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 HHT 8U83T. fi in jju iiii<$DJLYi Diu lo riiod asiuiqiioS yloH oJ 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 3HT Yfl Q3H ^-YTHaV/T OKI?.: TK6 isAHCRfM^-fffiAkY rfoittrD arl) <>od arfT .natthw 8B?T4ff .8^nifi8 v^fib-isttfiyl io JahriD' dDnjibijjg srfi fti >!>. } oitenstoBtsrb PREFACE. -n x*k fcrasiq 3 J iwblo }o JhW vloH 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. gnibiaaiq arfJ mo iaswpsi isbrm z>\ 8rl >how bstelqmoo arfjr bn/5 jftaimiD sri) lo sabhi briB x 0fl3 ^^ 91< I teii^ ^rf* X^ bsvoiqqs si brtfi o) srft <-t3V9worf (_ 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 e'lailBrnfiO .b3 -,-. tirlocaiq ' IT .Jaoo 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. -Inl -jftifqaVI orfT 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 }o -AooS. .iaiJqsS v .1. ,rfJ0vcrtrihrf3fc^<^ ;unJ orf-j Mtffw i)oof]l>aO:eiH /Tr*iW ( v r r~.rrLev. 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. 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. 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. 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. 3edj 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. \ ;$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 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. ;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. JJMatt 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