great work of redemption. The type had been defiled and degraded, and it was befitting that the antitype should begin his work by purifying his temple, and that he should close his work in the same day.

The impression made on the multitude by the purifying of the temple was favorable, for many believed on his name when they saw the signs which he did. They hailed him as a reformer, and applauded his acts. They would, no doubt, have rallied about him and proclaimed him their leader, if he had asked them to do so, but he knew what was in man and set a true value on the approval of the fickle multitude. They applauded him then as the purifier of the temple and its worship, but, for this act, he was afterward condemned and crucified as the destroyer of the temple. Like every act of real courage, it brought applause from the multitude, but, like every bold, courageous and conscientious attack on sin, it made bitter enemies; these enemies, through fear, kept silence for a time, but, in the end, sought to destroy the reformer. At the very beginning of his life work Christ did the acts and spake the words that helped to nail him to the cross, but he knew what the final outcome would be. Some men enter into the work of fighting sin, thinking that their acts will be appreciated and rewarded by men, and they are disappointed. Christ did not expect his acts to be appreciated and rewarded by men, for he knew what was in man.

XII

JESUS CHRIST AND NICODEMUS

John 3:3. "Except a man be born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

(John 2:23; 3:21.)

H

OW long Jesus stayed at Jerusalem after the passover can only be inferred from the fact that his works and teachings led many to believe on him. His cleansing of the temple had arrested the attention of all classes, and, while it created enmity, it also laid the foundation for faith in him, and for lifelong friendships. Among those who had become interested in the young Galilean prophet was a ruler of the Jews named Nicodemus, a liberal, fair-minded, but cautious, worldly-wise man. He was interested in the new prophet from Nazareth and was willing to accept him as a divinely commissioned teacher, but he feared his provincial rashness, and did not wish to become responsible for him. He felt that, if wisely directed by prudent counsellors, Jesus might become a great leader. He did not venture to come to him openly, but he did come by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God; for no man can do these signs that thou doest, except God be with him."

Christ's courageous and successful cleansing of the temple was sufficient to arrest the attention and enlist the interest of such a careful observer and discerner of the signs of the times as Nicodemus. The power to inspire

such awe in the hearts of greedy, covetous Jews as would constrain them to give up their sacrilegious but profitable traffic without a struggle was a sufficient sign that this Teacher had come from God. It is probable, also, that Nicodemus had seen other signs that convinced him that Jesus spake and acted with divine authority.

This visit of a recognized ruler of the Jews was a remarkable and an encouraging event; but his coming by night suggested doubt as to the final issue. The visit of Nicodemus was a visit for investigation, rather than for such simple, frank inquiry as that of Andrew and John, when they said, "Master, where dwellest thou?" As a man full of wordly wisdom he would investigate before accepting or rejecting the claims of one in whom he had some interest. He was naturally timid and cautious, and his position as a ruler of the Jews developed this natural tendency. He was in an atmosphere of formalism, in an environment where respectability and the established order of things determined questions of right and wrong. He could not give his endorsement to anything that would disturb the order of society, even if it commended itself to his intelligence and conscience. He was in sympathy with the Reformer who had cleansed the temple, but the method seemed to savour of rashness and imprudence, and he did not wish to commit himself to a movement until he had counted the cost.

Jesus met him with the most perfect frankness. He accepted the position assigned him, as "a teacher come from God," and, understanding Nicodemus perfectly, answered his salutation by saying, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a man be born from above, he cannot see the Kingdom of God."

There was neither compliment nor disrespect in these words of Jesus. It was too serious a matter to leave any

room for compliments. He had been addressed as "a teacher come from God," by a man who had been looking upon religion as a matter of outward forms and mere. respectability, by one who would not think of doing anything that was reckoned profane or irreverent, by one who, in reality, was only a formalist; Jesus said to this man in the most earnest and impressive way, "Except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God." It was a solemn assurance that all his forms were of no value without the radical renewal of the heart.

Nicodemus said in astonishment, "How can a man be born when he is old?" He did not see that religion was so radical a thing that it could be called a new birth or an actual regeneration. Jesus replied with even greater emphasis, that all outward forms of religion were absolutely worthless when they were not the fruit of the Spirit of God, implanting new life in the heart. He said again, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot see the Kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, ye must be born again." He then told Nicodemus that this birth from above was as mysterious as the wind, and known only by its results. When Nicodemus asked "how can these things be?" Jesus answered, "Art thou a teacher of Israel and understandest not these things? Verily, verily, I say unto you, we speak that we do know, and bear witness of that we have seen and ye receive not our witness. If I have told you earthly things and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you heavenly things?"

Assuming that John 3:13-21, is a continuation of the account of the conversation with Nicodemus, Jesus proceeded to explain that he was more than "a teacher come

from God." He said, "No man hath ascended into heaven but he that descended out of heaven, even the Son of man who is in heaven." Then he added, "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth may in him have eternal life." Nicodemus had recognized Jesus as a teacher, but Jesus declared that he was more than a teacher; that, when lifted up from the earth as the serpent was lifted up, he would give eternal life to every one who looked upon him with the eye of faith. He went on to tell Nicodemus of the love of God that prompted him to give eternal life to men, and, in doing this, he incidentally proclaimed himself the Son of God, for he said, “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life." Then he added that God's purpose was not to condemn, but to save the world, and warned Nicodemus that this very love of God might be rejected and made the reason for condemnation, as he said, “This is the judgment that the light is come into the world and men loved the darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil."

Looked at from the standpoint of human wisdom, Jesus, at the beginning of his public ministry at Jerusalem, did not seem tactful and prudent. He had found a great evil entrenched behind a custom that had been tolerated until it had become respectable, and, without waiting to secure the co-operation of others, he had attacked and overthrown it. In doing this, he had incurred the intense hatred of all the covetous and greedy money changers and others who had been defiling the temple. He had made relentless enemies that would not forget him, and those who applauded him would forget him. Then he had met this Jewish ruler, and had taught doctrines that were as