An 
 
 Outline 
 Life of 
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 PRINCETON, N. J. 
 
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^N OUTLINE 
 LIFE OF JESLS 
 
 A. BRIEF STATEMENT OF THE EVENTS IN THE 
 EARTHLY LIFE OF JESUS, GIVEN IN CHRONO 
 LOGICAL ORDER WITHOUT COMMENT OR DIS 
 CUSSION. WITH 
 
 A DISTAlSrCE MAP 
 
 A NEW AND UNIQUE METHOD OF PRESENTING 
 TO THE EYE THE JOURNEYING OF JESUS, AND 
 THE COMPARATIVE DISTANCES IN PALESTINE 
 
 ^^ 
 
 IP' 
 
 BY Thomas Freeman Dixon 
 
FREDERICK 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 I^^N INTRODUCING this little book to the public there are sev- 
 eral things that are not claimed for it, among- which are the 
 following: It is not claimed that this is by any means a 
 ■— « "full" life of Jesus, that is an account of the events and hap- 
 penings of that life, the most eventful the world has ever 
 known, with the results, effects and connections of those events with 
 the history of individual and personal life. In fact every effort has 
 been made to eliminate all that is not absolutely necessary to the 
 narration of the bald plain facts. All discussions about chronology 
 and arguments over the location of disputed places have been pur- 
 posely omitted, the chronology of Andrews' being followed in all cases 
 in order to be consistent, and no attempt at all made to locate 
 unknown places, their names only being used as in the Scripture 
 account itself. Also questions of the order of events in the life of 
 Jesus have not been opened, the order of Andrews' being again 
 followed. 
 
 Again it is not claimed for this work that it is homiletical or 
 theological at all in its character, no inferences are drawn from words 
 or acts of Jesus, nor lessons attached to anything which he did or 
 said, nor are any doctrines hinted at even in the faintest way. 
 
 Still again this is not in itself, strictly speaking, a devotional book, 
 tho' it is hoped that its use will greatly stimulate and aid the devo- 
 tional study of the life of Jesus, as will be shown later. 
 
 It is not designed or desired that this shall take the place of any 
 of the larger and better, far better, works on this subject, on the con- 
 trary, as will be seen by a further perusal of this introduction, it is 
 hoped by the reading of this little work, with its few pages, that a 
 desire will be created for a larger, fuller and more detailed volume 
 along the same line. 
 
 3 
 
In fact this is not a book at all as books are g-enerallj' written, 
 but simply a compilation in the shortest and simplest way of the 
 events as g^iven in the Bible. There, however, the events are given 
 by four different writers, some giving some events and some giving 
 others, one using one order to suit his purpose, and another using a 
 different order to suit his different purpose. Here the events are each 
 given only once, and as nearly as we can ascertain in the proper 
 order. 
 
 Having thus plainly stated what is not claimed, let us see the 
 purpose for which these few pag-es are issued, for there is a verj' 
 definite purpose in that action. 
 
 The attempt is to furnish a book that will make it possible for the 
 reader to go over the whole life of Jesus at a single sitting and thus 
 gain a grasp of its whole scope, and form an idea of the whole from 
 the start to the finish. Most of our knowledge of the Bible is so frag- 
 mentary that we miss the beauty and instructiveness which springs 
 from a knowledge of the relation of consecutive events. This is largely 
 due to two things, first, the manner in which the International S. S. 
 Lessons are given, picking out only th.e salient points in the history, 
 and second, to the lack of consecutive reading of the Bible. "We read 
 in fragments and have a fragmentary knowledge of the historj' and 
 no knowledge of the Philosophy of History, which is simplj' the plan 
 that God is working out in ages and nations. 
 
 This may be unavoidable in Old Testament history-, but surelj' 
 in the life of Christ it can and must be avoided. This little book is 
 so short that it can be read from cover to cover at one time, and so 
 simple that such a reading, it is hoped, will not be heavy or tedious. 
 
 Another purpose is to produce a book that, because it is small 
 and not at all formidable looking, may be picked up and read by those 
 who would not think of attacking a large and extended work, but who, 
 when they read this, may be interested in the events noted, but not 
 explained or amplified, and may thus be led to a deeper investigation 
 of the subject in other and fuller "Lives" or, best of all, maybe led 
 to read the accounts in the Bible itself. If this purpose should be 
 accomplished in a single instance the raison d'etre of the little book 
 would be at once demonstrated. 
 
 Again, it is hoped to furnish in this volume a handbook which 
 will be of use to students of this portion of Bible history by which 
 they can readily and speedily ascertain the place of any event in the 
 order of events, and also its relation to preceding and succeeding 
 occurrences and thus add much to their knowledge of the event iu 
 question, and all this without long search thro' cumbrous volumes. 
 It should and will help every minister in this way. 
 
 Finally, it is desired to put forth a simple, plain and short nar- 
 rative wliich may be put in the hands of children thiit they may read 
 
 4 
 
for themselves the life of Jesus, without being- embarrassed or con- 
 fused by glowing- descriptions, arg-umentative essays, or theological 
 or homiletical discourses. 
 
 This is simply the statement of where Jesus went and what He 
 did and that is what children should know first. 
 
 "With these purposes in view, it is desirable that the reader should 
 observe the following: 
 
 Rules For the Use of This Book. 
 
 1. Read it all at one sitting. 
 
 2. Read it often and learn as much as possible. 
 
 3. Read it with the Bible at hand, for reference. 
 
 4. Read it with a copy of Andrews' "Life of Our Lord" at hand 
 if you have a desire awakened to know more on any certain subject, 
 or event noted. 
 
 Thus read and studied it is hoped that this little volume may 
 arouse in some heart an interest in the life of Jesus, and also in 
 Jesus himself, who lived the life herein narrated, and died the death 
 herein told, for mankind. 
 
 Frederick Md., THOMAS FREEMAN DIXON. 
 
 July 8, 1902. 
 
THE DISTANCE MAP. 
 
 This feature of the work is thought to be entirely original and 
 unique. It will be found of great use in studjnng the life of Jesus, 
 as one can see at a glance, not merelj^ the relative position of the 
 various places visited in the course of that life, but can with the same 
 glance ascertain the exact distance from one place to another. The 
 distances are, of course, direct lines and in computing the time of a 
 journey something must be allowed for the deviation of the road. 
 
 A day's journey was considered to be from sixteen to twenty 
 English miles, this was calculated for pedestrians. As the most of 
 Jesus' journeys were performed on foot a comparatively accurate esti- 
 mate may be made from this map of the time consumed in going from 
 place to place. 
 
 This map will also give a better idea of distances in Palestine 
 than can be obtained in other ways, for at a glance, comparisons are 
 instituted with well known local distances and an accurate knowl- 
 edge thus obtained, which cannot be reached by a mere knowledge 
 of the time required to accomplish a given journey, because the method 
 of travel and the speed are so vastly different. 
 
An Outline Life of Jesus. 
 
 His Youth. 
 
 I^nN THE year 749 A. U. C. or 5 B. C. , Augustus the Emperor of 
 Rome made a decree that all the Empire should be taxed, or 
 enrolled, according to nations or families. To fulfill this 
 ^ it was necessary that each should go up to the main cit}^ 
 of his tribe to be enrolled. In December there came up from 
 Nazareth a man of the house of David, by the name of Joseph, and 
 his wife Mary great with child. Upon their arrival at Bethlehem, 
 so great was the concourse of people come to the enrollment they could 
 not obtain accommodation in any of the ordinary places of enter- 
 tainment for travellers and were forced to seek shelter in a stable. 
 During their stay in Bethlehem the child Jesus was born and, 
 because of the lack of other place, was lain in a manger. The night 
 on which He was born angels appeared to shepherds, who were keep- 
 ing their flocks by night, and announced the birth of the Messiah. 
 The shepherds went to the stable, saw the child, worshiped Him, 
 and returned rejoicing. 
 
 When Jesus was eight daj^s old He was circumcised according to 
 the Jewish ritual and received the name of Jesus, which name the 
 angel had commanded His father to give Him. When He was forty 
 days old, following the requirements of the law, Mary presented her- 
 self with the child at the Temple in Jerusalem, for her purification, 
 and then returned to Bethlehem. Shortly after this three wise men, 
 who had been expecting the birth of the one who was to bring light into 
 the world, and who had seen His star in the East, came to Bethlehem 
 to see and worship Him. By this time Herod had heard of the birth 
 of a child who was called by the title that Herod himself bore, "King 
 of the Jews." He was a selfish and unscrupulous man and thought 
 
 7 
 
that if he could kill this child he would make his rule more secure. 
 Hearing of the errand of the wise men he stopped them on the way 
 to Bethlehem, and made them promise to tell him where they found 
 this wonderful child. Being- warned of God in a dream however, 
 they returned home by another way and did not see Herod again. 
 Herod then made inquiries and found that Bethlehem was the birth 
 place of Jesus and ordered the murder of all the male infants of two 
 years and under in that town. This order was executed but Jesus 
 escaped death because Joseph, also being warned in a dream, took 
 Mary and the child and went down to Egypt. This was in May, 4 B. C. 
 
 After a sojourn in Egypt of three or four months word was 
 brought to Joseph that Herod was dead and the family immediately 
 returned to their native country. The intention of Joseph was to 
 return to Judaea but he was directed by God to go instead to Nazar- 
 eth. He did so and thus Jesus spent His childhood and youth in 
 Nazareth, according to prophecy. 
 
 Only one incident in the youth of Jesus is known. When He was 
 twelve years old He went up to Jerusalem with His parents, for the 
 first time, to keep the Feast of the Passover. This was April 8th, 
 A. D. 8. "When the feast was over His parents started home but Jesus 
 remained behind in the Temple conversing with the doctors. After 
 the caravan had gone three days on its journey His absence was dis- 
 covered, His parents returned to the Temple, found Him, and He went 
 with them to Nazareth, where He remained in retirement until He 
 entered upon His public work at 30 years of age. Thus for eighteen 
 years nothing is known of the life of Jesus. 
 
 A. D. 27. 
 
 ''•i^ S~ Y' ^" the first of the year A. D. 27, John the Baptist, the cousin of 
 ' Jesus, began preaching repentance and the coming of the kingdom. 
 After this preaching had continued for several months Jesus came to 
 the River Jordan and was baptized by John. This was the beginning 
 of the public ministry of Jesus and His initiation into the work was 
 marked by the descent of the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove, and 
 a voice from Heaven announcing the divinity of Jesus. Immediately 
 after the baptism Jesus went apart into the wilderness, and was 
 there forty days without food, undergoing a series of temptations 
 from the Devil. When the temptations were over and angels had 
 ministered to Him, He returned to the Jordan where John was still 
 preaching, who, when he saw Jesus, exclaimed: "Behold the Lamb 
 of God which taketh away the sins of the world." Upon this recom- 
 mendation several of John's disciples followed Jesus and in a few 
 days went with Him to Galilee. Jesus, while in Galilee, was invited 
 to a wedding in Cana. He went and performed his first miracle by 
 making wine out of water. He then went down to Capernaum, 
 accompanied by His mother, brethren and disciples, but only 
 
 8 
 
U A 
 
 remained there a few days, as April had now come and with it the time 
 for the celebration of the Passover. From Capernaum He went to 
 Jerusalem to attend this feast, which occurred this year on the 11th 
 of April. When Jesus entered the Temple He found its outer courts 
 occupied by those who sold animals for sacrifices and by money- 
 changers, these He drove out with a scourge of small cords, and when 
 He was questioned by the Jews concerning his authority to do these , . ^ 
 
 things. He replied by a parable concerning His own death, which ' ' 
 they did not comprehend. During the feast He worked miracles, the 
 nature of which is not given, and one night He received under the 
 cover of darkness, a visit from Nicodemus, "a ruler of the Jews," to 
 whom He explained the nature and necessity of the new birth. Nico- 
 demus afterwards became a secret follower. When the Passover 
 was over He departed from Jerusalem with His disciples and going 
 {I'fx. H 'Ijc^^ Judaea He taught and His disciples baptized; but when He heard 
 V if that the Pharisees were saying that He was baptizing more disciples 
 
 than John He stopped the baptizing and left Judsea. Passing througlr* '^' ' 
 Samaria, He spent two days there teaching, and made many converts. 
 Coming to Galilee His disciples left Him for a time to make a visit to 
 their respective homes from which they had now been absent some Jf-^ ^ 
 months. Jesus was received with great honor and welcome by the 
 Galileans at this visit because of the great things He had done at the 
 recent feast. He now went to Cana, and in the place where He had 
 performed the first miracle He now performed the second, that of heal- 
 ^ J y, . ing the son of a nobleman, the son being sick in Capernaum. This 
 
 / ' period, known as the Judaean ministry, together with the work in 
 
 Galilee, filled some seven or eight months from the Passover, and it 
 was now December. From this time to the time to go up to the next 
 Passover, March A. D. 28, Jesus lived in retirement in Galilee. 
 
 A. D. 28. 
 
 About March 30, A. D. 28, Jesus went up to Jerusalem to His 
 second Passover. At the pool of Bethesda He healed an impotent • 
 man which act, because done on the Sabbath, much incensed the 
 Jews, who entered into a conspiracy against His life. Their anger 
 was still further aroused by the manner and words in which He 
 defended His healing on the Sabbath day. Word was brought to 
 Him April fifth, of the imprisonment of John the Baptist, and He 
 retired to Galilee and resumed His work there. The first place to 
 which He came was Nazareth where He stopped and preached in the 
 synagogue. 
 
 The people became enraged at His teachings and went about to 
 kill Him, so He was forced to leave the town in which He was raised 
 in order to save His life. He therefore went to Capernaum, a jour- 
 ney of twenty miles, where He took up His abode for a month or 
 more. Upon His arrival at Capernaum Jesus gathered His former 
 
 9 
 
disciples around Him a^ain, not having- liad them with Him during 
 His work in Judsea. Quite a number of important events marked 
 this stay in Capernaum: The first miraculous draught of fishes; 
 the healing- of the demoniac in the synagogue on the Sabbath day; 
 and on the same day, the healing of Peter's wife's mother, and a '. \i '^-fC 
 great number of sick and impotent who were brought to Him in the 
 ■' '"■ evening. On the morning after this famous Sabbath of healing Jesus 
 rose early and went out of the city to a solitary place to pray. 
 Simon and others followed Him while the multitude waited, but Jesus 
 told those who came to seek Him that he must now go on a tour 
 through the other cities and also the villages of Galilee preaching in 
 them also, which He immediately proceeded to do, spending some 
 time in this way. Early in the summer Jesus returned to Capernaum 
 from his circuit through Galilee, and spent some time in that citj' 
 and on the seashore nearby. His fame had now become so wide- 
 spread that many sick came to Him, whom He healed, and also 
 Pharisees and doctors from all parts of the land were attracted to 
 Capernaum to see and hear this new prophet. Their anger and 
 enmity was aroused against Him because in healing a paralytic who , 
 
 was brought to Him on a bed, Jesus first forgave the man's sins. \'] ,j. ^ 
 This the Pharisees and doctors deemed to be blasphemy and became 
 very indignant. Jesus now went out on to the seashore and taught. 
 Seeing Levi, or as he is better known, Matthew the publican, at his 
 seat of customs, he called him to follow Him. Still another thing 
 which especially aroused the anger of the Pharisees against Jesus 
 during this stay in Capernaum, was His action in regard to the Sab- 
 bath day, One Sabbath day Jesus was walking with His disciples 
 through a field of grain and the disciples plucked some heads, rub- 
 bed them out in their hands and ate them. Another Sabbath Jesus .' 
 healed a withered hand. The Pharisees now conspired with the 
 Herodians to kill Him. Again He withdrew from His enemies in the 
 city and taught by the seashore where great multitudes gathered to 
 hear Him, some even coming from Idumea, and some from the regions 
 beyond the Jordan. 
 
 One evening He left the multitude and went up into a neighbor- 
 ing mountain to pray. In the morning following He made the choice 
 of twelve deciples to be His immediate and personal followers, these 
 we call the Twelve Apostles. As the morning advanced the multi- 
 tudes discovered His whereabouts and followed Him to the mountain. 
 Jesus then seated himself upon the hillside, gathered first His dis- ^ 
 ciples, and then the multitude, and delivered the Sermon on the 
 Mount. When He had concluded He returned to the city and healed the 
 y^ 7 . centurion's servant, the multitude still following and thronging Him. 
 
 Jesus now left Capernaum and went toNain, a city about twenty- 
 two miles southwest of Capernaum. As He reached the gate of Nain 
 
 10 
 
 7W/ 
 
ttrtMlJ/r, 
 
 
He met a procession bearing- to the tomb the body of the only son of 
 a widow of that city; He halted the bearers, recalled the 3-oung- man 
 to life, and restored him to his mother. During- His ministry in the 
 parts of Galilee round about Nain Jesus received a messag-e from 
 John, who was in prison, broug-ht by two of the disciples of the lat- 
 ter. Jesus answered the message and then addressed the multitude 
 concerning- John. 
 
 Upon this circuit "throug-hout every city and village preaching" 
 in Lower Galilee, Jesus was accompanied bj' the twelve and by cer- 
 tain women, Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Susannah, and others. One 
 \i^yt other incident is given in connection with this circuit: Jesus dined 
 with a certain Pharisee named Simon and in lieu of the duty of the 
 host, a woman, who was a sinner, washed His feet with tears, 
 wiped them with her hair, and anointed them with precious oint- 
 ment. Simon objected to this and Jesus replied by relating the par- 
 able of the Two Debtors. Completing the circuit Jesus returned to 
 Capernaum. Having spent the summer in this way it was now the 
 fall of the year A. D. 28. 
 
 In Capernaum Jesus healed one possessed of a devil, blind and rt^l- /*i 
 dumb, whereupon the Pharisees accused Him of employing the aid 
 of Beelzebub in His miracles, and in order to tempt Him asked for a 
 sign from heaven. While Jesus was answering it was announced to 
 Him that His mother and brethren were standing outside, to which 
 He replied by pointing- to His disciples and calling them His nearest 
 relatives. The same day He left His house and sat \>y the seashore, 
 and when the multitude gathered around Him in so great numbers 
 as to press upon Him, He entered into a boat, and, putting out a little 
 way from the shore, taught them from the ship. When the daj' 
 came lo an end He and the disciples crossed over to the other side of 
 the sea, which was not much of a voyage, as the lake was only seven ^ . 
 
 miles wide at the widest point. On the way over Jesus, fatigued by ' trr^ \ 
 
 the labors of the day, slept, but was awakened by the disciples 
 because a violent storm had overtaken them and they were in danger 
 of being swamped. Jesus first rebuked the lack of faith in the dis- 
 ciples and then calmed the tempest and brought the boat to the other 
 side where they landed in the country of the Gergesenes. As they 
 went up into the country, two men possessed of devils came running 
 and cast themselves before Jesus and begged Him to free them from 
 their torments. He drove the devils from the men but allowed them 
 to enter a herd of swine feeding near by; whereupon the swine ran 
 down a steep place into the water and were drowned. The owners 
 of the swine and the people of the neighborhood, when they heard of 
 this, came out to beg Jesus to leave their country, and in compliance 
 he returned to Capernaum. 
 
 During this stay in Capernaum the following events occurred: 
 
 11 
 
The feast at the house of Matthew with its accompanying conversa- 
 tions, first with the Pharisees and then with some of John's dis- 
 ciples; the healing of the woman with an issue of blood; the raising 
 of Jairus' daughter; the healing of two blind men, and the dispos- 
 sessing of one with a dumb spirit, upon which the Pharisees again 
 accused Him of being in league with Satan. The autumn has now 
 past and we have come to the winter and with it to the beginning of 
 the next year. 
 
 A. D. 29. 
 
 The first three months of this year were spent in another circuit 
 through Lower Galilee, during which Jesus visits Nazareth and is 
 rejected the second time. He commissioned the Twelve during this 
 time and sent them out, and He Himself worked alone for a time. 
 About this time He heard of the murder of John the Baptist. In 
 April Jesus and the Twelve met in Capernaum and prepared to go 
 secretly over the sea to obtain a needed rest, but the multitude, 
 ascertaining their destination, followed around the head of the lake, 
 and Jesus healed their sick and fed five thousand men, besides 
 women and children, with five loaves and two fishes. The same 
 evening He sent His disciples across the sea and retired to a moun- 
 tain and prayed until the fourth watch, when He went walking on 
 the sea, to the disciples, who were in great distress in the boat and 
 not able tocome to land because of the storm. Peter attempted to 
 walk on the water to meet Jesus but sank. Jesus rescued him and 
 they both entered the boat and it was immediately at the shore. 
 Jesus healed many by the sea-shore upon landing, and went up to 
 Capernaum, where in a discourse on the bread of life, growing 
 out of the miracle of the previous evening. He offended many of His 
 disciples, who left Him forever. The Twelve remained with Him, 
 but Jesus declared that one of them even was a devil. During this 
 sojourn in Capernaum Jesus delivered the sharp rebukes against 
 the hypocrisy of the Pharisees in a discussion of Pharisaical tra- 
 ditions, entered into because the Pharisees objected to the disciples 
 eating with unwashed hands. 
 
 Now Jesus made another circuit with Capernaum as the base. He 
 went through the regions of Tyre and Sidon, where He healed the 
 daughter of a woman of that country. Then He went into Decapolis 
 where He healed many, note being made of one with an impediment 
 in his speech, and fed four thousand miraculously. He returned to 
 Capernaum, where the Pharisees and Sadducees met Him and 
 tempted Him by asking for a sign from heaven. Jesus rebuked their 
 hypocrisy and declared that no sign should be given save the sign of 
 Jonah the Prophet, and again went away from the city by boat. On 
 the way He discoursed to the disciples in the boat on the leaven of 
 the Pharisees, until they arrived at Bethsaida, where he healed a 
 
 12 
 
blind man and sent him away privately to his own home. This work 
 in and around Capernaum occupied the whole summer of the year 29 
 and it was now October, from the 11th to the 18th of which month 
 the Feast of Tabernacles took place. During the first days of the 
 feast many inquired about the whereabouts of this new teacher but 
 made these inquiries secretly for fear of the wrath of the rulers. In 
 the midst of the feast Jesus arrived quietly in Jerusalem and went 
 into the Temple and taught and many believed on Him. The Phar- 
 isees and rulers made two attempts to seize Him at this time but 
 both were futile, the officers they sent the second time, returning 
 saying "Never man spake like this man." 
 
 Duringthe feast the following events occurred: The night spent on 
 Mt. Olivet; the conversation with the woman taken in adultery; 
 another controversy with the Pharisees and a vain attempt to stone 
 him; the healing of a blind man whom the rulers excommunicated, 
 but who afterward accepted Jesus as the Messiah; and the delivery 
 of the parable of the Good Shepherd. When the feast was over 
 Jesus returned to Galilee and went with the disciples into theregion 
 of Caesarea Philippi, over Jordan. On the way Peter made the 
 Great Confession and Jesus instructed His disciples concerning the 
 coming events which should close His earthly life. He also taught dis- 
 ciples and people the requirements and rewards for following Him and 
 told of His final glory. Six days later He took Peter, James and John 
 and went into a high mountain and the transfiguration took place. 
 Descending from the mountain Jesus healed a demented child whom 
 the disciples could not cure and departed from that place and made 
 a quiet tour through Galilee, which occupied sometime, avoiding 
 public attention and instructing His disciples and preparing them 
 for the closing events in His life, now soon to culminate. Thus they 
 came again to Capernaum, where the incident of the tribute money 
 being found in a fish now occurred. At Capernaum Jesus con- 
 tinued His instructions to the disciples. This now brings us to 
 November or December. The time was now drawing near for the 
 commencement of the last scenes in the life of Jesus, and He, knowing 
 His end, now left Capernaum for the last time and set His face to 
 go to Jerusalem, a journey in a direct line, of about seventy-eightmiles. 
 Jesus did not, however, go directly. There were two ways, by the 
 Jordan Valley or through Samaria. Jesus chose the latter. Being 
 rejected in a village of the Samaritans, he went to another, and 
 rebuked the angry disciples who would have called down fire from 
 heaven upon the villagers rejecting Him. Seventy disciples were now 
 chosen and sent out in pairs to go into the places where Jesus expected 
 to come later and prepare the way for Him. These returned to Him 
 from time to time during the journey to report their success or failure. 
 Jesus followed these preparations, journeying towards Jerusalem. 
 
 13 
 
 ./>('? 
 
During this journey the following events occurred: The teaching and 
 healing of the multitudes; the tempting question of the lawyer 
 which evoked as reply the parable of the Good Samaritan. The re- 
 quest by one of the disciples of a form of praj'er and the giving of 
 the Lord's Prayer; the curing of a dumb, possessed man calling 
 forth still another accusation of partnership with Beelzebub ; the Phar- 
 isee 's dinner, or rather breakfast, with its accompanying sharp 
 rebuke of Pharisaic hj-pocrisy; a discourse to the disciples and a 
 great multitude warning against the leaven of the Pharisees; the 
 request to force a brother to divide an inheritance, and the reply in 
 the form of the parable of the Rich Fool; the parable of the Fig 
 Tree; the healing of a woman who had been sick eighteen years and 
 the warning by certain Pharisees against Herod. Jesus now 
 arrived at Jerusalem for the Feast of Dedication which took place 
 about December 20, passing- through Bethany on the way, and visit- 
 ing the house of Martha and Mary. When He reached Jerusalem 
 He was asked by the Jews to declare plainly whether He was the 
 Messiah, He answered by referring to His past works and when 
 they would have stoned Him went away to Bethabara and abode 
 there for some little time. 
 
 A. D. 30. 
 
 We have now come to January of the last j'ear of Jesus' life. 
 Jesus went to a feast at the house of a certain Pharisee and while 
 there healed a man of dropsy, rebuked the guests for seeking chief 
 seats, reminded the host of his duty to the poor, and delivered the 
 parable of the Great Supper. He now resumed his journej'ings in 
 Per^a followed by great multitudes, the vast majority of whom were 
 Publicans and sinners, to the great disgust of the Pharisees, since 
 He did not hesitate to eat with them. To this concourse He spoke 
 concerning the self-denial required to be His disciple; and as a 
 rebuke to the Pharisees, and to correct their erroneous teachings, 
 He uttered the parables of the Lost Sheep, the Lost Piece of Silver 
 and the Prodigal Son, and privately to the disciples that of the Un- 
 just Steward The Pharisees still continued to mock Him and to 
 them directly He addressed the parable of Dives and Lazarus. 
 This part of His journe}'^ is full of advice and council to His dis- 
 ciples on many subjects. Jesus now received word from Mary and 
 Martha of Bethany that their brother Lazarus was ill. He tarried 
 two daj's and then went to Bethany and raised Lazarus from the dead. 
 Jesus then went secretl3' with His disciples toEphraim, and remained 
 there in private until the time came for the preparation for the 
 Passover i. e., the latter part of March. Some of the Jews who 
 were present and witnessed the raising of Lazarus carried the story 
 to Jerusalem. A council was at once called and Caiaphas, who was 
 then High Priest, advised the death of Jesus, making that now famous 
 
 14 
 
statement: "It is expedient that one man should die for the people. '* 
 Efforts were then made to capture Jesus but without success. 
 Shortly before the Passover Jesus and His disciples left Ephraim 
 and passing- along the dividing- line between Galilee and Samaria, 
 and down the Jordan Valley, came to Bethanj', during- which 
 journey the following- important events occurred in order as g-iven: 
 The healing of ten lepers; the parable of the Unjust Judge; the 
 parable of the Pharisee and the Publican; a discourse on divorce; 
 the blessing of little children; the conversation with the rich 
 young man; a statement of the reward of all faithful disciples; the 
 parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard; the announcement of the 
 manner of His coming death and of the resurrection; the refusal to 
 James and John of the chief seats in His kingdom; the healing of 
 two blind men near the gate of Jericho; the sojourn over night in 
 Jericho with Zacchaeus; and the parable of the Pounds. 
 
 The day Jesus arrived in Bethany was Friday, 31st of March, 
 or according to the Jewish calander the 8th of Kisan. He remained 
 over night and all the next day, Saturday, April 1st, in Bethanj', on 
 which day, Saturday, He ate with Simon the leper and was anointed 
 by Mary. On Sunday He sent to a neig^hboring villag-e for an ass 
 upon which He made the Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, in ful- 
 fillment of prophecy. He went to the Temple but soon left and returned 
 with the Twelve to Bethany where He spent the night. On Monday 
 Jesus went again to Jerusalem, cursing the barren fig tree by the 
 way. On this day He cleansed the Temple a second time, healed 
 lame and blind, and received the hosannahs of the children. In the 
 evening He returned again to Bethany for the night. Tuesday was 
 again spent in Jerusalem in the Temple, mostly in arguments and 
 teachings. To the Pharisees questioning His authority He replied 
 by a question regarding the mission of John the Baptist, which 
 silenced them for the time, and then added the parables of the Two 
 Sons and the Wicked Husbandmen. He also gave the parable of the 
 King's Son. Seeing the people casting gifts into the treasury He 
 commended the Widow's Mite. Some Greeks desired to see Him and 
 asked of the disciples, when Jesus was told He prophesied His 
 death, and thereupon a voice was heard from heaven as at His bap- 
 tism. As that marked the beginning of Jesus' work, so this marked 
 its close, for now Jesus took His final leave of the Temple, prophesy- 
 ing its downfall as He passed out. His public work was now done 
 and He appeared no more in His Father's house as a preacher of 
 righteousness. On His way back to Bethany in the evening Jesus 
 seated Himself on the Mt. of Olives and instructed His disciples in the 
 coming events. That same night Judas covenanted to betiayHim. 
 Wednesday was spent in seclusion in Bethany. Thursday was the 
 Preparation for the Passover and Jesus sent His disciples into 
 
 IS 
 
Jerusalem to prepare fcr the feast. In the evening of Thursday, 
 April 6th, Jesus entered Jerusalem to partake of the Passover v^ith 
 His disciples. As the Jewish day was from sunset to sunset, this 
 evening- of Thursday would be, to them, the beginning of the next 
 day, Friday ISth Nisan or April 7th, which was the crucifixion day. 
 Coming to the table Jesus washed the disciples feet and then partook 
 with them of the Passover, at the close of which He instituted the 
 Lord's Supper, and spoke those wonderful words of comfort and 
 cheer. They rose from the table and Jesus prayed for the disciples, 
 and thenthey went over the brook Kidron to the Gardenof Gethsemane, 
 where Jesus went apart and spent some time agonizing in prayer. 
 Judas now came with the officers and betrayed the identity of Jesus 
 with a kiss, upon which the officers took Him and conveyed Him to 
 the city, all His d.sciples fleeing, but John, who went with Him, and 
 Peter, who followed afar off. It was past midnight when they 
 reached the city and therefore the morning of April the 7th. Jesus 
 was first taken to the house of Annas, and then to that of Caiaphas, 
 and a call was sent out for the assemblying of the council. While this 
 was being done Caiaphas made a preliminary examination. When 
 the council had assembled, between one and two A. M., Jesus was put 
 on trial, and as no testimony could be produced against Him, He 
 was condemned as a blasphemer, upon the grounds of His own con- 
 fession. It was during this trial that Peter denied Him. As no 
 sentence pronounced by the Sanhedrin before daylight was legal, 
 the council now adjourned till daj'break. During this time Jesus 
 remained in the palace of the High Priest, where his enemies heaped 
 all manner of abuse upon Him, smiting Him and spitting upon Him. 
 When day broke the Sanhedrin reassembled and sentenced Jesus to 
 death, and He was bound and led away to Pilate, the Roman Gov- 
 ernor, who must also pass sentence in a case of death. Judas at 
 this point, hearing the result and the sentence, returned the money 
 he had received and went and hanged himself. Pilate, after trying 
 various subterfuges to save the life of Jesus, whom he pronounced a 
 just man and unworthy of death, and at the same time to retain the 
 friendship of the people, yielded to their demands and condemned 
 Jesus to crucifixion, despite the warnings of his wife, and handed 
 the condemned man over to a guard of Roman soldiers to be executed. 
 Jesus was then led out of Jerusalem, Simon a Cyrenian being pressed 
 into service to help bear the cross, and crucified at a place called 
 Golgotha, between two malefactors. The time of the crucifixion was 
 between the hours of 9 and 12, Friday, April the 7th, A. D. 30. 
 
 The crucifixion was accompanied bj'^ remarkable natural disturb- 
 ances: Darkness from 12 to 3 P. M. ; rending of the veil of the Temple; 
 earthquakes and the opening of the tombs. A centurion standing by 
 bore witness to Jesus' divinit3'. Jesus probably died about three 
 
 16 
 
o'clock in the afternoon, and before night, permission having- been 
 first obtained, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus took the body of 
 Jesus from the Cross, and wrapping- it in linen and spices laid it in 
 Joseph's new tomb. The next day, the Jewish Sabbath, the rulers 
 persuaded Pilate to seal the tomb and set a Roman guard over it. 
 
 At day-break the first day of the week, Sunday, April 9th, there 
 was a g-reat earthquake and an angel descending rolled away the 
 stone from the grave and Jesus rose from the dead. Mary Magdalene 
 and other women came with spices and ointments to more thoroughly 
 prepare the body than could be done in the hurry of the burial. As 
 soon as l^Iary Magdalene saw the stone rolled away she hurried back 
 to tell the disciples, but the other women went on, saw the angel, 
 were told of the resurrection of Jesus and given a message from Him 
 to the disciples. Peter and John next came to the sepulchre and, 
 satisfied that the body was not there, returned. No\v Jesus made 
 his first appearance after the resurrection. Mary Magdalene had 
 returned after Peter and John and when they left the tomb she 
 remained weeping. To her Jesus appeared and called her by name, 
 shortly after this he appeared to the other women. In the afternoon 
 He appeared to two disciples and went with them to Emmaus; a lit- 
 tle later He made Himself apparent to Peter, and still later when 
 the disciples, all but Thomas, were gathered in an upper room with 
 the doors shut, Jesus stood in their midst, showed them His hands 
 and side still bearing wounds and, breathing upon them, gave them 
 power to remit sins and understand Scripture. Jesus made five 
 appearances on the Resurrection Day. 
 
 A week later, Sunday, April 16th, Jesus again appeared to the 
 assembled disciples, Thomas being this time present. 
 
 The disciples now left Jerusalem and went into Galilee accord- 
 ing to a previous command of Jesus. While they were fishing one 
 day Jesus appeared on the shore, and the second miraculous draught 
 of fishes was made. Coming to shore they ate and Jesus bade Peter 
 "feed my sheep," "feed my lambs. " He then foretold the manner of 
 Peter's death and John's long life and left them. Then He appeared 
 on a mountain in Galilee to "above five hundred" disciples and 
 delivered the Great Commission to the Church. 
 
 After these appearances in Galilee the disciples returned to 
 Jerusalem and on the fortieth day after the resurrection, May 18th, 
 A. D. 30, Jesus gathered the Eleven at the Mt. of Olives, led them 
 out towards Bethany, and while blessing them ascended out of their 
 sight. 
 
 While the disciples gazed after Him two angels appeared in forms 
 of men, and told them that as He went He should so come again. 
 
 The disciples then returned to Jerusalem to carry on the work 
 He had begun. 
 
 17