5. T.ast half Year. — On the opening of the festival at Jerusalem (Sunday, Sept. 21, A.D. 28), the hierarchy eagerly inquired for Jesus among the ])opulace, who held iliscordant opinions concerning him ; but, on his arrival, he boldly taught in the Temple, vindicating his course and claims so eloquently that the very officers sent by his enemies to arrest him returned abashed, while the peojjle continued divided in their sentiments, being inclined to accept his cordial invitations (Matt, xi, 2X-30),but deterred by the specious objections of the hierarchy (John vii, 11-53). Next morning, returning from the Mt. of Olives (prob. the residence of Lazarus at Bethany), in the midst of his teaching in the Tem- ple he dismissed, with merely an admonition, a female brought to him as an adulteress (q. v.), with a view to embarrass him in the disposal of the case, none of his conscience-stricken accusers daring to be the first in ex- ecuting the penalty of the law when allowed to do so by Jesus (John viii, 1-11). He then continued his ex- postulations with his captious hearers respecting his own character, until at length, on his avowing his divine pre-existence, they attempted to stone him as guilty of blasphemy, but he withdrew from their midst (John viii, 12-59). The seventy messengers returning shortly afterwards (prob. Oct. A.D. 28) with a report of great success, Jesus expressed his exultation in thanks to God for the humble instrumentality divinely chosen for the propagation of the Gospel (Luke x, 17-21, and [larallel). Being asked by a Jewish sectary the most certain meth- od of securing heaven, he referred him to the duty, ex- pressed in the law (Dent, vi, 5 ; Lev. xix, 8), of supreme love to God and cordial philanthropy, and, in answer to the other's question respecting the extent of the latter obligation, he illustrated it by the parable of the benev- olent Samaritan (Luke x, 25-37). Keturning at even- ing to the home of Lazarus, he gently reproved the im- patient zeal of the kind IMartha in preparing for him a meal, and defended ]\Iar^' for being absorbed in his in- structions (Luke X, 38-42). After a season of private praver (prob. in Gethsemane, on his way to Jerusalem, next morning), he dictated a model of prayer to his dis- ciples at their request, stating the indispensableness of a placable spirit towards others in order to our own for^ giveness by God, and adding the parable of the guest at midnight to enforce the necessity of urgency in prayer, with assurances that God is more willing to grant his children's petitions for spiritual blessings than earthly parents are to to supply their children's temporal wants (Luke xi, 1-13. and parallels). As he entered the citj', Jesus noticed a man whom he ascertained to liave been blind from his birth, and to the disciples' inquirj- for whose sin the blindness was a punishment, he answered that it was providentially designed for the divine glorj-, namely, in his cure, as a means to which he moistened a little clay with spittle, touched the man's eyes with it, and directed him to wash them in the Pool of Siloam (Saturday, Nov. 28, A.D. 28) ; but the hierarchy, learn- ing the cure from the neighbors, brought the man before them, because the transaction had taken place on the Sabbath, and disputed the fact until testified to by his parents, and then alleging that the author of the act, whose name was yet unknown even to the man himself, must have been a sinner, because a violator of the sa- cred day, they were met with so spirited a defence of Jesus by the man himself, that, becoming enraged, they immediately excommimicated him. Jesus, hov.'ever, meeting him shortly after, disclosed to his ready faith his own Messianic character, and then discoursed to his captious enemies conceniing the immunities of true be- lievers in him under the simile of a fold of sheep (John ix ; X, 1-21). The same figure he again took up at the ensuing Festival of Dedication, upon the inquiry- of the I Jewish sectaries directly init to him in Solomon's por- I tico of the Temjile, as to his Messiahship, and spoke so i ])ointedly of his unity with God that his auditors woidd j liave stoned him for blasphemy had he not hastily with- I drawn from the place (cir. Dec. 1, A.D. 28), andretired
JESUS CHRIST
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JESUS CHRIST