Jesus in the Temple

II: Jesus in the Temple

John vii. 11-53.

From the first of these festival days the absence of Jesus had been remarked; every one was speaking of Him.  The princes of Jewry were on the lookout for His coming; their spies were enquiring on all sides as to where He was staying, and whether He would appear shortly.  There was much whispering going on among the worshippers, some of whom were now timidly upholding him.  "He is a good man," they urged, while others would answer, "No, he is leading the people astray;" and, for as much as His antagonists showed the boldest front, no one dared to declare himself openly in His favour for fear of the Jews.

They will almost in the midst of the feast-making when Jesus entered Jerusalem; repairing at once to the Temple He seated Himself in one of the halls which surrounded the porches,

His presence there was another surprise to the people, and at first they listened to him in wonderment; it was not long, however, before some of the prominent Jews present broke the silence with muttered criticisms.

"By what right does this stranger venture to teach?  No Rabbi has ever instructed him in Sacred Literature; this man was brought up at Nazareth,—in a carpenter's shop.  How should he know the Scriptures?  He has never studied them."

Jesus heard these detractors, and answered them "that His Doctrine was not His, but His Heavenly Father's." It rested altogether with them whether they too would share His knowledge of celestial things; they had  "but to do the will of God," laying aside all self-seeking and pride, and they would become truly wise.  Thus purified, their eyes would be enabled to see "that He spoke not of Himself, was not seeking His own Glory, and did nothing wrongfully" in speaking as He had done.  But far from hearkening to the voice of God, "they did not even observe His Law," for which they made such show of veneration.  Then, changing the defence into an attack, Jesus unmasked their secret motives.

"Why do you seek to kill Me?" He demanded suddenly.

The princes of the people kept silence; but the crowd of onlookers could not catch the drift of this question, and at once assumed that the Christ was beginning to rave in His talk.

"You are possessed by the Devil," the he told him.  "Who is it that is seeking to kill you?"

His only reply was a reference to the miracle of Bethesda, still fresh in their minds.  He disclosed how at that time the Sanhedrin had resolved to put Him to death, and that showed the iniquity of their plots against Him.  That it was no violation of the sacred rest to heal the suffering upon the Sabbath-day,— this their Master had already proved before the Council; yet here again He gave the people an argument which they could easily comprehend.

Moses had received the commandment given to Abraham by God, that they should circumcise the new-born babe upon the eighth day.  Now when this day fell on a Sabbath there was never any Jew who would hesitate to overlook the rules of Sabbath-rest in order that is child might be consecrated to Jehovah by the spilling of blood, together with all holy rites.  If the Precept of Circumcision could render such an infraction lawful, how was it that the Sabbath had come to outweigh in importance the divine law of Charity?  If it was legal to perform such deeds, and to shed the blood of man in order to purify the body, and that only in part, how was it criminal in him to heal the whole body with only a word?  

"So then do not judge according to appearances," Jesus concluded, "but according to justice."

This vindication discomfited the enemies of the Lord and delighted the multitude; the citizens of Jerusalem especially, better informed than the visitors as to the malice of their leading men, could not repress their amazement.

"Is not this the man they want to put to death?" they asked.  "And now he preaches publicly and no one has the words to say to him.  Have the Sanhedrin-Councillors recognized him as by Christ?"

This, however, was little more than a glimmering of the truth which now flashed upon some few Jews of the town, and for an instant; but it was as quickly overshadowed by their hasty prejudices.  The instructions of the Scribes recurred to their mind, how the Christ ought to appear unexpectedly,— His very origin was to be hidden,— and thus He should remain unknown in Israel, until of a sudden He would reveal Himself on the day when He should receive His Anointing at the hands of Elias.  

"As for this man," they said, "we know whence he is; but when the Christ shall come no one will know whence He comes."

Jesus would not permit this misleading tradition to dilute the popular mind any longer.  To those who would deny Him the dignity of the Christ, because they knew His home and kindred, He replied that over and above His earthly origin He had a mysterious beginning.

" I am not come of Myself," He said to them.  "He that sendeth Me does truly live; you do not know Him, but I know Him, because I am from Him and He has sent Me."

This sublime refutation greatly irritated the Jews; from the dumb, unreasoning resentment they passed to acts of violence, and endeavour to seize Jesus.  "And, notwithstanding, no man laid hands on Him, because His hour was not come." Moreover, there were many among those present who believed, and said:—

"When the Christ comes will He do more miracles than this man does?"

The respect shown Him by this section of the populace, their ever-increasing faith, the things which were whispered about in favour of Jesus,— all these taken together soon alarmed the Sanhedrin people, and they determined to act at once.  Some of their satellites were dispatched to lay hold upon the Galilean; but all that they were able to do was to mingle with the crowd of listeners, and discover that, though He was well aware of their intentions, He showed no signs of fear.  It was useless for His enemies to try to precipitate the fatal hour.  He declared "that He was to be with them for yet a little while, until the day when He was to return to His Father." Then indeed they would seek Him, no longer with wicked intent, but repentant and despairing, amid the ruins of Jerusalem.

"You shall seek Me and you shall not find Me," He said; "nor shall you be able to come there where I am."

"Where will he go," they had murmured among themselves, "that we may not find him?  Will he go to the Gentiles dispersed over the world?  Will he become a Doctor. Among them?" And they were at a loss to imagine what Jesus meant by saying this.

Meanwhile the festal celebrations were still progressing, and for the last time the Holy Waters had been poured out within the Temple.  It may be well to recall something of the significance of this symbolic alright, for on the morrow Jesus would allude to it.  Every morning during those seven days a priest descended to the well-spring of Siloë, and in a golden vessel drew up three measures of water from the fountain, with which he returned, bearing it before him in solemn state.  Upon his entrance within the porches the trumpets sounded, accompanying him with the wild clash of their symphonies, while he mounted to the highest step of the Altar; there two great jars had been already set forth, one made of silver, into which the ministering priest poured the water brought from Siloë; the other of gold, which he filled with wine.  These libations once performed, the whole people intoned the Hallel, waving their rustling palm branches, and giving way to such glad transports of feeling that the Rabbis tell us it is impossible for one who never witnessed it to conceive the universal sense of joy.

But on the eighth day this ceremony no longer took place; those who, in the early morning, ascended to the Temple to offer sacrifice, instead of the joyous songs and the chanting, found the religious stillness brooding over the Sanctuary.  This was the moment Jesus chose to explain the meaning of their sacred rite.

Standing in the centre of the porches He cried aloud:

"If any one thirst let him come to Me, and let him drink!  He that believeth in Me, as the Scripture sayeth: Out of his belly shall flow Rivers of living water!"

"He was speaking," adds the Evangelist, "of the Holy Spirit which his disciples were to receive;" and this, He promised the Jews, would no longer be like that weak spring water, but like a mighty river which should fill them with overflowing gifts of grace.

This utterance made a great impression upon the people; more than one heart waiting there had long yearned after waters which would not fleet away and vanish, like those of Siloë; and even so in their Sacred Oracles they had discerned a certain obscure inklings as to a promised never-failing Fountain, wherefrom the streams of truth should flow for all alike.  Had the hour at last arrived for that great marvel?  Many believed so.  Some were already saying, "Truly, this is of the Prophet!"

"It is the Christ!" They shouted.

But the Scribes sternly repressed these tokens of homage, everywhere objecting:—

"Is it possible that the Christ should come out of Galilee?  Do we not read in Scripture that He must be borne of the blood of David, and in the village of Bethlehem, where David dwelt?"

The multitude of common people knew not how to answer this argument, and began to share something of their teachers' resentment against Him; some indeed, much disquieted by the strong language of the doctors, were eager for arresting the Christ at once; others, however, took up the defence, and the latter must have been the more numerous because no one ventured to touch Him.  Even the guards commissioned to seize Him comprehended clearly enough that any act of violence would be likely to arouse this great concourse of people; they therefore returned to the Pontiffs and the Pharisees.  These frowned upon the officers in stern displeasure.

"Why have you not brought him here?" They said.

"Never man spoke like this man," replied the guard; and they went on to explain what command He exerted over the crowds.  But in their vexation the members of the Sanhedrinin loaded them with sarcastic queries.  

"So, then, you too our befooled by him, are you?  Is there a single one of the Magistrates and Pharisees who has believed in him?  As for these rabble, who know nothing of the Law, they are accursed."

Only one member of the Great Council ventured to utter a protest against this iniquitous action.  It was Nicodemus, the Scribe who once came by night to seek the Lord.  Ever since that time, when his heart was first touched by grace, though all too weak-souled to give himself up to its innermost promptings, he had always retained a secret love for the Master; now he spoke out with some feeling.

"Does our Law allow us to condemn a man without having heard him, and without knowing what he has done?"

Timid and mild as this defence was, it enraged the Sanhedrin.

"Ah, you too!  Are you a Galilean, then?" They shouted at him.  " Examine the Scriptures, and learn that no Prophet ever came out of Galilee."

Amid the storm of excitement these Doctors of Israel forgot that the country which they so despise had been, in truth, the fruitful mother of Prophets; for out of Thisbe had come Elias, and from the regions of the north, Jonas, Nahum, and Osee.  Such a season of blindness and heated passion left no opportunity for wiser counsels, and they broke up the sitting without determining upon anything definitely, each one returning to his own home.

Totus tuus ego sum 

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:
Ad Jesum per Mariam