These words could only be understood by those who recognized Jesus as the Son of God, the only Mediator between God and men, the Way, the Truth and the Life. They carry us beyond scribes and Pharisees, beyond all merely human teachers, good or bad, and contrast Jesus Christ with the great adversary of men, When he said, "All that came before me are thieves and robbers," he certainly did not refer to Old Testament prophets who spake by his spirit; not did he refer primarily to the scribes and Pharisees, but to Satan, the arch enemy, who first seduced mankind, and to the human teachers in all ages who have been actuated by Satan's spirit. All who sought to enslave and destroy men by alienating them from God and leading them into any form of idolatry, gross or refined, were thieves and robbers. This included the evil one and all his agents. On the other hand, when Jesus Christ proclaimed himself "the door of the sheep," he assumed the place of Mediator between God the Father and sinful men-he claimed to be the unique reconciler of God to men, the door of entrance to God's fold and favor.

If Jesus had ended his discourse when he proclaimed himself the door, and declared that all who came before him were thieves and robbers, his meaning might have been obscure, but he went on to contrast the spirit of Satan and his agents with his own spirit, as he said, "The thief cometh not but that he may steal, and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly; I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd layeth down his life for the sheep."

Here is the great essential difference between true and false religious teachers and between true and false religions. False religions and false religious teachers would enslave and destroy men for selfish ends; true

religion and true religious teachers aim to give men more abundant life. To comprehend the full meaning of these words is to comprehend the fall of man through temptation by Satan, and the redemption of the world through Jesus the Christ, as they are revealed in the Bible.

These words supply a crucial test of religion and religious teachers in every age. True religion is designed and adapted to elevate, enlarge and beautify human life; while false religions and false religious teachers would enslave and destroy men. The religion of Jesus Christ therefore offers to men broad, deep, eternal life as the sons of God. To heal this blind man Jesus had only needed to anoint his eyes and send him to wash in Siloam, but this was only an incident in the great mission that had brought him into the world. In order to give eternal life to his people, he must lay down his own life and must take it again. This he declared he had the power to do, and this was the great purpose for which the Father had sent him into the world. There is a sense in which every man has power to lay down his life and has power to take it again. He saves by losing.

This great and profound discourse of Jesus created a division amongst the Jews, and some said, "He hath a demon, and is mad, why hear ye him?" Others said, "These are not the sayings of one possessed of a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?" Only the sheep can hear the voice of the true shepherd, but even unbelievers in this age can hardly read these words of Jesus without being constrained to say, "Never man spake like this man."

XLVII

DISCOURSE CONCERNING

BLASPHEMY

AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT

Mat. 12:31.

"Therefore I say unto you every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men; but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven."

(Mat. 12: 22-45; Mark 3: 20-30; Luke 11:14-36.)

T

HE feast of tabernacles was in the latter part of September and the feast of dedication was in December. Where Jesus spent the two or three intervening months is not known. Farrar assumes that he went back to Galilee to complete his ministry there, while Edersheim assumes that he went directly from the feast of tabernacles to Peræa and that he stayed in Peræa until the feast of dedication when he came to Jerusalem for a few days and then returned to Peræa. We have assumed that Jesus completed his Galilean ministry before coming to the feast of tabernacles, and it seems most consistent with all the known facts to regard him as going from the feast of tabernacles to Peræa, but tarrying for a time at different points within the boundaries of Judea. It is at least probable that the events described, Matthew 12:22-45, Luke 11:14-35 and Mark 3:20-30, took place as Jesus journeyed from Jerusalem to Peræa after the feast of tabernacles. His teachings at Jerusalem during the latter part of the feast had created intense interest and excitement. The Jewish leaders were not of one mind concerning him, some

saying he was possessed by a demon, while others protested that his sayings were not the sayings of one so possessed. This division of sentiment combined with his own personal majesty to prevent his arrest, and, no doubt, led many friends and enemies to accompany or follow him when he left the city. This explains the presence of the Pharisees as he taught and healed on his way to Peræa.

Jesus, with his disciples, was probably well on his way to Peræa when he healed a dumb and blind demoniac. This miracle precipitated a controversy; some were favourably impressed and said, "Is not this the Son of David?" Others declared that he cast out demons by Beelzebub the prince of the demons. In this controversy both Jesus and the Pharisees recognized a kingdom of darkness in this world that was under dominion of the prince of darkness. When the Pharisees accused Jesus of being in league with Beelzebub the prince of demons, if there had been no such prince Jesus would have said so, but, instead of denying the existence of such a being, he declared that Satan's kingdom was not divided against itself; that Satan was not seeking to undo his own work or destroy his own power.

The charge that Jesus Christ was in league with the powers of darkness and that he cast out demons by the power given to him by Beelzebub, was made frequently, but it does not seem to have been openly proclaimed even at this time, for we are told that Jesus, knowing the thoughts of the Pharisees, exposed, their utter unreasonableness and their deadly sinfulness. First, he showed that any such explanation was unreasonable. He had been undoing and destroying what the Pharisees had recognized as the work of Satan and he said, "If Satan casteth out Satan, he is divided against himself; how

then shall his kingdom stand?" The conclusiveness of this argument is evident at a glance. Jesus was doing the work of God and it was absurd to attempt to explain his power by saying he was in league with Satan, God's enemy. To make men demoniacs was the work of Satan, and if Satan were casting out demons, he would destroy his own work. Satan may lead men to do evil by persuading them that good may come, but he does not lead men to do good that evil may come.

One question of Jesus in this discourse has occasioned much dispute, and it should not be passed over unnoticed. He said to his accusers, "If I, by Beelzebub cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore shall they be your judges. But, if I by the Spirit of God cast out demons, then is the kingdom of God come unto you." We do not know enough of the connection and circumstances to warrant us in saying to whom Jesus referred when he said, "by whom do your sons cast them out?" We cannot, therefore, determine the meaning and scope of this question. It may be said, however, that Jesus did not compare any system of imposture with his own miracles.

Having exposed the foolishness of attributing his power to do good to a league with Satan, Jesus proclaimed the great truth that the prince of this world could only be overcome by one who was stronger than he. Before any one can enter into the house of a strong man and spoil his goods he must first bind the strong man. There can be no compromise between the Prince of Peace and the prince of this world, no league of light with darkness. This world will never be delivered from the power of the evil one until a stronger than he come and bind him and then destroy his works,