Free Ebooks - THE DESIRE OF AGES by ELLEN G.WHITE

THE DESIRE OF AGES by ELLEN G.WHITE

PREFACE

IN THE HEARTS OF ALL MANKIND, OF WHATEVER RACE OR STATION IN LIFE, THERE ARE
INEXPRESSIBLE LONGINGS FOR SOMETHING THEY DO NOT NOW POSSESS. THIS LONGING
IS IMPLANTED IN THE VERY CONSTITUTION OF MAN BY A MERCIFUL GOD, THAT MAN MAY
NOT BE SATISFIED WITH HIS PRESENT CONDITIONS OR ATTAINMENTS, WHETHER BAD, OR
GOOD, OR BETTER. GOD DESIRES THAT THE HUMAN SHALL SEEK THE BEST, AND FIND IT
TO THE ETERNAL BLESSING OF HIS SOUL.

SATAN, BY WILY SCHEME AND CRAFT, HAS PERVERTED THESE LONGINGS OF THE HUMAN
HEART. HE MAKES MEN BELIEVE THAT THIS DESIRE MAY BE SATISFIED BY PLEASURE,
BY WEALTH, BY EASE, BY FAME, BY POWER; BUT THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN THUS DECEIVED
BY HIM (AND THEY NUMBER MYRIADS) FIND ALL THESE THINGS PALL UPON THE SENSE,
LEAVING THE SOUL AS BARREN AND UNSATISFIED AS BEFORE.

IT IS GOD'S DESIGN THAT THIS LONGING OF THE HUMAN HEART SHOULD LEAD TO THE
ONE WHO ALONE IS ABLE TO SATISFY IT. THE DESIRE IS OF HIM THAT IT MAY LEAD
TO HIM, THE FULLNESS AND FULFILLMENT OF THAT DESIRE. THAT FULLNESS IS FOUND
IN JESUS THE CHRIST, THE SON OF THE ETERNAL GOD. "FOR IT WAS THE GOOD
PLEASURE OF THE FATHER THAT IN HIM SHOULD ALL THE FULLNESS DWELL;" "FOR IN
HIM DWELLETH ALL THE FULLNESS OF THE GODHEAD BODILY." AND IT IS ALSO TRUE
THAT "IN HIM YE ARE MADE FULL" WITH RESPECT TO EVERY DESIRE DIVINELY
IMPLANTED AND NORMALLY FOLLOWED.

HAGGAI CALLS HIM "THE DESIRE OF ALL NATIONS," AND WE MAY WELL CALL HIM "THE
DESIRE OF ALL AGES," EVEN AS HE IS "THE KING OF AGES."

IT IS THE PURPOSE OF THIS BOOK TO SET FORTH JESUS CHRIST AS THE ONE IN WHOM
EVERY LONGING MAY BE SATISFIED. THERE IS MANY A "LIFE OF CHRIST" WRITTEN,
EXCELLENT BOOKS, LARGE FUNDS OF INFORMATION, ELABORATE ESSAYS ON CHRONOLOGY
AND CONTEMPORANEOUS HISTORY, CUSTOMS, AND EVENTS, WITH MUCH OF THE TEACHING
AND MANY GLIMPSES OF THE MANY-SIDED LIFE OF JESUS OF NAZARETH. YET IT MAY BE
TRULY SAID, "THE HALF HAS NEVER BEEN TOLD."

IT IS NOT, HOWEVER, THE PURPOSE OF THIS WORK TO SET FORTH A HARMONY OF THE
GOSPELS, OR EVEN TO GIVE IN STRICTLY CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER THE IMPORTANT
EVENTS AND WONDERFUL LESSONS OF THE LIFE OF CHRIST; ITS PURPOSE IS TO
PRESENT THE LOVE OF GOD AS REVEALED IN HIS SON, THE DIVINE BEAUTY OF THE
LIFE OF CHRIST, OF WHICH ALL MAY PARTAKE, AND NOT TO SATISFY THE DESIRES OF
THE MERELY CURIOUS NOR THE QUESTIONINGS OF CRITICS. BUT EVEN AS BY THE
ATTRACTION OF HIS OWN GOODNESS OF CHARACTER JESUS DREW HIS DISCIPLES UNTO
HIMSELF, AND BY HIS PERSONAL PRESENCE, BY HIS SYMPATHETIC TOUCH AND FEELING
IN ALL THEIR INFIRMITIES AND NEEDS, AND BY HIS CONSTANT ASSOCIATION,
TRANSFORMED THEIR CHARACTERS FROM THE EARTHLY TO THE HEAVENLY, FROM THE
SELFISH TO THE SACRIFICING, FROM SMALLHEARTED IGNORANCE AND PREJUDICE TO
LARGEHEARTED KNOWLEDGE AND PROFOUND LOVE FOR SOULS OF ALL NATIONS AND RACES,
EVEN SO IT IS THE PURPOSE OF THIS BOOK SO TO PRESENT THE BLESSED REDEEMER AS
TO HELP THE READER TO COME TO HIM FACE TO FACE, HEART TO HEART, AND FIND IN
HIM, EVEN AS DID THE DISCIPLES OF OLD, JESUS THE MIGHTY ONE, WHO SAVES "TO
THE UTTERMOST," AND TRANSFORMS TO HIS OWN DIVINE IMAGE ALL THOSE WHO COME
UNTO GOD BY HIM. YET HOW IMPOSSIBLE IT IS TO REVEAL HIS LIFE! IT IS LIKE
ATTEMPTING TO PUT UPON CANVAS THE LIVING RAINBOW; INTO CHARACTERS OF BLACK
AND WHITE THE SWEETEST MUSIC.

IN THE FOLLOWING PAGES THE AUTHOR, A WOMAN OF LARGE AND DEEP AND LONG
EXPERIENCE IN THE THINGS OF GOD, HAS SET FORTH NEW BEAUTIES FROM THE LIFE OF
JESUS. SHE HAS BROUGHT MANY NEW GEMS FROM THE PRECIOUS CASKET. SHE OPENS
BEFORE THE READER UNDREAMED-OF RICHES FROM THIS INFINITE TREASURE HOUSE. NEW
AND GLORIOUS LIGHT FLASHES FORTH FROM MANY A FAMILIAR PASSAGE, THE DEPTH OF
WHICH THE READER SUPPOSED HE HAD LONG BEFORE FATHOMED. TO STATE IT IN BRIEF,
JESUS CHRIST IS REVEALED AS THE FULLNESS OF THE GODHEAD, THE INFINITELY
MERCIFUL SAVIOUR OF SINNERS, THE SUN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, THE MERCIFUL HIGH
PRIEST, THE HEALER OF ALL HUMAN MALADIES AND DISEASES, THE TENDER,
COMPASSIONATE FRIEND, THE CONSTANT, EVER-PRESENT AND HELPFUL COMPANION, THE
PRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID, THE SHIELD OF HIS PEOPLE, THE PRINCE OF PEACE,
THE COMING KING, THE EVERLASTING FATHER, THE CULMINATION AND FRUITION OF THE
DESIRES AND HOPES OF ALL THE AGES.

UNDER THE BLESSING OF GOD THIS BOOK IS GIVEN TO THE WORLD WITH THE PRAYER
THAT THE LORD BY HIS SPIRIT WILL MAKE THE WORDS OF THIS BOOK WORDS OF LIFE
TO MANY SOULS WHOSE LONGINGS AND DESIRES ARE YET UNSATISFIED; THAT THEY "MAY
KNOW HIM, AND THE POWER OF HIS RESURRECTION, AND THE FELLOWSHIP OF HIS
SUFFERINGS," AND FINALLY, THROUGHOUT A BLESSED ETERNITY, AT HIS RIGHT HAND,
SHARE IN "THAT FULLNESS OF JOY," AND "PLEASURES FOREVERMORE," WHICH WILL BE
THE RIPENED FRUITAGE OF ALL THOSE WHO FIND IN HIM THE ALL IN ALL, "THE
CHIEFEST AMONG TEN THOUSAND," AND "THE ONE ALTOGETHER LOVELY."
PUBLISHERS.
Contents

1. "God With Us" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
2. The Chosen People . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
3. "The Fullness of the Time" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
4. Unto You a Saviour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
5. The Dedication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
6. "We Have Seen His Star" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
7. As a Child . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
8. The Passover Visit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
9. Days of Conflict . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
10. The Voice in the Wilderness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
11. The Baptism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
12. The Temptation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
13. The Victory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
14. "We Have Found the Messias" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
15. At the Marriage Feast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
16. In His Temple . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
17. Nicodemus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
18. "He Must Increase" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
19. At Jacob's Well . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
20. "Except Ye See Signs and Wonders" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
21. Bethesda and the Sanhedrin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
22. Imprisonment and Death of John . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
23. "The Kingdom of God Is at Hand" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
24. "Is Not This the Carpenter's Son?" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
25. The Call by the Sea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
26. At Capernaum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
27. "Thou Canst Make Me Clean" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
28. Levi-Matthew . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
29. The Sabbath . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
30. "He Ordained Twelve" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
31. The Sermon on the Mount . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
32. The Centurion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315
33. Who Are My Brethren? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321
34. The Invitation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328
35. "Peace, Be Still" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333
36. The Touch of Faith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342
37. The First Evangelists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349
38. Come Rest Awhile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 359
39. "Give Ye Them to Eat" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364
40. A Night on the Lake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 377
41. The Crisis in Galilee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 383
42. Tradition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 395
43. Barriers Broken Down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 399
44. The True Sign . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 404
45. The Foreshadowing of the Cross . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 410
46. He Was Transfigured . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 419
47. Ministry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 426
48. Who Is the Greatest? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 432
49. At the Feast of Tabernacles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 447
50. Among Snares . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 455
51. "The Light of Life" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 463
52. The Divine Shepherd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 476
53. The Last Journey From Galilee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 485
54. The Good Samaritan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 497
55. Not With Outward Show . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 506
56. Blessing the Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 511
57. "One Thing Thou Lackest" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 518
58. "Lazarus, Come Forth" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 524
59. Priestly Plottings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 537
60. The Law of the New Kingdom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 547
61. Zacchaeus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 552
62. The Feast at Simon's House . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 557
63. "Thy King Cometh" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 569
64. A Doomed People . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 580
65. The Temple Cleansed Again . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 589
66. Controversy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 601
67. Woes on the Pharisees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 610
68. In the Outer Court . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 621
69. On the Mount of Olives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 627
70. "The Least of These My Brethren" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 637
71. A Servant of Servants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 642
72. "In Remembrance of Me" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 652
73. "Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 662
74. Gethsemane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 685
75. Before Annas and the Court of Caiaphas . . . . . . . . . . . . . 698
76. Judas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 716
77. In Pilate's Judgment Hall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 723
78. Calvary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 741
79. "It Is Finished" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 758
80. In Joseph's Tomb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 769
81. "The Lord Is Risen" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 779
82. "Why Weepest Thou?" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 788
83. The Walk to Emmaus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 795
84. "Peace Be Unto You" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 802
85. By the Sea Once More . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 809
86. Go Teach All Nations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 818
87. "To My Father, and Your Father" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 829
Scriptural Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 837
General Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 843

(19)

Chapter 1

"God With Us"

"His name shall be called Immanuel, . . . God with us." "The light of the
knowledge of the glory of God" is seen "in the face of Jesus Christ." From
the days of eternity the Lord Jesus Christ was one with the Father; He was
"the image of God," the image of His greatness and majesty, "the outshining
of His glory." It was to manifest this glory that He came to our world. To
this sin-darkened earth He came to reveal the light of God's love,--to be
"God with us." Therefore it was prophesied of Him, "His name shall be called
Immanuel."

By coming to dwell with us, Jesus was to reveal God both to men and to
angels. He was the Word of God,--God's thought made audible. In His prayer
for His disciples He says, "I have declared unto them Thy name,"--"merciful
and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,"--"that
the love wherewith Thou hast loved Me may be in them, and I in them." But
not alone for His earthborn children was this revelation given. Our little
world is the lesson book of the universe. God's wonderful purpose of grace,
the mystery of redeeming love, is the theme into which "angels desire to
look," and it will be their study throughout endless ages. Both the redeemed

20

and the unfallen beings will find in the cross of Christ their science and
their song. It will be seen that the glory shining in the face of Jesus is
the glory of self-sacrificing love. In the light from Calvary it will be
seen that the law of self-renouncing love is the law of life for earth and
heaven; that the love which "seeketh not her own" has its source in the
heart of God; and that in the meek and lowly One is manifested the character
of Him who dwelleth in the light which no man can approach unto.

In the beginning, God was revealed in all the works of creation. It was
Christ that spread the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth. It
was His hand that hung the worlds in space, and fashioned the flowers of the
field. "His strength setteth fast the mountains." "The sea is His, and He
made it." Ps. 65:6; 95:5. It was He that filled the earth with beauty, and
the air with song. And upon all things in earth, and air, and sky, He wrote
the message of the Father's love.

Now sin has marred God's perfect work, yet that handwriting remains. Even
now all created things declare the glory of His excellence. There is
nothing, save the selfish heart of man, that lives unto itself. No bird that
cleaves the air, no animal that moves upon the ground, but ministers to some
other life. There is no leaf of the forest, or lowly blade of grass, but has
its ministry. Every tree and shrub and leaf pours forth that element of life
without which neither man nor animal could live; and man and animal, in
turn, minister to the life of tree and shrub and leaf. The flowers breathe
fragrance and unfold their beauty in blessing

21

to the world. The sun sheds its light to gladden a thousand worlds. The
ocean, itself the source of all our springs and fountains, receives the
streams from every land, but takes to give. The mists ascending from its
bosom fall in showers to water the earth, that it may bring forth and bud.

The angels of glory find their joy in giving,--giving love and tireless
watchcare to souls that are fallen and unholy. Heavenly beings woo the
hearts of men; they bring to this dark world light from the courts above; by
gentle and patient ministry they move upon the human spirit, to bring the
lost into a fellowship with Christ which is even closer than they themselves
can know.

But turning from all lesser representations, we behold God in Jesus. Looking
unto Jesus we see that it is the glory of our God to give. "I do nothing of
Myself," said Christ; "the living Father hath sent Me, and I live by the
Father." "I seek not Mine own glory," but the glory of Him that sent Me.
John 8:28; 6:57; 8:50; 7:18. In these words is set forth the great principle
which is the law of life for the universe. All things Christ received from
God, but He took to give. So in the heavenly courts, in His ministry for all
created beings: through the beloved Son, the Father's life flows out to all;
through the Son it returns, in praise and joyous service, a tide of love, to
the great Source of all. And thus through Christ the circuit of beneficence
is complete, representing the character of the great Giver, the law of life.

In heaven itself this law was broken. Sin originated in self-seeking.
Lucifer, the covering cherub, desired to be first in heaven. He sought to
gain control of heavenly beings, to draw them away from their Creator, and
to win their homage to himself. Therefore he misrepresented God,

22

attributing to Him the desire for self-exaltation. With his own evil
characteristics he sought to invest the loving Creator. Thus he deceived
angels. Thus he deceived men. He led them to doubt the word of God, and to
distrust His goodness. Because God is a God of justice and terrible majesty,
Satan caused them to look upon Him as severe and unforgiving. Thus he drew
men to join him in rebellion against God, and the night of woe settled down
upon the world.

The earth was dark through misapprehension of God. That the gloomy shadows
might be lightened, that the world might be brought back to God, Satan's
deceptive power was to be broken. This could not be done by force. The
exercise of force is contrary to the principles of God's government; He
desires only the service of love; and love cannot be commanded; it cannot be
won by force or authority. Only by love is love awakened. To know God is to
love Him; His character must be manifested in contrast to the character of
Satan. This work only one Being in all the universe could do. Only He who
knew the height and depth of the love of God could make it known. Upon the
world's dark night the Sun of Righteousness must rise, "with healing in His
wings." Mal. 4:2.

The plan for our redemption was not an afterthought, a plan formulated after
the fall of Adam. It was a revelation of "the mystery which hath been kept
in silence through times eternal." Rom. 16:25, R. V. It was an unfolding of
the principles that from eternal ages have been the foundation of God's
throne. From the beginning, God and Christ knew of the apostasy of Satan,
and of the fall of man through the deceptive power of the apostate. God did
not ordain that sin should exist, but He foresaw its existence, and made
provision to meet the terrible emergency. So great was His love for the
world, that He covenanted to give His only-begotten Son, "that whosoever
believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16.

Lucifer had said, "I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; . . . I
will be like the Most High." Isa. 14:13, 14. But Christ, "being in the form
of God, counted it not a thing to be grasped to be on an equality with God,
but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the
likeness of men." Phil. 2:6, 7, R. V., margin.

This was a voluntary sacrifice. Jesus might have remained at the Father's
side. He might have retained the glory of heaven, and the homage of the
angels. But He chose to give back the scepter into

23

the Father's hands, and to step down from the throne of the universe, that
He might bring light to the benighted, and life to the perishing.

Nearly two thousand years ago, a voice of mysterious import was heard in
heaven, from the throne of God, "Lo, I come." "Sacrifice and offering Thou
wouldest not, but a body hast Thou prepared Me. . . . Lo, I come (in the
volume of the Book it is written of Me,) to do Thy will, O God." Heb.
10:5-7. In these words is announced the fulfillment of the purpose that had
been hidden from eternal ages. Christ was about to visit our world, and to
become incarnate. He says, "A body hast Thou prepared Me." Had He appeared
with the glory that was His with the Father before the world was, we could
not have endured the light of His presence. That we might behold it and not
be destroyed, the manifestation of His glory was shrouded. His divinity was
veiled with humanity,--the invisible glory in the visible human form.

This great purpose had been shadowed forth in types and symbols. The burning
bush, in which Christ appeared to Moses, revealed God. The symbol chosen for
the representation of the Deity was a lowly shrub, that seemingly had no
attractions. This enshrined the Infinite. The all-merciful God shrouded His
glory in a most humble type, that Moses could look upon it and live. So in
the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night, God communicated
with Israel, revealing to men His will, and imparting to them His grace.
God's glory was subdued, and His majesty veiled, that the weak vision of
finite men might behold it. So Christ was to come in "the body of our
humiliation" (Phil. 3:21, R. V.), "in the likeness of men." In the eyes of
the world He possessed no beauty that they should desire Him; yet He was the
incarnate God, the light of heaven and earth. His glory was veiled, His
greatness and majesty were hidden, that He might draw near to sorrowful,
tempted men.

God commanded Moses for Israel, "Let them make Me a sanctuary; that I may
dwell among them" (Ex. 25:8), and He abode in the sanctuary, in the midst of
His people. Through all their weary wandering in the desert, the symbol of
His presence was with them. So Christ set up His tabernacle in the midst of
our human encampment. He pitched His tent by the side of the tents of men,
that He might dwell among us, and make us familiar with His divine character
and life. "The Word became flesh, and tabernacled among us (and we beheld
His glory, glory as of

24

the Only Begotten from the Father), full of grace and truth." John 1:14, R.
V., margin.

Since Jesus came to dwell with us, we know that God is acquainted with our
trials, and sympathizes with our griefs. Every son and daughter of Adam may
understand that our Creator is the friend of sinners. For in every doctrine
of grace, every promise of joy, every deed of love, every divine attraction
presented in the Saviour's life on earth, we see "God with us."

Satan represents God's law of love as a law of selfishness. He declares that
it is impossible for us to obey its precepts. The fall of our first parents,
with all the woe that has resulted, he charges upon the Creator, leading men
to look upon God as the author of sin, and suffering, and death. Jesus was
to unveil this deception. As one of us He was to give an example of
obedience. For this He took upon Himself our nature, and passed through our
experiences. "In all things it behooved Him to be made like unto His
brethren." Heb. 2:17. If we had to bear anything which Jesus did not endure,
then upon this point Satan would represent the power of God as insufficient
for us. Therefore Jesus was "in all points tempted like as we are." Heb.
4:15. He endured every trial to which we are subject. And He exercised in
His own behalf no power that is not freely offered to us. As man, He met
temptation, and overcame in the strength given Him from God. He says, "I
delight to do Thy will, O My God: yea, Thy law is within My heart." Ps.
40:8. As He went about doing good, and healing all who were afflicted by
Satan, He made plain to men the character of God's law and the nature of His
service. His life testifies that it is possible for us also to obey the law
of God.

By His humanity, Christ touched humanity; by His divinity, He lays hold upon
the throne of God. As the Son of man, He gave us an example of obedience; as
the Son of God, He gives us power to obey. It was Christ who from the bush
on Mount Horeb spoke to Moses saying, "I Am That I Am. . . . Thus shalt thou
say unto the children of Israel, I Am hath sent me unto you." Ex. 3:14. This
was the pledge of Israel's deliverance. So when He came "in the likeness of
men," He declared Himself the I Am. The Child of Bethlehem, the meek and
lowly Saviour, is God "manifest in the flesh." 1 Tim. 3:16. And to us He
says: "I Am the Good Shepherd." "I Am the living Bread." "I Am the Way, the
Truth, and the Life." "All power is given

25

unto Me in heaven and in earth." John 10:11; 6:51; 14:6; Matt. 28:18. I Am
the assurance of every promise. I Am; be not afraid. "God with us" is the
surety of our deliverance from sin, the assurance of our power to obey the
law of heaven.

In stooping to take upon Himself humanity, Christ revealed a character the
opposite of the character of Satan. But He stepped still lower in the path
of humiliation. "Being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and
became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." Phil. 2:8. As the
high priest laid aside his gorgeous pontifical robes, and officiated in the
white linen dress of the common priest, so Christ took the form of a
servant, and offered sacrifice, Himself the priest, Himself the victim. "He
was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the
chastisement of our peace was upon Him." Isa. 53:5.

Christ was treated as we deserve, that we might be treated as He deserves.
He was condemned for our sins, in which He had no share, that we might be
justified by His righteousness, in which we had no share. He suffered the
death which was ours, that we might receive the life which was His. "With
His stripes we are healed."

By His life and His death, Christ has achieved even more than recovery from
the ruin wrought through sin. It was Satan's purpose to bring about an
eternal separation between God and man; but in Christ we become more closely
united to God than if we had never fallen. In taking our nature, the Saviour
has bound Himself to humanity by a tie that is never to be broken. Through
the eternal ages He is linked with us. "God so loved the world, that He gave
His only-begotten Son." John 3:16. He gave Him not only to bear our sins,
and to die as our sacrifice; He gave Him to the fallen race. To assure us of
His immutable counsel of peace, God gave His only-begotten Son to become one
of the human family, forever to retain His human nature. This is the pledge
that God will fulfill His word. "Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is
given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder." God has adopted human
nature in the person of His Son, and has carried the same into the highest
heaven. It is the "Son of man" who shares the throne of the universe. It is
the "Son of man" whose name shall be called, "Wonderful, Counselor, The
mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." Isa. 9:6. The I Am
is the Daysman between God and humanity, laying His hand upon both. He who
is "holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners," is not ashamed to
call us brethren. Heb. 7:26; 2:11. In Christ the family of earth and the
family of heaven are

26

bound together. Christ glorified is our brother. Heaven is enshrined in
humanity, and humanity is enfolded in the bosom of Infinite Love.

Of His people God says, "They shall be as the stones of a crown, lifted up
as an ensign upon His land. For how great is His goodness, and how great is
His beauty!" Zech. 9:16, 17. The exaltation of the redeemed will be an
eternal testimony to God's mercy. "In the ages to come," He will "show the
exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ
Jesus." "To the intent that . . . unto the principalities and the powers in
the heavenly places might be made known . . . the manifold wisdom of God,
according to the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our
Lord." Eph. 2:7; 3:10, 11, R. V.

Through Christ's redeeming work the government of God stands justified. The
Omnipotent One is made known as the God of love. Satan's charges are
refuted, and his character unveiled. Rebellion can never again arise. Sin
can never again enter the universe. Through eternal ages all are secure from
apostasy. By love's self-sacrifice, the inhabitants of earth and heaven are
bound to their Creator in bonds of indissoluble union.

The work of redemption will be complete. In the place where sin abounded,
God's grace much more abounds. The earth itself, the very field that Satan
claims as his, is to be not only ransomed but exalted. Our little world,
under the curse of sin the one dark blot in His glorious creation, will be
honored above all other worlds in the universe of God. Here, where the Son
of God tabernacled in humanity; where the King of glory lived and suffered
and died,--here, when He shall make all things new, the tabernacle of God
shall be with men, "and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His
people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God." And through
endless ages as the redeemed walk in the light of the Lord, they will praise
Him for His unspeakable Gift,--

Immanuel, "God with us."

(27)

Chapter 2

The Chosen People

For more than a thousand years the Jewish people had awaited the Saviour's
coming. Upon this event they had rested their brightest hopes. In song and
prophecy, in temple rite and household prayer, they had enshrined His name.
And yet at His coming they knew Him not. The Beloved of heaven was to them
"as a root out of a dry ground;" He had "no form nor comeliness;" and they
saw in Him no beauty that they should desire Him. "He came unto His own, and
His own received Him not." Isa. 53:2; John 1:11.

Yet God had chosen Israel. He had called them to preserve among men the
knowledge of His law, and of the symbols and prophecies that pointed to the
Saviour. He desired them to be as wells of salvation to the world. What
Abraham was in the land of his sojourn, what Joseph was in Egypt, and Daniel
in the courts of Babylon, the Hebrew people were to be among the nations.
They were to reveal God to men.

In the call of Abraham the Lord had said, "I will bless thee; . . . and thou
shalt be a blessing: . . . and in thee shall all families of the earth be
blessed." Gen. 12:2, 3. The same teaching was repeated through the prophets.
Even after Israel had been wasted by war and captivity, the promise was
theirs, "The remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as a dew
from the Lord, as the showers upon the grass, that tarrieth not for man, nor
waiteth for the sons of men." Micah 5:7. Concerning the temple at Jerusalem,
the Lord declared through Isaiah, "Mine house shall be called an house of
prayer for all peoples." Isa. 56:7, R. V.

28

But the Israelites fixed their hopes upon worldly greatness. From the time
of their entrance to the land of Canaan, they departed from the commandments
of God, and followed the ways of the heathen. It was in vain that God sent
them warning by His prophets. In vain they suffered the chastisement of
heathen oppression. Every reformation was followed by deeper apostasy.

Had Israel been true to God, He could have accomplished His purpose through
their honor and exaltation. If they had walked in the ways of obedience, He
would have made them "high above all nations which He hath made, in praise,
and in name, and in honor." "All people of the earth," said Moses, "shall
see that thou art called by the name of the Lord; and they shall be afraid
of thee." "The nations which shall hear all these statutes" shall say,
"Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people." Deut. 26:19;
28:10; 4:6. But because of their unfaithfulness, God's purpose could be
wrought out only through continued adversity and humiliation.

They were brought into subjection to Babylon, and scattered through the
lands of the heathen. In affliction many renewed their faithfulness to His
covenant. While they hung their harps upon the willows, and mourned for the
holy temple that was laid waste, the light of truth shone out through them,
and a knowledge of God was spread among the nations. The heathen systems of
sacrifice were a perversion of the system that God had appointed; and many a
sincere observer of heathen rites learned from the Hebrews the meaning of
the service divinely ordained, and in faith grasped the promise of a
Redeemer.

Many of the exiles suffered persecution. Not a few lost their lives because
of their refusal to disregard the Sabbath and to observe the heathen
festivals. As idolaters were roused to crush out the truth, the Lord brought
His servants face to face with kings and rulers, that they and their people
might receive the light. Time after time the greatest monarchs were led to
proclaim the supremacy of the God whom their Hebrew captives worshiped.

By the Babylonish captivity the Israelites were effectually cured of the
worship of graven images. During the centuries that followed, they suffered
from the oppression of heathen foes, until the conviction became fixed that
their prosperity depended upon their obedience to the law of God. But with
too many of the people obedience was not prompted by love. The motive was
selfish. They rendered outward service to God

29

as the means of attaining to national greatness. They did not become the
light of the world, but shut themselves away from the world in order to
escape temptation to idolatry. In the instruction given through Moses, God
had placed restrictions upon their association with idolaters; but this
teaching had been misinterpreted. It was intended to prevent them from
conforming to the practices of the heathen. But it was used to build up a
wall of separation between Israel and all other nations. The Jews looked
upon Jerusalem as their heaven, and they were actually jealous lest the Lord
should show mercy to the Gentiles.

After the return from Babylon, much attention was given to religious
instruction. All over the country, synagogues were erected, where the law
was expounded by the priests and scribes. And schools were established,
which, together with the arts and sciences, professed to teach the
principles of righteousness. But these agencies became corrupted. During the
captivity, many of the people had received heathen ideas and customs, and
these were brought into their religious service. In many things they
conformed to the practices of idolaters.

As they departed from God, the Jews in a great degree lost sight of the
teaching of the ritual service. That service had been instituted by Christ
Himself. In every part it was a symbol of Him; and it had been full of
vitality and spiritual beauty. But the Jews lost the spiritual life from
their ceremonies, and clung to the dead forms. They trusted to the
sacrifices and ordinances themselves, instead of resting upon Him to whom
they pointed. In order to supply the place of that which they had lost, the
priests and rabbis multiplied requirements of their own; and the more rigid
they grew, the less of the love of God was manifested. They measured their
holiness by the multitude of their ceremonies, while their hearts were
filled with pride and hypocrisy.

With all their minute and burdensome injunctions, it was an impossibility to
keep the law. Those who desired to serve God, and who tried to observe the
rabbinical precepts, toiled under a heavy burden. They could find no rest
from the accusings of a troubled conscience. Thus Satan worked to discourage
the people, to lower their conception of the character of God, and to bring
the faith of Israel into contempt. He hoped to establish the claim put forth
when he rebelled in heaven,--that the requirements of God were unjust, and
could not be obeyed. Even Israel, he declared, did not keep the law.

While the Jews desired the advent of the Messiah, they had no true

30

conception of His mission. They did not seek redemption from sin, but
deliverance from the Romans. They looked for the Messiah to come as a
conqueror, to break the oppressor's power, and exalt Israel to universal
dominion. Thus the way was prepared for them to reject the Saviour.

At the time of the birth of Christ the nation was chafing under the rule of
her foreign masters, and racked with internal strife. The Jews had been
permitted to maintain the form of a separate government; but nothing could
disguise the fact that they were under the Roman yoke, or reconcile them to
the restriction of their power. The Romans claimed the right of appointing
and removing the high priest, and the office was often secured by fraud,
bribery, and even murder. Thus the priesthood became more and more corrupt.
Yet the priests still possessed great power, and they employed it for
selfish and mercenary ends. The people were subjected to their merciless
demands, and were also heavily taxed by the Romans. This state of affairs
caused widespread discontent. Popular outbreaks were frequent. Greed and
violence, distrust and spiritual apathy, were eating out the very heart of
the nation.

Hatred of the Romans, and national and spiritual pride, led the Jews still
to adhere rigorously to their forms of worship. The priests tried to
maintain a reputation for sanctity by scrupulous attention to the ceremonies
of religion. The people, in their darkness and oppression, and the rulers,
thirsting for power, longed for the coming of One who would vanquish their
enemies and restore the kingdom to Israel. They had studied the prophecies,
but without spiritual insight. Thus they overlooked those scriptures that
point to the humiliation of Christ's first advent, and misapplied those that
speak of the glory of His second coming. Pride obscured their vision. They
interpreted prophecy in accordance with their selfish desires.

(31)

Chapter 3

"The Fullness of the Time"

"When the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, . . . to
redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of
sons." Gal. 4:4, 5.

The Saviour's coming was foretold in Eden. When Adam and Eve first heard the
promise, they looked for its speedy fulfillment. They joyfully welcomed
their first-born son, hoping that he might be the Deliverer. But the
fulfillment of the promise tarried. Those who first received it died without
the sight. From the days of Enoch the promise was repeated through
patriarchs and prophets, keeping alive the hope of His appearing, and yet He
came not. The prophecy of Daniel revealed the time of His advent, but not
all rightly interpreted the message. Century after century passed away; the
voices of the prophets ceased. The hand of the oppressor was heavy upon
Israel, and many were ready to exclaim, "The days are prolonged, and every
vision faileth." Ezek. 12:22.

32

But like the stars in the vast circuit of their appointed path, God's
purposes know no haste and no delay. Through the symbols of the great
darkness and the smoking furnace, God had revealed to Abraham the bondage of
Israel in Egypt, and had declared that the time of their sojourning should
be four hundred years. "Afterward," He said, "shall they come out with great
substance." Gen. 15:14. Against that word, all the power of Pharaoh's proud
empire battled in vain. On "the self-same day" appointed in the divine
promise, "it came to pass, that all the hosts of the Lord went out from the
land of Egypt." Ex. 12:41. So in heaven's council the hour for the coming of
Christ had been determined. When the great clock of time pointed to that
hour, Jesus was born in Bethlehem.

"When the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son." Providence
had directed the movements of nations, and the tide of human impulse and
influence, until the world was ripe for the coming of the Deliverer. The
nations were united under one government. One language was widely spoken,
and was everywhere recognized as the language of literature. From all lands
the Jews of the dispersion gathered to Jerusalem to the annual feasts. As
these returned to the places of their sojourn, they could spread throughout
the world the tidings of the Messiah's coming.

At this time the systems of heathenism were losing their hold upon the
people. Men were weary of pageant and fable. They longed for a religion that
could satisfy the heart. While the light of truth seemed to have departed
from among men, there were souls who were looking for light, and who were
filled with perplexity and sorrow. They were thirsting for a knowledge of
the living God, for some assurance of a life beyond the grave.

As the Jews had departed from God, faith had grown dim, and hope had
well-nigh ceased to illuminate the future. The words of the prophets were
uncomprehended. To the masses of the people, death was a dread mystery;
beyond was uncertainty and gloom. It was not alone the wailing of the
mothers of Bethlehem, but the cry from the great heart of humanity, that was
borne to the prophet across the centuries,--the voice heard in Ramah,
"lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her
children, and would not be comforted, because they are not." Matt. 2:18. In
"the region and shadow of death," men sat unsolaced. With longing eyes they
looked for the

33

coming of the Deliverer, when the darkness should be dispelled, and the
mystery of the future should be made plain.

Outside of the Jewish nation there were men who foretold the appearance of a
divine instructor. These men were seeking for truth, and to them the Spirit
of Inspiration was imparted. One after another, like stars in the darkened
heavens, such teachers had arisen. Their words of prophecy had kindled hope
in the hearts of thousands of the Gentile world.

For hundreds of years the Scriptures had been translated into the Greek
language, then widely spoken throughout the Roman Empire. The Jews were
scattered everywhere, and their expectation of the Messiah's coming was to
some extent shared by the Gentiles. Among those whom the Jews styled heathen
were men who had a better understanding of the Scripture prophecies
concerning the Messiah than had the teachers in Israel. There were some who
hoped for His coming as a deliverer from sin. Philosophers endeavored to
study into the mystery of the Hebrew economy. But the bigotry of the Jews
hindered the spread of the light. Intent on maintaining the separation
between themselves and other nations, they were unwilling to impart the
knowledge they still possessed concerning the symbolic service. The true

34

Interpreter must come. The One whom all these types prefigured must explain
their significance.

Through nature, through types and symbols, through patriarchs and prophets,
God had spoken to the world. Lessons must be given to humanity in the
language of humanity. The Messenger of the covenant must speak. His voice
must be heard in His own temple. Christ must come to utter words which
should be clearly and definitely understood. He, the author of truth, must
separate truth from the chaff of man's utterance, which had made it of no
effect. The principles of God's government and the plan of redemption must
be clearly defined. The lessons of the Old Testament must be fully set
before men.

Among the Jews there were yet steadfast souls, descendants of that holy line
through whom a knowledge of God had been preserved. These still looked for
the hope of the promise made unto the fathers. They strengthened their faith
by dwelling upon the assurance given through Moses, "A Prophet shall the
Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; Him shall ye
hear in all things whatsoever He shall say unto you." Acts 3:22. Again, they
read how the Lord would anoint One "to preach good tidings unto the meek,"
"to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives," and to
declare the "acceptable year of the Lord." Isa. 61:1, 2. They read how He
would "set judgment in the earth," how the isles should "wait for His law,"
how the Gentiles should come to His light, and kings to the brightness of
His rising. Isa. 42:4; 60:3.

The dying words of Jacob filled them with hope: "The scepter shall not
depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come."
Gen. 49:10. The waning power of Israel testified that the Messiah's coming
was at hand. The prophecy of Daniel pictured the glory of His reign over an
empire which should succeed all earthly kingdoms; and, said the prophet, "It
shall stand forever." Dan. 2:44. While few understood the nature of Christ's
mission, there was a widespread expectation of a mighty prince who should
establish his kingdom in Israel, and who should come as a deliverer to the
nations.

The fullness of the time had come. Humanity, becoming more degraded through
ages of transgression, called for the coming of the Redeemer. Satan had been
working to make the gulf deep and impassable between earth and heaven. By
his falsehoods he had emboldened

35

men in sin. It was his purpose to wear out the forbearance of God, and to
extinguish His love for man, so that He would abandon the world to satanic
jurisdiction.

Satan was seeking to shut out from men a knowledge of God, to turn their
attention from the temple of God, and to establish his own kingdom. His
strife for supremacy had seemed to be almost wholly successful. It is true
that in every generation God had His agencies. Even among the heathen there
were men through whom Christ was working to uplift the people from their sin
and degradation. But these men were despised and hated. Many of them
suffered a violent death. The dark shadow that Satan had cast over the world
grew deeper and deeper.

Through heathenism, Satan had for ages turned men away from God; but he won
his great triumph in perverting the faith of Israel. By contemplating and
worshiping their own conceptions, the heathen had lost a knowledge of God,
and had become more and more corrupt. So it was with Israel. The principle
that man can save himself by his own works lay at the foundation of every
heathen religion; it had now

36

become the principle of the Jewish religion. Satan had implanted this
principle. Wherever it is held, men have no barrier against sin.

The message of salvation is communicated to men through human agencies. But
the Jews had sought to make a monopoly of the truth which is eternal life.
They had hoarded the living manna, and it had turned to corruption. The
religion which they tried to shut up to themselves became an offense. They
robbed God of His glory, and defrauded the world by a counterfeit of the
gospel. They had refused to surrender themselves to God for the salvation of
the world, and they became agents of Satan for its destruction.

The people whom God had called to be the pillar and ground of the truth had
become representatives of Satan. They were doing the work that he desired
them to do, taking a course to misrepresent the character of God, and cause
the world to look upon Him as a tyrant. The very priests who ministered in
the temple had lost sight of the significance of the service they performed.
They had ceased to look beyond the symbol to the thing signified. In
presenting the sacrificial offerings they were as actors in a play. The
ordinances which God Himself had appointed were made the means of blinding
the mind and hardening the heart. God could do no more for man through these
channels. The whole system must be swept away.

The deception of sin had reached its height. All the agencies for depraving
the souls of men had been put in operation. The Son of God, looking upon the
world, beheld suffering and misery. With pity He saw how men had become
victims of satanic cruelty. He looked with compassion upon those who were
being corrupted, murdered, and lost. They had chosen a ruler who chained
them to his car as captives. Bewildered and deceived, they were moving on in
gloomy procession toward eternal ruin,--to death in which is no hope of
life, toward night to which comes no morning. Satanic agencies were
incorporated with men. The bodies of human beings, made for the dwelling
place of God, had become the habitation of demons. The senses, the nerves,
the passions, the organs of men, were worked by supernatural agencies in the
indulgence of the vilest lust. The very stamp of demons was impressed upon
the countenances of men. Human faces reflected the expression of the legions
of evil with which they were possessed. Such was the prospect upon which the
world's Redeemer looked. What a spectacle for Infinite Purity to behold!

37

Sin had become a science, and vice was consecrated as a part of religion.
Rebellion had struck its roots deep into the heart, and the hostility of man
was most violent against heaven. It was demonstrated before the universe
that, apart from God, humanity could not be uplifted. A new element of life
and power must be imparted by Him who made the world.

With intense interest the unfallen worlds had watched to see Jehovah arise,
and sweep away the inhabitants of the earth. And if God should do this,
Satan was ready to carry out his plan for securing to himself the allegiance
of heavenly beings. He had declared that the principles of God's government
make forgiveness impossible. Had the world been destroyed, he would have
claimed that his accusations were proved true. He was ready to cast blame
upon God, and to spread his rebellion to the worlds above. But instead of
destroying the world, God sent His Son to save it. Though corruption and
defiance might be seen in every part of the alien province, a way for its
recovery was provided. At the very crisis, when Satan seemed about to
triumph, the Son of God came with the embassage of divine grace. Through
every age, through every hour, the love of God had been exercised toward the
fallen race. Notwithstanding the perversity of men, the signals of mercy had
been continually exhibited. And when the fullness of the time had come, the
Deity was glorified by pouring upon the world a flood of healing grace that
was never to be obstructed or withdrawn till the plan of salvation should be
fulfilled.

Satan was exulting that he had succeeded in debasing the image of God in
humanity. Then Jesus came to restore in man the image of his

38

Maker. None but Christ can fashion anew the character that has been ruined
by sin. He came to expel the demons that had controlled the will. He came to
lift us up from the dust, to reshape the marred character after the pattern
of His divine character, and to make it beautiful with His own glory.

(43)

Chapter 4

Unto You a Saviour

The King of glory stooped low to take humanity. Rude and forbidding were His
earthly surroundings. His glory was veiled, that the majesty of His outward
form might not become an object of attraction. He shunned all outward
display. Riches, worldly honor, and human greatness can never save a soul
from death; Jesus purposed that no attraction of an earthly nature should
call men to His side. Only the beauty of heavenly truth must draw those who
would follow Him. The character of the Messiah had long been foretold in
prophecy, and He desired men to accept Him upon the testimony of the word of
God.

The angels had wondered at the glorious plan of redemption. They watched to
see how the people of God would receive His Son, clothed in the garb of
humanity. Angels came to the land of the chosen people. Other nations were
dealing in fables and worshiping false gods. To the land where the glory of
God had been revealed, and the light of prophecy had shone, the angels came.
They came unseen to Jerusalem, to the appointed expositors of the Sacred
Oracles, and the ministers of God's

44

house. Already to Zacharias the priest, as he ministered before the altar,
the nearness of Christ's coming had been announced. Already the forerunner
was born, his mission attested by miracle and prophecy. The tidings of his
birth and the wonderful significance of his mission had been spread abroad.
Yet Jerusalem was not preparing to welcome her Redeemer.

With amazement the heavenly messengers beheld the indifference of that
people whom God had called to communicate to the world the light of sacred
truth. The Jewish nation had been preserved as a witness that Christ was to
be born of the seed of Abraham and of David's line; yet they knew not that
His coming was now at hand. In the temple the morning and the evening
sacrifice daily pointed to the Lamb of God; yet even here was no preparation
to receive Him. The priests and teachers of the nation knew not that the
greatest event of the ages was about to take place. They rehearsed their
meaningless prayers, and performed the rites of worship to be seen by men,
but in their strife for riches and worldly honor they were not prepared for
the revelation of the Messiah. The same indifference pervaded the land of
Israel. Hearts selfish and world-engrossed were untouched by the joy that
thrilled all heaven. Only a few were longing to behold the Unseen. To these
heaven's embassy was sent.

Angels attend Joseph and Mary as they journey from their home in Nazareth to
the city of David. The decree of imperial Rome for the enrollment of the
peoples of her vast dominion has extended to the dwellers among the hills of
Galilee. As in old time Cyrus was called to the throne of the world's empire
that he might set free the captives of the Lord, so Caesar Augustus is made
the agent for the fulfillment of God's purpose in bringing the mother of
Jesus to Bethlehem. She is of the lineage of David, and the Son of David
must be born in David's city. Out of Bethlehem, said the prophet, "shall He
come forth . . . that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been
from of old, from the days of eternity." Micah 5:2, margin. But in the city
of their royal line, Joseph and Mary are unrecognized and unhonored. Weary
and homeless, they traverse the entire length of the narrow street, from the
gate of the city to the eastern extremity of the town, vainly seeking a
resting place for the night. There is no room for them at the crowded inn.
In a rude building where the beasts are sheltered, they at last find refuge,
and here the Redeemer of the world is born.

47

Men know it not, but the tidings fill heaven with rejoicing. With a deeper
and more tender interest the holy beings from the world of light are drawn
to the earth. The whole world is brighter for His presence. Above the hills
of Bethlehem are gathered an innumerable throng of angels. They wait the
signal to declare the glad news to the world. Had the leaders in Israel been
true to their trust, they might have shared the joy of heralding the birth
of Jesus. But now they are passed by.

God declares, "I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon
the dry ground." "Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness."
Isa. 44:3; Ps. 112:4. To those who are seeking for light, and who accept it
with gladness, the bright rays from the throne of God will shine.

In the fields where the boy David had led his flock, shepherds were still
keeping watch by night. Through the silent hours they talked together of the
promised Saviour, and prayed for the coming of the King to David's throne.
"And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord
shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto
them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which
shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a
Saviour, which is Christ the Lord."

At these words, visions of glory fill the minds of the listening shepherds.
The Deliverer has come to Israel! Power, exaltation, triumph, are associated
with His coming. But the angel must prepare them to recognize their Saviour
in poverty and humiliation. "This shall be a sign unto you," he says; "Ye
shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger."

The heavenly messenger had quieted their fears. He had told them how to find
Jesus. With tender regard for their human weakness, he had

48

given them time to become accustomed to the divine radiance. Then the joy
and glory could no longer be hidden. The whole plain was lighted up with the
bright shining of the hosts of God. Earth was hushed, and heaven stooped to
listen to the song,--

"Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, good will toward men."

Oh that today the human family could recognize that song! The declaration
then made, the note then struck, will swell to the close of time, and
resound to the ends of the earth. When the Sun of Righteousness shall arise,
with healing in His wings, that song will be re-echoed by the voice of a
great multitude, as the voice of many waters, saying, "Alleluia: for the
Lord God omnipotent reigneth." Rev. 19:6.

As the angels disappeared, the light faded away, and the shadows of night
once more fell on the hills of Bethlehem. But the brightest picture ever
beheld by human eyes remained in the memory of the shepherds. "And it came
to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds
said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing
which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came
with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger."

Departing with great joy, they made known the things they had seen and
heard. "And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told
them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in
her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God."

Heaven and earth are no wider apart today than when shepherds listened to
the angels' song. Humanity is still as much the object of heaven's
solicitude as when common men of common occupations met angels at noonday,
and talked with the heavenly messengers in the vineyards and the fields. To
us in the common walks of life, heaven may be very near. Angels from the
courts above will attend the steps of those who come and go at God's
command.

The story of Bethlehem is an exhaustless theme. In it is hidden "the depth
of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God." Rom. 11:33. We
marvel at the Saviour's sacrifice in exchanging the throne of heaven for the
manger, and the companionship of adoring angels for the

49

beasts of the stall. Human pride and self-sufficiency stand rebuked in His
presence. Yet this was but the beginning of His wonderful condescension. It
would have been an almost infinite humiliation for the Son of God to take
man's nature, even when Adam stood in his innocence in Eden. But Jesus
accepted humanity when the race had been weakened by four thousand years of
sin. Like every child of Adam He accepted the results of the working of the
great law of heredity. What these results were is shown in the history of
His earthly ancestors. He came with such a heredity to share our sorrows and
temptations, and to give us the example of a sinless life.

Satan in heaven had hated Christ for His position in the courts of God. He
hated Him the more when he himself was dethroned. He hated Him who pledged
Himself to redeem a race of sinners. Yet into the world where Satan claimed
dominion God permitted His Son to come, a helpless babe, subject to the
weakness of humanity. He permitted Him to meet life's peril in common with
every human soul, to fight the battle as every child of humanity must fight
it, at the risk of failure and eternal loss.

The heart of the human father yearns over his son. He looks into the face of
his little child, and trembles at the thought of life's peril. He longs to
shield his dear one from Satan's power, to hold him back from temptation and
conflict. To meet a bitterer conflict and a more fearful risk, God gave His
only-begotten Son, that the path of life might be made sure for our little
ones. "Herein is love." Wonder, O heavens! and be astonished, O earth!

(50)

Chapter 5

The Dedication

About forty days after the birth of Christ, Joseph and Mary took Him to
Jerusalem, to present Him to the Lord, and to offer sacrifice. This was
according to the Jewish law, and as man's substitute Christ must conform to
the law in every particular. He had already been subjected to the rite of
circumcision, as a pledge of His obedience to the law.

As an offering for the mother, the law required a lamb of the first year for
a burnt offering, and a young pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering. But
the law provided that if the parents were too poor to bring a lamb, a pair
of turtledoves or two young pigeons, one for a burnt offering, the other for
a sin offering, might be accepted.

The offerings presented to the Lord were to be without blemish. These
offerings represented Christ, and from this it is evident that Jesus Himself
was free from physical deformity. He was the "lamb without blemish and
without spot." 1 Peter 1:19. His physical structure was not marred by any
defect; His body was strong and healthy. And throughout His lifetime He
lived in conformity to nature's laws. Physically

51

as well as spiritually, He was an example of what God designed all humanity
to be through obedience to His laws.

The dedication of the first-born had its origin in the earliest times. God
had promised to give the First-born of heaven to save the sinner. This gift
was to be acknowledged in every household by the consecration of the
first-born son. He was to be devoted to the priesthood, as a representative
of Christ among men.

In the deliverance of Israel from Egypt, the dedication of the first-born
was again commanded. While the children of Israel were in bondage to the
Egyptians, the Lord directed Moses to go to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and say,
"Thus saith the Lord, Israel is My son, even My first-born: and I say unto
thee, Let My son go, that he may serve Me: and if thou refuse to let him go,
behold, I will slay thy son, even thy first-born." Ex. 4:22, 23.

Moses delivered his message; but the proud king's answer was, "Who is the
Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I know not the Lord,
neither will I let Israel go." Ex. 5:2. The Lord worked for His people by
signs and wonders, sending terrible judgments upon Pharaoh. At length the
destroying angel was bidden to slay the first-born of man and beast among
the Egyptians. That the Israelites might be spared, they were directed to
place upon their doorposts the blood of a slain lamb. Every house was to be
marked, that when the angel came on his mission of death, he might pass over
the homes of the Israelites.

After sending this judgment upon Egypt, the Lord said to Moses, "Sanctify
unto Me all the first-born, . . . both of man and of beast: it is Mine;"
"for on the day that I smote all the first-born in the land of Egypt I
hallowed unto Me all the first-born in Israel, both man and beast: Mine
shall they be: I am the Lord." Ex. 13:2; Num. 3:13. After the tabernacle
service was established, the Lord chose the tribe of Levi in the place of
the first-born of all Israel to minister in the sanctuary. But the
first-born were still to be regarded as the Lord's, and were to be bought
back by a ransom.

Thus the law for the presentation of the first-born was made particularly
significant. While it was a memorial of the Lord's wonderful deliverance of
the children of Israel, it prefigured a greater deliverance, to be wrought
out by the only-begotten Son of God. As the blood sprinkled on the doorposts
had saved the first-born of Israel, so the blood of Christ has power to save
the world.

52

What meaning then was attached to Christ's presentation! But the priest did
not see through the veil; he did not read the mystery beyond. The
presentation of infants was a common scene. Day after day the priest
received the redemption money as the babes were presented to the Lord. Day
after day he went through the routine of his work, giving little heed to the
parents or children, unless he saw some indication of the wealth or high
rank of the parents. Joseph and Mary were poor; and when they came with
their child, the priests saw only a man and woman dressed as Galileans, and
in the humblest garments. There was nothing in their appearance to attract
attention, and they presented only the offering made by the poorer classes.

The priest went through the ceremony of his official work. He took the child
in his arms, and held it up before the altar. After handing it back to its
mother, he inscribed the name "Jesus" on the roll of the first-born. Little
did he think, as the babe lay in his arms, that it was the Majesty of
heaven, the King of glory. The priest did not think that this babe was the
One of whom Moses had written, "A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up
unto you of your brethren, like unto me; Him shall ye hear in all things
whatsoever He shall say unto you." Acts 3:22. He did not think that this
babe was He whose glory Moses had asked to see. But One greater than Moses
lay in the priest's arms; and when he enrolled the child's name, he was
enrolling the name of One who was the foundation of the whole Jewish
economy. That name was to be its death warrant; for the system of sacrifices
and offerings was waxing old; the type had almost reached its antitype, the
shadow its substance.

The Shekinah had departed from the sanctuary, but in the Child of Bethlehem
was veiled the glory before which angels bow. This unconscious babe was the
promised seed, to whom the first altar at the gate of Eden pointed. This was
Shiloh, the peace giver. It was He who declared Himself to Moses as the I
am. It was He who in the pillar of cloud and of fire had been the guide of
Israel. This was He whom seers had long foretold. He was the Desire of all
nations, the Root and the Offspring of David, and the Bright and Morning
Star. The name of that helpless little babe, inscribed in the roll of
Israel, declaring Him our brother, was the hope of fallen humanity. The
child for whom the redemption money had been paid was He who was to pay the
ransom for the sins of the whole world. He was the true "high priest over
the house of God," the head of "an unchangeable priesthood," the intercessor

55

at "the right hand of the Majesty on high." Heb. 10:21; 7:24; 1:3.

Spiritual things are spiritually discerned. In the temple the Son of God was
dedicated to the work He had come to do. The priest looked upon Him as he
would upon any other child. But though he neither saw nor felt anything
unusual, God's act in giving His Son to the world was acknowledged. This
occasion did not pass without some recognition of Christ. "There was a man
in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout,
waiting for the Consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. And
it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death,
before he had seen the Lord's Christ."

As Simeon enters the temple, he sees a family presenting their first-born
son before the priest. Their appearance bespeaks poverty; but Simeon
understands the warnings of the Spirit, and he is deeply impressed that the
infant being presented to the Lord is the Consolation of Israel, the One he
has longed to see. To the astonished priest, Simeon appears like a man
enraptured. The child has been returned to Mary, and he takes it in his arms
and presents it to God, while a joy that he has never before felt enters his
soul. As he lifts the infant Saviour toward heaven, he says, "Lord, now
lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy word: for mine
eyes have seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of
all people; a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of Thy people
Israel."

The spirit of prophecy was upon this man of God, and while Joseph and Mary
stood by, wondering at his words, he blessed them, and said unto Mary,
"Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel;
and for a sign which shall be spoken against; (yea, a sword shall pierce
through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be
revealed."

Anna also, a prophetess, came in and confirmed Simeon's testimony concerning
Christ. As Simeon spoke, her face lighted up with the glory of God, and she
poured out her heartfelt thanks that she had been permitted to behold Christ
the Lord.

These humble worshipers had not studied the prophecies in vain. But those
who held positions as rulers and priests in Israel, though they too had
before them the precious utterances of prophecy, were not walking in the way
of the Lord, and their eyes were not open to behold the Light of life.

56

So it is still. Events upon which the attention of all heaven is centered
are undiscerned, their very occurrence is unnoticed, by religious leaders,
and worshipers in the house of God. Men acknowledge Christ in history, while
they turn away from the living Christ. Christ in His word calling to
self-sacrifice, in the poor and suffering who plead for relief, in the
righteous cause that involves poverty and toil and reproach, is no more
readily received today than He was eighteen hundred years ago.

Mary pondered the broad and far-reaching prophecy of Simeon. As she looked
upon the child in her arms, and recalled the words spoken by the shepherds
of Bethlehem, she was full of grateful joy and bright hope. Simeon's words
called to her mind the prophetic utterances of Isaiah: "There shall come
forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his
roots: and the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the spirit of wisdom
and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge
and of the fear of the Lord. . . . And righteousness shall be the girdle of
His loins, and faithfulness the girdle of His reins." "The people that
walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of
the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. . . . For unto us a
child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon His
shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God,
The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." Isa. 11:1-5; 9:2-6.

Yet Mary did not understand Christ's mission. Simeon had prophesied of Him
as a light to lighten the Gentiles, as well as a glory to Israel. Thus the
angels had announced the Saviour's birth as tidings of joy to all peoples.
God was seeking to correct the narrow, Jewish conception of the Messiah's
work. He desired men to behold Him, not merely as the deliverer of Israel,
but as the Redeemer of the world. But many years must pass before even the
mother of Jesus would understand His mission.

Mary looked forward to the Messiah's reign on David's throne, but she saw
not the baptism of suffering by which it must be won. Through Simeon it is
revealed that the Messiah is to have no unobstructed passage through the
world. In the words to Mary, "A sword shall pierce through thy own soul
also," God in His tender mercy gives to the mother of Jesus an intimation of
the anguish that already for His sake she had begun to bear.

"Behold," Simeon had said, "this child is set for the fall and rising again
of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against."

57

They must fall who would rise again. We must fall upon the Rock and be
broken before we can be uplifted in Christ. Self must be dethroned, pride
must be humbled, if we would know the glory of the spiritual kingdom. The
Jews would not accept the honor that is reached through humiliation.
Therefore they would not receive their Redeemer. He was a sign that was
spoken against.

"That the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed." In the light of the
Saviour's life, the hearts of all, even from the Creator to the prince of
darkness, are revealed. Satan has represented God as selfish and oppressive,
as claiming all, and giving nothing, as requiring the service of His
creatures for His own glory, and making no sacrifice for their good. But the
gift of Christ reveals the Father's heart. It testifies that the thoughts of
God toward us are "thoughts of peace, and not of evil." Jer. 29:11. It
declares that while God's hatred of sin is as strong as death, His love for
the sinner is stronger than death. Having undertaken our redemption, He will
spare nothing, however dear, which is necessary to the completion of His
work. No truth essential to our salvation is withheld, no miracle of mercy
is neglected, no divine agency is left unemployed. Favor is heaped upon
favor, gift upon gift. The whole treasury of heaven is open to those He
seeks to save. Having collected the riches of the universe, and laid open
the resources of infinite power, He gives them all into the hands of Christ,
and says, All these are for man. Use these gifts to convince him that there
is no love greater than Mine in earth or heaven. His greatest happiness will
be found in loving Me.

At the cross of Calvary, love and selfishness stood face to face. Here was
their crowning manifestation. Christ had lived only to comfort and bless,
and in putting Him to death, Satan manifested the malignity of his hatred
against God. He made it evident that the real purpose of his rebellion was
to dethrone God, and to destroy Him through whom the love of God was shown.

By the life and the death of Christ, the thoughts of men also are brought to
view. From the manger to the cross, the life of Jesus was a call to
self-surrender, and to fellowship in suffering. It unveiled the purposes of
men. Jesus came with the truth of heaven, and all who were listening to the
voice of the Holy Spirit were drawn to Him. The worshipers of self belonged
to Satan's kingdom. In their attitude toward Christ, all would show on which
side they stood. And thus everyone passes judgment on himself.

58

In the day of final judgment, every lost soul will understand the nature of
his own rejection of truth. The cross will be presented, and its real
bearing will be seen by every mind that has been blinded by transgression.
Before the vision of Calvary with its mysterious Victim, sinners will stand
condemned. Every lying excuse will be swept away. Human apostasy will appear
in its heinous character. Men will see what their choice has been. Every
question of truth and error in the long-standing controversy will then have
been made plain. In the judgment of the universe, God will stand clear of
blame for the existence or continuance of evil. It will be demonstrated that
the divine decrees are not accessory to sin. There was no defect in God's
government, no cause for disaffection. When the thoughts of all hearts shall
be revealed, both the loyal and the rebellious will unite in declaring,
"Just and true are Thy ways, Thou King of saints. Who shall not fear Thee, O
Lord, and glorify Thy name? . . . for Thy judgments are made manifest." Rev.
15:3, 4.

(59)

Chapter 6

"We Have Seen His Star"

"Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the
king, behold, there came wise men from the East to Jerusalem, saying, Where
is He that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen His star in the East,
and are come to worship Him."

The wise men from the East were philosophers. They belonged to a large and
influential class that included men of noble birth, and comprised much of
the wealth and learning of their nation. Among these were many who imposed
on the credulity of the people. Others were upright men who studied the
indications of Providence in nature, and who were honored for their
integrity and wisdom. Of this character were the wise men who came to Jesus.

The light of God is ever shining amid the darkness of heathenism. As these
magi studied the starry heavens, and sought to fathom the mystery hidden in
their bright paths, they beheld the glory of the Creator. Seeking clearer
knowledge, they turned to the Hebrew Scriptures. In their own land were
treasured prophetic writings that predicted the coming of a divine teacher.
Balaam belonged to the magicians, though at one time a prophet of God; by
the Holy Spirit he had foretold the prosperity of Israel and the appearing
of the Messiah; and his prophecies

60

had been handed down by tradition from century to century. But in the Old
Testament the Saviour's advent was more clearly revealed. The magi learned
with joy that His coming was near, and that the whole world was to be filled
with a knowledge of the glory of the Lord.

The wise men had seen a mysterious light in the heavens upon that night when
the glory of God flooded the hills of Bethlehem. As the light faded, a
luminous star appeared, and lingered in the sky. It was not a fixed star nor
a planet, and the phenomenon excited the keenest interest. That star was a
distant company of shining angels, but of this the wise men were ignorant.
Yet they were impressed that the star was of special import to them. They
consulted priests and philosophers, and searched the scrolls of the ancient
records. The prophecy of Balaam had declared, "There shall come a Star out
of Jacob, and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel." Num. 24:17. Could this
strange star have been sent as a harbinger of the Promised One? The magi had
welcomed the light of heaven-sent truth; now it was shed upon them in
brighter rays. Through dreams they were instructed to go in search of the
newborn Prince.

As by faith Abraham went forth at the call of God, "not knowing whither he
went" (Heb. 11:8); as by faith Israel followed the pillar of cloud to the
Promised Land, so did these Gentiles go forth to find the promised Saviour.
The Eastern country abounded in precious things, and the magi did not set
out empty-handed. It was the custom to offer presents as an act of homage to
princes or other personages of rank, and the richest gifts the land afforded
were borne as an offering to Him in whom all the families of the earth were
to be blessed. It was necessary to journey by night in order to keep the
star in view; but the travelers beguiled the hours by repeating traditional
sayings and prophetic utterances concerning the One they sought. At every
pause for rest they searched the prophecies; and the conviction deepened
that they were divinely guided. While they had the star before them as an
outward sign, they had also the inward evidence of the Holy Spirit, which
was impressing their hearts, and inspiring them with hope. The journey,
though long, was a happy one to them.

They have reached the land of Israel, and are descending the Mount of
Olives, with Jerusalem in sight, when, lo, the star that has guided them all
the weary way rests above the temple, and after a season fades from their
view. With eager steps they press onward, confidently expecting the
Messiah's birth to be the joyful burden of every tongue. But their

61

inquiries are in vain. Entering the holy city, they repair to the temple. To
their amazement they find none who seem to have a knowledge of the newborn
king. Their questions call forth no expressions of joy, but rather of
surprise and fear, not unmingled with contempt.

The priests are rehearsing traditions. They extol their religion and their
own piety, while they denounce the Greeks and Romans as heathen, and sinners
above others. The wise men are not idolaters, and in the sight of God they
stand far higher than do these, His professed worshipers; yet they are
looked upon by the Jews as heathen. Even among the appointed guardians of
the Holy Oracles their eager questionings touch no chord of sympathy.

The arrival of the magi was quickly noised throughout Jerusalem. Their
strange errand created an excitement among the people, which penetrated to
the palace of King Herod. The wily Edomite was aroused at the intimation of
a possible rival. Countless murders had stained his pathway to the throne.
Being of alien blood, he was hated by the people over whom he ruled. His
only security was the favor of Rome. But this new Prince had a higher claim.
He was born to the kingdom.

Herod suspected the priests of plotting with the strangers to excite a
popular tumult and unseat him from the throne. He concealed his mistrust,
however, determined to thwart their schemes by superior cunning. Summoning
the chief priests and the scribes, he questioned

62

them as to the teaching of their sacred books in regard to the place of the
Messiah's birth.

This inquiry from the usurper of the throne, and made at the request of
strangers, stung the pride of the Jewish teachers. The indifference with
which they turned to the rolls of prophecy enraged the jealous tyrant. He
thought them trying to conceal their knowledge of the matter. With an
authority they dared not disregard, he commanded them to make close search,
and to declare the birthplace of their expected King. "And they said unto
him, In Bethlehem of Judea: for thus it is written by the prophet,

"And thou Bethlehem, land of Judah,
Art in nowise least among the princes of Judah:
For out of thee shall come forth a governor,
Which shall be shepherd of My people Israel."
R. V.

Herod now invited the magi to a private interview. A tempest of wrath and
fear was raging in his heart, but he preserved a calm exterior, and received
the strangers courteously. He inquired at what time the star had appeared,
and professed to hail with joy the intimation of the birth of Christ. He
bade his visitors, "Search diligently for the young child; and when ye have
found Him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship Him also." So
saying, he dismissed them to go on their way to Bethlehem.

The priests and elders of Jerusalem were not as ignorant concerning the
birth of Christ as they pretended. The report of the angels' visit to the
shepherds had been brought to Jerusalem, but the rabbis had treated it as
unworthy of their notice. They themselves might have found Jesus, and might
have been ready to lead the magi to His birthplace; but instead of this, the
wise men came to call their attention to the birth of the Messiah. "Where is
He that is born King of the Jews?" they said; "for we have seen His star in
the East, and are come to worship Him."

Now pride and envy closed the door against the light. If the reports brought
by the shepherds and the wise men were credited, they would place the
priests and rabbis in a most unenviable position, disproving their claim to
be the exponents of the truth of God. These learned teachers would not stoop
to be instructed by those whom they termed heathen. It could not be, they
said, that God had passed them by, to communicate

63

with ignorant shepherds or uncircumcised Gentiles. They determined to show
their contempt for the reports that were exciting King Herod and all
Jerusalem. They would not even go to Bethlehem to see whether these things
were so. And they led the people to regard the interest in Jesus as a
fanatical excitement. Here began the rejection of Christ by the priests and
rabbis. From this point their pride and stubbornness grew into a settled
hatred of the Saviour. While God was opening the door to the Gentiles, the
Jewish leaders were closing the door to themselves.

The wise men departed alone from Jerusalem. The shadows of night were
falling as they left the gates, but to their great joy they again saw the
star, and were directed to Bethlehem. They had received no such intimation
of the lowly estate of Jesus as was given to the shepherds. After the long
journey they had been disappointed by the indifference of the Jewish
leaders, and had left Jerusalem less confident than when they entered the
city. At Bethlehem they found no royal guard stationed to protect the
newborn King. None of the world's honored men were in attendance. Jesus was
cradled in a manger. His parents, uneducated peasants, were His only
guardians. Could this be He of whom it was written, that He should "raise up
the tribes of Jacob," and "restore the preserved of Israel;" that He should
be "a light to the Gentiles," and for "salvation unto the end of the earth"?
Isa. 49:6.

"When they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary His
mother, and fell down, and worshiped Him." Beneath the lowly guise of Jesus,
they recognized the presence of Divinity. They gave their hearts to Him as
their Saviour, and then poured out their gifts,--"gold, and frankincense,
and myrrh." What a faith was theirs!

64

It might have been said of the wise men from the East, as afterward of the
Roman centurion, "I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel." Matt.
8:10.

The wise men had not penetrated Herod's design toward Jesus. When the object
of their journey was accomplished, they prepared to return to Jerusalem,
intending to acquaint him with their success. But in a dream they received a
divine message to hold no further communication with him. Avoiding
Jerusalem, they set out for their own country by another route.

In like manner Joseph received warning to flee into Egypt with Mary and the
child. And the angel said, "Be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod
will seek the young child to destroy Him." Joseph obeyed without delay,
setting out on the journey by night for greater security.

Through the wise men, God had called the attention of the Jewish nation to
the birth of His Son. Their inquiries in Jerusalem, the popular interest
excited, and even the jealousy of Herod, which compelled the attention of
the priests and rabbis, directed minds to the prophecies concerning the
Messiah, and to the great event that had just taken place.

65

Satan was bent on shutting out the divine light from the world, and he used
his utmost cunning to destroy the Saviour. But He who never slumbers nor
sleeps was watching over His beloved Son. He who had rained manna from
heaven for Israel and had fed Elijah in the time of famine provided in a
heathen land a refuge for Mary and the child Jesus. And through the gifts of
the magi from a heathen country, the Lord supplied the means for the journey
into Egypt and the sojourn in a land of strangers.

The magi had been among the first to welcome the Redeemer. Their gift was
the first that was laid at His feet. And through that gift, what privilege
of ministry was theirs! The offering from the heart that loves, God delights
to honor, giving it highest efficiency in service for Him. If we have given
our hearts to Jesus, we also shall bring our gifts to Him. Our gold and
silver, our most precious earthly possessions, our highest mental and
spiritual endowments, will be freely devoted to Him who loved us, and gave
Himself for us.

Herod in Jerusalem impatiently awaited the return of the wise men. As time
passed, and they did not appear, his suspicions were roused. The
unwillingness of the rabbis to point out the Messiah's birthplace seemed to
indicate that they had penetrated his design, and that the magi had
purposely avoided him. He was maddened at the thought. Craft had failed, but
there was left the resort to force. He would make an example of this
child-king. Those haughty Jews should see what they might expect in their
attempts to place a monarch on the throne.

Soldiers were at once sent to Bethlehem, with orders to put to death all the
children of two years and under. The quiet homes of the city of David
witnessed those scenes of horror that, six hundred years before, had been
opened to the prophet. "In Ramah was there a voice heard, lamentation, and
weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not
be comforted, because they are not."

This calamity the Jews had brought upon themselves. If they had been walking
in faithfulness and humility before God, He would in a signal manner have
made the wrath of the king harmless to them. But they had separated
themselves from God by their sins, and had rejected the Holy Spirit, which
was their only shield. They had not studied the Scriptures with a desire to
conform to the will of God. They had searched for prophecies which could be
interpreted to exalt themselves, and to show how God despised all other
nations. It was their proud boast that the

66

Messiah was to come as a king, conquering His enemies, and treading down the
heathen in His wrath. Thus they had excited the hatred of their rulers.
Through their misrepresentation of Christ's mission, Satan had purposed to
compass the destruction of the Saviour; but instead of this, it returned
upon their own heads.

This act of cruelty was one of the last that darkened the reign of Herod.
Soon after the slaughter of the innocents, he was himself compelled to yield
to that doom which none can turn aside. He died a fearful death.

Joseph, who was still in Egypt, was now bidden by an angel of God to return
to the land of Israel. Regarding Jesus as the heir of David's throne, Joseph
desired to make his home in Bethlehem; but learning that Archelaus reigned
in Judea in his father's stead, he feared that the father's designs against
Christ might be carried out by the son. Of all the sons of Herod, Archelaus
most resembled him in character. Already his succession to the government
had been marked by a tumult in Jerusalem, and the slaughter of thousands of
Jews by the Roman guards.

Again Joseph was directed to a place of safety. He returned to Nazareth, his
former home, and here for nearly thirty years Jesus dwelt, "that it might be
fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene."
Galilee was under the control of a son of Herod, but it had a much larger
admixture of foreign inhabitants than Judea.

67

Thus there was less interest in matters relating especially to the Jews, and
the claims of Jesus would be less likely to excite the jealousy of those in
power.

Such was the Saviour's reception when He came to the earth. There seemed to
be no place of rest or safety for the infant Redeemer. God could not trust
His beloved Son with men, even while carrying forward His work for their
salvation. He commissioned angels to attend Jesus and protect Him till He
should accomplish His mission on earth, and die by the hands of those whom
He came to save.

(68)

Chapter 7

As a Child

The childhood and youth of Jesus were spent in a little mountain village.
There was no place on earth that would not have been honored by His
presence. The palaces of kings would have been privileged in receiving Him
as a guest. But He passed by the homes of wealth, the courts of royalty, and
the renowned seats of learning, to make His home in obscure and despised
Nazareth.

Wonderful in its significance is the brief record of His early life: "The
child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of
God was upon Him." In the sunlight of His Father's countenance, Jesus
"increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man." Luke 2:52.
His mind was active and penetrating, with a thoughtfulness and wisdom beyond
His years. Yet His character was beautiful in its symmetry. The powers of
mind and body developed gradually, in keeping with the laws of childhood.

As a child, Jesus manifested a peculiar loveliness of disposition. His
willing hands were ever ready to serve others. He manifested a patience

69

that nothing could disturb, and a truthfulness that would never sacrifice
integrity. In principle firm as a rock, His life revealed the grace of
unselfish courtesy.

With deep earnestness the mother of Jesus watched the unfolding of His
powers, and beheld the impress of perfection upon His character. With
delight she sought to encourage that bright, receptive mind. Through the
Holy Spirit she received wisdom to co-operate with the heavenly agencies in
the development of this child, who could claim only God as His Father.

From the earliest times the faithful in Israel had given much care to the
education of the youth. The Lord had directed that even from babyhood the
children should be taught of His goodness and His greatness, especially as
revealed in His law, and shown in the history of Israel. Song and prayer and
lessons from the Scriptures were to be adapted to the opening mind. Fathers
and mothers were to instruct their children that the law of God is an
expression of His character, and that as they received the principles of the
law into the heart, the image of God was traced on mind and soul. Much of
the teaching was oral; but the youth also learned to read the Hebrew
writings; and the parchment rolls of the Old Testament Scriptures were open
to their study.

In the days of Christ the town or city that did not provide for the
religious instruction of the young was regarded as under the curse of God.
Yet the teaching had become formal. Tradition had in a great degree
supplanted the Scriptures. True education would lead the youth to "seek the
Lord, if haply they might feel after Him, and find Him." Acts 17:27. But the
Jewish teachers gave their attention to matters of ceremony. The mind was
crowded with material that was worthless to the learner, and that would not
be recognized in the higher school of the courts above. The experience which
is obtained through a personal acceptance of God's word had no place in the
educational system. Absorbed in the round of externals, the students found
no quiet hours to spend with God. They did not hear His voice speaking to
the heart. In their search after knowledge, they turned away from the Source
of wisdom. The great essentials of the service of God were neglected. The
principles of the law were obscured. That which was regarded as superior
education was the greatest hindrance to real development. Under the training
of the rabbis the powers of the youth were repressed. Their minds became
cramped and narrow.

70

The child Jesus did not receive instruction in the synagogue schools. His
mother was His first human teacher. From her lips and from the scrolls of
the prophets, He learned of heavenly things. The very words which He Himself
had spoken to Moses for Israel He was now taught at His mother's knee. As He
advanced from childhood to youth, He did not seek the schools of the rabbis.
He needed not the education to be obtained from such sources; for God was
His instructor.

The question asked during the Saviour's ministry, "How knoweth this man
letters, having never learned?" does not indicate that Jesus was unable to
read, but merely that He had not received a rabbinical education. John 7:15.
Since He gained knowledge as we may do, His intimate acquaintance with the
Scriptures shows how diligently His early years were given to the study of
God's word. And spread out before Him was the great library of God's created
works. He who had made all things studied the lessons which His own hand had
written in earth and sea and sky. Apart from the unholy ways of the world,
He gathered stores of scientific knowledge from nature. He studied the life
of plants and animals, and the life of man. From His earliest years He was
possessed of one purpose; He lived to bless others. For this He found
resources in nature; new ideas of ways and means flashed into His mind as He
studied plant life and animal life. Continually He was seeking to draw from
things seen illustrations by which to present the living oracles of God. The
parables by which, during His ministry, He loved to teach His lessons of
truth show how open His spirit was to the influences of nature, and how He
had gathered the spiritual teaching from the surroundings of His daily life.

Thus to Jesus the significance of the word and the works of God was
unfolded, as He was trying to understand the reason of things. Heavenly
beings were His attendants, and the culture of holy thoughts and communings
was His. From the first dawning of intelligence He was constantly growing in
spiritual grace and knowledge of truth.

Every child may gain knowledge as Jesus did. As we try to become acquainted
with our heavenly Father through His word, angels will draw near, our minds
will be strengthened, our characters will be elevated and refined. We shall
become more like our Saviour. And as we behold the beautiful and grand in
nature, our affections go out after God. While the spirit is awed, the soul
is invigorated by coming in contact with the Infinite through His works.
Communion with God through

71

prayer develops the mental and moral faculties, and the spiritual powers
strengthen as we cultivate thoughts upon spiritual things.

The life of Jesus was a life in harmony with God. While He was a child, He
thought and spoke as a child; but no trace of sin marred the image of God
within Him. Yet He was not exempt from temptation. The inhabitants of
Nazareth were proverbial for their wickedness. The low estimate in which
they were generally held is shown by Nathanael's question, "Can there any
good thing come out of Nazareth?" John 1:46. Jesus was placed where His
character would be tested. It was necessary for Him to be constantly on
guard in order to preserve His purity. He was subject to all the conflicts
which we have to meet, that He might be an example to us in childhood,
youth, and manhood.

Satan was unwearied in his efforts to overcome the Child of Nazareth. From
His earliest years Jesus was guarded by heavenly angels, yet His life was
one long struggle against the powers of darkness. That there should be upon
the earth one life free from the defilement of evil was an offense and a
perplexity to the prince of darkness. He left no means untried to ensnare
Jesus. No child of humanity will ever be called to live a holy life amid so
fierce a conflict with temptation as was our Saviour.

72

The parents of Jesus were poor, and dependent upon their daily toil. He was
familiar with poverty, self-denial, and privation. This experience was a
safeguard to Him. In His industrious life there were no idle moments to
invite temptation. No aimless hours opened the way for corrupting
associations. So far as possible, He closed the door to the tempter. Neither
gain nor pleasure, applause nor censure, could induce Him to consent to a
wrong act. He was wise to discern evil, and strong to resist it.

Christ was the only sinless one who ever dwelt on earth; yet for nearly
thirty years He lived among the wicked inhabitants of Nazareth. This fact is
a rebuke to those who think themselves dependent upon place, fortune, or
prosperity, in order to live a blameless life. Temptation, poverty,
adversity, is the very discipline needed to develop purity and firmness.

Jesus lived in a peasant's home, and faithfully and cheerfully acted His
part in bearing the burdens of the household. He had been the Commander of
heaven, and angels had delighted to fulfill His word; now He was a willing
servant, a loving, obedient son. He learned a trade, and with His own hands
worked in the carpenter's shop with Joseph. In the simple garb of a common
laborer He walked the streets of the little town, going to and returning
from His humble work. He did not employ His divine power to lessen His
burdens or to lighten His toil.

As Jesus worked in childhood and youth, mind and body were developed. He did
not use His physical powers recklessly, but in such a way as to keep them in
health, that He might do the best work in every line. He was not willing to
be defective, even in the handling of tools. He was perfect as a workman, as
He was perfect in character. By His own example He taught that it is our
duty to be industrious, that our work should be performed with exactness and
thoroughness, and that such labor is honorable. The exercise that teaches
the hands to be useful and trains the young to bear their share of life's
burdens gives physical strength, and develops every faculty. All should find
something to do that will be beneficial to themselves and helpful to others.
God appointed work as a blessing, and only the diligent worker finds the
true glory and joy of life. The approval of God rests with loving assurance
upon children and youth who cheerfully take their part in the duties of the
household, sharing the burdens of father and mother. Such children will go
out from the home to be useful members of society.

73

Throughout His life on earth, Jesus was an earnest and constant worker. He
expected much; therefore He attempted much. After He had entered on His
ministry, He said, "I must work the works of Him that sent Me, while it is
day: the night cometh, when no man can work." John 9:4. Jesus did not shirk
care and responsibility, as do many who profess to be His followers. It is
because they seek to evade this discipline that so many are weak and
inefficient. They may possess precious and amiable traits, but they are
nerveless and almost useless when difficulties are to be met or obstacles
surmounted. The positiveness and energy, the solidity and strength of
character, manifested in Christ are to be developed in us, through the same
discipline that He endured. And the grace that He received is for us.

So long as He lived among men, our Saviour shared the lot of the poor. He
knew by experience their cares and hardships, and He could comfort and
encourage all humble workers. Those who have a true conception of the
teaching of His life will never feel that a distinction must be made between
classes, that the rich are to be honored above the worthy poor.

Jesus carried into His labor cheerfulness and tact. It requires much
patience and spirituality to bring Bible religion into the home life and
into the workshop, to bear the strain of worldly business, and yet keep the
eye single to the glory of God. This is where Christ was a helper. He was
never so full of worldly care as to have no time or thought for heavenly
things. Often He expressed the gladness of His heart by singing psalms and
heavenly songs. Often the dwellers in Nazareth heard His voice raised in
praise and thanksgiving to God. He held communion with heaven in song; and
as His companions complained of weariness from labor, they were cheered by
the sweet melody from His lips. His praise seemed to banish the evil angels,
and, like incense, fill the place with fragrance. The minds of His hearers
were carried away from their earthly exile, to the heavenly home.

74

Jesus was the fountain of healing mercy for the world; and through all those
secluded years at Nazareth, His life flowed out in currents of sympathy and
tenderness. The aged, the sorrowing, and the sin-burdened, the children at
play in their innocent joy, the little creatures of the groves, the patient
beasts of burden,--all were happier for His presence. He whose word of power
upheld the worlds would stoop to relieve a wounded bird. There was nothing
beneath His notice, nothing to which He disdained to minister.

Thus as He grew in wisdom and stature, Jesus increased in favor with God and
man. He drew the sympathy of all hearts by showing Himself capable of
sympathizing with all. The atmosphere of hope and courage that surrounded
Him made Him a blessing in every home. And often in the synagogue on the
Sabbath day He was called upon to read the lesson from the prophets, and the
hearts of the hearers thrilled as a new light shone out from the familiar
words of the sacred text.

Yet Jesus shunned display. During all the years of His stay in Nazareth, He
made no exhibition of His miraculous power. He sought no high position and
assumed no titles. His quiet and simple life, and even the silence of the
Scriptures concerning His early years, teach an important lesson. The more
quiet and simple the life of the child,--the more free from artificial
excitement, and the more in harmony with nature,--the more favorable is it
to physical and mental vigor and to spiritual strength.

Jesus is our example. There are many who dwell with interest upon the period
of His public ministry, while they pass unnoticed the teaching of His early
years. But it is in His home life that He is the pattern for all children
and youth. The Saviour condescended to poverty, that He might teach how
closely we in a humble lot may walk with God. He lived to please, honor, and
glorify His Father in the common things of life. His work began in
consecrating the lowly trade of the craftsmen who toil for their daily
bread. He was doing God's service just as much when laboring at the
carpenter's bench as when working miracles for the multitude. And every
youth who follows Christ's example of faithfulness and obedience in His
lowly home may claim those words spoken of Him by the Father through the
Holy Spirit, "Behold My Servant, whom I uphold; Mine Elect, in whom My soul
delighteth." Isa. 42:1.

(75)

Chapter 8

The Passover Visit

Among the Jews the twelfth year was the dividing line between childhood and
youth. On completing this year a Hebrew boy was called a son of the law, and
also a son of God. He was given special opportunities for religious
instruction, and was expected to participate in the sacred feasts and
observances. It was in accordance with this custom that Jesus in His boyhood
made the Passover visit to Jerusalem. Like all devout Israelites, Joseph and
Mary went up every year to attend the Passover; and when Jesus had reached
the required age, they took Him with them.

There were three annual feasts, the Passover, the Pentecost, and the Feast
of Tabernacles, at which all the men of Israel were commanded to appear
before the Lord at Jerusalem. Of these feasts the Passover was the most
largely attended. Many were present from all countries where the Jews were
scattered. From every part of Palestine the worshipers came in great
numbers. The journey from Galilee occupied several days, and the travelers
united in large companies for companionship and protection. The women and
aged men rode upon oxen or asses over the steep

76

and rocky roads. The stronger men and the youth journeyed on foot. The time
of the Passover corresponded to the close of March or the beginning of
April, and the whole land was bright with flowers, and glad with the song of
birds. All along the way were spots memorable in the history of Israel, and
fathers and mothers recounted to their children the wonders that God had
wrought for His people in ages past. They beguiled their journey with song
and music, and when at last the towers of Jerusalem came into view, every
voice joined in the triumphant strain,--

"Our feet shall stand
Within thy gates, O Jerusalem. . . .
Peace be within thy walls,
And prosperity within thy palaces."
Ps. 122: 2-7.

The observance of the Passover began with the birth of the Hebrew nation. On
the last night of their bondage in Egypt, when there appeared

77

no token of deliverance, God commanded them to prepare for an immediate
release. He had warned Pharaoh of the final judgment on the Egyptians, and
He directed the Hebrews to gather their families within their own dwellings.
Having sprinkled the doorposts with the blood of the slain lamb, they were
to eat the lamb, roasted, with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. "And thus
shall ye eat it," He said, "with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet,
and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the Lord's
passover." Ex. 12:11. At midnight all the first-born of the Egyptians were
slain. Then the king sent to Israel the message, "Rise up, and get you forth
from among my people; . . . and go, serve the Lord, as ye have said." Ex.
12:31. The Hebrews went out from Egypt an independent nation. The Lord had
commanded that the Passover should be yearly kept. "It shall come to pass,"
He said, "when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this
service? that ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the Lord's passover, who
passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when He smote the
Egyptians." Thus from generation to generation the story of this wonderful
deliverance was to be repeated.

The Passover was followed by the seven days' feast of unleavened bread. On
the second day of the feast, the first fruits of the year's harvest, a sheaf
of barley, was presented before the Lord. All the ceremonies of the feast
were types of the work of Christ. The deliverance of Israel from Egypt was
an object lesson of redemption, which the Passover was intended to keep in
memory. The slain lamb, the unleavened bread, the sheaf of first fruits,
represented the Saviour.

With most of the people in the days of Christ, the observance of this feast
had degenerated into formalism. But what was its significance to the Son of
God!

78

For the first time the child Jesus looked upon the temple. He saw the
white-robed priests performing their solemn ministry. He beheld the bleeding
victim upon the altar of sacrifice. With the worshipers He bowed in prayer,
while the cloud of incense ascended before God. He witnessed the impressive
rites of the paschal service. Day by day He saw their meaning more clearly.
Every act seemed to be bound up with His own life. New impulses were
awakening within Him. Silent and absorbed, He seemed to be studying out a
great problem. The mystery of His mission was opening to the Saviour.

Rapt in the contemplation of these scenes, He did not remain beside His
parents. He sought to be alone. When the paschal services were ended, He
still lingered in the temple courts; and when the worshipers departed from
Jerusalem, He was left behind.

In this visit to Jerusalem, the parents of Jesus wished to bring Him in
connection with the great teachers in Israel. While He was obedient in every
particular to the word of God, He did not conform to the rabbinical rites
and usages. Joseph and Mary hoped that He might be led to reverence the
learned rabbis, and give more diligent heed to their requirements. But Jesus
in the temple had been taught by God. That which He had received, He began
at once to impart.

At that day an apartment connected with the temple was devoted to a sacred
school, after the manner of the schools of the prophets. Here leading rabbis
with their pupils assembled, and hither the child Jesus came. Seating
Himself at the feet of these grave, learned men, He listened to their
instruction. As one seeking for wisdom, He questioned these teachers in
regard to the prophecies, and to events then taking place that pointed to
the advent of the Messiah.

Jesus presented Himself as one thirsting for a knowledge of God. His
questions were suggestive of deep truths which had long been obscured, yet
which were vital to the salvation of souls. While showing how narrow and
superficial was the wisdom of the wise men, every question put before them a
divine lesson, and placed truth in a new aspect. The rabbis spoke of the
wonderful elevation which the Messiah's coming would bring to the Jewish
nation; but Jesus presented the prophecy of Isaiah, and asked them the
meaning of those scriptures that point to the suffering and death of the
Lamb of God.

The doctors turned upon Him with questions, and they were amazed at His
answers. With the humility of a child He repeated the words of

79

Scripture, giving them a depth of meaning that the wise men had not
conceived of. If followed, the lines of truth He pointed out would have
worked a reformation in the religion of the day. A deep interest in
spiritual things would have been awakened; and when Jesus began His
ministry, many would have been prepared to receive Him.

80

The rabbis knew that Jesus had not been instructed in their schools; yet His
understanding of the prophecies far exceeded theirs. In this thoughtful
Galilean boy they discerned great promise. They desired to gain Him as a
student, that He might become a teacher in Israel. They wanted to have
charge of His education, feeling that a mind so original must be brought
under their molding.

The words of Jesus had moved their hearts as they had never before been
moved by words from human lips. God was seeking to give light to those
leaders in Israel, and He used the only means by which they could be
reached. In their pride they would have scorned to admit that they could
receive instruction from anyone. If Jesus had appeared to be trying to teach
them, they would have disdained to listen. But they flattered themselves
that they were teaching Him, or at least testing His knowledge of the
Scriptures. The youthful modesty and grace of Jesus disarmed their
prejudices. Unconsciously their minds were opened to the word of God, and
the Holy Spirit spoke to their hearts.

They could not but see that their expectation in regard to the Messiah was
not sustained by prophecy; but they would not renounce the theories that had
flattered their ambition. They would not admit that they had misapprehended
the Scriptures they claimed to teach. From one to another passed the
inquiry, How hath this youth knowledge, having never learned? The light was
shining in darkness; but "the darkness apprehended it not." John 1:5, R. V.

Meanwhile Joseph and Mary were in great perplexity and distress. In the
departure from Jerusalem they had lost sight of Jesus, and they knew not
that He had tarried behind. The country was then densely populated, and the
caravans from Galilee were very large. There was much confusion as they left
the city. On the way the pleasure of traveling with friends and
acquaintances absorbed their attention, and they did not notice His absence
till night came on. Then as they halted for rest, they missed the helpful
hand of their child. Supposing Him to be with their company, they had felt
no anxiety. Young as He was, they had trusted Him implicitly, expecting that
when needed, He would be ready to assist them, anticipating their wants as
He had always done. But now their fears were roused. They searched for Him
throughout their company, but in vain. Shuddering they remembered how Herod
had tried to destroy Him in His infancy. Dark forebodings filled their
hearts. They bitterly reproached themselves.

81

Returning to Jerusalem, they pursued their search. The next day, as they
mingled with the worshipers in the temple, a familiar voice arrested their
attention. They could not mistake it; no other voice was like His, so
serious and earnest, yet so full of melody.

In the school of the rabbis they found Jesus. Rejoiced as they were, they
could not forget their grief and anxiety. When He was with them again, the
mother said, in words that implied reproof, "Son, why hast Thou thus dealt
with us? Behold, Thy father and I have sought Thee sorrowing."

"How is it that ye sought Me?" answered Jesus. "Wist ye not that I must be
about My Father's business?" And as they seemed not to understand His words,
He pointed upward. On His face was a light at which they wondered. Divinity
was flashing through humanity. On finding Him in the temple, they had
listened to what was passing between Him and the rabbis, and they were
astonished at His questions and answers. His words started a train of
thought that would never be forgotten.

And His question to them had a lesson. "Wist ye not," He said, "that I must
be about My Father's business?" Jesus was engaged in the work that He had
come into the world to do; but Joseph and Mary had neglected theirs. God had
shown them high honor in committing to them His Son. Holy angels had
directed the course of Joseph in order to preserve the life of Jesus. But
for an entire day they had lost sight of Him whom they should not have
forgotten for a moment. And when their anxiety was relieved, they had not
censured themselves, but had cast the blame upon Him.

It was natural for the parents of Jesus to look upon Him as their own child.
He was daily with them, His life in many respects was like that of other
children, and it was difficult for them to realize that He was the Son of
God. They were in danger of failing to appreciate the blessing granted them
in the presence of the world's Redeemer. The grief of their separation from
Him, and the gentle reproof which His words conveyed, were designed to
impress them with the sacredness of their trust.

In the answer to His mother, Jesus showed for the first time that He
understood His relation to God. Before His birth the angel had said to Mary,
"He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord
God shall give unto Him the throne of His

82

father David: and He shall reign over the house of Jacob forever." Luke
1:32, 33. These words Mary had pondered in her heart; yet while she believed
that her child was to be Israel's Messiah, she did not comprehend His
mission. Now she did not understand His words; but she knew that He had
disclaimed kinship to Joseph, and had declared His Sonship to God.

Jesus did not ignore His relation to His earthly parents. From Jerusalem He
returned home with them, and aided them in their life of toil. He hid in His
own heart the mystery of His mission, waiting submissively for the appointed
time for Him to enter upon His work. For eighteen years after He had
recognized that He was the Son of God, He acknowledged the tie that bound
Him to the home at Nazareth, and performed the duties of a son, a brother, a
friend, and a citizen.

As His mission had opened to Jesus in the temple, He shrank from contact
with the multitude. He wished to return from Jerusalem in quietness, with
those who knew the secret of His life. By the paschal service, God was
seeking to call His people away from their worldly cares, and to remind them
of His wonderful work in their deliverance from Egypt. In this work He
desired them to see a promise of deliverance from sin. As the blood of the
slain lamb sheltered the homes of Israel, so the blood of Christ was to save
their souls; but they could be saved through Christ only as by faith they
should make His life their own. There was virtue in the symbolic service
only as it directed the worshipers to Christ as their personal Saviour. God
desired that they should be led to prayerful study and meditation in regard
to Christ's mission. But as the multitudes left Jerusalem, the excitement of
travel and social intercourse too often absorbed their attention, and the
service they had witnessed was forgotten. The Saviour was not attracted to
their company.

As Joseph and Mary should return from Jerusalem alone with Jesus, He hoped
to direct their minds to the prophecies of the suffering Saviour. Upon
Calvary He sought to lighten His mother's grief. He was thinking of her now.
Mary was to witness His last agony, and Jesus desired her to understand His
mission, that she might be strengthened to endure, when the sword should
pierce through her soul. As Jesus had been separated from her, and she had
sought Him sorrowing three days, so when He should be offered up for the
sins of the world, He would again be lost to her for three days. And as He
should come forth from the tomb, her sorrow would again be turned to joy.
But how much better

83

she could have borne the anguish of His death if she had understood the
Scriptures to which He was now trying to turn her thoughts!

If Joseph and Mary had stayed their minds upon God by meditation and prayer,
they would have realized the sacredness of their trust, and would not have
lost sight of Jesus. By one day's neglect they lost the Saviour; but it cost
them three days of anxious search to find Him. So with us; by idle talk,
evilspeaking, or neglect of prayer, we may in one day lose the Saviour's
presence, and it may take many days of sorrowful search to find Him, and
regain the peace that we have lost.

In our association with one another, we should take heed lest we forget
Jesus, and pass along unmindful that He is not with us. When we become
absorbed in worldly things so that we have no thought for Him in whom our
hope of eternal life is centered, we separate ourselves from Jesus and from
the heavenly angels. These holy beings cannot remain where the Saviour's
presence is not desired, and His absence is not marked. This is why
discouragement so often exists among the professed followers of Christ.

Many attend religious services, and are refreshed and comforted by the word
of God; but through neglect of meditation, watchfulness, and prayer, they
lose the blessing, and find themselves more destitute than before they
received it. Often they feel that God has dealt hardly with them. They do
not see that the fault is their own. By separating themselves from Jesus,
they have shut away the light of His presence.

It would be well for us to spend a thoughtful hour each day in contemplation
of the life of Christ. We should take it point by point, and let the
imagination grasp each scene, especially the closing ones. As we thus dwell
upon His great sacrifice for us, our confidence in Him will be more
constant, our love will be quickened, and we shall be more deeply imbued
with His spirit. If we would be saved at last, we must learn the lesson of
penitence and humiliation at the foot of the cross.

As we associate together, we may be a blessing to one another. If we are
Christ's, our sweetest thoughts will be of Him. We shall love to talk of
Him; and as we speak to one another of His love, our hearts will be softened
by divine influences. Beholding the beauty of His character, we shall be
"changed into the same image from glory to glory."
2 Cor. 3:18.

(84)

Chapter 9

Days of Conflict

From its earliest years the Jewish child was surrounded with the
requirements of the rabbis. Rigid rules were prescribed for every act, down
to the smallest details of life. Under the synagogue teachers the youth were
instructed in the countless regulations which as orthodox Israelites they
were expected to observe. But Jesus did not interest Himself in these
matters. From childhood He acted independently of the rabbinical laws. The
Scriptures of the Old Testament were His constant study, and the words,
"Thus saith the Lord," were ever upon His lips.

As the condition of the people began to open to His mind, He saw that the
requirements of society and the requirements of God were in constant
collision. Men were departing from the word of God, and exalting theories of
their own invention. They were observing traditional rites that possessed no
virtue. Their service was a mere round of ceremonies; the sacred truths it
was designed to teach were hidden from the worshipers. He saw that in their
faithless services they found no peace. They did not know the freedom of
spirit that would come to them by serving God in truth. Jesus had come to
teach the meaning of the worship of God, and He could not sanction the
mingling of human requirements with the divine precepts. He did not attack
the precepts or

85

practices of the learned teachers; but when reproved for His own simple
habits, He presented the word of God in justification of His conduct.

In every gentle and submissive way, Jesus tried to please those with whom He
came in contact. Because He was so gentle and unobtrusive, the scribes and
elders supposed that He would be easily influenced by their teaching. They
urged Him to receive the maxims and traditions that had been handed down
from the ancient rabbis, but He asked for their authority in Holy Writ. He
would hear every word that proceeds from the mouth of God; but He could not
obey the inventions of men. Jesus seemed to know the Scriptures from
beginning to end, and He presented them in their true import. The rabbis
were ashamed to be instructed by a child. They claimed that it was their
office to explain the Scriptures, and that it was His place to accept their
interpretation. They were indignant that He should stand in opposition to
their word.

They knew that no authority could be found in Scripture for their
traditions. They realized that in spiritual understanding Jesus was far in
advance of them. Yet they were angry because He did not obey their

86

dictates. Failing to convince Him, they sought Joseph and Mary, and set
before them His course of noncompliance. Thus He suffered rebuke and
censure.

At a very early age, Jesus had begun to act for Himself in the formation of
His character, and not even respect and love for His parents could turn Him
from obedience to God's word. "It is written" was His reason for every act
that varied from the family customs. But the influence of the rabbis made
His life a bitter one. Even in His youth He had to learn the hard lesson of
silence and patient endurance.

His brothers, as the sons of Joseph were called, sided with the rabbis They
insisted that the traditions must be heeded, as if they were the
requirements of God. They even regarded the precepts of men more highly than
the word of God, and they were greatly annoyed at the clear penetration of
Jesus in distinguishing between the false and the true His strict obedience
to the law of God they condemned as stubbornness. They were surprised at the
knowledge and wisdom He showed in answering the rabbis. They knew that He
had not received instruction from the wise men, yet they could not but see
that He was an instructor to them. They recognized that His education was of
a higher type than their own. But they did not discern that He had access to
the tree of life, a source of knowledge of which they were ignorant.

Christ was not exclusive, and He had given special offense to the Pharisees
by departing in this respect from their rigid rules. He found the domain of
religion fenced in by high walls of seclusion, as too sacred a matter for
everyday life. These walls of partition He overthrew. In His contact with
men He did not ask, What is your creed? To what church do you belong? He
exercised His helping power in behalf of all who needed help. Instead of
secluding Himself in a hermit's cell in order to show His heavenly
character, He labored earnestly for humanity. He inculcated the principle
that Bible religion does not consist in the mortification of the body. He
taught that pure and undefiled religion is not meant only for set times and
special occasions. At all times and in all places He manifested a loving
interest in men, and shed about Him the light of a cheerful piety. All this
was a rebuke to the Pharisees. It showed that religion does not consist in
selfishness, and that their morbid devotion to personal interest was far
from being true godliness. This had roused their enmity against Jesus, so
that they tried to enforce His conformity to their regulations.

87

Jesus worked to relieve every case of suffering that He saw. He had little
money to give, but He often denied Himself of food in order to relieve those
who appeared more needy than He. His brothers felt that His influence went
far to counteract theirs. He possessed a tact which none of them had, or
desired to have. When they spoke harshly to poor, degraded beings, Jesus
sought out these very ones, and spoke to them words of encouragement. To
those who were in need He would give a cup of cold water, and would quietly
place His own meal in their hands. As He relieved their sufferings, the
truths He taught were associated with His acts of mercy, and were thus
riveted in the memory.

All this displeased His brothers. Being older than Jesus, they felt that He
should be under their dictation. They charged Him with thinking Himself
superior to them, and reproved Him for setting Himself above their teachers
and the priests and rulers of the people. Often they threatened and tried to
intimidate Him; but He passed on, making the Scriptures His guide.

Jesus loved His brothers, and treated them with unfailing kindness; but they
were jealous of Him, and manifested the most decided unbelief and contempt.
They could not understand His conduct. Great contradictions presented
themselves in Jesus. He was the divine Son of God,

88

and yet a helpless child. The Creator of the worlds, the earth was His
possession, and yet poverty marked His life experience at every step. He
possessed a dignity and individuality wholly distinct from earthly pride and
assumption; He did not strive for worldly greatness, and in even the
lowliest position He was content. This angered His brothers. They could not
account for His constant serenity under trial and deprivation. They did not
know that for our sake He had become poor, that we "through His poverty
might be rich." 2 Cor. 8:9. They could understand the mystery of His mission
no more than the friends of Job could understand his humiliation and
suffering.

Jesus was misunderstood by His brothers because He was not like them. His
standard was not their standard. In looking to men they had turned away from
God, and they had not His power in their lives. The forms of religion which
they observed could not transform the character. They paid "tithe of mint
and anise and cummin," but omitted "the weightier matters of the law,
judgment, mercy, and faith." Matt. 23:23. The example of Jesus was to them a
continual irritation. He hated but one thing in the world, and that was sin.
He could not witness a wrong act without pain which it was impossible to
disguise. Between the formalists, whose sanctity of appearance concealed the
love of sin, and a character in which zeal for God's glory was always
paramount, the contrast was unmistakable. Because the life of Jesus
condemned evil, He was opposed, both at home and abroad. His unselfishness
and integrity were commented on with a sneer. His forbearance and kindness
were termed cowardice.

Of the bitterness that falls to the lot of humanity, there was no part which
Christ did not taste. There were those who tried to cast contempt upon Him
because of His birth, and even in His childhood He had to meet their
scornful looks and evil whisperings. If He had responded by an impatient
word or look, if He had conceded to His brothers by even one wrong act, He
would have failed of being a perfect example. Thus He would have failed of
carrying out the plan for our redemption. Had He even admitted that there
could be an excuse for sin, Satan would have triumphed, and the world would
have been lost. This is why the tempter worked to make His life as trying as
possible, that He might be led to sin.

But to every temptation He had one answer, "It is written." He rarely
rebuked any wrongdoing of His brothers, but He had a word

89

from God to speak to them. Often He was accused of cowardice for refusing to
unite with them in some forbidden act; but His answer was, It is written,
"The fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is
understanding." Job 28:28.

There were some who sought His society, feeling at peace in His presence;
but many avoided Him, because they were rebuked by His stainless life. Young
companions urged Him to do as they did. He was bright and cheerful; they
enjoyed His presence, and welcomed His ready suggestions; but they were
impatient at His scruples, and pronounced Him narrow and strait-laced. Jesus
answered, It is written, "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by
taking heed thereto according to Thy word." "Thy word have I hid in mine
heart, that I might not sin against Thee." Ps. 119:9, 11.

Often He was asked, Why are you bent on being so singular, so different from
us all? It is written, He said, "Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who
walk in the law of the Lord. Blessed are they that keep His testimonies, and
that seek Him with the whole heart. They also do no iniquity; they walk in
His ways." Ps. 119:1-3.

When questioned why He did not join in the frolics of the youth of Nazareth,
He said, It is written, "I have rejoiced in the way of Thy testimonies, as
much as in all riches. I will meditate in Thy precepts, and have respect
unto Thy ways. I will delight myself in Thy statutes; I will not forget Thy
word." Ps. 119:14-16.

Jesus did not contend for His rights. Often His work was made unnecessarily
severe because He was willing and uncomplaining. Yet He did not fail nor
become discouraged. He lived above these difficulties, as if in the light of
God's countenance. He did not retaliate when roughly used, but bore insult
patiently.

Again and again He was asked, Why do You submit to such despiteful usage,
even from Your brothers? It is written, He said, "My son, forget not My law;
but let thine heart keep My commandments: for length of days, and long life,
and peace, shall they add to thee. Let not mercy and truth forsake thee:
bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: so shalt
thou find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and man." Prov.
3:1-4.

From the time when the parents of Jesus found Him in the temple, His course
of action was a mystery to them. He would not enter into controversy, yet
His example was a constant lesson. He seemed as one

90

who was set apart. His hours of happiness were found when alone with nature
and with God. Whenever it was His privilege, He turned aside from the scene
of His labor, to go into the fields, to meditate in the green valleys, to
hold communion with God on the mountainside or amid the trees of the forest.
The early morning often found Him in some secluded place, meditating,
searching the Scriptures, or in prayer. From these quiet hours He would
return to His home to take up His duties again, and to give an example of
patient toil.

The life of Christ was marked with respect and love for His mother. Mary
believed in her heart that the holy child born of her was the long-promised
Messiah, yet she dared not express her faith. Throughout His life on earth
she was a partaker in His sufferings. She witnessed with sorrow the trials
brought upon Him in His childhood and youth. By her vindication of what she
knew to be right in His conduct, she herself was brought into trying
positions. She looked upon the associations of the home, and the mother's
tender watchcare over her children, as of vital importance in the formation
of character. The sons and daughters of Joseph knew this, and by appealing
to her anxiety, they tried to correct the practices of Jesus according to
their standard.

Mary often remonstrated with Jesus, and urged Him to conform to the usages
of the rabbis. But He could not be persuaded to change His habits of
contemplating the works of God and seeking to alleviate the suffering of men
or even of dumb animals. When the priests and teachers required Mary's aid
in controlling Jesus, she was greatly troubled; but peace came to her heart
as He presented the statements of Scripture upholding His practices.

At times she wavered between Jesus and His brothers, who did not believe
that He was the Sent of God; but evidence was abundant that His was a divine
character. She saw Him sacrificing Himself for the good of others. His
presence brought a purer atmosphere into the home, and His life was as
leaven working amid the elements of society. Harmless and undefiled, He
walked among the thoughtless, the rude, the uncourteous; amid the unjust
publicans, the reckless prodigals, the unrighteous Samaritans, the heathen
soldiers, the rough peasants, and the mixed multitude. He spoke a word of
sympathy here and a word there, as He saw men weary, yet compelled to bear
heavy burdens. He shared their burdens, and repeated to them the lessons He
had learned from nature, of the love, the kindness, the goodness of God.

91

He taught all to look upon themselves as endowed with precious talents,
which if rightly employed would secure for them eternal riches. He weeded
all vanity from life, and by His own example taught that every moment of
time is fraught with eternal results; that it is to be cherished as a
treasure, and to be employed for holy purposes. He passed by no human being
as worthless, but sought to apply the saving remedy to every soul. In
whatever company He found Himself, He presented a lesson that was
appropriate to the time and the circumstances. He sought to inspire with
hope the most rough and unpromising, setting before them the assurance that
they might become blameless and harmless, attaining such a character as
would make them manifest as the children of God. Often He met those who had
drifted under Satan's control, and who had no power to break from his snare.
To such a one, discouraged, sick, tempted, and fallen, Jesus would speak
words of tenderest pity, words that were needed and could be understood.
Others

92

He met who were fighting a hand-to-hand battle with the adversary of souls.
These He encouraged to persevere, assuring them that they would win; for
angels of God were on their side, and would give them the victory. Those
whom He thus helped were convinced that here was One in whom they could
trust with perfect confidence. He would not betray the secrets they poured
into His sympathizing ear.

Jesus was the healer of the body as well as of the soul. He was interested
in every phase of suffering that came under His notice, and to every
sufferer He brought relief, His kind words having a soothing balm. None
could say that He had worked a miracle; but virtue--the healing power of
love--went out from Him to the sick and distressed. Thus in an unobtrusive
way He worked for the people from His very childhood. And this was why,
after His public ministry began, so many heard Him gladly.

Yet through childhood, youth, and manhood, Jesus walked alone. In His purity
and His faithfulness, He trod the wine press alone, and of the people there
was none with Him. He carried the awful weight of responsibility for the
salvation of men. He knew that unless there was a decided change in the
principles and purposes of the human race, all would be lost. This was the
burden of His soul, and none could appreciate the weight that rested upon
Him. Filled with intense purpose, He carried out the design of His life that
He Himself should be the light of men.

(97)

Chapter 10

The Voice in the Wilderness

From among the faithful in Israel, who had long waited for the coming of the
Messiah, the forerunner of Christ arose. The aged priest Zacharias and his
wife Elisabeth were "both righteous before God;" and in their quiet and holy
lives the light of faith shone out like a star amid the darkness of those
evil days. To this godly pair was given the promise of a son, who should "go
before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways."

Zacharias dwelt in "the hill country of Judea," but he had gone up to
Jerusalem to minister for one week in the temple, a service required twice a
year from the priests of each course. "And it came to pass, that while he
executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course,
according to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense
when he went into the temple of the Lord."

He was standing before the golden altar in the holy place of the sanctuary.
The cloud of incense with the prayers of Israel was ascending before God.
Suddenly he became conscious of a divine presence. An angel of the Lord was
"standing on the right side of the altar." The position of the angel was an
indication of favor, but Zacharias took no

98

note of this. For many years he had prayed for the coming of the Redeemer;
now heaven had sent its messenger to announce that these prayers were about
to be answered; but the mercy of God seemed too great for him to credit. He
was filled with fear and self-condemnation.

But he was greeted with the joyful assurance: "Fear not, Zacharias: for thy
prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou
shalt call his name John. And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many
shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord,
and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with
the Holy Ghost. . . . And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to
the Lord their God. And he shall go before Him in the spirit and power of
Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the
disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for
the Lord. And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for
I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years."

Zacharias well knew how to Abraham in his old age a child was given because
he believed Him faithful who had promised. But for a moment the aged priest
turns his thought to the weakness of humanity. He forgets that what God has
promised, He is able to perform. What a contrast between this unbelief and
the sweet, childlike faith of Mary, the maiden of Nazareth, whose answer to
the angel's wonderful announcement was, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be
it unto me according to thy word"! Luke 1:38.

The birth of a son to Zacharias, like the birth of the child of Abraham, and
that of Mary, was to teach a great spiritual truth, a truth that we are slow
to learn and ready to forget. In ourselves we are incapable of doing any
good thing; but that which we cannot do will be wrought by the power of God
in every submissive and believing soul. It was through faith that the child
of promise was given. It is through faith that spiritual life is begotten,
and we are enabled to do the works of righteousness.

To the question of Zacharias, the angel said, "I am Gabriel, that stand in
the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to show thee these
glad tidings." Five hundred years before, Gabriel had made known to Daniel
the prophetic period which was to extend to the coming of Christ. The
knowledge that the end of this period was near had moved Zacharias to pray
for the Messiah's advent. Now the very messenger through whom the prophecy
was given had come to announce its fulfillment.

99

The words of the angel, "I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God,"
show that he holds a position of high honor in the heavenly courts. When he
came with a message to Daniel, he said, "There is none that holdeth with me
in these things, but Michael [Christ] your Prince." Dan. 10:21. Of Gabriel
the Saviour speaks in the Revelation, saying that "He sent and signified it
by His angel unto His servant John." Rev. 1:1. And to John the angel
declared, "I am a fellow servant with thee and with thy brethren the
prophets." Rev. 22:9, R. V. Wonderful thought--that the angel who stands
next in honor to the Son of God is the one chosen to open the purposes of
God to sinful men.

Zacharias had expressed doubt of the angel's words. He was not to speak
again until they were fulfilled. "Behold," said the angel, "thou shalt be
dumb, . . . until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou
believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season." It was
the duty of the priest in this service to pray for the pardon of public and
national sins, and for the coming of the Messiah; but when Zacharias
attempted to do this, he could not utter a word.

Coming forth to bless the people, "he beckoned unto them, and remained
speechless." They had waited long, and had begun to fear, lest he had been
cut down by the judgment of God. But as he came forth from the holy place,
his face was shining with the glory of God, "and they perceived that he had
seen a vision in the temple." Zacharias communicated to them what he had
seen and heard; and "as soon as the days of his ministration were
accomplished, he departed to his own house."

Soon after the birth of the promised child, the father's tongue was loosed,
"and he spake, and praised God. And fear came on all that dwelt round about
them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill
country of Judea. And all they that heard them laid them up

100

in their hearts, saying, What manner of child shall this be!" All this
tended to call attention to the Messiah's coming, for which John was to
prepare the way.

The Holy Spirit rested upon Zacharias, and in these beautiful words he
prophesied of the mission of his son:

"Thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest;
For thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways;
To give knowledge of salvation unto His people
By the remission of their sins,
Through the tender mercy of our God,
Whereby the Dayspring from on high hath visited us,
To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of
death,
To guide our feet into the way of peace."

"And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till
the day of his showing unto Israel." Before the birth of John, the angel had
said, "He shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither
wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost." God had
called the son of Zacharias to a great work, the greatest ever committed to
men. In order to accomplish this work, he must have the Lord to work with
him. And the Spirit of God would be with him if he heeded the instruction of
the angel.

John was to go forth as Jehovah's messenger, to bring to men the light of
God. He must give a new direction to their thoughts. He must impress them
with the holiness of God's requirements, and their need of His perfect
righteousness. Such a messenger must be holy. He must be a temple for the
indwelling Spirit of God. In order to fulfill his mission, he must have a
sound physical constitution, and mental and spiritual strength. Therefore it
would be necessary for him to control the appetites and passions. He must be
able so to control all his powers that he could stand among men as unmoved
by surrounding circumstances as the rocks and mountains of the wilderness.

In the time of John the Baptist, greed for riches, and the love of luxury
and display had become widespread. Sensuous pleasures, feasting and
drinking, were causing physical disease and degeneracy, benumbing the
spiritual perceptions, and lessening the sensibility to sin. John was to
stand as a reformer. By his abstemious life and plain dress he was to

101

rebuke the excesses of his time. Hence the directions given to the parents
of John,--a lesson of temperance by an angel from the throne of heaven.

In childhood and youth the character is most impressible. The power of
self-control should then be acquired. By the fireside and at the family
board influences are exerted whose results are as enduring as eternity. More
than any natural endowment, the habits established in early years decide
whether a man will be victorious or vanquished in the battle of life. Youth
is the sowing time. It determines the character of the harvest, for this
life and for the life to come.

As a prophet, John was "to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,
and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people
prepared for the Lord." In preparing the way for Christ's first advent, he
was a representative of those who are to prepare a people for our Lord's
second coming. The world is given to self-indulgence. Errors and fables
abound. Satan's snares for destroying souls are multiplied. All who would
perfect holiness in the fear of God must learn the lessons of temperance and
self-control. The appetites and passions must be held in subjection to the
higher powers of the mind. This self-discipline is essential to that mental
strength and spiritual insight which will enable us to understand and to
practice the sacred truths of God's word. For this reason temperance finds
its place in the work of preparation for Christ's second coming.

In the natural order of things, the son of Zacharias would have been
educated for the priesthood. But the training of the rabbinical schools
would have unfitted him for his work. God did not send him to the teachers
of theology to learn how to interpret the Scriptures. He called him to the
desert, that he might learn of nature and nature's God.

It was a lonely region where he found his home, in the midst of barren
hills, wild ravines, and rocky caves. But it was his choice to forgo the
enjoyments and luxuries of life for the stern discipline of the wilderness.
Here his surroundings were favorable to habits of simplicity and
self-denial. Uninterrupted by the clamor of the world, he could here study
the lessons of nature, of revelation, and of Providence. The words of the
angel to Zacharias had been often repeated to John by his God-fearing
parents. From childhood his mission had been kept before him, and he had
accepted the holy trust. To him the solitude of the desert was a welcome
escape from society in which suspicion, unbelief, and impurity had become
well-nigh all-pervading. He distrusted his own

102

power to withstand temptation, and shrank from constant contact with sin,
lest he should lose the sense of its exceeding sinfulness.

Dedicated to God as a Nazarite from his birth, he made the vow his own in a
life-long consecration. His dress was that of the ancient prophets, a
garment of camel's hair, confined by a leather girdle. He ate the "locusts
and wild honey" found in the wilderness, and drank the pure water from the
hills.

But the life of John was not spent in idleness, in ascetic gloom, or in
selfish isolation. From time to time he went forth to mingle with men; and
he was ever an interested observer of what was passing in the world. From
his quiet retreat he watched the unfolding of events. With vision
illuminated by the divine Spirit he studied the characters of men, that he
might understand how to reach their hearts with the message of heaven. The
burden of his mission was upon him. In solitude, by meditation and prayer,
he sought to gird up his soul for the lifework before him.

Although in the wilderness, he was not exempt from temptation. So far as
possible, he closed every avenue by which Satan could enter, yet he was
still assailed by the tempter. But his spiritual perceptions were clear; he
had developed strength and decision of character, and through the aid of the
Holy Spirit he was able to detect Satan's approaches, and to resist his
power.

John found in the wilderness his school and his sanctuary. Like Moses amid
the mountains of Midian, he was shut in by God's presence, and surrounded by
the evidences of His power. It was not his lot to dwell, as did Israel's
great leader, amid the solemn majesty of the mountain solitudes; but before
him were the heights of Moab, beyond Jordan, speaking of Him who had set
fast the mountains, and girded them with strength. The gloomy and terrible
aspect of nature in his wilderness home vividly pictured the condition of
Israel. The fruitful vineyard of the Lord had become a desolate waste. But
above the desert the heavens bent bright and beautiful. The clouds that
gathered, dark with tempest, were arched by the rainbow of promise. So above
Israel's degradation shone the promised glory of the Messiah's reign. The
clouds of wrath were spanned by the rainbow of His covenant-mercy.

Alone in the silent night he read God's promise to Abraham of a seed
numberless as the stars. The light of dawn, gilding the mountains of Moab,
told of Him who should be as "the light of the morning, when the

103

sun riseth, even a morning without clouds." 2 Sam. 23:4. And in the
brightness of noontide he saw the splendor of His manifestation, when "the
glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together."
Isa. 40:5.

With awed yet exultant spirit he searched in the prophetic scrolls the
revelations of the Messiah's coming,--the promised seed that should bruise
the serpent's head; Shiloh, "the peace giver," who was to appear before a
king should cease to reign on David's throne. Now the time had come. A Roman
ruler sat in the palace upon Mount Zion. By the sure word of the Lord,
already the Christ was born.

Isaiah's rapt portrayals of the Messiah's glory were his study by day and by
night,--the Branch from the root of Jesse; a King to reign in righteousness,
judging "with equity for the meek of the earth;" "a covert from the tempest;
. . . the shadow of a great rock in a weary land;" Israel no longer to be
termed "Forsaken," nor her land "Desolate," but to be called of the Lord,
"My Delight," and her land "Beulah." Isa. 11:4; 32:2; 62:4, margin. The
heart of the lonely exile was filled with the glorious vision.

He looked upon the King in His beauty, and self was forgotten. He beheld the
majesty of holiness, and felt himself to be inefficient and unworthy. He was
ready to go forth as Heaven's messenger, unawed by the human, because he had
looked upon the Divine. He could stand erect and fearless in the presence of
earthly monarchs, because he had bowed low before the King of kings.

John did not fully understand the nature of the Messiah's kingdom. He looked
for Israel to be delivered from her national foes; but the coming of a King
in righteousness, and the establishment of Israel as a holy nation, was the
great object of his hope. Thus he believed would be accomplished the
prophecy given at his birth,--

"To remember His holy covenant; . . .
That we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies
Might serve Him without fear,
In holiness and righteousness before Him, all the days of our
life."

He saw his people deceived, self-satisfied, and asleep in their sins. He
longed to rouse them to a holier life. The message that God had given him to
bear was designed to startle them from their lethargy, and

104

cause them to tremble because of their great wickedness. Before the seed of
the gospel could find lodgment, the soil of the heart must be broken up.
Before they would seek healing from Jesus, they must be awakened to their
danger from the wounds of sin.

God does not send messengers to flatter the sinner. He delivers no message
of peace to lull the unsanctified into fatal security. He lays heavy burdens
upon the conscience of the wrongdoer, and pierces the soul with arrows of
conviction. The ministering angels present to him the fearful judgments of
God to deepen the sense of need, and prompt the cry, "What must I do to be
saved?" Then the hand that has humbled in the dust, lifts up the penitent.
The voice that has rebuked sin, and put to shame pride and ambition,
inquires with tenderest sympathy, "What wilt thou that I shall do unto
thee?"

When the ministry of John began, the nation was in a state of excitement and
discontent verging on revolution. At the removal of Archelaus, Judea had
been brought directly under the control of Rome. The tyranny and extortion
of the Roman governors, and their determined efforts to introduce the
heathen symbols and customs, kindled revolt, which had been quenched in the
blood of thousands of the bravest of Israel. All this intensified the
national hatred against Rome, and increased the longing to be freed from her
power.

Amid discord and strife, a voice was heard from the wilderness, a voice
startling and stern, yet full of hope: "Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven
is at hand." With a new, strange power it moved the people. Prophets had
foretold the coming of Christ as an event far in the future; but here was an
announcement that it was at hand. John's singular appearance carried the
minds of his hearers back to the ancient seers. In his manner and dress he
resembled the prophet Elijah. With the spirit and power of Elijah he
denounced the national corruption, and rebuked the prevailing sins. His
words were plain, pointed, and convincing. Many believed him to be one of
the prophets risen from the dead. The whole nation was stirred. Multitudes
flocked to the wilderness.

John proclaimed the coming of the Messiah, and called the people to
repentance. As a symbol of cleansing from sin, he baptized them in the
waters of the Jordan. Thus by a significant object lesson he declared that
those who claimed to be the chosen people of God were defiled by sin, and
that without purification of heart and life they could have no part in the
Messiah's kingdom.

105

Princes and rabbis, soldiers, publicans, and peasants came to hear the
prophet. For a time the solemn warning from God alarmed them. Many were
brought to repentance, and received baptism. Persons of all ranks submitted
to the requirement of the Baptist, in order to participate in the kingdom he
announced.

Many of the scribes and Pharisees came confessing their sins, and asking for
baptism. They had exalted themselves as better than other men, and had led
the people to entertain a high opinion of their piety; now the guilty
secrets of their lives were unveiled. But John was impressed by the Holy
Spirit that many of these men had no real conviction of sin. They were
timeservers. As friends of the prophet, they hoped to find favor with the
coming Prince. And by receiving baptism at the hands of this popular young
teacher, they thought to strengthen their influence with the people.

John met them with the scathing inquiry, "O generation of vipers, who hath
warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits meet
for repentance; and think not to say within yourselves,

106

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 Jews had misinterpreted God's promise of eternal favor to Israel: "Thus
saith the Lord, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances
of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea
when the waves thereof roar; The Lord of hosts is His name: If those
ordinances depart from before Me, saith the Lord, then the seed of Israel
also shall cease from being a nation before Me forever. Thus saith the Lord;
If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched
out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they
have done, saith the Lord." Jer. 31:35-37. The Jews regarded their natural
descent from Abraham as giving them a claim to this promise. But they
overlooked the conditions which God had specified. Before giving the
promise, He had said, "I will put My law in their inward parts, and write it
in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be My people. . . .
For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more."
Jer. 31:33, 34.

To a people in whose hearts His law is written, the favor of God is assured.
They are one with Him. But the Jews had separated themselves from God.
Because of their sins they were suffering under His judgments. This was the
cause of their bondage to a heathen nation. Their minds were darkened by
transgression, and because in times past the Lord had shown them so great
favor, they excused their sins. They flattered themselves that they were
better than other men, and entitled to His blessings.

These things "are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the
world are come." 1 Cor. 10:11. How often we misinterpret God's blessings,
and flatter ourselves that we are favored on account of some goodness in us!
God cannot do for us that which He longs to do. His gifts are used to
increase our self-satisfaction, and to harden our hearts in unbelief and
sin.

John declared to the teachers of Israel that their pride, selfishness, and
cruelty showed them to be a generation of vipers, a deadly curse to the
people, rather than the children of just and obedient Abraham. In view of
the light they had received from God, they were even worse than the heathen,
to whom they felt so much superior. They had forgotten the rock whence they
were hewn, and the hole of the pit from which they had been digged. God was
not dependent upon them for the fulfilling of

107

His purpose. As He had called Abraham out from a heathen people, so He could
call others to His service. Their hearts might now appear as lifeless as the
stones of the desert, but His Spirit could quicken them to do His will, and
receive the fulfillment of His promise.

"And now also," said the prophet, "the ax is laid unto the root of the
trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn
down, and cast into the fire." Not by its name, but by its fruit, is the
value of a tree determined. If the fruit is worthless, the name cannot save
the tree from destruction. John declared to the Jews that their standing
before God was to be decided by their character and life. Profession was
worthless. If their life and character were not in harmony with God's law,
they were not His people.

Under his heart-searching words, his hearers were convicted. They came to
him with the inquiry, "What shall we do then?" He answered, "He that hath
two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let
him do likewise." And he warned the publicans against injustice, and the
soldiers against violence.

All who became the subjects of Christ's kingdom, he said, would give
evidence of faith and repentance. Kindness, honesty, and fidelity would be
seen in their lives. They would minister to the needy, and bring their
offerings to God. They would shield the defenseless, and give an example of
virtue and compassion. So the followers of Christ will give evidence of the
transforming power of the Holy Spirit. In the daily life, justice, mercy,
and the love of God will be seen. Otherwise they are like the chaff that is
given to the fire.

"I indeed baptize you in water unto repentance," said John; "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." Matt. 3:11, R. V.,
margin. The prophet Isaiah had declared that the Lord would cleanse His
people from their iniquities "by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit
of burning." The word of the Lord to Israel was, "I will turn My hand upon
thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin." Isa. 4:4;
1:25. To sin, wherever found, "our God is a consuming fire." Heb. 12:29. In
all who submit to His power the Spirit of God will consume sin. But if men
cling to sin, they become identified with it. Then the glory of God, which
destroys sin, must destroy them. Jacob, after his night of wrestling with
the Angel, exclaimed, "I have seen God face to face, and my life is
preserved." Gen. 32: 30.

108

Jacob had been guilty of a great sin in his conduct toward Esau; but he had
repented. His transgression had been forgiven, and his sin purged; therefore
he could endure the revelation of God's presence. But wherever men came
before God while willfully cherishing evil, they were destroyed. At the
second advent of Christ the wicked shall be consumed "with the Spirit of His
mouth," and destroyed "with the brightness of His coming." 2 Thess. 2:8. The
light of the glory of God, which imparts life to the righteous, will slay
the wicked.

In the time of John the Baptist, Christ was about to appear as the revealer
of the character of God. His very presence would make manifest to men their
sin. Only as they were willing to be purged from sin could they enter into
fellowship with Him. Only the pure in heart could abide in His presence.

Thus the Baptist declared God's message to Israel. Many gave heed to his
instruction. Many sacrificed all in order to obey. Multitudes followed this
new teacher from place to place, and not a few cherished the hope that he
might be the Messiah. But as John saw the people turning to him, he sought
every opportunity of directing their faith to Him who was to come.

(109)

Chapter 11

The Baptism

Tidings of the wilderness prophet and his wonderful announcement, spread
throughout Galilee. The message reached the peasants in the remotest hill
towns, and the fisher folk by the sea, and in these simple, earnest hearts
found its truest response. In Nazareth it was told in the carpenter shop
that had been Joseph's, and One recognized the call. His time had come.
Turning from His daily toil, He bade farewell to His mother, and followed in
the steps of His countrymen who were flocking to the Jordan.

Jesus and John the Baptist were cousins, and closely related by the
circumstances of their birth; yet they had had no direct acquaintance with
each other. The life of Jesus had been spent at Nazareth in Galilee; that of
John, in the wilderness of Judea. Amid widely different surroundings they
had lived in seclusion, and had had no communication with each other.
Providence had ordered this. No occasion was to be given for the charge that
they had conspired together to support each other's claims.

John was acquainted with the events that had marked the birth of Jesus. He
had heard of the visit to Jerusalem in His boyhood, and of what had passed
in the school of the rabbis. He knew of His sinless life, and believed Him
to be the Messiah; but of this he had no positive assurance. The fact that
Jesus had for so many years remained in obscurity, giving no special
evidence of His mission, gave occasion for

110

doubt as to whether He could be the Promised One. The Baptist, however,
waited in faith, believing that in God's own time all would be made plain.
It had been revealed to him that the Messiah would seek baptism at his
hands, and that a sign of His divine character should then be given. Thus he
would be enabled to present Him to the people.

When Jesus came to be baptized, John recognized in Him a purity of character
that he had never before perceived in any man. The very atmosphere of His
presence was holy and awe-inspiring. Among the multitudes that had gathered
about him at the Jordan, John had heard dark tales of crime, and had met
souls bowed down with the burden of myriad sins; but never had he come in
contact with a human being from whom there breathed an influence so divine.
All this was in harmony with what had been revealed to John regarding the
Messiah. Yet he shrank from granting the request of Jesus. How could he, a
sinner, baptize the Sinless One? And why should He who needed no repentance
submit to a rite that was a confession of guilt to be washed away?

111

As Jesus asked for baptism, John drew back, exclaiming, "I have need to be
baptized of Thee, and comest Thou to me?" With firm yet gentle authority,
Jesus answered, "Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill
all righteousness." And John, yielding, led the Saviour down into the
Jordan, and buried Him beneath the water. "And straightway coming up out of
the water," Jesus "saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove
descending upon Him."

Jesus did not receive baptism as a confession of guilt on His own account.
He identified Himself with sinners, taking the steps that we are to take,
and doing the work that we must do. His life of suffering and patient
endurance after His baptism was also an example to us.

Upon coming up out of the water, Jesus bowed in prayer on the river bank. A
new and important era was opening before Him. He was now, upon a wider
stage, entering on the conflict of His life. Though He was the Prince of
Peace, His coming must be as the unsheathing of a sword. The kingdom He had
come to establish was the opposite of that which the Jews desired. He who
was the foundation of the ritual and economy of Israel would be looked upon
as its enemy and destroyer. He who had proclaimed the law upon Sinai would
be condemned as a transgressor. He who had come to break the power of Satan
would be denounced as Beelzebub. No one upon earth had understood Him, and
during His ministry He must still walk alone. Throughout His life His mother
and His brothers did not comprehend His mission. Even His disciples did not
understand Him. He had dwelt in eternal light, as one with God, but His life
on earth must be spent in solitude.

As one with us, He must bear the burden of our guilt and woe. The Sinless
One must feel the shame of sin. The peace lover must dwell with strife, the
truth must abide with falsehood, purity with vileness. Every sin, every
discord, every defiling lust that transgression had brought, was torture to
His spirit.

Alone He must tread the path; alone He must bear the burden. Upon Him who
had laid off His glory and accepted the weakness of humanity the redemption
of the world must rest. He saw and felt it all, but His purpose remained
steadfast. Upon His arm depended the salvation of the fallen race, and He
reached out His hand to grasp the hand of Omnipotent Love.

The Saviour's glance seems to penetrate heaven as He pours out His soul in
prayer. Well He knows how sin has hardened the hearts of men,

112

and how difficult it will be for them to discern His mission, and accept the
gift of salvation. He pleads with the Father for power to overcome their
unbelief, to break the fetters with which Satan has enthralled them, and in
their behalf to conquer the destroyer. He asks for the witness that God
accepts humanity in the person of His Son.

Never before have the angels listened to such a prayer. They are eager to
bear to their loved Commander a message of assurance and comfort. But no;
the Father Himself will answer the petition of His Son. Direct from the
throne issue the beams of His glory. The heavens are opened, and upon the
Saviour's head descends a dovelike form of purest light,--fit emblem of Him,
the meek and lowly One.

Of the vast throng at the Jordan, few except John discerned the heavenly
vision. Yet the solemnity of the divine Presence rested upon the assembly.
The people stood silently gazing upon Christ. His form was bathed in the
light that ever surrounds the throne of God. His upturned face was glorified
as they had never before seen the face of man. From the open heavens a voice
was heard saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

These words of confirmation were given to inspire faith in those who
witnessed the scene, and to strengthen the Saviour for His mission.
Notwithstanding that the sins of a guilty world were laid upon Christ,
notwithstanding the humiliation of taking upon Himself our fallen nature,
the voice from heaven declared Him to be the Son of the Eternal.

John had been deeply moved as he saw Jesus bowed as a suppliant, pleading
with tears for the approval of the Father. As the glory of God encircled
Him, and the voice from heaven was heard, John recognized the token which
God had promised. He knew that it was the world's Redeemer whom he had
baptized. The Holy Spirit rested upon him, and with outstretched hand
pointing to Jesus, he cried, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the
sin of the world."

None among the hearers, and not even the speaker himself, discerned the
import of these words, "the Lamb of God." Upon Mount Moriah, Abraham had
heard the question of his son, "My father, . . . where is the lamb for a
burnt offering?" The father answered, "My son, God will provide Himself a
lamb for a burnt offering." Gen. 22:7, 8. And in the ram divinely provided
in the place of Isaac, Abraham saw a symbol of Him who was to die for the
sins of men. The Holy Spirit through Isaiah, taking up the illustration,
prophesied of the Saviour, "He is

113

brought as a lamb to the slaughter," "and the Lord hath laid on Him the
iniquity of us all" (Isa. 53:7, 6); but the people of Israel had not
understood the lesson. Many of them regarded the sacrificial offerings much
as the heathen looked upon their sacrifices,--as gifts by which they
themselves might propitiate the Deity. God desired to teach them that from
His own love comes the gift which reconciles them to Himself.

And the word that was spoken to Jesus at the Jordan, "This is My beloved
Son, in whom I am well pleased," embraces humanity. God spoke to Jesus as
our representative. With all our sins and weaknesses, we are not cast aside
as worthless. "He hath made us accepted in the Beloved." Eph. 1:6. The glory
that rested upon Christ is a pledge of the love of God for us. It tells us
of the power of prayer,--how the human voice may reach the ear of God, and
our petitions find acceptance in the courts of heaven. By sin, earth was cut
off from heaven, and alienated from its communion; but Jesus has connected
it again with the sphere of glory. His love has encircled man, and reached
the highest heaven. The light which fell from the open portals upon the head
of our Saviour will fall upon us as we pray for help to resist temptation.
The voice which spoke to Jesus says to every believing soul, This is My
beloved child, in whom I am well pleased.

"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we
shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for
we shall see Him as He is." 1 John 3:2. Our Redeemer has opened the way so
that the most sinful, the most needy, the most oppressed and despised, may
find access to the Father. All may have a home in the mansions which Jesus
has gone to prepare. "These things saith He that is holy, He that is true,
He that hath the key of David, He that openeth, and no man shutteth; and
shutteth, and no man openeth; . . . behold, I have set before thee an open
door, and no man can shut it." Rev. 3:7, 8.

(114)

Chapter 12

The Temptation

And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by
the Spirit into the wilderness." The words of Mark are still more
significant. He says, "Immediately the Spirit driveth Him into the
wilderness. And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan;
and was with the wild beasts." "And in those days He did eat nothing."

When Jesus was led into the wilderness to be tempted, He was led by the
Spirit of God. He did not invite temptation. He went to the wilderness to be
alone, to contemplate His mission and work. By fasting and prayer He was to
brace Himself for the bloodstained path He must travel. But Satan knew that
the Saviour had gone into the wilderness, and he thought this the best time
to approach Him.

Mighty issues for the world were at stake in the conflict between the Prince
of light and the leader of the kingdom of darkness. After tempting man to
sin, Satan claimed the earth as his, and styled himself the prince of this
world. Having conformed to his own nature the father and mother of our race,
he thought to establish here his empire. He declared that men had chosen him
as their sovereign. Through his

115

control of men, he held dominion over the world. Christ had come to disprove
Satan's claim. As the Son of man, Christ would stand loyal to God. Thus it
would be shown that Satan had not gained complete control of the human race,
and that his claim to the world was false. All who desired deliverance from
his power would be set free. The dominion that Adam had lost through sin
would be recovered.

Since the announcement to the serpent in Eden, "I will put enmity between
thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed" (Gen. 3:15), Satan
had known that he did not hold absolute sway over the world. There was seen
in men the working of a power that withstood his dominion. With intense
interest he watched the sacrifices offered by Adam and his sons. In these
ceremonies he discerned a symbol of communion between earth and heaven. He
set himself to intercept this communion. He misrepresented God, and
misinterpreted the rites that pointed to the Saviour. Men were led to fear
God as one who delighted in their destruction. The sacrifices that should
have revealed His love were offered only to appease His wrath. Satan excited
the evil passions of men, in order to fasten his rule upon them. When God's
written word was given, Satan studied the prophecies of the Saviour's
advent. From generation to generation he worked to blind the people to these
prophecies, that they might reject Christ at His coming.

At the birth of Jesus, Satan knew that One had come with a divine commission
to dispute his dominion. He trembled at the angel's message attesting the
authority of the newborn King. Satan well knew the position that Christ had
held in heaven as the Beloved of the Father. That the Son of God should come
to this earth as a man filled him with amazement and with apprehension. He
could not fathom the mystery of this great sacrifice. His selfish soul could
not understand such love for the deceived race. The glory and peace of
heaven, and the joy of communion with God, were but dimly comprehended by
men; but they

116

were well known to Lucifer, the covering cherub. Since he had lost heaven,
he was determined to find revenge by causing others to share his fall. This
he would do by causing them to undervalue heavenly things, and to set the
heart upon things of earth.

Not without hindrance was the Commander of heaven to win the souls of men to
His kingdom. From the time when He was a babe in Bethlehem, He was
continually assailed by the evil one. The image of God was manifest in
Christ, and in the councils of Satan it was determined that He should be
overcome. No human being had come into the world and escaped the power of
the deceiver. The forces of the confederacy of evil were set upon His track
to engage in warfare against Him, and if possible to prevail over Him.

At the Saviour's baptism, Satan was among the witnesses. He saw the Father's
glory overshadowing His Son. He heard the voice of Jehovah testifying to the
divinity of Jesus. Ever since Adam's sin, the human race had been cut off
from direct communion with God; the intercourse between heaven and earth had
been through Christ; but now that Jesus had come "in the likeness of sinful
flesh" (Rom. 8:3), the Father Himself spoke. He had before communicated with
humanity through Christ; now He communicated with humanity in Christ. Satan
had hoped that God's abhorrence of evil would bring an eternal separation
between heaven and earth. But now it was manifest that the connection
between God and man had been restored.

Satan saw that he must either conquer or be conquered. The issues of the
conflict involved too much to be entrusted to his confederate angels. He
must personally conduct the warfare. All the energies of apostasy were
rallied against the Son of God. Christ was made the mark of every weapon of
hell.

Many look on this conflict between Christ and Satan as having no special
bearing on their own life; and for them it has little interest. But within
the domain of every human heart this controversy is repeated. Never does one
leave the ranks of evil for the service of God without encountering the
assaults of Satan. The enticements which Christ resisted were those that we
find it so difficult to withstand. They were urged upon Him in as much
greater degree as His character is superior to ours. With the terrible
weight of the sins of the world upon Him, Christ withstood the test upon
appetite, upon the love of the world, and upon that love of display which
leads to presumption. These were the

117

temptations that overcame Adam and Eve, and that so readily overcome us.

Satan had pointed to Adam's sin as proof that God's law was unjust, and
could not be obeyed. In our humanity, Christ was to redeem Adam's failure.
But when Adam was assailed by the tempter, none of the effects of sin were
upon him. He stood in the strength of perfect manhood, possessing the full
vigor of mind and body. He was surrounded with the glories of Eden, and was
in daily communion with heavenly beings. It was not thus with Jesus when He
entered the wilderness to cope with Satan. For four thousand years the race
had been decreasing in physical strength, in mental power, and in moral
worth; and Christ took upon Him the infirmities of degenerate humanity. Only
thus could He rescue man from the lowest depths of his degradation.

Many claim that it was impossible for Christ to be overcome by temptation.
Then He could not have been placed in Adam's position; He could not have
gained the victory that Adam failed to gain. If we have in any sense a more
trying conflict than had Christ, then He would not be able to succor us. But
our Saviour took humanity, with all its liabilities. He took the nature of
man, with the possibility of yielding to temptation. We have nothing to bear
which He has not endured.

With Christ, as with the holy pair in Eden, appetite was the ground of the
first great temptation. Just where the ruin began, the work of our
redemption must begin. As by the indulgence of appetite Adam fell, so by the
denial of appetite Christ must overcome. "And when He had fasted forty days
and forty nights, He was afterward an hungred. And when the tempter came to
Him, he said, If Thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made
bread. But He answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread
alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."

From the time of Adam to that of Christ, self-indulgence had increased the
power of the appetites and passions, until they had almost unlimited
control. Thus men had become debased and diseased, and of themselves it was
impossible for them to overcome. In man's behalf, Christ conquered by
enduring the severest test. For our sake He exercised a self-control
stronger than hunger or death. And in this first victory were involved other
issues that enter into all our conflicts with the powers of darkness.

118

When Jesus entered the wilderness, He was shut in by the Father's glory.
Absorbed in communion with God, He was lifted above human weakness. But the
glory departed, and He was left to battle with temptation. It was pressing
upon Him every moment. His human nature shrank from the conflict that
awaited Him. For forty days He fasted and prayed. Weak and emaciated from
hunger, worn and haggard with mental agony, "His visage was so marred more
than any man, and His form more than the sons of men." Isa. 52:14. Now was
Satan's opportunity. Now he supposed that he could overcome Christ.

There came to the Saviour, as if in answer to His prayers, one in the guise
of an angel from heaven. He claimed to have a commission from God to declare
that Christ's fast was at an end. As God had sent an angel to stay the hand
of Abraham from offering Isaac, so, satisfied with Christ's willingness to
enter the bloodstained path, the Father had sent an angel to deliver Him;
this was the message brought to Jesus. The Saviour was faint from hunger, He
was craving for food, when Satan came suddenly upon Him. Pointing to the
stones which strewed the desert, and which had the appearance of loaves, the
tempter said, "If Thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made
bread."

Though he appears as an angel of light, these first words betray his
character. "If Thou be the Son of God." Here is the insinuation of distrust.
Should Jesus do what Satan suggests, it would be an acceptance of the doubt.
The tempter plans to overthrow Christ by the same means that were so
successful with the human race in the beginning. How artfully had Satan
approached Eve in Eden! "Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree
of the garden?" Gen 3:1. Thus far the tempter's words were truth; but in his
manner of speaking them there was a disguised contempt for the words of God.
There was a covert negative, a doubt of the divine truthfulness. Satan
sought to instill into the mind of Eve the thought that God would not do as
He had said; that the withholding of such beautiful fruit was a
contradiction of His love and compassion for man. So now the tempter seeks
to inspire Christ with his own sentiments. "If Thou be the Son of God." The
words rankle with bitterness in his mind. In the tones of his voice is an
expression of utter incredulity. Would God treat His own Son thus? Would He
leave Him in the desert with wild beasts, without food, without companions,
without comfort? He insinuates that God never meant His Son to be in such a
state as this. "If Thou be the Son of God," show Thy power by

119

relieving Thyself of this pressing hunger. Command that this stone be made
bread.

The words from heaven, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased"
(Matt. 3:17), were still sounding in the ears of Satan. But he was
determined to make Christ disbelieve this testimony. The word of God was
Christ's assurance of His divine mission. He had come to live as a man among
men, and it was the word that declared His connection with heaven. It was
Satan's purpose to cause Him to doubt that word. If Christ's confidence in
God could be shaken, Satan knew that the victory in the whole controversy
would be his. He could overcome Jesus. He hoped that under the force of
despondency and extreme hunger, Christ would lose faith in His Father, and
work a miracle in His own behalf. Had He done this, the plan of salvation
would have been broken.

When Satan and the Son of God first met in conflict, Christ was the
commander of the heavenly hosts; and Satan, the leader of revolt in heaven,
was cast out. Now their condition is apparently reversed, and Satan makes
the most of his supposed advantage. One of the most powerful of the angels,
he says, has been banished from heaven. The appearance of Jesus indicates
that He is that fallen angel, forsaken by God, and deserted by man. A divine
being would be able to sustain his claim by working a miracle; "if Thou be
the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread." Such an act of
creative power, urges the tempter, would be conclusive evidence of divinity.
It would bring the controversy to an end.

Not without a struggle could Jesus listen in silence to the arch-deceiver.
But the Son of God was not to prove His divinity to Satan, or to explain the
reason of His humiliation. By conceding to the demands of the rebel, nothing
for the good of man or the glory of God would be gained. Had Christ complied
with the suggestion of the enemy, Satan would still have said, Show me a
sign that I may believe you to be the Son of God. Evidence would have been
worthless to break the power of rebellion in his heart. And Christ was not
to exercise divine power for His own benefit. He had come to bear trial as
we must do, leaving us an example of faith and submission. Neither here nor
at any subsequent time in His earthly life did He work a miracle in His own
behalf. His wonderful works were all for the good of others. Though Jesus
recognized Satan from the beginning, He was not provoked to enter into
controversy with him. Strengthened with the memory of the voice

120

from heaven, He rested in His Father's love. He would not parley with
temptation.

Jesus met Satan with the words of Scripture. "It is written," He said. In
every temptation the weapon of His warfare was the word of God. Satan
demanded of Christ a miracle as a sign of His divinity. But that which is
greater than all miracles, a firm reliance upon a "Thus saith the Lord," was
a sign that could not be controverted. So long as Christ held to this
position, the tempter could gain no advantage.

It was in the time of greatest weakness that Christ was assailed by the
fiercest temptations. Thus Satan thought to prevail. By this policy he had
gained the victory over men. When strength failed, and the will power
weakened, and faith ceased to repose in God, then those who had stood long
and valiantly for the right were overcome. Moses was wearied with the forty
years' wandering of Israel, when for the moment his faith let go its hold
upon infinite power. He failed just upon the borders of the Promised Land.
So with Elijah, who had stood undaunted before King Ahab, who had faced the
whole nation of Israel, with the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal at
their head. After that terrible day upon Carmel, when the false prophets had
been slain, and the people had declared their allegiance to God, Elijah fled
for his life before the threats of the idolatrous Jezebel. Thus Satan has
taken advantage of the weakness of humanity. And he will still work in the
same way. Whenever one is encompassed with clouds, perplexed by
circumstances, or afflicted by poverty or distress, Satan is at hand to
tempt and annoy. He attacks our weak points of character. He seeks to shake
our confidence in God, who suffers such a condition of things to exist. We
are tempted to distrust God, to question His love. Often the tempter comes
to us as he came to Christ, arraying before us our

121

weakness and infirmities. He hopes to discourage the soul, and to break our
hold on God. Then he is sure of his prey. If we would meet him as Jesus did,
we should escape many a defeat. By parleying with the enemy, we give him an
advantage.

When Christ said to the tempter, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by
every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God," He repeated the words
that, more than fourteen hundred years before, He had spoken to Israel: "The
Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness. . . . And He
humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which
thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that He might make thee know
that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out
of the mouth of the Lord doth man live." Deut. 8:2, 3. In the wilderness,
when all means of sustenance failed, God sent His people manna from heaven;
and a sufficient and constant supply was given. This provision was to teach
them that while they trusted in God and walked in His ways He would not
forsake them. The Saviour now practiced the lesson He had taught to Israel.
By the word of God succor had been given to the Hebrew host, and by the same
word it would be given to Jesus. He awaited God's time to bring relief. He
was in the wilderness in obedience to God, and He would not obtain food by
following the suggestions of Satan. In the presence of the witnessing
universe, He testified that it is a less calamity to suffer whatever may
befall than to depart in any manner from the will of God.

"Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God." Often the
follower of Christ is brought where he cannot serve God and carry forward
his worldly enterprises. Perhaps it appears that obedience to some plain
requirement of God will cut off his means of support. Satan would make him
believe that he must sacrifice his conscientious convictions. But the only
thing in our world upon which we can rely is the word of God. "Seek ye first
the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be
added unto you." Matt. 6:33. Even in this life it is not for our good to
depart from the will of our Father in heaven. When we learn the power of His
word, we shall not follow the suggestions of Satan in order to obtain food
or to save our lives. Our only questions will be, What is God's command? and
what His promise? Knowing these, we shall obey the one, and trust the other.

In the last great conflict of the controversy with Satan those who are loyal
to God will see every earthly support cut off. Because they refuse

122

to break His law in obedience to earthly powers, they will be forbidden to
buy or sell. It will finally be decreed that they shall be put to death. See
Rev. 13:11-17. But to the obedient is given the promise, "He shall dwell on
high: his place of defense shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be
given him; his waters shall be sure." Isa. 33:16. By this promise the
children of God will live. When the earth shall be wasted with famine, they
shall be fed. "They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days
of famine they shall be satisfied." Ps. 37:19. To that time of distress the
prophet Habakkuk looked forward, and his words express the faith of the
church: "Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in
the vines; the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no
meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd
in the stalls: yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my
salvation." Hab. 3:17,18.

Of all the lessons to be learned from our Lord's first great temptation none
is more important than that bearing upon the control of the appetites and
passions. In all ages, temptations appealing to the physical nature have
been most effectual in corrupting and degrading mankind. Through
intemperance, Satan works to destroy the mental and moral powers that God
gave to man as a priceless endowment. Thus it becomes impossible for men to
appreciate things of eternal worth. Through sensual indulgence, Satan seeks
to blot from the soul every trace of likeness to God.

The uncontrolled indulgence and consequent disease and degradation that
existed at Christ's first advent will again exist, with intensity of evil,
before His second coming. Christ declares that the condition of the world
will be as in the days before the Flood, and as in Sodom and Gomorrah. Every
imagination of the thoughts of the heart will be evil continually. Upon the
very verge of that fearful time we are now living, and to us should come
home the lesson of the Saviour's fast. Only by the inexpressible anguish
which Christ endured can we estimate the evil of unrestrained indulgence.
His example declares that our only hope of eternal life is through bringing
the appetites and passions into subjection to the will of God.

In our own strength it is impossible for us to deny the clamors of our
fallen nature. Through this channel Satan will bring temptation upon us.
Christ knew that the enemy would come to every human being, to take
advantage of hereditary weakness, and by his false insinuations to ensnare
all whose trust is not in God. And by passing over the ground which

123

man must travel, our Lord has prepared the way for us to overcome. It is not
His will that we should be placed at a disadvantage in the conflict with
Satan. He would not have us intimidated and discouraged by the assaults of
the serpent. "Be of good cheer," He says; "I have overcome the world." John
16:33.

Let him who is struggling against the power of appetite look to the Saviour
in the wilderness of temptation. See Him in His agony upon the cross, as He
exclaimed, "I thirst." He has endured all that it is possible for us to
bear. His victory is ours.

Jesus rested upon the wisdom and strength of His heavenly Father. He
declares, "The Lord God will help Me; therefore shall I not be confounded: .
. . and I know that I shall not be ashamed. . . . Behold, the Lord God will
help Me." Pointing to His own example, He says to us, "Who is among you that
feareth the Lord, . . . that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him
trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God." Isa. 50:7-10.

"The prince of this world cometh," said Jesus, "and hath nothing in Me."
John 14:30. There was in Him nothing that responded to Satan's sophistry. He
did not consent to sin. Not even by a thought did He yield to temptation. So
it may be with us. Christ's humanity was united with divinity; He was fitted
for the conflict by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. And He came to make
us partakers of the divine nature. So long as we are united to Him by faith,
sin has no more dominion over us. God reaches for the hand of faith in us to
direct it to lay fast hold upon the divinity of Christ, that we may attain
to perfection of character.

And how this is accomplished, Christ has shown us. By what means did He
overcome in the conflict with Satan? By the word of God. Only by the word
could He resist temptation. "It is written," He said. And unto us are given
"exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers
of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world
through lust." 2 Peter 1:4. Every promise in God's word is ours. "By every
word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God" are we to live. When assailed
by temptation, look not to circumstances or to the weakness of self, but to
the power of the word. All its strength is yours. "Thy word," says the
psalmist, "have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee." "By
the world of Thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer." Ps.
119:11; 17:4.

(124)

Chapter 13

The Victory

Then the devil taketh Him up into the holy city, and setteth Him on a
pinnacle of the temple, and saith 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."

Satan now supposes that he has met Jesus on His own ground. The wily foe
himself presents words that proceeded from the mouth of God. He still
appears as an angel of light, and he makes it evident that he is acquainted
with the Scriptures, and understands the import of what is written. As Jesus
before used the word of God to sustain His faith, the tempter now uses it to
countenance his deception. He claims that he has been only testing the
fidelity of Jesus, and he now commends His steadfastness. As the Saviour has
manifested trust in God, Satan urges Him to give still another evidence of
His faith.

But again the temptation is prefaced with the insinuation of distrust, "If
Thou be the Son of God." Christ was tempted to answer the "if;" but He
refrained from the slightest acceptance of the doubt. He would not imperil
His life in order to give evidence to Satan.

125

The tempter thought to take advantage of Christ's humanity, and urge Him to
presumption. But while Satan can solicit, he cannot compel to sin. He said
to Jesus, "Cast Thyself down," knowing that he could not cast Him down; for
God would interpose to deliver Him. Nor could Satan force Jesus to cast
Himself down. Unless Christ should consent to temptation, He could not be
overcome. Not all the power of earth or hell could force Him in the
slightest degree to depart from the will of His Father.

The tempter can never compel us to do evil. He cannot control minds unless
they are yielded to his control. The will must consent, faith must let go
its hold upon Christ, before Satan can exercise his power upon us. But every
sinful desire we cherish affords him a foothold. Every point in which we
fail of meeting the divine standard is an open door by which he can enter to
tempt and destroy us. And every failure or defeat on our part gives occasion
for him to reproach Christ.

When Satan quoted the promise, "He shall give His angels charge over Thee,"
he omitted the words, "to keep Thee in all Thy ways;" that is, in all the
ways of God's choosing. Jesus refused to go outside the path of obedience.
While manifesting perfect trust in His Father, He would not place Himself,
unbidden, in a position that would necessitate the interposition of His
Father to save Him from death. He would not force Providence to come to His
rescue, and thus fail of giving man an example of trust and submission.

Jesus declared to Satan, "It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord
thy God." These words were spoken by Moses to the children of Israel when
they thirsted in the desert, and demanded that Moses should give them water,
exclaiming, "Is the Lord among

126

us, or not?" Exodus 17:7. God had wrought marvelously for them; yet in
trouble they doubted Him, and demanded evidence that He was with them. In
their unbelief they sought to put Him to the test. And Satan was urging
Christ to do the same thing. God had already testified that Jesus was His
Son; and now to ask for proof that He was the Son of God would be putting
God's word to the test,--tempting Him. And the same would be true of asking
for that which God had not promised. It would manifest distrust, and be
really proving, or tempting, Him. We should not present our petitions to God
to prove whether He will fulfill His word, but because He will fulfill it;
not to prove that He loves us, but because He loves us. "Without faith it is
impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is,
and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him." Heb. 11:6.

But faith is in no sense allied to presumption. Only he who has true faith
is secure against presumption. For presumption is Satan's counterfeit of
faith. Faith claims God's promises, and brings forth fruit in obedience.
Presumption also claims the promises, but uses them as Satan did, to excuse
transgression. Faith would have led our first parents to trust the love of
God, and to obey His commands. Presumption led them to transgress His law,
believing that His great love would save them from the consequence of their
sin. It is not faith that claims the favor of Heaven without complying with
the conditions on which mercy is to be granted. Genuine faith has its
foundation in the promises and provisions of the Scriptures.

Often when Satan has failed of exciting distrust, he succeeds in leading us
to presumption. If he can cause us to place ourselves unnecessarily in the
way of temptation, he knows that the victory is his. God will preserve all
who walk in the path of obedience; but to depart from it is to venture on
Satan's ground. There we are sure to fall. The Saviour has bidden us, "Watch
ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation." Mark 14:38. Meditation and
prayer would keep us from rushing unbidden into the way of danger, and thus
we should be saved from many a defeat.

Yet we should not lose courage when assailed by temptation. Often when
placed in a trying situation we doubt that the Spirit of God has been
leading us. But it was the Spirit's leading that brought Jesus into the
wilderness to be tempted by Satan. When God brings us into trial, He has a
purpose to accomplish for our good. Jesus did not presume on God's promises
by going unbidden into temptation, neither did He give

129

up to despondency when temptation came upon Him. Nor should we. "God is
faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but
will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to
bear it." He says, "Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the
Most High: and call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and
thou shalt glorify Me." 1 Cor. 10:13; Ps. 50:14, 15.

Jesus was victor in the second temptation, and now Satan manifests himself
in his true character. But he does not appear as a hideous monster, with
cloven feet and bat's wings. He is a mighty angel, though fallen. He avows
himself the leader of rebellion and the god of this world.

Placing Jesus upon a high mountain, Satan caused the kingdoms of the world,
in all their glory, to pass in panoramic view before Him. The sunlight lay
on templed cities, marble palaces, fertile fields, and fruit-laden
vineyards. The traces of evil were hidden. The eyes of Jesus, so lately
greeted by gloom and desolation, now gazed upon a scene of unsurpassed
loveliness and prosperity. Then the tempter's voice was heard: "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 therefore wilt worship me,
all shall be Thine."

Christ's mission could be fulfilled only through suffering. Before Him was a
life of sorrow, hardship, and conflict, and an ignominious death. He must
bear the sins of the whole world. He must endure separation from His
Father's love. Now the tempter offered to yield up the power he had usurped.
Christ might deliver Himself from the dreadful future by acknowledging the
supremacy of Satan. But to do this was to yield the victory in the great
controversy. It was in seeking to exalt himself above the Son of God that
Satan had sinned in heaven. Should he prevail now, it would be the triumph
of rebellion.

When Satan declared to Christ, The kingdom and glory of the world are
delivered unto me, and to whomsoever I will I give it, he stated what was
true only in part, and he declared it to serve his own purpose of deception.
Satan's dominion was that wrested from Adam, but Adam was the vicegerent of
the Creator. His was not an independent rule. The earth is God's, and He has
committed all things to His Son. Adam was to reign subject to Christ. When
Adam betrayed his sovereignty into Satan's hands, Christ still remained the
rightful King. Thus the Lord had said to King Nebuchadnezzar, "The Most High
ruleth in the

130

kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will." Dan. 4:17. Satan can
exercise his usurped authority only as God permits.

When the tempter offered to Christ the kingdom and glory of the world, he
was proposing that Christ should yield up the real kingship of the world,
and hold dominion subject to Satan. This was the same dominion upon which
the hopes of the Jews were set. They desired the kingdom of this world. If
Christ had consented to offer them such a kingdom, they would gladly have
received Him. But the curse of sin, with all its woe, rested upon it. Christ
declared to the tempter, "Get thee behind Me, Satan: for it is written, Thou
shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve."

By the one who had revolted in heaven the kingdoms of this world were
offered Christ, to buy His homage to the principles of evil; but He would
not be bought; He had come to establish a kingdom of righteousness, and He
would not abandon His purpose. With the same temptation Satan approaches
men, and here he has better success than with Christ. To men he offers the
kingdom of this world on condition that they will acknowledge his supremacy.
He requires that they sacrifice integrity, disregard conscience, indulge
selfishness. Christ bids them seek first the kingdom of God, and His
righteousness; but Satan walks by their side and says: Whatever may be true
in regard to life eternal, in order to make a success in this world you must
serve me. I hold your welfare in my hands. I can give you riches, pleasures,
honor, and happiness. Hearken to my counsel. Do not allow yourselves to be
carried away with whimsical notions of honesty or self-sacrifice. I will
prepare the way before you. Thus multitudes are deceived. They consent to
live for the service of self, and Satan is satisfied. While he allures them
with the hope of worldly dominion, he gains dominion over the soul. But he
offers that which is not his to bestow, and which is soon to be wrested from
him. In return he beguiles them of their title to the inheritance of the
sons of God.

Satan had questioned whether Jesus was the Son of God. In his summary
dismissal he had proof that he could not gainsay. Divinity flashed through
suffering humanity. Satan had no power to resist the command. Writhing with
humiliation and rage, he was forced to withdraw from the presence of the
world's Redeemer. Christ's victory was as complete as had been the failure
of Adam.

So we may resist temptation, and force Satan to depart from us. Jesus gained
the victory through submission and faith in God, and by

131

the apostle He says to us, "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the
devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to
you." James 4:7, 8. We cannot save ourselves from the tempter's power; he
has conquered humanity, and when we try to stand in our own strength, we
shall become a prey to his devices; but "the name of the Lord is a strong
tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe." Prov. 18:10. Satan
trembles and flees before the weakest soul who finds refuge in that mighty
name.

After the foe had departed, Jesus fell exhausted to the earth, with the
pallor of death upon His face. The angels of heaven had watched the
conflict, beholding their loved Commander as He passed through inexpressible
suffering to make a way of escape for us. He had endured the test, greater
than we shall ever be called to endure. The angels now ministered to the Son
of God as He lay like one dying. He was strengthened with food, comforted
with the message of His Father's love and the assurance that all heaven
triumphed in His victory. Warming to life again, His great heart goes out in
sympathy for man, and He goes forth to complete the work He has begun; to
rest not until the foe is vanquished, and our fallen race redeemed.

Never can the cost of our redemption be realized until the redeemed shall
stand with the Redeemer before the throne of God. Then as the glories of the
eternal home burst upon our enraptured senses we shall remember that Jesus
left all this for us, that He not only became an exile from the heavenly
courts, but for us took the risk of failure and eternal loss. Then we shall
cast our crowns at His feet, and raise the song, "Worthy is the Lamb that
was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor,
and glory, and blessing." Rev. 5:12.

(132)

Chapter 14

"We Have Found the Messias"

John the Baptist was now preaching and baptizing at Bethabara, beyond
Jordan. It was not far from this spot that God had stayed the river in its
flow until Israel had passed over. A little distance from here the
stronghold of Jericho had been overthrown by the armies of heaven. The
memory of these events was at this time revived, and gave a thrilling
interest to the Baptist's message. Would not He who had wrought so
wonderfully in ages past again manifest His power for Israel's deliverance?
Such was the thought stirring the hearts of the people who daily thronged
the banks of the Jordan.

The preaching of John had taken so deep a hold on the nation as to demand
the attention of the religious authorities. The danger of insurrection
caused every popular gathering to be looked upon with suspicion by the
Romans, and whatever pointed toward an uprising of the people excited the
fears of the Jewish rulers. John had not recognized the authority of the
Sanhedrin by seeking their sanction for his work; and

133

he had reproved rulers and people, Pharisees and Sadducees alike. Yet the
people followed him eagerly. The interest in his work seemed to be
continually increasing. Though he had not deferred to them, the Sanhedrin
accounted that, as a public teacher, he was under their jurisdiction.

This body was made up of members chosen from the priesthood, and from the
chief rulers and teachers of the nation. The high priest was usually the
president. All its members were to be men advanced in years, though not
aged; men of learning, not only versed in Jewish religion and history, but
in general knowledge. They were to be without physical blemish, and must be
married men, and fathers, as being more likely than others to be humane and
considerate. Their place of meeting was an apartment connected with the
temple at Jerusalem. In the days of Jewish independence the Sanhedrin was
the supreme court of the nation, possessing secular as well as
ecclesiastical authority. Though now subordinated by the Roman governors, it
still exercised a strong influence in civil as well as religious matters.

The Sanhedrin could not well defer an investigation of John's work. There
were some who recalled the revelation made to Zacharias in the temple, and
the father's prophecy, that had pointed to his child as the Messiah's
herald. In the tumults and changes of thirty years, these things had in a
great measure been lost sight of. They were now called to mind by the
excitement concerning the ministry of John.

It was long since Israel had had a prophet, long since such a reformation as
was now in progress had been witnessed. The demand for confession of sin
seemed new and startling. Many among the leaders would not go to hear John's
appeals and denunciations, lest they should be led to disclose the secrets
of their own lives. Yet his preaching was a direct announcement of the
Messiah. It was well known that the seventy weeks of Daniel's prophecy,
covering the Messiah's advent, were nearly ended; and all were eager to
share in that era of national glory which was then expected. Such was the
popular enthusiasm that the Sanhedrin would soon be forced either to
sanction or to reject John's work. Already their power over the people was
waning. It was becoming a serious question how to maintain their position.
In the hope of arriving at some conclusion, they dispatched to the Jordan a
deputation of priests and Levites to confer with the new teacher.

A multitude were gathered, listening to his words, when the delegates
approached. With an air of authority designed to impress the people

134

and to command the deference of the prophet the haughty rabbis came. With a
movement of respect, almost of fear, the crowd opened to let them pass. The
great men, in their rich robes, in the pride of rank and power, stood before
the prophet of the wilderness.

"Who art thou?" they demanded.

Knowing what was in their thoughts, John answered, "I am not the Christ."

"What then? Art thou Elias?"

"I am not."

"Art thou that prophet?"

"No."

"Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest
thou of thyself?"

"I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of
the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias."

The scripture to which John referred is that beautiful prophecy of Isaiah:
"Comfort ye, comfort ye My people, saith your God. Speak

135

ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her appointed time is
accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned. . . . The voice of him that
crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in
the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every
mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight,
and the rough places plain: and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and
all flesh shall see it together." Isa. 40:1-5, margin.

Anciently, when a king journeyed through the less frequented parts of his
dominion, a company of men was sent ahead of the royal chariot to level the
steep places and to fill up the hollows, that the king might travel in
safety and without hindrance. This custom is employed by the prophet to
illustrate the work of the gospel. "Every valley shall be exalted, and every
mountain and hill shall be made low." When the Spirit of God, with its
marvelous awakening power, touches the soul, it abases human pride. Worldly
pleasure and position and power are seen to be worthless. "Imaginations, and
every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God" are cast
down; every thought is brought into captivity "to the obedience of Christ."
2 Cor. 10:5. Then humility and self-sacrificing love, so little valued among
men, are exalted as alone of worth. This is the work of the gospel, of which
John's message was a part.

The rabbis continued their questioning: "Why baptizest thou then, if thou be
not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet?" The words "that prophet"
had reference to Moses. The Jews had been inclined to the belief that Moses
would be raised from the dead, and taken to heaven. They did not know that
he had already been raised. When the Baptist began his ministry, many
thought that he might be the prophet Moses risen from the dead, for he
seemed to have a thorough knowledge of the prophecies and of the history of
Israel.

It was believed also that before the Messiah's advent, Elijah would
personally appear. This expectation John met in his denial; but his words
had a deeper meaning. Jesus afterward said, referring to John, "If ye are
willing to receive it, this is Elijah, which is to come." Matt. 11:14, R. V.
John came in the spirit and power of Elijah, to do such a work as Elijah
did. If the Jews had received him, it would have been accomplished for them.
But they did not receive his message. To them he was not Elijah. He could
not fulfill for them the mission he came to accomplish.

136

Many of those gathered at the Jordan had been present at the baptism of
Jesus; but the sign then given had been manifest to but few among them.
During the preceding months of the Baptist's ministry, many had refused to
heed the call to repentance. Thus they had hardened their hearts and
darkened their understanding. When Heaven bore testimony to Jesus at His
baptism, they perceived it not. Eyes that had never been turned in faith to
Him that is invisible beheld not the revelation of the glory of God; ears
that had never listened to His voice heard not the words of witness. So it
is now. Often the presence of Christ and the ministering angels is manifest
in the assemblies of the people, and yet there are many who know it not.
They discern nothing unusual. But to some the Saviour's presence is
revealed. Peace and joy animate their hearts. They are comforted,
encouraged, and blessed.

The deputies from Jerusalem had demanded of John, "Why baptizest thou?" and
they were awaiting his answer. Suddenly, as his glance swept over the
throng, his eye kindled, his face was lighted up, his whole being was
stirred with deep emotion. With outstretched hands he cried, "I baptize in
water: in the midst of you standeth One whom ye know not, even He that
cometh after me, the latchet of whose shoe I am not worthy to unloose." John
1:27, R. V., margin.

The message was distinct and unequivocal, to be carried back to the
Sanhedrin. The words of John could apply to no other than the long-promised
One. The Messiah was among them! In amazement priests and rulers gazed about
them, hoping to discover Him of whom John had spoken. But He was not
distinguishable among the throng.

When at the baptism of Jesus, John pointed to Him as the Lamb of God, a new
light was shed upon the Messiah's work. The prophet's mind was directed to
the words of Isaiah, "He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter." Isa. 53:7.
During the weeks that followed, John with new interest studied the
prophecies and the teaching of the sacrificial service. He did not
distinguish clearly the two phases of Christ's work,--as a suffering
sacrifice and a conquering king,--but he saw that His

137

coming had a deeper significance than priests or people had discerned. When
he beheld Jesus among the throng on His return from the desert, he
confidently looked for Him to give the people some sign of His true
character. Almost impatiently he waited to hear the Saviour declare His
mission; but no word was spoken, no sign given. Jesus did not respond to the
Baptist's announcement of Him, but mingled with the disciples of John,
giving no outward evidence of His special work, and taking no measures to
bring Himself to notice.

The next day John sees Jesus coming. With the light of the glory of God
resting upon him, the prophet stretches out his hands, declaring, "Behold
the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world! This is He of whom
I said, After me cometh a man which is become before me. . . . And I knew
Him not; but that He should be made manifest to Israel, for this cause came
I baptizing in water. . . . I have beheld the Spirit descending as a dove
out of heaven; and it abode upon Him. And I knew Him not: but He that sent
me to baptize in water, He said unto me, Upon whomsoever thou shalt see the
Spirit descending, and abiding upon Him, the same is He that baptizeth with
the Holy Spirit. And I have seen, and have borne witness that this is the
Son of God." John 1:29-34, R. V., margin.

Was this the Christ? With awe and wonder the people looked upon the One just
declared to be the Son of God. They had been deeply moved by the words of
John. He had spoken to them in the name of God. They had listened to him day
after day as he reproved their sins, and daily the conviction that he was
sent of Heaven had strengthened. But who was this One greater than John the
Baptist? In His dress and bearing there was nothing that betokened rank. He
was apparently a simple personage, clad like themselves in the humble
garments of the poor.

There were in the throng some who at Christ's baptism had beheld the divine
glory, and had heard the voice of God. But since that time the Saviour's
appearance had greatly changed. At His baptism they had seen His countenance
transfigured in the light of heaven; now, pale, worn, and emaciated, He had
been recognized only by the prophet John.

But as the people looked upon Him, they saw a face where divine compassion
was blended with conscious power. Every glance of the eye, every feature of
the countenance, was marked with humility, and expressive of unutterable
love. He seemed to be surrounded by an

138

atmosphere of spiritual influence. While His manners were gentle and
unassuming, He impressed men with a sense of power that was hidden, yet
could not be wholly concealed. Was this the One for whom Israel had so long
waited?

Jesus came in poverty and humiliation, that He might be our example as well
as our Redeemer. If He had appeared with kingly pomp, how could He have
taught humility? how could He have presented such cutting truths as in the
Sermon on the Mount? Where would have been the hope of the lowly in life had
Jesus come to dwell as a king among men?

To the multitude, however, it seemed impossible that the One designated by
John should be associated with their lofty anticipations. Thus many were
disappointed, and greatly perplexed.

The words which the priests and rabbis so much desired to hear, that Jesus
would now restore the kingdom to Israel, had not been spoken. For such a
king they had been waiting and watching; such a king they were ready to
receive. But one who sought to establish in their hearts a kingdom of
righteousness and peace, they would not accept.

On the following day, while two disciples were standing near, John again saw
Jesus among the people. Again the face of the prophet was lighted up with
glory from the Unseen, as he cried, "Behold the Lamb of God!" The words
thrilled the hearts of the disciples. They did not fully understand them.
What meant the name that John had given Him,--"the Lamb of God"? John
himself had not explained it.

Leaving John, they went to seek Jesus. One of the two was Andrew, the
brother of Simon; the other was John the evangelist. These were Christ's
first disciples. Moved by an irresistible impulse, they followed
Jesus,--anxious to speak with Him, yet awed and silent, lost in the
overwhelming significance of the thought, "Is this the Messiah?"

Jesus knew that the disciples were following Him. They were the first fruits
of His ministry, and there was joy in the heart of the divine Teacher as
these souls responded to His grace. Yet turning, He asked only, "What seek
ye?" He would leave them free to turn back or to speak of their desire.

Of one purpose only were they conscious. One presence filled their thought.
They exclaimed, "Rabbi, . . . where dwellest Thou?" In a brief interview by
the wayside they could not receive that for which they longed. They desired
to be alone with Jesus, to sit at His feet, and hear His words.

139

"He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where He dwelt, and
abode with Him that day."

If John and Andrew had possessed the unbelieving spirit of the priests and
rulers, they would not have been found as learners at the feet of Jesus.
They would have come to Him as critics, to judge His words. Many thus close
the door to the most precious opportunities. But not so did these first
disciples. They had responded to the Holy Spirit's call in the preaching of
John the Baptist. Now they recognized the voice of the heavenly Teacher. To
them the words of Jesus were full of freshness and truth and beauty. A
divine illumination was shed upon the teaching of the Old Testament
Scriptures. The many-sided themes of truth stood out in new light.

It is contrition and faith and love that enable the soul to receive wisdom
from heaven. Faith working by love is the key of knowledge, and everyone
that loveth "knoweth God." 1 John 4:7.

The disciple John was a man of earnest and deep affection, ardent, yet
contemplative. He had begun to discern the glory of Christ,--not the worldly
pomp and power for which he had been taught to hope, but "the glory as of
the Only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:14. He was
absorbed in contemplation of the wondrous theme.

Andrew sought to impart the joy that filled his heart. Going in search of
his brother Simon, he cried, "We have found the Messias." Simon waited for
no second bidding. He also had heard the preaching of John the Baptist, and
he hastened to the Saviour. The eye of Christ rested upon him, reading his
character and his life history. His impulsive nature, his loving,
sympathetic heart, his ambition and self-confidence, the history of his
fall, his repentance, his labors, and his martyr death,--the Saviour read it
all, and He said, "Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called
Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone."

"The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip,
and saith unto him, Follow Me." Philip obeyed the command, and straightway
he also became a worker for Christ.

Philip called Nathanael. The latter had been among the throng when the
Baptist pointed to Jesus as the Lamb of God. As Nathanael looked upon Jesus,
he was disappointed. Could this man, who bore the marks of toil and poverty,
be the Messiah? Yet Nathanael could not decide to reject Jesus, for the
message of John had brought conviction to his heart.

140

At the time when Philip called him, Nathanael had withdrawn to a quiet grove
to meditate upon the announcement of John and the prophecies concerning the
Messiah. He prayed that if the one announced by John was the deliverer, it
might be made known to him, and the Holy Spirit rested upon him with
assurance that God had visited His people and raised up a horn of salvation
for them. Philip knew that his friend was searching the prophecies, and
while Nathanael was praying under a fig tree, Philip discovered his retreat.
They had often prayed together in this secluded spot hidden by the foliage.

The message, "We have found Him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets,
did write," seemed to Nathanael a direct answer to his prayer. But Philip
had yet a trembling faith. He added doubtfully, "Jesus of Nazareth, the son
of Joseph." Again prejudice arose in Nathanael's heart. He exclaimed, "Can
there any good thing come out of Nazareth?"

Philip entered into no controversy. He said, "Come and see. Jesus saw
Nathanael coming to Him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in
whom is no guile!" In surprise Nathanael exclaimed, "Whence knowest Thou me?
Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou
wast under the fig tree, I saw thee."

It was enough. The divine Spirit that had borne witness to Nathanael in his
solitary prayer under the fig tree now spoke to him in the words of Jesus.
Though in doubt, and yielding somewhat to prejudice, Nathanael had come to
Christ with an honest desire for truth, and now his desire was met. His
faith went beyond that of the one who had brought him to Jesus. He answered
and said, "Rabbi, Thou art the Son of God; Thou art the King of Israel."

If Nathanael had trusted to the rabbis for guidance, he would never have
found Jesus. It was by seeing and judging for himself that he

141

became a disciple. So in the case of many today whom prejudice withholds
from good. How different would be the result if they would "come and see"!

While they trust to the guidance of human authority, none will come to a
saving knowledge of the truth. Like Nathanael, we need to study God's word
for ourselves, and pray for the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit. He who saw
Nathanael under the fig tree will see us in the secret place of prayer.
Angels from the world of light are near to those who in humility seek for
divine guidance.

With the calling of John and Andrew and Simon, of Philip and Nathanael,
began the foundation of the Christian church. John directed two of his
disciples to Christ. Then one of these, Andrew, found his brother, and
called him to the Saviour. Philip was then called, and he went in search of
Nathanael. These examples should teach us the importance of personal effort,
of making direct appeals to our kindred, friends, and neighbors. There are
those who for a lifetime have professed to be acquainted with Christ, yet
who have never made a personal effort to bring even one soul to the Saviour.
They leave all the work for the minister. He may be well qualified for his
calling, but he cannot do that which God has left for the members of the
church.

There are many who need the ministration of loving Christian hearts. Many
have gone down to ruin who might have been saved if their neighbors, common
men and women, had put forth personal effort for them. Many are waiting to
be personally addressed. In the very family, the neighborhood, the town,
where we live, there is work for us to do as missionaries for Christ. If we
are Christians, this work will be our delight. No sooner is one converted
than there is born within him a desire to make known to others what a
precious friend he has found in Jesus. The saving and sanctifying truth
cannot be shut up in his heart.

All who are consecrated to God will be channels of light. God makes them His
agents to communicate to others the riches of His grace. His promise is, "I
will make them and the places round about My hill a blessing; and I will
cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of
blessing." Ezek. 34:26.

Philip said to Nathanael, "Come and see." He did not ask him to accept
another's testimony, but to behold Christ for himself. Now that Jesus has
ascended to heaven, His disciples are His representatives among men, and one
of the most effective ways of winning souls to Him is in

142

exemplifying His character in our daily life. Our influence upon others
depends not so much upon what we say as upon what we are. Men may combat and
defy our logic, they may resist our appeals; but a life of disinterested
love is an argument they cannot gainsay. A consistent life, characterized by
the meekness of Christ, is a power in the world.

The teaching of Christ was the expression of an inwrought conviction and
experience, and those who learn of Him become teachers after the divine
order. The word of God, spoken by one who is himself sanctified through it,
has a life-giving power that makes it attractive to the hearers, and
convicts them that it is a living reality. When one has received the truth
in the love of it, he will make this manifest in the persuasion of his
manner and the tones of his voice. He makes known that which he himself has
heard, seen, and handled of the word of life, that others may have
fellowship with him through the knowledge of Christ. His testimony, from
lips touched with a live coal from off the altar, is truth to the receptive
heart, and works sanctification upon the character.

And he who seeks to give light to others will himself be blessed. "There
shall be showers of blessing." "He that watereth shall be watered also
himself." Prov. 11:25. God could have reached His object in saving sinners
without our aid; but in order for us to develop a character like Christ's,
we must share in His work. In order to enter into His joy,--the joy of
seeing souls redeemed by His sacrifice,--we must participate in His labors
for their redemption.

Nathanael's first expression of his faith, so full and earnest and sincere,
fell like music on the ears of Jesus. And He "answered and said unto him,
Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou?
thou shalt see greater things than these." The Saviour looked forward with
joy to His work in preaching good tidings to the meek, binding up the
brokenhearted, and proclaiming liberty to the captives of Satan. At thought
of the precious blessings He had brought to men, Jesus added, "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."

Here Christ virtually says, On the bank of the Jordan the heavens were
opened, and the Spirit descended like a dove upon Me. That scene was but a
token that I am the Son of God. If you believe on Me as such, your faith
shall be quickened. You shall see that the heavens are opened, and are never
to be closed. I have opened them to you. The

143

angels of God are ascending, bearing the prayers of the needy and distressed
to the Father above, and descending, bringing blessing and hope, courage,
help, and life, to the children of men.

The angels of God are ever passing from earth to heaven, and from heaven to
earth. The miracles of Christ for the afflicted and suffering were wrought
by the power of God through the ministration of the angels. And it is
through Christ, by the ministration of His heavenly messengers, that every
blessing comes from God to us. In taking upon Himself humanity, our Saviour
unites His interests with those of the fallen sons and daughters of Adam,
while through His divinity He grasps the throne of God. And thus Christ is
the medium of communication of men with God, and of God with men.

(144)

Chapter 15

At the Marriage Feast

Jesus did not begin His ministry by some great work before the Sanhedrin at
Jerusalem. At a household gathering in a little Galilean village His power
was put forth to add to the joy of a wedding feast. Thus He showed His
sympathy with men, and His desire to minister to their happiness. In the
wilderness of temptation He Himself had drunk the cup of woe. He came forth
to give to men the cup of blessing, by His benediction to hallow the
relations of human life.

From the Jordan, Jesus had returned to Galilee. There was to be a marriage
at Cana, a little town not far from Nazareth; the parties were relatives of
Joseph and Mary; and Jesus, knowing of this family gathering, went to Cana,
and with His disciples was invited to the feast.

Again He met His mother, from whom He had for some time been separated. Mary
had heard of the manifestation at the Jordan, at His baptism. The tidings
had been carried to Nazareth, and had brought to her mind afresh the scenes
that for so many years had been hidden in her heart. In common with all
Israel, Mary was deeply stirred by the mission of John the Baptist. Well she
remembered the prophecy given at his birth. Now his connection with Jesus
kindled her hopes

145

anew. But tidings had reached her also of the mysterious departure of Jesus
to the wilderness, and she was oppressed with troubled forebodings.

From the day when she heard the angel's announcement in the home at Nazareth
Mary had treasured every evidence that Jesus was the Messiah. His sweet,
unselfish life assured her that He could be no other than the Sent of God.
Yet there came to her also doubts and disappointments, and she had longed
for the time when His glory should be revealed. Death had separated her from
Joseph, who had shared her knowledge of the mystery of the birth of Jesus.
Now there was no one to whom she could confide her hopes and fears. The past
two months had been very sorrowful. She had been parted from Jesus, in whose
sympathy she found comfort; she pondered upon the words of Simeon, "A sword
shall pierce through thy own soul also" (Luke 2:35); she recalled the three
days of agony when she thought Jesus lost to her forever; and with an
anxious heart she awaited His return.

At the marriage feast she meets Him, the same tender, dutiful son. Yet He is
not the same. His countenance is changed. It bears the traces of His
conflict in the wilderness, and a new expression of dignity and power gives
evidence of His heavenly mission. With Him is a group of young men, whose
eyes follow Him with reverence, and who call Him Master. These companions
recount to Mary what they have seen and heard at the baptism and elsewhere.
They conclude by declaring, "We have found Him, of whom Moses in the law,
and the prophets, did write." John 1:45.

As the guests assemble, many seem to be preoccupied with some topic of
absorbing interest. A suppressed excitement pervades the company. Little
groups converse together in eager but quiet tones, and wondering glances are
turned upon the Son of Mary. As Mary had heard the disciples' testimony in
regard to Jesus, she had been gladdened with the assurance that her
long-cherished hopes were not in vain. Yet she would have been more than
human if there had not mingled with this holy joy a trace of the fond
mother's natural pride. As she saw the many glances bent upon Jesus, she
longed to have Him prove to the company that He was really the Honored of
God. She hoped there might be opportunity for Him to work a miracle before
them.

It was the custom of the times for marriage festivities to continue several
days. On this occasion, before the feast ended it was found that the supply
of wine had failed. This discovery caused much perplexity and regret. It was
unusual to dispense with wine on festive occasions, and

146

its absence would seem to indicate a want of hospitality. As a relative of
the parties, Mary had assisted in the arrangements for the feast, and she
now spoke to Jesus, saying, "They have no wine." These words were a
suggestion that He might supply their need. But Jesus answered, "Woman, what
have I to do with thee? Mine hour is not yet come."

This answer, abrupt as it seems to us, expressed no coldness or discourtesy.
The Saviour's form of address to His mother was in accordance with Oriental
custom. It was used toward persons to whom it was desired to show respect.
Every act of Christ's earthly life was in harmony with the precept He
Himself had given, "Honor thy father and thy mother." Ex. 20:12. On the
cross, in His last act of tenderness toward His mother, Jesus again
addressed her in the same way, as He committed her to the care of His
best-loved disciple. Both at the marriage feast and upon the cross, the love
expressed in tone and look and manner interpreted His words.

At His visit to the temple in His boyhood, as the mystery of His lifework
opened before Him, Christ had said to Mary, "Wist ye not that I must be
about My Father's business?" Luke 2:49. These words

147

struck the keynote of His whole life and ministry. Everything was held in
abeyance to His work, the great work of redemption which He had come into
the world to accomplish. Now He repeated the lesson. There was danger that
Mary would regard her relationship to Jesus as giving her a special claim
upon Him, and the right, in some degree, to direct Him in His mission. For
thirty years He had been to her a loving and obedient son, and His love was
unchanged; but He must now go about His Father's work. As Son of the Most
High, and Saviour of the world, no earthly ties must hold Him from His
mission, or influence His conduct. He must stand free to do the will of God.
This lesson is also for us. The claims of God are paramount even to the ties
of human relationship. No earthly attraction should turn our feet from the
path in which He bids us walk.

The only hope of redemption for our fallen race is in Christ; Mary could
find salvation only through the Lamb of God. In herself she possessed no
merit. Her connection with Jesus placed her in no different spiritual
relation to Him from that of any other human soul. This is indicated in the
Saviour's words. He makes clear the distinction between His relation to her
as the Son of man and as the Son of God. The tie of kinship between them in
no way placed her on an equality with Him.

The words, "Mine hour is not yet come," point to the fact that every act of
Christ's life on earth was in fulfillment of the plan that had existed from
the days of eternity. Before He came to earth, the plan lay out before Him,
perfect in all its details. But as He walked among men, He was guided, step
by step, by the Father's will. He did not hesitate to act at the appointed
time. With the same submission He waited until the time had come.

In saying to Mary that His hour had not yet come, Jesus was replying to her
unspoken thought,--to the expectation she cherished in common with her
people. She hoped that He would reveal Himself as the Messiah, and take the
throne of Israel. But the time had not come. Not as a King, but as "a Man of
Sorrows, and acquainted with grief," had Jesus accepted the lot of humanity.

But though Mary had not a right conception of Christ's mission, she trusted
Him implicitly. To this faith Jesus responded. It was to honor Mary's trust,
and to strengthen the faith of His disciples, that the first miracle was
performed. The disciples were to encounter many and great temptations to
unbelief. To them the prophecies had made it

148

clear beyond all controversy that Jesus was the Messiah. They looked for the
religious leaders to receive Him with confidence even greater than their
own. They declared among the people the wonderful works of Christ and their
own confidence in His mission, but they were amazed and bitterly
disappointed by the unbelief, the deep-seated prejudice, and the enmity to
Jesus, displayed by the priests and rabbis. The Saviour's early miracles
strengthened the disciples to stand against this opposition.

In nowise disconcerted by the words of Jesus, Mary said to those serving at
table, "Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it." Thus she did what she could to
prepare the way for the work of Christ.

Beside the doorway stood six large stone water jars, and Jesus bade the
servants fill these with water. It was done. Then as the wine was wanted for
immediate use, He said, "Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the
feast." Instead of the water with which the vessels had been filled, there
flowed forth wine. Neither the ruler of the feast nor the guests generally
were aware that the supply of wine had failed. Upon tasting that which the
servants brought, the ruler found it superior to any he had ever before
drunk, and very different from that served at the beginning of the feast.
Turning to the bridegroom, he said, "Every man at the beginning doth set
forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but
thou hast kept the good wine until now."

As men set forth the best wine first, then afterward that which is worse, so
does the world with its gifts. That which it offers may please the eye and
fascinate the senses, but it proves to be unsatisfying. The wine turns to
bitterness, the gaiety to gloom. That which was begun with songs and mirth
ends in weariness and disgust. But the gifts of Jesus are ever fresh and
new. The feast that He provides for the soul never fails to give
satisfaction and joy. Each new gift increases the capacity of the receiver
to appreciate and enjoy the blessings of the Lord. He gives grace for grace.
There can be no failure of supply. If you abide in Him, the fact that you
receive a rich gift today insures the reception of a richer gift tomorrow.
The words of Jesus to Nathanael express the law of God's dealing with the
children of faith. With every fresh revelation of His love, He declares to
the receptive heart, "Believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than
these." John 1:50.

The gift of Christ to the marriage feast was a symbol. The water represented
baptism into His death; the wine, the shedding of His blood

149

for the sins of the world. The water to fill the jars was brought by human
hands, but the word of Christ alone could impart to it life-giving virtue.
So with the rites which point to the Saviour's death. It is only by the
power of Christ, working through faith, that they have efficacy to nourish
the soul.

The word of Christ supplied ample provision for the feast. So abundant is
the provision of His grace to blot out the iniquities of men, and to renew
and sustain the soul.

At the first feast He attended with His disciples, Jesus gave them the cup
that symbolized His work for their salvation. At the last supper He gave it
again, in the institution of that sacred rite by which His death was to be
shown forth "till He come." 1 Cor. 11:26. And the sorrow of the disciples at
parting from their Lord was comforted with the promise of reunion, as He
said, "I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day
when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom." Matt. 26:29.

The wine which Christ provided for the feast, and that which He gave to the
disciples as a symbol of His own blood, was the pure juice of the grape. To
this the prophet Isaiah refers when he speaks of the new wine "in the
cluster," and says, "Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it." Isa. 65:8.

It was Christ who in the Old Testament gave the warning to Israel, "Wine is
a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not
wise." Prov. 20:1. And He Himself provided no such beverage. Satan tempts
men to indulgence that will becloud reason and benumb the spiritual
perceptions, but Christ teaches us to bring the lower nature into
subjection. His whole life was an example of self-denial. In order to break
the power of appetite, He suffered in our behalf the severest test that
humanity could endure. It was Christ who directed that John the Baptist
should drink neither wine nor strong drink. It was He who enjoined similar
abstinence upon the wife of Manoah. And He pronounced a curse upon the man
who should put the bottle to his neighbor's lips. Christ did not contradict
His own teaching. The unfermented wine which He provided for the wedding
guests was a wholesome and refreshing drink. Its effect was to bring the
taste into harmony with a healthful appetite.

As the guests at the feast remarked upon the quality of the wine, inquiries
were made that drew from the servants an account of the

150

miracle. The company were for a time too much amazed to think of Him who had
performed the wonderful work. When at length they looked for Him, it was
found that He had withdrawn so quietly as to be unnoticed even by His
disciples.

The attention of the company was now turned to the disciples. For the first
time they had the opportunity of acknowledging their faith in Jesus. They
told what they had seen and heard at the Jordan, and there was kindled in
many hearts the hope that God had raised up a deliverer for His people. The
news of the miracle spread through all that region, and was carried to
Jerusalem. With new interest the priests and elders searched the prophecies
pointing to Christ's coming. There was eager desire to learn the mission of
this new teacher, who appeared among the people in so unassuming a manner.

The ministry of Christ was in marked contrast to that of the Jewish elders.
Their regard for tradition and formalism had destroyed all real freedom of
thought or action. They lived in continual dread of defilement. To avoid
contact with the "unclean," they kept aloof, not only from the Gentiles, but
from the majority of their own people, seeking neither to benefit them nor
to win their friendship. By dwelling constantly on these matters, they had
dwarfed their minds and narrowed the orbit of their lives. Their example
encouraged egotism and intolerance among all classes of the people.

Jesus began the work of reformation by coming into close sympathy with
humanity. While He showed the greatest reverence for the law of God, He
rebuked the pretentious piety of the Pharisees, and tried to free the people
from the senseless rules that bound them. He was seeking to break down the
barriers which separated the different classes of society, that He might
bring men together as children of one family. His attendance at the marriage
feast was designed to be a step toward effecting this.

God had directed John the Baptist to dwell in the wilderness, that he might
be shielded from the influence of the priests and rabbis, and be prepared
for a special mission. But the austerity and isolation of his life were not
an example for the people. John himself had not directed his hearers to
forsake their former duties. He bade them give evidence of their repentance
by faithfulness to God in the place where He had called them.

Jesus reproved self-indulgence in all its forms, yet He was social in His
nature. He accepted the hospitality of all classes, visiting the homes

151

of the rich and the poor, the learned and the ignorant, and seeking to
elevate their thoughts from questions of commonplace life to those things
that are spiritual and eternal. He gave no license to dissipation, and no
shadow of worldly levity marred His conduct; yet He found pleasure in scenes
of innocent happiness, and by His presence sanctioned the social gathering.
A Jewish marriage was an impressive occasion, and its joy was not
displeasing to the Son of man. By attending this feast, Jesus honored
marriage as a divine institution.

In both the Old and the New Testament, the marriage relation is employed to
represent the tender and sacred union that exists between Christ and His
people. To the mind of Jesus the gladness of the wedding festivities pointed
forward to the rejoicing of that day when He shall bring home His bride to
the Father's house, and the redeemed with the Redeemer shall sit down to the
marriage supper of the Lamb. He says, "As the bridegroom rejoiceth over the
bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee." "Thou shalt no more be termed
Forsaken; . . . but thou shalt be called My Delight; . . . for the Lord
delighteth in thee." "He will rejoice over thee with joy; He will rest in
His love, He will joy over thee with singing." Isa. 62:5, 4, margin; Zeph.
3:17. When the vision of heavenly things was granted to John the apostle, he
wrote: "I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice
of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia:
for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give
honor to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made
herself ready." "Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper
of the Lamb." Rev. 19:6, 7, 9.

Jesus saw in every soul one to whom must be given the call to His kingdom.
He reached the hearts of the people by going among them as one who desired
their good. He sought them in the public streets, in private houses, on the
boats, in the synagogue, by the shores of the lake, and at the marriage
feast. He met them at their daily vocations, and manifested an interest in
their secular affairs. He carried His instruction into the household,
bringing families in their own homes under the influence of His divine
presence. His strong personal sympathy helped to win hearts. He often
repaired to the mountains for solitary prayer, but this was a preparation
for His labor among men in active life. From these seasons He came forth to
relieve the sick, to instruct the ignorant, and to break the chains from the
captives of Satan.

152

It was by personal contact and association that Jesus trained His disciples.
Sometimes He taught them, sitting among them on the mountainside; sometimes
beside the sea, or walking with them by the way, He revealed the mysteries
of the kingdom of God. He did not sermonize as men do today. Wherever hearts
were open to receive the divine message, He unfolded the truths of the way
of salvation. He did not command His disciples to do this or that, but said,
"Follow Me." On His journeys through country and cities He took them with
Him, that they might see how He taught the people. He linked their interest
with His, and they united with Him in the work.

The example of Christ in linking Himself with the interests of humanity
should be followed by all who preach His word, and by all who have received
the gospel of His grace. We are not to renounce social communion. We should
not seclude ourselves from others. In order to reach all classes, we must
meet them where they are. They will seldom seek us of their own accord. Not
alone from the pulpit are the hearts of men touched by divine truth. There
is another field of labor, humbler, it may be, but fully as promising. It is
found in the home of the lowly, and in the mansion of the great; at the
hospitable board, and in gatherings for innocent social enjoyment.

As disciples of Christ we shall not mingle with the world from a mere love
of pleasure, to unite with them in folly. Such associations can result only
in harm. We should never give sanction to sin by our words or our deeds, our
silence or our presence. Wherever we go, we are to carry Jesus with us, and
to reveal to others the preciousness of our Saviour. But those who try to
preserve their religion by hiding it within stone walls lose precious
opportunities of doing good. Through the social relations, Christianity
comes in contact with the world. Everyone who has received the divine
illumination is to brighten the pathway of those who know not the Light of
life.

We should all become witnesses for Jesus. Social power, sanctified by the
grace of Christ, must be improved in winning souls to the Saviour. Let the
world see that we are not selfishly absorbed in our own interests, but that
we desire others to share our blessings and privileges. Let them see that
our religion does not make us unsympathetic or exacting. Let all who profess
to have found Christ, minister as He did for the benefit of men.

We should never give to the world the false impression that Christians are a
gloomy, unhappy people. If our eyes are fixed on Jesus, we shall

153

see a compassionate Redeemer, and shall catch light from His countenance.
Wherever His Spirit reigns, there peace abides. And there will be joy also,
for there is a calm, holy trust in God.

Christ is pleased with His followers when they show that, though human, they
are partakers of the divine nature. They are not statues, but living men and
women. Their hearts, refreshed by the dews of divine grace, open and expand
to the Sun of Righteousness. The light that shines upon them they reflect
upon others in works that are luminous with the love of Christ.

(154)

Chapter 16

In His Temple

"After this He went down to Capernaum, He, and His mother, and His brethren,
and His disciples: and they continued there not many days. And the Jews'
Passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem."

In this journey, Jesus joined one of the large companies that were making
their way to the capital. He had not yet publicly announced His mission, and
He mingled unnoticed with the throng. Upon these occasions, the coming of
the Messiah, to which such prominence had been given by the ministry of
John, was often the theme of conversation. The hope of national greatness
was dwelt upon with kindling enthusiasm. Jesus knew that this hope was to be
disappointed, for it was founded on a misinterpretation of the Scriptures.
With deep earnestness He explained the prophecies, and tried to arouse the
people to a closer study of God's word.

The Jewish leaders had instructed the people that at Jerusalem they were to
be taught to worship God. Here during the Passover week large numbers
assembled, coming from all parts of Palestine, and even from distant lands.
The temple courts were filled with a promiscuous throng. Many were unable to
bring with them the sacrifices that were to be

155

offered up as typifying the one great Sacrifice. For the convenience of
these, animals were bought and sold in the outer court of the temple. Here
all classes of people assembled to purchase their offerings. Here all
foreign money was exchanged for the coin of the sanctuary.

Every Jew was required to pay yearly a half shekel as "a ransom for his
soul;" and the money thus collected was used for the support of the temple.
Ex. 30:12-16. Besides this, large sums were brought as freewill offerings,
to be deposited in the temple treasury. And it was required that all foreign
coin should be changed for a coin called the temple shekel, which was
accepted for the service of the sanctuary. The money changing gave
opportunity for fraud and extortion, and it had grown into a disgraceful
traffic, which was a source of revenue to the priests.

The dealers demanded exorbitant prices for the animals sold, and they shared
their profits with the priests and rulers, who thus enriched themselves at
the expense of the people. The worshipers had been taught to believe that if
they did not offer sacrifice, the blessing of God would not rest on their
children or their lands. Thus a high price for the animals could be secured;
for after coming so far, the people would not return to their homes without
performing the act of devotion for which they had come.

A great number of sacrifices were offered at the time of the Passover, and
the sales at the temple were very large. The consequent confusion indicated
a noisy cattle market rather than the sacred temple of God. There could be
heard sharp bargaining, the lowing of cattle, the bleating of sheep, the
cooing of doves, mingled with the chinking of coin and angry disputation. So
great was the confusion that the worshipers were disturbed, and the words
addressed to the Most High were drowned in the uproar that invaded the
temple. The Jews were exceedingly proud of their piety. They rejoiced over
their temple, and regarded a word spoken in its disfavor as blasphemy; they
were very rigorous in the performance of ceremonies connected with it; but
the love of money had overruled their scruples. They were scarcely aware how
far they had wandered from the original purpose of the service instituted by
God Himself.

When the Lord descended upon Mount Sinai, the place was consecrated by His
presence. Moses was commanded to put bounds around the mount and sanctify
it, and the word of the Lord was heard in

156

warning: "Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount, or
touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to
death: there shall not an hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned, or
shot through; whether it be beast or man, it shall not live." Ex. 19:12, 13.
Thus was taught the lesson that wherever God manifests His presence, the
place is holy. The precincts of God's temple should have been regarded as
sacred. But in the strife for gain, all this was lost sight of.

The priests and rulers were called to be the representatives of God to the
nation; they should have corrected the abuses of the temple

157

court. They should have given to the people an example of integrity and
compassion. Instead of studying their own profit, they should have
considered the situation and needs of the worshipers, and should have been
ready to assist those who were not able to buy the required sacrifices. But
this they did not do. Avarice had hardened their hearts.

There came to this feast those who were suffering, those who were in want
and distress. The blind, the lame, the deaf, were there. Some were brought
on beds. Many came who were too poor to purchase the humblest offering for
the Lord, too poor even to buy food with which to satisfy their own hunger.
These were greatly distressed by the statements of the priests. The priests
boasted of their piety; they claimed to be the guardians of the people; but
they were without sympathy or compassion. The poor, the sick, the dying,
made their vain plea for favor. Their suffering awakened no pity in the
hearts of the priests.

As Jesus came into the temple, He took in the whole scene. He saw the unfair
transactions. He saw the distress of the poor, who thought that without
shedding of blood there would be no forgiveness for their sins. He saw the
outer court of His temple converted into a place of unholy traffic. The
sacred enclosure had become one vast exchange.

Christ saw that something must be done. Numerous ceremonies were enjoined
upon the people without the proper instruction as to their import. The
worshipers offered their sacrifices without understanding that they were
typical of the only perfect Sacrifice. And among them, unrecognized and
unhonored, stood the One symbolized by all their service. He had given
directions in regard to the offerings. He understood their symbolical value,
and He saw that they were now perverted and misunderstood. Spiritual worship
was fast disappearing. No link bound the priests and rulers to their God.
Christ's work was to establish an altogether different worship.

With searching glance, Christ takes in the scene before Him as He stands
upon the steps of the temple court. With prophetic eye He looks into
futurity, and sees not only years, but centuries and ages. He sees how
priests and rulers will turn the needy from their right, and forbid that the
gospel shall be preached to the poor. He sees how the love of God will be
concealed from sinners, and men will make merchandise of His grace. As He
beholds the scene, indignation, authority, and power are expressed in His
countenance. The attention of the people is attracted to Him. The eyes of
those engaged in their unholy traffic

158

are riveted upon His face. They cannot withdraw their gaze. They feel that
this Man reads their inmost thoughts, and discovers their hidden motives.
Some attempt to conceal their faces, as if their evil deeds were written
upon their countenances, to be scanned by those searching eyes.

The confusion is hushed. The sound of traffic and bargaining has ceased. The
silence becomes painful. A sense of awe overpowers the assembly. It is as if
they were arraigned before the tribunal of God to answer for their deeds.
Looking upon Christ, they behold divinity flash through the garb of
humanity. The Majesty of heaven stands as the Judge will stand at the last
day,--not now encircled with the glory that will then attend Him, but with
the same power to read the soul. His eye sweeps over the multitude, taking
in every individual. His form seems to rise above them in commanding
dignity, and a divine light illuminates His countenance. He speaks, and His
clear, ringing voice--the same that upon Mount Sinai proclaimed the law that
priests and rulers are transgressing--is heard echoing through the arches of
the temple: "Take these things hence; make not My Father's house an house of
merchandise."

Slowly descending the steps, and raising the scourge of cords gathered up on
entering the enclosure, He bids the bargaining company depart from the
precincts of the temple. With a zeal and severity He has never before
manifested, He overthrows the tables of the money-changers. The coin falls,
ringing sharply upon the marble pavement. None presume to question His
authority. None dare stop to gather up their ill-gotten gain. Jesus does not
smite them with the whip of cords, but in His hand that simple scourge seems
terrible as a flaming sword. Officers of the temple, speculating priests,
brokers and cattle traders, with their sheep and oxen, rush from the place,
with the one thought of escaping from the condemnation of His presence.

A panic sweeps over the multitude, who feel the overshadowing of His
divinity. Cries of terror escape from hundreds of blanched lips. Even the
disciples tremble. They are awestruck by the words and manner of Jesus, so
unlike His usual demeanor. They remember that it is written of Him, "The
zeal of Thine house hath eaten Me up." Ps. 69:9. Soon the tumultuous throng
with their merchandise are far removed from the temple of the Lord. The
courts are free from unholy traffic, and a deep silence and solemnity
settles upon the scene of confusion.

161

The presence of the Lord, that of old sanctified the mount, has now made
sacred the temple reared in His honor.

In the cleansing of the temple, Jesus was announcing His mission as the
Messiah, and entering upon His work. That temple, erected for the abode of
the divine Presence, was designed to be an object lesson for Israel and for
the world. From eternal ages it was God's purpose that every created being,
from the bright and holy seraph to man, should be a temple for the
indwelling of the Creator. Because of sin, humanity ceased to be a temple
for God. Darkened and defiled by evil, the heart of man no longer revealed
the glory of the Divine One. But by the incarnation of the Son of God, the
purpose of Heaven is fulfilled. God dwells in humanity, and through saving
grace the heart of man becomes again His temple. God designed that the
temple at Jerusalem should be a continual witness to the high destiny open
to every soul. But the Jews had not understood the significance of the
building they regarded with so much pride. They did not yield themselves as
holy temples for the Divine Spirit. The courts of the temple at Jerusalem,
filled with the tumult of unholy traffic, represented all too truly the
temple of the heart, defiled by the presence of sensual passion and unholy
thoughts. In cleansing the temple from the world's buyers and sellers, Jesus
announced His mission to cleanse the heart from the defilement of sin,--from
the earthly desires, the selfish lusts, the evil habits, that corrupt the
soul. "The Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to His temple, even the
Messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, He shall come, saith
the Lord of hosts. But who may abide the day of His coming? and who shall
stand when He appeareth? for He is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers'
soap: and He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and He shall
purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver." Mal. 3:1-3.

"Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God
dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy;
for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are." 1 Cor. 3:16, 17. No man
can of himself cast out the evil throng that have taken possession of the
heart. Only Christ can cleanse the soul temple. But He will not force an
entrance. He comes not into the heart as to the temple of old; but He says,
"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open
the door, I will come in to him." Rev. 3:20. He will come, not for one day
merely; for He says, "I will dwell in them, and walk in them; . . . and they
shall

162

be My people." "He will subdue our iniquities; and Thou wilt cast all their
sins into the depths of the sea." 2 Cor. 6:16; Micah 7:19. His presence will
cleanse and sanctify the soul, so that it may be a holy temple unto the
Lord, and "an habitation of God through the Spirit." Eph. 2:21, 22.

Overpowered with terror, the priests and rulers had fled from the temple
court, and from the searching glance that read their hearts. In their flight
they met others on their way to the temple, and bade them turn back, telling
them what they had seen and heard. Christ looked upon the fleeing men with
yearning pity for their fear, and their ignorance of what constituted true
worship. In this scene He saw symbolized the dispersion of the whole Jewish
nation for their wickedness and impenitence.

And why did the priests flee from the temple? Why did they not stand their
ground? He who commanded them to go was a carpenter's son, a poor Galilean,
without earthly rank or power. Why did they not resist Him? Why did they
leave the gain so ill acquired, and flee at the command of One whose outward
appearance was so humble?

Christ spoke with the authority of a king, and in His appearance, and in the
tones of His voice, there was that which they had no power to resist. At the
word of command they realized, as they had never realized before, their true
position as hypocrites and robbers. When divinity flashed through humanity,
not only did they see indignation on Christ's countenance; they realized the
import of His words. They felt as if before the throne of the eternal Judge,
with their sentence passed on them for time and for eternity. For a time
they were convinced that Christ was a prophet; and many believed Him to be
the Messiah. The Holy Spirit flashed into their minds the utterances of the
prophets concerning Christ. Would they yield to this conviction?

Repent they would not. They knew that Christ's sympathy for the poor had
been aroused. They knew that they had been guilty of extortion in their
dealings with the people. Because Christ discerned their thoughts they hated
Him. His public rebuke was humiliating to their pride, and they were jealous
of His growing influence with the people. They determined to challenge Him
as to the power by which He had driven them forth, and who gave Him this
power.

Slowly and thoughtfully, but with hate in their hearts, they returned to the
temple. But what a change had taken place during their absence!

163

When they fled, the poor remained behind; and these were now looking to
Jesus, whose countenance expressed His love and sympathy. With tears in His
eyes, He said to the trembling ones around Him: Fear not; I will deliver
thee, and thou shalt glorify Me. For this cause came I into the world.

The people pressed into Christ's presence with urgent, pitiful appeals:
Master, bless me. His ear heard every cry. With pity exceeding that of a
tender mother He bent over the suffering little ones. All received
attention. Everyone was healed of whatever disease he had. The dumb opened
their lips in praise; the blind beheld the face of their Restorer. The
hearts of the sufferers were made glad.

As the priests and temple officials witnessed this great work, what a
revelation to them were the sounds that fell on their ears! The people were
relating the story of the pain they had suffered, of their disappointed
hopes, of painful days and sleepless nights. When the last spark of hope
seemed to be dead, Christ had healed them. The burden was so heavy, one
said; but I have found a helper. He is the Christ of God, and I will devote
my life to His service. Parents said to their children, He has saved your
life; lift up your voice and praise Him. The voices of children and youth,
fathers and mothers, friends and spectators, blended in thanksgiving and
praise. Hope and gladness filled their hearts. Peace came to their minds.
They were restored soul and body, and they returned home, proclaiming
everywhere the matchless love of Jesus.

At the crucifixion of Christ, those who had thus been healed did not join
with the rabble throng in crying, "Crucify Him, crucify Him." Their
sympathies were with Jesus; for they had felt His great sympathy and
wonderful power. They knew Him to be their Saviour; for He had given them
health of body and soul. They listened to the preaching of the apostles, and
the entrance of God's word into their hearts gave them understanding. They
became agents of God's mercy, and instruments of His salvation.

The crowd that had fled from the temple court after a time slowly drifted
back. They had partially recovered from the panic that had seized them, but
their faces expressed irresolution and timidity. They looked with amazement
on the works of Jesus, and were convicted that in Him the prophecies
concerning the Messiah were fulfilled. The sin of the desecration of the
temple rested, in a great degree, upon the priests. It

164

was by their arrangement that the court had been turned into a market place.
The people were comparatively innocent. They were impressed by the divine
authority of Jesus; but with them the influence of the priests and rulers
was paramount. They regarded Christ's mission as an innovation, and
questioned His right to interfere with what was permitted by the authorities
of the temple. They were offended because the traffic had been interrupted,
and they stifled the convictions of the Holy Spirit.

Above all others the priests and rulers should have seen in Jesus the
anointed of the Lord; for in their hands were the sacred scrolls that
described His mission, and they knew that the cleansing of the temple was a
manifestation of more than human power. Much as they hated Jesus, they could
not free themselves from the thought that He might be a prophet sent by God
to restore the sanctity of the temple. With a deference born of this fear,
they went to Him with the inquiry, "What sign showest Thou unto us, seeing
that Thou doest these things?"

Jesus had shown them a sign. In flashing light into their hearts, and in
doing before them the works which the Messiah was to do, He had given
convincing evidence of His character. Now when they asked for a sign, He
answered them by a parable, showing that He read their malice, and saw to
what lengths it would lead them. "Destroy this temple," He said, "and in
three days I will raise it up."

In these words His meaning was twofold. He referred not only to the
destruction of the Jewish temple and worship, but to His own death,--the
destruction of the temple of His body. This the Jews were already plotting.
As the priests and rulers returned to the temple, they had proposed to kill
Jesus, and thus rid themselves of the troubler. Yet when He set before them
their purpose, they did not understand Him. They took His words as applying
only to the temple at Jerusalem, and with indignation exclaimed, "Forty and
six years was this temple in building, and wilt Thou rear it up in three
days?" Now they felt that Jesus had justified their unbelief, and they were
confirmed in their rejection of Him.

Christ did not design that His words should be understood by the unbelieving
Jews, nor even by His disciples at this time. He knew that they would be
misconstrued by His enemies, and would be turned against Him. At His trial
they would be brought as an accusation, and on Calvary they would be flung
at Him as a taunt. But to explain them now would give His disciples a
knowledge of His sufferings, and bring

165

upon them sorrow which as yet they were not able to bear. And an explanation
would prematurely disclose to the Jews the result of their prejudice and
unbelief. Already they had entered upon a path which they would steadily
pursue until He should be led as a lamb to the slaughter.

It was for the sake of those who should believe on Him that these words of
Christ were spoken. He knew that they would be repeated. Being spoken at the
Passover, they would come to the ears of thousands, and be carried to all
parts of the world. After He had risen from the dead, their meaning would be
made plain. To many they would be conclusive evidence of His divinity.

Because of their spiritual darkness, even the disciples of Jesus often
failed of comprehending His lessons. But many of these lessons were made
plain to them by subsequent events. When He walked no more with them, His
words were a stay to their hearts.

As referring to the temple at Jerusalem, the Saviour's words, "Destroy this
temple, and in three days I will raise it up," had a deeper meaning than the
hearers perceived. Christ was the foundation and life of the temple. Its
services were typical of the sacrifice of the Son of God. The priesthood was
established to represent the mediatorial character and work of Christ. The
entire plan of sacrificial worship was a foreshadowing of the Saviour's
death to redeem the world. There would be no efficacy in these offerings
when the great event toward which they had pointed for ages was consummated.

Since the whole ritual economy was symbolical of Christ, it had no value
apart from Him. When the Jews sealed their rejection of Christ by delivering
Him to death, they rejected all that gave significance to the temple and its
services. Its sacredness had departed. It was doomed to destruction. From
that day sacrificial offerings and the service connected with them were
meaningless. Like the offering of Cain, they did not express faith in the
Saviour. In putting Christ to death, the Jews virtually destroyed their
temple. When Christ was crucified, the inner veil of the temple was rent in
twain from top to bottom, signifying that the great final sacrifice had been
made, and that the system of sacrificial offerings was forever at an end.

"In three days I will raise it up." In the Saviour's death the powers of
darkness seemed to prevail, and they exulted in their victory. But from the
rent sepulcher of Joseph, Jesus came forth a conqueror. "Having spoiled
principalities and powers, He made a show of them openly, triumphing over
them." Col.2:15. By virtue of His death and resurrection

166

He became the minister of the "true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and
not man." Heb. 8:2. Men reared the Jewish tabernacle; men builded the Jewish
temple; but the sanctuary above, of which the earthly was a type, was built
by no human architect. "Behold the Man whose name is The Branch; . . . He
shall build the temple of the Lord; and He shall bear the glory, and shall
sit and rule upon His throne; and He shall be a priest upon His throne."
Zech. 6:12, 13.

The sacrificial service that had pointed to Christ passed away; but the eyes
of men were turned to the true sacrifice for the sins of the world. The
earthly priesthood ceased; but we look to Jesus, the minister of the new
covenant, and "to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than
that of Abel." "The way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest,
while as the first tabernacle was yet standing: . . . but Christ being come
an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect
tabernacle, not made with hands, . . . by His own blood He entered in once
into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us." Heb. 12:24;
9:8-12.

"Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God
by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them." Heb. 7:25.
Though the ministration was to be removed from the earthly to the heavenly
temple; though the sanctuary and our great high priest would be invisible to
human sight, yet the disciples were to suffer no loss thereby. They would
realize no break in their communion, and no diminution of power because of
the Saviour's absence. While Jesus ministers in the sanctuary above, He is
still by His Spirit the minister of the church on earth. He is withdrawn
from the eye of sense, but His parting promise is fulfilled, "Lo, I am with
you alway, even unto the end of the world." Matt. 28:20. While He delegates
His power to inferior ministers, His energizing presence is still with His
church.

"Seeing then that we have a great high priest, . . . 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. Let us therefore come boldly unto
the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in
time of need." Heb 4:14-16.

(167)

Chapter 17

Nicodemus

Nicodemus held a high position of trust in the Jewish nation. He was highly
educated, and possessed talents of no ordinary character, and he was an
honored member of the national council. With others, he had been stirred by
the teaching of Jesus. Though rich, learned, and honored, he had been
strangely attracted by the humble Nazarene. The lessons that had fallen from
the Saviour's lips had greatly impressed him, and he desired to learn more
of these wonderful truths.

Christ's exercise of authority in the cleansing of the temple had roused the
determined hatred of the priests and rulers. They feared the power of this
stranger. Such boldness on the part of an obscure Galilean was not to be
tolerated. They were bent on putting an end to His work. But not all were
agreed in this purpose. There were some that feared to oppose One who was so
evidently moved upon by the Spirit of God. They remembered how prophets had
been slain for rebuking the sins of the leaders in Israel. They knew that
the bondage of the Jews to a heathen nation was the result of their
stubbornness in rejecting reproofs from God. They feared that in plotting
against Jesus the priests and rulers were following in the steps of their
fathers, and would bring fresh calamities upon the nation. Nicodemus shared
these feelings. In a

168

council of the Sanhedrin, when the course to be pursued toward Jesus was
considered, Nicodemus advised caution and moderation. He urged that if Jesus
was really invested with authority from God, it would be perilous to reject
His warnings. The priests dared not disregard this counsel, and for the time
they took no open measures against the Saviour.

Since hearing Jesus, Nicodemus had anxiously studied the prophecies relating
to the Messiah; and the more he searched, the stronger was his conviction
that this was the One who was to come. With many others in Israel he had
been greatly distressed by the profanation of the temple He was a witness of
the scene when Jesus drove out the buyers and the sellers; he beheld the
wonderful manifestation of divine power; he saw the Saviour receiving the
poor and healing the sick; he saw their looks of joy, and heard their words
of praise; and he could not doubt that Jesus of Nazareth was the Sent of
God.

He greatly desired an interview with Jesus, but shrank from seeking Him
openly. It would be too humiliating for a ruler of the Jews to acknowledge
himself in sympathy with a teacher as yet so little known. And should his
visit come to the knowledge of the Sanhedrin, it would draw upon him their
scorn and denunciation. He resolved upon a secret interview, excusing this
on the ground that if he were to go openly, others might follow his example.
Learning by special inquiry the Saviour's place of retirement in the Mount
of Olives, he waited until the city was hushed in slumber, and then sought
Him.

In the presence of Christ, Nicodemus felt a strange timidity, which he
endeavored to conceal under an air of composure and dignity. "Rabbi," he
said, "we know that Thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do
these miracles that Thou doest, except God be with him." By speaking of
Christ's rare gifts as a teacher, and also of His wonderful power to perform
miracles, he hoped to pave the way for his interview. His words were
designed to express and to invite confidence; but they really expressed
unbelief. He did not acknowledge Jesus to be the Messiah, but only a teacher
sent from God.

Instead of recognizing this salutation, Jesus bent His eyes upon the
speaker, as if reading his very soul. In His infinite wisdom He saw before
Him a seeker after truth. He knew the object of this visit, and with a
desire to deepen the conviction already resting upon His listener's mind, He
came directly to the point, saying solemnly, yet kindly, "Verily, verily, I
say unto thee, Except a man be born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of
God." John 3:3, margin.

171

Nicodemus had come to the Lord thinking to enter into a discussion with Him,
but Jesus laid bare the foundation principles of truth. He said to
Nicodemus, It is not theoretical knowledge you need so much as spiritual
regeneration. You need not to have your curiosity satisfied, but to have a
new heart. You must receive a new life from above before you can appreciate
heavenly things. Until this change takes place, making all things new, it
will result in no saving good for you to discuss with Me My authority or My
mission.

Nicodemus had heard the preaching of John the Baptist concerning repentance
and baptism, and pointing the people to One who should baptize with the Holy
Spirit. He himself had felt that there was a lack of spirituality among the
Jews, that, to a great degree, they were controlled by bigotry and worldly
ambition. He had hoped for a better state of things at the Messiah's coming.
Yet the heart-searching message of the Baptist had failed to work in him
conviction of sin. He was a strict Pharisee, and prided himself on his good
works. He was widely esteemed for his benevolence and his liberality in
sustaining the temple service, and he felt secure of the favor of God. He
was startled at the thought of a kingdom too pure for him to see in his
present state.

The figure of the new birth, which Jesus had used, was not wholly unfamiliar
to Nicodemus. Converts from heathenism to the faith of Israel were often
compared to children just born. Therefore he must have perceived that the
words of Christ were not to be taken in a literal sense. But by virtue of
his birth as an Israelite he regarded himself as sure of a place in the
kingdom of God. He felt that he needed no change. Hence his surprise at the
Saviour's words. He was irritated by their close application to himself. The
pride of the Pharisee was struggling against the honest desire of the seeker
after truth. He wondered that Christ should speak to him as He did, not
respecting his position as ruler in Israel.

Surprised out of his self-possession, he answered Christ in words full of
irony, "How can a man be born when he is old?" Like many others when cutting
truth is brought home to the conscience, he revealed the fact that the
natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God. There is in him
nothing that responds to spiritual things; for spiritual things are
spiritually discerned.

But the Saviour did not meet argument with argument. Raising His hand with
solemn, quiet dignity, He pressed the truth home with greater

172

assurance, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water
and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." Nicodemus knew
that Christ here referred to water baptism and the renewing of the heart by
the Spirit of God. He was convinced that he was in the presence of the One
whom John the Baptist had foretold.

Jesus continued: "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which
is born of the Spirit is spirit." By nature the heart is evil, and "who can
bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one." Job 14:4. No human
invention can find a remedy for the sinning soul. "The carnal mind is enmity
against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can
be." "Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries,
fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies." Rom. 8:7; Matt. 15:19.
The fountain of the heart must be purified before the streams can become
pure. He who is trying to reach heaven by his own works in keeping the law
is attempting an impossibility. There is no safety for one who has merely a
legal religion, a form of godliness. The Christian's life is not a
modification or improvement of the old, but a transformation of nature.
There is a death to self and sin, and a new life altogether. This change can
be brought about only by the effectual working of the Holy Spirit.

Nicodemus was still perplexed, and Jesus used the wind to illustrate His
meaning: "The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound
thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is
everyone that is born of the Spirit."

The wind is heard among the branches of the trees, rustling the leaves and
flowers; yet it is invisible, and no man knows whence it comes or whither it
goes. So with the work of the Holy Spirit upon the heart. It can no more be
explained than can the movements of the wind. A person may not be able to
tell the exact time or place, or to trace all the circumstances in the
process of conversion; but this does not prove him to be unconverted. By an
agency as unseen as the wind, Christ is constantly working upon the heart.
Little by little, perhaps unconsciously to the receiver, impressions are
made that tend to draw the soul to Christ. These may be received through
meditating upon Him, through reading the Scriptures, or through hearing the
word from the living preacher. Suddenly, as the Spirit comes with more
direct appeal, the soul gladly surrenders itself to Jesus. By many this is
called sudden conversion; but it is the result of long wooing by the Spirit
of God,--a patient, protracted process.

173

While the wind is itself invisible, it produces effects that are seen and
felt. So the work of the Spirit upon the soul will reveal itself in every
act of him who has felt its saving power. When the Spirit of God takes
possession of the heart, it transforms the life. Sinful thoughts are put
away, evil deeds are renounced; love, humility, and peace take the place of
anger, envy, and strife. Joy takes the place of sadness, and the countenance
reflects the light of heaven. No one sees the hand that lifts the burden, or
beholds the light descend from the courts above. The blessing comes when by
faith the soul surrenders itself to God. Then that power which no human eye
can see creates a new being in the image of God.

It is impossible for finite minds to comprehend the work of redemption. Its
mystery exceeds human knowledge; yet he who passes from death to life
realizes that it is a divine reality. The beginning of redemption we may
know here through a personal experience. Its results reach through the
eternal ages.

While Jesus was speaking, some gleams of truth penetrated the ruler's mind.
The softening, subduing influence of the Holy Spirit impressed his heart.
Yet he did not fully understand the Saviour's words. He was not so much
impressed by the necessity of the new birth as by the manner of its
accomplishment. He said wonderingly, "How can these things be?"

"Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?" Jesus asked.
Surely one entrusted with the religious instruction of the people should not
be ignorant of truths so important. His words conveyed the lesson that
instead of feeling irritated over the plain words of truth, Nicodemus should
have had a very humble opinion of himself, because of his spiritual
ignorance. Yet Christ spoke with such solemn dignity, and both look and tone
expressed such earnest love, that Nicodemus was not offended as he realized
his humiliating condition.

But as Jesus explained that His mission on earth was to establish a
spiritual instead of a temporal kingdom, His hearer was troubled. Seeing
this, Jesus added, "If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not,
how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?" If Nicodemus could
not receive Christ's teaching, illustrating the work of grace upon the
heart, how could he comprehend the nature of His glorious heavenly kingdom?
Not discerning the nature of Christ's work on earth, he could not understand
His work in heaven.

The Jews whom Jesus had driven from the temple claimed to be children of
Abraham, but they fled from the Saviour's presence because

174

they could not endure the glory of God which was manifested in Him. Thus
they gave evidence that they were not fitted by the grace of God to
participate in the sacred services of the temple. They were zealous to
maintain an appearance of holiness, but they neglected holiness of heart.
While they were sticklers for the letter of the law, they were constantly
violating its spirit. Their great need was that very change which Christ had
been explaining to Nicodemus,--a new moral birth, a cleansing from sin, and
a renewing of knowledge and holiness.

There was no excuse for the blindness of Israel in regard to the work of
regeneration. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Isaiah had written,
"We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy
rags." David had prayed, "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a
right spirit within me." And through Ezekiel the promise had been given, "A
new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and
I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an
heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk
in My statutes." Isa. 64:6; Ps. 51:10; Ezek. 36:26, 27.

Nicodemus had read these scriptures with a clouded mind; but he now began to
comprehend their meaning. He saw that the most rigid obedience to the mere
letter of the law as applied to the outward life could entitle no man to
enter the kingdom of heaven. In the estimation of men, his life had been
just and honorable; but in the presence of Christ he felt that his heart was
unclean, and his life unholy.

Nicodemus was being drawn to Christ. As the Saviour explained to him
concerning the new birth, he longed to have this change wrought in himself.
By what means could it be accomplished? Jesus answered the unspoken
question: "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must
the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in Him should not
perish, but have eternal life."

Here was ground with which Nicodemus was familiar. The symbol of the
uplifted serpent made plain to him the Saviour's mission. When the people of
Israel were dying from the sting of the fiery serpents, God directed Moses
to make a serpent of brass, and place it on high in the midst of the
congregation. Then the word was sounded throughout the encampment that all
who would look upon the serpent should live. The people well knew that in
itself the serpent had no power to help them. It was a symbol of Christ. As
the image made in the likeness of the

175

destroying serpents was lifted up for their healing, so One made "in the
likeness of sinful flesh" was to be their Redeemer. Rom. 8:3. Many of the
Israelites regarded the sacrificial service as having in itself virtue to
set them free from sin. God desired to teach them that it had no more value
than that serpent of brass. It was to lead their minds to the Saviour.
Whether for the healing of their wounds or the pardon of their sins, they
could do nothing for themselves but show their faith in the Gift of God.
They were to look and live.

Those who had been bitten by the serpents might have delayed to look. They
might have questioned how there could be efficacy in that brazen symbol.
They might have demanded a scientific explanation. But no explanation was
given. They must accept the word of God to them through Moses. To refuse to
look was to perish.

Not through controversy and discussion is the soul enlightened. We must look
and live. Nicodemus received the lesson, and carried it with him. He
searched the Scriptures in a new way, not for the discussion of a theory,
but in order to receive life for the soul. He began to see the kingdom of
heaven as he submitted himself to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

There are thousands today who need to learn the same truth that was taught
to Nicodemus by the uplifted serpent. They depend on their obedience to the
law of God to commend them to His favor. When they are bidden to look to
Jesus, and believe that He saves them solely through His grace, they
exclaim, "How can these things be?"

Like Nicodemus, we must be willing to enter into life in the same way as the
chief of sinners. Than Christ, "there is none other name under heaven given
among men, whereby we must be saved." Acts 4:12. Through faith we receive
the grace of God; but faith is not our Saviour. It earns nothing. It is the
hand by which we lay hold upon Christ, and appropriate His merits, the
remedy for sin. And we cannot even repent without the aid of the Spirit of
God. The Scripture says of Christ, "Him hath God exalted with His right hand
to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and
forgiveness of sins." Acts 5:31. Repentance comes from Christ as truly as
does pardon.

How, then, are we to be saved? "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the
wilderness," so the Son of man has been lifted up, and everyone who has been
deceived and bitten by the serpent may look and live. "Behold the Lamb of
God, which taketh away the sin of the

176

world." John 1:29. The light shining from the cross reveals the love of God.
His love is drawing us to Himself. If we do not resist this drawing, we
shall be led to the foot of the cross in repentance for the sins that have
crucified the Saviour. Then the Spirit of God through faith produces a new
life in the soul. The thoughts and desires are brought into obedience to the
will of Christ. The heart, the mind, are created anew in the image of Him
who works in us to subdue all things to Himself. Then the law of God is
written in the mind and heart, and we can say with Christ, "I delight to do
Thy will, O my God." Ps. 40:8.

In the interview with Nicodemus, Jesus unfolded the plan of salvation, and
His mission to the world. In none of His subsequent discourses did He
explain so fully, step by step, the work necessary to be done in the hearts
of all who would inherit the kingdom of heaven. At the very beginning of His
ministry He opened the truth to a member of the Sanhedrin, to the mind that
was most receptive, and to an appointed teacher of the people. But the
leaders of Israel did not welcome the light. Nicodemus hid the truth in his
heart, and for three years there was little apparent fruit.

But Jesus was acquainted with the soil into which He cast the seed. The
words spoken at night to one listener in the lonely mountain were not lost.
For a time Nicodemus did not publicly acknowledge Christ, but he watched His
life, and pondered His teachings. In the Sanhedrin council he repeatedly
thwarted the schemes of the priests to destroy Him. When at last Jesus was
lifted up on the cross, Nicodemus remembered the teaching upon Olivet: "As
Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man
be lifted up: that whosoever believeth

177

in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." The light from that secret
interview illumined the cross upon Calvary, and Nicodemus saw in Jesus the
world's Redeemer.

After the Lord's ascension, when the disciples were scattered by
persecution, Nicodemus came boldly to the front. He employed his wealth in
sustaining the infant church that the Jews had expected to be blotted out at
the death of Christ. In the time of peril he who had been so cautious and
questioning was firm as a rock, encouraging the faith of the disciples, and
furnishing means to carry forward the work of the gospel. He was scorned and
persecuted by those who had paid him reverence in other days. He became poor
in this world's goods; yet he faltered not in the faith which had its
beginning in that night conference with Jesus.

Nicodemus related to John the story of that interview, and by his pen it was
recorded for the instruction of millions. The truths there taught are as
important today as they were on that solemn night in the shadowy mountain,
when the Jewish ruler came to learn the way of life from the lowly Teacher
of Galilee.

(178)

Chapter 18

"He Must Increase"

For a time the Baptist's influence over the nation had been greater than
that of its rulers, priests, or princes. If he had announced himself as the
Messiah, and raised a revolt against Rome, priests and people would have
flocked to his standard. Every consideration that appeals to the ambition of
the world's conquerors Satan had stood ready to urge upon John the Baptist.
But with the evidence before him of his power, he had steadfastly refused
the splendid bribe. The attention which was fixed upon him he had directed
to Another.

Now he saw the tide of popularity turning away from himself to the Saviour.
Day by day the crowds about him lessened. When Jesus came from Jerusalem to
the region about Jordan, the people flocked to hear Him. The number of His
disciples increased daily. Many came for baptism, and while Christ Himself
did not baptize, He sanctioned the administration of the ordinance by His
disciples. Thus He set His seal upon the mission of His forerunner. But the
disciples of John looked with jealousy upon the growing popularity of Jesus.
They stood ready to criticize His work, and it was not long before they
found occasion. A question arose between them and the Jews as to whether
baptism availed to cleanse the soul from sin; they maintained that the
baptism of Jesus differed essentially from that of John. Soon they were in
dispute with Christ's disciples in regard to the form of words proper to use
at baptism, and finally as to the right of the latter to baptize at all.

179

The disciples of John came to him with their grievances, saying, "Rabbi, He
that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou bearest witness, behold, the
same baptizeth, and all men come to Him." Through these words, Satan brought
temptation upon John. Though John's mission seemed about to close, it was
still possible for him to hinder the work of Christ. If he had sympathized
with himself, and expressed grief or disappointment at being superseded, he
would have sown the seeds of dissension, would have encouraged envy and
jealousy, and would seriously have impeded the progress of the gospel.

John had by nature the faults and weaknesses common to humanity, but the
touch of divine love had transformed him. He dwelt in an atmosphere
uncontaminated with selfishness and ambition, and far above the miasma of
jealousy. He manifested no sympathy with the dissatisfaction of his
disciples, but showed how clearly he understood his relation to the Messiah,
and how gladly he welcomed the One for whom he had prepared the way.

He said, "A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven. Ye
yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am
sent before Him. He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of
the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of
the bridegroom's voice." John represented himself as the friend who acted as
a messenger between the betrothed parties, preparing the way for the
marriage. When the bridegroom had received his bride, the mission of the
friend was fulfilled. He rejoiced in the happiness of those whose union he
had promoted. So John had been called to direct the people to Jesus, and it
was his joy to witness the success of the Saviour's work. He said, "This my
joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease."

Looking in faith to the Redeemer, John had risen to the height of
self-abnegation. He sought not to attract men to himself, but to lift their
thoughts higher and still higher, until they should rest upon the Lamb of
God. He himself had been only a voice, a cry in the wilderness. Now with joy
he accepted silence and obscurity, that the eyes of all might be turned to
the Light of life.

Those who are true to their calling as messengers for God will not seek
honor for themselves. Love for self will be swallowed up in love for Christ.
No rivalry will mar the precious cause of the gospel. They will recognize
that it is their work to proclaim, as did John the Baptist,

180

"Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." John 1:29.
They will lift up Jesus, and with Him humanity will be lifted up. "Thus
saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I
dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and
humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart
of the contrite ones." Isa. 57:15.

The soul of the prophet, emptied of self, was filled with the light of the
divine. As he witnessed to the Saviour's glory, his words were almost a
counterpart of those that Christ Himself had spoken in His interview with
Nicodemus. John said, "He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of
the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: He that cometh from heaven
is above all. . . . For He whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for
God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto Him." Christ could say, "I seek
not Mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent Me." John
5:30. To Him it is declared, "Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated
iniquity; therefore God, even Thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of
gladness above Thy fellows." Heb. 1:9. The Father "giveth not the Spirit by
measure unto Him."

181

So with the followers of Christ. We can receive of heaven's light only as we
are willing to be emptied of self. We cannot discern the character of God,
or accept Christ by faith, unless we consent to the bringing into captivity
of every thought to the obedience of Christ. To all who do this the Holy
Spirit is given without measure. In Christ "dwelleth all the fullness of the
Godhead bodily, and in Him ye are made full." Col. 2:9, 10, R. V.

The disciples of John had declared that all men were coming to Christ; but
with clearer insight, John said, "No man receiveth His witness;" so few were
ready to accept Him as the Saviour from sin. But "he that hath received His
witness hath set his seal to this, that God is true." John 3:33, R. V. "He
that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life." No need of disputation as
to whether Christ's baptism or John's purified from sin. It is the grace of
Christ that gives life to the soul. Apart from Christ, baptism, like any
other service, is a worthless form. "He that believeth not the Son shall not
see life."

The success of Christ's work, which the Baptist had received with such joy,
was reported also to the authorities at Jerusalem. The priests and rabbis
had been jealous of John's influence as they saw the people leaving the
synagogues and flocking to the wilderness; but here was One who had still
greater power to attract the multitudes. Those leaders in Israel were not
willing to say with John, "He must increase, but I must decrease." They
arose with a new determination to put an end to the work that was drawing
the people away from them.

Jesus knew that they would spare no effort to create a division between His
own disciples and those of John. He knew that the storm was gathering which
would sweep away one of the greatest prophets ever given to the world.
Wishing to avoid all occasion for misunderstanding or dissension, He quietly
ceased His labors, and withdrew to Galilee. We also, while loyal to truth,
should try to avoid all that may lead to discord and misapprehension. For
whenever these arise, they result in the loss of souls. Whenever
circumstances occur that threaten to cause division, we should follow the
example of Jesus and of John the Baptist.

John had been called to lead out as a reformer. Because of this, his
disciples were in danger of fixing their attention upon him, feeling that
the success of the work depended upon his labors, and losing sight of the
fact that he was only an instrument through which God had wrought. But the
work of John was not sufficient to lay the foundation of the

182

Christian church. When he had fulfilled his mission, another work was to be
done, which his testimony could not accomplish. His disciples did not
understand this. When they saw Christ coming in to take the work, they were
jealous and dissatisfied.

The same dangers still exist. God calls a man to do a certain work; and when
he has carried it as far as he is qualified to take it, the Lord brings in
others, to carry it still farther. But, like John's disciples, many feel
that the success of the work depends on the first laborer. Attention is
fixed upon the human instead of the divine, jealousy comes in, and the work
of God is marred. The one thus unduly honored is tempted to cherish
self-confidence. He does not realize his dependence on God. The people are
taught to rely on man for guidance, and thus they fall into error, and are
led away from God.

The work of God is not to bear the image and superscription of man. From
time to time the Lord will bring in different agencies, through whom His
purpose can best be accomplished. Happy are they who are willing for self to
be humbled, saying with John the Baptist, "He must increase, but I must
decrease."

(183)

Chapter 19

At Jacob's Well

On the way to Galilee Jesus passed through Samaria. It was noon when He
reached the beautiful Vale of Shechem. At the opening of this valley was
Jacob's well. Wearied with His journey, He sat down here to rest while His
disciples went to buy food.

The Jews and the Samaritans were bitter enemies, and as far as possible
avoided all dealing with each other. To trade with the Samaritans in case of
necessity was indeed counted lawful by the rabbis; but all social
intercourse with them was condemned. A Jew would not borrow from a
Samaritan, nor receive a kindness, not even a morsel of bread or a cup of
water. The disciples, in buying food, were acting in harmony with the custom
of their nation. But beyond this they did not go. To ask a favor of the
Samaritans, or in any way seek to benefit them, did not enter into the
thought of even Christ's disciples.

As Jesus sat by the well side, He was faint from hunger and thirst. The
journey since morning had been long, and now the sun of noontide beat upon
Him. His thirst was increased by the thought of the cool, refreshing water
so near, yet inaccessible to Him; for He had no rope nor water jar, and the
well was deep. The lot of humanity was His, and He waited for someone to
come to draw.

A woman of Samaria approached, and seeming unconscious of His presence,
filled her pitcher with water. As she turned to go away, Jesus asked her for
a drink. Such a favor no Oriental would withhold. In the East, water was
called "the gift of God." To offer a drink to the thirsty traveler was held
to be a duty so sacred that the Arabs of

184

the desert would go out of their way in order to perform it. The hatred
between Jews and Samaritans prevented the woman from offering a kindness to
Jesus; but the Saviour was seeking to find the key to this heart, and with
the tact born of divine love, He asked, not offered, a favor. The offer of a
kindness might have been rejected; but trust awakens trust. The King of
heaven came to this outcast soul, asking a service at her hands. He who made
the ocean, who controls the waters of the great deep, who opened the springs
and channels of the earth, rested from His weariness at Jacob's well, and
was dependent upon a stranger's kindness for even the gift of a drink of
water.

The woman saw that Jesus was a Jew. In her surprise she forgot to grant His
request, but tried to learn the reason for it. "How is it," she said, "that
Thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria?"

Jesus answered, "If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith
to thee, Give Me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of Him, and He would
have given thee living water." You wonder that I should ask of you even so
small a favor as a draught of water from the well at our feet. Had you asked
of Me, I would have given you to drink of the water of everlasting life.

The woman had not comprehended the words of Christ, but she felt their
solemn import. Her light, bantering manner began to change. Supposing that
Jesus spoke of the well before them, she said, "Sir, Thou hast nothing to
draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast Thou that living
water? Art Thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and
drank thereof himself?" She saw before her only a thirsty traveler, wayworn
and dusty. In her mind she compared Him with the honored patriarch Jacob.
She cherished the feeling, which is so natural, that no other well could be
equal to that provided by the fathers. She was looking backward to the
fathers, forward to the Messiah's coming, while the Hope of the fathers, the
Messiah Himself, was beside her, and she knew Him not. How many thirsting
souls are today close by the living fountain, yet looking far away for the
wellsprings of life! "Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven?
(that is, to bring Christ down from above:) or, Who shall descend into the
deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) . . . The word is
nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: . . . if thou shalt confess
with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God
hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." Rom. 10:6-9.

187

Jesus did not immediately answer the question in regard to Himself, but with
solemn earnestness He said, "Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst
again: but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never
thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water
springing up into everlasting life."

He who seeks to quench his thirst at the fountains of this world will drink
only to thirst again. Everywhere men are unsatisfied. They long for
something to supply the need of the soul. Only One can meet that want. The
need of the world, "The Desire of all nations," is Christ. The divine grace
which He alone can impart, is as living water, purifying, refreshing, and
invigorating the soul.

Jesus did not convey the idea that merely one draft of the water of life
would suffice the receiver. He who tastes of the love of Christ will
continually long for more; but he seeks for nothing else. The riches,
honors, and pleasures of the world do not attract him. The constant cry of
his heart is, More of Thee. And He who reveals to the soul its necessity is
waiting to satisfy its hunger and thirst. Every human resource and
dependence will fail. The cisterns will be emptied, the pools become dry;
but our Redeemer is an inexhaustible fountain. We may drink, and drink
again, and ever find a fresh supply. He in whom Christ dwells has within
himself the fountain of blessing,--"a well of water springing up into
everlasting life." From this source he may draw strength and grace
sufficient for all his needs.

As Jesus spoke of the living water, the woman looked upon Him with wondering
attention. He had aroused her interest, and awakened a desire for the gift
of which He spoke. She perceived that it was not the water of Jacob's well
to which He referred; for of this she used continually, drinking, and
thirsting again. "Sir," she said, "give me this water, that I thirst not,
neither come hither to draw."

Jesus now abruptly turned the conversation. Before this soul could receive
the gift He longed to bestow, she must be brought to recognize her sin and
her Saviour. He "saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither." She
answered, "I have no husband." Thus she hoped to prevent all questioning in
that direction. But the Saviour continued, "Thou hast well said, I have no
husband: for thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not
thy husband: in that saidst thou truly."

The listener trembled. A mysterious hand was turning the pages of her life
history, bringing to view that which she had hoped to keep forever

188

hidden. Who was He that could read the secrets of her life? There came to
her thoughts of eternity, of the future Judgment, when all that is now
hidden shall be revealed. In its light, conscience was awakened.

She could deny nothing; but she tried to evade all mention of a subject so
unwelcome. With deep reverence, she said, "Sir, I perceive that Thou art a
prophet." Then, hoping to silence conviction, she turned to points of
religious controversy. If this was a prophet, surely He could give her
instruction concerning these matters that had been so long disputed.

Patiently Jesus permitted her to lead the conversation whither she would.
Meanwhile He watched for the opportunity of again bringing the truth home to
her heart. "Our fathers worshiped in this mountain," she said, "and ye say,
that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship." Just in sight
was Mount Gerizim. Its temple was demolished, and only the altar remained.
The place of worship had been a subject of contention between the Jews and
the Samaritans. Some of the ancestors of the latter people had once belonged
to Israel; but because of their sins, the Lord suffered them to be overcome
by an idolatrous nation. For many generations they were intermingled with
idolaters, whose religion gradually contaminated their own. It is true they
held that their idols were only to remind them of the living God, the Ruler
of the universe; nevertheless the people were led to reverence their graven
images.

When the temple at Jerusalem was rebuilt in the days of Ezra, the Samaritans
wished to join the Jews in its erection. This privilege was refused them,
and a bitter animosity sprang up between the two peoples. The Samaritans
built a rival temple on Mount Gerizim. Here they worshiped in accordance
with the Mosaic ritual, though they did not wholly renounce idolatry. But
disasters attended them, their temple was destroyed by their enemies, and
they seemed to be under a curse; yet they still clung to their traditions
and their forms of worship. They would not acknowledge the temple at
Jerusalem as the house of God, nor admit that the religion of the Jews was
superior to their own.

In answer to the woman, Jesus said, "Believe Me, the hour cometh, when ye
shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye
worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the
Jews." Jesus had shown that He was free from Jewish prejudice against the
Samaritans. Now He sought to break down

189

the prejudice of this Samaritan against the Jews. While referring to the
fact that the faith of the Samaritans was corrupted with idolatry, He
declared that the great truths of redemption had been committed to the Jews,
and that from among them the Messiah was to appear. In the Sacred Writings
they had a clear presentation of the character of God and the principles of
His government. Jesus classed Himself with the Jews as those to whom God had
given a knowledge of Himself.

He desired to lift the thoughts of His hearer above matters of form and
ceremony, and questions of controversy. "The hour cometh," He said, "and now
is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in
truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him. God is a Spirit: and they
that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth."

Here is declared the same truth that Jesus had revealed to Nicodemus when He
said, "Except a man be born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
John 3:3, margin. Not by seeking a holy mountain or a sacred temple are men
brought into communion with heaven. Religion is not to be confined to
external forms and ceremonies. The religion that comes from God is the only
religion that will lead to God. In order to serve Him aright, we must be
born of the divine Spirit. This will purify the heart and renew the mind,
giving us a new capacity for knowing and loving God. It will give us a
willing obedience to all His requirements. This is true worship. It is the
fruit of the working of the Holy Spirit. By the Spirit every sincere prayer
is indited, and such prayer is acceptable to God. Wherever a soul reaches
out after God, there the Spirit's working is manifest, and God will reveal
Himself to that soul. For such worshipers He is seeking. He waits to receive
them, and to make them His sons and daughters.

As the woman talked with Jesus, she was impressed with His words. Never had
she heard such sentiments from the priests of her own people or from the
Jews. As the past of her life had been spread out before her, she had been
made sensible of her great want. She realized her soul thirst, which the
waters of the well of Sychar could never satisfy. Nothing that had hitherto
come in contact with her had so awakened her to a higher need. Jesus had
convinced her that He read the secrets of her life; yet she felt that He was
her friend, pitying and loving her. While the very purity of His presence
condemned her sin, He had spoken no word of denunciation, but had told her
of His grace, that could renew

190

the soul. She began to have some conviction of His character. The question
arose in her mind, Might not this be the long-looked-for Messiah? She said
to Him, "I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when He is
come, He will tell us all things." Jesus answered, "I that speak unto thee
am He."

As the woman heard these words, faith sprang up in her heart. She accepted
the wonderful announcement from the lips of the divine Teacher.

This woman was in an appreciative state of mind. She was ready to receive
the noblest revelation; for she was interested in the Scriptures, and the
Holy Spirit had been preparing her mind to receive more light. She had
studied the Old Testament promise, "The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee
a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto Him ye
shall hearken." Deut. 18:15. She longed to understand this prophecy. Light
was already flashing into her mind. The water of life, the spiritual life
which Christ gives to every thirsty soul, had begun to spring up in her
heart. The Spirit of the Lord was working with her.

The plain statement made by Christ to this woman could not have been made to
the self-righteous Jews. Christ was far more reserved when He spoke to them.
That which had been withheld from the Jews, and which the disciples were
afterward enjoined to keep secret, was revealed to her. Jesus saw that she
would make use of her knowledge in bringing others to share His grace.

When the disciples returned from their errand, they were surprised to find
their Master speaking with the woman. He had not taken the refreshing
draught that He desired, and He did not stop to eat the food His disciples
had brought. When the woman had gone, the disciples entreated Him to eat.
They saw Him silent, absorbed, as in rapt meditation. His face was beaming
with light, and they feared to interrupt His communion with heaven. But they
knew that He was faint and weary, and thought it their duty to remind Him of
His physical necessities. Jesus recognized their loving interest, and He
said, "I have meat to eat that ye know not of."

The disciples wondered who could have brought Him food; but He explained,
"My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me, and to accomplish His work."
John 4:34, R. V. As His words to the woman had aroused her conscience, Jesus
rejoiced. He saw her drinking of the water

191

of life, and His own hunger and thirst were satisfied. The accomplishment of
the mission which He had left heaven to perform strengthened the Saviour for
His labor, and lifted Him above the necessities of humanity. To minister to
a soul hungering and thirsting for the truth was more grateful to Him than
eating or drinking. It was a comfort, a refreshment, to Him. Benevolence was
the life of His soul.

Our Redeemer thirsts for recognition. He hungers for the sympathy and love
of those whom He has purchased with His own blood. He longs with
inexpressible desire that they should come to Him and have life. As the
mother watches for the smile of recognition from her little child, which
tells of the dawning of intelligence, so does Christ watch for the
expression of grateful love, which shows that spiritual life is begun in the
soul.

The woman had been filled with joy as she listened to Christ's words. The
wonderful revelation was almost overpowering. Leaving her waterpot, she
returned to the city, to carry the message to others. Jesus knew why she had
gone. Leaving her waterpot spoke unmistakably as to the effect of His words.
It was the earnest desire of her soul to obtain the living water; and she
forgot her errand to the well, she forgot the Saviour's thirst, which she
had purposed to supply. With heart overflowing with gladness, she hastened
on her way, to impart to others the precious light she had received.

"Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did," she said to the
men of the city. "Is not this the Christ?" Her words touched their hearts.
There was a new expression on her face, a change in her whole appearance.
They were interested to see Jesus. "Then they went out of the city, and came
unto Him."

As Jesus still sat at the well side, He looked over the fields of grain that
were spread out before Him, their tender green touched by the golden
sunlight. Pointing His disciples to the scene, He employed it as a symbol:
"Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I
say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white
already to harvest." And as He spoke, He looked on the groups that were
coming to the well. It was four months to the time for harvesting the grain,
but here was a harvest ready for the reaper.

"He that reapeth," He said, "receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life
eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice

192

together. And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth."
Here Christ points out the sacred service owed to God by those who receive
the gospel. They are to be His living agencies. He requires their individual
service. And whether we sow or reap, we are working for God. One scatters
the seed; another gathers in the harvest; and both the sower and the reaper
receive wages. They rejoice together in the reward of their labor.

Jesus said to the disciples, "I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no
labor: other men labored, and ye are entered into their labors." The Saviour
was here looking forward to the great ingathering on the day of Pentecost.
The disciples were not to regard this as the result of their own efforts.
They were entering into other men's labors. Ever since the fall of Adam
Christ had been committing the seed of the word to His chosen servants, to
be sown in human hearts. And an unseen agency, even an omnipotent power, had
worked silently but effectually to produce the harvest. The dew and rain and
sunshine of God's grace had been given, to refresh and nourish the seed of
truth. Christ was about to water the seed with His own blood. His disciples
were privileged to be laborers together with God. They were coworkers with
Christ and with the holy men of old. By the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at
Pentecost, thousands were to be converted in a day. This was the result of
Christ's sowing, the harvest of His work.

In the words spoken to the woman at the well, good seed had been sown, and
how quickly the harvest was received. The Samaritans came and heard Jesus,
and believed on Him. Crowding about Him at the well, they plied Him with
questions, and eagerly received His explanations of many things that had
been obscure to them. As they listened, their perplexity began to clear
away. They were like a people in great darkness tracing up a sudden ray of
light till they had found the day. But they were not satisfied with this
short conference. They were anxious to hear more, and to have their friends
also listen to this wonderful teacher. They invited Him to their city, and
begged Him to remain with them. For two days He tarried in Samaria, and many
more believed on Him.

The Pharisees despised the simplicity of Jesus. They ignored His miracles,
and demanded a sign that He was the Son of God. But the Samaritans asked no
sign, and Jesus performed no miracles among them, save in revealing the
secrets of her life to the woman at the well. Yet many received Him. In
their new joy they said to the woman,

193

"Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard Him ourselves,
and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world."

The Samaritans believed that the Messiah was to come as the Redeemer, not
only of the Jews, but of the world. The Holy Spirit through Moses had
foretold Him as a prophet sent from God. Through Jacob it had been declared
that unto Him should the gathering of the people be; and through Abraham,
that in Him all the nations of the earth should be blessed. On these
scriptures the people of Samaria based their faith in the Messiah. The fact
that the Jews had misinterpreted the later prophets, attributing to the
first advent the glory of Christ's second coming, had led the Samaritans to
discard all the sacred writings except those given through Moses. But as the
Saviour swept away these false interpretations, many accepted the later
prophecies and the words of Christ Himself in regard to the kingdom of God.

Jesus had begun to break down the partition wall between Jew and Gentile,
and to preach salvation to the world. Though He was a Jew, He mingled freely
with the Samaritans, setting at nought the Pharisaic customs of His nation.
In face of their prejudices He accepted the hospitality of this despised
people. He slept under their roofs, ate with them at their
tables,--partaking of the food prepared and served by their hands,--taught
in their streets, and treated them with the utmost kindness and courtesy.

In the temple at Jerusalem a low wall separated the outer court from all
other portions of the sacred building. Upon this wall were inscriptions in
different languages, stating that none but Jews were allowed to pass this
boundary. Had a Gentile presumed to enter the inner enclosure, he would have
desecrated the temple, and would have paid the penalty with his life. But
Jesus, the originator of the temple and its service, drew the Gentiles to
Him by the tie of human sympathy, while His divine grace brought to them the
salvation which the Jews rejected.

The stay of Jesus in Samaria was designed to be a blessing to His disciples,
who were still under the influence of Jewish bigotry. They felt that loyalty
to their own nation required them to cherish enmity toward the Samaritans.
They wondered at the conduct of Jesus. They could not refuse to follow His
example, and during the two days in Samaria, fidelity to Him kept their
prejudices under control; yet in heart they were unreconciled. They were
slow to learn that their contempt and

194

hatred must give place to pity and sympathy. But after the Lord's ascension,
His lessons came back to them with a new meaning. After the outpouring of
the Holy Spirit, they recalled the Saviour's look, His words, the respect
and tenderness of His bearing toward these despised strangers. When Peter
went to preach in Samaria, he brought the same spirit into his own work.
When John was called to Ephesus and Smyrna, he remembered the experience at
Shechem, and was filled with gratitude to the divine Teacher, who,
foreseeing the difficulties they must meet, had given them help in His own
example.

The Saviour is still carrying forward the same work as when He proffered the
water of life to the woman of Samaria. Those who call themselves His
followers may despise and shun the outcast ones; but no circumstance of
birth or nationality, no condition of life, can turn away His love from the
children of men. To every soul, however sinful, Jesus says, If thou hadst
asked of Me, I would have given thee living water.

The gospel invitation is not to be narrowed down, and presented only to a
select few, who, we suppose, will do us honor if they accept it. The message
is to be given to all. Wherever hearts are open to receive the truth, Christ
is ready to instruct them. He reveals to them the Father, and the worship
acceptable to Him who reads the heart. For such He uses no parables. To
them, as to the woman at the well, He says, "I that speak unto thee am He."

When Jesus sat down to rest at Jacob's well, He had come from Judea, where
His ministry had produced little fruit. He had been rejected by the priests
and rabbis, and even the people who professed to be His disciples had failed
of perceiving His divine character. He was faint and weary; yet He did not
neglect the opportunity of speaking to one woman, though she was a stranger,
an alien from Israel, and living in open sin.

The Saviour did not wait for congregations to assemble. Often He began His
lessons with only a few gathered about Him, but one by one the passers-by
paused to listen, until a multitude heard with wonder and awe the words of
God through the heaven-sent Teacher. The worker for Christ should not feel
that he cannot speak with the same earnestness to a few hearers as to a
larger company. There may be only one to hear the message; but who can tell
how far-reaching will be its influence? It seemed a small matter, even to
His disciples, for the Saviour to spend

195

His time upon a woman of Samaria. But He reasoned more earnestly and
eloquently with her than with kings, councilors, or high priests. The
lessons He gave to that woman have been repeated to the earth's remotest
bounds.

As soon as she had found the Saviour the Samaritan woman brought others to
Him. She proved herself a more effective missionary than His own disciples.
The disciples saw nothing in Samaria to indicate that it was an encouraging
field. Their thoughts were fixed upon a great work to be done in the future.
They did not see that right around them was a harvest to be gathered. But
through the woman whom they despised, a whole cityful were brought to hear
the Saviour. She carried the light at once to her countrymen.

This woman represents the working of a practical faith in Christ. Every true
disciple is born into the kingdom of God as a missionary. He who drinks of
the living water becomes a fountain of life. The receiver becomes a giver.
The grace of Christ in the soul is like a spring in the desert, welling up
to refresh all, and making those who are ready to perish eager to drink of
the water of life.

(196)

Chapter 20

"Except Ye See Signs and Wonders"

The Galileans who returned from the Passover brought back the report of the
wonderful works of Jesus. The judgment passed upon His acts by the
dignitaries at Jerusalem opened His way in Galilee. Many of the people
lamented the abuse of the temple and the greed and arrogance of the priests.
They hoped that this Man, who had put the rulers to flight, might be the
looked-for Deliverer. Now tidings had come that seemed to confirm their
brightest anticipations. It was reported that the prophet had declared
Himself to be the Messiah.

But the people of Nazareth did not believe on Him. For this reason, Jesus
did not visit Nazareth on His way to Cana. The Saviour declared to His
disciples that a prophet has no honor in his own country. Men estimate
character by that which they themselves are capable of appreciating. The
narrow and worldly-minded judged of Christ by His humble birth, His lowly
garb, and daily toil. They could not appreciate the purity of that spirit
upon which was no stain of sin.

The news of Christ's return to Cana soon spread throughout Galilee, bringing
hope to the suffering and distressed. In Capernaum the tidings attracted the
attention of a Jewish nobleman who was an officer in the

197

king's service. A son of the officer was suffering from what seemed to be an
incurable disease. Physicians had given him up to die; but when the father
heard of Jesus, he determined to seek help from Him. The child was very low,
and, it was feared, might not live till his return; yet the nobleman felt
that he must present the case in person. He hoped that a father's prayers
might awaken the sympathy of the Great Physician.

On reaching Cana he found a throng surrounding Jesus. With an anxious heart
he pressed through to the Saviour's presence. His faith faltered when he saw
only a plainly dressed man, dusty and worn with travel. He doubted that this
Person could do what he had come to ask of Him; yet he secured an interview
with Jesus, told his errand, and besought the Saviour to accompany him to
his home. But already his

198

sorrow was known to Jesus. Before the officer had left his home, the Saviour
had beheld his affliction.

But He knew also that the father had, in his own mind, made conditions
concerning his belief in Jesus. Unless his petition should be granted, he
would not receive Him as the Messiah. While the officer waited in an agony
of suspense, Jesus said, "Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not
believe."

Notwithstanding all the evidence that Jesus was the Christ, the petitioner
had determined to make his belief in Him conditional on the granting of his
own request. The Saviour contrasted this questioning unbelief with the
simple faith of the Samaritans, who asked for no miracle or sign. His word,
the ever-present evidence of His divinity, had a convincing power that
reached their hearts. Christ was pained that His own people, to whom the
Sacred Oracles had been committed, should fail to hear the voice of God
speaking to them in His Son.

Yet the nobleman had a degree of faith; for he had come to ask what seemed
to him the most precious of all blessings. Jesus had a greater gift to
bestow. He desired, not only to heal the child, but to make the officer and
his household sharers in the blessings of salvation, and to kindle a light
in Capernaum, which was so soon to be the field of His own labors. But the
nobleman must realize his need before he would desire the grace of Christ.
This courtier represented many of his nation. They were interested in Jesus
from selfish motives. They hoped to receive some special benefit through His
power, and they staked their faith on the granting of this temporal favor;
but they were ignorant as to their spiritual disease, and saw not their need
of divine grace.

Like a flash of light, the Saviour's words to the nobleman laid bare his
heart. He saw that his motives in seeking Jesus were selfish. His
vacillating faith appeared to him in its true character. In deep distress he
realized that his doubt might cost the life of his son. He knew that he was
in the presence of One who could read the thoughts, and to whom all things
were possible. In an agony of supplication he cried, "Sir, come down ere my
child die." His faith took hold upon Christ as did Jacob, when, wrestling
with the Angel, he cried, "I will not let Thee go, except Thou bless me."
Gen. 32:26.

Like Jacob he prevailed. The Saviour cannot withdraw from the soul that
clings to Him, pleading its great need. "Go thy way," He said; "thy son
liveth." The nobleman left the Saviour's presence with a peace

199

and joy he had never known before. Not only did he believe that his son
would be restored, but with strong confidence he trusted in Christ as the
Redeemer.

At the same hour the watchers beside the dying child in the home at
Capernaum beheld a sudden and mysterious change. The shadow of death was
lifted from the sufferer's face. The flush of fever gave place to the soft
glow of returning health. The dim eyes brightened with intelligence, and
strength returned to the feeble, emaciated frame. No signs of his malady
lingered about the child. His burning flesh had become soft and moist, and
he sank into a quiet sleep. The fever had left him in the very heat of the
day. The family were amazed, and great was the rejoicing.

Cana was not so far from Capernaum but that the officer might have reached
his home on the evening after his interview with Jesus; but he did not
hasten on the homeward journey. It was not until the next morning that he
reached Capernaum. What a homecoming was that! When he went to find Jesus,
his heart was heavy with sorrow. The sunshine seemed cruel to him, the songs
of the birds a mockery. How different his feelings now! All nature wears a
new aspect. He sees with new eyes. As he journeys in the quiet of the early
morning, all nature seems to be praising God with him. While he is still
some distance from his own dwelling, servants come out to meet him, anxious
to relieve the suspense they are sure he must feel. He shows no surprise at
the news they bring, but with a depth of interest they cannot know he asks
at what hour the child began to mend. They answer, "Yesterday at the seventh
hour the fever left him." At the very moment when the father's faith grasped
the assurance, "Thy son liveth," divine love touched the dying child.

200

The father hurries on to greet his son. He clasps him to his heart as one
restored from the dead, and thanks God again and again for this wonderful
restoration.

The nobleman longed to know more of Christ. As he afterward heard His
teaching, he and all his household became disciples. Their affliction was
sanctified to the conversion of the entire family. Tidings of the miracle
spread; and in Capernaum, where so many of His mighty works were performed,
the way was prepared for Christ's personal ministry.

He who blessed the nobleman at Capernaum is just as desirous of blessing us.
But like the afflicted father, we are often led to seek Jesus by the desire
for some earthly good; and upon the granting of our request we rest our
confidence in His love. The Saviour longs to give us a greater blessing than
we ask; and He delays the answer to our request that He may show us the evil
of our own hearts, and our deep need of His grace. He desires us to renounce
the selfishness that leads us to seek Him. Confessing our helplessness and
bitter need, we are to trust ourselves wholly to His love.

The nobleman wanted to see the fulfillment of his prayer before he should
believe; but he had to accept the word of Jesus that his request was heard
and the blessing granted. This lesson we also have to learn. Not because we
see or feel that God hears us are we to believe. We are to trust in His
promises. When we come to Him in faith, every petition enters the heart of
God. When we have asked for His blessing, we should believe that we receive
it, and thank Him that we have received it. Then we are to go about our
duties, assured that the blessing will be realized when we need it most.
When we have learned to do this, we shall know that our prayers are
answered. God will do for us "exceeding abundantly," "according to the
riches of His glory," and "the working of His mighty power." Eph. 3:20, 16;
1:19.

(201)

Chapter 21

Bethesda and the Sanhedrin

"Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in
the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great
multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving
of the water."

At certain seasons the waters of this pool were agitated, and it was
commonly believed that this was the result of supernatural power, and that
whoever first after the troubling of the pool stepped into the waters, would
be healed of whatever disease he had. Hundreds of sufferers visited the
place; but so great was the crowd when the water was troubled that they
rushed forward, trampling underfoot men, women, and children, weaker than
themselves. Many could not get near the pool. Many who had succeeded in
reaching it died upon its brink. Shelters had been erected about the place,
that the sick might be protected from the heat by day and the chilliness of
the night. There were some who spent the night in these porches, creeping to
the edge of the pool day after day, in the vain hope of relief.

Jesus was again at Jerusalem. Walking alone, in apparent meditation and
prayer, He came to the pool. He saw the wretched sufferers watching for that
which they supposed to be their only chance of cure. He longed to exercise
His healing power, and make every sufferer whole. But it was the Sabbath
day. Multitudes were going to the temple for worship,

202

and He knew that such an act of healing would so excite the prejudice of the
Jews as to cut short His work.

But the Saviour saw one case of supreme wretchedness. It was that of a man
who had been a helpless cripple for thirty-eight years. His disease was in a
great degree the result of his own sin, and was looked upon as a judgment
from God. Alone and friendless, feeling that he was shut out from God's
mercy, the sufferer had passed long years of misery. At the time when it was
expected that the waters would be troubled, those who pitied his
helplessness would bear him to the porches. But at the favored moment he had
no one to help him in. He had seen the rippling of the water, but had never
been able to get farther than the edge of the pool. Others stronger than he
would plunge in before him. He could not contend successfully with the
selfish, scrambling crowd. His persistent efforts toward the one object, and
his anxiety and continual disappointment, were fast wearing away the remnant
of his strength.

The sick man was lying on his mat, and occasionally lifting his head to gaze
at the pool, when a tender, compassionate face bent over him, and the words,
"Wilt thou be made whole?" arrested his attention. Hope came to his heart.
He felt that in some way he was to have help. But the glow of encouragement
soon faded. He remembered how often he had tried to reach the pool, and now
he had little prospect of living till it should again be troubled. He turned
away wearily, saying, "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."

Jesus does not ask this sufferer to exercise faith in Him. He simply says,
"Rise, take up thy bed, and walk." But the man's faith takes hold

203

upon that word. Every nerve and muscle thrills with new life, and healthful
action comes to his crippled limbs. Without question he sets his will to
obey the command of Christ, and all his muscles respond to his will.
Springing to his feet, he finds himself an active man.

Jesus had given him no assurance of divine help. The man might have stopped
to doubt, and lost his one chance of healing. But he believed Christ's word,
and in acting upon it he received strength.

Through the same faith we may receive spiritual healing. By sin we have been
severed from the life of God. Our souls are palsied. Of ourselves we are no
more capable of living a holy life than was the impotent man capable of
walking. There are many who realize their helplessness, and who long for
that spiritual life which will bring them into harmony with God; they are
vainly striving to obtain it. In despair they cry, "O wretched man that I
am! who shall deliver me from this body of death?" Rom. 7:24, margin. Let
these desponding, struggling ones look up. The Saviour is bending over the
purchase of His blood, saying with inexpressible tenderness and pity, "Wilt
thou be made whole?" He bids you arise in health and peace. Do not wait to
feel that you are made whole. Believe His word, and it will be fulfilled.
Put your will on the side of Christ. Will to serve Him, and in acting upon
His word you will receive strength. Whatever may be the evil practice, the
master passion which through long indulgence binds both soul and body,
Christ is able and longs to deliver. He will impart life to the soul that is
"dead in trespasses." Eph. 2:1. He will set free the captive that is held by
weakness and misfortune and the chains of sin.

The restored paralytic stooped to take up his bed, which was only a rug and
a blanket, and as he straightened himself again with a sense of delight, he
looked around for his Deliverer; but Jesus was lost in the crowd. The man
feared that he would not know Him if he should see Him again. As he hurried
on his way with firm, free step, praising God and rejoicing in his new-found
strength, he met several of the Pharisees, and immediately told them of his
cure. He was surprised at the coldness with which they listened to his
story.

With lowering brows they interrupted him, asking why he was carrying his bed
on the Sabbath day. They sternly reminded him that it was not lawful to bear
burdens on the Lord's day. In his joy the man had forgotten that it was the
Sabbath; yet he felt no condemnation for obeying the command of One who had
such power from God. He

204

answered boldly, "He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy
bed, and walk." They asked who it was that had done this, but he could not
tell. These rulers knew well that only One had shown Himself able to perform
this miracle; but they wished for direct proof that it was Jesus, that they
might condemn Him as a Sabbath-breaker. In their judgment He had not only
broken the law in healing the sick man on the Sabbath, but had committed
sacrilege in bidding him bear away his bed.

The Jews had so perverted the law that they made it a yoke of bondage. Their
meaningless requirements had become a byword among other nations. Especially
was the Sabbath hedged in by all manner of senseless restrictions. It was
not to them a delight, the holy of the Lord, and honorable. The scribes and
Pharisees had made its observance an intolerable burden. A Jew was not
allowed to kindle a fire nor even to light a candle on the Sabbath. As a
consequence the people were dependent upon the Gentiles for many services
which their rules forbade them to do for themselves. They did not reflect
that if these acts were sinful, those who employed others to perform them
were as guilty as if they had done the work themselves. They thought that
salvation was restricted to the Jews, and that the condition of all others,
being already hopeless, could be made no worse. But God has given no
commandments which cannot be obeyed by all. His laws sanction no
unreasonable or selfish restrictions.

In the temple Jesus met the man who had been healed. He had come to bring a
sin offering and also a thank offering for the great mercy he had received.
Finding him among the worshipers, Jesus made Himself known, with the warning
words, "Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come
unto thee."

The healed man was overjoyed at meeting his Deliverer. Ignorant of the
enmity toward Jesus, he told the Pharisees who had questioned him, that this
was He who had performed the cure. "Therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus,
and sought to slay Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath
day."

Jesus was brought before the Sanhedrin to answer the charge of
Sabbathbreaking. Had the Jews at this time been an independent nation, such
a charge would have served their purpose for putting Him to death. This
their subjection to the Romans prevented. The Jews had not the power to
inflict capital punishment, and the accusations brought against

205

Christ would have no weight in a Roman court. There were other objects,
however, which they hoped to secure. Notwithstanding their efforts to
counteract His work, Christ was gaining, even in Jerusalem, an influence
over the people greater than their own. Multitudes who were not interested
in the harangues of the rabbis were attracted by His teaching. They could
understand His words, and their hearts were warmed and comforted. He spoke
of God, not as an avenging judge, but as a tender father, and He revealed
the image of God as mirrored in Himself. His words were like balm to the
wounded spirit. Both by His words and by His works of mercy He was breaking
the oppressive power of the old traditions and man-made commandments, and
presenting the love of God in its exhaustless fullness.

In one of the earliest prophecies of Christ it is written, "The scepter
shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until
Shiloh come; and unto Him shall the gathering of the people be." Gen. 49:10.
The people were gathering to Christ. The sympathetic hearts of the multitude
accepted lessons of love and benevolence in preference to the rigid
ceremonies required by the priests. If the priests and rabbis had not
interposed, His teaching would have wrought such a reformation as this world
has never witnessed. But in order to maintain their own power, these leaders
determined to break down the influence of Jesus. His arraignment before the
Sanhedrin, and an open condemnation of His teachings, would aid in effecting
this; for the people still had great reverence for their religious leaders.
Whoever dared to condemn the rabbinical requirements, or attempt to lighten
the burdens they had brought upon the people, was regarded as guilty, not
only of blasphemy, but of treason. On this ground the rabbis hoped to excite
suspicion of Christ. They represented Him as trying to overthrow the
established customs, thus causing division among the people, and preparing
the way for complete subjugation by the Romans.

But the plans which these rabbis were working so zealously to fulfill
originated in another council than that of the Sanhedrin. After Satan had
failed to overcome Christ in the wilderness, he combined his forces to
oppose Him in His ministry, and if possible to thwart His work. What he
could not accomplish by direct, personal effort, he determined to effect by
strategy. No sooner had he withdrawn from the conflict in the wilderness
than in council with his confederate angels he matured his plans for still
further blinding the minds of the Jewish people, that

206

they might not recognize their Redeemer. He planned to work through his
human agencies in the religious world, by imbuing them with his own enmity
against the champion of truth. He would lead them to reject Christ and to
make His life as bitter as possible, hoping to discourage Him in His
mission. And the leaders in Israel became instruments of Satan in warring
against the Saviour.

Jesus had come to "magnify the law, and make it honorable." He was not to
lessen its dignity, but to exalt it. The scripture says, "He shall not fail
nor be discouraged, till He have set judgment in the earth." Isa. 42:21, 4.
He had come to free the Sabbath from those burdensome requirements that had
made it a curse instead of a blessing.

For this reason He had chosen the Sabbath upon which to perform the act of
healing at Bethesda. He could have healed the sick man as well on any other
day of the week; or He might simply have cured him, without bidding him bear
away his bed. But this would not have given Him the opportunity He desired.
A wise purpose underlay every act of Christ's life on earth. Everything He
did was important in itself and in its teaching. Among the afflicted ones at
the pool He selected the worst case upon whom to exercise His healing power,
and bade the man carry his bed through the city in order to publish the
great work that had been wrought upon him. This would raise the question of
what it was lawful to do on the Sabbath, and would open the way for Him to
denounce the restrictions of the Jews in regard to the Lord's day, and to
declare their traditions void.

Jesus stated to them that the work of relieving the afflicted was in harmony
with the Sabbath law. It was in harmony with the work of God's angels, who
are ever descending and ascending between heaven and earth to minister to
suffering humanity. Jesus declared, "My Father worketh hitherto, and I
work." All days are God's, in which to carry out His plans for the human
race. If the Jews' interpretation of the law was correct, then Jehovah was
at fault, whose work has quickened and upheld every living thing since first
He laid the foundations of the earth; then He who pronounced His work good,
and instituted the Sabbath to commemorate its completion, must put a period
to His labor, and stop the never-ending routine of the universe.

Should God forbid the sun to perform its office upon the Sabbath, cut off
its genial rays from warming the earth and nourishing vegetation? Must the
system of worlds stand still through that holy day? Should He

207

command the brooks to stay from watering the fields and forests, and bid the
waves of the sea still their ceaseless ebbing and flowing? Must the wheat
and corn stop growing, and the ripening cluster defer its purple bloom? Must
the trees and flowers put forth no bud nor blossom on the Sabbath?

In such a case, men would miss the fruits of the earth, and the blessings
that make life desirable. Nature must continue her unvarying course. God
could not for a moment stay His hand, or man would faint and die. And man
also has a work to perform on this day. The necessities of life must be
attended to, the sick must be cared for, the wants of the needy must be
supplied. He will not be held guiltless who neglects to relieve suffering on
the Sabbath. God's holy rest day was made for man, and acts of mercy are in
perfect harmony with its intent. God does not desire His creatures to suffer
an hour's pain that may be relieved upon the Sabbath or any other day.

The demands upon God are even greater upon the Sabbath than upon other days.
His people then leave their usual employment, and spend the time in
meditation and worship. They ask more favors of Him on the Sabbath than upon
other days. They demand His special attention. They crave His choicest
blessings. God does not wait for the Sabbath to pass before He grants these
requests. Heaven's work never ceases, and men should never rest from doing
good. The Sabbath is not intended to be a period of useless inactivity. The
law forbids secular labor on the rest day of the Lord; the toil that gains a
livelihood must cease; no labor for worldly pleasure or profit is lawful
upon that day; but as God ceased His labor of creating, and rested upon the
Sabbath and blessed it, so man is to leave the occupations of his daily
life, and devote those sacred hours to healthful rest, to worship, and to
holy deeds. The work of Christ in healing the sick was in perfect accord
with the law. It honored the Sabbath.

Jesus claimed equal rights with God in doing a work equally sacred, and of
the same character with that which engaged the Father in heaven. But the
Pharisees were still more incensed. He had not only broken the law,
according to their understanding, but in calling God "His own Father" had
declared Himself equal with God. John 5:18, R. V.

The whole nation of the Jews called God their Father, therefore they would
not have been so enraged if Christ had represented Himself as standing in
the same relation to God. But they accused Him of

208

blasphemy, showing that they understood Him as making this claim in the
highest sense.

These adversaries of Christ had no arguments with which to meet the truths
He brought home to their consciences. They could only cite their customs and
traditions, and these seemed weak and vapid when compared with the arguments
Jesus had drawn from the word of God and the unceasing round of nature. Had
the rabbis felt any desire to receive light, they would have been convinced
that Jesus spoke the truth. But they evaded the points He made concerning
the Sabbath, and sought to stir up anger against Him because He claimed to
be equal with God. The fury of the rulers knew no bounds. Had they not
feared the people, the priests and rabbis would have slain Jesus on the
spot. But the popular sentiment in His favor was strong. Many recognized in
Jesus the friend who had healed their diseases and comforted their sorrows,
and they justified His healing of the sufferer at Bethesda. So for the time
the leaders were obliged to restrain their hatred.

Jesus repelled the charge of blasphemy. My authority, He said, for doing the
work of which you accuse Me, is that I am the Son of God, one with Him in
nature, in will, and in purpose. In all His works of creation and
providence, I co-operate with God. "The Son can do nothing of Himself, but
what He seeth the Father do." The priests and rabbis were taking the Son of
God to task for the very work He had been sent into the world to do. By
their sins they had separated themselves from God, and in their pride were
moving independently of Him. They felt sufficient in themselves for all
things, and realized no need of a higher wisdom to direct their acts. But
the Son of God was surrendered to the Father's will, and dependent upon His
power. So utterly was Christ emptied of self that He made no plans for
Himself. He accepted God's plans for Him, and day by day the Father unfolded
His plans. So should we depend upon God, that our lives may be the simple
outworking of His will.

When Moses was about to build the sanctuary as a dwelling place for God, he
was directed to make all things according to the pattern shown him in the
mount. Moses was full of zeal to do God's work; the most talented, skillful
men were at hand to carry out his suggestions. Yet he was not to make a
bell, a pomegranate, a tassel, a fringe, a curtain, or any vessel of the
sanctuary, except according to the pattern shown him. God called him into
the mount, and revealed to him the heavenly things. The Lord covered him
with His own glory, that he might see

209

the pattern, and according to it all things were made. So to Israel, whom He
desired to make His dwelling place, He had revealed His glorious ideal of
character. The pattern was shown them in the mount when the law was given
from Sinai, and when the Lord passed by before Moses and proclaimed, "The
Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in
goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and
transgression and sin." Ex. 34:6, 7.

Israel had chosen their own ways. They had not builded according to the
pattern; but Christ, the true temple for God's indwelling, molded every
detail of His earthly life in harmony with God's ideal. He said, "I delight
to do Thy will, O My God: yea, Thy law is within My heart." Ps. 40:8. So our
characters are to be builded "for an habitation of God through the Spirit."
Eph. 2:22. And we are to "make all things according to the pattern," even
Him who "suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His
steps." Heb. 8:5; 1 Peter 2:21.

The words of Christ teach that we should regard ourselves as inseparably
bound to our Father in heaven. Whatever our position, we are dependent upon
God, who holds all destinies in His hands. He has appointed us our work, and
has endowed us with faculties and means for that work. So long as we
surrender the will to God, and trust in His strength and wisdom, we shall be
guided in safe paths, to fulfill our appointed part in His great plan. But
the one who depends upon his own wisdom and power is separating himself from
God. Instead of working in unison with Christ, he is fulfilling the purpose
of the enemy of God and man.

The Saviour continued: "What things soever He [the Father] doeth, these also
doeth the Son likewise. . . . As the Father raiseth up the dead, and
quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom He will." The Sadducees
held that there would be no resurrection of the body; but Jesus tells them
that one of the greatest works of His Father is raising the dead, and that
He Himself has power to do the same work. "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 Pharisees believed in the resurrection of the dead. Christ
declares that even now the power which gives life to the dead is among them,
and they are to behold its manifestation. This same resurrection power is
that which gives life to the soul "dead in trespasses and sins." Eph. 2:1.
That spirit of life in Christ Jesus, "the power of His resurrection," sets
men "free from

210

the law of sin and death." Phil. 3:10; Rom. 8:2. The dominion of evil is
broken, and through faith the soul is kept from sin. He who opens his heart
to the Spirit of Christ becomes a partaker of that mighty power which shall
bring forth his body from the grave.

The humble Nazarene asserts His real nobility. He rises above humanity,
throws off the guise of sin and shame, and stands revealed, the Honored of
the angels, the Son of God, One with the Creator of the universe. His
hearers are spellbound. No man has ever spoken words like His, or borne
himself with such a kingly majesty. His utterances are clear and plain,
fully declaring His mission, and the duty of the world. "For the Father
judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: that all men
should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honoreth not
the Son honoreth not the Father which hath sent Him. . . . For as the Father
hath life in Himself; so hath He given to the Son to have life in Himself;
and hath given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son
of man."

The priests and rulers had set themselves up as judges to condemn Christ's
work, but He declared Himself their judge, and the judge of all the earth.
The world has been committed to Christ, and through Him has come every
blessing from God to the fallen race. He was the Redeemer before as after
His incarnation. As soon as there was sin, there was a Saviour. He has given
light and life to all, and according to the measure of light given, each is
to be judged. And He who has given the light, He who has followed the soul
with tenderest entreaty, seeking to win it from sin to holiness, is in one
its advocate and judge. From the opening of the great controversy in heaven,
Satan has maintained his cause through deception; and Christ has been
working to unveil his schemes and to break his power. It is He who has
encountered the deceiver, and who through all the ages has been seeking to
wrest the captives from his grasp, who will pass judgment upon every soul.

And God "hath given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is
the Son of man." Because He has tasted the very dregs of human affliction
and temptation, and understands the frailties and sins of men; because in
our behalf He has victoriously withstood the temptations of Satan, and will
deal justly and tenderly with the souls that His own blood has been poured
out to save,--because of this, the Son of man is appointed to execute the
judgment.

But Christ's mission was not for judgment, but for salvation. "God sent not
His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the

211

world through Him might be saved." John 3:17. And before the Sanhedrin Jesus
declared, "He that heareth My word, and believeth Him that sent Me, hath
eternal life, and cometh not into judgment, but hath passed out of death
into life." John 5:24, R. V.

Bidding His hearers marvel not, Christ opened before them, in still wider
view, the mystery of the future. "The hour cometh," He said, "in which all
that are in the tombs shall hear His voice, and shall come forth; they that
have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done ill,
unto the resurrection of judgment." John 5:28, 29, R. V.

This assurance of the future life was that for which Israel had so long
waited, and which they had hoped to receive at the Messiah's advent. The
only light that can lighten the gloom of the grave was shining upon them.
But self-will is blind. Jesus had violated the traditions of the rabbis, and
disregarded their authority, and they would not believe.

The time, the place, the occasion, the intensity of feeling that pervaded
the assembly, all combined to make the words of Jesus before the Sanhedrin
the more impressive. The highest religious authorities of the nation were
seeking the life of Him who declared Himself the restorer of Israel. The
Lord of the Sabbath was arraigned before an earthly tribunal to answer the
charge of breaking the Sabbath law. When He so fearlessly declared His
mission, His judges looked upon Him with astonishment and rage; but His
words were unanswerable. They could not condemn Him. He denied the right of
the priests and rabbis to question Him, or to interfere with His work. They
were invested with no such authority. Their claims were based upon their own
pride and arrogance. He refused to plead guilty of their charges, or to be
catechized by them.

Instead of apologizing for the act of which they complained, or explaining
His purpose in doing it, Jesus turned upon the rulers, and the accused
became the accuser. He rebuked them for the hardness of their hearts, and
their ignorance of the Scriptures. He declared that they had rejected the
word of God, inasmuch as they had rejected Him whom God had sent. "Ye search
the Scriptures, because ye think that in them ye have eternal life; and
these are they which bear witness of Me." John 5:39, R. V.

In every page, whether history, or precept, or prophecy, the Old Testament
Scriptures are irradiated with the glory of the Son of God. So far as it was
of divine institution, the entire system of Judaism was a compacted prophecy
of the gospel. To Christ "give all the prophets witness." Acts 10:43. From
the promise given to Adam, down through

212

the patriarchal line and the legal economy, heaven's glorious light made
plain the footsteps of the Redeemer. Seers beheld the Star of Bethlehem, the
Shiloh to come, as future things swept before them in mysterious procession.
In every sacrifice Christ's death was shown. In every cloud of incense His
righteousness ascended. By every jubilee trumpet His name was sounded. In
the awful mystery of the holy of holies His glory dwelt.

The Jews had the Scriptures in their possession, and supposed that in their
mere outward knowledge of the word they had eternal life. But Jesus said,
"Ye have not His word abiding in you." Having rejected Christ in His word,
they rejected Him in person. "Ye will not come to Me," He said, "that ye
might have life."

The Jewish leaders had studied the teachings of the prophets concerning the
kingdom of the Messiah; but they had done this, not with a sincere desire to
know the truth, but with the purpose of finding evidence to sustain their
ambitious hopes. When Christ came in a manner contrary to their
expectations, they would not receive Him; and in order to justify
themselves, they tried to prove Him a deceiver. When once they had set their
feet in this path, it was easy for Satan to strengthen their opposition to
Christ. The very words that should have been received as evidence of His
divinity were interpreted against Him. Thus they turned the truth of God
into a lie, and the more directly the Saviour spoke to them in His works of
mercy, the more determined they were in resisting the light.

Jesus said, "I receive not honor from men." It was not the influence of the
Sanhedrin, it was not their sanction He desired. He could receive no honor
from their approbation. He was invested with the honor and authority of
Heaven. Had He desired it, angels would have come to do Him homage; the
Father would again have testified to His divinity. But for their own sake,
for the sake of the nation whose leaders they were, He desired the Jewish
rulers to discern His character, and receive the blessings He came to bring
them.

"I am come in My Father's name, and ye receive Me not: if another shall come
in his own name, him ye will receive." Jesus came by the authority of God,
bearing His image, fulfilling His word, and seeking His glory; yet He was
not accepted by the leaders in Israel; but when others should come, assuming
the character of Christ, but actuated by their own will and seeking their
own glory, they would be received. And why? Because he who is seeking his
own glory appeals to the desire for self-exaltation in others. To such
appeals the Jews could respond.

213

They would receive the false teacher because he flattered their pride by
sanctioning their cherished opinions and traditions. But the teaching of
Christ did not coincide with their ideas. It was spiritual, and demanded the
sacrifice of self; therefore they would not receive it. They were not
acquainted with God, and to them His voice through Christ was the voice of a
stranger.

Is not the same thing repeated in our day? Are there not many, even
religious leaders, who are hardening their hearts against the Holy Spirit,
making it impossible for them to recognize the voice of God? Are they not
rejecting the word of God, that they may keep their own traditions?

"Had ye believed Moses," said Jesus, "ye would have believed Me: for he
wrote of Me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe My
words?" It was Christ who had spoken to Israel through Moses. If they had
listened to the divine voice that spoke through their great leader, they
would have recognized it in the teachings of Christ. Had they believed
Moses, they would have believed Him of whom Moses wrote.

Jesus knew that the priests and rabbis were determined to take His life; yet
He clearly explained to them His unity with the Father, and His relation to
the world. They saw that their opposition to Him was without excuse, yet
their murderous hatred was not quenched. Fear seized them as they witnessed
the convincing power that attended His ministry; but they resisted His
appeals, and locked themselves in darkness.

They had signally failed to subvert the authority of Jesus or to alienate
the respect and attention of the people, many of whom were convicted by His
words. The rulers themselves had felt deep condemnation as He had pressed
their guilt home upon their consciences; yet this only made them the more
bitter against Him. They were determined to take His life. They sent
messengers all over the country to warn the people against Jesus as an
impostor. Spies were sent to watch Him, and report what He said and did. The
precious Saviour was now most surely standing under the shadow of the cross.

(214)

Chapter 22

Imprisonment and Death of John

John the Baptist had been first in heralding Christ's kingdom, and he was
first also in suffering. From the free air of the wilderness and the vast
throngs that had hung upon his words, he was now shut in by the walls of a
dungeon cell. He had become a prisoner in the fortress of Herod Antipas. In
the territory east of Jordan, which was under the dominion of Antipas, much
of John's ministry had been spent. Herod himself had listened to the
preaching of the Baptist. The dissolute king had trembled under the call to
repentance. "Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and an holy;
. . . and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly." John
dealt with him faithfully, denouncing his iniquitous alliance with Herodias,
his brother's wife. For a time Herod feebly sought to break the chain of
lust that bound him; but Herodias fastened him the more firmly in her toils,
and found revenge upon the Baptist by inducing Herod to cast him into
prison.

The life of John had been one of active labor, and the gloom and inaction of
his prison life weighed heavily upon him. As week after week passed,
bringing no change, despondency and doubt crept over him. His disciples did
not forsake him. They were allowed access to the prison, and they brought
him tidings of the works of Jesus, and told how the people were flocking to
Him. But they questioned why, if this

215

new teacher was the Messiah, He did nothing to effect John's release. How
could He permit His faithful herald to be deprived of liberty and perhaps of
life?

These questions were not without effect. Doubts which otherwise would never
have arisen were suggested to John. Satan rejoiced to hear the words of
these disciples, and to see how they bruised the soul of the Lord's
messenger. Oh, how often those who think themselves the friends of a good
man, and who are eager to show their fidelity to him, prove to be his most
dangerous enemies! How often, instead of strengthening his faith, their
words depress and dishearten!

Like the Saviour's disciples, John the Baptist did not understand the nature
of Christ's kingdom. He expected Jesus to take the throne of David; and as
time passed, and the Saviour made no claim to kingly authority, John became
perplexed and troubled. He had declared to the people that in order for the
way to be prepared before the Lord, the prophecy of Isaiah must be
fulfilled; the mountains and hills must be brought low, the crooked made
straight, and the rough places plain. He had looked for the high places of
human pride and power to be cast down. He had pointed to the Messiah as the
One whose fan was in His hand, and who would thoroughly purge His floor, who
would gather the wheat into His garner, and burn up the chaff with
unquenchable fire. Like the prophet Elijah, in whose spirit and power he had
come to Israel, he looked for the Lord to reveal Himself as a God that
answereth by fire.

In his mission the Baptist had stood as a fearless reprover of iniquity,
both in high places and in low. He had dared to face King Herod with the
plain rebuke of sin. He had not counted his life dear unto himself, that he
might fulfill his appointed work. And now from his dungeon he watched for
the Lion of the tribe of Judah to cast down the pride of the oppressor, and
to deliver the poor and him that cried. But Jesus seemed to content Himself
with gathering disciples about Him, and healing and teaching the people. He
was eating at the tables of the publicans, while every day the Roman yoke
rested more heavily upon Israel, while King Herod and his vile paramour
worked their will, and the cries of the poor and suffering went up to
heaven.

216

To the desert prophet all this seemed a mystery beyond his fathoming. There
were hours when the whisperings of demons tortured his spirit, and the
shadow of a terrible fear crept over him. Could it be that the
long-hoped-for Deliverer had not yet appeared? Then what meant the message
that he himself had been impelled to bear? John had been bitterly
disappointed in the result of his mission. He had expected that the message
from God would have the same effect as when the law was read in the days of
Josiah and of Ezra (2 Chronicles 34; Nehemiah
8, 9); that there would follow a deep-seated work of repentance and
returning unto the Lord. For the success of this mission his whole life had
been sacrificed. Had it been in vain?

John was troubled to see that through love for him, his own disciples were
cherishing unbelief in regard to Jesus. Had his work for them been
fruitless? Had he been unfaithful in his mission, that he was now cut off
from labor? If the promised Deliverer had appeared, and John had been found
true to his calling, would not Jesus now overthrow the oppressor's power,
and set free His herald?

But the Baptist did not surrender his faith in Christ. The memory of the
voice from heaven and the descending dove, the spotless purity of Jesus, the
power of the Holy Spirit that had rested upon John as he came into the
Saviour's presence, and the testimony of the prophetic scriptures,--all
witnessed that Jesus of Nazareth was the Promised One.

John would not discuss his doubts and anxieties with his companions. He
determined to send a message of inquiry to Jesus. This he entrusted to two
of his disciples, hoping that an interview with the Saviour would confirm
their faith, and bring assurance to their brethren. And he longed for some
word from Christ spoken directly for himself.

The disciples came to Jesus with their message, "Art Thou He that should
come, or do we look for another?"

How short the time since the Baptist had pointed to Jesus, and proclaimed,
"Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." "He it is,
who coming after me is preferred before me." John 1:29, 27. And now the
question, "Art Thou He that should come?" It was keenly bitter and
disappointing to human nature. If John, the faithful forerunner, failed to
discern Christ's mission, what could be expected from the self-seeking
multitude?

The Saviour did not at once answer the disciples' question. As they stood
wondering at His silence, the sick and afflicted were coming to Him to be
healed. The blind were groping their way through the crowd;

217

diseased ones of all classes, some urging their own way, some borne by their
friends, were eagerly pressing into the presence of Jesus. The voice of the
mighty Healer penetrated the deaf ear. A word, a touch of His hand, opened
the blind eyes to behold the light of day, the scenes of nature, the faces
of friends, and the face of the Deliverer. Jesus rebuked disease and
banished fever. His voice reached the ears of the dying, and they arose in
health and vigor. Paralyzed demoniacs obeyed His word, their madness left
them, and they worshiped Him. While He healed their diseases, He taught the
people. The poor peasants and laborers, who were shunned by the rabbis as
unclean, gathered close about Him, and He spoke to them the words of eternal
life.

Thus the day wore away, the disciples of John seeing and hearing all. At
last Jesus called them to Him, and bade them go and tell John what they had
witnessed, adding, "Blessed is he, whosoever shall find none occasion of
stumbling in Me." Luke 7:23, R. V. The evidence of His divinity was seen in
its adaptation to the needs of suffering humanity. His glory was shown in
His condescension to our low estate.

The disciples bore the message, and it was enough. John recalled the
prophecy concerning the Messiah, "The Lord hath anointed Me to preach good
tidings unto the meek; He hath sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to
proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that
are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord." Isa. 61:1, 2. The
works of Christ not only declared Him to be the Messiah, but showed in what
manner His kingdom was to be established. To John was opened the same truth
that had come to Elijah in the desert, when "a great and strong wind rent
the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord
was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not
in the earthquake: and after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in
the fire:" and after the fire, God spoke to the prophet by "a still small
voice." 1 Kings 19:11, 12. So Jesus was to do His work, not with the clash
of arms and the overturning of thrones and kingdoms, but through speaking to
the hearts of men by a life of mercy and self-sacrifice.

218

The principle of the Baptist's own life of self-abnegation was the principle
of the Messiah's kingdom. John well knew how foreign all this was to the
principles and hopes of the leaders in Israel. That which was to him
convincing evidence of Christ's divinity would be no evidence to them. They
were looking for a Messiah who had not been promised. John saw that the
Saviour's mission could win from them only hatred and condemnation. He, the
forerunner, was but drinking of the cup which Christ Himself must drain to
its dregs.

The Saviour's words, "Blessed is he, whosoever shall find none occasion of
stumbling in Me," were a gentle reproof to John. It was not lost upon him.
Understanding more clearly now the nature of Christ's mission, he yielded
himself to God for life or for death, as should best serve the interests of
the cause he loved.

After the messengers had departed, Jesus spoke to the people concerning
John. The Saviour's heart went out in sympathy to the faithful witness now
buried in Herod's dungeon. He would not leave the people to conclude that
God had forsaken John, or that his faith had failed in the day of trial.
"What went ye out into the wilderness to see?" He said. "A reed shaken with
the wind?"

The tall reeds that grew beside the Jordan, bending before every breeze,
were fitting representatives of the rabbis who had stood as critics and
judges of the Baptist's mission. They were swayed this way and that by the
winds of popular opinion. They would not humble themselves to receive the
heart-searching message of the Baptist, yet for fear of the people they
dared not openly oppose his work. But God's messenger was of no such craven
spirit. The multitudes who were gathered about Christ had been witnesses to
the work of John. They had heard his fearless rebuke of sin. To the
self-righteous Pharisees, the priestly Sadducees, King Herod and his court,
princes and soldiers, publicans and peasants, John had spoken with equal
plainness. He was no trembling reed, swayed by the winds of human praise or
prejudice. In the prison he was the same in his loyalty to God and his zeal
for righteousness as when he preached God's message in the wilderness. In
his faithfulness to principle he was as firm as a rock.

Jesus continued, "But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft
raiment? Behold, they which are gorgeously appareled, and live delicately,
are in kings' courts." John had been called to reprove the sins and excesses
of his time, and his plain dress and self-denying life

219

were in harmony with the character of his mission. Rich apparel and the
luxuries of this life are not the portion of God's servants, but of those
who live "in kings' courts," the rulers of this world, to whom pertain its
power and its riches. Jesus wished to direct attention to the contrast
between the clothing of John, and that worn by the priests and rulers. These
officials arrayed themselves in rich robes and costly ornaments. They loved
display, and hoped to dazzle the people, and thus command greater
consideration. They were more anxious to gain the admiration of men than to
obtain the purity of heart which would win the approval of God. Thus they
revealed that their allegiance was not given to God, but to the kingdom of
this world.

"But what," said Jesus, "went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto
you, and more than a prophet. For this is he, of whom it is written,--

"Behold, I send My messenger before Thy face,
Which shall prepare Thy way before Thee.

"Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not
risen a greater than John the Baptist." In the announcement to Zacharias
before the birth of John, the angel had declared, "He shall be great in the
sight of the Lord." Luke 1:15. In the estimation of Heaven, what is it that
constitutes greatness? Not that which the world accounts greatness; not
wealth, or rank, or noble descent, or intellectual gifts, in themselves
considered. If intellectual greatness, apart from any higher consideration,
is worthy of honor, then our homage is due to Satan, whose intellectual
power no man has ever equaled. But when perverted to self-serving, the
greater the gift, the greater curse it becomes. It is moral worth that God
values. Love and purity are the attributes He prizes most. John was great in
the sight of the Lord, when, before the messengers from the Sanhedrin,
before the people, and before his own disciples, he refrained from seeking
honor for himself, but pointed all to Jesus as the Promised One. His
unselfish joy in the ministry of Christ presents the highest type of
nobility ever revealed in man.

The witness borne of him after his death, by those who had heard his
testimony to Jesus, was, "John did no miracle: but all things that John
spake of this Man were true." John 10:41. It was not given to John to call
down fire from heaven, or to raise the dead, as Elijah did, nor

220

to wield Moses' rod of power in the name of God. He was sent to herald the
Saviour's advent, and to call upon the people to prepare for His coming. So
faithfully did he fulfill his mission, that as the people recalled what he
had taught them of Jesus, they could say, "All things that John spake of
this Man were true." Such witness to Christ every disciple of the Master is
called upon to bear.

As the Messiah's herald, John was "much more than a prophet." For while
prophets had seen from afar Christ's advent, to John it was given to behold
Him, to hear the testimony from heaven to His Messiahship, and to present
Him to Israel as the Sent of God. Yet Jesus said, "He that is least in the
kingdom of heaven is greater than he."

The prophet John was the connecting link between the two dispensations. As
God's representative he stood forth to show the relation of the law and the
prophets to the Christian dispensation. He was the lesser light, which was
to be followed by a greater. The mind of John was illuminated by the Holy
Spirit, that he might shed light upon his people; but no other light ever
has shone or ever will shine so clearly upon fallen man as that which
emanated from the teaching and example of Jesus. Christ and His mission had
been but dimly understood as typified in the shadowy sacrifices. Even John
had not fully comprehended the future, immortal life through the Saviour.

Aside from the joy that John found in his mission, his life had been one of
sorrow. His voice had been seldom heard except in the wilderness. His was a
lonely lot. And he was not permitted to see the result of his own labors. It
was not his privilege to be with Christ and witness the manifestation of
divine power attending the greater light. It was not for him to see the
blind restored to sight, the sick healed, and the dead raised to life. He
did not behold the light that shone through every word of Christ, shedding
glory upon the promises of prophecy. The least disciple who saw Christ's
mighty works and heard His words was in this sense more highly privileged
than John the Baptist, and therefore is said to have been greater than he.

Through the vast throngs that had listened to John's preaching, his fame had
spread throughout the land. A deep interest was felt as to the result of his
imprisonment. Yet his blameless life, and the strong public sentiment in his
favor, led to the belief that no violent measures would be taken against
him.

Herod believed John to be a prophet of God, and he fully intended

221

to set him at liberty. But he delayed his purpose from fear of Herodias.

Herodias knew that by direct measures she could never win Herod's consent to
the death of John, and she resolved to accomplish her purpose by stratagem.
On the king's birthday an entertainment was to be given to the officers of
state and the nobles of the court. There would be feasting and drunkenness.
Herod would thus be thrown off his guard, and might then be influenced
according to her will.

When the great day arrived, and the king with his lords was feasting and
drinking, Herodias sent her daughter into the banqueting hall to dance for
the entertainment of the guests. Salome was in the first flush of womanhood,
and her voluptuous beauty captivated the senses of the lordly revelers. It
was not customary for the ladies of the court to appear at these
festivities, and a flattering compliment was paid to Herod when this
daughter of Israel's priests and princes danced for the amusement of his
guests.

The king was dazed with wine. Passion held sway, and reason was dethroned.
He saw only the hall of pleasure, with its reveling guests, the banquet
table, the sparkling wine and the flashing lights, and the young girl
dancing before him. In the recklessness of the moment, he desired to make
some display that would exalt him before the great men of his realm. With an
oath he promised to give the daughter of Herodias whatever she might ask,
even to the half of his kingdom.

Salome hastened to her mother, to know what she should ask. The answer was
ready,--the head of John the Baptist. Salome knew not of the thirst for
revenge in her mother's heart, and she shrank from presenting the request;
but the determination of Herodias prevailed. The girl returned with the
terrible petition, "I will that thou forthwith give me in a charger the head
of John the Baptist." Mark 6:25, R. V.

Herod was astonished and confounded. The riotous mirth ceased, and an
ominous silence settled down upon the scene of revelry. The king was
horror-stricken at the thought of taking the life of John. Yet his word was
pledged, and he was unwilling to appear fickle or rash. The oath had been
made in honor of his guests, and if one of them had offered a word against
the fulfillment of his promise, he would gladly have spared the prophet. He
gave them opportunity to speak in the prisoner's behalf. They had traveled
long distances in order to hear the preaching of John, and they knew him to
be a man without crime, and a servant of God. But though shocked at the
girl's demand, they were

222

too besotted to interpose a remonstrance. No voice was raised to save the
life of Heaven's messenger. These men occupied high positions of trust in
the nation, and upon them rested grave responsibilities; yet they had given
themselves up to feasting and drunkenness until the senses were benumbed.
Their heads were turned with the giddy scene of music and dancing, and
conscience lay dormant. By their silence they pronounced the sentence of
death upon the prophet of God to satisfy the revenge of an abandoned woman.

Herod waited in vain to be released from his oath; then he reluctantly
commanded the execution of the prophet. Soon the head of John was brought in
before the king and his guests. Forever sealed were those lips that had
faithfully warned Herod to turn from his life of sin. Never more would that
voice be heard calling men to repentance. The revels of one night had cost
the life of one of the greatest of the prophets.

Oh, how often has the life of the innocent been sacrificed through the
intemperance of those who should have been guardians of justice! He who puts
the intoxicating cup to his lips makes himself responsible for all the
injustice he may commit under its besotting power. By benumbing his senses
he makes it impossible for him to judge calmly or to have a clear perception
of right and wrong. He opens the way for Satan to work through him in
oppressing and destroying the innocent. "Wine is a mocker, strong drink is
raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise." Prov. 20:1. Thus it
is that "judgment is turned away backward, . . . and he that departeth from
evil maketh himself a prey." Isa. 59:14, 15. Those who have jurisdiction
over the lives of their fellow men should be held guilty of a crime when
they yield to intemperance. All who execute the laws should be lawkeepers.
They should be men of self-control. They need to have full command of their
physical, mental, and moral powers, that they may possess vigor of
intellect, and a high sense of justice.

The head of John the Baptist was carried to Herodias, who received it with
fiendish satisfaction. She exulted in her revenge, and flattered herself
that Herod's conscience would no longer be troubled. But no happiness
resulted to her from her sin. Her name became notorious and abhorred, while
Herod was more tormented by remorse than he had been by the warnings of the
prophet. The influence of John's teachings was not silenced; it was to
extend to every generation till the close of time.

223

Herod's sin was ever before him. He was constantly seeking to find relief
from the accusings of a guilty conscience. His confidence in John was
unshaken. As he recalled his life of self-denial, his solemn, earnest
appeals, his sound judgment in counsel, and then remembered how he had come
to his death, Herod could find no rest. Engaged in the affairs of the state,
receiving honors from men, he bore a smiling face and dignified mien, while
he concealed an anxious heart, ever oppressed with the fear that a curse was
upon him.

Herod had been deeply impressed by the words of John, that nothing can be
hidden from God. He was convinced that God was present in every place, that
He had witnessed the revelry of the banqueting room, that He had heard the
command to behead John, and had seen the exultation of Herodias, and the
insult she offered to the severed head of her reprover. And many things that
Herod had heard from the lips of the prophet now spoke to his conscience
more distinctly than had the preaching in the wilderness.

When Herod heard of the works of Christ, he was exceedingly troubled. He
thought that God had raised John from the dead, and sent him forth with
still greater power to condemn sin. He was in constant fear that John would
avenge his death by passing condemnation upon him and his house. Herod was
reaping that which God had declared to be the result of a course of sin,--"a
trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and sorrow of mind: and thy life shall
hang in doubt before thee; and thou shalt fear day and night, and shalt have
none assurance of thy life: in the morning thou shalt say, Would God it were
even! and at even thou shalt say, Would God it were morning! for the fear of
thine heart wherewith thou shalt fear, and for the sight of thine eyes which
thou shalt see." Deut. 28:65-67. The sinner's own thoughts are his accusers;
and there can be no torture keener than the stings of a guilty conscience,
which give him no rest day nor night.

To many minds a deep mystery surrounds the fate of John the Baptist. They
question why he should have been left to languish and die in prison. The
mystery of this dark providence our human vision cannot penetrate; but it
can never shake our confidence in God when we remember that John was but a
sharer in the sufferings of Christ. All who follow Christ will wear the
crown of sacrifice. They will surely be misunderstood by selfish men, and
will be made a mark for the fierce assaults of Satan. It is this principle
of self-sacrifice that his kingdom is established to destroy, and he will
war against it wherever manifested.

224

The childhood, youth, and manhood of John had been characterized by firmness
and moral power. When his voice was heard in the wilderness saying, "Prepare
ye the way of the Lord, make His paths straight" (Matt. 3:3), Satan feared
for the safety of his kingdom. The sinfulness of sin was revealed in such a
manner that men trembled. Satan's power over many who had been under his
control was broken. He had been unwearied in his efforts to draw away the
Baptist from a life of unreserved surrender to God; but he had failed. And
he had failed to overcome Jesus. In the temptation in the wilderness, Satan
had been defeated, and his rage was great. Now he determined to bring sorrow
upon Christ by striking John. The One whom he could not entice to sin he
would cause to suffer.

Jesus did not interpose to deliver His servant. He knew that John would bear
the test. Gladly would the Saviour have come to John, to brighten the
dungeon gloom with His own presence. But He was not to place Himself in the
hands of enemies and imperil His own mission. Gladly would He have delivered
His faithful servant. But for the sake of thousands who in after years must
pass from prison to death, John was to drink the cup of martyrdom. As the
followers of Jesus should languish in lonely cells, or perish by the sword,
the rack, or the fagot, apparently forsaken by God and man, what a stay to
their hearts would be the thought that John the Baptist, to whose
faithfulness Christ Himself had borne witness, had passed through a similar
experience!

Satan was permitted to cut short the earthly life of God's messenger; but
that life which "is hid with Christ in God," the destroyer could not reach.
Col. 3:3. He exulted that he had brought sorrow upon Christ, but he had
failed of conquering John. Death itself only placed him forever beyond the
power of temptation. In this warfare, Satan was revealing his own character.
Before the witnessing universe he made manifest his enmity toward God and
man.

Though no miraculous deliverance was granted John, he was not forsaken. He
had always the companionship of heavenly angels, who opened to him the
prophecies concerning Christ, and the precious promises of Scripture. These
were his stay, as they were to be the stay of God's people through the
coming ages. To John the Baptist, as to those that came after him, was given
the assurance, "Lo, I am with you all the days, even unto the end." Matt.
28:20, R. V., margin.

God never leads His children otherwise than they would choose to be led, if
they could see the end from the beginning, and discern the glory

225

of the purpose which they are fulfilling as co-workers with Him. Not Enoch,
who was translated to heaven, not Elijah, who ascended in a chariot of fire,
was greater or more honored than John the Baptist, who perished alone in the
dungeon. "Unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe
on Him, but also to suffer for His sake." Phil. 1:29. And of all the gifts
that Heaven can bestow upon men, fellowship with Christ in His sufferings is
the most weighty trust and the highest honor.

(231)

Chapter 23

"The Kingdom of God Is at Hand"

"Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and
saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye,
and believe the gospel." Mark 1:14, 15.

The Messiah's coming had been first announced in Judea. In the temple at
Jerusalem the birth of the forerunner had been foretold to Zacharias as he
ministered before the altar. On the hills of Bethlehem the angels had
proclaimed the birth of Jesus. To Jerusalem the magi had come in search of
Him. In the temple Simeon and Anna had testified to His divinity.
"Jerusalem, and all Judea" had listened to the preaching of John the
Baptist; and the deputation from the Sanhedrin, with the multitude, had
heard his testimony concerning Jesus. In Judea, Christ had received His
first disciples. Here much of His early ministry had been spent. The
flashing forth of His divinity in the cleansing of the temple, His miracles
of healing, and the lessons of divine truth that fell from His lips, all
proclaimed that which after the healing at Bethesda He had declared before
the Sanhedrin,--His Sonship to the Eternal.

If the leaders in Israel had received Christ, He would have honored them as
His messengers to carry the gospel to the world. To them first was given the
opportunity to become heralds of the kingdom and grace

232

of God. But Israel knew not the time of her visitation. The jealousy and
distrust of the Jewish leaders had ripened into open hatred, and the hearts
of the people were turned away from Jesus.

The Sanhedrin had rejected Christ's message and was bent upon His death;
therefore Jesus departed from Jerusalem, from the priests, the temple, the
religious leaders, the people who had been instructed in the law, and turned
to another class to proclaim His message, and to gather out those who should
carry the gospel to all nations.

As the light and life of men was rejected by the ecclesiastical authorities
in the days of Christ, so it has been rejected in every succeeding
generation. Again and again the history of Christ's withdrawal from Judea
has been repeated. When the Reformers preached the word of God, they had no
thought of separating themselves from the established church; but the
religious leaders would not tolerate the light, and those that bore it were
forced to seek another class, who were longing for the truth. In our day few
of the professed followers of the Reformers are actuated by their spirit.
Few are listening for the voice of God, and ready to accept truth in
whatever guise it may be presented. Often those who follow in the steps of
the Reformers are forced to turn away from the churches they love, in order
to declare the plain teaching of the word of God. And many times those who
are seeking for light are by the same teaching obliged to leave the church
of their fathers, that they may render obedience.

The people of Galilee were despised by the rabbis of Jerusalem as rude and
unlearned, yet they presented a more favorable field for the Saviour's work.
They were more earnest and sincere; less under the control of bigotry; their
minds were more open for the reception of truth. In going to Galilee, Jesus
was not seeking seclusion or isolation. The province was at this time the
home of a crowded population, with a much larger admixture of people of
other nations than was found in Judea.

As Jesus traveled through Galilee, teaching and healing, multitudes flocked
to Him from the cities and villages. Many came even from Judea and the
adjoining provinces. Often He was obliged to hide Himself from the people.
The enthusiasm ran so high that it was necessary to take precautions lest
the Roman authorities should be aroused to fear an insurrection. Never
before had there been such a period as this for the world. Heaven was
brought down to men. Hungering and thirsting souls that had waited long for
the redemption of Israel now feasted upon the grace of a merciful Saviour.

233

The burden of Christ's preaching was, "The time is fulfilled, and the
kingdom of God is at hand; repent ye, and believe the gospel." Thus the
gospel message, as given by the Saviour Himself, was based on the
prophecies. The "time" which He declared to be fulfilled was the period made
known by the angel Gabriel to Daniel. "Seventy weeks," said the angel, "are
determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the
transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for
iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the
vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy." Dan. 9:24. A day in
prophecy stands for a year. See Num. 14:34; Ezek. 4:6. The seventy weeks, or
four hundred and ninety days, represent four hundred and ninety years. A
starting point for this period is given: "Know therefore and understand,
that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build
Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore
and two weeks," sixty-nine weeks, or four hundred and eighty-three years.
Dan. 9:25. The commandment to restore and build Jerusalem, as completed by
the decree of Artaxerxes Longimanus (see Ezra 6:14; 7:1, 9, margin), went
into effect in the autumn of B. C. 457. From this time four hundred and
eighty-three years extend to the autumn of A. D. 27. According to the
prophecy, this period was to reach to the Messiah, the Anointed One. In A.
D. 27, Jesus at His baptism received the anointing of the Holy Spirit, and
soon afterward began His ministry. Then the message was proclaimed. "The
time is fulfilled."

Then, said the angel, "He shall confirm the covenant with many for one week
[seven years]." For seven years after the Saviour entered on His ministry,
the gospel was to be preached especially to the Jews; for three and a half
years by Christ Himself; and afterward by the apostles. "In the midst of the
week He shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease." Dan. 9:27. In
the spring of A. D. 31, Christ the true sacrifice was offered on Calvary.
Then the veil of the temple was rent in twain, showing that the sacredness
and significance of the sacrificial service had departed. The time had come
for the earthly sacrifice and oblation to cease.

The one week--seven years--ended in A. D. 34. Then by the stoning of Stephen
the Jews finally sealed their rejection of the gospel; the disciples who
were scattered abroad by persecution "went everywhere preaching the word"
(Acts 8:4); and shortly after, Saul the persecutor was converted, and became
Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles.

234

The time of Christ's coming, His anointing by the Holy Spirit, His death,
and the giving of the gospel to the Gentiles, were definitely pointed out.
It was the privilege of the Jewish people to understand these prophecies,
and to recognize their fulfillment in the mission of Jesus. Christ urged
upon His disciples the importance of prophetic study. Referring to the
prophecy given to Daniel in regard to their time, He said, "Whoso readeth,
let him understand." Matt. 24:15. After His resurrection He explained to the
disciples in "all the prophets" "the things concerning Himself." Luke 24:27.
The Saviour had spoken through all the prophets. "The Spirit of Christ which
was in them" "testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory
that should follow." 1 Peter 1:11.

It was Gabriel, the angel next in rank to the Son of God, who came with the
divine message to Daniel. It was Gabriel, "His angel," whom Christ sent to
open the future to the beloved John; and a blessing is pronounced on those
who read and hear the words of the prophecy, and keep the things written
therein. Rev. 1:3.

"The Lord God will do nothing, but He revealeth His secret unto His servants
and prophets." While "the secret things belong unto the Lord our God,"
"those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children
forever." Amos 3:7; Deut. 29:29. God has given these things to us, and His
blessing will attend the reverent, prayerful study of the prophetic
scriptures.

As the message of Christ's first advent announced the kingdom of His grace,
so the message of His second advent announces the kingdom of His glory. And
the second message, like the first, is based on the prophecies. The words of
the angel to Daniel relating to the last days were to be understood in the
time of the end. At that time, "many shall run to and fro, and knowledge
shall be increased." "The wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked
shall understand; but the wise shall understand." Dan. 12:4, 10. The Saviour
Himself has given signs of His coming, and He says, "When ye see these
things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand." "And
take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with
surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come
upon you unawares." "Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be
accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to
stand before the Son of man." Luke 21:31, 34, 36.

235

We have reached the period foretold in these scriptures. The time of the end
is come, the visions of the prophets are unsealed, and their solemn warnings
point us to our Lord's coming in glory as near at hand.

The Jews misinterpreted and misapplied the word of God, and they knew not
the time of their visitation. The years of the ministry of Christ and His
apostles,--the precious last years of grace to the chosen people,--they
spent in plotting the destruction of the Lord's messengers. Earthly
ambitions absorbed them, and the offer of the spiritual kingdom came to them
in vain. So today the kingdom of this world absorbs men's thoughts, and they
take no note of the rapidly fulfilling prophecies and the tokens of the
swift-coming kingdom of God.

"But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as
a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we
are not of the night, nor of darkness." While we are not to know the hour of
our Lord's return, we may know when it is near. "Therefore let us not sleep,
as do others; but let us watch and be sober."
1 Thess. 5:4-6.

(236)

Chapter 24

"Is Not This the Carpenter's Son?"

Across the bright days of Christ's ministry in Galilee, one shadow lay. The
people of Nazareth rejected Him. "Is not this the carpenter's son?" they
said.

During His childhood and youth, Jesus had worshiped among His brethren in
the synagogue at Nazareth. Since the opening of His ministry He had been
absent from them, but they had not been ignorant of what had befallen Him.
As He again appeared among them, their interest and expectation were excited
to the highest pitch. Here were the familiar forms and faces of those whom
He had known from infancy. Here were His mother, His brothers and sisters,
and all eyes were turned upon Him as He entered the synagogue upon the
Sabbath day, and took His place among the worshipers.

In the regular service for the day, the elder read from the prophets, and
exhorted the people still to hope for the Coming One, who would bring in a
glorious reign, and banish all oppression. He sought to encourage his
hearers by rehearsing the evidence that the Messiah's coming was near. He
described the glory of His advent, keeping prominent the thought that He
would appear at the head of armies to deliver Israel.

When a rabbi was present at the synagogue, he was expected to deliver the
sermon, and any Israelite might give the reading from the prophets. Upon
this Sabbath Jesus was requested to take part in the service. He "stood up
to read. And there was delivered unto Him a roll of the prophet Isaiah."
Luke 4:16, 17, R. V., margin. The scripture which He read was one that was
understood as referring to the Messiah:

237

"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 brokenhearted,
To preach deliverance to the captives,
And recovering of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty them that are bruised,
To preach the acceptable year of the Lord."

"And He closed the roll, and gave it back to the attendant: . . . and the
eyes of all in the synagogue were fastened on Him. . . . And all bare Him
witness, and wondered at the words of grace which proceeded out of His
mouth." Luke 4:20-22, R. V., margin.

Jesus stood before the people as a living expositor of the prophecies
concerning Himself. Explaining the words He had read, He spoke of the
Messiah as a reliever of the oppressed, a liberator of captives, a healer of
the afflicted, restoring sight to the blind, and revealing to the world the
light of truth. His impressive manner and the wonderful import of His words
thrilled the hearers with a power they had never felt before. The tide of
divine influence broke every barrier down; like Moses, they beheld the
Invisible. As their hearts were moved upon by the Holy Spirit, they
responded with fervent amens and praises to the Lord.

But when Jesus announced, "This day is this scripture fulfilled in your
ears," they were suddenly recalled to think of themselves, and of the claims
of Him who had been addressing them. They, Israelites, children of Abraham,
had been represented as in bondage. They had been addressed as prisoners to
be delivered from the power of evil; as in darkness, and needing the light
of truth. Their pride was offended, and their fears were roused. The words
of Jesus indicated that His work for them was to be altogether different
from what they desired. Their deeds might be investigated too closely.
Notwithstanding their exactness in outward ceremonies, they shrank from
inspection by those clear, searching eyes.

Who is this Jesus? they questioned. He who had claimed for Himself the glory
of the Messiah was the son of a carpenter, and had worked at His trade with
His father Joseph. They had seen Him toiling up and down the hills, they
were acquainted with His brothers and sisters, and knew His life and labors.
They had seen Him develop from childhood to youth, and from youth to
manhood. Although His life had been spotless, they would not believe that He
was the Promised One.

238

What a contrast between His teaching in regard to the new kingdom and that
which they had heard from their elder! Jesus had said nothing of delivering
them from the Romans. They had heard of His miracles, and had hoped that His
power would be exercised for their advantage, but they had seen no
indication of such purpose.

As they opened the door to doubt, their hearts became so much the harder for
having been momentarily softened. Satan was determined that blind eyes
should not that day be opened, nor souls bound in slavery be set at liberty.
With intense energy he worked to fasten them in unbelief. They made no
account of the sign already given, when they had been stirred by the
conviction that it was their Redeemer who addressed them.

But Jesus now gave them an evidence of His divinity by revealing their
secret thoughts. "He said unto them, Doubtless ye will say unto Me this
parable, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done at
Capernaum, do also here in Thine own country. And He said, Verily I say unto
you, No prophet is acceptable in his own country. But of a truth I say unto
you, There were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven
was shut up three years and six months, when there came a great famine over
all the land; and unto none of them was Elijah sent, but only to Zarephath,
in the land of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow. And there were many
lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet; and none of them was
cleansed, but only Naaman, the Syrian." Luke 4:23-27, R. V.

By this relation of events in the lives of the prophets, Jesus met the
questionings of His hearers. The servants whom God had chosen for a special
work were not allowed to labor for a hardhearted and unbelieving people. But
those who had hearts to feel and faith to believe were especially favored
with evidences of His power through the prophets. In the days of Elijah,
Israel had departed from God. They clung to their sins, and rejected the
warnings of the Spirit through the Lord's messengers. Thus they cut
themselves off from the channel by which God's blessing could come to them.
The Lord passed by the homes of Israel, and found a refuge for His servant
in a heathen land, with a woman who did not belong to the chosen people. But
this woman was favored because she had followed the light she had received,
and her heart was open to the greater light that God sent her through His
prophet.

239

It was for the same reason that in Elisha's time the lepers of Israel were
passed by. But Naaman, a heathen nobleman, had been faithful to his
convictions of right, and had felt his great need of help. He was in a
condition to receive the gifts of God's grace. He was not only cleansed from
his leprosy, but blessed with a knowledge of the true God.

Our standing before God depends, not upon the amount of light we have
received, but upon the use we make of what we have. Thus even the heathen
who choose the right as far as they can distinguish it are in a more
favorable condition than are those who have had great light, and profess to
serve God, but who disregard the light, and by their daily life contradict
their profession.

The words of Jesus to His hearers in the synagogue struck at the root of
their self-righteousness, pressing home upon them the bitter truth that they
had departed from God and forfeited their claim to be His people. Every word
cut like a knife as their real condition was set before them. They now
scorned the faith with which Jesus had at first inspired them. They would
not admit that He who had sprung from poverty and lowliness was other than a
common man.

Their unbelief bred malice. Satan controlled them, and in wrath they cried
out against the Saviour. They had turned from Him whose mission

240

it was to heal and restore; now they manifested the attributes of the
destroyer.

When Jesus referred to the blessings given to the Gentiles, the fierce
national pride of His hearers was aroused, and His words were drowned in a
tumult of voices. These people had prided themselves on keeping the law; but
now that their prejudices were offended, they were ready to commit murder.
The assembly broke up, and laying hands upon Jesus, they thrust Him from the
synagogue, and out of the city. All seemed eager for His destruction. They
hurried Him to the brow of a precipice, intending to cast Him down headlong.
Shouts and maledictions filled the air. Some were casting stones at Him,
when suddenly He disappeared from among them. The heavenly messengers who
had been by His side in the synagogue were with Him in the midst of that
maddened throng. They shut Him in from His enemies, and conducted Him to a
place of safety.

So angels protected Lot, and led him out safely from the midst of Sodom. So
they protected Elisha in the little mountain city. When the encircling hills
were filled with the horses and chariots of the king of Syria, and the great
host of his armed men, Elisha beheld the nearer hill slopes covered with the
armies of God,--horses and chariots of fire round about the servant of the
Lord.

So, in all ages, angels have been near to Christ's faithful followers. The
vast confederacy of evil is arrayed against all who would overcome; but
Christ would have us look to the things which are not seen, to the armies of
heaven encamped about all who love God, to deliver them. From what dangers,
seen and unseen, we have been preserved through the interposition of the
angels, we shall never know, until in the light of eternity we see the
providences of God. Then we shall know that the whole family of heaven was
interested in the family here below, and that messengers from the throne of
God attended our steps from day to day.

When Jesus in the synagogue read from the prophecy, He stopped short of the
final specification concerning the Messiah's work. Having read the words,
"To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord," He omitted the phrase, "and
the day of vengeance of our God." Isa. 61:2. This was just as much truth as
was the first of the prophecy, and by His silence Jesus did not deny the
truth. But this last expression was that upon which His hearers delighted to
dwell, and which they were desirous of fulfilling. They denounced judgments
against the heathen, not discerning

241

that their own guilt was even greater than that of others. They themselves
were in deepest need of the mercy they were so ready to deny to the heathen.
That day in the synagogue, when Jesus stood among them, was their
opportunity to accept the call of Heaven. He who "delighteth in mercy"
(Micah 7:18) would fain have saved them from the ruin which their sins were
inviting.

Not without one more call to repentance could He give them up. Toward the
close of His ministry in Galilee, He again visited the home of His
childhood. Since His rejection there, the fame of His preaching and His
miracles had filled the land. None now could deny that He possessed more
than human power. The people of Nazareth knew that He went about doing good,
and healing all that were oppressed by Satan. About them were whole villages
where there was not a moan of sickness in any house; for He had passed
through them, and healed all their sick. The mercy revealed in every act of
His life testified to His divine anointing.

Again as they listened to His words the Nazarenes were moved by the Divine
Spirit. But even now they would not admit that this Man, who had been
brought up among them, was other or greater than themselves. Still there
rankled the bitter memory that while He had claimed for Himself to be the
Promised One, He had really denied them a place with Israel; for He had
shown them to be less worthy of God's favor than a heathen man and woman.
Hence though they questioned, "Whence hath this Man this wisdom, and these
mighty works?" they would not receive Him as the Christ of God. Because of
their unbelief, the Saviour could not work many miracles among them. Only a
few hearts were open to His blessing, and reluctantly He departed, never to
return.

Unbelief, having once been cherished, continued to control the men of
Nazareth. So it controlled the Sanhedrin and the nation. With priests and
people, the first rejection of the demonstration of the Holy Spirit's power
was the beginning of the end. In order to prove that their first resistance
was right, they continued ever after to cavil at the words of Christ. Their
rejection of the Spirit culminated in the cross of Calvary, in the
destruction of their city, in the scattering of the nation to the winds of
heaven.

Oh, how Christ longed to open to Israel the precious treasures of the truth!
But such was their spiritual blindness that it was impossible to

242

reveal to them the truths relating to His kingdom. They clung to their creed
and their useless ceremonies when the truth of Heaven awaited their
acceptance. They spent their money for chaff and husks, when the bread of
life was within their reach. Why did they not go to the word of God, and
search diligently to know whether they were in error? The Old Testament
Scriptures stated plainly every detail of Christ's ministry, and again and
again He quoted from the prophets, and declared, "This day is this scripture
fulfilled in your ears." If they had honestly searched the Scriptures,
bringing their theories to the test of God's word, Jesus need not have wept
over their impenitence. He need not have declared, "Behold, your house is
left unto you desolate." Luke 13:35. They might have been acquainted with
the evidence of His Messiahship, and the calamity that laid their proud city
in ruins might have been averted. But the minds of the Jews had become
narrowed by their unreasoning bigotry. The lessons of Christ revealed their
deficiencies of character, and demanded repentance. If they accepted His
teachings, their practices must be changed, and their cherished hopes
relinquished. In order to be honored by Heaven, they must sacrifice the
honor of men. If they obeyed the words of this new rabbi, they must go
contrary to the opinions of the great thinkers and teachers of the time.

Truth was unpopular in Christ's day. It is unpopular in our day. It has been
unpopular ever since Satan first gave man a disrelish for it by presenting
fables that lead to self-exaltation. Do we not today meet theories and
doctrines that have no foundation in the word of God? Men cling as
tenaciously to them as did the Jews to their traditions.

The Jewish leaders were filled with spiritual pride. Their desire for the
glorification of self manifested itself even in the service of the
sanctuary. They loved the highest seats in the synagogue. They loved
greetings in the market places, and were gratified with the sound of their
titles on the lips of men. As real piety declined, they became more jealous
for their traditions and ceremonies.

Because their understanding was darkened by selfish prejudice, they could
not harmonize the power of Christ's convicting words with the humility of
His life. They did not appreciate the fact that real greatness can dispense
with outward show. This Man's poverty seemed wholly inconsistent with His
claim to be the Messiah. They questioned, If He was what He claimed to be,
why was He so unpretending? If He was satisfied to be without the force of
arms, what would become of their

243

nation? How could the power and glory so long anticipated bring the nations
as subjects to the city of the Jews? Had not the priests taught that Israel
was to bear rule over all the earth? and could it be possible that the great
religious teachers were in error?

But it was not simply the absence of outward glory in His life that led the
Jews to reject Jesus. He was the embodiment of purity, and they were impure.
He dwelt among men an example of spotless integrity. His blameless life
flashed light upon their hearts. His sincerity revealed their insincerity.
It made manifest the hollowness of their pretentious piety, and discovered
iniquity to them in its odious character. Such a light was unwelcome.

If Christ had called attention to the Pharisees, and had extolled their
learning and piety, they would have hailed Him with joy. But when He spoke
of the kingdom of heaven as a dispensation of mercy for all mankind, He was
presenting a phase of religion they would not tolerate. Their own example
and teaching had never been such as to make the service of God seem
desirable. When they saw Jesus giving attention to the very ones they hated
and repulsed, it stirred up the worst passions of their proud hearts.
Notwithstanding their boast that under the "Lion of the tribe of Judah"
(Rev. 5:5), Israel should be exalted to pre-eminence over all nations, they
could have borne the disappointment of their ambitious hopes better than
they could bear Christ's reproof of their sins, and the reproach they felt
even from the presence of His purity.

(244)

Chapter 25

The Call by the Sea

Day was breaking over the Sea of Galilee. The disciples, weary with a night
of fruitless toil, were still in their fishing boats on the lake. Jesus had
come to spend a quiet hour by the waterside. In the early morning He hoped
for a little season of rest from the multitude that followed Him day after
day. But soon the people began to gather about Him. Their numbers rapidly
increased, so that He was pressed upon all sides. Meanwhile the disciples
had come to land. In order to escape the pressure of the multitude, Jesus
stepped into Peter's boat, and bade him pull out a little from the shore.
Here Jesus could be better seen and heard by all, and from the boat He
taught the multitude on the beach.

What a scene was this for angels to contemplate; their glorious Commander,
sitting in a fisherman's boat, swayed to and fro by the restless waves, and
proclaiming the good news of salvation to the listening throng that were
pressing down to the water's edge! He who was the Honored of heaven was
declaring the great things of His kingdom in the open air, to the common
people. Yet He could have had no more fitting scene for His labors. The
lake, the mountains, the spreading

245

fields, the sunlight flooding the earth, all furnished objects to illustrate
His lessons and impress them upon the mind. And no lesson of Christ's fell
fruitless. Every message from His lips came to some soul as the word of
eternal life.

Every moment added to the multitude upon the shore. Aged men leaning upon
their staffs, hardy peasants from the hills, fishermen from their toil on
the lake, merchants and rabbis, the rich and learned, old and young,
bringing their sick and suffering ones, pressed to hear the words of the
divine Teacher. To such scenes as this the prophets had looked forward, and
they wrote:

"The land of Zebulon and the land of Naphtali,
Toward the sea, beyond Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles,
The people which sat in darkness
Saw a great light,
And to them which sat in the region and shadow of death,
To them did light spring up." R. V.

Beside the throng on the shores of Gennesaret, Jesus in His sermon by the
sea had other audiences before His mind. Looking down the ages, He saw His
faithful ones in prison and judgment hall, in temptation and loneliness and
affliction. Every scene of joy and conflict and perplexity was open before
Him. In the words spoken to those gathered about Him, He was speaking also
to these other souls the very words that would come to them as a message of
hope in trial, of comfort in sorrow, and heavenly light in darkness. Through
the Holy Spirit, that voice which was speaking from the fisherman's boat on
the Sea of Galilee, would be heard speaking peace to human hearts to the
close of time.

The discourse ended, Jesus turned to Peter, and bade him launch out into the
sea, and let down his net for a draught. But Peter was disheartened. All
night he had taken nothing. During the lonely hours he had thought of the
fate of John the Baptist, who was languishing alone in his dungeon. He had
thought of the prospect before Jesus and His followers, of the ill success
of the mission to Judea, and the malice of the priests and rabbis. Even his
own occupation had failed him; and as he watched by the empty nets, the
future had seemed dark with discouragement. "Master," he said, "we have
toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at Thy word I
will let down the net."

246

Night was the only favorable time for fishing with nets in the clear waters
of the lake. After toiling all night without success, it seemed hopeless to
cast the net by day; but Jesus had given the command, and love for their
Master moved the disciples to obey. Simon and his brother together let down
the net. As they attempted to draw it in, so great was the quantity of fish
enclosed that it began to break. They were obliged to summon James and John
to their aid. When the catch was secured, both the boats were so heavily
laden that they were in danger of sinking.

But Peter was unmindful now of boats or lading. This miracle, above any
other he had ever witnessed, was to him a manifestation of divine power. In
Jesus he saw One who held all nature under His control. The presence of
divinity revealed his own unholiness. Love for his Master, shame for his own
unbelief, gratitude for the condescension of Christ, above all, the sense of
his uncleanness in the presence of infinite purity, overwhelmed him. While
his companions were securing the contents of the net, Peter fell at the
Saviour's feet, exclaiming, "Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord."

It was the same presence of divine holiness that had caused the prophet
Daniel to fall as one dead before the angel of God. He said, "My comeliness
was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength." So when
Isaiah beheld the glory of the Lord, he exclaimed, "Woe is me! for I am
undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a
people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of
hosts." Dan. 10:8; Isa. 6:5. Humanity, with its weakness and sin, was
brought in contrast with the perfection of divinity, and he felt altogether
deficient and unholy. Thus it has been with all who have been granted a view
of God's greatness and majesty.

Peter exclaimed, "Depart from me; for I am a sinful man;" yet he clung to
the feet of Jesus, feeling that he could not be parted from Him. The Saviour
answered, "Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men." It was after
Isaiah has beheld the holiness of God and his own unworthiness that he was
entrusted with the divine message. It was after Peter had been led to
self-renunciation and dependence upon divine power that he received the call
to his work for Christ.

Until this time none of the disciples had fully united as colaborers with
Jesus. They had witnessed many of His miracles, and had listened to His
teaching; but they had not entirely forsaken their former employment.

249

The imprisonment of John the Baptist had been to them all a bitter
disappointment. If such were to be the outcome of John's mission, they could
have little hope for their Master, with all the religious leaders combined
against Him. Under the circumstances it was a relief to them to return for a
short time to their fishing. But now Jesus called them to forsake their
former life, and unite their interests with His. Peter had accepted the
call. Upon reaching the shore, Jesus bade the three other disciples, "Follow
Me, and I will make you fishers of men." Immediately they left all, and
followed Him.

Before asking them to leave their nets and fishing boats, Jesus had given
them the assurance that God would supply their needs. The use of Peter's
boat for the work of the gospel had been richly repaid. He who is "rich unto
all that call upon Him," has said, "Give, and it shall be given unto you;
good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over." Rom.
10:12; Luke 6:38. In this measure He had rewarded the disciple's service.
And every sacrifice that is made in His ministry will be recompensed
according to "the exceeding riches of His grace." Eph. 3:20; 2:7.

During that sad night on the lake, when they were separated from Christ, the
disciples were pressed hard by unbelief, and weary with fruitless toil. But
His presence kindled their faith, and brought them joy and success. So it is
with us; apart from Christ, our work is fruitless, and it is easy to
distrust and murmur. But when He is near, and we labor under His direction,
we rejoice in the evidence of His power. It is Satan's work to discourage
the soul; it is Christ's work to inspire with faith and hope.

The deeper lesson which the miracle conveyed for the disciples is a lesson
for us also,--that He whose word could gather the fishes from the sea could
also impress human hearts, and draw them by the cords of His love, so that
His servants might become "fishers of men."

They were humble and unlearned men, those fishers of Galilee; but Christ,
the light of the world, was abundantly able to qualify them for the position
for which He had chosen them. The Saviour did not despise education; for
when controlled by the love of God, and devoted to His service, intellectual
culture is a blessing. But He passed by the wise men of His time, because
they were so self-confident that they could not sympathize with suffering
humanity, and become colaborers with the Man of Nazareth. In their bigotry
they scorned to be taught by Christ. The Lord Jesus seeks the co-operation
of those who will become unobstructed

250

channels for the communication of His grace. The first thing to be learned
by all who would become workers together with God is the lesson of
self-distrust; then they are prepared to have imparted to them the character
of Christ. This is not to be gained through education in the most scientific
schools. It is the fruit of wisdom that is obtained from the divine Teacher
alone.

Jesus chose unlearned fishermen because they had not been schooled in the
traditions and erroneous customs of their time. They were men of native
ability, and they were humble and teachable,--men whom He could educate for
His work. In the common walks of life there is many a man patiently treading
the round of daily toil, unconscious that he possesses powers which, if
called into action, would raise him to an equality with the world's most
honored men. The touch of a skillful hand is needed to arouse those dormant
faculties. It was such men that Jesus called to be His colaborers; and He
gave them the advantage of association with Himself. Never had the world's
great men such a teacher. When the disciples came forth from the Saviour's
training, they were no longer ignorant and uncultured. They had become like
Him in mind and character, and men took knowledge of them that they had been
with Jesus.

It is not the highest work of education to communicate knowledge merely, but
to impart that vitalizing energy which is received through the contact of
mind with mind, and soul with soul. It is only life that can beget life.
What privilege, then, was theirs who for three years were in daily contact
with that divine life from which has flowed every life-giving impulse that
has blessed the world! Above all his companions, John the beloved disciple
yielded himself to the power of that wondrous life. He says, "The life was
manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that
eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us." "Of
His fullness have all we received, and grace for grace." 1 John 1:2; John
1:16.

In the apostles of our Lord there was nothing to bring glory to themselves.
It was evident that the success of their labors was due only to God. The
lives of these men, the characters they developed, and the mighty work that
God wrought through them, are a testimony to what He will do for all who are
teachable and obedient.

He who loves Christ the most will do the greatest amount of good. There is
no limit to the usefulness of one who, by putting self aside,

251

makes room for the working of the Holy Spirit upon his heart, and lives a
life wholly consecrated to God. If men will endure the necessary discipline,
without complaining or fainting by the way, God will teach them hour by
hour, and day by day. He longs to reveal His grace. If His people will
remove the obstructions, He will pour forth the waters of salvation in
abundant streams through the human channels. If men in humble life were
encouraged to do all the good they could do, if restraining hands were not
laid upon them to repress their zeal, there would be a hundred workers for
Christ where now there is one.

God takes men as they are, and educates them for His service, if they will
yield themselves to Him. The Spirit of God, received into the soul, will
quicken all its faculties. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the mind
that is devoted unreservedly to God develops harmoniously, and is
strengthened to comprehend and fulfill the requirements of God. The weak,
vacillating character becomes changed to one of strength and steadfastness.
Continual devotion establishes so close a relation between Jesus and His
disciple that the Christian becomes like Him in mind and character. Through
a connection with Christ he will have clearer and broader views. His
discernment will be more penetrative, his judgment better balanced. He who
longs to be of service to Christ is so quickened by the life-giving power of
the Sun of Righteousness that he is enabled to bear much fruit to the glory
of God.

Men of the highest education in the arts and sciences have learned precious
lessons from Christians in humble life who were designated by the world as
unlearned. But these obscure disciples had obtained an education in the
highest of all schools. They had sat at the feet of Him who spoke as "never
man spake."

(252)

Chapter 26

At Capernaum

At Capernaum Jesus dwelt in the intervals of His journeys to and fro, and it
came to be known as "His own city." It was on the shores of the Sea of
Galilee, and near the borders of the beautiful plain of Gennesaret, if not
actually upon it.

The deep depression of the lake gives to the plain that skirts its shores
the genial climate of the south. Here in the days of Christ flourished the
palm tree and the olive, here were orchards and vineyards, green fields, and
brightly blooming flowers in rich luxuriance, all watered by living streams
bursting from the cliffs. The shores of the lake, and the hills that at a
little distance encircle it, were dotted with towns and villages. The lake
was covered with fishing boats. Everywhere was the stir of busy, active
life.

Capernaum itself was well adapted to be the center of the Saviour's work.
Being on the highway from Damascus to Jerusalem and Egypt, and to the
Mediterranean Sea, it was a great thoroughfare of travel. People from many
lands passed through the city, or tarried for rest in their journeyings to
and fro. Here Jesus could meet all nations and all ranks, the rich and great
as well as the poor and lowly, and His lessons would be carried to other
countries and into many households.

253

Investigation of the prophecies would thus be excited, attention would be
directed to the Saviour, and His mission would be brought before the world.

Notwithstanding the action of the Sanhedrin against Jesus, the people
eagerly awaited the development of His mission. All heaven was astir with
interest. Angels were preparing the way for His ministry, moving upon men's
hearts, and drawing them to the Saviour.

In Capernaum the nobleman's son whom Christ had healed was a witness to His
power. And the court official and his household joyfully testified of their
faith. When it was known that the Teacher Himself was among them, the whole
city was aroused. Multitudes flocked to His presence. On the Sabbath the
people crowded the synagogue until great numbers had to turn away, unable to
find entrance.

All who heard the Saviour "were astonished at His doctrine: for His word was
with power." "He taught them as one having authority, and not as the
scribes." Luke 4:32; Matt. 7:29. The teaching of the scribes and elders was
cold and formal, like a lesson learned by rote. To them the word of God
possessed no vital power. Their own ideas and traditions were substituted
for its teaching. In the accustomed round of service they professed to
explain the law, but no inspiration from God stirred their own hearts or the
hearts of their hearers.

Jesus had nothing to do with the various subjects of dissension among the
Jews. It was His work to present the truth. His words shed a flood of light
upon the teachings of patriarchs and prophets, and the Scriptures came to
men as a new revelation. Never before had His hearers perceived such a depth
of meaning in the word of God.

Jesus met the people on their own ground, as one who was acquainted with
their perplexities. He made truth beautiful by presenting it in the most
direct and simple way. His language was pure, refined, and clear as a
running stream. His voice was as music to those who had listened to the
monotonous tones of the rabbis. But while His teaching was simple, He spoke
as one having authority. This characteristic set His teaching in contrast
with that of all others. The rabbis spoke with doubt and hesitancy, as if
the Scriptures might be interpreted to mean one thing or exactly the
opposite. The hearers were daily involved in greater uncertainty. But Jesus
taught the Scriptures as of unquestionable authority. Whatever His subject,
it was presented with power, as if His words could not be controverted.

254

Yet He was earnest, rather than vehement. He spoke as one who had a definite
purpose to fulfill. He was bringing to view the realities of the eternal
world. In every theme God was revealed. Jesus sought to break the spell of
infatuation which keeps men absorbed in earthly things. He placed the things
of this life in their true relation, as subordinate to those of eternal
interest; but He did not ignore their importance. He taught that heaven and
earth are linked together, and that a knowledge of divine truth prepares men
better to perform the duties of everyday life. He spoke as one familiar with
heaven, conscious of His relationship to God, yet recognizing His unity with
every member of the human family.

His messages of mercy were varied to suit His audience. He knew "how to
speak a word in season to him that is weary" (Isa. 50:4); for grace was
poured upon His lips, that He might convey to men in the most attractive way
the treasures of truth. He had tact to meet the prejudiced minds, and
surprise them with illustrations that won their attention.Through the
imagination He reached the heart. His illustrations were taken from the
things of daily life, and although they were simple, they had in them a
wonderful depth of meaning. The birds of the air, the lilies of the field,
the seed, the shepherd and the sheep,--with these objects Christ illustrated
immortal truth; and ever afterward, when His hearers chanced to see these
things of nature, they recalled His words. Christ's illustrations constantly
repeated His lessons.

Christ never flattered men. He never spoke that which would exalt their
fancies and imaginations, nor did He praise them for their clever
inventions; but deep, unprejudiced thinkers received His teaching, and found
that it tested their wisdom. They marveled at the spiritual truth expressed
in the simplest language. The most highly educated were charmed with His
words, and the uneducated were always profited. He had a message for the
illiterate; and He made even the heathen to understand that He had a message
for them.

His tender compassion fell with a touch of healing upon weary and troubled
hearts. Even amid the turbulence of angry enemies He was surrounded with an
atmosphere of peace. The beauty of His countenance, the loveliness of His
character, above all, the love expressed in look and tone, drew to Him all
who were not hardened in unbelief. Had it not been for the sweet,
sympathetic spirit that shone out in every look and word, He would not have
attracted the large congregations that He did. The afflicted ones who came
to Him felt that He linked His

255

interest with theirs as a faithful and tender friend, and they desired to
know more of the truths He taught. Heaven was brought near. They longed to
abide in His presence, that the comfort of His love might be with them
continually.

Jesus watched with deep earnestness the changing countenances of His
hearers. The faces that expressed interest and pleasure gave Him great
satisfaction. As the arrows of truth pierced to the soul, breaking through
the barriers of selfishness, and working contrition, and finally gratitude,
the Saviour was made glad. When His eye swept over the throng of listeners,
and He recognized among them the faces He had before seen, His countenance
lighted up with joy. He saw in them hopeful subjects for His kingdom. When
the truth, plainly spoken, touched some cherished idol, He marked the change
of countenance, the cold, forbidding look, which told that the light was
unwelcome. When He saw men refuse the message of peace, His heart was
pierced to the very depths.

Jesus in the synagogue spoke of the kingdom He had come to establish, and of
His mission to set free the captives of Satan. He was interrupted by a
shriek of terror. A madman rushed forward from among the people, crying out,
"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."

All was now confusion and alarm. The attention of the people was diverted
from Christ, and His words were unheeded. This was Satan's purpose in
leading his victim to the synagogue. But Jesus rebuked the demon, saying,
"Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the devil had thrown him in
the midst, he came out of him, and hurt him not."

The mind of this wretched sufferer had been darkened by Satan, but in the
Saviour's presence a ray of light had pierced the gloom. He was roused to
long for freedom from Satan's control; but the demon resisted the power of
Christ. When the man tried to appeal to Jesus for help, the evil spirit put
words into his mouth, and he cried out in an agony of fear. The demoniac
partially comprehended that he was in the presence of One who could set him
free; but when he tried to come within reach of that mighty hand, another's
will held him, another's words found utterance through him. The conflict
between the power of Satan and his own desire for freedom was terrible.

256

He who had conquered Satan in the wilderness of temptation was again brought
face to face with His enemy. The demon exerted all his power to retain
control of his victim. To lose ground here would be to give Jesus a victory.
It seemed that the tortured man must lose his life in the struggle with the
foe that had been the ruin of his manhood. But the Saviour spoke with
authority, and set the captive free. The man who had been possessed stood
before the wondering people happy in the freedom of self-possession. Even
the demon had testified to the divine power of the Saviour.

The man praised God for his deliverance. The eye that had so lately glared
with the fire of insanity, now beamed with intelligence, and overflowed with
grateful tears. The people were dumb with amazement. As soon as they
recovered speech they exclaimed, one to another, "What is this? a new
teaching! with authority He commandeth even the unclean spirits, and they
obey Him." Mark 1:27, R. V.

The secret cause of the affliction that had made this man a fearful
spectacle to his friends and a burden to himself was in his own life. He had
been fascinated by the pleasures of sin, and had thought to make life a
grand carnival. He did not dream of becoming a terror to the world and the
reproach of his family. He thought his time could be spent in innocent
folly. But once in the downward path, his feet rapidly descended.
Intemperance and frivolity perverted the noble attributes of his nature, and
Satan took absolute control of him.

Remorse came too la