With the death of JEsus

THE BIRTH OF CHRISTIANITY

With the death of Jesus, nay, even with his arrest in Gethsamane, the little flock he had gathered about him to spread his teaching scattered afar in fear and in panic. The disciples of Jesus all forsook him and fled. The devout women, who loved him tenderly, witnessed his tragic death from afar. Jesus died in utter loneliness.

These followers of Jesus had expected he would perform some extraordinary miracle, and subdue not only Rome but perhaps the whole earth. Perhaps they did not believe in this miraculous triumph with any enthusiasm, or with any certainty of its occurrence but it was a hope struggling in their minds. His meekness under arrest was a terrible blow to the faith. The victory of the priests was a terrible blow to the faith. The victory of the priests was a terrible blow to their courage. The death of Jesus was the death of their hope.

Let us make ourselves sure of this state of things. Unless we realise in all its truth 6the desertion of Jesus, and the panic and despair of his disciples, we shall not be able to feel all that the resurrection meant to these simple men.

It is impossible for us to think that the panic stricken disciples, after the ignominious death of their master, would suddenly stand boldly before men and preach the message that had brought him to the cross, unless they had received some convincing proof that he was more than man. Christianity could not have been borne in the shadow of the cross unless Jesus had triumphed over death.

We find these poor, frightened disciples transformed suddenly into burning missionaries. We find them forming themselves into an assembly or brotherhood, making rules for the membership of this society, sending men across the world with the message of the crucified Jesus. Instead of fleeing in despair from Jerusalem, it is in that very priest ridden city that they have formed their society, and taught that Jesus had risen from the dead. The Peter who denied that he knew Jesus in the courtyard of the high priests palace was foremost after the crucifixion in establishing Christianity.

In fact all the disciples. Except Judas Iscariot who has destroyed himself, became after the death of their master, far more sure of his teaching far more courageous in their preaching of it, than they had been during his lifetime. It was not while they half hoped and half believed that Jesus would triumph over his enemies and reign in glory that these disciples were earnest and enthusiastic teachers of his gospel. No it was after his death, after his defeat, after what they thought to be his failure and their own bitter disappointment.

THE BIRTH OF CHRISTIANITY IN THE SHADOW OF THE CROSS

The birth of Christianity on the shadow of the cross is the miracle of history. We can only understand it if we realise how profoundly convinced the disciples were of the resurrection of the master. Nothing in the bible is set down more earnestly than the appearance of Jesus after his death on the cross.

An now before we proceed to read the wonderful story of Christianity's first battle with the world - a story which is still the life of Jesus, for that life goes on from age to age, unending to undying - let us carefully consider what Jesus represented to his disciples, what he meant to them, what they understood him to be.

Remember that these plain and rustic men lived in days when language was simple. They knew very few of the words which people use now when they discuss with each other the exact nature of Christ. explained to us, they leave us more or less in darkness. We may learn them by heart. We may recite them. We may say: "This is what I believe." But if we do not understand them, how can we be sure we know what we believe concerning Jesus? It is It is better for us to go back to the disciples, and see what it was that they believed as to the character of Jesus.

THINGS THE DISCIPLES KNEW FOR CERTAIN ABOUT THEIR MASTER:

An English scholar has drawn up a number of statements concerning Jesus which are all proved out of St. Mark's gospel, the earliest written record, which we will set down here in as simple language as we can. We shall find them in a book called Ecce Homo, one of the most beautiful and lasting books ever written concerning the life of Jesus. It was written by Sir John Robert Seely. The facts in these numbered paragraphs are what the disciples knew for certain about Jesus.

He assumed a position of authority. Although he was a carpenter, he set himself above the professional teachers of religion; he made himself a greater teacher than the doctors of divinity.

He claimed again and again that he was the king of whom the prophets had long prophesied. This claim was definite. It was not a figure of speech such as "I am the vine." He died for the fact of it. He did not die for a metaphor.

As the promised king, he claimed so mystic and special dignity for himself.

He would not accept the teaching of the priests. He read and interpreted the scriptures for himself. When he was rebuked for not obeying the law of Moses concerning the Sabbath, replied that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.

He claimed power to forgive sins

He called a number of men to attach themselves to him. He said: "Come unto me." HE gave certain plain and simple rules to this society. His name was the bond of union. He made it clear to them that this society would continue after his death. He foresaw his death, and planned for the continuance of his society afterwards.

His disciples believed that he worked miracles. They tell of a certain occasion when he failed to work miracles. If they had been attempting to prove that he were a wonder-worker, they certainly would not have set down this occasion of failure.

His miracles were chiefly miracles of healing.

Although he gathered his first disciples from the Jews, he told them that it was to embrace the gentiles, that is, the foreign nations as well.

Although he declared himself emphatically to be the expected king, he refused to undertake any of the ordinary duties discharged by kings. He gave his disciples a new idea of kingship, something that was inward and spiritual.

He required from his disciples personal devotion; he taught them to follow his example in ruling their lives.

He spoke to them of a holy spirit directing his life, and said that this same holy spirit, if they followed his example, would direct their lives.

He taught them earnestly that good feelings are more important than good deeds. HE made his disciples see that a bad man may do a good deed, or that a good man may do a good deed and yet lack something. He made them see that a good deed, to be perfectly beautiful, must flow from a heart filled with good feelings.

He also demanded that his followers should do acts of extraordinary virtue. They were not to stop at doing acts they had to do, but they must do more than they had to do. It must be a delight to them to love those they were not obliged to love, to give to those they were not obliged to give to, and to help those they were not obliged to help.

HE condemned all m,morality and all goodness which was not inward and spiritual. A man who gave alms as a duty, or worshipped in the temple because it was the custom, or said his to be seen and praised by others was condemned by Jesus as a hypocrite. He had great scorn for people who were mechanically good.

By these teachings and by claiming to be king, he incurred the deadly hatred of the scribes and the Pharisees.

HE required his disciples to desire the welfare of their fellow me, and declared in beautiful language that this was his own desire, his purpose in the world. "The son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister."

HE went much among the sick people, healing them, sometimes with strong signs of emotion.

HE commanded his disciples to follow this example of healing the sick.

HE spent much of his time curing moral disease. he was the good physician of the worst people, the dregs, the scum, the outcasts of society. He went to those the religious leaders ignored, and the rest of the world despised.

HE taught the forgiveness of injuries.

If we read these twenty one statements with understanding, we shall have a workable idea what Jesus was to his disciples who first preached his gospel.

But there is one thing we lack in this, and that is the charm, the compelling sweetness of the master. No statement can give us that. We begin to have some twilight glimmering of that charm when we consider how he attracted men, men of a rough kind, such as fishermen accustomed to the most dangerous kind of work; how he attracted them, drew them to him, so that they forsook their homes, and followed him in his strange and wandering life. And we gradually acquire, by reading about him, trying to live as he asks us to live, a love for Christ revealing to us what no words can reveal: his inexpressible sweetness and charm.

We must not leave out the charm of Christ's personality in considering the birth of Christianity. If we must add one more to the twenty one statements, this should be the twenty-second:

"The disciples loved their master"

FROM THE CHILDREN'S ENCYCLOPEDIA:

FOUNDED BY ARTHUR MEE.

VOLUME TEN.

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