THE DISCIPLES OF THE BAPTIST 1. Tours of Jesus after dismissing His apostles. The apostles started on their mission about five weeks before the second Passover of the ministry (28 a.d.) and were away about a month. Jesus spent the interval partly in Galilee and partly in Jerusalem, whither he went... [ Continue Reading ]
SENT TWO OF HIS DISCIPLES] RV 'sent by his disciples' Only St. Luke gives the number.... [ Continue Reading ]
DEPUTATION FROM THE BAPTIST (Luke 7:18). John, knowing that his end was near, and that many of his disciples were jealous of the success of the new teacher, and disbelieved His claims, sent certain of them to Jesus, that by seeing His works and hearing His words they might be convinced of His Messia... [ Continue Reading ]
See Isaiah 61:1 and Isaiah 35:5. THE DEAD ARE RAISED UP] This implies a larger number of such miracles than the three mentioned in the Gospels. St. Luke appropriately places the deputation immediately after the raising of the widow's son. THE POOR HAVE THE GOSPEL, etc.] Some translate this 'the poor... [ Continue Reading ]
Blessed is he who, in spite of all hindrances, shall find himself able to believe in me as the Messiah.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PRAISE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST (Luke 7:24). Lest the purpose of the question of John, 'Art thou he that should come?' should be misunderstood, Jesus hastens to assure the people that JOHN IS NO REED SHAKEN BY THE WIND, who does not know his own mind, but a prophet, and more than a prophet. He then d... [ Continue Reading ]
John was no sycophant or flatterer, making friends with the great and wealthy for the sake of sharing their luxury and ostentation.... [ Continue Reading ]
RV 'But wherefore went ye out? To see a prophet?' MORE THAN A PROPHET] John was more than a prophet, (1) because of his personal relation to Jesus as His Forerunner; (2) because he actually pointed out and baptised Jesus; (3) because his teaching was a nearer approach to the teaching of Jesus than t... [ Continue Reading ]
BEFORE THY FACE] In the original of Malachi 3:1, from which these words are taken, Jehovah Himself speaks of His own coming, 'Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before _me._' All the evangelists change this into an address of Jehovah to the Messiah, 'shall prepare thy way... [ Continue Reading ]
HE THAT IS LEAST] Jesus means that the meanest and least endowed Christian is greater in privilege than the greatest men of the Old Dispensation. The Baptist, though so near the kingdom, was not within it. 12, 13. St. Luke introduces these vv. in a quite different connexion: see Luke 16:16 (a rebuk... [ Continue Reading ]
FROM THE DAYS OF JOHN] Jesus gives John the credit for the multitudes of repentant sinners who are now crowding into the kingdom, and in their eagerness to enter may be compared to soldiers attempting to storm a town.... [ Continue Reading ]
The preparatory dispensation of the Law and the Prophets lasted till John. John first announced the kingdom as something present.... [ Continue Reading ]
Jesus states, as again in Matthew 17:12 (cp. Luke 1:17), that John was the Elijah whom the Jews expected in accordance with Malachi 4:5. He hints that they may be unwilling to believe it, partly because of the position in which John now is, but more particularly because they expected a personal retu... [ Continue Reading ]
HE THAT HATH EARS] A frequent observation of Jesus, indicating that only those whose hearts are prepared can receive spiritual truth (Matthew 13:9; Luke 8:8; Revelation 2:7, etc.). 16-18. Jesus rebukes 'this generation,' i.e. the Pharisees and scribes (see Lk), who are pleased with neither John nor... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT WISDOM IS (or, 'was') JUSTIFIED OF HER CHILDREN] i.e. the superiority of the religion of the Baptist and of Jesus is proved by the lives of their disciples, which show more signs of genuine piety than those of the Pharisees. 'Wisdom' is here the religion of John and of Christ. 'Her children' are... [ Continue Reading ]
THE WOES UPON CHORAZIN, BETHSAIDA, AND CAPERNAUM(Luke 10:12 cp. Matthew 10:15). These were the cities in which 'most of His mighty works were done,' and yet nothing is said in the Gospels of any ministry at Chorazin, and of Bethsaida we only know that the five thousand were fed there. Chorazin lay 4... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THOU, CAPERNAUM] Jesus adapts to Capernaum the prophecy of Isaiah (Isaiah 14:13) upon Babylon and its king. SHALT BE BROUGHT DOWN TO HELL] (lit. 'Hades'). In themselves the words might simply mean that Capernaum shall cease to be a city and become desolate, as it is at present; but the context s... [ Continue Reading ]
See on Matthew 10:15.... [ Continue Reading ]
AT THAT TIME] Since St. Luke connects this utterance with the return of the Seventy, which he alone records, it is probable that St. Matthew intends to connect it with the return of the Twelve, which, however, he does not mention. Yet he implies it, for at the beginning of the next chapter the Twelv... [ Continue Reading ]
CHRIST'S RELATION TO THE FATHER AND TO MANKIND (Luke 10:21). A sublime utterance, this 'pearl of the sayings of Jesus' (Keim), 'one of the purest and most genuine,' 'one of Johannean splendour' (Meyer), 'an aërolite from the Johannean heaven' (Hase). As a rule in the synoptists the relation of Jesus... [ Continue Reading ]
ALL THINGS ARE (or 'were,' or 'have been') DELIVERED UNTO ME OF MY FATHER] Having just called the Father 'Lord of heaven and earth' (Matthew 11:25), He now declares that the same authority belongs to Himself, because all created things have been committed to Him by God. This supreme authority over t... [ Continue Reading ]
COME UNTO ME] He does not say 'unto God,' but 'unto Me,' making Himself the dispenser of grace and the centre of Christian devotion. THAT LABOUR] that find life a toil to them. ARE HEAVY LADEN] with the burden of sin, from which they can find no relief in the unspiritual and burdensome ordinances of... [ Continue Reading ]
TAKE MY YOKE UPON YOU] My yoke does not consist of a multitude of burdensome ordinances like that of the Law and of the Pharisees. It can hardly be called a yoke at all, it is so light. True, there are certain ordinances which every Christian must observe, but they are few and simple. The essence of... [ Continue Reading ]