his sermons and parables were mostly delivered, either in his own native country of Galilee, through which he made several ministerial circuits, or else in Jerusalem and its neighbourhood, to which city he periodically journeyed to keep the feasts.

CHAPTER V.

FIRST YEAR OF CHRIST'S MINISTRY.

Easter,

A. D. 27,

A. D. 28.

Our Lord opens his divine commission at Jerusalem.-The solemn festival of the Passover was now at hand. The Jews from to Easter, every quarter proceeded towards Jerusalem. Galilee poured forth her multitudes, and amongst others were Jesus and many of his newly-made disciples, who were doubtlessly anxious to see him commence his public career in the capital. His first act was in accordance with his divine mission. The temple with its interior courts was placed in a large quadrangle surrounded by cloisters, called the court of the Gentiles. In this court were sitting a number of men selling oxen, sheep, and doves for the purposes of sacrifice, together with others who exchanged the peculiar Jewish half-shekel in which it was necessary to pay the temple tribute, for the common Roman money, which was the current coinage throughout the empire. Jesus made a whip of small cords and drove both sellers and money-changers from the sacred precincts. The Jews demanded his authority. He replied, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will build it up." Here he spoke of the temple of his body: the Jews thought he referred to the sanctuary. Forty and six years," said they, "was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days." His speech was subsequently remembered against him at his trial. At Jerusalem Nicodemus, a Pharisee and member of the Sanhedrim, came at night to consult him. The Pha

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risees proudly supposed that their descent from Abraham would alone entitle them to a share in God's kingdom. Jesus now uprooted these notions, and proved to Nicodemus the necessity for a new birth and spiritual regeneration before any man could become a child of God and an inheritor of the kingdom of heaven. Nicodemus appears to have been powerfully impressed by the discourse, for he afterwards ventured to say a few words in our Lord's favour in the Sanhedrim, and also assisted Joseph of Arimathea at his burial, but he did not openly declare himself to be the follower of the Messiah. Whilst in Judæa our Lord's disciples began to baptize others in the Jordan at Enon near Salim. The news was carried to John, who thereupon delivered his last testimony to Jesus the Son of God, the beloved of the Father, in whom was everlasting life to all who believed.

Preaches in Samaria.-The Pharisees heard that more disciples were baptized to Jesus than to John, and began to be jealous of his influence. He accordingly proceeded to Galilee with his disciples. Whilst passing through Samaria he stopped to rest in the middle of the day by the ancient well, which had belonged to Jacob, near the town of Sychar or Shechem. His disciples went into Sychar to buy provisions, and meantime a Samaritan woman came to draw water. Jesus, regardless of the bitter prejudices of the Jews, asked her for a draught, and took the opportunity of speaking to her of that living water which he alone could supply to a thirsting world, and of that pure spiritual religion which should take the place of all mere outward worship, whether at Jerusalem or on Gerizim. "The hour cometh," he said, "and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth; for the Father seeketh such to worship him." The disciples came back and marvelled. Jesus directed their attention to the great spiritual harvest ready to be gathered into life eternal. Meanwhile the woman had brought a number of Samaritans

to hear him, and he abode there two days, and many believed on his word.

Galilee. Fixes his head-quarters at Caper- 49 naum.- -At length Jesus entered Galilee. First of all he went to Cana, where he healed the son of a nobleman, who at the time was 20 miles off at Capernaum. He next proceeded to his native town of Nazareth, and read publicly in the synagogue the glorious prophecy of Isaiah referring to himself:

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

Because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor;
He hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted;

To preach deliverance to the captives, and recovery of sight
to the blind;

To set at liberty them that are bruised,

To preach the acceptable year of the Lord."

When he had finished and given the roll into the hands of the attendant who kept the sacred writings, he said, "This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears," and he began to preach. The audience, who knew Joseph and Mary, were astonished, and murmured at his low origin. He then declared that a prophet was never esteemed in his own country, and threatened that the gospel would be taken from them and given to the Gentiles. The congregation now thrust him from the synagogue, and led him away to the brow of the hill on which Nazareth was built, in order to cast him down headlong, but he passed through the midst of the crowd and escaped. He next proceeded to the fishing town of Capernaum by Lake Gennesaret. Capernaum is especially celebrated in the annals of the Saviour, for he made it henceforth the centre of his labours. was called his own city, and here he rested in the intervals of his ministerial journeys. At Bethsaida in the immediate neighbourhood lived four of his disciples, namely, Peter and Andrew, the two sons of Jonas, and James and John, the two sons of Zebedee. All four were fishermen, and derived their support from the neighbouring lake. Jesus now taught in the sy

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nagogue, where he cast out the devil from a demoniac who addressed him as the Holy One of God. He also cured the mother of Peter's wife of a dangerous fever, and healed many others of their diseases, and cast out many demons from those who were possessed.

The

First Messianic journey through Galilee.-At length Jesus prepared for a ministerial circuit throughout Galilee attended by his disciples. The holy band with their Divine Master appear to have been supported by contributions from believers both rich and poor. Jesus delighted in the pure blessings of love, which is only perfect when it is both giving and receiving. He who fed thousands by a word, lived himself upon the bread of men whom he loved as his brethren. Having first prayed in a solitary place, he proceeded through Galilee teaching in all the synagogues, healing diseases and dispossessing the demoniacs, whilst vast multitudes followed him from all parts of the country as well as from Peræa and Judæa. On the mount of Beatitudes, which is supposed to have been a little to the north of Capernaum, he delivered his celebrated sermon. object of this discourse was to teach men spirituality of worship and purity of life. It may be divided into four parts. The first points out those who are prepared to receive the gospel, namely, the poor in spirit, the mournful, the meek, those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and the persecuted. The second directed his disciples to bear in mind their important calling, and especially to beware of falling into the cheerless righteousness of the Pharisees. The third includes the gospel interpretation of the law. The fourth contains full and explicit directions for Christian life, walk, and conversation. When Jesus had finished he proceeded to the shore of Lake Gennesaret, and the multitude still pressed on him to hear the word of God, and he entered a fishing vessel belonging to Peter, and continued to teach and exhort the people. After these discourses he filled the ship of Peter and Andrew and

that of the two sons of Zebedee with a miraculous draught of fishes, for they had toiled the whole night and caught nothing.

Return to Capernaum.-At last, after an extensive 51 tour Jesus returned to Capernaum, healing many on his way, especially a leper, who blazed abroad his wonderful cure throughout the country. Here he appears to have resided until the close of the first year of his ministry. He called Matthew the publican, from the place where he received toll, to be his disciple. He also cured a palsied man, who was let down through the canvass roof of the dwelling. Thus, whether at home or abroad, he never ceased to carry on his divine mission; which, as he declared to those who charged him with sitting amongst the lower orders, was not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

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CHAPTER VI.

SECOND YEAR OF CHRIST'S MINISTRY.

Easter,

A. D. 29.

Our Lord proclaims his Divinity at Jerusalem.-The great festival was now A. D. 28, once more at hand, and Jesus went up to to Easter, Jerusalem to keep the second Passover of his public ministry. At the first Passover he had exercised his authority by clearing out the temple. At the second he displayed his power, by the performance of a public miracle. By the sheep-market at Jerusalem was the pool of Bethesda, surrounded by five porches or cloisters. This pool was celebrated for its healing powers, and it was reported that at certain periods an angel descended and troubled the water, after which the first diseased person who stepped in was healed of his complaint.* Accordingly a multitude of sick peo

*This tradition has been inserted by some transcriber into the text of the New Testament. See larger edition of Analysis and Summary of New Testament History, p. 64.