At this time Jesus saith, "Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I
say? Father, save me from this hour; but for this cause came I unto
this hour. Father, glorify thy name." By these last words Jesus
expressed His willingness to give Himself up entirely to God, that God
might do with Him whatever would be for His own praise and glory. This
same feeling of perfect resignation and self-denial should also govern
us in all things. Jesus spake these words, and "then came there a
voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify
it again. The people therefore that stood by, and heard it, said that
it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him."
One of the most ancient signs, or tokens, of the presence of God was a
voice from heaven, uttering words that could be heard by man. The Jews
called such a voice "the Bath Col," which means the "Daughter of the
Voice." It was often a deep, loud sound, attended, as in this case,
with thunder; and many would not now believe it to be anything more.
Others, who knew that their fathers of old had been spoken to in this
way, acknowledged it to be the voice of an angel.
Jesus told those around Him, that this Voice came to show them that He
was the true Messiah.
Many other things spake He unto them; but although they had seen so
many miracles done by Him, yet they believed not that he was the
Messiah; thus fulfilling the words spoken by Isaiah the prophet.
"Nevertheless, among the chief rulers also many believed on him but,
because of the Pharisees, they did not confess him, lest they should
be put out of the synagogue. For they loved the praise of men more
than the praise of God."
The fear of man bringeth a snare. Never let us be tempted, for fear of
man, to say or do the least thing which we know to be displeasing to
God.
In the evening, Jesus again left Jerusalem, and lodged in Bethany,
with the twelve disciples.
We are now come to the last week of our Saviour's life: we call it
"Passion Week," because of His sufferings and death, which are often
spoken of as "His Passion." The Sunday that begins this Holy Week is
often called Palm Sunday, in remembrance of Christ's riding into
Jerusalem, accompanied by multitudes carrying Palm branches; but in
our Prayer Book it is only called "The Sunday next before Easter."
On this first day of the week, Jesus, after He had finished speaking
to the people in the temple, went out to the little village of
Bethany. Now the next morning, answering to our Monday in Passion
Week, Jesus and His disciples returned into the city. On the way "he
hungered, and seeing a fig tree by the way side having leaves, he came
to it, if haply he might find any fruit thereon; for the time of figs
was not yet,"--that is, it was not yet time for the figs to have been
gathered, and therefore a tree which looked so flourishing ought to
have had fruit upon it. But there was none; nothing, but leaves only.
"Then Jesus said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for
ever. And his disciples heard it."
And they came to Jerusalem, and went into the temple. It appears that,
though driven out at the time, the buyers, and sellers, and
money-changers had again established themselves in their former
places. Again did our Lord cast them out, reminding them that His
house was to be a house of prayer only: and this time we are told,
that He "would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through
the temple." Jesus remained in the temple teaching the people, who
"were very attentive to hear him." "And the Scribes, and the Chief
Priests, and the chief of the people heard it, and sought how they
might destroy him"; but they could do nothing openly for fear of the
people, who were "astonished at his doctrine," and evidently inclined
at this time to believe in Him as the Messiah.
The next morning, answering to Tuesday in Passion Week, Jesus and the
twelve again returned to Jerusalem; and "as they passed by, they saw
the fig tree dried up from the roots. And when the disciples saw it,
they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away! And
Peter, calling to remembrance" (what had happened the day before),
"saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is
withered away! And Jesus, answering, saith unto them, Have faith in
God." Then He went on to speak to them of the necessity of having
faith; and told them that, if their faith were strong, the most
difficult things would become easy for them to do. He also told them
to pray earnestly in faith; for that the faithful never pray in vain:
but He again warned the disciples, that if they asked God to forgive
their sins, they must truly forgive all who had in any way offended or
hurt them; saying, "For if ye do not forgive, neither will your
Father, which is in heaven, forgive your trespasses."
The fate of the fig tree teaches two lessons. In the first place, it
was a warning to the Jews, who made a great show of their religion,
and were very particular in performing all the outward forms and
ceremonies which could be seen by men, and lead them to believe that
those who did such things must be really good and religious men. Thus
they were like the fig tree, with its green leaves making a good show
to the eye. But the Jews, with all their outward show, did not do the
Will of God: they did not bring forth the fruit of good works, and so
their whole religion was valueless, and was to be put an end to by the
destruction of the temple. Here again they were like the fig tree,
which, in spite of its flourishing leaves, bore no figs, and being
therefore useless, was to wither away.
But from all this we may learn an important lesson for ourselves. We
should each compare ourselves to this fig tree, and consider whether
we bear fruit, or have only a show of leaves. Leaves would be outward
observances; such things as can be seen of men. Going to Church, even
reading the Bible and saying our Prayers, may be looked upon as
leaves, because they can be seen and known by others: but, if under
these good leaves there is no fruit of obedience, kindness,
self-denial, and holiness,--in short, if we are not trying to please
God by growing better and better day by day, where is the fruit?
If, in spite of our Bible and our prayers, we follow our own wills,
and indulge our own naughty tempers and feelings, then we are like the
barren fig tree; and in the end, like that, we shall be rejected by
our Lord in heaven. Let each of us often ask our own conscience this
question, Am I a good or bad fig tree? Have I only leaves, or do I
bear fruit also?
At this time Jesus taught daily in the temple; and on one occasion the
Chief Priests and the Scribes and the elders of the people "spake unto
him, saying, Tell us by what authority thou doest these things? And
Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing,
which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I
do these things. The baptism of John, whence was it? was it from
heaven, or of men? Answer me."
This question greatly perplexed those to whom it was put. They saw
plainly, that if they acknowledged that John the Baptist was sent by
God, Jesus would justly say, Why then did ye not believe him, when he
told you I was the Messiah? On the other hand, they were afraid to say
that John had no authority from God, because all the people looked
upon him as a prophet, and would be ready to stone any one who said
that he was not. "And they answered and said unto Jesus, We cannot
tell whence it was." They had not asked the question from any real
wish to know, for they would not speak what they felt to be the truth,
because it would show that they were wrong. Under such circumstances,
"Jesus answering saith unto them, Neither do I tell you by what
authority I do these things."
But our Lord did not leave them without an answer, if they would have
laid it to heart; for, in the parable of the man who bid his two sons
"go work to-day in my vineyard," He showed them plainly, that, in
spite of all their profession of religion, they did not do what God
had bade them, and therefore they would lose His favour; whilst the
Gentiles, and all who repented and became the obedient sons of God,
would go into the kingdom of heaven before them.
"Then began he to speak to the people another parable" of the
householder; who, after planting a vineyard and doing all that was
necessary to make it produce good wine, sent first his servants and
then his son to receive the fruits: but instead of making the proper
return, the servants were ill-used, and the son killed. The people, on
being asked what the lord of the vineyard would do to such men,
answered, "He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let
out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the
fruits in their due season." Jesus then showed them, that this
parable exactly described what the Jewish nation had done; and He
said, "Therefore I say unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken
from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof."
Jesus also spake another parable, wherein the kingdom of heaven is
said to be like unto a certain king, which made a marriage feast for
his son. This parable taught the same lesson; that if people will not
come to God when He calls them, He will deprive them of the blessings
they do not value. At the end of this parable, the king is represented
as sending away into punishment a man who had not on a wedding
garment. This is to warn us, that though the Lord has now given to
Christians the blessings refused by the Jews, it is not enough to be
called a Christian: each one of us must be really and truly a
Christian in heart and life; clothed, as it were, with faith, love,
obedience, and holiness, as with a wedding garment: without this, no
man can enter into Christ's Church in Heaven.