JIL Tae susviricé rion BY CHRIST OF HIS AUTHORITATIVE INTERFERENCE. Our Lord not only acted; he taught and explained the meaning of his action. We cannot suppose that he was animated by any superstitious feelings in so acting, and the record shows us what were his motives. 1. He regarded the temple as the house of his Father, God. 2. It was in his view the house of prayer, and was to be reserved for communion between human spirits and him who is the Father of spirits. 3. And it was intended for the service of all nations, which gave it a peculiar dignity and sacred- ness in his eyes. These considerations show why a Teacher, whose whole teaching was peculiarly spiritual, should display a zeal for the sanctity of a local and material representation of a Divine presence.
IV. THe REsvuLTs oF CHRIST'S AUTHORITATIVE INTERFERENCS. 1. Its immediate effect. was to provoke the dread, the malice, and the plots of the scribes and priests. The incident occurred but a few days before our Lord’s crucifixion, and it appears to have led to that awful event. In their own interests, the religious leaders of the Jews felt themselves constrained to crush the power of One whose conduct and teaching were so inconsistent with theirown. Thus one of the highest exercises of our Lord’s righteous authority was the occasion of his most cruel humiliation and shameful death. 2. Its more remote effect has been to enhance the conception entertained of Christ’s character and official dignity and power. Humanity is God’s true temple, too long defiled by the occupation of the spiritual foe, and desecrated to the service of sin, Christ is the Divine Purifier, who dispossesses the enemy, and restores the sanctuary to its destined ends, the indwelling, the worship, and the glory of the Eternal!
Vers. 27—33.—Authority vindicated. The conflict between the Divine Prophet and the leaders of the Jewish people was now at its height. Jesus knew that hia hour ‘was at hand, and no longer either concealed himself, or restrained his tongue from words of merited indignation, rebuke, and almost defiance, Thus the enmity of his foes was provoked, and his condemnation was assured,
I. Curis’’s AUTHORITY WAS PUBLICLY ASSERTED AND EXERCISED, In three respects this was now made most plain. 1. The teaching of Jesus at this time was charactere ized by the assumption of a superiority of knowledge and insight which must have been galling to the pride of his questioners, and which they may have deemed altogether arrogant. 2. His public entry into Jerusalem in a kind of kingly state must have aroused their hostility; for, without courting their favour or support, he took to himself the homage due to the King of Israel. 3. His cleansing of the temple was an authoritative act, which was felt all the more acutely by his enemies as ag attack upon themselves, because their own practices were rebuked and their ows
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credit was threatened, not to say that the base gains of some of them were imperilled. In these respects Christ claimed and exercised a special and vast authority.
IL Cueist’s AUTHORITY WAS PUBLICLY QUESTIONED AND IMPUGNED. It is evident that it was a formal deputation which surrounded him in the temple, and sought to overawe and silence him by the question which they put: “By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave it thee?” There was on their part the assumption of their own judicial right to inquire, to silence, to condemn. They had acted in a very similar manner with respect to John the Baptist. To us this deputation, and its inquisitorial proceedings, are interesting, because they conclusively establish the fact that the Lord Jesus did claim to act as none other acted, and thus aroused the hostility of his unsympathizing and unspiritual foes.
Ul. Cxeist’s AUTHORITY WAS PUBLICLY VINDIOATED BY HIMSELF. Ths way in which he did this is remarkable. 1. Why did not Jesus directly account for his actions to the priests, scribes, and elders? Because he had done no wrong ; in the acts he had publicly performed there was nothing for which they dared expressly to impugn him. Becatsse they themselves had corruptly suffered and justified one of the evils which he had redressed. To this their conscience testified. Because, being unable to defend their own position, they could not be allowed to attack his. Because, above all, being what he was, he was not accountable, either to them or to others, for his actions. 2. Why did Jesus vindicate himself by retorting upon bis assailants? by reducing them to helpless silence? Because he thus made evident the agreement between John’s ministry and his own. Jt was well known that John had confessed Jesus to be the One who should come, the Messiah. Jesus appealed to John’s witness, at the same time claiming to have greater witness than that of John. Because he thus exhibited the utter incompetency of his enemies to judge his claims. They were net prepared publicly either to avow or to disavow sympathy with, confidence in, the ministry of the great forerunner. How, then, could any stress be laid upon their apn eer with respect to him to whom John had witnessed? 3. What was the effect of this method of dealing with his assailants? It is evident that the leaders of the Jews were discredited and put to shame. It is equally evident that the minds of the people were influenced in Christ’s favour. But, above all, the tras, proper, underived, and income- parable authority of Christ shines forth in unrivalled brightness and beauty. The surf beats upon the rock, but it falls off, powerless and defeated ; whilst the rock stands out in its rugged and impressive grandeur, its stability appearing all the more msni- festly immovable because of the feebleness and vanity of the repeated and furious assaults of the tempestuous sea, x
HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS.
Vers. 1—11L.—The triumphal entry into Jerusalem. “To Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany,” the order of mention being determined by reckoning from the place whither the movement was being made. They began, therefore, with Bethany. It ta familiar ground, fragrant with tender associations with beth the human and the
vine.
L Paerarations. The triumph was foreseen by Christ, and he made arrangem for its being celebrated with becoming order ae i . 1. The unforessen sad unempected was foreseen and hs fe Sor by Christ. Divine advents are delayed, or Divine celebrations fail of their loftiest end, it is not because of failure or unreadiness in him. He was willing to have made this triumph a real, permanent, and universal one, He is ever in advance of the event, whether it bea triumph or a crueifixion. Above all, he was ready in himself. 2. J¢ was to his own disciples he looked for the