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 CHURUH OF MIGL/.ND SUNDAY SCHOOL INSTITUT>; 
 
LESSONS ( MAY 27 1918 
 
 ON THE 
 
 LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 ^ott the tltse of Sunday S^chool ^eachej|8 and othei| 
 Xnsttiuctotis. 
 
 0U8 
 
 By EUGENE STOCK. 
 
 REPRINTED FROM THE " CHURCH SUNDAY SCHOOL MAGAZINE:* 
 
 COMPLETE IN ONE VOLUME. 
 
 Xjontion : 
 
 CHURCH OF ENGLAND SUNDAY SCHOOL INSTITUTE, 
 
 84, New Bbidge Street, Blackfkiaks, E.G. 
 
LONDON: 
 
 PklNTED BT Jjn. TnCKCOTT AKD SOM, 
 
 BuiToLk I^onc, Cltf. 
 
PEEFACB TO THE FIRST VOLUME. 
 
 The following Lessons have already appeared in the Church Sunday 
 School Magazine, and in the separate monthly publication containing the 
 Notes extracted from that periodical. In the present volume they appear 
 in a form substantially the same, but all temporary allusions (such as those 
 to the Church Seasons with which some of the Lessons corresponded in 
 the Calendar for 1870) have been eliminated, and the space thus gained 
 has been filled up with fresh matter. Several corrections and emenda- 
 tions have also been made, and the "mottoes" and texts for repetition 
 have been altered in many places. 
 
 The Introductory Remarks with which the work opens appeared in the 
 first serial number, and it is unnecessary to add anything to what is there 
 stated. But it may be well to reproduce the following note which appeared 
 in the second number in consequence of certain suggestions, and which 
 elicited several communications warmly approving pf the views thus 
 expressed : — 
 
 It has been suggested to the writer of the Lessons on the Life of Our Lord by one or 
 two friends, whose opinion he highly esteems, that the Lessons are too full, and contain 
 much more matter than the teacher can possibly use. As others may feel the same 
 difficulty, he wishes briefly to explain his design, which, perhaps, is not clearly under- 
 stood. 
 
 The fact itself is indisputable. The Lessons do contain more than any teacher can 
 give to his class. But ought it to be otherwise ? 
 
 In the first place, the Sketches of Lessons themselves are intended for use in all the 
 classes of a school. It is, therefore, necessary, on the one hand to suggest questions, 
 illustrations, explanatory sentences, methods of " putting a thing," which, though super- 
 fluous to the senior teacher, may be of use to his less experienced comrade ; and, on the 
 other hand, to include much that is beyond the capacity of a junior class, and yet too 
 important to be neglected with elder scholars. An attempt— only partially successful, 
 indeed— has been made to meet both cases, and yet the Sketches do not exceed the 
 average length of those usually published. 
 
 In the second place, with regard to the explanatory " Notes " in small type, which are 
 undoubtedly longer and fuller than ordinary, it is the belief of the writer that a man 
 must always know, about any given subject, a great deal more than he is going to teach. 
 An interesting lesson can only come out of the full-ness of a man's mind, just as an 
 impressive lesson can only come out of the full-ness of his heart. Why was Faraday the 
 prince of lecturers to children ? Was it not because he was master of his subject ? Yet he . 
 did not give his juvenile audiences the hundredth part of what he knew. 
 
 Now the great majority of Sunday-school teachers cannot readily obtain the knowledge 
 they require. They have no libraries of their own, and no access to others. The design 
 
iy PREFACE. 
 
 of the " Notes " is to supply their need. They would, indeed, be unable to cram into 
 their lessons, even if they tried, the information there condensed. But if they could, to 
 do so would be most undesirable. All collateral and illustrative matter is but a means to 
 an end and must ever be subordinate to the oree yrtat sacred object cf Sunday-school 
 teaching. Nevertheless, the teacher who carefully stores his own mind with what has 
 (not without some study and much care in the selection) been gathered together in the 
 '• Notes," will at all events find his own interest in what he is going to teach greatly 
 increased. Once interested himself, it will be comparatively easy to interest his class; 
 and having thus gained the eyes and ears of the scholars, he can press home, by the 
 Divine blessing, successfully, the life-giving messages of the Gospel, 
 
 The Author has been gi-atified to learn, from the numerous testimonies 
 which have been received, that these Lessons have, in their serial form, 
 been found useful. He is thankful indeed if he has been permitted, in 
 however small a degree, to assist his fellow Sunday-school teachers in their 
 arduous labours. 
 
 That this Volume may be privileged to awaken, in the minds of those 
 who use it, a deeper interest in the Life and Ministry of our blessed 
 Lord and Saviour, and that its contents may be abundantly blessed to the 
 spiritual profit of both teachers and scholars, is the Author's most earnest 
 desire and prayer. 
 
 London. September, 1870. 
 
 NOTE TO THE SECOND VOLUME. 
 
 With much thankfulness the Author now presents this Second Volume, 
 completing the work. He has been deeply gratified by the numerous 
 expressions of approval which the First Volume has called forth ; and 
 trusts that the present one may prove equally helpful to his fellow- 
 workers. To God be the giory of any small measure of good which the 
 book may be permitted to accomplish ! 
 
 September, 1871. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 LESSONS. 
 
 Page 
 
 I. The Incarnation 2 
 
 ' The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.' 
 
 II. Prophecies of the Coming Saviour 4 
 
 • As He spake by the mouth of His holy prophets.' 
 
 III. The Fulness of Time 7 
 
 ' 77ie Desire of all nations shall come.' 
 
 IV. The Saviour's Mother 10 
 
 ' Behold the handmaid of the Lord.' 
 
 V. The Birth of Jesus Christ 12 
 
 ' Unto us a Child is born.' 
 
 VI. The Circumcision and Presentation 15 
 
 • Obedient to the law for man.' 
 
 VII. The Wise Men from the East 17 
 
 'A light to lighten the Gentiles.' 
 
 VIII. The Escape from Herod 19 
 
 ' The Lord saveth His anointed.' 
 
 IX. The Home at Nazareth 21 
 
 ' He shall be called a A'azai ene.' 
 
 X. The First Passover 24 
 
 ' Wist ye not that I must be about My Father's business ? ' 
 
 XI. The Forerunner 2G 
 
 ' Thou shall go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways.' 
 
 XII. The Baptism, Fasting, and Temptation 29 
 
 ' In all things it behoved Him to be made like unto His brethren.' 
 
 XIII. The Three Temptations 31 
 
 ' In all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.' 
 
 XIV. The Baptist's Testimony 33 
 
 ' ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth.' 
 
 XV. The First Disciples 35 
 
 • xVot many wise men, not many mighty, not many noble.' 
 
 XVI. The First Miracle 38 
 
 ' The Son of Man is come eating and drinking.' 
 
 XVII. The First Public Appearance at Jerusalem 41 
 
 ' The Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to His temple.' 
 
 XVIII. The Conversation with Nicodemus 43 
 
 ' Ye must be born again.' 
 
 XIX. In Samaria, 1 46 
 
 ' y/ any man thint, let him come unto Me and drink.' 
 
 XX. In Samaria, II 51 
 
 ' / have meat to eat that ye know not of.' 
 
 XXI. The Nobleman of Capernaum 58 
 
 ' The obedience of faith.' 
 
 XXII. The Rejection at Nazareth 5G 
 
 ' Is not this the Carpenter ? ' 
 
 XXIII. The Call of the Fishermen 62 
 
 ' Lo .' we hare left all and followed Thee.' 
 
 XXIV, A Sabbath at Capernaum 66 
 
 ' Mi(]hty in word and deed.' 
 
VI 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 Page 
 XXV, The Sermon on the Mount, 1 68 
 
 ' My kingdom is not of this woi-ld.' 
 
 XXVI. The Sermon on the Moimt, II 71 
 
 ' i'our Father which is in Heaven.' 
 
 XXVn. The Leper 73 
 
 ' Sometime far off— made nigh.' 
 
 XXVIIT. The Roman Officer and his Servant 76 
 
 ' / have not found so great faith, no, not tn Israel.' 
 
 XXIX. The Widow's Son of Nain 78 
 
 ' The dead shall hear the voice of the Son of Ood.' 
 
 XXX. The Paralytic 81 
 
 ' Who is this that forgiveth sins also H ' 
 
 XXXI. The Call of the PubUcan 83 
 
 ' A Friend of publicans and sinners.' 
 
 XXXII. The Sick Woman and the Ruler's Daughter 85 
 
 ' All things are possible to him that belieceth.' 
 
 XXXIII. At Jerusalem — The Cripple at Bethesda 88 
 
 ' J can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.' 
 
 XXXIV. At Jerusalem — Persecution 90 
 
 ' All men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father.' 
 
 XXXV. The Message from John the Baptist 93 
 
 ' Art Thou He that should come ? ' 
 
 XXXVI. The Pharisee and the Penitent Woman 96 
 
 ' Which of them will love Him most ? ' 
 
 XXXVn. Sabbath Controversies 99 
 
 ' The Son of Man is Lord also of the Sabbath.' 
 
 XXXVIII. The Twelve Apostles 101 
 
 ' Feed My sheep.' 
 
 XXXIX. Opposition from Foes and fi-om^Friends 103 
 
 ' He hath a devil, and is mad.'' 
 
 XL. Teaching by Parables, I , 106 
 
 ' Take heed how ye hear.' 
 
 XLI. Teaching by Parables, II 109 
 
 ' Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of Ood 'f ' 
 
 XLIL The Night Voyage on the Lake 112 
 
 ' Even the winds and the sea obey Him.' 
 
 XLIII. The Demoniac of Gergesa 114 
 
 ' The Son of God was manifested that He might destroy the works of the devil.' 
 
 XLIV. The Death of John the Baptist 116 
 
 ' Faithful unto death.' 
 
 XLV. The Feeding of the Five Thousand 118 
 
 ' He hath filled the hungry with good things.' 
 
 XLVI. Walking on the Sea 121 
 
 ' Without Me ye can do nothing.' 
 
 XLVIL Disappointment and Desertion 124 
 
 ' Will ye also yo away ? ' 
 
 XLVIIL In Phoenicia 127 
 
 ' The same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon Him.' 
 
 XLIX. In Decapolis 129 
 
 ' My God shall supply all yourneed. .through Christ Jesus.' 
 
 L. Peter's Confession 132 
 
 ' Thou art FcU:r.' 
 
 LI. The New Revelation to the Disciples..'. 135 
 
 ' God forbid that / should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.' 
 
 LII. The Transfiguration 137 
 
 ' Fye- witnesses of His majesty.' 
 
 LIII. The Demoniac Boy 141 
 
 ' Why could not we cast him out ? ' 
 
 LIV. The Feast of Tabernacles, L ; 143 
 
 ' He was in the world, and the world knew Him not.' 
 
 LV. The Feast of T.abemacles, II 147 
 
 ' The Light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not.' 
 
 LVL The Man bom Blind 149 
 
 ' One thing J know, that whereas J was blind, now J see.' 
 
CONTENTS. Vii 
 
 Page 
 LVII. The Shepherd and the Sheep „ 151 
 
 • 1 am the Good Shepherd.' 
 
 LVIII, Some Mistakes Corrected 156 
 
 ' Which is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven ?' 
 
 LIX. The Rule and Pattern of Forgiveness 159 
 
 ' Even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.' 
 
 LX. The Final Departure from Galilee , 161 
 
 ' JJe stedfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem.' 
 
 LXI. The Mission of the Seventy 163 
 
 ' I'reaswe in earthen vessels.' 
 
 LXII. The Chief Pharisee's Feast , 166 
 
 ' JHot as the world giveth, give I unto you.' 
 
 LXIII. The Parable of the Prodigal Son 168 
 
 ' There is joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth.' 
 
 LXIV. Concerning this World and the Next 171 
 
 ' Set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth.' 
 
 LXV. Two Parables on Prayer I73 
 
 ' Lord teach us to pray.' 
 
 LXVI. The Little Children and the Young Ruler 176 
 
 ' What lack I yet r 
 
 LXVII. Peter's Question 178 
 
 ' What shall we have therefore ? ' 
 
 LXVIII. The Lavryers Two Questions I8I 
 
 ' What shall I do to inherit eternal life ?—W/io is my neighbour'!' 
 
 LXIX. The Home at Bethany 184 
 
 ' One thing is needful.' 
 
 LXX. Christ's Conduct in Danger 186 
 
 ' His hour icas not yet come.' 
 
 LXXI. The Raising of Lazarus 189 
 
 ^ I am the Resurrection and the Life,' 
 
 LXXIL The Last Journey— Mistaken Expectations 192 
 
 ' Tliey thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear.' 
 
 LXXIIL In Jericho— The Blind Man and the Publican 194 
 
 ' He gathereth together the outcasts of Israel.' 
 
 LXXIV. The Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem 196 
 
 ^ Behold, thy King Cometh.' 
 
 LXXV. The Fruitless Fig Tree 200 
 
 ' Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself.' 
 
 LXXVL In the Temple— Parables 202 
 
 ' Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God.' 
 
 LXXVII. In the Temple — Questions 205 
 
 * How they might entangle Him in His talk.' 
 
 LXXVin. In the Temple — Denunciations 207 
 
 ' Being grieved for the hardness of their hearts' 
 
 LXXIX. In the Temple— The Final Rejection 210 
 
 ' To the Jews a stumbling-block, and to the Greeks foolishness.' 
 
 LXXX. On OUvet — Concerning the Fall of Jerusalem 212 
 
 'Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles.' 
 
 LXXXI. On Olivet — Concerning Christ's Second Coming, 1 218 
 
 ' Behold the Bridegroom cometh ; go ye out to meet Him.' 
 
 LXXXII. On Ohvet — Concerning Christ's Second Coming, II 220 
 
 ' Theri shall He rewai'd every man according to his works.' 
 
 LXXXIII. On Olivet — Concerning the Last Judgment 223 
 
 ' We must all stand before the judgment-seat of Christ.' 
 
 LXXXrV. The Conspirators 225 
 
 ' They that lay wait for my soul take counsel together.' 
 
 LXXXV. The Last Supper, 1 228 
 
 ' / am among you aa he that serveth.' 
 
 LXXXVL The Last Supper, II 231 
 
 ' TTiis do in remembrance of Me.' 
 
 LXXXVIL Christ's Parting "Words 236 
 
 ' Let not your heart be troubled.' 
 
 LXXXVm. The Promised Comforter 238 
 
 'I will send you another Comforter,' 
 
yili CONTENTS. 
 
 Page 
 
 LXXXIX. The Vine and the Branche9 241 
 
 'Abide in Me at)d J in you.' 
 
 XC. Christ's Prayer for His People 243 
 
 ' An Advocate with Ihe Father.' 
 
 XCI. In Gethsemane , 245 
 
 ' Behold and see if there be any torrow like unto My sorrow.' 
 
 XCII. Betrayed, Deserted, and Denied 248 
 
 • All ye shall be offended because of Me this night.' 
 
 XCIII. Before the Council 251 
 
 ' They all condemned Him to be guilty of dtath.' 
 
 XCIV. Before the Governor 254 
 
 ' 1 find no fault in this man.' 
 
 XCV. The Crucifixion, 1 258 
 
 ' Endured the cross, despising the shame.' 
 
 XCVI. The Crucifixion, II 261 
 
 ' The Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.' 
 
 XCVII. The Eve of the Sabbath 264 
 
 ' y'e shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice.' 
 
 XCVIII. The Morning of the Third Day 267 
 
 ' ye shall be sorroirful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.' 
 
 XCIX. Christ Risen 270 
 
 ' / am He that liveth and was dead.' 
 
 C. The Walk to Emmaus ^72 
 
 ' Did not our heart burn within tisf 
 
 CI. In the Upper Room 274 
 
 ' Behold My hands and My feet, that it is 1 Myself.' 
 
 CII. The Morning by the Lake 277 
 
 ' Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.' 
 
 CIII. The Ascension 280 
 
 ' Who is gone into heaven, and it on the right hand of God.' 
 
 CIV. The King and His Kingdom 282 
 
 ' Thy kingdom come. 
 
 ADDITIONAL NOTES. 
 
 I. The Samaritans ., 43 
 
 II. Sychar and Jacob's Well 50 
 
 III. The Journeys of Christ into Galilee 55 
 
 IV. Christ's Galilean Ministry 58 
 
 V. On the Chronology of the Galilean Ministry 59 
 
 VI. The Lake of Gennesareth 64 
 
 VIL The Parables of Christ 108 
 
 VIII. On the Chronology of the Last Six Months of our Lord's Life 154 
 
 IX. '• Going down from Jerusalem to Jericho " 183 
 
 X. On the Interpretation of St. Matthew xxiv, and XXV 215 
 
 XI. The Fall of Jerusalem 217 
 
 XII. The Day of the Supper and the Day of the Crucifixion 235 
 
 MAPS AND PLANS. 
 
 Palestine To face Title Page. 
 
 Valley of Nablous 50 
 
 Lake of Gennesareth 65 
 
 Herod's Temple 146 
 
 The Mount of Olives, and the Road from Jerusalem to Bethany 198 
 
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSONS 
 
 LIFE OF OUE LOBD. 
 
 INTRODUCTORY NOTE. 
 
 ^ 
 
 IN commencing this new Course of Sunday-school Lessons, the writer desirea to 
 offer a few explanatory remarks by way of introduction. 
 
 1. The Course is designed to form a continuous history of our Lord's Life. 
 liJ It is not intended merely to take incident after incident, and show that each 
 by itself gives an interesting picture and a useful application ; but to point out (as far as 
 possible) the connection, moral as well as historical, of the successive events. It is 
 believed that, in this way, a new interest in the Gospel narratives, and a higher apprecia- 
 tion of our Lord's character and work, may be awakened, even in the minds of Sunday- 
 school children. It is much better, if possible, to stimulate the regularity of their 
 attendance by kindling in them the wish not to miss a Lesson, than to do it either by pro- 
 mise of reward or threat of punishment. Let the teacher endeavour himself to realise 
 that he has before him a task at once solemn and attractive, and strive to awaken in the 
 minds of his scholars the idea that they are beginning what will be continuously interesting. 
 The three introductory Lessons on ' The Incarnation,' ' Prophecies of the Coming Saviour,' 
 and ' The Fulness of Time,' will, it is hoped, be found specially useful in preparing both 
 teachers and scholars for the study of the Life itself ; and if they appear over-f idl of 
 matter, and therefore difficult to teach, it must be remembered that this arises from the 
 nature of the subjects, so that they must not be judged as specimens of the Lessons 
 generally. 
 
 2. The chronological arrangement adopted in this Course is the result of careful inde- 
 pendent research. It does not strictly follow any one of the 'Harmonies' which have 
 been constructed by leading writers on the subject, and which have been reproduced, with 
 further variations, in the popular manuals. These have been examined and compared ; 
 and it is believed that their best features are combined in the system adopted, although 
 absolute certainty cannot be expected where so many differences exist. The several 
 questions at issue will be discussed as they arise in the Lessons, 
 
 3. Each Lesson consists of three distinct parts — (a) an introductory note, giving hints 
 to the teacher, and explanations as to the design of the Lesson ; (6) a sketch of the 
 Lesson to be actually delivered ; (c) explanatory notes on the difficulties of the passage, 
 and on points of chronology, geography, manners and customs, &c., ifec. The Sketches of 
 Lessons are written with a view to then- use in ordinary Sunday-school classes; but, 
 in the introductory note, suggestions will be given as to what may be added, omitted, or 
 altered for senior or infajit classes, as well as general hints regarding illustrations, appli 
 cation, <fcc. The explanatory notes are designed for the teacher's information, and for use 
 in class at his discretion. 
 
 4. The short text or motto affixed to the title of each Lesson is designed to embody the 
 central idea of the Lesson. It does not necessarily refer to the appUoation : more fre- 
 quently to the significance of the subject historically 
 
2 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 5. The texts for repetition have been carefully selected. Two or more are usually 
 given ; and it will be understood that either, or both, can be appointed by the teacher to be 
 learned. 
 
 C. The Hymns suggested for use in the school with each Lesson are taken from the 
 Church Sunday-school Hymn Book. 
 
 7. Three general suggestions are offered to teachers who may wish to follow out the 
 design of these Lessons in its integrity : — 
 
 (a) Not to let the class read the entire passage appointed before beginning the teaching, 
 but to take it in sections, as indicated in the sketch. The writer considers the practice of 
 reading the whole or part of a chapter round, verse by verse, before the children can have 
 the slightest interest in it, to be a very inexpedient one. Before the Bibles are turned to, 
 let there be (if possible) a curiosity to know what will be found there. 
 
 (b) To look out, in the course of preparation at home {sitch preparation is assumed as 
 essential), all the texts referred to in the Lesson. It may not be well to use them all in 
 class, but the teacher's own knowledge of them will have its effect on the success of his 
 teaching. 
 
 (c) Not to announce to the class the titles of the divisions of the Lesson. They are 
 given solely for the sake of clearness. Nan-atives in particular should be taught through- 
 out, without artificial break. The heads may sometimes, however, be usefully employed 
 in recapitulating. 
 
 Lesson I— The Incarnation. 
 
 ' The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.' 
 
 Read — Texts referi'ed to in Lesson ; Learn — Phil. ii. 6 — 8 ; John i. 14. 
 (%nms, 6, 30, 41, 310, 311.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 T is not usual to give a doctrinal lesson on the Nature of Christ as an intro- 
 duction to a series on His earthly Life ; yet, not only is it most important that 
 the truths implied in the term ' Incarnation ' should be apprehended (how- 
 ever feebly) by children, but the interest and impressiveness of the subsequent 
 lessons will be greatly enhanced by a continual reference to these truths. 
 
 Let the teacher, then, not shrink from this opening subject because there is in it no 
 naiTative to picture out, but do his very best to teach it so thoroughly that he may be 
 able afterwards to refer back to it fi-eely. 
 
 Neither the essential Godhead nor the real Manhood of our Lord is at aJl realised by 
 children generally. On the one hand, they think of ' Jesus ' and ' God ' as two distinct 
 Beings ; on the other hand, they never conceive of Christ as actually living, feeling, 
 suffering, as a man. Their idea of Him (unconscious, of course — they do not reckon about 
 it) is as of one like an angel, neither human nor divine. 
 
 The force of the several points in this lesson depends on the texts, which, though 
 numerous, are (it must be remembered) but a small selection of what might be quoted, 
 and have been chosen with great care. These must be thoroughly studied beforehand, 
 even by the teachers of non-reading classes ; for although in such classes they cannot be 
 referred to, familiarity with them will give definiteness to the teaching. The two texts 
 given to prove the doctrine of the Trinity are much the best ones for that purpose, just 
 because their use for other purposes is so well known. 
 
 It has been thought well to give several answers to the question, ' Why God the Son 
 became Man,' because the common reply, ^ To save siniiers' — true as it is— gives no 
 adequate idea of the greatness and extent of Christ's work. Such an idea may be success- 
 fully conveyed by means of the texts referred to, even though there would not be time to 
 explain them all fully. 
 
THE INCAKNATION. 
 
 In elder classes, reference should be made to the Nicene and Athanasian Creeds, and the 
 Second Article. Should the Course be commenced on Advent Sunday, the Collect for the 
 day can also be quoted ; in which Christ is spoken of as having come ' to visit us in gi-eat 
 humility,' and yet as ' Uving and reigning with the Father and the Holy Ghost.' 
 
 Sketch of Lesson. 
 
 We are going to talk about the Life of 
 the Lord Jesus Christ. Perhaps have gone 
 through it before — if so, try and understand 
 it better than ever. Not like lives of other 
 men, which read once or twice and then 
 want something else. Some have studied 
 every word of G-ospels many times, yet 
 each time more interesting, always some- 
 thing new. And see why the Gospels 
 written, John xx. 31. Yet how few care 
 about it ? Why ? See 2 Cor. iv. 4— how 
 terrible ! Pray, with David, Ps. cxix. 18. 
 
 When we read a man's life, what the 
 first event recorded ? But we must go back 
 before the birth of Jesus. For look at 
 John xvii. 5. What was He then? Not 
 
 a man, not an angel, but . How long 
 
 had He lived as God ? John i. 1 — 3 ; 
 Col. i. 17. And how long ivill He be God ? 
 Heb. i. 8. So in the Te Deurn—' Thou art 
 the Everlasting Son of the Father.' And 
 in our texts to-day — ' only begotten of the 
 Father,' 'in form of God,' 'equal with 
 God ' [«ee Nofes~\ . 
 
 When we pray ' Our Father,' we pray to 
 God, but not to Jesus. Who then ? And 
 who else is God too? Here are three 
 sacred Persons, yet how many Gods? 
 Deut. vi. 4 ; 1 Cor. viii. 4. What do we call 
 this Three in One ? See where the Three 
 Persons are put together as equal in Scrip- 
 ture, Matt, xxviii. 19; 2 Cor. xiii. 14. 
 When and where do we hear these verses 
 quoted ? (Baptism, Benediction in Church.) 
 
 Can we understand this ? No one can. 
 You have seen a great engine puffing and 
 snorting as it drags the train along. Perhaps 
 have learned how all those strange wheels 
 and bars of iron move so beautifully. But 
 does the little insect that jumps on the wheel 
 know all that ? Could it be taught ? And 
 when we try to understand the great God, 
 we are like the fly trying to understand the 
 engine. 
 
 Look again at our texts — ' made flesh,' 
 made in the likeness of man ' [see Notes} . 
 God the Son came down upon earth, and 
 became the Man Jesus. This called the 
 Incarnation, i.e., ' taking flesh.' Another 
 mystery (as St. Paul calls it, 1 Tim. iii. 16). 
 Consider now — 
 
 I. How God the Son became Man. 
 
 1. IJe laid aside His glory. See a picture 
 of what that glory was, Isa. vi. 1 — 6 (see 
 John xii. 41). See how, when upon earth, 
 He desired to return to it, John xvii. 5. 
 Then how great the love that gave it up, 
 2 Cor. viii. 9. It is called ' emptying 
 Himself,' Phil. ii. 7 [see Note2\. 
 
 2, He took a human body. He was really 
 
 bom, and had a real mother, Gal. iv. 4. 
 His body grew, Luke ii. 52. He was 
 hungry, Matt. iv. 2 ; thirsty, John iv. 7, 
 six. 28 ; tired, John iv. 6. He really 
 died, Mark xv. 44, 45. 
 
 3. He took a human soul. He thought 
 and felt, had a human will, Luke xxii. 42 ; 
 was glad, Luke x. 21 ; sorry, Mark iii. 5, 
 Luke xix. 41, John xi. 35 ; surprised. Matt, 
 viii. 10, Mark vi. 6 ;— like other men. He 
 was loving, patient, pitiful, upright, pure, 
 just as other men ought to be, only — only 
 what f— see 2 Cor. v. 21; Heb. iv. 15; 
 1 John iii. 5. 
 
 4. Yet He was God all the lohile. See 
 what was predicted, Isa. vii. 14, ix. 6 — the 
 child should be ' the Mighty God ' ; and 
 what does ' Emmanuel' mean ? Matt. i. 23. 
 And in His life we see both the Godhead 
 and Manhood together; e.g., on the lake, it 
 is the weary sleeper who wakes and stills 
 the storm ; at Bethany, the tearful mourner 
 calls the dead to life, &c., &c. 
 
 It is ' this Jesus,' ' very God and very 
 Man,' whose life, while upon earth, we arc 
 going to read. 
 
 II. Why God the Son became Man, 
 
 1. To take away sin, 1 John iii. 6, 8. 
 Look at Ps. siv. 2, 3 — ' the Lord looked 
 down ' ; what did He see ? (Comp. Gen. 
 v\. 5.) Think of all the misery this sin has 
 brought. God wished us to be happy — 
 then must sweep away sin — how do it ? see 
 Heb. ix. 26 ; Isa. liii. 6. So what is Christ 
 called? John i. 29. 
 
 2. To obey all God's law, Heb. x. 7. 
 What for ? — to get heaven for Himself ? — 
 but He was there already. See why, 
 Rom. V. 19, X. 4. 
 
 3. To take away death's power, and give 
 us life, Heb. ii. 14, John x. 10. 
 
 4. To be able to sympathise with us, 
 Heb. ii. 17, 18. 
 
 5. To give us an Example, John xiii. 15. 
 
 6. To reveal God to us. What do men 
 know about God ? 1 Cor. i. 21. Yet what 
 do they often think ? Ps. 1. 21. It is Jesus 
 who shows God to us, John i. 18 ; Luke x, 
 22. How? John xiv. 9; Col. i. 15. 
 
 7. To make us love God. Do we naturally ? 
 Rom. viii. 7. But how can we help it when 
 we see such love ? 1 John iv. 10, 19 ; 2 Cor. 
 V. 14, 15. 
 
 8. To unite God and man. Did the Man 
 Jesus cease to live when the Son of God 
 ascended to heaven ? What did Stephen 
 see? Acts vii. 56. So the Son took our 
 nature yor ever ; and what does He give to 
 us ? 2 Pet. i. 4. How wonderful 1 
 
 What a work to undertake ! No wonder 
 only God could do it. 
 
 •^ b2 
 
LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUK LORD. 
 
 Think of any one losing all these bles- 
 sings ! Think of any one refusing them, 
 or caring nothing about them ! Are you 
 like that? You have the privilege of 
 
 knowing about them — ' receive not this 
 ' grace of God in vain ' I So wrote St. Paul 
 to the Corinthians ; and what did he say 
 next ? 2 Cor. vi. 1, 2. 
 
 Notes. 
 
 1. The verses for repetition require some expla- 
 aation. 
 
 John i. 14— 'The Word was made flesh,' Sic. 
 The term ' Word ' applied to the Son of God Is 
 peculiar to St. John ; it denotes the special office 
 of the Son as the Revealer of God. By his words 
 u man communicates^reveals— his thoughts. In 
 the first verse of this Gospel, St. John uses the 
 term without explanation, as one that will be 
 understood by his readers : probably owing to 
 its use in the philosophical writings of the age, 
 which (though a very interesting subject) need 
 not be enlarged upon here. But some corre- 
 sponding expressions in the Old Testament may 
 be noted: Ps. xxxlil. 4,6, evil. 20, cxix. 89; Job 
 xxviii. 12, &c. ; Prov. viii., ix. 
 
 ' Was made flesh: ' Flesh ' here stands for 
 hvman mortal nature generally, as In Isa. xl. 6; 
 1 Pet. i. 24. The word was probably used with 
 reference to the heresy of the Doceta, who held 
 <hat Christ's body was only an appearance, and 
 against whom St. John writes in hlB Ist Ep. 
 (iv. 3) and 2nd Ep. (ver. 7). 
 
 ' Dicelt among vs '—lit. ' tabernacled.' The word 
 occurs also in Eev. vii. 15, xxi. 3, and has a 
 special reference to God dwelling with men. 
 
 ' We beheld His glory,' i.e., both the eternal 
 giory manifested on the Mount of Transflgura- 
 tion, and the glory of His character and work 
 (see John ii. 11, xi. 4). The words ' taber- 
 .nacled' and 'glory,' occurring together, evi- 
 . dently refer to the ancient Shechinah — the 
 ' glory of Jehovah'— in the tabernacle. 
 
 • The only begotten of the Father.' This expres- 
 sion only occurs here and in ver. 18, iii. 10, 18 ; 
 1 John iv. 9. Here it is in contrast with the 
 'sons of God' of the two preceding verses : they 
 sous only by faith— ^e by identity of nature. 
 
 ^full 0/ grace and truth'— grace as opposed to 
 the rigour of the Mosaic law, trvth {i.e. reality) 
 as opposed to its types and shadows; comp. ver. 18. 
 
 2. Phil. ii. 6—8. These verses would be better 
 rendered thus:— 'WAo, subsisting (a strong word) 
 tn the form of God, esteemed (same word as in 
 ver. 3) not His being equal with God a thing to be 
 tlung to, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a 
 servant, being made in the likeness of men,' &c. 
 
 Tlie \\ ord rendered in our version ' robbery,' 
 is usually explained to mean ' a thing to be 
 
 grasped at: ' Clung to' is suggested by a recent 
 writer in the British Quarterly Review, and seems 
 far preferable, as implying possession. 
 
 The sense of this remarkable passage is— 
 Christ had the 'form ' (outward glory) of God ; 
 and of this, although really and rightfully equal 
 with God, He 'emptied Himself (not of His 
 Godhead, not of His equality with God— only of 
 His Divine 'glory'), and took the 'form' (same 
 word) of a servant, the 'fashion' (outward 
 guise; of a man. 
 
 Bishop Browne {Exposition of the Articles) 
 says : — ' The participles express the manner in 
 which the actions of the verbs were effected. He, 
 being in the form of God, emptied Himself of His 
 Divine glory. How T By taking the form of a 
 servant. And how did He take the form of a 
 servant ? By being made In the likeness of man. 
 And then, being no longer in the glory of God, 
 but in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself. 
 How J By becoming obedient unto death.' 
 
 3. The following are some further proofs of the 
 Divinity of Christ :— 
 
 Direct statements:— Kom. ix. 5; Col. ii. 9; 
 Heb. 1. 
 
 Divine attributes ascribed to Christ -.—Eternity, 
 Micah V. 2 ; John viii. 58 ; Heb. i. 8—12, xiii. 8 ; 
 Rev. i. 17, xxll. 13 (comp. Isa. xliv. 6). Omni- 
 potence, Matt, xxviii. 18 ; Phil. iii. 21 ; Kev. i. 8. 
 Omniscience, Matt. ix. 4, xli. 25; John ii. 24, 25, 
 xxi. 17 (comp. 2 Chron. vi. 30) ; Rev. 11. 23 (comp. 
 I Jer. xvii. 9,10). Omnipresence, Matt, xviii. 20, 
 I xxviii. 20; implied also (with omniscience and 
 I omnipotence) in Heb. vii. 25, and many similar 
 passages. 
 
 Divine actions attributed to Christ :— Creation, 
 John i. 1,3, 10; Col. i. IC; Heb. i. 10. Preserva- 
 tion of all things. Col. i. 17, Heb. i. 3. Forgiveness 
 of sins, Mark ii. 7, 10; Acts v. 31. 
 
 Divine worship paid to Christ (comp. His own 
 declaration in Matt. iv. 10 with John v. 23) :- 
 Matt, xxviii. 9,17; John xx. 28; Acts ix. 14, 21, 
 and 1 Cor. i. 2 ('calling on His name') ; Acts vii. 
 59; 2 Cor. xii. 8, 9; Phil. ii. 10, 11; Heb. i. G; 
 Rev. V. 8,13. (The instances of 'worshipping' 
 Him while on earth— except those after the 
 resurrection — are not included, because they 
 may not have implied belief in His Divinity.) 
 
 Lesson II.— Propliecies of tlie Coming Saviour. 
 
 ' As lie spake by the mouth of His holy prophets' 
 
 iiead— Passages referred to in the Lesson ; Learn— Zo\m v. 39 ; Matt. xiii. 16, V, 
 (Hymns, 23, 232, 238, 259.) 
 
 To THE Te.\CHER. 
 
 This is another Lesson virtually upon texts. It will be observed, however, that many 
 of the most prominent Messianic predictions are not referred to (see iXote 1). The design 
 has not been to give merely a classified list of passages for the clas:- to look out and read ; 
 
PROPHECIES OF THE COMING SAVIOUR. 
 
 this would be easy enough, but not of great interest even to good text-finding children, 
 and quite useless to the teachers of non-reading (or slow-reading) classes. Rather to 
 sketch — of course most imperfectly — the growth of what critics call the ' Messianic 
 idea,' i.e., the hope of a coming King and Saviour ; and thus, not only to give point to 
 the passages which will be looked out in class, but also to provide the junior teacher with 
 material upon which he can work without calling for texts at all. Does such an one look 
 doubtfully at the Lesson? Let him try and master the subject for himself, realising 
 what the prophecies, <Src., quoted meant at the time they were given, and how they apply 
 to Christ ; then he will need no references in actual teaching, but wiU tell what he knows 
 somewhat in this way (observe that the most difficult point is taken as the example) : — 
 
 God told Abraham he should have many grandchildren, &o. [Enlarge ; refer to counting stars. 
 Gen. XV. 5.] One of them, long after, should be a great blessing to the world. [Question as to whnl 
 tsa. 'blessing,' and explain.] Abraham knew he himself could not be such a blessing— he a sinner- 
 weak— soon to die [enlarge]; would think, 'My children will be sinful, like me, &o.— how be a 
 blessing?'— hard to understand— but believed because God told him. Who is a blessing to all who 
 come to Him— so kind— died that He might bless us by taking away sin? &c., &c. Do we not sing 
 'Blessed Jesus'? Was Jesus one of Abraham's family ? [Explain.] Yet was he sinful ? Whynol? 
 So when God told Abraham about ' his seed,' who did He mean? 
 
 Of course it would be impossible to write the Lessons like this ; the teacher must leani 
 to fill out the skeletons given, and adapt them to the wants of his own class. 
 
 In case the Lesson be found too long, the third division may well be omitted (though 
 ^vith elder classes it should at least be just alluded to), and the first need not occupy any 
 time. The second should be taken, if possible, just because it is often ignored. But 
 upon the fourth the chief attention must be concentrated, special stress being laid upon 
 the two contrasting lines of prophecy, on account of their importance in understanding the 
 rejection of Jesus by the Jews. 
 
 Teachers who desire to get a true conception of the uses of Old Testament prophecy, 
 without the trouble of reading standard works, are recommended to get an Exeter Hall 
 Lecture on the subject, by Dr. Magee, the present Bishop of Peterborough (Nisbet & Co., 
 price 3d.) Those who wish to enter more fully into the subject may consult Davison on 
 Prophecy, Canon Payne Smith's recent Bampton Lectures on Prophecy a Preparation for 
 Christ, and Prolessor Stanley Leathes' Boyle Lectures on The Witness of the Old Testa- 
 ment to Christ. 
 
 Sketch of LEasoN. 
 
 Last Sunday we saw ' Why God the Son 
 became Man,' to take away sin, &c. [i?e- 
 capitulateA How came this to be neces- 
 sary ? [Question on the Fall.] 
 
 But the Saviour did not come at once — 
 waited long — 4,000 years at least — why ? 
 Men must learn how dreadful sin is, or 
 would not want a Saviour. Next Sunday 
 see how He came just at the right time. 
 
 Did the people who lived before He came 
 know nothing of Him ? God told them, in 
 many ways, a great deal. To-day look at 
 Bome of His messages. 
 
 I. The Promise in Eden. Just when 
 Adam and Eve in misery, because of their 
 sin, God told them of a Saviour — told them 
 before He punished them (Gen. iii. 15 — 19) ; 
 how pitiful ! What did He tell them about 
 the Saviour? See ver. 15. (a) He should 
 be a man ('her seed'). (b) He should 
 fight against their crael enemy ('enmity'). 
 
 (c) He should not be conquered as they had 
 been, but should crush the enemy (' bruise 
 thy head' — the way to kill a serpent). 
 
 (d) He must be stronger than the enemy — 
 could He then be only a man ? (e) Yet He 
 should be hurt, should suffer, though not 
 conquered (' bruise his heel'). 
 
 Who is all this like ? see 1 John iii. 8 ; 
 Heb. ii. 14 ; Luke xi. 21, 22 ; Rev. xii. 9—1 1. 
 
 II. The Promises to the Patriarchs. 
 In spite of God's promise to Adam and 
 Eve, men forgot Him, grew worse and 
 worse — even the Deluge only stopped it for 
 a time — at last scarcely any one who cared 
 for God— promise forgotten. Then God 
 chose a man — his family to become a great 
 nation — separate from all the world — that 
 He might train them to know and obey 
 Him — that He might give them His mes- 
 sages to men to write down and keep safe — 
 that from them the Saviour might come ; 
 Acts vii. 2, xui. 17 ; Deut. vii. 6 — 8 ; Rom. 
 iii. 2. 
 
 What did God tell Abraham of His pur- 
 pose f Gen. xii. 2, 3, xv. 1 — 6, xvii. 1 — 8, 
 xxii. 15 — 18 ; comp. xxvi. 3, 4, xxviii. 13, 14. 
 (a) Despite the sin all around, aU nations 
 should one day be blessed. (b) This 
 blessing should come through Abraham's 
 family, (c) But Abraham knew his chil- 
 dren would be sinful like himself — how then 
 such a blessing ? — God the only source of 
 blessing (xv. 1) — should not God Himself 
 be the Saviour ? [see Note 2]. 
 
 Who was both God and the seed of Abra- 
 
LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUE LORD. 
 
 ham ? Rom. ix. 5 ; Gal. iii. 16 ; Heb. ii. 16. 
 And what did Jesus say about Abraham 
 knowing Him ? John viii. 56. And is 
 Jesus a blessing ? Acts iii. 25, 26 ; Eph. i. 3, 
 iii. 8 ; corap. Ps. Ixxii. 17. 
 
 ' Blessings abound where'er He reigns.' 
 
 III. The Types of the Jewish Law. 
 Abraham's family in Egypt — slaves — very 
 ignorant — few remembered the Promise. 
 How did God teach them after He brought 
 them out ? By pictures — figures — types — 
 like 'shadows' (Heb. viii. 5, x. 1), which 
 give the outline of a man's form, but not Ms 
 features, &c. But if see a shadow, what 
 sure of ? Must be some real thing coming 
 — no shadow alone. Tabernacles, priests, 
 sacrifices — what did they teach ? see Heb. 
 ix. 8 — that sinful men could not come near 
 holy God — must have some one between ; 
 also that God would accept another's death 
 instead of the sinner's. 
 
 fVho has come between ? Who has really 
 diedjor sinners ? 1 Tim. ii. 5, 6. 
 
 TV. The later Prophecies. By-and- 
 by Grod told more about the Coming Saviour, 
 to David, Isaiah, Daniel, all the prophets. 
 It would take many lessons to look at all 
 His messages. Two great things pre- 
 dicted : — 
 
 1. The glory of the Coming Saviour. In 
 ^foses' time, if the IsraeUtes thought about 
 the Coming One, would think of one like 
 Moses — could imagine nothing better than 
 that ; 80 what sort of person did God pro- 
 mise them ? Deut. xviii. 15. But when 
 they had a king — and that king David — 
 would think Coming One must be like him 
 — would look for a great King. How then 
 did Grod describe Him now ? («) He should 
 be the Son of David, Ps. Ixxxix., cxxxii. 
 (6) He should reign as a King, ii. 6, xlv. ; 
 gloriously, xlv. 3, 4 ; righteoiasly, Ixxii. 2 ; 
 graciously, Ixxii. 4 — 7, 12 — 14 ; despite all 
 opposition, ii. 1 — 6, ex. 1, 2. (c) His King- 
 dom .-.liould be everywhere, Ixxii. 8 ; ii. 8 : 
 and for ever, Ixxii. 5, 17. 
 
 Under good and bad kings the same mes- 
 sage came, Isa. ix. 6, 7, xxxii. 1 ; Jer. xxiii. 
 5 : Micah v. 2 — 5 ; in and after the captivity, 
 Dan. ii. ■14, vii. 13, 14 ; Zech. ix. 9 ; imder 
 
 the Romans, Luke i. 32, 33. To this they 
 looked forward, Luke xix. 11 ; John vi. 15 ; 
 Acts i. 6. 
 
 Who is this King? Rev. i. 5, xix. 16. 
 What did Jesus say Himself ? Matt. xxv. 
 31, 34 ; John xviii. 36 ; Rev. iii. 21. See 
 the above prophecies applied to Him, 
 Matt. xxi. 5 ; Acts iv. 25 — 27 ; Heb. i. 5, 
 8, 9. 
 j 2. The ffiimiliation of the Coming Saviour, 
 , Even in Eden this mentioned ('bruise his 
 ! heel') ; the tyj^es pointed to redemption 
 by death ; and amid aU the prophecies of 
 Messiah's kingly glory were many others 
 of His sufferings. Gud put Ps. xxii. (and 
 others) into David's mouth to describe 
 what Christ should imdergo; comp. ver. 1, 
 6—8, 16—18, with Matt, xxvii. 35, 36, 39— 
 43, 46. See especially Isa. liii. ; comp. 
 ver. 7, 8 with Acts viii. 32—35 ; ver. 12 
 with Mark xv. 28 ; also Dan. ix. 26. 
 
 Did the Jews understand this ? John xii. 
 34. Not even the di.sciples at first, Matt, 
 xvi. 22, 23 ; Luke xxiv. 20, 21. But what 
 use would all the rest be without it ? Satan 
 could not have been crushed — sin would 
 have kept from us all the 'blessings' of 
 Abraham's seed — the King could only con- 
 demn us. In heaven no Satan — no sin — 
 every blessing — the King Himself ' in His 
 beauty' (Isa. xxxiii. 17) ; yet what do they 
 most rejoice in there ? Rev. v. 9, 12. 
 ' Worthy the Lamb that died, they cry I ' 
 
 Would Abraham, David, Daniel, be thank- 
 ful for God's goodness in telling them about 
 the Coming Saviour ? 
 
 To us He is not the Coming Saviour, but 
 the Saviour who has come. How much 
 ought we to thank God 1 A Sunday-school 
 child can know more about Him than Moses 
 or Isaiah. 
 
 ' How blessed are our eyes, 
 
 That see the heavenly light: 
 Prophets and kings desired it long, 
 But died without the sight.' 
 
 Are we looking to Him — as the Conqueror 
 of Satan, to succour us ; as the Seed of 
 Abraham, to make us blessed ; as the King, 
 to rule in our hearts ; as the suffering 
 Saviour, to take away our sin ? 
 
 Notes. 
 
 1. A large number of predictions, &e., are not 
 referred to in this lesson. They may be thus 
 classified :— 
 
 (a) Those in which the Blesslanic reference, 
 though probable, is not certain; as Gen. xli.\. 10; 
 Job xix. 25. 
 
 v6) T'jose which are Messianic only In a 
 secondary sense; as Numb. xxiv. 17, which 
 refers primarily to David. 
 
 (c) Those which, although important, do not 
 fall into the groups included in the lesson; as 
 I's. xl. C— 8, cxviii. 22; Isa. xl. 1—10, xxvlU. 16, 
 xlil.l— 4, 1x1.1, Ixiil. 1-6; Zech. ii;.8, vi.l2; Mai. 
 iii. 1 - 3 ; and many other.s. 
 
 (rf) Those referring to particular events In 
 Christ's life; ns Ps. xvi. 10. Ixvlil. 18, Ixix. 0. 21 ; 
 Isa. vil. H, 1. « ; .ler. xxxl. 1.^ ; Hos. xl. 1 ; Zech. 
 xi. IS. ic. 
 
 (e) Incidental types ; as the Passover l.amh, 
 the Manna, the Brazen Serpent, &c. 
 (/) Personal types ; as Joshua, Jonah, kc. 
 
 2. The significance of the promises made to 
 Abraham has recently been very ably pointed 
 out by Professor Stanley l.eathes, in his Boyle 
 Lectures on 'The Witness of the Old Testament 
 to Christ.' He says (p. 62) : ' Abraham had been 
 made to know God. In learning to know God, 
 he learns to know himself to be, as he once con- 
 fesses, but ' dust and ashes." But he learns to 
 know also that in his seed there shall be a source 
 of universal blessing. It w.is impossible for him 
 not to know that what he was, that his seed 
 should be— du.st and nslics, like him. He is (o be 
 greater than nil his seed, because the father of 
 them. Yet in that soed there was to be one who 
 
THE FULNESS OF TIME. 
 
 was to contain and to be the blessing itself. . . . 
 As he knew that he was not himself a source of 
 blessing, but stooped to receive blessing from 
 Melchlzedek ; as he knew that what he had not 
 the powef to give he cquld not transmit to his 
 offspring, and that what they had not indi- 
 vidually they could not possess collectively; so 
 he was led upwards to the hope of One who 
 fihould unite in his own person the blessedness 
 of the Ever-blessed with the manhood of the 
 promised seed. Thus it was that he rejoiced to 
 sec the day of Christ ; that ' he saw it, and was 
 glad.' 
 
 3. It is commonly said that ' the Old Testament 
 Is full of Christ'; yet many, in proving it, either 
 enumerate several isolated passages which do 
 not amount to a hundredth part of the whole, or 
 else resort to fantastic resemblances in little 
 details for which there is no warrant In Scrip- 
 ture or In reason. 
 
 But when we study the prophecies in the 
 light of the contemporary history, and deter- 
 mine the meaning they would apparently have 
 
 at the time of their delivery, we see how every 
 event, every calamity, every victory, was made 
 the means of throwing forward the minds of the 
 people to something much greater yet to come. 
 Thus, 1 Sam. ii. 35 is not usually reckoned Mes- 
 sianic : there were many ' faithful priests ' suc- 
 ceeding Eli's sons ; but the very sins of Ilophnl 
 and Phlnehas would make the people long for 
 some one different, and they would be led to 
 hope for the ' Coming One ' as a 'faithful priest.' 
 So the simple appointment of the good Eliakim 
 to succeed the arrogant Shebna, as treasurer 
 under Hezekiah, gives the inspired propnel an 
 opportunity of saying of Eliakim wnat could 
 only refer in its highest sense to Messiah, Isa. 
 xxii. 15—23. And what a force attaches to Isa. 
 xxxii. 1 when we think of it as spoken In the 
 reign of Ahaz! 
 
 Thus regarded, the Old Testament is indeed 
 seen to be full of Christ ; and every great man, 
 just in so far as He did the will of God, is 
 seen to be a type of Christ, an imperfect speci- 
 men of what Christ should be perfectly. 
 
 Lesson III.— The Fulness of Time. 
 
 ' TTie Desire of all nations shall come.' 
 
 Read — Passages referred to in the Lesson ; Learn — Ps. cxix. 126 ; Matt. iv. 16 ; Gal. iv. L 
 (Hymns 23, 24, 87, 230, 308, 309.) 
 
 To THE TeACHEU. 
 
 This Lesson consists mainly of information to be given by the teacher to prepare the 
 way for the rest of the course. The task of condensing into the usual space allotted to 
 the Sketch, and in a simple form, even the limited amount of taformation which can be 
 given in a Sunday-school lesson, has proved simply an impossible one ; but it is hoped 
 that, with the help of the additional particulars furnished in the Notes, the painstaking 
 teacher will be able to convey a tolerably correct idea of the state of both Jews and 
 Grentiles at the period of the Advent. 
 
 As almost every point is, in the Sketch, illustrated from Scripture, the Lesson need not 
 be at aU a secular one, although it may appear so at first sight ; aad the teacher 
 should aim at leaving this idea in the minds of the class, viz., that Christianity was sadli/ 
 wanted by the time Christ came. The appUcation will then follow impressively. 
 
 The Lesson need not be so catechetical in actual deUvery as usual, but care must be 
 taken that it do not become a mere lecture ; and questioning will be necessary to make sure 
 that what is taught is really learned— that the knowledge imparted, however meagre, is 
 at aU events clear (e.g., many children will connect ' Rome' with the Papacy if the teacher 
 is not careful). 
 
 Intelligent ordinary classes ought to take all that is here given, and superior senior 
 classes much more. A great deal might be said about the Jewish sects, synagogues, &c. ; 
 but it must be remembered that in the mass of such facts the general idea of the religious 
 condition of the people is apt to be lost, just as an enumeration of existing sects and parties 
 would in no sense describe the religious condition of England. Smith's Student's New 
 Testament History is particularly valuable on these points ; as also the two first chapters 
 of Westcott's admirable Introduction to the Study of the Gospels, which are strongly 
 recommended to teachers of this Lesson, llepworth Dixon's Holy Land (chaps. 7, 8, 19, 
 35, 48, 51) gives considerable information in a popular form. 
 
 Junior classes must not be puzzled with many proper names and other external facts ; 
 but the purpose of the Lesson may be accomplished in teaching them. They should be 
 made to know the sinfulness of the world, its misery ' without God,' the helplessness of its 
 learned men to make people better ; still more, the formality and arrogance of scribes and 
 
8 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LOBD. 
 
 Pharisees, and the vague longings of the Jews for a deliverer ; and how Grod's patient eye 
 was watching all things. The illustration of a benighted traveller waiting for the sunrise 
 will be found effective. 
 
 Sketch of Lesson. 
 
 At last the time came for the Incarna- 
 tion. At last the King and Saviour so long 
 promised was to come. But what had been 
 going on in the world all this time ? Were 
 men looking out, thankfully and hopefully, 
 for the Coming One ? Nations were rising 
 and falling — men working, playing, fight- 
 ing, idol-worshipping, living, dying — as if 
 no God — had forgotten Him altogether. 
 
 Had God forgotten? Ps. x. 11 — 16; 
 Prov. XV. 3. What was He doing ? You 
 have seen when old hoaises pulled down for 
 new building — empty space — mounds of 
 rubbish — men working here and there — 
 great stones brought — poles set up — looks 
 all disorder — but who is watching, order- 
 ing, planning, all the time? God is like 
 the architect, Ps. cxv. 3 ; Isa. xl. 22 ; Dan. 
 iv.35 — all that long time was preparing for 
 the coming of His Son. At last all ready. 
 To-day see condition of the world when 
 He came. 
 
 I, The Roman Empire. 
 
 (1) The world then not at all what it is 
 now — Britain a distant province of great 
 empire (like New Zealand now of England) 
 — emperor at Rome ruling countries in 
 north, south, east, and west — no Pharaoh 
 in Egypt, Hiram at Tyre, Benhadad at 
 Damascus, or Sennacherib at Nineveh — the 
 great kingdoms named in the Old Testa- 
 ment gone — Rome everywhere (see Luke 
 ii. 1). So God had told Daniel (ii. 40, 
 vii. 23). This just the time for the Gospel 
 to be preached — why ? If many kingdoms, 
 different governments, wars, how could the 
 Apostles have travelled about so easily ? 
 [See Notes 1,2.] 
 
 (2) Now, if book published in London, 
 cannot be read in France, Spain, &c., unless 
 translated. One of the hardest parts of a 
 missionary's work to learn the language of 
 the people he goes to. But then, one lan- 
 guage all over Roman Empire — not Roman 
 (Latin), but Greek — such a beautiful lan- 
 guage, that when Greece was conquered, 
 even the proud Romans learned it. So 
 when St. Paul preached everjrivhere in 
 Greek, could be understood ; when he wrote 
 Greek letters (the Epistles in our Bible), 
 how many could read them ? [See Note 3. J 
 
 (3) But what sort of people lived in the 
 great empire, spoke the beautiful language ? 
 Many very rich and selfish — others op- 
 pressed and miserable — great wickedness, 
 Rom. i. 28 — 32. Now, even people who do 
 not love God often ashamed to sin — very 
 few ashamed then. Very few thought even 
 of their false gods ; if they did, it was only 
 to get something out of it (like the silver- 
 smiths at EphesuR, Acts xix.). The clever 
 men knew the idols no good, but never 
 thought of the great God always looking 
 down on all. 1 Cor. i. 21 ; could see things 
 
 were very bad, but knew no remedy ; had 
 found out many wonderful things, but 
 could not make men good — not always 
 good themselves. See the sad words of 
 Eph.ii. 12. [See Note 4.] 
 
 So when the Gospel came, the world was 
 ready, for there was — 
 
 («) One great empire ; universal peace. 
 
 (b) One language everywhere. 
 
 (c) A people sunk in sin, caring not even 
 for the idols, and whose best men could do 
 them no good. 
 
 But what of the nation God had chosen 
 out to be separate, to have His revelations 
 (as we saw last Sunday) ? Let us look at, 
 
 II. The Chosen People. 
 
 1. Their Government. No David or Heze- 
 kiah now : a foreigner reigns in Zion. And 
 even he can only be king because the 
 Romans let him — they supreme here too. 
 Is he a good king ? what does Matt. ii. tell 
 us of his deceit (ver. 8) and cruelty (ver. 
 16)? [See Note b.] 
 
 2. Their Relir/ion. Were they better than 
 the Gentiles? No idolatry — in old times 
 always caring for idols — never after the 
 Captivity. Had the Scriptures — valued 
 them greatly — kept the law, sabbaths, 
 sacrifices, washings, Ac. Worshipped not 
 only at Temple — sj-nagogues everjnvhere — 
 scribes to teach, like Ezra, Neh. viii. 1 — 8, 13. 
 But this not all. Scribes did not teach 
 rightly— thought more of great Rabbi's 
 words than of God's words, Mark vii. 8 — 
 argued hard questions — only gave the 
 people hard rules to keep, Matt, xxiii. 4 ; 
 comp. John vii. 49 ; Luke iv. 18. The 
 Pharisees — they jirayed, fasted, gave alms, 
 Matt. vi. 2, 5, 16 ; Luke xviii. 11, 12; but 
 were they acceptable to God ? — why not ? 
 (' to be seen of men '; comp. Matt. xv. 8, 9, 
 xxiii. 5, 6, 14, 25—28). [See Note 6.] 
 
 3. The Jews of the Dispersion. Were the 
 Jews, with their greater knowledge, any 
 good to the Gentiles ? No longer shut up 
 in Canaan as of old — dispersed everywhere — 
 even so in Esther's days, Esth. iii. 8, 12, 13 ; 
 much more then, see Acts Li. 5, xv. 21 ; 
 Jas. i. 1. If they had set a good example, 
 been kind and upright, itc, how much good 
 they might have done ! But see Rom. ii. 
 24 ; comp. Acts xfiii. 2, 14 — 17, xix. 34. 
 [See Note 7.] 
 
 Must we not say, with David (Ps. cxix. 
 126), ' It is time for Thee, Lord, to work, 
 for they,' GentUes and Jews, ' have made 
 void Thy law'? 
 
 Did no one feel this— no one long for 
 Messiah to come ? 
 
 III. Expectations op the Messiah. 
 (a) Look at Acts xxvi. 7. The Jews 
 
 were looking out — but for what ? Not for 
 the blessing on all nations promised to 
 
THE FULNESS OF TIME. 
 
 Abraham — not for the sufferer and sin- 
 bearer Isaiah spoke of — only for the King 
 [on these points refer to last Lesson] — a 
 King to deliver them from foreign rule and 
 make them great. But some different, 
 Luke i. 77—79, ii. 32, 38. 
 
 ib) Not only the Jews. Of whom was 
 it predicted that they should 'desire' a 
 Redeemer ? Hag. ii. 7. So it was. Books 
 written then speak of an expectation every- 
 where of some great One coming. [Note 8.] 
 Who came from the far East to worship 
 the King when He was born ? Matt. ii. 2. 
 Who was waiting for Messiah to ' tell her 
 all things' ? Jolm iv. 25. 
 
 So in every way, when Christ came, it 
 was ' the fulness of time,' Gal. iv. 4, 
 
 Again, as last Sunday, we see how 
 
 GREAT IS OUR PRIVILEGE. 
 
 ' How happy are our eyes,' &c. 
 
 ' The darkness is past, and the true light 
 now shineth,' 1 John ii. 8. The promised 
 ' Sun of Righteousness ' (Mai. iv. 2) has 
 risen. And what does He say to us ? see 
 John xii. 36. Are our hearts dark in the 
 midst of light ? We see what the world 
 was without Christ — so is a heart without 
 Christ. And there are dark lands still — 
 think of them, 
 
 ' Can we, whose souls are lighted,' (Sic. 
 Let us work for them, and pray — 
 
 ' Through the world, far and wide, 
 Let there be light!' 
 
 Notes. 
 
 1. The Roman Empire was very far from being 
 * the world ' at the period of the Advent. The 
 immense populations of India and China had 
 then as much of civilisation as they have now. 
 The worshippers of Vishnu and Buddha were far 
 more numerous than those of Jupiter ; Confucius 
 more widely reverenced than Plato and Aristotle. 
 But as for some centuries the influence of Chris- 
 tianity was to be mainly confined to the Roman 
 Empire, the condition of the countries com- 
 prised in it is all that, in this lesson, needs to be 
 alluded to. 
 
 2. For a considerable time before the birth of 
 Christ, the Empire had been convulsed by civil 
 war. The preceding century was that of Marius 
 and Sylla, Csesar and Pompey, Antony and 
 Octavius. The latter had at last triumphed, and 
 ascended the imperial throne with the title of 
 Augustus Csesar ; and, in token of the universal 
 peace, the Temple of Janus at Rome (which 
 always stood open during war) was shut,— a 
 suitable moment for the Advent of the Prince of 
 Peace. Notwithstanding the tyrannies and cor- 
 ruptions of the provincial Roman governors, of 
 whom Felix (Acts xxvi.) may be taken as a fair 
 type, there can be no doubt that the existence of 
 uniform laws and administration over so vast 
 an area was favourable to the spread of the 
 Gospel. The respect paid to St. Paul's 'citizen- 
 ship' (Acts xvi. 38, xxil. 29) is one of many 
 illustrations of this. 
 
 3. Whatever was the exact meaning and pur- 
 pose of the Gift of Tongues, this is certain— 
 that Greek was the universal language of society, 
 correspondence, and trade— and to a considerable 
 extent also of literature— throughout the eastern 
 half of the Empire ; and that in Greek St. Paul 
 wrote to the Christians alike in Rome itself and 
 in half-barbarous Celtic Galatia, as well as at 
 Corinth and Thessalonica. The immense in- 
 fluence of this fact upon the progress of Chris- 
 tianity is obvious. Recent investigations go far 
 to prove that Greek was even the common 
 tongue of Palestine itself, and that our Lord 
 spoke in it (see the interesting papers by Dr. 
 Roberts in the Sunday at Home for the latter 
 months of 1869). This must, however, be con- 
 sidered an open question at present. 
 
 4. We are apt to be dazzled by the glitter of 
 the Augustan age, with the refined luxury which 
 we connect (e.g.) with the name of Pompeii, and 
 
 with the literature that boasted of Horace and 
 Virgil at its head. But, beneath the external 
 splendour, the careful reader of history observes 
 a moral degradation scarcely equalled in any age 
 of the world. The Roman satirists themselves 
 draw as dark a picture as the terrible one of 
 St. Paul. And there was not even an imperfect 
 religious sense to condemn vice and rapacity. 
 Gibbon's remark, that creeds were thought by 
 the untaught all equally true, by the taught all 
 equally untrue, and by the magistrates all equally 
 useful, is illustrated by Pilate's contemptuous 
 question, ' What is truth ? ' and by Galllo's 
 entire (and therefore impartial) indifference. 
 We admire the poetry of Horace, but its creed 
 may be expressed in the words, ' Let us eat and 
 drink, for to-morrow we die.' The better men, 
 such as Cicero and Seneca, bewailed (as Plato 
 had done before them) that the highest philoso- 
 phy was incapable of influencing man's conduct. 
 Ovid's line has become proverbial — 
 
 ' 1 know the best, and yet the worst pursue.' 
 
 5. Palestine had had its full share of the ravages 
 and sufferings of the civil wars. Amid them, 
 Herod, the son of Antipater, an Idumean (i.e. 
 Edomite), rose, on the ruins of the dynasty 
 founded by the Maccabean princes, to the throne ; 
 tributary, however, to Rome (like some of the 
 Indian Rajahs to the British rule), of which we 
 have an illustration in the ' taxing ' ot Luke ii., 
 ordered by the emperor, and taking effect in 
 Herod's kingdom. Herod strove hard to be 
 popular with the Jews, by beautifying Jeru- 
 salem, and particularly by rebuilding the temple 
 on a scale of great magnificence ; but his foreign 
 origin, his cruel disposition, and his taste for 
 Greek and Roman customs, combined to excite 
 the hatred of the people. 
 
 6. Information respecting the Jewish sects, the 
 i synagogues, &c., will be given in subsequent 
 
 lessons, as it is required. It is sufficient to say 
 here that the institution of the synagogue had a 
 great influence in two ways : (1) It gave the 
 people everywhere opportunities of public wor- 
 ship, and of hearing the Law read, and thus pre- 
 vented those lapses into idolatry which had been 
 so prevalent when Jerusalem was the only centre 
 I of religious instruction and services. (2) It 
 helped to kindle the hopes of a coming Messiah, 
 by bringing the prophetical writings before tto 
 people. 
 
10 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUB LORD. 
 
 7. The ' Jews of the Dispersion ' were a very 
 important element in the Empire. They were 
 scattered throughout all the great cities, having 
 large colonies especially at Babylon, Alexandria 
 (see Acts vi. 9), and Antloch. St. I'aul met 
 Uiem wherever he went ; to them he always 
 first preached; among them he found his bit- 
 terest opponents. Though distrusted by the 
 strict Jews of Judaea on account of their Greek 
 tendencies, they frequently attended the great 
 festivals at Jerusalem, and the half-shekel 
 (Matt. x\'il. 24) for the Temple service was col- 
 lected from them (like the offerings for Mecca 
 and • Peter's-pence' now). To the Jews of 
 Alexandria we owe the valuable ' Septuagint ' 
 Greek translation of the Old Testament, which 
 
 was, in fact, the 'Bible' of the apostolic &ge, 
 the quotations from the 0. T. in the New being 
 frequently taken from it. The evil reputation 
 in which the Jews were held is evidenced by the 
 satirical remarks upon them in Martial and 
 Juvenal. 
 
 8. The general vague expectation of some 
 great One which prevailed at the time is testi- 
 fied to by the Roman historians Tacitus and 
 Suetonius. The latter says, ' There prevailed an 
 ancient and consistent opinion in all the East, 
 that it was fated that at that time those should 
 go forth from Judaa who should rule the empire.' 
 The Jewish ' dispersion,' no doubt, tended to 
 spread the idea, the prophecies of their sacred 
 books becoming kno^vn. 
 
 Lesson lY.— Tlie Saviour's Mother. 
 
 ' Behold the handmaid of the Lord.^ 
 Read—LvinQ i. 26—55 ; Z,e«rn— Liike i. 46 — 48 ; Matt. xii. 49, 50. {_Hymns 13, 35, 95, 157.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 Thia being the first narrative Lesson in the course, it may be well to repeat the two 
 suggestions already made in the preface, viz., (1) That although titles will be sometimes 
 given to the divisions of a Lesson, it is not intended that they should be announced to 
 the class in actual teaching, \>^it are simply designed to make the scheme of the Lesson 
 clearer. (2) That the passage for reading should not be read through before the Lesson 
 begins, but in sections, as may be required in the teaching. 
 
 The part of this Lesson about Mary's Song cannot be taken as it stands — perhaps not at 
 all — with non-reading classes ; but it ought, in ordinary classes, to be interesting, on 
 accoimt of the familiarity of the Song as sung in our Evening Service. The application 
 may be the same in substance throughout the school, though of course different in form 
 and language. The spiritual brotherhood is put forward in it, though not directly 
 analogous to Mary's relationship, because more practical in its bearings on the children. 
 
 The passage is a very important one in the Romiah controversy ; and in neighbourhoods 
 where Roman Catholics are numerous (as in Lancashire) it will be well to take the oppor- 
 tunity to point out the utter absence of anything in the narrative warranting the slightest 
 approach to Mariolatry. Where this local reason for doing so does not exist, it is probably 
 wiser and safer to refrain from instructing the children in errors they may never have 
 heard of, and so to speak as that they may unconsciously come to think of the Lord's 
 mother with the simplicity so characteristic of the Gospels. Certainly there should be no 
 depreciation of her. That some make her a goddess is no reason why m'C should not 
 honour and imitate her humility and faith, as we should in the case of an apostle. 
 
 Sketch of Lesson. 
 
 Before we come to the Birth of the 
 Saviour, let us read a little about His 
 mother. What nation must she belong 
 to ? — tribe ? — family ? [Question on Lesson 
 II.] See Gen. xxii. 18 ; Mic. v. 2 ; Ps. cxxxii. 
 11. [See Note 1.] Where should we expect to 
 find David's descendants living? (See John 
 vii. 42 ; comp. Luke ii. 4.) But we have to 
 go to a little quiet country town far away — 
 Nazareth. [See Note 2.] There no prince 
 living in a palace — the heir of David's house 
 is the village carpenter — betrothed to a 
 humble maiden of the same royal family — 
 ike to be the Savioiir's mother ! 
 
 I. The Annunciation. [Read Luke i. 
 26-38.] 
 
 Mary alone — a quiet, simple woman — 
 perhaps engaged in her household work 
 (God's messages often sent to men when at 
 common duties — Moses, Gideon, Elisha). 
 
 Suddenly an angel — bri^^ht and glorious 
 — speaking startling words to'hei — 'highly 
 favoured' [see Note 3] — 'blessed among 
 women' — what can it mean ? 
 
 No wonder she is i,'reatly agitated [see 
 Note -I] — like Daniel and Zacharias when the 
 same angel came to them, Dan. viii. 16, 17 
 27; Lukei. 12. 
 
THE SAVIOUE S MOTHER. 
 
 11 
 
 Then look at the next gentle words — her 
 own name uttered to soothe her— and what 
 then ? Yes, the long looked-for King is 
 coming, and He will be her child I Is she 
 perplexed stiU ? — is the message so won- 
 drous? — what does the angel remind her 
 of ? (ver. 37) ; and God has just given 
 a token of His power — the aged Elizabeth 
 is to have a son too. 
 
 How does the angel speak of the Child 
 that should be bom ? (a) What shall be His 
 nanie ? (see Matt. i. 21). (b) He shall have 
 a Kingdom — whose ? over whom ? for how 
 long? (ver. 32, 33). (c) But He shaU be 
 much greater than David — why? Who 
 shall be His Father ? (ver. 32, 35). 
 
 How does Mary receive the message? 
 Does she doubt it? or is she vain of so 
 high a privilege ? or does she shrink from 
 so high a position ? Look at her words — 
 trustful, humble, calm, ready for God's 
 wUl ; ver. 38. [See Note 6.] 
 
 II. The Song op Mary. [Read ver. 
 39—55.] 
 
 Mary must tell some friend the great 
 news. Joseph is told by the angel, Matt. 
 i. 20. Whom does Mary seek ? All the 
 way to Judaea (perhaps to Hebron) to see 
 her whom the angel had named. Look at 
 Elizabeth's greeting— the very same words 
 the angel had used ! how should she know ? 
 (ver. 41). Then the same Spirit comes on 
 Mary— she is like a prophet of old— in- 
 spired ('breathed into' by God) — heaven- 
 taught words of praise burst from her lips — 
 just like those from Hannah's, 1 Sam. ii, 
 1 — 10. What does she say ? 
 
 1. Whom does she praise ? (a) ' God my 
 Saviour '—why this ? She thought not of 
 the Kingdom the Child should^have, but 
 of the Name He should bear (ver. 31) — 
 ' Saviour.' Through Him God would ' save' 
 His people. (J) ' He that is mighty '—' no- 
 thing impossible to Him' (comp. ver. 37). 
 
 2. What does she praise God for? For 
 His goodness— (a) To herself. ' Why did 
 she rejoice to think of a Saviour? who 
 need a Saviovir ? what was the Saviour to 
 save from? Mary thought first of her 
 sinfulness. Then she thinks of the future- 
 people would look back and think ' Mary was 
 the Saviour's mother — happy woman 1' But 
 is she vain of this ? (see next verse), (b) To 
 all His people. Is God's mercy for her? — 
 so_ for them (ver. 50). Can He do great 
 things for her ? — so wherever His ' strong 
 arm' is needed (ver. 51). Is she, with her 
 
 low estate, exalted ? — others shall not be 
 forgotten (ver. 52, 53). Does she believe 
 His message to her ?— all His ancient pro- 
 mises shall be fulfilled (ver. 51, 55). [See 
 Note 7.] ' / L 
 
 Was Maiy indeed 'highly favoured'? 
 Was it not a great honour to be related to 
 Christ — so closely too— His own mother? 
 Yes ; and so thought a woman who once 
 spoke to Him, Luke xi. 27. Did He say 
 No ? But what did He add ? iMore blessed . 
 —how so? — look at Matt. xii. 47—50; 
 because — 
 
 We may have a closer relationship. 
 
 Who is the head of a famUy ? Jesus here 
 (Matt, xii. 50) speaks of a ' Father '—who? 
 The great God has a 'family,' ' in heaven 
 and earth,' Eph. iii. 15 ; there is One Son, 
 John i. 18 ; but many others are 'adopted' 
 (Gal. iv. 5)— 'become' (John i. 12) ' sons of 
 God'— then what relation to Jesus? see 
 John XX. 17; Heb. ii. 11. 
 
 This spiritual relationship closer than the 
 earthly one. Why ? 
 
 (a) More happy and united. When mo- 
 thers and children, brothers and sisters, 
 are loving and happy together, it is a 
 blessed sight— but are they always? The 
 Elder Brother — 
 
 ' His 18 love beyond a brother's : 
 Oh, how He loves ! ' — 
 
 always loves, John xiii. 1 ; and His ' breth- 
 ren ' love Him, 1 Pet. i. 8. 
 
 (6) More lasting. Jesus might have had 
 an earthly relative who would have rejected 
 Him, died in sin, been lost ; His spiritual 
 relatives with Him for ever : Mary now in 
 heaven, not as His mother, but as redeemed 
 by Him. 
 
 Then because the relationship closer, the 
 love should be greater. Matt. x. 37. 
 
 How MAY WE HAVE THIS RELATION- 
 SHIP? 
 
 What does Jesus say ? ' Whosoever shall 
 do the will o^ My Father.' What is God's 
 wiU about His ' adopted sons ' ? John i. 12 
 — ' Believe on Christ's name ' (comp. Gal. 
 iii. 2G) ; 2 Cor. vi. 17, 18—' Come out,' Ac; 
 Eph. V. 1 — ' Imitate God ' ; Rom. viii. 14 — 
 Be ' led by the Spirit.' In other words, 
 
 We must have Mary's character— tm&imQ 
 'God our Saviour,' and yielding ourselves 
 to His will. Let each say, ' Behold me— 
 Thy handmaid [or (toith boys) Thy sei-vant} ; 
 be it imto me, in body and soul, in life and 
 death, according to Thy word.' 
 
 Notes. 
 
 1. There is no distinct statement that Mary 
 was of David's house, but the fact is implied in 
 our Lord's own descent from him, which must 
 have been a natural one as well as a legal one 
 through Joseph. It is remarkable that the 
 genealogies both of Matthew and Luke appear to 
 be Joseph's, and, therefore, not the true pedigree 
 of Christ. Some read Luke iii. 23 in a peculiar 
 manner, and make the genealogy that follows to 
 be Mary's , but most authorities consider this 
 
 view inadmissible, and hold that both belong to 
 Joseph, Matthew giving the legal succession of 
 heirship, and Luke the natural descent. 
 
 2. Nazareth was so obscure a place that Jose- 
 phus, who speaks of many towns and villages 
 in the neighbourhood, never mentions it. On 
 the locality, &c., see Lessons IX. and XXII. 
 
 3. ' Thou that art highly favoured.' This is the 
 TOrrect rendering, and not the 'full of grace' of 
 
12 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 the Komanists, which conveys the idea of grace 
 being given to Mary which she could dispense to 
 others. The same Greek word occurs In Eph. 1. 6 
 — ' accepted in the beloved.' 
 
 4. ' She was troubled: The Greek word is very 
 strong, and is nowhere else used in the N.T. 
 
 5. ' Thy cousin Elizabeth '—rather, ' kinswoman." 
 The relationship is not stated. 
 
 6. The contrast between the unbelief of Zacha- 
 rias and the ready faith of Mary has been often 
 marked. The latter's question in ver. 34 is quite 
 different from the former's in ver. 18. Zacharias 
 doubts the message ; Mary merely wonders how 
 it is to be fulfilled. Concerning Mary's meek 
 acquiescence (ver. 38), Bishop Hall says, 'AU 
 disputation with God after His will is known 
 arises from infidelity. There is not a more noble 
 proof of faith than to captivate all the powers of 
 our understanding and will to our Creator, and, 
 without all questionings, to go blindfold whither 
 He will lead us.' 
 
 7. We must regard the ' Magnificat ' as a result 
 of the direct inspiring impulse of the Holy Ghost, 
 such as ' moved holy men of old,' and such as is 
 distinctly stated to have been given to Elizabeth 
 (ver. 41) and Zacharias (ver. 67). At the same 
 time the close resemblance of the Song to that of 
 
 Hannah shows that it was the natural outcome 
 of Mary's feelings, which would most readily 
 express themselves in words familiar to her in 
 her reading of the Scriptures. 
 
 The words 'God my Saviour' do not refer 
 directly to the Child; Mary's knowledge of His 
 nature and work was imperfect as yet. Nor do 
 they merely mean God as the Preserver of His 
 people. The idea of spiritual salvation is in 
 them—salvation to be wrought out by God, in some 
 way, through the Child. 
 
 'Shall call me blessed' is, In the Greek, one 
 wotA— 'felicitate me.' It Is not 'Shall name me 
 the Blessed: It is no prophecy of the title 
 'Blessed Virgin.' 
 
 'Low estate' is, in the Prayer Book version, 
 ' lowliness,' which is not accurate. It describes 
 Mary's circumstances, not her character. It is 
 rendered 'humiliation' in Acts viii. 33. 
 
 8. There is a remarkable difference of style and 
 diction between the first two chapters of St. 
 Luke's Gospel and the other twenty-two. St. 
 Luke's writing generally is the purest Greek in 
 the N.T., whereas these two chapters, containing 
 the account of our Lord's infancy. Sic, are full of 
 Hebraistic expressions. It is evident that Luke 
 used a previously existing narrative, and it is 
 thought that this may have come direct from 
 Mary herself. 
 
 Lesson V.— The Birth of Jesus Christ. 
 
 ' Unto us a Child is born.' 
 Read— Luke ii. 1—20 ; Learn— Isa. ix. 6 ; 2 Cor. riii. 9. {Ili/mns 2G, 27, 28, 32, 
 
 •) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 It is not the junior teacher, but the teacher of a senior class, who will be perplexed 
 with the subject of this Lesson. The question with him is — how to throw into the treat- 
 ment of so familiar a narrative sufficient novelty to awaken any keen interest. With this 
 difficulty in view, the Sketch has been drawn out in a somewhat unusual form ; and the 
 teacher will observe that its key-note is the question, ' Did any one know who the Child 
 was ? ' It remains, however, one of exceptional simphcity ; but so it ought to be. 
 
 The second head of application exemplifies the way in which language should be 
 simplified in teaching. "We speak of Christ's "motive" and "aim": with children we 
 should say, ' What made Him do it ' and ' What He did it for.' 
 
 Sketch of Lesson. 
 
 If you were at Jerusalem, you might 
 take a beautiful walk over the hUls towards 
 the south, find six mDes of£ you would 
 come to a pretty little town, standing on 
 one of the hills, and ha\ang a wide view 
 eastward over the wilderness of Judaea 
 [show map ; see Note 3]. Who used to live 
 there ? Ruth i. ; 1 Sam. xvi. 
 
 Bethlehem full of people — come from all 
 parts — many happy meetings. What come 
 for? [Read ver. 1 — 7.] The Emperor of 
 Rome [.see Lesson HI., Note 2] is taking a 
 census of his subjects, and people have to 
 go and be numbered at the place where 
 their forefathers lived [see A^ote 2]. Those 
 who have no friends to take them in seek 
 shelter in the great building intended for 
 traveller? [see Note 4], and it is soon full. 
 
 Then come a man and woman who have 
 journeyed ail the way from Galilee to be 
 registered here. Why ? ver. 4 [see Note 
 2]. There is no room for them, except 
 where the horses and asses are put up — 
 dark, crowded, noisy, uncomfortable [see 
 Note 4]. And there, in the night, is bom 
 a little baby. There is no cradle for it — 
 where has it to lie ? 
 
 Who was that Baby ? [Refer to Lesson 
 /.J Did any one know it was God the Son 
 come down into the world ? 
 
 1. Joseph and Man/ knew. How did they 
 know ? Who told them ? What were they 
 told? [Refer to last Lesson.] No one else 
 on earth knew. But — 
 
 2. The angels in heaven knew. How tbey 
 
THE BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST. 
 
 13 
 
 must have wondered ! Their King, so great 
 and so high, whom they could scarcely look 
 at (Isa. vi. I — 3 ; comp. John xii. 41), made 
 'a little lower' than themselves (Heb. 
 ii. 9) 1 Tbey did not fully understand it 
 (1 Pet. i. 12) ; yet they could rejoice and 
 sing. Why ? Look at their song, ver. 14. 
 
 (a) They knew it would bring ^ glory to 
 God' — by showing His power, wisdom, 
 love (Ps. Ixxxv. 10 ; 1 Cor. i. 24 ; 1 John iv. 
 9). They loved God — wished Him to be 
 glorified — so rejoiced. 
 
 (b) They knew it would bring ^ peace on 
 earth' — peace between men and God (Rom. 
 V. 1) — peace in men's hearts (Phil. iv. 7) — 
 peace among men (Eph. iv. 32). They knew 
 the enmity to God (Rom. viii. 7), the misery 
 of soul (Isa. Mi. 20, 21), the ' envy, hatred, 
 malice, and all uncharitableness ' (Rom. i. 
 29 — 31), in the world. They longed to see 
 peace everywhere — so rejoiced. 
 
 (c) They knew it would bring 'good 
 will to men.' Had God ever had a bad will 
 to men? see Ezek. xxxiii. 11. But now 
 God's love would be seen and felt (I John 
 Iv. 9 ; Rom. V. 8) — so they rejoiced. [/See 
 Note 6.] 
 
 3. There were men whom God sent to tell. 
 How the angels would have liked to have 
 proclaimed the birth of Jesus throughout 
 the world ! There were gi-eat men living 
 then : the Emperor at Rome, able generals, 
 wise statesmen, clever writers — some whose 
 books we read now ; but would they have 
 believed ? Jesus must live, die, rise again 
 first — then to be proclaimed ; now only to a 
 few, to those who would listen to and be- 
 lieve God's messages. Who were the first 
 to be told ? 
 
 [Read ver. 8—20.] 
 
 it is night in the fields near Bethlehem. 
 Here are men not gone home — why are they 
 out ? To guard their flocks — from what ? 
 (1 Sam. xvii. 84, John x. 10, 12). It is dark 
 — they can dimly see the outline of the hills 
 — perhaps a distant light in the town — it is 
 very quiet — they only hear their own voices 
 and the flocks bleating. [ With town chil- 
 dren explain further — no rattling of wheels 
 — no lamps.] Suddenly — a dazzling light — 
 what? ('the glory of the Lord') — brighter 
 even than the sun (Acts xxvi. 13). No 
 wonder they are ' sore afraid ' ! How 
 gently God's angel speaks ! What has he to 
 teU? — nothing dreadful — 'good tidings' — 
 for them (' to you '). What is there for 
 them ? ' A Saviour.' No doubt they were 
 
 men who longed to be saved from their sins, 
 and this is just what the angel meant (Matt, 
 i. 21). And who is He? He is ' Christ' — 
 the Messiah, promised of old, come at last ; 
 He is ' the Lord' — not a mere man — not 
 even an angel — not a subject at all — but 
 ' the Lord of all,' ' the Lord from heaven ' 
 (Acts X. 36, 1 Cor. xv. 47). And then they 
 hear that song. They really hear — 
 
 ' the herald angels sing 
 Glory to the new-bom King! ' 
 
 They will go and worship Him at once 
 (comp. Ps. xxvii. 8, cxix. 60). Where shall 
 they find Him ? Surely in the greatest 
 house in Bethlehem. No — ' lying in a 
 manger.' Can it be ? They do not doubt 
 a moment — ' Let us go and see this thing 
 which is come to pass.' And so they find 
 the Child — the worst lodged of any child in 
 the town ! Then see what they did — (1) 
 praised God — (2) told others. What an ex- 
 ample ! 
 
 See THE CONDESCENSION OF THE SON OF 
 
 God. 
 
 1. How does this histwy show His conde- 
 scension ? He condescended — 
 
 (a) To be bom to poverty. Can children 
 choose whether they will be born of rich or 
 poor parents ? But He could. Do not be 
 discontented if you are ivhat He chose to be. 
 
 (b) To be bom just when and where there 
 were no comforts for the mother or child. 
 
 (c) To be welcomed to the earth, not by 
 the great and rich, but only by poor shep- 
 herds. 
 
 2. What toas His motive and aim in such 
 condescension ? 
 
 His motive — what made Him do it ? — 
 Love for us sinners. 
 
 His aim— what did He do it for ?— ' 'Tliat 
 we through His poverty might be rich ' 
 (2 Cor. viii. 9). 
 
 3. For toho7n did He so condescend? For 
 all men, 1 Tim. ii. 6, 2 Cor. v. 14, 15. But 
 all do not get good from that condescen- 
 sion. Who do ? See to wjiom it was given 
 to know the Son of God even in His infancy. 
 It was to those who, when God sent mes- 
 sages to them, listened, believed, obeyed — 
 see Matt. i. 24, Luke i. 38, ii. 15. Do we 
 care for God's messages to us f Are they 
 ' glad tidings of great joy ' to us ? If so, see 
 how the Lord Jesus will condescend to us, 
 Rev. iii. 20, John i. 11, 12, xiv. 23. Are we 
 too poor and humble ? What were Joseph 
 and Mary and the shepherds ? See isa. 
 Ixvi. 2, Jas. ii. 5, 1 Cor. i. 26—29. 
 
 1. The date of the Nativity has been a subject 
 of much controversy. The commonly received 
 view, thai It was in the year of Kome (' A. U. C) 
 749 or 750, seems, on a careful comparison of 
 evidence, to be probably correct. Herod's death 
 has been fixed with considerable certainty as 
 having happened between March 13 and April 5 
 in the year 750; and the question then is— How 
 long before his death was Jesus born? If the 
 close of 719 or the beginning of 750 be assumed as 
 
 Notes. 
 
 the date, then, allowing forty days to the Pre- 
 sentation in the Temple, about two months 
 remain for the visit of the Magi and the sojourn 
 in Egypt (where he was 'until the death oi 
 Herod'); and several independent calculations, 
 based on other data, are in harmony with this 
 view. The traditional day of the Nativity, 
 Dec. 23, will then be as likely as any other ; and 
 the positive arguments against it are not wei ghty. 
 The chief one is that the flocks would not be out 
 
u 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 ill the field at Dight in December. But this Is 
 very uncertiiin. One German writer says that 
 the weather in Palestine about Christmas is 
 'often most beautiful.' Dr. Barclay speaks of 
 the earth being ' clothed with rich verdure" in 
 December, and gives tho average temperature at 
 Jerusalem in that month as 54 deg. Fahr. 
 
 2. ' Taxed,' rather 'enrolled' or 'registered.' 
 The same Greek word occurs In Heb. xii. 23 
 ('written in heaven'). It was, in fact, a general 
 census. The governorship of Cyrenius was eight 
 years after Herod's death, and many solutions of 
 this difficulty have been suggested. Zumpt has 
 adduced strong evidence that Cyrenius was twice 
 governor; but if not, the verse would probably 
 mean that the actual taxing was carried out 
 some j-ears later than the census on which it was 
 based, which took place at our Lord's birth. The 
 mixed rule then subsisting in Palestine had a 
 remarkable influence on the fulfilment of pro- 
 phecy. Had the census been purely Jewish, Mary 
 need not have gone to be registered, the names 
 of men only being taken. Had the census been 
 purely Roman, both might have been registered 
 at Xazareth. The Roman law required her 
 enrolment, the Jewish that it should take place 
 at the hereditary city. 
 
 3. Dr. Kitto thus describes Bethlehem :— ' The 
 first appearance of Bethlehem is very striking. 
 In whatever direction it is approached. It Is 
 built upon a ridge of considerable elevation, and 
 has a rapid descent to the north and east. The 
 white stone of which the hill is composed, and of 
 which the town is built, makes It very hot, and 
 gives it a dusty appearance. It is surrounded by 
 small valleys or depressions, devoted to the cul- 
 ture of the olive and the vine, and has, in the 
 distance, a massive and imposing appearance. 
 .... At the easternmost extremity of Beth- 
 lehem, on the edge of a steep rock overhanging 
 a plain of several miles in extent, stands the 
 Convent of the Nativity, containing within its 
 precincts what is said to be the place where the 
 
 Saviour was bom The windows, 
 
 which are all in the upper story, and stiUmore 
 the terrace, command an extensive view over 
 the east country, even to the mountains of Moab 
 beyond the Dead Sea.' 
 
 4. The ' inn ' or caravanserai of Eastern coun- 
 tries is simply a large walled enclosure, looking 
 from the outside like a prison or fortress. In 
 many of them there is a large building within, 
 comprising numerous cells and a sort of public 
 room, but all unfurnished,— in fact, just the bare 
 walls. The vacant open space which runs round 
 between the inner btiilding and the outer wall 
 serves as the 'stable'; and there, in all pro- 
 bability, Joseiih and Mary had to take refuge 
 among the camels and asses belonging to the 
 travellers who bad pre-occupied the cells. For a 
 detailed description of these caravanserais, see 
 Kitto's Daily tlible Illustrations. 
 
 A graphic account of a night in a somewhat 
 different building of the kind occurs in Miss 
 Rogers' Domestu. Life in I'alestine (p. 208). She 
 say.* :— ' I found the house consisted of only one 
 very lofty room, about eighteen feet square. . . . 
 Just within the lioor, a donkey and a yoke of 
 oxen stood ; ai.d I soon perceived that rather 
 more than one third of the room was set apart 
 for cattle, where the floor, which was on a level 
 T.'ith the street, was of earth, and partially 
 
 strewn with fodder. We were led up two stone 
 steps on to a dais, twenty-two inches high 
 where fragments of old mats and carpets wera 
 spread. . . . Meantime, our two horses were un- 
 saddled and lodged in the lower part of the room. 
 . . . Three deep troughs or mangers, about three 
 feet by one, were hollowed out of the bread stone 
 coping at the edge of the dais. Mohammed, our 
 groom, filled these troughs with barlej , and our 
 tired animals enjoyed their evening meal. . . . 
 I imagined Joseph anxiouslj' seeking rest and 
 shelter for her (Mary) after her long journey. . . . 
 The raised floor was crowded with strangers, 
 who had, like them, come to be taxed. But 
 Joseph and Mary may have taken refuge from 
 the cold in the lower part of the room. ... I 
 raised my head, and looked at one of the man- 
 gers, and I felt how natural it was to use it as a 
 cradle for a newly-boru infant. Its size, itj 
 shape, its soft bed of fodder, its nearness to th 
 warm fire always burning on the dais in mid- 
 winter, would immediately suggest the idea to 
 an Eastern mother. 
 
 5. Mr. Hepworth Dixon {Holy Land, p. 98) 
 argues very ingeniously that the 'inn,' in the 
 stable of which Christ was born, may have been 
 the very house in which Boaz and Ruth, Jesse 
 and David, lived ; and that its site was that now 
 occupied by the Convent of the Nativity. The 
 argument, in brief, is this :— (1) In small towns 
 there would be but one khan (caravanserai, inn), 
 and it would generally be the sheikh's house, or 
 a building formerly inhabited by the sheikh. 
 
 (2) Boaz was obviously the sheikh at Bethlehem. 
 
 (3) His house in due course became David's. 
 
 (4) In Jer. xli. 17, the 'habitation' (rather, khan) 
 of Chlmham ' by Bethlehem' is named. C5)Chim- 
 ham, the son of Barzillai, had been taken by 
 David and treated as one of his sons (2 Sam. xix. 
 38; 1 Kings ii. 7); and the Inference is that 
 David in fact gave him his house at Bethlehem. 
 (6) Khans in the east are neutral spots, almost 
 invested with sacredness ; they, therefore, are 
 not destroyed In war, and if they fall Into decay 
 are carefully repaired. The ' Inn ' to which 
 Mary and Joseph came was, then, probably, the 
 very khan of Chimham, and home of David and 
 of Ruth. (7) Considering the permanence of all 
 oriental recollections, it cannot be supposed that 
 between the time of Christ and that of Constan- 
 tine, the site of the khan was forgotten at Beth- 
 lehem, and Constantine built a church over the 
 presumed birthplace of our Lord, which church 
 still stands. (8) The situation of the church 
 exactly corresponds with the Biblical notices of 
 the spot, particularly those in the Book of Ruth 
 (this is worked out in a very striking manner). 
 
 Mr. Dixon further urges that the cave under 
 the church, now called the 'grotto of the Na- 
 tivity,' is the actual birthplace of our Lord. 
 Justin Martyr, who lived in Syria in the second 
 century, says that Christ was bom in a cave; 
 and if the cave was close to the khan, it would 
 naturally be used as the stable. 
 
 The whole of the sketch of Bethlehem, its posi- 
 tion, features, history, associations, in this book, 
 is interesting in the extreme. 
 
 6. ' Good will towards men.' The words are 
 different in some of the best MSS., and mean 
 in them 'among men o^ good will,' i.e. the elect 
 people of God (Al/ord). But this reading not 
 being certain, the received text has been followed 
 
15 
 
 Lesson YI.— The Gircumcisioii and Presentation. 
 
 ' Obedient to the law for man.' 
 Read— Lake ii. 21—38 ; Learn— 2 Cor. v. 21 ; Eom. v. 19. (Hymns 34, 62. 120, 329.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 This is emphatically a lesson that must not be taught by verse-by-verse exposition. 
 Were it so taught, it would be virtually a Lesson on Simeon, whose story occupies eleven 
 verses out of the eighteen. But the present course is not one on St. Luke's Gospel, but 
 on the Life of Christ ; and, in the life of Christ, the one verse which relates His cir- 
 cumcision is as important as all the other seventeen ; to that verse, therefore, is 
 devoted nearly half the lesson. 
 
 For the same reason, the time allotted to the application should be devoted to the 
 contemplation rather of Christ's work than of Simeon's character, to doctrinal rather 
 than practical teaching. The vicarious obedience of Christ is a most important truth, but 
 does not often come into our Lessons ; this opportunity, therefore, of explaining it should 
 not be lost. 
 
 The example given us, however, by our Lord, of obedience to a la^v seemingly inap- 
 plicable to Him, may be usefuUy enforced as suggested ; and it can with some effect be 
 applied to the very ordinance which has succeeded Circumcision, viz.. Baptism, and, in 
 certain cases, to Confirmation also. The incidental testimony, too. to the propriety of 
 Infant Baptism, afforded by the analogy of Circumcision, wiU not fail to be noticed. 
 
 Reference should be made to the Church Services for the ' Circumcision ' and ' Purifi- 
 cation.' The application suggested by the Collect for the former day has not been taken, 
 because the object of the Lesson is to fix attention upon Christ Himself. 
 
 Sketch 
 
 L— The Circumcision. 
 
 When little boys were bom in Judaea, 
 something done to them which God had 
 commanded — what? Look at G^n. xvii. 
 9 — 14. See how Abraham obeyed this com- 
 mand when Isaac was bom, Gen. xxi. 4. And 
 60 ever afterwards with little boy babies. 
 The Jews were very proud of this custom 
 (PhU. iii. 4, 5), and used contemptuously to 
 call other nations ' the uncircumcised,' 
 e.g., David (1 Sam. xvii. 26), and the early 
 Christians at Jerusalem (Acts xi. 2, 3_). 
 Why? It was a sign of the covenant 
 between them and God — a token that they 
 were God's peculiar people. Are not all 
 men God's people ? By creation, yes — but 
 what separates them from Him ? — sin. So 
 Circumcision to signify putting away sin. 
 
 Is it so now ? see Gal. v. 6, vi. 15. But 
 we have instead, for all children, girls and 
 boys — what ? Baptism, like Circumcision, 
 is the ' outward and visible sign ' of an 
 ' inward and spiritual grace,' viz., oiir 
 adoption into God's family, to be His 
 peculiar people : signifying the putting 
 away of sin, and also how it can be put 
 away {by washing). Who instituted Chris- 
 tian Baptism, just when Circumcision was 
 going to be done away ? see Matt, xxviii. 19. 
 
 So when the Child Jesus was eight days 
 old, what was done to Him ? [Read ver. 21.] 
 But why ? Had He any sin to put away ? 
 1 John iii. 5. Did He, God's own Son, need 
 to be admitted into God's family ? Why 
 then circumcised ? Look at Heb. ii. 17 (' in 
 all things like His brethren'), Gal. iv. 4, 
 
 OF Lesson. 
 
 I {'made under the law'). He would be ns 
 a sinner, like other sinners, bearing their 
 sins ; would do aU that the law told them 
 to do. [See Note 1.] 
 
 Now your names are — (John, Mary, Ac.) 
 ' Who gave you those names ? ' (' God- 
 parents at my Baptism.') So with Jewish 
 boys at Circumcision, see Luke i. 59, What 
 was the name given to the holy Child 
 at Bethlehem ? By whose order ? What 
 did it mean ? 
 
 II. — The Presentation. 
 
 But if Jesus was to be ' under the law,' 
 there was something else to be done. He 
 was a first-born son. Look and see what 
 God had said about eldest boys, Exod. xiii. 2. 
 When the destroying angel came to Egypt 
 that dreadful night, who were slain ? So 
 it was the Hebrew first-horn who were 
 specially ' passed over ' and left alive. 
 (Comp. Exod. iv. 22, 23.) And God said 
 tirst-bom boys must always belong to Him, 
 for His particular service. But afterwards 
 God chose one whole tribe instead (Numb, 
 iii. 12, 13), and the first-bom of the other 
 tribes had only to be 'presented to the 
 Lord.' So when Jesus was about six weeks 
 old (Lev. xii. 1 — 4), Joseph and Mary had 
 to cany Him to Jerusalem (six miles from 
 Bethlehem). [Read ver. 22—38.] 
 
 (1) It is not a great day at the Temple 
 — no grand ceremonies, no crowds. Just 
 one or two priests are there, to receive any 
 offering that may be brought, to attend to 
 the daily sacrifice, ifec. Here comes a man 
 in humble dress, with his wife, and a little 
 
16 
 
 liESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 baby to be ' presented to the Lord ' — why ? 
 And they have got an offering for God — 
 what ? if they had been rich, what would 
 they have offered? (Lev. xii. 6 — 8) — but 
 they were poor. One of the priests takes 
 the birds, and dedicates the baby to God. 
 He sees nothing strange in this — he is doing 
 it every day — he little thinks who that 
 Child is ! Yet what a prophecy is being 
 fulfilled ! (see Mai. iii. 1). 
 
 (2) Just then an aged man comes in — 
 his name ? — his character ? For years he 
 has been looking out for something, and 
 God has told him that before he ' sees ' 
 death, he shall ^ see' — what ? That 
 ' Christ,' Messiah, King, Redeemer, who 
 had been promised ' by the mouth of all 
 God's holy prophets.' Were any other 
 Jews looking out for the coming King ? how 
 many? (see Acts xx\-i. 7). What sort of 
 king were most of them expecting ? [refer 
 to Lesson III,]. Yet Simeon comes into the 
 Temple — sees the poor man and woman 
 with the little baby — feels God's message 
 in his heart, ' That is the promised King ' — 
 doubts not a moment — takes the Child — 
 and bursts into a song of thankfulness. 
 He is ready to die now — he has ' seeri ' 
 what he waited for. Think of Joseph and 
 Marj''s wonder — an utter stranger knowing 
 at once who the Child is ! And another 
 surpiise now — who else comes in and re- 
 cognises Him too ? Here is an aged widow 
 knowing what priests and rulers knew 
 nothing of. And there are others also, 
 humble people waiting for God's promise — 
 to them Anna tells the good news. 
 
 (3) But now mark what Simeon said — 
 particularly two things which the Apostles 
 themselves were slow to learn : — 
 
 (a) That the Child should not be merely 
 
 Notes, 
 
 1. On the Circumcision of Cbrist,the following 
 passage from Brown and Fausset's Commentary 
 is worth quoting : "The Circumcision of Christ 
 had a profound bearing on His own work. For 
 since 'he that is circumcised is a debtor to do 
 the whole law ' (Gal. v. 3), Jesus thus bore about 
 with Him in His very flesh the seal of a volun- 
 tary obligation to do the whole law — by Him 
 only possible in the flesh since the Fall. And as 
 He was ' made under the law ' for no ends of His 
 own, but only ' to redeem them that were under the 
 taw, that we might receive the .adoption of sous' 
 (Gal. iv. 4, 5), the obedience to wiiich His cir- 
 cumcision pledged Hini was a redirnt-vg obedi- 
 ence— tbaX. of a ' Saviour.' " 
 
 2. The 'presentation' of a child by humble 
 parents must of course have been an every-d.iy 
 incident of Temple life. In Holman Hunt's 
 great picture, ' The Finding of Christ in the 
 Temple,' such an incident is rciirescnted in the 
 background. The offering of the pigeons was 
 upon Mary's ceremonial purification. See Lev. xli. 
 
 ,■3. The prophecy in Mai. iii. 1, may be regarded 
 as partially fulfllled at the ' I'rescDtation,' and 
 partially at the visit recorded in John ii. 
 
 4. Simeon's age is not mentioned, but we 
 naturally think of him as an old man. Anna 
 
 a Jewish king, 'the glory of IsraeL 
 Others — the despised ' iincircumcision' — 
 should share in the blessings of salvation ; 
 dark and ignorant as they were, Jesus shotdd 
 be ' a light to lighten the Gentiles.' 
 
 (6) That the glory should not be yet — 
 something first— humiliation and suffering. 
 Jesus should be ' spoken against' — was He 
 not afterwards ? Something should happen 
 which should pierce Mary's heart like a 
 sword — what was that? see John xix. 25. 
 f 5ee Notes 7, 8.] 
 
 Last Sunday we talked of the Conde- 
 scension OF Christ. How is it shown 
 again here ? [RecapUulate.l 
 
 What did we say last Sunday was His 
 aim in this condescension ? So here — 
 ' obedient to the law for man.' IRecapi- 
 iulate.] But why ' for man '? 
 
 L As our Substitute. God requires all to 
 obey His law perfectly — if not, what then ? 
 But do we ? can we ? How then will God 
 accept us ? Jesus came to be ' our Righte- 
 ousness,' Jer. xxiii. 6 ; to give to God, for 
 us, what we could not give ourselves, that 
 we might stand before God as — what ? 
 Rom. V. 19 ; Eph. i. 6. 
 
 2. As our Example, People say, ' I do 
 what God commands in some things — why 
 must I do this? why be so strict? Sup- 
 pose I don't, what harm ? ' But Jesus did 
 what He need not have done. Inlitate 
 Him — ' Is this commanded ? then I will 
 do it.' 
 
 Are we trusting in Him as our Substi- 
 tute — following Him as our Example ? 
 Are we like Simeon and Anna, seeking to 
 see and know Him, not ashamed of Him, 
 praising God for Him, telling others of 
 Him? 
 
 must have been 103, even If she was married at 
 twelve. The fact that she was of the tribe of 
 Asher incidentally shows that when the 'two 
 tribes' returned from the Babylonish captivity, 
 some belonging to the 'ten tribes' came also. 
 
 5. ' The Consolation of Israel' was a term for 
 the Messiah, in common use among the Jews, 
 and was even uttered in oaths {Lightfoot). It 
 was probably suggested by Isa. xl. 1, xlix. 13. It 
 is noteworthy that the Greek word is related to 
 that rendered 'Comforter' in John .\iv. 4:c., 
 and ' Advocate ' in 1 John ii. 1. 
 
 G. Simeon's song was uttered in the very words 
 of prophecy; see Isa. xlii. 6, xlix. 6, Iii. 10, Ix. 
 1—3, Ixi. 11. Compare Isa. ix. 2; Acts xiii. 47; 
 Kom. XV. 9—12. 
 
 7. 'A sign that shall be spoken against'— UtcTuMy, 
 a butt or mark against which darts are hurled. 
 
 8. 'For the fall and rising again of many in 
 Israel.'— Tb\» expression may refer to Isa. viii. 
 14, 1."., xxviii. 16; the idea being that of a stone, 
 over which some fall, and on which some rise; 
 see Matt. xxi. 44 ; S Cor. ii. Ifi ; 1 Pet. ii. 7, 8. Or 
 there may be a special reference to those who 
 'fell' in unbelief during our Lord's ministry, 
 but 'rose again' at the Apostles' preaching. 
 
THE WISE MEN FROM THE EAST. 
 
 17 
 
 Lesson VII.— The Wise Men from tlie East. 
 
 ' A light to lighten the Gentiles.^ 
 
 Readr-'M.z.tt. ii. 1 — 12 ; iearw— Isa. xlix. 6 ; Ps. cxix. 105 ; Heb. iii. 14. 
 {Hymns, 36 to 40, 118, 170, 283, 374, 230.) 
 
 To THE Teacher, 
 
 Few subjects are more susceptible of vivid picturing than this ; and few need it more, 
 in order to give interest to a familiar narrative. To do this effectively, it will be well 
 to take the two first divisions of the Sketch below before reading any part of the 
 passage. It will be observed that the matter of these two divisions is not taken 
 directly from St. Matthew's account ; and a good example is here afEorded of the 
 necessity of the temperate and reverent use of the imagination in filling up Scripture 
 narratives. For of everything that is suggested in the Sketch, it may be said, not that it 
 may have occurred, but that it must have occurred. The two divisions simply comprise 
 what the words, ' We have seen His star in the east, and are come to worship Him" 
 necessarily imply ; and, therefore, no countenance is given to the practice of inventing 
 fictitious embellishments to Scripture. 
 
 The interviews of the chief priests and the Magi with Herod have a proportionately 
 smaller space in the Sketch than in the narrative. The teacher will be able to say more 
 of Herod in the following Lesson ; and, therefore, this one may be almost exclusively on 
 the Gentile worshippers of Christ. The formal ' application ' in the Sketch, though inserted 
 with a view to completeness, is less important than the preceding paragraph on ' the 
 Gentiles,' which latter will suitably close the Lesson, should time nui short. 
 
 Infant-class teachers will give more time in proportion to the second and fifth divisions 
 of the narrative, and less to the third and fourth. The opening Lesson, on this subject, 
 in Mr. Warington's FiJ\y-four Infant Class Lessons (Church of England Simday-school 
 Institute) is particularly excellent as a specimen of effective elementary teaching. 
 
 On this narrative, Dr. Hanna's Earlier Years of our Lord will be found very suggestive. 
 In fact, teachers should read all the six volumes of his admirable Life of Our Lord. 
 
 Sketch of Lesson. 
 
 What did old Simeon say that the Child 
 Jesus should be ? [Refer to last Lesson.} 
 Among other things, ' a light to lighte'^ 'he 
 Gentiles.' Soon after the return to Bethle- 
 hem [see Note 1] this began to be fulfilled. 
 
 (1) Let us go to a country distant from 
 Judsea, to the far East, the comitry (pro- 
 bably) where Nebuchadnezzar and Cyrus 
 reigned, where Daniel prophesied, where 
 Esther was queen. Very wise and clever 
 men there — fond of watching the motions 
 of the stars, and knowing a great deal 
 about them (although no telescopes then). 
 One night they see a neio star, very bright 
 — what can it mean ? People used then to 
 think the appearances of the stars had to 
 do with the birth of great kings. This 
 generally a mistake, but was it true this 
 time ? Who sent this star ? and who told 
 the Wise Men that Judaea was the place to 
 look for the new-born King ? [See Note 3.] 
 
 (2) Shall they go all that long weary 
 journey? Yes, they start at once. Think 
 of them on the road — a long string of 
 camels bearing themselves and their trea- 
 sures (ver. 11) — crossing wide deserts, ford- 
 ing swift rivers, ascending steep mountain 
 paths — never stopped by fatigue, heat, 
 robbers — never doubting God, never inquir- 
 ing ' what good is it ? ' 
 
 (3) Now come to Jerusalem. [Read ver. 1 
 — 8.] A great cavalcade is entering the 
 city — foreigners from the far East. What 
 do they inquire of the people ? (ver. 2.) 
 What would the Jews think?— 'A King 
 born I — Herod is our king, a dying old man 
 — his sons are grown men — what can these 
 strangers mean?' [See Note 5.] But 
 think what the Wise Men must have felt ! 
 all this way they have come, and now the 
 Jews themselves know nothing of a King 
 born in the land — surely the journey was 
 in vain — surely they were deceived. Stay 
 — a summons from King Herod — he tells 
 them what the chief priests and scribes 
 have said to him about it — when Messiah 
 comes, he ought to be bom — where ? why ? 
 What a good king Herod seems ! — if the 
 Magi find the royal Child at Bethlehem, he 
 too will submit to God's anointed One. 
 What he really meant we shall see next 
 Sunday. 
 
 (4) Will the Wise Men go on ? Why 
 should they? the Jews themselves know 
 nothing about a King being born, and when 
 told of it, do not believe it, or care nothing 
 about it — why should it be left to them, 
 who are not Jews, but strangers, to go and 
 find Him ? But they feel sure it was God 
 who had spoken to them — they will obey 
 
 C 
 
18 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 Him — and, -vvondering that crowds do not 
 come too, they start again — alone. [Read 
 |,g,.. 9_12.] And God rewards them— 
 what do they see ? (ver. d)—the star once 
 more! [See Note 3.] Think of their 
 'exceeding great joy.' And now— still 
 greater wonder— the star ' goes before 
 them,' and leads them to the very house 
 [see Note 6] where Jesus is. 
 
 (5) What must they have thought of 
 the house — of Joseph and Mary ? This 
 the new-bom King !— not in a palace— in 
 the humble dwelling of a carpenter — what 
 an end to their j ourney ! Yet do they 
 doubt ? See how they treat that Child in 
 its mother's arms. Think of Marj-'s silent 
 wonder — at the arrival of such a company — 
 at the worship ofEered to the Child — at the 
 costly presents [see Notel'\, 
 
 In these Men we see the first Gen- 
 tiles BROUGHT TO Christ. This was His 
 first ^Epiphany'— manifestation (i.e., appear- 
 ance, in the sense of being shown or re- 
 vealed) to the Gentiles. How many have 
 ' seen ' and worshipped Him since ! See 
 what God had said long before about it. 
 Ps. Ixxii. 10, 11 ; Isa. Ix. 6. It often hap- 
 pened afterwards that Gentiles received 
 the Gospel when Jews rejected it, see 
 Acts xiii. 42—48, xviii. 4—8, xxviii. 25-29; 
 comp. Matt. viii. 10. And now, in our 
 Gentile world, are those who ought to 
 know most about Christ the most obedient 
 to Him ? Think of the many English boys 
 and girls who know His great love, but 
 care nothing for it. Think of the heathen 
 
 Notes. 
 
 1. The visit of the Mngi must be placed after 
 the Presentation in the Temple ; for we cannot 
 imagine Jesus being talien to Jerusalem just 
 when Herod was seeking to kill Him, and 
 Mary's offering would surelj' not have been that 
 ordained for poor people had the gifts of the Magi 
 been then presented. It would seem that Joseph 
 had intended to reside at Bethlehem, see Matt, 
 ii. 22 : and the visit to Jerusalem would be merely 
 a day's excursion. In fact, the whole of Matt. ii. 
 must be inserted in the middle of ver. 39 of 
 Luke ii., nor is there anything arbitrary or 
 unnatural in doing so. 
 
 2. The word in the original rendered ' Wise 
 Men,' is 'Magi,' a term first applied to the 
 priests of Media, and then to all the sages of 
 the East. The Magi being famous astronomers, 
 their name became identified with the study ni 
 the stars ; and hence, through the false science 
 of astrology, is derived our word ' magician.' 
 
 S. It has been calculated that a 'conjunction' 
 (i.e., an apparent ne.'ir approach) of Saturn and 
 Juiiiter occurred in n.C.fi, and sonic have thought 
 to account in this way for the ' star' seen by the 
 Magi. But no planet could have ' gone before 
 them,' to the very spot; and if the narrative is 
 to be taken literally, the meteor must have been 
 sent miraculously. Alford makes out a strong 
 case in favourof the natural 'conjunction' being 
 referred to, but Prit(-hard (in Smith's Dictionary 
 of the Bible) seems clearly to disprove it. 
 
 The Magi may have connected the appearance 
 
 children — some in jhe ^fur East' — who give 
 up everything for His sake. 
 Can we be like these Gentiles? 
 
 1. God gives ns what He gare them — 
 Direction. — He called them to go — 
 guided them on the way — rewarded them 
 with success. So with us. God gives us 
 direction by His Word, the 'light to our 
 path,' Ps. cxix. 105. The Bible calls us tc 
 go to Christ. It shows us the way. If 
 
 followed, it brings us to Christ ; shows us 
 now His power, love, salvation ; gives us a 
 ' blessed hope' of His presence hereafter. 
 (See John v. 39 ; Isa. Iv. G, 7 ; Acts xx. 21 ; 
 Matt. vii. 21 ; Kom. viii. 31—39 ; John 
 xvii. 24.) 
 
 2. Do we give God ichat tliey gave Him — 
 Devotion ? (a) They started. Have we 
 started on the Christian j ourney ? {b) They 
 persevered despite difficulties within and 
 without. So let us, Heb. xii. 1 ; Luke ix. 62. 
 Let us seek Christ alone if need be, as they 
 did (comp. John vi. 68 ; 2 Tim. iv. 16, 17). 
 (c) "They followed no human device, not 
 their own devices, but the star only. Let 
 us remember Ps. cxix. 9 ; Prov. iv. 25. 
 {d) They gave their best to Christ. May 
 it be our choice to do so (Rom, xii. 1 ; 
 2 Sam. xxiv. '24). 
 
 3. Shall we find what they did ? They 
 found less than they looked for, only ajwor 
 child. We, if we find Christ, shall say with 
 the queen of Sheba (1 Kings x. 7), * Behold, 
 the half was not told me I' See Phil. iv. 7 ; 
 1 Cor. u. 9. 
 
 of the star at th.at particular time with the birth 
 of the Messiah, through knowing Daniel's pro- 
 phecy, tittered in Chaldea, Dan. ix. 24—26, or from 
 a tradition of Balaam's words (himself from the 
 East), Num. xxiv. 17 ; or (through the Jews resi- 
 dent in Persia and Babylonia) from the Messianic 
 predictions generally. Some curious prophecies 
 in the sacred books of Persia, the ' Zcnd-.\ vesta,' 
 are also mentioned by Bp. Ellicott (Iluls. Lect., 
 pp. 72, 77, notes). And see Lesson III. But a 
 special revelation was probably given them, as 
 afterwards (ver. 12). 
 
 We are not to suppose that the star shone 
 all the time. When they saw it, they went 
 to Jerusalem as the natural place to find the 
 ' King of the Jews.' Then, on their starting for 
 Bethlehem, the star re-appeared. 
 
 4. The quotation of the chief priests is from 
 the Septuagint version of Micah v. 2. Compare 
 John vii. 42. •Princes of Judah,'\-er.6. The 
 Hebrew word used in Micah may mean both 
 'jirinces' and 'thousands,' the princes being 
 originally the rulers of thousands. 
 
 5. The rccejition of the Magi both by the people 
 and the priests is at first sight surprising. Why 
 should 'all Jerusalem be troubled'? and why 
 were the Magi allowed to search alone for the 
 King of the Jetrs? Obviously they were scorn- 
 fully disbelieved. The Jews would ask the proud 
 question of 1 Kings ixii. 24. And yet there would 
 be ' trouble' at the thought of a new excuse for 
 Herod's cruelties. The priests were an exam|il<^ 
 
THE ESCAPE FEOM HEROD, 
 
 19 
 
 of a familiar illustration— they were like sign- 
 posts, pointing but not going. 
 
 6. Painters usually represent the Magi visiting 
 the Infant Saviour in the stable, and Bp. Heber's 
 Epiphany Hymn puts the same idea into poetry, 
 ' Lain lies His head with the beasts of the stall.' This 
 (independently of the considerations in Note 1) 
 is plainly shown to he an error by ver. 11. 
 
 7. Concerning the Oriental custom of present- 
 ing gifts, see Gen. xxxii. 13, xliii. 11 ; i Sam. x. 27 ; 
 
 1 Kings X. 1, 2. The three gifts may be regarded 
 as symbolic:— the gold of the royalty of Jesns 
 (see Ps. l.xxii. 15, xxi. 1—3); the frankincense of 
 His divinity, incense being universally offered to 
 Deity alone (see Ex. xxx. 34— 38) ; the myrrh of 
 His true mortal human nature, it being used in 
 embalming dead bodies (see John xix. 39). Of 
 course we are not to suppose that the Magi 
 designed this symbolism ; they simply oEferert 
 the choicest productions of theircouutry. 
 
 Lesson YIII.— The Escape from Herod. 
 
 ' T/ie Lord saveth His anointed.' 
 Read— Matt, ii, 13—23 ; Learn— Ts. ii. 2—4, 6 ; Prov. xix. 21. {Hymns, 135, 221, 194,382.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 It will be observed that the facts of this Lesson are not arranged in quite the same 
 order as in the Gospel narrative, which gives the flight into Egj'pt before the cause for it. 
 Such inversions cannot be made if a passage be taught verse by verse commentary- 
 fashion, but in Sunday-school teaching they are often very effective. 
 
 The explanations of the two prophecies can be omitted in junior classes, if thought too 
 difficult ; but they should be carefully and clearly given wherever it is possible to do so. 
 
 The application in the Sketch is necessarily general in character, but it may and shotild 
 be made minutelj- practical in actual teaching, and the teacher who knows his boys best 
 will best do this. The idea of a mighty confhct ever going on in the world, in which each 
 is engaged, consciously or unconsciously, on one side or the other, is very impressive. That 
 the little every-day words and deeds of the children are acts in this great conflict ; that 
 the petty persecution of a pious and gentle lad is a persecution of Christ (see texts cited), 
 and the little plots against him some of those ' many devices' of which Solomon speaks ; 
 that God is really on the side of the Christian, and that His side must be the victorious 
 one : all this flows naturally out of the subject, and as the narrative part of the Lesson is 
 short, the teacher should seize the opportunity, not of lecturing on these points, but of 
 getting up a brisk and free conversation upon them. 
 
 Sketch of Lesson. 
 
 Let us to-day go back to Jerusalem. 
 What were the feelings of the people when 
 the Magi came inquiring about the ' new- 
 bom King'? Why 'troubled'? Perhaps 
 because they knew King Herod would be 
 alarmed, and feared lest he should be led 
 into more cruelties. And we shall see it 
 was not without reason. 
 
 I. The Child in Danger. 
 
 ( 1 ) Herod was troubled too. How strange ! 
 He had been thirty-eight j-ears on the 
 throne, had conquered all his foes, had even 
 put his own wife and sons to death for fear 
 of their conspiring against him. He had 
 tried to please the people by rebuilding the 
 Temple, and filling Jerusalem with beautiful 
 palaces. Yet now he is afraid of — a baby ! 
 But he knew that he, a foreigner, a hated 
 Edomite, had no right to the Jewish crown 
 — might not this child born King of the 
 Jews have a better right ? He knew of the 
 promised Messiah — suppose this should be 
 He ! How did he find out where to look 
 for the child ? whom did he send ? how did 
 
 he deceive them ? comp. Ps. Iv. 21. [Refer 
 to last Lesson.'\ 
 
 (2) Herod is getting alarmed— the Magi 
 have not come back ; then (he thinks) they 
 must have found the new rival and j oined 
 his party — what is to be done now ? The 
 child shall die, whoever he is, — how ? 
 [Read ver. 16—18.] How foolish ! if the 
 child were not the Messiah, why fear ? if it 
 were, who could harm Him ? It does not 
 take long to do the cruel deed — the soldiers 
 are soon back — Herod satisfied — ' that King 
 is put out of the way.' \See Note 1.] But 
 only a few weeks after that, the King <>/ 
 kings called Herod before His judgment 
 throne. 
 
 (3) But come to Bethlehem. See the 
 desolate homes, heart-broken fathers and 
 weeping mothers — all the little children 
 dead, cruelly murdered — no babies in all 
 Bethlehem "that night. If Rachel could 
 rise from her grave close by (Gen. xxxv. 10, 
 1 Sam. X. 2), how she would weep ! A 
 slaughter and a lamentation, as when the 
 Babylonians ravaged Ramah. Of that one 
 
 c 2 
 
20 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LOED. 
 
 Jeremiah spoke (xxxi. 15), but God meant 
 his words to be a prophecy of the mourning 
 for children who should, 600 years after, 
 die for His Son; ver. 17, 18 [see Note 6J. 
 
 (4) Do you pity those children ? Pitj' 
 the bereaved parents — but is a dead baby 
 to be pitied? It has escaped all the sin 
 and sorrow it would have had in life ; the 
 lamb can never stray — no risk of being 
 lo^t— safe in the fold for ever. And these 
 Bethlehem children were honoured — what 
 St. Paul was readj' to do (Acts xxi. 13), 
 they did — are among ' the noble army of 
 martyrs,' with Stephen, Polycarp, Ridley — 
 their death commemorated by the Church 
 on ' Innocents' Day.' 
 
 "Them the King of kings liath given 
 Glory lasting as His own : 
 
 Lord, it was Thy mercy free 
 
 SufTered them to come to Thee."— [////mn 135. J 
 
 II. The Child in Safety. 
 
 (1) But was the Child slain with the 
 rest? [Read rer. 13 — 15.] Look again at 
 Jeremiah's prophecy — not a/l slain at 
 Eamah — some to be restored one daj- : so 
 at Bethlehem — One saved — should one day 
 return in glory. 
 
 (2) Think of Joseph's dream — his haste — 
 Marj''s hurried preparation — must go away 
 quicklj-, secretly, by night — long journey — 
 how anxiously Joseph must have looked 
 back as he went, fearing his pursuers — 
 how thankful when once in Egj'pt, beyond 
 Herod's power. 
 
 (3) No Pharaoh in Egypt then — part of 
 what empire? Many Jews lived there 
 [see Note 4]. Joseph might perhaps meet 
 friends. But he was soon to return, [Bead 
 ver. 19 — 23.] Why was it safe for the 
 Child to go back ? Where was Joseph at 
 first going to take Him ? [See Lesson VII., 
 Note 1.] Wh}' did he alter his plan ? where 
 did he go then ? About the life of Jesus 
 at Nazareth we shall talk next Sunday. 
 
 (4) This .sojourn in Egj-pt predicted too, 
 
 1. The indications of IIcrod"s character in this 
 chapter correspond exactly with the account of 
 him in Josephus. The man whose suspicious 
 jealousy had made him the murderer of his own 
 wife and three sons was the very man first to be 
 alarmed by the report of one born King of the 
 ,fews (being an Idumasan himself, and having 
 obtained the throne by unscrupulous intrigues), 
 and then to order the slaughter of the male 
 infants at Hethlchem. He was probably on his 
 deatli-bed, tortured by the painful disease that 
 was killing him, when the Magi arrived; see 
 Lesson V. Note 1. 
 
 The massacre is not mentioned by Josephus ; 
 but this is not to be wondered at, when we 
 remember Herod's continual cruelties, and that 
 in a little country town like Hethlchem there 
 would probably not be found more than twenty 
 or thirty boys under two years old. 
 
 2. Ver. 10. ' Coast X thereof,' i.e., the suburbs; 
 the hamlets and outlying hou.^es round the town. 
 
 3. ' Two years old and under.' From these 
 words it is supposed that the star appeared at 
 
 ver. 15, Hos. xi. 1. Hosea meant that God 
 brought ' Bis son ' Israel (see Exod. iv. 22) 
 out of Egj-pt. What had this to do with 
 Jesus? Whowas the true 'seed of Abraham,' 
 the 'glory of God's people Israel'? Gen. 
 xxii. 18 ; Gal. iii. 16. [Rejh- to Lesson II.] 
 So Messiah, like his kindred according to 
 the fiesh, should ' sojourn in the strange 
 land' of Egypt, and be called up from 
 thence by God ; and Hosea's words should 
 be true in both the past and the future. 
 
 Is not our text true ? ' Many devices 
 
 BvT— the Counsel of the Lord, THAT shall 
 stand.' 
 
 The ' devices' do not always fail ; but if 
 they succeed, it is that God's pur]30ses may 
 be worked out. The day came when the 
 plots against that Child "did succeed — but 
 what then ? See how the Apostles under- 
 stood our other text, Acts iv. 25 — 28 
 (' whatsoever Thy counsel determined before'). 
 Where is that ' new-bom King' now ? how 
 long will He reign ? 1 Cor. xv. 25. One 
 day all — willing or vinwilling — in joy or 
 terror — will do what Herod pretended 
 (ver. 8) he would do, Phil. ii. 10. 
 
 Are you Persecutors of Jesus? You are 
 shocked ; but see Acts ix. 5 (who had Saul 
 been persecuting ?), Matt. xxv. 40, 45. How 
 do you feel towards schoolfellows who are 
 ' i-eligious ' ? Are there not ' many devices ' 
 against such ? What will come of it ? You 
 gain nothing, and make God your enemy. 
 
 Are you persecuted as Jesus was ? All His 
 servants will be, John xv. 18 — 20 ; 2 Tim. 
 iii. 12. But if infants who knew nothing 
 ' glorified God by their death' (Collect for 
 Innocents' Day), how much more those who 
 suffer for Christ (even in little things) 
 willingly and patiently ? And what will 
 come of it? We are on God's side, and 
 can say Ps. cxviii. 6 ; Rom. viii. 31. His 
 'counsel shall stand' — and what is it? 
 Luke xii. 32. 
 
 OTES. 
 
 the conception of Christ, and again at His birth; 
 that the Magi reported the time of its appear- 
 ance as ' thirteen months ago ' fallowing four for 
 their journey); and (everything over twelve 
 months being in Jewish parlance 'two years') 
 that Herod ordered accordingly. But, in any 
 case, it may be assumed that Herod would give 
 a limit of age sufficiently high to preclude any 
 possible risk of the child escaping. 
 
 4. In taking refuge in Egypt, Joseph and Mary 
 were not going wholly among foreigners. The 
 Jews settled in that country, and at Alexandria 
 especially, were a numerousand influential body, 
 and had been much patronised by the Ptolemies, 
 or (ireek kings of Egypt, by order of one of 
 whom It was that the (Jreck translation of the 
 Old Testament, called the Septuagint, was begun. 
 The Alexandrian Jews had a synagogue of their 
 own at Jerusalem, for their use when visiting 
 the holy city, as we learn from Acts vi. 9. 
 
 r>. On Herod's death, his kingdom wjis divided 
 into four parts; the district of Abilene (In the 
 Lebanon) falling to Lysanias (probably the son 
 
THE HOME AT NAZAEETH. 
 
 21 
 
 of a, former Syrian prince of that name, who had 
 been deposed) ; and the three other divisions 
 going to three of Herod's sons, viz., Iturea and 
 Triichonitis (corresponding to the ancient 15a- 
 shan) to Philip ; Galilee and Peroea to Herod 
 Antipas; and Judaja, Samaria, and Idumea to 
 Archelaus. Philip and Antipas were called 
 'tetrarchs' (rulers of fourth parts); Archelaus 
 was called ' ethnarch ' (ruler of a nation). 
 Archelaus reigned nine years, at the end of 
 which the emperor Aufjustus deposed him for 
 his cruelty, and made Juda;a a province under a 
 regular Roman governor. 
 
 6. St. Matthew wrote his Gospel especially for 
 Jewish readers; and accordingly we find him 
 appealing at every step to Old Testament pro- 
 phecy; six times in these two first chapters. 
 Some of the quotations are remarkable, and at 
 first sight puzzling; but if the principle laid 
 down in Lesson II., Note 3, is kept in mind, there 
 need be no diflBculty in interpreting them. And 
 
 it will be observed, that the very fact that 
 Matthew cites them is an evidence that the 
 Jews would recognise them as applicable. 
 
 (a) Jer. x.\xi. 15. The prophet evidently refers 
 to some massacre or kidnapping 'raid' of the 
 Chaldean invaders at Kamah (conip- Jcr. xl. 1). 
 Kamah was in the territory of Benjamin; so 
 Rachel, the mother of Benjamin, is represented 
 in poetic figure as weeping for her slaughtered 
 or enslaved children ; and (Jod comforts her by 
 promising the future restoration of those taken 
 away. So the mothers of P.cthlchem wept, 
 unconscious of the future return and glory of 
 One Infant who had been saved, and who was 
 thus the anti-type of the Jews who returned 
 from BiiViylon. The fact that Rachel died and 
 was buried near Bethlehem seems to add to the 
 appropriateness of St. Matthew's reference. 
 
 (6) Hos.xi.l. On the principle already referred 
 to, this citation presents no special difficulty, 
 and is sufficiently explained in the Sketch. 
 
 On ver. 23, see next Lesson, Note 3. 
 
 Lesson IX.— Tlie Home at Nazaretli. 
 
 ' He shall be called a Nazareiie.' 
 
 fiead— Passages referred to in the Lesson ; Learn— Luke ii. 51, 52 ; John xiii. 15. 
 
 {^Hymns, 33, 42, 161, 355.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 In teaching on this subject, it is usual to dwell almost exclusively on the narrative of 
 the visit of Jesus to Jerusalem, and the lessons suggested by it. Yet this visit was but 
 an episode (albeit an important one) in a period of thirty years. We know, indeed, very 
 little of those thirty years, but we know quite enough for a very full Sunday-school 
 lesson. The teacher will very probably be asked such questions, concerning matters r..ot 
 revealed, as the curiosity of a sharp boy would suggest. He will therefore have an 
 excellent opportunity of showing the folly of expecting (as some children do expect) that 
 the Bible will tell us everything. It is important that our ignorance of the events of 
 those years should be deeply felt. But be it observed, that this feeling is to be produced, 
 not by ignoring ivhat we really can gather from our knowledge of the ordinary life of a 
 Jewish child (as has been too often imagined), but by reverently using that knowledge as 
 the basis of our thoughts : just as the student of astronomy has a loftier conception of 
 the greatness of the universe than the man who knows nothing about it. 
 
 The first division of this Lesson must only be taken fully with elder classes. The facts 
 alluded to in it are, however, very useful, as giving historical reality to the period. 
 
 There is one great difficulty in enforcing upon children the example of Christ. It lies 
 in their common conception of Him as one to whom goodness was so easy that it had no 
 merit, who could not feel as children do feel, who was altogether far above the petty trials 
 and difficulties of child-life, and whose example cannot be fairly adduced. Though not 
 expressed, and often unconscious, this feeling certainly influences the childish mind. Let 
 us therefore, make it our special business, in this Lesson, to exhibit Jesus as a real boy. 
 Let us not fear to diminish the reverence with which His Divinity is regarded ; that 
 feeling already exists, and we shall rather increase it by dwelling on the real humiliation 
 
 of the Eternal Son of God. 
 
 Sketch of Lesson. 
 
 little to you, while children, what happens 
 at court, in parliament, &c. ; but what goes 
 on now may make a difference to you when 
 you grow up. So with Jesus : we shall 
 understand His ministry better if know 
 
 For thirty years we scarcely hear any- 
 thing of Jesus. Only one event recorded 
 —take that next Sunday. To-day think of 
 Him as a child and as a young man. 
 
 I. What was going on around Him 
 DURING THE THIRTY YEARS. It matters 
 
 what happening all that while. 
 
 We often meet in the Gospels with 
 
22 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OP OUR LORD. 
 
 Roman soldiers, laws, monej-s, dire. It was 
 during this time that they came into the 
 country. No king now, like Herod, at 
 Jerusalem — Roman governor at Caesarea 
 (Pilate one of them) ruling over Judaea. 
 In Galilee and countries beyond, two of 
 Herod's sons, Herod Antipas and Philip, 
 Luke iii. 1 ; yet under Rome — when built 
 fine new cities named them after Roman 
 emperors (Mark viu. 'li, Ti ; John vi. 23) — 
 Roman soldiers here and there — the officers 
 sometimes friendly to the Jews (Luke vii. 5) 
 — man)' Jews became collectors ('publicans") 
 of Roman taxes — the emperor's likeness on 
 the coins, ttc, ifcc. \Ste Note L] 
 
 But the Jews hated the Romans — ' wh}- 
 should we, God's chosen nation, be subject 
 to foreigners ? ' — despised their brethren who 
 became publicans, Luke v. 30, xviii. 11, 
 xix. 7. AVhen Jesus ten years old, taxing 
 began — great insurrection, Acts v. 37. 
 Always longing for deliverance. Acts i. 6. 
 
 All this while, where was He who should 
 be the great King over all ? 
 
 II. His Chosen Dwelling-place. 
 
 Nazareth — little obscure town [see Lesson 
 IV., Note '2J — despised even by its near 
 neighbours (John i. 46). Might go there 
 note — see the same sunny vallej% green 
 hills round, trees, brooks, &c. ; the well 
 where Jesus must often have been, the rock 
 from which they tried to throw Him after- 
 wards, Luke iv. 29. [See Note 2.] 
 
 Whj- was such a place chosen for the 
 home of Jesus ? Look at Matt. ii. 23. 
 Where predicted that He should be called 
 a Nazarene ? see Isa. xi. 1 — Messiah should 
 ■ be a 'branch' — the Hebrew word Nazer, 
 not a beautiful bough, but a poor insignifi- 
 cant ticif/ (comp. Isa. liii. 2). So He lived 
 at poor insignificant town named like twig 
 — N'aziir- eth ; by its name He and His 
 followers called, and therefore despised. 
 Matt. xxvi. 71 ; John xix. 19 ; Acts xxiv. .5. 
 [■See Note 3.] Even in the name of His 
 dwelling-place, see Christ's humiliation ! 
 
 III. His Daily Life. That of a poor 
 man's son. Scliools then in all the towns 
 [see Note ■>] — no doubt He was a scholar — 
 brought up to read the Scriptures diligentl}- 
 — same stories of Joseph, Samuel, David, 
 which children love so much still — taught 
 the texts which all little Jews repeated 
 like a catechism. Exod. xiii. 2 — IG ; Deut. vi. 
 4 — 9, 13—22. No doubt He began early to 
 learn to use the tools in Joseph's workshop. 
 So day by day, w-eek by week, year by 
 year, the f ion of God lived, a little Jewish 
 village bo , 
 
 Then a; a young man, v»'hen Joseph 
 dead [see Note 4] — Himself the village car- 
 penter (Markvi. 3) — now the head of the 
 liousehok' and guardian of His mother (see 
 John ii. r^, xix. 27) — having on Him all the 
 duties of son, brother, neighbour, friend, 
 citiw?n — perliaps misunderstood and looked 
 down upon by brethren and sisters (like 
 David, 1 Sam. xvii. 28) — attending the 
 
 sj-nagogue every Sabbath (Luke iv. IG — 
 ^ as His manner was'). And all this while 
 nothing wonderful to look at — no miracles — 
 Jesus like others, except in — 
 
 IV. His Character. Imagine a little 
 boy never actmg, speaking, thinking, 
 wrongly or foolishly. Think of one in the 
 schoolroom, at play, at home, in the street, 
 never jealous, deceitful, selfish, disobedient, 
 vain, passionate — always ] ust the opposite — 
 at evening prayer having nothing to confess 
 — parents and teachers having nothing to 
 punish — [illustrate further as time permits] 
 — Jesus like that. Sufficiently like others 
 not to make everybody curious, yet how 
 unlike ! 
 
 What does the Bible say of other chil- 
 dren ? see Prov. xvii. 25, xix. 13 ; Ps. Iviii. 3 ; 
 Job xix. 18 — do we not all know how true 
 these words are? Even the goodness of 
 good children so imperfect, a meek boy 
 generally weak, a resolute boy rough. But 
 Jesus 'strong in spirit,' and yet a pattern 
 of gentleness (see Isa. xlii. 2). Nobody 
 could see anything in Him which might 
 have been altered for the better. 
 
 See what St. Luke says, ii. 40, 52 : — 
 
 ' Strong in spirit' — how often boj's strong 
 enough in bodj', yet weak when tempted, 
 no control over temper, can't bear pain or 
 disappointment. How much He had to 
 bear — how painful to Him the sin around 
 Him ! (comp. 1 Pet. ii. 18). 
 
 ' Filled with wisdom' (see Isa. xi. 2 — 5) — 
 then no room for follj- — how many have no 
 room for wisdom I 
 
 ' Increased in wisdom and stature ' [see 
 Note 6] — how many good and studious boys 
 decrease in wisdom as they grow ! 
 
 ' In favour with God and man'— some boys 
 do please men, but how often is it just by 
 displeasing God — which of us pleases both V 
 where is the boy with whom God always 
 more and more ' well-pleased' ? 
 
 Whij all (his? That He might be ax 
 Example for all. 
 
 You might say. How can I cop}- Him 
 who went about preaching, working mira- 
 cles, &c ? But here is an Example for the 
 little child, the school-boy, the youth at 
 work, the grown man toiling for liis daily 
 bread. You can do no gi-eat thing ':' neither 
 did Jesus, j-et he lived s. perfect life; just 
 going on, day after day, doing the little 
 duties that came before Him. Does God 
 require more of us? See Rom. xii. 9 — 13, 
 1 Cor. x. 31 ; Eph. vi. 1—3 ; 1 Thcss. iv. 11. 
 
 The trivial round, tho eonuiion t;islt. 
 Should fumi.sh all we oufjlu to ask— 
 Room to deny ourselves, a road 
 To bring us dall}' ucurer God. 
 
 True, we cannot attain to this perfect 
 Example. But are we i/C trj- ? See Matt. xi. 
 29 ; Phil. ii. 5 ; John xiii. 15 ; 1 Pet. ii. 21 ; 
 1 John ii. 6, iii. 3, Who can 'change us 
 into His image'? see 2 Cor iii. 18 — only the 
 Holy Spirit. And it is God's design that 
 we should have that image, Rom. viii. 29. 
 
THE HOME AT NAZARETH. 
 
 23 
 
 Notes, 
 
 1. The political changes which took place In 
 Palestine during our Lord's childhood and youth 
 had an important influence upon His subsequent 
 ministry. In addition to the examples given 
 above of Biblical allusions to them, it may be 
 observed that the Roman ' legion ' (body of 6,000 
 soldiers) occurs as the type of overpowering 
 force. Matt. xxvi. 53, Mark v. 9; and that one of 
 the Twelve seems to have been a follower of 
 Judas of Galilee, the leader of the revolt in 
 A.D. 6, viz., Simon Zelotes, one of the sect of the 
 * Zealots.' Josephus (Ant. xvlil. 1) gives an ac- 
 count of this revolt. 
 
 The cities referred to above are Tiberias, built 
 by Herod Antipas, and Ciesarea Philippi and 
 Bethsaida Julias, built by his brother Philip; 
 the two former named after Tiberius Cjesar, the 
 latter after Julia, the daughter of Augustus. 
 
 2. Nazareth lies in a sheltered valley among 
 the Galilean hills, just above where they sink 
 down into the Plain of Esdraelon. Dr. Macleod 
 says :— ' A low undulating ridge of hills encloses 
 the green plain that lies like a lake with Naza- 
 reth built on one of its shores." 
 
 The ' crag ' from which the Nazarenes at- 
 tempted to hurl Christ has been identified ; and 
 the well to which the women still come for 
 water is, no doubt, that to which Mary must 
 have often resorted. 
 
 With regard to the bad character of Nazareth, 
 it must he borne in mind that Nathanael was no 
 Jerusalem Pharisee, despising all the Galileans, 
 but dwelt at Cana, only a few miles off. 
 
 3. 'He shall be called a Nazarene.' The most 
 clear and complete explanation of these words 
 we have met with was given by Mr. Warington 
 in the Church Sunday School Magazine for Feb., 
 1868. His remarks may be thus briefly summa- 
 rised :— (1) The word ^azer, applied to Messiah 
 in Isa. xi. 1, and there rendered ' branch,' has the 
 sense of a feeble and insignificant 'twig.' (In 
 the other prophecies of the ' Branch ' the Hebrew 
 word is different.) (2) This word iVazer appears 
 in the name of Nazareth, and well indicates the 
 poor reputation of that town. (3) By the name 
 of this despised city Jesus was known. Though 
 not really 'of Nazareth,' He was always 'called' 
 so. In accordance with prophecy. He was really 
 a Beihlehemite, and yet without the honour at- 
 taching to such an origin. Both the name and the 
 repute of Nazareth clung to Him. Even to this 
 day, in the East, Christians are contemptuously 
 called ' Nazarenes.' This is also the view of 
 Smith's Dictionary of the Bible, though it is not 
 given so completely there. 
 
 The idea of some that Christ was a Nazarite 
 is quite unfounded. The word in the original is 
 a totally different one. 
 
 4. As Joseph is not mentioned after the events 
 of Luke li., the inference is that He died before 
 our Lord's public ministry. That Jesus was then 
 at the head of the household seems implied in 
 the texts quoted above. Who His ' brethren and 
 Bisters' were, is a question on which commen- 
 tators always have been divided, and probably 
 always will be. That they were the first cousins 
 of Jesus, children of Alpheus (or Clopas) and of 
 Mary the sister of the Virgin, seems the most 
 probable view, and indeed almost demonstrated 
 by the arguments of Smith's Dictionary of the 
 
 Bible (reproduced also in the Student's New Testa- 
 ment History), where Alford's strong counter- 
 arguments appear clearly refuted. 
 
 5. The following passage, respecting Jewish 
 schools, is from Mr. Deutsch's famous article on 
 the Talmud in the Quarterly Review, Oct., 1867:— 
 
 " Eighty years before Christ, schools flourished 
 throughout the length and the breadth of the 
 laud ;— education had been made compulsory. 
 While there is not a single term for ' school' to 
 be found before the Captivity, there were by 
 that time about a dozen in common usage. Here 
 are a few of the innumerable popular sayings of 
 the period, betokening the paramount import- 
 ance which public instruction had assumed in 
 the life of the nation : — ' Jerusalem was de- 
 stroyed because the instruction of the young 
 was neglected.' ' The world is only saved by the 
 breath of the school-children.' ' Even for the 
 rebuilding of the Temple the schools must not 
 be interrupted.' ' Study is more meritorious 
 than sacrifice.' ' A scholar is greater than a 
 prophet.' " 
 
 6. The popular conception of the Saviour is 
 too much that of a human body dwelt m by God, 
 which wholly omits the ' reasonable soul' {Athan. 
 Creed) so strongly implied in Ileb. il. 17, 18, iv. 15, 
 v. 7—9, Matt. xxvi. 38, Luke x. 21, Mark vi. 6, and 
 in the words ' increased in wisdom.' It is to be 
 observed that this growth in wisdom does not 
 imply defect, for from His earliest childhood Jesus 
 was ' filled with wisdom ' ; His human mind 
 expanded, and so, though always ' full,' it con- 
 stantly ' increased ' in wisdom. Observe also 
 that this mental growth was not confined to the 
 years of His childhood ; it is expressly stated of 
 the period subsequent to His first Passover. The 
 expression 'increased in favour with God' is 
 very remarkable, and is to be understood like 
 the other one, not that God was at any time less 
 • well-pleased,' but that, as Jesus grew, there was 
 more and more in Him on which the Divine 
 favour could rest. 
 
 7. Note that our Lord's perfect life through 
 those many years was a part of His vicarious 
 work. The growing up through infancy, child- 
 hood, youth, manhood, from grace to grace, 
 holiness to holiness, in subjection, self-denial, 
 and love, without one polluting touch of jjh,- this 
 it was which, consummated by the three years 
 of active ministry, by the Passion, and by the 
 Cross, constituted the ' obedience of one man by 
 which many were made righteous' (Alford). 
 
 8. Illustrations. —Draw a straight line on a 
 slate ; then lay the ruler by it, and you will see 
 how imperfect it is. So are our lives when tested 
 by God's law. But the life of Jesus was as a 
 line drawn absolutely straight. 
 
 How can we in practice copy Jesus ? How do 
 you write a copy in your copy-book ? By looking 
 constantly at the top line, imitating it in capital 
 letters, small letters, up-strokes, down-strokes, 
 even stops. So be always ' looking unto Jesus." 
 
 Blow a little air into an air-cushion or a 
 bladder; you see it is quite full. Blow on and 
 on ; it is always full, yet always getting larger. 
 Just so the human soul of Jesus, 'filled witli 
 wisdom.' This illustration must be used witU 
 great cautioa, but it is effective if so used. 
 
24 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUK LORD. 
 
 Lesson X.— The First Passover. 
 
 ' Wist ye not that I must be about my Father's busintss ? ' 
 iZead— Luke ii. 41—51 ; Learn-Luke ii. 49, ol ; Col. i. 9, 10. (Hymns 160, 261, 326, 328.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 The first division of the following Sketch introduces a line of thought with reference 
 to this passage which the writer has not seen elsewhere. It is usual to dwell on the 
 incidents of this visit to Jerusalem, and to overlook the important considerations under- 
 lying the ba7-e fact of the visit at such a time and on such an occasion. In the narrative 
 we have, in remarkable combination, the essential Divinity of Jesus and the obligation of 
 His real humanity to observe all legal ordinances. The particular custom to which the 
 Sketch alludes is strikingly analagous to the Christian rite of Confirmation as the 
 preliminary to admission to the Lord's Table, and so conveys, in an unexpected way, an 
 important lesson for our elder scholars. In junior classes, of course, this part of the 
 Sketch will be but slightly touched upon. 
 
 The application, again, is, and should be, somewhat different from the common one. 
 The details of Christian conduct would be drawn out of the preceding Lesson, and in 
 this one it is of less importance to urge further particular duties (as attendance at God's 
 house, attention to teaching, submission to parents) than to dwell upon the spii-it that is 
 at the root of all, and prompts to all, viz., that controlling desire to put God frst, to live 
 for Him alone, which is the key to all Christ's human life, and which is the burden of the 
 second of the texts for repetition. 
 
 Let the teacher be particular to make it quite clear to all the children that Jesus did 
 not sit among the doctors as a superior, and did not 'dispute' with them, all pictures 
 implying the contrary notwithstanding. 
 
 Some sharp scholar will probably ask where Jesus lodged, ifec, during the three days. 
 Here, again, will come the always useful answer, — not ' / don't know,' which intimates the 
 special ignorance of the individual teacher, but ' We don't know,' i.e., nobody knows. But 
 see Note 4. 
 
 Sketch of Lesson. 
 
 In those Thirty years one special event 
 recorded — study it to-day. 
 
 I. Going to the Passover. [Read ver. 
 41, 42.] 
 
 Once a year Joseph and Mary go away 
 from home for a week or two, leaving the 
 Child Jesus behind. Where do they go ? 
 why ? Deut. xvi. 1 — 8 ; comp. 1 Sam. i. 3. 
 Little children did not go, but at last Jesus 
 old enough [see Note 1 ] . Now can become 
 a ' son of the law ' — be admitted to all the 
 privileges of God's chosen nation. 
 
 Two things appointed for Jews as signs 
 of God's covenant with them ; one of being 
 brought into covenant — Circumcision; one 
 of keeping in it — Passover; both indis- 
 pensable, Gen. xvii. 14 ; Exod. xii. 15 ; 
 Numb. ix. 13. What did Circumcision 
 mean? [refer to Lesson Yl.]. What did 
 keeping the Passover mean ? — commemo- 
 rating Israel's deliverance from slavery and 
 death, through their believing and obej'ing 
 God about eating the lamb and sprinkling 
 its blood. 
 
 So we have two great ordinances : Bap- 
 tism, sign of entrance into Christ's Church 
 [sec Lesson VI.] ; tlie Lord's Supper, of 
 keeping in it (commemorating deliverance 
 through the Lamb of God, feeding by faith 
 
 — so life sustained, &.C.). When baptized 
 child old enough, comes to Confirmation — 
 covenant publicly ratified — then to the 
 Lord's Supper : like n Jewish boy of twelve 
 going as a ' son of the law ' to the Passover. 
 
 We have seen Jesus submitting to the 
 first rite ; now we find Him observing the 
 second. 
 
 Think of Him on the road— companies of 
 people journeying from all parts to Jeru- 
 salem (comp. Ps. xlii. 4, Iv. 14, cxxii. 1 — 4) 
 — many boys going for the first time, all 
 eager to see the holy city they have read 
 and heard of. Think of Jesus there, seeing 
 David's royal city, Temple and worshippers 
 (had been there when an infant, not since) 
 — then the great night of the feast — solemn 
 meeting — the lamb, bitterherbs, unleavened 
 cakes — the hymns, (t'C.,«Src. [seeNote2'\. How 
 wonderful to look back and think when this 
 first done ! — and to think of one of the 
 young 'sons of the law' being Himself the 
 true ' Passover' to whom all Passovers 
 pointed, the very Lamb of God whose blood 
 to be si^rinkled on our hearts ! 
 
 II. Tauhving in the Temple. [Read 
 ver. 43— 50. J 
 
 The week of solemn services over — com- 
 panies [see Note GJ journeying homeward— 
 
THE FIRST PASSOVER. 
 
 travelling all day— at evening the Child 
 missed— how Mary and Joseph distressed, 
 would think Jesus could not be absent of 
 his own accord, so fond and dutiful always 
 —perhaps kidnapped by His old enemies ; 
 how anxiously they seek Him (ver. 48), yet 
 all in vain— then sadly back to the city, 
 asking everywhere. 
 
 Where found at last ? Eoom in Temple 
 — great doctors sitting to teach and cate- 
 chise — young students seated at their feet 
 (Acts xxii. 3)— C«e learner there 'full of 
 wisdom,' giving bright, clear answers, 
 modestly asking questions in his turn, but 
 such questions 1 The doctors amazed — 
 never such a scholar seen before (Ps. cxix. 
 99, 100). [-See Note 3.] See Marj-- no 
 thought of who else there — enough that 
 He is found — what does she say ? — too sad 
 not to complain, too overjoyed to rebuke. 
 
 Look at that wonderful reply — ' Why 
 should they wonder where He wasf Mary 
 spoke of His father— did they forget WHO 
 WAS His true Father ? Where could He 
 be but in that Father's house, engaged in 
 that Fathers work ? did they think it was a 
 boyish prank to stay behind — that He was 
 dazzled by the city's splendour ? ivas He not 
 acting a good Son's part f Must He not do 
 this?' 
 
 So the Child knew who and what He 
 was. Had Mary told Him what the angel 
 had said? Why, she almost forgot it her- 
 self, ver. 50. How then did He know ? 
 [See Note 5.] 
 
 Ill, Submitting to Earthly Ties. 
 {Read t;er. ol]. 
 
 Might Jesus have refused to go back ? 
 might He have then separated Himself for 
 God's work? What was it that He did? 
 Eighteen years yet before Messiah to be 
 manifested. Was He, then, to go on get- 
 ting all Jewish learning, sitting at the 
 doctors' feet for years (like St. Paul) ? see 
 John vii. 15. Then what to do ? [refer to 
 last Lesson] —to be ' stibject ' — was that being 
 'about the Father's business '?— see how 
 pleased the Father was (ver. 52), more and 
 
 more until that Voice came to say 30, 
 Matt. iii. 17. 
 
 What two kinds of duties have we? 
 [Refer to Catechism]. Last Sunday we saw 
 how Jesus set us an example of fulfilling 
 our ' duty towards our neighbour.' To-day 
 He shows us how to do our ' duty towards 
 God.' 
 
 ' About My Father's business.' So we 
 ought all to be. How can we ? 
 
 We can — (a) observe God's ordinances : 
 Jesus kept the Passover, though needing 
 not the redemption it spoke of. (b) Observe 
 the oi'dinances of God's Church [e.g., Con- 
 firmation, as referred to above] : the rules 
 about becoming a 'son of the law' not 
 from Moses, but from the Rabbins, yet, 
 being good ones, Jesus obeyed them, 
 (c) Resort to God's house : if Enghsh boy 
 missed, would he be found in church ? Yet 
 see Ps. xxvi. 8, Ixv. 4, Ixxxiv. (d) Seek to 
 learn more about God's Word : if Jesus 
 studied it, under the appointed teachers, 
 how much more should loe ! (e) Yet not 
 neglect duties to earthly friends ; submit to 
 parents, &c. 
 
 But much more than all this in the words. 
 The locomotive engine very powerful — 
 what heayj' trains it draws ! — but does not 
 go of itself — something wanted to set it 
 and keep it going — steam. 
 
 What then do we vmi/t ? What was the 
 secret of all Jesixs did ? He had the will 
 — earnest desire and determination — to do 
 God's will, Ps. xl. 7, 8. Having this will, 
 He ' must' be ' about His Father's business' 
 — could not help it — and did it not as hard 
 duty — His delight, meat and drink to Him, 
 John iv. 34, 
 
 Have we this will? Not naturally— all 
 like to have ' our own way,' Isa. liii, G — 
 dislike God's, Rom. viii. 7, 8. How to be 
 altered? see next verse (Rom. ^•iii. '.') — 
 [comp. 10th Article]. Every da}', every 
 hour, at every turn, ask, ' Lord, what wilt 
 Thou Imve me to do' ? (Acts ix. 6). Then 
 what is the promise ? Matt. vi. 33. 
 
 Notes. 
 
 1. The Jewish custom of admitting boys to he 
 'sons of the law' at the age of twelve -(or 
 thirteen : it is doubtful whether Jesus did not 
 go up a year before the strict time)— is well 
 known. The following passages from the Rabbi- 
 nical writings refer to it : — 
 
 " ' Let a man deal gently with his son till he 
 come to be twelve years old, but from that time 
 let him descend with him intohis way of living:' 
 that is, let him diligently, and with severity (if 
 need be), keep him close to that way, rule, or art, 
 by which he may get his living." (Quoted in 
 Lightfoot, Bor. Hebr., on Luke ii.) " Up to the 
 age of thirteen a father has to care for his son's 
 fulfilment of the duties of religion. But on his 
 thirteenth birth-day he may say. Blessed be He 
 who has made me free from the burden of my 
 son's sins." (Quoted in Plumptre, Chi-ist and 
 Cfiristendom, p. 98.) 
 It is noteworthy that the Greek word rendered 
 
 ' child,' in ver. 43, is not the word used before in 
 this chapter (which is a diminutive), but means, 
 strictly, 6oy. 
 
 2. The feast of the Passover in the later days ol 
 Jewish history was a much more elaborate thing 
 than it had been in Egypt, and it would be very 
 impressive to any one attending for the first 
 time. Among the numerous observances which 
 had gradually grown up, and become almost as 
 sacred as those enjoined in Exod. .xii., were the 
 four Clips of wine passed round at stated inter- 
 vals, two of which seem distinctly alluded to in 
 Luke xxii. 17, 20 ; and the service of praise called 
 the ' Hallel ' (a contraction of hallelujah), which 
 consisted of the singing of Ps. cxiii.— cxviii. in 
 prescribed portions, one of which was no doubt 
 the 'hymn' sung by Christ and the eleven 
 (Matt. xxvi. 30). 
 We have illustrations of the piety of Mary ar.d 
 
26 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 Joseph, in their staying at Jerusalem for ' the 
 <lays,' i.e., the seven days of unleavened bread, 
 which was not done by all ; and in Mary's going 
 at all, for the attendance of women, though 
 enjoined by the Rabbis, was not required by the 
 law, see Deut. xvi. 6. 
 
 3. ' Found // tin in the temple'— i.e., probably in 
 one of the three rooms in which the members of 
 the Sanhedrim used to receive their pupils. It 
 is not impossible that one or both of the two 
 famous Kabbis, Shammai and Hillel, may have 
 been present, or (as young men) some of those 
 named in Scripture, Gamaliel or Nicodemus, or 
 <as a scholar) Saul of Tarsus. 
 
 The old idea that Jesus 'disputed' with the 
 doctors has no foundation in the narrative. We 
 must regard Him simply as a learner. ' Hearing 
 them,' 'asking them questions,' 'His answers,' 
 are all named. The instruction given by the 
 scribes was sharply catechetical in form, and 
 clever answers were much thought of. One of 
 the Rabbis says (quoted by Plumptre):—' 1 have 
 learned much from the Kabbis my teachers ; I 
 have learned more from the Kabbis my col- 
 leagues ; I have learned most of all from my 
 disciples.' Josephus describes the sensation 
 created by his answers as a lad of fourteen, to 
 hear which great numbers used to resort to the 
 school. Of course the 'understanding' of Jesus 
 mtist be very differently regarded. His was no 
 mere precocity in dialectic skill. His questions 
 and answers must have breathed a far purer and 
 higher atmosphere of truth than that of the 
 strife of words of which Rabbinical controversy 
 consisted; and this, doubtless, was the cause of 
 the astonishment they evoked. 
 
 4. In thinking over this narrative (and indeed 
 all Scripture narratives) we must divest our- 
 selves altogether of modem English ideas. For 
 instance, it must not be supposed that Mary and 
 Joseph would have the slightest difficulty in ob- 
 taining entrance to the cham'ocrs of the Temple. 
 Again, the question might be asked. Where did 
 Jesus lodge, &c., during those three days ? While 
 no answer professing to be correct can be given, 
 yet there will be no difficulty in the minds of those 
 who consider both the obligations of Oriental 
 hospitality, especially in Jerusalem at Passover 
 lime, and that in after years Jesus spent whole 
 nights on the Mount of Olives. 
 
 5. ' About Mt/ Father's business' seems to imply 
 active work; but the original (literally— 'in the 
 things of My Father") includes more passive 
 
 occupations, as listening to instruction. Some 
 would render it ' in My Father's house,' but the 
 e.xpression, though incIudLng this, comprehends 
 much more. The word rendered 'must' is the 
 same so often used about our Lord's work. Matt. 
 xxvi. 54; Mark viii. 31; Luke xxii. 37, xxiv. 7, 
 44 ; John ix. 4, XX. 9. 
 
 This answer derives a peculiar significance 
 from Mary's words, ' Thy father and I have 
 sought Thee sorrowing.' It w.is natural that 
 she and Joseph should have been amazed ; for 
 though they knew the mystery of the birth of 
 Jesus, they tnetr not that He knew it. Yet their 
 surprise is certainly in itself surprising. The 
 explanation is suggested by the beautiful words 
 of Mr. Plumptre {Christ and Christendom, p. 95), 
 who describes Mary and Joseph at Nazareth as 
 ' the husband and wife, each with a reticent con- 
 sciousness of the greatness of the Life committed 
 to their charge ; each, at times, half losing count 
 of the true measure of that greatness in the 
 familiarity of daily intercourse.' 
 
 The value of every word of the Gospel narra- 
 tive is strikingly shown by the fact that, had 
 Mary said 'we' instead of 'Thy father and I,' 
 the point of Christ's answer would be lost. 
 
 In what way the consciousness of His Divinity 
 dawned on the young Child we have no means 
 of conceiving, but we need not hesitate to adopt 
 the words of Matthew Henry — 'The Divinity 
 that dwelt in Him from His conception mani- 
 fested itself to His humanity by degrees, in pro- 
 portion to His capacity.' And if, as is usually 
 considered, this visit to Jerusalem marks the 
 awaking of the consciousness, the condescension 
 shown in His returning to be 'subject' to Mary 
 and Joseph is much enhanced. Stier ( n'o?-ds of 
 the Lord Jesus, vol. i., p. 18, Clark's Ed.) calls the 
 incident the 'solitary floweret out of the won- 
 derful enclosed garden of the thirty years, 
 plucked precisely there where the swollen bud, 
 at a distinctive crisis, bursts into flower'; and 
 speaks of the reply of Jesus as the ' first word of 
 the Eternal Spirit in the human spirit of the 
 person of the God-man.' 
 
 This passage, by shewing that the child Jesus 
 was as really God as the man Jesus, disproves the 
 heresy that the Divine Son descended on the 
 human Jesus at His baptism. 
 
 G. ' Company,' ver. 44. The Greek word strictly 
 means a 'company of travellers,' and is only used 
 in this place. Perhaps 'caravan' is the best 
 equivalent. 
 
 Lesson XI.— The Forerunner. 
 
 ' Thou shah go before the face of the Lord to jyrepare Ills ways.' 
 
 Read — Luke iii. 1 — 18 (comp. Matt. iii. 1—12) ; Learn — Isa. xl. 3 — 5j Luke i. 76, 77. 
 (//y;««,S 108,141,142,307.) 
 
 To THE Teachkr, 
 In a biographical course of Lessons on the Life of Christ, great pains should be taken 
 to give due prominence to the ministry of the Baptist, ;is God's appointed way of 
 preparing the Jewish nation for the appearance of the Messiah. In the following sketch, 
 therefore, John's preaching is regarded from that point of view, and the application is in 
 accordance with the general design. If the teacher were giving a coiurse of consecutive 
 
THE FORERUNNER. 
 
 27 
 
 expository Lessons on St. Matthew's or St. Luke's Gospel, the subject would work out 
 differently, the attention of the class being confined to the verses before them, and the 
 application being directed to the enforcing of the necessity, character, and results of true 
 repentance. This disthiction will explain the exclusion of some points from the Lesson 
 below, as well as the attention given to others. The language of John's testimonj' to 
 Christ is explained in Lesson XIV. 
 
 The third division should only be taken with such intelligent scholars as would take an 
 interest in referring to the passages given. 
 
 The teacher will not fail to notice the good example set him by the Baptist in the 
 lalter's method of awakening his hearers to a sense of their suis. John does not speak 
 alike to everybody of ' sin' in the abstract, but to the publicans, the soldiers, &c., of their 
 special faults and temptations. So let us do, speaking of the peculiar besetting sins of 
 big boys out in life, of upper day-school boys, of little boys, and of girls of various ages, 
 according to our respective classes. The differences of place and circumstances, also, 
 must not be forgotten : the London office, the Manchester factory, the Hull water-side, 
 the Norfolk farm, bring severally very different temptations. At the same time, the great 
 root of all sins — the uniform natural condition and tendency of the human heart — must 
 always be recognised. 
 
 Sketch of Lesson. 
 
 It is thirty years since 'all Jeiiisalera 
 was troubled ' by the inquiries of the Wise 
 Men from the East ; eighteen years since a 
 Galilean boy startled the Rabbis in the 
 Temple by his youthful wisdom. All now 
 forgotten. Old men have died, young men 
 become old, children grown up. No king 
 now [refer to Lesson IX. See Note 1.] Six 
 Roman officers have governed Judaea since 
 then, all hated by the people as foreigners ; 
 the present one, Pontius Pilate, hated more 
 than all. How long, they ask, are they to 
 be subject to strangers ? — Shall not the 
 Messiah now come ? They hope and expect 
 — God will surely send them a great warrior, 
 who shall drive out their Gentile rulers, 
 and sit on Da\ad's throne. 
 
 Suddenly, a rumour in Jerusalem — people 
 ask one another about it — a strange man 
 has appeared in the wilderness of Judaea 
 [see Note 2] with the dress and appearance 
 of the prophets of olden time (2 Kings 
 i. 8 ; Zech. xiii. 4) and the rough fare of a 
 Nazarite (Matt. iii. 4 ; Luke i. 15 ; Numb, vi.) 
 [see Note 3] proclaiming that ' the kingdom 
 of heaven is at hand' [see Note 6]. The 
 people flock to see and hear him from all 
 parts. 
 
 Let us ask, what he came to do ? how he 
 did it ? what was the result ? 
 
 I. What was John the Baptist's mis- 
 sion? 
 
 Look at what the angel said to his father 
 when announcing his birth, Luke i. 13 — 17. 
 Look at what he said of himself, John i. 23. 
 Look at the prophecies to which the angel 
 and he referred, Isa. xl. 3, 4; Mai. iii. 1, 
 iv. 5, 6. When great king went on journey 
 in those days, could not go by railway or 
 turnpike-road ; so pioneers sent before him, 
 to make a road through the woods and 
 morasses and rocks, to make the rough, 
 narrow, winding paths smooth — wide — 
 straight. This just like what John had to 
 do. He was a pioneer, a forerunner. Who 
 ■was he to prepare the way for ? What was 
 
 it that wanted to be prepared ? — the hearts 
 of the Jews. Why? — were hard (proud 
 and selfish) — crooked (deceitful). 
 
 II. How DID he fulfil his mission ? 
 
 (1) Let us go with the crowd from Jeru- 
 salem — over Olivet — by the steep, wild, 
 rocky way 'down from Jerusalem to Jericho ' 
 (Luke X. 30) — into the hot Jordan valley 
 [see Note 2] — to the river bank near where 
 Israel crossed in Joshua's time. Look at 
 the multitudes (see Matt. iii. 5, 7 ; ver. 12, 
 14) ; people of all classes, fishermen from 
 Galilee, shepherds from ' beyond Jordan,' 
 vmedressers from Judaea, publicans from 
 Jericho and Capernaum, soldiers going to 
 the war against the King of Arabia, proud 
 Pharisees and scornful Sadducees from 
 Jerusalem [see Note 4] . In the midst is 
 John — what does he say ? Matt. iii. 2. 
 
 (2) Some think, why should they repent ? 
 if the King is coming, they are quite ready 
 to join him, and fight against the Romans 
 — what has that to do with repentance ? 
 But John tells them of their sins — of God's 
 anger ; and some begin to think that if 
 they were trees, and the woodman came 
 with his axe to cut down the fruitless trees, 
 they would have to fall (see ver. 9). So 
 they come, confessing their sins, asking 
 John how they shall mend their lives; and 
 what does he say ? Luke iii. 10 — 14. 
 
 (3) Then he takes them down into the 
 river, and pours water over them — as a 
 token of what? (a) That they are ready 
 to give up their sins, and receive the 
 coming King with ' humble, lowly, peni- 
 tent, and obedient hearts' ; {/>) that God is 
 ready to receive, pardon, cleanse them ; see 
 ver. 3 and Matt. iii. 6. 
 
 (4) Some turn away offended, Luke vii. 
 30^— why ? see ver. 8. They think they 
 are quite fit for Messiah's Kingdom, being 
 Abraham's children : it may be right for 
 Gentiles to be baptized when admitted into 
 covenant [see Note 5], and perhaps even 
 for Jewish ' publicans and sinners' ; but for 
 
28 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 them — no ! But what do all need to fit 
 them ? John iii. 3 ; and to get ihat, of what 
 use is Abraham's blood in the veins ? John i. 
 13 (' bovn, not of blood .... but of God'). 
 
 (5) But the people begin to think whether 
 John is not the Messiah himself. And then 
 he tells of the coming King, His greatness, 
 His heavenly baptism that should purify 
 the heart as well as cleanse the body, His 
 awful power to separate the bad from the 
 good; ver. 15 — 17. 
 
 III. What was the result of his 
 
 MISSION ? 
 
 John was verj^ popular, see Luke xx. 6. 
 But did he do his appointed work "? did he 
 ' prepare the waj' of the Lord' ? («) Where 
 did Jesus get His .first disciples ? John i. 
 35 — 42. {b) When John was murdered, 
 where did his followers go ? Matt. xiv. 12. 
 (c) To whom did Jesus appeal when de- 
 fending Himself ? John v. 32 — 35. {d) What 
 impression was made by John upon the 
 people who lived near the Jordan ? see 
 John X. 40 — 42. (c) When John's disciples 
 who had gone into distant lands afterwards 
 heard Christ's Gospel, how did they receive 
 it ? see Acts xviii. 24 — 28, xix. 1 — 6. 
 
 So the 'voice crying in the wilderness' 
 was heard long after, and far away. 
 
 is there any work like john the 
 Baptist's wanted now ? 
 
 Yes : the King is coming again — His way 
 to be prqjared — how ? — by whom ? [5ee 
 Collect for Third Sunday in Advent.] 
 
 But Christ comes now — every day — to men's 
 hearts. He ' knocks at the door,' Rev. iii. 
 20. Is the door often opened ? Men do 
 not care about Him. You. if told a way to 
 get on in the world, to become rich, woidd 
 listen eagerly- — would go and do as advised. 
 You are told of Friend and Saviour — don't 
 care. What is wanted ? 
 
 Bis Way must be prepai-ed. How ? How 
 did John pi-epare the Jews' hearts ? — told 
 them of their sins. Then some did, some 
 did not, welcome Christ — who did ? — those 
 who felt their sins and wanted a Saviour, 
 see Luke vii. 37, sv. 1, xix. 6, 7, xxiii. 41, 42. 
 How would a ship\\recked crew, a captive 
 in a dungeon, a condemned criminal, receive 
 a deliverer ? Why joyfully ? Because feel 
 misery and peril. So with us — when feel 
 sin, hearts hard as rough road will be soft, 
 hearts deceitful as crooked path will be 
 straight (sincere). 
 
 Who cnn .soften hearts — so prepare them 
 to tceicome Christ ? Ezek. xxxvi. 26. The 
 Holy Spirit reveals sin, John xvi. 8. 
 
 Notes. 
 
 1. Judrca had been a Roman province more 
 than twenty years when John the B.TiJtist ap- 
 peared. Herod's son and successor, Archelaus, 
 was deposed by the Emperor for his cruelties, 
 and banished to Gaul, and a 'procurator' was 
 appointed to govern tlie kingdom under the 
 ■ prefect' of Syria. Pontius Pilate was the sixth 
 of these procurators. On the lulers, &c., named 
 In Luke iii. 1, see Lesson VIII., Note 5. 
 
 2. The ' wilderness of Juda?a' is a term applied 
 to the strip of uninhabited country between the 
 'hill-country' of Hebron and Bethlehem and 
 the Dead Sea, consisting, in fact, of the wild 
 ravines which descend abruptly into the deep 
 hollow in which the lake lies, and of the pre- 
 cipitous rocks which divide them. The district 
 extends from opposite Jericho in the north to 
 Engedi in the south. John probably moved 
 northward as he preached ; as his first baptisms 
 seem to have taken place near the 'wilderness,' 
 and must have been at the ' lower fords' of the 
 Jordan opposite Jericho; while we find him 
 (John i. 28) a little later at Bethabara (or Be- 
 thany), probably the 'upper fords' where the 
 Jiibbok runs into the Jordan (comp. Judg. vii. 
 24) : and afterwards at yEnon near Salim (John 
 iii. 23), which has been identified still higher \\p 
 the stream towards Betlishan or Scythopolis. 
 
 3. Locusts are not an uncommon article of food 
 among the poor in the East, sometimes mixed 
 with flourand made into cakes, sometimes boiled 
 and eaten like shrimps, butter being added, and 
 sometimes fried or roasted. The Jlosaic law- 
 allowed them to be eaten. Lev. xi. 22. ' Wild 
 honey': comp. Deut. x.xxii. 13, Judg. xiv. 8, 1 Sam. 
 xiv. 25, Ps. Ixxxl. !(!. 
 
 4. The deep impression made by the appear- 
 ance of a man with the habits and in the garb of 
 prophets like Elijah, preaching with Elijah's 
 
 'spirit and power,'— and that, too, after a ])ro- 
 phetic silence of 400 years, since Slalaclii jirc- 
 dictcd the appearance of 'Elijah' before the 
 Lord's coming,— IS evident from the crowds that 
 descended into the Jordan valley from all parts 
 of the country ; and it must be remembered 
 that John did no miracle (John x. 41). It has 
 been calculated that it was a 'sabbatic year' 
 (Lev. XXV.), and as these years were now ob- 
 served with some strictness by the Jews, the 
 people would not be detained by their ordinary 
 avocations. According to Stanley and others, an 
 expedition was then passing down the 'Ghor' 
 (Jordan valley) from Damascus against Petra in 
 Idunia;a, the capital of Aretas, King of Arabia 
 Petra;a (2 Cor. xi. 32), and some of these troops 
 were doubtless the ' soldiers' of Luke iii. 14. 
 
 r,. It has been much disputed whether John's 
 b.Tiitism was a novelty. There seems, however, 
 little doubt that the rite had been used by the 
 Jews before this for the admission of Gentile 
 proselytes. The question of the priests and Le- 
 vites (John i. 2.1) clearly implies that they would 
 not think it strange for the Jlessiah or Elias to 
 baptize. 
 
 C. ' The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' This 
 exjiression is peculiar to Matthew. Elsewhere 
 the term is 'kingdom of God.' It must be under- 
 stood to mean the new dispensation ushered in 
 by the Advent of Messiah, which the Jews took 
 to be an earthly reign, but which was really ^ 
 spiritual one. 
 
 7. ' Prepare the tcati of the Lord,' iic. Dr. Thom- 
 son (Land and l/ie Jlook, p. 77) describes a similar 
 proclamation being issued prior to a journey of 
 the Sultan, when, literally, 'stones were gathered 
 out,' ' crooked places made straight,' a.nd ' rough 
 places level and smooth.' 
 
•SHE BAPTISM, FASTINO, AND TEMPTATION. 
 
 29 
 
 lesson XII.— Tlie Baptism, Fasting, and Temptation. 
 
 ' In all things it behoved Him to be made like unto His brethren.' 
 
 iJeacf— Matt. iii. 13—17, iv. 1—11 ; Learn— hake iii. 21, 22 ; Heb. ii. 17, 18. 
 {Hymns, IGO, 198, 311, 325, 357.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 This Lesson is not such a long one as the title would seem to imply ; but there are two 
 reasons for including so much : — (1) That the general truth taught by Christ's Baptism is 
 almost the same as that taught by th.e fact (at least) of His Fasting and Temptation, viz., 
 the truth expressed in the motto above ; (2) That by taking this time the outward circum- 
 etances of our Lord's sojourn in the wilderness, the way is left clear for a second full 
 lesson on the Temptation itself. 
 
 The application is intended to be brief, the design of the Lesson being chiefly to exhibit 
 Christ's love and condescension ; and the teacher who succeeds in doing this, but may have 
 no time to put the concluding questions, need not go away under a sense of failure. 
 These questions are partly suggested by the Collect for the First Sunday in Lent. With 
 junior classes, ihejirst tioo should be considered the most important. 
 
 The subject of Christian Baptism is not introduced, as it would be difficult to do so 
 appropriately, and it has already been referred to in Lessons VI. and X. 
 
 Sketch of Lesson. 
 
 In our last lesson we talked about John 
 the Baptist. What was the work he had to 
 do ? How did he do it ? What was the result ? 
 [Recapitulate. ~\ To-day see how John re- 
 ceived the King whose way he had prepared. 
 
 I. At the Jordan. 
 
 (1) Let us stand by the Jordan again. 
 John is there. He has been baptizing many 
 people — as a sign of what ? [?-e/er to last 
 Iesson.'\ Then comes One to be baptized, a 
 Galilean carpenter, looking like other men 
 — but who was He ? John recognises Him 
 as a relative (Luke i. 36), though he has 
 seen Him but little, th-eir lives having been 
 so different. Does he know Him to be the 
 Messiah, the Son of God? see John i. 31. 
 But he knows His pure, upright, gentle 
 character; he feels that even he himself, 
 the prophet of God, is unworthy to baptize 
 such a man ; and what does he say ? [See 
 Note 1.] 
 
 ( 2) Was John right to be surprised ? 
 What was his baptism the sign of? Did 
 Jesus need repentance and forgiveness ? 
 See 2 Cor. v. 21 ; Heb. vii. 26 ; 1 John iii. 5. 
 But He had come to take our sins upon 
 Him, to be ' numbered with the transgres- 
 sors ' ; whatever is ' right ' for them to do, 
 He also must do it all, and so ' fulfil all 
 righteousness.' And now in this, too. He 
 will be even as the rough soldiers and the 
 degi-aded publicans. 
 
 [lllust. — King and rebels — rebels come and 
 lay down arms bejore Ling — would innocent 
 man come tvith them ? — tvould not like to be 
 ' numbered with rebels.' — This Jesus did.] 
 
 (3) He steps down the bank into the 
 river. He ascends it again [see Note 2], 
 praying (Luke iii. 21). And now look ! 
 The heaven is cleft asunder [see Note 3J, 
 light streams down, there is a wondrous 
 
 form descending upon Him ; and then a 
 Voice from on high. Who were these 
 Three — the One speaking from heaven — 
 the One standing on the earth— the One 
 coming down from heaven to earth ? Dif- 
 ferent Persons — all divine — but not three 
 Gods — what do we call them ? 
 
 (4) See what that Voice said, (a) What 
 did it tell John ? That this cousin of his, 
 this plain mechanic of Nazareth, whose 
 beautiful and holy life he has marked 
 almost witli awe, is the very King Himself, 
 whose approach he has been proclaiming. 
 How does he know this ? and what else is 
 revealed to him ? John i. 33, 34:. (i) What 
 did it tell Jesus? That it was just when 
 He, the Sinless One, humbled Himself to be 
 baptized as a sinner, that the Father was so 
 ' well-pleased' (comp. Isa. liii. 10 ; Phil. 11. 
 8 — 10). What love and condescension 1 
 
 II. In the Wilderness. 
 
 (1) Jesus is now ' anointed with the Holy 
 Ghost' (Acts X. 38) — ready to come forth 
 before the peoi^le as their King and Pro- 
 phet. See 1 Sam. x. 1, xvi. 1, 12, 13 ; 1 Kings 
 xix. 16 ; Ps. Ixxxix. 20. We too must have 
 the Spirit — but why ? (Rom. viii. 7 — 9) — 
 He not like that, and yet He was, as a man, 
 iinder the guidance of the Spirit, just as we 
 have to be. But how different from us : we 
 resist and provoke the Spirit ; He was ' full 
 of the Holy Ghost' (Luke iv. 1, see John 
 iii. 34). But where does the Divine Guide 
 now take Him ? — to Jerusalem ? [Read 
 chap. iv. 1 — 11 ; Mark i. 12, 13; Luke iv. 
 1, 2.] Let us follow the Lord into the wil- 
 derness and watch Him. 
 
 (2) A wild, rocky, desolate country [see 
 Note 5]. Wild beasts prowl about, Mark 
 i. 13 [see Note 6], and men seldom pasi, 
 Jesus alone there. For foi-ty days He eats 
 
30 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 nothing, yet He feels it not, so wrapt is He 
 in prayer and thought (see Note 7). Who 
 else fasted like that ? Deut ix. 9 ; 1 Kings 
 xix. 8. And who else had a period of re- 
 tirement before beginning a public work ? 
 Exod. iii. 1 ; Luke i. 80 ; Gal. 1. 16—18. 
 So, again, Christ is willing to be just like 
 His servants. 
 
 (3) There is one watching Jesus, full of 
 dread and full of hatred. Satan has seen 
 the Naxavene workman who never sinned — 
 has heard that wondrous Voice from heaven 
 at the Jordan — knows this lonely wanderer 
 in the desert is the Redeemer promised 
 so many ages before in Eden (Gen. iii. 15) — 
 knows what He is come for, 1 John iii. 8. 
 He will try if even that Holy One can be 
 tempted, if even that Mighty One can be 
 conquered. 
 
 (4) The forty days are over. The pangs 
 of a six weeks' abstinence suddenly seize 
 upon Jesus. Now, at the moment of seem- 
 ing weakness, is the devil's opportunity. 
 How Satan tempted Jesus, and how Jesus 
 conquered Satan, we will see next Sunday. 
 But when the conflict was over, who 
 brought to Jesus the food for which His 
 human body fainted? Here, again, the 
 Master like the servants; comp. 1 Kings 
 xix. 5 ; Ps. Ixxviii. 25. 
 
 Thus we see the Son of God ' made in 
 all things like unto hls brethren.' 
 We have seen — 
 
 (a) Him who knew no sin, submitting to 
 the baptism of repentance, like the sinful 
 men around Him. 
 
 (b) Him who perfectlj' knew and loved 
 God's will, obeying the inward guiding of 
 the Holy Spirit, just as we, who cannot 
 otherwise do right, ought to do. 
 
 (c) Him to whom all the earth belongs, 
 patiently suffering for want of the com- 
 monest food. 
 
 ((/) Him who is the Lord of angels, con- 
 descending to be tempted by the prince of 
 the fallen angels, and to be tended by His 
 own unfallen angels. 
 
 Let us adore Bis luondrous love. AU this 
 was for us. 
 
 Let ii-s striae to be like Him who was con,' 
 tent to be like its. How ? 
 
 Do we confess sin, and seek cleansing ? 
 
 Do we pray to ' be filled with the Spirit,' 
 and obey His ' godly motions ' ? 
 
 Do we ' use such abstinence ' (from all 
 earthly indulgence) that ' our flesh may be 
 subdued to the Spirit ' ? 
 
 Do we bear patiently any suffering God 
 may send upon us ? 
 
 Do we stedfastly ' resist the devil ' ? 
 
 1. It has been much disputed whether John 
 had ever seen Jesus when He came to be bap- 
 tised; in other words, whether the 'I knew 
 him not' of John i. 31 refers to Christ's person 
 or to His Messiah-ship. Undoubtedly the vil- 
 lage carpenter and the wanderer in the desert 
 would not be intimate, and the media:val con- 
 ception of ' the Holy B'amily,' as we see It 
 embodied in pictures, is as groundless as many 
 other ideas of the period. Hut it seems impos- 
 sible that two Jews, relatives, should live so 
 long without even meeting at the yearly feasts, 
 from which we have no reason to suppose John 
 absented himself. And if John knew nothing of 
 Jesus, why did he shrink from baptizing Him? 
 He certainly did not know He was the Messiah : 
 upon this point John i. 32, 33 is decisive. His 
 reluctance must have sprung from his own 
 knowledge of the holy life of Jesus at Nazareth. 
 
 2. ' Went up strait/htioay out of the loaler.' The 
 word ' straightway,' or 'immediately,' seems to 
 indicate that Jesvis did not wait in the water to 
 receive tlie instructions which it is probable 
 John had adopted from the Jewish customs in 
 the baptism of proselytes (sec Luke iii. 10 H). 
 
 3. ' The heavens opened.' The word rendered 
 •opened' i:i St. Mark's account is a very striking 
 one, different from that used by Matthew and 
 Luke, and means literally 'cleft asunder' {Alfovd). 
 
 4. The Holy S|)irit descended, not only in the 
 mannr of a dove, but in the bodily shape of a 
 dove (Luke). Alford says, ' The modern ex- 
 planations of the " Hie a dove," as importing the 
 manner of coming down, belong to the vain 
 rationalistic attempt to reduce down that whicli 
 is miraculous.' The Descent of the Holy (ihost 
 was probably seen, and the Divine Voice heard, 
 only by Jesus iind John. 
 
 Notes. 
 
 5. The ' wilderness' named as the scene of the 
 Temptation is thought by some to have been the 
 desert of Sinai, where Moses and Elijah fasted, 
 but was more probably the same that John the 
 Baptist appeared in. (Lesson XI., Note 2.) An old 
 tradition points to a precipitous mountain just 
 above Jericho .as the ' exceeding high mountain,' 
 and it is called Quarantania, from the/oj7jr days. 
 
 6. 'With the wild beaxts.' The second Adam 
 is here represented with the dominion given to 
 the first Adam, but partly lost at the Kail. See 
 the apostolic exposition of Psalm viii. in Hcb. ii. 
 
 7. On our Lord's forty days' fast. Trench well 
 observes :— ' To bring in here His divine power, 
 or to suppose that He fasted otherwise than as a 
 man, is to rob the transaction of its whole 
 meaning. Upborne and upholden above the 
 common needs of the animal life by the great 
 tides of spiritual gladness, in the strength of 
 that recent Baptism, in the solemn joy of that 
 s.Tlutation and recognition from His Father, He 
 found and felt no need for all these forty days.' 
 
 And as no man can naturally subsist for so 
 long without food, the support of His bodily life 
 during that period was strictly miraculous. 
 
 The expression ' He afterward hungered ' proves 
 that the spirit so triumphed over the llesh that 
 Jesus did not feel hunger till after the forty 
 days. In John Iv. C-8, 31—34, we have a similar, 
 though slighter, incident of our Lord's life. In 
 a lesser degree, men have pas.sed through a 
 like experience, under intense feelings of joyous 
 or sorrowful excitement : it was so with Saul of 
 Tarsus, Acts Ix. 9. 
 
 8. Mark and Luke say that Satan also tempted 
 Christ during the forly days. Possibly only by 
 inward suggestion. Certainly ' </i« Teuiptatlou' 
 began afterwards. 
 
THE THREE TEMPTATIONS. 31 
 
 Lesson XIIL— The Three Temptations. 
 
 ' In all points teinpted like as ice are, yet icithout sin.^ 
 
 i?eacJ— Matt. iv. 1 — 11; Lenm — Heb. iv. 15; James iv. 7; Ps. xvii. 5. 
 (Hijmns, 154, 166, 1G9, 19-1, 375.) 
 
 To TBE Teacher. 
 
 The writer's design in the following Sketch has been to show as clearly as possible the 
 peculiar force of each temptation, and te lay stress upon the way in which each was met 
 by our Lord. Great condensation has been found necessaiy, and the teacher must give a 
 good deal of thought to the subject, if he would describe the conflict to his scholars as 
 one who understands its meaning himself. 
 
 The explanation in the Sketch of the difficult words, 'Man shaU not live,' &c., is but 
 a superficial one ; but their full significance (.'ee Note 0) could hardly be taught. 
 
 No attempt has been made to include in the Sketch any comparison of the three 
 temptations with those which meet children in their daUy life ; simply because any 
 illustrations that might be given would narroio the application, and appear to exclude all 
 that did not chance to be mentioned. The following hints, however, wUl give some idea 
 how the comparison may be made : — 
 
 (1) A child, when deprived of something it desired, murmurs and complains, and then 
 perhaps seeks it by unlawful means. Numberless childish sins are of this kind. And what 
 was the object of the first temptation, but to raise discontent in the mind of Jesus, and 
 lead Him to get for Himself what His Father had not given Him ? 
 
 (2) A child will go its own road, and have its own way, and often run into bodily 
 danger, saying, ' Oh ! it 's all right ! ' or 'I don't care ! ' This spirit, variously mani- 
 fested, appears in all children. And what is it but the same presumption into which the 
 second temptation was designed to drive our Lord ? 
 
 (3) A child will do a single (and apparently little) act of sin — it may be a lie, or an 
 ebullition of temper, or an act of disobedience, or an omission of duty — to get some 
 coveted object, lawful or unlawful. Was it not this that Christ recoiled from in the 
 third temptation ? 
 
 These are but meagre suggestions, but the whole subject is so full that pages might be 
 occupied with the thoughts which crowd upon the mind. Some further topics of studj- 
 will be found in Notes 1 and 2. Teachers of elder classes would do well to take some 
 opportunity of applying the subject to the familiar details of everj'-day life in a week-day 
 walk with any scholar to whom such a conversation would be especially useful. The 
 Lesson deserves more time than the ordinary teaching hour. 
 
 There is a veiy interesting chapter on the Temptation in Archbishop Trench's Studies 
 in the Gospels. Dr. Hanna, also, is excellent on this passage. 
 
 Sketch op Lesson. 
 
 To-day we are to look a little more at 
 the Temptation of Christ. Where did we 
 leave Him ? how long had He been there ? 
 At the end of the forty daj's what was 
 Jesus suffering from? [Iiecapitulate.~\ Now 
 Satan appears [see Lesson XII., Note 8] — 
 thinks a chance now — how does he begin ? 
 
 The First Temptation. 
 
 Satan reminds Jesus of the voice at His 
 baptism — ' Are you the Son of God ? Has 
 God left His Son to perish with hunger ? 
 Can He be your Father ? But if you are 
 the Son of God, you need not perish — you 
 have power — exert it ; if thou be the Son of 
 God, command that these stones be made 
 bread.' Does Jesus falter ? Does He doubt 
 the Father's love ? Will He work a miracle 
 for Himself ? He simply rejects the temp- 
 tation altogether. 
 
 Bvt how ? Does He argue with Satan 
 about His being the Son of God ? He leaves 
 that alone. He just takes His place as a 
 man. Weak sinful men were sustained bj'' 
 God without earthly food, not for forty 
 days, but for forty jears, see Deut. viii. 
 2 — 6 . He quotes God's very words to them , 
 and is content, like them and all other men, 
 to depend simply on the Father's bounty. 
 
 The Second Temptation. 
 
 The devil can do nothing with such simple 
 child-like trust — but, perhaps, by flattering 
 it, he may make it presumptuous. They 
 stand on the edge of a lofty tower on the 
 Temple wall. Down far below is the Valley 
 of Jehoshaphat — so far below that one 
 cannot look down for giddiness ["see Note 
 4] . Satan points down there — ' Shew how 
 much you trust your Father by throwing 
 
32 
 
 yourself over — fear not lest you fall — 
 you trust in the Father — remember how 
 the Scriptures you quoted speak of His 
 angels having charge of His children— ' (/" 
 thou be- the Son of God, cast thyself down.' 
 
 And why should He not ? Because this 
 is not God's appointed way of honouring 
 His Son. And Jesus \^ill shew men that to 
 expect God's blessing when they are not 
 walking in His appointed ways (see Ps, xci, 
 11), is to ' tempt God' — and whatever may 
 seem harmless, to do that is to sin, Deut. 
 vi. 16. 
 
 The Third Temptation. 
 
 Satan will make one last effort. Ever 
 since the Fall he has been the ' god and 
 prince of this world,' 2 Cor. iv. 4 ; John 
 xii. 31, xiv. 30, xvi. 11. He knows this 
 Galilean is really the Son of God, come to 
 claim His usui-ped throne. Can he get 
 Him to receive it from himself, and so ac- 
 knowledge his supremacy? Before those 
 eyes which had for thirty j'ears looked on 
 the familiar hills of Galilee he now dis- 
 plays the treasures and glory of his vast 
 empire — ' That shall be yours — only do me 
 homage.' 
 
 How could this be a temptation to the 
 holy Saviour? It offered— (1) that His 
 kingdom, which should put an end to all 
 the sin and misery that so pained Him, 
 should begin at once — (2) that He should 
 gain that kingdom without conflict and 
 suffering. But Jesus will not do evil that 
 good may come. (Comp. David, 1 Sam. 
 xxiv.) ' The cup that His Father has given 
 Him, shall He not drink it ?' John xviii. 11. 
 See Heb. ii. 9, 10; Phil. ii. 8—11 ; Isa. liii. 
 1 2. In hoi}' wrath He spurns the tempter 
 from His presence. 
 
 But how, again ? Not as the Son of God 
 who ought Himself to be worshipped — not 
 as having power over all and so power over 
 Satan ; no, but as a man, as one of us. He, 
 
 LESSONS OX THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 a man, must obey God's laws ; He, a loyal 
 subject, must worship none but God. 
 
 Satan leaves Him ' for a season.' "When 
 did he return ? Look how, with unwearied 
 subtlety, he afterwards employed priests, 
 and even an apostle, to assail Jesus, Matt, 
 xxvii. 40, xvi. 22, 23. Think, too, of His 
 own final attack in the Garden and on the 
 Cross, see John xiv. 30 ; Luke xxii. 53. 
 
 Why should the Son of God submit to all 
 this? \_Refer to motto of preceding lesson.~\ 
 
 Was not Satan a fearful adversary to con- 
 tend against ? The same adversary assails us 
 now. See Job i. 7 ; Luke xxii. 31 ; Eph. vi. 
 12 ; 1 Pet. V. 8. And with the same temp- 
 tations, sometimes to doubt God's love, 
 sometimes to ' tempt God,' sometimes to do 
 evil that good may come. [See Inirodttctory 
 Note.] What shall we do ? 
 
 1. Look to Christ for sympathy. See 
 Heb. ii. 18, iv. 15; Luke xxii. 31, 32. Are 
 we in the midst of ' those e^-^ls which the 
 craft and subtlety of the devil worketh 
 against us ' ? Let us ' cast our care upon 
 Him, for He careth for us.' 
 
 ' He knows what sore tempt.atious mean— 
 For He has I'elt the same.' 
 
 2. Look to Christ for example. How can 
 we copy Him? («) Resist the devil, Jas. 
 iv. 7 ; 1 Pet. v. 9. Watch against the first 
 suggestions even to seemingly little sins, 
 Ps. xxxix. 1 ; Matt. xxvi. 41 ; 1 Thess. v. 22. 
 Struggle against continuous and repeated 
 temptations, Eph. vi. 10—13; Heb. xii. 4; 
 Luke xxi. 36 ; 1 Cor. xvi. 13. (i) Use God's 
 Word as your weapon, and have it always 
 ready, Eph. vi. 17 ; Heb. iv. 12 ; Ps, x%'ii. 4, 
 xxxvii. 31, cxix. II. 
 
 3. Look to Chr-ist for strength. Satan is 
 stronger than we, but Christ is stronger 
 still. Do all in dependence on Him, 2 Cor. 
 xii. 9; Eph. vi. 16 ; with constant praj'ers 
 such as Ps. xvii. 5, xix. 13 ; Matt. vi. 13. 
 
 Notes. 
 
 1. The order of the three temptations is differ- 
 ently given by Matthew and Lulce. That of the 
 former is obviously correct as to time; Luke's is 
 the order in which temptation is usually classi- 
 fied iu the IJible ; see next Note. 
 
 2. The three temptations have a remarkable 
 correspondence with the threefold aiiurement 
 which beguiled Eve, with the threefold division 
 of temptation in 1 John ii. IG, and with our 
 <;ommon threefold e.vprcasion— ' the world, the 
 flesh, and the devil.' Thus: — 
 
 'Good for food'-'Tlie lust of the flesh '-The 
 flesli— 1st temptation. 
 
 ' Pleasant to the eyes'-' The lust of the eyes' 
 —The world— 2nd temptation (in Luke's order). 
 
 •To make one wise'— 'The pride of life'— The 
 devil -3rd temptation (in Luke's order). 
 
 There is scarcely any sin that we commit which 
 liiis not some point of likeness to one or other of 
 those to which the devil tciiipted Christ. 
 
 On the other hand, when the three tempta- 
 tions arc examiniHl closely, they seem— althoiigh 
 dllTerent in form, and different In the induce- 
 ments presented in each case— to be really and 
 
 essentially temptations to one and the same sin, 
 viz., self-icill; the meaning of which is that 
 the guilt of all sin, as against God, is that it is 
 a turning ' each one to his own way,' a refusal 
 simply to walk in God's way-in a word, dis- 
 obedience. 
 
 To illustrate this identity of the three tempta- 
 tions—which of the three was it that led Ananias 
 and Sapphira into sin? Certainly the A"''«'-for 
 they could not deny themselves the ordinary 
 means of subsistence, from want of faith in 
 God's over-ruling care. Certainly the Sff0«d— 
 for they 'tempted God,' as Peter told them; 
 and that by socking the favour of men, .lud 
 thinking to honour God and obtain His bles- 
 sing in a path contrary to His will. Certainly 
 the t/urd-ioT they thought to secure treasure to 
 themselves at the expense of just one little 
 unspoken falsehood. In short, they went ?/icir 
 oicn jrrtv, and found that 'there is a way that 
 scemcth right unto a man, but the end thereof 
 arc the ways of the death.' We have seen that 
 the temptation which beguiled Eve partook 
 of the nature of all three. Archbp. Thomson 
 
THE BAPTIST S TESTIMONY. 
 
 33 
 
 {Diet, of Bible, Art. 'Jesus Christ') says:— 'The 
 three temptations are addressed to the three 
 forms in which the disease of sin makes its 
 appearance on the soul— to the soiacc "' sense, 
 the love of praise, and the desire of gain, iiu^ 
 there is one element common to them all— they 
 are attempts to call up a wilful and wayward 
 spirit, in contrast to a patient self-denying one.' 
 Taking the temptations in their simpler and 
 more obvious aspect, we may illustrate the first 
 by Job, the second by Ananias and Sapphira, 
 the third by Judas Iscariot. In Numb. xiv. we 
 find the Israelites overtaken by the first and 
 second in succession, ver. 1 — 4, 40—45. Other 
 examples of 'tempting God' occur in Exod. 
 xvii. 2; Ps. Ixxviii. 18,56; Acts xv. 10. We may 
 contrast the tremendous bribe rejected by Jesus 
 on the mountain with the paltry bribes taken 
 by men. Josh. vii. 21 ; 2 Kings v. 23 ; Matt. xxvi. 
 15 ; Heb. xii. 16. 
 
 3. The whole narrative of the temptation un- 
 mistakably describes actual occurrences. But it 
 is probable that ' all the kingdoms of the world' 
 were seen by Jesus in a wondrous vision con- 
 jured up by the tempter. The narrative affords 
 decisive proof of the real personality of Satan. 
 He ' comes,' he ' says,' he ' takes,' he ' shows,' 
 he ' departs.' 
 
 4. The ' pinnacleof the Temple 'probably means 
 the Royal Porch or Cloister of Herod, a tower 
 built at the south-eastern angle of the Temple 
 wall, overhanging the valley of Jehoshaphat. 
 Josephus says that the height was so great as 
 to cause dizziness, and this, though long con- 
 sidered an exaggeration, has been fully borne 
 out by the researches of the Palestine Explora- 
 tion Fund. The tower seems to have been 240 
 leet high from the bottom of the wall, and the 
 wall crowned the top of the cliff of Moriah, 
 itself 200 feet high from the brook Kedron, so 
 that the whole height would exceed that of St. 
 Paul's Cathedral. 
 
 Some have thought that the temptation here 
 presented to our Lord was to display super- 
 natural power before the assembled worshippers 
 in the Temple courts ; but if so, then He could 
 lot have stood on what was strictly the ' pin- 
 nacle of the Temple,' and the height would be 
 comparatively trifling. 
 
 5. It is remarkable that the texts quoted by 
 our Lord were all from the section of the book 
 of Deuteronomy which was especially taught to 
 all Jewish children, and whicn, therefore, He 
 had Himself learned as a boy. Slier beautifully 
 says :— 'The Living Eternal Word vested Himself 
 in the written Word.' Satan obviously quoted 
 Scripture because Jesus evidently held it in such 
 reverence. From this we learn that the devil 
 can use texts when they suit his purpose ; and 
 from his omission of the words ' in all thy ways,' 
 that he can cunningly mis-quote them too. 
 Plumptrc observes, that the words might well 
 appeal' likely to lead astray one who had already 
 moved unhurt among the ' lion and adder,' the 
 'young lion and the dragon' (see Ps.xci.). 
 
 6. ' Man shall not live,' &c. The great lesson 
 learned by Israel in the wilderness was simple 
 obedience to God without fear of consequences. This 
 is spiritual life, a far higher life than the bodily • 
 and God takes care that those who seek the 
 former shall have the latter's wants provided. 
 Christ, tempted by Satan to think first of the 
 bodily life, quotes the words in which this great 
 principle is embodied. And, in Matt. vi. 33, 
 He calls on His people to live upon the same 
 principle. 
 
 7. Illustrations.—' You carry gunpowder about 
 with you. Oh, beware of sparks ! ' (Flavel.) 
 ' There was, no doubt, a moment when a pitcher 
 of water in the hands of a little child might 
 have quenched what became the Great Fire of 
 London.' (T7'ench.)—The strength of a chain is 
 virtually only that of its weakest link.— The 
 Pilgrim's Progress is full of illustrations of 
 
 i resistance to temptation. 
 
 Lesson XIV— Tlie Baptist's Testimony. 
 
 ' Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth' 
 
 iJead— John i. 19—37, iii. 26—36 ; Learn— 3o\m iii. 28—30 ; 2 Cor. iv, 5. 
 (Hymns, 61, 93, 102, 104, 120, 231 {v. 3, 4), 232.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 To bring the Baptist's testimony concerning Christ all together into one lessan, there 
 has been included in this Sketch what he said six weeks before the incidents of John i. 
 19—37, and also what he said at a later period, after our Lord's public ministry had 
 begun. The Lesson, therefore, is partly supplementary to that on ' The Forerunner,' 
 partly carries on the direct history, partly refers by anticipation to subsequent events. 
 
 As the subject itself is one which, although important, may at first sight look 
 uninteresting, an attempt is made in the Sketch to throw some attractiveness into the 
 method of teaching it. This is done in two ways : — 
 
 (1) By opening the Lesson with an illustration, which serves afterwards as a 'hinge' on 
 which to ' swing' both the recapitulation and the application, and which is therefore (to 
 change the figure) the key of the whole. The other illustrations suggested in the closing 
 paragraph, especially that of the lamp (a Scriptural one), will also be found useful. 
 
34 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LOBD. 
 
 (2) By introducing the same three points in John's testimony three times in different 
 parts of the Sketch. This will be seen by comparing the three groups of sentence* 
 marked (a) (b) (c), which correspond to one another in each case. If the teacher will but 
 give the experiment a fair trial, he will find that unity is an attractive feature in any 
 lesson. A chain of connected links is more easily can-ied than the same quantity of metal 
 in loose fragments. 
 
 Teachers of junior classes may have to omit portions of the second division (' How the 
 Testimony was received '), but, if they use simple language, they can easily teach the 
 first (' The Testimony'). 
 
 It is not intended that the important passage, John iii. 26—36, should be read through. 
 In doing so, it would be necessary to explain it in detail, which would be impossible in 
 this Lesson. Only such verses should be referred to as as are wanted. 
 
 Teachers of senior classes should seize the opportunity, afforded by the application 
 suggested, to urge the necessity of a fearless ' witness ' for Christ in workshops, &c. ; and 
 this not only respecting the claims of religion generally, but especially respecting those 
 great truths which formed the burden of John's testimony, and which our young people 
 will find to be ' everywhere spoken against.' 
 
 Sketoh of Lesson. 
 
 ' there standeth one among you ' — unknown 
 — unnoticed among the people (see John i. 
 10) — 'this is He.' (Where had Jesus been 
 since John last saw Him ? ) 
 
 {b) As the Lamb of God—{ver. 29)— the 
 true Lamb, typified by the passover lamb, 
 
 We must now go back to John the Bap- 
 tist. We saw, three Sundays ago, how 
 plainly he told the Jews he was not the 
 coming King, but only sent to prepare the 
 way for Him. Let us see what He said — 
 his 'testimony' — about that King. 
 
 Testimony — what is that? [Illustrate by 
 witnesses in laio coiirts, tJ'c.J We ai-e all 
 witnesses — give testimony every day — i. e., 
 tell what have seen and heard. Is our tes- 
 timony always true ? Often tempted not to 
 tell right, when we have to say what will 
 be disliked, disbelieved, laughed at, &c. ; or, 
 what will make others think less of us 
 (c. g., boy having to tell of schoolfellow 
 better or cleverer than himself). [Illus- 
 tr ate further. '\ 
 
 Now see how John gave his ' testimony,' 
 and what came of it. 
 
 I. The Testimony. 
 
 (1) What was it He said at the first ? Look 
 at Matt. iii. 11, 12; Mark i. 7, 8 ; Luke iii. 
 16, 17. The coming One was to be greater 
 than John, so much greater that John 
 would feel unfit even to be His slave [see 
 Note 2] — was to baptize, and that not 
 merely with water, as a token of repent- 
 ance, but inwardly, bj^ gi'V'ing the Holy 
 Spirit to come into men's hearts and cleanse 
 them through and through as metals are 
 purifie ^ by fire ; — was to be like a farmer 
 winnow .'ng corn : and what should happen 
 to the t'laff, to tlic worthless in His sight ? 
 — what to the pure and wholesome grain ? 
 
 (2) But, now John speaks still more 
 clearly — that coming One has appeared — he 
 knows Him now — he has seen Him — when ? 
 — what had he seen at the same time? — 
 how had he known what that wondrous 
 eight meant? Matt. iii. 16, 17; John i. 
 32, 33. [Refer to Lesson AVAl Six weeks 
 hava passed since then ; and now there 
 comes to John a solemn deputation from 
 Jerusalem to inquire who he is. [Rend 
 ver. 19 — 28.] How docs John answer? 
 how does he now speak of the King ? 
 
 (a) As One already come — (ver. 26) — 
 
 prophesied of as ' led to the slaughter,' see 
 Exod. xii. 1 — 13 ; Isa. liii. 7 ; Acts viii. 32 j 
 1 Cor. V. 7 ; Rev. xiii. 8. [See Note 4.] 
 
 (c) As the Son of God — (ver. 34) — no mere 
 man, fallen and weak, but One almighty 
 and all-sufiBcient. See Heb. vii. 25 — 27. 
 
 II. How THE Testimony was re- 
 ceived. 
 
 (1) Did the priests and Levites believe 
 all this? They do not even inquire for 
 this ' One standing among them ' ; and see 
 what Jesus said to them afterwards (John 
 V. 33, 38, 40, 43). Just so it was thirty 
 years before, when the Magi at Jerusalem. 
 But can we see tvhy they did not believe 
 John ? They would think (a) how could 
 Messiah be ' standing among them ' and 
 they not know it ? how could this rough 
 preacher know better than they ? (b) How 
 could Messiah be like a lamb ? He might 
 indeed get rid of the world's sin by slaying 
 those wicked Gentiles, but that would not 
 be lamb-like, (c) How could an unnoticed 
 person in the crowd be the ' Son of God ' ? 
 
 (2) But there were some who did believe. 
 Here are two fishermen from Galilee : they 
 had come to hear John — had been con- 
 vinced of their sins— had confessed them — 
 had been baptized ; and then had not gone 
 home again, but sta)-ed with John. And 
 now he has told them just what they 
 want — (b) of One who can take away the 
 guilt of those sins they have confessed — 
 who will ' bear their iniquities ' — as they 
 have often read in Isaiah's prophecy should 
 be done by One who would be ' led as a 
 lamb to the slaughter' (Isa. liii.); — (a) of 
 One too who, being one of themselves, 
 could understand them ; — (r) .and yet the 
 Son of God, able to 'save them to the 
 uttermost.' They did not understand all 
 
THE FIRST DISCIPLES. 
 
 35 
 
 this clearly, as we do ; but when John again 
 pointed out to them the ' Lamb of God ' 
 (ver. 36), what did they do ? 
 
 (3) Is John jealous of his followers leav- 
 ing him to go after some one else? He 
 ' has yet more to bear in this way. Jesus, 
 after a little while, comes forward publicly, 
 teaching and baptizing, like John, and 
 doing what John had not done — what? 
 (chap. ii. 23, x. 41.) What is the conse- 
 quence? (chap. iii. 26, iv. 1.) How does 
 John like the people being drawn away 
 from him ? Look at chap. iii. 28 — 31 ; he 
 knows he is not the bridegroom — content 
 to be the bridegroom's friend, to bring the 
 bridegroom (Christ) and the bride (Hia 
 peoj>h) together — his heart full, not of 
 jealousy, but of joy. And see what he 
 says about Jesus, more solemn than any- 
 thing he has said before, ver. 3G. 
 
 See what a good ' witness ' John was. 
 [Rejer to opening illustration.] Did he tell 
 what was true ? (iii. 32) ; where did he 
 learn what he told ? (i. 33). Did he take 
 care to say nothing but what the Jews 
 would like? Did his testimony exalt or 
 lower himself ? When Jesus became greater 
 than he was, how did he like it ? \^Reca- 
 pitulate.~\ 
 
 Notes, 
 
 Are there any Witnesses like John 
 THE Baptist now? 
 
 1. Witnesses (ministers, teachers, Bibles, 
 good books) come and tell you the very 
 same things : (n) Jesus one of us — a man ; 
 (J)) Jesus the Lamb slain for sinners ; (c) 
 Jesus the Son of God. How do we receive 
 this ' testimony ' ? — like the Jews, ' making 
 God a liar ' (see 1 John v. 10) — or like the 
 two fishermen, ' setting our seal to it [as 
 to an agreement] that God is true ' ? (see 
 John iii. 33). 
 
 2, You ought to be witnesses too. What 
 do we light lamps for? — just to burn the 
 gas or oil ? — what for ? Look at Matt. v. 
 15, 16 — what does Christ want His people 
 to be like ? and see what He called John 
 the Baptist, John v. 35. Comp. Phil. ii. 15. 
 [ Other illustrations : — Passing on good 
 news ; Handing buckets of water on from 
 one to another at afire.] Let us say, with 
 Peter (Acts iv. 20), ' We cannot but speak 
 the things which we have seen and heard.' 
 And if we 'testify' about Christ, what 
 should it lead others to do? — what did 
 John's words lead his disciples to do ? Let 
 the text for repetition (2 Cor, iv. 5) be true 
 of us all. 
 
 1. ' Why baptizest thou, then, if thou be not; &c. 
 Lightfoot shows from the Rabbinical writings 
 that the Jews expected Elias to introduce a 
 general baptism or purification of the nation 
 (from Ezeli. xxxvi. 25, 26, Zech. xiii. 1), when he 
 should appear (according to Mai. iv. 5) to prepare 
 for Messiah's coming. 
 
 2. ' Slice's Jatchet; the lace or thong by which 
 the sandal was fastened. Tying, untying, and 
 carrying the sandals was a slave's duty. 
 
 3. Did the Baptist speak the words of John 1. 
 29—34 to his own disciples only, or to the people 
 present, or to the deputation from Jerusalem ? 
 The latter appears the natural sense of the 
 passage ; and our Lord seems to refer to the 
 testimony then given in His defence before the 
 Jewish rulers, John v. 32, 33. 
 
 4. ' The Lamb of God, which taketh away,' &c. 
 Kitto observes, that the prophetic figure may 
 have been suggested to the Baptist's mind 
 by the sight of flocks of lambs being driven 
 from the pasturages of Peroea, across the fords of 
 the Jordan, to Jerusalem, for use at the ap- 
 proaching Passover (John ii. 13) ; and that he 
 would say, as it were, ' These are but types- 
 
 behold the true Lamb,' &c. Alford refers the 
 words to the great Messianic prophecy of Isa. liii. 
 Plumptre suggests that John may have observed 
 upon our Lord's face the traces of His severe 
 privations and conflicts in the wilderness, from 
 which He had just returned ; and that thus 
 Isaiah's prophecy would occur to his mind— the 
 ' visage marred more than any man '— ' a man of 
 sorrows'— ' wounded for our transgressions'— 
 'brought as a lamb to the slaughter.' The 
 Greek word 'taketh away' is used in the Sep- 
 tuagint version to express the idea of bearing 
 guilt in Exod. xxviii. 38 ; Lev. v. 1 ; Ezek. xviii. 20. 
 
 These words must have sunk deep into the 
 heart of his disciple John (the Evangelist), as 
 our Lord is frequently spoken of as a Lamb in 
 his writings (thirty times in the Book of Reve- 
 lation), and nowhere else in the New Teptament. 
 
 .5. The idea of 'testifying,' 'bearing witness,' 
 &c., is very prominent in the New Testament. 
 ^The word ixaprvpCa (testimony) and its cognates 
 occur 152 times. Of these 31 are found in our 
 Lord's recorded teaching (26 in St. John, and 6 
 in the other Gospels), and 58 in the language of 
 St. John himseli.'— {Plumptre.) 
 
 Lesson XY— The First Disciples. 
 
 ' Not many wise men, not many mighty, not many noble.' 
 Read-John i. 37-M ; Lear«-John xvii. 8 ; 1 Cor. i. 26, 27. {Hymns, 19, 120, 123, 829, 331.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 The passage from which this Lesson is taken is peculiarly rich in excellent points of 
 practical application. Some of these are suggested in the questions in the last para^aph 
 but one of the Sketch; but they can be introduced incidentally m the course of the 
 
30 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 exposition, if preferred (such a running applicatioa is permissible in this Lesson, though 
 not in most others) ; or they can be altogether omitted. In any case they must, however 
 attractive, be considered subordinate to the main subject, which is — in a Course Uke the 
 present — not the characters of Andrew, Philip, <ii:c., but, more generally, the /bunding of 
 the Christian Church. The chief application, therefore, is — (1) Are we true members of 
 the Church, ' Israelites indeed ' ? (2) Christ, who knew Peter and Nathanael so well, 
 knows whether we are so or no. 
 
 In using the illustration of the river, a particular river known to the children should be 
 referred to if possible. Other illustrations might be used instead of this one, e.g., the 
 oak-tree springing from the acorn, or the building rising stone by stone (a very appro- 
 priate symbol of the Church). The illustration of the eye must be used cautiously : 
 children should learn that the thought of Christ's omniscience is not necessarily a terrible 
 one — to the Christian it is a cause of thankfulness and hope, like the watching eye of the 
 mother, which gives confidence to the child when attempting to do something difficult 
 for the first time. 
 
 If the teacher is not careful, this passage will be a source of confusion to the scholars : 
 they will not distinguish between John the Baptist and John the Evangelist. 
 
 Our Lord's intei-view with Nathanael is full of interesting points, and would by itself 
 make an attractive lesson for an elder class ; but on this occasion, and especially with 
 junior classes, it cannot receive much attention. For the teacher's information, however, 
 Notes 5 to 10, on this subject, have been added. 
 
 There is a good chapter on this passage in Trench's Studies in the Gospels. 
 Sketch op Lesson. 
 
 Jesus is again at the bank of the Jordan 
 — consecrated by His baptism, strengthened 
 (Heb. V. 8) by His endurance of the days 
 of Fastmg and His victory in the Tempta- 
 
 tion, endued with the Holy Spirit ' without 
 measure,' — His public ministry on earth 
 must now begin. How will He set about it ? 
 Will Hs present Himself before the rulers 
 at Jerusalem — work mighty miracles to 
 shew who He is ? No — wUl begin quietly 
 — His first followers not to be great folk. 
 What does to-day's text say ? now see how 
 true it is. 
 
 Have you seen a great river ?— broad and 
 deep— bridges across — steamers, &c. on it — 
 could you count the drops of water? 
 Church of Christ like that — multitudes wor- 
 shipping every Sunday all over the world — 
 could you count them? But go where 
 river begins— little bubbling spring — how 
 wonderful to think that becomes the great 
 river. Can we go to beginning of Church ? 
 See it to-day— see the first Jive members. 
 
 1. John and Andrew. [Read ver. 35—40.] 
 Last Sunday wo saw how Jesus was pointed 
 out to two Galilean fishermen. Who were 
 they? [See Note 1.] What did the Baptist 
 tell them of Him ? Let us follow them as 
 with eager steps they go after Jesus. How 
 kindly He speaks to them ! Why do they 
 want to go home with Him ? Would a few 
 minutes be enough for them? They are 
 sinners seeking a Saviour — long to know 
 more of Him. And that very evening [see 
 Note 2J tliey are persuaded that this hum- 
 ble workman from Nazareth is, indeed, the 
 promised King. {See ver. 41 .) Persuaded by 
 •what ? by miracles ? His blessed words are 
 enough ; see John v\. 08, \ii. 4(5. 
 
 2. Simon Peter. [Read ver. 41, 42.] They 
 cannot keep the glad tidkiga to theniselveii. 
 
 [Refer to illustrations in jjreceding Lesson.'] 
 If you had good news, to whom would you 
 tell it first ? John and Andrew have bro- 
 thers — Andrew's is close by. Quickly he is 
 brought to Jesus. What is his name ? But 
 Jesus greets him with a new name — not, 
 indeed, to be his j'et — ' thou shalt be called' 
 [comp. ^ thou ai%' in Matt. xvi. 18] — why 
 not ? Simon is full of love and ardour, but 
 unsteady, easily moved this way and that 
 — so not like a ' stone.' But should grow 
 to be firm and stedfast — being with Jesus, 
 should become like Jesus (see Heb. xiii. 8 ; 
 1 Pet. ii. 4—6 ; 1 Cor. iii. 11), and be fit to 
 be a 'foundation-stone' (see Eph. ii. 20; 
 Gal. ii. 9; Matt. xvi. 18) of the Church 
 that day founded. 
 
 3. Fhilij). [Read ver. 43, 44.] The next 
 day a fourth disciple joins the band, not of 
 his own accord (like John and Andrew), 
 not inWted by a brother (like Simon)— how 
 then? Does he hesitate to 'follow' the 
 quiet Nazarene ? When he comes to Jesus, 
 whom does he meet besides ? are they 
 strangers to him ? ver. 44. 
 
 4. Nathanael. [Read ver. 45—51.] Philip 
 has a friend — must bring him to Jesus. 
 No doubt the two have often talked toge- 
 ther about the promises ' which Moses in 
 the Law and the Prophets did write,' 
 (ver. 43) — perhaps Nathanael is thinking 
 about them when Philiji comes in. Start- 
 ling news—' We have found Him ! ' Whom ? 
 where ? from Nazareth ? imiiossible ! How 
 wisely Philip answers ! not angrily, not 
 arguing, but quietly waiting — by-and-bye 
 Nathanael will agree with him. 
 
 Jesus sees the doubter coming — is not 
 angry — knows how many Jews are un- 
 worthy of their name (see Rom. ix. (5 ; Rev. 
 iii. 9)— kuows this man is one of the ' Israel 
 
THE FIRST DISCIPLES. 
 
 37 
 
 Of God ' (Gal. vi. 16 ; Rom. ii. 28, 29). He 
 who had predicted Simon's stedfastness, 
 now proclaims Nathanael's sincerity. 
 
 Think of Nathanael's amazement — what 
 at? (1) at hearing a stranger describe his 
 character, ver. 47 ; (2) at finding that the 
 stranger's eye has watched his movements, 
 ver. 48 (comp. John iv. 17, 18, v. 14). He 
 feels as David did, Ps. cxsxix. 1 — 3; his 
 whole heart bows in adoration ; he, the 
 ' Israelite indeed,' acknowledges this Naza- 
 rene as the Divine King of IsraeV ; called 
 to see the ' sow of Joseph,' he beholds the 
 ' Son oj God.' 
 
 See how Jesus rewards the faith of the 
 'Israelite indeed,' ver. 51 — wondrous pro- 
 mise ! His ancestor (the man whom God 
 named 'IsraeV) saw a vision — what was it? 
 But he shall see the true ' ladder,' the true 
 ' way ' by which to mount to heaven, and 
 that ' way ' the very Man [note the ex- 
 pression '(Sow of Man '] whom he has just 
 confessed as the Son of God. [See Notes 
 7, 9, 10.] 
 
 These were the first Disciples, the 
 firstmembers of the Christian Church. What 
 a small beginning ! [Refer to iUmtration of 
 river, above.] Think what the Church has 
 grown to now. And it is still extending — 
 missionaries on the Ganges and the Niger 
 just continuing what Jesus Himself began 
 on the Jordan. 
 
 To this Church we belong, born in a 
 
 Christian country — dedicated to Christ in 
 Baptism. But, as there were Israelites in 
 name only, and ' Israelites indeed,' so now 
 not all who belong to the Church are true 
 disciples. 
 
 Are we true Disciples of Christ ? 
 
 See if we are like those we have now read 
 of. Do we, like John and Andrew, come 
 to the ' Lamb of God ' ? Do we seek to be 
 like Simon, stones in the great building of 
 the Church ? ("Who can make us so ? Eph. 
 ii. 22.) Do we, like Philip, obey Christ's 
 call ? Do we, like Andrew and Philip, seek 
 to bring others to Christ ? (Especially those 
 at home ; Peter's after-life shews what a 
 brother's word can do.) Do we, like Na- 
 thanael, confess Christ as our King ? 
 
 Remember that Christ knows DS — 
 knows the true answer to these questions. 
 He who knew the characters of Peter and 
 Nathanael knows ours. See Matt. ix. 4, 
 xii. 25 ; Luke vi. 8 ; John ii. 24, 25 ; Rev. 
 ii. 23. [Illustration: — French general con- 
 fined in dungeon — in the wall a small hole — 
 through it a sentinel watched him perpe- 
 tually. The thought of that eye ever on him 
 most oppressive of all sufferings.] What does 
 He see in us ?— ' No guile ' ? [See Note 6.] 
 This is what He looks for, Ps. Ii. 6, comp. 
 Ps. xxxii. 2; 1 Pet. ii. 1. Can we adopf 
 Peter's words, John xxi. 17 ? Pray — ' Al 
 mighty God, unto whom all hearts are 
 open,' &c. 
 
 Notes. 
 
 1. There can be little doubt that Andrew's 
 companion in following our Lord was Jehu the 
 Evangelist himself, as throughout his Gospel 
 he never mentions himself by name, but uses 
 such expressions as 'that other disciple,' &c. 
 Between chapters i. 19, and ii. 11, we have the 
 incidents of (apparently) seven successive days 
 narrated almost as in a diary. To St. John 
 these must have been memorable days ; and, 
 with a recollection quickened by the Divine 
 Spirit, he was able to record exact hours and 
 exact words more than forty years afterwards. 
 
 2. ' The tenth hour.'~By the Jewish mode of 
 reckoning, which is probably intended, this 
 would answer to our four P.M. Some suppose 
 that the modern method of reckoning, which 
 would make it ten A.M., was common among 
 the Romans, and that St. John, writing after 
 the fall of Jerusalem, adopts it; and refer also 
 to chap. iv. 6, 52, xix. 14. Others think these 
 passages confirm the common view. 
 
 3. Cephas is the Aramaic (the vernacular Heb- 
 rew at the time), Peter the Greek, for ' stone.' 
 
 4. Philip seems to have been a type of those 
 who simply believe the Gospel without being 
 troubled with objections which occur to others ; 
 and even when these are suggested to them, 
 their faith is not affected by their own inability 
 to answer them. They reply to the objector, 
 as Philip did to Xathanael, ' Come and see.' 
 
 5. Nathanael is generally supposed to be the 
 same as Bartholomew the Apostle, on the 
 following grounds :—(l) In three out of four 
 lists of the twelve, Bartholomew is coupled 
 with Philip, who brought Nathanael to Jesus. 
 
 (2) Bartholomew is never named by John; 
 Nathanael never by the other Evangelists. 
 
 (3) Nathanael appears as a companion of the 
 Apostles after Christ's Resurrection. 
 
 Bartholomew means 'the son of Tolmai,' and 
 would probably, therefore, not be a personal 
 n.ame. Nathanael means ' gift of God,' and is, 
 therefore, the same name as our 'Theodore.' 
 
 6. ' Jri whojn is no guile' does not, of course, 
 mean without guilt; but that Nathanael's cha- 
 racter was sincere, transparent, 5'«iVe-tos. There 
 could not be a better illustration of it than the 
 simplicity with which he said, ' How kuowest 
 Thou me?'— in entire unconsciousness that he 
 was virtually praising himself. 
 
 7. Nathanael's confession was a very remark- 
 able one, and should be compared with Peter's, 
 Matt. xvi. 16 ; Martha's, John xi 27 ; and 
 Thomas's, John xx. 28, all which were made 
 much later. That the coming' King of Ifracl' 
 should be the ' Son of God ' he would learn 
 from Ps. ii., yet how little this was understood 
 by the Jews we see from John v. 18, x. 30-3!). 
 
 8. ' Verily, verily.'— The original is ' Amen, 
 Amen.' This repetition of the word only occurs 
 in those of our Lord's discourses given by John. 
 It always introduces a statement of solemn 
 importance, and comes fitly from Him who is 
 the ' Amen,' Rev. iii. 14. 
 
 9. ' Hereafter ye shall see,' &e.— Most expositors 
 see in these words a reference to Jacob's ladder, 
 and interpret them spiritually, as meaning th.at 
 Christ is the true ladder between heaven and 
 earth, His divinity attaching Him to heaven, 
 His humanity to earth; through or 'upon' 
 
38 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 whom alone can the angels descend and ascend 
 in their 'ministering' errands (Ueb. i. 14) be- 
 tween a holy God and sinful men. 
 
 The following striking explanation is sug- 
 gested by Mr. G. VVariugton -.—.Jacob's vision was 
 given him at a time when his position as the 
 chosen ' seed ' seemed most doubtful, the fullil- 
 mcnt of God's promise most unlikely. He was 
 an exile, hated and threatened by his brother. 
 The vision assured him of God's care of him, 
 and the certainty of the promise. The hosts of 
 heaven were on his side: what need he fear 
 from men's opposition? Je.'ius had just been 
 acknowledged as the Messiah, the promised 
 King, the Head of the true Israel. But His 
 brethren after the flesh would, as a whole, reject 
 and desire to kill Him. How would the dis- 
 ciples' faith stand this? The same comfort and 
 support which Jacob had had, they should have 
 also. They should have visible proof that heaveti 
 was on His side, even when things were at their 
 worst. Every miracle, every heavenly voice, 
 every vision of angelic attendants, would come 
 
 under this promise; heaven was 'open 'to them, 
 and they could see on which side God was : 
 ' angels were ascending and descending upon the 
 Son of Man' ; He was their care, because their 
 Master. 
 
 10. It is remarkable that Jesus should use the 
 name by which He usually spoke of Himself— 
 ' Son of Man'— for the first time just when He 
 was hailed as the ' Son of God ' ; as He did also at 
 His trial, Slatt. xxvi. 64. The expression occurs 
 eighty-eight times in the Gospels, and always 
 used by Christ Himself. We only find it in 
 three other places, Acts vii. Sfi, Rev. i. 13, xiv. 14, 
 all of which are significant of the Manhood in 
 heaven. Our Lord no doubt employed it with 
 special reference to the great prophecy of 
 Dan. vii. It was as Son of Man that Christ 
 claimed power to forgive sins, tu be lord of the 
 Sabbath, and to execute judgment, Mark ii. 10, 
 28; John V. 27; Matt. xxv. 31. 
 
 11. On ' Can any good thing come out of Naza- 
 reth ? ' see Notes to Lessons IV. & IX. 
 
 Losson XYL— Tlie First Miracle. 
 
 ' The Son of Man is come eating and drinking.' 
 
 Read— John ii. 1—11 ; Learn— John ii. 11 ; Phil. iv. 19; Eph, iii. 20. 
 {Hymns, 41, 96, 150, 279, 289, 322.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 Our Lord's first miracle was one of great importance, as indicating the nature of His 
 religion. ' The Son of Man,' unlike the Baptist, ' came eatmg and drinking,' to shew that 
 Christianity was not for the cloister, but for everyday life. Coming close upon the stem 
 preaching of John, the fact that our Lord mingled in the common scenes of social inter- 
 course must have greatly impressed His disciples, and we know that it was subsequently 
 a cause of accusation against Him. 
 
 It is in this light, therefore, that we should view this narrative ; and in actual teaching 
 we shall find the lesson much enhanced in interest by the thought of the surprise which 
 the disciples must have felt, first at Jesus attending the feast, and still more at His using 
 His miraculous power for such a purpose ; while the practical lessons flowmg from these 
 points are very important and u.seful. 
 
 With a subject in which picturing will occupy so prominent a place, illustrations are 
 superfluous, except with regard to the ' manifesting ' of Christ's ' glory,' and the one given 
 below for this will suggest others if they are wanted. In the application, however, the 
 teacher cannot refer too familiarly, or in too great detail, to the daily lives of the scholars, 
 to shew how Christ can be with them everywhere, and how His being with them will make 
 them happier. The way of doing this will vary with the ages and circumstances of the 
 scholars : thus, in the first paragraph of the appUcation below, while ' home ' and 
 'streets' apply to all, the other places named do not. The following illustrates what is 
 meant by Christ turning our ' water ' into ' wine ' : — An ordinary school-boy sets about a 
 long-division sum in a spirit of discontent at having such a task, and throws it aside when 
 done with a gasp of relief. At the best, it is ' something that has got to be done,' and 
 the sooner it is done the better. But the Christian boy goes to it with a light heart, sees 
 in it something his Father has given him to do, feels it is for the time 'his Father's 
 business,' and takes a pleasure in it. Few boys feel this, it is true, but how happy those 
 who do ! 
 
 The junior class teacher will confine himself to picturing the narrative, to the section 
 (a) of the third division, and to such parts of the application as flow naturally from this 
 section. 
 
THE FIRST MIRACLE. 
 
 39 
 
 Sketch of 
 
 Let lis go back to Nazareth to-day, to 
 the quiet home where Jesiis lived so long. 
 He is not there— been absent two months 
 —went away, like so many others, to go 
 down to the Jordan, to be baptized by the 
 great preacher there. Two months have 
 passed— Jesus not come back— what must 
 Mary think ? 
 
 At last He comes— but not alone— who 
 with Him?— how many? [refer to last 
 Lesson] — why with Him?— what do they 
 think of Him? chap. i. 37, 41, 45, 49. 
 Think of Mary's joy and expectation ; what 
 •words would ' come back to her mind ? 
 Luke i. 32, 33 ; how eagerly she must look 
 for what He will do now ! 
 
 I. Where Jesus went — to a marriage 
 feast. [Read ver. 1—5.] 
 
 A wedding in the family [see Note 2] — 
 at Cana, a few miles off [see Note 1] — Mary 
 there. Now Jesus come home, is asked 
 too — and His new friends — one of them 
 (perhaps) no stranger (see chap. xxi. 2). 
 
 But wOl they go to a feast ? John the 
 Baptist never did — very strict— lived alone 
 
 what did he teach his followers? (Luke v. 
 
 33, vii. 33) — will not the new prophet be 
 like him ? What does Jesus do ? Andrew 
 and the rest follow, but how they must 
 wonder ! 
 
 The bridal party assembled— not rich 
 people— cannot afford much wine — it is 
 nearly all gone— what shall they do? 
 Mary sees it— a thought strikes her— might 
 not Jesrxs help them? Elisha had multi- 
 plied oil and bread (2 Kings iv. 1—7, 42— 
 44)_would the promised King have less 
 power? See the answer of Jesus— how- 
 gentle [see Note 3]— yet a rebrike- the 
 time for being ' subject ' is past— He is now 
 to act by Himself— yet not by Himself 
 either— must be ' about His Father's busi- 
 ness' [refer to iessow A'.]— do everythmg 
 just when the Father appoints— Mo< is 
 ' His hour ' [see Note 4] . But He says only 
 'not ijet,' so Mary waits, and prepares the 
 servants. 
 
 II. What Jesus -dit)— turned common 
 wafer into costly wine [Rend ver. 6—10]. 
 
 The feast goes on ; the wine is exhausted. 
 No, the servants are taking some to the 
 'ruler' [see Note 2]. He tastes it— what 
 sort does he expect to find it ?— but what 
 is it? ver. 10— how is that? The bride- 
 groom knows not— thought all gone— 
 where can it be from ?— out of those great 
 jars [see Note 5] ?— but they are water- 
 jars— were full of water just now. Yes, 
 but now all full of wine— the very best- 
 enough to supply the family for months ! 
 Soil) was it ? 
 
 Think of the feelings of the party, the 
 bridegroom's gratitude, the guests' amaze- 
 ment, Mary's joy- she never looked for 
 this ! 
 
 But what did John and Andrew think ? 
 Strange enough that Jesus should have 
 
 Lesson. 
 
 gone at all— but what has He done now ? 
 The Baptist never even tasted wine (Luke 
 i. 15), and taught them to fast often. He 
 told them of their sins— baptized them to a 
 new life— then pointed to the ' Lamb of 
 God.' That ' Lamb of God ' they followed, 
 and the very same week He has taken them 
 to a feast, has chosen there to shew what 
 power He has, has created quantities of 
 tvine ! — what can it mean ? But do they 
 turn from Him? ver. 11— they love and 
 trust Him all the more. 
 
 III. Why Jesus acted thus — to ' mani- 
 fest Eis glory' [Read ver. 11]. 
 
 To ' manifest,' i.e., to sheio. What did 
 Jesus shew?— His power? Yes; but 
 though 'power' and 'glory' often the 
 same with men {e.g., Napoleon's only 
 'glory' was his 'power' to conquer), not 
 the same with Jesus (comp. Lord's Prayer). 
 He had 'all power' (Matt, xxviii. 18) ; but 
 the question is — How did He use it ? 
 
 (a) He used it to make people happier— 
 did not frown on their pleasure— joined in 
 it (comp. Eom. xii. 15)— worked a miracle 
 to increase it. 
 
 (6) He used it to make the commonest of 
 things a blessing. 
 
 (c) He used it to shew what St. Paul 
 says, 1 Tim. iv. 4. 
 
 {d) He used it quietly— no display— not 
 like magicians (wands, mutterings, &c.)— 
 but like God (whose works so silent — stars 
 moving— plants growing, &c). 
 
 This, then, the 'glory' of Jesus— to make 
 people happy — to bless common things— to 
 sanctify all God's gifts— to do good un- 
 ostentatiously. 
 
 Do we wish to be made happier? 
 We can be — how ? By having Christ with 
 
 'where will He be with us ? Not only in 
 Church— in the home, school, playground, 
 streets, workshop, kitchen; at work-time, 
 school-time, play-time, meal-time. Not 
 only when we are praying— even when 
 laughing; in company as well as when 
 alone. , • o 
 
 Will His being with us make us happier f 
 Are you afraid of its making us gloomy ? 
 Did it at Cana ? Did Jesus stop the plea- 
 sure there ? But one thing He must stop if 
 He comes— sin (see John xvii. 15 ; 1 Cor. 
 vii. 31 ; Jas. i. 27). No wonder those who 
 are ha'ppy in sin do not want Him— are 
 you' But does sin really make pleasant 
 things more pleasant ? Just the other way 
 (e a , how many ' days of pleasure ' are 
 spoilt, because one is selfish and another 
 irritable ! ) 
 
 Hoio will His being with us make us 
 happier ? Exactly in the same way as at 
 
 Cana — , . ^ , • 
 
 (a) He will turn our ' water into ' vnne 
 —our common things into rich blessings— 
 our ' tri-vial round and common task 'into 
 'a road to bring us daUy nearer God. 
 
40 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 Even troubles, &c. ; see Neh. xiii. 2 ; Ps. 
 XXX. 11 ; Isa. Ixi. 3 ; Rom. v. 3. 
 
 (i) He will give what He gives without 
 stint — ' exceeding abundantly above all 
 that we can ask or think,' Eph. iii. 20 ; 
 Phil. iv. 19. 
 
 N( 
 
 1. The site of Cana has been much disputed. 
 Two modcru villages claim to be identified with 
 it, Kefr Kenna, 4} miles north-east of Nazareth, 
 and Kana-el-,Jelil, 9 miles north. The former is 
 the traditional site; the latter was discovered 
 by Dr. Kobinson, and has been accepted as the 
 true one by most recent writers ; but in the 
 Quarterly Statement of the Palestine Exploration 
 Fnnd, October, 1869, the Rev. J. Zeller, of Naza- 
 reth, strongly argues for Kefr Kenna. 
 
 2. Allusions to marriage feasts will be found 
 In Gen. xxix. 22; Judges xiv. 12; Matt. xxii. 
 1—10; J.uke xiv. 8. The festivities frequently 
 lasted seven or fourteen days. There is no other 
 allusion in Scripture to the ' ruler of the feast,' 
 but some directions to such a functionary appear 
 In the book of Ecclesiasticus, chap, xxxii. Among 
 the Greeks and Romans he was usually a friend 
 of the host, especially chosen by lot for the pur- 
 pose of keeping order and of selecting the wines. 
 
 It is prob.able that the m.arriago occurred in 
 Mary's family, as she evidently speaks to the 
 servants as one who had some right to direct 
 them. The invitation to our Lord and His dis- 
 ciples must have been given .it the last moment, 
 as He had been absent some months, and they 
 were of course unexpected. Natlianael, as a 
 dweller at Cana, would probably be well known 
 to the party ; and his having joined the new 
 Teacher would naturally be an Incldeut of much 
 interest to them. 
 
 3. ' Woman, what have 1 to do with thee ? ' That 
 the term ' Woman' was not one of severity or 
 disrespect is clear from the fact that our Lord 
 also used ;t in His last words to Mary on the 
 cross, John xix. 2(i. See also Matt. xv. 28, John 
 XX. 1.5. But the words ' What have I to do with 
 thee?' convey a distinct rebuke, being an asser- 
 tion of independence. They are, literally, ' What 
 to me and thee?'— ?.e., What is there thai concerns 
 both me and thee f— or. What is therein common 
 between vs f 
 
 They are the very words used to our Lord by the 
 devils ; and see also Josh. xxii. 24 ; Judges xi. 12 ; 
 2 Sam. xvi. 10, xix. 22 ; 1 Kings xvii. 18 ; 2 Kings 
 iii. 13. They are areminder that Christ could now 
 no longer be governed by mere human relation- 
 ships ; and Mary needed the rei)roof, because, as 
 Chrysostom says, ' She counjed that, after the 
 manner of other mothers, she might in all things 
 command Him whom it was more fitting for her 
 to reverence and worship as her Lord.' We 
 cannot doubt that Jesus designed the words as a 
 lasting testimony against those who, in later 
 days, should regard her as having an influence 
 on the dispensing of His gifts-prccisely the 
 very thing which He here says she can have 
 nothing to do with. 
 
 4. ' Afine hour is not yet come.' (Comp. Johnvii. 
 30, viii. 20, xii. 23, 27, xvii. 1.) Nothing is more 
 remarkable In our Lord's life than the undeviat- 
 Ing purpose manifested in it, combined with a 
 
 (c) He will give His best things — His 
 ' good wine ' — at the last. [See Note 6.] 
 See Luke xviii. 30 ; 1 John iii. 2 ; 1 Cor. 
 ii. 9 ; Ps. xxxi. 19. First the cross, then 
 the crown. ' Not as the icorld giveth, give 
 I unto you ' (John xiv. 27). 
 
 OTES. 
 
 Divine patience and self-restraint in doing 
 nothing before the time. Dr. Hanna {Earlier 
 Years of our Lord, p. 254) quotes a remarkable 
 passage from the writings of Napoleon Buona- 
 parte, showing how much this feature of Christ's 
 life impressed one who had known the disap- 
 pointments of ambition. 
 
 5. The ' waterpots' prob.ably contained twenty 
 gallons each, so th.it the quantity of wine was 
 very great. ' The puri/i/uif/ of the Jews,' i.e., their 
 customary ablutions, see Mark vii. 2, 3, Luke xi. 
 39. When Jesus ordered the jars to be filled, it 
 might be thought that His design was to enjoin 
 some special ceremonial ablutions ; and the fact 
 that He intended their contents for festive use 
 instead, is a striking illustration of the change 
 from the Law to the Gospel. 
 
 6. ' This begin/ling of miracles.' The Greek 
 word usually employed by St. John for a miracle 
 is different from that found in the other Gospels, 
 and means a sign rather than a mere wonder. 
 In this case, the word is very appropriate, for 
 the miracle was most significant of the general 
 character of our Lord's mission, as (1) sanctifying 
 every .act of our common life, (2) turning the 
 water of ceremonial austerity into the wine of 
 Gospel joy, (3) giving the best gifts last. 
 
 The following striking passage is from Jeremy- 
 Taylor's Life of Christ :— 'Every sin smiles in 
 the first address, and carries light in the face 
 and honey in the lip; but when we have " well 
 drunk," then conies " that which is worse," a 
 whip with six strings, fears and terrors of con- 
 science, and shame and displeasure, and a caitiff 
 disposition, and diffidence in the day of death. 
 But when, after the manner of purifying of the 
 Christians, we fill our waterpots with water, 
 
 watering our couch with our tears then 
 
 Christ turns our water into wine, first the waters 
 
 of sorrow, and then the wine of the ch.alice 
 
 Jesus keeps the best wine to the last, not only 
 because of the direct reservation of the highest 
 joys till the nearer approaches of glory, but also 
 because our relishes are higher after a long 
 fruition than at the first essays, such being the 
 nature of grace, that it increases in relish as it 
 does in fruition.' 
 
 It has often been noticed that the first mira- 
 cles of Moses and Christ respectively typified 
 the character of their revelations— Moses turned 
 water into blood, Christ turned water into wine. 
 
 7. Wordsworth compares the sudden change of 
 water into wine at Cana with the gradual change 
 of the rain th;it descends from the clouds into 
 the juice of the vine: both Divine works, the one 
 designed to arouse and attract those who see not 
 God's hand in the other. The contrast is, how- 
 ever, nuuh greater than this. The rain has its 
 part in the production of the grape, but only in 
 combination with other materials, aiul under the 
 influence of varied forces. With these Christ 
 dispensed ; and i« this lay the miracle. 
 
41 
 
 Lesson XYII.— Tlie First Public Appearance at Jerusalem. 
 
 The Lord whom ye seek shall sudden!// come to Eis Temple.' 
 
 Read — John ii. 13 — 25 ; Learn — John i. 11 ; Ps. cxix. 139 ; Luke xii. 40. 
 {Hymns, 81, 82, 109, 276.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 Slight as this passage seems on a cursory reading, there are few more important in the 
 Gospels. And difficult as it certainly would be if taught verse by verse, commentary 
 fashion, it is really one of the most interesting. It will be observed that in the Sketch 
 two whole divisions (besides the introduction) precede the reading of the passage : it is 
 just in this way that the scholars may be prepai-ed to be interested in it. 
 
 It must also be remembered that much of the external picturing will be unintelligible 
 to the less instructed among our scholars without a constant reference to what is familiar 
 to them. Thus, the crowds, &c., at Passover-time may be illustrated by any annual local 
 festival, as a harvest-home, or Christmas ; the Temple spoken of as grander than ' our 
 cathedral,' or ' our town-hall '; the scene in the Temple-courts shewn by imagining the 
 local weekly market held in the church ; &c., &c. 
 
 The prophecy in Mai. iii. must on no account be omitted, even in non-reading classes, 
 the teachers of which can tell the children what God had foretold 400 years before, viz., 
 that ' the Lord ' {i.e. Messiah) should ' come suddenly,' come ' to His temple,' to ' purify ' 
 the worship, &c. Otherwise Christ's act will not be miderstood as proclaiming who He was. 
 
 In the application, the practical point about behaviour in church can be urged with 
 effect after such a lesson ; but it must be a subordinate one, and introduced as a test of 
 preparedness for the Second Coming of Christ. 
 
 The teacher will not forget that the heads are not to be announced at the beginning of 
 each section. They are intended only to make the Sketch look clearer, and it will be seen 
 that each section follows on naturally at the end of the preceding one, and that a break in 
 the teaching would spoil the Lesson. They might, however, be named in recapitulating. 
 
 Sketch op Lesson, 
 
 The public ministry of Christ is now 
 begun. He has been pointed out as the 
 Messiah by the messenger sent by God to 
 prepare the people for His coming ; He has 
 gathered His first followers ; He has worked 
 one great miracle to assure them who He 
 really is. And now it is time that He 
 should come forth publicly before the 
 nation. 
 
 Where ought He to do so ? Certainly at 
 ' the city of the great king.' 
 
 What would be the best time ? Surely, 
 when the people from all parts of the 
 country, and many who were settled in 
 foreign lands, assembled at Jerusalem — 
 when would that be ? 
 
 In what way should He proclaim Him- 
 self ? This we shall see. 
 
 I. Messiah Expected. 
 
 Imagine we are at Jerusalem, at Passover 
 time. How crowded the city is— almost all 
 Jewish faces — but various costumes and 
 strange languages (Acts ii. 5— 11)— trains of 
 camels and asses from distant parts— eveiy 
 body busy and alive — meetings of friends — 
 hiring of lodgings (see Mark xiv. 12—16) — 
 thousands of lambs driven in for the Pass- 
 over feast. 
 
 But there are some faces not Jewish — 
 who are these soldiers? — no warriors of 
 
 Israel as in olden times — but Romans who 
 have conquered the country ; and there are 
 more than usual now — come from Csesarea 
 to keep order among the Passover crowds, 
 [See Note 3.] How the people hate to see 
 them ! how they long for the promised king 
 — God's Messiah — ' the Lord's Anointed' — 
 to come and ' restore the kingdom to 
 Israel' (Acts i. 6)! Will He not soon 
 come ? — has not John told them so ? 
 
 II. Messiah Needed. 
 
 But are the Jews worthy to be God's 
 favoured people as before? Come to the 
 Temple and see. It is magnificent — 
 grander than any building we have ever 
 seen — and look at the crowd of priests and 
 Levites— the multitude of worshippers — 
 the smoke of many sacrifices ever ascend- 
 ing—surely God must be well pleased ! 
 
 But look at Isa. i. 11 ; Mark xii. 33 ; John 
 iv. 24. God wants the heart— do they give 
 Him that? 'What meaneth, then, this 
 bleating of sheep and lowing of oxen?' 
 Look at the great outer court — a noisy 
 cattle-market on God's sacred ground ! — 
 rough men selling animals for sacrifice 
 (doves for the poorer worshippers. Lev. xii. 
 8 ; Luke ii. 24)— others exchanging money 
 [see Note 2] ; how unlike the solemnity 
 of God's house ! (Eccl. v. 1 ; comp. Gen. 
 
42 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 xxviii. 17 ; Exod. iii. 5). Do not the 
 people need to be changed themselves 
 before God can give them the kingdom 
 again ? (Comp. Josh. vii. 12 ; 1 Sam. 
 vii. 3.) So John told them (Matt. iii. 8). 
 What, then, is the Messiah most wanted 
 for? Is it not to 'save His people /ro??j 
 iheir sitis'? (Matt. i. 21.) 
 
 III. Messiah Come. [Read ver. 13—16.] 
 The promised Messiah is there — unknown 
 
 — just one among many other plain Gali- 
 lean peasants. This is '"His Father's house' 
 (ver. 16) — what must He think of the 
 scene ?— how hateful ! What does He do ? 
 See the sudden confusion — cattle driven 
 out — tables upset — drovers and money- 
 changers unable to resist — all the turbulent 
 crowd dispersed— % tchatf By His di- 
 vinely-awful lodk—bji His divinely-indignant 
 words (comp. John xviii. 6). 
 
 Was that the way to shew Himself as 
 the Messiah ? Look at Mai. iii. 1—3. 
 Where had God said Messiah should 
 appear ? What was He to do ? {'purify,' 
 &.C.) What state would the people be in ? 
 (' who may abide,' <l-c.) How exactly ful- 
 filled ! Jesus would not stand up and say, 
 ' I am the Messiah ' — who would believe 
 that? But He does what Messiah should 
 do — and He speaks of 'His Father': this 
 (with John's testimony) ought to be enough. 
 (See John v. 32, 33, 36.) 
 
 IV. Messiah Kejected. IRead ver. 
 
 17-25.] 
 
 Was it enoii;/h ? What did the disciples 
 think? (ver. M); comp. Ps. Ixix. 9 — (all 
 the Jews considered this Psalm Messianic). 
 What did the rulers think? They d;;rst 
 not complain of what Jesus had done — felt 
 their own guilt in allowing such a scene — 
 doubtless remembered Malachi's prophecy, 
 and what John had told them — would say 
 ' This Galilean claims to be the Messiah — 
 let us see if he can prove it by giving some 
 
 wonderful sign.' How does Jesus answer 
 them ? [See Note 6.] He sees their 
 hearts (see ver. 25)— knows no sign of any 
 use — so will not give one now, but foretells 
 their murder of Himself (God's true Temple, 
 Col. ii. 9), and His resurrection, which shall 
 be the great and only sign given them 
 (comp. Matt. xii. 38 — 40 ; Rom. i. 4). Did 
 they understand ? No ; yet did not forget 
 (see Matt. xx\a. 61, xxvii. 40). 
 
 But Jesus does do some ' signs ' (ver. 23) 
 [see Note 8J, though not what they want — 
 most likely kind works of healing the sick, 
 &c. And' some do trust in Him as the 
 Messiah ; but He does not trust in them 
 [see Note 9] — He knows them too well. 
 What does this knowledge shew us about 
 Jesus? (see 1 Kings viii. 39). 
 
 Thus we see how the true King of Israel 
 was received b}' His own favoured nation 
 — how the Eternal Son was received in His 
 own Temple. Is not John i. 11 true? But 
 Malachi's great prophecy has to be ful- 
 filled once more, for — 
 
 The Lord will again come suddenly 
 — Not in humiliation, but in glory (Matt, 
 xxiv. 30, XXV. 31). Not to submit to scorn 
 and rejection, but to — what? look at Matt, 
 xiii. 41 — 'to gather out of His kingdom' 
 (/.e.. His Church)— what? A'oif, good and 
 bad mingled in the Church — then to be 
 separated — all the bad to be ' driven out ' 
 — so that God's people may be 'an holy 
 temple unto the Lord ' (Eph. ii. 21). Truly, 
 ' who may abide the day of His coming ?' 
 
 How will He find us ? — ready to receive 
 Him ? That depends on whether we receive 
 Him Jioiu. For He does come now : into 
 our churches— to see how we worship 
 there; into our hearts — to see if we are 
 ' temjiles of the living God' (1 Cor. iii. 
 16, 17, 2 Cor. vi. Hi), holy, devoted to His 
 service. Pray that He drive sin from tts 
 now — not us from Him then. 
 
 Notes. 
 
 1. This cleansing of the Temple must not be 
 coafounded with the simihir act recorded in 
 Mutt, xxi., Mark xi. The latter took place in the 
 last week of our Lord's lile, and his language on 
 that occasion was much more severe. 
 
 2. The concourse of people at the yearly Pass- 
 over is described by Josephus as enormous, and 
 the consequent traflic, particularly in animals 
 for sacrifice, very great. The Roman coinage 
 was now in universal use, and as the fees and 
 dues payable at the Temple were only taken in 
 the old 'shekels of the sanctuary' (Exod. xxx. 
 11-16)— (comp. Matt. xvii. 24, where the Greek 
 word rendered 'tribute money' moans the 
 Jewish coin required for the Temple ' tribute') — 
 the ' tables of tlie money-changers' were neces- 
 sarily much resorted to. 
 
 3. The Roman procurators, who usually resided 
 at Cajsarca, the civil capital (com)). Acts xxiii 
 23, 24, xxv. 1, 0, 13), were iu the habit of coming 
 to Jerusalem at the feasts, with extra troops to 
 preserve order ; which, however, only tended to 
 inflame tlie national hatred of the foreign con- 
 querors, and frequent disturbances were the 
 
 consequence ; one of which seems alluded to in 
 Luke xiii. 1. It is strange to reflect that the 
 same thiug still occurs in Jerusalem at the same 
 time; the Turkish garrison being reinforced to 
 keep order at the Easter celebrations of Greeks, 
 Latins, and Armenians. 
 
 4. The ' scourge' was probably improvised by 
 twisting together some of the rushes laid down 
 for the cattle to lie upon. Alford says that the 
 Greek implies that it was used only on the sheep 
 and oxen. 
 
 5. The term ' The Jews' as used by St. John, 
 generally refers to the rulersand Ike priestly party 
 at Jerusalem, and not to the people generally. 
 If this be borne in mind, the force of many 
 passages in his Gospel will be more clearly seen. 
 
 6. 'Destroy t/iis Temple,' <tc. This was one of 
 those enigmatical sayings which (like so many 
 of the prophecies) were not destrjned to be under- 
 stood at the time, but wliich should be for the 
 confirmation of faith after their fulfllment. Some 
 have supposed that Jesus, as He spoke, pointed 
 to Himself; but if so, how could He be misun- 
 derstood? whereas even the disciples onlv saw 
 
THE CONVERSATION WITH NICODEMUS. 
 
 4B 
 
 His meaning after His resurrection (ver. 22). 
 The rulers, however, as Stier points out, ap- 
 proached afterwards very near to a right under- 
 standing of tlie saying; for they probably 
 referred to it in telling Pilate that Jesus had 
 said He would rise again, Matt, xxvii. 63. 
 
 Similar instances of a sign being given in the 
 form of a prophecy occur in 1 Kings xxii. 28 ; 
 Jer. XX. 1—6, xxviii. 15—17. 
 
 The imperative mooA—' Destroi/'—Aoes not, of 
 course, imply a command, but rather a predic- 
 tion ; like the words ' Fill ye up the measure of 
 your fathers' (Matt, xxiii. 3). 
 
 There are two Greek words rendered ' temple' 
 in our version: Upw (hieron), which means the 
 whole range of buildings, and vaix; (naos), which 
 means the Holy riace. The former is used in 
 Ver. 14, the latter in ver. 19. The distinction is 
 very significant. 
 
 1. ' Forty-six years,' dc. Herod the Great began 
 
 his restoration or rebuilding of the Temple in 
 the year of Home 734. Forty-six added to this 
 gives the year 780. If our Lord was born at 
 Christmas 749 (see Lesson V. Note l),and was 
 baptized thirty years after (Lukeiii. 23), then 
 this Passover would be in April 780. The two 
 independent calculations thus agree together. 
 The word 'was' in this verse sliould be 'has 
 been ' : the Temple was not cumpleled till later. 
 
 8. The Greek word rendered ' miracle ' in ver. 23 
 Is the same (ayifxilov, seemeion) as that rendered 
 ' sign ' in ver. 18 (comp. preceding Lesson, note 6), 
 so that Christ did give ' signs' of His authority, 
 though they were not of that portentous cha- 
 racter that the rulers demanded. 
 
 9. The Greek word rendered 'commit' in 
 ver. 24 is the same as that rendered ' believe' in 
 ver. 23. The sense is antithetical—' They trusted 
 in Jesus, but He did not trust in them.' 
 
 Lesson XVIIL— The Conversation with Nicodemns. 
 
 " Ye must be born again." 
 Eead—Jdha. iii. 1 — 21 ; Learn— John iii. 5 — 7 ; Gal. vi. 15. (Hyvms, 94, 109, 142, 250.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 It vi^ill be observed that this important passage is treated historically in the following 
 Sketch : i. e. — instead of opening with a brief reference to Nicodemus, and then proceeding 
 to explain the great truths of the chapter, one after the other, as if they stood alone like 
 the articles of a creed, — the Lesson is on Nicodemus throughout, and our Lord's doctrinal 
 statements are regarded as spoken to him. The advantage of this is threefold ; (1) A 
 passage famous for its difficulties becomes comparatively easy ; (2) A subject which many 
 teachers might consider ' dry ' is invested with the interest of a narrative ; (3) The con- 
 troversies which rage around ver. 5 (see Note 3) are happily avoided. 
 
 At the same time it is believed that the momentous teachings of the chapter on 
 Regeneration and Atonement will not lose, but gain, in solemnity and force from this 
 method of treatment. The children will be interested in the ajiplication of them to 
 Nicodemus, and will be more readily, and (so to speak) unexpectedly, impressed with the 
 consequent application to themselves, than if the teacher were to speak throughout as 
 delivering a direct message from Christ to their own souls. 
 
 It being impossible to take the whole passage in detail, the Lesson dwells chieflj^ on the 
 first eight verses; ver. 14—16, on account of their transcendant importance, form the 
 subject of the third section ; and the rest is either simply omitted, or barely alluded to. 
 The teacher is recommended to follow this plan, unless, with a quick and mtelligent elder 
 class, he can manage to bring in the whole. In this case. Notes 5, 6 can be referred to. 
 
 It is not easy to impress on younger children the importance of a change of nature, 
 because — whatever they may be taught to repeat — they do not realise that their nature is 
 sinful. Perhaps the best method is to use such an illustration as this : — As the tiger-cub, 
 though harmless, has in it a ferocious nature, which will be developed by-and-bye, so is it 
 with you and sin — pray then for the new heart noiu — the change will be harder as you 
 grow older. The same lesson is taught by the well-known anecdote of the great painter 
 who painted from life a picture of a bright little child, calling it Innocence, and, many 
 years after, painted another picture from life of a convicted felon, calling it Guilt. It 
 turned out that the felon was no other than the once bright little child grown up. 
 
 Other illustrations of the necessity of an inward and spiritual change : — The heart the 
 mai?ispring of action, like that of a watch. — No use to cut down weeds ; they must be 
 rooted vp. — A wax figure can be made like a man, and mechanism can give it motion ; but 
 it has no life ; so an outwardly religious man, without the Spirit. 
 
44 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 Sketch of Lesson. 
 
 How pleasant, when many against us, 
 to find one who believes in us ! {Illustration : 
 new boy at school, timid, laughed at ; one 
 kind to" him : to that one he can tell what 
 he cannot to the rest) 
 
 How was Jesus received at Jerusalem ? 
 {Recapitulate.^ To whom did He not 
 ' commit Himself ' ? Why ? To-day read 
 of one to whom He could and did ' commit 
 Himself.' 
 
 I. The Night Visitor. 
 
 The Jewish rulers, doubtless, talk about 
 the new prophet — how scornfully — ' he the 
 Messiah ! a Galilean villager ! (comp. John 
 vii. 52) — where is his sign, too ? ' But 
 some [see Note 1] not so — are struck. ' He 
 has done signs, though not just what we 
 wanted.' [See ^'receding Lesson, Note 8.] 
 One especially — a great teacher [see Note 
 1] — cannot sh.ike ofE feeling — must get at 
 Jesus ; but what will men say at his going 
 to such a man ? — must go secretly — can we 
 wonder at it ? 
 
 [Read ver. 1 — 4.] See Nicodemus in 
 dark streets — enters house (not a grand 
 one) — gives the humble carpenter the title 
 {Rabbi) so often addressed to himself — 
 acknowledges Him as ' come from God.' 
 
 Now what would Nicodemus expect 
 Jesus to tell him ? If really the Messiah, 
 might say what intended to do — how going 
 to drive out Romans, set up the expected 
 ' kingdom,' make Jews great, especially the 
 holy Pharisees. Or if only a ' teacher,' 
 might give new explanation of law, recom- 
 mend more fasting and alms, even proclaim 
 a message from God about the expected 
 ' kingdom.' See him waiting to hear what 
 Jesus has to say. 
 
 II. "What he really needed to be in 
 THE Kingdom — a new life. 
 
 Now see Christ's answer — a solemn one 
 (^Verily, verily'') — meant for Nicodemus 
 himself — {'I say %mto thee '). Yes, He speaks 
 of the Kingdom — but how ? ' Except a 
 man' — any one — Jew as well as Gentile — 
 Pharisee as well as publican — 'yon, Nico- 
 demus ' — ' be born again, cannot see it.' 
 
 'Born again ' — what is that? All life so 
 far as nothing — whole life must be different. 
 What does life begin with ? — so must be as 
 if born anew — begin all over again. [See 
 Note 2.] 
 
 See what Nicodemus says, ver. 4 — how 
 foolish — can he mean it ? — he is startled, 
 ' taken aback,' knows not what he says. 
 ' This Galilean going to set up Messiah's 
 kingdom, and a strict and learned Pharisee 
 unworthy to be in it without some extra- 
 ordinary change ! ' [See Note 2.] 
 
 Then Jesus tells him three things [read 
 ver. 5—8] : — 
 
 (1) What this ne70 birth is. [See A^oie3.'\ 
 What had John the Baptist been doing for 
 two or three months p.ast? What did 
 his baptism mean? People to dip in the 
 
 water in token of putting away sin and 
 leading new life. And what had he said? 
 Luke iii. 16. Coming One also to baptize — 
 but how? — not outside, but inside — the 
 Holy Ghost to cleanse the heai-t. So 
 Nicodemus needs two things (comp. Rom. 
 X. 10) : (a) To come forward boldly, con- 
 fess himself a sinner, be like the publicans, 
 submit to the token which shows that all 
 his past life (however strict) needs to be 
 washed away, that he must begin afresh. 
 {b) To come to Messiah for what He only 
 can give, the Spirit — all else useless with- 
 out that — beginning new life no good 
 without, for would be as b?.d as the old 
 one — must have Holy Spirit in heart. 
 
 (2) Where it comes from, ver. 6. Nico- 
 demus had puzzled about a bodily birth, 
 ver. 4. But suppose this could be, what 
 use ? Sin comes from father to son (' born 
 of the fesh is flesh'). If become a baby 
 again, still a sinful baby. So if heart, 
 feelings, wishes, will, life, to be new, must 
 be from God — '■born of the Spirit.' Comp. 
 John i. 13 ; Rom. viii. 5—9 ; 1 Pet. i. 23. 
 
 (3) How it can be seen, ver. 8. Imagine 
 fine day in woods, air still, no hard wind, 
 very quiet ; you hear a rustling up above — 
 what is it ? — leaves moving — why ? — gentle 
 bi-eeze [.see Note 4 J — so soft that can't tell 
 if north, south, &c. But you know the icind 
 there. So, see a man [or child], who cares 
 nothing about God, beginning to look, 
 speak, act, as if did care — as sleeper just 
 waking moves a little — then know that is 
 the Spirit's work ; cannot see Him, but see 
 and hear what He does. See Gal. v. 22, 23 ; 
 1 John ii. 29, iii. 9, 14, v. 1, 4, 18. 
 
 [Read ver. 9, 10.] Ought Nicodemus to 
 have known ? {a) Should have understood 
 about ' new birth,' for when Jews baptized 
 Gentiles who believed in true God [see 
 Note 2], used to call them 'infants just 
 born.' {/)) Should have known no out- 
 ward change enough, must be spiritual, 
 from the Scriptures he knew so well ; see 
 Ps. li. 6, 10, 17 ; Isa. i. 10-17 ; Jer. iv. 14 ; 
 Ezek. xi. 19, xviii. 31, xxx\-i. 25—27. 
 
 But if this new life 7Hi(st be got — if no 
 salvation without — how shall Nicodemus 
 get it? (ver. 9 — 'how?') So Jesus tells 
 him, — 
 
 III. How HE might get n— by faith in 
 the Son of Man. 
 
 We cannot, in one lesson, talk of all 
 Jesus said — [Read ver. 14 — 16.] [See 
 Note 5.] 
 
 If all need change, all sinners ; then all 
 deserve to ' perish ' ; yes, even Nicodemus ! 
 Bdt — what? ver. 1(";— ' God loved the 
 world' — yes, all alike — Jews sinful like 
 Gentiles, and God loved Gentiles as well as 
 Jews. Then, how save the perishing? 
 'Cave' — whom? who is that ? see ver. 14, 
 ' Son of God ' and ' Son of Man ' the same 
 — then this humble Naz.arene sitting in 
 this quiet room cLaims to be God's Only- 
 
THE CONVERSATION WITH NICODEMUS. 
 
 45 
 
 Begotten !— must believe in Him if to be 
 
 But how should the Son of Man save 
 men ? What Moses did to Brazen Serpent 
 to be done to Rim— 'lifted up' [see Note 5]. 
 Nicodemus knew what the bitten Israelites 
 had to do ; so he, not questioning, to look 
 in faith on a 'lifted up' Messiah— one 
 crucified as a criminal. How strange ! 
 could not take it in then— but when Jesus 
 vms ' lifted up,' what did Nicodemus do ?— 
 John xix. 39— came out boldly, after three 
 years' hesitation, and, at the very time that 
 the Apostles had deserted Christ, avowed 
 himself a disciple. 
 
 If he had not, what would have come upon 
 him ? see ver. 18. But what has he got 
 noxo 1 ver. 15. 
 
 Have you the New Life? Are you 
 'born again'? You have had the token, 
 the 'outward and visible sign' — when? 
 But have you the ' inward and spiritual 
 grace,' the Holy Spirit in the heart? 
 Without this, no ' seeing the kingdom,' no 
 ' eternal life.' 
 
 How know if have the new life ? what 
 did we say on ver. 8 ? 
 
 How is it that we, poor sinners, can have 
 such a gift ? Because the Father loved, 
 the Son came down, the Spirit works. 
 
 Notes. 
 
 1. That Nicodemus came to Jesiis by night 
 from fear, seems implied in John vii. 50, xix. 39. 
 But rather than blame him for this, we may well 
 praise him, cousidering he was the only one who 
 came at all. 
 
 The expression ' a master,' in ver. 10, is, in the 
 original, ' the master,' and obviously refers to the 
 eminence of Nicodemus as a teacher. 
 
 It Is not likely that the expression ' tee know,' 
 was a mere rhetorical artifice to avoid saying ' I.' 
 Probably there were others among the rulers 
 who felt as Nicodemus did, e.g., Joseph of 
 Arimathea ; and see John xii. 42. 
 
 2. Ver. 3-' Except a man,' dec. The abruptness 
 of Christ's reply must have startled and discon- 
 certed Nicodemus, as his question in ver. 4 shows. 
 He could not be wholly blind to our Lord's 
 meaning, seeing that the idea of new birth was 
 familiar to a Jew in connection with the baptism 
 of proselytes. The expression quoted in the 
 Sketch is mentioned by Lightfoot (Hor. Hebr. 
 on Matt, iii.), who gives some curious particu- 
 lars of the Eabbinical baptismal customs. But 
 Nicodemus had never thought of an Israelite 
 iiceding to be 'born again'; and probably his 
 perplexity about this, together with some little 
 irritation at the obviously personal application 
 of Christ's words to himself, betrayed him luto a 
 rejoinder which seems simply unmeaning. 
 
 Some render 'born again' as 'born from 
 above '; but the more exact meaning is ' born 
 afresh,' or ' altogether anew '; and so Nicodemus 
 evidently understood it. Alford says that 
 Christ's answer is equivalent to, ' It is not learn- 
 tng, but life, that is wanted for Messiah's king- 
 dom, and life must begin by birth'; and quotes 
 the following from Luther: ' My teaching is not 
 of doing and leaving undone, but of a change in 
 the man ; not new worts done, but a new man to 
 do them— not another life only, but another birth.' 
 
 ' See the kingdom of God,' i.e., have a .•ihare in ; 
 comp. Ps. xvi. 10— 'see corruption.' 'Enter,' in 
 ver. 5, does not differ materially in meaning, but 
 is a stronger word. On the meaning of the 
 'kingdom,' see Lesson XI., Note c. 
 
 3. ^ Born of Water and of the Spirit.' Two chief 
 views have been held of the meaning of these 
 words: — 
 
 (1) That they refer directly to Christian Bap- 
 tism, and imply that the 'new birth," which 
 admits into the 'kingdom of God,' comprises 
 the visible rite and the invisible grace. 
 
 (2) That they do not refer at all to Baptism. 
 
 That the expression merely describes the influ- 
 ences of the Spirit under the Image of water, 
 just as that other one, ' with the Holy Ghost 
 and with fire,' describes them under the image 
 of fire. 
 
 To the former view it is objected, (1) that 
 Christian Baptism not being yet instituted, our 
 Lord would not be likely to speak of it so enig- 
 matically to Nicodemus; (2) that it is theologi- 
 cally unsound to make even so solemn a rite as 
 one of the two sacraments essential to salvation. 
 
 To the latter view it is objected (1) that the 
 different order of the words in the two expres- 
 sions precludes (in the Greek) their being re- 
 garded as parallel; (2) that as regeneration is 
 (to say the least) intimately connected with 
 Baptism, it is derogatory to the Sacrament to 
 exclude a reference to it in Christ's words. 
 
 Now the probability is that the whole truth 
 does not lie on either side. The best way of 
 ascertaining the real meaning of the words is to 
 ask— What would they imply, as spoken to a 
 Jewish Rabbi by Jesus of Nazareth at that par- 
 ticular period ? 
 
 The answer to this question cannot be doubt- 
 ful. Not to speak of the Rabbinical baptismal 
 customs (see above, Note 2), it must be re- 
 membered that, for three or four months pre- 
 viously, the whole country had been in a ferment 
 of excitement on account of the preaching and 
 baptism of John. From that baptism, Nico- 
 demus, in company with the other Jewish 
 rulers, had, probably, held aloof (see Luke vil. 
 30). Our Lord's words, therefore, would remind 
 him that, just what ' publicans and sinners ' had 
 done, he must do, viz., come out boldly aud 
 make open confession of his need of renewal, 
 and submit to a rite which would signify the 
 utter abnegation of his whole past life. And 
 further, that as John had spoken of a higher 
 spiritijal baptism to be introduced by the coming 
 Messiah, so the outward ceremony would be 
 useless without an inner change of heart; 
 while, on the other hand, he who really desired 
 the inner change must not shrink from the ex- 
 ternal symbol. That to be 'born of the Spirit- 
 was the essential requisite is shown by the repe- 
 tition of these words, without the others, in 
 ver. 6 and 8. 
 
 It must also be remembered that Christ was 
 about to establish a visible embodiment of the 
 ' Kingdom of God,' viz.. His visible Church, aud 
 that He subsequently gave an express command 
 that those who were admitted to It (' made dis- 
 ciples of,' see Greek of Matt, xxviii. 19) were to be 
 
46 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 baptized. In aceardance, therefore, with the 
 whole analogy of Scripture, we have a (double) 
 outward expression of a (double) inward fact. 
 The baptism of water, admitting to the Church 
 visible, is the sign and symbol of the baptism of 
 the Spirit— the new nature— admitting to the 
 Church in\-isible. So, under the old dispensa- 
 tion : circumcision admitted to the privileges of 
 an Israelite ; but as ' all are not Israel who are 
 of Israel,' the true 'circumcision of the heart' 
 was necessary to adoption into God's spiritual 
 family. 
 
 4. The beauty of the illustration in ver. 8 is 
 enhanced by the fact that,in the Greek, the words 
 for 'wind' and 'Spirit' are the same {nvevij.a, 
 pneiima). The word rendered 'bloweth,' also, is 
 the cognate verb, so that the passage reads just 
 as it would in English if rendered ' the breath 
 breatheth.' A soft breeze is intended (see 
 Sketch), a different word being used in Scripture 
 for a violent wind. 
 
 5. Ver.9-.16. ' How can these thinfjs be?' isequi- 
 valent to ' Well, be it so, suppose you are right ; 
 but hoir is this new birth to be secured?' 
 
 Our Lord's auswer cannot, in the short com- 
 pass of these notes, be explained fully ; but after 
 expostulating with Nicodemus on his ignorance 
 (ver. 10)— complaining of his unbelief (ver. 11)— 
 asking how, if he did not understand what men 
 might know of themselves (viz., their need of a 
 change of nature), he could be taught what 
 could only be known by revelation (salvation 
 through a crucified Saviour) (ver. 12)— and 
 stating why He Himself, and He only, was 
 able to expound such matters (ver. 13),— He 
 proceeds to give His reply, viz. :— The one 
 
 means by which the new nature must be ob- 
 tained is faith m Ilimsel/, the Son of Man, and 
 yet the 'only-begotten Son of God,' given to 
 the world (not to the Jews only) expressly that 
 through Him eternal life might be procured (ver. 
 15, 16). And this faith is to be similar in cha- 
 racter to that by which the bitten Israelites in 
 the wilderness were saved, for He, the Son oi 
 Man, is to be ' lifted up,' like the Brazen Ser- 
 pent, for all to gaze upon. 
 
 The expression ' lifted up 'had probably become 
 a current jihrase for the Roman method of exe- 
 cution by crucifi.xion (eomp. John xii. 32—34); 
 just as the word 'hung' has come to mean a 
 particular method with us. Nicodemus would, 
 therefore, perceive the degradation Jlessiah was 
 to submit to, though he would not see the further 
 figurative meaning of ' lifted up,' viz., exaltation 
 and proclamation. The reference to the Brazen 
 Serpent would not be strange to him, its typical 
 character being affirmed in a remarkable passage 
 in the Book of Wisdom (xvi. 5—13). 
 
 Alford's exposition of ver. 13—16 is very clear 
 and able as against rationalistic interpretations. 
 
 6. Ver. 13.— Brown and Fausset thus give the 
 sense of this difficult verse : — 
 
 ' The perfect knowledge of God is not obtained 
 by any man's going up from earth to heaven to 
 receive it— no man hath so ascended,— but He 
 whose proper habitalion, in His essential and 
 eternal nature. Is in heaven, hath, by taking 
 human flesh, descended as the " Son of Man " to 
 disclose the Father.' 
 
 7. In ver. 17—19, 'condemn,' 'condemned,' 
 'condemnation,' should be 'judge,' 'judged,' 
 ' judgment.' 
 
 Lesson XIX.— In Samaria— I. 
 
 ' If any man thirst, let him come unto Me and drink,' 
 Read— John iv. 1—26; Learn— John iv. 13, 14. {Hymns, 112, 142, 145, 183, 322.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 Before commencing the preparation of this Lesson, the teacher is requested to read the 
 introductory note to the following one. 
 
 There is an idea among teachers that, although a parable or a miracle can easily be 
 made intere.sting to children, a dialogue must necessarily be dry. This is a mistake. 
 The recorded conversations of our Lord afford admirable opportunities for picturing — and 
 that of the most attractive kind, viz., the exhibiting what people think, feel, and say, — 
 their surprise, curiosity, fear, hope, love, &c., &c. With junior classes, indeed, a description 
 of the externals of the scene at the well may be necessary, in order to gain attention at first. 
 But for elder scholars these externa^g often have much less interest than to follow the 
 course of question, reply, &c., in a dialogue : the fonner they know (or think they know) 
 already ; the latter is almost certainly new to them. In all cases the aim of the teacher 
 must be so to arrange the lesson that, from sentence to sentence, from question to 
 question, from verse to verse, the children may want to know what came next. No doubt, 
 mentioning this object is not explaining how it can be attained ; but if the teacher's efforts 
 are rightly directed, pains and practice should do the rest. 
 
 Care must be taken that the unity of the lesson is not lost in a mitltitude of minor 
 comments. The central idea is ' water,' and the figure must be worked upon throughout. 
 Ver. 16 — 26 are not to be regarded as introducing a new subject, but as the answer to the 
 woman's prayer, as containing the gift itself — the ' water' — bestowed, on her by Christ. 
 
IN SAMARIA 1. 
 
 47 
 
 It will probably, however, be found impossible to take the third head at all, except with 
 elder scholars, if the earlier portion is to be taught thoroughly. 
 
 As the main point of the lesson lies in Christ's own illustration, other illustrations are 
 not needed. But the figure of ' water ' may be variously applied, e. g. — A traveller in the 
 desert searches for water; but suppose he carried a fountain with him : — this is just what 
 a Christian does do. 
 
 Trench's chapter on this subject, in his Studies in the Gos2)e7s, is extremely interesting. 
 Macduff's Noontide at Sychar also contains much that is excellent and suggestive. 
 
 Sketch of Lesson. 
 
 Jesus, rejected by the rulers at the 
 capital, now turns to the country people, 
 chap. iii. 22 ; goes down to the Jordan, 
 preaches like John ; but who baptized the 
 crowds of people (iii. 26, iv. 1) that came ? 
 iv. 2. By and by news of this comes to 
 Jerusalem (iv. 1) — rulers think it serious — 
 ought to be stopped. What does Jesus do ? 
 His ' hour not yet come ' (comp. ii. 4) for 
 conflict with them — work to be done first 
 in Galilee — starts thither. [See Note l.J 
 [Read ver. 1 — 4.] 
 
 Which way shall He go ? Along bank 
 of Jordan, or up over hills of Samaria ? 
 [See Note 2.] To-day see why He ' must 
 needs ' go latter way. 
 
 I. Earthly Water Refused. 
 
 Think of two beautiful high hills (same 
 as where Law solemnly proclaimed in 
 Joshua's days (Josh. viii. 30 — 35) — valley 
 between — old city in valley — what called ? 
 — what formerly? [See Additional Note II.] 
 At entrance of valley a well — very old — 
 who dug it ? That well is there now. 
 
 It is mid-day [see Note 4] — sun very hot. 
 A party of weary travellers comes up — one 
 of them too tired to go further — sits on 
 well while others go on to get food at 
 town. Who is it? [Rend ver. b — 9.] Cool 
 sparkling water down in that well ; but can 
 He get it ? A woman coming — great jar on 
 head— going to draw water — He will ask 
 her for some. Anything strange in that ? 
 (comp. Gen. xxiv. 17; 1 Kings xvii. 10). 
 Did He not look woni out ? Would she 
 not pity Him ? 
 
 She stops short in surprise — why ? Sama- 
 ritans great enemies of Jews : Jews despised 
 them as foreigners — hated them because 
 pretended to be Abraham's children — 
 would not eat with them or use same 
 vessels, &c., see John viii. 48 ; they jealous 
 of Jews — thought themselves as good — ill- 
 treated Jews journeying through country 
 (Luke ix. 52, 53). [See Note 5, and Ad- 
 ditional Note I.] And so Jesus gets no 
 water ! What does God say of such ' hatred, 
 variance, emulations, wrath, strife ' ? Gal. 
 V. 20, 21. ' From envy, hatred, <^c., Good 
 Lord, deliver us .' ' 
 
 II. Heavenly Water Offered. [Read 
 ver. 10—15.] 
 
 Does Jesus rebuke the woman ? ' If thou 
 knewest . . . asked . . . He would have 
 given thee ' — would have treated her very 
 differently — does not this rebuke her 
 
 chiu-lishness ? — yet how gently ! And what 
 would He have given ? See her surprise — 
 ' where should He get it ?— not from the 
 well ' — (why not ?) — ' and did this Jew mean 
 better water than that? — he not satisfied 
 with Jacob's water !' But Jesus points out 
 two defects in that water, good as it is : 
 (a) it cannot satisfy for ever (' shall thirst 
 again,' ver. 13) ; (6) it cannot always be 
 got at (see ver. 14 — 'in him'). But the 
 water Ee gives — (a) if once drunk, drives 
 away thirst altogether; (b) even then is 
 always within reach (' in him ') to refresh 
 and be enjoyed. [See Note 7.] 
 
 What did Jesus mean ? See John vii. 
 37 — 39, — the Holy Spirit ; and all that He 
 brings — faith in Christ, grace to make holy, 
 peace, comfort, happiness — all spiritual 
 blessings — salvation. [See Note 6.] 
 
 Now see again what He said of this 
 ' water,' this ' gift of God,' these blessings 
 of salvation. 
 
 {a) ^ Shall never thirst.' Is anybody quite 
 contented ? Is not every one always want- 
 ing something he has not got ? A little 
 more money, a little more pleasure — then 
 quite enough, quite happy — but is it so ? — 
 'should like thai' — and then that — never 
 satisfied. Things may be very good, like 
 Jacob's water, but ' you thirst again.' See 
 Isa. Iv. 2 ; and what did Solomon ' in all his 
 glory' say? Eccl. ii. But what have those 
 said who took God's ' living water ' ? e. g. 
 David, Ps. iv. 6, 7 ; St. Paul, 2 Cor. vi. 10. 
 
 (b) 'In him, a ivell [lit. fountain] oj 
 water.' Can we always get what we want 
 of earthly things ? Ask the Prodigal Son, 
 Luke XV. 13 — 17. But God's ' living water' 
 can always be had for the asking, Isa. 
 xli. 17, 18, Iv. 1. 
 
 Does she understand ? ver. 15 — not fully ; 
 yet is struck — feels this Jew has some great 
 blessing to give — asks for it [see Note 7]. 
 But she little thinks that, in His next words. 
 He is giving her this very 'water,' as He 
 said (ver. 10) He would. See how. 
 
 III. Heavenly Water Given. [Read 
 ver. IG— 26.] [See Notes 8, 9.] 
 
 What is this heavenly water? [Reca- 
 pitulate.'] And to give all this to the 
 woman Jesus teaches her three things : — 
 
 (a) About herself, ver. 16—19. That she 
 is a sinner, and that He knows all about it. 
 But, then, how to become better?— She ia 
 used to thinking God must be worshipped 
 up there on Gerizim — [see A dditional Note I] . 
 
48 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 Jews say no, His presence only at Jerusalem 
 
 how she to know ? So Jesus tells her, — 
 
 {b) About God. A Spirit, everywhere— 
 can always approach Him — 
 • Where'er they seek Thee, Thou art found, 
 And every spot is hallowed ground.' 
 
 A Father— kind, tender, forgiving, willing 
 tohear—' seeking' out (comp. Luke xix. 10) 
 poor sinners wlio will come to Him. But 
 how must they come ? not merely kneeling, 
 singing, saying prayers outwardly — but 
 with aU their heart—' in spirit ' (comp. 
 Phil. iiL 3) ; not just to get pardon, and 
 then go and sin again — but ' stedfastly 
 purposing to lead a new life' — 'in truth' 
 (comp. Ps. cxlv. 18). 
 
 (c) Abotit HimselJ. She is still puzzled— 
 would like to do right— but ignorant— 
 never mind — Messiah is coming one day — 
 then know. Think of her standing there, 
 
 feeling her sin, wanting salvation — before 
 her a poor traveller, parched, weary, foot- 
 sore — can you not see her face as that poor 
 Jew says, ' I am He .' ' 
 Next Sunday see what came of it. 
 
 Would we, too, have this ' Water'? 
 Then do as the woman did — ask Christ. 
 He will give us the Holy Spirit — and what 
 wdll the Spirit do ? (a) Shew us ourselves, 
 our sins, our sinful hearts — make us ' thirst 
 after righteousness' (Matt. v. 6). (b) Shew 
 us God— great and holy— yet a tender 
 Father, willing to forgive and help, (c) 
 Shew us Christ, the one Saviour, who died, 
 rose again, lives, and pleads 'for us men 
 and for our salvation.' 
 
 Then, like fresh water in the soul — will 
 be revived, refreshed, strengthened — and 
 that not for once — never thirst again. And 
 what hereafter ? See Rev. vii. 17. 
 
 Notes. 
 
 1. It Is remarkable that we should have no 
 longer account of Christ's ministry in Judaa 
 than is contained in chap. iii. 22. Most chrono- 
 logers consider that it occupied a period of some 
 months, and the word 'tarried,' in the Greek, 
 implies continuance. It was probably similar in 
 character to that of the Baptist, comprising the 
 preaching of repentance and baptizing. Whether 
 miracles were wrought, we have no means of 
 knowing ; but, as far as we can tell, this was 
 the only period when Jesus spent any time in 
 JudiEa, and it seems n.atural to suppose that His 
 works of mercy would be done there as well as 
 afterwards in Galilee ; and if so, the multitudes 
 gathered together, greater even than those that 
 had flocked to John's preaching (iii. 26, iv. 1), 
 are at once accounted for. Some, however, think 
 that during this period Jesus was waiting in 
 Juda;a to give the Jews an opportunity of ac- 
 cepting the Baptist's testimony concerning Him, 
 and of acknowledging Him as the Messiah; 
 and that His more public ministry and mighty 
 works were delayed until John's preparatory 
 mission was put an end to by his imprison- 
 ment, and were then — the Jews having now 
 rejected the claims of Jesus — commenced in 
 Galilee. 
 
 Tlie ' tontZ of Judoia '—!.?., the country districts, 
 tot the cities. 
 
 Why did not Christ Himself baptize? Possi- 
 bly for St. Paul's reason, 1 Cor. i. 14—16. Trench 
 says, ' He reserved the baptism with the Holy 
 Ghost for Himself.' 
 
 2. The direct route from Jurtaia to Galilee lay 
 through Samaria, and was the one usually taken 
 by travellers to and fro, although the stricter 
 Pharisees sometimes went by way of the Jordan 
 valley to avoid intercourse with the Samaritans. 
 The usiuil ex])lanation, referring the expression 
 'must 7ieeds' to Christ's gracious designs is 
 probably correct. 
 
 On the question whether this journey is iden- 
 tical with that named in Matt. iv. 12; Marki. 14; 
 Luke iv. 14, see Adddional Mule III., page M. 
 
 3. On Sychar and Jacob's V:(i\\,ste. Additional 
 NoteM. 
 
 A. ' Thus' i.e., as a tired man would. An in- 
 cidental proof of the real manhood of our Lord. 
 Probably trees then overshadowed the spot. under 
 which He sat. ' The sixth hour,' i.e., noon ; sec 
 
 Lesson XV., Note 2. Those who think it was 
 6 P.M. argue that the evening was the time for 
 drawing water ; but the fact that no one else 
 came marks it as an unusual time. 
 
 5. 'A woman of Samaria,' rather, 'Samaritan 
 woman.' The city of Samaria was some distance 
 from Sychar. Dr. Macduff {Noontide at Sychar, 
 p. 17) met a Samaritan woman at the very spot, 
 carrying a stone pitcher on her head. On the 
 enmity between the Jews and the Samaritans, 
 see Additional Note I. 
 
 'Have no dealings with,' lit. 'use not anything 
 with," as cups, &c. Note that this is spoken of 
 here as a sign of Jewish hatred—' the Jews have,' 
 &c. There was, however, sufficient intercourse 
 to enable the disciples to buy food : comp. Luke 
 ix. 52. Tristram (Land of Israel, p. 137) asked 
 drink of a woman who was filling a pitcher 
 from a spring near Nablus, but was angrily 
 refused—' The Christian dogs might get it for them- 
 selves.' Contrast Rebekah, Gen. xxiv. 17—20. 
 
 6. Ver. 10—15. ' The gift of God.' Miss Whately, 
 inlRagged Life in Egypt, says that the cry of the 
 water-carriers in Eastern streets is 'The gift of 
 God! the gift of God!'— water being especially so 
 regarded. If, as seems likely, there is a refer- 
 ence to this in Christs words, they would be 
 equivalent to— 'There is a greater gift of God 
 than this gift of God— this water which I have 
 asked for ; if thou kiiewest that,' &c. 
 
 It has been much disputed what Divine 
 blessing our Lord thus designated : some say. 
 Himself; some, the Spirit ; others, the cleansing 
 of His blood ; others, again, the ' washing of 
 regeneration.' Bearing in mind that the con- 
 versation was about drinking, and not about 
 cleansing, it seems obvious that the internal 
 work of the Spirit is primarily intended ; but all 
 spiritual blessings may be indirectly referred to, 
 as they are frequently promised in the Old 
 Testament under the figure of water, see Psalm 
 xxxvi. 8, 9; Isa. xii. 3, xliv. 3; Ezek. xxxvi. 25. 
 xlvii. 1, S:c.; Zcch. xiv. 8. 
 
 The expression 'Living water' implies fresh, 
 running, not stagnant waters ; seeGcn.xxvi. 19; 
 Lev. xiv. 5 ; Numb. xix. 17; Cant, i v. 15 ; and the 
 woman's answer shows she so understood it, as 
 she refers to the spring water in the well as also 
 * livingwater.' Such water alonecould bea type 
 of Gospel blessings ; see Jer. ii. 13. 
 
IN SAMAEIA. 1. 
 
 49 
 
 7. ' Nothing to draw with'— lit. not' a-thing-to- 
 draw-with' (one word)— an appliance for getting 
 the water ; probably the vessel of skin which is 
 still used in the East, and let down by a rope of 
 goat's hair. Our old English version renders 
 the word ' bucket.' 
 
 ' Art thou greater than our father Jacob?' These 
 ■words refer to Chrisfs 'who it is that saith to 
 thee,' and are equivalent to—' Whoever thou art, 
 the man that can give better water than this 
 must be a greater man than Jacob— but how can 
 this be?' Our Lord's reply is truly wonderful 
 in its wisdom— pointing out just the one defect 
 of this water; not, indeed, a real defect, but for 
 that very reason the more enhancing the pre- 
 eminence of the water He would give— 'your 
 water has all the qualities of good water, but 
 mine has those too, and a special quality of 
 its own besides': implying, too, its spiritual 
 character, of which the woman appears now 
 (ver. 15) to catch a glimpse. 
 
 ' Give me this water,' dc. Some think these 
 words ironical, and imjilying incredulity. Rather 
 they express the half-conscious yearnings of the 
 woman for something that will satisfy. Both 
 mind and heart are beginning to open. She sees 
 this 'living water' is something not requiring 
 a waterpot to draw it, and that quenches thirst 
 for ever ; but her fancy that the possession of it 
 will save her journeys to the well shows how 
 imperfectly she as yet understood Christ. 
 
 8. Ver. Ifi— 20. JIuch unnecessary perplexity 
 has been expressed respecting the connection 
 of our Lord's command to the woman to call 
 her husband, with the preceding conversation. 
 His words must (as intimated in the Sketch) 
 be regarded as the first step to granting her 
 request. Alford well says, 'The give me this 
 water was not so simple a matter as she sup- 
 posed. The heart must be first laid bare before 
 the wisdom of God: the secret sins set in the 
 light of His countenance; and this our Lord 
 here does.' Ryle {Expos. Thoughts on St. John) 
 says, 'The first draught of living water was 
 conviction of sin.' 
 
 The Greek of ver. 17 is very significant. The 
 woman says, with literal truth, but yet in such 
 a way as to conceal the real state of the case. 
 
 ' I have no husband.' Jesus, In repeating her 
 words, alter* the order of them— 'Thou hast well 
 said. An husband I have not'; thus revealing 
 His omniscience even in His first utterance. 
 
 The woman's reply in ver. 19 is a virtual con- 
 fession of her sin. But why does she imme- 
 diately turn to discuss the question in dispute 
 between Jews and Samaritans? Some say. To 
 avoid a disagreeable subject. But, as Alford 
 says, 'the idea of her endeavouring to escape 
 from the Lord's rebuke is quite inconsistent with 
 her recognition of Him as a prophet.' liather she 
 is startled by the exposure of her sin ; she feels 
 God's claims upon her ; ' what shall she do to be 
 saved ?' Then the old controversy suddenly oc- 
 curs to her— what is she to believe? 'I would 
 serveGod,but— our fathers,' &c. So Trench. On 
 the Samaritan worship, see Additional ISote I. 
 
 9. Ver. 21—24. Christ's answer is one of the 
 most solemn of all His utterances. He begins 
 with words— 'believe me'— which he is nowhere 
 else recorded to have used. He vindicates the 
 Divine authority of the Jewish worsliip, identi- 
 fying Himself with the Jews— ' we know what 
 we worship' (this expression, too, occurs here 
 only). At the same time He 'proclaims the 
 passing away cf everj- form of religion which is 
 tied to a local centre, so to make room for that 
 faith which should have its centre everywhere 
 and its circumference nowhere' (Trench). And 
 He reveals God as (a) a Father, with all the 
 tender care we attach to the idea of a parent, 
 seeking (a remarkable expression) true worship- 
 pers (how encour.iging to the woman !— God 
 would accept her if she 'truly turned to Him,' 
 no matter where she might worship); as (b) a 
 Spirit, so not to be thought of as dwelling in 
 one place more than another, comp. Acts vii. 48, 
 xvii. 24, 25; 1 Kings viii. 27; Isa. Ixvi. 1; Jer. 
 xxiii. 24 ; and to be worshipped ' in spirit and in 
 truth' (see Sketch). 
 
 Trench observes that, profound as is the say- 
 ing, 'God is a Spirit,' it is yet one which the 
 woman would apprehend, because the word for 
 'Spirit' is the same as that for 'wind' {it is .w 
 both in Greek and Aramaic), and the idea would 
 be conveyed to her mind of God, like the wind, 
 penetrating everywhere, being tied to no place. 
 
 ADDITIONAL NOTE I.— THE SAMARITANS. 
 
 These strange people were not, as is 
 sometimes erroneously supposed, a mixed 
 race, partly Israelite and partly Gentile ; 
 but the descendants of the colonists brought 
 by Shalmaneser from Babylon and other 
 cities to dwell in the homes of the ten 
 tribes whom he carried into captivity. 
 See 2 King- xvii. That they had no claim 
 to be called children of Abraham is im- 
 plied by Christ's own words in Matt. x. 
 5, 6; Luke xvii. 18 (in the latter passage 
 the word rendered 'stranger' is literally 
 'foreigner.') 
 
 At first they were idolaters, worshipping 
 Jehovah (as a local deity) and other gods 
 at the same time. The idolatry, however, 
 seems gradually to have died out, and 
 about B.o. 4l}9 a magnificent temple for 
 tne worsliip of God v,as erected on Mount 
 Gerizim, by a fugitive Jewish priest named 
 Manasseh (see Josephus, Ant. xi. 7, 8), who 
 
 is stipposed to have been that grandson 
 of the high priest who was banished by 
 Nehemiah on account of his marriage 
 with the daughter of Sanballat (Neh, 
 xiii. 28). This temple was, in B.C. 109, 
 destroyed by John Hyrcanus, one of the 
 Maccabee Jewish rulers; but the Sama- 
 ritans have continued to worship there 
 even to the present day, although their 
 number has diminished to 2u0. Curious 
 accounts of their religious customs wiU be 
 found in most recent works on Palestine. 
 The very ancient version of the Pentateuch 
 which they possess differs here and there 
 from the Hebrew text, having apparentl}' 
 been altered to make it support the claims 
 of Gerizim to be God's chosen dwelling- 
 place. In a German encyclopaedia, referred 
 to by Trench, the Samaritans are stated to 
 believe that Gerizim is identical with Eden, 
 with Ararat, with Moriah, and w'th 
 
 IS 
 
50 
 
 UJSSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 Bethel ! No wonder the poor woman 
 reverenced the ' holy mountain.' 
 
 The Jews' hatred of the Samaritans, 
 which was no doubt first caused by the 
 mere settlement in the Promised Land of 
 an alien people, was agrgravated by their 
 opposition to the rebuildins; of the temple 
 (Ezra iv. — vi.), by their rival worship at 
 Gerizim, and by their claim to be reckoned 
 as Israelites. They were publicly cursed in 
 the synagogues, and debarred from every 
 religious and legal privilege. To call our 
 Lord ' a Samaritan ' was the bitterest insult 
 the Jews could offer Him. It is supposed 
 that the name Shechem was altered to Sy- 
 char, which means ' foohsh ' or ' drunken,' 
 by the Jews in mocker)'. The writer of the 
 book of Ecclesiasticus (chap. 1. 25, 26) 
 speaks of ' his heart abhorring ' those that 
 ' sit in the mountain of Samai'ia,' and tlie 
 ' foolish people that dwell in Sichem.' 
 
 On the other hand the Samaritans fully 
 
 reciprocated these feelings, and several in- 
 stances of their bitterness are recorded. 
 They often refused the commonest hos- 
 pitality to the Jewish travellers passing 
 through their teiTitory to the feasts at 
 Jerusalem (comp. Luke ix. 52). They even 
 waylaid and robbed the pilgrims. They 
 are said on one occasion to have defiled the 
 Temple by getting in and scattering dead 
 men's bones about. They caused confusion 
 in the fiery signals on the mountain tops, 
 used by the Jews to communicate to their 
 dispersed brethren the exact hour of the 
 rising of the Paschal moon, by kindling 
 flames at wrong times. They despised Je- 
 rusalem as a comparatively modem and 
 upstart sanctuary, affirming their own to 
 be the ancient and true one. Eejecting all 
 the Old Testament except the Pentateuch, 
 they professed to be the only true observers 
 of the Law. 
 
 ADDITIONAL NOTE II.— SYCHAR AND JACOB'S WELL. 
 
 Sychar is commonly supposed to be the 
 Shechem of the Old Testament, so inti- 
 mately connected with the names of Abra- 
 ham, Jacob, Joseph, Joshua, Abimelech, 
 Eehoboam ; see Gen. xii., xxxiii., xxxiv., 
 xxxvii. ; Josh, viii., xxiv. ; Judg. ix. ; 1 
 Kings xii. Comp. Josh. xxi. 21 ; Ps. Ix. 6, 
 cviii. 7. The modem town, Nablus (from 
 the Roman name Neapolis), lies in a narrow 
 
 *%>»lli 
 
 VALr. or NABLUS. -""t'omb' i 
 
 NABLUS Jacob's o well 
 
 M\^£.^\^''t.±Mm ^ 
 
 valley between Moimts Gerizim and Ebal, 
 through which has always run the main 
 road from Jerusalem to the north. The 
 valley itself runs east and west; and the 
 traveller northward turns up it to the left 
 from the Wady el Mukhna (the ' Plain of 
 Moreh' of Gen. xii. 6; Deut. xi. 30), and 
 after passing through it, turns again to the 
 rijjht in a northerly direction. See accom- 
 
 panying plan. The valley is described as 
 the loveliest spot in Palestine. Dr. Robin- 
 son, who generally writes coldly enough, 
 calls it ' a scene of enchantment.' 
 
 The well, of the identity of which there 
 is no question, is at the mouth of the 
 valley, a mile and a half east of the town. 
 The fact of this distance has led some to 
 doubt whether Sychar and Shechem (Na- 
 blus) were the same, as there are many 
 other streams and fountains nearer to the 
 town ; why then should the woman go so 
 far for water? Dr. Thomson {Land and 
 the Book, p. 472) accordingly identifies 
 Sychar with Askar, a village near the well. 
 The best authorities, however, concur in 
 the old view ; and Tristram {Land of Israel, 
 p. 143) says that the ancient town evidently 
 lay more to the east. The woman may 
 very probably have been led by super- 
 stitious feelings to come, even so far, to the 
 venerated well of Jacob. The fact, also, of 
 there being no appliances on the spot for 
 drawing water, incidentally shows that it 
 was not commonly resorted to. 
 
 All travellers in Palestine have described 
 the well. It is dug in the solid rock ; is 
 75 ft. deep, and 9 ft. in diameter. The 
 quantity of water in it varies, sometimes 
 rising to 15 ft., at other times the well 
 being dry. Dr. Wilson {Lands of the Bible), 
 in 1842, let down a servant to the bottom, 
 who foimd there a Bible dropped in by Dr. 
 Bonar some years before. Dr. Macduff 
 tasted the water, and found it 'cool and 
 plea-sant to the taste.' 
 
 Why did Jacob dig a well in a place so 
 well supplied with water ? Partly to avoid 
 disputes with the Shechemites (comp. Gen. 
 xxvi. 18 — 22) ; partly as a visible evidence 
 that the plot of land was his, a charter of 
 his property. See Gen. ixxiii. 19 j Josh, 
 xxiv. 82. 
 
51 
 
 lesson XX.— In Samaria— n. 
 
 ' / have meat to eat that ye know not oj^ 
 Read— John iv. 27—42 ; Learn— John iv. 34 ; Ps. cxxvi. 8, (Hymns, 160, 237, 263, 311, 354.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 The reason for taking this interesting narrative in two lessons, instead of (as usual) in 
 one, will be suflBiciently obvious to the reader of the following Sketch. The preceding Lesson 
 is devoted to our Lord's teaching ; this one to Eimself. To take both at one time would 
 be impossible. No chapter in the Gospels more clearly exhibits Christ as a teacher : the 
 spirit in which he worked— His principles and methods of work— particularly the human- 
 ness (if the word may be allowed) of His work, viz., His patience and (so to speak) pains- 
 taking laboriousness, His use of means (illustrations, &c.), His pleasure in success. In a 
 Sunday-school lesson, indeed, much of this would not be suitable, and in the Sketch very 
 little of it appears ; but the general idea will be conveyed by means of the illustration oi 
 the Sower and the Keapers, which (it will be observed) is taken from our Lord's own 
 words in this passage. Children must not be allowed to forget the essential Godhead of 
 Jesus ; but, at the same time, it is important to teach them that, when He bore suffering 
 or worked hard— e.^r., when, as in this case. He triumphed over fatigue and thirst— He did 
 so truly and literally as a man, and in the same way that we can and ought to do ; though 
 of course, all He did was perfect, all we do imperfect. Bearing this in mind, the teacher 
 will not hesitate to use— always with due reverence— such illustrations as that of the 
 British troops in Abyssinia, suggested below. 
 
 The first head of application gives an opportunity for the teacher to speak to the 
 class about himself—his own office, work, hopes, &c. 
 
 Sketch of Lesson, 
 
 You have seen a sower scattering his 
 seed. Can you guess what he thinks 
 about? Is it not about the ground — will 
 it bear well ? — the weather — will rain and 
 sun be favourable ? — the crop — will it be a 
 good one ? He is looking forward — hojnng. 
 But is he in a huiTy? Perhaps anxious, 
 but can wait patiently — harvest not yet. 
 
 And you have seen the reaper'^, sickle in 
 hand, cutting the yellow corn — the golden 
 sheaves, loaded waggons, bright faces, 
 happy voices, harvest home — all joyful. 
 How different ! Yet could you have the 
 harvest without the sowing ? 
 
 In this chapter we have both scenes. 
 
 I. The Sower's Patience and Hope. 
 
 WhUe Jesus was sitting at Jacob's Well, 
 where were the disciples ? ver. 8. No doubt 
 they hurried back to their weary Master. 
 Now see — do they speak affectionately to 
 Him, and at once give Him the food they 
 have bought ? ver. 27. 
 
 A dead silence. Six or seven persons 
 together, none uttering a word. The dis- 
 ciples — amazed («) at seeing Jesus, not now 
 sunk down with exhaustion, not longing 
 for water, but His face full of hope, love, 
 pleasiure, animation ; [b) at seeing who else 
 there — a woman ! and she a Samaritan ! 
 The woman — speechless — He, a poor way- 
 faring Jew, whom she had treated unkindly, 
 the long-expected Messiah ! [re/er to last 
 Lesson.] Jestis Himself, too, silent — whj' ? 
 has been solving — sees the seed even now 
 springing up — the harvest at hand (more of 
 
 (Comp- 
 
 this presently) — thinking of that. 
 a similar sUence, John xxi. 12.) 
 
 "Who first moves ? ver. 28 — see her hasten- 
 ing away to the town, her heavy pitcher 
 left behind that she may go faster. 
 
 Then the disciples produce their food ; 
 but He cares not for it now — why ? [Reaii 
 ver. 31 — 34.] What can this mean ? 
 
 1. Had He not been really tired, hungry, 
 thirsty ? Look at ver, 6 — think what o'clock 
 it was — the mid-day sun beating down — 
 He left alone at the well while the rest 
 went on — His request to the woman — and 
 see Heb, ii. 17, iv. 15. Yes, He suffered 
 just as we should. Yet what had He been 
 doing ? Think of all last Sunday's lesson — 
 all He taught the woman — so wise and 
 good ; and she a wicked woman — unfeeling 
 too — she could get at the water, but did 
 she give Him any ? How patient 1 how 
 unselfish ! (comp. Rom. xv. 3). 
 
 2. How, then, could He do all this ? Not 
 just because He was God [comp. Lessoai* 
 XII., XIII.]. In His strength He was like 
 us, as well as in His suffering. When a man 
 doing something very exciting, very delight- 
 ful, will often forget pain, fatigue, hunger. 
 [Illustrate: — e.g. British troops marching 
 over steep mountains towards Magdala — 
 one day long march — exhausted^-could 
 scarcely drag on — suddenly turned comer — 
 there was Theodore's army ! Immediately 
 forgot pain — rushed forward — battle — 
 victory — no rest or food for hours after. 
 The chance of fighting for Queen and 
 
52 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD, 
 
 country just like food to them. Or sailors 
 in storm {e.g. Acts xxvii. 33).] 
 
 3. But ichat was Christ's ' meat ' ? We 
 have seen His likeness to us — now see 
 difference. Anything exciting, exhilarating, 
 in teaching a dull, unkind, sinful woman 
 about God ? What made it so pleasant to 
 Him? 
 
 (n) It was His Father's will and work. 
 When had He spoken of this before ? Luke 
 ii. 49 [see Lesson X.]. See what had been 
 prophesied of Him, Ps. xl. 8. When did He 
 '■Jinish ' God's work ? John xvii. 4, xix. 30. 
 
 (6) It was sowinrj. All that patience 
 with the woman just like the sower's 
 patience. And He looked forward to the 
 harvest (as He did on the cross, Heb. xii. 2). 
 Now see zchen the first sheaves were reaped. 
 
 II. The Reapers' Joy and Regard. 
 
 [Read ver. 35 — 38.1 When seed sown, 
 how long wait before harvest ? So Jesus 
 reminds disciples [see Note 1] — but His 
 harvest to come directly. ' Look ! ' He 
 says — 'fields ripe noiu.' But — nothing of the 
 kind — com not gi-own yet — what mean ? 
 Look again towards Sychar — a company 
 coming — Samaritans — the woman bringing 
 them — there is the harvest ! Disciples had 
 not sown for that harvest (ver. 38). One 
 had sown — had laboured all that hot after- 
 noon sowing the ' eeed ' ; others — they 
 themselves- -should reap (ver. 37) ; they 
 should gather the crop, and have the wages 
 (i.e., the joy) too (ver. 36) ; He and they 
 would ' rejoice together.' [See Notes.] 
 
 But how came the seed to spring np like 
 that ? [Read ver. 28—30, 39—42.] Follow 
 the woman from the well back to the town 
 
 — how eager ! Her neighbours gather round 
 her — ' Come ! ' she says — and what then ? 
 Does she tell of the wonderful water the 
 stranger has? or of the true worship in- 
 stead of that on Gerizim, of which He 
 spoke? Does she not keep to herself His 
 knowledge of her life, of her sins ? It is 
 just this that sheteUs them (contrast Adam, 
 Gen. iii. 10) — this that makes her think 
 Him the Messiah ! See them all flocking 
 out — bringing Jesus back with them to 
 Sychar — keeping Him and the disciples 
 two Jays — hospitable to a party of Jews ! 
 
 The seed in the woman's heart has sprung 
 up in one day. How the Sower and reapers 
 rej oice ! For months Jesus has been teach- 
 ing crowds, the disciples baptizing ; but 
 those only half-hearted (see John ii. 24, 
 iii. 32). What a contrast here, with these 
 poor despised Samaritans ! 
 
 But these only a few sheaves (the ' hand- 
 ful of corn,'' Ps. Ixxii. 16) — much more to 
 come — see what a harvest Peter and John 
 reaped there a few years after, Acts viii. 
 5 — 17 (comp. ix. 31, xv. 3). 
 
 MTio are the Soioers now ? Ministers, 
 missionaries, we teachers. What do we 
 sow? Luke viii. 11. What hai'vest do we 
 look for? 1 Thess. ii. 19. And we shall 
 have it ; see to-day's text (Gal. vi. 9), and 
 Ps. cxxvi. 5, 6. 
 
 You ca7i be Sowers too, and you too shall 
 reap. Did not the Samaritan woman sow ? 
 and did she not share in the reapers' joy, 
 when the people she brought to Jesus be- 
 lieved in Him ? But she received the seed 
 into her own heart first — so must you. 
 Pray, ' Blessed Lord, who hast caused,' &c. 
 
 Notes. 
 
 1. 'Say not ye. There are yet four months, and 
 then Cometh harvest.' It is much disputed whether 
 these words merely refer to a proverbial saying, 
 or express an actual fact, viz., that our Lord was 
 in Samaria in December, i.e., four months before 
 the beginning of barley harvest. It is unneces- 
 sary to give the respective arguments here. The 
 majority of commentators take the lat er view, 
 and it seems the most probable one, but certainly 
 no chronological system should be based on so 
 doubtful a point. Greswell's view, that the 
 words, 'Look on the fields, for they are white 
 already to harvest,' imply that it was literally 
 harvest time, or a little before, is at all events 
 to be rejected; for the point of the expression 
 lips in the fact that if the disciples obeyed, 
 lifted np their eyes, and looked on the fields, 
 they would not see ripe corn: which would lead 
 thejii to look for some figurative meaning in the 
 words, and the explanation would be supplied 
 by the appearance of the .Samaritans in the dis- 
 tance. The contrast between the slow processes 
 of nature, and the (in many cases) rapid pro- 
 cesses of gr.ice, which Clirist designed to illus- 
 trate, would thus be most vividly (one may 
 almost say pictorially) displayed to the disciples. 
 
 2. The general meaning of ver. ."55—38, which 
 are at first sight difficult, will api)ear from the 
 iticoud division of the Sketch. It must be borne 
 
 in mind that they contain the Lord's description 
 of what He had been doing, Ills answer to the 
 disciples' question as to how His strength had 
 been sustained, and an encouragement to them 
 in the work to which they were called. The ex- 
 pression 'other men laboured' refers not (at all 
 events not directly) to the Old Testament pro- 
 phets, but to Himself. He had even then been 
 ' labouring,' and they ' should enter into His 
 labours,' by having the gratification of receiving 
 (perhaps of baptizing) the Samaritau believers ; 
 just as upon His ' labour' in the whole work of 
 redemption, the 'travail of His soul' (Isa. liii. 
 11), depends all the ministerial success of every 
 one of His servants, whose utmost toil is indeed 
 only a joyful reaping compared with His sowing. 
 
 3. It Is noteworthy that the Samaritan idea ot 
 the Messiah, as the ' Saviour ot the World,' was 
 a far higher one than that of the Jews. As they 
 did not receive any of the books of the Old Tes- 
 tament except the Pentateuch, they could not 
 misinterpret the later and fuller prophecies as 
 the Jews did; and their conceptions might be 
 derived from the promises to Abraham that 'in 
 his seed all nations of the earth should be 
 blessed.' In like manner, the woman's expecta- 
 tion that Messiah 'would tell us all things,' 
 might be bused upon Deut. xviii. 15-18. 
 
Lesson XXI. — The Nobleman of Capfcrnaum. 
 
 ' The obedience qfjailh.' 
 Jlea / John iv. 43 — 54 ; Learn — John iv. 50 ; Jas. ii. 22. (Hymns, 145, 149, 185, 345, 371.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 Perhaps few of our Lord's mu'acles have, at first sight, less of special interest attaching 
 to them than the one recorded in this passage, and the cursory reader might imagine that 
 scarcely any opportunity for picturing was afforded by it. But the subject is peculiarly 
 attractive when we look below the surface, especially at such points as the Greek word 
 rendered ' nobleman,' which may almost be said to reveal the man's history (see Note 3, 
 and first division of Sketch), or the incidents implied in the mention of the hotir at which 
 the mu-acle was WTOUght, compared with the relative positions of Cana and Capernaum 
 (see Note 4, and second division of Sketch). These features of the Lesson will interest all 
 classes of scholars, and the teachers of the younger children will be able to exercise their 
 picturing faculties without going too deeply into the inner subject of the Lesson, viz., the 
 growth of faith. 
 
 This inner subject, however, is one of great importance. Sunday-school teachers are 
 too much in the habit of using theological terms which have no definite meaning in the 
 minds of their scholars, and of thfe habit the constant iteration of the words 'faith' and 
 ' believe ' is the most common example. Yet every thoughtful teacher knows that if one 
 of his scholars asked him to explain what he really means when he calls on them to 
 ' believe in Christ,' he would find it very difficult to give a clear answer. The suggestions 
 made in the following Sketch may perhaps help him to do so. 
 
 For infants an easier application, and one quite as useful, is suggested by the fact 
 (noticed at the end of the first division— and see Note 6) that this miracle and that of the 
 water made wine are rej>resentatives of the two classes of mighty works done by our 
 Lord, by which fact we are reminded of His all-embracing love and power. 
 
 Sketch of Lesson. 
 
 How often we have talked of faith I 
 Who understands what it is?— many do 
 not — try to-day. 
 
 In the last six lessons we have seen many 
 belie ring in Christ; but many different 
 sorts of' believing. Look at chap. ii. 23, 24— 
 one sort ; at chap. iii. 2 (comp. ver. 12)— 
 another sort; two sorts in chap. i. 41, 49, 
 comp. with ii. 11 ; two sorts in chap. iv. 
 39_42. To-day see a picture of faith 
 groioing—\\ke an acorn becoming an oak ; 
 a man believing at first scarcely at all, 
 at last with all his heart. 
 
 The Eoman governor Pilate ruled only 
 in Judsea. Over Galilee and Pertea (the 
 country 'beyond Jordan') one of King 
 Herod's sons reigned, called Herod Antipas ; 
 see Luke iii. 1. At his palace many courtiers, 
 lords, officers— gay people (comp. Mark 
 vi. 21)— given up to court affairs and 
 pleasures— no thought of God's promises- 
 would they care about any new prophet? 
 Yet knew John the Baptist— had heard 
 him preach before Herod (Mark vi. 20)— 
 but would not like one who so sternly 
 rebuked sin. Now had heard of Jesus — 
 would they care for him ?— would say, 
 ' this man a prophet ! he is only a Naza- 
 rene ! ' But some went to Passover— came 
 back to Galilee, telling what wonderful 
 things Jesus did (ver. 45 ; chap. ii. 23)— 
 still many would think little of it. 
 
 "What is it that sometimes brings thought- 
 less people to Christ ? Isa. xxvi. 9, IG ; 
 Ps. cxix. 67. Upon one of these Herodian 
 courtiers [see Note 3J God sends trouble — 
 his son very ill — doctors cannot cure — 
 worse and worse— just dying (ver. 47). 
 How little the poor father cares now for 
 finery and gaiety— aU his money no use — 
 what shall he do ? 
 
 Now look at our pictiire of faith [^Read 
 passage] . See this nobleman — 
 
 I. Believikg in Christ's Power. 
 
 In his distress he thinks of the Nazarene 
 carpenter — ' he healed some at JenL=:alem — 
 could he not heal my son ? ' Jesus is only 
 twenty miles away (ver. 46). Early in 
 the morning [see Note 4] the father sets 
 off — tiring journey — up steep roads into hilly 
 country. Perhaps he thinks (like Naaman, 
 2 Kings V. 9—12) that the ' prophet ' will be 
 highly flattered at so great a man coming 
 to'Him, and v.'ill eagerly go back with him 
 (perhaps in hope of reward) to the sick bed 
 at Capernaum. 
 
 What sort of faith is this ? Thought Jesus 
 could heal— knew not how— perhaps with 
 some curious magic at bedside — certainly 
 never thought (a) of instant cure, {b) of 
 cure at n distance, or (c) of cure after death 
 (comp. Martha and Mary, chap. xi. 21, 32). 
 Anyhow, cared not for Jesus Himself — 
 nothing to him who Jesus might be. 
 
54 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUK LORD. 
 
 See what Jesus said, ver. 48 — what 
 meant ? Something like this : — 'Ye Jews 
 tiave the Scriptures testifj-ing of Me — the 
 Baptist has announced Me — I have fulfilled 
 prophecy before your eyes [_see Lesson 
 XVII. \ — yet ye will not believe — do not 
 even care to inquire about Me — only want 
 to see great wonders — even then many 
 will not accept Me.' [See Note 5.] 
 
 Was it not true of them ? chap. ii. 18 ; 
 Matt. xii. Ss, xvi. 1 ; 1 Cor. i. 22. Was it 
 not true of this man ? — never thinking of 
 Jesus till wanted His healing power — even 
 then only asked for that — no idea of being 
 a disciple. 
 
 Do Jesus' words impress him? — does he 
 feel the rebuke ? Thinks only of the one 
 thing — no desire for anything greater from 
 Jesus — knows nothing of the ' living water ' 
 — of the ' Saviour of the world ' (see ver. 
 14, 42). Yet not offended, like Naaman — 
 too sad and anxious. 
 
 Jesus might be angry with him, but only 
 * very pitiful and of tender mercy ' — will 
 do ' exceeding abundantly above all he has 
 asked or thought.' When had Jesus done 
 so before? chap. ii. 1 — 11. TTien He 
 shewed His power over the good things of 
 the world, blessing and increasing them. 
 Now He will show His power over the evil 
 things of the world, checking and curing 
 them. [See Note 6. J 
 
 But faith must be tried — the father must 
 go back alone. Ivow see this man — 
 
 II. Believing in Christ's Word. 
 
 ' Thy son liveth ! ' — ' How can He know 
 that here at Cana? and how can it be 
 true ? — can he heal without touching the 
 sick one ? ' So the nobleman might have 
 felt. Can he go back alone ? Suppose this 
 a mistake. 
 
 Does he hesitate to go ? But mark — he 
 is in no hurry. It is noon — he could get 
 back to-night if made haste— does he? 
 It is next day, when, on the way, he meets 
 
 his sen-ants. Why this ? ' He that be- 
 lieveth shall not make haste' (Isa. xxviii. 16), 
 [See Note 4.] 
 
 What sort of faith is this ? (a) Sure that 
 what Christ says is true. This more than 
 some, see chap. iii. 4, 12, 32. If can receive 
 Christ's words, then heart ready — only 
 requires to know more in order to believe 
 more, (i) Willing to obey Christ. This 
 the test. Comp. Abraham, Heb. xi. 8 ; 
 contrast Naaman. See faith growing. 
 
 Now see the glad news. Child not dead — 
 cure complete {'■fever left him') — and 
 when ? Then it is all true — this Jesus has 
 done it — and what then ? See the man, 
 and all his household — 
 
 III. Believing in Christ Him,self. 
 
 What does ver. 53 mean ? Not merely 
 i believing Jesus can cure — this they knoir 
 now. Sluch more : believing in Him o.< 
 Messiah, avowing their faith (comp. Rom. 
 X. 10), becoming his open disciples — the 
 great oflBcer of Hei-od's court boldly joining 
 the poor despised Nazarene. 
 
 What sort of faith is this? (a) Confident 
 and happy faith — not timid and gloomy, 
 but like that of Paul (2 Tim. i. 12), and of 
 Peter's converts (1 Pet. i. 8). (b) ' Faith 
 which worketh by love' (Gal. v. 6) — not 
 sitting still, but ready to work and suffer 
 for Christ. 
 
 Now WHAT is our faith LIKE? Of 
 
 course we believe (1) in Chiist's power. 
 But do we believe (2) in His ivord—a.\\ He 
 says to us in the Bible ? Above all, do we 
 believe (3) in Himself taking Him as our 
 Saviour, Lord, Friend, caring for Him 
 above all others ? 
 
 How is this to be proved ? See text for 
 repetition (Jtis. ii. 22). How know differ- 
 ence between dead tree and living tree? 
 So, does our faith in Christ make us ' plen- 
 teously bring forth the fruit of good 
 works ' ? 
 
 1. Up to this point the events of our Lord's 
 ministry are recorded only by St. Jolm. In the 
 three other Gospels, the commencement of His 
 great public work in Galilee follows immediately 
 on the Temptation. All expositors, however, 
 agree that a considerable period intervened, 
 occupied by the incidents of John i. 19— iv. 42. 
 
 The question whether the journey into Galilee, 
 recorded in John iv. 3, 43, is the same as that 
 named in Matt. iv. 12 ; .Mark i. 14 ; Luke iv. 14 ; 
 is discussed in Additional Note III., p. .ij.- 
 
 2. 'His own country,' ver. 44. Most commen- 
 tators, imagining that Christ was avoiding the 
 place where He would get no honour, consider 
 tliat the 'own country' is Nazareth, as dis- 
 tinguished from the rest of Galilee; and that 
 He passed by Nazareth, where Ho would tiot be 
 'received," and came to Cana, where He teas 
 'received.' (Some even think Betlilehem is in- 
 tended, which, in returning to Galilee, He was 
 leaving behind in Jud»a. This Is undoubtedly 
 wrong.) Certainly, Niizareth was 'His own 
 country,' and as such is distinguished elsewhere 
 
 from Capernaum : see Lnke iv. 2.'? (comp. Matt, 
 siii. 54; Markvi. 1.) Hut is Nazareth only in- 
 tended? Is it not the /till-counlry in which 
 Nazareth icas situated, and Cana loo ? This upland 
 district is as different as possible from the deep 
 hollow in whicli lies the Lake of Gennesareth, 
 fringed at that time with populous towns, of 
 which Capernaum was one. In this hill-country 
 the early life of Jesus had been passed ; it was 
 emphatically his ' own country" (more literally 
 'fatherland') ; hither Henow came— just because 
 here He would not be counted a prophet, and 
 could be for a time in retirement. But, contrary 
 to what might naturally be expected, the Gali- 
 leans did 'receive' Him, having seen His acts 
 at Jerusalem. See Additional Note III., p. 55. 
 
 3. The word rendered 'nobleman ' OJcnAiicd^, 
 basilHos) means a royal person ; but it is specially 
 used by Josephus of the courtiers and offlccrs of 
 the petty Palestine kings as distinct from those 
 of the Roman emperors. The man who came to 
 Christ can therefore be identified as one of the 
 household of Herod Antipas, the ' tetrarch ' (i.«.. 
 
NOTE ON CHEIST's JOURNEYS INTO GALILEE. 
 
 55 
 
 ruler of a fourth part of Ilerod the Great's king- 
 dom) of Galilee. It is even possible that he may 
 have been the steward Chuza, whose wife was 
 one of the wealthy women who ' ministered ' to 
 Christ (Luke viii. 3). He may also have been 
 one of the scribes who had given up their strict 
 Pharisee lives, and joined the gay and vicious 
 court of Antipas ; to whom Christ seems to refer 
 when He speaks (Luke vii. 25) of some teachers 
 • in soft raiment,' 'gorgeously apparelled,' ' living 
 delicately in kings' courts.' [See an interesting 
 ' biblical study ' on Manaen, by Professor Plump- 
 tre, in the Sunday Mafjazine, A])rn,lS67 ; and his 
 article, ' Scribes,' in Smith's Dictionary of the 
 BiOle.] II this last conjecture be correct, our 
 Lord's words to him, ' E.xcept ye see signs and 
 wonders'— so like what He elsewhere said to 
 scribes (Matt. xii. 38, 39)— are very significant. 
 
 4. The 'nobleman' came to Christ 'at the 
 seventh hour,' i.e., one P.M. (see ver. 52, 53). As 
 €ana was little more than twenty miles from 
 Capernaum, he had probably started early the 
 s.ime morning. He certainly might have got back 
 that night, especially if impelled by parental 
 anxiety ; and the fact that he only met his ser- 
 vants, on his way back, the following day, shows 
 his confidence in Christ's word. 
 
 Note the expressions, ' Sir, come doton '—' as he 
 •was now going down'; referring to the steep 
 •descent from the hill-country into the hollow of 
 the Lake of Gennesarcth. 
 
 5. This narrative illustrates the remarkable 
 fact-too little recognised, though evident again 
 and again in the Gospels— that our Lord did not 
 regard His miracles as the chief ground of faith 
 in Himself. He would not work mere prodigies 
 
 (' signs from heaven') when challenged to do so, 
 but confined Himself to the less startling works 
 of mercy, which were the real ' signs ' of IHs 
 mission-tokens of lUs love— emblems of His 
 spiritual blessings. Even these were generally 
 conditional on the prior faith of the persons on 
 whom they were wrought. ' If thou canst be- 
 lieve'— 'Believest thou that I am able to do 
 this ? '— ' He could do no mighty works there be- 
 cause of their unbelief'—' Or else believe Me for 
 the very works' sake ' (as a lower kind of faith), 
 &.C., &c. Most of His attached followers joined 
 Him under the influence of His word and pre- 
 sence; and when some, merely struck by His 
 miracles, put faith in Him, He put no faith in 
 them, (see Lesson XVII., Note 9). Miracles, how- 
 ever, constantly confirmed faith, as in the case 
 before us, in John ii. 11, xi. 21-44, and many other 
 places. 
 
 Christ's first reply to the nobleman, therefore, 
 had no real harshness in it : it is a sadly-spoken 
 and gentle rebuke of the defectiveness of his 
 faith (see the Sketch). Afford beautifully ob- 
 serves that His treatment of this man was an 
 example of ' not quenching the smoking fiax, 
 as His treatment of the Samaritan woman was 
 of ' not breaking the bruised reed.' 
 
 fi. St. John's reason for emphatically na.ning 
 this miracle as the 'second' worked in Galilee 
 (the first being that of the water made wine) 
 seems to he twofold :-(l) They are typical ex- 
 amples of the two kinds of Christ's works-(a) 
 on the good of this world, (6) on the evil of the 
 world— as suggested In the Sketch ; (2) Each had 
 a special purpose and result in the confirmation 
 of weak faith (see preceding note). 
 
 ADDITIONAL NOTE III.— THE JOUENEYS OF CHRIST INTO GALILEE. 
 
 Expositors have usually assumed that the 
 journey into Galilee recorded in John iv. 
 is Identical with that named by the other 
 Evangelists. Recent writers question this, 
 and it would seem with good reason. I'or 
 Matthew and Mark give the Baptist's im- 
 prisonment as the cause of the journey; 
 TN'hereas John (ver. 1 ) gives a totally dis- 
 tinct reason, and, moreover, his language 
 implies that the Baptist was still at liberty 
 (the Greek is, ' That Jesus is making and 
 baptizing more disciples than John is ' — im- 
 plying that John's baptism was still going 
 on). 
 
 Some who hold this latter view, further 
 think that the visit to Jerusalem, nan-ated 
 in John v., must be placed immediately 
 after chap, iv., and that the departure into 
 Galilee of the three earlier Gospels was the 
 return from the capital. But the internal 
 features of chap. v. (which will be pointed 
 out hereafter) apparently require its being 
 put later in the history. 
 
 The following an-angement seems to 
 combine all the requirements of the sacred 
 naiTative : — 
 
 For some time Jesus and John are 
 preaching and baptizing in Judaea simul- 
 taneously [see Lesson XIX., Note 1 ] . The 
 crowds drawn to Christ excite the attention 
 of the rulers (John iv. 1). To avoid a 
 collision at so early a period— perhaps also 
 
 to prevent the suspicion of a rivalry be- 
 tween the two teachers (iii. 25, 26)— Jesus 
 quietly withdraws into Galilee, passing 
 through Samaria on his way. His object- 
 retirement — not being gained, as the Gali- 
 leans (contrary to expectation) 'receive 
 Him (iv. 45), He rettims into the 'wilder- 
 ness' where He had been tempted, and 
 thence (as seems intimated by Matthew, 
 Mark, and Luke) He starts for GaHlee, on 
 hearing of John's imprisonment, to begin 
 His chief ptibHc ministry; the time for 
 which has now arrived, the Baptist's pre- 
 paratory work being at an end. 
 
 The only apparent awkwardness in this 
 scheme is the assumption of a retirement 
 into the wilderness at the end of John iv. 
 But since the journey to Galilee of Mat- 
 thew, Mark, and Luke was not that of 
 John iv. 3, 43, nor (probably) subsequent 
 to John v., it must be placed between, and 
 must have been from some place. And the 
 idea of its being from the wilderness makes 
 the narrative of the three Evangelists more 
 natural. 
 
 In one respect, this arrangement is 
 strongly confirmed by John iv. 44, the 
 words of which are a standing Bible 
 difficulty, but are by this view made trans- 
 parently clear. Christ went into Galilee 
 for the very rmson that He would get " no 
 honour" there, and so might find retire- 
 
56 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUE LORD. 
 
 ment. (The journey of the three earlier 
 Gospels has a directly opposite purpose, Adz., 
 to enter on a great public work.) Retire- 
 ment, however, He did not find, as the 
 proverb in this instance was but partially 
 
 verified. The Galileans, having been to 
 the Passover at Jerusalem, and witnessed 
 His miracles there, were now ready to 
 ' receive ' Him. {See Lesson XXL, Note 2.\ 
 
 Lesson XXII. — Tlie Rejection at Nazaretli. 
 
 'Is not this the carpenter?^ 
 
 Read — Luke iv. IC — 30 ; Learn — Luke iv. 22; Isa. liii. 1—3 
 
 {Hymns 95, 145, 167, 261, 2G4, 270.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 The chief requisite for teaching this Lesson well is this : — That the teacher should 
 himself realise the scene in the synagogue with sufficient vividness to picture it as if he 
 had been there. It is hoped that the Sketch, with Notes 2 and 3, will enable all to do 
 this. The writer has borrowed considerably from Dr. Hanna's Earlier Years of Our Lord, 
 the chapter in which on this subject should be read if possible. The description of 
 synagogue worship, &c., in Smith's Dictionary of the Bible (reproduced in the Student's New 
 Testament History), will also be found very suggestive. 
 
 If the picturing is at all effective, the nan-ative will prove one of the most interesting 
 in the Gospels. The very fact that it is not the story of a miracle brings it more within 
 the range of a child's understanding ; it will come home to the class. 
 
 The third head of application is the most important, and flows most directly from the 
 narrative ; it should, therefore, be taken alone if time runs short. But the Lesson is not 
 complete without the other two heads. The first one will interest good text-finders ; and 
 it may be observed that in the paragraph is exemplified a good method of making Scripture 
 references more pointed, viz., by individualising the inspired writer in each case — ' Solomon 
 will tell us how' — ' Paul will help us to answer,' &c. The warning respecting familiarity 
 with the Gospel can be further impressed on elder scholars by reminding them how much 
 more interested they (speaking generally) were in the life and work of Christ when they 
 were younger ; familiarity, and consequent carelessness, groxoing with advancing years. 
 
 Illustrations are scarcely wanted in a lesson depending so much on its picturing. It is 
 often well, however, to open with one, and to use them in application ; and suggestions 
 for this purpose occur in the Sketch. 
 
 It may be convenient to mention that the motto of the Lesson is from Mark vi. 3, where 
 Jesus is called, not (as elsewhere) the ' carpenter's son,' but the ' carpenter.' 
 
 Sketch of Lesson. 
 If a man well-known in our town or good — too good to be liked bj' all. (So 
 
 neighbourhood went away for a time — 
 became famous — great soldier or traveller 
 —then came back to the old place — how 
 would he be received ? 
 
 Jesus thirty years at Nazareth — small 
 town — everybody knew Him well. How 
 was He occupied when there ? Had no 
 doubt done carpenter's work for them — 
 been paid, &.C., <tc. — no one thought Who 
 He was. Now He goes there after being 
 away some time — since last there has done 
 wondrous things — see how He is received. 
 
 I. The ' Carpenter's Son ' in His own 
 TOWN. \Read rer. 16—20.] 
 
 It is the Sabbath— people gathering to 
 the synagogue (as now to church) for Sab- 
 bath worship and teaching — eager to go 
 to-day — expect to see one who for years 
 was regularly there, but absent lately — 
 the son of Joseph the carpenter's widow — 
 whom none could ever tjnd foiilfc with— so 
 
 now, church often the place where first 
 expect to meet absent friend.) "Why eager 
 to see Him ? Have heard strange reports of 
 what He has done at Jerusalem, Cana, «S:c. 
 — of His preaching publicly and having 
 disciples, &c. 
 
 The sj-nagogue full — ffe is there — not 
 looking very different — not dressed like old 
 prophets or the stern man who baptized in 
 the Jordan. The service goes on — pre- 
 sently the ' Lesson' to be read — He rises as 
 if a regular scribe — takes the roll given 
 Him — tlie roll of Isaiah's prophecies — reads 
 out a beautiful message from God (Isa. Ixi. 
 — words they know well) — then sits down 
 to preach in the very building in which He 
 liad sat so often as a listener — all eyes on 
 Him. 
 
 II. The 'Carpenter's Son's' Claim. 
 See the text (ver. 18, 19^ and first sen- 
 tence ^ver. 21) of His sermon — we have no 
 
THE REJECTION AT NAZAEETH. 
 
 57 
 
 more (' He began to say'), but how full this 
 is ! and how suitable ! Think what sort 
 of people sitting there— the common people 
 of a little town. Most of tlu.-in 'poor,' 
 toiling wearily day by day— some ' broken- 
 hearted' with trouble or sorrow— some 
 ' captives ' to besetting faults— some ' blind ' 
 (either Hterally or with ignorance). No 
 postman brings good news to ilmm—but 
 the text does (' GospeV=(jond news). God 
 promises a 'Jubilee year' [see Note 3]— a. 
 time of release from the worst slavery 
 (John viii. 34), of recovery of an 'inherit- 
 ance ' that is ' incoiTuptible,' &c. (1 Pet.i. 4). 
 But who to bring all this y One ' anointed ' 
 by God's Spirit— the 'Messiah'— of whom 
 Isaiah wrote feo much. And when ? What 
 does Jesus tell them (ver. 21)? Noiv! 
 <this day' !— then He means that He is 
 Messiah 1 
 
 III. The 'Carpenter's Son' Eejected. 
 lEead ver. 22-30.] 
 
 Now see what the Nazarenes think of it 
 all. They like His words— so different 
 from what used to come from scribes— no 
 hard rules which no one can remember or 
 Ijeep — 'words of grace' [the literal mean- 
 ing\ indeed — and He (they well know") not 
 a learned man either. They are fascii;ated 
 at first. But see— altered looks— whisper- 
 ing— murmurs— ' What 1 he ! he whom v/e 
 have known all his life, Joseph's son, the 
 carpenter — he set himself up to be God's 
 Messiah ! ' 
 
 Jesus stops— He knows all their thoughts 
 —see what He says, ver. 23—27. '-It is 
 only what He expected ('s?ire/?/')— what is 
 always the case (' no prophet' cj-c.) — but let 
 them be careful— they may lose great bles- 
 sings. Are they jealous because His works 
 (healing sick, «Sic.) not done there first 
 (ver. 23) ? What had God done of old ? 
 did the baiTels of meal last in Hebrew homes 
 in Elijah's days? did Elisha heal Israelitish 
 lepers ? If they will not have the ' good 
 news,' God can send it down to the pub- 
 licans and fishermen of Capernaum— can 
 even send it away to the Gentiles" (comp. 
 Acts xiii. 46, xviii. 6, xxviii. 28). 
 
 This maddens them. ' Does this car- 
 penter compare Himself to Elijah r loes He 
 dare to say that the promise to Israel shall 
 go to the Gentiles— the dogs— the uncir- 
 cumcised ? ' Comp. the tumult at St. Paul's 
 similar words. Acts xxii. 21, 22. 
 
 Look !— on the Sabbath— in the house of 
 
 prayer— the whole congregation springing 
 up, seizing the gentle Jesus, dragging Him 
 out, rushing to the edge of the cliff to 
 hurl Him over. Suddenly— He is gone ! 
 where ? none can tell ! So they have seen 
 a miracle after all, but— it has separated 
 them from theu- Saviom-. 
 
 Which of us are like these Naza- 
 renes ? 
 
 1. All of us are like them in one way. 
 The same Saviom- comes to us, proclaiming 
 the same Gospel. But do we want it ? 
 Are we poor ? Perhaps we have nothing; 
 Solomon will tell us how, Prov.- xiii. 7 
 (comp. Rev. iii. 17). Are we broken-hearted? 
 We ought to be, for sin ; see what David 
 says, Ps. li. 17. Are we blind? Peter 
 (2 Pet. i. 9) or John (1 John ii. 11) will 
 tell us how that might be. Are we captives 
 or bruised {i.e., crushed) by cruel foes? 
 Paul can help us to answer, see Rom. vii. 
 23, 24 ; 2 Tim. ii. 26. Is any one of these 
 texts like a mirror, in which we see our- 
 selves ? If so, to us Jesus comes, to make 
 rich, Prov. viii. 17, 18; to give comfort, 
 John xiv. 18, 27; to open the eyes, 
 Acts xxvi. 18; to deliver from bondage, 
 Rom. vi. 14. vii. 25 ; to do eveiything for 
 us, Phil, iv.' 19. 
 
 2. Some o/ us are like thein in another 
 toay. They rej ecttd Jesus ; how many do 
 now I But, you say, we would not have 
 done as they did. Are you quite sure ? 
 They little thought that morning what 
 they would do before night. But you may 
 reject Jesus without going so far as that 
 To neglect Him is to reject Him. [Illust.— 
 1 offer you money — you simply do not put out 
 hand to take it— is not that rejecting it f ] 
 
 3. In one other way we are like them. 
 What made them reject Jesus? Was it 
 not that they knew Him so well. His face 
 and voice so familiar, thought Httle of it? 
 And you know all about Him— heard it 
 often— Gospel nothing new to you— is that 
 why you care not for it? [Illust. — Sun- 
 shine, action of heart in breathing, (fc, 
 stick common mercies that not appreciated.'] 
 Negroes and savages not clothed and 
 educated like you— whom you would look 
 down on — they often eager for God's mes- 
 sage—and they will be in heaven when 
 some clever English boys and girls ' cast 
 out.' But may come 7ww—' acceptable 
 year of Lord' (comp. 2 Cor. vi. 2)— now 'in 
 nowise cast out ' (John vi. 37). 
 
 Notes. 
 
 1. AUord and others think that this visit to 
 Nazareth should he placed later in the chrono- 
 logy— St. Luke not ohserving the order of time: 
 (1) because they identify it with the visit men- 
 tioned by Matthew (xiii. 54-.W) and Mark 
 (vi. 1—6) ; (2) because of the allusion in ver. 23 
 to ' what had been done at Capernaum.' But the 
 majority of expositors (including Tischendorf, 
 Meyer, Wieseler, and most English writers) 
 agree that there were two visits, notwithstand- 
 ing the remarkable similarity in the accounts; 
 and this seems clearl.v nroved by the single fact 
 
 that St. Mark (vi. 5) speaks of miracles being 
 wrought, which could not have been the case on 
 the occasion recorded by St. Luke, as the very 
 expression in verse 23 precludes their having 
 been d.ine before it was uttered, and it is im- 
 possible to conceive of them after the rejection. 
 ' What had been done at Capernaum,' w.as pro- 
 bably the cure of the nobleman's son (who lay 
 sick there, though Jesus was at Cana). Further, 
 ver. 31-44 (and Mark i. 21-.39) evidently record 
 the commencement of the ministry at Caper- 
 naum, and ver. 31 implies that Jesus went 
 
58 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 there from Nazareth ; with which Matt. iv. 13 
 agrees ( ' Leaving Xazareth, lie came and dwelt 
 in Capernaum '). 
 
 2. SYNAGOGUES.— The word is a Greek one, 
 meaning assembhj, ami is almost identical with 
 the Latin ' congregation.' Like our word * church,' 
 it originallydesignatcdtheassemblyof worship- 
 pers (comp. John ix. 22; Acts ix. 2), hut in course 
 of time was applied to the building in which 
 they met. Synagogues probably originated 
 during the captivity, when the Temple worship 
 was suspended, or even before (Ps. Ixxiv. 8). 
 Subsequently they rose in all directions, and had 
 a srreat influence in fostering the religious life 
 of the nation. 
 
 They generally stood on the highest ground in 
 or near the town, and were so built that one end 
 was towards Jerusalem (like chancels towards 
 the east), at which end was the ark or chest con- 
 tainingthe Booksof the Law, &c.,and the 'chief 
 seats' so eagerly sought (Matt, xxiii. G; Jas. ii. 
 2,3). The pulpit, which stood in the centre of a 
 raised platform, occupied a position similar to 
 that in our churches. 
 
 The 'ruler of the synagogue' was the chief 
 local Rabbi. Jairus filled this office at Caper- 
 naum (Luke viii. 41), and Crispus at Corinth 
 (Acts xviii. 8). Ilis qualifications were very 
 similar to those of a bishop, as laid down by St. 
 Paul. The word ' minister,' in the passage before 
 lis, means (as elsewhere. Matt. xx. 26 ; Acts 
 xiii. 5) a servant, and refers to the chazzdn, a 
 kind of clerk or verger ; this functionary was 
 often also the local schoolmaster. 
 
 The service consisted of pr.iycrs, read by the 
 •ruler,' the i)eople standing (Mark xi 25: Luke 
 xviii. 11) and responding 'Amen'; singing of 
 the Psalms ; the reading, first of the Law, then 
 of the Prophets (as first and second lessons) ; 
 and the ' derash,' or ' word of exhortation ' 
 (Acts xiii. 15). Any one could re.ad the Books of 
 the Prophets ; hence there was no obstacle to 
 Christ doing so. The reader always stood ; the 
 preacher sat (comp. Jfatt. v. i. ; Mark iv. 1). 
 
 The synagogue was also used as a court of 
 justice (Luke xii. 11, xxi. 12), and even as a place 
 of punishment (Matt. x. 17 ; Mark xiii. 9). 
 
 3. ' Opening ' and ' closing ' the ' book,' of course 
 means nnroUinriand rolling the roll of the sacred 
 writings. Each of the Old Testament books (or 
 groups of books) would occupy a roll ; so Jesus 
 
 was handed the roll of Isaiah's prophecies. Pro- 
 bably the regular appointed 'lessons' were just 
 at that time from Isaiah ; but Bengel's argu- 
 ment, attempting to fix the very day of the year 
 by seeing when chap. Ixi. fell in the Rabbinical 
 calendar, cannot be relied on. It is more likely 
 that Jesus Himself selected the particular 
 passage. 
 
 The passage as given by St. Luke agrees sub- 
 stantially with the Septuagint version of Isa. 
 Ixi. 1,2; but one clause is omitted, and some 
 words from Isa. Iviii. 6 inserted instead. The 
 omission by our Lord of the closing words of the 
 sentence ('the day of vengeance') may have 
 been in order not to favour the popular idea of a 
 temporal restoration. ' To preach the acceptaMe 
 5'ear,' would be better rendered, ' To proclaim' 
 the proclamation of the Jubilee being referred to. 
 See Lev. xxv. 
 
 4. The two proverbs quoted by our Lord may 
 be compared with two parallel English sayings, 
 'Physician, heal thyself,' with ' Charity begins 
 at home' : ' No prophet,' &c., with ' Familiarity 
 breeds contempt.' ' Physician, heal thyself ' does 
 not here mean, 'Preach to yourself before you 
 preach to us,' but, ' You, a Nazarene, ought to 
 heal the Nazarene sick before those elsewhere.' 
 
 5. 'Elias,' ' Eliseus,' and, ' Sarepta,' must be 
 explained as identical with the Elijah, Elisha, 
 and Zarephath of the Old Testament. They 
 are the Greek forms. Sarepta is now called 
 Surafend. 
 
 6. A steep hill, two miles from the modern 
 Nazareth, is the traditional scene of the attempt 
 on the life of Jesus, and is called the Mount of 
 Precipitation. It is evidently, however, not the 
 real spot. Just over the town is a smaller cliff, 
 forty feet high, on which are many traces of 
 former buildings. Here a portion of the old 
 village may have stood, and certainly (see above, 
 Note 2) the sj-nagogue. If so, Jesus had only to 
 be dragged a few yards to the edge of the pre- 
 cipice. The clifT may have been virtually much 
 higher, as the ground below has risen con- 
 siderably through the crumbling of the rock and 
 the accumulation of debris. 
 
 7. The exact method of our Lord's escape from 
 the crowd is uncertain. He may have rendered 
 Himself invisible, or made them powerless by a 
 look such as that in Gethsemane, John xviii. 6. 
 
 ADDITIONAL NOTE IV.— CHRIST'S GALILEAN MINISTRY. 
 
 If we had only the Gcspels of St. Mat- 
 thew, St. Mark, and St. Luke, we should 
 ima^ne that onr Lord's public work was 
 almost confined to Galilee. It is clear that 
 the regular course of Apostolic oral teach- 
 ing given to the early Church — from which 
 course of oral teaching was probably de- 
 rived the substance of the three Gospels — 
 was mainly confined to a selection of 
 Christ's works and discourses in Galilee, 
 and a detailed narrative of His death and 
 its attendant circumstances. The obvious 
 reason of this is, that most of the Apostles 
 j'.iined Him at the beginning of His Galilean 
 ministry, and so naturally recorded the 
 things they had seen and heard ; though, 
 as they were guided by Divine inspiration, 
 
 there are doubtless also other and higher 
 reasons, which cannot now be discussed. 
 
 When, however, we turn to St. John's 
 Gospel, we find that there was an impor- 
 tant period of work in Judaea and the Jor- 
 dan valley anterior to that in Galilee ; \_see 
 Addit. Note III., and Lesson XIX., Note Ij. 
 The question at once occurs to us. What 
 was the relation of one ministry to the 
 other? Why did Christ more from the 
 capital and its neighbourhood, and, begin- 
 ning (as it were) entirely afresh, retire into 
 a provincial district ? Why did he there 
 spend most of His time, there employ most 
 freely His miraculous power, thence draw 
 His most intimate followers ? 
 
 The answer seems to be, in brief, this :— 
 
NOTE ON CHRONOLOGY. 
 
 59 
 
 It was fitting that Messiah should be pre- 
 sented to the Jewish people in their cor- 
 porate capacity as God's chosen nation. 
 To this end John the Baptist pointed Him 
 out to the official deputation from the. 
 Sanhedrim (John i. 19—34; see Lesson 
 XIV., Note 3) ; to this end Jesus appeared 
 at the capital, fulfilled a Messianic pro- 
 phecy, and spoke of God as His Father 
 (John ii. 13—22; see Lesson XVIL); to 
 this end He remained in Judffia so long as 
 the Baptist's testimony continued, thus 
 still giving the rulers an opportunity of 
 recognising Him if they would (John iii. 
 22—36; see Lesson XIX., Note 1). Their 
 indifference and prejudice were, however, 
 too great : Messiah was rejected. Then, 
 and not till then, began the main workof 
 the Lord's public ministiy. It was this : 
 To gather out a new ' chosen people,' a new 
 ' Church,' which should supersede the old. 
 ' The Kingdom of God should be taken 
 from the Jews' — (not as indi\aduals, for 
 some would have it, but as a covenant 
 people) — ' and given to a nation ' — (not the 
 Gentiles as such, but the Church universal) 
 — ' bringing forth the fruits thereof.' This 
 work was chiefly done in Galilee. A few 
 men, indeed, joined Jesus earlier, on the 
 banks of the Jordan — Andrew, Philip, &c. ; 
 but they were Galileans, and they did not 
 finally ' leave all and follow Christ ' till He 
 came into Galilee. This 'leaving all and 
 following Christ ' was to the new dispensa- 
 tion what Abraham's leaving Mesopotamia, 
 and going out ' not knowing whither He 
 went,' was to the old dispensation. Both the 
 Jewish Church and the Christian Church 
 began with a Divine Call obeyed, a Divine 
 Promise believed. 
 
 But why was GalQee, particularly the 
 district bordering on the Lake, chosen as 
 the scene of this special work ? Because it 
 was, next to Jerusalem — in some respects 
 more than Jerusalem— the centre of life 
 and activity in Palestine at that period, 
 and at the same time there was far less of 
 pride and prejudice in its people. It is 
 called ' Galilee of the Gentiles,' not that 
 the bulk of the inhabitants were not Jews, 
 but because there was a large admixture of 
 foreign population ; the result being that 
 even the Jews there were more open to new 
 impressions, and were looked down upon 
 by their Judsean feUow-countrymen, who 
 
 ADDITIONAL NOTE V,— ON 
 GALILEAN 
 c 
 The object of this Note is to explain the 
 order of the events in our Lord's Galilean 
 ministry adopted in these Lessons. 
 
 Owing to the marked differences of ar- 
 rangement apparent in the first three Gos- 
 pels (St. John's nari-ative scarcely touches 
 this period), it is impossible to construct 
 the harmony without inverting in many 
 instances the order of one or other of the 
 Evangelists ; and, on the question how best 
 
 could recognise them anywhere by their 
 provincial accent (Mark xiv. 70 ; Actsii. 7). 
 
 It is remarkable that this district is 
 scarcely mentioned in the Old Testament. 
 It was under the Greek kings of Syria, and 
 subsequently under the Romans, that it 
 became so important. The great Roman 
 road from Ptolemais fAcre) ran right across 
 the province westward, thi'ough the then 
 chief city Sepphoi-is (four miles north of 
 Nazareth), down the steep descent to the 
 shore of the Lake, then northward through 
 Capernaum, across the Jordan by a bridge 
 just above the Lake, and so on to Damascus. 
 Hence, doubtless, the importance of Caper- 
 naum, which, with its neighbouring towns 
 and villages, was to Palestine what Lanca- 
 shire is to England — a great centre of 
 modem life and progress, superseding the 
 ancient glories of Hebron and Shechem — as 
 those of Exeter, Winchester, <$rc., have been 
 superseded. Many of the largest cities were 
 almost wholly Greek— Sepphoris, Tiberias, 
 Gadara, Hippos, &c., some of which— gay 
 and fashionable— might be also compared 
 to our Cheltenhams and Scarboroughs. It 
 is a striking fact that Christ is not recorded 
 to have visited any of these : although He 
 was the ' Prophet of Galilee,' He was ' not 
 sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of 
 Israel.' 
 
 But Jerusalem was not yet given up. 
 Again and again did Jesus 'go up' thither, 
 and, by mighty act and word, invite the 
 infatuated people to Himself. But they 
 would have none of Him. Not a new and 
 expansive ' kingdom ' of believing souls, but 
 the restoration of their own exclusive privi- 
 leges, did they look for and desire. Often, 
 ^ how often,' would He have 'gathered' 
 them, but they 'would not.' And so de- 
 struction came at last on their city and 
 their Temple, as He foretold. And it is 
 St. John, writing after the catastrophe, 
 who is careful in his Gospel to record the 
 Saviour's repeated but rejected invitations. 
 On the mutual relation of the Judaean 
 and GalOean ministries, see Andrews' Bible 
 Students' Life of our Lord (Strahan), pp. 
 107, &c., 167, &c. On the condition of 
 Galilee in the time of Christ, see Stanley's 
 Sinai and Palestine, p. 731, &c, ; Drew's 
 Scripture Lands, p. 281, &c. ; Hepworth 
 Dixon's Holy Land, pp. 117, 264, &c. 
 
 THE CHRONOLOGY OF THE 
 MINISTRY. 
 
 to do this a great variety of opinion exists. 
 The writer of these Lessons has taken an 
 interest in the subject for some years, and 
 has, at different times, inclined to this and 
 that view. But, while fully appreciating 
 the ingenuity with which harmonists have 
 endeavoured to fit every incident into its 
 proper place, and even to fix the day of the. 
 month on which each one occurred, he has 
 come to the conclusion that we do not poa- 
 
60 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 sess the materials for accurately mapping 
 out our Lord's ministry in a chronological 
 table at all. And, besides the seemingly 
 insuperable difficulties in the way of doing 
 so, there are two reasons why we ought not 
 to expect success in the attempt : — 
 
 (1) The miracles, discourses, circuits, &c., 
 recorded, must be very few in comparison 
 with the actual number of them. This is 
 evident from the fact that while the ' Gali- 
 lean ministr^^' strictly so called (i.e., from 
 the call of Peter, itc, to the Discourse at 
 Capernaum of John vi.), is considered, by 
 almost all the expositors, to have lasted 
 twelve or fifteen months at least, half the 
 space allotted to it by each Evangelist is 
 (speaking roughly) occupied with the events 
 of three days only. 
 
 (2) None of the Evangelists designed or 
 professed to write a ' biography ' of Christ. 
 The Gospels are rather like modem ' lec- 
 tures^ on the life of some great man, which, 
 ■while observing a genei-al and rough his- 
 torical order, omit large portions of his 
 career, and dwell upon such particular 
 episodes as may illustrate his character and 
 give a broad idea of the work of his life ; and 
 which, often with the same object in view, 
 group incidents together without strict 
 reference to the order of time. Such a 
 lecture is far more effective for its purpose 
 than the most exact chronological table. 
 
 At the same time, since ■'^ome arrangement 
 must be adopted in a continuous Course of 
 Lessons, it is well to take that one, if it 
 can be ascertained, which most nearly com- 
 bines the three inspired narratives. In 
 working this out, the following considera- 
 tions should be borne in mind : — 
 
 (1) St. Luke's statement, in his preface, 
 that he wrote ' in order,' does not imply 
 (as is often assumed) that he observed the 
 strict order of time. The expression refers 
 
 rather to ' a moral or logical sequence ' 
 (Westcott, Introduct. to Study of Gosjjeh, 
 p. 17G). The fact is that his narrative is 
 more loosely stnuig together than those of 
 Matthew and Mark ; there being generally 
 no connecting particles between his inci- 
 dents (see V. 1, 12, 17, vi. 12, vii. 36, viii.4). 
 In some places, even where his order is 
 certainly accurate, we only learn that it is 
 so from the other Gospels (comp. vi. 6 with 
 Matt. xii. 9 ; viii. 22 with Mark iv. 35). 
 
 (2) St. Mattliew gives these indications 
 of sequence much more frequently (see 
 V. 1, \-iii. I, 2, ix. 9, 18, 27, 32, xii. 9, 22, 
 xiii. 1). And as he was an eye-witness of 
 most of the events he records, it is natural 
 to expect that, although not arranged chro- 
 nologically of set purpose, they would fall 
 into their actual order more naturally in 
 his narrative than in one compiled by a 
 writer who (bs Luke did) obtained his 
 information from others. That Matthew's 
 facts are here and there grouped without 
 reference to time is true {e.g., verses 23 — 34 
 of chap. viii. certainly naiTate what took 
 place much later) ; but this does not appear 
 to be the case to so large an extent as is 
 often supposed. 
 
 (3) As Matthew and Luke differ widely 
 in their arrangement, it is natural to ask 
 with which of tliem Mark agrees. Many 
 writers assume that his order confirms that 
 of Luke ; yet. in the table below, although 
 Matthew is followed in several places where 
 he difl^ers from Luke, the order of Mark is, 
 with a single exception, maintained through- 
 out. The real question at Lssue is — Where, 
 in the intervals of ilark's narrative, should 
 be placed those incidents recorded only by 
 Matthew and Luke, or either of them. 
 
 The arrangement of the events in eight 
 groups will be found a great help to the 
 right imderstanding of the problem. 
 
 JIATT. 
 
 iv. 12-22. 
 
 viii. 14—17. 
 
 iv. 23-25. 
 
 MARK. 
 
 LUKE. 
 
 r\. Fir.st Call of the Fishermen 
 J J 2. Miracles in Capernaum . . 
 ) 3. Preaching in Galilee 
 14 Second V,-,M of the Fishermen . . 
 
 ('.'i. Sermon on tlie Mount 
 
 •rr J 6. The Leper 
 
 ) 7. The Centurion 
 
 U. The Widow of Nain 
 
 C 0. The Paralytic 
 
 I 10. Call of Matthew 
 
 I1I.-<11. Feast in Matthew's Hoiise, &c. 
 
 12. Jairus and the Sick Woman . . 
 
 (.13. Blind, Dumb, &c 
 
 It. At Jerusalem (John v.) 
 
 {\'t. Message of the TJaptist, fcc. 
 IG The Penitent Woman .. 
 17. Circuit 
 
 flS. In the Fields on the S.abhath . . 
 ■rr ) 19. In !t SvnapoRue on the Sabbath 
 '•)20. Withdrawal to the Sea .. 
 V.21. Choice of the Twelve 
 
 122. Demoniac healed— Accusations xii. 22-4.'i. 
 
 23. ' His Mother and His Brethren' xii. 4fi-.'iO. 
 
 24. Tciiching by Parables .. .. xiii. l-.'i2. 
 
 2.5. Voyau'C .across the Lake . . . . viii. 23—27. 
 
 26. The (Icrgcscne iJemoniac .. Tlli. 28— ix. 1. 
 
 ViT /27. Visit to Nazareth xiii. 53— ,S8. 
 
 '^*' (.28. The Twelve sent out .. .. x. 5— 42. 
 
 viii. 1 — 4. 
 viii. .5—13. 
 
 ix. 2—8. 
 
 ix. 9. 
 ix. 10-17. 
 ix. lH-2(>. 
 ix. 27-38. 
 
 30. 
 
 xii. 1—8. 
 
 xii. 9—14. 
 
 xii. l.')— 21. 
 
 X. 1 -4. 
 
 i. 14-20. 
 
 i. 21— 35. iv. 31-41. 
 
 i.GG— 39. iv. 42— 44. 
 
 v. 1-11. 
 
 vi. 17-40 (?) 
 
 i.40— 45. V. 12-lfi. 
 
 vii. 1—10. 
 
 Vii. 11-17. 
 
 ii.1-12. V. 17-26. 
 
 ii. 13, 14. V. 27, 28. 
 
 ii. 1.5—22. V. 29-39. 
 
 V. 21—43. viii. 41—56. 
 
 vii. 18-35. 
 vii. 36-50. 
 ' viii. 1-3. 
 
 ii.23-«8. vi. 1-5. 
 
 iii. 1— fi. vi. 6-11. 
 iii. 7—12. 
 
 iii. 13— 19. vi. 12— 16 
 
 iii. 22—30. 
 
 iii.31— S.'i. 
 
 iv. 1-34. 
 
 iv. 3.5— 41. 
 
 V. 1-20. 
 
 vi. 1-C. 
 Vi. 7-13. 
 
 xi. 14-32. 
 
 viii. 19— 21. 
 
 viii. 4-18. 
 
 viii. 22—25. 
 
 viii. 26-40. 
 
KOTE ON CHKONOLOGY. 
 
 61 
 
 JIATT. 
 Xiv. 1-12. 
 
 r29. Death Of John the Baptist, &c. ?-'\}~}: 
 
 I 30. Ketirement across the Lake (John yi. 1-3) xi v. 13, 14. 
 
 I 30. Ketirement across the Lake 
 
 I 31. The 5,000 fed ( 
 
 VIII.-< 32. Walking on the Sea . . ( 
 
 I 33 lu the land ol Gennesareth . . 
 I 34 Discourse at Capernaum ( 
 
 1^35 Accusations of the Thansees 
 
 , vi.4— 15) xiv. 15—21. 
 Vi. 16—21) xiv. 22-33. 
 xiv. 34—36. 
 Vi. 22-71) 
 
 XV. 1-20. 
 
 MARK, 
 vi. 14-29. 
 vi. 30-34. 
 vi. 35—44. 
 vi. 45-52. 
 vi. 53-56. 
 
 Vii. 1-23. 
 
 ix. 7-9. 
 ix. 10, 11. 
 ix. 12-17. 
 
 It is obvious that betioeen the several 
 groups, and also between some of the sec- 
 tions, there is ample room for all the 
 journeys, tic., of our Lord which are unre- 
 corded ; and, probably between groups II 
 and III, III and IV, IV and V, and VII 
 and VIII, considerable periods elapsed, 
 •which are an entke blank in the evangelic 
 narratives. 
 
 Each group (except the two small ones 
 IV and VII) contains incidents closely con- 
 nected by distinct statements in one or 
 more of the Gospels. The difficulty lies in 
 arranging the groups themselves. Many 
 hai-monists put II (except section 6) and 
 IV between V and VI,- which does not 
 affect Mark's order, but makes Luke's 
 almost entirely correct, and disregards 
 Matthew's altogether. But as regards Group 
 II, this plan, in order to maintain Luke's 
 order, separates the Healing of the Leper 
 from the Sermon on the Mount, with which 
 Matthew so distinctly connects it ; and the 
 Sermon itself is so obviously the first of 
 Christ's great discourses to the assembled 
 multitudes, that it seems altogether out of 
 place so far on as after Group V. More- 
 over, both in Matthew and Mark, V and VI 
 seem closely connected. 
 
 An important and extremely difficult 
 question is, where the visit to Jerusalem of 
 John v. comes in— (a question quite inde- 
 pendent of that other one, as to ichat feast 
 is there alluded to). Some consider that 
 it occurred before the Galilean ministry; 
 others fit it in at various points among the 
 incidents of that ministry. Its position m 
 the above table is determined, not on merely 
 chronological, but on much deeper grounds, 
 the explanation of which will give the key 
 to the entire arrangement. 
 
 A careful perusal of the passages m 
 Groups I to III will shew that, during the 
 period they describe, Christ's ministry was 
 one of great and almost unvarying external 
 success. The only opposition to Kim men- 
 tioned in these passages is found in sections 
 9 and 11, and that opposition is of a com- 
 paratively mild character. 
 
 Turning now to the passages comprised 
 in Groups V to VIII, we observe a con- 
 tinuous record of antagonism and persecu- 
 tion. It begins with the controversy on 
 Sabbath observance, which is immediately 
 followed by a conspiracy to put Jesus to 
 death (Matt. xii. 14 ; Mark iii. 0). _ 
 
 Now, between these two great divisions 
 of the 'Galilean ministry' seems to stand 
 the visit to Jerusalem of John v., on which 
 occasion the Jews there 'sought to slay' 
 Jesus, partly on the ground of His Sabbath- 
 breaking. What more likely than that 
 emissaries were then dispatched into Galilee, 
 
 to stir up prejudices against Him, and hence 
 the changed aspect of affairs just noticed? 
 
 If this view be correct, great light is 
 thrown upon the whole history. And, 
 incidentally, it shows the unrea.sonableness 
 of inserting Group II after Group V. 
 
 The position of Group IV has yet to be 
 explained. Its actual place in the chrono- 
 logy is altogether uncertain, but there 
 appear to be some links between the occur- 
 rences of John V. and the Baptist's message, 
 as will be seen in the Lessons on these 
 si.bjects. Hence the place chosen for 
 section 15, which is followed naturally by 
 16 and 17. 
 
 On two other points in the table a word 
 is necessary. (1) The only inversion of 
 Mark's narrative is that of chap. v. 21—43 
 (section 12). Although both Mark and 
 Luke place the raising of Jairus' daughter 
 after the return from Gergesa, they give no 
 distinct link of connection between the 
 two incidents, and Matthew's account (ix. 
 18) of what took place in Ms own house 
 must be rer.'arded as decisive. (2) The 
 chief inversion of Matthew's narrative is 
 that of chap. viii. 23 wx. 1 (sections 25, 
 26). In this case a plain note of time is 
 given in Mark (iv. 35), who distinctly states 
 that the voyage to Gergesa closed the great 
 day of parabolic teaching (comp. Luke 
 viii.). 
 
 No attempt has been made in the above 
 table to determine the absolute as distinct 
 from the relative chronology, i.e., to fix the 
 seasons of the year at wliich any of the 
 events happened. One point only is certain, 
 viz., that the 'Galilean ministry' closed 
 at the period of a Passover, i.e., March or 
 April, which our Lord did not attend (John 
 vi. 4). Most harmonists reckon back from 
 that Passover to a month of December, 
 supposed to be indicated in John iv. 35 
 (which indication, however, cannot be relied 
 upon) ; and whether the intervening period 
 \vas one of four months only, or a year 
 and four months, would depend on the 
 question whether the 'feast' of John v. 1 
 was a Passover or not. The only other 
 note of time is the peculiar expression in 
 Luke vi. 1, the meaning of which is doubt- 
 ful, even if the reading be genuine— which 
 is itself doubtful. The more carefully the 
 whole subject is studied, the deeper will 
 be the conviction that neither the Evan- 
 gelists, nor the Divine Spirit who inspired 
 them, designed to leave on record an exact 
 chronological register of Christ's words and 
 works at all, and that any attempt to con- 
 struct one must more or less inevitably fail. 
 At the same time, the general outline of the 
 successive phases of His public life is suffi- 
 ciently clear for all purposes of edification. 
 
62 
 
 Lesson XXIIL— Tlie Call of the rishermen. 
 
 ' Lo ! we have left all and followed Thee.' 
 
 Reat^— Matt. iv. 12—22 ; Luke v. 1—11 ; Zearn— Matt. x. 37, 38 ; Phil. iii. 7, 8. 
 {Hy7nns, 132, 171, 197, 326, 340.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 It was originally intended, but was found impossible, to include in the Course a Lesson 
 on the general subject of Christ's Galilean ministry, in which the external features of the 
 country and the character of its population might have been described, with an apphca- 
 tion derived from the prophecy of Isaiah (ix. 1, 2) quoted by St. Matthew (iv. 14—16). 
 The teadier should, however, endeavour himself to understand a district and a people so 
 intimately associated with the Saviour's greatest words and works (on which subjects 
 see Additional Notes TV., p. 58, and YL, p. 64). If a morning Lesson can be devoted to 
 giving the mformation there condensed, the teacher wHl be repaid by the interest which 
 will thereby be thrown upon succeeding lessons. In case this cannot be done, some sug- 
 gestions for including in the present Lesson a hasty description of the Lake of Gennesareth 
 and its surroundings are given in the first division of the Sketch ; and a map should be 
 shown to the children, if possible. 
 
 The narrative of the ' First Call ' can be omitted if time runs short (or if the teacher 
 should be of opinion, despite Note 3, that there was only one Call). The allusion to 
 Christ's work as ' fishing' should not, however, be left out, and would come just as weU 
 under the fourth head. 
 
 The effectiveness of the application wiU very much depend upon the teacher's know- 
 ledge of the particular cu'cumstances and characters of his scholars— how far he is able to 
 name the real obstacles in the way of their ' foUowing Christ.' Care should be taken to 
 mention such things as must be abandoned ; it does not do to say 'money ' to a boy whose 
 entire home life is a struggle to ' make both ends meet'; and vague expressions like 'the 
 world ' should be always avoided. 
 
 Bunyan's ' man with the muck-rake' is a good illustration to quote; or that of the 
 racer in Heb. xii. 1. Or this—' What would you think of the boy who would not drop a 
 stone to take a sovereign?' The Collects for the Fourth Sunday after Easter and 
 St. Andrew's Day may be referred to, and the hymn (340) ' Jesus calls us o'er the 
 
 tumult ! ' 
 
 Sketch of Lessok. 
 
 I. The Lake. 
 
 Why does a river flow into the sea ? The 
 sea-level always lower than the land — 
 water always flows doion, never tip— so 
 river winds away, lower and lower, till it 
 ^falls' into sea. There is one place on 
 earth where there is water— lakes and a 
 river — far below sea-level, but shut in by 
 land. If could cut a canal from sea to 
 those waters, they would not flow down 
 into sea — sea would rush down upon them 
 and fill up the deep gorge in which they 
 he. It is the deepest land in the world. 
 
 This wonderful spot the Jordan valley — 
 the waters are Gennesareth, River Jordan, 
 Dead Sea. [See Addit. Note VI., p. 64.] If 
 three churches as high as St. Paul's, one on 
 top of another, built by the Dead Sea, top 
 would not reach to level of sea outside 
 (Mediterranean). 
 
 Let U3 to-day go down, down, to the lake 
 of Gennesareth. Now desolate, forsaken. 
 In Gospel days bright and busy — towns and 
 villages all round, full of people ; mostly 
 
 Jews, but many foreigners — Roman soldiers, 
 Greek merchants, crowds of pleasure- 
 seekers ; Herod's palace at his grand new 
 city Tiberias [see Lesson IX.] . Much miserj' 
 there, blind, lame, lepers, demoniacs ; much 
 sin too, money-getting, rioting, &c. ; hypo- 
 critical Pharisees who cared not for poor, 
 only for selves. [See Addit. Note IV., p. 58. ] 
 
 Here Jesus chose to lire and work. 
 
 The proud rulers at Jerusalem will not 
 have Him [see Lesson XVIL] ; His own 
 townsfolk at Nazareth will not have Him 
 [see Lesson XX If.]. Now He comes down 
 here. Look what God's prophet had pre- 
 dicted 700 years before, Isa. ix. 1,2; Matt, 
 iv. 13—17. [See Note 2.] 
 
 IL The Fishermen. 
 
 In the Lake quantities of fish — many got 
 their living by catching the fish — had boats, 
 nets, &c. Hard work— out all night— often 
 caught nothing— dangerous storms. [See 
 Notes 4, 5, and Addit. Note VI., /;. 6 I.] 
 
 Two fishermen, Jonas andZebcdec. Each 
 two sons— Simon and Andrew, James and 
 
THE CALL OF THE FISHERMEN. 
 
 63 
 
 Jolin. Wliere do they live? John i. 44. When 
 great excitement in country about John 
 Baptist, the young men went to hear him ; 
 what happened to them ? whom besides did 
 they get to know ? John i. 35 — 42 [refer to 
 Lessons XIV., XV.\. BeUeved they had 
 found the Messiah, of whom had read in 
 Scriptures, heard in synagogue— had been 
 with Him at Jerusalem, Samaria, Cana — 
 seen His miracles, heard His words— had 
 been allowed to baptize for Him just like 
 John. 
 
 But they had come home again, living as 
 of old, fishing. And now sad news — their 
 old teacher John put in prison by Herod 
 (Matt. iv. 12) ; and of Jesus they see no- 
 thing — is it all a dream ? — the ' kingdom ' 
 not come after all ? 
 
 III. The First Call. [Read Matt. iv. 
 18-22.] 
 
 One day they are all on the shore ; two 
 (which?) throwing out small net into 
 water to catch the fish swimming about 
 close under the rocks ; three (which ?) sit- 
 ting in boat mending larger nets. [See 
 Note 4.] 
 
 Who comes by? where has He come 
 from? what to do ? [recapitulate]. He too 
 'going a fishing' — whom to catch? The 
 people hving in those busy Galilean towns 
 like the fish in the Lake — 'immersed' in 
 darkness (ver. 16) and sin ; He would 
 'catch' them — not killing them as in real 
 fishing, but giving them new life [see 
 Note 7]. He is seeking helpers in this 
 •vpork — shall He call learned Rabbis, scribes 
 used to teaching ? No : He will call these 
 fishermen — humble, indeed, but diligent, 
 keen, patient, at their own work, and He 
 will make them so at His (see 2 Cor. xii. 16). 
 
 Will they obey the call ? It comes from 
 no stranger ; they already honour and love 
 Him [recapitulate]. At once — gladly — 
 they go. 
 
 IV. The Second Call. [Read Luke v. 
 1—11. See Noted.] 
 
 Jesus has begun work on the busy shores 
 of Gennesareth — teaches in synagogues — 
 heals sick — read of this next Sunday — 
 great crowds following Him. Where are 
 the four men who left their nets ? Gone 
 back to their fishing— don't understand they 
 are to leave it altogether— Jesus must call 
 them again — see how He will do it. 
 
 A long night of toil, but no fish — in the 
 
 morning boats hauled up on soft beach — 
 what Simon and the others doing ? A 
 great multitude coming down out of Caper- 
 naum, pressing round the new Prophet — 
 where does He take refuge ? He preaches 
 — from what pulpit ? 
 
 See the boat now sailing out into deeper 
 waters— nets preparing — strange — if failed 
 in night (when fish mostly caught) how 
 expect to catch in day-time ? ' At Thy 
 word' — but why listen to a 'landsman'? 
 Where have they learned the power of 
 ' His word ' ? 
 
 Down goes the net — suddenly a heavy 
 strain — how must they have felt ! How 
 came the fish there ? see Ps. viii. 5 — 8 
 (comp. with Heb. ii. 6 — 9) ; so Jonah i. 17, 
 ii. 10 ; Matt. xvii. 27 ; John xxi. G. Then 
 two narrow escapes of 'haul' being lost — 
 first net breaking — then boat sinking ; but 
 the power that gave can also keep. 
 
 What are Andrew and the rest doing? 
 but Peter on his knees— Christ's power and 
 love has broken his heart— he would do 
 anything for Him now— but his unworthi- 
 ness overwhelms him — how can he ever be 
 fit to be with such a Master, ever be a 
 ' fisher of men ' ?— rather let Jesus go away 
 and leave him. (Comp. Gen. xxviii. 17 ; 
 Exod. XX. 19 ; Judg. xiii. 22 ; Job xlii. 5, 6 ; 
 Isa. vi. 5.) 
 
 See the Lord's reply— a rebuke ?— not 
 even a command this time — a promise. It 
 is Petei-'s very self-abasement that makes 
 him fit for the work (Ps. H. 17 ; Isa. Ivii. 15, 
 Ixvi. 2). And now a great decision: here 
 lies the heap of fish, promising large profits 
 — there stands the beckoning Saviour ; on 
 the one hand home — on the other a Ufe of 
 self-denial. Which shall it be ?_ 
 
 Do they now regret their choice ? 
 
 They were called — So are we. 
 
 (a) What to leave ? Whatever keeps from 
 Christ. Sin of course. Any good thing 
 that we care for more than for Christ (see 
 Matt. X. 37, xix. 22 ; Luke xiv. 18—20 ; 
 2 Tim. iii. 4). 
 
 {b) What to do? ' Follow Christ'— i.e., 
 to love, trust, obey, imitate Him. 
 
 They obeyed — Are vtb hesitating ? 
 Think who calls — what He has done for us, 
 2 Cor. V. 14, 15. Think of the end. Moses 
 did, Heb. xi. 2G— Paul did, Phil. iii. 7, 14— 
 Jesus Himself did, Heb. xii. 2. See what 
 it is, John xii. 26, 
 
 Notes. 
 
 1. On the general scope of Christ's ministry 
 in Galilee, and on the LaiiC of Gennesareth, see 
 Additional Note VI., p. 64. 
 
 2. The prophecy in Isa. ix., quoted by St. 
 Matthew, is rendered by the best scholars thus : — 
 'As the former time degraded the land of 
 Zebulon and the land of Naphthali, the after- 
 time honours the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, 
 Galilee of the Gentiles.' The greater part of 
 Galilee was in the territories of Zebulon and 
 Naphthali ; the ' way of the sea ' means the 
 immediate coasts of the lake ; ' beyond Jordan ' 
 
 probably refers to the country east of the 
 lake, belonging to Manasseh; and 'Galilee of 
 the Gentiles' to the extreme north of Palestine. 
 These districts suffered first and most severely 
 from the Assyrian invasions, which were the 
 occasion of the prophecy; and they were 
 specially privileged in being the scene of Christ's 
 most active labours. 
 
 3. It is much disputed whether the narrative 
 of the Call in Matt. iv. and Mark i. refers to the 
 same event as the narrative of Luke v. Trench, 
 Hanna, and most popular writers think that it 
 
64 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 does. A I ford advocates the opposite vie\T. The 
 two accounts can ccrttiinly be )iarmonised ; 
 iDtit there does not seem any reason why they 
 should not be thought distinct, and the differ- 
 ences are sufficiently marked to warrant our 
 distinguishing them : 
 
 (1) The passages in Matthew and Mark read 
 more naturally if the miracle is not assumed to 
 have occurred on the occasion thoy refer to 
 
 f2) The employment of Peter and Andrew when 
 Jesus apprc8( lied them is not the same in the two 
 cases; and the different Greek words rendered 
 'nets' show this more clearly (sec next Note). 
 
 ft) The Call, in Mark, is the very first event 
 in the Galilean ministry, and, in particular, 
 iiefore cert.ain miracles at Capernaum, which in 
 Luke precede the Call ; and though Luke's 
 unchronological arrangement might account for 
 this, his mention of the great crowd arouml 
 Jesus when He came to the boats at least 
 Implies that He was already famous, and con- 
 firms the order of the narrative. 
 
 (4) If these miracles had taken place, Peter had 
 received the special mercy of the cure of his 
 wife's mother, which would enhance the signifi- 
 cance of his sense of sin in ver. 8. 
 
 (5) In Luke's account, Christ 6oes not call the 
 fishermen, but uses words which are much more 
 significant if He had done so already. 
 
 On these grounds it is assumed in the Sketch 
 that the accounts refer to different events. Nor, 
 regarding the history as a whole, does this seem 
 an unreasonable view ; for it is indisputable that 
 the preparation of Peter and his friends for their 
 great work was marked by many distinct steps :— 
 (a) Their adhesion to Jesus as disciples in the 
 Jordan valley, John i. (6) Their call to be His 
 companions, Matt, iv., Mark i. (c) Their (on 
 tills view) second and final abandonment of 
 home and property. Luke v. (d) Their appoint- 
 ment to the Apostleship, Miirk iii., Luke vi. 
 (e) Their first mission, two and two, Matt, x., 
 Marie vi., Luke ix. (/) Their renewed commis- 
 sion after the Kesurrection. (g) Their baptism 
 with the Holy Ghost, Acts ii. 
 
 4. Four kinds of fishing are alluded to in the 
 Gospels:— 
 
 (a) With a hook and line ; with which Peter is 
 directed to catch the fish in whose moutli he will 
 find.the ' tribute-money,' Matt. xvii. 27. 
 
 (6) ynfha.hand-net{iii<f>Cp>^v<rrpov,amphibleeS' 
 tron), thrown from a rock or a boat, at any par- 
 ticular fish which a keen eye may detect. This 
 net Andrew and Peter were casting when first 
 called. Matt. iv. ; Mark i. 
 
 (c) With a bag-net {SUtvov. diktuon), shaped 
 especially for fishing in deep water. Such 
 were the nets that were being 'mended' in 
 Matthew and Mark's account, and ' washed ' in 
 Luke's. 
 
 (d) With a drag-net {(Tayrivn. sageeneh) , of great 
 size, requiring many men to work it. This is 
 the net of the parable in Matt. xiii. 
 
 These different appliances are fully described 
 in Thomson's Land and the Book, p. 402. 
 
 5. Two Greek words are used in the Gospels to 
 designate the vessels used on the lake, viz., 
 TrXotoi' {ploion) for ship, i.e., the larger fishing 
 vessel; and n-Aocapiov (ploiarwn) for boat. The 
 former is the word used in this narrative: the 
 latter is the ' small ship' of Jfark iii. fl, and the 
 ' little ship' of Mark iv. 36. The use of the two 
 words in John vi. is very curious, as will he 
 explained hereafter. See Macgregor's Rob Roy 
 on the Jordan, p. 354. 
 
 6. Several expressions in Luke v. 1—11, have a 
 meaning in the Greek which is missed in our 
 translation. 'Their net ftrate,' should be, 'their 
 nets were bursting.' ' He was astonished,' is 
 literally, ' astonishment encompassed him.' 
 ' Catch men,' is, 'be a catcher of men.' 'Launch 
 out' is singular, addressed to Peter alone, as 
 the chief; 'let down' is plural, addressed to 
 all; and accordingly Peter replies, ' 1 will let 
 down'; and the Evangelist adds, 'when they 
 had this do-ac'—Alford. 
 
 7. ' From henceforth thou shall catch men. 
 Julian the Apostate sneeringly said that ' the 
 Galilean did indeed most aptly term His apostles 
 fishers, for as the fisherman draws out his victims 
 from the waters where they were free and happy, 
 into an element in which they cannot breathe, 
 so did they do who made men Christians.' Trench 
 observes that the word selected by our Lord with 
 a singular felicity excludes and anticipates such 
 an idea. It signifies to 'take alife,' aud is used 
 in the Septuagint translation of the O.T., where 
 the ' take alive' occurs with reference to prisoners 
 of war. 
 
 ADDITIONAL NOTE VI.— THE LAKE OF GENNESARETH. 
 
 This little inland sea is mentioned in the 
 Bible under four names. In the O. T. it is 
 called the Sea of Chinnereth (Numb, xxxiv. 
 11 ; Jo.<'h. xii. .S), from — as some think — its 
 ^ar/j-like shape. The Evangelists gene- 
 rally call it the Sea of Galilee. St. Luke 
 (v. 1) once names it as the Lake of Genne- 
 sareth, from a flat district on its west coast. 
 St. John, writing much later, when Tiberias 
 had become the most important city on its 
 banks, speaks of it (vi. 1) as the Sea of 
 Tiberias. It is now called by this last 
 uarae, in Anibic Dakr Tuharhjeli. 
 
 It lies in the deep gorge or cleft — the 
 deepest on the earth's surface — which runs 
 from the foot of Mount Ilermon to the foot 
 of Mount Hor. Down this gorge flows the 
 Jordan, through the ' Waters of Merom,' 
 through the Lake of Genncsareth, down to 
 
 the Dead Sea, the bed of which is nearly 
 3,000 feet, the surfnce 1,400 feet, below the 
 ocean level. Gennesareth is not nearly so 
 low as this, but is 650 feet below the ocean 
 level, and lies very deep relatively to the 
 hilly country on either side. Owing to its 
 depression, the climate is tropical ; but the 
 water is sweet and cool. Like most lakes, 
 it is stibject to sudden and violent storms, 
 caused by tlie wind rushing down (see 
 Luke viii. '23) the ravines that intersect the 
 sunounding mountains, and making the 
 water boil as in a cauldron. 
 
 It is li'i miles long, and (i^ broad in its 
 widest part. Windermere is about as long, 
 but much narrower. The depth is nowhere 
 above '200 feet, and is generally from 80 to 
 140. There is a soft beach nearly all round, 
 but at Khan Minyeh, Mejdel, and one or 
 
NOTE ON THE LAKE OF GENNESARETH. 
 
 b5 
 
 triro other places, the 
 cliff rises up from the 
 water, though not to 
 any great heiglit. The 
 hills, however, close it 
 round nearly on all 
 sides, except at the 
 two ends where the 
 Jordan enters and 
 leaves the Lake, and 
 at t.lie Plain of Gen- 
 nesareth — a crescent- 
 shaped plain on the 
 western shore, round 
 which tho hills retire 
 in a Rcmi-circle from 
 Khan Minyeh to MeJ- 
 del. 
 
 The long- debated 
 and difficult question 
 respecting the sites of 
 (Japernaiim, Beth- 
 saida, and Chorazin, 
 cannot here be dis- 
 cussed. For some time 
 opinions as to Ca- 
 pernaum were about 
 equally divided be- 
 tween Tell Hum, at 
 the north-east, and 
 Khan Minyeh. Thom- 
 son {Land and the 
 Book, p. 352) advo- 
 cates the former ; 
 Robinson {Bill. Re- 
 f.eaiy;hes, vol, iii., p, 
 318) the latter. Re- 
 cently, the investiga- 
 tions of the Palestine 
 Exploration Fund 
 have pointed to Tell 
 Hum ; but Mr. Mac- 
 gi-egor {Roh Roy on 
 the Jordan, p. 374), 
 whose long and mi- 
 nute exploration of 
 the Lake — its waters 
 as well as its shores — 
 makeshim averj'great 
 authority, argues al- 
 most conclusively for 
 
 Khan Minyeh : and nnrnT?ll'"'*y"® °^*''?^^f^^ ''^ '^'^ '''"R ^^^ ^^«" accurntely redncod. by 
 ■n^ rr ; ^ v P'^rni'ssion, from tlie Ordnance Survey Map made bv Captain Wilkin nml 
 
 L»r. Tristram, who first publi.<;hed in Mr. MaCKreRor's recent work. The /^<6/'v', ,,»/////'!;.,/!", 
 advocated (Land of' ''"'' "'^I' '^ ""^ °"'!f accurate one in e.\istence ; and It will lie i.li^ervcd tliat 
 Israel d 44''') a difFp- in 'Tk"'.""Jc?' ^.'i^/"''^'' is not oval, as nsually rcpre.sentcd, Imt Intrp-UL; 
 -"""<:h P- -i-i-) <>'ame- h-kelhatot South America turned over. Theelabr- - ■ ■ ■ 
 rent and third view, Map are not given in the above plan, 
 has yielded to his 
 
 iiv lL■lJIc^elllt.M^. inu nitvfi-! ih't'. or 
 
 elaborate details of tlie Ordnance 
 
 reasonings. They .are chieflv founded on 
 the notices in the Gospels respecting the 
 voyages of Christ and the disciples. He 
 also supports the view, which Thomson 
 seemed to have disproved, that there were 
 two Bethsaiflas. putting the Galilean Beth- 
 saida at Tabigah, only half a mile from 
 Capernaum. 
 
 It is supposed by some that Gennesareth 
 hes in the crater of an extinct volcano, and 
 the black basaltic rocks at Tell Hum and 
 elsewhere favour this view. A deep and 
 
 be.iutifnl b.ay at Tabigah is described as 
 warm with the hot springs flowing into it 
 from the rocks, and teeming with life — 
 myriads of fish below, flocks of ducks ind 
 gulls above. The Lake abounds with fish, 
 and doubtless fishing was anciently carried 
 on upon a large scale ; but there are now 
 (Roh Roy on the. Jordan., p 357) only three 
 fishing-boats, the tax on boat-; being lieavy 
 Other p.irticnl.ars respecting the Lake and 
 its localities will be given in future Lessoiif 
 as they are reqiired. 
 
BO 
 
 lesson XXrV— A SalDbatli at Capernaum. 
 
 ' Mighty in toord and deed.' 
 
 jBeatJ— Mark i. 21—35 ; (comp. Matt. viii. 1 1—17 : Luke iv. 31—44) ; Learw— Matt. 
 
 iv. 23, 24; Heb. xiii. 8. {Hymns, 24, 41, 71, 76, 159.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 This Lesson must not be regarded as biinging before our scholai'S merely an interesting 
 
 isolated narrative, but as giving a specimen of our Lord's regular work during His Galilean 
 
 mini.ti-y Let the teacher strive to convey an idea of the contmiuince of His words and 
 
 works of love during a long period ; of His journeys aU about Galilee, showering blessings 
 
 wherever He went. , • u .. tt,» 
 
 With this view, both the lines of application suggested are general m character, ihe 
 condition and wants of sinful man, as typically pourtrayed in the various cases that came 
 imder Christ's healing power, will appear in several subsequent lessons. On this occasion 
 attention should be concentrated on the Saviour Himself, both as the great Exemplar and 
 as the ever-livin^ Healer. The language of the second application, indeed, is framed with 
 reference to the Embolic significance of the fever, &c., for the teacher's guidance in case 
 of need • but there will probably not be time to explain this figurative language, and it 
 must certainly not be used without explanation. For the same reasons, it will be con- 
 venient to defer any detailed account of demoniacal possession until Lesson XLiU., 
 although the Note on this subject is given now. 
 
 In speakin<r of the imitation of Christ, vague generalities must be avoided ; and the 
 teacher canno't better employ his preparation time than by considering what are the little 
 kindnesses which his own particular scholars have the opportunity of domg. The diligent 
 visitor will have an immense advantage here. With elder scholars, the mutual relation 
 of inward and outward religion-of prayer and wori— should be pointed out. 
 
 The various well-known illustrations drawn from the analogy of bodily sickness can be 
 effectively used in this Lesson: e.r/., Does a sick man wait till he gets better, before he 
 applies to the doctor ? and. The ablest doctor no use unless you apply to him-the best 
 medicine no use unless taken. t <. ti 
 
 In this as in all cases where events are recorded by more than one Evangelist, tlie 
 parallel passages (as given above) must be carefully compared. Such comparison often 
 throws great light upon a narrative. 
 
 Sketch of Lesson. 
 
 Jesus now at Capernaum, dovra m the 
 hollow of the Lake \.'<ee last Lesson]. Here 
 He lives a long while— not in a house of 
 His own, perhaps in Peter's— not now work- 
 ing as a carpenter, always 'going about 
 doino- good '—making journeys round about 
 Lake! to Chorazin, Bethsaida, Magdala, Ac, 
 and up into the hill -country, all over 
 (j;jlilee— preaching in open air, teaching in 
 synagogues, healing sick— never resting, 
 yet never wearying. (See 1st text for rep.) 
 To-day see what He did on one day. See 
 Him teaching, working, praying. 
 
 I. The WoiiDS of Jesus. [Read rev. 
 21—28.] 
 
 {a) His 7i-ords as the Teacher of men. It 
 is the Sabbath— the people of Capernaum 
 gathered for worship in the synagogue— 
 Jairus (see Mark v. 22) and the other rulers 
 and elders in chief seats— perhaps others 
 there whom we know, Jairus's little 
 daughter, the nobleman and his restored 
 son, tne generous Kon^an ofiioer by whom 
 the synagogue waf built (Luke vii. 5). 
 
 The people there used to hearing the 
 Scriptures read and explained by the 
 Scribes. But to-day the preaching very 
 different (see ver. 22) : no long dry argu- 
 ment about what this and that Rabbi 
 thought— </iw Teacher speaks on His own 
 authority ; such ' gracious words '—pro- 
 bably like those at Nazareth [see Lesson 
 XX iL]— not 'laying burdens on mens 
 shoulders' (Matt, xxiii. 4)— no hard intri- 
 cate rules— but ' glad tidings ' to the poor 
 and needy (Luke iv. 18) ; and yet words of 
 warning too. like the Bajitist's (see ver. 
 15)_p^ople must ' repent,' turn from sin, be 
 ready for the now ' kingdom'— [fji"?;/ this 
 next Sinula,/]. How had this tenching been 
 received at'Nazareth ?-fi,st, wonder- then, 
 envious dislike and cont.mpt. Here the 
 people .Miuallv astonished, but have not 
 known Jesus as the village carpenter, so no 
 thinking themselves as good as liini— wiU- 
 m<r to be taught-and He give.s them whjit 
 hS could not (comp. Mark vi. 5, b) give 
 the Nazarcnes, a sign. 
 
A SABBATH AT CAPERNAUM. 
 
 67 
 
 (b) His words as the Conqueror of devils. 
 Suddenly, a loud cry of terror and hatred — 
 a man's voice, but not the man's own cry — 
 it is the evil spirit in him (dwelling in him 
 always, how dreadful ! worse than being 
 mad) that cries out. Why ? — ' I know Thee ' 
 (comp. Jas. ii. 19). The 'unclean' spirit 
 hates God's ' Holy One ' (comp. Ps. xvi. 10 ; 
 Dan. ix. 24 ; Acts iii. 14); and fears Him — 
 wh}- ? 1 John iii. 8. 
 
 Hear Christ's words — not to the poor 
 man — hhn He pities — but to the evil spirit. 
 No words of love — the devils fierce and 
 unchangeable enemies of God and man — 
 between them and Jesus can be only 
 'enmity' (Gen. iii. 15) — He will not have 
 them even as allies to testify who He is — 
 'Hold thy peace' (comp. ver. 34, chap. 
 iii. 12; Acts xvi. 17, 18). See two' things 
 in His words : ant hority— the 'Lord of all' 
 has a I'ight to command ; poicer — He can 
 compel them to obey ; see Luke iv. 36. 
 
 Now see the poor man— falls down in 
 midst of congregation, convulsed ; but — 
 rises up, in health and peace, master of 
 himself! Here is 'liberty to the captive ' 
 indeed ! Think of the news spreading 
 everywhere as the people go home. 
 
 II. The Works of Jesds. [Read ver. 
 29-34.] 
 
 One mighty work we hav? just seen. 
 Now go with Jesus — tn whose house'? 
 Why Peter in trouble ? what doctor does 
 he go to •? (Luke iv. 38). See Jesus at the 
 bed-side — what does He speak to? what 
 does He touch ? The fever gone, like the 
 evil spirit ! but is the woman left weak, like 
 others after fever?— not at all — strong as 
 ever, she is serving the Sabbath meal. 
 
 Evening — the sun just gone down. LooT: 
 into the street — it is filling with sick mnl 
 infirm people : here a cripple on crutches, 
 there a blind man feeling his way — here 
 men carrying a dying fiiend on a litter— 
 another and another — all the sick in the 
 city ! Why come ? have heard what hap- 
 pened in the synagogue in the morning — 
 have been longing for sunset, to come 
 (without breaking Sabbath) to the wonder- 
 ful man at Simon's house. Every one 
 cured— not one goes back to his home sick 
 or infirm. 
 
 Do you think it was such a simple and 
 easy thhig for Jesus to do all this? no 
 trouble? all done with a single word? 
 Look at Matt.viii.l 7— what solemn words!— 
 then it did cost Jesus something to do it- 
 how? (a) Pleasant to relieve suffering, yet 
 painful to see it at all (selfish people won't 
 —send money for others to give) ; who feels 
 
 this pain most ? is it not the kindest person ? 
 then what must Jesus have felt? (comp. 
 Mark vii. 34). (i) But much more to 
 Him — He felt sin at bottom of all — and sin 
 (though He hated it) He came to bear— so 
 ' bare our sicknesses.' And (c) very likely it 
 took all the eveimig to do— would not Jesus 
 speak to each one ? — then how tiring ! 
 
 III. The Prayers of Jescs. [Read 
 ver. 3o.] 
 
 Would He not want long rest and sleep 
 now ? Yet when does He get up ? See 
 Him coming out in the davk night — leaving 
 the .silent, sleeping city — up into some lonely 
 place in the hills — there for hours on His 
 knees. Why did He prny ? just as a duty 
 that had got to be done ? It was His great 
 pleasure, His refreshment. We know not 
 what He said, but, recollecting other times 
 when we are told, can we not fancy Him 
 thanking the Father for those mighty 
 miracles (comp. John xi. 41) — for He did 
 them not alone (John xiv. ]fi) — and praying 
 for the souls of those whose bodies He had 
 healed (comp. Luke xxii. 32) ? 
 
 Here ^^•e have a specimen, a sample, of 
 the life of Jesus for months — day after day 
 just like this. 
 
 What are our lives like? Are we 'fol- 
 lowing in His steps ' ? How many there 
 are to whom we might do little kindnesses — 
 such as even a little child can do ! Which 
 of as can say — 
 
 ' I want to be like Jesus, 
 Eugaged in doing good '? 
 
 Or are we selfish, caring for none but our- 
 selves — our own comfort, pleasure, getting 
 on in life ? How unlike Christ ! (Rom. 
 XV. 3.) 
 
 But zee ivant to be done good to ourselves. 
 Is the fever of sinful desire burning in our 
 hearts ? Is Satan holding us fast, trying 
 to defile us ? Then remember — 
 
 Jesosis the same now (see 2nd text for 
 rep.). He is still pitj'ing, still praying, still 
 healing (Heb. vii. 25)— can cool the feverish 
 with the 'water of life' (Rev. xxii. 17) — 
 make the prostrate strong (Isa. xl. 29—31) — 
 make the unclean pure (Ezek. xxxvi. 25) — 
 drive away the devil (Rom. xvi. 20). No 
 case too liard (Luke xviii. 27) ; none turned 
 away (John vi. 37) — 
 
 ' lie is laint and weary never. 
 And He turnetli none away.' 
 
 Why should not the whole class, the whole 
 school, the whole parish, be (see ver. 33) 
 '■gathered together at His door'? 'Knock, 
 and it shall be opened to you." 
 
 Notes 
 
 1. The .subject of dcmnni.icnl possession is a 
 very mysterious one Thonph the fact is most 
 clearly stated in the Gospels, it is referred to as 
 something perfectly familiar, .and no explana- 
 tion is given. The following are the principal 
 points in the varions Scripture statements :- 
 
 (a) Our Lord Himself refers 'possession' to 
 Satanic agency (Luke x. 17-19 ; xi. 14—22). 
 
 (6) But there is no single word in the Greek 
 like our ' devil.' by which both Satan and the in- 
 ferior evil spirits are called. Satan is always 
 Sta^oAo? (diaholoi) ; an evil spirit always Sai/j-iov 
 {(laimon), or Saiixoviov {(laimonio>i)-irom which 
 comes our word daemon, or demon. 
 
 ((■) Demoniacal possession of the body is dis- 
 tinguished from Satanic influence on the soul. 
 
 F 2 
 
68 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LI I'.. OF OUR LORD. 
 
 The ' po"e=sed' were not necessarily the worst 
 of men like Judas when ' Satan entered into 
 him ' or Ananias wlien ' Satan filled his heart.' 
 
 (d) ' Possession' is distinguished from disease, 
 Mark i. 32, and other places ; and from lunacy, 
 (or epilepsy). Matt. iv. 24. 
 
 (e) But 'possession' was often accompanied 
 both by bodily infirmity {e.g., dumbness. Matt. 
 IK 32 bliudness, Matt. xii. 22), and by the symp- 
 toms of epilepsy (Mark ix. 17-27) and violent 
 insanity (Mark v. 1-5.). 
 
 (f) In the ' possessed' there were evidently ttco 
 personalities, liroinlls; though that of the man 
 was overborne and kept in subjection by that of 
 the demon, who literally 'possesstd' his victim ; 
 and our Lord's words were plainly addressed to 
 the demon, and not to the man. In Mark i. 23, 
 the word 'with' ('man willi an unclean spirit') is 
 in the Greek, ' in'-as thoupth in the spirit the 
 man ' lived, and moved, and had his being.' 
 
 No difticulty need be felt because 'possession' 
 seems to have been confined to one age of the 
 world. As Alford says. ' The period of our Lord's 
 being on earth was, more tlian any other in the 
 world, under the dominion of evil. The founda- 
 tions of man's moral being were broken up, and 
 the hour and power of darkness prevailing.' 
 
 Some physicians, however, affirm that there 
 are still extreme cases which cannot be otherwise 
 explained ; and Dr. Thomson's description 
 (Land and the Book, p. 147) of some maniacs in 
 Palestine is strikingly similar to the Scripture 
 accounts. 
 
 The whole subject is ably treated by Alford (on 
 Matt, viii.), by Trench (On the Miracles, p. 1.51), 
 aud by Dr. Barry (in Smith's Diet, of the Bible). 
 
 2. Some of the expressions in this passage are 
 very striking. Two characteristics of St. Miirk 
 appear in it: his favourite word cifiews (eutheos) 
 — ' straightway' or ' immediately,'— which is used 
 
 by him forty-five times, in the rest of the New 
 Testament forty-seven times ; and his continual 
 notice of the astonishment caused by Christ's 
 miracles. The accurate medical language of the 
 physician Luke is seen in his term ' a (jreat fever," 
 fevers being technically divided by the ancients 
 into great and small. ' Hold thy peace,' Is 
 literally ' Be muzzled"; the same word is used in 
 1 Tim. V. 18. ' The fame of Him' (in Luke, not in 
 Mark) is rather 'report,' or 'sound'; in Acts ii. 
 2, it is 'the sound of a rushing mighty wind." 
 ' Let us alone' is one little word (i'a, ea), and 
 answers to our exclamation 'Ha!' 'Torn,' in 
 Mark i. 2«, should be 'convulsed': it is clear 
 from Luke iv. 3."., that the man was not injured. 
 ' What have we to do with Thee?" is the same 
 expression as that used by our Lord to Mary. 
 John ii. 4; see Lesson XVI., Note 3. 
 
 3. Respecting Capernaum, see Additional Note 
 VI, p. 02. 
 
 4. The remarkable quotation in Matt. viii. 17. 
 is from Isaiah liii. 4—' He hath borne our griefs, 
 and carried our sorrows." Isaiah's whole pro- 
 phecy in that chapter refers to our Lord's vicari- 
 ous suffering for sin ; but these particular words 
 seem to point to His also bearing the indirect 
 consequences of sin, and sympathising with men 
 under the infliction of them, and in this sense, 
 apparently, are quoted by St. Matthew; see 
 Sketch. 
 
 5. It is one of Blunt's ' Scripture coincidences,' 
 that while Matthew names the evening as the 
 time when the crowd of sick people came to 
 Christ, we only learn the cause of this from 
 Mark and Luke, who mention that it was the 
 Sabbath; they evidently waited in order to avoid 
 'breaking the Sabbath," which legally came to 
 an end at sunset. 
 
 Lesson XXY.— Tlie Sermon on the Mount.— L 
 
 ' My kingdom is not of this world.' 
 
 iJeod— Parts of Matt, v., vi., vii. ; Learn— UM. v. 3, 20. {ffymns, 87, 94, 116, 131, 
 
 172, 175, 20 1, 361, 362, 367.) 
 
 To THK Teacher. 
 
 Interesting as the Sermon on the Mount is for detailed expository teaching, it is im- 
 possible in the present Cour.se to treat it in that way. It is best to regard it, as the Con- 
 versation with Nicodeinus has been regarded in Lesson XVIII., historically, i.e., to consider 
 its effect as a whole upon those who actually heard it ; and thus to throw upon it the 
 interest of a narrative, and give opportunities for picturing. Accordingly, instead of 
 •dividing the Sermon into two or three portions for reading and explanation on successive 
 Sundays, certain great leading ideas have been gathered from it, and, in this and the 
 following Lesson, are presented as they would appear to the popular mind, correcting 
 current notions and revealing great truths. 
 
 In this Lesson is taken the teaching of the Sermon uiion the ' kingdom ' which the 
 people were expecting, and whlcli Christ had been proclaiming : viz., who were to be its 
 subjects, what laws were to govern their relations one to another, and, indirectly, con- 
 cerning His own supreme authority, {^ee further, Note 2). In the next Lesson is taken 
 its teaching on the character of God and His relation to His people. In regard to both 
 these great subjucts, the Sermon is very important, and very clear; and waa doubtlesa 
 vary novel and startling to the hearers. 
 
THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT. 1. 
 
 69 
 
 Of course no portion of the Sermon can be read through in these two Lessons. The 
 various passages cited will have to be turned to as they are wanted. This will interest 
 the scholars who read, and in non-reading classes the teacher must himself repeat (and, if 
 in a separate room, make the children repeat after him) the more important verses. 
 
 An interesting picture can be drawn of the reports spreading, the crowds gathering, 
 the ascent of the mountain, the listening audience, &c. What follows can then be illus- 
 trated by the eager attention of a school when any announcement of a ' treat ' is to be 
 made, the startled sui-prise that would be manifested if 7iot all were to go, the anxiety to 
 know icho would be the privileged ones, the amazement if it were declared that the clever 
 and leading children were not qualified, and the prevailing feeling that the announcement 
 was not the mere opinion of an individual teacher, but the authoritative utterance of the 
 superintendent. The analogy of these various points will be seen from the Sketch. 
 
 It is not intended that the question in the second section of the Sketch — ' What sort of 
 a King should He be ? ' — and its threefold answer, should be taken in any but intelligent 
 elder classes. 
 
 It would be impossible to find space here for detailed notes on particular passages in 
 the Sermon. The teacher is necessarily referred to the commentaries. Trench's Expodlion, 
 gathered from the writings of St. Augustine, is particularly interesting. Alford and 
 Lange are good throughout ; Stier (Words of the Lord Jesus) impressive, as usual. 
 
 Sketch of Lesson 
 
 In all directions the report is spreading 
 of the wonderful miracles at Capernaum. 
 Crowds come together from neighbouring 
 towns and villages to hear and see the new 
 Prophet. Many, too, from distant north and 
 south, from the shores of Phoenicia and the 
 mountains of Edom (Matt. iv. 25 ; comp. 
 Mark iii. 8). 
 
 Think of the eager discussion — ' Is this 
 the coming King ? a leader at last to drive 
 out Romans and restore Israel's greatness ? ' 
 John Baptist had said, ' the kingdom at 
 hand ' ; had pointed out this Nazarene as the 
 coming One ; and now He too is proclaiming 
 the ' kingdom ' (Matt. iv. 17). 
 
 Jesus will give them an answer — tell 
 them all aboi^t it. Up in the mormtains a 
 spot found where thousands can hear at 
 once. He sits (like all Jewish teachers) — 
 John and Andrew and the others next to 
 him — the vast multitudes all round eagerly 
 waiting His words (chap. v. 1, 2). 
 
 What He said is in these three chapters. 
 It would take us months to go through all. 
 Look at one or two chief things. 
 
 I. About the Kingdom. 
 
 (1) Look at His very first words, ver. 3. 
 Yes — He mentions the ' kingdom.' But 
 who are to have it ? What ! not the Jews? 
 • Did not God found the kingdom ages ago, 
 when He called Abraham out from the 
 heathen, and promised Him the land ? 
 does not the kingdom belong to Abraham's 
 children, to all of us Jews?' — so they 
 would think. But quite mistaken — not a 
 word about restoring David's victorious 
 thi'one — not a word about Israel as God's 
 favoured people. True, He speaks (ver. 13, 
 14), of ' salt of the earth,' ' li.L'ht of the 
 world' — but 10 ho are so? — not the Jewish 
 nation — (see ver. 11, 12). And see what 
 the Baptist said. Matt. iii. 9. Then the 
 kingdom to be a new one — not the old — 
 something quite different. 
 
 (2) Look again — who to have the king- 
 dom — to be in it ? (a) What had Jesus 
 told Nicodemus ? [j-efer to Lesson XVf/L^ 
 — must be ' bom again ' — new life — begin 
 all afresh. So, what said that night in 
 lowly house at Jerusalem, Jesus now says 
 on the mountain to all— ' poor in spirit' — 
 not to be proud because Abraham's children 
 or because so favoured hy God — not to think 
 much of selves anj' way ; to feel worth no- 
 thing — got nothing — want everything — 
 'poor ' (comp. Rev. iii. 17). (i) Ver. 10 
 — 'persecuted for righteousness' sake' to 
 have the kingdom — the kingdom would 
 not (as they thought) bring power, pomp, 
 prosperity, but persecution — then unhappy 
 and to be pitied ? — no, ' blessed.' (c) Per- 
 haps they think, ' If only some Jews to 
 have the kingdom — if it depends on good- 
 ness — surely the strict scribes and scrupulous 
 Pharisees will have it." But see ver. 20 — 
 must be more righteous than they ! 
 
 (.S) What righteousness can be greater 
 than that of the Pharisees? — so careful to 
 know all the law, and keep every bit of it 
 — praj-ers, alms, fastings, itc. <tc., see Luke 
 xviii. 11, 12. Jesus will tell them— chap. 
 V. 21—48, and vi. 1—18, all about it. Take 
 two points, (o) The Sixth Commandment. 
 Pharisees thought, if not murderers, kept 
 it. What does Jesus say ? ver. 21 — 24. 
 Unkind feelings and hard words break the 
 Commandment (comp. 1 John iii. 15). For 
 who can tell what a thought may come to ? 
 Cain loved Abel once. Suppose some one 
 very unkind to you, does you harm — how 
 treat him ? see ver. 44. (b) Prayer, chap. 
 vi. 5, G. Not 'saying prayers' because 
 used to it, or because got to do it, or that 
 others may see ; but asking kind Father 
 for what you want (more of this next 
 Sunday). 
 
 Would not the people say, ' Who can be 
 righteous like this ? ' That's just what 
 
70 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 Jesus meant them to feel — then ' poor in 
 spirit ' — come as sinners to God — ready to 
 be saved in His own way. We know this 
 way — what is it ? how jjet sin taken away ? 
 what righteousness will admit us to the 
 'kingdom"? (Rom. iii. 19— 2t)). [See 
 AVe 3.J Then 'seek first the kingdom of 
 God and Ilis rif/hteousness' (vi. 33). 
 
 II. About the KiNf;. 
 
 iV/io should be the Kiiif/ ? Jesus Himself. 
 They felt this ; for He spoke ' with au- 
 thority ' (vii. 29) — not only unlike the 
 scribes, but unlike the old prophets — they 
 said • Thus saith Jehovah ' — what did IJe 
 say? See chap. v. 17, 18, '20, 22, 2t), 28, 
 32, 34, 39, 44 : vi. 2, 5, IG, 25, 29 ; vii. 24, 
 26. 
 
 But ivhat sort of King shoidd He be ? The 
 people mistaken about this too ; as looked 
 for Jewish kingdom, so looked for King 
 like David — overcoming foreign oppressors, 
 reigning at Jerusalem, receiving tribute 
 from Gentiles. But He .should do much 
 greater things than that : should be \_see 
 Note 2J — 
 
 (a) Founder of the neio spiritual king- 
 dom. David only ruled nation set apart 
 long before by God ; Jesus would Himself 
 call out men for new ' holy nation, peculiar 
 people' (1 Pet. ii. 9) — does He not say who 
 they shall be in chap. v. 3 — 11 ? 
 
 (b) Lawgiver of this kingdom. David 
 only executed Moses' laws ; Jesus would 
 — not sweep them away (chap. v. 17) but 
 
 — give a new law greater and higher than 
 all — see it in chap. vii. 12. Suppose school- 
 boy aUvays keeping this law [illustrate], 
 then no others wanted. 
 
 (c) Judge of all men's hearts, to see 
 whether truly ui ' kingdom ' or not. David 
 might be deceived by false followers ; but — 
 see chap. vii. 21 — 23, — none could deceive 
 Him — good words and great works no use 
 — heart must be right. 
 
 He, Jesus, the carpenter of Nazareth, 
 saying all this ! no wonder they were 
 astonished, ver. 28 : can we not see them 
 looking at one another — hear them eagerly 
 talking — fancy their hearts 'burning within 
 them ' ? 
 
 We, too, are Hearers of Christ'.s 
 Words. How do we listen ? Not so 
 astonished, perhaps, for used to it ; do we 
 love them better for knowing them better? 
 
 ' Hark, my soul, it is the Lord; 
 'Tis thy Saviour: hear His word.' 
 
 Pray for grace to ' hear meekly His word, 
 and to receive it with pure affection ' — 
 and ' to bring forth the fruits of the Spu-it,' 
 too ; for the great question is — 
 
 Are we Doers also ? — ' thirsting after 
 righteousness ' (v. (1) — ' asking, seeking, 
 knocking' (vii. 7 — 11) for His righteous- 
 ness — trying to be like Him (v. 48) ? If 
 so, on the rock (vii. 24 — 27)— nothing can 
 harm us — safe for ever. 
 
 Notes. 
 
 I. The question whether the discourse In Luke 
 vi. is identical with, or distinct from, the Sermon 
 on the Mount, is a very difficult one. Tischen- 
 dorf, Tholuck, Stier, Kobinfon, Ellicott, AVest- 
 cott, consider (with some variety of opinion as 
 to details) the two identical, St. Luke giving a 
 briefer ji')stract of our Lord's actual words. 
 Grcswell lipids that they are entirety distinct ; 
 and to this view Alford seems to lean. Lange, 
 following St. Augustine, takes a middle view, 
 viz., that ('hrist spoke the discourse in Slatthew 
 to the disciples, and, immediately afterwards, 
 that in Luke to the multitude. The arguments 
 cannot be given here, but it may be observed 
 that,- 
 
 (a) There is no geographical objection to their 
 identity. ' A mountain,' in Matt. v. l, is literally 
 'the mountain,' and probably means the hilly 
 country above Ucnnosareth ; iind 'the plain' iu 
 Luke vi. 17 simply means 'a level place,' which 
 might be high up in 'the mountain." The tra- 
 ditional 'Mount of Hcatitiides ' is a lofty hill 
 called Hat tin (see the .Mai> on i)age «.')), which 
 has twi> peaks called the ' Horns of llattin,' and 
 a level place between them. Stan ley ('<Si/ini <t/'., 
 p. 3Gt; .ind Robinson (liibl. Res. ii. 370; therefore 
 think that Christ was on one of the peaks, and 
 descended (Luke) to this 'plain' to address the 
 people. 
 
 (b) The notes of time favour the view that the 
 discourses are distinct. This, however, cannot 
 be relied on in the uncertainty of the chronology. 
 See Atlditioiifil Xote V., \). 57. 
 
 (c) The internal features of the' two accounts 
 fflve the most Important evidence, but it Is hard 
 
 to say on which side this evidence tells. On the 
 one hand the opening, closing, and general order 
 of the Sermon are similar in both cases ; on the 
 other hand, not only are large portions of 
 Matthew's account wanting in Luke (which 
 might be readily accounted for), but there are 
 al.so in Luke important additions and variations 
 of connection. 
 
 In these Lessons the question does not arise, 
 as Matthew's account is taken, and Luke's not 
 referred to. 
 
 2. Although the Sermon on the Mount Is the 
 greatest example left us of Christ's work as a 
 t'rophet or Teacher, it has a special interest when 
 regarded as His 'manifesto' in the character oJ 
 King. The reasons for so regarding it are suffi- 
 ciently explained in the Sketch. 
 
 As has been truly and acutely observed, the 
 .Jews regarded their own nation as Ood's ' king- 
 dom,' and (Jod Himself as its King in the highest 
 sense— as having foinirltil it when He called 
 Abraham, legislated for it when He gave Moses 
 the law, and as judfilnq it by His system of 
 retributive justice. David and IlczeVriah were 
 mere vicegerents and administrators: they could 
 neither fonud, legislate, nor (in the full ultimate 
 sense) judge; aiul Messiah was e.Npectcd to be 
 like them. .lesus, however, while declining the 
 outward splendour and dominion of David, did 
 actually claim to perform the higher kingly acts. 
 He ])rocceded to 'call nut' men, as God called 
 Abraham, into a ueic ' kingdom.' He promul- 
 gated laws on Ilia own authority [fee, hoirever, 
 iVote 3) ; He proclaimed Himself the arbiter of 
 
THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT. II. 
 
 71 
 
 man's future destiny: thus assuming the cha- 
 racter of Divine royalty as Founder, Legislator, 
 and Judge. 
 
 Now in the Sermon on the Mount, He mo^t 
 plainly claims this royalty, as is shown in the 
 Sketch The character of those called mto the 
 kingdom, the laws of the kingdom, and the ulti- 
 mate iudgment upon its professed subjects, are 
 really the three topics of the Sermon. 
 
 3 The view that Christ appears in this Sermon 
 as a Legislator, is not opposed to His words in 
 chap V 17. He came to fulfil the Law-rather to 
 fill it out. or to nil It up, as a painter tills up a 
 sketch (Theopliylad, quoted by Alford). His ' But 
 I say unto you' was in opposition, not to the 
 Mosaic commands, but to the Rabbinical inter- 
 pretation of them ; yet His teaching was new, 
 nevertheless, for (1) while the general character 
 of the old Law, and, still more, of even the best 
 traditions, was negative ('Thou shalt not'), 
 Christ's commands were mostly positive; and (2) 
 He expounded the great principles underlying 
 particular laws. The ' golden rule,' in chap. vii. 
 12, illustrates both these points :-(l) The great 
 Jewish teacher Hillel had said, ' Whatsoever ye 
 would not wish that your neighbour should do 
 to you, do it not to him' ; Christ's words, so far 
 from being a mere repetition (as has been in- 
 sinuated) of Hillel's maxim, are as much higher 
 as love is higher than restraint. (2) Instead of 
 giving a multitude of rules for the guidance of 
 our conduct, Christ, in this wonderful sentence, 
 supplies one all-embracing principle, viz., love, 
 which, as St. Paul says (Kom. xiii. 10) is the 
 fulfilling of the law.' 
 
 4. Ver. 20— ' Except your righteousness,' Sic. The 
 ' exceeding ' righteousness here referred to is to 
 be understood as referring, not (at least not 
 
 directly) to the obedience of Christ imputed to 
 His peuple, but to a spiritual as opposed to an 
 external righteousness-to that obedience to the 
 spirit of the Law which Jesus immediately goes 
 on to describe. The very effort, however, to live 
 up to the full requirements of the Law would 
 satisfy a man that he could never work out a 
 perfect or sufficient righteousness ; on the con- 
 trary, the more He realised the spirituality of 
 God's commands, the more would He feel that 
 ' by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified 
 in His sight,' and be led. ns St. Paul was led 
 (Phil. iii. 4— 9), to trust only in the righteousness 
 of Christ ; see Rom. i. 17, iii. 19-26, iv. 1-8, 22- 
 25, V. 18, 19, X. 4. Thus the Law would be his 
 ' schoolmaster to bring him to Christ.' 
 
 5. The word ' alms,' in chap. vi. 1, should be 
 'righteousness,' the original (in the best MSS.) 
 being the same as in chap. v. 20. It is a general 
 term, inclusive of the three duties specified in 
 the following verses, viz., alms (the correct word 
 in ver. 2— J), prayer, and fasting. 
 
 G. The following is an abstract of Westcotl's 
 analysis of the Sermon (Introd. to the Study of 
 the Gospels, p. 3.58) :- 
 
 (1) The Citizens of the Kingdom (v. 1-16). 
 (a) Their character- In themselves (3-6). 
 
 Relatively {7—li). 
 'b) Their influence (13— 16). 
 
 (2j The New Law (17-48). Fulfilling, 
 (a) The Old, generally (17-20). 
 {b) The spirit of special commands (21—48). 
 
 (3) The New Life (vi.— vii. 23). 
 
 (a) Acts of devotion (vi. 1—18). 
 (6) Aims (19-34). 
 
 (c) Conduct (vii. 1—12). 
 
 (d) Dangers (13-23). 
 
 (4) The great contrast (24—27). 
 
 Lesson XXYI.— The Sermoii on the Mount.— 11. 
 
 ' Your T other which is in heaven.' 
 
 iJead-Parts of Matt, v., vi., vii. ; Zeam-Matt. xi. 27 ; Rom. viii. 15. 
 
 (Hymns-lb, 20, 21, 22, 157, 180, 183, 191, 369.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 The fact on which this Lesson is based-that the Fatherhood of God is one of the chiet 
 revelat ons o" The Sermon on the Mount-will probably be new to many teachers ; yet a 
 ;e7usa of the following Sketch, with Matt, v.-vii. open, will -tisfy any one that it is a 
 fact On the reason for treating the Sermon in this way, see preceding Lesson. 
 
 L;t none think the Lesson wOl be unattractive in actual teaching. The writer has 
 tried it ^h a dl of dull country boys, strangers to him, and found it e-y to mam am 
 thetnterest throughout. Certainly it is a subject ^-^-^^f^'^^.^lZfr^^^^^^^ 
 Several are suggested in the Sketch, and it is recommended that the one lef erred to at 
 the commencement, and given in Note 2, be at all fent^ n^ed- 
 
 Some care will be needed in the allusions to the fathers of the scholars. J^ere are 
 cases of bad parents, absent parents, dead parents, which are not applicable. Each 
 ttSer must be guid;d by his knowledge of his class, and modify his illustrations accord- 
 
 ^^S^y- Sketch of Lesson. 
 
 menachild-eventheyoungest prays | J^ere.. saw Him last ^^^^^^^^^^^ 
 to God, what does It call H.m?Who^^^^^^^ ^aid about tie 'kingdom,' its people, and 
 did'chS'rteact'itf^ r?rj^ -mountain I its King [recapitulate]. To-day see what 
 
72 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 He told the peoole about God — what to 
 think about Him — how feel towards Him. 
 
 I. That God is a Father. 
 
 Why should Jesus tell them that ? It is 
 just what people don't feel till they are 
 told, (n) Many heathen nations believe in 
 a ' Great Spirit ' above all their idols ; but 
 think of Him as far oflE — caring nothing for 
 them. (b) Mahometans not idolaters — 
 •worship one God — yet think just the same. 
 [See illusfration in Note 2.] (c) But Jews 
 different? — Yes — knew much more — 3-et 
 knew not this, f See Note 1 .J In Old Test., 
 God is called Almighty, Jehovah, God of 
 Abraham, »fcc. — hardly ever ^Father.' Never 
 by Jews prajing to Him, except by Isaiah 
 (Ixiii. 16, Ixiv. 8), and once by David (1 
 Chron. xxix. 10). True, God had promised 
 to be their Father (Hos. i. 10, Jer. iii. 4), 
 but this not understood or felt — no doubt 
 almost all that great crowd on th-e mount 
 thought like the Mahometans [in illustra- 
 tion] . 
 
 So one gi-eat thing Christ came for was 
 to 'reveal' [i.e., drmo veil or curtain aside 
 {illustrnte)] the Father. Why could He 
 do it — and only He ? (See 1st text for rep.) 
 See the very first words we have of His, 
 Luke ii. 49 ('My Father's business') and 
 His words when He first appeared as 
 Messiah in the Temple, John ii. 16 ('My 
 Father's house'). [See Lesson XVIT.] Thus 
 He told of God as His own Father — now 
 tells of Him as our Father. Had told one 
 person already (John iv. 23) [see Lesson 
 A7X] ; now tells all this great multitude. 
 
 See how many times in the Sermon He 
 speaks so: fifteen times of 'your Father' 
 (chap. V. 16, 45, 48; vi. 1, 4, 6, 8, 14, 15, 18, 
 26, 32; vii. 11), once of 'our Father' (vi. !J), 
 once of 'My Father' (vii. 21), once of the 
 children of God (v. SI). Look at some of 
 these — and will see how astonished the 
 people must have been. 
 
 II. How God is a Father. 
 
 Think of some things in which your 
 father is to j'ou different from other men. 
 So see if God is like a Father. 
 
 (a) If people want anything from the 
 Queen, hard to get at her — many obstacles 
 in the way — she is not accessible. [Illustrate 
 further: — the mayor or sq^iire — even, the cler- 
 f/i/man — not alwat/s at hand.] But your 
 father — close to you — go to him without 
 fear at any time — accessible. 
 
 So is God (see vi. 4, (!, 18) — ' seeth in .secret' 
 even — .Mways near — 'not far from every 
 one of us' (Acts xvii. 27)— is that dreadful"? 
 — but it is 'your Father' — can alw.ays 'draw 
 nigh' to Him (Jas. iv. 8) — accessible. And 
 this more than earthly fathers — they some- 
 times away— God never. 
 
 (i) Do fathers refuse what children ask ? 
 Almost always wish to give, if aV)le — some- 
 times even too ready, over-indulgent. And 
 what sort of things do good parents give 
 their children? — bad things? See what 
 Jesus says, vii. 1 1 — but what does He add? 
 ' Much more your heavenly Father.' So 
 
 our Collect (12th Sun. after Trin.) — 'mote 
 ready to hear than we to praj' ' — gives ' more 
 than we desire or deserve.' Look, too, at 
 vi. 4, 6, 18 — no merit in our alms and 
 praj-ers, j-et God so kind as to ' reward 
 openly' (as father, unobserved, sees boy 
 doing little kindness to sister, and com- 
 mends it before family). No doubt the 
 widow (Luke xxi. 1 — 4) hoped none would 
 see her 'two mites,' yet how openly re- 
 warded ! 
 
 (c) Is not a father provident for his chil- 
 dren? — looking forward, thinking, reckoning 
 what they will want. [fUustrate — e.fj., win- 
 ter clothing.] So the heavenly Father — see 
 vi. 8,32 — 'knoweth what things j-e have 
 need of; and not only knows, but provides 
 — even for flowers and birds (vi. 26 — 30) — 
 ' .shall He not much more clothe you ? ' 
 
 ((/) Parents kind to all their children — 
 even to bad ones. Is not God like that? 
 To whom does he give warm sun and gentle 
 rain? See again what Jesus says, v. 45. 
 
 Now think of that great multitude — had 
 never thought of all this— scribes never told 
 them — what good news for them ! You are 
 told — do you think of it ? Then will wish 
 to see the third thmg that Jesas taught 
 them, viz : — 
 
 III. How WE SHOULD TREAT OUR 
 
 Heaven'Ly Father. 
 
 («) Remember that He is near — sees ' in 
 secret'; feel everywhere, at all times, 
 ' Thou God seest me !' Could the ' hypo- 
 crites' have done as they did (vi. 2, 5, 16) 
 if they had felt this? 
 
 (6) ' Draw nigh ' to the Father who is so 
 nigh — not merely ' say prayera,' like the 
 ' hypocrites,' as if only ' seen of men' — but 
 ask for what 'have need of — this real 
 prayer. Perhaps don't know what to say, 
 so Jesus gives the ' Lord's Prayer.' 
 
 (e) Trust in the Father's provident care, 
 just as would in earthly parent's ; not be 
 over-anxious about 'to-morrow' (vi. 31). 
 
 ((/) Be like our Father, chap. v. 48 (comp. 
 Eph. V. 1); especially in loving and being 
 kind to those that ill-treat us (v. -15), for- 
 giving them (vi. 14, 15), making peace 
 between those that quarrel — then will be 
 recoqnised as {'■called') the 'children of God' 
 
 (v. i)). 
 
 (e) Bring honour to Him — how? See 
 chap. V. 16 ('men see good worh, and 
 glorify^ ifr.) Just as a boy seen to be good 
 is a credit to his parents, 
 
 Bvi all this is of children at home— in the 
 family — with the Father. 
 
 Are you so? Or are yoti like the Pro- 
 digal — a wanderer from home — a 'lost 
 sheep'? All are, naturally — born so (just 
 as if Prodigal liiid liad a cliild in the far 
 country — tliat cliild \\ould have a grand- 
 father at Prodigal's home — yet never been at 
 home— /;";•» an outcast). So, too, in d.aily 
 life, .all must say, ' Almighty and most mer- 
 riful Father, ve ha7'e erred and strayed from 
 Thu ways lilce lost sheep,' 
 
THE LEPER. 
 
 73 
 
 But God wishes ns to be Ills children 
 indeed — shews His willingness by letting 
 us be brought to baptism and marked as 
 His own 
 
 How can we be His true children ? Sec 
 
 Gal. iii. 26 — only 'by Faith in Christ 
 Jesus.' For Christ's sake restored, 'adopted' 
 (Gal. iv. 5 and 2nd text for rep). He the 
 ' Elder Brother' — we to be like Him (1 John 
 iii. 1—3). 
 
 1. It is rot intended to convey the idea that 
 the Old Testament saints did not trust in and 
 come to God as to an ever-present Friend. 
 Numherless examples could be cited to prove 
 the contrary, and the fact that the Psalms are 
 still the highest expression of the devotion of 
 God's children, is of itself sufficient testimony. 
 Still, it is the fact that the Fatherhood of God is 
 scarcely at all referred to in the Old Testament. 
 The following appear to be the only passages 
 directly affirming it, though a few others do so 
 indirectly :— Dent, xx.xii. 6; 1 Chron. xxix. 10; 
 Isa. Ixiii. 16, Ixi v. 8 ; Jer. iii. 4, 19, xxxi. 9 ; Hos. i. 
 10 ; Mai. i. 6, ii. 10. 
 
 Contrast with this the frequent mention of the 
 Father in the New Testament : see, particularly, 
 Jlom. viii. 14-17; Gal. iv. 4-7; Eph. iv. 6; 
 1 John iii. 1, 2; and the salutations of all St. 
 Paul's epistles. And it is certainly in the Sermon 
 on the Mount that our Lord first publicly speaks 
 of 'your Father.' The true Fatherhood of God 
 in relation to His people, is, in fact, dependent 
 on the Incarnation and Atonement, and, like 
 other truths, could not be fully revealed before 
 Christ came. 
 
 2. In Domestic Life in Palestine, p. 231, Miss 
 Uogers gives a remarkable instance of the popu- 
 lar oriental ideas about God and prayer to Him, 
 which well illustrates the subject of this Lesson. 
 She had to spend a night in the harem of an 
 Arab sheikh, several women being in the same 
 room. Before retiring to rest, she knelt in silent 
 prayer ; and after .she had lain down, the sheikh's 
 young wife came to her : — 
 
 ' Slie said, " What did you do just now, when 
 you knelt down and covered your face with your 
 hands?" I sat up and said, very solemnly, " I 
 spoke to God, Helweh ! " " What did you say to 
 Him?" said Helweh. I replied, "I wish to 
 sleep : God never sleeps. I have asked Him to 
 watcb over me. I am very weak, God is all- 
 powerful. I have asked Him to strengthen me 
 with His strength." By this time all the ladies 
 were sitting round me on my bed, and the slaves 
 
 Notes. 
 
 came and stood near. I told them I did not 
 know their language well enough to explain to 
 them all I thought and said. But as I had 
 learnt the Lord's Prayer by heart in Arabic, I re- 
 peated it to them, sentence by sentence, slowlj'. 
 When I began tlius— " Our Father, which art in 
 heaven," Helweh directly said, " You told me 
 your father was in London." I replied, " I have 
 two fathers, Helweh: one in London, who does 
 not know that I am here, and cannot know till I 
 write and tell him ; and a Heavenly Father, who 
 is with me always, who is here now and sees and 
 hears us." For a moment there was perfect 
 silence. They all looked startled, and as if they 
 felt that they were in the presence of some un- 
 seen power. Then Helweh said," Wh.at more did 
 you say ? " I continued the Lord's Prayer, and 
 when I came to the words " Give us day by day 
 our daily bread," they said, " Cannot you make 
 your bread yourself?" The passage, "Forgive 
 us our trespasses, as we forgive those who tres- 
 pass against us," is particularly forcible in the 
 Arabic language; and one of the elder women, 
 who was rather severe and relentless-looking, on 
 hearing it, said, "Are you obliged to say that 
 every day?" as if she thought sometimes it 
 
 would be difficult to do so Moslems, 
 
 both men and women, have the name of" Allah" 
 constantly on their lips ; but they do not appear 
 to realise the presence of God. This explains 
 why these women were so startled when, in an- 
 swer to Helweh's question, I said, simply and 
 earnestly, " 1 spoke to God" for that took them 
 by surprise, and gave them the idea that I be- 
 lieved my words were really heard. Whereas, if 
 I had answered in common-place language, such 
 as, " 1 icas saying my prayeis," or, " J was at my 
 devotions," probably they would not have been 
 impressed in the same way.' 
 
 The whole narrative, of which the above is 
 only an extract, is extremely interesting. See 
 also Dr. Thomson's account of Moslem praj-ers 
 in The Land and the Book, p. 25. 
 
 Lesson XXYII.-The leper. 
 
 ' Sometime far off— made ni(jh' 
 
 Read-U^tt. viii. 1-4 ; {comp. Mark i. 40- 45 ; Luke v. 12- 14) ; Lear»-LuT.e xviii. 27 ; 
 
 Eph. ii. 12, 13 ; {Ilymns, 60, 93, 112, 142, 145, 14(., loO, 343.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 This narrative brings before us the first of a series of ca^cs in which the various mira- 
 cles of our Lord can be taken as figuratively representing the various aspects of sm and 
 salv.ation. Thus we have spiritual blindness and sight; spiritual deafness and hearmg; 
 spiritual dumbness and speech ; spiritual disease and health ; spiritual death and life. In 
 the paralytic we have a picture of the sinners impotency for good; in the demoniac of 
 sin's slavery; in the lunatic, of sin's madness; while their respective cures show us the 
 Gospel in its enabling, its Uberatir.j, and its sense-imparting power. It is important to 
 
74 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 bear in mind this variety in the instruction to be gained from Christ's miracles ; otherwise 
 our teaching upon them will be monotonous, and therefore uninteresting. 
 
 In the case of the Leper, we have two distinct aspects of sin and its remedy. The dis- 
 ease itself exhibits the corrupting po\\'er of indwelling sin ; and, in the special curse put 
 upon it by God, we have a tj-pe of the exclusion from His favour which sin involves. So 
 the cure, bringing with it both bodily health and restoration to covenant privileges, 
 strikingly typifies the two branches of the work of rcdamption, sanctification and justifi. 
 cation ; the latter alone, however, being immediate — the former (unlike the leper's cure) 
 gradual. 
 
 The Lesson, therefore, affords an excellent opportimity of giving important doctrinal 
 instruction which shall be char and yet not dry ; and the teacher should take special 
 pains to use this opportunity well. The element of attractiveness is sufficiently provided 
 in the narrative itself, and in the pai-ticulars given below respecting leprosy. 
 
 Sketch of Lesson. 
 
 A long sickness — how painfiil ! [illustrate 
 by any known case among the scholars^. Yet 
 might be worse — suppose bom with it, and 
 had it all these years. Or worse still — 
 suppose never can be cured. Or worse still 
 — suppose not keep as now, not get a little 
 better, but worse all through life. Or 
 worse still — if sick one's cliildren sure to 
 have it too, and their children, and so on. 
 Or rauch worse than all this — sick people 
 often treated so tenderly, best room, best 
 food, kind friends, &c. ; but suppose not 
 allowed to live with family, compelled to 
 live only among people with same disease, 
 must not let any one else come near — how 
 dreadful ! 
 
 Tliere is a disease like this — Leprosy. 
 Read to-daj- of a leper. A bad case — ' ftill 
 of leprosy ' (Luke v. 12). 
 
 I. The Leper's Disease. 
 
 (1) Its character. Not the poor man's 
 limbs only, or skin, or blood, diseased ; his 
 whole body. Perhaps he was born with it ; 
 if so, was never a bright healthy baby ; but 
 pale, ghastly, corpse-like (Numb. xii. 10 ; 
 2 Kings V. 27). Or it began with a little 
 white spot — how temble to see it ! — no 
 stopping it — slowly and secretly it poisoned 
 all the body — just as 'a little leaven lea- 
 veneth the wliole lump.' Can he hope to 
 be cured ? Even a bad king of Israel knew 
 only God could cure a leper (2 Kings v. 7). 
 Will get worse and worse — lose hair, feet, 
 hands — die miserably. But something 
 sadder than all this — 
 
 (2) Its Curse. All the time this poor 
 man had been a leper, had been obliged to 
 live only with lepers like himself — for- 
 bidden to be with others ; if some one came 
 near, must utter a dreadful cry (Lev. xiii. 
 45) to warn liim off ; counted as one dead ; 
 must have head bald, face half-covered, 
 clothes torn, like mourners (Lev. xiii. 4.5 ; 
 comp. Numb. vi. 9 ; Ezck. xxiv. 17) ; 
 shunned and shuddered at by ever^-body ; 
 never could go to Passover, &c., at Jerusa- 
 lem, or to Temple, because 'unclean'; 
 (Lev. xiii. 46 ; Numb. v. 1—3). The law 
 very strict, too ; even a prophetess and a 
 king had to submit. Numb. xii. 14 ; 2Chron. 
 xxvi. 19—21. 
 
 II. The Leper's Cure. [Read pas- 
 
 .sYf r/e] . 
 
 Even to the haunts of the lepers comes 
 the report of the wonderful things Jesus 
 has done : cripples, blind, fever-stricken 
 healed — even demoniacs — ' might He not 
 cure us ? ' Perhaps some sadly shake their 
 heads ; but one will try — he follo\'\-s Jesus 
 at a distance — perhaps, standing behind, 
 hears Sermon on Mount — hears blessed 
 words, ' Ask, and it shall be given you ' — 
 feels that Be not like scribes, speaks ' with 
 authority ' — believes He can heal — but will 
 lie? will He not turn from the poor 
 outcast ? 
 
 At last, courage to try. See the crowd 
 starting aside in horror as he presses 
 tlirough, for every one that touches him 
 will be reckoned ' unclean.' What will 
 Jesus do ? wLLL He risk being made ' un- 
 clean ' ? See, He steps forward — touches 
 the prostrate leper ! The pure and the 
 foul touching — the pure not defiled by the 
 foul, but the foul cleansed by the pure! 
 The leper feels the touch — hears his own 
 words (• will,' '■clean ') echoed back, and, in a 
 moment, the glow of perfect health rushes 
 tlirough him — his leprosy gone ! 
 
 But see Christ's command, ver. 4 — why 
 ' tell no man ' ? («) Crowds already great — 
 if more come, too much excitement, rulers 
 may interfere, (b) The leper not restored 
 j'et — not till examined and pronounced 
 clean by priest (Lev. xiv.) — the curse upon 
 liim still ; if priests hear how he was 
 cured, perhaps refuse to give him release. 
 But whj' go to priest at all ? cannot all see 
 he is well ? (a) If the}' give him release, 
 and then the miracle kno^^-n, what a testi- 
 mony to Jesus's power ! — a testimony 
 against the unbelieving priests themselves. 
 (6) The law to be obeyed — did Jesus come 
 to put it aside ? Matt. v. 17. 
 
 III. The Sinner's Di.«;easb. 
 
 Why had God excluded lepers from His 
 sanctuary, d'c? why reckoned unclean, 
 dead? why kept apart? [see Note 2 (e)] 
 To teach men (tbmtt sin. In leprosy see 
 the disease of sin — its character — its curse. 
 
 (1) Its character, {a) Hereditary, Rom. 
 V. 12. See it in children almost as soon as 
 
THE LEPER. 
 
 75 
 
 leprosy. Why infants disobedient, deceit- 
 M (Ps. Iviii. 3), passionate? — it is the 
 disease of sin beginning to appear. (6) 
 Secret, subtle, pervading — spoils the lohole 
 soul (Isa. i, 6) — ' no health in us.' (c) It 
 grows worse — does not one lie lead to ano- 
 ther (as with Jacob), the vain and wilful 
 boy become the ungovernable man (as 
 Absalom) ? And how a bad habit spreads 
 in a school ! Beware — ' touch not the un- 
 clean thing' (2 Cor. vi. 17). (d) Incurable 
 by man. See St. Paul's experience, Kom. 
 vii. 14 — 24 ; comp. Jer. xiii. V3. People 
 try to be outwardly good, but this as if the 
 leper had painted himself and dressed 
 finely (see Matt, xxiii. 27) — it is the kea7-t 
 that is wrong (Jer. xvii. 9 ; Mark vii. 21). 
 
 (2) Its cwse. The first thing sin did was 
 to exclude Adam and Eve from God's 
 favour and presence ; and so always, Isa. 
 lix. 2; Ps. Ixvi. 18. This what David so 
 feared, Ps. li. 11. What does Isaiah say we 
 all are ? Ixiv. 6 — and St. Paul, that we are 
 reckoned ? Eph. ii. 1. And so at the last. 
 Rev. xxi. 27. 
 
 IV. The Sinnkr's Cure. 
 
 Like the leper, he must come to Christ. 
 But is He able to cure sin as He did leprosy? 
 (Heb. vii. 25, and 1st text for rep.). And 
 willing ? does He not invite (Matt. xi. 28) 
 and promise to receive (John vi. 37) ? But 
 how can He do it? (a) He has touched our 
 nature, taken hold of it, taken it on Him- 
 self, Heb. ii. 14. (b) He has borne the 
 curse, Gal. iii. 13. (c) He gives the Spirit, 
 who can purify and make strong and well, 
 Rom. viii. 3—9. 
 
 Then what result? Curse removed 
 dh'ectly — can come to God now — those 
 'far off' made 'nigh' (2nd text for rep.). 
 But recovery from disease itself slow and 
 gradual — not complete tiU where ' no 
 more sin.' 
 
 But suppose the leper had not known he 
 was leprous ; or, knowing it, cared not, 
 felt not how different he was from others ? 
 Would he then have come to Christ ? This 
 just why men not cleansed, see Rev. iii. 17 
 Is it so with us ? 
 
 1. Many harmonists sonnrate this miracle from 
 the Sermon on the Jldi.ii, with which aiatthew 
 so distinctly connects it. Tlio object of doing so 
 is to follow the order of Mark and Luke ; but 
 there is absolutely nothing in Mark to prevent 
 our inserting the Sermon between ver. 39 and 
 40 of his tirst chapter ; and as to Luke, it is quite 
 doubtful whether the discourse in chap. vi. is 
 identical with the Sermon, and, even if it be so, 
 the marks of time in his Gospel are too indefinite 
 to be relied upon. See Additional Note V, p. 57. 
 
 2. Leprosy. Much might be said on this 
 subject, but the following brief particulars will 
 suffice for these Notes :— 
 
 (a) There were, and still are, different kinds of 
 leprosy. The ancient Greek physician Hippo- 
 crates names three sorts. The fearful disease 
 described by modern travellers in the East (see 
 Land and the Book, pp. e.ll— 6-54) seems to be much 
 worse than that legislated for in Lev. xiii., xiv. 
 Full particulars are given in Smith's Dictionarit 
 of the Bible. 
 
 (fi) All leprosy is hereditary. Dr. Thomson 
 describes the gradual appearance of the disease 
 in the infant children of lepers (/,. <b B., p. CM). 
 
 (c) The Levitical regulations contemplate the 
 possibility of a leper's cure ; but all other notices 
 of the disease imply that it was incurable by 
 any ordinary medical treatment ; and with this 
 modern accounts agree, describing it .as gradu- 
 ally getting worse, until limb after limb drops 
 off, and the victim perishes miserably (Z/. <t B., 
 p. 653). 
 
 (</) The leprosy of Scripture was certainly not 
 (as is often supposed) contagious. The priests 
 freely handled the lepers in the exercise of their 
 offlce (Lev. xiv.) ; Gehazi, when a leper, could 
 approach the king (2 Kings viii. .'>) ; Naaman, as 
 a leper, commanded the Syrian army. Light foot 
 says that lepers were not excluded from the 
 synagogues. Modern medical evidence is to the 
 same effect. Yet leprosy is certainly regarded, 
 and feared, as contagious in the East (L. d: B., 
 p. 652), and possibly the worse forms may be 
 really so. 
 
 Notes. 
 
 (e) If the disease was not contagious, why 
 were the Levitical regulations about lepers so 
 strict? The true answer is this: — Being the 
 
 worst form of dise.ase, leprosy was fixed upon by 
 God to be the especial type of sin, and the injunc- 
 tions regarding it had reference to its typical 
 character. It was accompanied by the emblems 
 of death— the rent clothes, the covered lip, the 
 shaven and bare head (Lev. xiii. 45, comp. with 
 Numb. vi. 9, Ezek. xxiv. 17) ; it involved cere- 
 monial uncleanness (see Numb. xix. 13, Ezek. 
 xliv. 25) ; the restoration of the leper was ac- 
 complished by the same rites as that of one un- 
 clean through contact with the dead (Lev. xiv. 
 4—7, 49, comp. with Numb. xix. 6, 13, 18), and to 
 them David seems to allude when he says (Ps. li. 
 7), ' Purge me rcith hyssop, and I shall be clean.' 
 And the exclusion of the leper from the congre- 
 giition (Lev. xiii. 44—46; Numb. v. 1—3, xii. 14, 
 15 ; 2 Chron. xxvi. 19—21) strikingly typified the 
 separation of the sinner from God's jiresence ; 
 compare jiarticularly Numb. v. 3 with Josh. vii. 
 12. Perhaps for this reason, also, leprosy was 
 sent as a special judgment for sins of a sacri- 
 legious character, as in the cases of Miriani> 
 Gehazi, and Uzziah. This view is confirmed by 
 the fact that where the Mosaic law was not 
 (ibsorvcd there was no exclusion ; as in the case 
 of Na.iman, and of Gehazi (who lived iu the 
 northern kingdom). The appropriateness of 
 leprosy to be the disease stigmatised as the 
 especial type of sin is shown in the Sketch. See 
 Trench, On (he Miracles, p. 212. 
 
 (/) The 'leprosy of house and garment' was 
 similar to our 'dry rot,' &c., and caused by the 
 growth of vegetable fungi. See an elaborate 
 article by the Rev. Hugh JIacmillan in the 
 Sunday Magazine for Jul}-, 1867, p. 674. 
 
 3. Several commentators observe that the leper, 
 by calling Jesus ' Lord,' expressed faith in His 
 Messiahshlp. Wiiether this faith existed or not, 
 the Greek word (Kilpie kurie) is the same as that 
 used by the Samaritan woman (there rendered 
 'Sir'), who certainly only meant it as a title of 
 respect. 
 
76 
 
 Lesson XXVIII.— Tlie Eoman Officer and his Servant 
 
 ' I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.' 
 
 Read- -Luke vii. 1—10; (comp. Matt. viii. 5—13); Xenrn— Matt. vLii. 8—10; 
 
 Rom. iii. 29. 30. {Hymns, 40, 103, 144, 2-25, 238, 345.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 Nothing is more important in a lesson than a good introduction. When the attention of 
 a class is once really gained, it can generally be kept ; the difficulty is, how to get it at 
 first. A fruitful source of failure in this respect is the practice of reading the whole 
 passage round at the very beginning. The teacher would act more wisely by openinp; 
 with some illustration that will lead up to the subject (such as have been several times 
 suggested in these Lessons), or with a recapitulation of such points in the preceding 
 Lesson as will fitly introduce the one about to be taught. This having been done, should 
 the passage then be read round in extenso ? or should the several verses or groups of verses 
 be refen-ed to as they are wanted ? In most cases, the latter will be found the best way, 
 because curiosity may thus be often aroused, which is a gi-eat help to the teacher. For 
 instance—' Now, what do you think so-and-so said ? '—or ' did ? ' — or ' thought of that ?' — 
 ' Well, look in the next verse, and you'U see.' But there are exceptions to this rule. 
 
 The present Lesson seems to be one of these exceptions. In the following Sketch, the 
 mere external narrative is not much dwelt upon, as it affords little scope for picturing, 
 and the important teaching underlying it is intended to occupy the whole time. In a 
 case like this, it will be well to read the passage round at the beginning (i.e., after the 
 opening illustration), merely giving any brief incidental explanations (as, e.g., what a 
 centurion was) in passing, and then to work upon what the class already knows. 
 
 Although, at the first glance, the Sketch may appear to be constructed for elder classes, 
 there is in it one feature specially favourable to the teachers of the junior classes, viz., the 
 paucity of references. Almost the whole of the instruction suggested is drawn from the 
 passage itself. Those who wish for more texts will find them in the Notes. 
 
 Sketch of Les.son. 
 
 What kind of people are the most easily 
 .surprised? Is it not ignorant people? 
 [lllust. — Little child astonished at neu'toy — 
 not so those older; chemical experiments 
 astonish audience — not lecturer, <S[C. cj'c] 
 The more we know, the fewer new things 
 to be surprised at. What wonderful things 
 those that could make Christ ' marvel ' ! 
 Twice we read of His 'marvelling' — what 
 could it be at ? Once at unbelief (Mark 
 vi. 6) ; once at faith (read of to-day). 
 Were these such strange things ? Unbelief 
 strange, when He saw so much of it? 
 TFaith strange, when the wonder rather 
 why so few believed ? How gi-eat the un- 
 belief, how great the faith, that could 
 surprise .lesus ! 
 
 [Read the passage.] 'Great faith '—so 
 He called it. Now see three things about it. 
 
 I. Where the 'Great Faith' was 
 
 FOUND. 
 
 In a learned Rabbi, knowing prophecies, 
 so recognising Jesus as the Mcssiali ? in a 
 strict Pharisee, with his regular ])rayers, 
 alms, fastings? Would not be such ' great 
 faith ' in these — ought to have known — yet 
 did not. Not in a Jew at all— in a Gentile — 
 and he one of the hated Roman con- 
 querors. 
 
 Tliree uncommon things about him : — 
 (a) Jlis slave [see Note 4] was 'dear unto 
 
 him.' Roman masters often very cruel to 
 slaves— had bought them with money, or 
 taken them in war — their own property — 
 could do as they liked with them— never 
 thought of loring them. So this centurion 
 good and kind like few others. 
 
 (6) He loved the Jews. Romans despised 
 Jews — disliked them because so trouble- 
 some, would not submit quietly like other 
 conquered nations of empii-e fsee Acts v. 
 36, 37, xvi. 20, xviii. 14— l(i). What could 
 have made this centurion different ? — must 
 have come to feel that Jews knew true 
 God — perhaps, like the other centui-ion, 
 Cornelius (Acts x. 2), w.as 'devout,' 'feared 
 God,' ' prayed to God alway.' What had 
 he done for Capernaum ? ver. 5 — that 
 synagogue where Jesus so often taught, his 
 gift [see Note 3]. 
 
 ((■) The Jews loved Him — loved com- 
 mander of troops stationed thei-e to keep 
 them in subjection ! — what were their chief 
 men ready to do for him ? — and that even 
 when the sick one only his slave. 
 
 But a more uncommon thing about him 
 yet — the ' great faith ' Jesus marvelled at. 
 
 II. How the 'Great Faith' was 
 
 SHEWN. 
 
 (1) Here is the greatest man in Caper- 
 naum seeking help of a humble carpenter — 
 a prophet, certainly, but not acknowledged 
 
THE ROMAN OFFICER AND HIS SERVANT. 
 
 77 
 
 eyen by his own nation. Is it just because 
 he is so great— thinks Jesus sure to do His 
 best for him? Compare the Nobleman 
 [see Lesson XXI.]. No, the very reverse. 
 Does not think himself great— ' not worthy 
 to receive Jesus at his house (ver. 6)— not 
 even worthy to go to Him (ver. 7)— gets 
 Jewish elders to go instead. Whj^ this? 
 Very likely had heard scribes teach in that 
 synagO"-ue— knew they expected great King 
 from heaven— but He to be king of the 
 Jews— should drive away Romans— no 
 blessings for them (unless they became 
 Jews). Might well feel he was outside the 
 ' kingdom '—no use his asking for miracle. 
 And yet he did. 
 
 (2) What did the elders ask Jesus to do ? 
 ver. 3 (' to come and heal'). So the Noble- 
 man we read of before (John iv. 49). But 
 look at the centurion's message when he 
 heard Jesus was coming, ver. 6 — 8. What 
 meant? [See Noteb.'] He thinks, 'Why 
 should He come ? Is not His word enough 
 wherever He is ? I give orders myself— 
 get immediate obedience— my soldiers and 
 my slave go here and there as I tell them — 
 I, too, obey my superior officer {'under 
 authority') ; and He is captain of a greater 
 army— not a hundred men, but ten thousand 
 angels— all things in heaven and earth — 
 surely diseases under His control — can He 
 not speak the word only, at any distance, 
 and command the disease to leave my poor 
 slave ? ' (comp. Ps. evil. 20—' He sent His 
 word, and healed them '). 
 
 What he thought of Jesus we know not, 
 but we see he believed with aU his heart 
 (1) in His all-embracing love, reaching even 
 to a Gentile soldier's slave— (2) in His 
 supreme authority, governing all things. 
 Which of the Jews, of the disciples even, 
 had ' great faith ' like that ?— ' no, not ia 
 Israel.' No wonder Jesus marvelled. 
 
 III. How THE ' Great Faith ' should 
 
 BE REWARDED. 
 
 By the request being granted ? Yes ; 
 but more than that — see how. 
 
 The elders, perhaps, thought, if Jesus 
 healed the slave, it would be because they 
 asked (just as, if they wanted something of 
 Eoman Emperor, would try and get some 
 one at court to ask for them). Jesus had 
 been going about proclaiming ' the kingdom 
 at hand' — well, true or not, this (they 
 thought) certain :— When that ' kingdom ' 
 did come, it should be for Abraham and 
 
 his children, for their nation— they should 
 be hke guests at a feast (Isa. xxv. 6), in 
 Hght and gladness— and others, the Gentile 
 'dogs,' in the darkness outside; they the 
 favoured ones at court, though the King 
 might, perhaps, if they asked Him, grant 
 a few crumbs to any poor outcast they cared 
 for. 
 
 Now what does Jesus say ? [Bead Matt. 
 viii. 11, 12.J [See Note 7.] 
 
 (a) Yes, the kingdom shall be like a 
 feast — rest, enjoyment, provision for all 
 want. Yes, Abraham shall be there- 
 plenty of guests, too — but who? where 
 from ? — from whence Israel's enemies came, 
 Babylonians from East, Romans from West. 
 When brought in? who preached over 
 Roman empire? we, too, in the West- 
 America, &c. And East — some had come 
 then (Magi) — even now, Hindoos, Chinese, 
 &c. But outside? Yes, there is 'outer 
 darkness '—who there? Some of those 
 very children of Abraham to whom God 
 first gave the kingdom — who would not 
 noio eat with Gentiles— should not then — 
 think of their bitter despair—' gnashing of 
 teeth ' ! 
 
 (i) But should all the Gentiles be m— 
 all the Jews out? Where the real diffe- 
 rence?— what would give right of entry? 
 What the centurion had so much o/— FAITH. 
 But what faith ? The same as the centu- 
 rion's—faith in Jesus Himself— in the de- 
 spised Nazarene— in His all-embracing 
 love — in His supreme authority— (Aa« 
 would admit any one, Jew or Gentile, to 
 God's banquet— nothing else would admit 
 either. (See 2nd text for rep.) 
 
 Can we not see the faces of the elders as 
 they heard that ? 
 
 Outside or inside — which shall we be ? 
 Do you say, ' I go to church, &c.— pretty 
 good boy at home and school— God very 
 kind— it will be all right ' ? That will not 
 ^o. Sin— any sin— shuts out; but Christ 
 died to take sin away, and the question is, 
 Have we come to Him, taken Him as our 
 Saviour, Friend, King ? do we love Him ? 
 trust in Him ? have we faith ? (John 
 iii. 16, 36.) Many boys and girls who 
 thought well of themselves will see some 
 they have despised (poorer than them- 
 selves— or foreigners, negroes, &c) at the 
 feast with Abraham, with the King Him- 
 self — and themselves shut out ! 
 
 Notes. 
 
 1. It is not easy to reconcile the variations in 
 Matthew's and Luke's accounts of this miracle. 
 From Luke's it certainly appears that the centu- 
 rion did not himself go to Christ at all, though 
 the word ' Go' (singular) in Matthew seems ad- 
 dressed to him individually. Augustine, in reply 
 to one who objected to the narrative on the 
 ground of these variations, s.ays.'Does not our 
 human custom furnish abundance of such in- 
 stances? could we expect that Scripture would 
 speak with us otherwise than in our own man- 
 ner ? '—{quoted by Al/ord). 
 
 2. ' A centurion,' in the Roman army, was com- 
 mander of a centuria, or company of infantry, 
 the number varying with the size of the legion, 
 of which the centuria was the sixtieth part. 
 
 3. 'He hath built us a synagogue-lit.. Himself 
 (i.e., at his own expense) built our synagogue 
 (i.e., the synagogue of Capernaum). 
 
 4. The servant Is called by Luke, a slave 
 (SouAo?, doulos^. Matthew (alls him a boy (irai?, 
 pais)— a word often used in the sense of a ser- 
 vant, like puer in Latin and gar^on in French. 
 
liESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 5. ' For 1 am a man under authority ' Stc. Com- 
 mentators have disputed as to whether the cen- 
 turion thought of diseases as being among the 
 ' hosts 'at Christ's command, or the a»(/els who 
 should be the ministers of His power in driving 
 away diseases. Probably he thought of neither 
 specially, but only derived a general idea of 
 Christ's supremacy from the character of his own, 
 which, though in so limited a sphere, was abso- 
 lute. ' The Lord appears to him as the trueCa;sar 
 and Imperator, the highest over the hierarchy, 
 not of earth, but of heaven (Col. i. 16)'— {Trench). 
 ' He saw the unseen, clothed in the vividness of 
 material substance. Health and sickness, ease 
 and pain, gladness and sorrow, life and death, 
 were to him as one great army, and He to whom 
 he was speaking the Lord of Hosts. They 
 marched at His bidding '—(X Vaughan's Ser- 
 mons). 
 
 6. ' lie marvelled.' Difficult as this expression 
 is, as applied to Christ, It is our plain duty to 
 accept it as simply as 'He rejoiced' or 'was 
 sorrowful.' 
 
 7. ' Many shall come from the east and the west,' 
 &.C. This solemn utterance of Christ's stands in 
 remarkable contrast to a Rabbinical utterance 
 (quoted in Lange on Malthcw) :— ' In the world to 
 come, s.aith God, I will spread a vast table for 
 you, which the Gentiles shall see and be con- 
 founded.' So, by their tradition, the scribes 
 
 ' made of none effect ' the promises of the Old 
 Testament to the Gentiles. They were willing to 
 receive proselytes to Judaism ; but the admission 
 of the Gentiles, as such, to the covenant, was a 
 ' mystery' (Eph. iii. 3—6) that even the Apostles 
 were slow to believe. How little the elders of 
 Capernaum \inderstood Jesus is shewn by their 
 pleading for their friend on the ground of his 
 loving 'our nation,' as if that might overcome 
 Christ's presumed unwillingness. The cure 
 being wrought at a distance would fitly sjTn- 
 bolise the proclamation of the Gospel to ' them 
 that .are afar off'— the Gentile world. The 
 phrase ' children of the kingdom,' as applied to 
 tlie Jews, is explained by JIatt. xxi. 43. ' They 
 were children of the typical kingdom, the theo- 
 cracy '—(Lange). 
 
 The 'kingdom 'Is frequently described in the 
 Bible as a feast ; see Ps. xxii, 26—29 ; Isa. xxv. 6 ; 
 Matt. xxii. 1—13, xxvi. 29; Luke xiv. l.";— 24; 
 Rev. xix. 9. It must not be understood as refer- 
 ring directly to heaven ; the ' kingdom ' is the 
 Gospel dispensation ; but of this heaven is the 
 consummation, the blessings of the ' kingdom ' 
 on earth being only an earnest of whiit are j'et in 
 the future. 
 
 ' Outer darkness,' &c. Comp. Ps. cxii. 10 ; Isa. 
 Ixv. 14, Ixvi. 24 ; Matt. xiii. 42, SO, xxii. 13, xxiv. 
 .11, xxv. 10, 30; Luke xiii. 28; Rev. xxii. 15 
 (' without '), 
 
 Lesson XXIX.— Tlie Widow's Son of Nain. 
 
 ' The dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God.' 
 
 Read — Luke vii. 11—16; Learn— Isa,. xxv. 8; John v. 21,25. 
 
 {Hymns, 41, 45, 71, 96, 20G, 213, 215, 376, 887.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 Tbe most inexperienced teacher will find the narrative part of this Lesson easy. Tlie 
 most experienced will find great care necessary in applying it. We are apt to get into 
 confusion between natural death, spiritual deatli, and eternal death, and our scholars 
 cannot always grasp the distinctions we make in our own minds. Although all are 
 alluded to in the Sketch, the teacher had better not attempt to fake the whole (unless lie 
 has a quick and intelligent cla.ss), but deliberately select a portion, and, having made his 
 plan, strictly adhere to it. With junior classes it will be best to omit the section about 
 spiritual death; and the concluding paragi-aph of the Lesson can be followed quite inde- 
 pendently of it. 
 
 But the central points of this Le.sson are not this and that human condition, but the 
 sympathy and power of Christ. It will be observed that this is not always the case. 
 Our Lord was the leading figure in the Lesson on ' A Sabbath at Capernaum,' but not in 
 those on the cures of the Nobleman's Son, the Leper, and the Centurion's Servant. In 
 these latter, attention was concentrated on the np/>licant in each case. The teacher will 
 do well to notice this distinction, as his exposition and picturing of the narrative should 
 be directed so as to lead always to the central point of application presently to be drawn. 
 In the present Lesson, if, for want of time or any other cause, not a single word of 
 personal application should be got in, yet, if the sympathy and power of Christ be clearly 
 exhibited, the J.e.sson is tauyht; and, sometimes, to enlarge on our Lord's character and 
 work is the very best of applications— just as tlic true way to inspire in any one love for 
 some kind friend or benefactor is, not to insist on the duty of loving him, but just to 
 dwell upon his goodness. 
 
THE WIDOW'S SON OF NAIN. 
 
 79 
 
 Sketch of Lesson. 
 
 You have all seen funerals often — know 
 they are sad things ; but have you ever 
 feli the sadness — ever had funeral at home ? 
 — recollect the distress when doctor said 
 no hope — the watching by the sick bed, &c. 
 — then the word passed round, ' ffone ' — 
 silence — weeping — last look — then the 
 burial — the grave — ' never see him (or her) 
 in old place' — [the teacher will midifi/ theM- 
 recollections according to local and sj)ecial 
 circumstances^ . 
 
 Sad enough when one of a large family 
 taken — how much more when one of two. 
 Such a case see to-day. 
 
 1. The Widow and her Son seimrated. 
 
 A widow — then had had a sad funeral 
 before this one : perhaps only lately — and 
 had been glad that, though husband gone, 
 her son grown up, and could support her ; 
 perhaps years ago — left with little baby — 
 had brought him up — all her ' treasure' in 
 him — (how wisely Jesus said, ' Lay not up 
 treasures on earth,' &c. !). Was he a good 
 son ? We know not — but if so what a loss 
 to her ! Any of you ' only son of mother, 
 and she a widow ' ? — how tender should be 
 to her ! 
 
 She is alone in the world now — perhaps 
 poor — knows not what will do — dark future. 
 Yet niany kind friends — she and her son 
 loved in the town — see how manj' following 
 the bier. Through streets— out of gate 
 (Jews buried outside cities) — moves the 
 mournful procession— not silent as with us 
 — loud wailings and cries (Jer. ix. 17, 18; 
 Amos V. 16 ; Matt. ix. 2^)— one weeping 
 bitterly (comp. Jer. vi. 26 ; Amos viii. 10; 
 Zech. xii. 10). 
 
 2. The Widow and her Son re-unlted. 
 
 As procession moves out of gate, another 
 company coming up hill [see Note 1] to- 
 wards city. They have come a long way, 
 25 miles, over mountains, since the morning 
 — we should think verj' weary — would 
 scarcely notice a passing funeral. But 
 One does — He knows it all — sees into the 
 widow's desolate heart. Hear His gentle 
 voice as He speaks to her. 
 
 * Weep not' ! — not weep ? — is there not a 
 cause? but see — startled bearers stopping 
 at Jesus' touch — crowd silent in wonder 
 — Jesus speaking to a corpse that cannot 
 hear (comp. Rom. iv. 17) But it does 
 hear — the soul that had flown far away 
 hears and comes back— the heart is beating 
 again — the blood flowing through the veins 
 again — the lungs breathing again — there is 
 a living man on the bier —sitting up. Can 
 the gazers be in a dream? No, for he 
 speaks — and it is the voice of the widow's 
 son ! We have seen happy meetings, read 
 of them [e.g., Jacob and Joseph) — but what 
 must this have been ? 
 
 Now look at the people— they of Nain 
 probably never saw Jesus before — what 
 think? Ver. 16 — 'a great prophet' — they 
 remember what El'jah and Elisha did — but 
 
 was Jesus like them ? — tlunj raised dead with 
 much prayer and effort (1 Kings xvii. 19 — 
 22; 2 Kings iv. 32—30) — how did He do 
 it ? Truly God had ' visited His people ' in 
 a sense they never tliouglit of —not sending 
 a prophet, but corning Himself. 
 
 But those who had come with Jesus — 
 people of Capernaum— the disciples— they 
 had seen other miracles — why they sur- 
 prised? It taught them more about tvjo 
 things : — 
 
 I. The Compassion op Jesus. 
 
 Had He not been kind before to the 
 sick of their town one Sabbath evening 
 [Lesson XXIV.] — to the leper — to the cen- 
 turion ? Ah, but then He was asked. Now 
 they see He loves thosR who know Him 
 not — longs to bless those who never think 
 of asking — feels for all suffering; His 
 ' compassion ' spontaneous (i.e., moves of 
 itself) ._ 
 
 So it is still. Have you had sorrow, 
 trouble, disappointment, pain ? Jesus saw 
 it all — pitied you though you never went 
 to Him. Did it go away after a time ? He 
 had interfered, though you knew it not. 
 Might He not well stop thinking of you ? 
 But ' His compassions fail not' — He is 'the 
 same Lord, whose property is always to 
 have mercy.' Think of the kindest person 
 you know — he not so tender-hearted as 
 Christ. Does His love seem so natural — 
 not much in it to marvel at ? But think — 
 who suffers most at seeing miserj'? — hard 
 man or tender man ? Then how must He 
 have suffered at all He saw? (Heb. iv. 15 ; 
 Isa. liii. 3, 4, Ixiii. 9.) 
 
 II. The Power of Jesus. 
 
 This, too, they had seen before — over fish 
 in Lake, devils, fevers, leprosj', &c. — power 
 even to heal at a distance (centurion's ser- 
 vant) ; but power over the dead — over the 
 lifeless body — over the spirit that has 
 ■ returned to God who gave it ' ! — thic a 
 new thing indeed. 
 
 So, again, His power the same now. But 
 does He raise the dead now? He will, 
 John V. 28, 29. Death shall not keep our 
 bodies ; if we trust in Him and love Hiln, 
 death cannot hurt our soids. See whv! 
 Heb. ii. 14, 15, Rev. i. 18. 
 
 And the day is coming, when no more 
 tears, and no more death (Rev. xxi. 4, and 
 ist text Jo r rep.). 
 
 Is this great power— great compassioti f 
 
 There is greater yet. 
 
 See whom God calls ' dead,' Eph. ii. 1 : 
 1 Tim. V. 6. Why called so ? Can a dead 
 body see.hear, feel, speak, act ? And a dead 
 soul ."iees not its own state, heai's not God's 
 voice, feels not God's love, speaks not in 
 true prayer and praise, does not God's will. 
 Which of us like that? 
 
 Upo7i dead souls Jesus had coinpassion. 
 Looked down and saw us dead, .to dead that 
 we knew it not. Who asked Him to liave 
 pity, to come down ? He came unasked— 
 
80 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 lived Himself among dead soiils— let them 
 Mil Him— that He might purchase life for 
 them. 
 
 Upon dead souls Jesus has poieer. These 
 also hear his voice {2nd text for rep.), as 
 He calls, ' I saj' unto tlice, Arise.' He sends 
 the 'Giver of Life' (Nic. Creed), the Holy 
 Ghost, to 'breathe into them the breath 
 of life,' 
 
 But the soul must be ahve before the 
 body dies — or else eternal death. When 
 will your bodies die ? — not till you are old ? 
 are you sure? — [Jllust. — .1 boy being told 
 he mi'/ht die young, went to the cemetery and 
 measured the graves. He found some shorter 
 than himself.] 
 
 Then hear Christ's voice now, and say, ' I 
 \rill arise,' 
 
 Notes. 
 
 1 . The modem Xein is undoubtedly the ancient 
 Nain. Though now a miserable village, the 
 ruins indicate that it was once a town with 
 wa:is and gates. It stands on the northern 
 slope of Ed-biihy, or Little Hermon, one of the 
 huis at the south-east end of the Plain of Es- 
 <Ii-aelon. The traveller, coming down from the 
 Galilean hills southward, sees Nain on the 
 opposite slope. A little to the east of the village 
 is the Moslem burying-ground, and the rock on 
 thuwest side is full of sepulchral caves. Nain 
 is about 25 miles from Capernaum. See Stanley, 
 Sinai and P., p. 352 ; Kobinson, liibl. Res., vol. 
 ii.. p. 361 ; Tristram, Land of Israel, p. 127. 
 
 2. On funeral customs in the East see Thomson, 
 Land and the Book, pp. 99-108. The only e.xcep- 
 tions to the general practice of burying outside 
 the cities, that are named in the Bible, are in the 
 case of kings (I Kings ii. 10. xvi. 6, 28 ; 2 Kings 
 s. 35, xiii. 9 ; 2 Chron. xvi. 14, xxviii. 27) and 
 
 occasionally others of high rank (1 Sam. xxv. 1, 
 xxviii. 3 ; 2 Chron. xxiv. liJ). It was denounced 
 as a judgment against Jehoiakim, that heshould 
 not have kingly burial (Jer. xxii. 18, 19). Coffins 
 were rarely used, and when used were open. 
 Generally the body was simply wrapped in the 
 grave-clothes, and carried on an open bier. The 
 burial took place before sunset on the day of the 
 death. 
 
 3. Our Lord's three miracles of raising the 
 dead varied as to the length of time that had 
 elipsed since the death: Jairus's daughter was 
 still lying on the bed ; the widow's son was being 
 carried to his grave ; Lazarus had been in the 
 grave four days. It is remarkable that these 
 miracles were wrought on an only son, an only 
 daughter, and an only brother. In each case 
 Christ addressed the dead person directly: 
 ' Young man ! '— ' Damsel! '—'Lazarus ! ' 
 
 Lesson XXX.— The Paralytic. 
 
 ' Who is this that forgiveth sins alsof 
 
 /Jead— Mark ii. 1—12 ; {comp. Matt. Lx. 2—8 ; Luke v. 17—26) ; Learn— Pb. ciiL 2, 3 
 Acts V, 31. {Hymns, 15, 19, 76, 93, 145, 148, 381.) ^ 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 The Sketch of this Lesson is constructed differently from those that have gone before. 
 By the plan of putting the title of each division at the end of the division instead of the 
 beginning, the teacher will be led to see that the three statements so placed are the points 
 to which he is to work up. This plan is often effective in teaching, even when not indi- 
 cated in the printed sketches. 
 
 In teaching on narratives like the one before us, it is too generally the custom, even 
 with painstaking teacher.s, to draw a series of pretty pictures of what occurred, and then 
 to conclude with a general application about the kindness of Christ, and the consequent 
 encouragement to come to Him. The infant-class teacher, indeed, may fairly be .satis-fied 
 with this ; but with older cla.sses something higher and more definite should be attempted. 
 In the following Sketch the narrative is used to illustrate two great truths: (1) The 
 Divinity of Jesu.s, as shown in the points to which the three divisions lead, and as the 
 true answer to the question which stands above as the motto of the Lesson ; (2) The 
 .superiority of spiritual over temporal blessings, which is suggested in the introductory 
 paragraph, and made the chief point of application. 
 
 The Paralytic might be taken as a type of the sinner in his helplessness and incapacity ; 
 and the bodily strength imparted to tJie former of the spiritual strength needed by the 
 latter. But this point will come better in the lesson on the Cripple at Bethesda. 
 
 Care must be taken that the children's minds are divested of English ideas with regard 
 to the roofs of houses and to beds. A class has been known to leave school with the im- 
 pression that the ability of the man to carry his Jour-poster was the great pohit in the 
 miracle. See Notes 3 it 6. 
 
THE PABALYTIC. 
 
 81 
 
 Sketch of Lesson. 
 
 Do not boys and girls, when told that 
 God answers prayer, sometimes think this 
 in their hearts? — 'Yes, perhaps, if pray 
 for grace, &.C., — but if pray for everyday 
 things we really wish for, not get them.' 
 But God will give all that is good — would 
 you give baby the poisonous berry it cries 
 for? Only boys and girls don't care for 
 best things (spiritual blessings) — why ? — 
 don't feel their value (as baby will prefer 
 plaything to bank-note). To-day read how 
 Jesus gave His best gift first, and then the 
 lesser one too. 
 
 I. 
 
 'Jesus at home [see Xote IJ again !' — 
 this the cry from mouth to mouth in 
 Capernaum. See the concourse gathering, 
 pouring into the house — doorway now 
 filled up — crowd even in street — can't get 
 in. 
 
 Here come four men — what carrying ? — 
 ' Oh, pray let us pass in ! ' — impossible — 
 what to be done ? Cannot they wait till 
 to-morrow, or till Jesus comes out ? But 
 the poor man not only helpless in body 
 because of palsied limbs — miserable in 
 mind too [xee Note 4] — feels his sinfulness 
 — knows that is why he is afflicted — has 
 heard of Jesus being ' sent to heal the 
 broken-liearted ' (Luke iv. 18) — perhaps 
 He will say something comforting, even if 
 He will not cure one so sinful — cannot 
 wait for this — must get at Him at once. 
 Here is a man sadly needing a temporal 
 blessing — yet which does he think most 
 of ? — this or the spiritual ? 
 
 But how to get at Jesus ? Suddenly his 
 good friends who are carrying him think 
 of a plan — beg admission next door — up on 
 to flat roof there — then step over on to 
 roof of the house — look down into court- 
 yard — see it filled with people — Jesus 
 sitting under verandah teaching [see Note 
 3] . Quickly they take up tiles of verandah 
 just over His head — then what do ? 
 
 Now come inside. See the throng, filling 
 up eveiy corner — all silent — as the mat 
 [see Xote 6] and its burden are gently let 
 down to Jesus' feet. They know His kind- 
 ness — but will not this make Him angry ? 
 — interrupted in the middle of His teach- 
 ing — intruded on so strangely ? Yet no 
 anger in His face — only pity — then He 
 will heal — no — why, what is He sajdng ? 
 — ' sins forgiven ! ' 
 
 What do they think ? ver. 7—' blas- 
 phemies ' (comp. Matt. xxvi. 65 ; John x. 33) . 
 
 Were they right ? Yes, so far as they 
 knew. Who can forgive sins ? — why only 
 God ? [lllust. — If John injures Henry, of 
 whom must he ask pardon ? of Willinm ?] 
 Every sin an offence against God (1 John 
 iii. 4 ; see Gen. xxxix. 9 ; Ps. li. 4)— so 
 God only can forgive. In the Absolution 
 the minister forgives no individual ; he 
 only ' declares and pronounces ' God's for- 
 giveness of 'all that truly repent' — 
 [ William might say to John, ' / know Henry 
 
 will forgive you if you ask him — he told me 
 so '] . Did Jesus simply say, ' God will for- 
 give j'ou if you ask Him ' ? No, but ' Thy 
 sins are forgiven ' — how could He say that? 
 Because He was God; and, just as God in 
 heaven could forgive sin, so when He came 
 down and became ' the Son of Man,' the 
 Son of Man could forgive sin on earth (ver. 
 10). Thus we see, 
 
 (1) Christ forgiving sin. 
 
 II. 
 
 (a) But why did Jesus forgive this man ? 
 When does God forgive any one ? — ' He 
 pardoneth and absolveth ' — whom ? How 
 know if ' truly repent ' ? God knows the 
 heart (1 Chron. xxviii. 9 ; 2 Chron. vi. 30 ; 
 Jer. xvii. 10). What must Jesus have 
 known ? see His first words, ' Be of good 
 cheer ' (Matt.) — why this ? — He saw the 
 man's heart — his misery of soul — his 
 humble penitent state — saw that he cared 
 most for spiritual blessing. 
 
 (6) What else are we told Jesus knew ? 
 — ' seeing their faith ' — would the poor 
 man's friends have taken all that trouble 
 if had not trusted His power and love ? Do 
 we also try, in faith, to bring any one to 
 Christ ? Be sure He sees, and wUl not 
 disappoint. 
 
 (c) One thing more Jesus knew, ver. 8. 
 The Pharisees had not spoken out — we are 
 not told they even whispered to each other 
 — yet He read their thoughts (comp. Matt 
 xii. 25 ; Luke vi. 8, vii. 39, 40 ; John ii. 24, 
 vi. 61, 64, xxi. 17 ; Eev. ii. 23). 
 
 Jesus had claimed to do what God only 
 could do. Has He not proved His right by 
 showing He knows what God only can 
 know ? Penitence, faith, murmurs — He 
 knows all. Thus we see, 
 
 (2) Christ searching the heart. 
 
 III. 
 
 But perhaps they might think, ' After 
 all, it 's easy to say, Thy sins are forgiven — 
 but how know if they really are ? ' Jesus 
 will show them that His Divine authority 
 is not only a thing that He professes to 
 have, but a thing they can all put to the 
 [iroof. Already He has done this by read- 
 ing their thoughts ; now wOl give a yet 
 clearer proof. What sort ? Just as you, 
 if saw a prayer for temporal blessing 
 answered, mo7-e struck than if it were 
 spiritual, so they would think more of a 
 miracle on the body than of one on the 
 soul — though which greatest ? He is 
 speaking to the scribes — ' But that ye may 
 know,' &c. — then He stops short — turns to 
 the helpless cripple at His feet — ' Arise !' 
 
 How can a man with paralj'sed limbs 
 stand u^, ? t he does, instantly. See 
 
 the crowd, which could not make way for 
 him to get in, now making way for him to 
 pass out. Are they in a dream ? — they 
 look and feel like it; wonders they have 
 seen before, but this quite a new thing 
 {Luke). [See Note 7.] 
 
82 
 
 LESSONS OX THE LIFE OP OUR LORD. 
 
 Follow the man, forgiren and healed, 
 blessed both in body and soul— carrjnng 
 the mat that had so long carried him— 
 fancy his arrival at home ! Thus we see, 
 (3) Christ healing the body. 
 
 Authority to forgive— knowledge of all 
 hearts— power to give bodily health and 
 every good thing— all in Jesus. Why in 
 Him ? Because, though really a man, not 
 only a man—'- GoD WITH US ' (Matt. i. 23 ; 
 John i. 1, 14 ; 1 Tim. iii. 16 ; Heb. i. 8). 
 
 He knows our heai-ts, reads our thoughts 
 now. Which does He see we care most for 
 — His spiritual or His temporal mercies? 
 If (as in the story-books) a fairj' promised 
 us whatever we liked best, what would it 
 bey 
 
 Do we care little for pardon and grace, 
 
 1. Yer. 1—' In the house'— the idiomatic expres- 
 sion for 'at home.' Some think that Marj' ami 
 her family had removed to Capernaum ; others, 
 that Jesus made Peter's house (Hark i. 29) His 
 head-quarters. Our Lord certainly, at that time, 
 'dwelt' at Capernaum (Matt. iv. 13). The oft- 
 quoted words, ' The Son of Man hath not where 
 to lay His head,' simply me.an that He had no 
 residence that could be called His own. 
 
 2. The Pharisees and Scribes mentioned in this 
 passage are said by St. Luke to have come ' out 
 (if every town of Galilee and Juda?a and Jeru- 
 salem.' Evidently the gathering had been 
 arranged among them. But their motive seems 
 not, at that early period, to have been a hostile 
 one ; they came to ascertain for themselves the 
 truth of the reports that had reached them. 
 They must be carefully distinguished from the 
 scribes, who subsequently (Mark iii. 22) 'came 
 down from Jerusalem ' (not from all parts) and 
 who were no doubt sent purposely to watch 
 Jesus and stir up a feeling against Him, for they 
 attacked Him openly and bitterly. In the pre- 
 sent instance, the murmurs (and they were not 
 unnatural ones) were not openly expressed at all. 
 
 3. Various explanations.are given of the method 
 by which the paralytic was conveyed into our 
 Lord's presence. See Kitto's Baili/ Bible lllus- 
 trations; Thomson's Land and the Book, p. 358; 
 Miss Hoger.s' Domestic Life in Palestine, p. 47; 
 Smith's Student's X. T. History, p. 204. The most 
 common view is that adopted in the Sketch. All 
 S3'rian houses of any size are built in quadran- 
 gular form around a courtyard. There is often 
 only a ground-floor ; sometimes one upper story. 
 A staircase ascends from the courtyard to the 
 roof, which is flat, and surrounded by a parapet, 
 and on which most of the household operations 
 are carried on. The court is partially covered 
 with a kind of verandah, of wood or 'tiling,' as 
 a protection from the sun. From the court an 
 open passage leads out to tlie street. Our Lord 
 sat under the verandah, teaching the people who 
 crowded the court, the rooms opening on to it, 
 and the passage. The roof was reached cither 
 from that of the next house, or by a flight of 
 steps direct from the street (which is frequently 
 provided, and which explains Matt. xxiv. 17). 
 The ' tiling' taken up was that of the verandah. 
 
 4. The view of tlie paralytic's state of mind, 
 adopted in the Sketch, is that of Alford, EUicott, 
 
 but much for money, pleasure, getting on 
 in life, ha\-ing everything comfortable and 
 prosperous ? Is that loving the Saviour 
 who died for us ? Can we expect Him to 
 give us what we want ? 
 
 But do we wish for pardon and grace 
 above all ? Are our sins a burden which 
 we long to have removed? And do we 
 long for grace to 'sin no more'? Then 
 be sure that Christ will give un our wish 
 (1 John i. 7 — 10). And will He then leave 
 us to shift for ourselves? — no, will give 
 every good thing too (Rom. viii. 32 ; Matt, 
 vi. 33). We shall be able to take up 
 David's joyful song {\st text for rep.). 
 
 You would like to care most for soul- 
 blessings — but somehow you don't. Then 
 ask for another of Christ's gifts, '■repent- 
 ance ' {2nd text for rep.). 
 
 Notes. 
 
 Hanna, Trench, Stier, Olshausen, iic. A careful 
 comparison of the treatment by our Lord of the 
 several afflicted persons who came to Him shews 
 that it varied in different cases, apparently 
 according to the applicant's moral condition. 
 The simple fact, therefore, that He gave the 
 paralytic forgiveness before healing, seems to 
 imply that forgiveness was the blessing He most 
 desired. And the words, ' Be of good cheer,' 
 recorded by Matthew as h.aving immediately 
 preceded those of pardon, are scarcely explicable 
 on any other supposition. 
 
 5. 'Power to forgive sins' — ra.th.CT, authority, 
 which is something higher than mere power. 
 
 Trench {Miracles, p. 210) thus paraphrases 
 Christ's assertion of His right to forgive sins :— 
 ' This power is not exercised, as you deem, only 
 by (rOd in heaven, but also by the Son of Man on 
 earth. You rightly assert that it is only exercised 
 bj- Him whose proper dwelling is in the heavens ; 
 but He who, in the person of the Son of Man, 
 has descended also upon earth, has brought 
 down this power with Him here.' 
 
 He thus illustrates the question, ' Whether Is 
 easier,' &c. :— ' It would be easier for a man, 
 equally ignorant of the French and Chinese 
 languages, to claim to know the last than the 
 flrst ; not that the language itself is easier, but 
 that, in the one case, multitudes could disprove 
 his claim : in the other, hardly a scholar or two 
 in the land.' 
 
 6. The Creek word rendered ' bed ' is a different 
 one in c.ich of the three Gospels. Matthew uses 
 the ordinary word. Luke, who is always more 
 elegant in language thnn the others, uses a more 
 classical term. Mark alone specifies the kind of 
 bed, by employing a word used to designate the 
 very poorest substitute for a couch— a pallet or 
 mat. The same word is found in Mark vi. 65; 
 John V. 8—12; Acts v. 15, ix. 33. 
 
 7. St. Luke gives the most graphic .nccount of 
 the effect of the miracle uixm the bystanders. 
 He alone mentions their 'fear.' The words. 
 
 ' They were all amazed,' should he, ' Amazement ■ 
 seized them all ' ; and ' amazement ' in the Greek 
 Is a remarkable word: it is the original of our 
 ecstasii, and is the one rendered ' trance' in Acts 
 X. 10, xi. r,, xxii. 17. 'Strange things' are lite- 
 rally 'paradoxes,' i.e., things contrary to all 
 experience. 
 
83 
 
 Lesson XXXI.— Tlie Call of tlie PuWicaii. 
 
 ' A friend of publicans and sinners.' 
 
 Read — Matt. ix. 9—17; {comp. Mark ii. 14 — 22 ; Liike v. 27 — 39); Learn — Mark ii. 16, 17. 
 {Hymns, 62, 95, 132, 144, 147, 341.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 Short as this passage is, it has been necessary to devote almost the whole space allotted 
 to the Sketch to suggestions respecting the teaching of the narrative, as well as to append 
 long Notes. The application is, in consequence, reduced to the merest outline. 
 
 The larger part of the second division (' Christ the Bridegroom ') must be omitted in 
 teaching junior classes ; but enough of it should be taken to prepare the way for the 
 second point of application — ' to what Christ calls us,' as this should by all means be 
 Included. 
 
 The application suggested by the words, ' Follow Me,' has already been taken in Lesson 
 XXIII., and it will not be well to attempt to include it here. ' One thing at a time ' is a 
 good maxim in teaching. 
 
 Care must be taken that the children do not understand ' publican ' in the modem 
 English sense of the word. The opening illustration will serve to clear their minds. 
 
 Sketch of Lesson. 
 
 The tax-collector — not usually glad to 
 see him, because often inconvenient to pay 
 — but does any one hate the man ? Only 
 collects what quite necessary — no making 
 us pay more than we ought — no cheating 
 — pays it all to the authorities — and they 
 spend it for ships, soldiers, police, schools, 
 &c. But suppose England conquered by 
 foreigners — taxes raised to pay for their 
 soldiers, &c., instead of oui-s — how hateful, 
 having to pay ! And suppose the collector 
 might get all he could out of us, and then 
 pay them only a fixed sum, keeping the 
 rest himself — who would like him or trust 
 him ? And suppose he were an Englishman, 
 willing to serve the enemy to make gain 
 for himself — should we not all dislike and 
 shun him ? 
 
 This exactly how it was among the Jews 
 when Christ on earth. The ' publicans ' 
 (a) collected taxes for Roman conquerors ; 
 {b) were often Jews, so the more hated ; 
 (c) oppressed and cheated the people, to 
 get rich themselves [see Note 1]. At the 
 first collection (when Jesus ten years old) 
 people in Galilee refused and rebelled (Acts 
 V. 37) [see Lesson IX., Note 1 ] ; but after- 
 wards forced to submit. A publican shunned 
 and despised by all good and respectable 
 Jews (Luke xix. 7) — especially by the 
 Pharisees (xviii. 11) ; so could only have 
 bad and low people for friends. 
 
 At Capernaum one named Matthew [see 
 Note 2] — a busy place, with many to 
 collect from, so would make money fast. 
 No doubt he often saw and heard Jesus ; 
 but,— 
 
 (a) Would he care about Him ? What 
 sort of people had Jesus spoken well of ? 
 (Matt. V. 3) — was Matthew 'poor in spirit'? 
 was he not selfish and covetous ? what was 
 he ' laying up for Himself ' ? would he like 
 
 the Prophet who said ' Lay not up ' (Matt, 
 vi. 19) ? And even if he were willing to 
 listen to and obey Jesus, — 
 
 (b) Would Jesus receive him ? did not 
 He want those who were more righteous 
 than the Pharisees (Matt. v. 20) — those 
 who were unselfish and did good to others 
 (v. 44, 4G, 47)? how could He have any- 
 thing to do with a grasping irreligious 
 publican ? 
 
 Yet see two strange things, ver. 9. (a) 
 Jesus choosing the publican — the publican 
 'leaving all' (Liike) to follow Jesus ! (b) 
 A 'great feast' given by Matthew [Luke) 
 — his fellow-ijublicans and other friends, 
 bad and disreputable people, invited — and 
 who else there ? 
 
 No wonder a commotion in Capeniaum. 
 Two complaints made : (a) As to those 
 Jesus was allowing to be His friends and 
 followers; {b) As to what He was allowing 
 them to do. In answering these, what two 
 things does He claim to be like ? \_Read 
 ver. 10—17.] 
 
 I. Christ the Physician. 
 
 Think of the feast — great company — 
 Jesus in place of honour next Matthew — 
 disciples and publicans all sitting together. 
 An interruption — others at the door — who? 
 See their proud looks — the broad fringes 
 (Matt, xxiii. 5) to their robes as a sign of 
 sanctitj\ How can they come into a 
 publican's house ? — would not as guests — 
 but will to accuse Jesus. To whom do they 
 speak ? ver. 11 — why ? perhaps to set 
 Peter, John, &c., against their Master. 
 What said ? — ' We thought this Jesus was 
 well-conducted and respectable, at all 
 events — but how is this ? what is He dofng 
 in such a place ? how can He make^ such 
 people His friends — how come to one of 
 their feasts ? ' (see Matt. xi. 19 ; Luke xv. 2), 
 
 G 2 
 
84 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 Does Peter answer ? Perhaps knows not 
 what to say. But Jesus hears — see His 
 replv : ' Are you so good, and these men 
 so bad ? To which, then, should T go ? 
 Who need the physician — the healthy or 
 the sick?' Then He reminds them what 
 God had said of old (Hos. vi. G)— a loving 
 heart more pleasing to Him than much 
 outward service (compare Prov. xxi. 3 ; 
 Mic. vi. 8)— if they so good, why not try 
 and do the publicans good, instead of 
 proudly standing aloof? [See Note 3.] 
 
 Christ the Physician — this the reason, — 
 
 (n) Why Jesus went among the ])ublicans 
 
 not to be like them, but to make them 
 
 like Him. Why does doctor go to sick 
 m^H ? — to catch his disease, or to cure 
 him ? Jesus treats them as—? and calls 
 them to—? (ver. 13). 
 
 (b) Why the publicans foUowed Jesus. 
 His words had made them feel then- 
 wickedness, and they wanted _ a friend — 
 not a companion to join them i» sin, but a 
 Saviour to deliver tliem from sin. What 
 does a man feel and know when he sends 
 for a doctor ? 
 
 II. Christ the Bridegroom. 
 
 Novv- look at the second complaint. 
 Other men have also come in, not proud 
 and angry like the Pharisees, but per- 
 plexed—who ? ver. 14r. They do not mind 
 Jesus receiving publicans ; did not their 
 owTi master do so (Luke iii. 12 ; vii. 29) 
 before Herod put him in prison? But 
 then how would he deal with such sinners ' 
 would he not appoint them long and strict 
 fasts ? were not even they, his faithful 
 follower?!, at this very time fasting [see 
 Note 5] as he had directed ? But Jesus is 
 letting these publicans feast, and joining 
 them at table ! 
 
 How does Jesus answer this ? 
 
 (1) Does He say fasting is wrong? — no, 
 Ris disciples to fast one day — but then it 
 should be, not just because right thing to 
 do, but because a reason for it, not able to 
 help it for sorrow. Fasting no use as a 
 mere thing to be done, nor prayer either — 
 must come from heart [see Note 5], (So, 
 
 church-going, prayer-saying, &c., only 
 pleasing to God if really meant.) 
 
 (2) But why not the right time to fast 
 then'i Because He with them. Could a 
 bridegroom's friends be mournful at wed- 
 ding-time ? 
 
 Christ the Bridegroom — the very name 
 the Baptist had given Him, and did not he 
 rejoice to see the long looked-for Bride- 
 groom come at last ? (.John iii. 29). Who 
 could help being glad? — what had He 
 come among men at all for ? Not to punish 
 — not to set hard tasks by which men 
 might get to heaven — but to invite them 
 freely to be happy, as people are happy at 
 a wedding. Could their new devotion to 
 Him be cramped by tlie old regular forms ? — 
 their joy be kept in by the old strict rules 
 about fastings and prayers ? That would 
 be like mending a worn-out coat with an 
 un-shrunk piece out of a new one — like 
 putting fresh wine, while yet fermenting, 
 into old skins. To do so would be to spoil 
 eveiything. [<See Note C] 
 
 Christ is still Calling — 
 
 Calling, as of old, sinners to rejyentance. 
 Any of 3'ou not think yourselves sinners ? 
 — then nothing to do with Him. Any feel 
 sin — want to get rid of it ? — Come to the 
 Physician. 
 
 Calling us, as of old, not to hard rules 
 and a gloomy life, but to be happy. If a 
 Jew in those days loved God, would show 
 it by his many washings, fastings, formal 
 prayers, ic, because taught so — and yet 
 never quite happy, ever fearing he had not 
 done enough to satisfy God. We know 
 better. If we love God, can try and do 
 everything to please Him — pray, work, 
 deny selves — but why ? Not to get ac- 
 cepted, but because 'accepted in the 
 Beloved' (Eph. i. C). Our love to show 
 itself in being happy and making others 
 happy. 
 
 We cannot, like Matthew, invite Jesus to 
 a feast, but He invites us, Isa. Iv. 1. 
 ' All things .ire readj', come I 
 TIio iloor is 0)>pn wide ; 
 Oh, ff.ist iijion the love of Ood, 
 For Christ Uis Son hn.s died.' 
 
 1. The 'publicans' of Scripture answered 
 rather to our excise or customs officers than to 
 what we call tax-gatherers. Matthew sat at 
 'the receipt of custom, ' and probably collected 
 dues on the fish or the fishing-boats, or tolls on 
 the Roman road that ran through Capernaum. 
 (The distinction, however, is not worth making 
 in actual teaching.) 
 
 Jiy the system of /arming the revenue, the 
 right to collect in a certain district was .sold, for 
 a fixed annual payment, to a 'publican,' who 
 then made what he could out of it ; and as only 
 low-class, unscrupulous men were willing to bo 
 the agents of the Roman conquerors, much il- 
 legal exaction was the result; see Luke iii. 13, 
 xix. 8. The iinpopularity of the publicans is 
 seen in inimcroiis jiassagcs in the (Jospels; 
 perhaps most of all In our Lord's own injunction 
 that an incorrigible olTcnder was to be reckoned 
 
 Notes. 
 
 ' as an heat hen m an and a publican ' ( Matt, x vi i i . 
 17). It was a common saying among the Jews 
 that • vows made to thieves, murderers, and 
 publicans, might be broken.' 
 
 2. It is clear that JIatthew is identical with 
 the Levi of Mark and Luke. As these two Evan- 
 gelists give the name of JUattlnw in their lists of 
 the Apostles (Mark iii. 18; Luke vi. Li), it is 
 supi)osed that Matttiew (i.e., t/ie ' (jift of God ') was 
 the apostolic name of J^evi l/ie Publican, as J'eter 
 was of Simon, and J'aul of Saul. Mark calls 
 Levi 'the son of Alpha;us'; from which some 
 have supposed that he was brother of 'James 
 the son of Alpli»us,' and therefore (on the 
 common view) one of Christ's 'brethren.' This 
 seems improbable in itself, and Alphicus was 
 not an uncommon name. 
 
 3. ' J Kill Itave mercy, and not sacrifice— i.e., ' I 
 
THE SICK WOMAN AND THE RULER'S DAUGHTER. 
 
 8; 
 
 desire the religion of the hc.irt, wliich shows 
 itself in deeds of mercy and love, rather than 
 the religion of mere ceremonial observance.' 
 See Butler's Analogy, Pt. II. ch. 1. Had the 
 scribes, the appointed teachers of the people, 
 gone among the 'publicans and sinners' to win 
 them to a better life, they would have pleased 
 God more than by the most scrupulous care not 
 to mix with such persons. The expression ' and 
 not sacrifice' is comparative, as in Jer. vii. 22. 
 
 4. ' I came not to call the righteous'— raXher 'to 
 call righteous persons.' There is no article in 
 the Greek, so that the words do not even super- 
 ficially imply that there were any actually 
 righteous. 
 
 5. The fasting of the Baptist's disciples must 
 not he understood as a spontaneous moxirning 
 for their master's imprison cut, but as a regular 
 ascetic practice enjoined by Iiim. Luke's narra- 
 tive makes this quite clear. He mentions that 
 the question also included ' making prayers,' i.e., 
 praying, not from a sense of need, but as a formal 
 duty at set times; and obviously the 'fasting' 
 would be of a similar kind. Otherwise Christ's 
 argument loses all its point, as He distinctly 
 contrasts the being made to fast with voluntary 
 fasting in time of sorrow or calamity: 'Can ye 
 make,' .Sic.— ' then shall thpy/a.!r (v. 34, 35). 
 
 The words, 'Then shall they fast,' therefore, 
 do not ordain a rule to be kept, but predict what 
 will happen: 'they shall fast because there will 
 be occasion for it' (comp. John xvi. 20). See 
 Alford on St. Matthew. 'All external acts and 
 exercises should spring naturally out of some 
 pure and deep emotion ot the heart seeking for 
 itself an appropriate expression' (Hanna). 
 
 St. Mark's words ' used to fast '—lit., ' were 
 fasting'— imply that one of their set 'fasts' was 
 then going on. 
 
 6. The two Illustrations of the rent garment 
 and the old wine-skins are universally under- 
 stood to describe the disastrous effects of an 
 attempt to combine the old Jewish and the new 
 Christian systems. But in explaining their 
 details expositors differ considerably. The fol- 
 lowing seems the most natural interpretation :— 
 
 (a) The old garment represents the forms and 
 ceremonies of the old dispensation, useful in 
 their day, but now worn out (coinp. Gal. iv. 3, 
 9; Heb. viii. 13). The new represents the forms 
 
 (i.e., outward expressions of inner life and spirtf) 
 of the Gospel dispensation. If a piece is cut out 
 of a new garment (Luke) to mend a rent in an 
 old one, two effects follow : the new one is 
 spoiled (Luke— the words, ' the new maketh a 
 rent,' should be 'he will rend the new'); and 
 the old one is not repaired, for the new piece 
 does not agree with it (Luke), and if the new is 
 raw, vnfuUed (Matt, and jl/a ?■;[■), the piece will, 
 when it shrinks, tear away the threads of the 
 old, and make a worse rent. So, it will not do 
 merely to supplement the old system of cere- 
 monial by a few new forms. The robe to be worn 
 at the wedding (for this flgtire seems continued) 
 must be a new one altogether. 
 
 (b) As the garments typify outward forms, so 
 do the 'bottles' (i.e., wiue-skins ; wine was kept 
 in goat-skins prepared for the purpose, see Josh, 
 ix. 4). But in this second parable the life or 
 spirit of the Gospel (as distinct from its outward 
 expression) is introduced under the image of 
 wine. If new, i.e., unfernicnted, wine be put. in 
 old and stiff skins, which cannot expand as the 
 wine ferments, the skins will burst, and the 
 wine be lost. So, the expansive joy and the 
 (?Ae«)partially developed freedom of Christianity 
 could not be safely confined in the old unyielding 
 forms of Judaism, but must have new and more 
 elastic ones of their own. Thus both, the spirit 
 and the forms, would be preserved. 
 
 Our Lord's concluding sentence, only given 
 by Luke, is a gentle apology for the Baptist's 
 disciples. They were not to be hastily con- 
 demned because they did not yet care for the 
 ' new wine.' He would also encourage them to 
 ' taste and see'; by-and-bye they would enjoy it. 
 
 7. Harmonists are not agreed whetherMatthew's 
 feast followed immediately on his call, or after 
 an uncertain interval of time ; whether the 
 complaint of the Pharisees was made at the 
 feast or subsequently ; and also as to when the 
 question of the Baptist's disciples was put. In 
 the .Sketch they are supposed to have all come 
 together, and many think this was the case; 
 but some, wishing to adopt the order of Mark 
 and Luke with regard to the application of 
 Jairus (see next Lesson, Note 1) assume one or 
 more intervals of time between them. Greswell, 
 and some who follow him, think there were tico 
 feasts, and two conversations ex.actly alike ; but 
 this is in the last degree improbable. 
 
 Lesson XXXIL— Tho Sick Woman and tlie Ruler's Daugliter 
 
 ' AU things are possible to him that believeth.' 
 
 ^od— Mark v. 22—43 (comp. Matt. ix. 18—26; Luke viii. 41— 5G) ; Learn- 
 Luke viii. 48—50. {Hym.ns, 7G, 145, 146, 148, 183, 345.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 This Lesson affords an excellent example of what has already been said on Lesson 
 XXX. The narrative is very familiar, and very easy to picture ; and a general application 
 can readily be found to wind up with. But when this has been done, what has the class 
 learned of the great truth underlying the history ? Has the teacher himself noticed it ? 
 In the accompanying Sketch, the illustrations suggested for opening the Les.son prepare 
 the way for the inculcation of this truth ; the narrative throughout is presented specially 
 
86 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUE LORD. 
 
 with a view to its apprehension ; and the application is strictly confined to the object of 
 brin<^g it home to the children themselves. And what is this truth? The place of faith 
 in the Christian system, as the indispensable connecting link between our need and Christ's 
 power to supply it. This truth is taught by many of the Gospel narratives ; but there is 
 a twofold advantage in giving it special attention here, viz.. (1) that the woman's touch so 
 strikingly illustrates it, (2) that it unites the teaching of both the incidents recorded in 
 the passage. 
 
 The various applications suggested by the raising from the dead of Jairus's daughter 
 are not taken in the Sketch. They have already been introduced in Lesson XXIX. ; and 
 if used here, it would be necessary to omit the incident of the sick woman. 
 
 In actual teaching, there should be no break between sections I. and II. The words 
 ' See her edging her way ' naturally follow ' get near Him unnoticed.' The heads, as 
 usual, are designed as land-marks or mile-stones for the teacher. 
 
 The two boys whose cases are suggested as illustrations were both scholars of the 
 writer. 
 
 Sketch of Lesson. 
 
 Under our streets great pipes full of 
 water, to supply cisterns, &c. When house 
 on fire, that water could put it out — but 
 what use if can't be got at? [Or, dark 
 school-room — gas in pipes no use unless can 
 turn it on and put light to it. Or, starving 
 children at home— plenty of bread in cup- 
 board — but no key to open it.^ We want 
 pardon of sin, grace to be better, kind feel- 
 ings, gentle ways, strength against tempta- 
 tion : provisionfor all in Christ — He wUling 
 to give — yet how few get it ! [Illust. — Boy 
 once with bad temper, ivished to overcome it, 
 knetu Christ able, yet said, ' Teacher, 1 
 can't' (afact).^ 
 
 To-day read of two people who wanted 
 blessings from Christ, and how they got 
 them. 
 
 I. What they wanted op Christ. 
 
 (1) The Ruler. When a father and 
 mother have only one little girl, how much 
 loved ! If she ill, what distress ! In Caper- 
 naum, in large house, great trouble — the 
 one little girl dying — how old? {see Luke). 
 What to be done ? Jainis remembers what 
 he has seen as he sat in ruler's seat in 
 synagogue [Lesson A'A'/F.] — how he and 
 his colleagues went to Jesus to plead for 
 the kind Roman [Lesson A'AT///.] — will 
 go now for his own child. See him hasten- 
 ing — where to ? Whom Jesus stili talking 
 to? Matt. ix. 18 [see Note 1]. Before all 
 — proud Pharisees and disreputable publi- 
 cans — he, who sits above them all in the 
 synagogue, falls down in his anguish at 
 Jesus' feet. Look at Jesus — He has been 
 refusing to tell His new ])ublican-disciples 
 to look sad and gloomy [last Lesson]^ — but 
 now that one really sad comes to Him, does 
 He turn him away ? 
 
 (2) The Sick Woman. Go back twelve 
 years — when Jesus quietl)' W(jrking as vil- 
 lage carpenter — what then liappening in 
 Capernaum? ver. 25, 42 — (a) Jairus and 
 his wife very happy — little girl born ; (b) 
 a Jewish lady ill, sending for doctor. Who 
 could tliink that tlie humble Nazarene 
 would by-and-bye cure, on same daj', that 
 child and that lady ? All the time while 
 
 the little girl growing to be twelve years 
 old — (some of you know how long that is) 
 — that lady suffering. She had plenty of 
 money, but by-and-bye all gone — how ? 
 Now poverty as well as sickness ; and, after 
 trying every remedy, worse tlian before 
 (ver. 26). 
 
 She, too, knows Jeyus — ^but modest and 
 retiring — does not like to tell Him all the 
 long, sad stoiy — j'et surely He could heal 
 — and if such power, could He not heal 
 without knowing it ? Would it not be enough 
 to totich Him ? She sees the people crowd- 
 ing after Him as He goes along the street 
 from Matthew's house to Jairus's — now a 
 chance — may get near Him without being 
 noticed. 
 
 II. How they got what they wanted. 
 
 (1) The Sick Woman. See her edging 
 her way through crowd — she is close to 
 Him — sees the fringe on His robe [see Note 
 3] — not broad like the Pharisees', certainly, 
 but (she thinks) sacred — that she will touch. 
 In a moment — cured ! — the Great Phj-sician 
 [last Lesson] has done what all others failed 
 in. She drops back into tlie crowd— how 
 thankful ! But — oh ! she will be found out 
 — what is Jesus asking? ver. 30 — He has 
 turned round — His eye upon her (conip. 
 Nail. i. 7 — 'He knoweth thum that trust in 
 Him') — trembling she falls before Him, and 
 openly confesses all. 
 
 How did she get the blessing? Here 
 was her malady — there was Christ's power : 
 what was it that brought the one to the 
 other? The touch? But what did Peter 
 say? (Luke) — was it not true? and yet 
 Jesus says her touch quite diiTerent from 
 the crowd's touch — how ? Sec what He 
 told her, ver. 34 — irhat saved lier? The 
 crowd touched Him without thinking — 
 meant notliing by it; she touclied Him 
 because believed— what? So, as her hand 
 touched His robe, her faith touched IJi.i 
 Divine power and love. And Jesus called 
 lier out purposely that she might know 
 this — not think some strange magic in His 
 dress — but tliat His power and love healed 
 because she trusted. (See ^'otes 4, 5.) 
 
THE SICK WOMAN AND THE EULEE'S DAUGHTEE. 
 
 87 
 
 ' (2) The Ruler. Poor Jairus !— how im- 
 patient he must have felt at the delay on 
 the road !— ah ! and too late now— see the 
 message from the sick room, ver 35. What 
 does Jesus say ? ver. 36. Jairus, too, must 
 learn ichat it is that can gtt His help— not 
 enough that the child ill— other children ill 
 too, yet not cured— something wanted— 
 faith— and if 'only believe,' no matter to 
 Jesus whether child dying or dead. 
 
 At the house at last. The paid mourners 
 there already— hear their noisy wailing (see 
 2 Chron. x.xxv. 25 ; Jer. ix. 17—20 ; Amos 
 V. 16). But— suddenly it is turned into 
 mocking laughter— what at? ver. 39, 40. 
 Why d'ld Jesus call death sleep (comp. 
 John xi. 11—14) ?— how easily we wake a 
 sleeper \—just as easihj He wakes the dead 
 (John v. 28 ; 1 Thess.'iv. 15, 16). Now He 
 stands by the bed. There the lifeless body 
 —here its Maker and Redeemer : what can 
 bring His power to it? Just as before— 
 only faith. Who there also? Only the 
 believing ones : father and mother weep — 
 Peter, John, and James wonder— yet_ they 
 are trusting ; the scoffers turned out— if the 
 ■miracle depended on their faith, when could 
 it be done ? (Matt. xiii. 58, xvii. 20). 
 
 Listen !— He speaks to the dead child- 
 how tenderly— in the very words her mother 
 might call to her in the morning— ' My 
 child, get up' [see Note 6]. See— she rises 
 —is she really alive ?— yes, can loalk and 
 eat, ver. 42, 43. 
 
 Do NOT WE NEED HELP AS MUCH AS 
 THEY DID ? 
 
 For ourselves, like the woman. _ Feel 
 there is 'something the matter with us,' 
 
 causing bad thoughts, bad words, bad 
 deeds. ' We have left undone those things, 
 &c., and 'done those things,' ifec— why? 
 ' no health in us.' Try ' physicians ' — change 
 way of living [Illust. — A boy, feeling he 
 could not be ' religious ' at his workshop, gave 
 up situation and got another {a. fact) ] — no 
 use— nothing ^bettered' — the evil in our- 
 selves. 
 
 For others, like Jairus. [Name any in- 
 stance in the class — e.g., girl may loish her 
 brother ' a better boy.'] 
 
 Is not Christ as ready and able to help 
 now as He was then ? (Heb, vii. 25, xiii. 
 8 ; see Hymn 76). 
 
 What can bring His Power to our 
 Need? 
 
 Not enough to have Him in the midst_ of 
 lis — what good was it to that pressing 
 throng? What good all His love and 
 power at Nazareth (Mark vi. 6) ? The 
 water may be close to the fire [or gas, or 
 bread— whichever illust. taken]— hni what 
 good if not used ? Church-going, prayer- 
 saying, like touch, no use in themselves. 
 
 What, then, is the ^missing link'? THE 
 Touch of Faith. 
 
 What is that ? Just kneel down and ask 
 Christ for what you want, (I) because j'ou 
 want it, (2) because you know He will hear 
 and help. Then not go away and forget— 
 (did Jairus ?— why not ? He ivanted it so 
 much). [Illust.— When you take messages, 
 or ask favour, don't you luaitfor an ansiverf} 
 
 ' 1 bring my wants to Jesus : 
 All fulness dwells in him ; 
 He heals all my dise.ises, 
 He doth my soul redeem.' 
 
 Notes. 
 
 1. The question when these miracles occurred 
 is one on which harmonists differ greatly. Mark 
 and Luke agree in placing them immediately 
 after the return from the eastern side of the Lake, 
 but without any strictly connecting particles. 
 Matthew's words, ' While lie yet spake there 
 came,' &c., distinctly connect Jairus's request 
 with the conversation with the Baptist's disci- 
 ples; but apparently, this conversation took 
 place at the feast in Matthew's house ; but see 
 preceding Lesson, Note 7. In the original (in 
 the best MSS.), too, Matthew says, ' There entered 
 a certain ruler,' as if into the house. 
 
 2. Jairus was not a 'ruler' in the sense that 
 Nicodemus was, i.e., one of the Sanhedrim ; but 
 a 'ruler-of-the-pynagogue' (one word in the 
 Greek) at Capernaum. Ou this office see Lesson 
 XXII., Note 2. 
 
 3. The ' licm,' or 'border' (same Greek word in 
 Matthew and Luke)-rather the fringe or tassel 
 which the Jews wore at each corner of their 
 garments, in obedience to Numb. xv. 37—40. 
 
 4. ' rirtiie'-y\t.,roicer. See similar miracles iu 
 Mark vi. 5G; Luke vi. 19; Acts v. 15, xix. 12. 
 The woman's faith was certainly mixed with 
 superstition: and yet this was graciously over- 
 looked, and the benefit conveyed to her notwith- 
 «;tanding. There may be true, albeit imperfect, 
 faith underlying a superstitious use of the means 
 
 of grace. But Christ would not let her go away 
 uninstructed ; she must be taught that the cure 
 was not a matter of course, but dependent upon 
 /J is will and her faith. 
 
 Trench says, ' Many throng Christ : His in 
 name ; near to Him ; in actual contact with the 
 sacraments and ordinances of His Church ; yet 
 not touching Him, because not drawing uigh in 
 faith.' 
 
 .'■). Christ's question, ' Who touched me?' was, 
 of course, not for information, but to elicit the 
 woman's confession. ' A father coming among 
 his children, and demanding. Who committed 
 this fault ?-himself conscious, oven while he 
 asks, but willing to bring the culprit to a full 
 confession— can he be said in .ajiy way to violate, 
 thelawsof the highest truth?' (Trench). Comp. 
 Gen. iii. 9, iv. 9 ; 2 Kings v. 25 ; Luke xxiv. 19. 
 
 6. ' Talitha'—'\n the ordinary dialect of the 
 people, is a word of endearment to a young 
 maiden, so that the words are equivalent to 
 Rise, my child' (Afford). The use of diminutives 
 ischaractcristicof Mark: v. 23-' little daughter'; 
 v. 41-'youug damsel'; vii. 27— 'little dogs' (iu 
 the Greek); viii. 7—' small fishes.' He also 
 preserves the exact Aramaic words used by 
 Christ : Boanerges, Talitha cumi, Corban, Eph- 
 phatha, Abba. 
 
88 
 
 Lesson XXXIII.— At Jerusalem— Tlie Cripple at Betliesda. 
 
 '/ can do all things through Christ which strengtheneih me.' 
 
 Head— John\. 1—16; Learn— Isa.. Ivii. 18; Rom. vii. 18; PhU. iv. 13. 
 
 {Hymns, 108, 151, 158, 170, 173, 175, 330, 350.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 The miracle recorded in this passage is chiefly important because of its consequences— 
 the persecution which it brought upon Christ. So far as the history is concerned, there- 
 fore, the present Lesson (on the miracle) merely serves to clear the way for the following 
 one (on the persecution). But by thus taking the cure of the impotent man by itself, and 
 viewing it in this Lesson apart from its results, an opportunity is afforded of drawing 
 from it spiritual instruction, of a very important and practical kind, which requires much 
 more than the usual ten or twelve minutes at the close of the teaching to make it 
 effective. What this spiritual instruction is will be seen from the accompanying Sketch, 
 which— unUke the preceding Sketches, and in seeming violation of the rule laid down in 
 Lesson XXX.— consists exclusively of narrative and application. The subject is, in brief, 
 this — How to do the Impossible. 
 
 Very many Sunday scholars admit the urgency and feel the graciousness of God's 
 invitations— do not doubt that the way to be quite happy is to obey them— mtend to 
 obey them— yet never do obey them. Why do they not ? The real cause is ' the chain 
 of their sins.' But the reason which many of them would urge, if they were asked, 
 18 the unquestionable truth of the natural inability of man to will or to do any good thing. 
 It is a mere excuse, but it deceives their own minds, and they think that if ever they 
 really ' repent and believe,' it will be because an irresistible supernatural force seizes them. 
 Let it be our object in this Lesson to deal with this sadly common distortion of what is 
 really a solemn truth. If illustrations are needed, either of these may prove useful :— The 
 harvest depends on God's rain and sunshine, but the farmer must plough, sow, &c. ; the 
 wind impels the ship, but the sails must be hoisted to catch it. 
 
 There is a practical difficulty in teaching the passage before us, in the probable spurious- 
 ness of the fourth verse. [See Note 3.] There seems little doubt that this verse is really 
 one of those ' traditions ' which no Protestant wishes to put on a level with Scripture. 
 At the same time it is not well to dwell upon errors of transcription with any but intelli- 
 gent senior classes. The Sketch will enable those who accept the writer's conclusion, 
 that the verse is an interpolation, to avoid the difficulty. 
 
 Sketch of Lesson. 
 
 quick enough ? why stopped when another 
 in first? ver. 7. [See j\ote 3.] Now in de- 
 spair — 'hope deferred, heart sick' (Prov. 
 xiii. 12)— his hopes withered, like his limbs. 
 (3) Another crowd there too (ver. 13) — 
 friends of the sick — others come to sec the 
 
 Have you ever watched the crowd at a 
 hospital door ? how sad to see so many sick 
 and infirm people ! How blessed is health ! 
 Do you ever thank God for it ? 
 
 (1) No hospitals in ancient times — never 
 thought of till Christ had taught men to 
 care for others. Many sick in Jerusalem 
 when Jesus there, but no place where could 
 have gentle nurses and skilful doctors for 
 nothing. Yet might see there a great 
 throng of infirm people crowded together 
 under arches of colonnade surrounding pool 
 of water [see Note 2]. [Read ver. 1 — 5.] 
 Why there ? Sometimes strange moving of 
 the water — then wonderful healing power 
 in it — how eagerly they would watch for 
 the time — how eagerly get in when saw the 
 bubbling 1 [See Note 3.] 
 
 (2) Look at one lying theve—acripplefor 
 thirty-eight years !— all the time that Jesus 
 had lived, and seven years before — how 
 weary! At length had come tothe pool— lay 
 there waiting with the rest — had seen the 
 moving water — tried to get in— why not 
 
 waters moving — many from distant parts — 
 why ? — come to Jerusalem for one of the 
 feasts [see Note IJ. One comes up to the 
 poor man — a Galilean — a stranger. But 
 the cripple no stranger to Ilim — lie knows 
 all about liim — the long suffering — and the 
 old sin of forty years ago (ver. IJ). When 
 did we see Jesus healing without being 
 asked? [Le.<tson XXIX.] Now He will do 
 so again. 
 
 (4) ' Do you want to be made whole ? ' — 
 of course he does — why such a question ? 
 But listen again — ' Bise ! ' — how can he ? 
 for thirty-eight years helpless— how walk 
 now ? Yet he does, instantly ! What then ? 
 does he tlinnk his Healer ? but Jesus is gone 
 — ver. 13. See the man walking .away, like 
 the paralytic at Capernaum, with his rough 
 
AT JERUSALEM — THE CRIPPLE AT BETHESDA. 
 
 89 
 
 mat. It is pleasant to walk after a few 
 days' confinement at home — what must it 
 have been to him ! 
 
 (5) Suddenly he is stopped by some of 
 the rulers — 'What are you doing? don't 
 you know it 's the Sabbath ? ' What law 
 was he breaking? see Exod. xxxi. 13 — 17 ; 
 Neh. xiii. 15—19 ; Jer. xvii. 21, 22. But 
 how could he question what his Healer had 
 told him ? — surely one with such a power 
 must have the right to command. Why, 
 they think, thai is worse, deliberately to 
 tell a man to break the Sabbath—' Who is 
 it ? ' See, they care not to ask loho worked 
 such a cure — only, irho (rroke the Sabbath. 
 
 (6) The man is in the Temple — what 
 would he be there for? See Ps. xxvii. (5, 
 ciii. 2, 3, cxvi. 12 — 14 ; Luke xvii. 15 ; 
 Acts iii. 8. But is it enough to thank God ? 
 see the solemn reminder Jesus comes and 
 gives him — a ' worse thing ! ' — worse than 
 thirty-eight years' pain and helplessness ! 
 Let him ' shew forth God's praise not onlj^ 
 with his lips, but in his life ' ! 
 
 What this miracle brought on Jesus we 
 shall see next Sunday. Now look at it to 
 find the key to a difficultj^ that often puzzles 
 boys and girls — koto they can do u-hat seems 
 an impossibility. Ask three questions : — 
 
 I. The Command — What was it that 
 Jesus told the vian to do f 
 
 To 'rise and walk.' So He tells us to 
 do. He sees us just living on from day to 
 day as if no God, no judgment to come, no 
 danger from sin and Satan, no Saviour to 
 deliver us — like those asleep or dead — and 
 what does He say ?— Eph. v. 14 — 'Awake ! 
 arise!' And then to^iualk'' — how? 'In 
 newness of life ' (Rom. vi. 4) ; 'as He 
 walked' (1 John ii. 6; see also i. 6, 7, 
 ii. 10, 11 ; 2nd John 4 ; 3rd John, 4) ; so 
 as ' to please God ' (1 "Thess. iv. 1). And 
 to ' run ' too, hke a racer (1 Cor. ix. 24 ; 
 Heb. xii. 1). 
 
 II. The difficulty op obeying the 
 Command — Why was it difficult to 'rise and 
 walk ' f 
 
 Because the man was a cripple, 'im- 
 
 potent.' helpless. That is just what we 
 are. Not in our bodies — run well enough. 
 Not in our minds — learn quick enough. 
 But in our souls. You know it is so — often 
 feel it — feel it would really be a happy 
 thing to be ' religious,' but somehow can't. 
 This habit, that companion, must then be 
 given up—can't do it. This and that duty 
 must then be done — can't. Why ? — ' with- 
 out strength ' (Rom. v. 6). And why this ? 
 — without Christ, and so— look at John 
 XV. 5. Just as hard, as impossible, to 
 change our lives as for a«negro to change 
 his colour (Jer. xiii. 23). Even when have 
 ' risen up,' when a true Christian, not easy 
 to ' walk ' ; see how St. Paul found it, 
 Rom. vii. 15—23. 
 
 III. The Command obeyf^d—Eoiv was 
 the man able to ' 7-ise and walk ' .*' 
 
 Because Jesus gave him power ? — yes — 
 but hoto gave it him ? Simply told him to 
 get up. Suppose the man had said, ' But 
 I can't' — then not healed. He tried, and 
 foiTnd he was able. What made him try ? 
 Did Jesus first give him a feeling that he 
 could? — not at all — just gave the com- 
 mand. But he looked into Christ's face, 
 and felt sure He would not mock him by 
 bidding him do what was impossible — so 
 obeyed ; and u-hen he obeyed, he got the 
 strength. 
 
 Many boj's and girls who would like 
 to ' rise and walk ' — who know this the viay 
 to be happy, but who feel they can't — 
 think they are not to blame — not their 
 fault that they are still ' impotent.' But it 
 is your fault. Christ says, ' Arise ! ' He 
 commands — 'Be converted' (Acts iii. 19) — 
 does He mock us ? If wait for some over- 
 whelming feeling, may ^^-ait for ever. Only 
 obey Him honestlj% and, though quite true 
 you ' can't,' will find you can. (See 3rd 
 text for rep.) The Holy Spirit is indis- 
 pensable, but is given to those who ask 
 (Luke xi. 13). But must be honest — did 
 the impotent man try to rise, secretly in- 
 tending not to succeed ? 
 
 Say, with the Prodigal, ' / tvill arise ! ' 
 
 Notes, 
 
 1. "WUat was the ' feast of the Jews ' named in 
 ver. 1? Few difficulties of the Gospel history 
 have been so much debated as this. Passover, 
 Pentecost, Tabernacles, Dedication, Purim— each 
 has had its advocates. Modern opinion is pretty 
 equally divided between the Passover and Purim. 
 The question would be devoid of interest, were 
 it not that it also involves the question of the 
 length of our Lord's public ministry. That 
 ministry lasted from the Passover of John ii. to 
 the Passover of the Crucifixion. The only other 
 Passover mentioned in the Gospels is th.at of 
 John vi 4; and if this was the only other one, 
 then the ministry lasted two j'ears. Diit if the 
 'feast' of John v. 1 was also a Passover, then the 
 ministry lasted three years. A few writers make 
 its duration four, five, and six years, considering 
 that the Passovers are not all named. There Is 
 no reason why we should expect them all to be 
 
 named ; but the weight of evidence in other re- 
 spects is in favour of the three years, and if this 
 be the correct conclusion, the ' feast ' before us is 
 most likely to have been a Passover. The argu- 
 ments, critical and chronological, are much too 
 voluminous to be even noticed here. 
 
 The question, where to place this chapter with 
 reference to the ' Galilean ministry," is quite an 
 independent one. On this see Additional Note V., 
 page 59, and Note 8 of next Lesson. 
 
 2. Bethesda means ' house of mercy,' just as 
 Bethsaida is the 'house of fish,' Bethlehem ih" 
 'house of bread,' P.ethan}' the ' house of dates.' 
 ' Five porches '—rather arcades. ' Market ' is not 
 expressed in the original : probably the sheep-gate 
 is intended (see Neh. iii. 1, xii. 3!)). 
 
 The position of the pool is uncertain. The 
 large reservoir north of the Temple area, which 
 
90 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 is traditionally called Bcthesda, is almost cer- 
 tainly not the true site. Kobinson, Porter, and 
 others, identify the Pool of Siloara, on the slope 
 of Ophel, south of the Temple, with Bethesda. 
 Traces have been observed there of the five 
 porches. The water which supplies it flows 
 underground from the ' Fountain of the Virgin,' 
 higher up the hill-side, and this is connected 
 with a spring under the Temple, the flow of ichich 
 is intermittent. On March 14th, 1815, there was an 
 unusual gush of water, lasting twenty minutes, 
 and causing the pool at the Virgin's Fountain to 
 rise f.l inches. For this and other curious par- 
 ticulars, see Hengstenberg on St. John (Clark's 
 edn.), i. 257. 
 
 3. Great difflculty attaches to ver. 4. Of the 
 three earliest MSS.,itis not found in theSinaitic 
 and the Vatican, and the wording is different in 
 the Ale.xandrine. Several other early copies are 
 also without it. On this ground many of the 
 best critics reject it as an interpolation. On the 
 other hand, those who reject it are charged with 
 sceptical doubts respecting the strange miracle 
 it describes. No true believer in the Bible would 
 hesitate to accept the account of the miracle if 
 
 the inspired Apostle realhj wrote if; but the simple 
 and only question is. Did he write it? And the 
 evidence is very strong that he did not. 
 
 How then are the Impotent man's words in 
 ver. 9, and the fait of the gathering of sick 
 people at the pool, to be explained ? 
 
 Probably the spring that supplied the pool was 
 an intermittent one (see preceding Note), and at 
 the times of flow the v^ater possessed medicinal 
 properties, like those of a mineral spring. How 
 the idea arose, both of the peculiar extent (heal- 
 ing any infirmity) and of the peculiar limitation 
 (healing only one at a time) of its virtue, it is 
 hard to conjecture. Th::t such was the popular 
 belief is clear, whatever the cause was; and 
 to attribute such a supposed virtue to angelic 
 power was in accordance with all Jewish ideas 
 (see, e.g., the Book of Tobit). Some transcriber 
 of St. John's Gospel might then (following a not 
 uncommon custom) attach a marginal note to 
 his MS., explaining what the popular belief, 
 alluded to by the Evangelist, actually was. 
 Later transcribers would suppose the marginal 
 note to be a verse accidently omitted, and iusert 
 it in the text ; and so it would come down to us. 
 
 Lesson XXXIY.— At Jerusalem — Persecution. 
 
 ■All men should honour the Son even as they honour the Father! 
 
 Read — Parts of John v. ; Learn — Luke xx. 13, 14 ; Heb. sii. 25. 
 
 {Hymns, 43, 83, 85, 86, 94, 102, 167, 212, 311, 320.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 The subject of this Lesson is, probably, the most difficult that has yet come before us. 
 None of our Lord's recorded discourses are more profound, or more worthy of the deepest 
 study. It is obvious that a Sunday-school Lesson can but skim the surface and light upon 
 one or two salient points. Teachers are strongly recommended not to add to the un- 
 doubted arduousness of their task, by having, in this case, the passage read round in class, 
 even if they prefer that practice as a general rule. Nor must they expect to find, in the 
 notes below, explanations of all the difficulties they will meet with in a study of the 
 chapter, verse by verse. The Sketcli suggests the method upon which tlie Lesson may (it 
 is believed) be eilectively given, and the Notes are designed solely to assist the teaclier in 
 his use of that method. 
 
 The two divisions of the Sketch are not strictly accurate. For example, the latter 
 portion of the first might, perliaps, as suitably come into the second. But they will serve 
 to give a rough plan of the course the Lesson is to take. The application at tlie end is but 
 brief, but it is similar to the one in Lesson XXII. , and the teacher can refer to that. But 
 the chief teachings of the passage come in the body of the Lesson, viz., the Divinity of 
 Christ (a point of vast importance, which can be effectively taught in the way sketched 
 out below), and the doctrines of resurrection and j udgment. Incidental points of appli- 
 cation, such as the 'burning and shining light,' ' Search the Scriptures,' Ac, cannot be 
 pressed in this Lesson, except by omitting its more prominent features. Tlie question 
 raised by the Jews respecting Sabbath observance is treated fully in Lesson XXXVII. 
 
 The 'notes 'on this chapter, in Ryle's Expository Thovyhts on St. John, are ver}' full 
 and able. Alford is clear and satisfying, as usual, on argumentative passages. 
 
 Sketch of Lesson. 
 
 A great commotion nmon^ the chief men 
 ef Jerusalem. A year has passed since the 
 Stranger from Nazareth drove the traders 
 out of the Temple. They heard of Him 
 
 afterwards baptizing, like John — got un- l new prophet. But now He has turned up 
 
 easy at that (.John iv. 1) ; then lost sight of 
 Him for a while : then strange reports from 
 Galilee, of wonderful cures such as John 
 never did, of great crowds following the 
 
AT JERUSALEM PERSECUTION. 
 
 91 
 
 again at Jerusalem — has dared to break the 
 Sabbath publiclj', and to order another to 
 break it — and that, too, when the city 
 crowded at feast-time {refer to last Lesson \ . 
 What to be done ? Dark thouj^hts in their 
 minds — they must get rid of Him somehow 
 — by death, even. 
 
 But greater offence to come. See what 
 Jesus says when accused of Sabbath-break- 
 ing. ' Grod works on the Sabbath ' — how ? 
 preserving, sustaining, &c. Are not chil- 
 dren bom — do not people die — are not 
 sicknesses cured — on the Sabbath ? Who 
 does all this? Well, they know that — of 
 course He does ; but, they would say, how 
 can that justify a man working on the 
 Sabbath ? Look again at His words — 
 ^ My Father and I.' 'Why, that is 
 making Himself equal with God ! blas- 
 phemy ! worse than Sabbath -breaking — 
 die He must.' [See Notes 1, 2.] 
 
 Now see Jesus face to face with the 
 rulers [see Note 3J. Think — On one side 
 many of their greatest men — members of 
 the ' Sanhedrim ' (like our Parliament) — 
 learned Rabbis, as Gamaliel, Nicodemus, 
 &c. — rich men, as Joseph of Arimathea 
 (comp. Matt, sxvii. 57 with Luke xxiii. 50, 
 51) — chief priests— crafty scribes, and 
 proud Pharisees. On the other side one 
 man, humble, plain, who never learned 
 from the great Rabbis (John vii. 15), a 
 carpenter from a despised country village ! 
 
 What they said to Him not preserved ; 
 but see what He said to them — 
 
 I. About Himself and the Father. 
 
 They blamed Jesus for calling God His 
 Father, for making Himself equal with 
 God — does He confess the error ? does He 
 say He did not mean that? Ver. 19 — says 
 it again. Ver. 23 — says that He, the poor 
 despised Nazarene, ought to be honoured 
 just as God is. Why? two reasons [see 
 Note 5] : — 
 
 1. What He does, God does. 
 
 They blamed Him for doing the miracle 
 on the Sabbath. What does He say? 
 Yer. 19 (and 30) — He was not alone in it 
 — God had a share in it— He could do 
 nothing without God. Why ? Because 
 Father and Son One (comp. x. 30). [11- 
 lust. — What your hand or foot does, done by 
 you — no part of body can act of itself — all 
 united together.] So, in persecuting Him 
 they were persecuting God. What must 
 they have thought ! — ' worse blasphemy 
 than ever.' 
 
 Now, what kind of person was Jesus ? 
 untruthful ? proud ? seeking great things 
 for Himself? Was He not ' lowly in 
 heart ' ? Yet here He exalts Himself as 
 God — why ? could it be for any reason 
 except this, that He really vxis and is God ? 
 (Comp. Matt. i. 23 ; Phil. ii. 6 ; Col. i. 15 ; 
 Heb. i.) 
 
 2. What God does, He does [.tee Note 6]. 
 What do they think is God's greatest 
 
 work ? Creating ? — what kind of creating? 
 — not earth, air, water, &c., but living 
 
 beings. To give life is the greatest work. 
 Well, that He does too — He, Jesus the 
 Nazarene. Did they marvel because His 
 word ' Rise ' gave strength to the cripple ? 
 — they shall marvel more than that (ver. 
 20). His word shall do God's great work, 
 give life — life to the dead (ver. 21). His 
 voice shall be heard by dead souls now 
 (ver. 25), by dead bodies at the last day 
 (ver. 28). 'The cripple rose up at His com- 
 mand, but there shall be a far more won- 
 drous rising tip : — souls, from the death of 
 sin [refer to last Lesson], to a new, holy, 
 happy life (ver. 24) ; bodies, from green 
 churchyard, cold vault, deep sea, to be 
 joined again to the souls that had left 
 them, and be ready for the great judgment 
 (ver. 29). (Comp. Dan. xii. 2). 
 
 And who shall judge men? Is not that 
 God's own work too ? — yes (Ps. 1. (5, Iviii. 
 11, Ixxv. 7) — yet who will be the Judged 
 (ver. 22, 27). (Comp. Acts xvii. 31 ; 2 Cor. 
 V. 10). And who is this Son of God and 
 Son of Man ? He, the humble Galilean 
 they are persecuting ! They, the San- 
 hedrim, can summon Him to their bar 
 now ; but then they shall stand at His bar, 
 and receive His sentence ! And who are 
 they to whom alone ' no condemnation ' 
 then? — (ver. 24; comp. iii. 18,36; Rom. 
 viii. 1) — those that hear Eim. Learned 
 Rabbis and strict Pharisees must receive 
 the Nazarene, if to be saved ! Think of 
 the mingled awe and hatred as they hear 
 that ! 
 
 Is that j udgment a dreadful prospect to 
 us ? It is to some (Heb. x. 27.) It need 
 not be. The Judge is the Son of Man, One 
 who knows us, loves us, lived and died for 
 us — 
 
 ' See the Judge, our nature wearing.' 
 
 There is a way by which we may ' not be 
 ashamed before Him at His coming,' 
 1 John ii. 28. 
 
 II. About Himself and the Jews. 
 
 How could they know that all this loas 
 true? [See Note.t 7, 8.] Jesus does not ask 
 them to believe it on His own word (ver. 31) ; 
 but He reminds them of the evidence — the 
 testimony [.tee Lesson XIV.] — they have, 
 ver. 32 — 39. The accused calls His witnesses 
 for the defence. Have they forgotten the 
 Baptist, now in Herod's prison, but a year 
 ago so much thought of ? What did he tell 
 their deputation ? (i. 19, 34). But a greater 
 Witness than John — who ? ver. 32, 37. 
 True, they had not seen or heard that Wit- 
 ness, ver. 37 ; but they had His testimony 
 — two kinds : — (a) The Miracles — did not 
 these prove that God was with Him ? 
 ver. 36 (comp. iii. 2, ix. 33 ; Acts ii. 22). 
 {b) Their own Scriplwes — let them ' search ' 
 these, ver. 39 ; then would see how all the 
 prophecies pointed to Him (comp. Luke 
 xxiv. 27, 41). 
 
 Yet He knew they would not believe in 
 Him, ver. 40 ; though He desired to save 
 them, ver. 34. Why not ? ver. 44 (comp. 
 Matt. vi. 2, 5, 161— to be His disciples would 
 
92 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 be sucli a low thing ; they, looked up to by 
 all, to join the Nazarene ! — what would be 
 said of tliein ! Some of them tve7'e inclined 
 to join Him, yet even they afraid (see iii. 2, 
 xii. 42, 43, xix. 38). 
 
 We know not what came of this wonder- 
 ful discourse then. But for long after 
 (probably eighteen months) Jesus could 
 not go to Jerusalem ; why ? (vii. 1.) For 
 the second time rejected bj' the rulers (first 
 time in chap, ii.) ; God had sent His Son — 
 
 ' the Heir' — to the vineyard, and they said, 
 ' Come, let us kill Him ! ' (1st text for rep.), 
 
 Are we re-iectixg the Son of God ? 
 
 How much more we know than the Jews ! 
 To them Jesus was the Nazarene ; to us He 
 is the crucified, risen, ascended, almighty 
 and all-loving Saviour. Were they blind 
 and wicked ? What must those be who 
 now reject Him! \_See application of Les- 
 ion A'A7/.J What is God's message to 
 such ? (^Ind text for rej).). 
 
 1. This is the first of the many cases in which 
 Christ was attacked for working miracles on the 
 Sabbath. It is remarkable that His line of de- 
 fence is here quite different from what it was on 
 other occasions. Instead of justifying His con- 
 duct as a man, by an appeal to tlie true princi- 
 ples of Sabbath observance, He here proclaims 
 Himself to be greater than the law, because 
 He is God. The separation of one d.ay in seven, 
 though needful for human nature both as a dis- 
 cipline and as a privilege, is not needful for God, 
 whose works of providence and grace go on 
 every day alike— {' What would become of the 
 Sabbath, unless God worked on the Sabbath?' 
 £enijel) ; and Jesus, as the Son, claims the same 
 exemption as the Father. 
 
 Doubtless, the ultimate object of His healing 
 the cripple was to bring about the conflict that 
 ensued, that He might speak plainly to the 
 dominant priestly party (the 'Jews' of St. 
 John's Gospel). 
 
 2. Ver. 18. In the Greek the words are ' that 
 God was Jlis otcn Father' (comp. l!om. viii. 32). 
 The Jews quite understood that Jesus claimed 
 to be the Son of God in a sjiecial and peculiar 
 sense, involving equality ; and the fact that He 
 never corrected them is one of the strongest 
 arguments for the true doctrine of Christ's 
 Divinity. 
 
 3. The discourse from ver. 19 to the end of the 
 chapter is supposed by many writers to have 
 been delivered as a formal defence before the 
 Court of the Sanhedrim. It seems scarcely 
 likely that lie was actually arraigned as a pri- 
 soner, but there may have been an informal 
 meeting of the leading men to hear His answer 
 to the charges now openly made against Him. 
 The unusual regularity of the whole discourse, 
 the reference to the deputation which had been 
 sent to the Baptist (' JV sent unto John'), the 
 peculiar solemnity of the closing sentences, all 
 point to such an occasion. 
 
 There is, probably, a certain interval of time 
 between verses ]" and 19. 
 
 4. On the discourse generally, observe that our 
 Lord three times in it uses His solemn assevera- 
 tion, ' Verily, verily' (ver. 19, 24, a.'.) ; which each 
 time introduces a statement of special im- 
 portance. 
 
 6. Ver. 19.—' The Son can do nothing of Himself.' 
 Com-j. viii. 28, xii. "19, xiv. 10. Cannot— on ac- 
 count of His oneness with the Father, as ex- 
 plained In the Sketch. The same thing is said 
 o( the Holy Ghost in chap. xrl. 1."?. Contrast 
 whiit is said of Satan (viii. 44). In this verse is 
 embodied both the Bub-dlvlsions of the first 
 head of the Sketch : the first half states that 
 
 Notes. 
 
 what the Son does is done by the Father ; the 
 second, that what the Fntliei- iXm'-^ is done by 
 the Son. ' Likewise'— lit., ' in like manner'— the 
 
 I unity is perfect : the same things done, and 
 
 I done in the same way. 
 
 6. Ver. 21—29. The two great Divine works, 
 quickening and judging, are briefly claimed by 
 Jesus as His own in ver. 21, 22 ; and of these two 
 verses ver. 25-29 are an expansion. That two 
 distinct resurrections are referred to in this pas- 
 sage is the view of the best expositors. Of the 
 resurrection of dead souls to spiritual life it is 
 said, ' The hour is coming, and now is,' ver. 25 ; 
 which latter expression is not used of the future 
 general resurrection of the body, ver. 28. Pro- 
 bably the judging also includes the present 
 administration of the world as well as the ulti- 
 
 mate sentence on it (see texts cited above). 
 
 7. Ver. 32-40. There are not here, as is some- 
 times stated, four witnesses. ' Another,' in ver. 
 32, Is the Father. Then the following verses are 
 equivalent to ' I do not especially refer to John, 
 though he did testify of Me; I depend not on 
 human testimony : I have greater witness than 
 that '—viz., the Father's testimony, given in two 
 ways, 1st., indirectly, by the miracles Jesus did 
 (ver. 3fi) ; 2nd., directly— not by communication 
 to their eyes and ears (ver. 37)— not (to these 
 unbelieving Jews) by the Inward witness of the 
 Spirit (ver. 38)— but through the Scriptures ol 
 the Old Testament. And, by searching (the word 
 is a strong one) them diligently (comp. 1 Pet. 
 i. 11), they would find the Father's testimony. 
 In them they considered tliey had life, and yet- 
 how inconsistent !— they would not come to Him 
 of whom those Scriptures testified, and who 
 could really give them life. 
 
 Many writers read ver. 39 thus : ' IV search the 
 Sc7-iplures, for in them,' &c. ; which somewhat 
 alters our Lord's argument. The Greek may be 
 rendered either way, and authorities are about 
 equally dividec: on the point. After careful con- 
 sideration, Alford's reasons for retaining the 
 imperative have been accepted as conclusive. 
 
 8. Christ's words concerning the l^apfist- ' He 
 ira.i'- 'for a season '—Imply that the latter's 
 ministry had dosed, and apparently that sume 
 time had since elapsed : a strong evidence that 
 this chapter should not be placed before the 
 Galilean ministry, which began as soon as Jesus 
 heard of John's imiirlsonnicnt (Matt. iv. 12). 
 'A burning and a shining light '—rather, 'M« 
 lamp biirnliig and shining'. John was not the 
 Light, as Christ was ; not </>oJ? (phOs) but \vxvov 
 (/mc/i«o,«) ; yet he was 'the lamp,' pre-eminent 
 among proohets. 
 
93 
 
 Lesson XXXV.— The Message from John the Baptist. 
 
 ' Ai-t Thou He that should come f ' 
 
 iSead— Matt. xi. (comp. Luke vii. 17—35) ; Learn— Lake vii. 22, 23. {Hymns, 24, 87, 90, 
 101, 145, 1G7, 232, 238, 321, 370.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 This Lesson will probably be found one of unusual difficulty, because the passage is a 
 comparatively unfamiliar one. Unfamiliar, that is, as a whole : several of the verses are 
 well-known enough, but they are usually quoted without reference to their context. Yet 
 it is a passage of great importance in the history, as shewing the light in which both 
 Christ and His Forerunner were regarded by the people — the result, so far, of the gracious 
 words and works which have come before us in preceding Lessons. The last Lesson and 
 this one come well together, and it will be helpful in teaching to refer to the former. 
 
 The unusual length of the Sketch arises from the necessitj' of giving the argument 
 almost in fuU, for the sake of clearness. The quantity of matter is not greater than 
 usual, but it is less compressed. The teacher should be careful, in preparation, to read 
 both the Sketch and the Notes loith the chapter open before him ; otherwise he will fail to 
 catch the significance of many sentences and even single words. 
 
 It should be noticed that some technical terms are now freely used in these Lessons 
 without explanation, having been fully explained before. Thus, the teacher can turn to 
 Lesson XIV. for illustrations of the word " testimony " ; and to Lessons XL, XVIII. 
 XXV., and XXVIII. , for elucidation of the term "kingdom of neaven." 
 
 The various points of application are, in this Sketch, not grouped together at the end, as 
 usual, because verses 16 to 30, which occupy the second and third divisions, are really 
 Christ's own application to His hearers of what has gone before, and in this case it will 
 be more impressive to take up each of His points as they come, and apply them directly 
 to the scholars. 
 
 With so full a subject, it may be well to indicate what portions of the Sketch may be 
 omitted in teaching junior classes, or wherever time runs short. The following, though 
 of great intrinsic importance, are perhaps less essential to the general purpose of the 
 Lesson than the others : — In the introdnctor}^ paragraphs : the clauses indicating the 
 feelings of John's disciples. In division I. : the second paragraph of section 1 ; (a) and 
 (h) in section 2 ; the second paragraph of section 3. In division II. : the allusions to 
 Tyre, &c., in section 2. In division III. : section 1. In other words, the important 
 verses of the chapter are 2 — 5, 9, 10, 16—19, 20, 28. But if the teacher, by especially 
 careful preparation, can succeed in making the Lesson' his own, he will need to omit very 
 little. 
 
 Sketch op Lesson. 
 
 Down by the Dead Sea, in the old country 
 of Moab, a gloomy castle — thick walls, 
 strong doors, &c. — belonging to Kmg Herod. 
 In a dungeon there, a prisoner whom we 
 know — John the Baptist (Luke iii. 19, 20) 
 [see Note 1]. What has become of all tlie 
 people who flocked to Him to be baptized ? 
 Some gone back to their old ways ; some 
 now running after the greater prophet at 
 Capernaum. A few followers still attached 
 
 John out of prison ? No wonder the rulers 
 at the capital have rej ected Him ' [last 
 Lesson] . 
 
 John is perplexed too — why ? Does He 
 forget that Voice at the Jordan — 'My 
 beloned Son^? No — cannot doubt it — Jesus 
 is the Son of God. Is he offended at being 
 left to pine away in prison ? No — would 
 gladly suffer much more if God willed it. 
 And yet — 'it is strange — is He not to 
 
 to him — come and visit him in prison. I purge His floor and burn up the chaff 
 
 Many things to tell him : particularlj' I (Matt. iii. 12) — to sweep away oppression of 
 
 about Jesus — ' what crowds come to Him 1 kings, hypocrisy of Pharisees, all sin ? 
 
 (comp. John iii. 26) — what wondrous Why this delay '? is He only to be the 
 
 miracles done (see Luke vii. 16 — 18) ; and | suffering Lamb of God — another to come 
 
 yet very strange! — He can't be Messiah i as the conquering King and Judge ? ' [See 
 
 after all — makes no effort to incite nation 
 against Romans — just goes about quietly — 
 is not strict or stern, either — and, if He 
 can do such mighty works, why not get 
 
 Note 2] . Will send to Jesus and inquire. 
 
 Jesus back in Galilee again — crowds 
 about Him as before — but not believers — 
 glad to get their sick healed, but as to Hls 
 
94 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 being Messiah, think much as John's dis- 
 ciples [above]. What would thej- think of 
 John's message ?— ' even he doubts.' Jesus 
 knows their hearts— must answer them as 
 well as John. His reply, marvellous in 
 wisdom, we have in this chapter. See in it 
 three things : — 
 I. Thk Proofs that Jesus was Messiah. 
 
 1. His Works and Words, ver. 4—6. 
 Before answering the messengers, what 
 
 does Jesus do? Luke vii. 21 — what a 
 blessed sight to see !— eyes opened, tongues 
 loosed, &c. Let them tell John what they 
 have seen ; and what heard too — other 
 miracles — and what else? the jwor preached 
 <f*— anything wonderful in that ? — very un- 
 like the Scribes (Matt, xxiii. 4, 14)— and 
 just what Messiah should do (Isa. xxxv. 
 8—6 ; Ixi. 1). 
 
 But all this they knew before — had told 
 John already [.see above] — why then only 
 this message to him ? He is to be content, 
 to trust, not judge Jesus by his own ideas, 
 not to be impatient, not to ' fret because of 
 evil-doers' (Ps. xxxvii. 1, 7, &c.) ; nil that 
 the Messiah was to do shall be done in 
 proper time. 
 
 2. The Testimony of John, ver. 7 — 15. 
 The messengers are gone. Now Jesus 
 
 has a word for the people. A year ago, 
 they were hastening from all parts down 
 to the Jordan [refer to Lesson XI.]. What 
 for ? — Jesus now asks. [See Note 4J. 
 
 (rt) Merely to stare at [the lit. transl. of 
 'see ' in ver. 7] one of the waving reeds by 
 the river? The idlest trifler must have 
 gone for more than that. And the stem, 
 nnjdelding man they did see (see Matt. iii. 
 7) — how unlike a reed — would he be in 
 prison now if easily ' shaken ' ? 
 
 (6) To see an easy, indulgent man, who 
 would introduce them to a life of pleasure ? 
 But would go for that to Herod's court at 
 Tiberias — if any one went into the desert 
 for it, how disappointed ! for what was 
 John's life ? Matt. iii. 4. 
 
 (c) To see a prophet ? Well, then should 
 believe what he said — what was that ? 
 Matt. iii. 11 — his work only to announce 
 One yet to come — and to Whom had he 
 pointed ? [See Le.ison XIV.] 
 
 3. The Fu/jUment of J'rophcc;/. AVhat 
 had they often heard out of the book of 
 their last prophet? (comp. ver. 10, 14, 
 with Mai. iii. 1, iv. 5). John was that 
 ' messenger,' the expected ' Elias ' [.see Note 
 6] — therefore greater than all the prophets. 
 But if John the ' messenger,' who the 
 *Lord ' he came to announce ? Surely He 
 means Himself, Jesus of Nazareth, then 
 speaking to them ! (.Icsus does not .wy so, 
 but see ver. 15 — like 'you see what I 
 mean '). And if John ' more than a 
 prophet,' what must He be ? Even the 
 least (poorest and humblest) in His ' king- 
 dom ' greater than the greatest prophet 
 (ver. 11 ; comp. Matt. xiii. 17) I 
 
 Then to be in the 'kingdom' something 
 worth an effort— and only by great effovt 
 
 could be in it (ver. 12 : comp. Luke xiii. 
 24) — why ? because to be in it must be a 
 follower of Him, the despised Nazarene ; 
 and to be that needed a great ivrench of 
 feelings — and no sitting still — must be ' up 
 and doing.' [See Note 7.] 
 
 IL The Folly and Guilt of those 
 WHO Rejected Him. 
 
 1. Folli/, ver. 16 — 19. Children's games 
 then as now — imitating real things [illus- 
 trate] ; used to plaj^ at having weddings 
 and funerals. Sometimes very changeable 
 — would start first one game, then another 
 — and be angry because others not in- 
 clined, or too busy, to join ; is that right ? 
 Now see who Jesus says was like such 
 children? [See Note 8.J The Jews of- 
 fended, fii-st with John, because not light 
 and merry as they wanted to be — did not 
 like his stern rules and strict life ; then 
 vvdth Jesus, because He kept not all their 
 fasts, &c. — did not like His going to pub- 
 licans' feasts [see Lesson XXXI.]. But how 
 foolish, how diildish, to object just because 
 their whims not humoured ! [Illust. — 
 Woidd a man in prison refuse a j^ardon 
 brought to him because the messenger not 
 fZ/-e.s-.s-ef/ as he zuould like, or because his face 
 too f/rave or too gay ?] 
 
 [Apply.] How do we receive God's 
 messages ? Some Sunday-scholars come 
 to school from cmiosity, or to play, or for 
 what they can get — don't care for Gospel ; 
 or won't take it as it is — want to have 
 stories told them. Or want a religion 
 of their own, not too strict ; or else selfish 
 and not kind to others. All these like the 
 Jews. Are you so ? 
 
 2. Guilt, ver. 20 — 24. It was not only 
 silly ; it was ungrateful and wicked. They 
 had had wondrous blessings ; that very 
 day, what great things He had done for 
 them [.see above] — and how many before! 
 They thought of Tyre and Sidon, of old 
 Sodom, with horror — so wicked ! but these 
 cities never had such blessings — if they 
 had, what then? see ver. 21, 23. Yet 
 had they repented ? But a day coming, 
 when all would see the men of Tyre and 
 Sodom not so bad as they. 
 
 [Apply.] Our blessings far greater than 
 those of the Jews. How guilty those who 
 care not for Christ now ! 
 
 III. The Happiness of those who 
 Received Him. 
 
 For some did receive Him. Who ? 
 
 1. ' Babes,' Yer. 25. "Not child ish,h\it child- 
 like — those not proud of their o«n wisdom 
 — not (like the others in ver. 16, 19) of- 
 fended because Jesus not exactly what they 
 expected — but ready to be led and taught. 
 Peter, Andrew, <fcc., like that. Yet even 
 they would not have come to Jesus of 
 themselves; how was it, then? ver. 25 
 (comp. .Tohn vi. 44). 
 
 [Ajiply.] May each of us 'receive the 
 kingdoin of God as a little child ' (Mark x. 
 ]')) ! Pray for the Spirit, that we may be 
 children ' taught of God ' (Isa. liv. 13). 
 
THE MESSAGE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 
 
 95 
 
 2. The weary and heavy-laden, ver. 28 — 
 30. Who are they ? Those who want to 
 get rid of the burden of sin, but can't — to 
 be better and holier, but can't — to be really 
 happy, but can't. See one next Sunday. 
 
 [Apply. 1 Any of us like this ? What 
 
 does Jesus promise ? When we are very 
 tired, how good to lie down and rest ! He 
 will give ' rest to our souls' 
 
 John a.sked, ' Art Thou He that should 
 come ? ' Here is the answer — ' Yes ; there 
 is no other ; therefore — COJIE UNTO Me I ' 
 
 Notes. 
 
 \. The place of John's imprisonment is men- 
 tioned by Josephiis (Antiq. xviii. 7). It was a 
 castle called Machicrus, on the east side of the 
 Dead Sea. 
 
 2. Why did John send the message to Jesus ? 
 This is a question which always has divided 
 expositors, and which probably always will. On 
 the one hand, the early Fathers generally, think- 
 ing it impossible that the faith of such a man 
 could have wavered, held that John only sent 
 his disciples for their own benefit— a view advo- 
 cated also in our day by Wordsworth, Ellicott, 
 Stier, Ryle, (to. On the other hand, all the lead- 
 ing German Divines (except Stier), and many 
 English ones (including Alford, Hanna, Eirks, 
 Kitto, Abp. Thomson, Brown and Fausset, &c.), 
 consider that John asked for his own satisfac- 
 tion ; some thinking that his faith in the person 
 of Jesus actually faltered ; others, that he was 
 dissatisfied with the xcay in which Jesus was 
 manifesting Himself; others, that he was only 
 impatient, and wished to draw from Jesus an 
 immediate public declaration about Himself. 
 As the point is an important one, the following 
 considerations are submitted :— 
 
 (a) An ordinary reader, taking the natural 
 sense of the passage, would certainly conclude 
 that John asked for himself. 
 
 (6) On the other hand, it seems incredible that 
 one who had received such a revelation concern- 
 ing Jesus, and had borne such a testimony to 
 Him, could ever have had a moment's doubt 
 that He was Messiah. And if such a doubt did 
 arise, why did John send to Jesus Himself? 
 Again, Our Lord's allusion to the ' reed shaken 
 by the wind' seems partly intended to prevent 
 the people fancying that John's faith had 
 wavered. 
 
 (c) Yet John might well have been perplexed, 
 because Jesus was not doing what he had him- 
 self predicted He would do. Where was the 
 manifest 'baptizing with the Holy Ghost'? 
 where was the ' purging of the floor,' the ' burn- 
 ing up of the chaff'? Herod's court as vicious 
 as ever, the Pharisaic rulers as hypocritical as 
 ever, and the Messiah spending His time healing 
 the sick and teaching the poor in Galilean vil- 
 lages—what could it mean ? John did not for 
 an instant doubt Who Jesus was ; but could it 
 be that He was only to be the meek sufferer, the 
 'Lamb,' and the sterner Messianic work to be 
 done by ' another'? This is well put by Lange, 
 IJirks, and Kitto, and seems to combine all the 
 requirements of a true interpretation. 
 
 A strong confirmation of this latter view,how- 
 ever, does not seem to have been observed. In 
 point of fact, John was to a great extent right. In 
 a sense, Jesus, the human mortal Jesus of 
 Nazareth, was not to do these things. The Bap- 
 tism of the Spirit should not fully t.ike place till 
 after the Ascension; the gathering out of the 
 'wheat' would be done then by the Spirit, 
 through the Apostles; the judgments on the 
 Jewish nation were not to come from a visible 
 
 but from an invisible King, from Jesus glorified ; 
 and the great final judgment should not be till 
 He came the second time in glory. That John 
 did not know the whole of the great Divine plan 
 is not to be wondered at. 
 
 3. ' He that should come'— lit.,' the coming-One. 
 A common appellation of Messiah, derived from 
 Ps. xl. 7, 8, cxviii. 26 ; Mai. iii. 1. 
 
 4. Our Lord's questions after the departure of 
 the messengers, though incidentally vindicating 
 John from a possible misapprehension, were evi- 
 dently designed to remind the people of the 
 means they had of themselves answering John's 
 question. The common explanation of the pas- 
 sage, as only a defence of John, Ignores the form 
 of the questions. It is not, ' When ye went out, 
 what did ye see?'— but, ' What went ye out to 
 see ? ' Probably the three questions may refer to 
 three classes of people— the merely inquisitive, 
 the worldlj' and self-seeking, the sincere in- 
 quirers ; and the argument is—' Whatever your 
 object iu going, you found something very diffe- 
 rent : not a passing spectacle, not a source of 
 earthly profit and i)leasure, not even a mere 
 stirring preacher ; no, but the long promised 
 'messenger,' the expected 'Elias'— and before 
 whose face has he gone? whose way did he pre- 
 pare ? He that hath ears to hear let him hear.' 
 
 5. Two verses in Luke's account (29, 30) give 
 the ejfect of Christ's appeal upon His hearers, 
 if (as is probable) they are not a part of the dis- 
 course, but the Evangelist's comment 
 
 6. Here Jesus says that John was 'Ellas.' John 
 himself said he was not Elias (John i. 21). But 
 he came ' in the spirit and power of Elias' 
 (Lukei. 17). 
 
 7. ' The kingdom of heaven svffereth violence,' 
 &c. Many and various are the explanations of 
 these words. Regarding them in the lightof the 
 context, the following (suggested by Mr. G. 
 Warington) seems a fair paraphrase :— The law 
 and the prophets— the preparatory dispensation 
 —were until John ; men just went on quietly in 
 the old paths, waiting for what was to come. 
 Since John came, all has changed : the ' kingdom' 
 lias come, and it is not given to the Jews in virtue 
 of their descent, as they expected, but every one 
 must enter by strong personal effort, involving a 
 tearing of liimseif away from much that he is 
 accustomed to. A similar expression might have 
 been used in the early history of Israel: The 
 covenants and promises were until Moses ; from his 
 days the Promised Land suffvrelh violence, and the 
 violent take it bv force. So also we might speak 
 of the contrast between the preparation of 
 school-time and the battle of life. 
 
 In fact, the words are an implied rebuke to the 
 capricious, purposeless people snoken of both 
 before (ver. 7—9) and after (ver. 16—19). 
 
 8. ' LUe unto children silting in the markets' &c. 
 Whom does our Lord mean by the 'children'? 
 The common exposition implies that they were 
 
96' 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 Himself and John : John, the austere preacher, 
 'mourned to' the Jews; He, condescending to 
 their 'eating and drinking," piped' to them: yet 
 notliing would please them. But this is plainly 
 wrong. Christ distinctly likens '(his genera- 
 tion ' to ' children sitting,' &c. And observe the 
 ordet- in which He names the 'piping' and 
 ' mourning' in ver. 17, and John and Himself in 
 ver. 18, 19. AVordsworth thus paraphrases the 
 
 passage:— 'Ye are like a troop of wayward chil- 
 dren, who go on with their own game, at one time 
 gay, at another grave, and expect that every one 
 should conform to them. You were angry with 
 John, because He would notdauce to yourpiping; 
 and with Me because I will not weep to your 
 dirge. John censured your licentiousness ; I re- 
 rebuke your hypocrisy : you vilify both.' So 
 Trench, Alford, Lange. 
 
 Lesson XXXYI.— Tlie Pharisee and the Penitent WomaiL 
 
 ' Which of them will love Him most ?' 
 Bead — Luke vii. 36 — 50 ; Learn — 1 John i. 7 — 9 ; 2 Cor. v, 14, 15. 
 {Hymns, 63, 90, 95, 145, 146, 322, 343, 347.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 The teacher has two things to bear in mind in giving this lesson to his class : — (1) That 
 the Oriental customs referred to must be explained with particular clearness, if the nar- 
 rative is to be understood ; (2) That love to Christ must be carefully represented as the 
 fruit, not the root — the effect, not the catise — of repentance and forgiveness. 
 
 It is unnecessary to add more to what is suggested and explained with sufficient fulness 
 below 
 
 Sketch of Lesson. 
 
 Last Sunday we saw how some rejected 
 Christ, and some came to Him. To-day 
 look at an example of each class — two 
 portraits ; and see ivhat it was that made 
 the difference between the two. 
 
 I. Two Ways op Treating Christ. 
 
 1. The Pharisee's Way. 
 
 What did the Pharisees of Capernaum, 
 &c., think of Jesus '? Did not like Him — 
 objected to His ways, e.g., eating with pub- 
 licans [see Lesson XXXL~\ — would not re- 
 ceive Him as Messiah [see last Lesson^ ; 
 but not j'et His open enemies — shall see 
 how they became so next Sunday. 
 
 One of them (his name ? ver. 40) thinks 
 he would like to do Jesus a kindness — and, 
 perhaps, shew off his own hospitality at 
 same time ; asks Him to dinner. See the 
 guests coming in — Simon receiving them 
 courteouslj' — embracing them: servants 
 ready to wash the dust from their feet, and 
 anoint them with oil to .'^often the parched 
 skin. Now see the tables spread — the 
 guests (according to custom) on couches or 
 ' ottomans ' as high as the tables, reclining 
 on their left arms, with their feet (unshod) 
 outwards. And who are all these strangers 
 in the room, looking on ? [See Note 3.] 
 
 But see — one guest not looking like the 
 rest — has neither been washed nor anointed 
 — when He came in Simon gave Him no 
 kiss: who is that? ver. 44— 46. Why this? 
 No need, thought Simon, to shew Him 
 any jiarticular attention. Very willing to 
 honour Him with an invitation, as .so well- 
 known and popular ; more could not be 
 expected — could not treat Nazarene car- 
 penter like rich friends — anything good 
 enough for Him. 
 
 2. The Womati's Way. 
 
 One of the strangers in the room weep- 
 ing — a wicked woman — known in the city 
 as openly bad. Why weeping? For her 
 sins. Knew all along how bad she was ; 
 but nowyee/.5 it, can think of nothing else. 
 See what others have felt — Ps. xxxvtii. 
 3, 4, xl. 12; Ezra ix. 6 ; Luke xviii. 13. 
 Why has she come here? She knows 
 Jesus to be the friend of sinners ; very 
 likel}', when He said those words, ' Come 
 unto Me,' &c. [see last Lesson and Note 1], 
 she had heard them — they went to her 
 heart — she was ' heavj--laden ' — she longed 
 for 'rest' — and she btliered Him who 
 spoke — knew not much about Him — but 
 felt sure God had sent Him to win sinners 
 from their bad ways. She will sin no 
 more now — will try and be like that pure 
 and holy Saviour. She must do sometliing 
 for Him ; but what ? she so miworthy — 
 what can she do ? 
 
 She has a chance now ; has seen how 
 uncourteously Jesus treated — can make up 
 for it. See her, trembling and weeping, 
 coming behind Him ; what does she do i 
 ver. 37, 38. Simon ^vould not spare com- 
 mon oil for His head ; she devotes to His 
 feet her precious ointment. Simon did 
 not eni])loy his slaves to attend on Jesus ; 
 she is content to be the slave herself [see 
 Note 3]. 
 
 What a difference in these two ways of 
 treating Jesus ! Now ask, — 
 
 IL Why He was treated so differ- 
 ently. 
 
 Silence at table — all surprised at Jesus 
 allowing this. See what Simon thinks, 
 ver. 39 (comp. Isa. Ixv. 5). Were his feel- 
 
THE PHARISEE AND THE PENITENT WOMAN. 
 
 97 
 
 tags unnatural ? He was looked up to as 
 a religious man. "What ' good boy ' likes 
 to be seen in company with bad boys ? 
 But it is one thing to avoid sin — another to 
 despise sinners, forgetting what we are 
 ourselves. See Luke vi. 37 ; 1 Cor. xiii. 5. 
 Yet Jesus has a rebuke to utter, but not 
 to the woman. It is he, the scrupulous 
 Pharisee who would shrink from such a 
 sinner, that is to be rebuked. Jesus will 
 shew him j ust what we are asking about — 
 the real difference between him and the 
 woman. Will He do it severely, as one 
 offended by the incivility ? See how 
 gently, ver. 40 — 47. 
 
 Now, what was the difference ? 
 
 (a) See ver. 47 — ' Loveth much ' — ' loveth 
 little.' The woman loved Jesus 'much,' 
 thought nothing too good for Him, no 
 trouble too great for Him. Simon loved 
 Him ' little,' scarcely at all ; so neglected 
 His comfort. 
 
 (6) But much more than this in the 
 parable. Why was one debtor more grate- 
 ful to the creditor than the other ? Simon 
 could see that, ver. 43 [^forgave most'). 
 Was the woman a great sinner ? — well, she 
 felt it, and therefore ' loved much ' Him 
 who had said to sinners, ' Come unto Me.' 
 Was Simon so good ? — so he thought — then 
 of course he would not care so much for 
 a Saviour. Yet Jesus, bj' the parable, 
 reminds him that he is a debtor too, though 
 he may think but a small one ; that his 
 good deeds of no avail before God (' nothing 
 to pay ') ; but that he too may get pardon 
 ('forgave them both '). [See Note 4.] 
 
 (c) But more yet. Simon might say, 
 'Suppose the woman is penitent, why go 
 to this Nazarene ? and does he mean that 
 He is the creditor — that my sins are debts 
 to Him — //e to forgive them ? ' What 
 other difference, then, between him and 
 her? She believed Jesus had the right to 
 forgive, and would forgive — did Simon 
 believe that ? She had faith ; and her 
 faith ' saved her,' ver. 50. [See Note 5.] 
 
 Now we see the difference : — 
 
 The woman — (c) had faith in Jesus as 
 the Saviour ; ib) felt her sins, and so loved 
 Him that forgave them ; (a) loving Him, 
 shewed her love in her treatment of Him. 
 
 The Pharisee— (c) had no faith in Jesus ; 
 {b) had no feeling of his sin — so no special 
 reason for loving Jesus ; (a) shewed his 
 lack of love in his treatment of Jesus. 
 
 Which of these two are we like? 
 
 1. Do we neglect Christ? Perhaps not 
 openly bad — regular at church and school, 
 &c. — outward respect for His name. His 
 day. His book, &c. ; yet no tiying to please 
 Him — no sacrifice for His sake— care for 
 self most. This like the Pharisee, But 
 what the cause ? [To illustrate ' cause and 
 effect ' ; — Roots and fruits : ' do men gather 
 grapes of thorns, or figs oj thistles?' (Matt, 
 vii. 16). Pleasant and unpleasant sounds 
 and perfumes : can tell whence they come. J 
 This the cause— no sense of sin— so no care 
 for a Saviour. But if so, deceived {1st text 
 
 Jor 7-ep.) — the sin is there — the debt is 
 due — 'nothing to pay' — if not freely for- 
 given now, 'the uttermost farthing' de- 
 manded at the ' day of reckoning.' 
 
 2. But do we feel sin— feel our debt — 
 feel how poor our goodness is — ' nothing to 
 pay ' ?— 
 
 ' Could my zeal no respite know, 
 Could my tears for ever flow,' Sio. 
 
 Then, like the woman, shall come to Christ 
 — confess our sins — then what ? {\st text 
 for rep.). And we know more of Him than 
 she did : not only know His kindness, hear 
 His ' Come unto Me ' — know, also, that He 
 died for those very sins, has paid the debt 
 Himself. Can you think of this and not 
 love Him ? See what produced St. Paul's 
 love (2nd text for rep.). And if love Him, 
 ready to be His slave, give up all bad 
 things for His sake, all good things to His 
 service. 
 
 ' Love so amazing, so divine, 
 Demands my soul, my liie, my all.' 
 
 Notes. 
 
 1. This incident is placed by St. Luke (who 
 alone relates it) immediately after the discourse 
 arising out of the Baptist's message, which, as 
 Riven in the parallel passage in Matt, xi., con- 
 cludes with the words, ' Come unto Me,' &c., (see 
 preceding Lesson). Hence the jjrohability that 
 the woman was brought to repentance by that 
 very invitation which has been the salvation and 
 comfort of so many souls in every age. Observe, 
 too, that the narrative affords an example of both 
 the grounds of complaint against Jesus, alluded 
 to in that discourse : attending feasts ('a glut- 
 tonous man and a wine-bibber'), and showing 
 Himself the ' friend of publicans and sinners.' 
 
 2. The act nf the penitent woman must be care- 
 fully distinguished from that of Mary of Bethany 
 recorded in Matt, xxvi., Mark xiv., John xii. 
 Many of the older writers, and some modern 
 critics of the 'destructive' school, confound 
 them ; but the only point of resemblance in the 
 two narratives is the name ol the host ; and 
 
 Simon was the commonest of Jewish names, 
 there being eleven persons bearing it mentioned 
 in the N.T. The idea that the woman was Mary 
 Magdalene (which is the origin of the modern 
 term ' Magdalen") is also purely traditional, and 
 rests on no evidence whatever. The latter is in- 
 troduced in the next chapter (viii. 2) as a new 
 character, and is described in altogether different 
 terms. 
 
 3. It is the custom in the east, where there has 
 never been such a separation of classes as with 
 us, for the houses to be open even at meal-time, 
 and for strangers to enter and converse with 
 those present, though not joining them at table ; 
 and this would be particularly the case at a large 
 entertainment. See an extract in Trench on ttie 
 Parables, p. 204. 
 
 On the customs at dinner, see Kitto, Daily 
 Bible Illustrations (Life of our Lord), p. 301. The 
 Greek word rendered ' sat down to meat,' in ver 
 36, is literally ' i-eclined.' 
 
98 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUB LOED. 
 
 On the civilities neglected by Simon, see Gen. 
 xviii. 4, xix. 2, xxiv. 32 ; Kuth iii. 3 ; 1 Sam. xxv. 
 41 ; Ps. xxiii. 5, cxli. 6 ; Eccl. ix. 8 ; Dan. X. 3 ; 
 Amos vi. 6; Matt. vi. 17. With the feet only 
 shod with sandals, washing is hoth a necessity 
 and a luxury. Oil and ointment are in common 
 use in all hot countries, to prevent the skin from 
 cracking. It was a Jewish custom to show affec- 
 tion and esteem for a Rabbi by embracing his 
 feet (conip. Matt, xxviii. 9). 
 
 The woman probably entered the house to hear 
 Christ's words, and, observing His condition, 
 hastened out to fetch her ointment ; thus devot- 
 ing to Him what had been purchased for her 
 own personal adornment. Alford says that 
 the Greek implies that she only intended to 
 anoint and embrace his feet ; the washing, &c., 
 being the involuntary result of her excessive 
 weeping. It was considered a humiliation for 
 female slaves to be set to wipe their master's 
 feet with their hair. 
 
 'Alabaster box'— one word in the original— an 
 aJabastron, a vessel (probably a bottle) made of 
 alabaster: just as we say 'a glass,' meaning a 
 cup or vessel made of glass. The name was de- 
 rived from a place called Alabastron, in Egypt, 
 the marble from whence was believed to have 
 special qualities as a preserver of unguents. 
 
 4. There are apparent difficulties in the parable 
 of the two debtors, which are variously ex- 
 plained. But the drapery, scenery, and other 
 adjuncts of our Lord's parabolic teaching must 
 never be pressed too far, as though every point 
 had a spiritual meaning. Certainly He did not 
 intend to imply that Simon's 'debt' was as 'fifty 
 pence' in comparison with the woman's 'five 
 hundred'; nor that Simon had actually been 
 forgiven at all, or loved at all. Yet these points 
 had their purpose. They gave Simon very im- 
 pressive teaching, the significance of which he 
 could not fail to perceive; see Sketch. Neither 
 must it be supposed that, because in the parable 
 the one who is forgiven most loves most, the 
 greatest sinner will become the greatest saint: 
 it is not so much the actual amount of sin that 
 is spoken of, as the degree in which it is realised ; 
 a debt is a thing known and felt. 
 
 5. "Verse 47 does not mean that the woman was 
 forgiven because she loved much. The exact re- 
 verse was the fact: she loved because she wa§ 
 forgiven. Yet the word 'for' is quite correct, 
 and the sentence should be read thus : ' You can 
 see that her sins are forgiven, for see how much 
 she loves.' As we might say, ' The child ia 
 better, for he is laughing.' 
 
 Lesson XXXYII.— Sabbath ControTsrsies. 
 
 ' TJie Son of Man is Lord also of the Sabbath' 
 
 Read—Waxk ii. 23—28 ; iii. 1—6 ; {camp. Matt. xii. 1—14; Luke vi. 1—11) ; iearn— Matt. 
 
 XV. 8, 9 ; Isa. Iviii. 13. {Hymns 268—272.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 Every conscientious teacher will feel that special wisdom and tact are required to teach 
 this lesson rightly. All will desire that its practical result may be to promote the observ- 
 ance by the scholars of the Lord's Day ; and yet many will be perplexed by the feeling 
 that the apparent tendency of the passage is the other way. It will not do simply to say 
 that the dangers of the present day in England are exactly opposite in character to those 
 of Christ's day in Palestine, and that His teaching upon the subject does not apply to us 
 because, were He here now. He would speak quite differently. It is doubtful whether 
 this would be true, and certainly it would not carry conviction to a sharp boy's mind. 
 But let it be put in this way — that Christ's word.s are directed against a mistaken notion 
 which lies at the root of both evils — of both Pharisaic intolerance and modern laxity ; 
 and then we bring, not our ideas, but the all-powerful teaching of the Lord Himself, to 
 bear upon the conscience. And what is this mistaken notion ? Simply that the ' one 
 day in seven' is (so to speak) an exacted tribute, a badge of servitude, rather than 
 a gracious gift — a notion leading naturally to ostentatious punctiliousness in some and 
 to rebellious discontent in others. The great object, therefore, of the accompanying 
 Sketch is to exhibit the Sabbath as a boon designed for the happiiujss of men, and only 
 guarded by law in the interest of men themselves, and to show that the first requisite of 
 true Sabbath observance is tlie childlike and happy spirit of the true Christian. In this 
 way the children may be drawn to care for the day of rest, when an attempt to drivt 
 them would fail. 
 
 It should be carefully borne in mind, that the essence of the institution is the sacred- 
 ness of one day in seven : whether that day be the first, or the seventh, or any other, being 
 of no moment whatever. No doubt the first day became the weekly festival in the early 
 Church, in commemoration of the great events of Easter and Pentecost. 
 
 On the teachings suggested by the cure of the withered hand, see Lesson XXXIII. 
 
SABBATH CONTROVERSIES. 
 
 99 
 
 Sketch of Lesson. 
 
 How pleasant Saturday night is to those 
 who work hard all the week ! \refer to 
 instances] — why ? Looking for Sunday rest. 
 
 Who was the first to rest on the seventh 
 day, after six days' work ? Gen. ii. 1 — 3. 
 And God ordained that men also shovdd 
 have a weekly rest-day. What for? to 
 take them from their pleasure, and make 
 them gloomy '? or to make them happier ? 
 Not a notice to trespassers, but a royal 
 gift. 
 
 But men spoil whatever God gives them 
 [/llust. — ink blackens whatever put in it]. 
 So God gave the Fourth Commandment to 
 guard His gift, to prevent men from rob- 
 bing each other of the sacred rest. But 
 men disobeyed the command, and still 
 spoiled the gift. In two ways : — 1st, by 
 making the Sabbath a day of work (see 
 Isa. Ivi. 2, 6, Iviii. 13 ; Jer. xvii. 21—23 ; 
 Neh. xiii. 15 — 22) ; the second we shall see 
 presently. When Christ came, one thing 
 He did was to make men think more of 
 God's gifts, and not spoil them. To-day 
 see how He did this with the Sabbath [see 
 Note 1]. 
 
 I. How THE Pharisees treated the 
 Sabbath. 
 
 Pharisees were looked up to by people 
 as ' very reUgious ' : no wonder, for their 
 religion just what could be ' seen of men,' 
 all outside — boastful charity, long prayers 
 in public, &c. (Matt. vi. 2, 5, 16, xxiii. 5, 14, 
 23, 25) ; but what was it they had not got ? 
 (1st text for rep. ; Matt, xxiii. 27, 28). So, 
 while they took no pains to obey some of 
 the Commandments {Fifth, Mark vii. 9 — 13 ; 
 Tenth, Luke xvi. 14), took great pains aboiit 
 Fourth, because in keeping it could be ' seen 
 of men ' ; made hard rules about it which 
 God had not made — veiy harsh with poor 
 people who could not remember them or 
 always obey them (Matt, xxiii. 4). So the 
 Sabbath a burden : people afraid to do this 
 or that, for fear of Pharisees. Was this 
 what God intended ? 
 
 But the Pharisees' Sabbath-keeping like 
 the rest of their religion — only outside. See 
 this by — [read passage] — 
 
 (a) Their conduct ui the cornfields. Why 
 did the disciples pluck the ears ? Matt, 
 xii. 1. How came they to be hungry? 
 Very likely the crowds so great that Jesus 
 obliged to go on teaching many hours, and 
 no time for meals (comp. Mark iii. 20, 
 vi. 31). The Pharisees not hungry — Sab- 
 bath a feast-day with them (comp. Luke 
 xiv. 1) — no doubt had had plenty. What 
 should they have felt when they saw 
 the poor hungry disciples eating the 
 dry grains ? glad they should get some- 
 thing ? Gladness was the feeling ; but 
 why ? Because now a chance of fault- 
 finding {see Note 4]. Was that keeping 
 the Sabbath with holy and kind thoughts ? 
 
 (i) Their conduct in the synagogue. 
 ' Watched Him ' (comp. Ps. xxxvii. 32, 
 
 Ivi. 5 ; Jer. xx. 10) — was that what they 
 should come to the synagogue for ? Why 
 did they ' watch Him ' ? Out of love, or — ? 
 Was that obeying our 2nd text for rep. ? 
 And while so particular about Jesus 
 keeping Fourth Commandment, which were 
 they breaking themselves by their mali- 
 cious looks and thoughts ? 1 John iii. 15. 
 
 II. How Christ treated the Sab- 
 bath. 
 
 Did He abolish it ? [Illust. — An architect 
 who repairs and improves a house does not 
 pull it doivn.] 
 
 Did He say it was only meant for the 
 Jews, and, now He had come, to be put 
 away ? ' Made for man ' (chap. ii. 27) — 
 for every man ; a gift to all. 
 
 If a gift to all, did He say all might do 
 as they like with it ? No, because cannot 
 be trusted to use it right ; so God makes 
 laws about it, which to be obeyed. But 
 One is ' lord ' of the Sabbath [see Note 6] — 
 not under laws — can use it as He pleases — 
 who ? (chap. ii. 28). Why can He ? Not 
 only as God; as ' the Son of Man.' Because 
 He \s perfect man — can be trusted. And 
 whosoever is most like Him is most free to 
 do as he likes with the Sabbath, because is 
 sure to use it rightly. 
 
 But how use it rightly? See this by 
 what Jesus said in reply to Pharisees : — 
 
 (a) How did Jesus justify the plucking 
 and eating corn ? What had David's taking 
 the sacred bread to do with it ? (ii. 25, 26). 
 David and his men were hungry — unless 
 fed, not strong enough to flee from Saul — 
 so did what was against rules because 
 necessary. And see Slatt. xii. 5— priests 
 were commanded to work on Sabbath, 
 because necessary {see Note 5J. So (a) 
 works of necessity to be done — Sabbath 
 not to be a burden to ourselves. 
 
 (6) How did Jesus justify the healing ? 
 (iii. 4) — ' to save life or to "kill ?' (What a 
 rebuke to them ! which were they going 
 to try and do? ver. 6.) How did this 
 justify it ? nobody thought of killing the 
 poor man. But neglecting to do good may 
 be doing harm. [Illust. — if wounded man 
 in parable had died before iSamarilan came, 
 woidd not priest and Levite have been 
 guilty f] So (b) works of mercy and kind- 
 ness to be done — Sabbath not to be an 
 in j ury to others. 
 
 III. How WE SHOULD TREAT THE SAB- 
 BATH. 
 
 God has given us seven days in the 
 week ; six for ourselves — our work, &c. ; 
 one to use for Him. Is it fair to take the 
 one as well as the six for work or play ? 
 [Illust. — Father gives boy seven shillings, 
 six for himself one to be spent as dii-ected. 
 What think of boy if he kept the one too f] 
 
 How, then, use the Sabbath ? The great 
 thing is to have what the Pharisees had 
 not — thankful and obedient hearts. Each 
 Svinday, thiak, ' To-day my Saviour rose 
 
 n9. 
 
100 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF CUB LORD. 
 
 from the grave into which He went for my 
 sake — I must love Him ; to-day the Holy 
 Spirit cume down to make our hearts holy 
 — I must seek His aid.' Then, the Sabbath 
 no burdan. Works of necessitj' — will do 
 them cheerfullj-, and make as little as can 
 'necessary,' to get more time for God's 
 service. Works of mercy — will do them, 
 not because must, but because love to do 
 
 them. Worship God — learn more about 
 Him — study His word — will do all this 
 because delight in it. 
 
 Boys and girls all want to ' go to heaven.' 
 But what is heaven called ? Heb. iv. 9 — 
 'Sabbnth-keepinff' [lit. transl. of ^ rest']. 
 Would you care for that ? If to enjoy 
 eternal Sabbath, must learn to enjoy earthly 
 Sabbaths. 
 
 Notes. 
 
 1. Nothing is more remarkable in Jewish his- 
 tory than the change wrought bythe Babylonian 
 Captivity in the national habits. Before that 
 event, the people were constantly lapsing into 
 idolatry: afterwards, never. Before, their most 
 s.'tcred institutions were but partially observed : 
 afterwards, not only was every jot and tittle of 
 the ceremonial law most punctiliously attended 
 to, but Kabbinical tradition was continually 
 adding to it. 
 
 Of this the Sabbath afforded a remarkable ex- 
 ample. The incidental notices in the prophetical 
 books reveal the prevailing neglect of the day 
 under the kings ; while in later times, the 
 utmost Pharisaic ingenuity was exhausted in 
 making its observance a burden. Thirty-nine 
 kinds of work were separately specified as illegal. 
 Grass was not to be trodden, as being akin to 
 harvest work. Shoes with nails were not to be 
 worn, as the nails would be a 'burden,' and a 
 'burden' must not be carried. A tailor must 
 not have his needle about him towards sunset 
 on the Friday, for fear the S.abbath should begin 
 while he was yet 'carrying' it. 
 
 Christ evidently miide it one special object of 
 Ills ministry to free the Sabbath from this vexa- 
 tious intolerance. Seven of His recorded mira- 
 cles (Luke iv. S.i, 39, vi. 10, xiii. 14, xiv. 1 ; John 
 V. 9, vs.. 14) were worked on the Sabbath. Of 
 these, six were clone spontaneously ; and of His 
 miracles of healing all except two that were done 
 spontaneously were done on the Sabbath. This 
 is clear evidence of design ; and it is obvious 
 that our Lord acted so on purpose to raise the 
 question, as all these cures could have been as 
 easily effected on other days. Moreover, the 
 two cures at Jerusalem, which were the most 
 important in their effect upon the minds of the 
 people, were both accompanied by injunctions 
 ensuring their publicity (John v. 8, ix. 7). Ob- 
 serve, too, that the only instance of Christ's 
 ^ anger' being mentioned is the case before us in 
 this Lesson. Can it be doubted that the hypo- 
 critical tyranny of the Pharisees in regard to the 
 Sabbath was especially hateful to Ilini ? 
 
 2. It is equally certain that our Lord's treat- 
 ment of the Sabbath did much to render him 
 cbnoxious to the ruling ])arty. I'^or this His life 
 was first consi>ired against, both at Jerusalem 
 (John v. 16), and in Galilee (Mark iii.G). It is 
 |irobable that the chaupe in the feelings of the 
 llulilean priests an! Pharisees towards Him, 
 ivhicli the latter passage mark.«, was due to the 
 iuflucncc of ' the scribes that came down from 
 Jerusalem,' who are mentioned a few verses 
 later (Mark lii. 22), and who were very likely 
 sent down from the capital, after the events of 
 John v., to stir up the Galileans against Him. 
 See Addit. Note P'., and Lesson XXX., Note 2. Itis 
 strange to find the Herodians (the adherents and 
 courtiers of Herod Antipas) joining in this per- 
 secution, as they, living in the lax atmosphere of 
 
 a vicious court, could have little sympathy with 
 the scrupulous Pharisees ; and the latter, hating 
 all foreign and semi-foreign rule, certainly had 
 no sympathy with them. But the Pharisees 
 probably applied to them for help because Galilee 
 was part of Herod's domain, and they might 
 require his interference. 
 
 3. St. Luke states (the two oldest MSS., how- 
 ever, omit the word) that the walk through the 
 corn-fields took place on the 'second -first Sab- 
 bath ' (lit. rendering). This expression is found 
 nowhere else, and its meaning is uncertain. 
 
 4. Plucking the corn in another man's field 
 was expressly permitted by the law (Deut. 
 xxili. 2.1), and is still a recognised custom in the 
 East. Dr. Hanna {Ministry in Galilee, p. 36), 
 Porter {Giant Cities of Bahan, p. 194), and 
 Thomson (Land and the Book. p. 648), relate 
 instances which came under their own eyes. 
 The fault of the disciples lay In their doing so on 
 the Sabbath. Plucking was regarded as a kind 
 of reaping, and rubbing the ears in the hands 
 (Luke vi. 1) as a kind of threshing-., and both 
 reaping and threshing were forbidden. 
 
 .5. The 'shcw-bread' (i.e., bread to be sheicn 
 before God) was placed hot every Sabbath on 
 the table in the sanctuary, as an acknowledg- 
 ment that all sustenance came from God. David 
 apparently took it on a Sabbath-day (1 Sam. 
 xxi. 6, comp. with Lev. xxiv. 8), which adds to 
 the significance of our Lord's reference. The 
 point of His argument, however, is the subordi- 
 nation of external rules to real necessity. Ob- 
 serve the words ' gave also to them that were 
 tcith him,' showing how exactly the illustration 
 applied. The second argument, given only by 
 Matthew (xii.5,G), is equivalent to-'If the priests 
 may without blame profane the Sabbath in the 
 service of the Temple (see Numb, x.xviii. 9), 
 much more may my disciples profane the Sab- 
 b.ath in the service of One greater than the 
 Temple.' 
 
 6. ' The Sabbath was made for man.' &c. ' The 
 end for which the Sabbath was ordained was 
 that it might bless man ; the end for which man 
 was created was not that he might observe the 
 Sabbath' (Trench). 
 
 The ' Son of Man ' here is not man, as Is some- 
 times allirmcd. The expression occurs eighty- 
 eight times in the N. T., and always refers to 
 Christ. He is so called as being the ideal man, 
 the jierfect num ; and since, as such, He is 
 'rightful lord over all creation as granted to 
 man (see Heb. ii. 6—0), and of all that is made 
 for man' {Alford), He is Lord also of the 
 Sabbath. 
 
 7. Itis a familiar Bible difilculty that allhough, 
 according to St. Mark, Christ called the high 
 priest who gave David the shew-bread Abialhar, 
 
THE TWELVE APOSTLES. 
 
 101 
 
 In 1 Sam. xxi. he is stated to have been Ahi- 
 liulech, who was the father of Abiathar. Many 
 explanations of this have been offered; but the 
 two names are so curiously interchanged in the 
 
 O. T. (comp. 1 Sam. xxii. 20 with 2 Sam. viii. 17 
 and 1 Chron. xviii. ifl), that it is hard to say 
 which was the father's and which the son's, or 
 whether both names did not belong to each. 
 
 Lesson XXXYIIL— Tlie Twelve Apostles. 
 
 ' Feed My sheep.' 
 
 Bead— UaTk iii. 6—19 ; {comp. Matt. ix. 35—38, x. ; Mark vi. 7—13 ; Luke vi. 12—16, 
 
 ix. 1—6) ; Learn— Luke vi. 13 ; 1 Pet. v. 2—4. 
 
 (Hymns 124, 122, 134, 141, 162, 232, 329, 330.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 In the 'Additional Note' on the Chronology of the Galilean Ministry (see page 59), 
 it was remarked how much space is occupied in the Gospels by the occurrences of one 
 or two particular days. At one of these days we have now anived, and the next five 
 Lessons are devoted to the incidents which appear, on a careful comparison of the 
 passages, to have signalised it. This fact may be advantageously used to invest these 
 Lessons with special interest, by giving reality to the narratives on which they are 
 based. In the present one, the event vnih. which that great day opened— the appointment 
 of the Twelve (see Luke vi. 13)— is connected with what had gone before, for reasons 
 explained below in Note 1. 
 
 Our Lord's words in Matt. ix. 36—38, which are the key to a great part of the Lesson, 
 suggest two illustrations of the apostolic work, viz., tending the sheep, and reaping the 
 harvest. The former alone is taken, for the sake of clearness, the latter having already 
 been used in Lesson XX. 
 
 In all subjects of this kind the application can be directed, either to those who are 
 'sheep' to be tended, or to those who are, or ought to be (in however humble a way), 
 ' shepherds' themselves ; to the mere disciples, or to those who may be ' sent' as apostles. 
 Obviously, the former is the natural application to the great majority of our Suaday- 
 scholars ; and it aflEords a good opportunity of showing the true relation of ' disciples' to 
 those who teach them— of the 'sheep' and 'lambs' to those who tend them— i.e., to the 
 pastor or his Sunday-school delegates. Yet the latter point should by no means be omitted 
 with elder scholars, or even younger ones who may be piously disposed. A child may act 
 a ' shepherd's'— an ' apostle's '—part towards a younger brother or sister. Only let the 
 caution always be given, that the 'apostle' must be the 'disciple' first. 
 
 Sketch of Lesson. 
 
 without a shepherd— scattered, tired, timid, 
 looking this way and that, afraid to move ? 
 This is what Jesus saw — we will see what 
 He did. [See Note 1.] 
 I. The Sheep without a Shepherd. 
 Does He get retirement by leaving the 
 city ? ver. 7, 8 — greater crowds than ever 
 from distant parts; they don't want Him 
 killed — Him who comforts, teaches, heals 
 them. Such crowds that He has to esca^w 
 from them to the boat, ver. 9. But they 
 have not come in vain— see what He docs, 
 ver. 10, 11. And why does He heal them ? 
 to make Himself popular ? to excite them 
 against the Pharisees ? ver. 12— He wants 
 to do as much good as He can, as quietly 
 as He can. Just what Isaiah said Messiah 
 should be like (comp. Isa. xlii. 1—4 with 
 Matt. xii. 15—21). [See Note 3.] 
 
 But now see what Jesus thought and felt 
 as He looked at these multitudes. Matt, 
 ix. 36 [see Note 1]. He thought, not of 
 what the Pharisees wanted to do to Eim, 
 
 Jesus is now in danger. His enemies at 
 Jerusalem have sent scribes into Galilee to 
 stir up the Pharisees there against Him 
 [see last Lesson, Note 2] . What could they 
 say of Him ? Would tell of His Sabbath- 
 breaking, and get men to watch His con- 
 duct — we saw how last Sunday. The chief 
 men at Capernaum did not like Him before, 
 but now they are roused — will not bear it 
 — what shall they do to get rid of Him ? 
 Herod the ruler of Galilee— they must go to 
 his ' noblemen ' to help them ; see strict 
 Pharisees and gay courtiers plotting together 
 against Jesus ! (ver. 6). 
 
 What will He do ? His 'hour' to suffer 
 not yet come. Will go aside for a time, 
 out of the city, down to the Lake (ver. 7) — 
 can always there get a boat and cross over ; 
 up into the hills (ver. 13)— nooks and cor- 
 ners there. 
 
 While in retirement, Jesus did a very 
 important thing — talk about it to-day. 
 
 Have you ever seen a flock of sheep 
 
102 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 but of what they had not done to all these 
 people. They ought to have been like 
 shepherds to them, leading them in right 
 way, feeding them with good teaching, 
 treating them gently. Had they ? If so, 
 why such a new and strange thing when 
 Jesus preached glad tidinsrs to the poor 
 (Matt. xi. 5) [see Lesson XXXV.] ? The 
 scribes like the shepherds denounced by 
 Ezekiel (xxxiv. 1 — 10) ; so the people are 
 faint (for want of food for their souls) and 
 scattered (not taken care of). 
 
 Jesus sees all this ; what does He feel ? 
 Had He never felt compassion before ? 
 What brought the ' Good Shepherd ' (John 
 X. 11) down from heaven, but 'to seek and 
 save the lost sheep'? see Matt. xviii. 11 — 13. 
 And these He now looks on are but a few 
 of them — there are ' other sheep' (John x. 
 16) scattered abroad — He has ' compassion ' 
 for them too— for all. 
 
 What will He do for them ? "Will appoint 
 under-shepherdit t" ;.il:o care of them. See 
 who these were. 
 
 II. The Suepherds appointed for 
 THE Sheep. 
 
 Up among the hills Jesus now goes, away 
 from the crowds, only His own followers 
 with Him. All of them 'disciples' — i.e., 
 learners (under discijiline) ; some He will 
 choose to be more than that — 'apostles,^ 
 men sent forth, missionaries. It is a solemn 
 thing He is going to do — how does He 
 set about it ? Luke vi. 12, 13 — think of that 
 long night of prayer ! (How do we set 
 about important things ? do we need to 
 pray about them less than He did ?) Then, 
 in the morning, all around Him, waiting 
 His selection. 
 
 1. The men chosen, ver. 16 — 19 (comp. 
 Matt. x. 2—4 ; Luke vi. 14—16). Seven of 
 them we have seen already specially called 
 — the four fishermen (chap. i. 16 — 20) [see 
 Lesson XXIII.], the publican (Matt. ix. 9) 
 [see Le.^son XXXI. ~\, Philip and his friend 
 (John i. 43 — 51). Now five more. Think 
 what kind of men chosen to care for the 
 ' faint and scattered sheep' : no grave and 
 learned scribes, but fishermen, a publican, 
 &c. — Peter the head-strong, Thomas the 
 doubter, Simon the fierce zealot, James and 
 John almost as fierce (see ver. 17 ; comp. 
 Luke ix. 54). But all of them alike in 
 one thing — they believed in Ilim — were 
 ready to obey Him. They most fit to look 
 after the sheep who obey Him to whom 
 ths sheep belong. 
 
 2. The work f/iven them to do, ver. 14, 15. 
 (ffl) To go and prerich. What to say ? see 
 Matt. x. 7 — just what Jesus had been pro- 
 claiming, (i) To tuork mirncles — just like 
 those that Jesus had done. To whom were 
 they to preach ? whom to heal ? The very 
 
 No 
 1. The appointment of the Twelve, and their 
 first mission, should be carefully distinRuished. 
 Their appointment is related by Mark (in this 
 passage) and Luke (vi. 12—10), and is by both 
 connected with the conspiraey apainst our Lord's 
 
 people Jesus was pitying — ' lost sheep of 
 house of Israel' (Matt. x. 6) — these first — 
 by-and-bve the 'other sheep' too (John x. 
 16 ; see Matt. x. 18). 
 
 3. Hoio they should he trained for the work. 
 Sec ver. 14 again — 'that they might be 
 with Him.'' Peter and others already always 
 with Him — henceforth all the Twelve . Thus 
 they would be disciples (learners) still. 
 Learning what ? (n) How to preach : would 
 hear Jesus in public, and He would teach 
 them in private. (6) How to work miracles : 
 what to learn about that? The power He 
 gave them, but [illusf. — a gun iiseless if 
 cannot handle it rightlyl they could not use 
 it without faith (Matt, x^'ii. 16—20), i.e., 
 being sure that when He told them to heal, 
 He meant that they should be able to heal 
 — and how get this faith but by being with 
 Him, knowing Him, learning more of His 
 love and power ? 
 
 But while still disciples:, now apostles too. 
 Would go out on short journeys preaching, 
 two and two (Mark vi. 7) — so would be 
 practising what had learned. [Illust. — Child 
 learning to icrite — tico things to do — look at 
 copy, and practise. Senior scholar, in Bible 
 class in morning, teaching in afternoon.J 
 Thus prepare for larger work by-and-bye. 
 
 4. What should be the result of their work ? 
 See Matt. x. They must expect to be 
 treated no better than their Master (ver. 
 24, 25) ; should be rejected (14), jDersecuted 
 (17, 18), hated (22); yet not to fear— God 
 would care for them (26 — 31) ; some would 
 listen and believe — if one in a family did 
 not, another would (34 — 36) ; and in the 
 last day lie would acknowledge them (32). 
 
 We also are like Sheep in Christ's 
 Sight. 
 
 ' We are His flock : He doth us feed. 
 And for His sheep lie doth us take.' 
 
 But are we 'lost sheep'? What do we 
 say every Sunday ? — ' We have erred and 
 strayed from Thy ways like lost sheep' 
 (Gen, Conf.) ; comp. Ps. cxix. 176 ; Isa. 
 liii. 6 ; 1 Pet. ii. 25. 
 
 But Christ sends shepherds to look after 
 and care for the sheep. What was Peter 
 told to do ? John xxi. 15 — 17. And when 
 Peter wrote to other ministers, he told them 
 the same, 1 Peter v. 1 — 4. God's ministers 
 called 'pastors' — 'pastor' n\Qa\\f. shepherd. 
 And we teachers are shepherds too — lesser 
 ones — for the ' lambs.' 
 
 Should not a sheep follow and take food 
 from the shepherd i How silly if it will 
 not ! What are you doing ? 
 
 One thing more. The spiritiuil sheep 
 can become shepherds themselves — disciples 
 may become apostles — the taught become 
 teachers. Who will say to Christ, 'Here 
 am I, send me'? 
 
 !S. 
 
 life, which was the occasion of His temporary 
 retirement. Their first mission is also recorded 
 both by Mark (vi. 7-1,".) and Luke (i.t. 1—6), but 
 jilaccd by them at a later i)criod, viz., just before 
 another retirement of Christ in consequence of 
 
OPPOSITION FROM FOES AND FROM FRIKNDS. 
 
 103 
 
 the Baptist's death. Matthew also mentions both 
 the retirement after the conspiracy (xii. 14—21) 
 and that after John's death (xiv. 13); buthegives 
 the instructions for the first mission (evidently 
 a fuller report of what is briefly recorded by 
 Mark and Luke) in an earlier chapter (x.), and 
 in the same place gives the names of the Twelve, 
 their appointment being assumed (see ver. 1) but 
 not related. 
 
 In this Lesson, which is properly on the earlier 
 event (the avpoiniment), the later event (the 
 mission and preceding instructions) is also 
 brought in by anticipation, for the sake of com- 
 pleteness. The comparison of the people to 
 ' sheep having no shepherd ' is placed by Mat- 
 thew (ix. 35—38) immediately before the instruc- 
 tions, but has the appearance, though mentioned 
 there once for all, of being a premaingr feeling in 
 our Lord's mind, and may, therefore, fairly be 
 introduced in connection with the crowds from 
 whom Jesus retired when about tr appoint the 
 Twelve. 
 
 2. Four lists are given us of the Twelve 
 Apostles, viz., in Matt, x., Mark iii., Luke vi., 
 and Acts i. It is one of the 'undesigned coin- 
 cidences' of Scripture that Matthew and Luke 
 {Gospel) give the names in couples, which Mark 
 does not ; and yet Mark alone, in recording their 
 mission, mentions their being sent ' two and 
 two' (vi. 7). On a comparison of the four lists, 
 the names fall into three groups of four names 
 each ; and, in every list, Peter, Philip, and 
 James the son of Alphaus stand first in the 
 three groups respectively ; while Judas Iscariot 
 is always last. 
 
 The number of the Apostles corresponded 
 with that of the tribes of Israel, and was pro- 
 bably so fixed in order to indicate the typical 
 resemblance of Israel to the Christian Church. 
 See Matt. xix. 28 ; Rev. xxi. 14. 
 
 St. Peter, in his address to the waiting Church 
 after the Ascension, describes (Actsi. 21, 22) the 
 qualifications for an Apostle as that he should 
 have been constantly with Jesus, acquainted 
 with His ministry from the time of John's 
 baptism, and a witness of His resurrection. The 
 latter qualification is claimed by St. Paul in 
 vindicating His apostolic authority (1 Cor. ix. 1, 
 XV. 7—10). Barnabas is also called an Apostle in 
 Acts xiv. 14 ; and the same title is applied (in 
 the Greek) to certain of St. Paul's companions 
 
 (2 Cor. viii. 23), and to Epaphroditus (Phil. ii. 
 25). Christ Himself is called 'the Apostle' 
 (Heb. iii. 1). 
 
 3. The quotation in Matt. xii. of the Messianic 
 prophecy in Isa. xlii. 1—4, is very appropriate. 
 Christ should manifest Himself as King and 
 Judge, but only after a period of conflict, which 
 should issue in his ' sending forth ' (a strong word, 
 implying struggle) the 'judgment' (the long- 
 pending cause) unto victory; and, during this 
 period. He should not act as the terrible Judge, 
 but meekly and tenderly, not ' striving,' &c. 
 Thus, when His enemies conspire against llim. 
 He does not crush them, as He might, but quietly 
 retires, and occupies Himself with the poor 
 people who need His help. 
 
 4. The great discourse to the Twelve, given in 
 Matt. X., may be thus briefly analysed :— 
 
 I. Instructions for their immediate mission, 
 ver. 6—15. 
 Whither, ver. 5, 6. 
 For what purpose, ver. 7, 8. 
 The equipment, ver. 9, 10. 
 The method of proceeding, ver. 11—14. 
 Solemnity of the mission, ver. 15. 
 II. Predictions concerning their larger work 
 after Jesus is taken from them, ver. 
 16—23. 
 Not only rejection (as in ver. 14), hut per- 
 secution, ver. 16—18. 
 Yet promise of help, ver. 19, 20. 
 The conflict to last to the end, ver. 21—23. 
 HI. A general review of the conflict as it affects 
 all Christ's people, ver. 24—42. 
 They must suffer as their Master suffered, 
 
 ver. 24, 25. 
 Yet not to fear ; God cares for them, ver. 
 
 26-31. 
 The reward, and its contrast, ver. 32, 33. 
 The reward only to be obtained by re- 
 solutely preferring Christ to family or 
 life, ver. 34-39. 
 But if Christ's side is taken, then reward 
 for the very smallest service, ver. 40-42. 
 Each of the three sections closes with a solemn 
 ' verily ' ; see ver. 15, 23, 42. 
 
 The above is chiefly taken from Alford and 
 Stier. The discourse is also well analysed in 
 Mr. Warington's Lessons on St. Peter, Church 
 Sunday School Magazine, 1869, p. 141. 
 
 Lesson XXXIX.— Opposition from Foes and from Friends. 
 
 ' He hath a devil, and is mad.' 
 
 .Read-Mark iii. 20—35 ; {comp. Matt. xii. 22—50 ; Liike xi. 14—26) ; Learn— Matt. x. 24, 25, 
 
 xii. 30. {Hymns, 95, 127, 154, 167, 359.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 This Lesson affords another example of the expediency of teaching our Lord's dis- 
 courses in connection with the incidents which gave rise to them, and of the way in 
 which passages of peculiar difficulty become comparatively easy when so taught. 
 
 The subject before us is one of great value in its practical application. It is, of course, 
 necessary to be cautious in speaking to children on ' the sin against the Holy Ghost ' ; yet 
 religiously-trained children have a peculiar danger in this respect, which teachers would 
 
104 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LOKD. 
 
 do well on this occasion to point out : — they know the great Gospel truth of free pardon 
 through Christ, and sometimes are secretly encouraged to sin under the idea that it will 
 be easy to repent and be forgiven by-and-bye ; and this is the germ of that condition of 
 mind — that conscious rejection of consciouslj'-received warnings of grace — which our Lord 
 in this passage so solemnly describes. 
 
 Again, how many boys and girls who wish to be thought 'good,' and wish even to be 
 ' good,' will join in the conversation or the act which they know to be wrong, not because 
 they like it, but simply from want of courage to stand out alone on the right side. The 
 second application, and the second of the texts for repetition, are specially directed at 
 these cases. 
 
 On spiritual relationship to Christ, see, farther, the application to Lesson IV., where the 
 Bubject is more fully expounded. 
 
 Further information on demoniacal possession will be found in Lesson XXIV., Note 2. 
 
 In this Lesson, as in all others where a good many Scripture references are given, it ia 
 only intended that some of the texts should be used in teaching. Each teacher must 
 select those most suitable for his own class. 
 
 Sketch op Lesson. 
 
 How painful it is to be misunderstood, 
 ridiculed, falsely accused ! — especially after 
 acting rightly and kindly ; to have our 
 best deeds made out to be bad, <fec. [lllust., 
 e.g., gentle and truthful child ill-treated 
 and slandered by schoolfellows.'] How 
 much David suffered in this way ! Ps. 
 ixxv. 11—15, 19—25, Ivi. 5, 6, lix. 3, 4. 
 Worst of all if it comes from family or 
 friends, see Ps. xxii. 11, xli. 9, Iv. 12 — 1-i, 
 Ixix. 7, 8, 20. 
 
 But Jesus (of whom Da\'id was a type in 
 suffering as well as in royalty) had more of 
 this than any one. See some of it to-day. 
 
 I. The Opposition. 
 
 1. From friends [see Note 8]. What 
 does the mother of Jesus think of all that 
 is going on — of His teaching and miracles — 
 the crowds following Him, &c. ? Must she 
 not be glad ? — remembering what the angel 
 had told her, Luke i. 32 — He should have 
 ' the throne of His father David.' But now 
 she is perplexed — perhaps thinks, 'Strange ! 
 the leaders and teachers of the people, 
 priests and scribes, are opposing instead of 
 welcoming Him — how can it be? — is He 
 going too far ?— can it be right to offend 
 the nders and choose publicans, itc. ?' 
 (What would she feel if she knew of the 
 plot [last Les.ion'l ?) And some of the 
 family do not believe in Him at all, John 
 vii. 5 — they would add to her perplexity. 
 'One good thing — He has very wisely re- 
 tired now [last Lesson] — perhaps may be 
 going to act differently.' 
 
 One moniing, news of His open return 
 to Capemaiim — twelve of His followers 
 with a new office — ' then He will brave the 
 Pharisees.' And another danger now — 
 such crowds that, after night on mountain 
 [last lesson]. He can get no food, ver. 20— 
 •will not His strength fail?' See Mary 
 and the others hurrying along the streets, 
 ver. 21 — ' Surely He is mad — we must fetch 
 Him away and take care of Him.' How 
 could they think that of Him ? 
 
 2. From foes. Now come into the house 
 (perhaps Peter's) where Jesus is. Full of 
 
 people, as when once before He returned 
 from a circuit (Mark ii. 1, 2). Great ex- 
 citement — He has wrought three miracles 
 on one man ! — see Matt. xii. 22, 23 — devU 
 gone out, blind eyes seeing, dumb tongue 
 speaking — ' Surely ' (is the cry) ' He is Mes- 
 siah ! ' What can the Pharisees do now ? 
 (comp. Luke xix. 47, 48). The wily men 
 sent from Jerusalem [see Lesson XXXVH. 
 Note 2] hit on a plan. See them going 
 among the people — ' Of course he can cast 
 out devils — has one himself — the chief of 
 them, Beelzebub, in him — nothing strange 
 if even devils obey their own prince.' [See 
 Note 3]. Fancy sajdng this of Jesus, of 
 the ' Holy One ' whom the devils hated and 
 feared (Mark i. 24). Worse than what His 
 relatives thought — strange that any could 
 think Him mad — but this ! that He was 
 one of Satan's allies, used by the enemy of 
 men to deceive them ! Worse even than 
 the worst said of Him before (Matt. xi. 19). 
 It was as if the cast-out devil had gone 
 into them — blinded their eyes — made their 
 tongues, not dumb, but blasphemous. Yet 
 these the religious leaders, the shepherds 
 who should have looked after the 'lost 
 sheep ' [last I^esson'] . 
 
 II. How He met the Opposition. 
 
 1 . The Opposition of Foes. 
 
 Might He not well be angry, and de- 
 nounce them loudlj' ? But He has to undo 
 the mischief done, to satisfy the people — 
 will quietly reason about it. See how, 
 ver. 23—30. 
 
 (a) lie .theirs how nnreasovahle their words 
 are. ver. 23 — 26. ' If wliat they said true, 
 if Satan in Him, would He be likely to .fave 
 men from Satan — casting out devils, curing 
 diseases, delivering men from sin, making 
 penjile happy ? Then Satan would be 
 fighting .against himself — and what then ? 
 could a country t(^rn by civil war resist the 
 common foe ? would a family always qu.ar- 
 relling be prosperous ? ' Satan not so foolish 
 as to undo his own work. 
 
 (fi) He mnkes them reflect who lie must 
 really be, vet, 27 (comp. Luke xi. 20—22) 
 
OPPOSITION FROM FOES AND FROM FRIENDS, 
 
 105 
 
 fsee Note o]. 'Satan is strong; yet here 
 you see his goods (what he had robbed 
 God of, the man's mind, lieart, ifcc.) taken 
 from him ; who could do that ? — must be 
 one stronger.' Who would that be ? — what 
 had Isaiah (xl. 10, xlix. 24, 25, liii. 12) 
 and John the Baptist (Luke iii. 16 — 'one 
 mightier ') predicted of Messiah ? What 
 then? who must Jesus be? (Comp. Col. 
 ii. 15 ; Heb. ii. 14 ; 1 John iii. 8.) Then, 
 indeed, the ' kingdom ' had come. 
 
 (c) He warns them of the danger of so 
 blaspheming, ver. 28 — 30. [See Note 6.] 
 How were they in danger ? because such a 
 sin to revile Jesus ? yes ; but even then 
 they might turn, repent, be forgiven (like 
 Saul of Tarsus, 1 Tim. i. 13). But could 
 they turn and repent ? Only if the Holy 
 Ghost worked in their hearts (Rom. viii. 
 9, 14 ; 1 Cor. xii. 3 ; so in the Absolution — 
 'Let us beseech Him to grant us true 
 repentance and His Holy Spirit '). But how 
 could He, if they 'always resisted' Him 
 (Acts vii. 51) ? And what shewed they 
 were doing that7 — they were sinning wil- 
 fully, saying about Jesus what they knew 
 could not be true. Then what danger ! 
 their sin might be on themyor ever ! Pray, 
 with David, ' Keep me from jjresumptvous 
 sins' (Ps. xix. 13). 
 
 2. The Opposition from Fi'iends. 
 
 While Jesus yet speaking, who come to 
 the house? ver. 31. What for? ver. 21 
 [recapitidate]. No getting in for the 
 crowd — send in message. Now see the 
 .reply of Jesus, ver. 33 — 35. 
 
 Think what He meant. He had an 
 earthly mother and relatives ; but also was 
 the Son of God — all God's family related to 
 Him — more nearly even than His mother 
 was naturally. Who were God's family? 
 ver. 35 — ' do the will of God ' ; and who 
 are they ? See what He had said j ust before 
 {2nd text for rep.) — those ' with Him' All 
 
 others ' against Him.' On which side were 
 Mary and her family just then ? so, were 
 they doing God's will, acting as His chU- 
 dron, as the .spiritual relatives of Jesus ? 
 But who were? ver. 34 — His disciples not 
 ashamed of Him, ' on His side.' 
 
 Was this a rebuke to Mary ? Jesus too 
 tender, too filial, to rebuke her openly ; 
 yet would she not feel how mistaken she 
 was — that to be one of His true family she 
 must trust more in Him— take His side 
 more boldly ? 
 
 On which side are we ? For Christ, 
 or against Him ? 
 
 Are we His open enemies ? — disliking His 
 house. His book. His day, His people, His 
 commands ? Suppose a bad companion of 
 yours suddenly changed, became true Chris- 
 tian, Satan 'cast out' — would you be 
 pleased at it? or vexed, call Him names, 
 laugh at Him, &c ? This like the scribes, 
 who were vexed at Christ's miracles, and 
 spoke against them. 
 
 Are we His half-hearted friends? — having 
 a regard for Him, wishing to belong to 
 Him ; but when He or his people attacked, 
 getting afraid, and taking the wrong side ? 
 Are such ' against Him ' ? Would say, No ; 
 yet what does He say ? {2nd text for rep.). 
 
 Are we His faithful disciples ? If so, 
 what are we to expect ? {1st text for rep.) — 
 shall be disliked, reviled, called names, as 
 He was. Not pleasant, yet to be borne 
 cheerfully, see Matt. v. 11, 12 ; Acts v. 41 ; 
 Heb. X. 32—34 ; 1 Pet. iv. 12—16 ;— 
 ' Though opposed by many a foe, 
 Christian soldiers ! onward go. 
 
 And what a reward ! to be Christ's ' brethren 
 and sisters ' — and what does that bring ? 
 Rom. viii. 17. 
 
 For and against — see what the end of 
 both will be. Matt. x. 32, 33, 
 
 ' May this my glory be- 
 That Christ Is not ashamed of me ' 
 
 Notes. 
 
 1. The accounts in Matt. xii. and Mark iii., re- 
 ferred to in this Lesson, are obviously parallel ; 
 but some regard that in Luke xi. as referring to 
 another occasion, because it occurs in so different 
 a connection. The similarity, however, between 
 it and Matthew's is as close as that between any 
 of the most undoubted parallel passages. But 
 there is no necessity to suppose, with some 
 writers, that all the discourses in Luke xi. and 
 xii. belong to this same day. Their tone is cer- 
 tainly that of a later period of Christ's ministry; 
 and Luke's arrangement is too irregular to in- 
 volve any difficulty on this account (see Addit. 
 Note on the Chronology, page .W). Another 
 instance of our Lord's miracles being attributed 
 to Satanic power, which apparently occurred be- 
 fore the present one, is found in Matt. ix. 34. His 
 own allusion to the accusation in Matt. x. 25, was 
 probably a little later (see last Lesson, Note 1). 
 
 2. 'Son of David,' MaXt. xii. 23— a common desig- 
 nation of Messiah; see Matt. xxi. 9, xxii. 42; 
 John vii. 42. 
 
 3. ' Beelzebub'— i.e., 'lord of flies,' the name of 
 one of the old Philistine deities (2 Kings i. 2). 
 
 The best MSS. read ' Beelzebul,' which is inter- 
 preted by some to mean ' lord of the dung-hill,' 
 by others to mean ' lord of the dwelling,' i e., 
 either hell or the soul of man. The latter seems 
 the most likely, since Christ, in Matt. x. 2.5, refers 
 to it in connection with the exactly similar term, 
 ' master of the house,' which He applies to Him- 
 self. Probably it was a mocking designation of 
 Satan current among the Jews of that da}'. 
 
 4. ' By whom do your sons cast them out f (Matt, 
 and Luke). Most expositors think these words 
 imply that the Jewish 'exorcists' (Acts xix. 13J 
 really did cast out devils. Joscphus {Ant. viii. 
 2, 5) refers to it as a common thing ; and Justin 
 aud Irenaus also mention it. If so, there must 
 have been some very gre.at difference between 
 such exorcisms and Christ's miracles ; see Matt. 
 ix. 33, and comp. Luke xi. 20 with Exod. viii. 19. 
 But the argument in the text would not be less 
 forcible if the Pharisees only professed to have 
 the power. 
 
 6. 'A strong man,' and 'a stronger than he' 
 (Luke), are literally 'the strong one' and 'the 
 stronger one.' The latter expression evidently 
 
106 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 refers to 'the mightier one' of whom the Baptist 
 spoke (the Greek word is the same), and to the 
 passages in Isaiah cited in the Sketch. The ' first 
 binding the strong man ' may refer to our Lord's 
 personal conflict with Satan, when He ' bruised 
 the serpent's head,' and ' led captivity captive.' 
 Comjiare the texts cited above. 
 
 6. ' The blasphemy against the Holy Ghost,' &c. 
 An attempt has been made in the Sketch to ex- 
 plain simply the meaning of this solemn and 
 difiicult passage ; but it may be also noted that, 
 
 (fir) The aggravation of the sin lies, ' not in the 
 rank of the person against whom it is committed, 
 but in the clearness of the revelation despite 
 which it is committed' {Slier). It is riot worse 
 to revile the Spirit, than to revile the Father or 
 the Son. 
 
 (6) Nor is it a blasphemous word or thought 
 itself that Christ refers to. It is the state of 
 mind of which such word or thought is the fruit 
 (comp. Matt. xv. 19)— a state of mind in which 
 the grace of the Spirit is knowingly and deter- 
 minedly rejected, — which manifests itself in 
 slanderous blasphemies against that grace,— and 
 whicli is necessarily hoi)eless, for the simple 
 reason that, without that grace, repentance is 
 impossible. It is not stated that the Pharisees 
 were m this state, but their words showed that 
 they were in danger of falling into it. 
 
 (c) It is most important, as a guard against 
 despondency, to remember that anxiety lest this 
 sin has been committed proves tttat it has not been 
 committeil. because .-.ucli anxiety is incompatible 
 with the state of miud indicated above. 
 
 See further, Alford on Matt. xii. ; Stter, ffords 
 of the Lord Jesus, ii. p. 157 ; Cp. Browne, Articles, 
 p. 355, cSlc. 
 
 The passage has an indirect theological import- 
 ance, as supplying one of the clearest proofs of 
 the personality of the Holy Ghost. 
 
 7. The subsequent portion of the discourse, as 
 given by Matthew and Luke, is omitted by Mark; 
 and notes upon it will, therefore, not be required. 
 But observe that the remark in the preceding 
 note, as to a state of mind of which blasphemy is 
 the fruit, is confirmed by our Lord's words ia 
 Jlatt. xii. 33—37 ; and that His refusal of a ' sign 
 from heaven' (ver. 38-42), comes naturally after 
 so gross a misrepresentation of the 'signs' He 
 had given. 
 
 8. Theobjectof 'His mother and His brethren' 
 in calling Jesus, is evident from Mark's narrative 
 only. On Mary's feelings, see a good paper in the 
 Sunday Magazine, Feb. 1866, ' On an imperfectly 
 understood Scripture character.' Wordsworth 
 (on Matt, xii.) gives some striking passages from 
 Chrysostom, showing that great father's opinion 
 of Mary's ' folly' and 'vain-glory' on this occa- 
 sion. On the ' brethren ' of Christ, see Lesson IX. 
 Note 4. 
 
 The Greek word rendered ' He is beside him- 
 self,' expresses the idea, not so much of absolute 
 insanity, as of that condition which we vaguely 
 refer to when we say, ' Why, the man must be 
 mad.' The same word occurs in 2 Cor. v. 13. Ia 
 John X. 20 and Acts xxvi. 24 the word is different, 
 and means actually ' mad.' 
 
 Lesson XL.— TeacMng by Parables— I. 
 
 ' Take heed how ye hear.^ 
 
 iJeod— Matt. xiii. 1—23 ; {comp. Mark iv. 1—34 ; Luke viii. 1—18) ; Zearn— Jas. i. 21, 22; 
 Ps. cxix. 18, {Hymns, IIG, 117, 118, 259, 263, 264.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 In the present course there is not room for separate Lessons on our Lord's Parables, and 
 those only are introdticed which have an importance in relation to the history. In this 
 and the following Lesson, the Parables of the Sower and the Tares are made specially 
 prominent, for the sake of the practical instruction to be derived from them ; yet the 
 subject of the two Lessons is our Lord's ' teaching by parables,' and not the individual 
 parables. Several illustrations are suggested in this Sketch, with a view to explaining His 
 design in adopting this method of pubUc teaching : and it is obvious that the practical 
 iasue of the Lesson — ' Take heed how ye hear' — will flow as naturally from this part of it 
 as from the consideration of the four kinds of soil. 
 
 In applying the Parable of the Sower, the teacher should aim at making the ' wayside,' 
 the ' stony ground,' and the ' thorny ground,' really describe the different states of mind in 
 which his scholars are, or into which they are likely to fall. Let the ' birds ' be made to 
 represent particular thoughts which tlie teacher knows of, the ' sun's heat ' to stand for 
 particular persecutions, the ' thorns ' to illustrate particular cares or desires ; and then 
 scarcely any Lesson is likely, by the Divine blessing, to be more effective. The names 
 given in the Sketch to the four classes of hearts only partially indicate their respective 
 features, but they may serve to help the memory. In Lessons of this kind, which turn 
 opon the pourtrayal of character, it is sometimes well, at all events with younger classes, 
 to embody each in an imaginary individual with a distinct name : thus, Mary the hard- 
 hearted, Sarah the faint-hearted, Ann the half-hearted, Jane the true-hearted. But such 
 names should be chosen as are not borne by any in the class, 
 
TEACHING BY PARABLE S- 
 
 107 
 
 Sketch 
 
 Jesus has rebuked the enemies who called 
 Him Beel: ebub. and the half-hearted 
 friends who thought Him mad [recapitu- 
 late j ; yet there they are still — the friends 
 wanting to stop His work — the foes want- 
 ing to take His life (Mark iii. 6, 21) ; what 
 shall He do ? 
 
 Down to the Lake again — the boat 
 (Mark iii. 9) ready for Him there— can get 
 out of the way. But the people (i.e., the 
 crowds that want to see and hear Him — not 
 the scribes) — do thej' disperse? See them 
 thronging the shore — they remember how 
 He taught them from the boat before 
 (Luke V. 3) — perhaps He will again. AU 
 can see and hear — some on iutting rocks, 
 the rest lining the sloping beach in rows 
 one above the other. See what He says 
 to them. 
 
 I. The New Wat ok Teaching. 
 
 1, Bow Jesus taught, ver. 3 — 9. [/See 
 Addit. Note on next par/e.] 
 
 We have seen how He used to teach, 
 sometimes explaining Scriptm-es in syna- 
 gogue, sometimes giving plain commands 
 like 'Love your enemies,' 'Swear not,' 
 ' Pray in thy closet,' &c. — always imlike 
 Scribes, 'with authority' [see Lessoiis 
 XXII. , XXIV., XXV.'\. But now, quite 
 different. He is just ' speaking parables,^ 
 little stories that mean something good, 
 only not easy to make out the meaning. 
 The people have often heard the Scribes 
 teach so, but did not understand, did not 
 often try, thought it like guessing hard 
 riddles. But Jesus ! — strange (they think) 
 that He should take to parables — He who 
 ' preached to the poor ' — so easy — such 
 ' gracious words.' And His parables — they 
 seem very simple — but what mean ? — that 
 is all true about the seeds, the tares, the 
 leaven, >fec. — often see these things — but 
 what have they to do with God and His 
 law, with Messiah and His kingdom ? 
 
 The disciples puzzled too, and, as soon as 
 the first stoiy done, ask Him quietly, while 
 the crowd is discussing it. 
 
 2. Why Jesus taught so, ver. 10 — 17. 
 Because He could not now treat all alike 
 
 — must make a difference between those 
 ' with Him ' and those ' against Him ' [see 
 last Lesson] . 
 
 He has been teaching plainly a long 
 while — what result ? — some not caring, 
 some disliking, some blaspheming. Now 
 He has deeper and harder things to tell 
 — these must be taught only to those 
 ' with Him,' not to the careless or the blas- 
 phemers — would do them no good — why 
 not? ver. 15 — what good is sunlight to 
 the blind, or music to the deaf? Jesus 
 will not ' cast pearls before swine.' 
 
 So Jesus uses parables. Why parables ? 
 A parable does two things : makes some 
 see less of the truth, some more. [lUust. — 
 As shade of lamj) makes light brighter on one 
 side, but hides it on the other ; or, the Pillar 
 of cloud and fire — dark to the Egyptians, 
 
 OF Lesson. 
 
 bright to Israel.] If any one attentive and 
 painstaking, might learn wonderful things 
 by a parable ; yet the careless would see 
 nothing in it. [lllust. — If learn to handle 
 telescope, see more of stars ; if look through 
 carelessly, see nothing.] But why the para- 
 bles spoken to the crowd, if only to be 
 understood by disciples? Some in the 
 crowd might "be humble and willing to 
 learn — then, just because could not under- 
 stand, might come to Jesus to know more 
 — so become disciples too. 
 
 IL The New Things Taught. 
 
 ' Mysteries of the kingdom of heaven' 
 ver. 11 — what were these ? Things not yet 
 known — secrets [see Note 2]. There were 
 things the disciples could not make out, 
 and Jesus could only teach them little by 
 little [illust. — (I man coming suddenly out of 
 dark prison into sunlight, would only b« 
 dazzled] ; see Mark iv. 33 ; John xvi. 12. 
 Next Sunday, shall see some of the ' mys- 
 teries ' His parables taught them. To-day 
 look at only one, viz. — 
 
 ' Hoio was it that so few cared for God's 
 gracious messages — that Jesus, with all His 
 mighty words and works, seemed so unsuc- 
 cessful?' 
 
 This puzzled the disciples. This per- 
 plexed Mary [last Lesson] . This prevented 
 many from joining Him (comp. John vii. 
 48). And does not this same thing seem 
 strange to us still? Think of all the 
 churches, sermons. Bibles, «fec. — why so 
 few true Christians ? We teachers feel it — 
 how is it that this class cares so little for 
 Christ's iove? 
 
 See how He explained this in His very 
 first paralle [r^ead ver. 3 — 8]. When a 
 sower sows his seed, do all the seeds spring 
 up? ver. 4. Do all that spring up take 
 root and grow ? ver. 5, 6. Do all that grow 
 ripen ? ver. 7. Where is the fault ? In the 
 sower ? in the seed ? No, in the soil. 
 
 A teacher like a sower [see Lesson XX.] 
 — scatters his teaching like seed, to get a 
 harvest of souls, ' fruits of righteousness ' — 
 does not succeed eveiywhere — why ? 
 
 Is it the Soirer's/ault ? Not if he sows as 
 Je?us did. Who could liave more dili- 
 gence, patience, wisdom, than He ? 
 
 Is it the Seed's fault? Not if it is the 
 seed Jesus sowed, God's Word, Luke-viii. 11 
 (comp. 1 Pet. i. 23). What could be better 
 than that ? 
 
 But it is the fault of the Soil — of 
 THE Heart. Of four kinds of hearts Jesus 
 shews i;s pictures — only one good. Lookat 
 them — see which is oms : — 
 
 (a) Eard-hearted. ver. 4, 19. Some seed 
 ' by wayside ' — on path hardened by tread 
 of men's feet — seed can't get in, lies loose — 
 birds pick it up. Teacher speaks to class — 
 his words fall on boy's ear, but not into his 
 heart — why ?— hardened by bad habits — so 
 Satan sends a passing thought (of yester- 
 day's game or to-morrow's work), quick and 
 
108 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 light like a bird, and the teacher's words 
 are snatched away from the memory. 
 
 (b) Faint-hearted, ver. 5, 6, 20, 21. Some 
 seed on ground where earth thin, hard rock 
 just beneatli — springs up quickly — then 
 withered by sun — whj^ ? no root. Teacher's 
 words fall on boy's ear, and into his heart 
 too — boy feels his sin and Christ's love, 
 wants to change, goes liome and prays, 
 keeps right a little while — then the sneer 
 and the hard word — he can't stand that — 
 goes back again — why ? no ' root ' — what is 
 that? Eph. iii. 17; Col. ii. 7. Yet the 
 warm sun good for rooted plant — so is trial 
 for rooted soul, 1 Pet. i. 6, 7. 
 
 (c) Half-hearted, ver. 7 and 22. Some 
 seed on ground already occupied with 
 thorns and briars — these spring up too — 
 take seed's nourishment — so no fruit. 
 Teacher's words fall into boy's heart — he 
 
 does change — does not quite fall back — still 
 outwardly religious — yet no ' fruit ' — why ? 
 — thinks $0 much of other things : of ' cares ' 
 (struggle to ' make both ends meet,' &c.) ; 
 of ' riches ' (getting on in life, &c.) ; no time 
 for Grod's service. 
 
 Yet the Sower faik not entii'ely ; nor will 
 the teacher. For there are — 
 
 {d) True-hearted, ver. 8, 23 — do receive 
 Word — do take root — do grow up — do bear 
 fruit. How get this true heart ? Only 
 from God. He has remedies for hard path 
 (Deut. xxxii. 2), rocky ground (Jer. xxiii. 
 2;t), thorns (Isa. Iv. 11—13). 
 
 Yes, there will be ripe and good fruit. 
 But lohich of our souls will bear it ? Pray, 
 in the words of the Litany, ' Give us grace 
 to hear meekly Thy Word, &c.,and to bring 
 forth the fruits of the Spirit.' 
 
 Notes. 
 
 1. On the Parables generally, and on our Lord's 
 design in using this method of teaching, see 
 Additional Note, below. 
 
 2. ' Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of 
 the kingdom of heaven,' &,c. A 'mystery,' in the 
 New Test., does not mean a thing incompre- 
 hensible, but a thing not yet revealed ; see Rom. 
 xi. 25, xvi. 25 ; 1 Cor. xiii. 2, xv. 51 ; Eph. j. 9, 
 Iii. 3, 4, 9 ; vl. 19. The truths concerning the 
 * kingdom of heaven,' which are wrapped up in 
 the parables of this chapter, were emphatically 
 mysteries at that time. Through the medium of 
 the parables, 'to him that Aad' faith and humility 
 ' was given' the revelation of these truths ; while 
 •from him that had not' faith and humility to 
 perceive their full meaning, they 'took away' 
 even the poor and imperfect notions of the ' king- 
 dom' which he ' had.' It was thus the people's 
 own guilty hardness of heart that deprived them 
 of the knowledge of the ' mysteries '; but as it is 
 in virtue of the Divine moral law of retribution 
 that this hardness of heart produces incapacity to 
 receive truth, the incapacity can, in a sense, be 
 attributed to God, as it is in the words, in ver. 
 14, 15, quoted from Isa. vi. Compare the quota- 
 tions of the fame prophecy in the parallel pas- 
 sages, and also in John xii. 40 ; Acts xxviii. 2G, 
 27; Rom. xi. 8. 
 
 3. The seven parables evidently form a con- 
 nected series, illustrating (1) Iheobstacles to the 
 progress of the kingdom, (2) its mingled character 
 during the prcsentdisiensation, (3) its neverthe- 
 less certain outward development and (4) inward 
 power, (5J and (C) the diflfcrent ways in which 
 
 men would secure an interest in it, (7) the ulti- 
 mate separation of the bad and good which had 
 for a time been mingled in it. The first four were 
 delivered from the boat to the people standing on 
 the shore ; the last three to the disciples only, in 
 the house. 
 
 i. Some suppose that Jesus actually pointed to 
 a sower ' going forth to sow.' That the fourkinds 
 of soil might be in view at once, is shown by 
 Stanley {Sinai and P. chap. xiii. J 2) .and Thom- 
 son {Land and the Book, p. 82), who both describe 
 precisely similar cases. The 'stony ground' is 
 not earth mixed with loose stones, but a thin 
 layer of earth over rock, which would not give 
 room for the seed to ' take root downwards.' The 
 ' thorns ' were probabb' the nabk, which forms 
 very dense thickets ; see Tristram's Nat. Hist, of 
 Bible, p. 429. Of the 'bearing fruit a hundred 
 fold," Thomson {Land and the Book, p. 83) gives 
 interesting illustrations, and see Gen. xxvi. 12. 
 
 S. We have several Scripture examples of the 
 four characters. Pharaoh and Festus may be 
 named as ' wiiy-side' hearers. King Saul, Herod 
 Antipas, the Galatians (Gal. v. 7), some of the 
 disciples in Galilee (John vi. GG), proved to be 
 like the ' stony ground '; ISalaam, Judas, and 
 Ananias, like the ' thorny ground.' The j-oung 
 ruler, Simon Magus, and Dcmas, combine some 
 of the features of the two latter classes ; Felix 
 combines those of the first and second. Peter 
 was in danger of being one of the second class ; 
 Lot and Martha of belonging to the third. Of 
 the good soil, Nathauael and Lj'dia are striking 
 instances. 
 
 ADDITIONAL NOTE.— THE PARABLES OF CHRIST, 
 
 The word ' parable ' is used in the New 
 Testament to describe various kinds of 
 illustrative teaching; e.g., pithy proverbial 
 sayings (as in Matt. xv. M, 1.5 ; Luke iv. 
 23), brief passing illustrations (as in Matt. 
 Xiiv. 32), and Old Testament types (as in 
 Heb. ix. y, where the word ' figure ' should 
 be ' parable '). 
 
 But in its common use, as applied to 
 such narratives as Christ employed to con- 
 vey spiritual truth, the 'parable' has a 
 very exact character of its ovra, and may 
 
 be distinguished— (o) from the /able, by 
 the more natural and possible character of 
 its incidents, and by its higher spiritual 
 purpose ; (b) from the myth, by its truth- 
 fulness ; ((•) from the proverb, by its more 
 expanded narr.itive form ; and (a) from the 
 allc'jory, by being complete in itself, 
 whereas in the allegory the symbols and 
 the things symbolised are mingled toge- 
 ther. In the Old Testament, Jotham's 
 story of the Trees choosing a King (Judg. 
 ix. 8 — 16) is a fable ; Nathan's of the Poor 
 
TEACHING BY PARABLES — II. 
 
 109 
 
 Man and his Pet Lamb (2 Sam. xii. 1 — 4) a 
 parable. The figure of the Vine is presented 
 in an allegorical form in Ps. Ixxx., and in a 
 parabolic form in Isa. v. Our Lord fre- 
 quently used both forms ; for example, in 
 the well-known parable of the Lost Sheep, 
 He leaves the hearers to apply the story ; 
 but His discourse in John x. — ' I am the 
 good Shepherd,' tfec— is allegorical, the 
 symbol and that which is symbolised not 
 being kept separate. 
 
 Parables have always been popular in 
 the East. They were very commonly used 
 by the Rabbis in their teaching ; and 
 Trench {Parables, Introd. Essay, chap, iv.) 
 gives some of the most striking of those 
 preserved in the Talmud. It is probable 
 that the novelty of Christ's earlier public 
 discourses lay partly in their being not 
 clothed in this enigmatic form, but, on the 
 contrary, direct and plain. Hence the sur- 
 prise of the disciples when He * began to 
 teach many things in parables.' His object 
 in doing so must be regarded as twofold : 
 partly to reveal and partly to conceal 
 truth ; partly to present it in a shape 
 attractive and easy to remember, and partly 
 to veil it from those who would only add to 
 their own condemnation by further blas- 
 phemies against Him who uttered it. 
 
 Nothing can better illustrate this two- 
 fold ofiice of the parables than the simple 
 fact that while they can be freely used in 
 the most elementary lessons, their full 
 interpretation has taxed the profoundest 
 minds. Even the easiest of all in its direct 
 teaching, the Good Samaritan, has been a 
 bone of endless contention as to its inner 
 meaning. As a general rule, it may be said 
 that the simplest interpretation of a parable 
 — that which looks most steadily at its cen- 
 tral idea and purpose — is the best ; and 
 yet, that there often is a real significance in 
 the accessories of the story is shewn by our 
 
 Lord's own explanations of the Sower and 
 the Tares : in which He not only enforces 
 the general lessons — the imreadiness of 
 men to receive the Word, and the inevitable 
 mingling of bad and good in the world — 
 but also gives a distinct meaning to the 
 birds, the thorns, the sun's heat, the 
 reapers, i'C. 
 
 The Parables may be roughly divided 
 into three groups : — ( 1 ) The seven in 
 Matt, xiii., with the accompanying one 
 found only in Mark iv. These have the 
 common subjsct of the ' kingdom of heaven,' 
 its nature and progress. (2) Those peculiar 
 to St. Luke, almost all apparently delivered 
 during the later journeys to Jerusalem, 
 generally occurring in answers to questions 
 and not in regular discourses, and marked 
 in many cases by the tone of tenderness 
 characteristic of Luke's Gospel {e.g., the 
 Good Samaritan, the Great Supper, the 
 Prodigal Son). With these, as belonging 
 to the same period, are classed the Unmer- 
 ciful Servant and the Vineyard Labourers, 
 recorded by Matthew. (.3) The prophetic 
 parables of the last week (Matt.xxi. — xxv.), 
 with that of the Poimds in Luke xix. 
 Only two parables are found in all the three 
 Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke), viz., the 
 Sower, and the Wicked Husbandmen. 
 None occur in St. John, though he records 
 several allegorical discourses. 
 
 On the general subject, the student may 
 further consult Trench, On the Parables ; 
 Plumptre's article in Smith's Dictionary of 
 the Bible (reproduced also in the StudenCs 
 New Testament History) ; Lange, on Matt. 
 xiii. (Clark's Ed.) ; Westcott, Introduction 
 to Study of Gospels, pp. 361, 368, 4.54 ; and, 
 for teaching purposes, the well-known 
 works of Guthrie and Arnot ; a little book 
 by the Rev. F. Bourdillon (Tract Society) ; 
 the Parables Illustrated, by T. B. Bishop ; 
 and the Listitute's Notes on the Parables, 
 
 Lesson XLI.— Teaching by Parables — 11. 
 
 '■ W hereunto shall we liken the kingdom oj Godf 
 
 Read — Matt. xiii. 24 — 52 ; {comp. Mark iv. 21 — 34) ; Learn — Matt. xiii. 41 — 43 ; Mai. iii. 18. 
 {Uymns, 85, 86, 120, 160, 194, 297, 331.) 
 
 To THK Teacher. 
 
 It would, perhaps, have been more strictly in accordance with the historical method 
 pursued in the present Course, to have combined in this Lesson the main features of the 
 parables before us, as forming together a pictiure of Christ's 'kingdom' and its progi-ess 
 on earth, with an application respecting our relation to it. But this subject has been 
 taken, in three or four previous Lessons, from different points of view ; and therefore the 
 larger portion of the following Sketch is devoted to the direct teaching of the ' Tares.' 
 
 Two very solemn and difiicult topics occur incidentally in this Lesson, viz., the influence 
 of the Evil One in the world, and the ultimate fate of the wicked. On no subjects can 
 children generally speak more glibly and unhesitatingly ; but such readiness is an evidence, 
 not of the existence, but of the total absence, of any true apprehension by them Of the 
 devil and hell as dread realities. Let it be the effort of every teacher, in this Lesson, to 
 
110 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 convey the idea that these things are too terrible to be spoken of otherwise than ' with 
 bated breath.' Let none think that in so doing there is any yielding to sceptical theories, 
 or any shrinking from what the Church of Christ has always accepted as the truth. The 
 more convinced any one is of the truth of the Church's belief, the more solemn and 
 guarded will be his utterances on the subject. 
 
 The mingling of metaphors (' harvest ' and ' shining like the sun ') at the end of the 
 Sketch is, it will be observed, required by the passage itself. 
 
 The Scripture references in the Sketch are too numerous for actual use. The teacher 
 •will, however, find them all worth referring to in his preparation. 
 
 Sketch of Lesson. 
 
 To-day come again to the Lake — Jesus 
 sitting in the boat — crowds on the shore. 
 How is He now teaching ? and why? [_reca- 
 pUulate] . 
 
 Four more parables He tells to the people : 
 Tares, Mustard Seed, Leaven, and Seed 
 growing secretly (Mark iv. 26— 2S). Then 
 He dismisses them, comes to shore, back to 
 house, there explains the parables to dis- 
 ciples, and tells them three more : Hid 
 Treasure, Pearl, Net. 
 
 What were the truths called which Jesus 
 thus taught in parables? What was thei 
 'mystery' revealed in that of the Sower? 
 [last Lesson]. Now see what 'mysteries' in 
 the others. 
 
 («) The 'Sower' might discourage Peter, 
 John, &c. — how sad such failures ! Well, 
 but the King.iom should get on in spite of 
 that : growing secretly but steadily, just as 
 seed does (Mark iv. 26 — 29) — becoming 
 great tree, just as little mustard-seed does 
 (Matt. xiii. 31, 32) — spreading unobserved, 
 but irresistibly, like the leaven when bread 
 is made (ver. 33) [see Note 7]. Was not 
 that encouraging ? 
 
 (6) Some, who never thought of the sal- 
 vation which the Apostles were to preach, 
 would come unexpectedly upon it, like a 
 man finding money or jewels hidden in the 
 earth (ver. 44) ; others, who were always 
 seeking for valuable things, like the pearl- 
 merchants, would at last find this greatest 
 treasure of all (ver. 45, 46) ; and both would 
 give up all they had to get it. Was not 
 that encouraging ? 
 
 (c) Did their hearts sink when they saw 
 all the evil in the world ? was this a sad 
 'mystery'? Well, they would see more 
 yet. Wherever they went ' sowing good 
 seed,' there the great Enemy would follow, 
 'sowing tares'(ver. 24 — 26,37 — 39); wherever 
 they went 'fishing' 'to 'catch men' [see 
 Lesson XXIIJ.], good and bad fish would 
 come into the net (ver. 47, 48). But God 
 was not forgetting them ; the ' end' would 
 surely come, good and bad be separated for 
 ever, the Kingdom be victorious and per- 
 fect (ver. 30, 40-43, 49, 50). Was not that, 
 too, encouraging ? 
 
 Now look a little more at one of these 
 parables— The Tares. [Read ver. 24 — 
 30.] 
 
 What do the Wheat and the Tares mean ? 
 Men and women, boys and girls. Jesus 
 speaks of no third kind — all eilJter WIteal or 
 
 Tares. Which are we ? Is it hard to tell ? 
 Well, the Wheat and the Tares looked 
 almost alike ; yet there were three great 
 differences : — 
 
 I. Different in their Origin. 
 Whence came the Wheatf The farmer 
 
 sowed it — in hope of what ? Who is the 
 farmer? ver. 37 [see Lesson A'A'.]. What 
 does the Son of Man expect from His sow- 
 ing ? (Luke xiii. C ; John xv. 8, 16 ; comp. 
 Isa. V. 2). Are anj' in this class 'wheat'? 
 if so, all because of Christ's work. 
 
 Whence came the Tares ? ' An enemy ' — 
 how malicious the man who eould spoil his 
 neighbour's crop like that ! [see Note 2] — 
 and how subtle, to do it unobserved ! Who 
 is the Enemy of the Son of Man ? ver. 39 
 (comp. Gen. iii. 15). A malicious enemy, 
 wanting to spoil Christ's 'harvest' — will 
 do anything for that. A subtle enemy, 
 doing mischief deceitfully. Wherever Christ 
 sows, he sows too. What ' very good' seed 
 at the beginning (Geri. i. 31) ! — who came 
 and spoiled it then ? The Apostles sowed 
 good seed in Jerusalem after Pentecost, and 
 then, just when the ' fruit' appearing (self- 
 denial and brotherly love, Acts iv. 32 — 37), 
 who 'filled the heart' of Ananias 'to lie 
 to the Holy Ghost ' (v. 3) ? See, too, Elymas 
 (the ' child of the devil and enemy of all 
 righteousness,' Acts xiii. 10), Judas (Luke 
 xxii. 3), Simon Magus (Acts viii. 9 — 24, in 
 the very place where Jesus Himself sowed, 
 John iv. 34 — 42). Paul sowed in Galatia 
 and at Corinth — see what he said of the 
 'tares' there (Gal. iii. 1, v. 7; 2 Cor. xii. 
 20, 21). And what a mixture in the Seven 
 Churches (Rev. ii., iii.) ! So ever since. 
 
 What does Jesus call the two kinds? 
 ver. 38— 'children of the kingdom,' 'chil- 
 dren of the wicked one' (comp. John viii. 
 44). Think ! — each in this class one or the 
 other. 
 
 II. Different in their Nature. 
 The Tares and the Wheat looked alike 
 
 for a time, but could not always — why not? 
 Their nature different — would grow up dif- 
 ferently—bear different fruit. Could the 
 Tares produce the wliolesome grain for 
 grinding into flour ? Comp. Matt. vii. 16 — 
 18 ; Jas. iii. 12. 
 
 So with us. See how different the two 
 kinds of 'fruit' produced. Gal. v. 19 — 23. 
 Which of these to be seen in us ? 
 
 Could the nature of Tares and Wheat be 
 changed ? But ours can. What was Adam 
 
TEACHING BY PARABLES II. 
 
 Ill 
 
 at first ? what did he become ? And all his 
 children — we too — 'tares' Uke him (Job 
 xiv. 4 ; Rom. v. 12). A degenerate stock. 
 But the degenerate may become regenerate. 
 How? John in. 5 — 7 ; Tit. iii. 5. Why were 
 we baptized ? An ' outward sign ' of what ? 
 — of 'inward grace,' by which ' tares' made 
 'wheat,' 'children of wicked one' made 
 'children of kingdom.' Yet some forget 
 their baptism, and prefer to be ' tares ' ! 
 Take the Collects for Christmas-day and 
 25th S. after Trin. — pray them — then the 
 Spirit make you true and fruitful ' wheat.' 
 
 III. DiFFERKNT IN THEIR END. 
 
 The farmer could not pluck up tares 
 while growing — why not ? But when both 
 grown, could be distinguished — no mistake 
 — what then ? Any chance of tares being 
 gathered into the barn ? 
 
 If try and make out, in a Church, congre- 
 gation, school, class, which ' tares' and 
 which ' wheat,' may make mistakes. Some 
 clear enough, but many doubtful. But 
 when 'harvest-time' comes (when? ver. 
 39), no mistake — the angels can tell — may 
 be two brothers, sisters, friends, school- 
 mates, at one occupation, in one bed even 
 (Luke xvii. 34, 35) — separated — for ever. 
 
 Notes, 
 
 Then know what each one is {2nd text for 
 rep). And then the 'kingdom' perfect, 
 as predicted (Isa. Iii. 1, Ix. 21). 
 
 And what to be the end ? 
 
 Of the Tares — all that 'do iniquity' — 
 ' all things that offend,' i.e., snares (that 
 make men fall into sin) — what of them ? 
 'Rooted up' (Matt. xv. 13), and then — 
 dreadful words! — ' fire,' 'wailing,' &c., ver. 
 42 (comp. Mai. iv. 1 ; Matt. iii. 12, vii. 19 ; 
 Mark ix. 43—48 ; Rev. xx. 15)— but Whose 
 words are they ? The words of Him who 
 died to make a way of escape for us. Then 
 ' how escape if neglect so great salvation ? ' 
 (Heb. ii. 3). 
 
 Of the Wheat — the ' righteous.' Is it hard 
 to ' discern' them now? why? because their 
 ' light' shines not as it ought to do (Matt. 
 V. 16 ; Phil, ii. 15). But then will 'shine 
 forth ' (comp. Dan. xii. 3) — be seen clearly 
 (Rom. viii. 19 ; Col. iii. 4) ; shine ' as the 
 sun' — be 'like Him' (1 John iii. 2) who is 
 the ' Sun of righteousness' (Mai. iv. 2). 
 
 May none of us fail to be ' gathered into 
 the barn ' ! 
 
 ' Lord of harvest, grant that we 
 Wholesome grain and pure may be! ' 
 
 1. On the general design and order of these 
 parables, see preceding Lesson, Notes 1 and 2 ; 
 and accompanying Additional Note. 
 
 2. The malicious practice on which the Parable 
 of the Tares is based is stated by Thomson to be 
 unknown in modern Palestine • but Treucli 
 gives instances in India and Ireland, and Alford 
 mentions that a field of his own in Lei'estershire 
 was once sown with charnock ov<. r the . heat 
 The Romans had a law against the pr-ctice. 
 
 The Greek word rendered ' tares ' is zizania, 
 which is derived from the Arabic zatvan, the 
 name of a weed known in England as darnel, 
 and very common in the countries around the 
 Mediterranean. The Latin name is loliiim, and 
 Virgil (Georgics i. 154) speaks of ' infelix lolium.' 
 The seeds are poisonous, and the name zawan 
 comes frou the Arabic word for vomiting. 
 Stanley saw women and cl Ten engaged in 
 pulling up the zatcan that had grown here and 
 there naturally ; but this could not be done if it 
 had been sown purposely all over the field, as in 
 the blade it is scarcely distingui aM" from 
 wheat. Some writers, following t. T.t' aid, 
 state that the weed is a degenerate w at, and 
 the belief is still entertained by the natives ; 
 but there is no real foundation for it. See further, 
 Tristram, Nat. Hist, of Bible, p. 486; Thomson, 
 Land and the Book, p. 421. 
 
 3. The ' field,' in this parable, is commonly 
 interpreted to mean the Church ; but our Lord 
 says, ' the field is the world,' throughout which 
 the 'seed Ms to be sown (Matt. xxiv. 11; Mark 
 xvi. 15). The Cliurch is in the ' field,' and will be 
 in the ' barn.' But the application so often mad; 
 of the parable in controversy, from the days of 
 Augustine downwards, is equally true and 
 forcible. The reply of the farmer to the servants' 
 suggestion may certainly be taken as conveying 
 Christ's disapproval, both of the persecution of 
 'heretics' (by which the 'wheat' has so often 
 
 been ' rooted up' in mistake), and of the attempt 
 (always futile) to make a pure Church by ' trans- 
 planting the wheat.' This, however, should not 
 be regarded as the central point of the parable, 
 the design of which is rather (1) to give to the 
 old question of the origin of evil (' whence the 
 tares?'), the answer— 'An enemy hath done 
 this ' ; (2) to reveal the end of it all. 
 
 4. The words rendered 'world' in ver. S8 and 
 39 are different : in the latter it should be ' the 
 -md of the age ' or ' dispensation.' • Things that 
 ol'end'— ?i^ ' S' ndals,' i.e., traps or snares. The 
 'children of the. ingdom' here are not the same 
 as those named in chap. viii. 12 (see Lesson 
 XXVIII., Note r), the 'kingdoms' referred to 
 being differc it. 
 
 5. 'The Son of Man shall send forth -ff/s angels' 
 —one of the many indirect assertions of His own 
 Divinity which we so often find in Christ's dis- 
 courses. This great truth does not rest on a few 
 formal statements, but is continually implied. 
 
 6. On the mustard-seed and tree, see Tristram, 
 Nat. Hist, of B p. 472 ; Thomson, L. and B., p. 
 414; and an interesting extract in the Ch. U.S. 
 Magazine, May, 1869, p. 205. Christ only speaks 
 of it as a tree a comparison with other herbs. 
 
 7. The Parable of the Leaven certainly does 
 not refer to the insidious spread of evil, as some 
 have said. Such a view makes Christ teach 
 that the whole 'kingdom' shall 6e leavened with 
 evil, besides quite spoiling the sequence of the 
 seven par-ablcs. It is true that leaven is else- 
 where in Scripture a type of evil ; but other 
 symbols are used in two senses, e.g., Christ and 
 Sat; I are both called a lion. 
 
 8. On the practice of hiding treasures in flie 
 earth, see Job iii. 21; Prov. ii. 4; Jer. xli. 8; 
 Thomson, L. and B., p. 135 ; Kitto, Daily B. 111. 
 {in loco) ; Domestic Life in Falestine, p. 115. 
 
112 
 
 Lesson XLII.— The Night Yoyage on tlie Lake. 
 
 ' Even the tvinds and the sea obey Him.' 
 
 Bead— Mark iv. 35 — 41 ; {comp. Matt. viii. 23—27 ; Luke viii. 22—25) ; Learn — Ps. brii. 8, 
 cvii. 28—30. (Hymns, 46, 47, 197, 198, 220, 311, 379, 380, 382.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 Most teachers will come to the subject now before us with a sense of relief, after the 
 comparatively difBcult Lessons that have preceded it. Certainly they have a fine oppor- 
 tunity, and an easy one, of vivid picturing (only some care and pains will be necessary in 
 the case of children who have never seen the sea). But when the picture is finished, 
 what is the narrative to teach ? What truth about Christ ? What practical counsel for 
 the scholars themselves ? The answer is obvious enough — (1) that few passages exhibit 
 80 clearly at once the Manhood and Godhead of Christ ; (2) that life is a voyage in 
 which many storms have to be met. But how to bring in this teaching naturally and 
 effectively — so that the doctrine may be not only stated, but its truth yeft, and that the 
 application may be really useful — requires not a Little thought. It is hoped that the 
 suggestions offered will enable the teacher to do this ; and, in particular, let it be observed 
 that the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd sub-divisions in the three chief sections respectively correspond 
 one to another. But the teacher must very carefully consider what storms he is to 
 mention to the class. Troubles, in the ordinary sense, are not familiar things to a child's 
 mind : even those that do come upon them are not much felt. So true are the words of 
 
 the hymn (197) : — 
 
 ' Young and erring travellers, we 
 All our dangers do not know ; 
 Scarcely feel the stormy sea. 
 Hardly feel the tempest blow.' 
 
 In the Sketch, spiritual trials are chiefly referred to ; but temporal ones may also be 
 
 alluded to, such as poverty, sickness, bereavement, (fee. ; only care must be taken to explain 
 
 that faith in Christ will not keep these away, only give peace in them. 
 
 Sketch of Lesson. 
 
 The long day nearly over. Think what 
 had happened in it : Jesus up among the 
 hills after night of prayer — the twelve 
 chosen — return to Capernaum — crowds — 
 demoniac healed — blasphemy of the scribes 
 — Mary and the others trying to stop Him — 
 then down to Lake — in boat — parables — into 
 house again — exjilaining parables to dis- 
 ciples. [See last four Lessons.] 
 
 Jesus exhausted — no wonder ! Yet people 
 still thronging — what to be done ? Down 
 to shore again — hastily into boat, not stop- 
 ping for refreshment or preparation (' as 
 He tvas,' ver. 36) — will cross over Lake — 
 find retirement and rest among the wild 
 hills on the other side. 
 
 Bitt another reason for going. What has 
 Jesus been telling the disciples ? [last 
 Lesson]. Why? They had been sadl)' cast 
 down: just when solemnly ipointed to 
 their new office, it seemed th. . ' all things 
 were against them' — priests and i-ulers, 
 whom they looked up to, openly attacking 
 Jesus — His own family against Him. So 
 He had told them all this to be expected — 
 men's hearts bad (' Sower ') —Satan at work 
 (' Tares ') ; and yet the kingdom should 
 grow, and they, if faithful, one day ' shine 
 iis the sun.' And now He is going to teach 
 them the same thing — about trial and how 
 to meet it — in another way. 
 
 I. The Voyage. 
 
 1. About six miles to go — pleasant 
 evening sad over calm blue waters. Pre- 
 sently black clouds coming over hills — 
 fierce gusts of wind whirling down the 
 steep vallej's — sea beginning to toss as if 
 boiling. Bitt Peter and his comrades used 
 to this — know well how to steer the boat 
 and manage the sails in a storm — enj oy the 
 waves — forget their sad fears about the 
 ' ki.-gdom.' But see — even they, the hardy 
 fishermen, frightened now !— never in such 
 a storm l)efore — have done all they can in 
 vain — waves fast filling the boat — they 
 will sink ! (See other storms at sea, Ps. 
 cvii. 23 — 30 ; Jonah i. ; Acts xxvii.) 
 
 2. ^Vhere is Jesus ? Look — fast asleep — 
 worn out with the long day's toil and con- 
 flict. The wind howling over His head^ 
 waves dashing on to His face — water in 
 boat rising round His body — yet all fails to 
 disturb that sound, peaceful sleep ! (Who 
 else slept in a storm ? Jonah i. — but how 
 different ! — there the sleeper the cause of 
 it — here the lord over it.) Witi despairing 
 cries they wake Him — perhaps even now 
 He might somehow save them. Does He 
 start up at the roar of the storm ? What 
 does He do before He rises ? Matt. viii. 26. 
 But why id they deserve to be rebuked? 
 had they not shuwn faith? What made 
 
THE NIGHT VOYAGE ON THE LAKE. 
 
 113 
 
 them cry to Him ? But two faults in their 
 faith : — 
 
 (rt) Not enough of it (' little faith ') — 
 shewed this by being ' fearful ' — how could 
 they fear if they believed in Him ? But 
 believe what? that He would keep them 
 from calamity ? — no — but that, whatever 
 came (even drowning), all well if with 
 Him. 
 
 (6) Not ready for use (' Where is your 
 faith ? '). Perhaps, if could have sat down 
 quietly and thought, would have trusted ; 
 but when faith wanted suddenly, not ready. 
 \_lllmt. — So, general jvould say, ' Where is 
 your swordV — {or ' shield?' see Eph. vi. 16) 
 — to soldier ivho icent to battle without «V.] 
 
 3. Now Jesus rises. Sometimes we say, 
 
 • Might as easily speak to the winds ' — what 
 meant? That is what He does. What 
 then ? — ' a great calm ' — the air still, lake 
 smooth like glass, boat motionless. He has 
 shewn His power over diseases, devils, 
 death — now over nature. Was not the 
 centurion right? — all these His subjects 
 — to all He can say, ' Do this,' and they do 
 it [Lesson XXV 1 1 1.] ; see Col. i. 15—18. 
 Look at the question of the seamen, ver.41 — 
 
 * What manner of man ? ' — can we answer 
 that ? think — 
 
 (a) He is a man — no angel — did not that 
 night prove it ? Weary with long day's 
 work, want of food, the 'contradiction of 
 sinners' (Heb. xii. 3) — just as we should 
 be. Lying there asleep — think — 'what 
 manner of man?' See Heb. ii. 14, 17, 
 iv. [5 — 'He knoweth our frame' — will He 
 not sjTnpathise ? 
 
 {b) Yet more than a man — and still no 
 ■angel — did not that night shew Who He 
 is? See Job xxx-soii. 8—11 ; Ps. Ixv. 5—7, 
 Ixxxix. 8, 9, xciii. 3, 4. Might He not have 
 said to the trembling disciples, ' Be still, and 
 knoio that I am God ' (Ps. xlvi. 10) ? Then 
 they might have said the first three verses 
 of that psalm. 
 
 II. What the Voyage taught the 
 Apostles. 
 
 (1) What they would be sure to meet in 
 their ministry. Storms — difficulties threat- 
 ening to overwhelm them, and the ' boat ' 
 (the ' kingdom' — the Church) too. So they 
 did ; see Acts iv. 17, 18, viii. 1 ; 2 Cor. i. 8. 
 And so again and again ever since : Per- 
 
 secution, false doctrine, sin, ' the craft and 
 subtilty of the devil and man ' (Litany). 
 
 (2) How they should meet such storms. 
 With faith. ' In quietness and confidence ' 
 (Isa. XXX. 7, 15; comp. Exod. xiv. 13). 
 Not, like Elijah, to give up all for lost 
 (1 Kings xix. 4). True, they might not 
 always be delivered — might die (and so 
 they did) — but the cause safe— the Church 
 safe. 
 
 (3) Why they should meet them with faith. 
 Because Christ with them. In the boat 
 they thought His being asleep kept His 
 help from them. But need never fear that 
 again — why ? Ps. cxxi. 4 ; Isa. xl. 28. And 
 if He with them, who could be against 
 them? (Ps. cxviii. 6 ; Rom. vui. 31). 
 
 III. What the Voyage teaches us. 
 Just the same things. 
 
 (1) What we shall certainly meet. Storms 
 — troubles and difiiculties — things to make 
 us afraid. That is, if on the voyage — what 
 voyage? The life of a Christian like a 
 voyage. Christ has said to us, ' Let us go 
 over unto the other side ' — what ' other 
 side ' ? Do we ' fear to launch away ' ? 
 But if really ' sailing ' with Him, must not 
 expect all to be smooth — storms will come 
 — opposition of all kinds from those who 
 love not Christ — hard looks, bitter words, 
 unkind acts — think them not ' strange 
 things ' (1 Pet. iv. 12) — Christ has ' told us 
 before ' (Matt. xxiv. 25 ; John xvi. 4, 33 ; 
 Acts xiv. 22 ; 1 Thess. iii. 4 ; 2 Tim. iii. 12). 
 
 (2) How we are to meet these storms ? 
 With faith. When to trust? {1st text Jor 
 7-ep.) — 'at all times' — so must be always 
 ready — never off guard — never let Christ 
 say, ' Where is your faith ? ' Then what 
 will protect us? Ps, xxxii. 10. And how 
 shall we feel ? Isa. xxvi. 3 — not ' perfect 
 peace ' because no danger, but because we 
 know ' all micst be well.' 
 
 (3) Why have such faith ? Because Christ 
 with us (Isa. xliii. 2). And why such trust 
 in Him ? Because we remember the two 
 things about Him [recapitulate] — (a) Being 
 Man, He can feel for us ; (b) Being God, 
 He can strengthen as, save us, and {2nd text 
 
 for 7-ep.) ' bring us to the desired haven.' 
 And may we all ' so pass the waves of this 
 troublesome world, that we finally come to 
 the land of everlasting life ! ' {Bapt. Service.) 
 
 Notes. 
 
 1. St. Mark's words in ver. 35—' the same dap at 
 even '—fix the voyage across the Lake as occur- 
 ring at the close of that great day, the events of 
 which have occupied the last four Lessons. 
 Matthew's account is evidently not in correct 
 order of time. See Addit. Note on Chronology, 
 page 59. 
 
 2. On the Lake of Gennesareth, see Additional 
 Note, page 64. Small as the Lake is, and placid 
 as its waters usually are, It is subject to most 
 violent tempests, owing to the gusts oi wind 
 which rush down the mountain gorges into the 
 deep hollow. St. Luke expressly says that the 
 storm 'came down.' Macgregor (Rob Roy on J., 
 p. 420), Thomson (L.andB.,\}. 374), and Tristram 
 
 {Land of Israel, p. 430), describe storms witnessed 
 by themselves; and Mrs. W. Mott, in \\ev Stones 
 of Palestine, gives a graphic account of one in 
 which her party were caught on the Lake and 
 tossed about for twenty-five hours. The words 
 used by the Evangelists are remarkable : Mark 
 and Luke speak of a ^hurricane of wind'; 
 Matthew speaks of the effect upon the sea, era- 
 ploying a word descriptive of violent agitation, 
 being the very word used elsewhere in the N. T. 
 for an earthquai-e. 
 
 3. ' A ship' should be Ufie ship,' the one that 
 'waited on' Jesus. On the 'little ships' see 
 Lesson XXIII., Note 5. 'A pillow' probably 
 means the boat-cushion. 
 
114 
 
 Lesson XLIII.— Tlie Demoniac of Gergesa. 
 
 ' The Son of God was manifested that He might destroy the works of the devil.' 
 
 ^ea(?— Mark v. 1—20 ; {comp. Matt. viii. 28—34 ; Luke viii. 26—39) ; Learn— 1 Jolin iii. 8 ; 
 John viii. 34, 36. {Bymns, 24, 93, 151, 155, 166, 330, 359.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 A good many difficulties surround the subject of this Lesson, and it vnXl be well for the 
 teacher to bear in mind that they are such as we have no means of explaining, on account 
 of our total ignorance of the conditions attaching to the existence of either good or evil 
 spirits ; and that this ignorance is a sufficient answer to any cavils directed against such 
 difficulties. It is possible that in elder classes it may be found necessary to state this. 
 
 It will be observed that the narrative is, in the Sketch, so treated throughout as to 
 pave the way for the application ; which is one of great importance, and exhibits the 
 natural condition of unrenewed man in the light of an analogy not before introduced into 
 these Lessons. If time permit, the mighty and ever-increasing (though scarcely felt) 
 power of a sinful habit should be enlarged upon ; and it may be observed that the very 
 word ' habit ' (habef) implies that it has the soul, holds it fast in its grasp. 
 
 Many useful incidental points of application occur in the Lesson', such as the foUy of 
 banishing Christ, the duty of proclaiming to others the mercy we have ourselves expe- 
 rienced, that prayer is sometimes refused in love (as the demoniac's) and granted in wrath 
 (as that of the demons and that of the Gergesenes), &c. But it will be simply impossible 
 to touch upon these if the main subject — ' bondage and liberty ' — is thoroughly taught. 
 
 Sketch of Lesson. 
 
 How fond boys and girls are of liberty ! — 
 dislike being controlled — want their own 
 way. Our Lesson to-day on bondage and 
 liberty — see ivho is a slave, and who is free, 
 
 I. The GERG353ENE IN BONDAGE. 
 
 Go to-day to a new part of Palestine — the 
 wild hills east of Lake of Gennesareth — 
 Gaulonitis, formerlj' Bashan. If went there 
 now, might see many tombs cut in sides of 
 hills. At the time we have been talking of 
 lately, the time when Jesus preaching in 
 Galilee, people afraid to go near those tombs 
 —always went some other way. Why ? 
 [Read ver. 1 — 5; comp. Matt. viii. 28; 
 Luke viii. 27.] Observe what is told us 
 about the man's dwelling (Mark), his 
 dress (Luke), how he treated himself 
 {Mark), when he might be seen and heard 
 there (Mark), why people afraid of him 
 {Matt.), how long in that state {Luke) ; — 
 and one thing more {Mark), — 
 
 Was he in bondage, or nt liberty ? 
 
 Think how the people of Gergesa [see 
 Note 1] had brought chains and fetters, 
 pursued him, caught him, chained him, 
 thought 'safe at last' — then what? Was 
 he not a. free man — one who would not be 
 bound by others — would go own way ? 
 
 Yet he was a miserable slave — slave to 
 whom? see ver. lo, 16, IH—' possessed with 
 (or by) the devil.' The evil spirit had 
 conquered him, and now kept him fast, 
 held him in his grasp— how dreadful! 
 
 So here was one who seemed to be free, 
 yet was really a slave. 
 
 II. How THE GhUGESENE WA.S RESCUED. 
 
 Early morning, bright and clear — in the 
 
 night a fearful storm, but now the Lake 
 like a sheet of glass — how came it so ? 
 [See last Lesson.] A GalUean fishing-boat 
 coming to the eastern shore. Look at 
 the demoniac, naked and fierce, rushing 
 down the hill, to meet the party. What 
 would Gergesene travellers have done? 
 [above]. Do these tvura away in alarm? 
 It is the wild man who is crouching in 
 terror before Jesus. Why? [Read ver, 
 6—10.] When have we met with that 
 cry of fear and hatred (ver. 7) before? 
 [Lesson XXIV.] What are the evil spirits 
 afraid of? see Luke — of being banished 
 from earth, cast into hell [see Note 4]. 
 
 Now turn and look up on to the hill 
 — swine in immense numbers — they are 
 feeding quietly ; suddenly — [read ver. 11 
 — 13] — what a scene ! Why such a panic ? 
 The cruel power of the evil spirits is turned 
 [illust. — as a rushing stream turned into 
 another channel] from the poor man to the 
 animals. But what does this show ? why, 
 that he is rescued — and he can himself 
 be sure of it by seeing the panic in the 
 herd. 
 
 Now, how was he rescued? Could not 
 escape himself — the evil spirits too strong. 
 Friends could not rescue him — what hap- 
 pened when they tried ? Hopeless, until 
 some one stronger than the devils should 
 come — then deliverance (comp. Luke xi. 
 21, 22). Jesus not only stronger than one 
 evil spirit— an army of them here, ver. 9 
 [see Note 4] — yet see His supremacy : — (a) 
 they could go nowhere ag.iinst His will ; 
 (b) besought Him, like bad boy begging for 
 slighter punishment: (c) even then He de- 
 
THE DEMONIAC OF GERGESA. 
 
 116 
 
 feated them— the poor animals they hoped 
 to torture delivered from them by death. 
 Must not the disciples have asked again 
 [sec last Lesson], 'What manner of man 
 is this? not only powers of nature, but 
 powers of hell, obey Him !' How true our 
 first text for rep. ! 
 III. The Gergesenk at Liberty. 
 People crowding out of city, hastening 
 to shore— what looking for ? anxiously for 
 their herds, nervously for the wild man ? 
 Neither to be seen ! But what instead ? 
 [Read ver. 14—20.] The very man that 
 had been their terror is in the midst of a 
 party of Galileans— not chained, yet sitting 
 quietly, his decent clothing and mUd look 
 showing the ' right mind.' 
 
 Now we can test these Gergesenes— see 
 what sort of people they &r&—[illust.—as 
 real and sham gold tested by drop of acid] 
 — what do they feel most ?— selfish vexa- 
 tion at loss of swine, or grateful pleasure 
 at cure of man ? If the latter, what would 
 they have asked of Jesus ? and what did 
 they ask ? (Comp. Job xxii. 17 ; contrast 
 John iv. 40.) So Jesus gets no rest that 
 side of the Lake — is driven back again. 
 
 But the man— what is he now? free? 
 But consider, (a) Is it like a free man to 
 be sitting at another's feet like that ? {h) 
 What does he ask of Jesus ? Would it be 
 freedom to have to follow another every- 
 where? (c) Jesus gives him an order — 
 is that like liberty, to obey it so implicitly ? 
 Yes, for it is his own free choice to be, like 
 St. Paul afterwards, the 'slave of Christ' 
 (Rom. i. 1, ori^.)— his greatest delight to 
 work for Christ, just as Christ, 'in the 
 form of a slave' (Phil. ii. 7, orig.), delighted 
 to do the Father's will (Ps. xl. 7, 8 ; John 
 iv. 34). 
 
 We do not now meet these miserable de- 
 moniacs, and yet — 
 
 There are some in bondage now. 
 
 Who are they ? [Describe two boys, or 
 girls— one home-loving, ihoughtfulof parents' 
 wishes, willingly under control — the other 
 
 wilful, going 'own way,' chafing at all 
 restraint.] Which of these two in bond- 
 age—the one with the homefetters, or the 
 one that does as he likes ? Which is called 
 ' free ' ? But which most like the Gerge- 
 sene demoniac ? He boasts of his liberty, 
 but really is Satan's slave without knowing 
 it ; see both texts for rep., and Eph. ii. 2. 
 (Then is the devil a being to jest about ?) 
 
 There are some, too, at liberty now. 
 
 Who are they ? Those like the Gerge- 
 sene after the devils left him. But is it 
 liberty to ' sit at Christ's feet,' i.e. (Lukex. 
 39), to be His docile and submissive pupil? 
 Is it liberty to be His diligent servant, mak- 
 ing His love and power known to others ? 
 Yes ; ' His service is perfect freedom ' ; see 
 Matt. xi. 29, 30, and 2nd text for rep. 
 
 Which is the Happier ? The wilful 
 boy thinks the submissive boy can't be 
 happy, because can't do as he likes. Is he 
 happy ? Think of fear of being found out 
 —of "conscience pricking (it will be like 
 'cutting oneself with stones' someday) — 
 of loss of friends and prospects, &c. Where 
 was the Prodigal Son happy?— where 
 miserable ? And think of the end (see Isa. 
 Ivii., 20, 21 ; Rom. vi. 21 ; Gal. vi. 7. 8 ; 
 Heb. X. 27). 
 
 Which, then, is 'in his right mind'? 
 Festus made a great mistake (Acts xxvi. 
 24) ; it is not the Christian who is ' beside 
 himself,' but all others. No one ' in right 
 mind' till has changed his mind {i.e., re- 
 pented). 
 
 Then the great question is — 
 
 HOVSr CAN THE SLAVE OP SIN BECOME 
 FREE ? 
 
 Not by his oton strength. Could the 
 Gergesene escape from the devils? St. 
 Paul could not. Rom. vii. 24. [llliist.— 
 Bird chained to perch can't fly into the air.'] 
 But see next verse (25) — 
 
 By the power oj Christ. How encourag- 
 ing are Heb. ii. 14 and vii. 25 ! Then 
 pray, ' though we be tied and bound with 
 the chain of our sins, yet let the pitifulness 
 of Thy great mercy loose us.' 
 
 Notes. 
 
 1. The name of the district, town, or people, 
 named in this passage, has been, from the earliest 
 times, a question of much difficulty. Existing 
 MSS. are divided between 'Gergesenes,' 'Gada- 
 renes,' and ' Gerasenes,' the text being equally 
 uncertain in all three Gospels. The 'city' could 
 not have been either Gerasa or Gadara, both 
 which were many miles distant, but no other 
 town having a similar name being known, it 
 was long supposed that the Gadarene district was 
 meant. Origen, however, who wrote before any 
 existing MSS. were written, mentions the city 
 of Gergesa, close to the Lake ; and this place h.as 
 been identified by Dr. Thomson (L. <t- U p. 375) 
 with the modern Khersa (see Map on page 6:>). 
 Mr. Macgrcgor {Rob Roy on Jordan, p. 422) de- 
 scribes a spot, a little south of Khersa, answering 
 exactly to the narrative of the destruction of the 
 swine— caves for tombs in the hill-side, pasture 
 suitable for swine, and a steep beach (not cliff), 
 with very deep water quite close to the shore. 
 
 See Ch. S. S. Magazine, May, 1870, p. 215. Thomson 
 suggests another but less probable spot. 
 
 2. Matthew mentions two demoniacs, Mark 
 and Luke only one. Many explanations have 
 been ottered of this discrepancy ; but none seem 
 quite satisfactory. Certainly two must have met 
 Jesus, and if both were healed (which Matthew 
 doesnotdistinctly assert), oneof them may have 
 been, in some unknown way, more prominent 
 than the other. Greswell observes that the moral 
 effects upon the one man, noticed by Mark and 
 Luke, are not alluded to by Matthew, who gives 
 a bare record of the outward miracle ; and sug- 
 gests that these moral effects may not have been 
 produced in the other man, and that, therefore, 
 the accounts of Mark and Luke would, quite 
 naturally, pass him over. 
 
 3. On the general subject of demoniacal posses- 
 sion, see Lesson XXIV., Note 2. The special 
 question raised by this miracle, as to the sue- 
 
116 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OP OUR LORD. 
 
 ceptibility of the lower animals to demoniacal 
 influence, cannot be discussed here. It is ably 
 treated by Alford and Trench in toco. The re- 
 quest of the evil spirits to be allowed to go into 
 the swine is accounted for by some, on the sup- 
 position that they could only escape expulsion to 
 'their own place' by inhabiting some living 
 being, and that they knew Christ would not per- 
 mit ihem to enter another man. 
 
 4. On ' What have 1 to do with Thee 7' see Lesson 
 XVI., Note 3. ' Before the time' {Matt.), see Ep. 
 of Jude, ver. 6. ' Into the deep ' {Luke), not the 
 sea, but literally the abyss. Wycliffe's Bible ren- 
 ders it 'hell.' The same word is rendered 'bot- 
 tomless pit' in the Kevelatfon. 'Legion,' a 
 division of the Roman army, usually 6,oni) men. 
 This word is seemingly used as expressive of 
 overpowering force. 
 
 5. Christ's question, 'What is thy name?' 
 seems addressed to the man, to remind him of his 
 personal self; but it is answered by the demons, 
 who thus assert their entire mastery over him. 
 
 6. Why did Christ allow the demons to go into 
 the swine? The following reasons have been 
 suggested :— To punish the Jewish (if they were 
 Jewish, which is uncertain) owners for keeping 
 them, contrary to Lev. xi. 7. To give the de- 
 moniac a visible evidence that the spirits had 
 really lefthim (comp. Exod.xiv. 30). Toshowthe 
 disciples Christ's control over the movements of 
 the spirits. To test the Gergesenes. To make the 
 miracle more notorious, and thus to enhance the 
 effect of the cured demoniac's preaching. No diffi- 
 culty need be felt on the smne's own account : if 
 myriads of animals are daily slaughtered for 
 man's bodily sustenance, 2,000 might well die for 
 his spiritual benefit. 
 
 7. Warburton, in the Crescent and the C?-oss (ii. 
 p. 352) narrates an encounter, in a cemetery in 
 the Lebanon, with a naked maniac, who attacked 
 and nearly unhorsed him. In Miss Uogcrs' Z>om. 
 Life in Pal., p. 108) there is a strange account of 
 a similar maniac at Haifa. 
 
 Lesson XLIY.— Tlie Deatli of Jolm tlie Baptist. 
 
 ' Faithful imto death,^ 
 
 Read— Kaxk vi. 14—29 ; {comp. Matt. xiv. 1—12 ; Luke iii. 19, 20, ix. 7—9) ; Learn— 
 Eph. V, 11 ; Heb, vi. 11, 12, {Hymns, 124, 127, 168, 171, 209, 224, 324, 363, 390.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 In the following Sketch, as in the passage on which the Lesson is based, incidents are 
 included which occurred some time before the period at which we have now arrived, and 
 before those of Lesson XXXV., in which the Baptist's imprisonment was referred to but 
 not accounted for. 
 
 With the view of shewing the teacher, in the clearest manner, that the account of 
 Herod's feast, which occupies so large a portion of the Gospel narrative, should not be 
 equally prominent in actual teaching, it is barely referred to in the Sketch. It wUl, of 
 Course, be read and briefly explained, but the attention of the class should be concentrated 
 as much as possible on the Baptist himself. It is well to remember that the relative 
 importance of passages of Scripture is not always in proportion to their length. 
 
 The opportunities of practical application afforded by this passage are numerous, and as 
 there is no great central truth or lesson requiring exclusive attention, the several points 
 may, in this instance, be profitably taken up as they arise, as indicated in the Sketch. 
 The main application has been chosen for its novelty f.nd peculiar impressiveness, and it is 
 just one of those considerations which seem likely, by the Divine blessing, to have a direct 
 effect upon the mind of a cliild. A touching narrative illustrative of it will be found in 
 chaps. IX. and X. of the Rev. E. Spooner's ' St. Oswald's Sunday-school,' in the Churcfi 
 Sundaij School Magazine for 1869. 
 
 The title ' faithful witness ' belongs primarily to Christ Himself (Rev. i. 5, iii. 14) ; btit, 
 like many other of His titles, it may, in a subordinate sense, be rightly applied to His 
 servants. 
 
 The Collect for St. John the Baptist's Day can be referred to with advantage, and might 
 be learned by the scholars. 
 
 Sketch of Le.sson. 
 
 What was John the Baptist sent to do ? 
 John i. 7 — ' came for a witness.^ [Illmtrate 
 6// loilne.t.^e.i in court of law; see Lesson 
 A'/ K.J For whom was "he a witness ? And 
 when Jesus apjieared, and he had pointed 
 Him out (John i. 1!)— SC)), his public work 
 done (see John iii. 2G— 30). But would he 
 
 cease to ' bear witness ' ? No, he was a 
 'faithful witness,' would not give up, went 
 on to the last. To-day sec how, and how 
 his work came to an end. 
 
 I. The Faithful Witnes.? feared and 
 
 HATED. 
 
 In Galihe and Persea (beyond Jordan) 
 
THE DEATH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 
 
 117 
 
 Herod Antipas king, son of the great 
 Herod. Bad man — cared for his own plea- 
 sure — not for God and His law. Heard of 
 the great preacher in the wilderness — 
 wished to see him. Think of John, in his 
 rough garment and leathern girdle (Matt, 
 iii. 4), standing in the royal palace amid 
 the gay courtiers \see Lesson XXI.]. What 
 shall he say to Herod? tell him about 
 Jesus ? but would he care ? How had 
 John prepared the people for Jesus ? [see 
 Lesson XJ.] — told them of their sins. So 
 he will do with the king. There, by Herod's 
 side, sits the queen ; why ought she not to 
 be there? ver. 17 [see Note 1] — which 
 commandment broken by those two ? But 
 can John dare to mention that ? The ' faith- 
 ful wdtness ' has not come to flatter, but to 
 tell of the very sin that will keep from sal- 
 vation, ver. 18 (so Elijah with Ahab and 
 Jezebel, 1 Kings xxi.). What is the result ? 
 
 1. Bated by tierodias, ver. 19. Whom do 
 wicked people dislike most? Is it not 
 those that rebuke them? e.g., Ahab and 
 Micaiah, 1 Kings xxii. 8. No wonder He- 
 rodias hated John. When hatred uidulged 
 in heart, result may be terrible {e.g., Cain) ; 
 what was it here ? But she could not have 
 John put to death — why ? 
 
 2. Feared by Herod, ver. 20. Think of 
 the two men : — the king, with all his lords 
 and officers, his word law, could do as he 
 liked ; the prophet, alone, unprotected, at 
 the king's mercy : which afraid of the 
 other? John bold and fearless, Herod 
 trembling and alarmed (comp. Acts xxvi. 
 25 ; Prov. xxviii. 1). Why alarmed ? Con- 
 science-struck — the sore point touched, the 
 sin. What shall he do? give up the sin? 
 give up Herodias ? That he cannot do — yet 
 ' does many things ' (perhaps praj'ers, alms, 
 fasts, like Pharisees) — so may make up for 
 it. Would these make up for it? [Illust. 
 If a leak on one side of boat, what the use of 
 putting extra plank on the other side f — one 
 leak ivill sink it.~\ It is just the sin that 
 * most easily besets us ' which must be given 
 up (comp. the young ruler, Mark x. 21, 22). 
 But what does he do to John ? Dares not 
 kill one whom he feels to be God's mes- 
 senger,- whom he likes to hear on other 
 matters ; yet ' for Herodias' sake ' (how 
 Btrong the sin was !) shuts him up in his 
 gloomy castle by the Dead Sea [see iVote 2] ; 
 this may satisfy her, and keep him safe 
 from her designs [.see Note 3] . 
 
 II. The Faithful Witness Silenced. 
 
 See John, once so popular (' all Judasa,' 
 &c., went after him then)— pining away in 
 the dungeon — shut up there (probably) a 
 whole j'ear. We have seen [see Lesson 
 XXXV.] how he felt there — the message 
 he sent Jesus, the message Jesus sent him. 
 No doubt happy after that, like Paul in 
 prison (Acts xvi. 25 ; comp. xx. 24, xxi. 
 13). Month after month goes slowly by 
 in the dark cell. At length one day comes 
 a soldier, one of Herod's guardsmen — what 
 does he want ? John's head — at once — can't 
 
 wait — and, in a few minutes, where is John ? 
 The foul prison and rough garments ex- 
 changed for — what ? Look at Rev. vii. 9 
 — 17. No wonder St. Paul could say, 
 2 Cor. iv. 17, 18. 
 
 How came it about ? The wicked queen 
 not satisfied as long as John is alive — sees 
 how imeasy he makes Herod — what if 
 some day he should persuade the king to 
 put her away? — he must die, somehow. 
 How cruel ! — yet do boys and girls now 
 never plot revenge against those they dis- 
 like ? Month by month she watches for a 
 chance. At last a ' convenient ' day. [Read 
 ver. 21 — 25] — imagine her malicious de- 
 hght. Think, too, of Herod's feelings : 
 though inflamed with wine, ' exceeding 
 sorry ' ; what shall he do ? Keep to his 
 oath ? — the sooner a wrrong oath broken 
 the better. Avoid the scorn of his courtiers ? 
 — how often are bad thmgs done for fear of 
 scorn ! But was he obliged to give the 
 fatal order ? what would he have done if 
 Salome had asked for his own head ? 
 
 The deed does not take long to do, ver. 
 26 — 28 ; the queen soon sees the head of 
 her enemy — he is silenced at last. No, not 
 yet ; his blood has a voice in God's ear 
 (Gen. iv. 10) — how shall she silence that? 
 and one day the voice of God's broken law 
 will accuse her — how shall she silence 
 that? 
 
 III. The Faithful Witness Remem- 
 bered. 
 
 Remembered by Ilerod, ver. 14 — IG. News 
 comes to the court of a wonderful prophet 
 in Galilee, of His teaching and miracles. 
 There is one of Herod's lords who can con- 
 firm the news — was not his own son healed ? 
 [Lesson XXL] But Herod's guilty con- 
 science can think of only one prophet — 
 him he murdered ; ' can this be he — 
 mightier now than before — sent back by 
 God to the world with new powers?' — (the 
 Baptist had done no miracles, John x. 41). 
 How true Zech. i. 5, 6 — the proi^het may 
 die, but his word remains. 
 
 Remembered by his foUotvers, ver. 29. 
 They have stood by him to the last — not 
 forsaken him in his trouble — visited him in 
 prison (Luke vii. 18) — tried to fulfil his 
 wishes (Luke v. 33). Now they cannot 
 eyen take a last look at the face they loved 
 — only the headless body cast out to them. 
 That they sadly bury — then, what to do ? 
 where to go? What would their dead 
 master wish them to do ? They remember 
 of Whom the ' faithful Witness ' testified— 
 to Whom their old fellow-disciples went — 
 to Him they turn now, Matt. xiv. 12. Are 
 any of us sad ? Let us ' go and tell Jesus ' 
 likewise. How will He receive us ? Matt, 
 xi. 28 ; 1 Pet. v. 7. 
 
 Remembered by Christ. What did Jesu3 
 do when He heard the sad news ? Matt. 
 xiv. 13 — does not thac show how much He 
 grieved for His steadfast servant. His 
 ' faithful witness ' ? And it reminded Him 
 of another murder that should be com- 
 
118 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 \Qitted, see Matt. xvii. 12. Yet think ! 
 how wonderful ! — it is because of that 
 death that a place in glory was ready for 
 John, and is ready for every other ' faith- 
 ful witness ' like him (Col. i. 12—14). 
 
 The DEA.D Remembered— Think of this 
 for a moment. 
 
 1. Faithful witnesses speak to _us [name 
 minister or teacher, parent or friend]. If 
 such an one died now, how we remember 
 them? As Herod remembered John— as 
 one who had warned and pleaded with 
 him, but whom he had rejected and ill- 
 treated ? Should we have to say, 'Too 
 
 late now to listen to or please that dead 
 one ' ? [lllust. — Boy standing by grave of 
 neglected parent or teacher.] 
 
 2. If one of us died now, how be remem- 
 bered ? As a ' faithful witness ' ? as one 
 who obeyed St. Paul's precept {\st text for 
 rep ) ? Seek for grace to be faithful, in 
 protesting against sin, in pointing to Christ, 
 in bearing opposition for Christ's sake, 
 ' Christ's faithful soldiers and servants unto 
 our lives' end.' Then, not only be remem- 
 bered as John was, but, like him, ' inherit 
 the promises ' {2nd text for rep.) ; see Key. 
 ii. 10. 
 
 Notes. 
 
 1. Herod the Great (the Herod of Matt, ii.) had 
 ten wives and fifteen children. Four of these 
 children are named in the Bible :—Archeiaus 
 (Matt. ii. 22), and Herod Antipas (.Matt. xiv. 1 ; 
 Mark vi. 14; Luke iii. 1, ix. 7, xiii. 31, xxiii. 7), 
 sons of Malthace ; Philip (Luke iii. 1), son 
 of Cleopatra ; and Herod Philip, son of Ma- 
 riamne (Matt. xiv. 3 ; Mark. vi. 17 ; Luke iii. 19). 
 Another son, Aristobulus, was the father of 
 the Herod of Acts xii., and of Herodias. He- 
 rodias was married to two of her uncles in suc- 
 cession, Herod Philip (not Philip the tctrarch) 
 and Herod Antipas. The latter, in order to 
 marry her, put away his own wife, the daughter 
 of Aretas, king of Arabia Petrtea (named in 
 2 Cor. xi. 32). The marriage was, therefore, un- 
 lawful in three ways :— (1) Herod's wife w.as 
 living ; (2) Herodias' husband was living ; (3) 
 Herodias was Herod's niece. 
 
 The 'daughter of Herodias' was her child by 
 Herod Philip. Her name was Salome, and she 
 subsequently married (1) her uncle, Philip the 
 tetrarch, and (2) Aristobulus, a more distant 
 relative— not the one named above, who was her 
 grandfather, 
 
 Herod Antipas was only called 'king' by 
 courtesy. His proper title was tetrarch (Luke 
 iii. 1), i.e. ruler of a fourth part of Herod the 
 Great's kingdom. He was subsequently induced 
 by Herodias to go to Rome to ask for the royal 
 title ; but the emperor Caligula banished him to 
 Oaul. 
 
 The above facts are recorded by Josephus 
 
 (Antiq. xviii.) A complete genealogical table 
 of the Herodian family is given in Smith's 
 Student's New Testament History, p. 56. 
 
 2. From Josephus we learn that the Baptist 
 was imprisoned at the castle of Machaarus, on 
 the east coast of the Dead Sea. This castle, 
 however, is stated to have belonged to Aretas. 
 15ut Aretas made war on Herod when the latter 
 put away his first wife (the former's daughter), 
 and it is supposed that, in the course of the war, 
 it fell into Herod's hands. If Herod were at this 
 time engaged in a campaign on the frontier, his 
 head -quarters might be at Machaarus ; which 
 would account for the apparent quickness with 
 which the order to behead John was carried out. 
 Such an absence from Galilee would also account 
 for his not hearing of Jesus till after John's 
 death. Subsequently, Herod's army was totally 
 routed by Aretas, which was regarded by the 
 Jews as a judgment for the murder of the Bap- 
 tist {Jos. Antiq. xviii. 7). 
 
 3. Some words in this passage need explana- 
 tion :— ' Would have killed him,' rather, ' desired 
 to kill him.' ' Observed him,' in ver. 20, should be 
 'preserved him,' i.e., kept him safe from He- 
 rodias. ' Convenient day,' i.e., for the designs of 
 Herodias. ' Chief estates of Galilee,' i.e., chief 
 men. ' Unto the half of my kingdom,' an oriental 
 mode of expressing liberality, oomp. Esth. v. 6, 
 vii. 2. ' Charger,' an old English word for a 
 large dish or tray. 'Executioner,' one of the 
 body-guard. 
 
 Lesson XLV.— The Feeding of the Fiye Thousand. 
 
 ' He hath filed the hungry with good things.' 
 
 Read— Uark vi, 30—44; {co^np. Matt. xiv. 13—21; Luke ix. 10—17; John vi. 1—13); 
 Learn— Ps. xxxiv. 9, 10 ; John vi. 27, 35. (Hymns, 9, 48, 144, 156, 193, 243, 248, 253.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 The great importance of the Miracle which is the subject of this Lesson is evident 
 from the fact that it is the only one recorded by all four Evangelists ; and its teachings 
 are so full and varied, that it is a somewhat perplexing task to v,elect and arrange them. 
 They arc of four kinds : — 
 
 1. Historically, the Miracle is a leading epoch in our Lord's ministry. Hifl popularity 
 in Gralilee culminated with it (as will be shown in Lesson XLVI.), and immediately 
 aftenvards came that ' disappointment and desertion ' which will be the subject of 
 Lesson XLVU., and that departure of Jesus from the chief scene of HLs labours which 
 
THE FEEDING OF THE FIVE THOUSAND. 
 
 119 
 
 will be mentioned in Lesson XLVin. As, however, the historical importance of the 
 Miracle will appear in these three succeeding Lessons, it is omitted in the Slietch below. 
 
 2 The direct moral teaching of the Miracle is on Providence— on God's care for man's 
 temporal wants, and His method of supplying those wants. This is the subject of the 
 second division of the Sketch. _ .... 
 
 3 The Miracle conveyed typical teaching to the Apostles respecting their ministerial 
 work. This is briefly taken in the third division of the Sketch, and will give the teacher 
 a valuable opportunity of speaking to the class concerning his own office. 
 
 4 The Miracle prepared the way for our Lord's great discourse (in John vi.) on 
 Himself as the Bread of Life. This subject will have some space allotted to it in the 
 Lesson on that discourse (XLVIL) ; but it will be well, if possible, to refer to it briefly in 
 this one, and it is, therefore, in the Sketch below, put in the place of a general appli- 
 cation, as the practical points occur in the other portions. 
 
 It is, of com-se, open to the teacher to omit any of the sections. It would be scarcely 
 possible to take them all, except in very intelligent classes, on account-not of their 
 intrinsic difficulty— but of their variety. 
 
 The familiar scene of a school-treat can be referred to in Ulustration of some points m 
 the narrative -the large numbers, the sitting in ranks, the quantity of provisions 
 required, the labour devolving on the disciples, &c. 
 
 The teacher should refer to the map of the Lake on page 65, and have it (or some 
 other) with him to show the class. 
 
 Sketch of Lesson. 
 
 and hungry— too far for some to go home- 
 must find ' lodging,' &c., where they can 
 (see Luke ix. 12). But now all the disciples 
 moving about among them— what saying ? 
 Fancy the looks and words of wonder as 
 they sit down— what can it all mean ? 
 Here they sit, on the grassy slopes, the 
 
 Two companies of men come to Jesus at 
 Capernaum :— («) John's disciples— where 
 from? — why? [see last Lesson] ; (b) The 
 Twelve — where from? see ver.7 — 13, 30; — 
 have been journeying round Galilee, two 
 and two, in their new office of preaching, 
 with their new power of working miracles 
 in their Master's name. No doubt excited 
 by success (comp. Luke x. 17), perhaps a 
 little vain— what do they need? To be 
 quiet for a while, and to learn their own 
 weakness. Can they get quiet at Caper- 
 naum ? ver. 31. So two reasons for Jesus 
 going away : this, and His sorrow for 
 John's death [see last Lesson] . 
 
 Down to the shore, into the boat—the 
 old way of retiring [see Lessons XXXVIIL, 
 XLII.]. Across the Lake — not to the 
 Gergesenes again— to a lonely place [see 
 Note 1] where may be undisturbed — up to 
 the hills there (John vi. 3). 
 
 But— scarcely arrived, before crowds of 
 people suiTounding them ! Whence ? ver. 
 33— some have run six miles, from Caper- 
 naum, round head of Lake— across Jordan ; 
 multitudes joining them as they went. 
 How does Jesus receive them ? ver. 34 
 [comp. Lesson XXXV J n.]—'Re cannot turn 
 away from them (see Rom. xv. 3)— spends 
 the long day teaching and healing— then 
 will give them a wonderful proof of His 
 love and power, and at the same time teach 
 the Apostles not to be vain or self -ccnfident. 
 See how. 
 
 I. The Miracle. 
 
 It is getting late— people still hanging 
 on Jesus' words— never thinking of the 
 time. (Which of us like that in church or 
 school ?) At length Jesus stops— here are 
 Andrew and Philip in the crowd— what 
 inqmring for ? ver. 38, John vi. 5—9. The 
 people now thinking what to do— tired 
 
 orderly ranks and groups looking hke beds 
 of flowers [see Note 6]. There is Jesus, in 
 sight of all— what doing ?-like 'saying 
 grace' [see Note!]. But the provisions— 
 -yvliere? — not even one basket-full. Now 
 see the disciples— from man to man, from 
 rank to rank— bread and fish in abundance 
 —round again— and again— surely m awe- 
 struck silence— till all 'Jilled ' ! More than 
 that— the ground strewn with fi-agments, 
 making up far more than there was at 
 first ! 
 
 II. What the Miracle taught thb 
 people about bodily food. 
 
 1. What had they come out there for .■" 
 Not as afterwards (John vi. 26), to get fed 
 —no idea of such a thing ; no— but to be 
 taught. If they had thought most of 
 what they would need by-and-bye, would 
 they have come so far, and stayed so long, 
 unprovided ? But, had been so eager for 
 Jesus' words that they could think of 
 nothing else (comp. Job xxiii. 12). Would 
 Jesus let them suffer through this eager- 
 ness? What had He said in His great 
 sermon? Matt. vi. 25, 33. By the Miracle, 
 He has taught them how true those words 
 
 were. , ,, . i. o 
 
 2. But how did Jesus supply then: wants f 
 Worked a great miracle, certainly ; yet 
 used human means. What is that ? Think 
 —He could have turned all that green grass 
 into bread, for them to gather and eat as 
 they sat. But what did He do ? (a) Used 
 what food was to be had ; (6) made the 
 
120 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUE LOED. 
 
 disciples work hard in distributing : (c) 
 allowed no waste (John -sd. 12). What 
 taught by this ? That, though God would 
 not forget them, though they not to think 
 too much of bodily wants, yet not to ex- 
 pect miracles always, but to be content with 
 getting supplied in common ways. 
 
 3. Yet, were these ' human means,' these 
 ' c^ mmon ways,' enough ? Could the dis- 
 ciples and the ' little lad ' have fed them ? 
 His blessing indispensable. And so always : 
 therefore they must look to Him as the 
 Giver of all good things, even of those 
 which seem to come from own or others' 
 labour. 
 
 These three lessons for us, too [recapitu- 
 late] . (a) If ' seek first ' to do God's wUl, 
 ' all these things added to us.' [IHusf. — 
 e.g., giving up Sunday trading ; preferring 
 church and school to a ' place ' with Sicn- 
 day work.] (b) Shall be helped without 
 miracles, in ' common ways ' ; so must not 
 neglect these (see 2 Thess. iii. 10 — 12) — 
 and not waste what we have — ' gather up 
 fragments,' of money, time, &c. (c) But 
 ' see God's hand ' in all the earthly bles- 
 sings we get ; so pray, ' Give us day by 
 day our daily bread.' 
 
 III. What the Miracle taught the 
 Disciples about spiritual food. 
 
 1. They had been giving spiritual food 
 to the people of Galilee — how? ver. 12, 
 30. With what feelings had they come 
 back ? [above] . Now what does Jesus do ? 
 He wiU show them how little reason they 
 have for boasting — how ? Ver. 37 — ' Give 
 ye them to eat ' ; John vi. 5, 6 — tvhy did He 
 say that to Philip ? How perplexed they 
 are ! — suppose they spend all their money 
 [see Note 4], not near enough. Yet pre- 
 sently — all that vast crowd ' filled ' ! Can 
 they not see how helpless they are without 
 Him? — the spiritual food (the teaching, 
 
 &c.) which they give as apostles, not their 
 own — can satisfy no ' hmigry soul ' them- 
 selves — only give what Jesus gives them. 
 
 2. Yet had they nothing to do them- 
 selves ? Had thej' not to search for pro- 
 visions (ver. 38), to bring what they found 
 to Jesus (Matt. xiv. 18), to distribute it 
 when blessed ? So in giving spiritual food : 
 not to think, because all from Jesus, they 
 to do nothing — not to be downcast, or idle 
 — much would depend on their being earnest 
 and diligent. 
 
 So loith us teachers. We bring you chil- 
 dren spiritual food, as you sit in ranks and 
 groups (like the people on the grass). We 
 must work hard — yet what we give j'ou is 
 not our own — all from Christ. But — 
 
 What is this Spiritual Food ? 
 
 Jesus tells us, John vi. 35, 48, 51 — ' / am 
 the Bread of Life.' How is this ? 
 
 What does bread (and other food) do for 
 our bodies ? Sustains — keeps life going 
 — so called ' the staff of life.' Strengthens 
 — not only just keeps alive — makes healthy 
 and strong. Satisfies — how does a hungry 
 man feel after a meal ? 
 
 So Christ does for our souls. Sustains — 
 no life without Him, Eph. ii. 5 (comp. John 
 i. 4, vi. 53, xiv. 6). Strengthens, Phil. iv. 
 13, 2 Cor. xii. 9. Satisfies, Ps. Ixiii. 5, 6, 
 Ixxiii. 25 (comp. Ps. cvii. 9, Isa. Iv. 2). 
 [Illust. — If go to toork without breakfast, 
 will be weak and faint ; so, if meet little daily 
 temptations (give instances), no strength to 
 overcome them unless had spiritual breakfast, 
 i.e., read and thought about Christ, pj'ayed 
 to Him, ifc] 
 
 Are our souls hungry ? Happy if they 
 are — why? Matt. v. 6. It was when the 
 Prodigal felt hungry that he came back to 
 his father, Luke xv. 14 — 17. All invited 
 to the feast, Is. Iv. 1. '0 taste and see that 
 the Lord is good' (Ps, xxxiv. 8). 
 
 Notes. 
 
 1. The 'desert place' (i.e., uncultivated and 
 solitary) which was the scene of the Miracle, is 
 stated hy St. Luke to have been near Bethsaida. 
 This Bethsaida was at tlie north end of the Lake, 
 not in Galilee, but on the east side of the Jordan, 
 in Gaulonitis, in the dominion of Philip the 
 tetrarch (Luke iii. 1), who converted the fishing- 
 village into a handsome city, and named it 
 Julias, after the daughter of Augustus Csesar. 
 Its site is now marked by a mound, called by the 
 natives Et-Tell (see map on page 05). Close by 
 is the fertile plain of Butailia, at the east end 
 of which rise the hills of Baslian, and their 
 grassy slopes meet every condition of tlie (lospel 
 narratives. See Robinson, /HIjI. lies. III. p. 3()1 ; 
 Thomson, Land and tlie Boole, p. 372 ; Stanley, 
 Sinai and F. chap. x. ; Macgregor, Hob Roy on 
 the Jordan, p. .327. 
 
 Almost all writers distinguish between Beth- 
 saida .Julias and Bethsaida of (Jalilee, the resi- 
 dence of Peter, Philip, &c. Dr. Thomson argues 
 that they are the same, but Mr. Macgrogor clearly 
 disproves this. See next Lesson, Note 1. 
 
 2. Opinions dlffir as to whether the words in 
 ver. 34, ' When He came out' {' went forth' in Matt. 
 
 but the same Greek word)— mean out of the ship, 
 or from the place of retirement. St. Mark's ac- 
 count seems to imply the foniier, St. John's the 
 latter. It may well be that some of the fastest 
 runners met Jesus when He landed, b\tt that lie 
 withdrew from them up into the hills, and only 
 turned b.ick when the crowd followed after Him. 
 
 3. Some think that St. John's allusion to the 
 approaching Passover implies that the crowd 
 consisted of travellers to Jerusalem; but the east 
 side of the Lake would be quite out of the way of 
 such, and their being unprovided with food 
 shows that they were not on a journey. John's 
 remark is evidently designed to show the special 
 appropriateness of the discourse in the synagogue. 
 The 'five thousand' are stated by JIatthcw to 
 have been men, which is curiously confirmed by 
 the Greek words used by John. The 'women 
 and children' with them would probably be few, 
 not (as sometimes fancied) 5,000 more. 
 
 4. The apparent discrepancy between St. John 
 and the other Evangelists, as to the first sugges- 
 tion about feeding the multitude, is variously 
 explained. If we hud oil the details of what 
 
WALKING ON THE SEA. 
 
 121 
 
 took place, which of course we have not, no 
 doubt the difficulty would disappear. 
 
 In Blunt's Undesigned Coincidences, it is sug- 
 gested that Christ asked Philip about providing 
 food for the people, because he was ' of IJethsaida' 
 (John xii. 21). But if Bethsaiila Julias and 
 Bethsaida of Galilee were different places (see 
 Note 1), there is no coincidence here ; and a sufti- 
 cient reason for the question being put to Philip 
 is mentioned by St. John. Though so ready to 
 follow Jesus (John i. 43-45), he may have been 
 intellectually dull and slow; comp. John xii. 20 
 —22, Xiv. 8, 9. 
 
 ' TtDO hundred pence,' nominally equal to £C Ss. 
 English, but really a far larger sum, owing to the 
 different value of money. The ' penny ' was a 
 labourer's day's wages (Matt. xx. 2) ; therefore 
 the amount may be estimated as equal to wages 
 for 200 days. It seems likely that it was the 
 amount of the Apostles' common fund at that 
 time, and that Philip meant to say, ' If we spend 
 all we have, it will not be nearly enough.' 
 
 5. In Matt. xiv. 15,23, the two evenings of the 
 Jews are named ; the first beginning at 3 p.m., 
 answering to our 'afternoon,' and the second at 
 sunset. 
 
 6. There are several remarkable expressions in 
 this narrative. 'By companies' (Mark vi. 39) 
 means 'companies of guests at table." ' In ranks' 
 (ver. 40) means ' like garden-beds,' the people 
 sitting in rows and squares on the slope of the 
 hill like the terraced gardens of Palestine. ' Fif- 
 
 ties in. a company' (Luke ix. 14) means that there 
 were fifty in a rov? {lit., 'on one couch.') ' Gave to 
 the disciples' (in Mark and Luke) is literally 
 'was giving,' 'went on giving,' implying that 
 the multiplication of the loaves occurred in 
 Christ's hands, not (or not chiefly) as the 
 Apostles went round. The ' baskets ' were of 
 wicker-work, and are mentioned by the Roman 
 satirist Juvenal iis habitually carried by the 
 Jews, probably to prevent their having to defile 
 themselves with Gentile food. 
 
 7. The 'giving thanks' {John) and 'blessing 
 and breaking' {Matt., Mark, Luke), though 
 essentially the regular Jewish custom of ' grace,' 
 must have been done by our Lord with peculiar 
 impressiveness ; see the subsequent reference to 
 it in John vi. 23, implying that it was a thing 
 remembered (comp. Luke xxiv. 30, 31). The 
 same expressions occur in the accounts of the 
 institution of the Lord's Si.pper, and the Greek 
 word for ' giving thanks ' Is the original of our 
 'Eucharist.' 
 
 8. This miracle, involving the use of creative 
 power, is an especially wonderful one, more be- 
 yond the grasp of our faculties even than that 
 of the water made wine. (See Lesson XVI., 
 Note 7.) It should be compared with the similar 
 miracles in the Old Testament, 1 Kings xvii. 16 ; 
 2 Kings iv. 2—5, 42—44. Philip's unbelieving 
 question -may be compared with that of Moses, 
 Numb. xi. 22. 
 
 Lesson XLYI.— Walking on tlie Sea. 
 
 ' Without Me ye can do nothing.^ 
 
 Read— 'Ka.tt. xiv. 22—33 ; {comiJ. Mark vi. 45—52 ; John vi. 14—21) ; Learn— 2s. xxxvii. 
 23, 24 ; Isa. xliii. 2 ; 1 Cor. x. 12. {Hymns, 22, 76, 154, 155, 180, 197, 291, 344, 380.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 The narrative part of this Lesson is, of course, famiUar and easy ; but, as in similar 
 cases, it should on this account be all the more carefully made the vehicle of imparting 
 spiritual instruction. To do so effectively, it is necessary to examine what the incidents 
 of that eventful night taught the disciples, so that the practical lessons we draw may 
 flow spontaneously from the narrative. Now the disciples, just at that time, especially 
 needed to be taught two things, ^dz., (1) their entire dependence upon Christ, lest they 
 should be ' exalted above measure ' by their miraculous power ; (2) in what the real glory 
 of Christ consisted, lest they should be carried away by the popular notions of an earthly 
 kingdom. The second of these points is introduced in the Sketch only incidentally, yet 
 it should not be wholly omitted. The first, in its twofold aspect, supplies the two leading 
 lines of thought which the Sketch suggests. 
 
 The method of application is but meagrely indicated below, for want of space. No 
 teacher will find any difficulty in applying the first of the two points ; but the second 
 requires some consideration of the particular circumstances and surroundings of the indi- 
 vidual scholars. To give one example of the way in which it would work out :— A boy, 
 kindled with an eager (though perhaps temporary) desire to act with perfect uprightness, 
 exemplary gentleness, or stedfast self-denial— in a word, to be iike Christ— will find, as 
 Peter found, that, though the first step is not difficidt, the subsequent ones are extremely 
 so. What is the remedy— what the secret of strength ? To keep the thoughts (eyes of 
 the mind and heart) fixed upon Him whose eyes are watching us. 
 
122 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 Sketch of Lesson. 
 
 What must those 5,000 have felt as they 
 rose up after their ample meal ? They 
 have seen Jesus heal sick people — He has 
 done so to-day (ver. 14) — but now every 
 man feels that a miracle has been done for 
 himself— he was hungry, he is satisfied — it 
 comes home to each one. Think of the 
 wondering looks, excited talk, amazement, 
 as the Apostles bring together the ' twelve 
 baskets full' of remains of what did not 
 exist three hours ago ! They remember 
 how the hungry Israelites in the wilderness 
 were fed with ' bread from heaven ' (see 
 John vi. 31) — 'and did not Moses (Deut. 
 xviii. 15) speak of a Prophet whom God 
 would send, like unto him ? — surely this is 
 that Prophet ! ' See John vi. 14, 15. All 
 the morning He had talked to the.n of the 
 coming 'kingdom' (Luke ix. 11) — 'He shall 
 ')e our king,' they cry — 'To Jerusalem! 
 proclaim Him king at the great feast (John 
 vi. 4) — away with the murderer of John, 
 and with the hated Pilate ! ' 
 
 But the Apostles would know better, 
 surely, and calm the people ? No, it seems 
 not ; see ver. 22 — Jesus has to send them 
 away (and then they will hardly go — He 
 has to ' constrain ' them), before He can 
 disperse the people. They are more ex- 
 cited than ever — have been able to work 
 miracles [last Lesson] — to-day have been 
 distributing bread never grown, reaped, 
 threshed, ground, or baked — and now at 
 last the people will receive their King — 
 surely the great time of glory is at hand ! 
 
 That distribution should have taught 
 them something [last Lesson] ; but now 
 Jesus will give them a more solemn lesson, 
 of their weakness, and of His glory — His 
 real glory, not the false glory they would 
 thrust on Him. That same night He did 
 so ; see how. 
 
 I. How Christ looks upon His Ser- 
 vants. [Read ver. 22—25.] 
 
 It is getting dark. With heavy and 
 perplexed hearts Peter and his comrades 
 go on board their boat. For a while they 
 linger near the shore, in hopes of Jesus 
 coming down to them (John vi. 17) ; but 
 the wind and sea are rising — if they are to 
 get across they must start at once— and 
 they cannot disobej' His express orders. 
 
 Look again at them some hours after — 
 the night almost gone [see jVote 3] — and 
 they still in middle of Lake, tossed about 
 with winds and waves — striving in vain to 
 reach the shore. How well they must 
 remember that other night when they were 
 nearly lost ! [lesson XLFL] Ah, but then 
 Jesus was with them — and what di<l He do 
 for them? — but now (they think) He is out 
 of the reach of their cries. What, then, 
 makes them dejected ? — the furious wind, 
 roaring sea, long weary night ? — Something 
 more than all this — their Master's absence. 
 They feel now how much they want Him, 
 how badly they get on without Him. 
 
 But Jesus will shew them that He can 
 be near them without their seeing Him — 
 can watch over and care for them when 
 they know it not. Where was He all this 
 time ? ver. 23. Just think — He came over 
 there for rest — and what has He been 
 doing, in the morning (Luke ix. 11), after- 
 noon (ver. 19), evening (ver. 22) ? and 
 now, all that dark stormy night, out on those 
 bleak hills, prapng ! But has He forgotten 
 His chosen Twelve ? See Mark vi. 48 — 
 ' saio them toiling in rowing.' How could 
 He see, through the black darkness, down 
 on to the far distant waters ? see Ps. 
 cxxxix. 12 (comp. Exod. iii. 7 ; 2 Chron, 
 xvi. 9 ; Ps. xxxiii. 18, xxxiv. 15, Ivi. 8). 
 
 Jestis looking ! with what loving pity— 
 with what gracious readiness to help ! 
 ' Saw them toiling ' — every weary pull at 
 the oar, every anxious glance at the waves, 
 every downcast thought in the heart, seen 
 and marked by Him. But He will not 
 help too soon — they have a lesson to learn 
 [above^. 
 
 And now another wonder. His eyes — 
 what had they done ? His feet — what do 
 they now do ? Is not that God-like ? see 
 Job ix. 8 ; Ps, Ixxvii. 19. Here is His true 
 glory : — He is a King, ruling over all 
 nature (see Ps. xxix. 10) — how can He care 
 for an earthly crown ? His royal power to 
 be used, not to give honour to the Jews, 
 but to watch over and care for His own 
 people. 
 
 II. How Christ's Servants should 
 look unto Him. [Read ver. 26—33.] 
 
 Now look at the boat again. All ter- 
 rified — not at the storm — at what ? Would 
 they have been frightened if they had 
 expected to see Jesus ? But that He should 
 see them then, come to them so ! — no idea 
 of that. They can't trust their eyes ; but 
 their ears — whose voice is that ? ' It is I !' — 
 yes, their Master, who has so often used 
 their boat, now shewing them He can do 
 without it. 
 
 In a moment Peter's courage has come 
 back — ' Yes, it is true : He is all, more than 
 all, that we thought He was.' Peter haa 
 healed the sick and cast out devils, like 
 Jesus — a few hours ago he was lielping in 
 that wondrous distribution of bread and 
 fish — surely (he thinks) we c in do all that 
 He does — can tread the waters too. See 
 him venturing — yes, he is walking on the 
 sea — suddenly a cry — he is sinking — the 
 swimmer's skill (John xxi. 7) no use — then 
 a mighty hand stretched out, and he and 
 Jesus are in the boat. Then two more 
 wonder.a, ver. 32, John vi. 21. 
 
 Now ask two questions : — 
 
 1. Why did Peter sink ? see ver. 30 — 
 ' afraid' ; and why afraid ? — ' when he sau> 
 the wind boisterous.' Then he w;vs look- 
 ing — at whit? Was not the storm as 
 great just now, when He leaped from the 
 boat? — but he saw it not then — never 
 
WALKING ON THE SEA. 
 
 123 
 
 thought of it then— his eye fixed on Jesus 
 theu—therefm-e could walk on the sea. 
 ' Looking unto Jesus '—that the only way 
 to be strong and brave. 
 
 2. What was it that he needed? See 
 what Jesus says to him, ver. 31. 'Little 
 faith ' !— was it not great faith to veu* are 
 on the water ?— no, lie was thinking partly 
 of himself, how fie was going to do a 
 mighty thing— there was a little faith, but 
 vanity too — he would do more than the 
 others (comp. Mark xiv. 29, 30, and 2nd 
 text for rep.). Then, when he was sinking, 
 wanted the hand of Jesus to save him — but 
 could not Jesus have saved him at a 
 distance ?— should have believed that. He 
 wanted more faith. 
 
 Thus WE see the Secret of Strength. 
 
 1. Jesus is looking at us. Is that a 
 pleasant thought ? Not for His enemies : 
 see what a Divine look may do to them, 
 Exod. xiv. 24. But see how it can 
 strengthen His people, Jndg. vi. 14. The 
 thing is to remember that He is looking. 
 The disciples thought He was far away ; so 
 
 He seems to us. "We cannot see Him, but 
 He is there [illust.—sun, hidden by clouds, 
 is still there] . He is at God's right hand, 
 but what is He doing there ? Rom. viii. 34 ; 
 and He can see all the way to earth, and 
 be with us just when we want help. It 
 may seem very dark, but — 
 
 ' Jl is nut night if Thou be near ! ' 
 
 2. We must ' look unto Jesus ' (Heb. xii. 2). 
 When in trouble, danger, anxiety, must 
 look out for Him— He may come when we 
 don't expect — in a way we never think of. 
 And at every step we take— difficult steps, 
 doubtful steps, dangerous steps— trying to 
 be like Jesus, to act like Him, to imitate 
 Him, in the midst of difficulty and danger— 
 what to do ? To keep our eyes on Him— the 
 eyes of our mind— owr thoughts; then shall 
 find how true is the promise of Isa. xliii. 2. 
 If begin to sink, cry, ' Lord, save me ! ' 
 (comp. Ps. Ixix. 1,2); then shall say with 
 the Psalmist (xciv. 18), 'When I said, my 
 foot slippeth, Thy mercy, Lord, held me 
 up!' 
 
 KOTES. 
 
 1. The voyage of the Apostles was from the 
 • desert place belonging to the city called Beth- 
 saida' (Luke ix. 10) across the Lake ' unto Beth- 
 sairta' (Mark vi. 45). The former was Bethsaida 
 Julias, In Gaulonitis ; the latter Bethsaida of 
 Galilee; see last Lesson, Note 1. It would be 
 impossible here to enter into the controversy 
 respecting these places and the direction of the 
 voyage. Mr. Macgregor's minute examination 
 of the narrative, while himself on the Lake, 
 seems satisfactorily to settle the point (Rob Roy 
 on the Jordan, p. 374). The voyage was from the 
 Plain of Butaiha to Khan Minyeh. After row- 
 ing ' 25 or 30 furlongs' (John), the ship would 
 still be at a point sufficiently far from Khan 
 Minyeh to be called 'in the midst of the sea' 
 (Matt, and Mark). The wind, being contrary 
 (from the west), would come out of the high 
 gorge in the mountains called the Valley of 
 Doves, and sweep across the Plain of Gennesareth 
 on to the Lake, lashing its waters to fury, and 
 blowing in the very teeth of the ship, bee Map 
 on page 65. 
 
 If the going to Bethsaida was simply coasting 
 along the shore to Bethsaida Julias, or if Ca- 
 pernaum was at Tell Hum, the difficulties— from 
 cither the distance rowed, or the action of the 
 wind, or the other circumstances named— .seem 
 insuperable. 
 
 2. Our translation, in John vi., accurately re- 
 presents the original in regard to the two Greek 
 words used, irAoiov (ploion), ' ship,' and n\oia.pi.ov 
 (ploiarion), 'boat,' and the distinction is very 
 interesting. The disciples crossed the Lake in 
 their ' ship,' or large fishing- vessel ; but St. John 
 says that the people who were next day looking 
 out for Jesus saw there was no ' boat ' there ex- 
 cept the one in which the disciples went, and 
 that Jesus had not gone in that one. He adds, 
 that other ' boats ' came from Tiberias, and that 
 the people took shipping (rather, ' ships') to re- 
 turn to Capernaum. Unless these distinctions 
 
 are carefully observed, difficulties arise : for in- 
 stance, in John vi. 17, it is implied that after the 
 disciples had launched forth, they expected 
 Jesus to follow them, but, if they had gone in 
 the only vessel, how did they think He could do 
 so? Probably (as is suggested to the writer by 
 Mr. Macgregor), the single 'boat' belonged to 
 the place, or to some neighbouring fishing-port, 
 and was there to put people on shore fiom the 
 larger 'ships,' which lay a little way off. This 
 ' boat ' conveyed the disciples to their' ship,' and 
 then returned; and they thought Jesus might 
 use it by-and-bye to come out to them. But He 
 did not, as we know ; and the people next day 
 might be told by the boatman that he had not 
 taken Jesus. For a similar elucidation of other 
 points see The Hob Roy on the Jordan, p. 354. 
 
 3. ' Tlie fourth uatch of the night, i.e., from 3 to 
 6 a.m. Originally the Jews only reckoned three 
 watches (mentioned respectively in Lam. ii. 19; 
 Judg. vii, 19; and Exod. xiv. 24); but in later 
 times the Roman division of the night into four 
 watches came into use. All four are named in 
 Mark xiii. 35. 
 
 4. 'It is a spirit' — TAther, 'apparition,' or 
 ' phantom ' ; in the Greek (j>a.vTa<Tna (phantasma). 
 
 5. ' Would have passed them by ' (Mark). To try 
 their faith. Compare Luke xxiv. 28. 
 
 6. Peter's words, 'If it be Thou,' do not imply 
 a doubt whether it was Jesus ; ' if ' has the sense 
 of 'since.' Our Lord's 'Come!' is not strictly 
 authoritative— rather permissive. Yet Peter's 
 act, though partly prompted by vain self-confi- 
 dence, is not wholly to be condemned. To dare 
 great things for Christ is not in itself wrong : all 
 depends on the spirit in which it is done. Jcsua 
 does not rebuke the act itself, does not say 
 ' Wherefore didst thou come?' And it must not 
 be forgotten that Peter did for a moment or two, 
 walk on the sea: a wonorous illustration of 
 Matt. xvii. 20. 
 
124 
 
 Lesson XL VII. — Disappointment and Desertion. 
 
 ' Will ye also go awaij i ' 
 
 Read— Farts of John vi. ; Learn— John vi. G6— 68 ; Heb. iii. 12—14. {Hymns, 94, 95 
 14J, 145, 1C6, 335, 377.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 The Sketch comprises a great deal more than can be properly taught in one Lesson, 
 even with a senior class. But it has been thought best to give the argument somewhat 
 fully for the teacher's information, and to leave him, after studying it, to select what 
 portions may be suitable for his scholars. The two facts represented by the words 
 ' Disappointment and Desertion ' should be stated ; which implies that neither of the two 
 divisions of the Sketch should be wholly omitted, and that the narrative verses of the 
 chapter {i-l — 26, 41, 60, 61, 66 — 68) should, at all events, be referred to; while the 
 causes of the 'Disappointment and Desertion' can, if necessary, be briefly mentioned 
 without full explanation. The 'Bread of Life' is a most important subject itself; but 
 on this occasion it is still more essential to dwell upon the revulsion of feeling produced 
 by Christ's teaching in the minds, both of the people generally and of some of His 
 disciples, as it appears to have been a chief cause of that departure of our Lord from the 
 chosen scene of His ministry which the next Lesson relates. It will, therefore, be suffi- 
 cient (if more cannot be done) to explain shortly the contrast between the desires of the 
 people and the higher, but unappreciated, blessings which Christ was ready to give 
 them ; and to allude to the mystery of Christ's ' flesh and blood ' in language similar to 
 that which we are all wont to use concerning the doctrine of the Trinity, as something 
 trite, but (in its fullest sense) incomprehensible. 
 
 The two heads of application may be taken separately, if prefeiTed, after the two 
 divisions to which they respectively refer. The thoughts suggested by Peter's confession 
 in ver. 68, 69, ara deferred to the Lesson on Matt. xvi. 
 
 On the relation of the discourse in this chapter to the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, 
 see Note 5. The subject has not been introduced in tlie Sketch, because it would not be 
 suitable for the bulk of our children. But with senior scholars this Lesson would be an 
 excellent opportunity of explaining what really is, and what is not, 'feeding on Christ.' 
 There is no error into which our pious elder boys and girls are more likely to fall than to 
 attribute to the simple outward partaking of the Holy Communion a virtue which attaches 
 only to the actual participation in the ' bodj' and blood of Christ ' by faith ; an error 
 ■which arises from thinking, not too highly, but too lightly, of the Sacrament. 
 
 Sketch of Lesson. 
 
 What became of the 5,000 men miracu- 
 lously fed ? Most of them, who had not 
 very far to go, no doubt went home when 
 Jesus dismissed them ; but those from 
 Capernaum ? — stayed there all night — in 
 morning thought would get hold of Jesus 
 again — perhaps He would give them break- 
 fast as well as supper. But (ver. 22 — 25) 
 can't find Him— is He gone back? — how 
 could He? [see last Lesson, A'o^e 2]. By- 
 and-bye they recross the Lake to Caper- 
 naum — there He is ! 
 
 Now, why did they follow Him so eagerly? 
 — wanted Him to be their king (ver. 15) ? — 
 but why wanted that ? Was it because they 
 'saw the miracles,' so learned His love and 
 power, and wanted to be forgiven and made 
 holy ? or because thej' ' did cat of the 
 loaves,' and thought if He were king He 
 would feed them all for nothing? See 
 what Jesus says to them when they liud 
 Him, ver. 26. All thrf)ugh this long chap- 
 ter He shows them their mistake. 
 
 A very diilicult discourse, but try to 
 understand a few things in it, and see 
 two results of it — people disappointed, dis- 
 ciples ofEended. 
 
 I. The People Disappointed with 
 Christ. 
 
 Last evening they were disappointed — 
 at what ? ver. 15. Now still more so at 
 what He tells them. What does He tell 
 them ? 
 
 (a) What they ought to be eager for, ver. 
 27 [.see Note 6]. 'You are eager to get 
 food, and anything else of the kind that I 
 could give you (riches and honour from 
 earthly king, Ac.) ; but suppose you get 
 it, what then ? It won't last (' perisheth,') 
 the best bread can only satisfy for a few 
 hours— more and more waiited— and what 
 good to you when you die ? Why not be 
 as eager for th.at which will feed the soul — 
 (sustain, strengthen, satisfy it) [Af.won 
 JT/zF,]— and not decay, but last for ever ?' 
 
DISAPPOINTMENT AND DESEKTION, 
 
 125 
 
 (b) How thei/ could get this heavenly food, 
 ver 27—29. It should be given them, if— 
 if what' They asked, like the j'oung 
 ruler (Mark x. 17) and the jailor (Acts 
 xvi. 30), 'What shall we doV See the 
 answer, ver. 29—' Believe in Him. Well 
 did they not believe? had they not wanted 
 to make Him king?— ah, but that showed 
 unbelief, after all He had told them about 
 the 'kingdom' [Lesson XXV., >.fc.]. 
 
 (c) What this heaveiili/ food was, ver. d(J 
 —h. They thought of the manna then- 
 fathers had in the wilderness— how could 
 this Jesus give them anything better than 
 that? But the manna, though Gods 
 special gift, not 'heavenly food'— why ? did 
 it ' endure to everlasting life '? did it feed 
 soul or body ? see ver. 49, 60. What then ? 
 Himself— the ' Bread of Life.' Why is He 
 like bread? Sustaining, strengthening, 
 satisfying Isee Lesson XLV.]. Why called 
 ' Bread of Life ' ? Earthly bread is the 
 ' stafE of life; but only of the body's life. 
 Jesus gives the soul life, and that life ever- 
 lasting. _ , , 
 
 (d) What He icould do for those tvho came 
 to Him to get the ' Bread of Life.' 1st Not 
 one should be refused, ver. 37. 2nd. They 
 should never hunger or thirst, i.e., should 
 have all their souls could want, and enough 
 of it, ver. 35. 3rd. They should have ever- 
 lasting life, ver. 40. 4th. And though this 
 life for the soul, not for the soul onltj— the 
 body too to be 'raised at the last day'— 
 flesh and bones might decay and be broken 
 up, but nothing to be lost, ver, 39, 40. 
 (Comp. Communion Service—' preserve thy 
 body and soul unto everlasting life '). 
 
 Is it hard to understand all thLs ? ^o 
 doubt ; but all can see that Jesus promises 
 great and wondrous blessings— hard to be 
 understood just because so great and 
 wondrous (comp. 1 Cor. ii. 9). Could a 
 little ragged boy understand a description 
 of the Queen's palace ? Yet, if told that 
 all that might be his o\™, would he not be 
 eager for it ? Were the people of Caper- 
 naum eager for what Jesus offered them ? 
 
 They °vere disappointed \ Why? 1st. 
 Because they cared more for earthly food, 
 money, anything to give them pleasure 
 now. 2nd. Because, though ready to call 
 Jesus 'prophet,' and make Him 'king,' 
 they remembered His family and home, 
 and could not believe that He, the Naza- 
 rene carpenter, could have 'come down 
 from heaven,' ver. 41, 42. 
 
 MTiat was it they needed to make them 
 different? The grace of God, as Jesus 
 told them, ver. 44, 45— and that they ivould 
 not have (see John v. 40 ; Matt, xxiii. 37 ; 
 Acts vii. 51). 
 
 II. Christ deserted by some of the 
 Disciples. 
 
 Deserted by His own friends ! — how sad ! 
 We know how, just before His death, the 
 Apostles forsook Him (Mark xiv. 50) ; but 
 then they came back afterwards. Now, 
 ■we see some forsaking Him altogether. 
 
 1. The ' Hard Saying.' 
 
 Jesus is now in the synagogue (ver. 59). 
 The people's murmurings have increased 
 and spread, and the chief men have come 
 together again to hear these strange things 
 about the 'bread from heaven.' Jesus 
 has to defend Himself before them, as He 
 had done a year before at Jerusalem 
 (John v.). [-See Note 1.] Does He speak 
 more cautiously now ? First. He repeats 
 what He said before, ver. 43—51. Then 
 He tells something new, something more 
 startling than all. ver. 51 — 58. 
 
 'Eat the flesh' of Christ'— ' drink His 
 blood.' Truly a 'hard saying' to under- 
 stand [see Note 4]. Like a deep well— we 
 can't see to the bottom of it. Yet see two 
 
 things : — „ , ■■ Ti- 
 
 (a) It showed that His flesh and His 
 blood were to be separated ; and how could 
 they be separated but by His death? So 
 when He speaks of giving everlasting life, 
 &c., it is by His death. Of this the Jews 
 then knew nothing ; but we know. What 
 had His death to do with our everlasting 
 life ? see 1 Pet. ii. 24 ; Gal. ui. 13 ; 
 Eph. i. 7. 
 
 (b) 'Eaten'— 'drunk.' When we eat 
 and drink, what we take becomes jnirt of 
 us, goes to make our flesh, Ac. So the 
 words show that Christ is to become one 
 with us (ver. 56) ; and that our souls can 
 no more live without Him, than our bodies 
 can without food (ver. 53). . o 
 
 Does aU this seem very mysterious.-' 
 Well, it is very mysterious how food makes 
 our bodies grow ; yet, if we take food, ^ye 
 know it is so. So, cotne to Christ— thenwUi. 
 know what it is to ' feed on Him m thme 
 heart by faith with thanksgiving.' 
 
 2. The result of the ' Hard Saying.' 
 See ver. 60, 61. Who are these 'dis- 
 ciples'? Not the Twelve. Not the people 
 generally. Those who looked on Jesus as 
 a great prophet, as, perhaps, Messiah- 
 admired Him— liked to hear Him— fol- 
 lowed Him about (see ver. 66, 'walked^. 
 No doubt some of them among those who 
 wanted to make Him king— hoped that 
 by and bye He might claim the throne, 
 and so turn out to be really Messiah. But 
 now they are shocked. True, He offers them 
 wondrous blessings [above], but how?— 
 by their ' eating His flesh,' ' drinking His 
 blood '— ' what can He mean ? ' Whatever 
 He means, it is not what they care about— 
 why should they trouble any more about 
 Him '—clearly He will never be the leader 
 they want. See the offended looks-hear 
 the discontented words— look ver. bb— 
 'we7it back-ivalked no more with Ilim. 
 
 What must Jesus have felt ? comp. Luke 
 xix 41 42. See how He turns to the 
 Twelve,' ver. 67- hear His /adjnquiry 
 (not reproachful, He did not doubt them), 
 ' Ye will not go away too ? ' 
 
 And what of the Twelve? are they 
 wavering too ? It must be a severe trial 
 to them— their own friends, no doubt, 
 
12G 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 perhaps some they have brought .to Jesus, 
 turning away ; ' and that is a strange 
 saying of His — are not our friends right ? 
 Had we not better go back to our fishing ? ' 
 Perhaps Satan thus tempts them ; but what 
 is it they desire? Not only earthly gifts, 
 but ' eternal life ' — strange as His words 
 are, they feel sure no one else can give 
 them that — and what is their reply to 
 Jesus? ver, 68, 69 (more of this another 
 day). 
 
 Are WE TEMPTED TO 'ALSO GO AWAY' 
 
 FROM Christ? 
 
 There are some who are disappointed with 
 Christ — but why ? They thought of what 
 the.v would get if they became ' religious ' — 
 credit, good reputation, prosperity in 
 earthly things. Is this what He promises ? 
 
 Notes. 
 
 1. Some harmonists assume that the discourse 
 in this chapter was delivered the day after the 
 feeding of tlie 5,000, and (because 'in the syna- 
 gogue,' ver. .50) on the Sabbath ; and, from this, 
 draw various chronological inferences. But the 
 assumption is in both resnects a doubtful one. 
 Certainly the conversation iu ver. 25—40 occurred 
 on the day after the miracle, but ver. 25 does not 
 read as if Jesus was then in the synagogue. It 
 seems probable that ver. 41, 42 may represent an 
 interval of some hours, or even days ; and the 
 word ' murmured ' is literally ' were murmuring' 
 —a thing going on. Then the expression in ver. 
 43, 'Jesus answered and said unto them,' is in 
 form the same as that in chap. v. 19, where it is 
 believed to mark the opening of a formal defence 
 (see Lesson XXXIV., Note 3). May it not be 
 tliat the 'murmuring' came to the ears of the 
 rulers and chief men (the 'Jews' of ll, 52— see 
 Lesson XVII., Note 5), and that the discourse of 
 ver. 43— .59 is Christ's formal vindication of Him- 
 self before them in the synagogue? If so, the 
 day would probably not be the Sabbath. Ver. 66 
 also seems to indicate that the concluding ver.ses 
 of the chapter relate what occurred some days 
 after the discourse. 
 
 see John xv. 18—21, xvi. 33 fsee Lessons 
 XXX/X., XLIL] . What does He promise ? 
 {above]. Do we care for that? If so, 
 shall we be disappointed ? Rather ex- 
 claim, with the Queen of Sheba, ' The half 
 was not told me!' (1 Kings x. 7) — see 
 1 Cor. ii. 9 ; Ps. xxxi. 19. 
 
 There are some luho desert Christ because 
 of His ' hard saj/ings ' — want to understand 
 everything, and, when cannot, are offended. 
 But which is the tea;/ to understand ? see 
 John vii. 17 ; Hos. vi.' 3 ; Ps. xxv. 14. 
 
 The Lord Jesus looks down : He sees us 
 wavering, drawn this way and that. He 
 says, ' Will ye also go away ? ' Go away 
 from such a Friend ? Lose ' eternal life ' ? 
 
 2. It is Interesting tocomparc the conversation 
 in ver. 25 — 40 with that of Jesus with the Sa- 
 maritan woman in chap. iv. In theone we have 
 'living bread,' in the other 'living water.' In 
 the one there is an appeal to ' our fathers ' and 
 the manna; in the other to 'our father Jacob' 
 and his well. In both Jesus contrasts the tem- 
 porary and unsatisfying character of the natural 
 with the eternal and satisfying character of the 
 spiritual. In both, a half ignorant prayer is 
 made to Him, 'Give me this water,' '(Jive us 
 this bread.' Yet how different the results of tlie 
 conversations! 
 
 3. The gr.idual revelation of the spiritual food 
 and feeding in this chapter should he noticed. 
 First Jesus speaks of 'meat' (i.f, literally, food 
 generally), ver. 27; then, of 'bread from heaven,' 
 ver. 32,.'i3; then of Himself as that bread, ver. ,^'i; 
 then, of the bread being' His fiesh,' ver. 51 ; then, 
 in all its full mysteriousness, of 'eating his flesh 
 and drinking His blood,' ver. ."W. Thi.s order is 
 somewhat obscured by a mistranslation in ver. 
 33, where 'Ae' should lu- ' l/iat.' The (Jreek is. 
 Indeed, ambiguous ; but the true sense is plain, 
 for had the word been ' he,' the prayer in tlie 
 
 ' O Thou who on the cross 
 Didst for m.v sin atone ! 
 Preserve me by Thy mighty power, 
 And keep me for Thine own.' 
 
 next verse could scarcely have followed. Observe 
 the ' Verily, verily,' which introduces four of the 
 most important statements, ver. 26, 32, 47, 53. 
 
 4. It would be impossible, in a brief note, to 
 enter into the profoundly difficult teaching of 
 our Lord respecting His fiesh and blood. What 
 appear to be the two leading ideas in it are 
 shortly stated in the .Sketch. It may be further 
 observed that,— 
 
 (a) There is a plain reference to the death of 
 Christ. For it is only by death that blood is 
 separated from flesh ; and the terms used are 
 very precise— the 'blood' is not to be 'eaten 'with 
 or in the 'flesh,' but to be 'drunk.' The death, 
 also, would obviously be a violent one. The 
 fnnd.amental thought, therefore, is that the life 
 of the soul would be by the death of Christ. 
 
 (6) The precision of the language would seem 
 to imply that there is a distinction between 
 ' eating the flesh' and 'drinking the blood,' and 
 some writers consider them to refer to the par- 
 ticipation in the benefits of Christ's Incarnation 
 and Atonement respectively. The repeated re- 
 ference, too, to the resurrection ot the bodi/ 
 (ver. 39, 40, 44, 54) reminds us of the importance 
 of Christ's resurrection in his human ' fiesh,' 
 see 1 Cor. xv. 
 
 5. I.s there any reference in this discourse to 
 the Sacrament of the Lord's supper? Few 
 questions have been more hotl.v disputed. Apart 
 from all controversies, the simple truth seems to 
 be this: that Jesus here describes in symbolic 
 language, not the Sacrament, but that which the 
 Sacrament signifies- not the ' outward and visi- 
 ble sign,' but the 'inward and spiritual grace.' 
 He speaks of a 'feeding:' this 'feeding' is not 
 the partaking of the Lord's Supper, nor is it a 
 spiritual act exclusively connected with such 
 partaking, but can it be doubted that the Lord's 
 supper is the ordained outward expression of 
 that same spiritual ' feeding'? 
 
 6. Words in this chapter needing explanation :— 
 ' Labour,' in ver. 27, is the same Greek word as 
 •work' in ver. 28. It does not refer strictly to 
 laliour. The pcoj)le had not laboured for the 
 food Jesus had given them, nor were they labour- 
 tti'/ to gel more. The idea is that of eagerly 
 seeking. 
 
 An unusual and remarkable word is used for 
 'cat' In ver. M, fic, 57, 58. 'Properly it is not 
 
IN PHCENICIA. 
 
 127 
 
 applied to food prepared by man, and it signifies 
 the eager appetite with which animals fix on 
 
 their food and devour it It shows the 
 
 need of coming to Christ in the Holy Comniiinion 
 [and at other times also} with spiritual hunger, 
 and with devout cravings and earnest longings 
 
 and yearnings of a famished soul for heavenly 
 food.'— ( Wordsworth). 
 
 ' A hard saying,' in ver.60, means, not a.difftcuU 
 saying. X)\xX,i\. harsh, and therefore offensive one. 
 The same Greek word is used in Matt. xxv. 24 
 ('a hard man") and Jude 15 {' hard speeches'). 
 
 lesson XLYIII. — In Phoenicia. 
 
 ' The same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon nim.' 
 
 Read — Matt, xv, 21—28 ; {comp. Mark vii. 24 — 30) ; Learn — Rom. x. 12 ; Heb, xi. 6. 
 
 (Hymns, 40, 149, 150, 185, 342, 345, 380.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 The epoch in our Lord's ministry at which -we have nov7 arrived (see Note 1) is of so 
 much interest and importance, that it has been thought well to give it considerable 
 prominence in this Lesson ; and, so far from interfering with the more practical topics of 
 the passage to be read, this plan, by exhibiting the contrast between the unbelief of the 
 Galileans and the faith of the Phoenician mother, enhances the brightness of the latter's 
 example. The introductory paragraph of the Sketch is not essential to the Lesson, but 
 if taken, it will help to explain our Lord's words to the disciples. 
 
 It is always well to refer to passages in the Prayer-Book which illustrate, or are illus- 
 trated by, our Lessons. Nothing tends more to show the Scriptural character of the 
 Liturgy, and its value as a guide to devotion. For instance, the subject before us is 
 strikingly suggestive of the touching petition in the Communion Service — ' We do not 
 presume,' tSic, ' we are not worthy so much as to gather up the crxLmbs under Thy table : 
 but thou art the same Lord ' (see 1st text for rep.), <fec. 
 
 It has often been said that our Lord, while appearing outwardly to repel the woman, 
 by His grace inwardly helped her to persevere. This is illustrated by Bunyan's picture of 
 the fire which burned brightly, although water was thrown on it, owing to the oil that 
 was being poured upon it from behind. 
 
 Sketch op Lesson. 
 
 When God promised Abraham that ' his 
 seed ' (i.e. Christ) should be a great blessing, 
 what people did He say should have the 
 blessing ? Gen. xxii. 18 — ' all nations.^ 
 And when John saw the redeemed in 
 glory, whence had they come? Rev. vii. 9 
 — ' all nations,' &c. But when all the 
 world had forsaken God, He chose one 
 nation to be His own speciallj' — that He 
 might train them to know and obey Him, 
 and give them His messages to men to 
 write down and keep safe — that from them 
 the Saviour might come. When the 
 Saviour did come, who, then, would be 
 told of Him first ? Acts xiii. 46. But not 
 they only. When He had gone back to 
 heaven, then ' all nations,' Luke xxiv. 47. 
 
 Yet one or two Gentiles came to Jesus 
 while He was on earth [illust. — like Jirst 
 drops of coming showerA, Matt. ii. 2, viii. 
 6 ; John xii. 20, 21 ; \see Lessons VIL, 
 XXVIIL] See one to-day. See contrast 
 between unbelieving Jews and believing 
 Gentile. 
 
 I. Christ withdrawing from the 
 Unbelieving Jews. 
 
 For more than a year Jesus has been in 
 Galilee. What doing? [Lesson XXJV.] 
 
 How many hundreds have been healed, or 
 had their sick relatives healed — how many 
 thousands have heard His gracious teach- 
 ings ! Yet what result ? Open hatred and 
 opposition of some ; careless half-hearted- 
 ness of others. [Lesson XXXIX.] True, 
 the multitude, when miraculously fed, 
 ready to make Him King, yet when He 
 offered them spiritual food, what did even 
 some of His own followers do? [Last 
 Lesson — recapitulate.] 
 
 And now another attack upon Him, 
 They have been up to the Passover (see 
 John vi. 4), and come back with more of 
 the malicious scribes from Jerusalem [se? 
 Lesson XXXV IL, Note 2]. Never tired of 
 finding fault with Him — now a new accu- 
 sation, ver. 1, 2 ; comp. Mark vii. 1 — 5. 
 See what He calls them, ver. 7 ; how He 
 openly warns the people against them, ver. 
 10, 11 ; how this scandalises [lit. meaning] 
 them. ver. 12. No doubt the rest of the 
 people, already wavering in their feelings, 
 now stQl more turned against Him. 
 
 What does Jesus do ? ver. 21 — He leaves 
 them. Just as He left Jerusalem when 
 persecuted [Addit. Note IV., page 58] — just 
 as He retired for a whUe when attacked at 
 
128 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 Capernaum [Lesson X.XXVTIf.] — so now 
 
 He quits Galilee — goes to the country 
 where Elijah found refuse (1 Kings xvii. 9). 
 What to do ? Not to preach, but to be in 
 retirement, see Mark \ii. 24 fcomp. vii. 36. 
 viii. 26, ix. 30). [SeeXotel.] Why? (rr) 
 His ' hour ' not j'et come to suffer ; (i) 
 the rest He had not yet found [Lesson 
 XLV.], He may now get by going further 
 away ; (e) He may so get time to instruct 
 His faithful ones. 
 
 His faithful ones — there are some — who ? 
 see John vi. G6 — 69. They are sure He is 
 Messiah, is the Son of God — particularly 
 after what thej- saw on the Lake that night 
 (observe Matt. xiv. 33) — so, when their 
 friends turn from Him, they remain stead- 
 fast [last Lesson]. With these Jesus goes 
 away. 
 
 Very likely the apostles are sadly de- 
 jected at such an end to the year's labours. 
 But they shall have several encourage- 
 ments — see one to-day. 
 
 II. Christ sought by the believing 
 Gentile. 
 
 It is a heathen coiintry in which Jesus 
 now is [see Note 2]. He has not been here 
 before, but the people have heard of Him — 
 some have been into Galilee to sec- Him 
 (Mark iii. 8). 
 
 Here are a mother and daughter. How 
 pleasant, when a daughter is a help and com- 
 fort to her mother ! — why cannot this one be 
 so ? Suddenly, a rumour that the wonderful 
 Nazarene, who casts out devils with a 
 word, is Iiere ! Shall the mother go to 
 Him about her child ? ' But He is a Jew 
 — will He not regard her as n. dog [see 
 Note 5], turn from her in disdain? is she 
 not one of the accursed race of Canaan ? 
 were not her forefathers Israel's worst 
 tempters and enemies of old?' (I Kings 
 xvi. 31 ; Ezek. xxvi. 2). Yet she will risk 
 contempt and denial, and go. Now see 
 three things about her : — 
 
 (a) Her faith. She sees Jesus walking 
 with the Twelve. How does she address 
 Him? ver. 22 — " Son of David" — then she 
 knows of the expected Messiah — believes 
 this is He. Did the Jews believe that? 
 And, like the leper (Matt. viii. 2), she lias 
 no doubt about His poicer — only pleads for 
 ' mercy.' 
 
 (6) fler ])er severance. What answer does 
 she get? ver. 23. Yet she 'cries after' 
 Him. The disciples are alarmed — if she 
 goes on crying out, they will be noticed — if 
 she follows to the house, it will be known 
 where they are (see Mark vii. 21) — she 
 must be got rid of, whether answered or 
 not [see Note 4J. But Jesus is going to 
 give them an encouragement in their de- 
 jection [abofe\ bj^ shewing them th.at there 
 is such a thing as faith in Him, though so 
 little of it at Capernaum — therefore, will 
 lest her faith (like gold in the tire, see 
 1 Pet. i. 7). What He says (ver. 21) is 
 true, but He will prove to them that this 
 poor Gentile is one of the true children of 
 
 Abraham (see Rom. iv. 11 ; Gal. iii. 8, 9). 
 Now see her perseverance. They have 
 gone into the house [see Note 3], but will 
 she be left out ? See, she has burst in, and 
 is at Jesus' feet — hear her urgent cry, 
 ver. 25 — surely the tender Saviour must 
 yield now — no. He gives her the hated 
 name of 'dog' — 'how can He give her 
 what belongs to the chosen people ? ' 
 
 (c) Her humilitij. Yes. let her be a 
 'dog '--she does not mind that — but then 
 how can He refuse her ? — do not dogs eat 
 the crumbs ? — she wants nothing of the 
 children's — only let her have the dogs' 
 portion. [See Note 6.] 
 
 Once we saw Jesus ' marvelling ' at 
 ^ great faith' [Lesson XXVIIL] — and that, 
 too, was in a Gentile ; so here again. 
 See its reward : she is ' sent awaj' ' (Mark 
 vii. 29) — but how ? How true is our first 
 text for repetition ! 
 
 Thus we see, — 
 
 1. The Result of Unbelief ^Blessings re- 
 moved. The Galileans had Jesus with 
 them a long while — did not believe — some 
 who did turned away — then what did they 
 lose? How many blessings we have ; not 
 only earthly, but heavenly too — Bibles, 
 churches, schools, teachers — above all, a 
 mighty Saviour and Friend ' waiting to be 
 gracious.' Are we careless of all this? 
 Then may lose opportunities even here ; 
 and if death comes — ? What if one day a 
 ' great gulf ' (Luke xvi. 26) between us and 
 Christ ? It may be so with some who (like 
 the Jews) think ' all well with them, at all 
 events.' 
 
 2. The Result of Faith— Blessings be- 
 stowed. See what kind of faith the Phoe- 
 nician mother's was : — 
 
 (a) Righth/ directed. She trusted in 
 .lesus, in God's Messiah — in His power — in 
 His willingness to help. So let us. Many 
 trust in something else — they want to be 
 happy — trust in money; want to be for- 
 given — trust in their idea that God ' could 
 not be so hard as to condemn them'; want 
 to be sure of heaven — trust in their ' not 
 being worse than other people,' or in their 
 church-going, &c. But remember, 
 
 ' None but Jesus 
 Can do helpless sinners good,' — 
 
 and ' helpless sinners ' we all are, whether 
 we feel it or not. 
 
 (b) Persevering. Have you prayed, and 
 not iDcen answered ? Some have. Perhaps 
 Jas. iv. 3 gives the reason ; but perhaps 
 Christ is waiting for you to go on asking. 
 Who would grant j'ou a favour, if you 
 asked it, and then ran away and forgot it ? 
 If you really wanted Christ's blessings, you 
 would go on asking er.en if not siire how He 
 would receive you. But are we not sure '! 
 What is His own promise? John %'i. 37; 
 and see Ps. xxvii. 14, xl. 1 ; Isa. xxx. 18; 
 Lam. iii. 26 ; Luke xviii. 1 — 8. Go to Him, 
 believing that {2nd text for rep.) He is 
 ' the rewarder of them that diligently seek 
 Him.' 
 
IN DECAPOLIS. 
 
 129 
 
 Notes. 
 
 1. Most expositors agree in regarding the epoch 
 in our Lord's ministry at which we have now 
 arrived, as one of great importance. The ' Gali- 
 lean ministry,' properly so called, was now at an 
 end ; and it is doubtful whether Jesus appeared 
 again publicly at Capernaum. We find Him on 
 the borders of Phoenicia (see next Note), in the 
 half-heathen districts of Decapolis, on the east 
 of the Lake (see next Lesson), and in theextreme 
 north of Palestine, near Cresarea Philippi (Lesson 
 L.) ; and, although he more than once passed 
 through Galilee, His movements seem to have 
 been carefully concealed (see references in the 
 Sketch). It is usually assumed that this period 
 of seclusion lasted about six months, from the 
 Passover of John vi. 4, which He appears not to 
 have attended, to the Feast of Tabernacles of 
 John vii. The remaining six months of His life, 
 from this Feast to the last Passover, seem to have 
 been spent chiefiy in Perica and in the 'journeys 
 toward Jerusalem,' as will be more fully ex- 
 plained hereafter. 
 
 It is considered that the retirement from Caper- 
 naum was partly on account of the revulsion of 
 feeling in the popular mind described in John vi., 
 and partly for the sake of the Apostles— that 
 they might receive fuller instruction from their 
 Master's lips. It was during these northern 
 journeys that the coming death of Jesus was re- 
 vealed to tliem (Lesson LI.). 
 
 The chapters which refer to this period are 
 Matt. XV., xvi., xvil.,xviii. ; Mark vii., vili., ix. ; 
 Luke ix. 18—50. 
 
 In Bishop Ellicott's Lectures on the Life of Our 
 Lord, the characteristic features of the period are 
 very clearly presented. 
 
 2. Phoenicia is the narrow strip of plain be- 
 tween the mountains and the sea, extending 
 about 100 miles northward from the rocky head- 
 land called the Ladder of Tyre. On this district 
 see Mr. Bardsley's ' Notes of a Tour in Palestine,' 
 Church S. S. Mag., April, 1869, p. 150 ; Thomson's 
 Land and the Book, chaps. V. to XIV. ; Porter's 
 Giant Cities, &e., p. 271. 
 
 It is doubtful whether our Lord actually en- 
 tered Phoenicia, or only approached its borders 
 ('coasts'). EUicott argues for the former view, 
 on the ground that several of the oldest MSS. 
 (including the Sinaitic and Vatican) read, in 
 Mark vii. 31, ' from the coasts of Tyre He came 
 throuih Sidon.' 
 
 The woman is called by Mark ' a Greek,' i.e., 
 a Gentile, and a ' Syro-Phoenician by nation," 
 i.e., one of the Phoenician race in Syria, as dis- 
 tinguished from the Liby-Phoenicians or Car- 
 thaginians. Matthew calls her 'a Canaanitish 
 woman' (lit.), the Phoenicians being included 
 among the ancient nations of Canaan (see Judg. 
 i. 31,32, iii. 3). 
 
 3. From a comparison of the accounts in Matt, 
 and Mark, it appears that the latter omits the 
 woman's first application to Jesus, which, since 
 she ' cried after them,' must have been as He was 
 walking— and his reply to the suggestion of the 
 disciples; and that she followed Him to His 
 dwelling, and there renewed her entreaties. 
 
 4. ' Send her away.' These words, which are 
 simply equivalent to 'dismiss her,' leave it un- 
 certain whether the disciples wished the woman's 
 prayer to be granted or not. But our Lord's an- 
 swer seems to imply that they did. 
 
 5. ' Unto the logs'— the common term of con- 
 tempt applied by the Jews to the Gentiles, as 
 now by the Mohammedans in the East to the 
 Christians. It always implied reproach, the 
 nobler qualities of the dog not being referred to 
 in Scripture ; see 1 Sam. xvii. 43, xxiv. 14 ; 
 2 Sam. xvi. 9; 2 Kings viii. 13; Matt. vii. 6; 
 Kev. xxii. 15. Jesus, however, softened the 
 term by using the diminutive and more domestic 
 word 'little-dogs.' 
 
 6. ' Truth, Lord, yet,' &c. Rather. ' Yea, Lord, 
 for.' The word {vai) rendered ' Truth,' is the 
 same as that rendered first 'surely' and then 
 'even so' in Rev. xxii. 20— ' Surely ("at) I come 
 quickly '—' ^Kere so (•"")» come, Lord Jesus.' 
 ' I'et' is distinctly wrong : the woman does not 
 argue against Christ's words, but accepts them, 
 and adopts them, as furnishing her with a new 
 plea. Wordsworth thus paraphrases her re- 
 joinder:— 'Yea, Lord, Thou sayest true; it is 
 not right to take the children's bread and give it 
 to the dogs ; for the dogs eat of the crumbs that 
 fall from their master's table. Let me, therefore, 
 not have bread, but only crumb.i: and do not 
 give me even them, but let me pick up those that 
 fall; for this is our [the dogs'] lot.' 
 
 Luther, on these words, exclaims, ' Was not 
 that a master-stroke? she snares Christ in His 
 own words.' 
 
 Lesson XLIX.— In Decapolis. 
 
 'My God shall supply all your need .... through Christ Jesus.' 
 
 Head — Matt. xv. 29—39 ; [comp. Mark vii. 31 — 87, viii. 1 — 9) ; Learn — Isa. xxxv. 5, 6-, 
 Phil, iv. 19. (Hymns, 22, 48, 7(3, 93, 134, 180, 341.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 The obvious points of practical application in this passage are the same that have 
 arisen in previous Lessons. To avoid monotony, hovcever, they are taken up in the 
 Sketch in a way somewhat different from what has been before suggested. Thus, the 
 insuflRciency of either power or compassion by itself, the spiritual purpose of temporal 
 mercies, and the impressiveness of the sight of a great crowd, are new points. Pud, if 
 
 K 
 
130 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 adequately grasped by the teacher, will prove interesting to the scholars. The Jlrst of 
 these three is well treated and happily illustrated in the second chapter of Jacob Abbott's 
 Young Christian. The third has been suggested by a thoughtful sermon in the Graver 
 Thought s of a Country Parson. 
 
 The sub-sections {b) and (c), under Division II., have been introduced to complete the 
 subject, and also because no other special instance of a deaf or dumb person being cured 
 occurs in the Course. But they are not essential to the general plan of the Lesson, and 
 can be omitted if necessary. 
 
 With elder classes, the interesting circumstances, mentioned in Note 3, of the distinction 
 between the two kinds of ' baskets ' used on the two occasions of ' gathering up the frag- 
 ments,' should be clearly explained. Such ' undesigned coincidences ' do much to confirm 
 faith in the truth of Scripture, and they have the great advantage of doing this directly, 
 and net in the way of reply to sceptical objections. 
 
 Sketch 
 ' A great crowd — have you ever been in 
 one ? — ever looked down upon one ? Can- 
 not distinguish people in it — all mingled 
 together — yet how different really ! If 
 could only knoto each one — his home, family, 
 occupation, &c. — his troubles, sorrows, 
 pleasures, &c. — his thoughts and feelings, 
 good and bad — what strange differences ! 
 Some things to make one glad ; but how 
 much more to make one sad ! [lllust. — 
 When Xerxes looked on his vast Persian 
 army, he wept to think that none would be 
 alive in 100 years.] Once there was One 
 on earth Avho looked on many crowds, and 
 did knoio all abovi each person in them. 
 
 To-day see a great crowd come to Him — 
 how He felt — what He did. 
 
 \. An Infirm Crowd. [Readver. 29—31.] 
 
 Where did we leave Jesus? why in dis- 
 tant Phoenicia ? [7-ecapitidate.'\ He is still 
 journeying about with the twelve Apostles 
 — has now come into another part of the 
 country, Decapolis (Mark vii. 31) [see Note 
 1], east of Lake of Gennesareth — is there 
 on the mountains. The people here very 
 different from the Jews of Capernaum — 
 various nations mingled, Jews, Greeks, 
 Syrians, Ac. — not so many scribes and 
 synagogues — more ignorance, <fcc. Yet had 
 heard of Jesus — some had Been Him (Matt. 
 iv. 25) — and that man whom we know, the 
 demoniac who once lived in the tombs — see 
 what he had done in this country, Mark 
 T. 20. 
 
 And now that the great Teacher and 
 Healer is here Himself, what do they do ? 
 See the long lines of people toiling up the 
 steep hills — carrying and dragging whom ? 
 See them, each eager to be first, throiving 
 down their sick friends before Jesus, ver. 
 30 ! Then the wonder — new voices from 
 speechless tongues — cripples leaping from 
 their mats, throwing away their cnitches — 
 those who used to feel their way now 
 looking joyously at their friends. What 
 prophecy thus fulfilled? [1st text for 
 rep. J. 
 
 Is wonder the only thing ? Praise also 
 — and who is praised ?— they knew not that 
 Jesus was God, so rightly looked up to 
 God in heaven, ignorant heathen joining 
 with Jews to ' glorify the God of Israel,' 
 
 OP Lesson. 
 
 2. A Hungry Crowd. [Read ver. 32—39.] 
 Not a different crowd — the same people. 
 In wonder and gratitude cannot leave 
 Jesus — hour after hour, day and night, 
 listening to His gracious words — can't 
 have too much of them — (are we like 
 that?). At last, on third day, what does 
 Jesus say? Have the disciples forgotten 
 that great evening when they went roimd 
 the ranks of the 5,000 with the pieces of 
 bread and fish? — surely not — but they never 
 think of Jesus repeating the miracle — so 
 their question (ver. 33) natural — Jesus not 
 angiy with them [see Note 2]. Yet — what 
 follows ? Another little store brought to 
 Him — another solemn thanksgi^'ing — an- 
 other going round and round the ranks — 
 another ' filling ' of the hungrj' — another 
 gathering of the fragments — perhaps an- 
 other ciy of ' Let Him be king ' — certainly 
 another hasty departure, ver. 39. 
 
 Here was a crowd with all sorts of vari- 
 ous bodily needs — then with a gi'eat common 
 need. Now for two questions : — 
 
 I. How WERE THESE NEEDS SUPPLIED ? 
 By the Comj)nss ion of Jesus? Yes, partly; 
 
 see ver. 32 and Mark viii. 2. As those 
 crowds came up the hill, He coixld see 
 every heart — knew every circumstance. 
 How much for Him to pity — and how 
 deeply He would feel it all ! [see Lesson 
 XXIX., under ' Compassiun']. And see 
 Mark vii. 34, viii. 12 — Jesus sighing. But 
 then we also feel compassion for the needy 
 and suffering, yet do we always supply the 
 need ? why not ? — have not the mcajis, the 
 power. So Compassion not enough by 
 itself. 
 
 By the Power of Jesus ? Yes, partly this 
 too ; and how blessed to have such power ! 
 But we, again, sometimes have power (in 
 our little ways) to help others ; yet do we 
 always help them ? why not ? — are selfish 
 — do not feel compassion. So Power not 
 enough by itself. 
 
 Willing, and also able — able, and also 
 willing — what a Friend is the Lord Jesus ! 
 
 II. Why were these Needs sup- 
 plied ? 
 
 Was it just because Jesus was willing 
 and able? — because He pitied their infirmi- 
 
IN DECAPOLIS. 
 
 131 
 
 ties ar.d their hunger, and therefore did 
 the miracles ? Well, He tvas always ready- 
 to do good. Yet, another object too — a 
 greater one still. When He looked on 
 that crowd and knew all about them, was 
 His compassion only for their bodily needs ? 
 Ah, He saw what was at the bottom of it 
 all — sin ; His ' sighs ' because the people 
 ignorant, living without God (see Eph. ii. 
 12). Now, these miracles — what might 
 they do ? 
 
 (a) Tell of God's power and love — that 
 He cared even for these poor, untaught, 
 despised herdsmen, shepherds, &c. — that 
 the ' God of Israel ' cared for all, Greeks, 
 Syrians, Arabs, as well as Jews. Bid the 
 people learn this? whom did they ' glorify' ? 
 ver. 31. 
 
 (5) Show what Jesus could do sinritually. 
 What would the lame walking be a picture 
 of ? [Lesson XXXIII.] The blind seeing ? 
 2 Pet. i. 9; 1 John ii. 11 ; Acts xxvi. 18. 
 Look at one miracle which Mark tells us 
 all about, vii. 31 — 37. Deaf and Dumb — 
 how sad and helpless [picture^. Yet there 
 are deaf and dumb worse than that : deaf 
 to God's voice (Ps. Iviii. 4 ; Matt. xiii. 1.5; 
 Acts vii. 57 ; Heb. v. 11), dumb to speak 
 in prayer, praise, &c. And to these Jesus 
 can say ' Ephphatha ' — can open the mind 
 (Luke xxiv. 45) and heart (Acts xvi. 14), 
 so that they say, ' Speak, Lord, for Thy 
 servant heareth ' (1 Sam. iii. 9; comp. Ps. 
 Ixxxv. 8 ; Hab. ii. 1) ; can loosen the tongue, 
 so that it shall speak to God (Ps. v. 3, xxx. 
 12— marff.), and for God (Acts v. 20). '0 
 
 Lord, open Thou my lips, and my mouth 
 shall show forth Thy praise.' 
 
 (c) Might be done in particular ways, 
 likely to do the soul good too. See haw 
 Jesus treated the deaf man — not like the 
 others :— (1) the man had sight and feeling, 
 but not hearing and speech — so Jesus made 
 signs which he could see and_/ec/, ver. 33 — 
 to make him understand 7oho cured him ; 
 (2) the cure not in public— 'took him 
 aside,' ver. 33 ; (3) Jesus forbad them to 
 make it known. We know not exactly why 
 all this ; but clearlj^ it was ' do the man's 
 soul good in some way. 
 
 Have we not Needs likewise ? 
 
 Earthly needs: health, friends, employ- 
 ment, education, enough to live upon, &c. 
 
 Spiritual needs: pardon of sin, a new 
 heart, the Holy Spirit, strength to over- 
 come sin, &c. 
 
 Christ knows our needs— all of them. 
 He looks down on many croivds [e.g., on the 
 crowd of scholars in this school), but He 
 knows each one separately (you, and you). 
 
 Has He compassion ? Ps. Ixxxvi. 15 ; 
 Isa. Ixiii. 9 ; Lam. iii. 22. 
 
 Has He Power ? Matt, xxviii. 18 ; John 
 xvii. 2 ; Heb. vii. 25. 
 
 Does He supply our need? Think — 
 \_recJcon up temporal mercies']. But these 
 earthly good things ought to make us 
 thankful, loving, obedient — so do good to 
 our souls too ; do they ? Let not our spi- 
 ritual needs be unsupplied because we 
 refuse the help. Let Him (2nd text for 
 rep ' ' supply all our need.' 
 
 Notes. 
 
 1. Decapolis was a large districton the east and 
 south-east of the Lake of Gennesareth, including 
 portions of the ancient Cashan and Gilead, and 
 so called from ten cities (<feca, ten; polls, city), 
 which were rebuilt, partially colonised by 
 foreigners, and endowed with special privileges, 
 when the Romans conquered S3"ria, B.C. G5. 
 Among them were Gadara, Gerasa, Hippos, 
 Telia (whither the Christians fled just before 
 the destruction of Jerusalem), Philadelphia (the 
 ancient Rabbath-Ammon), and Scythopolis (the 
 ancient Bethshan), the last on the west side of 
 the Jordan. 
 
 Probably Christ journeyed eastward from 
 Phosnicia across Northern Palestine, then sotuh- 
 ward throtigh Gaulonitis, and so to the moun- 
 tains on the east of the Lake. After the feeding 
 of the ifi<X\, He crossed the lake to Magdala 
 {Matt.), the modern Mejdel, just opposite. JIai-k 
 says He came ' into the parts of Dalmanutha,' 
 which is supposed to refer to some adjoining 
 place. 
 
 2. It Is usual to charge the Apostles with great 
 unbelief, on account of their reply to Christ's re- 
 mark about the hungry multitude, after such a 
 miracle as they had seen Him do before ; and 
 sceptical writers have argued, from the supposed 
 impossibility of such unbelief, that the narra- 
 tive is only a different account of the original 
 miracle. But, although their repeated unbelief 
 was quite possible (comp. Numb. xi. 21, 22, with 
 
 Exod. xvi.), their words do not necessarily imply 
 it at all. Christ's remark would seem to them 
 quite natural ; there was no hint that He in- 
 tended to work a second miracle of the kind; 
 and for them to suggest it would have been (as 
 Alford says) as unbecoming as it was in Mary 
 (John ii. 3, 4). 
 
 3. The 'baskets' named in this passage are 
 not the same as those used on the former occa- 
 sion. The Greek words are dilTerent. All the 
 four Evangelists use the same word (.ko^ivo^, 
 kophlnos) in their accounts of the fit st miracle; 
 Matthew and Mark, who alone record the second, 
 both use another word (oTn/pls, spu7is) in their 
 accounts ot it. The distinction is also preserved 
 in the passage (Matt. xvi. 9, 10; Mark vili. 19, 
 20) where Jesus refers to both miracles ; which is 
 one of the most remarkable of the 'undesigned 
 coincidences* of Scripture. The spurts was a 
 very large basket, as is shown by the use of the 
 word in Acts ix. 25, where it is said that St. Pai;il 
 was let down over the wall in a ' basket.' 
 
 4. The following remark of Luther's on our 
 Lord's sigh (Mark vii. 34) is quoted byStier:— 
 ' This sigh was not drawn from Christ on account 
 of the single tongue and ear of this poor man ; 
 but it is a common sigh over all tongues and 
 cars. The greatest mischief which has been in- 
 flicted on Christianity has not risen from tyrants, 
 but from that little bit of flesl? which abides 
 within the jaws.' 
 
 K 2 
 
132 
 
 Lesson L. — Peter's Confession. 
 
 ' Thou art Peter.' 
 
 Read — Matt. xvi. 13 — 19 ; {comp. Mark viii. 27 — 29 ; Luke ix. 18 — 20) ; Learn — John vi. 
 
 45; 1 Pet, ii. 4—6, {Hymns, 43, 102, 120, 123, 158, 320.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 Many teachers will be a little afraid of this Lesson, under the not uncommon idea that 
 the famous verse, ' Thou art Peter,' &c., needs to be rather anxiously explained away for 
 fear of its supporting the claims of the Papacy, For this fear there is no ground whatever. 
 Whether the word ' rock refers to Peter or not (on which see Notes 3, 4) is a purely 
 critical question, which does not afEect the actual privilege conferred upon him : a privilege 
 vrhich cannot be disputed, though it gives not the slightest warrant for Papal pretensions. 
 (See Note 6). 
 
 Teachers of elder classes should be prepared to deal with this subject, only let them do 
 .=0 calmly and confidently, and not as though our controversy with Romanism depended 
 on the interpretation of a difficult metaphorical expression. There are boys and girls, in 
 neighbourhoods where Roman Catholic influences are at work, who think that if the 
 ' rock ' in this passage does mean Peter, then the Church of Rome is the true Church ; and 
 it is just this conclusion that should be shown to be absurd. 
 
 No passage shows more impressively than this the essential nature of the great doctrine 
 of Christ's Divinity. However limited Peter's knowledge may have been, the faith which 
 made him a ' foundation-stone ' in the Church svas obviously a faith in that doctrine. Its 
 importance, therefore, should be earnestly urged, especially on thoughtful senior scholars, 
 who are often open to Socinian influence. A good opportunity is afforded by this Lesson 
 to explain that the bowing of the head when the name of Jesus occurs in the Creed is an 
 ancient custom signifying personal assent to the doctrine that ' Jesus ' is one of the Three 
 Persons of the Blessed Trinity ; and reference may be made to the fact that in the Bap- 
 tismal Service the question is put, ' Wilt thou be baptized in this faith ? {i.e. the faith of 
 the Creed) ; and that the formula of baptism itself is, in accordance with our Lord's 
 command, ' in the name of the Father, and of the Son,' &c., implying belief in the coequal 
 Godhead of Christ. At the same time, it must always be carefully pointed out that mere 
 orthodoxy is useless — that it is only the faith of the heart that can make the most 
 accurate theologian a ' stone ' in the true Church. 
 
 Sketch 
 How strange it must seem to the Apostles 
 to be now wandering about the mountains 
 and distant parts of the country because 
 Jesus has been rej ected by the people ! 
 When left homes, fishing, &c., expected 
 great success — so it was at first — wondrous 
 miracles, great popularity — then opposition 
 from the chief men — then, just when popu- 
 larity greatest, change of feeling, desertion 
 of disciples [Lesson XLVIL] — now, all 
 seems to look dark. True, grateful crowds 
 in Decapolis [last Lesson"], but these only 
 poor country-folk. Since then, been once 
 again into then- own neighbourhood (Matt. 
 XV. 39), but set upon by Pharisees and 
 obliged to sail back to east side of Lake 
 (xvi. 1 — 5). Now far away again, near 
 Philip's Gentile city [see Note 1]. 
 
 Why do they still stay with Jesus ? We 
 shall see. 
 
 I, Peter's Faith, ver. 13—16. 
 
 As they walk along {Mark), what does 
 Jesus ask them ? ver. 13. After all those 
 teachings and miracles, what do the people 
 think of Jesus ? They had fancied He was 
 Messiah sometimes (see Matt. xii. 23), but 
 
 OF Lesson. 
 
 the Pharisees had made them doubt that, 
 and then He would not be the king they 
 wanted. [Lesson XLVH.] Still they 
 could not think badly of Him — perhaps He 
 might be a prophet — Elijah or Jeremiah 
 — or the murdered Baptist risen again (see 
 Matt. xiv. 1, 2). [See Note 2.] 
 
 But the Twelve— what do they think? 
 They might well doubt and hesitate — but 
 no — the answer is ready, ver. 16 — and deci- 
 sive too, not ' we say,' or ' we think,' but 
 ' Thou art.' ' Art ' what ? {a) The Ch7-ist. 
 No doubt Peter is perplexed and downcast 
 by the seeming failure, yet sure of one 
 thing — ' He is Messiah, it will come right 
 by-and-bye.' (6) Son of the living God. 
 Peter did not then know all we know about 
 this — about the Trinity ; but would re- 
 member Ps. ii. 7 — Jesus had often spoken 
 of ' My Father ' — they had been with Him 
 when He prayed (e.^. just now, Luke ix. 18) 
 — they could see He was in some way nearer 
 God than other men. 
 
 II. The Source op Peter's Faith, 
 ver, 17. 
 Somi'ce, where it came from (like river). 
 
PETER'S CONFESSION. 
 
 133 
 
 How did he know that Jesiis was Messiah 
 and Son of God ? Had the Baptist said so '? 
 (John i. 27, 29, 34)— butiall the people had 
 heard that too. Was He like what the 
 Scriptures predicted? (John v. 39) — but 
 they too had the Scriptures. Did His 
 miracles settle the point ? (John v. 30, 
 s. 37) — but the people had all seen these. 
 Yet they believed not — why then (despite 
 all doubts and obstacles) did Peter believe ? 
 See what Jesus says, ver. 17. 'Plesh 
 and blood' (his own ideas about Messiah, 
 and others' opinions) never would have 
 taught Him this. But God did. That was 
 why he had come to Jesus (1st text for 
 rep. ; comp. Matt. xi. 25 ; 1 Cor. xii, 3 ; 
 2 Cor. iv. 6 ; Gal. i. 12, 15, 16) . Well might 
 he be called ' blessed ' ! God had made 
 him feel his sin (Luke v. 8) and wish for 
 eternal life (John vi. 68) — felt no use going 
 to any one but Jesus. 
 
 III. What Peter's Faith qualified 
 HIJI TO BE, ver. 18. 
 
 Qualified, made fit [illust. — pupil teacher 
 being qualified J or mastership, apprentice 
 for trade] , 
 
 You have watched masons at their build- 
 ing work [name some instancel . Stones all 
 carefidly cut to right size and shape, so 
 qualified for their places. Those at bottom, 
 now large, strong, firm ! 
 
 What does Jesus tell Peter He is doing ? 
 ver. 18 — building His Church. Not a church 
 of stones from the quarry ; a Church of 
 souls — men, women, and children are the 
 ' stones ' in it — ' li\'ing stones,' built up 
 into a ' spiritual house ' (2nd text for rep.). 
 Who are the foundation-stones, the great 
 ones laid first ? see Eph. ii. 20 (comp. Rev. 
 xxi. 14). 
 
 Now, was Peter fit to be a great founda- 
 tion-stone in the Chm-ch ? Not naturally — 
 was ardent and affectionate, but unsteady. 
 But what had Jesus said to him when they 
 first met? John i. 42 [see Lesson XV.] — 
 ' thou shalt be called Cephas,' i.e., a stone, 
 firm and strong. His own name Simon — 
 but should be called Peter (Greek, same as 
 Cephas, Ileb.) by-and-bye. See now what 
 Jesus calls him, ver. 17, 18: first, 'Simon 
 Barjona' (son of Jonas), his own name; 
 then, ' Thou art Peter,' the promised new 
 name. What made Simon now worthy to 
 be called Peter "i It was his faith about 
 Jesus. Because he believed in ' the Christ, 
 the Son of God,' he would be firm and 
 strong, fit to be a great foundation-stone in 
 the Church. [See Note 3.] 
 
 In the Church — ' well, but (Peter might 
 think) is the Church being built ? — it looks 
 more like being pulled down just now — 
 every one falling away from us.' Still — ' / 
 will build.' It is on a rock, on the safe and 
 sure foundation. Jesus Himself (so firm, 
 never changing, Heb. xiii. 8) underneath 
 all, Isa. xxviii. 16 (comp. 1 Peter ii. 6) ; 
 1 Cor. iii. 11. The Apostles built in next, 
 so that Peter himself, joined on to Chi-ist, 
 becomes like the rock (the petra) too — be- 
 
 comes, as it were, part of the rock [see Note 
 4J . Darker days to come yet — death should 
 come on them (they little thought how 
 soon on Jesus Himself) — but the grave 
 should not conquer — its 'gates' not shut 
 them in for ever [see Note 5] — the Church 
 triumphant at last — not one ' stone ' mis sing, 
 
 IV. The Special Reward of Peter's 
 Faith, ver. 19. 
 
 Peter not only to be in the Church him- 
 self, but to have a special work to do [see 
 Note 6.] 
 
 Keys — Jesus now speaks of the Church 
 in another way, as like a city or a palace — 
 men to be invited to come in. Who could 
 open the gates ? I Illust. — who open^ door 
 of church or school ? he loho has the hey.] 
 Who has the key of God's palace, God's 
 heavenly city? see Rev. iii. 7 (as prophesied, 
 Is. xxii. 22). The gates shut against sin- 
 ners, but Jesus, taking away sin, opened, 
 them (Eph. ii. 13, 18)— 'Thou didst open 
 the kingdom of heaven to all believers ' 
 (Te Deum). 
 
 To Peter Jesus gives the key — what for ? 
 Not to do what the Pharisees did, Matt, 
 xxiii. 13. No, but to throw open the gates 
 wide to Jews and Gentiles. What meant ? 
 His preaching — was not Peter the first to 
 proclaim the glad news to Jews (Acts, ii.) 
 and Gentiles (Acts x., see xv. 7) ? And 
 something else — 'bind' and 'loose' — should 
 make laws, say what to be done and what 
 not to be done, in the Church ; see how he 
 did afterwards, Acts v. 9, xv. 7, 22. But 
 not Peter alone ; the same authority to the 
 other Apostles, see Matt, xriii. 18. 
 
 Why these privileges and honours given 
 to Peter? Not for anything of his own, 
 not as Simon ; but for the faith God gave 
 him, as Peter. He and the others could 
 have no fitness, except by God's grace in 
 them, see 1 Cor. iv. 6, 7, xv. 10 ; 2 Cor. iii. 
 5 ; Eph. iii. 7. 
 
 We cannot have Peter's ofiice, nor his 
 privilege in being a foundation-stone. But 
 ' stones' we may be — ' living stones ' in the 
 Church. 
 
 How CAK WE become STONES LN 
 
 Christ's Church? 
 
 Not naturally. No more fit for it than 
 ' Simon son of Jonas.' Like rough, shape- 
 less stones in the quarry — want to be cut, 
 polished, prepared. There must be a change 
 in us, as in Peter. 
 
 Only by having Peter's faith. What was 
 his faith ? («) In Jesus as ' the Christ,' 
 the Deliverer from sin. Do we trust in Him 
 as our Saviour ? (6) In Jesus as ' the Son 
 of God.' Do we adore and obey Him as 
 our Lord and our God ? 
 
 Eow may tve get this faith ? God alone 
 can give it — ask Him. 
 
 You say you believe all that. You can 
 say the Creed, and accept it. Yes, but 
 Peter's faith made him — (a) cleave to Christ 
 when others turned away (see .John vi. 66 
 — 69) ; (S) confess Christ openly (comp. 
 Rom. X, 9, 10). Is our faith like that ? 
 
134 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 Notes, 
 
 1. CiBsarea Philippi must not be confounded 
 with the Ca;sareii on the coast, so often named 
 in the Acts. It was situated at th-' foot 'of 
 Mount Ilcrmon. Its original name was Panium 
 (the Greelis liaving there a shrine of the god 
 Pan), which has been corrupted into the modern 
 Bauias. Philip the tetrach enlarged and beau- 
 tifled it, and named it after Iiis imperial master 
 and himself. The scenery is the finest in Pales- 
 tine. Behind the ruins rises a towering cliff, 
 1,000 feet high, one of the spurs of Hermon, on 
 the top of which are the remains of a Saracen 
 castle, which for grandeur is compared by 
 Hanna to tliat of Heidelberg. Under the cliff Is 
 a dark cave, from which springs one of the 
 three streams which ultimatelj' unite and form 
 the Jordan. See Robinson, Bibl. Res. iil., p. 358 ; 
 Stanley, S. i- P., p. 394; Porter, Giant Cities, 
 p. loa ; Tristram, Land of Israel, p. 581; Thom- 
 son, L. d- B., p. 229 (where a slcetch of the cave 
 is given). If oiir Lord's words to Peter were 
 spoken at this spot', the great cliff would give 
 peculiar force to the expression, 'on this rock.' 
 
 2. The belief that Elias should precede Messiah 
 (see Matt. xvii. 10) arose from Malachi's pro- 
 phecy (Mai. iv. 5) ; and as the Baptist had said 
 he was not Elias (though lie did fufll the office, 
 see Luke i. 17), tlie people fancied Jesus might 
 be he, and that the Messiah might be expected 
 to follow. There was also a Rabbinical idea 
 (perhaps based on 2 Esdras ii. 18) that Jere- 
 miah would re-appear. The third opinion 
 named, that Jesus was the Baptist risen again, 
 might be that of the Ilerodians (Matt. xiv. 2). 
 
 3. ' T/wu art Fder.' Comparing this expression 
 with the ' Thou shalt be called (Cephas' of John 
 i. 42, it is clear that by it Christ intimates to the 
 Apostle that the predicted change in his cha- 
 racter has now taken place, and that the evidence 
 of this is the confession of his faith. That faith 
 gave him what he had not naturally— a petrine 
 character (as it has been well called). By 
 addressing him just before by his own name, 
 Simon, Christ would mark the contrast between 
 the natural and the renewed man — 'Thou, 
 Simon, son of Jonas, art now Peter'; and thus 
 shew him that it was only as Peter— i.e., only by 
 grace— that his high commission could be given 
 him. So, when, after his great fall, this com- 
 mission was renewed, Jesus addressed him as 
 'Simon, sou of Jonas' (John xxi. 15—17), to 
 remind him of ' the weakness of his mortal 
 nature.' 
 
 4. 'Upon this rock.' Three exiilanations have 
 been given of these words : (a) That the ' rock ' 
 is the doctrine confessed by Peter ; (6) That the 
 ' rock' is Christ ; (c) That the 'rock' is Peter. 
 
 (a) (Joncerning the first view, it may be said, 
 that it is contrary to the usage of Scripture to 
 apply such a metaphor to a doctrine; and the 
 words, so explained, do not read naturally— 
 • Thou art Petros, and upon this petra,' this con- 
 fession of faith, &c. Why, on tills view, did our 
 Lord say, ' Thou art Petros ' at all ? 
 
 (6) The second view e.xpresscs wliat is an un- 
 questionable truth, viz., that Christ is the real 
 foundation of the Church, tlie rock on which it 
 is built (see texts cited In the Sketch). The 
 question Is whether our Lord is here referring 
 to this truth ; and, it may again be asked, If so, 
 
 what is the meaning of the words, ' Thou art 
 Petros '? No interpretation can be correct which 
 denies that the true ' rock' is Christ ; but many 
 of His titles are applied to His servants in a 
 subordinate sense. They are shepherds: He is 
 the chief Shcplierd. They are apostles : He is 
 'the Apostle' (Heb. iii. 1). They are to ' shine 
 as the sun' (Matt. xili. 43); He is the Sun ol 
 righteousness. They, like Him, are ' the light 
 of the world '—not merely light-bearers (as In 
 Phil. ii. l.i), but 'the light' (in Matt. v. 14<J)<ls, 
 the very word applied to Christ in John 1.). The 
 fact, therefore, that He is the ' Rock,' does not 
 necessarily prove that the same name cannot 
 be given to His servants. 
 
 (c) If the thii'u view be correct, why are the 
 words used {petros and petra) different? If 
 Jesus spoke in Aramaic (Hebrew), there would 
 not be a difference ; but, as it is doubtful 
 whether He did not speak in Greek, this cannot 
 be pressed. Alford urges that the difference is 
 Inevitable, becaiise petra is feminine, while the 
 name given to Simon must be in the masculine 
 form, petros. And the larger term might be used 
 to shew that Peter was not alone : the Church 
 should be built on ' the foundation of the apos- 
 tles and prophets.' But, it is asked,howcau the 
 Church be built upon a fallible and sinful man? 
 To which it is replied, that it was only the 
 renetred, beUeving, grace-changed, nature of the 
 Apostle that is referred to (sec preceding 'Note). 
 The words would then mean, ' Thou, Simon 
 Barjona, art in thyself quite unfit to be a founda- 
 tion-stone in Jly Church, but now thy faith hath 
 made thee a Peter; thou hast become transformed 
 into the likeness of Me, the true Rock ; and upon 
 such a foundation, such a petra, I will build My 
 Church.' Certainly this is the most natural 
 interpretation. 
 
 On this latter view, a singular force is given 
 to Christ's subsequent remark to Peter, 'Thou 
 art an offence unto Me,' literally, ' a stone of 
 stumbling.' See next Lesson, Note 4, and comp. 
 1 Peter ii. G, 8. 
 
 5. ' The gates of hell,' lit. ' of Hades.' When 
 the abode of evil spirits, the place of punishment, 
 is referred to in the N.T., the word used is 
 'Gehenna.' 'Hades' always means simply the 
 place of the departed— the region of the dead. 
 The term 'gates of Hades' cannot, therefore^ 
 mean, as commonly interpreted, (he power of 
 Satan, Imt rather, death and the grave; and the 
 idea is that death, though seemingly victorious 
 over the Church (as when Christ Himself died, 
 and when the Apostles were martyred), should 
 not really ' jirevail against it.' Death is repre- 
 sented as having 'gates,' in Job xxxviii. 17; 
 Ps. ix. 13, cvii. 18; Isa. xxxviii. 10; comp. Rtv. i. 
 18. And by 'gates' is symbolised not only im- 
 prisonment, but power- the gates of eastern 
 cities being the places of authority and judg- 
 ment; see Ueut. xvi. 18; 2 Sam. xv. 2, xix. 8; 
 and compare the common apjiellation of the 
 Turkish empire, ' Ottoman Porte.' 
 
 6. On ver. 19, Stlcr quotes a statement of the 
 Rabbinical writer Maimonides, that it was the 
 custom, when a Scribe was formally authorised 
 to teach, to hand him a key, ami givehim 'power 
 to bind and loose'; whicli throws great light on 
 our Lord's words. The key is the symbol of 
 stewardship (see Isa. xxii. 15—22) ; and Christ's 
 
THE NEW EEVELATION TO THE DISCIPLES. 
 
 135 
 
 ministers are ' stewards of the mj'steries of God,' 
 (1 Cor. iv. 1). The idea, therefore, is involved of 
 dispensing the treasures of God's Word, as well 
 as of opening and shutting. 'Binding' and 
 •loosing' are expressly spoken cf things, not of 
 persons—' ichatsoever' not ' whomsoever,' and the 
 reference is to the administration of the Church. 
 The same power is given in Matt, xviii. 18 to 
 all the Apostles, a sutlicient refutation of the 
 Komish theory of the Primacy of St. Peter. In 
 
 the Gospels and the Acts, although Peter is 
 frequently the spokesman of the Apostles, there 
 is not a trace of any supremacy ; and still less in 
 his own Epistles. Even if such supremacy were 
 granted, its supposed descent to his successors 
 would still be a pure invention ; and even if this 
 were granted, who are the successors? Certainly 
 not the Bishops of a city over the church of 
 which there is no evidence that Peter ever pre- 
 sided. 
 
 Lesson LI.— The New Eevelation to the Disciples. 
 
 ' God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christy 
 
 i?c«fZ— Matt. xvi. 20—28; (comp. Mark viii. 30— ix. 1 ; Luke ix. 21—27); Learn— Gsxl. 
 vi. 14 ; Luke xiv. 27. {Hymns, bl, 63, 82, 127, 171, 312, 324, 355.) 
 
 To THE TEAeHER. 
 
 This Lesson is one of the most important in the Course, and the teacher should do his 
 utmost to grasp it thoroughly, and teach it well, as much that is to follow will hang upon 
 it. To insure its effectiveness great pains ^vill be necessary to make quite clear to the 
 children that what is to them so familiar, and so natural, was to the Apostles most strange 
 and shocking ; and this not only as regards the death of Chiist, but particularly as regards 
 the mode of that death, the peculiar ignominy of which must be especially dwelt upon. 
 It may be mentioned that in Mrs. Charles's story. The Victory of the Vanquished, this 
 ignominy is several times very ri^-idly depicted. 
 
 In the second division of the Lesson, the Baptismal covenant shottld be referred to, 
 and particularly the use of the sign of the cross as a token of dedication to Christ's 
 service. 
 
 Section 2 of the second division may be omitted in case of need, as being ^ess essential 
 than the rest to the main sub] ect ; but its intrinsic importance should cause it to be 
 retained if possible. A sermon preached at St. Paul's by Canon Liddon — Tlie True Profit 
 —deals very powerfitUy with the topic of this section. 
 
 Sketch of Lesson. 
 
 What do people do who hear good news? 
 — keejj it to themselves? If something 
 good happened to your family [supjtose a 
 case suitable to local circujnstances — e.cj., ' if 
 your father ivere made a foreman'^, whom 
 would you tell ? 
 
 What good news have the disciples got 
 now? [last Lesson — recapitulate'\. To whom 
 would they want to tell such great things ? 
 Would they not want to go about pro- 
 claiming, '• We were quite right — He is 
 Messiah — says so plainly — the 'kingdom' 
 going to be set up now — nothing shall 
 'prevail against it' — we to be His chief 
 men — To Jerusalem ! — rally round Him — 
 turn out the Romans ! " 
 
 Now see what Jesus says, ver. 20 — ' Tell 
 no man ' — how stran ge ! — why not ? Because 
 they are all wrong — not wrong to be sure 
 He is Messiah, Son of God, but wrong 
 about the kingdom being set up — wrong 
 about what is going to happen to Him and 
 to them. He wall tell them why they are 
 wrong. To do so, must tell them a new 
 thing, something they have never thought 
 of, something that would seem very sad 
 and painful. [See Note 1.] 
 
 1. Christ's Cross before Christ's 
 Crown. 
 
 What does He say ? ver. 21 (comp. Mark 
 viii. 31). (a) Yes, he is going to Jerusalem. 
 But what for ? — to be received with joy ? 
 to be set on David's throne ? no — {b) To be 
 'rejected,' just as before, by the rulers, (c) 
 Worse than that, to ' suffer many things ' 
 of them. Ah ! btit He will overcome them, 
 be king in spite of them, as prophesied, 
 Ps. ii. ? No— (ci) To be killed ! Can we 
 not see Peter's indignation, John's silent 
 amazement, Thomas's despair, Judas's self- 
 ish dismay ? Stay, something else — (e) 
 To rise again ; but this they understand 
 not — scarcely hear it for horror. 
 
 Look at Peter, seizing hold of Jesus — 
 what does he say ? ver. 22 — ' shall not ' — 
 he is quite sure — why ? has the Father 
 again taught Him (see ver. 17), that he 
 should rebuke his Master becaitse he knows 
 better than He ? See the reply — is it 
 ' Blessed art thou ' again ? Why does Jesua 
 call Peter ' Satan ' ? It is the same temp- 
 tation that came once before (Matt. iv. 8 — 
 10) [Lesson XIIL], to take the kingdom 
 without suffering, the crown without the 
 
136 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUK LORD. 
 
 cross. Jesus knows who is at the bottom 
 of that— not even ' flesh and blood,' ver. 17 
 (comp. Eph. vi. 12), but—? And He knows 
 why Satan suggests it— to make Him fall 
 if possible ; so what is Peter now ? not a 
 'foundation-stone' but a ' stumbling-stone' 
 [see Note 4] , put right in the path of Jesus 
 for Him to fall over. 
 
 But why was it such a temptation ? why 
 so dangerous? Think — what did Jesus 
 come for? Matt. i. 21 ; John i. 29. How 
 save from sin, how take it away, unless 
 bear the penalty, imless die ? This is why 
 Jesus said ^must' (ver. 21) [see Xoie 3J — 
 no salvation without it. And no crown, 
 no glory, either : if He died not, He failed 
 in His work — and the glory only to be His 
 when it was finished, John xvii. 4, 5 ; Phil, 
 ii. 8, 9 ; Heb. xii. 2. But Peter knew not 
 this— thought death would be ruin (comp. 
 Luke xxiv. 20, 21). 
 
 This not all. Jesus has spoken of Him- 
 self — now speaks of them. 
 
 II. TheChristian's Cross BEFORE THE 
 Christian's Crown. 
 
 The people have gathered togethernow 
 (see Mark viii. 34) — doubtless at the news 
 that Jesus is come. What an opportunity 
 for Peter ! would he not like to use his 
 ' keys ' and tell them about Messiah ? — but 
 this, this strange and fearful announcement 
 — cannot tell this to any one. See what 
 Jesus does — calls them to Him ; speaks 
 before all — will have no one deceived— all 
 shall know what 'followdng Him' means. 
 "What does He say ? 
 
 1. That following Him shall be shameful 
 and painful, ver. 24. 
 
 What "do people think the greatest dis- 
 grace to any one ? Is it not to be hunrj as 
 a criminal ? Among the Romans, several 
 ways of putting to death : one, the most 
 painful and disgraceful of all, kept for 
 rebellious slaves, robbers, and aU low and 
 despised people — nailing alive to a wooden 
 cross. This thought of as a horrible and 
 shameful thing ; if met a man carrying a 
 cross (as the criminal was made to do) and 
 being led to execution, would know he 
 was some bad and worthless fellow. Now 
 see what Jesus says — Evei-tj follower of His 
 to ' take up his cross ' .' (comp. Matt. x. 38 ; 
 Mark x. 21 ; Luke xiv. 27). What could 
 this mean ? 
 
 (rt) If to do this was to follow Him, then 
 He, too, must have to carry a cross ; and 
 what did that mean? It told how He 
 should die — as a common felon ! What 
 must Peter think now ! 
 
 (A) But why should they. His followers, 
 carry crosses ? Was that what they were 
 coming to — instead of the glory and power 
 they were expecting, to die a lingering 
 deatli, scorned and pointed at as the vilest 
 of men ? Well, every one must be rendii 
 to face that (see Luke -xxii. 3.^ ; Acts xxi. 
 13), and on some it should really come. 
 
 (c) Anotherstrange word — ' daily ' {Luke). 
 How could they be crucified daily ? No, 
 
 but every day they must be content to bear 
 shame and contempt ; every day cheerfully 
 bear painful and wearisome trials (little 
 ones sometimes, but not pleasanter for 
 that) ; every day struggle against, conquer, 
 crucify, their sins. See Gal. v. 24 ; Col. iii. 
 5 ; 1 Pet. iv. 1, 2, 12—16. 
 
 2. And yet, that following Him is the only 
 tcise and safe course, ver. 25, 26. 
 
 Why wise, when scorn certain? why 
 safe, when death likely ? But suppose the 
 worst — a cruel death — what then ? ^Vhat is 
 lost ? life and property ? Well, these may, 
 perhaps, be saved bj' not following Christ, 
 but what is lost then ? You may have the 
 ' whole world ' — be richer and more thought 
 of than the greatest person j^ou know 
 [illust. locally — e.g., ' may be oioner of this 
 estate' or that 'factory,' 'have seroa7its, car- 
 riages, tj'C.'] — but if soul lost, what ' profit' ? 
 see Luke xii. 20, xvi. 25. Profit — all look 
 after that — [illust. — tradesman, or even boys 
 exchanging inarbles] — ' What shall I make 
 by it ? ' And when the soul gone, lost, how 
 buy it back ? sold for earthly good things, 
 what is the price to redeem it again? 
 ' What give in exchange for soul ? ' (comp. 
 Ps. xlix. 6—8). [See Note 5.1 
 
 3. Because He will Himself most surely 
 be the Judge of men, ver. 27, 28. 
 
 The Apostles might well be struck down 
 v(dth disappointment ; but now Jesus tells 
 of brighter things —He is to conquer yet — 
 there shall be another Coming — and how ? 
 — in humiliation ? — to sufi'er ? ' In glory,' 
 'with His angels' (comp. Matt. xiii. 41, 
 xxiv. 30, XXV. 31, xx\'i. 64). And then — 
 what ? Whose will be the ' profit' and the 
 'loss' then? Those who have borne the 
 cross shall wear the crown ! 
 
 But how to be sure of this? ver. 28 — 
 even in this life the}- shall see the proof of 
 it. Some shall see" the real glory of the 
 Son of Man [next LessonJ ; some shall see 
 the 'kingdom coming in power' — the 
 Church spreading everywhere, the impeni- 
 tent judged ; thus have a taste of the 
 triumph to come. [See Note 6.] 
 
 Is THE Cross for us also? 
 
 Christ's Cross. We know about it and 
 admire it ; some put the figure of it on 
 churches, books, ornaments ; we sing ' When 
 I survey the wondrous cross,' &c. But are 
 we trusting in what Jesus did on the cross ? 
 is that what we care for and think about ? 
 or are we hoping to be saved for our 
 prayers, church-going, good conduct? 
 Look at Acts iv. 12 ; Gal. vi. 14. 
 
 The Christian's Cross. Are we carrying 
 ours 'daily'? [ahore'\. Think of just 
 that little thing wliicli is hard to bear, and 
 which j'ou must bear if you are faithful. 
 That is your 'cross' — carry it. Must you 
 give up something you like if you do? 
 Think of the ' profit ' : what kind of boy is 
 he who drops a sovereign to pick up a stone ? 
 
 Would you ' follow Christ ' ? It is he, 
 
 * Who patient bears his cross be: nv 
 He follows in his train.' 
 
THE TRANSFIGURATION. 
 
 137 
 
 Notes. 
 
 1. ' Tell no man that He was Jesus the Christ.' 
 The word ' Jesus ' is not in the oldest MSS., and 
 should plainly be omitted. There was nothing 
 new in the simple fact that His name was Jesus. 
 The news would he that Jesus, the well-known 
 Nazarene prophet, was indeed ' the Christ.' The 
 connection of the prohibition with the Lord's 
 announcement of His approaching death is 
 obvious from Luke ix. 21, 22. 
 
 2. Our Lord had given intimations of His 
 death before, see Matt. x. 38, xii. 40 ; John ii. 19, 
 iii. 14, vi. 51 ; but they were not understood. 
 And that the present was the first occasion on 
 which He spoke plainly of it, is evident from the 
 words, ' From that time,' &c. 
 
 3. The word ' must' (.Sel), in ver. 21, is the same 
 that is so often used emphatically of Christ's 
 work. See I^esson X., Note 5. 
 
 4. ' An offence unto Me.' The word Is <iK.6.vhaXov 
 («canda?on, whence our ' scandal ') and signifies 
 a snare or stumbling-block in the path. The 
 tise of this expressive term in many places is 
 very interesting: see Matt. v. 29, xi.6, xiii.21,41, 
 xviii. 6, 7, xxvi. 31, 33; John vl. 61; Rom. 
 ix. 32, 33, xi. 9, xvi. 17: iCor. 1. 23, viii. 13; 
 Gal. V. 11; and the passages parallel to these. 
 
 Our Lord's application of the word to Peter 
 shews that his fitness to be a 'foundation-stone' 
 was not natural, but of grace ; left to himself, 
 lie would become a stumbling-stone. See last 
 Lesson, Notes 3, 4. it is remarkable that Peter, 
 in his 1st Ep. (11. 6—8) applies both these terms to 
 Christ Himself. He is the chosen foundation- 
 stone (Isa. xxvili. 16), made the ' head of the 
 corner,' although 'rejected' by the 'builders'; 
 and yet He is a ' stumbling-stone' (Isa. viii. 14) 
 to those who believe not. 
 
 5. The Greek word (i^x'j) rendered ' soul ' in 
 ver. 26 Is the same as that rendered ' life ' in ver. 
 25. But both translations are correct : for, that 
 the word cannot always mean bodily life is clear 
 
 from Matt. x. 28—' them that kill the body, but 
 are not able to kill the soul ' (i/n/x')) '■■ while, that 
 it cannot always mean spiritual life is equally 
 clear from Matt. vi. 25—' Take no thought for your 
 life' (.^vxt])- The meaning must be determined 
 by the sense. '■ G\\e in exchange' is literally 'give 
 as an equivalent ' ; the word strictly means the 
 price offered by the seller to buy back an article 
 from the buyer. 
 
 6. The meaning of ver. 28 is much disputed, 
 (a) Some think that Christ refers to His actual 
 Second Advent, and interpret the words ' taste 
 of death' as meaning eternal death, which the 
 Apostles would not taste ' until' then, nor after, 
 (6) Some think that the reference is to the 
 destruction of Jerusalem, which is spoken of as 
 a type of the final advent in Matt, xxiv., and 
 which John and Philip are said to have lived to 
 see. (c) Some regard the ' corning of the king- 
 dom ' as the progress of the Gospel after Pente- 
 cost, (d) Some think the words were fulfilled 
 only a week after at the Transfiguration, when 
 Peter, James, and John, saw Jesus in glory. 
 
 The first of these views is grammatically inad- 
 missible, the words, 'not taste of death until' 
 implying that death should be tasted when the 
 limit of time was passed. But there seems no 
 good reason why the three others should not be 
 all right. What was wanted when Jesus spoke 
 was some assurance that the 'coming' predicted 
 in ver. 27 would really occur, and this assurance 
 would be given in successive and different ways. 
 Those who saw the Transfiguration ought to 
 have been satisfied by it that Jesus had a glory 
 yet to be revealed. Those who witnessed the 
 Church's success after the Ascension would have 
 an earnest of the final triumph of the ' kingdom.' 
 Those who lived to see the exact fulfilment of 
 Christ's predictions concerning the guilty city 
 would see in It the foreshadowing of the still 
 more awful judgment to come. 
 
 Lesson LII.— Tlie Transfiguration. 
 
 ' Eye-witnesses of His majesty.^ 
 
 Read—lioke ix. 28— 36 ; {cmnp. Matt. xvii. 1—13; Mark ix. 2—13); Learn— 1 Pet, 
 
 i. 16—18 ; Col. iii. 4. {Hymns, 43, 49, 75, 101, 226, 315, 351, 357, 391.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 There can be no difficulty in making this Lesson interesting. The very vagueness 
 which will be inevitable in picturing what is so mysterious will be an element 
 of attractiveness. But let the teacher be on his guard lest the interest of the 
 narrative should prevent the great truths underlying it being appreciated. And let 
 him not be dissuaded, by any thought of drawing the main application from the familiar 
 use of the words, ' It is good for us to be here,' from giving these truths due prominence. 
 The central point of the Lesson is the connection between ' the sufferings of Christ, and 
 the glory that should follow.' If the preceding Lesson insisted on ' Christ's cross before 
 Christ's crown,' this one gives the sure evidence of the crown to follow the cross. In order 
 to give proper time to this point, it may be well, if necessary, to omit the conversation 
 Gonceming Elias, or even those portions of the Lesson which dwell on the relation to 
 Christ of the Law and the Prophets. 
 
138 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUK LORD, 
 
 In the Sketch, the design and influence of the Transfiguration is traced simply as they 
 concerned the Apostles (and so, indirectly, ourselves). But the event, no doubt, also 
 concerned the heavenly visitants and our Lord Himself ; and this subject may, if it be 
 thought desirable, be at least alluded to in senior classes. See Note 8. 
 
 The junior class teacher must never assume that all the words of a verse which are read 
 are also understood. The word ' decease,' for instance, which occurs in this Lesson, -will 
 be found less generally familiar than might be supposed. Many children, too, will not 
 of themselves identify Elias with Elijah. 
 
 The passage is beautifully expounded by Abp. Trench, in his Studies in ihe Goqyels. 
 Dr. Hanna's chapter upon it is an excellent one. In Bishop Hall's Contem2yhtions there 
 are two most quaint sermons on the Transfiguration, preached before James I. 
 
 Sketch 
 How pei-plexed and downcast the Apos- 
 tles must have been after what Jesus told 
 them [last Lesson]. True, He spoke of 
 gloiy by-and-bye — but the cross — that must 
 mean shame and death. See to-day how 
 Jesus encouraged three of them, Peter, 
 James, and John. 
 
 Evening — tiring journey up steep moun- 
 tain [see Note 3]. Night — on the top [see 
 Note 4]. Lonely place — far away from 
 houses and men (Mark). If daylight, could 
 see splendid view, but now all dark and 
 still. What is Jesus doing ? ver. 28 ; and 
 the three? ver. oi. When besides did 
 those three sleep while Jesus prayed ? 
 Mark xiv. 32—40. 
 
 Suddenly they wake up — a blaze of 
 dazzling light — what can it be ? They are 
 startled and amazed — see what at. 
 
 I. At what they saw. 
 
 (w) The glory of Jesus. ' Transfigured ' 
 (Matt, and Mark) — what is that? see ver. 
 29 [see Note 6J. See what is said (Matt.) 
 of His face, and (Mark) of His dress. 
 Comp. Acts. xxvi. 13 ; Rev. i. 14 — IG ; also 
 Ps. civ. 2 ; 1 Tim. vi. 1 6. What must they 
 have felt ! Their Master, the plain car- 
 penter from Nazareth, with whom they 
 walk, talk, lodge, eat, &c., every day — now 
 like — like what? — they know not — such 
 glory never on earth before ! But what 
 then ? Why, ' He is all, more than all, 
 that we thought — whatever the cross may 
 mean, the glory is real.' And such glory ! — 
 heavenly, not earthly — not of the king of 
 the Jews, but of the King of heaven. 
 
 (J)) The companions of Jesus. Two other 
 figures there, glorious too (ver. 31) — the 
 great Lawgiver and the great Prophet — the 
 two greatest men the disciples have read of 
 in the Scriptures. Both fasted miracu- 
 lously (as Jesus had done), Deut. ix. 0; 
 1 Kings xix. 8 ; both had wondrous visions 
 of God, Exod. xxxiii. 18 — 23 ; 1 Kings 
 xix. II — 13; both passed away myste- 
 riotisly, Deut. xxxiv. 5, 6 ; 2 Kings ii. 11 ; 
 both now come from heaven to talk with 
 Jesus [.see Note. 5]. Again, what must 
 Peter and the others have felt ! what new 
 ideas of their Master's greatness ! And, no 
 more perplexity because Jesus seemed to 
 break the Law and not fulfil tlie Prophets 
 (as the scribes made out) — here are Moses 
 and Elijah themselves with Him ! 
 
 OF Lesson. 
 
 II. At what they heard. 
 
 (a) The conversation. What about? ver. 
 31 — 'His decease' [see Note (i] — the vei'y 
 thing that had so shocked Peter ! To be 
 'accomplished' — a thing planned out, de- 
 signed by God ! ' At Jerusalem ' — the city 
 where they thought He should reign ! 
 That death which they could not bear to 
 think of, known about in heaven [see 
 Note 8] — looked forward to by glorified 
 saints ! 
 
 But now Moses and Elijah are moving 
 away. What does Peter say ? ver. 33 — 
 ' Why should they go ? — it is so glorious — 
 so happy — let us get boughs of trees, and 
 make three booths.' Ah ! but that would 
 not do — cannot have this always — there is 
 the sinful world down below — thnt is where 
 the Apostles should be, working for Christ 
 — the glory not yet — only a glimpse of it. 
 [Illust. — Ho20 ununlling we are to end a day 
 of pCeasure ! yet it canriot last — days of work to 
 folloto.] But see — a glorious shining cloud 
 covering them [see Note 7] — Jesus, Moses, 
 Elij ah, fading into it ; then upon the ears 
 of the trembling Apostles falls something 
 more wondi-ous yet — 
 
 (b) The Father's Voice. Wliat does it 
 say? 'My beloved Son' — God Himself 
 telling them who that humble and despised 
 Galilean is. ' Well pleased' — whoever may 
 hate and scorn Him, the Father is satisfied, 
 comp. Isa. xlii. 1 ; John viii. 20. (How 
 blessed, even to Jesus Himself, to hear this 
 [see Note 8], just when the time of suffering 
 fast coming on ! comp. Isa. liii. 10.) ' Hear 
 Him ' — quite right to hear Moses, and keep 
 his law — to hear the Prophets and obey 
 their voice — but these only pointed to 
 Messiah, prepared His way— now He is 
 here. 
 
 But could the disciples take in all this 
 then? See — flat on their faces, stricken 
 with terror (Matt.) ; comp. Exod. xx. 19 : 
 Hab. iii. 2. And then another voice, one 
 they well know, the voice of a man like 
 themselves, of a gentle friend ; and with it a 
 touch (comp. Dan. x. 10 ; Rev. i. 17). They 
 look up — the light vanished — dark again— 
 ' Jesus only.' 
 
 Now consider again — what would this 
 great event teach Peter, James, and John ? 
 Three things [toork these out bn fnifstioninq 
 back\ : — 
 
THE TRANSFIGURATION. 
 
 139 
 
 1. What the real glory of Jesus was 
 [above, I. («)]. 
 
 2. What He had to do with the Law 
 and the Prophets. They were with Him, 
 not against Him [above, I. (b).~\ He was 
 superior to them [above, II., (b)]. 
 
 3. The necessity of His death, just that 
 which they could not reconcile with His 
 glory and supremacy [above, II («)]. 
 
 Did they understand it all then ? Did 
 not even think about it — began to puzzle 
 about other things of less consequence 
 [like some people ivho reject the Gospel be- 
 cause of some pett;/ Bible difficulty] : see 
 what they discussed as they came down 
 next day (Mark ix. 10), and what they 
 asked Jesus (11). How did Jesus answer 
 them ? (12, 13) — yes, it was true the 
 Scriptures told of Elijah's coming (Mai. iv.), 
 but so they did of His sufferings (Isa. liii.) ; 
 well, the one had been fulfilled (see Luke 
 i. 17) — why would they not believe the 
 other would be? But no wonder-, while 
 they are so dull, they are not to talk about 
 it (Mark is. 9) — not till all has come to 
 pass and is clear to them. [See Notes 
 9, 10..J 
 
 Yet, could they ever forget that night ? 
 But they did once — think of Peter saying 
 he ' knew not the man ' whose divine glory 
 he had seen ! How weak we all are ! Still, 
 he did remember. In his old age, after 
 years of toil and persecution, he could look 
 
 back to the night when he was an ' eye- 
 witness of Christ's majesty,' and with hia 
 own ears heard the Father's voice ; — thus 
 knew in Whom he had believed — it Avas no 
 ' fable ' ; and that, though his ' decease ' 
 near, glory awaited him beyond : see 2 Pet. 
 i. 13—18 [see Note (i]. 
 
 Et/e-wilnesses ! Should we not have liked 
 to see Jesus as He used to be in Galilee — to 
 see His works— to hear His words ? That 
 we never can see. But — 
 
 We shall see Him in Hi.s glort, as 
 He was that night on the mount. Every- 
 body wiU, see Matt. xxv. 31, 32, xxvi. 64; 
 Rev. i. 7. What will happen then ? 
 
 His people will he in glory too, just as 
 Moses and Elijah were (2nd text for rep., 
 and Dan. xii. 3 ; Matt. xiii. 43 ; Rom. 
 viii. 18). What kind of glory? Like 
 Bivi (John xvii. 22—24 ; 2" Cor. iii. 18 ; 
 Phil. iii. 21 ; 1 John iii. 2). 
 
 Shall we have it ? How can we ! — so unfit 
 — think of our evil thoughts, words, acts — 
 how unlike Christ! Yet we may — why? 
 Because of that very Death, which Peter 
 could not understand, of which Moses and 
 Elijah talked. Because He died, we can 
 ' lay our sins on Jesus.' Because He died, 
 the Spirit comes to make us holy. 
 
 Every day think, 'He laid aside His 
 glory that I might share it — then how can 
 I sin against Him ? ' 
 
 1. On the connection of the passage with the 
 verse immediately preceding, see last Lesson, 
 Note 6. That the Transfiguration was one ful- 
 filment of Christ's words in that verse is evi- 
 denced by (among other things) Peter's words 
 in his 2nd Ep. (i. 16)—' the power and coming of 
 our Lord Jesus Christ.' 
 
 2. Matthew and Mark say 'after six days'; 
 Luke says ' about an eight days after.' These 
 are simply two modes of reckoning, one inclusive, 
 the other exclusive. 
 
 3. The tradition that the Transfiguration took 
 place on Mount Tabor has no intrinsic authority, 
 and is probably wrong. Tabor was at that time 
 occupied with a fortified city. The fact that 
 Christ was near Ca;sarea Philippl a week before 
 (Matt. xvi. 13) suggests that one of the spurs or 
 peaks of Mount Ilennon was the scene of His 
 glory, and in this all modern travellers concur. 
 Hermon is the one really 'high mountain' of 
 Palestine (10,000 feet), and the only snow-capped 
 one— which gives point to Mark's simile, ' white 
 as snow' (this reading is, however, doubtful). 
 Our Lord's words, too, in Matt. xvii. 20 (spoken 
 after the descent next day), ' Ye should say unto 
 this mountain,' are doubly impressive if Hermon 
 is referred to. Dr. Tristram gives a glowing 
 account of the view from the top of Hermon 
 {Land of Israel, p. 009). 
 
 4. That the Transfiguration took place at night 
 may be fairly inferred from Luke's statement 
 (ver. 37) that they came down ' the next day.' 
 Observe, too, the sleepiness of the Apostles ; and 
 that night was often our Lord's time for prayer. 
 
 5. The appearance of Moses and Elijah sug- 
 
 NOTES. 
 
 gests many profoiind questions which cannot be 
 answered, owing to our ignorance of the iinseen 
 world. It is remarkable that both h.id ended 
 their lives mysteriously: Elijah (like Enoch) 
 having been ' translated,' so that he already pos- 
 sessed His glorified body ; while some have con- 
 
 jectured, from Moses' appearance at the same 
 time, and from the difficult passage in Jude 
 (ver. 9), that his body had also been raised again 
 
 and glorified. 
 
 6. Words needing explanation :— 
 ^Transfigured' (Matt, and Mark) Is literally 
 
 ' metamorphosed ' ; the word is rendered 
 'changed' in 2 Cor. iii. 18. Christ was 'in the 
 form (fAop(f)T), morphee) of God,' and took the 
 ' form (ixop<j)ri) of a servant.' ^ow He is ' meta- 
 morph-osed.' 
 
 ' Decease ' is literally ' exit ' or ' departure ' 
 {e^oSo^, exodos, whence the Book of Exodus). 
 
 ' Tabernacles,' i.e., tents or booths. 
 
 ' Fuller.^ The fuller's trade consisted In 
 cleansing linen g.arments, and, by means of 
 what was called 'fuller's earth,' giving them a 
 peculiar whiteness. The trade is alluded to in 
 2 Kings xviii. 17; Isa. vii. 3 ; Mai. iii. 2. 
 
 ' Wist not,' i. e., ' knew not.' To ' wis ' was an 
 old English verb, whence comes ' wit,' ' wise,' &c. 
 
 It is very remarkable that in the passage in 
 which St. Peter refers to the Transfiguration 
 (2 Pet. i. 13-18), he uses two of the peculiar 
 words of this passage. He speaks of his own 
 ' decease' (efofios). and of putting off his 'taber- 
 nacle.' 
 
 7. The 'bright cloud' seems to have been like 
 the Shcclilnnh of the O. T., the symbol of God's 
 presence (Exod. .xiv. 19, xl. 34 ; 1 Kings viii. 10; 
 
140 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 and other passages). It is curious that the word 
 ' Sheehinah ' expresses the idea of dicelling, so 
 that the 'bright cloud overshadowing them' 
 was a suitable answer to Peter's suggestion that 
 he should provide ' tabernacles.' 
 
 8. We cannot doubt that the Transfiguration 
 had a design beyond that of encouraging the 
 three Apostles. The visit of the glorified law- 
 giver and prophet to the earth, and their con- 
 versation with Jesus on Ilis coming death, 
 could not be solely for that purpose It is easy 
 to conceive the interest with which the departed 
 saints of the O. T. must have looked to that 
 atonement of the Son of God in virtue of which 
 they had entered into rest— for though an event 
 yet future, it was as good as past in the sure 
 counsels of God, so that the Lamb is spoken of 
 as ' slain from the foundation of the world.' 
 And the interview would doubtless be ani- 
 mating to the human spirit of Jesus, in the 
 prospect of His coming sufferings. The Father's 
 audible Voice, also, as it had encouraged Him at 
 His consecration to His ministry, so now again 
 speaks when He is about shortly to enter on the 
 last phase of His humiliation. 
 
 9. Why were the Apostles forbidden to tell 
 
 what they had seen and heara until after thf 
 Kesurrection ? Trench answers, ' The mystery 
 of Christ's sonship should not be revealed to the 
 world till it was attested beyond all doubt, till 
 He was declared to be the Son of God jrith poire?; 
 by the resurrection from the dead (Rom. i. 4). It 
 could only be a matter of dispute and profane 
 discussion till then.' Their perplexity respecting 
 the 'rising from the dead' arose, not from the 
 general doctrine of a bodily resurrection being 
 unfamiliar to them (conip. John xi. 24; Acts 
 xxiii. 6—8), but from their inability to grasp the 
 idea of Christ's death. 
 
 10. ' Why say the scribes that Elias must first 
 come?' They had just seen Elias: was /An/ his 
 coming? if not, when should he come? In His 
 answer, Christ refers them to the fulfilment of 
 Malachi's prophecy in the Baptist, and adds the 
 assurance that, as /An/ prediction had been ful- 
 filled, so should the predictions of those very 
 sufferings of His which they could not believe. 
 His words, as recorded by Matthew, compared 
 with Mai. Iv., seem clearly, however, to point 
 also to another personal coming of Elijah before 
 the Second Advent, of which the Baptist's 
 mission at the First Advent was a type. 
 
 End of Part L 
 
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSONS 
 
 ON THE 
 
 LIFE OF OUE LOED. 
 
 I=^^i^T II. 
 
 Lesson LIII.— The Demoniac Boy, 
 
 ' Why could not we cast him out °1 ' 
 
 Read— Mark ix. 1-1—29 ; {007112}. Matt. xvii. 14—21 ; Luke ix. 37 — 42) ; Zearw— Mark ix. 
 23, 24; Acts iii. 16. (Hymns, 50, 126, 137, 148, 166, 264, 343, 345.) 
 
 ■""■ '^ >'■ To THE Teacher. 
 
 HE fact that the demoniac in this narrative waa a young person, enables us to 
 give the subject an unusually dii'ect application to oui- scholars — an applica- 
 tion which ought to be peculiarly effective. It cannot be doixbted that the 
 gi-eat enemy is ready to assail the soul of a child at the earliest moment of its 
 being susceptible of either good or bad spiritual influences. Moreover, most teachers have 
 met vyith the hard cases — cases of ungovernable temper, or incorrigible wilfulness, or 
 seemingly incurable deceitf ulness — cases concerning which we instinctively feel the truth 
 of our Lord's words, ' This kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.' It will be 
 well, as is suggested in the Sketch, to be exceedingly plain in teaching this Lesson Let 
 the class feel, for once at all events, that their attendance at Sunday-school is nothing 
 less than a being ' hrotight unto the disciples' to be dehvered from the influence of their 
 * ghostly enemy.' Such a thought, if once caught by them, cannot but be solemnising. 
 It need scarcely be added that teachers who habitually disregard the higher aspects of 
 their work, and regard it as but a light thing, will be unable to act on this suggestion. 
 
 Two cautions are necessary, however. (1) All children are not alike. AU must not be 
 included under the same sweeping description. And, while not flattering any, while not 
 concealing the active hostility of Satan against each one, a common-sense distinction must 
 be drawn, and the application avowedly directed specially against the 'hard cases.' 
 (2) It must be clearly stated that the work of the teacher reaUy consists simply in obeying 
 Christ's command, ' Bring him unto Me ' ; that all power and grace are in Him alone. 
 
 The heads of the Sketch may perhaps appear fanciful, but their design is to biing into 
 prominence Christ's words (in St Matthew) in answer to the question, ' Why could not we 
 cast him out?' His answer is a very important part of the subject, but if it should be 
 found too difficult for younger classes, the teacher has only to omit division II. of the 
 Sketch, and he will have an equally complete and much simpler lesson. 
 
 Much light will be thrown upon the more diflBcult parts of the Lesson by a reference to 
 some preceding Lessons, viz., on faith — XXL, XXVIIL, XXXIL, and XLVIII. ; and, on 
 demoniacal possession, — XXIV. and XLIII. 
 
 Several tlioughts in this Lesson are derived from a sermon on the subj ect, by the Eev. 
 S. Thornton, which appeared in the Church Sunday School Magazine for May, 1870, p. 206. 
 
 L 
 
142 
 
 LESSONS ON THK LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 Sketch of Lesson. 
 
 Have you ever been stopped short in 
 something you wished to do, by some great 
 difficulty you could not get over ? [Illust. 
 took tip slate — thought ^ soon do kssoii' — but 
 found the sum very hard — got stuck ./a«^] 
 In Bible, these difficulties called mountains, 
 (Isa. xl. 4; Zech. iv. 7; Mark xi. 23; 
 Luke iii. 5 ; 1 Cor. xiii. 2). Moimtains 
 great obstacles to travellers, armies, &c., 
 — hard work getting over them. 
 
 To-day see how, while Christ and the 
 three Apostles away on the ' high moun- 
 tain' [last Lesson], a great 'mountain' of 
 difficulty came in the other nine Apostles' 
 way. 
 
 L The Mountain op Difficulty. 
 
 What had Jesus given the Apostles power 
 to do ? Mark vi. 7. Did they succeed in 
 casting out devils ? Mark vi. 13. So now a 
 poor father comes to them to cast one out 
 of his son, ver. 18. See what a bad case it 
 is : we have read of other demoniacs, but 
 this seems worst of aU. The poor child 
 not able to speak plain (' dumb,' ver. 17, 
 yet ' crieth out,' Luke ix. 39) — deaf, ver, 25 
 — sometimes temble fits, ver. 18 — some- 
 times in peril of life, ver. 22 — like a mad- 
 man, Matt. xvii. 15. Think of the home — 
 no other children (Luke ix. 38) — how sad 
 for father and mother I 
 
 Here is a hard case for the Apostles ! — 
 a mountain of difficulty. 
 
 But something else makes the 'mountain' 
 worse. When any one came to Jesus for a 
 miracle, what did Jesus say he must have ? 
 see Matt. viii. 13 ; ix. 28, 29 ; xv. 28 ; Mark 
 ii. 5, V. 34, 36, x. 52 ; John xi. 40 ; comp. 
 Matt. xiii. 58 ; Acts xiv. 9. But the de- 
 spairing father has scarcely any faith — 
 comes to the disciples like drowning man 
 clutching at straw — fears it is hopeless ; see 
 ver. 24. So here is another difficulty. 
 
 Now see the result : ' they could not,' Think 
 of their dismay, shame, fear — Thomas look- 
 ing at Philip, Matthew at Jude — the scribes 
 scoffing at them and their Master) ver. 14 — 
 the people excited — and in the midst the 
 weeping father with his afflicted child. 
 
 What a sight for Jesus and the three as 
 they came down from the Mount after all 
 that glory [last Lesson] — truly it would not 
 have done to have stayed in Peter's ' taber- 
 nacles.' 
 
 II. Why the disciples could not re- 
 move the ' Mountain.' 
 
 How was it they failed ? They could not 
 make it out themselves — so asked Jesus 
 afterwards. See His reply, ver. 28, 29; 
 Matt. xvii. 19—21. 
 
 1. Their faith was too weak. Their faith 
 —their tiiist or confidence. What should 
 they have trusted in ? Not in any power 
 Jesus gave them, but in Jesus Himself. 
 When saw the child, should have thought 
 like this : ' Our Master came down from 
 heaven to deliver people from the devil — 
 He could do tliis — He would do this— He 
 
 wants us to do it now — He promised tO' 
 give us power ' ; then they would have found 
 they could. Why ? because their power not 
 their own, but that of One who could do aU 
 things. But just then their feeUngs differ- 
 ent — (a) had been cast down about the 
 'cross' [Lesson LI.\ — (b) Jesus absent, and 
 they like soldiers wathout general — (e) their 
 three leaders absent too — (d) and this such 
 a very hard case. So, rmbelief ; and bo, 
 failure. 
 
 2. They had not tried to make their faith 
 stronger. How could they ? see ver. 29. 
 (a) Prayer. Should have prayed then as 
 they did afterwards (Luke xvii. 5), 'Increase 
 our faith.' {b) Fasting. Had been caring 
 too much for their own pleasure and com- 
 fort — not ' enduring hardness' (2 Tim. ii. 3) 
 like 'good soldiers' — afraid of the 'cross' 
 — how could thej^ then expect to conquer ? 
 How did St. Paul overcome his great 
 'mountains'? see 1 Cor. ix. 27; comp. 
 Acts xiii. 3, xiv. 23. 
 
 III. How THE 'Mountain' was re- 
 moved. 
 
 In the midst of the confusion— there is 
 Jesus ! To Him all run. Who answers 
 His question ? Not the scribes — too much 
 annoyed at His coming ; not the disciples 
 — too much ashamed ; not the people — too 
 much startled ; who ? ver. 17. See His sad 
 exclamation, ver. 19 (comp. Matt.) : 'faith- 
 less ' — who were so ? [above] ; ' peiwerse ' — 
 (i.e., vrilf ul, going ' own way,' Isa. liii. 6) — 
 were not the wavering people and mocking 
 scribes so ? ' How long with you ? ' (comp. 
 John xiv. 9) — ought they not to have knovim 
 and trusted Him by this time ? ' How long 
 suffer you ? ' — had He not borne with them 
 (Isa. Ixiii. 9 ; Heb. xii. 3) enough ? ' Bring- 
 him to Me' — the great and only remedy. 
 
 Does Jesus cast out the devil instantly? 
 Why not? Does He not pity the poor 
 child vmthing there on the ground ? Ah, 
 but He pities still more the ' faithless and 
 perverse' hearts — mixst give them a lesson ; 
 thinks too of all who shall read of this in 
 after ages, of us — all need to know how 
 Satan to be conquered. See what He 
 does. 
 
 (a) The father must tell all about it, that 
 he may be reminded how sad the case is, 
 that all may see how hard it is. (So with 
 sin — God wants all confessed, not for Jfis 
 mformation, but that the sinner may feel 
 his sinfulness.) 
 
 (b) Then all must know what is the thing 
 really wanted. ' Jf Thou ca7ist,' says the 
 father — he is not sure, like the leper (Mark 
 i. 40). Ah, that won't do — of course Jesus 
 can, but that's not enough — Jesus cotdd 
 cast out all the devils in the land, yet He 
 does not. See what He says, 'If thou 
 canst ' — ' It depends, not on My power, but 
 on thy faith' [see texts above] — 'you come 
 to Me believing that I am God's Messiah 
 from heaven, full of love and power, then I 
 
THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES I. 
 
 143 
 
 can heal the boy.' See the weeping father's 
 cry — 'I do believe, and yet' — he feels that 
 he only half trusts in Jesns— but he prays 
 Jesits to ' help his unbelief' — does not that 
 show he really believes ? 
 
 Do you think Jesus answered that prayer ? 
 Then He did iteo miracles — Satan cast out 
 of father's heart and of child's body. But 
 is all right yet ?— see, the child senseless on 
 the ground. Yes, the voice of Jesus has 
 dismissed the spirit, and now His hand lifts 
 lap the boy and restores him to his father, 
 
 A Child possessed of the Devil ! 
 Are there such now ? 
 
 Ah, too many I In Africa and China ? 
 Yes, and in England too — many who were 
 given to Christ in baptism, marked as His 
 own, ought not to be Satan's, yet are in his 
 power. Who are they ? see John viii. 44 ; 
 Eph. ii. 2 ; 1 John iii. 8. Any of you,^ when 
 you sin, are in Satan's power. Sometimes a 
 
 hard case, a ' mountain ' of diflSculty, We 
 teachers want to deliver you — but are not 
 some very rebellious ? — well, those are the 
 bad cases. 
 
 What to be done ? Jesus says, ' Bring 
 them to Me.' So we do, when we pray for 
 you. So we do when we tell you of His 
 love, and try and win you to Him. Not 
 one heart can we touch by any power of 
 our own ; if we are able to interest you, to 
 be kind and patient, to draw you from sin, 
 to bring you to God, it is all because of two 
 things : — (a) That Christ is willing and 
 able to save you. ib) That we look to Him 
 and trust only in Him. 
 
 But one great difference between that 
 poor demoniac boy and you. He could not 
 help it — you are responsible. True, Satan 
 is stronger than you, but then Christ invites 
 you to be free, died that you might be free 
 — now it rests with you — which master will 
 you choose? 
 
 Notes. 
 
 1. The connection of this narrative with the 
 preceding one is very instructive. From the 
 glory of the Mount— from communion with the 
 Father and with glorified saints— Christ and the 
 three Apostles descend to a scene typical of the 
 miseries of humanity. No contrast could be 
 greater. The scene is an illustration of the two- 
 fold aspect of the Christian life, devotion apart 
 from the world, and work in the world. 
 
 The statement of ver. 15, that the people, on 
 seeing Jesus, were ' greatly amazed,* is commonly 
 explained by the supposition that some traces of 
 His recent glory yet remained about Him, like 
 the shining of Moses' face (Exod. xxxiv.29). But 
 His injunction to the three Apostles, not to men- 
 tion what they had seen, seems inconsistent with 
 this idea, and the people may have been merely 
 awe-struck by his sudden appearance in the 
 scene of excitement. 
 
 2. ' faithless and perverse generation ! ' Ex- 
 positors differ as to who were thus addressed by 
 Christ— the disciples, the scribes, or the people 
 generally. Probably He referred to the whole 
 ' generation ' of Jews, and the rebuke would 
 apply to the different classes then present just in 
 proportion as they shared in the common ' faith- 
 lessness' and ' perversity.' Parallel expressions 
 occur in Moses' song, Deut. xxxii. 5, 20. 
 
 3. ' This kind.' That some evil spirits are more 
 
 malicious than others, we learn from Matt. xii. 
 45 ; and perhaps Eph. vi. 12 may refer to different 
 'kinds' or orders of them. On 'prayer and 
 fasting ' Trench says, ' The faith which will be 
 effectual must be a faith exercised in prayer— that 
 has not relaxed itself by an habitual compliance 
 with the demands of the lower nature, but has 
 often girt itself up to an austerer rule, to rigour 
 and self-denial.' 
 
 4. By ' this mountain,' our Lord did riOt of 
 course mean the moral ' mountain ' of demoniacal 
 influence and human unbelief, though He would 
 teach that the faith that could overcome these 
 must be such a faith as could literally remove 
 mountains. But no arbitrary working of pro- 
 digies is referred to. The faith He speaks of is 
 an absolute confidence in God, and its very 
 nature is to do nothing contrary to His will. If 
 it were His will, for the fulfilment of His pur- 
 poses, that even Mount Hermon [see last Lesson, 
 JVote 3] should be removed, then faith could do 
 even that, just as Moses' faith enabled him to 
 divide the Red Sea. 
 
 6. '■ Pineth away: The word so rendered pro- 
 bably means ' becomes rigid ' (lit., ' dries up '). 
 
 6. ' Help Thou mine unbelief is usually re- 
 garded as a prayer for more faith. But it is more 
 probably a prayer for succour notwithstanding 
 felt unbelief. 
 
 Lesson LIT.— Tlie Feast of Tabernacles.— I. 
 
 ' He loas in the world, and the loorld knew Him not.' 
 
 Bead — John vii. (parts) ; Learn — Jer. ii. 13 ; Rev. xxii. 17. {Eymns, 94, 110, 112, 144, 
 
 145, 249, 343.) 
 
 To the Teacher. 
 
 It would be practically impossible to give Sunday-school lessons on the conversations 
 
 between Christ and the Jews recorded in John vii. and viii., in such away as to explain the 
 
 course of the arguments verse by verse. And yet these chapters ought by no means to be 
 
 omitted in a historical series of Lessons like the present. The plan has therefore been 
 
 L 2 
 
144 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUK LORD. 
 
 adopted, in this and the following Lesson, of fastening on the two great sayings of Christ 
 which were (as is usually considered) suggested by the ceremonies of the Feast of Taber- 
 nacles, and basing the application on the imagery underlying those sayings ; weaving in as 
 many of the main points of the dialogue as can fairly be subordinated to these central 
 topics, and also throwing into prominence the impressive idea (expressed in the ' motto ' 
 above) of the true King and Sa\'iour in the midst of a perturbed, perplexed, excitable mul- 
 titude, who could not and would not recognise Him. 
 
 It is hoped that these two chapters, which might at first sight seem somewhat dry and 
 unpromising, wUl, treated on this plan, be found to make unusually interesting lessons. 
 The teacher must strive to pictui-e to himself the scenes of the Peast with a vividness suffi- 
 cient to enable him to describe them to his class something in the manner of an eye- 
 witness. The particulars given below, though necessarily meagi-e, will probably be 
 sufficient for this pui-pose ; but fuller and more picturesque accounts will be found in 
 Smith's Dictionary and Student's Old Testament History, in Hanna's Close of the Ministry, in 
 MacdufE's Memories of Olivet, and in Mrs. Charles's Victory of the Vanquished. 
 
 In the following Sketch, the explanation of the ' living water,' and the application of 
 the lesson, are crowded into a comer by the necessary details of the external scenes ; but 
 if the teacher will refer to Lesson XIX., he will there find the whole subject more fully 
 treated. 
 
 It may be well to remind the teacher to be specially careful in using the word ' Christ' 
 in this and other lessons. Children are apt to regard it as a proper name — as merely (so to 
 speak) the surname of Jesus ; and expressions such as those in this chapter, ' When Christ 
 Cometh,' 'Shall Christ come out of Galilee,' &c., puzzle them. 'Christ, 'or 'the 
 Christ, ' was the official title of One for whom the Jews looked, ' Jesus ' was the j^ei-sonal 
 name of a Nazarene carpenter who really was ' the Christ, ' though they would not 
 acknowledge it. It is generally best, in order to avoid ambiguity, to use the Hebrew word 
 ' Messiah ' rather than the Greek word ' Christ,' when teaching on the Gospel history. 
 
 Sketch of Lesson. 
 
 How pleasant a harvest-home is ! [Pic- 
 ture; particularly the thanksgiving-service 
 in church.] The Jews had something like 
 that : every year, in October, when all the 
 crops, vintage, &c., gathered in. See how 
 God ordained it, Deut. xvi. 13, 15 (comp. 
 Lev. xxiii. 33 — iS ; Numb. xxix. 12—34). 
 Why called the ' Feast of Tabernacles ' ? 
 Come to Jerusalem, and see. 
 
 I. The Feast. [See Note 1.] 
 
 The city looking quite strange, more hke 
 a forest than a town. Everywhere green 
 arbours or booths made of branches of trees 
 (palms, sycamores, olives, pines, willows, 
 &c.) — in streets and squares — on roofs of 
 houses — and outside gates, too, for want of 
 room inside. Nobody living at home — 
 everybody in these booths — all the people 
 of the city, and crowds from the coimtry. 
 
 What would they be thinking of ? of 
 their crops safely got in ? yes, but some- 
 thing else — ' Once our nation had no crops 
 to get in, no land to farm ; were wanderers 
 in the desert ; living in tabernacles, tents 
 and booths like these ; but God gave them 
 this good land, and He gives us fruitful 
 seasons, filling our hearts with food and 
 gladness ' (see Acts xiv. 17 ; Ps. Ixv. 9 — 13). 
 This is why God appointed the feast, and 
 the booths, to make them thanlcfid, Lev. 
 xxiii, 42, 43 ; Deut. xvi. 15. See how the 
 feast was kept in Nehemiah's days, Neh. 
 viii. 13—17. 
 
 The feast now going on (John vii. 2). 
 
 Much rejoicing, bright faces, happy meet- 
 ings, talks as they sit under the booths, 
 many sacrifices to God in the Temple. 
 
 But it is not all joy — what did we say 
 lately aboiit crowds ? [Lesson XLIX.] — no 
 doubt in these crowds at the feast many 
 heavy hearts, heavy with sorrow, disap- 
 pointment, sin. And one gi-eat trouble to 
 them all — they are not free — those hated 
 Eomans reigning over them — when, oh 
 when, would Messiah, the long-looked-for 
 King, come and deliver them ? — ah, that 
 would be joyful indeed. If they had but 
 known that the King 7vas among them .' 
 
 II. Jesus at the Feast. 
 
 There is something the matter — men 
 talking in knots — puzzled looks and words. 
 See ver. 11, 12 — who is ' he ' of whom they 
 speak ? It is a long while since Jesus was 
 at Jerusalem — missed two or three feasts — 
 why ? ver 1 . Each time more wonder — 
 ' why does He not come ? ' Why so much 
 interest? Some want to see miracles, 
 others to hear His words, rulers to arrest 
 Him ; a few hoping He may after all turn 
 out to be Messiuli. But (they thuik) He is 
 not coming— He came not with the cara- 
 vans from Gahlee. Yet He did come — 
 how? ver. 10. 
 
 Suddenly, there He is, openly teaching 
 in the Temple, ver. 14. Some hear Him 
 for the first time — what surprised at? 
 ver. 15. Quite true, He had not been edu- 
 cated like Saul of Tarsus (Acts xxii. 3), but 
 
THf FEAST OF TABERNACLE S- 
 
 145 
 
 where was His wise teaching from ? ver. IG 
 — and this they might have known if they 
 had cared ; if theit hearts had been set on 
 pleasing God [see Note 4], would have 
 known God's Son when He came, ver. 17 
 (comp. John i. 47, 49). 
 
 The people perplexed still more. Some 
 (of Jerusalem), who know the rulers' de- 
 signs, amazed at His boldness, ver. 25, and 
 to see His enemies quietly listening to 
 Him ver. 26 — ' could it be that the scribes 
 liad found out that He was Messiah?' 
 Others (perhaps from country parts) not 
 in the secret, can't make out why He 
 charges them with their plots, ver. 20. 
 Ah, but they are going to take Him now, 
 ver. 30— no— how strange ! What was the 
 I'eal reason they did not touch Him ? 
 ver. 30, 
 
 III. What Jesus offered. 
 
 Each morning during the seven days, a 
 joyous ceremony. Down in the deep val- 
 ley below the Temple, the Pool of Siloam. 
 Priests filled golden pitcher with water 
 there— bore it in procession, followed by 
 crowds, up to the altar in the Temple court 
 — poured it into sUver basin (and wine into 
 another) — basin with holes — pipe carried 
 water down through rock under Temple to 
 brook Kedron flowing in valley. As the 
 water poured out, Levites sang Psalms 
 (cxiii. — csviii.), people shouted and waved 
 palm-branches — great rejoicing. See Isa. 
 xii. 3. What would this remind them of ? 
 The booths reminded of Israel in the wil- 
 derness — this of the water God gave them 
 there out of the rock. 
 
 But on the eighth day 'great day of 
 feast,' no pouring of water Now see what 
 Jesus did that day. 
 
 He sees the crowd, and knows each heart 
 [see Lesson XLTX.~\ — has been watching 
 day after day — has seen outward rejoicings 
 — yes, and every sad, unsatisfied, sinful 
 heart too. What would the compassionate 
 Saviour feel? They might be happy — 
 happy in spite of earthly troubles — in spite 
 of sin's temptation — in spite of Romans — 
 without such a king as they thought of — if 
 they would come to Him, believe in Him, 
 make Him their friend. See what He says 
 (' crying ' out, loudly, earnestly), ver. 37 — 
 aa if He said, ' You remember how your 
 
 fathers thirsted, and God supplied them — 
 ye praise God that ye thirst not so now — 
 yet do ye not thirst really? is there not 
 something ye want that ye have not^)eace 
 in your hearts ? Come to Me — I have water 
 that can quench even that thirst. ' 
 
 What was the ' water ' He offered ? ver. 
 39 [see Lesson A7A'.]. Why is the Holy 
 Spirit like water ? — revives and refreshes 
 the sovU, as water does the body. And 
 something else too — the man who has this 
 ' living water ' can give it to others : it wOl 
 not only be in him, but flow from him, 
 ver. 38 [see Note 2] . Yes, and (Jesus tells 
 them) when He is gone from them, they 
 shall see those ' living waters ' flowing from 
 His servants. Did they ? see Acts ii. 
 
 IV. How THE OFFER WAS RECEIVED. 
 
 (a) Some impressed, ver. 40, 41 — 'Yes, 
 this must be He.' And even the officers 
 sent to take Him (ver. 32) — what do they 
 think ? ver. 45, 46 — so struck that they 
 dare not touch Him. Yet this seems all — 
 we do not read of men joining Him with all 
 their hearts. 
 
 (b) Some sceptical — why? ver. 41, 42. 
 But they might have cleared up the diffi- 
 culty if they had taken the trouble. 
 
 (c) Some contemptuous— ver. 47 — 52, — 
 ' This Galilean ! what does it matter what 
 he says ? Let the ignorant crowd go after 
 him — we know better.' 
 
 Now, tvhy this result ? Because they did 
 not care. Like people with no water, yet 
 scarcely feeling thirst. They did need a 
 Saviour from sin, a Friend in trial, a Guide 
 in perplexity, but thought not of it. Had 
 no wish to do God's will, and so could not 
 understand His message (ver 17). And so 
 their true King among them unheeded — 
 ' in the world, and the world knew Him 
 not.' 
 
 Is THAT GRACIOUS OFFER FOR US ? 
 
 Yes, see 2nd text for rep. — ' whosoever 
 will.'' 
 
 Which of us is thirsty? Thirsty for 
 pleasure or money, yes ; but thirsty for the 
 Holy Spu-it? Yet if we have Him not, 
 what then ? Rom. viii. 9. But if thirsty, 
 then — see Isa. xliv. 3, Matt. v. 6. 
 
 Christ ' stands and cries ' (see ver. 37) to 
 us — ' Ho ! everyone' (Isa. Iv. 1). _ Let Him 
 not hold out His arms to us in vain 1 
 
 Notes. 
 
 1. The Feast of Tabernacles, the third of the 
 three great yearly feasts among tlie Jews, fell in 
 the month Tisri, and lasted eight days, from the 
 15th to the 22nd of that month. Supposing the 
 year of the feast named in Johnvii. to be A.D. 29, 
 the week would, in that year, be from the llth to 
 the 18th of October. 
 
 The three great feasts all had reference to the 
 fruits of the soil, and thus were suitably ap- 
 pointed for an agricultural people. This third 
 one is called, in Exod. xxiii. 16, 'the feast of in- 
 gathering,' and was, in one of its aspects, a 
 thanksgiving for the produce of the year ; the 
 com, wine, oil, &c., having then all been gathered 
 in. In another aspect, it was a commemoretioa 
 
 of the life in the wilderness, and a thanksgiving 
 for the settlement in permanent habitations; 
 hence the command to dwell in booths (or ' taber- 
 nacles ') during the week the feast lasted. The 
 Talmud gives minute directions for the con- 
 struction of the booths. 
 
 The burnt offerings appointed for this feast 
 were very numerous, and the order in which the 
 bullocks (seventy in number) were to be sacrificed 
 very curious ; see Numb. xxix. 12—38. 
 
 Two remarkable ceremonies were added to the 
 observances at the feast in later times :— (1) The 
 daily drawing of the water from the Pool of 
 Siloam, and pouring of it out again upon the 
 altar, as briefly described In the Sketch. (2) The 
 
146 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 4 
 
 PLAN OP HEROD'S TEMPLE. 
 
 The above is a plan of the Temple and its surrounding 
 courts, as restored by Herod the Great (see John ii. 20, 
 and Lesson xvil.. Note 7), and existing in the time of our 
 Lord, according to the best autliorities. JIuch uncer- 
 tainty, however, prevails as to the exact position of even 
 the sacred building itself (the vahs, see Lesson xvii., 
 Note 6). 
 
 use the physical term 'heart' in the 
 same way. It occurs often in Scrip- 
 ture ; compare, e.g., Prov. xx. 27 with 
 Ileb. iv. 12. In His conversation with 
 the Samaritan woman, Christ said 
 that the 'living water' given to a 
 man would be ' in him a well of water 
 springing up,' &e. Here He describes 
 the same 'living water' as flowing 
 forth from the man, and thus figura- 
 tively sets forth the spiritual truth 
 that they who take the blessings He 
 offers will, in their turn, become 
 blessings to others. 
 
 (h) 'As the Scripture hath said'— to 
 what passage does this refer ? In 
 Ezek. xlvii. there is a highly figura- 
 tive prophecy of water flowing from 
 under the threshold of the Temple, 
 which shall give life to all that it 
 touches. In Joel iii 18, we read of a 
 fountain coming forth from the house 
 of the Lord ; and in Zech. xiv. 8, of 
 living waters going out from Jerusa- 
 lem. This imagery strikingly corre- 
 sponds with the ceremony alluded to 
 above, which suggested Christ's 
 words ; and it seems likely, that as 
 these predictions pointed to the result 
 of the outpouring of the Spirit on 
 the Church, He applied them to the 
 result of the same outpouring on the 
 individual soul. Isa. Iviii. 11—' Thou 
 shall be like a watered garden, and 
 like a spring of water whose waters 
 fail not '—is still more closely parallel. 
 
 (c) Why does St. John remark that 
 ' the Holy Ghost was not yet given .' 
 The words should be ' was not yet'— 
 ' given' not being in the original ; and 
 they simply mean that the dispensa- 
 tion of the Spirit ' was not yet.' 
 
 lighting of eight great lamps (supported on two 
 lofty stands, four on each) in the court of the 
 women ; see next Lesson. But these ceremonies 
 were (almost certainly) not observed on the 
 eighth day of the feast, which was regarded as 
 an extra day ; whereas it was (probably) on that 
 day that Christ used those words which seem to 
 have referred to them, John vii. 37, viii. 12. But, 
 as Afford suggests, it was the absence of the 
 ceremonies on the eighth day which gave so 
 much point to Ills words. 
 
 The Feast of Talternacles was the most joyous 
 of all the Jewish anniversaries. It is called, in 
 the Talmud, ' The Festival,' by way of pre-emi- 
 nence. And the proverb was current, ' He who 
 has never seen the rejoicing at the pouring out 
 ef the water of Siloam, has never seen rejoicing 
 in his life.' 
 
 2. In the remarkable passage, ver. 37—39, on 
 which so large a part of the Sketch is based, 
 three difllcultios ncod explanation : — 
 
 (a) What do the words, 'Out of his he 1 1 j/ shall 
 flou rtvers of living water,' mean ? The term 
 ' belly ' is simply used as a figurative expression 
 for the inner man, the spirit ; just as we habitually 
 
 3. The different classes of people in 
 this chapter should be carefully dis- 
 tinguished. We have ' the Jews,' t.e , 
 the ruling party of priests and Phari- 
 sees : ver. 11—' The Jews sought Him'; ver. 13 
 — ' No man spake openly of Him for fear of 
 the Jews.' 'The people,' in ver. 12, 20, 31, 32,40, 
 43, should be ' the multitude,' inclusive of the 
 Galileans and others who had come up for the 
 feast, and who were not aware of the plots against 
 the life of Jesus. In ver. 25 we have ' them of 
 Jerusalem' distinctively named, and these did 
 know of the plots. The whole chapter is rendered 
 much more intelligible and interesting If these 
 distinctions are observed. 
 
 4. ' If any man will do His will,' Sic, ver. 17- 
 rather, ' if any man is icilling to,* or ' has a mind 
 to.' 
 
 5. Ver. 27 and 42 appear to contradict each other, 
 but do not in reality. The Jews knew that 
 Messiah should be born at Bethlehem (sec- 
 Matt. ii. .^>) and of David's line, but they expected 
 His appearance to be sudden and mysterious, 
 and His immediate i)arentage to be unknown ; 
 perhaps inferring this from Isa. liii. 8. They re- 
 garded Jesus us a Galilean, and as the son of 
 Joseph, being unaware of both the mj'stcryaod 
 the place of His birth. 
 
147 
 
 Lesson LY.— Tlie Feast of Tabernacles.— II. 
 
 ' Tlie Light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehended tt not,' 
 
 Read — John viii. (parts) ; Learn — John iii. 19 ; 2 Cor. iv, 3, 4. [Hymns, 39, 43, 151, 230, 
 
 283, 285, 307, 308.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 The method adopted for constructing a practicable Sunday-school lesson on this 
 chapter is explained in the remarks prefixed to the preceding Lesson. Very pos- 
 sibly, the teachers of senior scholars may tliink it right to take our Lord's colloquy 
 with the Jewish authorities more in detail ; but if so, they will still find it more useful 
 and more interesting to follow the Sketch as a groundwork, omitting the intro- 
 ductory part and including more matter in Section II., than to follow the contro- 
 versy verse by verse — which latter would require much more time than any class has 
 at its disposal. 
 
 In using illustrations such aS those suggested at the beginning of the Sketch, they 
 should be made as real as possible by relating or supposing actual instances. Thus, 
 in the case of the one marked [a), a particular person and place should be named — 
 e.g., ' Have you ever been to London, Johnny ? ' ' No, sir.' ' Well, if you were 
 to go there, and arrived late at night, how much would you know about it ? ' So, 
 again, ideas which are, in printed notes, necessarily expressed in abstract form for 
 the sake of brevity, should be thrown into the concrete shape in actual teaching : thus, 
 •* So Darkness stands for three things, ignorance, sin, misery,' would be, ' So if a man 
 is very ignorant, what does the Bible say of him? — That he is in darkness. And if 
 he is very sinful, what,' &c. 
 
 Very little ' application ' is needed in Lessons of this kind, which depend on 
 illustrations. The illustrations, like Christ's parables, almost embody the application 
 themselves ; and a passage like that before us is in itself so solemn, that two or three 
 words of personal home-thrust are all that is required at the end. 
 
 Sketch op Lesson. 
 
 Who likes to be in the dark ? Light is 
 Buch a pleasant thing. How eagerly do 
 sailors, travellers, sleepless invaUds, long 
 for sunrise ! see Eccl. xi. 7 ; Acts xxvii. 29. 
 Think of three things about light and 
 darkness : — 
 
 (a) If go in the dark to town [or street, 
 ■or room] where not been before, what 
 know about it ? So ' to be in the dark ' 
 means ' not to know.' 
 
 (b) Some people do like darkness — who ? 
 Those who want not to be seen — thieves, 
 &c. — boys in mischief. So ' a dark deed ' 
 is a bad deed. 
 
 (c) How exhilarating is bright light — 
 -even gas — sunshine above all ! Darkness 
 makes sad. So we say, when misfortune 
 coming, ' aU looks dark.' 
 
 So ' darkness' stands for these three 
 things : — ignorance, see Rom. i. 21 ; Eph. 
 iv. 18 ; 1 John ii. 11 ; sin, see Rom. xiii. 12 ; 
 Eph. V. 11 ; misery, see Matt. xxv. 30. 
 
 In heathen lands, how much ' darkness ' ! 
 — ignorance, sin, miseiy. Before Christ 
 came, all the world dark, except Jews, and 
 their Hght dim. Then what did God pro- 
 mise ? Isa. Ix. 1 — 3 ; Mai. iv. 2. And when 
 Christ had come — when Gospel preached — 
 when ignorant taught, sinners made holy, 
 miserable made happy, — see what Paul, 
 
 Peter, and John could say, 2 Cor. iv. 6; 
 1 Pet. ii. 9 ; 1 John ii. 8. 
 
 But the darkness was not, is not yet, aU 
 put away — why not ? see John i. 4 — ' the 
 Light shineth in darkness, and the dark- 
 ness comprehended it not,' i.e., received it 
 not ; light no use, just as sunshine no use 
 to blind man, or man in dark cell, or man 
 in fog. To-day see how it was so at Jeru- 
 salem. 
 
 I. The Light shining in darkness. 
 
 Last Sunday we saw how the water of 
 Siloam was poured on the altar with re- 
 joicing, and what Jesus said on the eighth 
 day, when this not done. Another joyous 
 ceremony during the feast : In that part 
 of the Temple where all the people came, 
 two lofty lamp-stands, each with four 
 lamps. Each evening, people assembled 
 with blazing torches, and the eight lamps 
 Ughted amid great shoutings, illuminating 
 temple and city, and making dark Olivet 
 over there across the valley look darker. 
 In the morning they had thought of the 
 tent-life in the wilderness — now of the 
 pillar of fire shining on the camp and 
 guiding the march. But the feast now 
 over — no more illumination ; now see what 
 Jesus says, ver. 12 [see Note 2]. 
 
 ' 1 am the Light of the world.' As if He 
 
148 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 would say, 'Those lights you lit during 
 the feast could do nothing to make you 
 really happy, to take away sin, to light 
 you on the way to heaven — but there is a 
 Light that can do that — I am that Light — 
 and not like those lamps, shining only a 
 little way — but, like the sun, the ' Light of 
 the world.' ' He that fulloweth Me shall not 
 walk in darkness ' — ' shall not walk in igno- 
 rance, sin, misery; just as the IsraeUtes, 
 trusting in the pillar of fire and following 
 it, did not lose their way, so if any of you 
 will believe in Me, and come and follow Me, 
 you shall know the right way to be happy 
 and to please God.' 
 
 But who is this that says such things ? 
 A Galilean peasant standing up in the 
 Temple before priests and Pharisees, and 
 £alling himself ' the Light of the world ' ! 
 But that same day He says other things 
 just as strange. Ver. 23 — ' Ye are from 
 beneath, I am from above ' — what a dai-ing 
 saying ! and (unless He was, as we know, 
 the Son of God) how arrogant 1 Ver. 46 — 
 ' Which oj you convinceth Me of sin ? ' — who 
 could say that but ' the Holy One of God ' ? 
 see 1 John i. 8. Ver. 29 — ' / do always 
 those things that jilease Him ' — not only no 
 sin, but actually pleasing God at every 
 word and act ! Ver. 58 — ' Before Abraham 
 was, I am ' — what mean by that ? [see 
 Note 5] — not that He was born before 
 Abraham, but that before Abraham was 
 bom, He was — what? The I am — the 
 Eternal God who has no past or future, 
 but is always ' I am,' see Exod. iii. 14 ; 
 Ps. xc. 2 ; Heb. xiii. 8. Now we see ivhy 
 He could utter those wondrous sayings. 
 How thankful we should be that we know 
 why, that we are not in darkness about it ! 
 
 n. The Darkness comprehending it 
 
 NOT. 
 
 That is, men not believing that Jesus 
 was the True Light, the Son of God, and 
 80 their heai-ts not enlightened by Him ; 
 just as a blind man sees not the sunshine. 
 
 Now why was it ? why did ' the darkness 
 not comprehend the Light ' ? why did the 
 Jews not understand or believe in Jesus ? 
 In this chapter see two great reasons : — 
 
 (1) They ' lored darhiess rather than 
 light, because their deeds were evil' (1st text 
 
 for rep.). If they had felt their sinfulness, 
 and desired to be cleansed and made holy, 
 how they would have welcomed Jesus ! sec 
 Luke vii. 36 — 50. But see what sins Jesus 
 charges them with : ver. 5b— lying ; ver. 
 37, 40 — murder. Even when some so struck 
 as to be half won to Him — how is it that 
 they draw back, do not 'continue in His 
 word and be His disciples indeed ' ? see 
 ver. 30 — 39 : He promises them freedom 
 from sin, and they are offended ! So they 
 reject Him b ecause they don't want Him to 
 make them free ; and what does He say 
 will become of them ? ver. 24. 
 
 (2) The devil had ' blinded their minds ' 
 (2nd text for rep.). They thought them- 
 selves children of Abraham naturally, chil- 
 dren of God spiritually, ver. 39, 41 ; what 
 does Jesus tell them? [see A'o/e 3] — they 
 were ' not worthy to be called the sons ' of 
 Abraham or of God— why ? ver. 39, 40, 42. 
 Who was it that put murder and Ijdng into 
 their hearts ? who was it whose ways thej" 
 loved [see Note 4J , whom they imitated ? — 
 he must be their father — his children they 
 were worthy to be. Who was it ? ver. 44. 
 And their rejection of the 'True Light' — 
 that was Satan's work too : he made them 
 blind, and they could not see the sunshine. 
 But was it not then their own fault ? Ah, 
 yes, for what might they have done ? Jas, 
 iv. 7 ; 1 Pet. v. 8, 9. 
 
 See the end of it, ver. 59. That greatest 
 of His sa3'ings, that He is God, the ' I AM,' 
 they cannot stand. See the grave scribes 
 and sacred priests taking up stones to stone 
 Him ! But, though they icere to murder 
 Him one day, the time not yet come (ver. 
 20), and He escapes. 
 
 On rs ALSO the True Light shines. 
 
 More brightly than on the Jews — ^how 
 much more we know of Christ than they 
 could know then ! — about His death, resur- 
 rection, ifec, and what He can do for us. 
 
 Are ive choosing to remain in the dark ? 
 If so, it is Satan and our sins that rule over 
 us. But it is only because we know not 
 how happy the sunshine is. What is this 
 sunshine ? It is God ' making His face to 
 shine upon us,' i.e., making us know and 
 feel His love and care. ' Lord ! lift Thou 
 up the light of Thy coimtenance upon us.' 
 
 Notes, 
 
 1. It is probable that ver. 12 of this chapter 
 should follow on after chap. vii. 52. The last 
 verse of chap, vii., and the flr.it eleven verses of 
 Ohap. viii., do not, in the opinion of the great 
 majority of the best critics, belong to St. John's 
 Gospel at all. The passage is not found in the 
 oldest MSS. (the 'Cambridge' alone excepted), 
 nor in the Syriac versions of the New Testament ; 
 nor Is it referred to by the early fathers who com- 
 ment on the Gospel. Moreover, there are, even 
 In so small a space, several words and id-ioms 
 which occur nowhere else in St. John's writings ; 
 and the general style is finite diJYerent from his. 
 At the same time, it bears the unmistakeable 
 Impress of truth, and is, without doubt, an 
 authentic record of actual facts, though its 
 authorship Is uncertain. Some of the MSS. 
 
 which contain it place it at the end of Ltike xxl., 
 and it would certainly come la there not un- 
 naturally. 
 
 There is, therefore, no suflicient warrant for the 
 idea (based on the words 'early in the morning' 
 in ver. 2), that in calling Himself ' the Light of 
 the world,' Christ referred to the then rising 
 sun. It is more likely that the discourses of 
 chap. viii. (or at least ver. 12—20) should be 
 placed on the same day as chap. vii. 37 — 44, the 
 eighth day of the feast. 
 
 2. On the Feast of Tabernacles and Its attend- 
 ant customs, see last Lesson, Note 1. The view 
 taken in the Sketch above, that the expression 
 ' Light of the world ' was used by our Lord in 
 reference to the ceremony of lighting the lamps. 
 
THE SL\N BORN BLIND. 
 
 149 
 
 is confirmed by the statement of ver. 20, that He 
 was 'in the treasury,' which was at the north 
 end of the ' Court of the Women,' in whicli the 
 great lamp-stands were placed. This ' Court of 
 the Women ' was a large open court on the east 
 side of the inner and more sacred portion of tlie 
 Temple (the vao^). It was so called, not as being 
 exclusively for women, hut because it was the 
 court beyond which they were not permitted to 
 go. It was, in fact, the chief place of public con- 
 course. See Plan of the Temple at p. 146. 
 
 3. In ver. 37, 39, our Lord seems to make a dis- 
 tinction between the 'seed' and the 'children' 
 of Abraham. The Jews said they were ' Abra- 
 ham's seed.' He would remind them that this 
 did not of itself give them the position of 
 ' children,' inasmuch as Ishmael was Abraham's 
 ' seed,' yet he and his mother Hagar were cast 
 out; compare St. Paul's allegory in Gal. iv. To 
 this ver. 35 probably alludes—' The servant (or 
 bondman) abideth not in the house for ever.' 
 If they would he free children, they must come 
 to Him who was emphatically 'the Son,' and of 
 whom Isaac was a type. 
 
 And if they might owe their being to a father 
 without being in the full sense his ' children,' so 
 also they might virtually be 'children' of one to 
 whom they did not owe their being. In calling 
 
 them children of the devil, Christ uses the com- 
 mon Hebraism familiar to us by the terms ' chil- 
 dren of this world,' 'children of the kingdom,' &c. 
 Augustine says, ' Whence are these Jews sons 
 of the devil ? By imitation, not by birth.' 
 
 4. ' The lusts of your father ye loill do,' literally 
 ye desire, like, to do. Comp. Note 4, last Lesson. 
 
 5. ' Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw 
 it, and teas glad.' Two distinct facts are stated 
 here : first, that he ' rejoiced that he should see it' 
 (IVa), i.e., he rejoiced in the anticipation ; 2ndly, 
 that he actually ' saw it,' i.e., in his glorified state. 
 The latter statement was intended to imply that 
 Abraham was not dead, as the Jews said (ver. 52), 
 but (in his disembodied state) alive. 
 
 By 'My day' is meant Christ's first advent. 
 Afterthe Ascension the expression is used of the 
 second advent (1 Cor. i. 8 ; Phil. ii. 16). In Luke 
 xvii. 22, 26, both advents are thus designated. 
 
 In the words, ' before Abraham zcas, I am,' the 
 same verb, ' to be,' is used in English. But in 
 the Greek the verbs are different, and the more 
 literal rendering would be, ' Before Abraham 
 became (or, vas made, or, was born), I am.' The 
 distinction is very significant, and clearly im- 
 plies the pre-existence of the Eternal Son of God 
 — ' not made, nor created, but begotten.' 
 
 Lesson LYI.— The Man Born Blind. 
 
 ' One thing I know, that whereas I was blind, now I see,' 
 
 Eead— John ix. ; Zearw— Eph. v. 8 ; Rom. x. 10. {Hymns, 24, 102, 103, 127, 167, 
 
 322, 324, 329.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 Unlike the preceding Lesson, tMs one depends for its value on its application ; and the 
 teacher should be careful that the narrative do not take up so much time as to prevent 
 the appUcation from being effective. There need be no difficulty in insuring thia, as 
 although the chapter is long, and must be read through (or rather to ver. 38), it is very 
 simple, and only requires a little picturesque paraphrasing. 
 
 The great point to aim at in applying the subject is this— To show the decisive and 
 unmistakeable character of true conversion. ' One thing I know, that whereas I was 
 blind, now I see.' Great pains should be taken to explain what those things are which 
 are only really ' seen ' when the eyes of the soul are opened. Our scholars do know these 
 things ; they have been taught them ; but have they ever, as it were, confronted them, so 
 that they might say, 'Ah, I see it now' ? This is the question to press home ; and then 
 the certain result of that ' seeing' — fearless adherence to and confession of Christ. The 
 familiar use of the expressions, ' I can't see it,' ' I see it now,' when anything is being 
 explained (e.g., the way to do a rule of three sum), will sufficiently illustrate the idea of 
 mental and spiritual ' seeing.' Any case of the children having been astonished because 
 some sight (such as a display of fireworks), when seen for the first time, far exceeded 
 their anticipations, woitld also be a useful illustration. ' You had no idea of it before, 
 had you ? ' ' No.' ' Well, some of you have no idea of [Christ's love — sin's deceit- 
 fulness — Christian joy] when you do see it, it will overwhelm you.' It is needless 
 
 to say tvhat the teacher must himself be, if he is to speak thus. 
 
 Sketch of Lesson. 
 
 Where is Jesus after that threatened ston- 
 ing [last Lesson} ? Watch Him coming out 
 of the Temple gates with the disciples — in 
 hurry and alarm ? — no, calmly and quietly 
 — for see 1 He is stopping to look at a blind 
 
 beggar (ver. 1), no doubt sitting there for 
 alms (comp. Acts iii. 2). Ah, He has just 
 been rejected by those who should have 
 known better — they preferred 'darkness' 
 to the ' Light of the world' — but here ia a 
 
150 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 poor despised beggar — to him He will give 
 light for both body and soul — he shall see 
 the sun in the heavens and the Sun of 
 righteousness too. 
 
 But the disciples are thinking of some- 
 thing else, ver. 2 [see Note 2j — 'surely, as 
 suffering comes because of sm, there must 
 have been dreadful sin somewhere to cause 
 this — Uindness from bii-th ! ' What does 
 Jesus say ? ver. 3 — true, if no sin in world, 
 then no suffering, but particular sufferings 
 not always because of particular sins — God 
 in His love may send suffering for men's 
 good (comp. Heb. xii. 5 — 11) — they will 
 see presently how God uses this man's 
 calamity for his good. 
 
 But vnU. it be safe, when in such peril, 
 to stop there and heal the man ? What 
 does Jesus say ? ver. 4 — He will not ' leave 
 till to-morrow what can be done to-day.' 
 [See Note 1]. 
 
 Now see this blind man, — 
 
 I. Cubed BY Christ. [Readver.b — 12]. 
 He has heard what Jesus said — that his 
 
 blindness to be an opportunity for God's 
 power to be shown — ' and who is this that 
 calls Himself the Light of the world?' 
 His heart is opening while his eyes yet 
 shut. Then what does he feel upon his 
 eyes? what is he told to do? [See Note 
 3.] Does he hesitate? or object, like 
 Naaman ? Here is faith seen by its works 
 (Jas. ii. 18) — we know he believed in the 
 truth and power of Jesus — how ? — because 
 we see him obeying. Comp. chap. iv. 50 
 [see Lesson J(XJ.]. See him quickly feel- 
 ing his way down the steep luU into the 
 valley [see Note 4] ; see him washing his 
 eyes ; and then — .' Ohvet, the Kedron, the 
 towers, bulwarks, palaces of Zion (see Ps. 
 xlviii. 12, 13), the glitteiing Temple, the 
 ' mountains round about Jerusalem ' — all 
 seen for the first time ; trees, animals, the 
 blue sky above, the faces of his fellow- 
 creatures — all new to him ! And see the 
 change in himself — the old blank, dull look 
 gone — his face bright and joyous now — his 
 friends scarcely know him, ver. 8, 9. 
 
 II. Confessing Christ. [Read ver. 13 
 -27.] 
 
 Such an extraordinary case must be 
 looked into. The man is summoned before 
 one of the courts then sitting. What do 
 the Pharisee rulers notice most in his story ? 
 — the wondrous power of the Healer ? — ah, 
 no — just as it was when the impotent man 
 received strength to walk (chap. v. 12), so 
 now — they hate Jesus, and pick out what 
 they can to attack him about [.see Note 51. 
 How would Jesus justify such Sabbath 
 work? Matt. xii. 12. But the judges not 
 all alike, ver. 16 — perhaps Nicodemus or 
 Joseph there. 
 
 But perhaps, they think, it is all a mis- 
 take — ' send for his parents.' Now, should 
 we not expect that the father and mother 
 would be loud in their praises of Him who 
 had given sight to their son ? Are they ? 
 why not ? ver. 20—22. 
 
 Now listen to the man himself. Is ke 
 afraid of speaking out ? Look at what he 
 saj's about Jesus : ver. 17 — a prophet ; rer. 
 31 — one whom God heareth, therefore He 
 cannot be the sbmer they take Him for. 
 He knows little about Jesus — no idea who 
 He really is — but determined to be His 
 disciple, even if no one else will (ver. 27, 
 28). Just consider : here is an ignorant, 
 despised beggar — there are his parents and 
 the great men of the city — surely they 
 ought to know best — why should he set up 
 his ideas against theirs ? Yet he does — 
 why? ver. 25 — ' one thin;/ I knoic'' — no mis- 
 take about it — that enough for him. 
 
 III. Suffering for Christ. [Read 
 ver. 28—34.] 
 
 Two things he has to bear. 
 
 1. Reviling, ver. 28 — the grave priests 
 and judges scofiBng and sneering at Him, 
 But what does Jesus say of those who thus 
 suffer? Matt. v. 11. 
 
 2. Excommunication, ver. 34 [see Note 7]. 
 'Cast out,' i.e., expelled (like incorrigible 
 boy from school) — not allowed to come to 
 worship God in 'Temple or synagogue. So 
 Jesus said should be done to His disciples, 
 John xvi. 2 ; but what did He add ? xvi. 
 33 ; comp. Isa. Ixvi. 5. 
 
 IV. Worshipping Christ. [Read ver. 
 35— 38.J 
 
 Look again at that last text (Isa. Ixvi. 5) 
 — what is the promise to those ' cast out ' ? 
 ■ — '■He shall appear unto thee^ ; so Jesus 
 finds out His expelled servant. Does the 
 man know Him ? He never saw Him be- 
 fore (from the Pool had gone home — 
 thence to the court) — but that Voice — he 
 knows it well — could he ever forget it? 
 Does he 'believe in the Son of God'? — 
 knows not who that is, but ready to believe 
 whatever his Healer tells him (ver. 36, 
 'that I might'). 'Thou liast seen Him' — 
 thy restored eyes have looked on the Son 
 of God — how could they ? — it was the Son 
 of God who restored them. And now he 
 sees the Son of God with the eyes of his 
 soul too — underneath that plain peasant's 
 dress recognises One who may be wor- 
 shipped — see him prostrate at Jesus' feet. 
 
 Here is a Picture of the True 
 Christian. 
 
 1. Christ has opened his eijes — the eyes of 
 his soul. Why necessarj'"? Because he 
 cannot see without. See what ? (a) How 
 sinful he is. (b) How the holy God hates 
 sin. (c) How he, a sinner, may yet have 
 God's favour here and hereafter, {d) How 
 happy a thing it is to be God's child ; and 
 much more. And, woi'st of aU, he does 
 not know he is blind (Rev. iii. 17) ! Which 
 of us like that? But when Christ opens 
 his eyes, what does he see ? Job xlii. 5, G ; 
 Ps. cxix. 18 ; Eph. i. 17—19. He sees it 
 all now — his sin, God's love, Ac. ; and can 
 say, ' One thing I know, that whereas I was 
 bhnd, now I see ! ' Which of us can say- 
 that ? 
 
THE SHEPHERD AND T-HE SHEEP. 
 
 151 
 
 2. He confesses Christ before men. There 
 is a diif erence in him — people can see that 
 clearly— they say, ' Can it be the same 
 man ? what "can have come to him ? ' — then 
 what is his answer? see ver. 11 — refers 
 them to Jesus— all the praise to Him. And 
 he can do what the beggar could not do- 
 many about him blind too — he can lead 
 thein to Christ. Are any of us like this ? 
 
 3. He cheerfully suffers for Christ. Hard 
 words, sneering looks, perhaps maUcious 
 acts — yes, they are hard to bear. But what 
 
 does he remember ? Matt. x. 24, 25 ; John 
 XV. IS— 20 ; 1 Pet. iv. 13 ; Heb. xii. 3. 
 
 4. Christ reveals Himself to His adoring 
 eyes — to the eyes of His faith now, John 
 xiv. 21, 23; Acts xviii. 9, 10, xxiii. 11, 
 xxvii. 23 ; and what hereafter ? Isa. xxxiii. 
 17 ; John xvii. 24 ; 1 John iii. 2. Shall we 
 not worship Him then ? 
 
 ' O that, with yonder sacred throng, 
 We at His leet may fall ; 
 Join in the everlasting song. 
 And crown Him Lord of All ! ' 
 
 Notes. 
 
 1. Expositors are divided as to whether an in- 
 terval should he assumed between chaps, viii. and 
 ix., or whether the ' passing by' of ix. 1 refers to 
 viii. 59. The balance of argument seems in 
 favour of the latter view, which is adopted in 
 the Sketch. On this view, much significance 
 Is given to ver. 4. Jesus might well hurry away 
 from the Temple, where His life was in danger, 
 but He must (.as it were, at any risk) stop to 
 give this blind man sight ; for ' the night 
 Cometh'— the malice of his enemies would soon 
 put an end to His ' day'— therefore He 'must 
 work ' while yet it is day. Short intervals may 
 be assumed after verses 12, 34, and 38 ; from 
 ver. 39 the narrative is continuous to x. 21. 
 
 2. ' Who, did sin,' &c. It was a popular belief 
 among the Jews (and elsewhere, see Acts xxviii. 
 4) that every special affliction was a punish- 
 ment for a special sin : a distortion of the great 
 truth of the connection of sin and suffering 
 which made the prosperous self-complacent, and 
 prompted uncharitable judgments of others, and 
 which our Lord elsewhere condemned (Luke 
 xiii. 1—5). Of course Christ does not, in ver. 3, 
 mean to say that neither the man nor his 
 parents had ever sinned, but that no particular 
 sin of theirs had caused the infirmity. 
 
 3. We are not told the reason why our Lord 
 sometimes used outward means in His works of 
 healing (comp. Mark vii. 33 ; viii. 23). In this 
 case we can see that by doing so the man's faith 
 was tested, as In the similar case of Naaman 
 <2 Kings v.). 
 
 4. The Pool of Siloam still exists. It is at the 
 foot of the hill (Ophel) which is the continuation 
 southward of the hill on which the Temple stood. 
 
 near the point where the two valleys of Hinnom 
 and Jehoshaphat meet. The water descends to 
 it, through a subterranean passage under Ophel, 
 from the ' Virgin's Fount,' a spring higher up in 
 the valley of Jehoshaphat ; and this spring is 
 believed to come from under the Temple. See 
 Robinson, £iOl. lies. i. 343,498; and Dr. Bonar's 
 article in Smith's Diet. Bible. 
 
 The comment of the Evangelist, ' Which is by 
 interpretation. Sent,' points to a symbolic mean- 
 ing in the direction to go to the Pool. Stier and 
 Hengstenberg think that the idea is, ' Go to the 
 God-sent spring of water (comp. Ps. civ. 10), and 
 let it remind thee of Him who is the Sent of 
 God, and who gives the living water.' It is 
 noteworthy that, in St. John's Gospel, the idea 
 of Christ as ' sent ' from the Father is prominent ; 
 see iii. ir, 34, v. 36, 38, vii. 29, viii. 42. 
 
 5. On Christ's miracles on the Sabbath, sec 
 Lesson XXXVII., Note 1. The 'making clay' 
 would be regarded by the Jews as a ' servile 
 work,' and therefore unlawful. 
 
 6. ' Give God the praise,' ver. 24— rather ' Give 
 glory to God.' This is not an injunction to 
 thank God rather than Jesus for the cure ; for 
 the Pharisees did not admit the fact of the cure 
 at all. It is simply a Jewish form of adjuration 
 to the man to speak the truth, like Joshua's 
 words to Achan, Josh. vii. 19. 
 
 7. ' Ca«<A!TOou^'i.e.,formallyexcommunleated 
 him, which involved exclusion from the syna- 
 gogue for thirty days at least. 
 
 8. ' yVe know that God heareth not sinners, i.e., 
 wilful and determined sinners ; comp. Ps. Ixvi. 
 18 ; Prov. i. 28 ; Isa. 1. 15, lix. 2 ; Jas. iv. 3. 
 
 Lesson LYIL — Tlie Shepherd and the Sheep. 
 
 ' I am the Good Shepherd.' 
 
 Read— John x. 1—21 ; Learn— Ma.tt. xviii. 11—14. {Hymns, 91, 96, 130, 134, 162—165, 
 
 341, 344, 374.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 It is quite possible to use too many Scripture references in Sunday-school teaching, and 
 narrative lessons in particular should not be over encumbered with them. But it is well 
 sometimes to have a lesson of almost continuous text-finding ; and the cases in which this 
 is most suitable are those in which some article of the faith has to be proved, or the attri- 
 butes of God, or the work of Christ, to be studied. In the subject before us, the work of 
 Christ is explained by the analogy of the shepherd and the sheep ; and a larger selection 
 of references than usual will therefore be found interesting and useful. The teacher must 
 
152 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD 
 
 not, however, allow the texts to be merely found and read ; he miist see that their beanng 
 on the subject is understood by the class, which is very often not the case. Thus, the 
 reference to Matt. sxvi. 53, in sub-section 1 of division II., wall not be appreciated with- 
 out explanation ; while a very few words — possibly a simple question and answer — will 
 suffice to explain it. Teachers of non-reading classes can, of course, use only a few texts, 
 and these they must read or repeat themselves. But in their case the illustrative matter, 
 with the simplest application of it, will be ample for an effective lesson. 
 
 Care, must be taken that the children understand the difference between an English and 
 an Oriental shepherd, e.g., that the latter does not drive, but leads his flock. Sufficient 
 information on these points is embodied in the Sketch ; and see Note 5. 
 
 Sketch of Lesson. 
 
 Do you remember, once, when Jesus saw 
 a great multitude, what they looked like ? 
 Matt. ix. 36 [.s-ee Lesson XXXVIII.'\. But 
 who ought to have been shepherds to those 
 sheep ? Of course the priests and scribes. 
 See how they treated the people, Matt. 
 xxiii. 4, 13, 14. An instance of this in our 
 last Lesson — how did they treat that poor 
 man ? And who found him out after his 
 expulsion from the synagogue ? — He was 
 more like a shepherd. 
 
 So now Jesus will show these Pharisees 
 what they really are [see Note 1]. 
 
 See how He describes what a true shep- 
 herd is, ver. 2 — 4. How does he get into 
 the fold to fetch the sheep ? Then if any 
 one gets over the wall instead, can he be 
 the shepherd? What is he ? ver. 1. "What 
 does he come for? ver. 10. How do the 
 sheep receive him ? ver. 5 [see Note 5] . 
 
 ' Yes,' the Pharisees might say, ' all very 
 true ; but what has this to do with us ? ' 
 They can't make it out, ver. 6 ; ' surely He 
 does not mean to say ice are thieves and 
 robbers.' That depends on what He means 
 by the 'door'; so He tells them more 
 plainly, ver. 7 — 9. 
 
 ' / am the Door J How ? The Door is 
 the way in and out of the fold — sheep 
 must go through it for safety, come 
 through it for pasture — shepherd gets at 
 them through it, leads them in and out. 
 Now how does a good teacher or minister 
 do good to his people? Only tlu-oiigh Christ 
 — getting grace and strength from Him 
 himself — bringing them to Him. Well, 
 the Pharisees — is this what they did ? 
 would they ask Jesus how to teach the 
 people ? would they brmg them to Him ? 
 They went another xoay — so were not shep- 
 herds, but robbers. 
 
 Then Jesus goes on to show how He is 
 the True Shepherd, the Great Shepherd, 
 the Good Shepherd. See how. 
 
 I. How Christ is like other Good 
 Shepherds. 
 
 Think a little about an Jlastem shepherd. 
 See him walking along mountain path, all 
 the sheep following (ver. 4). Some sheep 
 lag behind — shepherd looks back, sees 
 which they are (for he knows all), calls to 
 them — to each hy its oicn name (ver. 3) — 
 they hear the call, know the voice, follow 
 on. Come to difficult path, between higli 
 rocks, through thorny bushes — shepherd 
 
 makes a way with his crook for sheep to 
 go through (Ps. xxiii. 4). He finds best 
 place to feed, ' green pastures,' ' still 
 waters' (Gen. xxix. 7 ; Ps. xxiii. 2 ; Ezek. 
 xsxiv. 13, 14). By-and-bye he sees one 
 missing — where can it be ? — must go and 
 find it — toils over mountain-side, searching 
 everywhere — finds poor, starving, fright- 
 ened sheep — carries it back on his shoulder 
 (Ezek. xxsiv. 12 ; Luke xv. 4, 8). Then at 
 night back to fold — walking gently not to 
 tire weak ones — lambs borne in his arms 
 (Isa. xl. 11). Fold has stone walls round 
 — in at gate — then shepherd keeps watch 
 (Luke ii. 8) — wild beast may try and get 
 at them (ver. 12; 1 Sam. xvii. 34; Acts 
 XX. 29) — or robbers (ver. 10) — must be 
 ready to drive them away. 
 
 Now how is Christ like such a shepherd ? 
 
 1. He knows His sheep, and they know 
 Him. He knows them, 2 Tim. ii. 19 ; calls 
 each by name, Isa. xliii. 1 — the name He 
 has written in His book, Phil. iv. 3 ; Rev. 
 iii. 5, xxi. 27. Does not this show His 
 love for them ? [lllust. — Tl'e take an inte- 
 rest in anything tee give a name to, e.g., new 
 invention or discovery.] They know Him, 
 2 Tim. i. 12 ; listen to His voice, Ps. Ixxxv. 
 8 ; Hab. ii. 1 ; obey it, John xiv. 23. 
 
 2. He leads His sheej), and they follow 
 Him. Wherever they have to go, He has 
 gone first, Heb. xii. 1 — 3 ; John xv. IS. 
 They have only to follow in His steps, 
 1 Pet. ii. 21 ; 1 John ii. 6. 
 
 3. He feeds His sheep : provides all they 
 need (Phil. iv. 19)— for body, Ps. xxxiv. 9, 
 10 ; Matt. vi. 32, 33 ; for soul, John vi. 27, 
 51 ; Eom. viii. 32. 
 
 4. He protects His siieep. From whom ? 
 From Satan, Luke xxii. 31, 32; from all 
 evil, Ps. cxxi. 7, 8. See how safe they are, 
 ver. 28, 29 ; Rom. viii. 35—39. 
 
 5. He seeks the wandering sheep. What 
 did He come down from heaven for, but 
 ' to seek and to save the lost ' ? Luke xix. 
 10; comp. 1 Pet. ii. 25. And when His 
 own servants wander, as they do sometimes, 
 He seeks them and brings them back, Ps. 
 xxiii. 3, cxix. 17G. 
 
 II. How Christ is unlike all other 
 Shepherds. 
 
 See ver. 11,15. ' Lays dovm His life for 
 
 the sheepJ A mere hireling, who cares not 
 for the sheep, would not do that, ver. 12, 
 13; but have not other good shepherds 
 
THE SHEPHERD AND THE SHEEP. 
 
 153 
 
 done it? Yes, have risked their lives, as 
 David did when the lion and bear came 
 (1 Sam. xvii. 34, 35) ; sometimes have even 
 lost them. But suppose robber or wild 
 beast kills shepherd, will the sheep ever 
 have him again ? and what becomes of the 
 sheep ? are they not stolen and killed too ? 
 But with Christ and His sheep it is 
 different : — 
 
 1. He laid doion His life of His own 
 accord, ver. 18 ; comp. Matt. xxvi. 53 ; 
 John xviii. 11 ; Luke xxiii. 46. What 
 shepherd would do that? 
 
 2. He laid down His life that He might 
 take it again, ver. 17, 18. Jesus was killed 
 — kUled by those very 'thieves and robbers' 
 He has been talking to, the priests and 
 rulers — and Satan (the ' wolf ') at the 
 bottom of it. But was He conquered ? 
 Heb. ii. 14, xiii. 20. Was He gone from His 
 sheep for ever ? When did He ' take His 
 life again ' ? Well, but why then did He 
 lay it down at all ? 
 
 3. He laid down His life that His sheep 
 might have life, ver. 10, 28. How is that ? 
 See Isa. lui. 6 — ' all we gone astray ' ; ' like 
 sheep,' because can't help ourselves — yet 
 not like sheep, for they know no better — 
 our wandering guilty and ungrateful. What 
 
 does our sin deserve? Rom. vi. 23. But 
 Jesus died instead, and when He died, 
 what was done with our sin ? look again 
 at Isa. liii. 6 ; comp. 1 Pet. ii. 24 ; Heb. ix. 
 28. And so (Rom. vi. 23 again) ' the gift 
 of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ.' 
 Is NOT THE Good Shepherd worthy 
 
 OF OUR LOVE ? 
 
 And if we love Him for His love to us, 
 what wUl it lead us to do ? See 2 Cor. v. 
 14, 15— what did His love ' constrain ' St. 
 Paul to do ? To live ' not to himself ' — 
 not selfishly, caring only for his own plea- 
 sure and profit — ' but unto Him that died ' — 
 i.e., for Him. How do that ? {a) Keep 
 His commandments, John xiv. 15 — 'obey 
 His voice ' and ' follow Him,' as sheep do 
 shepherd. (6) Think of the ' other sheep ' 
 (ver. 16) scattered over the world — help to 
 seek them out and ' fetch them home to 
 His flock ' — thus act as shepherds, copying 
 the Good Shepherd. 
 
 Bvi are toe His sheep at all f AU are not 
 — there are the ' goats ' too. Matt. xxv. 32, 
 33. But though goats cannot be changed 
 into sheep, we may be changed. Let us 
 pray, ' Make us to be numbered with Thy 
 saints in glory everlasting.' 
 
 Notes. 
 
 1. This passage Is obviously a continuation ol 
 the discourse to the Pharisees begun in chap. ix. 
 39—41. Jesus, with reference to the case of the 
 blind man, remarks that one effect of His pre- 
 sence in the world is that, while the ignorant 
 are enlightened, the self-sufficient are hardened 
 (ver. 39). The Pharisees, feeling that He alludes 
 to them, retort indignantly (ver. 40), ' Are we, 
 the leaders and teachers of Israel, blind also?-" 
 Jesus replies that if they were totally blind, 
 they would not be guilty, but as they profess to 
 see, and have in fact some knowledge, they are 
 guilty (ver. 41). Then He goes on to show them 
 what they, the professed teachers, really are,— 
 not ' shepherds ' of the people, because they 
 * enter not by the door,' but ' thieves and rob- 
 bers ' (X. 1—5). They fail to grasp his full mean- 
 ing (ver. 6), being obviously puzzled by the 
 ^door'; so He proceeds to explain that He is 
 Himself the ' door' (ver. 7)— the ' door' both for 
 Shepherds and sheep (ver. 9) ; and all who do not 
 acknowledge Rim are not true shepherds (ver. 8). 
 
 Up to this point, Jesus has not spoken of Him- 
 self as the Shepherd. Although the description 
 in ver. 2—4 is of course true emphatically of 
 Himself, this is not its direct application. The 
 shepherd there is the good and faithful scribe or 
 pastor. But in ver. 10, He expands the figure, 
 and describes Himself as the Good Shepherd. 
 
 2. The word rendered ' parable,' in ver. 6, is not 
 Trapa^ok-rj {parabolee), but -KapoLfxia (paroimia). 
 The former word is not used by St. John. The 
 latter means rather 'proverb,' and is so ren- 
 dered in chap. xvi. 25. The discourse is certainly 
 not a parable, in the strict sense ol tlie term, but 
 rather an allegory, Inasmucn us the figure and 
 the thing signified are not kept separate, but 
 mingled together ; thus, in the sentence, 'I lay 
 down My life for the sheep,' 'sheep' is part of 
 the imagery, but 'I lay down My life' is not. 
 See Additional Note on the Parables, p. 108. 
 
 3. Ver. 8 is very variously explained. Gene- 
 rally it is assumed that Christ is speaking of 
 ' all professed shepherds who came before Me, 
 the Good Shepherd,' and then the expression 
 ' all ' and ' before Me ' are perplexing. But 
 'Me' must mean ^ Me the Door,' as this figure 
 appears in both ver. 7 and ver. 9. What then 
 is the meaning of ' all that came before 
 the Door'? 'Before' (Trpo) may indicate not 
 only priority in time, but priority in position. 
 Now going in at the door was submitting to the 
 rule of entrance made by the owner, and so 
 acknowledging his prior authority. This the 
 thief did not do, but chose his own way before 
 the owner's way, i.e., preferred it, acting as if 
 his right of entrance was prior to the owner's ; 
 which is precisely what Christ charges on the 
 Pharisees. 
 
 4. In ver. 16 the two words rendered ' fold ' are 
 not the same ; the latter should be ' Hock.' The 
 Gentiles, who were to be brought in, should not 
 come into the Jewish 'fold' or external organ- 
 isation, though they should be part of God's one 
 universal ' flock.' 
 
 5. Dr. Thomson (Z.. and B., p. 201) gives some 
 interesting particulars of shepherd-life in Pales- 
 tine, with a wood-cut of a sheep-fold— a space 
 enclosed by stone walls, with a single gate, and 
 partly covered over, to afford shelter in the 
 winter. In the Narrative of ilie Scottish Mission 
 to the Jews, it is related that a traveller asserted 
 to a Syrian shepherd his belief that the sheep 
 knew the dress and not the voice of their master ; 
 and, in order to test the point, exchanged dresses 
 with the shepherd, mingled with the flock, and 
 called to them to follow him. But without suc- 
 cess ; the sheep never moved till the shepherd 
 called, when they ran to him at once, notwitti- 
 standing his disguise. 
 
154 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 ADDITIONAL NOTE YIII. 
 
 ON THE CKRONOLOGY OF THE LAST SIX MONTHS OF OUR LORD'S LIFE 
 
 The great diversity of opinion existing 
 among harmonists respecting the order of 
 events in the last six months of our Lord's 
 are, renders it desirable that the system 
 adopted in arranging these Lessons should 
 be briefly explained. 
 
 The succession of events down to what 
 has been well called ' the crisis at Caper- 
 naum ' (John vi.) has been already given, 
 in the Additional Note on the Chronology 
 of the Galilean Ministry (page 59). This 
 crisis occurred about the time of the Pass- 
 over, two years having then elapsed since 
 the Passover of John ii., at which Chi-ist's 
 public ministiy began. On the next six 
 months, viz., from the Passover of John vi. 
 to the Feast of Tabernacles of John vii. 
 (April to October), see Lesson XLVIII., 
 Note 1. Six months now remain to be ac- 
 counted for, viz., from the Feast of Taber- 
 nacles of John vii. to the Passover at which 
 Christ was put to death. 
 
 The Four Gospels thus treat this period : — 
 
 1. St. Matthew (xix. 1) records a journey 
 from Galilee, 'into the coasts of Judffia 
 beyond Jordan.' He then proceeds to re- 
 late a number of incidents ; but there is no 
 further mention of locahty untQ xx. 29, 
 when a departure from Jericho is named ; 
 and immediately afterwards (xxi. 1) we 
 come to the public entry into Jerusalem on 
 the first day of the Passover week. Had 
 we only this Gospel, we should imagine 
 that there was but one journey to Jeru- 
 salem, and that the last. 
 
 2. St. Mark's naiTative (x. 1 — xi. 1) is 
 exactly parallel with Matthew's, only ex- 
 cepting the omission of a parable. 
 
 3. St. Luke's account is considerably 
 longer, and embodies much that is peculiar 
 to his Gospel. The section opens at ix. 51 
 with the words, ' When the time came that 
 He should be received up, He stedfastly set 
 His face to go to Jerusalem.' We then 
 have a long series of incidents and dis- 
 courses, extending through nine chapters, 
 when we come to the same visit to Jericho 
 mentioned by Matthew and Mark, followed, 
 as in their case, by the entr-y into Jerusalem. 
 Five notices of locality occur in these 
 chapters, viz., that Christ came to a Sa- 
 maritan village (ix. 52) ; that He came to 
 the village (not named) where Martha and 
 Mary lived (x. 38) ; that He ' went through 
 the cities and villages, teaching and jour- 
 neying toward Jerusalem' (xiii. 22) ; that 
 He was at a certain time in Herod's do- 
 minions (i.e., GaUlee or Perasa) (xiii. 31) ; 
 and that ' as He went to Jerusalem, He 
 passed through the midst of Samaria and 
 Galilee' (xvii. 11). The whole nan-ativc 
 might well belong to the one journey which 
 Matthew and Mark seem to record. 
 
 4. St, John's account is altogether dif- 
 
 ferent. He alone mentions the visit to the 
 Feast of Tabernacles (vii. — x. 21). He then 
 relates (x. 22) that Christ was again at 
 Jerusalem at the Feast of the Dedication, 
 two months later (in December), but does 
 not say what occurred in the interval ; 
 that, to avoid persecution, He retired into 
 Perffia (x. 40) ; that thence He came back 
 to Bethany to heal Lazarus (xi.). and after- 
 wards went to Ephraim (probably 12 miles 
 N.E. of Jerusalem), where He ' continued ' 
 (xi. 54), apparently in retirement. Then 
 follows the arrival at Bethany (xii. 1) just 
 before the entry into Jerusalem. 
 
 The main problem, therefore, is this : — 
 Between which sections of St. John's narra- 
 tive are the journeyings recorded by the 
 other three Evangelists to be inserted ? 
 
 Let us take Luke ix. 51 (quoted above), 
 which is the most important passage, and 
 see how the journey there named will work 
 in with St. John's statements. 
 
 This journey is evidently one of great 
 importance. 'The words which introduce 
 it are peculiarly solemn. It is Christ's 
 final departure from Galilee, and, as He 
 leaves the scene of His most active minis- 
 try. He pronounces woes on the cities of 
 the Lake, which had so blindly rejected 
 Him (x. 13). It is marked by special pub- 
 licity : He sends messengers before Him at 
 the very first stage (ix. 52), and afterwards 
 commissions the Seventy to proclaim His 
 approach in ' every city and place whither 
 He Himself wiU come' (x. 1). This last 
 feature shows the journey to be a long one, 
 in fact an extended circuit. The goal is 
 Jerusalem, where He is to be ' received up ' 
 (ix. 61). 
 
 In which of St. John's intei-vals are we 
 to place this journey ? (a) It cannot be 
 identical with that to the Feast of Taber- 
 nacles, which was rapid, and ' as it were in 
 secret ' (John vii. 8 — 10). (i) It cannot be 
 placed between John ad. and xii., unless a 
 return to Galilee from Ephraim is assumed ; 
 and St. John's accoimt (especially the word 
 ' continued,' xi. 54) will scarcely admit of 
 this, or of a long circuit ; besides which the 
 incident in Martha's house (Luke x. 38 — 
 42) must have occurred before the raising 
 of Lazarus, (c) Nor will the connection of 
 John X. and xi. admit of its being placed 
 between the escape into Pera;a and the 
 visit to Bethany, (d) There is only one 
 alternative, viz., to place it between the 
 Feasts of 'Tabernacles and Dedication, i.e., 
 between ver. 21 and 22 of John x. ; and as 
 an interval of two months 7)iust separate 
 these two verses, that peiiod may well 
 h.ave been so occupied. 
 
 Tuni now to Matthew and Mark. Where 
 shall we place the journey into Peraea re- 
 corded by them ? The following considera- 
 
NOTE ON CHRONOLOGY. 
 
 155 
 
 tions will show that it was the same as 
 that of Luke ix. 51 :— (a) It was from 
 Galilee; and (as already shown) John's 
 narrative admits of no other journey from 
 Galilee except that to the Feast of Taber- 
 nacles, which is out ct tho question, (b) 
 It followed immediately on ' the finishing 
 of the sa>^gs ' of Matt, xviii. (comp. Mark 
 ix.), which were spoken at Capernaum 
 (Mark ix. .33) ; and some of these sayings 
 are related by Luke just before the de- 
 parture on the great journey (ix. 46 — 50). 
 (This last point of connection also proves 
 that Matt, xviii. and the parallel passages 
 must be placed cifte}' and not before the 
 Feast of Tabernacles.) It may be said 
 that the journeys cannot be identical be- 
 cause that of Luke ix. was into Samaria; 
 but on this point see below. 
 
 Another difficulty has now to be sur- 
 mounted. It has already been observed 
 that Matt, six., xx., and Mark x., seem to 
 describe one journey, ending with the final 
 entry into Jerusalem ; but there must be a 
 break somewhere, to allow of the insertion 
 of John X. 22 — xi. 54. This break is clearly 
 at Matt. XX. 17 and Mark x. 32, where a 
 new start is almost implied. But these 
 verses are parallel with Luke xviii. 31, 
 which, though not so clear ia itself, there- 
 fore marks a break in the third Gospel. 
 
 It remains to determine the relative po- 
 sition of the incidents and discourses of 
 Luke X. 25 — xviii. 30. Two remarks made 
 in the Additional Note on the Chronology 
 of the Galilean Ministry may here be re- 
 peated, viz., (1) That the Gospels are not 
 registers of dates, but rather like modem 
 lectures on the life of some great man, 
 which often designedly group incidents to- 
 gether without reference to the strict order 
 
 of time ; (2) That this remark applies par- 
 ticularly to St. Luke's Gospel. 
 
 Nowhere is it more important to bear 
 these considerations in mind than in the 
 study of the section before us. The difiB- 
 culties of arrangement are greatly reduced 
 if we once perceive that St. Luke, after a 
 vi\'id description of the start upon the 
 'great journey' (as already pointed out), 
 goes on to relate various circiunstances that 
 occurred during its progress, without pro- 
 fessing to give anything of the nature of a 
 diary (which would be far less effective for 
 his purpose), — including also, it may be, 
 incidents which actually occurred long be- 
 fore, because they illustrate some parti- 
 cular phase of Christ's character or work. 
 Thus, the sojourn in Martha's house (x, 
 38 — 42) must have been at the end of the 
 journey, Bethany being close to Jerusalem. 
 The section, xi. 14 — 36 (perhaps more), 
 certainly belongs to the Galilean ministry, 
 being parallel vrith Matt. xii. and Mark iii. 
 The message to Herod (xiii. 31 — 35) seems 
 to imply that the. final arrival at Jerusalem 
 was then at hand, and, if so, must be placed 
 ajter the Feast of Dedication. And the 
 journey of svii. 11, which (on the theorj- 
 of Luke's strict chronological order) is a 
 standing difficulty, is seen most naturally 
 to be actually the same as that of ix. 51 — 
 56, the locality exactly con-esponding (see 
 below), and the conversation immediately 
 precedtog (xvii. 1 — lO) being in fact the 
 continuation of that which is begun, but 
 not finished, in ix. 46 — 50, as wUl be seen 
 at once by comparing the two passages 
 with Matt, xviii. and Mark ix. 
 
 We are now in a position to arrange the 
 various narratives in definite order : — 
 
 I. The tour in Northern Palestine which followed the crisis at Capernaum (see Lesson 
 XLVIII., Note 1) is followed by a time of privacy in Galilee (Matt. xvii. 22 ; Mark ix. 
 30), whence Jesus goes up, also Ln privacy, to the Feast of Tabernacles. 
 
 II. The Feast of Tabernacles, John vii. — x. 21. {Lessons LJV. — LVIL] 
 
 III. After this Feast, Jesus is again in Galilee, Matt, xviii. ; Mark ix. 33 — 50 ; Luke ix. 
 40—50, xvii. 1—10. See above. [Lessons LVIIL, LIX.] 
 
 rV. The time has now come for the final departure from Galilee, Luke ix. 51. Jesus starts 
 southward by way of Samaria, but is repulsed at the first Samaritan village, and returns 
 to another vDlage within the boundaries of Galilee* (ix. 52 — 56). He then proceeds by 
 another route altogether, viz., eastward, along the frontier of Galilee and Samaria, down 
 into the Jordan valley, heahng the ten lepers on the wayf (xvii. 11 — 19). Before then 
 actually leaving Galilee Jesus stays to collect, commission, and send out the seventy dis- 
 ciples (x. 1 — 16),who are to go before Him and announce His approachj. He then crosses 
 the Jordan into Peraea, coming, after a circuit of uncertain extent, to the confines of Judaea^ 
 (Matt. xix. 1, Mark x. 1). During this circuit, various incidents occur, narrated in Matt, 
 xix. — XX. 16 ; Mark x, 1 — 31 ; and, with others, in Luke xi. — xviii. [Lessons LX, — 
 LXVII.} 
 
 * The Greek of ver. 5S probably implies that the 'other' (crepav not oAArji') village was 
 not a Samaritan one. 
 
 t The expression, ' through the midst of Samaria and Galilee,' cannot describe a journey 
 southward, for why then is Samaria put before Galilee ? But ' throush the midst ' (Sta fiecrov) 
 probably means 'between,' 'along the frontiers of ; a view confirmed by the fact that a 
 Samaritan leper was in company with Jewish lepers. 
 
 t Perhaps this last circuit, the importance of which is shown by the mission of the 
 Seventy, would have included Sam.aria and .Indsa as well as Pera;a, had not Christ been re- 
 pulsed by the Samaritans and afterwards driven from Judxa (.Tohn x. 40). 
 
 § Matthew says He came to ' the coasts of .Tudiea beyond Jordan' ; Mark, 'Into the coasts 
 of Judsa and \the true readino. not '6v'] the farther side ol Jordan. This expression 
 seems to describe an arrival at the frontier of JudKa, i.e., at the Jordan near Jericho, only on 
 its eastern bank. 
 
156 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUE LOED. 
 
 V. Although the full time for His final arrival at Jeriisalem is not yet come, He will go 
 there to the Feast of the Dedication* (for ' how often'' wtjuld He have gathered her 
 children together). He crosses the Jordan, ascends by the steep Jericho road (Luke 
 X. 17 — 37) and stays at Bethany (ver. 38—42) during the Feast.f ILessons LXVIIL, 
 LXIX.} 
 
 * The great journey of Luke vs.. 51 could not be to the Feast of the Dedication, quite au 
 Inferior festival. It was to Jerusalem ' to be received up.' But this would not preclude a 
 prior temporary visit to the capital before the circuit was finished. 
 
 t The locality of the parable of the Good Samaritan, coupled with the fact that the 
 arrival at Bethany immediately follows its delivery, suggests that it was spoken on the very 
 road going up from Jericho to Jerusalem. 
 
 VI. Feast of the Dedication (John x. 22 — 39). His hfe is attempted. [^Lesson LXX.\ 
 
 VII. Compelled to leave Jerusalem, He retires ' again' (John x. 40) into Persea. Here, 
 too. He is threatened (Luke xiii. 31 — 35). [Lesson ZA'A'.J 
 
 VIII. He visits Bethany to raise Lazarus from the dead (John si.), [^Lesson LXXI,^ 
 
 IX. He seeks a fresh place of retuement at Ephraim (John xi. 54), where He ' continues' 
 for a time. 
 
 X. The ' time ' has now fuUy arrived, and the great last circuit which began when, in 
 Gahlee, He ' stedfastly set His face to go to Jenisalem,' and which has been interrupted 
 by the opposition of His enemies — is now to be resumed and carried to its consummation. 
 He start-3 from Ephraim, solemnly again announcing His now fast approaching death 
 (Matt. XX. 17; Mark x. 32; Luke sviii. SI). At Jericho He joins the great Galilean 
 caravan going up to the Passover, and ascends with it to Bethany, where He arrives six 
 days before the Feast (Matt. sx. 29— xxi. 1 ; Mark x. 46 — xi. 1 ; Luke xviii. 35—xis. 29 ; 
 John xii. 1). [Lessons LXXIL — LXXIVJ] 
 
 The general conception to be formed of 
 the period is, therefore, something like this : 
 — Jesus will make a final appeal to the 
 nation by means of a general circuit, which 
 shall include those parts of the country as 
 yet un\'isited by Him. He knows what 
 the end will be. His face is towards Jeru- 
 salem •: He is going there to die ; but be- 
 fore this comes, His kingdom shall be pro- 
 claimed more generally and more publicly 
 than it has y&t been. Galilee will not be 
 included in the circuit, having already for 
 so long a time enjoyed the privilege of His 
 ministry. He enters Samaria first, but the 
 Samaritans refuse to receive Him. He 
 crosses the Jordan into Persea, and there, 
 despite opposition from the Pharisees, His 
 miracles and discourses are, on the whole, 
 acceptable. He proceeds to Judsea, but is 
 twice compelled, by persecution, to seek 
 refuge elsewhere, first again in Pertea, and 
 
 then at Ephraim. At length the Pass- 
 over approaches which is to witness the 
 end. He emerges from retirement, and 
 boldly resumes the royal progress which 
 has three times been interrupted. The 
 enthusiasm of the Galilean pilgrims revives, 
 and they escort the 'Son of David' into 
 the city with shouts and Messianic hymns. 
 Then comes the final rejection. 
 
 It has been impossible, in this brief Note, 
 to review the various chronological arrange- 
 ments of other writers ; and many argu- 
 ments, both in favour of the one adopted, 
 and in reply to objections, have been neces- 
 sarily omitted. The scheme here presented 
 is the result of careful research and com- 
 parison of different views, and if a large 
 number of rival schemes have not been 
 noticed, it is not becatise the writer is igno- 
 rant of them. 
 
 lesson LYIII.— Some Mistakes Corrected. 
 
 ' Who is the greatest in the hingdom of heaven f ' 
 
 Read— KaXt. xviii. 1—14 ; Mark ix. 30—48 ; Learn— Isa.. Iv. 8, 9 ; Matt, xviii. 1—3. 
 {Hymns, 113, 131, 133, 160, 176, 177, 353, 361, 365.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 No formal application will be foimd in the following Sketch, because the whole subject 
 is so practical that every part conveys its own application ; and there can be no better 
 closing topic than that suggested— the motive urged by our Lord in Matt, xviii. 10 — 14. 
 
 Every teacher knows how prone children are to the veiy faults rebuked by our Lord in 
 the discourse before us— ambition (it may be in little things), envy, quaiTclling, in- 
 tolerance, &c. ; and all will desire that this Lesson should do something to correct them. 
 It will be best not to point the teachmgs of the passage directly at the scholars. Let 
 them see the faults in the disciples first, as David was made to see his sin first in the 
 rich man of Nathan's parable. Then the ' Thou art the man ' will come with ereater force. 
 
SOMK MISTAKES COBRECTED. 
 
 157 
 
 Sketch op Lesson. 
 
 Who does not like to be ' greatest,' first 
 among others, the leader, the chosen one ? 
 [Illust. — At the head of class ; captain of 
 side in a game, ^-c] Often read in history of 
 men fightmg and plotting to be gi-eatest 
 Whom would you expect not to have this 
 feeling ? The followers of Christ ? Ah ! 
 they have it sometimes — see it to-day. 
 
 I. Wishing to be Great. 
 
 The disciples are beginning to think the 
 ' kingdom ' will soon be set up [see Note 1]. 
 Now then, * Who shall be greatest ? ' — this 
 question uppermost in their minds — talk of 
 it as they walk along, Mark ix. 34. Do 
 they discuss it merely out of curiosity? 
 No — ^disputed' — each wants to be first — 
 perhaps the nine jealous of the three who 
 had been alone with Jesus on the mount 
 and seen something they could not teU the 
 others (ver. 9) — perhaps James and John 
 jealous of Peter because of what Jesus said 
 to him (Matt. xvi. 18). 
 
 But on one thing they are agreed : they, 
 the Twelve, shall have honour and autho- 
 rity above aU others — and why should they 
 not use their authority now ? So they 
 will ; and a chance soon comes. Here is a 
 man actually doing what they had failed 
 to do (Mark ix. 18) — casting out devils in 
 their Master's name — ' who is he ? — not one 
 of our company — what right has he to do 
 it ? ' What do they do ? ver. 38— no doubt 
 angrily and proudly. 
 
 "They reach home — the eye of Jesus on 
 them (like Elisha's on Gehazi, 2 Kings 
 V. 25; comp. Luke xxii. 61) — hear His 
 searching question, ver. 33 — see them silent 
 and ashamed, ver. 34 (comp. Matt. xxii. 12 ; 
 Eom. iii. 19), as He tells them what shall 
 come on the ambitious and envious, ver. 
 35. But now they have recovered them- 
 selves — the old thoughts come back — 
 ' After all, who is to be gi'eatest ? ' — would 
 like to know — ask Jesus, Matt, xviii. 1 [see 
 Note 2']. 
 
 Jesus sees all their mistaken ideas — how 
 different their thoughts from God's {1st text 
 far rep.) — will make it clear to them. 
 
 n. The True Way to be Great. 
 
 A little child in the house. Jesus calls 
 it — does it obey? He takes it up — is it 
 afraid ? Humble, submissive, docile, trust- 
 ful—a pretty picture — a parable acted 
 instead of spoken. See how Jesus applies 
 it, ver. 3. Great in the ' kingdom ' !— are 
 they sure they are fit to be ia it at all ? 
 Would their being apostles be enough ? — 
 we know one who had no part ia it. Before 
 they can enter, must be 'changed' [see 
 Note 3] — from what? from ambition, jea- 
 lousy, pride, unkindness, &c. And what 
 to be ? Just what that little child is — 
 thinking little of itself — content to be 
 thought little of — wishing no great 
 honours — quietly doing as bid — trusting in 
 those older and wiser. Peter and James 
 and the rest must be like that, and the 
 
 lowUest shall be the great ones — not be 
 raised up high as reioard for being lowly — 
 always to remain lowly — for being lowly is 
 being 'great in the kingdom.' Comp. 
 Ps. cxxxviii. 6 ; Prov. iii. 34 ; Isa. Ivii. 15 
 And if lowly, no envy — do not the lowly 
 ' esteem others better than themselves ' ? 
 Phil. ii. 3 ; Eph. iv. 2 ; Rom. xii. 10. 
 
 III. How TO SHEW WE are GREAT. 
 
 (1) How had the disciples been shewing 
 off their authority ? [above~\ . 
 
 But now John begins to be uneasy, for 
 see what Jesus has just said, Mark ix. 37. 
 Uneasy? — no wonder — if a little insigni- 
 ficant child should be cared for, ought not 
 all weak and iaferior disciples to be cared 
 for? and had they treated that man 
 rightly? John asks, ver. 38. How does 
 Jesus reply? ver. 39 — 41 (comp. Numb, 
 xi. 29 ; Phil. i. 18). Why should the man 
 be treated as a brother ? Because ' on our 
 side' [see Note 4]. How know that? — 
 (a) he was trying to do good ; (b) he waa 
 doing it believing in Jesus. Even much 
 smaller good deeds than his, if done for 
 Christ, should be rewarded, ver. 41. True, 
 he held back from joining the disciples ; 
 but why ? they knew not, and were not to 
 assume that his reason was a bad one ; sup- 
 pose he were a ' little one,' weak in faith — 
 then he the very person to be ' received.' 
 
 (2) But this not all. They had 'left 
 undone what they ought to have done' 
 {i.e., treating the man as a brother) — had 
 they not also ' done what they ought 
 not to have done ' ? — had they not ac- 
 tually injured him ? How ? [Illust. — Little 
 child learning to walk : you don't help it— 
 that 's bad ; but what is worse f Putting 
 a great stone in way, for it to fall ove7'^. 
 Had they not put something in his way? — 
 their pride and churlishness — might it 
 not make him say, ' Are these the disciples 
 of the new prophet ? then 1 will have 
 nothing to do with them or Him ' ? See 
 how Jesus rebukes them, Mark ix. 42 — 
 'offend,' i.e., put a stumbling-block in the 
 way — what is better than doing that ? — 
 better to have millstone round own neck in 
 the sea [see Note 6] than to put stumbling- 
 stone in another's path — better be drowned 
 than cause another to sin. Remember 
 Jeroboam, 1 Kings xiv. 16. 
 
 (3) But is it easy thus to treat others 
 rightly — to 'receive' them as brethren — 
 not to ' offend ' them ? No, the easy thing 
 is to be envious, proud, imkind — to fall 
 into sin and make others to sin. What 
 then ? Be watchful and resolute — fight 
 against sin in our hearts, on our tongues, 
 &c. — not struggle a little and then give 
 way, but struggle till we conquer. Is this 
 hard and painful ? well, Jesus knows it — 
 what does He call it ? Mark is. 43, 45, 47. 
 Being ' like the little child ' is no child's 
 play — must be manly, ' quit you like men' 
 (1 Cor. xvi. 13). But see the solemn reason 
 
 M 
 
158 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUK LOKD. 
 
 why it is ' better ' to struggle on, even if it 
 be liJce cutting off a hand or plucking out 
 an eye, ver. 44, 46, 48 [see Note 7 J — tenible 
 words ! yet it is the loving Saviour who 
 speaks them. 
 
 So, three ways of shewing we are 
 ' great ' : — 
 
 (1) Being kind and gentle to those we 
 think inferior — not lording it over them ; 
 Horn. xii. 16. 
 
 (2) Taking care not to ' offend ' them, 
 not to make them sin, Rom. xiv. 13, 21. 
 
 (3) Conquering, not countries and armies 
 (like Alexander ' the Great '), but our own 
 sins, Prov. xvi. 32. 
 
 Now what mistakes has Jesus corrected ? 
 
 (o) That to be ' great in the kingdom ' is 
 to have a high place, plenty of authority, 
 &c. It is not what we have, but what we 
 lire ; not where we are, but what we are. 
 
 (h) That to be above or before others is 
 worth struggling for. It makes us small, 
 not great. 
 
 (c) That we shew how great we are by 
 
 Notes. 
 
 1. The dispute Jimong the Apostles doubtless 
 arose from their expectation that the temporal 
 kingdom they looked for would soon he set up. 
 Christ had si^oken of ' building Ilis Church ' and 
 ' coming in His kingdom ' (Matt. xvi. 18, 28), and 
 although He announced His approaching death 
 at the same time (ver. 21), they, though unable 
 to reconcile such apparently conflicting state- 
 ments, never doubted that all would issue in His 
 visible earthly glory. Since then they had been 
 with Him at Jerusalcm(see Add. Note on the Chro- 
 nology, p. im), where He had spoken out with 
 greater publicity and boldness than ever before ; 
 in fact we do not read of any public preaching at 
 His two former visits (those of John ii. and v.). 
 They might well, therefore, expect that He would 
 shortly proclaim Himself King. 
 
 2. Matt, xviii., Martc ix. 33—60, and Luke ix. 
 46-50 are evidently (and xvii. 1-10, probabjy) 
 parallel passages; but it is not easy to arrange 
 them in exact order. Probably, Christ's question 
 to the Twelve (Mark) preceded their question to 
 Him (Matt.). Matt, xviii. 1 may well come in 
 after Mark ix. 35, as the next verses in both 
 Gospels are parallel. In the Greek of Matt, 
 xviii. 1, there is a conjunction (apa) which is not 
 e.\presscd in our version ; and the Apostles' ques- 
 lion really is, 'Who, then, is greatest?'— obvi- 
 ously referring to something that had gone 
 before. They might feel that they had done 
 wrong to dispute, and yet think it no harm to 
 inquire. John's reference to their forbidding the 
 7nan to cast out devils (Mark and Luke) would 
 tJicn come in after Matt, xviii. 5; and the rest 
 of Mark Ix. Is a fuller account of the sayings of 
 Matt, xvlli. 6—9. 
 
 3. The Greek word rendered 'converted,' in 
 vor. 3, is not the one usuallyso rendered. Tlic 
 latter is a compound word («7ri(rTpt((>(o) derived 
 irom the former (<J-Tpc'</)u), which simply means 
 •turned,' and is so translated In Matt. xvi. 23, 
 :ind John xx. IC. 
 
 4. ' He that is not against us is on our part.' This 
 irayiug of our Lord's is often contrasted with that 
 
 ' standing on our rights,' and ' keeping 
 others in their place.' 
 
 {d) That we have only ourselves to think 
 of in what we say and do. Our sin may 
 ruin another's soul. 
 
 (e) That it is easy to be Christ's disciple. 
 
 And one other mistake (next lesson). 
 
 But see one thing more to-day, — 
 
 A Motive for trying to be Great 
 IN Christ's way. 
 
 See Matt, xviii. 10—14. "Why think so 
 much of the yoimg, the weak, the ' little 
 ones ' ? See who does think of them : the 
 angels nearest God are their angels [see 
 Note 8], to watch over them, ver. 10 (comp. 
 Ps, xxxiv. 7, xci. 11 ; Heb. i. 14) ; the Son 
 came from heaven on purpose to save 
 them, ver. 11 — 13; the Father — what is 
 His will concerning them ? ver. 14. Ah ! 
 and are we not aU alike in this ? Where 
 should we be but for the Father's ' good 
 will,' the Son's ' seeking and saving,' the 
 angels' care ? How can we despise or 
 offend anr/ one, when we think of that ? 
 
 in Matt. sil. 30; Luke xi. 23— 'He that is not with 
 Jle is against Me,' as if they were inconsistent. 
 But, (1) the circumstances under which they 
 were respectively spoken should be borne in 
 mind : both had reference to the casting out of 
 devils, but in the one case a man is doing so in 
 the name of Jesus ; in the other, men are 
 blaspheming concerning the similar works of 
 Jesus Himself. (2) lu the one case Christ speaks 
 of '?«' (or, as some MSS. read, 'you,' which is 
 still more significant); in the other, of 'Me.' A 
 man might be 'with Him' in spirit, though he 
 joined not the disciples' company; of which. 
 Nicodemus is a conspicuous example. ' On our 
 ptirt ' ( Mark) and ' for us ' (Luke) are identical iQ 
 the Greek. 
 
 The two sayings are strikingly expounded in 
 two"essays on the 'Intolerance' and 'Tolerance 
 of the Gospel,' in Vinet's Christian Philosophy. 
 
 5. On ' offend,' see Lesson LL, Kote 4. 
 
 C. 'A mUlslone' .... ' droirned.' Drowning 
 with a millstone roimd the neck was a Greek 
 and a Roman punishment, though not a Jewish 
 one. The Jews under Antiochus.and the Chris- 
 tians under the emperors, suffered death in this 
 way. 
 
 7. ' }y'here their tcorm dieth not, and the fire is 
 not quenched.' A quotation from Isa. Ixvi. 24. 
 This refers to the twomodes of disposing of dead 
 bodies, by burial and by burning. The worm 
 dies when it has nothing left to feed on ; the lire 
 is quenched when all is consumed. If the worm 
 'dies not,' and the fire' is not quenched,' it is 
 because the o'.iject .still e.rists. Could any figure re- 
 present perpetual suffering more solemnly? 
 
 8. ' Their an-gels.' The explanation adopted in 
 the Sketch is that of the best writers. The 
 word 'angel' is never used in Scripture of a 
 glorified human spirit. Stier says, ' Here stands 
 J.icob's ladder before our eyes: first the little 
 ones; then their angels; then the -So;! of Man 
 (ver. 11); and then above Him the Father Him- 
 self and Ills good pleasure (ver. 14).' 
 
159 
 
 Lesson LIX.— The Rule and Pattern of Forgiveness. 
 
 ' Even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you,' 
 
 Read— Knit, xviii. 15—35] Learn— E^h. iv. 31, 32; Matt. vi. 14, 15. {Hymns, 8, 90, 95, 
 161, 177, 35-1, 355, 365.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 On few subjects is it more Ccasy to talk vaguely than on that now before us ; yet there 
 are few on which it is less easy to speak with real effect. The duty of forgiving ' those 
 that trespass against us ' is one which is quietly acknowledged as a matter of course, but 
 which never seems to be binding in a particular case. ' The case is an exceptional one,' 
 we mentally urge upon our consciences ; ' the rule cannot apply to it.' And children are 
 quite as liable to the illusion as adults. Every teacher knows that revenge is sweet to a 
 boy: ^ I'll pay him out' is almost the normal expression of his feelings towards some 
 comrade. 
 
 Now in all cases of duties which are peculiarly unpleasant to our human nature, 
 what is wanted, to induce us to fulfil them, is an adequate motive; and, to exercise 
 a forgiving and forbearing spirit, no motive can be imagined stronger than that embodied 
 in the ' motto ' above and enforced by the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant. Let the 
 teacher's special aim, therefore, be to impress this motive on the minds of the scholars. 
 Let the Lesson be an expansion of St. John's words, ' Beloved, if God so loved us, we 
 ought also to love one another.' 
 
 It is scarcely necessary to say that many of the thoughts in the Sketch are derived 
 from Archbishop Trencli's exposition. 
 
 Sketch op Lesson. 
 
 In learning arithmetic, two things given 
 us : rides and exaviples. To-day we have a 
 rule, and an example or pattern — to teach 
 us what ? Eow to forgive. 
 
 I. The Rule of Forgiveness. 
 
 Jesus has been talking to the Apostles 
 about 'oifences' [last Lesson~\ — whose of- 
 fences ? theirs against others — what to do 
 with them ? try and let there be none at 
 all. Now He talks about others' offences 
 against them — what to do with these. 
 
 You have been injured by some one ; 
 what do you do ? What usually done ? Is 
 it not this — tell everybody how badly you 
 have been treated ? Now why is this ? is 
 It not to have a kind of revenge, by show- 
 ing how bad he is? And why this? 
 because angry feehng In heart. Perhaps 
 you say, ' Oh, I forgive him, of course ' — 
 but is it forgiving to complain and make 
 mischief ? 
 
 Now what sort of forgiveness does Jesus 
 speak of ? ver. 35 — '■f-oni your heart.' 
 Then are you ]ust to let it alone ? No — 
 [read ver. 15 — 20]. Why 'go to him 
 alone'? Because yon care for him — don't 
 want him to sin — feei that by his wrong- 
 doing he has hurt his own soul more than 
 you — will try and win him back by speak- 
 ing gently to him. That is 'forgiving 
 from the heart' — that is obeying Christ's 
 command in Matt. v. 44. And if he does 
 repent, how happy for you 1 see Prov. xi. 
 30 ; Dan. xii. 3 ; Jas. v. 19, 20. 
 
 But supposing he 'will not hear thee,' 
 what then? tell others? yes, but in his 
 presence, ver. 16 — let them hear both sides. 
 
 And suppose nothing moves him — then 
 what ? ver. 17 — his sin must not be passed 
 over, but how is he to be treated ? with ill- 
 tempered looks, harsh words, unkind acts ? 
 see what St. Paul told his converts to do, 
 Gal. vi. 1 ; 2 Cor. ii. 6, 7. Jesus really says 
 so too, ver. 20 — for how could He be ' in 
 the midst ' where hatred and revenge are ? 
 And if the offender is prayed for, what 
 hope of winning him ? ver. 19. Let us 
 then pray, ' That it may please Thee to 
 bless our enemies,' &c., ' and to turn their 
 hearts' (Litany). [See Note l.J 
 
 But suppose the ofiEender repents, and 
 then offends again ? Peter thinks of this, 
 ver. 21 — well, he has been taught [see 
 Note 2] to forgive three times — but surely 
 Jesus will say more— perhaps seven. So 
 He does (Luke xvii. 4), but see ver. 22 — does 
 He mean 490 times ? why, if you have ' for- 
 given and forgotten,' how count up ? if you 
 can remember the offences to count them, 
 that shews you have never ' forgiven from 
 the heart' once. Jesus means, no limit 
 at all. 
 
 Two iTdes, then : — {a) From the heart, 
 caring more for the offender than for one- 
 self; (b) From the heart, never tiring of 
 forgiving him. 
 
 Do these seem very hard rules to keep ? 
 So thought the Apostles, for see what they 
 asked when they heard them, Luke xvii. 5. 
 Let us pray the same prayer, 
 
 II. The Pattern of Forgiveness. 
 
 To shew this, Jesus tells a parable. 
 [Read ver. 28 — 34.] When we are of- 
 fended, very angry, think ' we can't forgive 
 
160 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 this — really too bad,' then must remember 
 that we too have a Creditor — One whom 
 we have oflEended. 
 
 What does the parable tell us about 
 Him and our debt to Him ? 
 
 (a) There is a time of reckoning. The 
 day of judgment ? yes, Matt. xxv. 19 ; 
 Rom. xiv. 12. But it may come before 
 that. Sometimes God comes and tells us 
 of our sins, makes us count them up, and 
 think about them. It was such a time of 
 reckoning for David, when Nathan went to 
 him (2 Sam. sii.) ; for the Ninevites, when 
 Jonah preached to them (Jon. iii.). It is 
 the Holy Spirit's work, John xvi. 8, 9. Is 
 it kind of God to do it ? If not done, the 
 sinner goes on making his debt heavier, 
 treasuring up wrath' (Rom. ii. 5). So, 
 however young we are, the sooner the 
 reckoning comes the better, 
 
 (6) Then we shall feel how great our debt 
 is. Do others offend us very much? see 
 how the parable puts others' offences 
 against us alongside ours against God — 
 '300 pence,' ' 10,000 talents ' [see Note 3]— 
 one 600,000 times as great as the other. It 
 is so, whether we know it or not ; but one 
 day we shall know it — how feel then ? see 
 Ps. xl. 12. What do? what did the ser- 
 vant do ? ver. 26 — ' will pay thee all ' — so 
 thinks the sinner, but how hopeless ! — if 
 could do ' all that is commanded ' hence- 
 forth, this only our duty (Luke xvii. 10), 
 and what can we set against the old score ? 
 No, we can never pay our debt to God. 
 
 (c) BiU God is willing to forgive freely. 
 What made the king remit that great debt? 
 ver. 27 — ' compassion.' So God, Exod. 
 jcxxiv. 6; 2 Chron. xxx. 9; Neh. is. 17; 
 Ps. Ixxxvi. 5, 15. And how did the king 
 forgive? by halves? taking 'ten shillings 
 in the pound,' or even 'sixpence in the 
 pound ' ? see ver. 32—' all that debt: So God, 
 Isa. xxxviii. 17, xliv, 22 ; Mic. vii. 18, 1 9. 
 
 {d) Who they are that ivill not have God's 
 
 forgiveness ? [see Note 5]. See that servant 
 — he has heard the king's gracious promise 
 as he lay prostrate — what next ? — ' went 
 out' — he forgets the mercy shewn him — 
 here is a poor debtor of his, also a servant 
 of the king, but an inferior one — him he 
 seizes— see the poor man at his feet — will 
 he not recollect how he fell down and 
 spoke like that just now ? — will he not 
 think, ' How little this man owes me to 
 what I owed the king ! — I can't press him 
 after such a release ' ? "What does he do ? 
 Now, are not we like this sometimes ? — 
 hear God's message (in church or school) — 
 are touched — think, ' how good He is ! '— 
 then ' go out ' — forget all about it — meet 
 some one who has wronged us — all the 
 angry and revengeful feeling back in a 
 moment. Can God forgive such ? If we 
 go before God's judgment seat like that, 
 what must come on us? Pray that He 
 may never address us in the king's words — 
 ' thou wicked servant.' 
 
 Now what is the ' pattern of forgiveness' 
 which Jesus gives ? See first text for rep. 
 — ' Even as God .... hath forgiven you.' 
 
 But there are two things about God 
 which the Parable does not tell us. God 
 has done more than that king, for, — 
 
 1. He has spared vs again and again. 
 Think — how often have we desei-ved His 
 wrath ! — ^yet He has ' shewn forth all long- 
 suffering (1 Tim. i. 16); see Ps. Ixxviii. 
 38, ciii. 8—13 ; Rom. ii. 4 ; 2 Pet iu. 9. 
 
 2. He has given His Son to bear our sin. 
 See again first text for rep. — ' even as God 
 
 for Christ's sal-e hath,' etc. How true are 
 Rom. v. 8; 1 John iv. 10, 11! 
 
 How, then, can we be hard upon others, 
 ■when God has done all this for us ? 
 
 We pray, 'Forgive us our trespasses, as 
 we Jorgive them,' &c' Do we really wish 
 God to treat i;s as we treat others ? if He 
 did, how would it be ? 
 
 Notes. 
 
 1. The wisdom of Christ's injunctions with 
 respect to an erring brother is very remarlcable. 
 First, an effort is to be made to keep the matter 
 private— the very thing which is so commonly 
 not done. If this fail, still only one or two 
 are to be informed, with a view to there being 
 sufficient legal testimony in case of need (see 
 Deut. xix. 15; John viii. 17; 2 Cor. xiii. 1 ; Ileb. 
 X. 28). Not till after both efforts have failed is 
 that to he done which is too frequently the first 
 step of the offended party, the giving publicity 
 to the offence ; while it is plain that the spirit 
 in which all is to be done is not that of resent- 
 ment or hatred, but that of regretful kindness. 
 
 It is probable that in the injunction to tell 
 ' the Church,' our Lord had in view an appeal 
 to churcli discipline whenever the apostolical 
 organisation should be complete ; but the esserice 
 of the command would allow of an appeal simply 
 t« a email Christian circle, for, in ver. 20, the 
 'church' is plainly defined as 'where two or 
 three are gtthered together in My name." 
 
 Ver. XI gives to the Church generally the 
 
 authority already given to Peter in chap. xvi. 
 
 19. See Lesson L., Note 6. 
 
 2. The Rabbis taught the duty of forgiving 
 three times, grounding the duty on Job. xxxiii. 
 29; Amos i. 3, ii. 6. 
 
 3. In the parable, the ' servants ' were evidently 
 satraps, or governors of provinces, accountable 
 for large revenues to the royal treasury. No 
 private debt could amount to so much. Trench 
 compares the sum with tlie twenty-nine talents 
 used in constructing the Tabernacle, the 120 
 talents presented by the Queen of Sheba to 
 Solomon, the one talent required as tribute from 
 Judah by Pharaoh Nccho, &c. These, however, 
 were talents of gold, 10,000 of which would 
 amount to seventy-two millions sterling, or the 
 yearly revenueof Great Britain. But the talents 
 of the parable were probably silver talents ; and 
 even then they would amount to £1,875,000. The 
 ' hundred pence' would be about £3. 
 
 4. Bondage for debt was permitted among the 
 Jews, see Exod. zxU. 3; 2 Kings iv. l; Neh. 
 
THE FINAL DEPAETUEE FEOM GALILEE. 
 
 161 
 
 V. 8 ; but the hardness of the custom was miti- 
 gated by the \a^v of the Jubilee, Lev. xxv. 
 39, 47, 54. The mention, however, also of impri- 
 sonment and torture shows that the parable was 
 based rather on the practices of oriental des- 
 potism. 
 
 ."i. The parable must not be pressed to imply 
 that the forgiveness of sins is ever granted 
 
 by God and then afterwards withdrawn. It is 
 one of those cases in which the form of the 
 story requires certain incidents not designed to 
 have a spiritual meaning. Kather should we 
 take it thus :— God has, as it were, proclaimed an 
 amncsfi/ to all who repent and believe in His 
 Sou ; and a forgiving spirit is one of the tests ot 
 the genuineness of repentance and faith. 
 
 Lesson LX.— The Final Departure from Galilee. 
 
 ' He stedjastly set Bis face to f/o to Jerusalem.' 
 
 Readr—LakQ ix. 51— G2 : Learn— Keb. xii. 1,2 ; Luke ix. 62. {Hymns, 42, 43, 96, 127, 132^ 
 170, 171, 173, 311, 329, 310, 354.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 We have now arrived at an epoch of great importance in the life of Christ (on which 
 see Additional Note on the Chronology at page 154). As much stress as possible 
 should be laid upon this epoch ; and, from this time forward, our blessed Lord should 
 be constantly represented as loith His face towards Jerusalem— not, of course, literally, 
 but in solemn thought and holy purpose. In the present Lesson, particularly, it is 
 important to concentrate attention on the Lord Himself ; and even if no ' application ' 
 whatever were to be given, the teacher might well feel that, after all, the simple 
 exhibition of the ' Leader and Perfecter of Faith ' (the literal meanuig of the words in 
 the first text for repetition), in His wondrous love and self-sacrifice, is the most effective 
 possible teaching. The incidents, however, which St. Luke connects with the start on 
 this last great journey, are peculiarly appropriate to the general subject, as shewing the 
 contrast between the Master and the disciples— which seems to be Luke's object in the 
 arrangement of the narrative. Still, the first half of the following Sketch is of much 
 greater consequence than the second, although it has to do with only a single verse. 
 
 The incident of the Ten Lepers, in Luke xvii., probably also occurred just at this 
 time (see the same Additional Note), and is alluded to in passing in the Sketch. It was 
 impossible to include m the course a separate lesson on this miracle ; and much of its 
 special instruction was given in Lesson XXVII. 
 
 The illustrations in the Sketch are not designed as flcfegwate/y representing the feelings 
 and spirit of Christ. Their use, however, is legitimate in the same way as are the 
 common Scripture expressions about God's ' eye ' or ' arm,' the Lord ' repenting,' ' smelling, 
 a sweet savour,' &c. But they need to be handled with some care. 
 
 Sketch of Lesson, 
 
 When any one leaves the place he has 
 lived in. for years, how does he feel ? [II lust. 
 — Boy leaving village to begin life in London; 
 or, emigrants just starting.^ The Lord Jesus 
 was ' in all things like His brethren ' (Heb. 
 ii. 17), and we have now come to a time 
 when He must have had those feelings. 
 
 Jesus is leaving Galilee— leaving it to 
 die. How long had He been there? Think 
 of the two periods : many years as poor 
 carpenter in quiet village home ; then (after 
 some months' absence), nearly two years 
 ' going about doing good ' [see Lesson 
 XXIV} . Surely it was sad, with His tender 
 heart, to turn from those long familiar 
 scenes and faces. But, a special cause for 
 sadness— some had believed in Him and 
 loved Him, but what of the people gene- 
 rally? (See a few verses further on, x. 
 13—15.) 
 
 Those who must leave home like to have 
 
 two things : — (a) Bright prospects before 
 them — then can go hopefully. (6) Brave 
 and loving companions to go with them.. 
 Now see how it was with Jesus. 
 
 1. Think of Jesus Himself, and 
 where He was going, Ver. 51. 
 
 1. What was before Himl 'Jerusalem' 
 — and what there ? Going from ignorant 
 country folk to learned priests and scribes, 
 would He be more welcomed ? What had 
 happened when He went there before ? 
 [Lessons XVIL, XXXIV., LIV., LV.] We 
 know what was coming : did He know ? 
 What had He told tbe Apostles? See 
 ver. 22, 44 [Lesson LI.]. 
 
 2. Knowing this, what did He do? ' Sted* 
 fastly set His face.' What is ' setting the 
 face'? [Illust. — Your father says he will 
 do so and so; you know he means it by hif 
 determined look. Or, you 'set yourself 'to- 
 do that hard sum, and your face sh&ws if.]. 
 
162 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 But how hard to ' set the face ' to go to 
 pain and suffering 1 [^Illust. — Wounded man 
 facing painful amputation,^ Now see Jesus, 
 Knowing it all beforehand, going forward 
 'stedfastly' ; as prophesied of Him, Isa. 1. 
 7 ('set my face like a flint,' and see ver. 
 5, 6). Like St. Paul (Acts sx. 24), 'none 
 of these things move Him.' Could He 
 avoid them ? Matt. xxvi. 53 ; John x. 18. 
 Why will He not ? Think— 
 
 3. What sustained Him? Three things : 
 — (a) That it was the Father's will (see Isa. 
 liii. 10; Kom. -siii. 32). This was enough 
 for Jesus, John iv. 31, xvii. 4. (i) His 
 love for sinners. This brought Him from 
 heaven, 2 Cor. viii. 9 ; and will it fail 
 now? No — 'loved unto the end,' John 
 xiii. 1. (c) ' The Joy set before Him' (1st. 
 text for rep.) : what does St. Ijuke say ? 
 — ' when the time came ' — what time ? — 
 ' that He should be received up ' [see Note 
 1], He looks beyond the cross and the 
 grave — sees the glory to follow : the glory 
 He had before (John xvii. 5), and the new 
 glory as perfect ilan (Phil. ii. 9) — yes, and 
 something else— He will not be alone — 
 myriads of saved souls too — this is His 
 joy. (See Isa. liii. 11 ; Johnx\ai. 24; Heb. 
 ii. 10—13; comp. 1 Thess. ii. 19). 
 
 Who can see Him ' stedfastly setting His 
 face to go to Jerusalem ' without loving Him ? 
 Who can turn away from such a Saviour ? 
 
 II. See who were called to go 
 WITH Him, and how they acted. 
 
 1. The Apostles. These of course. But 
 see what they were looking forward to — 
 what they thought and felt, ver. 52 — 56. 
 
 Here is a Samaritan village, just on the 
 border of Galilee [see Note 2]. Two Jews 
 coming in — hear their proclamation — ' The 
 King, Messiah, coming : prepare to receive 
 Him ! ' [see Note 8] . Will the Samaritans 
 be like those of Sychar (John iv. 40), so 
 glad to have Jesus with them ? Why not ? 
 Ver. 53 — ' Messiah ! this is no ti-ue Messiah, 
 going to Jerusalem to be King instead of 
 to Mount Gerizim; we'll have nothing to 
 do with Him.' 
 
 What do the Apostles say to this ? They 
 are thinking of their Master, not as the 
 sufEering Friend of sinners, but as the 
 great King of the Jews, going to reign at 
 last, and they to share His triumph [see 
 Lesson LVIJl.J ; — shall they submit to 
 such insults ? Certainly the ' sons of 
 thunder' (Mark iii. 17) will not; whom do 
 they remember and wish to imitate ? ver. 54 
 (see 2 Kings i. 10 — 14). Just like what 
 John was before, ver. 49 [T^esson LVJII.] — 
 how was he rebuked then ? — so again now, 
 ver. 55, 5C [see Note 3]. If they are like 
 that, proud, fierce, pitiless, how can they be 
 followers of the patient, humble Ma.ster ? 
 Are they so very resolute, 'setting their 
 faces ' to punish their foes ? — well, He is 
 resolute too — much more so — but to do 
 what ? ver. 56 — ' to save men,' and that by 
 Buffering Himself. See how He showed 
 Hia forgiving love soou afterwards, chap. 
 
 xvii. IG — healed a Samaritan leper. And 
 see what John gave the Samaritans when 
 he knew better, Acts viii. 14 — 17. 
 
 2. Other discijtles. Here are three men 
 — they believe in Jesus as Messiah — would 
 like to go with Him. Are they more like 
 Him than James and John ? 
 
 (a) The thoughtless disciple, ver. 57, 
 Oh, yes, he will go — 'whithersoever' — 
 ready for anything (like Peter, Luke xxii. 
 33). For anything ? What does Jesus 
 remind him of ? ver. 58 — not riches and 
 honour, but poverty and suffering, to be 
 had by following Jesus. Had He not just 
 been refused a lodging? [above]. Ah, 
 what a difference that makes ! [lllust. — 
 Drop of acid detecting sham gold; water 
 quenching fire.] 
 
 (b) The sad and feeble disciple, ver. 59 
 [see Note 5]. How can he go, with all 
 these son-ows upon him, all this mourning 
 to go through ? See how differently Jesus 
 treats him, ver. GO. [Jllust. — Two horses: 
 bridle for one, spur for the other.] Before, 
 Jesus used the bridle ; now the spur — ' Go 
 thou and preach.' 
 
 (c) The half-hearted disciple, ver, 61, 
 What does he want to do ? Merely to say 
 farewell at home like Elisha (1 Kings xix. 
 20) ? Ah, no, Jesus knows better — sees the 
 heart wavering — home loved more than 
 God — how then 'fit'? Where must the 
 ploughman's eye be, if he is to plough 
 straight? Besides, he that 'looks back' 
 may 'draw back.' See Gen. xix. 26; Ps. 
 xlv. 10; Luke xiv. 26, xvii, 31, 32; Phil, 
 iu. 13 ; Heb. x. 38, 39. 
 
 How different all these from Jesus ! Not 
 one ' stedfastly setting his face ' to follow 
 in His steps. Did Jesus, then, in leaving 
 His old home, &.C., have like-minded com- 
 panions ? Here was another kind of suffer- 
 ing : He was alone. 
 
 See then — 
 
 Examples fob us to avoid. 
 
 We are called to be Christ's followers — 
 have been baptized promising to be ' His 
 faithful soldiers and sers'ants.' 
 
 Are we frightened because all may not 
 be pleasant ? or too much ^Tapped up in 
 troubles to attend to such things? or 
 looking back to old pleasures? [refer to 
 the three disciples, as above]. Are vi-e 
 following — tiding to 'be religious' — but 
 in a wrong spirit— not penitent, humble, 
 lowly, but proud because we are 'not as 
 other men are,' and so no love for others? 
 [refer to .lames and John, as above]. 
 
 An Exaju'LE for us to follow. 
 
 We have seen what was before Jesus; 
 see what is before us. 2 Tim. iii. 12. But 
 what beyond that? Rom. viii. 18; 2 Cor, 
 iv. 18. How can we be like Him ? see 1st, 
 text for rep. — (a) throw aside whatever 
 hinders us ; (b) run with patience ; (c) 
 always be ' looking unto Jesus.' 
 
 And remember what He did was for our 
 .<iakes: shall we not show our love by 
 following Him ? 
 
THE MISSION OF THE SEVENTY. 
 
 163 
 
 Notes. 
 
 1. ' When (he time came that He should be received 
 up '—more literally, ' As the days of His receiving 
 up were being accomplished.' The 'receiving 
 up' is the Ascension; a similar Greek word 
 being used concerning that event in Mark xvi. 
 19 ; Acts i. 2 ; 1 Tim. iii. 16. 
 
 2. The route of this journey was probably as 
 follows :— Our Lord passed from Galilee into 
 Samaria at the south end of the Plain of Esdrae- 
 lon. Being repulsed from the first village, He 
 returned within the boundary of Galilee ; and 
 then, turning eastward, proceeded along the 
 frontier of the two provinces, healing the ten 
 lepers on His way; then, passing Gilboa, He 
 descended into the Jordan valley at Seythopolis 
 (Bethshan), and crossed the river by a bridge 
 which was there into Pera;a. The reasons for 
 this view are given in the Additional Note on 
 Chronology, page 154. 
 
 3. On the Samaritans, and their relations to 
 the Jews, see Lesson XIX, Note 5, and accom- 
 panying Additional Note. To 'make ready for 
 Him' probably means more than merely 'find 
 lodging and prepare food': the Greek word is the 
 same as is used of the Baptist's 'preparing the 
 way of the Lord '; and the two messengers may 
 have had a commission similar to that of the 
 Seventy in the next chapter, the same expression 
 being used — ' sent them before His face.' The 
 rejection was, then, not merely of a company of 
 Galileans going to a feast, but of One who claimed 
 to be Messiah. Observe, too, that to prepare 
 Messiah's way was Elijah's work (Mai. iii. 1, 
 iv. 5 ; Matt, si, 10, 14, xvli. 10—13 ; Luke i. 17): 
 
 hence, perhaps, the wish of James and John to 
 do as he had done ; in connection with which it 
 is worth noting that Mount Carmel (where 
 Elijah called the fire from heaven) was probably 
 then in sight. 
 
 ' }'e know not vhat manner of spirit ye are of.' 
 Either, ' Ye are mistaken as to the spirit which 
 is prompting your words : ye think it is true 
 zeal, when in fact it is pride' ; or, ' Ve know not 
 what is the spirit of the dispensation j-e belong 
 tc ; what was right in Elijah under the Old 
 Covenant, would be wrong in you under the 
 new.' The latter seems the most probable mean- 
 ing. The words, however, are not iu the best MSS. 
 
 4. Two of the three incidents recorded in ver. 
 fl"— G2 are mentioned by Matthew (viii. 19—22) as 
 having occurred at an earlier period. It is not 
 easy to decide on which occasion they actually 
 took place, but Luke's order seems preferable. 
 
 5. 'Let the dead bm-y their dead,' i.e., let those 
 who are spiritually dead allow themselves to be 
 engrossed with the concerns of their mortal 
 nature; those who are 'alive unto God' must 
 ' seek first His kingdom.' There is no interfer- 
 ence here with relative duties: our Lord doubt- 
 less saw that the man was of a gloomy and 
 melancholy disposition, apt to brood over his 
 troubles, and so neglect the call to a life of 
 activity and self-denial. There may be an 
 allusion to the long funeral ceremonies of the 
 Jews. 
 
 6. ' Fit for the kingdom of God '—rather ' ser- 
 viceable,' ' of use,' i.e., as a workman, a preacher. 
 
 Lesson LXL— The Mission of the Seventy. 
 
 ' Treasure in earthen vessels,' 
 
 {Hymns, 97, 115, 120, 174, 232, 
 
 Read — Luke x. 1 — 24 ; Learn — Luke x. 21-$ 2 Cor. iv, 
 
 237, 328.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 This subject will probably be a new one, even to the most intelligent of our Sunday- 
 scholars, and the interest attaching to novelty should be made the most of. An attempt 
 has been made, in the third division of the Sketch, to add to this interest by picturing 
 the Seventy, not as receiving Christ's instructions, but as acting upon them while engaged 
 in their mission. The picture is, of course, an imaginaiy one ; but for each incident 
 supposed there is warrant in our Lord's discourse (every sentence of which must be con- 
 ceived of as suggested by His own knowledge of what would occur) ; and the case seems 
 to be one in which the careful and reverent use of the imagination in teaching is 
 legitimate. 
 
 The Mission of the Seventy has been more fully described by the writer in an article in 
 the Church Sunday School Magazine for September, ISGD. The general lesson to be 
 derived from the subject is happily illustrated in the Rea-eations of a Country Parson, in 
 the essay on ' The Practical Service of Imperfect Means.' 
 
 The details of the application are necessarily left to the teacher to fill in, as they will 
 differ much according to the sex, age, circumstances, and characters of the scholars. In 
 dwelling on the duty of direct ' missionary work at home,' teachers should be very 
 cautious how they speak about children being ' missionariee ' to their parents, lest they 
 foster self-wUl, conceit, and disregard of the Fifth Commandment. A pious child may 
 bring his parents to Christ, but it will be rather by irreproachable conduct and gentle 
 demeanour than by assuming to teach ; and such conduct and demeanour shotild be re- 
 
164 
 
 LESSOKS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 presented as one mode of working for Clirist, The instructions given to the Seventy 
 mostly concerned these very things, our Lord well knowing that their simplicity, con- 
 tentedness, forbearance, &c., would have an influence on the popular mind as powerful as 
 that of their message itself. Nevertheless, there is such a thing as a child's active work 
 for Christ. Every gentle word of instruction, counsel, or warning given to a younger 
 brother or sister, or to a school companion or playmate, — every fearless refusal to join 
 others in sin, — every childish prayer on behalf of another, — every unselfish act, kind 
 word, forgiving look, — every trifle given (if from the child's oion little money) to the 
 missionary-box, — is in its degree a fulfilling of the command conveyed to us in this 
 Lesson. 
 
 Sketch of Lesson. 
 
 The 2nd text for rep. speaks of ' treasure 
 in earthen vessels.' We put beautiful jewel 
 or ornament in handsome case — what then ? 
 two things to look at — jewel and case. But 
 if in common ugly box or in earthen pot, 
 then only the jewel looked at. "What does 
 St. Paul mean by ' this treasure ' ? God's 
 message of salvation — the Gospel — all he 
 had to tell about Christ — the ' unspeakable 
 gift' (2 Cor. ix. 15) — the 'pearl of great 
 price' (Matt. xiii. 46). And he, Paul, an 
 'earthen vessel' — one unworthy to bring 
 such a treasure to men — why then chosen ? 
 — 'that the excellency,' «S;c. — (comp. Ps. 
 cxv. 1). 
 
 To-day see some of these ' earthen ves- 
 sels,' to whom Christ entrusted the great 
 treasure. 
 
 I. The Work to be Done. 
 
 Jesus is starting on a journey — where 
 from? where to? [last Les.wn]. But He 
 is not going straight to Jerusalem — the 
 ' time ' (of death, resurrection, ascension, 
 see ix. 51) not yet — about five months oif. 
 And meanwhile Jesus will once more pro- 
 claim Himself to the people, and invite 
 them to receive Him as their true Messiah. 
 
 jr% If ill He do this? (o) See M.att. ix. 
 3G [Lesson XXXVIII.] — ' compassion ' for 
 the 'sheep having no shepherd'; Luke 
 xiii. 34 — He longed to gather them to Him 
 as hen gathers chickens under her wings. 
 (J) But "if they would reject Him, it must 
 not be because they did not hwio — His call 
 must be a public one (see Acts sxvi. 26 — 
 ' not done in a corner '). 
 
 Where vnll Be do this ? [See Note L] 
 Not in Galilee — there they have known 
 Him well a long while — have already re- 
 jected Him (ver. 13 — 15). In Samaria? — 
 but He has just tried there — and what 
 came of it? [last Lesson]. In Perjea ? — 
 yes, there first (Matt. xix. 1) — then after- 
 wards go on to Judasa. 
 
 Iloio will lit do this ? By a great journey 
 from city to city, from place to place (ver. 
 1). Not only by healing sick and teaching 
 in synagogues, but by sending men ' before 
 His face' to announce His coming, with 
 the solemn message that ' the kingdom is 
 come nigh ' (ver. 1, 9). 
 
 II. The Men to do the Work. 
 
 The Twelve ? no, they not enougn — .?o 
 manj places to be sent to all at once. 
 Jesus must choose out others to help — men 
 
 who have not been His companions alway.?, 
 quiet people at Capernaum, Cana, li-c, who 
 believe in Him and love Him, but have not 
 preached before. But — 
 
 What ' earthen vessels ' they were to carry 
 such a ' treasure ' I how unfit to do such a 
 work, and to have power to work miracles ! 
 Think — what little knowledge, many faults, 
 the Twelve had, in spite of being always 
 with Jesus — what mttst these Seventy have 
 been ! 
 
 But they had three qualifications, {a) 
 They tcere true disciples, see ver. 20 — we 
 know not one of their names, but where 
 were their names ? (b) God had taught 
 them, see ver. 21 — the truth about Jesus, 
 which priests and scribes knew not, Grod 
 had revealed even to these ' babes ' (comp. 
 Matt, x-vi, 17). (c) They were willing to go. 
 Others hesitated, see ix. 57 — 62 [last Les- 
 son] ; these were ready. 
 
 III. How they went about the 
 Work. 
 
 In ver. 2 — 12 are the directions Jesus 
 gave them. Let its imagine we go with 
 two of them, and watch what they do. 
 
 They start on their journey. Feeling 
 what ? ver. 2 — how great the harvest — how 
 few labourers— glad Jesits sent them — hope 
 and pray for more. But anxious too — 
 Jesits has told of dangers, ver. 3 — wolves 
 (bitter foes) in the way— they only lambs. 
 Yet they can trust in God — He will take 
 care of them — yea, and to Him they look 
 for provision also, for what have they got ? 
 ver. 4 — no money, no stores, no spare 
 clothes [see Note 2]. 
 
 They are on the road, hastening on, 
 stopping for nothing. Here is a man 
 coming the other way — will they go 
 through all the usual long ceremonies {see. 
 Note 2j ?— see ver. 4 (comp. 2 Kings iv. 29) 
 — no time to halt — on they go. 
 
 They enter a town. Like Jon.ah, begin 
 to preach — what ? ver. 9 — ' kingdom nigh 
 to you, for the King coming after us.' See 
 crowds round, wondering, questioning. 
 Then a great m.arvel — here are blind and 
 lame — in full faith on their Master's pro- 
 mise (ver. 9) thoy touch the darkened eyes 
 and crippled limbs — well in a moment ! 
 More than this, ' even the devils ' cast out 
 in the name of Jesus, ver. 17. Do the 
 grateful people believe the message, and 
 prepare for the King? Their hearts too 
 
THE MISSION OF THE SEVENTY. 
 
 165 
 
 hard — care not for a Saviour, or offended 
 because He comes from Galilee — think as 
 we have seen so many others (see John i. 
 46, vi. 41, 42, 60, 66, vii. 41, 48, viii. 52 ; 
 * Luke iv. 22, 28). Then what do the mes- 
 sengera do ? ver. 11 — treat them as Jews 
 treated heathens {.see Note 2] — leave them 
 with a last warning ('nevertheless,' <fec.). 
 What does Jesus say shall be the fate of 
 such rejecters of His servants? ver. 12; 
 and why ? ver. 17. 
 
 They go on to another city — preaching 
 and healing again — here received — people 
 willing to have the King. How do the 
 messengers act ? Kindly, ver. 5 ; patiently, 
 ver. 6 ; contentedly, ver. 7. 
 
 Think of seventy men going about thus 
 — what a stir must have been made I — 
 everybody talking of it — all knowing that 
 Jesus of Nazareth claims to be Messiah — 
 all may take His part if they will. 
 
 IV. The Keturn prom the Work. 
 
 The Seventy have done their work — now 
 they come to their Master \_see Note 3] . 
 See the rejoicing — theirs — His. 
 
 Their joy, ver. 17. At what ? at readi- 
 ness of people to receive Jesus ? at sinners 
 repenting (comp. Luke xv. 10) ? No, but 
 at their own triumph over the devils. Was 
 this a cause for joy? yes — a sIot of Satan's 
 fall from his power, ver. 18 [see Note 3J. 
 But if they must think of themselves in- 
 stead of their Master or the people, should 
 rejoice more for something else — what? 
 ver. 20 — why ? more blessed to be Christ's 
 people than to have miraculous power 
 
 (comp. 1 Cor. liii. 1 — 3) — some might even 
 cast out devils and yet not be His servants 
 (Matt. vii. 22, 23) — like Judas. So we see 
 ■ how imperfect the Seventy were — then how 
 kind of Jesus to employ them 1 
 
 Bis joy, ver. 21 — the only time we read 
 of Jesus rejoicing. At what ? at the power 
 of His name (ver. 17) to do marvels ? No, 
 but at the Father's goodness in making 
 His salvation known to the poor and igno- 
 rant — to 'babes' [see A'oie 5]. Think, 
 then — when a Sunday-school child is taught 
 God's word — when it listens, beheves, loves 
 — that gives joy to Christ ! 
 
 Is it strange that Christ entrusted the 
 ' treasure ' to such ' earthen vessels,' that 
 He employed such weak and ignorant men ? 
 Well, but it shows one thing, that — 
 
 Christ calls on the vert Weakest 
 OF His Servants to do something for 
 Him. 
 
 Are you too young, too ignorant, too 
 poor, too feeble ? But He does not want 
 you to do great things — only something. 
 But there must be three qualifications — the 
 very same the Seventy had : — 
 
 («) Must be true disciples, really caring 
 for Christ. 
 
 {h) Must be taught of God what to do 
 and how to do it. But is not God willing 
 to teach ' babes ' ? ver. 21 j and see His 
 promise, Jas. i. 5. 
 
 (c) Must be wilHng — then God pleased 
 with the smallest service, 2 Cor. viii. 12. 
 
 Remember Naaman's little maid (2 Kings 
 V.) ; and God's words to Jeremiah (i. 6 — 9). 
 
 Notes, 
 
 1. Although the mission of the Seventy is 
 recorded only by St. Luke, its great importance 
 is manifest to tlie careful reader of the Gospels. 
 The simple fact that so many messengers were 
 sent forth simultaneously is most significant of 
 the design of our Lord's last great journey, viz., 
 to make a flnal appeal to the Jewish nation as a 
 whole; and the number of places visited hy 
 tliem— thirty-tive at least (as they went in 
 pairs), and probably more (as the contingency of 
 any pair going to more than one town is con- 
 templated in Clnisfs instructions)— shews that 
 the effect upon tlie people must have been very 
 great (comp. Luke xii. 1, xlv. 25, xix. 3, 11,37, 
 xxiii. 6). On the locality of tlieir mission, and 
 on the purpose of this great circuit generally, 
 see Additional !Kote on the Chronology at 
 page 1C4. 
 
 Our Lord, probably, followed the Seventy into 
 Peraja, going from place to place where they had 
 preceded him ; and their return to Him, doubt- 
 less at some fixed rendezvous, would cot be till 
 some time had elapsed, although St. Luke 
 records it in iimmediatc counection with their 
 mission. 
 
 2. The 'purses' were the ends of the girdle, 
 and 'no purse' means 'no money in it,' comp. 
 Matt. X. 9. ' Sa-ip,' rather, 'wallet' for pro- 
 visions. 'Nor shoes': they were to wear sandals 
 (Mark vi. 9), and not carry a second pair. 'Salute 
 no man': the salutations of travellers in the 
 JEast are very elaborate and tedious ; .Jesus here 
 enjoins not discourtesy, but single-mindedness. 
 
 ' Son of peace,' one who reciprocates your good 
 will; the expression is like 'children of light," 
 'of this world,' &c. ' It shall turn to you again,' 
 i.e., be as though unspoken. ' The labourer is 
 ■worthy of his hire'—a, sentence remarkable as 
 being the only one in the Gospels quoted as 
 Scripture in the Epistles (1 Tim. v. 18). 'Even 
 the very dust' &«., referring to the custom of 
 shaking off the dust of Gentile lands as unclean 
 when stepping on to Jewi^h soil again after a 
 journey. It would be like saying, ' We treat you 
 as Gentiles' ; comp. Acts xiii. 51, xviil. 6. 
 
 3. The meaning of ver. 18, ' I beheld Satan as 
 lightning lall from heaven,' is much disputed. 
 'Heaven' does not always mean the abode of 
 God, but sometimes stands figuratively for ex- 
 altation and power, as in ver. 15, where Caper- 
 naum is said to be ' exalted to heaven.' The 
 words, therefore, do not necessarily refer to the 
 original fall of Satan from his 'first estate' 
 (Jude 6) ; and as the Greek is rather ' I was be- 
 holding Sa.ta.n falling,' it seems more likely that 
 Christ meant to say, when tlie Seventy joyfully 
 related their triumph over the devils, ' Yea, and 
 I, watcliing your success, saw in it a proof and 
 pledge of the destruction of Satan's powor, whicli 
 is even now beginning, and shall surely be 
 completed' (comp. John xii. 31). See Trench's 
 very conclusive argument in Studies in the Gos- 
 pels, p. 227. The next verse confirms this view, 
 as the promise, though fulfilled literally In some 
 cases (Mark xvi. 18; Acts xxviii. 6), certainly 
 has a wider figurative sense ; ' serpents and 
 
166 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 scorpions' being the tj'pes of evil in the animal 
 world, as ' thorns and thistles' in the vegetable 
 world (Gen. iii. 18). 
 
 4. ' A'ames loritlen in heaven.^ A figure drawn 
 from a census or register. Comp. Exod. xxxil. 
 32, 33; Ts. Ixix. 28; Ban. xii. 1 ; Phil. iv. 3; 
 Heb. sii. 23 ; Key. iii. 5, xiii. 8, xxi. 2". 
 
 5. The word used to describe the ' rejoicing ' of 
 Jesus is very strong, and might be rendered 
 'exulted.' In JIatt. v. 12 ('Rejoice and be ex- 
 ceeding glad') 'exceeding glad' is the same 
 word. The cause of this joy is often misunder- 
 stood : ' that thou bust hid,' &c., requires a 
 'though' to be understood before it, just as in 
 
 Rom. vl. 1"— ' God be thanked that {though) ye 
 were the servants of sin,' &c. 
 
 6. The words of Christ in ver. 13—15, 21, 22, 
 appear in Matt, xi., and those in ver. 23, 24, 
 in Matt, xiii., in altogether different con- 
 nections. Now, in the case of incidents dif- 
 ferently recorded by two evangelists, we have 
 no rigtit to force a harmony by assuming that 
 what appears to be the same event occurred 
 twice. But this rule does not apply to our 
 Lord's words. These may well have been re- 
 peated, with or without variation, on different 
 but similar occasions ; and there is no reason to 
 doubt that the solemn sayings here referred to 
 were such repetitions. 
 
 Lesson LXIL— Tlie Chief Pharisee's Feast. 
 
 ' Not as the world giveth, give I unto you.' 
 
 Read—LakQ xiv. 1—24 ; Learn— Isa. Iv. 1, 2 ; Eev. xix. 9. (Hymns, 144, 14G, 223, 225, 
 
 227, 348, 361.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 The paraphrase form of writing, wliich has been adopted in portions of the following 
 Sketch in order to make the meaning of our Lord's sayings clear, gives an apparently dis- 
 proportionate length to those portions. In actual teaching the third head will be found 
 to occupy the most time, and being the most important part — in fact, the pith of the 
 Lesson — it ought to do so. With jimior classes, indeed, much of the second head may be 
 omitted, the lesson to them being almost excltisively on the Parable of the Great Supper ; 
 but even then the foregoing incidents must be noticed, in order to show the contrast 
 indicated in the third head and expressed in the above ' motto.' Our Lord's coimsels in 
 vers. 8 — 14, are, however, important, as showing that these and similar sayings were 
 uttered as parables, and are not to be understood only in their superficial literal sense ; 
 see Sketch. But if they are taken, they may be fairly applied to the little selfishnesses of 
 children, such as choosing the best seats in school, by the fire at home, itc. ; sharing any 
 little treasure they may have to divide with the influential among their companions, not 
 vsath the feebler, <tc. itc. 
 
 The incident of the cure of the man with the dropsy need not be dwelt upon in this 
 Lesson. The teachings to be derived from it have been taken in Lesson XXXVII. 
 
 Sketch of Lesson. 
 
 coming in — the host receiving them, ic. 
 [picture — see Lesson XXXVL~\ What are 
 the guests thinking of? ver. 7 — all trying 
 
 Jesus is now in Perjea, the old countiy of 
 Gilead. Here Jacob wrestled, Israel con- 
 quered Sihon, Jephthah and Joab fought 
 with Ammon, David took refuge from 
 Absalom, Elijah was born, Ahab died. 
 The Seventy have gone before Him [last 
 Lesson\ — proclaiming what ? Now see the 
 result. As in Galilee in the early days of 
 His ministry, so here : multitudes throng- 
 ing Him, Matt. xix. 2 ; Luke xiv. 25 — 
 perhaps xi. 29, xii. 1 [see Note 1] ; pub- 
 licans eagerly flocking to tlie ' friend of 
 sinners,' xv. 1 ; Pharisees inviting Him to 
 their houses, xiv. 1. 
 
 To-day go with Jesus to one of these 
 Pharisee entertainments. 
 
 I. Jesus at the Feast. 
 
 Who gives the feast? ver. 1 — no doubt 
 a great and rich man — fine house (many 
 grand ruins still to be seen at cities in 
 Peraea) — many servants, Ac. This a great 
 feast — many guests, rich p)eople, lawyers, 
 Pharifiees, Ac. 'vers. 7, 12)— see them 
 
 to get best places [see Note 2J — what 
 vanitj', envj-, discontent, in their hearts ! 
 
 But there is one guest there who is a 
 stranger, specially invited — who ? How 
 do the rest feel towards Him ? ver. 1 — He 
 is different from them — He cares not for all 
 their ceremonies (see Mark vii. 2 — 8) — 
 perhaps He will do .something they think 
 strange or wrong — so they 'watch Him.' 
 Besides, what day is it? ver. 1 — ' let us see 
 if this fellow will keep the Sabbath.' Were 
 </if 7/ keeping it? — after all their hard Sab- 
 bath rules for the poor people, to give such 
 feasts, causing work and trouble ? And 
 their feeling.s — envy of one another, malice 
 towards Him ! How does He show them 
 the true Sabbath-keeping ? ver. 2— C. [See 
 Lesson XXXVHA 
 
 But now see — If they watched Him in 
 malice, He ' marked ' ihern (ver. 7) in sorrow 
 and just anger. 
 
THE CHIEF PHAEISEE S FEAST. 
 
 167 
 
 II. "What Jesus said about men's 
 
 FEASTS. 
 
 A word to the guests, ver. 8 — 11. He 
 ' marked ' that seeking after best places — 
 how does He show its foolishness? But 
 then, suppose one of them, next time he 
 went to a feast, were to say, ' I '11 sit in low 
 place— then I shall get taken up higher,' 
 would that be what Jesus wished ? Why, 
 that really just as selfish. No— see ver. 7 
 —all this is a ' parable '—something meant 
 by it which you don't see at first. What ? 
 \ er. 11 — ' he that exalteth himself,' in any 
 ivay, what of him ? And who to be ex- 
 alte'l? he that 'humbles himself because 
 he/?e?s unworthy (comp. Ps. li. 17, cxxxviii. 
 6; Prov. iii. 34; Isa. Ivii. 15; Jas. iv. 6; 
 1 Pet. V. 5). To see the greatest example 
 of this, cOmp. Isa. xiv. 12 — 15 with Phil. ii. 
 £ — 11. Now, what were all these Pharisees 
 doing ? were they not thinking themselves 
 worthy of God's favour, and despising 
 others ? Luke xviii. 9 — 14 ; was it not this 
 that was making them reject Jesus? So 
 His ' parable ' means, ' You who seek the 
 best seats have the same spirit iu other and 
 greater things — take care — a like result 2oill 
 follow.' 
 
 A word to the host, ver. 12 — 14. What 
 does He mean? rich people not to invite 
 their own friends at all? No — this an 
 illustration too (something like Matt, v, 
 39, 40) — Jesus is thinking why these feasts 
 given, in hope of ' a recompense' (ver. 12) 
 — from whom ? from men — they cared for 
 that more than for God's recompense — and 
 this in other things too, see Matt. vi. 1 — 6, 
 xxiii. 5 — 7 ; John v. 44, xii. 43. How get 
 God's recompense? ver. 13, 14. Only in 
 this way ? no, for all can't do so ; Jesus 
 means everything that is unselfish, kind, 
 thoughtful of others ; see Phil. ii. 3, 4. 
 
 III. What Jesus said about God's 
 Feast, 
 
 He has spoken of a gieat reward here- 
 after, ver. 14. A guest (ver. 15) thinks of 
 the great Feast the Jews looked forward to 
 when Messiah should come [comp. Lesson 
 XX VI IT.] — 'ah! how happy they would 
 all be then!' [see Xote 3J. But, suppose 
 he should not be there — he never thinks of 
 thai;. So Jesus answers by a parable [read 
 j;er. 16 — 24], telling of THE difference 
 BETWEEN God's Feast and their feasts. 
 
 1. Different as regards those invited. 
 
 The Pharisees thought themselves sure 
 of good places in God's kingdom. Well, 
 Jesus would say, ' You are invited — you 
 have accepted (profess to be God's ser- 
 vants) — but all noio ready — God's mes- 
 sengers (the Baptist, Jesus Himself) noio 
 calling you — and you won't come.' How 
 difiEerent from their own feasts — every one 
 so pleased to be asked, so ready to go, so 
 eager for good seats ! and now, when the 
 
 Notes. 
 X. Although this portion of St. Luke's Gospel i &c., took place in Perma. The course of Christ's 
 has scarcely any notices of locality, there is good ministry there, as we should expect in a district 
 reason for believing that most of the incidents, I previously un visited by Him, seems to have been 
 
 Seventy have been proclaiming ' the king- 
 dom nigh' [last Lesson], when the King 
 Himself among them — cold looks, scornful 
 words, ' excuses ' ' with one consent.' But 
 what then ? ver. 24 — ' that heavenly Feast 
 you think so blessed, not one of you shall 
 taste of it ' [see Note 5J ; and whose fault 
 this ? But who should be the ' blessed' 
 ones ? the very people they despised. 
 How would that be ? Because of another 
 difference between God's Feast and their 
 feasts, — 
 
 2. Different as regards Him ivho invites. 
 
 When they made a feast, whom did they 
 invite, and why ? ver. 12 [above]. But God 
 — (n) whom does He invite? see parable — 
 'poor, maimed,' &c. — those who can make 
 Him no return — who are they? the pub- 
 licans and sinners (see Mark ii. 17) — yes, 
 and room for more than them — the despised 
 Gentiles too from the ' highways and 
 hedges' [outside the city), see Matt. viii. 11. 
 Do you say these not invited till the in- 
 tended guests refused? — ah, but all, even 
 those first asked, destitute in God's sight 
 (Rev. iii. 17) — none can make Him any 
 return (1 Chron. xxix. 14; Luke xvii. 10). 
 [b) Why does God ask such ? Just from 
 pity — ile gets nothing by it, but He loves 
 us, Rom. viii. 8 ; Eph. ii. 4, 5. So it is a free 
 invitation, and to all, Isa. Iv. 1, 2 ; Rev. 
 xxii. 17, 
 
 Here is an Invitation for us too — 
 ' Come, for all things are now ready.' 
 
 What are we invited to ? To be in Christ's 
 company. He will come and ' sup with us ' 
 now (Rev. iii. 20) — take us to ' sup with 
 Him' hereafter (2nd text for rep.) — what 
 meant ? To be quite happy (Ps. Ixxiii. 25), 
 to have all we want (Phil. iv. 19), and to 
 have it for nothing (1st text for rep.). 
 Even on earth, the happiest people are those 
 who have come to Christ — and who but they 
 will be happy afterwards ? 
 
 Are we making excuses? Some make 
 the very same those men in the parable 
 did. (rt) You have not ' bought a piece of 
 ground ' ; but have you not got something 
 you want to enjoy, and won't leave it to obey 
 Christ's call ? (o) You have not to try how 
 your ten new oxen will work, but have you 
 not so much to do, school lessons, shop-work, 
 home duties, that you have no time to think 
 of Christ's invitation ? (c) Tou are not like 
 the newly-married man, but are you saying, 
 ' I like this or that companion so much that 
 I can't give him up for Christ ' ? Well, 
 what will come of such excuses ? We may 
 (like the man in ver. 15) sing, ' Oh, that 
 will be joyful,' but ' None of those shall taste 
 of My supper.' When the heavenly feast 
 begins, ' shut out.' 
 
 Think of Christ calling you, with out- 
 stretched arms, and say, 
 
 ' Lamb of God ! 1 come.' 
 
168 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 similar to that of His early ministry in Galilee, 
 with the significant «ddition of a tone in His dis- 
 courses appropriate to the approaching close of 
 His life. Space will not allow of this being illus- 
 trated here in detail, hut it is strikingly shown 
 iu Hanna's Close of the Ministry, pp. 177—225. See 
 also Additional Note on Chronology, page 151. 
 
 ■\\Tiether Luke xi. 29— xii. 1 can be adduced as 
 illustrating the effect of the I'eraoan ministry is 
 doubtful. Luke xi. 14—28 is certainly out of Its 
 right place, evidently belonging to a much earlier 
 period (see Lesson XXXIX.) ; and some think 
 that the rest of the section to the end of chap. xii. 
 should go with it, the connect ion being apparently 
 close. But the end of chap, xi., and all chap, xii., 
 are in tone far more suitable to the later period. 
 
 2. The word rendered ' room,' in ver. 7—10, 
 should be ' place.' The reference is simply to the 
 best seats, i.e., the middle place on each couch. 
 
 3. On the guest's remark in ver. 15, Stier says : 
 — ' His words, however piously they sound, con- 
 tain a threefold latent impropriety :— First, his 
 sensual conception of the resurrection. . . . then 
 the confident assurance of his pretensions to it as 
 a Pharisee .... fin.ally, his indolent, contented 
 remission of the matter into distant futurity. 
 
 He sits complacently at his kinsman's feast, and 
 
 prattles about the heavenly table.' But 
 
 ' the point is to come now, and not with spurious 
 devotion to talk of future blessedness.' 
 
 4. The parable of the Great Supper must be 
 carefully distinguished from that of the Marriage 
 Supper in Matt. xxii. The latter is more com- 
 plex in structure, and severer in tone. 
 
 The custom of sending a servant to call the 
 already invited guestsstiU exists in the Lebanon. 
 Dr. Thomson was himself so summoned {Land 
 and the Book, p. 124). 
 
 The three 'excuses' represent the influence Of 
 property, business, and family ties. The oils- 
 tinction between the first two is, that the ono 
 man has yot, the ol)m\9 getting. Observe that 
 the engagements pleaded are not sinful; the 
 parable shews the danger of being engrossed 
 even in lawful things. 
 
 5. A''er. 24 appears to be, not the conclusion of 
 the parable, but Christ's application of it in His 
 own person. In the parable, the host addresses 
 otie servant, and the verbs are singular; In 
 ver. 24, the 'you' is plural, meaning those sitting 
 by. The sudden transition, and the expression, 
 ' My supper,' must have been very startling. 
 
 Lesson LXIII.— The Parable of tlie Prodigal Son. 
 
 ' There is j<i// in heaven over one sinner that repenteth.' 
 
 Eead—lioke xv. ; Learn— Luke xv. 20, 21 ; Micah vii. 18. 19. {Hymnf, 8, 141, 142, 145, 
 
 146, 147, 343.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 In accordance with the historical method adopted throughout these Lessons, by which 
 the teachings of otir Lord are regarded in the light of the incidents and circumstances 
 which led to them, the parables of the chapter before us are treated in the Sketch as 
 primarily Christ's reply to the Pharisee murmurs. At the same time, the story of the 
 Prodigal Son stands so entirely alone in its irresistible tenderness, that the earnest 
 teacher feels constrained to cast aside mere questions of histoi-ical interpretation, and 
 teach it in its simple and direct application to his scholars. This is accordingly done in 
 division II. ; and in order that the very important, though too often neglected, episode of 
 the ' elder son ' may not be left out, it is -pwt first, in division I., where its reference to the 
 Pharisees comes in most suitably ; by which means the father's tenderness to the returning 
 prodigal is made to come, with all its impressiveness, at the close of the Lesson. The other 
 two parables are necessarily onlj^ alluded to in passing ; and the subject of the ' lost sheep' 
 has akeady come before us in Lessons XXXVIII. and LVII. 
 
 The following Sketch could not well be made shorter ; but to teach the whole of it 
 will be impracticable. Many teachers will prefer to take division II. only, and it is 
 impossible to blame them ; yet there should be some reference to the earlier portion — 
 with elder scholars, at all events. 
 
 In applying the accoimt of the Prodigal's misery and penitence, care must be taken not 
 to assume the necessity in children of profound and overwhelming conviction of sin. 
 Rather the application should be one of learning concerning the suffering that will surely 
 follow sin if persisted in, while the present lesson would be, — ' True, you may not be like 
 the Prodigal; yet you have wandered a little; even for your little sins you need to 
 repent,' Ac. 
 
 Of the many books on this great parable, Mr. Bullock's Wai/ Home, and the late Mr. 
 Mackenzie's Wanderer and his Return IJoine, may be recommended. On the ' hunger of 
 the soul ' there is a most powerful sermon in Bushnell's Neio Life. On the relief oTstained 
 to the conscience by full confession to God, there are some excellent illustrations in 
 Abbott's Young Christian, chap. 1. 
 
THE PAKABLE OF THE PRODIGAL SON. 
 
 169 
 
 Sketch 
 Whan J&3US was in Galilee, we saw how 
 He visited Pharisees and publicans, and 
 how former objected because He went to 
 latter ; Luke v. 29, 30, vii. 34. \^Lessons 
 XXXI., XXXVIJ] Now just the same in 
 Per^a : He eats with the Pharisees \last 
 Lesson] ; and, despite their complamts, 
 with publicans too, ver. 1, 2. Now, these 
 ' publicans and sinners ' really bad people : 
 why then came they to Him ? why went 
 He to them? [lUust. — When bad boy and 
 good boy much together, either bad ooy is 
 drawing good boy away, or good boy winning 
 bad boy back.] 
 
 See how Jesus replied to the Pharisee 
 objections. [Read ver. 1 — 10.] Had the 
 publicans gone astray ? — so had the missing 
 sheep ; yet the shepherd went after it — 
 why? it was his property, so worth re- 
 covering. The piece of silver too — should 
 it be given up without ' diligent search ' ? — 
 And should not Messiah, the Shepherd of 
 Israel, to whom all belonged, righteous and 
 wicked, seek His own ? And when the 
 sheep or the coin found, what would the 
 news cause ? Joy ? — so with the sinner — 
 these very publicans and bad people — no 
 joy when they brought back ? Yes — but 
 where ? While Pharisees murmuring, 
 angels rejoicing ! 
 
 Is not this enough ? Yet Jesus has a 
 greater lesson yet for them — will show 
 them a picture of themselves and of those 
 neglected outcasts which they shall not 
 forget — the Parable of the Prodigal Son. 
 [Bead it.] 
 
 I. The Elder Son— a Picture of the 
 self-righteous. 
 
 Evening — coming home from work — un- 
 usual sounds in the house — rejoicings. Of 
 course he is sure something good has 
 happened — wUl join with bright, eager 
 face ? No — gloomily, ' What is it ? ' ' His 
 brother! that worthless fellow — joy for 
 his return I ' See him turning away in 
 surly hatred. Then the father comes out — 
 angrOy ? — sternly rebuking the murmurer ? 
 - — ordering him in ? No — ' entreated him.' 
 Look at the son's answer : — (o) Boasts of 
 his own goodness. Well, suppose it were 
 BO, what merit in that ? only did his duty . 
 (b) Complains of not being recompensed. 
 Why, his brother's share disposed of long 
 ago, so all the property his now (ver. 31) — 
 what more can he want ? (c) Will not call 
 the wanderer his 'brother' — see ver. 30 
 (' thy son '). Is this such perfect conduct ? 
 [See Note 8.] 
 
 Would the Pharisees see the likeness? 
 (a) Did they not boast of their own good- 
 ness ? Luke xviii. 11. (b) Yet how were 
 they now shewing it ? Here is Jesus let- 
 ting wicked people come to Him, telling 
 them of God's love, encouraging them to 
 come back to God. They object. But 
 who are these people ? Their own brethren. 
 Don't they like to call them so ? — so much 
 the worse — it shews their selfish pride. If 
 
 OF Lesson. 
 
 their boastings were true, they would 
 rejoice Hke the angels, like Jesus Himself 
 (Luke X. 21). 
 
 Are you ever like the Pharisees — like the 
 Elder Son f Is it a pleasure to you to see 
 God's servants {e.g., your teacher) doing all 
 they can for some bad boy ? Do you like 
 to see a bad boy coming home to God ? 
 Did you never feel pleased when a good 
 boy fell into sin ? 
 
 II. The Younger Sos— a pictui-e of the 
 wandering and returning sinner. 
 
 1. The Wanderer. Happy home — kind 
 father — every comfort — why discontented? 
 What made him ask for his ' portion ' ? 
 Wanted his own way — to do as' he liked. 
 How many boys and girls is this Hke ! We 
 must all say, ' We have turned every one 
 to his own way ' (Isa. liii. 6) ; ' have followed 
 too much the devices and desires of our 
 own hearts ' (Gen, Conf.). Our own way — 
 the root of all sin and all misery. Nothing 
 so hard as to give up our own will : have 
 you ever given it up cheerfully ? If any 
 one might have had 'own will,* surely it 
 was Jesus ; yet what did He say ? Luke 
 xxii. 42. Sometimes we want our own 
 way, but don't take it at once — a little 
 ashamed ; so this younger son — went not 
 away at once. But ' not many days after ' ; 
 and so with us. 
 
 Then where did he go ? ver. 13 ; so the 
 wilful boy gets away as ' far ' from God as 
 he can — gives up prayer, Bible, church, 
 school, &c. ; see Job. xxi. 14. And what 
 then ? happy ? of course — think of the 
 Prodigal enjoying himself — everything he 
 wanted he could have — perhaps thought, 
 ' Who cares for those dull folks at home 
 and their strict ways ? ' — perhaps laughed 
 when thought of elder brother going on in 
 old quiet life. Which of us teinpted to 
 be Hke that ? 
 
 2. The Wanderer's 3fisery, 'Spent all': 
 sinful pleasure can't last for ever. Then — 
 home again? ah, no, see ver. 15 — 'joined 
 himself ' : all the pleasure of sin gone- — 
 then go on sinning because can't break off 
 the habit — a slave to sin (John viii. 34 ; 
 2 Pet. ii. 19) ; so often with wicked {e.g., 
 drunkard). And then? — ' perishing with 
 hunger.' What meant ? Have you ever, 
 after doing wrong, felt utterly miserable ? 
 If not, a great pity — sin to you must be 
 pleasant. But you will feel it one day 
 7nuch toorse — torture of conscience : it 
 always comes sooner or later (see Prov. 
 xiv. 13 ; Eccl. xi. 9 ; Jer, n. 19). What 
 like ? gnawings of hunger — it is really I — 
 longing for something — getting nothing. 
 Longing for what ? For peace, happiness, 
 sstisfaction, comfort. Pleasure like sweets 
 — nice to eat, but can't live on them — want 
 bread — the ' bread of life ' (John yi. 35 ; 
 Isa. Iv. 1, 2). 
 
 3. The Wanderer's Return, ' Came to 
 himself — like sleeper waking. The first 
 step to being happy, to feel how miserable 
 
170 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 he is — why ? because then try and escape 
 misery. If you only /eft sin as it really is, 
 would try and escape it. See what some 
 have felt, Ps. xxxviii. 3, 4, xl. 12; Ezra 
 ix. 6 ; Luke xviii. 13. Then what else does 
 he feel ? The came of his misery — wander- 
 ing from home — how happy he viigM have 
 been ! and now 'no more worthy to be' a 
 son. Then a good resolution — ' I will 
 arise,' &.C. — ' and wiU say unto him,' (fee- 
 no concealment, no excuses. And is it 
 only a resolve ? — how many good things we 
 intend to do which are never done ! No, 
 he rises and goes at once. 
 
 Here are the four parts of true repent- 
 ance : — conviction ('came to himself); 
 contrition (' no more worthy ') ; confession 
 (' will say unto him ') ; converaiou (' arose 
 and came'). 
 
 4. The Wanderer's Restoration. What a 
 reception ! undeserved and unexpected. 
 How free is God's love ! and how little we 
 know of it ! 'A great way off '—as if father 
 watching and longhig for him : so God, 
 ' more ready to hear than we to pray ' ; 
 and think how Jesus yearned over Jeru- 
 salem, even though they ' would not' come 
 
 Notes 
 
 ' Then drew near; &c. Rather, ' Now there 
 
 to Him (Luke xiii. 34). See what the 
 Prodigal has come back to : — (a) For- 
 giventss (' kissed him ') ; (6) Restored pri- 
 vilege : robe, ring, shoes — were they for 
 the ' hired servant ' ? — no, he is to be 
 ' child ' still [see Note 7] ; (c) Joy (' fatted 
 calf,' 'music,' &c.). So the returning sin- 
 ner : — forgiveness, Isa. Iv. 7 ; Micah vii. 
 18, 19 ; Eph. i. 7 ; 1 John i. 9 ;— restored 
 privilege, Rom. viii. 15 — 17 ; 2 Cor. vi. 18 ; 
 Gal. iv. 5, 6 ; 1 John iii. 1, 2 ;— joy, Rom. 
 v. 1, 2 ; 1 Pet. i. 8. 
 
 Are any of us in the 'far country ' ? 
 
 Perhaps have not gone very far from 
 God ; yet not like one of the family — have 
 gone ' own way.' Think now ! — ought not 
 each one to come to God and say, ' Father, 
 I have sinned ' ? Is there not something 
 to be confessed, repented of, turned from ? 
 WeU,— 
 
 The Father is stretching out His arms to 
 us, waiting to forgive, to smUe, to bless. 
 Only come, just as you are (did the Pro- 
 digal wait till he was better off, better 
 dressed?) — and you will be happy, as he 
 was. 
 
 1. 
 
 were drawing near.' The meaning is, that at 
 this period publicans and sinners were con- 
 tinually coming to Christ. 
 
 2. The first two of the three parables of this 
 chapter regard the recovery of the sinner on 
 the Divine side: the sheep and the coin can do 
 nothing of themselves. The third regards it 
 on the human side: the prodigal 'comes to 
 himself ' and returns to his father. In the first 
 two God seeks the lost; in the third the lost 
 seeks God. 
 
 Almost all expositors consider that the shep- 
 herd represents Christ going to seek and save 
 the lost; the woman the Holy Spirit (working 
 through the Church, lighting the 'candle of 
 Ihe Lord,' and searching the sinner out) ; and 
 the father of the two sons God the Father, gra- 
 ciously receiving the returning penitent. It 
 can scarcely be supposed that Christ designed 
 the parables to convey this threefold comp,arison 
 directly ; yet the analogy is too striking to be 
 wholly unfounded. 
 
 3. lu the two sons there is certainly no direct 
 reference to the Jews and Gentiles; though an 
 application to this effect can be drawn, just 
 because the relation of the .Jews to the Gentiles 
 illustrates the truth which the parable conveys. 
 The elder son stands for the Pharisees, the 
 younger for the' publicans and sinners,' as the 
 whole context shows. The Pharisees are also 
 the ' ninety and nine just persons ' of vor. 7 ; but 
 neither in this expression, nor in the father's 
 words in ver. ,31, ' Sou, thou art ever with rce,' 
 does our Lord mean to endorse their self- 
 righteous boastings : JIc only argues with them 
 on their own ground, .and, in fact, in thechurlish 
 and unloving elder son, lie draws a sufficiently 
 severe portrait of them. 
 
 4. ' The portion of goods. I.e., a third : the first- 
 born taking two-thirds, see Deut. sxi. 17. 
 
 5. ' Riotous living. The word (a<r<oT(os, asotos) 
 rendered 'riotous' is rather 'prodigal,' in the 
 literal meaning of the term (no/ saving). In 
 Eph. V. 18 the cognate noun is rendered ' excess ' ; 
 in Tit. i. G and I Pet. iv. 4, ' riot.' From this 
 word is derived the familiar title ' Prodigal Son,' 
 which does not Itself occtir in the parable. 
 
 6. 'Husks.' The Greek word means the fruit 
 of the kharub-tree, in shape like a bean-pod. 
 See description and woodcut in the Land and 
 the Book, p. 21. It is still used to feed swine. 
 
 7. Much ingenuity has been exercised in find- 
 ing exact spiritual meanings for the • robe,' the 
 ' ring,' the ' shoes,' and the ' fatted calf.' Pro- 
 bably the first three are designed only to ex-press 
 with vividness the idea of complete restoration 
 to sonship— he is not to be a ' hired servant.' A 
 ring in the East is the token of honour and con- 
 fidence (Geu. xli. 42; Esth. iii. 10); and shoes 
 were not worn by slaves. In the ' fatted calf ' 
 there can be no reference to Christ's sacrifice : it 
 is simply, like the ' music and dancing,' signifi- 
 cant of a general rejoicing. The ' kiss ' is a token 
 of reconciliation, Gen. xxxiii. 4 : 2 Sam. xiv. 33. 
 
 8. Several graphic touches in the picture of the 
 elder son may be noticed. Ilis asking ' what it 
 meant' shows a readiness to complain. 'With 
 my friends '—here is the very spirit of independ- 
 ence which had marked his brother, as if his 
 friends were distinct from his father's. 'This 
 thy son '—not ' my brother.' Ilis description of 
 the prodigal's life, correct as it doubtless was, 
 w.as derived only from his ill-natured suspicions, 
 not from his actual knowledge. ' Was come'— 
 not ' returned ' : he speaks as of a .stranger. 
 
 Stier relates that Daniel Krunimachcr, being 
 once asked who, in his view, was the ' elder son,' 
 replied laconically, ' Myself ! ' and then confessed 
 how, on the previous day, he had felt offended 
 because a very ill-conditioned person had been 
 enriched with a remarkable visitation of grace. 
 
171 
 
 Lesson LXIV.— Concerning This World and the Next. 
 
 ' Set your ajectivns on things above, not on things on the earth.' 
 Read— Luke xvi. (parts) ; Learn— 1 Tim. vi. 17—19 ; 1 John ii. 15—17. {Hymns 11, 63 
 83, 187, 189, 195, 19G, 307, 327, 346.) ' 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 As it was found impracticable to include, in this Course, Lessons on all even of the 
 more important Parables, the attempt has been made, in this and other cases, to combine 
 the teachings of two or more. Both the two now before us are intrinsically worthy of 
 separate and full study ; but in the Sketch they are simply regarded as illustrations of 
 the general subject of the Lesson, which is started in the introductory paragraph. It 
 will be seen, however, that the practical instruction designed can be founded on either 
 Parable by itself, and it is therefore open to the teacher to choose one of them, and omit 
 the other. But they so strikingly supplement one another, that the combination of them 
 as in the Sketch will probably be more interesting to intelligent classes. And even with 
 younger children, what does the plan suggested involve more than the telling of two 
 anecdotes illustrative in diilerent ways of the same truth ? Let not the unworthy idea be 
 indulged in that all stories are attractive except Scripture stories. 
 
 The concluding portion of the dialogue between the rich man and Abraham, and other 
 important points in both Parables, are necessarily omitted. 
 
 It is a common habit among preachers and teachers so to appeal to their hearers as 
 virtually to make escape from hell the chief object of religion, rather than the service of 
 Christ and the glory of God. The Sketch must not be understood to give any counte- 
 nance to this en-or, which has been earnestly avoided throughout these Lessons. 
 
 Nor must it be supposed that the teachings of the Lesson on the relation of this world 
 to the next involve the idea that we can earn salvation by charity and other good 
 works. What the Sketch suggests is abimdantly fortified by Scripture texts, and we 
 have no right to ignore one part of Scripture for fear of diminishing the force of another 
 part. It is well, however, to be cautious in our language. The concluding sentences are 
 expressly designed to throw the mind back upon Christ as the only source of merit. 
 
 Another caution is needed. Let no child be suffered to go away \vithout the correction 
 of that too common fancy among the poor, viz., that a better world is in store for them 
 because they are poor. 
 
 Sketch of Lesson, 
 
 What does a boy go to school for? to 
 learn ? what 's the good of that ? Suppose 
 no schooUng — is he ready to go out into 
 life ? So school-time is a preparation for 
 what comes afterwards. That 's just what 
 all our life on earth is — a prepiaration for 
 7vhat comes afterwards. And death — we 
 call it the end of life — really it is the be- 
 ginning, because next life so much higher 
 and greater ; just as leaving school is 
 called ' beginning life.' Does not a boy's 
 ' getting on ' often depend on how he used 
 school-time ? — our next life depends entirely 
 on how we use this. [Another Illust. — 
 What farmer reaps depends on what he sows ; 
 see Gal. vi. 7, 8.] 
 
 To-day see what Jesus taught about this 
 preparation, 
 
 I. A Parable showing how to pre- 
 pare FOR the Next World, ver. 1 — 8. 
 
 Steward (like Eliezer, Gen. xv. 2, xxiv. 2 ; 
 or Joseph in Potiphar's house, xxxix. 41 — 
 called upon to give in liis accounts [illust. — 
 boy in office having fo account for money 
 entrusted to him~\ — knows they are all 
 wrong — has been careless and wasteful — 
 will sorely ' lose his place ' — and then ! too 
 
 idle to work — too proud to beg — ruin. 
 Must make friends in time — so make sure 
 of a home. IIow? Has sold goods for 
 his master — not yet paid for — will get the 
 receipts altered — let the debtors off part of 
 their debts — so they grateful to him, by- 
 and-bye befriend him [see Note 2 6]. 
 
 Was this right ? No ; imfaithful before, 
 still more now — defrauding his master. 
 Yet even when found out, his master 
 cannot help admiring, ver. 8 — why? so 
 clever and prudent. 
 
 But what does Jesus mean by it ? Ver. 8 — 
 ' children of this world wiser,' ttc. — how ? 
 There are things in which we may imitate 
 them — imitate even this steward — what ? 
 
 1. The steward prepared for the future. 
 He thought of it ; winch of us really thinks 
 of the life to come ? He made sure about 
 it ; even if we do think, don't we say, ' Oh, 
 it 's all right,' and leave it to chance ? He 
 lost no time ; how many (like FeUx, Acts 
 xxiv. 26) keep putting it off ? What would 
 the school-boy [see above] do if he put off 
 learning till the day of his leaving school? 
 Think of what we sing every Sunday, 
 ' To-day, if ye will hear His voice.' 
 
172 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF DUB LORD. 
 
 2. He did so hy using the money entrusted 
 to him so as to makejriends. Time, he did 
 this by a device that cheated his master ; 
 but cannot we do the same thing in another 
 way ? Let us see. We, too, are stewards — 
 of what? of all we have. It is not our 
 own, but ' another's ' (ver. 12), i.e., God's 
 [see Note 2y]. Our money, everything we 
 have in tliis world, entrusted to us by God. 
 On what we do with it all — whether use it 
 rightly or not — depends our happiness in 
 the life to come [as school-boy's books, tj-c, 
 or farmer s seed: see above]. 
 
 How use it ? 
 
 (a) As the steward did — ' making friends ' 
 with it, ver. 9 [see Note 2 e]— how ? Spend 
 it on others, do good with it (comp. Luke 
 xii. 33). "What then? When we stand 
 before Christ's judgment seat, to ' give in 
 our account ' (Matt, xxv, 19 ; Eom. xiv. 12), 
 those very people whom we have helped 
 and been kind to will ' receive us into ever- 
 lasting habitations,' testifying of our love 
 to them as a proof that we are Christ's 
 own servants. 
 
 (6) As the steward did not — faithfully. 
 He ' made friends ' by cheating his master ; 
 but when we use God's property in doing 
 good, it is like restoring it to Ilim, see Prov. 
 xix. 17 ; Matt. x. 42, xxv. 40 ; so such use 
 is, faithful. And if faithful in these little 
 every-day things, God will give us much 
 more in the world to come (ver. 10 — 12); 
 see Matt. xxv. 21 ; Luke xii. 42 — 44, 
 
 n. A Parablr showing what comes 
 
 OP NOT SO PREPARING, ver. 19 — 31. 
 
 1. The rich man in this world. He, too, 
 a steward — much entrusted to him — how 
 did he use it? We do not read that he 
 was wicked— was it wrong to be rich, to 
 ' fare sumptuously,' &c.? — in Scripture 
 many good rich men— 'Father Abraham' 
 himself rich. But he 'left imdone what 
 he ought to have done ' — how ? 
 
 (a) He never thought of the life to come. 
 Just lived on, enjoying himself, no doubt 
 respectable and respected— heard God's 
 Word in the synagogues (see ver. 29), but 
 never took it to heart. Exactly like many 
 whom we call ' good boys and girls,' quiet, 
 regular, &c., but 'forgetting God' — and what 
 comes of that ? Ps. ix. 17. 
 
 (b) He did not ' make friends ' with his 
 money. Did he not V surely he gave grand 
 feasts, &c. Ah, but what had Jesus said 
 about that? xiv. 12—14 [Lesson LXII.]. 
 
 Let us see. At his gate lies poor beggar, 
 helpless, diseased, hungry. He knows him 
 well — sees him as he goes in and out — 
 knows his name too (ver. 24) — what does 
 he do for him ? Anything for the ' sores' ? — 
 the dogs left to soften them ; anything for 
 the hunger? oh yes, plenty of 'crumbs' 
 [see Note 3 b]. That all? If he had re- 
 membered that his property was God's, 
 and that using it for the poor was giving 
 back to God [texts above], what would he 
 have done? Matt, xxv, 35, 36. But he 
 ' wastes bis Master's goods ' (see ver. 1) on 
 himself (comp, Zech. vii. 6 ; Phil. iii. 19), 
 
 We are not rich ; but we have some 
 things God has given us. How are we 
 using them ? all for ourselves ? or, ever so 
 little (see 2 Cor, viii, 12, is.. 7) in helping 
 others ? 
 
 2. The rich man in the next icorld. ' Lifting 
 up his eyes in torments ' ! And what does 
 he see ? — ah, that familiar face, once wan 
 and piteous, now bright with peace and 
 glory [see Note 3 d] — he recognises it in 
 an instant. 
 
 But how came Lazarus there? because 
 he was poor ? no — cannot a poor man be 
 an impenitent rebel against God ? But in 
 his poverty he -made God his help (his 
 name means this ; therefore, no doubt, 
 Jesus gave it)— was one of the ' poor in 
 sjiirit,' Matt. v. 3, ' rich in faith,' Jas. ii. 5. 
 
 See the lost one's request, ver. 24 [see 
 Note S f] — to be deUvered? no — only to 
 have one moment's relief. And why not? 
 see the reply :— (1) Unreasonable — he had 
 had his due — he chose what he would have, 
 self-indulgence — 'his good things' — his 
 ' reward ' (Matt. vi. 2, 5, 16). He sowed — 
 what right to complain of the harvest? 
 (2) Impossible — he had time on earth to 
 prepare — now too late, for ' a great gulf 
 fixed.' 
 
 Is this very terrible ? But Who says it ? 
 The tender Saviour who died to save us 
 from it. Is He not kind to warn us ? 
 
 How escape a hke fate ? Come to that 
 Saviour— be His altogether — He will ' pre- 
 pare a place for you' (John xiv. 2) of a 
 very different kind. Then ' your affections 
 set on things above, not on things on the 
 earth ' — how keep back anything from His 
 service ? — 
 
 ' Were the whole realm of nature mine, 
 That were an offering far too small ; 
 Love so amazing, so divine. 
 Demands my soul, my Ufa, my all !' 
 
 Notes. 
 
 1. In chap. XV. Christ was addressing the 
 Pharisees. Chap. xvl. 0])cns with, "And He 
 said unto His disciples.' For them therefore the 
 parable of the Unjust Steward was chiefly 
 meant ; and as it would scarcely be applicable to 
 the Twelve, the ' disciples ' referred to seem to be 
 those 'publicans and sinners' whose adhesion 
 to Him (chap. IV.) has been described. We are 
 not told that these publicans ' left all' as Matthew 
 had done; they were not called to do so; and 
 therefore Christ specially instructs them con- 
 
 cerning the use of moneti. The Pharisees, how- 
 ever, who, though professedly ' serving God,' 
 ' served Mammon ' in their hearts (ver. 13, 14), 
 feel themselves condemned by what He is say- 
 ing, and 'deride Him.' (It is curious that this 
 word 'deride' means properly, in the Greek, 
 turning up the nose.) Upon which, Christ, after 
 some remarks (ver. 15—18), the connection of 
 which It Is unnecessary licre to explain, proceeds 
 to give them the parable of the Rich Man and 
 Lazarus, the drift of which is shown above. 
 
TWO PARABLES ON PBAYER. 
 
 173 
 
 2. THE PARABLE OP TUE t'NJUST STEWARD 
 is a difficult one, and has been the subject of 
 countless interpretations. The usual explana- 
 tion is adopted in the Sketch, but some additional 
 remarks may be made :— 
 
 (a) The 'steward* was the manager of the 
 estates— the agent or bailiff. 
 
 (6) It is usually assumed that the 'debtors' 
 were purchasers of produce, and had given 
 • bills ' or ' acceptances ' for tne value ; the alter- 
 ation of which was a plain fraud on the owner 
 of the farm (though the debtors were not neces- 
 sarily parties to this, as they might suppose the 
 steward's large powers enabled him to do itK 
 This view is taken in the Sketch, as having most 
 authority in its favour. But it may have been 
 that the debtors had to pay rent in kind, and that 
 the steward had exacted quantities higher than 
 he accounted for, keeping the difference him- 
 self : which is exactly what the publicans habit- 
 ually did (see Lesson XXXI., Note 1). In this 
 case, the steward merely submitted to a loss 
 himself, and made the 'bills' agree with the 
 accounts he rendered to his master. Christ's 
 application would then point specially to the 
 restoration of what had been wrongfully exacted 
 —which is just what was afterwards done by 
 Zacchajus (Luke xix. 8). 
 
 (c) The 'measure' of oil is the 'bath' (Isa. v. 
 10; Ezek. xlv. 10-14), which was for liquids 
 what the ephah was for solids : the tenth part of 
 an homer, and equal to nearly 9 gallons. The 
 'measure' of wheat is the 'cor' or homer, and 
 equal to H bushels. The quantities in the para- 
 ble are therefore large ones. 
 
 (d) In ver. 8, the ' lord' is plainly the steward's 
 lord, not Jesus. ' Wisely,' ' wiser,' shottid be 
 'prudently,' 'more prudent.' There is a wis- 
 dom of a low kind, astuteness, comp. Matt. x. 16 
 — ' Be ye wise as serpents.' ' In their generation,' 
 rather, 'towards,' i.e., 'in their dealings with.' 
 
 (e) Ver. 9—' And / say unto you ' : here begins 
 Christ's application. ' Mate to yourselves'— not 
 'a friend of mammon,' i.e., 'mammon your 
 friend'— but 'friends out of («) mammon,' i e., 
 with it, by the use of it. On the rest of the 
 verse see Sketch. 
 
 if) Ver. 12 — 'another man's': rather, 'another's,' 
 i.e., God's. Earthly possessions are here regarded 
 
 as merely ours in trust ; heavenly possessions as 
 our own, because inalienable. 
 
 3. THE PARABLE OF THE RICH MAN AND 
 LAZARUS. 
 
 (a) ' Purple and fine linen '—the Tyrian purple, 
 which was very costly, the dye being only ob- 
 tainable in minute quantities from certain fish; 
 and, probably, the fine linen of Upper Egypt. 
 
 (6) 'Desiring to be fed with the crumbs': pro- 
 bably they were given to him occasionally. The 
 licking of the dogs is not mentioned as aggravat- 
 ing the beggar's misery; but as showing that 
 they were his only friends ; the dog's tongue 
 would assuage the smart of his sores. 
 
 (c) ' Lazarus,' a form of Eleazar, which means 
 ' God is my help.' Probably by this name Christ 
 intended to indicate his character. 
 
 (of) The parable speaks of the unseen world in 
 the language and with the imagery current 
 among the Jews at the time ; but, as Alford well 
 remarks, ' He, whose essence is Truth, could not 
 have assumed as existing anything which does 
 not exist.' Accordingly, while the Jewish ex- 
 pression ' Abraham's bosom ' is used, although it 
 IS only a figure, the state whzch it represents, viz., 
 rest in bliss, is implied to be a true state. 
 
 (f) ' //eZr— rather 'Hades,' the place of de- 
 parted spirits until the resurrection, and to be 
 carefully distinguished from ' Gehenna,' the 
 place of final punishment. Both words are im- 
 fortunately rendered 'hell' in our version. In 
 Matt. xvi. 18 ; Acts ii. 27, 31 ; Kev. i. 18, vi. 8, 
 XX. 13, H, the word is Hades; and so in the 
 original of our Creeds. In Matt. v. 22, 29, 30, 
 X. 28, xxiii. 15, 33 ; Mark ix. ■13, 45,47, the word is 
 Gehenna. The parable implies that the wicked 
 suffer 'torments' in the pre-resurrection state. 
 Hades is not the abode of the wicked only. There 
 are two parts of Hades, one being called here 
 'Abraham's bosom,' and elsewhere 'paradise,' 
 —which is divided from the other part by the 
 'great gulf.' 
 
 (/) ' Father Abraham.' The rich man appeals 
 to that relationship on which the Jews relied to 
 give them a place in the Kingdom (Matt. iii. 9). 
 
 (g) It is worth noting that a Lazarus, and also 
 a Greater than Lazarus, did 'go from the dead' 
 to warn the Jews; and they were not ' persuaded.' 
 
 Lesson LXY.— Two Parables on Prayer. 
 
 ' Lord, teach us to pray! 
 
 Read — Luke xviii. 1 — 14; Learn — Ps. xxxiv. 15, 18; Prov. xxviii. 13. 
 145, 150, 180-188, 275.) 
 
 {Hymns, 8, 142, 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 Every teacher is familiar with the parrot-like answer so often given to such questions 
 as ' How are you to get to heaven ? ' or ' to be saved ? ' — viz. ' Pray ' ; an answer more 
 common (if anything) than the equally parrot-like replies, ' Be good,' and ' Believe.' How 
 important, then, that children should be carefully taught what prayer really is ! The 
 most prevalent ideas on the subject are those referred to at the beginning of the Sketch 
 — ideas which, it is to be feared, are not confined to the young ; and nothing could be 
 better calculated to correct them than the two parables now before us, if taught with that 
 end in view. It is of course well to inculcate habits of prayer ; to explain the various 
 kmds of prayer — or rather of worship — thanksgiving, confession, adoration, intercession, 
 petition; to speak of the times, places, methods, &c. of prayer; but the object of the 
 
174 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 present Lesson is, without touching these topics, merelj' to shew once for all what the 
 essential idea of prayer reallj' is, viz., asking for luhat is wanted, and therefore asking per- 
 severingly and humbly — and if this be successfully done, a great point wOl be gained. 
 An effort, however, should be made to shew how much we do need what the widow and 
 the publican needed. 
 
 The other important teachings of the parable of the Pharisee and the Publican are 
 noticed in the Sketch for the sake of completeness, but, as on other occasions, the teacher 
 will do wisely if, omitting these, he confines himself to the one thing. 
 
 For several thoughts in the following Sketch the writer is indebted to a useful little 
 book, The Parables Illustraied, by T. B. Bishop, 
 
 Sketch of Lesson. 
 
 Why do most boys and girls ' say their 
 prayers ' ? There are three common rea- 
 sons — and all wrong ones. 
 
 (a) Because ' they 've got to do it.' A 
 duty. So it is, but this not the true reason 
 for praying. [Illust. — Poor man begging 
 for bread — does he ask because it 's a duty 
 that 's got to be done ?l 
 
 (b) Because God will be pleased with 
 them, and so they will get to heaven. A 
 merit. Well, God will, be pleased— praying 
 children will go to heaven — but not be- 
 cause it is so good of them to pray. So 
 this not the true reason. [Poor man 
 again — dofs he beg just because it will please 
 kind folk to hear him ?] 
 
 (c) Because it does them good ; they feel 
 happier after it. A privilege. So it is ; 
 yet even this not the reason. [Does the 
 poor man beg because he feels the better for 
 begging f] 
 
 What, then, is the true reason for pray- 
 ing ? [ Why does the poor man beg ?] There 
 are things which we want, and which God 
 can give us. PxiAYiNG IS ASK.INQ FOR 
 THESE THINGS. 
 
 See to-day two parables by which Christ 
 showed how they who want such things 
 should ask God for them. 
 
 L The Importpnatb Widow. 
 
 A poor woman, alone in the world, no 
 husband to protect her — oppressed by some 
 'adversary' — has been wronged (perhaps 
 defrauded of her little property^— what 
 shall she do ? What would such an one 
 do in England ? — go to magistrate or 
 judge, knowing he is sure to he Jair — so 
 have all put right. But in the East, judges 
 often unfair — don't care about doing jus- 
 tice — sometimes decide for whoever can 
 give them most money. See God's com- 
 mands about this, Deut. i. 16, 17, xvi. 18, 
 19. See what Saniuel could say, 1 Sam. 
 xii. 3 ; and what his sons did, 1 Sam. viii. 3, 
 — and others, Eccl. iv. 1, v. 8 ; Isa. x. 1, 2; 
 Amos V. 12 ; Mic. ii. 2 ; Acts xxiv. 2fi. The 
 judge in the widow's city — what kind of 
 judge ? ver. 2, 6 — ' Why should he trouble 
 himself about her?' And perhaps the 
 ' adversary ' had bribed him, or might have 
 been his friend. 
 
 How did the widow get redress from 
 Fuch a judge? Just by giving him no 
 peace. At last he gave way — wliy ? from 
 kindness? or because she was in the right? 
 
 no, but lest he should be ' worried to death' 
 [see Note 2J. 
 
 Have we the same reason for praying that 
 the widow had? We have an 'adversary' 
 (1 Pet. V. 8), always trjdng to injure us in 
 body and soul ; and, like the widow, we 
 are too weak to resist him of ourselves. 
 And we are taught a praj^er like hers, 
 ' Deliver us from evil ' (or the evil one) ; 
 comp. Ps. XXXV. 22, 23, Ixxiv. 10, 11. 
 
 Have we the same difficulty in getting 
 what we need that she had ? Ah, no. We 
 can go to the Judge — but what a Judge ! 
 Gen. xviii. 25 ; Deut. xxxii. 4. ' More ready 
 to hear than we are to pray '; who calls us 
 to come and tell Him all, Ps. 1. 15 ; Matt, 
 xi. 28 ; 1 Pet. V. 7. If the unjust judge 
 did justice at last, ' shall not God do jus- 
 tice to His own chosen people ? ' 
 
 Then how confidently we may pray on .' 
 Is not this the very reason why Jesus gave 
 the parable? ver. 1—' not to faint,' i. e , not 
 to give way, either to the fierce 'adver- 
 sary,' or because wear}' of praying in vain. 
 'Always to pray,' i. €., to go on till the help 
 comes (Rom. xii. 12 ; Eph. vi. 18 ; Col. iv. 2 ; 
 1 Thess. V. 17)— like the Phoenician woman 
 [Lesson XLVIH.] — hke Jacob wrestling 
 (Gen. xxxii. 26; Hos. xii. 4). But, you 
 ask, Why does God let us go on ? why such 
 delay? Now can it be because He cares 
 not? Why then? He loves to send a 
 swift answer (Isa. Ixv. 24 ; Dan ix. 20), but 
 He waits because it is good for us, though 
 we puzzled for a time \illust. — little child 
 puzzled at father's refusal or delay to do as 
 asked]. See cases where blessing not given 
 immediately, Matt. xiv. 25 {fourth watch), 
 XV. 23 ; John xi. 6. 
 
 II. The Pharisee and the Publican. 
 
 Anything alike in these two? Yes — 
 both going ' to pray.' But see the differ- 
 ence. 
 
 Look at the two men. One — walking 
 proudly up the Temple steps, taking his 
 stand in a conspicuous place, peojjle mak- 
 ing way for him as a holy Rabbi ; on 
 forehead and left elbow two little boxes 
 tied, niside them the phylacteries, strips of 
 parchment with texts on them (see Exod. 
 xin. 16 ; Deut. vi. 8 ; Matt, xxiii. 5) ; long 
 robe with wide borders (Mark xii. 38 : 
 Numb. XV. 38) ; all these signs of being 
 very strict. The other — one of 'those 
 wicked publicans' [Lesson A'A'AV. | — 'no 
 
TWO PARABLES ON PRAYKE 
 
 175 
 
 wonder he keep^ af^r off with downcast 
 eyes, and smites his breast' — so the people 
 might think. 
 
 But listen to the iico men. 
 
 The PflARiFEE. He begins well — ' God, 
 I thank thee ' ; yet even m his thanks- 
 giving see three great eiTois : — 
 
 (a) He compares himself with other 
 men — 'not as other men,' ' or even as this 
 publican.' A dangerous plan (2 Cor. x. 12), 
 eaying ' I 'm not so bad as Bo-and-so ' — 
 what has that to do with it ? 
 
 (i) He trusts to what he is not — ' not ' an 
 extortioner, &c. Another dangerous plan : 
 the question is, what we are. [Illust. — Do 
 you tell the doctor of all the diseases you have 
 not got f'\ 
 
 (c) He boasts of his good deeds [see 
 Note 4] ; comp. Matt. vi. 2, 5, 16. A dan- 
 gerous plan again, for what does St. James 
 say? Jas. ii. 10 ; comp. Luke xvii. 10. 
 
 But aftL r all, is it a prayer at all ? — what 
 does he askjor ? 
 
 The Publican. Like the Pharit^ee in 
 one thing — feels himself 'not as other men 
 are' — 'the sinner' [see Note 5], comp. 
 1 Tim. i. 15. So he was, no doubt ; perhaps 
 all that the Pharisee "Was not ('extor- 
 tioner,' &c.). But this the very reason why 
 he prayed — wonted something — mercy. 
 
 Did he get what he wanted? ver. 14. 
 See him 'going down to bis house' — not 
 lifted up — still lowly — yet at peace [ilhist. 
 — Bunyans 'Christian' with his burden 
 
 Not 
 
 1. tJnjnst judges are sadly common in Eastern 
 countries, where their power is almost unli- 
 mited, and the law often uncertain. The 
 widow's method of obtaining redress, bj' mere 
 importunity, is also quite Oriental. The pea- 
 sants of Persia, according to Chardin (quoted in 
 Burder's Oriental Jlliisti-alions), will, in case of 
 any unjust exaction, assemble before the ruler's 
 house, or follow him in the streets, howling and 
 throwing dust into the air until they obtain 
 their demands. 
 
 2. Some noticeable expressions occur in the 
 first parable. 'Not to faint,' rather, 'not to 
 succumb' to opposition and difficulty. 'Avenge 
 me,' rather, ' Exact justice.' ' Came unto him ' : 
 the tense (imperfect) implies that she kept 
 coming. 'She iceary me'; a very remarkable 
 word, signifying a severe blow: struck below the 
 eyes. It is the word used by St. P.aul in 1 Cor. 
 ix. 27—' keep under my body. ' It is used hypcr- 
 holically, and is much the same as if an English- 
 man were to s.iy, ' till she worry me to death.' 
 
 3. The words, ' "When the Son of Man cometh, 
 Bhall He find fjiith on the earth?' connect this 
 parable with the discourse in the preceding 
 chapter. They do not mean, asoommouly inter- 
 preted, that there will be but few believers 
 when Christ comes— however true this may be. 
 Eeferring to the weary tri.als which His people 
 will have to undergo. He tells thorn by the para- 
 ble that they must go on in patience (comp. 
 Jas. V. 8) praying to the end, and not succumb, 
 for the Judge will surely hear them ; nevertheless. 
 in spite of such encouragement, they will lose 
 
 of]. Why did he get what he wanted? 
 Because he came in the right waj', with the 
 broken and contrite heart (1st text for rep. ; 
 Ps. li. 17 ; Isa, Ixvi. 2). But why was he 
 ' jtistijitd' — i.e., not only forgiven but ac- 
 quitted ? Because his sin laid on Christ, so 
 not imputed to him (Ps. xxxii. 2). He did 
 not understand this as we do ; but perhaps 
 he looked at the smoke of the sacrificed 
 lamb going up from the altar, and knew 
 that God had promised to accept that when 
 offered for sinners [see Note 5]. 
 
 Now why was it that the widow and the 
 publican prayed ? They wanted something, 
 and they asled for it. And the Pharisee 
 — asked nothing — why ? — did not he want 
 anything ? yes, but he felt not his need. So, 
 to pray is to ask God for what we want. 
 
 Then, how to ask ? 
 
 («) Like the widow, perseveringly. 
 
 (6) Like the publican, humbly. 
 
 But one thing wanted first. We must 
 feel our need. Only think: think what 
 God is, what we are ; then shall surely feel 
 how much we need forgiveness, hke the 
 pwblican, and succoitr, like the widow. 
 And first of all, ask for the Holy Spirit, who 
 will show us our need, and teach us what to 
 pray for, Rom. viii. 2'). 
 
 Even the youngest shall be answered,— 
 
 ' God Almighty heareth ever, 
 
 When His little children pray : 
 He is faint and weary never. 
 And He turneth none away.' 
 
 E-!. 
 heart, and when He comes they will not be 
 manifesting '■the faith' (literal) which would 
 make them ceaseless In prayer. The prediction 
 is of the imperfection of believers, not of their 
 paucity. 
 
 4. On tithes, see Gen. xiv. 20, xxviii. 22 ; Lev. 
 xxvii. 30; Numb, xviii. 24; Dent. xiv. 22; 
 2 Cbron. xxxi. 5, 6 ; Neh. x. ^.t. The Pharisees, 
 in their scrupulous fulfilment of this law, tithed 
 even the smallest productions of their land, the 
 'mint, anise, and cummin,' Matt, xxiii. 23. '01 
 all that I possess'— rtiXhe.r, 'acquire'; he tithed 
 his g^a/n.s. 'I fast twice in the week': the Law 
 only enjoined one fast in the year, viz., the Day 
 of Atonement (Lev. xvi. 29), but the stricter Jews 
 kept fast every Monday and Thursday. 
 
 i. The word ' be merciful,' in the publican's 
 prayer, is a remarkable one. It is connected 
 with the words rendered 'propitiation' in 
 Rom. iii. 2."; 1 John ii. 2, iv. 10, and " reconcilia- 
 tion' in Heb. ii. 17. It seems to imply that our 
 Lord would represent the publican as knowing 
 that he could only obtain mercy throngh sacrifice 
 —the great atoning Sacrifice foreshadowed by 
 the daily sacrifices in the Temple, one of which 
 we may imagine being offered before the publi- 
 can's eyes, ie . if he went at the usual 'hour of 
 prayer.' 'Justified,' too. is the term )-o promi- 
 nent in the Epistles to the Romans and Galatians. 
 
 ' A sinner' should be ' the sinner.' 
 
 The expression ' went down to his house justi- 
 fied.' cert .ainly implies the consci ou.'iness of pardon 
 and acceptance ; comp. Rom. v. 1. 
 
 N 2 
 
176 
 
 Lesson LXYI.— Tlie Little CMldren and the Young Ruler. 
 
 ' What lack I yet?' 
 
 Read — Mark x. 13 — 27 ; (comp. Matt. six. 13 — 26 ; Luke xviii. 15 — 27) ; Learn — Matt, vi, 
 19—21, 2i; PhU. iii. 7—9. {Ihjmns, 49, 50, 12]— 129, 130—135, 151, 196, 324—331.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 The incident of Christ blessing little children has always been regarded by the Church 
 as furnishing a strong, though indirect, argument for Infant Baptism. It is impossible to 
 suppose that those of whom He has said, ' Of such is the kingdom of God,' may not be 
 members of the visible Church on earth ; and since, on that occasion, there was both the 
 ' bringing ' and the ' blessmg,' we are surely justified in believing that the ' bringing ' to 
 Him of equally young infants now, in the ordinance of His own appointment, wiM be fol- 
 lowed by the ' blessing ' on His part. Apart from all controversies, this is a matter for 
 simple faith. It will be well, therefore, in this Lesson, to follow the suggestion of the 
 Sketch, and allude to the Baptism of Infants as ' most agreeable with the institution of 
 Christ,' and therefore ' in any wise to be retained in the Church ' (Art. XX VII.). Only 
 let aM polemical language be avoided. 
 
 In actual teaching, the proportionate prominence of the two incidents included in this 
 Lesson will depend upon the age of the class, and the application will vary accordingly. 
 
 Keaders of Bishop Butler's Analogy, will observe that the closing words of the Sketch 
 are suggested by the 5th chapter of that great work. Profound as are Butler's arguments 
 generally, there are few writers the study of whom would be more profitable to Sunday- 
 school teachers, or supply more practical hints for their lessons. Those who possess the 
 volume of the Church Sunday School Magazine for 1865 (now out of piint) will find in it 
 some papers on the subject by the writer of ihese Lessons. 
 
 Sketch of Lesson. 
 
 We have often talked of Messiah's 
 ' kingdom.' What did the Jews expect it 
 to be like ? where to be set up ? who to be 
 in it ? But who did Jesus say should belong 
 to Sis kingdom ? See John iii. 3 [Lesson 
 A'F///.] ; Matt. V. 3 [Lesson XXV.] ; Matt. 
 xviii. 3 [Lesson LVfIL]. 
 
 To-day see a little more about this. 
 Look at ver. 14, 15, and ver. 23—25. 
 
 I. How TO ester the Kingdom. 
 
 The people of Persea much struck by the 
 ministry of Jesus among them. He has 
 healed sick (Matt. xix. 2), taught multi- 
 tudes (Luke xiv. 25), received publicans 
 (Luke XV. 1, 2), been kind to all. The 
 mothers think, ' Why should not this great 
 and good prophet bless our little ones too ? ' 
 See them thronging round, leadin;^ and 
 carrying their children. What do the dis- 
 ciples think ? ' Our Master quite busy 
 enough teaching grown people — can't trou- 
 ble Him with these ; besides, such babes 
 [see Xote IJ can't understand — when get 
 older may come to Him.' 
 
 What does Jesus say ? ver. 14,15. Too 
 young ! why these the true .subjects of the 
 'kingdom.' Come when older! on the 
 contrary, if older people want to he in the 
 'kingdom,' they must become like these 
 little ones. So, — 
 
 (a) To enter the Kingdom mimt become as 
 httlechdd. Why? Li'ttle child feels itself 
 helples.s and ignorant, is docile, submissive, 
 tritstful. Just what all Christ's servants 
 
 must be (see Ps. cxxxi. 1, 2; 1 Pet. ii. 1, 2). 
 [Com}}. Lesson LVIIL], 
 
 (b) There/ore the easiest time to enter the 
 Kingdom is in childhood. Why ? Because 
 then most childlike — not so much to be 
 altered — change not so hard, [lllust. — 
 Can bend young tree, rnake it grow as we 
 like; not so with grown tree.] So Jesus 
 calls yoimgest to Him. What ! even those 
 that can't understand ? Yes ; mother can 
 tend and care for infant's body — cannot 
 Jesus for its soul ? So we bring them to 
 Him ? how ? by praying for them ? yes, 
 but above all by bringing t'nem to Baptism, 
 thus giving them to Him (as Hannah gave 
 Samuel). Will He refuse to bless them? 
 Did He refuse to bless those Perfean infants? 
 So we ' doubt aot, but earnestly believe ' 
 that He ' favourably receives them ' and 
 ' embraces them in the arms of His mercy ' 
 {Bapt. Service). 
 
 II. A gre.^t Hindrance to entering 
 the Kingdom. 
 
 See ver. 23 — Money ! How strange ! a 
 poor man thinks, how can he serv'o Christ 
 with all his struggles, troubles, hard work 
 — if only he were better off, why then — ! 
 Tet Jesus says it would be harder to ' enter 
 the Kingdom ' then. But of whom is He 
 speaking? of the rich only? What then 
 mean the disciples' words, ' Who then can 
 be saved ? ' — they think it applies to every- 
 body — why ? because everybody does, more 
 or less, 'trust in riches' (ver. 24), care for 
 
THE LITTLE CHILDREN AND THE YOUNG RULEE. 
 
 177 
 
 money, believe money the thing they most 
 want if to be comfortable, try harder to get 
 it than any thing else. Are not poor people 
 like that ? well, no wonder ; yet it is a 
 tremendous mistake ; every shilling we get 
 makes us care more about it, and so tempts 
 us to think less of Christ. 
 
 But if so, then rich people have the sorest 
 temptations (see Matt. xiii. 22 ; Luke xii. 
 19—21; I Tim. vi. 9). See, now, how one 
 was hmdered by his money from entering 
 the Kingdom. 
 
 1. The young ruler coming to Christ. 
 
 Think of him : he would be called a sin- 
 gularly happy man : — (a) well off ; (6) 
 respected, too— a ' ruler ' though yet young ; 
 (c) not like many rich young men (e.^r., the 
 Prodigal) wasting his money in sin — has 
 been upright and blameless all his life, 
 ver. 20 (comp. Phil. iii. 6). Yet, not happy, 
 feels something wanting — there is a life to 
 come — is he ready for that ? what shall he 
 do to make sure of it? 
 
 He will ask Jesus. What ! ask the de- 
 spised Galilean ! he, an honoured and up- 
 right ruler! Truly, this shews how little 
 he is like his proud colleagues. Even 
 Nicodemus — how did he come? but this 
 man runs after Jesus as He is starting to 
 resume His journey, and kneels before Him 
 in the face of all. 
 
 2. The young ruler going away from 
 Christ. 
 
 Going away satisfied? look— gloomy and 
 sorrowful, ver. 22 [see Note 5]. How is 
 that ? has not Jesus received him ? see ver. 
 21 — Jesus full of love for him, knew his 
 amiable character, would gladly shew him 
 how to get eternal life — but — the great 
 hindrance in the way — love of money. 
 
 How was money a hindrance to him ? 
 see what Jesus said, ver. 21. Why must 
 he part with his property ? — others had not 
 — God had had rich servants, Abraham, 
 David, &c. Yes, but their money did not 
 prevent their keeping God's commandments 
 — his did. How ? does he not say he kept 
 all ? ver. 20. But suppose he kept those 
 Jesus mentioned, the ' duty to neighbour ' 
 (he could not really — he knew not how 
 much they meant) — yet even then, what of 
 the others, the ' duty to God ' ? Did he 
 love God with all his heart, soul, mind, 
 strength (chap. xii. 30) ? ah, he may have 
 
 loved God a little, but his money more — 
 was trying to serve both, which (1st text 
 for rep.) canH be done. So Jesus' command 
 a test — just as God tested Abraham by the 
 command to sacrifice Is;iac. Abraham 
 stood the test — whom must he have loved 
 most ? But the ruler can't part with his 
 money — which does he love most ? 
 
 In another way, too, the money a hin- 
 drance. If he was only to give all to the 
 poor, he might think it worth while to 
 do that to buy eternal life, for he might 
 get rich again afterwards — but what 
 else must he do? 'Follow Christ': give 
 up position, confess himself a sinner, join 
 the despised Nazarene — in fact, ' enter the 
 Kingdom as a little child' [above], him- 
 self nothing, Jesas everything. He thinks 
 of the hard and self-denying life of a dis- 
 ciple — of all the enjoyments (which his 
 money can buy) he must give up— and he 
 can't do it. Contrast St. Paul (2nd text 
 for rep.). 
 
 is there anything keeping us from 
 Christ? 
 
 He is willing to receive, bless, make 
 happy, every one — young man getting on 
 in life or youngest infant. Why should 
 any of us ' go away ' ? Some do not even 
 ' go away sorrowful ' — are delighted to get 
 away as far as they can, like the Prodigal. 
 But some, like this ruler, are just hesitating 
 — feel it would be a ' sorrowful ' thing to go 
 away — would like to be Christ's disciples — 
 know that is the way to be happy — but 
 something keeps them back. [Illust. — 
 Great bird in Zoological Gardens — see it 
 spreading wings — rising into the air — sud- 
 denly pulled back — chained to its pei'ch.] 
 What is the ' chain ' by which you are ' tied 
 and bound ' ? 
 
 A great reason for coming now: it is 
 easiest in childhood [see above, I. b]. Every 
 day you grow older, harder to come to 
 Christ, more painful to give up worldly 
 things. You wish to come — yes, but wishes 
 get weaker and weaker — the sound of 
 Christ's voice is less and less heard — why ? 
 you get used to it [illust. — clock striking, or 
 railway whistle, disturbs not sleeper after a 
 while ] . 
 
 What is the promise? Prov. viii. 17 — 
 Those that seek Me early shall find Me.' 
 
 Notes. 
 
 1. That some of the children brought to Christ 
 were of the tenderest age is clear from the 
 word used by St. Luke, which signifies infants 
 or sucklings. 
 
 2. The narrative of the young ruler Is one of 
 those in which three Gospels remarkably supple- 
 ment each other. St. JIatlhew alone mentions 
 that he was a young man, and that he asktd 
 'what good thing' he should do; Christ's ex- 
 pressions, ' If thou wilt enter into life,' &c., and, 
 'If thou wilt be perfect' ; and that among the 
 commandments Jesus enumerated, 'Thou shalt 
 love thy neighbour as thyself.' St. Mark alone 
 mentions the ruler's 'running and kneeling'; 
 
 that Jesus ' loved him'; the expression, 'take 
 up the cro-s'; the commandment, 'Defraud 
 not'; the explanatory declaration about those 
 that 'trust in riches'; and that the ruler was 
 ' sad ' (see Note 5). He also three times describes 
 Christ as looking (ver. 21, 23, 2"), which adds 
 much to the vividness of his account. St. Luke 
 alone states that the young man was a ruler. 
 
 3. ' Why ca/lest thou Me good?' Szc. This was, 
 of course, not meant to deny the perfect good- 
 ness of Christ. It was not the object of Jesus to 
 speak of His own Godhead. He leaves that 
 alone, and seeks merely to raise the j'oung 
 man's idea of goodness, and thus lead him to 
 
178 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 see that to do a ' good thing ' is not so easy as 
 he thinks. This is rendered still clearer If we 
 adopt the reading of the best MSS., that in 
 Matthew (not -Mark or Luke), Christ's question 
 is, ' >Vhy askest thou Me concerning good ?' 
 
 Alfordwell remarks that this passage, so far 
 from favouring Socinian errors about Christ, is 
 a most pointed rebuke of them. Christ refused 
 to be regarded as what they think Him-a good 
 man. Stier thus neatly puts the dilemma: — 
 ' Either, There is none good but God : Christ is 
 good: therefore Christ is God. Or, There is 
 none good but God : Christ is not God : there- 
 fore Christ is not good.' 
 
 4. • J/ thou wilt enter into life'—' if thou wilt be 
 perfect' (Matt.) ; rather, ' if thou desirest to be.' 
 
 Christ docs not even apparently imply that the 
 ruler could "enter into life' by keeping the 
 commandments, or could be perfect. 
 
 5. The word rendered ' sad,' in Mark x. 22, is 
 nowhere else so used in the N. T. It signifies 
 gloomy dejection. It is rendered ' lowering' in 
 Matt. .\vi. 3, where it is spoken of the sky. 
 
 6. ' Through the eye of a needle.' It is said that 
 the lower side-archway at an Eastern city-gate, 
 used by foot-passengers, was commonly so 
 designated ; and some think this is the refer- 
 ence here. But more probably the term is used 
 literally. The same saying occurs in the Tal- 
 mud about an elephant, and was evidently a 
 familiar way of speaking of an impossibility. 
 
 Lesson LXYIL— Peter's Question. 
 
 ' What shall we have there/ore f ' 
 
 Read— M.a.tt, xix. 27—30 ; xx. 1—16 ; Letrm— Luke xvii. 10 ; Rom. vi. 23. {Hymns, 63, 
 139, 158, 170, 174, 222, 225, 327, 328, 330, 400.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 It must be clearly understood that, in the following Sketch, the difficult parable now 
 before us is regarded as having no reference to the question of personal salvation, but 
 only to Christian work and its reward; see Note 3. Salvation is in no sense whatever a 
 reward; it is the free gift of God for Christ's sake. But the idea of reward for good 
 works — done, not to get saved, but because saved— is prominent in the New Testament ; 
 though this reward itself also is purely of grace. If this principle of interpretation be 
 followed, the parable will be fotmd comparatively easy. 
 
 The subject of degrees oj reward is omitted in this Lesson, as it will come in more 
 suitably with the Parable of the Talents. 
 
 The following illustration, taken from the useful little book before alluded to, Bishop's 
 Parables Illustrated, may be fouml of service in explaining the fairness of the ' house- 
 holder's ' conduct : — 
 
 ' Mamma,' said Charlie Evans : 'wasn't it very unfair of the householder to pay all the labourers 
 just the same, when some worked all day, and some only worked an hour? I think he must have 
 been a very unjust man.' 
 
 ' Do you remember, Charlie, my buying a dozen oranges for sixpence at the greengrocer's last week? 
 and, you know, yesterday I bought three, just the same size, from that poor woman who came to the 
 door, and I gave her sixpence too ; don't you think that was very unjust to the greengrocer?' 
 
 ' 0, no, mamma ; I thought you were very generous to the poor wom.an.' 
 
 ' Now suppose, Charlie, the greengrocer were to hear of it, and complain that I had wronged him ; 
 why I should say just what the householder did to the labourers who grumbled at the penny: ' Is it 
 not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own?' Wouldn't that be quite right ?' 
 
 Sketch of Lesson. 
 
 The yoting ruler sadly moving away [re- 
 capitulate] — Jesus and the Apostles look- 
 ing after him. What would Jesus feel ? 
 see Luke xix. 41, 12. But the Apostles — 
 what they thinking of?— 'How much 
 better we -ire than that man ! we gave up 
 all to follow Jesus.' So they had ; but 
 was it right to think so much of it ? What 
 did Jesus give up for them — for tts all ? 
 2 Cor. viii. 9 ; Phil. ii. 5—9. 
 
 1. Peter'' s Question, ver. 27. 
 
 ' What .shall we have ? ' Like workman 
 or servant agreeing with mister — wants 
 to know ' what wages ' — wants to make a 
 bargain with Jesus — ' our services worth so 
 
 much — what rate of pay?' Ah! Peter ia 
 making two mistake.*; : — 
 
 («) Did Jesus need his help? could He 
 not have done without him ? was it not 
 Peter who was privileged by being caUed 
 to work? \Illu.tt. — Like apprentice — is he 
 puidf no, himself pays premium.^ 
 
 (6) Was his work any merit at all ? see 
 1st text for rep. — even if his work perfect 
 (and was it?), only his duty, [tllusi. — 
 Little girl helping mother — does she a.'^k to 
 he paid ? why not ?] Besides, what about 
 gratitude? what had Jesus done for him ? 
 I I/lust. — .4 7nan saves you from Jire or 
 drowning — you arc asked to do some small 
 tiling for him — do you ask, ' What pay?'} 
 
PETER S QUESTION. 
 
 179 
 
 2. The Answer, ver. 28, 29. 
 
 Yet Jesus tvill pay— and what a pay- 
 merit ! A 'regeneration' ('new-bom time ') 
 coming— 'all things new' (Isa. Ixv. 17; 
 Rev. xxi. 5)— Peter and his comrades shall 
 have a reward then, honour and power 
 [see Note 1]. And not they only (comp. 
 i Tim. iv. 8)— every one who gives up any- 
 thing for Christ's sake shall be rewarded. 
 At what rate ? an exact, fair price ? ah, 
 no — ' a hundred fold. ' [Illust.—Like seed, 
 which you, part with to put in (jround, 
 fpi-ings up and pays you back ahundanthj.] 
 
 When ? (a) In this life : there will be 
 trials (see Mark), but God will make up 
 for all. What did St. Paul say ? he gave 
 up everj'thing — ' sorrowful, yet alw ay re- 
 joicing,' <tc. (2 Cor. VI. 10). (6) In the life 
 to come— who can fpll what the reward 
 vrillbethen? 1 Cor. li. 9. 
 
 ' I know lint, oil. I know not, 
 AVhat jiiys iiwuit us there ; 
 What radiancy of plory. 
 What bliss beyond compare ! ' 
 
 3. The Caution, ver. 30. 
 
 '£«<' — there is a 'but' — something to 
 beware of. 'Many that are first shall be 
 last.' Who are • the first ' ? The eai liest 
 and chief workers. Not all to be ' last,' 
 but ' many ' — who ? — Those who work in a 
 wrong spirit. God looks not at how much 
 is done, but at why it is done : if done as a 
 merit, or ' for pay,' He thinks little of it ; 
 if done simply from love to Him, without 
 thinking of reward, He thinks much of it. 
 Think of the poor widow and the rich 
 givers (Luke xxi. 1 — 4) — she gave ' more 
 than they all' — there 'the last was first.' 
 And think of Judas, one of Christ's 'first' 
 workers, 'last'— nay, not in at a^l ! So 
 Ananias and Sapphira, Simon Magus, the 
 Pharisee with his fasts and tithes (Luke 
 xviii 11, 12) the 'many' in Matt. vii. 
 22, 23. 
 
 So Peter must beware— he may not lose 
 all, like these ; but if he thinks of the 
 ' wages ' instead of Christ's love, his work 
 spoiled, his reward less, and what he will 
 have no pleasure to him. 
 
 And now Jesus gives them a story to 
 illustrate all this. 
 
 4. The Parable. [See Note 3.] 
 //w-iw^.— Vintage-time— all the hill-sides 
 
 covered with vines — all the vines loaded 
 with ripe grapes. Extra labourers wanted 
 [illusf.—as at harvest and hop-jncking with 
 ««]— men know that — see the village 
 market-place alive early in the morning 
 with knots of men waiting to be hired [see 
 Note 5] — here comes a vine-grower — bar- 
 gain soon struck— wages agreed on — off go 
 the men. Again and again the vine- grower 
 comes back — more men wanted — fine 
 weather — good vintage — get it in quickly. 
 Even at 5 P.M. seeking more men — will 
 take them on even now — but no bargain — 
 these glad to be hired- will ' leave it to the 
 master.' 
 
 Working.— Taodk into the vineyard. All 
 
 working like bees— some gathering grapes, 
 others carrying them in baskets (ler. vi. 9) 
 to wine-press, others there treading out 
 juice- noise and shouting (Isa. xvi. 10 ; 
 Jer. XXV. 30). Hard toil mider fierce sun 
 and parching wind [see Note 7] for so many 
 hours. What are the hired labourers think- 
 ing of? care for their master? pleased to 
 work for him ? no — what is he to them ? — 
 it's only the pay they think of — by-and- 
 bye will take it sullenly, and go wearily 
 home. But these men just come in as sun 
 sinking behind western hills— quite diffe- 
 rent — don"t know what pay they are to 
 have — know they deserve very little— con- 
 tent to leave it — know the master is 
 generous. 
 
 Paying.— Sunset at last— work done — 
 pay-time now (^ev. xix. 13 ; Deut. 
 xxiv. 1.^).) 
 
 (o) The men last hired — how much for 
 them ? The master is rich and kind — can't 
 bear that they should go home with 
 scarcely anything for their families— knows 
 they were willing to work, only not hired — 
 will make them a present — a whole day's 
 wages. Fancy theii- bright faces and grate- 
 ful words ! 
 
 (i) The men first hired — how much for 
 them ? Full pay, nothing short, the exact 
 sum agreed on — the master a just man. 
 Why then these black looks and bitter 
 words ? are they wronged ? no— have got 
 precisely what expected. Dissatisfied, not 
 with the pay to them, but with the present 
 to the o/^ers— nothing but envy. See the 
 master's words, ' May I not do as I like 
 with my own money?' Suppose those 
 others had not been hired at all might he 
 not give them what he pleased out of 
 his own pocket ? [See illust. in preface., 
 above^ 
 
 Now what did the parable say to Peter ? 
 It shewed him how the frst might become 
 the last. If he went on' thinking ' what he 
 should get' by being the apostle of Jesus, 
 would become selfish, envious, discontented, 
 grumbling (like the elder son, Luke _xv. 
 28 — 30) — even heaven could be no enjoy- 
 n;ent to such an one — or rather, how could 
 such an one be in heaven at aU ? see 1 Cor. 
 xiii. 3. 
 
 We have talked about Peter : what about 
 ourselves ? 
 I. Christ calls us to work for Him, 
 His ' harvest plenteous ' — ' labourers few.' 
 Plenty of work for all [see preface to 
 Lesson LXI.]. Have you but little time? 
 so had the ' last ' in the parable, yet they 
 went. Some put off serving Christ till 
 ' eleventh hour,' thinking that time enough 
 to qet hear en — to get the ' pay '-care 
 nothing for the Master — but which la- 
 bourers is that like ? Besides, if you wait 
 till then, will you be able to say, ' No man 
 hath hired us ' ?— when He is calling now. 
 If those '11th hour men' had refused all 
 day to work, would they have been taken 
 
180 
 
 LESSON'S ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 on then ? Stand not, then, ' all the day 
 idle ' : let each do something for Christ ; 
 it may be very little — not a thing to be 
 talked about— but He ' knows our works ' 
 (Rev. ii. 2, 9, 13, 19, iii. 8). and if it is done 
 out of love to Him, (as St. Paul worked, 
 2 Cor. V. 14, 15), He will smile on it and 
 say, ' She (or he) hath done what she could ' 
 (Markxiv. 8). 
 
 II. Christ will give us an abund.\nt 
 Reward. 
 
 Not because we deserve it. Think how 
 little we do — the most diligent of us ; how 
 badly we do it— the best of us ! Even what 
 we do is really done by His grace (1 Cor. 
 XV. 10). And think what we ought to do— 
 • Think— ah, think— how much we owe Him ! 
 Oh, how He loves!' 
 
 Notes, 
 
 1. 'In the regeneration.; he. The word rendered 
 'regeneration' means literally 'a beginning 
 again.' In this place it seems to have the same 
 general significance as ' kingdom of heaven '— 
 the new slate of things under the Gospel dis- 
 pensation, existing imperfectly since Pentecost, 
 but only to arrive at a perfect consummation at 
 the establishment of the ' new heavens and new 
 earth.' The promise to the Apostles, that they 
 should 'sit on twelve thrones, judging the 
 twelve tribes of Israel,* probably refers, there- 
 fore, partly to their office as rulers of the 
 Church after the Ascension, and partly to some 
 great dignity in store for them hereafter, the 
 nature of which is not clearly revealed ; comp. 
 Luke xxli. 29, 30 ; 1 Cor. vi. 2, 3 ; Rev. ii. 26. 
 
 But because of His free grace. Not 
 wages, but a gift (2nd text for rep. ; see 
 Ps. Ixii. 12). So that those who receive it 
 will be astonished at having so much, and 
 feel how imdeserved it is ; like Jacob (Geu. 
 xxxii. 10). See what Christ's servant.' will 
 say. Matt. xxv. 37. And, though not to 
 work Jbr reward, may look forward to it, 
 Luke vi. 23 ; 1 Cor. xv. 58 ; Heb. vi. 10 ;— 
 as Christ Himself did, Heb. xii. 2. 
 
 Shall we have the reward ? we are 
 among the ' many called ' — shall we be 
 among the ' few chosen ' ? Pray the Collect 
 
 for 25th S. aft. Trin.— ' Stir up,' &c 
 
 'that we, plenteously bringing forth the 
 fruit of good works, may of Thee be 
 plenteously rewarded.' 
 
 2. Ver. 29. The parallel passage in St. Mark 
 gives the promise more fully, particularising the 
 returns to be made to him who forsakes family, 
 &c. ; stating that there is a re.vard in this life 
 as well as in the ne.xt ; and adding the important 
 words, 'with persecutions.' The promise was 
 often literally fulflllfd in the early Church, and 
 is so still in the cases, e.g.. of Hindoo Mission- 
 converts and of converted Jews everywhere. 
 With us, of course, what is forsaken is less. 
 
 3. The parable of the Labourers in the Vine- 
 yard is generally regarded as the most difficult of 
 all our Lord's parables; and the rival interpre- 
 tations are very numero;is, which may be found 
 in detail in Trench. The difficulties, however, 
 mostly arise from the attempt to attach a 
 spiritual meaning to each point in the story, .^s, 
 e.g., the several gangs of men, the different 
 periods of hiring, and, above all, the hire itself. 
 Afford, and many othpr writers, take the ' penny' 
 to mean eternal life; while Stier and Words- 
 worth, considering this impossible, because the 
 murmurers got it, make it stand for earthly 
 blessings; and Trench and Lange find an ex- 
 planation midway botwcn those two. But it 
 seems more likely that this is one of the parables 
 which are intended to convey a single important 
 lesson, and the accessories of which are simply 
 Introduced to give vividness to the story. 
 
 I'rob.ibly the parable has no concern whatever 
 with a man's personal salvation, but applies 
 solely to the one subject of the rewards to be 
 given for work done for Christ, affirming that 
 these are purely of grace. The (juestion, there- 
 
 fore, whether such servants as are represented 
 by the murmuring labourers can be saved, does 
 not arise at all. The Apostles are only cautioned 
 against indulging, irhile at work, in the selfish 
 and self-righteous spirit which the labourer* 
 manifested a.t pay-time. 
 
 4. The expression, 'Many be called, but few 
 chosen'— (though elsewhere it refers to the 
 matter of personal salvation)— here applies only 
 to fitness for work. It is probably derived from 
 the way in which Romans were selected to 
 serve in the army. The men assembled bj' 
 tribes and families, and the recruits were chosen 
 according to their capacity to pass certain tests 
 of strength, courage, &c. ; only a small pro- 
 portion of the candidates being ultimately 
 accepted—' many called, but few chosen.' Com- 
 
 I pare God's method of selecting Gideon's 'three 
 hundred,' Judg. vii. And so in 1 Cor. ix. 27,. 
 where being a 'cast-away' means losing, not 
 personal salvation, but the special reward of a 
 preacher. 
 
 5. Morier, a traveller in Persia (quoted by 
 Trench), relates that he saw every morning, 
 in the market-place of Hamadan, a band of 
 peasants, with spades, waiting to be hired. 
 Finding some standing still unoccupied late in 
 the day, he put to them the very question, 
 'Why stand ye here all the day idle?' and the 
 reply was in the very words, ' Because no man. 
 hath hired us.' 
 
 6. The 'penny' is the Roman silver rfe/ian'W, 
 nominally worth abom 7Jrf. of our money, but 
 really much more, owing to the altered vaiue 
 of money. It was the daily pay of a soldier in 
 our Lord's time. An English penny was a 
 labourer's day's wages in the reign of Ed- 
 ward in. 
 
 7. The word in ver. 12 rendered 'heat' is the 
 name of the dry, sultry, east wind; and is used 
 in the Septuagint version of Ezek. xix. 12. 
 ' Good man of the house,' in ver. U, is the same 
 word as 'householder' in ver. 1. 'Friend,' in 
 ver. 13, should rather be ' comrade' : it does not 
 jmiily friendship, and is (he word used to the 
 man without the wedding-garment (Matt. 
 xxii. 12), and to Judas in the garden (xxvL.'iO). 
 ' An evil eye,' ver. 15, means envy and ill-will ; 
 comp. Deut. xv. 9, xxviii. 54, 56 ; 1 Sam. xviii. 9 ; 
 Prov. xxviii. 22 ; Mark vU. 22. 
 
181 
 
 Lesson LXVIII.— The Lawyer's Two Questions. 
 
 ' What shall I do to inherit eternal life ? Who is my neighbour f 
 
 Jiead—Luke x. 25—37 ; Zearra— Rom. xiii. 10 ; Luke vi. 31, 38, 35. {Hymns, 63, 90, 95, 109, 
 159—161, 172, 176, 177, 353—355, 364—367.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 Teachers of junior classes will find it desirable to shorten considerably, or even to omit, 
 the first two divisions of this Lesson — interesting as their topics are ; as the Parable and 
 its teachings must not be allowed to suffer through want of time. In particular, the two 
 leading thoughts in the concluding paragraphs of the Sketch should be fully dwelt upon, 
 viz. (1) That our natm-al selfishness can only be overcome by what Dr. Chalmers (in his 
 Lectuj-es on the Epistle to the Eomans) beautifully calls ' the expulsive power of a new 
 affection ' ; (2) That love for our neighbour must embrace all men because they are men. 
 partakers of the manhood which Christ took into union with the Godhead, and therefore, 
 in a sense. His brethren (Matt. xxv. 40) and ours ; that it must be what has been finely 
 termed ' the enthusiasm of humanity ' — a phrase which has been objected to by some, but 
 which seems to be only an ethical rendering of the familiar expression, ' the love of souls.' 
 
 The miserable condition of the helpless sufferer in the Parable may just now be effec- 
 tively illustrated from the accounts of the wounded left on the battle-fields of France. 
 
 Teachers should notice the example given them by oiu: Lord, in this narrative, of the art 
 of ' applying ' a lesson to the hearers. He tells his story, and then, instead of pronouncing 
 a solemn application. He suggests a friendly but pointed question to the lawyer — ' Which, 
 now, thinkest thou ?' &c. How keenly must the latter have felt the force of the answer he 
 waa himself constrained to give ! and how powerfully must have fallen upon him the 
 pithy rejoinder, ' Go, and do thou likewise' ! 
 
 y 
 
 Sketch of 
 
 How fond boys are of asking questions ! 
 like to have some one to go to for informa- 
 tion — father, uncle, &c. [illust. for senior 
 class — Ihigh Miller's two imcles] — some one 
 who seems to know everything. But do 
 they not sometimes put questions to worrj' 
 or annoy ? [illust.^2^^^^^"'9 ^ "^"' ^'^j/ '^^ 
 school]. Sometimes merely inquisitive; 
 sometimes with good object. 
 
 Have you noticed how constantly the 
 Lord Jesus was questioned?— e.,(/., the 
 young rulers question, Peter's question 
 \last two hssons]. Sometimes persecuted 
 with puzzling and irritating questions, see 
 Luke xi. 53, 54. In a future lesson shall 
 see how wise and patient He was in an- 
 swering [Lesson LXXVII.]. To-day look 
 at two questions. 
 
 I. The First Question — ' What shall I 
 do to inherit eternal lije V 
 
 The very question the young ruler 
 asked ! Yet how differently ! he asked sin- 
 cerely, anxious to know the way for him- 
 self ; bnc this lawyer — why ? ver. 'J5, 
 ' tempting Him ' [see Note 2] — asks merely 
 to see what Jesus will say — perhaps per- 
 plex Him, get hasty or wrong answer. 
 
 See Christ's answer, ver. 26 — a question 
 — two questions : the lawyer ' tempted,' 
 tested, Him — now He tests the lawyer. 
 ' You, a lawyer, not ignorant, teacher of 
 otheis, ou^rht to know ' (comp. John iii. 10 ; 
 Rom. ii. 21). And not only ' what in law?' 
 — but ' how readest thou ? ' — ' do you read 
 
 Lesson. 
 
 just because you have to do it? or merely 
 for the people's good, and not seeing what 
 it says to yourselj'?' If Christ asked us 
 this question, how answer ? 
 
 And the lawyer does know — gives very 
 best answer (Deut. vi. 5 ; Lev. xix. 18 ; 
 comp. Matt. xxii. 37 — 40) — all ' duty to God 
 and our neighbour' (see Catechism) in it. 
 But what does Jesus say ? ' ' Right ' ? yes, 
 but knoioing is not enough — must ' this do.' 
 Jesus wants him to ^7-^— then find out he 
 can't — learn his sinfulness (Rom. iii. 20, 
 vii. 7) — trust no longer in self — ready to 
 take eternal life as God's gift to pardoned 
 sinner. [Illust. — Vain boy says, '■Oh, 1 
 know my lesson ' ; master sees he does not, 
 yet rej}lies, ' Then say it ' — to show him his 
 ignorance.^ 
 
 II. The Second Question — ' Who is 
 my neighbour ? ' 
 
 Christ's word, like an arrow (comp. Heb. 
 iv. 12), has gone straight to his heart. 
 ' This do— am I doing it ? I love my 
 family and my countrymen — can there be 
 more neighbours — how be sure what God 
 means by neighbour ?' Yet he asks, hoping 
 the answer of Jesus will shew he is keep- 
 ing the law — wants to 'justify himself ' — 
 yet uneasy conscience [illust.— J at her just 
 come home — child trying to look very good, 
 perhaps saying 'I've not been naughty' — 
 this often a sign of uneasy conscience.] 
 
 Jesus does with him as with Peter [last 
 tells parable. 
 
182 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 III. The Parable. 
 
 A wild, gloomy, road among the moun- 
 tains. Very steep— Jerusalem h'gh up in 
 the hill country, Jericho down in the deep 
 Jordan valley [see Lesson XX ///.]. Dan- 
 gerous — robbers hiding among the rocks 
 (as they do to this day). [See Note 3.] 
 A man journeying alone— suddenly at- 
 tacked, robbed, wounded, left to die. See 
 him lying helpless— how anxiously longing 
 for some one to come by ! 
 
 Footsteps afar off — who coming? A 
 priest [see Note 4]— how fortunate !— God's 
 minister sure to help— knows the law about 
 
 rescuing lost animals (Deut. xxii. 1—4) 
 
 how much more a man ! What does he do? 
 Cruel, do you think ? No doubt the priest 
 would (like lawyer, ver. 29) have ' justi- 
 fied himself.' ' Dangerous place — I might 
 be robbed too— or charged with the rob- 
 bery; besides, the man beyond cure, and 
 what could I do alone ? ' Would these be 
 good reasons? Think of the great law 
 [above]— ' love neighbour as self '-how 
 would priest have liked to be left Ijnng 
 there himself? would he have thought 
 these excuses good then ? 
 
 Footsteps again— a kinder man this 
 time ? — ah, more hard-hearted—' looked on 
 him,' and yet went away— excuse- for him 
 too. Think of poor sufferer's despair ! 
 
 A third comer— how different ! See him 
 tenderly dressing wounds, Hfting the poor 
 torn body on to his ass (content to walk 
 himself), conveying to shelter, caring for 
 wants, paying for supplies [picture out]. 
 Might he not have pleaded priest's ex- 
 cuses ? Did he think of danger, trouble, 
 delay ? How was it ? did he recognise in 
 the sufferer a friend or relative ? any spe- 
 cial reason for helping him? Rather a 
 special reason for not helping him— one of 
 his nation's bitter foes— with whom usually 
 'no dealings '.(John iv. 9). [See Lesson 
 XIX., Note 5, and Additional Note /., at 
 page 49.] But he thought not of that; 
 enough for him that some one was suffer- 
 ing. [Illust. — Child in Edinburgh nearly 
 run over— picked %tp by woman. Bystander 
 asked, '/s it your child f ' My child I no, 
 but it 's S0MEB0Dv'.s child.'] 
 
 IV. The Application. 
 
 Does Jesus give it Himself ? He makes 
 the lawyer find it out. But mnrk the ques- 
 tion : not, ' Which treated poor man as 
 neighbour, and so kept the command ?— 
 but ' Which acted as neighbour to him?' 
 Why this ? Lawyer had asked, ' Who my 
 neighbour?' Jesus puts it the other way, 
 ' You, are the neighbour — how would vou 
 
 I like others to treat you ? do likewise.' But 
 see what the lawyer says— not ' the Sama- 
 ritan '—he can't name the hatsd people— 
 
 I perhaps thinks Jesus might as well have 
 told about a Jew's goodness [see Note 5]. 
 Ah, but it was just those feehngs that 
 showed the lawyer kept not the law ; Jesus 
 puts His finger on the exact spot where the 
 disease is— as He did with young ruler's 
 love of money [Lesson LXVJ], 
 
 We should all like to deserve the praise 
 Jesus gave the Good Samaritan. 
 
 Why do ice not? We love, not others as 
 selves, but selves much better than others. 
 Each thinks of se//' first. Think— is it not 
 so in school, home, workshop, playground ? 
 Even if do kind thing, how often for sake 
 of self, to get return, or gain credit ! 
 
 What do we need? To remember the 
 law, and try and do duty ? Ah, sure to 
 fail. That won't do. Must get rid of self- 
 love. How ? Some other love must come 
 into heart and push it out. [Illust. — Room 
 full of foul air— how get rid of it t—let in 
 fresh air. Or, ' etnpty ' bottle is really full 
 of air ; pour loater in, and air pushed otit.] 
 When boy or girl really unselfish, why? 
 Because /«// of love for parent, companion, 
 &c.—no room for self. But to be like 
 Samaritan, must have love for everybody 
 (see 2nd text for rep.) ; then only (1st 
 text for rep.) can really keep law. See 
 1 Cor. X. 24, 33, xiii. 5; Gal. v. 14; Phil. 
 ii. 4 ; 1 John iii. 14 ; Jas. ii. 8. 
 
 How get this love ? Think of God's love to 
 us, John iii. 16; Rom. v. 8; Eph. iv. 32; 
 1 John iv. 10,— and see St. John's next 
 verse—' if God so loved us. we ought also 
 to love one another.' Think of Jesus' love 
 — the true ' Good Samaritan ' [see Note 8], 
 who ' had compassion ' on us when He 
 saw us robbed by Satan, dying of sin ; 
 came to 'bind up our wounds' and 'take 
 care of us' (see Isa. Ixi. 1). 
 
 Then, how feel towards others ? Think 
 that God created them, Christ died for 
 them (comp. Rom. xiv. 15)— therefore 
 ' brethren,' ' neighbours '—doing good to 
 any of them is doing good to Christ, Matt. 
 X.XV. 40. Or rather, love them without 
 thinking at all [illust.— sun gives light and 
 warmth to all who come in its way. by its 
 very nature, because full oj light and 
 warmth]. Love is like sunshine — does not 
 keep to .se//— does not choose j/'Aece it will go 
 — goes out to all naturally. And then true 
 love will act, 1 John iii. 18. No shirking 
 opportunities of doing good, like priest and 
 Levite ; joyfully seize them all. And see 
 the reward, Matt. xxv. 34— 3(i, 
 
 Note.'?. 
 
 1. The difference between 'lawyers' imd 
 'scribes' is supposed to be that the former was 
 simply an api)Cllation indicating IcarninR and 
 knowledge of the laiv, and the latter thcollldal 
 title of a dl.stinct order of teachers (.Smith's 
 Diet, of Bible). Just as, with us, all 'learned 
 men ' are not in ofllce as ' profe.osors." 
 
 2. ' Tempting Jlim.' The word ' tempt" simply 
 means ' try by experiment.' The motive might 
 be good or bad. Thus, God ' tempted ' Abralmin, 
 although St. .Tames (1. 13) says, 'Neither 
 temi)teth He any man.' It seems probable that 
 the lawyer ' tempted ' Christ from motives of 
 curiosity, If not of malice. 
 
TUE LAWYER S TWO QUESTIONS. 
 
 183 
 
 3. On the road from Jerusalem to Jericho (18 
 miles) there is a descent of smo feet in 12 miles. 
 No wonder it is called 'going down' (comp. 
 Josh. xvi. 1). It has been a dangerous road from 
 time immemorial. St. Jerome, « ho lived in 
 Palestine, says it was called the -bloody way' 
 on account of the murders committed there, and 
 that in his time there was a Koman fort and 
 garrison to protect travellers. See also Joscphus, 
 Antiq. XX. 6, 1. A Turkish guard still accom- 
 panies the tourists ' going down from Jerusalem 
 to Jericho.' Accounts of actual journeys by this 
 route will be found in Thomson's JmiuI and the 
 Book, p. C13 ; Tristram's Land of Israel, p. 190 ; 
 Stanley's Sinai and I'alestine, p. 416 ; Hanna's 
 Close of the Ministry, p. 232 ; and ilacleod's ' East- 
 ward,' in Good Words for Sept. ItUj (see below). 
 
 •■Thieves' should be 'robbers,' or 'banditti.' 
 Our translation is not always correct in this 
 matter. The distinction in Greek is as plain as 
 in English. In Jlatt. xxiv. 43 and John xii. 6, 
 'thief is right; but in JIatt. xxi. 13, xxiv. 43, 
 and Luke xxiii. 39-43, it should be 'robber.' 
 It means a highwayman, not a. pickpocket. 
 
 The 'inn 'in this easels not the mere walled 
 enclosure so common in the East (see Lesson V. 
 Note 4), but a public house of entertainment. 
 The word occurs nowhere else in the N. T. An 
 old ' khan ' still exists on what appears, from the 
 peculiar po.-ition, to have been the exact site of 
 the ' inn.' See H. Dixon's Jioly Land, p. 347. 
 
 The fact that immediately after this parable 
 occurs the arrival of Christ at Bethany (ver. 38) 
 suggests the probability that the conversation 
 with the lawyer may have taken place while they 
 were actually on this road, going up to Jeru- 
 salem : Bethany being situated just at the top 
 
 4. As Jericho was a city of the priests, the 
 priest and Levite are naturally represented as 
 returning from 'executing their otfices in the 
 order of their course ' (Luke i. 8) at the Temple. 
 
 ' Jiy chance.' The Greek word means a ' falling 
 in together,' i.e., of one event with another ; as 
 does also the original (Latin) of our word ' coinci- 
 dence'— which wonld be an exact rendering. 
 
 5. It is difficult to convey to an English reader 
 the full and startling significance of our Lord's 
 selection of a Samaritan .is the good character in 
 His parable. Nation.il antipathy (as at present 
 between French and Prussians) is not strong 
 enough to illustrate the case of the Jews and 
 Samaritans. To it must be added the bitterest 
 feelings of antagonistic religious parties. 
 
 6. ' Oil and wine.' Both Oriental and Greek 
 physicians recommended the use of wine and oil 
 for wounds, the former to cleanse them, the latter 
 to assuage their smart. 
 
 7. ' Twopence,' i.e., two days' wages. See Lesson 
 LXVII, Note 6. 
 
 8. Much ingenuity has been exercised in trac- 
 ing, in all the details of this parable, analogies 
 to the work of Christ in redemption. The ass, 
 the oil and wine, the inn, the two pence, are all 
 made out to be symbolic; which it is surely 
 impossible to suppose that our Lord Himself 
 designed. His parable was intended simply to 
 illustrate the expansiveuess of true love. We 
 may indeed apply the general outline of the 
 Samaritan's benevolent deed to Christ's work ; 
 but to find curious parallels in the drapery of the 
 story is to trifle with Scripture. 
 
 ADDITIONAL NOTE IX. 
 
 'GOING DOWN FROM JERUSALEM TO JERICHO.' 
 {From Dr. Norman Macleod's ' Eastward.') 
 
 The descent from Jerusalem to the Dead 
 Sea is a half greater than that from Jeru- 
 salem to the Mediterranean. In round 
 numbers it is twice thirteen hundred feet 
 from Jerusalem to the Mediterranean, 
 three times thirteen hundred from Jeru- 
 salem to the surface of the Dead Sea, and 
 four times thirteen hundred to the bottom 
 of the Dead Sea. We had therefore to 
 descend about four thousand feet. 
 
 The part of the descent immediately 
 below Bethany is the steepest. There is a 
 path here of loose stones and smooth rock, 
 which rapidly plunges into the head of the 
 long valley. I here deemed it safe and 
 prudent, both for man and beast, to dis- 
 mount and lead my horse. It must have 
 been up this steep our Saviour toiled, on 
 His momentous journey from Jericho to 
 Bethany. And to the summit of this 
 ascent, or possibly from it, gazing along 
 the windings of the glen, must Martha 
 and Mary have turned their longing and 
 expectant gaze for the coming of the 
 Saviour to heal their brother Lazarus. 
 
 On reaching the bottom of this rapid 
 descent, and passing a well and the ruins 
 of an old khan, our road ran right along 
 
 the bottom of the valley. It was a bare, 
 bleak, dry, limestone bit of scenery, but 
 not tamer or more uninteresting than 
 many places which I have traversed even 
 in Scotland. But after a few m les, when 
 we got entangled among urokeu ajjlands 
 and deep gorges, lonely, wild, and dreary 
 in the extreme, things began to have a 
 wilderness and Dead Sea look. We rested 
 near an old khan now in ruins. Was this 
 the 'inn' alluded to by the Saviour, to 
 which the good Samaritan is represented 
 as bringing the stiffering stranger ? It may 
 have been some weU known spot like this, 
 the parable gaining, to those who heard 
 it, more vividness and reality by a local 
 allusion. 
 
 Soon after passing the old khan, we 
 entered a narrow path full of interest. 
 Immediately below us, to the left, was a 
 deep gorge that cut its way through rocky 
 precipices, between which, live hundred 
 feet down, a fresh full mountain stream 
 rushed along to the plain of the Jordan. 
 This was the Wady Kelt, and in aU pro- 
 bability the brook Cherith where Elijah 
 was supported during the famine. And 
 here as confirming the conjecture, we 
 
184 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 noticed many ravens, and heard their 
 hoarse croak echoing from the wild pre- 
 cipices. 
 
 On and down we went, \vinding through 
 this arid waste, until at last we saw the 
 jjlain of Jericho stretching below us, dotted 
 with verdure produced by the mountain 
 springs, and stretching, a grey flat with 
 patches of wood here and there, until its 
 bare shore-like surface was fringed, ton 
 mUes off, by the line of vegetation shading 
 the unseen and deep bed of the Jordan. 
 Beyond the Jordan rose the grand ridge 
 
 of Moab, and to the right appeared the 
 northern bay of the Dead Sea. Down, 
 down we crept, always thinking we would 
 in a few minutes reach the lowest level, 
 but always tinding a lower still. But every 
 lane has a turning, and so had ours; and 
 right glad were we when it turned to the 
 left, as the shades of evening were drawing 
 over us, and we saw our white tents, pitched 
 where those of many a thankful and wearied 
 traveller had been pitched before, under the 
 Quarantania, and near the Ain-es-Sultan, 
 or Fountain of Elisha. 
 
 Lesson LXIX.— The Home at Bethany. 
 
 ' One thing is needful.' 
 
 Rp.ad—L-ake x. 38— 42; Xear«— Luke x. 41, 42; John xiv. 23. {Hymns, 95, 110, 174, 178. 
 
 261, 285, 346, 349, 355.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 After the last seven Lessons, which have had so little connection with the historical 
 aspects of our Lord's life, it becomes important to remind ourselves and our classes at 
 what stage of His ministry we have arrived. Accordingly, the subject of this Lesson 
 not being a large one, the first part of the Sketch is devoted to such an account oi 
 Christ's stay at Bethany as may accomplish that object, as well as add to the interest of 
 the narrative itself. And any of the historical end topographical particulars which the 
 teacher may give, will be found very useful to refer back to in subsequent Lessons. 
 
 The chief thing to bear in mind in expounding this passage is that Martha and Mary 
 were both true disciples, and not (as is too often represented) types respectively of the 
 world and the Church. In Martha we see the portrait of many excellent Christian 
 people, who are so ^Tapped up in (it may be) most useful religious or philanthroi^ic work 
 that the inner life of the soul is almost wholly neglected. We teachers know well what 
 the danger is : none need the warning more. But Martha is a type also of many Sunday- 
 scholars. Here is a boy who is never absent, learns everything that is set him, eagerly 
 runs errands, &c., for the teacher, takes charge of books, practises for the choir, is always 
 ready to be useful, and perhaps (unlike Martha) does not get cross. Now such a boy is 
 Tery apt to to think all this is religion ; and the teacher should strive to bring to-day's 
 Lesson home to any of his scholars who maj' answer to this description. 
 
 Sketch of Lesson. 
 
 You remember the steep and dangerous 
 road down from Jerusalem to Jericho, 
 where the traveller in the parable was 
 robbed [last Lesson]. Up that ruad Jesus 
 has to go to get to Jerusalem from Pernsa, 
 where He has been [.see Le.-!son JyXII.] 
 for some time. See Him toiling up those 
 weary twelve miles of rocky path. At the 
 top, a ^-illage (see ver. 38) perched up in a 
 nook in the mountains — Bethany. Ht re a 
 resting-place for Him — a home and friends. 
 
 L Jesits at Bethany. 
 
 Why has He come up here so near Jeru- 
 salem ? Remember the 'great jniimcy' — 
 how He left Galilee to come to Jerusalem 
 to die [Ae.s'.sora I.X.] — but, first, long circuit 
 where people had not yet seen Him, ji.-ir- 
 ticularly Peraja — the Seventy going first to 
 announce the coming King. [Lesson /,A7.J 
 But it is not the time yet for His death — 
 not till Passover in April — now December 
 {see Note 1]. Why then is He here ? 
 
 Look at Luke xiii. 34. Jerusalem ever 
 in His thoughts — He yearns for the ancient 
 sacred city — oh, if the people would but 
 believe in Him, their King and Saviour! 
 He cannot ■« ait for the end — must go up 
 again meanwhile, warn them once more, 
 call them to Him ' as hen gathers chickens.' 
 He will brave insult, risk stoning. 
 
 And now a gocid opportunity — Feast of 
 Dedication, John x. 22 [nejct Lesson, Note 1]. 
 Many Jews present to keep feast. 
 
 All daj' Jesus teaches in Temple — ' re- 
 proving, rebuking, exht rting with all long- 
 suffering' (2 Tim. iv. 2). Then sec Him 
 at evening — leaving city by gate on e.ast 
 side — down into valley of Jehoshaphat — 
 over brook Kedron — past Gethsemane 
 (often turning into the dark olive grove 
 to pray, John xviii. 1, 2) — up Mount Olivet 
 — down the other side to Betliiiny ; see 
 Matt. xxi. 17; Mark xi. 11, 19; Luke xxi. 
 37. The very way David took when he 
 
THE HOME AT BETHANY. 
 
 185 
 
 fled from Absalom, 2 Sam. xv. 14, 23, 30, 
 32, xvi. 1, 13. How well Jesus must have 
 known every step of that daily walk ! 
 
 At Bethany a family who loved Jesus — 
 whom Jesus loved, John xi. 5. Martha 
 head of household [see Note 4] — sister and 
 brother yoimger. Not poor — very likely 
 chief people in village — many friends among 
 rulers and Pharisees [see Note 4] — but are 
 they proud and unbelieving, like those 
 friends? see John xi. 27 — what do they 
 think of Jesus ? How happy for them to 
 have Him there night after night and hear 
 His gracious words ! and what a rest for 
 Him after the 'contradiction of sinners' 
 (Heb. xii. 3 ; see Luke xi, 53, 54) all day ! 
 
 II. The Two Sisters. Yer. 38—42. 
 
 Mary. Why ' sitting at Jesus' feet ' ? 
 Learners alwaj^s did when being taught, 
 see Acts xxii. 3 ; comp. Deut. sxxiii. 3 ; 
 Luke ii. 46. And Mary not content with 
 hearing a little — a ' short lesson ' ; kejit sit- 
 ting there [see Note 5| — such a treat! — 
 could listen to Him for hours (cornp. Luke 
 iv. 22, V. 1, xix. 48, xxiv. 32 ; John i. 39). 
 
 Martha. "VVheie is she ? Oh, so busy — 
 likes to hear Jesus too, but how can the 
 stay now?— supper to be got ready, ser- 
 vants to be looked after — she must have 
 plenty, and all very nice, for so honoured 
 a guest — must bustle about, think of every- 
 thing — is quite distracted [see Note 5]. 
 Presently, rushes in to chief room — hear 
 her complaint — does it not seem a just one ? 
 yet what does Jesus say ? 
 
 Why was Martha blamed ? 
 
 Because she went about household duties, 
 instead of sitting by Jesus ? Surely she 
 was not wrong to work ; and Jesus does 
 not say so. But two reasons : — 
 
 (1) ' 3Iany things' — did Jesus need such 
 a feast, so much preparation ? — would be 
 content with a very simple meal — better if 
 she had given less time to that, and thought 
 more of His teaching ; she meant well — 
 did it out of love to Him — but mistook his 
 real wishes. [Illust. — Missionary visiting 
 heathen court — would he like king to take so 
 much trouble in entertaining him ivithj'easts, 
 displays, cjr., that no time for him to preach ?] 
 Comp. Ps. 1. 8—15 ; Mic. vi. 6—8. 
 
 (2) ' Careful and troubled.' Biit is not 
 carefulness good ? Not this kind [see 
 Note 5] — ^it means being overworried and 
 cross. Did she not shew she was cross — 
 making out she. was so thoughtful, her 
 sister so thoughtless — even (' carest Thou 
 not ? ') murmuring against Jesus ? — clearly 
 she lost her temper — was ' put out.' Could 
 she not have gone quietly about her duties 
 (see 1 Thess. iv. 11; comp. Prov. xvii. 1), 
 feeling happy, not only at serving the 
 Master, but at saving Mary her share of 
 work ? Was not Je^^us even then giving 
 her an example, by His daily conflicts with 
 the Jews, of (Rom. xv. 3) 'pleasing not 
 Himself ' ? see in PhU. ii., how ver. 5 — 8 
 follow on ver. 1—4. 
 
 Why teas Mary praised ? 
 
 For being idle ? why, does not God call 
 on His servants to work ? see 1 Cor. xv. 58 
 — ' always abounding in the work of the 
 Lord.' Are they not to be like soldiers, 
 sowers, reapers, fishermen, builders, &c. 
 &c. ? And what will the Judge praise the 
 righteous for at the great day ? Matt. xxv. 
 34 — 36 ; comp. Rom. xvi. 6, 12. 
 
 No ; but Mary felt there must be some- 
 thing else Jirst — must receive from Jesus 
 before could give to Him. Would listen- 
 ing to Jesus make her idle ? would He wish 
 her always to sit there ? see Luke viii. 35, 
 38. And would not being with Him make 
 her so love Him as to ' constrain ' her 
 to work for Him ? But hoiv ? with com- 
 plaints, as though it were a burden ? or 
 brightly and happily, never thinking of 
 self at all? see Rom. xii. 11 — ' not slothful 
 in business,' yet ' fervent in spiiit.' 
 
 So eveiy way it was the ' good part ' — ■ 
 a better ' portion ' than the best ' portion ' 
 of earthly food [see Note 5]. While 
 Martha worrying about a good supper- 
 table, Mary feeding on the ' bread of life.' 
 See Matt. vi. 34 ; John vi. 27. Martha's 
 best services might cease {e.g., through 
 sickness), but Mary should never lose her 
 ' better part.' 
 
 One Thing Needful — A word to 
 Boys and Girls. 
 
 Pleasant to see you busy ana industrious 
 — in school, at home, at work. We know 
 Satan's ' mischief for idle hands to do.' 
 But Satan tempts busy ones too — tempts 
 them to get worried — then to get cross 
 and selfish; yes, and tempts them to be 
 too busy to think of Christ. You may be 
 busy about very good things — even about 
 Christian work — and yet forget the ' one 
 thing.' What is that ? To love, trust in, 
 grow like, Christ ; and this impossible 
 without time to ' sit at His feet,' i.e. hear 
 His words, think about Him, pray to Him. 
 
 Was not David a busy man — his work 
 most important, governing, judging, ar- 
 ranging tabernacle worship, &c. ? Yet He 
 reckoned 'one thing' above everything 
 else, so great that all else little [illust. — 
 like tall chw'ch spire seen alone above whole 
 village^ — what was it? Ps. xxvii. 4 ; comp. 
 Ixxiii. 25. And St. Paul — think of all his 
 labours — yet said ' This one thing I do ' — 
 what ? preaching ? not at all — but know- 
 ing more of Christ and growing more like 
 Him, see Phil. iii. 10—13. 
 
 One Thing Needful — A word to Quiet 
 Hoys and Girls. 
 
 You are not bustling, like Martha, but 
 quiet, thoughtful, retiring. Ah, that's 
 very ensy ; but are, j'ou like Mary, ' sitting 
 at Jesus' feet,' caring for Him and His 
 Word? Have you 'received Him,' like 
 those two sisters, at all ? He knocks at 
 the door (Rev. iii. 20) — have you opened 
 it ? Do you want Him to keep His pro- 
 mise in 2nd text for rep. ? You have felt 
 in your heart the call — have you listened ? 
 
186 
 
 LESSOXS ON THK LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 Notes. 
 
 1. That this visit occurred at the time of the 
 Feast of the Dedication in December, mentioned 
 in John x. 22, is thus proved :— it could not have 
 coincided with Christ's previous visit to Jeru- 
 salem at the Feast of the Tabernacles, because 
 the ' great journej'' had not then begun: while 
 it must obviously be placed before the death and 
 raising of Lazarus ; and there is no other alter- 
 native. See Additional Note VIII., page 154, 
 That Note will also further explain tlie episodical 
 character of the visit to the Dedication feast. 
 The great journey was not yet completed ; the 
 •hour' of final arrival at Jerusalem was not yet 
 come ; but Jesus 'went up ' to afford the rulers 
 one more opportunity, before the last, of receiv- 
 ing Uim. 
 
 2. On the Feast of the Dedication, see nest 
 Lesson, Note 1. 
 
 3. The 'certain village' of ver. 38 is un- 
 doubtedly Bethany. It is about two miles from 
 Jerusalem, on the further (eastern) side of Olivet, 
 in a mn?t retired spot. The road from Jerusalem 
 to Jericho passes through it, and the steep 
 descent (see last Lesson, Kote 3) begins im- 
 mediatelj' below it. Far away down below can 
 be seen the deep hollow of the Jordan valley, 
 with the Dead Sea to the right, and tlie'long 
 wall ' of the mountains of Moab bounding the 
 view on theotherside at some twenty-five miles 
 distance. Bethany means either ' house of 
 date!? 'or 'of the poor.' It is now a miserable 
 hamlet. Its modern name. El Laz.arieh, com- 
 memorates the great event of John xi. Descrip- 
 tions of the locality will be found in Ilepworth 
 Dixon, Boll/ Land, p. 334 ; Porter, Giant Cities, 
 &c.,p 164; Stanley, 5. a/id P., p. 188; Robinson, 
 L, p. 432. 
 
 4. That the family 'whom Jesus loved 'were 
 in what we should call a good position in life, 
 seems clear from (a) their possession of a tomb 
 of the kind described in John xl. ; (6) their 
 many friends among 'the Jews' (John xi. 19), 
 i.e. (in the language of the fourth Gospel) the 
 rulers and priestly party; (c) the 'very costly' 
 ointment owned by Mary (John xii. 3). Martha 
 seems to have been the eldest, as the house was 
 hers (Luke X. 38). In JIatt. xxvi. 6 and Mark 
 xiv. 3 (comp. with John xii. 2), the same dwell- 
 ing, apparently, is called the house of Simon the 
 Leper, who is supiiosed to have been the father 
 of the ttirce or the husband of Martha, and 
 either dead or (as a leper) necessarily separated 
 from them. 
 
 5. 'Sat at Jesii.i' feet,' literally 'kept sitting' 
 (imperfect). 
 
 'Cumbered,' lit. 'distracted'; not knowing 
 which way to turn. The Greek of ' without 
 distraction,' in 1 Cor. vii. 35, is the exact nega- 
 tive of the word used here. 
 
 ' Careful' is not strong enough for the Greek, 
 which means rather 'full of anxious thought.' 
 So also in JIatt. vi. 34— ' Take no anxious 
 thought'; and Thil. iv. 6— 'Be anxiously care- 
 ful for nothing.' It is not reasonable carefulness 
 that is condemned, but that worry which be- 
 speaks a want of quiet trust in God. ' Troubled 
 is rather, ' bustled ' ; Christ speaks of inward 
 worry and outward bustle. 
 
 ' Good part,' lit. a portion of food. The same 
 Greek word occurs in the Septuagint version of 
 Gen. xliii. 34 — 'Benjamin's mess.' Christ evi- 
 dently employs it with reference to Martha's 
 anxiety in the preparation of dainty ' portions.' 
 Comp. Ps. xvi. 5 ; Lam. lii. 24. 
 
 Lessen LXX.— Christ's Conduct in Danger. 
 
 ' His hour was not yet come.'' 
 
 Read—Sdhn x. 22— xi. IG ; Luke xiii. 31 — 35; Learn — John vii. 30; Ps. xvi. 8, xxxi. 15. 
 
 {Ilymm, 111, 118, 132, 187, 190—194, 197—200, 213, 368, 370—374, 379, 380.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 The passages before us in this Lesson must not be expounded in detail, but, being 
 combined for the purpose of teaching one suVjject, must all be specially treated so as to 
 throw light upon it. That subject— the Divine order of the life of Christ — profound as it 
 is, may yet, it is believed, prove unusuaUy interesting if taught on the plan suggested 
 below ; the Les.son being perhaps more novel in structure than any other of the Course. 
 
 In this case the application is not essential to the completeness of the Lesson. If the 
 day's teaching should only have the effect indicated in the isolated paragraph beginning 
 ' How wondrous,' it will accomplish much. Yet the relation of the subject to the 
 scholars' own lives is not only most important, but is easily made interesting to them, 
 because it applies to their temporal concerns and secular occupations ; and if the illustra- 
 tions suggested are skilfully managed, they arc very likely to be remembered, because the 
 incidents of daily life and the oft-cxperlenced uncertaint}' of the future will act as 
 reminders. That of the ' rowers,' in particular, may be made to tell upon many a boy's 
 mind. Shou'd the teacher wi.sh to dwell more fully upon the ' times and seasons' both of 
 Christ's life and of our own, he can illii.strate them by the regular hours of a work-shop or 
 factorj-, the ' time-table ' at the day-school, the train or omnibus ' timed ' to reach suc- 
 cessive stations at certain exact minutes, «ir. 
 
CHRIST S CONDUCT IN DAXGEK. 
 
 187 
 
 Sketch of Lesson. 
 
 Suppose you have a long walk before 
 
 you, from to [«rt?«e actual places]. 
 
 Some one says, ' Make haste — very late.' 
 You look at sun, still high in heavens, or 
 at clock — ' Oh, plenty of time — three hours 
 yet — I need not hurry — can walk quietly 
 and steadily on.' Another says, 'But you 
 may lose your way.' ' O no — I might in 
 the dark — but find it easQy by daylight.' 
 So you go without fear, or anxiety, or 
 hurry, and arrive all right. 
 
 Now look at John xi. 9 — Jesus uses this 
 very illustration. He had such a walk to 
 take — a path to follow — a work to do — the 
 journey of His life. See to-day how calm 
 and confident He was — no fear, no anxiety, 
 no hurry. See this on three occasions — 
 and see why. 
 
 I. Jesus avoiding danger. (John x. 
 22—42.) 
 
 At Jerusalem — Feast of Dedication — not 
 so grand as Feast of Tabernacles — still, 
 crowds and rejoicings. But bad weather — 
 heavy winter rains — Jesus comes in from 
 Bethany [see last Lesson], and walks, not 
 in open court, but under beautiful colon- 
 nade. [See Nute 1 a.] Rulers and scribes 
 surround Him, eagerly asking — what ? ver. 
 24. When He was with them two months 
 ago, what did they do ? viii. 59. But since 
 then He has been journeying about, the 
 Seventy proclaiming Him as Messiah 
 [see Lesson LXL] — no doubt this heard of 
 at Jerusalem — people's minds excited [see 
 Note lb]. ' Tell us plainly ' — does He ? 
 They have no right to ask (ver. 25), yet He 
 does tell — what plainer than ver. 28 (His 
 power), and ver. 30 (His Godhead) ? And 
 then — are they satisfied ? ver. 31 — stones 
 again ! 
 
 Is He frightened ? Was He so before ? 
 viu. 59, IX. 1 — 4 [see Lesson LVL]. And 
 now, how calmly He reasons with them, 
 ver. 32 ! 
 
 Then see ver. 39. Jews again enraged — 
 must seize Him, stop Him somehow. Does 
 He, because not afraid, quietly let Himself 
 be taken ? No ; as at Nazareth (Luke iv. 
 29—31), He flees. 
 
 Now why this ? Why so calm in danger, 
 and yet fleeing from danger? See John 
 ii. 4, vii. 6, 8, 30, viii. 20, xii. 23, xiii. 1. 
 xvii. 1. For each thing He did, a fixed 
 ' time,' an appointed ' hour.' Jesus not 
 Uke a man idling away time, just doing 
 what he likes — had a work to do — came to 
 do Father's wUl ; .see Ps. xl. 8 ; John iv. 31, 
 V. 30, vi. 38, xvii. 4. And His path of 
 duty, the Father's will, as clear as sualif/ht 
 [see illustrafion above]. So eveiything He 
 should do being clear before Him, how be 
 alarmed or hurried ? And He would do 
 everything at right time — not before, not 
 after ; thus, when ' the hour ' of His arrest 
 came, was ready for it (Matt, xxvi, 45, 46), 
 but would not be taken before — therefore 
 avoided the danger in Solomon's Porch. 
 
 II. Jescs unmoved by danger. (Luke 
 xiii. 31 — 35.) 
 
 Escaping from Jerusalem, whither does 
 He go 'i Back again, down the steep road 
 [last Lesson] into Jordan valley, across 
 into Persea ; see John x. 40. How different 
 there! 'many believing,' ver. 42; why? 
 ver. 41. 
 
 Who king here ? [Lessons XXL, XLIV.] 
 Once before, in GalUee, Herod had ' heard 
 of Jesus,' Matt. xiv. 1 ; and now, in his 
 Persean dominions, men have been going 
 about proclaiming the coming King — 
 enough to trouble the guilty monarch ! 
 But, with the murdered Baptist's face 
 haunting him, dare he kill Jesus ? no, 
 but thinks he may frighten Him with 
 threats — so get Him out of the country. 
 Pharisees ready to convey threats — per- 
 haps think He will shew fear — so be less 
 thought of ; ver. 31 [see Note 2 b]. 
 
 Look at the Lord's reply, ver. 32, 33 ; He 
 sees tlirough crafty Herod — what does He 
 call Him ? He is advised to journey on 
 out of Peraja — well, He will journey on 
 [see Note 2 d] — but ever taking God's path, 
 choosing God's time, doing God's work — 
 not one plan to be altered — to-day's casting 
 out of devils, to-morrow's cures, next week's 
 and next month's allotted tiisk, all to go on, 
 spite of Herod and aU the world. [See 
 Note 2 c.] 
 
 Yes, and His death too [see Note 2 c] : — 
 (a) Its character fixed : not to be the 
 spoiling of His work, but the perfecting of 
 it; to be the crown of His life [illust. — Uke 
 top pinnacle to building — Uke finishing 
 stroke to picture]. (6) Its time fixed: the 
 ' third day ' — not really in three days, but 
 at appointed hour, not before or after ; 
 Herod can't hasten it. {c) Its place fixed : 
 not here in Persea, under Herod, but at 
 Jerusalem, the city of those v<.ry deceitful 
 Pharisees who profess to seek His safety — 
 the;/, and not Herod, wQl ' kill Him.' 
 
 So, is He nervous and alarmed about 
 Himself ? ah, He does look foward with 
 anxious giief, but for whom ? ver. 34 — not 
 for Himself, but for those who shall be 
 His murderers— He M»)uW have saved them, 
 but they ' would not ' ! 
 
 III. Jesus ready to meet danger. 
 (John XI. 1—16.) 
 
 A messenger comes to Jesus in Persea : 
 whence ? what to say ? ver. 1, 3. How 
 would He feel at the news ? would His 
 knowing that Lazarus should be raised 
 again prevent his being sad ? see ver. 5, 33, 
 35 — He feels for the sisters' anguish, and 
 for all the pain sin has brought into the 
 world. Yet does He go hastily to Bethany ? 
 ver. 6 — again, nothing before right time — 
 this waiting is part of God's plan, ver. 15. 
 
 But the two days over now — will go. 
 Any reason for not going ? ver. 8 — disciples 
 think of the stoning. And then Jesus gives 
 them our illustration [above — recapitulate] : 
 
188 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUE LORD. 
 
 His 'twelfth hour' not come yet — why 
 should He fear that His journey (His life 
 and work) should be cut off? He walks in 
 daylight, i e., He sees where He is going, 
 how far, how long — knows that He wUl 
 ' finish His work ' (see texts above] at right 
 time — none can interfere — how then fear 
 the Jews, any more than Herod ? 
 
 How wondrous ! If any one might rightly 
 go • his own way ' — act ' on spur of mo- 
 ment' — surely He might. Even if He had, 
 would never have gone wrong. Yet even 
 He condescends to have all His life marked 
 out ; and, like any of us, to find peace, 
 security, strength, not in His own wisdom, 
 but in Gk)d's providence ! Why ? see John 
 xvii. 1^—for our sakes 'sanctified' Himself, 
 i.e., set Himelf apart for this service. We 
 know many reasons for loving Him — here 
 is another — have we ever thought of 
 this? 
 
 Can -wk imitate the Lord Jrsus — 
 in Bis quiet confidence — in His /earless fol- 
 loicing of the right pathl 
 
 (a) There is for us, too, a path marked 
 oiil. God has planned every turn in it — 
 everything that will happen to us — when 
 and where joy and success, trouble, sickness, 
 death, will come upon us. No such thing 
 as 'chance 'or 'luck.' See Ps. xxxi. 15; 
 Prov. xvi. 33, xx. 24 ; Acts xvii. 26. 
 
 (6) But we cannot see it, as Jesus could. 
 In this unlike Him. Are you certain what 
 you will do to-moiTow ? do you know 
 what news will reach you ? &c. &c. [illus- 
 trate]. See Prov. xxvii. 1 ; Jas. iv. 13 — 15. 
 How then be calm and confident like Jesus ? 
 
 (c) Yet we may have guidance. Our 
 journey not by night ; it is day-time. God 
 willing to give us light — not to tell us 
 what going to happen, but what to do hour 
 by hour, Ps. xxv. 8, 9, xxxvii. 23; cxix. 
 9, 105 ; Prov. iii. 5, 6 ; Isa. xxx. 21. If 
 refuse God's light, like trying to find our 
 way with eyes shut. [Another illust, — 
 Rowers in boat — can see behind, not in front — ■ 
 can mark the course they have come, not 
 where going. How go right f Steersma7i 
 guides — they leave it to him — all they do is 
 to go on 7cith their oivn work.] 
 
 {d) Then ask for God's guidance, and 
 trust in it. Pray Ps. v. 8, xxv. 4, xxvii. 11, 
 cxix. 27, cxliii. 8. When He tells what to 
 do (by Bible, conscience, teacher), follow 
 strictly. Then what cause for fear, hurry, 
 anxiety ? Your ' heart fxed, trusting in 
 the Lord ' (Ps. cxii. 7) ; comp. Ps. xvi. 8, 
 Ivii. 7; Isa. xxvi. 3; Matt. vi. 25—34; 
 Rom. viii. 28 ; 1 Pet. v. 7. 
 
 ' Oh for a closer walk with God, 
 A calm and heavenly frame ; 
 
 A light to shine upon the road 
 That leads me to the Lamb!' 
 
 Notes. 
 
 1. ON JOHNX. 22,42:— 
 
 (a) The Feast of the Dedication was instituted 
 to commemorate the cleansing of the Temple 
 (B.C. 164) after its pollution by Antiochus Epi- 
 phanes (B.C. 167), and the defeat of the latter by 
 Judas Maccaba;us. See 1 Mace. iv. 52 — 59; 
 2 Mace. X. C, 7. It was celebrated in much the 
 same way as the Feast of Tjibernacles («ee 
 Lesson LIV.), though with much less splendour, 
 it began on the 2.jth of Chisleu (about Dec. 13), 
 the ninth Jewish month (Zech. vii. 1). This was 
 often a period of heavy rains (see Ezra x. 9, 1.3), 
 which may account for Christ walking under the 
 shelter of Solomon's Porch— a lofty and splendid 
 arcade on the east side of the Temple (see Pl.an 
 on iiagc 146), named also in Acts iii. 11, v. 12, and 
 described in Josephus, Antiq. viii. 3, 9, 11, xx. 9 ; 
 /iell. Jud. V. 6. 
 
 (6) ' Make us to doubt,' ver. ii—lU. 'lift up our 
 soul.' Many writers explain this as meaning 
 • Iiold our minds in suspense.' Ilcngstenbcrg, 
 however, apparently with more reason, makes 
 'lift up' equivalent to 'excite,' illustrating the 
 jioint from both Greek classical authors and the 
 corresponding Hebrew i)hr.ase in the O. T. That 
 ' excitement' better describes the state of Jewish 
 feeling than ' suspense,' is obvious from the 
 whole passage. 
 
 (c) The argument in ver. 34-36 may be thus 
 paraphrased :-' In your Scriptures (I's. Ixxxii.) 
 it is written, concerning rulers and judges, / .taid, 
 Ve are Gods. If those to whom the word of God 
 came could rightly be called gods, as His author- 
 ised representatives, much more He whom the 
 Father hath set apart and sent down from heaven 
 into the world.' The 82nd I'salm refers to Exod. 
 xxl.6, xxii. 8,9, where the Hebrew word rendered 
 
 'judges' is elohim (gods) ; and to Exod. .xxii. 28, 
 where the same word, although this time ren- 
 dered ' gods,' evidently also refers to judges. In 
 this argument Christ does not directly assert His 
 Divinity (which would only enrage them more), 
 but shows the unreasonableness of their com- 
 plaints. Still Ills words are very significant of 
 the truth, for the expression ' the word of God 
 came' is a common one concerning hum.an 
 prophets, but never used of Jesus ; while the 
 phrase 'sent into the world' is never applied to 
 any one but Jesus. In how low a sense the word 
 elohim was applied to judges is clear from the 
 next rerse of Ps. Ixxxii. 
 
 2. ON LUKE xiii. 31-35 :— 
 
 (a) On the arrangement of the section of St. 
 Luke's Gospel of which this is a part, see Addi- 
 tional Note VIII., page 154. Trench's excellent 
 chapter on the passage \nli\s Studies in the Gospels, 
 is called 'The Pharisees seeking to scare our 
 Lord from Galilee'; but all the evidence jmints 
 to Vctxa. as the locality. Both districts were 
 under Herod's rule. 
 
 (b) The source and purpose of the ' message 
 from Herod' has been much di.-putcd. Many 
 expositors {e.g., Sticr and Trench) think that it 
 was a pure invention of the Pharisees, and that 
 Christ, speaking ironically, meant them by the 
 designation 'fox.' Alford, Ellicott, and Hanna 
 think that the 'fox' must refer to Ilcroil, and 
 that though he did not mean to kill Jesus, he did 
 send the message to frighten Ilim away: the 
 Pharlses being nothing loth to test Ills courage 
 by conveying it to Him. This latter view is 
 adopted in the Sketch. To the objection that 
 Jesus would not call the reigning sovereign a 
 
THE RAISING OF LAZARUS. 
 
 189 
 
 fox, it may be replied that we cannot judge of 
 the expression as used in that age and country ; 
 and we linow lie called the Jewish rulers ' vipers.' 
 
 (c) The meaning of the ' three d.iys ' is also 
 much contested. Many (Jernnin writers, with 
 Alford and Ellicott, consider three literal days to 
 be meant ; while Stier and Trench regard them 
 113 typical or proverbial, denoting the settled 
 order of Christ's movements as successive steps 
 in a Divine scheme. The question partly depends 
 on the meaning attached to the expression, ' I 
 shall be perfected.' It must surely be, not (as 
 30me say) a mere intimation that Christ's work 
 in Persea would be flnished three days hence, 
 but an allusion to His death (see Ileb. ii. 10, v. 9, 
 and many parallel passages); in which case the 
 explanation of the whole passage, embodied in 
 the Sketch, is clear and solemn. 
 
 On the questions named above in (6) and (c), 
 expositors are almost all ranged in two parties, 
 represented (say) by Alford and Trench respec- 
 tively. But Canon Walsham How, in the excel- 
 lent S. P. C K. Commentary, is on the ' Alford 
 side ' in (6), and on the ' Trench side ' in (c) ; as 
 also is the Sketch above. 
 
 {d) It is noteworthy that ' depart ' in ver. 31, 
 'go' in ver. 32, and 'walk' in ver. 33, are all 
 translations of the same Greek word. In the 
 latter case the idea is, ' I must go on,' i.e., in my 
 appointed path. The same word occurs in Luke 
 i. 6 ; 1 Pet. i V. 3 ; 2 Pet. ii. 10, ill . 3 ; Jude 16. 
 
 (e) Christ's words In ver. 35, ' Ye shall not see 
 Me,' &c., are commonly thought to imply that 
 He was not again at Jerusalem before His 
 triumphal entry; and with this the chronology 
 of these Lessons agrees. Many, however, think 
 that the words are prophetic of what is yet 
 future. Certainly the Ilosannas on Olivet were, 
 at most, a very partial fulfilment of so solemn a 
 statement. 
 
 3. ON JOHN xi. 1 -16 :— 
 
 (a) Ver. 9 has been sufficiently explained in 
 the Sketch. The meaning of ver. 10 may be best 
 seen in Dr. Hanna's paraphrase of it :— ' What Is 
 true of Me is true of every one who walks in 
 God's own light— the light that the guiding Spin t 
 gives him— kindled within his soul to direct him 
 through all his earthly work. If any man walk 
 in that light he cannot stumble ; but If he walK 
 in the night, go where he is not called, do what he 
 is not bidden, then he stumbleth, because there is 
 no light in him. He has turned the day into night. 
 and the doom of the night traveller hangs over 
 him.' 
 
 (6) When Jesus spoke of Lazarus ' sleeping,' 
 the disciples thought it a good sign in a sick man 
 —he would 'do well,' i.e., recover; why then 
 should Jesus go and awake him? Death is 
 frequently called ' sleep ' in Scripture ; see Matt, 
 ix. 24; Acts vii. 60; 1 Thess. iv. 13; &c., &c. 
 Bengel says, ' No one is ever spoken of as dead 
 in the presence of the Prince of Life.' 
 
 Lesson LXXI.— The Raising of Lazarus. 
 
 '/ avi the Resurrection and the Life.^ 
 
 J?earf— John xi. 17—45 ; Learn— Zohn v. 28, 29 ; 1 John v. 11, 12. {Hymns, 18, 65, 71, 83, 
 96, 192, 20e, 211—214, 215, 316, 373, 387.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 The teachings of this narrative are so manifold and so important, that it is an tmusually 
 difficult task to decide what to include in the Lesson, and what to omit. The three lead- 
 ing points of interest are embodied in the tliree divisions of the Sketch ; and it will be 
 observed tliat any one or two of them can be taken separately — i.e., the teacher can so 
 arrange the passages (omitting or slightly touching on some verses, and laying stress on 
 others) as to make it teach either (1) the gracious design of afflictions, or (2) the 
 sympathy and the power of Christ, or (3) the supreme importance of the Life Eternal. 
 For younger classes, the second will be the easiest. The first can probably in any case 
 be noticed incidentally as the narrative goes on. But the third is certainly the chiej 
 lesson, and should be taken if possible. 
 
 The teacher should be careful to explain that ' Life Eternal ' is not heaven, nor the 
 happy state of departed spirits, nor the final state of resurrection- glory, nor all these 
 together ; but that it begins on earth, when the soul is united to Christ (who is ' the Life') 
 by faith ; see the second text for repetition. 
 
 On the subject of the future resurrection, the Creeds, the Burial Service, and such 
 hymns as ' Great God ! what do I see and hear ? ' may be usefully referred to. 
 
 Sketch of Lesson. 
 
 Have you ever had one whom you loved 
 much, dangeroiLsly ill at home ? Anxious 
 faces, low voices, doctor's visits — other 
 things almost forgotten for the one thing 
 — which of you know all that? And if 
 one of the family or a dear friend a long 
 way off, what done ? 
 
 A trouble hke this at Bethany, in the 
 family we know {refer to Lesson LXIX.], 
 see ver. 1. And thet/ have a Friend, greatly 
 loved, at a distance — where ? x. 40 [last 
 LessonJ^ : what do Martha and Mary do ? 
 send for Him? no, but (ver. 3) to Him, 
 just to tell, nothing else. What e-^pect 
 
190 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUB LORD, 
 
 Him to do ? To come ? ah, that would be 
 best, but, dangerous for Him to come so 
 near Jerusalem (see ver. 8) ; and what had 
 He done for the Galilean nobleman and the 
 Phoenician woman ? (John iv. 49, 50 ; Mark 
 vii. 29, 30) — healed sick? yes, and at a 
 distance too ; might He not do that again ? 
 
 I. A Great Blessing Delayed. 
 (a) Think of the sisters, watching and 
 tending dying brother — longing for mes- 
 senger's return — quiet Mary silently hoping 
 — busy Martha running to look eagerly 
 down the steep road towards Jericho. But 
 Lazarus worse and worse — no message of 
 comfort yet — no sudden cure by unseen 
 Hand — life ebbs away — last breath — dead ! 
 (6) Are there no comforters? yes — priests 
 and scribes hastening from Jerusalem over 
 Olivet to condole with such a respectable 
 family, ver. 19 [see Lessnn LXfX. iVofe-i] — 
 no doubt the hired women too, with their 
 loud wailings (Matt. ix. 23 — 2-5; Jer. ix. 
 17, 18) — a houseful of them — but not the 
 One. At last, a man coming up the hill — 
 but only the messenger, alone — not the 
 Master — yet, ' Is He coming ? ' — ' Said not 
 a word about it.' 
 
 (c) What is the message? ver. 4. ' Not 
 unto death !' — ' Why, he is dead already— 
 what can He mean?' Then perhaps Nain 
 and Capernaum (Luke vii. 15, viii. 55) re- 
 membered — ' Is Lazarus to be raised like 
 widow's son and ruler's daughter ? ' This 
 hope soon gone — two, three, four days — 
 ' too late now, all over.' Why ? quick de- 
 cay of bodies in hot countries (see ver. 39 ; 
 comp. Luke xxiv. 21.) 
 
 Now why all this? Why did Jesus 
 (a) not heal Lazarus, (b) not hasten to 
 Bethany, (c) not send a clear message ? 
 
 Because He did not feel or care? Im- 
 possible, you say. But think — i/ou have 
 had troubles [name various kinds] — per- 
 haps only small ones — well, God sent them 
 — did you think God cared not ? — you never 
 thought about it — no, but did you com- 
 plain, and think it ' very hard ' ? Be sure 
 He does care — would not send the trials 
 without cause — you need them [illust. — 
 like plant having to be pruned] . And does 
 He take them away if you ask? Not 
 always. Yet always does best for you ; 
 see Ps. cxix. G7, 71, 75 ; Rom. viii. 28. 
 
 Why was it, then? 'For the glory of 
 God, that the Son of Man might be glori- 
 fied thereby,' ver. 4. How ? When Jesus 
 did the miracle, it was a greater one. What 
 then ? (a) The f.iith of Martha and Mary 
 would be increased. (4) Many of the Jews 
 believed, ver. 45. (c) Think how many 
 millions, ever since, have read this chapter 
 with faith, hope, joy 1 (d) When was ' the 
 Son of Man glorified'? see John xii. 23, 
 xiii. 31, xvii. 1 — when He died and rose 
 again for us ; and was it not this miracle 
 that brought on His death ? see ver, 53. 
 
 n. A GnEAT Blessing Given. 
 What is there in Christ thAt makes us 
 expect blessings from Him ? Love ? — not 
 
 enough — why ? Power ? — not enough — 
 why? [See Lesson XLIX., where this is 
 explained and illustrated.] Sympathy and 
 Power — He has both. 
 
 1. Look at Christ's Sympathy. Suddenly, 
 glad news — ' He is come.' First Martha at 
 His side, then Mary at His feet — with the 
 same cry — what they have thought and 
 said so often these four days, ver. 21, 32. 
 And now a great company all weeping 
 around Him—does He not care ? ver. 33. 
 Jesus 'groaning'! and not only in grief — 
 holy wrath too [see Note 4 J — 'sin, hateful 
 sin, did all this ' — for ' sin entered into the 
 world, and death by sin' (Rom. v. 12). 
 'Trembling' too, with the effort to check 
 groans and tears while the great work is 
 done [see Note 4J. And then — no stopping 
 them — the tears bursting forth, ver. 35. 
 Why? did He not know the joy to come in 
 a few minutes ? ah, but He was like us — 
 others' sorrows touch us — others' tears draw 
 oursr^this is sympathy — and so with Him, 
 Isa. liii. 3, 4 ; Heb. ii. 17, iv. 15. And re- 
 member Heb. xiii. 8— He is the same now, 
 
 2i Look at Christ's Power. They stand 
 before the grave — a cave in the side of the 
 rocky hill [see Note 6]. The great stone 
 rolled away — Jesus at the entrance — all 
 crowding around in breathless amazement. 
 He speaks — to whom ? First to the Father 
 — aloud, to show the Jews His power from 
 God, not from Satan [see Note 8]. Then 
 to the dead man, a loud cry, ' Lazarus I ' 
 — and immediately a figure appearing at 
 mouth of cave — no face to be seen — bound 
 up from head to foot (like a mummy). 
 Then to the bystanders — Jesus does no- 
 thing needlessly — they can unloose ban- 
 dages. And what then? does St. John 
 shew us Lazarus in his sisters' arms ? No 
 — can only think and tell of Jesus. Let 
 us do the same — think most of that mighty 
 Redeemer — remembering Matt, xxviii. 18, 
 20 — that ' all power' is His, and He is 'with 
 us always ' ! , 
 
 in. A Greater Blessing Promised. 
 
 Could there be a greater one ? Martha 
 and Mary thought of no other. But Laza- 
 rus only brought back into world of sin 
 and sorrow — and for a little time— must 
 die again — suppose he fell sick again the 
 week after? What did Lazarus' restored 
 life want to make it perfect ? (n) To last 
 for ever — no more death, (b) To be quite 
 happy — no more sin, sorrow, pain. Now 
 Christ can give a Life which will last for 
 ever, which toill be quite happy — Lije 
 Eternal. What did He come from heaven 
 for ? To bring eternal life into a world of 
 dead and dying (2nd text for rep. ; John 
 iii. 15, 16, iv. 14, v. 24, vi. 40, x. 28, xviU. 2 ; 
 1 John ii. 25, iv. 9, v. 11, 12 ; Rom. vi. 23), 
 
 How can we get this Greater Blessing f 
 Look at what Jesus said to Martha, ver. 
 25,26 [see Note 3], 'He that believeth in 
 Me' — what is that? Thinking of Him as 
 the Almighty Saviour— therefore loving 
 Him, trusting in Him, obeying Him. 
 
THE RAISING OF LAZARUS. 
 
 191 
 
 Then two things : — 
 
 (a) If alive, 'shall never die.' What ! do 
 not Christ's servants die ? ah, but dying, to 
 them, is not worth calling ' death ' — death 
 an enemy (1 Cor. xv. 26) — how afraid 
 people are of it ! (Heb. ii. 15) — but is death 
 your enemy if you know and love Christ ? 
 Rom. xiv. 8 ; 1 Cor. xv. 54—57 ; Phil. i. 23. 
 Is that an enemy which takes you from 
 sin, sorrow, pain for ever? which biings 
 you to the One you care for most ? — {but 
 d<) youf that's tne point). Death like door 
 opening to let you out [illust. — school-door 
 
 opening as clock strikes — hoio boys come 
 bounding out into sunshine and liberty .'] 
 
 (6) If dead, 'yet shall live' — the spirit 
 even now, the body when raised at last 
 day. So will everybody (1st text for rep.) 
 — yes, immortality for all, but not happi- 
 ness — and only this called ' eternal life.' 
 
 Lazarus heard the 'loud voice,' and 
 ' came forth.' So will you (1st text for 
 rep. ; 1 Cor. xv. 52) — 
 
 ' The trumpet sounds— the graves restore 
 The dead which they contained before ; 
 Prepare, my soul, to meet Him.' 
 
 Notes. 
 
 1. On Bethany, and on the family there, see 
 Lesson LXIX., iiotes 3, 4. 
 
 2. It is usually reckoned that Lazarus must 
 have died on the day the messenger was sent, 
 after his departure, and was buried the same 
 day according to custom (comp. Acts v. 6, 10). 
 One day is then allowed for the messenger to go 
 to Christ, two for our Lord's delay, and one for 
 His journey to Bethany ; thus accounting for 
 the ' four days.' But it is scarcely likely that 
 Jesus went so far (including the long and steep 
 ascent from Jericho) in a single day, especially 
 as He evidently made no haste. It may, how- 
 ever, he fairly assumed that Lazarus was dead 
 before the messenger's return. 
 
 3. The brief conversation between Christ and 
 M.artha is deeply interesting. She comes to 
 Him with the words which hi.J no doubt been 
 constantly thought and uttered by the two 
 sisters during the four days—' If Thou haasl 
 been here,'&c. (vti. n). Then (ver. ^2) a sudden 
 thought seems to siriRc uei— 'Even now,'&c. , 
 not that she really lookeu foi the miracle— for 
 though a gleam of Ills power shoots across her 
 mind, she has no idea that He will work one. 
 
 Christ's answer, ' Thy brother shall rise again ' 
 (ver. 23) is designedly vague, that she may be 
 led on to the higher truth. And it gives her no 
 comfort : she knows of the future resurrection 
 (ver. 24), but what of that ? it is far off, and she 
 wants her brother now. She is wholly wrapped 
 up in the blessings of earthly intercourse; no- 
 thing else seems real and tangible. 
 
 Then He shews her what a much greater gift 
 He can bestow than she can either ' ask or 
 think.' She had desired a brief extension of her 
 brother's life temporal : lie will give to every 
 one that believes in Him the life eternal (see 
 Sketch). Nay, they have it already; being 
 united to Him by faith, " because He lives they 
 shall live also.' To dead believers He is the 
 Resurrection ; to living believers He is the Life. 
 
 To make our Lord's words clear, let them be 
 printed thus :— ' Hethatbelieveth on Me, though 
 he were dead [lit. ' have died 'J, yet shall he live ; 
 and whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall 
 never die.' The ' live ' and ' die ' in italics are to 
 be read in the higher spiritual and eternal sense ; 
 the ' were dead ' and ' liveth,' not in italics, in 
 the ordinary physical sense. In each clause, the 
 Brst term is physical, the second spiritual. So 
 Hengstenbeig, Alford, Trench, &c. Stier and 
 others take it differently. 
 
 The question 'Believest thou this? 'seems to 
 Jmply that it was a new revelation to Martha ; 
 and her answer (ver. 27) shews that she could 
 
 not fully grasp it at once ; yet, without cavilling, 
 she falls back on her faith in the personal Jesus. 
 She could not understand Him, but she could 
 trust Him. An exceDent example ! 
 
 4. Groaned in the spirit, and was tioubled.' ■ Tht 
 Greek word rendered ' groaned ' means ' moved 
 with indignation,' not with sorrow. In Mark 
 xiv. 5, it is translated ' murmured.' ' It was tht- 
 indignation which the Lord of life felt at all 
 that sin had wrought' (Trench). So Stier and 
 Wordsworth. As the word has also the sense ot 
 vehemently forbidding or restraining (as Matt, 
 ix. 30, Mark 1. 43— ' straitly chaiged'), Alford 
 and others think it means that Jesus by a great 
 efloit checked His rising emotion. ' Wti." 
 troubled' is literally 'troubled Himself,' antt 
 probably means that He ' i/iuddered' with in- 
 tense feeling. 
 
 6. ' Jesus wept.' Rather, ' shed tears.' It is not 
 the word used in ver. 33 to express the more pas - 
 sionate weeping of the sisters and their friends. 
 The stronger word, however, occurs where Christ 
 weeps over Jerusalem. 
 
 6. ' Jt was a cave.' Sometimes natural caves' 
 were used as family burying-places, as the cave 
 of Machpelah (Gen. xxiii.9). But the Greek im- 
 plies that this one was artificially hewn out of 
 the rock (comp. Isa. xxii. 16; Matt, xxvii. 60). 
 Such caves had recesses cut in the sides, in which 
 the bodies were laid. The ' stone ' was of course 
 like a door, not like a bd. On Eastern tombs, 
 funeral customs, &c. see 7'he Land and ttt 
 Book, pp. 101-108, and the articles 'Burial' and 
 ' Mourning' in Smith's Diet, of Bible. 
 
 1. 'Said J not unto thee, that if thou wouldest 
 believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?' Thi^ 
 seems clearly to refer to the message in ver. 4. 
 
 8. Christ's words of thanksgiving to the Father,, 
 in ver. 4'l,yreres])okeii for the people's sake. Why? 
 would it not make them think less of His own 
 power, .and imj-ly that He was but a human pro- 
 phet depending on God ? But it was better they 
 should think so, than that they should fail to see 
 that God was with Him. Even if He had not so 
 spoken, they would not have attributed His 
 power to His divinity; rather have charged Him 
 (as before) with being in league with Satan. 
 But the next words prevent misconception : 
 
 ' Thou hearest Me always'— why ? because Father 
 and Son were One. The remainder of the sen- 
 tence was probably not spoken aloud. 
 
 9. ' Let him go;' i.e., 'crowd not round Him in 
 your curiosity ; leave him to his sisters and tti 
 his God.' 
 
 O Z 
 
a 
 
 192 
 
 Lesson LXXII.— Tlie Last Journey— Mistaken Expectations. 
 
 ' They thought that the Kii-jdom of God should immediately appear.' 
 
 Read — Mark x. 32 — 45; (cotnp. Matt, xx, 17 — 28; Luke xviii. 31 — 34); Learn — I Pet. 
 iv. 13; Phil. ii. 3—5. (Hymns, 35, 42, 91, 133, 159— IGl, 171, 224, 321, 353, 355.) 
 
 To THE Teacuea. 
 
 In the third division of the Sketch, au aiiempt has been made to apply to Divine 
 rewards the great principle vv'hich Bishop BuLler, in the 2nd chapter of the Analogy, 
 so forcibly works out in reference to Divine punishmeuts, vu., that they are not arbitrary, 
 but the natural fruits of certain conduct. This seems to give an intelligible reason why- 
 humiliation should lead to honour, and suffering be the path to glory; and why there 
 should be degrees of heavenly reward. Some have had more training than others, and 
 have consequently a greater capacity for heavenly enjoyment ; so that while all are per- 
 fectly happy, they who have most holiness — most of that likeness to Christ which is 
 developed by the discipline of suffering — will have the greatest absolute amount of hap- 
 piness. This has often been thus famiharly illustrated :— You fill a large and a small cup 
 with water ; both are perfectly full : yet the larger contains more than the smaller. Yet, 
 let it never be forgotten, all reward is of grace alone. The words of Ps. Ixii. 12, embody 
 a deep truth : ' Unto Thee, Lord, belongeth mercy, for Thou rendei-est to every man 
 according to His work.' 
 
 In illustrating the way in which the love and respect of others is gained, in the same 
 part of the Lesson, it will be well (as suggested in the Sketch) to mention some self- 
 denying Christian worker known to the children, rather than a public character ; other- 
 wise the cases of Miss Nightingale or Miss Marsh might be leletred to. 
 
 The 'Valley of Humiliation,' m Bunyan's I'tlgmn's Progref-s, through which it was 
 indispensable that every traveller to the Oelebtial City should pass, illustrates the whole 
 subject of the Lesson. 
 
 The teacher should refer back to Lessons LVIIL, LX., and LXVII., for further elucida- 
 tion of various points. 
 
 Sketch of Lesson. 
 
 The great miracle [last Lesson] has start- 
 led all Jerusalem. No question about it — 
 there, close by, at Bethany, is a living 
 man, a well-known one, who has lain four 
 days in the grave. Some can't resist — 
 * He must be Messiah.' But the chief rulers 
 — their hatred and alarm the greater — ' We 
 must stop this' — solemn council — see the 
 decree, John xi. 45 — 53. Jesus has to re- 
 tire again — whither? ver. 54 [see Note 1]. 
 
 And now ' the time ' has come, see ver. 
 55. The ' great journey ' — begun in Gali- 
 lee — continued in Peraea — interrupted by 
 visit to Dedication Feast, retirement to 
 
 ■ Jordan, visit to Bethany, concealm'ent here 
 at Ephraim — now to be resumed and com- 
 pleted. [See Lessons LX., LXf., cj-c. ; and 
 Additional Note, page 154. J In the Jordan 
 
 • valley, multitudes of Galileans journeying 
 southward to Jerusalem for the Passover. 
 Jesus will join them (at or near Jericho) — 
 go up with them. See Luke xviii. 35, 36, 
 xix. 3, 28. 
 
 I. Jesus looking forward to Humi- 
 liation. 
 
 See them on the road : — Jesus going on 
 first, as if eagerly pressing forward, ver. 32 ; 
 disciples following in wonder and fear 
 (comp. 1 Sam. xiii. 7) — why ? see John 
 
 xi. 8— dangerous in Judsea before — still 
 more now — ■ Why will our Master go into 
 peril ? — He avoided it before — why meet it 
 now ? so resolutely too — can He know the 
 rulers' designs ?' 
 
 Know them ! He knows not only what 
 designed, but what will be done. See Him 
 taking the Twelve apart from all the rest 
 — what does He tell them ? ver. 33, 31; 
 comp. Matt. xx. 18, 19 ; Luke xviii. 31 — 33. 
 Told them some of it before — suffering, 
 rejection, death, Mark v-iii. 31, ix. 31 [see 
 Lesson LI.]. But much more now — all 
 particulars :— not to be seized by chief 
 priests, but ' betrayed ' to them ; not to be 
 suddenly stoned or secretly murdered by 
 them, but publicly 'condemned' and 
 handed to Romans ; then what treatment 
 — mocking, spitting, scourging! and a 
 slave's death, to crown all. 
 
 Does His knowing everything beforehand 
 lessen the suffering ? ah, no — is it not pain- 
 ful to look forward to pain — sometime! 
 worse than the pain itself? 
 
 And yet, on He goes, stedfastly (Luke 
 ix. 51), eagerly (xii. 50). Why? {a) pro- 
 phecies to be fulfilled, Luke xviii. 31 (see 
 Ps. xxii. ; Isa. 1., liii.) ; (6) His Father's 
 will ; (c) His love for sinners ; {d) the ' joy 
 set before Him.' [See Lesson LX.] 
 
THE LAST JOURNEY. 
 
 193 
 
 But why tell the Apostles ? To assure 
 them He knows what He is ahout — they 
 need not fear — no unforeseen danger can 
 come upon Him. 
 
 II. James and John looking for- 
 ward TO Honour. 
 
 Does not the terrible announcement 
 utterly crush the Apostles ? Yet see — 
 almost directly after ('then,' Matt.) — two 
 of them asking [see Note 2], through their 
 mother Salome (Matt, xxvii. 56, comp. 
 with Mark xv. 40), for special seats of 
 honour in the coming Kingdom ! 
 
 How is this ? (a) They do not in the 
 least imderstand Jesus, Luke xviii. 34 ; 
 perhaps imagine He has been speaking in 
 parables (as in John vi. 53), meaning only 
 persecution, over which will triumph (the 
 'rising again'). (6) For, they think, 'Is 
 He not Messiah ? of course — then how can 
 He faU? — He must be going to reign.' 
 (c) The gathering crowds excite them ; 
 many from Galilee who believe in Jesus 
 (see Luke xix. 37, ^multitude of the dis- 
 ciples ') — this the very time, when so many 
 of His adherents at the capital, to set up 
 His throne. So now the time to ask 
 favours. Did He not promise 'thrones' 
 (Matt. xix. 28) to all the Twelve? why 
 should not John and James get the 
 highest ? How selfish ! Why they more 
 than others ? And yet — 
 
 Was there anything good in the request ? 
 Yes : did it not show their unshaken faith 
 in Jesus as Messiah, and loyalty to Him as 
 King? 
 
 But what was their mistake ? They knew 
 not («) what the honours of Christ's King- 
 dom were like, (J) how these honours could 
 be got. So (ver. 38 — 45) He shows them, — 
 
 III. How to reach Honour — Through 
 Humiliation. 
 
 They wanted to sit with Jesus in state, 
 to have honours like His. Now, — 
 
 What were Christ's honours ? To sit on 
 throne, with crown, robe, sceptre, plenty 
 of servants, die.? Of course not. But 
 was it to sit on heavenly throne, supreme 
 Ruler over all, with hosts of angels to do 
 His bidding ? This He had, but this not 
 what He cared for most. See Pliil. ii. 
 9 — 11: 'highly exalted'— how? 'a name 
 above every name,' all loving and adoring 
 Him, all calling Him Lord and joyfully 
 doing His will. To be loved, and therefore 
 honoured — this His ambition — this His 
 glory. 
 
 Hoio did He get these honours f See pre- 
 ceding verses in Phil, ii.— servitude, humi- 
 liation, death. See our chapter, ver. 45 — 
 came to ' minister,' i.e., work for others — 
 and to ' give His life a ransom,' to rescue 
 men from sin and hell ; arid so won men's 
 love — the reward He wanted. But it was 
 a painful task — think of all His sufferings 
 on earth — what does He call them here ? 
 "Eis 'cup' (comp. Matt. xxvi. 39; John 
 xviii, 11) — like drinking deep and bitter 
 
 draught; His 'baptism' (comp. Luke xii. 
 50) — the sufferings surrounded Him like 
 the water when the people dipped in Jor- 
 dan — He was 'immersed' in them. [See 
 Note 3.] 
 
 So, if we want the same honours, we must 
 seek them in the same way, see Prov. xv. 33 ; 
 Luke xiv. 11; 2 Tim. ii. 12; 1 Pet. v. 5. 
 How do men get worldly honour and 
 power ? what selfishness, ambition, deceit, 
 cruelty, we read of ! [lUust.—Jehu, Absa- 
 lom, or Jeroboam; Richard III., or Napo- 
 leon I.] But are such men /owed? Some 
 do get a 'name above eveiy name,' but 
 only to be execrated. Those whose names 
 are loved, how gained it? [Illust.—Some 
 living Christian who has devoted life to 
 doing good.] By giving up ease, pleasure, 
 &c., denying self, ' ministering ' to others. 
 So says Jesus, ver. 43, 44 — this the way to 
 be really ' great.' There may be suffering 
 with it, even like His ' cup ' and ' bap- 
 tism,' but if so, sent to make us lowly : — 
 
 ' Who best can drink his cup of woe, 
 Triumphant over pain : 
 Who patient bears his cross below, 
 JJe follows in His train.' 
 
 Now we see how Jesus answered James 
 and John. Like this : — ' Honours like Mine 
 cannot be given as favours to any one who 
 happens to ask [illust. — School prizes ; does 
 master give to whom he likes?] ; only given 
 to those for whom prepared, i.e., for those 
 who, like Me, can stoop to suffering and 
 humiliation ; are ye able ? ' See their an- 
 swer, ver. 39 — like Peter's bold promise, 
 Luke xxii. 33 ; but what did they do when 
 the trial came ? Mark xiv. 50 ; and at 
 Calvary John saw ' one on His right hand 
 and another on His left,' but whom, and 
 where? Mark xv. 27. Yet James and 
 John did follow Him afterwards — did have 
 special sufferings (James, first Apostle to 
 die, Acts xii. 2 ; John, longest life in per- 
 secuting world) — and how we love their 
 names now ! 
 
 You think you could not be so foolish 
 and selfish as James and .John. But, — 
 
 (a) Even in little things, is not Rom. 
 viii. 26 true ? we ' know not what we should 
 pray for as we ought ' — such ' ignorance in 
 asking' {Collect at end of Commun. Service), 
 
 (b) Have you never had a wish to enjoy 
 yom-self in the world, and then at last 
 repent, die happy, and go into heaven ? 
 Is not this expecting glory without suffer- 
 ing? 
 
 (c) Have you not wished even to 'be 
 religious' now, feeling it would be the best 
 thing, and yet wanted to get off this and 
 that self-denial or persecution ? Is not 
 this expecting happiness without trial ? 
 
 It cannot be ; see Acts xiv. 22 ; Rev. vii. 
 14. And think what Christ submitted to 
 for our sakes ; is not our 1st text for rep. 
 right ? ought we not to be like the Apos- 
 tles afterwards. Acts v. 41, ' rejoicing that 
 they were counted worthy to suffer shame 
 for His name ' ? • 
 
194 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 Notes. 
 
 1. The site of Ephralm has been identified by 
 Kobiason (Ritter and Porter concurring) at 
 Taiyibeh, a village 16 miles N.E. of Jerusalem, 
 :and 4 miles E. of Bethel, on the edge of the 
 mountains, overlooking the wild 'wilderness' 
 <ii rocks running down into the Jordan valley. 
 With this the notices of Josephus and Jerome 
 •agree. The place is perhaps mentioned in 2 Sam. 
 xiii. 23; 2 Chron. xiii. 19; but some identify it 
 •with Ophrah, Josh, xviii. 23 ; 1 Sam. xiii. 17. 
 
 2. From St. Mark's account it would seem that 
 -James and John themselves asked Jesns for the 
 two seats, but in M.itthew we find that their 
 request was actually uttered by their mother in 
 their name. That it was really their own desire 
 is clear from Christ's answer. 
 
 5. ' Cup ' and ' baptism.' The ' cup ' is an Old 
 Testament image of a man's lot or portion, 
 ■whether pleasant (Ps. xvi. 6, xxiii. .5), or bitter 
 (Ps. xi. 6, Ixxv. 8; Isa. 11.17). That our Lord's 
 •"cup' was one of suffering is obvious from Ilis 
 use of the word in Gethsemane. Immersion in 
 auflering, as in water, is also an Old Testament 
 phrase, see Ps. xviii. 16, xiii. 7, Ixix. 2, Ixxxviii. 7, 
 s-xxiv. 4, 5. { It must be remembered that baptism 
 was originally by immersion.) 
 
 The distinction between the two figures seems 
 to be twofold: (1) The 'cup' signifies inward, 
 .lad the 'baptism' outward suffering, drinking 
 and baptizing being respectively an inward and 
 an outward application of water ; (2) the ' cup ' 
 signifies suffering voluntarily taken or ' drunk,' 
 s,ad the ' baptism ' what is endured at the hands 
 of others. 
 
 4. In ver. 40, and in Matt xx. 23, the words ' it 
 shall be given to them ' are (as indicated by the 
 italics in oitr Bibles) not in the original. The 
 passage should read—' is not Mine to give, but 
 (i.e., except) for whom it is prepared.' Christ 
 Himself is the giver, but He will give neither 
 arbitrarily nor capriciously, but only ' to every 
 man according as his work shall be.' 
 
 5. Ver. 42. ' They which are accounted to rule, 
 i.e., ' they who are called rulers'; lit. who ' seem 
 to rule,' or ' think they rule.' The real rulers of 
 men are those who influence and sway their 
 thoughts and acts, which is not always done by 
 the nominal rulers. The point of this will be 
 seen from division III. of the Sketch. ' Uie 
 Gentiles,' rather ' the nations,' meaning the 
 secular states. 
 
 6. 'Minister,' i.e., one who serves or waits upon 
 others ; the Greek word is the original of our 
 'deacon.' 'Servant' is literally 'slave,' and in- 
 dicates a still lower place. 
 
 7. ' To give IJis life a ransom for many.' No 
 expression could morestrougly affirm the vicari- 
 ous characterof Christ's death, the Greek word 
 rendered 'for' {avri, anti) being particularly 
 significant. The figure of a ransom regards the 
 lost condition of man in the aspect of a judicial 
 imprisonment— not here, a bondage to sin, but 
 the penalty of sin fixed by God's outraged law. 
 ' Many ' is in contrast not with all, but with the 
 one life given. In 1 Tim. ii. 6 it is distinctly 
 stated that the 'ransom' was 'for all'; comp. 
 2 Cor. V. 14 ; 1 John 11. 2. 
 
 Lesson LXXIIL— In Jericho— Tlie Blind Man and the Publican. 
 
 ' He gathereth together the outcasts of Israel.' 
 
 Mead— Luke xviii. 35—43, xix. 1—10 ; (comp. Matt. xx. 29—34 ; Mark x. 46—52) ; 
 Learn— Pa. cxlv. 18, 19 ; Luke xix. 10. {Hymns, 8, 15, 22, 24, 76, 180, 190, 341.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 For so simple a Lesson as this, hints are scarcely necessary. It may be observed, how- 
 ever, that the line of thought followed in the Sketch is chosen in order to combine the 
 teachings of both the incidents in the narrative ; and, consequently, the points of applica- 
 tion usually taken in lessons on ' Blind Bartimseus' — viz., faith, and spiritual blindness and 
 sight — are necessarily omitted. 
 
 The subject has a peculiar appropriateness to the ' black sheep ' of a class, or to children 
 of exceptional poverty. But the j^ecuUar unworthiness of Chrht's notice on which the 
 application is based can be deduced from other local or special circumstances, such as 
 (e.g.) the obscurity of the neighbourhood (compare Nathanael's allusion to Nazareth), 
 or even from the general consideration of human littleness. 
 
 Sketch 
 
 If the Queen came in royal procession 
 through our neighbourhood, amid great 
 crowds, and a beggar cried after her, would 
 she take any notice ? and what would the 
 bystanders do? Would it be unkind to 
 stop the disturbance ? Not at all, for how 
 could the Queen attend to everybody? 
 And as .she went along, of whom be likely 
 to take notice ? of grand people of place 
 
 OF Lesson. 
 
 {e.g., maj'or, &c.), or of a man up in tree or 
 on lamp-post ? If she did stop and listen 
 to beggar, did notice and speak to man in 
 tree, what should we think ? think it 
 natural ? 
 
 Now see difTerence between the very best 
 earthly sovereign and the Lord Jesns. He 
 is going through Jericho, surrounded by 
 crowds, not His enemies, but mostly ad- 
 
IN JEBICHO. 
 
 195 
 
 miring Galileans going up to Passover, 
 ■who are hoping to see their own great 
 prophet (see Matt. xxi. 11) make Himself 
 King at Jerusalem and drive out Romans. 
 [Ee/ei- to last Lesson. \ See whom He 
 listens to, whom He notices. 
 
 1. The Blind Beggar (xviii. 35—43). 
 Miserable thing to be blind— miserable 
 
 thing to be a beggar — but to be both ! 
 There he sits, day after day, at gate of 
 Jericho — people going in and out — priests 
 to and from their Temple duty {Lesson 
 LXVIII., Note 4J — labourers to and from 
 work in fields — travellers to and fro be- 
 tween Persea or Galilee and Jerusalem, 
 <fec., &c. — what care they for hinj? perhaps 
 throw him a mite now and then — that all. 
 
 How does he know when any one pass- 
 ing, to beg? But unusual sounds to-day 
 — tramp of many feet — mingling of many 
 voices — what can it be ? Thefl hear his 
 cry — very different — what does' he want ? 
 see ver. 41. Why expect that ? what does 
 he know about Jesus ? we know not, but 
 he calls Him ' Son of David ' (see Matt. 
 xxii. 42 ; John vii. 42) — believes He is 
 Messiah — has no doubt heard in the Scrip- 
 tures how Messiah should open blind eyes 
 (Isa. XXXV. 5, xlii. 7) — may also have heard 
 that Jesus Las opened them. 
 
 Why do they tell him to., be quiet? 
 ' The King of the Jews going to Jerusalem 
 — can't let Him be worried by beggars' 
 {covip. illust. of Queen, above~\. Like the 
 disciples and the children (Mai-k x. 13). 
 But as then [see Lesson LXVL], so now, 
 how different the King's own thoughts 
 from His followers' thoughts ! see Isa. Iv. 
 8, 9. A blind beggar as much to Him as a 
 rich ruler — did He not come to live and die 
 for both ? See the happy end — the blind 
 eyes opened — the wretched beggar turned 
 into a joyful disciple — one more added to 
 the procession, singing as loud as any. 
 
 2, The grasping Publican (xix. 1 — 10). 
 
 A man in Jericho, rich and powerful, yet 
 feared and hated. We don't fear and hate 
 tax-collectors, because they can't take more 
 than is fair (and don't wish, either). But, 
 in Jericho, vineyard-labourers for ' a penny 
 a-day,' sowers ' going forth to sow,' shep- 
 herds ' leading out ' sheep, would pass 
 Zacchseus's fine house, and think how he 
 had got rich by cheating them [see Note 4], 
 taking more tax than due ' by false accu- 
 sation ' (ver. 8 ; Luke iii. 13), and keeping 
 surplus himself. 
 
 Zacchjeus sees crowd which Bartimaeus 
 heard. Why goes with it ? why no getting 
 near Jesus ? wny can't see Him ? What is 
 to be done ? see the well-known rich man 
 up in a tree [see Note 5] , like a boy ! 
 
 The crowd approaches. There, in the 
 midst, is the Nazarene of whom he has heard 
 so much. Suddenly, the eyes of Jesus 
 fixed on him ! his name called ! he, the 
 outcast publican, chosen to entertain the 
 prophet ! What do the people think ? 
 
 ' murmurs ' — no wonder — doubtless think, 
 ' Plenty of holy Pharisees — why go to a 
 sinner like him ? plenty of patriotic Jews 
 — why go to a traitor who serves the 
 Romans ? ' Again see how different the 
 thoughts of Jesus — what was in His mind ? 
 ver. 10. 
 
 But Zacchffius — what are his thoughts, as 
 he springs down into the road, conducts 
 Jesus home, attends to His wants, presides 
 at the repast? We can imagine idm — (a) 
 delighted at the honoiu- ; (6) then thinking 
 how unworthy he is of it — old exactions 
 and frauds crowding on his memory ; (c) 
 then touched and softened by Jesus' con- 
 descension ; {(1) then ' stedfastly purposing 
 to lead a new life, to walk henceforth in 
 God's holy ways ' {Commun. Service). See 
 him rising from the couch before all, 
 solemnly calling Jesus 'Lord', and vowing 
 a greater restitution of ill-gotten gains 
 than even God's law demanded [see 
 Note 4]. 
 
 Now observe, — 
 
 I. How Christ treats the Despised 
 AND Unworthy. 
 
 He treats them in a way altogether unex- 
 pected by themselves and others. 
 
 1. He notices them. Did Zacchseus ex- 
 pect to be noticed ? Did the crowd expect 
 Bartimasus to be noticed ? Other instances : 
 crippled woman, Luke xiii. 11 ; the widow, 
 Mark xii. 43 ; the infants, Mark x. 14. So 
 it is noiD. Do you think He only notices 
 ' religious folk ' ? So thought the people of 
 Jericho — were they right ? Are you so 
 poor, so young, so ignorant, so looked- 
 down-upon, as to think yourself beneath 
 His notice ? Are you so ' bad,' so far gone 
 in self-will and rebellion, that you think 
 you have got away from His notice ? De- 
 pend upon it, it is you He does notice — 
 knows you by name — ever follows you with 
 His watchful eye, marking every thought, 
 word, act. See Ps. cxxxix. 1 — 12; Prov. 
 V. 21, XV. 3. Does this frighten you ? It 
 ought to make you fear to sin. But, — 
 
 2. He looks at them with love and pity. 
 Another unexpected thing. The people 
 might expect Jesus to rebuke Bartimsus 
 for his annoyance, Zacchseus for his extor- 
 tion : but how was it ? So, again, it is now. 
 Think not He eyes you with stem anger. 
 Some He does so regard — 6.17., the hypo- 
 crites who are 'looked-«/.)-to ;' but not 
 those who are looked-dowyi-npon, and who 
 feel themselves bad or unworthy. See 
 Luke XV. [Lesson LXIIL] If I ask you. 
 What kind of children does God love ? you 
 say ' Good children ' ; but this only partly 
 true — He loves bad ones too — are not all 
 sinful — was it not for sinners Christ died? 
 see Rom. v. 8, 
 
 II. How THE Despised and Unworthy 
 
 SHOOLD TREAT CHRIST. 
 
 1. Not miss opportunities to approach 
 Him. BartimEeus shouted loudly ; Zac- 
 
19G 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 chsetiB was not ashamed to mount the tree. 
 Is not Jesus now ' passing by ' you ? [Apply 
 this to means of grace, and other ' oppor- 
 tunities.^^ That day salvation came to the 
 bouse of Zacchaeus, ver. 9 ; ' noxo is the day 
 of salvation ' for you, 2 Cor. vi. 2. 
 
 2. Cast away all that keeps from nim. 
 Bartimaeus ' cast away his garment ' ; Zac- 
 chseus cast away his extortions. What 
 
 have you to cast away ? Eom. xiii. 12 ; 
 Heb. xii. 1. 
 
 3. Come to Him when Ut calls. Did 
 Bartimaeus or Zacchaeus loiter? And He 
 is calling now, Rev. iii. 20. 
 
 Then you shall have what Zacchseus 
 wanted, what BartimjEus obtained, a sight 
 of Jesus. 'Thine eyes shall see the Kmg 
 in His beauty', Isa. xxxiii. 17. 
 
 Notes. 
 
 1 In the days of our Lord Jericho was .in im- 
 portant city, having been embellished by Herod 
 the Creat, and being a considerable centre of 
 traffic. On the site and neighbourhood, see 
 Tristram, Land of Jsrael, p. 215 ; Thomson, 
 L & B., p. 6U. The incidents in the Old Testa- 
 ment connected with Jericho will be found in 
 Josh ii.— V. ; Judg iii. 13; 2Sam. x. 5; 1 Kings 
 xvi. 34 ; 2 Kings ii., xxv. 5. 
 
 2. The narrative of Blind Bartimjeus presents 
 one of the most perplexing of Bible difficulties. 
 St. Matthew records the cnr» of tico blind men, 
 St. Mark cf one, as Christ entered Jericho. St. 
 Luke records the cure of one as Christ left 
 Jericho The difference in the number, two or 
 one, is easily explained. There must certainly 
 have been two, and the account of BartimiBus 
 only might, for several possible reasons, have 
 reached Mark and Luke. Compare the case of 
 the Gergesene demoniacs ; see Lesson XLIII., 
 Note 2 
 
 The difference of locality is more puzzling, and 
 many solutions have been offered. We must 
 assume the accur.acy of the statement in Mat- 
 thew and Mark, that the miracle took place on 
 the departure from Jericho ; and Luke's inver- 
 sion of the exact order of events is only what 
 we find elsewhere in his Gospel. If we also ac- 
 cept strictly his expression, ' as he came nigh 
 unto Jericho,' the only reasonable reconciliation 
 which has been suggested is that Bartimajus 
 cried out both when Jesus entered, and when 
 He left, but was not healed till the latter occa- 
 sion, having perhaps been joined in the mean- 
 time by the second blind man ; to which Lange 
 further adds, that Christ may have entered and 
 left by the same gate, to which there seems no 
 geographical objection. The ' passing through ' 
 may merely imply going through the streets to 
 the house of Zacchaius. 
 
 These little difficulties, however, are not of the 
 slightest real consequence, and may be left in 
 Scripture purposely to try our faith. They at all 
 events prove the independence of the writers. 
 
 3. The 'multitude' that tried to silence Bar- 
 timaeus, and murmured at the favour shown to 
 Zaccha;us, must not be sap)>oscd to have con- 
 sisted of persons hostile to Jesus. Most of them 
 were His adherents in a greatei or less degree, 
 and were probably identical with tlic 'multitude 
 of the disciples' who accompanied Him when He 
 entered Jerusalem on the ass. Their motives 
 will be seen from the Sketch. 
 
 4. ZacchKus was ' chief of the publicans.' A 
 superior officer would naturally be stationed at 
 Jericho. The revenues of the district from palm- 
 trees and balsam alone were considerable enough 
 to be specially granted by Antony to Cleopatra. 
 On the publicans generally, see Lesson XXXL, 
 Note 1. There is no foucdat'ou for the idea that 
 Zaccha;us, in his speech, boasts of his charity: 
 the Greek clearly implies that be laO made gains 
 ' by false accusation.' In bis promise of restitu- 
 tion he goes beyond what was (save in some ex- 
 ceptional cases) demanded ty the law; see 
 Exod. xxii. 8, 9 ; Numb. v. 6, 7. 
 
 Some have thought that Christ's words in ver 9 
 imply that Zaccha;us was a Gentile, and only a 
 ' son of Abraham ' nmo by faith But it is more 
 reasonable to take the expression as a rebuke to 
 the niurniurers : ' Why despise him '•' he is a son 
 of Abraham like yourselves,— a lost one truly, 
 but I came expressly to seek and to save the 
 lost.' The name also is Hebrew ; see Ezra ii. 9 ; 
 Neh. vii. 14. 
 
 5. The ' sycamore-tree' is not the English tree 
 so called, but the ' fig-mulberry,' common in the 
 Jordan valley and the maritime plains of Pales- 
 tine, but not in the highland districts. Its 
 br.anches are low and wide-spreading, and there- 
 fore inviting to climbers. See an article by 
 Dr. Tristram in the Church Sunday School 
 Magazine for February, 1870, p. 63 ; also the 
 same writer's Land of Israel, pp. 34, 217, and 
 ^at. Hist, of the Bible, p. 397 ; Thomson's Land 
 and the Book, p. 22 ; or the article in Smith's 
 Did. Bible. 
 
 Lesson LXXIY.— The Triumplial Entry into Jerusalem. 
 
 ' Behold, thy King cometh.' 
 
 Head— Luke xix. 29—44 ; {comp. Matt. xxi. 1—11 ; Mark xi. 1—10 ; John xii. 1, 9—19) ; 
 
 Zcarn-Zech ix. 9 ; llos. vi. 4, {Hymns, ^>l-b3, 87, 89, 97, 98, 19G, 238, 256.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 The passage before us furnishes an opportunity, which must on no account be missed, 
 
 of giving our classes such a descriptive picture as may awaken in some of their minds an 
 
 interest that will last for years. To present this picture, however, it is essential that the 
 
 teacher should be able to describe the route of the procession, and its several incidents, 
 
THE TEIUMPHAIi ENTKY INTO JERUSALEM. 
 
 197 
 
 almost as if he had been a spectator. No one who has read the famous passage in 
 Dean Stanley's Sinai and Palestine, or the scarcely less graphic accounts in Bishop 
 Ellicott's Lectures and Dr. Hanna's Passion Week, will have any difficulty in doing so. 
 For the benefit of those who may have no access to these works, it has been attempted, 
 in the Sketch, to reproduce the scene as vividly as the condensed style imposed by the 
 exigencies of space will permit. If the teacher will also carefully compare Note 2, and 
 the accompanying plan, with the narratives in all the four Gospels, he will have, it is 
 hoped, sufficient materials for a tolerable picture. Success in the use of them is worth a 
 strenuous effort, not only because of the new interest in Scripture which may be 
 awakened, but also because, just in proportion as the scene is realised by the scholars, 
 will the peculiarly touching application impress them. This application must be as 
 particular as possible. Let little individual faults, of thought, word, or deed, which 
 the teacher feels quite sure have been committed during the week, be named. 
 
 Care must be taken that the Jewish mode of reckoning days and weeks is imderstood 
 by the scholars, i.e., that their Sabbath was on our Saturday, and therefore our Sunday 
 was their first week-day ; and that their day of twenty-four hours was from sunset to 
 simset. Compai-e Note 1. 
 
 The Supper at Bethany, omitted here in its right place, will be referred to in 
 Lesson LXXXIV., in order to connect it with the treachery of Judas. 
 
 Sketch of Lesson. 
 
 The Passover is now fast approaching. 
 Jerusalem already getting crowded — people 
 from all parts of the country constantly 
 arriving — merchants from distant lands 
 visiting the city of their fathers — many 
 happy meetings ; not room for half the 
 multitudes — tents pitched in streets and 
 outside walls ; preparations for the feast — 
 thousands of lambs brought in — rooms 
 hired, kc. ; Pilate there too, with his 
 soldiers, from Caesarea ; and Herod, with 
 his ' noblemen,' from Pertea. 
 
 An inquiry passing from mouth to 
 mouth, John xi. 56 — ' Will He not come ? ' 
 Who ? Why should not Jesus come ? (next 
 verse) — others looking out for Him — what 
 for ? Suddenly, one Sabbath, the rumour — 
 • He is come — Galileans have an-ived who 
 came with Him the last stage from 
 Jericho — at His old quarters at Bethany.' 
 At once a movement — ' must go to see 
 Him ' ; and another attraction there (xii. 9), 
 the man who was four days in grave ; so 
 many take the pleasant walk over Olivet. 
 But the chief priests more alarmed than 
 ever — 'must stop tliis' — what new plot do 
 they devise ? (xii. 10) — how foolish, as well 
 as wicked ! if Jesiis raised Lazarus once, 
 could He not do so again ? 
 
 Now Sunday come (not Sabbath, but first 
 working-day of week). To-day see why we 
 call it Palm Sunday. 
 
 I. The Triumphal Procession. 
 
 Let us stand on Mount Olivet — not on 
 the top, or the western slope, whence could 
 see Jerusalem — but on eastern side, to- 
 wards Bethany, Two great companies of 
 people in sight. One coming over hill from 
 the city, what canying? (John xii. 13) — 
 why ? the palm-branch a sign of joy and 
 victory (Lev. xxiii. 40 ; Rev. vii. 9)^is not 
 the ' King of Israel ' coming to His own 
 city ? is not the long-looked- for deliverance 
 at hand? The other party coming from 
 
 Bethany — Passover pilgrims, who have 
 lodged there — the Twelve too, and Jesus in 
 the midst. Nearer and nearer come the 
 two companies — see the greeting with 
 which the one from Jerusalem hails Jesus 
 as they meet, John xii. 13. 
 
 The united multitude now opposite 
 Bethphage [see Note 2]. A halt : Jesus at 
 last will accept kingly honours — He who 
 has so often tcalked long journeys will at 
 last ride into the royal city — not on horse- 
 back (see Deut. x^di. 16) like the Romans, 
 but as the old rulers and prophets of Israel 
 rode (Judg. v. 10, x. 4, xii. 14 ; 1 Kings i. 33, 
 xiii. 13). An ass, too, never yet ridden — 
 why? see Deut. xxi. 3 ; 1 Sam. vi. 7 — such 
 animals sacred. But how and where get 
 an ass ? Does not Jesus know exactly both 
 where and how ? see Mark xi. 2 — 6. And 
 how saddled ? (ver. 7), Any other signs of 
 royalty ? (ver. 8) — (comp. 2 Kings ix. 13). 
 [See Note 3.] 
 
 And now tliey catch sight of a comer of 
 the city, the towers of Zion. Instantly 
 reminded of David and his gi-eatness — 
 'Now his kingdom shall be restored' 
 (Mark xi. 10) — ' Hosanna to the Son of 
 David I ' [See Note 5.] Then the view 
 hidden again behind the hill, until the 
 ridge reached, and in a moment the whole 
 city before them, a glorious spectacle of 
 palaces and battlements rising up from the 
 other side of the deep Kedron valley, with 
 the glittering Temple in the midst (comp. 
 Ps. xlviii. 2, 12, 13 ; Mark xiii. 1). Louder 
 than ever now the songs of praise (ver. 37), 
 and the Pharisees can bear it no longer — 
 ' Suppose He is a prophet, why let them 
 say this of Him?' See their complaint 
 and His reply, ver. 39, 40 — the man that 
 sings not now is harder than a stone. 
 
 Down the hill they go — over brook, up 
 again to city-gate, into street. No wonder 
 a stir in Jerusalem— not only the citizeufi^ 
 
198 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF CUB LORD. 
 
 't'!^ 
 
 
 
 ^wm, 
 
 P'-"-^ 
 
 Plan of the Mount op Olives, and the Road from Jerusalem to Bethant. 
 
 This plan has been rediicpd from the Ordnance Survey Jlap of Jerusalem, with the exception of 
 Bethany and its neiglibourhood, which are not included in that map. The modern outline of the 
 city walls is given, as the exact course of the ancient wall is still uncertain. The Temple occupied 
 the platform now called the Ilaram es-Shereef, or a part of it, but its precise site is not definitely 
 settled. 
 
 EEFERENCES. 
 
 1. Dome of the Rock, or Mosque of Omar. 
 
 2. Supposed Site of the Castle of Antonia. 
 
 3. Birket-Israel {tradilional Pool of Hethesda). 
 
 4. Site of Bridge over the Tyropoeon Valley. 
 
 5. St. Stephen's Gate. 
 
 6. Golden Gate. 
 
 7. Hor.se Gate. 
 
 8. Church and Convent of the Ascension. 
 
 who know Him, but all the stranojers in 
 distant parts gathering round — ' Who is 
 this?' (Matt. xxi. 10). The Pharisees in 
 despair (John xii. 19). 
 
 What was all this for ? 
 
 How different all this from the usual life 
 of Jesus ! Before, so quiet, avoiding all 
 show and publicity (see Matt. ix. 30, xii. 
 15 — 19, xvi. 20, xvii. 9) — especially being 
 called King (John vi. 15). Whj' this 
 triumphal proces.sion ? 
 
 (a) That, by fulfilling before all eyes a 
 well-known prophecy (Zech. ix. 9 ; see 
 Matt, and John), He might give the Jew.s 
 one last ]iroof who fie mas. Did they 
 imderstand ? Even the disciples did not 
 (John xii. 16) ; if they had, would have 
 remembered Zcchariah's next words (10th 
 verse), and have seen that He was not to 
 be the warrior-king they expected, but 'to 
 bring peace to the Gentiles.' 
 
 (6) That, being Himself thus seen and 
 known by all the multitudes now assembled 
 at Jerusalem, all might notice His con- 
 demnation and death. Everywhere men 
 
 should hear of it, and know about it when 
 the Apostles preached afterwards. 'This 
 thing' should not be 'done in a comer' 
 (Acts xxvi. '26 ; comp. Luke xxiv. 18). 
 
 But in watching the great procession, we 
 missed one thing, — 
 
 II. The Weeping King. 
 
 Just when the whole city came in sight, 
 just when shouts and songs loudest in 
 honour of the King, see what the King 
 Himself is doing, ver. 41 — ^weeping' .' — 
 weeping bitterly [see Lesson LXXI., Note 
 5J. Why? is He thinking of what shall 
 come upon Him this week — rejection, 
 desertion, mockery, pain, death ? He 
 knows all, but it is vot that — for how has 
 He been regarding that ? [Lesson LXXII.] 
 What is it, tlien ? 
 
 1. The suffering of JerttsaJein. He looks 
 forward, not four days, but forty years — 
 sees those very 'enemies,' the Romans 
 whom His followers expect Him to drive 
 away, encamped on that same Mount 
 Olivet, surrounding the doomed city, burn- 
 ing it, levelling it— multitudes perishing 
 
THE TRIUMPHAL ENTEY INTO JERUSALEM. 
 
 199 
 
 by hunger, fire, and sword — the most awful 
 catastrophe in the world's history. 
 
 2. The sin of Jerusalem. Why all this 
 to come on the chosen city ? ver. 44 — 
 'knew not the time of her visitation.' 
 "What was that? God's visit of mercy. 
 When ? Then— t\iOS,Q three years in which 
 the Son of God had again and again 
 ' visited ' her, but in vain. He has fulfilled 
 prophecy, worked miracles, 'spoken as 
 never man spake,' longing to 'gather her 
 children as a hen her chickens' ; but she 
 ' would not^ and now — ' hid from thine 
 eyes !' 
 
 From His seat at God's right hand, Jesus 
 looks down on this city [^o/'toivn, or village}. 
 as He did that day upon Jerusalem. 
 
 Does He see what vtill grieve 
 Him? 
 
 What does grieve Him ? Suffering ? 
 
 yes, but, much more, what brings suffering 
 — Sin. What did He see in your heart 
 yesterday ? Vanity ? selfishness ? wilful- 
 ness ? discontent? What on your tongue? 
 Deceit? unkindness? bad words? These 
 are the things that grieve Jesus. But 
 especially, — 
 
 (n) When He sees any neglecting then- 
 ' day of visitation.' Yours is now (church 
 and school teachings, <tc.) : how are you 
 using it? Like Zacchseus and Bartimaeus? 
 [see last Lesson] — or like Israel in the 
 wilderness (Ps. xcv, 8), and Felix (Acts 
 sxiv. 26) ? 
 
 {b) When He sees any seeming to care 
 for Him, who He knows will soon turn 
 away, as so many did who sang and shouted 
 on Olivet. You sing hymns of praise [quote 
 some] — do you mean what you say? See 
 how God lamented over Israel of old (2nd 
 text for rep.) — let not that be said of you ! 
 
 Notes. 
 
 1. Our Lord probably arrived at Bethany on 
 Friday evening (see John xii. l),!ind spent there 
 His last earthly Sabbath, whicli would extend 
 from sunset on Friday to sunset on Saturday. 
 Part of the Galilean 'caravan' with which He 
 had come would also halt at Bethany, and 
 part go on to Jerusalem— less than two miles 
 further— the same evening, carrying the news of 
 His arrival. The curious crowds that flocked to 
 see Him and Lazarus would probably go over on 
 Saturday, the distance being but little over the 
 legal ' Sabbath-day's journey' (six furlongs). 
 The 'supper' in the house of Simon the leper 
 {see Les.'on LXIX., Note 4) was probably on 
 Saturday evening. Then on the next day, our 
 Sunday, was the entrj-. 
 
 2. Two paths lead from Bethany to Jerusalem : 
 one over the top of Olivet— the shortest but 
 steepest route ; the other— the commonly fre- 
 quented route- winding round the southern 
 shoulder, taking advantage of the easier ascent 
 to, and descent from, the low ridge between 
 Olivet and the Mount of Offence. See the ac- 
 companying plan. The procession would cer- 
 tainly take the latter path. A short distance 
 from Bethany, the road makes a slight turn to 
 avoid a ravine, on the other side of which have 
 been found the indications of a former village- 
 no doubt Bethphage, the 'village over agaiist' 
 them to which Christ sent the two disciples. 
 Near this point, at a slight rise In the ground, 
 the southern end of Jerusalem (Zion) can iust 
 be seen over the ridge, the rest of the city being 
 still hidden by the shoulder of Olivet. When 
 the ridge is gained, the whole city bursts sud- 
 denly on view. The path then descends the hill 
 in a north-westerly direction, passes the (mo- 
 dem) garden of Gethsemane, crosses the Kcdron 
 by a little bridge, ascends the acclivity up to 
 the wall, and enters the city by St. Stephen's 
 Gate. Almost every step of the route throws 
 light on the narrative ; see Sketch. 
 
 When alone, or with the Twelve only, Christ 
 no doubt often took the other path over the top 
 of the Mount ; and, apparently, it was by that 
 route that David fled from the capital, see 
 2 Sam. XV. 14, 23, 30, 32. 
 
 3. Only St. Matthew and St. John allude to 
 Zechariali's prophecy ; and only Matthew men- 
 
 tions both the ass and the colt of which the 
 prophecy seems to speak. The words however 
 maybe read, 'Upon an ass, ecen upon a colt' 
 ( Wordsicorth) . 
 
 The Greek phrase translated ' in a place where 
 two ways met' (Mark xi. 4) is variously ren- 
 dered, but probably means rather the lane or 
 passage round the back of the house. It is 
 noteworthy that this exact spot is only men- 
 tioned in Mark's Gospel, which is thought to 
 preserve for us so many of the vivid personal 
 recollectio£;s of Peter; and Peter was very likely 
 one of the two disciples sent. 
 
 It seems probable that the owner of the asses 
 was a disciple, so that the message, 'The Lord 
 hath need of them,' would elicit instant con- 
 sent. So also the owner of the house where 
 Christ ate the Passover, to whom the message 
 was in the name of ' the Master ' (Mark xiv. 14). 
 
 Robinson {Bibl. Res. i. 473) mentions that 
 when the people of Bethlehem, during the war 
 between Turkey and Egypt in 1836, sought the 
 protection of the British Consul, they ' spread 
 their garments in the way ' of his horses, in order 
 to do him honour. 
 
 4. The 'branches of palm-trees' are not, 
 strictly, branches at all, but the enormous 
 leaves, 12 to 16 feet long, which spring from the 
 top of the tall, straight trunk. A few palm- 
 trees are still to be seen in Jerusalem. See an 
 article by Dr. Tristram in the Church Sunday 
 School Hag. for Sept. 1870, p. 308 ; also the. same 
 writer's Nat. Hist, of the Bible, p. 378. 
 
 6. ^ Hosanna' is the Hebrew of the words, 
 'Save now, I beseech Thee,' in Ps. cxviii. 25; 
 the next verse of whi ;h familiar Messianic 
 psalm also formed part of the disciples' song. 
 The word seems to have become an acclamation 
 as well as a prayer, like our ' God save the 
 Queen.' In the highest, i.e., in heaven: an invo- 
 cation expressing the desire that their hopes 
 might be fulfilled by God. 
 
 6. Christ's prediction of the fate of Jerusalem 
 was exactly fulfilled. The word ' trench' should 
 be rather 'earth-work with palisades' (which 
 however, would imply a trench where the earth 
 was dug up). Such a barricade was ttuown up 
 by the Uoraans all round the city. 
 
200 
 
 Lesson LXXY.— Tlie Fruitless Fig-Tree. 
 
 * Israel ! thou hast destroyed thyself.' 
 
 i?ead— Mark xi. 12—26; {comp. Matt. xxi. 12—22) ; Zeaj-ra— Matt. iii. 8—10, vii. 21. 
 {Hymns 97, 98, 123, 130, 143, 155, 158, 291.) 
 
 To THE Teacher, 
 
 The teachings suggested by the incident of the fruitless fig-tree are given at much 
 greater length in the Sketch than those of the cleansing of the Temple, because the 
 parable of the ' Barren Fig-tree ' has not been taken in tlie Course, while a Lesson (XVII.) 
 was devoted to the first Temple cleansing. 
 
 It will be observed that the application in the Sketch, instead of following the nan-ative 
 as usual, precedes and accompanies it, which, in this instance, seems the simplest and 
 most effective plan. The illustration of the fruit-tree is thus made quite clear first ; and 
 its analogies, to the Jewish nation and to the individual soul respective!}-, work out 
 together throughout the Lesson. If, however, the teacher should prefer to take the 
 history first, giving its incidents in exact order of time, the spiritual analogies must be 
 left to the last ; and, in this case, the application suggested by Christ's conduct in the 
 Temple, which concludes the Sketch, — and which has been chosen to the exclusion of 
 other intrinsically more important points, because it best fits in with what has gone 
 before, — wiU have to be omitted. 
 
 The solemn considerations dwelt on in («) and (i) in Division II. are but too little 
 recognised, and should be earnestly enforced. They present the corresponding truth to 
 that urged in Lesson LXXII. There we saw that Christ's rewards are not arbitrary; 
 here we see that His judgments are not arbitrary. 
 
 Sketch of Lesson. 
 
 If you had an elm or a beech-tree, what 
 would you look out for as spring came 
 round ? How pleasant to see the little 
 green shoots, and, by-and-bye, the full, 
 fresh foliage shading us from the sun I 
 But suppose you had a pear-tree, what look 
 for besides leaves ? If autumn brought no 
 pears on it, what think ? and if year after 
 year the same, would exclaim, 'Useless 
 tree ! ' 
 
 Now, ice are like fruit-trees. Why ? 
 They are made on purpose to bear fruit ; 
 so are we. What fniit does God look for 
 in us? 'Good works' — thoughts, words, 
 deeds. See Ps. i. 3 ; Matt. iii. 8, 10 ; John 
 XV. 8 ; Gal. V. 22 ; Eph. ii. 10, v. 9 ; Phil. i. 
 11 ; Col. i. 10. If no good fruit in us, what 
 sort of trees are we ? Useless to God ! 
 May make a great show — look very well — 
 like a tree in full leaf — but what use such 
 ' leaves ' ? We are not like elm-trees, but 
 like fruit-trees, only meant to bear fruit. 
 See what said to people with mere outward 
 show, mere leaves, Matt. vii. 20, 21 ; Jas. i. 
 22, 27. 
 
 See to-day how Jesus gave the Apostles a 
 solemn picture of this. 
 
 I. A Picture of what Jerusalem 
 
 WA.S. 
 
 Monday morning — Jesus again on the 
 road Uum. Bethany to Jerusalem ; a quiet 
 walk to-day — who only with Him ? sec 
 ver. 11,12. In other lessons we have seen 
 the Lord weary, thirsty, asleep, weeping ; 
 
 now we see Him ? 'In all things' 
 
 like us ! Where shall He get a little food ? 
 
 Fig-trees all about — the very place called 
 'house of figs' {Bethphage) — and, in East, 
 figs not a mere ' sweet,' but regular food 
 (therefore fig-tree important, see Deut. viii. 
 8 ; Jer. V. 17, viii. 13 ; &c.) ; but no — 'time 
 of figs not yet ' — too early. Yet see — one 
 over there before the rest — whj- think so ? — 
 the rest all bare, this one has leaves — and, 
 on fig-tree, f ruitcomes with or before leaves. 
 [See Note 3.] 
 
 Jesus approaches — what does He find? 
 what does He say ? why? You don't think 
 He used His power in anger, because dis- 
 appointed at not getting figs to eat ? That 
 like what Satan tempted Him to do. Matt, 
 iv. 3 — did Jesus then work a miracle because 
 He was hungry ? 
 
 No, but if men are like frait-trees, what 
 a picture this tree of Jerusalem, of the 
 Jewish people ! AVhy ? 
 
 (o) It made a great show. Amid all the 
 bare trees around, how conspicuous its 
 leaves 1 Were not the Jews like that ? 
 boasthig of their special privileges, thinking 
 God only cared for them, despising other 
 nations, see Rom. ii. 17 — 20 ; comp. Acts xi. 
 3, xxi. 28, xxii. 21, 22. The Pharisee thought 
 himself 'not as other men' (Lukexviii, II); 
 the Jews thought themselves not as other 
 nations. And just now in particular — a 
 great show yesterday of welcome to Jesus — 
 just as if fruit coming at last. 
 
 (b) And yet it was fruitless. Might say, 
 ' time of fruit not yet — all the world dead 
 in sin, like the bare trees on Olivet. \Vhy 
 this no excuse? Because of the show, the 
 profession, the ' leaves.' God had a right 
 
THE FRUITLESS FIO-TEEE. 
 
 201 
 
 to expect 'fruit' in suck a nation. Yet 
 what did He find? Hypocrisy, unbelief, 
 rejection of His Son 1 
 
 And that the disciples may understand 
 this picture, Jesus shows them another. 
 This why Jesus cursed the tree. 
 
 II. A Picture of what Jerusalem 
 
 WOULD BECOME. 
 
 What do they see next morning, as they 
 come the same way ? ver, 20 — all the leaves 
 gone, just as if winter coming on ; like the 
 other trees, then ? — no, much worse — not 
 only bare, but dead — not ' time of fruit not 
 yet,' but ' time of fruit ' gone for ever ! 
 So with Jerusalem — [I'efer to last Lesson] — 
 'If thou hadst known. . . . but now — !' 
 And it was because Jesus knew the curse 
 must come, that He wept yesterday. 
 
 Then see two things about the curse : — 
 
 (a) What it was. No fearful punishment. 
 Simply to bear no fruit. What would you 
 think of such a curse on you ? — never to be 
 good, to do right, any more — would you 
 mind that? some boys seem as if they 
 would like it. But punishment will surely 
 follow. Christ need not send it — 7nen will 
 give it. What would be done with that 
 withered tree ? see 1st text for rep. (comp. 
 John XV. 6). So Jerusalem : because worth- 
 less, unable to resist Romans — then, destruc- 
 tion I And so with a boy : if no good in 
 him at all, soon go to crime — and then — ! 
 
 (6) Hour it was inflicted. Not by whirl- 
 wind or lightning. Jesus simply took away 
 what gave the tree life, and left it to itself. 
 What had made the tree grow, given it 
 leaves and the chance of fruit ? — earth, air, 
 rain, sun — these obeyed their Lord, stopped 
 the tree's nourishment — then what could it 
 do ? So with Jerusalem : think of all God's 
 mercies to the Jews — all their goodness 
 owing to God only — He had only to send 
 no more prophets to them, to stop His 
 messages of grace, to withdraw His special 
 care — and then ? See Hos. xiii. 9— ' O 
 Israel ! thou hast destroyed thyself ! ' So, 
 
 too, with us : God need not destroy us — 
 only withdraw all the grace that keeps us 
 from sin and leads us to do right — only 
 ' let us alone' (Hos. iv. 17 ; comp. Gen. vi. 3 ; 
 Rev. xxii. 11) — and we go straight to ruin. 
 Pray David's prayer (Ps. li. 11), ' Take not 
 Thy Holy Spirit from me 1 ' 
 
 II. A Last Sign given to Jerusalem. 
 
 On the Sunday of the entry He did nothing 
 in the city ; but did He see nothing ? ver. 11, 
 1.5. How sadly, how indignantly, must He 
 have noticed that noisy cattle-market again ! 
 Then on the Monday, what does He do ? 
 
 All driven out— the great ' Court of the 
 Gentiles' cleared — now it shall be a 'house 
 of prayer' again — prayer to whom? To 
 Himself, its Lord and King : see the blind 
 and the lame crowding in where the cattle 
 and the money-changers were just now, 
 imploring His aid, and not in vain. Children 
 there too, singing the songs they heard on 
 Olivet yesterday. Pharisees also, vexed 
 and angry — why? ashamed of having al- 
 lowed the 'den of thieves'? ah, they did 
 not mind that, but what do they mind ? 
 
 Thus Jerusalem has a last warning. Jesus 
 has done over again the great deed He did 
 when He first appeared three years ago — 
 the great sign that Messiah had come, 
 Mal.iii.l— 3. [See Lesson X VI T.] But what 
 good, if now too late, as Christ's tears and 
 Christ's curse both showed? Too late to 
 save nation, but yet time to save individuals ; 
 and thousands were saved afterwards, see 
 Acts iL 41, iv. 4, v. 14. 
 
 Let us ask the Lord Jesus to do ^vith 
 our hearts as He did with the Temple- 
 courts — to drive out what is bad and sinful, 
 and then, not to leave them empty, but to 
 stay in them Hhnself Just the opposite of 
 what done with the fig-tree — the good taken 
 away, and then ' let alone,' If He dwells 
 in our hearts, makes them His home, 
 'abides in us,' then we shall be able to 
 bear ' much fruit,' see John xv. 4, 5. 
 
 Notes. 
 
 1. It is clear from St. Mark's narrative, which 
 is more detailed than the otliers, that Christ did 
 not cleanse the Temple on the day of the Entry, 
 but onthefollowingday, i. e., Monday. AUother 
 views are untenable in the face of ver. 11. 
 
 2. Why was Jesus hungry in the morning? 
 The usual answer is that He had spent the night 
 in prayer on Olivet. Certainly He did so spend 
 some of the nights of this week (see Luke xxi. 
 37) ; but apparently not this particular night 
 (see Mark, ver. 11, 12), nor the next (Matt. xxi. 
 17). Probably He stayed at Martha's house, as 
 on other occasions, but, ' rising up a great while 
 before day ' to go out and pray alone (as was His 
 wont in Galilee, see Mark i. 35), He missed the 
 morning meal. 
 
 3. On the fig-tree, the 'time of figs,' &c., see 
 Trench (Aliracles, p. 449), who gives a summary 
 of the many explanations of this passage which 
 have been offered ; also Tristram, J^at. Uist. of 
 Bible, p. 3o0 ; and Thomson, L. tt B., p. 349. It is 
 esseatial to observe that the fruit of the flg-tree 
 
 appears before, or at the same time as, tlie leaves ; 
 and then the point to notice is that this tree was 
 conspicuous 'afar off,' even at or near a place 
 (Bethphage) named from its abundance of tig- 
 trees,— the obvious reason being that, although 
 the season for 'putting forth leaves,' viz., the 
 approach of summer (see Matt. xxiv. 32), had not 
 yet arrived, this particular tree was already in 
 leaf. Jesus then went up to it, 'if therefore' 
 (not 'haply') he might find fruit on it. The 
 fiict that there was none, in spite of the show of 
 leaves, proved that the tree was barren ; and 
 that Christ so adjudged proves that ' the time 
 of figs was not yet," for otherwise it might be 
 supposed that a wayside tree was bare because 
 It had been stripped. 
 
 4. The cursing of the fig-tree was our Lord's 
 one miracle of judgment— (the destruction of 
 the swine being no miracle in itself, but a per- 
 mitted incident following a work of mercy) ; 
 and it is well to observe, in contrast with the 
 countless miracles of love performed by UUa. 
 
202 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 upon TTten, that this one act of seeming severity 
 was done for man's good to an unconscions tree, 
 and to one which (being 'in the way') was no 
 one's property. 
 
 The incident may he regarded as a solemn 
 sequel or appendix to the Parable of the Barren 
 Fig-Tree in Luljexiii. In the parable no intima- 
 tion was given of the result of the extra year of 
 grace. Here we see, in figure, what the end was 
 In so far as the Jewish nation was concerned. 
 
 5. The important words of our Lord in ver. 22 
 —26 are not taken in the Sketch for want of 
 room, and their principal teachings have been 
 already explained in LessonLIII. (in which sim- 
 ilar expressions occur) But it may be observed 
 further that we have here the reason why the 
 power of faith is really unlimited, in the words 
 'Have faith in God." Faith does not exercise 
 the believer's own power, but lays hold of Divine 
 power. The prayer of faith ' moves the Hand 
 that moves the world.' The death of Ananias 
 andSapphira shews how Peter (the very Apostle 
 whose remark elicited Christ's promise) wielded 
 this power to do a far more terrible deed of judg- 
 ment than the cursing of the tree. Ver. 25, 26, 
 
 however, which enjoin a forgiving spirit, and 
 which at first sight seem unconnected with the 
 preceding verses, are most significant, as showing 
 that no revengeful or selfish feeling is compati- 
 ble with the exercise of this faith. 
 
 6. The second cleansing of the Temple must be 
 carefully distinguished from the first, on which 
 see Lesson XVII. The market was held in the 
 Court of the Gentiles (see plan on page 146), 
 which gives force to our Lord's quotation from 
 Isa. lvi.7— 'a house of prayer for all jiations.' 
 (Our translation in Mark—' called of all nations,' 
 iic, is incorrect). ' Den of thieves' should be 
 ' den of robbers'; see Lesson LXVIII. NoteS. A 
 similar expostulation occurs in Jer. vii. U. 
 
 7. Psalm viii., from which Christ quoted to 
 vindicate the Hosannas of the children, is re- 
 ferred to as Messianic in three other places in the 
 N.T.-l Cor. XV. 27 ; Eph.i.22; Heb. ii.6-9. The 
 difference between 'ordained strength,' in the 
 Psalm, and ' perfected praise,' in the quotation, 
 is more apparent than real. The 'praises' of 
 the children were ' strong,' in thievery instance, 
 to rebuke and confound ' the enemy and the 
 avenger.' 
 
 Lesson LXXVI.— In the Temple— Parables. 
 
 ' Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God.^ 
 
 iJearf^Matt. xxi. '23— 4G; xxii. 1—14; {Comp. Mark xi. 27— xii. 12; Luke xx. 1—19); 
 Learn— 2 Chron. xxxvi. 15, 16 ; Rom. xi. 22. {Hymns 11, 101, 144, 147, 223, 315, 360.)- 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 To take three Parables, besides a Temple scene and a conflict between Clirist and the 
 rulers, in one Lesson, will seem to many a thing foolish to attempt, and impossible to do 
 successfully. Yet if the scene in the Temple is regarded as the leading feature, and the 
 three parables as three connected illustrations or anecdotes given by our Lord in the course 
 of the conversation, the diflBcidty is to a great extent removed ; and on this plan the 
 Sketch is constructed. Of couise the parables cannot be expounded in detail, but merely 
 made clear as stories, and their rjeneral teachings explained. If this plan be adopted, the 
 application to the scholars must be drawn only from the third parable, which has special 
 reference to those who like ourselves, live under the Christian dispensation. In fact, the 
 point to be worked up to wUl be that suggested by the incident of the man without a 
 wedding garment. But, il time press, the teacher need not give a full account of what 
 is theologically meant bj the 'wedding garment.' It will be sufficient to urge this one 
 thought — ' Are you^^t for God's presence ? No one can be fit in himself. Those only are 
 fit who put their trust entirely in Christ, and are made like Him by the Holy Spirit.' 
 
 With jtmior cla.sses, however, it may be well to omit all except the picture of Christ 
 and His assailants, and the second parable — the ' Wicked Husbandmen.' In this case the 
 application will be quite different, and will be something like this : — ' Think of all God's 
 goodness to you — ought you not to make Him a return ? — if you do not, what may He 
 justly do ? ' The supplicatory portion of the ' General Thanksgiving ' embodies this 
 thought in most impressive words. 
 
 Sketch of Lesson. 
 
 Jerusalem full of the startling events in 
 the Temple [last Lesson]. What must the 
 priests and rulers think?— 'This Galilean 
 tiikes upon Himself to stop what we, tlie 
 rightful guardians of the Temple, chose to 
 allow.' "Those who happened to see it com- 
 V-ained, but to-day (Tuesday) a formal 
 
 deputation (priests, scribes, elders — Mark) 
 shall demand by what right He did it. 
 
 In the now quiet courts they find Jesus, 
 teaching as He walks up .and down (ver. 23 ; 
 comp. Mark) ; crowds pressing round and 
 'hanging on His words' [lit. transl. of 
 Luke xix, 48J . See the people making waj 
 
IN THE TEMPLE — PARABLES. 
 
 203 
 
 for the grave procession — as if afraid of 
 their haughty rulers ? perhaps so ; but which 
 really fears the other? (ver. 26). Hear 
 the sharp inquiry — insisting on an answer — 
 ' Who gave thee this authority ? We did 
 not.' But as we saw before [Lesson 
 LXVIII.}, Jesus replies with another ques- 
 tion ; ver. 25, Why this ? what to do with 
 it? — everything: did not the Baptist tell 
 another of their deputations who He 
 (Jesus) was ? see John i. lit, 26, 34 [Lesson 
 A'/F.] ; then, if the Baptist was God's 
 messenger, must not His testimony be 
 true ? and if so, would not God's Son have 
 authority over God's house ? 
 
 See the priests and scribes silent in con- 
 fusion and fear — why? (ver. 25, 26). Then, 
 if could not decide about John, how pre- 
 sume to judge Jesus ? justly He now refuses 
 to give them an answer. 
 
 And now it is His turn — He will rebuke 
 and condemn thevi — or, rather, make them 
 condemn themselves. (Comp. Nathan and 
 David, 2 Sam. xii.) Three parables : — 
 
 I, The Two Sons. 
 
 ' What think ye ? ' — they to be questioned 
 now. [Read parable.^ Cannot help giving 
 right answer — so easy — but how Jesus turns 
 it on them 1 ' The bad and low people 
 you despise — bad as they were, they did 
 listen to John, and repented — so ' did wUl 
 of the Father ' more than you — for you, who 
 professed to be so good (' / go, Sir,' see 
 Matt. XV. 8, xxiii. 3), rejected him, and 
 that even after you saw what good he did.' 
 Thus, the very thing they feared the people 
 knowing (their opinion of John), Jesus 
 publicly proclaims. Imagine their dismay ! 
 
 But Jesus has not done with them yet — 
 ' Hear another parable.' He has shown 
 them how they have acted individually, 
 each in his own heart and life ; now will 
 shew them their terrible guUt as rulers, 
 as representatives of the nation before God 
 and men. 
 
 II. The Wicked Husbandmen 
 [Read parable; see Notes 1, 2, 3.] Here 
 
 is a History of the Jews ; yet not like other 
 histories — Jesus teWsfuttire as well as pas*. 
 
 1. Their Privileges. When all the world 
 gone astray, God chose them out, one 
 family, one nation, to be separate — that He 
 might teach and train them, and give them 
 His Word— that they might be an example 
 to the world. [See Lessons IL, IIL, XXV., 
 XLVIH.] See what He had done for them 
 (Deut. iv. 32—38 ; Neh. ix. 7—25 ; Horn. iii. 
 1, 2, ix. 4, 5) : a good land, good laws, 
 teachers and rulers, victory and protection, 
 Ac, &c. Like the husbandmen, had every- 
 thing 'found them ' (ver. 33 — hedge, wine- 
 press, tower). 
 
 2. Their Wickedness. What might God 
 expect? Surely 'fruits' — gratitude, obe- 
 dience, faithful service. Did He get these 
 fruits ? When He sent servant after ser- 
 vant, prophet after prophet, how did they 
 treat them? see 2 Chron, xxxvi. 15, 16; 
 
 Neh. ix. 26 ; Matt, xxiii. 31, 37 ; Acts vii. 
 52 ; Heb. xi. 36—38. What could He do 
 more? (Luke xx. 13 ; Isa. v. 4). One more 
 trial — His Son should go. And what result? 
 Jesus tells them by the parable what He 
 knows is going to happen — conspiracy 
 (' come, let us kill him '), murder, robbery 
 ('sei2e on inheritance,' see John xi. 48). 
 
 3. Their Punishment. But He will make 
 them tell what that shall be, ver. 40, 41 — 
 
 (a) They to be ' miserably destroyed ' ; 
 
 (b) The privileges and blessings of God's 
 Kingdom to go to a new chosen people. 
 Did they perceive how they spoke their 
 own doom ? see ver. 45 — they saw Be 
 meant them, but perhaps condemned the 
 husbandmen all the louder [see Note 4] for 
 that, to make believe it did not concern 
 them at all ! But they shall not so escape : 
 see His own unmistakeable words, ver. 43. 
 
 They can bear it no longer — dare not 
 seize Jesus on the spot, for fear of people 
 (ver. 46) — go away discomiited (Mark). 
 What, think you, are the disciples and 
 those who favour Jesus thinking about? 
 Perhaps, ' Vineyard to go to others — that 
 must be us — we to be tlie great men in the 
 new Kingdom.' Let them not be so sure — 
 Jesus now gives a parable to warn them. 
 
 III. The King's Marriage Feast. 
 
 Fi)-st Section, ver. 2—10. A little more 
 history of the future here, told in another 
 way. ' The Son ' again — not as the re- 
 jected messenger, but as the glorious Prince 
 — not dying, but exalted to His royal 
 throne (see Ps. xlv. ; PhO. ii. 9 ; 1 Pet. iii. 
 22). Then go the heralds to proclaim the 
 feast ready [see Lesson XXVIII.] — the 
 Apostles preaching after the Ascension, see 
 Acts ii. 32—40, iii. 19, 26, v. 31. How 
 treated ? ver. 6 — just like the prophets in 
 the other parable. Again the punishment 
 predicted, ver. 7 — 'burnt up their city' — 
 how true afterwards ! But, just as vine- 
 yard given to other husbandmen, so feast 
 thrown open to other guests — all who be- 
 came Clnistians, whether Jews or Gentiles. 
 
 Second Section, ver. 11 — 14. Let not 
 every one who took Christ's side and joined 
 the Church think himself ' all right.' The 
 King would come in to see the guests (see 
 what Jesus said to the Seven Churches — 
 'I know thy works,' Rev. ii. 2, 9, 13, 19, 
 iii. 1 , 8,15) — would have none there who just 
 came in, dressed anyway, for what they 
 could get. See one guest trembling and 
 speechless under His searching eye — no 
 excuse [see Note 7] — what is his fate ? just 
 as terrible as theirs who came not at all. 
 
 Here was a solemn warning to the fol- 
 lowers and friends of Jesus, who might 
 think themselves so much better than those 
 proud priests and scribes. Did they need 
 the warning ? — think of Judas, Ananias, 
 <fec. ; see 2nd text for rep. 
 
 And we need the warning too. 
 Very easy to blame those wicked Jews— 
 so we ought. Very easy to be glad and 
 
204 
 
 LESSONS ON TUE LIFE OF OUU LOKD. 
 
 thankful that to us God's free invitation 
 has come, that we know better than to ill- 
 treat His messengers, that a feast of bless- 
 ings is spread for us— so we ought. But 
 have you the wedding garment ? What is 
 it ? It means this : to be fit for heaven. 
 How may we be ? 
 
 (a) By having our sin washed away — 
 how ? 1 John i. 7 ; Rev. vii. 14. 
 
 (b) By becoming righteous in God's sight 
 — how? by doing our best ? see what good 
 that is, Isa. Ixiv. 6 — ' all our righteousness 
 as filthy rags ' — rags unfit for palace, and 
 our best deeds unfit for heaven, because 
 
 always imperfect and mixed with sin. 
 How then ? Thus : we come to Christ, 
 cling to Him, trust in Him ; then God sees 
 us as if clothed in His righteousness, reckons 
 us to be righteous for His sake. PhU. iii. 9. 
 
 (c) And then the Holy Spirit comes, 
 gives us new hearts, makes us holy. 
 
 This called 'putting on the Lord Jesus 
 Christ,' Rom. xiii. 14 ; 'putting on the new 
 man,' Eph. iv. 24. 
 
 No excuse if without it — why ? Because 
 God, knowing we too poor {i.e., destitute of 
 goodness). Himself provides the ' wedding 
 garment ' for all who ask Him. 
 
 Notes. 
 
 1. Tlie Parable of the Wicked Husbandmen is 
 one of the three parables recorded by both 
 Matthew, Mark, and Luke, (the others being the 
 Sower and the Mustard Seed). It has an obvious 
 reference, which Chrisfs hearers would well 
 understand, to the parable in Isa. v. 1—7 (comp. 
 Ps. Ix.xx. 8—16) ; but the figure is varied by 
 making the husbandmen in fault instead of the 
 vineyard, by which means a closer application is 
 brought home to the official rulers and teachers, 
 and the vineyard supplies a distinct type. But 
 of what? Our Lord himself gives the answer, 
 in ver. 43—' The Kingdom of God ' ; on which see 
 Lesson XXVIII., Note 7. The other ' nation ' is 
 not the Gentiles, but those, whether Jews or 
 Gentiles, who should accept Christianity. 
 
 2. The hedge (or, probably, stone wall, which is 
 much more common in Palestine) was for the 
 protection of the vineyard; the loicer (called a 
 'cottage' in Isa. i 8, xxiv. 20: see Trench, 
 p. 195) for observation ; the winepress for tread- 
 ing out the grapes The expressed juice ran 
 through a grating into a cool receptacle beneath, 
 dug out of the ground or hewn out of the rock. 
 Mark mentions this vat ; Matthew the press 
 above. It is unnecessary to seek a symbolic 
 meaning in these particulars : they represent 
 generally the owner's provident care. 
 
 3. ' This is the heir ; come, let us kill him.' Can 
 it be said that the Jewish rulers put Jesus to 
 death knowing who He was ? To this it may be 
 answered. (1) that they were plainly told, and 
 ought to have known ; (2) that in all probability 
 the truth did more than once flash upon them, 
 but they resisted the thought,— and that it was 
 so, these very words may justly be taken as 
 evidence; (3) that the final resolution to kill 
 Him had been taken immediately after llis 
 greatest exhibition of Divine power; see John 
 li. 46—53; which passage also explains the 
 words, ' Let u.i seize on his inheritance,' for 
 (48th V.) their motive was fear lest they should, 
 through any conflict caused by Jesus, lose their 
 own power. 
 
 4. ' I/e shall miserably destroy those tcicked 
 men.' In the Greek, 'miserably' and 'wicked' 
 arc connected words, and the order of the sen- 
 tence is very emphatic: thu.s, 'The wretches! 
 wretchedly He will destroy them.' It seems 
 «lear that the rulers, and not the people, gave 
 this answer. The ' God forbid ' of Luke may 
 have been uttered by some of the people (see ver. 
 9, 18). 
 
 5. Christ's allusion to Ulmsell as the ' Stone ' 
 
 (ver. 42, 44) is omitted in the Sketch, to prevent 
 confusion. The change of figure was necessary 
 to show the victory of the Son notwithstanding 
 His murder by the ' husbandmen.' The quo- 
 tation is from the Messianic I'salm (cxviii.) so 
 familiar to the people— the very Psalm from 
 which their Hosannas had been taken. 
 
 The distinction between 'falling on the Stone' 
 and being crushed by the 'falling Stone' seems 
 to be this :— The Jews stumbled at Christ, were 
 'offended at Him,' in His humiliation (see 
 Lesson LI. Note 4) ; but for this there was a 
 remedy (in repentance), just as a man who falls 
 on a stone, and is hurt, may be cured. But the 
 falling Stone is Christ coming in judgment, 
 crushing all who are still impenitent. Compare 
 Dan. ii. 34, 35. 
 
 6. The parable of the Ufarriage of the King's 
 Son must be carefully distinguished from that 
 of the Great Supper in Luke xiv. (Lesson LXII.), 
 which, having been delivered before the hos- 
 tility of the Jewish rulers had become so open 
 and deadly, was of a much milder character than 
 this later one. 
 
 The mention of the King's armies destroying 
 the murderers and burning the city connects this 
 parable with that of the Wicked Husbandmen. 
 The two are concerned respectively with Old and 
 New Testament history. In the one. the Son 
 appears as the last of a line of servants or mes- 
 sengers ; in the other, as the glorified Prince. 
 In the one, God demands something from men ; 
 in the other. He oilers something to men. In the 
 one, the guilt lies in not fulfilling His require- 
 ments ; in the other, it lies in not accepting His 
 invitation. In the one we see the Law; in the 
 other, the Gospel. See Trench, p. 214. 
 
 The feast is clearly not the same as the mar- 
 riage-supper of the "Ten Virgins," and of Kev. 
 xix. 9. It is not the final happiness of the 
 redeemed, but the entire Gospel dispensation ; 
 see Lesson XXVIII., Note 7. The presence of the 
 unworthy guest— and here the one stands for 
 many, see ver. 10 ('both bad and good') — of 
 itself proves this. 
 
 7. To the question— Why was a poor man 
 blamed for not having a wedding garment, 
 when this might be owing to his ignorance 
 or his poverty? the answer is that the wedding 
 garments were provided by the King, aiul the 
 man could have had one if he would. Although 
 it is true that this is not (as often supposed) a 
 regular Eastern custom, yet it is obviously 
 implied in the parable, and required by tha 
 application. 
 
205 
 
 lesson LXXYlt— In the Temple— Questions. 
 
 ' How they might entangle Ilim in His talk.' 
 
 Read— Ma.tt. xxii. 15 — 16 ; (co7»p. Mark xii. 13—37 ; Luke xx. 20 — ±i) ; Learn — Ps. ivi. 
 
 5, 6; Luke xxi. 15. {Hymns, 91, IIG, 159, 161, 179, 206, 223, 354.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 In two respects the Lesson before us is a peculiar one. 
 
 (1) In scarcely any other Lesson will the methods of treating the subject in senior and 
 junior classes respectively be more utterly different. The ' Questions ' put to Christ must 
 certainly not be fully discussed with younger children (unless it be the first one, — which, 
 if the teacher feels himself able to explain it clearly, will prove interesting). With them, 
 the Lesson would consist of a series of pictures of the questioners propounding hard ques- 
 tions to Jesus, and of His wisdom and meekness in reply ; the application suggested in the 
 Sketch then following naturally. On the other hand, most elder scholars will be keenly 
 interested in the Questions themselves. 
 
 (2) Owing to the variety of topics introduced bj' the several Questions, many various 
 points of application present themselves in the course of the Lesson ; and these ma}' well 
 be briefly taken up as they arise, because there is no great truth, or principle, or duty, to 
 which the successive sections should (as in most Lessons) be made to converge. Thus, 
 
 The Christian duty of loyalty to constituted authority, and, in particular, of paying 
 taxes cheerfully and without attempt at evasion ; 
 
 The uselessness of 7nere loyalty and general good citizenship, rendering to 'Ca2sar' 
 what is due, but forgetting the still higher duty to God ; 
 
 The imfairness of infidel objections to Christianity, which so often seize upon some 
 petty difficulty or far-fetched imaginary case, and ignore the whole mass of positive 
 evidence for the truth ; 
 
 The spirituality of the life to come (a point of some importance in these days, when 
 religious literature is full of unduly material ideas of heaven) ; 
 The certainty of the resurrection ; 
 
 The paramount importance in religion of love, both to God and man ; 
 The superiority of such love to external rites and observances ; 
 The two-fold nature of Christ ; — 
 
 All these can be fairly taught from the passage, though it is obvious that time will 
 permit of only the briefest reference to them. 
 
 Sketch of Lesson. 
 
 butter, but war in their hearts ' (Ps. Iv. 21 ; 
 comp. xxviii. 3, xxxviii. 12, Ixii. 4). What 
 might it be thought they had come for ? — 
 two parties of them, Pharisees and He- 
 
 You have often seen a good and quiet 
 boy bulhed by bad boys. If the good boy 
 sensible, will take it patiently, not get 
 angry, bravely keep good temper. Then 
 what do the bullies do? Perhaps resort to 
 secret plots against him, take him un- 
 awares, craftily tempt him to say or do 
 something wrong— so be able to accuse or 
 report him. Does not the first text for rep. 
 describe them exactly ? 
 
 Christ's enemies just like this. Their 
 bullying [Inst Lesson] no use ; He repulsed 
 them, and (as always) the crowd took the 
 winning side ; so they dare not assail Him 
 openly. What to be done? Get some 
 others to go to Him with hard questions, 
 pretending lo be really anxious for His 
 advice — so may ' entangle Him in His talk,' 
 .Ind make Him say something they can 
 report to Pilate. See ver. 15 ; Mark xii. 13 ; 
 Luke XX. 19, 20. 
 
 I. The Pharisees' and Herodians' 
 Question. 
 
 See how deceitfully they come to Jesus, 
 ver. 16, 17 — ' their words smoother than 
 
 rodians — it would look as if they had been 
 disputing — what about ? Pharisees always 
 against Romans — ' Why should the ' holy 
 nation,' the chosen people, be subject to 
 these Gentile dogs? Why pay taxes to the 
 hated Roman Emperor?' Then the He- 
 rodians — they liked Romans no better, but 
 did not want people excited agamst the 
 taxes, lest a revolt should get rid of Herod 
 as well as Pilate. 
 
 So. just as if appealing to Jesus to settle 
 the dispute, they put the question. But do 
 you see the plot? If He said, ' Pay,' then 
 all the people would care no more about 
 Him, think Him as bad as the publicans. 
 If He said, 'Don't pay,' then could take 
 Him to Pilate as a rebel. 
 
 But Jesus sees through it — look how He 
 exposes them, ver. 18. Yet they shall have 
 an answer — only must first show what it is 
 they have to pay. A Roman ' penny,' with 
 the Eoman emperor's image stamped on it ! 
 
206 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 [see Note 1] — why, -where did they get it? 
 it mtist have belonged to a Roman once — 
 had they taken it in payment for some- 
 thing (as we say, ' over the counter ') ? did 
 they refuse it then because of the hated 
 face on it? would they refuse a gift of 
 such pennies? how then object to give — 
 no, not ^ffive ' (as they said) — ' render,' give 
 it bach to ' Caesar ' ? They had used his 
 coins — so accepted him as ruler — now must 
 take consequences. 
 
 But another duty — ' Render to God what 
 is God's ' — ah, if the Jews had done that, if 
 had never forsaken God, would not now be 
 subject to Cajsar at all. Let them be God's 
 true servants — this the only way to be 
 really free (see John viii. 31 — 36) — no 
 matter then who the earthly ruler — were 
 not Joseph, Daniel, Nehemiah, able to 
 serve both God and ' Ctesar ' ? 
 
 So say St. Paul and St. Peter to us and all 
 Christians — ' Be subject to the higher 
 powers ' (Rom. siii. 1 — 7) — ' Honour the 
 king' (1 Pet. ii. 13—17). When earthly 
 ruler bids us break God's law, then only is 
 it right to say as Peter did at another 
 time, Acts v. 29. And, ' what shall we 
 render unto the Lord ? ' Our own selves 
 (Rom. xii. 1 ; 1 Cor. vi. 19, 20)— the 'coins' 
 upon which He has stamped His own image 
 (Gen. i. 27, ix. 6 ; 1 Cor. xi. 7 ; Col. iii. l6). 
 
 II. The Sadducees' Question. 
 
 Another set of inquirers, ver. 23 — 28. 
 Sometimes boys ask queer things about 
 Bible, just for sake of asking, oi to make a 
 puzzle or raise a laugh. Just so these Sad- 
 ducees. Who ever heard of such a case ? — 
 a woman out-living seven husbands ! And, 
 did they really want to knovv ? if they did 
 not believe in souls living after death (see 
 Acts xxiii. 8 — ' nnr spirit'), why inquire 
 what happened after death ? Wlij' did they 
 ask? just to perplex Jesus, and turn the 
 people from Him — so be able to seize Him. 
 
 How does Jesus meet them ? Will shew 
 publicly how all their ideas about a life to 
 come are wrong. See Luke xx. — the souls 
 of the dead do live, ver. 38 ; dead bodies 
 shall rise, ver. 37 ; but the life to come is 
 quite difEerent from this life, ver. 34 — 30 
 {illust. — as much higher as the butterflifs 
 life surpasses that of the gruh it was before] 
 — so how can we understand it ? ' It doth 
 not yet appear what we shall be' (1 John 
 iii. 2). But how came the Sadducees' 
 error ? see ver. 29 : — 
 
 (a) They knew not the Scriptui-es. Had 
 they forgotten what God said to Moses? 
 how could God be ' the God of ' a dead man ? 
 — then Abraham alire in Moses' time — how 
 then no life to come ? [See Note 4.] 
 
 (b) They knew not the power of God. 
 Could not the Creator raise up again the 
 body He had made ? Should ask Paul's 
 question, Acts xxvi. 8. 
 
 Let us believe, (a) that Scripture is true, 
 {b) that God is almighty ; then we can say, 
 ' I believe .... in the Resurrection of tlie 
 dead and the Life of the world to come.' 
 
 III. The Lawyer's Question. 
 Pharisees not sorry to see their old 
 
 enemies beaten — some even praise Jesus ! 
 (Luke XX. 39) ; yet what to be done now ? 
 At last a good man among them [see Note 
 5] comes torvvard of his own accord with a 
 fresh question (see Mark). The scribes 
 fond of discussing about God's laws, dis- 
 puting which greater and which less. 
 What, he thinks, will be the Galilean 
 Rabbi's opinion ? Does Jesus give it as he 
 expects ? It might seem so — calls one 
 ' first and great,' another ' like unto it,' 
 ' none greater.' But does He say any are 
 ' less ' or ' smaller ' ? why, there are no 
 others left — all included in (• hang on ') these 
 two. Think — ^'^■hat sin could you commit 
 if j'ou kept these two perfectly '^ 
 
 How does the man take the answer ? (see 
 Mark) — it has gone to his heart — he feels 
 how true it is, how much better Jesus' 
 teaching is than that of the scribes— ^hear 
 his fearless speech before all ! Then will 
 he join Jesus altogether, be His disciple, 
 'humble himself as a little child to enter 
 the kingdom ' ? He is ' 7iot far ' from it — 
 but what use is that? [Jllust. — Drowning 
 man 'not far' from land ; f re-escape 'not 
 far ' from window ; but if can't reach — ?] 
 Whether he ever got nearer, we know not. 
 
 IV. Christ's Question. 
 
 Jesus has repelled all attacks, whether 
 open or secret (see Job v. 12, 13) — now 
 [ii/ce army faking offensive] His turn to ask 
 a question, ver. 41 — 46. Just as hard a 
 one ; and His enemies, after hearing Him 
 answer theirs, can't answer His. But what 
 a different one ! All theirs unprofitable — 
 His, how important ! And for us too : 
 ' What think ?/e of Christ ? ' do you think of 
 Him as Da\'id's Son, a sympathising King, 
 and yet as God's Son, a mighty Saviour ? 
 
 We have seen how Christ answered 
 questions. 
 
 Let 7is seek icisdom to ansrccr as well. Do 
 we need it ? Perplexing questions — annoy- 
 ing questions — malicious questions — they 
 will come. Especially to Christ's servants. 
 How hard to answer rightly, ' with meek- 
 ness of wisdom ' (Jas. iii. 13)"! What then ? 
 'Ask of God' (Jas. i. 3 — 5)— then shall 
 find Christ's promise (2nd text for rep.) 
 fulfilled— shall be readv ' to answer every 
 man' (Col. iv. 6 ; I Pct."iii. 1,'')). 
 
 And let us not imitate I/is questioners. 
 Are we ever tempted to annoy or puzzle 
 some one with a question ? Before we ask 
 it, think — ' Is it necessarj- ? is it kind ?' If 
 not, resolve as David did, Ps. xxxix. 1 ; and 
 pray David's prayer, Ps. cxli. ;>. 
 
 I^otes. 
 1. The Roman coinage was in Roncral circula- i pofcs, such as p.iyinp tlic- Toiiipip dnc.a, &c. ; see 
 tion In I'alestine in our Lord's time, the old Lesson XVII., Note 2. Tlie tribute was a poll- 
 Jewish money being used only for sacred pur- I tax ; tec Lesson V., Note 2. The Pharisees' de- 
 
IN THE TEMPLE DENUNCIATIONS. 
 
 207 
 
 sign in questioning Jesus about tlie tribute, is 
 clear from the charge they did bring against Him 
 only three days after : ' We found this fellow . . . 
 forbidding to give tribute to Casar,' Luke xxi ii. 2 ; 
 how falsely, this narrative shows. 
 
 2. The Sadducees were a comparatively small, 
 but very iuflueniial sect among the Jews. Their 
 chief tenet was their denial of that Oral Law, or 
 ' tradition of the elders,' which the Pharisees 
 regarded as of equal authority with the Written 
 Law of Moses. But they also refused to accept 
 any truth which was not strictly and literally 
 laid down in the Books of Moses ; and hence 
 their denial of the resurrection. If their rivals, 
 the Pharisees, believed too much, they believed 
 too little. Thej' believed in God, but regarded 
 Him as a remote and inaccessible Being, who 
 cared nut for the affairs of this lower world ; 
 fhey denied the existence of angels or spirits 
 (Acts xxlii. 8) ; and their manner of living was 
 in accordance with the Epicurean motto, ' Let us 
 eat and drink, for to-morrow we die.' No theo- 
 logy could be more contrary to the teaching of 
 Christ. He ever bid men live as in the presence of 
 an all-controlling and all-providing Father, and 
 in continual expectation of a higher life to come. 
 The Sadducees would look on Jesus as a narmless 
 enthusiast beneath their notice, and accordingly 
 they do not come forward as His active enemies 
 until just at the close of His ministry, when they 
 could no longer ignore His increasing influence. 
 
 3. The Mosaic law referred to by the Sadducees 
 is found in Deut. xxv. 5, 6. The first child by the 
 woman's second marriage was regisUred to her 
 late husband ; the object being ' that his name 
 be not put out of Israel.' 
 
 4. Our Lord's answer to the Sadducees presents 
 some difficulty at 3rst sight, as His quotation, 
 though decisive as. to the life of the disembodied 
 spirit, does not seem to prove a bodily resurrec- 
 tion. It may be observed that,— 
 
 (a) It is quite evident that, however obscure 
 the reply may appear to us, it was seen, both by 
 the questioners and the bystanders, to be un- 
 answerable. If we do not understand It, they did. 
 
 (b) As the foundation of the Sadducees' errors 
 was their unbelief in any spiritual existence at 
 all, an argument that went to the root of the 
 matter (as Christ's did, by showing that the 
 patriarchs were still reallyaliveafter their bodily 
 death) was in fact more weighty and far-reach- 
 ing than one directed only at a particular develop- 
 ment of their error. 
 
 (c) The spirit alone is not the man, any more 
 than the body alone. Both together make the man. 
 
 Therefore God, in speaking of the patriarchs, had 
 in view their entire and perfect natures ; and 
 though it Is true their bodies were dead, yet in 
 God's sight that death was but a temporary 
 sleep. 
 
 (d) The words 'I am the God of refer to the 
 covenant between God and the patriarchs. ' Part 
 of this covenant,' writes Mr. G. Warington, ' was 
 the possession of the land, which was promised 
 to Abraham and his seed. Yet Abraham did not 
 obtain this promise. The solution of this para- 
 do.\ is to be found in Heb. xi., where it is laid 
 down that Abraham looked for ' a heavenly 
 country,' i.e., he looked to obtain God's promise 
 of ' the land,' not in an earthlj' but in a heavenly 
 fashion. In other words, he looked for a resur- 
 rection life to come. This faith of Abraham, in 
 believing the sureness of God's promise when 
 its accomplishment seemed impossible, was ex- 
 actly what God required of Moses and the Israel- 
 ites when He spoke the words in question, and 
 it was to such as had this faith that the promise 
 should come true. Therefore He proclaimed 
 Himself as the God of Abraham, &c., regarding 
 Abraham not only as still alive, but as still look- 
 ing for the realisation in bodily (albeit heavenly) 
 life, of His promise about the land.' 
 
 Observe that Jesus said, ' Even Moses showed ' 
 (see Luke). There were clearer proofs In other 
 books of the O. T. (see Ps. xvi. 9; Isa. xxvi. 15; 
 Ezek. xxxvii. 1—14; Dan. xii. 2; Hos. xiii. 14); 
 but He chose the Pentateuch, because from it 
 was derived the law which gave point to the 
 question put to Him, and because it was, for the 
 Sadducees, and indeed for all Jews, the ultimate 
 appeal on all doctrinal differences. 
 
 5. It seems probable, from the excellent spirit 
 afterwards manifested by the lawyer, that his 
 question was not asked maliciously ; and the 
 word 'tempted,' in Matt., does not necessarily 
 imply it, see Lesson LXVIII., Note 2. But it 
 may be that, though obviously a better man 
 than the rest, he nevertheless shared the general 
 hostility towards Jesus ; in which case his frank 
 commendation of our Lord's answer was all the 
 more creditable to him. 
 
 His question was a constant bone of conten- 
 tion among the scribes and rabbis, one of those 
 'strivings about the law' against which St. 
 Paul warns Titus (Tit. iii. 9). 
 
 6. Let it be carefully noted that our Lord's 
 question, ' What think ye of Christ?' Is not to 
 be read as though it were ' What think ye of 
 Jesus— of Me ?' It means, ' What think ye of the 
 Messiah whom ye are expecting?' See preface 
 to Lesson LIV. 
 
 Lesson LXXYIII.— In the Temple— Denunciations. 
 
 ' Being grieved for the hardness of their hearts.'' 
 
 Read — Matt, xxiii. ; Learn — Luke xvi. 15 ; Ps. ii. 12 ; Rom. viii. 8, 9. {Hymns, 19, 60, 105, 
 108, 109, 141—143, 146, 172, 175, 359.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 This Lesson, as taken in the Sketch, is quite different from every other in the Course. 
 It is almost entirely taken up with the practical details of life and conduct, and is more 
 like the Lessons on particular sins and duties which we draw from Old Testament 
 
 p 2 
 
208 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUK LORD. 
 
 biographies or the Book of Proverbs. As the preceding and succeeding Lessons in this 
 part of the Covirse have a certain similarity of character, being more or less occupied with 
 the general subject of the rejection of Christ, this one will perhaps prove useful as giving 
 a change of topic for one Sunday. 
 
 Each teacher will have to think out for himself the precise way in which to apply the 
 several features of the Pharisees' character to his class, according to the sex, age, circum- 
 stances, itc, of the scholars. All that could be done in the Sketch was to give some 
 specimen applications under each head. 
 
 All Sunday-school lessons on the details of character and conduct should end as the 
 Sketch does, or in some similar way ; i.e., the children should be appealed to — (1) to bring 
 their faults and faOings to the throne of grace, to be forgiven for Christ's sake ; (2) to 
 seek the aid of the Divine Spirit, ' without Whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy.' 
 
 Sketch of Lesson. 
 
 Passionate and irritable people — gentle 
 and patient people : how different ! Now 
 if passionate man spoke to you, or of you, 
 very severely, you might not mind it — 
 might saj-, ' It is his way,' &c, But Lf the 
 severe words came from veiy gentle person, 
 would feel them keenly — say, ' Must be 
 deserved : he would not speak so without 
 cause.' 
 
 Then whose severe -words must be 
 severest of all ? We sing, ' Gentle Jesus, 
 meek and mild,' and see 2 Cor. x. 1. What 
 must Eis rebukes be ! ' The Lamb ' was 
 slain to save its from God's just wrath 
 against sin ; but how be saved from ' the 
 wrath of the Lamb ' ? (Kev. \i, 16 ; 2nd 
 text for rep.) 
 
 To-day see what terrible denunciations 
 even Jesus could utter. 
 
 Pharisees, Herodians, Sadducees — priests, 
 scribes, elders — all repulsed [last two Les- 
 sons], Now they shall know what He 
 thinks of them. The whole multitude, 
 excited with the conflicts they have watched 
 all that long day, shall hear His words (see 
 Luke XX. 45) — His last words to His proud 
 and bitter foes. 
 
 See what He calls them : * Hypocrites ' 
 seven times (ver. 13, 14, 15, 23, 25, 27, 29) ; 
 'blind guides 'twice (ver. 16, 24); 'fools 
 and blind' twice (ver. 17, 19) ; worst of all 
 (ver. 33), 'serpents' and 'vipers'! Why 
 all this ? because they deserved it ? Then 
 let us see what He accused them of — per- 
 haps may find some sins mentioned which 
 we have done, which would make vs deserve 
 these same fearful names. Is that pos- 
 sible? Let us think. Here are Eight 
 Woes uttered by Christ : see why each was 
 spoken. 
 
 1. Fcr. 13: They hindered the ' Kingdom.' 
 Giving up sin and coming to Christ, is like 
 entering a palace [camp, parable in Lesson 
 LXXVI]. Did the Pharisees go in when 
 called ? Not only refused, but hindered 
 others (see John vii. 46 — 52, ix. 22, xii. 42). 
 
 Some of you are refusing the invitation — 
 won't ' come in.' But is that all ? Have 
 you not hindered others, enticing them 
 away, laughing at them, threatening them ? 
 Even about church or school, it might 
 bo eaid to some, 'Te neither go in, nor 
 
 suffer them that are entering to go in ! ' 
 To such Jesus says, ' IVoe unto you ! ' 
 
 2. Ver. 14 : They put on a show of religion 
 for the sake of gain. Widows, deceived by 
 
 a Pharisee's long prayers, would tnist him 
 with their little monej^, and be swindled. 
 (Perhaps such a man the widow's 'ad- 
 versary ' in the parable, Luke xviii. 3.) 
 
 Have you ever pretended to be very 
 good, in order to be trusted, to win parent's, 
 master's, or teacher's, favour ? to get some 
 present or promotion ? Have smaller 
 children trusted in you, and you played 
 them some trick ? To such Jesus says, 
 ' Woe unto you ! ' 
 
 3. Ver. 15 : They tried hard to tain men, 
 not to God, but to themselves. But did they 
 not hate and despise Gentiles ? yes, but if 
 could get one to join the7n, be circumcised, 
 keep all their tiresome rules, &c., what a 
 triumph for them ! For this they cared — 
 not to make him God's holy and loving child. 
 Plenty of zeal, but zeal in a bad cause ; see 
 Acts. xxii. 3 ; Rom. x. 2. [See Note 2.] 
 
 How eager some boys to get others to 
 'come along with them,' to be in their 
 'set' or 'party,' even to join their church 
 or school ! This may be good, but how 
 often the feeling merely selfishness, or 
 envy 1 how rarely is it with a view to 
 bringing them to Christ ! Yet if not this, 
 He only says, ' Woe unto you ! ' 
 
 4. Ver. 16 — 22 : They misled the people 
 about oaths, Sfc. If a man promised, witlj 
 an oath ' by the gold of the Temple,' to do 
 something, must keep promise; but if the 
 oath 'by the Temple,' need not. How 
 foolish and puzzling ! and what tempta- 
 tions to break word ! What does Jesus 
 say? ver. 21, 22 — every oath alike, the 
 same as if ' by God ' ; and what does He 
 say of that ? see Matt. v. 33 — 37 ; comp. 
 Jas. V. 12. 
 
 Is not this exactly a boy's fault ? — making 
 subtle distinctions— thinking 'I swear I 
 will ' more binding than ' I will ' — thinking 
 one kind of swearing wicked, another ' no 
 harm.' In other thin^, too — 'I may say 
 this, but not that ' — a be shameful, but pre- 
 varication or deceitful act a thing to boast 
 of. To such Jesus says, ' Woe unto you !' 
 
 i 
 
IN THE TEMPLE DENUNCIATIONS. 
 
 209 
 
 5. Ver, 23, 24 : Tkeir religion was a 
 religion of trifles. When they paid tlieir 
 tithes for God's service (Lev. xxvii. 3U), 
 careful to reckon not only com, oil, fruit, 
 &c., but every little herb. Was it not 
 right to be so particular ? yes (' not leave 
 the other undone'), but they gave this to 
 God instead of greater tilings — instead of 
 what ? ver. 23. Would be proud and un- 
 just, yet think 'all right' because had paid 
 all those little tithes ! 
 
 Just like some of us ! keep outward rules 
 {e.g., regular attendance at church and 
 school) strictly ; even in little things {e.g., 
 saying all the responses, handling Bibles 
 carefully). All very good ; but where is the 
 real love of God, and unselfish, gentle life ? 
 To how many such must Jesus say; ' Woe 
 unto you ! 
 
 6, 7. Ver, 25 — 28 (two ' woes ' very much 
 alike) : Their religion an outside religion. 
 See some more things they were so strict 
 about, Mark vii. 2—4. So men admired 
 them ; they were ' beautiful outwardly ' — 
 like what ? ver. 27 — but what a picture of 
 their hearts ! full of everything foul and bad. 
 
 This much worse than the last. May be 
 sincere about trifles, though mistaken. But 
 pretence and hypocrisy — how hateful ! Any 
 of you like this? What is in your heart? 
 Would you like any one to see all that is 
 there ? Not one of us could bear that. 
 Yet God sees, 1 Sam. xvi. 7 ; 1 Kings viii. 39 ; 
 1 Chron. xxviii. 9 ; Jer. xvii. 10 ; and David 
 wished Him to see, to search every corner, 
 Ps. cxxxix. 23, 24 — but what for ? that all 
 might be cleansed, Ps. li. 2, 6, 10. But 
 if you like the sin, and are content to be 
 good outside, then will Jesus say, ' Woe 
 unto you ! ' 
 
 NOTE: 
 
 1. On ' phylacteries,' &c., see Lesson LXV. ; on 
 •uppermost rooms' (or 'places'), Lesson LXII., 
 ifote 2 ; and on ver. S-Z2, Lesson LXXII. 
 
 2. By 'proselytes' must be understood, not 
 such as Cornelius and others, who worshipped 
 the true God while still remaining Gentiles, but 
 those who were circumcised and submitted to 
 the whole Mosaic law and Pharisaic traditions. 
 Such proselytes, if not changed in heart, might 
 Btill retain their heathen vices and superstitions 
 along with their new ritual observances, and 
 thus be ' twofold children of hell.' 
 
 There is an allusion to the proselytising zeal 
 of the Jews in Horace, Sut. I. iv. 143 ; and to their 
 habit of tampering with oaths, in Martial, ix. 94. 
 
 3. ' A debtor,' in ver. 16, and ' guilty' in ver. 18, 
 are the same in the Greek ; the word meaning 
 strictly 'bound,' ie., by the oath. ' Sanctifieth 
 the gold'; rather, ' makes it sacred.' 
 
 4. ' Mint, anise, and cummin ' are small herbs, 
 used in the East both in medicine and cookery. 
 ' Anise ' is probably ' dill.' 
 
 5. 'Strain at a gnat.' rather 'strain out.' This 
 is a mere misprint, the word being 'out' in early 
 editions of our English Bible. The Jews care- 
 fully strained their wine, lest they should be 
 defiled by swallowing an insect. The gnat was 
 one of the unclean animals (see Lev. xi. 41, 42), 
 
 8. Fer. 29,32: They revered dead prophets, 
 but persecuted living ones, Moses, Elijah, 
 Jeremiah — how they honoured those names ! 
 but John the Baptist— how did they treat 
 him? Jesus Himself — how did they treat 
 Him? The Apostles, by-and-bye — how 
 would they treat them ? ver. 34. 
 
 Do you say, I am not like them in that, 
 at all events ? How do you treat your 
 mother ? and if you had next week to stand 
 by her grave, what woidd you think of her 
 then ? 
 
 Thus we see what the things are 
 THAT MAKE CHRIST ANGRY : everything 
 false, deceitful, hypocritical. True religion 
 like good coin ; and all counterfeits He 
 hates. 
 
 Bare ice been guilty of any of these things f 
 To think of that kind Face looking at us 
 in sad displeasme ! What do ? see second 
 text for rep. — ' Kiss the Son, lest He be 
 angry, and ye perish from the way, when 
 His icrath is kindled but a little.' ' Kiss' — 
 what meant ? Come to Him, worship Him, 
 love Him, entreat His mercy [ilbist. — re- 
 jjentant child seeking mother^ s lciss'\. And 
 see rest of verse — ' Blessed . . they that trust 
 Him '—why ? so full of love. Looking at 
 these denunciations against the Pharisees, 
 you might say (Ps. Ixxvii. 9), ' Hath He in 
 anger shut up His tender mercies?' But 
 see His last words, ver. 37 — an outburst of 
 pity ! comp. Ps. xxx. 5, ciii. 9 ; Isa. liv. 8 ; 
 Mic. vii. 18. 
 
 Hoio may we avoid these things ? See 
 third text for rep. — ' in the flesh,' natm-ally, 
 of ourselves, ' cannot please Him '; yet see 
 the way — ' the Spirit dwelling in us.' Can. 
 we hope for that ? to have God the Holy 
 Ghost in our sinful hearts? see Luke xi. 13- 
 
 a»d so was the camel (ver. 4) which our Lord 
 took as the type of the greater sins concerning 
 which the Pharisees had no scruple. 
 
 6. ' Whited sepulchres.' Once a year, on the l«th 
 Adar, the Jewish graves were whitewashed, to 
 lender them conspicuous, lest the passer-by 
 should be made unclean (Numb. xix. 16) by 
 touching them unawares. 
 
 7. 'From the blood of Abel unto the blood of 
 Zacharias.' This Zachariasis probably Zechariah 
 the son of Jehoiada, who was stoned in the 
 Temple-court in the reign of Joash, 2 Chron. 
 xxiv. 20—22. His being named by our Lord as 
 the last of the martyrs may be accounted for by 
 the fact that, in the ancient Jewish arrangement 
 of the 0. T., the Books of Chronicles came last, 
 so that Abel and Zechariah would be the first 
 and last examples in the .Scriptures (Lightfoot). 
 It is worth noting, too, that in each case there is 
 a call for Divine vengeance: 'The voice of thy 
 brother's blood crieth unto Me' (Gen. iv. 10); 
 'Let the Lord look upon it and require it' 
 (2 Chron. xxiv. 22). 
 
 Another reason is suggested to the writer by- 
 Mr. G. Warington, viz., 'the intrinsic character 
 of the two murders. Abel's was the murder of a 
 brother, utterly unoffending, and hated only 
 because of his righteousness, and his recognition 
 of the way In which God's favour was to be 
 
210 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 obtained, in contrast to his brother's passion 
 and wll-worship. Zechariah's was the murder 
 of & prophet, hated for his faithfulness and plain- 
 speaking. These two represented the leading 
 features of that murder which the Jews were 
 about to commit, and the complicated guilt 
 which they would thus bring upon their heads.' 
 That Christ was not imputing to that genera- 
 tion the actual guilt of their fathers, is clear 
 from the fact that their fathers did not kill Abel, 
 much less shed ' all the righteous blood shed 
 upon the earth.' What He meant, no doubt, 
 was that their guilt in killing the Son of JIan, 
 the representative and federal head of His 
 Church, was as great as that of all other murders 
 of His people put together. All persecutions of 
 
 His servants had been persecution of Himself 
 (Acts ix. 4 ; comp. Matt. xxv. 40, 45), and, con- 
 versely, the persecution of Himself involved the 
 persecution of all His members. 
 
 But why is Zechariah here called the ' son of 
 Barachias'? The most probable explanation is 
 that Christ did not so call him, there being no 
 such words in the parallel passage in Luke (xi. 
 :,\), and that the mistake is due to some early 
 copyist having confounded Jehoiada's son with 
 the prophet Zechariah, who (Zech. i. 1) was ' the 
 son of Berechiah.' 
 
 8. Ver. 14 is omitted in the oldest MSS., but 
 its contents appear in Mark and Luke, and are 
 therefore included in the Sketch. 
 
 lesson LXXIX.— In tlie Temple— Tlie Final Rejection. 
 
 ' To the Jews a stumbling-block, and to the Greeks foolishness.' 
 
 Read— ^ohxi xii. 20—43 ; Learn— I Cor. i. 22—24 ; John xii. 32, 83. {Hymns 40, 42, C2, 
 63, 90, 101, 127, 167, 238, 312.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 The last Lesson consisted almost entirely of application ; this Lesson only gives the 
 opportunity for a very brief and general one. Then our attention was fixed on the human 
 heart and its wickedness ; now on Christ and His redemption. Yet, as has been observed 
 before, the simple exhibition of the Lord Jesus in His self-sacrificing love is the most 
 powerful of applications ; and if this is done faithfully, we have a right to expect in our 
 classes a fulfilment of the great prophecy brought before us in this Lesson — ' I, if I be 
 lifted up, will draw all men unto Me.' 
 
 Senior-class teachers may prefer taking the passage verse by verse to adopting the more 
 artificial method suggested in the Sketch. Further comments on some verses not taken 
 in the Sketch wiU be fovmd in the Notes. The illustration of a magnet can be worked 
 out more fully by teachers who have sufficient knowledge to use it accurately, and who 
 have classes that can appreciate it. The 7-epelling as well as the attracting influence of 
 the Cross (see 2 Cor. ii. 16) may be illustrated by it. 
 
 Sketch of Lesson. 
 
 We come to-day to a great crisis. What 
 is a crisis ? A time of decision one way or 
 the other [illustrate by crisis of a battle, or a 
 game, or a choice for good or evil] — e.g., 
 when, at end of long day on Carmel (1 
 Kings xviii.), Elijah prayed for ' an answer 
 by fire,' while the people watched breath- 
 lessly : that was a ' crisis.' 
 
 Look at ver. 23, 27 — Jesus speaks of an 
 ' hour ' having come, that ' hour ' to which 
 He has so long looked forward. [See expla- 
 nation and references in Lesson LXX.] 
 Now what kind of ' hour ' was it ? — of joy 
 or sorrow — success or failure — triumph or 
 dLsappointment ? 
 
 Chuist's ' Ilouri ' — What was it? 
 
 I. It seemed like an ' Tlour ' of Triumph. 
 
 (a) Think of Jerusalem in that week — 
 preparations for Passover — crowds from all 
 parts — easily excited [illust.—like heap of 
 shavings ready to fare up if one spark fall 
 onit\. Many things talked of, but one great 
 topic — the Naz.irene Prophet — who did 
 really raise dead man to life only two miles 
 oflE — who boldly entered city in procession 
 
 — vs-hom so many Galileans think to be 
 Messiah, but whom the rulers wish to kill. 
 
 {b) Here are some Gentile foreigners, 
 who (like the Ethiopian eunuch, Acts viii. 
 27) have learned to know the true God, and 
 have ' come up to worship at the feast,' ver. 
 20. How much to .=tartle and annoy them 
 in Jerusalem ! — [illust. for senior classes — 
 Luther at liome^ — cattle-market in only 
 part of Temple they may enter, luxury of 
 priests, arrogance of Pharisees, Roman 
 troops obliged to keep order even in the 
 ' holy city.' But. they, too, hear of the Naza- 
 rene — who dared to drive out those traders 
 — who speaks ' as never man spake ' — who ia 
 no turbulent, bigoted Jew, but calm, wise, 
 loving : — is not this the very person to 
 guide and teach them, to clear up the per- 
 plexities in their minds, and make them wise 
 and good ? See the request, ver. 21 — ' We 
 would see Jesus.' 
 
 (r) Now come into the Temple. An ad- 
 miring multitude round Jesus — have been 
 listening all day to His wondrous words, 
 how He has met every hard question, re- 
 
IN THE TEMPLE THE FINAL REJECTION. 
 
 211 
 
 pulsed every attack, exposed and denounced 
 his enemies' hypocrisy [see three last Les- 
 sons^ — how keenly they have watched it 
 all ! — how excited they now are ! — how 
 ready to hail Him as the long-looked-for 
 King — what a joyous Passover if Messiah 
 has come at last ! And now a peal in the 
 heavens, ver. 29 — ' Is it thunder, or an 
 angel's voice ? ' Can we not see the crowd 
 on the tip-toe of expectation ? 
 
 All the city thinking and talking of Him 
 — Greeks seeking Him — Jews ready to crown 
 Him — what a seeming ' hour ' of triumph ! 
 
 II. But it proved to he an ' Hour ' of Re- 
 jection and Svffering, 
 
 What ivas that startling sound that 
 seemed like thimder ? ver. '28. Why this 
 Voice ? a ' sign ' for the people ? God's 
 own call to them to receive His Son ? 
 Yes, partly (ver. 30) ; otherwise God need 
 not have spoken audibly. But why the 
 message at all ? See ver. 27 — Jesus 
 ' troubled '—the Father speaks to comfort 
 Him. Why ' troubled ' ? does He foresee 
 a.l the awful sufferings now so near ? but 
 so He had before, and then how did He 
 regard them ? [/See Lessons LX., LXXII.^ 
 Ah, but remember He has a man's heart, 
 and now He begins to feel the shame and 
 pain of being reckoned as one guilty — the 
 burden of our guilt laid upon Him (Isa. liii. 
 6) crushes Him down. 
 
 How, then, came the Rejection ? 
 
 (a) Did the Greeks reject Him ? We are 
 not told whether they saw Him at all ; but 
 if they heard, or were told, His answer 
 (ver. 23 — 26), how offended they would be ! 
 Why ? Because He speaks of Death — that 
 He is going to die (ver. 24) — that His fol- 
 lowers must be ready to die too (ver. 25) — 
 Instead of hsteningto His teaching as to that 
 of a wise philosopher, they must go with 
 Him to suffering and the grave. Certainly 
 they would turn from a Master who spoke 
 like that. 
 
 (b) Did the Jews reject Him ? How so, 
 if ready to make Him King ? But see ver. 
 32, 33 — He tells them plainly what must 
 happen to Him first — ' lifted vp,' i.e., hung 
 upon a cross [see Note 4], put to death by 
 the Romans as a vile slave ! Enough to 
 turn them against Him ! — ' how can He be 
 Messiah ? is not Messiah to live and reign 
 for ever ? ' (ver. 34 ; see Ps. Ixxxix. 36 ; 
 Isa. ix. 7 ; Dan. vii. 14). Then see His 
 answer, ver. 35, 36 [see Lesson LV.] — let 
 them not expect to have Him with them 
 ' for ever ' — only ' a little while ' ; if they be- 
 lieve not on Him quickly, the ' darkness ' of 
 sin and misery on them. It does not take 
 
 long to decide, ver. 37 — such a King as this 
 won't do for them. Imagine hope turning 
 to disappointment, admiration to rage I — 
 and, three days afterwards, they are cryhig 
 ' Crucify Him ! ' 
 
 Why then the Rejection ? what the cause 
 of offence ? see 1st text for rep. — ' Christ 
 crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling-block ' 
 (can't ^ get over it'), and 'to the Greeks 
 foolishness.' 
 
 III. Yet it was really an 'Hour' of 
 Triumph after all. 
 
 Bitter to Jesus to see the people turning 
 from Him (this was part of His suffering) ; 
 bitter to feel the crushing weight of man's 
 sin ; and yet, — 
 
 (a) See what he says to Philip and An- 
 drew when they bring the Greeks' request, 
 ver. 23 — an ' hour ' of glory ! How ? ver. 
 24 — if you put your seed away in a drawer, 
 will you get a crop from it ? what do with 
 it ? put it in the ground ? but then it will 
 break up and die — ah, but that 's the very 
 thing wanted if new com to spring up 
 (comp. 1 Cor. xv. 36). So with Jesus— if 
 He died not, would ' abide alone ' — go back 
 to His glory in heaven, but take none with 
 Him. But He will die — then a harvest of 
 saved souls. So He ' sees His seed ' (Isa. 
 liii. 10), and ' for the joy set before Him 
 endures the cross ' (Heb. xii. 2). 
 
 (b) See what He tells the Jews, ver. 32, 
 He is going to ' draw all men to Him ' — 
 when ? as He sits on His royal throne ? no, 
 but as He hangs on the cross, dying like 
 the meanest slave ! The cross should be 
 the magnet to attract men. They would 
 think of the Son of God dying for their 
 sin, and that would melt their hard hearts. 
 ' All men,' too, Greeks as well as Jews — no 
 difference — all guilty (Rom. iii. 9), and sal- 
 vation for all (Rom. x . 1 2) . Look again at 1 st 
 text for rep. — ' To them that beheve, both 
 Jews and Greeks,' Christ crucified is not a 
 stumbling-block, not foohshness, but — ? 
 
 Think of the triumphs of the Cross since 
 then ! Wherever the story of Christ cruci- 
 fied is told, men are ' drawn ' to Him. 
 
 How DOES THE CROSS CONCERN US ? 
 
 Are we ' drawn ' to Christ ? Do we feel 
 the magnetic power of His love ? We like 
 to hear of missionary successes, of the 
 heathen being ' drawn ' to their Saviour ; 
 but are we, all the while, rejecting Him 
 ourselves ? 
 
 We think the Jews guilty who rejected 
 Jesus because they could not underetand 
 the Cross. We do understand it — if we 
 reject Him, what must our guilt be ! 
 
 Notes. 
 
 1. Commentators differ as to the particular day 
 on which the incidents of this passage occurred. 
 Greswell and Stier place them on the day of the 
 Entry, Sunday. Canon Norris, in an excellent 
 little book lately published, A Key to the Four 
 Oospels, places them on Wednesday. But most 
 writers think that they occurred on Tuesday, 
 
 after Christ's long series of conflicts with the 
 rulers. 
 
 This chapter appears to describe the falling 
 away from Him of the people, who up to this 
 have been well-disposed towards Him, despite 
 the rulers' antagonism, but who are now offended 
 at His Dlain announcement of His comins death. 
 
212 
 
 I.ESSONS ON THK LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 2. Jesus was probably now in the Court of the 
 Women (see Plan on page 14G, and Lesson LV., 
 Note 2), in which was the ' treasury '—the thir- 
 teen large chests, with openings shaped lilie 
 trumpets, into which the people 'cast gifts.' 
 Here He saw and commended the widow who 
 'threw in two mites' (Mark xii. 41—44), and 
 hither would be brought to Ilim the request of 
 the Greeks, who, not being permitted to come 
 beyond the outer court of the Oentiles, were 
 unable to approach Him. The wall which se- 
 parated the Court of the(;entiles from the rest of 
 the Temple was called the ' Wall of Partition,' 
 to which St. Paul alludes in Eph. ii. 14— 'He 
 [Christ] is our peace, who hath made both [i.e., 
 Jews and Gentiles] one, and hath broken down 
 the wall of partition.' This fact enhances the 
 significance of Christ's words on receiving the 
 message ; three days more, and His death would 
 put an end to all separation ; He was going to 
 die 'that He might reconcile bo'h unto God in 
 one body by the cross ' (Eph. ii. IG). 
 
 Why did the Greeks apply specially to Philip? 
 Perhaps they were from the Gentile cities which 
 had sprung up around the Lake of Galilee (see 
 Additional Note IV., page 58), and had known 
 him there ; which would account for the mention 
 hereof Bethsaida as his city (ver. 21). It may 
 also be observed that Philip is a Greek name, 
 which may suggest that this Apostle had foreign 
 connections. 
 
 3. The voice from heaven was the third in the 
 course of our Lord's ministry. At His Baptism 
 it was (probably) heard only by Himself and the 
 Baptist. At the Transfiguration, Peter, James, 
 and John heard it. Now all the people hear it. 
 It is not likely that even those who thought ' an 
 
 angel spake ' could distinguish the words ; comp. 
 Acts ix. 7, xxii. 9. 
 
 The ' trouble ' of soul, to calm which the 
 Father's assurance came, was without doubt a 
 foretaste of the ' agony ' of Gethsemane. Bengel 
 says, 'The horror of death, and the ardour of 
 obedience, were contending in our Lord.' Hence 
 the exclamation, ' What shall I say?' ' Save me 
 from this hour '-here is the 'horror of death'; 
 ' Father, glorify Thy Name'— here is the ' ardoiir 
 of obedience.' 
 
 4. ' Lifted up from the earth: Twice before had 
 Jesus used this phrase, John iii. 14, viii. 28. It 
 was no doubt a current expression specifically 
 applied to crucifixion, just as the word 'hang,' 
 which does not of itself imply death, has with 
 us come to mean a particular mode of execution. 
 See the next verse—' This He said, signifying 
 what death He should die.' 
 
 5. On ver. 39, if), compare Lesson XL., Note 2. 
 Ver. 41—' These things said Esaias, when he saw 
 IJis glory, and spake of IJim'—is a striking proof 
 of Christ's Divinity, as it identifies Him plainly 
 with Jehovah. Sec Isa. vi. 1—5. 
 
 6. It is difficult to say what is the precise rela- 
 tion of ver. 44—50 to the rest of the chapter. 
 Certainly ver. 36 concludes the history, and ver. 
 37— 43 contain the Evangelist's summing up of 
 the situation. Some think, therefore, that the 
 subsequent sayiugs are fragments of various 
 discourses cited by St. John in illustration of 
 what he has just written. But, against this, 
 there is the expression, in ver. 44, 'Jesus cried," 
 i.e., 'cried out loudly,' as in John vii. 37 and oa 
 the cross. Perhaps the words were a solemn 
 farewell spoken just as He was finally departing 
 from the Temple, as mentioned in ver. 36. 
 
 Lesson LXXX.— On Olivet— Concerning tlie Fall of Jerusalem. 
 
 'Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles' 
 
 TJead— Matt. xxiv. {parts) ; {comi). Mark. xiii. ; Lnke xxi.) ; Learn— Ltike xix. 43, 44 ; 
 
 Rom. xi. -20, 21. {Hymns, 8'2, 84, 8G, 132, 141, 188, 196, 233, 234.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 The teacher will have to study with unusual care the two chapters ^vhich come before 
 us in this and the three following Lessons, if he is to be really ' furnished ' for his teach- 
 ing, and prepared to answer the questions of intelligent children. For this purpose, not 
 only are the ' Notes ' to this Lesson exceptionally full, but two ' Additional Notes ' are 
 appended, one on the interpretation of the discourse, the other containing a brief 
 historical sketch of the Fall of Jerusalem. The works there mentioned should be referred 
 to, if accessible. Two admirable chapters in Smith's Student's New Testament IHstori/ 
 will also be found most suggestive ; and in the latter part of an instructive and well- 
 written tale called Helena's Household (Nelson) is embodied a vivid account of the Siege. 
 
 In actual teaching, however (except with senior classes), the more difficult passages may 
 properly be avoided. The teacher's time will be better occupied in relating various par- 
 ticulars of the destruction of the city and the miseries of the people— giving them just 
 as he would give a ' story ' — than in vainly endeavouring to explain the chapter verse by 
 verse. No teaching can be more useful than that which displays the exact fulfilment of 
 prophecy ; and after so many lessons in which the national rejection of Christ has been 
 the leading topic, it is important to describe the terrible consequences of that rejection. 
 In particular, the Lesson (LXXV.) on the Fruitless Fig-tree prepared the way for the 
 solemn teachings of the subject before us. 
 
ON OLIVET CONCERNING THE FALL OF JERUSALEM. 
 
 213 
 
 Sketch of Lesson. 
 
 We left Jesus going out of the Temple 
 for the last time, after His rejection by the 
 mistaken and disappointed people [7-eca- 
 pitulute]. The Apostles with him — are they 
 downcast ? — yet how easily their thoughts 
 turned to other things [illust. — like boys' 
 eyes ivandering even during most solemn 
 lesson] — admiring the Temple in its splen- 
 dour, its white marble and glittering gold — 
 wondering at huge stones in walls and 
 towers — watching the workmen still en- 
 larging and beautifying it [see Note 2J ; 
 and now pointing all out to their Master. 
 But where are JUis thoughts ? ver. 2 — He 
 looks forward forty years, as He did two 
 days ago [Lesson LXXIV.], and sees where 
 those great stones will be then. 
 
 Down into the Kedron valley — up the 
 slope of Ohvet — there He sits gazing on 
 Jerusalem — Temple right opposite in all 
 its glory — sun fast sinking behind the city. 
 Disciples troubled at His words — four of 
 them (see Mark) must ask more about it. 
 
 1. The Disciples'' Question, ver. 3. Three 
 th:ngs they want to know. («) 'These 
 things ' (the calamities on Jerusalem) — 
 when ? (5) That ' coming,' and (c) that 
 ' end of the world,' which He has men- 
 tioned (Matt. X. 23, xiii. 40, 49, xvi. 27, 28) 
 — how fire they to know when they wUl be ? 
 It is all a puzzle to them ; and no wonder — 
 for what have they been expecting ? Jesus' 
 triumph in that very Jerusalem — and now 
 He is rejected and the city to be destroyed ! 
 — when shall He reign ? now ? or not till 
 ' end of world ' ? 
 
 2. Christ's Answer. Extends all through 
 these two chapters. Does He tell what 
 they want to know ? Calamities on the 
 Jews (xxiv. 15 — 21) — His Coming (xxiv. 
 27, 30, 37, XXV. 13, 19, 31)— the ' end ' and 
 Last Judgment (xxiv. 6, 13, 14, 45, xxv. 
 31 — 46) — all mentioned- plenty of 'signs' 
 too (xxiv. 6, 7, 14, 15, 30, 32). But no 
 time — God keeps that to Himself (xxiv. 36 ; 
 comp. Acts i. 7) — all they can do is to be 
 always on the look-out, always ready (xxiv. 
 42, 44, xxv, 13). 
 
 But let us look at some of these pro- 
 phecies, and see how wondrously they have 
 been fulfilled. To-day take only one of the 
 subjects, — 
 
 The Destruction of Jerusalem. 
 
 I. The Calamities to come upon the 
 Jews. 
 
 (a) Great Tribulation, ver. 21, comp. 
 Luke xxi. 23 — ' great distress, and wrath 
 upon the people ' — so great that none like 
 it (comp. Joel ii. 2). The same things spoken 
 by God through Moses, Deut. xxviii. 47 — 
 57. As Moses said, and as Christ said, so 
 it came to pass. One cruel and covetous 
 Roman governor after another during se- 
 veral years — every kind of oppression — at 
 last Jews driven mad — rebelled against 
 Romans — Romans besieged Jerusalem — 
 then most dreadful sufferings. When city 
 
 attacked, crowded for Passover ; then six 
 months to the end. Famine worse and 
 worse — people fighting for scraps of food. 
 Constant tumults within — different parties 
 hating and killing one another. Roman 
 army scaling wall after wall, burning tower 
 aftc-r tower, ever getting closer in. Wicked 
 men calling on people to fight on, for Mes- \ 
 siah would surely come to tlieir nid—iohen 
 their true Alessiah they had crucified. [See 
 Addit. Note XL, page 217.] 
 
 (b) Slaughter and Captivity, Luke xxi. 
 24. And Moses' words again, Deut. xxviii. 
 64 — 08. So it was. Many in despair gave 
 themselves up to Romans — by them cruci- 
 fied by hundreds on Olivet, in sight of city. 
 When city taken at last, all sick and aged 
 killed, children sold to be slaves, many sent 
 to different cities of empire to fight with 
 wild beasts at public shows. And for cen- 
 turies after, Jews persecuted everywhere, 
 even by nations called Christian {e.g., in 
 England, under Henry III.). Even now, 
 are they liked ?— and still scattered all over 
 world — no country or king of their own. 
 
 (c) Jerusalem '■ trodden down of the Gen- 
 tiles,' Luke xxi. 24. The Roman general, 
 Titus, wanted to save the beautiful Tem- 
 ple, but soldier set fire to it— all destroyed. 
 Walls beaten down, houses burnt, ground 
 levelled and ploughed up — could not have 
 told a city had been there ! Afterwards 
 rebuilt, but ever since in GentOe hands — 
 Romans, Persians, Saracens, Tmk.s— and is 
 still. 
 
 But will it be for ever ? See same verse 
 — ^ until' certain 'times' are fulfilled— so 
 not afterwards. So we hope and believe 
 that one day the Jews will have Jeru- 
 salem again ! see Ezek. xxxvi. 24 — 38 ; 
 Amos ix. 11—15; Zech. xii. 6. But are 
 they still to reject the Lord Jesus ? see 
 Rom. xi. 1, 2, 15, 23—31 ; Zech. xii. 10 ; 
 Matt, xxiii. 39. [See Note 9.] 
 
 II. The Dangers and Deliverance 
 OF the Disciples. 
 Jesus mentions three dangers : — 
 
 (a) Fersecviiou, ver. 9 ; Luke xxi. 12. 
 This began as soon as Jesus had ascended, 
 see Acts iv., v.. vii., viii., xii. And so it 
 went on afterwards, from both Romans 
 and Jews ; see 2 Tim. iii. 11, 12, iv. 16, 17 
 (where St. Paul speaks of his trial before 
 the cruel emperor Nero) ; Heb. x. 32, 33 ; 
 1 Pet. iv. 12—16 ; Rev. i. 9, ii. 10, 13. We 
 read of their being beheaded, crucified, 
 burnt alive, thrown to the lions. 
 
 (b) Treachery, ver. 10 ; Mark xiii, 12 ; 
 Luke xxi. 16 — to be betrayed even by 
 nearest relations and friends ! More than 
 one Judas in the Church 1 This worst of 
 all (see Ps. xii. 9, Iv. 12—14) ; and it did 
 come : many who were threatened by Nero 
 told where other Christians might be found, 
 to escape torture [see Note 4] . 
 
 (c) Imposture, ver. 11, 23, 24. These 
 false teachers — how numerous ! how dan- 
 
21-. 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 gerous ! see Acts xx. 30 ; 2 Cor. xi. ID — 15 ; 
 1 Tim. iv. 1 — 3, vi. 3 — 5 ; 2 Pet. ii. ; 
 1 John ii. 18, iv. 1 ; Jude 4 ; Rev. ii. 2, 
 14. 15, 20. 
 
 Yet, with these alarming prospects, two 
 encouragements : — 
 
 (1) Proc/ress f if the Gosj)el, ver. 14. See 
 liow widely the glad news had spread, only 
 a few years after, Col. i. G, 23 [.see Addit. 
 Note X., pa;ie 2k')J. Think of St. Paul's 
 journeys, Rom. xv. 19— and he only one. 
 And, despite all opposition, the Gospel is 
 spreading still : what are your missionary 
 halfpence for ? 
 
 (2) Safttii of the faithful, ver. 13 ; Luke 
 xxi. 18 — 'not a hair perish' I — how so, if 
 some killed y — ah, what mattered death ? 
 it was only going to join the dear Master 
 in glory. He means as in Matt. x. 29, 30 — 
 nothing happen ' without their Father ' — 
 without God's will ; and must not that be 
 best ? But, from the dreadful sufferings of 
 Jerusalem, the Christian Jews tcere saved. 
 They watched for the sign (ver. 15 ; Luke 
 xxi. 20) — the moment they saw it, they 
 fled in haste, as Jesus told them (ver. 16 — 
 18), and escaped. [See Notes 5, 6.] 
 
 Think of the despised Nazarene, who was 
 to be nailed to a cross like a vile criminal 
 three days after, sitting on Olivet, &ndfore- 
 teUing all these things ! How true, ver. 35 — 
 ' My words shall not pass away ' ! Every 
 time you see a Jew, think of Christ's un- 
 failing words. 
 
 But Christ's unfailing words are 
 not all done with yet. 
 
 Take two of them : one about the Jews 
 who were destroyed — the other about the 
 Christians who escaped : — 
 
 1. Ver. 28. Jerusalem was like a decay- 
 ing ' carcase ' — no life or sweetness — all 
 foul (comp. xxiii. 27). So thither swiftlj' 
 came God's judgments, like vultures to 
 their prey [see Note Sj. But do vultures 
 care where the carcase is ? No — ' where- 
 soever.' Are any of us ' dead in sins,' cor- 
 rupt in heart, vile in God's sight ? Even 
 boys and girls may be so. For \\hat was 
 Jerusalem's great sin ':* Rejection of Christ, 
 Are you guilty of that ? Then you are in 
 danger of like judgments. Do you say, 
 God is too kind ? What does our 2nd text 
 for rep. say '? 
 
 2. Ver, 13. Who did escape those cala- 
 mities '? Those who were Christians for a 
 little while, and then gave up '? No — ' he 
 that shall endure to the end.' Some of you 
 have enrolled yourselves among the ' dis- 
 ciples.' You will meet what they did — 
 persecution, treachery, imposture ; some 
 ill-treating you, some plotting against you, 
 some trying to deceive you. But, if you 
 would be ' saved,' must ' endure.' Is it 
 very hard'? See what the Lord said to 
 some of those early Christians, Rev. 
 iii. 7 — 12: 'I have loved thee' — 'I will 
 keej) thee '— ' I come quickly ' ! 
 
 Notes, 
 
 1. To assist in the comparison of tlie reports of 
 this discourse by tlie three Evangelists respect- 
 ively, it may be observed-(a) That Mattliew's 
 is the fullest, aud should be taken as the basis of 
 study; (b) that Jlark adds nolliing of import- 
 ance except the names of the inquiring disciples 
 and the directions in ver. 11 ; (c) while, in Lulce, 
 there are important additions in ver. 11, 1,'j, 18, 
 19, 20-24, 25, 26, 34-36. Sections of the discourse 
 as given by JIatthew occur, in otherconneclious, 
 iu Lulce xii. and xvli. 
 
 2. The Temple was still being enlarged and 
 embellished in Christ's time, and was iu fact not 
 finished till within a few years of its destruction ; 
 and the disciples (as thedreelc implies) pointed 
 (.ut the building //iuferia/sas well as the liuildings. 
 Luke also nieiiticms 'gifts': these were golden 
 crown.^, shields, aud other valuable- ornaments, 
 contributed by (among others) the Ilerods and 
 the Roman emperors. Jliluian gives a line de- 
 scription of the grandeur of Herod's Temple, 
 Hist, of the Jews, vol. II., p. r,9. The prediction 
 that not one stone should be left ui)on another 
 was literally fulfilled as regards the Temple 
 Itself; the huge stones still to be seen In the 
 lower courses of the Ilaram wall were part of 
 the great wall surrounding the entire range of 
 buildings and courts. 
 
 3. The fulfilment of tlie various 'signs' men- 
 tioned by Christ— impostors, wars and rumours 
 of wars, famines, pestilences, earthquakes— Is 
 abundantly wi tnesscd by the historians Joseph us, 
 Suetonius, Tacitus, Sic. For Instance, Suetonius 
 speaks of 'continual drought;' (comp. Acts xl. 
 
 2K) ; and Seneca alludes to earthquakes in Asia, 
 Achaia, Macedonia, Syria, and Cj'prus. The 
 following passages in Josephus may be referred 
 to:— ^H/(V/. iii. 16,3; xx. 5, 1 ; 7,6-10; 8,9; 21,38; 
 JJe/l. Jud. ii. 12, 1—3 ; 13.4; i v. 4, 5. Long lists of 
 such occurrences, culled from these writers, are 
 given by Oreswell, Alford, Stier, and other com- 
 mentators. 
 
 Our Lord's mention also of ' fearful sights and 
 great signs' (Luke xxi. 11) gives some credibility 
 to the strange prodigies enumerated by Josephus 
 (Belt. Jud. vi. 5, 3) and alluded to by Tacitus. 
 The most striking of these are :— a meteor, shaped 
 like a sword, hanging over the city ; a light at 
 night around tlie Temple; armed hosts and 
 chariots seen in the clouds ; mighty voices, as of 
 a multitude, heard in the Temple. 
 
 4. Two of Christ's predictions concerning His 
 disciples receive illustration from the pages of 
 Tacitus. ' Hated of all nations for Alij name's 
 sake'—' A race of men detested for their crimes.' 
 ' 7'/ien shall many be offended, and shall betray one 
 another '—' At first several were seized, wlio con- 
 fessed, and then by theirdlscovery agreat multi- 
 tude of others were convicted.' (Tacit, ^tn/ia/. XV.) 
 
 6. ' Wheti ye therefore shall see the abomination of 
 desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand- 
 iu'i in the holy place,' &iv. To what the thrlce- 
 used words In Daniel (ix. 2", xl. 31, xil. 11) 
 exactly refer, Is much disputed. As Alford says, 
 they are probably pregnant with several fulHl- 
 ments, some yet future. The particular fulfll- 
 ment at the .Siege of Jerusalem must not be con- 
 founded (us ills by many commentators) with ttio 
 
ADDITIONAL NOTE X. 
 
 215 
 
 other and quite clifTeient sign mentioned iu Luke 
 xxi 20. Qui Lord's warning there, 'When ye 
 shall see Jerusalem compassed witli armies,' 
 doubtless refers to the attack on the <iiy by Ces ■ 
 lius Gallus four years before the final siege (see 
 Additional Note XL, p. 217), which, as a matter 
 of fact, was taken by the Christians as a signal 
 tor flight. But here Christ speaks of an • abomi- 
 nation ill the holy place,' which must mean the 
 Temple ; and it cannot refer to the capture of 
 the Temple, because the Christians had escaped 
 before that ; nor to the mere presence of the 
 Roman standards in Jerusalem, for they had 
 been there many years. The ' abomination ' 
 should rather be something caused by the Jews 
 themselves (comp. 2 Kings xxi. 2—7 ; Ezek. v. 
 11, viii. G-IU), which should 'fill up the mea- 
 sure of their fathers,' and so bring 'desolation.' 
 
 Now shortly after the repulse of Cestius Gallus 
 the Temple fell into the hands of the Zealots 
 (see Addit. Note XL, p. 217), and various sacrile- 
 gious deeds committed by them are recorded ■by 
 Josephus. It is probable, therefore, that some 
 particularly gross act of desecration during this 
 ' reign of terror' was recognised by the Christians 
 as the fulfilment (for that occasion) of the pro- 
 phetic words of Daniel. 
 
 This is the view of Stier, Alford, and Words- 
 worth. The latter has a long and very interest- 
 ing note on the subject. 
 
 G. The Christians, warned by the double sign, 
 and, according to the Church historian Euse- 
 bius, also by a direct Divine intimation, obeyed 
 'the Lord's injunction, and fled to Pella, one of 
 the cities of Decapoiis, which continued for 
 fifty years to be the seat of the 'Church of 
 Jerusalem.' And the tradition has always been 
 accepted, that not one of the despised 'sect of 
 the Nazarenes' perished in the siege. 
 
 'Pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, 
 neither en the Sabbath-day.' The latter refer- 
 ence is not to the Christian observance of the 
 Lord's Day, as the Jew ish S.aturday is meant. 
 They were to pray that neither natural nor legal 
 difficulties might impede their flight. The 
 actual escape was probably in October, a very 
 mild month in Palestine. 
 
 /. ' Except those days should be shortened,' &c. 
 Jlany circumstances combined to secure the 
 primary fulfilment of these words (which, no 
 doubt, have also an uiterior meaning). The 
 incomplete state of the lortifications, the 
 paucity of food, the faction fights within the 
 city, &c., shortened the siege ; and Titus him- 
 self exclaimed, ' God has fought for us: what 
 could human hands or engines do against these 
 towers ? ' 
 
 8. ' Wheresoever the carcase is, there shall the 
 (agles,' kc. Not the Roman 'eagles' or stand- 
 ards, as sometimes explained : the word means 
 'vultures.' The expression is proverbial: 
 wherever for7'«piion is, thither comes judgment 
 —whether at Jerusalem or elsewhere. 
 
 9. ' Learn a parable of the -fig-tree. If there Is 
 an allusion here to the fruitless fig-tree which 
 Christ had cursed, an important prophetical 
 hint is indirectly conveyed. The withered fig- 
 tree shall again ' put forth leaves'; Israel shall 
 yet become fruitful ; and then the Coming of 
 Christ will be ' nigh, even at the doors.' 
 
 This view is supported by the next verse, 
 ' This generation shall not pass,' &c. If ' gene- 
 ration ' be taken in its ordinary sense, then ver. 
 29—31 must be understood as having a partial 
 fulfilment at the destruction of Jerusalem, 
 which seems hardly possible. See Additional 
 Note X., below. But the word here (and also 
 in Matt. xi. IG, xii. 39, xxiii. ?.6 ; Acts ii. 40; and 
 in Phil. ii. 15- where our translation renders it 
 'nation') probably means a race— not that mere 
 kinship is implied, but the likeness of character 
 which is stamped upon a family by its progeni- 
 tors. 'This generation,' i.e., coi'7'vpt and unbe- 
 lieving Israel, ' shall not pass.' ' It will not die ; 
 it will propagate itself in children and children's 
 children, as a generation ever the same as at 
 present ; this generation which rejects Me will 
 so remain until it again cries Ilosanna to Me 
 in truth. The withe?-ed fig-tree will .'stand until it 
 again puts forth shoots' (Stier). So Alford and 
 Eyle. The continued separate existence of the 
 Jewish people to the present day is a standing 
 proof of the truth of this prophecy. 
 
 ADDITIONAL NOTE X. 
 
 ON THE INTERPRETATION OF ST. MATTHEW XXIV. AND XXV. 
 
 The 24th and 25th chapters of St. Mat- 
 thew are one discoitrse, and must be inter- 
 preted together. The key to their right 
 understanding is furnished us in the form 
 of the Apostles' question— ' When shall 
 these things [i.e., the calamities on Jeru- 
 salem] be, and what shall be the sign of 
 Thy coming, and of the end of the world ? ' 
 Of all the three separate things here men- 
 tioned they had heard Him speak (see 
 ver. 2; chap. x. 15, 23, xiii. 39, 49, xvi. 28, 
 xxiii. 38) ; and although they did not un- 
 derstand the relation of one to another, 
 yet their question may well be our guide 
 in studying Christ's reply. 
 
 Does our Lord then give a clear answer 
 to these three inquiries ? 
 
 Certainly He does not reveal to the 
 Apostles the 'times and seasons' at all. 
 
 Nor is the prophecy so plain as that they 
 should be able to distinguish in it the 
 separate features of the three events. Jtist 
 as, in Old Testament prophecy, there are 
 predictions both of Messiah's First Advent 
 in humiliation and of His Second Advent in 
 glory, which those who lived before the 
 first series had been fulfilled were unable 
 to distinguish, so is it in this discourse. 
 ' Future enents m time may be compared to 
 distant objects in space. Two ridges of 
 hills, rising the one above the other, are 
 seen in the horizon almost as one, although 
 there may be many mQes between them ; 
 and it is only when the spectator arrives 
 at the summit of the first ridge, that he is 
 aware of the chasm between it and the 
 second' {Wordsworth). We can now dis- 
 cern the fulfilment of some of our Lord's 
 
216 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 predictions in the events preceding and 
 accompanying the destruction of Jeru- 
 salem, and can appreciate the length of 
 time elapsing between that catastroplie 
 and the Second Advent; buc the relation 
 of the Second Advent to the Last Judg- 
 ment and 'End of the World' is stdl so 
 obscure to us that many doubt whether 
 they should be distinguished at all. 
 
 And not only are the predicted events 
 mingled in the discourse, but tti2 inter- 
 Ijretation is further complicated by the 
 fact that the earlier are types of the later ; 
 so that many of the expressions have both 
 a primary sense in connection with the 
 Fall of Jerusalem, and an ultimate sense in 
 connection with Christ's Coming. For 
 instance, the -.vords, ' He that endureth till 
 the end shall be saved,' must mean — 
 (1) that those Jewish Christians who, 
 despite all seductions (ver. 5, 11) and par- 
 secutions (ver. 9, 10), should abide stedfast, 
 should be delivered from the national 
 calamities ; (2) that those who should 
 endure the greater tribulations of the last 
 days ' unto the end ' should ' escape all 
 those things that shall come to pass ' (see 
 Luke xxi. 36) ; while it may be univer- 
 sally applied to mean (3) that every one, 
 in every age, who should endure to hi^ 
 own ' end,' i.e., death, should be saved. So 
 again, it is true that, in a certain sense, 
 the Gospel had been ' preached as a witness 
 unto all nations ' before the Fall of Jeru- 
 salem (see Col. i. G, 23) ; yet this, in its 
 full sense, is unquestionably to be one 
 great sign of the Advent to come. 
 
 The catastrophe, therefore, which brought 
 the Jewish dispensation to a final close, 
 was, in a sense, a ' Coming of the Son of 
 Man.' He came to save ; He was rejected ; 
 and then He came to judge. And this 
 Coming when the Jews' ' time of visitation,' 
 or ' day of grace,' was at an end, was a 
 foreshadowing of the greater Coming at 
 the close of the corresponding ' times of the 
 Gentiles' (see Luke xxi. 24). The pre- 
 monitory signs should be the same — phy- 
 sical, national, and ecclesiastical troubles — 
 persecution of the faithful — extended 
 preaching of the Gospel. It may be that 
 the more immediate signs will prove to be 
 the same. An ' .abcjmination of desolation ' 
 (see Lesson LXXX., Note 5) may again 
 ' stand in the holy place ' ; and there is an 
 obvious correspondence between the de- 
 liverance of the Christian Jews from the 
 calamity which befell their nation {see 
 Lesson LXXX., Note 6) and that ' gather- 
 ing of the elect from the four winds ' which 
 is mentioned in immediate connection with 
 the appearance of Christ in glory (Matt. 
 xxiv. 31 i comp. Luke xxi. 30). And as 
 the destruction of the Temple, the cessa- 
 tion of its ritual, and the removal of every- 
 thing that tended to localise Christianity, 
 were essential to the growth, freedom, and 
 stability of the visible Church, so will the 
 final ' gathering out of the Kingdom all 
 
 things that offend, and them that do 
 iniquity' (Matt. xiii. 41) — the final separa- 
 tion of ' wheat ' and ' tares ' — be essential 
 to the ultimate establishment of the per- 
 fected Church of the redeemed. 
 
 Bearing in mind the foregoing consi- 
 derations, we may thus arrange the dis- 
 course of these two chapters : — 
 
 1. Chap. xxiv. 4 — 14 describes the gene- 
 ral features of the future, first in the Jew- 
 ish nation (delusions, ver. 5), the Gentile 
 world (troubles of all kinds, ver. 6 — 8), and 
 the early Churoh (persecution, treachery, 
 coldness, ver. 9 — 13, and yet progress, ver. 
 14) ; ultimately in the world and in the 
 Church of the latter days. 
 
 2. Chap. xsiv. 15 — 28 refers directly to 
 the destruction of Jerusalem, though not 
 without typical foreshadowings of what is 
 yet future. 
 
 3.' Chap. xxiv. 29 — 41 predicts the occur- 
 rences of the Second Advent, though, from 
 the very nature of prophecy, such of the 
 statements as are general may have received 
 prior partial fulfilments. A compai-ison of 
 this passage ^vith Luke xxi. 24 — 27 shows 
 that the ' immediately' of ver. 29 does not 
 mean immediately after the calamities on 
 Jerusalem. 
 
 4. Chap. xxiv. 42 — 51, and chap. xxv. 
 1 — 30, contain the application of the sub- 
 ject of the Lord's Advent, in three para- 
 bles : the first addressed especially to the 
 Apostles, and teachers generallj-; the se- 
 cond and third, inculcating watch fulne.'is and 
 dilifjence respectivel}', to the whole Church. 
 
 5. The concluding passage, chap. xxv. 
 31 — 4G, describes that final judgment which 
 marks the ' end of the world ' inquired 
 about by the disciples. It seems clear that 
 this is the judgment of Rev. xx. 11 — 15, 
 described as coming at the end of that 
 mj'sterious period which /olio ics the Second 
 Advent; and that the 'coming' of Matt. 
 xxv. 31 V quite distinct from that of xxiv. 
 30. This is. of course, a much disputed 
 point; but, without entering into propheti- 
 cal controversies, it may be observed, on 
 the chapters now before us, (1) that there 
 is no mention of judgment in connection 
 with the 'coming' of the 24th chap., the 
 chief purpose of which is to 'gather the 
 elect from the four winds ' ; and (2) that 
 the professing Church alone is introduced 
 in the three parables above-mentioned, 
 while in chap. xxv. 32 we find 'all da- 
 tions' gathered before the King. 
 
 Space will not allow of detailed refer- 
 ence to other passages of Scripture, but 
 the following may be studied in connection 
 with the subject : — Mai. iv. ; Matt. x. 23, 
 xvi. 27, 28 ; 1 Thess iv., v. ; 2 Thess. ii. ; 
 2 Tim. iii. ; 2 Pet. ii., iii. ; Jude ; Ilev. vi., 
 xvi , xix., x.x. The views expressed in this 
 Note are ably expounded and advocated 
 by Stier and Alford in loco ; and the 
 teacher may also refer to Hanna's PaS' 
 sion Week, and to Smith's Student's N. T. 
 Ilistory, chap. xix. 
 
217 
 
 ADDITIONAL NOTE XI. 
 
 THE FALL OF JEEUSALEM. 
 
 The history of the Jews from our Lord's 
 time may be thus briefly summarised : — 
 
 The Crucifixion was in a.d. 30. In a.d. 
 36 Pilate was deposed. In A.D. 4], by the 
 favour of the Emperor Claudius, the pro- 
 vinces formerly compn'sing the kingdom of 
 Herod the Great {see Lesson VIJI., Note 5) 
 were re-united under his gi-andson Herod 
 Agrippa (the Herod of Acts xii.), under 
 whom Jerusalem was further enlarged and 
 fortified, and the Jews enjoyed consider- 
 able prosperity. At his death, in a.d. 44, 
 Judaea again came under direct Roman 
 rule, and nine years later, the oppressions 
 of the successive prociirators culminated 
 in the profligacy and tyranny of Felix 
 (Acts xxiv.), who is said by Tacitus to 
 have ' wielded the power of a king in the 
 spirit of a slave,' and to have crucified the 
 Jews by hundreds. His successor Festus 
 was an upright man ; but the next gover- 
 nor, Albinus, proved greedy and cruel, and, 
 under Gessius Florus (a.d. 65), who sur- 
 passed all his predecessors in rapacity, the 
 Jews at length (a.d. 66) broke out into 
 open rebellion. 
 
 Not, however, with patriotic unanimity. 
 Fierce contests ensued in the city between 
 rival factions; treachery, violence, and 
 bloodshed, follow in quick alternation in 
 the pages of Josephus. Ultimately the 
 Zealots, a party of unscrupulous fanatics 
 comprising the scum of the population, 
 who scouted all compromise and were 
 Bwom to resist the Romans to the last, 
 overpowered the more moderate partj', 
 and reigned paramount — being, however, 
 speedily themselves divided into hostile 
 camps. 
 
 Meanwhile Cestius Gallus, the Roman 
 prefect of Syria, attacked the city, but was 
 repulsed, pursued, and completely defeated 
 at Bethhoron. The war continued three 
 years, the Roman army, notwithstanding 
 this check, gradually reducing and devas- 
 tating the whole country, most of the un- 
 happy inhabitants perishing miserably. At 
 length, in the spring of a.d. 70, Titus ap- 
 peared before Jerusalem, and the final 
 siege began. The first and second walls, 
 guarding the city on the north, were carried 
 in April. To get any further, however, 
 proved so difficult an undertaking, the de- 
 fence being quite as furious and as inge- 
 nious as the attack, that it was determined 
 to invest the place entirely ; and, by the 
 labour of the whole army, a wall or bank 
 of earth was constructed all round the city. 
 In the second week of June the castle of 
 Antonia was taken by surprise, and from 
 June 23rd to July 15th, such desperate 
 struggles continued in the narrow streets 
 that this period of the year has ever since 
 been called by the Jews yomin deeka, ' days 
 of wretchedness,' On the latter day the • 
 
 Temple was fired by a brand thrown in by 
 a soldier contrary to orders, and was almost 
 wholly destroyed. The Jews still, however, 
 desperately defended the Upper City (Zion), 
 rejecting with scorn the repeated overtures 
 of Titus. The preparations for the final 
 assault occupied some weeks, but at length 
 it was made on (probably) Sept. 11th. The 
 next day the conquerors penetrated the 
 citj', and fire and sword completed the utter 
 desolation of Jerusalem. 
 
 The miseries endured by the devoted 
 people during aad after the siege are inde- 
 scribable. The most horrible accounts of 
 the effects of famine and the utter demo- 
 ralisation of the city are given by Josephus, 
 and may also be found in the graphic nar- 
 ratives of Milman {Ilistortj of the Jeu's, 
 Books xiv. — xvi.) and Merivale {History of 
 the Eomans, VI., chap. 59). Milman says, 
 'Every kind feeling, love, respect, natural 
 affection, were extinct through the all- 
 absorbing want. Wives would snatch the 
 last morsel from husbands, children from 
 parents, mothers from children .... If 
 a house was closed, they supposed that eat- 
 ing was going on, and they burst in and 
 squeezed the crumbs from the mouths and 
 throats of those who were swallowing 
 them. Old men were scourged till they 
 surrendered the food to which their han^ 
 
 clung desperately Children were 
 
 seized as they hung upon the miserable 
 morsels they had got, whirled round and 
 dashed upon the pavement. . . The most 
 loathsome and disgusting food was sold at 
 an enormous price. They gnawed their 
 belts and shoes. Chopped hay and shoots 
 of trees sold at high prices.' The revolting 
 story of the woman who cooked and ate 
 her own infant is well known, and illus- 
 trates the exact fulfilment of Deut. xxviii. 
 56, 57. Josephus himself says, ' All cala- 
 mities, from the beginning of time, seem to 
 me to shrink to nothing in comparison with 
 those of the Jews.' 
 
 The succeeding half-century is an titter 
 blank in the history of Jerusalem. But in 
 A.D. 132, a desperate attempt was made by 
 the Jews to recover their independence and 
 rebuild the temple of their fathers, under a 
 false Messiah, named Bar-Chocheba, which 
 was not crashed without terrible bloodshed 
 on both sides. Even the ruins left by Titus 
 were then razed to the ground, the soil 
 again ploughed up, and a new Roman city, 
 with a new name and heathen temples, 
 built on the sacred site. The name of Je- 
 rusalem was soon revived when Christianity 
 became the dominant religion, and the 
 traditional ' Holy Places ' quickly became 
 objects of universal veneration. But the 
 Jews have never again had more than a 
 tolerated existence in what was once the 
 city of David and Solomon. 
 
218 
 
 Lesson LXXXI.— Oa Olivet— Concemiiig Clirist's Second Coming— I. 
 
 ' Behold, the Bridegroom cometh ; go ye out to meet Him.' 
 
 Read — Matt. xxiv. {parts), xxv. 1 — 13 ; Learn — Matt. xxv. 6, 13 ; 2 Pet. iii. 14. 
 
 {Hymns 81—86, 105, 109-112, 196, 223, 289, 307, 363.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 Each of the two sections of this Lesson wTDuld make a good lesson by itself, though, as 
 they fit well together, most teachers wUl no doubt make an effort to bring in both. In 
 that case, the treatment should be different in the senior and junior classes respectively : 
 in the former, the predicted features of Christ's Coming should be rapidly pointed out in 
 the reading, and quite two-thirds of the time occupied with the parable ; while, in the 
 latter, the Coming itself wQl need more careful explanation, and the parable may be just 
 told as an illustrative story. Is this advice the exact reverse of what many would expect ? 
 Then let it be remembered (1) that some of our Lord's parables — certainly this one — are 
 not easy subjects, but among the most difficult that can be taught to younger children; 
 and (2) that the teachings of the ' Ten Virgins ' are peculiarly smtable for the eldest 
 classes — for those who have been confirmed or who have been the subjects of distinct 
 religious impressions. The parable is for those who have begun a life of piety (see Note 4) ; 
 though of course the application for others suggested in the closing words of the Sketch 
 always Ues in the back-ground. 
 
 The expression ' to be religious ' is used in the Sketch because it is one always under- 
 stood by boys and girls who may not quite * take in ' theological language. But of course 
 more definite terms can be used where the scholars are accustomed to them. 
 
 Throughout the Lesson, the Second Coming of Christ in person should be chiefly in 
 view, and not merely death — only this must not be suffered to detract from the pressing 
 solemnity of the exhortations. The date of the former is as uncertain as that of the latter, 
 and preparation should be for either. 
 
 Sketch of Lesson. 
 
 With what breathless attention must the 
 four Apostles have listened to those words 
 of woe ! We know how the predictions 
 were fulfilled [refer to last Lesson], but for 
 them what wonder, perplexity, dismay ! 
 But, as evening is drawing on, the Temple 
 (right in way of sinking sun) casting a 
 great shadow over Olivet, Jesus goes on 
 to speak stUl more solemnly. 
 
 What three things had they asked about ? 
 ver. 3. Whicli did we talk of last Sunday ? 
 Now see what He says of the second thing — 
 His Coming. True, they fancied that the 
 Fall of Jerusalem and His Coming were 
 the same thing, or at least would happen 
 together. But we know He has not come 
 yet — 80 has still to come. See, then, what 
 He tells us about it. 
 
 I. Christ's Second Advent. 
 
 1. It will be a Coming with power and 
 glory, ver. 30; comp. Dan. vii. 13, 14. 
 Every day we say to the Father, 'Thine 
 is the kingdom, the power, and the glory.' 
 Now we see that ' .such as the Father is, 
 such is the Son ' {Athan. Creed). 
 
 2. It will be a sudden Coming. Three 
 illustrations Jesus gives us of this : — Ver. 
 27, lightning — Have you never been startled 
 by the dazzling flash, lighting up in a 
 moment the blackest night ? Ver. 4.S, 44, 
 a thief^doca he warn you of his coming 
 beforehand? have you ever awoke frigh- 
 tened, fancying ' some one in the house ' ? 
 
 Luke xxi. 35 — a S7iai-e, catching the bird 
 imawares, .4s sudden as the lightning, the 
 thief, the snare, will Christ's Coming be. 
 
 3. It ivill be vnexj^ected. A thing may be 
 sudden, and yet expected [illust. — listening 
 
 for clock striking, or gun fring'] , Not so 
 Christ's Coming. What will people be 
 doing ? ver. 37 — 39, j ust as in days of 
 Flood (comp. case of Sodom, Luke xvii. 
 28, 29) — yet are these sinful things? no, 
 but it is just the right things of everyday 
 life which take up oiu- thoughts and "keep 
 us from watching for Christ. But when 
 should we watch? [Illust. — Children left 
 at home alone — mother to return 'about six' 
 — would perhaps begin to look out at fve. 
 But might get into mischief before that, Jf 
 time quite uncertain, might expect her any 
 moment, so afraid to do wrong.] Therefore 
 the time not told us, ver. 36 (comp. Acts 
 i. 7) — nor even about the time — on purpose 
 tliat we may ^^■atch always, ver. 42 ; Mark 
 xiii. 35. 
 
 4. It will be a time of separation, ver. 40, 
 41 ; Luke xvii. 34, 35. Think of two sisters 
 in one bed : one ' taken,' ' caught up to 
 meet tlie Lord in the air' (1 Thess. iv. 17) ; 
 the other 'left'— for what? (2 Thess. i. 
 7 — 9). If you the one ' left ' — what feel ? 
 
 II. How to be ready for Christ's 
 Second Advent. 
 
 A most beautiful parable told to show us 
 this — The Ten Virgins. 
 
ON OLIVET — CONCERNING CHRIST S SECOND COMING ^I. 
 
 i219 
 
 [Picture the siiccessive scenes. See Notes 
 2, 3.] (rt) The Virgins going forth, all 
 with lamps burning brightly, all glad and 
 light-hearted, (b) The Virgins sleeping — 
 in perfect confidence — all ready (so they 
 think) — can wake up at any moment, 
 (c) The Virgins awaking, at sudden cry — 
 lamps burning low, some ' going out ' [see 
 Note 4] — dismayed faces and anxious voices 
 — no more oil ! — must go and buy, in middle 
 of night, and procession at hand ! (d) The 
 Virgins separated — inside and outside. In- 
 side, bright festival — Outside, piteous but 
 vain cries, — too late ! 
 
 Now see three things in which the Virgins 
 were alike, and three things in which they 
 were different. Thus see what the parable 
 teaches us : — 
 
 Points of Likeness: — 
 
 (rt) All went forth to meet the Bridegroom. 
 Who is the Bridegroom ? see ver. 13 ; comp. 
 Matt. ix. 15 ; John iii. 28—30 ; Eph. v. 25 ; 
 Rev. xix. 7. Then who must the Virgins 
 be ? Good and bad people ? But what do 
 bad people care about Christ? do they 
 prepare to meet Him ? all the Virgins did. 
 Then, if any of you have no religion at all, 
 never desired or tried to be Christ's fol- 
 lowers and to be ready for His coming, you 
 are not even like the ' foolish ' Virgins, but 
 worse than they ! This parable only for 
 those who have come out from sinful ways, 
 bad companions, itc, and sincerely said, 
 ' / at all events will be a Christian ' [see 
 Noteii]. 
 
 {b) All had burning lamps atjirst. What 
 are these? The bright light, shining in 
 the darkness, the one thing that marked 
 out her who carried it as intending to go 
 with the procession. How do we know 
 M'hen boy or girl ' religious ' ? Cannot see 
 heart — judge by conduct, whether humble, 
 gentle, tender-spirited, caring for prayer 
 and Bible, <fcc. If so, their ^ light shines 
 before men' (Matt. v. 16). All who are 
 meant by the Virgins are like this. 
 
 (c) Ail slept. How could they? Felt 
 quite secure and ready. Just what people 
 think if they have ever so little religion. 
 Boy avoids some sins, regular at church 
 and school, good in conduct, quite means 
 to grow up ' religious ' — then can sing 
 
 hymns about heaven with perfect confi- 
 dence — he sure to be there. If he asked 
 himself, Shall I ? would say, O yes, of 
 course; but never does ask himself — takes 
 it for granted. [See Note 6.] 
 
 Points of Difference : — 
 
 (re) All went not in to the marriage-feast. 
 Can it be so with such as we have been 
 speaking of? Some who expect to be in 
 heaven not there ? Is not this a terrible 
 thing ? You sing, 
 
 ' There we all shall sing with joy ' — 
 
 But will you all ? all, even, who seem 
 right? See Luke xiii. 24 — 'Many shall 
 seek to enter in, and shall not be able.' 
 
 {b) Because — all were not ready. What 
 became of their confidence when the cry 
 woke them ? — hurrying hither and thither 
 to get oil when too late ! So some, sud- 
 denly hearing they must die — how eager 
 then for comfort !— look to ministers or 
 friends to get them the grace they ought 
 to have got before ! — sometimes too late. 
 
 (c) And not ready, because— all had not 
 oil enough. This the one thing that showed 
 whether each 'wise' or 'foolish.' The oil 
 — what ? When anointing spoken of in 
 Scripture, always the Holy Spirit ; see Isa. 
 Ixi. 1 ; Acts X. 38 ; 2 Cor. i. 21, 22 ; 1 John 
 ii. 20, 27. It is His grace we want. No 
 flames without oil — no holiness, goodness, 
 love, without the Spirit (Rom. viii. 5 — 9). 
 But something else wanted too : not enough 
 to listen to His voice a little while and ' do 
 many things' (Mark vi. 20), end then get 
 cold and dull, grieve, vex, resist Him 
 (Eph. iv. 30 ; Isa. Ixiii. 10 ; Acts vii. bl)-- 
 ' quench ' Bis fame (1 T^iess. v. 19) — ' receive 
 the grace of God in vain' (2 Cor. vi. 1). 
 There must be oil to last : the Spirit 
 must be always with us. Only by His 
 grace can j^ou 
 
 ' Let all your lamps be bright, 
 And trim the golden flame.' 
 
 But if those who do seem to be Christ's 
 true servants are in such danger, what of 
 the altogether careless ? 1 Pet. iv. 17, 18. 
 
 A blessed thought for all : the ' door ' is 
 not 'shut' yet — the Bridegroom not come 
 yet — oil can be had — the Spirit promised 
 to all that ask, Luke xi. 13. 
 
 Notes. 
 
 1. The prophecies of chap. xxiv. 29—41, are 
 understood by some to have a primary reference 
 to the Fall of Jerusalem. But although the 
 general structure of the chapter, and the analogy 
 of other prophecies, warrants us m believing 
 that there is a mingling of type and antitype 
 throughout, these particular verses seem to 
 npply mainly, if not exclusively, to the Second 
 Advent. See Additional Note X., page 215. 
 
 2. The parable of the Ten Virgins is based 
 upon the marriage customs of the East, to 
 which many allusions occur in Scripture. The 
 essence of the marriage ceremony consisted in 
 the removal of the bride from her home to that 
 of her future husband. The bridegroom pro- 
 ceeded, late in the evening, attended by hi-s 
 
 friends or 'groomsmen' (see Judg. xlv. II; 
 Matt. ix. 15 ; John iii. 29), to the bride's dwel- 
 ling, where she awaited him, attired in white 
 robes (see Kev. xix. 8) embroidered with gold 
 (Ps. xlv. 13) and perfumed (Ps. xlv. 8), adorned 
 with jewels (Isa. Ixi. 10), and attended by her 
 ' bridesmaids ' (Ps. xlv. 14). The whole company 
 then went in procession by torchlight to the 
 bridegroom's house, being joined on the way by 
 parties of invited guests (the Virgins of the 
 parable) all carrying torches or lamps. Allu- 
 sions to the subsequent festivities are found In 
 Gen. xxix. 22; Judg. xiv. 10—18; Ps. xlv. ; Can- 
 ticles; Matt. xxii. 1—10; John ii. 1—10. 
 
 Trench quotes a description of a Hindoo wed- 
 ding from Ward's View of the Hindoos., in which 
 
220 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 occurs this striking incident :— ' All the persons 
 employed now liglited their lamps, and ran with 
 them in their hands to till up their stations In 
 the procession. Some of them had lost their 
 lights, and were unprejjared ; but it was then 
 too late to seek them ; and the cavalcade moved 
 forward.' 
 
 3. The ' lamps ' of the parable are probably 
 not torches, but lamps fixed on the end of a stick. 
 A little instrument was attached, for use in ad- 
 justing the wick and so 'trimming' the lamp. 
 A flask of oil would also be carried as a reserve 
 supply. 
 
 4. In interpreting this parable, care must be 
 taken not to fall into the very common mistake 
 of making the foolish Virgins represent those 
 who have nothing but an empty profession of 
 religion. All applications contrasting the 7n ere 
 ' lamp '—the mere name of Christian— with the 
 ' oil' of Divine grace, are quite beside the mark. 
 The foolish Virgins did have oil, and enough of 
 it to keep their lamps burning up to the last 
 moment (lor the words ' are gone out ' are incor- 
 rectly translated, and should be ' are going out '). 
 Their one fault was the not being providenl. 
 AVhatever, therefore, be the precise meaning of 
 the 'oil,' 'lamps,' and 'vessels' (see next Note), 
 this one thing is clear, viz., that the fooli.'^h 
 Virgins must represent persons who not only 
 appear to be, but for a time are reallij, ready to 
 meet the Bridegroom. Here we touch the borders 
 of an important controversy ; but, avoiding this 
 (and to base any doctrine on the imagery of a 
 parable is unsafe), it is surely a matter of ex- 
 perience that only too many answer in every 
 respect to the foolish Virgins ; such as— perhaps 
 at a season of religious awakening, or at confir- 
 mation-time—did actually ' taste of the heavenly 
 gift, the good word of God, and the powers of the 
 world to come'— were sincere in their penitence 
 and prayers and strivings— and yet, simply as 
 a matter of fact, hai-e 'drawn back.' Had the 
 Advent, or their own death, occurred then, we 
 should not have had the slightest doubt of their 
 being ' ready.' If either occurred now, we should 
 be more than doubtful. ' The pomt of the 
 parable,' says Calvin, 'consists in this, that it 
 is not euough to have been once girt and pre- 
 
 pared for duty, unless we endure even unto the 
 end.' 
 
 5. Much ingenuity has been exercised in dis- 
 cussing the precise meaning of the oil, the lamps, 
 the flames of the lamps, and the vessels. Most 
 of the different views are given by Trench. The 
 simple and sufficient interpretation is that the 
 light is spiritual life generally, the oil that which 
 kindles and sustains it, viz., the grace of the 
 Holy Spirit (see texts in Sketch). The lamps 
 and the vessels are only the drapery of the 
 parable. 
 
 6. Another much disputed question is, What 
 does the sleeping oi all the Virgins mean? The 
 early Fathers generally explained it as the sleep 
 of death, and they are followed by Wordsworth 
 and by How (S. r. C. K. Commentary). Stier, 
 Lange, Alford, and many others, take it to be the 
 slothfulnessof the whole Church. Trench thinks 
 it is simply a vivid way of expressing the con- 
 fident security of professing Christians— justi- 
 fiable in the case of some, dangerous in the case 
 of others. This latter interpretation best fits in 
 with the rest of the parable. For the 'arising' 
 and ' trimming of the lamps ' is just that awaken- 
 ing (whether on the death-bed, or in imminent 
 danger, or under deep conviction) to a sudden 
 consciousness that the 'Bridegroom' is, or may 
 be, at hand, which is instantly followed by keen 
 searchings of heart as to the soul's readiness to 
 meet Him ; while the idea of slothful neglect on 
 the part of the wise Virgins seems precluded by 
 the fact that they were just as ready as if they 
 had stayed awake,— though perhaps it may be 
 said that, but for their sleep, they might have 
 warned the others. 
 
 7. The incidents of the appeal to the wise 
 Virgins, and their advice to 'go to them that 
 sell,' must not be closely pressed in the interpre- 
 tation ; but the general lesson is plain— that no 
 one has any surplus store of grace or merit of 
 which others can avail themselves (see Vs. 
 xlix. 7). The folly of that trust in the presence 
 and prayers of a minister or Christian friend- 
 one perhaps who was thought ' righteous over- 
 much' before— which is so sadly common on 
 death-beds, is shown here most solemnly. 
 
 Lesson LXXXII— On Olivet— Concerning Christ's Second Coming— II. 
 
 ' Then shall lie reward every man according to his icor/cs,' 
 
 Read— Uatt. xxv. 11—30; Z,eam— Matthew xvi. 27 ; Rev. xxii. 12. {Ili/mns 85, 111, 138, 
 141, 158, 159, 170, 174, 193, 325, 331, 336.) 
 
 To THE TeACIIER. 
 
 It has been remarked by a shrewd observer tliat the characteristic mark of true religion 
 in a cliild i.s tenderness of conscience— often .imounting to scrupulosity. Hence our Lord's 
 special caution against 'offending {i.e., scandalising) one of these little ones.' Hence 
 also the fact that what appears to us an infinitesimal fault in a child has really been done 
 against the clear voice of youthful conscience, and is therefore a serious sin. On this 
 account the subject before us in this Lesson is one singularly ada])ted to impress the 
 minds of our scholiirs, because it has to do with the smallest details of every-day life, 
 throwing a halo of sacredness upon every moment of time and every item of property. 
 The teacher, therefore, cannot descend to too minute matters — paiiicularly as respects 
 
ON OLIVET — CO^CEKMNG CHRIST S SECOND COMING II. 
 
 221 
 
 opportunities of doing good. Half-an-hour of 'helping mother,' when it involves the 
 throwing aside of a favourite book or plaything, is— if done from the motive brought 
 before us in this Lesson — a 'trading 'in Christ's service; and it is the mention of just 
 such little things as this that will stamp the teachings of the parable on the memorj'. 
 Let it not be thought that a ' legal ' view of religion will thus be presented. On the 
 contrary, the child who tries the most innocently to ' please G-od ' will be the first to feel 
 his own sinfulness, and his need both of a Saviour's work and of a Spirit's grace. The 
 law will be his ' schoolmaster to bring him to Christ.' 
 
 Sketch of Lesson. ' 
 
 Two boys drop pennies into missionary- 
 box. One received his penny from mother 
 on purpose to put in — the other earned hi3 
 penny — which one gave his own ? 
 
 Yet do you know the latter's penny was 
 not his own ? Whose was it, then ? see 
 1 Chron. xxix. 14; 1 Cor. iv. 7. Do you 
 say j'ou earn it? Who gave you health, 
 strength, skill, time, to earn it ? All these 
 God's gifts. Why, even ourselves, bodies, 
 souls, spuits, 'not our own' — God's pro- 
 perty — 'it is He that hath made us, and 
 not we ourselves' (Ps. c. 3) — bovght us too 
 when we were sold to sin and Satan (1 Cor. 
 vi. 19, '20). But God's gifts more like loans 
 — remain His property. We must give 
 Him an account, of how we used them. 
 When ? At that Second Coming we spoke 
 of last Sunday. The Son of God will come 
 to examine what all of us have done with 
 God's property. 
 
 Sitting there on Olivet that April evening, 
 Jesus told the Apostles another parable, 
 about this— The Talents. 
 
 I. Receiving the Talents. 
 
 A man going on a journey — how shall his 
 business be carried on while he is away? 
 — will divide his money among his servants 
 — they to use it, make what profits they 
 can for him, give all back to him on his 
 return \see Note 2]. Now see three things 
 about this : — 
 
 1 . The servants were trusted. How pleased 
 they would be ! — ' the master puts confi- 
 dence in us.' Who does not like to be 
 trusted ? [Illust. — Girl left to ' mind baby ' 
 for first time — quite proud.'\ But another 
 feeling too — ' I must be careful of this ' 
 [girl with baby — how anxiously watchjul] 
 — there is repponsibihty. Have you felt 
 this about God's gifts ? — very gracious of 
 Him to entrust them to us — but forget 
 not responsibility. 
 
 2. They received what was valuable — a 
 'talent' nearly £200. Have you ever 
 thought what valuable things we all have ? 
 all of us ? yes, all have something. Money 
 — this of course useful — how much you 
 can do with it I Have you got very little 
 of it ? but perhaps you have other things : 
 — Health— how much ' better off ' is a 
 healthy boy than a sickly boy ? Tiine — 
 some work early and late all the year 
 roimd, others have many leisure hours — 
 are not these ' worth having ' ? Oppor- 
 tunities of getting and doing good — are 
 they ' worth ' nothing ? how would you 
 
 like to be where no churches or schools ? 
 Talents — why here is the very word ! {we 
 get the word from this parable) — not heavy 
 bars of gold, but cleverness, skill, memory, 
 understanding — how valuable ! 
 
 3. They did not receive equal sitms. Ver. 
 15, ' according to ability.' [Illust. — Two 
 newsboys sent out by employer — to one he will 
 give fifty pajiers, to another tzvenfy ; why? 
 one quicker and more pushing than another, 
 or one at better station than another.^ Is 
 this unfair ? But it would be more unfair 
 to give one more than he could manage. 
 
 II. Using the Talents. 
 
 The master is gone. To work ! How 
 use the money ? Perhaps one starts off to 
 Egypt or Persia — will buy corn or silk, sell 
 again, make profit — then take the bigger 
 sum, make larger profit with it — so over 
 and over again. But might lose, if bad 
 management — so great care, constant 
 thought and toil. Another buys land, 
 farms it, sows crops, Ac. — here again hard 
 work. Another, perhaps, not so clever — 
 had less given him — sets up little shop- 
 will do his best. But why such pains ? are 
 they working for themselves? is not the 
 bulk of profit for the master ? ah, but they 
 are fiaithfiul—ca,Te for his interests as for 
 their own. 
 
 But one of them quite different — does 
 nothing at all. Keeps talent safe — but 
 where ? Now why this ? 
 
 (a) He is afraid of the master, ver. 25. 
 Why ? see ver. 26 — thought him ' hard.' 
 Thought like this, ' I shall work with this 
 money — then master will come and take 
 all my gains, forgetting that / made them 
 and not he — perhaps will punish me for not 
 gaining more ; better not try at all.' 
 
 (b) Perhaps he thought, too, 'It's so 
 little ! if he had given me as much as the 
 rest, why then — ; but one talent ! what 
 use that ? ' 
 
 (c) The real reason : he was lazy, ver. 26. 
 Yes, and ' wicked ' too — selfish — no doubt 
 would have worked for himself fast enough. 
 
 What are you doing with your ' talents ' ? 
 Thinking entirely of self ? or trying to do 
 good in your way ? Should feel — ' God 
 gave me this school-time — must make the 
 best of it ; this leisure-time — must use 
 it well; this place I am going to — must 
 be diligent and faithful ; this knowledge 
 and ability to learn — can help others ; this 
 money — must not squander it, but spend 
 it carefully, saVe it self-denyingly, give it 
 
 Q 
 
222 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 too for God's own work ; this very life, of 
 mine — it may not last long — must do some,- 
 thing for my gracious Master.' 
 
 Do you say, like the wicked servant, 
 ' God is 80 strict — never can please Him — 
 no use trying'? (comp. Job xxi. 15; Mai. 
 i. 13)— it is a false idea— shall see presently 
 how generous He is. 
 
 Do you say, ' / can do nothing — have so 
 little"? But you have oiie talent, at all 
 events half a one ! Think of the little 
 Jewish maid (2 Kings v.), the widow of 
 Zarephath (1 Kings xvii.), the widow of 
 Jerusalem (Mark xii. 41 — 44), the lad with 
 the loaves (John vi. 9—11). See 2 Cor. 
 viii. 12. 
 
 III. ACCODNTING FOR THE TaLESTS. 
 
 Master come back— all gathered round 
 him to give in account. 
 
 1. How eager the faithful servants to tell 
 of their gains ! [llhtst.—Bo// lelling father 
 of first day's work at his ' little place.'] 
 Any boasting ? Rather, gratitude — ' thou 
 deliveredst unto me — I owe my success to 
 thy liberality' (Ps. cxv. 1 ; 1 Cor. xv. 10). 
 
 Then see the reply— is it that of a ' hard 
 man'? does he grumble because inore not 
 made, find fault— ' All very good, but you 
 might have done better ' ? How different ! 
 — generous ' Well done !' — and reward — 
 perhaps giving the slave his freedom [see 
 i\'ote 6], Then the second— less praise for 
 him?— no— has done quite as well as the 
 first — how ? 
 
 2. Now the idle servant — does he come 
 with shame and self-reproach? Not at 
 all,— (a) Quite satisfied with liimself— 
 * There thou hast that is thine ! '—as if 
 great merit because had not kept it, or 
 
 spent it on self, or misused it. But was 
 he returning all he had received? what of 
 his wasted time and opportunities ? (6) 
 Complaining — as if the master's fault he 
 had done no more — the less deahngs with 
 such a ' hard man ' the better ! 
 
 What for him ? punishment ? but why ? 
 he has not stolen or defrauded — not like 
 Steward (Luke xvi.) or Prodigal Son (Luke 
 XV.) or Debtor (Matt, xviii.) ; but what might 
 he have done? \see Note 5] — if afraid to 
 trade, at least could put money in bank — 
 so get interest [exjilain]. So, while his 
 fellow-servants go in and sit down to feast 
 with master, he left in ' outer darkness.' 
 
 We too must render an account to God, 
 Rom', xiv. 12 ; 2 Cor. v. 10. Of what? of 
 everything. [Illust. — Boy trusted with ttu 
 shillings — will it do if he accounts for nine f 
 or for 'ds. \Ul.f] Not enough to give God 
 a little Sunday time for learning and wor- 
 ship — all we have is His, and to be used 
 for Him. 
 
 Will any of us deserve a reward ? Not 
 one. Do you think St. Paul did ? What 
 did he think liimself? 1 Cor. xv. 10; 1 
 Tim. i. 15 ; comp. Luke xvii. 10. Yet he 
 knew he should be rewarded, 2 Tim. iv. 8. 
 Why ? Because Christ a generous Master 
 — gives ' more than either we desire or 
 deserve.' See texts for rep.; Matt. v. 12, 
 vi. 4, 6, 18. X. 41, 42 ; Rom. ii. (J, 7 ; 1 Cor. 
 XV. 58 ; Gal. vi. 9 ; 2 John 8. 
 
 But are you idle servants ? are you His 
 servants at all ? Can j'ou say as St. Paul 
 did, ' Whose I am, and whom I serve ' 
 (Acts xxvii. 23) ? You were baptized to 
 be His ' faithful soldiers and servants ' — 
 what are you really ? 
 
 Notes, 
 
 1. This parable, like the 'Ten Virgins,' is 
 addressed to disciples. The master called ' his 
 own servants.' In tlie former parable ivc see 
 the importance of spiritual life; in this one, of 
 active Cliristian work. There, tlie danger exposed 
 is inward declension ; here, outward indolence. 
 The foolish Virgins erred through a vain over- 
 coufldcnce; the .slotliful servant through an 
 equally vain and sinful «ni/er-confldcnce. They 
 thought it too easy a thing to serve the Lord ; he 
 thought it too hard (Trench). In the 'talents' 
 there is probably a primary reference to the I'en- 
 tecostal gift.s to the ea-ly Church, which the 
 Lord gave when He left Ilis disciples; seeEph. 
 iv. 7—12. 
 
 2. The slaves of the Greelis and Romans were 
 often men of varied mental attainments or con- 
 siderable manual skill; and such of them as 
 were clever artisans, efllcient doctors, or ready 
 amanuenses, would command high prices. It 
 was no uncommon thing forthem lobccmployed 
 as this poratilc describes. Sec Smith's Diet, of 
 (Jretk and Jloman Antiquitiet, Art. ' Servus.' 
 
 3; 'ITic expression 'joy of thy Lord' must refer 
 to that 'joy set before' Christ for which He 
 •enflurcd the cross' (Ilcb. xli. 2; comp. Isa. lill. 
 ll)-'the joy of having accomplished an under- 
 taking (meeersfully, especially an undertaklnf; 
 (or (be Balvation of eoolti. Ou the diBClplcs' 
 
 share in this, see Lesson LXXII. There may be 
 an allusion to the custom by which a master 
 gave a slave liis freedom by inviting him to sit 
 down to table with him. 
 
 ' Well done,' is, in the Greek, a single word 
 (Eu)— the exclamation common at public games, 
 iic, like ' Bravo.' 
 
 4. '■SIraiced' probably refers to the operation of 
 winnowing : ' Thou expectest to gather with the 
 rake where thou hast not scattered with the 
 fan.' (Trench and Wordstcorlli.) 
 
 ' Thou knewest that 1 teas' ic. Probably ironi- 
 cal : ' 13e it so— take it for granted— yet, ou thine 
 own shewing,' iic. 
 
 5. 'Exchangers,' i.e., bankers, or discounters. 
 ' Usury' simply means interest; but the rates 
 of interest were high in ancient times. 
 
 6. ' Unto every one that hath,' iic. This is the 
 rulcpf nature. Strength is gained by exercise. 
 The unused limb withers, while the soldier"-* 
 right or sword-arm becomes larger than his left 
 arm. Instances of giving to another the forfeited 
 tnlent occur in 1 Sam. xv. and ActB i. Comp. 
 Rev; ill. 11. 
 
 7. The Parable of the Talents dilTcrs in many 
 respects from that of the Pounds. This Is ad- 
 dressed to the disciples; that to the multitude. 
 Here the Lord is a plain man ; there, a Kin?. 
 
ON OLIVET — COKCERXING THE LAST JUDGilENT. 
 
 223 
 
 Here ■we tee only the servants ; there the hostile 
 'citizens ' alto. Here the gifts diSer in amount, 
 while the jroporticnate gains of the faithful ser- 
 vants are equal ; there a 'jMDund' was given to 
 all alike, but the returns -were very different. 
 
 The lessons therefore are not the same : tb* 
 'Talents' illustrates (as Brown and Faus»et 
 well put it) equal fidelity tcith different degrtts »f 
 advantage; the 'Pounds,' different degreet of 
 improrement of the same opportunitiet. 
 
 Lesson LXXXIII. — On Olivet — Concerning the Last Judgment. 
 
 ' We must all stand be/ore the judgment-seat of ChrUt.' 
 
 Read— }ia.tt. xxv, 31 — J6 ; Learn— 2 Cor. v. 10; Eev. xx. 11. 12. {Ei/mns S2—M, 101, 
 
 143, 162, 172, 176, 204, 228, 365, 364.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 2so teacher who takes even crdinary pains should fail to make this Lesson both 
 interesting and impressive. Care mu.^t, however, be exercised, in explaining the precise 
 relation, to the fate of the righteous and the wicked respectively, of the acts of love and 
 self-denial mentioned by "the Xing.' The idea of deserving heaven in virtne of our 
 poor, imperfect goodness, is so engrained in our nature, that this passage will be twisted 
 by the children (perhaps quite unconsciously) to favour that idea, unless the teacher is 
 very clear upon the subject. 'Justified by faith without the works of the law,' — here- 
 is the great truth proclaimed in Scripture and embodied in our Eleventh Article. At the 
 same time no passage thjows more light, when rightly read, on the expression of 
 St. James, ' justified by works," than that before us to-day : compare the Twelfth Article. 
 Teachers who mastered the arguments underlying Lessons LXVIII. and LXXII. will 
 have no difficulty with the present Sketch. 
 
 Let the concluding thought of the Sketch by no means be omitted. The connectictt 
 there pointed out between this chapter and the first two verses of the next is so unex- 
 pected that it introduces the final application with unusual impressiveness. 
 
 Sketch of Lessor. 
 
 A trial— hov7 it interests us all ! [Tllust. 
 — Assizes — crowds in court — eagerness for 
 newspaper reports.^ The verdict — how 
 anxiously waited for ! The sentence — what 
 a hush while it is given ! And if we so 
 interested as spectators, how much more if 
 concerned in it ourselves— our property, or 
 character of one dear to ns, at stake I But 
 if one of us at the bar — if it depended on 
 the 'Guilty' or ' Xot Guilty' whether tee 
 free or in prison, cleared or disgraced^ 
 what a painful interest then ! how the one 
 thing in our thoughts — everything else as 
 nothing ! 
 
 There is a bar at which all must stand, 
 see 1st text for rep. Of this also Jesus 
 spoke that evening on Olivet. 
 
 It must be getting late now — perhaps 
 sun gone down, night come on — the Apostles 
 stiU cltistered roimd Jesus, hanging on all 
 these solemn words [recapitulate last three 
 Lessons}. One thing more to tell — their 
 third question (see xxiv. 3) to answer — the 
 Last Judgment at the End of the World to 
 describe. [Head the passage.} 
 
 I. The Judge. 
 
 Who wiU it be? see John v. 22, 27 j 
 Acts X. 42, xvii. 31 : Eom. xiv. 10. How 
 will He appear? ver. 31. (a) Think of the 
 manger at Bethlehem, the carpenter's shop 
 at Nazareth, the fishing-boat on the Lake, 
 the cross at Calvary — then think of ' that 
 
 same Jesns' (Acts i. 11), sitting 'on the 
 throne of His glory ' ! (6) Think how He 
 was surrounded on earth by ignorant, sick, 
 sinful people, half-hearted friends, bitter 
 foes— then think of Him in midst of ' holy 
 angels,' — 'all' of them (see Heb. xii, 22: 
 Eev. V. 11) with Him. 
 
 Easy to turn from Him now, despise His 
 messages, laugh at His people — but how 
 feel then ? — when 
 
 'Every eye shall now behold Him 
 Kobed in dreadful majesty '— 
 
 see Rev. i. 7. Well may we pray the Col- 
 lect for Advent Stmday ! 
 
 n. The Judged. 
 
 Who can imagine that multitude I If 
 all in one town together, what a crowd ! 
 — here 'all nations.' More than that — we 
 don't reckon the dead at a census — but here, 
 see Rev. xx. 11 — 13: all generations as 
 well ! — the dead alive again — every one 
 with soul and body complete. Does this 
 make it seem less dreadful ? — so easy for 
 one to be unnoticed in a crowd ? Ah, if 
 ' every eye shall see Him,' His eye will see 
 evert/ one. 
 
 Then what win the Judge do ? ver. 32, 33. 
 Is it hard for a shepherd to do this ? doe.? 
 he make mistakes? Be sure the Great 
 Shepherd will make none. How many di- 
 visions? only two? think how many thei* 
 are now ! — rich and poor, old and yomjg,. 
 <3 2 
 
224 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 sick and healthy, and in these so many 
 degrees ; but what matter then in which of 
 all these classes we were ? And that great 
 final division cannot be known till then : 
 who could divide this school into good and 
 bad with certainty ? Christ knows now ; 
 but He leaves aU mingled for the present 
 — bad may become good (how He longs 
 for this !) now. But then, separated, once 
 and for ever ! See parable of Tares and 
 Wheat, and of Net, Matt. xiii. And then 
 706 shall see which way each one goes, 
 Mai. iii. 18. 
 
 ' Oh that I at last may stand 
 With tlie sheip at Thy right hand!' 
 
 III. The Evidence. 
 
 But why evidence at all ? Are they not 
 already ' separated ' ? Yes, the Judge knows, 
 and His justice cannot eiT (Gen. xviii. 25) ; 
 but all must see His justice, hear irhii 
 this one on the right and that one on the 
 left. [Illust. — Even if marjistrate had seen 
 the crime, knew the prisoner guilty, would he 
 give sentence without ])ublic trial?] 
 
 What sort of evidence is it ? 
 
 (a) How do we judge a man's religion ? 
 see 1 Sam. xvi. 7 — ' man looketh on the 
 outward appearance,' the talk, or the man- 
 ner, or the habits of church-going, &c. Is 
 this a correct way ? If it were, the Phari- 
 sees would have the highest place in 
 heaven ! So these things not the evidence. 
 
 (b) How does God judge a man's reli- 
 gion ? see again 1 Sam. xvi. 7 — ' the Lord 
 looketh on the heart.' And in this way is 
 the great separation made. But how could 
 all that multitude see one another's hearts ? 
 So this not the evidence. 
 
 (c) What then? Why, something that 
 will show what the hearts are like — a test 
 [iliust. — like acid testing gold\. What, then, 
 is the test? Works, Jas. ii. 18 ; and icords 
 too sometimes, Matt. xii. i34— 37. All these 
 to be read out before all. Read out ! how ? 
 see Rev. XX. 12 again — ' written in the books' 
 
 {d) But Jesus does not tell of aU this — 
 only names one sort of works — because 
 such a sure test. Words and works not 
 always a true test, see Matt. vii. 22, 23. See 
 what He does mention, ver. 35, 36, 40, 42, 
 43, 45. (Uomp. Job xxii. 7, xxxi. 19, 20 ; 
 Isa. Iviii. 7 ; Ezek. xviii. 7 ; Matt. x. 40— 42; 
 2 Tim. i. l«j Heb. xiii. 3; Jas. i. 27, 
 li. 14 — l(J.) Xovv think of a person who 
 does do these things, or some of them — 
 feeding the hungry, clothing tj>c destitute, 
 caring for the homeless, visiting the sick 
 and the captive — what would you say of 
 fiim ? ' Unselfish, thinks not of own com- 
 fort and convenience, gives up self for 
 othei-s' good.' Like the good Samaritan. 
 Like Christ Himself (Rom. xv. 3 ; 2 Cor. 
 viii. 9 ; Phil. ii. 4, 5). But to be so, must 
 get love of self out of the heart — bring in 
 fove of others — and the way to do so is to 
 think of Christ's love to us [see this ex- 
 plained and illustrated in Lesson LX]'III.j. 
 Thus our doing or not doing such things is 
 a sign of what is in our hearts. 
 
 But why does He say that kindnesses 
 done to others are done to Him ? Because 
 done to His ' bretliren.' [Iliust. — If child 
 ill— friend came— nursed it and cured it — 
 would not parents think this a kindness 
 to them ?] His ' brethren ' !— how so ? 
 The Son of God ' was made in the 
 likeness of man' (Phil. ii. 7)— so united 
 Himself in a sense to the whole brother- 
 hood or family of mankind [see Note 3], 
 Just think, then — we see a man destitute 
 or suffering— half inclined to be kind to 
 him — self says ' No,' conscience says ' Yes ' 
 — that man is Christ's representative [_illust. 
 — like a king in disguise] — our treatment of 
 him reckoned as treatment of Christ ! If 
 say, ' 7'his man (however mean or bad — it 
 is ' unto the least of these') is my brother 
 — is immortal like me — Christ lived and died 
 for him as ivell as for me—for Christ's sake 
 I must deny self and be kind to him' — then 
 the Lord Jesus sees it, and feels it as done 
 to Himself. But if say, 'What is it to 
 me?' (comp. Gen. iv. 9), and turn away — 
 He sees and feels that too. See Prov. 
 xiv. 31, xix. 17 ; Zech. ii. 8 ; Acts ix. 4. 
 
 Some think themselves all right because 
 (as they say) they ' have done no harm.' 
 But observe, the question is, What good 
 have you done ? 
 
 IV. The Sentence. 
 
 To the righteous, ver. 34. A kingdom 
 ' prepared ' for them — God had thought of 
 them before any one of them had lived ! 
 see Jer. xxxi. 3. What is it like? 1 Cor. 
 ii. 9 — inconceivable ! To ' inherit 'it (comp. 
 Col. i. 12 ; 1 Pet. i. 4)— how this ? ' Chil- 
 dren of God,' therefore heirs, Rom. viii. 17. 
 No wonder they are called ' blessed' ! 
 
 To the wicked, ver. 41. ' Everlasting fire' 
 — who can tell what that is ? — inconceivable 
 likewise — might say of it too, 'Eye hath 
 not seen,' »Sic. See what called elsewhere, 
 Dan. xii. 2 ; Matt. xiii. 40, 42 ; Mark ix. 
 43—48 ; Rom. ii. 8, 9 ; 2 Thess. i. 9. It 
 also is ' prepared' — but not for them — God 
 • willeth not the death of a sinner ' (Ezek. 
 { xviii. 32 ; Luke xiii. 34 ; 2 Pet. iii. 9)— for 
 ' whom then ? (comp. 2 Pet. ii. 4 ; Jude 6). 
 
 ' Come ' and ' Depart ' — what different 
 words ! Now He says ' Come' to all (Isa. 
 i. 18, Iv. 1 ; Matt. xi. 28 ; Rev. xxii. 17) ; 
 let us not, as some do (Job xxi. 14), say 
 ' Depart ' to Him. 
 
 What wondrous things for any one to 
 say ! With what speechless awe must the 
 di.sciples have hstened to all this ! How 
 they must have felt their Master's real 
 greatness ! 
 
 Yet see something more wondrous still. 
 After all these royal and mighty sayings, 
 what are IJis very next words f see first two 
 verses of next cliai>ter — ' The Son of Man 
 betrayed to be crucified ' ! That very King 
 and Judge of all, to die, two days hence, 
 on a shameful cross ! No doubt the dis- 
 ciples more tenified and dismayed than 
 ever. 
 
THE CONSPIKATORS. 
 
 225 
 
 But to us what is that sacred death ? Do 
 we not know that all our kind and unsel- 
 fish deeds could not open heaven for us, 
 because all imperfect, sin in all ? But for 
 oiu- sin He died — His death our only plea 
 
 — and therefore, looking forward to that 
 Last Judgment, we say, 
 
 ' Low at His cross I view the day 
 When heaven and earth shall pass away, 
 And thus prepare to meet Him ! ' 
 
 Notes. 
 
 1. This passage is sometimes called, very erro- 
 neously, the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats. 
 The transition from parabolic t^ plain language 
 at ver. 31—' When the Son of Man shall come,' 
 &c.— is distinctly marked. The ' sheep and goats ' 
 only appear in a single clause as a passing illus- 
 tration : ' He shall separate them one from an- 
 other, as a shepherd divldeth,' &c. 
 
 2. Many prophetical writers, and some of the 
 best commentators (e.g. , Stier and Alford) regard 
 this Last Judgment as not strictly upon all man- 
 kind; that as, according to Kev. xs., it will 
 eome after the period (commonly called the 
 Millennium) during which the saints who had 
 a part in the ' first resurrection ' will ' reign 
 with Christ on the earth,' it can only be upon 
 mankind exchmve of these saints. Others think 
 that our Lord here describes only the judgment 
 on the heathen, all professing Christians being 
 already judged, as shown by the preceding 
 parables. A third class even consider that this 
 judgment is on Christians only. But, f.Uhough 
 Rev. XX. certainly seems to intimate that the 
 Last Judgment will be quite distinct from, and 
 separated b3' an unknown period from, the 
 'Second Advent' (see the Additional Note at 
 page 215), the general tenor of Scripture is, in 
 the opinion of the great m.ijority of Chri.<tian 
 writers, in favour of the view that the entire 
 human race will then be judged. The many ex- 
 pressions implying that the saints ' shall not 
 come into judgment' do not militate against this 
 
 view. They are analogous to the promise that 
 the believer 'shall never die.' Literally, they 
 will die, and they will be judged ; but death to 
 them is but the ^ate of life, and judgment to 
 them is but their public acquittal and vindica- 
 tion before assembled worlds. This Is admirably 
 put by Alford himself, in his little book, The 
 State of the Blessed Dead. 
 
 3. Some confine the words ' these My brethren ' 
 ti3 Christ's o^vn servants. Certainly a special love 
 for His people is an evidence of being one of His 
 people (1 John iii. 14), and will win a special 
 reward (Mark ix. 41) ; and the title belongs to 
 them In a peculiar sense (Matt. xii. 48—50 ; Heb. 
 ii. 10—13). Nevertheless, the words cannot be so 
 limited here; for the question of the righteous 
 clearly shows that they had done those deeds of 
 love without a thought or question of whom 
 they were helping, and simply from the impulses 
 of an all-embracing charity. Imagine the Good 
 Samaritan stopping to ascertain who and what 
 the wounded man was! yet would not Christ's 
 words here be equally applicable to him what- 
 ever the sufferer might be in respect of either 
 creed or conduct? The great fact must not be 
 forgotten that the Incarnation brought all the 
 human race into a certain relationship to the 
 Son of God. All are affected by it; e.g., the 
 general resurrection is thus explained : ' As in 
 Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made 
 alive.' But this relationship only enhances the 
 guilt of those who reject their Redeemer. 
 
 Lesson LXXXIY.— The Conspirators. 
 
 ' They that Jay ivaitfor my soul take counsel together.' 
 
 Read— John xl 47—53, xii. 1—11 ; Luke xxii. 1—6 ; Learn— Fs. u. 1-3 ; 1 Tim. vi. 10. 
 
 (Hymns, 57, 58, 95, 142, 154, 16d, 244, 359, 375.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 By the plan of bringing together the various incidents introduced in this Lesson, the 
 following advantages are gained : — (1) The connection of the several circumstances which 
 led up to the arrest of Christ is more clearly shown ; (2) an opportunity is furnished of 
 exhibiting at one view the character and sin of Judas ; (3) a break is made between the 
 parables and discourses, which have formed the subjects of the last nine Lessons, and the 
 Last Supper, which comes in the next one, — corresponding to the interval between the 
 Tuesday evening and the Thursday evening of the Passion week ; (4) the important and 
 solemn truths concerning the purposes of God and the guilt of man can be introduced at 
 the end, by a reference to Matt. xxvi. 24 and Acts ii. 23 (as is done in the Sketch). 
 
 These latter truths are not to be concealed or evaded because they are difficult, for, 
 profoimd as they are beyond all human fathoming when looked at speculatively, their 
 practical issues are simple enough. And it is well that boys and girls should get accus- 
 tomed to regard them in their practical aspects before the speculative difficulties occur 
 to their minds— as certainly they will, in the majority of cases, sooner or later. The 
 teacher should not suggest or state the difficulties, or even allude to their existence, but 
 only, by presenting positive truth, silently rear a rampart around the minds of the scholars 
 which shall by-and-bye be proof against the assaults of the enemy. 
 
226 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LITE OF OUR LOBD. 
 
 Sketch op Lkssox. 
 
 The nest day, Wednesday, and part of 
 Thursday, we know not what Jesus was 
 •doing. Very likely spending in solitude 
 His last two days on earth. Let us for to- 
 day, then, leave Him, and see what His 
 Jenemies are about. 
 
 I. The Open Enemies. 
 
 1. Their old designs. We have seen for 
 A long time how the piiests and Pharisees 
 wanted to kill Jesus. See John v. IC, 18 
 \L(sson XXXI V.\ ; Mark iii. C \ Lesson 
 XXXVHI.] ; John vii. 1, 25, 32 [Lesson 
 /j/V.] ; John viii. 59 [Lesson LV.] ; John 
 X. 31, 39 [Lesson. LXX.\. But these all 
 •either piivate plots or sudden bursts of 
 lUge. When was His death solemnly de- 
 cided upon ? See, — 
 
 2. Their recent resoluiion. See John xi. 
 47 — 53. It is after the raising of Lazarus. 
 The miracle has startled all Jerusalem — 'it 
 must be Messiah ! ' See the result, John i 
 xii. 11. So the Great CouncO, the 'Sanhe- I 
 drim' [see Note 1], summoned to discuss | 
 the matter. 
 
 Very likely a long debate — some pro- 
 posing this, others suggesting that— cer- 
 tainly some protesting against killing Jesus 
 (see John vii. 50, 51 ; Luke xxiii. 50, 51) — 
 l>erhaps others, though not caring for Him, 
 shrinking from shedding innocent blood — 
 but then (some might say) ' what a lisk we 
 run ! people will get rebellious, and what 
 will Romans do?' (ver. 4.s). At last, who 
 rises ? ver. 49. A Sadducee (Acts v. 17) — 
 so would not care much what Jesus taught 
 — if He denounced the Pharisees, so much 
 the better ; but even Caiaphas would get 
 alarmed at risk ol; offending Romans — to 
 them he owed his high-priesthood [see 
 Note 2], and the quietei he kept the Jews 
 the longer he might keep his office. What 
 ia his advice ? ver. 50 ; like this — ' Why all 
 this perplexity? what is the life of one 
 obscure Galilean worth ? better kill him, if 
 it will save the whole nation from destruc- 
 tion — must be patriots, think of our coimtry 
 first.' 
 
 So the fatal resolution carried, some 
 maliciously rejoicing, some submitting to 
 '■ painful necessity.' By-aiid-bye they did 
 kill Jesus : did it save the nation ? why, it 
 brought on them that fearful doom we 
 lately talked of [Lesson LXXX.]. And yet 
 Oaiaphas was right in a way he never 
 dreamed of, see ver. 51, 52 — God used this 
 bad man as ho had used Balaam, to utter 
 •X great trutlii— what truth ? That Jesus 
 should die for them — yes, and for others too 
 (Isa. xlix. C) — and His death should save 
 multitudes from a worse fate than Jeru- 
 salem's. How would that be ? 
 
 .'!. Their perpleTiti/ this week. ' From that 
 <lay forth ' (ver. 53) constant plots. Think 
 now what had happened during the first 
 1 hrec days : Entry, cleansing of the Temple, 
 Ac, Ac. — ' the world gone after Jesus, as 
 it seemed (John xii. 19). His enemies are 
 
 completely foiled (Luke xix. 47, 48) — theii 
 puzzling questions no use (Matt, xxii.) — 
 their wickedness openly denounced (Matt, 
 xxiii.) ; and now they call another council, 
 Matt. xxvi. 3 — 5, but still don't know what 
 to do. At last, to their great joy, a way 
 open — see it presently. 
 
 IL The False Friend. 
 
 There had been many false friends at 
 one time. See John vi. 00, 66 [Lesson 
 XLVJI.]—hat did all leave Christ then? 
 who were stedfust? see following verses. 
 Yet even then, among those faithful 
 Twelve, 'a devil' ! — (last two verges). 
 
 1. Judas the Apostle. 
 
 How came such a man to join Jesus ? 
 No doubt, like the others, thought Jesus 
 the Messiah, expected Him to be King ; 
 then would look forward to riches and 
 honour at court. What had Jesus said 
 that would offend him ? True, they were 
 all perplexed and alarmed at the idea of 
 the Master's capture and death : but their 
 love still kept them true. But what dismay 
 to him, caring only for what he might get 
 through Jesus ! Would fancy himself de- 
 ceived, cherish bitter thoughts. 
 
 Why then did he stay with Jesus? 
 {a) Might perhaps think, like James and 
 John [Lesson LXXIL]-^^ After all He may 
 conquer — these strange words viay not 
 mean so much — we inai/ get our reward 
 before long.' (Ij) He u-as getting some- 
 thing by staying. Was treasurer to the 
 little company, kept their joint money, 
 bought what they needed ; and ichat else 
 did he do with that money ? John xii. 6. 
 How often, when they meant some of thek 
 scanty funds for the poor (John xiii. 29), 
 did the gift go into his pocket ! A clever 
 thief, too— never suspected by his comrades 
 (when Jesus said, ' One of you shall betray 
 me,' no one asked, 'Is it Judas?') — but 
 Who did know of his thefts? — surelj" he 
 must have been startled by Jesus' words 
 sometimes, such as Luke xu. 15, 20, 21, 33, 
 xvi. 11. 
 
 2. Judas the Murmui'er, 
 
 See John xii. 1—8. That night before the 
 Entry, all together at supper — where? [see 
 Lesson LX/X., Note 4J. What led Mary 
 to anoint Jesus so ? ver. 7 — (a) she loved 
 Him more than herself; (A) she thought 
 nothing too good for Him ; (r) so she 
 could give up her best to honour Him. 
 Judas just the revci-se- loved self more 
 than Jesus — what is his complaint ? Tcr. 5 ; 
 and who else agrees with him ? Matt. xxvi. 
 8, 9. But what does Jesus think of it? 
 Might expect Him to support Jud;is, for 
 always so thoughtful of the poor (Luke xii. 
 33, xiv. 13, xviii. 22). No — doubtless Mary 
 7i)as kind to the poor — but why not also 
 honour Him ? The most charitable person 
 keeps much for himself — well, Mary devoted 
 to Jesus what meant, not for the poor, but 
 for herself. But wliat made Judas thua 
 
THE CONSPIRATORS, 
 
 227 
 
 complain ? his great charity ? ah, he would 
 iike the £10 that ointment would fetch to 
 come to him ' for the poor,' and then — ? 
 
 3. Judas the Traitor. 
 
 That rebuke at Bethany has ' put him 
 out.' Then all the attacks on Jesus during 
 the next three days— what would he think 
 of them ? would feel he is on the losing 
 side— his dreams of power and wealth aU 
 vanishing— bitter resentment in his heart. 
 Then those last startling words on Olivet 
 (Matt. xxvi. 1, 2)— Jesus to die in two 
 days '.—then all hope at an end. 
 
 And then — see what happens to him, 
 Luke xxii. 3. Satan, ' walking about seek- 
 ing whom he may devour' (1 Pet. v. 8), 
 seizes on the selfish, covetous, discontented 
 man. A dark thought— if the Master is to 
 die, why should not something be got out 
 of it?— no doubt the rulers would gladly 
 pay for a chance of taking Jesus without a 
 tumult. 3/one?/— he can't resist that. How 
 many crimes done for money ! how many 
 souls lost through love of it ! Remember 
 Achan, Gehazi, Ananias ; see 1 Tim. vi. 10. 
 • Now we see what it was that gave the 
 rulers such sudden exultation. The bargain 
 quickly struck— Judas to sell his Lord for 
 less than £4 ! 
 
 What a spectacle of wickedness ! first 
 hatred and malice, then selfishness, avarice, 
 meanness, treachery. And yet — 
 
 God ovkkruled all this wickedness 
 
 FOR GOOD. 
 
 He always does : remember the histories 
 of Joseph and Esther; see Prov. xix. 21. 
 But how so here ? Think — was the death 
 of Jesus a defeat or a victory for Him? 
 did it frustrate God's purposes, or fulfil 
 them ? But for that death, what had be- 
 come of us? So God brought salvation 
 out of all this sin — ' turned the curse into 
 a blessing' (Neh. xiii. 2). 
 
 But did this make the ffuilt less? The 
 rulers' guUt ? see Acts ii. 23. Judas's guilt ? 
 see Matt. xxvi. 24. So always : you may 
 'jC malicious, covetous, treacherous {e.g., 
 you may plot against boy better than 
 yourself )— perhaps you will succeed, per- 
 haps not— God will not let it injiu-e Him 
 or spoil His plans— but it may deatmjyour 
 oion soul. 
 
 Do you say. No risk of our being wicked 
 like those men ? Yet they too were chil- 
 dren once ; seemed innocent enough. [See 
 iliust. in j)reface to Lesson XVI II. \ See 
 Jer. xvii. 9 ; and pray Ps, cxxxix. 23, 24. 
 
 1. The Sanhedrim (more accurately Sanhedrin) 
 was the supreme judicial and administrative 
 Council among the Jews. It consisted of (pro- 
 bably) seventy-one members, who were of three 
 classes, viz.,{l) the chief priests, i.e., the heads 
 of the twenty-lour 'courses' into which the 
 ]>riests were divided (1 Chron. xxiv. ; Luke i. 5); 
 
 (2) scribes, the authorised expounders of the law ; 
 
 (3) elders, men of age and influence. The power 
 of the Sanhedrim was at one time very great, 
 though it had been reduced by Herod the Great 
 and the Roman governors. The members are 
 called in the N. T. ' rulers' : Nicodemus was one 
 (John iii. 1), and Joseph of Arimathrea (Mark 
 XV. 43), and the rich young man (Luke xviii. 18). 
 Further information will be found in Smith's 
 I>ict. of Bible; the Student's iV. T. Jiist., p. 54; 
 H. Dixon's Holy Land, p. 340. 
 
 2. The rightful high-priest at this time was 
 Annas, who had held the office some years 
 before. But the Roman governors appomted 
 and deposed high-priests at pleapure, and four 
 of the sons of Annas, as well as his son-in-law 
 Calaphas, filled the post in succession. The 
 latter acted for nearly twenty ye.irs. Annas 
 evidently retained much influence, as might be 
 expected (see John xviii. 13), and in Acts iv. 6 
 (comp. Luke iii. 2) he is actually called 'the 
 high-priest,' though probably not so de facto. 
 
 3. The anointing of our Lord by Jlarj- must be 
 carefully distinguished from that other anoint- 
 ing by the 'woman that was a sinner," in 
 Luke vii. But, on the use of unguents, the 
 'alabaster box,' &c., see Xotes lo the Lesson 
 (XXXYI.) on that passage. 
 
 The Supper at Bethany is distinctly stated by 
 St. John to have taken place on the evening 
 before the Entry. In Mattliew and Mark it is 
 not related until just before the Passion, in im- 
 mediate connection with Judas's offer to the 
 
 Notes. 
 
 Sanhedrim, but without any definite statement 
 as to when it occurred. The fact that Judas was 
 the originator of the complaint against Mary 
 suggests at once the reason why the Supper 
 should be mentioned in this connection ; yet it 
 is not Matthew and Mark, but John, who men- 
 tions Judas in relating the Supper. The coinci- 
 dence is remarkable, in whatever way we explain 
 Matthew and Mark's arrangement. 
 
 4. Many attempts have been made to mitigate 
 the wickedness of Judas. For example, it has 
 been suggested that, in his impatience to see 
 Jesus assuming the royal dignity, he thought, 
 by betraying Him, to force Him to raise the 
 populace in His defence. The simple reply to 
 this is that no hint of it is found in Scripture. 
 The Evangelists present the meanness of the 
 traitor's character without a redeeming feature ; 
 and the utmost that may be conceded is that, 
 having seen his Master elude His enemies on 
 former occasions, he might excuse his treachery 
 to himself by the argument that Jesus could do 
 so again if He liked. On the other hand, wc 
 cannot conceive that the hope of a paltry bribe 
 was his only actuating motive ; and there Is the 
 highest prol:ability that his feelings were as 
 indicated in the Sketch. 
 
 5. The 'palace' of Calaphas (Matt. xxvi. 3), 
 where Judas's bargain was made with the chief- 
 priests, is said by tradition to have stood on the 
 hill which rises on the further side of the Valley 
 of Hinnom, south of Jerusalem, and which is 
 still called the Hill of Evil Counsel. 
 
 G. 'Thirty pieces of silver'— silver shekels, a 
 Hebrew weight from early times. This amount 
 was the price to be paid for a slave killed by an 
 ox (E.\od. xxi. 32). pee also Zech. xi. 12; and 
 compare the ' twenty pieces of sUver ' Coc wiJili 
 Joseph was sold. 
 
228 
 
 Lesson LXXXV— The Last Supper— L 
 
 'Jam among you as he that serveth' 
 
 Read — John xiii. ; {camp. Matt. xxvi. 17 — 29 ; Mark xiv. 12 — 25 ; Luke xxii. 7 — 38) ; 
 Xearw— John xiii. 1 ; Matt. xx. 26—28. {Hymns, 42, 60, 80, 90, 91, 95, 96, 147, 155, 161, 
 
 166, 353, 354.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 The four accounts of the Last Supper must be very carefully compared and studied, if 
 the teacher would avoid serious perplexity and confusion when he comes to handle 
 the subject with his class. It is a useful plan, in a case like this, when all Four Gospels 
 have to be refen-ed to, to let three of the places be kept open by three of the best 
 scholars, and the other, i.e., the one which is to be mainly followed, by the rest ; and 
 then, when one of the three has to be turned to, to say—' Henry will find the answer to 
 that question in St. Luke,' or, ' William, how does St. Mark relate this ? ' Obviously, the 
 teacher must know beforehand exactly what each Evangelist does say, and at what 
 precise point such and such a reference is to be made ; but if well carried out, the plan 
 is almost sure to interest the class. The teacher who may have to tell the story to a non- 
 reading class cannot, of course, adopt this method ; but it is, perhaps, all the more 
 necessary for him to have the succession and connection of the incidents clearly before 
 his mental eye. 
 
 The difficulties which beset the harmonistic arrangement of the four narratives are 
 briefly treated in Note 1 ; but any inconvenience which might arise from the principal 
 question — viz., where, in St. John's account, to insert the institution of the Lords Supper, 
 — is here avoided by the simple expedient of taking that important subject b}' itself in a 
 second Lesson. And the minor ones also need scarcely arise if, instead of reading the 
 chapter and its parallels straight through, the teacher vrill be content to follow the 
 course suggested in the Sketch, which groups the incidents according to their practical 
 teaching, without professing to fix their exact order. 
 
 Some of the teachings of the passage, which are necessarily omitted, or but briefly 
 alluded to, in these I>essons, will be found more fully treated in Mr. Warington's Course 
 on the Life of St. Peter, in the Church Sunday School Magnzine for 1869, in which no less 
 than four Lessons are devoted to the Last Supper. The latter part of this Lesson, about 
 the warning to Peter, can, if time should run shoi-t, be omitted, and be taken in the 
 introductory portion of the next Lesson but one (LXXXVII.). 
 
 In commencing, as we now do, the history of our Lord's Passion, an earnest effort 
 should be made to impress upon the children an idea of the exceeding solemnity of what 
 they are about to study. If both teachers and scholars approach the subject in the 
 Bpirit of God's command to Moses, ' Put off thy shoes from off thj^ feet, for the place 
 whereon thou standest is holy ground,' — we may surely look for a special blessing upon 
 these particular Lessons. 
 
 Sketch of Lesson. 
 
 It is Thursdaj', tlie 14th Nisan \see 
 Addit. Note XII., page 235] — the day on 
 which, when Israel yet slaves in Egypt, 
 God commanded to kill lambs for Passover- 
 feast (Exod. xii. 6). All in Jerusalem 
 Viusy — Temple crowded with people bring- 
 ing lambs to be sacrificed — those at home 
 sweeping house to get rid of eveiy scrap of 
 leaven. 
 
 for washing feet [see Note 3] ; but what 
 else must Peter and John prepare ? — 
 lamb, imleavened cakes, bitter herbs, wine 
 [.see Note 1, next J.^fsnit']. Then, in the 
 evening, come Jesus and the other ten. 
 
 This the ' Last Supper ' — Christ's last 
 meal before ITis death. Sec how St. John 
 begins liis account, ver. 1 — it is 'the hour' 
 [see Lesson LXX.^ at last — the 'time' to 
 
 Here is a man who has a large room up- ! which Jesus liad looked forward [ Lessor 
 
 Btairs not wanted — will of course lend it I Z,A'.] — how full, then, His mind of what 
 
 to some pilgrim Jews from distant parts j coming ! — and yet, does He forget His dis- 
 
 for their feast — yes, and here are two i ciplea ? Ignorant, weak, sinful they are- 
 
 visitors who have engaged it, "Who are 
 they ? how fell in with the man ? see Luke 
 xxii. 7 — 13. Room ready? yes: table, 
 couches, dishes, &c. — water, basin, towel. 
 
 yet, great as He is (ver. 3), glorious as He 
 IS to be (ver. 31, 32), He ' loves them unto 
 the end,' ver. 1 ; comp. Rom. viii. 35 — 39. 
 See His love shining at that eupper-table, 
 
THE LAST SUPPER 1. 
 
 229 
 
 perhaps more brightly than ever before. 
 In two ways : — 
 
 I. Christ's Love shown tx His Con- 
 descension. 
 
 Jesus tnkes His place at table. What 
 are the Twelve about? Luke xxii. 2-1— 
 disputing even there, even then — why? no 
 doubt all wanted best seats. What sjiould 
 they have remembered? Luke xiv. 7 — 11. 
 Another reason:— here is the basin, A-c , 
 but which will take the servant's place to 
 wa'^h his comrades' feet ? Each too proud 
 and jealous — all now at table, and none 
 washed. But look — Jesus rises : and then 
 
 gge ver. 4, 5 — He, their Lord and Master 
 
 (ver. 13, 14), 'come from God and going to 
 God' (ver. 3), doing; a slave's duty for His 
 own creatures ! Here is condescension, 
 ftoopinq—covXdi he stoop lower than this ? 
 [See Note 3.] 
 
 Imagine their silent confusion as He goes 
 round. Surely His touch on the feet sends 
 a thrill of shame through each ! But one 
 cannot be silent— Pe^o-'s feet washed bi/ 
 Peter's Lord ?— ' never ! never ! ' \see Note 4.] 
 And yet, a minute later, he is asking to be 
 washed all over, ver. 9 — how is this ? ah, 
 he sees now what Jesus means— this wash- 
 ing to remind them of a greater washing, 
 the washing of souls from sin — feels he 
 can't have too much of thnt (comp Luke 
 V. 8). But does Jesus mean this? see 
 ver. 10 — He says, 'Ye are clean' — had 
 cleansed them from sin long ago. Why 
 then a further cleansing needed ? Because 
 still got stains of sin every day— just as 
 feet soiled in walking, even after a bath 
 [see Note 5]. 
 
 Again He is at table. See His question, 
 ver. 12 — Can we answer it? Let us try. 
 
 Three things taught by this washing :— 
 
 1. That Christ must cleanse us frmn sin. 
 If not — ? see ver. 8. How does He cleanse 
 \is? see Rev. i. 5 ; 1 Cor. vi. 11. ' There is 
 a fountain' (Zech. xiii. 1), — 
 
 ' And sinners. plnnfrPd tioncath that flood, 
 Lose all their guilty stains.' 
 
 But must not be content with being once 
 cleansed— do we not sin every day?— then 
 need fresh cleansing every day— so, in 
 Lord's Prayer, pray for daily forsriveness as 
 well as 'daily bread'; see 2 Cor. y\i. I; 
 Tit. iii. .'> (' aiid renewing ') ; 1 John i. 7. 
 
 2. What fie did in order to cleanse us 
 from sin. In that supper-room we see a 
 picture of what He did for us all. ' Laid 
 aside His garments'— so for us laid aside 
 His gloiy, 2 Cor. viii. 9. Did a servant's 
 ■w-ork— so for us ' took on Him the form of 
 a servant,' Phil. ii. 7. Washed men who 
 were going to betray, deny, desert Him— 
 so. for whom did He live, suffer, die? 
 Rom. V. 8 ; comp. Luke v. 32. xv. 2, xix. 
 10 Was not this a greater ' stooping ' ? 
 
 3. JIow we should imitate Him, ver. 13 — 
 15; comp. Luke xxii. 2.1—27. Does He 
 mean that we are to wash each other's 
 feet? yes, if ever necessary. But nothing 
 else? Anything that is a kindness to 
 
 others, however mean and disagreeable it 
 
 may seem to us. Do you say, ' I would 
 
 do anything, but not this or that ' ? — then 
 
 j this or that the very thing you must do if 
 
 [ would be like Christ. See Rom. xii. 10 ; 
 
 I 1 Pet. V. 5. 
 
 ; II. Chrlst's Love shown in His Long- 
 suffering. 
 I 1. Bis long-sufiering with the traitor. 
 
 The supper goes on. But a strange 
 
 silence at the table — Jesus ' troubled ' — 
 
 why? ver. 21. Perhaps two feelings: — 
 
 (rt) pain at the traitor's ingratitude, ver. 18 
 
 (comp. Ps. xli. 9) — he is no open enemy — 
 
 ' then ' could have borne it' (Ps. Iv. 12, 13) 
 
 'but it was thou'; (h) anguish at the 
 
 traitor's doom. Matt. xxvi. 24 (comp. John 
 
 xvii. 12). But think — how long has that 
 
 thief and traitor been with Jesus? what 
 
 ; privileges has he had ? what tender words 
 
 of warning and counsel ? How wondrous 
 
 ; the long-suffering of Christ, to endure his 
 
 presence all the while ! 
 
 At length — can bear it no longer — 
 ' Jesus testified,' .s/Jfr7^s out, yer. 21. Ima- 
 gine the shocked faces round the table ! 
 Any donbting ? ver. 22— but not about the 
 Lord's correctness— no exclaiming ' Impos- 
 sible !'— ah, they know His ^verily, verily' 
 too well. And that washing must have 
 humbled them, for what is the anxious 
 question ? not ' Is it he ? ' or ' Is it you ? ' 
 but — ? Surely with broken, trembling 
 voice (see Matt.— ' exceeding soiTOwful') 
 that dreadful question comes from them, 
 ' one by one (Mark). 
 
 Does Jesus tell the terrible secret ? Only 
 ' to two :— («) To John, see ver. 23—26. 
 lb) To the traitor himself— why this, when 
 he knew it only too well ? but see how, to 
 : avoid detection, he puts the humble ques- 
 tion like the rest (Matt.) ; then the whis- 
 . pered reply [see Note 2]—' thou hast said ' 
 (Jewish way of saying 'yes')— does the 
 \ Lord's searching eye arrest him — His ten- 
 der voice melt him ? ah, he has given his 
 i heart to another master now (ver. 27), and 
 ' forth he goes from the lighted room into 
 ; the dark streets (ver. 30)— type of the dark 
 I thoughts within him, and of that ' outer 
 i darkness' into which (Matt. xxv. 30) goes 
 j every ' wicked servant ' 1 
 j If the traitor's presence such a burden, 
 ; how will Jesus feel now he is gone ? sec 
 ; His relieved spirit bursting forth, ver. 31, 
 
 ■ 32— the word ' glorified ' five times ! Why 
 
 ■ 'noio' glorified? Because Judas' depar- 
 ' ture the signal that the cross is at hand 
 ' (see John xii. 23, 32). 
 
 2. His long-sufering with Peter and the 
 rest. 
 
 Is there no more ingratitude now Judas 
 is gone ? no more of Satan's mischief in 
 that little band ? Jesus has more to bear 
 yet. Even since they sat down to supper, 
 what has He had to rebuke ? And what 
 will those eleven do tliis very night? 
 Mark xiv. 50. 
 
 Now see how Jesus shows His love for 
 
230 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUB LOBD. 
 
 these weak and faithless ones, Luke xxii. 
 31—31 : — (o) A loving warning : Batan is 
 seeking them [see Note 8J. (I) A loving 
 assurance given to Peter especially because 
 he to fall most — ' I have prayed for thee ' ; 
 and so, ' though he fall, he shall not be 
 utterly cast down ' — why ? see Pa. xxxvii. 
 '2-i. 1)0 we hear the humble 'Is it I ? ' 
 again ? ver. 33 — Peter like himself now, 
 bold and confident — he a deserter ! others 
 may, but not he (Matt.)— rather 'prison 
 and death.' Peter die for his Lord ? he 
 little thought thdt was just what his Lord 
 would do next d-dyjhr him I 
 
 Whut a contrast! On one side, 'the 
 riches of Christ's goodness and forbearance 
 and long-suffering ' (Rom. ii. 4 ; comp. 
 1 Tim. i. ir>) — on the other side, jealousy 
 and discord, slowness of heart, ingratitude, 
 faithlessness, and even dark treachery ! 
 
 There is the same Contrast now. 
 
 In this class — is there a Peter? is there a 
 Judas ? you think you could not have done 
 those dreadful things ; but the weakness 
 and failings we have seen to-day [i-ecajn- 
 tulate] — are there these? well, and is there 
 not the enemy still, watchful as ever, ' seek- 
 ing whom he may de%'our ' ? 
 
 But Christ is the same too (Heb. xiii. 8), 
 loving, condescending, long-suffering. 
 Come to Him. First, bring to Him the 
 sins of the past, — 
 
 ' Foul. I to the fountain fly ; 
 Waslime, Saviour, or I die!' 
 
 Then bring before Him the dangers of pre- 
 sent and future, and ask Him who prayed 
 for Peter to plead for you (see Bom. viiL 
 3i; Heb. vii. '2o ; 1 John ii. 1). 
 
 ' On this alone my hopes depend. 
 
 That Thou wilt plead for me ! ' 
 
 NOTE.S. 
 
 I. The following tabular statement shews the incidents of the Last Supper as arranged by the four 
 Evangelists:— 
 
 Matt. 
 
 1. Preparations for the Supper Ver. 17—20 
 
 2. Strife among the Disciples 
 
 3. Christ washing the Disciples' feet 
 
 4. Discourse thereon 
 
 5. The "first cup' of wine 
 
 C. Announcement of the Traitor 21—24 
 
 7. Identification of the Traitor 25 
 
 8. Christ's joy at Judas' departure . . 
 
 9. Institution of the Lord's Supper . 26—29 
 10. First warning to I'eter 
 
 II. Second ditto CO— 35 
 
 Mark 
 
 
 Luke 
 
 
 John 
 
 Ver. 12-17 
 
 A 
 
 er. 7-14 
 
 24 
 
 25-30 
 15-18 
 
 \ 
 
 er. 1—11 
 12-20 
 
 18-21 
 
 
 21-23 
 
 
 21, 22 
 23-30 
 31, 32 
 
 22—25 
 
 
 19-20 
 31—38 
 
 
 33-38 
 
 26-31 
 
 
 
 
 
 The principal difficulty in harmonising the 
 accounts is to decide where, in John xiii., t)ie 
 institution of the Lord's Suiiper must be in- 
 serted; which involves the furtlier question- 
 Was Judas then present or not? On this point 
 commentators are much divided. Andrews {Life 
 of Our Lord, p. 4JS) mentions a great many well- 
 known names on both sides. 
 
 (a) If Judas was present, the insUtutiou must 
 be inserted between ver. 20 and 21 of John xiii., 
 whichis very awkward, and the order of Matthew 
 and Mark must be dis-rcgarded. It is only from 
 the close way in which Luke's 20th and 21st verses 
 teem connected that Judas' presence can be in- 
 ferred ; and Luke's order is obviously not exact in 
 other respects, as liis ver. 25—30 unqucstioual)ly 
 refer to the wasliiug of the disciiMcs" feet at the 
 tieginiiing of the repast. (The words, 'supper 
 being ended,' in John xiii. 2, are a mistransla- 
 tion, and should be 'supper being ready,' or 
 ' having come '; the Greek word is the same as is 
 used by Matthew to express ' when the evening 
 iraicome.') 
 
 (b) On the view adopted in the above table, 
 that Judas liad left before the Lord's Supper was 
 instituted, tiie order of .Matthew and Mark can 
 be retained, and the division of John -xiii. be 
 made after ver. 32, which is niucli the least awk- 
 ward place. This arrangement is further con- 
 firmed by a comparison of the narratives with 
 what appears from the Talmud to have been the 
 I'asclial ritual at that time. Sec next Lesson, 
 -Note I. 
 
 'J'hc second warning to I'eter was given on the 
 way to CictUscmane, so that between sections 10 
 
 j and U of the table, come the discourses of Joha 
 I xiv.— xvi., and the prayer of cliap. xvii. 
 
 1 2. All ideas of the Last Supper derived from our • 
 I Eugllsli usages, or from engravings of Leonardo 
 I Da Vinci's famous picture, must be discarded iu 
 I reading this passage. The ' table' probably con- 
 sisted of three tables, arranged to form three 
 I sides of a sqiuire, tlius | |, the fourth side being 
 i always left open for tlie convenience of the 
 servants in waiting. Couches or ottomans, as 
 high (or nearly so) as the tables, were placed 
 outside them— not within the square. On these 
 the guests reclined, each leaning on Ids left arm, 
 and with his feetexteuding diagonally outwards, 
 behind the shoulders of the jicrson next to him. 
 St. John was in this place next to our Lord, so 
 that he could lean )iis licad back upon Jesus' 
 breast to whisper the question about the traitor. 
 It is probable that Judas was next Christ on the 
 other side, i.e., behind Him, as the 'Thou hiist 
 said' of Matt. xxvi. 2.; cannot have been spoken 
 In the hearing of the rest. 
 
 ' IMjipiug the hand in the dish ' also alludes to 
 the Oriental custom of eadi heljiing liimself with 
 his fingers out of i>nc dish, 'i'he 'sop,' rather 
 'morsel' (see margin), was i)robably a piece of 
 bread dipped in a dish called c/iaroseth. made up 
 of figs, nutr, 4:c., mixed with wine and vinegar, 
 which was then a part of the paschal meal. 
 
 3. Frequent washing of the feet Is indispensa- 
 ble where only sandals are worn (see Gen. xvlii. 
 4, xlx. 2, xxiv. 32). Ilengstenbcrg, whose ex- 
 jilanation of the whole .«cene (in his Commentary 
 on St. John, Clark's edition, vol. Ii. p. 138) Is par- 
 
THE LAST SUPPER II, 
 
 231 
 
 ticularly good, justly urges that much of the 
 teaching involved in our Lord's condescending 
 act depends upon there having been a real need 
 for the washing. It was not a superfluous ser- 
 vice done merely for its symbolism. This being 
 80, the assumption of the Sketch is a natural 
 one, that the householder provided the basin, 
 &c., but, having to keep his own lassover, left 
 the disciples to wait upon themselves; and that 
 this, in part at all events, led to the ' strife ' men- 
 tioned by St. Luke, to terminate and to rebuke 
 which Jesus Himself undertook the servile office, 
 girded, like the meanest slave, with the neces- 
 sary towel. The humiliation implied in the act 
 is shown by Abigail's words to David, 1 Sam. 
 XXV. 41 ; comp. 1 Tim. v. 10, and see Lesson 
 XXXVl., Note 3. 
 
 4. ' Dost Thou wash my feetV The pronouns are 
 both emphatic themselves and emphatically 
 placed ; thus, literally, ' Dost Thou, of me, wash 
 the feet?' Christ accepts the Implied contrast, 
 and uses it again in His reply, ' What / do, thou 
 knowest not'— as if to say, 'If yon acknowledge 
 My superiority, why question what I am pleased 
 to do?' Peter's reply is literally, 'Thou shalt 
 not wash my feet to etermiy.' 
 
 Most writers observe that Peter here is a type 
 of those persons who, from a false humility, will 
 not accept a spiritual washing provided by free 
 and unmerited grace; and, on the rejoinder of 
 Jesus, ' If I wash thee not, thou hast no part 
 with Me,' Stier remarks that ' we need threat- 
 ening to induce us to accept love.' 
 
 5. ' lie that is washed needeth not save to trash his 
 feet.' The 'is washed' is a different word in the 
 Greek from that used elsewhere in this chapter. 
 It means 'has bathed,' and alludes to the bath 
 usually taken before going to a feast, which left 
 only the necesslt}', on arrival at the house, of 
 having the feet washed from the dust or mire of 
 the road. It is connected with the word used in 
 Tit. ill. 5—' the washing [literally bath or laver] 
 of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost.' 
 
 This latter passage unquestionably refers to 
 the ancient custom of baptism by immersion, 
 and fully justifies the almost unanimous opinion 
 
 of commentators that, to the early Christians, 
 Christ's words would mean, ' He that has bathed, 
 —that has believed in the Son of God, come out 
 from the world, and gone down into the baptismal 
 bath as a sign and seal of the remission of sins 
 by Christ's blood (see Acts ii. 38, xxll. 16;— 
 needeth not save to wash his feet, to seek cleans- 
 ing daily and hourly for the stains of sin rettived 
 in his necessary contact {the feet are tlie meniOen 
 that touch the ground) with the world.' Luther 
 says, ' The devil allows no Christian to reach 
 heaven with clean feet all the way.' There is au 
 admirable sermon on the subject in Dr. C. J. 
 Vaughan's Plain Words on Christian Living, first 
 published in Good Words for August, 1864. 
 
 6. Melancthon declares that the three greatest 
 marks of pity and compassion are (1) to tolerate 
 the wicked for a season ; (2) to abstain from ex- 
 posing their sins as long as possible ; (3) to warn 
 them plainly and gently before leaving them for 
 ever. (Quoted in Kyle's Expository Thoughts on 
 St. John). These are strikingly cxemplitied in 
 Christ's dealings with Judas. The announce- 
 ment by Jesus of His knowledge of the traitor 
 was needed, to show the Apostles t hat the manner 
 of His arrest was no surprise to Him. 
 
 The words in Ps. xli. 9, quoted by our Lord 
 (John xiii. 18) referred originally to Ahithophel, 
 David's counsellor. ' JJath lifted vp his heel 
 against Me,' is a figurative allusion to the kick- 
 ing of a vicious horse. 
 
 ' 27iat thou doest, do quickly' is a pregnant say- 
 ing, and is variously interpreted. Probably It 
 means, ' I know thine errand ; J am ready.' 
 
 7. Christ's words in Luke xxii. 25—39 ^''^ almost 
 a repetition of Matt. xx. 25—28, and xix. 28; on 
 which see Lessons LXXII. and LXVII. Ver. 27 
 connects them with the immediate occasion. The 
 title ' benefactor' was adopted by sevefal Oriental 
 sovereigns ; Ptolemy Euergetes is the best known 
 example. 
 
 8. 'Satan hath desired to have you.' . The 'you' 
 is plural, referring to them all. Satan did ' have ' 
 the Apostles for a while ; for a while only, be- 
 cause of Christ's intercession. 'Converted,' i.e., 
 tuined back from thy wandering or backsliding. 
 
 Lesson LXXXYL— Tlie Last Supper— IL 
 
 ' This do in remembrance of Me, 
 
 Read— 'Ka.tt. xxvi, 26—29 ; Mark xiv. 22—25 ; Luke xxii. 15—20 -, Learn— I Cor. xi. 23—20. 
 {Hymns, GO, 99, 104, 144, 14G, 24G, 332-337, 342.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 Great responsibility must be felt by any Lesson-writer in taking up a subject around 
 ■which have raged the most important controversies in the Christian Church. Every 
 effort has been made to be as sim2)le as possible in the Sketch, and to refer at each point 
 to the very words of the Catechism and Communion Service ; while the distinctly Pro- 
 testant explanations in the Notes are purposely given, not in the Writer's own words, but 
 in those of Anglican divines free from all possible suspicion of thinkmg too lightly of 
 the Sacrament. It is hoped that these Notes will help to prepare the teacher's mind for 
 any questions that may arise in the class; but it is very important that, in actual 
 teaching, the minds of our scholars should not be confused with nice polemical distinc- 
 tions between Roman, Lutheran, Zwinglian, Anglican, or any other class of views. The 
 best prejaaration against error and diflaculty in the future is to be imbued with positive 
 
232 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 truth now, and even this rather in its spiritual and practical than in its merely dogmatic 
 aspect. 
 
 The teacher of j-oung children may not unnaturally ask, Can I take this Lesson ? The 
 writer's reply is, Decidedly you can and ought to take it. Describe in detail what Chnst 
 said and did at the Institution of the Supper, and what is done now when it is celebrated. 
 The latter will certainly awaken interest if the account be begun something like ihis ] 
 'At end of Church Service, when people come out, some stay behind with the clergy- 
 man—what for ? '—then telling what is on the Table, how the people go up to it, ic. 
 Then the explanations will follow naturally ; and if the ' spiritual feeding ' is found too 
 diflacult, the idea of ' commemoration ' will at all events be at once grasped. 
 
 Sketch of Lesson. 
 
 That supper which the Lord Jesus took 
 ■with His disciples [last Lesson], and which 
 He had so much 'desired' to take with 
 them (Luke xxii. 15)— what was it called? 
 
 And, that same evening, the same Pass- 
 over feast in every liouse in Jerusalem : 
 famil\- gathered together — solemn thanks- 
 giving offered— cup of wine passed round ; 
 t;ien one of the children stood up and 
 asked what it all meant, and father ex- 
 plained ; then two Psalms chanted— another 
 cup of wine passed round— roasted lamb 
 divided— rest of meal taken ; two more 
 cups of wine drunk, and four more Psalms 
 sung. [See Note 1.] Next day would be 
 oflEerings in the Temple, and other cere- 
 monies ; and for seven days all the bread 
 to be unleavened. 
 
 How long had this yearly feast been 
 kept? We met with it when Jesus began 
 His mmistry (John ii. 13), and when He 
 was a boy (Luke ii. 41, 42). But it was 
 much older than that. See it in Ezra's 
 time (Ezra vi. 19), in Hezekiahs (2 Chron. 
 XXX.), in Joshua's (Josh. v. 10), even in the 
 \\-ildernes8 (Numb. ix. 1—5). But where 
 was the ^first Passover lamb eaten ? Exod. 
 xii. 8 — 11 [pictio-e the scene]. 
 
 Year after year, for centuries, the Pass- 
 over kept. Why ? When child stood up 
 at supper-table and asked why, what would 
 father say ? see Exod. iii. 25—27. 
 
 I. The Passoveh Feast commemo- 
 
 llATED A GREAT DELIVERANCE. 
 
 1. A dtlivernnce from ickatf From 
 Egyptian bondage? yes, but something be- 
 fore that— a deliverance from the destroy- 
 ing angel, from God's judgment upon sin. 
 
 2. Bow was this dtliverance effected? 
 Destroying angel 'passed over' where 
 blood sprinkled— what blood ? So the lamb 
 l.illed to save their lives. And then what 
 done with the lamb? That same lamb, 
 whose blood their safety, also to be their 
 food, to strengthen them for journey, 
 
 3. Whi/ was the deliverance commemo- 
 rated every year? Merely to remember 
 Gods mercy to the Israelites who hap- 
 pened to be alive at the Exodus? More 
 than this. To tliat deliverance every Jew 
 owed Ins home in Canaan, A-c. «tc.— so 
 could thank God on hp own account. And 
 could only continue to be one of God's 
 chosen nation by keeping the feast, for see 
 Numb. is. 13. 
 
 II. The Pa.ssover Feast pointed to 
 A Greater Deliverance. 
 
 1. A dtliccrance from ivhat ? From a 
 worse bondage than that of Egypt— the 
 slavery of sin, see John viii. 84; 2 Pet, 
 ii. I'J. [.See this exjjlained and illustrated itl 
 Lesson XLllL] .and from a judgment 
 
 ! more terrible than came upon the lirst- 
 I bom, Rom, ii. 3, 5, 8, ti ; Matt. xxv. 41. 
 
 2. How was this greater deliverance to 
 he effected? Also by the blood of a Lamb 
 1 Pet. i. 18, 19 ; Rev. v. 8, 9. Who is this 
 Lamb ? John i. 29 ; Col. i. 13, 14 ; Heb. ix. 
 12, 14. But is it enough that the Lamb of 
 God was slain for us ? Was it enough to 
 kill the lamb in Egypt? No, something 
 else— (I) blood sprinkled, (2) lamb eaten. 
 So with us— Jesus died for all, but (1) each 
 must come to Him and have heart ' sprui- 
 kled,' Heb. x, 19, 22 ; 1 Pet. i. 2 ; t e., each 
 must have his own sin put away ; (2)' must 
 ' feed on ' Christ, i.e., believe in Him, think 
 about Him, trust in Him— so gain strength 
 for journey by ' narrow way ' to heavenly 
 Canaan. [See beloiv.] 
 
 3. Bow did the yearly feast point to this 
 greater deliverance ? Would show how de- 
 hverance from death could only be by death 
 oj Another. All might not see this; but 
 when Jesus had died, what could St. Paul 
 call Him ? 1 Cor. v. 7. 
 
 Now, should not this greater deliverance be 
 commemorated loo ? At that ' Last Supper ' 
 what did Christ do ? 
 
 III. Chrlst instituted the Lord's 
 Supper to commemorate this Greater 
 Deliverance. 
 
 [Read passages. Matt., Marl; Lidr ; re- 
 peat 1 Cor. xi. '23—26.] What were the dis- 
 ciples always to ' do ' ? To sacrilice a l.imb 
 and eat its flesh? No; Jesus going to 
 'offer up Himself as 'one sacrifice for 
 sins for ever' (Heb. vii. 27, ix. 26, x. 12)— 
 no more sacrifices after that. [See Notes 
 3, 5.J Only to eat bread and drink wine. 
 Did they 'do' this? see Acts ii. 42, 46, 
 XX. 7 ; 1 Cor. x. 16, xi. '26. And it has 
 been 'done' ever since — how many millions 
 of times in 1800 years ! ' Done ' wherever 
 even two or three who love Christ, onboard 
 ship, in snows of Greenland and hot sands 
 of Africa, as well as in our great cathe- 
 drals. And ivill be 'done'— how long? 
 1 Cor. xi. '26— 'Till He come !' 
 Try and understand why Christ ineti- 
 
THI, LAST SUPPKR — II. 
 
 233 
 
 tuted this 'Lord's Supper,' and what we 
 mean by celebrating it. If English boy- 
 asks, as Jewish boy did about Passover, 
 ' What mean ye by this service ? ' — how ex- 
 plain? 
 
 In the Lord's Supper two things 
 DONE. See this in minister's words when 
 giving the bread — (1) 'Take and eat this 
 in remembrance that Christ died for thee ; ' 
 (2) ' Feed on Him in thy heart by faith with 
 thanksgiving.' 
 
 1. We commemorate Christ's Death for us. 
 See Catechism : ' Q,. Why Sacrament of 
 Lord's S. ordained? Ans. For continual 
 remembrance of sacrifice of death of 
 Christ,' (ic. (Comp. Exliort. in Commun. 
 Serv. — ' To be by them received in remem- 
 brance,' d'c. ; ' To the end that we should 
 alway remember the exceeding great love 
 of our Master,' &c. ; and Prayer of Con- 
 seer. — ' A perpetual memory of that His 
 precious death.') 
 
 But could we not remember Christ's 
 death without this ? Perhaps so, yet, — 
 
 (a) Is mere ' remembering ' enough ? 
 Would we not wish to ' commemorate ' such 
 an event ? [Illust. — A birthday : not only 
 remember the da;/, but keep it specially. And 
 lohy put up tombstone ' in memory of' dead 
 friend? cmdd ^ remember htm' ivithoiit.] 
 
 (b) The Lord's Supper good even as a 
 reminder. If go to it, can feel, ' Bread and 
 wine has thus been distributed for 1800 
 yeai-s — it began that very night when Jesus 
 was betrayed — He commanded it — how true 
 it all is ! — He did really die for me.' The 
 Bread reminds of His Body ' given for us,' 
 the Wine of His Blood ' shed for remission 
 of our sins.' But if turn away from it, stiii 
 a solemn reminder : ' Christ did die for you, 
 though you turn from Him.' Thus, to 
 both those who stay and those who depart, 
 the Lord's Supper does ' show the Lord!s 
 death' testify to it — no mistake about it. 
 [See Note 6.] 
 
 2. We ^feed upon Ehn by faith.' For the 
 
 Lord's Supper is a Sacrament — so has two 
 parts [refer to Catechism]. Bread and wint' 
 the 'outward and visible sign,' but whai 
 ' the inward part or thing signified ' ? [.-Iw.s-. 
 in Catechism.] What is this 'feeding'? is 
 it taking the bread in our mouths ? no — 
 ' feed on Him in thy heart by faith ' — what 
 is that? It is to believe so surely what 
 Jesus did for us as to be able to rejoice at 
 sin forgiven, &.C., and, thus rejoicing, to be 
 strong to conquer sin and serve Christ. So 
 by this ' feeding ' we get ' the strengthen- 
 ing and refreshing of our souls by the Body 
 and Blood of Christ, as our bodies are by 
 the bread and wine ' (Catech.) ; see John 
 vi. 53, 56. 
 
 Can we not 'feed on Him' at other 
 times ? Yes, certainly ; but this the great 
 means, as those do find who come to ;t 
 simply trusting to Christ's own word ; ' the 
 benefit is great, if with a true penitent 
 heart and lively faith we receive that holy 
 Sacrament, for then,' &c. (Exhort, in Com. 
 Service). [See Note 9.] 
 
 Are you too young to go to the Lord's 
 Supper ^ Still you can be glad, every time 
 you see the preparations for it in church — 
 why? Because reminded of ' His precious 
 blood-shedding.' And can look forward to 
 the time when you too shall come to His 
 Table. 
 
 Are you old enough, yet neglecting the 
 Lord's Supper, or shrinking from it ? 'Think 
 of His dying words, ' Bo this ' — can you 
 resist them? Are you 'not fit'? Then 
 not fit for heaven ! Does He only invite 
 very good people ? what kind of men re- 
 ceived the bread and wine the first time ? 
 « hat did all of them do that very night ? 
 ' Hear what comfortable words ' He saith 
 [quote them] — are these words for very holy 
 people ? 
 
 ' All things are ready, come ; 
 Come to the supper spread ; 
 Come rich and poor, come old and yoimg, 
 Come and be richly fed.' 
 
 Notes. 
 
 1. The ceremonies of the Paschal Supper were, 
 when fully carried out, very elaborate. The 
 general order can be best understood by grcitp- 
 ing them around the four cups of u-ine. The 
 party being assembled, the head of the family 
 gave thanks, using these words, ' Praise be to 
 Thee, Lord our God, the King of the world, 
 who hast created the fruit of the vine'; after 
 which the first cup was passed round. A general 
 washing of hands followed, the ' bitter herbs ' 
 {Kxod. xii. 8) were eaten, and explanations 
 given in reply to a question by one of the 
 younger members. The first part of the ' llal- 
 tel ' or song of praise, comprising Ps. cxiii. and 
 cxiv., was then sung. Then came the sicond cup 
 •of wine, after which the householder dipped a 
 piece of bread with some of the herbs in the 
 tharoseth (see last Lesson, Note 2), and ate it, 
 saying, ' This is the bread of affliction which our 
 fathers ate in Egypt.' The meal was then pro- 
 ceeded with and finished, being concluded with 
 the thirA cup, called the ' cup of blessinc' The 
 
 singing of the rest of the Hallel, viz., Ps. cxv.— 
 cxviii., followed, and the fourth cup concluded 
 the feast. 
 
 Several minor observances are omitted in this 
 summary, and sometimes a fifth cup of wine was 
 taken, and Ps. cxx.— cxxxvii. (called the Great 
 Hallel) chanted. On the subject generally, see 
 Smith's N. T. /Int., p. 287 ; Andrews's Life of 
 Our Lord, p. 402 ; Hanna's Passion Week, pp. 28."., 
 295; and two articles in the Sunday Magazine 
 for May 1866 and Dec. 1867. 
 
 It is not likely that all these rites were ob- 
 served at the Last Supper, but there are traces 
 of one or two of them. Luke xxii. 17 seems to 
 refer to the first cup of wine; while the third 
 cup, ' after supper,' was probably the one used 
 in the institution of the Eucharist, and its very 
 name, 'cup of blessing,' is applied by St. Paul 
 to the sacramental cup (1 Cor. x. Ifi). The 
 'dipping of the sop' (John xiii. 26) was doubt- 
 less the particular act mentioned above, and if 
 )S9, it is a strong evidence that Judas had leit 
 
234 
 
 LESSONS ON TUE LIFE OF OUR LOBD. 
 
 the room before the institution of the Sacra- 
 ment. -The 'hymn' sung by our Lord (Matt. 
 xxvi. 30) was very likely the second part of the 
 Halld. 
 
 2. 'J will not drink of the fruit of the vine,' ic. 
 These words were ticice spoken : the first time at 
 the beginninR of the supper, Luke xxii. lA— 18, 
 where they refer to the abrogation of the Pass- 
 over; the second time after the Institution, 
 JIatt. xxvi. 29, where most writers take them to 
 point to the mysterious ' marriage supper of 
 the Lamb ' (Rev. xix. 9). Doubtless the Lord's 
 Supper, like the Passover, has a prophetic and 
 anticipative as well as a commemorative aspect. 
 
 3. ' Took bread, and blesned it, and lirake it.' 
 Luke has 'gave thanks' instead of 'blessed,' 
 but the meaning is nearly the same. From the 
 Greek word which means 'giving of thanks' is 
 derived our ' Eucharist.' The blessing ' changed 
 the bread, not in substance, not in quantity, not 
 in quality— but in use, in purpose, in s.anctity ' 
 (Bp. Harold I^ro^vne, Expos. Articles, p. 713). 
 Christ's act of breaking the bread had probably 
 some special solemnity, see I^uke xxiv. 30, 31, 
 and Lesson XLV., Note 7. From it was derived 
 the peculiar title of the ■'Sacrament in the early 
 Church-, 'breaking of bread' (see texts in 
 .Sketch). Of its other names, ' the Communion ' 
 (with the term ' communicant ') is derived from 
 1 Cor. X. 16, and ' the Lord's Supper ' from 1 Cor. 
 xi. 20. 
 
 AVhy did Christ ordain bread to be used in the 
 Lord's Supper, and not a lamb? Canon Wal- 
 sham How (in the S. P. C. K. Commentary) re- 
 plies, ' Because the types and shadows were to 
 cease when the Real Sacrifice was come. There 
 was to be no more shedding of blood when once 
 His all-prevailing Blood was shed. There must 
 be nothing which might cast a doubt upon the 
 all-sufficiency of that.' 
 
 4. ' This IS My Body-this is My Blood.' ' If the 
 bread was literally changed into Christ's human 
 body, the disciples were to take and eat it. But 
 that body was standing before them, and g.ive 
 them what they did eat, and remained with 
 them visible and entire after they had eaten, 
 and afterwards died on the cross' (Wordsworth, 
 an loco). ' If it be said that Christ's Body is now 
 a spiritual Body, and that therefore what could 
 net be then can be now, this is to deny that the 
 Apostles at that time partook of the real Sacra- 
 ment' (How, in loco). 
 
 On the word ' is,' Bp. Browne says, ' How are 
 ■we to interpret. The seed is the word. The field 
 if) the world, The reapers are the angels. The 
 harvefit is the end of the world, 1 am the door, 
 I am the vine? We cannot here understand a 
 substantial change, but must admit a figure of 
 speech. And so, in trutli, we must admit in the 
 Eucharist ; for though we not only acknowledge 
 Christ's presence, but rejoice in it, yet we hold 
 not that presence to be In the material bread ' 
 {fixpos. Articles, p. 714). ' Why did He say. In 
 remembrance of Me ? Remembrance and bodily 
 presence are scarcely compatible ideas' (ibid., 
 p. 716). 
 
 &. ' nis do.' The Oreek word ' do ' is that used 
 in the'Septuagint translation of the O. T. for the 
 comibaQds to 'keep' and 'observe' the lloealc 
 
 ordinances. It may therefore be taken in that 
 sense here. But not as meaning to 'offer' a 
 sacrifice, for this would exclude the recipients' 
 part of eating and drinking, whereas in 1 Cor, xi . 
 the ' do ' of ver. 24, 25 is clearly equivalent to the 
 'eat' and ' drink' of ver. 2G. (See How, in loco.) 
 ' We have no warrant to believe, and we could 
 find no greater comfort in believing, that Christ 
 was to be newly sacrificed every day' (Bp. 
 Browne). See 31st Article. There is, however, 
 a sacrifice in the Encharist— ' Here we offer and 
 present unto Thee, O Lord, ourselves, our souls 
 and bodies, to be a reasonable, holy, and lively 
 sacrifice unto Thee.' 
 
 6. ' In remembrance of Me.' Literally, 'for 
 the memorial' or 'commemoration of Me.' 
 "AvaiJLinricri.<; {anamnesi.':), is not simply remem- 
 brance, which may be iiivohmtary, b\it it is a 
 deliberate inward act of the will (recordatio), 
 showing itself by external signs' (Wordsworth, 
 in loco). It is ' Do this,' not because ye remember 
 Me, but in order that J may be remembered . St. 
 Paul's expression, ' Show the Lord's death,' is 
 therefore exactly jiarallel. ' But the Greek word 
 translated. Ye s-how, can only mean before man. 
 We conclude, therefore, that our Lord is speak- 
 ing rather of a memorial for man, than of memo- 
 rial before God' (How, in loco). 
 
 7. ' Jly Blood of the new testament'— rather, 
 ' new covenant.' The old covenant of Sinai was 
 ratified by blood, see Exod. xxiv. 7, 8. The new 
 covenant, promised of old by God (Jer. xxxl. 31 — 
 34 ; comp. Heb. viii. 7—13, ix. 14— 2B, X. 15-18), in 
 virtue of which the law was to be ' written on 
 their hearts,' and their sins to be 'remembered 
 no more,' was also secured and ratified by the 
 blood of Christ, ' shed for the remission of sins.' 
 
 Observe that Chri.^t does not say ' Drink it for 
 the remission of sins.' ' It is the shedding, not 
 the partaking, of Christ's blood which is here said 
 to be 'for the remission of sins' (Ho-w, in loco). 
 ' In the Sacrament, not the forgiveness of sins 
 itself, but the refreshing and confirming assur- 
 ance of that state of forgiveness, is conveyed' 
 (Alford, in loco). 
 
 8. 'Drink ye all of it.' A clear and sufficient 
 warrant for the 30th Article. 
 
 9. On the relation of the discourse in John vi. 
 to the Lord's Supper, the following words from 
 Lesson XLVIL, Note 5, may be repeated:- Christ 
 speaks of a 'feeding'; this 'feeding' is not the 
 partaking of the Lord's Supper, nor is it a 
 spiritual act exclusively connected with ?uch 
 partaking, but can it he doubted that the Lord's 
 Supper is the ordained outward expression of 
 that same si)iritual ' feeding'? 
 
 On the Sacrament as a means of grace, sec 
 Art. 25—' EfTcctual signs of grace and God's good- 
 Will towards us,' &c. ; Art. 28-' Given, taken, 
 and eaten, in the supper'; Catechism— ' Verily 
 and indeeil taken and received by the faithful ' ; 
 and Exhortation in Commun. Serv.— 'Then we 
 spiritually eat the flesh of Christ,' &c. But in 
 all these places, the benefit is limited to the be- 
 lieving recipient, and the 'mean' stated to be 
 'faith.' See also 29th Art., and the remarkable 
 rubric at the end of theOfflcefor theCommubioa 
 o( the Sick. 
 
 ,., »S!.wyi •;.' 
 
ADDITIONAL NOTE XH. 
 
 THE DAY OF THE SUPPER AND THE DAY OF THE CRUC^FIXIO^\ 
 
 One of the most difficult chronological 
 questions arising out of the Gospel history 
 is this — Was the Last Supper or the Cruci- 
 fixion coincident in time with the Pass- 
 over ? 
 
 In the discussion of the question, the 
 following are fixed data : — (1) The Cruci- 
 fixion took place on the daj' before the 
 weekly Sabbath, i.e., on our Friday. (2) The 
 Paschal feast took place on the evening of 
 the 14th Nisan or Abib (Exod. xii. (i). The 
 question to be decided is — "Was the Thurs- 
 day or the Friday of the Passion week the 
 14th Nisan .•' And the difficulty in answer- 
 ing it lies in the fact that the first three 
 Gospels seem to imply one, and that of St. 
 John the other. St. Matthew, St. Mark, 
 and St. Luke say that the Last Supper, 
 which took place on Thursday, was ' the 
 Passover ' ; while from several passages in 
 St. John we should gather that the Pass- 
 over had not yet been kept when Christ 
 was crucified. 
 
 The following solutions of the difficulty 
 have been suggested : — 
 
 1. That owing to differences of computa- 
 tion, depending on the appearance of the 
 new moon, the Passover was kept on two 
 days, on one day by the Galilean and 
 foreign Jews, on the other by those of 
 Jerusalem ; and that our Lord followed 
 the usage of the former. 
 
 2. That the Jews, by an error in their 
 computation, had fixed the feast a day 
 after the legal time, and that Christ kept it 
 on the correct day, 
 
 3. That the Jews purposely put the feast 
 a day late, that it might not be interrupted 
 by their proceedings against Jesus. 
 
 4. That the Passover fell on Friday 
 evening, and that our Lord kept it a day 
 earlier, knowing that His death would take 
 place before the right hour. 
 
 5. That the Passover fell on Thursday 
 evening, and that the passages in St. John 
 are reconcilable with this. 
 
 For No. 1 the evidence is very slight. 
 Nos. 2 and 3 are most improbable. The 
 great division of opinion has always been 
 between No. 4 and No. 5. No. 4 v as the 
 view of many of the early fathers, who be- 
 lieved that Christ, as the true Paschal 
 Lamb, suffered at the same hour at which 
 the lambs for the feast were being killed. 
 It has also been advocated by Greswell, 
 Ellicott, Clinton, Stier, Ebrard, and West- 
 cott. In the latter writer's Introduction to 
 the Gospels (p. 316) it is most ably de- 
 fended. No. 5 is the view of Wieseler, 
 Hengstenberg, Lange, Wordsworth, Birks, 
 Plumptre, Robinson, Canon Norris, Bishop 
 Browne, Archbishop Thomson (in Smith's 
 Diet. Bible). The. arguments for it are well 
 Bummarised in Smith's N. T. hist. (p. 288) ; 
 and the whole question is fully treated in 
 
 Andrews's /.j/e of Our Lord (pp. 367 — 397), 
 where the same conclusion is come to. 
 
 On the whole, No. 5 appears to have 
 most in its favour, and is adopted in these 
 Lessons, The following is a brief resume 
 of the argument : — 
 
 I, Statements of the Synoptists. 
 
 All three Evangelists call the day when 
 Pettr and John were sent to prepare the 
 Supper 'the first day of unleavened bread'; 
 Mark adding, ' when they killed the Pass- 
 over ', and Luke ' when the Passover must 
 be killed.' (Matt. xxvi. 17 ; Mark xiv. 12 ; 
 Luke xxii. 7.) There are also our Lord's 
 own words (Matt. xxvi. 2), 'Ye know that 
 after two days is the feast of the Passover, 
 and the Son of Man is' — not crucified, but 
 — ' betrayed to be crucified.' This would 
 seem absolutely decisive that Thursday was 
 the 14th Nisan. 
 
 But if so, of course Friday was the loth 
 Nisan, i.e., the first day of the seven fol- 
 lowing the Paschal Supper, and therefore 
 what was called a 'feast-sabbath' (Exod. 
 xii, 16; Lev. xxiii, 6, 7) ; and it is objected 
 that as the ' feast-sabbaths' were kept like 
 the weekly Sabbaths, the trial and execu- 
 tion of Christ could not have taken place 
 upon the 15th Nisan, nor could the spices 
 and ointment have been purchased (Luke 
 xxiii. 56; John xix. 38 — 40) ; and therefore 
 that Friday could not have been the 15th 
 Nisan. To all which there is a twofold 
 answer : — (1) That we have in fact no clear 
 evidence that the ' feast-sabbaths ' were 
 kept strictlj', as they are not alluded 
 to in the N. T., nor by Josephus ; (2) 
 That it is impossible to imagine St. Mat- 
 thew at all events — to say nothing of Mark 
 and Luke — representing events as taking 
 place on the day after the Passover {i.e., 
 the 15th Nisan), which (on this theory) all 
 his readers would know could not have 
 occurred on that day. 
 
 II. Statements of St, John, 
 
 (a) 'Before the feast of the Passover, 
 xiii. 1. It is said this must mean that the 
 Last Supper took place before the feast. 
 But it rather means that, ' before the feast, 
 Jesus showed His enduring love by wash- 
 ing His disciples' feet' — which He actually 
 did before supper, (As already stated in 
 Lesson LXXXV., Note 1, the words of 
 ver, '2, 'supper being ended,' are a mis- 
 translation.) 
 
 (6) ' Some of them thought that 
 
 Jesus said unto him, Buy those things that 
 we have need of against the feast,' A'C, 
 xiii. 29, This, it is said, implies that the 
 feast had not yet begun. But in fact, it is 
 an evidence the other way. If thej-e were 
 yet twenty-four hours to the Passover, 
 how could Christ's words, ' That thou 
 doest, do quickly,' be so misunderstood ? 
 
 (c) 'They went not into tie judgment- 
 
230 
 
 LESSONS ON XHE LIFE OF OUK LUKD. 
 
 hall, lest they should be defiled, but that 
 they might eat the Passover,' xviii. 28. 
 Thid was early on the Friday morning : 
 how then, it is asked, could the Passover 
 have been kept on Thui-sday night ? But 
 such ceremonial defilement only lasted Jor 
 the legal dai/, i.e., till sunset ; how then 
 coidd they be thinking of a supper on Fri- 
 day evening after sunset ? iSome think 
 that they had been interrupted at their 
 Paschal Supper by the proceedings for the 
 arrest and trial of Jesus, and were anxious 
 to go back to it by-and-bye. They would 
 thus contravene Dent. xvi. 4 ; but, to ac- 
 complish their designs against Christ, they 
 might risk that. It should be noted that 
 Joseph of Arimathffla did go to Pilate on 
 the Friday without fear of defilement, 
 which would imply that he had eaten the 
 Passover, and that therefore it must have 
 been on Thursday evening. Others think 
 that St. John uses the term ' Passover ' in 
 the larger sense, including the seven days' 
 observances, as in 2 Chron. xxx. 22, and as 
 he certainly seems to do elsewhere (ii. 13, 
 vi. 4, xi. [>5, xii. 12, 20). 
 
 ((/) ' It was the i^reparation of the Pass- 
 over,' xix. 14. This, it is said, implies that 
 the Passover had not yet taken place. 
 But the other Evangelists also call the 
 Friday ' the preparation ' (Matt, xxvii. 62 ; 
 Stark XV. 42 ; Luke xxiii. 54), obviously 
 meaning that it was the preparation -day 
 for the weekly Sabbath (see especially 
 Mark) ; and in fact the term had become a 
 
 colloquial name for Friday, on account of 
 the preparation rendered necessary by the 
 strict Sabbatical rules. St. John, therefore, 
 means by his expression ' ihe Friday of tht 
 Fussocer Week.' 
 
 (e) ' That Sabbath-day was a high day,' 
 xix. 31. Because, it is said, the ' feast- 
 Sabbatli' of the 15th Nisan fell on Satm-- 
 daj', so it was a double Sabbath. But pro- 
 bably the weekly Sabbath which fell in the 
 Passover week would in any case be called 
 ' a higli day. 
 
 St. John's statements, therefore, appear 
 quite leconcilable with those of the Sy- 
 noptists. Thursday was the 14th Nisan, 
 Friday the 15th;" the Passover fell on 
 Thursday evening, at which time our Lord 
 kept it. 
 
 It may be asked. Can we not tell for 
 certain by the year how the days of the 
 week and month corresponded? But the 
 computations cannot absolutely be relied 
 upon, and there is a difference of opinion 
 as to the year in which our Lord died. 
 In these Lessons it has been assumed that 
 our Lord was born B.C. 5 or 4 (A.U.C. 749 
 or 750), and baptized A.D. 27 (A.U.C. 780), 
 see Lesson V., Kote 1, and Lesson XVII., 
 Note 7 ; and that His ministry lasted three 
 years ; which would bring His death to 
 A.D. 30 (A.U.C. 783). Kow in that year, 
 according to Wieseler's elaborate calcula- 
 tions, the 15th Nisan fell on Friday, April 
 7th; which agrees with the view stated 
 above. 
 
 Lesson LXXXVII.— Christ's Particg Words. 
 
 ' Let nut your heart be troubled.' 
 /lead— Parts of John xiv., xv., xvi.; Learn— John xiv. 27, xvi. 33. 
 94, 215, 222, 22G, 257, 285, 291, 382, 383, 386.) 
 
 {Hymns, 75—77, 81, 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 In treating these three chapters of St. John, the plan has been adopted for the present 
 Lesson which has already been followed with the Sermon on the Moimt and some other 
 of our Lords longer discourses, viz., that of selecting certain leading thoughts and 
 grouping them togetlier, rather than commenting on the passage verse by verse. Two of 
 the topics of the discourse, which are of special importance, are treated in the two following 
 Lessons. 
 
 As the six divisions of the Sketch, i.e., six of the yrounds oj encouragement mentioned 
 by Christ, arc not so intimately connected as that all must be taken if any are taken, the 
 teacher can select one or more, and thus limit his lesson to a particular passage, should 
 lie prefer it. All the divisions can be easily expanded. 
 
 No attempt has been made to give detailed explanatory 'Notes' on the discourse. 
 They could hardly be otherwise than voluminous, and for the purpose of this Lesson 
 are unnecessary. 
 
 Sketch of Lesson. 
 
 What a sad thing a parting is ! E.spe- 
 
 cially if tlio one going away is the best 
 friend, and tliose left behind know not 
 what to do without him {illuxt. — mother 
 and children around father's dying bed]. 
 That night, in that upper" room [refer 
 
 back], the Eleven full of sadness (xvi. C) 
 — why y (r/) Because of what Jesus 
 says they will do : one to betray Him, 
 another to deny Him, all to forsake Him 
 [see Lesson J.XXXV.] ; (b) Still more be- 
 cause of what He says He will do — go awaj 
 
CHRIST S PARTING WORDS. 
 
 237 
 
 from them (xiii. 33). They will be just 
 like orphans, xiv. 18 (margin). Think of 
 the silent, downcast companj', shocked, 
 bewildered, in despair — this the eud of all 
 their hopes ! 
 
 Even Jesus Himself 'troubled' (xiii. 21) 
 — see what He felt an hour or two later, 
 Matt. XXVI. 38 ; Mark xiv. 33, 34 ; Luke 
 xxii. 4-1 ; — no wonder, with the great load 
 of 'the iniquity of us all' (Isa. liii. 6) 
 coming on Him ! And yet, as alwaj's, not 
 thinking of Himself, what does He do ? 
 All these three chapters occupied with His 
 parting words of comfort to the disciples. 
 What a kind beginning ! — ' Let not your 
 hearts be troubled.' 
 
 How does He comfort them ? By show- 
 ing their fears groundless ? Not at all : 
 (a) They will forsake Him, xvi. 32 ; (i) He 
 is going away, xiv. 2, xvi. 5, 16 ; (c) More 
 than this — they are to meet hatred, perse- 
 cution, tribulation, xv. 19, xvi. 2, 33. 
 
 Yet six things to comfort them : — 
 
 1. He was going io ^n'fpai'e a home for 
 them, xiv. 2. Where? What is 'the 
 Father's house ' ? — Three things Jesus here 
 tells about heaven: — {a) A home — 'man- 
 sions' [see Note 4] — not like inn or hotel, 
 but like home, a place to stay in ; see 2 
 Cor. V. 1 ; Heb. xi. 10 ; 1 Pet. i. 4 ; Bev. iii. 
 12. (b) Plenty of room — ' many mansions.' 
 (c) Christ is there — ' where I am ' (ver. 3 ; 
 comp. xvii. 24 ; 1 Thess. iv. 17.) 
 
 And then, was this ' home ' a place they 
 could not get to? What did Thomas 
 think ? ver. 5. But there is a way — what 
 is that ? ver. 6 — what meant ? Just as if 
 a ' great gulf ' (sm) between us and God — 
 Christ, by dying for sin, bridged over that 
 gulf, so the way open ; see Heb. x. 19, 20. 
 
 2. He would come back again, xiv. 3 ; see 
 Xiv. 18, 28, xvi. 16, 22 [see Note 3]. Did 
 He ? This was Thursday night ; by Sun- 
 day night He had gone and come back. 
 But He went away again — how soon ? Did 
 He then (as He promised, ver. 3) take them 
 with Him ? Has He ever come back since ? 
 Then will come yet. But the Apostles dead 
 ages ago — how could He say He would 
 fetch them ? Sent a messenger — Death. 
 How afraid people are of death ! but how 
 should Christ's servants feel ? [Illust. — 
 Family moving— father goes frst to prejMi'e 
 new home — woxlM you not welcome messenger 
 sent to bring you ?} 
 
 3. Even while He was away, they should 
 not really be separate from Him. 'True, He 
 should be no more seen in the world, xiv. 
 19— but, like Moses (Heb. xi. 27), they 
 should ' see Him who is invisible.' Comp. 
 2 Kings vi. 17 — there are many things 
 really existing which we can't see ; we sing, 
 
 'Angel-guards from Thee surround us'— 
 can't see them, but if sure they are there, 
 is it not as good as seeing ? So Jesus will 
 ' manifest,' i.e., show Himself — the eye not 
 to see Him, but the heart to be sure He is 
 there. Who will haye this great privilege ? 
 
 see ver. 21. Hard to understand, but can be 
 /elt — even children have felt it. You may 
 all feel it, if will love and obey Christ, then 
 know how true it is. [Jllust. — A7>y great 
 pleasure or pain — can't realise it, scaixely 
 believe it,Jrum what others say — must feel it 
 for oneself'.^ 
 
 Separate from Christ ! Why, they could 
 not be ; so united that — see ver. 19 (last 
 clause). Actually part of His body, like a 
 man's limbs, like branches of a vine (more 
 of this another day). 
 
 But how could this spiritual presence be 
 as good as His bodily presence — as seeing 
 the face they loved ? It would be better : 
 for if He stayed at Jerusalem, then, when 
 they went over the world preaching. He 
 woidd seem so far off; but, just because 
 invisible, could feel Him always near ; see 
 Matt, xxviii. 20. 
 
 4. While He was away, they should be able 
 io communicate ivith Him. How this always 
 makes absence less painful ! [Illust. — letter- 
 writinq, telegrajth.] How communicate 
 with Christ ? see xiv. 13, 14, xvi. 23, 24— 
 not only liberty to send messages in prayer, 
 but the answer promised too. How quickly ? 
 see Isa. Ixv. 24 (comp. Dan. ix. 20 — 23) — 
 an electric telegraph, indeed, for Christ's 
 people ! 
 
 5. When He had gone, He would send 
 Another Comforter. More about this next 
 time. 
 
 6. The Coming Persecutions no cause fir 
 alarvi. On the contrary, when men hated 
 them, a cause for rejoicing — why ? see xv. 
 19 — would remind them of their happy lot 
 — not ' of the world,' not enemies of God, 
 but 'chosen out' to be Christ's servants. 
 Besides, see ver. 18 and 20 — would only 
 have to bear what He had borne. He had 
 conquered, xvi. 33, so their ^'ictory sure, 
 Rom. viii. 35—37; 1 Cor. xv. 57. And 
 when persecution did come, how did they 
 regard it? Acts v. 41, xvi. 22 — 25; comp. 
 Matt. V. 10—12; 1 Pet. iv. 12—14. 
 
 No wonder, with all this. He could say, 
 ' Let not your heart be troubled ! ' And 
 see His legacy to them, xiv. 27 — ' Peace I 
 leave with you.' A common greeting and 
 leave-taking in the East, like our ' Fare- 
 well' and 'Good-bye,' see 1 Sam. i. 17 
 Gen. xliii. 23 ; Luke x. 5 ; Acts. xvi. 36 
 Eph. vi. 23 ; 2 Thess. iii. 16 ; 1 Pet. v. 14 
 3 John 14. So to this day — ' Salaam ! ' — yet 
 how often an empty word ! But He gives 
 ' not as the world giveth ' (ver. 27 again) — 
 («) He means what He says, (b) He gives 
 ' that peace which the world cannot give ' 
 (2nd Collect, Evening Prayer), 'the peace 
 which passeth aU understanding' (Phil, 
 iv. 7). 
 
 Here is Comfort for the Sorrow- 
 ful. You are not sorrowful, but you 
 might have sorrow, might be glad of com- 
 fort. But— 
 
 Would that which made the disciples sad 
 make ^ou sad — Christ's absence t Hovr glad 
 
 R 
 
238 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUB LORD. 
 
 some boys and girls if they could get rid of 
 Christ, never hear of Him again ! You 
 m.iy tui-n from Him, shut Him out, compel 
 Him to 'let you alone' (Hos. iv. 17); but 
 if so. will one daj' find out that the worst 
 punishment j'ou can have is — see 2 Thess. 
 i. 9. But. once know what it is to have 
 Christ with you. makmg you really happy 
 — then would dread nothing so much as 
 His absence. \Ilhtst. — When sky overcast, 
 we feel dull and gloomy — lohy ? because 
 
 know how gladdening sunshine is ; but if a 
 ■man had always lived down in a mine, to 
 him cloud and sunshine all the snjree.J Then 
 would feel (as Moses did, Esod. xxxiii. 16, 
 and David, Ps. xvi. 11), 
 
 ' I need Thy presence every passing hour ; ' 
 would pray David's prayer, Ps. li. 11 
 would sing, with all your heart, — 
 
 and 
 
 ' Abide with me from morn to eve, 
 For without Thee I cannot live' 
 
 Notes. 
 
 1. The concIudinR words of ch.ap. xiv.— ' Arise, 
 let us go hence'— have induced many to think 
 that the discourses of chap. xv. and xvi. were 
 spoken on the way to Getlisemaue, and the 
 prayer of chap. xvii. offered in some secluded 
 nook on the city side of the Kedron valley; and 
 Hengstenberg has some rather striking argu- 
 ments to prove this. But, comparing Matthew 
 nnd Mark, it seems, on the whole, most likely 
 that the entire discourse and the prayer were 
 uttered in the supper-room before starting. If 
 so, we must suppose that, after giving the word 
 to rise, and pcrh.ips rising, Christ lingered to 
 continue His words of comfort. 
 
 2. The analyses of the discourse which have 
 been attempted are generally very artificial. 
 We may, however, divide it into three parts: — 
 (a) Chap, xiv., containing a succession of con- 
 solatory assurances and reasons why the hearts 
 of the Apostles should 'not be troubled'; (6) 
 Chap. XV., xvi. 1—4, describing the relation of 
 Christ's servants to Himself (xv. 1—11), to one 
 another (12—17), and to the world (18— xvi. 4); 
 
 (c) Chap. xvi. 5—33, 'the final and distinctive 
 farewell discourse.' 
 
 3. The ' coming again ' of which our Lord 
 speaks in chap. xiv. 3, 18, 28, xvi. 16, 22, must not 
 be understood exclusivelj' either of His appear- 
 ances after His resurrection, or of the gift of the 
 Spirit, or of His second advent. 'It is not one 
 single act . . . but the great summary of all 
 these, the result of which shall be His taking 
 His people to Himself. ... It is begun in His 
 resurrection ; carried on in the spiritual life, 
 the making them ready for the place prepared ; 
 further advanced when each by death is fetched 
 away to be with Him ; fully completed at His 
 coming in glory' (Alford). ' The time between 
 the Ascension and the Second Advent is a little 
 vhile in comparison with eternity ; and when 
 this little irhile is past, and Christ comes again, 
 we shall feel how short a time it has been' (St. 
 Avgvstine). 
 
 4. The Greek word rendered 'mansions' means 
 'abiding-places'; which, in fact, is the st)-ict 
 meaning of the English word ' mansion ' itself. 
 
 lesson LXXXYni.— The Promised Comforter. 
 
 ' I will send you Another Comforter.^ 
 5eo(J— Par^ of John xiv., xv., xvi. ; Zearre— John xiv. 16, 17, 2G. {Hymns, 105—112.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 On no subject is the religious belief of children so vague and unreal as on the Person 
 and Work of the Holy Ghost. The common habit — not confined, indeed, to children, nor 
 even to the uninstructed among adults — of applying to God the Spirit the neuter pronoun, 
 calling Him " it," is a proof that the ideas concerning Him are indefinite ; and even where 
 a correct belief is held, it is too often held merely as an article in a theological creed, and 
 the mind fails to realise the fact of His being a Personal Being, One to whom we owe all 
 true knowledge of self and of God, every motive and impulse for good, and all strength 
 and peace. Let it, therefore, be the teacher's earnest aim, in this Lesson, to set before his 
 class the Holy Spirit's existence, power, love, willingness to save and sanctify, as an actual 
 reality ; and to show that God the Father will give, " to those that ask Him," not a 
 feeling, but a Friend— One whose living presence shall be felt in the heart. 
 
 The need and value of such a Friend can be illustrated readily from both school-life and 
 life in the world. The ori)han needs a friend ; the boy going out into life needs a friend ; 
 the infant first sent to school needs a friend ; — friends who will give care, kind words, 
 guidance, advocac}-. The following illustration is from Jacob Abbott's Young Christian : — 
 
 ' There Is an excellent infant school in Switzerland, in which it is the custom, whenever a new 
 scholar enters, for tlic teacher to collect the children all together, lead the little stranger into the 
 midst, and say,— 
 
 ■ Here ib^lllllc girl conic to join our school. She is a stranger, and is afraid. She tells me she 
 
THE PROMISED COMFORTER. 
 
 239 
 
 will try and be a good girl ; but sometimes she will forget, I am afraid, and will do wrong. J^ow, 
 which of the older children will be her little friend, and tell her what she ought to do ? ' 
 
 • Several voices cry, ' I will, I will,' and the teacher selects one of the best of the volunteers, and ap- 
 points her to be the friend and protector of the stranger. They are together wherever they go ; and 
 thus the trembling stranger is guided and encouraged, and is led on to duty and to strength.* 
 
 Sketch op Lesson. 
 
 What a pleasant thing it is to have a 
 friend to go to ! some one to help, advise, 
 comfort, sympathise with us, take our part, 
 &c. [Illustrate. See preface above.l 
 
 What made the disciples so desolate that 
 night in the upper room ? See xvi. 5, 6 — 
 they had a Friend, but He was going away, 
 and what would become of them ! Last 
 Simday we saw how the Lord comforted 
 them ; but we passed over the chief thing, 
 the promise of Another Comfoi-ter, another 
 Friend. 
 
 Could any one be such a Friend as Jesus ? 
 See xvi. 7 — it would be better for them to 
 lose Jesus and have the new Friend ! How 
 so? (a) Jesus, i.e., the Man Jesus, the 
 Galilean, whose face they knew so well, 
 could not stay always wdth them ; this 
 Friend would — xiv. 16. {b) If Jesus did 
 stay, they might be absent from Him some- 
 times, and unable to get to Him ; this 
 Friend would be with them all, evert/where. 
 How this ? To answer, must ask, — 
 
 Who was this netc Friend ? xiv. 26 — ' the 
 Holy Ghost.' Who is that? (a) Not a 
 thing, but a Person ; called here, and in 
 xiv. 16, 17, XV. 26, xvi. 7—15, 'He' and 
 ' Him,' not ' It ' [see Note 4] . (b) Some 
 one equal with the Father and the Son, see 
 Matt, xxviii. 19; 2 Cor. xiii. 14. The 
 Third Person in the Trinity [quote Creeds 
 and Catechism], Now, how could He be 
 everywhere with them, and always with 
 them ? Being God, omnipresent, Ps. cxxxix. 
 7 ; and eternal, Heb. ix. 14. [See Note 5.] 
 
 What should He do for the disciples f 
 Think, what did they want ? 
 
 (a) They were unhappy, full of fear, 
 weak and sinful — needed strength, help, 
 comfort ybr their hearts. 
 
 (b) They were ignorant, ' slow of heart ' 
 to understand God's ways and Christ's 
 work (Luke xxiv. 25) — needed instruction 
 and enlightenment ybr their minds. 
 
 And He did do both for them : — 
 
 I. A Comforter. 
 
 A Paraclete [the Greek word, see Note 1] 
 — not only to comfort them, but to help 
 them — how ? in what ? in their work for 
 Christ, their battle with a sinful and hostile 
 world. How were such weak disciples to 
 go forth in the face of bitter foes, telling 
 them of their sin and danger ? Li two ways 
 the Holy Ghost would help them : — 
 
 1. By encouraging and strengthening their 
 own hearts. See how He did so. Acts iv. 8 
 — Peter before the Jewish Council — how 
 different from when he was afraid of the 
 high priest's servants I Acts vii. 55 — the 
 first disciple martyred — how much to terrify 
 him — yet we see him — ? Acts xiii. 9 — Paul 
 having to silence a wicked opponent — how 
 
 boldly he does it ! But Who gave Peter, 
 Stephen, Paul, this fearless courage ? See 
 in each case, 'fuU of the Holy Ghost.' 
 And see, too, how, in quieter times, the 
 Spirit gave the Church comfort and joy, 
 Acts ix. 31, xiii. 52. 
 
 2. Bg working on the hearts of others. 
 See xvi. 8—11 [see Note 3]. When the 
 Apostles preached, would tell men (a) of 
 their sin, (b) of the only way to be 
 righteous, (c) of Christ's certain victory 
 and j udgment on His enemies. Why tell 
 these things ? Because men knew them not. 
 Do people know them now ? (a) People 
 think they are ' not so bad,' ' no worse than 
 others,' ' not like wicked men ' ; but God 
 sees in their hearts sins they never think 
 of (Ps. xix. 13 ; Jer. xvii. 9 ; Luke xviii. 11 ; 
 Rev. iii. 17). (b) They think, if they keep 
 from great sins, and go to church some- 
 times, they are ' righteous,' and desei-ve to 
 be saved ; but what does God say ? Rom. 
 iii. 10—12, 20. (c) They think they can 
 go on as they like — it will be all right at 
 last ; but see Rom. ii. 3. Sin, righteous- 
 ness, judgment — men mistaken about all 
 three. How should the Apostles be able to 
 convince them ? Impossible ! But the 
 Almighty Spirit could, and should. See 
 how He did, Acts ii. 37, comp. xxiv. 25. 
 
 II. A Teacher. 
 
 Is a teacher worth having ? Some chil- 
 dren would like to be without one ! But 
 when you want to learn a thing, glad of 
 some one to teach you [illust. — bogs, how to 
 handle tools ; girls, how to cook ; all, how to 
 play games]. The Apostles valued Jesus as 
 their Teacher — how often they asked Him 
 to tell them things ! — so would be thankful 
 for One to take His place. 
 
 How was the Holy Spirit to teach them ? 
 
 1. By ' bringing Christ's wm^ds to their 
 remembrance,' xiv. 26. They could not 
 make out many of His words at the time, 
 but see how they did remember afterwards, 
 John ii. 22, xii. 16; Acts xi. 16. Like 
 saying, ' To be sure ! I see it now ! ' And 
 think of the four Evangelists — how could 
 they have remembered His words to write 
 them down, if the Spirit had not helped 
 them? 
 
 2. By testifying of Christ,' xv. 26, 
 xvi. 14. Have we not seen again and again 
 that they did not understand Who He was, 
 why He came, about His death, &c. ? When 
 the Spirit came, quite different. Contrast 
 Peter in Matt. xvi. 22, and in Acts ii. 23 
 (comp. 1 Pet. ii. 24). 
 
 3. By ^guiding them into all the truth,' 
 xvi. 13. They would learn, as we do, little 
 by little — the Spirit continually ' guiding ' 
 them to more knowledge. £.g., the great 
 
 r2 
 
240 
 
 LESSONS ON TH£ UFE OF OUB LORD. 
 
 mystery that Gentiles to be saved as well 
 as Jews (Eph. iii. 3— 6)— contrast Acts xi. 
 1—3, 19, with li. 17, 18, siii. 46. 
 
 4 By ' shoioing them things to come,' 
 xvi. 13. See how He did. Acta xi. 28, xxi. 11 ; 
 1 Tim. iv. 1 ; Rev. i. 1, 10. 
 
 "What a blessed Gift ! But was it only 
 for the Apostles ? See Peter's words when 
 he received the Spirit Himself, Acts ii. 
 38, 39—* Every one of you '— ' ye shall re- 
 ceive the gift ' — ' the promise unto you and 
 to your children ! ' So, 
 
 You, TOO, MAY HAVE THIS DiVINE COM- 
 FORTER, Teacher, Friend. 
 
 Do you need Him ? See John iii. 5 ; 
 Rom. viii. 9 ; 1 Cor. xii. 3. [Recapitulate 
 as to the two needs, strenrjthening for the 
 heart, teaching Jor the mind.] 
 
 How can we obtain Him ? see Luke xi. 
 13 — what an easy and certain way ! Then 
 pray David's prayer, Ps. li. 11, 12 ; also 
 those in the Litany (' Endue us with the 
 grace of Thy Holy Spirit.' itc), the Com. 
 Serv. (' Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts,' 
 &c.), and the Collects for Sunday aft. Ascen- 
 sion, Whitsun Day, and 19th after Trinity. 
 
 ' Come, Holy Spirit, Heavenly Dove, 
 With lig/it ana comfort ironi above ! ' 
 
 l^OTES. 
 
 1. The Greek word rendered 'Comforter' is 
 irop(iKA>)TOs iparakletos.) It is connected with a 
 verb of very large meaning, including the idea 
 of strengthening as well as that of consoling, and 
 is no doubt designed to express the variety and 
 completeness of the Holy Spirit's work. Our 
 English word ' comfort ' had originally a simi- 
 larly comprehensive signiflcanee, being con- 
 nected with ' fortress,' ' fortify,' ' fortitude,' and 
 was used by Wickliffe in Luke xxii. 43 and Acts 
 ix. 19, where our present version has ' strengthen.' 
 
 But parakletos had also a definite technical 
 meaning, viz., adrocate-at-laic, and it is the very 
 word which, when used of Christ Himself in 
 1 John ii. 1, is rendered ' Advocate.' We there- 
 fore probably get nearest to the force of the term, 
 as applied to the Holy Ghost, if we think of Him 
 as one who will take the part (' plead the cause,' 
 as in the Psalms) of Christ's servants in their 
 conflict with sin, the world, and the devil. Thus, 
 in Mark xiii. 11, our Lord says, ' When they shall 
 deliver you up, take no thought what ye shall 
 speak .... for it is not ye that speak, but the 
 Holy Ghosi.' So St. Paul, referring to his first 
 trial before Kero, says, ' At my first answer no 
 man stood with me. . . . Notwithstanding, 
 the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me' 
 (2 Tim. iv. 16, 17). 
 
 2. ' // y go not away, the Comforter will not come 
 unto you.' The Holy Spirit had been in the 
 world before, quickening, sanctifying, inspiring 
 the Old Testament saints ; but all this work was 
 in anticipation of, and in virtue of, the fore- 
 ordained death, resurrection, and ascension of 
 Christ, by which the gift of the Spirit was pro- 
 cured for men (see Ps. Ixviii. 18; Acts ii. .'i3). 
 Jesus might therefore have added, ' If My going 
 away now had not been fi.xcd from the beginning, 
 the Comforter could not have come to My people 
 of old.' It must also, however, be borne in mind 
 that the Spirit was to be poured out at and after 
 Pentecost, as He had never been given before. 
 The dispensation of the Spirit 'was not yet' 
 (John vil. 39 ; see Lesson LIV., Note 2). 
 
 3. Chap. xvl. 8—11. ' lie .shall reprove'— rather, 
 ' convince ' (as in the margin). The Greek word 
 cannot be exactly' rendered in English, as it in- 
 cludes the Idea both of convincing to salvation, 
 and of convicting to condemnation. It is trans- 
 lated ' convince' in John viii. 46 ; 1 Cor. xiv. 24 ; 
 Jas. il. 9; Jade \r>\ 'convict' in John viii. !) ; 
 'reprove' in John lil. 20; Eph. v. 13; 2 Tim. 
 ly. 2; 'rebuke' In Tit. i. 13; Kcv. 111. 19. 
 
 '0/ ri/i.' The Law (Kom. ill. 20), and Con- 
 
 science (Rom. ii. 15), had already been powerful 
 to convince of sin— onlj', however, as used by the 
 Spirit in dealing with the hearts of men. But 
 the special work of the Spirit, in His Pentecostal 
 effusion, was to convince men of a particular sin, 
 viz., unbelief in Christ— ' because (or, in that) 
 they believe not on Me.' 
 
 ' Of righteousness.' This, like the ' sin ' and the 
 ' judgment,' must be of the world. But, ' what is 
 the world's righteousness? Not their own, but 
 that of the accepted Man Christ Jesus, standing at 
 the right hand of the Father (seen by us no more, 
 but by that very withdrawal testified to be the 
 Son of God, the righteous One), manifested in the 
 hearts of men by the Spirit to be their only 
 righteousness ; and thereby that righteousness, 
 which they had of their own before, is demon- 
 strated to be worthless, and as filthy rags. It is 
 His going to the Father by which this righteous- 
 ness is assured to us.' (Alford.) 
 
 ' Of judgment: Not the final judgment merely, 
 but that unerring judgment of God which is 
 always correctly estimating and justly dealing 
 with the actions of men. ' By Him actions are 
 weighed.' The conviction of this 'judgment' is 
 described in Ps. Iviii. U. One great proof to the 
 world that God was judging, was the defeat of the 
 powers of darkness by the resurrection of Christ. 
 
 4. The use of the word ' he ' (iKtivo^, ekeinos) 
 is a clear proof of the personality of the Holy 
 Ghost, i.e., that He is not an influence, an attri- 
 bute, a /Ai'ng'; for it is used not only in connec- 
 tion with ' Comforter,' which is a miisculine 
 noun, but also in connection with ' Spirit,' which 
 is a neuter noun in the Greek. Thus, in xvi. 13, 
 the masculine pronoun and neuter noun come 
 close together. 'He, the Spirit' (eKelvo^ t'o 
 TlveviJ.a, ekeinos to Fneitma). The numerous other 
 proofs arc admirably marshalled in E. H. Bicker- 
 stcth's Spirit of Life, chap. ii. ; see also Bp. 
 Browne's Exposition of the Articles, on Art. I. 
 
 5. The Godhead of the Holy Spirit may be thus 
 proved :— 
 
 (<i) IIi« attributes are Divine attributes: om- 
 niscience, omnipresence, &c. 
 
 (6) His acts are Divine acts: creating, in- 
 spiring, &c. 
 
 (c) He is associated In glory and worship with 
 the Father and the Son. 
 
 ((/; He is spoken of as God: compare, for 
 example, Acts v. 3, with the following verse, and 
 1 Cor. iii. 17 with 1 Cor. vi. 19. 
 
 The proof passages are given at length in the 
 works named above. 
 
241 
 
 Lesson LXXXIX.— The Yine and the Branches. 
 
 ' Abide in Me, and I in you,' 
 Read— ^ohn xv. 1—11 ; Learn— Sohn xv. 4—6 ; {Ei/mns, 110, 123, 155, 158, 291, 331, 
 
 341, 343.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 The subject of this Lesson not being a large one, it has been worked out in the Sketch 
 in sufficient detail to render further hints here luinecessary. With regard to the natural 
 features and the cultivation of the vine, the teacher will do well to draw from the scholars 
 what they themselves know, and then build his lesson on what they tell him ; but with 
 many town children this will not be practicable. 
 
 It must be carefully borne in mind that the ' branches ' of the Vine are the members of 
 Christ's visible Church. Compare the parables of the ' Tares ' and the ' Net ' ; and see 
 Lesson LXXXI., Note 4. 
 
 Are there any teachers zealous enough to read through a whole book in preparation for 
 a single lesson ? Those who have access to Mudie's or any similar library might at all 
 events get for their general reading Mr. Hugh Macmillan's recently published work. The 
 Ti'ue Vine, if only for its intrinsic interest and beauty ; and certainly their teaching of the 
 passage before us will gain much in vividness from a perusal of that accomplished natu- 
 ralist's exposition. His analogies, however, are not unfrequently somewhat strained and 
 fanciful. 
 
 Sketch of Lesson. 
 
 Why were the disciples so sorrowful that 
 night? How did Jesus comfort them? 
 [Recapitulate.] Another thought for their 
 comfort : His going away would not really 
 separate Him from them, because the 
 union so close. Three illustrations of this 
 in Scripture, one each from mineral world, 
 vegetable world, animal world : foundation- 
 stone and building (Eph. ii. 20 ; 1 Pet. ii. 
 4 — 6), vine and branches (here), head and 
 body (1 Cor. xii. 27 ; Eph. i. 22,' 23, iv. 15, 
 16 ; Col. ii. 19). The second Jesus gives 
 here. [Read passage.] 
 
 ' I AM THE Tritb Vine.' Who had been 
 called a vine before ? Ps. Ixxx. 8 — 11 ; Isa. 
 v. 7. But what fruit did Israel bear? Isa. 
 V. 4. So what did God's 'noble vine' be- 
 come? Jer. ii. 21. And now there is an- 
 other Vine, the ' true Vine ' [see Note 4] . 
 The Jews thought, if a man to be fruitful 
 and please God, must belong to them — 
 ' apart from ' Israel ' could do nothing ' ; 
 and ' apart from' the Vine, man ' could do 
 nothing' — but what Vine? see ver. 5 [see 
 Note 4j. Husbandman looking at his vines 
 — how feel at seeing useless, bare, vrithered 
 vine? how at seeing another full of life 
 and promise ? Who is the ' true' Husband- 
 man ? ver. 1. God had found no pleasure 
 in the Jewish vine ; did He in this Vine ? 
 Matt. iii. 17, xii. 18, xvii. 5. 
 
 Now think about the branches of a vine, 
 and try and understand the illustration 
 Jesus gives. 
 
 1. What do we expect to find on the 
 branches of a vine ? 
 
 Some trees cultivated for their wood, 
 some for their bark ; some plants for their 
 roots, some for their leaves, some for their 
 powers. But the vine for none of these; 
 
 only for its fruit. If no fruit, of what use 
 the vine ? see Ezek. xv. 1 — 4. 
 
 Then, if Christ's disciples are the branches 
 (' members of Christ,' Bapt. Serv.) [see 
 Preface], what does the Husbandman (the 
 Father) look for in them? Fruit? what 
 kind ? see Gal. v. 22 ; Eph. v. 9 ; Phil. 1. 11 ; 
 Col. i. 10; 2 Pet. i. 5—8. We speak of 
 being ' created,' ' redeemed,' ' sanctified ' 
 {Catechism) — what object has God in all 
 this 'cultivation'? Our 'fruitfulness in 
 every good work,' see Eph. ii. 10. Just as 
 fine grapes a credit to the vine-grower, so 
 —see Matt. v. 16. And if fruitless branch 
 useless, what of fruitless men ? What good ' 
 is he who only ' seems to be religious ' ? 
 Jas. i. 26 — ' this man's religion is vain.' 
 
 2. What produces fruit on the branches of 
 a vine f 
 
 Sap, flowing from the stem. Any other 
 things to do with it ? yes, situation of vine 
 (e.g. which side of house), particular soil, 
 weather, gardener's care and tending. But 
 what use all this without the sap inside ? 
 Can't see it, but there it is, ever rising, 
 flowing, finding its way through turns and 
 twists of branches even to furthest twig — 
 and on that furthest twig may come 
 grapes. 
 
 What is the 'sap' in the Time Vine? 
 To answer, ask, What is it that makes 
 Christ's people ' fruitful in every good 
 work'? See Gal. v. 22— love, joy, Ac.,, 
 called ' fruit of the Spirit.' It is the Spirit's 
 grace and power in our hearts. Where 
 does this come from ? John i. 14, 16. Is it 
 indispensable, like the sap? ah yes : other 
 things may help — you in England should 
 bear more fruit than poor heathen child — 
 in better situation ; but no ' fruit ' without 
 that grace. 
 
2i2 
 
 liESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 Bat suppose a branch cut off, and then 
 tied on to the vine again [i.e., of course, 
 not a graft inff, but a loose fastening'] — will 
 it get the sap ? if not, will it bear grapes ? 
 
 So what does Jesus say to us? ver. 4 — 
 'as the branch,' &c., 'no more can ye, 
 except,' tkc. ; ver. 5 — 'apart from Me ye 
 can'—? And therefore, 'Abide in Me.' 
 "What is that ? First, be joined to Him ; 
 then keep with Him. ' In Him,' like Noah 
 in the ark, safe from God's j udgments ; 
 like the slayer in the refuge-city, safe from 
 the avenger ; what St. Paul thought worth 
 the loss of all things (Phil. iii. 9). What 
 is it that prevents this, that cuta us off 
 from Christ ? see Isa. lis.. 2. 
 
 3. What is done with thejruitful branches 
 of a vine? 
 
 Watch the gardener— takes knife — cuts 
 away boughs and sprouts from every 
 branch. Might think, whj- injure vine so ? 
 But needed — not so much fruit if branch 
 left to itself— sap used up in producing 
 sprouts and leaves. Cut away what not 
 wanted — then more sap goes to make 
 grapes. 
 
 See what our Husbandman does, ver. 2 — 
 the very thing ! [See Note 5.] Two ways 
 of ' pruning,' of training, a Christian : — 
 
 {a) Instruction, ver. 3 — ' through the 
 Word' (comp. John xvii. 17; 2 Tim. iii. 
 16, 17), Christ's words (and aU Scripture) 
 teach us both how to be holy and why to 
 be holy, give tlie model and the motive. 
 This why St. Paul says Col. iii. 16 ; and 
 David, Ps. cxix. 11. 
 
 {b) Discipline, ver, 2, Trials and troubles 
 are God's priming-knives. If we don't cut 
 
 away our sins ourselves (Matt. v. 29, 30). 
 He must do it, however painful. In anger ? 
 no, in love (Heb. xii. 6) and faithfulness 
 (Ps. cxix. 75). So, when trial comes, re- 
 member what it is for, Ps. cxix. 71 ; Heb. 
 xii. 10. 
 
 For what does God want ? ver. 2 — ' more 
 fruit.' Is the vine-grower satisfied with a 
 few grapes? would like gi-apes such as 
 those of Eshcol (Numb. xiii. 23). God 
 would have us Uke ' the beloved Persis,' 
 who 'laboured much' (Rom. xvi. 12). 
 ' Much fi-uit ' glorifies God, ver. 8. 
 
 4. What is done with the fruitless branches 
 of a vine f 
 
 What would you do if saw bare, withered, 
 shrivelled branch, with no grapes on it? 
 And a chopped-oif vine-branch, what use ? 
 Only fit to be burned. Can there be any 
 people like that ? any of those ' who pro- 
 fess and call themselves Chiistians ' ? What 
 does Christ say ? ver. 6 ; comp. Matt, iii, 
 10, xiii. 41, 42. How earnestly ought we 
 to pray, ' From Thy wrath, and from ever- 
 lasting damnation, good Lord, deliver ua 1' 
 {Litanij.) 
 
 So the great thing is to ' abide in Christ.' 
 How? see ver. 9, 10. (a) 'Continue (i.e., 
 abide) in My love' — believe in it, trust 
 always in it, return it. (b) ' Keep My com- 
 mandments.' Then, if 'abiding in Him,' 
 how feel in the great day ' when He shall 
 appear ' ? see 1 John ii. 28. 
 
 Another prayer from the Litany: 'That 
 it may please Thee to give to <ill Thy 
 people increase of grace to ... . bring forth 
 the fruits of the Spirit,' 
 
 Notes. 
 
 1. Various conjectures have been offered as to 
 the occasion of this allegory. Those who think 
 that Christ left the house after chap. xiv. (see 
 Lesson LXXXVII., Note 1) suppose that it was 
 suggested by the vineyards He might pass on 
 the way to Gethsemane, or by the colossal cluster 
 of grapes, carved in gold, over the Temple door 
 (Jos., A7itiq.. XV. 11, 3; B. J.,\. 5, 4). Those who 
 think that He still tarried in the upper room, 
 imagine that a vine might be creeping in at the 
 window, or that He alluded to the ' fruit of the 
 vine' He hud just consecrated for the Lord's 
 Supper. If It were necessary to adopt either of 
 these conjectures (which it Is not), the latter 
 would seem the most probable. 
 
 2. The ' Vine and the Branches' is not strictly 
 a parable, but an allegory. See Additional 
 Note VII., p. 108 ; also Lesson LVIL, Note 1. 
 
 3. On the Vine, see Tristram's Xat. Hist, of 
 Bible, pp. 402—413. Mr. Hugh Macmilhin, in his 
 True Vine, strikingly exhibits the peculiar np- 
 proi)riaten(ss of the vine us a type of Christ. 
 The following are brief extracts : — 
 
 ' The Vine, tuke it ail in ail, is the most perfect 
 of plants. Some plants possess one part, or one 
 quality, more highly developed; but for the 
 harmonious development of every part and 
 quality— for perfect balance of loveliness and 
 usefulness, none equal the vine. Its stem and 
 
 leaves are among the most elegant in shape and 
 hue. Its blossoms among the most modest and 
 fragrant, while its fruit is botauically the most 
 perfect ; and painters tell us that, to study the 
 perfection of form, colour, light, and shade, 
 united in one object, we must place before us a 
 bunch of grapes. It is perfectly innocent, being 
 one of the few climbing plants thf't do not in- 
 jure the object of theirsupport. It has no thorns 
 — no noxious qualities ; all its parts are useful' 
 (P- 32). 
 
 ' There are two great, strictly natural orders 
 of plants— the exogenous and the endogenous 
 The peculiarity of the exogens is to pro- 
 duce branches in all its parts; the peculiarity of 
 the endogens is to be simple and unbranched in all 
 
 Its parts The vine is an erogens 
 
 Christ is not an endogens-a. palm, that grows in 
 stately majesty alone in the desert, rearing its 
 branchless trunk, like a Corinthian pillar, grace- 
 ful but solitary, and drinking in, by means of its 
 beautiful crown of foliage, all the fervid sun- 
 shine and the rich dews of heaven for its own 
 selfish individual use. He is an fjojeni- a vine, 
 sending out branches on every side, repeating 
 the general tyj)e In numberless miniature copies 
 of its owu form and structure, and converting 
 all the Influences of heaven and earth Into means 
 of DourisbmcDt and growth for its whole social 
 economy.' {Pp. 75—77). 
 
CHKIST S PEAYER FOR HIS PEOPLE. 
 
 243 
 
 4. ' I am the true Vine.' There are two Greek 
 words signifying 'true,' aArjAris (alethes) and 
 oArjdnos (alethinos). The former means 'true,' 
 as opposed to false ; the latter ' true,' as opposed 
 to shadowy, imperfect, typical. The latter idea 
 was formerly expressed in English by ' very': thus 
 ' Very God of very God,' in the Nicene Creed. 
 When, in John i. 9, Christ is called 'the true 
 Light ' (alethinos) in contrast with John the 
 Jiaptist, it does not mean that the latter was a 
 false light, hut only an inferior one. See Trench's 
 Synonyms of the New Test., § viii. 
 
 The word here is alethinos, and WicklifE's Bible 
 has ' I am the verri Vine.' Christ was so in con- 
 trast, not only with the Jewish nation (see 
 Sketch), but also with the material plant. He 
 does not say, * I am like the vine,' but ' I am the 
 
 true Vine '; ' and thus declares that the vine is 
 the actual shadow of His substance ' (Macmillan). 
 
 5. ' Purgeth <('— rather ' pruneth ' or ' purifleth.' 
 The'word is connected with that rendered ' clean ' 
 in the next verse. No plant requires more prun- 
 ing than the vine (Tristram, p. 408 ; Macmillan, 
 p. 193). 
 
 ^ Now ye are c/ean '—rather, 'Ye are clean 
 already.' The word, and the sense, are the same 
 as in chap. xiii. 10 ; see Lesson LXXXV., Note 5. 
 
 ' Abide in Me, and J in you' The second clause 
 is not a promise, but a command, like the first. 
 ' Take heed that ' may be understood. 
 
 ' Without Me ye can do nothing'— raXh&r 'apart 
 from,' i.e., ' severed from Me.' 
 
 ' Continue,' in ver. 9, is the same word in the 
 Greek as ' abide.' 
 
 Lesson XC— Christ's Prayer for His People. 
 
 ^ An Advocate with the Father' 
 
 Read—3ola.Ti xvii. ; Z,ear«— John xvii. 15, 21, 24. {Hymns, 76, 78, 80, 96, 122, 123, 135, 
 164, 166, 176, 194, 348, 365.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 This subject is certainly not one which most teachers will think ' attractive.' But we 
 cannot expect every Lesson to provide us with good opportunities of picturing, or of using 
 many familiar illustrations. And the fact that the present one does not, should be an extra 
 incentive to special thought, and study, and prayer. Every effort must be made, in a 
 Lesson like this, to open well ; and it is on this account that even so small a matter as the 
 attitude of prayer is alluded to in the first paragraph of the Sketch. * Well begun la half 
 done ' is as true of Sunday-school teaching as of other things. 
 
 Sketch op Lesson. 
 
 They have lingered long in the upper 
 room, the eleven, silent and sad, hangmg 
 on Jesus' words. The ' hour' (see ver. 1) of 
 separation, of suffering, and yet of glory 
 [see Lessons LXX., LXXXV J\ now fast 
 approaching ; but first, before they leave 
 the house, ^jrwye?*. We are not told whe- 
 ther they knelt or stood (probably stood, 
 see Mark xi. 25 ; Luke xviii. 11, 13) — but 
 one thing we are told, ver. 1 — ' Jesus lifted 
 up His eyes ' (comp. Ps. cxxiii. 1 ; Matt, 
 xiv. 19 ; Mark vii. 34 ; John xi. 41) — John 
 very old when wi-ote his Gospel, but could 
 not ior get that [see Note 1]. 
 
 This a wondrous chapter ! If you were 
 concealed in Queen's own room, and could 
 overhear princes and princesse.s talking 
 with her — how keenly listen ! Here is the 
 Son of the Great King speaking to His 
 Father — surely His words must be worth 
 studying ! 
 
 I. First, He speaks of Himself. 
 
 Of His former glory, ver. 5. ' Before the 
 world was,' ' in the beginning.' What was 
 He then ? Before anything created, there 
 could only have been the Creator — so Jesus 
 was God, see John i. 1 — 3 ; comp. Ps. xc. 2 ; 
 Prov. viii. 22—30. 
 
 Of His work on earth, ver. 2 — 4, 6. 
 What was it? To give 'eternal life'? 
 but men could not have it (why ?), so He 
 
 had to get it for them (how ?), — and they 
 would not take it (why ?) ; — who then 
 should receive it ? 'as many as Thou hast 
 given Me' — those to whom God sent the 
 Spirit to make them willing to be saved. 
 What had He told those who came to 
 Him ? see ver. 6 — about God's name — told 
 them He was a Father [see Lesson XXV L^ 
 who loved them (see John iii. 16). We 
 have seen, during the last two years, how 
 He did all His work — and now, 'finished.' 
 
 Of His glory to come, ver. 5. What is 
 that ? the same He had before ? yes, and 
 something else too, for He shares it with 
 others (ver. 22), and how could He share 
 His glory as God with others ? He is Man 
 now as well as God ; it is the glory of the 
 Man Jesus He is looking for, Eph. i. 20 — 
 22; Phil. ii. 9—11 ; Heb. ii. 9. [See Les- 
 son LXXn.] 
 
 What must the Apostles have felt as they 
 listened to these wondrous words I He who 
 but just now was girded like a slave, and 
 washing their feet, now speaking of glory 
 He had ' before the world was,' and that 
 to get eternal life they must know, not 
 only the Father, but Him also ! 
 
 II. Then He prats for His People. 
 1. For their separation from the world, 
 ver. 11—19. 
 What would be the Burest way of Bep»« 
 
244 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 rating them from the world ? Sometime3 
 God does let them die, to save them from 
 evil, see Isa. Ivii. 1. Is this v^hat Jesus 
 asks? ver. 15. Why must the Apostles 
 stay in the world ? ver. 18 — it is to the 
 world they are ' sent ' (' missionaries ') — 
 what general would send his soldiers home 
 again for fear they should be hurt ? Elijah's 
 prayer (1 Kings xix. 4) not a good one. 
 No, they must stay and be persecuted (ver. 
 14). But they need help specially now — 
 why? ver. 12, 13 — the Master going away 
 — hitherto He has kept them safe — only one 
 lost, and why was that ? the ' son of perdi- 
 tion' — gave himself up to Satan — no saving 
 him then. But is Satan satisfied ? — ' de- 
 sires ' all of them, Luke xxii. 31 [see Lesson 
 LXXXV., Note 8] ; and Jesus sees all the 
 dangers and temptations coming on them 
 by-and-bye — so what does He pray? If 
 God ' keep ' us, how safe I John x. 28, 29. 
 What a fortress to trust in ! Prov.xviii. 10; 
 Isa. xxvi. 3, 4. Let us all pray (see Ps. 
 xvii. 8) — 
 
 ' Keep me, oh, keep me. King of Kings, 
 Beneath Thine own Almighty wings.' 
 
 But how to be separate—^ in the world ' 
 but not ' of the world ' ? Think of Joseph 
 in Egypt, Daniel in Babylon — had their 
 worldly duties — mixed constantly with 
 wicked men — but were they like them? 
 were they not really separate ? How was 
 it ? They knew they were God's servants, 
 and were not ashamed to say so — consi- 
 dered themselves set apart for God. Now 
 see Jesus' prayer, ver. 1 7 — ' Sanctify them', 
 i.e., set them apart. We set apart certain 
 buildings for God's worship, certain days 
 for His special service. Why call Sunday 
 a 'holy' day? because so set apart; but 
 how set it apart? by 'keeping it holy'; 
 and so Jesus says, ' Sanctify them ' — keep 
 them separate by making them holy. See 
 2 Cor. vi. 14—18. 
 
 And how to become holy? ver. 17 — by 
 ■ God's word, Reading it ? More than that, 
 see ver. 9 and 11 of Ps. cxix. 
 
 2. For their Unity together, ver. 11, 
 20 — 23. 
 
 What hind of unity f ver. 22 — ' even as 
 We are One ' — Christ wants all His people 
 to be .03 united as He and the Father. 
 What about quarrels, then ? jealousies ? 
 slanders ? what about even differences of 
 opinion ? As long as these Last, not united 
 in the way He means. See Rom. xv. h, 6; 
 1 Cor. i. 10, iii, 4 ; Eph. iv. 3—6 ; Phil, 
 ii. 1 — 4. 
 
 What would be the effect of such unity? 
 ver. 21, 23— the world would believe ! 
 Here is the way to bring men to God; 
 nothing they admire so much — when they 
 see it — but how seldom that is ! They dia 
 once, Acts iv. 32, and what followed ? 
 Acts V. 14. The heathen used to say, ' See 
 how these Christians love one another ' — 
 could they say so now ? 
 
 How can such unity he attained ? Only one 
 way, ver. 21 — ' one in Us.' How are the 
 branches of a vine {last Lesson^ united ? 
 Tied together ? what use that ? They are 
 one in the vine. [Another illust. — spokes of 
 a wheel draw nearer to each other as they 
 draw nearer to the ce7ifre.] So to love one 
 another as Christ desires, must love Him 
 first. 
 
 Will there ever be such unity ? ver. 22 ; 
 only to be perfect when — ? Here is the 
 third prayer, — 
 
 3. For their Glorification with Him, 
 ver. 24. 
 
 Now think — what are we? so thought- 
 less, so ungrateful, so sinful — it seems a 
 great thing that Jesus should die to save us 
 from hell — but is that all ? see His words, 
 ' with Me where I am ' ! comp. John xii. 26, 
 siv, 3; Rev. iii. 21 — 
 
 * Thon Shalt see My glory soon, 
 When the work of grace Is done ; 
 Partner of Jly throne Shalt be- 
 Say, poor sinner, lov'st thou Me ?' 
 
 Whatdoj^oM say? Then, perfect holiness 
 and perfect imity — why? because like 
 Him ! Phil. iii. 21 ; 1 John iii. 2. 
 
 So we see what kind of people they are 
 who shall share Christ's glory, (a) Sepa- 
 rate from the world ; (b) United together 
 and full of love. Is not this just what St. 
 James calls 'pure religion'? Jas. i. 27. 
 Then, if you (n) choose as companions 
 those who love sinful pleasure [illustrate], 
 and (b) avoid and dislike those who love 
 Christ, — how can you sing about going to 
 heaven ? 
 
 But you know how hard it is to be ' sepa- 
 rate from sinners '^how hard to be un- 
 selfish and loving. If it depended on our 
 trying, wliat chance of the ' gloiy ' ? But 
 remember, — 
 
 Christ intercedes still, Rom. viii. 
 34 ; 1 John ii. 1 ; and therefore we may be 
 ' saved to the uttermost', licb vii. 25. 
 
 ' O Thnu, the contrite sinner's Tricnd, 
 Who, loving, lovost to the end 1 
 On this alone my hopes depend, 
 That Thou wilt plead for me.' 
 
 Notes. 
 
 1. This chapter is a remarkable instance, and. 
 Indeed, a proof, of direct inspimtion. Certainly 
 John did not 'report' It at the time. Did He 
 then remember tlie fubstanco, and fill In the 
 wording? The marvellous combination of sim- 
 plicity and Bublimlty In every verse renders it 
 impossible, as Alford remarks, to 'regard the 
 prayer otherwise than us the very words of our 
 Lord Himself '—dictated to the Bvangellst by 
 
 the Holy Ghost. The allusion, however, to 
 ' Jesus lifting up Ills eyes,' is evidently one of 
 those natural reminiscences which inspiration 
 utilises. 
 
 2. Ver. 3 is most unwarrantably cited by 
 Socinians as favouring their views, and its 
 words are prominently painted on the notice- 
 board of a leading Unitarian chapel In London. 
 
IN GETHSEMANE. 
 
 245 
 
 But, as Alford says, ' the knowledge of God and 
 a creature coxdi not be eternal life, and the juxta- 
 position of the two would be Inconceivable '; and 
 he adds, ' I do not scruple to use and preach on 
 the verse as a plain proof of the co-equality of 
 the Lord Jesus in the Godhead.' 
 
 Note, that to know God is said to be, not the 
 way to eternal life, but ' eternal life ' itself. 
 Comp. 2nd Collect at Morning Prayer—' in know- 
 ledge of whom standeth (i.e., consisteth) our 
 eternal life.' See Lesson LXXI., Preface, and 
 Note 3. 
 
 3. 'I prafj not for the world.' This might be 
 better expressed in English thus, ' I am praying 
 not for the world,' i.e., not now. Afterwards He 
 does pray for the world, ver. 21, 23. 
 
 4. ^ None of them is lost, but the son of perdition. 
 This does not mean ' I lost none except Judas,' 
 as if Christ laid the fault of Judas' ruin on Him- 
 self. It is literally, ' None of them perished but,' 
 &c. This rendering would retain in the English 
 the connection in the Greek between the words 
 translated ' lost ' (aTruAero, apdleto) and ' per- 
 dition' {a.TTinKiia.'s, apdleias). 'Son of perdition' 
 is a Hebraism like ' child of hell,' ' children of 
 this world,' &c., and refers to the guilt as well as 
 to the destiny of Judas. He ' went to his own 
 place,' Acts i. 25. 
 
 5. ' The word sanctify, in ver. 17 and 19, carries 
 the meaning, which unites the two uses, of 
 consecration to God. (1) In them, this setting 
 apart for Him was a long and gradual process 
 .... in them it was strictly sanctification, the 
 making holy ; but (2) in Him it was that pure 
 and entire self-consecrotio;i. by ills submission 
 
 to the Father's holy will .... which should be 
 at the game time the efficient cause of their 
 sanctification and their Pattern' {Alford). 
 
 6. The unity for which Christ prays cannot, 
 primarily, be the unity of external Church orga- 
 nisation. It is the unity of a common union wiUt 
 Him by faith, as the analogy of the Vine (see 
 illustration in Sketch) clearly shews. And, as 
 a matter of fact, it is oneness of spirit and 
 mutual love among those who may be separated 
 externally, which doe.<: impress the world. At the 
 same time, the external unity of the Church is 
 manifestly included in the petition ; for although 
 sad experience has taught us that it is in itself 
 no guarantee for true unity, yet true unity 
 cannot be perfected without it; and its absence 
 does hinder the extension of Christianity, as is 
 illustrated by an incident mentioned by Bishop 
 Selwyn at the Wolverhampton Church Con- 
 gress :— ' When I asked one of the most remark- 
 able of the New Zealand chieftains why he 
 refused to be a Christian, he stretched out three 
 fingers, and, pointing to the centre joint, said, 
 " I have come to a point from which I see three 
 roads branching. This is the Church of Eng- 
 land, this the Church of Rome, and this the Wes- 
 leyans. I am sitting down here doubting which 
 to take." And he sat doubting at that " cross- 
 road" until he died.' 
 
 7. ' Father, J will that they also,' &c. The ' I 
 will' is very strong, and means 'It is My will 
 that,' &c. Stier well calls it a testamentary word. 
 But there is no real difference between this 
 petition and the others. All that Christ asks 
 He' wills,' and He cannot 'will' anything that 
 is not also the Father's will. 
 
 Lesson XCI.— In Getlisemane. 
 
 ' Behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto My sorrow' 
 Read— Matt. xxvi. 30—46; (comp. Mark xiv. 32—42; Luke xxii. 39—46); Learn- 
 Ps. Ixis. 20 ; Isa. liii. 4, 5. {Bymns, 42, 43, 56, 154, 155, 169, 185, 311, 313, 359.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 The great thing to be aimed at in giving this Lesson is exceeding solemnity. If, by 
 reverent language and a subdued tone of voice, the teacher can succeed in conveying to 
 Ills scholars the impression that the passage introduces us to .<;omething that stands almost 
 alone in Scripture in its awful mystery, an important point will be gained. The hush 
 which ought if possible lo be produced in the class, will not be obtained by the mere 
 exercise of authority : only by solemnity of manner ; and this manner, to be effective, 
 must not be ptU on, but be the natiu'al outcome of the feelings which must surely be 
 stirred in the teacher's heart if he has himself earnestly tried to enter into the spirit of 
 the narrative. It may be added that he who, in his ordinary teaching, is the most bright 
 and cheerful, will best succeed, by the very force of the contrast, in commimicating his 
 solemnity on this occasion to the children. 
 
 Attempts have sometimes been made to give a more definite idea of the Saviour's suffer- 
 ings by drawing an imaginary picture of the miseries of the lost, multiplying these by the 
 inconceivable number of the sinners who deserve to endure them, and representing Christ's 
 agony as in some sense the equivalent of the aggiegate. All such statements are totally 
 unwarranted by Scripture, and, in so far as they appear to bring His Passion more within 
 the limits of our comprehension, absolutely injurious — as detracting from its mysterioas- 
 ness. Let it be enough to know that upon Him were laid the iniquities of us all, and that 
 because He bore them we may, through faith, be ' accepted in the Beloved.' 
 
2i6 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUK LOED. 
 
 Sketch of Lesson, 
 
 Miduight — the Passover full moon 
 shining clear and bright over Jerusalem — 
 towers and pinnacles standing out white 
 and distinct, but throwing a dark shadow 
 over the deep valley of Jehoshaphat. A 
 party of men coming out of eastern gate, 
 descending steep path, over brook, up 
 slope of Olivet. Who are they ? ver. 30 ; 
 John xviii. 1. Into a garden [see Note 1] ; 
 familiar spot — why? John xviii. 2 (comp. 
 Luke xxi. 37) — some secluded nook among 
 its great olive-trees just the place for quiet 
 talk and prayer — perhaps here those great 
 prophecies and parables (Matt, xxiv., xxv.) 
 spoken. 
 
 But all the eleven not to be with Jesus 
 now, ver. 36, 37 — three chosen to go fur- 
 ther aside with Him. When had these 
 three been alone with Him before ? Luke 
 viii. 51, Lx. 28. Perhaps they think, 'Is 
 there to be another Transfiguration ? He 
 prayed just now to be glorified (John xvii. 
 1) — are we three to see that wondrous 
 glory again ? ' Look at Him — listen — He is 
 changed — but how ? not glory, but gloom 
 — terrible agony in His face, overwhelming 
 sorrow in His voice — they have never seen 
 Him so before. See two things in ver. 38 : 
 what He says of Himself — what He asks of 
 them, 
 
 I. Christ's Hour op Agony. 
 
 See what is said of it : ' exceeding sor- 
 rowful ' — ' very heavy ' (i.e., crushed down 
 as with a heavy burden) — 'even unto death' 
 (i.e., enough to cause death if it went on) — 
 ' sore amazed ' {i.e., horrified) — ' in an agony.' 
 See descriptions of great suffering of mind, 
 Ps. xxxviii. 8—10, xl. 12, Iv. 4, 5, Ixxxviii, 
 3, 6, 7 — what could be worse than all this ? 
 No sorrow like His — He might in truth use 
 Jeremiah's word.s, Lam. i. 12. Like a bitter 
 ' cup ' to be drunk to the last drop, ver. 39, 
 comp. XX. 22 [.see Note 4]. 
 
 Eut why all this ? When we think of the 
 ' cup ' of pain and sorrow Jesus was to 
 drink, we think of the mocking, scourging, 
 cro.ss, &c. Here in the quiet garden, alone 
 with His three Apostles, with nothing yet 
 come upon Him, what is there to account 
 for such agony ? 
 
 (a) Is it that Re knows and fears what ia 
 coming ? But He knew it before, and then 
 how did He feel and .-ict? [Lessons LX., 
 LXX/f.] Besides, is the Lord Jesus less 
 brave and firm than His servants ? see how 
 Stephen met his death, Acts vii. 54 — 60 ; 
 and Paul his sufferings, Acts xx. 24, xxi. 
 13. How then suppose that Christ shrank 
 from pain ? 
 
 (6) Is it that Satan is sorely attacking 
 Him, tempting Him to give up the great 
 design of saving sinners? No doubt Satan 
 is there, makintj a last desperate struggle 
 for victory, see John xiv. 30 ; Luke xxii. 53, 
 But Jesus resisted Him before, In the wil- 
 derness : was He then in such agony ? 
 
 (c) la it that He feels the shame of being 
 
 treated as a sinner ? He, so holy and harm- 
 less (Heb. vii. 26), ' numbered with trans- 
 gressors ' (Isa. liii. 12), going to suffer as a 
 guilty criminal ? This is hard — you might 
 bravely bear persecution fur doing right, 
 and yet murmur at being punished for 
 doing wrong when you had not done wrong. 
 Yet even this not enough to explain such 
 overwhelming anguish. 
 
 {d) No — more than all this. He is suf- 
 fering as none ever suffered before or since. 
 See second text for rep. — ' wounded for our 
 transgressions,' itc. — for ours ? whose ? see 
 next verse — ' iniquity of us all ' (comp. Gal. 
 iii. 13; 2 Cor. v. 21). Here the secret of 
 such suffering — the Lamb of God about to 
 ' take away sui of the world ' (John i. 29) — 
 just beginning to feel the awful burden on 
 Him [see Note 2 J . Can we understand this ? 
 No one can understand any pain never felt j 
 that pain who then can imagine ? 
 
 ' We cannot understand the woe 
 Thy love was pleased to bear ; 
 O Lamb of God, we onlj' know 
 That all our hopes are there.' 
 
 In His suffering, what does Jesus do ? He 
 prays. But how different from that other 
 prayer, John xvii. [last Lesson^ — then, 
 ' eyes lifted up to heaven ' — noiv, ' on His 
 face'! then, a confident looking for glory 
 — now, what ? But \\ hat praying for ? To 
 have the 'cup' taken away? only 'if pos- 
 sible' — would rather drink it than fail in 
 His task ; only if Father's will — ' not My 
 will but Thine be done ' ( Luke). Was His 
 prayer heard ? yes, see Heb. v. 7 — but how 
 so ? was the cup removed ? — ah no, we shall 
 see how He went through all — but, another 
 way of granting petition [illust. — heavy 
 weight on a stand not strong enough to bear 
 it — can either take off weight or make stand 
 stronger]— comp. 2 Cor. xii. 7 — 10. See 
 how Jesus was strengthened, Luke xxii. 43 
 (comp. Matt. iv. 11). Even this a marvel — 
 the Son of God strengthened by His own 
 creature — made indeed (Heb. ii. 9) ' a little 
 lower than the angels ' ! Next Sunday see 
 the result— not one drop of bitter cup taken 
 away, yet Jesus calm and strong through 
 all. 
 
 II. The Apostles' Hour of Trial. 
 
 Of ti-iiil— to try them, test them, see what 
 they are like. What are they told to do ? 
 Two reasons for watching and praying: — 
 
 (a) That Jesus may have comfort and 
 sympathy from those He loves. How is this? 
 lie want their sympathy ? j'es, ' in all 
 things ' like us, Heb. ii. 17 — do not we like 
 others to ' watch with us ' ? [ Illust. — great 
 storm at night — is it not a comfort to have 
 some one with you, and awake, even though 
 cannot really help you f] See, He comes 
 back to tliem in His anguish — are tliey 
 praying with Him ? are they even thinking 
 and speaking tendirly of their dear Master? 
 ver. 40, 43— how disappointing — how He 
 must feel their ingratitude 1 In their sor- 
 
IN GETHSEMANE. 
 
 247 
 
 row He had comforted them, John xiv. 
 ILesson ZZXZF//.!— yet which was the 
 greater sorrow, theirs or His ? 
 
 (6) That they may get strength for them- 
 selves. Why ? ' Lest enter into tempta- 
 tion.' "What have they been just warned 
 of, even since they left the city ? ver. 30, 31. 
 And what an opportunity to prepare, here 
 in this quiet spot, and Jesus setting the 
 example ! Why do they not seize it ? why 
 not all in earnest prayer ? see ver. 33, 35 — 
 so confident— ^Aey forsake their Master ! 
 the idea of such a thing ! And they do 
 mean to be stedfast— Jesus knows that 
 (' the spirit is willing ') ; but they forget 
 how weak the flesh — yet what a proof of it 
 here ! Is their being so tired an excuse? 
 Not at all, but a reason for being more 
 watchful. If ' could not watch one hour ' 
 (though how often had they ' toiled all the 
 night ' fishing on the Lake !) — if asleep at 
 such a time, how trust themselves when 
 the great trial comes by-and-bye ? (See 
 1 Kings XX. 1 1 ; Prov. xxviii. 26 ; 1 Cor. 
 X. 12; 2Cor. ii. 11; 1 Pet. v. 8.) 
 
 The result of Christ's prayer — strength, 
 calmness ; what the result of their sleep a 
 
 few minutes afterwards ? ver. 56 — ' all for- 
 sooh Him andjled ! ' 
 
 See here, — 
 
 1. A Picture of what we are. Which of 
 us can say he is not like those disciples ? 
 Have you never fallen into sin when you 
 might have been safe if you had prayed in 
 time? Have you never slept when you 
 shotdd have praj-ed? Have you never 
 thought, ' / would not do such a thing,' 
 and then done it ? 
 
 2. A Model of ivliat toe ought to be. See 
 1 Pet. ii. 21. Jesus an example — (a) of 
 earnestness in prayer. If He needed it, 
 how much more we ! (Ps. 1. 15, cxvi. 3, 4, 
 cxx. 1 ; Jas. v. 13.) (b) Of submission to 
 God's will. Every day we say the very 
 words He said — ' Thy will be done' — do we 
 mean them ? 
 
 How like the portrait we are ! how unlike 
 the model ! Yet let us bring our sins and 
 shortcomings to Him. He bore all that 
 agony for our sakes. Surely the willing 
 SuflEerer will be a willing Saviour ! ' By 
 Thine Agony and Bloody Sweat, Good 
 Lord, deliver us ! ' 
 
 Notes. 
 
 1. The modern 'Garden of Gethsemane' is 
 well-known from engravings and photographs. 
 It is at the foot of Olivet, a little to the east of 
 the bridge which crosses the gorge of the Kedron 
 just below St. Stephen's Gate, and at the junc- 
 tion of the two paths to Bethany. See map on 
 page 108. The enclosure contains eight olive- 
 trees, which are reckoned to be 2,000 years old. 
 It is doubtful, however, whether this is the true 
 site of the ancient garden. Most travellers think 
 that so secluded a spot must have been higher up 
 the mount, away from the public thoroughfares. 
 See Robinson's Bibl. Res.,\. 235 ; Stanley, S. <b P., 
 p. 415 ; Barclay, City of the Great King, p. 63 ; 
 Thomson, L. & B., p. 634; Porter, Giant Cities, 
 4£c., p. 157. St. John alone mentions that it was 
 a garden (or orchard); Luke, that it was at the 
 Mountof Olives; Matthew and Mark, the name, 
 Gethsemane {i.e., oil-press). The word rendered 
 'brook,' la John xviii.l, means literally a rinter- 
 torrent ; which is strictly accurate, iS the liedron 
 is dry for nine months in the year. 
 
 2. The following passage on Christ's agony is 
 from Archbp. Thomson's essay, 'The Death of 
 Christ,' in Aids to Faith (p. 3G0):— 
 
 ' The Redeemer here appears harrowed by a 
 misery which many a m.artyr has been free from, 
 utterly perturbed by a prospect which a Stephen, 
 an Ignatius, a Ridley viewed without dismay. 
 If no more than death is in question, we should 
 expect an example of calm reliance on the pre- 
 sent help of God. But we find the unaccounta- 
 ble agony, the bloody sweat, the prayer for de- 
 liverance : all fortifying and calming influences 
 seem withdrawn for a time from Him who 
 through His life so constantly enjoyed them. 
 We are astonished that the curse of our race 
 should be suffered to press in all its terrible 
 reality upon the sinless and Divine Son. Yet 
 there is the description of His great struggle. 
 We cannot refuse to see that it relates to One 
 utterly broken down for a time in a wretched- 
 
 ] ness beyond our conception If we believe 
 
 I with the Apostle, that God hath made Him to 
 
 : be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be 
 
 made the righteousness of God in Him, then the 
 
 i terror and the agony become accountable. All 
 
 ■ the inner horror of sin is revealed to Him. Sin 
 I in its nakedness is more horrible than death. 
 I And He sees it as it is ; the blasphemous self- 
 ! worship that it is ; the revolt against God, the 
 I violation of order, the death in life. And all 
 ' this sin is His, though He is sinless of it 
 
 The words of the Lord upon the cross are an 
 : echo from the garden of agony : Why hast Thou 
 ] forsaken Ah? These words express a sense of 
 ; desertion by God : they can have no other niean- 
 ' ing They belong to Him, not as Son of 
 
 God, but as burdened yith the sins of the world. 
 ' They express perhaps the complete separation 
 
 which sin makes between man and God. He is 
 
 ■ the Advocate of all mankind ; and their separa- 
 i tion from God because of sin extends itself to 
 ] Him for a season. It appears, then, that the 
 
 question whether the wrath of God can be said 
 to have fallen upon the Son is no verbal question, 
 but a question of fact. Jesus did suffer all those 
 things which are the evident tokens of wrath 
 against us.' 
 
 The whole Essay is an able vindication of the 
 Atonement. 
 
 It may be added that the peculiar importance 
 of the agony in Gethsemane is, that there was 
 nothing outward to account for it. It did not, 
 like the similar distress manifested by our Lord's 
 cry on the cross, follow on a long course of iU- 
 treatment, suffering, and shame. It was there- 
 fore purely and entirely mental ; and there is 
 no conceivable explanation of this other than 
 that it was due to the mysterious burden of a 
 world's sin. 
 
 3. ' His sweat was as it were great drops of blood.' 
 There Is undoubted medical testimony that, in 
 rare cases of oxtreme mental terror or anguish. 
 
248 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 blood has exuded from the skin -with the per- 
 spiration. Alford cites a case from the Medical 
 Gazette of Dec. 1848, in which it occurred to some 
 Norwegian sailors in a fearful storm. The 
 mental excitement of our Lord Is strikingly 
 shown by the fact of His perspiring at all in the 
 open air on a cold night (see John xviii. 18). It 
 is noteworthy that the circumstance is only 
 mentioned by Luke the physician. 
 
 4. ' Let this cup pass from Me.' The ' cup ' is an 
 O. T. image of a man's lot or portion, whether 
 pleasant (Ps. xvi. 5, xxiii. 5), or bitter (I's. xi. 6, 
 Ixxv. 8; Isa. li. 17). Our Lord's 'cup' was 
 obviously one of suffering. See Lesson LXXIL 
 
 5. ' Not as I will, but as Thou wilt.' We see here 
 that Christ possessed a human will as perfect 
 ilan, distinct from His Divine Will as God. This 
 human will naturally shrank from suffering, but 
 it is here wholly submitted to the will of the 
 Father. There was in the seventh century a 
 heretical sect, called the Monothelites, who held 
 that Christ had only one will, viz., the Divine. 
 This doctrine was condemned by the Sixth 
 General Council, A.D. 680. 
 
 6. We find no intimation in Matthew and Mark 
 whether the eight Apostles, as well as the three, 
 saw anything of Christ's agony, whether they 
 slejit, and whether the5' were exhorted to watch 
 and pray. But Luke docs not mention the selec- 
 tion of the three, and his account conveys the 
 impression that all the eleven needed and re- 
 ceived the same warning. 
 
 7. ' Sleep on now, and take your rest.' Many 
 explanations have been given of these words. 
 Some see in them a kind of sad irony. Others, 
 thinking this unnatural, read them interroga- 
 tively (which the Greek will bear), ' Do ye sleep 
 on now ? ' Ellicott thinks they were spoken ' with 
 a permissive force, and in tones in which merci- 
 ful reproach was blended with calm resigna- 
 tion.' Stier says, ' so far as regards Jlis need, 
 He can now permit them to sleep on,' and adopts 
 Neander's paraphrase, ' Sleep on still, I will no 
 more awake you to watch with Jle ; but ye wiU 
 soon be roused out of your sleep, for behold,' Sic. 
 This last is, on the whole, perhaps the best ex- 
 planation. 
 
 Lesson XCIL— Betrayed, Deserted, and Denied. 
 
 ' All ye shall be offended because of Me this night,' 
 
 Read — Luke xxii. 47—62 ; John xviii. 1 — 18 ; (comp. Matt. xxvi. 47 — 58, 69 — 75 ; Mark 
 
 xiv. 43 — 54, G6 — 72) ; Learn — John xvi. 32 ; Luke xxii. 61, 62. 
 
 (.Hymns, 95, 96, 127, 153, 167, 324, 354, 375.) 
 
 To THE Teacher, 
 
 The object of the teacher in this and the next two or three Lessons should be to make 
 the narrative as distinct and real to the scholars as possible. For once in the way, ' appli- 
 cation ' will sink into a secondary place. Let it be considered how great would be the 
 benefit of simply fixing in the children's minds and memories the details of the history of 
 Christ's Passion. Such a foundation once laid, how much may be built upon it hereafter ! 
 And it is certain that this can be done, as many who read these lines could testify from 
 the experience of their own childhood. It is surely, therefore, worth while for the teacher 
 to follow the incidents one after the other in thought, until they frame themselves into a 
 series of scenes which he can never forget ; so that his descriptions to his class may have 
 a freshness and a vividness such as can never be produced when toiling through a half- 
 prepared lesson. 
 
 The narrative of Peter's fall would make an impressive practical lesson by itself, 
 especially for senior classes (see particularly the steps of his backsliding, indicated in the 
 Sketch). But in order to do this, it would be necessary to inchtde the account of Christ's 
 arrest in the previous Lesson, which, considering the importance (in a course Hke this) of 
 His agony in Gethsemane, would not be advisable. 
 
 St. Luke's narrative is selected (with part of St. John's) as the passage for rending, 
 because his is the only Gospel in which the betrayal and Peter's denials follow on without 
 interruption. 
 
 Sketch of Lesson. 
 
 What three things did Jesus, on that sad 
 night, tell the Twelve that one or other of 
 them should do to Him ? See St. .John's 
 Gospel : (o) xiii. 21 — one to betray Him ; 
 (b) xvi. 32— all to desert Him ; (c) xiii. 38 
 — one to deny Him. To-day see how all 
 this came to pass. 
 
 I. Christ Betrayed by Judas. 
 Chief priests at their Passover supper [see 
 Addit. Note XII., page 235] — perhaps exult- 
 
 ing at the bargain made two days ago 
 (Matt. xxvi. 14 — !6). Suddenly Judas ap- 
 pears — has just left Jesus — presently He is 
 going to a familiar place on Olivet — good 
 opportunity to arrest Him at midnight. 
 They never intended to risk it just then — 
 why not ? Matt. xxvi. 5 ; but can't resist 
 such a chance — only be prompt — call Coun- 
 cil together during night — get Pilate's order 
 first thing in morning— and the Nazarene 
 
BETRAYED, DS3ERTED, AND DENIED. 
 
 249 
 
 may be got rid of before people can hear 
 of it. 
 
 A large body quickly collected [see 
 Note 1] — well armed — torches, although 
 •full moon, to light up dark nooks and 
 groves — stealthily out of city, led by the 
 traitor. But the soldiers don't know Jesus 
 — how make sure of right man"? Matt. 
 xxvi. 48. 
 
 Into the garden — 'now search quickly 
 among the trees, don't let them slip away.' 
 Suddenly — One steps forth into the moon- 
 light right before them, John xviii. 4, 5. 
 How calm He is ! all the ' agony ' gone — 
 what made the change in Him ? [last Les- 
 son] . But look ! ver. 6 — the whole band, 
 proud priests, stern soldiers, guilty Judas, 
 fallen to the ground ! like Dagon before 
 the ark (1 Sam. v. 3). Can they now go 
 on, and arrest Eim ? See, they have got 
 up, no doubt ashamed and angry — will 
 Jesus again fell them, so escape? John 
 xviii. 7, 8 — He wiU yield Himself up, only 
 says ' let these go.' Is not this just what 
 He did for us all ? — said to God's outraged 
 law, ' I vn]l go in then- stead ; punish Me, 
 and let them go,' John x. 15 ; Gal. i. 4. 
 
 Is Judas relenting? see him kissing his 
 Master — ah, but what for ? Think of those 
 two : («) Judas — what privileges he had 
 had ! how Christ had borne with hire ! 
 now betraying his best Friend — more than 
 Friend, his Saviour and God — and with a 
 kiss, pretending love and respect ! surely a 
 worse kiss even than Joab's (2 Sam. xx. 
 9, 10). {b) Jesus — submitting to that kiss ! 
 who would not have turned from it in grief 
 and horror? but not He — what had He 
 told His disciples to submit to? Matt. 
 v. 39 — but this kiss worse than a blow. 
 
 II. Christ Deserted by the Eleven. 
 
 Now turn to the disciples. Can we ima- 
 gine their feelings ? First, terror at the 
 flaring torches and flashing swords— their 
 enemies have them at last ! Then, amaze- 
 ment at seeing the leader — the secret out 
 now — Judas the traitor ! Then, triumph — 
 wth one look the Master has beaten back 
 His foes. Then, indignation at that kiss. 
 Then, perplexity — see, He is letting them 
 seize Him after all! Then, ashamed of 
 their cowardice, ' shall we fight ? ' (Luke). 
 Then Peter — just like him !— without wait- 
 ing the answer, stiiking wildly at the 
 nearest— surely his sword can conquer men 
 who fell down at a look ! 
 
 But now their hearts fail them entirely — 
 He means to be taken ! for what does He 
 say ? See Matt. xxvi. 53 — if He wished to 
 resist, could get mightier aid than Peter's 
 sword [see Note 1]. Why not summon the 
 angelic hosts that are only waiting His 
 call? see next verse — must fulfil God's 
 ancient promises (such as Isa. liii. 7, 12); 
 that very ' cup ' He shrank fi'om [see last 
 Lesson] He is now resolved to drink. And 
 see — to show to all how He ivill go ' as a 
 lamb to the slaughter ' (see also John x. 
 18), a miracle ! {Luke) —Sis last one— a. 
 
 work of mercy to an enemy (see Matt. 
 V. 44), a work of power when He is actually 
 ' held fast ' ! Can Malchus persist after 
 two such things, the look and the touch ? 
 What is the retam for that act of mercy ? 
 John xviii. 12 — the Healer bound with 
 cords like a thief I 
 
 Why cannot the disciples be like their 
 Master, calm, submissive, courageous ? 
 We saw the reason last time — what was 
 it ? He had prayed ; they had slept ; and 
 now His words are come true — no more 
 care for Him— can only think of them- 
 selves — see them flying in aU directions. 
 
 III. Christ Denied by Peter. 
 
 Two of the deserters soon ashamed of 
 their cowardice — courage to turn back — go 
 after the band now hastening up into the 
 city — follow to the high priest's palace. 
 Which two ? how get inside ? John xviii. 
 15, 16. 
 
 A large court-yard [see Note 5 J — rooms 
 all round opening on to it — on one side 
 the hall in which Jesus is to be tried. 
 Court-yard full of servants and soldiers — 
 wUl get no sleep to-night — so clustered 
 round fire (John) — its flickering flames 
 lighting up their faces. John gone (pro- 
 bably) into comer of haU to watch trial ; 
 but Peter, afraid of being noticed, mingling 
 with the throng roimd the fire — wUl make 
 himself at home with them — they will 
 think him one of the expedition. Now the 
 third of Christ's words (above) coming 
 true. 
 
 1st Denial. A maid, the portress (John), 
 looking at Peter (Luke) — ' Why, I let him 
 in with John just now' — 'you belong to 
 the Nazarene.' Peter 'taken aback' — 
 what do ? wiU he boldly say, ' Yes, I know 
 He is Messiah, and I love Him ' ? — ah no, 
 frightened, no time to think, out come the 
 sad words. 
 
 2nd Denial. This won't do, will be dis- 
 covered — must sHp away. In the arched 
 passage leading out to the door (Matt.) — 
 trying to get ofE without being seen — but 
 they have followed him — two or three 
 voices at him now. Will he be faithful, 
 this time ? no, has told the he, must ' stick 
 to it' — but worse {Matt.) — an angry oath 
 too. 
 
 3rd Denial. They seem satisfied now — 
 let him alone — so he joins the party again. 
 An hour passes by {Luke) — trial of Jesus 
 going on — Peter talking at the fire. Pre- 
 sently, his peculiar speech noticed (as we 
 know difiference between Londoner and 
 Yorkshireman) — 'if a Galilean, no doubt a 
 disciple ' ; and another recognition more 
 dangerous still, John xviii. 26. Now really 
 alarmed — what does he do ? 
 
 Suddenly, a sound clear and shrill above 
 the cursing and swearing — what ? ver. 60. 
 A dreadful thought shoots through Peter's 
 heart — his eye glances into the hall — what 
 does he see? ver. 61. That look — is it an 
 angry one? no, full of tender love — yet 
 how crushing to Peter I What carea he 
 
250 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LOBD. 
 
 now for the maids and the soldiers ? he 
 has grieved his Master, broken his promise, 
 sinned (he might well think) hopelessly — 
 imagine his bitter tears. 
 
 How could he thus fall, he who loved 
 Jesus so dearly, who thought he could die 
 for Him ? It was not all at once : see the 
 steps— (a) self-confidence, (6) indolence, (c) 
 bad company, {dj ' ashamed of Jesus ' ! 
 
 Last Sunday we saw one kind of suffer- 
 ing endured by Christ; in nest four Les- 
 sons shall see other kinds ; but have we not 
 seen grievous suffering to-day ? His own 
 chosen friends — companions for so long — 
 now what have they done ? He is indeed 
 
 ' left alone '—alone ? see 1st text for ren — 
 Who with Him ? ^' 
 
 We cannot leave Him alone now; yet 
 do we not grieve Him as the disciples did ? 
 Have we always acknowledged Him before 
 others as our Master and Saviour ? Have 
 we never been afraid and ashamed ? Have 
 we never intended to act as Christ's ser- 
 vants, and then been snared suddenly into 
 sin ? Think of that look as upon us— not 
 a look of anger, but of love and pity. He 
 is willing and waiting to forgive, and to 
 make us what He made Peter afterwards— 
 'faithful soldiers and servants unto our 
 lives' end.' 
 
 Notes. 
 
 1. The ' multitude ' that accompanied Judas to 
 Gethsemane consisted of— (a) some of the chief 
 priests and elders {Luke), to direct the proceed- 
 ings ; (6) the ' captains of the Temple ' {Luke), a 
 Jewish guard under the orders of the Sanhe- 
 drim ; (c) ' officers ' (/o/i«)— rather ' officials,' also 
 ' from the chief priests '; ((/) ' servants ' or slaves 
 (SouAoi), of whom Malchus was one ; (e) the 
 Koman ' chief captain' and his soldiers, usually 
 stationed at Jerusalem. These last are not 
 clearly mentioned in our English version ; but 
 in John xviii. 3, the words are literally ' the band, 
 and officials fruni the chief priests'; and in ver. 
 12, ' the band, and the chief captain, and the offi- 
 cials of the Jews.' The words rendered ' band' 
 and 'captain ' are the technical terms signifying 
 the Koman cohort or regiment and its com- 
 mander, and are the same as in Acts xxi. 31— 
 ' tidings came unto the chief captain of the band.' 
 The ' staves ' mentioned by Matthew and Mark 
 were doubtless taken to arm the servants, &c. 
 
 The chief priests would have no difficulty In 
 gettiug the cohort, as they would represent Jesus 
 as a dangerous character, and riots at the feasts 
 were much feared by the Roman authorities ; 
 see Jos. Antiq., xx. 5, 3. Such a display of force 
 might be designed, not only to overawe the dis- 
 ciples, but also to impress Pilate with the im- 
 portance of the occasion, and prepare him for 
 their demand that Jesus should be immediately 
 put to death. 
 
 Our Lord's expression, ' twelve legions of 
 angels,' seems designed to show what a handful 
 even the strong force brought against Ilim was 
 in comparison with what He could summon to 
 His aid. He could provide a legion each for 
 Himself and the Eleven. The Koman ' legion ' 
 was generally COOO men. 
 
 2. Some think that the remarkable incident of 
 Christ's assailants falling to the ground occurred 
 after the kiss of Judas ; but the order of events 
 in the Sketch is that adopted by the best writers. 
 Judas may have kissed his Lord, even after He 
 hud made Himself known, in order to revive the 
 courage of the soldiers and show them that He 
 would not lujure them. On the word ' Eriend,' 
 see Lesson LXVIL, Note 7. 
 
 Stler quotes a striking sentence from Pfennin- 
 gcr on the kiss of Judas :— ' Wouldst tliou know 
 what Satan can do and (iod can bear, what the 
 basest of mankind can do and the best of man- 
 hood can bear? IJeliold tlie lips of Judas who 
 kisses, and the cheek of Jesut which receives 
 the kiss.' 
 
 3. ' Suffer ye thus far: These words may have 
 been addressed, (a) to the disciples, meaning 
 ' Resist no further ' ; or (6) to the officers, mean- 
 ing ' Resent not the hasty zeal of My disciples ' ; 
 or (c) ' Loose My arm for a moment, that I may 
 heal the wounded man.' The last is certainly 
 preferable, as both the words and the healing 
 are only recorded by St. Luke, and that in the 
 closest connection together. Thus read, the 
 request is a most touching one. What submis- 
 siveness does it manifest, when we think that 
 He who could heal the torn ear could as readily 
 have disengaged His own arm ! 
 
 That the man's name was Malchus, and that it 
 was Peter who struck the blow, are facts only 
 mentioned by St. John. The allusion to 
 Malchus, and to his kinsman in ver. 26, illus- 
 trates the statement that ' that disciple ' {i.e., of 
 course John) ' was known unto the high-priest.' 
 
 4. The curious Incident of the yotmg man who 
 fled naked from the soldiers who seized him, is 
 only given in Mark's Gospel : whence most ex- 
 positors have conjectured that the young man 
 was Mark himself, as there seems no reason on 
 the face of the narrative why the circumstance 
 should be mentioned at all. 
 
 ' Naked,' here and elsewhere, means only with- 
 out the upper garment. 
 
 6. The Greek word rendered 'palace' has a 
 double meaning, being sometimes used for the 
 entire building, and sometimes for the open 
 court-yard in the centre, round which the chief 
 rooms were ranged, and which communicated 
 with the street by a p.issage, the 'porch' here 
 mentioned. Compare Lesson XXX., Notes. A 
 somewhat similar ambiguity attaches to our 
 words 'hair and 'court.' The fire around 
 which the servants and officers clustered was 
 in the open court, and the trial of Jesus was 
 proceeding in one of tlie large chambers opening 
 on to it, and raised two or tliree steps above it ; 
 which explains the statements that Peter 'was 
 beneath' (Mark), and 'sat icithout' (Matt.), 'in 
 the palace' or rather court. 
 
 6. The apparent discrepancies in the four ac- 
 counts of Peter's denial.-! are easily explained, if 
 we bear in mind that the three denials were not 
 each a single sentence addressed to one accuser. 
 On each occasion there miglit well be reiterated 
 charges and reiterated denials. 
 
 (a) All four Evangelists agree that the first 
 denial was elicited by a maid, Mark and Luke 
 adding that It occurred by the Are, and Joha 
 
BEFORE THE COUNCIL. 
 
 251 
 
 etatiog that she was the portress, who recognised 
 Peter as having come in with him (John). 
 
 (6) From Matthew and Mark we learn that the 
 second denial took place in the ' porch ' (see Note 
 6). Matthew says ' another maid' accused Peter; 
 Mark, that it was the ' the maid' (not ' a maid,' 
 as in our version), i e., the same who spoke be- 
 fore; Luke, that it was ' another,' the word be- 
 ing masculine, and Peter replying, 'Man, I am 
 not '; while John combines the three statements 
 by relating that ' they said unto him.' 
 
 (c) Matthew, Mark, and Luke agree that the 
 third denial was provoked by the allusions to 
 Peter's provincial dialect, Luke adding that it 
 occurred ' after about an hour.' John here re- 
 lates a different and no doubt simultaneous in- 
 cident, the recognition o£ Peter by a kinsman of 
 Malchus. 
 
 St. Mark, who alone relates (xiv. 30) that 
 
 Jesus had predicted that the denials should take 
 place before the cock crowed twice, alone men- 
 tions the first crowing. Probably Peter did not 
 then notice the sound, but the fact that it had 
 fallen on his ear came back to him after the 
 second crowing ; and no doubt it is his personal 
 reminiscence which Mark records. 
 
 In Luke xxii. 5.5, 56, the word ' fire ' is a render- 
 ing for two different Greek words (rrOp, <J)a)s ; 
 pur, phds). The latter is properly light, and is 
 always so translated elsewhere ; and it evidently 
 implies that Peter was recognised through the 
 fire-light falling on his face : ' a certain maid be- 
 held him as he sat by the light, and earnestly 
 looked upon him.' 
 
 The Galilean provincialism of speech con- 
 sisted of an inability to pronounce the gutturals 
 properly, and in a habit of using ' t ' for ' s.' 
 
 Lesson XCIIL— Before tlie Council. 
 
 ' They all condemned Eim to be guilty of death.' 
 
 JRead — Mark xiv. 55 — 65 ; Matt, xxvii. 1 — 5 ; (comp. Matt, xxvi, 57 — 68 ; Luke xxii, 
 
 63—71 ; John xviii. 19—24) ; Learn— Acts xiii. 27, 28 ; Mark xiv. 61, 62. 
 
 {Uymns, 43, 56, 82, 86, 90, 101, 161, 313.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 The 1st text for repetition makes an excellent starting-point for this Lesson. If the 
 scholars have just repeated it, the question about ' the voices of the prophets ' will come 
 quite naturally. This plan is often useful, merely as a device to allure an inattentive 
 class on to the Lesson ; but in this case it actually introduces an important point which 
 might otherwise be missed, viz., the fulfilment of prophecy in Christ's rejection. 
 
 The titles of divisions in the Sketch are not, as they are sometimes, suggestive of any 
 sequence of thought or argument, or of the truths or teachings to be drawn from the 
 passage. They are simply (as it were) mile-stones 1 o assist the teacher in marking the 
 successive stages of the narrative ; and it wiU be seen that the four sections of division I. 
 do actually take up the incidents in their order, although the titles do not necessarily 
 imply this. The Lesson should be a' straightforward history throughout, leading on the 
 thoughts to the twofold application ; but the teacher needs to have a few simple headings 
 in his own mind, otherwise he may spend too much time on one point, and inadvertently 
 omit others. 
 
 The remarks made in the preface to the preceding Lesson, on the importance of giving 
 the details of the narrative itself clearly, apply in some degree to this one ; but as the 
 incidents before us to-day are fewer, there will be more time to enlarge on their solemn 
 teachings. 
 
 Sketch of Lesson. 
 
 Our first text for rep. speaks of some- 
 thing heard by the .lews every Sabbath — ? 
 But the prophets all dead long ago — how 
 hear their ' voices ' ? Read to them in the 
 Scriptures. Who wrote these Scriptures ? 
 But who taught Moses, Isaiah, David, what 
 to write? 2 Pet. i. 21 — so 'voices of pro- 
 phets ' really God's Voice. Wherever Jews 
 scattered over great Roman Empire, met 
 every Sabbath in synagogue, and heard 
 God's me-'^saares. What told by those Scrip- 
 tures? A King and Saviour coming [.tee 
 Lesson //.] — how well, then, must Eill the 
 Jews have known that ! 
 
 And now He has come, how received ? — 
 'received Him not' (John i. 11) — 'would 
 not have Him ' (Luke xix. 14) — ye^ even 
 
 in this, were fulfilling God's words without 
 knowing it — ' fulfilled them in condemning 
 Him' (1st text for rep. again) ; see Ps. ii. 
 1 — 3, xxii. 6 ; Isa. liii. See Him to-day 
 face to face with the rulers of the nation — 
 condemned to die by those He came to 
 save. 
 
 I. The Trial. 
 
 1. The Judges. The Sanhedrim — su- 
 preme council (like our Parliament) — chief 
 priests, scribes, elders [see Lesson LXXXIV., 
 Note 1] — summoned together at dead of 
 night — the Passover night too ! How 
 gladly hear the news, ' We have got Him 
 at last ' — how eagerly hasten through dark 
 streets to high-priest's palace ! When our 
 Judges come to assizes, what their desire ? 
 
252 
 
 LESSONS ON THK LIFE OF OUR LORD, 
 
 to condemn prisoners as fast as possible, 
 because they hate them ? Just the con- 
 trary — how patient ! how ready to hear 
 everything in prisoner's favour ! quite glad 
 if found 'not guilty.' So God wishes all 
 judges to be, Deut. xvi. 18. How different 
 these Jews ! Only one thought — ' He must 
 die, somehow.' Even before they come to- 
 gether, see what their great leader Annas 
 does, John xviii. 13, 19 [.see Notes 1, 2] — 
 questions Jesus privately — tries to get 
 something out of Him to accrise Him of. 
 What success ? ver. 20, 21 — Jesus has 
 nothing to tell but what they know already 
 — no secret conspirator — always • spake 
 openly.' So they must call witnesses. 
 
 2. The Witnesses. What sort of wit- 
 nesses called ? All who know anything of 
 the Prisoner ? What evidence might then 
 be given ! — those once blind, Lame, sick, 
 testifying to His love and power. Would 
 this suit these just judges? ah, they take 
 care to call no witnesses for the defence. 
 What sort, then? True evidence against 
 Him ? Not to be had, ver. 55. Must get 
 Iijing witnesses to swear falsely ! (Comp. 
 i Kings sxi. 10 ; Ps. xxxv. 11 ; Acts vi. 11.) 
 And even then — 'found none ' (Matthew). 
 Plenty of evidence, but all contradictory— 
 and vi'hat are they bound to get? Deut. 
 xvii. G. Only one thing alleged — and that 
 a saying spoken three years ago ! [<See 
 lesson XVII., Note f).] 
 
 3. The Prisoner. Called on for His de- 
 fence — what is it? ver. 61 — why reply 
 when nothing to reply to ? No ' evidence ' 
 in the slanders, so not worth noticing ; yet 
 how painful ! see Prov. xviii. 8 ; what 
 patience needed to bear them ! 1 Pet. ii. 
 19 — 23 ; and see too how patient Jesus had 
 been already before Annas, John xviii. 22, 
 23 — what harder to bear than such a blow ! 
 yet He did what harder even than silent 
 submission — rebuked (/entli/ ! But now He 
 will speak out plainly. Ver. 61, 62 : Caia- 
 phas enraged at failure to convict Him — 
 rises from the 'bench' — must try and get 
 something out of His own mouth : — On His 
 oath [see Note 4] , is He ' Christ the Son of 
 God'? Can Jesus be .^ilent now? no — the 
 Jewish rulers shall have one last plain tes- 
 timony — shall not be able to say, ' We 
 were not told ' — ' / AM'\ And it is true : 
 for what mere man, at such a moment of 
 peril, would risk life to make a f.alse claim? 
 Something else too : ' Ye shall see ' — what ? 
 They know Daniel's great prophecy (vii. 
 9— 14)— //e is that 'Son of Man.' Think 
 of the change of places — He, then on the 
 judgment-scat— they, then at His bar! 
 
 4. The Verdict. Will they now throw 
 themselves at His feet and accept Him as 
 Messiah ? What do they do ? ^ ' Guilty'— 
 'death' — why? 'Blasphemy (see Lev. 
 xxiv. 16) — as before (.John x. 33), ' Thou, 
 being a man, makest thyself God.' liea/h/, 
 what was it? //e, being (lod, had vuide 
 Himself man .' Phil. ii. 6, 7. They are 
 going "to kill their Divine King ! 
 
 II. After the Trial. 
 
 1. In the Court. All this time Jesus 
 shamefully treated, ' bound ' (John xviii. 
 24) and ' held ' (Luke xxii. 63) like a dan- 
 gerous criminal. But now — ! spitting, 
 beating, cruel insults (see Luke particu- 
 larly), ire should not treat the very 
 vilest like that ; they, creatures insulting 
 their Creator — sinners mocking their 
 Saviour ! See Isa. 1. G ; Ps. xxii. 6, 7, 
 
 2. In the Council-chamber. (See Luke 
 xxii. 66 — 71.) Another fuller meeting of 
 the Sanhedrim at daybreak [see Note IJ — 
 Jesus again questioned, that the new comers 
 may hear — once more His pubUc avowal 
 Who He is — the former verdict now con- 
 firmed by all. Then an anxious consulta- 
 tion (Mark xv. 1) — what about? Matt, 
 xxvii. 1 — He must die, but how? ?Aey can- 
 not doit [see next Lesson, Note 5] — only the 
 Roman governor has the power — and how 
 get him to use it? they have condemned 
 Jesus for blasphemj', but Pilate won't 
 listen to a charge like that. See their 
 scheme next Sunday. 
 
 3. In the Temple, 
 
 Some of the chief priests now obUged to 
 go to theu" sacred duties, prepare for morn- 
 ing sacrifices on God's altar. How dif- 
 ferent their spirit from David's, Ps. xxvi. 6 1 
 Suddenly — who is this, breaking into the 
 holy place ? Matt, xxvii. 3, Judas sees it 
 all now — through his vile treachery that 
 unjust sentence has come on his Master. 
 Will these priests take back their bribe, 
 and release the innocent? Hear their 
 bitter taunt, ver. 4. But the money — he 
 can't keep it — hates the sight of it (Prov. 
 X. 2) — see him flinging it to them, and 
 going, rohere ? To Jesus' feet, with tears of 
 penitence ? ah, Satan won't let his victim 
 slip like that. Black despair — suicide. A 
 week ago, one of the twelve most privi- 
 leged men on earth ; noir — ! 
 
 'From the crafts and assaults of the 
 devil, Good Lord ! deliver us.' 
 
 Now look at two wondrous scenes : — 
 
 1. Look back — at Jesus standing before 
 nis judges. Why did the Son of God sub- 
 mit to all this? 1 Pet. ii. 21 — ' suffered yJ>r 
 us.' Two objects : To be unto us (a) ' a 
 sacrifice for sins ' — {b) ' an ensample of 
 godly life ' (Collect, 2nd Sunday after 
 Easter) ; (a) ' For us men and for our sal- 
 vation ' (Nicene Creed) — (/>) ' That all 
 mankind might follow the example of His 
 great humility' (Collect, Sunday before 
 Easter). How can any (a) ' neglect so 
 great salvation' — (6) be proud or selfish in 
 the face of such a pattern ? 
 
 '2. Look fouwaud — at Jesus sitting on 
 His judgment throne. See Rev. i. 7 — 
 ' Every eye shall see ITim, and they also 
 which pierced Him ' — His cruel persecutors 
 — those very priests and scribes. Will they 
 call on the mountains to ' fall on them ' 
 (Rev. vi. 16) and 'hide them from the 
 wrath of the Lamb ' ? They well may. 
 
BEFORE THE COUNCIL. 
 
 253 
 
 But ice, who know the story of Christ's 
 love so well, who have read it again to-day 
 — ' of how much sorer punishment, suppose 
 ye, shall we be thought worthy' (Heb. x. 
 
 29), if we reject that same Saviour? 'Ye 
 therefore, seeing ye know these things be- 
 fore, beware lest ye also ' — what ? 2 Pet. 
 iii. 17, 18. 
 
 Notes. 
 
 1. The Evangelists record three separate ex- 
 aminations of Christ by the Jewish rulers, 
 which should be carefullj' distinguished. John 
 relates an informal preliminary examination 
 before the Sanhedrim had assembled, obviously 
 designed to extract some admission from Hiln 
 concerning either His followers or His teaching 
 
 (xviii. 19). Matthew and ilark give accounts of 
 the regular trial itself xuider the presidencj' of 
 Caiaphas. Luke records only a meeting of the 
 Sanhedrim ' when it was day,' which appears to 
 correspond, not with the trial, but with the 
 subsequent consultation mentioned also by Mat- 
 thew and Mark as taking place in the ' morn- 
 ing.' As a trial at night was undoubtedly ille- 
 gal, it is probable that this second meeting was 
 held at sunrise to confirm the sentence for- 
 mally and discuss the best way of putting it 
 into execution; and as this was very likely 
 more fully attended (see Mark xv. 1, ' the whole 
 council'), there is nothing improbable in the 
 crucial questions being again put to Jesus, that 
 His ' blasphemy ' might be heard by the new 
 comers. 
 
 2. It has been much disputed whether the pre- 
 liminaiy examination mentioned by John was 
 before Annas or Caiaphas, as his narrative is 
 not clear upon the point. The majority of the 
 best ■\vriters consider that Annas was the inter- 
 rogator. The arguments on both sides are very 
 voluminous, and cannot even be summarised 
 here ; but it may be observed that John xviii. 
 24 should probably (neither the reading nor the 
 meaning is quite certain) be rendered, 'So 
 Annas sent Him,' &c. : which would be almost 
 <lecisive in favour of Annas. Although Caia- 
 phas was actually then high-priest, the office 
 rightfully belonged to Annas; compare Lesson 
 LXXXIV., Xote2. 
 
 The apparent difficulty involved, as to where 
 the denials of Peter took place, is thus ex- 
 ]ilained :— Annas and Caiaphas both occupied 
 "the high-priest's palace.' The 'sending' of 
 Jesus by the former to the latter was merely 
 a sending from Annas's rooms on one side of 
 the court-yard to the hall in which the trial 
 was to be held on the other. Some think that, 
 t'eticeen the two examinations, Jesus was wait- 
 ing in the court-yard itself, and that while He 
 was there the third denial took place and He 
 • looked upon Peter.' 
 
 3.' ThUfelloic' ' Fellow' is not expressed in the 
 ■Oreek, but the translation is a good one never- 
 theless, as the single word for ' this,' ovtos {outos), 
 is evidently contemptuous. 
 
 4. ' / adjure thee by the living God.' This was 
 the regular legal formula for administering 
 oaths, and was binding on witnesses without 
 their answering. 'Thou hast said' (Matt.) and 
 'Ye say that I am' (Luke) are merely Jewish 
 forms of affirmation, and are equivalent to 'I 
 am' (Mark). 
 
 5. The ' temple ' where Judas sought the chief 
 
 priests was the vaos (naos), that is, the sanc- 
 tuary itself (see Lesson XVII., Note 6), Into 
 which none but the priests could enter. 
 
 The Greek word for 'repented' is not the 
 usual word ; and Judas's repentance was of 
 course remorse only. It is ' never too late to 
 repent,' /fthe repentance be genuine ; but it is 
 to be feared that a late repentance, produced by 
 a sense of danger or a fear of death, is seldom 
 genuine. To understand the words 'ye that do 
 truly and earnestly repent you of your sins,' see 
 2 Cor. vii. 10, 11. Cranmer, thrusting into the 
 flames the hand which had signed his recan- 
 tation, is a good illustration of St. Paul's ex- 
 pression in that passage, ' Yea, what revenge ! ' 
 
 6. The account of the death of Judas in Acts i. 
 differs from St. Matthew's. The two are usually 
 reconciled by the supposition that, in the at- 
 tempt to hang himself, the traitor fell over the 
 precipitous rocks, and was mangled as described 
 in Peter's speech. 
 
 The 'potter's field' was bought by the chief 
 priests with the returned money, but Peter, by 
 a common figure of speech, ascribes the pur- 
 chase to Judas, meaning that all he got by the 
 ' reward of iniquity ' was death on a spot for 
 which the identical money was afterwards 
 given. The name given to the field, Aceldama, 
 was a double memorial of the traitor's death in 
 it and of the price of blood paid for it. The 
 spot is still marked by a charnel-house ; and it is 
 remarkable that theskiiUs found there are those 
 of various races, the 'strangers' buried there. 
 See Mr. Bardsley's ' Xotes of a Tour in Pales- 
 tine,' Church Sunday School Magazine for Feb. 
 1870, p. 77; Porter's Giant Citifs, kc, p. 145; and 
 the article ' Aceldama' in Smith's Diet. Bible. 
 
 7. The saying of ' Jeremy the prophet,' men- 
 tioned by Matthew, is probably that of Zech. 
 xi. 12, 10. The name of Jeremiah may perhaps 
 have been inserted by ai\ early copyist in error. 
 Xo positive explanation of the difficulty can be 
 given ; but in any case no objection to Mat- 
 thew's inspiration can arise, for even were he 
 not inspired, it is impossible to suppose that ao 
 Evangelist so careful in his citation of pro- 
 phecies could have made such a blunder. 
 
 Barnes's note on the application of the passage 
 in Zechariah is worth quoting: — 
 
 ' Zechariah was treated by the Jews with con- 
 tempt. He asks them to give him Aw price . . . . 
 to show their estimate of his office. If they 
 thought it of value, they were to pay him ac- 
 cordingly; if not, they were to forbear, i.e., to 
 give nothing. To show their contempt of him 
 and his office, they gave him thirty pieces of 
 silver, the price of a slave. This God com- 
 manded him to give to the potter, or to throw 
 into the potterj— to throw away. So in the 
 time of Jesus. To show their contempt of Him, 
 they valued Him at the price of a slave. This 
 was appropriated to the purchase of a field 
 owned by a potter, worn out and of little or no 
 value ' {i.e., because the clay all used). 
 
254 
 
 Lesson XCIV.— Before the Governor. 
 
 * 1 find no fault in thig man.' 
 
 ^cad— Passages referred to below ; Learn — Acts iii. 13, 14 ; 1 Pet. iL 21 — 23. 
 (Hymns 42, 43, G2, 90, 91, 09, 133, 313.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 Some apology is perhaps due to the teacher for the great length of the following Sketch 
 and Notes. But it must be borne in mind, (1) that the fulness with which all four Evan- 
 gelists record the trial is a proof of its importance ; (2) that each one mentions some inci- 
 dents not referred to by the others; (3) that unusual care is therefore necessary in weaving 
 the whole into a consistent narrative ; (4) that the naiTative, once really understood in the 
 connection of its several parts, is one of extreme interest. The teacher who has the 
 patience to master the histoiy for himself, will find it really an easy one to teach ; and if 
 he succeeds in giving his scholars something like an accurate idea of what passed, let him 
 not be distressed because there is little time for comment or application, for he is doing 
 exactly what the Evangelists themselves have done. Only let the suffering Saviour be the 
 central figure throughout ; and let whatever practical teaching is given be drawn (in a 
 course like the present) from His gentleness, as in the Sketch, and not from Pilate's vacil- 
 lation and injustice. 
 
 In reading the Sketch over, in preparation, reference should constantly be made to an 
 open Bible close at hand, or the point of many sentences will be missed. In turning from 
 one Gospel to the other. Note 1 will be a help. 
 
 No one Gospel can be named for the ' reading.' In elder classes, St. John's account 
 will be the best as a basis, because they can entei- into Christ's conversations with 
 Pilate. St, Luke is, perhaps, the best to follow if these conversations are not going to 
 be taken. 
 
 The writer is considerably indebted to the excellent chapters on the subject in Dr. 
 Hauna's Lust Daij of Our I^ord's Passion, as anj- readers of that book wiU observe. Heng- 
 stenberg's Commentary on St. John is also particularly clear in unfoldmg the significance 
 of the successive incidents ; ana Stier displays his usual keen spiritual insight into the 
 meaning of the ' words of the Lord Jesus.' 
 
 A hint may be given to any infant-class teachers who may have to take this Lesson. 
 Many would speak of the priests and Pilate merely as ' some wicked people ' and ' a bad 
 man.' No doubt it is difficult to give the slightest conception of their relative positions ; 
 but this difficulty is less than that of vagueness of identification. It is better that a child 
 should fail to see quite what Pilate was, than not to hear Pilate's name at aU. 
 
 Sketch of Lesson, 
 
 In the Creed, one man's name men- 
 tioned — ? ' SuiFered under Pontius Pilate.' 
 AVho was he? Luke iii. 1 [see Note 2] — 
 appointed by liomaii Emperor to govern 
 distant province of Juda;a. Difficult task, 
 people troublesome — why ? Jews could not 
 bear foreign rulers — always longing for 
 Messiah to come and deliver them (see 
 Acts i. 6). CfEsarea the Roman capital, 
 but Pilate obliged to be at Jerusalem with 
 extra soldiers at Passover-time, lest multi- 
 tudes excited to rebel. 
 
 That very Passover night, Pilate has lent 
 Home soldiers to the chief priests, for a 
 midnight expedition to arrest (they sav) a 
 dangerous man. Who was that? \See 
 Lesson XCJI.] Pilate not again disturbed 
 — night gone off quietly. But early in 
 morning, called to come out — an important 
 case wanting instant attention. See what 
 it was, and how he dealt with it. 
 
 I, The Guiltless falsely accused, 
 John xviii. 28 — 38 ; Luke xxiii. 1 — 3 ; Matt, 
 xxvii. 11 — 14 ; Mark xv. 2 — 5. 
 
 Pilate at once sees something the matter 
 — recognises great Jewish leaders — what 
 can have brought them to him in this 
 haste— on one of their sacred days too? 
 Must h.ave caught the man they spoke of — 
 and he «*»,<< be dangerous ! He looks at 
 the prisoner — yes, safely bound — but — that 
 Face the face of a fierce brigand or rebel 
 leader ! — can't be — (.fohn, 29) — ' What ac- 
 cusation against this man ? ' 
 
 Priests vexed — hojjed Pilate would take 
 their word, and sign death-warrant without 
 incjuirj' (perhaps he had done so before) ; 
 S(,'e their cool reply, ver. 30. But the proud 
 Roman not going just to do their bidding; 
 can be cool too, ver. 31 — 'Go and judge 
 him yourselves.' But the}' want His death 
 — can't do that themselves [see Note 5] — bo 
 
BEFOKE THE GOVERNOR. 
 
 255 
 
 must satisfy this tiresome governor by 
 telling of Jesus' crimes. And can't tell real 
 reason why they hate Him (what was it ? 
 John vii, 7), nor even the crime for which 
 they condemned Him [last Lesson] — Roman 
 governor won't punish for that. What do 
 they accuse Him of? (Luke, 2) — three 
 things, the second totally false [see Lesson 
 LXXVIL}, the two others false as they 
 meant them. 
 
 But Pilate still more suspicious now — 
 strange that these Jews, who detest the 
 Eomans, so anxious to kill a man for 
 ' forbidding to give tribute ' ! — what can it 
 mean ? Not even satisfied when Jesus con- 
 Jesses one 'crime' (Mark, 2) — must examine 
 Him privatelj'. See the conversation be- 
 tween these two alone (John, 33 — 37). 
 Jesus would not explain before His ac- 
 cusers (Mark, 3 — 5) — would be jio use, only 
 aggravate them — but in pity tells the per- 
 jDlexed governor what sort of King He is 
 [see Note 8]. 
 
 Quite enough for Pilate — cares not to 
 hear any more of such talk (John, 38) — one 
 thing certain, this man, whatever his queer 
 notions, no criminal. 
 
 II. The Guiltless acquitted. Luke 
 xxiii. 4 — 16 ; Matt, xxvii. 19. 
 
 Who are best j udges of a person's cha* 
 I'acter ? Surely those who know him best. 
 Sometimes may like him or dislike him too 
 much to be quite fair ; but if one who 
 would ffain by blamiiig him praises him, 
 what testimony more valuable ? Now who 
 were most intimate with Jesus ? Surely 
 Judas knew Him well enough, and willing 
 enough to accuse Him ; yet what did ke 
 pay ? Matt, xxvii. 4. And so it proved. 
 Not one thing brought against Him at the 
 Jewish ti'ial — Caiaphas obliged to condemn 
 Him for telling them who He was [last 
 Lessonl. And now, at the Roman trial, 
 what is Pilate's decision ? (Luke, 4). 
 
 How enraged the priests now ! (Luke, 5). 
 But more testimonies to Jesus' innocence to 
 come yet. 
 
 (a) A message to Pilate from his wife 
 (Matt.) — what does she call Jesus ? Perhaps 
 she knew Him before ; but that dream — 
 Who must have sent it ? 
 
 (6) Pilate has caught at word ' Galilee ' 
 — an easy way of getting rid of this 
 puzzling case — send it to ruler of Galilee 
 [see Notes 3, 6]. How vexed the priests 
 must be ! Wanted all done quickly and 
 quiet! J — now delay and march through 
 public streets. And after all, time wasted, 
 labour useless — what does Herod do? 
 (Luke, 8 — 11)— questions Jesus — mocks 
 the silent, patient SuflEerer — but all their 
 ' vehement accusations ' in vain — no fault 
 found in Him (see ver. 15) — back again 
 across the city to Pilate. What result 
 now ? ver. 13 — 16, the governor's positive, 
 formal acquittal. 
 
 Five testimonies to His innocence ! Judas, 
 Sanhedrim (failure to convict), Pilate, 
 Pilate's wife, Herod. 
 
 III. The Guilty preferred to the 
 Guiltless. Mark xv. 6—15; Matt, xxvii. 
 15—26. 
 
 Jesus acquitted — why not at once re- 
 leased ? Pilate anxious not to offend 
 priests — will try another plan — custom to 
 let go some Jewish prisoner at the Passover, 
 whoever chosen by people — Jesus shall be 
 the one this year. But why expect people 
 to choose Him ? Perhaps, while accusers 
 and accused away at Herod's, Pilate has 
 inquired who the strange prisoner is ; hafi 
 found out one thing certainly (Mark, 10). 
 Why ' envy ' ? — clearly Jesus must hejyopu- 
 lar, priests jealous of His influence — then 
 (Pilate thinks) no doubt crowd will choose 
 Him. To make sure, name vp.ih Him a 
 robber and murderer (John, 40 ; Mark, 7) 
 for whom of course they won't ask. 
 
 Time going on — the city all alive now — 
 news flying about, ' Jesus arrested I ' — 
 crowds roundPilate's palace (see Matt., 17 — 
 'gathered together'). Vexation of priests — 
 too late now for secret execution — what 
 they feared (Matt. xxvi. 5) will come — 
 ' uproar among the people.' Only one 
 chance — 'persuade the multitude' (Matt., 
 20; Mark, 11). ffoio they did it we know 
 not ; but when Pilate's question put, 
 ' Barabbas or Jesus ? ' what the cry ? How 
 true Peter's rebuke to the people two 
 months after (1st text for rep.) ! Why 
 Barabbas popular? An insurgent against 
 Romans — did the very thing Jesus falsely 
 charged with ! If Jesus had been what 
 they said, had never been brought to 
 Pilate. 
 
 Pilate not yet hopeless — sees they like 
 Barabbas, but perhaps they will have both 
 — won't mind being generous for once : see 
 Matt., 22. No — a very different demand — 
 ' Crucify Him ! ' Even the hard Roman, 
 cruel and iinjust as ho is, shocked now — 
 ' Crucified I why ? ' Ah, they cannot ans- 
 wer that ' lohy ' — yet outcry greater thau 
 ever, to send to a slave's death Him whom, 
 five days' ago [Lesson LXXIV.], some of 
 them welcomed with shouts as Messiah 1 
 
 The unhappy governor can resist no 
 longer ; but the guilt shall not lie upon 
 himself, and every one of them shall see his 
 determination — how does he show it ? 
 (Matt.. 24 ; comp. Dent. xxi. 6, 7) — but 
 could he thus escape girQt ? what ought he 
 to have done ? 
 
 ' See ye to it ' — just what the priests said 
 an hour or two ago to Judas — now said to 
 them. But do they care ? See the answer 
 (ver. 25). And the guilt of that murder 
 is on their nation to this day. 
 
 So Barabbas set free, and Jesus handed 
 to the soldiers. 
 
 IV. The Guiltless UNJUSTLY punished. 
 Matt, xxvii. 27—30; Mark xv. 16—19; 
 John six. 1 — 16. 
 
 A cruel custom among the Romans — 
 criminal scourged before crucifixion. A 
 punishment too terrible to talk about ; but 
 this, too, the Son of God suffered 1 And 
 
 S 2 
 
256 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUB LORD. 
 
 something besides bodily torture — see how 
 the rough soldiers mock this Galilean who 
 calls himself a king ! (Matt, and Mark). 
 All just as He had said, Matt. xx. 19. The 
 third dreadful time of cruel treatment Jesus 
 has endured this morning ! (see Luke xxii. 
 63, xxiii. 11). [See Note 7.] 
 
 Pilate looking on — has seen many scourg- 
 ings, but was there ever so meek a sufferer 
 ;is this ? — must really tiy even now to save 
 Him — leads Him out on to the great stej^s 
 where all can see Him — ' Behold the Man ! 
 will not this sight touch you? has Ho 
 not suffered enough already?' There He 
 stands, in agonies of pain, pale and bleeding 
 — what is the cry of the people He has 
 loved so well and done so much for ? John, 
 <} — shouts again of ' Crucify Him ! ' Pilate 
 shrinks back — ' Take j/e Him then.' 
 
 They never expected this — after sentence 
 given, after scourging, the judge to relent 
 now ! and at length out comes the 7-eal 
 •crime' of Jesus, ver. 7. Will that satisfy 
 Pilate's scruples ? ver. 8, 9 — the proud Ro- 
 man trembling now before the poor Jew 
 — ' Can He be some heavenly being ? ' — 
 ' Whence art Thou ? ' Another short private 
 conversation [see Note 9], and Pilate still 
 more resolved to save Him, ver. 12. 
 
 One step more. Pilate was afraid at 
 ' that saying ' about the Son of God ; but 
 
 now another cause for fear, ver. 12 — 'Thou 
 art not Csesar's friend ' — more afraid at ' that 
 saying.' Thinks of these priests accusing 
 him to the Emperor of letting off a rebel 
 king ! — all his tenderness gone at that 
 prospect — two more feeble attempts, and 
 then Jesus once more handed to the 
 soldiers. 
 
 This was our Saviour ! 
 
 He was the Guiltless One — proved so 
 despite all the hatred of bitterest foes. See 
 2nd text for rep. ; John viii. 4tj ; 1 John iii. 5. 
 This a thing to rej oice at — why ? How 
 could one, with sins of his own to be 
 punished, take the punishment of ours ? 
 To suffer for guilty, Jesus must Himself be 
 innocent. He is 'Jesus Christ the righteous,' 
 and therefore our 'Advocate with the 
 Father' (IJohnii. 1). [Jllust. — Whoviwould 
 a criminal (jet to intercede Jor him ? a fellow- 
 criminal, or one in favour with the king ?J 
 
 And the Guiltless One ivas jnmished. Un- 
 justly — 3'es, but of His own accord — why ? 
 That the guilty might go free, 2 Cor. v. 21 ; 
 Gal. iii. 13; 1 Pet. iii. 18. 'With His 
 stripes we are healed,' Isa. liii.5; 1 Pet.ii.24. 
 What wonder and joy Barabbas must have 
 felt — released while another suffered in- 
 stead ! But he knew not vjho took his place 
 — we do know — what, then, should we feel ? 
 2 Cor. V. 14 ; Kev, v. 9. 
 
 Notes. 
 
 1. The various incidents of the trial before 
 I'ilate, mentioned by the four Evangelists, may 
 be thus arranged :— 
 
 First application to Pilate. John (29—32). 
 
 Formal accusation. Luke (2). Matthew (11). 
 Mark (2). 
 
 Fir^t colloquy between Christ and Pilate. 
 John (33-38). 
 
 Acquittal. Further charges. Christ's silence. 
 Miitthew (12— 14). Mark (3— 5). Luke (4—5). i 
 
 Case sent to Ilerod. Luke (C— 12). 
 
 Before Pilate again. Formal acquittal. Luke 
 (13—16). 
 
 ' Jesns or Barabbas?' Message from Pilate's 
 wife. Barabbas chosen. Matthew (15—21). Mark 
 (6-11). l.uke (17-19). John (,".9, 40). 
 
 'Crucify Ilim!' Matthew (22,23). Mark (12— 
 14). Luke (20-23). 
 
 Pilate washes his hands. Matthew (24, 23). 
 
 The sentence. Barabbas released. Jesns 
 scourged and mocked. Matthew (20). Mark (15). 
 Luke (24,2.-)). John (1-3). 
 
 Pilate's vain appeal to the Jews' pity. Second 
 colloquy of Christ and Pilate. Further efforts of 
 Pilate. Final result. John (4— 1«). 
 
 The above order is followed in the Sketch, 
 except that the message from Pilate's wife is 
 referred to out of its place in order to bring 
 together the testimonies to Christ's innocence. 
 
 2. Pontius Pilate was the sixth of the Roman 
 procurators of Judaja; sec Lesson XL, Note 1. 
 lie held the onUo ten years, and is described by 
 Joscphus and Philo (both Jews, however) as an 
 arbitrary and tyrannical ruler. The Jews' threat 
 to accuse him to the Emperor was no unmeaning 
 one, for he was ultimately recalled to Rome, and 
 banished to Yicnne In Oaul, where he died by 
 
 his own hand. His wife's name is traditionally 
 stated to have been Claudia Procula. See 
 further, Plumptre's article in Smith's Dictionary 
 of the Bible. 
 
 3. In an Interesting article in the British and 
 Foreign Evangelical Review for October, 1869, 
 Pilate and his times are 'viewed in the light of 
 Indian experience.' The writer draws a striking 
 parallel between Rome and the Jews on the one 
 hand, and Britain and the Hindoos on the other,- 
 the political condition of Judrea in our Lord's 
 time being in miiny respects similar to some 
 of the semi-independent native states in India. 
 He illustrates the dangers of the Passover con- 
 course by those of the great Hindoo religious 
 festivals, a handful of British troops keeping 
 order at tlie latter like the Roman 'cohort' at 
 the former; and gives instances of the way 
 in which a simple riot, if unchecked, quickly 
 assumes alarming proportions, thus accounting 
 for the desire of all parties to prevent a tumult 
 'on the feast day.' Sometimes, he says, refer- 
 ring to Luke xiii. 1, prompt severity may be the 
 truest wisdom in such a case ; and such severity 
 might well be called ' firmness' by one side, and 
 'tyranny* by the other. Ho 'conjectures with 
 some confidence,' from Indian observation, that 
 the quarrel between Pilate and Ilerod was 
 'about jurisdiction' ; possibly Pilate's summary 
 measures upon certain subjects of Ilerod, on 
 that very occasion, may liave oftcnded the latter, 
 and the opportunity now given of appeasing the 
 tctrarch by sending to him another (Jalilean ease 
 was eagerly .seized. 
 
 4. It is uncertain where the trial of Jesus 
 took place. Some think that Pilate occupied the 
 oastlc (Acts xxl. 34) of Antonin, ou the north 
 
liEFOKE THE UOVEKNOR. 
 
 257 
 
 side of the Temple, and that Herod was at the 
 splendid palaceof his father, Herod tlieGreat.on 
 Mount Zion. Others think that Pilate resided at 
 the palace (as we know from Josephus some of 
 the Komim Governors did), and Herod elsewhere. 
 The 'judgment hall' (John xviii. 2S, 33), or 
 'common hall' (ilatt. xxvii. 27), is literally the 
 J'rcetorium (as om- version has it in ]Mark),?.e., 
 t/ie miUtary fiead-quarters, which does not guide 
 us as to the place, because it would be irherever 
 Pilate was. And the 'pavement' (Johuxix. 13) 
 was probably a moveable piece of tesselated 
 pavement carried about and put down wherever 
 ,1 judgment was to be delivered, which was 
 always in the open air. 
 
 The chief priests, for fear of being defiled by 
 contact with a Gentile house (from which, of 
 course, the leaven would not have been removed 
 for the Passover), remained outside, probably in 
 an open space in front of the building. Pilate 
 came out to them, but took Jesus inside to 
 examine Him. The scourging also took place 
 within, and after it Jesus 'came forth,' and was 
 presented to the people in the purple robe and 
 crown of thorns. 
 
 On the reason assigned for the priests' fear of 
 defilement, ' that they might eat the Passover,' 
 see Additional Note XII., page 235. 
 
 5. The power of capital punishment had before 
 this been taken away from the Sanhedrim. 
 Hence their application to Pilate ; which, as St. 
 John notices (xviii. 32), brought about the 
 fulfilment of Christ's own prediction that He 
 should be 'lifted up' (John iii. 14, viii. 28, 
 xii. 32, 33), i.e., crucified— crucifixion being a 
 Roman and not a Jewish punishment. At a 
 later period, the Sanhedrim, during the interval 
 between the departure of the Roman Governor 
 Festus (the Festus of Acts xxv.) and the arrival 
 of his successor Albinus, put to death St. James 
 the Less (the writer of the Epistle) ; for which 
 act the then high priest (a son of Annas) was 
 deposed. The stoning of Stephen was not a 
 legal execution, but a murder. 
 
 6. The Herod before whom Jesus was taken, 
 was Herod Antipas, tetrarch of Galilee and 
 Pera3a; see concerning him Lessons XXI.,XLIV., 
 LXX. It is evident that his conscience, which 
 had troubled him under the preaching and after 
 the murder of John the Baptist, was utterly 
 hardened ere this through his persistence in sin. 
 His desire to see Jesus was obviously the merest 
 curiosity. 
 
 7. Scourging, among the Romans, was the 
 regular accompaniment of crucifixion. (E.g., see 
 Josephus, Anliq. v. 11,1; Belt.Ju(l.u.li,9.) A 
 fearful account of the operation is given by 
 Lange (Comm. on Matt.). The whips used by 
 the Romans had several lashes of cord or lea- 
 ther, loaded with pieces of metal, which fear- 
 fully mangled the flesh. The victim often 
 fainted, sometimes died, under the infliction. 
 
 The robe put upon Jesus in mockery is de- 
 scribed by JIatthew as scarlet, by Mark and 
 John as jmrple. Perhaps it was a scarlet mili- 
 tary cloak, but, being used in imitation of the 
 Imperial robe, which from its colour was called 
 simply 'the purple,' might be called a 'purple 
 robe'; just as with us a white pink means a 
 white flower of the ' pink ' species. 
 
 8. Christ's first coUoqvy with Pilate (John 
 xviii. 33— 3«) may be thus briefly explained :— 
 
 The design of Jesus' question, ' Sayest thou 
 this of thyself, or did others tell it thee of Me?' 
 seems to have been to warn Pilate against His 
 accusers. ' Is it likely that any seditious move- 
 ments would be unknown to you? and If you 
 have no knowledge of ily being engaged in any, 
 do you think these charges of the priests worthj' 
 of credence ?' Pilate replies, in effect, ' Am I a 
 Jew? what do I know or care about their wild 
 notions of a coming king? It is your own 
 people who have brought you to me.' Christ's 
 answer, ' My Kingdom is not of this world,' he, 
 would convey to Pilate two ideas : 1st, that the 
 claims of Jesus, whatever they might mean, 
 were not siich as he need be alarmed about, i.e., 
 not antagonistic to the Roman rule ; 2ud, that 
 Jesus in some sense claimed to have a power and 
 dominion ptreater even than that of Rome. ' My 
 servants ' can hardly ine.in the disciples ; rather 
 the ' ministers of His that do His pleasure,' the 
 ' legions of angels ' to whom He referred at the 
 time of His arrest (Matt. xxvi. 53). His further 
 reply to Pilate's amazed question, ' A king, then, 
 art thou?' affirms that what He had said was 
 indeed true, because He had come into the 
 world expressly to testify to the truth,— the 
 phrase 'came into the world' itself implying 
 His heavenly origin. This allusion to ' the 
 truth' appealed to the aspirations of the Gen- 
 tile world (see 1 Cor. i. 22—' the Greeks seek 
 after wisdom"), and would be still more likelj- 
 to impress Pilate with the greatness of his Pri- 
 soner's claims. 
 
 Lord Bacon's famous remark—' TNTiat is truth ? 
 said jesting Pilate, and he woiild not wait for an 
 answer'— scarcely accords with the avoe which 
 the demeanour and language of Christ had ex- 
 cited in Pilate (see John xix. 8). There does not 
 seem to have been .any 'jesting' or mockery on 
 Pilate's part from first to last, though no doubt 
 the words 'What is truth?' expressed his dis- 
 belief in the possibility of solving such specula- 
 tive questions. 
 
 9. On the second colloquy between Christ and 
 Pilate (John xix. 8—11), it may be observed that 
 the expression cited by the priests, ' Son of God,' 
 probably carried Pilate back to the old heathen 
 mythology, so far at least as to awaken in his 
 mind the idea, ' Can this strange person really 
 be one of the gods, come down in the likeness of 
 a man?' (comp. Acts xiv. 11); hence his per- 
 plexed and half-superstitious question, ' Whence 
 art thou ?' But Christ's silence brought back in 
 him his Roman pride : ' To me speakest thou 
 not?' His assertion of his power to release oi" 
 to crucify reveals the real injustice of the man : 
 if he had power to release one of whose inno- 
 cence he was assured, why did he not do so ? 
 Our Lord's answer is singularly impressive: 
 ' Do I know thy power ? Yes, I know that 
 against Me thou hast none at all. All thy 
 power is from above (comp. Rom. xiii. 1). But 
 thou dost not knoio what thou art doing, and 
 therefore, although thou art guilty, thy gnilt is 
 less than that of Caiaphas' (comp. Luke xii. 47, 
 48, xxiii. 34). 
 
 The profound impression made by these words 
 on Pilate is seen from St. John's expression, 
 ' From thenceforth he sought to release Him,' 
 as though his repeated previous efforts were as 
 nothing in comparison with his earnestness 
 now,— an earnestness, however, which instantly 
 collapsed before the threat to complain to the 
 Emperor. 
 
258 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LOKD. 
 
 10. On the floal reply of the Jews, ' We have no 
 king but Caosar,' Hengstenberg well says, ' Their 
 words had a deeper signiticance than they them- 
 selves meant. When tliay despised Christ tlieir 
 true King, and delivered Him up to death, tliey 
 ceased in fact to be Cod's people and kingdom, 
 and sank entirely under the power of the world, 
 
 which God used for the execution of His wratU 
 upon them.' 
 
 11. lu Luke xxiii. 15, 'done unto Him' is a 
 mistranslation. It should be ' done by Him.' 
 
 12. On the term ' Preparation,' in John xi.t. U, 
 see Additional Xote XII., page 235 ; and on ' the 
 sixth hour,' see next Lesson, Note 4. 
 
 Lesson XCV.— Tlie Crucifixion— I. 
 
 '■Endured the Cross, despising the shame.' 
 
 Read— Luke xxiii. 26—43; {comp. Matt, xxvii. .32 — 14 ; Mark xv. 21—32 ; John xix. 17—27) ; 
 
 Learn— Isa.. liii. 12 ; John x. 17, 18, {Iljmns, 43, 54, 55, 57—63, 101, 250, 312.) 
 
 To THE Teacher, 
 
 The subject of the Crucifi.>don presents a practical difficult}' in teaching, in this respect 
 — that the minor incidents of the Gospel nan-atives, none of which ought to be omitted, 
 are so numerous, that there is a danger of their distracting the attention which we wish 
 concentrated on the great fact of Chri.sf s atoning death for us. In order to meet this diffi- 
 culty, the subject has been divided between two Lessons. In the present one, most of the 
 external circumstances of the scene are taken, together with those three of the ' seven 
 words' which referred to others; leaving the mysterious darkness, the four ' words' refer- 
 ring to Christ Himself, and His actual death, for separate study. It may be added, that 
 the more vividly the accessories are presented to the scholars' minds in this Lesson, the 
 greater will be the solemnity of the deeper topics to be taken in the next one. 
 
 The narrative of the penitent malefactor well deserves a lesson to itself. For the sake 
 of completeness, a paragraph, indicating some points in it worthy of notice, is introduced 
 in the Sketch, but enclosed in brackets because scarcely belonging to the general subject 
 of the Lesson. 
 
 SKiiTCH OF Lesson, 
 
 In a former Lesson [LXXIV.^ we watched 
 a great procession going in at the gate of 
 Jerusalem [rtcapitulatt^ — shouting and 
 singing in honour of 'the King of the 
 Jews.' All that we have talked of since 
 occurred in five days. The procession on 
 Sunday ; now Friday morning. Another 
 procession coming oiU of the city — that 
 very ' King of tlie Jews' going to execution 
 amid taunts and insults I 
 
 That execution, in remote province of 
 Roman Empire, so little thought of then, 
 the greatest <>/ all events — for what did it 
 mean ? That ' God so loved the world, that 
 He gave His only-begotten Son' — what 
 for? 
 
 To-daj"' and next Sunday think of that 
 solemn tirst Gooil Friday. 
 
 I. The Way to Calvary. 
 
 Look at that procession, (a) Roman 
 Boldiers, with their centurion, (i) Three 
 condemned men carrying wooden crosses — 
 the soldiers sue little difference between 
 them— of course must he low slaves or vile 
 criminals, to be sent to such a death f«ee 
 Note 2] ; but think of the two — what were 
 they ? and the One — what was He ? {c) A 
 great crowd following, priests exulting at 
 being rid of their enemy, women weeping 
 because the kind Teacher and Healer to 
 die. 
 
 The two malefactors can carry their 
 crosses well enough ; but Jesus — what has 
 He undergone alread}"^? — hour of agony in 
 Gethsemane, pain at disciples' desertion, 
 weary marchings to and fro, scourging, 
 buft'fting, thorny crown — what strength 
 can that Body have left ? Obliged to get 
 anotiier to help Him — who ? not one of 
 thein will carry the hateful piece of wood 
 — seize a stranger [see Note 6J. 
 
 What is Jesus thinking of ? of His own 
 sufferings? See what He says to the weep- 
 ing women (Luke, 28—31). Looking for- 
 ward again, as before (xix. 41 — 14; xxi. 
 (!, 20 — 24), to the judgments coming on the 
 nation that has rejected Him, perhaps on 
 those very women and their children. [See 
 Note G.] If their tears (yes, and our tears 
 too) to be of any use, must be, not merely 
 at sight of His suff'erings [such tears natu- 
 ral enough), but at thought of the sin (our 
 sins) for which He suffered — then shall 
 come to Him in true repentance and be 
 saved. 
 
 II. The Scene on Calvary. 
 
 Look at three groups : — 
 
 (1) The soldiers. Watch them — stripping 
 their victims, laying them on the crosses, 
 driving in tlie cruel nails, lifting up the 
 crosses, standing them into holes made for 
 them. Over each head a tablet with the 
 
THK CRUCIFIXrOX — I. 
 
 259 
 
 crime inscribed on it — what written on 
 the middle one? [see Note 3J. There the 
 sufferers to be left, to linger in agony and 
 die of exhaustion and pain. Is this cruel 
 and horrible ? But the soldiers had often 
 done it before — thought nothing of it — just 
 obeyed orders. See them now dividing the 
 clothes of the three — their perquisites — 
 totally ignorant of the awful thing they 
 have done. 
 
 (2) The chief priests and people. The 
 priests — what a triumph for them ! — three 
 days ago this Nazarene was denouncing their 
 sin in the Temple — now, there He hangs! 
 The people — some of them had taken His 
 side— now wonder how could ever be so 
 foolish as to think Ilitii, Messiah — fancy 
 Messiah cnrcified like a slave ! See the 
 taunts and insults (Matt., oil — 43) : — ' Here 
 is the miracle-worker — why can't he do one 
 for himself '? ' ' Called himself Son of God — 
 the title over his head calls him King of 
 the Jews — if so, let Mm come down — 
 then'—? [See Nofe 8J. 
 
 (3) A third group (John, 25) — how dif- 
 ferent ! Think of their grief that their 
 loved One should end His life like that — 
 their horror at His tortures — stiU more, 
 their bitter disappointment, all hopes 
 crushed. Think of Uts mother — what had 
 old Simeon prophesied of her ? Luke ii. 35 
 — is it not fulfilled now ? 
 
 III. Three Gracious Sayikgs on Cal- 
 vary. [-See Note 9.] 
 
 1. Concernintj His murderers (Luke, 34). 
 At the very moment of torture — the nails 
 tearing His sacred flesh — what does He 
 utter? No cry of pain, no begging for life, 
 no threat of punishment, no calling for 
 help ; not even a stern, proud, ' I forgive 
 you.' But what ? Just as when He turned 
 to the weeping women, is thinking, not of 
 His own agony, but of their sin — whose? 
 — the soldiers' ? Certainly thei/ ' knew not 
 what they did.' He prays for them — yes, 
 but for others too ; for Pilate ; for the Jews 
 — true, they were sinning wilfully, yet knew 
 not hoiv much, see Acts iii. 17, xiii. 27 ; 
 1 Cor. ii. 8 (comp. 1 Tim. i. 13). For us 
 too — how so ? — is not oicr sin part of what 
 He died for ? so we have a share in cruci- 
 fying Him I How often do we sin without 
 thinking— scarcely ' knowing what we do ' ? 
 Pray God to ' forgive our sins, negligences, 
 and ignorances ' (Litany). 
 
 2. To the Penitent Malefactor (Luke, 39 
 —43). [See Note 11.] Of aU the insults 
 •offered to Jesus, is not this from His fellow- 
 sufferer the most amazing ? No wonder the 
 other rebuked him. But did not Christ 
 rebuke him too? Not a word does He 
 utter till a humble, triLsting prayer comes 
 to him : then, what a wondrous ]n-omise ! — 
 ' exceeding abundantly above all ' the thief 
 ■■ asked or thought ' (Eph. iii. 20) : asked to 
 be (a) remembered, (6) when Jesus came, 
 (c) in His Kingdom {i.e., on earth) ; promised 
 to be fa) taken with Christ, (h) that very 
 day, (c) into Paradise I 
 
 [Who could have thought that this 
 man, executed for his crimes, would ' go 
 to heaven ' ? Why was it ? Because, with 
 all his heart, he repented of sin and be- 
 lieved in Jesus. How do we know ? 1st, 
 See in what he said (a) conviction of his 
 sin and what it deserved, {b) fear of God in 
 consequence, (c) assurance that Jesus had 
 'done nothing amiss,' and therefore that 
 He was what He claimed to be (Son of God, 
 Saviour, &.C.), {d) certainty that even this 
 crucified One would come agam as a king. 
 2ndly, Think when and where he said this 
 ^-when all Christ's own followers scattered 
 in despair — before all those mocking priests 
 and soldiers — he, alone in the whole world, 
 takinrj Christ's side! Do you think, be- 
 cause he went to heaven, a death-bed 
 repentance will save you ? It will, if U be 
 like that. But even then, ichen must you 
 repent to be quite safe ? on your death-bed ? 
 when will that be ? j 
 
 3. To His Mother and John (John, 2.") — 
 27). A gift to each: to Mary, a son, to 
 protect and care for her; to the beloved 
 disciple, a work to do for his Master. Thus 
 Jesus in His dying angirish has a thought 
 for all. 
 
 Now have we not seen two things ? — 
 
 1. On Calvary we see Christ's deep hu- 
 miliation. Here is the Son of God, who 
 lived in glory before the world was made, 
 who Himself made all things (John i. 1 — 3), 
 marched out of His own favoured city by 
 His own creatures to be put to death along 
 with two criminals, in a way as ignominious 
 as hanging with us — stripped, nailed up, 
 gazed at, insulted, &c., &c. [recapitulate\. 
 How awfully true is Phil. ii. 8 — ' He 
 humbled Himself . . . unto death, even the 
 death of the cross ' ! 
 
 2. On Calvary %ve see Christ's real great- 
 ness. In three ways : — 
 
 («) The things done to Him proved Him 
 to be the promised Messiah. See Ps. 
 xxii. : — ver. 6 — 8, the insults ; ver. 13, 17, 
 the staring ; ver. It!, the nails ; ver. 18, the 
 division of His clothes. See Isa. liii. : — 
 ver. 3, the scorn and rejection ; ver. 7, His 
 meek silence ; ver. 12, the malefactors with 
 Him, and His intercession. 
 
 (6) He submitted to it aU voluntarily, see 
 2nd text for rep. ; what for ? John x. 11, 
 15. They told Him to come down from the 
 cross if — ? Suppose He had, what must 
 have become of us ? W^hat prevented 
 Him ? Eph. iii. 19. 
 
 (f) See His love and power, manifested 
 even then. [Recapitulate: — ] praying for 
 His executioners — tenderly giving His 
 mother a home — promising a place in 
 Paradise to the poor dj'ing robber. Above 
 all, what mighty power must this 'outcast 
 and criminal ' have had to draw that robber 
 to Himself at such a time ! 
 
 If such greatness on the cross, what 
 greatness on His throne ! He sits there 
 now, a living, loving, almighty Saviour — 
 what more can we want ? 
 
260 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 Notes. 
 
 1. The position of Calvary is quite uncertain. 
 All we know is that it was outside the walls— 
 necessarily so, because executions were always 
 'without the gate,' see Num. xv. 35; 1 Kings 
 xxi. 13 ; Acts vii. 58 ; Hcb. xiii. 12. The tra- 
 ditional site, on which stands the church of the 
 Holy Sepulchre, is inside the modern city ; hut 
 the course of the ancient wall is doubtful, so 
 that the site mati be the true one. The principal 
 authorities are the liev. G. Williams (Holy City) 
 in favour of the traditional view, and Dr. Kobin- 
 son (Biblical Researches) against it. The ' Holy 
 Sepulchre' is in the X.W. part of modern Jeru- 
 salem. Some are inclined to place Calvary 
 on the N.E. side, just above the valley of the 
 Kedron ; others to the south, on the ' Hill of 
 Evil Counsel.' No satisfactorj' decision can be 
 come to on the point. Possibly the researches 
 of the Palestine Exploration Fund may here- 
 after settle the question. 
 
 Golgotha was the Hebrew name, which signi- 
 fied the place of a skull. The word in Luke 
 rendered 'Calvary' is simply the word for 'skull' 
 as in the other Gospels. Our translation of it 
 there is derived from the Latin Vulgate, ' calva' 
 meaning a skull in Latin. The name had refer- 
 ence either to the fact of the spot being a place 
 of burial, or, as some think, to the contour of the 
 ground being slightly rounded like a skull. The 
 medi£eval esp;ession ' Mount Calvary ' is entirelj' 
 unwarranted. 
 
 2. The punishment of crucifixion was con- 
 sidered so infamous and disgr.aceful that it 
 was never inflicted on Poman citizens (nor was 
 the preparatory scourging, see Acts xvi. 87, xxii. 
 25—29), but only ou slaves, rebels, &c. Crosses 
 varied in shape ; that on which our Lord hung 
 was no doubt the ' Latin cross ' usually repre- 
 sented ; but it was not so tall as commonly ima- 
 gined—only high enough to raise the body two 
 or three feet from the ground. The victim was 
 usually nailed to the cross while it lay fiat ou the 
 ground. Other particulars, with references to 
 classical authorities, are given in Smith's Diet. 
 Bible, and the iV. T. IJist., p. 28U. In the under- 
 ground cliurch of St. Clement at Rome, there is 
 a wall-painting of tlie Crucifixion, which is 
 probably the oldest representation of it extant. 
 The cross is of the usual ' Latin ' shape, but quite 
 short. 
 
 3. The 'title 'was usually a wooden tablet on 
 which was written the crime of the convict. It 
 was hung round his neck, and thus carried by 
 him to the place of execution. 
 
 Pilate, in writing Christ's accusation, took the 
 Jews at their word. They had repudiated any 
 other king but Caisar ; therefore any one claim- 
 ing to be 'king of the Jews' thereby deserved 
 death as a rebel. But the priests had no idea 
 of entirely abjuring their right to u king of 
 their own : they only refused to have Jesus ; 
 heuce their objection to Pilate's accusation. His 
 reply, 'What I have written, I have written,' 
 may indicate his grim pleasure at having an- 
 noyed them ; or that his conscience was ill at 
 case for what they had induced him to do, and 
 that he would have nothing more to do with 
 them. 
 
 If there Is one thing which we should expect 
 to And identical in all four Gospels, it is this 
 Important public d(K'ument on the Saviour's 
 
 cross. Yet all four give it differently— a clear 
 proof of the indeiiendence of the writers, how- 
 ever we explain the circumstance. It is, how- 
 ever, to be observed that there is no necessarj' 
 contradiction between the Evangelists. If we 
 suppose the full 'title' to have been yi'his is 
 Jesus of A'azaretk, the King of the Jews,' each 
 Evangelist gives a portion of the sentence. Or 
 it may be that the inscriptions in the three lan- 
 guages were not absolutely identical ; and some 
 think that Mark gives the equivalent of the 
 Latin, John the equivalent of the Hebrew, and 
 either Matthew or Luke (who are alike but 
 for one word) the Greek. These, however, are 
 only possible explanations of the matter. 
 
 4. St. Mark says that Christ was crucified at 
 ' the third hour,' i.e., 9 a.m. ; St. John that Pilate 
 gave sentence ' about the sixth hour.' Some 
 have imagined that John reckons, not from sun- 
 rise as usual, but from midnight, and that he 
 means, not noon, but e a.m. ; but it is extremely 
 doubtful whether such a reckoning was known 
 in those days. Others think that an error must 
 have crept into the early copies of St. John's 
 Gospel ; but there is no evidence of this. Others 
 again (particularly Ilengstenberg) lay stress on 
 the fact that the Jewish day was roughly divided 
 into four parts, corresponding to the four 
 'watches' of the night (Mark xiii. 35), see Matt. 
 XX. 3, 5; and think that the period between 
 9 a.m. and noon might be spoken of either as ' the 
 third ' or as ' about the sixth hour,' much in the 
 same way that from (say) 5 to 6 p.m. might with 
 us be indifferently called ' afternoon ' or ' evening.' 
 A careful calculation of the time which would 
 be occupied by the different incidents of our 
 Lord's trial, &c., confirms the idea that the sen- 
 tence could scarcely have been before 10 a.m., 
 while the crucifixion could scarcely be later than 
 11 a.m. 
 
 5. Simon of Cyrene (a Greek colony on the 
 coast of Libya in North Africa) had doubtless 
 come to Jerusalem for the Passover (comp. Acts 
 ii. 10). AVhether he was a believer in Jesus we 
 cannot of course say, but he was the father of 
 two men evidently well known in the Church in 
 after years (Mark xv. 21). If the Rufus who 
 was one of his sons is the same as is named in 
 Rom. xvi. 13, then it would seem that Simon's 
 wife at some time or other acted a mother's part 
 towardsSt. Paul. See further a very interesting 
 article by Plumptre in the Sunday Magazine for 
 Dec. 1867, also reproduced in his Biblical Studies. 
 
 6. The 'daughters of Jerusalem' who 'be- 
 wailed and lamented' Jesus were probably not 
 disci|)les, but were merely touched by the suffer- 
 ings of One whom they knew as a kind Teacher 
 and Healer. Christ evidently speaks to them as 
 representing Jerusalem. The expression about 
 calling on the rocks and mountains (comp. Isn. 
 ii. 19; Hos. x. 8; Rev. vi. IC) is hyperbolical; 
 yet It may have had a startling fulfilment for 
 some of those very women and their children, 
 when the Jews literally took refuge In the 
 subterranean passages under the city. The 
 'green tree' is Christ Himself; the 'dry tree' the 
 Jewish nation : ' If a fruitful tree like Me is thus 
 delivered to destruction, what shall be the fate 
 of those who are barren and useless?' Corap. 
 1 Pet. iv. 17,18. 
 
THE CRUCIFIXION II. 
 
 261 
 
 7. Much has heen written on the wine or vine- 
 gar offered to Christ. On a careful comparison 
 of the various opinions, it seems probable that 
 there was only one liquid, the common wine of 
 the soldiers {called posca), which was weak and 
 sour, like vinegar ; that a mixture of this and 
 myrrh, making a stupefying draught, was (ac- 
 cording to custom) offered to Jesus to dull the 
 pain, and that therefore He would not drink ; 
 that ' gall ' is a word for any kind of bitter drug, 
 myrrh Included, and that Matthew uses it in 
 reference to the prophecy in Ps. Ixix. 21; and 
 that when unmixed vinegar was given to Christ 
 afterwards, in consequence of His cry, ' I thirst,' 
 He did take it in fulfilment of the prophecy (see 
 John xix. 28). 
 
 8. It is remarkable that the chief priests, in 
 their taunts, used the very words of Ps. xxii. 8, 
 ' He trusted in the Lord,' &o. ; thus themselves 
 unconsciously helping to fulfil prophecy. Their 
 words, ' If Thou be the Son of God,' <Sic., are the 
 very echo of Satan's insinuating temptation in 
 the wilderness. 
 
 9. Our Lord uttered ' seven words ' on the 
 Cross. The first three had reference to others : 
 a prayer for His enemies, a promise to a repent- 
 ing sinner, a last word to two whom He loved. 
 The next two describe His own sufferings, first 
 mental (' My God,' &c.), then bodily (' I thirst'). 
 In the last two He triumphantly closes His 
 mission, and renders His Spirit to the Father. 
 Three are recorded only by Luke ; three only by 
 John, the other only by Matthew and Mark. 
 Bengel happily says, 'There are seven words in 
 the four Evangelists, all of whicii not one has 
 recorded. Whence it is plain that these books 
 are, as it were, four voices, which produce sym- 
 phony when heard together.' 
 
 10. On the word ' woman,' applied by our Lord 
 to His mother, see Lesson XVI., Note 3. The 
 fact that she was committed to John's care seems 
 
 a strong evidence for the view that Christ's 
 ' brethren ' were not her sons. 
 
 11. The two malefactors, or robbers (not 
 strictly 'thieves,' see Lesson LXVIII., Notes), 
 were very likely men belonging to the band of 
 which Barabbas was captain (see Mark xv. 7). 
 Perhaps Pilate grimly revenged himself on the 
 Jews, for persuading him to condemn Jesus, bj' 
 crucifying with Him two followers of the popular 
 favourite. 
 
 The difference between Luke, who says that 
 'one' of the malefactors railed on Jesus, and 
 Matthew and Mark, who say that 'they' did §o, 
 is variously explained. Some think that both 
 the men joined in the railing at first, and that 
 then one repented ; others that Matthew and 
 Mark use the plural in the general way in which 
 we all frequently speak, and that only one re- 
 viled Jesus. The latter seems the most natural 
 supposition. 
 
 ' When Thou earnest into Tlty kingdom,' should be 
 ' in Thy kingdom ' (it is the same phrase as in 
 Matt. xvi. 28), i.e., ' when Thou shalt return to 
 reign in glory,' not in heaven, but on earth. The 
 malefactor was the one man in all the world at 
 that moment who believed that Jesus was a king 
 and would hereafter set up His kingdom. 
 
 ' To-day shalt thou be zvith Me.' These words 
 are a clear proof (I) of the separate existence of 
 the spirit when the body is dead, (2) that the 
 dead believer is immediately with Christ, (3) 
 that there is no such place of temporary suffer- 
 ing as purgatory, even for such men as this 
 malefactor must have been. ' Paradise was a 
 Jewish term, signifying, like 'Abraham's bosom,' 
 the happy portion of ' Hades' (see Lesson LXIV., 
 Note 3e). It only occurs again in Scripture in 
 2 Cor. xii. 4 ; Kev. ii. 7. 
 
 There is solemn truth in the old saying, ' One 
 thief was saved that none might despair ; but 
 only one, that none might presume.' 
 
 Lesson XCYI.— The Crucifixion— II. 
 
 ' The Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all,' 
 Head — Matt, xxvii. 45 — 51 ; {comp. Mark xv. 33—38 ; Luke xxiii. 44 — 46 
 28—30) ; Learn— I Pet. iii. 18 ; 2 Cor. v. 21. 
 {Hymns, 42, 57—63, 79, 104, 144, 146, 147, 314.) 
 
 John xix. 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 In the following Sketch, the remaining incidents of the Crucifixion are first taken in 
 order as from the point of view of a spectator, i.e., only as to their external features ; and 
 the various explanations necessary are taken together afterwards. By this plan, the fol- 
 lowing advantages appear to be gained : — (1) The successive incidents are seen in their 
 connection and continuity, and the teacher is enabled to present a vivid and unbroken 
 picture of what occurred ; (2) The interest of the class having been aroused and sus- 
 tained by this unbroken picture, it will be easier to keep it for the explanations ; (3) In 
 giving the explanations, the various features of the scene can be drawn from the children 
 by way of recapitulation ; (4) The teachings on the meaning of our Lord's death, and its 
 relation to ourselves, will gain in solemnity by being given together instead of in 
 fragments. 
 
 The death of Christ can be regarded in bo many aspects (as the penalty of imputed sin, 
 as a propitiation of offended justice, as the fulfilment of type and prophecy, as the con- 
 summation of obedience and humiliation, as the great proof of God's love, as the crisis of 
 
262 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 the conflict with Satan, &c.) and its significance illustrated by so many different scriptural 
 metaphors (as the ransom, the sacrifice, the ' way made open,' ic), that the fullest lesson 
 npon it must necessarily be defective somewhere. Two or three only of the more impor- 
 tant truths are taken in the Sketch, and it is possible that the teacher may have to omit 
 one or two for the sake of clearness. The thoughts suggested by the rent vail are perhaps 
 as easy for children, and as likely to impress their hearts, as any. If anj- of these truths 
 are really taurjht, i.e., are taken in by the scholars, the veiy briefest concluding word of 
 direct application will suffice. The best possible help to the effect of the Lesson will be 
 an appropriate closing hj^mu. 
 
 Sketch of Lesson. 
 
 We must go to Calvary again to-day — see 
 the rest of that great sight — hear the rest of 
 those seven wonderful sayings — ivy and 
 understand what it aU meant. 
 
 The Darkness. — [<See Note 1.] It is noon 
 — the sun blazing in full strength high up 
 in the clear sky of Palestine. Many terrible 
 scenes has the sun shone upon, but never 
 such a scene as this — the Creator of heaven 
 and earth hanging in torture between two 
 criminals, dying a fearful death amid the 
 jeers and insults of the chief men in His 
 own chosen nation ! 
 
 Suddenly, a dreadful darkness over all 
 the land, hiding sun and sky — black night 
 at brightest time of the day — for three long 
 hours. When Jesus born, a glorious light 
 shone in the darkness ; now that He is 
 dying — ? What are we told of this solemn 
 three hours ? Not one thing. What can 
 the silent and awe-stnick bystanders be 
 thinking of? Are the faithful women 
 trembling with hope — that now Jesus wUl 
 come down and crush His foes ? Are the 
 priests on their knees in terrified remorse ? 
 Certainly not this, for see ver. 4(5 — ^19 : — 
 During those three Lours not a sound from 
 the oro3s, but now at last a loud and exceed- 
 iog bitter cry ; surely the priests will hi 
 touched by that, will pity the Sufferer ; no, 
 for the darkness has suddenly fled away — 
 their awe gone too — cruel mockery again ! 
 [See Note 2.1 
 
 The Last Words. — That cry the fourth 
 word from the cross — a cry of grief — His 
 soul suffering ; now tha fifth (see John xix. 
 28) — a cry of burning thirst — His hoihi 
 suffering. Any pity now ? one soldier 
 softened — what does he do ? — yet he too 
 joins the mockery (see Mark), as if ashamed 
 of even one kind thought of this ' King of 
 the Jews.' But that is the last of it — two 
 more wondrous sayings (John xix. 30 ; 
 Luke xxiii. 46) — and all is over. He is 
 
 DEAD. 
 
 The Sif/ns. — And at that moment, God 
 again puts forth His hand to startle thim. 
 They liave had the darkness ; now, what ? 
 ver. 51 — the very ground shaking under 
 their feet — the great solid rocks ^rent ' 
 (torn like thin paper or linen !) — the graves 
 laid open. And somctliint- else ' rent ' too : 
 at that very hour the Temple crowded — 
 * time of evening sacrifice '—priests burning 
 incense (see Luke i. 8 — 10) — the great cur- 
 tain (the ' vail,' Exod. xxvi. 33 ; Heb. is., 3) 
 
 hanging before them, hiding the sacred 
 place where none may go in — that great 
 curtain torn right down from top to bottom 
 in a moment ! 
 
 N'ow what did all this mean ? 
 
 I. What did those Four Sayings 
 
 MEAN '? 
 
 The Fourth Saying — ' My God, my God, 
 why hast Thou forsaken Me?' Had the 
 Father really forsaken His beloved Son ? 
 Why He loved Him peculiarly at that very 
 time (John x. 17) — the Father ^pleased' 
 (Isa. liu. 10) ' not to spare His Son ' 
 (Rom. viii. 32). But God's face hidden 
 I (just as the sun hidden by that darkness, 
 1 though really shming aU the while). Why 
 ' hidden ? why God not smiling on His Son? 
 ,' There is only one thing that shuts oft' 
 j God's smile — what ? Hab. i. 13. But Jesus 
 ■ had no sin — why, then, this cloud ? See 
 j both texts for rep.— it was our sin — 'the 
 I iniquities of us all laid upon Him," and 
 i He must suft'er the pennlti/ (see Isa. lix. 2. 
 : Ixiv. 7) of losing God's smile — the very 
 j penalty awaiting all unrepenting sinners, 
 j 2 Thess. i. 9. And to Him this must have 
 j been terrible anguish — to Him who all His 
 ; hfe had never sinned, and therefore never 
 I had a cloud between Him and the Father. 
 j [Illust. — If in any place sunshine were con- 
 tinuous, no sunset, no night, how awful a 
 sudden, unknown darkness ! Which feels a 
 father's rebuke most, boij who has it often, or 
 bog who has it for first time .**] No wonder, 
 then, after three hours' speechless grief, 
 that a\vful cry burst fn.ira Jesus' lips. 
 
 The Fifth Saging—' I thirst.' At that 
 other cry to God, the light came back, on 
 the earth, and in Christ's soul. But then, 
 directly mind relieved, bodilg pain felt ; 
 comp. Luke iv. 2 [see Lesson A'//., Xote 7 j. 
 l/llust. — fn excitement of battle, soldier feels 
 not wound : but when battle orer, then pain.\ 
 But why did He speak ? — had made no 
 complaint before, despite the cruel nails, 
 &.C. See John xix. 2.H. He knows all is 
 nearly over — but one prophecy (Ps. Ixix. 21) 
 yet unfulfilled — therefore speaks out, 'I 
 thirst.' 
 
 The Sixth Saying — ' It is Finished ! ' 
 What finished ? (a) All the types and 
 predictions accomplished — the last one just 
 fulfilled. (6) All His sufferings at an end 
 — the '■cup' [.lee Lesson XCf.] drunk to the 
 dregs, (c) HLs great work completed (comp. 
 Jolm xvii. 4) — see how presently. 
 
THK CKUCinXIOX II. 
 
 2C3 
 
 The Seventh Saying — ' Father, into Thy 
 hands I commend My spirit.' The agony 
 gone — how calm these words ! And see 
 how true our text last Sunday (John s. 18) 
 — He yields up His life, of His own accord, 
 for us. [See Note 4.] 
 
 n. What did that Death mean ? 
 
 How we all shrink from death ! — to think 
 of this body of mine, full of life and health, 
 a cold stifE corpse, put away underground, 
 out of men's sight ! Even this the Son of 
 God submitted to — the lowest humiliation 
 — ' obedient Mw^o death' (Phil. ii. 8). But 
 why should He die ? Why does any one 
 die ? how came death into the world ? 
 Rom. V. 12. But He had no sin. No, but 
 — same thing again — He was reckoned as a 
 sinner for our sakes — so must die. Died as 
 a sacrijlce. When a Jew sinned, used to 
 offer a sacrifice — kill bull or goat before 
 God as an atonement — cti-one-ment — to 
 make himself at one with God, reconciled 
 to Him. But blood of bulls and goats 
 could not really take away sin : Jesus' 
 blood could — 
 
 ' A sacrifice of nobler name 
 And richer blood than they.' 
 
 Jesus a perfect Man — yes, and God too — so 
 fit to be ' one sacrifice for sins for ever.' 
 See John i. 29 ; Heb. ix. 13, 14, 26, 28, x. 
 4, 12. This why the Son of God died. 
 
 III. What did that Rent Vail mean ? 
 
 Every day people worshipping in the 
 Temple courts, priests officiating in the 
 'holy place,' but that vail always before 
 them, cutting them ofiE from ' Holy of 
 Hohes ' — beyond it none could go, except 
 high priest once a-year (Heb. ix. 3 — 8). 
 Why the vail there at all ? As a token 
 that men could not come near God. Whj- 
 not ? See Isa. lix. 2 again. But if sin got 
 rid of, then the way open — all may come 
 back to their Father. How sm got rid of 'i 
 By Jesus' death ; so, at that very moment, 
 to show the way open, God tore that vail. 
 See John xiv. 6 ; Eph. ii. 13. 18 ; Heb. x. 
 19—22 ; 1 Pet. iii. 18. We can now go to 
 God for forgiveness, for grace, for everj- 
 blessing— yes, and can go to Him in heaven 
 too — and aU ' through Jesus Christ our Lord.' 
 
 ' 'Tis finished .all ; the vail is rent : 
 The welcome snre, the access free ; 
 Now, then, we leave our banishment, 
 O father, to return to Thee ! ' 
 
 That sufEering, that death, that atonement 
 for us all, 1 John ii. 2. Think of any one 
 not saved after this ! Yet how many have had 
 the wondrous message again and again, and 
 care nothing about it — turn from it— see 
 the way open, and God standing with out- 
 stretched arms to receive them, yet will not 
 come ! It is a ' great salvation ' (Heb. ii. ?•', 
 indeed ; but ' how escape if neglect it ? ' 
 
 Notes. 
 
 1. The darkness at the crucifixion was not 
 owing to an eclipse of the sun, as it occurred at 
 the full moon (Passover-time), when an eclipse 
 is impossible. The longest natural obscuration 
 of the sun, too. Is but for a few minutes, while 
 this darkness lasted three hours. ' Over .all the 
 earth,' in Luke, is the same in the Greek as 
 ' over all the land ' in JIatt. and Mark. Whs- 
 ther the darkness was total, as at night, or 
 only a thick gloom, it is impossible to say. 
 
 2. The period of outward darkness no doubt 
 coincided with that of Christ's mental agony 
 and sense of desertion. The anguish of Gethse- 
 mane returned upon Him with augmented 
 power, and lasted during that time, until it cul- 
 minated in the profoundly mysterious cry in 
 which, for the only recorded time, Jesus speaks 
 to the Father as ' My God,' .and not as ' Father.' 
 That this cry was not extorted from Him by 
 bodily exhaustion is clear from the word used, 
 which is strictly ' shouted with a loud voice ' (the 
 same word as is used of the multitude ' crying 
 out' before Pilate). Even the excruciating pain 
 of the cross was as nothing in comparison with 
 Christ's mental suffering as the sin-bearer. See 
 the extract from Abp. Thomson's Essay on ' The 
 Death of Christ,' in Aids to Faith, given in 
 Lesson XCI„ Note 2. 
 
 'Eli' is the Chaldee form of the Hebrew 
 name of God; ' Eloi ' the Syro-Chaldaic. ' Sab.ac- 
 thani' should be pronounced with the accent on 
 the second syllable : sabdchthani,\xo\, sabachthdni. 
 It was impossible for the Jews to mistake 
 Christ's meaning ; the words, ' He calleth for 
 Elias,' were a wilful twisting of His expression. 
 
 It is difficult to suppose this blasphemous 
 ribaldry to have occurred during those silent 
 
 hours of gloom. The darkness was probably 
 dispelled immediately on the Saviour's cry. 
 
 3. The 22nd Psalm may be regarded as an in- 
 spired prophetic picture of our Lord's sufferings 
 on the cross, and (from ver. 22 to the end) of 
 His anticipations of victory and glory. Stier 
 well says, ' Let this be read ; let it be read 
 entire, hwl simply, as by a Christian who, with 
 a mind under the influence of Calvary, would 
 read himself into the soul of Jesus : this will do 
 more than all the commentaries of the learned. 
 The Psalm was no doubt primarily the expres- 
 sion of David's feelings in some season of ex- 
 treme anguish ; but the inspiring Spirit who 
 guided his words caused him to say many 
 things which went far beyond his own expe- 
 riences, and were only true in the fullest sense 
 of Jesus on the cross. The applicability of 
 every verse to our Lord is powerfully shown in 
 Stevenson's Exposition of the Psalm (entitled 
 Christ on the Cross), a book which cannot but 
 leave a deep impression on every thoughtful 
 reader. The chapter on 'I am a worm, and no 
 man,' is one not soon to be forgotten. 
 
 4. It is remarkable that the usual word 'died' 
 is not used of Christ in either of the four Gospel 
 narratives. In Matthew it is literally ' yielded 
 up His spirit'; in Mark and Luke, 'breathed 
 His last' ; in John, ' delivered up His spirit ' ; as 
 if to witness, even in the very language em- 
 ployed, to the voluntary character of His death. 
 The word ' ghost ' in our version should be care- 
 fully explained to children as being the same as 
 'spirit.' His final committal of His spirit to 
 the Father is, like His cry of agony, in Old Tes- 
 tament words; see Fs.xxxi. 5. 
 
204 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LOBD. 
 
 fi. It is impossible to suggest any further ex- 
 planation of what St. ilatthew simply narrates 
 as a fact, the resurrection of certain 'bodies of 
 the saints which slept.' It should be observed 
 that though the graves were thrown open by 
 the earthquake which accompanied our Lord's 
 death, the dead saints did not rise till after iiis 
 resurrection. Perhaps they appeared during the 
 forty days much in the same way that Christ 
 did, I. e., mysteriously and occasionally, and 
 ascended with Him to heaven. 
 
 6. Dr. Stroud, an eminent and devout Edin- 
 burgh physician, has attempted to explain scien- 
 tifically ' the physical cause of the death of 
 Christ.' This sacred topic is handled in his 
 book with reverence and delicacy, and as his 
 theory has been widely accepted by Christian 
 students, and throws much light on Scripture, 
 a brief summary of the argument based upon his 
 statements maybe useful :— 
 
 (a) Crucifixion w.as generally a very lingering 
 death, as no vital part was directly touched ; 
 and the victim frequently lived three or four 
 days. Comp. Mark xv. 44—' Pilate marvelled if 
 He were already dead.' The breaking of the 
 legs of those crucified was in fact a merciful 
 hastening of death. How was it, then, that 
 Jesus died so soon? 
 
 (6) Usually the victim at length died of sheer 
 exhaustion. But not so Jesus ; for at the very 
 moment of death He 'cried with a loud voice.' 
 
 (e) St. John records the remarkable fact of 
 blood and water flowing from the Saviour's 
 Side when pierced after His death. This, if not 
 
 supernatural (which there is no reason to snp- 
 pose), could only occur, in the manner in which 
 it is described, if the heart had been ruptured, 
 and the blood, before death, had in consequence 
 flowed out into the cavity which surrounds the 
 heart. (The medical grounds for this state- 
 ment cannot be intelligibly given here.) 
 
 (d) Christ, then, literally died of a broken 
 heart, caused by His overwhelming mental 
 agony. Ps. Ixix. 20 was literally true of Him— 
 ' Keproach hath broken my heart ' ; aud Ps. xxii. 
 14—' My heart is like wax ; it is melted.' 
 
 (e) Crucifixion was obviously not a death 
 attended with much blood-shedding. Yet 
 Christ's blood-shedding is constantly spoken of 
 in Scripture as the means of our redemption. 
 All the passages have a far greater force if the 
 internal rush of blood above referred to took 
 place. And what a new power does the thought 
 give to the familiar lines, 
 
 ' Let the water and the blood, 
 From Thy riven side which flowed. 
 Be of sin the double cure. 
 Cleanse me from its guilt and power.' 
 
 (/) The broken heart being the result of 
 mental distress, this theory draws our thoughts 
 away from the mere bodily tortures which 
 Christ endured to the mysterious woe that 
 pressed upon Him on account of imputed sin. 
 'Thou Shalt make His soul an offering for sin'; 
 ' He poured out His soul unto death ' (Isa. lill. 
 10, 12). 
 
 A fuller outline of Dr. Stroud's theory is given 
 in Dr. Hanna's Last Day of Our Lord's Passion. 
 
 Lesson XCVII.— The Eve of tlie Sabbath. 
 
 ' Ye shall weep and lament, but the toorld shall rejoice.' 
 
 .Beod— Luke xxiii. 47 — 56 ; {comp. Matt, xxvii. 54 — 66 ; Mark xv. 39 — 47 ; John six. 31 — 42) ; 
 Learn— 'Rom, vi. 4 ; 1 Pet. ii. 24. {Hymns, 55, 59, 71, 126, 129, 206, 210—214, 327, 331, 384.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 This Lesson affords an incidental opportunity of explaining a sentence in the Creed 
 which is very generally misunderstood, viz., ' He descended into hell.' The word ' hell' is 
 there an unfortunate one, as the Greek word is Hades, which means, not the place of final 
 punishment, but the place or state of disembodied spirits — the happy portion of which is 
 the ' Paradise' of the New Testament. See Lesson LXIV., Note 3 (e), The Creed simply 
 states that as our Lord's human body was ' buried' like other bodies, so His human soul, 
 like other souls, passed into the rest of the blessed dead. He did not, in His human 
 nature, go up to the right hand of God until the Ascension (see John xx. 17). 
 
 The chief importance of this Lesson lies in its usefulness as an introduction to the next 
 two. The history and teachings of the Resurrection will be most impres.sive to those who 
 have entered into the circumstances and meaning of the Burial. The point brought 
 forward at the end of the Sketch — the truth taught in the words, ' Buried with Him in 
 baptism ' — is, however, an important one in itself. 
 
 Sketch op Lesson. 
 
 Once more we must go back to Calvary 
 — think of what happened on that sad 
 Good Friday evening. 
 
 I. See the Effect of the Death of 
 Jesus. 
 
 1. On the Roman Centurion. He has 
 Joeen at many crucifixions, seen the victims' 
 
 tortures, heard their cries (often bitter and 
 blasphemous), watched strength and voice 
 failing as they lingered on. But never 
 anything like this ! What has so astonished 
 him here? A man handed to him to be 
 executed instead of Barabbas — what a vile 
 criminal he must be ! — yet no word of im- 
 
THE EVE OF THE SABBATH. 
 
 265 
 
 patience, no cry of pain (what words in- 
 stead ?) — gentle and patient all those 
 dreadful hours — then that awful darkness 
 — then the earthquake — and, more amazing 
 than all, the victim had strength to utter 
 that loud cry even at moment of death. 
 [See last Lesson, Note 6.] Even the stern 
 soldier terrified (Matt.) — ' What can it all 
 mean ? Surely we have killed an innocent 
 man (Luke) — he must have been really 
 what they called him in mockery, the Son 
 of God ! ' (Mark). We know He was in- 
 deed ; and what triumphs did He win — 
 even on the cross — two convinced even 
 then of His greatness — and those two a 
 thief and a Roman soldier ! 
 
 2. On the bystanders. What kind of 
 people would go and see an execution ? 
 [Jllust. — as in England, till recently. ~\ People 
 with tender hearts ? What had these by- 
 standers been doing? (Matt., 39). Yet 
 now every jeer stopped, eveiy tongue still 
 — see them slowly coming back to the city 
 — what doing ? (Luke, 48 ; comp. xviii. 13). 
 A dreadful thought in their minds — ' What 
 have we done ? ' 
 
 3. On the chief priests Are they softened ? 
 ought not they, the guiltiest of all, to have 
 uneasy consciences ? See what they are 
 thinking about (John 31)— must mind the 
 law (Deut. xxi. 23) is not broken ; but 
 which of the ten great laws have they been 
 breaking ? They never think of that. But 
 who does? see Ps. x. 14; Isa. i. 14. 15. 
 Think of them the next day — the Sabbath 
 — fancy their triumph — their enemy got 
 rid of at last ! And yet — an uneasy thought 
 — suppose they have not heard the last of 
 Him — He did raise Lazarus, coidd He per- 
 haps raise Himself? — they have heard 
 something of 'the third day' — even if no 
 miracle, might not His followers steal His 
 body, and so give further trouble ? Ah, 
 their crime has brought them no peace (sin 
 never does) ; afraid of the dead Jesus ! 
 What do they do? Matt., 62—66. \See 
 Notes 1, 6.] 
 
 4. On Joseph and Nicorlemus. [SeeNote^.l 
 When Elijah gave up all for lost, thinking 
 the whole nation had deserted God, what 
 did God tell him? 1 Kings xis. 18. So, 
 might think all against Jesus now, except 
 a few trembling Galileans, and they had 
 ran away. But see Matt., 57 — 60 ; Mark. 
 42—46 ; Luke, 50—53 ; John, 38—42. Who 
 are these two men ? Both rich ; both mem- 
 be;-s of the Great Coimcil ; but what else ? 
 disciples ? Have never joined the little 
 company — why? afraid (John, 38; comp. 
 xii. 42) ; had nothing to do with condemn- 
 ing Jesus, but could not come out and 
 declare that they, rich and honoured, be- 
 lieved in the despised Nazarene. Yet now 
 that He has died like a malefactor, rejected 
 with scorn by all the people, forsaken by 
 His own followers, their love can keep in 
 no longer; bold Peter has denied Him 
 before servants ; timid Joseph goes ' boldly ' 
 to the governor. One brings fine linen, the 
 
 other costlj' spices — see them tenderly lift- 
 ing the sacred Body down, wrapping it 
 round, bearing it to Joseph's newly-cut 
 tomb, quickly and quietly laying it there, 
 rolling the heavy stone door into its place 
 [see Note 4] — home again, how thankful 
 to have done something for Him they se- 
 cretly loved ! 
 
 5. On the disciples. All dispersed — none 
 there except John (35) and the faithful 
 Galilean women [see Note 5J. They could 
 not leave the cross even when all gone — 
 stayed watching — saw the soldiers come 
 back— what for? (John, 31, 34)— the two 
 mangled bodies taken away — but His left 
 — pierced and torn, but no bone broken 
 (why not?) — then the two strangers coming 
 to take it — the burial in that handsome 
 tomb — the great stone. Dark now, getting 
 late, all silent and still. What do the 
 women do ? Luke, 55, 56. What does this 
 preparing of more spices show? That they 
 thought of JesiTS as 'dead and gone' — all 
 over now — He has been just a kind man to 
 whom God gave great power — nothing 
 more. But what a disappointment ! all 
 their hopes of His being the Messiah come 
 to nought; see Luke xxi v. 17 — 21. Very 
 likely we might see most of the disciples 
 among crowds next day in Temple — going 
 there from habit — but what heavy hearts ! 
 what crushed hopes 1 what utter perplexity ! 
 what bitter tears! (see Mark xvi. 10). Any 
 thinking of stealing the Master's body? 
 why, they have quite forgotten His own 
 plain predictions. How true the first part 
 of our second text for rep. — 'Ye shall weep 
 and lament, but the world shall rejoice'! 
 Next Sunday, shall see the second part 
 true also. 
 
 n. Think op Jesus in the Tomb, 
 
 How the angels must have wondered : 
 They had marvelled when the Son of God 
 came down and took a human body and 
 human soul — marvelled when they saw that 
 body could be weak and weary, and that 
 soul sad and downcast, Uke other men's — 
 but now, to see that body and soul separated 
 by death, how wonderful ! His soul — where ? 
 In happy place where souls go when leave 
 bodies, called 'Paradise' (Luke xxiii. 43). 
 His body — where ? Lying alone in the cold, 
 dark tomb. What condescension ! — ' Was 
 crucified, dead, and buried ; He descended 
 into Hades.' [Explain ; see Preface.^ 
 
 But, while angels wondering, priests re- 
 joicing, disciples weeping — two thoughts for 
 us: — 
 
 1. Our bodies will also be buried one day. 
 Blue eyes, round cheeks, soft hair, all to 
 fall to pieces — only dry bones left ! When ? 
 Just what we don't know. [Illust. — Boy. 
 thinking whether he might die, went to 
 cemetery, and measured the graves ; found 
 many shorter than himself.'] Is this a 
 thought that brings ten-or? Then think 
 of Jesus in the grave too. Because He 
 died, death cannot hurt those who love 
 
266 
 
 lOiSSONS ON THE LIFK OF OUR LORD. 
 
 Him. How is that ? see 1 Cor. xv. 55 — 57 
 — • the sting of death is sin ' — Jesus died 
 to take away sin, and now, though the body 
 may decay, the soul alive and happy, and 
 the body shall one day be alive again and 
 happy too, see Phil. iii. 21. 
 
 2. Our souls must be ' buried ' too. How 
 can that be ? the soul does not go into the 
 tomb. But see Rom. vi. 4 ; Col. ii. 12 — 
 'buried with Him in baptism.' What 
 meant ? Think — when Jesus rose again, 
 was His body one that could suffer pain, &c.? 
 No — it rose perfect and glorious — all in- 
 firmities left behind in grave. Now think 
 of Paul preaching at Ephesus : heathen 
 man believes, throws away idols, will be 
 a Chiistian — goes down into river to be 
 baptized — comes up again a new man, re- 
 solved to obey God and serve Christ — feels 
 as if had cast off his sins and left them in 
 
 the water, as Christ left infirmities in tomb 
 — just like being buried, and rising agam 
 quite changed. 
 
 You too have been baptized? Did you 
 leave yoiu- sinful hearts behind? are your 
 bad ways buried ? If not, bury them now. 
 But you must kill them first, as St. Paul 
 told those veiy Colossians because they did 
 not leave all their sins in the water, Col. iii. 5 
 — 'mortifying' {put to death) what is bad; 
 see also ver, 8 ; Rom. vi. 6 ; Gal. ii. 20, v. 24 ; 
 Eph, iv, 22, Let not God or man see your 
 sin any more— out of sight as if buried. 
 Is this hard and painful ? ah, very hard and 
 painful ; but can do it ' througli the Spirit ' 
 (Rom, viii. 13). '0 merciful God, grant 
 that the old Adam in these children may be 
 so buried, that the new man may be raised 
 lip in them. Amen.' {Bapt, Service.) 
 
 Notes, 
 
 1. Among the Romans, the bodies of the cruci- 
 fied were left on the crosses till they wasted away 
 or were devoured by birds of prey; but in 
 •lud.Tja they allowed the Jlosaic regulation 
 (Deut. xxi. 22, 23) to be observed, and therefore 
 despatched the victims, by breaking their legs 
 i)r otherwise, before sunset, and buried them on 
 t he spot. In cases of execution by other methods 
 (us beheading, &c.), the friends of the deceased 
 were often permitted to take the body ; but this 
 very rarely occurred in the case of one condemned 
 to so ignominious a death as crucifixion. 
 
 2. On the speedy death of Jesus, which pre- 
 vented the soldiers ofliering His s.acred body the 
 further indignity of having the legs broken, see 
 last Lesson, Note 6. 
 
 On the ' blood and water ' from the Saviour's 
 side, see the same note. The soldier doubtless 
 made the thrust with his spear to ascertain 
 ))ositively that life was extinct. St. John ap- 
 j)cars to record the circumstance with a similar 
 design, viz., to show that Jesus did nctually die ; 
 as, before this Gospel was written, a heretical 
 "sect, the Ebionites, h.ad sprung up, who denied 
 the reality of His death. Evidently the Evan- 
 gelist mentions them also to show the fulfilment 
 of prophecy. 
 
 ',4 bone of Jlim shall not be hvolen' refers to 
 I he Divine command respecting the Paschal 
 lamb, Exod. xii. 4G. It is noteworthy that in 
 Zecli. xii. 10, which St. John also quotes, the 
 word 'pierce' means 'thrust through with a 
 spear,' and is not the same word as is used In 
 I's. xxii. 16, where it means 'bored.' 
 
 r,. Joseph of Arimathaja is only mentioned in 
 this place; Jsicodemus in John iii. and vii. 
 That they were members of the Sanhedrim is 
 implied in the words 'ruler' (John iii. 1) and 
 'counsellor' (Mark xv. 43 ; Luke xxiii. fiO). Ni- 
 codemus must have been rich as well as Joseph, 
 as the spices brought by him (myrrh and aloes— 
 probably the wood dried and i)ulverlsed) were a 
 costly gift— about 100 lbs. troy weight. 
 
 The spices were laid on the linen to form a 
 kind of bed, upon which the body was then laid ; 
 comp. 2Chron. xvi. 14. Apparently the women 
 did not wish to be deprived of the privilege of 
 doing honour to their dead Master; and meant, 
 with the further spices they prepared, to do more 
 
 thoroughly afterwards what the two rulers had 
 been only able to do hastily. 
 
 4 On the shape, &c., of the tomb, see Lesson 
 LXXL, Kote 6. The stone was probably a 
 huge circular block like a mill-stone, which was 
 rolled (like a wheel) and fitted into a groove in 
 the rock. Tristram (Land of Israel, p 406) 
 describes such a stone at the ' Tombs of the 
 Kings,' at Jerusalem. 
 
 Tl e tomb being one not j-et used is an im- 
 portant circustance, as proving that the body 
 that came out was the same one that was put in, 
 
 5. The women mentioned as present at the 
 crucifixion and burial are (1) Mary Magdalene 
 (Matt., Mark, John). (2) Mary the mother of 
 James the less and of Joses (Matt., Mark), who 
 is probably the same as Mary the wife of Cleo- 
 phas (John), 'Cleophas' being the same name 
 under another form as Alphaeus, which is the 
 name of the father of James the less (Matt. x. 3). 
 This Mary seems also to have been the sister of 
 our Lord's mother (John), and James and Joses 
 therefore two of His cousins or 'brethren' (comp. 
 Matt. xiii. .W). (3) Salome (Mark), the wife of 
 Zcbedee, and mother of John the Evangelist and 
 his brother James (Matt.). (4) Many women 
 (Matt.) of Galilee (Luke). The mother of Jesus 
 was present at first (John), but not being after- 
 wards mentioned, was probably taken home by 
 John when Jesus committed her to his care. 
 The beloved disciple returned, however, to 
 Calvary and witnessed our Lord's death. 
 
 G. The Pharisees seem not to have gone to 
 niatc about setting a guard at the tomb till the 
 Saturday. Certainly the guard were not jmsted 
 till Saturday night, or the women would have 
 known of their being there, which they clearly 
 did not (Mark xvi. 3). IMlate's words should 
 prob.ably be translated, ' Take a guard,' i.e., ' yon 
 may have some of my soldiers.' They were 
 Roman soldiers, and not the Jewish 'oflBcersoJ 
 the Temple.' 
 
 7. 'After three diiys,' rather, 'on the third day.* 
 The Jewlsli mode of reckoning isoften puzzling; 
 they calculated any part of a day as a day. Our 
 Lord was actually in the grave only one day and 
 two nights. 
 
267 
 
 Lesson XCYin.— Tlie Morning of tlie Third Day. 
 
 ' Ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.' 
 
 Read — Matt, xxviii. 1 — 10; John xx. 1 — 18 ; {comp. Mark xvi. 1 — 11 ; Luke xxiv. 1 — 12) 
 Learn — Matt, xxviii. 5 — 9 ; John xvi. 20. {Hymns, 64 — 71, 81, 319.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 Tills and the following Lesson stand in much the same relation one to the other as do 
 the two Lessons on the Crucifixion. In eacli case, the design is that the details of the 
 narrative should be almost exclusively dwelt upon in one Lesson, and that the way should 
 thus be prepared for giving full effect, in a second, to the great truths taught by the facts, 
 and to their application to ourselves. 
 
 Although the paragraphs in the Sketch are numbered for facility of use and reference, 
 there are no actual divisions, and the teacher has only to give a straightfoi'u'ard narrative 
 as graphically as he can. The order of St. Matthew is however slightly depai-ted from, 
 in order to finish ofi: with the soldiers and the priests before turning to the movements 
 of the followers of Jesus. 
 
 The words ' fear and great joy ' are used as a kind of thread on which to hang the various 
 incidents and thus connect them together, and they serve also to introduce a suitable 
 application. 
 
 Some teachers may find that the appearance of the angels at the sepulchre will give 
 them a good opportunity of alluding to the popular superstitions about churchyards and 
 ghosts, with a view to showing, not that there is no such a thing as supernatural agency, 
 but how different it is from what is commonly imagined ; that whatever there is can be 
 no cause for alarm to God's children ; that it ia only sin which makes people afraid, and 
 that sin ought really to make them much more afraid, only in a different way. 
 
 Sketch of Lesson. 
 
 Last Sunday wc saw how true the first 
 part of John xvi. 20 proved to be. To-daj' 
 see the second part true also — ' sorrow 
 turned into joy.' ' Crucified, dead, and 
 buried ' — that caused the sorrow ; ' the third 
 day He rose again from the dead' — that 
 caused the joy. But not all joy — shall see 
 another feeling to-day — see 1st text for rep., 
 ' fear and great joy.'' 
 
 Let us stand bj' Joseph's tomb on the 
 morning of that ' third day,' and see what 
 happened. 
 
 I. 
 
 (1) All night long the soldiers pacing up 
 and down — watchful (death to a Koman 
 soldier who slept at his post) — and weU- 
 ai'med. And besides, the great stone door 
 fast in its place, and the seal untouched. 
 Sepulchre ' made sure ' (Matt. xx\ii. 66) — 
 all safe ! — chief priests can sleep comfort- 
 ably — impossible for ' that deceiver ' to 
 trouble them any more. Not possible ? 
 — something else is ' not possible ' (Acts 
 ii. 24)— to keep Jesus in the gi-ave. Could 
 you stop the sun from rising ? or the tide ? 
 [ illust. — Canute] — 
 
 ' Vain the stone, the watch, the seal ! ' 
 
 Daybreak now — first streaks of light 
 over Olivet — yet still dark under the trees 
 of Joseph's ' garden.' Suddenly — ground 
 trembling, rocks shaking, shining figure 
 rolling the great stone away ! Roman sol- 
 diers strong and brave, but what doing 
 now ? Matt., 4. [See Note 3.] 
 
 Here we see ' fear and great joy.' Where 
 is the joy ? [Refer to second verse of hymn, 
 ' Songs of praise the angels sang J] Angels 
 have come down on many joyous errands, 
 but what so joyous as this ? They watched 
 their Lord in the manger, fed Him in the 
 wilderness, strengthened Him in His agony 
 — now His last humiliation over— now gloiy 
 and triumph — 
 
 'Worthy the Lamb th.it flied, they cry, 
 To he exalted thus!' 
 
 (2) Now see another case of ' fear and 
 joy' — but in this case the joy first. We 
 have seen the priests' joy — now imagine 
 their fear— why ? see Matt., 11—15. What 
 woidd expect of them ? Will they see their 
 dreadful sin, turn to God, and accept His 
 Son ? No cause for doubt now — He said 
 He would rise, and He has risen— the 
 earthquake and the angel, too, are not 
 these 'signs from heaven' such as they 
 used to ask for ? Ah, their joy was be- 
 cause they hated Him, and now they hate 
 Him still in their fear — will not ' be per- 
 suaded, though One has risen from the 
 dead ' (Luke xvi. 31). Whom do they fear? 
 not God, but men — 'if the people get to 
 know this, what shall we do ? ' See them 
 bribing the soldiers to lie [see Note 5] ; and 
 the soldiers bad men too, willing to say 
 what was false (and what was disgraceful 
 to them, too), if onlj' get money by it. 
 
 We have done with Christ's enemies at 
 last — see them no more in these Lessons, 
 
2(38 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OOB LORD. 
 
 Now see sorrow and fear turned into 
 
 joy. 
 
 11. 
 
 (1) Earl}^ that morning, before sunrise, a 
 jiarty of women coming out of the city. 
 Who? what carrying? A sad party — 
 going to see the Face they loved for the 
 last time— then home to weep. Suddenly, 
 a halt — they forgot — no use coming — why 
 not ? Mark, 3. But look — the tomb over 
 there— even in the dark can see that great 
 SDone not in its place [see Note 4 J — oh ! the 
 priests must have taken Him away. One 
 (Jolni, 2) cannot wait — back to tell Peter 
 and John ; the others go on — yes, and go 
 in (how brave of them 1 — the supposed 
 robbers might be there — any how, going 
 into an open tomb in the dark !) Empty ! 
 no bodies there before Jesus put in ; none 
 now. 
 
 Then another startling sight — two white 
 forms ctose to them. Down on their faces 
 in terror (Luke) — but then a gentle voice — 
 ' Fear not ije (Matt.) — His enemies well 
 may, but not ye His friends [see Note 4] . 
 But why (Luke) seek ye Him here? it is 
 the third day now — have ye forgotten?' 
 Another joy for the angels, to be per- 
 mitted to give such tidings to Christ's 
 people ; comp. Heb. i. 14. 
 
 Back quickly to the city. Fear or joy 
 now? hot/i (Matt.) — overjoyed indeed, yet 
 trembling with wonder (Mark) — besides, is 
 it not ' too good to be true ' ? 
 
 (■2) Only just gone — then two men run- 
 ning in haste (John xx.)— heard of the 
 stone being moved, from Mary — come to 
 find out what happened. To them the 
 angels invisible, but one strange thing they 
 notice (ver. 7) — would robbers have care- 
 fully arranged the grave-clothes? no rob- 
 bers been here — He must have risen ! [See 
 Note C] 
 
 (3) Mary came back to the tomb with 
 them, but she can't leave it again. See her 
 standing there, all alone, weeping. Sud- 
 denly, she too sees the angels — but is she 
 frightened? John, 13— so son-owful, can 
 think of nothing but the great loss. Then 
 Another standing by : her eyes too full of 
 tears to know Him; but her ears— yes, it 
 is His Voice uttering her name — she is the 
 first to meet the risen Saviour. Is not this 
 indeed sorrow turned into joy? how dif- 
 ferent the sorrowful 'Sir' from the joyful 
 ' Rabboni ' (dear Master) ! But Ls He come 
 back to be with them again as before ? no, 
 
 she must not now treat Him as a dear 
 friend, John xx. 17 — He is not going to 
 stay— they must not think His 'going to 
 the Father' (John xiv. 12, 28. xvi. 5, 10, 
 IG, 2is) was while His soul and body were 
 separated— that He has been and come 
 back— no, 'not yet ascended' — His body 
 going also to heaven, glorified but still the 
 same—'/ ascend' [see Note 7J. Yet how 
 full of love His message to the disciples ! — 
 despite all their cowardice and want of 
 faith, ' not ashamed to call them brethren* 
 (Heb. ii. 11). 
 
 (4) This Jesus' first appearance. Now 
 see the second, Matt., 9, 10— to those other 
 women. 'Great joy' they had already, 
 but what must it have been when they saw 
 His face, heard His voice, embraced His 
 feet ! Before, they had fear with it ; but 
 now He says, ' Be not afraid.' 
 
 (5) Another appearance yet, the third. 
 To whom, do you think ? Which apostle 
 least deserved to see Him ? To that very 
 one, the coward who denied Him with 
 oaths, He has sent a special message 
 (Mark, 7) ; for that one now a special 
 meeting (Luke, 34 : 1 Cor. xv. 5). Which 
 must Peter have had, fear or joy? Surely 
 fear first, and shame too — how could he 
 face his Master ? We know not what was 
 said, but will not Matt. ix. 2 give us an 
 idea_ of it ? and theji, what ' great joy ' ! — 
 the joy David prayed for after his sin and 
 repentance (Ps. li". 12), the joy he did get 
 (Ps. xxxii. 5, 1,11). 
 
 If you met the Lord Jesus, would it be 
 with fear, or with great joy ? You will 
 meet Him one day : will you feel as in 
 Eev. vi. 1(5, 17, or as in Isa. xxv. 9 ? ' Pre- 
 pare, my soul, to meet Him ! ' 
 
 If you would rejoice when He comes from 
 heaven, must be like those who could 
 rejoice when He came from the gi-ave. How 
 be like them ? 
 
 (a) Repent of sin, like Peter (Matt, 
 xxvii. 75). (6) Believe in Christ, like John 
 (John. 8). (c) Love Him, like Mary Magda- 
 lene (John, 13, 16). ((/) Worship Him.^like 
 the other women (Matt., 9). (e) Tell of Him, 
 like the angels (Matt., 5 — 7; Mark, 6, 7; 
 Luke, 5 — 7). Then can sing now, 
 
 ' Jesus Christ is risen to-day, 
 Hallelujah!' 
 
 — and shall sing one day, 
 ' Hallelujah ! 
 Jesus comes, and comos to reign.' 
 
 I 
 
 Notes. 
 
 1. It Is very difflcult to harmonise the four 
 narratives of the events which marked that me- 
 morable 'morniiiK of the third day.' We need 
 not doubt that they could be harmonised if we 
 had all the particulars, but the accounts arc ex- 
 tremely brief and fragmentary. Matthew and 
 Mark record the visit to the sepulchre of Mary 
 Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and 
 Joses (comp. last Lesson, Note 5) ; and Mark 
 .idds that Salome was with them. Liikc men- 
 Ciona the two Marys and Joauna, 'and other with 
 
 them.' John only narrates what occurred to 
 Mary Ma^jdaleno. 
 
 It would be impossible here to compare the 
 very numerou.<i attempts which have been made 
 to arrange the incidents, but the following seems 
 the most natural order :— 
 
 It is probable that all these women arrived in 
 sight of the sepulchre together, whether they 
 came In company or met there by appointment ; 
 that when they saw, some little way off, that the 
 stone was roUcd away, Mary Magdalene left tUo 
 
THE MOBNING OF THE THIRD DAY. 
 
 269 
 
 rest and hastened back to tell Peter and John ; 
 that the others went to the tomb, saw the angels, 
 and returned to tell some of the other Apostles 
 (Salome, perhaps, to tell her sons James and 
 John ; Mary, the mother of James the less, to 
 tell her sou), — who may have been lodging in 
 another part of the city; that soon after their 
 departure from the tomb Peter and John came 
 running to it, followed by Mary Magdalene, who, 
 lingering there still after the two Apostles left, 
 was privileged to be the first (see Mark xvi. 9) to 
 see Jesus ; and that Jesus, shortly after this, 
 appeared also to the other women, who, if (as Is 
 quite possible) they had a longer distance to go 
 than JIary Magdalene had had, might still be on 
 their road to the houses they sought. 
 
 Certainly, if we had only Matthew's narrative, 
 we should conclude that Mary Magdalene met 
 the Lord along with the others ; and some have 
 thought that St. John, in narrating His appear- 
 ance to her, is only giving a different account of 
 the meeting mentioned by Matthew. But this 
 Is extremely improbable ; and we must let John 
 correct, not Matthew himself, but the false im- 
 pression we get from Matthew's fragmentary 
 history. Luke xxiv. 10 may well be a general 
 statement, and does not necessarily imply that 
 the women there named together informed the 
 Apostles all at one place and at one moment. On 
 the other hand, John's narrative does not exclude 
 the possibility of Mary Magdalene' having been 
 with the others at first; rather the contrary, for 
 she says, ' We know not where they have laid 
 Him.' 
 
 The diflference between Luke's report of what 
 the angels said to the women, and that of Mat- 
 thew and Mark, has led some to suppose that two 
 different visits are implied; and this may have 
 been the case, though it seems more probable 
 that all were together— except JIary Magdalene, 
 whose Interview with the angels, recorded only 
 by John, is evidently quite distinct. 
 
 The variation with regard tothe numberof the 
 angels cannot be urged as a real difficulty, con- 
 sidering our utter ignorance of the conditions 
 and circumstances under which angels are visible 
 or invisible to different persons. It is clear that 
 Peter and John did not see them at all. Some 
 have thought that it depended on the spiritual 
 sensitiveness of the individual; but this would 
 certainly not account for their being seen by the 
 soldiers. 
 
 2. It is evident that our Lord's body, though 
 essentially the same after His resurrection, was 
 much altered in its relation to material things. 
 All His appearances are mysterious. He 'ap- 
 pears,' ' shews Himself,' ' is seen,' ' stands in the 
 midst,' ' vanishes '; but we do not read of His 
 'coming,' except when He ' came ' suddenly into 
 the supper-room, doors and bolts notwithstand- 
 ing ; or of His 'going,' except when He ' went 
 with' the two disciples to Emmaus. Alford says, 
 ' It seems to have been the normal condition of 
 His fleshly body to be visible to mortal eyes ; of 
 His risen body, not to be ; but both these He 
 could suspend when He pleased, without affect- 
 ing the substance or truth of either.' As regards 
 food, Augustine observes that He had the power, 
 but not theneerf, of eating. His appearance seems 
 also to have changed, see Luke xxiv. 16,37; John 
 ixi. 14 ; and even to have varied, see Mark xvi. 
 12. EUicott thinks that the glorification which 
 w.ts to be perfected at the Ascension had already 
 
 begun. These circumstances, together with the 
 rarity of His visits, must have tended greatly to 
 heighten the impression of His appearances upon 
 the disciples' minds. They must have felt that 
 He was no longer the companion of their dailj- 
 life, but One infinitely removed from their level ; 
 and this would prepare them for the deeper re- 
 velations of the Spirit concerning His tru6> 
 Deity. 
 
 3. The familiar representations, in pictures, oi 
 Christ's resurrection give very erroneous ideas 
 of what must have taken place. The grave wai 
 not dug perpendicularly in the ground, but cut 
 horizontally out of the side of the rock ; see 
 Lesson LXXI., Note 6, and last Lesson, Note 4. 
 It was not the rising of Jesus from the tomb, 
 but the appearance of the angel, which terrified 
 the soldiers. The actual resurrection is not re- 
 lated at all ; simply stated as a fact by the angels, 
 confirmed by the empty sepulchre, proved by His 
 subsequent appearances. There is no distinct 
 ground for supposing that He rose and came 
 forth when the stone was rolled away. He may 
 have gone before that. The stone could be no 
 obstacle to His risen body ; and the mission of 
 the angels, so far as appears, was not to release 
 Him, but to announce the event to His followers, 
 and to open for them the way into the sepulchre, 
 by intimidating the guard and removing the 
 stone. 
 
 4. In Matt., 5—' Fear not ye'— the 'ye' is em- 
 phatic ; and as it does not appear that the 
 soldiers had yet mustered up courage to get 
 away, this emphasis seems to imply a contrast 
 between the women and them : ' I'e, His friends, 
 have no cause for fear.' 
 
 Mark, 4, seems to imply that they could see at 
 a distance that the stone had been moved, be- 
 cause of its large size. They did not then see 
 the angels, who are represented by Mark, Luke, 
 and John (and Matthew is not opposed) as only 
 appearing inside the sepulchre. 
 
 There is no contradiction between Matt., 3, and 
 Mark, 8. The latter verse means that they said 
 nothing to any one on their way to the disciples. 
 
 5. The story put by the priests into the mouth 
 of the soldiers is a stranse instance of the ab- 
 surdity into which reckless wickedness may be 
 led. 1st, How impossible that the timid dis- 
 ciples should attempt to break into a sepulchre 
 so well secured! 2nd, How impossible that, if 
 they did, they should succeed ! For, 3rd, how 
 unlikely that any of the soldiers should be asleep ! 
 4th, How much more unlikely that all should 
 be ! And, 5th, how was it, even then, that none 
 were awakened by the heavy motion of the 
 stone? And, 6th, if not, how could they know 
 who did it? 7th, If the Apostles did do this 
 wondrous deed, why were they not prosecuted 
 for it? 
 
 C. There has been some question as to uhat it 
 was that John ' believed ' when he saw the linen 
 clothes, &c. Did he believe that Jesus had risen ? 
 or only see that Mary's words about the empty 
 tomb were verified? The former is on many ac- 
 counts the most probable view. The next verse 
 simply remarks the fact that he did not believe, 
 despite the Scriptures, -until he saw. 
 
 7. Christ's words to Mary Magdalene, ' Touch 
 Me not,' &c., have been variously interpreted. 
 It could not be that she was not to touch Him 
 
 T 
 
270 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 tnly becanse of the difference in Himself, for He 
 ftUowed the other women to touch H im ( Matt. , 9) , 
 and invited the Apostles (Luke, 09) and Thomas 
 (John, 27) to do so. Probably He saw that Mary 
 Magdalene was thinking of Him, not as One now 
 glorified, and therefore to receive adoring wor- 
 ship, but as the Master of former days, who had 
 gone away as He said, but had now come back to 
 be with them again. He said, therefore, ' Touch 
 Me not ; treat Me not now as an earthly friend ; 
 I am not come back to you yet : I have not indeed 
 
 yet gone to the Father, as 1 said I should.' It 
 may be further implied that when He does come 
 back, when His people are like Him in the resur- 
 rection life, when they are ' for ever with the 
 Lord," there shall be a renewal of that intimate 
 intercourse which He held with His disciples on 
 earth. Some explain the saying thus: 'Touch 
 Me not now with thy bodily hands, but when 
 I have ascended to My Father, touch Me 
 spiritually by faith.' 
 
 Lesson XCIX. — Clirist Eisen. 
 
 ' / am He that liveth and was dead.' 
 
 Read — Passages referred to below ; Learn — Eom. vi. 9—11 ; 1 Pet. i. 3. [Eymns, 64 — 71, 
 
 206, 210, 211, 212.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 The Death and the Kesurrection of Christ meet with exactly opposite treatment in 
 popular religious teaching. When the former is the subject — as happilj^ it very often 
 is — the narrative of the Crucifixion receives little if any attention, ond the efficacy of the 
 Atonement is dwelt upon, illustrated, and enforced, with great (and it cannot be vrith 
 too great) earnestness. When the latter is the subject, which, it is to be feared, is rarely 
 the case except at Easter, the narrative is dwelt upon almost to the exclusion of the 
 great truths taught by the fact of Christ rising from the dead. It is natural that, with 
 our unquestioning reception of the Gospel History, the importance of so decisive a proof 
 of Christianity should not present itself to our minds as it did to those of the early 
 Christians ; but, making every allowance for this, it is still true that the place of the 
 Resun-ection in the scheme of redemption, and its impressive practical teachings, are not 
 sufficiently appreciated. 
 
 Let the teacher, therefore, strive to realise for himself the force of the four points 
 urged in the four divisions of the Sketch. It is not, however, likely that he will be able 
 to take all of them in the class ; and it may be well not to attempt the 1st aud 3rd heads 
 except with intelligent scholars. How effectively the 2nd may be taught even to infants 
 has been shewn in the Easter Lesson by Mr. G. Waringtoit in the Church Sundaij School 
 Magazine for April, 1870 — from which the illustrations in the Sketch are borrowed. The 
 4th is comparatively easy. 
 
 The illustration on which the 3rd head is based is from Dr. Chalmers' Lectures on 
 Romans vi., in which the whole subject is most powerfully treated. The judicial aspect 
 only of the verses referred to is presented below ; but their more directly practical 
 teachings concerning the mortifying of the old nature have been alreadj' briefly pointed 
 out in Lesson XCVII, 
 
 Sketch of Lesson. 
 
 Which is the most joyful Sunday of 
 the Christian year ? There is one famous 
 hymn with Hallelujah at end of every 
 line — when do we sing it ? Why Easter 
 day BO joyful ? what tlien commemorated ? 
 But why should we be so glad that Christ 
 rose ? Of course the disciples glad to see 
 their Ma.ster again, but what has His 
 Resurrection to do with us ? 
 
 To-day see why Christ's Resurrection im- 
 portant, and why we rejoice at it. 
 
 I. Because Jesus kose, we are sure 
 He was THE Son of God. 
 
 So St. Paul says, Rom. i. 4. But wliy 
 sure ? 
 
 Think, Here was a poor carpenter from 
 a little country village— called God *My 
 
 Father,' 'made Himself equal with God' 
 (John v. 18) — said He had come from 
 heaven (John iii. 13, viii. 23) to be the 
 long-promised King and Saviour — that 
 nobody could be saved except by believing 
 in and obeying Him f.Iohn iii. 16, v. 24). 
 Were not these tremetidous tilings to say ? 
 How Could the people know if they were 
 true ? By His miracles V But some wanted 
 a greater sign tlian any of these, and He 
 promised them one very great sign ; see 
 Matt. xii. 3H— 40. Wliat meant? Jonah- 
 swallowed by fisli — would be thought dead 
 — yet on third day there he was, alive ! So 
 Jesus would die and be buried — be put ' in 
 the heart of the earth ' — yet on third day 
 come forth, ' alive for evermore.' 
 Now suppose Jesus had not risen — what 
 
CHEIST RISEN. 
 
 271 
 
 proved ? His own promised sign come to 
 nothing — His words not to be trusted — the 
 whole thing a delusion ! But He did rise — 
 His words proved true — all His words, even 
 the most tremendous — for would God let a 
 man rise again who falsely ' made Himself 
 equal with God ' ? 
 
 So when the Apostles went forth to 
 preach, what had they to tell ? Not merely 
 of a good, kind, \vise man, who had been 
 imjustly killed, but of One who had proved 
 Himself to be Son of God, King and 
 Saviour, by coming forth aUve from the 
 grave. What then the great thing they 
 would speak of ? See how they did every- 
 where speak of the ResuiTection, Acts i. 22, 
 ii. 24, 36, 37,iii. 15, iv. 2, 10, 33, v. 31, x.40, 
 xiii. 30, xvii. 3, 18, 32, xxiii. 6, xxv. 19, 
 xxvi. 8, 23 ; comp. 1 Cor. xv. 1 — 8, 14. 
 
 II. Because Jesus rose, we are sure 
 
 THERE IS SALVATION FOR US. 
 
 What is it we want, in order to be saved 
 — to be happy here and hereafter? We 
 want o^lr sin taken away. But it was by 
 dying on the cross that Christ took away 
 sin — what then has His rising to do with 
 it ? It shows us that He has been pimished 
 enough, that He has borne all the penalty, 
 that God is satisfied. How shows this ? 
 Does not His coming out of the grave show 
 He need be kept there no longer? free to 
 go because punishment complete. [Illust. — 
 Man in prison — whe7i let out? when time of 
 punishment fixed by judye is over, then free.^ 
 
 If Jesus had not risen, how be sure God's 
 justice satisfied ? see 1 Cor. xv. 17 — ' If 
 Christ not raised, your faith vain — yet in 
 your sins.' But now we know all is accom- 
 plished — our sin punished in Christ — ' no 
 condemnation' for us (Rom. %'iii. 1), but, 
 what ? what done with man in whom the 
 judge finds no guilt ? acquitted or 'Jmtifed.' 
 So He 'rose again for our justification' 
 (Rom. iv. 25) ; and we can have ' a lively 
 hope by the resurrection of Jesus ' (2nd 
 text for rep.) ; may we not well, then, sing 
 ' Hallelujah ' ? 
 
 But have all of us this hope ? can we all 
 thus sing? There is 'justification' for 
 every one, yet every one is not justified — 
 why not ? It is for those who believe (see 
 Acts xiii. 38 — 41 ; Rom. iii. 21 — 25) — ' when 
 Thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death. 
 Thou didst open the Kingdom of Heaven 
 to all believers.' But some will not believe. 
 [Jllust. — Man in prison — message that he is 
 acquitted, may go — does not believe it — will 
 not go — whose faidt ?~\ 
 
 III. Because Jesus rose, we must 
 
 LIVE as those who ARE ' ALIVE UNTO 
 
 God.' 
 
 [Illust, — Criminal is condemned to death 
 —is executed — does die. Suppose him by a 
 miracle restored to life, would he be punished 
 again? No, a free mnn no%u. Eow feel ? 
 Glad of his new term of life, begin afresh, 
 take care not to break law again.^ 
 
 A Christian just like that. See Rom. 
 vi. 1 — 13. Ver. 10 — Jesu.s 'died unto sin 
 once' — died for our sin once for all. Ver. 
 11 — ' Reckon ye also yourselves to be dead 
 unto sin ' — reckon that you have died, have 
 been punished for your sin — why ? because 
 when Christ died, just as if we died — ' cru- 
 cified with Christ' (Gal. ii. 20). But He 
 rose again to a new life, and ' because He 
 lives,' His people ' live also ' (John xiv. 19) : 
 they have a new term of life — ver. 11 again. 
 ' alive unto God through Jesus Christ." 
 Well, then, how live now ? In sin ? See 
 ver. 2 — ' How shall we, that are dead to 
 sin, Uve any longer therein ? ' — how go and 
 break the law again after such an escape ? 
 how grieve and vex Him who went to 
 death as om- Representative, who died that 
 we might live for ever ? Well may St. 
 Paul exclaim (ver. 13), 'Yield yourselves 
 unto God, as those that are alive from the 
 dead !' (Comp. ver. 4, 6, 12; Gal. ii. 20: 
 Col. iii. 1—3.) 
 
 Arise, then (Eph. v. 14), and walk ' so as 
 to please God' (1 Thess. iv. 1). Is it very 
 hard ? yes, impossible in oiu" own strengtli 
 [see Lesson XXX III. ^ — 'no power in our- 
 selves to help ourselves.' How then? 
 [Illust. — How does a fountain rise ? The 
 water comes frst from above.^ Pray, 'O 
 God, forasmuch as without Thee we are not 
 able to please Thee, mercifullj- grant that 
 Thy Holy Spirit may in all things direct 
 and rule our hearts.' 
 
 IV. Because Jesus rose, our bodies 
 WILL RISE too. 
 
 When the Son of God became man, He 
 united Himself in a sense to all the race, to 
 every man ; just as Adam is connected with 
 all men as their ancestor. So, ' as in Adam 
 all die, even so in Christ shall all be made 
 alive' (1 Cor. xv. 22). He is called the 
 ' first-fruits ' (1 Cor. xv. 20 ; comp. Col. i. 
 18 ; Rev. i. 5) — so the ' harvest ' yet to come. 
 What a ' harvest ' ! ' All that are in the 
 graves ' (John v. 28) — all ' the dead, tanaU 
 and great' (Rev. xx. 12). 
 
 Is this a joyful prospect ? A terrible one 
 for some, see Dan. xii. 2 ; John v. 29. But 
 if ' justified ' [see above] . then a ' sure and 
 certain hope of the resurrection to eternal 
 life' (Burial Service). Then, need not be 
 afraid of the cold grave : it is painful to 
 think of this body being put there, but can 
 feel it is only for a time — Christ will watch 
 over our bodies, and raise them up again, 
 made glorious like His own, see PhU. iii. 
 21 ; also 1 Cor. xv. 42—5 1 (and iherefwe 
 we read this glorious chapter at funerals). 
 Can say, ' O Death, where,' (fcc. Why ? 
 Because Jesus rose — 
 
 ' Jesus lives ! no longer now 
 
 Can thy terrors, Death, appal us.' 
 
 Let each pray to have this hope — 
 
 ' Teach me to live, that I may dread 
 The grave as little as my bed ; 
 Teach me to die, that so I may 
 Rise glorious at the awful day!' 
 
 T 2 
 
272 
 
 Lesson C— The Walk to Emmaus. 
 
 'Did not our heart burn within us ?' 
 
 Head— Luke xxiv. 13—35; Lem-n— Mai. iii. 16; Rom. xv. 4. (Hymns, 71, 116—118, 179, 
 201, 259, 285, 289, 291, 344.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 The accompanying Sketch is mainlj- devoted to shewing how to make the narrative 
 before us interesting, and how to draw out its direct teachings. But with scholars who 
 can readily turn from one part of the Bible to another, a much larger portion of the time 
 than is here indicated should be occupied by pointing out the leading Old Testament 
 prophecies, &c., the teacher carefully selecting beforehand those to which he will refer. 
 In this selection, and in his comments on the passages chosen, Lesson II. wiU furnish him 
 some assistance. 
 
 Doubts are sometimes thrown on the expediency of children learning by heart numerous 
 texts of Scripture which they only partially understand. This nan-ative may well dispel 
 such doubts. The two disciples did not understand the ancient types and prophecies, but 
 if they had not been perfectly familiar with the ktter of them, how could Christ have 
 given them the ' oral lesson ' which He did ? 
 
 As taken in the Sketch, this is a Lesson with a l:eij-irord (or phrase), viz., 'Burning 
 Hearts.' Such key-words are often useful, both in furnishing a centre around which the 
 teacher's thoughts can (so to speak) crystallize, and in giving the children a definite idea 
 of what the lesson is about. 
 
 Sketch of Lesson. 
 
 Look at ver. 32 — ' Did not our hearts 
 burn within us ? ' Burning hearts — do you 
 know what that is V Feelings excited — 
 scarcely knowing how to keep them in. 
 Sometimes because interested [illust. — boy 
 listening to story of battle or shipwreck] ; 
 sometimes because alarmed [illust. — in sud- 
 den danger, as being nearly run oi'er] ; 
 sometimes because offended and angrj- 
 [illust.— flushed face in a quarrel — how 
 hard not to utter violent toords l] ; some- 
 times because of sudden joy [illust. — meet- 
 ing absent friend unexpectedly ; gaining 
 prizel. See Ps. xxxix. 3, cxix. 139; 2 Cor. 
 xi. 20. 
 
 To-day see two men whose hearts 
 ' burned ' ; and what made them bum. 
 
 I. How THE two hearts BCRNED. 
 
 Two men coming out of Jerusalem — 
 walking away towards the country. Sad 
 faces— downcast looks— why ? Would not 
 you look sad, only three days after losing 
 your best friend by a cruel murder ? 
 Whom had they lost ? But not only sor- 
 row because of loss — bitter disappointment 
 too — why? Sec ver. 21 — 'we trusted,' did 
 hope and believe that He w.is the Re- 
 deemer so long looked for (Luke i. 68 — 75 ; 
 Acts xxvi. 6, 7), therefore joined Him. did 
 not mind scorn and opposition, looked for- 
 ward to day when all would acknowledge 
 Him and joyfully crown Him King at Jeru- 
 salem,— but now-'M over ! Have given up 
 •all for lost— wonder how could have been so 
 deluded — perhaps think how they will l)e 
 mocked in years to come as ' foolish fol- 
 lowers of that man who was crucified ' ; and 
 yet caut get rid of the old feeling, ver. 19 — 
 
 He ' was a prophet mighty ui deed and 
 word.' 
 
 Now see how their chilled and disap- 
 pointed hearts began to bum. 
 
 1. Burning with interest. A stranger, 
 unknown, walking the same way — joins 
 them — His kind inquiries (ver. 17) make 
 them tell Him all the sad story. Then 
 what a strange reply! ver. 25, 26. 'O 
 fools' [see Note 4] — then they were foolish 
 — yes, but why? not for believing too 
 easily, but because ' sIo7d ' to believe ! And 
 now "they are the listeners — all the way, mile 
 after mile, up and down the hills, through 
 the vineyards and fields of ripe corn, to 
 Emmaus. No thriUing story of travels and 
 adventures — only a Bible lesson — yet do 
 they get tired or restless? The subject an 
 old one — used to hear about it in the sj-na- 
 gogues — yet does it weary them now ? 
 Their hearts ' burning ' more and more as 
 they hang on those words of love and 
 wisdom. 
 
 What is it He tells them ? Those verj- 
 things whicli h.ad convinced them that 
 their Master was not ^Icssiah — .arrest, con- 
 demnation, cross, grave — the very things 
 that proved He was !— right and necessary 
 that Messiah should die, and in that way 
 (not by fightint; the Romans) 'enter into 
 His glory'! 'i'licy see it all now — 'Jesus 
 was Messiah — it will be all right — we shall 
 see Him again ' ; how grateful to their 
 companion for telling them about Him ! 
 (They still know not who He is.) 
 
 2. Burning irilh suJdm surpri.ie and joy. 
 At l.ast at Emmaus — but don't like to 
 
 lose such company ; ' sun going down 
 quickly now — why should he go further 
 
THE WALK TO EMJIAUS. 
 
 273 
 
 to-night? — stay with them.' Supper soon 
 ready; then, instead of wiiiting to be helped 
 like a visitor, what does the stranger do ? 
 Fancy their silent wonder as He takes the 
 host's place—' Who can it be ? ' — then the 
 ' taking bread,' ' blessing,' ' breaking,' ' giv- 
 ing to them,' — it must be ! it is He ! [see 
 Note 2J — but, in a moment, no one there, 
 the seat empty, the bread left, He is gone ! 
 What a fire in their hearts now ! Not only 
 convinced that then- Master was Messiah, 
 and will triumph after all — but know now 
 that they have seen Him, alive from the 
 dead, with their own eyes ! 
 
 8. Burning with eagerness. 
 
 Eagerness for what ? Why, to tell the 
 rest. Can't stop a moment — think not of 
 long walk, back they go — a dark j ourney 
 now, but how bright their hearts ! Fancy 
 them rushing mto the ' upper room,' hot 
 and breathless, with the glad tidings. No 
 mistake either— Peter has seen Him too 
 (ver. 34) — ' The Lord is risen indeed ! ' 
 
 II. What made these hearts bdrn? 
 
 See ver. 32—' While He talked with us 
 by the way, and while He opened to us the 
 Scriptures.' Two things here : — 
 
 1. The Opening oj the Scriptures. 
 
 ' Opening,' i.e., exi)laining, making clear. 
 Scribes used to try and explain, but how 
 could they '? did not themselves know — had 
 no key. [Illust. — Box locked up — children 
 have never seen it opened — how pretend to 
 tell one another xohat inside '? — but father 
 comes with hey — shows all the fine things — 
 children astonished.] 
 
 How did Jesus 'open th. :^criptures ' ? 
 Ver. 27— told what said there about Him- 
 self. He the bruiser of the serpent (Gen. 
 iii. 15) ; He the true Ark of refuge (Gen. 
 vii.) ; He the seed of Abraham to bless all 
 nations (Gen. xsii. 18) ; He the Lamb slain 
 (Exod. xii ), the sin-beanng Sacrifice (Lev. 
 xvi.), the true High-priest (Exod. xxviii.) ; 
 -He the gi-eat Prophet (Deut. xviii. 15) ; He 
 the King to ' reign in righteousness ' (Isa. 
 xxxii. 1 ; Ps. ii., xlv., Ixxii.) ; He the 
 'Child bom' (Isa. vii. 14, ix. 6); He the 
 mysterious Sufferer (Ps. xxii., Isa. liii.) ; 
 He the 'Lord our Righteousness' (Jer. 
 xxiii. 6) ; He the great '"Son of Man' (Dan. 
 vii.) ; He the ' Sun of Righteousness ' (Mai. 
 iv, 2), &c. &c. [See Lesson IL] 
 
 2. The Company of Christ. 
 
 ' While He walked with us by the way.' 
 True, they knew not who it was ; but that 
 shews all the more His power to kindle the 
 heart. Here is (as they thtak) a perfect 
 stranger; yet very soon they are letting 
 out their discipleship, which Peter was 
 afraid to confess, and which the Apostles 
 were concealing from the Jews with doors 
 locked (John xx. 19) ; and after two or 
 three hours together they can't bear to 
 part with Him. Though they knew Him 
 not, His presence made them happy. 
 
 We may have the same ' burning hearts '— 
 the same joy with which they returned to 
 Jerusalem. And in the same way : — 
 
 (a) By having the Scriptures opened to 
 us. Have your hearts ever ' burned ' at 
 what you have read and heard in God's 
 Word ? Why not ? or why not more 
 often '/ Because, don't care about it. Those 
 two men did; foolish and ignorant they 
 were, yet they loved the Lord Jesus, — 
 therefore ready to listen. Do you say you 
 would listen eagerly if Christ Himself 
 taught you? But they knew not that it 
 was He; and sometimes when minister or 
 teacher speaks, it is Christ si^ealdng by iiis 
 voice. Do you say the Gospel is not .icw 
 to you, as it was to them ? But the Scrip- 
 tures were not new to them — they knew 
 them without understanding them. If you 
 wUl study them, you wUl find it is so with 
 you. Christ has the hey : ask Him to open 
 His treasures to you. 
 
 ih) By having Christ as our companion. 
 Sometimes, like those men, two of you 
 take walk together. They talked about 
 Him : what do you talk about ? Is it not 
 about what interests you most ? Matt. xii. 
 34 ; and what is that ? (Comp. Deut. vi. 7 ; 
 Mai. iii. 16, 17 ; 1 Thess. v. 11 ; Heb. x. 24). 
 If He were really to ' draw nigh,' would 
 your talk stop ? and if so, how would you 
 be pleased ? Only try having Christ with 
 you — it does not perhaps seem such a happy 
 thing tm you do try it — but when you do, 
 you will be just like those two disciples, 
 anxious to heep Him — will say, 
 
 ' Abide with me from morn to eve. 
 For without Thee I cannot live.' 
 
 Notes. 
 
 1. Cleopas is quite a different name from Cleo- 
 phas (John xix. 25 : see Lesson XCVII., Note 5). 
 It is entirely uncertain who he was, who was his 
 companion, and what was the object of their 
 jo\irney. The numerous conjectures in which 
 the older commentators iudulged are not worth 
 repeating. All we know is that they were not of 
 thetwelve (see ver. 33). The siteof Emmaus also 
 has yet to be identified ; the places usually 
 named are further from Jerusalem than the 
 7J miles mentioned by St. Luke and by Josephus. 
 
 2. The non-recognition of Jesus by the two 
 disciples is ascribed to ' their eyes being holden,' 
 Jtnd they did not know Him until 'their eyes 
 
 were opened.-' St. Mark (xvl. 12) says that He 
 appeared ' in another form.' It would seem that 
 the Lord n-illed and caused that they should not 
 recognise Him, In order that nothing might dis- 
 tract their minds from the testimony of Scripture 
 itself, as He unfolded it to them. Yet He may 
 have used means to effect this : His ajipcarance 
 may have been designedly altered ; and He may 
 have revealed Hirasell to them at last by some 
 well-known action oi iiis in blessing, breaking, 
 and distributing the bread, or (as Alford suggests) 
 by allowing the nail-marks in His hands to be 
 seen. 
 
 Some have thought that the supper was a cele- 
 bration of the Lord's Supper ; but Trench {Studies 
 
274 
 
 LKSSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LOBD. 
 
 in the Gospels) convincingly refutes this idea; 
 and obviously it would not account for Christ's 
 being 'known of them in breaking of bread,' for 
 they were not present when the Eucharist was 
 instituted three days before. 
 
 3. In ver. 18, 'Art thou only a stranger?' should 
 be rendered, either, ' Art thou the only stranger?' 
 {i.e.. Surely there can be no other, even of the 
 strangers now here, who has not heard of these 
 ttiings)-or, 'Art thou a sojourner alone?' {i.e., 
 Have you kept so much to yourself as not to have 
 heard of these things ?) 
 
 4. ' fools!' This is not a contemptuous term 
 like 'Thou fool' in Matt. v. The word means 
 ' without understanding,' and might be rendered 
 more mildly, ' foolish ones,' or ■ unreasoning 
 ones.' 
 
 'Ought' is the word (get) mentioned several 
 times before as so often used significantly of 
 Christ's work : ' Was it not right, necessary, and 
 fitting?' 'Cftrist' should be 'the Christ," i.e., 
 the Messiah : it is not ' Was it not necessary that 
 
 Jesus of Nazareth, your Master, should suffer?* 
 —but ' Was it not necessary that the promised 
 Messiah should suffer? Does not, therefore, 
 the death of your Master prove that He was 
 Messiah ? ' 
 
 ' /ti all tne Scnptiires the things concerning Him- 
 self.' Alford takes these to mean 'something" 
 very different from mere prophetical passages. 
 ' The whole Scripturfes,* he observes, ' are a testi- 
 mony to Him ; the whole history of the chosen 
 people, with its types, and its laws, and its pro- 
 phecies, is a shewing forth of Him . . . Observe 
 the testimony which this verse gives to the 
 Divine authority, and the Christian interpreta- 
 tion, of the Old Testament; so that the denial of 
 the references to Christ's death and glory in the 
 O. T. is henceforth nothing less than a denial of 
 His otcn teaching.' 
 
 The sufficiency of Scripture alone, without any 
 personal revelation of Christ, is strikingly shown 
 in this narrative. 'If they hear not Moses and 
 the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, 
 though one rose from the dead.' 
 
 Lesson CL— In the Upper Room. 
 
 ' Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I MyselJ.' 
 
 Read — Luke xxiv. 36 — 43 ; John xx. 19 — 29 ; Learn — Acts x. 40, 41 ; 1 Pet. i. 8. 
 {Hymns, 64—71, 105, 121, 147, 149, 289, 320, 342, 345, 371.) 
 
 To THE TeACHEB. 
 
 It is, commonly thought that ' picturing ' refers mainly to the scenery and furniture 
 (30 to speak) of a narrative. But the most important and effective kind of picturing is 
 not that which comes of the study of Jewish topography and antiquities, useful as this 
 is. It consists in bringing out the full meaning of the simple language of Scripture by 
 a reverent use of the imagination. The present lesson affords a good illustration of 
 this. There is scarcely any room for ' scene-painting,' and any speculation as to the 
 appearance of the Saviour's risen and perfected body would be both unwise and un- 
 profitable. But we have various men of differing characters and temperaments passing 
 through all the stages of despondency, fear, doubt, hope, sui-prise, joy ; and if the 
 teacher, by careful thought during his preparation hours, can put himself into the 
 position of those men, and imagine (however faintly) their successive changes of feeling, 
 he will find, when he goes to his class, that nothing will interest children more than 
 the vivid representation of human emotions. This applies equally to the senior and 
 
 infant classes. 
 
 Sketch op Lesson. 
 
 To whom did Jesus appear on that first 
 day of the week? {Ileaipitulate^—lAa.ry 
 Magdalene, the other women, Peter, the 
 two travellers. To-day see two visits to the 
 Apostles. 
 
 I. The First Sunday Evening. Luke 
 •xxiv. 36—43 ; John xx. 19—23. 
 
 That same evening, all assembled to- 
 gether to talk of the strange news (John, 
 19 ; Luke, 33). They had not believed the 
 women's first report (see Luke, 22 — 21), but 
 now — not only is the grave certainly empty, 
 but the Lord has been seen. Yet are all 
 agreed on the matter? see Luke, 34, 
 some convinced ; Mark xvi. 14, some still 
 doubting. 
 
 A knock at the door — who can it be? 
 
 yes, friends — door opened— the two come 
 back from Emmaus, ' burning ' with eager- 
 ness [last Les.ton^ to tell — what? Door 
 again carefiUly fastened — whj'? John, 19 
 — miglit be aiTcsted and accused of stealing 
 body of Jesus (see Matt, xxviii. 12, 13). 
 Then more questioning, arguing, doubting, 
 affirming. 
 
 Suddenly— ^/(ere is Jesus! But, door 
 fast, how got in ? can't be Ho ! is it a 
 spirit ? No wonder ' terrified and aft'righted' 
 (Luke). But now His Voice breaking the 
 breathless silence — ' Pence.' Then mark 
 what He docs — three things : — 
 
 1. He satisfies them that it is IliwselJ. No 
 mistaking tliat Voice ; yet Jesus, in His 
 tenderness, will make tliem quite sure. 
 Three proofs, Luke xxiv. 38 — 43 : — 
 
IN THE UPPER ROOM. 
 
 275 
 
 (a) ' Behold My hands and My fett.^ 
 The nail-marka there still ! His body- 
 changed — before, a weak, raortal body like 
 ours, could feel pain, fatigue, hunger — now 
 a ' glorious body ' (FhU. iii. 21), perfect 
 and immortal — all its infirmities left in the 
 grave, but not those nail-viarks — the shameful 
 slave's death never to be forgotten — why, 
 do you think ? 
 
 (b) 'Handle Me and see.' They should 
 know not only by seeing, but by touching — 
 eyes might be deceived, might fancy Him 
 there — but, no phantom, no ghost — can feel 
 the flesh and bones (see 1 John 1. 1). Jesus 
 has a real body still. What do the disciples 
 think and feel now ? Wondering joy (Luke) ; 
 ' glad ' (John) ; John xvi. 22 fulfilled ;— yet 
 so joyful that can't be sure ! (Luke) — ' too 
 good to be true ' (comp. Ps. cxxvi. 1, 2). 
 So another proof : — 
 
 (c) Did eat before them. Did He need 
 food ? no, yet could take it [see Lesson 
 XCVIII. Note 2J. Disciples satisfied now 
 — this a proof indeed — see what Peter 
 thought of it, Acts x. 41. 
 
 2. Me assures them of His forgiveness and 
 love. 
 
 'Peace be unto you'— not only usual 
 gi-eeting, but says it twice. What would it 
 remind them of"? Three nights before. He 
 said it to them in that very room [see Note 
 1], John xiv. 27. Ah, but then they were 
 His faithful servants, ready to die with 
 Him ; and what have they done since ? 
 Can't help being glad to see Him, yet 
 would they not feel like Jacob's sons when 
 Joseph made himself known ? — see Gen. 
 xlv. 3, ' troubled at his presence.' But that 
 word ' Peace ' — what does it tell them and 
 us ? Of forgiveness and favour (see Micah 
 vii. 18, 19) — His ' nature and property 
 always to have mercy and to forgive.' 
 And lue know hoiu He procured mercy and 
 peace for us sinners — those nail-marks re- 
 mind us of that. 
 
 3. He renews their apostolic commission. 
 One thing to forgive — another thing to 
 
 trust again. [Illust. boy employed at par- 
 ticular work — neglects it — may be forgiven, 
 but will he be set to same loork again ?] 
 ' Peace ' a great mercy, but this not all, see 
 ver. 21 — they forfeited their apostleship 
 when they forsook Him, yet He will make 
 them Apostles again. And what an office 
 it is ! an office like His own : He, ' sent ' by 
 the Father — they, ' sent ' by Him (comp. 
 John xvii. 18) ; He, the Apostle (Heb. iii. 1) 
 — they, Apostles too ; He, sent to maJce 
 peace between men and God (Col. i. 20), 
 they, to proclaim peace (2 Cor. v. 18 — 20). 
 
 But how be fit for such a work ? Failed 
 before — will they not fail again ? Yes, if 
 left to themselves. But they shall not be 
 left ; that promised Comforter [Lesson 
 LXXXVin.\ is coming ; and to assure 
 them of that, what does Jesus do ? ver. 22. 
 Why ' breathed ' ? Breath a sign of life — 
 if you stopped breathing, what then ? what 
 does 'breathed his last' mean? So God 
 
 gave Adam life by breathing (Gen. ii. 7)— 
 life of body ; but life of soul only by the 
 Holy Ghost (see Rom. viii. 5 — 13 ; comp. 
 Ezeic. xxxvLL 9 ; John iii. 6 — 8). Without 
 Him, dead ; with Him, alive, and strong to 
 do Christ's work. 
 
 And then, sent by Christ, and taught by 
 the Spirit, fit to be rixlers and judges in the 
 Church, ver. 23 — both to punish and to 
 pardop men who sinned in the Church. 
 See how St. Peter acted so afterwards, 
 Acts V. i— 11, viii. 18—24 ; and St. Paul, 
 1 Cor. V. 3—5, 13 ; 2 Cor. ii. 6—10. [^See 
 Note 3.] 
 
 II. The Second Sunday Evening. 
 John XX. 24—29. 
 
 One of the Apostles not there that 
 night. How glad he would be when heard 
 news — how sorry at absence ! Was He ? 
 ver. 25. How this ? did not Thomas love 
 Jesus ? ah yes, see xi. 16 ; yet that very- 
 text shows what at bottom of his unbelief — 
 was gloomy and desponding — looked at 
 dark side of everything ; thought then 
 that they were all going to death ; so in 
 John xiv. 5, what a sad and dark question 
 he put ! And now, had given all up — the 
 others might have a passing hope of some 
 day seeing their dead Master again, but 
 not he — has made up his mind about it. 
 So when news comes, ' We have seen the 
 Lord,' perhaps a sad shake of the head — 
 they might be deluded, not he — only one 
 thing would satisfy him (what ? ver. 25), 
 and that out of the question, of course — 
 ' no, I will not believe.' [See Note 5.] 
 
 Yet he is persuaded to ]oin them again — 
 meet on the next ' evening of first day.' 
 Doors fastened as before (ver. 26) ; yet 
 suddenly, the7-e is Jesus again ! First the 
 greeting, 'Peace'; and then — ? ver. 27. 
 Does Thomas want now to touch the 
 wounds ? ah, he has a better proof than 
 that — sees that Jesus knows all his thoughts 
 — that Master whom he believed dead and 
 gone has been watching his dark soul all 
 the week — all 'naked and open' to Him 
 (Heb. iv. 13). So he knows it is Jesus 
 now. More than that : light has burst in 
 upon his heart (compare Nathanael, John 
 i. 46 — 49) — he sees all — sees what the 
 others have not fully seen yet — this Jesus 
 is none other than God ! mark what he calls 
 Him, ver. 28. 
 
 Now see what Jesus said to Thomas, ver. 
 29. A good thing for Thomas to believe ; 
 but a better, a most blessed thing for 
 others — for whom? Well, ive are like that 
 in one thing — we ' have not seen ' ; is the 
 blessing ours ? have we ' believed ' ? What 
 shall we believe ? 
 
 (a) That Jesus is God. Well, we do 
 believe that. Yes, but do we treat Him 
 as our God, honour, obey, worship Him ? 
 Do we lift up our hearts, and say, as 
 Thomas did, with love and adoration, 
 ' My Lord and my God ' ? 
 
 (o) That Jesus is Man — Man still in 
 
276 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 heaven, with the real body that rose from 
 the dead. We beheve that too. But do 
 we think of His condescension in 'taking 
 the Manhood into God,' and look to Him 
 as our sympathising Friend and ever-living 
 Advocate ? 
 
 (c) That Jesus died for our sins — that 
 ihose nail-marks were made for us. This, 
 
 j too, we believe. But have we come to 
 I Him to have our own sin taken away ? 
 
 and have we renounced sin out of love to 
 i Him? 
 
 If so, then 'peace' for us, Rom. v. 1. 2. 
 
 More than that — see 2nd text for rep. — 
 
 ' though now ye see Him not, yet. beUecing, 
 
 ye ' — what? 
 
 Notes. 
 
 1. It is highly probable that the room in which 
 the disciples assembled was the same in which 
 the Last Supper was eaten. Th.it was an ' upper 
 room,' and after the Ascersion we find them 
 gathered together in an ' upper room ' (Acts 
 i. 13). The owner of the house was very likely 
 himself a disciple, see Lesson LXXIV., Notes. 
 
 St. Luke says 'the eleven' were gathered to- 
 gether, although Thomas was absent. The 
 term, like 'the twelve,' is used as a collective 
 title for the Apostles, without reference to the 
 exact number present at any particular time. 
 St. Paul speaks of this very visiL being to 'the 
 twelve,' 1 Cor. xv. 5. Compare Tennyson's lines 
 about 'the Si.v Hundred' at Balaclava, which 
 expression does not mean that there were 600 
 exactly, neither more nor less. 
 
 2. It is not to be supposed that Christ invisibly 
 opened the closed door, and so came in. To 
 His risen body, such material obstacles were evi- 
 dently no obstacles at all. See Lesson XCVIII., 
 
 Note 2. 
 
 3. Christ's breathing on the disciples was not 
 the bestowal of the gift of the Holy Ghost, 
 which was not until I'entccost ; rather a sym- 
 bolic prophecy of the gift yet to come. 
 
 On the much controverted 23rd verse, the fol- 
 lowing extracts are the best comment :— 
 
 ' To no human being, save to Christ alone, 
 has the power of forgiving sins primarily and 
 .•ibsolutely been committed by God. See Matt, 
 ix. 6; Rev. iii. 7. But to admit to the Church 
 (i.e., to Christ's kingdom on earth) by baptism, 
 to exclude from it by excommunication, to re- 
 store again by absolution and remission of cen- 
 sure—these arc powers which Christ commits 
 to His people, and especially to the rulers and 
 elders of His people' (Bp. Harold Browne, Ex- 
 pos. Articles, p. 708). 
 
 ' The Apostles, though endued with the gift of 
 
 tongues were not endued with power to 
 
 bestow an actual remission of ofTences, such as 
 would free the soul from all danger, when ap- 
 I>earing before the judgment-seat of Christ; 
 and as little might they hurl the thunderbolt of 
 vengeance, and sentence transgressors to the 
 
 lake that burnetii with (Ire and brimstone 
 
 The power to retain an<l to remit sins was but 
 the same authority [as to 'bind and loose'] 
 conveyed in different terms (Ilnd., p. 770). 
 
 'The remitting and retaining of sins answer 
 to the loosing and binding spoken of on other 
 occasions (Matt. xvi. 19, xviii. 18). This power 
 is exercised in two ways. First in regard to 
 oxternal privileges, the Cliurch havinganthority 
 in her Lord's Name to admit to, and to shut out 
 from, the means of grace .... Secondly, in re- 
 gard to the actual relation of the individual soul 
 to God, the Church pronouncing God's scntcucc 
 
 in His Name. This takes place in the Abso- 
 lutions. In them the priest, as the messenger 
 or ambassador of Christ, declares and pro- 
 nounces the sentence of Christ's pardon for the 
 comfort and assurance of His people' (Canon 
 Walsham How, in the S. P. C. K. Commentary, 
 in loco). 
 
 ' With the gift and real participation of the 
 Holy Spirit, comes the conviction, and therefore 
 the knowledge, of sin, of righteousness, and of 
 judgment .... They who are pre-eminently 
 filled with His presence are pre-eminently gifted 
 with the discernment of sin and repentance in 
 others .... The Apostles had this in an especial 
 manner, and bj- the full indwelling of the Spirit 
 were enabled to discern the hearts of men, and 
 to give sentence on that discernment. See Acts 
 V. 1—11, viii. 21, xiii. 9' (Alford, in loco). 
 
 It should be observed that our Lord's words 
 were not addressed to the Apostles only, as 
 there were others with them, Luke xxiv. 33. 
 
 4. If we had only St. Luke's Gospel, we might 
 imagine that our Lord ascended to heaven on 
 the evening of the das' He rose, though, even 
 apart from the other Gospels, such an idea is- 
 corrected by St. Luke himself in Acts i. 3. The 
 forty days' interval must be understood between 
 the 43rd and 44th verses of Luke xxiv., as the 
 command to ' tarry in Jerusalem,' in ver. 49, 
 must have been given when the Apostles had 
 returned from Galilee after the Lord's appear- 
 ances there. This return was very likely by 
 His direction, as was the journey to Galilee 
 itself. 
 
 5. The character of Thomas has been much 
 misunderstood. A man who lived in an age of 
 general belief in the supernatural, and who 
 attached himself to a worker of miracles, can 
 scarcely be regarded as the prototype of modern 
 sceptics. He seems to have been of a despond- 
 ing nature (comp. John xi. 16, xiv. S), and if so, 
 the death of Christ may well have overcome 
 him so comidctely as to render him almost inac- 
 cessible to comfort. Like most persons who 
 give way to despondency, he showed also a 
 wilfulness in clinging to his doubts—' / icill not 
 believe.' But that he was nevertheless pecu- 
 liarly attached to his Siaster is clear both fronj 
 John xi. 10, and from his noble burst of adoring 
 devotion in this passage. Wliat a much higher 
 kind of love his was than even Slary Magda- 
 lene's we may learn from our l^ord's different 
 treatment of them : to her who loved His 
 sacred hunuuiily, lie says, ' Touch me not' ; to 
 him who was ready to confess His Divinity, He 
 says ' Keacli hither thy hand.' The chapter on 
 'Thomas,' in Dr. Hauna's forlj/ Days, is par- 
 ticularly good. 
 
277 
 
 Lesson CII.— The Morning by the Lake. 
 
 * Follow Me, and I icill make ijou fishers of -nien! 
 
 Read — John xxi. 1 — 19; Zea/vj— John xxi. G, 17. {Hymns, 76, 132, 160, 161, 171, 321, 
 
 330, 340, 3-17, 355.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 There is a good deal of matter m this Lesson, and probably each teacher wiU have tc 
 make a selection for his own class : which wUl not be a difficult task, because the various 
 parts can be taken separately without much loss of interest. The best part to omit, 
 with junior classes at all events, will be Division I. The second section of Division II. 
 should by all means be taken with intelligent classes, as it may probably be new even to 
 the best instructed, ver. 18 being often slurred over in expositions of this chapter. 
 
 Many children who have never seen sea-fishing know about river-fishing. This kno'.v- 
 ledge should be utilised bj' the teacher, and the differences briefly explained. 
 
 In dealing with the subj ect of love to Christ, the very common test — ' How may you 
 know that you love Him ? do you obey Him ? ' — should be used sparingly and with 
 caution. We do not set a child to examine its conduct ia order to see whether it loves its 
 mother. Love is an emotion consciously felt. Peter knew his conduct had beUed his 
 love, yet he felt that he did love his Master, and confidently appealed to that Master's 
 omniscience. Rather should we say, ' If you love the Saviour, you must feel and know 
 that you do' ; and then go on, not to lu-ge the duty of loving Him, but to dilate on His 
 love to us. If we wish others to love and esteem a dear friend of ours, is not the most 
 effective way to awaken the desired feelings in them, this — to tell them ivhat he is ? 
 
 This Lesson is a good opportunity of briefly shewing the children why we come and 
 teach them. Christ commissioned His Church to ' feed His lambs,' and the Church com- 
 missions us to undertake the work. The Sunday-school teacher is not the parent's sub- 
 stitute. His work does not at all lessen parental obligations. He stands, not in loco 
 parentis, but in loco pasto)-is. Sunday-school work wUl not be properly appreciated until 
 this, its true foimdation, obtains more general recognition. 
 
 Sketch of Lesson. 
 
 A long while since we were in Galilee. 
 To-day come there again. The Apostles 
 at their old home by the Lake \see Note 1 ] . 
 How come they there ? Mark xvi. 7— wait- 
 ing to meet the Lord again. Meanwhile 
 go back to old occupation [see XoteS] — see 
 them starting off in a large fishing-boat 
 [see N'ote 5] in the evening — toiling all 
 rught at casting and drawing net — what 
 result? ver. 3. Day dawning now — no 
 fish to be got — how wearj' and downcast ! 
 
 What other time in their lives would they 
 be reminded of ? Luke v. 1 — 11, Ah! they 
 had the Master with them then, and what 
 did He do ? But now it seems all different 
 — He is no more with them in every-day 
 life — can only expect Him to visit them (as 
 at Jerusalem) when gathered together for 
 prayer — ill-success in fishing too small a 
 thing for Him to think of — no hope of 
 such another miracle. 
 
 A man calling to them from the shore, 
 kindly asking how they have got on, then 
 telling them to try again, and where. 
 Anything strange in this? No — perhaps 
 (they might think) he can see up there 
 where the shoal is [see Xote 4] — no harm 
 trying. Net soon dropped — but is it soon 
 
 lifted again ? why not ? ver. 6. Ah, this 
 is no mere ' man seeing a shoal ' — ' it is the 
 Lord ! ' 
 
 Yes, Christ has chosen this very time to 
 come to them. Whj', tiiink j-ou ? Was it 
 not to shew them and us that He is ahoays 
 watching His servants, that nothing is too 
 small for His notice, that His commands 
 and His blessings may come when least 
 expected ? He may meet you, not only in 
 church, but in school, ■workshop, street, 
 home, playground. Are we, like Habakkuk 
 (ii. 1), 'watching to see what He will say 
 unto us ' ? 
 
 But they were to learn much more than 
 this that day. Two other gi-eat lessons : — 
 
 I. What their Work for Christ 
 
 SHOULD be like. 
 
 When Jesus first called these fishermen, 
 what did He say He would make them V 
 Mark i. 17 [see Lesson A' AY//.] — and see 
 His parable about casting the net. Matt, 
 xiii. 47. Now what more do they learn 
 about this spiritual fishing, this ' catching 
 men ' ? 
 
 {a) It would be toilsome and often dis- 
 couraging work. How often St. Paul 
 found it so ! And sometimes now la 
 
278 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUB LOBD. 
 
 teachers ' toil all the year, and take nothing.' 
 How is it in this class ? 
 
 (6) But His eye would watch them and 
 His voice direct them. See Mark xvi. 20; 
 Acts xviii, 9, 10. 
 
 (c) They must listen for His directions 
 and follow them without question, and 
 then they should be successful. See Acts 
 xvi. 6—10. 
 
 {d) Another thing. Watch the men 
 bringing the tish to shore — they in a little 
 boat [see Note b], dragging net through 
 water. Will it not be broken ? Seems as 
 if it must, j'ct landed safely, and fish 
 counted out exactlj', ver. 8, 11. Here is an 
 encouragement for them ! In the parable 
 of the Net, good and bad caught, and 
 afterwards separated ; here all good, and 
 all safe. What meant ? Not one of then- 
 true converts should be lost. On heaven's 
 shore all should be counted — not one 
 missing. [See Note 6.] 
 
 (e) No need of the tish for breakfast, see 
 ver. 9 — breakfast prepared already [see 
 Note 7] — the Lord inviting them to take 
 it ! WTiere can it have come from V 
 Think — whence came the similar food 
 (bread and fish) for the 5,000 a year ago ? 
 John vi. 10, 11. And there shall be a 
 feast on the heavenly shore too — the faith- 
 ful ' fishers of men ' shaU sit down with their 
 Master in glory. 
 
 II. In V7HAT SPIRIT Christ's Work 
 
 MUST BE DOx\E. 
 
 1. Christ's workers must love Christ. 
 
 See ver. 15 — 17 [see Note 9]. Look at — 
 
 The Three Questions — 'Lovestthou Me?' 
 Why is Peter asked ? What did he do that 
 morning when the draught of fishes came ? 
 help his conirades ? no, left them to do the 
 work — swam on shore to Jesus. Just like 
 him ! — putting himself forward again — 
 thinking he cares most for the Master — as 
 before. Matt. xxvi. 33. Johti stayed to 
 help, yet did he love Jesus less ? So Peter 
 must be rebuked. But how tenderly — ' Bo 
 you love Me more than these ? ' But why 
 three times ? Think — what had Peter 
 done three times before ? 
 
 The Three Answers. Does he dare to 
 say ' more than these ' ? Ah, he is humbled 
 now. Does he say, ' Look at my conduct — 
 that shews my love'? Ah, he can't say 
 that. Yet he knows he does love his dear 
 Lord ; and he feels that his Lord knows it 
 also— knows all his sin and weakness, yes — 
 but knows his love too. 
 
 The Three Commands. Jesus can employ 
 Peter now that he is thinking little of 
 himself, and is full of love to Christ. But 
 is it all great work he is to do ? No, not 
 always bringing in great shoals of souls — 
 must often be content with quietly feeding 
 the flock, teaching and caring for Christ's 
 people. Even the little ones he used to 
 despise (Matt, xviii. 1 — 6, xix, 13, 14) : he 
 is to feed the ' lambs.' 
 
 And Peter did; and see what he wrote 
 
 in his old age to the other ' shepherds ' in 
 the Church, 1 Pet. v. 2—5. 
 
 Does Christ ask that question now — 
 ' Lovest thou Me ? ' Has He not a right to 
 ask it ? Count up what he has done and is 
 doing for us. Can we help loving Him ? 
 But how will you answer ? Do you k7ioio 
 you do love Him, despite your sins ? Can 
 you ask him to look into your inmost 
 heart, and see that you do ? Are you ' not 
 sure ' about it ? how strange ! you know 
 whether you love yomr mother — why un- 
 certain whether you love Christ ? 
 
 ' Lord, it is my chief complaint. 
 That my love is weak aud faint ; 
 Yet I love Thee and adore : 
 O for grace to love Thee more ! ' 
 
 See what Scripture says about this : — 
 (a) What kind of love does He expect? 
 Matt. X. 37 ; Eph. vi. 24. {b) Who are 
 they that do love Him ? Cant. i. 4 ; John 
 viii. 42 ; Luke vii. 47. (c) How can we 
 shew our love ? John xiv. 15 ; 1 John v. 2. 
 {d) What is said of those who love Him 
 not? 1 Cor. xvi. 22. (e) What is pro- 
 mised to those who do love him? Jas. i. 12; 
 John xiv. 21, 23. 
 
 2. Christ's workers must follow Christ. 
 
 See what else Jesus said to Peter, ver. 
 18, 19 [see Note 10 j. What does ' follow- 
 ing Christ' mean? Doing as He does, 
 gomg where He goes, being like Him, 
 imitating Him. And what would come of 
 that ? AVHiat came on Christ would come 
 on His followers — hatred of men, suffering, 
 perhaps death ; see John xv. 20. Once 
 before, Peter said he was ready to foUow 
 Jesus to death, Luke xxii. 33; did he? 
 But even then Jesus promised He should 
 'afterwards,' John xiii. 36; and what is 
 the prediction now? ver. 18. 
 
 What meant ? When young, Peter 
 ■girded himself, &c. — he had his own way — 
 whether good or bad, he did as he liked ; 
 even just now he ' girded himself ' and 
 'stretched forth his hands' to swim from 
 the boat to Jesus, just because he chose; 
 but if he follow Christ, who came ' not to 
 do His own will ' (John vi. 38), he must be 
 ready 7iut to have his own way, must be 
 ready for things he would not choose ; yes, 
 he will be 'girded' and have his ' hands 
 stretched forth' in a very different way. 
 What way? Bound as a prisoner — stretched 
 upon the cross ! 
 
 Are these words for Peter only ? No, for 
 all, see 2 Tim. iii. 12. You will not have to 
 be crucified ; but you will have to ' take up 
 a cross ' — your cross — some hard, painful 
 thing — if you would follow Christ, Matt. 
 xvi. 24 [,see Lesson LI.] ; but what will be 
 the endf John xii. 26. Peter and the 
 Apostles have long since got that reward, 
 and myriads of others — 
 
 ' A noble army, men and boys, 
 The matron an J the maid — 
 
 • * * • c 
 
 ' O (iod ! to us may prace be given. 
 To follow ill their train!' 
 
THE MOBNING BY THE LAKE. 
 
 279 
 
 Notes. 
 
 1. ' The Sea of Tiberias '—another name for the 
 Lake of Gennesareth, on which see Additioual 
 Note VI., and Map on page 65. Tiberias was the 
 chief city on the shores of the Lake. 
 
 2. ' Sheired Himself.' All our Lord's appear- 
 ances after His resiirrection are described in 
 similar language. He was not visible except 
 when He willed to be. See Lesson XCVIII., 
 Xote 2. Trench observes that it is the same with 
 angelic manifestations. ' Men do not see them, 
 but they appear to men, being only visible to 
 those for whose sakes they are vouchsafed, and 
 to whom they are willing to show themselves.' 
 
 St. John calls this the third appearance of 
 Christ ; i.e., the third to the assembled disciples. 
 
 3. Why did the Apostles ' go a fishing ' ? Not, 
 as some have thought, that they had abandoned 
 Christ's service ; but as a temporary means of 
 subsistence. Honest work is not inconsistent 
 with the attitude of waiting for the Lord. 
 
 4. There was nothing in Christ's words to the 
 disciples in the boat which any stranger might 
 not have said. ' Children' is a familiar Oriental 
 mode of address. ' Meat ' signities food generally, 
 and the question is equivalent to ' Have ye caught 
 anything?' As they evidently saw nothing 
 strange in the direction to 'cast the net on the 
 right side of the ship,' it is probable that they 
 attributed it to the stranger seeing a shoal there. 
 Shoals can often be discerned, from the higher 
 level of a bank orclifT, by the colour of the water, 
 while the fisherman may be close to the fish 
 without noticing them. In Cornwall, men are 
 stationed on the cliffs to watch the sea and give 
 signals to the boats where to cast the nets for 
 pilchards. The miracle lay in the large number 
 of ' great fishes ' which the Lord's power brought 
 to the spot at that moment. 
 
 It is characteristic of the two men, that John 
 the thoughtful was the first to recognise Christ, 
 and Peter, the impulsive, the first to go to 
 Him. 
 
 5. The 'fishers' coat' was probably the upper 
 garment, which Peter first put on, and then 
 ' girt unto him' to facilitate his swimming. 
 
 The 'little ship' (ver. 8) was the ploiai-ion or 
 small bOcit attached to the 'ship' (ploion), i.e., 
 the large fishing-vessel. See Lesson XXIIL, 
 Note 5. 
 
 6. Trench (Miracles, p. •168) well expounds the 
 symbolic meaning of the miracle, one fr two 
 points only of which are noticed in the Sketch. 
 Augustine and others of the older writers en- 
 tered into laborious calculations to ascertain 
 why the number of the fishes was 153 ; but the 
 significance probably lies simply in the fact of 
 its being a definite and not a round number, 
 denoting God's exact knowledge of 'the number 
 of His elect.' 
 
 7. ' CoTTie and dine '—literally, ' and breakfast.' 
 
 8. In the two figures of the Fisher and the 
 Shepherd, Christ describes the two branches of 
 ministerial work, the preaching to the heathen 
 and the ungodly, and the pastoral work of feetl. 
 ing and tending the flock of believers. The 
 treatment Peter himself received from the ' Chief 
 Shepherd ' is a model of this pastoral work. ' The 
 prayers, the warnings, the look of love,the angel's 
 
 message, the private interview, the conversa- 
 tion by the lake-side, these all told Peter of the 
 thoughtfulness, the care, the kindness, the pity- 
 ing sympathy, the forgiving love, of which he 
 had been the object. Thus had he been treated 
 by Jesus ; let him go and deal with others as 
 Christ had dealt with him' (Hanna's Forty Days, 
 p. 135). 
 
 9. Some very interesting points in ver. 15—17 
 are not seen in our English version. The Greek 
 word used to express love, in Christ's first two 
 questions (ayawav, agapain) is different from 
 that used in His third question and in all Peter's 
 answers (i^iAeiv, philein). The former expresses 
 the higher love of reverence, esteem, gratitude, 
 and is always used of love to God. The latter 
 expresses a lower personal attachment. It would 
 seem that Peter dared not avow that he loved 
 his Lord in the sense involved in the first two 
 questions, and used the lower word ; and that 
 Christ in forbearance adopted the latter in His 
 third question. This is the generally received 
 explanation ; but Trench thinks that Peter was 
 not satisfied to use the more reverential word, 
 and avowed a more ardent love even than Jesus 
 spoke of ; and that the third question means, 
 ' Do you indeed so love Me ? ' 
 
 The Greek words for ' feed ' are also different, 
 and (according to the probable reading) those for 
 ' sheep'; and the three commands might be more 
 exactly rendered, 'Feed My lambs'; ' Tend My 
 sheep '; ' Feed my choice sheep '—each commission 
 higher than the preceding one. 
 
 10. The remarkable prediction to Peter, in 
 ver. 18, is briefly explained in the Sketch ; but 
 its fulness of meaning cannot be given within 
 reasonable compass. See Alford, Trench, and 
 especially Stier, in loco. According to St. Jerome, 
 Peter was crucified under Nero, with liis head 
 downwards, because he alleged himself to be 
 unworthy of being crucified in the same manner 
 as his Lord. 
 
 It is not easy to fill in the details of the nar- 
 rative here. Perhaps our Lord was moving away 
 from the group, and the words, 'Follow Me,' 
 were spoken as a farewell injunction. Peter, 
 mistaking them to mean ' Come with Me now," 
 began literally to go after Jesus, and John also 
 followed. 
 
 Our Lord's reply to Peter's inquiry about John 
 was evidently a gentle rebuke. Peter had re- 
 ceived the words about himself rather as a curi- 
 ous prophecy than as a solemn warning, and his 
 curiosity was excited about his friend's ' fortune ' 
 also. Yet it is the almost unanimous opinion of 
 expositors, that Christ's words did indicate the 
 future of St. John. The expression, 'Tarry till 
 I come,' has been variously explained. Certainly 
 the destruction of Jerusalem is in some places 
 spoken of as a 'coming' of the Lord; see Les- 
 son LI., Note 6, and Additional Note X., page 
 215 ; and St. John did live to see that great 
 event, which Peter (and probably most of the 
 others) did not. ' At the destruction of Jerusa- 
 lem began that mighty series of events of which 
 the Apocalypse is the prophetic record, and which 
 is in the complex known as the COMING OF THE 
 LOBD, ending as it shall with His glorious and 
 personal advent' (Alford). And this Apocalypse 
 Christ personally gave to John in Patmos. 
 
280 
 
 Lesson CIII.— The Ascension. 
 
 ' Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God.' 
 
 Read—lMke xxiv. 50—53 ; Acts i. 1—11 ; Learw— Heb. ix. 24 ; 1 Pet. iii. 22. 
 {Hymns, 71, 72—79, 101, 316.) 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 Cliildren are too apt to think of Christ merely as One who lived and died many 
 centuries ago. It is iiot generally realised that Jesus of Nazareth is alive now. Nor is 
 this confined to children, as the common neglect of Ascension-Day, as compared with 
 Christmas-Day, Good Friday, and Easter-Day, ubimdantly shews. Yet there can be no 
 more impressive thought, no more awakening consideration, than that ' that same Jesus,' 
 as Man, with human body and soul ' taken into God ' (as the Athanasian Creed expresses 
 it), is at the right hand of God now ; that He who knows, not only in virtue of His Divine 
 omniscience, but by jjersonal experience, ' what is in man,' is ever watching us, — and 
 watching to pity, to intercede, to interpose, to ' save to the uttermost.' We rightly dwell 
 much upon a crucified Saviour ; but let us dwell more than we do upon a living Saviour. 
 
 The typical significance of the High-priest's going within the veil, as indicated in the 
 first section of Division II., will prove interesting to intelligent classes, especially if they 
 can turn readily to the references in the Epistle to the Hebrews. The other two sections, 
 introducing the analogies of the Advocate and the Elder Brother, will, however, be easier 
 to work in classes where references cannot be used. The still more important and 
 interesting subject of Chiist as the King is taken by itself in the following Lesson. 
 
 Sketch of Lesson. 
 
 How many appearances of our Lord after 
 His resurrection have we read of ? To Mary 
 Magdalene, to the other women, to Peter, 
 
 [Lesson XCVIII.^ ; to the two travellers 
 Lesson C.J ; to the assembled Apostles 
 without Thomas, and with Thomas [Lesson 
 C/.J ; to some of them by the Lake [last 
 Lesson] ; — seven in all. We are told of 
 three more : — 
 
 (1) To the whole body of His disciples, 
 nOO of them, 1 Cor. xv. 6. This (probably) 
 on an appointed mountain in Galilee, Matt, 
 xxviii. 16. There Christ gave His whole 
 Church a solemn commission — see about it 
 in next Lesson. 
 
 (2) To St. James, 1 Cor. xv. 7 — probably 
 not John's brother, but Jude's brother, 
 afterwards first Bishop of Jerusalem, and 
 who wrote the Epistle. 
 
 (3) Once more to the Eleven, at Jeru- 
 salem, Luke xxiv. 44 — 5.3 ; Acts i. 1 — 12. 
 There His final directions — to wait for the 
 promised Comforter (Luke, 49). Then His 
 final departure. Whither? See Creed — 
 • //(' ascended into heaven, and sitleth on the 
 rif/hl hand of God, the Father Almighty.' 
 Think about this to-day. 
 
 I. The Ascension of Christ. 
 
 1. Giiing vp from the earth. 
 
 They are in" the city— vcrj' likely in that 
 same ' upper room ' where Last Supper 
 eaten, where Jesus appeared on those two 
 Sunday evenings. He ' leads them out ' — 
 whither? (Luke, 50) — by the old familiar 
 road, over the Kedron, past Gethsemane, up 
 Olivet, over towards Bethany. lie is telling 
 them what they are to do when He is 
 gone (Act.<?, 8) — ' witnesses.' [Illustrate hy 
 
 witnesses in law-courts.'] What have they 
 ' witnessed ' ? His life, miracles, character, 
 sufferings, death, resurrection. One thing 
 more they are now to witness — to see with 
 their own eyes the Man Christ Jesus ascend- 
 ing to heaven. 
 
 Look ! His hands are lifted up — what to 
 do ? Like the high priest's blessing of old. 
 Lev. ix. 22, Numb. vi. 22 — 27. And at that 
 moment He rises from the midst of them, 
 wafted upwards into the air. His last act 
 to them to bless them ; what is their last 
 act to Him ? (Luke, 52) — see them wor- 
 shipping Him as their Lord and their God. 
 Now standing again, gazing up — but He is 
 gone— only a white cloud there. Suddenly 
 a touch, a voice — two strangers — who ? 
 Come to tell them of one thing more they 
 shall witness— what ? But not yet — no, and 
 even now, 1800 years after, it is still not 
 yit— hut it shallho. and n-e all shall witness 
 it. ' He Cometh with clouds,' as He went. 
 Rev. i. 7. And He will come blessing— hut 
 blessing whom ? His own faithful followers 
 — shall we be among them ? 
 
 2. Going up into heaven. 
 
 It was a quiet scene on Olivet ; men knew 
 nothing of what was going on — not even the 
 people over the hill in Jerusalem. What 
 woidd Pilate, Herod, CaiajilKus, have thought, 
 had they seen that sight ? And as to the 
 great men far away in Greece .and Rome, 
 what was it to them what happened on that 
 Jewish mount ? 
 
 But in heaven — what thought of it there ? 
 How would tlie angels receive their Lord — 
 His time of humiliation over— His reipn 
 of glory begun? See the pic'.i. c of the 
 
THE ASCENSION. 
 
 281 
 
 triumph which God put into David's mouth, 
 Ps. xxiv. 7 — 10. And remember, the Son 
 of Grod does not go back to heaven as He 
 left it : He is Man now as well as God. He 
 was made ' a little lower than the angels ' 
 for a while — but now—'? see Heb. ii. 9 ; 
 1 Pet. iii. 22 ; Phil. ii. 7—11. He came to 
 fight with Satan — He returns a conqueror, 
 Ps. Ixviii. 18. See the Father's words to 
 the Son, Ps. ex. 1. 
 
 II. Christ at the Right Hand of 
 Goi). 
 
 Has He gone away and abandoned His 
 Church ? Has He forgotten the world He 
 lived in ?' Why, He is there to represent us. 
 
 1. Like the High Priest. Every year, on 
 ' great day of atonement,' after offering 
 sacrifices for sin, the High-priest went with- 
 in the vail into the Holy of Holies : what 
 with ? (a) The blood of the sacrifice ; (b) 
 incense to burn before God, All this ty- 
 pical of, a picture of, Christ's work. See 
 Heb. iv. 14, vi. 19, 20, viii. 1, ix. 11, 12, 24, 
 X. 12. He offered Himself, the ' one sacri- 
 fice for sins for ever' (x. 12) — then went 
 within the vail [see Lesson XCVL] — out of 
 sight — into God's presence — to present (as 
 it were) His blood to God — and some- 
 thing else, the incense, His intercession for 
 us. He is always there, pleading for us ; 
 therefwe we may be ' saved to the utter- 
 most,' Heb. vii. 2.5 ; Rom. viii. 34. See also 
 Heb. ii. 17, iv, 15. 16. 
 
 2. Like an Advocate. What is an ' advo- 
 cate ' ? [Explain : illustrate from courts of 
 /rtw.] One who ' appears for ' us. Just 
 what Jesus does, Heb. ix. 24. We like pri- 
 soners at the bar ; Satan the accuser (Zech. 
 iii. 1 ; Rev, xii. 10) laying things to our 
 charge ; and we are ' verily guilty.' But 
 Christ is our Advocate (1 John ii. 1), and 
 pleads our cause. Can He fail ? No, for 
 He has Himself paid the penalty, borne the 
 punishment. 
 
 3. Like an Elder Brother. Heaven the 
 inheritance of God's children, Col. i, 12 ; 
 1 Pet. i. 4. Why theirs? It is for the 
 Heir and His brethren. Jesus the Heir, 
 Heb. i. 2; we (if His time servants) His 
 brethren, Heb. ii. 11 — therefore joint heirs, 
 Rom. viii. 17 ; Gal. iv. 7. He, the Elder 
 Brother, has gone before to take possession 
 of the inheritance, to ' prepare a place for 
 us ' — then will ' come again and receive us 
 unto Himself,' John xiv. 2, 3. 
 
 Therefore, — 
 
 (1) Think (f Christ as a Living Saviotcr. 
 We like to think of Bethlehem — of the Son 
 of God becoming a little child for our sakes 
 — 'the mystery of His holy Incarnation.' 
 Weliketothinkof Calvary — of His 'precious 
 Death and Burial.' But forget not ' His 
 glorious Resurrection and Ascension.' Not 
 a Saviour who once lived and died, but One 
 who is alive noiv — our Friend and Brother 
 in heaven. 
 
 The Lord Jesus looks down — sees Chris- 
 tian child Sony for sin — prays that he may 
 be forgiven ; sees child struggling against 
 sin — prays that he may be strengthened. 
 If he did not, none would be forgiven, 
 none strengthened. Can you turn awaj- 
 from such a Friend ? Must you not love 
 Him? 
 
 (2) ' Seek those things which are above, 
 luhei'e Christ sitteth on the right hand of 
 God' (Col. iii. 1). [Jlhist. — Emigrant en- 
 grossed in countri/ he is going to; reads 
 of it, asks abovt it, thinks of it day and 
 night; almost there already in his ihovghts.^ 
 So should we think of the 'better country- 
 (Heb. xi. 16). Then heaven not so strange 
 to us when we get there. ' Grant . . . that 
 like as we do believe . . . Christ to have 
 ascended into the heavens, so we may also 
 in heart and mind thither ascend ' (Collect, 
 Ascension Day). 
 
 Notes. 
 
 1. It is remarkable that the Ascension should 
 have been recorded only by one Evangelist, St. 
 Lnko, and that in both his works, the Gospel 
 and the Acts. The fact, however, is stated in 
 Mark's Gospel, though no circumstances are 
 siven. Matthew ends with the great Commis- 
 sion; yet his Gospel plainly fmpi/c.s the Ascen- 
 .sion.as it speaks prominently (chap. xxiv.,xxv.) 
 of Christ's Second Advent. St. John's Gospel 
 also implies the fact ; see chap. vi. 62, xx. 17. 
 
 The conclusion of Mark's Gospel is a brief 
 summary of the Lord's final Interview with the 
 <lisciples. Ver. 14—20 mu?t not be read con- 
 tinuously: ver. 14 evidently refers to the earlier 
 appearances at .lerusalem ; ver. 15—18 is pro- 
 bably parallel with Matt, xxviii. 18-20, where 
 the commission given to the assembled Church 
 on the mountain in Galilee is given ; ver. 19 
 simply records the fact of the Ascension, with- 
 out stating the time and place— only that it was 
 after the delivery of the final instructions. 
 
 The whole of Luke x.xlv. 44— .53 no doubt refers 
 to the last interview at Jerusalem ; see Lesson 
 <.'L, Note 4. 
 
 2. It Is both unwise and useless to speculate 
 on the locality of our Lord's body in heaven. 
 We can say no more than Is said by Bp. Pe.irson 
 (Expos. Creed, Art. vi.) — ' Whatsoever heaven 
 there is higher than all the rest which are called 
 heavens ; whatsoever sanctuary is holier than 
 all which are called holies ; whatsoever place is 
 of greatest dignity in all those courts above,— 
 into that place did He ascend, where in the 
 splendour of His deity He was before He took 
 upon Him our humanity.' 
 
 Bp. Ellicott (Lectni-es on Life of Christ, p. 417) 
 says :— ' To none of the great truths relating to 
 the two natures of our Lord is it more necessary 
 to adhere firmly in the present age than to this. 
 A hearty belief in the literal and local ascent of 
 our Lord's humanity into the heavens is in 
 itself a belief in the whole mystery of the union 
 of the Godhead and Manhood. If in His death 
 our Lord has assured us of His humanity, and 
 in His resurrection has demonstrated His di- 
 vinity, most surely in His ascension has He dis- 
 played both.' 
 
282 
 
 Lesson CIV.— The King and His Kingdom. 
 
 ' Thy Kingdom come.^ 
 
 iJend— Matt, xxviii. 18—20 ; iearn— Matt. xxiv. 14 ; Ps. xxii. 27, 28. 
 88, 89, 102, 103, 121, 127, 229, 231, 235, 238.) 
 
 {Hymns, 51, 73, 87, 
 
 To THE Teacher. 
 
 A Course of Lessons on the Life of Our Lord cannot end as an ordinaiy biography does. 
 Christ's sojourn on earth was but, as it were, an episode in His life. Of every man who 
 has died it may be said in a verj' important sense that he is still alive. But the Lord 
 Jesus is alive as men will be after the Resurrection, i.e., La body and soul too — and 
 that without taking His Godhead into account. Moreover He is not only living, but 
 ruling over that earth on which He lived for a time, and spiritually present with His 
 Church. It is therefore well to conclude this Course with a Lesson on the dispensation 
 which intervenes between His assumption of the Kingdom at His Ascension and the 
 consummation of that Kingdom at His return in glory. And this Lesson will, for those 
 teachers who may intend to take up the succeeding Course on the Acts of the Apostles, 
 fitly introduce the Lessons to come. 
 
 The first part of this Lesson ought not to occupy so much time in proportion to the 
 rest as it appears to do in the Sketch. The steps of the argument are given somewhat 
 fully, and will need very little expansion. Let the teacher hasten on to what are really 
 the two gi-eat topics before him, viz. the position of baptized Christians as the subj ects of 
 the Kingdom, and the duty laid upon every Christian to help in the extension of the 
 Kingdom. 
 
 Although the remarkable testimony of the passage before us to the doctiine of the 
 Trinity is not referred to in the Sketch, it well deserves to be noticed in passing, if 
 possible. The baptismal formula in the 19th verse, and the benediction in 2 Cor. xiii. 14, 
 are probably the two most convincing of the Scriptiu-e proofs of that great doctrine ; for 
 rmless the Son and the Holy Ghost are co-equal with the Father, how can they be 
 mentioned in this close connection with Him ? The familiarity of the words, too, makes 
 them always available as proofs. 
 
 On the authority afforded by the passage for the Baptism of Infants, see Note 2. 
 
 Sketch of Lesson. 
 
 Why England called a ' kingdom ' ? go- 
 verned by King (or Queen). "Who are the 
 Queen's subjects? If honour her, obey 
 laws, sing ' God save the Queen ' heartily, 
 what sort of subjects are we? But suppose 
 not loya], are we subjects still? All English- 
 men her subjects— even if disloyal and re- 
 bellious, duty still the same— no power or 
 right to say, ' I won't be her subject.' 
 
 Queen's dominions very large— subjects 
 all round globe, ' on her empire sun never 
 sets.' But there is a King far greater, with 
 far wider dominions — ? see Ps. xlvii. 7 — 
 ' God is the King of all the earth.' 
 
 Who then are God's subjects? What 
 kind of subjects are most men, loyal or dis- 
 loyal ? Look at missionary map of world — 
 how few and small the loyal parts I Even 
 here, in Christian coitntry, how few really 
 loyal ! 
 
 How came this ? Satan, a rebel himself, 
 first started rebellion on earth — when ? 
 Ueurped God's dominion (.Tohn xiv. 30 ; 
 2 Cor. iv. 4). Now men naturaU;/ rebel — 
 need no tempting — 'at enmity with God' 
 (Rom. viii. 7). 
 
 Now what did Christ come for ? To re- 
 conquer the Kingdom ; to win back the 
 
 rebels to their rightful King, To-day see 
 what He has done and is doing to accom- 
 plish this great purpose. 
 
 I. Christ the King. 
 
 Of course, the Eternal Son always was 
 King, as God. But this quite a different 
 thing. God's plan this — to make a man 
 King of men — one of themselves to win 
 them back. But, not one loyal enough ! 
 How then ? (a) The Son of "God became 
 Man, was bom. lived, died, 'in all things 
 like' us (Hob. ii. 17). (b) He took on Him 
 all our guilt, .and bore the punishment 
 Himself, (c) Then, sin atoned for, God's 
 justice satisfied. He rose again and went 
 back to His heavenly throne — but not as 
 before — Man now as well as God. [Last 
 Le.<ison.^ 
 
 And what then ? The Kingdom given 
 into His hand to restore it back, make it a 
 loyal Kingdom. He is King now as Man, 
 almost like God'.i Viceroy. See Matt, xxviii. 
 18 f All jmwer (/ivev unto Me,' ^c.) ; Ps. ii. 6 
 (' Yet have I set My King,' cf-c.) ; Isa. ix. C 
 (' Unto vsa child is born . . . and the goi'ern- 
 ment shall be vpon His shoulder ') ; also .Ter. 
 xxiii. 5 ; Dan. vii. 13, 14 ; Mic. v. 2 ; Zech, 
 ix. 9 ; Luke 1. 32 ; Phil. ii. 9—11. 
 
THE KING AND HIS KINGDOM. 
 
 283 
 
 Now see how the King sets about winning 
 back His rebellious subjects. 
 
 II. Christ's Proclamation to the 
 Rebels. 
 
 1. What is proclaimed. See Luke xxiv. 
 47 — ' Repentance and remission of sins.' 
 How wonderful ! A proclamation, not of 
 judgment, but of mercy ; not that all shall 
 be 'prosecuted with the utmost rigour of 
 the law ' (though that would be quite just), 
 but a free pardon for all who submit ! Two 
 difficulties, indeed — men 7V0Ti't turn, and 
 can't turn ; but see the remedies — the story 
 of a crucified Saviour, of the King Himself 
 djang for them, to make them icilling ; the 
 King's power to make them able ; see Acts 
 V. 31 — ' a Prince to give repentance ' as well 
 as forgiveness. 
 
 2, Soto it is to he j}roclai7ned. See Luke 
 — ' preached to aU nations.' By whom ? 
 See Mark xvi. 15 — ' Go ye ' — spoken to all 
 Christ's L.ervants — ' and preach the Gospel,' 
 the ' glad news,' ' good tidings of great joy 
 to all people ' (Luke u. 10). 
 
 But^now see what is to be done with the 
 returning rebels : — 
 
 III. Christ's New ' Kingdom ' or 
 Society of Loyal Subjects — the 
 Church. 
 
 See Matt, xxviii. 19, 20— [«ee Note 2]— 
 ' Make disciples ' — ' bapitize ' — ' teach.' 
 
 1. Every repenting rebel to come out and 
 be separate (see 2 Cor. vi. 17, 18)— to join 
 the ' blessed company of all faithful people ' 
 (Cor^Mun. Serv.) — to take the King's side 
 in the face of all — to be ' made a disciple.' 
 
 2. But how ? Must be some public sign 
 of this. Baptism, which ' doth represent to 
 us our profession' {Bapt. Service) — to be 
 ' signed with the sign of the cross in token 
 that hereafter.' &c. But something in Bap- 
 tism besides tliis : ' baptizing them into the 
 Name,' &c. [see Note 3] — ' into Christ' (Gal. 
 iii. 27) — into a share in God's covenant {i.e , 
 agi-eement with repenting rebels to forgive 
 them, see Acts ii. 3H)— ' into the kingdom of 
 God's dear Son ' (Col. i. 13). 
 
 3. And what after that ? See 20th verse 
 — to learn diligently ' all things whatsoever 
 commanded'; having joined the King, to 
 study the King's laws, listen to His mes- 
 sengers, be loyal in everything. 
 
 This company or society Christ's Church. 
 Called also His 'kingdom'; — all the earth 
 His Kingdom in one sense, all men His 
 subjects; but His loyal subjects make up 
 His ' kingdom ' in another sense. This the 
 ' kingdom of heaven ' announced by John 
 the Baptist (Matt. iii. 2), and about which 
 Jesus taught so much (Matt. iv. 17, v. 3, 10, 
 19, 20, vi.^33, vii. 21, viii. 11, xiii. 11, 24, 31, 
 33, 44—47, xvi. 19. xviii. 3, xix. 14, 23, 
 
 xxii. 1, XXV. 1, 14). [See Lessons XVII.. 
 XXV., XXVIII., XL., LXVL, &c.] 
 
 Think of that band of five hxmdred 
 on the hill in Galilee [see last Lesson^, 
 to whom Jesus said these words of Matt, 
 xxviii. 18. What would they think ? 
 (a) The Master's wondrous claim — ' all 
 power.' (6) Their tremendous task — to go 
 to ' all nations,' ' every creature ' — how could 
 <Aey, weak and ignorant, do thafi ah, there 
 is a third thing, — (c) The gracious pro- 
 mise — ' Lo, 1 am with you ' — I who have 
 ' all power ' — ' always,' every day [see 
 Note 4j — wherever you may be, whatever 
 may happen, however you may feel — ' unto 
 the end ' ! And what then ? Why then, 
 instead of Ee with them, they with Ilim 
 (John xvii. 24 ; 1 Thess, iv. 17). 
 
 You are in the ' Kingdom.' Not only 
 because Christ rules over all *in heaven 
 and earth ' ; but specially dedicated to 
 Him, enlisted among the loyal subjects, 
 received into the Church — when ? When 
 baptized, what said ? ' We receive this 
 child into the congi-egation of Christ's 
 flock,' &c. What a happy thing, to be not 
 in the camp of the rebels, but 'under 
 Christ's banner ' ! 
 
 But are you loyal subjects indeed ? Do 
 you 'observe all things whatsoever Christ 
 has commanded ' ? What ! disloyal now ! 
 a rebel in Christ's camp ! a traitor ! a 
 deserter ! Ah, there are thousands like 
 that. When we pray for ' Catholic Church,' 
 have to ask 'that all who profess and 
 call themselves Christians may be led into 
 the way of truth.' Let us be 'faithful 
 soldiers and servants.' 
 
 Ai-e you helping to extend the Kingdom ? 
 You pray 'Thy kingdom come' — do you 
 care about it ? Have you ever thought of 
 winning one companion over to the side of 
 loyalty ? Do you take a share in the great 
 missionary work ? Jesus said to ns all, 
 ' Go ye.' Let each say, ' Lord, what wilt 
 Thou have me to do ? ' 
 
 But whether we remain loyal or not, 
 whether we help to extend the kingdom or 
 not, it ivill extend. The end will come. 
 ' Jesus shall reign where'er the sun 
 Does his successive journeys run.' 
 
 Where shall we be then ? The Lord pre- 
 serve us from the fate of those who say, 
 ' We wiU not have this man to reign over 
 us,' Luke xix. 14, 27. Rather may we be 
 among that gi-eat multitude that shall say, 
 ' Alleluia ! for the Lord God omnipotent 
 reigneth' (Rev. xix. 6). 
 
 ' Oh that with yonder sacred throng. 
 
 We at histeet may fall, 
 Join in the everlasting song, 
 
 And crown Him Lord of all ! ' 
 
 Notes. 
 
 1. The ' Kingdom* referred to in the Sketch is 
 trb&t is theologically termed the ■ Mediatorial 
 Kingdom' of Christ, t,e., His Kingdom as the 
 Mediator, the Glorified Man ; which is quite 
 
 distinct from the eternal Kingdom or rule over 
 all things of the Triune Jehovah. The purpose 
 of this Mediatorial Kingdom is, as more simply 
 explained above, the restoration of this earth 
 
284 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 and its Inhabitants to its pristine position in 
 the moral universe, the ' restitution of all 
 things ' (Acts ill. 21), the ' redemption ' for which 
 * the whole creation groaneth and travaileth ' 
 (Rom. viii. 22). AVhen this Divine purpose shall 
 have been finally accomplished, the Mediatorial 
 Kingdom will apparently be merged into the 
 Eternal Kingdom of Jehovah ; see 1 Cor. xv. 
 24-28. 
 
 2. Two distinct Greek words in ver. 19 and 20 
 are both rendered in our version ' teach,' which 
 somewhat obscures the sense. What our Lord 
 does say is, ' Go ye and make disciples of all 
 nations ' — J. e., make them Christians, bring 
 them into My Church. Then follows the 'bap- 
 tizing,' and then the ' teaching' or instruction 
 in all things that Christ has commanded. 
 
 This passage, compared with the parallel one 
 in Mark xvl. 15, 16, clearly lays down the order 
 of missionary operations. Baptism Is not to 
 precede faith ('lie that believeth and is bnp- 
 tized'); nor, on the other liaud, is it to be de- 
 layed until tlie convert has been fully taught 
 ' to observe all things.' First the ' preaching of 
 the Gospel'; tlien the baptizing of those who 
 believe and accept it ; then the detailed teach- 
 ing of the baptized. 
 
 At the same time, the passage afTords a strong, 
 though indirect, argument for Infant Baptism, 
 in the simple circumstance that infants are not 
 excluded. For the Apostles would unquestion- 
 ably interpret the command in the light of the 
 ordinance of circumcision, with which they 
 were so familiar. If a Gentile became a prose- 
 lyte, he would be circumcised, and his infant 
 sons would be circumcised with him. Had 
 Christ therefore said, ' Go ye and make disciples 
 of all nations, cwcunKising them,' the command 
 
 would be understood, as a matter of cour.<ie, to 
 include children ; and the appointment of Bap- 
 tism as the new sign and seal of the Christian 
 covenant could not alter the principle of action 
 without a distinct direction to that effect. And 
 accordingly we find the Apostles afterwards 
 baptizing 'households,' without a word to limit 
 the expression to adults. 
 
 3. In ver. 19, 'in the Name' should bo 'into 
 the Name.' It is not merely that Baptism would 
 be done 'in the name of ,' i.e., by the authority 
 of the Trinity, but that the baptized would be 
 brought into a certain relation to the Trinity, 
 i.e., into the Christian covenant. Compare the 
 expressions 'baptized into Christ' (Gal. ill. 27), 
 and 'baptized unto Moses' (1 Cor. x. 2). The 
 Greek is the same in all three places. 
 
 Observe that it is not said 'into the names,' 
 although the Three Blessed Persons are men- 
 tioned ; but 'into the Aame,' implying Their 
 essential unity. 
 
 4. The Catechism speaks of the Sacraments as 
 'generally necessary to salvation.' This ex- 
 pression is fully warranted by Mark xvi. IG. 
 At the same time there is no mention of ' not 
 being baptized' as causing a man to be 
 'damned': for two reasons, (1) that the lack of 
 baptism is no absolute bar to salvation, (2) that 
 those who ' believe not' will be ' damned' whe- 
 ther baptized or nnbaptized. 
 
 Whatever may be the destiny of the heathen, 
 they are certainly not finally cnudemned in this 
 particular verse. The words, ' He tliat believeth 
 not,' obviously mean, ' He that believeth not 
 uhen he hears your preaching.' 
 
 5. ' Alicays,' in ver. 20, is, in the Greek, 'all 
 the days,' i.e., every day, even to the end. 
 
 The End. 
 
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 builvlk I.UI1U, Lit/. 
 
SERIES OF LE SSONS. 
 
 LESSONS ON THE LIFE OF OUR LORD. 
 
 By Eugene Stock. In Two Volumes. The First Volume contain- 
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 By Eugene Stock. With Coloured Map of St. Paul's Journeys. In 
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 [3i] « 
 
THE CHURCH SU NDAY SCH OOL HYMN BOOK. 
 
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 Containing Four Hundred Hymns ; the last One Hundred Hymns being specially 
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 with references to the best known Tune Books. 
 
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 " An admirable selection. . . . For piirity of text, transparency of arrangement, clearness ol 
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 devoted to its preparation." — Sunday School Teacher (Sunday School Union). 
 
 [12] 
 
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 Price One Shilling each. 
 
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 [6] 
 
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 [38] 
 
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