out to His disciples the prospect of a gracious remuneration for the sacrifices they had endured for His sake. If however we refer back to ch. ix. v. 30-1, we find our Saviour telling them, "The Son of Man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill Him, and after that He is killed, He shall rise the third day." These words, it is said, v. 32, the disciples "understood not, and were afraid to ask Him;" and, in the parallel passage, Matt. xvii. 23, we read they "were exceeding sorry." The language of our Lord was so plain, that they could not but comprehend its direct meaning. The point they were unable to understand, was doubtless how the Messiah, who, they thought, would speedily enter into His glory, could possibly die and suffer. The prediction they now heard greatly disappointed them, and appears to have dwelt upon their minds; and hence their astonishment at learning, that their Master, with these impressions, should still resolve to visit Jerusalem, the centre of danger; and should even go before them, as if eager to cast Himself into the midst of the fire. These considerations may to us, who soberly examine one Scripture by the light of another, well account for the * * See also John xi. 7, 8. amazement and fear which now seized upon our Lord's followers; but to careless or ordinary readers, they would be unlikely to occur: the passage would leave an uncertain impression on their minds-just that impression which a subtle deceiver would be assiduous to prevent. fate he anticipated: or 6. Although we have seen that the disciples were often perplexed and disheartened by our Saviour's announcement of His death and passion, the idea did not long dwell upon their mindsthey still strove to shut their eyes upon a suffering, and to cling to the image of a triumphant Messiah. They might have expected that their Lord's death was merely a parable or figure of speech-that legions of angels would appear to rescue Him from the at least, that He would at some period, notwithstanding, "restore again the kingdom to Israel." Thus Luke xix. 11., we find Jesus speaking a parable, "because He was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear." Now if we revert to chapter xviii. 31-33, it would appear that there was little in their Lord's conversation at this juncture, to encourage, but rather much to dispel their carnal hopes. There might however be some circumstances by which these hopes were sustained: 1. Our Lord's expression to Zaccheus immediately before, "This day is salvation come to this house," ver. 9. 2. The projected public entry of Christ into Jerusalem, which soon followed, and for which the disciples seemed to be prepared. 3. His mention of rising again' after His sufferings, however this was understood by His hearers. 4. Nor was it long before that the Pharisees had asked when the kingdom of God should come, and that Christ had, in reply, uttered a very remarkable prophecy of His second advent. In Luke xviii. 7,16,24, we may find intimations by which the same ideas may have been kept floating in the minds of the disciples. All this may have prepared them to expect that this eventful journey to Jerusalem, might at length, usher in the glory of the latter days. They appear however to have been, at this period, in a state of great uncertainty, carried about by every wind of doctrine.' now disturbed at the prospect of coming dangers, -now elated by bright but unwarrantable hopes -a state of feeling, which appears very naturally from disjointed remarks in the history, but no attempt is made to reconcile any seeming anomalies. 7. In Matt. xvi. 1-4. the Pharisees are represented as very urgent with Jesus, to "shew them a sign from heaven." In reply to this demand, He reminds them that the present dispensation disclosed signs the most convincing, to every mind which was not blinded by the film of prejudice and added that no sign should be given them, but "the sign of the prophet Jonas." These words must naturally have appeared an enigma to those who had heard no allusion to the subject before, and so must they appear an enigma to any cursory reader of the Bible. It is true those who would take the trouble to turn back to Matt. xii. 39, 40, might find that this sign related to a remarkable event which was to happen to Christ; "for, as Jonas," he declared, "was three days and three nights in the whale's belly, so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth:" but even these words must before the resurrection have appeared mysterious. The difficulty here is indeed very far from inexplicable, but it requires some investigation; and this a politic writer would be anxious to spare his readers. 8. Luke xxii. 47. A person who had read no other gospel than this, might be startled to find Judas drawing nigh to kiss his Master, at the moment when he was directing a hostile attack upon His person. It might have appeared sufficient, had he simply pointed him out to the multitude. Even our Saviour himself is represented as appearing surprised at the proceeding. Nevertheless we should search in vain for any comment upon it, in St. Luke, either here or elsewhere only the possessors of Matthew's or Mark's Gospel,* could learn the plan concerted between the chief priests and Judas, that whoso ever he might kiss, should be apprehended. The enemies of Christ were doubtless anxious to gain possession of his person, with as much quietness, certainty, and promptitude, as possible; but the circumstance appears too singular for a writer, studious of pleasing, to let it pass by without a word of explanation. 9. Luke xxiv. 49. In these words spoken just before his ascension, Jesus undertakes to send down upon his disciples what he terms the promiset of his Father: it is added, that they would soon be "endued with power from on high." Now where was this "promise" recorded? The very word is scarcely to be found elsewhere in St. Luke. Christians have indeed determined, with one consent, that the miraculous descent of the Holy Spirit is here to be understood; but it may be rather doubtful whether they could have collected this even from a careful examination of St. Luke's gospel alone. John the Baptist (Luke iii. 16) certainly declares that the wonderful Person, whose forerunner he was, would baptize with the Holy Ghost; but this could hardly have appeared to refer to the period succeeding our Saviour's death and resurrection. Again, Luke |