the desire of ages-第131节

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and　the　poor；　in　order　to　build　expensive　monuments　for　the　dead。　Time；　money；　and　labor　are　freely　spent　for　this　purpose；　while　duties　to　the　livingduties　which　Christ　has　plainly　enjoinedare　left　undone。

The　Pharisees　built　the　tombs　of　the　prophets；　and　adorned　their　sepulchers；　and　said　one　to　another；　If　we　had　lived　in　the　days　of　our　fathers；　we　would　not　have　united　with　them　in　shedding　the　blood　of　God's　servants。　At　the　same　time　they　were　planning　to　take　the　life　of　His　Son。　This　should　be　a　lesson　to　us。　It　should　open　our　eyes　to　the　power　of　Satan　to　deceive　the　mind　that　turns　from　the　light　of　truth。　Many　follow　in　the　track　of　the　Pharisees。　They　revere　those　who　have　died　for　their　faith。　They　wonder　at　the　blindness　of　the　Jews　in　rejecting　Christ。　Had　we　lived　in　His　day；　they　declare；　we　would　gladly　have　received　His　teaching；　we　would　never　have　been　partakers　in　the　guilt　of　those　who　rejected　the　Saviour。　But　when　obedience　to　God　requires　self…denial　and　humiliation；　these　very　persons　stifle　their　convictions；　and　refuse　obedience。　Thus　they　manifest　the　same　spirit　as　did　the　Pharisees　whom　Christ　condemned。

Little　did　the　Jews　realize　the　terrible　responsibility　involved　in　rejecting　Christ。　From　the　time　when　the　first　innocent　blood　was　shed；　when　righteous　Abel　fell　by　the　hand　of　Cain；　the　same　history　had　been　repeated；　with　increasing　guilt。　In　every　age　prophets　had　lifted　up　their　voices　against　the　sins　of　kings；　rulers；　and　people；　speaking　the　words　which　God　gave　them；　and　obeying　His　will　at　the　peril　of　their　lives。　From　generation　to　generation　there　had　been　heaping　up　a　terrible　punishment　for　the　rejecters　of　light　and　truth。　This　the　enemies　of　Christ　were　now　drawing　down　upon　their　own　heads。　The　sin　of　the　priests　and　rulers　was　greater　than　that　of　any　preceding　generation。　By　their　rejection　of　the　Saviour；　they　were　making　themselves　responsible

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for　the　blood　of　all　the　righteous　men　slain　from　Abel　to　Christ。　They　were　about　to　fill　to　overflowing　their　cup　of　iniquity。　And　soon　it　was　to　be　poured　upon　their　heads　in　retributive　justice。　Of　this；　Jesus　warned　them：

〃That　upon　you　may　come　all　the　righteous　blood　shed　upon　the　earth；　from　the　blood　of　righteous　Abel　unto　the　blood　of　Zacharias　son　of　Barachias；　whom　ye　slew　between　the　temple　and　the　altar。　Verily　I　say　unto　you；　All　these　things　shall　come　upon　this　generation。〃

The　scribes　and　Pharisees　who　listened　to　Jesus　knew　that　His　words　were　true。　They　knew　how　the　prophet　Zacharias　had　been　slain。　While　the　words　of　warning　from　God　were　upon　his　lips；　a　satanic　fury　seized　the　apostate　king；　and　at　his　command　the　prophet　was　put　to　death。　His　blood　had　imprinted　itself　upon　the　very　stones　of　the　temple　court；　and　could　not　be　erased；　it　remained　to　bear　testimony　against　apostate　Israel。　As　long　as　the　temple　should　stand；　there　would　be　the　stain　of　that　righteous　blood；　crying　to　God　to　be　avenged。　As　Jesus　referred　to　these　fearful　sins；　a　thrill　of　horror　ran　through　the　multitude。

Looking　forward；　Jesus　declared　that　the　impenitence　of　the　Jews　and　their　intolerance　of　God's　servants　would　be　the　same　in　the　future　as　it　had　been　in　the　past：

〃Wherefore；　behold；　I　send　unto　you　prophets；　and　wise　men；　and　scribes：　and　some　of　them　ye　shall　kill　and　crucify；　and　some　of　them　shall　ye　scourge　in　your　synagogues；　and　persecute　them　from　city　to　city。〃　Prophets　and　wise　men；　full　of　faith　and　the　Holy　Ghost；Stephen；　James；　and　many　others；would　be　condemned　and　slain。　With　hand　uplifted　to　heaven；　and　a　divine　light　enshrouding　His　person；　Christ　spoke　as　a　judge　to　those　before　Him。　His　voice；　that　had　so　often　been　heard　in　gentleness　and　entreaty；　was　now　heard　in　rebuke　and　condemnation。　The　listeners　shuddered。　Never　was　the　impression　made　by　His　words　and　His　look　to　be　effaced。

Christ's　indignation　was　directed　against　the　hypocrisy；　the　gross　sins；　by　which　men　were　destroying　their　own　souls；　deceiving　the　people　and　dishonoring　God。　In　the　specious　deceptive　reasoning　of　the　priests　and　rulers　He　discerned　the　working　of　satanic　agencies。　Keen　and　searching　had　been　His　denunciation　of　sin；　but　He　spoke　no　words　of　retaliation。　He　had　a　holy　wrath　against　the　prince　of　darkness；　but　He　manifested　no　irritated　temper。　So　the　Christian　who　lives　in　harmony　with　God；　possessing　the　sweet　attributes　of　love　and　mercy；　will　feel　a　righteous

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indignation　against　sin；　but　he　will　not　be　roused　by　passion　to　revile　those　who　revile　him。　Even　in　meeting　those　who　are　moved　by　a　power　from　beneath　to　maintain　falsehood；　in　Christ　he　will　still　preserve　calmness　and　self…possession。

Divine　pity　marked　the　countenance　of　the　Son　of　God　as　He　cast　one　lingering　look　upon　the　temple　and　then　upon　His　hearers。　In　a　voice　choked　by　deep　anguish　of　heart　and　bitter　tears　He　exclaimed；　〃O　Jerusalem；　Jerusalem；　thou　that　killest　the　prophets；　and　stonest　them　which　are　sent　unto　thee；　how　often　would　I　have　gathered　thy　children　together；　even　as　a　hen　gathereth　her　chickens　under　her　wings；　and　ye　would　not！〃　This　is　the　separation　struggle。　In　the　lamentation　of　Christ　the　very　heart　of　God　is　pouring　itself　forth。　It　is　the　mysterious　farewell　of　the　long…suffering　love　of　the　Deity。

Pharisees　and　Sadducees　were　alike　silenced。　Jesus　summoned　His　disciples；　and　prepared　to　leave　the　temple；　not　as　one　defeated　and　forced　from　the　presence　of　his　adversaries；　but　as　one　whose　work　was　accomplished。　He　retired　a　victor　from　the　contest。

The　gems　of　truth　that　fell　from　Christ's　lips　on　that　eventful　day　were　treasured　in　many　hearts。　For　them　new　thoughts　started　into　life；　new　aspirations　were　awakened；　and　a　new　history　began。　After　the　crucifixion　and　resurrection　of　Christ；　these　persons　came　to　the　front；　and　fulfilled　their　divine　commission　with　a　wisdom　and　zeal　corresponding　to　the　greatness　of　the　work。　They　bore　a　message　that　appealed　to　the　hearts　of　men；　weakening　the　old　superstitions　that　had　long　dwarfed　the　lives　of　thousands。　Before　their　testimony　human　theories　and　philosophies　became　as　idle　fables。　Mighty　were　the　results　flowing　from　the　words　of　the　Saviour　to　that　wondering；　awestruck　crowd　in　the　temple　at　Jerusalem。

But　Israel　as　a　nation　had　divorced　herself　from　God。　The　natural　branches　of　the　olive　tree　were　broken　off。　Looking　for　the　last　time　upon　the　interior　of　the　temple；　Jesus　said　with　mournful　pathos；　〃Behold；　your　house　is　left　unto　you　desolate。　For　I　say　unto　you；　Ye　shall　not　see　Me　henceforth；　till　ye　shall　say；　Blessed　is　He　that　cometh　in　the　name　of　the　Lord。〃　Hitherto　He　had　called　the　temple　His　Father's　house；　but　now；　as　the　Son　of　God　should　pass　out　from　those　walls；　God's　presence　would　be　withdrawn　forever　from　the　temple　built　to　His　glory。　Henceforth　its　ceremonies　would　be　meaningless；　its　services　a　mockery。




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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Chapter　68

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　In　the　Outer　Court


And　there　were　certain　Greeks　among　them　that　came　up　to　worship　at　the　feast：　the　same　came　therefore　to　Philip；　which　was　of　Bethsaida　of　Galilee；　and　desired　him；　saying；　Sir；　we　would　see　Jesus。　Philip　cometh　and　telleth　Andrew：　and　again　Andrew　and　Philip　tell　Jesus。〃

At　this　time　Christ's　work　bore　the　appearance　of　cruel　defeat。　He　had　been　victor　in　the　controversy　with　the　priests　and　Pharisees；　but　it　was　evident　that　He　would　never　be　received　by　them　as　the　Messiah。　The　final　separation　had　come。　To　His　disciples　the　case　seemed　hopeless。　But　Christ　was　approaching　the　consummation　of　His　work。　The　great　event　which　concerned　not　only　the　Jewish　nation；　but　the　whole　world；　was　about　to　take　place。　When　Christ　heard　the　eager　request；　〃We　would　see　Jesus；〃　echoing　the　hungering　cry　of　the　world；　His　countenance　lighted　up；　and　He　said；　〃The　hour　is　come；　that　the　Son　of　man　should　be　glorified。〃　In　the　request　of　the　Greeks　He　saw　an　earnest　of　the　results　of　His　great　sacrifice。

These　men　came　from　the　West　to　find　the　Saviour　at　the　close　of　His　life；　as　the　wise　men　had　come　from　the　East　at　the　beginning。　At　the　time　of　Christ's　birth　the　Jewish　people　were　so　engrossed　with　their　own　ambitious　plans　that　they　knew　not　of　His　advent。　The　magi

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from　a　heathen　land　came　to　the　manger　with　their　gifts；　to　worship　the　Saviour。　So　these　Greeks；　representing　the　nations；　tribes；　and　peoples　of　the　world；　came　to　see　Jesus。　So　the　people　of　all　lands　and　all　ages　would　be　drawn　by　the　Saviour's　cross。　So　shall　many　〃come　from　the　east　and　west；　and　shall　sit　down　with　Abraham；　and　Isaac；　and　Jacob；　in　the　kingdom　of　heaven。〃　Matt。　8：11。

The　Greeks　had　heard　of　Christ's　triumphal　entry　into　Jerusalem。　Some　supposed；　and　had　circulated　the　report；　that　He　had　driven　the　priests　and　rulers　from　the　temple；　and　that　He　was　to　take　possession　of　David's　throne；　and　reign　as　king　of　Israel。　The　Greeks　longed　to　know　the　truth　in　regard　to　His　mission。　〃We　would　see　Jesus；〃　they　said。　Their　desire　was　granted。　When　the　request　was　brought