The Pulpit Commentary — Luke — Volume 2 — Section 159

EXPOSITION. he was walking in the temple. The jealous OHAPTER XX. anger of the rulers of the Jews bad been Vere. 1-8.-Question of the priests and lately specially excited by the triumphant scribes as to the nature of the authority under entry on Palm Sunday, and by the stir and which Jesus was acting. commotion which the presence of Jesus had Vera. I, 2-And it came to pass, that on occasioned in the holy city. And in the one of those de.ye, as he taught the people last two or three days Jesus bad evidently in the temple, and preached the gospel. We claimed especial power in the temple. He o.re now in the midst of the so-called Passion bad publiclydriven out the money-changers week. Probably the events related in this and vendors of sacrificial victims who plied chapter took place on the Tuesday. The their calling in the sacred courts. He had, first day of the week, Palm Sunday, was in addition, forbade the carrying vessels the day of the public entry into the city. across ,the temple (Mark xi. 16), and bail The purification of the temple took place on allowed the children in tbo temple, probably the Monday, on which day also the barren those attached to its choir, to shout "Ho- fig tree was cursed. We a.re now consider- sanna I" to him as the Messiah. From the ing the events of the Tuesday. The Greek point of view of the Sanhedrin, such a ques- word EOO."Yi'EA1(oµhou is especially a Pe.ulili.e tion might well have been looked for. His word; we find it rarely used save in his interlocutors made quite sure that Jesus, in writings, and of course in those of St. Luke. reply, would claim having received e. Divine St. Paul uses it twenty times, a.pd St. Luke commission. Had he made openly such ~ twenty-five. The chief priests and the scribes formal clRim in reply to their question, thea. came upon him with the elders, and spake he would have been cited before the supreme unto him, saying, Tell us, by what authority court to give an account of himself and his doest thou these things 1 Th is appears to commission. '!'hen, as they thought, would have been a formal deputation from the have been their opportunity to convict him supreme council of the Sanhedrin. The out of his own mouth of blasphemy. three classes here specified represented prob- Vars. 3-6.-And he answered and said ably the three great sections of the Snn- unto them, I will also ask you one thing , bedrin-( l) priests, (2) scribes nnd mbbis, and answer me: The baptism of John, was it (3) Levites. 'l'heso oame upon him evidently from heaven, or of men l And they reasoned with hostile intent, and surrounded him ns with themselves, saying, If we shall say,  166 THE GOSPEL .ACCORDING TO ST. LUKE. [orr. xx. 1-4i,