LIFE OF JESUS.

PART THIRD.

THE passover of the Jews being at hand, Jesus

went up to Jerusalem, and he found there those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money-changers sitting in the temple. And making a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out with the sheep and oxen; and poured out the money of the exchangers, overturning their tables; and said to those who sold doves, "Take these things hence; make not my Father's house a house of traf

Changers of money. - For the convenience of those from a distance, booths were erected in the outer court of the temple, at which everything necessary for the offerings was kept, and where the money-changers had stands to exchange the Roman coin for the Jewish money required for the temple tribute. The leading Pharisees are supposed to have been interested in this traffic. Josephus says that no less than two hundred and forty-six thousand victims were offered at one passover; and as great extortion was practised, large profits must have arisen to the traffickers.

Small cords. - The original implies that this scourge was made of twisted reeds, which, probably, was the ancient material for ropes.

fic." And his disciples called to mind that it had been written, "My zeal for thy house is consuming me."

Then the Jews said to him, "What sign do you show, that you have authority to do this?" Jesus answered, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." Then the Jews said, "Forty and six years has this temple been in building, and will you raise it in three days?" But he spoke of the temple of his body. When, therefore, he had risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the scripture, and the words which Jesus had spoken.

While Jesus was in Jerusalem at this festival of the passover, many believed in him from seeing his miracles. But he did not trust himself to them, because he knew them all, and needed not that any should tell him, for he knew what is in man. *

And one of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, came to him by night, and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God; for no man could do these miracles that you do, unless God were with him." Jesus answered him, Truly, truly, I say to you; unless a man be born

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Zeal for thy house. —Psalms lxix. 9.

Forty and six years. Herod began the rebuilding of the temple sixteen years before the birth of Christ. The work on the main building was completed in nine years and a half, but the outbuildings were unfinished at this date, and were not completed till the time of Agrippa. Jesus at this time was thirty years old.

* John ii. 13-25.

INTERVIEW WITH NICODEMUS.

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anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Nicodemus said to him. "How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter again into his mother's womb, and be born?" Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I tell you, unless one be born of water, and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. What is born of the flesh, is flesh; and what is born of the Spirit, is spirit. Marvel not that I say to you, you must be born anew. The wind blows where it will, and you hear its sound, but cannot tell whence it comes, nor whither it goes: so is every one born, who is born of the Spirit."

Nicodemus asked, "How can this be?" Jesus answered him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and understand not this? Truly, truly, I say to you; we speak what we know, and testify of what we have seen; and you receive not our testimony. If I tell you earthly things, and you believe not, how will you believe should I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended to heaven, but he that descended from heaven,

the Son of Man, who is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up; that whoever believes in him, may have eternal life.

"For God so loved the world, as to give his only begot

The teacher of Israel. — Nicodemus was one of the Sanhedrim, and reference to him as the teacher implies that he was a prominent doctor. He came to Jesus by night to avoid observation; but Jesus told him at once that he must " be born of water" must make an open profession of his belief in the new religion - if he would enter the kingdom of God. Thus early he announced his intention to organize a society, and the necessity of "confessing him before men.”

ten Son, that whoever believes in him may not perish, but have eternal life. For God sent not his Son into the world to judge the world: but that through him the world may be saved. He who believes in him is not judged; but he who believes not is already judged, because he has not believed in the only begotten Son of God. And the ground of the judgment is, that light has come into the world, and men love darkness rather than the light, because their deeds are evil. For whoever does evil hates the light, and comes not to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed; but whoever does truth comes to the light, and it is made manifest, that his deeds are wrought in God."*

After this, Jesus and his disciples went into the country of Judea; and there remained and baptized, — though Jesus baptized not, but his disciples. And John also was baptizing in non, near Salim, because there was an abundance of water there: and many came to him, and were baptized. For John was not yet cast into prison. Then there arose a question between some of John's disciples and a Jew about purification. And they went to John and said, "Rabbi, he who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you bore testimony, lo! he is baptizing, and all men resort to him.” John answered, "A man can have nothing, but what is given him from heaven. You yourselves know that I said, I am not the Christ, but one sent before him.

Ænon.—This place was west of the Jordan, and about twenty miles north of Bethany, where Jesus was baptized. The river near this point is stated by Captain Lynch, to be about ten feet in depth.

* John iii. 1-21.

JOURNEY TO JERUSALEM.

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He who has the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands by and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice; this, then, my joy is fully attained.”

He who

"He must increase, but I must decrease. comes from above, is above all: he who is from the earth is earthly, and speaks earthly things. He who comes from heaven is above all. And what he has seen and heard, that he testifies and no man receives his testimony. But whoever receives his testimony attests his belief that God is true. He whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for God gives not the Spirit to him by measure. The Father loves the Son, and has committed all things into his hands. He who believes in the Son has eternal life: and he who believes not the Son, will not see life; but the wrath of God will abide on him."*

Now Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by John,

Herod the Tetrarch. - This was Antipas, a son of Herod the Great, who had died soon after the birth of Christ, leaving his kingdom to three sons. He was a weak, dissolute prince, and inherited all the vices of his father. Josephus relates that on a journey to Rome, he stopped at his brother Philip's house, and there, falling in love with Herodias, his brother's wife, determined to repudiate the daughter of Aretas, King of Petræa, whom he had married, and to marry Herodias. Herodias was a grand-daughter of Herod the Great, and had married his son Philip, whom his father had disinherited; and by him, had had one daughter· the Salome who danced before Antipas. She was a violent, ambitious woman, and dissatisfied with the obscure position of Philip, no doubt, entrapped Antipas into this alliance.

*John iii. 22-36.