"Granny's Chapters" (on scriptural subjects): The New Testament, with a Sketch of the Subsequent History of the Jews

By Mary Lady Ross

This is a simplified version of the Bible's New Testament, intended to be read to children. The New Testament is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Christianity. It was originally written in the Koine Greek language, at different times by various authors. While the Old Testament canon varies somewhat between different Christian denominations, the 27-book canon of the New Testament has been almost universally recognized within Christianity since at least Late Antiquity.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Good Press
• Release date: Apr 26, 2021
• ISBN: 4064066129019

Book preview

Mary Lady Ross

Granny's Chapters (on scriptural subjects)

The New Testament, with a Sketch of the Subsequent History of the Jews

Published by Good Press, 2022

[e-mail]

EAN 4064066129019

Table of Contents

PART I.

Chapter I. —JOHN THE BAPTIST BORN.

Chapter II. —BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST.

Chapter III. —FLIGHT INTO EGYPT.

Chapter IV. —THE INNOCENTS.

Chapter V. —BAPTISM OF JESUS.

Chapter VI. —JESUS TEMPTED OF THE DEVIL

Chapter VII. —THE FIRST MIRACLE.

Chapter VIII. —NICODEMUS COMES BY NIGHT TO JESUS.

Chapter IX. —JOHN PUT INTO PRISON.

Chapter X. —CALLING OF SIMON AND OTHERS.

Chapter XI. —THE LEPER HEALED.

Chapter XII. —CALLING OF MATTHEW.

Chapter XIII. —THE PHARISEES' PRETENDED ZEAL FOR THE SABBATH.

Chapter XIV. —THE APOSTLES CHOSEN.

Chapter XV. —JESUS IN SIMON'S HOUSE.

Chapter XVI. —STILLING THE TEMPEST, ETC.

Chapter XVII. —DEATH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST.

Chapter XVIII. —THE WOMAN OF TYRE.

Chapter XIX. —THE TRANSFIGURATION.

Chapter XX. —JESUS GOES TO THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES.

Chapter XXI. —RETURN OF THE SEVENTY.

Chapter XXII. —THE LORD'S PRAYER.

Chapter XXIII. —HEALING OF THE MAN BORN BLIND.

Chapter XXIV. —JESUS'S LAST JOURNEY TO JERUSALEM.

Chapter XXV. —ZACCHÆUS AND LAZARUS.

Chapter XXVI. —JESUS IN THE HOUSE OF SIMON THE LEPER

Chapter XXVII. —CHRIST'S ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM.

Chapter XXVIII. —THE VOICE FROM HEAVEN.

Chapter XXIX. —DISCOURSES ON THE TUESDAY.

Chapter XXX. —WEDNESDAY—JUDAS COVENANTS TO BETRAY JESUS.

Chapter XXXI. —MODE OF CELEBRATING THE PASSOVER.

Chapter XXXII. —THE LAST SUPPER.

Chapter XXXIII. —JESUS IN THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE.

Chapter XXXIV. —JESUS BETRAYED.

Chapter XXXV. —JESUS TAKEN BEFORE ANNAS AND CAIAPHAS.

Chapter XXXVI. —JESUS CONDEMNED BY CAIAPHAS.

Chapter XXXVII. —PETER'S THIRD DENIAL.

Chapter XXXVIII. —JESUS SENT BY PILATE TO HEROD.

Chapter XXXIX. —JESUS CONDEMNED.

Chapter XL. —JESUS CONDEMNED BY PILATE.

Chapter XLI. —JESUS CRUCIFIED.

Chapter XLII. —CHRIST ON THE CROSS.

Chapter XLIII. —JESUS DIES.

Chapter XLIV. —JESUS RISES FROM THE SEPULCHRE.

Chapter XLV. —CHRIST APPEARS TO MARY MAGDALENE.

Chapter XLVI. —JESUS APPEARS TO THE DISCIPLES.

Chapter XLVII. —UNBELIEF OF THOMAS.

Chapter XLVIII. —JESUS TAKEN INTO HEAVEN.

PART II.

Chapter I. —THE GIFT OF THE HOLY GHOST.

Chapter II. —THE LAME MAN HEALED BY PETER AND JOHN.

Chapter III. —ANANIAS AND SAPPHIRA.

Chapter IV. —APPOINTMENT OF DEACONS.

Chapter V. —THE FIRST MARTYR, STEPHEN.

Chapter VI. —CONVERSION OF SAUL.

Chapter VII. —SAUL JOINS THE CHURCH AT JERUSALEM.

Chapter VIII. —PETER AND CORNELIUS.

Chapter IX. —PETER DELIVERED FROM PRISON.

Chapter X. —SAUL AND BARNABAS CALLED TO PREACH TO THE GENTILES.

Chapter XI. —SAUL'S NAME CHANGED TO PAUL.

Chapter XII. —ST. PAUL'S FIRST APOSTOLIC JOURNEY.

Chapter XIII. —DECISION OF THE CHURCH AS TO OBSERVING THE MOSAICAL LAW.

Chapter XIV. —PAUL AND SILAS AT PHILIPPI.

Chapter XV. —ST. PAUL LEAVES PHILIPPI.

Chapter XVI. —ST. PAUL BEFORE THE AREOPAGUS.

Chapter XVII. —ST. PAUL FINISHES HIS SECOND APOSTOLIC JOURNEY.

Chapter XVIII. —ST. PAUL AND THE SONS OF SCEVA.

Chapter XIX. —ST. PAUL AT EPHESUS.

Chapter XX. —ST. PAUL'S JOURNEY TO MILETUS.

Chapter XXI. —ST. PAUL GOES UP TO JERUSALEM.

Chapter XXII. —TUMULT AT JERUSALEM.

Chapter XXIII. —ST. PAUL BROUGHT BEFORE THE SANHEDRIM.

Chapter XXIV. —ST. PAUL SENT TO CÆSAREA.

Chapter XXV. —ST. PAUL ACCUSED BEFORE FELIX.

Chapter XXVI. —ST. PAUL BEFORE FESTUS.

Chapter XXVII. —ST. PAUL BEFORE AGRIPPA.

Chapter XXVIII. —ST. PAUL BEGINS HIS FOURTH VOYAGE.

Chapter XXIX. —THE SHIP RUNS AGROUND.

Chapter XXX. —THE SHIP'S COMPANY SAVED.

Chapter XXXI. —ST. PAUL A PRISONER AT ROME.

Chapter XXXII. —ST. PAUL SET AT LIBERTY.

Chapter XXXIII. —MARTYRDOM OF ST. PAUL AND ST. PETER.

Chapter XXXIV. —VESPASIAN SENT INTO JUDÆA.

Chapter XXXV. —DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM.

Chapter XXXVI. —ST. JOHN'S WRITINGS.

Chapter XXXVII. —THE DEATH OF ST. JOHN.

Chapter XXXVIII. —THE APOSTLES.

PART III.

Chapter I. —THE JEWS TO THE TIME OF THE EMPEROR ADRIAN.

Chapter II. —STATE OF THE JEWS TO THE END OF THE THIRD CENTURY.

Chapter III. —JEWS IN THE FOURTH CENTURY.

Chapter IV. —FIFTH AND SIXTH CENTURIES.

Chapter V. —RISE OF MAHOMETANISM.

Chapter VI. —TENTH AND ELEVENTH CENTURIES.

Chapter VII. —TWELFTH CENTURY.

Chapter VIII. —IMPOSTORS IN THE TWELFTH CENTURY.

Chapter IX. —THIRTEENTH CENTURY IN ENGLAND AND FRANCE.

Chapter X. —THIRTEENTH CENTURY CONCLUDED.

Chapter XI. —END OF THE FOURTEENTH CENTURY.

Chapter XII. —THE JEWS AND THE INQUISITION.

Chapter XIII. —TREATMENT OF THE JEWS BY FERDINAND.

Chapter XIV. —SEPARATION IN THE CHURCH.

Chapter XV. —SEVENTEENTH AND EIGHTEENTH CENTURIES.

Chapter XVI. —CONCLUSION.

PART I.

Table of Contents

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Chapter I.

—JOHN THE BAPTIST BORN.

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We

have now seen that the Sceptre had departed from Judah. The whole country was subject to the Romans, who had appointed Herod to govern it for them; and the time was now come when the blessed promises, that the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head, and that in the seed of Abraham all nations of the earth should be blessed, were to be fulfilled by the coming of the Messiah, the Son of God, Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Redeemer; born of a woman, that thus being as Man upon the earth, He might suffer for man, and make that atonement for man, which He could only make because He was the Son of God. Unless the Messiah had been at once God and Man, He could have been no Saviour for man; no mediator between a holy God and His sinful creatures.

Very soon after the death of Herod's sons, Alexander and Aristobulus, the last princes of the Asmonean family, the wonderful events related in the New Testament began to take place. No doubt we are all well acquainted with the story of the priest Zacharias, a good and holy man, who, whilst performing his duty in the house of God, saw an Angel standing on the right side of the altar of incense. Zacharias was an old man, and his wife Elisabeth was also an old woman, and therefore when the Angel told him that the Lord would work as great a miracle as He had done in Abraham's case, and give a son to Elisabeth, as He had given Isaac to Sarah, Zacharias must indeed have been greatly astonished.

The Angel moreover told Zacharias, that this child, whom God would give him, was to be named John; and that he should be in an especial manner guided and protected by the Holy Spirit, for that he was to be the messenger spoken of by prophets, as sent to prepare the way for the Messiah, and give notice of His coming. Such particulars should have overcome any doubts which Zacharias might at the first moment have felt; but his faith failed him, and therefore, considering only the impossibility of such an event happening without the special interposition of the Lord, he, guided by sight and not by faith, presumed to ask for some sign, to assure him that what the Angel spake would really come to pass.

This sinful unbelief was punished, even whilst his faithless request was granted; for Zacharias immediately lost the power of speaking, and remained speechless for many months: but his unbelief was gone, and he certainly made his wife Elisabeth acquainted with the promises and directions spoken by the Angel.

About six months after this appearance of the Angel Gabriel to Zacharias, He was sent from God, unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. The Angel told Mary, that she had been chosen by the Almighty to be the mother of the promised Messiah, whose birth was to be a miracle; inasmuch as He would have no earthly father, but should be called the Son of God. Gabriel also told Mary, that when she had brought forth her son, she should call His name Jesus; that is, a Saviour. Mary was greatly troubled when the Angel first spake to her, and when she expressed her wonder and astonishment, He comforted her, and told her that her cousin Elisabeth, the wife of Zacharias, was also about to become a mother; adding, For with God nothing shall be impossible. Mary's faith now showed itself, and she said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. Meaning that she was willing to serve the Lord in everything, and suffer whatever might come upon her in consequence. For, as she had no husband whom she could name as the father of her Child, she was liable to punishment. When Joseph, to whom Mary was espoused, or promised in marriage, found that she would have a Son, he was astonished, and had some thoughts of putting her away from being his wife; but being a just, or good and kind man, he meant to do this quietly and secretly, or privily, so as not to expose Mary to blame or punishment. But while he thought on these things, behold the Angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, and told him not to fear about taking Mary to be his wife, for that the Holy Spirit had worked a great miracle, and that Mary was to be the mother of the promised Messiah; and as the Angel had said to Mary herself, so He now repeated to Joseph, she shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus; for He shall save His people from their sins. Then all Joseph's doubts and fears were at an end: he did as the Angel bade him, and thus was looked upon by men as the father of Mary's holy Son, who had in truth no Father but God.

The Scripture tells us, Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel; which being interpreted is, God with us. That is, God taking the form and nature of man; living as man amongst men; dying as man for men. Emmanuel—God with us.

The next thing we read of is, that Mary arose and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Judah where Zacharias dwelt, that she might talk over with Elisabeth all those wonderful things which the angel Gabriel had said to her. And she entered into the house of Zacharias and saluted Elisabeth; who, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, spake out with a loud voice words that must have greatly comforted Mary. Elisabeth told her, that she was blessed among women in being chosen for the mother of the Messiah, and said, Whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? meaning that she was not worthy of the honour of receiving in her house one who was to be the mother of the Son of God. Elisabeth ended by commending Mary for her faith and trust, saying, blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.

Mary now uttered that beautiful hymn of praise, beginning, My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. A hymn familiar to us all, as part of our Liturgy, or form of public worship, used in our Churches. This hymn, called The Magnificat, is said or sung after the first Lesson in the Evening Service.

Mary abode with her cousin for about three months, and then returned to her own home, at Nazareth, in Galilee. Not long after Mary's departure, John the Baptist was born; Elisabeth brought forth a son. And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had showed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her. And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and give him a name, as amongst us is done in Baptism; for Baptism in the Christian Church, takes the place of Circumcision in the Jewish Church.

When the friends of Zacharias wished to give the infant his father's name, Elisabeth spoke out at once, and said, He shall be called John. This surprised them so much, that they at once asked Zacharias how he would have him called. Zacharias immediately, by signs, asked for a writing-table, or rather for a tablet, upon which to write, and then wrote down, His name is John. And they marvelled all. They must have marvelled, or wondered, still more, when suddenly Zacharias recovered his power of speaking; for his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake and praised God. Now he could tell all that had happened to him, and how his unbelief in the Angel's promise had been punished by temporary dumbness. And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judæa: and all they that heard these things laid them up in their hearts: took notice of them, and remembered them, saying, What manner of child shall this be! The extraordinary events connected with the birth of John, made all men believe that a child so born must be intended to do great things during his lifetime. Zacharias, inspired by the Holy Spirit, then uttered the hymn called The Benedictus, sometimes said in our Churches after the second Lesson in the Morning Service, instead of the Psalm (c.), Jubilate Deo, also belonging to our Liturgy. In this hymn, Zacharias praised and blessed God for the coming of the Saviour; and then, addressing the unconscious infant John, he foretold that he should be the messenger to prepare the way of the Lord Jesus Christ, and incline men to listen to, and believe in, Him.

Of John's infancy and childhood we are told nothing, except that he grew in body, and waxed strong in spirit, and that the hand of the Lord was with him. And he was in the deserts till the day of his showing unto Israel. He passed a quiet and retired life, until he was called upon to baptize the people, and point to the Son of Mary as the Son of God; the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world.

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Chapter II.

—BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST.

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Mary

and her husband Joseph lived at Nazareth, a town in Galilee not far from the lake of Tiberias, or Sea of Galilee; and the prophets had declared that the Messiah should be born in Bethlehem of Judah, a small place to the South of Jerusalem, nearly a hundred miles from Nazareth. That Mary should take such a long journey to a strange place, instead of staying quietly at home until her Child was born, was the most unlikely thing that could well be imagined. Here, therefore, we again see how wonderfully the Lord rules all things, and makes use of people who know nothing of Him, to do what He wills should be done. God now made use of a heathen Emperor, to accomplish His will, that Jesus Christ should be born in Bethlehem.

The Roman Emperor Augustus, in order to know what taxes he could lay upon the different parts of his dominions, determined to take the number of the people who were subject to him; and in order to do this, he commanded that the name of every one should be written down. As Judæa was now under the dominion of the Romans, all the inhabitants of that country were obliged to put their names upon lists, prepared for the purpose: but all belonging to the same tribe or family were to go to one place, so that many of the Jews, who were scattered throughout the country, had to travel a long way to the place appointed for the registering of their tribe.

Amongst these were Mary and Joseph, who were both of the house and lineage of David; that is, both were descended from David, who was of the tribe of Judah; and therefore Bethlehem was the place in which they must appear before the Roman officers, appointed to take down the names of all the people, and register, or make lists of them. The commands of the Roman Emperor were not to be disobeyed: and Mary and Joseph set out upon their long and fatiguing journey. Upon their arrival, they found the place so full of people come upon the same business, that there was no room for them in the inn, and they being poor, and not able to pay for better accommodation, were glad to lodge in a stable; and here, it pleased God, that Jesus Christ, the Lord of Life, the King of Glory, should be born: and Mary brought forth her first-born son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger.

But though born in a stable, unnoticed and uncared for by men, the Angels of God proclaimed the wonderful event to the Shepherds, keeping watch over their flocks by night.

At that time, there was amongst the Jews, a general expectation that the Messiah would soon appear upon earth: those who believed all that God had made known by the prophets, seeing that the sceptre, or kingly power, had departed from Shiloh, were daily looking for the fulfilment of the blessed promise, and were ready to welcome the Saviour under any circumstances: of this number were the Shepherds, who, when they had heard the good tidings of great joy, at once followed the direction to go to Bethlehem: and when they found all things there, exactly as the Angels had told them, they at once believed, and acknowledged the Infant as their Saviour; and made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them of the Shepherds. They wondered; but alas! too many of them only wondered, and did not believe. The greater part of the Jews at this time had forsaken their God, and had become careless about pleasing Him. They expected a Messiah, but regardless of the prophets who had spoken such different things, they had formed their own notions on the subject, and looked for the Messiah to come as a king or conqueror, surrounded with pomp and splendour. These men would not believe that a helpless infant, born in a stable at Bethlehem, could be the Son of God, the promised Messiah, Who was to be the Saviour of the world: pride and unbelief led them to reject the Lord, even from His birth. Mary, who knew that her Son was no common child, marked everything that happened; she kept all these things, and pondered, or thought over them in her heart.

Jesus Christ came not only to be a sacrifice for sin, but also an example of godly life; He was to fulfil all righteousness, and therefore, though He came to do away with the ceremonial Law, and establish a better covenant, He submitted to all the Ordinances of the Law, just as if He had been a sinful mortal.

Thus on the eighth day He was circumcised, and publicly received the name of Jesus, which had before been given to Him by the Angel Gabriel. And again, in obedience to the Law, the infant Saviour was brought by His mother to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord. We have heard before, that among the children of Israel, the first-born child, if a son, was especially dedicated to the service of the Lord; though afterwards, the whole tribe of Levi was taken, instead of the first-born of all Israel. The same Law ordained, that after a certain time, called the days of her Purification, every woman to whom God had given a son or daughter, should offer in sacrifice, a young lamb and a turtledove or pigeon. But if she was too poor to be able to bring a lamb, she was allowed to bring two turtledoves or pigeons instead; and this sacrifice Mary brought with her Son, into the temple. Then were fulfilled the prophecies, that the Lord should come suddenly into His temple; and that the glory of the second temple should exceed that of the first. At the Presentation of Jesus Christ in the temple, a remarkable testimony to His being the promised Messiah was given by the just and devout Simeon, to whom it had been made known by the Holy Ghost, that he should not die until He had seen the Lord's Christ. Full of faith, this old man was waiting for the consolation of Israel, the Messiah, Who was to save His people from their sins. Guided by the Holy Spirit, Simeon was in the temple when the Parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for Him after the custom of the Law. At once the Holy Spirit made known to the aged Simeon, that in this infant he beheld the Saviour for whom he waited; Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy word; for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people; a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of Thy people Israel. We are told that Joseph and Mary marvelled at those things which were spoken by Simeon; and we may be sure that Mary treasured them up also in her heart, and looked upon her infant Son with reverence, as well as love. Then Simeon blessed Mary, and warned her of future suffering. Another testimony to the divinity of Jesus Christ was then given by an aged widow, who coming into the temple in that instant, gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem. Nor did these aged Jews alone bear testimony to the Messiah. The glorious light of the Shechinah, the visible sign of the presence of God, which had not been seen for many hundred years, until it appeared surrounding the Angels who proclaimed the birth of Jesus to the Shepherds of Bethlehem, was not seen by them alone. In far off countries, it was seen as a remarkable star. The inhabitants of Chaldea, part of the once famous Babylonian Empire, were at this time very learned in Astronomy: that is, they studied the stars, and the motions of the heavenly bodies. They worshipped the sun, because they thought that must be the best representation of the Deity: had they known the real true God, the God of Israel, they would not have worshipped any of His works, which He had created and made. The wise and learned men of Chaldea were called Magi, and many of them were princes and rulers in their various tribes. Some of these Magi, generally supposed to have been three, (though the Scripture says nothing as to their number,) saw a wonderful star shining in the direction of Judæa. They at once concluded that this star signified the birth of the king of the Jews—and immediately they set off and travelled towards the land of Judæa. And when they reached Jerusalem, they enquired, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the East, and are come to worship him. That is, in the Eastern land where they lived, they had seen this star.

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Chapter III.

—FLIGHT INTO EGYPT.

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To

understand the question of the Magi, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? a few words of explanation may be useful.

The expectation of a coming Messiah was not confined to the Jews: through the long captivity of the Jews, the writings of the prophets had become known throughout many lands, and there was therefore at this time, in all the countries of the East, a general idea that a King would shortly be born in Judæa, who should rule over all the world. Balaam, who was well known in those countries of which we are speaking, had said, there shall come a star out of Jacob, and a sceptre shall arise out of Israel; hence it was generally believed, that the appearance of some peculiar star in the Heavens, would inform mankind of the birth of this mighty King. The Messiah, we must recollect, was promised to Gentiles as well as to Jews; and therefore all nations who had heard any of the prophecies concerning Him, expected some benefit from the birth of this wonderful Being. Under such circumstances, we can easily imagine that the Magi, who paid such attention to the stars in general, should eagerly watch for the appearance of one, which was to announce, that the long-looked-for King was born in Judæa. Hence, when from their home in the East, they beheld the glorious light of the Shechinah, shining in the direction of the land of Judæa, they felt no doubt as to its meaning; and without hesitation, they at once set off on their long journey, to worship and do honour to the new-born King. The star had disappeared; but the prophets had so plainly pointed out the land of Judæa as the birthplace of the Messiah, that the Magi fearlessly and confidently journeyed on to that country. When at length they reached it, they naturally expected that so wonderful an event would be well known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and that they should have no difficulty in finding the abode of this glorious Child; therefore, as soon as they arrived in the city, they asked, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the East, and are come to worship him. When Herod the King had heard these words he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

The birth of Jesus Christ made known by Angels to the Shepherds, and by them made known abroad among their neighbours and friends, the humble of the land, does not seem to have been noticed by the rulers and Priests living at Jerusalem. Their own Scriptures taught them that the Messiah was to come; and they expected that His birth would be immediately followed by Revolts and Wars, Earthquakes, Famine and Plague; therefore they might well be troubled, when they heard He was actually come; though, if they had rightly believed and understood the great blessing He was to bring to mankind, they would have rejoiced at His coming, and thought all temporal sufferings easy to be borne for His sake.

Herod was troubled; for though he was now an old man, and not likely to live till a new-born Infant should grow up, yet he did not like the idea of another king to interfere with him: he did not understand the nature of the Messiah's kingdom, and thought only of a king who would govern the country and the people, make laws, and impose taxes; he had no idea of a King who was to reign over the hearts of men on earth, and finally receive them into His kingdom in heaven.

Herod's behaviour on this occasion showed a strange mixture of belief and unbelief. In common with the Jews in general, he believed that the Messiah was to come; and he evidently believed that the Child, whose birth had been made known by the star, was indeed the Christ. He therefore called together the wise and learned men, well acquainted with the Scriptures of the Old Testament, and asked them where the Messiah should be born. The chief priests and Scribes at once declared that Bethlehem was pointed out by the prophets as the birthplace of Messiah; thus giving another proof, that the Infant just born in that place, was the promised Messiah. So far Herod believed; but now his unbelief was shown by his fancying for one moment, that if this Child really was the Messiah, he could kill him, and so frustrate the purpose for which he was sent by God.

It seems strange that any one believing as Herod did, that the Infant whom the Magi were seeking was really the Messiah, should have thought it possible to fight against God, and destroy His Anointed: but so it was. Herod, under pretence of wishing to go himself and worship the King of the Jews, begged the Magi to come and bring him word when they had found the young Child; and he also asked them particularly about the time at which the star had first appeared, that he might know what would be the age of the Babe, whom he was determined to destroy. The wise men, or Magi, departed, and though they had received no clear directions from the inhabitants of Jerusalem, better help was at hand: the star which they had seen in the East, now appeared to them again, and even moved on before them: when they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy, and followed it, until it came and stood over the stable where the young child was. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down and worshipped him: at once they acknowledged him to be something more than an earthly king—a Being entitled to worship. Then they gave such presents as were given to kings. It was the custom in the East, where presents were so much given, to proportion their value to the rank and station of those to whom the gift was offered. Mary and Joseph were poor and in a humble rank of life, and to their infant, therefore, flowers or fruit, or something of little value, would have been a sufficient gift. But in the Son of Mary, the Magi acknowledged the long-promised Messiah; and to Him they gave the most valuable gifts, suitable for a King to receive: when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto Him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. Thus the Lord provided Joseph with the means for taking proper care of the young child and his mother. At Bethlehem, the place of his birth, Jesus had now been worshipped as a King, both by Jews and Gentiles; thus fulfilling prophecy, and showing that the Messiah was to be the Saviour of Gentiles, as well as Jews. Our Church has appointed a day, to be observed in remembrance of this first showing, or manifestation, of Christ to the Gentiles. In common talk we call this day Twelfth Day, and the custom of drawing for King and Queen is very old, and is founded upon the visit of the Magi, or kings of the East to Bethlehem. The name by which Twelfth Day is distinguished in our Prayer–Book is the Epiphany, a word which means manifestation or showing—the manifestation of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles.

The wise men, not suspecting Herod's wicked purpose, would no doubt have gone back to him as he desired, but being warned of God in a dream not to return to Jerusalem, they departed into their country another way.

After the departure of the Magi, the Lord, Who knows the secrets of all hearts, warned Joseph in a dream, that Herod would seek the young child to destroy him. In obedience to the command then given to him, Joseph arose, and took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt; thus fulfilling a prophecy which had spoken of that country, as the place where the Messiah should for a time dwell. At this time, a great many Jewish families lived in Egypt, and supported themselves by their own industry: there were so many of them, that they divided themselves into companies, according to their trades or occupations: there was a company of silversmiths, who manufactured articles of gold and silver, set jewels, and made ornaments to be worn; there was another company of weavers, who wove threads of flax and silk, into linen and silk of which garments were made; and so on. In short, every trade had its own company; so that if a poor Jew came into any city inhabited by his fellow countrymen, he always knew where to find those who carried on the trade which he had learned: then he could join them at once, and so find work, and earn a maintenance for himself and family.

Perhaps Joseph joined one of these companies of his countrymen; but the presents given by the Magi, would for a long time supply him with all that he needed.

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Chapter IV.

—THE INNOCENTS.

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Herod

anxiously expected the return of the wise men, with full information as to where he might find the infant King of the Jews: but, as day after day passed and they came not, he saw that they did not mean to do his bidding. Then was Herod exceeding wroth, and sent forth his soldiers, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof,—that is, in the neighbouring parts of the country,—from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men. As much less than two years had passed, since the wise men saw the star which heralded the birth of the Messiah, Herod made sure that, by killing all the little boys under that age, he should destroy the infant King of the Jews, and so rid himself of any further anxiety.

Terrible was the distress and mourning amongst the poor Mothers, who saw their infants torn from their arms and murdered! but their dear babes were safe; taken from the dangers and troubles of this world, to be for ever happy in the presence of God: for they are without fault before the throne of God.

Our Church sets apart three days, immediately after Christmas Day, in remembrance of three classes of Martyrs. A Martyr is one who suffers in the cause of duty, and will die rather than give way: those who thus suffered for Christ, and would die rather than offend or forsake Him, are called Martyrs. The Innocents, as the murdered babes of Bethlehem are called, suffered death for Jesus's sake; but, of course, they had no will in the matter; they were too young: these were the first Martyrs.

The day after Christmas Day is called St. John the Evangelist's Day: St. John was, when Jesus grew up, one of His disciples: he dearly loved his Master, and was ready to die for Him, but he was not called upon to give up his life, though he suffered much for Jesus's sake. The day following St. John's Day, is called St. Stephen's Day: St. Stephen was the first who willingly gave up his life for the sake of Jesus Christ. Thus we have three classes of Martyrs commemorated in our Church: Martyrs in Deed only—the Innocents; Martyrs in Will only—St. John; Martyrs in Will and in Deed—St. Stephen.

But to return to our history. Herod was guilty of a great sin; and, in spite of all his wickedness, the Child Jesus lived and was safe.

It is said that Antipater, who had caused the death of Mariamne's sons, advised his father to slay the infants of Bethlehem. Antipater was a bad man, and, as he was very anxious to be King of Judæa whenever Herod should die, he wished to destroy one who might, as he feared, dispute the kingdom with him: no doubt he rejoiced when the cruel deed was done, concluding that Jesus had perished, and that he was now sure of the throne: but he was disappointed; for very shortly afterwards he in some way displeased his father, who at once caused him to be put to death. It is dreadful to think of the numbers of persons killed by Herod's orders, but Antipater was the last; for five days afterwards Herod himself died.

This Herod, called Herod the Great, left four sons living—Archelaus, Herod Antipas, Philip, and Herod Philip. There are three other Herods also mentioned in Scripture—Herod Agrippa, and his brother, also called Herod, who were sons of Aristobulus, and consequently grandsons of Herod the Great; and, afterwards, a son of Herod Agrippa, called by the same names as his father, Herod Agrippa. As it is difficult always to know which Herod is spoken of, the Table below will be useful to refer to.

Family tree of descendents of Herod the Great

After the death of Herod the Great, Archelaus became governor of the provinces of Judæa and Samaria, and Herod Antipas ruled over the province of Galilee, under the title of Tetrarch: but upon this subject we must say a little more before we go on with the history of Jesus Christ.

When Herod died, he left a Will, in which he declared his wish, that his son Archelaus should be king over the greatest part of his dominions: but as the whole kingdom was subject to the Romans, this could not be done without the Emperor's leave. Before Archelaus could go to Home to ask this permission, there was a great disturbance amongst the Jews in Jerusalem, in consequence of Archelaus refusing to grant some request: they assembled in great numbers in the Courts of the Temple, and behaved in such a riotous and disorderly manner, that Archelaus ordered his soldiers to attack them, and 3,000 men are said to have been killed on this occasion; a piece of cruelty which probably disinclined the Emperor Augustus to give Archelaus as much power as his father Herod the Great had had; at any rate, Archelaus only succeeded in being made Governor of Judæa and Samaria, with the promise, that if he acted so as to give the Emperor satisfaction, he should have the title of King: but instead of obtaining this, he behaved so ill, that a few years afterwards he was deprived of all power, and banished to a city in Gaul, where he died.

Returning to the history of our blessed Lord, we find that after the death of Antipater and Herod, the Angel appeared to Joseph in Egypt, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel, for they are dead which sought the young child's life. The Angel did not name any particular place for the young Child to go to, but the Messiah was not to stay long out of the Holy Land, given to Abraham and his descendants, as a heritage for ever. When Joseph, with Mary and the holy Child, got back into the land of Israel, he found that Archelaus reigned in the room of his father; that is, he was Governor of Judæa; fearing his cruelty, he was afraid to take the young Child and his mother there, and the Lord, by means of a dream, warned him to go into the land of Galilee, which was under the government of Herod Antipas.

Joseph in consequence made choice of Nazareth in Galilee as a dwelling-place, and there the Lord Jesus Christ lived till he grew up to be a Man, and was ready to begin the work which He came into the world to do. During all these years, up to the time when Jesus was thirty years old, we are told nothing of what He did, except His questioning the priests in the temple, when He was twelve years old. Twelve was the age appointed for the young Jews to begin to keep the Feasts and Fasts prescribed by their Law; and accordingly, Jesus, who came to fulfil all righteousness, accompanied Mary and Joseph to Jerusalem on this occasion: but after all the ceremonies had been observed, He, unknown to them, remained behind, and going into the temple astonished the priests and learned men by His questions, His knowledge of the Scriptures, and the way in which He spake: no wonder that all who looked upon Him merely as a human being, should be astonished. When Mary missed her Son, she and Joseph returned to Jerusalem, where after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them and asking them questions. To His mother's gentle rebuke, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? the holy Child made that answer at once referring to His divine nature, and to the work for which He had left His Father's kingdom, Wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business? They understood not fully then His meaning; but Mary kept all these sayings in her heart.

But Jesus had now done all that was to be done for many years, as to His great work; and therefore, though He knew Himself to be the Son of God, He submitted to His earthly parents: He went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them—thus in His first work, setting us the great example of obedience to parents—an example which all of us must carefully and cheerfully copy. No sin, not even the least approach to it, was found in Him: one act of disobedience would have prevented His making atonement for us. And this perfect Being so loved us, His sinful creatures, as to die for us: let us love Him; and show our love by trying to copy His example in all things; beginning with obedience to our Parents, and all whom they set over us.

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Chapter V.

—BAPTISM OF JESUS.

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How

gladly should we all learn something of our Saviour's early life; of His childhood; of the pursuits of His youth and manhood! But these things are hidden from us, and whatever legends may exist respecting such matters, we must remember that Scripture has not revealed to us any knowledge of these things. For the eighteen years following His questioning the learned men in the temple, one entry suffices—And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man. As partaking of the human nature, His body grew gradually to its full size and strength, enduring, no doubt, pain and sickness, so inseparable from mortality: in this, all who are born into the world follow His example, whether they will or no; but are all careful to increase in wisdom, and in favour with God and man? And yet this is what all may do. These words again set the Saviour before us, as an example to be diligently followed: by prayer and study of the Scriptures, we shall obtain from God, that heavenly wisdom which will make us wise unto salvation; that practical wisdom, by which we shall walk daily in a manner pleasing to God; so shall we, day by day, grow in favour with our heavenly Father, and with all men whose approbation and favour is worth securing.

Of John the Baptist's early life we have not even one glimpse afforded us, beyond the notice that the child grew, and waxed strong in the spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his showing unto Israel. In silence and solitude was the wonderful son of Zacharias prepared for his work: the Spirit of the Lord was upon him, and under its blessed influence he became strong to do, and suffer.

For thirty years did the Sons of Mary and of Elisabeth wait patiently, unnoticed, till the time came when they were to enter on the work appointed for each. At that time, Herod Antipas (one of the sons of Herod the Great) was tetrarch or governor of Galilee, while his brother Philip was tetrarch of Ituræa, and of other parts of the country lying to the East of the Sea of Galilee and the river Jordan.

Archelaus, as we have already said, had for his misconduct been banished by the Romans into Gaul, and the province of Judæa was governed by a Roman, called Pontius Pilate. Augustus Cæsar, who was the Emperor of Rome when Jesus Christ was born, died when our Lord was about fourteen years old; and another Emperor, called Tiberius Cæsar, ruled over the vast possessions of the Romans, when Jesus and His forerunner John the Baptist, entered upon their public ministry.

The Bible tells us, that at this time Annas and Caiaphas were high priests: by the Law of Moses, the Jews could only have one high priest at a time, and when once appointed, he continued to hold that high office as long as he lived; but when the Romans took possession of the Holy Land, they appointed the high priest at their pleasure—often depriving one of the office, in order to bestow it upon another. Annas was high priest for eleven years, and then the Roman Governor deprived him of the office, and made Caiaphas, who had married the daughter of Annas, high priest in the place of his father-in-law.

According to the will of the Romans, therefore, Caiaphas was actually high priest at this time; though, according to the Law of Moses, he had no right to be so, as long as Annas was alive. No doubt the more devout Jews, who wished to keep their Law, looked upon Annas as their high priest; whilst those who were careless and indifferent, and wished rather to please the Romans, acknowledged Caiaphas: for this reason St. Luke speaks of them both as high priests.

We must remember that John was born a few months before Jesus, to go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways, consequently he was the first to appear in public. He went first as a Messenger, to prepare the people to listen to the Messiah: John came, and called upon all men to repent of their sins and wickedness, to leave off doing wrong, and to do such things as God commanded them to do. John also invited the people to be baptized. Baptism was a rite or ceremony in use amongst the Jews before this time, by way of admitting strangers into their Church: for instance, if any Gentiles wished to join the Jews, and worship God as they did, they were baptized, or washed with Water; and after this ceremony, they were looked upon as new creatures, fit to be admitted into the Jewish Church.

The Jews, by baptizing the heathen, admitted them into their Church, into a new religion; John called upon the Jews to be baptized, because they were to change their religion, and become members of a Church, which should have Christ for her head. The Jews baptized persons who, according to their Law, were unclean, in order to purify them; but John called upon those, who according to the Law were clean already, to come to him and be baptized, in order to show, that all who would belong to Christ must purify their hearts, and obey the spirit as well as the letter of all the commandments.

This distinction between the letter and the spirit of any commandment, must be carefully and constantly borne in mind, by every Christian.

For example, the Sixth Commandment says, Thou shalt do no murder; therefore all, who do not actually kill a fellow creature, may be said to obey the letter, or exact words, of this commandment; but to obey the spirit, we must never do anything wilfully to hurt our neighbour in any way; we must, on the contrary, do all the good we possibly can to our fellow creatures.

To make this plainer, suppose a mother to say to her children, You may go out, but it is so hot that you must not run about: the children go out, and then amuse themselves by jumping—they have obeyed the letter of their mother's commands, for they did not run, but they have broken the spirit—she wished them not to heat themselves,—that was the spirit and meaning of the precept; and that they have broken, just as much as if they had run about.

The Jews must have well understood, that when John the Baptist called upon them to be baptized as if they were unclean, he meant to show them that the Messiah required men to be holy, far beyond what they then were; and great numbers of the people listened to his teaching, and went out unto him, and were baptized of him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee to Jordan unto John to be baptized of him. But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of Thee, and comest Thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. John spake of the baptism administered by him, as the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins; meaning that those who repented and were baptized, would have their sins forgiven and done away with, so that they would no longer be looked upon as guilty. John knew that Jesus was perfectly holy, and had no need of the baptism of repentance, so necessary for mere mortals. John had also told those who came to him to be baptized with water unto repentance, that they still needed another baptism from the Son of God; even the gift of the Holy Spirit, without which no man could please the Lord. He told them, there cometh one mightier than I after me, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear,—the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose,—He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.

In Eastern countries, the visitors to princes and great men, took off their shoes, that is, the sandals or slippers worn upon the feet, and left them at the door, whilst they went barefooted into the presence of the prince. The fastenings or latchets of these shoes were often undone by a slave, who also held the shoes till his master again required them. Thus to unfasten or bear the shoes of another, signified being his servant, ready to do any service that might be required. John therefore meant, that He who was to come after him was so greatly his superior, that he (John) was not worthy even to do for Him the lowest offices required from a slave. No wonder that with such feelings, John objected to Jesus being baptized by him, who was in every respect so far His inferior; and who, like all other human beings, had need of the Holy Spirit which God alone could give.

But amongst the Jews, those who were admitted to perform the office of Priest were always anointed and baptized; and, as Jesus came to be our great High Priest, it was necessary that He should observe this form, as He had undergone the rite of circumcision. He came to fulfil all righteousness, to do all that was right, and then to suffer punishment, as if He had been sinful instead of sinless. To make atonement for the sin of man, it was necessary that He Who made it, should obey and fulfil perfectly the whole Will of God, and then suffer, the just for the unjust. Only so could atonement be made: this Jesus explained to John, and then the Baptist no longer hesitated to baptize with water the sinless Son of God.

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Chapter VI.

—JESUS TEMPTED OF THE DEVIL

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Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: and, lo, a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." The Three Persons in the Holy Trinity were thus at once made manifest, or shown to John the Baptist: before Him, under the form of Man, stood God the Son: God the Holy Ghost came down from heaven in a bodily form, with a gentle motion like that of a dove, and rested upon the Son of God: God the Father was not made visible to the eyes, but His voice was heard, declaring Jesus to be His Son, the promised Messiah, the Saviour of the world.

After His baptism, Jesus was, by the appointment of His Father, led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the Devil. It was necessary that Jesus should gain a victory over the great enemy of mankind, and show that the Devil had no power to lead Him to do evil. Since Adam fell, no human being had ever so completely resisted the Devil as to deserve the favour of God; thus no one had ever earned eternal life even for himself. Jesus came to make atonement for the sin of countless millions: but He could not have made satisfaction for the sins of others, if He had in the least thing given way to the Devil. Therefore He must fight and conquer, or the work which He came to do must have remained for ever undone.

In Scripture, Jesus Christ is called the second Adam: the first Adam is of the earth, earthy, the last Adam is the Lord from heaven. The first Adam was created holy and good, but he was tempted by the Devil and sinned; so by the disobedience of one man came death, for in Adam all die. All who bear the same nature, must share the punishment due to that sinful nature. But the Holy and Eternal Son of God took upon Himself the human nature of man, and became subject to the like infirmities, but without sin. Thus was atonement made—in Christ shall all, who give themselves to Him, be made alive: thus by man came also the resurrection of the dead. The Devil exerted all his power to lead Jesus to do something which would displease God, and destroy the blessed work of redemption. Taking advantage of Jesus being hungry and faint after long fasting, the Devil gently proposed that He should turn some stones into bread, and thus at the same time supply His own wants, and give a convincing proof that He was indeed the Son of God, as He had been just declared to be.

We are ready enough to take any excuse for doing what we wish to do; and by this means we often fall into the snare which Satan so cleverly spreads for us. But Jesus thought of nothing but how to do the Will of His Father completely and entirely. He had been led into the wilderness by the Spirit of God, and it was the Will of His heavenly Father that He should now be enhungered. Jesus was therefore determined to leave the matter entirely in the hands of God. This is what we should all do, rather than try to help ourselves by doing anything that we fear may displease God.

Satan next wanted Jesus to throw Himself down from the roof of the temple into the court below, where the people were assembled, and thus show them at once that He was the promised Messiah, the Son of God, of whom David had written, God shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee; and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. But Jesus, still bent upon doing His Father's will, answered from Scripture, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God, meaning that no one must run into unnecessary danger, to try whether God will preserve him: this is tempting Providence, and is sinful. To do our duty in spite of danger is trusting God, and is right: but to run into danger just to please ourselves, expecting that God will preserve us, is presumptuous and sinful.

Satan made a last attempt to get Jesus to bow down to him, by promising to give Him power over all the kingdoms of the world; but Jesus was content to have only what God saw fit to give Him, and replied, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.

The battle was over; the victory was gained: as Man, Jesus had been tempted; as Man, He had resisted the Devil. He had fought and conquered, and thus could go on with His blessed work, which He never could have accomplished, had He at this, or any other time, given way in the least degree to the Devil. For the first time since the Creation, Satan found himself defeated: against our blessed Saviour he could not prevail, as he had done against Adam and his descendants; He departed therefore: we are told, Then the Devil leaveth Him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto Him. The Father sent His Angels to minister to His Son; that is, to serve Him; to supply those wants to which, as Man, He was subject. No doubt they brought Him food of which His human nature stood greatly in need.

We have seen how Jesus resisted the Devil; each time using the very words of Scripture, which forbade Him to do as the Tempter proposed. The Devil is constantly tempting every human being to sin, by suggesting that they had better follow their own wishes and inclinations, instead of denying themselves, and trying in all things to please God. We should therefore bear in mind, that we possess the same Scriptures, and far more; since we have now our Saviour's own words whilst He was upon earth, and also the letters of His Apostles: and then, when we are tempted to do what is wrong, let us remember what the Scriptures say, and obey that, instead of following our own wills. The young are never too young to begin to resist the Devil, who has temptations suited to every age and condition: if you feel disinclined to obey your Parents cheerfully, remember that the Bible says, Children obey your Parents in all things: let all inclination to dispute with one another be driven away by the recollection of the precept, Be ye kind one to another.

The direction, Speak every man truth with his neighbour, should strengthen you to resist every temptation to hide a fault,