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THE SPIRIT OF PROPHECY. 
THE 
GREAT CONTROVERSY 
BETWEEN CHRIST AND SATAN. 
LIFE, TEACHINGS AND MIRACLES 
OF OUR 
LORD JESUS CHRIST. 
BY ELLEN G. WHITE. 
II. 
STEAM PRESS 
OF THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST PUBLISHING ASSOCIATION, 
BATTLE CREEK, MICH. 
1877. 
IANIES WHITE LIBRARY 
'�DREWS UNIVERSITY 
BERRIE—_N SPRIPs.GS, MICHIGAN 
HERITAGE ROOM 
PREFACE. 
WHEN the Publishers issued the first volume of this 
work, they felt that it supplied a want long realized 
by the Christian world, in illuminating a subject which 
is of great interest to the Christian mind, the relation 
of the Son of God to the Father, and his position in 
Heaven, together with the fall of man and the Mediator- 
ship of Christ between him and his Creator. 
In this second volume the author continues with re-
newed interest the subject of the mission of Christ, as 
manifested by his Miracles and Teachings. The reader 
will find that this book furnishes invaluable aid in study-
ing the lessons of Christ set forth in the Gospels. 
The author, as a religious writer and speaker, has la-
bored for the public during more than twenty years. 
Being aided in the study of the Scriptures, and in her 
work as a religious teacher, by the special enlightenment 
of the Spirit of God, she is peculiarly qualified to pre-
sent the facts of the Life and Ministry of Christ, in 
connection with the divine plan of human redemption, 
and to practically apply the lessons of Jesus to the sim-
ple duties of life. 
One of the most pleasing features of this book is the 
plain and simple language with which the author clothes 
thoughts that glow with truth and beauty. 
PUBLISHERS. 
ire L., 5 
( 
t 
/579 
Pe r, 
66457 
5) 
'D I 
CONTENTS. 
PAGE. 
CHAPTER I. 
THE FIRST ADVENT OF CHRIST, �
 9 
CHAPTER II. 
 
THE LIFE OF CHRIST, . �
 30 
CHAPTER III. 
LIFE AND MISSION OF JOHN, 
 41 
CHAPTER IV. 
THE MISSION OF CHRIST, 
 58 
CHAPTER V. 
THE DEATH OF JOHN, 
 74 
CHAPTER VI. 
TEMPTATION OF CHRIST, . �
 85 
CHAPTER VII. 
THE MARRIAGE AT CANA,: 
98 
CHAPTER VIII. 
CLEANSING THE TEMPLE, 
 115 
CHAPTER IX. 
NICODEMUS COMES TO CHRIST , 
 124 
CHAPTER X. 
THE WOMAN OF SAMARIA, 
�.. 140 
CHAPTER XI. 
THE CENTURION'S SON, �
 151 
CHAPTER XII. 
 
JESUS AT BETHESDA, 
 156 
CHAPTER XIII. 
JESUS AT CAPERNAUM, 
 173 
CHAPTER XIV. 
CHOOSING THE DISCIPLES, . �
 182 
CHAPTER XV. 
THE SABBATH, 
�
. 193 
CHAPTER XVI. 
SERMON ON THE MOUNT, 
 200 
CONTENTS. �
V111 
CHAPTER XVII. 
THE LEPER HEALED, �
 225 
CHAPTER XVIII. 
PARABLE OF THE SOWER, 
 232 
CHAPTER XIX. 
OTHER PARABLES, �
 242 
CHAPTER XX. 
THE LOAVES AND FISHES, 
 258 
CHAPTER XXI. 
WALKING ON THE WATER, �
 967 
CHAPTER XXII. 
CHRIST IN THE SYNAGOGUE, 
 274 
CHAPTER XXIII. 
THE PARALYTIC, 
 292 
CHAPTER XXIV. 
WOMAN OF CANAAN, 
 301 
CHAPTER XXV. 
CHRIST STILLS THE TEMPEST, 
 305 
CHAPTER XXVI. 
MEN FROM THE TOMBS, 
�
311 
CHAPTER XXVII. 
JAIRUS' DAUGHTER, 
�
118 
CHAPTER XXVIII. 
THE TRANSFIGURATION, 
 324 
CHAPTER XXIX. 
FEAST OF TABERNACLES, 
 337 
CHAPTER XXX. 
Go AND SIN NO MORE, �
 349 
CHAPTER XXXI. 
RESURRECTION OF LAZARUS, 
 368 
CHAPTER, XXXII. 
MARY'S OFFERING, 
 372 
CHAPTER XXXIII. 
RIDING INTO JERUSALEM, 
 182 
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
CHAPTER I. 
THE FIRST ADVENT OF CHRIST. 
THE Son of God was next in authority to the 
great Lawgiver. He knew that his life alone 
could be sufficient to ransom fallen man. He 
was of as much more value than man as his no-
ble, spotless character, and exalted office as com-
mander of all the heavenly host, were above the 
work of man. He was in the express image of 
his Father, not in features alone, but in perfec-
tion of character. 
The blood of beasts could not satisfy the de-
mands of God as an atoning sacrifice for the 
transgression of his law. The life of a beast was 
of less value than the life of the offending sinner, 
therefore could not be a ransom for sin. It could 
only be acceptable with God as a figure of the of-
fering of his Son. 
Man could not atone for man. His sinful, fal-
len condition would constitute him an imperfect 
offering, an atoning sacrifice of less value than 
Adam before his fall. God made man perfect 
and upright, and after his transgression there 
could be no sacrifice acceptable to God for him, 
unless the offering made should in value be supe-
rior to man as he was in his state of perfection 
and innocency. 
Great Controversy, Vol. 2. 
2 
• 
 
 
 
 
10 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
The divine Son of God was the only sacri-
fice of sufficient value to fully satisfy the 
claims of God's perfect law. The angels were 
sinless, but of less value than the law of God. 
They were amenable to law. They were messen-
gers to do the will of Christ, and before him to 
bow. They were created beings, and probation-
ers. Upon Christ no requirements were laid. 
He had power to lay down his life, and to take 
it again. No obligation was laid upon him to 
undertake the work of atonement. It was a volun-
tary sacrifice that he made. His life was of suf-
ficient value to rescue man from his fallen condi-
tion. 
The Son of God was in the form of God, and 
he thought it not robbery to be equal with God. 
He was the only one, who as a man walked the 
earth, who could say to all men, Who of .you con-
vinceth me of sin ? He had united with the Fa-
ther in the creation of man, and he had power 
through his own divine perfection of character to 
atone for man's sin, and to elevate him, and bring 
him back to his first estate. 
The sacrificial offerings, and the priesthood of 
the Jewish system, were instituted to represent 
the death and mediatorial work of Christ. All 
those ceremonies had no meaning, and no virtue, 
only as they related to Christ, who was himself 
the foundation of, and who brought into existence, 
the entire system. The Lord had made known 
to Adam, Abel, Seth, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, 
and the ancient worthies, especially Moses, that 
the ceremonial system of sacrifices and the priest-
hood, of themselves, were not sufficient to secure 
the salvation of one soul. 
The system of sacrificial offerings pointed to 
THE FIRST ADVENT. �
11 
Christ. Through these, the ancient worthies 
saw Christ, and believed in him. These were 
ordained of Heaven to keep before the people the 
fearful separation which sin had made between 
God and man, requiring a mediating ministry. 
Through Christ, the communication which was 
cut off because of Adam's transgression was 
opened between God and the ruined sinner. But 
the infinite sacrifice that Christ voluntarily made 
for man remains a mystery that angels cannot 
fully fathom. 
The Jewish system was symbolical, and was to 
continue until the perfect Offering should take 
the place of the figurative. The Mediator, in his 
office and work, would greatly exceed in dignity 
and glory the earthly, typical priesthood. The 
people of God, from Adam's day down to the 
time when the Jewish nation became a separate 
and distinct people from the world, had been in-
structed in regard to the Redeemer to come, 
which their sacrificial offerings represented. This 
Saviour was to be a mediator, to stand between 
the Most High and his people. Through this 
provision, a way was opened whereby the guilty 
sinner might find access to God through the media-
tion of another. The sinner could not come in his 
own person, with his guilt upon him, and with no 
greater merit than he possessed in himself. Christ 
alone could open the way, by making an offering 
equal to the demands of the divine law. He was 
perfect, and undefiled by sin. He was without 
spot or blemish. The extent of the terrible con-
sequences of sin could never have been known, 
had not the remedy provided been of infinite 
value. The salvation of fallen man was procured 
at such an immense cost that angels marveled, 
12 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
and could not fully comprehend the divine mys-
tery that the Majesty of Heaven, equal with God, 
should die for the rebellious race. 
As the time drew near for the Son of God to 
make his first advent, Satan became more vig-
ilant in preparing the hearts of the Jewish people 
to be steeled against the evidences he should bring 
of his Messiahship. The Jews had become proud 
and boastful. The purity of the priesthood had 
not been preserved, but was fearfully corrupted. 
They retained the forms and ceremonies of their 
system of worship, while their hearts were not in 
the work. They did not sustain personal piety 
and virtuous characters. And the more they were 
wanting in the qualifications necessary to the sa-
cred work, as priests of the most high God, the 
more tenacious were they of outward show of 
piety, zeal, and devotion. 
They were hypocritical. They loved the hon-
ors of the world, and were ambitious to become 
exalted through riches. In order to obtain their 
desire, they improved every opportunity to take 
advantage of the poor, especially of the widow 
and fatherless. They exacted heavy sums of money 
of those who were conscientious, on various pre-
tenses, for the Lord's treasury, and used the 
means thus dishonest1y obtained for their own 
advantage. They were themselves rigorous to 
outwardly keep the law. They appeared to show 
great respect for traditions and customs, in order 
to obtain money from the people to gratify their 
corrupt ambition. 
Traditions, customs, and needless ceremonies, 
were repeated to the people, which God had not 
given them through Moses or any other one. 
These originated from no higher source than man. 
THE FIRST ADVENT. �
13 
The chief priests, scribes, and elders, forced these 
upon the people as the commandments of God. 
Their hearts were hard and unfeeling. They 
showed no mercy to the poor and unfortunate. 
Yet, at the same time, while praying in the mar- 
ket-places, and giving alms to be seen of men, 
and thus putting on the outward semblance of 
goodness, they were devouring -widows' houses by 
their heavy taxes which they laid upon them. 
They were apparently exact in outward forms 
when observed of men ; for they wished to give 
impressions of their importance. They wished the 
people to have exalted ideas of their zeal and de-
votion to religious duties, while they were daily 
robbing God by appropriating the offerings of the 
people to themselves. 
The priesthood had become so corrupt that the 
priests had no scruples in engaging in the most 
dishonest and criminal acts to accomplish their 
designs. Those who assumed the office of high 
priest prior to, and at, the time of Christ's first 
advent, were not men divinely appointed to the 
sacred work. They had eagerly aspired to the 
office through love of power and show. They 
desired a position where they could have author-
ity, and practice fraud under a garb of piety, and 
thereby escape detection. The high priest held 
a position of power and importance. He was not 
only counselor and mediator, but judge ; and 
there was no appeal from his decision. The priests 
were held in restraint by the authority of the Ro-
mans, and were not allowed the power of legally 
putting any one to death. This power rested with 
those who bore rule over the Jews. Men of cor-
rupt hearts sought the distinguished office of high 
priest, and frequently obtained it by bribery and 
NIL 
14 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY, 
assassination. The high priest, clad in his conse-
crated and expensive robes, with the breastplate 
upon his breast, the light flashing upon the pre-
cious stones inlaid in the breastplate, presented a 
most imposing appearance, and struck the consci-
entious, true-hearted people with admiration, rev-
erence, and awe. The high priest was designed 
in an especial manner to represent Christ, who 
was to become a high priest forever after the or-
der of Melchisedec. This order of priesthood 
was not to pass to another, or be superseded by 
another. 
The Jewish nation had corrupted their religion 
by useless ceremonies and customs. This laid a 
heavy tax upon the people, especially the poorer 
classes. They were also under bondage to the Ro-
mans, and required to pay tribute to them. The 
Jews were unreconciled to their bondage, and 
looked forward to the triumph of their nation 
through the Messiah, the powerful deliverer fore-
told in prophecy. Their views were narrow. 
They thought the Coming One would, at his ap-
pearing, assume kingly honors, and, by force of 
arms, subdue their oppressors, and take the 
throne of David. Had they, with humble minds 
and spiritual discernment, studied the prophecies, 
they would not have been found in so great error 
as to overlook the prophecies which pointed to 
his first advent in humility, and misapply those 
which spoke of his second coming with power and 
great glory. The Jewish people had been striv-
ing for power. They were ambitious for worldly 
honors. They were proud and corrupt, and could 
not discern sacred things. They could not dis-
tinguish between those prophecies which pointed 
to the first advent of Christ, and those that de- 
THE FIRST ADVENT. �
15 
scribed his second, glorious appearing. �
The 
power and glory described by the prophets as 
attending his second advent, they looked for at 
his first advent. Their national glory was to them 
their greatest anxiety. Their ambitious desire 
was the establishment of a temporal kingdom, 
which they supposed would reduce the Romans to 
subjection, and exalt themselves with authority 
and power to reign over them. They had made 
the proud boast to those to whom they were in 
subjection, that they were not to oppress them 
long ; for their reign would soon commence, which 
would be more exalted and glorious than even that 
of Solomon. 
When the time was fulfilled, Christ was born 
in a stable, and cradled in a manger, surrounded 
by the beasts of the stall. And is this indeed the 
Son of God, to all outward appearance a frail, 
helpless babe, so much resembling other infants ? 
His divine glory and majesty were vailed by hu-
manity, and angels heralded his advent. The tid-
ings of his birth were borne with joy to the heav-
enly courts, while the great men of the earth knew 
it not. The proud Pharisees and scribes, with 
their hypocritical ceremonies, and apparent devo-
tion to the law, knew nothing of the Babe of Beth-
lehem. They were ignorant of the manner of 
his appearing, notwithstanding all their boasted 
learning and wisdom in expounding the law and the 
prophecies in the schools of the prophets. They 
were devising means to advantage themselves. 
Their study was as to the most successful mariner 
to obtain riches and worldly honor, and they were 
wholly unprepared for the revelation of the Mes-
siah. They looked for a mighty prince, who 
should reign upon David's throne, and whose 
16 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
kingdom should endure forever. Their proud and 
lofty ideas of the coming of the Messiah were not 
in accordance with the prophecies which they pro-
fessed to be able to expound to the people. They 
were spiritually blind, and were leaders of the 
blind. 
In Heaven it was understood that the time had 
come for the advent of Christ to the world, and 
angels leave glory to witness his reception by 
those he came to bless and save. They had wit-
nessed his glory in Heaven, and they anticipate 
that he will be received with honor in accordance 
with his character, and the dignity of his mission. 
As angels approach the earth, they first come to 
the people God had separated from the nations of 
the world as his peculiar treasure. They see no 
especial interest among the Jews, no eager wait-
ing and watching that they may be the first to re-
ceive the Redeemer, and acknowledge his ad-
vent. 
In the temple, which had been hallowed by 
daily sacrificial offerings, prefigurin4 his coming, 
and symbolizing his death, no preparations are be-
ing made to welcome the Saviour of the world. 
The Pharisees continue to repeat their long, mean-
ingless prayers in the streets, to be heard of men, 
in order to obtain the reputation of great piety 
and devotion. 
The angels from Heaven behold with astonish-
ment the indifference of the people, and their ig-
norance in regard to the advent of the Prince of 
Life. The proud Pharisees, claiming to be God's 
chosen people, in their hypocritical devotions, are 
proclaiming the law, and exalting traditions, while 
men of other nations are dealing in fables, and 
are worshiping false gods. All alike were igno- 
THE FIRST ADVENT. �
17 
rant of the great event which prophecy had fore-
told would transpire. 
Angels behold the weary travelers, Joseph and 
Mary, making their way to the city of David to be 
taxed, according to the decree of Cc'esar Augustus. 
Here, in the providence of God, Joseph and Mary 
had been brought ; for this was the place prophecy 
had predicted that Christ should be born. They 
seek a place of rest at the inn, but are turned 
away because there is no room. The wealthy 
and honorable have been welcomed, and find re-
freshment and room, while these weary travelers 
are compelled to seek refuge in a coarse building 
which shelters the dumb beasts. 
Here the Saviour of the world is born. The 
Majesty of Glory, who filled all Heaven with ad-
miration and splendor, is humiliated to a bed in a 
manger. In Heaven, he was surrounded by holy 
angels ; but now his companions are the beasts of 
the stall. What humiliation is this ! Wonder, 
0 Heavens ! and be astonished, 0 earth ! 
As there are none among the sons of men to 
herald the advent of the Messiah, angels must now 
do that work which it was the honored privilege of 
men to do. But the angels, with the glad tidings 
of the birth of the Saviour, are sent to the hum- • 
ble shepherds, and not to the learned Jews, who 
profess to be the expounders of prophecy ; for 
they have no heart to receive it. 
" And there were in the same country shep-
herds abiding in the field, keeping watch over 
their flock by night. And lo ! the angel of the 
Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord 
shone round about them, and they were sore 
afraid." Humble shepherds, who are guarding 
their flocks by night, are the ones who joyfully re- 
18 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
ceive their testimony. Suddenly the heavens are 
lighted up with a brightness which alarms the 
shepherds. They know not the reason of this 
grand display. They do not at first discern the 
myriads of angels that are congregated in the 
heavens. The brightness and glory from the 
heavenly host illuminate and glorify the entire 
plain. �
While the shepherds are terrified at the 
glory of God, the leading angel of the throng 
quiets their fears by revealing himself to them, 
saying, " Fear not; for behold I bring you good 
tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 
For unto you is born this day, in the city of David, 
a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this 
shall be a sign unto you : ye shall find the babe 
wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 
And suddenly there was with the angel a multi-
tude of the heavenly host, praising God, and say-
ing, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, 
peace, good-will toward men." 
As their fears are dispelled, joy takes the place 
of astonishment and terror. They could not, at 
first, bear the radiance of glory, which attended 
the whole heavenly host, to break upon them sud-
denly. One angel only appears to the gaze of the 
watching shepherds to dissipate their fears, and 
make known their mission. As the light of the 
angel encircles them, the glory rests upon them, 
and they are strengthened to endure the greater 
light and glory attending the myriads of heavenly 
angels. �
" And it came to pass, as the angels 
were gone away from them into Heaven, the shep-
herds said one to another, Let us now go even 
unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come 
to pass, which the Lord bath made known unto us. 
And they came with haste, and found Mary and 
THE FIRST ADVENT. �
19 
Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And 
when they had seen it, they 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 by the shep-
herds. But Mary kept all these things, and pon-
dered them in her heart. And the shepherds re-
turned, glorifying and praising God -for all the 
things that they had heard and seen, as it was told 
unto them." 
The shepherds are filled with joy, and as the 
bright glory disappears, and the angels return to 
Heaven, they are all aglow with the glad tidings, 
and hasten in search of the Saviour. They find 
the infant Redeemer, as the celestial messengers 
had testified, wrapped in swaddling clothes, and 
lying in the narrow confines of a manger. 
The events which had but just transpired, 
have made indelible impressions upon their minds 
and hearts, and they are filled with amazement, 
love, and gratitude for the great condescension of 
God to man in sending his Son into the world. 
The shepherds spread the joyful tidings every-
where, of the wondrous glory they had seen, and 
the celestial praises they had heard from the lips 
of the heavenly host. 
The King of glory stooped low to take human-
ity ; and angels, who had witnessed his splendor 
in the heavenly courts, as he was worshiped by 
all the heavenly hosts, were disappointed to find 
their divine Commander in a position of so Brea t 
humiliation. 
The Jews had separated themselves so far from 
God by their wicked works, that angels could not 
communicate to them the tidings of the advent of 
rrir 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
20 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
THE FIRST ADVENT. �
21 
the angels to the shepherds. But the Spirit of 
God moved them out to seek this heavenly Visitor 
to a fallen world. The wise men directed their 
course where the star seemed to lead them. And 
as they drew nigh to the city of Jerusalem, the 
star was enshrouded in darkness, and no longer 
guided them. They reasoned that the Jews 
could not be ignorant of the great event of the 
advent of the Messiah, and they made inquiries 
in the vicinity of Jerusalem. 
The wise men are surprised to see no unusual 
interest upon the subject of the coming of the 
Messiah. They fear that after all they may not 
have read the prophecies correctly. Uncertainty 
beclouds their minds, and they become anxious. 
They hear the priests repeating and enforcing 
their traditions, and expounding the law, and ex-
alting their religion, and their own piety. They 
point to their phylacteries, and the borders of 
their garments, upon which the precepts of the 
law and their traditions are inscribed, as evi-
dences of their devotion, while they denounce the 
Romans and the Greeks as heathen and sinners 
above all men. The wise men leave Jerusalem 
not as confident and hopeful as when they entered 
it. �
They marvel that the Jews are not interested 
and joyful in prospect of this great event of the 
advent of Christ. 
The churches of our time are seeking worldly 
aggrandizement, and are as unwilling to see the 
light of the prophecies, and receive the evidences 
of their fulfillment, which show that Christ is 
soon 'to come, as were the Jews in reference to his 
first appearing. They were looking for the tem-
poral and triumphant reign of Messiah in Jeru-
salem. Professed Christians of our time are ex- 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
the infant Redeemer. God chooses the wise men 
of the East to do his will. 
" Now when Jesus was bore. in Bethlehem of 
Judea in the days of Herod the king,*behold, 
there came wise men from the East to Jerusalem, 
saying, 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." These men were not 
Jews ; but they had been waiting for the predicted 
Messiah. They had studied prophecy, and knew 
the time was at hand when Christ would come ; 
and they were anxiously watching for some sign 
of this great event, that they might be among the 
first to welcome the infant heavenly King, and 
worship him. These wise men were philosophers, 
and had studied the works of God in nature. In 
the wonders of the heavens, in the glories of the 
sun, moon, and stars, they traced the finger of 
God. They were not idolaters. They lived up 
to the dim light which shone upon them. These 
men were regarded by the Jews as heathen ; but 
they were more pure in the sight of God than 
the Jews who had been privileged with great light, 
and who made exalted professions, yet did not live 
up to the light God had given them. These wise 
men had seen the heavens illuminated with light, 
which enshrouded the heavenly host who heralded 
the advent of Christ to the humble shepherds. And 
after the angels returned to Heaven, a luminous 
star appeared, and lingered in the heavens. 
This light was a distant cluster of flaming an-
gels, which appeared like a luminous star. The 
unusual appearance of the large, bright star which 
they had never seen before, hanging as a sign in 
the heavens, attracted their attention. They 
were not privileged to hear the proclamation of 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
22 �
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
 
THE FIRST ADVENT. �
23 
 
pecting the temporal prosperity of the church, in 
the conversion of the world, and the enjoyment of 
the temporal millennium. 
The wise men plainly stated their errand. 
They were in search of Jesus, the king of the 
Jews, for they had seen his star in the east, and 
had come to worship him. 
The city of Jerusalem was thrown into great ex-
,citement by the sayings of the wise men. The 
news was immediately carried to Herod. He was 
exceedingly troubled, yet disguised the discomfit-
ure, and received the men with apparent courtesy. 
The advent of Christ was the greatest event 
which had taken place since the creation of 
the world. The birth of Christ, which gave 
joy to the angels of Heaven, was not welcome to 
the kingly powers of the world. Suspicion and 
envy were aroused in king Herod, and his wicked 
heart was planning his dark purposes for the fu-
ture. The Jews manifested a stupid indifference 
to the story of the wise men. But Herod is in-
tensely interested and excited. He summons the 
scribes, and the chief priests, and urges upon them 
to search carefully prophetic history, and tell him 
where the infant king was to be born. The care-
less indifference and apparent ignorance of the 
scribes and chief priests, as they turn to their 
books for the words of prophecy, irritate the fully 
aroused king. He thinks they are trying to con-
ceal from him the real facts in regard to the birth 
of the Messiah. He authoritatively commands them 
to make close search in relation to their expected 
king. 
" And when he had gathered all the chief 
priests and scribes of the people together, he de-
manded of them where Christ should be born. 
And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judea 
for thus it is written by the prophet, And thou 
Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least 
among the princes of Juda; for out of thee shall 
come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel. 
Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise 
men, inquired of them diligently what time 
the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethle-
hem, and said, Go and search diligently for the 
young child ; and when ye have found him, bring 
me word again, that I may come and worship him 
also." 
Although Herod received the wise men with 
apparent respect, yet the intimation by them of 
the birth of a king to reign in Jerusalem, excited 
his envy and hatred against the infant whom he 
thought might prove his rival, and drive him, or 
his descendants, from the throne. A storm of 
opposition and satanic fury took possession of 
Herod, and he determined to destroy this infant 
king. Yet he put on a calm exterior, and re-
quested a private interview with the wise men. He 
then inquired particularly the exact time the star 
appeared. He apparently hailed the supposition 
of the birth of Christ with joy, expressing a de-
sire to be immediately informed by the wise men, 
that he might be among the first to show him true 
honor by worshiping him also. The wise men 
were not able to read the heart of the tyrant 
Herod; but God, who is acquainted with every 
emotion of the soul, with the intents and purposes 
of the heart, was not deceived by his hypocritical 
pretenses. His power will protect and preserve 
the precious infant Saviour from Satan's devices, 
until his mission on earth is accomplished. 
" When they had heard the king, they departed ; 
 
 
 
 
 
24 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. �
THE FIRST ADVENT. �
95 
and lo ! the star which they saw in the east went 
before them, till it came and stood over where 
the young child was. When they saw the star, 
they rejoiced with exceeding great joy." 
After the wise men had left Jerusalem, they 
again saw, to their great joy, the guiding star in 
the heavens, which directed them to the birthplace 
of our Saviour. " And when they were come 
into the house, they saw the young child with 
Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshiped 
him. And when they had opened their treasures, 
they presented unto him gifts ; gold, and frank-
incense, and myrrh." The wise men found no 
loyal guard to debar their entrance to the pres-
ence of Christ. The honorable of the world are 
not in attendance. In place of the people who 
should have welcomed with grateful homage the 
Prince of Life, he is surrounded with dumb beasts. 
The glory of God attending the angelic host, 
had scarcely disappeared from the plains of Beth-
lehem when the malice of envious Herod was 
aroused in opposition to the infant Saviour. This 
king understood that Christ was to reign over a 
temporal kingdom, and he was utterly averse to 
the idea of a Jewish king. The chief priests and 
scribes had professed to understand the prophe-
cies in reference to the appearing of Christ. They 
had repeated to the people the prophecies which 
relate to the second appearing of Christ in power 
and great glory, to put down all authority, and 
to rule over the whole earth. They had in a 
boastful, resentful manner, asserted that Christ 
was to be a temporal prince, and that every king-
dom and nation was to bow in submission to his 
authority. 
These priests had not searched the proph- 
ecies with an eye single to the glory of God,. or 
with a desire to conform their lives to the hig
h 
standard marked out by the prophets. They 
searched the Scriptures to find ancient prophe-
cies which they could in some way interpret to 
sustain their lofty pride, and to show with what 
contempt God regarded all the nations of the world 
except the Jews. They declared that the power 
and authority they were then compelled to respect 
and obey, would soon come to an end ; for Mes-
siah would take the throne of David, and, by force 
of arms, restore the Jews to their liberty, and to 
their exalted privileges. The understanding of 
the Jews was darkened. They had no light in 
themselves. They were seeing the prophecies 
through their own perverse understanding. Sa-
tan was leading them on to their own ruin. And 
Herod was determined to defeat the purposes of 
the Jews, and to humble these proud boasters, by 
destroying Christ as soon as he should be found. 
After the mission of the wise men had been ac-
complished, they were purposing to return, and 
bear the joyful news to Herod of the success of 
their journey. But God sent his angel in the 
night season to turn the course of the wise men. 
In a vision of the night they were plainly told 
not to return to Herod. They obeyed the heav-
enly vision. " And being warned of God in a dream 
that they should not return to Herod, they de-
parted into their own country another way. And 
when they were departed, behold the angel of the 
Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, 
Arise, and take the young child and his mother, 
and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I 
bring thee word; for Herod will seek the young 
Great Controversy, Vol. 2. �
3 
26 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
child to destroy him. When he arose, he took 
the young child and his mother by night, and de-
parted into Egypt." 
The Lord moved upon the wise men to go in 
search of Jesus, and he directed their course by 
a star. This star, leaving them when near Jeru-
salem, led them to make inquiries in Judah ; for 
they thought it was not possible for the chief 
priests and scribes to be ignorant of this great 
event. The coming of the wise men made the 
whole nation acquainted with the object of their 
journey, and directed their attention to the im-
portant events which were transpiring. God well 
knew that the advent of his Son to earth would 
stir the powers of darkness. Satan did not want 
that light should come into the world. The eye 
of God was upon his Son every moment. The 
Lord had fed his prophet Elijah by a miracle when 
upon a long journey. He could obtain food from 
no other source. He rained manna from Heaven 
for the children of Israel. The Lord provided 
a way for Joseph to preserve his own life, and the 
life of Jesus, and that of the mother, by their flee-
ing into Egypt. He provided for the necessities 
of their journey, and for their sojourn in Egypt, 
by moving upon the wise men of the East to go in 
search of the infant Saviour, and to bear him val-
uable offerings as a token of honor. The Lord is 
acquainted with the hearts of all men. He di-
rected the course of Joseph into Egypt, that he 
might there find an asylum from the wrath of a 
tyrannical king, and the life of the infant Saviour 
be preserved. The earthly parents of Jesus were 
poor. The gifts brought to them by the wise men 
sustained them while in the land of strangers. 
Herod waited anxiously for the return of the 
THE FIRST ADVENT. �
27 
wise men; for he was impatient to carry out his 
determined purpose to destroy the infant King of 
Israel. After he had waited long for the knowl-
edge he desired, he feared his purpose might be 
thwarted. He reasoned thus : Could those men 
have read the dark deed he premeditated ? 
Could they have understood his design, and pur-
posely avoided him ? This he thought was insult 
and mockery. His impatience, envy, and hatred, 
increased. He was stirred by his father, the devil, 
to seek the accomplishment of his purpose by a 
most cruel act. If he should fail in carrying out 
his murderous intent by pretense and subtlety, he 
would, by power and authority, strike terror to 
the hearts of all the Jews. They should have an 
example of what their king would meet, should they 
seek to place one upon the throne in Jerusalem. 
And here was a favorable opportunity to humble 
the pride of the Jews, and bring upon them a ca-
lamity which should discourage them in their am-
bition to have a separate government, and become 
the glory of the whole earth, as they had proudly 
boasted. Herod issued a proclamation to a large 
body of soldiers, whose hearts were hardened by 
crime, war, and bloodshed, to go throughout 
Bethlehem and all the coasts thereof, and mas-
sacre all the children from two years old and 
under. Herod designed in this cruel act to 
accomplish a double purpose : first, to exercise, 
by this bold act, his power and authority over 
the Jews ; and, second, to silence their proud 
boastings in regard to their king, and also make his 
own kingdom secure, by murdering the infant 
prince whom he envied and feared. This cruel work 
was accomplished. The sword of unfeeling sol-
diers carried destruction everywhere. The horror 
28 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
and distress of parents were beyond description. 
The wailing cries of bereaved mothers, as they 
clasped their expiring infants to their breasts, 
rose above the coarse jests and imprecations of 
the soldiers, while they cried to Heaven for venge-
ance on the tyrant king. 
All this terrible calamity was suffered of God, 
to humble the pride of the Jewish nation. Their 
crimes and wickedness had been so great that the 
Lord permitted the wicked Herod to thus punish 
them. Had they been less boastful and ambitious, 
their lives pure, their habits simple and sincere, 
God would have preserved them from being thus 
humiliated and afflicted by their enemies. God 
would, in a signal manner, have made the wrath 
of the king harmless to his people, had they been 
faithful and perfect before him. But he could riot 
especially work for them, for their works were ab-
horred by him. 
The Jews had excited the envy and hatred of 
Ilerod against Christ, through their false interpre-
tation of the prophets. They taught that Christ 
was to reign over an earthly empire, in unsur-
passed glory. Their proud boasting presented 
the Saviour of the world, and his mission to the 
earth, altogether in a false light. Their lofty 
ideas and their proud boasting did riot result as 
Satan had at first purposed they should, in the 
destruction of the infant Saviour, but rebounded 
back upon themselves, filling their homes with 
mourning. Jeremiah, in prophetic vision, says : 
" In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation 
and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping 
for her children, and would not be comforted, be-
cause they are not." But Herod did not long 
survive his cruel work. ' He died a fearful death. 
THE FIRST ADVENT. �
29 
He was compelled to yield to a power he could 
not turn aside or overcome. 
After Herod was cut off from the earth, the 
angel again warned Joseph to return to the land 
of Israel. He was desirous to make his home in 
Judah or Bethlehem ; but when he heard that the 
son of the tyrannical Herod reigned upon his 
father's throne, he was afraid that the purposes of 
the father might be carried. out by the son in mur-
dering Christ. While in his perplexity, not know- 
ing where to locate, the Lord, through his angel, 
again selected for him a place of safety. " And 
he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth ; 
that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by 
the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene." 
This was the reception the Saviour met as he 
came to a fallen world. He left his heavenly 
home, his majesty, and riches, and high command, 
and took upon himself man's nature, that he might 
save the fallen race. Instead of men glorifying 
God for the honor he had conferred upon them in 
thus sending his Son in the likeness of sinful 
flesh, by.giving him a place in their affections, 
there seemed to be no rest nor safety for the in-
fant Saviour. Jehovah could not trust to the 
inhabitants of the world his Son, who came into 
the world that through his divine power he might 
redeem fallen man. He who came to bring life 
to man, met, from the very ones he came to bene-
fit, insult, hatred, and abuse. God could not trust 
his beloved Son with men while carrying on 
his benevolent work for their salvation, and final 
exaltation to his own throne. He sent angels to 
attend his Son and preserve his life, till his mission 
on earth should be accomplished, and he should 
die by the hands of the very men he came to save. 
30 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. �
THE LIFE OF CHRIST. �31 
CHAPTER II. 
THE LIFE OF CHRIST. 
FROM his childhood, Jesus conformed his life 
strictly to the Jewish laws. He manifested great 
wisdom in his youth. The grace and power of 
God were upon him. The word of the Lord, by 
the mouth of the prophet Isaiah, describes the 
office and work of Christ, and shows the sheltering 
care of God over his Son in his mission to earth, 
that the relentless hatred of men, inspired by 
Satan, should not be permitted to thwart the de-
sign of the great plan of salvation. 
"Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine 
elect, in whom my soul delighteth ; I have put my 
Spirit upon him. He shall bring forth judgment 
to the Gentiles. He shall not cry, nor lift up, 
nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. A 
bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking 
flax shall he not quench. He shall bring forth 
judgment unto truth. He shall not fail nor be 
discouraged, till he have set judgment in the 
earth." 
The voice of Christ was not heard in the street, 
in noisy contention with those who were opposed 
to his doctrine. Neither was his voice heard in 
the street in prayer to his Father, to be heard of 
men. His voice was not heard in joyful mirth. 
His voice was not raised to exalt himself, and to 
gain the applause and flattery of men. When en-
gaged in teaching, he withdrew his disciples 
away from the noise and confusion of the busy 
city to some retired place more in harmony with 
the lessons of humility, piety, and virtue, which 
he would impress upon their minds. He shunned 
human praise, and preferred solitude and peace-
ful retirement to the noise and confusion of mor-
tal life. His voice was often heard in earnest, 
prevailing intercessions to his Father ; yet for 
these exercises he chose the lonely mountain, and 
frequently spent whole nights in prayer for strength 
to sustain him under the temptations he should 
meet, and to accomplish the important work he 
came to do for the salvation of man. His peti-
tions were earnest and mingled with strong cries 
and tears. And notwithstanding the labor of 
soul during the night, he ceased not his labor 
through the day. In the morning he would qui-
etly resume his work of mercy and disinterested 
benevolence. The life of Christ was in marked 
contrast to that of the Jews, and for this very rea-
son they wished to destroy him. 
The chief priests, and scribes, and elders, loved 
to pray in the most public places ; not only in the 
crowded synagogues, but in the corners of the 
streets, that they might be seen of men, and 
praised for their devotion and piety. Their acts of 
charity were done in the most public manner, and 
for the purpose of calling the attention of the 
people to themselves. Their voices were indeed 
heard in the streets, not only in exalting them-
selves, but in contention with those who differed 
with them in doctrine. They were resentful and 
unforgiving, proud, haughty, and bigoted. The 
Lord, through his faithful prophet, shows the life 
of Christ in marked contrast to the hypocritical 
chief priests, scribes, and Pharisees. 
The parents of Jesus yearly visited Jerusalem, 
in accordance with the Jewish law. Their son, 
Jesus, then twelve years old, accompanied them. 
33 
32 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
THE LIFE OF CHRIST. 
In returning to their home, after they had gone 
a day's journey, their anxiety was aroused, as they 
missed Jesus. He had not been seen of them 
since they left Jerusalem. They supposed he 
was with the company. Inquiry and search were 
made among their acquaintances and relatives for 
their much-loved son ; but no trace could be 
found of him. They hastened back to Jerusalem, 
their hearts heavy with sorrow. For one day of 
neglect they lost their son, Jesus, from their com-
pany, which cost them three days of anxious 
search, with sorrowful hearts, before they found 
him. This should be a lesson to those who are 
following Christ. If they neglect watchfulness 
and prayer, and become careless, they may, in 
one day lose Christ ; but it may take many days 
of anxious, sorrowful search to find him again, 
and to enjoy the peace of mind and consolation of 
his grace that they lost through vain talking, 
jesting, joking, and evil speaking, or even neglect 
of prayer. 
" And it came to pass, that after three days 
they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst 
of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking 
them questions. And all that heard him were as-
tonished at his understanding and answers. And 
when they saw him, they were amazed; and his 
mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus 
dealt with us ? behold, thy father and I have 
sought thee sorrowing. And he said unto them, 
How is it that ye sought me ? wist ye not that I 
must be about my Father's business ? And they 
understood not the saying which he spake unto 
them. And he went down with them, and came 
to Nazareth, and was subject unto them ; but his 
mother kept all these sayings in her heart. And 
Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in fa-
vor with God and man." 
The doctors, and expounders of the law, always 
taught the people publicly upon especial occa-
sions. It was upon one of these occasions that 
Jesus gave manifest proofs of superior wisdom, 
penetration, and mature judgment. The people 
were more surprised because the parents of 
Christ were poor, and he had not received the 
advantages of education. The question passed 
from lip to lip, Whence has this youth such wis-
dom, having never learned ? While the parents 
of Chr
ist were in search of him, they saw large 
numbers flocking to the temple ; and as they en-
tered it, the well-known voice of their son ar-
rested their attention. They could not get sight 
of him for the crowd ; but they knew that they 
were not mistaken, for no voice was like his, 
marked with solemn melody. The parents gazed 
in astonishment at the scene. Their son, in the 
midst of the grave and learned doctors and scribes, 
was giving evidence of superior knowledge by his 
discreet questions and answers. His parents were 
gratified to see him thus honored. But the mother 
could not forget the grief and anxiety she had 
suffered because of his tarry at Jerusalem, and 
she, in a reproving manner, inquired why he had 
thus dealt with them, relating her fears and sor-
row on his account. 
Said Jesus, "How is it that ye sought me?" 
This pointed question was to lead them to see that 
if they had been mindful of their duty, they 
would not have left Jerusalem without him. He 
then adds, " Wist ye not that I must be about 
my Father's business ?" While th ey had been 
unmindful of the responsible charge intrusted to 
THE LIFE OF CHRIST. �
35 
34 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
them, Jesus was engaged in the work of his Fa-
ther. Mary knew that Christ did not refer to his 
earthly father, Joseph, but to Jehovah. She laid 
these things to heart, and profited by them. 
In returning from Jerusalem with the crowd, 
talking and visiting engrossed their minds, and 
Jesus was forgotten for an entire day. His ab-
sence was not observed until the close of the day. 
Joseph and Mary had been honored of God in an es-
pecial manner, in being intrusted with the respons-
ible charge of the Saviour. Angels had heralded 
his birth to the shepherds, and God had directed 
the course of Joseph, to preserve the life of the 
infant Saviour. But the confusion of much talk 
had led to the neglect of their sacred trust, and 
Jesus was not brought to mind for an entire day, 
by those who should not have forgotten him for a 
moment. They returned their weary way, sad 
and fearful, to Jerusalem. They recalled the ter-
rible massacre of innocent children by the cruel 
Herod in hope of destroying the king of Israel. 
When their anxiety was relieved by finding Jesus, 
they did not acknowledge their own neglect of 
duty, but their words reflected on Christ—" Why 
hast thou thus dealt with us ? behold, thy father 
and I have sought thee sorrowing." Jesus, in 
most respectful language, inquires, " How is it 
that ye sought me?" But these words modestly 
reflect back the censure upon themselves, in re-
minding them that, if they had not permitted them-
selves to be engrossed with matters of no special 
importance, they would not have had the trouble 
of searching for him. He then justifies his course : 
" Wist ye not that.I must be about my Father's 
business ?" While he was engaged in the work 
he came to the earth to perform, they had neg- 
lected the work his Father had especially intrusted 
to them. They could not fully comprehend the 
words of Christ ; yet Mary, in a great measure, 
understood their import, and laid them away in 
her heart to ponder over in the future. 
It was so natural for the parents of Christ to 
look upon him as their own child, as parents com-
monly regard their children, that they were in 
danger of losing the precious blessing which daily 
attended them in the presence of Jesus, the world's 
redeemer. As Christ was daily with them, his 
life in many respects as other children, it was dif-
ficult to keep before them his sacred mission, and 
the daily blessing of having committed to their 
charge and parental care, for a while, the Son of 
God, whose divinity was wailed with humanity. 
His tarry in Jerusalem was designed of him as a 
gentle reminder to them of their duty, lest they 
should become indifferent in a greater degree, and 
lose the sense of the high favor God had conferred 
upon them. 
Not one act in the life of Christ was unimpor-
tant. Every event of his life was for the benefit 
of his followers in future time. This circumstance 
of the tarry of Christ in Jerusalem teaches an im-
portant lesson to those who should believe on him. 
Many had come a great distance to keep the pass-
over, instituted that the Hebrews might keep 
in memory their wonderful deliverance from 
Egypt. This ordinance was designed to call their 
minds from their world-loving interests, and from 
their cares and anxieties in relation to temporal 
concerns, and to review the works of God. They 
were to call to mind his miracles, his mercies and 
loving-kindness, to them, that their love and rev-
erence for him might increase, and lead them to 
36 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
ever look, to him, and trust in him in all their trials, 
and not turn to other gods. 
The observance of the passover possessed a 
mournful interest to the Son of God. He saw in 
the slain lamb a symbol of his own death. The 
people who celebrated this ordinance were in-
structed to associate the slaying of the lamb with 
the future death of the Son of God. The blood, 
marking the door-posts of their houses, was the 
symbol of the blood of Christ which was to be effi-
cacious for the believing sinner, in cleansing him 
from sin, and sheltering him from the wrath of 
God which was to come upon the impenitent and 
unbelieving world, as the wrath of God fell upon 
the Egyptians. But none could be benefited by 
this special provision made by God for the salva-
tion of man unless they should perform the work the 
Lord left them to do. They had a part to act 
themselves, and by their acts to manifest their faith 
in the provision made for their salvation. 
Jesus was acquainted with hearts. He knew 
that, as the crowd returned in company from Je-
rusalem, there would be much talking and visiting 
which would not be seasoned with humility and 
grace, and the Messiah and his mission would be 
nearly forgotten. It was his choice to return 
from Jerusalem with his parents alone ; for in 
being retired, his father and mother would have 
more time for reflection, and for meditation upon 
the prophecies which referred to his future suffer-
ings and death. He did not wish that the painful 
events which they were to experience in his offer-
ing up his life for the sins of the world, to be new 
and unexpected to them. He was separated from 
them in their return from Jerusalem. After the 
celebration of the passover, they sought him sor- 
THE LIFE OF CHRIST. �
37 
rowing three days. When he should be slain for 
the sins of the world, he would be separated from 
them, lost to them, for three days. But after that, 
he would reveal himself to them, and be found of 
them, and their faith rely upon him as the redeemer 
of the fallen race, the advocate with the Father in 
their behalf. 
Here is a lesson of instruction to all the followers 
of Christ. He designed that none of these lessons 
should be lost, but be written for the benefit of 
future generations. There is necessity of care-
fulness of -words and actions when Christiana are 
associated together, lest Jesus be forgotten of them, 
and they pass along careless of the fact that Jesus 
is not among them. When they are aroused to 
their condition, they discover that they have jour-
neyed without the presence of Him who could give 
peace and joy to their hearts, and days are occu-
pied in returning, and searching for him whom 
they should have retained with them every mo-
ment. Jesus will not be found in the company of 
those who are careless of his presence, and who 
engage in conversation having no reference to 
their Redeemer, in whom they profess their hopes 
of eternal life are centered. Jesus shuns the com-
pany of such, so also do the angels who do his 
commands. These heavenly messengers are not 
attracted to the crowd where minds are diverted 
from heavenly things. These pure and holy spir-
its cannot remain in the company where Jesus' 
presence is not desired and encouraged, and his 
absence not marked. For this reason, great mourn- 
ing, grief, and discouragement exist. Through 
lack of meditation, watchfulness, and prayer, they 
have lost all that is valuable. The divine rays of 
light emanating from Jesus are not with them, 
11 
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
cheering them with their loving, elevating.influence. 
They are enshrouded in gloom, because their care-
less, irreverent spirit has separated Jesus from 
their company, and driven the ministering angels 
from them. 
Many who attend meetings of devotion, and 
have been instructed by the servants of God, and 
been greatly refreshed and blessed in seeking 
Jesus, have returned to their homes no better than 
they left them, because they did not feel the im-
portance of praying and watching thereunto, as 
they returned to their homes. They frequently 
feel inclined to complain of others, because they 
realize their loss. Some murmur against God, 
and do not reproach themselves as being the cause 
of their own darkness, and sufferings of mind. 
These should not reflect upon others. The fault 
is in themselves. They talked and jested, and 
visited away the heavenly Guest, and themselves 
they have only to blame. It is the privilege of 
all to retain Jesus with them. If they do this, 
their words must be select, seasoned with grace. 
The thoughts of their hearts must be disciplined to 
meditate upon heavenly and divine things. 
The love of God, manifested toward fallen man 
in the gift of his beloved Son, amazed the holy 
angels. " God so loved the world that he gave 
his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth 
in him should not perish, but have everlasting 
life." The Son was the brightness of the Father's 
glory, and the express image of his person. He 
possessed divine excellence and greatness. He 
was equal with God. It pleased the Father that 
in him all fullness should dwell. He " thought it 
not robbery to be equal with God." Yet he " made 
himself of no reputation, and took upon him the 
THE LIFE OF CHRIST. �
39 
form of a servant, and was made in the likeness 
of men. And being found in fashion as a man, 
he humbled himself, and became obedient unto 
death, even the death of the cross." 
In Christ were united the human and the di-
vine. His mission was to reconcile God to man, 
and man to God. His work was to unite the fi-
nite with the Infinite. This was the only way in 
which fallen men could be exalted, through the 
merits of the blood of Christ, to be partakers of 
the divine nature. Taking human nature fitted 
Christ to understand the nature of man's trials, 
and all the temptations wherewith he is beset. 
Angels, who were unacquainted with sin, could 
not sympathize with man in his peculiar trials. 
Before Christ left Heaven and came into the 
world to die, he was taller than any of the angels. 
He was majestic and lovely. But when his min-
istry commenced, he was but little taller than the 
common size of men then living upon the earth. 
Had he come among men with his noble, heavenly 
form, his outward appearance would have attracted 
the minds of the people to himself, and he would 
have been received without the exercise of faith. 
It was in the order of God that Christ should 
take upon himself the form and nature of fallen 
man, that he might be made perfect through suf-
fering, and himself endure the strength of Satan's 
fierce temptations, that he might understand how 
to succor those who should be tempted. The faith 
of men in Christ as the Messiah was not to rest 
on the evidences of sight, and they believe on him 
because of his personal attractions, but because of 
the excellence of character found in him, which 
never had been found, neither could be, in an-
other. All who loved virtue, purity, and holiness, 
38 
.MINIMMIIMMIMINEm•V 
40 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
would be drawn to Christ, and would see sufficient 
evidence of his being the Messiah foretold by 
prophecy that should come. Those who thus 
trusted in the word of God, would receive the ben-
efits of the teachings of Christ, and finally of his 
atonement. 
Christ came to call the attention of all men to 
his Father, teaching them repentance toward God. 
His work was to reconcile man to God. Although 
Christ did not come as he was expected, yet he 
came just as prophecy had marked out that he 
would come. Those who wished to believe, had 
sufficient grounds for their faith by referring to 
prophecy which predicted the coming of the Just 
One, and described the manner of his coming. 
The ancient Jewish church were the highly fa-
vored people of God, brought out of Egypt and 
acknowledged as his own peculiar treasure. The 
many and exceeding great and precious promises 
to them as a people, were the hope and confidence 
of the Jewish church. Herein they trusted, and 
believed their salvation sure. No other people 
professed to be governed by the commandments of 
God. Our Saviour came first to his own people, 
but they received him not. 
The self-righteous, unbelieving Jews expected 
their Saviour and King would come into the world 
clothed with majesty and power, compelling all 
Gentiles to yield obedience to him. They did not 
expect any humiliation and suffering would be mani-
fested in him. They would not receive the meek 
and lowly Jesus, and acknowledge him to be the 
Saviour of the world. Had he appeared in splen-
dor, and assumed the authority of the world's 
great men, instead of taking the form of a servant, 
they would have received and worshiped him. 
LIFE AND MISSION OF JOHN. �
41 
CHAPTER III. 
LIFE AND MISSION OF JOHN. 
ABOUT the time of the birth of John, the Jews 
were in a deplorable condition. And in order to 
keep down insurrection, they were allowed to have 
a separate government, in name, while the Romans 
virtually ruled them. The Jews saw that their 
power and liberty were restricted, and that, in re-
ality, they were under the Roman yoke. The 
Romans claimed the right to appoint men to the 
priesthood, and to remove them from office at will. 
Thus was there a door opened for the priesthood 
to become corrupt. The priests, not being di-
vinely appointed, abused their office, and were un-
faithful in their ministrations. Men of corrupt 
morals, with money and influence, obtained the 
favor of those in power, and succeeded in attain-
ing to the priesthood. The whole country felt 
their oppression, and revolt and dissension were 
the result of this state of things. 
The pious Jews were looking, believing, and 
earnestly praying, for the coming of the Messiah. 
God could not manifest his glory and power to his 
people through a corrupt priesthood. The set 
time to favor his people had come. The faith of 
the Jews had become clouded, in consequence of 
their departure from God. Many of the leaders 
of the people brought in their own traditions, and 
enforced them upon the Jews, as the command-
, ments of God. The pious Jews believed, and 
trusted in God that he would not leave his people 
in this condition, to be a reproach to the heathen. 
Great Controversy, Vol. 2. �
4 
of 
42 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
He had, in time past, raised them up a deliverer 
when in their distress they had called upon him. 
From the predictions of the prophets, they thought 
the time appointed of God had arrived when Mes-
siah would come. And when he should come, they 
would have a clear revelation of the divine will, 
and that their doctrines would be freed from the 
traditions and needless ceremonies which had con-
fused their faith. The pious, aged Jews waited 
day and night for the coming Messiah, praying 
that they might see the Saviour before they died. 
They longed to see the cloud of ignorance and 
bigotry dispelled from the minds of the people. 
" Zacharias and Elizabeth were both righteous 
before God walking in all the commandments and 
ordinances of the Lord blameless." They were far 
advanced in years. Zacharias ministered in the holy 
office of the priesthood. " And it came to pass that 
while he executed the priest's office before God in 
the order of his course, according to the custom 
of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense 
when he went into the temple of the Lord. And 
the whole multitude of the people were praying 
without at the time of incense. And there ap-
peared unto him an angel of the Lord standing 
on the right side of the altar of incense." 
And when Zacharias saw the angel of God, he 
was surprised and troubled. This conscientious, 
God-fearing soul questioned whether he had him-
self offended God, and that this divine messenger 
had come to reprove, or in judgment, to condemn. 
The heavenly messenger cheered him with these 
words : 
" Fear not, Zacharias, for thy prayer is heard ; 
and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and 
thou shalt call his name John. And thou shalt 
LIFE AND MISSION OF JOHN. �43 
have joy and gladness ; and many shall rejoice at 
his birth. For he shall be great in the sight of 
the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong 
drink ; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost. 
And many of the children of Israel shall he turn 
to the Lord their God. And he shall go before 
him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the 
hearts of the fathers to the children, and the dis-
obedient to the wisdom of the just ; to make ready 
a people prepared for the Lord." 
In the above words the angel Gabriel enjoined 
upon Zacharias that John should be brought up 
with strictly temperate habits. This was to secure 
to him physical, mental, and moral health, that he 
should be qualified for the important mission of 
making ready a people for the Lord. In order to 
accomplish this great work, the Lord must work 
with him. The Spirit of God would be with John 
if he should be obedient to the requirement of the 
angel. 
A great work was before John, and in order for 
him to have a sound physical constitution, and 
mental and moral power, to do this work, he must 
control appetite and passion. John was to lead 
out as a reformer, and by his abstemious life, and 
plain dress, rebuke the intemperate habits, and 
the sinful extravagance, of the people. The in-
dulgence of appetite in luxurious food, and the 
use of wine, were lessening physical strength, and 
weakening the intellect, so that crime and griev-
ous sins did not appear sinful. The angel Gabriel 
gave special directions to the parents of John in 
regard to temperance. A lesson was given upon 
health reform by one of the exalted angels from 
the throne of Heaven. John was to reform the 
children of Israel, and turn them to the Lord. 
44 �
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
He had the promise that God would work with 
him. He was " to turn the hearts of the fathers to 
the children, and the disobedient to the wisdon of 
the just, to make ready a people prepared for the 
Lord." 
John was a representative of the people of God 
in the last days, to whom God has committed im-
portant and solemn truths. The world at large 
are given to gluttony and the indulgence of base 
passions. The light of health reform is opened 
before the people of God at this day, that they 
may see the necessity of holding their appetites 
and passions under control of the higher powers of 
the mind. This is also necessary, that they may 
have mental strength and clearness, to discern the 
sacred chain of truth, and turn from the bewitch-
ing errors and pleasing fables, that are flooding 
the world. Their work is to present before the 
people the pure doctrine of the Bible. Hence 
health reform finds its place in the preparatory 
work for the second appearing of Christ. 
Zacharias was as much astonished at the words 
of the angel, as he was at his appearance. He 
had so humble an opinion of himself that he thought 
it could not be possible that he was thus to be 
honored of the Lord. He inquired, Whereby 
shall I know this ? for I am an old man, and my-
wife well stricken in years. Zacharias for a mo-
ment forgot the unlimited power of God, and that 
nothing was impossible with him. He did not call 
to mind the case of Abraham and Sarah, and the 
fulfillment of the promise of God to them. 
Zacharias received a confirmation of the angel's 
message, " Behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not 
able to speak, until the day that these things 
shall be performed, because thou believest not 
LIFE AND MISSION OF JOHN. �45 
my words which shall be fulfilled in their season." 
He was soon made to realize the verity of the di-
vine mission. The angel had no sooner departed 
than he was struck dumb. 
The particular office of Zacharias was to pray in 
behalf of the people, for pardon of public and na-
tional sins, and to earnestly pray for the coming 
of the long-expected Saviour whom they believed 
must redeem his people. When Zacharias at-
tempted to pray, he could not utter a word. The 
people waited long for the appearance of Zacha-
rias, to learn whether God had given them any 
visible token of his approbation. They began to 
fear from his long tarry that God had manifested 
his displeasure. When Zacharias came out of the 
temple, his countenance was shining with the light 
which the heavenly angel had reflected upon him. 
But he could not speak to the people. He made 
signs to them that an angel had appeared to him 
in the temple, and because of his unbelief he was 
deprived of the power of speech, until the predic-
tion of the angel should be fulfilled. 
Soon after the birth of John, " the tongue of 
Zacharias was loosed, and he spake and praised 
God. And fear came on all that dwelt round about 
them ; and all these sayings were noised abroad 
throughout all the hill country of Judea. And 
all that heard them, laid them up in their hearts, 
saying, What manner of child shall this be ? And 
the hand of the Lord was with him ; and his fa-
ther Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and 
prophesied. And the child grew, and waxed 
strong in spirit, and was in the deserts until the 
day of his showing unto Israel." 
The prophet John separated himself from his 
friends and kindred, and made his home in the 
46 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
wilderness. He denied himself of the ordinary 
comforts of life. His food was simple. His 
clothing was a garment made of hair-cloth, con-
fined about the waist with a leather girdle. His 
parents had in a most solemn manner dedicated 
him to God from his birth. 
The life of John, although passed in the wil-
derness, was not inactive. His separation from 
society did not make him gloomy and morose, 
neither was he unreconciled with his lonely life of 
hardship and privation. It was his choice to be 
secluded from the luxuries of life, and from de-
praved society. Pride, envy, jealousy, and cor-
rupt passions seemed to control the hearts of men. 
But John was separated from the influence of these 
things, and, with discerning eye and wonderful dis-
crimination, read the characters of men. He lived 
in the quiet retreat of the wilderness, and occa-
sionally he mingled in society ; but would not re-
main long where the moral atmosphere seemed to 
be polluted. He feared that the sight of his eyes 
and the hearing of his ears would so pervert his 
mind that he would lose a sense of the sinfulness 
of sin. A great work was before him, and it was 
necessary that he should form a character un-
biased by any surrounding influence. It was nec-
essary that his physical, mental, and moral con-
ditions should be of that high and noble type that 
would qualify him for a work which required firm-
ness and integrity, that when he should appear 
among men he could enlighten them, and be in-
strumental in giving a new direction to their 
thoughts, and awakening them to the necessity of 
forming righteous characters. John would bring 
the people up to the standard of divine perfection. 
He studied the peculiarities of minds, that he 
LIFE AND MISSION OF JOHN. �47 
might know how to adapt his instructions to the 
people. 
John did not feel strong enough to stand the 
great pressure of temptation he would meet in so-
ciety. He feared his character would be molded 
according to the prevailing customs of the Jews, 
and he chose the wilderness as his school, in 
which his mind could be properly educated and 
disciplined from God's great book of nature. In 
the wilderness, John could the more readily deny 
himself and bring his appetite under control, and 
dress in accordance to natural simplicity. And 
there was nothing in the wilderness that would 
take his mind from meditation and prayer. Satan 
had access to John, even after he had closed every 
avenue in his power through which he would enter. 
But his habits of life were so pure and natural 
that he could discern the foe, and had strength of 
spirit and decision of character to resist him. 
The book of nature was open before John with 
its inexhaustible store of varied instruction. He 
sought the favor of God, and the Holy Spirit 
rested upon him, and kindled in his heart a glow-
ing zeal to do the great work of calling the people 
to repentance, and to a higher and holier life. 
John was fitting himself, by the privations and 
hardships of his secluded life, to so control all his 
physical and mental powers that he could stand 
among the people as unmoved by surrounding cir-
cumstances as the rocks and mountains of the 
wilderness that had surrounded him for thirty 
years. 
The state of public affairs when John's work 
commenced, was unsettled. Discord and insur-
rection were prevailing, when the voice of John 
was first lifted up, like the sound of a trumpet 
48 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
LIFE AND MISSION OF JOHN. �49 
pealing forth from the wilderness, thrilling the 
hearts of all who heard with a new and strange 
power. John fearlessly denounced the sins of the 
people, saying, " Repent ye ; for the kingdom of 
Heaven is at hand." Multitudes answered to the 
voice of the prophet, and flocked to the wilderness. 
They saw, in the singular dress and appearance 
of this prophet, a resemblance to the description 
of the ancient seers, and the opinion prevailed 
that he was one of the prophets risen from the 
dead. 
It was the purpose of John to startle and arouse 
the people, and cause them to tremble because of 
their great wickedness. In simplicity and plainness 
he pointed out the errors and crimes of men. A 
power attended his words, and, relcutant as the peo-
ple were to hear the denunciation of their unholy 
lives, yet they could not resist his words. He 
flattered none; neither would he receive flattery 
of any. The people, as if with common consent, 
came to him repenting, and confessing their sins, 
and were baptized of him in Jordan. 
Kings and rulers came to the wilderness to hear 
the prophet, and were interested, and deeply con-
victed as he fearlessly pointed out their particular 
sins. His discernment of character and spiritual 
sight read the purposes and hearts of those who 
came to him, and he fearlessly told, both rich and 
poor, the honorable and the lowly, that without 
repentance of their sins, and a thorough conver-
sion, although they might claim to be righteous, 
they could not enjoy the favor of God, and have 
part in the kingdom of the Messiah, whose com-
ing he announced. 
In the spirit and with the power of Elijah, John 
denounced the corruptions of the Jews, and raised 
his voice in reproving their prevailing sins. His 
discourses were plain, pointed, and convincing. 
Many were brought to repentance of their sins, 
and, as evidence of their repentance, were bap-
tized of him in Jordan. This was the preparatory 
work for the ministry of Christ. Many were 
convicted because of the plain truths uttered by 
this faithful prophet ; but, by rejecting the light, 
they became enshrouded in deeper darkness, so 
that they were fully prepared to turn from the 
evidences attending Jesus, that he was the true 
Messiah. 
As John looked forward to the ministry and mir-
acles of Christ, he appealed to the people, " say-
ing, Repent ye ; for the kingdom of Heaven is at 
hand." He was successful in his ministry. Per-
sons of all rank, high and low, rich and poor, 
submitted to the requirements of the prophet, as 
necessary for them in order to participate in the 
kingdom he came to declare. Many of the scribes 
and Pharisees came to him, confessing their sins, 
and were baptized of him in Jordan. The confes-
sions made by the Pharisees astonished the prophet ; 
for they had exalted themselves as better than other 
men, and had maintained a high opinion of their 
own piety and worthiness. As they sought to obtain 
remission of their sins, and revealed the secrets of 
their lives, which had been covered from the eyes 
of men, the prophet was amazed. " But when he 
saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come 
to his baptism, he said unto them, 0 generation of 
vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath 
to come ? Bring forth, therefore, fruits meet for 
repentance. And think not to say within your-
selves, We have Abraham to our father ; for I say 
LIFE AND MISSION OF JOHN. �51 
would stand a better chance to be personally fa-
vored of the coming Prince. In their blindness 
they believed that he was to set up a temporal 
kingdom, and bestow honors and riches upon his 
subjects. 
John rebuked their selfish pride and avarice. 
He warned them of their unbelief, and condemned 
their hypocrisy. He told them that they had not 
fulfilled the conditions of the covenant on their 
part, which would entitle them to the promises 
God made to a faithful and obedient people. Their 
proud boasts of being children of Abraham did 
not make them really such. Their exhibitions of 
pride, their arrogance, jealousy, selfishness, and 
cruelty, stamped their characters as a generation 
of vipers, rather than the children of obedient 
and just Abraham. Their wicked works had dis-
qualified them to claim the promises God made to 
the children of Abraham. John assured them 
that God would raise up children unto Abraham 
from the very stones, to whom he could fulfill his 
promise, rather than to depend on the natural 
children of Abraham who had neglected the light 
God had given them, and had become hardened 
by selfish ambition and wicked unbelief. He told 
them that if they were really the children of 
Abraham, they would do the works of their father 
Abraham. They would have Abraham's faith, 
love, and obedience. But they did not bear this 
fruit. They had no claim to Abraham as their 
father, or the promises God made to the seed of 
Abraham. " Every tree which bringeth not forth 
good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire." 
While they were professing to be God's command-
ment-keeping people, their works denied their 
faith, and without true repentance for their sins 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
50 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise 
up children unto Abraham." 
The whole Jewish nation seemed to be affected 
by the mission of John. The threatenings of God 
on account of their sins, repeated by the prophet, 
for a time alarmed them. John knew that they 
cherished the idea that, because they were of the 
seed of Abraham, they were securely established 
in the favor of God, while their course of action 
was abhorred of him. Their conduct was, in many 
respects, even worse than that of the heathen na-
tions to whom they felt so much superior. The 
prophet faithfully presented to them the ability of 
God to raise up those who would take their place, 
and would become more worthy children of Abra-
ham. He told them plainly that God was not de-
pendent upon them to fulfill his purposes ; for he 
could provide ways and means independent of 
them to carry forward his great work which was 
to be accomplished in purity and righteousness. 
John further adds : " And now also the ax is laid 
unto the root of the trees ; therefore every tree 
which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, 
and cast into the fire." He impresses upon them 
that the value of the tree is ascertained by the 
fruit it produces. Though a tree may bear an 
exalted name, yet if it produces no fruit, or if its 
fruit is unworthy of the name, the name will avail 
nothing in saving the tree from destruction. " Of 
thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble-
bush gather they grapes." 
The prophet of God was impressed by the holy 
Spirit that many of the Pharisees and Sadducees 
who asked baptism had no true convictions of their 
sins. They had selfish motives. They thought that 
if they should become friends of the prophet, they 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
52 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
LIFE AND MISSION OF JOHN. �53 
111 
they would have no part in the kingdom of Christ. 
Justice, benevolence, mercy, and the love of God 
would characterize the lives of his commandment-
keeping people. Unless these fruits were seen in 
their daily life, all their profession was of no 
more value than chaff which would be devoted to 
the fire of destruction. 
The Jews had deceived themselves by misinter-
preting the words of the Lord through his proph-
ets, of his eternal favor to his people Israel. 
" Thus saith the Lord, which giveth the sun for 
a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon 
and of the stars for a light by night, which di-
videth the sea when the waves thereof roar ; the 
Lord of hosts is his name : If those ordinances 
depart from before me, saith the Lord, then the 
seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation 
before me forever. Thus saith the Lord : If 
heaven above can be measured, and the founda-
tions of the earth searched out beneath, I will also 
cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have 
done, saith the Lord." Jer. 31: 35-37. 
These words the Jews applied to themselves. And 
because God had shown them so great favor and 
mercy, they flattered themselves that, notwith-
standing their sins and iniquities, he would still 
retain them as his favored people, and shower es-
pecial blessings upon them. They misapplied the 
words of Jeremiah, and depended for their salva-
tion upon being called the children of Abraham. 
If they had indeed been worthy of the name of 
Abraham's children, they would have followed the 
righteous example of their father Abraham, and 
would have done the works of Abraham. 
This has been the danger of the people of God 
in all ages ; and especially is this the danger of 
those living near the close of time. We are cited 
by the apostle to the unbelief, blindness, rebellion, 
and repeated sins of the Hebrews, as a warning. 
Paul plainly states that " all these things hap-
pened unto them for ensarnples ; and they are 
written for our admonition, upon whom the ends 
of the world are come." If, in these last days of 
peril, for the encouragement of persons in respon-
sible positions, God in mercy gives them a testi-
mony of favor, they frequently become lifted up, 
and lose sight of their frailties and weaknesses, 
and rely upon their own judgment, flattering them-
selves that God cannot accomplish his work with-
out their especial aid. They trust in their own 
wisdom ; and the Lord permits them, for a time, to 
apparently prosper, to reveal the weakness and 
folly of the natural heart. But the Lord will, in 
his own time, and in his own way, bring down the 
pride and folly of these deceived ones, and show 
to them their true condition. If they will accept 
the humiliation, and by confession and sincere re-
pentance, turn unto the Lord, perfecting holiness 
in the fear of God, he will renew his love to them. 
But if they shut their eyes to their own sins, as 
did the Jews, and choose their own ways, the Lord 
will give them up to blindness of mind, and hard-
ness of heart, that they cannot discern the things 
of the Spirit of God. 
God cannot do much for man, because he mis-
interprets his blessings, and concludes that he is 
favored on account of some goodness in himself. 
It is not safe to speak in the praise of mortals ; 
for they cannot bear it. Satan has the special 
work to do of flattering poor souls, and he needs 
not the help of the Lord's servants in this matter. 
How few realize the weakness of human nature 
54 �THE GREAT CONTRGVERSY. 
and the subtlety of Satan. Many in these last 
days are preparing themselves for affliction and 
sorrow, or for complete separation from the favor 
of God, because of their pride and self-righteous-
ness. They will fall through self-exaltation. . 
The prophet John impressed upon the people 
the necessity of their profession being accompanied 
with good works. Their words and actions would 
be their fruit, and would determine the character 
of the tree. If their works were evil, the truth 
of God would testify against them. God would 
in no wise excuse sin in a people who had been 
enlightened, even if he had, in their days of faith- 
fulness and purity, loved them, and given them 
especial promises. These promises and blessings 
were always upon condition of obedience upon 
their part. 
The Lord pronounced, by the mouth of Moses, 
blessings upon the obedient, and curses upon the 
disobedient. " Ye shall make you no idols," was 
the command of God. " Ye shall keep my Sab-
baths, and reverence my sanctuary. I am the 
Lord. If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my 
commandments, and do them ; then I will give you 
rain in due season, and the land shall yield her 
increase, and the trees of the field shall yield 
their fruit." Many and great blessings are enu-
merated, which God would bestow ; and then, above 
all the other blessings, he promised, " I will set 
my tabernacle among you ; and my soul shall not 
abhor you. And I will walk among you, and will 
be your God, and ye shall be my people." " But 
if ye will not hearken unto me, and will not do all 
these commandments ; and if ye shall despise my 
statutes, or if your soul abhor my judgments, so 
that ye will not do all my commandments, but 
LIFE AND MISSION OF JOHN. �55 
that ye break my covenant, I also will do this 
unto you : I will even appoint over you terror, 
consumption, and the burning ague, that shall con-
sume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart ; and ye 
shall sow your seed in vain ; for your enemies 
shall eat it. And I will set my face against you, 
and ye shall be slain before your enemies. They 
that hate you shall reign over you, and ye shall 
flee when none pursueth you." 
The Jews were experiencing the fulfillment of 
the threatened curse of God for their departure 
from him, and for their iniquity ; yet they did not 
lay these things to heart, and afflict their souls be-
fDre God. A people that hated them ruled over 
them. They were claiming the blessings God had 
promised to confer upon them should they be obe-
dient and faithful. But at the very time they 
were suffering under the curse of God because of 
disobedience. John declared to them that unless 
they bore fruit, they would be hewn down and 
cast into the fire. 
He specified the fruit they were required to bear 
in order to become the subjects of Christ's king- 
dom ; which were works of love, mercy, and be- 
nevolence. They must have virtuous characters. 
These fruits would be the result of genuine re- 
pentance and faith. If blessed with plenty, and 
they saw others destitute, they should divide with 
them. They must be workers. " He that hath 
two coats, let him impart to him that hath none ; 
and he that hath meat, let him do likewise. Then 
came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto 
him, Master, what shall we do ? And he said unto 
them, Exact no more than that which is appointed 
you. And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, 
saying, And what shall we do ? And he said unto 
4iL 
LIFE AND MISSION OF JOHN. �57 
The people thought that John might be the 
promised Messiah. His life was so unselfish, 
marked with humility and self-denial. His teach-
ings, exhortations, and reproofs, were fervent, sin-
cere, and courageous. In his mission, he turned 
not to the right or to the left to court the favors 
or applause of any. He did not aspire to worldly 
honor or worldly dignity, but was humble in heart 
and life, and did not assume honors that did not 
belong to him. He assured his followers that ho 
was not the Christ. 
John, as a prophet, stood forth as God's repre-
sentative, to show the connection between the law 
and prophets, and the Christian dispensation. 
His work and ministry pointed back to the law 
and the prophets, while he, at the same time, 
pointed the people forward to Christ, as the Sav-
iour of the world. He raised his voice and cried 
to the people, " Behold the Lamb of God, which 
taketh away the sin of the world." 
Multitudes followed this singular prophet from 
place to place, and many sacrificed all to obey his 
instruction. Kings, and the noble of the earth, 
were attracted to this prophet of God, and heard 
him gladly. As John saw that the attention of 
the people was directed to him, thinking that he 
might be the Coming One, he sought every op-
portunity to direct the attention of the people to 
One mightier than himself. 
Great Controversy, Vol. 2. �
5 
56 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
them, do violence to no man, neither accuse any 
falsely ; and be content with your wages." 
John gave his disciples lessons in practical god-
liness. He showed them that true goodness, hon-
esty, and fidelity, must be seen in their daily life, 
and that they should be actuated by unselfish 
principles, or they would be no better than com-
mon sinners. 
Unless others should be made better within the 
sphere of their influence, they would be like the 
fruitless tree. Their wealth was not to be used 
merely for selfish purposes. They were to relieve 
the wants of the destitute, and to make free-will 
offerings to God to advance the interests of his 
cause. They should not abuse their privileges, to 
oppress, but should shield the defenseless, redress 
the wrongs of the injured, and thus give a noble 
example of benevolence, compassion, and virtue, 
to those who were inferior and dependent. If they 
made no change in their conduct, but continued 
to be extravagant, selfish, and void of principle, 
they would correctly represent the tree bearing no 
good fruit. This lesson is applicable to all Chris-
tians. The followers of Christ should evidence to 
the world a change in their life for the better, and 
by their good works show the transforming in-
fluence of the Spirit of God upon their hearts. 
But there are many who bear no fruit to the glory 
of God ; they give no evidence of a radical change 
in their life. Although they make high profes-
sion, they have not felt the necessity of obtaining 
a personal experience for themselves, by engaging 
in Christian duties with hearts of love, intensified 
by their new and holy obligations, feeling no 
weight of their responsibility in doing their Mas-
ter's work with readiness and diligence. 
�
777-11,' 
58 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. �
THE MISSION OF CHRIST. �
59 
CHAPTER IV. 
THE MISSION OF CHRIST. 
CHRIST'S life had been so retired and secluded 
at Nazareth that John had not a personal ac-
quaintance with him, and he did not positively 
know that he was the Messiah. He was ac-
quainted with the circumstances of his birth, and 
he believed him to be the promised One. The 
secluded life of Christ for thirty years at Naza-
reth, in which he gave no special evidence of his 
Messiahship, suggested doubts to John whether ho 
was indeed the One for whose coming he was to 
prepare the way. John, however, rested the mat-
ter in faith, fully believing that God would in due 
time make it plain. The Lord had shown him 
that the Messiah would be pointed out to him by 
a distinct sign ; when this should be done, then 
John could present him to the world as the long-
expected Messiah, the Lamb of God, that was to 
take away the sin of the world. 
John had heard of the sinless character and 
spotless purity of Christ. His life was in har-
mony with what the Lord had revealed to him re-
specting one that was among them whose life was 
without the taint of sin. John had also seen that 
he should be the example for every repenting sin-
ner. When Christ presented himself for bap-
tism, John recognized him at once as the superior 
one revealed to him. He discerned, in the person 
and deportment of Christ, a character above every 
other man he had ever seen. The very atmos-
phere of his presence was holy and awe-inspiring. 
Although he knew him not as the Messiah, yet 
never had such a holy influence been realized by 
John from any one as when in the presence of 
Christ. He felt the superiority of Christ at once, 
and shrank from performing the rite of baptism 
to one whom he knew to be sinless. Many had 
come to him to receive the baptism of repentance, 
confessing their sins and crimes ; but John could 
not understand why the only sinless one upon the 
earth should ask for an ordinance implying guilt, 
virtually confessing, by the symbol of baptism, 
pollution to be washed away. He remonstrated 
with Christ, acknowledging his superiority, and 
refused to administer the ordinance, saying, " I 
have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou 
to me ?" With firm and gentle authority Jesus 
waives the refusal of John and his plea of un-
worthiness, saying, " Suffer it to be so now ; for 
thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness." 
Christ came not confessing his own sins ; but 
guilt was imputed to him as the sinner's substi-
tute. He came not to repent on his own account ; 
but in behalf of the sinner. As man had trans-
gressed the law of God, Christ was to fulfill every 
requirement of that law, and thus show perfect 
obedience. " Lo, I come to do thy will, 0 God !" 
Christ honored the ordinance of baptism by sub-
mitting to this rite. In this act he identified him-
self with his people as their representative and 
head. As their substitute, he takes upon him 
their sins, numbering himself with the transgres-
sors, taking the steps the sinner is required to 
take, and doing the work the sinner must do. His 
life of suffering and patient endurance after his 
baptism were an example to converted sinners of 
what they should endure and patiently suffer in 
consequence of their transgressions and sins. 
60 �TIIE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
John finally yielded to the request of Christ, not-
withstanding his feelings of unworthiness to bap-
tize him, and performed the service. He led the 
Saviour of the world down into the river Jordan 
in the presence of a large concourse of people, 
and buried him in the water. 
After Christ rose up from the water and from 
the hand of John, he walked out to the bank of 
Jordan, and bowed in the attitude of prayer. The 
eyes of John were fastened upon Christ with the 
deepest interest and amazement. His heart was 
stirred with emotion as he looked upon him thus 
bowed as a suppliant. Christ's hands were raised 
upward, and his gaze seemed to penetrate Heaven. 
As the believer's example, his sinless humanity 
supplicated support and strength from his Heaven-
ly Father, as he was about to commence his public 
labors as the Messiah. Jesus poured out his soul 
in earnest prayer. A new and important era was 
opening before him. His former peaceful, quiet 
life is to here end. He had been happy in a life 
of industry and toil, while fulfilling the duties de-
volving on a son. He was an example to those in 
childhood, youth, and manhood. His deportment 
showed that he felt the importance and solemnity 
of the hour. He knew that trials, toils, conflicts, 
sufferings, and death, were in the path his feet had 
entered. He felt the weight of the responsibili-
ties he must bear. He was about to engage in 
new and arduous duties. A sense of the sinful-
ness of men, and the hardness of their hearts, 
which separated them from God, convinced him 
that but few would discern his merciful mission, 
and accept the salvation he came from Heaven to 
bring them. 
Never before had angels listened to such a 
THE MISSION OF CHRIST. �
61 
prayer as Christ offered at his baptism, and they 
were solicitous to be the bearers of the message 
from the Father to his Son. But, no ; direct 
from the Father issues the light of his glory. The 
heavens were opened, and beams of glory rested 
upon the Son of God, and assumed the form of a 
dove, in appearance like burnished gold. The 
dove-like form was emblematical of the meekness 
and gentleness of Christ. While the people stood 
spell-bound with amazement, their eyes fastened 
upon Christ, from the opening heavens came these 
words ; " This is my beloved Son, in whom I am 
well pleased." The words of confirmation that 
Christ is the Son of God was given to inspire 
faith in those who witnessed the scene, and to 
sustain the Son of God in his arduous work. Not- 
withstanding the Son of God was clothed with 
humanity, yet Jehovah, with his own voice, assures 
him of his sonship with the Eternal. In this man- 
ifestation to his Son, God accepts humanity as 
exalted through the excellence of his beloved 
Son. 
As John had now witnessed the heavenly dove 
resting upon Jesus, which was the promised token 
of the Messiah, he stretched forth his hand, and 
with assurance proclaimed before the multitude, 
"Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away 
the sin of the world !" From this time John 
had no doubt in regard to Jesus being the true 
Messiah. 
After this, Jesus withdrew into the wilderness, 
to be tempted of the devil forty days. His long 
fast ended, the victory won, he returns to the 
banks of the Jordan, mingling again with the dis-
ciples of John, yet giving no outward evidence of 
62 �
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
his special work, and taking no measures to bring 
himself to notice. 
Men were sent from the highest authority in 
Jerusalem to inquire in regard to the great agita-
tion John was creating. He was calling whole 
cities and towns to listen to his voice of warning ; 
and they would know the prophet's authority for 
thus claiming the attention of the people, and 
turning the world upside down. These messen-
gers challenged John to tell them certainly if he 
was the Messiah. John confessed, I am not the 
Christ. And they asked him, What then ? Art 
thou Elias ? And he saith, I am not. Art thou 
that prophet ? And he answered, No. Then said 
they unto him, Who art thou ? that we may give 
an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou 
of thyself ? He said, I am the voice of one cry-
ing in the wilderness. Make straight the way of 
the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias. John is 
then questioned as to his authority for baptizing, 
and thus agitating the people, when he does not 
claim to be Christ, or Elias, neither that prophet. 
The words, " That prophet," has reference to 
Moses. The Jews had been inclined to the belief 
that Moses would be raised from the dead, and 
taken to Heaven. They did not know that Moses 
had already been resurrected. 
When John came, baptizing with water, the 
Jews thought that he might be the prophet Moses 
risen from the dead ; for he seemed to have a 
thorough knowledge of the prophecies, and to un-
derstand the history of the Hebrews and their 
wanderings in the wilderness in consequence of 
their unjust murmurings and continual rebellion. 
They also called to mind the peculiar circum-
stances of John's birth, and wonderful manifesta- 
63 
THE MISSION OF CHRIST. 
tion of God to Zacharias, his father, in the tem-
ple, by the visitation of the angel from the pres-
ence of God, and the power of speech, being taken 
from Zacharias, because he did not believe the 
words of the angel, and the unloosing of his 
tongue at the birth of John. These important 
facts had in the past thirty years been measurably 
forgotten. But when John appeared as a prophet, 
the manifestation of the Spirit of God at his birth 
was called to mind. 
When the messengers from the highest authority 
in Jerusalem were communing with John in refer-
ence to his mission and work, he could have taken 
honor to himself, had he been so disposed. But 
he would not assume honors that did not belong 
to him. While conversing with the messengers, 
suddenly his eye kindled, his countenance lighted 
up, and his whole being seemed stirred with deep 
emotion, as he discovered the person of Jesus in 
the concourse of people. He raised his hand, 
pointing to Christ, saying, There standeth One 
among you whom ye know not. I have come to 
prepare the way before him whom ye now see. 
He is the Messiah. He it is who coming after me 
is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am 
not worthy to unloose. 
" The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto 
him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which 
taketh away the sin of the world �
This is he of 
whom I said, After me cometh a man which is 
preferred before me ; for he was before me. And 
I knew him not ; but that he should be made man-
ifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with 
water. And John bare record, saying, I saw the 
Spirit descending from Heaven like a dove, and it 
abode upon him. And I knew him not. But he 
a 
ii 
64 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
that sent me to baptize with water, the same said 
unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit 
descending, and remaining on him, the same is he 
which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw 
and bare record, that this is the Son of God. 
Again, the next day after, John stood, and two of 
his disciples ; and looking upon Jesus as he walked, 
he saith, Behold the Lamb of God !" And the 
two disciples heard_him speak, and they followed 
Jesus. Then Jesus turned and saw them follow-
ing, and saith unto them, What seek ye ? The 
disciples confessed that they were seeking Christ, 
and that they desired to become acquainted with 
him, and to be instructed by him at his home. 
These two disciples were charmed with the deeply 
impressive, yet simple and practical, lessons of 
Christ. Their hearts had never been so moved 
before. Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one 
of these disciples. He was interested for his 
friends and relatives, and was anxious that they 
also should see Christ, and hear for themselves his 
precious lessons. Andrew went in search of his 
brother Simon, and with assurance claimed to have 
found Christ, the Messiah, the Saviour of the 
world. He brought his brother to Jesus, and as 
soon as Jesus looked upon him, he said, Thou art 
Simon, the son of Jona ; thou shalt be called 
Cephas, which is by interpretation a stone. The 
next day Christ selected another disciple, Philip, 
and bade him follow him. Philip fully believed 
that Christ was the Messiah, and began to search 
for others to bring them to listen to the teachings 
of Christ, which had so charmed him. Then 
Philip found Nathanael. He was one of the num-
ber who heard John proclaim, " Behold the Lamb 
of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. 
THE MISSION OF CHRIST. �
65 
He felt deeply convicted, and retired to a grove, 
concealed from every human eye, and there medi-
tated upon the announcement of John, calling to 
his mind the prophecies relating to the coming of 
the Messiah and his mission. He queried thus : 
Could this indeed be the Messiah for whom they 
had so long waited, and were so desirous to see ? 
Hope sprang up in the heart of Nathanael that 
this might be the one that would save Israel. He 
bowed before God and prayed that if the person 
whom John had declared to be the Redeemer of 
the world was indeed the promised deliverer, that 
it might be made known to him. The Spirit of the 
Lord rested upon Nathanael in such a special man-
ner that he was convinced that Christ was the 
Messiah. While Nathanael was praying, he heard 
the voice of Philip calling him, saying, " We 
have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and 
the prophets did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son 
of Joseph. And Nathanael said unto him, Can 
there any good thing come out of Nazareth ? 
Philip saith unto him, Come and see. Jesus saw 
Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Be-
hold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile 
Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou 
me ? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before 
that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the 
fig tree, I saw thee." 
Nathanael's wavering faith was now strength-
ened, and he answered and said, " Rabbi, thou 
art the son of God ; thou art the King of Israel. 
Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said 
unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest 
thou ? Thou shalt see greater things than these. 
And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto 
you, Hereafter ye shall see Heaven open, and the 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
66 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
angels of God ascending and descending upon the 
Son of Man." 
In these first few disciples the foundation of the 
Christian church was being laid by individual ef-
fort. John first directed two of his disciples to 
Christ. Then one of these finds a brother, and 
brings him to Christ. He then calls Philip to 
follow him, and he went in search of Nathanael. 
Here is an instructive lesson for all the followers 
of Christ. It teaches them the importance of 
personal effort, making direct appeals to relatives, 
friends, and acquaintances. There are those who 
profess to be acquainted with Christ for a life 
time who never make personal effort to induce one 
soul to come to the Saviour. They have left all 
the work with the minister. He may be well 
qualified for his work ; but he cannot do the work 
which God has left upon the members of the 
church. Very many excuse themselves from be-
ing interested in the salvation of those who are out 
of Christ, and are content to selfishly enjoy the 
benefits of the grace of God themselves, while 
they make no direct effort to bring others to 
Christ. In the vineyard of the Lord there is a 
work for all to do, and unselfish, interested, faith-
ful workers will share largely of his grace here, 
and of the reward he will bestow hereafter. Faith 
is called into exercise by good works, and courage 
and hope are in accordance with working faith. 
The reason many professed followers of Christ 
have not a bright and living experience, is because 
they do nothing to gain it. If they would engage 
in the work which God would have them do, their 
faith would increase, and they would advance in 
the divine life. 
Jesus was pleased with the earnest faith of Na- 
THE MISSION OF CHRIST. �
67 
thanael that asked for no greater evidence than 
the few words he had spoken. And he looked 
forward with pleasure to the work he was to do 
in relieving the oppressed, healing the sick, and in 
breaking the bands of Satan. In view of these 
blessings which Christ came to bestow, he says to 
Nathanael, in the presence of the other disciples, 
"Hereafter ye shall see heaven opened, and the 
angels of God ascending and descending upon the 
Son of Man." 
Christ virtually says, On the bank of Jordan 
the heavens were opened before me, and the Spirit 
descended like a dove upon me. That scene at 
Jordan was but a token to evidence that I was 
the Son of God. If you believe in me as such, 
your faith shall be quickened, and you shall see 
that the heavens will be opened, and shall never 
be closed. I have opened them for you, and the 
angels of God, that are united with me in the rec-
onciliation between earth and Heaven, uniting the 
believers on the earth with the Father above, will 
be ascending, bearing the prayers of the needy 
and distressed from the earth to the Father above, 
and descending, bringing blessings of hope, cour-
age, health, and life, for the children of men. 
The angels of God are ever moving up and 
down from earth to Heaven, and from Heaven to 
earth. All the miracles of Christ performed for 
the afflicted and suffering were, by the power of 
God, through the ministration of angels. Christ 
condescended to take humanity, and thus he unites 
his interests with the fallen sons and daughters of 
Adam here below, while his divinity grasps the 
throne of God. And thus Christ opens the com-
munication of man with God, and God with man. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
68 �
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
All the blessings from God to man are through 
the ministration of holy angels. 
Disciples were being daily added to Christ, and 
people flocked from cities and villages to hear him. 
Many came to him for baptism ; but Christ bap- 
tized none. His disciples performed this ordi-
nance. And while Christ's disciples were bap- 
tizing large numbers, there arose a question 
among the Jews and the disciples of John, whether 
the act of baptism purified the sinner from the 
guilt of sin. The disciples of John answered that 
John baptized only unto repentance, but Christ's 
disciples unto a new life. John's disciples were 
jealous of the popularity of Christ, and said to 
John, referring to Christ, " He that was with thee 
beyond Jordan, to whom thou bearest witness, be-
hold the same baptizeth, and all men come to him. 
John answered and said, A man can receive noth-
ing except it be given him from Heaven." 
In this answer John virtually says, Why should 
you be jealous on my account ? " Ye yourselves 
bear me witness that I said, I am not the Christ, 
but that I am sent before him. He that hath the 
bride is the bridegroom ; but the friend of the 
bridegroom which standeth and heareth him, re-
joiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. 
This my joy therefore is fulfilled. 
John, so far from being jealous of the pros-
perity of Christ's mission, rejoices as he wit-
nesses the success of the work he came to do. 
He assures his disciples that his special mission 
was to direct the attention of the people to Christ. 
" He must increase ; but I must decrease. He 
that cometh from above is above all. He that is 
of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth. 
He that cometh from Heaven is above all. And 
' THE MISSION OF CHRIST. �
69 
what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth ; 
and no man rtceiveth his testimony." 
John assured his disciples that Jesus was the 
promised Messiah, the Saviour of the world. As 
his work was closing, he taught his disciples to 
look to Jesus, and follow him as the great teacher. 
John's life, with the exception of the joy he ex-
perienced in witnessing the success of his mission, 
was without pleasure. It was one of sorrow and 
self-denial. lie who heralded the first advent of 
Christ, was not permitted to personally hear, nor 
to witness the power manifested by him. John's 
voice was seldom heard, except in the wilderness. 
His life was lonely. Multitudes had flocked to 
the wilderness to hear the words of the wonderful 
prophet. He had laid the ax at the root of the 
tree. He had reproved sin, fearless of the con-
sequences, and prepared the way for the ministry 
of Christ. 
Herod was affected as he listened to the pointed 
testimony of John, and, with deep interest, he in-
quired what he must do to become his disciple. 
He was convicted by the plain truths uttered by 
John. His conscience condemned him, for a wom-
an of vile passions had gained his affections and 
controlled his mind. This unprincipled woman 
was ambitious for power and authority, and 
thought if she became the wife of Herod her ob-
ject would be gained. As Herod listened to the 
practical truths proclaimed by John, reproving 
the transgression of the law of God, and setting 
forth the future punishment which the guilty must 
suffer, he trembled, and greatly desired to break 
the chain of lust which held him. He opened his 
mind to John, who brought Herod to the law of 
God, face to face, and told him it would be im- 
70 �
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY.• 
possible for him to have part in the kingdom of 
the Messiah unless he should break away from the 
unlawful connections with his brother's wife, and, 
with his whole heart, obey the commandments of 
God. 
Herod was inclined to act upon the advice of 
John, and stated to Herodias that he could not 
marry her in defiance of the law of God. But 
this determined woman would not be thwarted in 
her designs. Intense hatred was awakened in her 
heart toward John. Herod was weak in principle, 
vacillating in mind, and Herodias had no great dif-
ficulty in re-establishing herself in his favor, and 
holding her influence over him. Herod yielded 
to the pleasures of sin, rather than submit to the 
restrictions of the law of God. 
When Herodias had gained influence over 
Herod, she determined to be revenged upon the 
prophet for his daring to reprove their course of 
crime. And she influenced him to imprison John. 
But Herod intended to release him. While con- 
fined in prison, John heard, through his disciples, 
of the mighty works of Jesus. He could not per-
sonally listen to his gracious words ; but the dis-
ciples informed him, and comforted him with a 
relation of what they had seen and heard. 
John having spent his life in the open air, in 
active, persevering labor, enduring privations, 
hardship, and toil, he had never before experienced 
the trials of confined living. He therefore became 
desponding, and even doubts troubled him whether 
Christ was indeed the Messiah. His disciples had 
brought to him accounts of the wonderful things 
they had witnessed in the ministry of Christ. 
But he concluded that if Christ was indeed the 
THE MISSION OF CHRIST. �
71 
Messiah, he would publicly proclaim himself as the 
Saviour of the world. 
John had indistinct ideas of the kingdom Christ 
came to establish, as also had the disciples of 
Christ. They thought Christ would establish a 
temporal kingdom, and reign upon the throne of 
David in Jerusalem. He became impatient be-
cause Christ did not immediately make himself 
known, assume kingly authority, and subdue the 
Romans. He hoped that if Christ established 
his kingdom, he would be brought out of prison. 
He decided that if Jesus was really the Son of 
God, and could do all things, he would exercise 
his power and set him at liberty. 
John sent his disciples to inquire of Christ, 
" Art thou he that should come, or do we look 
for another ?" The disciples sought the presence 
of Christ ; but they could not communicate with 
him immediately, because of the crowd who were 
bearing the sick to Jesus. The afflicted, blind, 
and lame were passing through the throng. The 
disciples of John saw the miracles of Christ, and 
that at his word the lifeless clay became animate, 
and the glow of health took the place of the pallor 
of death. Jesus said to the disciples of John, 
" Go and show John again those things which ye 
do hear and see. The blind receive their sight, 
the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the 
deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor 
have the gospel preached to them. And blessed 
is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me." 
In these words John is gently reproved for his 
impatience. �
The cautious reproof returned to 
John was not lost upon him. He then better un-
derstood the character of Christ's mission. And 
with submission and faith, he yielded himself into 
THE MISSION OF CHRIST. �
73 
72 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
the hands of God, to live, or to die, as should best 
advance his glory. 
After the disciples of John had departed, Jesus 
addressed the multitude concerning John, " What 
went ye out into the wilderness for to see ? A reed 
shaken with the wind ?" Jesus knew that a reed 
trembling in the wind was the very opposite of 
John's character. John could not be moved by 
flattery, nor be deceived by prevailing errors. 
Neither could he be turned aside from the work he 
came to do by rewards, or worldly honors. He 
would preserve his integrity at the expense of his 
life. Steadfast as a rock stood the prophet of 
God, faithful to rebuke sin and crime in all their 
forms, in kings and nobles, as readily as in the un-
honored and ,unknown. He swerved not from 
duty. Loyal to his God, in noble dignity of moral 
character, he stood firm as a rock, faithful to 
principle. 
" But what went ye out for to see ? A man 
clothed in soft raiment ? Behold they that wear 
soft clothing are in kings' houses. But what went 
ye out for to see ? A prophet ? Yea, I say unto 
you, and more than a prophet. For this is he of 
whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger 
before thy face, which shall prepare thy way be-
fore thee. Verily I say unto you, Among them 
that are born of women there hath not risen a 
greater than John the Baptist ; notwithstanding, 
he that is least in the kingdom of Heaven is 
greater than he. And from the days of John the 
Baptist until now, the kingdom of Heaven suffereth 
violence, and the violent take it by force." 
The people whom Christ addressed well knew 
that the apparel worn by John was the opposite 
of that worn in royal palaces. Christ virtually 
asked : What motive induced you to flock to the 
wilderness to hear the preaching of John ? The 
wilderness is not the place to find those who live 
delicately, and who clothe themselves in rich, soft 
apparel. Christ wished them to observe the con-
trast between the clothing of John and that of 
the Jewish priests. The prophet wore a plain, 
rough garment, possessing no beauty, but answer-
ing the purpose for which clothing was first de- 
signed. In marked contrast to the garments of 
John, was the gorgeous apparel of the Jewish 
priests and elders. 
These officials, thinking that they would be 
reverenced in accordance with their external ap- 
pearance, adopted great splendor of dress, mak- 
ing a rich display of costly robes and dazzling 
breastplates. They were more anxious to win 
the admiration of men than to obtain spotless 
purity of character and holiness of life, that 
would gain the approval of God. 
Christ admonished his disciples, and also the 
multitude, to follow that which was good in the 
teachings of the scribes and Pharisees, but not to 
Imitate their wrong examples, nor be deceived by 
their ambitious pretensions. 
He says, " All, therefore, whatsoever they bid 
you observe, that observe and do ; but do not ye 
after their works ; for they say, and do not. For 
they bind heavy burdens, and grievous to be 
borne, and lay them on men's shoulders ; but 
they themselves will not move them with one of 
their fingers. But all their works they do to be 
seen of men ; they make broad their phylacteries, 
and enlarge the borders of their garments, and 
love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief 
Great Controversy, Vol 2. �6 
7 1 �
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the 
markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi." 
John saw that these proud Jews were exalting, 
and glorifying themselves by parading their os-
tentatious piety before the public. They bound 
portions of the law upon their foreheads and 
about their wrists, that all might recognize and 
pay deference to their assumed sanctity. True, 
God had commanded the children of Israel to 
place a ribbon of blue in the border of their gar-
ments, upon which the ten commandments, in 
brief, should be embroidered. This was to con-
tinually remind them of their duty to love God 
supremely, and their neighbor as themselves. 
But the farther they had departed from their 
primitive purity and simplicity, and the more di-
rectly their daily lives were opposed to the law 
of God, the more particular were they to make 
broad their phylacteries, and add to the words 
which God had specified should be traced on the 
ribbon of blue. Outwardly they were express-
ing the deepest devotion, while their acts were 
in strong contrast with their profession. 
CHAPTER V. 
THE DEATH OF JOHN. 
THE spirit of reform stirred the soul of John. 
The light of wisdom and the power of God were 
upon him. Inspiration from Heaven kindled a 
holy zeal that led him to denounce the Jewish 
priests, and pronounce the curse of God upon 
THE DEATH OF JOHN. �
75 
them. They made high pretensions to godliness 
while they were strangers to charity, mercy, and 
the love of God. They sought, by the gorgeous-
ness of their apparel and their lofty manners, to 
inspire awe and command the respect of men, 
while they were abhorred by the Most High. 
Though their hearts and lives were contrary 
to the will of God, they deceived themselves with 
the vain supposition that eternal blessings were 
theirs by virtue of the promises made to Abra-
ham, the father of the faithful. They were not 
clothed with humility. They were destitute of 
the faith and piety of Abraham. They had not 
earned by integrity and purity of life, the moral 
worth which would ally them to tim as his chil-
dren, yet they expected to share the promises 
given him of the Lord. The fearless manner in 
which the prophet John had denounced the 
Pharisees and exposed their iniquity and hypoc-
risy, startled those who had been accustomed to 
seeing them honored and exalted. 
His preaching had aroused intense interest 
everywhere. His earnest appeals and denuncia-
tions had stirred the consciences of men. People 
had flocked from towns, cities, and villages, at-
tracted to the wilderness by his earnest and fer-
vent exhortations, his courageous warnings and 
reproofs, such as they had never before heard. 
There was no outward display in the dress of 
John to attract, or to awaken admiration. He re-
sembled the prophet Elijah in the coarseness of 
his apparel, and in his plain and simple diet. 
He fed upon locusts and wild honey, which the 
wilderness afforded, and drank the pure water 
flowing from the eternal hills. 
Yet so great had been the crowds that listened 
1 
7ti �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
to him that his fame had spread throughout the 
land. And now that he was imprisoned, the 
people waited with interest to see what would 
be the result, never thinking that he would be 
visited with any severe punishment, as his life 
was without blame. 
Herod's purpose to release John from prison 
was delayed from time to time through fear of 
displeasing Herodias, who was determined he 
should be put to death. While he was delaying, 
she was active, planning how to be revenged in 
the most effectual manner on the prophet, be-
cause he had ventured to tell the truth, and 
reprove their unlawful life. She knew that 
although Herod kept John in prison, he designed 
to release him, for lie honored and feared him, 
and believed that he was a true prophet of God. 
John had made known to Herod the secrets of 
his heart and life, and his reproofs had struck 
terror to the guilty conscience of the king. 
In many things Herod had reformed his dis-
solute life. But the use of luxurious food and 
stimulating drink was constantly enervating his 
moral as well as physical powers, and warring 
against the earnest appeals of the Spirit of God, 
which had struck conviction to his heart, and 
was urging him to put away his sins. Herodias 
was acquainted with the weak points in the char-
acter of Herod. She knew that under ordinary 
circumstances, while his intelligence controlled 
him, she could not compass the death of John. 
She had tried, but unsuccessfully, to gain the 
consent of Herod to have John slain. Her re-
vengeful spirit was now at work to accomplish her 
inhuman design by strategy. She knew that the 
only way to accomplish her purpose would be 
THE DEATII OF JOHN. �
77 
through the gratification of the king's intemper-
ate appetite. So she covered her hatred as best 
she could, looking forward to the royal birthday, 
which she knew would be an occasion of gluttony 
and intoxication. The king's love of luxurious 
food and wine would give her an opportunity to 
throw him off his guard. She would entice him 
to indulge his appetite, which would arouse pas-
sions of the baser order, subvert the finer sensi-
bilities, produce a recklessness of consequences, 
and an inability to exercise his proper judgment 
and decision. 
She was acquainted with the effect of these 
carnivals upon the intellect and morals. She 
knew that the unnatural exhilaration of the spir-
its induced by intemperance lowers the moral 
standard of the mind, making it impossible for 
holy impulses to enter the heart and govern the 
excited passions, that festivities and amusements, 
dances, and free use of wine, cloud the senses, and 
remove the fear of God ; therefore she prepared 
everything to flatter his pride and vanity, and in-
dulge his passions. She made the most costly 
preparations for feasting, and voluptuous dissipa- 
tion. 
When the great day arrived, and the king with 
his lords was feasting and drinking in the ban-
queting hall, Herodias sent her daughter, dressed 
in a most enchanting manner, into the royal 
presence. Salome was decorated with costly 
garlands and flowers, sparkling jewels and flash-
ing bracelets. With little covering, and less mod-
esty, she danced for the amusement of the royal 
guests. To their perverted senses, she seemed a 
vision of beauty and loveliness, and charmed 
away the last remnants of self-respect and pro- 
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
priety. Instead of. being governed by enlight-
ened reason, refined taste, and sensitive con-
science, the baser qualities of the mind held the 
guiding reins. Virtue and principle had no con-
trolling power. 
The mind of Herod was in a whirl. His fac-
ulties were confused, judgment and reverence 
were dethroned. He saw only the hall of pleas-
ure, with his reveling guests, the banquet table, 
sparkling wine and flashing lights, and the young 
girl in her voluptuous beauty dancing before 
him. In the recklessness of the moment he was 
desirous to make some display which would ex-
alt him still higher before the great men of his 
kingdom ; and he rashly promised, and con-
firmed his promise with an oath, to give the 
daughter of Herodias whatever she might ask. 
The object for which she had been sent into 
the royal presence was now gained. Having ob-
tained so wonderful a promise, she ran to her 
mother, desiring to know what she should ask. 
The mother's answer was ready—the head of 
John the Baptist in a charger. Salome was 
shocked. She did not understand the hidden re-
venge in her mother's heart, and at first refused 
to present such an inhuman request ; but the de-
termination of the wicked mother prevailed. 
Moreover, she bade her daughter make no delay, 
but hasten to prefer her request before Herod 
would have time for reflection. Accordingly Sa-
lome returned to Herod with her terrible peti-
tion : " I will that thou give me, by and by, in a 
charger, the head of John the Baptist. And the 
king was exceeding sorry ; yet for his oath's 
sake, and for their sakes which sat with him, he 
would not reject her." 
TIIE DEATH OF JOHN. �
79 
Herod was astonished and confounded. The 
riotous mirth ceased, for his guests were thrilled 
with horror at this inhuman request. An omi-
nous silence settled down upon the scene of rev-
elry. The king, though drunken and confused, 
endeavored to summon reason to his aid. 
He had been exalted for constancy and superior 
judgment, and he did not wish to appear fickle 
or rash in character. The oath had been made 
in honor of his guests, and had one of them of-
fered a word of remonstrance against the fulfill-
ment of his promise, he would gladly have saved 
the life of John. He gave them opportunity to 
speak in the prisoner's behalf. They had traveled 
long distances to the mountains in the wilder-
ness to listen to his powerful discourses, and 
they knew he was a man without crime, and a 
prophet of God. Herod told them if it would 
not be considered a special mark of dishonor to 
them, he would not abide by his oath. 
But though at first they were horror-stricken 
at the unnatural demand of the girl, they were 
so far intoxicated that they sat in silent stupor, 
without reason, reverence, or thought. Though 
they were invited to release the monarch from 
his oath, their tongues were dumb. No voice in 
all that company was raised to save the life of an 
innocent man, who had never done them harm. 
Herod, still under the delusion that, in order to 
maintain his reputation, he must keep an oath 
made under the influence of intoxication, unless 
formally released from it, waited in vain for a 
dissentinc, voice, but there was none. The life 
of God's prophet was in the hands of a company 
of drunken revelers. These men occupied high 
positions of trust in the nation, and grave re- 
80 �
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
sponsibilities rested upon them, yet they had 
gorged themselves with dainty food, and added 
drunkenness to surfeiting, until their mental 
powers were enervated by the pleasure of sense, 
their brains turned with the giddy scene of mu-
sic and dancing, and conscience lay dormant. 
By their silence they pronounced the sentence 
of death upon the anointed of the Lord, to grat-
ify the horrible caprice of a wicked woman. 
Too often in these days the most solemn re-
sponsibilities rest upon those who, from their in-
temperate habits, are not in a condition to exer-
cise the calm judgment and keen perceptions of 
right and wrong with which their Creator en-
dowed them. The guardians of the people, men 
in authority, upon whose decisions hang the 
lives of their fellow-creatures, should be subject 
to severe punishment if found guilty of intem-
perance. Those who enforce laws should be law-
keepers. They should be men of self-govern-
ment, in full harmony with the laws governing 
their physical, mental, and moral powers, that 
they may possess full vigor of intellect and a 
high sense of justice. In the martyrdom of 
John we have a result of intemperance among 
those invested with great authority. This event-
ful birthday feast should be a lesson of warning 
to the lovers of pleasure, and an exhortation to 
Christian temperance. 
Herod waited in vain to be released from his 
oath, then reluctantly commanded the execution- 
er to take the life of John. The head of the proph- 
et was soon brought in before the king and his 
guests. Those lips were now forever sealed that 
had faithfully declared to Herod the reform he 
must make in his life, when that monarch in- 
fry„ 7 
 
THE DEATH OF JOHN. �
81 
quired why he could not be the prophet's disci-
ple. Never more would that voice be heard in 
trumpet notes calling sinners to repentance. The 
frivolities and dissipation of a single night had 
caused the sacrifice of one of the greatest proph-
ets that ever bore a message from God to men. 
Herodias received the gory head with fiendish 
satisfaction. She exulted in her revenge, and 
thought that Herod's conscience would be no 
more disturbed. But her calculations were 
greatly in error; no happiness resulted to her 
through her crime. Her name became notorious 
and abhorred because of her inhuman act, while 
the heart of Herod was more oppressed by re-
morse than it had been by the condemnation of 
John. And the very act which she imagined 
would rid the world of the prophet's influence, 
enshrined him as a holy martyr, not only in the 
hearts of his disciples, but of those who had not 
before ventured to stand boldy out as his follow-
ers. Many who had heard his message of warn-
ing, and had been secretly convinced by his teach-
ings, now, spurred on by horror at his cold-
blooded murder, publicly espoused his cause and 
declared themselves his disciples. Herodias utter-
ly failed to silence the influence of John's teach-
ings ; they were to extend down through every 
generation to the close of time, while her corrupt 
life and Satanic revenge would reap a harvest of 
infamy. 
After the feast of Herod had ended, and the 
effects of his intoxication had passed away, rea-
son again resumed her throne, and the king was 
filled with remorse. His crime was ever before 
him, and he was constantly seeking to find re-
lief from the stings of a guilty conscience. His 
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
faith in John as an honored prophet of God, 
was unshaken. As he reflected upon his life of 
self-denial, his powerful discourses, his solemn, 
earnest appeals, his sound judgment as a coun-
selor, and then reflected that he had put him to 
death, his conscience was fearfully troubled. En-
gaged in the affairs of the nation, receiving hon-
ors from men, he bore a smiling face and digni-
fied mien, while he concealed an anxious, aching 
heart, and was constantly terrified with fearful 
forebodings that the curse of God was upon 
him. 
When Herod heard of the wonderful works of 
Christ in healing the sick, casting out devils, and 
raising the dead, he was exceedingly troubled 
and perplexed. His convictions were that God, 
whom John preached, was indeed present in 
every place, and that he had witnessed the wild 
mirth and wicked dissipation in the royal ban-
queting room, and that his ear had heard his 
command to the executioner to behead John, that 
his eye had seen the exultation of Herodias, and 
the taunting and insult with which she had re-
proached the severed head of her enemy. And 
many things which he had heard from the lips of 
the prophet now spoke to his conscience in louder 
tones than the preaching in the wilderness. He 
had heard from John that nothing could be hid-
den from God, therefore he trembled lest some 
terrible punishment should be visited upon him 
for the sin he had committed. 
When Herod heard of the words of Christ, he 
thought that God had resurrected John, and sent 
him forth with still greater power to condemn sin. 
He was in constant fear that John would avenge 
his death by passing condemnation upon him and 
THE DEATH OF JOHN. 
his house. " And king Herod heard of him 
[Christ] (for his name was spread abroad) ; and 
he said, That John the Baptist was risen from the 
dead, and therefore mighty works do show forth 
themselves in him. Others said, That it is Elias. 
And others said, That it is a prophet, or as one of 
the prophets. But when Herod heard thereof, he 
said, It is John, whom I beheaded ; he is risen 
from the dead." 
The Lord followed Herod as is described in 
Deuteronomy : " The Lord shall give thee there a 
trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and sorrow 
of mind. And thy life shall hang in doubt be-
fore thee; and thou shalt fear, day and night, and 
shalt have none assurance of thy life. In the morn-
ing thou shalt say, Would God it were even ! and 
at even thou shalt say, Would God it were morn-
ing ! for the fear of thine heart wherewith thou 
shalt fear, and for the sight of thine eyes which 
thou shalt see." 
In these words is presented a vivid picture of 
the criminal's life. His own thoughts are his ac-
cusers, and there can be no torture keener than the 
stings of his own guilty conscience, which give 
him no rest night nor day. 
The prophet John was the connecting link be-
tween the two dispensations. He was the lesser 
light which was to be followed by a greater. He was 
to shake the confidence of the people in their 
traditions, call their sins to their remembrance, 
and lead them to repentance ; that they might be 
prepared to appreciate the work of Christ. God 
communicated to John by inspiration, illuminat- 
ing- the understanding of the prophet, that he 
might remove the superstition and darkness from 
the minds of the honest Jews, which had, through 
84 �
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
false teachings, been gathering upon them for 
generations. 
But the least disciple who followed Christ, wit-
nessing his miracles, and receiving his divine les-
sons of instruction and the comforting words that 
fell from his lips, was more privileged than John 
the Baptist. No light had ever shone or ever 
will shine so clearly upon the mind of fallen man, 
as that which emanated from the teachings and 
example of Jesus. Christ and his mission had 
been but dimly understood and typified in the 
shadowy sacrifice. Even John was for a time de-
ceived, and thought he would become a temporal 
ruler over subjects who were just and holy, not 
then fully comprehending the future immortal 
life through the Saviour. " The light shone in 
the darkness, and the darkness comprehended it 
not." 
Although not one of the prophets had a higher 
mission or greater work to perform than had 
John, yet he was not to see even the result of his 
own labors. He was not privileged to be with 
Christ and witness the divine power attending 
the greater light. It was not for him to see the 
blind restored to sight, the sick healed, and the 
dead raised to life. He did not behold the light 
which shone through every word of Christ, re-
flecting glory upon the promises in prophecy. 
The world was illuminated with the brightness 
of the Father's glory in the person of his Son ; 
but the solitary prophet was denied the privilege 
of seeing and understanding the wisdom and 
mercy of God through a personal knowledge of 
the ministry of Christ. 
In this sense, many who were favored by the 
TEMPTATION OF CHRIST. 
teachings of Christ and saw his miracles, were 
greater than John. 
Those who were with Christ when he walked 
a man among men, and listened to his divine 
teachings under a variety of circumstances—while 
preaching in the temple walking in the streets, 
teaching the multitudes by the way, and by the 
sea-side, and while an invited guest at the table 
of his host, ever giving words of instruction to 
meet the cases of all who needed his help ; heal-
ing, comforting, and reproving, as circumstances 
required—were more exalted than John the Bap-
tist. 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
TEMPTATION OF CHRIST. 
AFTER the baptism of Jesus, he was led by the 
Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the 
devil. When he came up out of Jordan, he 
bowed and plead with the great Eternal for 
strength to endure the conflict with the fallen 
foe. The opening heavens and the descent of 
the excellent glory attested his divine character ; 
and the Father's voice declared the close relation-
ship of Christ to his Infinite Majesty : " This is 
my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." 
The mission of Christ was now about to begin ; 
but he must first withdraw from the busy scenes 
of life to a desolate wilderness for the express 
purpose of bearing a three-fold temptation in be-
half of those whom he had come to redeem. 
LA us pause in the history of Christ's earthly 
86 
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
life, and briefly notice the events prior to his ad-
vent in a world of sin. Satan, after compassing 
the fall of Adam and Eve, had boasted that he 
was monarch of the earth, and it was true that 
in all ages of the world he had found many fol-
lowers. But he had failed to unite fallen man 
with him as he had hoped to do, and thus reign 
supreme over the whole earth. Though man in 
his fallen state was suffering the consequence of 
his disobedience, yet he was not without hope. 
He was unable, because of his guilt, to come di-
rectly before God with his supplications, but the 
plan of redemption, devised in Heaven, trans-
ferred the sentence of death from the obedient 
and faithful, to a substitute. There must be the 
shedding of blood, for death was the consequence 
of man's sin. In the slain victim, man was to see 
for the time being the fulfillment of God's word : 
" Ye shall surely die." The flowing blood also 
signified an atonement, and pointed forward to a 
Redeemer who would one day come to the world 
and die for the sins of man, thus fully vindicat-
ing his Father's law. 
The hope of salvia' ion through Christ led fallen 
man to be exceedingly faithful in the matter of 
sacrifices. Satan watched with intense interest 
every circumstance connected with these sacrifi-
cial ceremonies, and soon learned that they typi-
fied a future atonement for the human race. 
This caused him great uneasiness, as it threatened 
to frustrate his cherished plan of gaining domin-
ion over the whole world and its inhabitants. 
But, instead of desponding under his discourage-
ments, he redoubled his efforts to accomplish his 
purpose, and the ages were marked with his 
hellish triumphs. Indulgence of appetite and 
TEMPTATION OF CHRIST. �
87 
passion, war, intoxication, and crime spread over 
the earth as its inhabitants increased. God de-
stroyed the people with the waters of a great 
flood, and rained fire and death upon the wicked 
cities ; but the great adversary was still free to 
pursue his scheme of demoralization. 
Satan is a diligent student of the Bible, and 
much better acquainted with the prophecies than 
many religious teachers. He has ever kept well-
informed concerning the revealed purposes of 
God, that he might defeat the plans of the Infi-
nite. It was plain to Satan that the sacrificial 
offerings were typical of a coming Redeemer who 
was to ransom man from the powers of darkness, 
and that this Redeemer was the Son of God. 
Therefore he laid deep plans to control the hearts 
of men from generation to generation, and to 
blind their understanding of the prophecies, that 
when Christ should come the people would refuse 
to accept him as their Saviour. 
From the time when Christ was born in Bethle-
hem, Satan had never lost sight of him. He had 
set on foot various plans to destroy him, in all of 
which he was unsuccessful, as the Son of God 
was upheld by the strong arm of his Father. 
Well-aware of Christ's position in Heaven, Satan 
was filled with apprehension when this powerful 
Prince of light left the royal courts of his glory 
and became a simple man on earth. Satan now 
feared that, not only would he fail in his cher-
ished purpose of reigning supreme over the whole 
earth, but that the power he already possessed 
would be wrested from him. Therefore when he 
went out into the wilderness to beset Christ with 
temptations, he brought every force and artifice 
88 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
89 
TEMPTATION OF CHRIST. 
at his command to bear upon the Son of God that 
he might allure him from his allegiance. 
The great work of redemption could be carried 
out only by the Redeemer taking the place of 
fallen man. Burdened with the sins of the 
world, he must go over the ground where Adam 
stumbled. He must take up the work just 
where Adam failed, and endure a test of the 
same character, but infinitely more severe than 
that which had vanquished him. It is impossi-
ble for man to fully comprehend the strength of 
Satan's temptations to our Saviour. Every en-
ticement to evil, which men find so difficult to 
resist, was brought to bear upon the Son of God 
in as much greater degree as his character was 
superior to that of fallen man. 
When Adam was assailed by the tempter he 
was without the taint of sin. He stood before God 
in the strength of perfect manhood, all the organs 
and faculties of his being fully developed and 
harmoniously balanced ; and he was surrounded 
with things of beauty, and conversed daily with 
the holy angels. What a contrast to this perfect 
being did the second Adam present, as he entered 
the desolate wilderness to cope with Satan, sin-
gle-handed. For four thousand years the race 
had been decreasing in size and physical strength, 
and deteriorating in moral worth ; and, in order to 
elevate fallen man, Christ must reach him where 
he stood. He assumed human nature, bearing 
the infirmities and degeneracy of the race. He 
humiliated himself to the lowest depths of hu-
man woe, that he might fully sympathize with 
man and rescue him from the degradation into 
which sin had plunged him. 
" For it became Him, for whom are all things, 
and by whom are all things, in bringing many 
sons unto glory, to make the Captain of their sal-
vation perfect through sufferings." " And being 
made perfect, he became the author of eternal 
salvation unto all them that obey him." " Where-
fore in all things it behooved him to be made like 
unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful 
and faithful high priest in things pertaining to 
God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the 
people. For in that he himself hath suffered, 
being tempted, he is able to succor them that 
are tempted." "For we have not an high priest 
which cannot be touched with the feeling of our 
infirmities ; but was in all points tempted like 
as we are, yet without sin." 
When Christ entered the wilderness his coun-
tenance was changed, its glory had departed, 
the weight of the sins of the world was pressing 
upon his soul, and his features expressed unut-
terable sorrow, a depth of anguish that fallen 
man had never realized. The indulgence of ap-
petite had increased with every successive gener-
ation since Adam's transgression, until the race 
was so feeble in moral power that they could not 
overcome in their own strength. Christ in be-
half of the race was to conquer appetite, by en- 
during the most powerful test on that point. He 
was to tread the path of temptation alone, with 
none to help or comfort him. Alone he was to 
wrestle with the powers of darkness, and exer-
cise a self-control stronger than hunger or death. 
The length of this fast is the strongest evidence 
of the great sinfulness of debased appetite, and 
its power over the human family. 
Through appetite, Satan had accomplished the 
Great Controversy, Vol. 2. �7 
90 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. �
TEMPTATION OF CHRIST. �
91 
ruin of Adam and Eve, and through all succeed-
ing generations, this had been his strongest 
weapon in corrupting the human race. As 
Christ had taken the form of man, and was sub-
ject to his infirmities, Satan hoped to conquer 
him through this powerful medium, and laid his 
plans accordingly. As soon as Christ's long fast 
commenced, he was at hand with his temptations. 
He came clothed in light, claiming to be an angel 
sent from the throne of God to sympathize with 
Christ and relieve him from his sufferinp• condi-
tion. He represented to him that God did not 
desire him to pass through the pain and self-de-
nial which he had anticipated. He claimed to 
bear the message from Heaven that God only 
designed to prove the willingness of Christ to en-
dure his test. 
Satan told him that he was to set his feet in 
the blood-stained path, but not to travel it, that, 
like Abraham, he was tried to show his perfect 
obedience. He claimed to be the angel who 
stayed the hand of Abraham, as the knife was 
raised to slay Isaac, and that he had now come 
to save the life of the Son of God, deliver• him 
from a painful death by starvation, and assist 
him in the plan of salvation. 
Satan is to-day deceiving many as he attempt-
ed to deceive Christ, claiming that he is Heaven-
sent and doing a good work for humanity. And 
the masses of the people are so blinded by soph-
istry that they cannot discern his true character, 
and they honor him as a messenger of God, while 
he is working their eternal ruin. 
But Christ .turned from all these artful tempta-
tions, and remained steadfast in his purpose to 
carry out the divine plan. Foiled at one point, 
Satan now tried another expedient. Believing 
that the angelic character he had assumed defied 
detection, he now feigned to doubt the divinity 
of Christ, because of his emaciated appearance 
and uncongenial surroundings. 
In taking the nature of man, Christ was not 
equal in appearance with the angels of Heaven, 
but this was one of the necessary humiliations 
that he willingly accepted when he became man's 
Redeemer. Satan urged that if he was indeed 
the Son of God he should give him some evi-
dence of his exalted character. He suggested 
that God would not leave his Son in so deplora-
ble a condition. He declared that one of the 
heavenly angels had been exiled to earth, and 
his appearance indicated that instead of being 
the King of Heaven he was that fallen angel. 
He called attention to his own beautiful appear-
ance, clothed with light and strength, and insult-
ingly contrasted the wretchedness of Christ with 
his own glory. • 
He claimed direct authority from Heaven to 
demand proof of Christ that he was the Son of 
God. He taunted him with being a poor repre-
sentative of the angels, much less their high Com-
mander, the acknowledged King in the royal 
courts ; and insinuated that his present appear-
ance indicated that he was forsaken of God and 
man. He declared that if he were the Son of 
God he was equal with God and should evidence 
this by working a miracle to relieve his hunger. 
He then urged him to change the stone at his 
feet to bread, and agreed that if this were done 
he would at once yield his claims to superiority, 
and the contest between the two should be for- 
ever ended. 
• 
7.7117117 
92 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
Satan thus hoped to shake the confidence of 
Christ in his Father, who had permitted him to 
be brought into this condition of extreme suffer- 
ing in the desert, where the feet of man had nev-
ertrodden. The arch-enemy hoped that under 
the force of despondency and extreme hunger, he 
could urge Christ to exert his miraculous power 
in his own behalf, and thus take himself out of 
the Father's hands. 
The circumstances and surroundings of Christ 
were such as to make temptation upon this point 
peculiarly aggravating. The long fast had phys-
ically debilitated him, the pangs of hunger con-
sumed his vitals, his fainting system clamored 
for food. He could have wrought a miracle in 
his own behalf, and satisfied his gnawing hun-
ger ; but this would not have been in accordance 
with the divine plan. It was no part of his 
mission to exercise divine power for his own ben-
efit; this he never did in his earthly life; his 
miracles were all for the good of ethers. 
Suffering humiliation, hunger, and contempt, 
Jesus repulsed Satan with the same scripture he 
had bidden Moses repeat to rebellious Israel: "Man 
shall not live by bread alone, but by every word 
that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." In 
this declaration, and also by his example, Christ 
showed that wanting temporal food was a much 
less calamity than meeting the disapprobation of 
God. 
In becoming man's substitute, and conquering 
where man had been vanquished, Christ was not 
to manifest his divine power to relieve his own - 
suffering, for fallen man could work no miracles 
in order to save himself from pain, and Christ, as 
his representative, was to bear his trials as a man, 
TEMPTATION OF CHRIST. �
93 
leaving an example of perfect faith and trust in 
his Heavenly Father. 
Christ recognized Satan from the beginning, 
and it required strong self-control to listen to the 
propositions of this insulting deceiver, and not 
rebuke his bold assumption. But the Saviour of 
the world was neither provoked to give him evi-
dence of his divine power, nor to enter into contro-
versy with one who had been expelled from Heav-
en for leading a rebellion against the supreme 
Ruler of the universe, and whose very crime had 
been a refusal to recognize the dignity of the 
Son of God. Armed with faith in his Heavenly 
Father, bearing in his mind the precious memory 
of the words spoken from Heaven at his baptism, 
Jesus stood unmoved in the lonely wilderness, be- 
fore the mighty enemy of souls. 
It was not for the Son of God to descend from 
his lofty mission to prove his divinity to Satan, 
nor did he condescend to explain the reason of 
his present humiliation, and the manner in which 
he was to act as man's Redeemer. If the chil-
dren of men would follow the example of their 
Saviour, and hold no converse with Satan, they 
would be spared many a defeat at his hands. 
Six thousand years has this arch-enemy been 
warring against the government of God, and. con-
tinued practice has increased his skill to deceive 
and allure. 
But Satan had too much at stake to lightly 
give up the battle. He knew that, if Christ 
came off victor, his influence would be lessened. 
So, in order to awe Christ with his superior 
strength, he carried him to Jerusalem and placed 
him on a pinnacle of the temple. He now de-
manded that, if he were indeed the Son of God, 
95 
94 
he should cast himself from that dizzy height, 
and thus indicate entire confidence in his Father's 
preserving care. 
The sin of presumption lies close beside the 
virtue of perfect faith and confidence in God, and 
Satan endeavored to take advantage of Christ's 
humanity and urge him over the line of trust 
into presumption. He now admitted that Christ 
was right in the wilderness, when he placed such 
perfect confidence in the Father, and he now 
urged that one more proof should be given of his 
entire faith in God, by casting himself f'rom the 
temple. He assured him that if he were indeed 
the Son of God he had nothing to fear, for the 
angels would uphold him. Satan was well aware 
that if Christ could be prevailed upon to fling 
himself from the temple, in order to prove his 
claim to the protection of his Heavenly Father, 
he would, by that very act, exhibit the weakness 
of human nature. 
But Jesus came off victor from the second 
temptation, by spurning the sin of presumption. 
While manifesting perfect trust in his Father, he 
refused to voluntarily place himself in such peril 
that it would be necessary for the Father to dis-
play divine power in order to save his Son from 
death.. This would have been forcing Providence 
to come to his rescue, and thus he would fail to 
give his people a perfect example of faith and 
trust in God. 
Our Saviour showed entire confidence that his 
Heavenly Father would not suffer him to be 
tempted above what he should give him strength 
to endure. Christ had not willfully placed him-
self in danger, and he knew that if he preserved 
his integrity, an angel of God would be sent to 
TEMPTATION, OF CHRIST. 
deliver him from the tempter's power if it were 
necessary. 
Finding that he prevailed nothing with Christ 
in the second great temptation, Satan began to 
be alarmed for the result of his efforts. The con-
tinued steadfastness of the Son of God filled him 
with apprehension, for he had not expected so 
strenuous an opposition. He now called all the 
resources of his Satanic nature to his aid in one 
last mighty effort to baffle and defeat the Sav-
iour. In his first two temptations, he had con-
cealed his true character and purpose, claiming 
to be an exalted messenger from the courts of 
Heaven. But he now throws off all disguise, 
avowing himself the Prince of Darkness, and 
claiming the earth for his dominion. 
He took Jesus up into a high mountain and 
showed him the kingdoms of the world, spread 
out in a panoramic view before his eyes. The 
sunlight lay on templed cities, marble palaces, 
fruitful fields and vineyards, gilding the dark 
cedars of Lebanon and the blue waters of Galilee. 
The eyes of Jesus, so lately greeted by gloom sand 
desolation, gazed upon a scene of unsurpassed 
loveliness and prosperity. Then the tempter's 
voice was heard : "All this power will I give thee, 
and the glory of them for that is delivered unto 
me, and to whomsoever T will, I give it. If thou 
therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine." 
Satan brought all his strength to bear upon 
this last inducement, for upon the result of this 
effort depended his destiny. He claimed the 
world as his dominion and himself to be the 
Prince of the power of the air. He promised to 
put Christ in possession of all the kingdoms with-
out suffering or peril, if he would make one con- 
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
TEMPTATION OF CIIRIST. �
97 
countenance. Then the heavenly angels, who 
had bowed before him in the royal courts, and 
who had watched his conflict with painful inter-
est, ministered unto him, strengthening him with 
food, as he lay like one dying. They had beheld 
with awe and amazement their heavenly Com-
mander passing through inexpressible suffering 
to achieve the salvation of man. He had en-
dured a more severe test than man would ever be 
called to bear. But, as he lay emaciated and. 
suffering, the angels brought messages of love 
and comfort from the Father, and an assurance 
that all Heaven triumphed in the victory he had 
gained for man. Thus the great heart of Christ 
warmed to life again, and became strengthened 
for his coming work. 
The cost of the redemption of the race can 
never be fully realized by men until the redeemed 
shall stand with the Redeemer by the throne of 
God. Then, as the glorious value of the eternal 
reward opens upon their enraptured senses, and 
their eyes behold the wondrous glories of immor-
tal life, they will swell the song of victory, "Wor-
thy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, 
and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, 
and glory, and blessing 1" " And every creature," 
says John, " which is in Heaven, and on the 
earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the 
sea,. and all that are in them, heard I saying, 
Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be 
unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto 
the Lamb forever and ever 1" 
Although Satan had failed in his most power-
ful temptations, yet he had not given up all hope 
that he might, at some future time, be successful 
in his efforts. He looked forward to the period 
96 
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
cession, and that was to acknowledge Satan his 
superior, and pay him homage. This last temp-
tation was designed to be the most alluring of 
all. Christ's life was one of sorrow, hardship, 
and conflict. Poverty and privation attended 
him ; even the beasts and the birds had their 
homes, but the Son of Man had not where to lay 
his head. Homeless and friendless as he was, 
there was offered him the mighty kingdoms of 
the world and the glory of them for a single con- 
sideration. 
The eyes of Jesus rested for a moment upon 
the scene before him ; he then turned resolutely 
from it, refusing to dally with the tempter by 
even looking upon the enchanting prospect he 
had presented to him ; but when Satan solicited 
his homage, Christ's divine indignation was 
aroused, and he could no longer tolerate his blas- 
phemous assumption, or even permit him to re-
main in his presence. He exercised his divine 
authority, and commanded Satan to desist, saying, 
" Get thee hence, Satan ; for it is written, Thou 
shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only 
shalt thou serve." 
Satan had asked Christ to give him evidence 
that he was the Son of God, and he had, in this 
instance, the proof he asked. He had no power 
to withstand his peremptory dismissal, and was 
compelled to obey the divine command. Writh-
ing with baffled hate and rage, the rebel chief re-
tired from the presence of the world's Redeemer. 
The contest was ended. Christ's victory was as 
complete as had been the failure of Adam. 
But the conflict had been protracted and try-
ing, and Christ was exhausted and fell fainting 
to the ground, with the pallor of death upon his 
99 
98 �TIIE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
of Christ's ministry, when he should have oppor-
tunities to try his artifices against him. Baffled 
and defeated, he had no sooner retired from the 
scene of conflict than he began to lay plans for 
blinding the understanding of the Jews, God's 
chosen people, that they might not discern in 
Christ the world's Redeemer. He determined to 
fill their hearts with envy, ealousy, and hatred 
against the Son of God, so that they would not 
receive him, but would make his life upon earth 
as bitter as possible. 
Satan held a counsel with his angels, as to the 
course they should pursue to prevent the people 
from having faith in Christ as the Messiah whom 
the Jews had so long been anxiously expecting. 
He was disappointed and enraged that he had 
prevailed nothing against Jesus by his manifold 
temptations. But he now thought if he could 
inspire in the hearts of Christ's own people, un-
belief as to his being the Promised One, he might 
discourage the Saviour in his mission and secure 
the Jews as his agents to carry out his own dia-
bolical purposes. So he went to work in his sub-
tle manner, endeavoring to accomplish by strategy 
what he had failed to do by direct, personal 
effort. 
CHAPTER VII. 
THE MARRIAGE AT CANA. 
AFTER this, Jesus returned to Jordan, as has 
been previously stated, and was declared by John 
to be the " Lamb of God that taketh away the 
MARRIAGE AT CANA. 
sin of the world." At this time, also, he chose 
John, Andrew, Simon, Philip, and Nathanael, for 
his disciples, all of which has been recounted in 
connection with the history of John the Baptist. 
Jesus now entered upon the great work of his 
life. There was to be a marriage in Cana of Galilee. 
The parties were relatives of Joseph and Mary. 
Christ knew of this family gathering, and that 
many influential persons would be brought to-
gether there, so, in company with his newly-
made disciples, he made his way to Cana. As 
soon as it was known that Jesus had come to the 
place, a special invitation was sent to him and 
his friends. This was what he had purposed, 
and so he graced the feast with his presence. 
He had been separated from his mother for 
quite a length of time. During this period lie 
had been baptized by John and had endured the 
temptations in the wilderness. Rumors had 
reached Mary concerning her son and his suffer-
ings. John, one of the new disciples, had searched 
for Christ and had found him in his humiliation, 
emaciated, and bearing the marks of great phys-
ical and mental distress. Jesus, unwilling that 
John should witness his humiliation, had gently 
yet firmly dismissed him from his presence. He 
wished to be alone; no human eye must behold 
his agony, no human heart be called out in sym-
pathy with his distress. 
The disciple had sought Mary in her home and 
related to her the incidents of this meeting 
with Jesus, as well as the event of his bap-
tism, when the voice of God was heard in ac-
knowledgment of his Son, and the prophet 
John had pointed to Christ, saying, " Behold the 
ij 
100 �
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
101 
MARRIAGE AT CANA. 
Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the 
world." For thirty years this woman had been 
treasuring up evidences that Jesus was the Son 
of God, the promised Saviour of the world. Jo-
seph was dead, and she had no one in whom to 
confide the cherished thoughts of her heart. She 
had fluctuated between hope and perplexing 
doubts, but always feeling more or less of an as-
surance that her son was indeed the Promised 
One. 
She had been very sorrowful for the past two 
months, for she had been separated from her son, 
who had ever been faithful and obedient to her 
wishes. The widowed mother had mourned over 
the sufferings that Jesus had endured in his 
loneliness. His Messiahship had caused her 
deep sorrow as well as joy. Yet strangely, as it 
appears to her, she meets him at the marriage 
feast, the same tender, dutiful son, yet not the 
same, for his countenance is changed ; she sees 
the marks of his fierce conflict in the wilderness 
of temptation, and the evidence of his high mis-
sion in his holy expression and the gentle digni-
ty of his presence. She sees that he is accompa-
nied by a number of young men who address 
him with reverence, calling him Master. These 
companions tell Mary of the wonderful things 
they have witnessed, not only at the baptism, 
but upon numerous other occasions, and they 
conclude by saying, " We have found Him of 
whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did 
write, Jesus of Nazareth, who is the long-looked-
for Messiah." 
The heart of Mary was made glad by this as-
surance that the cherished hope of long years 
of anxious waiting was indeed true. It would 
have been strange enough if, mingled with this 
deep and holy joy, there had not been a trace of 
the fond mother's natural pride. But the guests 
assembled and time passed on. At length an in-
cident occurred that caused much perplexity and 
regret. It was discovered that from some cause 
the wine had failed. The wine used was the 
pure juice of the grape, and it was impossible to 
provide it at that late hour. It was unusual to 
dispense with it on these occasions ; so the moth-
er of Christ, who, in her capacity of relative had 
a prominent part to perform at the feast, spoke 
to her son, saying, " They have no wine." In 
this communication was a hidden request, or 
rather, suggestion, that He to whom all things 
were possible would relieve their wants. But 
Jesus answered, " Woman, what have I to do 
with thee ? mine hour is not yet come." 
His manner was respectful, yet firm ; he de-
signed to teach Mary that the time for her to 
control him as a mother, was ended. His mighty 
work now lay before him, and no one must di-
rect concerning the exercise of his divine power. 
There was danger that Mary would presume up-
on her relationship to Christ, and feel that she 
had special claims upon him and special rights. 
As Son of the Most High, and Saviour of the 
world, no earthly ties must hold him from his 
divine mission, nor influence the course he must 
pursue. It was .needful that he should stand 
free from every personal consideration, ready to 
do the will of his Father in Heaven. 
Jesus loved his mother tenderly ; for thirty 
years he had been subject to parental control; 
but the time had now come when he was to go 
about his Father's business. In rebuking his 
Center for Adventist Research 
Andrews University 
Berrien Springs, fvlichigan 
MARRIAGE AT CANA, �
103 
The mother of Christ understood the character 
of her Son, and bowed in submission to his will. 
She knew that he would comply with her re- 
quest if it was best to do so. Her manner evi-
denced her perfect faith in his wisdom and power, 
and it was this faith to which Jesus responded in 
the miracle that followed. Mary believed that 
Jesus was able to do that which she had desired 
of him, and she was exceedingly anxious that ev- 
erything in regard to the feast should be proper-
ly ordered, and pass off with due honor. She 
said to those serving at table, " Whatsoever he 
sayeth unto you, do it." Thus she did what she 
could to prepare the way. 
At the entrance of the dwelling there stood 
six stone water-pots. Jesus directed the servants 
to fill these pots with water. They readily 
obeyed this singular order. The wine was 
wanted for immediate use, and Jesus command-
ed, " Draw out now, and bear unto the governor 
of the feast." The servants beheld with aston-
ishment, that instead of the crystal water with 
which they had just filled those vessels, there 
flowed forth wine. Neither the ruler of the 
feast nor the guests generally were aware that 
the supply of wine had failed ; so, upon testing 
it, the ruler was astonished, for it was superior to 
any wine he had ever before drank, and vastly dif-
ferent from that which had been served at the 
commencement of the feast. 
He addressed the bridegroom, saying, "Every 
man at the beginning cloth set forth good wine ; 
and when men have well drunk, then that which 
is worse ; but thou hast kept the good wine until 
now." In this miracle, Jesus illustrates the 
truth that while the world presents its best gifts 
102 �
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
mother, Jesus also rebukes a large class who have 
an idolatrous love for their family, and allow the 
ties of relationship to draw them from the serv-
ice of God. Human love is a sacred attribute ; 
but should not be allowed to mar our religious 
experience, or draw our hearts from God. 
The future life of Christ was mapped out be-
fore him. His divine power had been hidden, 
and he had waited in obscurity and humiliation 
for thirty years, and was in no haste to act until 
the proper time should arrive. But Mary, in the 
pride of her heart, longed to see him prove to the 
company that he was really the honored of God. 
It seemed to her a favorable opportunity to con-
vince the people present of his divine power, by 
working a miracle before their eyes, that would 
place him in the position he should occupy before 
the Jews. But he answered that his hour had 
not yet come. His time to be honored and glo-
rified as King was not yet come ; it was his lot 
to be a Man of sorrows and acquainted with 
grief. 
The earthly relation of Christ to his mother 
was ended. He who had been her submissive 
son was now her divine Lord. Her only hope, 
in common with the rest of mankind, was to be-
lieve him to be the Redeemer of the world, and 
yield him implicit obedience. The fearful delu-
sion of the Roman church exalts the mother of 
Christ equal with the Son of the Infinite God ; 
but he, the Saviour, places the matter in a vast-
ly different light, and in a pointed manner indi-
cates that the tie of relationship between them 
in no way raises her to his level, or insures her 
future. Human sympathies must no longer af-
fect the One whose mission is to the world. 
.41111Mmimmilm, �
 
104 
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
105 
MARRIAGE AT CANA. 
first, to fascinate the senses and please the eye, 
he gives good gifts, ever fresh and new unto the 
end. They never pall upon the taste, the heart 
never sickens and tires of them. The pleasures of 
the world are unsatisfying, its wine turns to bit-
terness, its gayety to gloom. That which was begun 
with songs and mirth ends in weariness and dis-
gust. But Jesus provides a feast of the soul that 
never fails to give satisfaction and joy. Each 
new gift increases the capacity of the receiver to 
appreciate and enjoy the blessings of his Lord. 
He gives, not with stinted measure, but above 
what is asked or expected. 
This donation of Christ to the marriage supper 
was a symbol of the means of salvation. The 
water represented baptism into his death, the 
wine, the shedding of his blood for the purifying 
Gf the sins of the world. The provision made 
for the wedding-guests was ample, and not less 
abundant is the provision for blotting out the 
iniquities of men. 
Jesus had just come from his loncr
° 
 fast in the 
wilderness, where he had suffered in order to 
break the power of appetite over man, which, 
among other evils, had led to the free use of in-
toxicating liquor. Christ did not provide for 
the wedding guests wine that from fermentation 
or adulteration was of an intoxicating character, 
but the pure juice of the grape, clarified and re-
fined. Its effect was to bring the taste into har-
mony with a healthful appetite. 
The guests remarked upon the quality of the 
wine, and presently inquiries were made that 
drew from the servants an account of the won-
derful work that the youthful Galilean had per-
formed. The company listened with unbounded 
amazement, and exchanged words of doubt and 
surprise. At length they looked for Jesus, that 
they might pay him due respect and learn how 
he had accomplished this miraculous conversion 
of water into wine ; but he was not to be found. 
He had, with dignified simplicity, performed the 
miracle, and had then quietly withdrawn. 
When it was ascertained that Jesus had really 
departed, the attention of the company was di-
rected to his disciples who had remained behind. 
For the first time they had the opportunity of 
acknowledging themselves to be believers in Je-
sus of Nazareth as Saviour of the world. John 
related what he had heard and seen of his teach-
ings. He told of the wonderful manifestations 
at the time of the baptism of Jesus, by the 
prophet John, in the river Jordan ; how the light 
and glory from Heaven had descended upon him in 
the form of a dove, while a voice from the cloud-
less heavens proclaimed him to be the Son of the 
Infinite Father. John narrated these facts with 
convincing clearness and accuracy. The curiosity 
of all present was aroused, and many anxious 
ones who were looking and longing for the Mes-
siah, thought it was indeed possible that this 
might be the Promised One of Israel. 
The news of this miracle wrought by Jesus 
spread through all that region and even reached 
Jerusalem. The priests and elders heard with 
wonder. They searched with new interest the 
prophecies pointing to the coming of Christ. 
There was the most intense anxiety to know the 
aim and mission of this new Teacher, who came 
among the people in so unassuming a manner, 
yet did that which no other man had ever done. 
Great Controversy, Vol. 2, �8 
106 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
Unlike the Pharisees and other dignitaries who 
preserved an austere seclusion, he had joined the 
mixed assembly of a festal gathering, and, while 
no shadow of worldly levity marred his conduct, 
he had sanctioned the social gathering with his 
presence. 
Here is a lesson for the disciples of Christ 
through all. time, not to exclude themselves from 
society, renouncing all social communion and 
seeking a strict seclusion from their fellow-be-
ings. In order to reach all classes, we must meet 
them where they are ; for they will seldom seek 
us of their own accord. Not alone from the pul-
pit are the hearts of men and women touched by 
divine truth. Christ awakened their interest by 
going among them as one who desired their good. 
He sought them at their daily avocations, and 
manifested an unfeigned interest in their tem-
poral affairs. He carried his instruction into the 
households of the people, bringing whole fami-
lies in their own homes under the influence of his 
divine presence. His strong personal sympathies 
helped to win hearts to his cause. 
This example of the great Master should be 
closely followed by his servants. However in-
structive and profitable may be their public dis-
courses, they should remember there is another 
field of action, humbler it may be, but full as 
promising of abundant harvests. It is found in 
the lowly walks of life, as well as the more pre-
tentious mansions of the great, at the board of 
hospitality and gatherings for innocent social 
enjoyment. 
The course of Jesus in this respect was in di-
rect contrast to that of the exclusive leaders of 
the Jews. They shut themselves up from sym- 
MARRIAGE AT CANA. �
107 
pathy with the people, and sought neither to 
benefit them nor win their friendship. But 
Christ linked himself with the interests of hu- 
manity, and so should those who preach his 
word. This should not be, however, from a de- 
sire to gratify the inclinations for personal en- 
joyment, or love of change and pleasure ; but for 
the purpose of embracing every opportunity to 
do good, and shed the light of truth upon the 
hearts of men, keeping the life pure and uncor-
rupted by the follies and vanities of society. 
The special object of Jesus in attending this 
marriage feast was to commence the work of 
breaking down the exclusiveness which existed 
with the Jewish people, and to open the way for 
their freer mingling with the people. He had 
come not only as the Messiah of the Jews, but 
the Redeemer of the world. The Pharisees and 
elders refrained from associating with any class 
but their own. They held themselves aloof, not 
only from the Gentiles, but from the majority of 
their own people; and their teaching led all classes 
to separate themselves from the rest of the world, 
in a manner calculated to render them self-right-
eous, egotistical, and intolerant. This rigorous 
seclusion and bigotry of the 'Pharisees had nar-
rowed their influence and created a prejudice 
which Christ would have rem
htobe
vedfelt
, that the in- 
fluence of his mission mig �upon all 
classes. 
Those who think to preserve their religion by 
hiding it within stone walls to escape the con-
tamination of the world, lose golden opportuni-
ties to enlighten and benefit humanity. The 
Saviour sought men in the public streets, in pri-
vate houses, on the boats, in the synagogue, by 
III 
109 
the shores of lakes, and at the marriage feasts. 
He spent much time in the mountains, engaged 
in earnest prayer, in order to come forth braced 
for the conflict, strengthened for his active toil 
among men in real life, enlightening and reliev-
ing the poor, the sick, the ignorant, and those 
bound by the chains of Satan, as well as teach-
ing the rich and honorable. 
The ministry of Christ was in marked contrast 
with that of the Jewish elders. They held them-
selves aloof from sympathy with men ; consider-
ing that they were the favored ones of God, they 
assumed an undue appearance of righteousness 
and dignity. The Jews had so far fallen from 
the ancient teachings of Jehovah that they held 
that they would be righteous in the sight of 
God, and receive the fulfillment of his promises, 
if they strictly kept the letter of the law given 
them by Moses. 
The zeal with which they followed the teach-
ings of the elders gave them an air of great piety. 
Not content with performing those services 
which God had specified to them through Moses, 
they were continually reaching for more rigid 
and difficult duties. They measured their holi-
ness by the multitude of their ceremonies, while 
their hearts were filled with hypocrisy, pride, and 
avarice. The curse of God was upon them for 
their iniquities, while they professed to be the 
only righteous nation upon earth. 
They had received unsanctified and confused 
interpretations of the law, they had added tradi-
tion to tradition, they had restricted freedom of 
thought and action, till the commandments, 
ordinances, and service of God, were lost in a 
ceaseless round of meaningless rites and ceremo- 
nies. Their religion was a yoke of bondage. 
They had become so fettered that it was impos-
sible for them to attend to the essential duties of 
life, without employing the Gentiles to do many 
necessary things which were forbidden the Jews 
to do for fear of contamination. They were in 
continual dread that they should become defiled. 
Dwelling constantly upon these matters had 
dwarfed their minds and narrowed the orbit of 
their lives. 
Jesus commenced the work of reformation by 
bringing himself into close sympathy with hu-
manity. He was a Jew, and he designed to leave 
a perfect pattern of one who was a Jew inward-
ly. While he rebuked the Pharisees for their 
pretentious piety, endeavored to free the people 
from the senseless exactions that bound them, he 
showed the greatest veneration for the law of 
God, and taught obedience of its precepts. 
Jesus rebuked intemperance, self-indulgence, 
and folly ; yet he was social in his nature. He 
accepted invitations to dine with the learned and 
noble, as well as the poor and afflicted. On 
these occasions, his conversation was elevating 
and instructive, holding his hearers entranced. 
He gave no license to scenes of dissipation and 
revelry, yet innocent happiness was pleasing to 
him. A Jewish marriage was a solemn and im-
pressive occasion, the pleasure and joy of which 
were not displeasing to the Son of Man. This 
miracle pointed directly toward breaking down 
the prejudices of the Jews. The disciples of Je-
sus learned a lesson of sympathy and humanity 
from it. His relatives were drawn to him with 
warm affection, and when he left for Capernaum, 
they accompanied him. 
108 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
MARRIAGE AT CANA. 
a 
111 
By attending this feast, Jesus sanctioned mar-
riage as a divine institution, and through all his 
subsequent ministry, he paid the marriage cov-
enant a marked respect in illustrating many im-
portant truths by it. 
Jesus next proceeded to introduce himself to 
his own people in his true character. He went 
to Nazareth, where he was known as an unpre-
tending mechanic, and entered a synagogue upon 
the Sabbath. As was customary, the elder read 
from the prophets, and exhorted the people to 
continue to hope for the Coining One, who 
would bring in a glorious reign, and subdue all 
oppression. He sought to animate the faith and 
courage of the Jews, by rehearsing the evidences 
of Messiah's soon coming, dwelling especially upon 
the kingly power and glorious majesty that would 
attend his advent. He kept before his hearers 
the idea that the reign of Christ would be upon 
an earthly throne in Jerusalem, and his kingdom 
would be a temporal one. He taught them that 
Messiah would appear at the head of armies, to 
conquer the heathen and deliver Israel from the 
oppression of their enemies. 
At the close of the service, Jesus rose with 
calm dignity, and requested them to bring him 
the book of the prophet Esaias. " And when lie 
had opened the book, he found the place where it 
was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, 
because he bath anointed me to preach the gos-
pel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the 
broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the cap- 
tives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set 
at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the 
acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the 
book, and lie gave it again to the minister, and 
sat down. And the eyes of all them that were 
in the synagogue were fastened on him. And 
he began to say unto them, This day is this 
scripture fulfilled in your ears. And all bale 
him witness, and wondered at the gracious words 
which proceeded out of his mouth." 
The scripture which Jesus read was under: 
stood by all to refer to the coming Messiah and 
his work. And when the Saviour explained the 
words he had read, and pointed out the sacred 
office of the Messiah,—a reliever of the oppressed, 
a liberator of the captives, a healer of the af-
flicted, restoring sight to the blind, and revealing 
to the world the light of truth,—the people 
were thrilled with the wisdom and power of 
his words and responded to them with fervent 
amens and praises to the Lord. Jesus bad not 
been educated in the school of the prophets, yet 
the most learned Rabbis could not speak with 
more confidence and authority than did this 
young Galilean. 
His impressive manner, the mighty import of 
his words, and the divine light that emanated 
from his countenance, thrilled the people with a 
power they had never experienced before, as 
Jesus stood before them, a living expositor of 
the prophet's words concerning himself. But 
when he announced : " This day is this scripture 
fulfilled in your ears," the minds of his bearers 
were brought back to consider what were this 
man's claims to the Alessiahship—the highest 
position that man could occupy. 
The interest of the congregation had been 
thoroughly awakened, and their hearts had been 
stirred with joy ; but Satan was at hand to 
suggest doubts and unbelief, and they remem- 
!I 
110 �
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
MARRIAGE AT CANA. 
 
�
411111.111111111....
._ 
 
113 
112 
bored who it was that addressed them as the 
blind, and the captives in bondage who needed 
special aid. Many of those present were ac- 
quainted with the humble life of Jesus, as the 
son of a carpenter, working at his trade with his 
father Joseph. He had made no claims to dis-
tinction or greatness, and his home was among 
the poor and lowly. 
In marked contrast with this humble man 
was the expected Messiah of the Jews. They 
believed that he would come with honor and 
glory, and set up, by power of arms, the throne 
of David. And they murmured : This cannot be 
the One who is to redeem Israel. Is not this 
Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother 
we know ? And they refused to believe him un-
less he gave them some marked sign. They 
opened their hearts to unbelief, and prejudice 
took possession of them, and blinded their judg-
ment, so that they made no account of the ev-
idence already given when their hearts had 
thrilled with the knowledge that it was their 
Redeemer who addressed them. 
But Jesus now showed them a sign of his di-
vine character by revealing the secrets of their 
minds. " And he said unto them, Ye will surely 
say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thy-
self; whatsoever we have heard done in Ca-
pernaum, do also here in thy country. And he 
said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is ac-
cepted in his own country. But I tell you of 
a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days 
of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three 
years and six months, when great famine was 
throughout all the land ; but unto none of them 
was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, 
MARRIAGE AT CANA. 
unto a woman that was a widow. And many 
lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the 
prophet ; and none of them was cleansed, saving 
Naaman the Syrian." 
Jesus read the inmost thoughts of those who 
were before him, and met their questioning with 
this relation of events in the lives of the proph-
ets. Those men whom God had chosen for a 
rtant work were not allowed to 
special and impo 
labor for a hard-hearted and unbelieving people. 
But those who had hearts to feel, and faith to 
believe, were specially favored with evidences of 
God's power displayed through his prophets. 
By the apostasy of Israel in Elijah's day, Jesus 
illustrated the true state of the people whom he 
was addressing.
. 
 
of 
unbelief and selfexaltation 
of the ancient Jewish nation caused God to pass 
over the many widows in Israel, and the poor and 
afflicted there, to find an asylum for his servant 
among a heathen people, and to place him in the 
care of a heathen woman ; but she who was thus 
especially favored had lived in strict accordance 
with the light she possessed. God also passed 
over the many lepers of Israel, because their un-
belief and abuse of precious privileges placed 
them in a position where he could not manifest 
his power in their behalf. On the other hand, a 
heathen nobleman, who had lived faithful to his 
convictions of right, and fully up to his highest 
privileges, but who felt his great need of help, 
and whose heart opened o receive the lessons of 
Christ, was, in the sight t of God, more worthy of 
his special favors, and was cleansed from his lep-
rosy, as well as enlightened in regard to divine 
truth. 
Here Jesus taught an important lesson that 
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
114 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
should be received by all who profess his name 
to the end of time. It was this : That even the 
heathen, who live according to the best light 
they have, doing right so far as they are able to 
distinguish right from wrong, are regarded with 
greater favor by God than those who, having 
great light, make high pretensions to godliness, 
but whose daily lives contradict their profession. 
Thus Jesus stood before the Jews, calmly reveal-
ing their secret thoughts, and pressing home up-
on them the bitter truth of their unrighteousness. 
Every word cut like a knife as their corrupt lives 
and wicked unbelief were laid before them. They 
now scorned the faith and reverence with which 
Jesus had at first inspired them, and they refused 
to acknowledge that this man, who had sprung 
from poverty and lowliness, was other than a 
common man. They would own no king who 
came unattended by riches and honor, and who 
stood not at the head of imposing legions. 
Their unbelief bred malice. Satan controlled 
their minds, and they cried out against the Sav-
iour with wrath and hatred. The assembly 
broke up, and the wicked people laid hands 
upon Jesus, thrusting him from the synagogue, 
and out of their city, and would have killed 
him if they had been able to do so. All seemed 
eager for his destruction. They hurried him to 
the brow of a steep precipice, intending to cast 
him headlong from it. Shouts and maledictions 
filled the air. Some were casting stones and 
dirt at him ; but suddenly he disappeared out 
of their midst, they knew not how, or when. 
Angels of God attended Jesus in the midst of 
that infuriated mob, and preserved his life. The 
heavenly messengers were by his side in the syn- 
115 
• 
agogue, while he was speaking • and they ac-
companied him when pressed and urged on by 
the unbelieving, infuriated Jews. These angels 
blinded the eyes of that maddened throng, and 
conducted Jesus to a place of safety. 
CHAPTER VIII. 
CLEANSING THE TEMPLE. 
AT the time of the passover, when Jerusalem 
was crowded with people who had come from 
a distance to celebrate this great annual festival, 
Jesus with his disciples mingled with the gath-
ering throng. It was early in the morning, yet 
large crowds were already repairing to the tem-
ple. As Jesus entered, he was indignant to find 
the court of the temple arranged as a cattle mar-
ket and a place of general traffic. There were 
not only stalls for the beasts, but there were ta-
bles where the priests themselves acted as 
money-brokers and exchangers. It was custom-
ary for each person who attended the passover to 
bring a piece of money, which was paid to the 
priests upon entering the temple. 
From the changing of foreign coins and differ-
ent denominations of money to accommodate 
strangers, this matter of receiving these offerings 
had grown into a disgraceful traffic, and a source 
of great profit to the priests. Many came from 
a great distance and could not bring their sacrifi-
cial offerings. Under the plea of accommodat-
ing such persons, in the outer court were cattle, 
CLEANSING THE TEMPLE. 
116 
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
sheep, doves, and sparrows for sale at exorbitant 
prices. The consequent confusion indicated a 
noisy cattle market, rather than the sacred tem-
ple of God. There could be heard sharp bargain-
ing, buying and selling, the lowing of cattle, the 
bleating of sheep, and cooing of doves, mingled 
with the chinking of coin, and angry disputation. 
A great number of beasts were annually sacri-
ficed at the passover, which made the sales at 
the temple immense. The dealers realized a 
large profit, which was shared with the avaricious 
priesthood and men of authority among the 
Jews. These hypocritical speculators, under 
cover of their holy profession, practiced all man-
ner of extortion, and made their sacred office a 
source of personal revenue. 
The babel of voices, the noises of animals, and 
the shouts of their drivers created such a confu-
sion just without the sacred precincts that the 
worshipers within were disturbed, and the words 
addressed to the Most High were drowned in the 
uproar that invaded the temple erected to his 
glory. Yet the Jews were exceedingly proud of 
their piety, and tenacious of outward observances 
and forms. They rejoiced over their temple, 
and regarded a word spoken in its disfavor as 
blasphemy. They were rigorous in the perform-
ance of ceremonies connected with it, yet allowed 
the love of money and power to overrule their 
scruples, till they were scarcely aware of the dis-
tance they had wandered from the original pu-
rity of the sacrificial ceremony instituted by God 
himself. 
When the Lord came down upon Mount Sinai, 
the place was consecrated by his presence. A 
divine command was given Moses to put bounds 
CLEANSING THE TEMPLE. �
117 
around the mount and sanctify it, and the word 
of God was heard in warning : " Take heed to 
yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount, or 
touch the border of it. Whosoever toucheth the 
mount shall be surely put to death. There shall 
not a hand touch it, but he shall surely be 
stoned, or shot through ; whether it be beast or 
man, it shall not live." All the people were 
cleansed and sanctified for the presence of the 
Lord. In direct contrast to this example, the 
sacred temple, dedicated to the Almighty, was 
made a market-place and a house of merchandise. 
As the youthful Galilean entered the enclos-
ure, he stooped and picked up a whip of small 
cords that had been used in driving some of the 
animals. Jesus ascended the steps of the temple 
and surveyed the scene with a calm and digni-
fied look. He saw and heard the traffic and bar-
tering. His expression became stern and terri-
ble. The eyes of many turned instinctively to 
look at this stranger ; their gaze became riveted 
upon him. Others followed their example till 
the whole multitude were regarding him with a 
look of mingled fear and amazement. 
They felt instinctively that this man read their 
inmost thoughts and their hidden motives of ac-
tion. Some attempted to conceal their faces as 
if their evil deeds were written upon their coun-
tenances to be scanned by those searching eyes. 
The confusion was hushed. The sound of 
traffic and bargaining ceased. The silence be-
came painful. A sense of awe overpowered the 
entire assembly. It was as if they were arraigned 
before the tribunal of God to answer for their 
deeds. The Majesty of Heaven stood as the 
Judge will stand at the last day, and every one of 
118 
119 
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
CLEANSING THE TEMPLE. 
that vast crowd for the time acknowledged him 
their Master. His eye swept over the multitude, 
taking in every individual. His form seemed to 
tower above them in commanding dignity, and 
a divine light illuminated his countenance. He 
spoke, and his clear, ringing voice, echoing 
through the arches of the temple, was like the 
voice that shook Mount Sinai, of old : " My house 
shall be called the house of prayer ; but ye have 
made it a den of thieves." 
He slowly descended the steps, and, raising the 
whip, which in his hand seemed changed to a 
kingly scepter, bade the bargaining company to 
quit the sacred limits of the temple, and take 
hence their merchandise. With a lofty zeal, and 
a severity he had never before manifested, he 
overthrew the tables of the money-changers, and 
the coin fell, ringing sharply upon the marble 
floor. The most hardened and defiant did not 
presume to question his authority, but, with 
prompt obedience, the dignitaries of the temple, 
the speculating priests, the cattle traders and 
brokers, rushed from his presence. The most 
avaricious did not stop to gather up their idol-
ized money, but fled without a thought of their 
ill-gotten gains. 
The beasts and birds were all hurried beyond 
the sacred portals. A panic of fear swept over 
the multitude who felt the over-shadowing of 
Christ's divinity. Cries of terror escaped from 
hundreds of blanched lips as the crowd rushed 
headlong from the place. Jesus smote them not 
with the whip of cords, but, to their guilty eyes, 
that simple instrument seemed like gleaming, an-
gry swords, circling in every direction, and threat-
ening to cut them down. Even the disciples 
quaked with fear, and were awe-struck by the 
words and manner of Jesus, so unlike the usual 
demeanor of the meek and lowly man of Galilee. 
But they remembered that it was written of him, 
" The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up." Soon 
the multitude, with their cattle, their sheep, doves, 
/ and sparrows, were far removed from the temple 
of the Lord. The courts were free from unholy 
commerce, and a deep silence and solemnity set-
tled upon the late scene of confusion. 11 the 
presence of the Lord sanctified the mount, his 
presence made equally sacred the temple reared 
to his honor. 
How easily could that vast throng have re-
sisted the authority of one man ; but the power 
of His divinity overwhelmed them with confu-
sion and a sense of their guilt. They had no 
strength to resist the divine authority of the 
Saviour of the world. The desecrators of God's 
holy place were driven from its portals by the 
Majesty of Heaven. 
After the temple was cleansed, the demeanor 
of Jesus changed ; the terrible majesty of his 
countenance gave place to an expression of ten-
derest sympathy. He looked after the flying 
crowd with eyes full of sorrow and compassion. 
There were some who remained, held by the irre-
sistible attraction of his presence. They were 
unterrified by his awful dignity, their hearts were 
drawn toward him with love and hope. These 
people were not the great and powerful, who ex-
pected to impress him with a sense of their 
grandeur ; they were the poor, the sick, and the 
afflicted. 
After the buyers and sellers, and the promis-
cuous crowd with their merchandise, were driven 
120 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
out, Jesus healed the stricken ones who flocked 
unto him. The sick were relieved, tlfe blind re-
ceived their sight, the dumb praised God with 
loosened tongues, the lame leaped for joy, and 
demons were cast out from those they had long 
tormented. Mothers, pale with anxiety and 
watching, brought their dying infants to receive 
his blessing. He folded them tenderly to his bo-
som, and returned them to their mothers' arms 
well and strong. 
This was a scene worthy of the temple of the 
Lord. He who, a short time before, had stood 
upon the steps like an avenging angel, had now 
become a messenger of mercy, soothing the sor-
rows of the oppressed, encouraging the despair-
ing, relieving the suffering. Hundreds returned 
to their homes from the passover sound in body 
and enlightened in mind, who had come there 
feeble and desponding. 
During this time the people were slowly drift-
ing back. They had partially recovered from 
the panic that had seized them, but their faces 
expressed an irresolution and timidity that could 
not be concealed. They looked with amazement 
upon the works of Jesus, beholding more won-
derful cures than had ever been accomplished be-
fore. The Jews knew that the act of Jesus in 
purging the temple of its sacrilegious speculators, 
was not the exhibition of human power. The 
divine authority that inspired Jesus, and lifted 
him above humanity, was felt and realized by 
them, and should have been sufficient to bring 
them as worshipers at his feet. But they 
were determined to disbelieve him. They feared 
that this humble Galilean would take from them 
their power over the people, by his greater 
CLEANSING THE TEMPLE. �
121 
 
works and super-human authority. Their haugh-
ty spirits had looked for a king who would come 
with great pomp and heraldry, subduing the na-
tions of the earth, and raising them to a much 
loftier station than they now occupied. This 
Man, who came teaching humility and love, 
aroused their hatred and scorn. 
When he arose in the majesty of his sacred 
mission, they were stricken with sudden fear and 
condemnation. But, after the spell was broken, 
in the hardness of their hearts, they wondered 
why they had been so terror-stricken and fled so 
precipitately from the presence of a single man. 
What right had this youthful Galilean to inter-
fere with the dignitaries of the temple ? After a 
time they returned, but did not dare at once to 
resume their former occupation. 
-- The crowd -were comparatively innocent, for it 
was by the arrangement of the chief authorities 
of the temple that the outer court was turned 
into a market-place. The great sin of desecra-
tion lay upon the priesthoQd, who had perverted 
and disgraced their sacred office. The chief 
priests and elders counseled among themselves as 
to what course should be pursued toward Jesus, 
and what his conduct could mean, assuming an 
authority greater than their own, and rebuking 
them openly. 
They went to Jesus with a deference born of 
the fear that still hurlg over them ; for they con-
cluded that he must be a prophet sent of God to 
restore the sanctity of the temple. They asked 
him, " What sign showest thou unto us, seeing 
that thou doest these things?" Jesus had already 
given them the strongest proof of his divine cora- 
Great Controversy, Vol, 2. 
9 
-,111.111011111111E 
122 
123 
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
mission. He knew that no evidence he could 
present to them would convince them that he 
was the Messiah if his act of cleansing the tem-
ple had failed to do so. Therefore he answered 
their challenge with these words, "Destroy this 
temple, and in three days I will raise it up." 
They supposed he referred to the temple at Jeru-
salem, and were astounded at his apparent pre-
sumption. Their unbelieving minds were unable 
to discern that he referred to his own body, the 
earthly temple of the Son of God. With indig-
nation they answered, "Forty and six years was 
this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up 
in three days ? " 
Jesus did not design that the skeptical Jews 
should discover the hidden meaning of his words, 
nor even his disciples at that time. After his 
resurrection they called to mind these words he 
had uttered, and they then understood them cor-
rectly. They remembered that he had also said 
that he had power to lay down his life and to 
take it again. Jesus was acquainted with the 
path his feet had entered upon, even unto the 
end. His words possessed a double meaning, re-
ferring to the temple at Jerusalem as well as his 
own material body. 
Christ was the foundation and life of that tem-
ple. His crucifixion would virtually destroy it, 
because its services were typical of the future 
sacrifice of the Son of God. They pointed to 
the great antitype, which was Christ himself. 
When the Jews should accomplish their wicked 
purpose, and do unto him what they listed, from 
that day forth sacrificial offerings, and the serv-
ices connected with them, would be valueless in 
CLEANSING THE TEMPLE. 
the sight of God, for type would have met anti-
type in the perfect offering of the Son of God. 
The whole priesthood was established to rep- 
resent the mediatorial character and work of 
Christ ; and the entire plan of sacrificial worship 
was a foreshadowing of the death of the Saviour 
to redeem the world from sin. There would be 
no more need of burnt-offerings and the blood 
of beasts when the great event toward which 
they had pointed for ages was consummated. 
The temple was Christ's ; its services and cere-
monies referred directly to him. What then 
must have been his feelings when he found it 
polluted by the spirit of avarice and extortion, a 
place of merchandise and traffic ! 
When Christ was crucified, the inner vail of 
the temple was rent in twain from top to bot-
tom, which event signified that the ceremonial 
system of the sacrificial offerings was at an end 
forever, that the one great and final sacrifice 
was made in the Lamb of God, slain for the sins 
of the world. 
In the defilement and cleansing of the temple 
we have a lesson for this time. The same spirit 
that existed among the Jews, leading them to 
substitute gain for godliness, and outward pomp 
for inward purity, curses the Christian world to-
day. It spreads like a defiling leprousy among 
the professed worshipers of God. Sacred things 
are brought down to a level with the vain mat-
ters of the world. Vice is mistaken for virtue, 
and righteousness for crime. Temporal business 
is mingled with the worship of God. Extortion 
and wicked speculation are practiced by those 
who profess to be servants of the Al ost High. 
Said the inspired apostle, " Know ye not that ye 
125 
124 �
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God 
dwelleth in you ? If any man defile the temple 
of God, him shall God destroy ; for the temple of 
God is holy, which temple ye are." It is neces-
sary that Jesus should occupy his temple in the 
human heart every day, and cleanse it from the 
defilement of sin. 
CHAPTER IX. 
NICODEMITS COMES TO CHRIST. 
THE great authority Jesus had assumed in the 
temple, in condemning the practices of the Jewish 
dignitaries, was freely commented upon by Phar-
isees, priests, and elders. His appearance, and the 
tones of his voice, together with the irresistible 
power he had exercised over the multitude, were 
such as to lead many of them to believe that he 
was indeed the Messiah whom they had so long 
expected and desired to see. 
A portion of the Jews had ever been fearful 
of opposing one who seemed to possess any re-
markable power or seemed to be influenced by 
God's Spirit. Many messages had been given to 
Israel by the mouths of prophets. Yet some of 
these holy men had been slain through the in-
stigation of the leaders in Israel, because they 
had denounced the sins of those in authority. 
The captivity of the Jews to a heathen nation, 
was their punishment for refusing to be reproved 
of their iniquities, slighting the warnings of God, 
and folding their sins still closer to their hearts. 
The Jews, in the days of Christ, lamented 
NICODEMUS COMES TO CHRIST. 
their humiliation to the Romans, and condemned 
the acts of their fathers in stoning the prophets 
who were sent to correct them. Yet their priests 
and elders cherished the spirit in their hearts 
which would lead them to commit the same 
crimes. 
The dignitaries of the temple consulted to- 
gether in regard to the conduct of Jesus, and 
what course was best for them to pursue. One 
of their number, Nicodemus, advised moderation 
both in their feelings and acts. He argued that, 
if Jesus was really invested with authority from 
God, it would be perilous to reject his warnings, 
and the manifestations of his power. He could 
not look upon him as an impostor, nor join the 
rest of the Pharisees in their derision of him. 
He himself bad seen and heard Jesus, and his 
mind was much disturbed in consequence. He 
anxiously perused the scrolls containing the 
prophecies relating to the coming of the Messiah. 
He sought earnestly for clear light upon the sub-
ject, and the more he searched the stronger was 
his conviction that this man was the one de-
scribed by the prophets. If he was indeed the 
Christ, then this was an eventful epoch in the 
history of the world and especially of the Jewish 
nation. 
During the entire day after Christ had cleansed 
the desecrated courts of the temple, he was heal-
ing the sick and relieving the afflicted. Nicode-
mus had seen with what pitying compassion he 
had received and ministered unto the poor and 
the oppressed. With the demeanor of a loving 
father toward his suflering children, he had 
wrought cures and removed sorrow. No suppli-
ant was sent unrelieved from his presence. Moth- 
116 
126 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
ers were made glad by the restoration of their 
babes to health, and voices of thanksgiving had 
taken the place of weeping and moans of pain. 
All day, Jesus had instructed the restless, curious 
people, reasoning with the scribes, and silencing 
the caviling of the haughty rulers by the wis- 
dom of his words. Nicodernus, after seeing and 
hearing these wonderful things, and after search-
ing the prophecies that pointed to Jesus as the 
looked-for Messiah, dared not disbelieve that he 
was sent of God. 
When night came on, Jesus, pale with the 
weariness of his long-continued labors, sought 
for retirement and repose in the Mount of Olives. 
Here Nicodemus found him and desired a confer-
ence. This man was rich and honored of the 
Jews. He was famous throughout Jerusalem 
for his wealth, his learning and benevolence, and 
especially for his liberal offerings to the temple 
to carry out its sacred services. He was also one 
of the prominent members of the national coun-
cil. Yet when he came into the presence of Jesus, 
a strange agitation and timidity assailed him, 
which he essayed to conceal beneath an air of 
composure and dignity. 
He endeavored to appear as if it were an act 
of condescension on the part of a learned ruler, to 
seek, uninvited, an audience with a young stran-
ger at that unseasonable hour of night. He began 
with a conciliating address, " Rabbi, we know 
that thou art a teacher come from God ; for no 
man can do these miracles that thou doest, except 
God be with him." But instead of acknowledging 
this complimentary salutation, Jesus bent his 
calm and searching eye upon the speaker, as if 
reading his very soul ; then, with a sweet and 
NICODEMUS COMES TO CHRIST. 
solemn voice, he spoke and revealed the true con-
dition of Nicodemus. " Verily, verily I say unto 
you, Except a man be born again, he cannot see 
the kingdom of God." 
The Pharisee was surprised out of his self- 
possession by these words, the meaning of which 
he partially comprehended ; for he had heard 
John the Baptist preach repentance and baptism, 
and also the coming of One who should baptize 
with the Holy Ghost. Nicodemus had long felt 
that there was a want of spirituality among the 
Jews ; that bigotry, pride, and worldly ambition 
guided their actions in a great measure. He had 
hoped for a better state of things when the Mes-
siah should come. But he was looking for a Sav-
iour who would set up a temporal throne in Je-
rusalem, and who would gather the Jewish nation 
under his standard, bringing the Roman power 
Into subjection by force of arms. 
This learned dignitary was a strict Pharisee. 
He had prided himself upon his own good works 
and exalted piety. He considered his daily life 
perfect in the sight of God, and was startled 
to hear Jesus speak of a kingdom too pure for 
him to see in his present state. His mind mis-
gave him, yet he felt irritated by the close appli-
cation of the words to his own case, and he an-
swered as if he had understood them in the most 
literal sense, " How can a man be born when 
he is old ?" 
Jesus, with solemn emphasis, repeated, " Verily, 
yerily I say unto thee, Except a man be born of 
the water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into 
the kingdom of God." The words of Jesus could 
no longer be misunderstood. His listener well 
knew that he referred to water baptism and the 
128 
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
129 
grace of God. The power of the Holy Spirit 
transforms the entire man. This change consti-
tutes the new birth. 
Many of the Jews bad acknowledged John as 
a prophet sent of God, and had received baptism 
at his hands unto repentance ; meanwhile he had 
plainly taught them that his work and mission 
was to prepare the way for Christ, who was the 
greater light, and would complete the work which 
he had begun. Nicodemus had meditated upon 
these things, and he now felt convinced that he 
was in the presence of that One foretold by John. 
Said Jesus, " That which is born of the flesh 
is flesh ; and that which is born of the Spirit is 
spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye 
must be born again. The wind bloweth where 
it listeth, and thou hearest the sound there-
of, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and 
whither it goeth ; so is every one that is born 
of the Spirit." Jesus here seeks to impress 
upon Nicodemus the positive necessity of the 
influence of the Spirit of God upon the human 
heart to purify it preparatory to the develop- 
ment of a righteous and symmetrical character. 
" Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, mur- 
ders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, 
blasphemies." This fountain of the heart being 
purified, the stream thereof becomes pure. 
This new birth looks mysterious to Nicodemus. 
He asks, "How can these things be ?" Jesus, bid- 
ding him marvel not, uses the wind as an illustra- 
tion of his meaning. It is heard among the 
branches of the trees, and rustling the leaves 
and flowers, yet it is invisible to the eye, and 
from whence it comes and whither it goeth, no 
man knoweth. So is the experience of every one 
NICODEMUS COMES TO CHRIST. 
who is born of the Spirit. The mind is an invis-
ible agent of God to produce tangible results. 
Its influence is powerful, and governs the actions 
of men. If purified from all evil, it is the motive 
power of good. The regenerating Spirit of God, 
taking possession of the mind, transforms the life ; 
wicked thoughts are put away, evil deeds are re- • 
nounced, love, peace, and humility take the place 
of anger, envy, and strife. That power which no 
human eye can see, has created a new being in 
the image of God. 
The necessity of the new birth was not so 
strongly impressed upon Nicodemus as the man-
ner of its accomplishment. Jesus reproves him, 
asking if he, a master and teacher in Israel, an 
expounder of the prophecies, can be ignorant of 
these things. Has he read those sacred writings 
in vain, that he has failed to understand from 
them that the heart must be cleansed from its 
natural defilement by the Spirit of God before it 
can be fit for the kingdom of Heaven ? Christ 
made no reference here to the resurrection of the 
body from the grave, when a nation shall be born 
in a day, but he was speaking in regard to the in-
ward work of grace upon the unregenerate heart. 
He had just been engaged in cleansing the 
temple, by driving from its sacred courts those 
who had degraded it to a place of traffic and ex- 
tortion. Not one wh was
o �
fled that day from 
the presence of Jesus �
fitted by the grace 
of God to be connected with the sacred services 
of the temple. True, there were some honorable 
men among the Pharisees, who deeply regretted 
the evils that were corrupting the Jewish nation 
and desecrating its religious rites. They also 
saw that traditions and useless forms had taken 
130 �
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
the place of true holiness, but they were power-
less to prevent these growing evils. 
Jesus had commenced his work by striking 
directly at the selfish, avaricious spirit of the 
Jews, showing that while professing to be the 
children of Abraham they refused to follow his 
example. They were zealous for an external ap-
pearance of righteousness while they neglected 
internal holiness. They were sticklers for the 
letter of the law, while they grossly transgressed 
its spirit every day. The law forbade hatred 
and theft, yet Christ declared that the Jews had 
made his Father's house a den of thieves. The 
great necessity of the people was a new moral 
birth, a removal of the sins that polluted them, 
a renewal of true knowledge and genuine holi- 
ness. 
This purifying of the temple illustrates the 
work that must be accomplished in every one who 
would secure eternal life. Patiently Jesus un-
folded the plan of salvation to Nicodemus, show-
ing him how the Holy Spirit brings light and 
transforming power to every soul that is born of 
the Spirit. Like the wind, which is invisible—
yet the effects of which are plainly seen and 
felt—is the baptism of the Spirit of God upon 
the heart, revealing itself in every action of him 
who experiences its saving power. 
He explained how Christ, the burden-bearer, 
lifts the burden from the oppressed soul, and bids 
it rejoice in deliverance from bondage. Joy takes 
the place of sadness, and the countenance reflects 
the light of Heaven. Yet no one sees the hand 
that lifts the burden, nor beholds the light de-
scend from the courts of God. The blessing 
comes when the soul, by faith, surrenders itself to 
NICODEMUS COMES TO CHRIST. �131 
the Lord. This mystery exceeds human knowl-
edge, yet he who thus passes from death to life 
realizes• that it is a divine truth. 
The conversion of the soul through faith in 
Christ was but dimly comprehended by Nicode-
mus, who had been accustomed to consider cold 
formality and rigid services as true religion. The 
great Teacher explained that his ,mission upon 
earth was not to set up a temporal kingdom, emu-
lating the pomp and display of the world, but to 
establish the reign of peace and love, to bring 
men to the Father through the mediatorial agen- 
cy of his Son. 
Nicodemus was bewildered. Said Jesus, " If I 
have told you earthly things and ye believe not, 
how shall ye believe if I tell you of heavenly 
things ?" If Nicodemus could not receive his 
teachings illustrating the work of grace upon the 
human heart, as represented by the figure of the 
wind, how could he comprehend the character of 
his glorious heavenly kingdom should he explain 
it to him ? Not discerning the nature of Christ's 
work on earth, he could not understand his work 
in Heaven. Jesus referred Nicodemus to the 
prophecies of David and Ezekiel 
" And I will give them one heart, and I will 
put a new spirit within you ; and I will take the 
stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them 
an heart of flesh ; that they may walk in my stat-
utes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them ; 
and they shall be my people, and I will be their 
God." " And they shall come thither, and they 
shall take away all the detestable things thereof 
and all the abominations thereof from thence." 
"Therefore, I will judge you, 0 house of Israel, 
every one according to his ways, saith the Lord 
132 �
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
God. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your 
transgressions ; so iniquity shall not be your 
ruin. Cast away from you all your transgres-
sions, whereby ye have transgressed ; and make 
you a new heart and a new spirit." "Create in 
me a clean heart, 0 God ; and renew a right spirit 
within me. Cast me not away from thy pres-
ence ; and take not thy holy spirit from me. 
Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and 
uphold me with thy free spirit. Then will I 
teach transgressors thy ways ; and sinners shall 
be converted unto thee." "A new heart also 
will I give you, and a new spirit will I put with-
in you ; and I will take away the stony heart 
out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of 
flesh." 
The learned Nicodenaus had read these pointed 
prophecies with a clouded mind, but now he be-
gan to comprehend their true meaning, and to 
understand that even a man as just and honorable 
as himself must experience a new birth through 
Jesus Christ, as the only condition upon which 
he could be saved, and secure an entrance into 
the kingdom of God. Jesus spoke positive-
ly that unless a man is born again he cannot dis-
cern the kingdom which Christ came upon earth 
to set up. Rigid precision in obeying the law 
would entitle no man to enter the kingdom of 
Heaven. 
There must be a new birth, a new mind 
through the operation of the Spirit of God, 
which purifies the life and ennobles the charac-
ter. This connection with God fits man for the 
glorious kingdom of Heaven. No human inven-
tion can ever find a remedy for the sinning soul. 
Only by repentance and humiliation, a submis- 
NICODEMUS COMES TO CHRIST. �133 
sion to the divine requirements, can the work of 
grace be performed. Iniquity is so offensive in 
the sight of God, whom the sinner has so long, 
insulted and wronged, that a repentance com-
mensurate with the character of the sins com-
mitted often produces an agony of spirit hard to 
bear. 
Nothing less than a practical acceptance and 
application of divine truth opens the kingdom 
of God to man. Only a pure and lowly heart, 
obedient and loving, firm in the faith and service 
of the Most High, can enter there. Jesus also 
declares that as " Moses lifted up the serpent in 
the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be 
lifted up, that whosoever believeth in him should 
not perish, but have eternal life." The serpent 
in the wilderness was lifted upon a pole before 
the people, that all who had been stung unto 
death by the fiery serpent might look upon this 
brazen serpent, a symbol of Christ, and be in-
stantly healed. But they must look in faith, or 
it would be of no avail. Just so must men look 
upon the Son of Man as their Saviour unto eter-
nal life. Man had separated himself from God 
by sin. Christ brought his divinity to earth, 
veiled by humanity, in order to rescue man from 
his lost condition. Human nature is vile, and 
man's character must be changed before it can 
harmonize with the pure and holy in God's im-
mortal kingdom. This transformation is the 
new birth. 
If man by faith takes bold of the divine love 
of God, he becomes a new creature through Christ 
Jesus. The world is overcome, human nature is 
subdued, and Satan is vanquished. In this impor-
tant sermon to Nicodemus, Jesus unfolded before 
134 �
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
this noble Pharisee the whole plan of salvation, 
and his mission to the world. In none of his 
subsequent discourses did the Saviour explain so 
thoroughly, step by step, the work necessary to 
be done in the human heart, if it would inherit 
the kingdom of Heaven. He traced man's sal-
vation directly to the love of the Father, which 
led him to give his Son unto death that man 
might be saved. 
Jesus was acquainted with the soil into which 
he cast the seeds of truth. For three years there 
was little apparent fruit. Nicodemus was never 
an enemy to Jesus, but he did not publicly ac-
knowledge him. He was weighing matters with 
an exactitude that accorded with his nature. He 
watched the life-work of Jesus with intense in-
terest. He pondered over his teachings and be-
held his mighty works. The raising of Lazarus 
from the dead was an evidence of his Messiah-
ship that could not be disputed in the mind of 
the learned Jew. 
Once, when the Sanhedrim council was plan-
ning the most effectual way of bringing about 
the condemnation and death of Jesus, his author-
itative voice was heard in protest, "Doth our law 
judge any man, before it hear him, and know 
what he doeth ? " This brought a sharp rebuff 
from the chief priest, "Art thou also of Galilee ? 
Search and look, for out of Galilee ariseth no 
prophet." Yet the council dispersed, for they 
could not obtain a unanimous assent to the con-
demnation of Jesus. 
The Jews suspected both Joseph and Nicode-
mus of being in sympathy with the Teacher of 
Galilee, and these men were not summoned when 
the council met that decided the fate of Jesus. 
NICODEMUS COMES TO CHRIST. �135 
The words spoken at night to a single man in the 
lonely mountain were not lost. When Nicode-
mus saw Jesus upon the cross, hanging like a 
malefactor between heaven and earth, yet pray-
ing for his murderers ; when he witnessed the 
commotion of nature, in that awful hour when 
the sun was hidden and the earth reeled in space, 
when the rocks were split in sunder and the vail 
of the temple rent in twain ; then he remembered 
the solemn teaching in the mountain ; " As Moses 
lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so 
must the Son of Man be lifted up." 
The scales fell from his eyes; and faith took the 
place of doubt and uncertainty. Beams of light 
streamed from the secret interview in the mount-
ain and illuminated the cross of the Saviour. In 
that time of discouragement and danger, when 
the hearts of the disciples were failing them 
through doubt and fear, Joseph of Arimathea, a 
secret disciple of Jesus, came forward and ob-
tained the Lord's body from Pilate, and Nicode-
mus, who at the first came to Jesus by night, 
brought a hundred pounds' weight of myrrh and 
aloes. These two men with their own hands 
performed the last sacred rites, and laid the body 
of the Saviour in a new sepulchre where never 
man lay before. These lofty rulers of the Jews 
mingled their tears together over the sacred form 
of the dead. 
Now, when the disciples were scattered and 
discouraged, Nicodemus came boldly to the front. 
He was rich, and he employed his wealth to sus-
tain the infant church of Christ, that the Jews 
thought would be blotted out with the death of 
Jesus. He who had been so cautious and ques-
tioning, now, in the time of peril, was firm as the 
136 
137 
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
NICODEMUS COMES TO CHRIST. 
granite rock, encouraging the flagging faith of 
the followers of Christ, and furnishing means to 
carry on the cause. He was defrauded, perse-
cuted, and stigmatized by those who had paid 
him reverence in other days. He became poor in 
this world's goods, yet he faltered not in the faith 
that had its beginning in that secret night con-
ference with the young Galilean. 
Nicodemus related to John the story of that 
interview, and his inspired pen recorded it for 
the instruction of millions. The vital truths there 
taught are as important to-day as they were that 
solemn night in the shadowy mountain, when the 
mighty Jewish ruler came to learn the way of 
life from the lowly carpenter of Nazareth. 
" When therefore the Lord knew how the 
Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and bap-
tized more disciples than John (though Jesus 
himself baptized not, but his disciples), he left 
Judea, and departed again into Galilee." 
The prejudice of the Jews was aroused because 
the disciples of Jesus did not use the exact words 
of John in the rite of baptism. John baptized 
unto repentance, but the disciples of Jesus, on 
profession of the faith, baptized in the name of 
the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The teachings 
of John were in perfect harmony with those of 
Jesus, yet his disciples became jealous for fear his 
influence was diminishing. A dispute arose be-
tween them and the disciples of Jesus in regard 
to the form of words proper to use at baptism, 
and finally as to the right of, the latter to bap-
tize at all. 
John's disciples came to him with their griev-
ances, saying, " Rabbi, he that was with thee be-
yond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, be- 
hold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to 
him." John possessed the common infirmities of 
human nature. In this matter he was subjected 
to a severe trial. His influence as the prophet 
of God had been greater than any other man's, 
until the ministry of Christ commenced ; but 
the fame of this new teacher was drawing the at-
tention of all people, and in consequence, the 
popularity of John was waning. His disciples 
brought to him the true statement of the case, 
Jesus baptizeth, and all men come to him. 
John stood in a dangerous position ; had he 
justified the jealousy of his disciples by a word 
of sympathy or encouragement in their mur-
murings, a serious division would have been cre-
ated. But the noble and unselfish spirit of the 
prophet shone forth in the answer he gave to 
his followers :— 
" A man can receive nothing, except it be 
given him from Heaven. Ye yourselves bear me 
witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but 
that I am sent before him. He that hath the 
bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the 
bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, re-
joiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice ; 
this my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must in-
crease, but I must decrease." 
Had John manifested disappointment or grief 
at being superseded by Jesus ; had he allowed 
his sympathies to be aroused in his own favor, 
when he perceived that his power over the peo-
ple was waning ; had he for a moment lost sight 
of his mission in this hour of temptation, the re-
sult would have been disastrous to the establish-
ment of the Christian church. The seeds of dis- 
Great Controversy, Vol. 2. �10 
138 �
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
sension would have been sown, anarchy would 
have sprung up, and the cause of God would 
have languished for want of proper workers. 
But John, irrespective of personal interest, 
stood up in defense of Jesus, testifying to his su-
periority as the Promised One of Israel, whose 
way he had come to prepare. He identified 
himself fully with the cause of Christ, and de-
clared that his greatest joy was in its success. 
Then, rising above all worldly considerations, lie 
gave this remarkable testimony—almost the coun-
terpart of that which Jesus had given to Nicode-
mus in their secret interview :— 
" He that cometh from above is above all ; he 
that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of 
the earth ; he that cometh from Heaven is above 
all. And what he hath seen and heard, that he 
testifieth ; and no man receiveth his testimony. 
He that bath received his testimony hath set to 
his seal that God is true. For he whom God 
hath sent speaketh the words of God ; for God 
giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him. The 
Father loveth the Son, and bath given all things 
into his hand. He that believeth on the Son 
bath everlasting life ; and he that believeth not 
the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God 
abideth on him." 
What a sermon was this to the Pharisees, 
clearing the way for the ministry of Christ. 
The same spirit that actuated Jesus, controlled 
the mind of John the Baptist. Their testimony 
corresponded ; their lives were given to the same 
reformatory work. The prophet points to the 
Saviour as the Sun of Righteousness rising with 
splendor, and soon to eclipse his own light, then 
NICODEMUS COMES TO CHRIST. �139 
growing pale and dim in the glory of a greater 
light. John, by his unselfish joy in the suc-
cessful ministry of Jesus, presents to the world 
the truest type of nobility ever exhibited by mor-
tal man. It carries a lesson of submission and 
self-sacrifice to those whom God has placed in re-
sponsible positions. It teaches them never to 
appropriate to themselves undue honor, nor let 
the spirit of rivalry disgrace the cause of God. 
The true Christian should vindicate the right at 
the expense of all personal considerations. 
The news that had been carried to John con-
cerning the success of Jesus, was also borne to 
Jerusalem, and there created against him jealousy, 
envy, and hatred. Jesus knew the hard hearts 
and darkened minds of the Pharisees, and that 
they would spare no pains to create a division 
between his own disciples and those of John that 
would greatly injure the work, so he quietly 
ceased to baptize and withdrew to Galilee. He 
knew that the storm was gathering which was 
soon to sweep away the noblest prophet God had 
ever given to the world. He wished to avoid 
all division of feeling in the great work before 
him, and, for the time, removed from that region 
for the purpose of allaying all excitement detri-
mental to the cause of God. 
Here is a lesson to the followers of Christ, that 
they should take every proper precaution to 
avoid disagreement ; for in every division of in- 
terest, resulting in disputation and unhappy dif-
ferences in the church, souls are lost that might 
have been saved in the kingdom of Heaven. In 
the occurrence of a religious crisis, leading men 
who profess to be God's instruments should fol-
low the example of the great Master and that of 
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
140 
the noble prophet John. They should stand 
firm and united in defense of the truth, while 
they carefully labor to avoid all injurious dissen-
sions. 
ii 
CHAPTER X. 
THE WOMAN OF SAMARIA. 
As Jesus pursued his way to Galilee, his course 
lay through Samaria. He embraced every op-
portunity to teach as he traveled on foot from 
place to place. The Saviour was weary, and he 
;at on Jacob's well to rest, while his disciples 
went in search of food with which to refresh 
themselves and their Master. As he sat there 
alone, a woman of Samaria drew near as if un-
conscious of his presence ; but his eye was upon 
her, and after she had drawn the water he asked 
her to give him a drink. 
The Samaritan woman was surprised at this 
request from a Jew, and answered, "How is it 
that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, 
which am a woman of Samaria ? for the Jews 
have no dealings with the Samaritans." Jesus 
answered, "If thou kne west the gift of God, and 
who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink, 
thou wouldst have asked of him, and he would 
have given thee living water." He here referred 
to the divine grace which he alone could bestow, 
and which is as living water, purifying, refreshing, 
and invigorating the soul. 
But the woman's understanding did not com-
prehend the meaning of Christ; she supposed 
THE WOMAN OF SAMARIA. �
141 
that he was speaking of the well before them, 
and answered, " Sir, thou bast nothing to draw 
with, and the well is deep ; from whence then bast 
thou that living water ? Art thou greater than 
our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and 
drank thereof himself ?" She saw before her only 
a weary, thirsty traveler, wayworn and dusty; 
and her mind instinctively compared this humble 
stranger with the great and worthy Jacob. 
Jesus did not immediately satisfy the woman in 
regard to himself, but with solemn earnestness 
said, " Whosoever drinketh of this water shall 
thirst again ; but whosoever drinketh of the 
water that I shall give him shall never thirst ; 
but the water that I shall give him shall be in 
him a well of water springing up into everlasting 
life." 
The woman looked upon him with wondering 
attention ; be had succeeded in arousing her in-
terest and inspiring respect for himself. She 
now perceived that it was not the water of Ja-
cob's well to which Jesus alluded, for of this she 
used continually, drinking, and thirsting again. 
With remarkable faith she asked him to give her 
the water of which be spoke, that she might not 
thirst nor come to draw from the well. 
Jesus did not intend to convey the idea that 
simply one draught of the water of life would 
satisfy the receiver, but that whoever is united 
with Christ, has within his soul a living fountain 
from which to draw strength and grace sufficient 
for all emergencies. Words and deeds of right- 
eousness flow from it and refresh the hearts of 
others, as well as the soul from which it springs. 
Jesus Christ, the never-failing source of tins 
fountain, cheers the life and brightens the path of 
143 
142 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
all who come to him for aid. Love to God, the 
satisfying hope of Heaven, springs up in good 
works unto eternal life. 
- rr Jesus now abruptly changed the subject of 
conversation, and bade her call her husband. 
The woman answered frankly that she had no 
husband. Jesus had now approached the desired 
point where he could convince her that he had 
the power to read her life history, although pre- 
viously unacquainted with her. He addressed 
her thus : " Thou bast well said, I have no hus- 
band ; for thou bast had five husbands ; and lie 
whom thou now bast is not thy husband ; in that 
saidst thou truly." 
Jesus had a double object in view ; he wished 
to arouse her conscience as to the sin of her man- 
ner of life, as well as to prove to her that a sight 
wiser than human eyes had read the secrets of 
her life. But the woman, although not fully re- 
alizing the guilt of her manner of living, was 
greatly astonished that this stranger should pos- 
sess such knowledge. With profound reverence 
she said," Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet." 
Her personal feelings were now lost in anxiety 
concerning religious matters. She proceeded, 
" Our fathers worshiped in this mountain ; and 
ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men 
ought to worship." 
Just in sight was Mount Gerizim, its temple 
demolished, and only the altar remaining. The 
place of worship had been a subject of conten-
tion between the Jews and Samaritans. The 
latter people had once belonged to Israel, but 
had become divided from them because of their 
transgressions in neglecting to obey the statutes 
of God. The Lord suffered them to be overcome 
THE WOMAN OF SAMARIA. 
by an idolatrous nation, whose religion had grad-
ually contaminated their own. Still preserving 
their reverence for the true God, they repre-
sented him by images of wood and stone, before 
which they bowed in worship. 
When the temple was rebuilt at Jerusalem, the 
Samaritans wished to join the Jews in its erec-
tion. This privilege was refused them, and, in 
consequence, a bitter animosity sprang up be-
tween the two people, which resulted in the Sa-
maritans building a rival temple on Mount Geri-
zim, where they worshiped according to the cer-
emonies that God gave unto Moses, but mingled 
with their worship the taint of idolatry. But 
disasters attended the Samaritans, their temple 
was destroyed by the enemy, and they seemed 
to be under a curse. 
They were forced to believe that God was 
punishing them for their apostasy. They deter-
mined to reform, and solicited teachers from the 
Jews to instruct them in the true religion. 
Through this teaching, their views of God and 
his requirements became clearer, and their relig-
ious service resembled more nearly that of the 
Jews. But to a certain degree they still clung 
to their idolatry, and there was a lack of har-
mony between them and the Jews. The Samar-
itans would not respect the temple of worship 
at Jerusalem, and refused to admit that it was 
the true place of worship. 
Jesus answered the woman by saying that the 
time was at hand when they should neither 
worship the Father in that mountain nor in Je-
rusalem. Said he, " Ye worship ye know not 
what ; we know what we worship ; for salva-
tion is of the Jews. But the hour cornea), and 
144 �
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
now is, when the true worshipers shall worship 
the Father in spirit and in truth ; for the Father 
seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit ; 
and they that worship him must worship him in 
spirit and in truth." 
This was a plain statement that the Jews 
were more nearly correct in the principles of 
their religion than any other nation. Jesus also 
alluded to the faith of the Samaritans being amal-
gamated with the worship of graven images. 
True, they held that these idols were only to re-
mind them of the living God, the Ruler of the 
universe ; but, nevertheless, the people were led 
to reverence these inanimate figures. 
Jesus, who was the foundation of the old dis-
pensation, identified himself with the Jews, sanc-
tioning their views of God and his government. 
He opened great and important truths before this 
woman. He declared to her that the time had 
arrived when the true worshipers need not seek 
a holy mountain nor sacred temple, but were to 
worship the Father in spirit and in truth. Re-
ligion was not to be confined to external forms 
and ceremonies, but was to be throned in the 
heart, purifying the life and actuating to good 
works. 
The words of truth that fell from the lips of 
the divine Teacher stirred the heart of his listen- 
er. �
Never had she heard such sentiments, either 
from the priests of her own people or the Jews. 
The impressive teachings of this stranger carried 
her mind back to the prophecies concerning the 
promised Christ ; for the Samaritans as well as 
the Jews looked for his coming. " I know that 
Messias cometh," said she ; "when he is come, 
145 
he will tell us all things." Jesus answered, " I 
that speak unto thee am he." 
Blessed woman of Samaria ! She had felt dur-
ing the conference as if in the presence of divin-
ity ; now she gladly acknowledged her Lord. 
She required of him no miracle, as did the 
Jews, to prove his divine character. She accept-
ed his assertion, feeling perfect confidence in his 
words, and not questioning the holy influence 
that emanated from him. 
The disciples, returning from their errand, were 
surprised to find their Master conversing with a 
Samaritan woman ; yet they did not inquire her 
errand, nor ask Jesus why he talked with her. 
The woman left her water-pot, forgetting her er-
rand to the well, and went her way into the city, 
saying to all whom she met, and the men of the 
city, " Come, see a man who told me all things 
that ever I did. Is not this the Christ '? " 
This woman, though so sinful, was still in a 
more favorable condition to become an heir of 
Christ's kingdom than those of the Jews who 
made exalted professions of piety, yet trusted 
their salvation to the observance of outward 
forms and ceremonies. They felt that they 
needed no Saviour and no teacher. But this 
poor woman hungered and thirsted after right-
eousness. She was eager for instruction, waiting 
for the consolation of Israel, and ready to accept 
the Saviour when he was revealed. Jesus, who 
explained not his character to the proud and 
skeptical Pharisees and rulers, declared himself 
to this humble person who was ready to believe 
on him. 
As yet he had not taken the refreshing draught 
that he desired, nor tasted the food that his 
THE WOMAN OF SAMARIA. 
if 
! 1 I 
146 �
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
disciples had brought him. The salvation of per-
ishing souls so absorbed his attention that his 
physical wants were forgotten. But his follow-
ers anxiously entreated him to eat. Still contem-
plating the great object of his mission, he an-
swered them, " I have meat to eat that ye know 
not of." His disciples were surprised, and began 
to wonder among themselves who could have 
brought him food in their absence. But Jesus 
explained, " My meat is to do the will of Him 
that sent me, and to finish his work." 
It was not temporal food alone that sustained 
him in his arduous life ; but the accomplishment 
of the work which he left the royal courts of 
Heaven to perform, strengthened him for his la-
bors, and lifted him above the necessities of hu-
manity. To minister to a soul hungering and 
thirsting for the truth was more satisfying to the 
Son of Man than eating or drinking. He pitied 
sinners ; his heart went out in sympathy for the 
poor Samaritans, who felt their ignorance and 
wretchedness, and were eagerly looking for the 
advent of Messiah, who would enlighten them 
and teach them the true religion. 
The Jews felt secure in their self-righteous-
ness, they desired no enlightenment ; but they 
looked for a Saviour who would release them 
from the bondage of the Roman yoke, and exalt 
them above their oppressors. They could not 
receive one who reproved their sins and con-
demned their selfish, hypocritical lives. They 
looked for a Messiah who would reign with 
worldly power and glory, confound and defeat 
the Romans, and exalt the Jews to a nation of 
princes. 
Jesus saw a field of labor among the Samari- 
TUE WOMAN OF SAMARIA. �
147 
tans. Before him lay the fields of grain, their 
tender green lit by the golden sunlight. Viewing 
the beautiful scene, he employed it as a symbol, 
" Say not ye there are yet four months, and then 
cometh harvest ? Behold, I say unto you, Lift up 
your eyes, and look on the fields ; for they are 
white already to harvest." He here referred to 
the gospel field, to the work of Christianity 
among the poor, despised Samaritans. His hand 
reached out to gather them into the garner; they 
were ready for the harvest. 
The Saviour was above all prejudice of nation 
or people ; he was willing to extend the blessings 
and privileges of the Jews to all who would ac-
cept the light which he came to the world to 
bring. It caused him great joy to behold even 
one soul reaching out to him from the night of 
spiritual blindness. That which Jesus had with-
held from the Jews and enjoined upon his disci-
ples to keep secret, was distinctly opened before 
the inquiring woman of Samaria; for He who 
knew all things perceived that she would make 
a right use of her knowledge and be the means 
of leading others to the true faith. 
It was not merely the fact that Jesus told her 
concerning the secrets of her life which inspired 
the confidence of this woman in him, but it was 
also his look and his solemn words that reached 
her soul and convinced her that he was a superior 
being. At the same time she felt that he was her 
friend, pitying and loving her. This is the charac-
ter of the world's Redeemer; while he condemned 
her life of sin, he directed her to his divine grace 
as the sure and perfect remedy. The pitying love 
of the Saviour is not confined to sect or party. 
As the woman of Samaria hastened back to 
148 �
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
her friends, publishing as she went the wonder-
ful news, many left the highway and the town 
to go and ascertain if she indeed spoke the truth. 
Numbers of the citizens left their employments 
and hastened to Jacob's well to see and hear this 
remarkable man. They surrounded Jesus and 
listened attentively to his instruction. They 
plied him with questions, and eagerly received 
his explanation of matters that had perplexed 
their understandings. They were like a people 
in great darkness tracing up a sudden ray that 
had pierced their gloom and which they were 
eager to follow to its source, that they might 
bask in the light and warmth of day. 
The Samaritans were attracted and interested 
by the teachings of Jesus. But they were not 
satisfied with this short conference ; they were 
anxious to hear more and to have their fellow-
citizens also listen to this wonderful teacher. 
They begged him to tarry with them and in-
struct them. For two days he remained in Sa-
maria teaching the people. Many believed on 
him and accepted his words. Jesus was a Jew, 
yet he mingled freely with these Samaritans, set-
ting at naught the custom and bigotry of his na-
tion. He had already commenced to break down 
the partition wall between Jew and Gentile, and 
preach salvation to the world. 
These Samaritan listeners were in darkness 
and superstition; but they were not contented 
with their condition, and the words of Jesus re-
lieved them of many doubts and uncertainties 
that had harassed their minds. Many who had 
come from curiosity to see and hear this remark-
able person were convicted of the truth of his 
teachings, and acknowledged him as their Say- 
THE WOMAN OF SAMARIA. �
149 
iour. Eagerly they listened to the words he 
spoke in reference to the kingdom of God. In 
their new joy they said unto the woman, "Now 
we believe, not because of thy saying ; for we 
have heard him ourselves, and know that this is 
indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world." 
Christ, at the very beginning of his ministry, 
openly rebuked the superficial morality and os-
tentatious piety of the Jews. He did not con-
form his life and his work to their customs and 
regulations. He was not influenced by their un-
reasonable prejudices against the Gentiles. He, 
on the contrary, sternly rebuked their conceit 
and selfish seclusion. The Pharisees rejected 
Christ. They ignored his miracles and the truth-
ful simplicity of his character. They refused 
to recognize his pure and elevated spirituality 
and all evidences of his divinity. They scorn-
fully demanded of him a sign that they might 
know that he was indeed the Son of God. 
But the Samaritans asked no sign, and Jesus 
performed no miracles among them; yet they re- 
ceived his teachings, were convicted of their 
great need of a Saviour, and accepted him as 
their Redeemer. They were therefore in a much 
more favorable position before God than the Jew-
ish nation, with its pride and vanity, blind big-
otry, narrow prejudice, and bitter hatred of every 
other people on the earth. Jesus, in face of all 
these prejudices, accepted the hospitality of this 
despised people, slept under their roofs, ate with 
them at their tables—partaking of the food pre-
pared and served by their hands—taught in their 
streets, and treated them with the greatest kind-
ness and courtesy. 
In the temple at Jerusalem there was a parti- 
.1 
150 �
TUE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
tion wall separating the outer court from the in-
ner one. Gentiles were permitted to enter the 
outer court, but it was only lawful for the Jews 
to penetrate to the inner inclosure. Had a 
Samaritan passed this sacred boundary, the tem- 
ple would have been desecrated, and his life 
would have paid the penalty of its pollution. 
But Jesus, who was virtually the foundation and 
originator of the temple—the services and ceremo-
nies of which were but a type of his great sacrifice, 
pointing to him as the Son of God—encircled the 
Gentiles with his human arm of sympathy and 
association, while, with his divine arm of grace 
and power, he brought to them the salvation 
which the Jews refused to accept. 
Jesus had spent several months in Judea, giv-
ing the rulers of Israel a fair opportunity of prov-
ing his character as the Saviour of the world. 
He had performed many mighty works in their 
midst ; but he was still treated by them with 
suspicion and jealousy. In passing through Sa-
maria on his way to Galilee, his reception among 
the Samaritans, and the eagerness with which 
they listened to his teachings, were in marked 
contrast with the incredulity of the Jews, who 
had misinterpreted the prophecies of Daniel, 
Zechariah, and Ezekiel, confusing the first advent 
of Christ with his second majestic and glorious 
appearing. 
Their blindness was in consequence of their 
lofty pride and arrogance, looking only for world-
ly station and emolument. They urged their in-
terpretation of the prophecies upon the Samari-
tans, who believed that Messiah was to come not 
only as a Redeemer of the Jews, but of the world. 
This caused great ritterness toward them from 
THE CENTURION'S SON. �
151 
the Jews, who contended that Christ would come 
to exalt Israel and to bring into subjection all 
other nations. This perversion of the prophecies 
led the Samaritans to discard all the sacred writ-
ings but those of Moses. But their minds were 
open to enlightenment, and they received the 
Saviour's instruction joyfully and accepted him 
as the promised Messiah. 
CHAPTER XI. 
THE CENTURION'S SON. 
AFTER laboring two days with the Samaritans, 
Jesus left them to continue his journey to Gali-
lee. He made no tarry at Nazareth, where he 
had spent his youth and early manhood. His 
reception in the synagogue there, when he an-
nounced himself as the Anointed One, was so 
unfavorable that he decided to seek more fruit-
ful fields, to preach to ears that would listen, and 
to hearts that would receive his message. He 
declared to his disciples that a prophet hath no 
honor in his own country. This saying sets forth 
that natural reluctance which many people have 
to acknowledge any wonderfully admirable de-
velopment in one who has unostentatiously lived 
in their midst, and whom they have intimately 
known from childhood. At the same time, these 
same persons might become wildly excited over 
the pretensions of a stranger and an adventurer. 
The miracle that Jesus had performed in Cana 
prepared the way for his cordial reception. The 
people who had returned from the passover had 
152 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
brought back the report of his marvelous cleans-
ing of the desecrated temple, followed by his 
miracles of healing the sick and restoring sight 
to the blind and hearing to the deaf. The judg-
ment passed upon his acts by the dignitaries of 
the temple, opened his way at Galilee; for many 
of the people lamented the abuse of the temple 
and the lofty arrogance of the priests, and hoped 
that this man, who had the power to put these 
rulers to flight, might indeed be the looked-for 
Deliverer. 
The news that Jesus had returned from Judea 
to Cana soon spread throughout Galilee and the 
region round about. It reached the ears of a no-
bleman in Capernaum, who was a Jew of some 
honor. He was much interested in what he had 
heard of the power of Jesus to heal the sick, for 
he had a son suffering with disease. The father 
had consulted the most learned physicians among 
the Jews, and they had pronounced the case in-
curable, and told him- that his son must soon die. 
But when he heard that Jesus was in Galilee 
his heart was encouraged ; for he believed that 
one who could miraculously change water into 
wine, and drive out the desecrators of the temple, 
could raise his son to health even from the brink 
of the grave. Capernaum was quite a distance 
from Cana, and the centurion feared that, if he 
left his home to seek Jesus and present his plea 
to him, the child, who was very low, might die 
in his absence. Yet he dared not trust this er-
rand to a servant; for he hoped that the prayers 
of a fond parent might touch the heart of the 
great Physician with pity, and induce him to ac-
company the father to the bedside of his dying 
son. 
THE CENTURION'S SON. �
153 
He went to Cana, hastening for fear of being 
too late. Forcing a passage through the crowd 
that surrounded Jesus, he at length stood before 
him. But his faith faltered when he saw only a 
plainly dressed man, dusty and worn with travel. 
He doubted that this person could do what he 
had come to ask of him ; yet he determined to 
make a trial. He secured a hearing from Jesus, 
told him his errand, and besought the Saviour to 
accompany him to his home for the purpose of 
healing his son. But Jesus already knew of his 
sorrow. Even before the centurion had left his 
home, the pitying Redeemer had read the father's 
grief, and his great heart of love had gone out in 
sympathy for the suffering child. 
But he was also aware that the father had 
made conditions in his mind concerning his be-
lief in the Saviour. Unless his petition should 
be granted he would not have faith in him as the 
Messiah. While the father waited in an agony 
of suspense, Jesus addressed him, " Except ye see 
signs and wonders, ye will not beli(we." He here 
revealed the superficial faiuh of the centurion, 
that would lead him to accept or reject Christ 
according as he did or did not perform the work 
required of him. 
Jesus designed, not only to heal the child, but 
to illuminate the darkened mind of the father. 
He saw unbelief struggling with his faith. He 
knew that this man had sought his help as a last 
and only hope. In this centurion he saw repre- 
sented the condition of many of his nation. They 
were interested in Jesus from selfish motives ; 
they desired some special benefit that they hoped 
to receive through his power, but they were ig- 
Great Controversy, Vol. 2. �11 
154 �
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
norant as to their spiritual disease, and saw not 
their terrible need of divine grace, but staked 
their faith on the granting of some temporal fa-
vor. Jesus met this case as illustrating the posi-
tion of many of the Jewish people. He con-
trasted this questioning unbelief with the faith 
of the Samaritans, who were ready to receive him 
as a teacher sent by God, and to accept him as 
the promised Messiah without a sign or miracle 
to establish his divinity. 
The father's soul was stirred to its depths with 
the thought that his doubts might cost him the 
life of his son. The words of Jesus had the de-
sired effect ; the centurion saw that his motives 
in seeking the Saviour were purely selfish ; his 
vacillating faith appeared before him in its true 
light ; he realized that he was indeed in the pres-
ence of One who could read the hearts of men, and 
to whom all things were possible. This thought 
brings his suffering child to his mind with new 
vividness, and he cries out in an agony of sup-
plication, " Sir, come down ere my child die !" 
He fears that while he has been doubting and 
questioning, death may have closed the scene. 
This was enough. The father in his need seizes 
the merits of Jesus as his Saviour. In demand-
ing him to come down ere his child dies, he clings 
alone to the strength of Jesus as his only hope. 
His faith is as imperative as was that of Jacob, 
when, wrestling with the mighty angel, he cried, 
" I will not let thee go, except thou bless me 1" 
Jesus responds to the demands of the centu-
rion by commanding him, " Go thy way ; thy son 
liveth." These brief and simple words thrill 
through the heart of the father ; he feels the 
holy power of the speaker in every tone. In- 
THE CENTURION'S SON. �
155 
stead of going to Capernaum, Jesus, by a flash of 
divine telegraphy, sends the message of healing 
to the bedside of the suffering son. He dismisses 
the suppliant, who, with unspeakable gratitude, 
and peifect faith in the words of the Saviour, 
turns his steps homeward with a peace and joy 
he has never felt before. 
At the same hour the watchers stood around 
the dying child, in the distant home of the cen- 
turion. The form that had been so strong and 
symmetrical in its youthful grace, was now worn 
and emaciated. The hollow cheeks burned with 
a hectic fire. Suddenly the fever leaves him, in-
telligence beams from his eyes, his mind becomes 
clear, and health and strength return to his body. 
The fever has left him in the very heat of the day. 
The attendants behold the change with amaze-
ment; the family is summoned, and great is the 
rejoicing. No signs of his malady linger about 
the child, his burning flesh has become soft and 
moist, and he sinks into the peaceful slumber of 
childhood. 
Meanwhile the father hastens on his way with 
a hopeful heart. He went to Jesus with grief 
and trembling. He leaves him in joy and confi-
dence. He feels the solemn assurance that he 
has talked with One whose power is unlimited. 
No doubt crosses his mind that Jesus has really 
healed his son at Capernaum. While still some 
distance from home, his servants meet him with 
the glad tidings that his son has recovered. 
With a light heart he hurries on, and, as he ap-
proaches his house, is met by the child, bounding 
out to receive him, radiant in health and beauty. 
He clasps him to his heart as one restored from 
JESUS AT BETHF.SDA. �
157 
156 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
the dead, and thanks God again and again for 
this miraculous restoration. 
The centurion and all his household become 
disciples of Jesus. Thus their affliction was 
sanctified to the conversion of the entire family. 
They published this miracle through all Caper-
naum, and thus opened the way for Christ's fur-
ther labors there. Many of his most wonderful 
works were done at that place. 
This case of the centurion should be a lesson 
to all the followers of Christ. He would have 
them place implicit faith in him as their Re-
deemer, ready and willing to save all who come 
unto him. But he sometimes delays bestowing
his precious gifts, in order to impress our hearts 
with a sense of our deep need of that true piety 
which entitles us to ask of him what we will. 
We are to lay by the selfishness that is frequent-
ly the sole cause of seeking him, and, confessing 
our helplessness and bitter need, trust in his 
promises. He invites all to come unto him who 
are weary and heavy-laden, and he will give 
them rest. 
CHAPTER XII. 
JESUS AT BETHESDA. 
" AFTER this there was a feast of the Jews; and 
Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is at 
Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is 
called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having 
five porches. In these lay a great multitude of 
impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for 
the moving of the water. For an angel went 
down at a certain season into the pool, and 
troubled the water ; whosoever then first after 
the troubling of the water stepped in was made 
whole of whatsoever disease he had." 
Jesus did not hold himself aloof from the poor, 
the suffering, and sinful. His great heart of love 
went out in yearning tenderness for wretched 
objects who needed his help. He was acquainted 
with the sufferers who had learned to look for-
ward to the period when it was thought that the 
waters were agitated by a supernatural power. 
Many suffering from different maladies visited 
the pool ; but so great was the crowd at the ap-
pointed time, that they rushed forward, tramp-
ling under foot men, women, and children weaker 
than themselves. 
Hundreds were pressed back and could not 
get near the water. Many disappointed suffer-
ers, who had, by great pains and effort, succeeded 
in reaching the pool, died upon its brink without 
being able to make the first plunge into its 
depths. Shelters had been erected about the 
place that the sick might be protected from the 
scorchino•'' 
 rays of the sun and the chilliness of the 
night. Some wretched sufferers spent their 
nights in the porches, and would drag their dis-
eased bodies to the favored spot day after day in 
the vain hope of obtaining relief. 
, One man had been afflicted by an incurable dis-
ease for thirty-eight years, and he had repeatedly 
visited the pool. Those who pitied his helpless- 
ness would bear him to and fro at the time when 
the waters were supposed to be troubled. But 
those stronger than himself would rush in before 
him and seize the opportunity that he coveted. 
158 �TIIE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
Thus the poor, palsied sufferer waited by the 
pool day and night, hoping that the favored 
moment would at length come when he could 
plunge into the water and be healed. His per-
sistent efforts toward this object, and the doubt 
and anxiety of his mind, were fast wearing away 
the poor remnant of his strength. 
Jesus visited this retreat of misery, and his 
eye rested upon this helpless invalid. The poor 
creature was weak and despairing, but as the 
looked-for moment arrived, he gathered his feeble 
energies in a last effort to reach the water, but, 
just as he had almost gained his object, another 
stepped in before him. He crept back to his 
pallet to die. But a pitying face bends over him, 
saying, " Wilt thou be made whole ?" The de-
sponding man looked up, thinking it might be 
some one who had come to assist him into the 
pool ; but the faint glow of encouragement faded 
out of his heart when he remembered that it was 
too late, his opportunity for that time was gone, 
and, in his state of sickness and exposure, he could 
scarcely hope that he might live to see another. 
He turned away wearily, saying, " Sir, I have 
no man, when the water is troubled, to put me 
into the pool ; but while I am coming, another 
steppeth down before me." Poor man how 
could he hope to contend successfully with the 
selfish, scrambling crowd Jesus did not ask 
this wretched sufferer to exercise faith in him ; 
but with a voice of command said, " Rise, take up 
thy bed, and walk." A sudden vigor was com-
municated to the paralyzed cripple. His whole 
being was stirred with a healing power, new blood 
and strength leaped into every limb and mem-
ber. He bounded to his feet in obedience to the 
JESUS AT BETHESDA. �
159 
Saviour's command, and stooped to take up his 
bed, which was only a simple rug and blanket. 
As he straightened himself again, with a sense 
of delight at standing upon his feet after so many 
years of helpless infirmity, lie looked around for 
his deliverer, but he was nowhere to be seen. 
Jesus was lost in the crowd, and the restored par-
alytic feared that he would not know him again 
if he should see him. He was disappointed, for 
he longed to pour forth his gratitude to the stran-
ger. As he hurried on toward Jerusalem, with 
firm, free step, praising God as he went, and re-
joicing in his new-found strength, he met the 
Pharisees, and immediately related to them the 
wonderful cure he had experienced. He was 
surprised at the coolness with which they listened 
to his story. 
Presently they interrupted him by asking why 
he was carrying that bed on the Sabbath day. 
They sternly reminded him that it was not law-
ful for him to bear burdens upon the Lord's day. 
In his joy the man had forgotten that it was the 
Sabbath ; yet he felt no condemnation for obey-
ing the command of one who had power from 
God to perform so wonderful a miracle. He an-
swered boldly, " He that made me whole, the 
same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk." 
The Pharisees were not delighted at the cure 
which had been effected upon this poor invalid of 
thirty-eight years. They overlooked the object 
of the wondrous miracle, and, with their charac-
teristic bigotry, seized upon the act as a violation 
of the Sabbath law. 
They excused the restored man from blame, 
but appeared shocked at the guilt of him who 
had assumed the responsibility of ordering a man 
160 
161 
JESUS AT BETHESDA. 
to take up his bed upon the Sabbath day. They 
asked him who it was that had done this thing, 
but he could not enlighten them on that subject. 
These rulers knew very well that only one per-
son had shown himself able to do this deed ; but 
they wished to get direct proof that it was Jesus, 
for they then hoped to be able to condemn him 
as a Sabbath-breaker. They considered that be 
had not only broken the law in healing the sick 
man on the Sabbath, but had committed an act of 
sacrilege in bidding him take up his bed and 
bear it away. 
Jesus did not come into the world to lessen 
the dignity of the law, but to exalt it. The Jews 
had perverted it by their traditions and miscon- 
ceptions. They had made it a yoke of bondage. 
Their meaningless exactions and requirements 
had become a by-word among all other nations. 
Especially was the Sabbath hedged in by all 
manner of senseless restrictions which made that 
holy day almost unendurable. A Jew was not 
allowed to kindle a fire upon the Sabbath, nor 
even to light a candle on that day. The views of 
the people were so narrow that they had become 
slaves to their own useless regulations. As a con-
sequence, they were dependent upon the Gentiles 
to do many services which their rules forbade 
them to do for themselves. 
They did not reflect that if these necessary du-
ties of life were sins they were full as guilty in 
employing others to perform them as in doing 
them themselves. They thought salvation was 
restricted to the Jews, and the condition of all 
others, being entirely hopeless, could neither be 
improved nor made worse. But a just God has 
given no commandment which cannot be con- 
sistently kept by all. His laws sanction no 
meaningless usages nor clumsy restrictions. 
Soon after, Jesus met the man he had healed 
in the temple. He had come to bring a trespass-
offering, a sin-offering, and a thank-offering for 
the great mercy he had received. Jesus, finding 
him among the worshipers, made himself known 
to him. The great Physician addressed him with 
a timely warning, " Behold, thou art made whole ; 
sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee." 
He who had suffered for thirty-eight years, as 
the result, in part, of his own dissipation, was 
thus plainly warned to avoid the sins that had 
caused him such suffering. 
The healed man was overjoyed to behold his 
deliverer, and, ignorant of the malice which the 
Jews held against Jesus, informed the Pharisees, 
who had before questioned him, that this was he 
who had wrought the wondrous cure. The Jew-
ish dignitaries had only waited for proof that it 
was Jesus ; from the first they had been confi-
dent that it could be no other. Now, a great 
uproar ensued in the court of the temple ; for 
they sought to slay Jesus, but were prevented by 
the people, many of whom recognized in him a 
friend who had healed them from their infirmi-
ties and relieved their sorrows. 
A controversy now took place in regard to the 
true claims of the Sabbath law. Jesus had pur-
posely chosen the Sabbath day upon which to 
perform the miracle at the pool. He could have 
healed the sick man as well on any other day of 
the week ; also he might have simply cured him, 
and avoided arousing the indignation of the Jews, 
by bidding him take up his bed and depart. But 
a wise purpose underlay every act of Christ's 
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
,f-r:,. ! 
life on earth ; everything he did was important 
in itself and its teaching. He came to vindicate 
his Father's law and make it honorable. The 
Sabbath, instead of being the blessing it was de-
signed to be, had become a curse through the 
14110 
�
�
added requirements of the Jews. Jesus wished 
to rid it of these incumbrances and leave it stand-
ing upon its own holy dignity. 
Therefore he chose the Sabbath for this special 
work. He selected the worst case among the af-
flicted ones at the pool of Bethesda upon whom 
to exercise his miraculous healing power, and 
bade him carry his bed through the city in order 
to publish the great work that had been wrought 
upon him, to call the attention of the people to 
his case, to the circumstances attending his cure, 
and to Him by whom it had been accomplished. 
This would raise the question of what it was 
lawful to do. on the Sabbath day, and would 
give him an opportunity to denounce the nar-
row prejudice and restrictions of the Jews in re-
gard to the Lord's day, and declare their bigotry 
and traditions void. 
Jesus stated to them that the work of reliev-
ing the sufferings of the afflicted was in harmo-
ny with the Sabbath law, whether it was relative 
to the salvation of souls or the removal of phys-
ical pain. Such work was in harmony with that 
of God's angels, who were ever descending and 
ascending between Heaven and earth to minis-
ter to suffering humanity. Jesus answered their 
accusations by declaring, " My Father worketh 
hitherto, and I work.' All days are God's, in 
which to carry out his great plans for the hu-
man race. If the Jews' interpretation of the 
law was correct, then Jehovah was at fault, 
162 
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
JESUS AT BETHESDA. �
1 63 
whose work had upheld and quickened creation 
since first he laid the foundations of the earth, 
when the morning stars sang together, and all 
the sons of God shouted for joy. He who pro-
nounced his work good, and established the in-
stitution of the Sabbath to commemorate its 
completion, must put a period to his labor, and 
stop the never-ending routine of the universe. 
Should God forbid the sun to do its office up-
on the Sabbath, cut off its genial rays from warm-
ing the earth and nourishing vegetation ? Must 
the system of worlds stand still through that holy 
day ? Should he command the babbling brooks 
to stay their course from watering the fields and 
forests, and bid the advancing and receding waves 
to still their ceaseless ebbing and flowing ? Must 
the wheat and corn stop growing, and the ripen-
ing cluster defer its purple bloom for a single 
day ? Must the waving trees and the delicate 
flowers put forth no bud nor blossom on the Sab-
bath ? 
Surely in such a case man would miss the 
fruit of the earth and the blessings that make 
life desirable. Nature must continue her un-
varying course ; God must not stay his hand a 
single moment, or man would faint and die. 
And, in a like proportion, man has a labor to 
perform on this day. The necessities of life 
must be attended to, the sick must be cared 
for, the wants of the needy must be met. God 
does not hold him guiltless who stays his hand 
from relieving the suffering on the Sabbath day. 
The holy Sabbath was made for man, and acts 
of mercy and benevolence are always in order 
upon that day. God does not desire his crea- 
1!1 
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
tures to suffer an hour's pain that may be re-
lieved upon the Sabbath or any other day. 
Jesus sought to impress upon the narrow minds 
of the Jews a sense of the folly Of their view of the 
Sabbath. He showed them that God's work nev-
er ceases. It is even greater upon the Sabbath 
than upon ordinary occasions, for at that time 
his people leave their usual employments and 
spend the time in prayerful meditation and wor-
ship. They ask more favors of him upon the 
Sabbath than upon other days, they demand his 
special attention, they crave his choicest bless-
ings, they offer importunate prayers for special 
favors. God does not wait for the Sabbath to 
pass before he grants those requests, but he deals 
to the petitioners, with judicious wisdom, what-
ever is best for them to have. 
Heaven's work never ceases for a moment, 
and men should never rest from doing good. 
The Sabbath law forbids labor on the sanctified 
rest-day of the Lord. . The toil that gains a live-
lihood must cease ; no labor for worldly pleasure 
or profit is lawful upon the Lord's day ; but the 
work of Christ in healing the sick did honor to 
the holy Sabbath. Jesus claimed equal rights 
with God iii doing a work equally sacred and of 
the same character with that which engaged his 
Father in Heaven. But the Pharisees were still 
more incensed, because he had not only broken 
the law, according to their understanding, but 
added to this offense the heinous sin of declaring 
himself equal with ..God. Nothing but the in- 
terference of the people prevented the Jewish 
authorities from slaying him on the spot. " Then 
answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, ver-
ily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of 
JESUS AT BETHESDA. �
165 
himself, but what he seeth the Father do; for 
what things soever he doeth, these also doeth 
the Son likewise. For the Father loveth the 
Son, and sheweth him all things that himself 
doeth ; and he will show him greater works than 
these, that ye may marvel. For as the Father 
raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them ; even 
so the Son quickeneth whom he will." 
Here Jesus elevated himself to his• true station 
before the Jews, and declared himself to be the 
the Son of God. He then, in mild and dignified 
t' 
lanomage, instructed them regarding the Sabath. 
He told them that the rest-day which Jehovah 
had sanctified and set apart for a special purpose, 
after he had completed the work of creation, was 
not intended to be a period of useless inactivity. 
As God ceased his labor of creating, and rested 
upon that day and blessed it, so man was to leave 
the occupation of his daily life, and devote those 
sacred hours to healthful rest, to worship, and to 
holy deeds. 
The rulers of the people could not answer these 
elevated truths that were brought home to their 
consciences. They had no arguments with which 
to meet them ; they could only cite their customs 
and traditions, and these seemed weak and vapid 
compared with the strong arguments that Jesus 
had drawn from the work of God and the un-
ceasing round of nature. Had they felt any de-
sire to receive light, their hearts would have 
been convinced that Jesus spoke the truth. But 
they evaded the points he made concerning the 
Sabbath, and sought to stir up anger against him 
because he had made himself equal with God. 
The fury of the rulers knew no bounds, and it 
166 
JESUS AT BETHESDA. 
167 
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
was with difficulty that they were prevented 
from seizing upon Jesus to put him to death. 
But the people were not excited to violence, 
and put the rulers to shame by the candor with 
which they listened to the words of Jesus. They 
justified him in healing the poor sufferer who 
had been afflicted for thirty-eight years. So the 
priests and elders were obliged to restrain their 
hatred for the time, and wait for a more favora-
ble opportunity to carry out their evil designs. 
Jesus declared that he could do nothing of 
himself " but what he seeth the Father do." His 
relationship with God forbade him from working 
independent of him, and he could do nothing 
against his will. What a rebuke were these 
words to men, and especially to those who were 
calling the Son of God to task for the very work 
that he .was sent upon earth to do. They had 
separated themselves from God by wicked acts, 
and, in their pride and vanity, were moving inde-
pendent of him, feeling sufficient in themselves 
for all things, and realizing no need of a higher 
wisdom than their own, to aid them in the direc-
tion of their acts. 
Few realize the full force of Christ's words in 
regard to his connection with the Father. They 
teach man that he should consider himself insep-
erably bound to his Heavenly Parent, that, what-
ever position he may occupy, he is responsible 
to God, who holds all destinies in his hands. lie 
has appointed - man to do his work, he has en-
dowed him with faculties and means for that 
purpose, and so long as man is faithful to his high 
stewardship, he may feel warranted in claiming 
the blessings and promises of his Master. But 
if, when raised to a position of sacred trust, he 
becomes exalted in his own estimation,—depend-
ing upon his own wisdom and power, taking af-
fairs into his own hands, and separatinger himself 
from Him whom he professes to serve,—God will 
call him to an account for his unauthorized acts ; 
he has not worked in unison with his Commander. 
Jesus now stood before the Jews in his true 
character. He declared that whatsoever things the 
Father did, those did also the Son in like manner, 
by the exercise of a like power, and with like re-
sults. He also promised those who heard him that 
they should witness greater acts than he had yet 
performed in healing the sick, the lame, and the 
blind. The Sadducees were in opposition to the 
Pharisees regarding the resurrection of the dead. 
The former claimed that there would be no res-
urrection of the body. But Jesus tells them that 
one of the greatest works of his Father is raising 
up the dead, and even so the Son of God has 
power in himself to raise from the dead. " Mar-
vel not," said he, " at this ; for the hour is com- 
ing, in the which a.11 that are in the graves shall 
hear his voice, and shall come forth ; they that 
have done good, unto the resurrection of life ; 
and they that have done evil, unto the resurrec-
tion of damnation." 
The humble Nazarene asserts his real nobility. 
He rises above humanity, throws off the guise of 
sin and shame, and stands revealed, the Honored 
of the angels, the Son of God, equal with the 
Creator of the universe. The rulers of the Jews, 
and the listening multitude are spell-bound be-
fore his mighty truths, and the lofty dignity of 
his bearing. No man had ever spoken words 
like these, nor borne himself with such a kingly 
majesty. His utterances were clear and plain, 
168 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
JESUS AT BETHESDA. �
169 
fully declaring his mission and the duty of the 
world. " For the Father judgeth no man, but 
bath committed all judgment unto the Son, 
that all men should honor the Son, even as they 
honor the Father. He that honoreth not the 
Son honoreth not the Father who hath sent him. 
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth 
my word, and believeth on Him that sent me, 
bath everlasting life, and shall not come into con-
demnation; but is passed from death unto life. 
Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is com-
ing, and now is, when the dead shall hear the 
voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall 
live. For as the Father hath life in himself, so 
bath he given to the Son to have life in himself; 
and hath given him authority to execute judg-
ment also, because he is the Son of man." 
Here Jesus throws back upon the rulers their 
accusations against him, and their attempts to pre-
scribe his work, and to judge, by their narrow big-
otry, his acts of mercy and benevolence. He de-
clared himself their Judge, and the Judge of all 
the world. When he came to earth as the Re-
deemer, it was given into his hands, and all men 
are responsible unto him. He took the burden 
of humanity that he might save men from the 
consequences of their sins. He is in one their - 
Advocate and Judge. Having tasted the 'very 
dregs of human affliction and temptation, he 
is qualified to understand the frailties and sins 
of men, and to pronounce judgment upon them. 
Therefore, the Father has given this work into 
the hands of his Son, knowing that He who vic-
toriously withstood the temptations of Satan, 
in behalf of man, will be all-wise, just, and gra-
cious in his dealing with him. 
The words of Jesus were more impressive be-
cause the controversy had risen very high. He 
was virtually summoned before the dignitaries of 
the Jews to be tried for his life. He, the Lord of 
the Sabbath, was arraigned before an earthly tri-
bunal, to answer to the charge of breaking the 
Sabbath law. When he so boldly made known 
his mission and work, his judges looked upon 
him with mingled astonishment and rage, but his 
words were unanswerable and they could not 
condemn him. 
He denied the right of the Pharisees to ques-
tion him or to interfere with his business. The 
Jewish system invested them with no such au-
thority ; their claims were based upon their own 
pride and arrogance. He refused to plead guilty 
to any wrong or submit to being catechised by 
them. 
After presenting before them these grand truths 
concerning his work in connection with the Fa-
ther, he binds his assertions with the testimonies 
that have been borne of him : " I can of mine 
own self do nothing ; as I hear, I judge ; and my 
judgment is just; because I seek not mine own 
will, but the will of the Father which hath sent 
me. If I bear witness of myself, my witness is 
not true. There is another that beareth witness 
of me ; and I know that the witness which he 
witnesseth of me is true. Ye sent unto John, 
and he bare witness unto the truth. But I re-
ceive not testimony from man ; but these things 
I say, that ye might be saved. He was a burn-
ing and a shining light ; and ye were willing for 
a season to rejoice in his light." From his sub-
lime height he reads the secrets of their hearts 
Great Controversy, Vol. 2. �12 
"---1-79""11111...1111.11.1.11111111
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1Trirrp ITTIrr �
 
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170 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
and reminds them that for a time they had ac-
cepted John as a prophet of God and rejoiced in 
the message that he brought them. He affirms 
that the mission of John was solely to prepare 
the way of himself; whom the prophet testified 
was the Christ, the Redeemer of the world. 
But no man could witness concerning the mys-
terious connection of Jesus with the Father ; hu-
man knowledge cannot reach the courts of Heav-
en. Jesus assures them that he does not refer 
to the testimony of John in order to sustain his 
claims, but only that his persecutors may be con-
vinced of their blindness and inconsistency in de-
fiantly opposing him whom John had stated was 
the Son of God. They were not in ignorance 
regarding the evidence of John, for they had sent 
a deputy to him who had brought back his state-
ment of the baptism of Jesus and the wonderful 
manifestations of God at that time. 
Jesus speaks of John that they may see how, 
in rejecting himself; they also reject the prophet 
whom they had received with joy. He further 
declares : " But I have greater witness than that 
of John ; for the works which the Father hath 
given me to finish, the same works that I do, 
bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent 
me." Had not the heavens opened and light from 
the throne of God encircled him with glory, while 
the voice of Jehovah proclaimed, " This is my 
beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased"? Be-
sides all this, his own works declared his divinity. 
He who had been arraigned as a Sabbath-breaker 
stood before his accusers clothed with divine 
grace, and uttering words that pierced them like 
arrows of truth. Instead of apologizing for the 
act of which they complained, or explaining his 
JESUS AT BETHESDA. �
171 
purpose in doing it, he turns upon the rulers, and 
the accused becomes the accuser. 
He rebukes them for the hardness of their 
hearts, for the blind ignoranCe with which they 
read the Scriptures, while they boasted of their 
superiority over every other people. They who 
assume to be teachers of the Scriptures and ex- 
pounders of the law are themselves basely igno- 
rant of its claims. He denounces their worldli-
ness, their love of praise and power, their avarice 
and want of compassion. He charges them with 
disbelieving the Scriptures which they profess to 
revere, carrying out its forms and ceremonies 
while ignoring the great principles of truth that 
are the foundation of the law. He declares that 
they have rejected the word of God, inasmuch 
as they have rejected him whom God has sent. 
He commands them to " search the Scriptures ; 
for in them ye think ye have eternal life ; and 
they are they which testify of me." 
The truth spoken by Jesus collided with their 
prejudices and customs, and they cast it from 
them, hardening their hearts against it. They re- 
fused to listen to the teachings of Christ, because 
those teachings directly condemned their cher-
ished sins. Had the Son of Man come flatter- 
ing their pride and justifying their iniquity, they 
would have hastened to do him honor. Said Je- 
sus, " I am come in my Father's name, and ye re- 
ceive me not; if another shall come in his own 
name, him ye will receive." Pretenders, who 
could present no evidence of divine authority, 
might arise, who by prophesying smooth things, 
and gratifying the vanity of the rich and unsanc-
tified, might secure their firm allegiance. These 
ct 
172 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
false prophets would lead their followers to eter-
nal ruin. 
Jesus declared that there was no necessity for 
him to accuse them to the Father, for Moses, 
whom they professed to believe, had already ac-
cused them. " For," said he, " had ye believed 
Moses, ye would have believed me ; for he wrote 
of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how 
shall ye believe my words ? " Jesus knew that 
the Jews were determined to take his life, yet in 
this discourse he fully explained to them his 
Sonship, the relation he bore to the Father and 
his equality with him. This left them without 
an excuse for their blind opposition and insane 
rage against the Saviour. But, though baffled in 
their designs, and overawed by his divine elo-
quence and truth, the murderous hatred of the 
priests and elders was not quenched. Fear seized 
them, for they could not close their understand-
ing to the convincing power which attended the 
ministry of Christ. - But they were so bound by 
the chains of pride and arrogance that they re-
jected the evidence of his divine power, resisted 
his appeals, and locked themselves in darkness. 
They had signally failed to subvert the au-
thority of Jesus, or to turn from him the respect 
and attention of the people, many of whom were 
powerfully affected, and deeply convicted, by his 
impressive discourse. His mighty works had 
first arrested their notice and aroused their won-
der, and when his searching words disclosed his 
true character, they were ready to acknowledge 
his divine authority. On the other hand, his 
words had thrilled the hearts of the rulers with 
condemnation for their course. He had pressed 
their guilt home upon their consciences, yet this 
JESUS AT CAPERNAUM. �
173 
only made them more bitter against him, and 
they were fully determined to take his life. 
They sent messengers all over the country to 
warn the people against Jesus, whom they de-
nounced as an impostor. Spies were sent to 
watch him and report what he said and did. The 
precious Saviour was now most surely standing 
under the shadow of the cross. 
CHAPTER XIII. 
JESUS AT CAPERNAUM. 
AFTER the work of healing that Jesus had 
performed upon the Sabbath at the Pool of Be-
thesda, the malice of the leading Jews was so kin-
dled against him that they plotted against his life, 
and it was no longer safe for him to remain in 
Jerusalem. Therefore he repaired to Galilee, mak-
ing Capernaum the scene of his labors. At this 
place he taught ; and upon the Sabbaths, multi-
tudes gathered to listen to his doctrine. Here 
his way seemed to be unobstructed, although 
spies were upon his track, watching for some-
thing whereof they might accuse him. 
The hearts of the common people were open to 
receive his divine instruction. His heart was 
overflowing with sympathy for suffering human-
ity, and it was with joy that he saw men respond 
to his teachings of love and benevolence. His 
hearers were charmed with the eloquent simplic-
ity with which he preached the truth. His illus-
trations were drawn from scenes transpiring in 
174 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
their every-day lives. He adapted his language 
to all classes and conditions of men. 
Jesus did not go to Capernaum to avoid soci-
ety nor to find rest from his labors. Capernaum 
was a great thoroughfare of travel ; people from 
many countries passed through the city, or tar-
ried there for rest in their journeyings to and 
fro. Here the great Teacher could meet all nations 
and all ranks. He could give lessons that would 
not only be received by those present, but would 
be carried to other countries and into many 
households. Investigations of the prophecies 
would thus be excited, notice would be directed 
to the Saviour, and his work and mission would 
be brought before the world. 
Here hehad a better opportunity than else-
where of meeting the representatives of all class-
es, as they mingled together, every one intent upon 
his own errand. The rich who were courted for 
their wealth could here be reached by his minis-
trations, as well as the poor and needy. Christ 
presented himself to the people as the Saviour 
of the world. As soon as it was known that he 
was in Capernaum, multitudes crowded to hear 
his words of heavenly wisdom. Jesus had tak-
en his disciples up into a mountain for a little 
season of retirement, but when he saw the peo-
ple flockinc,6 to him he had not the heart to turn 
them away. 
The feast of the Jews was near, and many had 
come in from the region about Jerusalem, seek-
ing Jesus, of whose wonderful miracles they had 
heard. The sick and the afflicted were brought 
to him, and he healed their maladies. As he wit-
nessed the joy of those whom he had relieved, his 
own heart of love rejoiced with those, who had re- 
JESUS AT CAPERNAUM. �
175 
ceived his blessing. He made many families hap-
py by restoring their suffering ones to health. 
He caused light to dawn upon households that 
had been plunged into the shadows of affliction. 
The sorrowing were comforted, the ignorant in-
structed, and hope was wakened in the hearts 
of the despairing. 
The people received the message that he brought 
them, and believed his words. None were more 
willing to accept the truth than the poor and 
humble, who were not separated from their Sav-
iour by vanity and pride, the treasures of this 
world, or the praise of men. They found in him 
a consolation for all their toil and privations. 
He turned none away. He was touched with 
tender pity for the distress of those who sought 
his aid, and they left his presence, bearing evi-
dence in their own persons of his healing and 
life-giving power. The hearts of the people 
went out in reverential love for their Benefac-
tor, and he was a partaker of their joy. His la-
bors while in Capernaum resulted in great good, 
and many were led to believe on him. His acts 
of matchless mercy won the hearts of the multi-
tudes. 
The scribes and Pharisees were confounded ; 
their purposes in regard to Jesus were defeated. 
They had listened to his teachings in order to 
catch him in his words, and turn the minds of 
the people from him to themselves. They knew 
that since the ministry of Jesus had commenced, 
their own influence over the people had greatly-
decreased. The sympathetic hearts of the mul-
titude accepted lessons of love and kindly benev-
olence in preference to the cold forms and rigid 
ceremonies exacted by the priests. 
176 �
TIIE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
Although the Pharisees were astonished by the 
miracles that Jesus wrought, they were all the 
more anxious to remove one, who, by his great 
power, was most dangerous to their claims and 
pretensions. 
Bodily diseases, however aggravated and ap-
parently hopeless, were met and baffled by his 
divine power; but the disease of the soul, fast-
ened in unbelief and blind prejudice, took firmer 
hold upon those who closed their eyes against 
the light. The most powerful evidence that 
could be produced only strengthened their op-
position. Leprosy and palsy were not so terrible 
as bigotry and unbelief. Jesus turned from the 
teachers of Israel, and their chains of darkness 
and skepticism tightened about them. 
The inhabitants of Capernaum had been great-
ly astonished by the sudden and effectual cure 
of the ruler's son at a word from Jesus, when he 
was more than twenty miles distant from the suf-
ferer. They were rejoiced to learn that he who 
possessed such miraculous power was in their 
own city. On the Sabbath day, the synagogue 
where he spoke was packed with people, and 
yet many who desired to enter were unable to 
do so. As usual, a great number came through 
curiosity, but there were many who earnestly de-
sired to learn regarding the gospel of the kingdom 
of God. 
All who heard him were astonished, " for he 
taught them as one having authority, and not 
as the scribes." His words were a demonstra-
tion of the Spirit of God, and they struck home 
to the souls of men with divine power. The 
teaching of the scribes and elders was cold and 
formal, like a lesson learned by rote, They ex- 
JESUS AT CAPERNAUM. �
177 
plained the law as a matter of custom, but no 
authority from God sanctified their utterances, 
no holy inspiration stirred their own hearts and 
those of their hearers. 
Jesus had nothing to do with the various sub-
jects of dissension among the Jews. His words 
were so simple that a child could understand 
them, yet lofty enough in their grand simplicity 
to charm the highest mind with their noble truths. 
He spoke of a new kingdom which he came to 
set up among them, in opposition to the kingdom 
of this world, and of his power to wrest from 
Satan his dominion, and deliver the captives 
bound by his power. 
There was a man in the synagogue who was 
possessed of the spirit of Satan. He broke in 
upon the discourse of Jesus with a piercing shriek, 
that chilled the blood of the hearers with a name-
less terror. " Let us alone !" he cried. " What 
have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth ? 
Art thou come to destroy us ? I know thee, 
who thou art, the Holy One of God !" 
Devils even believed and trembled, but the Is-
rael of God had closed their eyes and ears to di-
vine evidences, and knew not the time of their 
visitation. Satan's object in leading his wretched 
victim to the synagogue, was to distract the atten-
tion of the people from Jesus to the paroxysms 
of the poor sufferer and prevent the words of 
truth from reaching the hearts of the people. 
But the darkened understanding of the man com-
prehended that the teachings of Jesus were from 
Heaven. The power of divinity aroused the 
terror of the demon which controlled his mind, 
and a conflict ensued between it and his remnant 
of reason. 
JESUS AT CAPERNAUM. �
179 
178 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
As the victim realized that the Healer was 
near to release him, his heart was aroused to 
long for freedom from Satan's power. The demon 
resisted this power and held control over the poor 
wretch who was wrestling against him. The suf-
ferer tried to appeal to Jesus for help, but when 
he opened his lips, the demon put words in his 
mouth so that he shrieked out in an agony of 
fear, "Let us alone ! what have we to do with 
thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth ?" The darkened rea-
son of the poor man partially comprehended that 
he was in the presence of one who could free him 
from the bondage that had so long enslaved him ; 
but when he sought to come within reach of that 
mighty hand, another's will held him back, an-
other's words found utterance through him. 
By his own sinful course, this man had placed 
himself on the enemy's ground, and Satan had 
taken possession of all his faculties, so that when 
the gloom of his understanding was pierced by 
feeble rays of light from the Saviour's presence, 
the conflict between his desire for freedom and 
the devil's power threw him into terrible contor-
tions, and drew from him unearthly cries. The 
demon exerted all his hellish power to retain the 
control of his victim. To lose ground here would 
.be to give Jesus a victory. He who had, in his 
own person, conquered the prince of the power 
of darkness in the wilderness of temptation, was 
now again brought face to face with his enemy. 
It seemed that the tortured man must lose his 
life in the terrible struggle with the demon that 
had been the ruin of his manhood. Only one 
power could break this cruel tyranny. Jesus 
spoke with a voice of authority and set the cap-
tive free. The demoniac spirit made a last effort 
to rend the life from his victim before he was 
forced to depart. Then the man who had been 
possessed stood before the wondering people hap-
py in the freedom of self-possession. In the syn-
agogue on the Sabbath day, before the assembled 
congregation, the prince of darkness was again 
met and conquered. And even the demon had 
testified to the divine power of the Saviour, cry-
ing, " Thou Jesus of Nazareth ! Art thou come 
to destroy us ? I know thee, who thou art, the 
Holy One of God !" 
The man whose reason was thus suddenly re-
stored praised God for his deliverance. The eye 
that had so lately glared with the fire of insanity, 
now beamed with intelligence and overflowed 
with grateful tears. The people were dumb with 
amazement. As soon as they recovered speech 
they marveled one with another, saying, " What 
a word is this ! for with authority and power 
he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they 
come out !" 
It was not according to the will of God that 
this man should be visited with so terrible an 
affliction as to be delivered wholly into the 
hands of Satan. The secret source of his calam-
ity, which had made him a fearful spectacle to 
his friends and a burden to himself, was in his 
own life. The pleasures of sin had fascinated 
him, the path of dissipation had looked bright 
and tempting, he had thought to make life a 
grand carnival. He did not dream of becoming 
a disgust and terror to the world and the re- 
proach of his family. He thought his time could 
be spent in innocent folly ; but once on the 
downward path, his feet rapidly descended till 
he had broken the laws of health and morality. 
181 
JESUS AT CAPERNAUM. 
Intemperance and frivolity chained his senses, 
the fine qualities of his mind were perverted, 
and Satan stepped in and took absolute control 
of him. 
Remorse came too late, and though he would 
then have sacrificed wealth and pleasure to re-
gain his lost manhood, he had become help-
less in the hands of the evil one. Satan had 
allured that young man with many charming 
presentations ; he had cloaked vice with a flow-
ery mantle that the victim might clasp it to his 
breast; but when his object was once accom-
plished and the wretched man was in his power, 
the fiend had become relentless in his cruelty, 
and terrible in his fierce and angry visitations. 
So it is ever with those who succumb to evil ; the 
fascinating pleasure of their early career ends in 
the darkness of despair, or the madness of a lost 
and ruined soul. 
But he who conquered the arch-enemy in the 
wilderness, wrested this writhing captive from 
the grasp of Satan. Jesus well knew that al-
though assuming another form, this demon was 
the same evil spirit that had tempted him in the 
wilderness. Satan seeks by various devices to 
gain his object. The same spirit that saw and 
recognized the Saviour, and cried out to him, 
" Let us alone ! What have we to do with thee ?" 
possessed the wicked Jews who rejected Christ 
and scorned his teachings. But with them he 
assumed an air of piety and learning, seeking to 
deceive them as to their real motives in refusing 
the Saviour. 
Jesus then retired from the synagogue while 
the people were still spell-bound with wonder and 
admiration. This miracle was then followed by 
another quite as wonderful. Jesus sought the 
house of Peter for a little rest ; but there was no 
rest for the Son of Man. He was told that the 
mother of Peter's wife was sick with a fever. His 
sympathetic heart was at once called out to re-
lieve the suflering woman. He rebuked the 
disease, and it was at once removed from her. 
She rose from the bed, filled with joy and grati-
tude, and ministered with willing hands to the 
wants of the Master and his disciples. 
These miracles and works of healing were 
spread abroad throughout the city. Yet these 
acts of mercy only made the bitterness of the 
Pharisees more intense. They closely watched 
all the movements of Jesus, seeking for cause to 
accuse him. Their influence prevented many from 
applying to Jesus for relief from their infirmities 
upon the Sabbath day. They feared being stigma-
tized as transgressors of the law. But no sooner 
had the sun passed out of sight in the west than 
a great commotion ensued. The diseased flocked 
to Jesus from every quarter. Those who had suf-
ficient strength came by themselves, but a much 
larger number were borne by their friends to the 
great Physician. 
They were in every condition of helplessness 
and approaching death. Some were burning 
with fevers, others were paralyzed, stricken with 
dropsy, blind, deaf, and lame. And in the dis-
tance was heard the pitiful cry of the leper, Un-
clean Unclean ! as he stretched his decaying 
hands toward the Healer. The work of Jesus 
commenced when the first afflicted one was 
brought before him. The supplicants were 
healed by a word from his lips or a touch of his 
hand. With gratitude and rejoicing they re- 
180 �
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
182 �
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
turned to gladden with their enlightened minds 
and healthy bodies the homes that they had so 
recently left as helpless invalids. 
Those who had carefully borne them from their 
couches to the presence of Jesus returned with 
them, weeping tears of joy, and shouting the 
praises of the Saviour. Little children were not 
overlooked, but the puny sufferers were handed 
back to their happy mothers rosy with life and 
health. These living evidences of the divine 
power of Jesus created a great excitement in all 
that region. Never before had Capernaum wit-
nessed a day like this. The air was filled with 
the voice of triumph and shouts of deliverance. 
The heart of the blessed Saviour, who had 
worked so great cures, was joyful in the joy he 
had awakened in the hearts of suffering human-
ity. He had healed every one who had applied 
to him for help. His great love for man was 
stirred to its very depths as he witnessed the 
suffering of those who had come to him, and he 
rejoiced in his power to restore them to health 
and happiness. 
CHAPTER XIV. 
CHOOSING THE DISCIPLES. 
THE disciples had not yet fully joined them-
selves to Jesus to be co-laborers with him. They 
had witnessed many of his miracles, and their 
minds had been enlightened by the discourses 
they had heard from his lips ; but they had not 
entirely left their employment as fishermen. 
CHOOSING THE DISCIPLES. �
183 
Their hearts were filled with grief by the death 
of John, and they were troubled with conflicting 
thoughts. If the life of John had been permitted 
to end so ingloriously, what would be the fate 
of their Master, when the scribes and Pharisees 
were so bitter against him ? Amid their doubt 
and fear, it was a relief for them to return once 
more to their fishing, and, for a brief space, find 
in their old employment a diversion from their 
anxiety. 
Jesus frequently dismissed them to visit their 
homes and rest ; but he gently though firmly re- 
sisted all their entreaties that he should himself 
rest. At night he found the seasons of prayer for 
which he could not claim time during the day. 
While the world he had come to save was wrapped 
in slumber, the Redeemer, in the 'sanctuary of 
the mountains, would intercede for man with 
the Father. Often he spent entire nights in 
prayer and meditation, going back in the morn-
ing to his active work. 
It was morning on the Lake of Galilee, and 
the fishermen were in their boats, weary with 
a long night of fruitless toil. But, with the 
dawn, Simon discovered the form of Jesus walk-
ing upon the beach. He directed the attention 
of his disciples to their beloved Teacher, and they 
all pulled for the shore. It seemed impossible 
for the Saviour to obtain any retirement. Already 
the crowd had gathered thickly about him as he 
walked on the shore. The sick and afflicted were 
brought for him to relieve. At length the peo-
ple had pressed so closely about him that they 
scarcely left him comfortable standing-room. It 
was just at this time that the fishermen were 
nearing the shore. Jesus requested Peter to take 
CHOOSING THE DISCIPLES. �
185 
184 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
him in his boat, and, immediately, upon enter-
ing it, directed the disciple to pull out a little 
from the land. Then, being removed a short 
distance from the people, he was in a better posi-
tion to be seen and heard by them, and from 
the boat upon the lake he preached in regard to 
the mysteries of the kingdom of God. His lan-
guage was simple and earnest, appealing to the 
minds of the people with convincing power. 
The discourse ended, Jesus turned to Peter and 
bade him launch out into the deep, and let down 
his net for a draught. But Peter was thoroughly 
disheartened ; not only was he sorrowful because 
of the death of John the Baptist, and his mind 
tortured with unbelief in consequence of that 
event, but he was discouraged in regard to his 
temporal prospects. He had been unsuccessful 
in his fishing, and the past night had been spent 
in unavailing labor. It was therefore in a de-
sponding tone that he replied to the command of 
Jesus : " Master, we have toiled all night, and have 
taken nothing; nevertheless, at thy word I will let 
down the net." 
He called his brother to his aid, and together 
they let down the net into the deep water, as 
Jesus had directed. When they came to draw 
in the net they were unable to do so because of 
the great quantity of fish it contained, and they 
were obliged to summon James and John to their 
aid before they could draw in the net and unload 
it. When this was done the boat was so heavily 
laden that there was danger of its sinking. 
Peter had seen Jesus perform wonderful mira-
cles, but none made so strong an impression up-
on his mind as this miraculous draught of fish, 
after a night of disappointment. The unbelief 
and discouragement that had been oppressing 
the:disciples through the long, weary night, now 
gave way to awe and amazement. Peter was 
thrilled with a sense of the divine power of his 
Master. He felt ashamed of his sinful unbelief. 
He knew that he was in the presence of the Son 
of God, and felt unworthy to be in such compan-
ionship. He impulsively flung himself at the 
feet of Jesus, crying, " Depart from me ; for I am 
a sinful man, 0 Lord !" But even as he spoke, 
he was clinging to the feet of Jesus, and would 
not have been willing for the Saviour to take 
him at his word, even if he had attempted to 
do so. 
But Jesus understood the conflicting emotions 
of the impetuous disciple, and said to him, " Fear 
not ; from henceforth thou shalt catch men." 
Similar words were afterward addressed to the 
three other fishermen, when they were all upon 
the shore. As they were busily employed in 
mending their nets, which had been broken by 
the great weight of the fish they had taken, Je-
sus said to them, " Follow me, and I will make 
you fishers of men." Immediately after this they 
left their nets and boats and followed the Sav-
iour. These humble fishermen recognized the 
divine authority of Jesus, and forthwith gave up 
their regular occupation and left their worldly 
possessions in obedience to the command of their 
Lord. 
These four disciples were more closely associ-
ated with Jesus in his earthly life than any of 
the others. Christ, the light of the world, was 
abundantly able to qualify these unlearned fish-
ermen of Galilee for the high commission he had 
Great Controversy, Vol. 2. �13 
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
186 
CHOOSING THE DISCIPLES. 
187 
chosen for them. The words spoken to thesd 
lowly men were of mighty signification ; they 
were to influence the world through all time. 
It seemed a simple thing for Jesus to call those 
poor, discouraged men to follow him ; but it was 
an event productive of tremendous results ; it 
was to shake the world. The quickening power 
of God, enlightening the minds of those illiterate 
fishermen, was to enable them to spread the doc-
trines of Christ far and wide, and others were to 
take up the task, until it would reach all lands, 
and be taught in all ages, winning many to sal-
vation. Thus would the poor fishermen of Gali-
lee be, indeed, " fishers of men." 
Jesus did not oppose education. The highest 
culture, if sanctified by the love and fear of God, 
receives his approbation. An objection is some-
times brought against education because Jesus 
chose ignorant fishermen for his disciples. But 
these men were subject to his refining influence 
for three years, and the Saviour was the most 
perfect educator the world has ever known. The 
Prince of Life did not choose the learned lawyers, 
the scribes and elders, for his disciples, because 
they would not follow him. Therefore he chose 
the humble peasants for his helpers. The rich 
and educated among the Jews were exalted by 
their own worldly wisdom and self-righteousness, 
and felt all-sufficient in themselves, realizing no 
special need of a Redeemer. Their characters 
were fixed, and they ' would not receive the 
teachings of Christ. But the humble fishermen 
were rejoiced to be connected with the Saviour, 
and become co-laborers with him. 
As Jesus passed on his way to Jerusalem, he 
saw Matthew engaged in his business of tax- 
gathering. He was a Jew, but when he became 
a publican his brethren despised him. The Jew-
ish people were continually irritated on account 
of the Roman yoke. That a despised and hea-
then nation should collect tribute of them was a 
constant reminder that their power and glory as 
an independent nation had departed. Their in-
dignation knew no bounds when one of their own 
people so far forgot the honor of his exalted race 
as to accept the office of tax-gatherer. 
Those who thus assisted to sustain the Roman 
authority were considered apostate. The Jews 
regarded it as degrading to associate in any way 
with a publican. They considered the office iden-
tical with oppression and extortion. But the 
mind of Jesus was not molded after the preju-
dices of the Pharisees. He looked below the sur-
face and read the heart. His divine eye saw in 
Matthew one whom he could use for the establish-
ment of his church. This man had listened to 
the teachings of Christ, and had been attracted 
to him. His heart was full of reverence for the 
Saviour, but the thought had never entered the 
mind of Matthew that this great Teacher would 
condescend to notice him, much less choose him 
as a disciple. Therefore his astonishment was 
great when Jesus addressed him with the words, 
"Follow me." 
Without a doubtful murmur, or question as 
to his consequent pecuniary loss, Matthew rose 
up and followed his Master, and united his inter-
est with the few disciples of Jesus. The despised 
publican felt that the Saviour had bestowed upon 
him an honor which he did not deserve. He 
gave no thought to the lucrative business he had 
exchanged for poverty and fatigue. It was 
188 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
CHOOSING, TIIE DISCIPLES. �189 
enough that he would be in the presence of Christ, 
that he could learn wisdom and goodness from 
his lips, behold his marvelous works, and be a 
co-laborer with him in his arduous toil. 
Matthew was wealthy, but he was willing to 
sacrifice all for his Master. He had many friends 
and acquaintances whom he was anxious should 
become followers of Jesus, and he was desirous 
that they should have an opportunity to meet 
him. He felt certain that they would be charmed 
with his pure and simple doctrine, taught with-
out ostentation or display. 
He accordingly made a feast at his own house 
and called together his friends and relatives, 
among whom were a number of publicans. Je-
sus was invited as a guest, in whose honor the 
feast was prepared. He, with his disciples, ac-
cepted the courteous invitation, and graced the 
banquet with his presence. The envious scribes 
and Pharisees, who were ever watching and fol-
lowing the movements of Jesus, did not lose this 
opportunity of seeking to condemn the cause of 
Christ. 
They were highly indignant that one who 
called himself a Jew should mingle with publi-
cans. Though they refused to acknowledge him 
the Messiah, and would accept none of his teach-
ings, yet they could not shut their eyes to the fact 
that he had great influence over the people ; this 
being the case they were chagrined that he 
should, by his example, ignore their prejudices 
and traditions. When Jesus called Matthew to 
follow him their anger knew no bounds that he 
should thus honor a hated publican. They openly 
attacked the disciples on the subject, and accused 
them of eating with publicans and sinners. 
" And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in 
the house, behold, many publicans and sinners 
came and sat down with him and his disciples. 
And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto 
his disciples, Why eateth your Master with pub-
licans and sinners ?" It was with bitter contempt 
that they asked this question. Jesus did not wait 
for his disciples to answer this scornful charge, but 
himself replied, " They that be whole need not a 
physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and 
learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and 
not sacrifice ; for I am not come to call the right-
eous, but sinners to repentance." He here ex-
plained his course by taking the case of a physi-
cian, whose work is not among the well, but 
among those who are diseased. He who came 
to save the sin-sick soul must go among those 
who most need his forgiving mercy and pitying 
love. 
Those poor publicans and sinners, although 
stained with guilt, felt their need of repentance 
and pardon. It was the mission of Heaven to re-
lieve just such want as theirs. Although these 
persons apparently disregarded religious rites and 
observances, yet in heart and life they were bet-
ter fitted to become sincere Christians than the 
Pharisees and priests who scorned them. Many 
of them were possessed of noble integrity, and 
would not wrong their conscience by rejecting a 
doctrine which their reason declared to be true. 
Jesus had come to heal the wounds of sin 
among his own nation, but they refused his prof- 
fered aid ; they trampled upon his teachings and 
made light of his mighty works. The Lord turned, 
therefore, to those who would hear his words. 
Matthew and his associates obeyed the summons 
'MO 
190 �
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
of the Master and followed him. The despised 
publican became one of the most devoted evan-
gelists. His unselfish heart was drawn out for 
souls that needed the light. He did not repulse 
sinners by magnifying his own piety, and con-
trasting it with their sinfulness ; but linked them 
to himself through kindly sympathy, as he pre-
sented to them the precious gospel of Christ. 
His labors were attended with marked success. 
Many of those who sat at that feast, and listened 
to the divine instruction of Jesus, became in-
struments of enlightenment to the people. 
The pointed words addressed by Jesus to the 
Pharisees on the occasion of this feast silenced 
them, but did not remove their prejudice nor 
soften their hearts. They want away and com-
plained to the disciples of John concerning the 
practices of Jesus and his followers. They di-
lated upon the dangerous influence that he ex-
erted over the people,,setting at naught their an-
cient traditions, and preaching a doctrine of mer-
cy and love to the, world. They sought to arouse 
dissatisfaction in the minds of John's disciples by 
contrasting their austere piety and rigorous fast-
ing with the example of Jesus in feasting with 
publicans and sinners. 
The feelings of John's disciples were stirred, 
and they complained to the disciples of Jesus con-
cerning the course of their Master, whif_th was so 
contrary to the teachings of John. If John was 
sent of God, and taught according to his Spirit, 
how could the practices of Jesus be right ? The 
followers of the Saviour, being unable to answer 
these questions, brought the matter to their Mas-
ter. " And they said unto him, Why do the dis-
ciples of John fast often, and make prayers, and 
CHOOSING THE DISCIPLES. �
191 
likewise the disciples of the Pharisees ; but thine 
eat and drink ? And he said unto them, Can ye 
make the children of the bridechamber fast, 
while the bridegroom is with them ? But the 
days will come, when the bridegroom shall be 
taken away from them, and then shall they fast 
in those days." 
Jesus had come to the world, bringing the 
light of Heaven. He came as the Redeemer of 
mankind, to limit the power of Satan and set the 
captive free. At his birth the heavenly messen-
gers had borne the glad tidings of great joy to the 
humble shepherds upon the plains of Bethlehem, 
" Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, 
good will toward men !" 
The greatest gift of Heaven had been given to 
the world. Joy to the poor, for Christ has come 
to make them heirs of his kingdom ! Joy to the 
rich, for he will teach them how to apply their 
earthly treasure that it may secure for them 
eternal riches in Heaven ! Joy to the ignorant, 
for he has come to give them wisdom unto salva-
tion ! Joy to the learned, for he will open to their 
understanding deeper mysteries than they have 
ever before fathomed I 
Said the Saviour, "Blessed are your eyes, for 
they see ; and your ears, for they hear. For ver-
ily I say unto you, that many prophets and right-
eous men have desired to see these things which 
ye see, and have not seen them, and to hear these 
things which ye hear, and have not heard them." 
The mission of Christ opened to the minds of 
men truths that had been hidden from the found- 
ation of the world. 
Every human enterprise sinks into insignifi-
cance when compared with the advent of Christ 
THE SABBATII. �
193 
192 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
upon the earth. What occasion for joy had the 
disciples who were permitted to walk and talk 
with the Majesty of Heaven ! Happy were they 
who had the Prince of Peace in their very midst, 
bestowing upon them daily new mercies and 
blessings. Why should they mourn and fast ? 
It was more fitting for them to mourn who re-
jected the Saviour and closed their eyes and ears 
to his divine teachings, who turned from the 
peace and joy of infinite love and truth. The 
treasure of Heaven was entrusted to them for a 
time, and they, heedless of the gift, chose bondage 
and darkness rather than freedom and light 
through Christ. 
In the synagogue at Nazareth Jesus had an-
nounced himself the Redeemer of mankind. Said 
he, " The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because 
he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the 
poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, 
to preach deliverance to the captives, and recov-
ering of sight to the' blind, to set at liberty them 
that are bruised ; to preach the acceptable year 
of the Lord." 
How could the children of the bridechamber 
fast when the bridegroom was yet with them ? 
But when he should go back to Heaven, leaving 
his disciples to meet alone the unbelief and dark-
ness of the world, then it would be fitting for the 
church to fast and mourn, until her absent Lord 
should return the second time. 
The jealous Pharisees misinterpreted all the 
actions of our Lord. The very deeds that should 
have melted their hearts and won their admira-
tion, only served as an excuse to charge him with 
immorality. These self-righteous men had so 
often been rebuked by Jesus for their iniquity, 
and exposed in their evil purposes and wicked 
natures, that they did not dare to bring their 
complaints to him, but carry them where they 
will be most likely to create prejudice and unbe-
lief. Had the disciples of Jesus listened to these 
insinuations, they would have ceased from fol-
lowing their Master. But they heeded not the 
base charges of impiety and evil associations 
against him by those who were themselves filled 
with malice and hatred. 
The Saviour ate with sinners, he spoke to them 
the words of life, and many accepted him as their 
Redeemer. The feast of Christ was holy ; but 
the fasting Pharisees will have their portion with 
the hypocrites and unbelievers, when Christ shall 
come in his glory, and those whom they scorned 
will be gathered into his kingdom. 
CHAPTER XV. 
THE SABBATH. 
NOTHING so distinguished the Jews from sur-
rounding nations, and designated them as true 
worshipers of the Creator, as the institution of 
the Sabbath. Its observance was a continual 
visible token of their connection with God, and 
separation from other people. All ordinary labor 
for a livelihood or for worldly profit was forbid-
den upon the seventh day. According to the 
fourth commandment the Sabbath was dedicated 
to rest and religious worship. All secular em-
ployment was to be suspended ; but works of 
195 
194 �
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
THE SABBATH. 
mercy and benevolence were in accordance with 
the purpose of the Lord. They were not to be 
limited by time nor place. To relieve the afflicted, 
to comfort the sorrowing is a labor of love that 
does honor to God's holy day. 
The work of the priests in connection with the 
sacrificial offerings was increased upon the Sab-
bath, yet in their holy work in the service of 
God they did not violate the fourth command-
ment of the decalogue. As Israel separated 
from God, the true object of the Sabbath institu-
tion became less distinct in their minds. They 
grew careless of its observance, and unmindful of 
its ordinances. The prophets testified to them 
of God's displeasure in the violation of his Sab-
bath. Nehemiah says : "In those days saw I in 
Judah some treading wine-presses on the Sab-
bath, and bringing in sheaves, and lading asses ; 
as also wine, grapes, and figs, and all manner of 
burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on 
the Sabbath-day, and I testified against them in 
the day wherein they sold victuals." 
And Jeremiah commands them : " Take heed 
to yourselves, and bear no burden on the Sab-
bath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusa-
lem ; neither carry forth a burden out of your 
houses on the Sabbath day, neither do ye any 
work, but hallow ye the Sabbath day, as I com-
manded your fathers." 
But they heeded not the admonitions of the 
inspired prophets, and departed more and more 
from the religion of their fathers. At length ca-
lamities, persecution, and bondage came upon 
them in consequence of their disregard of God's 
requirements. 
Alarmed at these visitations of divine punish- 
ment, they returned, to the strict observance of 
all the outward forms. enjoined by the sacred 
law. Not satisfied with this, they made burden-
some additions to those ceremonies. Their pride 
and bigotry led them to the narrowest interpre-
tation of the requirements of God. As time passed 
they gradually hedged themselves in with the tra-
ditions and customs of their ancestors, till they re-
garded them with all the sanctity of the original 
law. This confidence in themselves and their 
own regulations, with its attendant prejudice 
against all other nations, caused them to resist 
the Spirit of God, and separated them still far-
ther from his favor. 
Their exactions and restrictions were so weari-
some that Jesus declared : " They bind heavy 
burdens, and grievous to be borne, and lay them 
on men's shoulders." Their false standard of duty, 
their superficial tests of piety and godliness, ob-
scured the real and positive requirements of God. 
Heart service was neglected in the rigid perform-
ance of outward ceremonies. The Jews had so 
perverted the divine commandments, by heaping 
tradition upon tradition, that, in the days of 
Christ, they were ready to accuse him of break-
ing the Sabbath, because of his acts of mercy 
upon that day. 
The grain was ready for the sickle when Jesus 
and his disciples passed through the corn fields 
on the Sabbath. The disciples were hungry, for 
their Master had extended his work of teaching 
and healing to a late hour, and they had been 
without food for a long time. They accordingly 
began to pluck the ears of corn and to eat, rub-
bing them in their hands, in accordance with the 
law of Moses, which provides that : " When thou 
196 
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
THE SABBATH. �
197 
comest into the standing corn of thy neighbor, 
then thou mayest pluck the ears with thine 
hand ; but thou shalt not move a sickle unto thy 
neighbor's standing corn." 
But spies were continually upon the track of 
Jesus, watching for some occasion to accuse and 
condemn him. When they saw this act of the 
disciples, they immediately complained to him, 
saying, " Behold thy disciples do that which is 
not lawful to do upon the Sabbath day." In 
this they expressed their own narrow views of 
the law. But Jesus defended his followers thus: 
" Have ye never read what David did, when he 
had need, and was a hungered, he, and they that 
were with him ? how he went into the house of 
God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and 
did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat 
but for the priests, and gave also to them which 
were with him ? And he said unto them, The 
Sabbath was made for man and not man for the 
Sabbath. Therefore' the Son of Man is Lord also 
of the Sabbath." 
If excessive hunger excused David for violat-
ing even the holiness of the sanctuary, and made 
his act guiltless, how much more excusable was 
the simple act of the disciples in plucking the 
grain and eating it upon the Sabbath day. Je-
sus would teach his disciples and his enemies 
that the service of God was first of all; and, if 
fatigue and hunger attended the work, it was 
right to satisfy the wants of humanity, even up-
on the Sabbath day. That holy institution was 
not given to interfere with the needs of our be-
ing, bringing pain, and discomfort, instead of 
blessings. " The Sabbath was made for man," to 
give him rest and peace, and remind him of the 
work of his Creator, not to be a grievous burden. 
The work done in the temple upon the Sab-
bath was in harmony with the law; yet the 
same labor, if employed in ordinary business, 
would be a violation of it. The act of plucking 
and eating the grain to sustain the bodily 
strength, to be used in the service of God, was 
right and lawful. Jesus then crowned his argu-
ment by declaring himself the " Lord of the Sab-
bath,"—One above all question and above all 
law. This Infinite Judge acquits the disciples 
from blame, appealing to the very statutes they 
are accused of violating. 
But Jesus did not let the matter drop without 
administering a rebuke to his enemies. He de-
clared that in their blindness they had mistaken 
the object of the Sabbath. Said he : " But if 
ye had known what this meaneth, I will have 
"mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have con-
demned the guiltless." He then contrasted their 
many heartless rites with the truthful integrity, 
and tender love that should characterize the true 
worshipers of God : " For I desired mercy, and 
not sacrifice ; and the knowledge of God more 
than burnt-offerings. But they like men have 
transgressed the covenant ; there have they dealt 
treacherously against me." 
Jesus was reared among this people, so marked 
with bigotry and prejudice ; and he therefore 
knew that in healing upon the Sabbath day, he 
would be regarded as a transgressor of the law. 
He was aware that the Pharisees would seize up- 
on such acts with great indignation, and thereby 
seek to influence the people against him. He 
knew that they would use these works of mercy 
as strong arguments to affect the minds of the 
198 �
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
masses, who had all their lives been bound by 
the Jewish restrictions and exactions. Never-
theless he was not prevented by this knowledge 
from breaking down the senseless wall of super-
stition that barricaded the Sabbath, and teach-
ing men that charity and benevolence were law-
ful upon all days. 
He entered the synagogue, and saw there a 
man who had a withered hand. The Pharisees 
watched him, eager to see what he would do 
with regard to this case—whether or not he 
would heal the man upon the Sabbath day. 
Th it sole object was to find cause for accusation 
against him. Jesus looked upon the man with 
the withered hand, and commanded him to stand 
forth. He then asked, " Is it lawful to do good 
on the Sabbath days, or to do evil ? to save life, 
or to kill ? But they held their peace. And 
when he had looked round about on them with 
anger, being grieved for the hardness of their 
hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth 
thine hand. And he stretched it out ; and his 
hand was restored whole as the other." 
He justified this work of healing the paralytic, 
as in perfect keeping with the principles of the 
fourth commandment. But they questioned him: 
"Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath days ?" Je-
sus made them the clear and forcible answer, 
" What man shall there be among you, that shall 
have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the 
Sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift 
it out ? How much then is a man better than a 
sheep ? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the 
Sabbath days." 
The spies upon our Savioui's words dared not, 
in the presence of the multitude answer this 
THE SABBATH. �
199 
question for fear of involving themselves in diffi-
culties. They knew that while they would leave 
men to suffer and die rather than to violate their 
traditions by relieving them upon the Lord's day, 
a brute which had fallen into danger would be 
at once relieved, because of the loss that would 
accrue to the owner if he was neglected. Thus 
the dumb animal was exalted above man, made 
in the image of God. 
Jesus wished to correct the false teachings of 
the Jews in regard to the Sabbath and also to 
impress his disciples with the fact that deeds of 
mercy were lawful on that day. In the matter 
of healing the withered hand he broke down the 
custom of the Jews, and left the fourth command-
ment standing as God had given it to the world. 
By this act he exalted the Sabbath, sweeping 
away the senseless restrictions that encumbered 
it. �
His act of mercy did honor to the day, while 
those who complained of him, were, by their 
many useless rites and ceremonies, themselves 
dishonoring the Sabbath. 
There are ministers to-day who teach that the 
Son of God broke the Sabbath and justified his 
disciples in doing the same. They take the same 
ground as did the caviling Jews, although osten-
sibly for another purpose, since they hold that 
Christ abolished the Sabbath. 
Jesus in turning upon the Pharisees with the 
question whether it was lawful to do good upon 
the Sabbath day or evil, to save life or to kill, 
confronted them with their own wicked purposes. 
They were following upon his track to find occa-
sion for falsely accusing him ; they were hunting 
his life with bitter hatred and malice, while he 
was saving life and bringing happiness to many 
SERMON ON THE MOUNT. �
201 
200 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
hearts. Was it better to slay upon the Sabbath, 
as they were planning to do, than to heal the 
afflicted as he had done ? Was it more right-
eous to have murder in the heart upon God's 
holy day, than love to all men which finds ex-
pression in deeds of charity and mercy ? 
CHAPTER XVI. 
SERMON ON THE MOUNT. 
THE Redeemer of the world sought to make 
his lessons so simple that all could understand 
who heard them. It was not his choice to teach 
within walls or temples. True, he often did so 
in order to reach a class whom he would not be 
likely to meet while speaking in the open air, 
but Jesus preferred the fields, the groves, and the 
lake-sides for his temples. There were also his 
favorite resorts for meditation and prayer. 
He had special reasons for choosing these nat-
ural sanctuaries in which to give instruction to 
the people. The landscape lay before him, rich 
in scenes and objects familiar alike to the lofty 
and the humble. From these he drew illustra-
tions that simplified his teachings, and impressed 
them firmly upon the minds of his hearers. The 
birds caroling in the leafy branches, the glowing 
flowers of the valley, the spotless lily resting on 
the bosom of the lake, the lofty trees, the fruitful 
lands, the waving grain, the barren soil, the tree 
that bore no fruit, the mighty hills, the bubbling 
brooks, the setting sun that tinted and gilded the 
heavens, all served as means of instruction, or as 
emblems by which he taught the beauties of 
divine truth. He connected the visible works of 
the Creator with the words of life which he spoke, 
and thus led the mind from the contemplation of 
Nature unto Nature's God. 
The malice of the Jews was so great in conse-
quence of the miracle of Jesus in healing the 
man with the withered hand on the Sabbath day, 
that he with his disciples withdrew to a more. 
favorable field of labor. They went to the sea- 
side of Galilee, and great multitudes followed him, 
for this new miracle wrought upon the Sabbath 
day was noised abroad through all that region. 
As Jesus taught, many of the sick, and those pos- 
sessed
, with demons, were brought to him, and he 
made them whole. His great heart of love was 
filled with divine pity for the poor sufferers, many 
of whom sought only to draw near enough to 
touch him, believing that in so doing they would 
be healed, and in this they were not disappointed, 
for the touch of faith brought healing power from 
the great Physician, and their distress and gloom 
were changed to joy and thanksgiving. He also 
cast out many demons, who, in leaving their vic-
tims, acknowledged Christ, saying, " Thou art the 
Son of God." 
The people of Galilee were greatly aroused, and 
flocked to the presence of the Saviour. At length 
the crowd so increased that he scarcely had room 
to stand, and therefore entered a small ship, 
which was near the shore, and there preached to 
the crowd that thronged upon the beach. So he 
labored uninterruptedly in teaching the people 
and in healing the sick. But when the day was 
far spent he stole away and hid himself in the 
Great Controversy, Vol, 2, �14 
202 �
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
SERMON ON THE MOUNT. �
203 
solitude of the mountain, to commune with his 
Father in secret. Jesus spent the entire night in 
prayer, while his disciples slept at the foot of the 
mountain. About dawn he came and wakened 
them. The disciples were now about to receive 
an office of sacred responsibility, second only to 
that of Christ himself. They were to be set 
apart for the gospel work. They were to be 
linked with Jesus, to be with him, to share his 
joys and trials, to receive his teachings, and be 
faithful witnesses of his mighty works, that they 
might be able to impart the instruction thus 
gained to the world. They were to be qualified 
so that Jesus could at times send them forth alone 
to teach and work even as he taught and worked. 
Jesus wished his disciples to gain an experience 
in the gospel labor while he was on earth to com-
fort and direct them, so that they would be able 
to successfully continue the work after his death, 
and lay the foundation of the Christian church. 
While Jesus was preparing his disciples for 
their ordination, and instructing them as to the 
duties of the great work that lay before them, 
Judas urged his presence among them. This 
man made great professions of devotion to Jesus, 
and proposed to become one of his disciples. 
Said he, " Master, I will follow thee whitherso-
ever thou goest." Jesus did not warmly receive 
him, neither did he repulse him, but addressed 
him with these words of mournful pathos, "The 
foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have 
nests ; but the Son of Man hath not where to lay 
his head." Judas was selfish, and his main object 
in seeking a connection with Christ was to obtain 
temporal advantages through him ; but Christ's 
reference to his own poverty, contrasting his con- 
dition with that of the foxes and the birds, was 
designed to cut off any hope Judas might cherish 
of securing earthly gain by becoming a follower 
of Christ. Judas was a man of acknowledged 
executive ability, and possessed of no small influ-
ence. For these reasons the disciples were anx-
ious that he should form one of their number. 
They commended him in the highest terms to 
Jesus, as one who would greatly assist him in his 
work. They were therefore surprised that he 
received him so coolly ; but the Saviour read the 
heart of Judas, and knew, even then, the part he 
was to act in his future betrayal and execution. 
Still, Jesus wished to connect this man with him-
self, that he might learn his divine mission, and 
gain moral strength to overcome the defects in 
his character, and experience an entire change of 
heart that would ensure his salvation. This it 
was possible for him to do, through the help of 
Christ. 
Had Jesus repulsed Judas, the disciples, who 
regarded him with such favor, would have ques-
tioned, in their own minds, the wisdom of their 
Master. In receiving him, Jesus avoided this, and 
also placed the selfish and avaricious Judas in the 
most favorable position to develop qualities of 
mind and heart that would eventually gain for 
him a place in the kingdom of Heaven. But 
notwithstanding these precious opportunities 
Judas chose a course that covered him with 
everlasting infamy. 
Gathering his disciples about him, Jesus bowed 
in their midst, and, laying his hands upon their 
heads, offered a prayer, dedicating them to his 
sacred work. Thus were the Lord's disciples or-
dained to the gospel ministry. This being ac- 
 
 
 
 
 
 
204 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
complished, Jesus with his companions returned 
to the sea-side, where the multitudes were already 
gathering to hear him. Many of them were there 
for the purpose of being relieved of various mal-
adies. Here he healed the sick and comforted 
the sorrowing, until the crowd increased so that 
there was not room for them upon the narrow 
beach. Jesus therefore moved up the mountain 
to a level space where the people could be ac-
commodated. Here Jesus called his disciples near 
him, that the great truths he uttered might not 
fail to be indelibly impressed upon their minds, 
and that nothing might divert their attention 
from his words. 
Though the disciples were close about him, 
and his words seemed specially addressed to 
them, yet they were also designed to reach the 
hearts and consciences of the mixed crowd there 
assembled. At every large gathering of this 
kind, the people still expected that Jesus would 
make some great display of power in regard to 
the new kingdom of which he had spoken. The 
believing Jews looked for him to free them from 
the yoke of bondage and reinstate them in their 
ancient glory. But in his sermon on the mount 
Christ disappointed their hopes of earthly glory. 
He opened his discourse by stating the principles 
that should govern his kingdom of divine grace, 
as contained in the several beatitudes. 
" Blessed are the poor in spirit ; for theirs is the 
kingdom of Heaven." The poor in spirit are 
those who claim no personal merit, and boast of 
no virtue in themselves. Realizing their utter 
helplessness, and deeply convicted of sin, they 
put no faith in mere outward ceremonies, but 
cast themselves upon Jesus who is all-righteous 
SERMON ON THE MOUNT. �
205 
and all-compassionate. The Christian can only 
rise through humility. The proud heart strives 
in vain to earn salvation by good works ; for 
though one cannot be saved without good works, 
yet these alone will not suffice to win eternal life. 
After he has done all he can, Christ must impute 
to him his own righteousness. 
In Christ, God has bestowed Heaven's best gift 
to redeem man, and, as the gift is full and infi-
nite, so is saving grace boundless and all-suffi-
cient. This saying of Christ struck at the very 
root of the self-righteousness of the Pharisees, 
who felt themselves already rich in spiritual 
knowledge, and did not realize their need to 
learn more. Such characters could have no part 
in the kingdom of Christ. 
" Blessed are they that mourn ; for they shall 
be comforted." In pronouncing a blessing upon 
those who mourn, Jesus did not design to teach 
that there is any virtue in living under a perpet-
ual cloud, nor that selfish sorrow and repining 
has any merit of itself to remove a single stain of 
sin. The mourning spoken of by Christ is a god-
ly sorrow for sin, that works repentance unto 
eternal life. Many grieve when their guilt is 
discovered, because the result of their evil course 
has brought them into disagreeable circumstances. 
It was thus that Esau mourned the sin of despis-
ing and selling his birth-right ; but it was the 
unexpected consequences of that sin which 
caused his grief. So Pharaoh regretted his stub-
born defiance of God, when he cried for the 
plagues to be removed from him ; but his heart 
was unchanged, and he was ready to repeat his 
crime when tempted. Such mourning is not un-
to repentance. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
SERMON ON TIIE MOUNT. �
207 
206 �TIIE GREAT CONTROVERSY 
He who is truly convicted of sin feels his 
whole life to have been one continued scene of 
ingratitude. He feels that he has robbed his 
best friend of the time and strength which was 
bought for him at an infinite price. His whole 
soul is filled with unutterable sorrow that he has 
slighted and grieved his compassionate Saviour. 
Such mourning is precious, for it will yield the 
peaceable fruits of righteousness. The world-
ling, from his stand-point, may pronounce this 
sorrow a weakness ; but it is the strength which 
binds the penitent to the Infinite One with links 
that cannot be broken. It reveals that the an-
gels of God are bringing back to his soul the 
graces which were lost through hardness of heart 
and transgression. To confess and deplore one's 
errors evinces an excellence of character capa-
ble of discerning and correcting them. The tears 
of the penitent are only the clouds and the rain-
drops that precede the sunshine of holiness, the 
sorrow that heralds a joy that will be a living 
fountain in the soul. Men are sowing in God's 
great field with toil and tears, yet with patient 
expectation ; and they will be blessed, for the 
heavens will open and the rain will fall, insuring 
a bountiful harvest. Then when the Reaper 
comes, he will return with joy bringing home his 
sheaves. 
" Blessed are the meek ; for they shall inherit 
the earth." The difficulties that the Christian 
encounters may be very much lessened by that 
meekness of character which hides itself in Christ. 
Jesus invites all the weary and heavy laden to 
come unto him who is meek and lowly in heart, 
that they may find rest. If the Christian pos-
sesses the humility of his Master, he will rise 
above the slights, the rebuffs, and annoyances to 
which he is daily exposed, and they will cease 
to cast a gloom over his spirit. That meekness 
which Jesus blessed, operates amid the scenes of 
domestic life ; it makes the home happy, it pro-
vokes no quarrels, gives back no angry answers, 
but soothes the irritated temper, and diffuses a 
gentleness which is felt by all within its charmed 
circle. It calms the inflammable spirit of retali-
ation, and mirrors forth the character of Christ. 
Far better would it be for Christians to suffer 
under false accusations than to inflict upon them-
selves the torture of retaliation against their ene-
mies. Hatred and revenge are instigated by Sa-
tan, and bring only remorse to him who cherishes 
them. Lowliness of heart is the strength that 
gives victory to the Christian. His reward is 
an inheritance of glory. 
" Blessed are they who do hunger and thirst 
after righteousness ; for they shall be filled." As 
the body feels the necessity for temporal food to 
supply the waste of the system, and preserve the 
physical strength, so the soul should long for that 
spiritual nourishment that increases the moral 
strength, and satisfies the cravings of the mind 
and heart. As the body is continually receiving 
the nutriment that sustains life and vigor, so 
should the soul constantly receive the heavenly 
food which gives nerve and muscle to spirituali-
ty. As the weary traveler eagerly seeks the 
spring in the desert, and, finding it, quenches his 
burning thirst with its cool and sparkling water, 
so should the Christian thirst for and seek the 
pure water of life, of which Christ is the fountain. 
There the soul may be satisfied, there the fever 
born of worldly strife is allayed, and the spirit is 
208 �
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
forever refreshed. But a majority of those who 
listened to Jesus hungered only for worldly ad-
vantages and honor. Especially did the self-
exaltation of the Pharisees prevent them from 
longing for any higher attainments than they 
had already reached, for in their own estimation 
they were at the very pinnacle of perfect right-
eousness. However, there were many who heard 
thankfully the lessons of Jesus, and from that 
time, shaped their lives according to his teach-
ings. 
" Blessed are the merciful ; for they shall ob-
tain mercy." Here Jesus struck a blow at the 
arrogance and cruel intolerance of the Jews. Both 
priests and people were, as a rule, overbearing, 
quarreling with all who opposed them, severely 
critical and resentful of any reflection cast upon 
their own acts. Jesus said of the Pharisees, " Ye 
tithe mint, and rue, and all manner of herbs, and 
pass over judgment and the love of God." The 
Saviour desired to teach his followers a lesson of 
mercy that they should not be wanting in that 
tender compassion which pities and aids the suf-
fering and erring, and avoids magnifying the 
faults of others. 
"Blessed are the pure in heart ; for they shall 
see God." The Jews were so exacting in regard 
to ceremonial purity that their regulations were 
extremely burdensome. Their minds were so 
occupied with rules and restrictions, and the 
fear of outward defilement, that they lost sight 
of the necessity flit. purity of motive and nobili-
ty of action. They did not perceive the stain 
that selfishness, injustice, and malice, leave upon 
the soul. 
Jesus declared that the pure in heart should 
SERMON ON THE MOUNT. �
209 
see God. They would recognize him in the per-
son of his Son, who was sent to the world for the 
salvation of the human race. Their minds, being 
cleansed and occupied with -pure thoughts, would 
more clearly discover the Creator in the works 
of his mighty hand, in the things of beauty and 
magnificence which comprise the universe. They 
would live as in the visible presence of the Al-
mighty, in a world of his creation, during the 
time that he apportions them here. They would 
also see God in the future immortal state, as did 
Adam when he walked and talked with God in 
Eden. Even now the pure in heart see God 
" through a glass darkly, but then face to face." 
" Blessed are the peace-makers ; for they shall 
be called the children of God." Our Heavenly 
Father is a God of peace. When he created man 
he placed him in an abode of peace and security. 
All was unity and happiness in the garden of 
Eden. Those who are partakers of the divine 
nature will love peace and contentment; they 
will cultivate the virtues that insure those re- 
sults. They will seek to allay wrath, to quiet 
resentment and fault finding, and all the evil 
passions that foster quarrels and dissensions. The 
more men unite with the world, and fall into its 
ways, the less they have of the true elements of 
peace in their hearts, and the more they are 
leavened with the bitterness of worldly strife, 
jealousy, and evil thoughts toward each other, 
which only needs certain circumstances to de- 
velop them into active agents for evil. Those 
whose anger kindles at slight provocations, and 
those who watch the words and acts of others 
to secretly report them where they will stir up 
It' 
of 
210 
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
enmity, are the direct opposite of the peace-mak-
ers who are called the children of God. 
The true Christian will in his intercourse with 
men suppress words that would tend to produce 
unnecessary anger and strife. All Heaven is at 
peace, and those who are closely connected with 
Christ will be in harmony with Heaven. Jesus 
declared : " In the world ye shall have tribula-
tion ; but in me ye shall have peace." Those 
who are in sympathy with the Saviour will not 
be restless and dissatisfied. They will partake 
of the nature of Christ, and their lives will emu-
late his example. 
The multitudes were amazed at this doctrine, 
so at variance with the precepts and example of 
the scribes and Pharisees. The people had im-
bibed the idea from them that happiness consist-
ed in the possession of the things of this world, 
and that fame and the honor of men were much 
to be coveted. It was very pleasing to be called 
" Rabbi," and to be extolled as very wise and re-
ligious, having their virtues paraded before the 
public. This was considered the crown of hap-
piness. But Jesus, in the presence of that vast 
throng, declared that earthly gain and honor was 
all the reward such persons would ever receive. 
Jesus spoke with certainty, and a convincing 
power attended his words. The people were 
silenced, and a feeling of fear crept over them. 
They looked at each other doubtfully. Who of 
them would be saved if this man's teachings were 
true ? Many were deeply convicted that this re-
markable teacher was actuated by the Spirit of 
God, and that the sentiments he uttered were 
divine. 
These lessons of instruction were particularly 
SERMON ON THE MOUNT. �
211 
calculated to benefit the disciples, whose lives 
would be governed by the principles therein 
taught. It was to be their work to impart the 
divine knowledge they derived from Jesus, to 
the world. It was their task to spread the gos- 
pel far and wide among the people of all lands, 
and it was very important that all the lessons of 
Jesus should be plain to their minds, stamped 
upon their memories, and incorporated in their 
lives. Every truth was to be stored away in 
their minds and hearts for future use. 
After Jesus had explained to the people what 
constituted true happiness, and how it could be 
obtained, he more definitely pointed out the duty 
of his disciples, as teachers chosen of God to lead 
others into the path of righteousness- and eternal 
life. He knew that they would often suffer from 
disappointment and discouragement, that they 
would meet with decided opposition, that they 
would be insulted, and their testimony rejected. 
His penetrating eye looked down the coming 
years of their ministry, and saw the sorrow and 
abuse that would attend their efforts to lead men 
to salvation. Well he knew that the humble 
men who listened so attentively to his words 
were to bear, in the fulfillment of their mission, 
calumny, torture, imprisonment and death, and 
he continues :— 
__ �
" Blessed are they which are persecuted for 
righteousness' sake ; for theirs is the kingdom of 
Heaven. Blessed are ye when men shall revile 
you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner 
of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Re- 
joice, and be exceeding glad ; for great is your 
reward in Heaven ; for so persecuted they the 
prophets which were before you." Jesus here 
SERMON ON THE MOUNT. �
213 
212 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
shows them that at the very time when they are 
experiencing great suffering in his cause, they 
have reason to be glad, and recognize that their 
afflictions are profitable to them, having an in-
fluence to wean their affections from the world 
and concentrate them upon Heaven. He taught 
them that their losses and disappointments 
would result in actual gain, that the severe trials 
of their faith and patience should be cheerfully 
accepted, rather than dreaded and avoided. These 
afflictions were God's agents to refine and fit them 
for their peculiar work, and would add to the pre-
cious reward that awaited them in Heaven. He 
charged them, when persecuted by men, not to 
lose confidence, nor become depressed and mourn 
over their hard lot, but to remember that right-
eous men of the past had likewise suffered for 
their obedience. Anxious to fulfill their duty to 
the world, fixing their desire upon the approba-
tion of God, they were calmly and faithfully to 
discharge every duty, irrespective of the fear or 
favor of man. 
Those things which seem to the Christian 
most grievous to be borne often prove his great-
est blessing. Reproach and falsehood have ever 
followed those who were faithful in the discharge 
of duty. A righteous character, though black-
ened in reputation by slander and falsehood, will 
preserve the' purity of its virtue and excellence. 
Trampled in the mire, or exalted to heaven, the 
Christian's life should be the same, and the proud 
consciousness of innocence is its own reward. 
The persecution of enemies tests the foundation 
upon which the reputation really rests. Sooner 
or later it is revealed to the world whether or 
not the evil reports were true, or were the poi- 
soned shafts of malice and revenge. Constancy 
in serving God is the only safe manner of settl- 
ing such questions. Jesus would have his peo-
ple use great care to give the enemies of his 
cause no ground to condemn their holy faith. 
No wrong action should cast a stigma upon its 
purity. When all arguments fail, the slanderers 
frequently open their galling fire upon the be-
sieged servants of God ; but their lying tongues 
eventually bring curses upon themselves. God 
will finally vindicate the right, honor the guilt-
less, and hide them in the secret of his pavilion 
from the strife of tongues. 
God's servants have always suffered reproach ; 
but the great work moves on, amid persecution, 
imprisonments, stripes, and death. The character 
of the persecution changes with the times, but 
the principle—the spirit that underlies it—is the 
same that stoned and beat and slew the chosen 
of the Lord centuries ago. 
There was never one who walked a man among 
men more cruelly slandered than the Son of God. 
He was met at every point with bitter reproach- 
es. �
They hated him without a cause. The Phar- 
isees even hired men to repeat from city to city 
the falsehoods which they themselves fabricated 
to destroy the influence of Jesus. Yet he stood 
calmly before them declaring that reproach was 
part of the Christian's legacy, counseling hi 
followers how to meet the arrows of malice, bid-
ding them not to faint under persecutions, but, 
" Rejoice, and be exceeding glad ;" " for so perse-
cuted they the prophets which were before you." 
Jesus continued to impress upon the minds of his 
disciples the responsibility of their relation to the 
world. Said he :— 
214 �
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
" Ye are the salt of the earth ; but if the salt 
have lost its savor, wherewith shall it be salted ? 
it is thenceforth good for nothing but to be cast 
out, and to be trodden under foot of men." The 
people could see the white salt, glistening in the 
pathway, where it had been cast out because it had 
lost its savor and was therefore useless. Jesus 
used salt as an illustration of the Christian's life 
and teachings upon the world. Were it not for 
the few righteous who inhabit the earth, the wrath 
of God would not be delayed a moment from pun-
ishing the wicked. But the prayers and good 
works of the people of God preserve the world ; 
they are the savor of life. But if Christians 
are only so in name, if they have not virtu-
ous characters and godly lives, they are like the 
salt that has lost its savor. Their influence upon 
the world is bad; they are worse than unbe-
lievers. 
Jesus took objects in the view of his listeners as 
emblems by which to teach his truth. The people 
had come together to hear him while it was yet 
early morning. The glorious sun, climbing higher 
and higher in the blue sky, was chasing away the 
shadows that lurked in the valleys and among 
the narrow defiles of the mountains. The glory 
of the eastern heavens had not yet faded out. 
The sunlight flooded the land with its splendor, 
the placid surface of the lake reflected the golden 
light, and mirrored the rosy clouds of morning. 
Every bud and flower and leafy spray glistened 
with dew-drops. Nature smiled under the bene-
diction of a new day, and the birds sang sweetly 
among the spreading trees. The Saviour looked 
upon the company before him, and then upon the 
rising sun, and said to his disciples, " Ye are the 
SERMON ON TIIE MOUNT. �
215 
light of the world." The figure was peculiarly 
striking. As the sun lit up the landscape with 
his genial rays and scattered the shades of night, 
so the disciples were to diffuse the light of truth, 
and scatter the moral darkness that brooded over 
the world. In the brilliant light of morning the 
towns and villages situated upon the surround-
ing hills stood forth clearly and made an attract-
ive feature of the scene. Jesus, pointing to them 
said, " A city that is set on a hill can not be hid. 
Neither do men light a candle, and put it under 
a bushel, but on a candlestick, and it giveth 
light unto all that are in the house. Let your 
light so shine before men that they may see your 
good works, and glorify your Father which is in 
Heaven." In these words Jesus taught his disci-
ples that if they wished to direct others in the 
path of righteousness, their own example should 
be correct, and their acts reflect the light of 
truth. 
Moral disease abounds, and darkness covers the 
earth; but the disciples of Christ are represented 
as lights shining amid the gloom of night. Those 
rays reveal the dangers that lie in the sinner's 
path, and point the true way to righteousness 
and safety. If those who profess to be Christ's 
followers, and to have the light of truth, are not 
careful to present that truth to others in a proper 
manner, those who are in the darkness of error 
will see no beauty in it. In carrying a lantern 
on a dark night, to light the way for one who is 
following, the bearer sometimes becomes careless, 
and permits his person to interpose between the 
light and the one whom he is guiding, and the 
darkness of the way is rendered more intense to 
him from the temporary light that has been shed 
216 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
SERMON ON THE MOUNT. �
2l7 
upon it. So with many who essay to present 
the truth of God to others ; they hide the pre-
cious light with their own defective characters, 
which stand out darkly conspicuous in their de-
formity, and turn many from the truth. The 
characters of the professed followers of Christ 
should be so admirable, and their deeds so exem-
plary, that the world will be attracted toward a 
religion that bears such fruits of righteousness. 
They will thus be led to investigate and embrace 
its principles from the fact that the lives of its 
representatives shine forth with such holiness 
that they are the beacon lights of the world. 
The Pharisees shut themselves away from the 
world, and thereby made it impossible for them 
to exert an influence over the people of the 
world ; but Jesus names his disciples the " light 
the world." Their teachings and example are to 
scatter the clouds of error, and all nations and 
people are to feel their influence. The religion 
of the Bible is not to be confined between two 
covers nor within the walls of a church. It is 
not to be brought out only occasionally simply 
for our own benefit, and then carefully laid aside 
again, but it is to sanctify the daily life, to mani- 
fest itself in every business transaction and in all 
the social relations of life. Such a religion was 
in marked contrast with that of the Pharisees, 
which consisted only in the hollow observance of 
rules a'n.c,1 ,ceremonies, and shed no ennobling in-
fluence over their lives. 
Jesus was closely watched by spies, who were 
ready to seize any unguarded word that might 
drop from his lips. The Saviour was well aware 
of the prejudice existing in the minds of many of 
his hearers. He said nothing to unsettle the 
faith of the Jews in the religion and institutions 
of Moses. The same voice that declared the 
moral and ceremonial law, which was the foun-
dation of the whole Jewish system, also uttered 
the words of instruction on the mount. It was 
because of his great reverence for the law and 
the prophets that Jesus sought to break through 
the wall of superstitious exactions that hemmed 
in the Jews. He wished them not only to ob-
serve the law, but to develop the principles of 
that law and the teachings of the prophets. 
Jesus severely criticised the false interpreta-
tions which the Jews had given to the law, yet 
he sufficiently guarded his disciples against the 
danger of yielding up the vital truths given to 
the Hebrews. Jesus came not to destroy their 
confidence in the instruction which lie himself had 
given them through Moses in the wilderness. 
But, while he taught them due reverence for that 
law, he desired to lead them on to higher truths 
and a greater knowledge, that they might ad-
vance into clearer light. 
As Jesus explained the duty of his disciples 
in the works of righteousness, the Pharisees saw 
that the doctrines taught condemned their course, 
and, in order to prejudice the people against the 
great Teacher, whispered to one another that the 
lessons of Jesus were in opposition to the law of 
Moses, in that he made no mention of that law. 
In this way they designed to arouse the indigna-
tion of the people against Christ. But Jesus, 
perceiving their intent, in the presence of the 
vast multitude, and in a clear and distinct voice, 
declared, to the utter discomfiture of his enemies, 
these words :— 
Great Controversy, Vol. 2. �15 
218 �
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
SERMON ON THE MOUNT. �
219 
" Think not that I am come to destroy the 
law, or the prophets ; I am not come to destroy, 
but to fulfill. For verily, I say unto you, Till 
heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall 
in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." 
Here Jesus refutes the charge of the Pharisees. 
His mission to the world is to vindicate the 
claims of that sacred law which they charge him 
with breaking. If the law of God could have 
been changed or abolished, then Christ need not 
have come to a fallen world to suffer the conse-
quence of man's transgression. Jesus came to 
explain the relation of the law of God to man, 
and to illustrate its precepts by his own exam-
ple of obedience. He further declares that, 
" Whosoever therefore shall break one of these 
least commandments, and shall teach men so, he 
shall be called the least in the kingdom of 
Heaven." Thus did the Saviour declare the va-
lidity of the moral law. Those who disobey the 
commandments of God, and teach others to do 
the same by their example and doctrine, are con-
demned by Christ. They are the children of the 
wicked one, who was the first rebel against the 
law of God. Having explicitly declared his rev-
erence for his Father's law, Jesus in these words 
condemns the practices of the Pharisees, who 
were strict in their outward observance of that 
law while their hearts and lives were corrupt :— 
" For I say unto you, That except your right-
eousness shall exceed the righteousness of the 
scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter 
into the kingdom of Heaven." The righteousness 
here taught was conformity of the heart and life 
to the revealed will of God. Jesus taught that 
the law of God should regulate the thoughts and 
purposes of the mind. True godliness elevates 
the thoughts and actions ; then the external 
forms of religion accord with the Christian's in-
ternal purity; then those ceremonies required 
in the service of God are not meaningless rites, 
like those of the hypocritical Pharisees. 
Many religious teachers of to-day are them-
selves breaking the commandments of God, and 
teaching others to do so. In place of those holy 
commandments, they boldly teach the customs 
and traditions of men, regardless of the direct 
testimony of Christ that such ones should be 
" least in the kingdom of Heaven." Jesus de-
clared to the multitude assembled to hear him, 
to the Pharisees, who sought to accuse him of 
lightly regarding the law, and to the people of 
all time, that the precepts of Jehovah were im-
mutable and eternal. 
The report had been brought of murder and 
robbery in the wild region near Capernaum, and 
there was a general expression of indignation 
and horror in consequence among those who 
were assembled to hear Jesus. The divine 
Teacher took advantage of this circumstance to 
point an important lesson. Said he :— 
" Ye have heard that it was said by them of 
old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever 
shall kill shall be in danger of the Judgment. 
But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry 
with his brother without a cause shall be in dan-
ger of the Judgment ; and whosoever shall say to 
his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the coun-
cil ; but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be 
in danger of hell fire." Here Jesus describes 
murder as first existing in the mind. That mal-
ice and revenge which would delight in deeds of 
220 �
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
SERMON ON THE MOUNT. �
221 
violence is of itself murder. Jesus goes further 
still, and says, " Whoever is angry with his brother 
without a cause shall be in danger of the Judg-
ment." There is an anger that is not of this crimi-
nal nature. A certain kind of indignation is justi-
fiable, under some circumstances, even in the fol-
lowers of Christ. When they see God dishonored, 
his name reviled, and the precious cause of truth 
brought into disrepute by those who profess to 
revere it, when they see the innocent oppressed 
and persecuted, a righteous indignation stirs their 
soul ; such anger, born of sensitive morals, is not 
a sin. Among the listeners are those who con-
gratulate themselves upon their righteousness 
because they have committed no outward crime, 
while they are cherishing in their hearts feelings 
of the same nature as that which prompts the 
assassin to do his fearful deed. Yet these men 
make professions of piety, and conform to the 
outward requirements of religion. To such Je-
sus addresses these words :— 
" Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, 
and there rememberest that thy brother hath 
aught against thee, leave there thy gift before 
the altar, and go thy way ; first be reconciled to 
thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift." 
He thus shows that crimes originate in the mind, 
and, those who permit hatred and revenge to 
find a place in their hearts have already set their 
feet in the path of the murderer, and their offer-
ings are not acceptable to God. The only reme-
dy is to root out -all bitterness and animosity 
from the heart. But the Saviour even goes fur-
ther than this, and declares that if another has 
aught against us, we should endeavor to relieve 
his mind, and, if possible, remove those feelings 
from it, before our offering can be acceptable 
with God. This lesson is of special importance 
to the church at this time. Many are 'zealous in 
religious services while unhappy differences ex-
ist between them and their brethren which it is 
in their power to remove, and which God re-
quires them to remove before he will accept their 
services. Christ has so clearly pointed out the 
Christian's course in this matter that there should 
be no question in his mind as to his duty. 
— �
While Jesus is teaching, there are pleasure- 
boats upon the water, and it is evident to all that 
the idlers who occupy them are disreputable char-
acters. The listening people expect Jesus to 
severely denounce this class, hut are surprised 
when he declares : "Ye have heard that it was 
said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit 
adultery. But I say unto you, That whosoever 
looketh on a woman to lust after her hath com-
mitted adultery with her already in his heart." 
Those who have looked upon the guilty charac-
ters who lead lives of sensual dissipation as sin-
ners above all others, are astonished to hear Jesus 
assert that those who cherish lascivious thoughts 
are as guilty at heart as the shameless violators 
of the seventh commandment. Jesus condemned 
the custom then existing of a man putting away 
his wife for trivial offenses. This practice led to 
great wretchedness and crime. Jesus strikes at 
the primary cause of the laxness with which the 
marriage relation was held, when he condemns 
the unholy passions which find the marriage in-
stitution a barrier to the gratification of their 
lust. Christ would have the marriage relation 
hedged about with judicial restrictions, so that 
SERMON ON TIIE MOUNT. �
223 
222 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
El 
there could be no legal separation beta een hus-
band and wife, save for the cause of adultery. 
Many who had regarded the commandments as 
prohibiting actual crime but reaching no farther, 
now perceive that the law of God should be obeyed 
in spirit as well as in letter. In this manner 
Jesus takes up the commandments separately 
and explains the depth and breadth of their re-
quirements, exposing the fatal mistake of the 
Jews in their merely outward obedience. Jesus 
gives a lesson upon oath-taking, saying, " Let 
your communication be Yea, yea ; Nay, nay ; 
for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil." 
The third commandment condemns the profane 
swearer, but the spirit of the precept reaches far-
ther still, and forbids that the name of God be in-
troduced into the conversation in a careless or 
irreverent manner. Many, even of the professed 
followers of Christ, are in the habit of using 
lightly the name of God, and, even in their pray-
ers and exhortations, do not use the Supreme 
name with a proper solemnity. 
A detachment of the Roman troops was en-
camped near by, on the sea-shore, and Jesus is 
now interrupted by the loud blast of the trumpet 
which is the signal for the soldiers to assemble 
on the plain below. They form in the regular 
order, bowing in homage to the Roman standard 
which is uplifted before them. With bitterness 
the Jews look upon this scene which reminds 
them of their own degradation as a nation. Pres-
ently messengers are dispatched from the army, 
with orders to various distant posts. As they 
toil up the abrupt bank that borders the shore, 
they are brought near to the listening crowd that 
surrounds Jesus, and they force some of the Jew- 
ish peasants to carry their burdens for them up 
the steep ascent. The peasants resist this act of 
oppression, and address their persecutors with 
violent language ; but they are finally compelled 
to obey the soldiers, and perform the menial task 
required of them. This exhibition of Roman au-
thority stirs the people with indignation, and 
they turn eagerly to hear what the great Teacher 
will say of this cruel act of oppression. With 
sadness, because of the sins which had brought 
the Jews into such bondage, Jesus looks upon 
the shameful scene. He also notes the hatred 
and revenge stamped upon the faces of the Jews, 
and knows how bitterly they long for power to 
crush their oppressors. Mournfully he says :— 
" Ye have heard that it bath been said, An eye 
for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. But I say 
unto you, That ye resist not evil ; but whoso-
ever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to 
him the other also. And if any man will sue 
thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him 
have thy cloak also. And whosoever shall com-
pel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to 
him that asketh thee, and from him that would 
borrow of thee turn not thou away." 
The example of Jesus was a practical illustra-
tion of the lesson here taught ; contumely and 
persecution never caused him to retaliate upon 
his enemies. But this was a hard saying for the 
revengeful Jews, and they murmured against it 
among themselves. Jesus now makes a still 
stronger declaration :— 
" Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou 
shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy. 
But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless 
them that curse you, do good to them that hate 
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
THE LEPER HEALED. 
225 
you, and pray for them which despitefully use 
you, and persecute you ; that ye may be the 
children of your Father which is in Heaven ; for 
he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the 
good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the 
unjust. For if ye love them that love you, what 
reward have ye ? do not even the publicans the 
same ? And if ye salute your brethren only, 
what do ye more than others ? do not even the 
publicans so ? " 
The manifestation of hatred never breaks down 
the malice of our enemies. But love and kind-
ness beget love and kindness in return. Al-
though God faithfully rewards virtue and pun-
ishes guilt, yet he does not withhold his blessings 
from the wicked, although they daily dishonor his 
name. He allows the sunshine and the showers 
to fall upon the just and the unjust, bringing 
alike worldly prosperity to both. If a holy God 
exercises such forbearance and benevolence to-
ward the rebellious and the idolatrous, how nec-
essary it is that erring man should manifest a 
like spirit toward his fellow-men. Instead of 
cursing those who injure him, it is his duty to 
seek to win them from their evil ways by a kind-
ness similar to that with which Christ treated 
them who persecuted him. Jesus taught his fol-
lowers that they should exercise a Christian 
courtesy toward all who came within their influ-
ence, that they should not be forgetful in deeds 
of mercy, and that when solicited for favors, they 
should show a benevolence superior to that of 
the worldling. The children of God should rep-
resent the spirit that rules in Heaven. Their 
principles of action should not be of the same 
character with the narrow, selfish spirit of the 
world. Perfection alone can meet the standard 
of Heaven. As God himself is perfect in his 
exalted sphere, so should his children be perfect 
in the humble sphere they occupy. Thus only 
can they be fit for the companionship of•sinless 
beings in the kingdom of Heaven. Christ ad-
dresses to his followers these words that estab-
lish the standard of Christian character : " Be ye 
therefore perfect, even as your Father which is 
in Heaven is perfect." 
CHAPTER XVII. 
THE LEPER HEALED. 
JESUS was frequently obliged to hide himself 
from the people; for the crowds collected so 
densely about him to witness his miracles, and 
the enthusiasm ran so high, that it became nec-
essary to take precautions, lest the priests and 
rulers should take advantage of the great assem-
blies to arouse the Roman authorities to fear an 
insurrection. 
Never had there been such a period as this for 
the world. Heaven was brought down to men. 
All who came to Jesus for the purpose of instruc-
tion realized indeed that the Lord was gracious 
and full of wisdom. They received precious les-
sons of divine knowledge from the great source 
of intelligence. Many hungering and thirsting 
souls that had waited long for the redemption of 
Israel now feasted upon the bounteous grace 
of a merciful Saviour. The expected Teacher 
had come, and a favored people were living un- 
226 �
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
THE LEPER HEALED. �
227 
der the full splendor of his light, yet many com-
prehended it not, and turned from the divine ra-
diance with indifference or unbelief. 
Jesus healed many and various cases of bodily 
disease, while he was preaching and ministering 
to sin-sick souls. Many hearts were liberated 
from the cruel bondage of sin. Unbelief, dis-
couragement, and despair, gave place to faith, 
hope, and happiness. But when the sick and 
wretched applied to the Saviour for help, he 
first relieved the poor, suffering body before he 
attempted to minister to the darkened mind. 
When the present misery of the suppliant was 
removed, his thoughts could better be directed 
into the channel of light and truth. 
Leprosy was the most fearful and loathsome 
disease of the East. It was looked upon with 
great dread by all classes on account of its con-
tagious character and its horrible effect upon its 
victim. Great precautions were taken to pre-
vent the disease from spreading among the peo-
ple. With the Hebrews the leper was pro-
nounced unclean. He was isolated from his 
family, restricted from the privileges of society, 
and cut off from the congregation of Israel. He 
was doomed to associate only with those who 
were similarly afflicted with himself. 
Away from his friends and kindred he must 
bear the curse of his terrible malady. No affec-
tionate hands could soothe his pain. He was 
obliged to publish his own calamity, to rend his 
garment, and sound the alarm, warning all to flee 
from his polluted and decaying body. The cry, 
Unclean ! Unclean ! coming with mournful tone 
from the lonely exile, was a signal heard with 
fear and abhorrence. 
There were many of these loathsome subjects 
in the region of Christ's ministry. The news of 
the great Healer had reached even them in their 
isolation, and a gleam of hope sprang up in their 
hearts that if they could come into the presence of 
Jesus he might relieve them. But as they were 
debarred from entering any city or village, it 
seemed impossible for them to reach the great 
Physician, whose chief work lay among the pop-
ulace. 
There was one leper who had been a man of high 
distinction. It was with the greatest grief that 
he and his family had bec'ome convinced that 
he was a victim to the fatal disease. Physicians 
of note had been consulted, and they had exam-
ined his case thoroughly, and anxiously searched 
their books to obtain further knowledge ; but 
they were reluctantly compelled to acknowledge 
that their skill was baffled, the disease was in-
curable. It was then the duty of the priest to 
make an examination ; this resulted in a decision 
that his was the worst form of leprosy. This 
verdict sentenced him to a living death separated 
from his friends and the society in which he had 
held so lofty a position. But now those who 
had courted his favor and accepted his hospi-
tality fled from his presence with horror. He 
went out an exile from his home. 
Jesus was teaching by the lake outside the city 
limits, and many were gathered to hear his words. 
The leper, who in his seclusion had heard of some 
of his mighty works, come out to see him, and 
drew as near as he dared. Since his exile, the 
disease had made fearful inroads upon his system. 
He was now a loathsome spectacle, his decaying 
body was horrible to look upon. Standing afar 
• 
228 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
THE LEPER HEALED. �
229 
off, he heard some of the words of Jesus, and saw 
him laying hands upon the sick to heal them. He 
beheld, with amazement, the lame, the blind, the 
paralytic, and those dying of various maladies, 
rise up at a word from the Saviour, restored to 
health and praising God for their salvation. He 
looked upon his own wretched body and wondered 
if this great Physician could not cure even him. 
The more he heard, and saw, and considered the 
matter, the more he was convinced that this was 
really the promised Saviour of the world, to whom 
all things were possible. None could perform such 
miracles but Him who was authorized of God, 
and the leper longed to come into his presence 
and be healed. 
He had not intended to approach near enough 
to endanger the people ; but now his mind was 
so powerfully wrought upon that he forgot the 
restrictions that had been placed upon him, the 
safety of the people, and the horror with which 
they regarded him: He thought only of his 
blessed hope that the power of Jesus could set 
him free from his infirmity. His faith laid hold 
of the Saviour, and he pressed forward, heedless 
of the frightened multitude that fell back as he 
approached and crowded over and upon each oth-
er to avoid him. 
Some thought to prevent him from approach-
ing Jesus, but their efforts were in vain. He 
neither saw nor heard them. The expressions 
of loathing and looks of horror that greeted his 
appearance were lost upon him. He saw only 
the Son of God, he heard only the voice that was 
giving health and happiness to the suffering and 
unfortunate. As he came before Jesus, his pent-
up feelings found vent, he prostrated his foul, 
decaying body before him, crying out, " Lord, if 
thou wilt, thou canst make me clean." His words 
were few, but comprehended his great need. He 
believed that Christ was able to give him life 
and health. 
Jesus did not shrink from his approach, but 
drew near him. The people fell back, and even 
the disciples were filled with terror, and would 
fain have prevented their Master from touching 
him ; for by the law of Moses he who touched a 
leper was himself unclean. But Jesus, with calm 
fearlessness, laid his hand upon the supplicant 
and answered his petition with the magic words, 
" Be thou clean !" 
No sooner were these life-giving words spoken 
than the dying body of corruption was changed 
to a being of healthy flesh, sensitive nerves, and 
firm muscle. The rough, scaly surface peculiar to 
leprosy was gone, and a soft glow, like that upon 
the skin of a healthy child, appeared in its place. 
The eager multitude now lose their terror, and 
crowd around to behold this new manifestation 
of divine power. 
Jesus charged the cleansed leper not to make 
known the work he had wrought upon him, say-
ing, " See thou say nothing to any man ; but go 
thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer for 
thy cleansing those things which Moses com-
manded, for a testimony unto them." According-
ly the now happy man went to the same priests 
who had previously examined him, and whose 
decision had banished him from his family and 
friends. 
Joyfully he presented his offering to the priests 
and magnified the name of Jesus who .had re-
stored him to health. This irrefutable testimony 
230 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
convinced the priests of the divine power of Je-
sus, although they still refused to acknowledge 
him as the Messiah. The Pharisees bad asserted 
that his teachings were directly opposed to the, 
law of Moses, and for the purpose of exalting 
himself; yet his special directions to the cleansed 
leper to make an offering to the priest according 
to the law of Moses, evidnced to the people that 
these accusations were false. 
The priests were not allowed to accept an of-
fering from the hands of one who had been af-
flicted with leprosy, unless they first thoroughly 
examined him and proclaimed to the people that 
he was entirely free from the infectious disease, 
was in sound health, and could again unite with 
his family and friends without endangering them. 
However unwilling the priest might have been 
to accredit this marvelous cure to Jesus, he could 
not evade an examination and decision of the 
case. The multitude were anxious to learn the 
result of the investigation, and when he was pro-
nounced free from disease, and privileged to re-
turn to his family and friends, great was the ex-
citement. Such a thing had never before been 
known. 
But notwithstanding the caution of Jesus to 
the cleansed leper he published the matter abroad. 
Conceiving that it was only the retiring modesty 
of Jesus that laid these restrictions upon him, he 
went about proclaiming the mighty power of this 
great Healer. He did not understand that every 
new manifestation of divine power on the part of 
Jesus only made the chief priests and elders more 
determined to destroy him. The restored man 
felt the boon of health was very precious. The 
pure blood coursing through his veins quickened 
his entire being with a new and delightful ani-
mation. He rejoiced in the full vigor of man-
hood and in his restoration to his family and so-
ciety. He felt it impossible to refrain from giv-
ing full glory to the Physician who had made 
him whole. 
But the publicity of this affair created so great 
a commotion that Jesus was obliged to retire 
beyond the city. " And they came to him from 
every quarter." These miracles were not worked 
for display; the acts of Christ were in direct con-
trast to those eff the Pharisees, whose greatest 
ambition was to secure the praise and honor of 
men. Jesus well knew that if the fact of his 
cleansing the leper was noised abroad, those in 
a similar condition would be urgent to obtain 
the same cure. This would raise the cry that 
the people would be contaminated by contact 
with the loathsome disease of leprosy. His ene-
mies would seize such an opportunity to accuse 
and condemn him. 
Jesus knew that many of the lepers who would 
seek him did not deserve the blessing of health, 
nor would they use it to the honor and glory of 
God should they obtain it. They had no real 
faith nor principle, but only .a strong desire to 
be delivered from the certain doom that awaited 
them. The Saviour also knew that his enemies 
were ever seeking to limit his work and turn the 
people from him. If they could use the case of 
the cleansed leper for that purpose they would 
do so. But in directing the healed man to pre-
sent his offering to the priest, as enjoined by the 
law of Moses, he would convince them that he 
was not opposed to the Jewish code, if their 
minds were open to conviction. 
THE LEPER HEALED. 
231 
111 
232 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
CHAPTER XVIII. 
PARABLE OF THE SOWER. 
JESUS had spent the entire night in prayer, and 
he came down to the beach in the early morning 
to look for his disciples who were fishing near 
the shore. He could not long remain undis-
turbed by the people. As soon as it was known 
that Christ was by the sea-side, the multitude 
flocked to him. Their numbers increased so that 
he was pressed upon all sides. As he stood 
teaching them, the crowd became so dense that 
he stepped into a boat, and pulling out a little 
from the shore, gave the people a better oppor-
tunity to see and hear him, as he continued his 
discourse. 
He frequently adopted this plan to escape from 
the eager throng that crowded upon each other 
to get into his presence. In this way he could 
speak the things that he desired them to hear 
without interruption. The Saviour, seated in 
the rude boat of a fisherman, taught the words of 
life to the listening people upon the beach. He 
was patient with those who were laboring under 
temptation, tender and kind to the sorrowing 
and disheartened. His words found a response 
in many hearts, and light from his divine instruc-
tion poured in upon many darkened minds. 
What a scene was this for angels to contem-
plate ! Their glorious Commander, sitting in a 
fisherman's boat, swayed to and fro by the rest-
less water, and preaching salvation to the listen-
ing crowd that are pressing down to the water's 
edge ! He who was the honored of Heaven 
PARABLE OF THE SOWER. �
233 
teaches his grand doctrine of deliverance in the 
open air to the common crowd. Yet he could 
have no more magnificent scene for his labors. 
The lake, the mountains, the spreading fields, 
the sunlight flooding the earth, all furnish sub- 
jects by which his lessons can be impressed upon 
the human mind. 
In plain sight are the sowers and the reapers, 
side by side, the one casting the seed, and the 
other harvesting the early grain. The fruitful 
valleys, and the hill-sides are clothed in beauty. 
The barren rocks are seen upon the beach, and the 
birds make the air vocal with their music. The 
sea-fowls skim upon the surface of the water. 
Jesus takes this opportunity to draw lessons from 
nature that will sink into the minds of his lis-
teners. He employs the scenery about him to 
illustrate his doctrine, so that in the future, when-
ever these objects are presented to their eyes, their 
thoughts will revert to the lessons of truth drawn 
from them by Jesus. They will be daily remind- 
ers of the precious instruction which they had re-
ceived from him. 
Sitting thus, and looking upon the animated 
scene before him, Jesus uttered the parable that 
has been handed down to us through the ages, as 
pure and beautiful to-day in its unadorned sim-
plicity as when it was given that morning on 
the Sea of Galilee more than eighteen hundred 
years ago :— 
" Hearken ; behold, there went out a sower to 
sow. And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell 
by the wayside, and the fowls of the air came and 
devoured it up. And some fell on stony ground, 
where it had not much earth ; and immediately 
Great Controversy, Vol. 2. �10 
f
r T 
234 
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth ; 
but when the sun was up, it was scorched ; and 
because it bad no root, it withered away. And 
some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, 
and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. And 
other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that 
sprang up and increased, and brought forth, some 
thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred. 
And he said unto them, He that hath ears to 
hear, let him hear." 
This striking illustration of the spreading 
abroad of the gospel of the Son of God engaged 
the earnest attention of the people. The speak-
er carried with him the minds of his hearers. 
Their souls were stirred, and many a heart 
throbbed with the animation of a new purpose. 
They were charmed with a doctrine so ennobling 
in its principles, yet so easilyunderstood. The high 
spiritual attainments which Jesus taught seemed 
then very desirable. But how soon the impres-
sions there received were to pass away from many 
minds, when they again mingled with the world. 
The sins that had seemed so heinous under the 
holy light of the Master's presence, would be 
clasped again to their erring hearts. Unfavora-
ble surroundings, and worldly cares and tempta-
tions would cause them to relapse again into in-
difference. 
But others who listened commenced from that 
moment a holier life, carrying out daily the prin-
ciples of Christ's teachings. The subject matter 
of his discourse,. illustrated by the scene before 
them, would never be effaced from their minds. 
The varied ground, some producing only thistles 
and noxious weeds, the ledges of rock covered 
with a surface of earth, the sowers with their 
PARABLE OF THE SOWER. . �235 
seed, all being before their eyes, fastened his 
words in their minds as nothing else could have 
done. 
The existing state of things led Jesus to give 
the parable of the sower. The people who fol- 
lowed Christ had been disappointed that he did 
not set up a new kingdom. Long had they 
looked for a Messiah who would exalt and glori- 
fy them as a nation, and now that their expecta-
tions were not realized, they refused to receive 
him as their Redeemer. Even his chosen disci-
ples were becoming impatient that he did not as-
sume temporal authority, and his relatives were 
disappointed in him and rejected him. They had 
addressed him in these words : " Depart hence, 
and go into Judea, that thy disciples may see 
the works that thou doest. For there is no man 
that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself 
seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these 
things, show thyself to the world." 
His followers were mortified that the learned 
and wealthy were not the most willing to accept 
Jesus as their. Saviour. They felt the stigma 
that attached to their Master, because it was the 
poor, the afflicted, and the humbler class general-
ly, who became his disciples. Why, they asked 
themselves, did not the scribes and Pharisees, the 
teachers in the schools of the prophets, acknowl-
edge that he was the long-looked-for Messiah ? 
It was to meet this doubt and discontent that Je-
sus spoke this parable. When the multitude 
had departed, the twelve with the other believers 
gathered about him, and asked him to explain it 
to them. " And he said unto them, Unto you it 
is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of 
God ; but unto them that are without, all these 
236 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
PARABLE OF THE SOWER. �
237 
things are done in parables ; that seeing they 
may see, and not perceive ; and hearing they 
may hear, and not understand ; lest at any time 
they should be converted, and their sins should 
be forgiven them. And he said unto them, Know 
ye not this parable ? and how then will ye know 
all parables ?" In these words he explained that 
his illustrations were to awaken thought in the 
minds of his hearers. If they desired a fuller ex-
planation of his words they could ask it of him, 
as the disciples had done, and receive it. 
The Pharisees understood the parable, but af-
fected not to perceive its meaning. They closed 
their eyes lest they should see and their ears lest 
they should hear ; therefore their hearts could 
not be reached. They were to suffer retribu-
tion for their willful ignorance and self-imposed 
blindness. One reason why he taught so much 
in parables was that the spies of the Jews were 
ever watching to find cause for complaint against 
him. Jesus designed to expose their hypocrisy 
and evil deeds without laying himself liable to 
the danger of being arrested and imprisoned by 
them, and thus cut off from the work which he 
came to do among the people. 
He could speak cutting truths in parables, 
reveal the iniquity that it was necessary to ex-
pose, without any fear of their laws. They could 
make the application, for they could not fail to 
recognize his meaning, yet they were powerless 
to condemn him for using a simple illustration in 
his discourse. 
The words of Jesus implied a reproof to his 
disciples, because of their dullness to compre-
hend his meaning ; for in the parable of the sow-
er, he had illustrated the doctrine he had come 
to the world to teach. If they could not discern 
things so easily to be understood, how could they 
fathom greater truths that he would declare to 
them in parables ? He also said that he would 
reveal greater mysteries concerning the kingdom 
of God unto them who followed him so closely 
and obeyed him than unto those who were out- 
side of his companionship. They must open 
their minds to instruction and be ready to be-
lieve. 
Those who had hardened their hearts to love 
pomp and ceremony did not wish to understand 
his teachings nor desire the work of God's grace 
within their hearts. This class would remain in 
ignorance of their own choosing. Those who 
connected with Heaven, and received Christ, who 
is the source of light and truth, would under-
stand his words and gain practical knowledge 
concerning the kingdom of God. But those who, 
for any reason, neglected their present opportu-
nities of acquaintance with the truth, and did 
not rightly use their powers of comprehension, 
but refused to be convinced by what their eyes 
saw and their ears heard, would be left in 
darkness ; seeing they would not perceive, and 
hearing, they would not understand. The truths 
of God involved too much self-denial and person-
al purity to attract their carnal minds, and they 
closed their hearts with bigotry and unbelief. 
The great Teacher blessed his disciples because 
they both saw and heard with eyes and ears that 
believed. Said he, " Many prophets and right-
eous men have desired to see these things which 
ye see, and have not seen them ; and to hear the 
things which ye hear, and have not heard them." 
Jesus then explained to his disciples the differ- 
238 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
PARABLE OF THE SOWER. �
239 
ent classes represented in the parable he had 
given them. 
Christ, the Sower, scatters the seed. There 
are the worldly ones, whose hearts are like the 
bard-beaten highway, insensible to the teachings 
of divine wisdom. They love not the require-
ments of God, and follow their natural impulses. 
Many are convinced as they listen to the impor-
tant lessons of Christ. They believe his words, 
and resolve to lead holy lives, but when Satan 
comes with his evil suggestions, they are over-
come before the good seed has fairly sprung into 
life. 
Had the soil of the heart been broken up by 
deep repentance for sin, they would have seen 
how wicked was their selfish love of the world, 
their pride and avarice, and would have put 
them away. The seeds of truth would have 
struck deep into the fallow ground prepared for 
them in the heart, and would have sprung up 
and borne fruit. But evil habits had so long held 
sway over their lives that their good resolutions 
had vanished before the voice of the tempter. 
" And these are they by the wayside, where the 
word is sown ; but when they have heard, Sa-
tan cometh immediately, and taketh away the 
word that was sown in their hearts." 
There are those who receive the precious truth 
with joy; they are exceedingly zealous, and ex-
press amazement that all cannot see the things 
that are so plain to them. They urge others 
to embrace the doctrine that they find so sat-
isfying. They hastily condemn the hesitating 
and those who carefully weigh the evidences of 
the truth and consider it in all its bearings. 
They call such ones cold and unbelieving. But in 
the time of trial these enthusiastic persons falter 
and fail. They did not accept the cross as a part 
of their religious life, and they turn from it with 
dampened ardor, and refuse to take it up. 
If life moves smoothly with this class, if their 
way is never crossed, if all things are in harmony 
with their inclinations, they appear to be con-
sistent Christians. But they faint beneath the 
fiery test of temptation ; they cannot endure re-
proach for the truth's sake. The good seed that 
had sprung into so flourishing a plant, withers 
and dies because it has no root to sustain it 
in the time of drought. The very thing which 
should have caused the fibers to strike down 
deeper and send up more vigorous growth, 
parches and kills the whole plant. Just so the 
hot summer sun, that strengthens and ripens the 
hardy grain, withers and destroys that which, 
though fresh and green, has no depth of root, be-
cause the tender fibers cannot pierce the hard 
and stony ground. 
These persons could cultivate and enrich the 
soil of their hearts, if they would, so that the 
truth would take deeper hold ; but this involves 
too much patience and self-denial. It costs them 
too much effort to make a radical change in their 
lives. • They are easily offended by reproof, and 
ready to say with the disciples who left Jesus, 
" This is a hard saying ; who can hear it ? " 
"And these are they likewise which are sown on 
stony ground ; who, when they have heard the 
word, immediately receive it with gladness ; and 
have no root in themselves, and so endure but 
for a time; afterward, when affliction or persecu-
tion ariseth for the word's sake, immediately 
they are offended." 
240 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
PARABLE OF THE SOWER. �
241 
Jesus represents the seed as falling into neg-
lected borders and patches covered with rank 
weeds which choke the precious plants that 
spring up among them ; they grow sickly and 
perish. Many hearts respond to the voice of 
truth, but they do not properly receive and cher-
ish it. They give it a place in the soil of the 
natural heart, without preparing the ground and 
rooting out the poisonous weeds that flourish 
there, and watching every hour in order to de-
stroy them should they again appear. The cares 
of life, the fascination of riches, the longing for 
forbidden things, crowd out the love of righteous-
ness before the good seed can bear fruit. Pride, 
passion, self-love, and love of the world, with en-
vy and malice, are no companions for the truth of 
God. As it is necessary thoroughly to cultivate 
the soil that has once been overgrown with 
weeds, so it is necessary for the Christian to be 
diligent in exterminating the faults that threat-
en his eternal ruin. Patient, earnest effort in the 
name and strength of Jesus, can alone remove the 
evil tendencies of the natural heart. But those 
who have allowed their faith to be overcome by 
the growth of Satan's influences, fall into a worse 
state than that which they occupied before they 
heard the words of life. " And these are they 
which are sown among thorns ; such as hear the 
word, and the cares of this world, and the deceit-
fulness of riches, and the lusts of other things 
entering in, choke the word, and it becometh un-
fruitful." 
Few hearts are like the good soil, well-cul-
tivated, and receive the seeds of truth and 
bring forth abundant fruit to the glory of God. 
But Jesus finds some earnest Christians, rich in 
good works and sincere in their endeavors. 
"And these are they which are sown on good 
ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, 
and bring forth fruit, some thirty-fold, some six-
ty, and some an hundred." 
Thus Christ represents the characters of those 
whom he came to teach, in a brief and compre-
hensive parable. The worldly-minded, the evil-
disposed, the hard-hearted, are all exhibited to 
the minds of his hearers. He thus answers the 
question that we often hear to-day : Why was 
the work of Christ productive of such meager re-
sults, during his personal ministry upon earth ? 
Miracles of goodness and mercy marked his life ; 
but while he healed the afflicted, and cast out the 
demons that persecuted men, he left to themselves 
the work of correcting the evils of their natures. 
He instructed them how to unite their human 
efforts with his divine power, and triumph 
through his strength over the sins that beset 
them. 
This experience was necessary in order to give 
moral power to the Christian character and fit it 
for the courts of Heaven. Jesus employed no 
miraculous agency to compel men to believe in 
him. They were left to choose or reject him, of 
their own free will. No direct power was to 
force them into obedience, and destroy the free 
moral agency that God has given to man. The 
parable of the sower plainly sets forth the ten-
dencies of the human heart, and the different class-
es with which Christ had to deal, and also ex-
plains the reasons that his ministry was not more 
successful in its immediate effects. 
The parables of Jesus were designed to arouse 
a spirit of inquiry which would result in a clearer 
242 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
exposition of the truth. As he was thus instruct-
ing his disciples in the meaning of his words, 
the people again gathered about to listen, and 
his teachings were received and cherished in the 
minds of many who heard them. These dis-
courses of Jesus were not merely to a class of in-
ferior minds ; but there were intelligent and cul-
tivated persons present who were capable of the 
closest criticism. Scribes, Pharisees, doctors, rul-
ers, lawyers, and the representatives of all na-
tions, were there to hear ; yet there were none to 
gainsay his words in all that vast assembly. 
CHAPTER XIX. 
OTHER PARABLES. 
THERE was much curiosity and questioning 
among the people concerning this kingdom which 
they could not see with their material eyes. Je-
sus knew every perplexity that agitated the 
minds of his hearers, and as the multitude again 
thronged about him, he continued to teach them 
in parables. " And he said unto them, Is a can-
dle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a 
bed ? and not to be set on a candlestick ? For 
there is nothing hid, which shall not be mani-
fested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that 
it should come abroad. If any man have ears to 
hear, let him hear. And he said unto them, Take 
heed what ye hear; with what measure ye mete, 
it shall be measured to you ; and unto you that 
hear shall more be given. For he that hath, to 
OTHER PARABLES. �
243 
him shall be given ; and he that bath not, from 
him shall be taken even that which he hath." 
Jesus used the light of a candle to represent 
his doctrines, which illuminate the souls of those 
who accept them. This light is not to be hid-
den from the world, but should shine forth to 
enlighten and bless those who behold it. The 
instruction received by those who listened to Je-
sus was to be communicated by them to others, 
and thus handed down to posterity. He also 
declared that there was nothing hidden that 
should not be manifested. Whatever was in the 
heart would sooner or later be revealed by the 
actions ; and these would determine whether the 
seed sown had taken root in their minds and 
borne goodly fruit, or whether the thorns and 
brambles had won the day. He admonished 
them to hear and understand him. To improve 
the blessed privileges then extended to them, 
would result in their own salvation and through 
them would benefit others. 
And with what measure of sincere attention 
they listened to his instructions, they would re-
ceive like measure of knowledge in return. All 
who truly desired to understand his doctrines 
would be fully satisfied ; their Heaven-given priv-
ileges would increase ; their light would brighten 
unto the perfect day. But those who did not 
desire the light of truth would grope in darkness 
and be overcome by the powerful temptations of 
Satan. They would lose their dignity and self-
control, and the little knowledge of which they 
had boasted when they declared that they had 
no need of Christ, and scorned the guidance of 
Him who left a throne in Heaven to save them. 
Following the thread of his discourse, the Di- 
11 
244 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
vine Teacher uses another parable, saying, " So 
is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast 
seed into the ground ; and should sleep, and rise 
night and day, and the seed should spring and 
grow up, he knoweth not how. For the earth 
bringeth forth fruit of herself ; first the blade, 
then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. 
But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately 
he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is 
come." The seed here spoken of is the word of 
God sown in the heart and made fruitful by di-
vine grace. If the truth takes root in the heart, 
it will sooner or later spring into life and bear 
fruit. The life and character will show the 
nature and quantity of the seed sown. But 
the work of cultivating is the work of a life-time. 
The principles of truth once planted in the soul, 
are to be carried out in the daily duties of life. 
The growth of Christian character is gradual—
like the advancement of the natural plant 
through its various stages of development. But 
nevertheless the progress is continual. As in 
nature, so it is in grace, the plant must either 
grow or die. 
Day by day the sanctifying influence of the 
Spirit of God almost imperceptibly leads those 
who love the ways of truth toward the perfec-
tion of righteousness, till finally the soul is ripe 
for the harvest, the life-work is ended, God gath-
ers in his grain. There is no period in the 
Christian life when there is no more to learn, no 
higher attainments to reach. Sanctification is 
the work of a life-time. First the blade, then 
the ear, then the full corn in the ear, then the 
ripening and the harvest ; for when the fruit is 
perfect, it is ready for the sickle. 
OTHER PARABLES. �
245 
This figure presented a most marked contrast 
to the condition of the Jews. Their religion 
was cold and formal, the Holy Spirit had no 
place in their hearts ; therefore, instead of grow-
ing in grace, and advancing in the knowledge of 
God, they were continually becoming more cal-
lous and bigoted, retreating farther and farther 
from the presence of the Lord. The proud, cavil-
ing Pharisees looked around upon the vast num-
bers gathered to hear Jesus, and noted contempt-
uously how few there were who acknowledged 
him as the Messiah. There were many educated 
and influential men who had come to hear the 
prophet whose fame had spread far and near. 
Some of these looked with curious interest upon 
the throng, which was composed of all classes of 
society and every nationality. There were the 
poor, the illiterate, the ragged beggar, the robber 
with the seal of guilt upon his face, the sick, the 
maimed, the dissipated, high and low, rich and 
humble, jostling each other for a place to stand 
and hear the words of Jesus. 
As they gazed, they asked themselves incredu-
lously, Is the kingdom of God composed of such 
material as this ? Jesus read their thoughts, and 
replied to them by another parable :— 
" Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of 
God ? or with what comparison shall we com-
pare it ? It is like a grain of mustard seed, 
which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than 
all the seeds that be in the earth. But when it 
is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater 
than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches ; 
so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the 
shadow of it." Far and near the mustard lifted 
itself above the grass and grain, waving its 
246 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY'. 
OTHER PARABLES. �
247 
branches lightly in the air. Birds flitted from 
twig to twig and sang amid its leafy foliage. 
Yet the seed from which sprang this giant plant, 
was the least of all seeds. At first it had sent 
up a tender shoot ; but it was of strong vitality, 
and grew and flourished till it was of large pro-
portions, and the birds lodged under its shadow. 
The people look upon the mustard, growing 
so vigorously about them, and their minds are 
vividly impressed by the illustration Jesus has 
used to point the truths of his doctrine. He 
thus declares that not by force of arms, and the 
pomp and heraldry of war, is the kingdom of 
Christ to be set up. But the work is of grad-
ual development. Though the beginning may be 
small, it will grow and strengthen till, like the 
grain of mustard seed, it will reach, through im-
perceptible stages of development, the majesty 
of greatness. 
Jesus takes this poor little seed to illustrate 
his mighty truths. The merest trifle is not be-
neath the notice of the great Teacher. Many 
were there whose Christian experience began 
that day, and would be like the symbol he had 
used, growing into strength and beauty, trampled 
upon, yet still maintaining its vigorous life. .This 
figure was indelibly written upon the minds of 
hundreds who listened to the words of Jesus. 
Never would they behold the rank-growing mus-
tard, so plentiful in that region, but they would 
be reminded of this parable of the Saviour, and 
their hearts would remember the lesson that he 
taught concerning the mysterious influence of 
divine grace upon the human soul, and the quick-
ening power of the word that declares itself in 
the daily life. 
" Another parable spake he unto them : The 
kingdom of Heaven is like unto leaven, which a 
woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, 
till the whole was leavened." The leaven in the 
meal represents the progressive work of divine 
grace in the human heart. The leaven was not 
naturally in the meal, but being placed in it 
gave rise to fermentation which resulted in a 
radical change of the whole mass. -So the prin-
ciples of God's truth, hidden in the heart of an 
individual, change his entire nature, and influ-
ence his life. The natural feelings are trans-
forthed, the affections are consecrated, and the 
mind elevated. Physically, the man appears the 
same ; but inwardly, he has become renewed by 
the heavenly principles that animate his life. 
Again Jesus took the fields before him and the 
sowers and reapers to illustrate his truths, say-
ing, " The kingdom of Heaven is likened unto. a 
man which sowed good seed in his field. But 
while men slept, his enemy came and sowed 
tares among the wheat, and went his way. But 
when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth 
fruit, then appeared the tares also. 
The tares were noxious weeds, very annoying 
to the cultivator of the soil, for they sprang up 
together with the good grain. There was danger 
of disturbing the roots of the wheat, and destroy-
ing the young blades, if the weeds were rudely 
pulled from among them ; besides this, the tares 
so closely resembled the grain, while growing, 
that it was hard to distinguish the one from the 
other. 
When the servants of the householder came 
and asked him from whence the tares had come, 
seeing he had sown good seed in his field, he told 
248 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
them that an enemy had sowed the weeds among 
his grain to injure him. Then they inquired if 
they might not gather out the tares and leave 
the wheat free. " But he said, Nay ; lest while 
ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat 
with them. Let both grow together until the 
harvest; and in the time of harvest I will say to 
the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares and 
bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather 
the wheat into my barn." 
The enemy sowing the troublesome seeds, is an 
illustration of Satan's work upon the human mind. 
Christ is the Sower, who scatters the precious 
grain in the fallow ground of the heart ; but the 
enemy of souls steals in secretly and sows the 
seeds of evil. These germs of error spring up 
abundantly and bear their noxious fruit, some-
times crowding out and destroying the precious 
plants about them. The soil that should have 
produced goodly grain for the nourishment of 
man, runs to waste, and the seeds of sin are car-
ried from that to other fields. 
The growth of the tares among the wheat 
would draw special attention to it. The grain 
would be subjected to severe criticism. Indeed, 
the whole field might be set down as worthless by 
some superficial observer, or by one who delighted 
to. discover evil. The sower might be condemned 
by him, as one who had mingled the bad seed 
with the good for his own wicked purpose. Just 
so the erring and hypocritical ones who profess 
to follow Jesus bring reproach upon the cause of 
Christianity, and cause the world to doubt con-
cerning the truths of Christ. As the presence of 
the tares among the wheat counteracted to a great 
degree the work of the sower, so sin among the 
OTHER PARABLES. �
249 
people of God, frustrates, in a measure, the plan 
of Jesus to save fallen man from the power of 
Satan and render the barren ground of the human 
heart fruitful of good works. 
The tares so closely resembled the wheat that 
the laborers might easily be deceived when the 
blades were green, and root out the good plants. 
But when the field was white for the harvest, then 
the worthless weeds bore no resemblance to the 
wheat that bowed under the weight of its full, ripe 
heads. Then the tares were ruthlessly plucked 
up and destroyed, while the precious grain was 
gathered into barns. Sinners who make false 
pretensions of piety mingle together for a time 
with the true followers of Christ, and this external 
semblance of Christianity is calculated to deceive 
many. But in the harvest of the world there 
will be no likeness between good and evil. The 
wicked will be gathered from the righteous, to 
trouble them no more forever. 
After Jesus had sent the multitude away, and 
had retired with his disciples into the house, they 
asked him to explain the parable that he had 
given them, and he answered, "He that soweth 
the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the 
world ; the good seed are the children of the 
kingdom ; but the tares are the children of the 
wicked one ; the enemy that sowed them is the 
devil ; the harvest is the end of the world ; and 
the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares 
are gathered and burned in the fire, so shall it 
he in the end of this world. The Son of Man 
shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather 
out of his kingdom all things that offend, and 
them which do iniquity, and shall cast them 
Great Controversy, Vol, 2. �
17 
OTHER PARABLES. �
251 
250 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
into a furnace of fire ; there shall be wailing and 
gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine 
forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. 
Who bath ears to hear, let him hear." 
These words of Christ are meaningless to those 
who are looking for a temporal millennium, when 
all the world will be converted. He expressly 
states that the wheat and tares shall grow to-
gether till the harvest, which is the end of the 
world. Then the tares are to be gathered out of 
the field ; but they are not to be transformed by 
a mighty miracle into wheat. They are to remain 
tares, and are to be cast into the fire and utterly 
destroyed. 
Jesus, in his explanation of the parable, brings 
distinctly before his disciples the great difference 
between the treatment of the wicked and the 
righteous in that time when men shall be judged 
for their deeds. Reaching down to the end of 
time, he corrects the false doctrines of those 
who rise up to deceive the people. He would 
teach men that God, who rained a fiery tempest 
upon the cities of the plains and destroyed them 
because of the iniquity in their midst, will surely 
punish the sinner. He holds the destiny of men 
and nations in his hands, and he will not always 
be mocked. Jesus himself declares that there is 
a greater sin than that which brought destruc-
tion upon Sodom and Gomorrah ; it is the sin of 
those who see the Son of God and listen to his 
teachings, yet turn from his salvation, and reject 
his offered mercy. But the righteous shall be re-
warded with eternal life. 
Jesus, in his teachings on this occasion, spoke 
many parables to the people, that he might forci-
bly impress his truths upon their minds. Our 
Saviour's mission to the world was to bring to 
light hidden mysteries which finite man could 
never fathom, divine problems which the hu-
man mind is unable to solve. " Of which sal-
vation the prophets have inquired and searched 
diligently, who prophesied of the grace that 
should come unto you." " Which things the an-
gels desire to look into." The Son of God 
came to be a light to the world, to reveal 
wonders to the children of men that even the 
angels had vainly longed to understand. He 
patiently explains the marvelous transforma-
tion of sinful mortals into children of God and 
heirs with himself in the kingdom of Heaven. 
The introduction of sin had opened the door to 
every species of suffering and wretchedness, till 
moral darkness shrouded the earth like a funeral 
pall ; but Jesus, the Restorer, brings man into 
connection with himself and re-creates him in the 
divine image. 
The Saviour continued his parables to the lis-
tening people, saying, " Again, the kingdom of 
Heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field ; the 
which when a man hath found, he hideth, and 
for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he bath, 
and buyeth that field. Again, the kingdom of 
Heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking 
goodly pearls ; who, when he had found one 
pearl of great price, went and sold all that he 
had, and bought it." In those days there were 
many who searched for treasure which was sup-
posed to be buried in certain localities where 
great cities had once stood. In the great thor-
oughfare of travel, where Jesus was then teach-
ing, it was not unusual to meet persons who had 
come long distances on their way to where it, 
.11,1111111:111 
252 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY 
was supposed hidden treasure could be found. 
The desire for great riches led them upon a jour-
ney fraught with many perils. They had left 
their avocations upon a venture that seldom 
proved successful. But if they secured a small 
treasure they redoubled their exertions, hoping to 
realize still greater riches. Jesus had this class of 
his hearers in view, when he thus illustrated the 
mysterious riches of his grace, which, once hav-
ing attracted the heart of man, lead him to seek 
higher attainments and greater blessings. The 
more he realizes of the peace of God, the more he 
desires to drink deeper at the fountain of his 
love. The thirst for righteousness, the longing 
and seeking for its treasures, continually increase. 
In order to obtain a vast treasure that is sup-
posed to be hidden in a field, or a gem that is of 
great and unknown value, the man who is seek-
ing for riches invests all his substance in that 
field, or uses it to purchase the precious jewel, 
calculating that it will increase in value on his 
hands and bring him the fortune that he covets. 
So should the Christian, who desires the riches 
of Heaven, set aside all considerations that inter-
fere with his eternal welfare, and put his soul 
into the work of securing the riches of Christ's 
love. His talents, his means, his energies, should 
all be applied in such a way as to win the ap-
probation of God. Jesus directs the minds of his 
hearers to infinite riches, hidden where all may 
engage in searching for them, sure of being suc-
cessful, never doomed to the disappointment of 
fruitless toil. He came from Heaven to direct 
the search. High and low, rich and poor, stand 
upon an equal footing, and none need seek in 
vain. Obedience to his will is the one condition 
OTHER PARABLES. �
253 
of success, and well may the earnest seeker af-
ford to sell all that he has to possess this blessing 
of divine love—the pearl of great price. 
There were many fishermen in the assembly 
that listened to the teachings of Jesus ; and 
therefore he spoke a parable that would bring 
his truth directly home to their minds by an illus-
tration drawn from their daily lives. Said he, 
"Again, the kingdom of Heaven is like unto a 
net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of 
every kind. Which, when it was full, they drew 
to shore and sat down, and gathered the good 
into vessels, but cast the bad away. So shall it 
be at the end of the world. The angels shall 
come forth, and sever the wicked from among 
the just, and shall cast them into the furnace 
of fire ; there shall be wailing and gnashing 
of teeth." Here again the separation of the 
wicked from the righteous at the end of the 
world is impressed upon the minds of his hearers, 
in words that cannot be mistaken. 
Jesus had a wise purpose in making use of so 
many parables by which to teach the same im-
portant truths. All classes were before him, for 
it was a place where many different people met 
m the pursuit of their business or in their jour-
neys. By using a variety of illustrations he suc-
ceeded in reaching many minds. The parable of 
the sower and that of the wheat and tares, ap-
plied to all. The fields were before them, and 
the laborers 'scattering the seed, or harvesting 
the earlier grain. Also the mustard that grew 
so luxuriantly about them furnished a lesson 
for all. 
But in order to press home his truths more 
closely, he also spoke other parables to suit par- 
251 �
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
OTHER PARABLES. �
255 
ticular cases. The searcher for riches represented 
a large class, who could not but be struck by the 
parable of the hidden treasure. And the leaven, 
buried in the meal, while it was an illustration 
that could be understood by all, brought home 
the truth with added power to the minds of the 
women, who knew so well the action of the leav-
en upon the meal, and were thus enabled to draw 
a forcible comparison between that and the work-
ings of God's grace upon the human heart. Je-
sus overlooked none in his teachings, and the 
humblest were remembered with tender pity. 
The Saviour inquired of his disciples if they 
understood these things. They answered, " area, 
Lord. Then said he unto them, Therefore every 
scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of 
Heaven is like unto a man that is an household-
er, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things 
new and old." In this parable, Jesus pre-
sented before his disciples the responsibility of 
those whose work it is to give to the world the 
light which they have received from him. The 
Old Testament was all the Scripture then in exist-
ence ; but it was not written merely for the an-
cients ; it was for all ages and for all people. Je-
sus would have the teachers of his doctrine dili-
gently search the Old Testament for that light 
which establishes his identity as the Messiah 
foretold in prophecy, and reveals the nature of 
his mission to the world. The Old and the New 
Testament are inseparable, for both are the 
teachings of Christ. The doctrine of the Jews, 
who accept only the Old Testament, is not unto 
salvation, since they reject the Saviour whose 
life and ministry was a fulfillment of the law 
and the prophecies. And the doctrine of those who 
discard the Old Testament is not unto salvation, 
because it rejects that which is direct testimony 
of Christ. Skeptics begin with discounting upon 
the Old Testament, and it takes but another step 
to deny the validity of the New, and thus both 
are rejected. 
The Jews have little influence over the Chris-
tian world in showing them the importance of 
the commandments, including the binding law of 
the Sabbath, because in bringing forth the old 
treasures of truth, they throw aside the new ones 
in the personal teachings of Jesus. On the other 
hand, the strongest reason why Christians fail to 
influence the Jews to accept the teachings of Christ 
as the language of divine wisdom, is because, in 
bringing forth the treasures of his word, they 
treat with contempt the riches of the Old Testa-
ment, which are the earlier teachings of the Son 
of God, through Moses. They reject the law 
proclaimed from Sinai, and the Sabbath of the 
fourth commandment, instituted in the garden of 
Eden. But the minister of the gospel, who fol-
lows the teachings of Christ, will gain a thorough 
knowledge of both the Old and the New Testa-
ment, that he may present them in their true 
light to the people an inseparable whole—the 
one depending upon and illuminating the other. 
Thus, as Jesus instructed his disciples, they will 
bring forth from their treasure " things new and 
old." 
In looking abroad over the various fields 
where he had labored, Jesus was filled with com-
passion for those scattered ones who had accepted 
him as their Saviour, and looked to him for the 
bread of life. They seemed to him like sheep to 
be left without a shepherd, when he should as- 
256 �
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
OTHER PARABLES. �
257 
tend to Heaven. Before his sufferings and death, 
it was necessary that he should commission his 
disciples to go forth as his representatives, that 
the believers might look to them as divinely ap-
pointed teachers, so that in the approaching time 
of darkness and discouragement they would not 
be left without counselors. Calling the twelve 
about him, he said to them ; " The harvest truly 
is great, but the laborers are few; pray ye there-
fore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send 
forth laborers into his harvest." As yet the dis-
ciples had little experience in preaching the 
practical truths received from their Lord ; but 
they had been his companions for several months, 
and he had occasionally sent them forth to labor 
by themselves for a short time, to prepare them 
for their future mission when he should no 
longer be with them. But he now separated 
them in pairs, and sent them away from him in 
different directions. He delegated to, them the 
power of working miracles, but they were in no 
case to employ this power for their own exalta-
tion or advantage. They were to be gone but a 
few days, and they were not sent among stran-
gers on this first tour, but among their brethren 
who were to prepare their way that they might 
have access to the people, many of whom ear-
nestly desired to know more of the doctrines of 
Christ. 
In sending out his disciples, Jesus instructed 
them, upon entering a town or city, to seek those 
who were of good repute and abide with them 
during the time in which they labored in that 
locality ; for the influence of such persons would 
be beneficial to the cause. But if the disciples 
were not received by those to whom they went, 
they were to shake off even the dust from their 
feet against the house that was closed against 
them, or the city that refused to hear their mes-
sage. This act was calculated to impress the 
people with the importance of the gospel mes-
sage, and with the fact that it could not be 
slighted or rejected with inpunity. The great 
Teacher declared to his disciples, with startling 
emphasis, that it would be more tolerable for 
Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of Judgment 
than for the city that refused to hear them. 
Jesus enjoins his disciples to make known to 
others those truths which he had spoken to their 
ears alone, saying, " What I tell you in darkness, 
that speak ye in light; and what ye hear in the 
ear, that preach ye upon the house-tops." Know-
ing the rebuffs and persecution they are to meet 
in the ministry upon which they are now about 
to enter, he strengthens them for their work by 
assuring them that in all their coming toils and 
dangers, God will watch over them. They are to 
go on unmindful of the opposition of men, seek-
ing only to please God in whose hands they are : 
"And fear not them which kill the body, but are 
not able to kill the soul ; but rather fear Him 
which is able to destroy both soul and body in 
hell." 
They are to go forward, bearing their testi-
mony of truth, and leave their fate with their 
Heavenly Father. Jesus comforts them with a 
knowledge of the divine care that watches over 
their lives, saying, " Are not two sparrows sold for 
a farthing ? and one of them shall not fall on 
the ground without your Father. But the very 
hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye 
258 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
not therefore ; ye are of more value than many 
sparrows." 
And finally, he crowns his instruction and en-
couragement with the grand assurance of eternal 
reward to those who accept the Son of God and 
obey his teachings, and of denunciation to those 
who reject them ; " Whosoever therefore shall 
confess me before men, him will I confess also 
before my Father which is in Heaven. But who-
soever shall deny me before men, him will I also 
deny before my Father which is in Heaven." 
Thus the Saviour commissioned his disciples 
to go out into the world and preach his word, 
to heal the sick, and comfort the sorrowful as 
they had seen him do, and they went forth, work-
ing according to his directions. The mission of 
God's servants to-day is of the same vital im-
portance as that of the apostles whom Christ 
sent from him with such solemn words of in-
struction. To accept or to reject the message of 
Christ will insure the results indicated by the 
Master to his disciples on that solemn occasion 
when he commissioned them to teach his word 
to the people. 
CHAPTER XX. 
THE LOAVES AND FISHES. 
JESUS, to obtain a little season of repose, and 
for the benefit of his disciples, proposed that they 
should go with him into a desert place and rest 
awhile. There were suitable places for such re-
tirement beyond the sea from Capdrnaum, and 
THE LOAVES AND FISHES. �
259 
they entered a boat to make their way thither. 
But some who were searching for Jesus saw him 
depart from the shore, and the anxious people 
gathered together watching the slowly receding 
boat. The news spread from city to city that 
Jesus was crossing the sea ; and many who 
were eager to see and hear him flocked to the 
place where it was thought that his boat would 
land, while others followed him over the water 
in boats. So when Jesus and his disciples land-
ed they found themselves in the midst of a mul-
titude of people, pressing forward on all sides to 
meet them. 
Hundreds of the sick and maimed had been 
brought for Jesus to relieve, and were disposed 
upon the ground in positions favorable to arrest 
his attention. The crowd had awaited his com-
ing with intense anxiety, and their numbers were 
continually increasing. The Saviour could not 
here find the rest he sought, for the waiting com-
pany commanded his attention ; their needs en-
listed his immediate sympathy and aid. He could 
not steal away with his disciples to secure the 
coveted retirement, and disappoint this expectant 
people. All maladies were represented among 
the sick who claimed his notice. Some were 
burning with fever and unconscious of the anx-
ious friends that ministered to them. There 
were the deaf, the blind, the palsied, the lame, 
and lunatic. In looking upon this wretched 
throng the heart of Jesus melted with compas-
sion. 
He was so pressed upon by the multitude that 
he went a little apart upon a grassy eminence, 
where he could be seen and heard by all the peo-
ple. Here he taught them through the entire 
260 �
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
day, and healed all the sick and afflicted that 
were brought to him. Those who had been con-
fused in their belief, and longed for some intelli-
gent doctrine to relieve their uncertainty, found 
their darkness dispelled by the beams of right-
eousness from the presence of Christ, and were 
charmed with the simplicity of the truths he 
taught. �
. 
His discourse was often interrupted by the de-
lirious ravings of some fever-stricken sufferer, or 
the piercing shriek of the insane, whose friends 
were trying to press through the crowd and bear 
the afflicted to the Healer. The voice of wisdom 
was also Often lost in shouts of triumph as the 
victims of hopeless disease were instantly re-
stored to health and strength. The great Physi-
cian patiently submitted to these interruptions, 
and spoke calmly and kindly to all. He came 
from the other side of the sea because he was 
weary, but lo, he found more pressing cases for 
his attention than at the place from which he 
had secretly departed. 
At length the day was spent, the sun was sink-
ing out of sight in the west, and yet the people 
lingered. Many had come miles to hear the 
words of Jesus and had eaten nothing all day. 
The Master had labored through all that time 
without food or repose, and the disciples, seeing 
him pale with weariness and hunger, besought 
him to rest from his toil and take some refresh-
ment. Their entreaties being of no avail, they 
consulted together as to the propriety of forcibly 
removing him from the eager multitude, fearing 
that he would die of fatigue. Peter and John 
each took an arm of their blessed Master and 
kindly endeavored to draw him away. But he 
THE LOAVES AND FISHES. �
261 
refused to be removed from the place. His work 
was imperative ; every applicant for his mercy 
felt his own case to be the most urgent. The 
crowd press about the Saviour; they sway him 
hither and thither. In their efforts to more 
nearly approach him, they trample upon each 
other. 
Jesus, perceiving all this, beckons to Peter, 
who is in his boat on the sea, to come nigh. 
The disciple obeys the signal, and comes to shore. 
Jesus presses through the throng, and steps into 
the boat, bidding Peter to thrust out a little from 
the land. He now sits in the rocking boat of 
the fisherman, and, in full sight and hearing of 
the crowd, finishes the long and toilsome day by 
speaking precious truths to them. The Son of 
God, leaving the royal courts of Heaven, takes 
not his position upon David's throne; but from 
the swaying seat of a fisherman's boat, speaks 
the words of eternal wisdom which are to be 
immortalized in the minds of his disciples and 
given to the world as the legacy of God. 
As the sun was setting, Jesus saw before him 
five thousand people besides women and children, 
who had been all day without food. He in- ' 
quired of Philip concerning the probability of 
obtaining, bread for so large a number, that they 
might not return to their homes unrefreshed nor 
faint by the way. This he did to test the faith 
of his disciples, for he himself was at no loss how 
to provide food. He who would not work a 
miracle to satisfy his own hunger in the wilder-
ness, would not allow the multitude to suffer for 
lack of food. Philip looked over the sea of heads 
and thought how impossible it would be to ob-
tain sufficient food to satisfy the wants of such a 
262 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
crowd. He answered that two hundred penny-
worth of bread would not be nearly enough to 
divide among them so that each one might have 
a little. Jesus inquired how much food could be 
found among the company. He was told that 
Andrew had discovered a lad who had with him 
five barley loaves, and two small fishes. But this 
was nothing among so many, and they were in a 
desert place, where no more could be obtained. 
Jesus commanded that this meager store should 
be brought to him. This being done, he directed 
his disciples to seat the people upon the grass in 
parties of fifty, and one hundred, to preserve or-
der, and that all might witness the miracle he 
was about to do. This marshaling of five thou-
sand people into companies, was at length satis-
factorily accomplished, and they were all seated 
in the presence of the Saviour. He then took 
the loaves and fishes, and, having given thanks, 
distributed them to the disciples and to the mul-
titudes, in quantities sufficient to satisfy their 
appetites. 
The people had arranged themselves in the re-
quired order wondering what was to be done, but 
their amazement knew no bounds when the prob-
lem was solved, and they beheld food portioned 
out to that vast assembly from the slender store 
scarcely sufficient for a score of persons. The 
food did not diminish, as Jesus handed it to his 
disciples, who in their turn served the people. 
As often as they returned to him for a fresh sup-
ply, it was furnished them. After all had been 
satisfied, he directed the disciples to gather up 
the fragments that nothing might be lost; and 
the broken fragments filled twelve baskets. 
During this remarkable feast, there was much 
THE LOAVES AND FISHES. �
263 
earnest reflection among those who were so mi-
raculously served. They had followed Jesus to 
listen to words such as had never before fallen 
upon their ears. His teachings had sunk into 
their hearts. He had healed their sick, had com-
forted their sorrow, and, at last, rather than send 
them away hungering, he had fed them bounte-
ously. His pure and simple doctrine laid hold of 
their minds, and his tender benevolence won their 
hearts. While eating the food he had provided 
for them, they decided that this was indeed the 
Messiah. No other one could do so mighty a 
miracle. No human power could create from 
five barley-loaves and two small fishes, food suf-
ficient to feed thousands of hungry people. His 
teachings and work of healing had already 
nearly convinced them of his divinity, and this 
miracle crowned their growing conviction with 
entire belief. 
They decided that this was the Prince of Life, 
the promised Deliverer of the Jews. They per-
ceive that he makes no effort to win the applause 
of the people. In this he is essentially different 
from the chief priests and rulers, who are ambi-
tious for titles and the honor of men. They fear 
that he will never claim his right as King of Is-
rael and take his place on David's throne in Je-
rusalem. But they decide that what he will not as-
sume for himself, they will claim for him. They 
need no greater evidence of his divine power nor 
will they wait for any further proof. They quiet-
ly consult among themselves, and arrange to take 
him by force, and bear him upon their shoulders, 
proclaiming him the King of Israel. The disci-
ples unite with the people in declaring that the 
throne of David is the rightful inheritance of 
264, 
265 
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
THE LOAVES AND FISHES. 
their Master. Let the arrogant priests and rulers 
be humbled, and compelled to yield honor to Him 
who comes clothed with the authority of God. 
They begin to devise means to accomplish their 
purpose ; but Jesus discerns their plans, which, if 
followed out, would defeat the very work he de-
signs to do, and put a period to his instruction 
and deeds of mercy and benevolence. 
Already the priests and rulers look upon him 
as one who has turned the hearts of the people 
from them to himself. Already they so dread 
his growing influence among them that they seek 
to take his life. He knows that violence and in-
surrection would be the result of his exaltation 
as Israel's king. He did not come into the world 
to set up a temporal kingdom ; his kingdom, as 
he had stated, was not of this world. The mul-
titude do not perceive the dangers arising from 
the movement they contemplate ; but the calm 
eye of divine wisdom discovers all the hidden 
evils. Jesus sees that it is time to change the 
current of feeling among the people. He calls 
his disciples to him and directs them to immedi-
ately take the boat and return to Capernaum, 
leaving him to dismiss the people. He promises 
to meet them that night or on the following 
morning. The disciples are loth to submit to 
this arrangement. They are ambitious that Je-
sus should receive his true merits, and be lifted 
above the persecutions of the priests and rulers. 
The favored moment seems to have arrived, when, 
by the unanimous voice of the people, Christ can 
be elevated to his true dignity. 
They cannot feel reconciled that all this enthu-
siasm shall come to naught. The people were as-
sembling from all quarters to celebrate the pass- 
over at Jerusalem. They were all anxious to see 
the great Prophet whose fame had spread through 
all the land. This, to the faithful followers of 
Jesus, seemed the golden opportunity to estab-
lish their beloved Master as Israel's king. It 
seemed, in the glow of this new ambition, a very 
hard thing for them to go away by themselves 
and leave their Master alone upon the desolate 
shore, surrounded by high and barren mount-
ains. 
They remonstrate against this arrangement ; 
but Jesus is firm in his decision, and commands 
them to follow his directions with an authority 
that he had never before assumed toward them. 
They obey in silence. Jesus then turns to the 
multitude, and perceives that they are thorough-
ly decided to force him into becoming their king. 
Their movements must be checked at once. 
The disciples had already departed, and he now, 
standing before them with a grand dignity, dis-
misses them in so firm and decisive a manner 
that they dare not disobey his commands. The 
words of praise and exaltation die upon their 
lips. Their steps are stayed as they are in the 
very act of advancing to seize him, and the glad 
and eager looks fade from their countenances. 
There were men of strong minds and firm de-
termination in that throng, but the kingly bear-
ing of Jesus, and his few quiet words of authority 
quelled the tumult in a moment and frustrated 
all their designs. Like meek, submissive chil-
dren, they obey the command of their Lord, 
submitting humbly, and without question, to a 
power that they recognize as above all earthly 
authority. 
Great Controversy, Vol, 2, �
18 
266 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
WALKING ON THE WATER. �267 
Jesus looked upon the retreating multitude 
with yearning compassion. He felt that they 
were as scattered sheep without a shepherd. 
The priests, who should have been teachers in 
Israel, were but machines for performing un-
meaning ceremonies and repeating the law they 
did not themselves understand nor practice. 
When he was left alone he went up into the 
mountain, and, for many hours, bent in supplica-
tion before the Father with bitter agony and 
tears. Not for himself were those earnest pray-
ers, but for man, depraved and lost but for re-
deeming grace. It was for man that the Son of 
God wrestled with his Father, asking that the 
poor sinful creature might turn from his guilt to 
the light of salvation. 
The Saviour knew that his days of personal 
effort for men upon earth were numbered. He 
who read the hearts of men knew that compara-
tively few would accept him as their Redeemer, 
acknowledging themselves lost without his di-
vine aid. The Jews were rejecting the very help 
that God had sent to save them from utter ruin. 
They were fastening the chains that bound them 
in hopeless night. They were bringing upon 
themselves the certain wrath of God for their 
blind and obstinate wickedness. Hence the grief 
of Jesus, and his tears and strong cries for his mis-
taken people, who spurned his love that would 
shelter them, and his mercy that would save 
them from the retribution of their sins. Deep 
emotion shakes that noble form as he keenly real-
izes the doom of the people he has come to 
save. In every trial and emergency, Jesus went 
to his Heavenly Father for help, and, in those se-
cret interviews, received strength for the work 
that lay before him. Christians should follow 
the example of their Saviour, and seek in prayer 
the strength that will enable them to endure the 
trials and duties of life. Prayer is the Chris-
tian's defense, the safeguard of his integrity and 
virtue. 
CHAPTER XXI. 
WALKING ON THE WATER. 
MEANWHILE, the disciples were in trouble. A 
storm had arisen, and the lake was lashed into 
fury. Hour after hour they labored at the oars, 
being driven hither and thither by the resistless 
force of the waves. All night they were tossed 
upon the raging billows,•feeling liable at any mo-
ment to be engulfed beneath them. It was but 
a few hours' work, in ordinary weather, to reach 
the opposite shore, from the place they had left ; 
but their frail bark was driven farther and far-
ther from the port they sought, the plaything of 
the angry tempest. They had left Jesus with 
dissatisfied hearts. They had set out, murmur-
ing among themselves because their wishes had 
not been gratified in the matter of exalting their 
Lord to be the King of Israel. They had blamed 
themselves for being so easily turned from their 
purpose, and yielding so readily to the commands 
of Jesus. They reasoned that if they had re-
'named and persisted in their intention, they 
might have finally gained the point. 
When the storm arose they still more deeply 
regretted having left Jesus. Had they remained 
268 �
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
this peril would have been avoided. This was a 
severe trial of their faith. In the darkness and 
tempest they sought to gain the point where he 
had promised to meet them, but the driving wind 
forced them from their course and made all their 
efforts futile. They were strong men and accus-
tomed to the water, but now their hearts failed 
them with terror; they longed for the calm com-
manding presence of the Master, and felt that 
were he with them they would be secure. But 
Jesus had not forgotten his disciples. From the 
distant shore, his eye pierced the darkness, saw 
their danger, and read their thoughts. He would 
not suffer one of them to perish. As a fond 
mother watches the child she has in kindness 
corrected, so the compassionate Master watched 
his disciples ; and when their hearts were sub-
dued, their unholy ambition quelled, and they 
humbly prayed for help, it was given them. At 
the very moment they believed themselves lost, 
a flash of lightning revealed the figure of a man 
walking toward them upon the water. An un-
speakable terror seized them. The hands that 
had grasped the oars with muscle like iron, 
relaxed their hold, and fell powerless by their 
sides. The boat rocked at the will of the waves, 
while their eyes were riveted upon this vision of 
a man stepping firmly upon the white-capped 
billows. 
They thought it must be a spirit, which omened 
their immediate destruction. Jesus calmly ad-
vanced as though he would pass them, but they 
recognize his form, and feel that he will not leave 
them in their distress. They cry out, supplicat-
ing his help ! The figure turns ! It is their be-
loved Master, whose well-known voice speaks, 
WALKING ON THE WATER. �269 
silencing their fear, " Be of good cheer. It is I, 
be not afraid." Were ever words so welcome, so 
reassuring as these ! The disciples are speechless 
with joy. Their apprehensions are gone. The 
storm is forgotten. They hail Jesus as their 
Deliverer ! 
Ardent Peter is nearly beside himself with de-
light. He sees his Master boldly treading the 
foam-wreathed waves, coming to save his follow-
ers, and he loves his Lord as never before. He 
yearns to embrace and worship him. He longs 
to meet him and walk by his side upon the 
stormy water. He cries, " Lord, if it be thou, 
bid me come unto thee on the water." Jesus 
granted his request ; but Peter had taken only a 
step upon the surface of the boiling deep, when 
he looked back proudly toward his companions 
to see if they were watching his movements, and 
admiring the ease with which he trod upon the 
yielding water. 
In taking his eyes from Jesus, they fell upon 
the boisterous waves that seemed greedily threat-
ening to swallow him ; their roaring filled his ears, 
his head swam, his heart failed him with fear. As 
he is sinking, he recovers presence of mind suf-
ficient to remember that there is One near who 
can rescue him. He stretches out his arms to-
ward Jesus, crying, "Lord, save me, or I perish !" 
The pitying Saviour grasps the trembling hands 
that are reached toward him, and lifts the sink-
ing form beside his own. Never does that kind- 
ly face and that arm of strength turn from the 
supplicating hands that are stretched out for 
mercy. Peter clings to his Lord with humble 
trust, while Jesus mildly reproaches him: 0 
thou of little faith ! wherefore didst thou doubt ?" 
j lip II 
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
WALKING ON THE WATEL 
271 
The trembling disciple now clings firmly to 
the hand of the Master till they are both safely 
seated in the boat among their joyful compan-
ions. But Peter was subdued and silent ; he had 
no reason to boast over his fellows, for he had 
very nearly lost his life through exaltation and 
unbelief. When he took his eyes from Jesus in 
order to note the admiration of others, he lost 
guidance, and doubt and fear seized upon him. 
So it is in the Christian life ; nothing but an eye 
firmly fixed upon the Saviour will enable us to 
tread the stormy billows of the world. Immedi-
ately upon Jesus taking his place in the boat they 
were at the land. The tempest had ceased, and the 
night of horror was succeeded by the light of 
dawn. The disciples, and others who were also 
on board, bowed at the feet of Jesus with thank-
ful hearts, saying, " Of a truth thou art the Son 
of God !" 
The multitude that had been fed the preced-
ing day had left Jesus on the barren shore, and 
they knew that there was no boat left by which 
he could depart. They therefore on the follow-
ing morning returned to the spot where they had 
last seen him watching their departure with com-
passionate eyes. The news of his wonderful mira-
cle of feeding the multitude had spread far and 
near, and at an early hour they began to arrive, 
by land and water, in large numbers. But they 
searched in vain for the great Teacher, and final-
ly returned to Capernaum, still seeking him. 
Meanwhile, the Master, with his disciples, had 
found the seclusion they sought the previous day. 
Jesus felt that it was necessary to give his disci-
ples some special instruction, but he was fol-
lowed so closely by the crowds that it was ex- 
tremely difficult to secure such seasons of retire-
ment. He could not obtain the time for prayer 
in the day-time, but frequently devoted the en-
tire night to communion with his Heavenly Fa-
ther, wrestling in supplication for the erring chil-
dren of men. The Saviour, oppressed by the un-
belief of humanity, bearing the burden of the 
world's iniquity, was indeed a Man of sorrows, 
and acquainted with grief. 
Jesus made use of the few hours of seclusion 
with his disciples in praying with them, and 
teaching them more definitely concerning the 
nature of his kingdom. He saw that, in their 
human weakness, they were inclined to desire 
that his reign should be a temporal one. Their 
earthly ambition had caused them to become 
confused as to the real mission of Christ. He 
now reproved them for their misconception, and 
taught them that instead of worldly honor it 
was shame that awaited him, and instead of a 
throne, the pitiless cross. He taught them that 
for his sake, and to win salvation, they must also 
be willing to endure reproach and contumely. 
The time drew near when Jesus was to die, 
and leave his disciples to face the cold and cruel 
world alone. He knew how bitter hate and un-
belief would persecute them, and he wished to 
encourage and strengthen them for their trials. 
He accordingly went away by himself and prayed 
for them, interceding with the Father, that in the 
time of that fearful test which awaited them, 
their faith would prove steadfast, and his suffer-
ings and death might not utterly overwhelm them 
with despair. What tender love was this, that, 
in view of his own approaching agony, reached 
forward to shield his companions from danger ! 
ii 
272 �
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
When he again joined his disciples, he asked 
them : " Whom do men say that I, the Son of 
Man, am ? And they said, Some say that 
thou art John the Baptist; some, Elias ; and 
others, Jeremias, or one. of the prophets." Ques-
tioning still closer, he inquired, " But whom say 
ye that I am ? " Peter, ever ready to speak, an-
swered for himself and his brethren : " Thou art 
Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus 
answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, 
Simon Bar-jona ; for flesh and blood bath not 
revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is 
in Heaven." 
Notwithstanding the faith of many had utter-
ly failed, and the power of the priests and rulers 
was mighty against them, the brave disciple thus 
boldly declared his belief. Jesus saw, in this ac-
knowledgment, the living principle that would 
animate the hearts of his believers in coming 
ages. It is the mysterious working of God's 
Spirit upon the human heart, that elevates the 
humblest mind to a knowledge above all earthly 
wisdom, an acquaintance with the sacred truths of 
God. Ah, indeed, " blessed art thou, Simon Bar-
jona, for flesh and blood bath not revealed it 
unto thee." 
Jesus continued : " And I say also unto thee, 
That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will 
build my church ; and the gates of hell shall not 
prevail against it." The word Peter signifies 
rolling stone. Christ did not refer to Peter as 
being the rock upon which he would found his 
church. His expression, " this rock," applied to 
himself as the foundation of the Christian church. 
In Isaiah 28 : 16, the same reference is made : 
"Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay 
WALKING ON THE WATER. �273 
in Zion, for a foundation, a stone, a tried stone, 
a precious corner stone, a sure foundation." It 
is the same stone to which reference is made in 
Luke 20:17, 18 : "And he beheld them, and said, 
What is this then that is written, The stone 
which the builders rejected, the same is become 
the bead of the corner ? Whosoever shall fall 
upon that stone shall be broken ; but on whom-
soever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder." 
Also in Mark 12 :10, 11 : " And have ye not 
read this scripture, The stone which the builders 
rejected is become the head of the corner. This 
was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our 
eyes ? " 
These texts prove conclusively that Christ is 
the rock upon which the church is built, and, in 
his address to Peter, he referred to himself as the 
rock which is the foundation of the church. He 
continues :— 
" And I will give unto thee the keys of the 
kingdom of Heaven ; and whatsoever thou shalt 
bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven ; and 
whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be 
loosed in Heaven." The Roman church makes 
a wrong application of these words of Christ. 
They claim that he addressed them specially to 
Peter. Hence he is represented in works of art 
as carrying a bunch of keys, which is a symbol 
of trust and authority given to ambassadors and 
others in high positions. The words of Christ : 
" I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom 
of Heaven," were not addressed to Peter alone, 
but to the disciples, including those who compose 
the Christian church in all ages. Peter was 
given no preference nor power above that of the 
other disciples. Had Jesus delegated any spe- 
274 �
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
cial authority to one of them, we would not find 
them so frequently contending among themselves 
as to who should be greatest. They would have 
at once submitted to the wish of their Master, 
and paid honor to the one whom he had selected 
as their head. 
But the Roman Catholic church claims that 
Christ invested Peter with supreme power over 
the Christian church, and that his successors are 
divinely authorized to rule the Christian world. 
In still another place Jesus acknowledges the 
same power to exist in all the church that is 
claimed to have been given to Peter alone, upon 
the authority of the text previously quoted : 
" Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall 
bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven ; and 
whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed 
in Heaven." 
CHAPTER XXII. 
CHRIST IN THE SYNAGOGUE. 
THIS interview of Jesus with his disciples, in 
which they had received much precious instruc-
tion, was interrupted by those who had been 
searching for him. As the people began to flock 
about him, bringing their sick and afflicted, he 
repaired to the synagogue. While he was teach-
ing there, many others of those who had left him 
on the other side of the lake came to the syna-
gogue, and were surprised to see Jesus and his dis-
ciples there before them, knowing that there was 
no boat by which he could pass to the other side. 
CHRIST IN THE SYNAGOGUE. �275 
They began to inquire how and when he had 
crossed the sea. They were astonished when the 
disciples related to them the events of the pre-
ceding night. The fury of the storm and the 
many hours of fruitless rowing against the fury 
of adverse winds, the appearance of Christ walk-
ing upon the water, the fears thus aroused, his 
reassuring words, the adventure of Peter and its 
result, with the sudden stilling of the tempest 
and landing of the boat, were all faithfully re-
counted to the wondering crowd, amid frequent 
interruptions and exclamations of amazement. 
But their attention was now directed to the 
lessons of Jesus, so full of solemn interest. 
Many were deeply affected ; but the minds of 
some were entirely engrossed with curiosity re-
garding the wonderful relation they had heard. 
As soon as the discourse was ended, they gathered 
around the Saviour, questioning him, hoping to 
receive from his own lips a fuller account of his 
mighty work of the previous night. But Jesus 
did not gratify their idle curiosity. He was also 
beset by the Pharisees, to show them a sign from 
Heaven that he was the Son of God. They asked 
an evidence of his miraculous power, such as had 
been given on the other side of the sea. They 
importuned him to repeat his wonderful works 
before them. 
Jesus declared to them that they did not seek 
him from any worthy motive ; that they did not 
desire to learn how to please God in their daily 
lives ; but they asked him to work miracles, 
sometimes in a spirit of unbelief, and sometimes 
because they hoped to be benefited by temporal 
favors which he might thus bestow upon them. 
He bade them not to labor for the meat which 
ffl 
276 �
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
CHRIST IN THE SYNAGOGUE. �277 
perishes, but to seek for spiritual food, that wis-
dom which endures unto everlasting life. This the 
Son of God alone could give, for he has the seal 
of the Father. With solemn earnestness he 
sought to impress upon them that temporal fa-
vors are of little consequence compared with the 
heavenly grace offered by the Son of God. 
" Then said they unto him, What shall we do, 
that we might work the works of God ? Jesus 
answered and said unto them, This is the work 
of God, that ye believe on Him whom he hath 
sent. They said therefore unto him, What sign 
showest thou then, that we may see, and believe 
thee ? what dost thou work ? Our fathers did 
eat manna in the desert ; as it is written, He 
gave them bread from heaven to eat." It was 
Christ himself who conducted the Hebrews in 
their travels through the wilderness. It was he 
who had daily fed them manna from heaven ; yet 
they blindly referred him to this miracle, wrought 
for their fathers, in a spirit of caviling unbelief. 
Jesus declared to them that as God had given 
them manna to preserve their lives, so he bad 
sent to them this gift of his Son, that through 
him they might eat of the bread of life and be-
come immortal. 
" Then said Jesus unto them, Verily, verily, I 
say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread 
from heaven ; but my Father giveth you the true 
bread from Heaven. For the bread of God is He 
which cometh down from Heaven, and giveth 
life unto the world. Then said they unto him, 
Lord, evermore give us this bread." Jesus used 
bread as a figure to illustrate the vitalizing 
power of his Spirit. The one sustains physical 
life, while the other satisfies the heart, and 
strengthens the moral powers. Said he, " I am 
the bread of life ; he that cometh to me shall 
never hunger ; and he that believeth on me shall 
never thirst. But I said unto you, That ye also 
have seen me, and believe not." Those who ex-
perience the spiritual union with Christ never 
hunger for higher enjoyment. All uncertainty is 
gone, the weary soul finds continual refreshment 
in the Saviour. The feverish thirst for wealth 
and honor is gone. He is in them a well of wa-
ter springing up into everlasting life. 
Jesus assured the Jews that they had seen him 
and his works yet believed not. He did not re-
fer to their seeing him with their natural eyes ; 
but he meant that their understanding had been 
convinced, while their proud and stubborn hearts 
refused to acknowledge him as the Messiah. The 
Saviour had been doing in their midst works 
that no man had ever done. The living evi-
dences of his divine power had been before them 
day after day ; yet their hard and caviling 
hearts asked for still another sign of his divinity 
before they would believe. Had this been given 
them they would still have remained as unbe-
lieving as before. If they were not already con-
vinced of his Messiahship by what they had 
seen and heard, it was useless to show them 
more marvelous works. The dignity of God's 
holy Son was not to be compromised to gratify a 
questioning crowd. 
Said Jesus, " For this people's heart is waxed 
gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and 
their eyes they have closed ; lest at any time 
they should see with their eyes, and hear with 
their ears, and should understand with their 
heart, and should be converted, and I should 
278 �
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
heal them." Unbelief will ever find cause to 
doubt and reason away the most positive proof. 
The Jews stood constantly upon guard, lest they 
should be forced by overwhelming evidence to 
yield their prejudice and unbelief. Though their 
understanding was convinced, they refused to sur-
render their pride and self-righteousness, admit-
ting that they, who had boasted of their wisdom 
over all the rest of the world, themselves needed 
a teacher. 
The Jews had assembled to celebrate the pass-
over. In eating the flesh of the lamb, they were 
to remember that it represented the Lamb of 
God, and their protection when the first-born of 
their enemies were slain in Egypt. The blood 
that the Hebrews were commanded to have upon 
their door-posts, and which was a sign of safety 
to them, also represented the blood of Christ, 
which was to be shed for the sins of the world. 
The Saviour has power to finally raise from the 
dead all those who, by faith, eat of his flesh and 
drink of his blood. This spiritual food gives to 
the believers a well-founded hope of the resurrec-
tion to immortal life in the kingdom of God. 
These precious truths Jesus declared to the 
incredulous multitude, saying, " All that the Fa-
ther giveth me shall come to me ; and him that 
cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I 
came down from Heaven, not to do mine own 
will, but the will of him that sent me. And this 
is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of 
all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, 
but should raise it up again at the last day. And 
this is the will of Him that sent me, that every 
one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, 
CHRIST IN THE SYNAGOGUE. �279 
may have everlasting life, and I will raise him up 
at the last day." 
He spoke of his future sacrifice in these words : 
" And the bread which I will give you, is my flesh, 
which I will give for the life of the world." He 
offered his salvation to all who would accept him, 
clothed in humanity, as their Redeemer, having 
access to the Father, and being invested by him 
with divine authority. 
But the Jews were displeased that Jesus 
should claim to be the bread of life come down 
from Heaven. " And they said, Is not this Je-
sus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother 
we know ? how is it, then, that he saith, I came 
down from Heaven ?" They so clung to their 
bigotry and pride that it now seemed impossible 
for them to believe evidence that was plain as 
the noonday sun. Their jealousy was aroused 
that this man of humble birth was able to work 
wonders that they could not explain away, and 
teach truths that could not be contradicted. So 
they endeavored to awaken the prejudice and 
unbelief of the people by referring scornfully to 
the lowly origin of Jesus, and by reason of his 
mysterious birth, insinuating that he was of 
doubtful parentage. They contemptuously al-
luded to his life as a Galilean laborer, and to his 
family as being poor and lowly. They declared 
that the lofty claims of this uneducated carpen-
ter should be at once repudiated. 
But Jesus heard their murmurings and re-
proved them. He again, in more forcible lan-
guage, declared his connection with the Father, 
and the necessity for the heart to be enlightened 
by the Spirit of God before it can feel the need 
of a Saviour. " No man can come to me, except 
CHRIST IN THE SYNAGOGUE. �281 
their selfish hearts. Said he, " Verily, verily, I 
say unto you, He that believeth on me bath 
everlasting life. I am that bread of life." There 
were conflicting views and much uncertainty in 
regard to the resurrection of the dead. Aside 
from the dissension between the Sadducees and 
Pharisees, the Jews were in great darkness con-
cerning the future life and the resurrection of 
the body. Jesus pitied them in their benighted 
condition, and bade them accept him, who was 
their only hope, the great Life-giver, even the 
" bread of life." 
 
They had referred him to the manna which 
their fathers ate in the wilderness, as if the fur-
nishing of that food was a greater miracle than 
Jesus had wrought ; but he now declared unto 
them that the temporal food then given from 
Heaven was but a meager gift compared with the 
blessing of eternal life which he now offered 
them. The food eaten then sustained the 
strength, but did not prevent the approach of 
death, nor insure immortal life. The bread that 
the Son of God offered to man was death-de-
stroying, giving in the end immortal life to the 
body. Said he, " Your fathers did eat manna in 
the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread 
which cometh down from Heaven, that a man 
may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living 
bread which came down from Heaven; if any 
man eat of this bread, he shall live forever ; and 
the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I 
will give for the life of the world." 
Our Lord here points forward to his approach-
ino•
b death, the only true propitiation for the sins 
of humanity. The Jews were about to celebrate 
Great Controversy, Vol, 2. �
19 
281) �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
the Father which bath sent me draw him ; and 
I will raise him up at the last day. It is written 
in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of 
God. Every man, therefore, that hath heard, and 
hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me." 
He here refers to the prophecy of Isaiah : " And 
all thy children shall be taught of the Lord, and 
()Teat shall be the peace of thy children." 
This was not a new doctrine which Jesus 
taught. It was the fulfillment of prophecy, 
which, as expounders of the word, the priests 
and elders should have thoroughly understood. 
In declaring that none come to him unless the 
Father draws them, the Saviour wished them to 
understand that God would never appear in per-
son to teach them concerning the way of life. 
Humanity could not endure the vision of his 
glory for a moment ; only through the Son could 
they come to him. In seeing and hearing the Son, 
they saw and heard the Father. He is Medi-
ator between God and his disobedient children. 
The Jews claimed God as their teacher, but 
Christ declared such profession vain, for, said be, 
" Every man, therefore, that bath heard, and bath 
learned of the Father, cometh unto me." 
Jesus did not attempt to answer the questions 
raised regarding his birth any more than he had 
answered those concerning his crossing the sea. 
He did not desire to magnify himself, nor the 
miracles that marked his life. The prejudice 
of the Pharisees lay deeper than their ques- 
tions would indicate, and had taken root in the 
bitter perversity of their sinful hearts. His say- 
ings and doings had not created such feelings, but 
only called them into action, because his pure 
and elevated doctrine was not in harmony with 
282 �
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
with great display the feast of the passover. 
The lamb to be eaten there, was a symbol of 
Christ's body ; yet the very person that it repre-
sented stood in their midst, presenting himself as 
their Saviour, whose blood would preserve them 
from the wrath of a sin-hating God, and they re-
fuse his offers of mercy. 
The miracle Jesus had performed in feeding 
the multitude, furnished him a forcible figure by 
which to illustrate his work upon earth. He de-
clared that, as temporal bread imparts health and 
strength to the body, so will faith in Christ, and 
obedience to his teachings, give spiritual vigor to 
the soul, and life everlasting. But the Jews, de-
termined to misinterpret his words, now engaged 
in angry contention, asking, " How can this man 
give us his flesh to eat ? " They affected to un-
derstand his words in the same literal sense as 
did Nicodemus, when he asked," How can a man 
be born when he is old ? " They comprehended 
the meaning of Jesus, but were not willing to 
acknowledge it. They thought it a favorable 
opportunity to prejudice the people against him, 
by presenting his words to them in the most un-
favorable light. " Then Jesus said unto them, 
Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the 
flesh of the Soil of Man, and drink his blood, ye 
have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, 
and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life ; and I 
will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh 
is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 
He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, 
dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Fa- 
ther bath sent me, and I live by the Father, so 
he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. 
This is that bread which came down from Heav- 
CHRIST IN THE SYNAGOGUE. �283 
en ; not as your fathers did eat manna, and are 
dead ; he that eateth of this bread shall live for-
ever." 
The Jews appeared to be horrified at these 
sayings of Christ. Their law strictly forbade 
them to taste blood, and they construed his lan-
guage into a sacrilegious speech, and contended 
and disputed over his words among themselves. 
Jesus gave his disciples, and the people, lessons 
which they could not at the time fully compre-
hend, because of their moral darkness. Many 
things which his followers did not fully under-
stand when he uttered them, were made plain by 
subsequent events. His words were a stay to 
their hearts when he walked no more with them. 
Even the disciples murmured at these last 
words of Jesus. They said, " This is a hard say-
ing ; who can hear it ? " The Saviour heard 
their complaints and answered them : " Doth this 
offend you ? What and if ye shall see the Son 
of Man ascend up where he was before ? It is 
the spirit that quickeneth ; the flesh profiteth 
nothing ; the words that I speak unto you, they 
are spirit, and they are life." Thus he instructed 
them that it was not his human flesh that would 
give life eternal, but faith in his words and in 
the efficacy of the sacrifice he was to make for 
the world. His teaching and example, his life 
and death, were the heavenly food that was to 
give them spiritual life and vigor. He reproved 
them because they had murmured when he said 
that he had come down from Heaven. If they 
were not able to receive this truth, how would 
it be when he ascended before their eyes to that 
Heaven from whence he came ? 
Jesus knew that many followed him who 
ti 
pal 
ii 
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
hoped to receive temporal favors thereby. They 
looked for him to work some miracle that would 
benefit them ; but especially did they hope that 
he would eventually free them from the Roman 
yoke. He also knew that there was one near 
who would betray him. He told them that there 
were some among them who believed not. " And 
he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man 
can come unto me, except it were given unto him 
of my Father." 
He wished them to understand that their 
hearts must be open to the Spirit of God before 
they could be drawn to him by faith. They 
must be willing to have their errors reproved, 
to eschew evil, and lead holy lives. The unbe-
lief existing among the priests and rulers influ-
enced the people to be hesitating and doubtful. 
Jesus had given them sufficient proof of his di-
vinity ; but their incredulous minds were ever 
seeking to explain away his wonderful works. 
They reasoned that the disciples might have been 
under a delusion when they saw him walking 
upon the water. 
True, they could not but admit that he had 
performed many miraculous cures, and plentiful-
ly fed a vast multitude from five loaves and two 
small fishes ; but their dissatisfied hearts queried, 
if he could do these wonders, why might he not 
give health, strength, and riches to all his people, 
free them from their oppressors, and exalt them 
to power and honor ? Then they would believe 
on him and gl( rify his name. Thus they al-
lowed themselves to be bound by unbelief and 
discontent. Their gross minds refused to com-
prehend the meaning of his words, " I am the 
bread which came down from Heaven." His 
CHRIST IN THE SYNAGOGUE. �285 
doctrine was too pure and exalted to attract their 
carnal hearts. 
This discourse of Jesus cooled the enthusiasm 
of the people. If, by becoming his disciples, they 
must live righteous lives, deny self, and suffer 
humiliation, they had no desire to rally under 
his banner. Alas for Israel ! They knew not 
the time of their visitation ! They refused their 
Saviour, because they longed for a conqueror 
who would give them temporal power. They 
wanted the meat which perishes, and not that 
which endures unto everlasting life. Their am-
bition was for earthly riches and glory, and they 
had no relish for the words of Christ that taught 
personal purity, and a thorough reformation of 
life. 
Many of the words and dealings of Jesus ap-
pear mysterious to finite minds ; but all his pur-
poses were clear to his divine understanding. 
His whole plan was mapped before him, perfect 
in all its details. Every act was calculated to 
produce its individual results. The history of 
the world from its creation to the end of time 
was fully known to Christ. Were the mind of 
man capable of understanding his dealings, every 
act of his earthly life would stand forth impor-
tant, complete, and in harmony with his divine 
mission. 
The murmuring of his followers grieved the 
heart of the Saviour. In openly rebuking their 
unbelief before the multitude, he had increased 
their disaffection, and many of them went back 
and walked no more with Jesus. He looked 
after these erring ones with eyes of pitying ten-
derness. They were greatly displeased, and, 
wishing to wound Jesus and gratify the malice 
284 
1111111111i111,11$111' 
1,111111,.....wwwwwwwwwwwwww.,. �
 
CHRIST IN THE SYNAGOGUE. �287. 
Sad was the recompense he met for his marvel-
ous condescension. 
The words of Jesus were scorned because he 
declared that outward professions and observances 
of forms would not avail ; the work must reach 
the heart and bring forth fruit meet for repent-
ance. The words that lie addressed to his disci-
ples are also spoken to the followers of Christ to-
day. The same necessity exists for a clean heart 
and a pure life. Yet how many reject the warn-
ing of God, spoken by his servants, and the close, 
practical truths pressed home to their hearts, be-
cause their lives are not in accordance with the 
will of God, because they perceive that an entire 
reformation is necessary, and are unwilling to 
take up the self-denying work, and are therefore 
angry because their sins have been discovered. 
They go away offended, even as the disciples left 
Jesus, murmuring, " This is a hard saying ; who 
can hear it ? 
Those who profess godliness, yet do not heed 
the admonitions of the Lord, nor regulate their 
lives in harmony with his holy will, fasten them-
selves more and more firmly by chains of dark-
ness. Many who now profess to believe the 
truth of Christ, endure the test no better than 
those who turned away from following him. 
Many, while professing the faith, are so separated 
from Christ by hearts of unbelief, that they reject 
the words and works of God shown through his 
servants. If the divine revelation does not har-
monize with their views, they feel at liberty to 
turn from its teachings. If it rebukes their sins 
they are offended. Praise and flattery would be 
grateful to their ears, but the truth is disagree-
able, they cannot hear it. When the crowds 
286 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
of the Pharisees, they turned their backs upon 
him and left him with disdain. In doing this 
they made the fatal mistake of rejecting God's 
counsel to them. It was such developments as 
these that made the Saviour a Man of sorrows 
and acquainted with grief, The consciousness 
that his kindness and compassion were unappre-
ciated, his love unrequited, his mercy slighted, 
his salvation rejected, filled his divine soul with 
a grief that was inexpressible. Could these un-
grateful disciples have discerned how God viewed 
their behavior to his dear Son, they would hard-
ly have walked away so proudly and defiantly. 
They were choosing darkness rather than light, 
because they were too vain and self-righteous to 
receive a merited rebuke, and too worldly to ac-
cept a life of humility in order to secure salva-
tion. In the face of all his wonderful works they 
turned away from Him, who, by the beauty of 
his doctrine and his mercy and benevolence, had 
called thousands to his side ; who had relieved 
suffering humanity, so that entire cities and vil-
lages were freed from disease, and there was no 
work for a physician among them. 
When we view the generosity of Christ to the 
poor and suffering, his patience with the rude and 
ignorant, his self-enial and sacrifice, we are lost 
in admiration and reverence. What a gift has 
God lavished upon man, alienated from him by 
sin and disobedience ! Well may the heart break 
and the tears flow in contemplation of such inex-
pressible love 1 Christ abased himself to human-
ity that he might reach man sunken into the 
depths of woe and degradation, and lift him into 
a nobler life, give him moral strength to resist 
the power of Satan and overcome sin in his name. 
288 �
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
follow, and the multitudes are fed, and the cries 
of triumph go up, their voices are loud in praise ; 
but when the searching of God's Spirit reveals to 
them their sin and bids them leave it, they turn 
their backs upon the truth, and " walk ncr more 
with Jesus." 
God does not propose to be called to account 
for his ways and works. It is for his glory to 
conceal his purposes now ; but by and by they 
will be revealed in their true importance. But 
he has not concealed his great love, which lies at 
the foundation of all his dealings with his children. 
He has revealed his love in the gift of his Son, 
and in the many providences by which he mani-
fests himself. He who lives near to Jesus may 
understand much of the mystery of godliness, and 
comprehend the love that administers merited re-
proof. Humanity, alienated from God, can only 
be reconciled to him by partaking spiritually of 
the flesh and blood of his dear Son. 
The Saviour did not attempt to prevent the dis-
affected disciples from leaving him, but, turning to 
the twelve chosen ones, said sorrowfully, " Will ye 
also go away ? " Peter promptly replied by ask-
ing in turn " Lord, to whom shall we go ? Thou 
hast the words of eternal life, and we believe and 
are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the 
living God." How full of meaning are these 
words, " To whom shall we go ? " The teachers 
of Israel were slaves to cold formality. The 
Pharisees and Sadducees were in constant con-
tention concerning the doctrine of the resurrec-
tion and other points of difference. To' leave 
Jesus was to fall among sticklers for rites and 
ceremonies, and ambitious men who sought their 
own glory. The disciples had felt more peace 
CHRIST IN THE SYNAGOGUE. �289 
and joy since they had accepted Christ than in 
all their previous lives. They had looked back 
with horror upon their former course of careless-
ness and iniquity. How could they, whose eyes 
had been opened to discern the malice and bigot-
ry of the Jews, go back to them who had scorned 
and persecuted the Friend of sinners ? Lon°.
t' 
 had 
their faith sustained them in looking for theMes-
siah, and now that he had come, they could not 
turn from his presence to those who were hunt-
ing his life and had persecuted them for obeying 
him. 
" To whom shall we go ? " Not from the doc-
trine of Christ, his lessons of love and charity, to 
the darkness of unbelief, the wickedness of the 
world. While many were turning from the Sav-
iour who had witnessed his miraculous works, 
who had seen him heal the sick and comfort the 
distressed, who had been electrified by the heav-
enly majesty of his bearing, Peter expresses the 
faith of the disciples, " Thou art that Christ." 
Never will they deny that he is the world's Re-
deemer,. the Son of God. The very thought of 
losing this anchor of their souls thrilled their 
hearts with anguish. To be again destitute of a 
Saviour, subject to fear and superstition, would be 
to be adrift upon a dark and stormy sea. 
Some may question the wisdom of Jesus in in-
troducing a subject so easily misunderstood as 
that which had turned so many from him on this 
occasion. But he had a purpose in view. He 
saw that a most trying ordeal awaited his disci-
ples in his betrayal, his agony in Gethsemane, 
and his crucifixion. He knew who among his 
followers were unbelieving and who were of weak 
faith. Had no test been given them, Jesus would 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
290 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
 
CHRIST IN THE SYNAGOGUE. �291 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
have had many, among his followers who were 
weak in character, and undecided. When the 
great trial came, and their Lord was betrayed and 
condemned in the Judgment Hall ; when he was 
humiliated, and the multitude, who had- hailed 
him as their king, hissed at him and reviled him ; 
when the cruel, jeering crowd cried, " Crucify 
him ! "—then these faint-hearted ones would have 
sunk beneath their fear and disappointment. 
The apostasy of these professed followers of 
Christ at such a time, would have been more than 
the twelve could have endured in addition to 
their great grief and the terrible ruin of their 
fondest hopes. The example of those who turned 
from him, might, in that hour of horror, have 
carried all the rest with them. But Jesus brought 
about this crisis while he was still present to com-
fort and strengthen his chosen, and prepare them 
for what was to follow. When the hooting rabble 
scorned Him who was doomed to the cross, the 
disciples were not overwhelmed with surprise at 
this insult to their Master, for they had seen the 
fickleness of those who had once followed him. 
When those who had professed to love the Master 
turned from him in the time of his trouble, the 
disciples remembered that the same thing had 
occurred before, for less reason. They had tested 
the inconstant favor of the world, and hung not 
their faith upon the opinions of others. Jesus 
wisely prepared the minds of his faithful few for 
the great trial of his betrayal and death. 
Peter had great faith in Jesus. From the first 
he had believed that he was the Messiah. He 
had seen and heard John, who was the forerun-
ner of Christ, proclaim him to be the Lamb of 
God that taketh away the sins of the world. He 
had been closely connected with Jesus, had wit-
nessed his miracles, listened to his teachings, and 
was convinced that he was the Son of God Many 
who had been convicted by the preaching of 
John, and had accepted Christ, began to doubt as 
to the mission of John, when he was imprisoned 
and put to death. They also doubted if Jesus 
was really the Messiah, whom they had looked 
for so long. 
But the faith of Peter never flagged ; he fol-
lowed his Master with unwavering devotion. 
When those of the disciples who had ardently 
expected Jesus to make a great display of power, 
and take his place on David's throne, left him be-
cause they perceived that he had no such inten-
tion, Peter and his companions faltered not in 
their allegiance. The vacillating course of those 
whe praised yesterday, and condemned to-day, 
did not affect the faith of the true follower of the 
Saviour. Peter declares, " Thou art the Son of 
the living God." He waited not for kingly hon-
ors to crown his Lord, but accepted him in his 
humiliation. Peter, in his confession of Christ, 
expressed the faith of the disciples. But not-
withstanding this, Jesus knew that neither his 
believing followers nor any of the Jews had any 
idea of associating humiliation, suffering and 
death, with their Messiah. Compassionate Re-
deemer, who, in the full knowledge of the doom 
that awaited him, tenderly smoothed the way for 
his disciples, prepared them for their crowning 
trial, and strengthened them for the final test ! 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
-1111111i �
 
292 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
AGAIN the mission of Christ brought him to 
Capernaum. When the news spread abroad that 
Jesus was a guest at the house of Peter, men, wo-
men, and children flocked from every direction to 
hear the wonderful Teacher. There was a man 
in the vicinity who was reduced to utter helpless-
ness by the incurable disease of palsy. He had 
given up all hope of recovery. But his friends 
and relatives had heard the gracious instruction 
of Jesus ; they had witnessed his wonderful mir-
acles ; they saw that he turned none away, that 
even the loathsome lepers found access to his 
presence, and were healed, and they began to 
hope that the paralytic might be relieved if he 
could be brought under the notice of Jesus. 
They tried to encourage the sufferer, telling 
him of the miraculous power of Jesus to cure 
every malady, of the words of mercy he had 
spoken to the despairing, and of those who are 
set free from the power of Satan by a word of 
his sublime authority. As the palsied man lis-
tened to the good tidings, hope revived in his 
heart that he might be relieved of his terrible in-
firmity. He longed to see Jesus and place him-
self in his hands. But when he reflected that 
dissipation had been the main cause of his afflic-
tion, hope sank for he feared that he would not 
be tolerated in the presence of the pure Physi-
cian. He had loved the pleasures of sin, his life 
had been a transgression of the law of God, and 
CHAPTER XXIII. 
THE PARALYTIC. 
THE PARALYTIC. �
293 
his bodily affliction was the penalty of his 
crime. 
He had long before placed his case in the 
hands of the Pharisees and doctors, entreating 
their interest and sympathy, hoping that they 
would do something to relieve his tortured mind 
and physical sufferings. But they had looked 
coldly upon him and pronounced him incurable. 
They had added to his woe by telling him that 
he was only suffering the righteous retribution of 
God for his misdemeanors. It was the custom of 
the Pharisees to hold themselves aloof from the 
sick and needy. They held that sickness and 
distress were always an evidence of God's an-
ger toward the transgressor. Yet frequently 
these very men, who exalted themselves as holy 
and enjoying the peculiar favor of God, were 
more corrupt in heart and life than the poor 
sufferers whom they condemned. 
The palsied man had sunk into despair seeing 
no help from any quarter, till news of the mira-
cles of mercy performed by Jesus had aroused 
hope again in his breast. Yet he feared that he 
might not be allowed in his presence ; he felt 
that if Jesus would only see him and give him 
relief of mind by pardoning his sins, he would 
be content to live or die according to his right-
eous will. His friends assured him that Jesus 
had healed others who were in every respect as 
sinful and helpless as himself, and this encour-
aged him to believe that his own petition would 
be granted 
He felt that there was no time to lose ; already 
his wasted flesh was beginning to decay. If any-
thing could be done to arrest mortality, it must 
be done at once. The despairing cry of the dy- 
1 
�
,41INIIMPF11 
294 �
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
ing man was, Oh that I might come into his pres-
ence ! His friends were anxious to assist him in 
gratifying his wish, and several projects were 
suggested to bring about this result, but none of 
them seemed feasible. The sick man, although 
racked with bodily pain, preserved the full 
strength of his intellect, and he now proposed 
that his friends should carry him on his bed to 
Jesus. This they cheerfully undertook to do. 
As they approached the dense crowd that had 
assembled in and about the house where Jesus 
was teaching, it seemed doubtful that they could 
accomplish their purpose. However, they pressed 
on with their burden, till their passage was com-
pletely blocked up and they were obliged to stop 
before they arrived within hearing of the Sav-
iour's voice. Jesus was within, and, as was cus-
tomary, his disciples sat near him ; for it was 
most important that they should hear his words, 
and understand the truths which they were to pro-
claim by word or pen over all lands and through 
all ages. 
The haughty Pharisees, the doctors and the 
scribes, were also gathered near with wicked pur-
poses in their hearts, and a desire to confuse and 
confound the sacred Teacher, that they might 
accuse him of being an impostor, and condemn 
him to death. Jealous of his power and W1S-
dom, they concealed their intense hatred, for the 
purpose of closely watching his words, and call-
ing him out upon various subjects with the hope 
of surprising him into some contradiction or for-
bidden heresy that would give them an excuse 
to prefer charges against him. They were pres-
ent when Jesus healed the withered hand upon 
the Sabbath day, and these men, who claimed to 
THE PARALYTIC. �
295 
enjoy the special favor of God, were filled with 
madness because he had presumed to do this 
good work upon the Lord's day. 
Outside of these magnates thronged the pro-
miscuous multitude, drawn there from various 
motives. Some felt an irresistible impulse to 
hear the words of Jesus, yet dimly comprehended 
their import. They were eager to catch every 
syllable of the sacred utterances ; and, in many 
cases, seeds of life lodged in their hearts, to 
spring up afterward and bear blessed fruit. Oth-
ers came from wonder and curiosity, or a love 
of excitement, —the desire to see and hear some 
new thing. All grades of society were repre-
sented there, and many different nationalities. 
Through this surging crowd, the bearers of the 
paralytic seek to push their way ; but the attempt 
is useless. They urge the necessity of their case, 
in order to prevail upon the people to fall back, 
but it is of no avail. The sufferings of the invalid 
are increased by his anxiety, and his friends fear 
that he will die in this scene of confusion. The 
sick man gazes about him with inexpressible 
anguish. Must he relinquish all hope when the 
longed-for help is so near ? He feels that he can-
not endure so bitter a disappointment. He sug-
gests that they bear him to the rear of the house, 
and break through the roof and let him down 
into the immediate presence of Jesus. 
Seeing that it is his only chance of life, and 
fearing that he cannot live to be taken home, 
his friends follow his suggestion. The roof is 
opened, and the sick man is let down at the very 
feet of Christ. The discourse is interrupted; the 
Saviour looks upon that mournful countenance, 
and sees the pleading eyes fixed upon him with 
296 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
a silent entreaty. He understands the case, for 
it was he who had led the perplexed and doubt-
ing spirit to himself. He had come to the world 
to give hope to the guilty and wretched. John 
had pointed to him as " the Lamb of God, that 
taketh away the sin of the world." The divine 
spirit of Jesus stirred the heart of this poor sinner, 
and while he was yet at home, had brought con-
viction to his conscience. He had watched the 
first glimmer of faith deepen into a belief that 
Jesus was his only helper, and had seen it grow 
stronger with every effort to come into his pres-
ence. 
The sufferer had wealth, but it could not re-
lieve his soul of guilt, nor remove disease from 
his body. But divine power attracted him to 
the Friend of sinners, who alone could relieve 
him. Jesus acknowledges the faith that is evi-
denced by the sick man's efforts, under such per-
plexing difficulties, to reach the presence of his 
Lord; and lifting up his voice in melodious 
tones, addressed him : " Son, be of good cheer, 
thy sins are forgiven thee." The burden of dark-
ness and despair rolls from the sick man's soul ; 
the peace of perfect love and forgiveness rests 
upon his spirit and shines out upon his counte-
nance. His physical pain is gone, and his whole 
being is transformed before the eyes of the aston-
ished multitude. The helpless paralytic is healed, 
the guilty sinner is pardoned ! He has now re-
ceived the evidence he so much desired. Yet not 
here, but at home, when he had repented of his 
sins and believed in the power of Jesus to make 
him whole, had the life-giving mercies of the 
Saviour first blessed his longing heart. 
The simple faith of the paralytic accepted the 
THE PARALYTIC. �
297 
words of the Master as the boon of new life. 
He preferred no further request, he made no 
noisy demonstration, but remained in blissful si-
lence too happy for words. The light of Heaven 
irradiated his countenance, and the people looked 
with awe upon the scene before them. Christ 
stood with a serene majesty that lifted him above 
the dignitaries of the synagogue and the doctors 
of the law. The Pharisees, the scribes, and the 
doctors had waited anxiously to see what dispo-
sition Jesus would make of this case. They rec-
ollected that the sufferer had appealed to them 
for help, and that they had entrenched them-
selves in the sanctity of their office and refused 
him one ray of encouragement. They had even 
expressed annoyance at being troubled with so 
disagreeable a matter. They had looked with 
horror upon his shriveled form, and said, We can-
not raise one from the dead ; dissolution has al-
ready commenced. 
Not satisfied with the agony thus inflicted, 
they had declared that he was suffering the curse 
of God for his sins. All these things came fresh 
to their minds when they saw the sick man be-
fore them. They also perceived that the people, 
most of whom were acquainted with these facts, 
were watching the scene with intense interest and 
awe. They felt a terrible fear that their own in-
fluence would be lost, not only over the multi-
tude present, but also over all who should hear 
the news of this marvelous event. 
These lofty men did not exchange words to-
gether, but looking into one another's faces, they 
read the same thought expressed upon every 
countenance : Something must be done to arrest 
Great Controversy, Vol, 2, �
20 
298 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. �
THE PARALYTIC. �
299 
the tide of popular sentiment. Jesus had de-
clared that the sins of the paralytic were for-
given. The Pharisees caught at these words as 
an assumption of infinite power, a blasphemy 
against God, and conceived that they could pre-
sent this before the people as a crime worthy of 
death. They did not express their thoughts, but 
these worshipers of forms and symbols were say-
ing in their minds, He is a blasphemer ! Who 
can forgive bins but God alone ? They were lay-
ing hold of the Saviour's words of divine pardon, 
to use as a means by which to accuse him. But 
Jesus read their thoughts, and, fixing his reprov-
ing glance upon them, beneath which they cow-
ered and drew back, addressed them thus : " Why 
reason ye these things in your hearts ? •Whether 
is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy 
sns be forgiven thee ; or to say, Arise, and take 
up thy bed, and walk '? But that ye may know 
that the Son of Man hath power on earth to for-
give sins (he saith to the sick of the palsy), I say 
unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go 
thy way into thine house." 
Then he who had been borne to Jesus on a 
litter, and whose limbs were then useless, rises to 
his feet with the elasticity and strength of youth. 
The life-giving blood bounds through his veins, 
seeking its natural channels with unerring pre-
cision. The lagging human machinery springs 
into sudden activity, the animating glow of health 
succeeds the pallor of approaching death. " And 
immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went 
forth before them all ; insomuch that they were 
all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never 
saw it on this fashion." 
Oh ! wondrous love of Christ, stooping to heal 
the guilty and the afflicted ! Divinity sorrowing 
over and soothing the ills of suffering humanity ! 
Oh ! marvelous power thus displayed to the chil-
dren of men ! Who can doubt the message of 
salvation ! Who can slight the mercies of a com-
passionate Redeemer ! 
The effect of this wonderful miracle upon the 
people was as if Heaven had opened and revealed 
the glories of the better world. As the man who 
had been cured of palsy passed through the crowd, 
blessing God at every bounding step, and bearing 
his burden as if it were a feather's weight, the 
people fell back to give him room, and with awe-
struck faces gazed upon him, and whispered softly 
among themselves, saying, " We have seen strange 
things to-day." The Pharisees were dumb with 
amazement, and overwhelmed with defeat. They 
saw that here was no opportunity for their prej-
udice and jealousy to inflame the multitude. 
The wonderful work wrought upon the man 
whom they, in their arrogance, had given over to 
death and the wrath of God, had so impressed 
the minds of the people that the influence of 
these leading Jews was, for the time, forgotten. 
They saw that Christ possessed a power, and 
claimed it as his own prerogative, which they 
thought belonged to God alone. The gentle dig-
nity of his manner, united with his miraculous 
works, was in such marked contrast with their 
own proud and self-righteous bearing that they 
were disconcerted and abashed, recognizing, but 
not confessing, the presence of a uperior Being. 
Had the scribes and Pharisees been honest be-
fore God, they would have yielded to the con-
clusive evidence they had witnessed that Jesus 
Was the Promised One of Israel. But they were 
300 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
determined that nothing should convince them of 
this fact. They were in haughty and determined 
opposition to this meek and humble Teacher, 
who came from the workshops of Nazareth, yet 
by his wonderful works threatened to annihilate 
their dignity and station. So they yielded in 
no degree their hatred and malice, but went 
away to invent new schemes for condemning 
and silencing the Son of God. 
These men had received many and repeated 
proofs that Jesus was the promised Saviour, but 
none had been so convincing and unquestioned 
as this miracle of mercy. Yet the stronger the 
evidence that was presented to their minds that 
Jesus had power on earth to forgive sins, as well 
as to heal the sick, the more they armed them-
selves with hatred and unbelief, till God left 
them to the forging of chains that would bind 
them in hopeless darkness. There was no re-
serve power to reach hearts so hardened with 
malice and skepticism. 
Many in these days are taking the same course 
as the unbelieving Jews. God has given them 
light which they refuse to accept. His Spirit 
has rebuked them ; but they have made his re-
proofs a stumbling-block in their way, over which 
they trip and fall. They have rejected his of-
fered mercies, they have scorned to believe his 
truth, till they are left unrestrained to pursue 
their downward course. 
There was great rejoicing in the home of the 
healed paralytic, when he came into the midst 
of his family, carrying with ease the couch upon 
which he had been slowly borne from their pres-
ence but a short time before. They gathered 
round with tears of joy, scarcely daring to be- 
WOMAN OF CANAAN. �
301 
lieve their eyes. He stood before them in the 
full vigor of manhood. Those arms that they 
had seen lifeless were quick to obey his will ; the 
flesh that had been shrunken and leaden-hued 
was now fresh and ruddy with health ; he 
walked with a firm, free step ; hope was written 
in every lineament of his countenance ; all gloom 
had disappeared, and an expression of peace and 
purity had taken the place of the marks of sin 
and suffering. Glad thanksgivings went up from 
that house, and God was glorified through his 
Son, who had restored hope to the hopeless, and 
strength to the stricken one. This man and his 
family were ready to lay down their lives for 
Jesus. No doubt could dim their faith, no un-
belief could mar their perfect fealty to Christ, 
who had brought light into their darkened home. 
CHAPTER XXIV. 
WOMAN OF CANAAN. 
JESUS now left the vicinity of Jerusalem and 
went to the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. Here a 
woman who was a Canaanite met and besought 
him to heal her daughter, who was grievously 
vexed with a devil. The woman well knew that 
the Jews had no dealings with the Canaanites 
and that they refused even to speak to them ; but 
having heard of the miracles of mercy which Jesus 
bad performed, she resolved to appeal to him to 
relieve her daughter from the terrible affliction 
that was upon her. The poor woman realized 
that her only hope was in Jesus, and she had 
302 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
perfect faith in his power to do that which she 
asked of him. 
But Jesus received the importunities of this 
representative of a despised race in the same 
manner as the Jews would have done ; this was 
not only to prove the faith and sincerity of the 
woman, but also to teach his disciples a lesson of 
mercy, that they might not be at a loss how to 
act in similar cases after Jesus should leave them 
and they could no longer go to him for personal 
counsel. Jesus designed that they should be im-
pressed with the contrast between the cold and 
heartless manner in which the Jews would treat 
such a case, as evinced by his reception of the 
woman, and the compassionate manner in which 
he would have them deal with such distress, as 
manifested by his subsequent granting of her peti-
tion in the healing of her daughter. 
Although Jesus was apparently indifferent to 
her cries, yet she did not become offended and 
leave him, but still had faith that he would 
relieve her distress. As he passed on, as if not 
hearing her, she followed him, continuing her 
supplications. The disciples were annoyed at 
her importunity and asked Jesus to send her 
away. Their sympathies were not aroused by 
her distress. They saw that their Master treated 
her with indifference, and they therefore supposed 
that the prejudice of the Jews against the Canaan-
ites was pleasing to him. But it was a pitying 
Saviour to whom the woman made her plea, and, 
in answer to the request of the disciples to send 
her away, Jesus said, " I am not sent but unto 
the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Although 
this answer was in accordance with the prejudice 
of the Jews, it was an implied rebuke to the 
WOMAN OF CANAAN. �
303 
disciples, which they afterward understood as 
reminding them of what he had often told them : 
That he came to the world to save all who would 
accept him. Whoever sought the Saviour, ready 
to believe on him when he should be manifested 
to them, were of the lost sheep whom he had 
come to gather in his fold. 
The woman was encouraged that Jesus had 
noticed her case sufficiently to remark upon it, 
although his words conveyed no definite hope to 
her mind, and she now urged her case with in-
creased earnestness, bowing at his feet and cry-
ing, " Have mercy on me, 0 Lord, thou Son of 
David ; my daughter is grievously vexed with a 
devil." Jesus, still apparently rejecting her en-
treaties, according to the unfeeling prejudice of 
the Jews, answered, " It is not meet to take the 
children's bread, and to cast it to dogs." This 
was virtually asserting that it was not just to 
lavish the blessings brought to the favored peo-
ple of God upon strangers and aliens from Israel. 
This answer would have utterly discouraged a 
less earnest seeker. Many would have given up 
all further effort upon receiving such a repulse, 
and would have gone away feeling humiliated 
taanbdlea:,b used, beyond all patience ; hut the woman 
meekly answered, " Truth, Lord ; yet the dogs 
eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' 
From the abundance upon which the rightful 
family feasts, the crumbs fall to the floor and are 
devoured by the dogs that watch for them under 
the table. She acknowledged that she occupied 
a like position to that of the brutes that accept 
thankfully whatever falls from their master's 
hand. While favoring God's people with rich 
CHRIST STILLS THE TEMPEST. �305 
when he should be no longer with them. He 
wished to lead them from their Jewish exclusive-
ness to be interested in working for others besides 
their own people. This act of Christ opened 
their minds more fully to the labor that lay be-
fore them among the Gentiles. Afterward, when 
the Jews turned still more persistently from 
the disciples because they declared Jesus to be 
the Saviour of the world, and when the parti-
tion wall between Jew and Gentile was broken 
down by the death of Christ, this lesson, and 
similar ones which pointed to a gospel work un-
restricted by custom or nationality, brought a 
powerful influence to bear upon the representa-
tives of Christ in directing their labors. 
CHAPTER XXV. 
CHRIST STILLS THE TEMPEST. 
JESUS had been teaching and healing uninter-
ruptedly all day, and he greatly desired retire-
ment and rest for himself and his disciples. He 
therefore instructed them to accompany him to 
the other side of the sea. But before he em-
barked. he was accosted by a scribe who had lis-
tened to his words, representing the jewels of 
truth as being of far greater value than hidden 
treasure. In the grossness of his darkened mind, 
the scribe conceived that Jesus designed to enrich 
his followers with worldly treasure. He there-
fore eagerly addressed him, as had Judas, saying, 
"Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou 
304 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
and bountiful gifts, would not Jesus bestow upon 
her one of the many blessings he gave so freely to 
others ? While confessing that she had no claim 
upon his favor, she still plead for a crumb from 
his bounty. Such faith and perseverance were 
unexampled. Few of the favored people of God 
had so high an appreciation of the Redeemer's 
benevolence and power. 
Jesus had just departed from Jerusalem be-
cause the scribes and Pharisees were seeking to 
take his life ; but here he meets one of an unfort-
unate and despised race, that had not been fa-
vored with the light of God's word ; yet she 
yields at once to the divine influence of Christ, 
and has implicit faith in his ability to grant her 
the favor she asks. She has no national nor re-
ligious prejudice or pride to influence her course 
of action, and she unconditionally acknowledges 
Jesus as the Redeemer, and able to do all that she 
asks of him. The Saviour is satisfied, he has 
tested her confidence in him, and he now grants 
her request and finishes the lesson to his disciples. 
Turning to her with a countenance of pity and 
love, he says, " 0 woman, great is thy faith. Be 
it unto thee even as thou wilt." From that hour 
the daughter became whole, and the demon troub-
led her no more. The woman departed acknowl-
edging her Saviour, and happy in the granting of 
her prayer. 
This was the only miracle that Jesus wrought 
while on this journey. It was for the perform-
ance of this very act that he went into the coast 
of Tyre and Sidon. He wished to relieve the af-
flicted woman, and at the same time to leave an 
example, in this work of mercy toward one of a 
despised people, for the benefit of his disciples 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
306 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
goest." The Saviour read the unworthy thought 
that actuated his heart, and answered him as he 
had answered Judas, " The foxes have holes, and 
the birds of the air have nests ; but the Son of 
Man hath not where to lay his head." This Jew-
ish teacher had only his own selfish interest , in 
view when he proposed to follow Jesus. He 
hoped that the Saviour would soon establish his 
kingdom on earth, and that the wealth and sta-
tion which would then accrue to his disciples, 
were the riches of which Jesus had spoken. But 
only a mind blinded by avarice and the lust of 
the world could so have misinterpreted the words 
of the Saviour. 
If it were not for the poverty of Christ, and 
the fact that the poor and humble are ranked 
beneath his banner, many would connect them-
selves with him and glorify his name. If he had 
bestowed honors and riches upon those who be-
came his disciples, how gladly would the proud 
Pharisees, the chief priests and scribes, have 
paid him homage. Many in these days would 
accept the truth if there was no self-denial con-
nected with it. If they could have the world 
with Christ, they would enlist in his army. But 
to follow him in his humiliation, with no pros-
pect of an earthly reward thereby, is more than 
their feeble faith can endure. They turn back 
crest-fallen, as did the scribe from the rebuke of 
Jesus. 
After dismissing the multitude, Jesus and his 
disciples took ship for the other side of the sea, 
which was a desert in comparison with the shore 
that they were leaving ; but for this very reason 
they hoped to find rest from the fatigue of their 
labors, being removed from the dwellings of men• 
CHRIST STILLS THE TEMPEST �307 
However, as they were moving off, a number of 
boats loaded with people followed Jesus, desirous 
of learning more concerning the doctrine that he 
taught. 
The Saviour was wearied from his long and 
arduous labors, and being now for a time re-
lieved from the claims of the multitude, he 
stretched himself upon the hard plank of the 
fishermen's boat and fell asleep. Soon after, the 
weather, which had been calm and pleasant, 
changed. The clouds gathered darkly over the 
sky, and a furious storm, such as frequently vis-
ited those parts, burst upon the sea. The sun 
had set, and the blackness of night settled down 
upon the water. The angry waves dashed 
against the ship, threatening every moment to 
engulf it. First tossed upon the crest of a 
mountain billow, and then as suddenly plunged 
into the trough of the sea, the ship was the play-
thing of the storm. Finally, it was discovered 
that it had sprung a leak and was fast filling 
with water. All was now hurry and confusion 
in the darkness and amid the roaring of the an-
gry waves. The strong and courageous fisher-
men were skilled in managing their craft ; but, 
experienced as they were to the changing moods 
of the sea, they knew not what to do in so terri-
ble a gale, and their hearts filled with despair as 
they perceived that the boat was sinking. 
They had been so engaged in their efforts to 
save themselves and keep the ship afloat, that 
they had forgotten that Jesus was on board. 
But now, as their courage fails them, and they 
think themselves lost, they remember that it was 
he who commanded them to cross the sea. In 
their agony of fear they turn to him, remember- 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
308 �
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
 
 
CHRIST STILLS THE TEMPEST. �309 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ing how he had once saved them in a like peril. 
They call, " Master ! Master ! " but the roaring of 
the tempest drowns their voices, and there is no 
reply. The waves break over them, and each 
one threatens them with destruction. 
Despair seizes them, and they call again ; but 
there is no answer save the shrieking of the an-
gry blast. Has the Master deserted them ? Has 
he walked away upon the foam-capped billows 
and left them to their fate ? They remembered 
that he had once walked upon the water to come 
and rescue them from death. Has he now given 
them up to the fury of the tempest ? They 
search for him distractedly, for they can do no 
more to save themselves. The storm has so in-
creased that all their efforts to manage the ship 
are vain ; in Jesus is their only hope. Presently 
a flash of lightning reveals him fast asleep, un-
disturbed amid the noise and confusion. 
They rush to him, and bending over his pros-
trate form, cry out reproachfully, "Master, Mas-
ter, carest thou not that we perish ?" Their 
hearts are grieved that he should rest so peace-
fully, while danger and death threaten them, 
and they have been laboring so hard against the 
fury of the storm. This despairing cry arouses 
Jesus from his refreshing sleep. As the disciples 
rush back to their oars, to make a last effort, 
Jesus rises to his feet. In his divine majesty he 
stands in the humble vessel of the fishermen, amid 
the raging of the tempest, the waves breaking 
over the bows, and the vivid lightning playing 
about his calm and fearless countenance. Tie 
lifts his hand, so often employed in deeds of 
mercy, and says to the angry sea, " Peace, be 
still." The storm ceases, the heaving billows 
 
sink to rest. The clouds roll away, and the 
stars shine forth; the boat sits motionless upon a 
quiet sea. Then, turning to his disciples, Jesus 
rebukes them, saying, " Why are ye so fearful ? 
how is it that ye have no faith ?" 
A sudden hush crept over the disciples. Not 
a word was spoken ; even impulsive Peter did not 
attempt to express the reverential awe that filled 
his heart. The boats that had set out to accom-
pany Jesus had been in the same peril with that 
of the disciples. Fear and finally despair had 
seized their occupants ; but the command of 
Jesus brought quiet where but a moment be-
fore all was tumult. All fear was allayed, for 
the danger was over. The fury of the storm 
had driven the boats into close proximity, and 
all on board beheld the miracle of Jesus. In the 
hush that followed the stilling of the tempest, 
they whispered among themselves, " What man-
ner of man is this, that even the wind and the 
sea obey him ?" Never was this impressive 
scene forgotten by those who witnessed it. Nev-
erwill its wonderful majesty fail to inspire the 
children of God with reverence and awe. 
When he was rudely aroused by the terrified 
fishermen, the Saviour had no fears for himself; 
his anxiety was for his disciples, who had dis-
trusted him in the time of danger. He reproved 
their fears, which manifested their unbelief. 
They should have called upon him at the first 
appearance of danger, and he would have relieved 
their anxiety. But in their effort to save them-
selves they forgot that Jesus was on board. How 
many, in the trying scenes of life, amid perplexi-
ties and danger, fight against the storms of ad-
versity alone, forgetting that there is One who 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
310 �
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
can help them. They trust in their own strength 
and skill, till, baffled and discouraged, they re-
member Jesus, and humbly call upon him to save 
them. Though he sorrowfully reproves their un-
belief and self-confidence, he never fails to hear 
their earnest cry, and give them the help they 
need. 
Tossed on the raging billows of the deep, the 
weary voyager should remember that Jesus was 
on the sea in a time of like peril ; that his voice 
commanded the terrible storm to cease ; that the 
angry elements obeyed the mandate, and his 
faithful followers were saved. When the waves 
break over our sinking bark, and the lightning 
reveals the foam-capped breakers that threaten 
us with instant destruction, we may remember 
in our peril that Jesus is on board. He hears 
our agonizing cry, and he will never forsake_ 
those who put their trust in him. 
Whether on the land or on the sea, sleeping or 
waking, if we have the Saviour in our hearts there 
is no need of fear. The call of faith will always 
meet with a response. We may be rebuked be-
cause we have not sought him at the very begin-
ning of trial, but nevertheless, he will accept our 
humble petitions, wearied as we are in our efforts 
to save ourselves. Living faith in the Redeemer 
will smooth the sea of life, and will deliver us 
from danger in the way that he knows to be 
the best. 
MEN FROM THE TOMBS. 
CHAPTER XXVI. 
MEN FROM THE TOMBS. 
THE night upon the water was over, and in 
the early morning Jesus and the disciples landed, 
together with those who had followed them 
across the sea. But no sooner had they stepped 
upon the beach than two men possessed with dev-
ils rushed fiercely toward them as though they 
desired to tear them in pieces. Still clinging to 
them were parts of chains which they had brok-
en, in escaping from confinement. They were 
cutting and bruising themselves with sharp 
stones and other missiles that they could lay 
their hands upon. They had been dwelling 
among the graves, and no traveler had been 
safe to pass that way ; for they would rush upon 
him with the fury of demons and kill him if 
they could. Their faces glared out from their 
long and matted hair, and they looked more like 
wild beasts than men. 
When the disciples and the others saw these 
fearful creatures rushing toward them, they fled 
in terror. But presently they discovered that 
Jesus was not with them, and they turned to see 
what had been his fate. They beheld him stand-
ing calmly where they had left him. He who 
stilled the tempest, he who had met Satan before 
and conquered him, did not flee before these de-
mons. When the men, gnashing their teeth, and 
foaming at the mouth, approached him within a 
few feet, Jesus raised that hand which had beck-
oned the waves to rest, and the men could come 
Pi 
111.1111111iiih
mr 
312 �
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
no nearer. They stood raging but helpless be-
fore him. 
In accents of authority he bade the unclean 
spirits come out of them. The words of Jesus pen-
etrated the darkened minds of the men enough 
for them to dimly realize that One was near who 
could save them from the demons that tormented 
them. They fell at the feet of Jesus, worshiping 
him. But when they opened their mouths to 
entreat his mercy, the demon spoke through 
them and cried vehemently, " What have I to do 
with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the Most High God, 
I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not !" 
Jesus asked, " What is thy name ?" and the an-
swer was, " My name is Legion ; for we are 
many." Using the afflicted men as mediums of 
communication between themselves and Jesus, 
they besought him not to send them away out of 
the country, but to let them enter into a herd of 
swine that was feeding near. Their request was 
granted ; but no sooner did this occur than the 
swine rushed headlong down a steep precipice, 
and were drowned in the sea. Light dawned 
upon the minds of the restored lunatics. Their 
eyes beamed with an intelligence to which they 
had long been strangers. The countenances, so 
long deformed into the image of Satan, became 
suddenly mild, the blood-stained hands were 
quiet, and the men praised the Lord for their 
deliverance from the bondage of demons. 
The design of Satan, in requesting that the 
demons might enter into the swine, was to hedge 
up the way of Jesus in that region. By causing 
the swine to be destroyed, considerable loss was 
brought upon their owners ; and the enemy was 
not deceived in thinking that this circumstance 
MEN FROM THE TOMBS. �
313 
would occasion Jesus to be held in disfavor 
throughout that country. The keepers of the 
swine had seen with amazement the whole trans- 
action. They had seen the raving madmen sud-
denly become sane and calm; they had beheld the 
whole drove of swine instantly afterward charge 
recklessly into the sea where they were immedi-
ately drowned. They were obliged to account to 
the owners for their loss ; and they immediately 
hurried to publish the news to their employers, 
and to all the people. This destruction of prop-
erty seemed, to the owners, of far greater magni-
tude than the joyful fact that two lunatics had 
been restored to reason, and no longer endangered 
the people who came in their way, nor needed 
the restrictions of bolts and chains. 
These selfish men cared not that these unfortu-
nate beings were now liberated, and sat calmly 
and intelligently at the feet of Jesus, listening to 
his words of instruction, filled with gratitude and 
glorifying the name of Him who had made them 
whole. They only cared for the property they 
had lost, and they were fearful of still greater 
calamities following the presence of this stranger 
in their midst. A panic spread far and near; 
the citizens apprehended financial ruin. A crowd 
came to Jesus, deploring the recent loss of prop-
ty and begging him to leave their vicinity. They 
looked with indifference upon the lunatics who 
had been healed, and were then conversing in-
telligently with Jesus. They knew them per-
fectly well, for they had long been the terror of 
the community. But the miraculous cure of 
these men seemed of lesser importance than their 
own selfish interests. They were thoroughly 
Great Controversy, Vol. 2. �9 1 
+!ti;''Jii ItV 
 
314 �
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. �
MEN FROM THE TOMBS. �
315 
alarmed and displeased at their loss ; and the 
prospect of Jesus remaining among them filled 
them with apprehension. They implored him 
to depart from their coast. The Saviour com-
plied with their demands, and immediately took 
ship with his disciples and left them to their 
avarice and unbelief. 
The inhabitants had before them living evi-
dences of the power and mercy of Him whom 
they drove from their midst. They saw that the 
lunatics had been. restored to reason ; but they 
were so fearful of incurring pecuniary loss that 
the Saviour, who had baffled the Prince of Dark-
ness before their eyes, was treated as an unwel-
come invader, and they turned the priceless Gift 
of Heaven from their doors, and blindly rejected 
his visit of mercy. We have not the opportu-
nity of turning from the person of Christ, as did 
the Gadarenes ; but there are many in these days 
who refuse to follow his teachings, because in so 
doing they must sacrifice some worldly interest. 
Many, in the various pursuits of life, turn Jesus 
from their hearts, fearful that his presence may 
cost them pecuniary loss. Like the selfish Gad-
arenes, they overlook his grace, and ruthlessly 
drive his Spirit from them. To such his words 
apply : " Ye cannot serve God and mammon." 
Some may reason that the course pursued by 
Jesus in this matter prevented the people of that 
region from receiving his doctrine, that this start-
ling exhibition of his power turned them away 
from his teachings, and cut them off from his in-
fluence. But such minds fail to penetrate the 
plans of the Saviour. At the time that the Gad-
arenes besought Jesus to leave their coast, there 
was also a petition offered by the restored lu- 
natics. It was that they might accompany their 
Deliverer. In his presence they felt secure from 
the demons that had tormented their lives and 
wasted their manhood. They kept close to his 
side as he was about to enter the boat, knelt at 
his feet and implored him to take them with him 
and teach them his truth. But Jesus directed 
them to go home to their friends, and tell them 
what great things the Lord had done for them. 
Here a work was given them to do,—to go to 
a heathen home, and impart to their friends the 
light that they had received from Jesus. They 
might have plead that it was a great trial to be 
separated from their Benefactor at this early 
stage of their experience, and that it was more 
congenial to their feelings to remain with him 
than to be exposed to the trials and difficulties 
that were sure to beset them in the course he di-
rected them to pursue. They might also have 
plead that their long isolation from society dis-
qualified them for the task he had given them. 
But instead of this, as soon as Jesus pointed 
out the path of duty, they prepared to follow it. 
Not only did they enlighten their own households 
and neighbors in regard to Jesus, but they pro-
claimed his power to save throughout the region 
of Decapolis, among the Gentiles, telling the 
wonderful work of Christ in casting out the de-
mons. The people of that region had refused 
to receive the Saviour because he was the 
means of destroying their property, yet they 
were not left in utter darkness ; for they had not 
committed the sin of rejecting his doctrine, since 
they had not heard it when they bade him leave 
their coast. His words of life had not fallen upon 
their ears. Therefore he commissioned those who 
316 �
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. �
MEN FROM THE TOMBS. �
317 
were so recently the mediums of Satan to com-
municate the light they had received from him 
to those benighted people. Those who had so 
lately been the representatives of the Prince of 
Darkness were converted into channels of truth, 
servants of the Son of God. 
Men marveled as they listened to the wondrous 
news. They became interested and anxious to 
have part in this kingdom of which Jesus taught. 
Nothing could have awakened the people of this 
country so thoroughly as did this occurrence hap-
pening in their midst. They had only cared for 
the advantages of the world, and had thought 
little of their eternal interests. Jesus cared much 
more for their real good than they did themselves. 
He bad permitted the devil's request to be granted, 
and the result was the destruction of their prop-
erty. This loss raised the indignation of the peo-
ple, and brought Jesus directly before the public 
notice. Although they entreated him to depart 
from them, they nevertheless saw and heard the 
men whom he had healed. When these persons, 
who had been the terror of the community, be-
came the messengers of truth and taught the sal-
vation of Jesus, they wielded a powerful influence 
to convince the people of that region that Jesus 
was the Son of God. 
They sent Jesus from their coast because they 
feared additional loss of property, notwithstand-
ing those who had crossed the lake with him told 
them the peril of the previous night, and the mir-
acle performed by the Saviour in stilling the 
tempest. Their eyes, blinded by worldliness, only 
saw the magnitude of their loss. They refused 
to consider the advantage of having One among 
them who could control the very elements by the 
lifting of his finger, cast out demons, and heal the 
diseased and imbecile by a word or the touch of 
his hand. The visible evidence of Satan's power 
was among them. The Prince of Light and the 
Prince of Darkness met, and all present beheld 
the supremacy of the one over the other. Yet 
seeing this they begged the Son of God to depart 
from them. He gratified their wish ; for he never 
urges his presence where lie is unwelcome. 
Satan is the god of the world ; his influence is 
to pervert the senses, control the human mind 
for evil, and drive his victims to violence and 
crime. He sows discord and darkens the intellect. 
The work of Christ is to break his power over 
the children of men. Yet how many in every 
department of life, in the home, in business trans-
actions, and in the church, turn Jesus from their 
doors but let the hateful monster in. 
It is no wonder that violence and crime have 
spread over the earth, and moral darkness, like 
the pall of death, shrouds the cities and habita-
tions of men. Satan controls many households, 
people, and churches. He watches the indica-
tions of moral corruption, and introduces his spe-
cious temptations, carefully leading men into worse 
and worse evils, till utter depravity is the result. 
The only safety is to watch unto prayer against 
his devices; for he goes about, in the last days, 
like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. 
The presence of Jesus is a safe-guard against his 
advances. The Sun of Righteousness discloses 
the hideous blackness of the enemy of souls, and 
he flies from the divine presence. 
Many professed Christians of our time banish 
Jesus from them for the sake of worldly gain. 
They may not use the exact words of the Gada- 
318 �
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
JAIRUS' DAUGHTER. �
319 
renes, but their acts plainly indicate, that, in 
their various avocations, they do not desire his 
presence. The world is exalted above his mercy. 
The love of gain crowds out the love of Christ. 
They heed not his injunctions, they slight his re-
proofs. By dishonesty and avaricious scheming, 
they virtually petition the blessed Saviour to de-
part from them. 
CHAPTER XXVII. 
JAIRUS' DAUGHTER. 
WHEN Jesus returned across the sea with his 
disciples, a great crowd were waiting to receive 
him, and they welcomed him with much joy. 
The fact of his coming being noised abroad, the 
people had collected in great numbers to listen 
to his teaching. There were the rich and poor, 
the high and low, Pharisees, doctors, and lawyers, 
all anxious to hear his words, and witness his 
miracles. As usual, there were many of the sick 
and variously afflicted entreating his mercy in 
their behalf. 
At length, faint and weary with the work of 
teaching and healing, Jesus left the multitude in 
order to partake of food in the house of Levi. 
But the people pressed about the door, bringing 
the sick, the deformed, and the lunatic, for him to 
heal. As he sat at the table, one of the rulers 
of the synagogue, Jairus, by name, came and fell 
at his feet, beseeching him : " My little daughter 
lieth at the point of death. I pray thee, come 
and lay thy hands on her, that she may be 
healed; and she shall live." 
The father was in great distress, for his child 
had been given up to die by the most learned 
physicians. Jesus at once responded to the en-
treaty of the stricken parent, and went with him 
to his home. The disciples were surprised at this 
ready compliance with the request of the haughty 
ruler. Although it was only a short distance, 
their progress was very slow ; for the people 
pressed forward on every side eager to see the 
great Teacher who had created so much excite-
ment, begging his attention and his aid. The 
anxious father urged his way through the crowd, 
fearful of being too late. But Jesus, pitying the 
people, and deploring their spiritual darkness and 
physical maladies, stopped now and then to min-
ister to their wants. Occasionally he was nearly 
carried off his feet by the surging masses. 
There was one poor woman among that crowd 
who had suffered twelve long years with a dis-
ease that made her life a burden. She had spent 
all her substance upon physicians and remedies, 
seeking to cure her grievous malady. But it was 
all in vain ; she was pronounced incurable, and 
given up to die. But her hopes revived when 
she heard of the wonderful cures effected by Je-
sus. She believed that if she could come into 
his presence, he would take pity on her and heal 
her. Suffering with pain and weakness, she 
came to the sea-side where he was teaching, and 
sought to press through the crowd that encom-
passed him. But her way was continually 
hedged up by the throng. She began to despair 
of approaching him, when Jesus, in urging his 
way through the multitude, came within her 
reach. 
The golden opportunity had come, she was in 
the presence of the great Physician ! But amid 
the confusion, she could not be heard by- him nor 
catch more than a passing glimpse of his figure. 
Fearful of losing the one chance of relief from 
her illness, she pressed forward, saying to herself, 
If I but touch his garment I shall be cured. 
She seized the opportunity as he was passing 
and reached forward, barely touching the hem of 
his garment. But in that moment she felt her-
self healed of her disease. Instantly health and 
strength took the place of feebleness and pain. 
She had concentrated all the faith of her life in 
that one touch that made her whole. 
With a thankful heart she then sought unob-
trusively to retire from the crowd ; but suddenly 
Jesus stopped, and all the people, following his 
example, also halted. He turned, and looking 
about him with a penetrating eye, asked in a 
voice distinctly heard by all, " Who touched 
me? " The people answered this query with a 
look of amazement. Jostled upon all sides, and 
rudely pressed hither and thither as he was, it 
seemed indeed a singular inquiry. 
Peter, recovering from his surprise, and ever 
ready to speak, said, " Master, the multitude 
throng thee, and press thee, and sayest thou, 
Who touched me ? " Jesus answered, " Some-
body bath touched me ; for I perceive that vir-
tue is gone out of me." The blessed Redeemer 
could distinguish the touch of faith from the cas-
ual contact of the careless crowd. He well knew 
all the circumstances of the case, and would not 
pass such confidence and trust without comment. 
He would address to the humble woman words 
of comfort that would be to her a well-spring of 
joy 
Looking toward the woman, Jesus still insisted 
upon knowing who had touched him. Finding, 
concealment vain, she came forward trembling-
ly and knelt at his feet. In hearing of all the 
multitude, she told Jesus the simple story of her 
long and tedious suffering, and the instant relief 
that she had experienced in touching the border 
of his garment. Her narration was interrupted 
by her grateful tears as she experienced the joy of 
perfect health, which had been a stranger to her 
for twelve weary years. Instead of being an-
gered at her presumption, Jesus commended her 
action, saying, " Daughter, be of good comfort. 
Thy faith bath made thee whole ; go in peace." 
In these words he instructed all present that it 
was no virtue in the simple act of touching his 
clothes that had wrought the cure, but in the 
strong faith that reached out and claimed his 
divine help. 
The true faith of the Christian is represented 
in this woman. It is not essential to the exercise 
of faith that the feelings should be wrought up 
to a high pitch of excitement ; neither is it neces-
sary, in order to gain the hearing of the Lord, 
that our petitions should be noisy, or attended 
with physical exercise. It-is true that Satan fre-
quently creates in the heart of the suppliant such 
a conflict with doubt and temptation that strong 
cries and tears are involuntarily forced from him ; 
and it is also true that the penitent's sense of 
guilt is sometimes so great that a repentance 
commensurate with his sin causes him to expe-
rience an agony that finds vent in cries and 
320 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
JAIRUS' DAUGHTER. �
321 
322 �
TIIE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
groans, which the compassionate Saviour hears 
with pity. But Jesus does not fail to answer the 
silent prayer of faith. He who simply takes God 
at his word, and reaches out to connect himself 
with the Saviour, will receive his blessing in re-
turn. 
Faith is simple in its operation and powerful 
in its results. Many professed Christians, who 
have a knowledge of the sacred word, and be-
lieve its truth, fail in the childlike trust that is 
essential to the religion of Jesus. They do not 
reach out with that peculiar touch that brings 
the virtue of healing to the soul. They allow 
cold doubt to creep in and destroy their confi-
dence. He who waits for entire knowledge be-
fore he can exercise faith, will never be blessed of 
God. " Faith is the substance of things hoped 
for, the evidence of things not seen." 
The diseased woman believed that Jesus could 
heal her, and the more her mind was exercised in 
that direction, the more certain she became that 
even to touch his garment would relieve her mal-
ady. In answer to her firm belief, the virtue of 
divine power granted her prayer. This is a les-
son of encouragement to the soul defiled by sin. 
In like manner as Jesus dealt with bodily infirm-
ities, will he deal with the repentant soul that 
calls on him. The touch of faith will bring the 
coveted pardon that fills the soul with gratitude 
and joy. 
The delay of Jesus had been so intensely in-
teresting in its results that even the anxious 
father felt no impatience but watched the scene 
with deep interest. As the healed woman was 
sent away comforted and rejoicing, it encouraged 
him to believe still more firmly that Jesus was 
JAIRUS' DAUGHTER. �
323 
able to grant his own petition and heal his daugh-
ter. Hope grew stronger in his heart, and he now 
urged the Saviour to hasten with him to his home. 
But, as they resumed their way, a messenger 
pressed through the crowd to Jairus, bearing the 
news that his daughter was dead, and it was 
useless to trouble the Master further. The sym-
pathizing ear of Jesus caught the words that 
smote the father's heart like the death-knell of 
his hopes. The pity of the Saviour was drawn 
out toward the suffering parent. He said to 
him, in his divine compassion, "Fear not; believe 
only, and she shall be made whole." 
Hearing these words of hope, Jairus pressed 
closer to the side of Jesus ; and they hurried to 
the ruler's house. The Saviour suffered no one 
to enter the room with him where the child lay 
dead, except a few of his most faithful disciples, 
and the parents themselves. The mourners were 
making a great show of grief, and he rebuked 
them, saying, " Weep not ; she is not dead, but 
sleepeth." The women, who, according to the 
custom of the country, were employed to make 
this external display of sorrow, were indignant 
at this remark made by a humble stranger, 
and they began to inquire by what authority 
this person came, commanding them to cease 
lamenting for the dead and asserting that the 
girl still lived. They had seen the touch of death 
change the living child to a pulseless and uncon-
scious form. They laughed the words of Jesus 
to scorn, as they left the room at his command. 
Accompanied by the father and mother, with 
Peter, James, and John, the Saviour approached 
the bedside, and, taking the child's hand in his 
own, he pronounced softly,. in the familiar lan- 
325 
394 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
guage of her home, the words, " Damsel, I say 
unto thee, arise." 
Instantly a tremor quivered through the entire 
body. The pulses of life beat again in the blue-
veined temples, the pallid lips opened with a 
smile, the bosom heaved with returning breath, 
the waxen lids opened widely as if from sleep, 
and the dark eyes looked out wonderingly. The 
girl arose, weak from her long illness, but free 
from disease. She walked slowly across the 
room, while the parents wept for joy. Jesus bade 
them give her food, and charged all the house-
hold to tell no one what had been done there. 
But notwithstanding his injunction to secrecy, 
the news spread far and near that he had raised 
the dead to life. A large number were present 
when the child died, and when they again beheld 
her alive and well, it was impossible to prevent 
them from reporting the wonderful deed done by 
the great Physician. 
CHAPTER XXVIII. 
THE TRANSFIGURATION. 
As the time drew near when Jesus was to suf-
fer and die, he was more frequently alone with 
his disciples. After teaching the people all day, 
he would repair with his disciples to a retired 
place and pray and commune with them. fie 
was weary, yet he had no time to rest, for his 
work on earth was hastening to a close, and he 
had much to do before the final hour arrived. 
He had declared to his disciples that he would 
THE TRANSFIGURATION. 
establish his kingdom so firmly on earth that the 
gates of hell should not prevail against it. Jesus, 
in view of his approaching trial, gathered his dis-
ciples about him and opened their minds regard-
ing his future humiliation and shameful death 
at the hands of his persecutors. The impulsive 
Peter could not for a moment endure the thought, 
and insisted that it could not be. Jesus sol-
emnly rebuked Peter's unbelief in suggesting 
that prophecy would not be fulfilled in the sac-
rifice of the Son of God. 
Jesus then proceeded to explain to his disciples 
that they also must suffer for his name, bear the 
cross in following him, and endure a correspond-
ing humiliation, reproach, and shame with that 
of their Master, or they could never share his 
glory. His sufferings must be followed by theirs, 
and his crucifixion must teach them that they 
should be crucified to the world, resigning all hope 
of its pomp and pleasure. Previous to this decla-
ration, Jesus had frequently spoken to his disci-
ples of his future humiliation, and he had reso-
lutely discouraged all their hopes of his temporal 
aggrandizement ; but they had so long been ac-
customed to look upon Messiah as one who 
would reign as a mighty king, that it had been 
impossible for them to relinquish entirely their 
glowing expectations. 
But now the words of Jesus were unmistaka-
ble. He was to live, a humble, homeless wan-
derer, and to die the death of a malefactor. Sad-
ness oppressed their hearts, for they loved their 
Master ; but doubt also harassed their minds, 
for it seemed incomprehensible that the Son of 
God should be subjected to such cruel humilia-
tion. They could not understand why he should 
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
THE TRANSFIGURATION. 
327 
voluntarily go to Jerusalem to meet the treat-
ment which he told them he should there receive. 
They were deeply grieved that he should resign 
himself to such an ignominious fate, and leave 
them in greater darkness than that in which 
they were groping before he revealed himself to 
them. The thought suggested itself to their 
minds that they might take him by force to a 
place of security, but they dared not attempt 
this as lie had repeatedly denounced all such 
projects as the suggestions of Satan. In the 
midst of their gloom they could not refrain from 
comforting themselves occasionally with the 
thought that some unforeseen circumstance might 
avert the fearful doom that awaited their Lord. 
Thus they sorrowed and doubted, hoped and 
feared, for six long, gloomy days. 
Jesus was acquainted with the grief and per-
plexity of his disciples, and he designed to give 
them additional proof of his Messiahship, in or-
der that their faith might not utterly fail them 
in the severe ordeal to which they were soon to 
be subjected. As the sun was setting he called 
his three most devoted disciples to his side, and 
led them out of the noisy town, across the fields, 
and up the steep side of a mountain. Jesus was 
weary from toil and travel. He had taught the 
people and healed the sick throughout the entire 
day ; but he sought this high elevation because 
he could there find retirement from the crowds 
that continually sought him, and time for medi-
tation and prayer. He was very weary, and was 
much fatigued in toiling up the steep ascent. 
The disciples were also tired, and, although they 
were accustomed to this practice of retiring into 
the solitudes for prayer, they could not help won- 
dering that Jesus should attempt to climb this 
rugged mountain, after such a day of fatigue. But 
they asked no questions as to his purpose, and 
patiently accompanied him. As they are ascend-
ing the mountain, the setting sun leaves the val-
leys in shadow, while the light still lingers on 
the mountain tops, and gilds with its fading 
glory the rugged path they are treading. But 
soon the golden light dies out from hill as well 
as valley, the sun disappears behind the western 
horizon, and the solitary travelers are wrapt in 
the darkness of night. And the gloom of their 
surroundings seems in harmony with their sor-
rowful lives, around which the clouds are gather-
ing and thickening. 
Having gained the place he sought, Jesus en-
gaged in earnest prayer to his Father. Hour 
after hour, with tears and importunity, he sup-
plicated for strength to bear his afflictions and 
for grace to be bestowed upon his disciples that 
they might bear the terrible trials that awaited 
them in the future. The dew was heavy upon 
his bowed form, but he heeded it not; the shad-
ows of night gathered thickly about him, but 
he regarded not their gloom. So the hours 
passed slowly by. At first the disciples united 
their prayers with his in sincere devotion ; but 
as the hours dragged slowly on, they were over-
come with weariness and loss of sleep, and even 
while endeavoring to retain their interest in the 
scene, they fell asleep. Jesus had told them of 
his future sufferings, he had taken them with 
him that they might watch and pray with him 
while he was pleading with his Father ; even 
then lie was praying that his disciples might 
have strength to endure the coming test of his 
328 �
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
humiliation and death. He especially plead that 
they might witness such a manifestation of his 
divinity as would forever remove from their 
minds all unbelief and lingering doubts; a man-
ifestation that would comfort them in the hour 
of his supreme agony with the knowledge that 
he was of a surety the Son of God, and that his 
shameful death was a part of the divine plan of 
redemption. 
God hears the petition of his Son, and angels 
prepare to minister unto him. But God selects 
Moses and Elijah to visit Christ and converse 
with him in regard to his coming sufferings at 
Jerusalem. While Jesus bows in lowliness upon 
the damp and stony ground, suddenly the heav-
ens oxen, the golden gates of the City of God are 
thrown wide, and holy radiance descends upon 
the mount, enshrouding the kneeling form of 
Christ. He arises from his prostrate position, 
and stands in God-like majesty ; the soul-agony 
is gone from his countenance, which now shines 
with a serene light, and his garments are no lon-
ger coarse and soiled, but white and glittering like 
the noon-day sun. 
The sleeping disciples are awakened by the 
flood of glory that illuminates the whole mount. 
They gaze with fear and amazement upon the 
shining garments and radiant countenance of 
their Master. At first their eyes are dazzled by 
the unearthly brilliancy of the scene, but as they 
become able to endure the wondrous light, they 
perceive that Jesus is not alone. Two glorious 
figures stand engaged in conversation with him. 
They are Moses, who talked with God face t0 
face amid the thunder and lightnings of Sinai, 
and Elijah, that prophet of God who did not see 
THE TRANSFIGURATION. �
;129 
death, but was conducted to Heaven in a chariot 
of fire. These two, whom God had seen fit to 
favor above all others who ever lived upon earth, 
were delegated by the Father to bring the glory 
of Heaven to his Son, and comfort him, talking 
with him concerning the completion of his mis-
sion, and especially of his sufferings to be en-
dured at Jerusalem. 
The Father chose Moses and Elijah to be his 
messengers to Christ, and glorify him with the 
light of Heaven, and commune with him con-
cerning his coming agony, because they had lived 
upon earth as men ; they had experienced hu-
man sorrow and suffering, and could sympathize 
with the trial of Jesus, in his earthly life. Eli-
jah, in his position as a prophet to Israel, had 
represented Christ, and his work had been, in a 
degree, similar to that of the Saviour. And 
Moses, as the leader of Israel, had stood in the 
place of Christ, communing with him and follow-
ing his directions ; therefore, these two, of all the 
hosts that gathered around the throne of God, 
were fittest to minister to the Son of God. 
When Moses, enraged at the unbelief of the 
children of Israel, smote the rock in wrath and 
furnished them the water for which they called, 
he took the glory to himself; for his mind was so 
engrossed with the ingratitude and waywardness 
of Israel that he failed to honor God and mag-
nify his name, in performing the act which He 
had commanded him to do. It was the plan of 
the Almighty to frequently bring the children of 
Israel into straight places, and then, in their great 
necessity, to deliver them by his power, that 
they might recognize his special regard for them, 
Great Controversy, Vol. 2. 
Iii 
330 �
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
�
Vialia=211116=Nag.. 
and glorify his name. But Moses, in yielding to 
the natural impulses of his heart, appropriated 
to himself the honor due to God, fell under the 
power of Satan, and was forbidden to enter the 
promised land. Had Moses remained steadfast, 
the Lord would have brought him to the promised 
land, and would then have translated him to 
Heaven without his seeing death. 
As it was, Moses passed through death, but 
the Son of God came down from Heaven and 
resurrected him before his body had seen cor-
ruption. Though Satan contended with Michael 
for the body of Moses, and claimed it as his 
rightful prey, he could not prevail against the 
Son of God, and Moses, with a resurrected and 
glorified body, was borne to the courts of Heaven, 
and was now one of the honored two, commis-
sioned by the Father to wait upon his Son. 
By permitting themselves to be so overcome 
by sleep, the disciples had lost the conversation be-
tween the Heavenly messengers and the glorified 
Redeemer. But as they suddenly awake from 
profound slumber, and behold! the sublime vision 
before them, they are filled with rapture and 
awe. As they look upon the radiant form of 
their beloved Master, they are obliged to shield 
their eyes with their hands, not being able other-
wise to endure the inexpressible glory that 
clothes his person, and which emits beams of 
light like those of the sun. For a brief space 
the disciples behold their Lord glorified and ex-
alted before their eyes, and honored by the radi-
ant beings whom they recognize as the favored 
ones of God. 
They believe that Elias has now come, accord-
ing to prophecy, and that the kingdom of Christ 
THE TRANSFIGURATION. �
331 
is to be set up on earth. Even in the first glow 
of his amazement, Peter plans for accommodating 
Christ and the ancient worthies. As soon as he 
can command his voice he addresses Jesus thus : 
" Master, it is good for us to be here ; and let 
us make three tabernacles ; one for thee, and one 
for Moses, and one for Elias." In the joy of the 
moment, Peter flatters himself that the two mes-
sengers from Heaven have been sent to preserve 
the life of Jesus from the fate that threatens him 
at Jerusalem. He is overjoyed at the thought 
that these glorious attendants, clothed in light 
and power, are to protect the Son of God, and 
establish his kingly authority upon earth. He 
forgets for the time the frequent explanations 
given by Jesus himself of the plan of salvation, 
which could only be perfected through his own 
suffering and death. 
While the disciples were overwhelmed with rap-
ture and amazement, "a bright cloud overshad-
owed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud 
which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am 
well pleased; hear ye him." When the disciples 
beheld the awful cloud of glory, brighter than that 
which went before the tribes of Israel in the wil-
derness, and when they heard the voice of God 
peal from the cloud, in accents of majesty that 
caused the mount to tremble as if shaken from 
its foundation, they could not endure the grand-
eur that oppressed their senses, and fell smitten 
to the ground. 
Thus they remained upon their faces, not dar-
ing to look up, till Jesus approached arid raised 
them from the ground, dispelling their fears with 
his well-known, cheering vqice, saying, "Arise, 
and be not afraid." Venturing to lift up their 
THE TRANSFIGURATION. �
333 
332 �
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
eyes, they see that the heavenly glory has passed 
away, the radiant forms of Moses and Elijah have 
disappeared, the Son of God is no longer clothed 
with a divine radiance so bright that the eyes of 
man can not endure it,—they are upon the mount 
alone with Jesus. 
The entire night had been passed in the mount-
ain, and as the sun rose and chased away the 
shadows with its cheering rays, Jesus and his 
disciples descended the mountain. Gladly would 
they have lingered in that holy place which had 
been touched with the glory of Heaven, and 
where the Son of God had been transfigured be-
fore the eyes of his disciples ; but there was work 
to be done for the people who were already search-
ing far and near for Jesus. 
At the foot of the mountain a large crowd 
had gathered, led there by the disciples who 
had remained behind, and who knew of the fa-
vorite resorts of Jesus for meditation and prayer. 
As they approached the waiting multitude, Jesus 
charged his disciples to keep secret what they 
had witnessed, saying, " Tell the vision to no 
man until the Son of Man be risen again from 
the dead." Jesus knew that neither the people 
nor the disciples who had led them to the place, 
were prepared to appreciate or understand the 
wonderful event of the transfiguration upon the 
mount. After his resurrection, the testimony of 
those who had witnessed it, was to be given to 
substantiate the fact that he was indeed the Son 
of God. 
Now the three chosen disciples have evidence 
which they cannot doubt that Jesus is the prom-
ised Messiah. A voice from the excellent glory 
has declared his divinity. Now they are strength- 
ened to endure the humiliation and crucifixion 
of their Lord. The patient Teacher, the meek 
and lowly One, who, for nearly three years, has 
wandered to and fro, from city to city, a Man of 
sorrows, homeless, having no place to rest, no 
bed upon which to stretch his weary form at 
night, has been acknowledged by the voice of 
God as his Son, and Moses and Elijah, glorious 
ones in the courts of Heaven, have paid him 
homage. The favored disciples can doubt no 
longer. They have seen with their eyes, and 
heard with their ears, things that are beyond the 
comprehension of man. 
Jesus now returned to his work of ministering 
to the people. As the throng caught sight of 
the Saviour, they ran to meet him, greeting him 
with much reverence. But he perceived that 
they were in great perplexity. This was because 
of a circumstance that had just transpired : A 
man had brought his son to the disciples to be 
delivered of a dumb spirit that tormented him 
exceedingly. But the disciples had been unable 
to relieve him, and therefore the scribes had 
seized upon this opportunity to dispute with 
them as to their power of working miracles. 
These men were now triumphantly declaring 
that a devil was here found whom neither the 
disciples nor their Master could conquer. 
As Jesus approached the scene he inquired the 
cause of the trouble ; the afflicted father replied : 
" Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which 
bath a dumb spirit ; and wheresoever he taketh 
him, he teareth him ; and he foameth, and gnash-
eth with his teeth, and pineth away ; and I spake 
to thy disciples that they should cast him out., 
and they could not." Jegus listened attentively 
if 
334 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
to this narration, and then met the failure of his 
disciples, the doubts of the people, and the boast-
ing of the scribes, with these words : "0 faith-
less generation ! how long shall I be with you ? 
how long shall I suffer you ? Bring him unto 
me." 
The father obeyed the command of Jesus ; but 
no sooner was his son brought into the divine 
presence than the evil spirit attacked him with 
violence, and he fell upon the ground in agony, 
and writhed, and foamed at the mouth. Jesus 
permitted Satan to exercise his power thus over 
his victim, in order that the people might better 
understand the nature of the miracle he was 
about to perform, and be more deeply impressed 
with a sense of his divine power. Jesus proceeded 
to inquire of the father how long his son had 
thus been afflicted by the demon. The father 
answered :— 
" Of a child. And ofttimes it hath cast him 
into the fire, and into the water, to destroy him ; 
but if thou canst do anything, have compassion 
on us, and help us." The failure of the disciples 
to heal this deplorable case had sadly discouraged 
the father, and the sufferings of his son now 
wrung his soul with anguish. The question of 
Jesus brought to his mind the long years of suf-
fering endured by his son, and his heart sank 
within him. He feared that what the scribes as-
serted was true, and that Jesus himself could not 
overcome so powerful a devil. Jesus perceived 
his dispirited condition and sought to inspire 
him with faith. He addressed him thus : " If 
thou canst believe, all things are possible to him 
that believeth." Hope was immediately kindled 
THE TRANSFIGURATION. �
335 
in the father's heart, and he cried, " Lord, I be-
lieve ; help thou mine unbelief." 
The distressed father realized his immediate 
need of help, and that no one could furnish that 
help but the merciful Saviour, and he relied 
alone upon him. His faith was not in vain; for 
Jesus, before the whole multitude, that flocked 
about to witness the scene, " rebuked the foul 
spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf 
spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter 
no more into him." And immediately the demon 
left him, and the boy lay as one dead. The ac-
tion of the evil spirit upon him had been so vio-
lent that it had overcome all his natural strength ; 
and when it left him he was powerless and uncon-
scious. The people, who had witnessed with 
awe the sudden change that came over the lad, 
now whispered among themselves, " He is dead." 
But Jesus stooped and with tender pity " took 
him by the hand, and lifted him up ; and he 
arose." 
Great was the father's joy over his son, and 
great was the joy of the son in his freedom from 
the cruel demon that had so long tormented him. 
Both father and son praised an magnified the 
name of their Deliverer, while the people looked 
on with unbounded astonishment, and the scribes, 
crest-fallen and defeated, turned sullenly away. 
Jesus had conferred upon his disciples the 
power to work miracles of healing ; but their 
failure in this case, before so many witnesses, had 
deeply mortified them. When they were alone 
with Jesus they asked him why it was that they 
were unable to cast out the devil. Jesus answered 
that it was because of their unbelief, and the 
carelessness with which they regarded the sacred 
336 �
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
work that had been committed to them. They 
had not fitted themselves for their holy office by 
fasting and prayer. It was impossible for them 
to vanquish Satan except as they received power 
from God ; they should go to him in humiliation 
and self-sacrifice and plead for strength to conquer 
the enemy of souls. Nothing but entire depend-
ence upon God, and perfect consecration to the 
work, would insure their success. Jesus encour-
aged his disappointed followers in these words : 
" If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye 
shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to 
yonder place, and it shall remove ; and nothing 
shall be impossible unto you." 
In a brief space of time the favored disciples 
had beheld the extremes of glory and of grief. 
Jesus, descending the mount where he had been 
transfigured by the glory of God, where he 
had talked with the messengers of Heaven, and 
been proclaimed the Son of God by the Father's 
voice issuing from the radiant glory, meets a re-
volting spectacle, a lunatic child, with counte-
nance distorted, gnashing its teeth in spasms of 
agony which no mortal could relieve. ` And this 
mighty Redeemer, who but a few short hours be-
fore stood glorified before his wondering disciples, 
stoops to lift this victim of Satan from the ground 
where he is wallowing, and restores him to his 
father, freed forever from the demon's power. 
Previous to his transfiguration, Jesus had told 
his disciples that there were some then with him 
who should not see death until they should see 
the kingdom of God come with power. In the 
transfiguration on the mount, this promise was 
fulfilled, for they there saw the kingdom of Christ 
in miniature. Jesus was clothed with the glory 
FEAST OF TABERNACLES. �
337 
of Heaven, and proclaimed by the Father's voice 
to be the Son of God. Moses was present, rep-
resenting those who will be raised from the dead 
at the second coming of Christ; and Elijah, who 
was translated to Heaven without seeing death, 
represented those who will be living on earth at 
the time of Christ's second appearing, and who 
will be changed from mortal to immortal, and be 
translated to Heaven without seeing death. 
CHAPTER XXIX. 
FEAST OF TABERNACLES. 
THREE times a year, all the Jews were required 
to assemble for religious purposes at Jerusalem. 
Jesus had not attended several of these gather-
ings because of the enmity of the Jews. When 
he declared in the synagogue that he was the 
bread of life, many of those who had followed him 
apostatized and united with the Pharisees to 
watch him and spy upon his movements in the 
hope of finding cause to condemn him to death. 
The sons of Joseph, who passed as brothers of 
Jesus, were very much affected by this desertion 
of so many of his disciples, and, as the time ap-
proached for the Feast of Tabernacles, they urged 
Jesus to go up to Jerusalem, and, if he was in-
deed the Messiah, to present his claims before the 
rulers, and enforce his rights. 
Jesus replied to them with solemn dignity : 
" My time is not yet come ; but your time is 
always ready. The wprld cannot hate you ; but 
r 
338 �
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
me it hateth, because I testify of it that the 
works thereof are evil. Go ye up unto this feast ; 
I go not up yet unto this feast, for my time is not 
yet full come." The world loved those who were 
like itself ; but the contrast between Christ and 
the world was most marked ; there could be no 
harmony between them. His teachings, and his 
reproofs of sin, stirred up its hatred against him. 
The Saviour knew what awaited him at Jerusa-
lem, he knew that the malice of the Jews would 
soon bring about his death, and it was not his 
place to hasten that event by prematurely ex-
posing himself to their unscrupulous hatred. He 
was to patiently await his appointed time. 
At the commencement of the Feast of Taber-
nacles, the absence of Jesus was commented upon. 
The Pharisees and rulers anxiously looked for 
him to come, hoping that they might have an 
opportunity to condemn him on account of some-
thing he might say or do. They anxiously in-
quired, " Where is he ? " but no one knew. Pres-
ently a dispute rose among the people in regard 
to Jesus, many nobly defending him as one sent 
of God, while others bitterly accused him as a 
deceiver of the people. 
Meanwhile, Jesus had quietly arrived at Jeru-
salem. He had chosen an unfrequented route by 
which to go, in order to avoid the travelers who 
were making their way to the city from all quar-
ters. In the midst of the feast, when the dispute 
concerning himself was at its height, Jesus walked 
calmly into the court of the temple, and stood 
before the crowd as one possessed of unquestion-
able authority. The sudden and unexpected ap-
pearance of one whom they believed would not 
dare to show himself among them in the presence 
FEAST OF TABERNACLES. �
339 
of all the chief priests and rulers, astonished the 
people so that a sudden hush succeeded the ex-
cited discussion in which they had been engaged. 
They were astonished at his dignified and cour-
ageous bearing in the midst of many powerful 
men who were thirsting for his life. 
Standing thus, with the eyes of all the people 
riveted upon him, he addressed them as no man 
had ever done. His knowledge was greater than 
that of the learned priests and elders, and he 
assumed an authority which they had never ven-
tured to take. Those very men who had so lately 
been wrought up to a frenzy of hate, and were 
ready to do violence to Christ at the first oppor-
tunity, now listened spell-bound to his words, 
and felt themselves powerless to do him harm. 
He was the attraction of the hour ; all other in-
terests were forgotten for the time. The hearts 
of the people thrilled with awe as they listened 
to his divine words. 
His discourse showed that he was well ac-
quainted with the law in all its bearings, and 
was a clear interpreter of the Scriptures. The 
question passes from one to another, " How 
knoweth this man letters, having never learned ?" 
Some, less acquainted with his former life, inquire 
among themselves in what school he has been in-
structed. Finally, the rulers recover their pres-
ence of mind sufficiently to demand by what au-
thority he stands so boldly teaching the people. 
They seek to turn the attention of the multitude 
from Jesus to the question of his right to teach, 
and to their own importance and authority. But 
the voice of Jesus answers their queries with 
thrilling power :— 
"•ATy doctrine is not mine, but His that sent me. 
Ii 
340 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
FEAST OF TABERNACLES. �
341 
If any man will do his will, he shall know of the 
doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak 
of myself. He that speaketh of himself seeketh 
his own glory ; but lie that seeketh his glory that 
sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness 
is in him." Jesus here declares that his Heaven-
ly Father is the source of all strength, and the 
foundation of all wisdom. No natural talent nor 
acquired learning can supply the place of a 
knowledge of the will of God. A willing-
ness to obey the requirements of the Lord opens 
the mind and heart to candid inquiry, and dili-
gent searching for the doctrine of truth. He de-
clares that, with a mind thus open, men can dis-
cern between him who speaks in the cause of 
God and him who speaks for his own glory for 
selfish purposes. Of this latter class were the 
haughty priests and Pharisees. 
Jesus spoke upon the subject of the law. He 
was in the presence of the very men who were 
great sticklers for its exactions, yet failed to 
carry out its principles in their lives. These per-
sons persecuted Jesus, who taught so pointedly 
the sanctity of God's statutes, and freed them 
from the senseless restrictions which had been 
attached to them. Since Jesus had healed the 
pafalytic on the Sabbath day, the Pharisees had 
a determined purpose to compass his death, and 
were eagerly watching for an opportunity to ac-
complish their design. Jesus, penetrating their 
purposes, inquired of them 
" Did not Moses give you the law, and yet 
none of you keepeth the law ? Why go ye 
about to kill me ?" This pointed accusation 
struck home to the guilty consciences of the 
Pharisees and rulers, but only increased their 
rage. That this humble man should stand up be-
fore the people and expose the hidden iniquity of 
their lives, seemed a presumption too great to be 
believed. But the rulers wished to conceal their 
evil purposes from the people, and evaded the 
words of Jesus, crying out, " Thou bast a devil ; 
who goeth about to kill thee ?" In these words 
they would insinuate that all the wonderful 
works of Jesus were instigated by an evil spirit. 
They also wished to direct the minds of the peo-
ple from the words of Jesus revealing their pur-
pose of taking his life. 
But " Jesus answered and said unto them, I 
have done one work, and ye all marvel. Moses 
therefore gave unto you circumcision ; not be-
cause it is of Moses, but of the fathers; and ye 
on the Sabbath day circumcise a man." Jesus 
referred to his act of healing the man on the Sab-
bath, and showed that it was in accordance with 
the Sabbath law. He alluded also to the custom 
among the Jews of circumcising on the Sabbath. 
If it was lawful to circumcise a man on the Sab-
bath, it must certainly be right to relieve the af-
flicted, " to make a man every whit whole on the. 
Sabbath day." He bade them "judge not accord-
ing to appearance, but judge righteous judg-
ment." The boldness with which Jesus defended 
himself; and interpreted the spirit of the law, si-
lenced the rulers and led many of those who heard 
him to say, " Is not this he whom they seek to 
kill ? But lo, he speaketh boldly, and they say 
nothing unto him. Do the rulers know indeed 
that this is the very Christ ?" Many of those 
who lived at Jerusalem, and were not ignorant 
of the designs of the Sanhedrim council against 
Jesus, were charmed .with the doctrine that lie 
342 �
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
taught and with his pure and dignified bearing, 
and were inclined to accept him as the Son of 
God. 
They were not filled with the bitter prejudice 
and hatred of the priests and rulers ; but Satan 
was ready to suggest doubts and questions in 
their minds as to the divinity of this man of 
humble origin. Many had received the impres-
sion that Messiah would have no natural rela-
tionship to humanity, and it was not pleasant 
for them to think of him, whom they had hoped 
would be a mighty King of Israel, as one who 
sprung from poverty and obscurity. Therefore 
they said among themselves, " Howbeit we know 
this man whence he is ; but when Christ cometh, 
no man knoweth whence he is." The minds of 
these men were closed to the prophecies, which 
pointed out how and when Christ was to come. 
While their minds were balancing between 
doubt and faith, Jesus took up their thoughts 
and answered them thus " Ye both know me, 
and ye know whence I am ; and I am not come 
of myself, but He that sent me is true, whom ye 
know not. But I know him ; for I am from him, 
and he hath sent me." They claimed a knowl-
edge of what the origin of Christ should be, 
while they were in reality utterly ignorant of it, 
and were locked in spiritual blindness. If they 
had lived in accordance with the will of the 
Father, they would have known his Son when 
he was manifested to them. 
The words of Jesus convinced many of those 
who listened ; but the rage of the rulers was in-
creased by this very fact, and they made an at-
tempt to seize him ; " but no man laid hands 
on him, because his hour was not yet come. 
FEAST OF TABERNACLES. �
343 
And many of the people believed on him, and 
said, When Christ cometh will he do more mira-
cles than these which this man hath done ?" 
Jesus stood before his enemies with calm and 
dignified mien, declaring his mission to the 
world, and revealing the hidden sins and deadly 
designs of the Pharisees and rulers. Though 
these lofty persons would gladly have sealed his 
lips, and though they had the will to destroy 
him where he stood, they were prevented by an 
invisible influence, which put a limit to their 
rage and said to them, " Thus far shalt thou go, 
and no farther." 
The words of Jesus found a place in many 
hearts, and, like seed sown in goodly soil, they 
afterward bore abundant harvests. The spies 
scattered throughout the throng now report to 
the chief priests and elders that Jesus is gaining 
great influence among the people and that many 
are already acknowledging their belief in him. 
The priests therefore secretly lay their plans to 
arrest Jesus ; but they arrange to take him when 
he is alone, for they dare not risk the effect upon 
the people of seizing him while in their presence. 
Jesus, divining their malevolent intents, declares 
in words of solemn pathos :— 
"Yet a little while am I with you, and then I 
go unto Him that sent me. Ye shall seek me, 
and shall not find me ; and where I am, thither 
ye cannot come." Soon the Saviour of the world 
will find a refuge from the persecution of his en- 
emies, where their scorn and hate will be power-
less to harm him. He will ascend to his Father, 
to be again the Adored of angels ; and thither 
his murderers can never come. 
The Feast of Tabernacles was celebrated to 
111'. �
 
11111r,« �
 
344 �
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
commemorate the time when the Hebrews dwelt 
in tents during their sojourn in the Wilderness. 
While this great festival lasted, the people were 
required to leave their houses and live in booths 
made of green branches of pine or myrtle. These 
leafy structures were sometimes erected on the 
tops of the houses, and in the streets, but oftener 
outside the walls of the city, in the valleys and 
along the hill-sides. Scattered about in every 
direction, these green camps presented a very 
picturesque appearance. 
The feast lasted one week, and during all that 
time the temple was a festal scene of great re-
joicing. There was the pomp of the sacrificial 
ceremonies ; and the sound of music, mingled 
with hosannas, made the place jubilant. At the 
first dawn of day, the priests sounded a long, 
shrill blast upon their silver trumpets ; and the 
answering trumpets, and the glad shouts of the 
people from their booths, echoing over hill and 
valley, welcomed the festal day. Then the priest 
dipped from the flowing waters of the Kedron a 
flagon of water, and, lifting it on high, while the 
,,trumpets were sounding, he ascended the broad 
i
steps of the temple, keeping time with the music 
with slow and measured tread, chanting mean-
while : " Our feet shall stand within thy gates, 0 
Jerusalem !" 
He bore the flagon to the altar which occu-
pied a central position in the temple court. Here 
were two silver basins, with a priest standing at 
I each one. The flagon of water was poured into 
I �
one basin, and a flagon of wine into the other ; and 
the contents of both flowed into a pipe which com-
municated with the Kedron, and was conducted 
to the Dead Sea. This display of the consecrated 
FEAST OF *TABERNACLES. �345 
water represented the fountain that flowed from 
the rock to refresh the Hebrews in the wilder-
ness. Then the jubilant strains rang forth :— 
`"The Lord Jehovah is my strength and song ;" 
" therefore with joy shall we draw water out of 
the wells of salvation !" All the vast assembly 
joined in triumphant chorus with musical instru- 
ments and deep-toned trumpets, while competent 
choristers conducted the grand harmonious con-
cert of praise. 
The festivities were carried on with an unpar-
alleled splendor. At night the temple and its 
court blazed so with artificial light that the 
whole city was illuminated. The music, the 
waving of palm-branches, the glad hosannas, the 
great concourse of people, over which the light 
streamed from the hanging lamps, the dazzling 
array of the priests, and the majesty of the cere-
monies, all combined to make a scene that deeply 
impressed all beholders. 
The feast was drawing to a close. The morn-
ing of the last, crowning day found the people 
wearied from the long season of festivity. Sud-
denly Jesus lifted up his voice in tones that rang 
through the courts of the temple :— 
"If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and 
drink. He that believeth on me, as the Script-
ure hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of 
living water." The condition of the people made 
this appeal very forcible. They had been en-
gaged in a continued scene of pomp and festivity, 
their eyes had been dazzled with light and color, 
and their ears regaled with the richest music ; 
but there had been nothing to meet the wants of 
the spirit, nothing to satisfy the thirst of the soul 
Great Controversy, Vol, 2. �, �
23 
346 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
for that which perishes not. Jesus invited them 
to come and drink of the fountain of life, of that 
which should be in them a well of water spring-
ing up into everlasting life. 
The priest had that morning performed the 
imposing ceremony which represented the smit-
ing of the rock in the wilderness and the issuing 
therefrom of the water. That rock was a figure 
Vf Christ. His words were the water of life. As 
Jesus spoke thus to the people, their hearts 
thrilled with a strange awe, and many were ready 
to exclaim, with the woman of Samaria, " Give 
me of this water, that I thirst not." 
The words of the Divine Teacher presented 
his gospel in a most impressive figure. More 
than eighteen hundred years have passed since 
the lips of Jesus pronounced those words in the 
hearing of thousands of thirsty souls ; but they 
are as comforting and cheering to our hearts to-
day, and as full of hope, as to those who accepted 
them in the Jewish temple. Jesus knew the 
wants of the human soul. Hollow pomp, riches 
and honor, cannot satisfy the heart. " If any 
man thirst, let him come unto me." The rich, the 
poor, the high, the low, are alike welcomed. He 
promises to relieve the burdened mind, to com-
fort the sorrowing, and give hope to the despond- 
ent. Many of those who heard Jesus were 
mourners over disappointed hopes, some were 
nourishing a secret grief, some were seeking to 
satisfy the restless longing of the soul with the 
things of this world and the praise of men ; but 
when all this was gained, they found that they 
had toiled to reach only a broken cistern, from 
which they could not quench their fever thirst. 
Amid all the glitter of the joyous scene they 
FEAST OF TABERNACLES. �
347 
stood, dissatisfied and sad. That sudden cry, 
" If any man thirst—" startles them from their 
sorrowful meditation, and as they listen to the 
words that follow, their minds kindle with a new 
hope. They look upon the Lifegiver standing 
in majesty before them, divinity flashing through 
his humanity, and revealing his heavenly power 
in words that thrill their hearts. 
The cry of Christ to the thirsty soul is still 
going forth. It appeals to us with even greater 
power than to those who heard it in the temple 
on that last day of the feast. The weary and 
exhausted ones are offered the refreshing draught 
of eternal life. Jesus invites them to rest in 
him. He will take their burdens. He will give 
them peace. Centuries before the advent of 
Christ, Isaiah described him as a " hiding-place 
from the wind," a " covert from the tempest," as 
" the shadow of a great rock in a weary land." 
All who come to Christ receive his love in their 
hearts, which is the water that springs up unto 
everlasting life. Those who receive it impart it 
in turn to others, in good works, in right exam-
ples, and in Christian counsel. 
The day was over, and the Pharisees and rul-
ers waited impatiently for a report from the offi-
cers whom they had set upon the track of Jesus, 
in order to arrest him. But their emissaries re-
turn without him. They are angrily asked, 
"Why have ye not brought him ?" The officers, 
with solemn countenances, answer, " Never man 
spake like this man." Dealing with violence and 
crime had naturally hardened the hearts of these 
men ; but they were not so unfeeling as the 
priests and elders, who had re]olutely shut out 
348 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
GO AND SIN NO MORE. �
349 
the light, and given themselves up to envy and 
malice. 
The officers had heard the words of Jesus in 
the temple, they had felt the wondrous influence 
of his presence, and their hearts had been 
strangely softened and drawn toward him whom 
they were commanded to arrest as a criminal. 
They were unequal to the task set them by the 
priests and rulers ; they could not summon cour-
age to lay hands upon this pure Being who stood, 
with the light of Heaven upon his countenance, 
preaching a free salvation. As they stand ex-
cusing themselves for not obeying their orders, 
and saying, " Never man spake like this man," 
the Pharisees, enraged that even these tools of 
the law should be influenced by this Galilean 
peasant, cry out angrily :— 
" Are ye also deceived ? Have any of the rul-
ers or of the Pharisees believed on him ? But this 
people, who knoweth not the law, are cursed." 
They then proceed to lay plans to condemn and 
execute Jesus immediately, fearful that if he is 
left free any longer he will gain all the people. 
They decide that their only hope is to speedily 
silence him. But Nicodemus, one of the Phari-
sees, and he who had come to Jesus in the night 
and had been taught of him concerning the new 
birth, speaks out boldly :— 
" Doth our law judge any man, before it hear 
him, and know what he doeth ? " For a moment 
silence falls on the assembly. Nicodemus was a 
rich and influential man, learned in the law, and 
holding a high position among the rulers. What 
he said was true, and came home to the Phari-
sees with startling emphasis ; they could not 
condemn a man unheard. But this was not the 
only reason that the haughty rulers remained 
confounded, gazing at him who had so boldly 
spoken in favor of justice. They were startled 
and chagrined that one of their own number had 
been so impressed by the power of Jesus as to 
openly defend him in the council. When they 
recovered from their astonishment, they addressed 
him with cutting sarcasm :— 
" Art thou also of Galilee ? Search and look ; 
for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet." But they 
were nevertheless unable to carry their purpose, 
and condemn Jesus without a hearing. They 
were defeated and crest-fallen for the time, and 
" every man went unto his own house." 
CHAPTER XXX. 
GO AND SIN NO MORE. 
EARLY on the following morning, Jesus " came 
again into the temple, and all the people came 
unto him; and he sat down, and taught them." 
While Jesus was engaged in teaching, the 
scribes and Pharisees brought to him a woman 
whom they accused of the sin of adultery, 
and said to him, Master, " now Moses in the 
law commanded us that such should be stoned ; 
but what sayest thou ? This they said, tempt-
ing him, that they might have to accuse him. 
But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger 
wrote on the ground, as though he heard them 
not." 
The scribes and Pharisees had agreed to bring 
351 
350 �
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
this case before Jesus, thinking that whatever 
decision he made in regard to it, they would 
therein find occasion to accuse and condemn him. 
If he should acquit the woman, they would ac-
cuse him of despising the law of Moses, and con-
demn him on that account ; and if he should de-
clare that she was guilty of death, they would 
accuse him to the Romans as one who was stir-
ring up sedition and assuming authority which 
alone belonged to them. But Jesus well knew 
for what purpose this case had been brought to 
him ; he read the secrets of their hearts, and 
knew the character and life-history of every man 
in his presence. He seemed indifferent to the 
question of the Pharisees, and while they were 
talking and pressing about him, he stooped and 
wrote carelessly with his finger in the sand. 
Although doing this without apparent design, 
Jesus was tracing on the ground, in legible char-
acters, the particular sins of which the woman's 
accusers were guilty, beginning with the eldest 
and ending with the youngest. At length the 
Pharisees became impatient at the indifference of 
Jesus, and his delay in deciding the question be-
fore him, and drew nearer, urging the matter. 
But as their eyes fell upon the words written in 
the sand, fear and surprise took possession of 
them. The people, looking on, saw their counte-
nances suddenly change, and pressed forward to 
discover what they were regarding with such an 
expression of astonishment and shame. Many 
of those who thus gathered round also read the 
record of hidden sin inscribed against these ac-
cusers of another. 
Then Jesus "lifted up himself, and said unto 
them, He that is without sin among you, let him 
GO AND SIN NO MORE. 
first cast a stone at her. And again he stooped 
down, and wrote on the ground." The accusers 
saw that Jesus not only knew the secrets of their 
past sins, but was acquainted with their purpose 
in bringing this case before him, and had in 
his matchless wisdom defeated their deeply laid 
scheme. They now became fearful lest Jesus 
would expose their guilt to all present, and they 
therefore "being convicted by their own con-
science, went out one by one, beginning at the 
eldest, even unto the last; and Jesus was left 
alone, and the woman standing in the midst." 
There was not one of her accusers but was 
more guilty than the conscience-stricken woman 
who stood trembling with shame before him. 
After the Pharisees had hastily left the presence 
of Christ, in their guilty consternation, he arose 
and looked upon the woman, saying, " Woman, 
where are those thine accusers ? hath no man 
condemned thee ? She said, No man, Lord. And 
Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee. 
Go, and sin no more." 
Jesus did not palliate sin nor lessen the sense 
of crime; but he came not to condemn; he came 
to lead the sinner to eternal life. The world 
looked upon this erring woman as one to be 
slighted and scorned ; but the pure and holy 
Jesus stooped to address her with words of com-
fort, encouraging her to reform her life. In-
stead of to condemn the guilty, his work was to 
reach into the very depths of human woe and deg-
radation, lift up the debased and sinful, and bid 
the trembling penitent to " sin no more." When 
the woman stood before Jesus, cowering under 
' the accusation of the Pharisees and a sense of the 
enormity of her crime, she knew that her life was 
GO AND SIN NO MORE. �
353 
pangs which pierced the Saviour's frame were for 
her; the blood that flowed from his wounds was 
to blot out her record of sin ; the groans which 
escaped from his dying lips were caused by her 
transgression. Her heart ached with a sorrow 
past all expression, and she felt that a life of self-
abnegating atonement would poorly compensate 
for the gift of life, purchased for her at such an 
infinite price. 
In his act of pardoning, and encouraging this 
fallen woman to live a better life, the character 
of Jesus shines forth in the beauty of a perfect 
righteousness. Knowing not the taint of sin 
himself, he pities the weakness of the erring one, 
and reaches to her a helping hand. While 
the self-righteous and hypocritical Pharisees de-
nounce, and the tumultuous crowd is ready to 
stone and slay, and the trembling victim waits 
for death--Jesus, the Friend of sinners, bids her, 
" Go, and sin no more." 
It is not the true follower of Christ who turns 
from the erring with cold, averted eyes, leaving 
them unrestrained to pursue their downward 
course. Christian charity is slow to censure, 
quick to detect penitence, ready to forgive, to 
encourage, to set the wanderer in the path of 
virtue, and stay his feet therein. 
The wisdom displayed by Jesus on this occa-
sion, in defending himself against the designs of 
his enemies, and the evidence which he gave them 
that he knew the hidden secrets of their lives, the 
conviction that he pressed home upon the guilty 
consciences of the very men who were seeking to 
destroy him, were sufficient evidence of his di-
vine character. Jesus also taught another im-
portant lesson in this scene : 'That those who are 
 
 
352 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
 
 
 
trembling in the balance, and that a word from 
Jesus would add fuel to the indignation of the 
crowd, so that they would immediately stone her 
to death. 
Her eyes droop before the calm and searching 
glance of Christ. Stricken with shame, she is 
unable to look upon that holy countenance. As 
she thus stands waiting for sentence to be passed 
upon her, the words fall upon her astonished ears 
that not only deliver her from her accusers, but 
send them away convicted of greater crimes than 
hers. After they are gone, she hears the mourn-
fully solemn words : " Neither do I condemn thee. 
Go, and sin no more." Her heart melts with pen-
itential grief; and, with gratitude to her Deliverer, 
she bows at the feet of Jesus, sobbing out in brok-
en accents the emotions of her heart, and confess-
ing her sins with bitter tears. 
This was the beginning of a new life to this 
tempted, fallen soul, a life of purity and peace, 
devoted to the service of God. In raising this 
woman to a life of virtue, Jesus performed a 
greater act than that of healing the most griev-
ous bodily malady ; he cured the sickness of the 
soul which is unto death everlasting. This peni-
tent woman became one of the firmest friends of 
Jesus. She repaid his forgiveness and compas-
sion, with a self-sacrificing love and worship. 
Afterward, when she stood sorrow-stricken at 
the foot of the cross, and saw the dying ago-
ny on the face of her Lord, and heard his bit-
ter cry, her soul was' pierced afresh ; for she knew 
that this sacrifice was on account of sin ; and her 
responsibility as one whose deep guilt had helped 
to bring about this anguish of the Son of God, 
seemed very heavy indeed. She felt that those 
 
 
 
 
 
354 �
TILE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
ever forward to accuse others, quick to detect 
them in wrong, and zealous that they should be 
brought to justice, are often guiltier in their own 
lives than those whom they accuse. Many who 
beheld the whole scene were led to compare the 
pardoning compassion of Jesus with the unrelent-
ing spirit of the Pharisees, to whom mercy was a 
stranger ; and they turned to the pitying Saviour 
as unto One who would lead the repentant sin-
ner into peace and security. 
" Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, 
I am the light of the world ; he that followeth 
inc shall not walk in darkness, but shall have 
the light of life." Jesus had represented him-
self, in his relation to fallen man, as a fountain 
of living water, to which all who thirst may 
come and drink. The brilliant lights in the 
temple illuminated all Jerusalem, and he now 
used these lights to represent his relation to the 
world. In clear and thrilling tones he declared : 
" I am the light of the world." As the radiant 
lamps of the temple lit up the whole city, so 
Christ, the source of spiritual light, illuminated 
the darkness of a world lying in sin. His man-
ner was so impressive, and his words carried 
with them such a weight of truth, that many 
were there convicted that he was indeed the Son 
of God. But the Pharisees, ever ready to con-
tradict him, accused him of egotism, saying, 
"Thou bearest record of thyself ; thy record is 
not true." Jesus, answering their objections, as-
serted again his divine commission :— 
"Though I bear record of myself, yet my record 
is true ; for I know whence I came, and whither 
I go ; but ye cannot tell whence I come and 
whither I go." They were ignorant of his divine 
GO AND SIN NO MORE. �
355 
character and mission because they had not 
searched the prophecies concerning the Messiah, 
as it was their privilege and duty to do. They 
had no connection with God and Heaven, and 
therefore did not comprehend the work of the 
Saviour of the world, and, though they had re-
ceived the most convincing evidence that Jesus 
was that Saviour, yet they refused to open their 
minds to understand. At first they had set their 
hearts against him, and refused to believe the 
strongest proof of his divinity, and, as a conse-
quence, their hearts had grown harder until they 
were determined not to believe nor accept him. 
" Ye judge after the flesh ; I judge no man. 
And yet, if I judge, my judgment is true; for I 
am not alone, but I and the Father that sent 
me." Thus he declared that he was sent of God, 
to do his work. He had not consulted with 
priests nor rulers as to the course he was to pur-
sue ; for his commission was from the highest au-
thority, even the Creator of the universe. Jesus, 
in his sacred office, had taught the people, had 
relieved suffering, bad forgiven sin, and had 
cleansed the temple, which was his Father's 
house, and driven out its desecraters from its 
sacred portals ; he had condemned the hypocrit-
ical lives of the Pharisees, and reproved their 
hidden sins ; and in all this he had acted under 
the instruction of his Heavenly Father. For 
this reason they hated him and sought to kill 
him. Jesus declared to them : 4` Ye are from be-
neath ; I am from above. Ye are of this world ; 
I am not of this world." 
"When ye have lifted up the Son of Man, 
then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do 
nothing of myself, but as my Father hath taught 
r 
33G �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
me." " And he that sent me is with me ; the 
Father bath not left me alone ; for I do always 
those things that please him." These words 
were spoken with thrilling power, and, for the 
time, closed the lips of the Pharisees, and caused 
many of those who listened with attentive minds 
to unite with Jesus, believing him to be the Son 
God. To these believing ones he said, " If ye 
continue in my word, then are ye my disciples 
indeed. And ye shall know the truth, and the 
truth shall make you free." But to the Phari-
sees who rejected him, and who hardened their 
hearts against him, he declared : " I go my way, 
and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins ; 
whither I go, ye cannot come." 
But the Pharisees took up his words, addressed 
to those who believed, and commented upon them, 
saying, " We be Abraham's seed, and were never 
in bondage to any man ; how sayest thou, Ye 
shall be made free ? " Jesus looked upon these 
men,—the slaves of unbelief and bitter malice, 
whose thoughts were bent upon revenge,—and 
answered them, " Verily, verily, I say unto you; 
Whosoever committeth sin, is the servant of sin.' 
They were in the worst of bondage, ruled by the 
spirit of evil. Jesus declared to them that if 
they were the true children of Abraham, and 
lived in obedience to God, they would not seek 
to kill one who was speaking the truth that was 
given him of God. This was not doing the 
works of Abraham, whom they claimed as their 
father. 
Jesus, with startling emphasis, denied that the 
Jews were following the example of Abraham. 
Said he, " Ye do the deeds of your father." The 
Pharisees, partly comprehending his meaning, 
GO AND SIN NO MORE. �
357 
said, " We be not born of fornication ; we have 
one Father, even God." But Jesus answered 
them : " If God were your Father, ye would love 
me ; for I proceeded forth and came from God ; 
neither came I of myself, but he sent me." The 
Pharisees had turned from God, and refused to 
recognize his Son. If their minds had been open 
to the love of God, they would have acknowl-
edged the Saviour who was sent to the world by 
him. Jesus boldly revealed their desperate con-
dition :— 
"Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts 
of your father ye will do. He was a murderer 
from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, 
because there is no truth in him. When he speak-
eth a lie, he speaketh of his own ; for he is a liar, 
and the father of it. And because I tell you the 
truth, ye believe me not." These words were 
spoken with sorrowful pathos, as Jesus realized 
the terrible condition into which these men had 
fallen. But his enemies heard him with uncon-
trollable anger; although his majestic bearing, 
and the mighty weight of the truths he uttered, 
held them powerless. Jesus continued to draw 
the sharp contrast between their position and 
that of Abraham, whose children they claimed 
to be :— 
" Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day ; 
and he saw it, and was glad." The Jews listened 
incredulously to this assertion, and said, sneering-
ly, " Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast 
thou seen Abraham ? " Jesus, with a lofty dig-
nity that sent a thrill of conviction through their 
guilty souls, answered, " Verily, verily, I say unto 
You, Before Abraham was, I am." For a mo-
ment, silence fell upon all the people, as the 
358 �
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
grand and awful import of these words dawned 
upon their minds. But the Pharisees, speedily 
recovering from the influence of his words, and 
fearing their effect upon the people, commenced 
to create an uproar, railing at him as a blasphem- 
er. �
" Then took they up stones to cast at him ; 
but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the tem-
ple, going through the midst of them, and so 
passed by." 
CHAPTER XXXI. 
RESURRECTION OF LAZARUS. 
JESUS had often found the rest that his weary 
human nature required at the house of Lazarus, 
in Bethany. His first visit there was when he 
and his disciples were weary from a toilsome jour-
ney on foot from Jericho to Jerusalem. They 
tarried as guests at the quiet home of Lazarus, 
and were ministered unto by his sisters, Martha 
and Mary. Notwithstanding the fatigue of Jesus, 
he continued the instruction which he had been 
giving his disciples on the road, in reference to 
the qualifications necessary to fit men for the 
kingdom of Heaven. The peace of Christ rested 
upon the home of the brother and sisters. Martha 
had been all anxiety to provide for the comfort 
of her guests, but Mary was charmed by the 
words of Jesus to his disciples, and, seeing a 
golden opportunity to become better acquainted 
with the doctrines of Christ, quietly entered the 
room where he was sitting, and, taking her place 
RESURRECTION OF LAZARUS. �359 
at the feet of Jesus, drank in eagerly every word 
that fell from his lips. 
The energetic Martha was meanwhile making 
ample preparations for the entertainment of her 
guests, and missed her sister's help. Finally she 
discovered that Mary was sitting at the feet of 
Jesus, and listening with rapt attention to what 
he was saying. Martha, wearied with many cares, 
was so vexed to see her sister calmly listening 
thus, that she forgot the courtesy due to her 
guests, and openly complained of Mary's idleness, 
and appealed to Jesus that he would not permit 
all the domestic duties to fall upon one. 
Jesus answered these complaints with mild and 
patient words : " Martha, Martha, thou art careful 
and troubled about many things ; but one thing is 
needful, and Mary hath chosen that good part, 
which shall not be taken away from her." That 
which Jesus indicated that Martha needed, was 
a calm, devotional spirit, a deeper anxiety to learn 
more concerning the future immortal life, and the 
graces necessary to spiritual advancement. She 
needed less anxiety for earthly things, which 
pass away, and more for heavenly things, which 
affect the eternal welfare of the soul. It is nec-
essary to faithfully perform the duties of the 
present life, but Jesus would teach his children 
that they must seize every opportunity to gain 
that knowledge which will make them wise unto 
salvation. 
One of the dangers of the present age is devot-
ing too much time to business matters and to un-
necessary cares, which we create for ourselves, 
while the development of Christian character is 
neglected. Careful, energetic Marthas are needed 
for this time, who will blend with their prompt, 
r 
360 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
decisive qualities that " better part " of which 
Christ spoke. A character of such combined 
strength and godliness is an unconquerable power 
for good. 
A dark cloud now hung over this quiet home 
where Jesus had rested. Lazarus was stricken 
with sudden illness. The afflicted sisters sent a 
message to Jesus : " Lord, behold, he whom thou 
lovest is sick." They made no urgent requirement 
for the immediate presence of Jesus, for they be-
lieved that he would understand the case and re-
lieve their brother. Lazarus was a firm believer 
in the divine mission of Jesus ; he loved him ar-
dently and was in turn beloved by the blessed 
Master, whose peace had rested on his quiet home. 
The faith and love which the brother and sisters 
felt toward Jesus encouraged them to believe that 
he would not disregard their distress. Therefore 
they sent the simple, confiding message : " He 
whom thou lovest is sick." 
When Jesus received the message, he said, 
" This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory 
of God, that the Son of God might be glorified 
thereby." He accordingly remained where he was 
for two days. After the messenger was sent, Laz-
arus grew rapidly worse. The sisters counted the 
days and hours that must intervene between the 
sending of the message and the arrival of Jesus 
to their aid. As the time approached when they 
should expect him, they anxiously watched the 
travelers who appeared in the distance, hoping 
to discover the form of Jesus. All their efforts 
for the recovery of their brother were in vain, and 
they felt that he must die unless divine help in-
terposed to save him. Their constant prayer was, 
RESURRECTION OF LAZARUS. �361 
Oh ! that Jesus would come ! He could save our 
beloved brother ! 
Presently their messenger returns, but unac-
companied by Jesus. He bears to the sorrowing 
sisters the words of the Saviour, " This sickness 
is not unto death." But the hearts of the sisters 
fail them, for lo, their brother is already wrest-
ling with the fierce destroyer, and soon closes 
his eyes in death. 
Jesus, at the end of the two days, proposed to 
go to Judea, but his disciples endeavored to pre-
vent him from doing so. They reminded him of 
the hatred manifested toward him when he was 
last there. Said they, " The Jews of late sought 
to stone thee ; and goest thou thither again ? " 
Jesus then explained to them that he must go, 
for Lazarus was dead, adding, " And I am glad 
for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent 
ye may believe." Jesus did not delay going to 
the relief of Lazarus through want of interest in 
the stricken family ; but he designed to make the 
sorrowful event of the death of Lazarus an oc-
casion to give undoubted proof of his divine pow-
er, and unite his disciples to him in a faith that 
could not be broken. Already some among them 
were questioning in their minds if they had not 
been deceived in the evidences of his divine pow-
er ; if he was really the Christ would he not have 
saved Lazarus whom he loved ? Jesus designed 
to work a crowning miracle that would convince 
all who would by any means be convinced that 
he was the Saviour of the world. 
The danger attaching to this expedition into 
Judea was great, since the Jews were determined 
to kill Jesus. Finding it was impossible to dis- 
Great Controversy, Vol. 2. 
362 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
suade him from going, Thomas proposed to the 
disciples that they should all accompany their 
Master, saying, "Let us also go, that we may die 
with him." Therefore the twelve accompanied 
the Saviour. On the way, Jesus labored for the 
needy, relieving the suffering and healing the 
sick as was his custom. When he reached Beth-
any he heard from several persons that Lazarus 
was dead, and had been buried four days. While 
still at a distance from the house, he heard the 
wailing of the mourners. When a Hebrew died 
it was customary for the relatives to give up all 
business for several days, and live on the coarsest 
food while they mourned for the dead. Profes-
sional mourners were also hired, and it was they 
whom Jesus heard wailing and shrieking in that 
house which had once been his quiet, pleasant 
resting place. 
Jesus did not desire to meet the afflicted sis-
ters in such a scene of confusion as their home 
then presented, so he stopped at a quiet place by 
the road-side, and sent a messenger to inform 
them where they could find him. Martha hast-
ened to meet him ; she told him of her brother's 
death, saying, " Lord, if thou hadst been here, my 
brother had not died." In her disappointment 
and-grief she had not lost confidence in Jesus, 
and added, "But I know, that even now, whatso-
ever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it unto 
thee." 
Jesus encouraged her faith by declaring to 
her, " Thy brother shall rise again." Martha, 
not comprehending the full meaning of Jesus, 
answered that she knew he would arise in the 
resurrection, at the last day. But Jesus, seeking 
to give a true direction to her faith, said, "I am 
RESURRECTION OF LAZARUS. �363 
the resurrection, and the life ; he that believeth 
in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; 
and whosoever liveth and believeth in me, shall 
never die. Believest thou this ?" Jesus would 
direct the thoughts of Martha to himself, and 
strengthen her faith in regard to his power. His 
words had a double meaning; not only did they 
refer to the immediate act of raising Lazarus, but 
they also referred to the general resurrection of 
all the righteous, of which the resurrection of 
Lazarus which he was then about to perform, 
was but a representation. Jesus declared him-
self the Author of the resurrection. He who 
himself was soon to die upon the cross, stood 
with the keys of death, a conqueror of the grave, 
and asserted his right and power to give eternal 
life. 
When Jesus asked Martha : " Believest thou ?" 
she answered by a confession of her faith : "Lord, 
I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, 
which should come into the world." Thus Mar-
tha declared her belief in the Messiahship of Je-
sus, and that he was able to perform any work 
which it pleased him to do. Jesus bade Martha 
call her sister, and the friends that had come to 
comfort the afflicted women. When Mary same 
she fell at the feet of Jesus, also crying, "Lord, if 
thou hadst been here, my brother had not died." 
At the sight of all this distress, Jesus "groaned 
in the spirit, and was troubled, and said, Where 
have ye laid him ? They said unto him, Lord, 
come and see." .Together they all proceeded to 
the grave of Lazarus, which was a cave with a 
stone upon it. 
It was a mournful scene. Lazarus had been 
much beloved, and. his sisters wept for him with 
3( 1- �
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
I weaking hearts, while those who had been his 
friends mingled their tears with those of the be- 
reaved sisters. Jesus had also loved Lazarus, 
whose faith had ever been strong in him, never 
wavering nor failing for a moment. In view of 
this human distress, and of the fact that these 
afflicted friends could mourn over the dead, when 
the Saviour of the world stood by, who had pow- 
er to raise from the dead,—" Jesus wept." His 
grief was not alone because of the scene before 
him. The weight of the grief of ages was upon 
his soul, and, looking down the years that were 
to come, he saw the suffering and sorrow, tears 
and death, that were to be the lot of men. His 
heart was pierced with the pain of the human 
family of all ages and in all lands. The woes of 
the sinful race were heavy on his soul, and the 
fountain of his tears was broken up, as he longed 
to relieve all their distress. 
Seeing the tears and hearing the groans of Je-
sus, those who stood about said, " Behold, how 
he loved him !" Then they whispered among 
themselves, " Could not this man, which opened 
the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this 
man should not have died ? " Jesus groaned 
within himself at the unbelief of those who had 
professed faith in him. They thought his tears 
were because of his love for Lazarus, and that he 
who had done such mighty works had been una-
ble to save Lazarus from death. Burdened by 
the blind infidelity of those who should have had 
faith in him, Jesus approached the grave, and in 
tones of authority commanded that the stone 
should be rolled away. Human hands were, on 
their part, required to do all that it was possible 
RESURRECTION OF LAZARUS. �365 
for them to do, and then divine power would fin-
ish the work. 
But Martha objected to the stone being re-
moved, and reminded Jesus that the body had 
been buried four days, and that corruption had 
already commenced its work. Jesus answered 
her reproachfully : " Said I not unto thee, that, 
if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the 
glory of God ?" The stone was then taken away, 
and the dead was revealed to sight. It was evi-
dent to all that putrefaction had really com-
menced. All is now done that lies in the power 
of man to do. The friends gather round with 
mingled curiosity and awe to see what Jesus is 
about to do. Lifting up his eyes, the Saviour 
prayed :— 
" Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard 
me. �
And I knew that thou hearest me always ; 
but because of the people which stand by I said 
it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me." 
The hush that followed this prayer was broken 
by Jesus crying out with a loud voice, " Laza-
rus, come forth." Instantly life animates that 
form which had been so changed by decay that 
the friends of the deceased recoiled from look-
ing upon it. Lazarus, bound hand and foot 
with grave-clothes, and with a napkin about his 
face, rises, obedient to the command of his Sav-
iour, and attempts to walk, but is impeded by 
the winding-sheet. Jesus commands his friends 
to " loose him, and let him go." 
Human hands are again brought into requisi-
tion to do the work which it is possible for them 
to do. The burial clothes which bear evidence 
of the corruption of the body are removed, and 
Lazarus stands before them, not as one emaciated 
r r4irrr 
366 �
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
from disease, and with feeble, tottering limbs, 
but as a man in the prime of life, and in the 
vigor of a noble manhood, his eyes beaming with 
intelligence and love for his Saviour. He bows 
at the feet of Jesus and glorifies him. A dumb 
surprise at first seizes all present ; but now suc-
ceeds an inexpressible scene of rejoicing and 
thanksgiving. The sisters receive their brother 
back to life as the gift of God, and with joyful 
tears, brokenly express their thanks and praise 
to the Saviour. But while brother, sisters, and 
friends are rejoicing in this reunion, Jesus re-
tires from the exciting scene, and when they 
look for the Lifegiver, he is nowhere to be 
found. 
This crowning miracle of Christ caused many 
to believe on him. But some who were in the 
crowd about the grave, and heard and saw the 
wonderful works performed by Jesus, were not 
converted, but steeled their hearts against the 
evidence of their own eyes and ears. This 
demonstration of the power of Christ was the 
crowning manifestation offered by God to man 
as a proof that he had sent his Son into the 
world for the salvation of the human race. If 
the Pharisees rejected this mighty evidence, no 
power in Heaven nor upon earth could wrest 
from them their Satanic unbelief. 
The spies hurry away to report to the rulers 
this work of Jesus, and that the " world is 
gone after him." In performing this miracle, the 
Saviour took a decisive step toward the comple-
tion of his earthly mission. The grandest evi-
dence of his life was now given that he was the. 
Son of God, and had control of death and the 
grave. Hearts that had long been under the 
RESURRECTION OF LAZARUS. �367 
power of sin, in rejecting this proof of the divin-
ity of Jesus, locked themselves in impenetrable 
darkness and came wholly under the sway of Sa-
tan, to be hurried by him over the brink of eter-
nal ruin. 
The mighty miracle wrought at the grave of 
Lazarus intensified the hatred of the Pharisees 
against Jesus. This demonstration of divine 
power, which presented such unquestionable 
proof that Jesus was the Son of God, was suf-
ficient to convince any mind under the control 
of reason and enlightened conscience. But the 
Pharisees, who had rejected all lesser evidence, 
were only enraged at this new miracle of raising 
the dead in the full light of day, and before a 
crowd of witnesses. No artifice of theirs could 
explain away such evidence. For this very rea-
son their hate grew deadlier, and they watched 
every opportunity of accomplishing their secret 
purpose to destroy him. In heart they were al-
ready murderers. 
The Jewish authorities counseled together as 
to what course they should pursue to counteract 
the effect of this miracle upon the people ; for 
the news spread far and wide that Jesus had 
raised Lazarus from the dead, and the reality of 
the event was established by many eye-witnesses. 
Still the enemies of Jesus sought to circulate ly-
ing reports, perverting the facts in the case as 
far as they were able, and endeavoring to turn 
the people away from one who had dared to rob 
the grave of its dead. 
In this council of the Jews were some influen-
tial men who believed on Jesus ; but their wishes 
were overruled by the malignant Pharisees, who 
hated Jesus because he had exposed their hypo- 
368 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
critical pretensions, and had torn aside the cloak 
of precision and rigorous rites under which their 
moral deformity was hidden. The pure religion 
that Jesus taught, and his simple, godly life, con-
demned their hollow professions of piety. They 
thirsted for revenge, and nothing short of taking 
his life would satisfy them. They had tried to 
provoke him to say or do something that would 
give them occasion to condemn him, and several 
times they had attempted to stone him, but he 
had quietly withdrawn and they had lost sight 
of him. 
The miracles performed by Jesus on the Sab-
bath were all for the relief of the afflicted, but 
the Pharisees had sought to use these works of 
mercy as a cause by which they might condemn 
him as a Sabbath-breaker. They endeavored to 
arouse the Herodians against him; they represent-
ed that Jesus was seeking to set up a rival king-
dom among them, and consulted with them how 
they should destroy him. They had sought to 
excite the Romans against him, and had repre-
sented him to them as one who was trying to 
subvert their authority. They had tried every 
pretext to cut him off from influencing the peo-
ple, but they had so far been foiled in their at-
tempts ; for the multitudes who witnessed the 
works of mercy and benevolence done by Jesus, 
and heard his pure and holy teachings, knew 
that these were not the words and deeds of a 
Sabbath-breaker and a blasphemer. Even the 
officers sent by the Pharisees had been so influ-
enced by the divine presence of the great Teacher 
that they could not lay hands upon him. In 
desperation the Jews had finally passed an edict 
RESURRECTION OF LAZARUS. �369 
that if any man confessed that he believed on 
Jesus he should be cast out of the synagogue. 
So, as the priests, the rulers, and the elders gath-
ered together for consultation, it was their fixed 
determination to silence this man who did such 
marvelous works that all men wondered. Nico-
demus and Joseph had, in former councils, pre-
vented the condemnation of Jesus, and for this 
reason they were not summoned on this occasion. 
Caiaphas, who acted as high priest that year, was 
a proud and cruel man ; he was by nature over-
bearing and intolerant; he had studied the 
prophecies, and, although his mind was shrouded 
in darkness as to their true meaning, he spoke 
with great authority and apparent knowledge. 
As the priests and Pharisees were consulting 
together, some of them said, " If we let him thus 
alone, all men will believe on him ; and the Ro-
mans shall come, and take away both our place 
and nation." Then Caiaphas spoke out loftily : 
" Ye know nothing at all, nor consider that it is 
expedient for us that one man should die for the 
people, and that the whole nation perish not." 
The voice of the high priest decided the mat-
ter ; even if Jesus was innocent, let him die ; 
he was troublesome, drawing the people to him-
self, and lessening the authority of the rulers. 
He was only one, it was better that he should 
die, even though he was guiltless, than that the 
power of the rulers should diminish. Caiaphas, 
in declaring that one man should die for the na-
tion, indicated that he had some knowledge of 
the prophecies, although it was very limited ; but 
John in his account of this scene takes up the 
prophecy, and shows its broad and deep signifi-
cance in these words " And not for that nation 
*-17747111PRIPt 
370 �
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
only, but that also he should gather together in -
one the children of God that were scattered 
abroad." How blindly did the haughty Caia-
phas acknowledge the mission of Jesus as a Re-
deemer ! 
Nearly all the council agreed with the high 
priest that it was the wisest policy to put Jesus 
to death. This decision having been made, the 
question was still to be determined how it should 
be carried out. They feared to take rash meas-
ures lest the people should become incensed 
and the violence meditated toward Jesus should 
be visited upon themselves. The Saviour was 
continually benefiting and teaching the people, 
they knew him to be one without blame, and his 
influence over them was very strong ; it was 
on this account that the Pharisees delayed to exe-
cute the sentence which they had pronounced 
against him. 
The Saviour understood the plottings of the 
priests against him ; he knew that they longed 
to remove him from their midst, and that their 
wishes would soon be accomplished ; but it was 
not his place to hasten the culminating event, 
and he withdrew from that region, taking his 
disciples with him. Jesus had now given three 
years of public labor to the world. His example 
of self-denial and disinterested bene-siolence was 
before them. His life of purity, of suffering, and 
devotion, was known to all. Yet this short pe-
riod of three years was as long as the world 
could endure the presence of its Redeemer. 
His life had been one of persecution and in-
sult. Driven from Bethlehem by a jealous king, 
rejected by his own people at Nazareth, con- 
RESURRECTION OF LAZARUS. �371 
demned to death without a cause at Jerusalem, 
Jesus, with his few faithful followers, finds a 
temporary asylum in a strange city. He who 
was ever touched by human woe, who healed 
the sick, restored sight to the blind, hearing 
to the deaf, and speech to the dumb, who fed 
the hungry and comforted the sorrowful, was 
driven from the people whom he had labored to 
save. He who walked upon the heaving billows 
and by a word silenced their angry roaring, who 
cast out devils that in departing acknowledged 
him to be the Son of God, who broke the slum-
bers of the dead, who held thousands entranced 
by the words of wisdom which fell from his lips, 
was unable to reach the hearts of those who 
were blinded by prejudice and insane hatred, and 
who resolutely rejected the light. 
It is not the plan of God to compel men to 
yield their wicked unbelief. Before them are 
light and darkness, truth and error. It is for 
them to decide which to accept. The human 
mind is endowed with power to discriminate be-
tween right and wrong. God designs that men 
shall not decide from impulse, but from weight 
of evidence, carefully comparing scripture with 
scripture. Had the Jews laid by their prejudice, 
and compared written prophecy with the facts 
characterizing the life of Jesus, they would have 
perceived a beautiful harmony between the 
prophecies and their fulfillment in the life and 
ministry of the lowly Galilean. 
It was nearing the time of the passover, and 
many came to Jerusalem from various parts of 
the country to purify themselves according to 
the ceremonial custom of the Jews. There was 
MARY'S OFFERING. �
373 
372 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
much talk and speculation among these people 
concerning Jesus, and they wondered if he would 
not be present at the feast. " Now both the 
chief priests and the Pharisees had given a com-
mandment, that if any man knew where he were, 
he should show it, that they might take him." 
CHAPTER XXXII. 
MARY'S OFFERING. 
Six days before the passover, Jesus stopped at 
the house of Lazarus in Bethany. He was on his 
way from Jericho to attend the feast of the pass-
over at Jerusalem, and chose this retreat for rest 
and refreshment. Crowds of people passed on 
to the city, bearing the tidings that Jesus was on 
his way to the feast, and that he would rest over 
the Sabbath at Bethany. This information was 
received with great enthusiasm by the people ; 
for the news had spread everywhere of the won-
derful works wrought by Jesus, the last and 
most astonishing of which was the resurrection 
of Lazarus from the dead. Many flocked to 
Bethany, some from curiosity to see one who had 
been raised from the dead, and others because 
their hearts were in sympathy with Jesus, and 
they longed to look upon his face and hear his 
blessed words. 
They returned with reports that increased the 
excitement of the multitude. All were anxious 
to see and hear Jesus, whose fame as a prophet 
had spread over all the land. There was a gen- 
eral buzz of inquiry as to who the wonderful 
Teacher was, from whence he had come, if Laz- 
arus who had been raised from the dead would 
accompany him to Jerusalem, and if it was likely 
that the great prophet would be crowned king 
at the feast. The attention of the people was 
entirely engrossed in the subject of Jesus and his 
wondrous works. The priests and rulers saw 
that they were losing their hold upon the minds 
of the people, and their rage against Jesus was 
increased ; they could hardly wait for him to 
come and give them the desired opportunity of 
gratifying their revenge and removing him for-
ever from their way. As the time passed, they 
became excited and restless, fearing that after all 
Jesus might not come to Jerusalem. They were 
fearful that he had read their purposes against 
him, and would therefore remain away. They 
remembered how often he had divined their 
thoughts, exposed their hidden motives, and baf-
fled their murderous designs. They could illy 
conceal their anxiety, and questioned among 
themselves, " What think ye, that he will not 
come to the feast ? " 
A hasty council of the priests and Pharisees 
was called to determine how to proceed with re-
gard to Jesus, in view of the excitement and en-
thusiasm of the people on his account. They de-
cided that it would be dangerous to seize upon 
him openly on any pretext, for since the raising 
of Lazarus the sympathies of the people were 
greatly in favor of Jesus. So they determined 
to use craft and take him secretly, avoiding all 
uproar or interference, carry on the mockery of a 
trial as quietly as possible, and trust to the fickle 
374 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
375 
MARY'S OFFERING. 
tide of public opinion to set in their favor when 
it was known that Jesus was condemned to death. 
But another consideration came up : If they 
should execute Jesus, and Lazarus should remain 
as a witness of his miraculous power to raise from 
the dead, the very fact that a man existed who had 
been four days in the grave, and whose body had 
begun to decay, yet had been called to life and 
health by a word from Jesus, would sooner or 
later create a reaction and bring disaster upon 
themselves for sacrificing the life of Him who 
could perform such a miracle for the benefit of 
humanity. They therefore decided that Laza-
rus must also die. They felt that if the people 
were to lose confidence in their rulers, the . na-
tional power would be destroyed. 
To such lengths do envy and bitter prejudice 
lead their slaves. In rejecting Christ, the Phar-
isees placed themselves where darkness and super-
stition closed around them, until, continually in-
creasing in hatred and unbelief, they were ready 
to imbrue their hands in blood to accomplish 
their unholy ends, and would even take the life 
of one whom Infinite power had rescued from the 
grave. They placed themselves where no power, 
human or divine, could reach them ; they sinned 
against the Holy Spirit, and God had no reserve 
power to meet their case. Their rebellion against 
Christ was settled and determined ; he was a 
stumbling-block and a rock of offense to them ; 
they would not have this man Jesus to reign 
over them. While all this plotting was going on 
at Jerusalem, Jesus was quietly resting from his 
labors at the house of Lazarus. Simon of 
Bethany, whom Jesus had healed of leprosy, 
wishing to show his Master special honor, made 
a supper and invited him and his friends as 
guests. The Saviour sat at the table, with Simon, 
whom he had cured of a loathsome disease, on 
one side, and Lazarus, whom he had raised from 
the dead, on the other. Martha served at the 
table, but Mary was earnestly listening to every 
word that fell from the lips of Jesus. She saw 
that he was sad ; she knew that immediately 
after raising her brother from.the dead, he was 
obliged to seclude himself in order to escape the 
persecution of the leadino•
b 
 Jews. As she looked 
upon her brother in the strength of perfect health, 
her heart went out in gratitude to Jesus who had 
restored him to her from the grave. 
Jesus in his mercy had pardoned the sins of 
Mary, which had been many and grievous, and 
her heart was full of love for her Saviour. She 
had often heard him speak of his approaching 
death, and she was grieved that he should meet 
so cruel a fate. At great personal sacrifice she 
had purchased an alabaster box of precious oint-
ment with which to anoint the body of Jesus at 
his death. But she now heard many express an 
opinion that he would be elevated to kingly 
authority when he went to Jerusalem, and she 
was only too ready to believe that it would be 
so. �
She rejoiced that her Saviour would no lon- 
ger be despised and rejected, and obliged to flee 
for his life. In her love and gratitude she wished 
to be the first to do him honor, and, seeking to 
avoid observation, anointed his head and feet 
with the precious ointment, and then wiped his 
feet with her long, flowing hair. 
Her movements had been unobserved by the 
-NY 
376 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
others, but the odor filled the house with its fra-
grance and published her act to all present. 
Some of the disciples manifested displeasure at 
this act, and Judas boldly expressed his disap-
probation at such a wasteful extravagance. Si-
mon the host, who was a Pharisee, was influenced 
by the words of Judas, and his heart filled with 
unbelief. He also thought that Jesus should 
hold no communication with Mary because of 
her past life. Judas, the prime instigator of this 
disaffection among those who sat at the table, 
was a stranger to the deep devotion and homage 
which actuated Mary to her deed of love. He 
bad been appointed treasurer of the united funds 
of the disciples, and had dishonestly appropri-
ated to himself the means which were designed 
for the service of God. 
He had indulged a spirit of avarice until it 
had overpowered every good trait in his charac-
ter. This act of Mary was in such marked con-
trast with his selfishness that he was ashamed of 
his avarice, and sought to attribute his objection 
to her gift, to a worthier motive. Turning to 
the disciples he asked, " "Why was not this oint-
ment sold for three hundred pence, and given to 
the poor ? " Thus he sought to hide his covet-
ousness under apparent sympathy for the poor, 
when, in reality, he cared nothing for them. 
He longed to have the avails of the expensive 
ointment in his own hands to apply to his own 
selfish purposes. By his professed sympathy for 
the poor he deceived his fellow-disciples, and by 
his artful insinuations caused them to look dis-
trustfully upon the devotion of Mary. Whispered 
hints of prodigality passed round the table : " To 
MARY'S OFFERING. �
377 
what purpose is this waste ? for this ointment 
might have been sold for much, and given to the 
poor." Mary was abashed as the eyes of the dis-
ciples were bent sternly and reproachfully upon 
her. She felt that her deed of devotion must 
have been wrong, and tremblingly expected Jesus 
to condemn it also. 
But the Saviour had observed all that had 
transpired, and knew the motives of all who were 
there assembled. He read the object of Mary in 
her costly offering. Though she had been very 
sinful, her repentance was sincere, and Jesus, 
while reproving her guilt, had pitied her weak-
ness and forgiven her. Mary's heart was filled 
with gratitude at the compassion of Jesus. Seven 
times she had heard his stern rebuke to the de-
mons which then controlled her heart and mind, 
and she had listened to his strong cries to his 
Father in her behalf. She knew how offensive 
everything impure was to the unsullied mind of 
Christ, and she overcame her sin in the strength 
of her Saviour. She was transformed, a partaker 
of the divine nature. 
Mary had offered her gift in the grateful hom-
age of her heart, and Jesus explained her motive 
and vindicated her deed. " Let her alone," he 
said. " Why," he asked, " trouble ye the woman ? 
for she bath wrought a good work upon me." 
He justified her work to all present as evincing 
her gratitude to him for lifting her from a life of 
shame to one of purity, and teaching her to believe 
in him. Said he, "Against the day of my bury-
ing hath she kept this." The ointment so sa-
credly kept to anoint the dead body of her Lord 
she had poured upon his head in the belief that 
Great Controversy, Vol, 2, �25 
378 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
MARY'S OFFERING. �
379 
he was about to be lifted to a throne in Jerusalem. 
Jesus might have pointed out Judas to the 
disciples as the cause of such severe judgment 
being passed on Mary. He might have revealed 
to them the hypocrisy of his character ; he might 
have made known his utter want of feeling for 
the poor, and his embezzlement of money appro-
priated to their relief. He could have raised 
their indignation against him for his oppression 
of the widow, the orphan, and the hireling ; but 
he refrained from exposing the true character of 
Judas. He reproached him not, and thus avoided 
giving him an excuse for his future perfidy. 
But he rebuked the disciples, saying, " Ye 
have the poor with you always, and whensoever 
ye will ye may do them good ; but me ye have 
not always. She hath done what she could. She 
is come aforehand to anoint my body to the 
burying. Verily, I say unto you, wheresoever 
this gospel shall be preached throughout the 
whole world, this also that she bath done shall 
be spoken of for a memorial of her." Jesus, 
looking into the future, spoke with certainty con-
cerning his gospel : That it was to be preached 
throughout the whole world. Kingdoms would 
rise and fall ; the names of monarchs and con-
querors would be forgotten ; but the memory of 
this woman's deed would be immortalized upon 
the pages of sacred history. 
Had the disciples rightly appreciated the ex-
alted charascter of their Master, they would have 
considered no sacrifice too costly to offer to 
the Son of God. The wise men of the East 
understood more definitely his true position, and 
the honor due him, than his own followers, who 
had received his instruction and beheld his 
mighty miracles. They brought precious gifts 
to the Saviour, and bent in homage before him, 
while he was but a babe, and cradled in a 
manger. 
The look which Jesus cast upon the selfish 
Judas convinced him that the Master penetrated 
his hypocrisy and read his base, contemptible 
character. He was stirred with resentment. 
His heart burned with envy that Jesus should 
be the recipient of an offering suitable to the 
monarchs of earth. He went directly from that 
supper to the chief priests, and agreed to betray 
him into their hands. The priests were greatly 
rejoiced at this, and " they covenanted with him 
for thirty pieces of silver, and from that time he 
sought opportunity to betray him." 
In the case of Judas we see the fearful result of 
covetousness and unholy anger. He begrudged 
the offering made to Jesus, and although not 
personally rebuked, he was irritated to combine 
revenge with his avarice, and sell his Lord for a 
few pieces of silver. Mary showed how highly 
she prized the Saviour when she accounted the 
most precious gift none too costly for him ; but 
Judas valued Jesus at the price for which he 
sold him ; his niggardly soul balanced the life of 
the Son of God against a paltry sum of money. 
The same cold, calculating spirit is manifested 
by many who profess Christ to-day. Their of-
ferings to his cause are grudgingly bestowed or 
withheld altogether under various plausible ex-
cuses. A pretense of wide philanthropy, un-
limited by church or creed, is not unfrequently 
one of them, and they plead, like Judas, It 
380 
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
MARY'S OFFERING. �
381 
is better to give it to the poor. But the true 
Christian shows his faith by investing in tb e 
cause of truth ; he is known by his works, for 
" faith without works is dead." 
Jesus read Simon's heart, and knew how he 
had been influenced by the insinuations of Ju-
das, and that he had questioned in his mind, say-
ing, " This man, if he were a prophet, would have 
known who and what manner of woman this is 
that toucheth him ; for she is a sinner." When 
Judas had left the house, Jesus turned to his 
host and said, " Simon, I have somewhat to say 
unto thee." Simon replied, " Master, say on." 
Then Jesus proceeded to speak a parable, which 
illustrated the contrast between the gratitude of 
his host, who had been healed of the leprosy, and 
that of Mary, whose sins had been pardoned. 
Said he, " There was a certain creditor which 
had two debtors ; the one owed five hundred 
pence, and the other fifty. And when they had 
nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. 
Tell me, therefore, which of them will love him 
most ?" 
Simon did not discern the application which 
Jesus designed to make, but he answered him, 
" I suppose that he to whom he forgave most." 
Jesus replied, " Thou hast rightly judged!' This 
answer condemned Simon. He had been a great 
sinner, and also a loathsome leper, avoided by 
all. He had come to Jesus piteously imploring 
his help, and He who never turned a deaf ear to 
human woe, had cleansed him from sin and from 
the terrible disease that was upon him. Simon 
was humbled, but he had been a proud Pharisee, 
and he did not look upon himself as being so 
great a sinner as he really was, and he had now 
become self-sulficient and lifted up in his own 
estimation. He had exalted himself as far supe-
rior to the poor woman who anointed the feet 
of her Lord. In entertaining Jesus at his house, 
he thought he was paying him marked respect ; 
but the Saviour was lowered in his estimation 
when he permitted the devotion of Mary, who 
had been so great a sinner. He overlooked the 
miracle which Jesus had wrought upon him in 
saving him from a living death, and coldly rea-
soned with himself if Jesus could be the Messiah, 
and yet stoop to receive the gift of this woman. 
He thought that if he were the Christ, he would 
know that a sinner had approached him and re-
pel her. He did not realize that he himself had 
been a greater sinner than she, and that Christ 
had forgiven him as well as Mary. He was 
ready to doubt the divine character of his Master 
because he imagined that he detected in him a 
want of discernment. 
On the other hand, Mary was thoroughly pen-
itent and humbled because of her sins. In her 
gratitude for his pardoning mercy she was ready 
to sacrifice all for Jesus, and no doubt as to his 
divine power troubled her mind for a moment. 
It was not the comparative degrees of obligation 
which should be felt by the two persons, which 
Jesus designed to illustrate by this parable, for 
both were unable to cancel their debt of gratitude ; 
but he took Simon on his own ground, as feeling 
himself more righteous than the woman, and 
showed him that though the sins which had 
been forgiven him were great, he had not repaid 
his Benefactor with that respect and love which 
RIDING INTO JERUSALEM. �
383 
382 �TIIE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
casts out all unbelief. His sense of obligation 
to his Saviour was small, while Mary, prizing 
the gift of mercy bestowed upon her, was filled 
with gratitude and love. 
Jesus drew the contrast sharply between the 
two. Said he : " Seest thou this woman ? I en-
tered into thine house, thou gayest me no water 
for my feet ; but she hath washed my feet with 
tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her 
head. Thou gayest me no kiss ; but this woman, 
since the time I came in, hath not ceased to kiss 
my feet. My head with oil thou didst not 
anoint ; but this woman hath anointed my feet 
with ointment." 
The proud Pharisee had considered that he 
had sufficiently honored Jesus by inviting him 
to his house ; and in his self-consequence had 
neglected to show him the proper regard due to 
so exalted a guest, and to one who had wrought 
upon him a miracle of mercy. Jesus encouraged 
acts of heart-felt courtesy, and the woman, whose 
gratitude and love was expressed in her act of 
attention, was highly commended by the Saviour : 
" Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are 
many, are forgiven ; for she loved much ; but to 
whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little." 
Simon's eyes were opened to his neglect and 
unbelief. He was touched by the kindness of 
Jesus in not openly rebuking him before all the 
guests. He perceived that Jesus did not wish 
to exhibit his guilt and his want of gratitude to 
others, but desired to convince his mind by a true 
statement crf his case, and to subdue his heart 
by pitying kindness. Stern denunciation would 
have closed the heart of Simon against repent- 
ance ; but patient admonition convinced him of 
his error and won his heart. He saw the mag-
nitude of the debt which he owed his Lord, and 
became a humble, self-sacrificing man. 
When we realize the full debt of obligation to 
our Saviour, we are united to him by closer bonds, 
and our love will be expressed in all our acts. 
Jesus will remember every good work done by 
his children. The self-sacrificing and benevolent 
will live in his memory and be rewarded. No 
act of devotion to his cause will be forgotten by 
him. There is no sacrifice too costly to be of-
fered on the altar of our faith. 
CHAPTER XXXIII. 
RIDING INTO JERUSALEM. 
ON the first day of the week, Jesus resumed 
his journey to Jerusalem to join in the feast of 
the passover. Multitudes who had flocked to 
Bethany to see him, accompanied him, eager to 
witness his entry into Jerusalem. All nature 
seemed to rejoice ; the trees were clothed in verd-
ure, and blossoms which shed their delicate fra-
grance upon the air. Many people were on their 
way to the city to keep the feast of the passover. 
These companies were continually joining the 
multitude attending Jesus. He sent two of his 
disciples to bring " a colt, the foal of an ass," that 
he might ride into Jerusalem. It was but a short 
distance, and as he had always chosen to travel 
RIDING INTO JERUSALEM. �
385 
384 �
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
on foot, his disciples were puzzled to know why 
he should prefer to ride. But hope brightened 
in their hearts with the joyous thought that 
Jesus was about to enter the capital and pro-
claim himself King of the Jews, and assert his 
royal power. While on their errand, the disci-
ples communicated their glowing anticipations to 
the friends of Jesus, and the excitement spread 
far and near, raising the expectations of the peo-
ple to the highest pitch. 
Jesus selected for his use a colt upon which 
never man had sat. The disciples in glad en-
thusiasm spread their garments upon the colt and 
placed their Master upon him. No sooner was 
he seated than a loud shout of triumph rent the 
air, and the multitude hailed him as Messiah, their 
King. Jesus now accepted the homage which he 
had never before permitted, and his disciples re-
ceived this as a proof that their glad hopes were 
to be realized by seeing him acknowledged at 
Jerusalem as the King of Israel. All were happy 
and excited ; the people vied with each other in 
paying him homage. They could not display out-
ward pomp and splendor, but they gave him the 
worship of happy hearts. They were unable to 
present him with costly gifts, but they spread 
their outer garments as a carpet in his path, and 
they also strewed the leafy branches of the olive 
and palm in the way. They could lead-the tri-
umphal procession with no royal standards, but 
they cut down the spreading palm boughs, Nat-
ure's emblem of victory, and waved them aloft, 
while their loud acclamations and hosannas rent 
the air. 
As they proceeded, the multitude was contin- 
ually increased by those who had heard of the 
coming of Jesus and hastened to join the pro- 
cession. Spectators were constantly mingling 
with the throng and asking, Who is this ? What 
does all this commotion signify ? They had all 
beard of Jesus and were expecting him to go to 
Jerusalem, but they knew that he had heretofore 
refused to receive kingly honors, and they were 
greatly astonished to learn that this was he. 
They wondered what could have wrought this 
change in him who had declared that his king-
dom was not of this world. 
While they are wondering and questioning, the 
eager crowd silence their queries with a shout 
of triumph that is repeated again and again, and 
is echoed from the surrounding hills and valleys. 
And now the joyful procession is joined by crowds 
from Jerusalem, that have heard of the grand 
demonstration, and hasten to meet the Saviour 
and conduct him to Jerusalem. From the great 
gathering of the Hebrews to attend the passover, 
thousands go forth to welcome Jesus to the city. 
They greet him with the waving of palm branches 
and a burst of sacred song. The priests at the 
temple sound the trumpet for evening serv-
ice, but there are few to respond, and the rulers 
say to each other in alarm, " The world has gone 
after him." 
The Saviour during his earthly life had hith-
erto refused to receive kingly honor, and had res-
olutely discouraged all attempts to elevate him 
to an earthly throne ; but this occasion was in-
tended by Jesus to call public attention to him 
as the world's Redeemer. He was nearing the 
period when his life was to be offered a ransom 
RIDING INTO JERUSALEM. �
38 
386 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
for guilty man. Although he was soon to be be-
trayed and to be hanged upon the cross like a 
malefactor, yet he would enter Jerusalem, the 
scene of his approaching sacrifice, attended by 
demonstrations of joy and the honor belonging 
to royalty, to faintly prefigure the glory of his 
future coming to the world as Zion's King. 
It was the purpose of Jesus to draw attention 
to the crowning sacrifice that was to end his mis-
sion to a fallen world. They were assembling at 
Jerusalem to celebrate the passover, while he, 
the antitypical Lamb, by a voluntary act set 
himself apart as an oblation. Jesus understood 
that it was needful in all future ages that the 
church should make his death for the sins of 
the world a subject of deep thought and study. 
Every fact connected with it should be verified 
beyond a doubt. It was necessary, then, that 
the eyes of all people should be directed to him, 
that the demonstrations which preceded his great 
sacrifice should be such as to call the attention 
of all to the sacrifice itself. After such an exhi-
bition as that attending his entry into Jerusa-
lem, all eyes would follow his rapid progress to 
the final end. 
The startling events connected with this tri-
umphal ride were calculated to be the talk of 
every tongue, and bring Jesus before every mind. 
After his crucifixion these events would be con-
nected with his trial and death; prophecies would 
be searched and would reveal the fact that this 
was indeed the Messiah ; and converts to the 
faith of Jesus would be multiplied in all lands. 
In this one triumphant scene of his earthly life, 
the Saviour might have appeared escorted by 
• 
heavenly angels and heralded by the trumps of 
God ; but he remained true to the life of humili- 
ation he had accepted, bearing the burden of hu-
manity till his life was given for the life of the 
world. 
This day, which seemed to the disciples the 
crowning day of their lives, would have been 
shadowed with gloomy clouds had they known 
that this scene of rejoicing was but a prelude to 
the suffering and death of their Master. Al-
though he had repeatedly told them of his cer-
tain sacrifice, yet in the glad triumph of the 
present they forgot his sorrowful words, and 
looked forward to his prosperous reign on the 
throne of David. New accessions were being 
made continually to the procession, and, with few 
exceptions, all who joined it caught the glad in-
spiration of the hour, and helped to swell the ho-
sannas that echoed and re-echoed from hill to hill 
and from valley to valley. The shouts went up 
continually, " Hosanna to the Son of David ! 
Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the 
Lord Hosanna in the highest !" It was as if 
all that vast multitude were seeking to excel one 
another in responding to the call from a pro-
phetic past. 
Many Pharisees witnessed the scene, and, burn-
ing with envy and malice, sought to turn the 
popular current. They exercised all the author-
ity which they could command to repress the en-
thusiasm of the people ; but all their appeals 
and threatenings were in vain. Fearful that this 
multitude, in the strength of their numbers, 
would lift Jesus to the position of king, they, 
as a last resort, pressed through the crowd and 
388 �
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. �
RIDING INTO JERUSALEM. �
389 
accosted him with reproving and threatening 
words : " Master, rebuke thy disciples." They 
declared that such noisy and excited demonstra-
tions were unlawful and would not be permitted 
by the authorities. But the reply of Jesus si-
lenced their haughty commands : " I tell you 
that, if these should hold their peace, the stones 
would immediately cry out." 
God himself had, in his special providence, ar-
ranged the order of the events then transpiring, 
and if men bad failed to carry out the divine 
plan, He would have given a voice to the inan-
imate stones and they would have hailed his 
Son with acclamations of praise. This scene 
had been revealed in prophetic vision to the 
holy seers of old, and man was powerless to turn 
aside the purposes of Jehovah. As the silenced 
Pharisees drew back, the words of Zechariah 
were taken up by hundreds of voices : "Rejoice 
greatly, 0 daughter of Zion; shout, 0 daughter 
of Jerusalem. Behold, thy King cometh unto 
thee ; he is just, and having salvation ; lowly, 
and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt, the foal 
of an ass." 
The Pharisees were forced to desist from their 
efforts to calm the enthusiasm of the people. All 
their expostulations only served to increase their 
ardor. The world had never before seen such a 
triumphal procession. It was not like that of 
the earth's famous conquerors. No train of 
mourning captives, as trophies of kingly valor, 
made a feature of that imposing pageant. But 
about the Saviour were the glorious trophies of 
his labors of love for sinful man. There were 
the captives whom he had rescued from Satan's 
cruel power, praising God for their deliverance. 
The blind to whom he had restored sight pressed 
on, leading the way. The dumb, whose tongues 
he had loosed, shouted the loudest hosannas. 
The cripples whom he bad healed bounded 
freely on, the most active in breaking the palm-
branches and in waving them before the Saviour. 
Widows and orphans were among the multitude 
exalting the name of Jesus for his works of 
mercy to them. The lepers who had been 
cleansed by a word from him, and rescued from 
a living death, spread their untainted garments 
in his path and hailed him as the King of Glory. 
Those who had been awakened by his magic 
voice from the sleep of death were in that 
throng. Lazarus, whose body had seen corrup-
tion in the grave, now restored to the full 
strength of glorious manhood, guided the humble 
beast upon which his Liberator rode. 
When the procession arrived at the summit of 
the hill and was about to descend into the city, Je-
sus halted, and all the multitude with him. Je-
rusalem in all its glory lay before them, bathed 
in the light of the declining sun. The temple 
attracted all eyes. In stately grandeur• it tow-
ered above all else, seeming to point toward 
Heaven as if directing the people upward to the 
only true and living God. This temple in its 
splendid majesty had long been the pride and 
glory of the Jewish nation. The Romans also 
prided themselves in it as an unequaled monu-
ment of magnificence. Their king had united 
with the Jews in embellishing it, and together 
they had spared no pains nor expense to furnish 
it with the most costly and beautiful decorations 
both without and within. 
390 �
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
A portion of the wall of the building had with-
stood the siege of armies, and, in its perfect ma-
sonry, appeared like one solid stone dug entire 
from the quarry. While the westering sun was 
tinting and gilding the heavens, its resplendent 
glory lit up the pure white marble of the temple 
and sparkled on its gold-capped pillars. From 
the crest of the hill where Jesus and his followers 
stood, it had the appearance of a massive struct-
ure of snow studded with flashing jewels. At 
the entrance to the temple was a vine composed 
of gold and silver, with green leaves and massive 
clusters of grapes, all executed at an enormous 
expense by the most skillful artists. This design 
represented Israel in the character of a prosper-
ous vine. The gold, silver, and living green were 
all combined with such rare taste and exquisite 
workmanship, that, as it twined gracefully about 
the white and glistening pillars, clinging with 
shining tendrils to their golden ornaments, it was 
a wonderful thing of beauty, catching the splen-
dor of the setting sun, and shining as if with a 
glory borrowed from Heaven. 
Jesus gazes upon the enchanting scene before 
him, and the vast multitude hush their shouts, 
spell-bound by this sudden vision of beauty. 
All eyes turn instinctively upon the Saviour, 
expecting to see in his countenance the admira-
tion which they themselves feel. But instead of 
this they behold a cloud of sorrow gathering 
upon his countenance. They are surprised and 
disappointed to see the eyes of the Saviour fill 
with tears, and his body rock to and fro like a 
tree before the tempest, while a wail of anguish 
bursts from his quivering lips as if from the 
RIDING INTO JERUSALEM. �
391 
depths of a broken heart. What a sight was this 
for angels to behold ! Their loved Commander 
in an agony of tears ! What a sight was this for 
that glad throng who had accompanied him with 
shouts of triumph and waving of palm-branches 
to that summit overlooking the glorious city 
where they fondly hoped he would reign ! Their 
acclamations were now silenced, while many 
tears flowed in sympathy with the grief they 
could not comprehend. 
Jesus had wept at the grave of Lazarus, but 
it was in a God-like grief in harmony with the 
occasion.. But this sudden sorrow is like a note 
of wailing in a grand triumphal chorus. In the 
midst of a scene of rejoicing, where all were pay-
ing him homage, Israel's King was in tears ; not 
silent tears of gladness, but tears and groans of 
insuppressible agony. The multitude are struck 
with a sudden gloom while they look upon this 
grief which is incomprehensible to them. The 
tears of Jesus were not in anticipation of phys-
ical suffering as he contemplated his crucifixion, 
though just before him was the garden of Geth-
semane where he knew that soon the horror of a 
great darkness would overshadow him. The 
sheep gate was also in sight through which for 
centuries the beasts for sacrificial offerings had 
been conducted. This gate was soon to open for 
him, the great Antitype toward whose sacrifice 
for the sins of the world all these offerings had 
pointed. Near by was Calvary, the scene of his 
approaching agony. 
Yet it is not because of these reminders of his 
cruel death that the Redeemer weeps and groans 
in anguish of spirit. His is no selfish sorrow. 
392 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
The thought of physical pain does not intimidate 
that noble, self-sacrificing soul. It is the sight 
of Jerusalem that pierces the heart of Jesus 
with anguish,—Jerusalem that had rejected the 
Son of God and scorned his love, who refused to 
be convinced by his mighty miracles and is about 
to take his life. He sees what she is in her guilt 
of rejecting her Redeemer, and what she might 
have been had she accepted Him who alone 
could heal her wound. He had come to save 
her ; how can he give up the child of his care ! 
He raised his hand,—that had so often blessed 
the sick and suffering,—and waving it toward 
the doomed city, in broken utterances of grief 
exclaimed : " If thou hadst known, even thou, 
in this thy day the things which belong to thy 
peace—" Here the Saviour paused and left 
unsaid what might have been the condition of 
Jerusalem had she abcepted the only help that 
God could give her,—the gift of his beloved Son. 
If Jerusalem had known what it was her privi-
lege to know, and had acted according to the 
light bestowed upon her by God, she might have 
stood forth in the pride of prosperity, the queen 
of kingdoms, free in the strength of her God-giv-
en power. There would then have been no armed 
soldiers waiting at her gates, no Roman banners 
waving from her walls. The glorious destiny 
which might have blessed Jerusalem, had she 
accepted her Redeemer, rose before the Son of 
God. He saw that she might through him have 
been healed of her grievous malady, liberated 
from bondage, and established as the mighty me-
tropolis of the earth. From her walls the dove 
of peace would have gone forth to all nations. 
RIDING INTO JERUSALEM. �
393 
She would have been the world's diadem of 
glory. 
But the bright picture of what Jerusalem might 
have been had she accepted the Son of God, fades 
from the Saviour's sight as he realizes what she is 
under the oppressive Roman yoke, bearing the 
frown of God, doomed to his retributive justice. 
He takes up the broken thread of his lamenta-
tions : " But now they are hid from thine eyes. 
For the days shall come upon thee, that thine 
enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and com-
pass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, 
and shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy 
children within thee ; and they shall not leave 
in thee one stone upon another; because thou 
knewest not the time of thy visitation." 
Christ came to save Jerusalem with her chil-
dren from the consequences of her former sins ; 
but the unholy expectations of the Pharisees 
were not answered in the manner of his appear-
ing. Pharisaical pride, hypocrisy, jealousy, and 
malice had prevented him from accomplishing 
his purpose. Jesus knew the terrible retribu-
tion which would be visited upon the doomed 
city. He sees Jerusalem encompassed with 
armies, the besieged inhabitants driven to star-
vation and death, mothers making a repast on 
the dead bodies of their own children, and both 
parents and children snatching the last morsel of 
food from one another, natural affection being 
destroyed through the gnawing pangs of hunger. 
He sees that the stubbornness of the Jews, as 
evinced in their rejection of his salvation, will 
also lead them to refuse their only remaining 
chance of safety, submission to the invading 
Great Controversy, Vol. 2, �
- �
26 
394 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
armies. He sees the wretched inhabitants suf-
fering torture on the rack, and crucifixion, the 
beautiful palaces destroyed, the temple where 
God had revealed his glory, in ruins, and of all 
its pure and spotless walls, decorated with lofty 
pillars and gilded devices, not one stone left upon 
another, while the city is plowed like a field. 
Well may the Saviour weep in agony in view of 
such a fearful picture ! 
Jerusalem had been the child of his care, and 
as a tender father mourns over a wayward son, 
so Jesus wept over Jerusalem. How can I give 
thee up ! How can I see thee devoted to de-
struction and desolation ! Must I let thee go to 
fill up the cup of thine iniquity ! One soul is of 
such value that, in comparison with it, worlds 
sink into insignificance ; but here was a whole 
nation to be lost. When the fast westering sun 
should pass from sight in the heavens, Jerusa-
lem's day of grace would be at an end. While 
that vast procession was halting on the brow of 
Olivet, it was yet not too late for Jerusalem to 
repent and be saved. The Angel of Mercy was 
then folding her wings to step down from the 
golden throne and give place to Justice and 
swift-coming judgment. But Christ's great heart 
of love still pleads for Jerusalem, which had 
scorned all his mercies, despised his warnings, 
and was about to finish her iniquitous work by 
imbruing her hands in his blood. If Jerusalem 
would but repent, it is not yet too late. While 
the last rays of the setting sun are lingering on 
temple, tower, and flashing minaret, will not 
some good angel lead her to the Saviour's love, 
and avert the fearful doom that awaits her 
RIDING INTO JERUSALEM. �
395 
Beautiful and unholy city, that had stoned the 
prophets, that had rejected the Son of God, that 
was locking herself, by her impenitence, in fetters 
of bondage,—thy day of mercy is almost spent ! 
Here had lived a favored people ; God made 
their temple his habitation ; it was " beautiful 
for situation, the joy of the whole earth." The 
record of more than a thousand years of Christ's 
guardian care and tender love, such as a father 
bears his only child, was there. In that temple 
had the prophets uttered their solemn warnings. 
There had the burning censers waved, while in-
cense, mingled with the prayers of the worship-
ers, had ascended to God. There the blood of 
beasts had flowed, typical of the blood of Christ. 
There Jehovah had manifested his glory above the 
mercy-seat. There the priests had officiated in 
flowing robes and jeweled breast-plates, and the 
pomp of symbol and ceremony had gone on for 
ages. But all this must have an end ; for Jeru-
salem has sealed her own doom, and her destruc-
tion is at hand. 
Contemplating the fate of the city he had loved, 
the soul of Jesus yearned over the child of his care. 
Unrequited love broke the heart of the Son of 
God. Little did the multitude know of the grief 
that weighed upon the spirit of Him whom they 
worshiped. They saw his tears' and heard his 
groans, and for a brief space a mysterious awe in-
terrupted their joyful demonstrations ; but they 
could not understand the meaning of his lamen-
tation over Jerusalem. Meanwhile, reports were 
brought to the rulers that Jesus was approaching 
the city attended by a great concourse of people. 
In trepidation they go out to meet him, hoping 
396 �THE GREAT CONTROVERSY. 
to disperse the crowd by means of their author-
ity. As the procession is about to descend the 
Mount of Olives, it is intercepted by the rulers. 
They inquire who and what is the cause of all 
this tumultuous rejoicing. As they, with much 
authority, repeat their question,—Who is this ? 
the disciples, filled with a spirit of inspiration, 
are heard above all the noise of the crowd, re-
peating in eloquent strains the prophecies which 
answered this question. Adam will tell you, It 
is the seed of the woman that shall bruise the 
serpent's head. Ask Abraham, he will tell you, 
It is Melchisedek, King of Salem, King of 
Peace. Jacob will tell you, He is Shiloh of the 
tribe of Judah. Isaiah will tell you, Immanuel, 
Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the 
everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Jere-
miah will tell you, The Branch of David, the 
Lord, our righteousness. Daniel will tell you, 
He is the Messiah. Hosea will tell you, He is 
the Lord God of Hosts, the Lord is his memo-
rial. John the Baptist will tell you, He is the 
Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the 
world. The great Jehovah has proclaimed from 
his throne, This is my beloved Son. We, his 
disciples, declare, This is Jesus, the Messiah, the 
Prince of Life, the Redeemer of the world. And 
even the Prince of the powers of darkness ac-
knowledges him, saying, " I know thee who thou 
art, the Holy One of God." 
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DATE OF THE SEVENTY WEEKS. By J. N. Andrews. 10 CO. 
VINDICATION OF THE TRUE SABBATH. By J. W. Morton. 10 cts. 
MATTHEW TWENTY-FOUR 
By James White. 10 eta. 
400 �
PUBLIOATTONS. 
THE HOPE OF THE GOSPEL. Ar.I.
J.N. Loughborough. 10 cts. 
SERMON ON THE Two COVENA?fg. By J. N. Andrews. 10 cts. 
AN APPEAL TO THE BAPTISTS, from the Seventh-day Bap-
tists, for the Restoration of the Bible Sabbath. 10 cts. 
MILTON ON THE STATE OF THE DEAD. 
5 cts. 
FOUR-CENT TRACTS : The Law and the Gospel—The 
Seventh Part of Time—Celestial Railroad—Samuel and the Witch 
of Endor—The Ten Commandments not Abolished—Address to 
the Baptists—The Present Truth—The Second Advent—The Suf-
ferings of Christ—The Two Thrones, Representing the Kingdoms 
of Grace and Glory—Spiritualism a Satanic Delusion—The Sev-
enth-day Adventists; Their Origin, Principles and Progress. 
--The Two Covenants. 
THREE-CENT TRACTS: Much in Little—The Lost-Time 
Question—Infidel Cavils Considered—The End of the Wicked—
Scripture References—Argument on Sabbaton—Who Changed 
the Sabbath? 
TWO-CENT TRACTS : Definite Seventh Day—Seven Rea-
sons for Sunday-Keeping Examined—Sabbath by Elihu—The 
Rich Man and Lazarus—The Millennium—Departing and Being 
with Christ — The Sanctuary of the Bible—The Judgment, or 
the Waymarks of Daniel to the Holy City—The Two Laws—
Spirit of Prophecy. 
ONE-CENT TRACTS : Appeal on Immortality—Brief 
Thoughts on Immortality—Thoughts for the Candid—Sign of 
the Day of Gcd—Geology and the Bible — Without Excuse—
Perfection of the Ten Commandments—The Coming of the Lord 
—Which Day, and God's Answers. 
Works in Other Languages. 
The Association also publishes works on some of the above-
named subjects in the German, French, Danish, Swedish, and 
Holland languages. 
Any of the foregoing works will be sent by mail to any 
part of the United States, post-paid, on receipt of the prices 
above stated. Full Catalogues sent gratis, on application. 
*** Address, �REVIEW & HER ALD, 
BATTLE CREEK, MICH.