Ver, 21.-Tlie ri_ql,t people to ask, I. WFrY JESUS COULD REFER TO HIB HEAREBB, It is not every teacher that could refer confidently to hie hearers, not even to his most aUnchod nnd trustful ones. If he did, and if an accurate report could be uot of all their impressions, the result might not be very complimentary lo the teacher. Ho might find out that as yet he himself was only a. learner. He might find out that ha himself was only making guesses and dealing with the surface of things. But Jesu~ know whence ho co.me, and all he 8aid was said with the spontaneity, the n1tural coherence, belonging:to him who.spake as never man spake. We know the impression the teaching of Jesus makes upon us, and we know that tbe miscellaneous crowds who first listened to it m•lst havo been impressed in the same way. It is not meant that they understood everything, or always understood rightly. But there was this impression, at all events, that Jesus spoke with authority, and not as the scribes. Jesus knew that the common people of the country were not against him, and his enemies also knew that they could not afford to inquire too curiollllly into the opinions of the multitude, 'l'hat multitude might not be enthusiastic a.bout Jesus, but a decided condemnation of him the multitude never would give, if only a sufficient number of people had been asked. II. A Il~T FOR us IN oun JUDGMENTS ADOUT JESUS. We are too much accus- tomed to fly to books about Jesus which have intellectual merit rather than personal experience in them. Jesus referred confidently to the great bulk of his auditors, even the common people. And we should try to find out what the common people think about him. If J€sus cannot bless everybody, he cannot bless anybody. The scribes and Pharisees made difficulties where the common people made none. And so we should do well in our difficulUes to consider whether they are shared by others. There is great benefit in listening to the opinions of all sorts of people about J esns Christ. It is weli, on the one hand, to hear what can be said by the learned and academical mind; and it is also well, on the other, to listen to those who, behind all that has beeu peculiar in Christ's. teaching, all that has wanted learning whereby to understand it; have seen the universal truth that was meant to do them good. Christ's teaching can lay hold of hearts and consciences when the most elaborate system of mere ethics has no grasp. Christ is more than anything he has said, and those who make no pretence to intellectual superiority or anything special, can see him through his every word and deed. We had better not reject Christ before we have listened well to the kind of people who have accepted him.-Y.
Ver. 37.-" The King of tlie Jews." It is the peculiarity o! some people that a plain "Yes" and "No" can hardly ever be got out of them. After all, however, it is only an irritating peculiarity, not a dangerous one. The real danger is when people say "Yes" and "No" too easily, too thoughtlessly. Here is the question of Pilate to Jesus," .Axt thou the King of the Jews?" What at first sight could look simpler and easier to answer? Yet it was not simple and easy. Thus we have to consider- I. JESUS JN BIS TREATMENT OF PILATE's QUESTION. To Pilate the question was simple enough. He meant, of course, a king in the ordinary acceptation of the term. If Jesus had said "No" to this question, the answer would have been right enough, but it would only have led on to other questions, without any real re~ult to the interests of truth. Jesus evidently did not wish to talk much at this season. The time for teaching was past; the time for submission and suffering had now fully come. Still, whatever JesUB had to say must be significant, and mere "Yes" or "No" to ignorant human quel!tionings would have told nothing. Hence, without saying he was a king, JesUB talku a.bout his kingdom and its principles of defence, which, of course, were equally its principles of attack. II. Thus we see Jesus answering the question by showing THE ELEMENTS OF HIS POWER A.ND THE IIETHOD OF ms PROGRESS. 1. The elements of his power. He lcok!I a lonely Man before the representatives of the greatest power in tho then world. Whatever could be done by force of numbers and discipline, Rome could do. Bu, 418 THE GOSPEL AOOORDING TO ST. JOHN. [on. ux, 1-42.
q11rr11fily of Blower kind csn do 11ot,hing BgBinet (]UIUity of B higher kind, Jeeue le 1w1 ooncerned to mBintain the integrity or B fleshly body, though even that he could lisn' <lone ir needful. It WM the integrity or the inner life Jesus had to maintain ng·,iu~t temptation. Jeans had his 01Yn personal battle to fight and victory to win, h,,rore he could lORd men in their f!Teatest battle and most decisive victory. The risen S:iYiour is the Man Christ Jesus made folly manifest in his abiding sinleeRnees, If Pi late will only -it a little while, and open his mind to the truth, he will see by deeds that ,Jesus is a King. Not what a man says, but what he does, proves hie claim, 2. The m,ethod of hu progress. Jesus wants us to get above the ideas of mere conflict And victory &nd overcoming of opposition. What he desires is the free, joyous, and eutire submission of the individual, because of the truth which is made clear to him in ,1e~us. Jesus is the only one who can distinguish reality from appearance, truth from fRlrohood, and the abiding from the perishing. Jesus, as he sa.1·s, came into thtJ world. 'l'he world 111·a.s ever in his thoughts, for the world's good. He no more belonged to the land he happened t.o live in than the sun belongs to that particular part of the earth where he ha.ppens t.o be shining. The sun belongs to the whole world, and so does Jesu&. The sun belongs t.o every age, and so does Jesus. He came into the world to bear witness t.o the truth, and wherever there is a soul wrapped in delusion and falsehood, mistaking realities for dreams, and dreams for realities, Jesus is there to tdl the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.-Y.
EXPOSITION.