definite conception of the way in which it would be brought about. This realization, he at first imagined, was not his work. Preparation only was the task that had been assigned to him; but, since this preparation for the kingdom was itself an initial establishment of it, he spoke of the kingdom of God already as present among men. He had spoken from the first, and all through the time when his work appeared so wonderfully successful, of a gradual and natural development; but he had not at all realized the extreme slowness which necessarily characterizes such a process. What of that? If his work had grown, so had his powers. He had risen up to continue the preaching of John, and to complete his work. He had turned to the sinners, knowing that if they repented the promised salvation would no longer be delayed; and when his efforts had been successful in many cases, when the expression of his inner life and the exercise of his powers had taught him to know himself, then the conviction had risen within him that the heart of man knew no religious wants which he could not satisfy. And therefore he could no longer point to a future in which God would bless his people with purer light, closer communion with Himself, and more blessed peace than those which he (Jesus) already experienced himself and knew that he could give to others. At the same time his own sense of dignity rose in direct proportion to the violence of the opposition he experienced from the learned and pious champions of religion. The pride of the discarded prophet was aroused. The more decisively he was rejected the more distinctly did he put himself forward and assert his personal claims. This brings us to a final and conclusive proof that he had but recently resolved to become the Messiah. It may be found in the change which we have had repeated opportunities of observing in his general bearing. Not only had he definitely broken with the Pharisaic party, but he had assumed a far more lofty tone of authority than ever before.1 We are now in a position fully to understand all this. Jesus had put his people to a practical test, and had discovered that if no other way were taken than that which John and he himself so far had trodden, then the kingdom of God was not at hand. A heroic effort was needed to make it come, yet come it must and should. He himself must shrink from no sacrifice, and fall short of no demand, that might be requisite. Now he knew for certain that he pos1 See pp. 259, 273-275, 278-281, 302; compare pp. 212, 215. sessed all those spiritual blessings which were promised in the Messianic age, and therefore he might and could declare that the kingdom of God had come in him. What he could do and might do he must do. What he was justified in say ing and able to say, that he was also bound to say; not "the kingdom of God is at hand!" but "the kingdom of God is here! I am the Messiah! As far as human agency and effort go, I bring you the promised salvation." All this shows us clearly enough the sense in which Jesus became the Messiah. It was probably not without hesitation that he adopted the title, for the name of Messiah would be almost sure to occasion the grossest misconceptions in the minds not only of the people, but of his own special friends as well. It is true that there had never been, and was not then, any settled belief as to the Messiah; but the conception of a magnificent and powerful monarch was pretty generally associated with the word, and of course Jesus never dreamed of expecting worldly honor and dominion. But, on the other hand, it was impossible for him to reject the title, especially now that it was offered to him spontaneously. Had he done so, it would have caused the far more serious misconception that another (the Messiah) was still to be expected, and that Jesus himself was not qualified or competent to establish the kingdom of God; whereas, he felt that he had indeed come to fulfil the hope of the pious ancestors and the promises of the prophets, and that he should not fail. In the true and highest sense of the term, according to its spiritual signification, he felt that he could be the Messiah; and he resolved that he would. He and no other! He would rule, but only by moral force, by the influence of his gospel. To him the kingdom of God meant first and chiefly the union of all spiritual blessings; and, as the Messiah, he would dispense these blessings. He would be the light of the world, the salt of the earth; as a teacher he would lead the peoples, personally or by means of his emissaries, to a sense of the love of God and the dignity of man; he would be followed and obeyed for the truth's sake which he uttered. He would be the sower, and would see an ever-richer harvest rising from the seed that he had sown; he would guide the feeble; he would be the peacemaker and the giver of life; and his authority should be acknowledged by all mankind in perfect freedom and with all the heart. In this sense only could he adopt the title and accept the homage of his friends. Thus we see that even 1 1 See p. 151. when Jesus was compelled to introduce his own person into the problem, yet the kingdom of God itself remained, as it always had been, the one supreme object of his thoughts. The last question we have to ask is, how Simon came to recognize his Master as the Lord's anointed, and what he understood the title to imply? The first Gospel tells us that to Simon's confession, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God!" Jesus replied in a strain of solemn exaltation: "Blessed art thou, Simon, son of Jona! for flesh and blood have not revealed it unto you, but my Father in heaven. And I say unto thee that thou art a rock (Peter), and that on this rock I will build my community, and the gates of the realms of the dead shall be found weaker than it. And, moreover, I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you forbid or permit, command or do away, on earth, it shall be confirmed by God in heaven." These words, to which the Roman Catholic Church appeals in support of the supremacy of the Pope as Peter's successor, are certainly not genuine. Jesus did not rank Simon above the rest of the Apostles, nor did he give him the name of Peter; and he never could or would have ascribed to any of his followers the power of excluding any one from the kingdom of God, or of giving out laws and ordinances.1 The Jewish-Christian party put these words into the mouth of Jesus to glorify their special Apostle. But the passage embodies a true perception of the fact that Jesus, if not surprised, was certainly rejoiced to find that his friends had enough clearness of spiritual vision and depth of spiritual life to recognize his true greatness, to appreciate the religious significance of his work and person, and to understand his aims, unlike the expected Messiah as he was in all his outward surroundings. It was their deep affection for the Master and their fervent longing for the coming of God's kingdom that made them recognize Jesus as the Messiah, and their confession was at the same time an indirect appeal to him to assume the office. And again, the tone of authority he had lately assumed had helped to suggest the thought, and now encouraged them to utter it. But if the confession gave Jesus cause for joy, it gave him cause for apprehension too. This was why he warned the disciples so emphatically not to tell any one that he was the Messiah, and why he took an early opportunity of expressly talking over his plans and prospects with them. For they were far from having sacrificed the carnal expectations and 1 Compare p. 181. ambitious dreams of their nation. They still thought of the dignity of the Messiah as political in its nature, and of the Messiah himself as an earthly king. And of course their personal interests came into play, for if their Master ascended the throne, they too would share in his exaltation. Jesus was soon to learn how deeply this false conception was rooted in their hearts. Indeed, all the contemporaries of Jesus were so completely wedded to this idea that even the early Jewish-Christian communities could not relinquish it. One of many illustrations of this fact is preserved in a narrative contained in the first Gospel. It belongs to the same class as the stories in the Apocryphal Gospels, and runs as follows: Some days after the events at Cæsarea Jesus was once more at Capernaum. It was just the time for collecting the tax levied in support of the temple, which amounted to two drachmas a head (about one shilling and fourpence of our money), and was paid yearly by every Jew. The collectors, not daring to address Jesus himself, said to Peter, "Does not your Master pay the two drachmas?" "Certainly he does," answered Peter, forgetting for the moment what was implied in his Master's dignity as the Messiah. He went into the house to tell Jesus; but hardly had he entered when Jesus, who knew every thing, anticipated him with the question, What think you, Simon! from whom do the kings of the earth take toll and tribute, - from their own sons or from strangers?" "From strangers," answered the other. "Then the children are free," said Jesus (meaning, “Then I, as the Messiah or Son of God, need not pay "); “but, not to give them offence," he continued, "go to the lake and throw your hook, and in the mouth of the first fish you catch you will find a stater [four drachmas]. Give it to the collectors for yourself and me." 66 What a hopeless misconception underlies this argument! Jesus cherished a spiritual conception of the office of the Messiah, which was in directest conflict with the general opin ion of his people as expressed in this story and elsewhere. It stands to reason that this contrast must often have involved him in serious difficulties, and must have given rise to the severest mental conflicts. We have dwelt at such length on the Messianic dignity of Jesus because the subject is so exceedingly important. We 1 Matthew xvii. 24-27. 2 Exodus xxx. 11 f regret all the more that the condition in which our authorities have come down to us is such as to drive us now and then to conjectures. We should be so thankful for complete certainty as to the manner in which Jesus expected the kingdom of God to be established, and the place which he believed he would occupy in it as the Messiah ! We would so willingly trace the development of his ideas on these matters clearly and confidently! We shall soon see that he was at any rate well aware of the danger he incurred, and was prepared for the worst. In that connection, and again later on, we shall feel how much he must have passed through before he could resolve to take this step. But first let us open a page of the Gospels, which shows us that the early Christian communities were deeply impressed with the importance of the question how Jesus earned the title of Messiah, and that they rightly connected his Messiahship with his severest mental conflict. This conflict they represent as usual in a visible form, as an encounter between Christ and Satan. Inasmuch as they believed that Jesus was endowed by God with the Holy Spirit, and called to be the Messiah at his baptism,' they very naturally placed the conflict and temptation before his public ministry, in the period just after his baptism which history had left vacant. As soon as Jesus was consecrated as the Messiah, the Spirit which had come upon him led him to the wilderness that he might be tempted by the Devil there. So must he approve himself as the Messiah. Forty days and forty nights he fasted absolutely; and when his hunger was keen the Tempter came to him and said, "If you are God's son, command these stones to become bread." 2 But Jesus refused." It is written," he said, "Man lives not by bread alone, but by all that God's word of power sends him.'" Baffled in his first attempt, the Devil tried another means of seducing him into faithlessness to his mission as the Messiah. He bore him through the air with the speed of thought to the City of God, and, placing him on the parapet of the temple, said, "If you are God's son, hurl yourself down; for it is written that He shall give His angels charge over you, and they shall take you in their hands that you may never strike your foot against a stone." But Jesus answered firmly, "It is also written, 'Thou shalt not try the Lord thy God, to see whether He is " 4 1 See pp. 117–121. 2 Compare pp. 265, 266. |