The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 1 — Section 475

"the friend of ,the Bridegroom." 2. Aa to the ma,tter. (1) H had respect to the Cominrr One. This-was on~ o! the_ titles of Messiah (see Ps. cxviii. 26; _eh. xx:i. 9; xxiii. 39). (2)- It concerned bis identity. Jesus met. the general expectat10n as to his lineage. He was " of the house and lineage of David" ( cf. Ps. en xii.- 11 ; J er. xxiii. 5; L1ika ii; 4; John vii. 42). As to the place of his manifestation, His birth was at Bethlehem (see Micah v. 2), His ministry chiefly in Galilee (see Isa. ix. 1, 2). As to the time. In was approaching the completion of Daniel's seventy weeks, viz. of yea.re (Dan. ix. 24, etc.). Moreover, Jesus did the works of the Christ, as we have seen. (3) Yet the inquiry is raised, "Do we look for another?" Many prophecies describe the comin"' of Messiah in• glory; but Jesus came in humiliation. For this reason, overlooking the faet that many likewise describe his corning in humiliation, Jesus was rejected by the Jews, and they still indeed "look for another." (4) The imprisoned John, who was yet to be beheaded, was the fitting forerunner of the Chri..!lt in his advent in suffering and death (see eh. xvii. 12). Elijah, in full form, who cannot be imprisoned, 'Will herald the second advent of Jesos in power. 3. As to the reason. (1) Was it that John doubted? His prophetic impulses, taken together with his repeated testi- monies, forbid this supposition (cf. John i. 6-8, 33-36; iii, 26; v. 32, 33). The confidence of John was not shaken by his sufferings. He was not" a reed shaken by the wind" (ver. 7). John knew that the works, of which he had beard in the prison, were" the works of the Christ," (2) It was rather that the disciples of John questioned. Like the ma.jority of their countrymen, they might have stumbled at the meanness of the birth of Jesus and the humility of his station (see ver, 6). They might also have questioned as to why, if Jesus were the Christ, he did not deliver their master from prison. Doubters may ever find occasions. (3) But why did John send his doobting disciples to Jesus? He judged that to be the true way to fix their wavering minds. All doubters should take the hint, Instead of conversing with Voltaire, let them converse with JeBUB. Let them honestly study his Word. By earnest prayer let them seek the light of his Spirit upon it. II. THE ANSWEB o:r JESUS, 1. It waa indirect, yet decisive, (1) It differed in form from his express answers upon other occasions. To the woman of Sama,_'\ he said, " I that speak unto thee am he." To the man who had been born blind he said, "Thou hast both seen him, and heit is that speaketh with thee." To the high priest, when adjured, he said, "I am [the Christ, the Son 9f the Blessed]: and ye shall see the Son -of man sitting at the right band of power, and coming with the clouds of heaven " (eh. xxvi. 63, 64; Mark xiv. 61, 62; John iv. 26; ix. 37). '(2) The form of the answer on the present occasion was' suited to the temper of the questioners. It was an appeal to evidence. Jesus encourages the use of reason in religion. He recognizes the province of private judgment, 2. It was an appeal to testimony. (1) " Go and tell John the things which ye do Lear." They were now in the region in which "most of his mighty works were done" (ver, 20). They had the best opportunity for examining witnesses. (2) They could take evidence respecting the raising of the daughter of J o.irus; and they had the report of the raising of the son of the widow of N ain ( see eh. ix, 25, 26; Luke vii, 17, 18, etc.), The rabbins held that "in the land where the dead should arise, the kingdom of the Mes~iah should commence." 3. It was also an appeal to sense, (1) "Go and tell John the things which ye do see" (cf. Isa. xxxv. 5, 6; xiii. 7). For Jesus doubtless wroogbt miracles before them. (2) Certainly they bean! the gospel preached to the poor. This was a new thing. The scribes, like the heathen philosophers, courted the rich, and treated the poor and ignorant with contempt (John vii. 49),, To preach the gospel to the lowly was a Messianic mark (cf. Isa. lxi. 1 with Luke iv. 18; also Zepb. iii. 12; Zeeb. xi. 11). The Son of David was to be the poor man's King (see Pa. lxxii. 2, 4, 12, 13), ~- The Messianic miracles were parabolic worka, (1) The blind receiving eight was not only a proof that Jesus was the Christ, but also a specimen of the power which Messiah claimed to enlighten the prejudiced and error-blinded mind. In both senses, the opening of the eyes of the blind i~ God'ij prerogative (see Ps. clxii. 8). (2) He that made the lame to walk can give steadiness and consistency to the limping and irregular life. (3) The cleansing of the leper set forlh the power of Christ to purify the soul from the corruption of sin. (4) Making the deaf to hear, he evinced his power to reduce to obedience the most obstinnte. (5) In raisillg the dead, he proved himself the source of spiritual life also to the "do&d in 172 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. [ea. XL 1-30.