 CHAPTER XXI of the Desire of Ages by Ellen G. White. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. BESEDA AND THE SANHEDRON Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool which is called in the Hebrew tongue BESEDA, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, a blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. At certain seasons the waters of this pool were agitated, and it was commonly believed that this was the result of supernatural power, and that whoever first, after the troubling of the pool, stepped into the waters, would be healed of whatever disease he had. Hundreds of sufferers visited the place. But so great was the crowd when the water was troubled that they rushed forward, trampling underfoot men, women, and children weaker than themselves. Many could not get near the pool. Many who had succeeded in reaching it died upon its brink. Shelters had been erected about the place that the sick might be protected from the heat by day in the chillness of the night. There were some who spent the night in these porches, creeping to the edge of the pool day after day, in the vain hope of relief. Jesus was again at Jerusalem. Walking alone, in apparent meditation and prayer, he came to the pool. He saw the wretched sufferers watching for that which they supposed to be their only chance of cure. He longed to exercise his healing power, and make every sufferer whole. But it was the Sabbath day. Multitudes were going to the temple for worship, and he knew that such an act of healing would so excite the prejudice of the Jews as to cut short his work. But the Saviour saw one case of supreme wretchedness. It was that of a man who had been a helpless cripple for thirty-eight years. His disease was in a great degree the result of his own sin, and was looked upon as a judgment from God. Alone and friendless, feeling that he was shut out from God's mercy, the sufferer had passed long years of misery. At the time when it was expected that the waters would be troubled, those who pitied his helplessness would bear him to the porches. But at the favored moment he had no one to help him in. He had seen the rippling of the sufferer, but had never been able to get farther than the edge of the pool. Others stronger than he would plunge in before him. He could not contend successfully with the selfish, scrambling crowd. His persistent efforts toward the one object, and his anxiety and continual disappointment, were fast wearing away the remnant of his strength. The sick man was lying on his mat, and occasionally lifting his head to gaze at the pool, on a tender, compassionate face bent over him, and the words, "'Would thou be made whole?' arrested his attention. Hope came to his heart. He felt that in some way he was to have help, but the glow of encouragement soon faded. He remembered how often he had tried to reach the pool, and now he had little prospect of living till it should again be troubled. He turned away, wearily, saying, "'Sir, I have no man when the water is troubled to put me into the pool, but while I am coming, another stepeth down before me.' Jesus does not ask this sufferer to exercise faith in him. He simply says, "'Rise, take up thy bed and walk.' But the man's faith takes hold upon that word. Every nerve and muscle thrills with new life, and helpful action comes to his crippled limbs. Without question he sets his will to obey the command of Christ, and all his muscles respond to his will. Springing to his feet he finds himself an active man. Jesus had given him no assurance of divine help. The man might have stopped to doubt, and lost his one chance of healing, but he believed Christ's word, and in acting upon it he received strength. Through the same faith we may receive spiritual healing. By sin we have been severed from the life of God. Our souls are palsied. Of ourself we are no more capable of living a holy life than was the impotent man capable of walking. There are many who realize their helplessness, and who long for that spiritual life which will bring them into harmony with God. They are vainly striving to obtain it. In despair they cry, "'O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from this body of death?' Romans 7, 24, margin. Let these desponding, struggling ones look up. The Saviour is bending over the purchase of his blood, saying with inexpressible tenderness and pity, Will thou be made whole? He bid you arise in health and peace. Do not wait to feel that you are made whole. Believe his word, and it will be fulfilled. Put your will on the side of Christ. Will to serve him, and in acting upon his word you will receive strength. Whatever may be the evil practice, the master-passion which through long indulgence binds both soul and body, Christ is able and longs to deliver. He will impart life to the soul that is dead in trespass, Ephesians 2.1. He will set free the captive that is held by weakness and misfortune and the chains of sin. The restored paralytics stoop to take up his bed, which was only a rug and a blanket, and as he straightened himself again with a sense of delight, he looked around for his deliverer. But Jesus was lost in the crowd. The man feared that he would not know him if he should see him again. As he hurried on his way with firm, free step, praising God and rejoicing in his newfound strength, he met several of the Pharisees, and immediately told them of his cure. He was surprised at the coldness with which they listened to his story. With lowering brows they interrupted him, asking why he was carrying his bed on the Sabbath-day. They sternly reminded him that it was not lawful to bear burdens on the Lord's day. In his joy the man had forgotten that it was the Sabbath, yet he felt no condemnation for obeying the command of one who had such power from God. He answered boldly, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed and walk. They asked who it was that had done this, but he could not tell. These rulers knew well that only one had shown himself able to perform this miracle. But they wished for direct proof that it was Jesus, that they might condemn him as a Sabbath-breaker. In their judgment he had not only broken the law in healing the sick man on the Sabbath, but had committed sacrilege in bidding him bear away his bed. The Jews had so perverted the law that they made it a yoke of bondage. Their meaningless requirements had become a byword among other nations, especially was the Sabbath hedged in by all manner of senseless restrictions. It was not to them a delight, the Holy of the Lord, and honorable. The scribes and Pharisees had made its observance an intolerable burden. A Jew was not allowed to kindle a fire, nor even light a candle on the Sabbath. As a consequence the people were depended upon the Gentiles for many services which their rules forbade them to do for themselves. They did not reflect that if these acts were sinful, those who employed others to perform them were as guilty as if they had done the work themselves. They thought that salvation was restricted to the Jews, and that the condition of all others, being already hopeless, could be made no worse. But God had given no commandments, which cannot be obeyed by all. His laws sanctioned no unreasonable or selfish restrictions. In the temple Jesus met the man who had been healed. He had come to bring a sin offering, and also a thank offering for the great mercy he had received. Finding him among the worshippers, Jesus made himself known, with the warning words, Behold, thou art made whole. Send no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee. The healed man was overjoyed at meeting his deliverer. Ignored of the enmity towards Jesus, he told the Pharisees who had questioned him, that this was he who had performed the cure. Therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the Sabbath day. Jesus was brought before the Sanhedrin to answer the charge of Sabbath-breaking. Had the Jews at this time been an independent nation, such a charge would have served their purpose for putting him to death. This, their subjugation to the Romans prevented. The Jews had not the power to inflict capital punishment, and the accusations brought against Christ would have no weight in a Roman court. There were other objects, however, which they hoped to secure. Notwithstanding their efforts to counteract his work, Christ was gaining, even in Jerusalem, an influence over the people greater than their own. Multitudes who were not interested in the harangues of the rabbis were attracted by his teachings. They could understand his words, and their hearts were warmed and comforted. He spoke of God, not as an avenging judge, but as a tender father, and he revealed the image of God as mirrored in himself. His words were like balm to the wounded spirit. Both by his words and by his works of mercy he was breaking the oppressive power of the old traditions and man-made commandments, and presenting the love of God in its exhaustless fullness. In one of the earliest prophecies of Christ it is written, The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come, and unto him shall the gathering of the people be. Genesis 49.10 The people were gathering to Christ. The sympathetic hearts of the multitude accepted lessons of love and benevolence in preference to the rigid ceremonies required by the priests. If the priests and rabbis had not interposed, his teaching would have wrought such a reformation as this world has never witnessed. But in order to maintain their own power, these leaders determined to break down the influence of Jesus. His arraignment before the Sanhedrin, and an open condemnation of his teachings, would aid in affecting this, for the people still had great reverence for their religious leaders. Whoever dared to condemn the rabbinical requirements, or attempt to lighten the burdens they had brought upon the people, was regarded as guilty, not only a blasphemy, but a treason. On this grounds, the rabbis hoped to excite suspicion of Christ. They represented him as trying to overthrow the established customs, thus causing division among the people, and preparing the way for complete subjugation by the Romans. But the plans which these rabbis were working so zealously to fulfill originated in another council than that of the Sanhedrin. After Satan had failed to overcome Christ in the wilderness, he combined his forces to oppose him in his ministry, and if possible, to thwart his work. What he could not accomplish by direct personal effort he determined to affect by strategy. No sooner had he withdrawn from the conflict in the wilderness than in council with his confederate angels, he matured his plans for still further blinding the minds of the Jewish people that they might not recognize their redeemer. He planned to work through his human agencies in the religious world by imbuing them with his own enmity against the champion of truth. He would lead them to reject Christ and to make his life as bitter as possible, hoping to discourage him in his mission, and the leaders in Israel became instruments of Satan in warring against the Saviour. Jesus had come to magnify the law and make it honorable. He was not to lessen its dignity, but to exalt it. The scripture says, He shall not fail nor be discouraged till he have set judgment in the earth. Isaiah 42, 21, 4. He had come to free the Sabbath from those burdensome requirements that had made it a curse instead of a blessing. For this reason he had chosen the Sabbath upon which to perform the act of healing at Beseda. He could have healed the sick man as well on any other day of the week, or he might simply have cured him without bidding him bear away his bed, but this would not have given him the opportunity he desired. A wise purpose underlay every act of Christ's life on earth. Everything he did was important in itself and in its teaching. Among the afflicted ones at the pool, he selected the worst case upon whom to exercise his healing power and bade the man carry his bed through the city in order to publish the great work that had been wrought upon him. This would raise the question of what it was lawful to do on the Sabbath, and would open the way for him to denounce the restrictions of the Jews in regard to the Lord's day, and to declare their traditions void. Jesus stated to them that the work of relieving the afflicted was in harmony with the Sabbath law. It was in harmony with the work of God's angels who are ever descending and ascending between heaven and earth to minister to suffering humanity. Jesus declared, My Father worketh hither too, and I work, all days are God's, in which to carry out his plans for the human race. If the Jews' interpretation of the law was correct, then Jehovah was at fault, whose work has quickened and upheld every living thing since first he laid the foundations of the earth. Then he who pronounced his work good and instituted the Sabbath to commemorate its completion must put a period to his labor, and stop the never-ending routine of the universe. Should God forbid the Son to perform its office upon the Sabbath cut off its genial rays from warming the earth and nourishing vegetation. Must the system of worlds stand still through that holy day? Should he command the brooks to stay from watering the fields and forests, and bid the waves of the sea still their ceaseless ebbing and flowing? Must the wheat and corn stop growing, and the ripening cluster defer its purple bloom? Must the trees and flowers put forth no bud nor blossom on the Sabbath? In such a case, men would miss the fruits of the earth and the blessings that make life desirable. Nature must continue her unvarying course. God could not for a moment stay his hand, or man would faint and die. And man also has a work to perform on this day. The necessities of life must be attended to. The sick must be cared for. The wants of the needy must be supplied. He will not be held guiltless who neglects to relieve suffering on the Sabbath. God's holy rest day was made for man, and acts of mercy are in perfect harmony with its intent. God does not desire his creatures to suffer an hour's pain that may be relieved upon the Sabbath, or any other day. The demands upon God are even greater upon the Sabbath than upon other days. His people then leave their usual employment and spend the time in meditation and worship. They ask more favors of him on the Sabbath than upon other days. They demand his special attention. They crave his choice's blessings. God does not wait for the Sabbath to pass before he grants his request. Heaven's work never ceases, and men should never rest from doing good. The Sabbath is not intended to be a period of useless inactivity. The law forbids secular labor on the rest day of the Lord. The toil that gains a livelihood must cease. No labor for worldly pleasure or profit is lawful upon that day. But as God ceased his labor of creating and rested upon the Sabbath and blessed it, so man is to leave the occupations of his daily life and devote those sacred hours to healthful rest, to worship, and to holy deeds. The work of Christ in healing the sick was in perfect accord with the law. It honored the Sabbath. Jesus claimed equal rights with God in doing a work equally sacred, and of the same character with that which engaged the Father in heaven. But the Pharisees were still more incensed. He had not only broken the law, according to their understanding, but in calling God his own Father, had declared himself equal with God. John 5, 18, RV The whole nation of the Jews called God their Father, therefore they would not have been so enraged if Christ had represented himself as standing in the same relation to God. But they accused him of blasphemy, showing that they understood him as making this claim in the highest sense. These adversaries of Christ had no arguments with which to meet the truths he brought home to their consciences. They could only cite their custom and traditions, and these seemed weak and vapid when compared with the arguments Jesus had drawn from the Word of God and the unceasing round of nature. Had the rabbis felt any desire to receive light, they would have been convinced that Jesus spoke the truth. But they had evaded the points he made concerning the Sabbath, and sought to stir up anger against him because he claimed to be equal with God. The fury of the rulers knew no bounds. Had they not feared the people, the priests and rabbis would have slain Jesus on the spot. But the popular sentiment in his favor was strong. Many recognized in Jesus the friend who had healed their diseases and comforted their sorrows, and they justified his healing of the sufferer at Visada. So for the time the leaders were obliged to restrain their hatred. Jesus repelled the charge of blasphemy. My authority, he said, for doing the work of which you accuse me, is that I am the Son of God, one with him in nature, in will, and in purpose. In all his works of creation and providence, I cooperate with God. The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what he seeeth the Father do. The priests and rabbis were taking the Son of God to task for the very work he had been sinning to the world to do. By their sins they had separated themselves from God, and in their pride were moving independently of Him. They felt sufficient in themselves for all things, and realized no need of a higher wisdom to direct their acts. But the Son of God was surrendered to the Father's will and depended upon His power. So utterly was Christ emptied of self that He made no plans for Himself. He accepted God's plans for Him. And day by day the Father unfolded His plans. So should we depend upon God, that our lives may be the simple outworking of His will. When Moses was about to build the sanctuary as a dwelling place for God, he was directed to make all things according to the pattern shown him in the mount. Moses was full of zeal to do God's work. The most talented, skillful men were at hand to carry out his suggestions. If he was not to make a bell, a pomegranate, a tassel, a fringe, a curtain, or any other vessel of the sanctuary, except according to the pattern shown him. God called him into the mount, and revealed to him the heavenly things. The Lord covered him with His own glory that He might see the pattern. And according to it all things were made. So to Israel whom He desired to make His dwelling place, He had revealed His glorious idea of character. The pattern was shown them in the mount when the law was given from Sinai, and when the Lord passed by before Moses and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin. Israel had chosen their own ways. They had not build it according to the pattern, but Christ, the true temple for God's indwelling, molded every detail of His earthly life in harmony with God's ideal. He said, I delight to do Thy will, O my God. Yea, Thy law is within my heart. psalms 48 So our characters are to be builded for an habitation of God through the Spirit, Ephesians 2, 22. And we are to make all things according to the pattern. Even him who suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps. Hebrews 8, 5, 1 Peter 2, 21. The words of Christ teach that we should regard ourselves as inseparably bound to our Father in heaven. Whatever our position, we are dependent upon God, who holds all destinies in his hands. He has appointed us our work, and has endowed us with faculties and means for that work. So long as we surrender the will to God, and trust in His strength and wisdom, we shall be guided in safe paths, to fulfill our appointed part in his great plan. But the one who depends upon his own wisdom and power is separating himself from God. Instead of working in unison with Christ, he is fulfilling the purpose of the enemy of God and man. The Savior continued, What thinks, however, he, the Father, doeth? These also doeth the Son likewise. As the Father raises up the dead and quickeneth them, even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. The Sadducees held that there would be no resurrection of the body. But Jesus tells them that one of the greatest works of his Father is raising the dead, and that he himself has power to do the same work. The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live. The Pharisees believed in the resurrection of the dead. Christ declares that even now the power which gives life to the dead is among them, and they are to behold its manifestation. The same resurrection power is that which gives life to the soul. Dead in trespasses and sins, Ephesians 2.1, that spirit of life in Christ Jesus, the power of his resurrection, sets men free from the law of sin and death. Philippians 3.10, Romans 8.2, The dominion of evil is broken, and through faith the soul is kept from sin. He who opens his heart to the spirit of Christ becomes a partaker of that mighty power which shall bring forth his body from the grave. The humble Nazarene asserts his real nobility. He rises above humanity, throws off the guise of sin and shame, and stands revealed, the honor of the angels, the Son of God, one with the Creator of the universe. His hearers are spellbound. No man has ever spoken words like his, or borne himself with such a kingly majesty. His utterances are clear and plain, fully declaring his mission and the duty of the world. For the Father judges no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son, that all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honoreth not the Son, honoreth not the Father, which hath sent him. For as the Father hath life in himself, so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself, and hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. The priests and rulers had set themselves up as judges to condemn Christ's work, but he declared himself their judge, and the judge of all the earth. The world has been committed to Christ, and through him has come every blessing from God to the fallen race. He was the Redeemer before, as after his incarnation. As soon as there was sin, there was a Savior. He has given light and life to all, and according to the measure of light given, each is to be judged. And he who has given the light, he who has followed the soul with tenderness and treaty, seeking to win it from sin to holiness, is in one its advocate and judge. From the opening of the great controversy in heaven Satan has maintained his cause through deception, and Christ has been working to unveil his schemes and to break his power. It is he who has encountered the deceiver, and who through all the ages has been seeking to wrest the captives from his grasp, who will pass judgment upon every soul. And God has given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man, because he has tasted the very dregs of human affliction and temptation, and understands of frailties and sins of men, because on our behalf he has victoriously withstood the temptations of Satan, and will deal justly and tenderly with the souls that his own blood has been poured out to save. Because of this, the Son of man is appointed to execute the judgment. But Christ's mission was not for judgment, before salvation. God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. John 3.17 And before the Sanhedrin Jesus declared, He that heareth my word, and believeth him that sent me, hath eternal life, and cometh not into judgment, but hath passed out of death into life. John 5.24 RV Bitting his hearers, marvel not, Christ opened before them in still wider view the mysteries of the future. The hour cometh, he said, in which all that are in the tomb shall hear his voice, and shall come forth, they that have done good unto the resurrection of life, and they that have done ill unto the resurrection of judgment. John 5.28.29 RV This assurance of the future life was that for which Israel had so long waited, and which they had hoped to receive at the Messiah's advent. The only light that can lighten the gloom of the grave was shining upon them, but self-will is blind. Jesus had violated the traditions of the rabbis and disregarded their authority, and they would not believe. The time, the place, the occasion, the intensity of the feeling that pervaded the assembly, all combined to make the words of Jesus before the Sanhedrin the more impressive. The highest religious authorities of the nation were seeking the life of him who declared himself the Restorer of Israel. The Lord of the Sabbath was arraigned before an earthly tribunal to answer the charge of breaking the Sabbath law. When he so fearlessly declared his mission, his judges looked upon him with astonishment and rage, but his words were unanswerable. They could not condemn him. He denied the right of the priests and rabbis to question him, or to interfere with his work. They were invested with no such authority. Their claims were based upon their own pride and arrogance. He refused to plead guilty of their charges, or to be cataclyzed by them. Instead of apologizing for the act of which they complained, or explaining his purpose in doing it, Jesus turned upon the rulers and the accused became the accuser. He rebuked them for the hardness of their hearts and their ignorance of the scriptures. He declared that they had rejected the word of God in as much as they had rejected him whom God had sent. Ye searched the scriptures because ye think that in them ye have eternal life, and these are they which bear witness of me. John 539, RV. In every page, whether history or precept or prophecy, the Old Testament scriptures are irradiated with the glory of the Son of God. So far as it was a divine institution, the entire system of Judaism was a compacted prophecy of the Gospel. To Christ give all the prophets witness, Acts 1043. From the promise given to Adam, down through the patriarchal line in the legal economy, heaven's glorious light made plain the footsteps of the Redeemer. Sears beheld the star Bethlehem, the Shiloh to come, as future things swept before them in mysterious procession. In every sacrifice Christ's death was shown. In every cloud of incense his righteousness ascended. By every Jubilee trumpet his name was sounded. In the awful mystery of the Holy of Holies his glory dwelt. The Jews had the scripture in their possession. And suppose that in their mere outward knowledge of the Word they had eternal life. But Jesus said, Ye have not His Word abiding in you? Having rejected Christ in His Word, they rejected Him in person. Ye will not come to me, He said, that ye might have life. The Jewish leaders had steadied the teachings of the prophets concerning the kingdom of the Messiah, but they had done this not with a sincere desire to know the truth, but with the purpose of finding evidence to sustain their ambitious hopes. When Christ came in a manner contrary to their expectations they would not receive Him, and in order to justify themselves they tried to prove Him a deceiver. When once they had set their feet on this path it was easy for Satan to strengthen their opposition to Christ. The very words that should have been received as evidence of His divinity were interpreted against Him. Thus they turned the truth of God into a lie, and the more directly the Savior spoke to them in His works of mercy the more determined they were in resisting the light. Jesus said, I received not honour from men. It was not the influence of the Sanhedrin. It was not their sanction he desired. He could receive no honour from their approbation. He was invested with the honour and authority of heaven. Had he desired it angels would have come to do Him homage. The Father would again have testified to His divinity. But for their own sake, for the sake of the nation whose leaders they were He desired the Jewish rulers to discern His character and receive the blessings He came to bring them. I am come in My Father's name, and ye receive Me not. If another shall come in His own name, Him ye will receive. Jesus came by the authority of God, bearing His image, fulfilling His word, and seeking His glory. Yet He was not accepted by the leaders in Israel. But when others should come, assuming the character of Christ, but actuated by their own will and seeking their own glory, they would be received. And why? Because He who is seeking His own glory appeals to the desire for self-exaltation and others. To such appeals the Jews could respond. They would receive the false teacher because He flattered their pride by sanctioning their cherished opinions and traditions. But the teaching of Christ did not coincide with their ideas. It was spiritual, and demanded the sacrifice of self. Therefore they would not receive it. They were not acquainted with God, and to them His voice through Christ was the voice of a stranger. Is not the same thing repeated in our day? Are there not many, even religious leaders, who are hardening their hearts against the Holy Spirit, making it impossible for them to recognize the voice of God? Are they not rejecting the word of God that they may keep their own traditions? Had you believed Moses, said Jesus, you would have believed me. For He wrote of me. But if you believe not His writings, how shall you believe my words? It was Christ who had spoken to Israel through Moses. If they had listened to the divine voice that spoke through the great leader, they would have recognized it in the teachings of Christ. Had they believed Moses, they would have believed Him of whom Moses wrote. Jesus knew that the priests and rabbis were determined to take His life, yet He clearly explained to them His unity with the Father and His relation to the world. They saw that their opposition to Him was without excuse, yet their murderous hatred was not quenched. Fierce seized them as they witnessed the convincing power that attended His ministry. But they resisted His appeals and locked themselves in darkness. They had signally failed to subvert the authority of Jesus or to alienate the respect and attention of the people, many of whom were convicted by His words. The rulers themselves had felt deep condemnation as He had pressed their guilt home upon their consciences. Yet this only made them the more bitter against Him. They were determined to take His life. They sent messengers all over the country to warn the people against Jesus as an imposter. Spies were set to watch Him and report what He said and did. The precious Savior was now most surely standing under the shadow of the cross. End of Chapter 21 Recording by Donald Hines Alvaro, Texas Chapter 22 Of the Desire of Ages by Ellen G. White This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Imprisonment and Death of John John the Baptist had been first in heralding Christ's Kingdom and he was first also in suffering. From the free air of the wilderness and the vast throngs that had hung upon His words he was now shut in by the walls of a dungeon cell. He had become a prisoner in the fortress of Herod Antipas. In the territory east of Jordan, which was under the dominion of Antipas, much of John's ministry had been spent. Herod himself had listened to the preaching of the Baptist. The disillusioned king had trembled under the call to repentance. Herod feared John knowing that he was a just man and a holy and when he heard him he did many things and heard him gladly. John dealt with him faithfully, denouncing his iniquitous alliance with Herodius, his brother's wife. For a time Herod feebly sought to break the chain of lust that bound him, but Herodius fastened him the more firmly in her toils and found revenge upon the Baptist by inducing Herod to cast him into prison. The life of John had been one of active labour and the gloom and inaction of his prison life weighed heavily upon him. As week after week passed bringing no change, despondency and doubt crept over him, his disciples did not forsake him. They were allowed access to the prison and they brought him tidings of the works of Jesus and told how the people were flocking to him. But they questioned why, if this new teacher was the Messiah, he did nothing to affect John's release. How could he permit his faithful herald to be deprived of liberty and perhaps of life? These questions were not without effect. Doubts which otherwise would never have arisen were suggested to John. Satan rejoiced to hear the words of these disciples and to see how they bruised the soul of the Lord's messenger. Oh, how often those who think themselves the friends of a good man and who are eager to show their fidelity to him prove to be his most dangerous enemies! How often, instead of strengthening his faith, their words depress and dishearten. Like the Saviour's disciples, John the Baptist did not understand the nature of Christ's kingdom. He expected Jesus to take the throne of David. And as time passed and the Saviour made no claim to kingly authority, John became perplexed and troubled. He had declared to the people that in order for the way to be prepared before the Lord, the prophecy of Isaiah must be fulfilled, the mountains and hills must be brought low, the crooked made straight, and the rough places plain. He had looked for the high places of human pride and power to be cast down. He had pointed to the Messiah as the one whose fan was in his hand and who would thoroughly purge his floor, who would gather the wheat to his garner and burn up the shaft with an quenchable fire. Like the prophet Elijah, in whose spirit and power he had come to Israel, he looked for the Lord to reveal himself as a God that answereth by fire. In his mission the Baptist had stood as a fearless reprover of iniquity, both in high places and in low. He had dared to face King Herod with the plain rebuke of sin. He had not counted his life dear unto himself that he might fulfill his appointed work. And now, from his dungeon, he watched for the lion of the tribe of Judah to cast down the pride of the oppressor and to deliver the poor and him that cried. But Jesus seemed to content himself with gathering disciples about him and healing and teaching the people. He was eating at the tables of the publicans, while every day the Roman yoke rested more heavily upon Israel, while King Herod and his vile paramour worked their will, and the cries of the poor and suffering went up to heaven. To the desert prophet all this seemed a mystery beyond his fathoming. There were hours when the whisperings of demons tortured his spirit and the shadow of a terrible fear crept over him. Could it be that the long hope for deliverer had not yet appeared? Then what meant the message that he himself had been impelled to bear? John had been bitterly disappointed in the result of his mission. He'd expected that the message from God would have the same effect as when the law was read in the days of Josiah and of Ezra, second Chronicles 34, Nehemiah 8, 9, that there would follow a deep-seated work of repentance and returning unto the Lord, for the success of this mission his whole life had been sacrificed. Had it been in vain? John was troubled to see that through love for him his own disciples were cherishing unbelief in regard to Jesus. Had his work for them been fruitless? Had he been unfaithful in his mission that he was now cut off from labour? If the promised deliverer had appeared, and John had been found true to his calling, would not Jesus now overthrow the oppressor's power and set free his herald? But the Baptist did not surrender his faith in Christ. The memory of the voice from heaven and the descending dove, the spotless purity of Jesus, the power of the Holy Spirit that arrested upon John as he came into the Saviour's presence, and the testimony of the prophetic scriptures, all witnessed that Jesus of Nazareth was the promised one. John would not discuss his doubts and anxieties with his companions. He determined to send a message of inquiry to Jesus. This he entrusted to two of his disciples, hoping that an interview with the Saviour would confirm their faith and bring assurance to their brethren, and he longed for some word from Christ spoken directly for himself. The disciples came to Jesus with their message. Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? How short the time since the Baptist had pointed to Jesus and proclaimed, Behold the Lamb of God which takeeth away the sin of the world! He it is who coming after me is preferred before me, John 1.29.27. And now the question, Art thou he that should come? It was keenly bitter and disappointing to human nature. If John, the faithful forerunner, failed to discern Christ's mission, what could be expected from the self-seeking multitude? The Saviour did not at once answer the disciples' question. As they stood wondering in his silence, the sick and afflicted were coming to him to be healed. The blind were groping their way through the crowd, diseased ones of all classes, some urging their own way, some borne by their friends, were eagerly pressing into the presence of Jesus. The voice of the mighty healer penetrated the deaf ear. A word, a touch of his hand, opened the blind eyes to behold the light of day, the scenes of nature, the faces of friends, and the face of the deliverer. Jesus rebuked disease and banished fever. His voice reached the ears of the dying, and they arose in health and vigor. Paralyzed demoniacs obeyed his word. Their madness left them and they worshipped him. While he healed their diseases, he taught the people. The poor peasants and laborers who were shunned by the rabbis as unclean, gathered close about him, and he spoke to them the words of eternal life. Thus the day wore away, the disciples of John seeing and hearing all. At last Jesus called them to him, and bade them go and tell John what they had witnessed, adding, Blessed is he, whosoever shall find none occasion of stumbling in me. Luke 7.23, RV. The evidence of his divinity was seen in its adaptation to the needs of suffering humanity. His glory was shown in his condescension to our low estate. The disciples bore the message, and it was enough. John recalled the prophecy concerning the Messiah. The Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek. He hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. Isaiah 61, 1 and 2. The works of Christ not only declared him to be the Messiah, but showed in what manner his kingdom was to be established. To John was open the same truth that had come to Elijah in the desert, when a great and strong wind rent the mountains and break in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind, and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake, and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire God spoke to the prophet by a still small voice. So Jesus was to do his work, not with the clash of arms and the overturning of thrones and kingdoms, but through speaking to the hearts of men by a life of mercy and self-sacrifice. The principle of the Baptist's own life of self-abnegation was the principle of the Messiah's kingdom. John well knew how foreign all this was to the principles and hopes of the leaders in Israel, that which was to him convincing evidence of Christ's divinity would be no evidence to them. They were looking for a Messiah who had not been promised. John saw that the Saviour's mission could win from them only hatred and condemnation. He, the forerunner, was but drinking of the cup which Christ himself must drain to its dregs. The Saviour's words, blessed is he whosoever shall find none occasion of stumbling in me, were a gentle reproof to John. It was not lost upon him. Understanding more clearly now the nature of Christ's mission, he yielded himself to God for life or for death, as should best serve the interest of the cause he loved. After the messengers had departed, Jesus spoke to the people concerning John. The Saviour's heart went out in sympathy to the faithful witness, now buried in Herod's dungeon. He would not leave the people to conclude that God had forsaken John, or that his faith had failed in the day of trial. What went ye out into the wilderness to see, he said? A reed shaken with the wind? The tall reeds it grew beside the Jordan, bending before every breeze, were fitting representatives of the rabbis who had stood as critics and judges of the Baptist's mission. They were swayed this way and that by the winds of popular opinion. They would not humble themselves to receive the heart-searching message of the Baptist. Yet for fear of the people they dared not openly oppose his work. But God's messenger was of no such craven spirit. The multitudes who were gathered about Christ had been witnesses to the work of John. They had heard his fearless rebuke of sin. To the self-righteous Pharisees, the priestly Sadducees, King Herod in his court, princes and soldiers, publicans and peasants, John had spoken with equal plainness. He was no trembling reed swayed by the winds of human praise or prejudice. In the prison he was the same in his loyalty to God and his zeal for righteousness as when he preached God's message in the wilderness. In his faithfulness to principle he was as firm as a rock. Jesus continued, But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they which are gorgeously apparelled and lived delicately are in King's courts. John had been called to reprove the sins and excesses of his time, and his plain dress and self-denying life were in harmony with the character of his mission. Rich apparel and luxuries of this life are not the portion of God's servants, but of those who live in King's courts, the rulers of this world to whom pertain its powers and its riches. Jesus wished to direct attention to the contrast between the clothing of John and that worn by the priests and rulers. These officials arrayed themselves in rich robes and costly ornaments. They loved display and hoped to dazzle the people, and thus command greater consideration. They were more anxious to gain the admiration of men than to obtain the purity of heart which would win the approval of God. Thus they revealed that their allegiance was not given to God, but to the kingdom of this world. But what, said Jesus, went ye out for to see? A prophet? Ye I say unto you, and more than a prophet. For this is he of whom it is written. Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist. In the announcement to Zacharias before the birth of John the angel had declared, He shall be great in the sight of the Lord. Luke 1.15 In the estimation of heaven, what is it that constitutes greatness, not that which the world accounts greatness, not wealth, or rank, or noble descent, or intellectual gifts in themselves considered? If intellectual greatness, apart from any higher consideration, is worthy of honor, then our homage is due to Satan, whose intellectual power no man has ever equalled. But when perverted to self-serving, the greater the gift, the greater curse it becomes, it is more a worth that God values. Love and purity are the attributes he prizes most. John was great in the sight of the Lord, when before the messengers from the Sanhedrin, before the people, and before his own disciples, he refrained from seeking honor for himself, but pointed all to Jesus as the promised one. His unselfish joy in the ministry of Christ presents the highest type of nobility ever revealed in man. The witness born of him after his death, by those who had heard his testimony to Jesus, was, John did no miracle, but all things that John spoke of this man were true. John 10.41 It was not given to John to call down fire from heaven, or to raise the dead, as Elijah did, nor to wield Moses' rod of power in the name of God. He was sent to herald the Saviour's advent, and to call upon the people to prepare for his coming. So faithfully did he fulfill his mission, that as the people recalled what he had taught them of Jesus, they could say, all things that John spoke of this man were true. Such witness to Christ every disciple of the Master is called upon to bear. As the Messiah's herald, John was much more than a prophet, for while prophets had seen from afar Christ's advent, to John it was given to behold him, to hear the testimony from heaven to his Messiahship, and to present him to Israel as the sent of God. Yet Jesus said, He that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. The prophet John was the connecting link between the two dispensations. As God's representative, he stood forth to show the relation of the law and the prophets to the Christian dispensation. He was the lesser light, which was to be followed by a greater. The mind of John was illuminated by the Holy Spirit, that he might shed light upon his people. But no other light ever has shown, or ever will shine so clearly upon fallen man, as that which emanated from the teaching and example of Jesus. Christ and his mission had been but dimly understood, as typified in the shadowy sacrifices. Even John had not fully comprehended the future, immortal life, through the Saviour. Aside from the joy that John found in his mission, his life had been one of sorrow. His voice had been seldom heard except in the wilderness. His was a lonely lot. And he was not permitted to see the results of his own labours. It was not his privilege to be with Christ and witness the manifestation of divine power attending the greater light. It was not for him to see the blind restored to sight, the sick healed, and the dead raised to life. He did not behold the light that shone through every word of Christ, shedding glory upon the promises of prophecy. The least disciple who saw Christ's mighty works and heard his words was in this sense more highly privileged than John the Baptist, and therefore said to have been greater than he. Through the vast throngs that had listened to John's preaching, his fame had spread throughout the land. A deep interest was felt as to the result of his imprisonment. Yet his blameless life, and the strong public sentiment in his favour, led to the belief that no violent measures would be taken against him. Herod believed John to be a prophet of God, and he fully intended to set him at liberty. But he delayed his purpose from fear of Herodius. Herodius knew that by direct measures she could never win Herod's consent to the death of John, and she resolved to accomplish her purpose by stratagem. On the king's birthday an entertainment was to be given to the officers of state and the nobles of the court. There would be feasting and drunkenness. Herod would thus be thrown off his guard, and might then be influenced according to her will. When the great day arrived and the king with his lord was feasting and drinking, Herodius sent her daughter into the banqueting hall to dance for the entertainment of the guests. Salome was in the first flush of womanhood, and her voluptuous beauty captivated the senses of the lordly revelers. It was not customary for the ladies of the court to appear at these festivities, and a flattering compliment was paid to Herod when this daughter of Israel's priests and princes danced for the amusement of his guests. The king was dazed with wine. Passion held sway and reason was dethroned. He saw only the hall of pleasure, with its reveling guest, the banquet table, the sparkling wine and the flashing lights, and the young girl dancing before him. In the recklessness of the moment he desired to make some display that would exalt him before the great men of his realm. With an oath he promised to give the daughter of Herodius whatever she might ask, even to the half of his kingdom. Salome hastened to her mother to know what she should ask. The answer was ready. The head of John the Baptist. Salome knew not of the thirst for revenge in her mother's heart, and she shrank from presenting the request. But the determination of Herodius prevailed. The girl returned with the terrible petition. I will that thou forthwith give me in a charger the head of John the Baptist. Herod was astonished and confounded. The riotous mirth ceased, and an ominous silence settled down upon the scene of revelry. The king was horst stricken at the thought of taking the life of John. Yet his word was pledged, and he was unwilling to appear fickle or rash. The oath had been made in honour of his guests, and if one of them had offered a word against the fulfilment of his promise he would gladly have spared the prophet. He gave them opportunity to speak in the prisoner's behalf. They had travelled long distances in order to hear the preaching of John, and they knew him to be a man without crime and a servant of God. But though shocked at the girl's demand, they were too besotted to interpose a remonstrance. No voice was raised to save the life of Heaven's messenger. These men occupied high positions of trust in the nation, and upon them rested grave responsibilities. Yet they had given themselves up to feasting and drunkenness until the senses were benumbed. Their heads were turned with the giddy scene of music and dancing, and conscience laid dormant. By their silence they pronounced the sentence of death upon the prophet of God to satisfy the revenge of an abandoned woman. Herod waited in vain to be released from his oath. Then he reluctantly commanded the execution of the prophet. Soon the head of John was brought in before the king and his guests. Forever sealed were those lips that had faithfully warned Herod to turn from his life of sin. Nevermore would that voice be heard calling men to repentance. The revels of one night had cost the life of one of the greatest of the prophets. Oh, how often has the life of the innocent been sacrificed through the intimperance of those who should have been the guardians of justice? He who puts the intoxicating cup to his lips makes himself responsible for all the injustice he may commit under its besotting power. By benumbing his senses he makes it impossible for him to judge calmly or to have a clear perception of right and wrong. He opens the way for Satan to work through him in oppressing and destroying the innocent. Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging, and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise. Proverbs 20.1. Thus it is that judgment is turned away backwards, and he that departed from evil maketh himself a prey. Isaiah 59.14 and 15. Those who have jurisdiction over the lives of their fellow men should be held guilty of a crime when they yield to intimperance. All who execute the laws should be law-keepers. They should be men of self-control. They need to have full command of their physical, mental, and moral powers that they may possess vigor of intellect and a high sense of justice. The head of John the Baptist was carried to Herodias who received it with fiendish satisfaction. She exalted in her revenge and flattered herself that Herod's conscience would no longer be troubled. But no happiness resulted to her from her sin. Her name became notorious and abhorred. While Herod was more tormented by remorse than he had been by the warnings of the Prophet, the influence of John's teaching was not silence. It was to extend to every generation till the close of time. Herod's sin was ever before him. He was constantly seeking to find relief from the accusings of a guilty conscience. His confidence in John was unshaken. As he recalled his life of self-denial, his solemn earnest appeals, his sound judgment and counsel, and then remembered how he had come to his death, Herod could find no rest. Engaged in the affairs of the State, receiving honors from men, he bore a smiling face and dignified mean, while he concealed an anxious heart, ever oppressed with the fear that a curse was upon him. Herod had been deeply impressed by the words of John that nothing can be hidden from God. He was convinced that God was present in every place, that he had witnessed the revelry of the banqueting room, that he had heard the command to behead John, and had seen the exultation of Herodias and the insults he offered to the severed head of her reprover. And many things that Herod had heard from the lips of the Prophet now spoke to his conscience more distinctly than had the preaching in the wilderness. When Herod heard of the works of Christ, he was exceedingly troubled. He thought that God had raised John from the dead and sent him forth with still greater power to condemn sin. He was in constant fear that John would avenge his death by passing condemnation upon him and his house. Herod was reaping that which God had declared to be the result of a course of sin, a trembling heart and failing of eyes and sorrow of mind, and thy life shall hang in doubt before thee, and thou shalt fear day and night, and shalt have none assurance of thy life. In the morning thou shalt say, Would God it were even, and at even thou shalt say, Would God it were morning, for the fear of thine heart wherewith thou shalt fear, and for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see. Deuteronomy 28, 65 to 67. The sinner's own thoughts are his accusers, and there can be no torture keener than the stings of a guilty conscience which give him no rest day or night. To many minds a deep mystery surrounds the fate of John the Baptist. They question why he should have been left to languish and die in prison. The mystery of this dark providence our human vision cannot penetrate, but it can never shake our confidence in God when we remember that John was but a sharer in the sufferings of Christ. All who follow Christ will wear the crown of sacrifice. They will surely be misunderstood by selfish men, and will be made a mark for the fierce assaults of Satan. It is this principle of self-sacrifice that his kingdom is established to destroy, and he will war against it wherever manifested. The childhood youth and manhood of John had been characterized by firmness and moral power. When his voice was heard in the wilderness saying, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his path straight. Matthew 3.3 Satan feared for the safety of his kingdom. The sinfulness of sin was revealed in such a manner that men trembled. Satan's power over many who had been under his control was broken. He had been unwearyed in his efforts to draw away the Baptist from a life of unreserved surrender to God, but he had failed, and he had failed to overcome Jesus. In the temptation in the wilderness Satan had been defeated, and his rage was great. Now he determined to bring sorrow upon Christ by striking John. The one whom he could not entice to sin he would cause to suffer. Jesus did not interpose to deliver his servant. He knew that John would bear the test. Gladly would the Saviour have come to John, to brighten the dungeon gloom with his own presence. But he was not to place himself in the hands of enemies and imperil his own mission. Gladly would he have delivered his faithful servant. But for the sake of thousands who in after years must pass from prison to death, John was to drink the cup of martyrdom. As the followers of Jesus should languish in lonely cells, or perish by the sword, the rack, or the faggot, apparently forsaken by God and man, what a stay to their hearts would be the thought that John the Baptist, to whose faithfulness Christ himself had borne witness, had passed through a similar experience. Satan was permitted to cut short the earthly life of God's messenger. But that life which is hid with Christ and God, the destroyer could not reach. Colossians 3.3. He exalted that he had brought sorrow upon Christ, but he had failed of conquering John. Death itself only placed him forever beyond the power of temptation. In this warfare Satan was revealing his own character. Before the witnessing universe he made manifest his enmity towards God and man. Though no miraculous deliverance was granted John, he was not forsaken. He had always the companionship of heavenly angels who opened to him the prophecies concerning Christ and the precious promises of scripture. These were his stay, as they were to be the stay of God's people through the coming ages. To John the Baptist, as to those that came after him, was given the assurance, Lo, I am with you all the days, even unto the end. Matthew 2820, RV, Margin. God never leads his children otherwise than they would choose to be led, if they could see the end from the beginning and discern the glory of the purpose which they are fulfilling as co-workers with him. Not Enoch, who was translated to heaven, not Elijah, who ascended in a chariot of fire, was greater or more honored than John the Baptist, who perished alone in the dungeon. Unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake, Philippians 1.29. And of all the gifts that heaven can bestow upon men, fellowship with Christ in his sufferings is the most weighty trust and the highest honor. End of Chapter 22 Chapter 23 of the Desire of Ages by Ellen G. White. The slibber vox recording is in the public domain. The kingdom of God is at hand. Jesus came into Galilee preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent ye and believe the gospel. Mark 1, 14 and 15. The Messiah's coming had been first announced in Judea. In the temple at Jerusalem the birth of the forerunner had been foretold to Zacharias, as he ministered before the altar. On the hills of Bethlehem the angels had proclaimed the birth of Jesus. To Jerusalem the Magi had come in search of him. In the temple Simeon and Anna had testified to his divinity. Jerusalem and all Judea had listened to the preaching of John the Baptist, and the deputation from the Sanhedrin, with the multitude, had heard his testimony concerning Jesus. In Judea Christ had received his first disciples. Here much of his early ministry had been spent. The flashing forth of his divinity and the cleansing of the temple, his miracles of healing, and the lessons of divine truth that fell from his lips. All proclaimed that which after the healing at Bethlehem he had declared before the Sanhedrin, his sonship to the eternal. If the leaders in Israel had received Christ he would have honoured them as his messengers to carry the gospel to the world. To them first was given the opportunity to become heralds of the kingdom and grace of God. But Israel knew not the time of her visitation. The jealousy and distrust of the Jewish leaders had ripened into open hatred, and the hearts of the people were turned away from Jesus. The Sanhedrin had rejected Christ's message, and was bent upon his death. Therefore Jesus departed from Jerusalem, from the priest, the temple, the religious leaders, the people who had been instructed in the law, and turned to another class to proclaim his message, and to gather out those who should carry the gospel to all nations. As the light and life of men was rejected by the ecclesiastical authorities in the days of Christ, so it has been rejected in every succeeding generation. Again and again the history of Christ's withdrawal from Judea has been repeated. When the reformers preached the word of God, they had no thought of separating themselves from the established church, but the religious leaders would not tolerate the light, and those that bore it were forced to seek another class who were longing for the truth. In our day few of the professed followers of the reformers are actuated by the Spirit. Few are listening for the voice of God and ready to accept truth in whatever guise it may be presented. Often those who follow in the steps of the reformers are forced to turn away from the churches they love, in order to declare the plain teaching of the word of God. And many times those who are seeking for light are by the same teaching obliged to lead the church of their fathers that they may render obedience. The people of Galilee were despised by the rabbis of Jerusalem as rude and unlearned, yet they presented a more favorable field for the Saviour's work. They were more earnest and sincere, less under the control of bigotry. Their minds were more open for the reception of truth. In going to Galilee Jesus was not seeking seclusion or isolation. The province was, at this time, the home of a crowded population, with a much larger mixture of people of other nations than was found in Judea. As Jesus travelled through Galilee, teaching and healing, multitudes flocked to him from the cities and villages. Many came even from Judea and the adjoining provinces. Often he was obliged to hide himself from the people. The enthusiasm ran so high that it was necessary to take precautions lest the Roman authority should be aroused to fear and insurrection. Never before had there been such a period as this for the world. Heaven was brought down to men, hungering and thirsting souls that had waited long for the redemption of Israel now feasted upon the grace of a merciful Saviour. The burden of Christ's preaching was, the time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand, repent she and believe the Gospel. Thus the Gospel message, as given by the Saviour himself, was based on the prophecies. The time, which he declared to be fulfilled, was the period made known by the angel Gabriel to Daniel. Seventy weeks, said the angel, are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city to finish the transgression and to make an end of sins and to make reconciliation for iniquity and to bring in everlasting righteousness and to seal up the vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy. Daniel 9, 24. A day in prophecy stands for a year. See Numbers 14, 34, Ezekiel 4, 6. The seventy weeks, or 490 days, represent 490 years. A starting point for this period is given. Know therefore and understand that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah of the Prince shall be seven weeks and three score in two weeks. Sixty-nine weeks are 483 years, Daniel 9, 25. The commandment to restore and build Jerusalem, as completed by the decree of Artaxerxes Lungiminus. See Ezra 6, 14, 7, 1, 9, margin. Wind into effect in the autumn of B.C. 457. From this time 483 years extend to the autumn of A.D. 27. According to the prophecy, this period was to reach to the Messiah, the anointed one, in A.D. 27. Jesus at his baptism received the anointing of the Holy Spirit and soon afterward began his ministry. Then the message was proclaimed. The time is fulfilled. Then said the angel, he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week, seven years. For seven years after the Savior entered on his ministry, the gospel was to be preached especially to the Jews for three and a half years by Christ himself and afterward by the apostles. In the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease. Daniel 9, 27. In the spring of A.D. 31 Christ the true sacrifice was offered on Calvary. Then the veil of the temple was rent entwined, showing that the sacredness and significance of the sacrificial service had departed. The time had come for the earthly sacrifice and oblation to cease. The one week, seven years, ended in A.D. 34. Then by the stoning of Stephen the Jews finally sealed the rejection of the gospel. The disciples who were scattered abroad by persecution went everywhere preaching the word, Acts 8, 4, and shortly after Saul the persecutor was converted and became Paul the apostle to the Gentiles. The time of Christ's coming, his anointing by the Holy Spirit, his death, and the giving of the gospel to the Gentiles were definitely pointed out. It was the privilege of the Jewish people to understand these prophecies and to recognize their fulfillment in the mission of Jesus. Christ urged upon his disciples the importance of the prophetic study. Referring to the prophecy given to Daniel in regard to their time, he said, Who so readeth? Let him understand. Matthew 24, 15. After his resurrection he explained to the disciples, in all the prophets, the things concerning himself. Luke 24, 27. The Saviour had spoken through all the prophets, the Spirit of Christ which was in them, testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow. It was Gabriel, the angel next in rank to the Son of God, who came with the Divine Message to Daniel. It was Gabriel, his angel, whom Christ sent to open the future to the beloved John, and a blessing as pronounced upon those who read and hear the words of the prophecy and keep the things written therein. Revelation 1.3. The Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants and prophets. While the secret things belong unto the Lord our God, those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever. Amos 3.7 Deuteronomy 29.29. God has given these things to us, and his blessing will attend the reverent prayerful study of the prophetic scriptures. As the message of Christ's first advent announced the kingdom of his grace, so the message of his second advent announces the kingdom of his glory, and the second message, like the first, is based on the prophecies. The words of the angel to Daniel relating to the last days were to be understood in the time of the end. At that time many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. The wicked shall do wickedly, and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand. Daniel 12.4.10 The Savior himself has given signs of his coming, and he says, When ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand, and take heed to yourself, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. Watch ye, therefore, and pray always that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man. Luke 21.31.34.36 We have reached the period foretold in these scriptures. The time of the end is come. The visions of the prophets are unsealed, and their solemn warnings point us to our Lord's coming and glory as near at hand. The Jews misinterpreted and misapplied the word of God, and they knew not the time of their visitation. The years of the ministry of Christ and his apostles, the precious last years of grace to the chosen people, they spent in plotting the destruction of the Lord's messengers. Earthly ambitions absorbed them, and the offer of the spiritual kingdom came to them in vain. So today the kingdom of this world absorbs men's thoughts, and they take no note of the rapidly fulfilling prophecies and the tokens of the swift coming kingdom of God. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day. We are not of the night, nor of the darkness. While we are not to know the hour of our Lord's return, we may know when it is near. Therefore, let us not sleep as do others, but let us watch and be sober. 1 Thessalonians 5. 4-6 End of Chapter 23. Recording by Donald Hines, Alvarado, Texas. Chapter 24 of the Desire of Ages by L. M. G. White. This Librivox recording is in the public domain. Is not this the carpenter's son? Across the bright days of Christ's ministry and galley, one shadow lay. The people of Nazareth rejected him. Is not this the carpenter's son, they said? During his childhood and youth Jesus had worshipped among his brethren in the synagogue at Nazareth. Since the opening of his ministry, he had been absent from them. But they had not been ignorant of what had befallen him. As he again appeared among them, their interest and expectation were excited to the highest pitch. Here were the familiar forms and faces of those whom he had known from emphasy. Here were his mother, his brothers, and sisters, and all eyes were turned upon him as he entered the synagogue upon the Sabbath day and took his place among the worshippers. In the regular service for the day the elder read from the prophets and exhorted the people still to hope for the coming one who would bring in a glorious reign and banish all oppression. He sought to encourage his hearers by rehearsing the evidence that the Messiah's coming was near. He described the glory of his advent, keeping prominent the thought that he would appear at the head of armies to deliver Israel. When a rabbi was present at the synagogue, he was expected to deliver the sermon, and any Israelite might give the reading from the prophets. Upon this Sabbath Jesus was requested to take part in the service. He stood up to read, and there was delivered unto him a role of the prophet Isaiah. Luke 4.16.17. R.V. Margin The scripture which he read was one that was understood as referring to the Messiah. The spirit of the Lord is upon me. Because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor, he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the role and gave it back to the attendant. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fastened on him, and all bear him witness, and wondered at the words of grace which proceeded out of his mouth. Luke 4.20.22. R.V. Margin Jesus stood before the people as a living expositor of the prophecies concerning himself. Explaining the words he had read, he spoke of the Messiah as a reliever of the oppressed, a liberator of captives, a healer of the afflicted, restoring sight to the blind, and revealing to the world the light of truth. His impressive manner and the wonderful import of his words thrilled the hearers with the power they had never felt before. The tide of divine influence broke every barrier down. Like Moses they beheld the invisible, as their hearts were moved upon by the Holy Spirit, they responded with fervent amens and praises to the Lord. But when Jesus announced, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. They were suddenly recalled to think of themselves, and of the claims of him who had been addressing them. They, Israelites, children of Abraham, had been represented as in bondage. They had been addressed as prisoners to be delivered from the power of evil, as in darkness and needing the light of truth. Their pride was offended, and their fears were roused. The words of Jesus indicated that his work for them was to be altogether different from what they desired. Their deeds might be investigated too closely. Not withstanding their exactness in outward ceremonies, they shrank from inspection by those clear searching eyes. Who is this Jesus, they questioned. He who had claimed for himself the glory of the Messiah was the son of a carpenter, and had worked at his trade with his father Joseph. They had seen him toiling up and down the hills. They were acquainted with his brothers and sisters, and knew his life and labours. They had seen him develop from childhood to youth, and from youth to manhood. Although his life had been spotless, they would not believe that he was the promised one. What a contrast between his teaching in regard to the new kingdom, and that which they had heard from their elder. Jesus had said nothing of delivering them from the Romans. They had heard of his miracles, and had hoped that his power would be exercised for their advantage, but they had seen no indication of such purpose. As they opened the door to doubt, their hearts became so much the harder for having been momentarily softened. Satan was determined that blind eyes should not that day be opened, nor souls bound in slavery be set at liberty. With intense energy he worked to fasten them in unbelief. They made no account of the sign already given, when they had been stirred by the conviction that it was their Redeemer who addressed them. But Jesus now gave them an evidence of his divinity by revealing their secret thoughts. He said unto them, Doubtless ye will say unto me this parable, Physician, heal thyself. Whatsoever we have heard done at Capernaum, do also hear in thine own country. And he said, Fairly I say unto you, No prophet is acceptable in his own country, But of a truth I say unto you, There were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when there came a great famine over all the land, and unto none of them was Elijah sent, but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow. And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elijah the prophet, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman, the Syrian. By this relation of events in the lives of the prophets, Jesus met the questionings of his hearers. The servants whom God had chosen for a special work were not allowed to labor for a hard hearted and unbelieving people. But those who had hearts to feel and faith to believe were especially favored with evidences of his power through the prophets. In the days of Elijah, Israel had departed from God. They clung to their sins and rejected the warnings of the Spirit through the Lord's messengers. Thus they cut themselves off from the channel by which God's blessing could come to them. The Lord passed by the homes of Israel and found a refuge for his servant in a heathen land, with a woman who did not belong to the chosen people. But this woman was favored because she had followed the light she had received, and her heart was open to the greater light that God sent her through his prophet. It was for the same reason that in Elisha's time the lepers of Israel were passed by. But Naaman, a heathen nobleman, had been faithful to his convictions of right, and had felt his great need of help. He was in a condition to receive the gifts of God's grace. He was not only cleansed from his leprosy, but blessed with the knowledge of the true God. Our standing before God depends not upon the amount of light we have received, but upon the use we make of what we have. Thus even the heathen who choose the right as far as they can distinguish it are in a more favorable condition than are those who have had great light and profess to serve God, but who disregard the light and by their daily life contradict their profession. The words of Jesus to his hearers in the synagogue struck at the root of their self-righteousness, pressing home upon them the bitter truth that they had departed from God and forfeited their claim to be his people. Every word cut like a knife as their real condition was set before them. They now scorn the faith with which Jesus had at first inspired them. They would not admit that he who had sprung from poverty and lowliness was other than a common man. Their unbelief bred malice, Satan controlled them, and in wrath they cried out against the Saviour. They had turned from him whose mission it was to heal and restore. Now they manifested the attributes of the destroyer. When Jesus referred to the blessings given to the Gentiles, the fierce national pride of his hearers was aroused, and his words were drowned in a tumult of voices. These people had prided themselves on keeping the law, but now that their prejudices were offended, they were ready to commit murder. The assembly broke up, and laying hands upon Jesus they thrust him from the synagogue and out of the city. All seemed eager for his destruction. They hurried him to the brow of a precipice, intending to cast him down headlong. Shouts and maldictions filled the air. Some were casting stones at him, when suddenly he disappeared from among them. The heavenly messengers who had been by his side in the synagogue were with him in the midst of that maddened throng. They shut him in from his enemies and conducted him to a place of safety. So angels protected Lot and led him out safely from the midst of Sodom. So they protected Elisha in the little mountain city. When the encircling hills were filled with the horses and chariots of the King of Syria and the great host of his armed men, Elisha beheld the near hill slopes covered with the armies of God, horses and chariots of fire round about the servant of the Lord. So in all ages angels had been near to Christ's faithful followers. The vast confederacy of evil is arrayed against all who would overcome, but Christ would have us look to the things which are not seen, to the armies of heaven encamped about all who love God to deliver them. From what dangers, seen and unseen, we have been preserved through the interposition of the angels we shall never know, until, in the light of eternity, we see the providences of God. Then we shall know that the whole family of heaven was interested in the family here below, and that messengers from the throne of God attended our steps from day to day. When Jesus in the synagogue read from the prophecy, he stopped short of the final specification concerning the Messiah's work. Having read these words, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, he omitted the phrase, and the day of vengeance of our God, Isaiah 61-2. This was just as much truth as was the first of the prophecy, and by his silence Jesus did not deny the truth. But this last expression was that upon which his here is delighted to dwell, and which they were desirous of fulfilling. They denounced judgments against the heathen, not discerning that their own guilt was even greater than that of others. They themselves were in deepest need of the mercy they were so ready to deny to the heathen. That day in the synagogue, when Jesus stood among them, was their opportunity to accept the call of heaven. He who delighted in mercy, Micah 7.18, would fain have saved them from the ruin which their sins were inviting. Not without one more call to repentance could he give them up. Toward the clothes of his ministry in Galilee, he again visited the home of his childhood. Since his rejection there, the fame of his preaching and his miracles had filled the land. None now could deny that he possessed more than human power. The people of Nazareth knew that he went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed by Satan. About them were whole villages where there was not a moan of sickness in any house, for he had passed through them and healed all their sick. The mercy revealed in every act of his life testified to his divine anointing. Again as they listened to his words the Nazarenes were moved by the divine spirit. But even now they would not admit that this man, who had been brought up among them, was other or greater than themselves. Still there rankled the bitter memory that while he had claimed for himself to be the promised one. He had really denied them a place with Israel, for he had shown them to be less worthy of God's favour than a heathen man and woman. Hence, though they questioned, whence hath this man this wisdom and these mighty works? They would not receive him as the Christ of God. Because of their unbelief the Saviour could not work many miracles among them. Only a few hearts were open to his blessings and reluctantly he departed, never to return. Unbelief, having once been cherished, continued to control the men of Nazareth, so it controlled the Sanhedrin and the nations. With priests and people the first rejection of the demonstration of the Holy Spirit's power was the beginning of the end. In order to prove that their first resistance was right they continued ever after to prevail at the words of Christ. Their rejection of the Spirit culminated in the cross of cavalry, in the destruction of their city, in the scattering of the nation to the winds of heaven. Oh how Christ longed to open to Israel the precious treasures of the truth, but such was their spiritual blindness that it was impossible to reveal to them the truths relating to his kingdom. They clung to their creed in their useless ceremonies when the truth of heaven awaited their acceptance. They spent their money for shaft and husk when the bread of life was within their reach. Why did they not go to the word of God and search diligently to know whether they were in error? The Old Testament scripture stated plainly every detail of Christ's ministry, and again and again he quoted from the prophets and declared, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. If they had honestly searched the scriptures, bringing their theories to the test of God's word, Jesus need not have wept over their impenitence. He need not have declared, Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. Luke 1335. They might have been acquainted with the evidence of his Messiahship, and the calamity that laid their proud city and ruins might have been averted. But the minds of the Jews had become narrowed by their unreasoning bigotry. The lessons of Christ revealed their deficiencies of character and demanded repentance. If they accepted his teachings, their practices must be changed, and their cherished hopes relinquished. In order to be honored by heaven, they must sacrifice the honor of men. If they obeyed the words of this new rabbi, they must go contrary to the opinions of the great thinkers and teachers of the time. Truth was unpopular in Christ's day. It is unpopular in our day. It has been unpopular ever since Satan first gave man a disrelish fort by presenting fables that lead to self-exaltation. Do we not today meet theories and doctrines that have no foundation in the word of God? Men cling as tenaciously to them as did the Jews to their traditions. The Jewish leaders were filled with spiritual pride. Their desire for the glorification of self manifested itself even in the service of the sanctuary. They loved the highest seats in the synagogue. They loved greetings in the marketplaces, and were gratified with the sound of their titles on the lips of men. As real piety declined, they became more jealous for their traditions and ceremonies. Because their understanding was darkened by self-prejudice, they could not harmonize the power of Christ's convicting words with the humility of his life. They did not appreciate the fact that real greatness can dispense with outward show. This man's poverty seemed wholly inconsistent with his claim to be the Messiah. They questioned. If he was what he claimed to be, why was he so unpretending? If he was satisfied to be without the force of arms, what would become of their nation? How could the power and glory so long anticipated bring the nations as subjects to the city of the Jews? Had not the priest taught that Israel was to bear rule over all the earth? And could it be possible that the great religious teachers were in error? But it was not simply the absence of outward glory in his life that led the Jews to reject Jesus. He was the embodiment of purity, and they were impure. He dwelt among men an example of spotless integrity. His blameless life flashed light upon their hearts. His sincerity revealed their insincerity. It made manifest the holiness of their pretentious piety and discovered iniquity to them in its odious character. Such a light was unwelcome. If Christ had called attention to the Pharisees, and had extolled their learning and piety, they would have hailed him with joy. But when he spoke of the Kingdom of Heaven as a dispensation of mercy for all mankind, he was presenting a phase of religion they would not tolerate. Their own example and teaching had never been such as to make the service of God seem desirable. When they saw Jesus giving attention to the very ones they hated and repulsed, it stirred up the worst passions of their proud hearts, notwithstanding their boasts that, under the lion of the tribe of Judah, Revelation 5.5, Israel should be exalted to preeminence over all nations. They could have borne the disappointment of their ambitious hopes better than they could bear Christ reproof of their sins and the reproach they felt even from the presence of his purity. End of Chapter 24. Recording by Donald Hines. Alvarado, Texas. Chapter 25 of The Desire of Ages by Ellen G. White. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. The Call by the Sea. Day was breaking over the Sea of Galilee. The disciples weary with a night of fruitless toil were still in their fishing boats on the lake. Jesus had come to spend a quiet hour by the waterside. In the early morning he hoped for a little season of rest from the multitude that followed him day after day. But soon the people began to gather about him. Their numbers rapidly increased so that he was pressed upon all sides. Meanwhile the disciples had come to land. In order to escape the pressure of the multitude Jesus stepped into Peter's boat and made him pull out a little from the shore. Here Jesus could be better seen and heard by all and from the boat he taught the multitude on the beach. What a scene was this for angels to contemplate! Their glorious commander sitting in a fisherman's boat swayed to and fro by the restless waves and proclaiming the good news of salvation to the listening throng that were pressing down to the water's edge. He who was the honored of heaven was declaring the great things of his kingdom in the open air to the common people, yet he could have no more fitting scene for his labors. The lake, the mountains, the spreading fields, the sunlight flooding the earth, all furnished objects to illustrate his lessons and impress them upon the mind, and no lesson of Christ fell fruitless. Every message from his lips came to some soul as the word of eternal life. Every moment added to the multitude upon the shore, aged men leaning upon their staves, hearty peasants from the hills, fishermen from their toil on their lake, merchants and rabbis, the rich and learned, old and young, bringing their sick and suffering ones, pressed to hear the words of the Divine Teacher. To such scenes as this the prophets had looked forward, and they wrote, The land of Zebulon and the land of Naftali, toward the sea beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, the people which sat in darkness saw great light, and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death, to them did light spring up, RV. Beside the throng on the shores of Genezeret, Jesus in his sermon by the sea had other audiences before his mind. Looking down the ages he saw his faithful ones in prison and judgment hall, in temptation and loneliness and affliction. Every scene of joy and conflict and perplexity was open before him. In the words spoken to those gathered about him, he was speaking also to those other souls the very words that would come to them as a message of hope in trial, of comfort in sorrow, and heavenly light in darkness. Through the Holy Spirit that voice which was speaking from the fisherman's boat on the sea of Galilee would be heard speaking peace to human hearts to the close of time. The discourse ended. Jesus turned to Peter and bade him launch out into the sea and let down his net for a draught. But Peter was disheartened. All night he had taken nothing. During the lonely hours he had thought of the fate of John the Baptist who was languishing alone in his dungeon. He had thought of the prospect before Jesus and his followers of the ill success of the mission to Judea and the malice of the priests and rabbis. Even his own occupation had failed him and as he watched by the empty nets the future had seemed dark with discouragement. Master, he said, we have toiled all the night and have taken nothing. Nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. Night was the only favourable time for fishing with nets and the clear waters of the lake. After toiling all night without success it seemed hopeless to cast the net by day. But Jesus had given the command and love for their master moved the disciples to obey. Simon and his brother together let down the net. As they attempted to draw it in, so great was the quantity of fish in clothes that it began to break. They were obliged to summon James and John to their aid. When the catch was secured both the boats were so heavily laden that they were in danger of sinking. But Peter was unmindful now of boats or lading. This miracle above any other he had ever witnessed was to him a manifestation of divine power. In Jesus he saw one who held all nature under his control. The presence of divinity revealed his own unholiness, love for his master, shame for his own unbelief, gratitude for the condescension of Christ, above all. The sense of his uncleanliness and the presence of infinite purity overwhelmed him. While his companions were securing the contents of the net Peter fell at the Saviour's feet, exclaiming, Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord! It was the same presence of divine holiness that had caused the Prophet Daniel to fall as one dead before the angel of God. He said, My comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retain no strength. So when Isaiah beheld the glory of the Lord he exclaimed, Woe is me, for I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips, for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts, Daniel 10.8, Isaiah 6.5. Humanity, with its weakness and sin, was brought in contrast with the perfection of divinity, and he felt altogether deficient and unholy. Thus it has been with all who have been granted a view of God's greatness and majesty. Peter exclaimed, Depart from me, for I am a sinful man. Yet he clung to the feet of Jesus, feeling that he could not be parted from him. The Saviour answered, Fear not, from henceforth thou shalt catch men. It was after Isaiah has beheld the holiness of God and his own unworthiness that he was entrusted with the Divine Message. It was after Peter had been led to self- renunciation and dependence upon Divine power that he received the call to his work for Christ. Until this time none of the disciples had fully united as collaborators with Jesus. They had witnessed many of his miracles, and had listened to his teachings, but they had not entirely forsaken their former employment. The imprisonment of John the Baptist had been to them all a bitter disappointment. If such were to be the outcome of John's mission they could have little hope for their master, with all the religious leaders combined against him. Under the circumstances it was a relief to them to return for a short time to their fishing. But now Jesus called them to forsake their former life and unite their interest with his. Peter had accepted the call. Upon reaching the shore Jesus bade the three other disciples, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. Immediately they left all and followed him. Before asking them to leave their nets and fishing boats, Jesus had given them the assurance that God would supply their needs. The use of Peter's boat for the work of the Gospel had been richly repaid. He who is rich unto all that call upon him has said, Give, and it shall be given unto you. Good measure, pressed down and shaken together and running over. Romans 10-12, Luke 6-38. In this measure he had rewarded the disciples' service, and every sacrifice that is made in his ministry will be recompensed according to the exceeding riches of his grace. Ephesians 3-20-27. During that sad night on the lake, when they were separated from Christ, the disciples were pressed hard by unbelief and weary with fruitless toil. But his presence kindled their faith and brought them joy and success. So it is with us. Apart from Christ our work is fruitless, and it is easy to distrust and murmur. But when he is near and we labor under his direction, we rejoice in the evidence of his power. It is Satan's work to discourage the soul. It is Christ's work to inspire with faith and hope. The deeper lesson which the miracle conveyed for the disciples is a lesson for us also, that he whose word could gather the fishes from the sea, could also impress human hearts, and draw them by the cords of his love, so that his servants might become fishers of men. They were humble and unlearned men, those fishers of Galilee. But Christ, the light of the world, was abundantly able to qualify them for the position for which he had chosen them. The Saviour did not despise education, for when controlled by the love of God, and devoted to his service, intellectual culture is a blessing. But he passed by the wise men of his time, because they were so self-confident that they could not sympathize with suffering humanity, and become collaborators with the man of Nazareth. In their bigotry they scorned to be taught by Christ. The Lord Jesus seeks the cooperation of those who will become unobstructed channels for the communication of his grace. The first thing to be learned by all who would become workers together with God, is the lesson of self-distrust. Then they are prepared to have imparted to them the character of Christ. This is not to be gained through education in the most scientific schools. It is the fruit of wisdom that is obtained from the Divine Teacher alone. Jesus chose unlearned fishermen, because they had not been schooled in the traditions and erroneous customs of their time. They were men of native ability, and they were humble and teachable, men whom he could educate for his work. In the common walks of life there is many a man patiently treading the round of daily toil. Unconscious that he possesses powers which, if called into action, would raise him to an equality with the world's most honored men. The touch of a skillful hand is needed to arouse those dormant faculties. It was such men that Jesus called to be his collaborators, and he gave them the advantage of association with himself. Never had the world's great men such a teacher. When the disciples came forth from the Saviour's training they were no longer ignorant and uncultured. They had become like him in mind and character, and men took knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus. It is not the highest work of education to communicate knowledge merely, but to impart that vitalizing energy which is received through the contact of mind with mind, and soul with soul. It is only life that can beget life. What privilege then was theirs, who for three years were in daily contact with that divine life from which has flowed every life-giving impulse that has blessed the world. Above all his companions John, the beloved disciple, yielded himself to the power of that wondrous life. He says, The life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested unto us. Of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace. 1 John 1, 2 John 1, 16 In the apostles of our Lord there was nothing to bring glory to themselves. It was evident that the success of their labors was due only to God. The lies of these men, the characters they developed, and the mighty work that God wrought through them, are a testimony to what he will do for all who are teachable and obedient. He who loves Christ the most will do the greatest amount of good. There is no limit to the usefulness of one who, by putting self aside, makes room for the working of the Holy Spirit upon his heart, and lives a life wholly consecrated to God. If men will endure the necessary discipline, without complaining or fainting by the way, God will teach them hour by hour and day by day. He longs to reveal his grace. If his people will remove the obstructions, he will pour forth the waters of salvation in abundant streams through the human channels. If men in humble life were encouraged to do all the good they could do, if restraining hands were not laid upon them to repress their zeal, there would be a hundred workers for Christ where now there is one. God takes men as they are, and educates them for his service, if they will yield themselves to him. The Spirit of God received into the soul will quicken all its faculties. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the mind that is devoted unreservedly to God develops harmoniously, and is strengthened to comprehend and fulfill the requirements of God. The weak, vacillating character becomes changed to one of strength instead fastness. Continual devotion establishes so close a relation between Jesus and his disciples that the Christian becomes like him in mind and character. Through a connection with Christ he will have clearer and broader views. His discernment will be more penetrative. His judgment better balanced. He who longs to be of service to Christ is so quickened by the life-giving power of the Son of Righteousness that he is enabled to bear much fruit to the glory of God. Men of the highest education in the arts and sciences have learned precious lessons from Christians in humble life who were designated by the world as unlearned, but these obscure disciples had obtained an education in the highest of all schools they had set at the feet of him who spoke as never man spake.