MAN.* — 1. Christ's relation to men. — (li The first aspect of Jesus in His relation to men, is the re- lation of a Master to His disciples, and of a Brother, who is also Leader and Teacher, to His brethren. This relationship is immistakable. ' Ye did not choose me. but 1 chose you' (Jn 15"^). The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord" (Mt 10--'). They were not to accept the title ' Rabbi ' ; the}- were brethren ; they had but one teacher, even Christ (Mt iS*"!"). The relationship was no external one. The discijiles were not simply the servants of Jesus ; they were His fiiends (Jn 15"- '^), and knew His thoughts and purposes. To them He was about to show the very height and greatness of His love by laying down His life. The best way for them to show that they were His friends was hy keeping His commanchiients (Jn 15^^). They were also under His Father's care ; they were the Father's flock, and no one should snatch them out of His hand (Lk 12-»- S"-, Jn 10^). They were called to a vocation in some respects similar to His own : they Avere to be ' fishers of men ' (!Mt 4^") ; they, too, would know persecution and trial and deatli ; but these, in tlieii' essence, were but temporal things, and could not really injure or destroy (Mt IQi'-'^-^s, Lk 10"). As con- trasted Nvitli others who were 'wise and prudent,' the disciples were but 'babes' ; but it was to them that God had made the revelation of Himself in Jesus Christ (Mt ll-'--'''). The disciples responded to this attachment. \Mien they found the teach- ing of Jesus difficult and obscui'e, and were almost tempted, like many others, to go no more with Him, He asks them plainly, ' ^Vill ye also go away ? ' and the answer rises within them with all the strength of passionate loyalty and conviction : 'Lord, to whom shall we go": Thou hast the words of eternal life' (Jn Q'^-'^-). It is significant also that one of the strongest utterances of devotion is recorded of Thomas. Other references to this disciple show him as a practical man, who lives on the earth and not in the clouds, and who Avith- holds his faitli and support until plain proof be shown (.Jn 20-'''- ^). But when Jesus expressed His determination to go up to Bethain" and wake His friend Lazarus out of his sleep, it was Thomas who first saw his Master's danger, and that death was near at hand, and who exclaimed with vehemence, ' Let us go up also Avith him, that we may die with him' (Jn 11'"). Peter is called blessed when, at Casarea Pliilippi, he answers Christ's question and confesses, 'Thou art the Christ of God" (Lk 9'-"); and John is the disciple whom Jesus loved (.Jn 19^"), the man who at the Last Supper sat next to His blaster and leaned tipon His breast (Jn 21'-^^), and the one to whom Marj- the mother of Jesus was entrusted by Jesus as He hung on the cross (Jn IQX. 27^ When His disciples are weary, Jesus bids them go with Him to a desert place and rest a while (Mk 6^1) ; and after their last meal together. He kneels down and washes their feet, thus teaching
' ktBpurro; and i» v are used by Jesus with the ordinary classic distinctions. Generally a:»tf^a>T« = a human being, male or female {e.g. Mt 4-1 516) ; i.tr,i>, a man as distinguished from a woman (Mt 7--'- 2"', Lk 14^). In keeping with this distinction, and by a Hebrew idiom (cf. the use of C'"N), He employs ktBpcrro; in the sense of the Gr. tj=-, Lat. quidam, to denote ' someone,' ' a certain one ' (Mt 212S 22" etc.). As the converse of this, it may be noted that not infrequently (esp. in Jn.) where Ti; occurs in the teaching of Jesus, EV renders it 'a man.'
them the duty of service ( Jn 13^"^). Tlie discourses recorded in Jn 14-16 are doubtless in some measure ideal ; but they are true to the main lines of Chris- tian tradition. The relationship between Jesus and His disciples was very intimate and sacred, and tlie disciples were tilled with sorrow at the pros- pect of that relationship being snapped.
(2) But Jesus Avas also a Jciv and a citizen. His mission was, first and foremost, to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Mt 15-^) ; and it was only when they repeatedly rejected Him and His doctrine that He turned and went elsewhere. Jesus found tliat His own people were spiritually dead. Tliey had now no prophets, and scarcely any teacher who might quicken their interest in things beyond tlie present hour and day. They iiad made the Temple (which was to Jesus His Father's house) a den of robbers (Mt 21'^), and they had forgotten that mercy was better than sacrifice (Mt 9'^) ; and Jesus, in the strength of His moral indignation, upset the tables of the money-changers, and drove those who sat there out of the Temple. His people honoured the prophets, but in their lifetime they stoned them ; and now the greatest of the prophets had come, and theyknew itnot(Mt23-«-»'-', Lkll-^-*-). He had come to His own, and they that were His own received Him not (Jn 1"). There was woe to come upon C'horazin and Bethsaida. Had Tyre and Sidon seen the things which they had seen, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes (Mt 11-'). Jesus looked upon Jerusalem and its people with a citizen's and a patriot's love, and was moved even to tears (Mt23", Lk 19'*'). Let them weep for their city, themselves and their fate, and not for Him ! (Lk 23-«-=*'). How often would He have gathered her children together as a hen gathereth her brood under her wings !