The Life of Christ and the Development of the Church in New
Testament Times
By John Gresham Machen, D.D.
LESSON I
The Preparation
At the time when the Old Testament narrative closes, the Jews
were under the rule of Persia. The Persian control continued for
about one hundred years more, and then gave way to the empire of
Alexander the Great. Alexander was king of Macedonia, a country
to the north of Greece; but the language and culture of his court
were Greek. After Greece proper had been conquered by Alexander's
father, Philip, Alexander himself proceeded to the conquest of
the East. The Persian Empire fell in 331 B.C., and with the
other Persian possessions Jerusalem came into the hands of the
conqueror. In 323 B.C., when Alexander died, his vast empire, which
extended around the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea and to
the borders of India, at once fell to pieces. But the kingdoms
into which the empire was divided were to a large extent Greek
kingdoms. Short-lived, therefore, as Alexander's empire was, it
had the permanent effect of spreading the Greek language and Greek
civilization over the Eastern world. It became thus, as will be
seen, one of the most important factors in the divine preparation
for the gospel.
After the death of Alexander, the country of Judea became a bone
of contention between two of the kingdoms into which Alexander's
empire was divided--the Greek kingdom of Syria and the Greek kingdom
of Egypt. At last, however, the Syrian kingdom, with its capital
at Antioch, near the northeastern corner of the Mediterranean Sea,
gained the upper hand. Judea became part of the territory of the
Syrian monarchs.
In the reign of Antiochus IV of Syria, called Antiochus Epiphanes,
175-164 B.C., the Jews began a war for independence. Antiochus
Epiphanes had desecrated the Temple at Jerusalem by setting up an
image of a heathen god in the Holy of Holies. The result was the
glorious revolt of the Jews under Mattathias and his sons--the
family of the Maccabees. The Maccabean uprising, of which a stirring
account has been preserved in the First Book of the Maccabees, an
apocryphal book attached to the Old Testament, certainly constitutes
one of the most glorious chapters in the history of liberty. The
uprising was successful, and for about one hundred years the little
country of the Jews, though surrounded by powerful neighbors,
succeeded in maintaining its independence.
At first the Maccabees had been animated by a religious motive; the
revolt had been due not to an interference with what may be called
civil liberty, but to the desecration by Antiochus Epiphanes of the
Temple and to the attempt at prohibiting the worship of Jehovah. As
time went on, however, the Maccabean rulers became more worldly in
their purposes and thus alienated the devout element among their
people. Hence the little kingdom became an easy prey to the next
great world empire which appeared upon the scene.
That empire was the empire of Rome. Originally a small city-state
in Italy, Rome had gradually extended her conquests until she came
into conflict with Greece and with the Greek kingdoms of the Eastern
world. Weakened by many causes, the successors of Alexander soon
succumbed, and among them the monarchs of Syria. Judea could not
resist the new conqueror. In 63 B.C., the famous Roman general,
Pompey, entered Jerusalem, and Jewish independence was at an end.
The Roman control was exerted in Palestine for a time through
subservient high priests, until in 37 B.C. Herod the Great was made
king. Herod was not a real Jew, but an Idumæan; and at heart he
had little or no attachment to the Jews' religion. But he was wise
enough not to offend Jewish feeling in the outrageous way that had
proved so disastrous to Antiochus Epiphanes. Throughout his reign
Herod was of course thoroughly subservient to the Romans; though a
king, he was strictly a vassal king. Herod reigned from 37 B.C. to 4
B.C. His kingdom embraced not only Judea, but all Palestine. It was
near the end of Herod's reign that our Saviour was born. Thus the
reckoning of the Christian era, which was instituted many centuries
after Christ, is at least four years too low; Jesus was born a
little earlier than 4 B.C.
When Pompey conquered Jerusalem in 63 B.C., Rome was still a
republic. But before many years had elapsed Julius Cæsar assumed the
supreme power, and the ancient Roman liberties were gone. After the
assassination of Cæsar in 44 B.C., there was a long period of civil
war. Finally Augustus was triumphant, and the Roman Empire began. In
the long reign of Augustus, 27 B.C. to A.D. 14, our Saviour was born.
The political events which have just been outlined did not take
place by chance. They were all parts of the plan of God which
prepared for the coming of the Lord. When Jesus finally came, the
world was prepared for his coming.
In the first place, the Roman Empire provided that peace and unity
which was needed for the spread of the gospel. War interrupts
communication between nations. But when the apostles went forth from
Jerusalem to spread the good news of Christ to the world, there was
no war to interrupt their course. Nation was bound to nation under
the strong hand of Rome. Travel was comparatively safe and easy, and
despite occasional persecution the earliest missionaries usually
enjoyed the protection of Roman law.
In the second place, the Greek language provided a medium of
communication. When the Romans conquered the Eastern world, they
did not endeavor to substitute their own language for the language
which already prevailed. Such an attempt would only have produced
confusion. Indeed, the Romans themselves adopted the Greek language
as a convenient medium of communication. Greek thus became a world
language. The original, local languages of the various countries
continued to be used (Aramaic, for example, was used in Palestine),
but Greek was a common medium. Thus when the apostles went forth to
the evangelization of the world, there were no barriers of language
to check their course.
In the third place, the dispersion of the Jews provided the early
missionaries everywhere with a starting point for their labors. As
a result not only of captivity, but also of voluntary emigration,
the Jews in the first century were scattered abroad throughout the
cities of the world very much as they are scattered to-day. But
there was one important difference. To-day the Jewish synagogues are
attended only by Jews. In those days they were attended also by men
of other races. Thus when Paul and the other Christian missionaries
exercised their privilege of speaking in the synagogues, they were
speaking not only to Jews but also to a picked audience of Gentiles.
QUESTIONS ON LESSON I
1. Name in order the foreign powers which possessed the country
of the Jews, beginning with Old Testament times and continuing
down to the present day.
2. What was the importance of the Maccabean uprising in the
preparation for the coming of the Lord? What would have
happened if Antiochus Epiphanes had been successful?
3. What was the importance of the Roman Empire for the spread
of the gospel? of the Greek language? of the dispersion of
the Jews?
LESSON II
The Coming of the Lord
John 1:1-18
When the Son of God came to earth for our salvation, the world was
ready for his coming. The whole course of history had been made to
lead up to him. And he was well worthy of being thus the goal of
history. For the One who came was none other than the eternal Son
of God, the Word who was with God and who was God. He had existed
from all eternity; he had been the instrument in creating the world.
He was himself truly God, the same in substance with the Father,
and equal in power and glory. Yet the One who was so great humbled
himself to be born as a man and finally to suffer and die. His
coming was a voluntary act, an act of the Father in giving him for
the sins of the world, and his own act which he performed because he
loved us. It was an act of infinite condescension. The Son of God
humbled himself to lead a true human life; he took upon himself our
nature. He was born, he grew in wisdom and stature, he suffered, he
died. He was always God, but he became also man. Who can measure the
depth of such condescending love?
What, then, was the manner of his coming? The story is told, in
beautiful narrative, in the first two chapters of Matthew and Luke.
Luke 1:5-25, 57-80
First, the birth of John the Baptist, the forerunner, was announced
by the angel Gabriel to Zacharias, a devout priest, as he was
ministering in the Temple. Luke 1:5-25. Zacharias was old; he had
given up hope of children. The promise seemed to him too wonderful
to be true; he doubted the angel's word. But the punishment which
was inflicted upon him for his doubt was temporary merely, and the
bitterness of it was swallowed up in joy for the child that was
born. The tongue of Zacharias, which had been dumb on account of
his sin, was loosed, and he uttered a wonderful song of praise. Vs.
57-80.
Luke 1:26-56
But before John was born, in fulfillment of the angel's promise,
there was a promise of a greater than John. Luke 1:26-56. "The
angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named
Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of
the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary." It was a far
more wonderful promise than that which had come to Zacharias, not
only because of the greater glory of the promised Son, but also
because of the mystery of his birth. The child was to have no human
father, but was to be given by the power of the Holy Spirit. But
this time, despite the strangeness of the promise, there was no
unbelief, as in the case of Zacharias. "Behold, the handmaid of the
Lord," said Mary; "be it unto me according to thy word." And then
Mary went to Judea to visit her kinswoman Elisabeth, the wife of
Zacharias; and while in Judea she gave glorious expression to her
thanksgiving in the hymn which is called, from the first word of it
in the Latin translation, the "Magnificat"--"My soul doth magnify
the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour." Then Mary
returned to her own home in Nazareth.
Matthew 1:18-25
But another announcement of the Saviour's birth was made to Joseph,
who was betrothed to Mary. Matt. 1:18-25. Joseph was to have the
high privilege of caring for the child that was to be born. "Fear
not to take unto thee Mary thy wife," said the angel to Joseph in a
dream, "for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit."
And here again, there was no unbelief and no disobedience. Joseph
"did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took unto him his
wife."
Luke 2:1-7
Joseph and Mary lived in Nazareth, a town of the northern part of
Palestine, which was called Galilee. But the promised Child was to
belong to the house of David, and it was fitting that he should be
born at Bethlehem, a little town five miles south of Jerusalem where
David himself had been born. To cause him to be born at Bethlehem,
God made use of an event of world politics. Luke 2:1-7. A decree had
gone out from the emperor, Augustus, that the whole empire should be
enrolled. This enrollment or census seems to have been carried out
in the kingdom of Herod the Great by the Jewish method which took
account of family relationships. So, although at the time Joseph and
Mary were living at Nazareth, they went up to the home of Joseph's
ancestors, to Bethlehem, to be enrolled. And at Bethlehem the
Saviour was born. There was no room in the lodging place. The Child
was laid, therefore, in a manger that was intended for the feeding
of cattle.
Luke 2:8-20
But humble as were the surroundings of the newborn King, his birth
was not without manifestations of glory. Luke 2:8-20. Shepherds,
keeping watch in the fields by night, heard a multitude of the
heavenly host praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among men in whom he is well pleased." The
shepherds went then to see the sign which had been made known to
them. It was a strange sign indeed--Christ the Lord, the promised
King, wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger!
Luke 2:21-38; Matthew 2:1-12
Forty days after the birth of Jesus, Joseph and Mary made the
offering according to the Old Testament law, and presented the
Child, as the first-born, to the Lord in the Temple at Jerusalem.
Luke 2:21-38. Then they must have returned to Bethlehem, for it was
at Bethlehem that gifts were presented by Wise Men from the East.
Matt. 2:1-12. The Wise Men had been guided to Bethlehem partly by a
wonderful star which they had first seen in their own country, and
partly by questions which were answered by the scribes.
Matthew 2:13-23
But the life of the infant Saviour was not all to be a hearing of
angels' songs and a reception of gold and frankincense and myrrh.
The Lord had come to suffer for the sins of the world, and the last
great suffering on the cross was anticipated by the persecution
which came in the early days. Matt. 2:13-18. The suspicions of
Herod, the jealous king, had been aroused by the questions of the
Wise Men. He sent to Bethlehem to put a possible rival out of the
way. But it was too late. The king's rage was vented upon the
innocent children of the little town, but God had cared for the
infant Saviour. The Lord was finally to die for the sins of the
world. But meanwhile many words of wisdom and grace were to fall
from his lips; his hour was not yet come. Joseph was warned of God
in a dream, and took the young Child and his mother away to Egypt,
out of the way of harm, until Herod the Great was dead. Then they
returned to Nazareth, where the Child was to spend long, quiet years
of preparation for his work.
QUESTIONS ON LESSON II
1. What life had our Saviour lived before he came to earth? Did
he cease to be God while he was on earth?
2. Why did he come?
3. Who was his forerunner? What sort of persons were the parents
of the forerunner?
4. How did Jesus come to be born at Bethlehem?
5. What was the character of his mother?
LESSON III
The Baptism
Luke 2:40-50
The New Testament tells very little about the boyhood and early
manhood of our Saviour. One incident, however, is narrated. Luke
2:41-50. Joseph and Mary, we are told, were in the habit of going up
from Galilee to Jerusalem every year in the spring at the feast of
the passover. When Jesus was twelve years old, he went up with them.
But when they left Jerusalem on the return, Jesus remained behind
in the Temple, to study the Old Testament; and when Joseph and Mary
found him, he replied to their inquiries, "Knew ye not that I must
be about my Father's business?" The incident shows the presence
even in the human consciousness of the boy Jesus of a knowledge of
the great mission that he was called to fulfill and of his special
relation to God.
Luke 2:51, 52
But the consciousness of these great things did not prevent our
Saviour from performing the humble tasks of daily life and from
being obedient to his human parents. Luke 2:51, 52. Jesus became a
carpenter, and since Joseph also was a carpenter, no doubt Jesus
learned the trade in early youth. Mark 6:3; Matt. 13:55. For many
years, till he was about thirty years old, the Saviour of the world
labored at the carpenter's bench, and lived as an obedient son in a
humble home at Nazareth. Luke 3:23.
At last, however, the time came for the beginning of his public
ministry. Before that ministry is studied, it may be well to cast
a glance at the condition of the country into which Jesus now came
forward.
When Herod the Great died in 4 B.C., his dominions were divided
among his three sons. Archelaus received Judea, the southern part
of Palestine, with Jerusalem as its chief city; Herod Antipas, the
"Herod" who is mentioned in the Gospels in connection with Jesus'
public ministry, received Galilee and a district to the east of the
Jordan River called Perea; and Philip received a region lying to
the east of Galilee and to the north of Perea. When Archelaus was
banished in A.D. 6, his territory was placed under the control of
Roman officials called procurators. The procurator who was in office
during Jesus' public ministry was Pontius Pilate. Herod Antipas,
with the title of "tetrarch," continued to rule until A.D. 39;
Philip until about A.D. 33. The public ministry of Jesus extended
from A.D. 26 or 27 to A.D. 29 or 30. During most of that time he
was in the territory of Herod Antipas and of Pontius Pilate, though
occasionally he entered the territory of Philip.
Matthew 3:1-12, and Parallels
The beginning of Jesus' public ministry was prepared for by the work
of John the Baptist. Matt. 3:1-12, and parallels. John was the last
and greatest prophet of the old dispensation, who came just before
the dawn of the new age. For centuries prophecy had been silent. But
at last a prophet came in the spirit and power of Elijah to prepare
the heart of the people for the promised Messiah.
Even in dress and in manner of life, John was like a prophet of the
olden time. His food was locusts and wild honey; he was clothed with
a rough camel's-hair garment; and his preaching was carried on in
the deserts. The substance of his message is summed up in the words,
"Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Matt. 3:2.
The phrase, "kingdom of heaven," or "kingdom of God," was evidently
familiar to the hearers of John, and the meaning of the phrase, up
to a certain point, is perfectly clear. As the kingdom of Cæsar
is the place where Cæsar bears rule, so the Kingdom of God is the
place, or the condition, where God bears rule. In one sense, the
whole universe is the Kingdom of God, for nothing happens apart from
God's will. But evidently John was using the phrase in some narrower
sense; he meant by the Kingdom of God the condition where God's will
is wrought out to completion, where the sinful disobedience which
prevails in the world is banished and God is truly King.
The Jews expected an age which should be under the perfect control
of God. But they were surprised by what John the Baptist said about
the requirements for entrance into that age. They had supposed that
all Jews would have the blessing of the Kingdom, but John told
them that only the righteous would be allowed to enter in. It was
a startling message, since the hearers of John knew only too well
that they did not possess the righteousness which was required.
Repentance, therefore, or cleansing from sin, was necessary. And the
sign of cleansing was baptism.
Matthew 3:13 to 4:11, and Parallels
Among those who came to be baptized was Jesus of Nazareth. Matt.
3:13-15, and parallels. Jesus did not need to be baptized for his
own sake, for he had no sin to be washed away. But his baptism was
part of what he was doing for his people. Just as on the cross he
received the punishment of sin, though there was no sin of his own,
so in his baptism he represented the sinful people whom he came to
save.
When Jesus had been baptized, there was a wonderful event which was
perceived not only by him but also by John the Baptist. Matt. 3:16,
17, and parallels. The Holy Spirit descended upon him in the form
of a dove, and there was a voice from heaven which said, "This is
my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." This event marks the
beginning of Jesus' public ministry as Messiah. He had been the
Messiah already, and he had already possessed the Holy Spirit; but
now the power of the Spirit impelled him to come forward definitely
as the promised One.
At the very beginning, however, there was temptation to be overcome.
Matt. 4:1-11, and parallels. Jesus was led up from the deep Jordan
Valley, where the baptism had taken place, into the wilderness on
the heights. And there he was tempted. The temptation was based
upon the holy experience which he had just received. The voice from
heaven had designated Jesus as Son of God. "If that be true," said
the Tempter, "if thou art really Son of God, use thy power to obtain
creature comfort, test out thy power by casting thyself down from a
pinnacle of the Temple, obtain the immediate enjoyment of thy power
by doing obeisance to me." The Devil quoted Scripture for his evil
purpose. But Jesus did not need to repudiate the Scripture in order
to refute him. The Holy Scriptures themselves contained a sufficient
answer to every suggestion of the Evil One. The great victory was
won. The Kingdom of the Messiah was not to be a worldly realm, and
it was not to be won by worldly means. The path to the Messiah's
throne led by the way of the cross. And that path our Saviour was
willing to tread for our sakes.
QUESTIONS ON LESSON III
1. What is known about the boyhood and youth of Jesus?
2. Describe the physical features and the political divisions of
Palestine at the time of our Lord. Where was Jesus born, where
did he spend his youth, and where was he baptized?
3. What was the meaning of John's baptism? Why was Jesus
baptized?
4. What was the meaning of each of the three temptations, and
how did Jesus overcome them?
LESSON IV
The Early Judean Ministry
John 1:19-34
After the temptation Jesus descended again into the Jordan Valley,
where the baptism had taken place. There he received the testimony
of John the Baptist. John 1:19-34. John had come not to perform a
work of his own, but to be a witness to the greater One who was to
follow. He put aside, therefore, all thoughts of personal ambition,
declared plainly that he was not the Christ, and rejoiced when his
disciples left him in order to follow the One whom he had come to
announce. John had had revealed to him, moreover, not merely the
fact that Jesus was the Saviour, but also something of the way in
which the salvation was to be wrought. Jesus was to die, like a
sacrificial lamb, for the sins of others. "Behold, the Lamb of God,"
said John to his disciples, "that taketh away the sin of the world!"
John 1:35-51
Two pairs of brothers, in those early days, left John to follow the
Saviour. John 1:35-42. One pair consisted of Andrew and Peter; the
other, no doubt, consisted of the two sons of Zebedee, James and
John, although John, who wrote the Gospel in which this narrative is
contained, has never mentioned his own name in his book. Two other
men, besides these four, came to Jesus on the following day--Philip
and Nathanael. Vs. 43-51.
John 2:1-11
After the meeting with these six disciples, our Lord ascended again
from the valley of the Jordan to the higher country of Galilee. And
there, in the village of Cana, he wrought the first of his miracles.
John 2:1-11. He was a guest at a wedding feast, and when the wine
ran out he supplied the lack by turning water into wine. Thereby he
not only manifested his power, but also indicated the manner of his
ministry. He was not to be an austere person like John the Baptist,
living far from the habitations of men. On the contrary, his
ministry was, for those whom he came to win, a ministry of joy. He
entered not merely into the sorrows, but also into the joys of men;
the One who was to die for the sins of the world was also willing to
grace a marriage feast!
John 2:12-22
After a brief sojourn at Capernaum, on the shores of the Sea of
Galilee, where he was afterwards to carry on a large part of his
ministry, Jesus went southward to Jerusalem at passover time. At
Jerusalem his first recorded act was an act of stern rebuke. John
2:13-22. The Temple area was filled with the tables of those who
sold the sheep and oxen and doves which were intended for sacrifice;
the sacred precincts of God's house had been made a place of
business. There was no hesitation on the part of Jesus; he made a
scourge of cords and drove the traffickers out. It is a mistake to
suppose that the wonderful gentleness of our Saviour or his gracious
participation in innocent joys was any indication of weakness.
Though always merciful to the penitent, Jesus could be indignant
against blatant sinners; and the righteous anger of the Saviour was
a terrible thing.
John 2:23-25
At Jerusalem Jesus won adherents because of the miracles which he
wrought. But he was able to distinguish true devotion from that
which was false. He "knew all men, ... and needed not that any one
should bear witness concerning man; for he himself knew what was in
man." John 2:24, 25.
John 3:1-15
One example of this knowledge was afforded by the case of Nicodemus,
John 3:1-15; Jesus knew what Nicodemus lacked. Nicodemus, a ruler
of the Jews, came to Jesus by night, to discuss the substance of
what Jesus had been saying. But our Lord would not waste time with
things that lay on the surface. He went straight to the heart of the
matter, and said to Nicodemus, "Ye must be born anew." V. 7. None
of the learning, none of the worldly influence of Nicodemus would
avail; true life could come only by a new birth, which all, rich and
poor, learned and ignorant, must receive, and receive, not by their
own efforts, but by the mysterious power of the Spirit of God. Jesus
spoke, too, on that memorable night, of the sacrificial death which
he himself was to die for the sins of men. "As Moses lifted up the
serpent in the wilderness," he said, "even so must the Son of man be
lifted up; that whosoever believeth may in him have eternal life."
John 3:22-30
Then Jesus left Jerusalem, the capital, and carried on, through
his disciples, a ministry of baptism in the country districts of
Judea. John 3:22-30. He was thus engaging in a work which before had
belonged peculiarly to John the Baptist. Some of John's disciples
were perhaps inclined to be envious. But there was no envy in the
heart of John himself. He had come not for his own sake but to be
a witness to Jesus as Messiah. And now he rejoiced in the growing
prominence of Jesus. "The friend of the bridegroom," he said about
himself, "rejoices at the voice of the bridegroom. He must increase,
but I must decrease." Vs. 29, 30, in substance.
John 4:1-42
When this early Judean ministry was over, Jesus went back to
Galilee. On the way he passed through Samaria. John 4:1-42. The
inhabitants of Samaria were not of pure Jewish race, and although
they accepted the five books of Moses and looked for the coming
of a Messiah, they did not accept all of the Old Testament. They
were despised by the Jews. But even for the Samaritans, and for
the most degraded among them, the Saviour had a message of hope.
Wearied by his journey, our Lord was sitting by Jacob's well near
the city of Sychar. When his disciples had gone into the city to
buy food, a woman came to draw water at the well. For that woman it
was a memorable hour. Jesus was willing to labor, and that in the
midst of his weariness, for one sinful soul, as well as for all the
multitudes that had crowded around him in Judea. The woman was of
sinful life, and she could not hide her sin from Jesus. But Jesus
searched out her sin, not in order to condemn her, but in order to
bring to her the message of salvation. Attracted, then, by what
the woman had said, a number of the Samaritans came to Jesus and
recognized him as the Messiah and as the Saviour of the world.
QUESTIONS ON LESSON IV
1. Give an account of the testimony of John the Baptist to
Jesus. How did John know that Jesus was the Messiah?
2. What happened at Cana? Who, besides Jesus, was a guest at the
feast?
3. Give an outline of all the journeys of Jesus up to his
passage through Samaria.
4. Give an account, fuller than the outline given, of the early
Judean ministry. What did Jesus say when he was asked to give
a sign?
5. What is the meaning of the "new birth"? Is it still necessary
to-day if a man is to be saved? How does it come?
LESSON V
The Beginning of the Galilæan Ministry
After passing through Samaria, Jesus arrived in Galilee, and it was
in Galilee that a large part of his ministry was carried on. The
Galilæan ministry is narrated for the most part by the first three
Gospels, which are called Synoptic Gospels, whereas the Gospel
According to John deals more particularly with the work in Judea.
Luke 4:16-30
After the healing of a nobleman's son, when Jesus was at Cana of
Galilee, our Lord began his preaching in the Galilæan synagogues.
Early in this period he went to Nazareth, the place where he had
been brought up. Luke 4:16-30. But the people of Nazareth could not
believe that the carpenter's Son whom they had known was really
chosen by God to fulfill the glorious prophecies of Isaiah. When
rebuked by Jesus they even desired to kill him. Thus did they
illustrate, to their own eternal loss, the words of Jesus that "No
prophet is acceptable in his own country."
Leaving Nazareth, our Lord went down and dwelt at Capernaum, making
that city apparently the center of his work. But before the details
of the Galilæan ministry are studied, it will be well to cast a
hurried glance at the geographical features of the country where
Jesus' ministry was carried on.
The political divisions of Palestine have already been
mentioned--Galilee in the north, under the tetrarch, Herod Antipas;
Samaria and Judea to the south, under the Roman procurator, Pontius
Pilate. But the physical features of the country do not correspond
at all to the political divisions. Physically the country is divided
into four narrow strips, each about one hundred and fifty miles
long, running from north to south. The westernmost strip is the
coastal plain, along the Mediterranean Sea, into which Jesus hardly
went; then comes the low hill country, the "shephela"; then the
highlands, upon which Jerusalem is situated, reaching an altitude of
some 2500 feet above sea level. These central highlands of Palestine
are broken by the plain of Esdraelon, in southern Galilee. A little
to the north of this plain, in a hill country, lies the town of
Nazareth. East of the central highlands is the deep valley of the
Jordan River. The Jordan rises in the extreme north of Palestine,
one of its sources being on the slopes of the lofty Mount Hermon;
then flows southward to the lake called "the waters of Merom"; then,
issuing from that lake, it flows, after a short course, into the
Lake of Gennesaret, or Sea of Galilee, which is about twelve miles
long; then, issuing from the Lake of Gennesaret, it flows southward,
through a very deep valley to the Dead Sea, which has no outlet and
is extremely salt. During most of its course the Jordan Valley lies
far below the level of the sea, being on account of this peculiarity
absolutely unique among the river valleys of the world. The Dead Sea
is 1292 feet, and the Lake of Gennesaret 682 feet, below sea level.
It was on the shores of the Lake of Gennesaret that a large part
of our Lord's ministry was carried on. Centuries of misrule have
now ruined the country, but in those days Galilee supported a large
population. The shores of the lake, particularly, were lined with
villages and towns. The work of our Lord was thus carried on amid
"life's throng and press," though from time to time he sought out
the desert places for rest and prayer.
Matthew 4:18-22, and Parallels
At the beginning of the ministry on the shores of the Lake of
Galilee, Jesus called the two pairs of brothers--Simon Peter and
Andrew, and James and John. Matt. 4:18-22, and parallels. They had
known Jesus before, and had devoted themselves to his service. But
now they were commanded to show their devotion by leaving their
ordinary occupation and becoming Jesus' permanent followers.
Mark 1:21-39, and Parallels
The Gospels give a vivid picture of a Sabbath which Jesus spent at
Capernaum near the beginning of his Galilæan ministry. Mark 1:21-34,
and parallels. As usual, he went into the synagogue. Our Lord knew
how to find God's handiwork in the flowers of the field; but he was
not like those who think that the worship of God through nature
is any substitute for the public worship of the Church. In the
synagogue the people were astonished at Jesus' teaching: "He taught
them as having authority, and not as the scribes." But they were
also astonished at his power; he commanded even the unclean spirits
and they obeyed him. He was not merely a teacher, but also a healer;
he brought not merely guidance, but also active help.
After the synagogue service, Jesus went into the house of Simon and
Andrew with James and John. In the house he healed Simon's wife's
mother who was sick of a fever. Others had heard of the wonderful
power of Jesus, and desired to be healed. But in order not to break
the Sabbath, they waited until sunset, when the Jewish Sabbath was
over. At sunset they brought to Jesus those who were sick and those
who were possessed with demons, and Jesus put forth his divine power
to heal.
It had been a crowded, busy day. Our Lord must have been weary as
night at last came. But even in such busy days, he took time to
seek the source of all strength. A great while before the dawn he
went out into a desert place and there prayed. Mark 1:35-39, and
parallels.
Matthew 9:1-8, and Parallels
After a tour in the Galilæan synagogues, with both preaching and
healing, our Lord returned to Capernaum. There, as is told in one
of the vivid narratives of the Gospels, Jesus healed a paralytic.
Matt. 9:1-8, and parallels. The sick man could not be brought in by
the door of the house because of the crowds. But he and his friends
were not to be denied. The four friends who bore his couch lowered
him through the roof into the place where Jesus was. They had found
the Healer at last. But bodily healing was not the first gift which
Jesus bestowed. "Son," said Jesus, "thy sins are forgiven." It was
a strange physician indeed who could forgive sins. The scribes said
that the word of Jesus was blasphemy. And so it was, unless Jesus
himself were God. As a proof of his divine power, the Lord said also
to the paralytic, "Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk." And so the
man went away from the presence of the great Healer, whole in body
and in mind.
QUESTIONS ON LESSON V
1. Describe the political and the physical divisions of
Palestine. In what parts of the country was our Lord's
ministry carried on? Where was Nazareth? Capernaum? Point out
these places on a map.
2. Describe the call of the four disciples. When and where had
they followed Jesus before? What was their occupation?
3. Give an account of the Sabbath in Capernaum that is described
in the Gospels. What great divisions of Jesus' work were
illustrated on that day?
4. Describe the healing of the paralytic. What can be learned
from this incident about the nature of Jesus' person? Why were
the scribes offended?
LESSON VI
The Period of Popularity
During the first part of the Galilæan ministry, our Lord had the
favor of the people. Great crowds followed him so that he could
scarcely enter into a house. On one occasion he embarked in a little
boat and put forth a short distance into the lake, so as to be able
to speak to the throng on the shore.
This popularity, it is true, was not universal. The common people
heard Jesus gladly, but the official teachers were hostile. These
teachers, who are called scribes, belonged for the most part to
the sect of the Pharisees. At the time of Christ there were two
chief parties among the Jews--the Pharisees and the Sadducees.
The Sadducees were a worldly aristocracy, in possession of the
high-priestly offices at Jerusalem, favored by the Romans, and
satisfied with the existing political order. The Pharisees, on
the other hand, were a strict Jewish party, insisted on a strict
interpretation of the Mosaic Law, and added to the Law a great mass
of oral "tradition," which ostensibly consisted of interpretation
of the Law, but really meant an enormous and oppressive addition
to it. The Pharisees were opposed to Jesus for at least two
reasons. In the first place, they were envious of his success in
teaching, which endangered their own position. In the second place,
they were opposed to the contents of his teaching; he rejected
their interpretation of the Law, and rebuked them for paying such
attention to the detailed rules which were set forth in their
tradition as to forget the weightier matters of justice and mercy.
The conflict of Jesus with the Pharisees was precipitated
particularly by the attitude of Jesus toward the Sabbath. The
Sabbath controversy was carried on partly in Galilee and partly,
John, ch. 5, during a visit of Jesus to Jerusalem. The Pharisees had
developed for the preservation of the Sabbath an elaborate set of
rules which went far beyond what was set forth in the Old Testament.
They were offended, therefore, when Jesus refused to rebuke his
disciples for plucking the ears of wheat on the Sabbath Day, and
when he himself insisted on using the Sabbath to perform works of
mercy like the healing of the man that had a withered hand.
But for the present the opposition of the Pharisees was held in
check by the favor which our Lord had among the people.
This favor was due partly to the teaching of Jesus and partly to his
miracles. He interpreted the Scriptures in a fresh, original way;
"He taught as one having authority and not as their scribes." And he
had power to heal every manner of disease and to cast out demons. It
was no wonder that the crowds followed so wonderful a teacher.
Matthew 4:17
The Galilæan teaching of Jesus began with the proclamation of the
Kingdom of God. The message sounded at first somewhat like the
message of John the Baptist. Quite like John, Jesus came forward
with the summons, "Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
But the new teacher differed from John in the more complete account
which he gave of the nature of the Kingdom, and especially in the
central place in the Kingdom which he assigned to himself.
Matthew, Chapters 5 to 7
The nature of the Kingdom of God is set forth in the great discourse
of our Lord which is commonly called the Sermon on the Mount.
Matt., chs. 5 to 7. Having gone up from the shores of the Sea of
Galilee to the heights which surround the lake, our Lord taught his
disciples what was to be the life of those who should have a part
in the Kingdom of God. In one sense, the Kingdom lay altogether in
the future; it would be ushered in with full power only at the end
of the world. But in another sense, it was present already wherever
there were those who were truly submitting their lives to Jesus.
The Sermon on the Mount contains certain features which are
fundamental in all of Jesus' teaching.
In the first place, God is presented, in the Sermon on the Mount,
as "Father." The fatherhood of God, in the teaching of Jesus, is
sometimes misunderstood. Jesus did not mean that God is Father
of all men. God stands indeed to all men in a relation which is
analogous to that of a father to his children; he cares for all, he
makes his sun to rise upon all. Matt. 5:45. But in the teaching of
Jesus and in the whole New Testament the lofty term, "Father," is
reserved for a still more intimate relationship. So in the Sermon on
the Mount the great world without is sharply distinguished from the
company of Jesus' disciples; it is only the latter who can say, "Our
Father which art in heaven."
There was nothing narrow in such teaching; for although in Jesus'
teaching the intimate relation of sonship toward God was offered
only to those who should be of the household of faith, yet the door
of the household of faith was open wide to all who would be willing
to come in. Indeed Jesus himself died on the cross with the purpose
of opening that door. Our Saviour did far more than teach men that
they were already children of God; he came to make them children of
God by his saving work.
In the second place, the Sermon on the Mount tells what kind of life
is led by those who should have entered into the Kingdom and been
made the children of God. That life is far more than obedience to a
set of external rules; the purity which Jesus demanded is a purity
of the heart. The life in the Kingdom is also far removed from all
pretense; the children of God engage in prayer and good works not
to be seen by men but to be seen by God. Finally, the life in the
Kingdom is a life of perfect trust; all anxious thought for the
morrow is banished, since God will care for his children.
One difficulty arises in the reading of the Sermon on the Mount. How
can such an ideal be attained? It might be possible to obey a set
of rules, like the rules of the Pharisees, but how is it possible
for sinful men to attain purity of heart? The righteousness of the
Kingdom of heaven exceeds by far the "righteousness of the scribes
and Pharisees." How can such righteousness be attained?
The answer to this question was partly understood even by the first
hearers of the Sermon on the Mount. The disciples of Jesus knew even
then that Jesus alone could give them entrance into the Kingdom;
they trusted in him already not merely as teacher but also as
Saviour. But the answer to the question is far plainer to us; for
we know the cross. The atoning death of Christ it was that gave men
the kind of righteousness required for entrance into the Kingdom
of God, for it gave them the righteousness of Christ himself. The
significance of the cross was spoken of by our Lord even during his
earthly ministry, but the full explanation of it was left to the
apostles. The saving work of Jesus could be fully explained only
after it had been done.
QUESTIONS ON LESSON VI
1. What is the meaning of "the kingdom of God," in Jesus'
teaching?
2. Who were the Sadducees? Who were the Pharisees, and why were
they opposed to Jesus?
3. Give an outline of the Sermon on the Mount.
LESSON VII
The Turning Point
The teaching of Jesus was carried on in various ways. Sometimes
there were extended discourses like the Sermon on the Mount. On
the other hand, much of the most precious teaching of our Lord is
contained in brief sayings which were uttered in answer to some
objection or in view of some special situation. One other form of
teaching requires special attention--namely, the parables.
Mark 4:1-34, and Parallels
A parable is a narrative taken from ordinary life, but intended to
teach some spiritual lesson. It differs from an allegory in that
the application is not to be carried out in such detail. Ordinarily
a parable teaches simply one lesson; there is only one point of
similarity between the literal meaning of the parable and the
deeper spiritual truth. Thus when our Lord compared God's answer to
prayer with the answer which an unjust judge gives to an importunate
widow, the details in the two cases are not intended to be similar;
God is very different from the unjust judge. But there is one point
of similarity--importunity does have its effect in both cases.
The distinction between a parable and an allegory is not an absolute
distinction, and sometimes the two shade into each other. Thus the
parable of the Wicked Husbandmen, which Jesus uttered nearly at the
close of his earthly ministry, partakes largely of the nature of
allegory. The details to a considerable extent are significant--the
wicked husbandmen represent the Jews and their leaders, the servants
who were first sent represent the prophets, the son who was sent
last represents Jesus himself. But many of Jesus' parables are
parables pure and simple; they are not intended to be pressed in
detail, but teach, each of them, some one lesson.
The purpose of Jesus in using parables was twofold. In the first
place the parables were not clear to those who did not wish to
learn. In accordance with a principle of the divine justice, willful
closing of the eyes to the truth brought an increase of darkness.
But in the second place, to those who were willing to receive the
truth, the parables were made gloriously plain; the figurative form
of the teaching only served to drive the meaning home.
The ministry of Jesus did not consist merely of teaching. Along with
the teaching there went wonderful manifestations of divine power.
These manifestations of divine power were of various kinds. Many
of them were miracles of healing; Jesus had power to make the lame
to walk, the dumb to speak, the deaf to hear. He also had power to
cast out demons. At the presence of the Son of God, Satan and his
ministers had put forth all their baneful power. But the demons were
obliged to flee at Jesus' word.
Matthew 8:23-27, and Parallels
Not all of the miracles, however, were miracles of healing. Some
of the most notable of them were of a different kind. But all of
them were manifestations of Jesus' divine power. When, on the lake,
in the midst of the frightened disciples, our Lord said to the
winds and the waves, "Peace, be still," the Ruler of all nature was
revealed. The particular form of Jesus' miracles depended upon his
own inscrutable will; but all of the miracles revealed him as the
Master of the world. He who had made the world in the beginning
could still put forth the same creative power. A miracle, as
distinguished from the ordinary course of nature, is a manifestation
of the creative, as distinguished from the providential, power of
God.
Matthew 14:13-21, and Parallels
Among the miracles of Jesus the feeding of the five thousand seems
to have been particularly important. Its importance is indicated
by the fact that it is narrated in all four of the Gospels. Matt.
14:13-21, and parallels. Even the Gospel of John, which is concerned
for the most part with what happened in Judea, here runs parallel
with the Synoptic Gospels and narrates an event which happened in
Galilee.
This event marks the climax of the popularity of our Lord and at
the same time the beginning of his rejection. Even before this time
he had been rejected by some; his popularity had been by no means
universal. He had been opposed by the scribes and Pharisees; he had
not been understood even by the members of his own household; and he
had been rejected twice at the town where he had been brought up.
But for the most part he had enjoyed the favor of the people.
At the time of the feeding of the five thousand, this popular
favor had reached its height. Jesus had withdrawn from the crowds
into a lonely place across the lake from Capernaum. But such was
his popularity that he could not escape. The people followed him
even when he tried to be alone; they had had no thought of food
or of lodging for the night, so eager had they been to listen to
his teaching. When evening came, therefore, they were in want. But
our Lord had pity on them because they were like sheep without a
shepherd. By a gracious manifestation of his divine power he made
the five loaves and two fishes suffice for all the multitude.
Matthew 14:22-34, and Parallels
After the feeding of the five thousand Jesus found at last the
solitude which he had sought; he went up into the mountain to pray.
The multitudes were making their way around the lake by the shore;
the disciples had taken the only boat and were rowing hard against
the wind. But about three o'clock at night our Lord came to the
disciples walking upon the water. It is no wonder that they bowed
before him and said, "Of a truth thou art the Son of God."
John 6:22-71
Meanwhile the multitude had gone on foot around the lake to
Capernaum. When they found Jesus there before them they were
astonished. But their astonishment, unfortunately, was not of the
kind that leads to true and abiding faith. They had valued the
earthly bread which Jesus had given them, but were not willing to
receive the spiritual bread. Jesus himself, he told them, was the
Bread of life who had come down from heaven; only those could truly
live who would feed upon him by accepting his saving work. John
6:22-71.
It seemed to the Jews to be a hard saying. How could the Jesus whose
family they knew be the bread which had come down from heaven? Many
even of those who had formerly followed Jesus were offended at this
"hard saying." The popularity of Jesus at this time began to wane.
But there were some disciples who remained. Jesus had chosen twelve
men, whom he called apostles. He had had them as his companions,
and already he had sent them out on a mission to teach and to
heal. Turning now to them, he asked, "Would ye also go away?" Then
Peter, speaking for the others, showed the difference between true
disciples and those who are offended at every hard saying. "Lord,"
he said, "to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life."
QUESTIONS ON LESSON VII
1. What is a parable? How does it differ from an allegory?
2. Why did Jesus use parables? Mention some of the parables
recorded in the Gospels.
3. What is a miracle? Why did Jesus work miracles?
4. What is the particular importance of the feeding of the five
thousand?
5. Why were the people offended by the discourse on the Bread of
life?
LESSON VIII
Jesus as Messiah
The waning of Jesus' popularity was by no means sudden. Even
after the discourse on the Bread of life, we frequently find the
multitudes around him. But in general, from that time on our Lord
seems to have withdrawn from the crowds more frequently than before,
in order to devote himself to the instruction of his intimate
disciples.
Matthew 15:21-39, and Parallels
At this time our Lord withdrew into Phoenicia, northwest of
Palestine. In Phoenicia he healed the daughter of a Syrophoenician
woman. It was a foretaste of the rich streams of mercy which after
Pentecost were to flow out into the whole world.
After a brief stay in Phoenicia, Jesus returned to Galilee, where
he engaged again in controversy with the Pharisees and again, by
his divine power, fed a great multitude. This second time four
thousand men were fed. There were also miracles of healing, and in
general the essential characteristics of the Galilæan ministry were
continued.
Matthew 16:13-20, and Parallels
But before long Jesus departed again from Galilee, and finally went
with his disciples to the regions of Cæsarea Philippi, northeast
of Galilee. Near Cæsarea Philippi occurred the great confession of
Peter, which is one of the most important incidents of the Gospel
record. Matt. 16:13-20, and parallels.
"Who," Jesus asked of his disciples, "do men say that I am? And they
told him, saying, Elijah; but others, One of the prophets. And he
asked them, But who say ye that I am? Peter answereth and saith unto
him, Thou art the Christ." Mark 8:27-29.
In this confession Peter recognized that Jesus was the "Messiah,"
the "Anointed One," or according to the Greek translation of the
same word, "the Christ." It was by no means the first recognition
of the fact. The Messiahship of Jesus had been revealed to Joseph
and Mary and Zacharias and Elisabeth even before Jesus was born; it
had been revealed to the shepherds and the Wise Men who greeted the
infant Saviour; it had been revealed to John the Baptist; it had
been revealed to the little group of disciples who left John at the
Jordan in order to follow Jesus; it had been proclaimed by Jesus
himself in his conversations with Nicodemus and with the Samaritan
woman; it had been recognized even by the unclean spirits.
But although Jesus had been proclaimed as Messiah before, the
confession of Peter was by no means a matter of course. Although
the disciples had already accepted Jesus as the Messiah it required
considerable faith and devotion to continue to accept him, for Jesus
was not the kind of Messiah whom the Jews had been expecting. They
had been expecting a Messiah who, as anointed king of Israel, would
deliver God's people from the Roman oppressors, and make Jerusalem
the center of the whole world.
Such expectations seemed to be set at nought by the Prophet of
Nazareth. No kingly pomp surrounded him; he mingled freely with the
common people; he lived in the utmost humility, having not even a
place to lay his head. Political Messiahship he definitely refused.
When, after the feeding of the five thousand, the people were about
to come and make him a king--that is, the Messianic king--he left
them and withdrew into the mountain. John 6:15. It is no wonder that
they were disappointed. All their enthusiasm seemed to be ruthlessly
quenched. Jesus would have absolutely nothing to do with the kind of
Messiahship which they offered.
By this attitude of Jesus not only the multitudes were discouraged.
Even the members of Jesus' household failed to understand, and the
very forerunner of Jesus, John the Baptist himself, was assailed,
momentarily at least, by doubts. Conceivably the twelve apostles
also might have been discouraged. But their faith remained firm.
Despite all disappointments, despite the refusal of our Lord to
accept what were supposed to be prerogatives of Messiahship, Peter
was able still to say, at Cæsarea Philippi, "Thou art the Christ."
But in what sense was Jesus the Christ? He was not an earthly king
who would lead the armies of Israel out to battle against the
Romans. He was not that sort of Messiah. What then was he? What was
Jesus' own conception of Messiahship?
In order to answer that question fully, it would be necessary to
return to the study of the Old Testament. Jesus accepted to the full
the Old Testament promises about the Messiah; what he rejected was
merely a false interpretation of them.
Even those promises of the Old Testament which make the Messiah a
king of David's line were fulfilled in Jesus. He was actually of
David's line, and he was born in David's city. He was also the King
of Israel.
Only his kingship was exercised in ways different from those which
the people generally were expecting. And there were other features
of the Old Testament promises which Jesus also fulfilled. Jesus
was not only Son of David; he was also Son of Man. The title "Son
of Man," which was Jesus' own Messianic designation of himself,
does not denote merely the humanity of Jesus in distinction
from his deity. On the contrary, it is plainly taken from the
stupendous scene in Dan. 7:13, where "one like unto a son of man" is
represented as coming with the clouds of heaven, and as being in
the presence of God. It indicates, therefore, not the human weakness
of Jesus, but his exalted position as supreme Ruler and Judge.
It is not surprising that for a time at least during his earthly
ministry Jesus used this title of the Messiah rather than the
other titles, for the title Son of Man was without the political
associations which Jesus desired to avoid. It had been employed, not
so much by the masses of the people, as by the circles which read
the books which are called the "Apocalypses." In these books, on the
basis of Daniel and other Old Testament prophecies, the Messiah was
represented not as a political king, but as a heavenly, supernatural
person. The title, therefore, was admirably fitted to designate
the lofty character of the Messiah's person, without the dangerous
political associations which had gathered around certain other
titles.
Indeed for a time, in the early Galilæan ministry, our Lord seems
to have kept his Messiahship somewhat in the background. Public
proclamation of his Messiahship would have aroused false, worldly
hopes of political upheaval. Before proclaiming himself again as
Messiah, our Lord needed to make clear by his teaching and by his
example what kind of Messiah he was; before finally setting up his
Kingdom he needed to show that that Kingdom was not of this world.
But he was Messiah and King from the beginning, and even at the
beginning his Messiahship had been made known.
QUESTIONS ON LESSON VIII
1. Mention some of the titles which are used to designate Jesus
as Messiah, and explain their meaning. Was the title "Son of
Man" ever used with reference to Jesus by anyone except Jesus
himself?
2. What was the significance of Peter's confession?
3. Why did Jesus become less popular than he was at first?
LESSON IX
The Prediction of the Cross
Peter's confession at Cæsarea Philippi was a triumph of faith, for
which Jesus pronounced Peter blessed. Through a revelation from God,
Peter had been made able to endure the disappointment involved in
Jesus' refusal of kingly honors. But another trial of faith was soon
to come.
Matthew 16:21-28, and Parallels
After Peter's acknowledgment of Jesus as Messiah, our Lord began
to teach the disciples more of what his Messiahship meant. Matt.
16:21-28, and parallels. It meant, he said, not worldly honors,
and not merely a continuation of the humble life in Galilee, but
actual sufferings and death. This teaching was more than Peter could
endure. "Be it far from thee, Lord," he said, "this shall never be
unto thee." In such rebellion against God's will Jesus recognized
a repetition of the temptation which had come to him at the first,
immediately after the voice from heaven had proclaimed him to be
the Messiah--the temptation to use his Messianic power for his own
worldly glory. And now as well as then the temptation was resolutely
overcome. "Get thee behind me, Satan," said Jesus: "thou art a
stumblingblock unto me: for thou mindest not the things of God, but
the things of men."
Jesus was thus ready to tread the path of suffering which he had
come into the world, for our sakes, to tread. And he called upon his
true disciples to tread that path after him. Yet all the suffering
was to be followed by a greater glory than Peter had ever conceived;
and almost immediately there was a wonderful foretaste of that glory.
Matthew 17:1-13, and Parallels
Six days after the scene at Cæsarea Philippi, our Lord took Peter
and James and John, his three most intimate disciples, with him
up upon a high mountain--no doubt somewhere on the slopes of the
lofty Mount Hermon. There he was transfigured before them, Matt.
17:1-13, and parallels; "his face did shine as the sun, and his
garments became white as the light." With him appeared Moses and
Elijah, talking with him. And they were talking about what seems to
be a strange subject at such a moment. They were talking not of the
glories of Jesus' Kingdom, but of the "departure" which he was about
to accomplish at Jerusalem. Luke 9:31. The "departure" included not
only the resurrection and the ascension, but also the crucifixion.
Even the shining light of the transfiguration was intended to point
to the cross.
Matthew 17:14-20, and Parallels
After the glorious experience on the mountain, our Lord came at
once into contact with the repulsiveness of human misery. Matt.
17:14-20, and parallels. But he did not shrink from the sudden
transition. As he came down from the mountain, he found at the
bottom a boy possessed of a demon, who "fell on the ground, and
wallowed foaming." It was a depressing sight, very unlike the
brightness of the transfiguration. Even more discouraging, moreover,
than the condition of the boy himself was the powerlessness of the
disciples. They had tried to cast the demon out but had failed
miserably, not because the power might not have been theirs, but
because of their unbelief. The father of the boy, too, was lacking
in faith. "I believe," he said; "help thou mine unbelief." Jesus did
help his unbelief, and the unbelief of the disciples. He rebuked the
unclean spirit, and healed the boy.
At this period Jesus repeated on several occasions the prophecy of
his death. The tragedy on Calvary did not overtake him unawares. He
went deliberately to his death for our sakes.
Matthew 18:1-6, and Parallels
Even on such solemn days, when the shadow of the cross lay over the
path, the disciples were unable to overcome the pettiness of their
character. On the very journey when Jesus had told them about his
approaching death, they had quarreled about the question as to which
of them should be greatest in the Kingdom of heaven. Thereby they
had shown how far they were from understanding the true nature of
the Kingdom. If the Kingdom was finally to be advanced under the
leadership of such men, some mighty change would have to take place
in them. That change did take place afterwards, as we shall see, at
Pentecost. But at present the pettiness and carnal-mindedness of the
disciples added to the sorrows of our Lord. Despite the intimacy
into which he entered with his earthly friends, he towered in lonely
grandeur above them all.
After the transfiguration and related events near Cæsarea Philippi,
our Lord returned to Galilee. But apparently he did not resume
permanently his Galilæan ministry. Soon we find him passing through
Samaria, and laboring in Judea and in that country east of the
Jordan River which is called Perea. This part of Jesus' ministry is
recorded particularly in the Gospels According to Luke and According
to John, although Matthew and Mark contain important information
about the latter part of the period. The general character of the
period is fixed by the expectation of the cross. Jesus had set his
face toward Jerusalem to accomplish the atoning work which he had
come into the world to perform.
Luke 10:1-24; John, Chapter 5
At the beginning of the period Jesus sent out seventy disciples,
to prepare for his own coming into the several cities and villages
which he was intending to visit. The Seventy were in possession of
something of Jesus' power; they were able to report with joy that
the demons were subjected to them.
During the same period we find Jesus in Jerusalem at the feast of
tabernacles. Even during the period of the Galilæan ministry Jesus
had gone up to Jerusalem at least once, at the time of one of the
Jewish feasts; and in connection with the healing of a man at the
pool of Bethesda he had then set forth the true nature of his person
and his relation to God the Father. John, ch. 5. At the later period
with which we are now dealing, the same teaching was continued. Chs.
7, 8.
Matthew 11:27, and Parallels
It is particularly the Gospel of John which records the way in which
Jesus set forth the nature of his own person, but what is fully
set forth in the Gospel of John is really implied all through the
Synoptic Gospels, and in Matt. 11:27; Luke 10:22 it is made just as
plain as it is in John. According to his own teaching, Jesus stood
in a relation toward God the Father which is absolutely different
from that in which other men stand toward God. In the plainest
possible way, our Lord laid claim to true deity. "I and my Father,"
he said, "are one." All the Gospels present the true humanity of
Jesus, the Gospel According to John, no less than the Synoptists.
But all the Gospels also set forth his deity. He was, according to a
true summary of the Gospel teaching, "God and man, in two distinct
natures, and one person for ever."
QUESTIONS ON LESSON IX
1. What trial of Peter's faith came just after his great
confession?
2. What was the meaning of the transfiguration?
3. What event took place just afterwards?
4. Give an account of Jesus' teaching at the time of the feast
of tabernacles. John, chs. 7, 8. How was this teaching
received?
5. Give an account of the mission of the Seventy and compare it
with the previous mission of the Twelve.
LESSON X
The Last Journeys
John, Chapter 9
During the latter part of Jesus' ministry, with which Lesson IX
began to deal, Jesus spoke some of the most beautiful of his
parables. A number of them, such as the Good Samaritan and the
Prodigal Son, are recorded only by Luke. From the same period the
Gospel According to John records some notable teaching of Jesus, in
addition to that which was mentioned in the last lesson. Part of
this teaching was introduced by the healing of the man born blind.
John, ch. 9. This miracle, which had been performed on the Sabbath,
had aroused the special opposition of the Pharisees. In answer to
them, our Lord pointed out the difference between those leaders of
the people who are like robbers breaking into the sheepfold or at
best like hirelings who flee at the first approach of danger, and
the good shepherd who is willing to lay down his life for the sheep.
Such a shepherd was Jesus himself, and his life was soon to be laid
down.
John 11:1-53
Finally, after various journeyings of Jesus in Judea and in Perea,
there occurred in Bethany, a little village near Jerusalem, one of
the most notable of our Lord's miracles. John 11:1-44. At Bethany
lived a certain Lazarus with his sisters Martha and Mary, whom Jesus
knew well. Lazarus fell ill during the absence of Jesus across the
Jordan in Perea; and the illness resulted in his death. On the
fourth day after Lazarus' death, Jesus came to Bethany. Martha came
to meet him; Mary remained mourning in the house, until her sister
brought word that Jesus had arrived. Then she, too, went to meet
the Lord. When Jesus saw her and her friends weeping for the one
who had died, he, too, wept with them. But he had power not only to
sympathize, but also to help. Going with the sisters to the tomb, he
caused the stone to be removed, then prayed, and then called with a
loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth." At the word of Jesus, the dead
man came out of the tomb. Jesus was Master over death and the grave.
It was not the first time that our Lord had raised the dead. He had
raised the daughter of Jairus in Galilee and the son of the widow
of Nain. But the raising of Lazarus is especially important, not
only because of the wonderfully vivid way in which the incident
is narrated in the Gospel According to John, but also because it
served to hasten the crisis in Jerusalem. Both the Sadducees and
the Pharisees were now aroused. The movement instituted by Jesus
had reached alarming proportions. If allowed to continue it would
be full of danger. The Romans, it was feared, would regard it as
rebellion and would utterly destroy the nation of the Jews. The
diverse parties among the Jewish leaders were becoming more and more
united against the strange Prophet from Galilee.
John 11:54
For a short time still the crisis was delayed. Our Lord retired from
Judea to a city called Ephraim, near the wilderness. We also find
him, in this period of his life, again beyond the Jordan, in Perea.
In this Perean residence is to be placed a portion of the teaching
contained in the Synoptic Gospels, such as the teaching concerning
divorce, Matt. 19:3-12, and parallels, the words to the rich young
ruler, vs. 16-30, and parallels, and the parable of the Laborers in
the Vineyard. Matt. 20:1-16.
Luke 19:2-10
Before long, however, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for the last time.
On the way, when he was passing through Jericho, in the Jordan
Valley, he healed two blind men, and converted the tax collector
Zacchæus. The conversion of Zacchæus was in accord with Jesus'
custom all through his ministry. The taxgatherers were despised
by the rest of the Jews at the time of Christ. They had allied
themselves with the Roman oppressors, and no doubt most of them
were guilty of abominable extortion on their own account. By the
Pharisees, particularly, they were regarded as belonging to the very
dregs of the people, with whom no true observer of the law could be
intimate. But Jesus was bound by no limits in his saving work. He
did not condone sin--either the sin of the taxgatherers or the sin
of the Pharisees. But he was willing to save from sin all who would
believe. The whole, he said, need not a physician, but they that are
sick. The Son of Man had come to "seek and to save that which was
lost."
John 11:55 to 12:1
Toiling up the long ascent from Jericho, our Lord arrived at last,
six days before the passover, at the village of Bethany, which is
less than two miles from Jerusalem. During the remaining time
before the crucifixion Jesus went every morning into the city and
returned in the evening to lodge with his friends at Bethany.
Matthew 26:6-13, and Parallels
Soon after his arrival at Bethany, when Jesus was reclining at table
in the house of a certain Simon the leper, he was anointed by Mary
the sister of Lazarus. Matt. 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9; John 12:2-8. This
anointing is not to be confused with a somewhat similar event which
had taken place some time before, when Jesus had been anointed by a
woman who had been a notorious sinner. Luke 7:36-50. The disciples
murmured at the waste. The precious ointment, they said, might have
been sold for a great sum, which could have been distributed to the
poor. Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, had a special cause for
dissatisfaction; in his case the mention of the poor was only a
cloak for covetousness. Judas kept the bag, and if the proceeds of
the ointment had been put into his keeping, he could have indulged
his thieving propensities. But all the murmuring, whether it
proceeded from more sordid motives or from a mere misunderstanding
of the true spirit of the woman's act, was rebuked by our Lord. The
woman, he said, had anointed his body beforehand for the burial. The
days just before the crucifixion were no time for true disciples
to murmur at an act which was prompted by overflowing love for the
Saviour who was so soon to die.
Matthew 21:1-11, and Parallels
On the day after the supper at Bethany, that is, on the day
after the Jewish Sabbath, on the ninth day of the Jewish spring
month Nisan, our Lord entered into Jerusalem. Matt. 21:1-11, and
parallels. It was a triumphal entry; Jesus was received publicly by
the multitudes as the Messiah, the promised King of Israel. Even the
manner of his entry was in accordance with prophecy; he came riding
over the Mount of Olives and into the city mounted on an ass, in
accordance with Zech. 9:9. The promised King of Israel at last had
come. The multitudes strewed palm branches in the way, and cried,
"Hosanna to the son of David."
QUESTIONS ON LESSON X
1. Where was Perea? Jericho? Bethany? Ephraim? Find on a map the
places mentioned in this lesson.
2. Give an account of all the times when Jesus, during his
earthly ministry, raised the dead. In what Gospels are these
incidents narrated?
3. What is the special importance of the raising of Lazarus?
4. Give an account of some of those parables of Jesus which are
contained only in the Gospel According to Luke.
LESSON XI
Teaching in the Temple
Despite the enthusiasm which the multitudes had shown at the time
when Jesus entered into Jerusalem, despite the shouts of those who
cried, "Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord," Jesus
knew that he was going to his death, and that Jerusalem would soon
turn against her King. "When he drew nigh," we are told in the
Gospel According to Luke, "he saw the city and wept over it, saying,
If thou hadst known in this day, even thou, the things which belong
unto peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes." Luke 19:41, 42.
On the Sunday of the triumphal entry it was already late when Jesus
entered into the Temple area. He did nothing, therefore, that day,
except look about him; and then he returned to Bethany with the
twelve apostles. Mark 11:11.
Matthew 21:12-19, and Parallels
On Monday, however, the final conflict began. Entering into the
city, our Lord cast out of the Temple those who bought and sold,
just as he had done at the beginning of his public ministry. The
rebuke which he had administered several years before had had no
permanent effect. But Jesus did not hesitate to rebuke again those
who made God's house a place of business. The rulers, of course,
were incensed. But popular favor for a time put a check upon their
hate. On the way into the city, Jesus said to a fig tree, which was
bearing leaves only, "No man eat fruit from thee henceforward for
ever." The motives of our Lord's act are not fully known to us; but
at least he was able afterwards to point out through the case of the
fig tree the limitless power of faith. The disciples were exhorted
to pray in faith. But their prayers, Jesus said, must be in love; no
unforgiving spirit should be left in their souls when they prayed to
their heavenly Father for their own forgiveness.
The next day, Tuesday, was a day of teaching. Our Lord spent the day
in the Temple, meeting the attacks of his enemies. And he had an
answer to every inquiry; the trick questions of his enemies always
redounded to their own rebuke.
Matthew 21:23-32, and Parallels
First our Lord was questioned as to the authority by which he had
cleansed the Temple the day before. Matt. 21:23-32, and parallels.
He answered that question by another question: "The baptism of
John, whence was it? from heaven or from men?" The chief priests
and elders could not say. They were not really sincere seekers for
divine authority. But Jesus was not content with having silenced
them. He also pointed out, positively, their sin in not receiving
the word of God which had come through John.
Matthew 21:33-46, and Parallels
Still more scathing was the rebuke which Jesus uttered through the
parable of the Wicked Husbandmen. Matt. 21:33-46, and parallels. The
wicked husbandmen had been put in charge of a vineyard. But when
the time came to render the fruit of the vineyard to the owner,
they killed the servants who were sent to them and finally the
owner's son. The chief priests and Pharisees needed no elaborate
explanation; they would probably in any case have applied the
parable to themselves. But as a matter of fact Jesus made the
application abundantly plain. "The kingdom of God," he said, "shall
be taken away from you, and shall be given to a nation bringing
forth the fruits thereof."
Matthew 22:1-14
Just as plainly directed against the wicked leaders of the people,
and against the rebellious nation itself, was the parable of the
Marriage of the King's Son. Matt. 22:1-14. Those who were bidden
to the feast refused to come in; but from the highways and hedges
the king's house was filled. So the covenant people, the Jews, had
rejected the divine invitation; but the despised Gentiles would be
received.
Matthew 22:15-40, and Parallels
The rulers would have liked to put Jesus to death at once; but they
still feared the people. So they adopted the underhand method of
trying to catch him in his speech. First came the Pharisees and
the Herodians, the latter being the partisans of the Herodian
dynasty, with their adroit question about giving tribute to Cæsar,
Matt. 22:15-22, and parallels; then the Sadducees, the worldly
aristocracy, who did not believe in the resurrection, with their
attempt to make the doctrine of the resurrection ridiculous, vs.
23-33, and parallels; then an individual Pharisee with his question
about the greatest commandment in the law. Vs. 24-40, and parallels.
Jesus had a wonderful, profound answer for them all. But only the
last inquirer seems to have been at all willing to learn. "Thou art
not far," Jesus said to him, "from the kingdom of God." Mark 12:34.
Matthew 22:41-46, and Parallels
Then, after all the questions which had been put to him, our Lord
put one question in turn. "David himself," he said in effect,
"calls the Messiah Lord; how is the Messiah, then, David's son?" In
this way Jesus was presenting to the people a higher conception of
Messiahship than that which they had been accustomed to hold. The
Messiah was indeed David's Son, but he was not only David's Son.
Matt. 22:41-46, and parallels.
Apparently on the same day, our Lord called attention to the poor
widow who was casting her mite into the collection box. A gift, he
said, is measured in the estimation of God not by its amount, but
by the sacrifice which it means to the giver. Mark 12:41-44, and
parallel.
Matthew, Chapter 23
Finally, on the same memorable Tuesday, our Lord denounced openly
the formalism and hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees. Matt., ch.
23. It was also perhaps on the same day that certain Greeks desired
to see Jesus, John 12:20, 21--a foretaste of that entrance of
Gentiles into the Church which was to come after the resurrection.
We are not told exactly how Jesus received the Greeks, but the
importance of the moment was marked by a voice from heaven which
came as a divine confirmation of Jesus' message.
Matthew, Chapters 24, 25
When Jesus, on the same day, had gone out of the Temple and had
ascended to the Mount of Olives, a hill which lay on the way to
Bethany, he taught his disciples about the coming destruction of
the Temple and also about the end of the world. Matt., ch. 24, and
parallels. The time of the end of the world, he said, is unknown
to all except God, and in expectation of it men should always be
watchful. This duty of watchfulness he illustrated by the parables
of the Ten Virgins, Matt. 25:1-13, and of the Talents. Vs. 14-30.
Then our Lord drew a great picture of the last awful judgment of
God, when the wicked shall be separated from the good. Vs. 31-46.
QUESTIONS ON LESSON XI
1. Where was the Mount of Olives? Describe the route between
Bethany and the Temple in Jerusalem.
2. Compare the two occasions when Jesus cleansed the Temple.
3. On what occasions during his ministry did Jesus speak about
John the Baptist?
4. Give a full account of the questions which were put to Jesus
on the Tuesday of the last week, and of the answers of Jesus.
5. What were the "woes" which Jesus pronounced against the
scribes and Pharisees?
6. What did Jesus say after the Gentiles came to seek him?
LESSON XII
The Crucifixion
Matthew 26:1-5, 14-16, and Parallels
On the Wednesday of the week before the crucifixion, the chief
priests and elders of the Jews took counsel how they might put Jesus
to death. The difficulty was that if they arrested so popular a
teacher in the midst of the crowds who had come to Jerusalem for
the approaching feast of the passover, there would be a tumult.
At first, therefore, the enemies of Jesus thought that they might
have to wait until the passover was over. But they were helped out
of their difficulty by one of Jesus' own friends. Judas Iscariot,
one of the twelve apostles, proved to be a traitor. He received a
promise of thirty pieces of silver, and watched for a time when
Jesus would be away from the crowds so that he could be delivered
quietly into the hands of his enemies, Matt. 26:1-5, 14-16, and
parallels.
Matthew 26:17-19, and Parallels
Meanwhile, on Thursday, Jesus arranged for the celebration of
the passover in company with the apostles. The passover feast
commemorated the deliverance of Israel from Egypt, especially the
passing over of Israel's first-born when the first-born sons of
the Egyptians were slain. The feast was opened on the evening of
Nisan 14, Nisan being a spring month, and the first month of the
Jewish year. According to Jewish reckoning, the evening of Nisan
14 constituted the beginning of Nisan 15. Starting from that time,
the feast continued for seven days, no unleavened bread being used
within that period. The first and most solemn act of the whole feast
was the eating of the paschal lamb on the evening of Nisan 14.
This passover supper was celebrated by Jesus and the apostles on
Thursday evening, Nisan 14. And the feast was to be continued into
the Christian era. The symbols were changed; bread and wine were to
be used instead of the paschal lamb. But the fundamental meaning
of the feast remained the same; both the passover and the Lord's
Supper had reference to the atoning death of Christ. The paschal
lamb prefigured the Lamb of God who was to die for the sins of the
world; the bread and wine also symbolized the body of Christ broken
for us and the blood of Christ poured out for the remission of
our sins. Thus what the passover symbolized by way of prophecy is
symbolized in the Lord's Supper by way of commemoration. And on that
last evening our Lord changed the symbols in order to suit the new
dispensation when, since the Lamb of God had once been offered up,
other sacrifices should be no more.
Matthew 26:20-35, and Parallels
Jesus gathered with his apostles for the feast in an upper room.
Matt. 26:20, and parallels. Then, lamentably enough, there was a
strife among the apostles as to who should be the greatest. Luke
22:24-30. As a rebuke of all such inordinate ambitions our Lord
gave an example of humility by washing the feet of his disciples.
John 13:1-20. The traitor, Judas Iscariot, then left the apostolic
company, John 13:21-35, and parallels, and the Lord's Supper was
instituted. I Cor. 11:23-25; Matt. 26:26-29, and parallels. Then
the denial of Peter was foretold; before the cock should crow twice
Peter would deny his Lord three times.
John, Chapters 14 to 17
Then followed some of the most precious teaching of Jesus--teaching
which is preserved only in the Gospel According to John. Chs. 14
to 17. Our Lord spoke of the mission which he had come into the
world to fulfill and of the mission which his apostles were to
fulfill through the power of the Holy Spirit. The meaning of Jesus'
redeeming work could not fully be explained until it had been
accomplished. And it was to be explained by the Holy Spirit speaking
through the apostles.
Matthew 26:36-46, and Parallels
After they had sung a hymn, our Lord went out with the eleven
apostles to the Garden of Gethsemane, outside of Jerusalem, on the
slopes of the Mount of Olives. Matt. 26:36-46, and parallels. There
he sought strength in prayer for the approaching hour when he was to
bear the penalty of our sins. The disciples were no help to him in
his agony; Peter and James and John slept while he prayed. But God
the Father heard his prayer.
Matthew 26:47 to 27:1
Soon the traitor came with the Temple guard, and Jesus was arrested,
Matt. 26:47-56, and parallels. On the same evening there was
an informal hearing of the Prisoner in the house of Annas, the
father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest. Matt. 26:57, 58, 69-75,
and parallels. Meanwhile Peter and "another disciple," who was no
doubt John the son of Zebedee, the writer of the Fourth Gospel, had
entered into the house. There Peter denied his Lord.
The next morning there was a more formal meeting of the sanhedrin,
the highest court of the Jews. Luke 22:66-71, and parallels. This
meeting was intended to confirm the results of the informal hearing
in the house of Annas. But both meetings were little more than a
form. The court had really decided the question beforehand; it had
determined to bring Jesus by any means, lawful or otherwise, to his
death. When faced by his enemies, our Lord declared plainly that he
was the Messiah, the Son of God. That answer was enough to satisfy
the accusers. Jesus was judged guilty of blasphemy.
Matthew 27:2-56, and Parallels