The anticipated conclusions, then, are the.se . (i.) From the very first (i.e. from the Baptism) our Loid had the full consciousness of the Me.ssiah, and the full determination to found the Kingdom of God ujion earth, (ii.) Frojn the very first Ht, h.ad al.so the deliberate intention of transforming the curient idea of the Kingdom, (iii.) In oi'det to make this transformation effective, it was neces.sary to begin with the idea of the Kingdom and not of the King. In other wortls, the per- sonal Messianic claim had to be kept in the back- ground. But (iv.) the transformation of the idea was only a preliminary to the permanent estab- lishment of the Kingilom ; and this establishment turned rouiul the Per.son of the Me.ssiah. So that in the end the history of th» Kingdom centres in the iM'i-.sonal hi.stoiy of the King.
With so much of preface we proceed to give au outline of the Public Ministry according to the perioils into which it seems to fall.
V. PRKt.lViytKY PFRlOrt FROU TIIK KaFTISM TO THE CiU OF TIIK /.KAHIXO M'OSTI.KS'
.Hvn,-.— Mainly In .ludn-a, hut In pari also Oalllee. Xime —Winter A. it. i*» to A few weeks after Pa5sov« A.n. 27. Mis'-I". Mk ll-u. I.k 81-4". .In I*-*-.
•The choice of termini n i/no and fut ijuem la pnmetime> inclusive anil souietlmvs not Inclusive. The most aaiieni points are chos«n. ller« the ferifi. ad qutm la Dot Inclusive.
filO
JESUS CHRIST
JESUS CHRIST
B. First ACTtrs OR cossTRUCTtvB PERIOD: ras Fovxit-
tXa OF TUB KlXdDOM.
^^v/f/.— Mainly in (jullli-o, but also ;>tvrtly tii Jerusalem. Time. — Fnmi nbout Poiilfcost a.d. 'i7 to frburtly before Passover A.h. *JS. Mt 4"-18M. Mk l'«-f,i>. Lk 4>«-9«, .In ft. c. Middle or ivuiisatiso Pbriod or tub Actttb
illXISTRT.
.<4v;if.— Oallloe.
Timf. — I'a.'tjtover to sbiirtlv tiefore Tabernacles a.d. 25. Mt U"-!!-". .Mk r."-!!"', Lk !)'-«", .In (i.
I). Close of tub Actitb I'sbiod: tub JIsssiaxw Crisis IX I'lEir.
.**/«.— .Indiea (.In V<^; W) and Penia (Mk 10>I, Jn 10"). Timf. — Tttberna'-les a.i». 'i-^ to ras!*nver a.h. ?i*.
Mt laL2ll«, Mk loi-M, Lk »5'-IU» (fur the most jiart not in cbrnnnloirical onleri, .In T'-II*'. K. Tns .Vkssiaxic Crisis: the Tkiciipiul Extrt. the Last TEACaixti, Passiox, Ijeatii, liESCRRECTio.v, AscE.y- sw.v. Scene. — Mainly in .Teriisalom.
IHjue. — Six days before Passover to ten days before Pente- cost A.n. 'iS). Mt ili-JV-i". Mk ll'-K.' [ir.»-»], Lk l!IM-24»', Jn 12>-21». The cliroiiolo}^ adopted in this article, not a.s certain, but a.s on the wliole the best of current s.v.stem.s, i.s in .substantial a'.;reeiiient with that of tiie art. Chkoxologv ok tiik Xkw Testament. It differs from tli.at in tlie writer's first work. The, Authorship ami Ilistiirirnl Character of the Fnurth (iiispel (London, 1!^72), by placing the Crucifixion in the year a.d. 29 rattier tliau a.d. 30.
A. P/!K/./.i[/.v.iriy Peiuod: fkom the Bap- TIS.V rO THE OALI. (IF THE Leadixg Apohtles. Scene. — Mainly .hidiea, but in part also (ialilee. Time. — Winter a.d. 26 to a few weeks after Passover a.d. 27.
Mt SMI', Mk li-i's, Lk .3'-4i«, Jn IM". The I'ublic Ministry of our Lord begins with His Baptism, (i.) This will therefore he the lirst point to attract our attention, and some explanation will be needed as to the Baptist and his mission. (ii.) Along with the Baptism we must needs take the Temptation, as a glimpse vouchsafed by Jesus Himself, and early and widely published, of the principles which were to determine the nature of His Mini.stry. (iii.) After this will come the first preliminary gathering of a few loosely attached followers, and the first miracle at Cana in Calilce. (iv.) Then the visit to Jerusalem for the I'assover of the year 27, with a short stay in the South, (v.) Then we have a return to Galilee, followed by a brief period of partial retirement, leading up to the Call of the four chief apostles.
Allusions, more or less explicit, to the
Baptism and to tlie ministry of John, are
found in all four Gospels ; the other events of
this period are recorded only in the fourth —
unless we are to identify the Healing of the
Nobleman's Son (Jn 4*'^) with that of the
Centurion's Servant (Mt S'*-", Lk 7'-'").
i. The Baptist and the Baptism. — Our survey of
contemporary .Judaism has shown us that ' the
kingdom of God ' wa.s a phrase in almost every
man's mouth. It meant, in point of fact, to the
majority ' a kingdom fcjr Israel ' far more than a
; kingdom of God.' -But though in a more or less
indefinite sense it w.is understood to be near, no
time h.ad as yet been actually announced for it.
Men were on the w.atch, but rather for the signs
of the coming than for the actual coming itself. "
We are not surprised, therefore, to find that the news that a prophet had appeared who preached the approaching coming of the Me.ssiah caused a widespread excitement.* The aspect of this
• Stress can hardly be laid on the form of announcement in Mt S', which would make the Baptist anticipate exactly the announcement of Jesus. This would seem to bo due to the editor. The oldest version describes the Baptist as * preaching a baptism of repentance ior rt-inission of sins ' (Mk 1*).
coming, whicli he put in the forefront, was the aspect of judgment. The axe w.is laid to the root of the trees, and the fruitless tree would be burned (Mt3"', Lk 8»).