JESUS CHRIST

(Bible Study)

JESUS = "Jehovah salvation;" for "He Himself (autos, not merely like Joshua He is God's instrument to save) saves His people from their sins" (Matt 1:21). CHRIST, Greek = MESSIAH, Hebrew, "anointed" (1 Sam 2:10; Ps 2:2,6 margin; Dan 9:25-26). Prophets, priests, and kings (Ex 30:30; 1 Kings 19:15-16) were anointed, being types of Him who combines all three in Himself (Deut 18:18; Zech 6:13). "By one offering He hath perfected forever them that are being sanctified" (Heb 10:5,7,14; 7:25). "Christ," or the Messiah, was looked for by all Jews as "He who should come" (Matt 11:3) according to the Old Testament prophets. IMMANUEL (which see) "God with us" declares His Godhead; also John 1:1-18. The New Testament shows that Jesus is the Christ (Matt 22:42-45). Jesus is His personal name, Christ His title. Appropriately, in undesigned confirmation of the Gospels, Acts, and epistles, the question throughout the Gospels is, whether Jesus is the (the article is always in the Greek) Christ (Matt 16:16; John 6:69), so in the first ministry of the word in Acts (Acts 2:36; 9:22; 10:38; 17:3). When His Messiahship became recognized "Christ" was used as His personal designation; so in the epistles. "Christ" implies His consecration and qualification for the work He undertook, namely, by His unction with the Holy Spirit, of which the Old Testament oil anointings were the type; in the womb (Luke 1:35), and especially at His baptism, when the Holy Spirit (as a dove) abode on Him (Matt 3:16; John 1:32-33). Transl. Ps 45:7; "O God (the Son), Thy God (the Father) hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows." Full of this unction without measure (John 3:34) He preached at Nazareth as the Fulfiller of the scripture He read (Isa 61:1-3), giving "the oil of joy for mourning," "good tidings unto the meek" (Luke 4:17-21). Jesus' claim to be Messiah or "the Christ of God" (Luke 9:20), i.e. the anointed of the Father to be king of the earth (Ps 2:6-12; Rev 11:15; 12:10), rests:
(1) On His fulfilling all the prophecies concerning Messiah, so far as His work has been completed, the earnest of the full completion; take as instances Isa 53; Ps 22:1; Mic 5:1; Hos 6:2-3; Gen 49:10, compare Luke 2; "the testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of prophecy" (Rev 19:10; Luke 24:26,44-46; Acts 3:22-25). (2) On His miracles (John 7:31; 5:36; 10:25,38). Miracles alleged in opposition, or addition, to Scripture cannot prove a divine mission (2 Thess 2:9; Deut 13:1-3; Matt 24:24), but when confirmed by Scripture they prove it indisputably. "Son of David" expresses His title to David's throne over Israel and Judah yet to be (Luke 1:32-33). "King of Israel" (John 1:49), "King of the Jews" (Matt 2:2; 21:5), "King of Zion." As son of David He is David's "offspring"; as "root of David" (in His divine nature) He is David's "lord" (Rev 22:16, compare Matt 22:42-45). His claim to the kingship was the charge against Him before Pilate (John 18:37; 19:3,12). The elect of God (Luke 23:35, compare Isa 42:1).
The inspired summary of His life is, "God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil, for God was with Him" (Acts 10:38). To be "in Christ," which occurs upward of 70 times in Paul's epistles, is not merely to copy but to be in living union with Him (1 Cor 15:18; 2 Cor 12:2), drawn from Christ's own image (John 15:1-10). In Christ God is manifested as He is, and man as he ought to be. Our fallen race lost the knowledge of man as utterly as they lost the knowledge of God. Humanity in Christ is generic (1 Cor 15:45,47), as the second "man" or "last Adam," "the Son of man" (a title used in New Testament only by Himself of Himself, except in Stephen's dying speech, Acts 7:56; from Dan 7:13; marking at once His humiliation as man's representative Head, and His consequent glorification in the same nature: Matt 20:28; 26:64).
Sinless Himself, yet merciful to sinners; meek under provocation, yet with refined sensibility; dignified, yet without arrogance; pure Himself, yet with a deep insight into evil; Christ is a character of human and divine loveliness such as man could never have invented; for no man has ever conceived, much less attained, such a standard; see His portraiture, Matt 12:15-20. Even His own brethren could not understand His withdrawal into Galilee, as, regarding Him like other men, they took it for granted that publicity was His aim (John 7:3-4; contrast John 5:44). Jesus was always more accessible than His disciples, they all rebuked the parents who brought their infants for Him to bless (Luke 18:15-17), they all would have sent the woman of Canaan away. But He never misunderstood nor discouraged any sincere seeker, contrast Matt 20:31 with Matt 20:32-34. Earthly princes look greatest at a distance, surrounded with pomp; but He needed no earthly state, for the more closely He is viewed the more He stands forth in peerless majesty, sinless and divine. (On His MIRACLES and PARABLES see). He rested His teaching on His own authority, and the claim was felt by all, through some mysterious power, to be no undue one (Matt 7:29). He appeals to Scripture as His own: "Behold I send unto you prophets," etc. (Matt 23:34; in Luke 11:49, "the Wisdom of God said, I will send them prophets").
His secret spring of unstained holiness, yet tender sympathy, was His constant communion with God; at all times, so that He was never alone (John 16:32), "rising up a great while before day, in a solitary place" (Mark 1:35). Luke tells us much of His prayers: "He continued all night in prayer to God," before ordaining the twelve (Luke 6:12); it was as He was "praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended, and (the Father's) voice came from heaven, Thou art My beloved Son," etc. (Luke 3:22); it was "as He prayed, the fashion of His countenance was altered, and His raiment was white and glistering" (Luke 9:29); when the angel strengthened Him in Gethsemane, "in an agony He prayed more earnestly," using the additional strength received not to refresh Himself after His exhausting conflict, but to strive in supplication, His example confirming His precept, Luke 13:24 (Luke 22:44; Heb 5:7). His Father's glory, not His own, was His absorbing aim (John 8:29,50; 7:18); from His childhood when at 12 years old (for it was only in His 12 th year that Archelaus was banished and His parents ventured to bring Him to the Passover: Josephus, Ant. 17:15) His first recorded utterance was, "Wist ye not that I must be about My Father's business?" or else "in My Father's places" (Luke 2:49; Ps 40:6,8).
Little is recorded of His childhood, but as much as the Spirit saw it safe for us to know; so prone is man to lose sight of Christ's main work, to fulfill the law and pay its penalty in our stead. The reticence of Scripture as remarkably shows God's inspiration of it as its records and revelations. Had the writers been left to themselves, they would have tried to gratify our natural curiosity about His early years. But a veil is drawn over all the rest of His sayings for the first 30 years. "He waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom ... He increased in wisdom" (Luke 2:40,52), which proves that He had a" reasonable soul" capable of development, as distinct from His Godhead; Athanasian Creed: "perfect God and perfect man, of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting." His tender considerateness for His disciples after their missionary journey, and His compassion for the fainting multitudes, outweighing all thought; of His own repose when He was weary, and when others would have been impatient of their retirement being intruded on (Mark 6:30-37), are lovely examples of His human, and at the same time superhuman, sympathy (Heb 4:15).
Then how utterly void was He of resentment for wrongs. When apprehended, instead of sharing the disciples' indignation He rebuked it; instead of rejoicing in His enemy's suffering, He removed it (Luke 22:50-51); instead of condemning His murderers He prayed for them: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34). What exquisite tact and tenderness appear in His dealing with the woman of Samaria (John 4), as He draws the spiritual lesson from the natural drink which He had craved of her, and leads her on to convict herself of sin, in the absence of His disciples, and to recognize Him as the Messiah. So in the account of the woman caught in adultery. When "every man went unto his own house" He who had not where to lay His head "went to the mount of Olives," His wonted resort for prayer; "early in the morning He came again into the temple." Then followed the scribes' accusation of the woman from the law, but He who wrote on stone that law of commandments now writes with His finger on the ground (the law of mercy), showing the power of silence to shame the petulant into self recollection, the censorious into self condemnation.
His silent gesture spoke expressively. Then His single speech, "he that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her," followed by the same silent gesture, made them feel the power of conscience and withdraw. Then she stays, though her accusers were gone, awaiting His sentence and is made to feel the power of His holiness, condemning her sin yet not herself, "Go and sin no more." The same spirit appears here as in His atonement, which makes sin unspeakably evil, yet brings the sinner into loving union with God in Christ. Other systems, which reject the atonement, either make light of sin or else fill the sinner with slavish and unconquerable dread of wrath. Stoning was the penalty of unfaithfulness in one betrothed. If Jesus decided she should be stoned, He would be opposing Rome which claimed power of deciding all capital cases (John 18:31). If Jesus decided to let her off, He would forfeit the favor of the Jews, as a setter aside of Moses' law. His reply maintained the law, but limited its execution to those free from sexual uncleanness, which none of her accusers were. The lesson is not for magistrates, but for self constituted judges and busybodies, whose dragging of filthy stories against others into the social circle is only defiling. They were not witnesses in court; there was no judicial trial. The context (John 8:12, "I am the light of the world," referring to the rising sun and the lighted lamps at the feast of tabernacles, John 7:37; and John 8:15, "ye judge after the flesh, I judge no man") confirms the genuineness of the passage, which is omitted from good manuscripts.
His birth was in the year 750 from Rome's foundation, four before the era "Anno Domini," some months before Herod's death. The first Adam was created, and not born; the Second Adam, in His manhood, both born and created with a body free from the inherited taint of original sin (Heb 10:5).
The census of the Roman empire ordered by Augustus led Joseph and Mary from Nazareth to Bethlehem, the city of David their ancestor, in fulfillment of Micah's prophecy (Mic 5). Spring was probably the season for the shepherds beginning to watch over their flocks by night. The season when winter deadness gives place to new vegetation and life was the appropriate birth time of Him who "maketh all things new." So Song 2:10-13. Spring was the Passover season, Israel's national birthday. So that the spiritual, national, and natural eras, in this view, coincide. To allow time between the presentation in the temple and the arrival of the wise men and the other events before Herod's death, perhaps February may be fixed on. The grotto at Bethlehem is mentioned by Justin Martyr in the second century as the scene of His birth. The humble (1 Cor 1:26-31) Jewish shepherds were the earliest witnesses of the glory which attended His birth.
For in every successive instance of His voluntary humiliation, the Father, jealous for the honour of His co-equal on, provided for His glorification (Luke 2:8-18; so Luke 22:43; 23:4,40-43,47; Matt 3:14-17; John 12:28). Simeon and Anna were the divinely appointed welcomers of the Son of God at His lowly presentation in the temple, the former discerning in Him" God's salvation," the "light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory (especially) of His people Israel"; the latter "speaking of Him to all who looked for redemption in Jerusalem." The Gentile wise men of the East (Persian magi possibly, the Zend religion teaching the expectation of a Zoziosh or Redeemer; or magoi being used generally, these wise men coming from Balaam's region, the East, and knowing his prophecy, "there shall come a star out of Jacob, and a sceptre shall rise out of Israel": Num 24:17; 23:7, whence they ask for the "King of the Jews" and mention the "star") came later, and found Him no longer in a manger where the shepherds found Him, but in a "house" (Matt 2:11). They were the firstfruits of the Gentile world; their offering of gold is thought to mark His kingship, the frankincense His priesthood, and the myrrh His coming burial, in God's purpose if not theirs. HEROD (which see), being an Edomite who had supplanted the Jewish Asmonaeans or Maccabees, was alarmed to hear of one "born king of the Jews," and failing to find Jesus slew all children from two years old and under (Herod fixed on this age as oriental mothers suckle infants until they are two years old). God saved His Son by commanding the mother and Joseph to flee to Egypt, the land of the type Israel's sojourn, when fleeing from famine, and the land from whence God called His Son Israel (Hos 11:1; Matt 2:15); not by miracle, but by ordinary escaping from persecution, as sharing His people's trials (Matt 10:23).
His interview with the doctors in the temple shows that His human consciousness already knew His divine mission and was preparing for it. Stier describes His one utterance in childhood as "a solitary floweret out of the wonderful enclosed garden of 30 years, plucked precisely there where the swollen bud at the distinctive crisis bursts into the flower." The description "He increased ... in stature ... and in favor with God and men," combined with Ps 45:2, "Thou art fairer than the children of men, grace is poured into Thy lips," implies that His outward form was a temple worthy of the Word made flesh. Isa 53:2 expresses men's rejection of Him, rather than the absence of graces inward or outward in Him to cause that rejection.
In the 15 th year of the emperor Tiberius, dating from his joint rule with Augustus (15 years from 765 after the founding of Rome, i.e. two years before Augustus' death in 767), i.e. 780 (30 counted back bring our Lord's birth to 750), when Pontius Pilate was procurator of Judea and ANNAS and CAIAPHAS (which see) jointly in fact exercised the high priesthood, Caiaphas being nominally the high priest (John 18:13), John Baptist, as last prophet of the Old Testament dispensation, by preaching repentance for sin and a return to legal obedience, prepared the way for Messiah, the Saviour from sin; whereas the people's desire was for a Messiah who would deliver them from the hated foreign, yoke. Wieseler thinks John's preaching took place on the sabbatical year, which, if it be so, must have added weight to his appeals. We know at all events that he came "in the spirit and power of Elias." Jesus received His solemn consecration to His redeeming work by John's baptism with water (to which He came not, as all others, confessing sin, but undertaking to "fulfill all righteousness") and at the same time by the Holy Spirit's descent permanently, accompanied by the Father's acceptance of Him as our Redeemer, "this is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased," namely, as undertaking to become man's Saviour. Thus "Christ glorified not Himself to be made an high priest, but He that said Thou art My Son" (Ps 2:7; Heb 5:5; Matt 3:14). John, though knowing His goodness and wisdom before, as he must have known from the intimacy between the cousin mothers, Mary and Elisabeth (Luke 1), and knowing that Messiah should come, and when Jesus presented Himself feeling a strong presentiment that this was the Messiah, yet knew not definitely Jesus' Messiahship, until its attestation by God the Father with the Holy Spirit at His baptism (John 1:31-33).
Under the power of the Spirit received at His baptism He encountered Satan in the wilderness. The mountain of Quarantania, a perpendicular wall of rock 1,400 feet above the plain, on this side of Jordan, is the traditional site. Satan's aim was to tempt Him to doubt His sonship, "if Thou be the Son of God," etc. The same voice spoke through His mockers at the crucifixion (Matt 27:40). Faith answers with Nathanael (John 1:49). Mark 1:13 says "He was with the wild beasts," a contrast to the first Adam among the beasts tame and subject to man's will. Adam changed paradise into a wilderness, Jesus changed the wilderness into paradise (Isa 11:6-9). Jesus' answer to all the three temptations was not reasoning, but appeal to God's written word, "it is written." As Christ was "holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners" (Heb 7:26), the temptation must have been from without, not from within: objective and real, not subjective or in ecstasy. The language too, "led up ... came ... taketh Him up ... the Spirit driveth Him" (ekballei, a necessary though a distasteful conflict to the Holy One), etc., implies reality (Matt 4:1,3,5; Mark 1:12). In fallen man suggestions of hatred of God, delight in inflicting pain, cruel lust, fierce joy in violating law, are among the inward temptations of Satan; but Jesus said before His renewed temptation in Gethsemane, "the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in Me" (John 14:30). As 40 is the number in Scripture implying affliction, sin, and punishment (Gen 7:4,12; Num 14:33; 32:13-14 Ps. xcv, 10; Deut 25:3; Ezek 29:11; 4:6; Jonah 3:4), Christ the true Israel (Deut 8:3,16; 9:9,11,25) denied Himself 40 days, answering to Israel's 40 years' provocation of God and punishment by death in the wilderness. Not by His almighty power, but by His righteousness, Jesus overcame. First Satan tried Him through His sinless bodily wants answering to "the flesh" in fallen man. But Jesus would not, when hungry, help Himself, though He fed multitudes, for He would not leave His voluntarily assumed position of human absolute dependence on God.
He who nourished crowds with bread
Would not one meal unto Himself afford
O wonderful the wonders left undone,
And scarce less wonderful than those He wrought!
O self restraint passing all human thought,
To have all power and be as having none!
O self denying love, which felt alone
For needs of others, never for His own!
The next temptation in the spiritual order (Matthew gives probably the chronological order) was, Satan tried to dazzle Him, by a bright vision of the world's pomps "in a moment of time," to take the kingdoms of the world at his hands (as "delivered" to him, owing to man's fall) without the cross, on condition of one act of homage to him "the prince of this world." But Jesus herein detected the adversary, and gives him his name, "Get thee behind Me, Satan (His very words to Peter, who, as Satan's tool, for the moment urged the same avoidance of the cross: Matt 16:23), for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord," etc. The kingdom of the world shall come to Him, just because His cross came first (Phil 2:5-11; Rev 11:15; Isa 53:12). To the flesh and the world succeeds the last and highest temptation, the devil's own sin, presumption. Satan turns Jesus' weapon, the word, on Himself, quoting Ps 91:11-12, and omitting the qualification "in all thy ways," namely, implicit reverent faith and dependence on God, which were "Christ's ways." Christ would no more presume because He was God's Son than doubt that He was so. To cast Himself from the temple S.W. wall pinnacle, then 180 feet above the valley before soil accumulated, or the topmost ridge of the royal portico, to test God's power and faithfulness, would be Israel's sin in "tempting Jehovah, saying, Is Jehovah among us or not?" though having had ample proofs already (Ex 17:7; Ps 78:18-20,41; Deut 6:16, which Jesus quotes). All His quotations are from the same book, which rationalism now assails. Thus the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life, which lured the first Adam, could not entice the Second (Gen 3:6: compare 1 John 2:16-17). The assault against man's threefold nature, the body (the lack of bread), the soul (craving for worldly lordship without the cross), and the spirit (the temptation on the temple pinnacle), failed in His case. It was necessary the foundation should be tested, and it stood the trial (Isa 28:16). Satan left Him "for a (rather until the) season," namely, until he renewed the attack at Gethsemane, "and angels came and ministered unto Him," God fulfilling the promise of Ps 91:in Christ's, not Satan's, way.
Then began His public course of teaching and of miracles, which were not mere wonders, but "signs," i.e. proofs, of His divine commission; and not merely signs of supernatural power, but expressive intimations of the aim of His ministry and of His own all loving character; the spiritual restoration, which was His main end, being shadowed forth in the visible works of power and mercy. The Jews understood them and His words as His setting up the claim to be equal with God (John 5:1-19; 10:30-33). It is certain that He made the claim (John 14:8-11). Such a Holy One as He would never have made it if it were not true. His whole character excludes the notion of self-deceiving enthusiasm. They evaded the force of His miracles (while recognizing their truth, which they would have denied if they could) by attributing them to Beelzebub (Matt 12:24). His incarnation being once granted, His divine sympathy, expressed by miracles of healing man's sufferings, follows as the necessary consequence (Matt 8:17, compare Isa 53:4). His death in our nature to atone for our sins, and His resurrection, are the culminating point of His suffering with us and for us, that He and we through Him should be free from sin, sorrow, and death forever (1 Peter 3:18; 4:1-2; Rom 6:4-11).
John's testimony to Him, "Behold the Lamb of God," followed but a few days after the temptation, Jesus meeting John at the Jordan valley on His homeward journey toward Galilee. John's words so impressed his two disciples Andrew and probably John (the apostle) that they left the Baptist for Christ. On the third day after leaving Bethany (John 1:28, the Sinaiticus, Vulgate and Alexandrinus manuscripts; John 2:1) He reached Cana of Galilee and performed His first miracle. He who would not work a miracle in the wilderness at the outset of His ministry, to supply His own needs, worked one to supply our luxuries. As His ministry began, so it ended. with a social meal. The poet happily describes the miracle, "the modest water saw its God and blushed" ("vidit et erubuit lympha pudica Deum"). Next, He goes to Capernaum, a more suitable center for His ministry amidst the populous western shores of the Galilean lake than secluded Nazareth.
Next, He went to Jerusalem for His first Passover during His ministry, and drives out of the temple court of the Gentiles the sheep and oxen, and overthrows the money changers' tables (for the traffic was an insult to the Gentile worshipper, and was not practiced in the court of the Israelites, and made devotion impossible), not by mere force but moral power. The whip of small cords was a puny weapon, but symbolized His coming universal empire. The act repeated at the close (Matt 21:12) of His ministry, as at its beginning, befitted Him who came as purifier of the temple literal and spiritual (Mal 3:1-4). His own divinely formed body (the sanctuary, the holy of holies, of God; naos) was typified by that literal (hieron) temple (John 2:18-20); its being destroyed by the Jews, and raised up by Himself in three days, was the sign He gave to those who challenged His authority in purging the temple of stone. John describes His officially taking possession of that temple which when a boy He called His Father's house (Luke 2:49, "in My Father's places," Greek), with a punitive scourge, the symbol of authority. The synoptical three evangelists describe the final purgation before the close of His ministry, without the scourge. A mere word and awe inspiring look made all, as in Gethsemane, fall back abashed before Him alone.
The interview with NICODEMUS (which see) issuing in his ultimate conversion occurred toward the close of the paschal week (John 3). Then He passed to northeastern Judea, where by His disciples He baptized many (John 3:22-26; 4:1-2) and stayed to nearly the end of the year. After His eight months' ministry in Judea, upon John's imprisonment which threatened danger to His infant church, He proceeded through Samaria, the shortest route, to the safe retreat of Galilee. At Jacob's well the chief reason for His "must needs go through Samaria" appeared in the conversion of the Samaritan woman, His first herald in Sychem, the firstfruits of the harvest gathered in by Philip the deacon after His ascension (Acts 8:5 ff). It was now December, four months before harvest (John 4:35); but the fields were "white already to harvest" spiritually. His two days' ministry in Samaria, without miracles, produced effects not realized by His eight months' stay in Judea with miracles. Proceeding to "His own country" Galilee (the place of His rearing) He was received by the Galileans only because they had seen His miracles when at the feast in Jerusalem; as mournfully at Cana, the scene of His first miracle, which He now revisits, He tells the nobleman who sought healing for his son, "except see signs and wonders ye will not believe." The care was followed by the conversion of the nobleman and his whole house.
Jesus returned to Jerusalem at "the feast" of Passover (John 5:1; the Sinaiticus manuscript reads "the"; the Alexandrinus and Vaticanus manuscripts omit it, which would favor the view that the feast was Purim); thus there would be four Passovers during His ministry: John 2:13; 5:1; 13:1 (the last), besides the one He stayed away from because of threatened violence (John 6:4; 7:1); and thus His ministry lasted three and a half years; not two and a half, as making the feast to be Purim would imply. The cure of the man infirm for 38 years at BETHESDA pool (which see) followed on the sabbath, proving that He who had shown Himself Lord of the temple is Lord also of the sabbath. This was the turning point in His history; henceforth "the Jews" (i.e. the hierarchical party, adherents of the Sanhedrin, in John's usage), on His claiming unity in working, dignity, and honour with the Father as justifying His healing on the sabbath, commenced that rancorous opposition which drove Him in a day or two after from Jerusalem. He only visited the capital twice again before His last Passover; namely, seven months afterward at the feast of tabernacles in the middle of October (John 7:1, etc.), and at the feast of dedication in December (John 10:22-23); probably the two months between these two feasts were spent in Judea. He returned to Nazareth in Galilee, His old home. Luke 4:15 refers summarily to the same visit to Galilee as John 4:3,43. A chasm then intervenes in Luke between Luke 4:15 and Luke 4:16,14 refers to the earlier visit while He was fresh from the "Spirit's" baptism, John 1:43, etc., 2; and Luke 4:16, etc., refers to the visit to Galilee implied in John 6:1, succeeding the visit to Jerusalem (John 5:1-10). By the next sabbath He was in Nazareth, and preached from Isa 61:1. Though at first wondering at His gracious words, His hearers were so offended at His announcing God's sovereignty in ministering mercy to the Gentiles, sometimes, rather than to Israel when apostate, that they sought to cast Him down from the brow of the hill (a precipice of the western hill, that by the Maronite church) whereon their city was built; but "He passed through the midst of them."
His main Galilean ministry begins with this, as recorded in the synoptical GOSPELS (which see): Matt 4:12,17; Mark 1:14-15; after John's imprisonment, which had not taken place at the earlier visit (John 3:24; 1:45; 2; 4:1-3, etc.). His Judaean ministry is John's main subject. However, Luke from Luke 9:51 to Luke 19:28 records Christ's ministry between the feast of tabernacles in October, A.U.C. 782, and the triumphal entry before the last Passover, April, 783. Eusebius (H.E. iii. 24.) states that the three synoptical evangelists recount" what was done by our Saviour in the space of one year after the imprisonment of John the Baptist." This period is divided into two by the feeding of the 5,000 about the time of that Passover which our Lord was debarred from keeping at Jerusalem by the murderous designs of the hierarchical party there. The events up to and including the feeding, a period of little more than three weeks, are fully detailed; those of the remaining period are only in part narrated. Luke's order of events seems from his own statement (Luke 1:3, "from the very first," namely, the Baptist's birth, "to write in order") to be the chronological one; in the first portion (namely, that before the feeding) it, is confirmed by Mark, also by John. Matthew's grouping of the discourses and events in clusters is designed for other than chronological sequence: the Sermon on the Mount, the instructions to the twelve before their mission, the collection of parables (Matt 13), that of miracles (Matt 8 and Matt 9): he notices place, where the order of time is not observed, showing it was not ignorance of the order of time which caused his non-observance of it (Matt 8:5,14,18,28; 9:1; 12:9; 13:1).
In fulfillment of Isa 9:1 He, after His rejection at Nazareth (Matt 4:13-17), settled at CAPERNAUM (which see) hard by the populous plain of Gennesar, a "people that sat in darkness," being half gentilized by the neighbouring nations. The people remembering His miracle on the nobleman's son a few weeks before (John 4:46) "pressed upon Him to hear God's word"; then the miraculous draught of fish was the occasion of His drawing Simon, (Andrew), James and John permanently from earthly fishing to become "fishers of men" (Luke 5:1-10; Matt 4:18-22; Mark 1:14-20). Zebedee being a man of means, and with ship and "hired servants" (Luke 5:7; Mark 1:20; John's acquaintance with the high priest, John 18:15, implies the same), the report of the miracle and its effect on the four attracted many to hear Jesus Christ next sabbath in the synagogue. Then followed the casting out of the demon (whose wild cry is recorded in Mark 1:24, Ea), and the cure of the fever of Simon's wife's mother (Luke 4:33-39), transposed in Luke to bring into better contrast by juxtaposition Christ's rejection the sabbath before at Nazareth and His welcome this sabbath at Capernaum. Mark chronologically places the two cures after the miraculous draught, not before. Fevers are generated at the marshy land of Tabiga, especially in spring, the season in question. Luke as a "physician" calls it "a great fever," in contradistinction to "a small." Jesus "rebuked" it, as He did the sea (Matt 8:26), as the outbreak of some hostile power (compare Isa 13:16), and infused in her full strength, enabling her to minister.
In the casting out demons three things are noteworthy: (1) the patient's loss of conscious personality (Mark 5:7), so that he becomes identified with the demon whose mouthpiece he is; (2) the appalled demon's recognition of the Son of God; (3) Christ's prohibiting the demon to testify to Him, that the people's, belief might not rest on such testimony, giving color to the Jews' slander (Matt 12:24; Mark 1:34). His ceaseless energy in crowding the day with loving deeds vividly appears in Mark 1:32-34; Luke 4:40-41. Retiring for communion with God into a solitary place long before day, He was tracked by Simon and the people; but He told them He must go and preach to the other village towns (koinopoleis) also, with which the Gennesareth plain was studded. His circuit lasted until the eve of the next sabbath, when (Mark 2:1) He was again in Capernaum. The only incident recorded of the circuit was He healed the leper in the synagogue by His holy touch.
Emissaries of the hostile hierarchy from Jerusalem (Luke 5:17) now watched His movements: at first "reasoning in their hearts," which His omniscience detected, as if His assuming the power, to forgive sins in the case of the palsied man were "blasphemy" (Mark 2:6,8); then "murmuring" at His eating with the publican Levi whom He called that day before the sabbath (Mark 2:14-17; Luke 5:30); then objecting to His not fasting, from whence He was called "a winebibber and glutton," to which He replied by images from the wine before them and the garments they wore, the spirit of the new dispensation must mould its own forms of outward expression and not have those of the old imposed on it, nor can the two be pieced together without injury to both; lastly "filled with madness" at His healing on the sabbath a man with withered right hand, besides His previous justification of the disciples against their censure for plucking grain ears on the sabbath, "the first of a year standing second in a sabbatical cycle" (Ellicott, Life of Christ; Luke 6:1, the Alexandrinus manuscript, but the Sinaiticus and the Vaticanus manuscripts omit it), and proclaiming Himself its Lord. They resolve to "destroy" Him (Mark 2:23-28; 3:1-6; Matt 12:1-14). This resolve at Capernaum was the same as they had already formed at Jerusalem (John 5:1-18), and on the same plea. Nay, they even joined the Herodians their political opponents to compass their end (Mark 3:6). Seven miracles He performed on the sabbath (Mark 1:21,29; 3:1-2; John 5:9; 9:14; Luke 13:14; 14:1).
Their murderous plotting was the time and occasion of His withdrawal to the solitary hills W. of the lake, and choosing 12 apostles who should be His witnesses when He was gone. The horned hill of Hattin was probably the scene of their being chosen (Luke 6:12-13), and of the Sermon on the Mount. The beginning and end of this sermon are the same in Luke 6 as Matt 5-7; the general order is the same; and the same miracle, the centurion's servant, succeeds. Some of the expressions are found in other collocations in Luke (who gives only the summary in Luke 6), our Lord giving the same precepts on more occasions than one (compare Matt 5:18; 6:19-21,24; 7:13,22, respectively, with Luke 12:58,33; 16:13; 13:24-27). The sermon's unity precludes its being thought a collection of discourses uttered at different times. Possibly, though not so probably, the longer form was spoken at the top of the hill (Matt 5:1) to the apostles and disciples, the shorter when "He came down and stood on the level" a little below the top (Luke 6:17), to the "great multitude." The variations in the two forms are designed by the Holy Spirit to bring out fresh lights of the same truths. Luke's does not notice the portion on almsgiving, prayer, and fasting (Matt 6). The healing of the centurion's servant follows: the first Gentile healed, without seeing Him, by a word, at the request preferred twice by others before he presumed himself to ask (Luke 7:3-6; Matt 8:5-6).
The next day, He ascended the steep up to the hamlet Nain, and restored to the sorrowing widow her son who was being carried for burial, probably to the sepulchral caves on the W. of Nain, of which traces remain. The anointing of His feet (only) in Simon's house in some neighbouring town by the sinful but forgiven woman followed. Mary of Bethany anointed His head as well as His feet. Both wiped His feet with their hair, the sinful woman also kissed and washed His feet with her tears (Luke 7:38; John 12:3; Mark 14:3). Not Mary Magdalene, whose possession by demons does not prove impurity, as on the other hand this woman's impurity does not prove demoniacal possession. About the same time John Baptist from his dungeon at Machaerus sent two disciples to inquire whether Jesus is He that should come; primarily to convince them (as Jesus in fact did from His miracles and His gospel preaching: Luke 7:18-23; Mark. 11) that thus to the last he should be the Bridegroom's friend, introducing the bride to Him (John 3:1-29,27-30); secondarily to derive for himself the incidental comfort of accumulated conviction. Next, followed the short circuit of a couple of days preaching from city to city, attended by ministering women (Luke 8:1-3): Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Susanna, and many others, including possibly the woman who "loved much" and evidenced it because she knew by "faith ... her many sins forgiven" (Luke 7:46-50).
He returned to His "home" at Capernaum (margin Mark 3:19-20), and the multitude flocked together so eagerly that the disciples "could not so much as eat bread"; so His kinsmen "went out (of their temporary abode at Capernaum) to lay hold on Him, saying, He is beside Himself." A few verses later (Mark 3:31) they with His mother arrived at the house "desiring to speak with Him," and He replied to His informants, "My mother and My brethren are these which hear the word of God and do it." The cure of the demoniac blind and dumb was the occasion of the Pharisees attributing His miracle to Beelzebub (a charge repeated again subsequently: Luke 11:14-15), and elicited His warning that they were verging toward the unpardonable sin against the Holy Spirit, namely, the expression of their inward hatred of what they knew and felt divine so as to lose the power of fulfilling the conditions required for forgiveness. On the evening of the same day from a fishing vessel He spoke the series of parables beginning with that one recorded by all the three synoptical Gospels, that of the sower, as His eyes rested on the grainfields reaching to the margin of the lake. At the close the apostles took away from the lingering multitude their wearied Master "as He was" (Mark 4:36), in the vessel toward the eastern shore. A storm wind from one of the deep ravines in the high plateau of Jaulan, which "act like gigantic funnels to draw down the winds from the mountains" (Thomson, Land and Book) and converge to the head of the lake, burst upon the waters (Luke 8:23, "came down" appropriately, for the lake is 600 ft. lower than the Mediterranean), and the ship filled and they were in jeopardy. His word sufficed to quell the sea in the world of nature, as previously the demons in the spirit world. On reaching the eastern shore the two Gergesene demoniacs (of whom the prominent one alone is noticed by Mark and Luke) met Him. The tombs where was their home still are visible in the ravines E. of the lake. The manifold personality of the one, his untameable wildness, self mutilation with stones, his kneeling, shouting, and final deliverance are graphically told by Mark (Mark 5). By our Lord's command he became first preacher to his own friends, and then in Decapolis (Luke 8:39).
On Christ's return to the western shore followed the raising of Jairus' daughter with studied privacy (contrast the public raisin; of the Nain widow's son, each being dealt with as He saw best for them and for His all wise ends), preceded by the cure of the woman with the issue of blood. Again He visited Nazareth and taught on the sabbath. The same incredulity of His countrymen (John 1:11), though now expressed by contempt rather than by violence as before, showed itself: "is not this the carpenter?" etc. (Mark 6:1-6, referring probably to His having worked with Joseph the carpenter in youth.) Their unbelief, which made Him "marvel," stayed His hand of power and love (Isa 59:2); but even the promiscuous and exceptional cures He wrought there manifested His divine grace and power.
Soon after John Baptist's murder the twelve returned and "told Jesus all they had done and taught" (Mark 6:30, etc.), and He considerately invited them to retire to the further side of the lake for rest, to the neighbourhood of Bethsaida Julias. Five thousand people soon broke in on His retirement, and instead of sending them away He first fed their souls, then their bodies, making them sit on the green grass table land N.E. of the lake, or else the plain by the Jordan's mouth (Luke 9:10-17). The miracle constrained them to confess, "this is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world"; it is one of the seven selected by John to be recorded. On the same evening that the Jerusalem multitudes were having the paschal lambs slain for the feast, He the true Lamb in eastern Galilee was feeding other multitudes, and on the following day in the Capernaum synagogue discoursed on the bread of life and His flesh which must be eaten in order to have life (John 6:22, etc.).
From ministering in Judaea He had gone to minister in eastern Galilee, which was the more Judaized part. Now He proceeds to the more Gentile part, namely, northern Galilee. Teaching and preaching characterized this period, as miracles had the former. Thus, a progressive character is traceable in Christ's ministry. Luke devotes to this period only from Luke 9:18-50, Mark from Mark 6:45-49. Matthew gives the fullest record of it. Christ's performance of miracles was regulated by the faith of those to whom He ministered; amidst the imperfect faith of the northern frontier lands little scope for them was afforded, and they were few.
After feeding the 5,000 Christ directed His disciples (Mark 6:45) to cross to Bethsaida (not Julius at the head of the lake, but on the W. at Khan Minyeh, or Bat-Szaidu, meaning "the house of fish," a name likely to belong to more than one place on a lake so famous for fish. The gale which brought boats from Tiberius to the N.E. coast, but delayed a passage to the W., must have been from the S.W.: John 6:23. Therefore the Bethsaida here was a town on the W. coast which the apostles were making for, but in vain). It was "evening" (Matt 14:15), i.e. the first evening or opsia, between three and six o'clock, toward its close, before the 5,000 sat down, the day being "far spent" (Mark 6:35). At the beginning of the second evening (from sunset to darkness) after six the disciples embark (John 6:16), and before its close reach the mid lake (Mark 6:47; Matt 14:24) and encounter the gale which, beginning after sunset, was now at its height.
For hours they made slow progress, until Jesus "in the fourth watch" came walking to them on the waters (the attribute of God: Job 9:8; Ps 77:19). He had "departed into a mountain Himself alone" because He perceived that the people would come and take Him by force to make Him king (John 6:15). Now He comes to the relief of His disciples. "He would have passed them," to elicit their faith and prayers (Mark 6:48; Luke 24:28); also leading the way toward the desired haven. Then followed Peter's characteristically impulsive act of faith, and failure through looking at the dangers instead of to Jesus, and his rescue in answer to his cry (Ps 94:18). This miracle "amazed the disciples sore beyond measure," so that "they worshipped Him, saying, Of a truth Thou art the Son of God." The people on the E. side of the lake followed after Jesus to the W. side in some of the boats which had come from Tiberias (the W. side), and found Him at Capernaum.
It was the 15 th day of Nisan, a day of "holy convocation, in which no servile work was done," the day succeeding the Passover eve (Lev 23:6-7). Appropriately, as His miracle of the loaves the evening before answered to the Passover, so His discourse in Capernaum synagogue on Himself as the Bread of life (in His incarnation "coming down from heaven," and in His atoning death where He gave His flesh "for the life of the world," appropriated by faith, John 6:35,50-52) was on the day of holy assembly the first of the seven. (See CAPERNAUM). Less malignity appears in His hearers than on His former visit (Luke 6:7,11); for the emissaries of the hostile faction from Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem, were away celebrating the Passover in the metropolis. Some doubters and cavilers of the hostile party (called by John "the Jews," John 6:41) murmured at His calling Himself "the Bread which came down from heaven." But the multitude who had come after Him in the earlier part of His discourse questioned in a less unfriendly spirit. Some disciples "went back and walked no more with Him"; but Peter in the name of the twelve declared "we are sure that Thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God" (the Sinaiticus and the Vaticanus and other best manuscripts read "THE HOLY ONE OF GOD"; received reading is evidently a marginal correction from Matt 16:16). The reference to the Eucharist can only be indirect, for it was not yet instituted: the saved thief on the cross never partook of it; "the son of perdition," Judas, did. The eating of His flesh which is essential to salvation can only therefore be spiritual (John 6:63).
Healings in the Gennesaret plain near Capernaum for a few days followed (Matt 14:34-36; Mark 6:55-56). Pharisees and scribes then came from Jerusalem (Matt 15; Mark 7:1). Having craftily gained entrance into the disciples' social meetings they observed and now charge Jesus with His disciples transgressing the tradition of the elders which forbade eating with unwashen hands. He in reply condemned them because they also transgressed God's fifth commandment, to honour parents, and in their hearing calls the multitude and warns the latter that defilement comes from within, not from without. Both the truth and the publicity grievously offended the Pharisees. Herod very shortly before, perplexed on hearing the fame of Jesus, had surmised with others that "this is John Baptist risen from the dead, and therefore mighty works do show forth themselves in him" (Matt 14:2). The I is emphatical in Luke 9:9: "John have I beheaded, but who is this?" Guilty conscience recalls his perpetrated murder, and fills him with superstitious fears. Sadducean unbelief on the other hand whispered that his fears might be groundless after all. So he desired to see Him to satisfy himself.
Eastern Galilee was no longer a safe place for Jesus and His apostles, therefore the Lord with drew to the N.W. to the confines of Tyre and Sidon (Mark 7:24; Matt 15:22) for quiet Seclusion, where He might further instruct the twelve. He did not cross into the pagan territory, but a Syro-phoenician woman crossed from it to Him. Descended from the Canaanite idolaters who fled to the extreme N. from Palestine on its conquest by Israel, she yet exhibited a faith which triumphed over repeated trials whereby the Lord designedly tested it. She extended His mission beyond "the lost sheep of the house of Israel" to include her. Counting herself a "dog" she by faith was counted by God His child (Gal 3:26). The demon was cast out, her child healed, and herself commended for a faith which almost surprises the Giver of it, and which was irresistible with Him: "O woman, great is thy faith! Be it unto thee even as thou wilt." Thence He returned through the half pagan Decapolis, which was almost wholly on the E. side of the sea of Galilee. The Vaticanus and Sinaiticus manuscripts, besides the very ancient manuscript of Beza and others, old Latin, Vulgate and Copt. manuscripts, read Mark 7:31, "from the coasts of Tyre He came through Sidon unto the sea of Galilee." This implies that Jesus actually passed on to the pagan Sidon, the stronghold of Baal and Astarte worship. Thus the climax of mercy was reached; an earnest of the extension of His kingdom, after His ascension, from Jerusalem to Judaea, from Judaea to Samaria and half Judaized half pagan Galilee, and from thence to the uttermost parts of the Gentile world (Acts 1:8).
Thence He began His southeastern circuit through Decapolis to the shore E. of the sea of Galilee. A deaf man with an impediment in his speech was cured there. In his case and that of the blind man at Bethsaida Julius there is the peculiarity (probably to awaken attention to His act in both the patient and the non-spiritual crowd) that He took each away from the crowd and He used the action of touching (compare 1 John 1:1 spiritually; Dan 10:15-16; Ps 51:15; Eph 6:19) and spitting (comp, spiritually Ps 34:8) on the parts affected; and in the blind man the cure was gradual (compare Mark 4:31-32; 7:32-35; 8:22-25). The half Gentile Decapolitans thereupon glorified the God of Israel (Matt 15:31), drawn by the divine Son to recognize the Father and to take Israel's God for their God. Then followed the feeding of the 4,000 with seven loaves (probably on the high ground E. of the lake near the ravine opposite to Magdala, now wady Semak).
The place was near that of the feeding of the 5,000; but the number of loaves in the miracle of the 4,000 was greater; the number of the fish also ("a few" among the 4,000, only two among the 5,000: Mark 6:38; fish naturally would be forthcoming, the apostles being fishermen and near the lake); the number of baskets of remnants less (seven spurides, but from the 5,000, 12 kofinoi); the number of people less; the time they had been with Jesus longer, three days, only a day in the case of the 5,000 (Mark 6:33-35; 8:2). The impulsive coast villagers of the N. and W. (for they had run on foot after our Lord from the W., round the N. end of the lake, and received accessions to their numbers from Bethsaida Julius: Mark 6:33; Matt 14:13) would have made Jesus Christ a king had He not withdrawn (John 6:15). The Decapolitans and men of the E. coasts made no such attempt. The 4,000 Decapolitans were mainly Gentile; the 5,000 N. and W. Galileans were Jewish. The distinction (though unobserved in the English "baskets") is accurately maintained between the spurides of the miracle of the 4000 and the kophinoi of the 5,000. When our Lord refers back to both miracles (Matt 16:9-10), with the undesigned minute accuracy that characterizes truth He says, "Do ye not remember the five loaves of the 5,000; and how many kofinoi  ye took up? neither the seven loaves of the 4,000, and how many spurides ye took up?" Compare Greek, Matt 16:9-10, with Matt 14:20; 15:37. Spuris  expresses in Acts 9:25 the basket in which Paul was let down, therefore it was capacious. Kofinos  was the common provision basket, therefore smaller; there were 12, as each of the apostles carried one. Possibly the amount of remnants in the seven spurides was as much as, or more than, that of the 12 kofinoi. The company of 5,000 sat on "the green grass, much" of which was in the place (Mark 6:39; John 6:10); the 4,000 sat "on the ground" (Matt 15:35; Mark 8:6).
Next, He crosses to Magdala (on the W. of the lake, now el Mejdel, a village of a few huts; the Sinaiticus and Vaticanus manuscripts read Magadan) or to Dalmanutha (from darab, pointed, i.e. among the cliffs) in its neighbourhood (Mark 8:10, compare Matt 15:39). The Pharisees for the first time now in concert with the Sadducees hypocritically (for they had no real desire to be convinced) desired a "sign from heaven, tempting Him." The only sign He vouchsafed to this spiritually "adulterous" generation, which could not discern the signs of the times, was that of Jonah. Jesus was about to cast Himself into the angry waves of justice which would have otherwise overwhelmed us, as a piacular victim, and then rise again on the third day like the prophet. His stay was brief. Embarking again in the ship in which He had come (Mark 8:13), and warning His disciples against the leaven of their doctrine, He comes to Bethsaida Julius and heals the blind man, with significant actions accompanying the healing, and by a gradual process.
Next, He journeys northward to Caesarea Philippi. In this region occurred Peter's famous confession of Jesus Christ as "the Christ the Son of the living God," a truth which Jesus charged them not to make known, as His time was not yet come and premature announcement might have excited popular outbreaks to force on His kingdom. There is a "fullness of time" for which all God's dispensations wait. Here also for the first time formally Jesus announced what seemed so contrary to His divine claims, His coming death, which offended Peter and brought on him sharp rebuke as his previous confession brought him praise. Here too, six days later (Mark 9:2; Matt 17:1; "about eight days after," Luke 9:28), occurred the transfiguration on Mount Hermon near Caesarea (Mark 9:3, where the reading "as snow," omitted in the Sinaiticus and Vaticanus manuscripts but supported by the Alexandrinus manuscript, that of Beza, and the Old Latin and Vulgate, favors snowy Hermon, which is moreover near Caesarea Philippi, in the neighbourhood of which the transfiguration took place, not Tabor with a fortified town on its top).
Moses and Elias appeared with our Lord, to show that the law and the prophets were fulfilled in Jesus Christ, whose "decease" was the subject of their conversation (Luke 9:31), the very thing from which Peter shrank (Matt 16:21-23). The glory then revealed was a counterpoise to the announcement of His sufferings, from which Peter had shrunk, and would confirm the three primates among the twelve so as not to lose faith because of His sufferings foretold just before. (Matt 16:21,27-28; 17:1 ff) The following day, on His descent from the mountain, He found the scribes questioning with the disciples respecting their inability, through defective faith, to cure a deaf and dumb demoniac. What a contrast! Heavenly beings on the mountain, devils and unbelieving disciples below! His face still beamed with the glory of the transfiguration, just as Moses' face shone after being in Jehovah's presence (Ex 34:29-35); so that "the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him saluted Him" (Mark 9:15). The Lord rebuked the "faithless (the disciples; compare before, Matt 17:19-21) and perverse (the scribes) generation"; the demoniac's paroxysm became more violent "when he saw Him" (Mark 9:20; so in the case Luke 4:34), so that he fell foaming and wallowing. The father said, "if Thou canst do anything, have compassion"; Jesus replied (The question is not, if I can do, but) "if thou canst believe; all things are possible to him that believeth." With tears the father cried, "Lord, I believe, help Thou mine unbelief." Seeing the people running together, and the father's faith having been now proved, Jesus by a rebuke cast out the demon, and with His hand lifted up the lad, almost dead with the reaction (as Mark describes with the vividness of an eyewitness, Peter being his prompter).
Next, the Lord turned S., and at Capernaum by a miracle paid the half shekel apiece, for Himself and Peter, appointed to be paid by every male from 20 years old for the temple service (Ex 30:13; 2 Kings 12:4; 2 Chron 24:6,9). The late demand of the tax levied months before is attributed by Ellicott (Life of Jesus Christ) to the Lord's frequent absences from Capernaum. As son of the temple's King He might claim exemption from the temple tribute, but His dignity shone only the brighter by His submission. Elation at their Master's power now bred contention among the disciples for preeminence; instead of laying to heart His prediction of His being delivered into wicked men's hands, they did not even understand His meaning and were afraid to ask Him. Forgetting their own late inability through want of faith to cast out the demon at the foot of the transfiguration mountain, they forbade one casting out demons in Jesus' name, because "he followed not with them." (This combined with the confidence implied in his character, Mark 10:38-39, shows that John had not merely the feminine softness and meditative quiet commonly assigned to him, but was also a "son of thunder," implying fiery zeal: 2 John 10-11; 3 John 9-10).
The Lord replied, "Forbid him not, for he that is not against us is for us" (Luke 9:50). This is the maxim of charity toward others. The seemingly contrary maxim (Luke 11:23) is that of decision in regard to ourselves. (Therefore the Greek in Luke 9:50 is hos  ouk  estin, but in Luke 11:23 ho  mee  on.) We are to hail the fact of the outward adhesion of others to Christ's cause in any degree, the judgment of their motive resting with Him; but we are to search our own motives, as before Him who knows them and will judge us accordingly. Compare Num 11:28; Acts 15:8-9. A misgiving that they had acted wrongly probably suggested John's mention of the fact after Jesus set the little child in the midst and said, "whosoever shall receive one of such children in My name receiveth Me": the man in question had used Christ's name without avowedly receiving Him; not numbered among the apostles, yet by faith exercising apostolic powers. At this period lowliness, guarding against offending the little ones at any earthly cost, love and forgiveness, illustrated by the parables of the one lost sheep and the unforgiving though forgiven debtor, were the chief subjects of Christ's teaching (Mark 9:33-50; Matt 18:1).
Here a new and distinct phase of Christ's ministry begins, "the time that He should be received up" (Luke 9:51). This period begins with His journey in October to the feast of tabernacles, and ends with His arrival at Bethany six days before the Passover. The priestly party's design to kill Him was now matter of public notoriety, and the Pharisees sent officers to take Him (John 7:25,30,32). Luke 9:51-18:15 in Luke's Gospel has no parallel notices in Matthew and Mark, except Luke 11:17; 13:18, probably the repetition of the same truths on a later occasion (Mark 3:24; 4:30). From 18:15 Luke coincides fully with Matthew and Mark. The connection is earlier renewed; compare Luke 17:11 with Matt 19:1-2; Mark 10:1; Luke alluding to the journey from Ephraim (John 11:54) through "Samaria and Galilee," Matthew and Mark through Perea "beyond" or "the further side of Jordan." But at Luke 18:15 the account of the blessing of the infants undoubtedly reunites the three synoptists.
The notes of time and place in the portion of Luke (Luke 9:51-18:15) are vague, the Holy Spirit's design there being to supply what the other evangelists had not recorded and which He saw fit for the edification of the church. John supplies three chronological notices of three journeys toward Jerusalem in this period. Luke 9:51-53 answers to His journey to the feast of tabernacles John 7:10), when "He went up not openly, but as it were in secret," so that it was only because "His face was as though He would go to Jerusalem" that the Samaritans would not receive Him. "The time that He should be received up" includes not merely His last journey there, but the whole period between the close of His regular ministry and His last Passover; a season preparatory for His death and His being received up, and preceded by prophecies of it (Mark 9:31). Again, Luke 13:22 corresponds to John 10:40; 11:1, His second journey three months later toward Jerusalem, but not reaching further than Bethany, from beyond Jordan where He had withdrawn. He had remained previously in Judea between the feast of tabernacles and that of the dedication (John 7:2,10; 10:22,40), His third journey, in Luke 17:11, answers to Matt 19:1; Mark 10:1, and to His previous retirement to Ephraim, near the wilderness or hill country N.E. of Jerusalem (John 11:54); and shortly precedes the last Passover.
Soon after the feast of dedication Jesus Christ retired to the Peraean Bethany (John 10:40), and during His stay there many believed on Him, the place where John baptized suggesting the remembrance of his testimony concerning Jesus Christ and how true it proved to be. Thence began His second journey toward Jerusalem (John 11:7; Luke 13:22) ending at Bethany (John 11:47,54), from whence He turned to N.E. to Ephraim; thence the third journey began through Samaria, Galilee, Peraea, to Bethany six days before the Passover, about April 1, A.U.C. 783.
His brethren (cousins) practically disbelieving His Godhead, yet recognizing His miraculous power, urged Him to go to Judea, and display there those wondrous works which might attract to Him that public acceptance which, as worldly men, they took it for granted was His aim (contrast John 7:3-4 with John 5:41,44): "no man doeth anything in secret, and he himself (personally) seeketh to be known openly," as Thou who claimest to be Messiah must necessarily desire to be. He replied to them, as to His mother formerly, "My time (for being glorified) is not yet come," "I go not up yet unto this feast" (the Sinaiticus manuscript and manuscript of Beza read" I go not up unto," i.e. in your careful, self seeking spirit, I go not up to it at all; but the Vaticanus manuscript and Vulgate support KJV reading, "not yet."). "He went up as it were in secret," subsequently, after His brethren; not to work astounding wonders, but to win souls from among those gathered to the feast.
His disciples accompanied Him; their way was through Samaria, the less frequented route than Perea (Luke 9:52,54). One at least showed the same zeal to follow Jesus which had appeared among the Samaritans at His former visit (John 4); but Jesus pathetically told him now, "Foxes have holes, ... the Son of man hath not where to lay His bead." A similar answer to a scribe in Matt 8:19-21 is differently connected, the same incident probably occurring twice. Jesus about the midst of the feast went up to the temple, and taught the throngs crowding now in its courts. The residents of Jerusalem (John 7:25, as distinguished from both "the people," John 7:20, or general multitude, and the hostile "Jews," John 7:15) expressed wonder that the rulers allowed Him whom notoriously they sought to kill to speak openly, adding that He could not be the Christ, since they knew from whence He was. But many of the multitude believed (John 7:31) because of His miracles. The priestly party thereupon sent officers to take Him. Fear of the multitude and the awe inspired in the officers by hearing Him ("never man spoke like this man," John 7:45-46) prevented His immediate apprehension; and Nicodemus' pertinent and bold (John 7:50, contrast him John 3:2) question, appealing to their own law which, with all their boasting of it, they were violating, stayed further proceedings. Meantime, Jesus had for the first time publicly announced to the adverse "Jews" His removal: "ye shall seek Me and not find Me, and where I am there ye cannot come" (John 7:34,36); and on the last and great day of the feast (the eighth, a solemn sabbath, Lev 23:36), alluding to the libations on the altar, of water from Siloam, on each of the seven previous days, He invited all to come to Him for the living waters of the Spirit which He was to give upon His ascension (John 7:37,39).
The account of the woman taken in adultery follows; not in the Sinaiticus and Vaticanus manuscripts Ellicott on the authority of some cursive manuscripts, and because of its style resembling Luke's, and because of similar temptations of Jesus occurring in Luke 20, transposes it to the end of Luke 21; but see above. Then followed His discourse concerning the Father's testimony combining with His own: "the Father hath not left Me alone, for I do always those things that please Him" (John 8:29); words which converted many of His opponents. These He taught that it is only by "continuing in His word" that they can become disciples indeed, and know and be made free by the truth. The objection of some that they were free already, as being Abraham's seed, drew forth His reply that, like Abraham's seed, Ishmael, cast out of the house as son of the bondwoman, so they, as long as they committed sin, were its bondslaves, not sons of the free, who alone abide in the Father's house forever (Gal 4:23-31). He further charges those seeking to kill Him for telling the truth with being children of the devil, a murderer and liar from the beginning. They sneered at Him as a Samaritan, possibly because of His converse with that people for their salvation (John 4). He challenges them, "which of yon convicteth me of sin?" and declares that Abraham, whose seed they claimed to be, rejoiced to see His day, and was glad, and that "before Abraham was (came into created being, Greek) I am" (essentially). Understanding this rightly to be a claim to Godhead, they would have stoned Him but that He passed through their midst as in Luke 4:30.
On the sabbath He healed the "beggar" (John 9:8, "seen him that he was a beggar," the Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, and Alexandrinus manuscripts), blind from birth; anointing his eyes with clay, and making the cure depend on his going and washing in Siloam. The noteworthy features in the man were implicit faith (contrast Naaman's pride at first, 2 Kings 5); fearless confession of the miracle to his neighbours and the hostile Pharisees; disregarding consequences, even at the risk of expulsion from the synagogue, which his very parents shrank from; his brave retort on their "we know that this Man is a sinner," with "I know ... I was blind, now I see ... we know that God heareth not sinners"; his simplicity confounding the wise, his belief in and worship of Jesus Christ as the Son of God (he had previously believed in His being the Son of man) as instantly on Jesus revealing Himself as he had obeyed His direction for the cure of his bodily blindness. Then followed the loving discourse on Himself as the Good Shepherd and the Door.
Next, He sent forth the severity (Luke 10:1), their number intimating the coming worldwide extension of the gospel, for at the feast of tabernacles shortly before (John 7) sacrifices, according to custom, were offered for 70 pagan nations as representing the world; whereas the twelve represented Israel alone (Matt 10:5), to whom the first gospel offer was restricted. During the interval between the feast of tabernacles and that of the dedication (John 10:22) comes the series of discourses beginning with the good Samaritan (Luke 10:25) and ending with the cure of the woman with a spirit of infirmity (Luke 13:10-17). The rich fool and the barren fig tree (Luke 12:16; 13:6) are characterized by a feature frequent in the parables in Luke, they are suggested by some incident. Judea probably was the scene; here in Bethany at this time Jesus visited Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38). The cure of a mute demoniac (Luke 11:14-15) and the Jews' blasphemy seem to have occurred now a second time; the blasphemy originating first with the Pharisees (Matt 9:32-34; 12:22-24) "a devil blind and dumb" was reiterated by others. The enmity of the priestly party was intensified by His open denunciations of their hypocrisy (Luke 11:39-54). The cure in the synagogue on the sabbath of the woman bound by Satan 18 years was made ground for censuring Him on the part of the ruler; but He so answered that His adversaries were shamed to silence, and. the people all rejoiced.
After a two months' ministry in Judea, on the FEAST OF DEDICATION (which see) (John 10:22,28), about December 20, He was again at Jerusalem. Formerly in Galilee He had forbidden His disciples to divulge His Messiahship (Matt 16:20); but now openly in Solomon's porch (the cloister on the E. side of the temple had in part escaped burning, 2 Kings 25:9), which afforded some cover, it being "winter," He proclaims His divine oneness with God (John 10:30). Jewish custom did not at this time assign the title "the Son of God" to Messiah (John 10:24). So Jesus did not plainly avow Himself Messiah to the Jews whose Messianic hopes were carnal and the watchword of rebellion but includes it in the higher title proclaiming His Godhead. Thereupon a third time (John 5:18; 8:59; 10:31) the Jews sought to kill Him for blasphemy, now as on the second occasion taking up the stones that lay about the cloisters which had suffered from fire in the revolt against Sabinus, and were being restored (Josephus, Ant. 17:10, section 2, 20:9). The Greek (ebastasan) implies not merely "they took up (eeran, John 8:59) hastily stones," but deliberately held them in their hands ready for use; so in verse 32, "for which ... do ye stone (are ye stoning) Me?" Jesus Christ replies, If God calls the rulers to whom the word of God (constituting them such) came, "gods," as being His representatives, a fortiori He who is the Word of God "whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world" (John 17:18-19; Luke 1:35) may claim without blasphemy to be "the Son of God."
He thereupon withdrew to the scene of John Baptist's ministry, Peraean Bethany (the oldest reading for Bethabara, near the Jordan ford nigh Jericho) (John 10:40; 1:28). Here He stayed until His second journey to Bethany nigh Jerusalem (Luke 13:22), which He moved "toward" slowly, "teaching" in the several "cities and villages." The Pharisees seeking to get Him again in Judaea to kill Him, and impatient of His success in Persea, urged Him to "depart," on the plea that "Herod would kill Him." But Herod's aim was that He should depart, being perplexed whether to honour or persecute Him (Luke 9:7,9); the Pharisees' aim was to get Him out of Herod's land, where He was comparatively safe, to Judea where they might kill Him. Herod used the Pharisees as his tools. So, reading the hearts of both, He said, "Go tell that fox, behold I do cures today and tomorrow (i.e. for two days in his territory), and the third day I shall be (I am being, i.e. soon and certainly) perfected," i.e. shall begin that journey which (though retraced from Ephraim, John 11:54) will be the last to Jerusalem (for the second journey ended in Bethany, then back to Ephraim, thence to Jerusalem), and to My sacrifice to be there perfected. (Compare the apostles' fear of that journey as likely to close in His death, John 11:8,16.) This naturally suggested the pathetic apostrophe to Jerusalem (Luke 13:34-35), which with some variation He repeated later, after His triumphal entry into Jerusalem.
The people's acclamation, "blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord" (i.e. having His attributes, compare Ex 23:21 ff), was but a partial pledge of His prophecy's final fulfillment, a slight earnest of Israel's universal acceptance of Messiah hereafter (Luke 19:38; Mark 11:9; Zech 12:10; 14:9). A sample of His "cures today and tomorrow" is given (Luke 14), that of the dropsical man (one of the seven performed on the sabbath) in the chief Pharisee's house, who had invited Him for the purpose of watching Him. He answered the cavil as to the cure on the sabbath, as in Luke 13:15. Naturally at the Pharisee's entertainment He exhorted the entertainer in making a feast to invite the poor, and to look for his recompense at "the resurrection of the just"; also in answer to a guest's remark He spoke the parable of the great supper. The crowding of "all the publicans" to Him (Luke 15:1) would be likely in the productive region near the Jordan's fords, where they were numerous. The Pharisees' murmurs thereat drew from Him the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin, the prodigal son; and to His disciples, in the Pharisees' hearing (Luke 16:1,14), the unjust steward and Lazarus and the rich man. It was just before this Jesus received the sisters' message as to Lazarus' illness. Jesus' thoughts would be upon him; naturally then He would use the name (= Eleazar, "God's help") in the parable; the words" neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead," are thus prophetical; so far from being persuaded by His raising Lazarus presently after, they sought to kill both Him and Lazarus (John 11:53; 12:10-11).
From Perea, where He received Mary and Martha's message (Luke 10:40; 11:1-7), after two days' delay (the "today and tomorrow" of Luke 13:33), He proceeded a two days' journey (from Jordan to Jericho five miles, thence to Jerusalem, 18 miles) to Bethany, where Lazarus had been four days dead. His raising Lazarus there, whereby He conquered corruption as well as death, converted even some of His adversaries (John 11:45) and attracted crowds to see the raised man; the multitude of eyewitnesses in His train were met by the people from Jerusalem, who heard of the miracle, and who had come to the feast, so that a vast number with palm branches escorted Him at His triumphal entry upon an donkey colt, crying "Hosanna, blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord," fulfilling Zech 9:9.
On the other hand the miracle roused the Pharisees to convene a council, at which they expressed their fears that if they let Him alone all would believe on Him, and the Romans take away their nation. Whereupon Caiaphas under the Spirit said, "It is expedient that one man should die for the people, and the whole nation perish not"; the Spirit intending thereby that He should die for Jews and Gentries, Caiaphas meaning thereby only a pretext for killing Him (John 11:49-52; compare 2 Peter 1:20). Jesus therefore withdrew to EPHRAIM (which see) (John 11:54), on the borders of Samaria, 20 miles N.E. of Jerusalem; here He stayed a month or five weeks. Then began His third and least journey recorded by the three synoptical Gospels, "through the midst of Samaria and Galilee, probably meaning on the border between Samaria and Galilee" (Luke 17:11), to Bethany, six days before His last Passover at Jerusalem. On the Samaritan frontier probably He healed, the ten lepers, and received the adoring thanks of the only grateful one, the Samaritan (Luke 17:16-18), a miracle characterized by the cure not taking place until the subjects proved their faith by obedience. In His passing through Galilee the Pharisees asked when the kingdom of God should come. His reply foretells the concomitants of the Lord's coming; the parable of the unjust judge follows, which shows that importunate prayer "day and night" is the means whereby the now widowed elect church will bring the Lord in person to vindicate her speedily (Isa 62:6-7; Acts 26:7; Luke 2:37; 1 Tim 5:5), in opposition to Satan's accusations "day and night" (Rev 12:10).
From Galilee He passed to the parts of Peraea near Judaea, where He had preached shortly before (Matt 19:1; Mark 10:1). "He came to the frontiers of Judea, His route lying on the other side of Jordan" (Ellicott); multitudes renewed Him while there, and were healed. The Pharisees questioned Him about divorce, to compromise Him with either the school of Hillel who allowed divorce "for every cause," or the school of Shammai who allowed it only for adultery; also to endanger Him with the adulterous tetrarch in whose dominions He then was. In beautiful contrast to their cunning follows the parents' bringing of "their infants" (Greek, Luke 18:15) "that He should lay His hands on them (in sign of blessing them) and pray" (James 5:16). Jesus' prayers, as He is God not merely "man," avail not only much but altogether. Here also lived the rich youth whose amiabilities Jesus loved, but whose love of his possessions kept him from the sacrifice which Jesus required.
Now Jesus goes before on the way to His death. The disciples, "amazed" and with foreboding, follow (Mark 10:32). With like steadfastness He had set His face toward Jerusalem at His former journey (Luke 9:51, compare Isa 50:7). Privately He foretells to the twelve His coming death and resurrection (Mark 10:31-33), to the multitude He avoids giving offense by announcing it. Even the twelve so little understood Him, their minds being full of temporal Messianic expectations, that James and John coveting the highest and nearest place to Christ prompted their mother Salome to beg it for them, as they were ashamed to ask it themselves. He reaches Jericho, and heals two blind men, of whom BARTIMEUS (see, for reconciliation of seeming discrepancies, also JERICHO) was the prominent one, who importuned the Lord on His entry and was healed with another blind man as Jesus left Jericho. Their cry "Thou Son of David" anticipates by faith that of the palm bearing multitude escorting Zion's King and David's Heir to His capital. Near Jericho Zacchaeus, a rich publican, from a sycamore sought to see Jesus, not from mere curiosity but with a heart yearning for "salvation," which accordingly in the person of Jesus spontaneously came to his house, whereas like the publican (Luke 18:13) he would have been content to be allowed even to "stand afar off .... All murmured at Jesus going to be guest of a sinner." Still they cherished hopes of His now setting up the kingdom of God "immediately" at Jerusalem (19:11). Jesus checks this expectation as to its immediate realization, but confirms its ultimate consummation in the parable of the pounds (distinct from the talents, Matt 25:14-15).
Six days before the Passover He reached Bethany (John 12:1), on Friday Nisan 7, or Friday evening, just after the sabbath began, i.e. in Jewish reckoning Nisan
8.  These six days are as momentous to the new creation as the six days of Gen 1 to the original creation. In the mountain hamlet of Bethany, 15 furlongs E.S.E. from Jerusalem (John 11:18), He passed His last sabbath. In the house of Simon the leper, whom doubtless Christ had healed (Matt 27:6; some guess him to be the one grateful leper of the ten Luke 17:16,18, but he is designated "a stranger" and "Samaritan"), and who was a close relative or friend (father according to Theophylact, husband others say), of Martha, the sisters made a feast in honour of Jesus (John 12:1-3). Martha served, Lazarus the raised one was at table. Mary lavished her costly ointment, which proved to be for His burial; Judas hypocritically pretended concern for the poor as if this cost were waste, but Christ immortalized her for the act (Mark 14:1,3-9). This provoked Judas' spite, so that Mark records it in connection with "two days before the Passover," when Judas made his bargain with the chief priests (Matt 26:12-14), instead of in its right place six days before the Passover. Matthew and Mark for the same reason record the feast after the triumphal entry instead of before it (the right place), in order to connect Judas' bad spirit at the feast with his subsequent treachery.
The triumphal entry followed on the day succeeding the sabbath (our Lord's day); the thrice repeated "these things" marks the disciples' act, Zechariah's prophecy of it (Zech 9:9), and their subsequent recognition of its being the prophecy's fulfillment (John 12:16). Christ's route was the most southern of three routes from Bethany to Jerusalem. On coming "over against Bethphage," separated by a narrow valley from His route, He sends His disciples for the donkey and" colt" (an ass, the animal used in peace, Judg 5:10; 10:4, as the horse for war, was the fit bearer of "the Prince of peace") "tied by the door without in a place where two ways met," saying, "the Lord hath need of them" (contrast Acts 17:25; Ps. 1:10-12 . What condescension that He should stoop to need anything from His creatures!). On coming in sight of Zion, the city of David, from the ridge of the S. slope of Olivet, "the whole multitude of disciples first" raised the HOSANNA (which see), then the general multitude going before, and that which followed Jesus (the two latter because of the miracle upon Lazarus: John 12:12,17-18, see above), took up the cry (Luke 19:37; Matt 21:9; Mark 11:9).
They cast their garments on the colt as a saddle, and in the way as a token (still practiced) of honour. Their acclamations were in the inspired psalmist's (Ps 118:26) and the angels' words (Luke 2:14), substituting "peace in heaven" for "peace on earth"; compare Col 1:20, contrast Rev 12:7. At one point of the southern route, from a ledge of smooth rock, the whole city burst on Jesus' view, rising as "out of a deep abyss" (Stanley). In this His hour of triumph He wept over it, seeing its coming doom, because it "knew not the time of its visitation," though He wept not over His own near agony. (See JERUSALEM, on the fulfillment of His prophecy that the foe should "cast a trench about, and compass round, and keep it in on every side.") Josephus estimates from the 256,500 lambs sacrificed, allowing ten for every lamb, that two and a half million attended the Passover. Thus the temporary recognition of Jesus as their Messianic King, and the subsequent rejection of Him, were the acts not merely of the Sanhedrin but of the nation (Acts 2:36; 3:14-15; Mark 15:9-13; John 18:40). His temporary triumph was no result of an appeal to the multitude's political prejudices, no false enthusiasm in Him. His tears over the city as doomed were utterly opposed to the general expectations of an immediate earthly deliverer of the Jews from Rome. The acclamations were overruled to suit a then spiritual kingdom, of which salvation (as Hosanna, "save we pray") is the prominent feature, though expressing also a future visibly manifested kingdom (Rom 11:26; Heb 9:28). Jesus therefore, so far from forbidding them, told the objecting Pharisees, "if these should hold their peace the stones would immediately cry out" (Luke 19:40, comp. Luke 3:8). He repaired at once to His Father's house, "and when He had looked round about upon all things (with one all-comprehensive glance that instantly detected the desecration at its height in the Gentiles' court), and now the eventide was come, He returned to Bethany with the twelve."
Early on the morrow (Monday) He went forth from Bethany, and on His way cursed the precociously leafy but fruitless FIG TREE (which see), from which He had vainly sought figs to allay His hunger (compare Heb 4:15); emblem of the early privileged, professing, but spiritually barren people of God, now doomed (Heb 6:7-8). Next He purges again the temple at the close of His ministry, even as He had done at the opening of it (John 2:13-14). His former cleansing had not prevented the resumption of usurious and thievish (Jer 7:11) gains in exchanging Gentile for temple coin, and in selling doves, and in carrying vessels through the Gentiles' court, interrupting all devotion, that God's house ceased to be "an house of prayer for all nations" (Mark 11:17; Isa 56:7). Now He was not armed with the "whip of small cords" as before; awe of His majestic presence sufficed to check all opposition while He overthrew the tables and cast out the sellers. Works of mercy followed judgment; the blind and lame came to Him though at all other times excluded (Matt 21:14; Lev 21:17-18; 2 Sam 5:8; Acts 3:2), as Lord of and greater than the temple (Matt 12:6), fulfilling Hag 2:6,9; Mal 3:1. The children about took up the cry of their elders on the previous day, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" The ruling priests, full of "fear" for their own influence being supplanted and "envy" (Mark 11:18; Matt 27:18), indignantly remonstrated with Him, and heard that it was the due fulfillment of Ps 8:2, "out of the mouth of babes ... Thou hast perfected praise." Again He returned to Bethany.
Next day (Tuesday) on His way to the city the disciples saw "the fig tree dried up from the roots." Jesus thence drew the lesson, already taught after their inability to cast out the demon (Matt 17:20), that faith can remove mountains and believing prayer attain all our desires. But lest the previous miracle should mislead them, as if faith would enable them to take vengeance on enemies, He charges them to forgive others whenever they prayed, else God would not forgive them (Mark 11:20-26). Again in the temple He preached early to the people hanging on His lips (Luke 19:48 "were very attentive," exekreemato, 21:38). A deputation from the Sanhedrin, consisting of chief priests (heads of the 24 courses), scribes (expounders and transcribers of the law), and elders (heads of the Jews' chief families), questioned Him, "by what authority doest Thou these things?" namely, the temple cleansing and the cure of the blind and lame in it which they had witnessed (Matt 21:15). If He replied by a claim of Godhead it would afford a charge before the Sanhedrin against Him; if not, why did He act as divine, misleading the people? He replies by a question situated between the like alternative difficulties into which they tried to draw Him: "the baptism of John, was it from heaven or of men?" It was fit they should declare their view of John's mission first, for John had testified to a similar deputation of them the answer to the very question they now ask concerning Jesus (John 1:19-27). They reply,, "we cannot (really will not) tell. Then by two parables, those of the two sons, and the vineyard, He showed them their perversity individually and nationally, and its fatal end. The publicans were the son that said to God's commands, "I will not," but afterward repented; the Pharisees, etc., were the second son, who hypocritically professed but never performed. The husbandmen slaying the heir points to their murderous designs as official representatives of the nation; the nation's rejection is foretold as the just punishment of their rejecting Messiah. Again, when perceiving His meaning and wishing to seize Him the chief priests were deterred by fear of the multitude, He spoke the parable of the marriage of the king's son.
The hypocritical Pharisees enlisted their political opponents, the time-serving Herodians, to entangle Him into some speech which would compromise Him with Caesar's stern representative, the Roman procurator Pontius Pilate. Feigning themselves sincere inquirers on a case of conscience, they ask, "Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar or not?" Judas the rebel of Galilee (Acts 5:37) made this his plea, that "God alone is king." The temple of God, thronged with Passover keepers on one hand, and the Roman fortress Antonia at its N.W. corner on the other hand, suggested conflicting answers. His tempters flattered Him first that He might answer it is not lawful; "we know Thou art true and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest Thou for any man, for Thou regardest not the person of men." If so, Pilate would have had no scruple about shedding His blood at the altar, as he had mingled other Galileans' blood with their sacrifices (Luke 13:1). If He said it is, His influence with the multitude who looked for Messiah to shake off Rome's yoke would be lost. (See HERODIANS for His reply.) To give to Caesar what is Caesar's is not giving a gift but paying a due. Duty to God and duty to Caesar are not to be put in opposition, but to be united in all lawful things, for by God Caesar rules (Rom 13:1). The rabbis themselves owned, "where the king's coin is current, there the inhabitants recognize the king" (Maimonides, in Gezelah, 5). Marveling at His answer, His foes by their silence admitted its force.
The Pharisees and Herodians having been foiled, the Sadducees, who in spite of denying a future life had members in the Sanhedrin, try Him with a question: "when seven brothers in succession had the same wife without issue, according to the law (Deut 25:5, for the Sadducees accepted the law but rejected tradition), in the resurrection whose shall she be?" He tells them: "ye err, because (1) ye know not the Scriptures, (2) neither the power of God" (Mark 12:24). In the very Pentateuch ("Moses showed at the bush," i.e. in the passage concerning the burning bush) which ye quote, God's declaration (Ex 3:6) "I am the God of Abraham" suffices to prove Abraham lives, for God said it to Moses when Abraham's body was long dead, and "God is not the God of the dead but of the living." Moreover, when God covenanted with Abraham he was in the body, therefore God's promise will be fulfilled to him not as a disembodied spirit but in his renewed body. "God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He hath prepared for them city" (Heb 11:16).
The functions of life require the presence of the body. Abraham's soul now receives blessings from God, but when raised in the body will live unto God, even as Jesus "in that He liveth liveth unto God" in the resurrection life (Rom 6:10-11). Further you ignore (in your disbelief if not in your question) God's power to make those counted worthy to obtain the resurrection from the dead (Phil 3:11,21) equal to the angels, no longer marrying as in the earthly state (1 Cor 6:13-14), nor liable to death, but fully enjoying the perfections of "the children of God, being the children of the resurrection" (Luke 20:27-38; Rom 8:23; 1 John 3:2; 1 Cor 15:44). The multitude were astonished; even certain scribes said, Thou hast well said: and one, while the mouthpiece of his, party who "tempted" Jesus (seeking to compromise Him with some of the conflicting schools of religious opinion), had a real desire himself to learn from Him who had shown such marvelous spiritual wisdom "which is the first commandment of all?" (compare Matt 22:35 with Mark 12:28.) Jesus put first love to God supremely, then love to one's neighbour as one's self.
The scribe's better feelings, breaking through the casuistry of party, heartily recognized that such love is "more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices." Jesus commended him, "thou art not far from the kingdom of God." A lawyer had once before (Luke 10:25) similarly answered Jesus' query, "what is written in the law?" which was our Lord's reply to his tempting question, "what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" But that lawyer's definition was an answer to the general question as to the whole law's substance; this lawyer tried whether Jesus would single out one command as preeminent above the rest. Then Jesus, 'having baffled His foes' attempts to entrap Him as to His authority, politics, doctrine, and speculative opinions, and having left them unable to ask further, in His turn asks the silenced Pharisees and scribes in the people's hearing, "How say they that Christ is David's Son?" They could or would not see that as man He is David's Son, as God David's Lord. Rev 22:16 is the answer, at once "Root" and "Offspring" (Ps 110:1; Acts 2:34). Upon their silence avowing their defeat He adds the warning to them, Matt 23, closing with repeating the apostrophe to Jerusalem (compare Luke 13:34-35).
After denouncing them as "devouring widows' houses," as "He sat over against the treasury" He beheld the rich casting in much into the chests, 13 in number, the openings shaped like trumpets, narrow above, broad below (Lightfoot); a poor widow, such as Jesus said were the scribes' victims, came and cast in two mites, her all, (she might have kept one, but she gave both: Mark 12:40-44,) illustrating "love to God with all one's strength" (ver. 30; 2 Cor 8:12). They gave of their abundance, she of her penury (Luke 21:4). So her act is in everlasting remembrance, a pattern to all ages. While still He was within the temple precincts, perhaps in the women's court, the farthest they could enter, giving them too the privilege of hearing Him, certain Greeks accosted Philip, "we would see Jesus." Philip with wise caution told Andrew his fellow townsman of Bethsaida (John 1:44; 12:20-22). Being "Greeks" (not merely Hellenists or Greek speaking Jews) they were "proselytes of the gate," wont to attend the great feasts; instinctively they apply to one whose Graecized name attracted them, and who belonging to Galilee of the Gentiles would sympathize with them in their desire to see "the Light to lighten the Gentiles." Jesus accepted this as a pledge of His speedy glorification and the gathering in of the Gentiles; addressing John 12:23 to Philip and Andrew, and the rest of His reply in the hearing of the Greeks and the people (John 12:29).
From nature He takes the seed grain as an image; if falling into the ground and dying, it continues no longer solitary, but multiplies itself manifold. "His (human) soul was troubled," not at mere physical death, but at death in its close connection with sin, from which the Holy One shrank, but which now is to be laid immediately on Him though none was in Him. "Save Me from this hour (if it be possible, consistently with saving men); but (as it is not possible, I willingly meet it, for) for this cause came I unto this hour" (Luke 22:53). He shrank too from the now renewed and sharpest conflict with the powers of darkness deferred "for a season" after the temptation (Luke 4:13; 22:42-44,53). But God's glory (John 12:28, etc.) was still uppermost in His desires: "Father, glorify Thy name." That filial cry, so honouring to God, brought, as at His baptism and His transfiguration (Luke 3:21-22; 9:29-35), the audible echo of His prayer, "I have both glorified it and will glorify it again"; to the people it seemed only "thunder," to the more receptive a speech, which they thought an angel's; to His own intimate disciples the Father's words, which one of them, John, records. Jesus declared this voice to be for their sakes, a pledge of Satan's overthrow, and of His own drawing all to Himself in His death.
Jesus then hid Himself from His foes, and from the people who notwithstanding His miracles believed not, fulfilling, according to John, Isaiah's prophecy (Isa 6:1,9-10), the evangelist identifying JEHOVAH there with Jesus here (John 12:36-41). Several "chief rulers" however believed; but, fearing expulsion from the synagogue by the Pharisees, they did not confess Him (John 12:42-43; 5:44); contrast the noble blind beggar (9:34-41). Before His leaving the temple a disciple, remembering His former words, "behold your house is left unto you desolate" (Luke 13:35), remarked on the stupendous stones of the temple (Mark 13:1; Luke 21:5), implying that its speedy overthrow seemed amazing. He confirms His former prophecy, adding "there shall not be left one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down." Upon reaching Olivet, as He sat facing the temple on the W., Peter, James, John, and Andrew, as spokesmen of the twelve who were present, ask Him privately, "when (1) shall these things be, and what the sign of (2) Thy coming and of the end of the world?" (the consammation of the age, Greek) Matt 24:3; Mark 13:3-4.
Their idea connected Christ's coming with the destruction of the temple and the Jewish theocracy. Jesus makes this destruction to prefigure that of the outward church of Christendom by the apostasy which shall immediately precede His visible personal coming to gather His elect (2 Thess 2). At Matt 24:28-29 He passes from the destruction of Jerusalem to its antitypical analogue, the destruction of the apostate church and the antichristian confederacy at the Lord's coming to judge them and gather the saints and His dispersed elect nation Israel. The corrupt Jewish church was then the "carcass" with the human form, but not the life reflecting God's image; the eagles were the Roman world power. The apostate woman or harlot must therefore be judged by the beast or world power on whom she had leaned instead of upon God (Rev 17). The same eternal principle (Ezek 23) shall be manifested again, when apostate Christendom shall be judged by the God-opposed world (to whom she has conformed) in its last form, antichrist. Then on the same Olivet on which Jesus sat, and from which He ascended, shall He descend and judge antichrist and save Israel (Zech 14:4; Ezek 11:23; 43:2). Luke parts the answers to the two queries into separate discourses: verse 17 the end of the age or dispensation, and verse 21 the destruction of Jerusalem; adding also that when "the times of the Gentiles" are fulfilled, and "Jerusalem trodden down of the Gentiles" the appointed time, "they shall see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory." The "beginning of all these things coming to pass," i.e. the events preceding Jerusalem's overthrow, about to take place in "this generation," is a pledge that the rest will follow, as the budding "fig tree" indicates summer's approach. "But of that day (in contrast to 'all these things' in 'this generation.') knoweth no man," etc. (Matt 24:32,34,36; Luke 21:24-32.) The parables of the ten virgins and the talents, and the explicit description of the King's separation of the sheep and the goats, complete the answer to the disciples' question and to the Saviour's public ministry.
The Sanhedrin consulted together, during Jesus' retirement (John 12:36) on the Wednesday (Matt 26:3), "how to kill Him by subtlety"; but it was ordained to be a public act of Jews and Gentiles, kings and people, together. So Satan now entered Judas Iscariot, "the son of perdition" (a title restricted to him and antichrist: John 17:12; 2 Thess 2:3), and availing himself of his Master's retirement he went and covenanted to betray Jesus for 30 pieces of silver (Luke 22:3). The last supper He celebrated so late on Thursday as to be really on the beginning of the 14 th Nisan, the day of killing the lamb in preparation for the Passover. The 14 th Nisan, though not strictly part of the festival but one day before the time (John 18:28), was popularly counted so and called "the first day of unleavened bread" (leaven being carefully put away): Matt 26:17; Luke 22:8-11. (But see PASSOVER for a different view of John.) On His disciples asking where He would have them to prepare for Him the Passover, He sent Peter and John to follow a man whom they should meet bearing a pitcher of water into the house, and say to the owner of the house (evidently a disciple), The Master saith, Where is the guest chamber where I shall eat the Passover with My disciples? The message implies something extraordinary and unusual; also Luke 22:15, "with desire I have desired to eat this Passover." John 19:14 calls the day "the preparation of the Passover," i.e. the day before it; the sabbath in that Passover week was "a high day" (John 19:31,42), because it coincided with the sacred Nisan 15.
The day on which Jesus suffered was Nisan 14, on the eve commencing which day He ate the Passover supper. The priest party had despaired of taking Him at the feast because of His popularity: "not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar of the people" (Mark 14:2). After His triumphal entry they had said, "perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? behold the world is gone after Him" (John 12:19). How then did it come to pass, He was crucified at the time of slaying the lamb between 12 and 3 o'clock, 14 th of Nisan? Pilate did not wish it, nor Herod, nor the Jews originally. It was God's ordering, carried out by agents unconsciously fulfilling the prophetical types and announcements (Acts 4:28). That on the day of His crucifixion there was not the sabbatical rest proper to Nisan 15 appears from Matt 27:59-60; Mark 15:21,42,46; Luke 23:54,56. He died the very day and hour (the ninth) when the paschal lamb was slain. Ex 12:6 margin," between the two evenings," i.e. from afternoon to sunset about two hours and a half (1 Cor 5:7). John 13:1-2 expressly says the supper was "before" the Passover feast. In A.D. 30 AD, the year of His crucifixion, Nisan 14 was on Friday, which accords with this view.
"Supper having begun" (John 13:2; not "being ended"; genomenou, "having begun to be"), Jesus performed an act of condescending love (twice before performed by woman's love for Himself: Luke 7:38; John 12:3) well calculated to repress the spirit of rivalry among the disciples as to who should be nearest Him (Luke 22:24-30). Rising from table, laying aside His garments, taking a towel, and pouring water into a basin, He began to wash His disciples' feet (even perhaps the devil-moved Judas' feet) and wipe them with the towel. He then drew the lesson: if I your Master have washed your feet (a slave's office) ye also ought to wash one another's feet. The converted jailer did so literally (Acts 16:33). All Christians should in spirit do the same "by love serving one another" (Gal 5:13; 6:1-2); especially in regard to our brethren's faults, which are the soils contracted by the feet in the daily life walk, and which need the Lord's washing (Rom 15:1; Heb 12:13).
Jesus "troubled in spirit" testified, "one of you shall betray Me," speaking generally, "one of the twelve that dippeth with Me in the dish" (Mark 14:20, fulfilling Ps 41:9), then especially indicating to the beloved disciple privately (which He could do from John's "lying on Jesus' breast"), "he it is to whom I shall give a sop," and giving it to Judas. The Vaticanus and Sinaiticus manuscripts make Peter (reclining on the other side of Jesus) first, and then John, ask Jesus, "Who is it?" reading, "Simon Peter beckons, and saith to Him, Say, who is it?" Alexandrinus manuscript reads; as KJV, Judas among the rest (John 13:22; Luke 22:23) asked, "Master, is it I?" Jesus replied (It is as) "thou hast said" (Matt 26:22,25). After receiving the sop Judas yielded himself up wholly to Satan, and immediately went out in the night. It was "after supper" Jesus took the cup and made it the sacrament of His blood.
But after this still Jesus saith, "the hand of him that betrayeth Me is with Me on the table" (Luke 22:20-22; 1 Cor 11:25); so that the giving of the sop to Judas must have been after both the paschal supper and the Lord's Supper. The fulfillment of the Passover in Himself He marks in Luke 22:16-18; He institutes the Lord's supper (Luke 22:19-20); the strife which should be greatest elicited His condescension in washing the disciples' feet (Luke 22:24-30). The announcement of Judas' treachery and his departure took place either before the washing (Luke) or after it (John), the Spirit marking the chronological order in one Gospel, the spiritual in the other. Loving ministration to the brethren is to be shown, even though false brethren be present, for we are not the judges; much more so when all are true brethren in Christ. "Drink ye all" implies that the whole twelve, Judas included, were at the Lord's supper. His words "I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine until I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom" point on to the marriage supper of the Lamb at His coming again (Matt 26:29; Rev 19:9; 1 Cor 11:26). He alludes to the fruit of the vine just consecrated as a sacrament in His similitude, John 15:1, which chapter and John 16 and John 17 (in the latter of which He reviews His all but finished work, and commends it and His beloved disciples to the Father), He spoke in the act of departure from the paschal chamber, being the resumption of His discourse (14:31). He evidently lingered among His loved ones, it being His last opportunity of private communion with them, and confirming them against the trial under which He foresaw their faith would temporarily fail, before going to the agony of Gethsemane (Luke 22:31-34).
Crossing the Kedron brook at the foot of the ravine which divides Olivet on the E. from the city, He reached His favorite resort, the garden named from its oil presses ( Gath shemanee); here the True Olive was bruised to give light to the world (Ex 27:20). Leaving the rest in its outskirts, with Peter, James, and John, whom He took at once to be eyewitnesses to the church of His agony and to afford Him their sympathy, He advanced from the moonlit part into the deep shade thrown by the rocks and buildings on the other side of the ravine. Matt 26:37-40: "watch with Me." There is a beautiful gradation in His prayer. Shrinking from contact with Satan, sin, and death (Luke 22:41,53), He knelt and fell forward on the earth (Mark 14:35) a stone's cast distant from the disciples, praying:
(1) "if it be possible (consistently with Thy glory and man's salvation) let this cup pass from Me, nevertheless not as I will but as Thou wilt." (2) "Abba, Father, all things are possible unto Thee," etc. (lest He in His first prayer should seem for a moment to doubt the Father's power.) (3) "Father, if Thou be willing," etc. (for Thy will is the only limit of Thy power.) (4) "If this cup may not pass away from Me except I drink it, Thy will be done." (5) John's record (John 18:11), though not mentioning the AGONY (which see) at all, yet undesignedly coinciding with the synoptical Gospels in giving Jesus' subsequent words, the climax of His victory of faith, "the cup which My Father hath given Me shall I not drink it?" The Vaticanus, Alexandrinus, and Sinaiticus manuscripts omit Luke 22:43-44 as to the angel strengthening Him, and His using that imparted physical strength only to agonize in prayer even to bloody sweat, falling in drops to the ground. But manuscript of Beza, the Guelferbitine manuscript and the oldest Latin versions have the verses. Thrice Jesus returned to the slumbering apostles, each time to find them slumbering, and so having lost the precious opportunity which afterwards they would look back on with bitter regret; but for their want of watchfulness they might have comforted their Lord by sympathy, a work which angels might desire, and which in lack of their human ministry an angel, so far as strengthening Him was concerned, supplied. As it was, He endured the conflict bereft of human sympathy and alone.
A band from the Roman cohort stationed in Antonia came now, under the guidance of the priestly party's officers, elders, captains of the temple, chief priests, and Judas, with torches and lanterns, though it was full moon, to prevent the possibility of escape under the shadow of the olive trees. Jesus in calm dignity came forth to meet them. The traitor gave his studied kiss (katafileoo, not merely fileoo). Jesus is first to question them, "whom seek ye?" "Jesus of Nazareth." "I am He." At the words they fell back to the ground; the Divine I AM showed how they were at His mercy and how voluntary was His surrender. So He could dictate His terms in behalf of His disciples, for whom His only solicitude was (John 18). These in their turn sought to defend Him, and Peter with the sword rashly smote off the high priest's servant Malchus' ear, which Jesus immediately healed with a touch, and uttered His meek protest at their coming out as against a thief. Then the disciples all fled, among them a young man having a linen cloth (sindon, elsewhere used only of a shroud) cast about his naked body; the young men laid hold on him, and he fled naked, leaving the linen cloth. Possibly Lazarus, who hastily put it on, the trophy of his restoration, and followed Jesus from Bethany, roused up on hearing of Jesus' seizure in Gethsemane across the Olivet ridge; or else Mark himself (Mark 14:50-52). John and Peter soon returned.
Jesus was bound and led for a private informal examination (until the Sanhedrin met) before Annas first, who though deposed by the former Roman procurator, Valer. Gratus, from the high priesthood, wielded much of its real power, being regarded as high priest in point of right, and being father-in-law to the actual one Caiaphas. The two had a common official residence. Annas questioned Jesus about His disciples and teaching; Jesus told him to ask those who had heard Him, whereupon an officer struck Him with the palm of his hand. Peter's three denials now took place; and the second cock crowing, at the beginning of the fourth watch, between three and four o'clock, announced the first dawn, just as Jesus was being led to Caiaphas across the court where Peter was standing. (Translated the Greek aorist, John 18:24, "Annas sent Him bound unto Caiaphas"). The Sanhedrin was already assembled at Caiaphas' house, the case being urgent and privacy suiting their purpose: "as soon as it was day" (Luke 22:66) refers to the close of the trial which he summarizes.
Beginning it before day was informal (Gemara (Babylonian), Sanhedr., Luke 6:1); but the council went through the form of producing witnesses whose testimony so disagreed that it broke down (Mark 14:55-59). "He opened not His mouth," as was foretold (Isa 53:7), alike before the scornful Herod and before the legal but unjustly proceeding tribunal, the Sanhedrin. Before Annas' informal examination He replied with repelling dignity; before Pilate with forbearing condescension witnessing to the truth. The high priest, foiled in his hope from the false witnesses (Isa 29:20 ff), himself adjures or puts Jesus under the obligation of an oath (Lev 5:1), asking "art Thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?" Tradition held that Messiah should build a more glorious temple; so the testimony of the false witness as to Jesus' saying that "in three days He would build one without hands" suggested the high priest's question. Jesus avowed, "I am, and moreover (be- sides My assertion) ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power (not 'nevertheless,' but furthermore, moreover: Matt 26:64), and coming in the clouds of heaven" (as foretold Dan 7:13). This claim to Godhead was the ground of His condemnation by the Jews (John 19:7). Caiaphas (standing up) rent his clothes (from the neck straight down in front, not behind). The excited Sanhedrin put again the same question (Luke 22:70), and on His reaffirming His divine Sonship without further witnesses condemned Him as a blasphemer and "guilty of death" (Lev 24:16; Deut 18:20).
After the grossest insults to the meek Sufferer, spitting (Isa 50:6), buffeting, and jeers, after covering His face, Prophesy who smote Thee? His foes assembled the court again in full numbers in (rather "about," epi) the morning (Mark 15:1) and led Him to Pilate, who alone had power to execute sentence of death. The judgment hall, or governor's residence, was Herod's former palace in the upper or western city. The wretched traitor, blinded by covetousness and disappointed ambition, now first sees the atrocity of his act, forces his way into the inner sanctuary (Matt 27:5, naos) of the priests, in despairing remorse exclaims "I have betrayed the innocent blood," and is told that is no concern of theirs but his, flings down the price of blood, and, Ahithophel like (2 Sam 7:23), went and hanged himself; then "falling headlong, he burst asunder, and all his bowels gushed out" (Acts 1:18,25); so "he went to his own place" (Isa 30:33).
The council members, true to their characteristic straining out gnats while swallowing camels (just as the priests would not put the 30 pieces into the treasury as being the price of blood) similarly stood with their Prisoner before Pilate's residence, not entering the Gentile's house, to shun defilement, shrinking from leaven but not from innocent blood. Pilate comes out to answer their demand for the Prisoner's execution, and with the Roman regard for legal forms requires to know the accusation against Him. They evade the question at first (John 18:30), then answer, "we found this Fellow perverting the nation, forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that He Himself is Christ a king" (Luke 23:2); the very thing they tempted Him to, but which He foiled them in so admirably (Matt 22:21). How subtly they changed their accusation from the religious ground, which they held before the high priest, to what was the only one Pilate would entertain, the political! The Roman governor was too shrewd not to discover speedily that Jesus' claim to kingship was such as constituted no crime against Caesar, and that the charge was the offspring of religious animosity; he knew them too well to believe they would persecute one to death for seeking to deliver them from Rome.
Ironically he replied (John 18:31) to their first evasive answer (John 18:30), If your decision must be accepted as final, then "judge" i.e. execute, Him "according to your law"; but as Rome reserves capital cases to its jurisdiction, both the judicial trial and execution belong to me, and I will not be your mere executioner. It was divinely ordered that Rome should be His executioner, that Jesus' prophecy of His mode of death should be fulfilled, crucifixion being the Romish, stoning the Jewish punishment, one which the Jews had more than once attempted to execute on Him for blasphemy. To the priests' "many" specific accusations Jesus answered nothing (Matt 27:12-14), so that Pilate marvelled. Jesus' majestic bearing awed and attracted him. His affirmative answer to the governor's query (though He would not answer the priests), "art Thou a King? .... to this end was I born that I should bear witness of the truth," elicited Pilate's question of pity for the unpractical Enthusiast as He seemed to this practical man of the world, "what is truth?" Pilate waited for no answer, for he regarded "truth" in religion as the dream of visionaries undeserving the attention of sensible men of the world and politicians. "The Gentile people then regarded all religions equally true, the philosophers equally false, and the magistrates equally useful."
On the accusers mentioning "Galilee" as the starting point of His teaching Pilate made it his plea for sending Him to Herod, who was then at Jerusalem a worshipper (!) at the Passover (compare Acts 25:9). Hereby he at once shifted the responsibility off himself, and conciliated by this act of courtesy a ruler whom he had previously offended (Luke 13:1; 23:5-12). Herod had long desired to see a miracle wrought by Jesus, but when foiled in his superstitious curiosity he mocked and arrayed Him in a gorgeous robe as a mock king, and sent Him back to Pilate (Luke 9:7-9; Matt 14:2). Superstition and profanity are nearly related and soon succeed one another.
A second time He stands before Pilate, who was now fully satisfied that He was innocent. The governor calls together the priests and people, and tells them that neither he nor Herod had found any guilt in Him, but proposes, in order to satisfy them, to scourge Him, whom he himself pronounced innocent! This concession betraying his readiness to concede principle to external pressure only stimulated them to demand more loudly His execution. The people meanwhile were clamouring for the customary release of a prisoner to them at the Passover. Pilate still hoped the multitude who had so recently escorted Jesus in triumph would, upon being appealed to, call for Jesus' release, for he knew that His apprehension was the act of the envious priests not of the people (Mark 15:8-13). But the chief priests moved the people to call for Barabbas, a notorious robber, city insurrectionist, and murderer. Ascending the judgment seat (a movable tribunal from which judgments were given), in this case set on a pavement, the Gabbatha (from gab, Hebrew, a ridge on which it was laid) in front of his official palace, he receives a message from his wife (by tradition named Procula, who probably had previously heard of Jesus; contrast Herod's bad wife as to John, Matt 14:1-8. Former Roman laws prohibiting magistrates taking wives with them were now ignored) warning him, "have thou nothing to do with that just man, for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of Him." He now puts it to the people whether they will have Jesus or Barabbas, and they with prompted unanimity clamour, "not this Man, but Barabbas." The disappointed governor, from no natural tenderness but from the workings of conscience, remonstrated with them, "why, what evil hath He done?" But trifling with convictions and delay in duty could only have one result. Pilate yields to the threatening tumult, and by symbolically washing his hands (Deut 21:6-7) tries to transfer from himself to them the guilt of the innocent blood; but in vain, for to all ages the Christian creeds brand his name as Jesus' judicial murderer, "suffered under Pontius Pilate." The people all accepted that awful legacy of guilt, to the misery of themselves and of their children to this day.
Then followed the preliminary scourging, the CROWN (which see) of thorns, the reed as a mock sceptre put in His right hand, and the smiting His head with the reed, and spitting on Him, the scarlet robe (the soldiers' cloak): the Gentiles' mockery, as the Jews' mockery had been before. Pilate made a last appeal to their humanity at that moving sight, Jesus coming forth wearing the thorn crown and purple robe, "Behold the Man." The priestly cries were only the more infuriate: "Crucify Him; by our law He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God." Pilate returned to question Jesus. Receiving no answer, he said: "Knowest Thou not that I have power to crucify and to release Thee?" Jesus answered (John 19:11): "Thou couldest have no power against Me except it were given thee from above; therefore he (Caiaphas and the Jews: Mark 15:1; John 11:48-52) that delivered Me unto thee hath the greater sin." Pilate, to whom the supreme Judge delegated power as a magistrate, sins indeed in letting himself be another's tool to kill Jesus against his convictions; but Caiaphas, who had not this plenary power of execution but who had the power given of knowing Jesus' divine Sonship, and yet delivered Jesus to Pilate to be executed, has the greater guilt, for he sins against light and the clearest evidence.
The Lord's words awed and moved Pilate to make a last effort to save Him. But convictions all gave way before the dangerous cry, "if thou let this Man go thou art not Caesar's friend, whosoever maketh himself a king sinneth against Caesar." He knew well how small a matter was enough to ground a charge of treason on before the cruel and jealous Tiberius; but he escaped not by sacrificing Jesus, but was disgraced, banished by the emperor, and died by his own hand: we often bring on us the evil we fear, by doing evil to escape it. Again he mounts the judgment seat to give the unjust sentence, yet shows that his own moral sense revolted against it by his bitter taunt against his instigators, "behold your King." "Away with Him; crucify Him." "Shall I crucify your King?" "We have no king but Caesar." God took them at their hypocritical word. Judah's "sceptre" centerd in Jesus the "Shiloh" (John 18:33); delivering Him up to Rome, they delivered up their kingdom until Israel's final restoration (Gen 49:10); meantime "unto Him is the gathering of the (Gentile) people." Pilate passes sentence, and Jesus, stripped of the scarlet robe, is led to GOLGOTHA (which see), a slightly rising ground without the gate. The Sanhedrin members were the crucifiers the Roman soldiers but the instruments (Acts 5:30).
Luke (Luke 23:27-31), who especially records the women's ministrations mentions that "a great company of women bewailing followed Him; but Jesus turning said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for Me but for yourselves and your children": namely, for the woes coming on Jerusalem; since if He the green (ever living, fruitful) vine suffer so in judgment for men's imputed sin, how terrible will be the judgment of the impenitent who as a dry withered branch (void of life and fruit of righteousness) are cast forth (John 15; 1 Peter 4:18). The Saviour's exhausted strength now sank under the cross; Simon of Cyrene, passing by as he came in from the country, is laid hold upon to bear it after Jesus (an enviable honour spiritually: Luke 14:27). They offer vinegar and gall to stupefy Him; but He will consciously meet His pain in all its unmitigated bitterness. They strip off His outer mantle and inner vest, and then crucify Him, the sacred body being raised aloft and the feet being separately nailed. The apocryphal Gospel of Nicodemus represents a linen cloth to have been bound round His loins.
Pilate wrote the trilingual title over His head, and would not alter it for the chief priests, "Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews" (John giving the Greek form; Matthew the Hebrew, "This is Jesus the King of the Jews"; mark with characteristic brevity the Lat. without admixture of foreign words, "The King of the Jews," to which Luke prefixes "this is" from the Hebrew). The three elements of humanity appear here united by Him on the cross: Greek refinement; Roman law, polity and dominion; and Hebrew divine revelation. God made Pilate in spite of himself proclaim a blessed verity, which the Jews' remonstrance could not make him retract: His kingship of the Jews the mean of universal blessing to the Gentiles. The soldiers divided in four the outer mantle, and cast lots for the seamless inner vest: the former (as Elijah's mantle fell on Elisha, so Christ's mantle fell upon His church) symbolizing the diffusion of the gospel externally to the four world quarters, the latter the inner unity of the true church. As the Jewish church represents the unity, so the Gentile churches the diversity and worldwide diffusion. The four soldiers then sat down, stolidly impassive as they watched Him. It was now, when they crucified Him the third hour or about nine o'clock (Mark 15:25,33); His death was six hours subsequently at the ninth hour. John calls the hour of His sentence the sixth hour (John 19:14); John probably counted the hours differently from the Jewish mode, and in the Asiatic mode, so that Pilate's sentencing Jesus was at six o'clock in our mode of counting from 12 midnight to 12 noon, and the actual crucifixion was at nine.
Between nine and twelve o'clock occurred the mockeries by the ruling priests, the soldiers, the passers by, and the thieves; whereas the people "stood beholding" probably with silent relentings (Matt 27:39-43; Luke 23:35-37). The arch-tempter's voice betrays itself again under his agents' taunt, "if Thou be the Son of God" (Matt 4:3,6). "Himself He cannot save," because He cannot deny Himself, and He had covenanted man's redemption; and, such is His love, He cannot sacrifice us by saving Himself. "He saved others." Yes, He came to seek and save the lost, they unconsciously confess. Throughout God provided for His Son's glorification amidst His sufferings: the priests who could find no witness against Him, Herod, Pilate, the soldiers decking Him as a king, the penitent thief (robber), and the centurion. From His cross as a throne He gave admission to paradise to the penitent, "remembering" when there His former companion in sorrow, as worldly men seldom do (Gen 40:14,23). From it too He committed the bereaved virgin mother, who with Mary her sister, Clopas' wife, and Mary Magdalene, stood by, to John's care. That apostle at once took her away from the harrowing scene (Luke 2:35; John 19:27; in undesigned coincidence with which the virgin is not mentioned among the women "beholding afar off," but Mary Magdalene is (Matt 27:55-56), and returned in time to witness what he records in Matt 27:28-37.
Sympathizing nature at the sixth hour spread a supernatural pall of gloom over the land until the ninth hour; compare Amos 8:9. He all this time, unseen by mortal gaze, encountered the last desperate onslaught of the powers of darkness amidst the infinitely more trying darkness of the Father's withdrawal of His consciously felt presence, of which the external gloom was but the shadow. No evangelist records the mysteries of these three hours. The first glimpse of them we get is the complaining yet trusting cry (Isa 50:10) from the Son at the close, His pent-up feelings seeking relief in the prayer, "My God, My (Mine still though I be apparently forsaken) God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" (Ps 22:1, compare Job 13:15.) Like the psalm, which begins with His filial cry of complaint yet trust, and ends in triumph, so Jesus, who appropriated the 22 nd Psalm, passed inwardly and outwardly from darkness to brightness. As the bright light illumined the night of His birth (Luke 2:9), so it dispelled the gloom at His death directly after and in consequence of His cry (Heb 5:7). When the darkness cleared away there stood the inscription "The King of the Jews," foreshadowing His coming reign over Israel and the nations in the flesh with His transfigured saints. The Jews, knowing well His meaning, yet blasphemously perverted His moving cry, El-i, My God, into a mock, as though He called for Elias. One of them however in mercy offered a sponge with vinegar (the soldier's acid wine refreshing to the palate) when He said, "I thirst," while the rest checked him, saying, "let be, let us see whether Elias will come" (Matt 27:48-49; Mark 15:36); he took up their contemptuous phrase, yet, under cover of mockery, perseveres in his humane act. With a loud cry of redemption accomplished for man, "It is finished," His farewell to men, and then trustful committal of His spirit to God, "Father, into Thine hands! commend My spirit," His entrance greeting to paradise, Jesus gave up the ghost.
His sentences on the cross were the perfect seven: Luke 23:34,43; John 19:26-27; Matt 27:46; John 19:28,30; Luke 23:46. The physical cause of His death seems to be rupture of the heart; so Ps 69:20, "reproach hath broken My heart." Crucifixion alone, not touching any vital part (Mark 15:41), would not so soon have killed Him, as it did not the thieves (John 19:31-33). His bloody sweat on the chilly night, and His piercing cry, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachtani? (My God! My God! Why hast Thou forsaken me?)" prove the intensity of the strain on His heart. His loud voice just before He died shows He did not die of exhaustion. The pericardium, or sac in which the heart pulsates, bursting, the blood separated into crassamentum and serum, so that when the soldier thrust the spear in the side "blood and water" flowed out. The rending of the temple veil answers to His flesh, i.e. pericardium, burst open, whereby spiritually a new and living way, by water and blood (1 John 5:6), i.e. the sanctifying Spirit and the justifying atonement, is opened to us into His inmost sanctuary, His heart, as well as His immediate presence (Matt 27:51; Heb 10:19-22). But Christ voluntarily Himself laid down His life (John 10:18). The high priest on the day of atonement entered on one side of the veil, but now it "was rent in the midst ... in twain, from the top to the bottom." "The earth quaked, the rocks rent, graves opened, (at the moment of the death of Him who by death conquered death,) and many saints' bodies arose, and came out of the graves (not until) after His resurrection (for He being 'the firstfruits' of the resurrection must take precedence of them: 1 Cor 15:23; Col 1:18), and appeared unto many" during the 40 days of His post resurrection sojourn. The centurion in charge, and those with him, were awestruck in seeing the earthquake and the things done, and, remembering His claim for which the Jews condemned Him (John 19:7), are constrained to confess "truly this was the Son of God." See Luke 23:47, "truly this Man was righteous," i.e. justified in His claim to the divine Sonship for which He was condemned.
The centurion's spiritual perception was deeper than that of the others with him: they were astonished by the earthquake, he also by the divine words and tone in which Jesus sealed with His dying breath His Sonship ("when he saw that He so cried out" "with a loud voice," Mark 15:37,39), "Father into Thy hands I commend My spirit" (a deliberate voluntary delivering up of His "spirit," as an act in His own power, John 10:18). Like Samson the type, "He slew more at His death than in His life" (Judg 16:30). "All the people" who came as spectators, at the prodigies, the darkness and earthquake, now smite their breasts in unavailing self reproach, renewed afterward on Pentecost (Acts 2:37). So also the women who stood "afar off" (Ps 38:11).
Two now come forward to honour His sacred body. Joseph, a rich man of Arimathea, "a disciple of Jesus (waiting for the kingdom of God), but secretly for fear of the Jews ... went boldly (now casting off unworthy fear) to Pilate and craved" it. Pilate marveled if He could be already dead, but on the centurion's testimony freely gave Joseph the body. The Father rescued that holy temple from the indignity of committal to one of the two common sepulchres of malefactors. Joseph "wrapped in linen" and took the body to "his own new sepulchre (a loculus tomb, with rolling stone at the cave entrance (see TOMB)) which he had hewn out in the rock," "wherein was never man yet laid"; it was "in the garden, in the place where He was crucified." Nicodemus, who at first "came to Jesus by night," now fearlessly in open day comes forward to honour with a princely gift of 100 pounds of mixed myrrh and aloes, to be sprinkled freely in the linen swathes wrapping the body of the Crucified One. (Isa 53:9,12.) Like Joseph he too was a ruler of the Jews. Two of the council that condemned Jesus thus not only practically protest against the condemnation, but at all risks avow their reverent love to Him. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joses, stupefied with sorrow, sat over against the sepulchre, while the two rulers performed the last rites. When the latter rolled the stone from the side recess down the incline into its proper place, closing the low mouth of the tomb, in the face of the rock, the women returned to the city to buy spices and ointments, in order to complete after the approaching sabbath the rites (which necessarily had been done in haste) by spreading liquid perfumes over the sacred body, besides the powdered spices already sprinkled in the linen swathes.
On the close of the sabbath (Saturday evening) the chief priests, still fearing their sleeping Victim, determined to foil His prophecy, "after three days I will rise again." So they got a Roman guard to be placed at their disposal to watch the tomb ("ye have a watch" implies that already they had a Roman guard granted during the feast), and they sealed the stone; but as in the case of Daniel (Dan 6:17), His type, they only made His miraculous resurrection the more unquestionable. The Father raised Him, as He was God's prisoner, and He waited for God to set Him free (Acts 2:24). But His resurrection was also His own act (John 2:19; 10:18). His resurrection body is a sample of what His saints' bodies shall be (Phil 3:21); on the one hand having flesh and bones capable of being touched (Luke 24:39; John 20:27); on the other appearing and disappearing with mysterious powers such as it had not before (John 20:19,26; 21:4-7).
Angels witnessed to Mary Magdalene, Mary mother of James, Joanna, and Salome, who went early to the tomb to anoint Him, that Jesus was risen. The brevity of the two first evangelists on the resurrection, as compared with the fuller record of the two last, who detail selected appearances to show His identity, accounts for the difficulty of harmonizing the particulars which a little more knowledge would at once clear up. The first two attest the fact; the latter two the reality of His risen body, as proved by His being handled and His eating (Luke 24:30-43; Acts 1:3; 10:41; John 20:20,27; 21:12-13). Matthew attests His appearance first in Judea, then by His own appointment in Galilee. So also Mark. Luke does not mention the appearance in Galilee, but dwells upon those in Judea supplementary to the first two. John (chapter 21) details an appearance in Galilee unnoticed by the first two, and by Paul (1 Cor 15). The resurrection of Jesus Christ, including His ascension tacitly as its necessary sequel, was the grand theme of the apostles' preaching (Acts 1:22; 2:31; 4:33). Hence, John (John 20:17) takes the ascension for granted, without recording it; for it virtually began from the moment of His resurrection, "I ascend unto My Father," etc. His return to His divine throne began already when He arose. Mark (Mark 16:19) and Luke (Luke 24:51; Acts 1:9) alone of the four explicitly record it. but all presuppose it.
The women, besides "the spices and ointments" they "prepared" on Friday evening before the sabbath (Luke 23:56), "bought spices" (only) at the close of the sabbath, Saturday evening (Mark 16:1). So "very early," "when it was yet dark," "as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week" (Sunday; "at the rising of the sun," in Mark 16:2, can only be a general definition of time, for his "very early" implies the sun had not actually risen, for if it had the time would not be "very early ") they set out for the tomb. On their way, while they anxiously thought "who shall roll us away the stone from the sepulchre door?" an earthquake rocked the ground under their feet, as a dazzlingly bright angel from heaven rolled back the stone and sat thereon. The guards through fear became as dead men. The women, beholding the sight partially and from some distance, were afraid; but when they reach the garden all is quiet, and the angel said, "fear not ye (emphatical in the Greek), for I know, ye seek Jesus." The "for" in Mark 16:4, "when they looked they saw the stone rolled away, for it was great," gives the reason why "looking up" they could see it from a distance. It also gives the reason for their previous anxiety and for God's interposition, for our extremity is His opportunity. The angel's appearing and removing the stone announced that Jesus had already risen indeed. The removal of the stone was not to set Jesus free, but after He had risen, when exactly is not revealed; John 20:6-7, shows it was without haste, in calm and deliberate order. Mary Magdalene, on seeing the stone rolled into its receptacle on one side of the rocky tomb's mouth, ran away to Jerusalem at once to tell Peter. Fearing from the stone's removal that the tomb had been violated and the sacred body stolen, she instinctively ran to men for help, and those the Lord's foremost disciples Peter and John, generally associated, and now probably in John's house with the Virgin (John 19:27). The women left behind afterwards went in different directions to the homes of the other apostles, and so did not meet Peter as he came to the tomb (John 20:1-3).
In harmonizing the accounts we must remember "the sacred writer who records more particulars includes the fewer of the other writers, he who records fewer does not deny the more" (LeClerc). Thus, John includes tacitly other women besides Mary Magdalene; her words (John 20:2) "we know not where," etc., prove that other women had been with her to the tomb. Mark records the women's seeing an angel, "a young man," on the right side, on their entering the tomb after Mary Magdalene's departure. Matthew mentions the angel as sitting on the stone outside the tomb. Luke mentions that when they were "much perplexed" at not finding the Lord's body in the tomb they saw two men in shining garments stand by them and say, "why seek ye the living among the dead?" etc. In their excitement some of the women saw but one, others both, of the angels. One angel, being the speaker, moved from his position on the stone at the entrance outside to the inside and declared Jesus' resurrection, and that according to His promise He would appear to them in Galilee, as recorded in Matthew (Matt 26:32; 28:10) and Mark (Mark 16:7; 14:28). Mark, writing under Peter's superintendence, records Jesus' special message of love to Peter, to cheer him under his despondency because of his threefold denial of Jesus," go, tell His disciples and Peter."
The trembling women returned from the sepulchre, not saying aught to any they met through awe, but when they reached the apostles telling the tidings "with great joy" that Jesus is risen, and as He said on the eve of His passion "is going before" the heretofore "scattered sheep" into Galilee, to gather them together again (Matt 28:8; Mark 16:7-8; 14:27-28; John 10:4). When Mary Magdalene and the other women first reported the tidings to "the eleven" (namely, Mary Magdalene to Peter and John, the other women to the remaining nine apostles), "they seemed to them idle tales, and they believed them not" (Luke 24:9). Peter however and John, on Mary Magdalene's report, ran to the tomb. John reached it first, and stooping down saw the linen clothes lying, but with reverent awe shrank from entering. Peter with impulsive promptness entered, and contemplated with deep interest (theorei) the linen swathes and the head napkin duly folded, laid aside separately. Contrast Lazarus rising "bound hand and foot with grave-clothes," because he was to return to corruption (John 20:4-7; 11:44); but Jesus being "raised dieth no more," therefore the grave-clothes were laid aside orderly, without haste or confusion, such as would have been had the body been stolen away. John saw this evidence and believed.
Mary Magdalene followed to the tomb, but Peter and John were gone before she reached it, otherwise John would have imparted to her his faith. He and Peter soon communicated what they had seen to the other apostles and brethren (Luke 24:12,24). Meantime Mary Magdalene stood without at the sepulchre weeping. Stooping, she saw within the sepulchre two angels in the attitude of watching, one at the head the other at the feet, where His body had lain, so that she might be sure none could have stolen Him so guarded. Stier suggests that her rapt and longing eye saw the angels whom the apostles owing to their lesser degree of susceptibility saw not. The other women had been afraid at the angelic vision; eagerness to recover the lost body of her Lord banishes from Mary Magdalene every other feeling. "They say, Woman, why weepest thou?" "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where," etc. (When the other women were with her she had said, "they have taken away the Lord, and we know not where they have laid Him"; now how naturally, when feeling all alone, she says "my Lord," and "I know not.") Turning back, as though even angels' sympathy in His absence could not console her, she saw Jesus standing, but knew Him not. Her absorbing sorrow so shut out hope that she recognized not the very One whom she longed for. "Her tears wove a veil concealing Him who stood before her; seeking the dead prevents our seeing the living" (Stier).
To His query, the same as the angel's question, why weepest thou? she replied, "If thou have borne Him hence, tell me where thou hast laid Him, and I will take Him away." How true to nature her taking for granted that the unknown stranger would know whom she meant, though she forgot to name Him, her heart was so full of Him. His one word in tones fondly remembered, "Mary," reveals Him. At once she reverts to His former relation to her, "Rabboni," "my Master" or "Teacher," not yet rising to His higher relations as her Lord and God. Her deep joy could find vent in no other utterance than the one. A touch of her clasping hand accompanied it, to assure herself it is her Lord, the very one whose loving disciple she had been. Her eager touch He checked, "Be not touching Me" (haptou), implying that a mere earthly love expressed in the embrace between friends in the flesh is unsuited to the new relations between His people and Himself now in His resurrection body (compare 2 Cor 5:16); "for I am not yet ascended to My Father," assuring her for her comfort that the close intercourse, now not yet seasonable, shall be restored, and that His people shall touch Him, but with the hand of faith, more palpably than ever though no longer carnally, when He shall have ascended and the Spirit shall have consequently descended (Eph 4:8). "But go tell My brethren, I am ascending (My ascension has already begun) to My Father," etc.
Finally when He shall return, of which His ascension is the pledge and type (Acts 1:11), He shall be in nearest contact of all with His people, themselves also then in their resurrection bodies. Thus she was the first divinely commissioned preacher of His resurrection and ascension to those whom "He is not ashamed to call brethren" (Heb 2:10-11). "They when they heard that He was alive and had been seen of her believed not." Some believed Peter's and John's confirmation of the women's report that His body was not in the sepulchre; but as "Him they saw not," they regarded her report of having seen Him as the hallucination of an excited mind. Whether the angels just seen had borne away His body as Moses' (Deut 34:6), or what had become of it, they knew not; but hope of His appearing in person they had given up (Luke 24:23-24). But now the other women, just after (for the clause "as they went to tell His disciples," Matt 28:9, is not in the Vaticanus and Sinaiticus manuscripts and oldest versions) they had brought the tidings as to the empty tomb and the angels to the other apostles besides Peter and John, on their way back to the tomb met Jesus, who said, "All hail," and they clasped His feet and "worshipped Him," not merely as their Teacher (like Mary Magdalene, John 20:16) but as their risen Lord. (before His resurrection it was usually others rather than the disciples that worshipped Him). The Lord added, "Go tell My brethren (namely, the eleven and all the rest then at Jerusalem, Luke 24:9) that they go into Galilee, there shall they see Me."
Meantime, the watch informed the Sanhedrin, who after consultation gave large sums of money to the soldiers, and invented a lie for them: "Say His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we slept." If they slept how could they know the disciples stole Him? Would they have charged themselves with a capital offense, sleeping on guard, unless they were assured of impunity? Would the Sanhedrin and Roman authorities have let them escape punishment? If they were awake the Gospel account is true. The carefully folded grave-clothes confute the notion of theft. The Sanhedrin never examined the soldiers and the disciples publicly as to the alleged theft. Evidently they did not believe their own story; yet they propagated the lie, as Justin Martyr (Trypho, 108,117,17) charges them, by missionaries sent "over the whole world" to counteract Christianity.
The third testimony to the still doubting eleven was that of the disciples who started for Emmaus (now Khamasa, close to the Roman road from Jerusalem by Solomon's pools to Belt Jibrin) about noon on the same day, after having heard possibly but not credited Mary Magdalene's and the other women's statement of having seen Him. One was named Cleopas, i.e. Cleopater, not to be confounded with Clopas or Alphaeus (John 19:25). Their sad report to Jesus, who joined them unrecognized, as to the apostles who went to see whether the women's report as to the empty tomb were true, was "Him they saw not": they took no direct notice of the women's having subsequently seen Jesus, whether from disbelieving or from not having heard it. Jesus rebuked their slowness to believe, and showed "in all the scriptures (Jesus thus authenticating as inspired the Old Testament) the things concerning Himself," that "Christ ought to have suffered these things and (then) enter into His glory." Then at their constraining entreaty, it being "toward evening," He stayed with them, and in blessing and breaking bread "He was known of them," their eyes being "opened" so as no longer to be "holden" and incapable of discerning through His appearing "in another form" (Mark 16:12; Luke 24:13-35).
The transfiguration before His passion shows how His resurrection body could be the same body, yet altered so as at will to be more or less recognizable to beholders. The process of its progressive glorification probably began from His resurrection, and culminated at His ascension. Returning to Jerusalem after His vanishing from them, they found "the eleven and those with them" (the other disciples, Acts 1:14) with eager joy exclaiming "the Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon" (1 Cor 15:5). They did not credit the women, but they are convinced by one of the apostles, and that one Peter. The Emmaus disciples told concerning His being recognized by them in breaking of bread. As neither of the two were of the twelve, they had not been at the institution of the Lord's supper, and therefore this "breaking of bread" was an ordinary meal, at which His well remembered gestures and mode of blessing the bread (Matt 14:19; 15:36) by thanksgiving occasioned their recognition of Him. "The eleven" is either used as a general designation (Luke 24:33), not exactly, as there were but ten, Thomas being away; or else Thomas left them just after the Emmaus pair came in, and before Jesus appeared (Luke 24:36-49; John 20:19-25).
Other disciples (Luke 24:33) besides the apostles were present, so that Christ's commission (John 20:19-23) belongs to the whole church (John says, John 20:19, "the disciples," not merely the apostles), which exercises it generally by its ministers as its representatives, but not exclusively. The apostles "remitted sins," just as they saved souls, instrumentally by the ministry of the word (Acts 13:38; 10:43), not by priestly absolution. The apostles infallibly also wrote the word; their successors learn and teach it (James 5:20). The parallel Luke 24:47 expresses how they remitted sins; Luke 24:49, in what sense "He breathed on them the Holy Spirit," namely, gave them a measure of grace and faith, assuring them of "the promise of His Father" to be fulfilled in the Spirit's outpouring on Pentecost, for which until then they were to wait in believing prayer (Acts 1:14). The words John 20:22-23, were not used in ordinations for the first 12 centuries. The apostles' inspiration was not transmitted by ordination to their successors. Thomas's absence alone would prove that no final gifts of apostleship were then bestowed, else he would have forfeited them. In Matt 16:19 Peter, and Matt 28:18 all the disciples, constituting collectively "the church," are given the power to loose and bind THINGS, i.e, to legis- late and declare obligatory or otherwise (Acts 10 and 15); in John 20:23 to remit or retain a PERSON'S sins. The apostles by the miraculous gift of discerning spirits in part did so (Acts 5:1-11; 8:21; 13:9), but mainly by ministry of the word. The former is not transmitted; the latter is the whole church's province in all ages, exercised through its ministers chiefly but not exclusively.
Doubts still mingled with the faith of the disciples, even after Christ's appearance to Peter and then to the two Emmaus disciples. His humble appearance as an ordinary traveler, and His sitting down to a social meal in the body, seemed at variance with their ideas of His being an unsubstantial "spirit" (Mark 16:12-13). In spite of their profession "the Lord is risen indeed," they were "affrighted" when He actually stood in the midst of them (Luke 24:36, etc.). "The doors were shut for fear of the Jews," so that His risen body had properties to which material substances were no hindrance (compare Luke 24:31,40; John 20:19). To reassure them He showed them His hands and side and feet, and desired them to handle Him and see that He had "flesh and bones."
The "handling" is peculiar to Luke; but John undesignedly hints (a strong corroboration of the authenticity of both evangelists) at it by recording the form which Thomas' unbelief took just afterward, "except I put my finger into the print of the nails (the cavity left by them being smaller, and such as the finger could fit into), and thrust my hand into His side (the cavity left by the spear being large, and such as the hand would fit into), I will not believe."
They could scarcely believe for joy and wonder (compare the type, Gen 45:26), but their fright was all gone. He vouchsafes then the sign before given to show the reality of the raising to life of Jairus' daughter (Mark 5:4), by partaking of fish and honeycomb. Like the angels who ate of Abram's food (Gen 18:8), He had the power, not the need, to eat; not from hunger or thirst, but to teach and convince His disciples (Acts 10:41). His appearing on two successive first days of the week stamped that day with sanctity as the Lord's day" (Rev 1:10). The consecration of one day in seven rests on the Old Testament law from the beginning; the transference from the last day of the week to the first was gradual, the apostolical usage resting on the Lord's hallowing it in act by His resurrection and reappearances on it. In gracious condescension He vouchsafed to Thomas the tangible material proof which his morbid slowness to believe demanded. Thomas, now convinced, recognizes not merely that which feeling Christ's body demonstrated, namely His humanity, but rises to avow what faith, not sense, revealed, His Divinity, "my Lord and my God!" Jesus gently reproves while commending him, "because thou hast seen Me thou hast believed; blessed are they that have not seen, yet have believed" (Heb 11:1; 1 Peter 1:8; 2 Cor 5:7).
John (John 21) in an appendix recounts the Lord's appearance to seven of the apostles (or else five apostles and two disciples) at the sea of Tiberias. At first they did not recognize Him standing on the shore, though near enough to hear His voice. The phrase "showed (manifested) Himself" implies perhaps, that after His resurrection He was visible only by a distinct act of His will. However, their non-recognition may have been due to the dimness of the twilight. Supposing possibly His inquiry, "children, have ye any meat?" was a stranger's friendly call whether they had any fish to sell, they replied, no. At His suggestion they cast the net on the right side of the ship, then could not draw it for the multitude of fish. John with his greater spiritual discernment first perceived, "it is the Lord." Peter with his impulsive ardor was the first to go to Him. As this miraculous draught answers to that in Luke 5, so Peter's plunging into the water answers to his desire to walk to Jesus on the water; but there are characteristic differences.
In Luke 5 the net broke; here not so. Type respectively of their past breaking of their resolution of devotedness to Jesus (their very fishing now was a temporary desertion of their higher calling), and of their henceforth not breaking it. There an indefinite number of fish, small and great; here "153 great fish." In Matt 14:28-31 Peter's faith failed through fears; here he plunges fearlessly into the water to reach Jesus. The present dispensation with good and bad mixed answers to Luke 5 (compare Matt 13:47-48.) All are not secure who are in the gospel net; just as the net broke. But the future dispensation will be (as in John 21) an unbroken net, containing the full definite number of the elect, all "great" before God. Christ at the dawn of that day shall be waiting on the shore to welcome His ministering servants. The fish brought to the ship still in the sea (Luke 5) answer to the present gathering in of converts by the ministry in the midst of a still perilous tempting world. Those drawn to shore (John 21) answer to the saints safely landed and with Jesus, who makes them sit down to His banquet (John 21:12, "come and have breakfast," the morning meal, ariston, with Rev 19:9). The "fire of coals, and fish laid thereon, and bread" were of Jesus' miraculous provision, and typified the heavenly feast to which He will invite His servants; then shall every man's special work have its special reward of grace, answering to "bring of the fish which ye have caught" (Dan 12:3; Luke 19:16-19; 2 John 8; 1 Cor 4:5).
Something mysterious and majestic about Jesus' form, rather felt than seen, combined with the extraordinary provision He had made for their meal, awed the disciples; they might have been inclined to ask explanations, but reverent fear and their knowledge "that it was the Lord" checked them. This early meal was a kind of resumption of the last supper. Again Peter and John are nearest their loved Lord. He tests Peter's love so loudly professed at the last, supper (Luke 22:33-34). As then He foretold his threefold denial, so now He elicits thrice his "love" patent to the all-knowing Saviour. He delicately glances at Peter's past overweening self confidence," though all (the disciples) shall be offended because of Thee, yet will I never" (Matt 26:33); "lovest thou Me more than these" thy fellow disciples? Peter needed to be set right as to these, as well as in respect to Jesus. Then Jesus explicitly foretells Peter's crucifixion, already at the last supper implied obscurely (John 13:36), adding "follow Me," the same call as the first of all (Matt 4:19). Jesus then commenced withdrawing, Peter followed, and on turning he saw John too following, and asked, "Lord, and what shall this man do?" Jesus replied, "if I will that he tarry (on earth) until I come (till the destruction of Jerusalem, when begins the series of events which together constitute the theme of the Apocalypse, called 'the coming of the Lord' Matt 24, to be consummated in His personal appearing in order to reign), what is that to thee?" The danger of oral tradition (to guard against which the Gospel word was soon written) is illustrated in that the brethren, even so near the Fountain of truth, misinterpreted "this saying" as if it meant John should not die.
The Lord's promise and command (Matt 28:7,10,16, etc.) previously announced by the angel led the disciples in general (besides "the eleven" specified by Matthew) to go to a mountain in Galilee (perhaps that of the beatitudes) where "He was seen of 500 brethren at once" (1 Cor 15:6). Some even still doubted the evidence of their senses (probably until He drew nearer, for at first He was seen at a distance, perhaps on the mountain top). But the eleven worshipped Him. Jesus confirmed His claim to worship by drawing near and declaring "all power is given unto Me in heaven and earth," realizing Dan 7:14, and commissioning all His disciples (not the apostles only, Acts 8:2,4), "go and disciple all the nations, baptizing them (the persons) into the name (not names, for God is ONE) of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit," i.e. into living union with God in the threefold personality as revealed: "teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you," for full instruction in Christ's word is the necessary complement of baptism; "and (on this condition, not otherwise) I am (Jesus the great I AM, not merely 'I shall be') with you alway unto the consummation of the age" (John 14:16; 16:13). The commission is to all the church, and is mostly executed by its ministers and teachers, the mode of whose appointment is not definitely prescribed. He has never left Himself without witnesses, however the church as a general body has apostatized.
The Lord's appearance to JAMES the Less (which see) was after that to the 500, and marked him as one especially honoured, from whence afterward he presided over the Jerusalem church (1 Cor 15:6). In Galilee remote from Jerusalem the 500 could meet more safely. Thus, 120 who met at Jerusalem after the ascension were exclusive of those in Galilee. Toward the close of the forty days (Acts 1:3) the disciples went up to Jerusalem, as the feast of Pentecost was near. Then for the last time they ("all the apostles," 1:Cor. 15:7, besides the twelve, probably others, e.g. Andronicus and Junia, "of note among the apostles" or witnesses of the resurrection, "in Christ before Paul," Rom 16:7) saw Him, Luke 24:44-49 answering to Acts 1:4-8; and He charged them not to leave Jerusalem until they received the promised Spirit from on high. He led them out from the city over the ridge of Olivet, descending toward Bethany, the district being called "Bethany "; compare Luke 24:50 with Acts 1:12, where the distance of Olivet from Jerusalem "a sabbath day's journey" is thought by Alford to be specified, because the ascension was on the Saturday or sabbath of the seventh week from the resurrection, which suits the phrase "forty days" as well as the Thursday, usually made Ascension day. "They asked, wilt Thou at this time restore again (the apo  of the compound marks the establishing as something due by God's oft repeated promises) the kingdom to Israel?" He recognizes the fact, and only rebukes their requiring to know "the times or seasons put in the Father's own power" (Deut 29:29; Dan 7:27; Isa 1:26).
After His promise that they should be His witnesses from Jerusalem to the uttermost parts of the earth, their last glimpse of Him was in the act of blessing them (Luke 24:51) with uplifted hands, even as His Sermon on the Mount began with blessing (compare Acts 3:26). He was "carried up into heaven," "a cloud receiving Him out of their sight," even as His elect shall be caught up in clouds (1 Thess 4:17) and as "behold He cometh with clouds" (Rev 1:7). Angels announced to the disciples, gazing with strained eyes upward, that "the same Jesus shall return in like manner as they saw Him go into heaven," probably at the same mountain (Zech 14:4-5). Thus, there were ten appearances of the risen Saviour recorded, nine in the Gospels and Acts, and one in 1 Cor 15, namely, to James, on the independent testimony of Paul, who mentions all those to men which the Gospels record, also the special one to himself after the Lord's ascension. Most of the above is gathered, with occasional differences however, from Bishop Ellicott's valuable Life of Christ. Four stages of development in the order and fullness of Christ's teaching have been traced: (1) In the first year a slight advance on the teaching of John the Baptist. (2) The second year inaugurated by the Sermon on the Mount. (3) The third year the teaching of parables, setting forth the nature, constitution, and future prospects of the church. (4) The fourth year, the sublime discourses in the upper chamber, recorded by John, just before His betrayal and crucifixion.

(from Fausset's Bible Dictionary, Electronic Database Copyright (c)1998 by Biblesoft)