A striking feature in the .lohannean version of His visit to Judiea is the way in which the work of .lesus in connexion with it takes up the work of the ISaptist and lills in conspicuous gaps in the narrative of the Syno])tics. The cleansing of the temple is an act of reformation which follows up the call to repentance. In Jn alone of the au- thorities have we a distinct statement that Jesus a<lopte(l the practice of baptism (.3-- 4'). though no other account of the origin of the Christian S.acra- ment is so natural. We find also that the neces- sity for baptism and the 'new birth' which went with it is made the subject of a discourse with the isanhedrist Nicodenuis. The writer of the Go.spel had been himself a di.sciple of .John the Baptist, and still kept up liis connexion with him, and knew what went on in his circle (Jn S-'"'). At the same lime he seems to expand the discourses which he records with matter of liiu own i.'jir.ir, ^iKT.v
v. Itvtirement to Galilee. — Soon after this .lohn the Baptist wius arrested by Herod Aniipas. and .lesus relired into (iaiilee. On the way lie piLssed through Samaria, and paused at Jacob's well near the village of Sycliar (now generally identitied
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with 'Askiir), where His teaching made a marked impression (Jn 4-»-<-). The Samaritans had a Messianic expectation of their own (Jn 4^); and if the nan-ator has not defined what took place in the light of subseijuent events, Jesus claimed to fultil this expectation. This was contrary to His policy for some time to come in dealing with Israel (.Mk I"), but He may possibly have used greater freedom among non-I.sraelites.
The events of Jn 2'3-4" may have occupied three or four weeks, but hardly more. At the time when our Lord arrives in Galilee the impres- sion of His public acts .at the Piussover was .still fresh (Jn 4'^). This would lead us to explain the latter half of Jn 4'^ as a description of the state of things actually existing; the corntields were at the time 'white for the harvest.' and 'Say not ye,' etc., will be a proverb. But that being so. a difficulty would be caused if the incident of the plucking of the ears of corn (Mk 2-^i'') were in i's place chronologically, <as the crops woulil still be in much the .same condition .as during the journey through Samaria, though the wheat harvest was going on between Passover and Pentecost, and all the events implied in Mk l'''-2-'- would have inter- vened. The time is really too short for the.se. It is more probable that they were spread over some months. We must conceive of our Lord as return- ing to Galilee with the few disciples with Him still in the st.ate of loo.se attachment characteristic of this period, and Himself remaining for a while in comparative privacy. The disciples had re- turned to their occupations when He takes the new and decisive step involved in the call described for us in the Synoptics.
The Synoptic ClirmwIogt/.—Jf Mlc 2»' is to be tnki-n as strictly consecutive with tlic events that preccle. it w.iuld follow tliat tbe call of the IcatliniL: apostles took place at least a week or two before the cutlinjr of tbe ripened wbeal. i.e., as we inlj:bt infer, before ratber iban some time after the Pass- over season. In that case tbe Jobannean and Synoptic narra- tives would not bo easy to combine. But the sequence of incidents In Mk vKatinj^ with sinners, y»»-" ; Fasttnp. -J'^^; Two incUlents relating to the Sabbath, 2"-.S'') siijrpests that we have here ratber a typical proup of points In the controversy with Ibe I'barisees thiin a chronicle of events as they ha[i[.ene(l in onier of time, in tliat case tlio call of the apostles iniu'ht fall In the autumn, and tbe pluckin;; of the ears of corn iniiriit beiiinff to tbe end rather than Ibe beg-innlog of the {Kriod uj.on wbidi we are about to enter.
Thi- Ileiiliiii/o/tlte XohUniitn'n Son. — Xs the narratives have come down to us, there are no doubt real differences between the story of the henlinp of tbe Nobleman's Son (.In 4**-^) and that of tbe (.'enturion's Servant (Mt Si^" i\. We must, however, reckon with tbe possibllitv— it cannot in any ease be more— that Ibev are two versions ol'the same event, at-fsing out of the amblcuity of ira.? an.i joOAoc. Years ago (Fourth HoHprl, p. liMif. ) the writer had taken this view, which has since neen adopt.-d by Weiss {Li^htH.ltHH, 1.428 If.). A similar question may Iteraisetl in connexion willi the common features of tiie narratives Lk .V-J*, .In'Jl'-". There, too, tliere may have been some confusion ( Fourth Gottpel. p. 2«7 ; cf. I.oofs,'/>(> AuffrMlfhuntjft'erii'hte, p. 3"J). Such instances mark the Itmils of a la.xer or stricter interpretation of tbe historicity of the documents. lH.'tween which wo are not In a position to' decide with absolute certainly.