D'visioa'£)52-555 ,.. Of PH Four Portraits OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST Some Suggestions for Young Christians beginning to study the Gospels By GEORGE SOLTAU CHARLES C. COOK 150 Nassau Street New York, N. Y Copyright, 1905, BY Charles C. Cook. FOREWORD BY C. I. SCOFIELD, D.D. TTAVING had the privilege of reading the advance sheets of "Four Portraits of the Lord Jesus Christ," by Rev. George Soltau, it gives me pleasure to commend it unreservedly. Of the making of "Lives of Christ," there is no end; but they all have the grave defect of incompleteness. The materials for a Hfe of Christ do not exist. Four men, inspired by the Holy Spirit, wrote four books, known as the Gospels, in which they presented the one Personality in His four great char- acters; but it was no part of their purpose to write a narrative biography. It is not possible to produce such a biography from the fragmentary accounts which they give of His words and works. The harmonists are in hopeless disagreement. But the harmonized Lives of Christ not only fail of necessity to tell the great story — they serve but to confuse the divine intent in the four Gospels. They give a blur, and not a portrait. They have the effect of a composite photograph. There is, therefore, need for this book. Helped by its suggestions, the student of the four Gospels will be brought into a clear vision of the Christ in the four ways in which He stands related to God and man; and through which He works out, in ordered beauty and perfectness, the divine purpose. CONTENTS CHAPTER. PAGE. I. Introductory. Survey of the Four Portraits.. i II. St. Matthew: "The King." Divisions, Key- word, Scope 17 III. St. Matthew: The King's Five Proclama- tions 35 IV. St. Matthew: The Parables — Photographic and Prophetic (fj V. St. Mark: "The Servant." His Character, Conduct, Treatment Received 84 VI. St. Mark: The Servant at Work 99 VII. St. Luke: "The Man." His Prayerfulness, Compassion, Humanity 126 VIII. St. Luke: A Prophet; Teaching of God, of Sin, and of Prayer 153 IX. St. John : "The Son of God." Keywords, Mes- siahship 176 X. St. John : The Signs 197 XI. St. John: The Sent One, the Lamb of God. . 207 XII. The Closing Week. The Crucifixion; the Su- perscription 216 XIII. The Resurrection and Ascension 231 Appendix. What is the True Explanation of the Death of Christ 255 MANY NAMES ARE DEAR. Many names are dear, but His is dearer; How it grows more dear as life goes on! Many friends are near, but He is nearer, Always what we want and all our own. Jesus, Jesus, let us ever say it Softly to ourselves as some sweet spell; Jesus, Jesus, troubled spirit, lay it On thy heart and it will make thee well. In the hour of gloom it shines before us. Like that welcome star that gilds the morn; Vanished hope and joy it will restore us, Till their sudden rays our soul adorn. Jesus! Jesus! in the home of glory, Still that lovely name shall tune our lays, Jesus! Jesus! all the wondrous story Of His love shall fill eternal days. P. Skene. Four portraits of the LORD Jesus Christ I CfiAPTER I. INTRODUCTORY. T has pleased God to give us, in His Word, four narratives of the earthly life of His Son the Lord Jesus, as contained in the four Gospels. These four portraits are drawn by four different men, who present them to us from four different standpoints of vision. It has long been a practice for Bible students to attempt to draw up a harmony of the four Gospels. While this is, no doubt, very interesting, yet is it not obvious that the object of the Holy Spirit, in giving us four such distinct narratives, is to fix attention on the individual features presented by each writer, rather than to enable us to draw up a consecutive history of the words and works of the Son of God ? There will be considerable profit and blessing resulting from a study of these four separ- ately, sedcing to discover what may be the distinctive features in each case, and what may be the lessons the spirit of God would have us learn from them. In handling this subject, one must necessarily go over much ground that is familiar to many. To almost 2 Four Portraits. all, it will be known that St. Matthew represents the Lord as the King; St. Mark as the Servant of God; St. Luke as the Son of Man; while St. John pre- sents Him as the Son of God. The four faces of the Cherubim seem to have a di- rect reference to this fact, in that they correspond with these four features, thus : The Lion is the sym- bol of St. Matthew's Gospel, that animal being the king of beasts ; the Ox represents the servant of St. Mark's Gospel ; the Man that of St. Luke ; while the Eagle, for its keen vision and swift flight, represents St. John's portrait of the Lord. His Headship may next be glanced at in its four connections. In St. Matthew's Gospel, it is to be over the Jewish race ; in St. Mark's, over the Church, to be composed of those whom He has touched and delivered by His healing, saving power ; in St. Luke's, it is to be over the whole human race, for He is the Son of Man over all men ; while St. John shews Him to be "Head over all things." He is to hold the sceptre of univer- sal empire. Four prophecies are found in the Old Testament, in each of which the Lord is described as The Branch. It is interesting to note how these four have an apparent connection with the features of the four Gospels, now under consideration.' In Jer, Four Portraits. 3 xxiii. 5, we read, ''Behold the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch^ and He sJmll reign as King, and deal wise- ly, and shall execute judgment and justice in the land." A similar passage is found in Jer. xxxiii. 15, "In these days and at that time will I cause a Branch of Righteousness to grow up unto David: and He shall execute Judgment and righteousness in the land." This prophecy had a partial fulfilment as re- corded by St. Matthew, but awaits FUL-filment. Then in Zech. iii. 8, we find the words, "Behold, I will bring forth My servant the Branch." This fits over St. Mark's portrait of the patient, diligent Servant of God. In Zech. vi. 12, again, "Behold the Man whose name is the Branch^ and He shall grow up out of His place." This prophecy is in accordance with what St. Luke portrays in his Gospel — the wonder- ful man amongst men, growing up from infancy, and moving amongst men. Lastly, in Isaiah iv. 2 : "In that day, shall the Branch of Jehovah he beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel." The glorious Son of God of St. John's Gospel shall return yet, and reveal Himself as the Son of God from heaven, in the eyes of His ancient people, who, at His first coming, rejected Him and refused to own Him. 4 Four Portraits. In the two portraits which present Him as spe- cially identified with the human race, there are two genealogies given. St. Matthew, writing for Jews, gives His descent from Abraham and David. These are the two most important names to a Jewish mind. If the eye shall catch sight of these tw^o names at the very beginning of the narrative, may not the Jewish reader be induced to pursue his reading of the story of such a descendant? Then St. Luke gives the genealog)' back to Adam, shewing how the Saviour belongs to all the race, and not exclusively to one nation. The Servant needs no genealogy, for He is known by the character and quality of His work, and the Gospel of St. ^lark opens with the voice from heaven, ''This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." This is God's commendation of the Serv- ant to all who shall need Him to serve them, in His infinite grace. St. John seems to see Him coming out from the very bosom of the Father, and introduces Him as being ''in the beginning zvith God," and says He "was God." He comes from eternity, suddenly ap- pearing upon the sphere of human existence, "the Word made Hesh," and after the life lived and the ministry wrought, as St. John records it. He re- turns as suddenly back to that place of eternal holi- Four Portraits. 5 ness and light, the bosom of the Father. Nothing is said of Bethlehem or Nazareth, or Jerusalem or of the Mount of Olives. He has come as God — He has gone as God. He is the Son of God equal with the Father, the Word who was from the beginning, who is so still, and who ever will be. The Portrait as Drawn by St. Matthew is, as we have said, specially for his own nation. He shews at the very outset that He is the rightful claimant to the throne of David, by proving the direct descent of Jesus of Nazareth from David. That throne re- mains unclaimed from that day to the present, and will never be claimed by any but Jesus, because He alone can prove His lawful rights to succeed. No other Jew has ever since been able to produce his genealogy. There had been no claimant for 600 years before ; there has been none for 1900 years since. Notice the four women mentioned, in that first chapter, as identified with the ancestry of Christ: Thamar — whose name is associated with gross sin ; Rahab — a Gentile, a heathen, and a harlot ; Ruth — a Moabitess, a heathen, and therefore one who had no right in the congregation of Israel ; and the wife of Uriah, an adulteress. Sin, sorrow and shame are all here interwoven into this story; be- cause the Son of God came to bear away our sin and sorrow, and to be truly the Son of man. ''Verily, 6 Four Portraits. not of angels doth He take hold; hut He taketh hold of the seed of Abraham" (Heb. ii. i6). ''It is evident that our Lord sprang out of Judah" (Heb. vii. 14). He is the Root and Offspring of David; He is the Rod of the stem of Jesse ; and the Branch out of his roots (Isa. xi. i). He is the Root out of the dry ground (Isa. hii. 2). In the Old Testament, this was prophecy; in the Gospel of Matthew, it is history. It is never lost sight of that Jesus of Nazar- eth is the King of the Jews. By many, it is sup- posed that this title is extinct, but it is not. Rev. V. 5 proves this, where He is called the Lion of the tribe of Judah. On the throne, as seen by the apostle, long after His ascension. His position and title are acknowledged in heaven, and in virtue of that title. He steps forward to take the book and to open the seals — the title-deeds to His lawful pos- session of earth. For further confirmation of this truth in this Gospel, the various names by which He is called in the earlier chapters may be collated, and considered in this connection. A King must govern, must be able to deliver His kingdom from its enemies, must make and enforce laws, must demand and receive obedience, other- wise He cannot reign as King. How, then, shall He be treated? Shall He be received and acclaimed? shall He be enthroned? shall He be obeyed? shall His control be submitted to? These are the ques- Four Portraits. 7 tions which this Gospel practically asks and answers, revealing His undoubted claims to the place that was declared to be His, giving His utterances as King, and then describing how He was treated by His own nation, how He came unto His own but His own received Him not. The Gospel, however, closes with His own words as to His return, as King, to the very nation that would not have Him, and how His coming would be for their salvation, when He should come with all the holy angels. In the meantime. He bade His disciples remember that He had all power both in heaven and on earth. The opening question of the Gospel is in ii. 2 : ''Where is He that is born King of the Jews?" and the closing statement from His own lips, as He ascends, with the marks of the rejection by His own nation in His person, are, *'All power is given unto Me in heaven and on earth" (xxviii. i8). Do we now call Him our King? It so, are we careful to fird out His commandments, in order that we may obey them ? It is not enough to say, "Make Jesus KingT It must be done literally by loyal obedience, so that others may see that we are under another monarchy than that of this world. The Portrait as Drawn by St. Mark is for the Romans, who were the governing people at that time. He so weaves his narrative as to divest 8 Four Portraits. it of special Jewish features, explaining terms that might not be usually understood, and presenting this One, not as a king, but as the Servant of God, One to serve men of all classes, who are in need and trouble. He seems to say to all his readers, "Look at this One working for you, living for you, suffer- ing for you, dying for you, rising for you. Greater is He than any god you ever worshipped or heard of, coming in close touch with all the necessities of the multitudes, with the utmost sympathy and tenderness. He appears as the true Priest amongst men, dealing with the great question ot SIN, able to understand sinners, their guilt, their shame, their weakness. Engage Him, submit to Him, work with Him, work for Him, confide in Him. God sends Him to do for you what you cannot do for your- self." Roman thought was accustomed to the idea of p Giver, not service, as the symbol of true greatness. God will teach the true fact of greatness in the life of lowly service and ministry. Notice the first miracle that St. Mark records. It is the casting out of an unclean spirit in a synagogue. This is the great power of Satan, which no one can resist of himself. Jesus comes to save, to work the work of God in deliverances, and that in most un- likely ways and in most unlikely places. The chief question will be. Is He competent? can He do what Four Portraits. 9 I need? He will require such patience, such for- bearance, such sympathy, such strength, such knowl- edge! Then hear His character from God: ''My be- loved Son, in Whom I am well pleased/' Long ago, He was God's Master-workman. ''When He estab- lished the heavens I was there then I was by Him as a master-workman. I was daily His de- light, rejoicing always before Him .... There- fore, hearken unto Me, My sons" (Prov. viii. 27-30). The opening question in the Gospel is that of i. 27, "What is this? a nezv teaching! With authority, He commandeth even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him." It had never been so seen before. Life- less, powerless synagogue services, conducted with due formality ! But here was a Teaching that ac- complished something : it disclosed the unsuspected power and presence of the enemy, and then dislodged him. Here was service, here was work that touched need, and met it. But how was He spoken of? In vi. 3 is another question, "Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James, and loses, and Judas, and Simon, and are not His sisters here with usr That is all that many thought of Him and said of Him, and so refused to let Him work the works of God for them and in them. The closing statement in xvi. 17— "The Lord also working with them"— \i2.TmomzQ?> with the opening thought. Though risen and glorified, yet He is still the lo Four Portraits. Worker, the Servant of Jehovah, to save, succour, and help the needy. He is the same now as when here on earth yet how different. Though His work on earth is finished, for xvi. 19 tells us "He sat down on the right hand of God," yet His unfinished work of serving continues, through the Holy Spirit sent down from heaven, while in heaven He ever lives to make intercession for us. The Portrait as Drawn by St. Luke is for the Greek-speaking peoples. Here we see Him as the Man, entering the world as you and I did: growing up in it, working for His daily bread, shewing the intensely human side of His character; tenderness, compassion, readiness to help, fearlessness, courage, sternness against sin, but such tenderness to those who were the victims of sin. He was always talking so much of God, and of the love of God, that they all wondered at the gracious words that proceeded out of His mouth. He is a man ! therefore confide in Him, trust Him, make Him your friend ; let Him eat and drink with you ; take Him into your house, into your councils, into everything. He is perfectly human, as well as Divine. He is a Prophet ! He bears a message from God ; listen to Him. Such a man, as a prophet, must be Four Portraits. 1 1 perfectly fearless, very attractive and interesting, and must be able to come in touch with every-day, work-a-day life. He must be able to adapt Himself easily and equally to every class of society, with the utmost grace of manner, ease and skill. He must not be "condescending" to those who may think themselves socially beneath Him, neither must He be seeking the patronage of those who may think themselves above Him. He must be quite in touch with all human surroundings. Hence, this portrait will be found to be exquisitely beautiful from the human side of things. The story opens with certain family portraits ; His mother, her cousin Elizabeth and her husband Zacharias, the aged Priest in the Temple. Then we find old Simeon and the aged prophetess Anna, and His own cousin John the Baptist. On almost the first page, you have an inn, sheep, shepherds, and angels, too. Heaven and earth mingling because some one from heaven has arrived on earth in a most interesting and human way. The Boy — so obedient at home, the Learner, the Questioner, in- telligent, earnest! What interesting questions He asked ! what a charming boy to talk with ! It is Jesus. A Prophet is He ? He must know God intimately. He must know man intimately. He must put into 12 Four Portraits. human language the thoughts of God, as far as they can be reduced to language. He must be quite fear- less on three points : First. In describing sin and its consequences. We must know the worst. Second. In describing God's righteous dealing with sin. There must be no uncertainty here. Third. In describing God's dealing with a sinner. (Here we must distinguish between Sin and the Sinner. Sin must meet with holy, righteous wrath and indignation. God would de-tach sin from the sinner, in order thus to deal with it. This is the offer of the Gospel. Then God would at-tach that sinner to Himself, and make him an heir of glory, lavishing on him all His eternal love and grace. If the sinner refuses the treatment offered, God has no alternative but to deal with the sin and sinner together). The Gospel is full of narratives, not found else- where, that illustrate all these points, and also shew His exceeding kindness, sympathy, and love for all around. The story opens with song, continues with song, and closes with song. By contrast, St. Mat- thew opens with the wail of the stricken, bereaved mothers, and closes with Woe, woe, woe! There is no song in that Gospel. How could there be ? It Four Portraits. 13 is the story of sorrow and sin in the rejection of the King. St. Luke gives the story of the Saviour and His salvation. The opening question is in ii. 49: ''Wist ye not that I must he about My Father's business^' and the book is full of how He went about doing it. Then the closing words are in xxiv. 51 : 'While He blessed them." He ended with His Father's business as He had begun, and He is still occupied in the same way. The Portrait as Drawn by St. John. This Apostle gathers up all the features of the other three, namely, that Jesus is Prophet, Priest and King, and combining them all, gives the addi- tional features of the Deity and Divinity of the Lord. It is a Full-length Portrait. Is He a King? Then Nathaniel's utterance con- firms it: "Thou art the King of Israel' (i. 49), and His own utterance in xviii. 37, "To this end was I horn." Is He a Servant? He walked to Samaria to serve a poor, unhappy, sinful woman. He walked to Beth- esda to look for a helpless man and give him strength. He laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself, and washed the disciples' feet. It is the lowliest act of service as a man amongst 14 Four Portraits. Is He a Man? He was wearied with His journey. He was thirsty, and asked for water. He needed food. He loved. He groaned. He wept. And is that man a Prophet? Such utterances concerning God and sin, as recorded by St. John, are found in no other writing. But what more does this apostle tell us? That He dwelt in the bosom of the Father — (at Nazareth, say Matthew and Luke). That He was sent by the Father, and came from the bosom of the Father — (that he was born in a manger and fled to Egypt, say the others). That the Will of God was behind all He did and said on every occasion — (that He was full of compassion, and pity, and grace, say the others). That the World was the range of His vision — ''God so loved the world," "He came into the world," "To hear the sin of the world" "The world could not contain the hooks that should he written" — (Judea, Samaria, Galilee, Perea, Tyre, Sidon, say the others). The opening question of this Gospel is in i. 38, "Master, where dwellest Thou?" and near the close amongst the last words are these in xv. 4: "Abide in ME, and I IN YOU" It is the new abiding place, where any one may meet Him who enquires of Him. And what are the impressions that St. John makes? 'This is my Lord Jesus Christ. I have Four Portraits. 15 leaned on His bosom. I have seen Him. I wish all my friends knew Him ! I wish my country knew Him ! I wish the World knew Him ! Not the World for Christ, but Christ for THE World. i, W o 1— > H C/2 The Son of God. 1 The Eagle. 1 Is. iv. 2. Head Over All Things None. For the World. Where dwellest Thou? i. 38. Abide in me, and I in you. xv. 4. As from Eternity. The Individual Soul. From Personal Im- pressions. Demonstrative. M 1-5 c % d c Zech. vi. 12 Head of Human Race Traced to Adam . . . Wist ye not that I Must be about my Father's Business? ii^ 49 While He blessed them. xxiv. 51 ... By Family Sur- roundings The Human Race . . From Others' Im- pressions Biographical Oi < I 4. cr i E- C 0. c 4. Head of the Church Nnne c n E c OS What is This? A New Teaching 1 i. 27 The Lord Also Working With Them. xvi. 17 ... By Character The Needy From Another's Im- pressions Narrative i < c 4. 1— 4. E- Jer. xxiii. 5 Head of Jewish Race Traced to Abraham. Where is He That is Born King of the Jews? ii. 2 All Power is Given Unto Me. xxviii. 18 House of Israel . . .. From Personal Im- pressions 1 1 3. The Prophecy .. "Branch." 4. His Headship . . 16. For Whom Writ- ten 7. Opening Question 8. Closing Statement 9. How Introduced.. 10. Sphere of His u V u 4. ^ =. Chapter II. ST. MATTHEW : THE KING. The Divisions, Keywords, Scope. Behold your king.— John xix. 14. The Author. THE writer of this Gospel was a Galilean, Matthew by name, having also a Jewish name, Levi. The corresponding Latin name would be Theodore, meaning Gift of God. He was a busi- ness man, accustomed to the use of the pen, but en- gaged in a business hated by his countrymen, that of tax-collector for the Roman Government, and therefore estranged from his nation, and likely to wield no influence, amongst them, for good. His call to follow the Lord is briefly recorded by himself in chapter ix. 9. It must be inferred that he had had some previous knowledge of the Lord, and that this interview was by no means the first. One wonders whether he might not have been among the tax-gath- erers who attended John the Baptist's mission (Luke iii. 12) , and there received his first impressions. He was evidently a man of decision, for he acted imme- diately, rose up, left all, and followed Jesus. So thorough was the change from the habits of the old 17 1 8 St. Matthew: The King. life to the new, that he made a great feast for all his old business associates, which St. Luke describes as for a great company of tax-gatherers, sinners, and others. It was a splendid start, a clean cut with all the past, and a deHnite act of committal to the new leader and the new associations. If the call was his conversion, the feast was his consecration. The other fact about him is that he became one of the Apostles; x. 3 is his own record, and he mentions that he had been a tax-gatherer, not being ashamed to refer to "the hole of the pit from whence he had been digged." The only other thing we know about him personally is that he wrote this Gospel, which has been probably more blessed to Jewish readers than any other section of the New Testament. The main argument in his writing is that all that has happened to Jesus of Nazareth has been fulfilment of Scripture, and, therefore, should appeal pre-emi- nently to the nation, "whose are the oracles of God," convincing them that Jesus is Messiah. Nothing that occurred was accidental. ''For ever, O Lord, Thy word is setitled in heaven" (Psa. cxix. 89). The Jews were well versed in their Scriptures They professed to base all their hopes upon them, and they claimed to understand them. Hence, the blindness, both of heart and will, in rejecting Him who so evidently, before their eyes, was daily ac- complishing Scripture. St. Matthezv: The King. 19 It will well repay the time and trouble expended to study out the interweaving of Old Testament Scripture in the fabric of this book. It is the con- necting link between the old and new dispensations. and, therefore, stands first in the canon of the New Testament. Similarly, the first epistle, that to the Romans, is one which, setting forth clearly God's way of saving a sinner, is found to be composed of a large amount of Old Testament Scripture. This is an important fact because the faith of many in these Scriptures is threatened and undermined, and it is well to see the value attached tO' them by the Holy Spirit. The life of our Lord upon earth, His death, resurrection, and ascension, together with the great fundamental doctrines of the gospel, have their origins and roots in prediction. If, therefore, the prediction be believed to be inaccurate and unin- spired, that which is constructed from it will be mis- trusted also. Sweep away the foundiations, and the whole fabric must disappear. Characteristic Phrases. The following phrases are characteristic of St. Matthew: ''That it might be fiilMed." ''It is written/' "It hath been said to them of old time." "Have ye never read?" Taking the first of these, it will be found to occur fourteen times, and in con- 20 St. Matthew: The King. nection with the following books: P&alms, Isaiah. Jeremiah, Hosea, and Zechariah. ''It is written/' will be found nine times, and ''It hath been said to them of old time," six times. Putting the two phrases together, being so similar in thought, we shall find that the following books are referred to: Exodus, Leviticus, Deuteronomy, Psalms, Isaiah, Micah, Zechariah, Malachi. One of these references is that made by the devil in the ''Temptation," to the 91st Psalm. "Have ye never read?" is used by the Lord Himself six times in his controversies with the Pharisees, who claimed to be the custodians and expositors of Scripture. It was, therefore, his way of rebuking their ignorance of what they professed to be so well versed in. He referred them to Gene- sis, Exodus, Numbers, Samuel, Psalms, and Isaiah. In addition to the foregoing, there will be found six distinct quotations from Exodus, Job, Psalms, Isaiah, and Hosea, and between forty and fifty allusions to the foregoing books, and also to Kings, Chronicles, Ezekiel, Daniel, and Jonah. In all, it will be found that nineteen books of the Old Testa- ment are required for the structure of St. Matthew's Gospel — the Pentateuch, three historical, two poetical, and nine prophetical — and that the Holy Spirit has put His hand upon Scripture from Genesis to Malachi, to obtain the necessary material for this writing. This fact should strengthen faith and re- St. Matthew: The King. 21 new confidence in the verity and accuracy of the Old Testament Scriptures. Fifteen characters are referred to in this book, namely : Abel, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, Solomon, Queen of Sheba, Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Jonah, and Zacharias. This, of course, does not include the names in the genealogy in the first chapter. The Divisions. For the purpose of study, the book may be divided as follows: (a) Introduction : Genealogy, Birth, Forerun- ner (i-iii. 12). (b) Ministry in Galilee, prefaced by the Bap- tism (iii. 13-xvi. 20). (c) Crucifixion prepared for and accomplished, prefaced by Transfiguration (xvi. 21- xxviii). Another suggested definition is: (a) Preparation (i-iv. 16). (b) Proclamation (iv. 17-xvi. 20). (c) Propitiation (xvi. 21-xxviii). The six great facts are Birth, Baptism, Trans- figuration, Crucifixion, Resurrection, Ascension. These are the "crises of the Christ/' 22 St. Matthew: The King. The Topic. The great topic of the book is the Arrival amongst, Proclamation to, Rejection of the King, by the nation to whom He came, and to whom He belonged. Bear in mind how strictly Jewish are the surroundings of this narrative, and, therefore, how Jewish will be the style of the Lord's discourses, five of which are given. The application of much of what the Lord said to our present time and state is another line of study equally full of profit. We must further remember that though He was rejected, yet in no way have His claims abated, or the purposes of God been frustrated. He must return, if only to take the throne of David and fulfil the Scriptures, and the nation to whom He belongs must receive and ac- claim Him here on earth, as foretold. There is a spiritual kingdom ; there is also a visible and actual kingdom. The same principles of righteousness will be found in both, but the one does not do away with the other. ''Nozv we see not yet all things put under Him," but we believers see Him spiritually as our Lord and King. The topic, then, being the King, we shall find the word "king" applied to the Lord Jesus fourteen times. Then the word ''kingdom" will be found seventeen times; the phrase, "kingdom of heaven" thirty-two times, and the phrase, "kingdom of God," St. Matthew: The King. 23 five times. In all, these words are found sixty- eight times in the twenty-eight chapters. The word of a king is authoritative. "I say unto you," is His oft-repeated phrase, and occurs fifty-four times in the narrative. These should be looked out and underlined. How grating must this phrase have sounded in the ears of His enemies, who disputed His rights and claims to the Messiahship, as He put His own utterances alongside those of the Holy Spirit in olden time, and claimed for them the same authority and position as for the words of God from Mount Sinai. This would be nothing less than blasphemy from any human lips, and it is not sur- prising that He was accused of such blasphemy. Chapter Headings, Shewing the Scope. In order to see clearly the scope of the book, and to be able to retain in the memory the main outline, it is found of the greatest service to select a title for each chapter, commit it to memory, and also have it written in over each chapter. In this way, the contents of the chapter can be associated with the title given, and the mind is helped in further meditation. We shall select a title for each chapter, illustrating the fact that it is the portrait of the Kini^ we are considering. Chap. i. Pedigree of the King. This gives 24 St. Matthezu: The King. the line of succession from David and Abraham, and proves His lineage. Chap. ii. Homage to the King. The wise men have arrived, guided by Scripture and by the star. The gifts are royal — gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Though finding Him' in a stable, they are in no way disconcerted, but worship the infant Jesus by faith. The gift of gold was opportune, inasmuch as God had foreseen the speedy, rapid flight into Egypt, where Joseph would be unable to maintain his fam- ily as at Nazareth, and thus are all expenses met! Chap. iii. Heralding the King. The Forerun- ner appears and commences his six months' ministry of preparation, preaching, ''Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand," and fulfilling Old Testament predictions. Chap. iv. The King in Conflict. He has in- vaded the dominion of His great foe, in order to re- cover possession of it lawfully. At the very thresh- old, therefore. He will meet His foe alone in single combat, who will commence to try issues with Him. The "Temptation" shall be met by Him- in the strength alone by which every disciple afterwards shall meet temptation. His only weapon shall be the Scriptures that are in the hands of His people. Filled with the Spirit, led by the Spirit, and with the Sword of the Spirit, He fights and conquers. Un- St. Matthew: The King. 25 weakened by the conflict, He proceeds to the call of some of His disciples, and to the opening of His ministry among the people. Chaps, v., vi., vii. The Principles of the King- dom. These three chapters contain what is popular- ly known as The Sermon on the Mount. Careful reading will disclose that the words were addressed to the disciples, as the inner circle of His followers, and not to the crowd that was allowed to gather and listen, and that they were meant for their special instruction and guidance. As He taught them, the crowds gathered up and listened to all He said. But He did not alter the subject of His discourse in order to adapt it to the crowd. The utterances remain as the private instructions given to the disciples con- cerning the principles and laws that would be put into force when the kingdom should be established, of which He was the predicted Head. Could the disciples then and there carry out those principles? Certainly not ; their conduct afterwards shewed how they could not and did not. The King was not en- throned, the Kingdom was not actually set up. He was being rejected all the time by the nation ; there- fore, what He had come to enact and establis-h can- not be put into force until the nation shall accept Him as King. In the meantime, the Church of God is to study these wonderful words, and learn from them the principles of obedience to His rule, of 26 St. Matthew: The King. righteousness on earth, and of the regulation of con- duct both toward God and man. Chaps, viii. and ix. Samples of the Power of THE King. Here are grouped ten samples of what the King can do over the six great foes of mankind — Sickness, Sin, Satanic power. Death, Sorrow and Storms. Just as the three previous chapters collect the great utterances, so these two chapters collect these specimens of His power. The writer wants to impress on his Jewish readers that there has been every possible proof, both in His words and works, that this Nazarene was none other than the pre- dicted Messiah of their nation. Chap. X. Limited Proclamation of the King. The twelve are sent out with special instructions not to go to any but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. The proclamation is limited to them, inas- much as this visit is preparatory to His own visit amongst them, to announce Himself as their Mes- siah. Through the nation would God make known to the world the great plan of salvation, therefore to the nation first the King comes, with His offers of righteous rule and delivering power. Chap. xi. The King's Forerunner in Prison. If the herald is in prison, then the outlook is dark for the King Himself. This was the fact evidently perceived by John the Baptist, hence the sending St. Matthezv: The King. 27 the twO' disciples making enquiry, ''Art thou He that should come?" Possibly he had not just then fully grasped that he must run on ahead of his Master, even unto, and into, death. He had proclaimed Him as the Lamb of God, and he knew that He would be the sin bearer ; he had also proclaimed Him as the one Who would baptize in the Holy Spirit and fire. But it appears that he had hardly grasped the appli- cation to himself personally as the forerunner pre- paring the way — all the way ; hence, those wonder- ful words sent him by the Lord, ''Blessed is he who- soever shall not he offended in Me," meaning, Happy is the man who is not scandalized by the way I may see fit to treat him, but who trusts Me on through all dark circumstances, knowing I am the Son of God, and that all is right and well. What comfort to come to the heart of the distracted, suffering, faithful forerunner! Chap. xii. The King Officially Rejected. This is an important chapter, as marking a crisis in the history of the Lord. In verses 14 and 15, the first official council was held that determined upon His death. Up to that point, He had been preaching the "Kingdom of heaven is at hand" but now this must cease. Action is commenced against Him which will culminate in the national rejection and the cross, and He immediately changes His methods of teaching and work. He has been compared to 28 St, Matthew: The King. Beelzebub, and dark satanic power is attributed to Him. Most wisely and graciously, He meets the op- position and anger, proving the impossibility of the statements made about Him, warning His foes and at the same time teaching His friends. But He must change His method in consequence, and therefore He withdraws, and recommences His teaching in parabolic form. Chap. xiii. The Kingdom in Mystery. Here begin the series of parables which describe the new phase of the kingdom of heaven consequent on the forthcoming national rejection of the King, and which give the outline of the future events in the spiritual realm, between the facts of the King re- jected, and the King accepted, at the Second Advent. (These will form a separate study.) Chap. xiv. The Compassion of the King. The feeding of the 5,000 is the central event in this chapter. Chap. XV. The King Recognized by a Gentile. After the conflict with the Pharisees, which has shewn up their ignorance of the meaning of Script- ure, the Lord is cheered by the Gentile suppliant who saw further with the eye of faith than did these teachers of the law. Chap. xvi. The King denied by many, owned BY a few. Here, for the first time, occurs the new St. Matthew: The King. 29 word CHURCH^ which was to mean so much after- wards. The kingdom rejected, to be followed by a new association of believers, not forming a king- dom so much as being introduced intO' a hitherto un- revealed relationship to the Lord, higher and more glorious than that of being merely in the kingdom. The full facts of the Church were not revealed till later to the Apostle Paul, after the last ofifer had been made, through the Apostles, to the Jewish na- tion, of the kingdom, through the descent of the Holy Spirit, and rejected. Chap. xvii. The King in royal attire. That sign which had been demanded in unbelief by Pharisees, to prove that Jesus was Messiah, was granted to the three disciples in the Mount of Trans- figuration. Note the reference to it of one spectator, in 2 Peter i. Chap, xviii. The King and the little ones. Very unlike their ideas of the way to enter the king- dom was the teaching given to the disciples, followed by the discourse on forgiveness and the parable of the unforgiving servant. Chap, xix. Rewards for following the King. So utterly had all the hopes, in the hearts of the disciples, faded, with regard to the establishment of the visible kingdom predicted by David and Isaiah, that the Lord points out to them that there are higher so St. Matthew: The King. and greater things to be obtained, as the reward of faith, than even earthly promotion and position. The young ruler was an illustration of the power of things temporal and visible over things unseen and spiritual. Chap. XX. Condition of greatness in the King's service. The difficult parable of the penny- a-day labourers is followed by the request, by the mother of James and John, for best seats in the kingdom. They have all failed to grasp the signifi- cance of events transpiring around them, and no wonder, seeing the whole of their outlook was being slowly destroyed, and the Master was more often talking of His approaching death than of any out- ward triumph. Chap. xxi. The King's brief hour of triumph. A sudden transient gleam of hope shot out of the increasing darkness in the fulfilment of the prophecy, ''Behold, thy King conieth unto thee!" Now surely the tide of popular and official feeling will turn ! But Jesus knew otherwise, and hence the significance of the parable of the unfaithful husbandmen, which He gave, the next day, in the temple courts, warning the disciples of what they might expect to happen. Chap. xxii. The King cross-questioned. Al- ways a dangerous process for the questioners. He was the wisdom of God, and can bring to nought St. Matthew: The King. 31 the wisdom of the world. Again the controversy focussed round the Messiahship of Jesus in the closing question, asked this time by the Lord Himself. And no one was able to answer Him a word, neither durst any man, from that day forth, ask Him any more questions. The whole position was insoluble to the multitudes and to the leaders of the nation. The mystery of the atonement was about to loom up in the foreground, which will be impenetrable darkness to the majority, and, indeed, to almost every one, until after the day of Pentecost. Chap, xxiii. The King's denunciations. He began with blessed, He ends with woe. Why? It is the inevitable consequence of the refusal of the offered kingdom. Nothing but woe can result. And how awfully true has been this fact in the history of the nation all down the centuries. They have never reversed the verdict then given; hence the perpetual falling of these solemn woes. The King has power to bless, and, equally, power to judge. He must be known in one of the two ways. Each one can choose which way. Chap. xxiv. The King a Prophet. Privately, He announces to disciples the new hope and future purpose in the Second Advent. But at the same time. He faithfully sketches the history of the nation from the very day He was speaking, down to the 32 St. Matthew: The King. great climax for which we are still waiting in holy expectation. Chap. XXV. The King as Bridegroom, Admin- istrator AND Judge. These three great utterances conclude the record of the teaching of the Lord, and the final word is, "When the Son of Man shall come in His glory and all the holy angels with Him." At the commencement of the Gospel, it will be found that Satan suggested this very event in the Tempta- tion, trying to forestall the fulfilment of the prophecy, and so prevent the great triumph over himself and the powers of darkness. But what he then suggested and quoted Scripture in support of, will yet take place, but before a vaster audience, and for far greater purposes. Chap. xxvi. The King anointed, betrayed, FORSAKEN. Chap, xxvii. The King tried and condemned. Chap, xxviii. The King risen and ascended. The book begins with the arrival of the King in Bethlehem, according to prophecy, and concludes with the removal of the King from the land to which He came, according to prophecy, to await the pur- pose of God in His return, according to prophecy. In the meantime, we who know Him, trust Him, and confess Him, are to watch and wait for Him, being diligent, that we may be found blameless at His ap- St. Matthezv: The King. 33 pearing, and ever remembering how His heart yearns for the nation for which He has died, and to which He is to come as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Messiah, and the glorious branch. Chapter III. ST. MATTHEW: THE KING. The King's Five Proclamations. THE Gospel is built round the five great pro- clamations that the writer has recorded. They are as follows : I. Chaps. V. vi. vii. The New Law. The King a Lawgiver. Chap. X. The New Mission. The King a Saviour. Chap. xiii. The New Kingdom. The King Veiled. Chaps, xvi. and xviii. The New Associa- tion. The King Present, Though Veiled. Chap, xxiii.-xxv. The New Hope. The King a Judge. I. The New Law. Chapters v. vi. vii. Putting ourselves back into the trend of the times when these words were spoken, let us imagine our- selves of the nation of Israel, full of expectation and anxiety, resulting from the fiery and stirring preach- h)g of John the Baptist, who had been declaring, ''Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the 35 36 St. Matthezv: The King's Proclamations. desert a highway for our God." "All were in ex- pectation," St. Luke says, and "pondering what these portentous announcements might mean." To the few more enlightened, they would undoubtedly con- vey the impression that the long-expected Messiah would shortly appear, and begin to work out the de- liverance of the nation from the Gentile yoke, and restore the kingdom as described by the Prophets and Psalmists. When, therefore, John the Baptist could announce, "He has come/' all eyes were turned in the direction of the man of Nazareth, whom he pointed out as the Lamb of God, the One expected and predicted. What manner of man would He be ? Naturally, all would expect a great and glorious One, with displays of supernatural power, that would soon put to flight the Roman legions, and free the country from the foreign domination. Instead of this, they saw one who, without any external dis- play whatever, began a series of country visitations, preaching in a very unexpected manner, and con- tenting Himself with sundry works of mercy and kindness to the poor, diseased, affiicted, and outcast. He severely left alone all political and national ques- tions, and never shewed Himself amongst the ruling classes. How could such an One be the Messiah? Where were the signs ? Where were the appeals to the nation to rise and follow Him ? The whole thing was utterly opposed to all Jewish conceptions, and St. Matthew: The King's Proclamations. 37 apparently to all the prophecies concerning the Mes- siah. It was perplexing, disappointing. Yet there was the inner circle of disciples drawn chiefly from the working classes, who were strangely attracted to Him, who believed Him, and who were sure that it would work out all right, and that He would prove to be all that their prophets had foretold. With these conflicting ideas and emotions, let us take our places in the inner circle, and listen to the Messiah as He begins to instruct them in the aflfairs of His king- dom. He had been preaching, ''Repent, for the kmgdom of heaven is at hand !" He evidently means to do something. What will He say and do? He opened His mouth, and taught them, saying, "Bless- ed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." This was a little reassuring, for He was going to talk about the kingdom. Then there fol- lowed the remainder of the beatitudes, which con- tained some altogether unexpected words, such as persecute, speak falsely, mourn. This is not what they had expected, and is quite contrary to a suc- cessful campaign. So He began, and so He went on, saying nothing about the earthly kingdom and the throne, and the driving out of the Roman power. Before the kingdom can be established, it will be necessary to promulgate the laws that will be en- forced, and that will form the basis of the govern- ment; in fact, He must put forth the policy of the 38 St. Matthew: The King's Proclamations. new regime, and it turns out that He will make no appeal whatever to the popular imagination, or feel- ing, or sentiment, but, on the contrary, will be some- what repellant rather than attractive. "My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord." That was the secret that underlay this strange policy. The keyword of this policy is righteousness. The new words that are introduced, and that strike attention, are "Blessed," "Father." They are more family words than kingdom words, and they must have sounded most strange. What will be the sphere of this new law? The Jewish nation? No, that is too limited ! The Christian Church ? No, that also is too limited. It is the law of the kingdom of heaven, that is, of all that professes to be under the rule of the King. The Jewish nation was only a fragment of a nation. The Church is a collection of individuals out of all nations. The kingdom is to include all nations : so then the law will go on after the Church has gone into her heavenly sphere, and will be the rule of the nations and of all who profess to be under this King. It is, however, first offered to this nation of the Jews, and to a section of them the Lord is, for the first time, explaining what will be the manner of the King and kingdom^ they are ex- pecting. Will they like it? Will they accept it? St. Matthew: The King's Proclamations. 39 On examination, it will be found that this revela- tion from the Lord is a combination of grace and law. One of the weakest features in much so-called Gospel preaching today, is the elimination of law from the testimony, as though God had never given any revelation of what He required of His creatures ; and, secondly, the elimination of law from the m- structions given to those who accept the Gospel of His grace and receive the great salvation. The truth is, that if you accept the grace of the King, you must perforce take service, and be under the will and laws of the King. The teaching of Christ as King does not nullify one word of the previous declarations of God made to the fathers ; it intensifies and expands them all. He said, "Think not I am come to destroy the law or prophets ; I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil" (v. 17.) This is* the key- note to the understanding of this proclamation of His policy. The Divisions. 1. Chap. V. 3-16. Introductory. 2. Chap. V. 17-vii. 12. "The Law and Prophets." 3. Chap. vii. 1-27. Conclusion. Be decided- no compromise. The introduction dispelled at once any ideas of preparation for a conflict. It was the out-breathing 40 St. Matthew: The King's Proclamations. of gentleness, love, and blessing, and gave the disciples their first impressions as to what kind of persons they were to be : salt and light, preservative and illuminating. The second division will fall into four sub-divisions, as follows : (a) Chap. v. 17-48. Laws concerning the relation- ship of man to man, touching murder, adultery, per- jury, theft, retribution. (b) Chap. vi. 1-16. Laws referring to man's relationship to God in things spiritual, such as prayer, almsgiving, fasting. (c) Chap. vi. 17-34. Laws referring to man's relationship to God in things temporal, such as food, clothing, money. (d) Chap. vii. 1-12. Laws concerning man's right attitude towards God and man. The whole section commences and terminates with an allusion to the law and prophets. "Think not I am come to destroy the law and prophets," and "This is the law and prophets." The eyes of the nation were upon the fulfilment of the great utter- ances of the prophets respecting the restoration of the kingdom to its original splendour under David's greater Son. If Messiah has truly come, He will begin to carry out the plans for such fulfilment. Messiah had come, but His eyes were upon the ful- filment of the Law first, without which nothing what- St. Matthew: The King's Proclamations. 41 ever in the prophets could be accomplished; for the kingdom must be established in righteousness, and there lay whole centuries of unrighteousness behind, for which the law had righteous claims which must be met. These claims, the leaders were determined to ignore, if, indeed, they were aware of their ex- istence. So, then, the eyes of the nation and of Messiah were looking two different ways. What was meant by ''fulfilment of the law?" Not merely living a righteous life, and being sinless, and, there- fore, law-abiding, but having thus lived, offering Himself as the Atonement for sin, to become the Sin- bearer, and Sin-sacrifice on behalf of the guilty na- tion, and to fulfil the claims of the law against the law-breakers. Did not the long line of animal sacri- fices suggest this? Had not John the Baptist an- nounced this? All God's dealings with the na- tion had been based on the recognition of His holi- ness and their obedience to His laws; how, then, can the Messiah act otherwise but first see to the fulfilling of the law? His pronouncements in this fifth chapter prove how deeply He looked into things, and how He came not to deal with the results of sin as the Sinaitic law did, but with the roots of sin in the human heart. His work was to pre- vent sin beginning, not to prevent* sin fruiting. For this, something must be accomplished before the kingdom, on such principles, can be established; 42 St. Matthew: The King's Proclamations. hence, His words, "I am come to fulfil the law." The old covenant had failed, and the promise was of the new covenant, in which God had said, 'T will put My law in their hearts." When this should be ac- complished, the regulations of the Sermon on the Mount could be carried out, but not before. He cannot unveil fully all the process then, but can only announce the principles of righteousness. Sin must be dealt with, guilt put away, and the new relation- ship entered into, hinted at by the introduction of the word "Father." Only, then, by the new birth would this be possible. The Jews expected a king to commence his reign in one way ; Jesus announces that He must commence in another way, and because He would not yield to the nation, nor the nation to Him, they rejected Him, and condemned Him to death. Their action shewed the awful gulf between Himself and them ; but God, through this very re- jection, accomplished the purpose of Atonement, and Jesus on the cross put away the sin of the nation in their treatment of Him, and made forgiveness and reconciliation possible on repentance. Now comes the oft-recurring question, Is it pos- sible for us to fulfil the laws of the Sermon on the Mount ? The principles of righteousness therein an- nounced apply to all who have accepted Christ's ful- filment of law in the atonement for their sin, and St. Matthezij: The King's Proclamations. 43 have put themselves under His rule. There must be a PERSONAL knowledge of the King ere there can be such obedience as these laws require. The admission to His kingdom^ must be by the way ap- pointed, namely, the New Birth. None others can enter or obey. Practically, the teaching of St. John iii. precedes that of St. Matthew v. The rejection of the kingdom and the King by those to whom it was ofifered has, therefore, post- poned the full and world-wide application of this proclamation, until the King shall return and be acknowledged and His fulfilment of the law in the atonement accepted as the basis of His rule and mercy. "They shall look on Him whom they have pierced," and then shall deliverance appear unto the oppressed and almost exterminated nation. 2. The New Mission. Chapter x. Having thus privately taught the disciples the manner of the kingdom, the next thing was to send out the twelve to announce and proclaim it in all the towns and villages, "whither He Himself would come." They were sent out, authorized to preach exactly what the Lord Himself had preached, and to prove their authority by performing, in His name, the very same miracles as they had seen Him per- form at the commencement of His ministry. It was 44 ^t. Matthew: The King's Proclamations. the first general proclamation of the kingdom. In chapter x. are found the instructions to them for this mission. With their ideas of how this kingdom was to be set up, how strange must have been the instructions given. The keyword of this proclama- tion is VARIANCE^ the very reverse of what they were expecting. The new words are freely, persecute, confess, suffer. Not success, then, was promised, but opposition which would impinge specially on themselves. How strangely these words must have sounded. "Freely" is not a word pleasant to the Jewish mind ; it was the original gospel word of the Garden of Eden : "Thou mayest freely eat." "Perse- cute !" Was not the Master going to rulef "Con- fess !"' Easy when there is no opposition, but diffi- cult when life is threatened. "Suffer !" How, today, that word needs to be remembered, in connection with the true Confession of Christ. The divisions of the chapter may be taken thus : (a) Verses 5-15, applying to the immediate send- ing forth of the twelve, and having no application to any later period. (b) Verses 16-23. This section had its accom- plishment after Pentecost, when they were brought before councils and judged for the sake of the truth they preached. The Lord's words intimated that the persecution would break out and scatter the St. Matthew: The King's Proclamations. 45 work before they would have gone through the cities of Israel, and such proved the case. Here the thread of the narrative is broken, and the re- mainder probably awaits fulfilment in the future, just before the return of the King. (c) Verses 24-42. This section is of perpetual application, wherever the kingdom of heaven is preached and entered into. One member of a fam- ily coming under the new rules, finds himself, or herself, at variance with the rules of the household, and the peace of that family is broken. It always has been so; there is no help for it. Where Christ is accepted as Lord, His rules for holy living must come into force, and they are at enmity with the world. The Jewish mind only thought of earthly glory, victory, and the overthrow of enemies in con- nection with the kingdom. Here the Lord prepares disciples for opposition to His will, for successful persecution, for postponement, indefinitely, of the Messianic reign in glory, and bids them continue to confess Him at whatever cost of suffering, prom- ising them a reward such as is not mentioned in the Old Testament prophecies. With such instructions as these, the twelve went out, greatly wondering, no doubt, what the outcome would be, but yet so strangely constrained by His love and power. It was a message of salvation they 46 St. Matthezif: The King's Proclamations. were to carry out, accompanied by proofs of the Divine authority of the Master. It was .a message to individuals rather than to the nation. The next chapter, namely, xi., contains the refer- ence to John the forerunner in prison, sending the two disciples to enquire as to the Messiahship of Jesus of Nazareth. It is all in keeping with the ob- ject of Matthew's narrative to give the history of the rejected King. At the close of the chapter, will be found the woes pronounced on Chorazin, Beth- saida, Capernaum, for their special guilt in not re- ceiving the Messiah. In chapter xii., there are two miracles recorded : the curing of the withered hand in the synagogue, and the casting out of a demon from a blind and dumb man. The opposi- tion culminated round these two events in the first meeting of the council to decide on His death, and in the attributing His power. for working miracles to Beelzebub. In His teaching, the Lord proves He is greater than the Sabbath, the cherished institution of the nation; greater than Jonah, the successful preacher to Nine- veh, who turned that heathen city to repentance; greater than Solomon, the greatest of their mon- archs for wisdom. Yet, in spite of all this, He has to bear such treatment from this "evil generation." In Chapter xii., the first Crisis in the narrative is St. Matthew: The King's Proclamations. 47 reached. From Chapter i., there has been a crescendo movement, apparently. The King has come, proved to be the Son of David. His fore- runner has annoimced Him, the nation has been roused. He Himself has been attesting His Mes- siahship by His life and teaching, until the fore- runner in prison, apparently helpless and forgotten by the Messiah, is about to die, and the official re- jection has commenced in xii:i4, by the first meet- ing of the Sanhedrim to plot His death. From this point, the proclamation of the kingdom ceases, as it had been hitherto announced, and another phase of the Lord's ministry is entered upon. This will explain the introduction of entirely new m_aterial into the third of the great discourses, and the adoption of the parabolic form of teaching, as being better adapted to His purposes. 3. The New Kingdom. Chapter xiii. With the crowds gathered around Him, the Lord commenced the teaching of the disciples with a series of parables, dealing with what we may term a New Kingdom, nam.ely a kingdom in Mystery in contrast to one in Manifestation. This latter is impossible, because of the attitude of the nation towards Him personally. The abounding sin will only make grace to much more abound, but this will be hidden from 48 St. Matthew: The King's Proclamations. the eyes of those who have been bUnded to the true facts concerning the Messiah. In a later part of the Gospel, will be found the parable of the unfaith- ful husbandmen, chapter xxi. 33-44. In it, the Lord says, "The kingdom of God shall be taken away from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof." Here He plainly describes the re- moval of the nation from the position designed for them of proclaimiing the truth to the world, and that this position will be given to another. It is the trans- ference of the kingdom from its manifestation phase to its mystery phase. He must wait for the nation to receive and acknowledge Him before He can give them the kingdom in full manifestation. In the m.eantime. He will carry on, through others, another kind of kingdom, the working of which will, in large measure, be hidden, secret and mysterious, accom- plished by the unseen power which we now know to be that of the Holy Spirit sent down from heaven. The parables contained in chapter xiii. and other subsequent chapters will deal with this phase of His purpose. They will be known by the phrase with which they begin : "The kingdom of heaven is like unto ." It will be seen, by careful study, that these parables cover the interval between the two advents, describing the progress of the work of God in the world under the altered conditions, namely, an St. Matthew: The King's Proclamations. 49 absent King- establishing the kingdom of God in individual human hearts, rather than the visible kingdom in a country or a nation. All will be found to be in preparation for, and anticipation of, the fact stated in xxv. 31, namely, the sudden arrival of the King in His glory, and with all the holy angels, to sit on the throne of His (earthly) glory, for be- fore Him will be gathered all the nations. It may be helpful here to examine the use and meaning of certain phrases which are very similar in construction, but which must be understood in their shades of meaning. We shall find the follow- ing: The kingdom of Heaven. The kingdom of God. The kingdom of Christ. The kingdom of the Father. Are these synonymous ? There will be much dif- ference of opinion as to this. The following thoughts are thrown out as suggestions, not as dog- matic assertions. The phrase the kingdom of heaven is used only in this Gospel, occurring thirty-two times. The cor- responding phrase, kingdom of God, on the other hand, occurs only five times (four times in the R. v.), but is frequently used in the other Gospels, and 50 St Matthew: The King's Proclamations. in the Epistles. In comparing some of the parallel passages, such as Matt. xlx. 14, "of such Is the kingdom of heaven," and Luke xvili. 16, "of such Is the kingdom of God,'' the terms must be taken to mean the same thing. But It seems difficult to assume that they are therefore interchangeable. In Rom. xlv. 17, the Apostle Paul thus defines: "The kingdom of God Is not meat and drink, but Righteousness, Peace and Joy In the Holy Ghost." This definition may be applied to any text where the phrase "kingdom of God" is used, and It will be found to make perfect sense. Not so, however, If applied to the phrase "kingdom of heaven." How, then, shall we differentiate? In again studying the narrative of St. Matthew, we notice that, be- tween chapters Hi. and xil.., the "kingdom of heaven" refers to that which John the Baptist, and the Lord Jesus announced as about to be offered to the nation of Israel, in fulfilment of their Script- ures, namely, the establishment on earth. In their own land, of the kingdom of God through their Messiah visibly ruling, and through the nation con- trolling and governing the whole world, by prin- ciples and laws revealed from heaven, and given by the One from heaven. It would, therefore, combine the spiritual and the material phases of kingdom. After the crisis of the twelfth chapter, and the im- St. Matthew: The King's Proclamations. 51 possibility of this being accomplished, the phrase, "kingdom of heaven," assumes, it is suggested, a different meaning, and is "that which professes TO BE UNDER THE RULE OF AN ABSENT KiNG." It will, therefore, contain mixture of what is real and what is false, which can only be detected by the eyes of the King Himself, which are "as a flame of fire." Note, in the next place, the five occurrences of the phrase, "kingdom of God," in the Gospel, and how the Pauline definitions will fit into the context. (i.) Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all things shell he added unto you. vi. 33. This is a spiritual fact, without question. ■ (2.) // /, hy the Spirit of God, cast out demons, then is the kingdom of God come nigh unto you. xii. 28. Anyone who was the subject of such a mighty miracle would become possessed of Right- eousness, which is Justification, Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost. (3.) How hardly shall a rich man enter the kingdom of God. xix. 24. Plenty of them are in the kingdom of heaven ; they are welcomed into the professing Church of Christ because of the position their wealth gives them; but have they Righteous- ness, Peace, and Joy in the Holy Ghost? It is difficult for a rich man, if a philanthropist, to real- 52 St. Matthew: The King's Proclamations. ize his need of justification. His wealth gives him so much to enjoy, it is almost impossible for him to know his need of the peace of God passing all under- standing, or the joy of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. (4.) The publicans and harlots enter into the kingdom of God before you! xxi. 23. It was easier to get these to confess their sin and receive Divine righteousness, peace and joy, than for the self-righteous Pharisees. As instances, there are Zaccheus, the Woman of Samaria, the sinful woman in Simon's house, as well as Matthew himself. (5.) The kingdom of God shall be taken from you and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof, xxi. 43. Have not the English-speaking nations been most used of God in proclaiming the doctrines of justification by faith, peace through the sacrifice of Christ, joy in the conscious presence of the Spirit of God and the fruits thereof? If this be a fair and truthful meaning of the two phrases, may we not make a survey of the whole of the Bible thus? All through human history, there have been the two classes, the True and the merely Professing. The period from Adam to Saul may be called, for convenience sake, the "kingdom of Jehovah." In this are found such men as Cain and Abel ; Ishmael and Isaac ; Esau and Jacob ; St. Matthezv: The King's Proclamations. 53 Achan and Joshua, etc. The true ones form the kingdom of God of the period, for they* knew, but dimly perhaps, God's way of justifying, and God's way of peace. Then the period from David to Malachi may be termed the ''kingdom of Israel," with its mixture of the true and false. There are the faithful and unfaithful kings alternating, such as Solomon and Rehoboam; Jehoshaphat and Jehoram; Hezekiah and Manasseh. The Prophets also were of the two classes, Elijah and the Prophets of Baal; Jere- miah and Hananiah, etc. The third period will be from the First to the Second Advent of our Lord, and is called the "kingdom of heaven" period. Taking the language of the parables, we find there will be wheat and tares; good and bad fish; faithful and unfaithful servants; virgins with and without oil, etc. Into the kingdom of God are gathered the first of each of these couples, though all profess to be in the kingdom of heaven. The fourth is the millennial kingdom, which is called the "kingdom of Christ.'' During this period, there will be the same phase of mixture; many will yield but feigned obedience, and a smouldering rebellion will break out at the first opportunity. The "kingdom of God" will have assumed its largest 54 ^^. Matthew: The King's Proclamations. dimensions in this period, but it will not be univer- sal. Once more must separation take place, when the King must sever the false from the true. After that period, there will come the ''kingdom of the Father," when Christ will have handed up the kingdom to God even the Father, and God shall be all in all. This is the great climax for which the Lord taught the disciples to pray in the petition, "Our Father, who art in heaven,— THY KINGDOM COME." Now to turn back to Matthew xiii., and look briefly at the new statements from the rejected King's lips about this new ''kingdom of heaven." He describes Himself under various names. In the first parable, He is Sower ; in the second, a Man owning a field ; in the third, a Man sowing a mustard seed ; in the fifth, a" Man buying a field ; in the sixth, a Man buying pearls. The whole suggestion is that of a mysterious, vefled person working, un- observed, behind the scenes, unrecognized by the majority, but effectually working out his own pur- poses. The good seed he sows is the Gospel of the grace of God but it is counterfeited by the spurious gospel of the enemy. The outlook will be anything but bright; three- fourths of the sowing may be unproductive ; the field may yield a larger crop of worthless weed than 'rri.G.-i'Q