(2) Messianic teachings of Jesus. — The teachings of Jesus differed from those of the Pharisees on salvation, first, by showing it was not by law ; and, second, by presenting the Messiah as a sin-bearer. By repentance and faith in Him men would be
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saved. From the time of His baptism He looked toward the cross ; for He was to give men rest by becoming- a ransom for their sin (Mt IP* "20-*). He did not infer He must die from the fate of tlie prophets — a prophet need not be crucitied, — or borrow the idea from the scribes — they never had it, and they tliought that to kill Him would end His Messianic claims, — nor did His disciples invent it ; they fouglit against it, and nearly forsook Him when He taught it. Out of His 5lessianic con- sciousness Jesus went forth to die as the great Shepherd for His slieep (Mk S^i-** 9»f- lO^-). Messiah and sufferer were inseparable thoughts ; and as soon as He was confessed as jNlessiali and Son of God, He declared He must suffer, be rejected, be killed, and rise again (Mk S-»'-, Mt IG'"). His preaching of the Kingdom, also, was very different from th.at of the Pharisees. He proclaimed it as present, not in the future ; a certainty, a reality, not a hope ; both within men, and yet to be fully realized in the future. Much that the Jews expected He grouped under a new doctrine, that of the second advent of the Messiah. He appro- priated to Himself the lofty Messianic conception of the Pharisees ; He was ' Son of God ' (Enocli 105-'-, Jn 19") ; 'Son of Man' (Dn T^^'-, Mt 17'-); 'son of wonum' (Enoch 62); and Kvpios (Ps- Sol 17^). He adopted their view that He was pre-existent with God (cf. Baldensperger, p. 87) ; and on the ground of such consciousness forgave sins, wrought miracles, and answered prayers. It is little wonder that such words on the lips of Jesus amazed the Pharisees ; in fact, nearly all He said contradicted their teachings. He had no dread of God, His law, sin, or death ; and invited all men to share His rest and i:)eace. He set aside the Law, and turned Jewish eschatology into soteri- ology. He and the Kingdom were one ; to have Him was to share everlasting life. Jewish teachers, leading away from Him, He called thieves and robbers, and the Pharisaic conception of the Messi- anic Kingdom was earthly and devilish (Mt 4^*, Lk 4^*-). The new heavens bent already above Him ; the new earth was beneath His feet ; and here He gathered citizens of the Kingdom, men of the Beatitudes. In all this lies the greatest possible contrast to Pharisaic teachings ; and the gospel of Jesus can by no possibility be understood in the framework of later Judaism (cf. Bousset, Jesii Predigt, p. 65).
III.' Opposition of the Pharisees to Christ, AXD His criticism of them.—I. Pharisaic oppo- sition to Jesus. — The Pharisees quickly saw the dangerous tendency of Jesus' teachings, and took steps to crush His work. Messianic ideas were abroad, zealots were appearing, and a false Mes- siah could ^^•ork ruin. Jesus arose as a prophetic man in Galilee, independent of them. From boy- hood He had learned nothing from the scribes (Mk 1-"- 6-, Jn 7'^), and everybody felt the aiithority of His words. They questioned the Baptist (Jn J19. 26)^ \\\\o addeil to their anxiety by declaring the Messiah was at hand with a baptism of the Holy Ghost and of fire. As soon, therefore, as Jesus began to preach, a delegation of the Pharisees and scribes went to Galilee to oppose Him (Mk 2" 7^). They roused the Nazarenes to cast Him out (Lk 4"''*); they called forth a reaction against Him in Bethsaida and Capernaum (Mt 11-^) ; induced His own f.amily to think Him insane (]Mk 3-'- •*') and in danger ; and formed an alliance with the Pharisees of Galike to oppose Him. His first public appear- ances, cleansing the Temjtle and preaching in Naza- retli, called for decisive action. He attacked money- changers for disturbing the worshi]> of Gentiles in the outer court, and jjointed out tliat the propliets heljied a Gentile widow and healed Naaman the Syrian, while the people of Israel were passed by.
He talked with a Avonian of Samaria, and healed the child of a Roman. He helped all in need, — publicans, sinners, harlots, lepers, demoniacs, — and told the multituiles that a sincere heathen wa>i better tiian a formal Pharisee. No wonder the Cr'narisees opposed Him. They attacked especially (1) His violation of the Law, and (2) His relation to God.
(1) He was assailetl because He paid no attention to t\\e separation principle of the Pharisees, and came in contact witli the 'am-lutdrcz. Gentiles, and tiie diseased in a way that horrified them (Mt 9'-=, ISIk 3'"). It is very likely these 'lost sheep,' this ripe harvest field, these 'poor' tliat Jesus refers to as 'babes and sucklings' (Mt ir-''21"^), perhaps also as ' little ones ' (.Mt 10^- 1S«). The Pliarisees were ' the wise and prudent.' Jesus also violated the Sabbath law, this second bulwark of the Pharisees, and did so with such miraculous poAver as led the l)eople to hail Him as Son of David, and the Evan- gelist to recall the prophecy that He would save both Jews and Gentiles. He spoke disparaginglj- also of tithing rules (Lk IP-). A crisis had come, for the people felt Jesus could not be a sinner and do such mighty works. This led to the inquiry bj- what power He did these things.