ported by the public opinion of Jerusalem, and might have crushed this zealot on tho spot. Yet our Lord prooeeds with the utmost deliberation to the work of purifying the temple with the "whip of cords" in his hand, not wielded as an instrument of offence but as a symbol of authority. He has, no doubt, the consciousness of a supernaturai force that could be put forth in case of need. 2. It was an act of holy zeal. "Make not my Father's _house a house of merchandise." (1) Eighteen years before he sa.id to hi11 parents, "W~8t ye not that I must be about my Father's business?" (Luke ii. 49). He now _shows his first concern was for the honour of his Father's house. (2) Our Lord was md1gnant because the Jews had made the temple their own house, and desecrated it by making it the instrument of their sordid interests. (3) He asserts his Divinity in the act of defending the honour of his Father's house. " He is sustained by the con- ~cio~ness of his dignity a~ Son, and his duty 1\8 the Messiah." 3. He was supported m his act by the very conscience of the Jews themselves, who knew that he was right and they were wrong. IV. THE EFFECT OF THIS ACT. It had a double effect. 1. Consider its effect upon the disciples. (1) It suggested an Old Testament prophecy: "The zeal of thine house bath eaten me up" (Ps. lxix.). This implies the familiar acquaintance of the disciples "ith the Scriptures. (2) It ministered to their faith. The act of Jesus was in their eyes a sign of Divine holiness. 'l'bey only understood the true meaning of his words after he had risen from the dead; but "they believed the Scripture, and the word which Jesus had said." It was the office of the Holy Spirit to bring such words to their recollection. 2. <Jomider its effect upon the Jews. .As soon as they had recovered from the surprise of this sudden act, they began to question its authority. " What sign showest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?" (1) 'l'he question implies that they conceded the lawfulness of his act. But they thought it just to demand his warrant for an act of such independent authority. (2) Our Lord's answer to their question. "Destroy this t.emple, and in three days I will raise it up." (a) The words were naturally ta.ken by the Jews to refer to the temple he had just cleansed. The false witnesses of Christ on his final trial, and Stephen's accusers, remembered the saying in its literal application (Matt. xxvi. 61; .Acts vi. 14). (b) But the apostle refers them to "the temple of his own body," which would in three days be raised up again. The apostolic comment is decisive as to their true meaning. But what connec- tion could there be between the temple and his body? (11) The destruction of the temple was to come about by the slaying of the Messiah: "'l'he Messiah shall be cut off . . . and the people of a prince who shall come shall destroy the city and the sanc- tuary " (Dan. iL 26). The death of the Messiah ends the temple ; the veil of the temple is rent; there is no more to be a holy place, a priesthood, a sacrifice. The destruction of the temple was destined to be in Christ's person : " On his body the fatal blow struck by the hand of the Jews would fall, which would lay the sanctuary in ruins." (f.) The restoration of the temple is to come likewise through his body raised from the dead. " The Messiah perishes : the temple falls. The Messiah lives again : the true temple rises on the ruins of the symbolical." (3) 'l'he Jews' rejoinder to our Lord's statement. "Forty a.nd six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?" There is a spirit of raillery in the question. But our Lord gave no answer to their sneering question. It was his habit to deal with men according to what he saw was the state of their hearts. Vers. 23-25.-0ur Lor<I's work in Jerusalem. .After the temple incident, there seemed to be a disposition upon the part of the people to accept him. L MARK THE PUBLICITY OUR LoRD GIVES TO BIB MISSION. " When he was in Jerusalem at the Passover, in the feast." He selected a time when he could put him- self in contact with the whole nation gathered to one of their annual feasts. He must show himself to "Israel," and not only to the people of its capital. He must come "unto his own," whether they will accept him or reject him. II. MARK THE WIDESPREAD MOVEMENT IN BIB FAVOUR. "Many believed in hie Name, when they saw the miracles which he did." 1. The natwre of their belief. (1) They did not believe with the heart, but with the understanding. 'l'here is a great difference betwi,en mere intellectual belief, in which, as in the case of the devils, the will is 11,ot illlplicated, aud the saving faith which inoll.ldes alike tjie acts of intellect, OU, II, 1-26,) 'l'HE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. JOHN. 97
will, and heart, (2) 'fhey did not trust in hie Person, but believed in his rniraclr~. They" believed in hie Name" 1\8 the Messiah. They recognized his title to Messiah- ehip. 2. '1.'IUJ ground of their belief. "When they saw the miracles which he did." (1) 'l'horo is no detailed aceount of these mirncles in this Gospel. It is evi,lent that our Lord performed e. vastly greater number of miracles than are described in the Gospels (eh. XX. 30), (2) The belief of these Jews arose out of astonishment at the prodiaies of Divine power witnessed by them. (a) Yet it did not spring out of any prev~uH preparations of the heart, and did not lead to any definite or permanent result of a spiritual nature. (b) Their belief, after all, nominal as it was, was better than the utter unbelief of the Pharisees and scribes after they bad witnessed the signs and wonders of the Lord. III. MARK C1m1sT'B ATTITUDE TOWARDS THESE MEREJ.Y NOMINAL DISCIPLES. "But Jesus did not commit himself unto them." 1. He W'1.S not elated by {heir ready =pt- ance of him. 2. He" had no faith in their faith," and, accordin;?:ly, he either with- held from them the fuller instruction intended for disciples, or withdrew from them into the more congenial society of those who were" discipleg indeed." 3. Mark {he reason of this conduct. "Because he knew all men." (1) Ministers of the gospel are often deceived in their estimates or men; but Christ cannot be deceived. (2) He does not need hnman testimony to guide him into true estimates of character. \Ve are all more or less dependent, in this matter, upon such external help. (3) His omniscient discernment of man's inner life made it impossible he should be deceived in his knowledge of men. (4) It is a solemn thought that our Lord" pon<lereth the hearts of men;" that is, he weighs them, (a) not in the scales of worldly estimation, (b) but in the scale of heavenly realities. This thought ought to humble us in the deepest self- abasement in his sight.