XLII. THE CITY OF DAVID; OR, THE NIGHT INTERVIEW WITH CHRIST. "Abide with me! Fast falls the eventide, "I need thy presence every passing hour: As the time drew near for our Lord to begin his ministry, he attended the great festivals in Jerusalem that brought the nation together. By speech, or by act, he usually called the attention of the people to himself. His mother and kinsfolk, a few neighbors from the fishing villages and boats around the Sea of Galilee, a handful of fishermen and sailors, really regarded him as a prophet of the Lord. He was too harmless and blameless in his life; of too little account to attract either the reproof or attention of the grand council at Jerusalem, to whom all such matters belonged, and by whose permission prophets, real or pretended, spake by authority. Our Lord introduced his public life with the miracle at Cana of Galilee, and ran along a line of deeds that attested his divine power. Up to the city" at the passover on the feast-day," in open light, before ruler and worshiper, within the sacred inclosure he announced his claim to be the Son of God. In the midst of the solemnities of the feast he stood up and cried: "If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink." He daily wrought miracles in the presence of all the people. "Many Jews believed on him when they saw the miracles which he did." But to all outward view, the humble and unlettered were the only parties who accepted the new Messiah. The learned men of the nation, who "knew the law," "who sat in Moses's seat," and were competent to pass on the claims of men, rejected him, after hearing him speak and looking on the miracles which he did. It was their comfort to know that "none of the rulers believed on him," and that the Sanhedrim did not account him to be a prophet. The Sanhedrim was an imposing body. It was the high secular and ecclesiastical court of the Jews. The Jewish nation was a religious one. The civil was subordinate to the sacred. He who held the highest sacred authority was the highest civil ruler. Seventy-one men of rank and learning, priests, elders, and scribes, composed this council. The high-priest of the nation was its president. The high council sat at Jerusalem. But local courts were held in the chief cities and towns in the land, composed of persons of the same class. Its power with the people was unquestionable. Its robes, on which flaunted portions of the law-its ostentation and sanctity—its professed holiness-gained from the people profound respect. They saluted the members in the public places, and yielded to their authority in all things. Whom the Sanhedrim honored, the people welcomed. Whom the Sanhedrim denounced, the people derided. The appearance of the Son of Mary was not welcome to the grand council. The claims of the Great Teacher could not be overlooked. In the secret sessions of that august body, it was conceded that no one could do the miracles that Jesus did unless God was with him. Among the members of the Sanhedrim was a man named Nicodemus. He was attracted by the public life of the Son of God. As one qualified to sit in Moses's seat he knew the prophets, and knew that the fullness of time had come. He was familiar with the events that attended the birth of the remarkable personage who was now filling all the land with his fame-the visit of angels at Bethlehem, the wise men at the manger, Simeon's and Anna's prediction, and the scene at the waters of Jordan. He was probably present at the miracle in Cana of Galilee. He was among the number who believed in his name when they saw the miracles which he did. He was no open disciple. He knew the intense hate that the chief men of his nation bore to the Divine Teacher. He sought an interview with him, and selected the night. He chose this time from "fear of the Jews." Even he would not be spared if his private conference with Jesus was known. So he came to Jesus by night. He speaks not alone for himself. He represents the chief rulers and teachers of his people when he makes the full and frank confession-"Rabbi, we (all of the Sanhedrim) know that thou art a teacher come from God, for no man can do the miracles that thou doest except God be with him." To the Saviour this confession must have been peculiarly gratifying. To the people, and in the chief seats of instruction, these men professed to hold Jesus in contempt, as one unworthy serious notice, at best as a madman, working miracles, if at all, by the power of Satan. But in their own hearts they knew him to be from God, and so confessed, the one to the other, that no man could do the deeds Jesus did unless God aided him. But our Lord came not to earth to receive honor from men. The great work of salvation was his, and at once he passes from the confession to the theme of personal salvation. "Am I a teacher from God? Listen then, and obey my word. I have set up a new kingdom on earth. Each man must enter it for himself, as each man must come into this world for himself. No old allegiance, no old submission to any other or former government will suffice. Nicodemus, you yourself, a master in Israel, holy, pious, and devout in the law as you are esteemed, you must be born again, and so come into my kingdom, or you can not be saved." Sovereigns make their own terms for citizenship in the kingdoms of earth. Men pass into the bounds of the sovereignties on such conditions as the governments please to impose. To these terms all must conform, or they can not enter, and can not be citizens of the land. As God spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, he has now set up a kingdom among men. No one has a natural right to enter, for "the unclean shall not pass over it." Aliens and strangers are not citizens of this kingdom, and God has concluded all in unbelief. All are aliens from this new commonwealth-Jews as well as Gentiles. He offers mercy to all. One door is open to all, through which each may enter, and "except a man be born again he can not enter the kingdom of God." It is quite clear that the new birth is not simple morality-a life outwardly pure and correct-for Nicodemus had this when he came to Jesus by night. His position, as a ruler of the Jews, shows that he was not only a good man, in the common use of that term, but that he was one of the holy men of that day. Besides, it was no new thing to teach the common or higher forms of morality. Moses, in the Law and Prophets, did write of this. There was nothing in this to marvel or to be astonished at. It would be an absurdity to suppose that Nicodemus did not know the duty of morality, or that he would cry out, "How can these things be? How can a man be born when he is old?" If the Saviour indicated that a pure and moral life, and that alone, was all that was needed to enter into the new kingdom and be a subject of the same, Nicodemus had this at that moment. Natural religion taught it. Pagan philosophers had written splendidly on the beauty and power of virtue. On this theory, the conditions on which a sinner could enter the kingdom were already complied with by this master in Israel. But the terms for the new kingdom astonished him. He marveled at them. He could not understand them. Including morality, a pure and spotless life, they held more than this. A man could be a moral man by |
