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50 - The Desire of Ages - Ellen Gould · Philosophy and Faith

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Among snares. All the while Jesus was at Jerusalem during the feast, he
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was shadowed by spies. Day after day, new schemes to silence him were
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tried. The priests and rulers were watching to entrap him. They were planning
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to stop him by violence. But this was not all they wanted to humble
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this Galilean rabbi before the people. On the first day of his presence the
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feast, the rulers had come to him demanding by what authority he taught.
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They wished to divert attention from him to the question of his right to teach,
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and thus to their own importance and authority. My teaching is not mine,
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said Jesus, but his that sent me. If any man willeth to
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do his will, he shall know of the teaching, whether it be of
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God or whether I speak from myself. John seven, sixteen seventeen r v.
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The question of these cavillers, Jesus met not by answering the cavil but
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by opening up truth, vital to the salvation of the soul. The perception
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and appreciation of truth, he said, depends less upon the mind than upon
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the heart. Truth must be received into the soul, it claims the homage
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of the will. If truth could be submitted to the reason alone, pride
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would be no hindrance in the way of its reception. But it is to
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be received through the work of grace in the heart, and its reception depends
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upon the renunciation of every sin. That the Spirit of God reveals. Man's
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advantages for obtaining a knowledge of the truth, however great these may be,
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will prove of no benefit to him unless the heart is open to receive the
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truth, and there is a conscientious surrender of every habit and practice that is
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opposed to its principles. To those who thus yield themselves to God, having
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an honest desire to know and to do His will, the truth is revealed
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as the power of God for their salvation. These will be able to distinguish
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between him who speaks for God and him who speaks merely from himself. The
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Pharisees had not put their will on the side of God's will. They were
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not seeking to know the truth, but to find some excuse for evading it.
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Christ showed that this was why they did not understand his teaching. He
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now gave them a test by which the true teacher might be distinguished from the
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deceiver. He that speaketh from himself seeketh his own glory. But he that
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seeketh the glory of Him that sent him, the same is true, and
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no unrighteousness is in him. John seven eighteen rve. He that seeketh his
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own glory is speaking only from himself. The spirit of self seeking betrays its
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origin. But Christ was seeking the glory of God. He spoke the words
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of God. This was the evidence of his authority as a teacher of the
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truth. Jesus gave the rabbis an evidence of his divinity by showing that he
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read their hearts. Ever since the healing of Besta, they had been plotting
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his death. Thus they were themselves breaking the law which they professed to be
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defending. Did not Moses give you the law? He said, And yet
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none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me?
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Like a swift flash of light, these words revealed to the rabbis the pit
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of ruin into which they were about to plunge. For an instant they were
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filled a terror. They saw that they were in conflict with infinite power,
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but they would not be warned in order to maintain their influence with the people,
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their murderous designs must be concealed. Evading the question of Jesus, they
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exclaimed, thou hast a devil who goeth about to kill thee They insinuated that
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the wonderful works of Jesus were instigated by an evil spirit. To this insinuation,
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Christ gave no heed. He went on to show that his work of
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healing at besta was in harmony with the Sabbath law, and that it was
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justified by the interpretation which the Jews themselves put upon the law. He said,
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Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision, and ye, on the Sabbath day,
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circumcise a man. According to the law, every child must be circumcised
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on the eighth day. Should the appointed time fall upon the Sabbath, the
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rite must then be performed. How much more must it be in harmony with
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the spirit of the law to make a man every whit whole on the Sabbath
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day? And he warned them to judge not according to the appearance, but
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judge righteous judgment. The rulers were silenced, and many of the people exclaimed,
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is not this he whom they seek to kill? But lo he speaketh
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boldly, and they say nothing unto him. Do the rulers know indeed,
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that this is the very Christ. Many among christ Hearers, who were dwellers
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at Jerusalem, and who were not ignorant of the plots of the rulers against
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him, felt themselves drawn to him by an irresistible power. The conviction pressed
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upon them that he was the son of God. But Satan was ready to
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suggest doubt. And for this the way was prepared by their own erroneous ideas
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of the Messiah and his coming. It was generally believed that Christ would be
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born at Bethlehem, but that after a time he would disappear, and at
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his second appearance none would know whence he came. There were not a few
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who held that the Messiah would have no natural relationship to humanity. And because
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the popular conception of the glory of the Messiah was not met by Jesus and
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Nazareth, many gave heed to the suggestion, howbeit we know this man whence
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he is, But when Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence he is.
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While they were thus wavering between doubt and faith, Jesus took up their thoughts
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and answered them, ye both know me, and ye know whence I am
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and I am not come of myself. But he that sent me is true,
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whom ye know not. They claimed a knowledge of what the origin of
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Christ should be, but they were in utter ignorance of it. If they
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had lived in accordance with the will of God, they would have known his
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son when he was manifest to them. The hearers could not but understand Christ's
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words clearly. They were a repetition of the claim he had made in the
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presence of the Sanhedron many months before, when he declared himself the son of
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God. As the rulers then tried to compass his death, so now they
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sought to take him, but they were prevented by an unseen power, which
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put a limit to their rage, saying to them, thus far shalt thou
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go, and no further. Among the people many believed on him, and
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they said, when Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these which
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this man hath done. The leaders of the Pharisees, who were anxiously watching
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the course of events, caught the expressions of sympathy among the throng. Hurrying
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away to the chief priest, they laid their plans to arrest him. They
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arranged, however, to take him when he was alone, for they dared
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not seize him in the presence of the people. Again, Jesus made it
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manifest that he read their purpose. Yet a little while I am with you,
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he said, And then I go unto him that sent me. Ye
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shall seek me and shall not find me. And where I am, thither
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ye cannot come. Soon he would find a refuge beyond the reach of their
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scorn and hate. He would ascend to the Father to be again the adored
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of the angels, and thither his murderers could never come. Sneeringly, the
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rabbi said, whither will he go that we shall not find him? Will
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he go unto the dispersed among the gentiles and teach the gentiles. Little did
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these cavillers dream that in their mocking words they were picturing the mission of the
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Christ. All day long he had stretched forth his hand unto a disobedient and
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gainsaying people. Yet he would be found of them that sought him, not
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among a people that had not called upon his name. He would be manifest
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Romans ten, twenty twenty one. Many who were convinced that Jesus was the
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Son of God, were misled by the false reasoning of the priests and rabbis.
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These teachers had repeated with great effect the prophecies concerning the Messiah, that
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he would reign in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously,
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that he would have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the
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river unto the ends of the earth Isaiah twenty four, twenty three, Psalm
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seventy two eight. Then they made contemptuous comparisons between the glory here pictured and
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the humble appearance of Jesus. The very words of prophecy were so perverted as
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to sanction error. Had the people, in sincerity steadied the word for themselves,
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they would not have been misled. The sixty first chapter of Isaiah testifies
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that Christ was to do the very work he did. Chapter fifty three sets
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forth his rejection and sufferings in the world, and chapter fifty nine describes the
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character of the priests and rabbis. God does not compel men to give up
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their unbelief. Before them are light and darkness, truth and error. It
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is for them to decide which they will accept. The human mind is endowed
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with power to discriminate between right and wrong. God designs that men shall not
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decide from impulse, but from weight of evidence, carefully comparing scripture with scripture.
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Had the Jews laid by their prejudice and compared written prophecy with the facts
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characterizing the life of Jesus, they would have perceived a beautiful harmony between the
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prophecies and their fulfillment in the life and ministry of the lowly Galilean. Many
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are deceived to day in the same way as where the Jews. Religious teachers
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read the Bible and the light of their own understanding and traditions, and the
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people do not search the scriptures for themselves and judge for themselves as to what
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is truth, but they yield up their judgment and commit their souls to their
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leaders. The preaching and teaching of His word is one of the means that
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God has ordained for diffusing light. But we must bring every man's teaching to
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the test of scripture. Whoever will prayerfully study the Bible, desiring to know
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the truth that he may obey it, will receive divine enlightenment. He will
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understand the scriptures. If any man willeth to do his will he shall know
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of the teaching John seven seventeen r V. On the last day of the
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feast, the officers sent out by the priests and rulers to arrest Jesus returned
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without him. They were angrily questioned, why have ye not brought him?
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With solemn countenance, they answered, never man spake like this man. Hardened
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as were their hearts, they were melted by his words. While he was
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speaking in the temple court, they had lingered in near to catch something that
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might be turned against him. But as they listened, the purpose for which
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they had been sent was forgotten. They stood as men entranced. Christ revealed
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himself to their souls. They saw that which priests and rulers would not see,
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humanity flooded with the glory of divinity. They returned so filled with his
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thought, so impressed by his words, that to the inquiry why have you
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not brought him? They could only reply, never man spake like this man.
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The priests and rulers, on first coming into the presence of Christ,
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had felt the same conviction. Their hearts were deeply moved, and the thought
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was forced upon them, never man spake like this man. But they had
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stifled the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Now enraged that even the instruments of
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the law should be influenced by the hated Galilean, they cried, are ye
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also deceived? Have any of the rulers or of the pharisees believed on him?
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But this people who knoweth not the law cursed? Those to whom the
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message of truth is spoken seldom ask is it true? But by whom is
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it advocated? Multitudes estimate it by the numbers who accept it, and the
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question is still asked, have any of the learned men or religious leaders believed?
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Men are no more favorable to real godliness now than in the days of
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Christ. They are just as intently seeking earthly good, to the neglect of
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eternal riches. And it is not an argument against the truth that large numbers
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are not ready to accept it, or that it is not received by the
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world's great men, or even by the religious leaders. Again, the priests
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and rulers proceeded to lay plans for arresting Jesus. It was urged that if
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he were longer left at liberty, he would draw the people away from the
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established leaders, and the only safe course was to silence him without delay.
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In the full tide of their discussion, they were suddenly checked. Nicodemus questioned,
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doth our law judge any man before it hear him, and know what
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he doeth? Silence fell on the assembly. The words of Nicodemus came home
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to their consciences. They could not condemn a man unheard. But it was
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not for this reason alone that the haughty rulers remained silent, gazing at him
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who had dared to speak in favor of justice. They were startled and chagrined
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that one of their own number had been so far impressed by the character of
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Jesus as to speak a word in his defense. Recovering from their astonishment,
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they addressed Nicodemus with cutting sarcasm, art thou also of Galilee, search and
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look for out of Galilee ariseth no profit. Yet the protests resulted in staying
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the proceedings of the council. The rulers were unable to carry out their purpose
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and condemn Jesus without a hearing. Defeated for the time, every man went
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unto his own house. Jesus went unto the mount of Olives. From the
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excitement and confusion of the city, from the eager crowds and the treacherous rabbis.
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Jesus turned away to the quiet of the olive grove, where he could
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be alone with God. But in the early morning he returned to the temple,
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and as the people gathered about him, he set down and taught them.
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He was soon interrupted. A group of pharisees and scribes approached him,
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dragging with them a terror stricken woman, whom, with hard, eager voices
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they accused of having violated the seventh Commandment, having pushed her into the presence
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of Jesus, they said to him, with a hypocritical show of respect,
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Moses in the law commanded us that such should be stoned. But what sayst
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thou? Their pretended reverence veiled a deep laid plot for his ruin. They
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had seized upon this opportunity to secure his condemnation, thinking that whatever decision he
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might make, they would find occasion to accuse him. Should he acquit the
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woman, he might be charged with despising the law of Moses. Should he
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declare her worthy of death, he could be accused of the Romans as one
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who was assuming authority that belonged only to them. Jesus looked for a moment,
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upon the scene the trembling victim in her shame, the hard faced dignitaries,
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devoid of even human pity, His spirit of stainless purity shrank from the
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spectacle. Well he knew for what purpose this case had been brought to him.
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He read the heart, and knew the character and life history of every
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one in his presence. These would be guardians of justice, had themselves led
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their victim into sin, that they might lay a snare for Jesus. Giving
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no sign that he had heard their question, he stooped, and, fixing
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his eyes upon the ground, began to write in the dust. Impatient at
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his delay and apparent indifference, the accusers drew nearer, urging the matter upon
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his attention. But as their eyes, following those of Jesus, fell upon
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the pavement at his feet, their countenances changed. There Traced before them were
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the guilty secrets of their own lives. The people looking on saw the sudden
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change of expression, and pressed forward to discover what it was was that they
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were regarding with such astonishment and shame. With all their professions of reverence for
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the law, these rabbis, in bringing the charge against the woman were disregarding
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its provisions. It was the husband's duty to take action against her, and
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the guilty parties were to be punished equally. The action of the accusers was
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wholly unauthorized. Jesus, however, met them on their own ground. The
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law specified that in punishment by stoning, the witness in the case should be
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the first to cast a stone. Now, rising and fixing his eyes upon
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the plotting elders, Jesus said, he that is without sin among you,
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let him first cast a stone at her, And stooping down, he continued
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riding on the ground. He had not set aside the law given through Moses,
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nor infringed upon the authority of Rome. The accusers had been defeated.
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Now their robe of pretended holiness torn from them, they stood guilty and condemned.
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In the presence of inn definite purity. They trembled lest the hidden iniquity
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of their lives should be laid open to the multitude. And one by one,
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with bowed heads and downcast eyes, they stole away, leaving their victim
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with the pitying savior. Jesus arose and looking at the woman, said,
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woman, where are those thine accusers? Hath no man condemned thee She said,
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no man, Lord, and Jesus said, unto her, neither do
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I condemn thee go and sin no more. The woman had stood before Jesus,
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cowering with fear. His words, he that is without sin among you,
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let him first cast a stone had come to her as a death sentence.
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She dared not lift her eyes to the Saviour's face, but silently awaited
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her doom. In astonishment, she saw her accusers depart, speechless and confounded.
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Then those words of hope fell upon her ear. Neither do I condemn
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thee go and sin no more more. Her heart was melted, and she
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cast herself at the feet of Jesus, sobbing out her grateful love, and
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with bitter tears, confessing her sins. This was to her the beginning of
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a new life, a life of purity and peace, devoted to the service
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of God. In the uplifting of this fallen soul, Jesus performed a greater
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miracle than in healing the most grievous physical disease. He cured the spiritual malady,
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which is unto death everlasting. This penitent woman became one of his most
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steadfast followers with self sacrificing love and devotion. She repaid his forgiving mercy in
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his act of pardoning this woman and encouraging her to live a better life.
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The character of Jesus shines forth in the beauty of perfect righteousness. While he
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does not palliate sin nor lessen the sense of guilt. He seeks not to
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condemn, but to save the world had for this erring woman only contempt and
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scorn, but Jesus speaks words of comfort and hope. The sinless one pities
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the weakness of the sinner and reaches to her a helping hand, while the
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hypocritical pharisees denounce, Jesus bids her go and sin no more. It is
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not Christ's follower that, with averted eyes, turns from the erring, leaving
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them unhindered to pursue their downward course. Those who are forward in accusing others
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and zealous in bringing them to justice, are often in their own lives more
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guilty than they. Men hate the sinner while they love the sin. Christ
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hates a sin, but loves the sinner. This will be the spirit of
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all who follow him. Christian love is slow to censure quick to discern penitence,
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ready to forgive, to encourage, to set the wanderer in the path
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of holiness, and to stay his feet Therein into chapter fifty,