LECTURE VII.

In the 13th verse we learn the reason why Jesus did not continue long at Capernaum: The great passover feast was nigh, and the law of Moses ordered that every male should appear before the Lord at this season. (Ex. xxiii. 17. Deut. xvi. 16.) The feast was held in remembrance of the deliverance of Israel from Egypt, when the destroying angel, who slew the first born of the Egyptians, passed over the houses in which the Israelites were. (Exod. xii.) Now let us read:

CHAP. II. 13.

13. And the Jews' passover was at hand : and Jesus, who fulfilled all righteousness, went up to Jerusalem. 14. And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: 15. And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables; 16. And said unto them that sold doves, take these things hence; Luke 2.49. make not my Father's house a house of merchandise.

These animals might perhaps be sold, in the court of the temple, for sacrifice only;

but it wes made a matter of corrupt gain, of merchandise or trade. The money changers were those, who changed the money of strangers (money which would not pass in Jerusalem) for the money of the country; and they made an extravagant profit by it, even within the holy walls of the temple. The " whip" was a mere sign of authority; the hearts of these ungodly people were smitten and overawed, and were made to obey the command of Jesus. How strong is the love of money; how must it blind and deaden the conscience, when it could make these people follow it even into the house of God! How strong is the Lord, who can subdue and cast out his enemies by the weakest instruments ! It is remarkable, that a similar circumstance should have occurred Matt. 21.12. toward the end of our Lord's ministry, when He again drove these wicked Jews from the temple: it shewed the great concern of Jesus for the sanctuary and the pure worship of His Father; as we find indeed in ver. 17.

17. And his disciples remembered that Psalm 69. 9. it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up, has filled me with such anxiety, as to take up my mind and affections altogether.

Such was David's regard for the honour of God's house, such his "zeal" towards it: and he thus foreshewed the regard and zeal of

Christ for the temple and its worship, on this and other occasions.

18. Then answered the Jews and said unto him, what sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things.

They felt that He had a right, an authority; but they called upon Him to prove it by some sign or miracle. Perhaps they perceived that He was manifesting Himself as the Messiah; and they desired, on that account, some extraordinary sign to convince them, probably some sign in the heavens. Jesus declares that He would give them a great sign, namely that of His resurrection; and they should have no other: Thus in ver. 19.

Matt. 12.

38-40.

19. Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. 20. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, in being restored, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? 21. But he spake of the temple of his body, in which His heavenly spirit, His divine nature, dwelt as in a temple. The temple, in which God resided between the cherubims on the ark, was a type or emblem of Christ's body, in which the fulness of the Godhead dwelt. 22. When Col. 2. 9. therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture,

and the word which Jesus had said. Jesus had said "I will raise it up ;" I Myself will raise up My own dead body: then He could not have been a mere man; no mere man could raise his own body from the grave; Jesus therefore was God as well as man.

23. Now, when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did. They were persuaded, at that time, that He was the Messiah. 24. But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, did not trust them as His disciples, because he knew all men, 25. And needed not that 1 Chr. 28.3. any should testify of man, should shew Him Matt. 9.4. what men were, for he knew what was in

i Sam. 16. 7.

man. Jesus did not trust Himself and His cause with them; either because they were a fickle changeable people, easily led away by their rulers, and the root of the matter was not in them: or because they would have endeavoured to set Him up as a worldly temporal king, such as they expected the Messiah. to be. Jesus will trust those only who are to be trusted.

Do let us here again observe, how strongly the Godhead of Christ is pointed out to us: "He knew all men," "He knew what was in man," what was

in all mankind; their secret thoughts and intentions, their real principles and character. And who can have such knowledge but God? Hear what the Lord says of Himself in Jeremiah, hear the description which He gives of Himself, as belonging to none besides Him: "I the Lord, search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings." (Jer. xvii. 10.) This is just the power and prerogative, which Christ was exercising on the present occasion: He searched the heart of these people; He tried their reins, their innermost thoughts and desires; and He dealt with them accordingly. Jesus Christ now knows the hearts of all, as fully as He did when upon earth: He has known the hearts of all from the foundation of the world: He now knows what is passing within every one of us, and all that has ever passed since we were born and all that ever will pass, as long as we live. All things are naked and open to the eyes of that Saviour, (Heb. iv. 13.) with whom we have to do. How perfectly is He fitted to be the Saviour of men, who has such a perfect knowledge of all that belongeth to them, of all their necessities and wants, both spiritual and temporal, within and without! How fit also to be the Judge of all! Indeed, the just Judge of all mankind must needs be thoroughly acquainted with all men; not only with their words and actions, but with their true motives, their hidden sentiments and desires, their real inward character. Such is Jesus, all searching, all knowing: as it is said, "God

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