That which gives this particular Death a value which no other death could have had is (o) the fact that it is the Death of the Messiah, of Due whose function it is to be the Saviour of His peoi)le, and whose Death like His Eifi- must in some way enter into the purpose of the whole scheme of .salvation ; and (/S) the further fact that although the Death is a necessity in the sense that it was re(|uired for the full development of God's gracious purpose, it was nevertheless a pundy voluntiiry act on the part of the Son, an expression of that truly filial spirit in which He made the whole of the Father's purpose His own. •The good Sheplunl layelli down his life for the sheep. . . . Therefore doth the Father love me. because I lay down my life, that I may take it again. No one tnkelh it away from me, but I lay it down of myself. 1 have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment receiveil I fnmi my Father' (Jn 10" '■' ). It follows (7) that however much it may be risht to conceive of the Death of Christ a- a Sacrifice, and a sacrili<-e which has for its object the "remission of sins' (Ml 2(1*), we niu.sl iwi in connexion with it set the justice of God aiainst
632
JESUS CHRIST
JESUS CHKIST
His iiieivy, or lliiiik of llim as really turning away His luce Iruiii the bun of His luve.
I.iTBKATrRK. — The subject of these Inst two sections not only ronifR Jnto the Held of New TestanuMit Thoolocy In peneml ami treutises (like Weiult's and others named aliove) on the I'eachlnc of I hrlst, hut It neee.ssarily oeeu|iie» a prominent pliu'e in dlsrii<>!iiuns of the huctrineof "tlie Atonement. Anntn;: these may he mentioned esjieeially Kltfctil's liu'lit/rriiyuim II. I'ertn/iiiunff, vol. 11. of whlehffoes elaborately Into tliee.\ei:e>U of the leiidlni: |mS!tai;e» (ed. -'. I^vi), and a i-eeent treatise bv Kfililer. Ziir Lfhre mii iler V^ rtiVi n ii m; (I.i-Iii/Ik. 1^1'*). whieli pivfs {iromlnenee to tin- rel.illon of the ilo.-trlrie to the Life of ^'lirlst. A ienifthy morioL'raiih hy Sehwarl/koprt" deals direetly with tiur Lord'.s pVeilletions of IIU Passion (Oif H'l-inMiifjiiiii/t'ii Ji'Hii iViritti run Meiiirm Tmif, u. s. w., Gottin^en, l^V.'i); and '(.'hrlst's Attltnde to Ills Death' is the title of some slriklnir articles by l>r. A. .M. Knlrhniin In ExpoH. I'-'.ni, II., and l-iiT, 1.
15. TuE.UKSs/A.v/r C/irs/s: the TitirMniiAi. ExTiiY. THE Last Teaciiixg, Passjox, Dkatu,
Ji ESC Hit El no. v. A.si E-v.-i/oy.
Scene. — Mainly in .leriisaleni. Time. — Six days before I'assover to ten days before Pentecost AD. 29.
iMt 21I-2W-", Jlk ll'-168 [vv.n-a'an early addition], Lk l'.l-'»-2t''^ Jn r2'-212».
'I'liis series of momentous events has natu- rally fiirnishod much matter for discussion and controversy, some of it very recent, (i.) Our (irst duty will be to sketch rapidly tliecour.se of the events with special reference to the motives of the human actors in them, (ii.) We must consider the debated points in tlie chronology of tlie last week, (iii.) We shall have to discu.ss the eschatological teacliing which the Synoptists place in this period. (iv. ) A number of points, critical and doctrinal, will meet us in connexion with the Last Supper, (v.) We shall have in like manner to consider both the attesta- tion and the significance of the crowidng event of all, the Hesurrection. This will include some discussinn of the Appearances which followed. Lastly (vi.), as our subject is the Life of Christ and not the Gospels, we must, even though in so doing we cross the threshold of St. Luke's ' second treatise,' follow the steps of the Master to His Ascension, i. The Action ami the Acturs. — l)ur four Gospels, taken together, in part convey and in part suggest a view at once clear and probable of the course of events which led to the Crucifixion, and of the motives which impelled the several actors in them. We have seen that the Fourth Go.spel is needed to explain the heiglitened enmity which had so tragic an issue. A residence in Jerusalem and Bethany of four days would not be enough to account for the overtures to .Judas. The events of the Feast of Tabernacles, the Feast of Detlication, and the liaising of J/azarus, with the knowledge that Jesus had been teaching and making disciples at no great distance from Jeru- salem, supply what is wanted. And in the case of llie Last Week the touches which the- Fourth Gospel adds to its predecessors supplement them effectively.
(a) The Populace. — In the Triumphal Entry we seem to see a gleam once more of the enthusiasm ivhich !;ad followed the Feeding of the Five Thousand. It was probably quite as superficial. We may imagine the crowd made up in part of tliose who had been impre.s.sed bj' recent teaching beyond the Jordan or in Jerusaiem itself, or by the news of the still more striking miracle wrought upon Lazarus: besides these, there would doubtless be a contingent of pilgrims fnun more distant Galilee, the remnant of the erowds who had at one time or another followed Jesus there. Rut it would be too much to expect lliat all, or even many of these, h.-id ac(|uire(l an Intelligent insight into'ihc cliaractcr of Him whom