the desire of ages-第96节

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th　from　himself　seeketh　his　own　glory：　but　he　that　seeketh　the　glory　of　Him　that　sent　him；　the　same　is　true；　and　no　unrighteousness　is　in　him。〃　John　7：18；　R。　V。　He　that　seeketh　his　own　glory　is　speaking　only　from　himself。　The　spirit　of　self…seeking　betrays　its　origin。　But　Christ　was　seeking　the　glory　of　God。　He　spoke　the　words　of　God。　This　was　the　evidence　of　His　authority　as　a　teacher　of　the　truth。

Jesus　gave　the　rabbis　an　evidence　of　His　divinity　by　showing　that　He　read　their　hearts。　Ever　since　the　healing　at　Bethesda　they　had　been　plotting　His　death。　Thus　they　were　themselves　breaking　the　law　which　they　professed　to　be　defending。　〃Did　not　Moses　give　you　the　law；〃　He　said；　〃and　yet　none　of　you　keepeth　the　law？　Why　go　ye　about　to　kill　Me？〃

Like　a　swift　flash　of　light　these　words　revealed　to　the　rabbis　the　pit　of　ruin　into　which　they　were　about　to　plunge。　For　an　instant　they　were　filled　with　terror。　They　saw　that　they　were　in　conflict　with　Infinite　Power。　But　they　would　not　be　warned。　In　order　to　maintain　their　influence　with　the　people；　their　murderous　designs　must　be　concealed。　Evading　the　question　of　Jesus；　they　exclaimed；　〃Thou　hast　a　devil：　who　goeth　about　to　kill　Thee？〃　They　insinuated　that　the　wonderful　works　of　Jesus　were　instigated　by　an　evil　spirit。

To　this　insinuation　Christ　gave　no　heed。　He　went　on　to　show　that　His　work　of　healing　at　Bethesda　was　in　harmony　with　the　Sabbath　law；　and　that　it　was　justified　by　the　interpretation　which　the　Jews　themselves　put　upon　the　law。　He　said；　〃Moses　therefore　gave　unto　you　circumcision；　。　。　。　and　ye　on　the　Sabbath　day　circumcise　a　man。〃　According　to　the　law；　every　child　must　be　circumcised　on　the　eighth　day。　Should　the　appointed　time　fall　upon　the　Sabbath；　the　rite　must　then　be　performed。　How　much　more　must　it　be　in　harmony　with　the

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spirit　of　the　law　to　make　a　man　〃every　whit　whole　on　the　Sabbath　day。〃　And　He　warned　them　to　〃judge　not　according　to　the　appearance；　but　judge　righteous　judgment。〃

The　rulers　were　silenced；　and　many　of　the　people　exclaimed；　〃Is　not　this　He；　whom　they　seek　to　kill？　But；　lo；　He　speaketh　boldly；　and　they　say　nothing　unto　Him。　Do　the　rulers　know　indeed　that　this　is　the　very　Christ？〃

Many　among　Christ's　hearers　who　were　dwellers　at　Jerusalem；　and　who　were　not　ignorant　of　the　plots　of　the　rulers　against　Him；　felt　themselves　drawn　to　Him　by　an　irresistible　power。　The　conviction　pressed　upon　them　that　He　was　the　Son　of　God。　But　Satan　was　ready　to　suggest　doubt；　and　for　this　the　way　was　prepared　by　their　own　erroneous　ideas　of　the　Messiah　and　His　coming。　It　was　generally　believed　that　Christ　would　be　born　at　Bethlehem；　but　that　after　a　time　He　would　disappear；　and　at　His　second　appearance　none　would　know　whence　He　came。　There　were　not　a　few　who　held　that　the　Messiah　would　have　no　natural　relationship　to　humanity。　And　because　the　popular　conception　of　the　glory　of　the　Messiah　was　not　met　by　Jesus　of　Nazareth；　many　gave　heed　to　the　suggestion；　〃Howbeit　we　know　this　Man　whence　He　is：　but　when　Christ　cometh；　no　man　knoweth　whence　He　is。〃

While　they　were　thus　wavering　between　doubt　and　faith；　Jesus　took　up　their　thoughts　and　answered　them：　〃Ye　both　know　Me；　and　ye　know　whence　I　am：　and　I　am　not　come　of　Myself；　but　He　that　sent　Me　is　true；　whom　ye　know　not。〃　They　claimed　a　knowledge　of　what　the　origin　of　Christ　should　be；　but　they　were　in　utter　ignorance　of　it。　If　they　had　lived　in　accordance　with　the　will　of　God；　they　would　have　known　His　Son　when　He　was　manifested　to　them。

The　hearers　could　not　but　understand　Christ's　words。　Clearly　they　were　a　repetition　of　the　claim　He　had　made　in　the　presence　of　the　Sanhedrin　many　months　before；　when　He　declared　Himself　the　Son　of　God。　As　the　rulers　then　tried　to　compass　His　death；　so　now　they　sought　to　take　Him；　but　they　were　prevented　by　an　unseen　power；　which　put　a　limit　to　their　rage；　saying　to　them；　Thus　far　shalt　thou　go；　and　no　farther。

Among　the　people　many　believed　on　Him；　and　they　said；　〃When　Christ　cometh；　will　He　do　more　miracles　than　these　which　this　Man　hath　done？〃　The　leaders　of　the　Pharisees；　who　were　anxiously　watching　the　course　of　events；　caught　the　expressions　of　sympathy　among　the　throng。　Hurrying　away　to　the　chief　priests；　they　laid　their　plans　to　arrest　Him。

458

They　arranged；　however；　to　take　Him　when　He　was　alone；　for　they　dared　not　seize　Him　in　the　presence　of　the　people。　Again　Jesus　made　it　manifest　that　He　read　their　purpose。　〃Yet　a　little　while　am　I　with　you；〃　He　said；　〃and　then　I　go　unto　Him　that　sent　Me。　Ye　shall　seek　Me；　and　shall　not　find　Me：　and　where　I　am；　thither　ye　cannot　come。〃　Soon　He　would　find　a　refuge　beyond　the　reach　of　their　scorn　and　hate。　He　would　ascend　to　the　Father；　to　be　again　the　Adored　of　the　angels；　and　thither　His　murderers　could　never　come。

Sneeringly　the　rabbis　said；　〃Whither　will　He　go；　that　we　shall　not　find　Him？　will　He　go　unto　the　dispersed　among　the　Gentiles；　and　teach　the　Gentiles？〃　Little　did　these　cavilers　dream　that　in　their　mocking　words　they　were　picturing　the　mission　of　the　Christ！　All　day　long　He　had　stretched　forth　His　hands　unto　a　disobedient　and　gainsaying　people；　yet　He　would　be　found　of　them　that　sought　Him　not；　among　a　people　that　had　not　called　upon　His　name　He　would　be　manifest。　Rom。　10：20；　21。

Many　who　were　convinced　that　Jesus　was　the　Son　of　God　were　misled　by　the　false　reasoning　of　the　priests　and　rabbis。　These　teachers　had　repeated　with　great　effect　the　prophecies　concerning　the　Messiah；　that　He　would　〃reign　in　Mount　Zion；　and　in　Jerusalem；　and　before　His　ancients　gloriously；〃　that　He　would　〃have　dominion　also　from　sea　to　sea；　and　from　the　river　unto　the　ends　of　the　earth。〃　Isa。　24：23；　Ps。　72：8。　Then　they　made　contemptuous　comparisons　between　the　glory　here　pictured　and　the　humble　appearance　of　Jesus。　The　very　words　of　prophecy　were　so　perverted　as　to　sanction　error。　Had　the　people　in　sincerity　studied　the　word　for　themselves；　they　would　not　have　been　misled。　The　sixty…first　chapter　of　Isaiah　testifies　that　Christ　was　to　do　the　very　work　He　did。　Chapter　fifty…three　sets　forth　His　rejection　and　sufferings　in　the　world；　and　chapter　fifty…nine　describes　the　character　of　the　priests　and　rabbis。

God　does　not　compel　men　to　give　up　their　unbelief。　Before　them　are　light　and　darkness；　truth　and　error。　It　is　for　them　to　decide　which　they　will　accept。　The　human　mind　is　endowed　with　power　to　discriminate　between　right　and　wrong。　God　designs　that　men　shall　not　decide　from　impulse；　but　from　weight　of　evidence；　carefully　comparing　scripture　with　scripture。　Had　the　Jews　laid　by　their　prejudice　and　compared　written　prophecy　with　the　facts　characterizing　the　life　of　Jesus；　they　would　have　perceived　a　beautiful　harmony　between　the　prophecies　and　their　fulfillment　in　the　life　and　ministry　of　the　lowly　Galilean。

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Many　are　deceived　today　in　the　same　way　as　were　the　Jews。　Religious　teachers　read　the　Bible　in　the　light　of　their　own　understanding　and　traditions；　and　the　people　do　not　search　the　Scriptures　for　themselves；　and　judge　for　themselves　as　to　what　is　truth；　but　they　yield　up　their　judgment；　and　commit　their　souls　to　their　leaders。　The　preaching　and　teaching　of　His　word　is　one　of　the　means　that　God　has　ordained　for　diffusing　light；　but　we　must　bring　every　man's　teaching　to　the　test　of　Scripture。　Whoever　will　prayerfully　study　the　Bible；　desiring　to　know　the　truth；　that　he　may　obey　it；　will　receive　divine　enlightenment。　He　will　understand　the　Scriptures。　〃If　any　man　willeth　to　do　His　will；　he　shall　know　of　the　teaching。〃　John　7：17；　R。　V。

On　the　last　day　of　the　feast；　the　officers　sent　out　by　the　priests　and　rulers　to　arrest　Jesus；　returned　without　Him。　They　were　angrily　questioned；　〃Why　have　ye　not　brought　Him？〃　With　solemn　countenance　they　answered；　〃Never　man　spake　like　this　Man。〃

Hardened　as　were　their　hearts；　they　were　melted　by　His　words。　While　He　was　speaking　in　the　temple　court；　they　had　lingered　near；　to　catch　something　that　might　be　turned　against　Him。　But　as　they　listened；　the　purpose　for　which　they　had　been　sent　was　forgotten。　They　stood　as　men　entranced。　Christ　revealed　Himself　to　their　souls。　They　saw　that　which　priests　and　rulers　would　not　see；humanity　flooded　with　the　glory　of　divinity。　They　returned；　so　filled　with　this　thought；　so　impressed　by　His　words；　that　to　the　inquiry；　〃Why　have　ye　not　brought　Him？〃　they　could　only　reply；　〃Never　man　spake　like　this　Man。〃

The　priests　and　rulers；　on　first　coming　into　the　presence　of　Christ；　had　felt　the　same　conviction。　Their　hearts　were　deeply　moved；　and　the　thought　was　forced　upon　them；　〃Never　man　spake　like　this　Man。〃　But　they　had　stifled　the　conviction　of　the　Holy　Spirit。　Now；　enraged　that　even　the　instruments　of　the　law　should　be　influenced　by　the　hated　Galilean；　they　cried；　〃Are　ye　also　deceived？　Have　any　of　the　rulers　or　of　the　Pharisees　believed　on　Him？　But　this　people　who　knoweth　not　the　law　are　cursed。〃

Those　to　whom　the　message　of　truth　is　spoken　seldom　ask；　〃Is　it　true？〃　but；　〃By　whom　is　it　advocated？〃　Multitudes　estimate　it　by　the　numbers　who　accept　it；　and　the　question　is　still　asked；　〃Have　any　of　the