27; compare 1 Nephi 12:9, 10; Mormon 3:18. 19.
KINGDOM OF GOD AND KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. 789
is the divinely ordained system of government and dominion
in all matters, temporal and spiritual ; this will be established
on earth only when its rightful Head, the King of kings,
Jesus the Christ, comes to reign. His administration will
be one of order, operated through the agency of His com-
missioned representatives invested with the Holy Priesthood.
When Christ appears in His glory, and not before, will be
realized a complete fulfilment of the supplication: "Thy
kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven."
The Kingdom of God has been established among men
to prepare them for the Kingdom of Heaven which shall
come ; and in the blessed reign of Christ the King shall the
two be made one. The relationship between them has been
revealed to the Church in this wise :
"Hearken, and lo, a voice as of one from on high, who
is mighty and powerful, whose going forth is unto the ends
of the earth, yea, whose voice is unto men Prepare ye the
way of the Lord, make his paths straight. The keys of the
kingdom of God are committed unto man on the earth, and
from thence shall the gospel roll forth unto the ends of the
earth, as the stone which is cut out of the mountain without
hands shall roll forth, until it has filled the whole earth ; Yea,
a voice crying Prepare ye the way of the Lord, prepare ye
the supper of the Lamb, make ready for the Bridegroom;
Pray unto the Lord, call upon his holy name, make known
his wonderful works among the people ; Call upon the Lord,
that his kingdom may go forth upon the earth, that the in-
habitants thereof may receive it, and be prepared for the
days to come, in the which the Son of man shall come down
in heaven, clothed in the brightness of his glory, to meet the
kingdom of God which is set up on the earth; Wherefore
may the kingdom of God go forth, that the kingdom of
heaven may come, that thou, O God, mayest be glorified in
heaven so on earth, that thy enemies may be subdued for
thine is the honour, power and glory, for ever and ever.
Amen."''
/Doc. and Cov. 65. For a fuller treatment of this subject as also the
distinction between Church and Kingdom, see "Articles of Faith," xx:18-26.
.790 JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 42.
THE MILLENNIUM.
The inauguration of Christ's reign on earth is to be the
beginning of a period that shall be distinct in many impor-
tant particulars f Tom all precedent and subsequent time ; and
the Lord shall reign with His people a thousand years. The
government of individuals, communities and nations through-
out this Millennium is to be that of a perfect theocracy, with
Jesus the Christ as Lord and 'King. The more wicked part
of the race shall have been destroyed ; and during the period
Satan shall be bound "that he should deceive the nations no
more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled"; while
the just shall share with Christ in rightful rule and dominion.
The righteous dead shall have come forth from their graves,
while the wicked shall remain unresurrected until the thou-
sand years be past. fe Men yet in the flesh shall mingle with
immortalized beings; children shall grow to maturity and
then die in peace or be changed to immortality "in the
twinkling of an eye." ; There shall be surcease of enmity
between man and beast; the venom of serpents and the
ferocity of the brute creation shall be done away, and love
shall be the dominant power of control. Among the earliest
revelations on the subject is that given to Enoch; and in
this the return of that prophet and his righteous people with
Christ in the last days was thus assured :
"And the Lord said unto Enoch : Then shalt thou and all
thy city meet them there, and we will receive them into our
bosom, and they shall see us; and we will fall upon their
necks, and they shall fall upon our necks, and we will kiss
each other ; And there shall be mine abode, and it shall be
Zion, which shall come forth out of all the creations which
I have made; and for the space of a thousand years the
earth shall rest. And it came to pass that Enoch saw the
day of the coming of the Son of Man, in the last days, to
dwell on the earth in righteousness for the space of a
thousand years." m
k Rev. 20:1-6; compare Doc. and Cov. 43:18.
/Doc. and Cov. 63:50-51; 101:30; compare 1 Cor. 15:51-57.
mP. of G. P., Moses 7:63-65.
THE MILLENNIUM. 791
In these latter days the Lord has thus spoken, requiring
preparation for the Millennial era, and describing in part
the glories thereof :
"And prepare for the revelation which is to come, when
the veil of the covering of my temple, in my tabernacle,
which hideth the earth, shall be taken off, and all flesh shall
see me together. And every corruptible thing, both of man,
or of the beasts of the field, or of the fowls of the heavens,
or of the fish of the sea, that dwell upon all the face of the
earth, shall be consumed; And also that of element shall
melt with fervent heat ; and all things shall become new, that
my knowledge and glory may dwell upon all the earth. And
in that day the enmity of man, and the enmity of beasts, yea,
the enmity of all flesh, shall cease from before my face. And
in that day whatsoever any man shall ask, it shall be given
unto him. And in that day Satan shall not have power to
tempt any man. And there shall be no sorrow because there
is no death. In that day an infant shall not die until he is
old, and his life shall be as the age of a tree, and when he
dies he shall not sleep, (that is to say in the earth,) but shall
be changed in the twinkling of an eye, and shall be caught
up, and his rest shall be glorious. Yea, verily I say unto
you, in that day when the Lord shall come, he shall reveal
all things.""
The Millennium is to precede the time designated in
scriptural phrase "the end of the world." When the
thousand years are passed, Satan shall be loosed for a little
season, and the final test of man's integrity to God shall
ensue. Such as are prone to impurity of heart shall yield
to temptation while the righteous shall endure to the end. A
revelation to this effect was given the Church in 1831, in
part as follows :
"For the great Millennium, of which I have spoken by
the mouth of my servants, shall come ; For Satan shall be
bound, and when he is loosed again, he shall only reign for a
little season, and then cometh the end of the earth; And
he that liveth in righteousness shall be changed in the twink-
n Doc. and Cov. 101:23-32; compare Isa. 65:17-25 and 11:6-9; see also
Doc. and Cov. 29:11, 22; 43:30; 63:51.
oRev. 20:7-15.
JESUS THE CHRIST. [CHAP. 42.
ling of an eye, and the earth shall pass away so as by fire ;
And the wicked shall go away into unquenchable fire, and
their end no man knoweth on earth, nor ever shall know,
until they come before me in judgment. Hearken ye to
these words : Behold, I am Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the
world. Treasure these things up in your, hearts, and let the
solemnities of eternity rest upon your minds."^
THE CELESTIAL CONSUMMATION.
The vanquishment of Satan and his hosts shall be com-
plete. The dead, small and great, all who have breathed
the breath of life on earth, shall be resurrected every soul
that has tabernacled in flesh, whether good or evil and
shall stand before God, to be judged according to the record
as written in the books.? So shall be brought to glorious
consummation the mission of the Christ. "Then cometh the
end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God,
even the Father ; when he shall have put down all rule and
all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put
all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be
destroyed is death. For he hath put all things under his
feet." r Then shall the Lord Jesus "deliver up the kingdom,
and present it unto the Father spotless, saying I have over-
come and have trodden the wine-press alone, even the wine-
press of the fierceness of the wrath of Almighty God. Then
shall he be crowned with the crown of his glory, to sit on
the throne of his power to reign for ever and ever."* The
earth shall pass to its glorified and celestialized condition, an
eternal abode for the exalted sons and daughters of God.*
Forever shall they reign, kings and priests to the Most High,
redeemed, sanctified, and exalted through their Lord and God
JESUS THE CHRIST.
pDoc. and Cov. 43:30-34. See also "Articles of Faith," xx:27-31.
gRev. 20:11-15.
rl Cor. 15:24-27.
j Doc. and Cov. 76:107, 108.
<Note 3, end of chapter.
NOTES. 793
NOTES TO CHAPTER 42.
1. Enoch, spoken of by Jude as "the seventh from Adam,"
was the father of Methuselah. In Genesis 5:24 we read: "And
Enoch walked with God; and he was not; for God took him."
From the Lord's revelation to Moses we learn that Enoch was
a mighty man, favored of God because of his righteousness, and
a leader of and revelator to his people. Through his agency a
city was built, the inhabitants of which excelled in righteous
living to such an extent that they were of one heart and one
mind and had no poor among them. It was called the City of
Holiness or Zion. The residue of the race were all corrupt in
the sight of the Lord. Enoch and his people were taken from
the earth and are to return with Christ at His coming. (P. of G.
P., Moses 7:12-21, 68, 69; compare Doc. and Cov. 45:11, 12.)
2. Heathen in the First Resurrection. "And then shall the
heathen nations be redeemed, and they that knew no law shall
have part in the first resurrection ; and it shall be tolerable for
them." (Doc. and Cov. 45:54.) Such is the word of the Lord
with respect to those benighted peoples who live and die in
ignorance of the laws of the gospel. This affirmation is sus-
tained by other scriptures, and by a consideration of the prin-
ciples of true justice according to which humanity is to be judged.
Man shall be accounted blameless or guilty according to
his deeds as interpreted in the light of the law under which he
is required to live. It is inconsistent with our conception of
a just God to believe Him capable of inflicting condemnation
upon any one for non-compliance with a requirement of which
the person had no knowledge. Nevertheless, the laws of the
gospel cannot be suspended even in the case of those who have
sinned in darkness and ignorance; but it is reasonable to believe
that the plan of redemption shall afford such benighted ones an
opportunity of learning the laws of God ; and, as fast as they so
learn, will obedience be required on pain of the penalty. See
Articles of Faith, xxi :33.
3. Regeneration of the Earth. In speaking of the graded
and progressive glories provided for His creations, and of the
laws of regeneration and sanctification, the Lord has thus spoken
through revelation in the present dispensation : "And again, verily
I say unto you, the earth abideth the law of a celestial
kingdom, for it filleth the measure of its creation, and trans-
gresseth not the law. Wherefore it shall be sanctified.; yea,
notwithstanding it shall die, it shall be quickened again, and shall
abide the power by which it is quickened, and the righteous shall
inherit it." (Doc. and Cov. 88:25, 26.) This appointed change,
by which the earth shall pass to the condition of a celestialized
world, is referred to in numerous scriptures as the institution of
"a new heaven and a new earth" (Rev. 21:1, 3, 4; B. of M., Ether
13:9; Doc. and Cov. 29:23).
INDEX
Aaronic Priesthood, restored by John
the Baptist, 768; its powers, 768.
Ablutions, ceremonial, 366.
Abraham, Children of, 409.
Abraham, Christ's seniority over, 410,
411.
Aceldama, the field of blood, 643.
Adam, the first man, 18; his trans-
gression, 19; revelation to, 44.
Adulteress brought to Christ, 405.
Adulterous generation of sign-seek-
ers, 270, 279, 359.
Agency, free, of unembodied spirits,
8, 17; of man, 17, 29.
American Indians, progenitors of, 49,
56, 742, 757.
Ananias, ministers to Saul, 714.
Andrew, follows Christ, 140; one of the
Twelve, 221.
Annas, high priest, 621, 643.
Announcement of Christ by the
Father, 39, 126, 371, 725, 761; of
Christ's birth to shepherds, 93. See
Annunciation.
Annunciation by Gabriel, to Zacharias,
76; to Mary the Virgin, 79; by
angel to shepherds, 93.
Antemortal Godship of Jesus Christ,
32.
Antemortal state, graded intelligences
in, 14.
Antipas, Herod, 110, 118, 446, 635.
Antonia, tower or fortress of, 441.
Apostasy, the great, 745; among Ne-
phites, 741.
Apostles, the Twelve, chosen and or-
dained, 217; individually consid-
ered, 218; general characteristics
of, 226; compared with disciples,
227; charged and sent forth, 327,
328; their return, 331; futile attempt
of to heal, 379; as stewards, 441,
576; Christ's final commission to,
695, 696; imprisoned, 707; delivered
by an angel, 707; scourged for their
testimony, 709.
Apostleship, 227, 228; restored in pres-
ent dispensation, 769.
Apostolic ministry, the, 700; close of,
716.
Appearances of the risen Lord to mor-
tals before the ascension, 699.
Archelaus, 110, 118.
Arrest of Jesus, attempted but unac-
complished, 403; effected through
betrayal, 614.
Ascension, Christ's, 697.
Ass, Christ rides upon, 514; as pre-
dicted, 517.
Athanasius, creed of, 756.
Atonement, the, a vicarious sacrifice,
21.
Authority, in Holy Priesthood, 362; of
Elias and Elijah, 375; of Twelve,
attested, 392; of Christ, challenged,
530; Christ as one having, 249;
Christ's ascribed to Beelzebub, 265.
Baptism, by John the Baptist, 122.
163, 531; of Christ by John, 125;
enjoined upon Nephites by Christ,
725; mode of, 726; of Joseph Smith
and Oliver Cowdery, 768; as re-
quired in the Church today, 769.
Baptist, see John the Baptist.
Barabbas, 637.
Barnabas, sponsor for Saul or Paul,
714.
Bartholomew, see Nathanael.
Bartimeus, healed of blindness, 505.
Beatitudes, the, 230.
Beelzebub, Christ's authority ascribed
to, 265.
Benedictus, the, 78.
Bethany, Jesus at, 432, 448; the family
home at, 522.
Bethesda, Pool of, 206.
Bethlehem, birthplace of Christ, 92;
slaughter of children in, 100.
Bethphage, 513, 526.
Bethsaida, 258, 332, 346; Julias, 360.
Betrayal of Christ; foretold, 594; ef-
fected by Judas Iscariot, 614.
Betrothal, Jewish, 88.
Blasphemy, 201; Christ charged with,
193, 489; Christ falsely convicted of,
INDEX.
795
Blessing of children, 485; among Ne-
phites, 730.
Blindness, bodily and spiritual, 412,
416.
Bloody sweat, Christ's, 612; reality of
affirmed, 613, 620.
Book of Mormon, original of, 742, 767.
Bountiful, Land of, 724.
Bread of Life, Jesus Christ the, 340.
Bridegroom, friend of the, 171.
Brother of Jared, 12.
Burial of Jesus, 664.
Caesar, paying tribute to, 545; Jews
would have no king but, 641, 648.
Csesarea Philippi, coasts of, 368; Pales-
tina, 631.
Caiaphas, high priest; his inspired ut-
terance, 498; his tenure of office,
501; Christ before, 621; the apostles
before, 706.
Called and chosen, 540.
Calvary, 654, 667.
Camel and needle's eye, 478, 485.
Capernaum, 181, 186; our Lord's last
sermon in synagog at, 339.
Capitation tax, 383.
Celestial marriage, 564.
Cephas, see Peter.
Ceremonial ablutions, 366.
Child, as a little, 386; humility illus-
trated by a, 387.
Childlike and childish, distinction be-
tween, 387.
Children, precious in sight of God,
387; blessed by Christ, 475, 485; of
Nephites blessed by risen Lord,
729.
Chorazin, woe decreed to, 258.
Chosen or only called, 540.
Christ, see Jesus Christ.
Christ and Messiah, significance of
the titles, 36.
Christians, early persecutions of, 746.
Church discipline of individuals, 391.
Church of England, origin of, 751;
affirms great apostasy, 753.
Church of Jesus Christ; foundation of,
361; rapid growth of Primitive, 705.
707, 712; name of, 736; among Ne-
phites, 737; of Latter-day Saints,
establishment of, 769.
Churches of man's making, 752.
Circumcision, 88.
Clay, applied to blind man's eyes, 413.
Clearing of the temple, the first, 153;
the second, 527.
Cleopas, 685.
Coasts, as descriptive term, 368.
Coin, image and superscription on,
546, 563; in mouth of a fish, 385.
Columbus, Christopher, his mission,
754, 757.
Comforter promised, 603, 606; given,
702.
Commandment, the great, 549.
Common ownership, 705, 718.
Common people, attentive to hear
Christ, 529.
Confession, the great, 361.
Congenital blindness healed, 413.
Consent, common, observed in Primi-
tive Church, 702, 718; in the Church
today, 778.
Consistency of Church's claims, 779.
Conspiracy of Pharisees and Herod-
ians, 544.
Constantine the Great, gives state rec-
ognition to Christianity, 746.
Constitution of the United States, a
necessary preliminary to the res-
toration of the gospel, 755.
Consummation, the celestial, 792.
Contention forbidden, 726.
Corban, 352, 366.
Corner stone, Jesus the chief, 535, 706.
Cost, counting the, 452.
Council, the Jewish, see Sanhedrin.
Council in Heaven, primeval, 9, 15.
Court of the Women, in temple, 407,
422.
Cowdery, Oliver, ordained with Joseph
Smith, 767; witness of heavenly
manifestations, 774.
Creator, Jesus Christ the, 33.
Creed of Athanasius, 756.
Cross, figurative, 365; of Christ, borne
by Simon, 653.
Crucifixion, 655, 667; of Jesus Christ,
654; hour of, 668.
Cumorah, scene of last Nephite battle,
742; Book of Mormon plates taken
from, 767.
Cups and platters, ceremonial cleans-
ing of, 437.
Dark ages, the, 749.
796
INDEX.
Daughters of Jerusalem, Christ's la-
mentation over, 653, 666.
David, Son of, see Son of David.
Dead, gospel preached to, 24; minis-
tered unto by Jesus Christ, 672, 673;
missionary labor amongst, 674; vi-
carious labor for in Church today,
777.
Death, inaugurated by Satan, 20; over-
come by the atonement of Christ,
20; and resurrection of Christ pre-
dicted, 381, 382, accomplished, 662,
678.
Decapolis, 367; Jesus in coasts of, 356.
Dedication, feast of, 487, 499; Jesus at,
487.
Defilement, things that cause, 352.
Degeneracy, bodily, incident to the fall
of man, 19, 29.
Demoniacal possession, 183.
Demons, acclaim the Christ, 181, 310,
312.
Devil, Jesus charged as possessed of a,
401, 411.
Didrachm, 383.
Disciples and apostles, 227.
Disciples, instructed, 438, 461; require-
ments of, 452.
Discipline of individuals in Church,
391.
Disembodied spirits, Christ among, 670.
Dispensation of fulness of times, 777;
ushered in, 763.
Dives and Lazarus, 483.
Divorce and marriage, 473; views con-
cerning, 484.
Doctrine, test of the Lord's, 400, 421;
Christ's, as declared to Nephites,
726.
Dogs that eat of the crumbs, 367.
Door to the sheepfold, Christ the, 417.
Dove, sign of, 126, 150.
Dust, shaking from feet as a testi-
mony, 345.
Earth, regeneration of, 322, 793.
Eating, spiritual symbolism of, 343, 347;
with unwashen hands, 351.
Ecce Homo, 639.
Egypt, flight into, 100; return from, 110.
Elders and high priests, 644.
Elias, John Baptist an, 374; and Elijah,
375; spirit and power of, 376; ap-
pearing of in Kirtland Temple, 775.
Elijah, and Moses at transfiguration,
371; and Elias, 375; appearance of
in Kirtland Temple, 775.
Elisabeth, mother of John the Baptist,
75, 78; visited by Mary the Virgin,
82.
Elohim, 38.
Emmaus, Christ and two disciples
journey to, 685.
Enoch, 44, 143, 793; promise to, relat-
ing to Christ's second coming, 790.
Enrolment at Bethlehem, 91.
Ephraim, Jesus in retirement at, 498.
Essenes, 67.
Estate of man, first and second, 7.
Eternal Father, The, a resurrected,
exalted Being, 143, 151.
Eve, beguiled by Satan, 19.
Evenings, earlier and later, 346.
Faith, active, as compared with pass-
ive belief, 319; a gift from God, 347;
quality of, 381; nothing impossible
to, 395; in behalf of others, 395; as
to quantity and quality, 469; of
Nephites, strong, 733.
Fall of man 19; a process of bodily
degeneracy, 19; redemption from
wrought by Jesus Christ, 20, 31.
Fasting and prayer, power gained by,
381.
Father, the Eternal, proclaims the
Son, Jesus Christ, 126, 371; to Ne-
phites, 725; to Joseph Smith, 761.
Feast, of Dedication, 487, 499; of Tab-
ernacles, 400, 419; of the Passover,
112, 167; the traditional Messianic,
538.
Few or many to be saved, 445.
Fig tree, 541; cursed, 524; symbol of
Judaism, 527; and other trees, les-
son from, 754; as a type in modern
revelation, 784.
First may be last, 478.
Fishers of men, 197, 202.
Foreknowledge of God, not a deter-
mining cause, 18, 28.
Foreordination of Jesus Christ, 6.
Forgiveness, duty respecting, 391; un-
limited requirement of, 393; mu-
tual, 525.
Fox, Herod Antipas referred to as,
446, 636.
Free agency, of unembodied spirits,
INDEX.
'97
8, 17; of man, 17, 29.
Gabriel's annunciation, of John and of
Jesus, 75; to Mary the Virgin, 79.
Gadarenes and Gergesenes, land of, 323.
Galilean ministry, beginning of, 144;
close of, 398.
Galileans, 68; slain in temple courts, 441.
Galilee, sea of, 165; the risen Lord ap-
pears at sea of, 691, appears on
mountain in, 694.
Gamaliel, his advice to the council,
709; tutor to Saul of Tarsus, 712.
Genealogies of Christ, 85, 89.
Gennesaret, sea or lake of, 165.
Gentiles, 345; to become great on west-
ern continent, 733.
Gergesenes and Gadarenes, land of, 323.
Gethsemane, 620; Christ's agony in,
610; His arrest in, 614.
Goats and sheep, figurative, 584.
God's foreknowledge not a determin-
ing cause of action, 18, 28.
Godhead, three Personages in, 32.
Godship of Jesus Christ, antemortal, 32.
Golgotha, 654, 667.
Gospels, the four, 166; the synoptic, 166.
Graded conditions in the hereafter, 601.
Graded intelligences in antemortal
state, 14.
Great commandment, the, 549.
Greeks, as Gentiles, 345; certain ones
visit Jesus,. 518.
Happiness and pleasure, 231, 247.
Heathen to be redeemed; their part in
first resurrection, 793.
Hem of garment, 346.
Henry VIII, head of Church of Eng-
land, 751.
Herder, the hireling, 417.
Herod, the Great, 97, 106; temple of,
73; Antipas, 110, 118, referred to as
"fox," 446; Christ before, 635.
Herodians, 68; in conspiracy with Phar-
isees, 544.
Herodias, 259.
High Priestly Prayer, Christ's, 609.
High priests and elders, 644.
Holy Ghost, sin against, 269, 278; prom-
ised to apostles, 603; investiture of
apostles by, at Pentecost, 702.
Homily against Idolatry, affirming the
apostasy, 753.
Hosanna shout, 516, 523.
Hyrum Smith, martyred, 776,
I AM, 36; Jesus Christ, the, 411.
Image on the coin, 546, 563.
Indians, American, progenitors of, 49,
56, 742, 757.
Inquisition, court of the, 750.
Isaiah, Messianic predictions by, 46, 47.
Iscariot, see Judas Iscariot.
Israel and Judah, kingdoms of, 59.
Jacob's prophecy concerning Shiloh, 54.
Jahveh, see Jehovah.
James and John, sons of Zebedee, called,
198; members of the Twelve, 219;
minister with Peter in modern days,
219, 768; their aspiring desire, 503;
mother of, 521.
James, son of Alpheus, one of the
Twelve, 224.
Jared, brother of; his interview with
the unembodied Christ, 12.
Jaredites, 16.
Jehovah, significance of the name, 36,
41, 411.
Jeremiah, Messianic prophecies by, 47.
Jericho, 521.
Jerusalem, Christ's triumphal entry in-
to, 513; destruction of, predicted,
569, accomplished, 586; the Lord's
lamentation over, 560; daughters
of, Christ's lamentation over, 653,
666.
Jesus the Christ, as Man and Christ, I.
Jesus Christ, preexistence and foreor-
dination of, 6; the Only Begotten of
the Father in the flesh, 8, 13, 81 ; the
Word, 10; Word of God's power, 10;
His supremacy over Abraham, 11,
410, 411; His power over death, 22,
23, 418; antemortal Godship of, 32;
the Creator, 33; names and titles of,
35; predicted, 42; annunciation of,
79; the Babe of Bethlehem, 91; birth
of, 91; birth announced to shepherds,
93: circumcision and naming of, 95;
presentation in temple, 95; testimo-
ny of Simeon and Anna regarding,
97; birth made known to Nephites,
100; time of birth of, 102, 109; boy-
hood of, 111; in attendance at Pass-
over when twelve years old, 113;
with the doctors in the temple, 114;
of Nazareth, 117; baptism of, 125;
798
INDEX.
descent of Holy Ghost, upon, 126;
temptations of, 127; first clearing
of temple by, 154; an offender to
many, 254, 274; unique status of,
384; His brethren, interview with,
398; at the feast of Tabernacles, 399;
rejected in Samaria, 423; at the
home in Bethany, 448; blesses little
children, 475; the ennobler of wo-
man, 484; at feast of Dedication,
487; accused of blasphemy, 489; in
retirement at Ephraim, 498; pre-
dicts His death and resurrection,
363, 372, 381, 502, 518, 586; called Son
of David, 80, 86, 320, 354, 505, 515,
529; triumphal entry into Jerusa-
lem, 513; Prince of Peace, 517; vis-
ited by certain Greeks, 518; His
second clearing of temple, 527; His
authority challenged, 530; close of
His public ministry, 544; His lam-
entation over Jerusalem, 560; His
final withdrawal from temple, 562;
specific prediction of His death, 586;
foretells His betrayal, 594; His
agony in Gethsemane, 610; His be-
trayal and arrest, 614; Jewish trial
of, 621; falsely convicted of blas-
phemy, 629; appearance before Pi-
late, first, 631, second, 636; before
Herod Antipas, 635; delivered up to
be crucified, 639; His crucifixion,
654; His burial, 684; physical cause
of death of, 668; after resurrection
appears to Mary Magdalene and
other women, 681 ; to two disciples
on road to Emmaus, 685; to ten
apostles and others, in whose pres-
ence He eats, 687; to Peter, 687; to
t.ne Eleven, 689; His ascension from
Olivet, 697; His death signalized on
American continent, 721; giver of
the law to Moses, 728; visitations
to Nephites, 724, 731, 736; ministers
to Joseph Smith, 761, 774; revela-
tions from in current dispensation,
770; second advent of, 780.
Jesus of Nazareth the King of the
Jews, 87, 90, 657.
Jewish exclusiveness, 61.
Jews, Christ the King of, 657.
John the Baptist, birth announced, 76;
circumcision and naming of, 78; the
forerunner, 75, 122; regarded as a
Nazarite, 87; in the wilderness, 121;
baptizes Jesus Christ, 125; his tes-
timony of Jesus, 138, 150, 164; his
message to Jesus, 252; Christ's tes-
timony concerning, 256; imprison-
ment of, 252; death of, 259; great-
ness of his mission, 275; the Elias
that was to come, 257, 276; restores
Aaronic Priesthood in modern time,
768.
John, son of Zebedee, follows Christ,
140; called, 198; one of the Twelve,
220; his testimony regarding the
graded development of Jesus, 119;
with Peter at sepulchre of Jesus,
679; to tarry in the flesh until
Christ's second coming, 694; the
Revelator, 716.
John and James, see James and John.
Joseph of Arimathea, assists in burial
of Christ's body, 664.
Joseph and Mary the Virgin, espoused,
84; married, 85; genealogies of, 85,
89.
Joseph Smith, 758; his perplexity over
sectarian strife, 759; his prayer
for light, 760; visited by the Father
and the Son, 761; persecution of,
762; visited by Moroni, 765; receives
Aaronic Priesthood, 768; receives
Melchizedek Priesthood, 768; again
visited by the Lord Jesus Christ,
774; visited by Moses, Elias and
Elijah, 775; martyred, 776.
Judah and Israel, kingdoms of, 59.
Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, 225;
his complaint against waste of oint^
ment, 512; in conspiracy with Jew-
ish rulers, 592; goes out to betray
Christ, 598: his betrayal of Christ,
614; his maddening remorse and
suicide, 642; views concerning his
character, 649.
Judas Thaddeus, or Lebbeus, one of
the Twelve, 224, 228; his inquiry,
603.
Judean and Perean ministry, 423, 449.
Judgment, the inevitable, 584.
Keys, of kingdom of heaven, 361; sym-
bolical of power in Jewish litera-
ture, 362.
King of the Jews, Christ the, 87, 90, 657.
Kingdom of God and kingdom of heav-
en, 788.
INDEX.
799
Kirtland Temple, scene of heavenly
manifestations, 773.
Lamanites and Nephites, 49, 55.
Lamanites, progenitors of American
Indians, 49, 56, 742, 757; promise
concerning, 786.
Lamentation over Jerusalem, 560.
Last may be first, 478.
Last Supper, the, 592.
Latter-day Saints, Church of Jesus
Christ of, 769.
Law, the, and the gospel, 234.
Law of Moses, rabbinical divisions of,
564; Christ the giver of, 728; ful-
filled, as Christ declared to Ne-
phites, 723, 728.
Lawyer questions Christ, 429.
Lawyers and Pharisees, Christ's criti-
cism on, 436.
Lazarus and Dives, 483.
Lazarus restored to life, 490.
Leaven, of evil, 359; of Pharisees and
Sadducees, 359.
Leper, Simon the, 511.
Lepers, ten healed, 470.
Leprosy, 189, 199.
Levi Matthew, see Matthew.
Levirate marriages, 548.
Light of the World, Jesus the, 407.
Living water, figurative, 403.
Lord's Day, the, 690.
Lord's doctrine, test of, 421.
Lord's High Priestly prayer, the, 609.
Lord's Prayer, the, 238.
Lord's Supper, Sacrament of the, 596.
Love, mutual, enjoined on apostles, 599.
Lucifer, see Satan.
Luther, Martin, 750.
Maccabean revolt, 60.
Magnificat, the, 83.
Magi, see Wise men.
Malachi, his predictions misunderstood,
149; fulfilled, 775.
Malchus, wounded by Peter, healed by
Jesus, 616.
Malefactor, the penitent, 659, 671.
Mammon of unrighteotisness, 463, 483.
Man, preexistence of, 6, 17; an embod-
ied spirit, 18; fall of, 19, 29; free
agency of, 18, 29.
Man of Holiness, and Man of Counsel,
names of the Eternal Father, 143.
Man, The Son of, 142.
Manna, traditions concerning, 347.
Mansions, many in the Father's house,
601.
Many or few to be saved, 445.
Marriage and divorce, 473.
Marriage for eternity, 564.
Marriages, levirate, 548.
Martha and Mary, 432; at house of
Simon the leper, 511.
Mary and Joseph, see Joseph and
Mary.
Mary anoints Jesus with spikenard,
512.
Mary Magdalene, defended against
traditional aspersions, 264; at sep-
ulchre, 679; first to behold the risen
Lord, 681.
Matthew, or Levi, called, 193; gives a
feast, 194; one of the Twelve, 222.
Matthias ordained to apostleship, 700.
Melchizedek Priesthood, Jesus Christ
holds the, 552; restored by Peter,
James and John, 768.
Meridian of Time, 57.
Messiah, see Jesus Christ.
Messiah and Christ, significance of
names, 36.
Messianic Psalms, 46.
Michael in conflict with Satan, 6.
Millennium, the, 790; predictions of,
ancient, 790, modern, 791.
Ministers and servants, 542.
Miracles, in general, 147; attitude of
science toward, 151.
Miracles of Christ: Water transmuted
into wine, 144; healing of noble-
man's son, 178; Peter's mother-in-
law healed, 183; demoniac healed in
synagog at Capernaum, 181; leper
healed, 188; palsied man healed and
forgiven, 190; draught of fishes, 198;
cripple healed at Bethesda pool, 206;
healing of man with withered hand,
214; healing of centurion's servant,
249; young man of Nain raised from
the dead, 251; healing of a blind and
dumb demoniac, 267; stilling the
tempest, 307; demons rebuked in
land of Gadarenes, 310; raising of
daughter of Jairus, 313; healing of
a woman in the throng, 317; blind
and dumb healed, 319; feeding of
the five thousand, 333; walking on
800
INDEX.
the water, 335; in the land of Gen-
nesaret, 337; healing of daughter of
Syro-Phenician woman, 354; heal-
ings in coasts of Decapolis, 356;
feeding of the four thousand, 357;
healing of blind man near Beth-
saida Julias, 360; healing of youth-
ful demoniac, 378; tribute money
supplied, 382; blind man healed on
Sabbath, 413; woman healed on Sab-
bath, 443; dropsical man healed,
449; ten lepers healed, 470; Lazarus
restored to life, 490; blind healed
near Jericho, 504; blighting of bar-
ren fig tree, 524; healings in the
temple courts, 528; Malchus healed
of wound, 616; second draught of
fishes, 691.
Missing scriptures, 117, 119.
Mission, of the Twelve, 328, 695; of
the Seventy, 425, 427.
Modern revelation, belief in, 776.
Mormon, Book of, 742, 767.
Moroni, last of Nephite prophets, 742;
an angel sent from God, 765; de-
livers ancient records to Joseph
Smith, 767.
Moses, repels Satan, 7; his prophecy
concerning Christ, 45, 138, 710, 766;
with Elijah at transfiguration, 371;
appearance of in Kirtland Temple,
775.
Mount of Olives, see Olivet.
Name, of Christ, power in, 390; in
Christ's, 602; of Christ's Church,
736, 769.
Names given of God, 40.
Nard, see Spikenard.
Nathanael, or Bartholomew brought to
Christ, 141; one of the Twelve, 222.
Nativity of Christ, a cause of discus-
sion, 402, 403.
Nazareth, boyhood home of Jesus
Christ, 110; our Lord's sermon in
synagog at, 179; His rejection by
Nazarenes, 180.
Nazarite, 67, 87; John Baptist re-
garded as, 87.
Need of a Redeemer, 17.
Needle's eye, and camel, 478, 485.
Neighbor, Who is my, 429.
Nephites, birth of Christ made known
to, 100; and Lamanites, 49, 55; as
sheep of another fold, 419; death of
Jesus signalized to, 721; visitation
of the risen Lord among, 724, 731,
736; Twelve called from among,
725; the Three, 738.
Nicodemus, visits Jesus, 158, 170; his
protest before Sanhedrin, 404; as-
sists in burial of Christ's body, 665.
Night, watches of the, 346.
Ninety and nine, and the lost sheep,
389.
Nobleman seeking a kingdom, 522.
Nunc Dimittis, the, 97.
Offenses and offenders, 274, 388.
Old cloth and old bottles, 195.
Olivet, (Mount of Olives) Christ's dis-
course to apostles on, 540, 569;
Gethsemane near, 611; the Lord's
ascension from, 697.
Oneness, of Godhead, 500; of Father
and Son, 602.
Papal claims to authority, 747.
Parables in general, 298; definitions,
303.
Parables of Christ: the Sower, 282;
Wheat and Tares, 280; Seed grow-
ing secretly, 288; Mustard Seed,
290; Leaven, 291; Hidden Treasure,
292; Pearl of Great Price, 293; Gos-
pel Net, 294; Lost Sheep, 389; Un-
merciful Servant, 393; Good Samari-
tan, 430; Friend at Midnight, 434;
Importunate Widow, or Unjust
Judge, 436; Foolish Rich Man, 439;
Barren Fig Tree, 443; Great Sup-
per, 450; Lost Sheep (repeated),
454; Lost Coin, 455; Prodigal Son,
457; Unrighteous Steward, 461;
Rich Man and Lazarus, 466; Un-
profitable Servants, 470; Pharisee
and Publican, 471; Laborers in
Vineyard, 479; Pounds, 508; Two
Sons, 532; Wicked Husbandmen,
533; Royal Marriage Feast, 536;
Ten Virgins, 577; the same re-
ferred to in modern revelation, 579;
Talents, 580; Pounds and Talents
compared, 581.
Parabolic teaching, Christ's purpose
in, 295.
Paradise, 672, 676; the penitent thief
in, 659, 671.
INDEX.
801
Passover, feast of, 112; Jesus at when
a Boy, 113; throngs attending, 167;
recurrences of during Christ's min-
istry, 365; the last eaten by Jesus,
593, 617.
Patmos, 720.
Paul, the Lord's manifestations to, 713,
715; his demeanor when smitten
contrasted with that of Christ, 644.
Pence and talents, value of, 396.
Pentecost, 702, 718.
Perea, the Lord's retirement in, 489.
Perean and Judean ministry, 423, 449.
Perfection, relative, 236, 248.
Persecutions of early Christians, 746.
Peter, James, and John, special wit-
nesses, 314, 370, 376, 611; officiate
in modern times, 219, 768.
Peter, Simon, brought to Jesus by An-
drew and named Peter, 140; called
from his boat and nets, 198; one of
the Twelve, 218; his confession of
Christ, 360; his presidency among
the apostles, 362; remonstrates with
Jesus and is rebuked, 364, 368; pro-
tests against washing of his feet by
Jesus, 596; his protestations of al-
legiance, 600; his assault on Mal-
chus, 616; his denial of his Lord,
629; with John at sepulchre, 679;
questioned by the risen Lord, 692;
manner of his death foreshadowed,
693; his Pentecostal address, 703;
heals lame man, 705; testifies to
people and rulers in temple, 706, 708;
with James and John officiates in
modern times, 219, 768.
Pharisees, and Sadducees, 65, 72; leav-
en of the, 359; humiliated by an un-
learned indigent, 415; with lawyers
criticized by Christ, 436; Jesus in
house of one of chief, 449; proud of
false humility, 465; with scribes,
denounced, 552.
Philip, called by Jesus, 140; one of
the Twelve, 221; asks to behold the
Father, 602.
Phylacteries, and borders, 565.
Physical cause of the Lord's death,
668.
Pilate, see Pontius Pilate.
Pilgrim Fathers, their mission pre-
dicted, 754, 757.
Pleasure and happiness, 231, 247,
Pontius Pilate, procurator, 631; hears
charges against Christ, 631, 636;
questions Jesus, 634, 640; sends
Christ to Herod, 635; tries to save
Jesus from death, 640; gives sen-
tence of crucifixion, 639; cause of
his surrender to Jewish clamor, 641,
648; writes inscription for the
cross, 656; gives body of Jesus for
burial, 664; allows guarding of
sepulchre, 665.
Pool, of Bethesda, 206, a cripple healed
at, 207; of Siloam, 403, 421; blind
man sent to wash in, 413.
Pope, the, 747.
Prayer, the Lord's, 238; the Lord's
High Priestly, 609; and fasting,
power developed by, 395; request
of disciples concerning, 434.
Precedence and humility, 503.
Predictions of Christ's birth, life and
death, 42; by Adam, 44; by Jacob,
44; by Moses, 45; by Job, 46; by
Isaiah, 46; by Jeremiah, 47; by
other Hebrew prophets, 48; by John
the Baptist, 48; by Nephite proph-
ets, 49, 722; of the Lord's death by
Himself, 363, 372, 381, 518, 586.
Preexistence of spirits, 6, 17; involved
in disciples' question, 412; of Jesus
Christ, 6.
Presidency, Peter's among apostles,
362.
Priesthood, Aaronic, see Aaronic
Priesthood; Melchizedek, see Mel-
chizedek Priesthood; the Holy, now
operative on earth, 777; and office
therein, 778.
Primitive Church, the, 705, 707, 712,
719.
Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ the, 517.
Prophet, predicted by Moses Jesus
Christ-^5, 138, 710, 733, 766.
Protestants, origin of, 750.
Psalms, Messianic, 46.
Publicans, 193, 201; and sinners, 193;
salvation for, 454; Zaccheus a chief
among, 506.
Rabbis, and scribes, 63, 71, 554.
Redeemer, need of, 17; essential quali-
fications of, 21.
Redemption wrought by Jesus Christ,
20, 31.
802
INDEX.
Reformation, the, 750.
Regeneration of the earth, 322, 793.
Repentant woman forgiven, 263.
Restoration, to mortal life contrasted
with resurrection, 316, 496; of the
Priesthood in modern times, 768.
Resurrection, universal, 24; distinct
from restoration to mortal life, 316,
496; Sadducean denial of, 72; Sad-
ducees question Jesus concerning,
547; of Jesus Christ, 678; false sto-
ries and untenable theories con-
cerning Christ's, 683, 698; heathen
in the first, 793.
Revelation, foundation of Church of
Christ, 361, 775; modern, belief in,
776.
Reward, for merit, assured, 479.
Rich men, and their stewards, 483;
difficulty of entering kingdom, 478.
Rigdon, Sidney, associated with Jos-
eph Smith, 771.
Rock of revelation, 361.
Ruler, the rich young, 477.
Sabbath, distinctively sacred to Israel,
203; Jesus Christ the Lord of the,
203; rabbinical requirements con-
cerning, 205, 215; desecration of
imputed to Jesus, 208, 214, 401, 413,
443; disciples charged with desecra-
tion of, 212; change of day from
Saturday to Sunday, 690.
Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, insti-
tuted among Jews, 596; on western
continent, 730, 733, 735.
Sacrifice, animal, antiquity of, 53; pro-
totype of Christ's atoning death, 45,
53.
Sadducees, and Pharisees, 65, 72; deny
resurrection, 72; question Christ
concerning resurrection, 547.
Saliva, applied to eyes of blind man,
360, 413.
Salome, daughter of Herodias, 259;
mother of James and John, 521.
Salt of the earth, figurative, 232, 248,
743.
Salvation, conditions of, 26.
Samaritan, woman talks with Jesus,
172; Christ called a, 41L
Samaritans, origin of, 62; and Jews,
animosity between, 183; Jesus re-
ceived gladly by, 176; afterward
rejected by, 423.
Sanhedrin, the, 61, 69; Nicodemus a
member of, speaks in behalf of Je-
sus, 404; unlawful trial of Jesus be-
fore, 621; the apostles before, 706;
Gamaliel's advice to, 709; Stephen
condemned by, 711.
Satan, Lucifer, a son of the morning,
7; in conflict with Michael, 6; cast
out from heaven, 8; commanded by
Moses, 7; would destroy man's
agency, 8; beguiles Eve, 19; intro-
duces sin and death, 20; tempts
Jesus Christ, 127; to be bound dur-
ing Millennium, 791; final vanquish-
ment of, 792.
Saul of Tarsus, his persecution of the
Saints, 712; his conversion, 713, 719;
his baptism, 714; beginning of his
ministry, 714; name changed to
Paul, 714.
Savior and Redeemer, necessary quali-
fications of, 21.
Scourging, 638; of Jesus, 639.
Scribes and Pharisees, 552; and rab-
bis, 63; see further, Pharisees.
Scriptures, lost, 117, 119.
Sea of Galilee, storms on, 321.
Second advent of Christ, 780; pre-
dicted anciently, 559, 781, in mod-
ern times, 783; signs of, 573, 786;
time of unknown, 575, 589, 785; near
at hand, 787; accompaniments of,
787.
Secular authority, submission to, 564.
Seed and crop, 519.
Sermon on the Mount, 230; repeated
in effect to the Nephites, 727.
Servants and ministers, 542.
Seventy, the, sent, 425; return of, 427.
Sheep and goats, figurative, 584.
Sheep, other than of Jewish fold, 419,
Nephite fold, 728; Lost Tribes an,
other fold, 729.
Shepherd, Christ the Good, 417.
Shepherds, angelic annunciation to, 93;
contrasted with sheepherders, 416.
Shewbread, 213, 216.
Shiloh, Jacob's prophecy concerning,
44, 54.
Signs, miracles as, 147, 696; seekers of,
270, 279, 358; of Christ's birth and
death shown on American conti-
nent, 100, 721. .
INDEX.
803
Silence, Christ's, when before Herod,
636.
Siloam, Pool of, 403, 421; fall of tower
at, 442.
Simon, Peter, see Peter; the leper,
510; the Pharisee, 261; of Cyrene,
653, 666; Zelotes, one of the
Twelve, 225.
Sin, brings death into the world, 20;
the unpardonable,, 269, 273; servi-
tude of, 409; and bodily affliction,
413.
Sinners, joy in heaven over repentant,
455.
Smith, Hyrum, sfte Hyrum Smith; Jo-
seph, see Joseph Smith.
Solomon's Porch, 487, 500, 705.
Son of David, title, applied to Joseph
of Nazareth, 84; to Jesus Christ, 80,
86, 354, 505, 515, 529; Christ's ques-
tion concerning, 552.
Son of God, The, proclaimed by the
Father, 126, 371, 725, 761.
Son of Man, The, 142.
Son of the morning, see Satan.
Spikenard, 523; Mary anoints Jesus
with, 512.
Spirit and power of Elias, 376.
Spirit of Truth, the Holy Ghost, 603.
Spirits, unembodied, 6, 8, 17; state of
between death and resurrection,
671; disembodied, Christ's mission
among, 670, 672, 677; world of, mis-
sionary labor in, 675.
Spiritual development, the one thing
needful, 433, 434.
Stater, 384.
Stephen, his zeal, 709; his address to
the council, 710; his martyrdom,
711.
Stewards, apostles likened . unto, 441,
576.
Stone, head of the corner Jesus
Christ 535, 706.
Supererogation, false doctrine of, 590.
Supper, at house of Simon the leper,
510; The Last, 592.
Sychar, 173, 186.
Synoptic Gospels, 166.
Tabernacles, feast of, 419; Jesus at the,
399.
Talents and pence, 396.
Talmud, 62, 70.
Targums, 179, 186.
Tax, capitation, 383.
Taxing, or enrolment, 104.
Temple, of Herod, 73; the Lord's body
symbolized as a, 157; Christ's first
clearing of the, 153; second clear-
ing of the, 527; tribute paid to, 396;
destruction of, predicted, 563, ac-
complished, 567; treasure of, 567.
Temples, modern, 778.
Test of the Lord's doctrine, 400, 421.
Tetrarch, 274.
Thirty years of age, 166.
Thomas, one of the Twelve, 223;
doubts the resurrection of Christ,
689; is convinced, 690.
"Thou art the Christ," 360.
Three Nephites, the, 738.
Tiberias, sea of, 165, the risen Lord
appears at, 691.
Tithing, day of, 785.
Titles, ecclesiastical, 566.
Today and tomorrow, special applica-
tion of terms, 785.
Tongues, as of fire, Pentecostal mani-
festations, 702.
Traditionalism, in opposition to the
law, 351.
Transubstantiation, false doctrine of,
748.
Transfiguration, the, 370, 376.
Transgressors, Christ numbered
among, 601, 655.
Treasure belonging to temple, 567.
Treasury of temple, 422.
Trial of Jesus, the Jewish, 621; ille-
galities of, 622, 644.
Tribes, of Israel, 59; the Ten, or Lost,
61, 729.
Tribute, the temple, 396; Christ pays
the, 382; to be rendered to Caesar
under IJLW, 545.
Triumphal entry into Jerusalem,
Christ's, 513.
Truth, shall make men free, 408.
Twelve, the, see Apostles; the Nephite,
725.
Tyre and Sidon, Jesus in borders of,
354.
Unbelief, effect of, 381.
Unity of Godhead, 500.
Unpardonable sin, 269, 278.
804
INDEX.
Vine, Christ the true, 604.
Vineyard and vines, Israel symbolized
by, 541.
Voice, in the wilderness, John the
Baptist, 121; from heaven, the
Father's, 126, 371, 519, 725; of Jesus
Christ from heaven to Nephites,
723.
War in heaven, 6.
Washing of feet, ordinance of, 595, 619.
Washings, ceremonial, 350, 366.
Watches of the night, 346.
Watchfulness enjoined, 575.
Water, living, 403.
Wedding garment, lacking, 539.
Western continent, ministry of Jesus
Christ on, 721.
Widow's mites, 561.
Wise men, the, 97; their adoration of
Christ. 99.
.
Witnesses, false, at trial of Jesus, 623.
Woes over Jerusalem, 515, 560.
Woman, a repentant, receives forgive-
ness, 263; one taken in sin, 405.
"Woman," as noun of address, 144.
Women, Christ the ennobler of, 484;
witnesses of the crucifixion, 659, 688;
at sepulchre of Jesus, 681; see' and
touch the risen Lord, 682.
Word, Jesus Christ, the, 10.
Yahveh, see Jehovah.
Zaccheus, 506.
Zacharias, the martyr, 560, 567.
Zacharias, the priest, visited by the
angel Gabriel, 76; stricken dumb,
77, 88; his speech restored, 78.
Zion, of Enoch, 719, 790; of the last
days, 786.
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