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THE EEV. J. E. H. THOMSON, M.A., D.D., ON 



vvas far greater than the Messiah they had been expecting. Noth- 

 ing had been said by the prophets that the Messiah would show 

 mu'aculous powers. Two of the prophets, especially Elijah and 

 Ehsha, had possessed these povrers in some degree, but in nothing 

 like the degree and character in wliich Jesus possessed them. 

 The manner of His works of wonder was fitted, specially fitted, 

 to impress those dwelhng in a land where magic was practised. 

 Jesus healed by no invocation of potent spells, but simply by a 

 touch. In the Apccrj-phal book of Tobit is seen the way evil 

 spirits v. ere exorcised ; om' Lord drove out evil spmts ^ith a 

 simple word. He raised the dead, and stilled the tempest with 

 a word, walked on the waters, and fed thousands with a few 

 barley loaves and two fishes. They had expected a conqueror who 

 vrould win an empire by slaughter, but a greater is here. 



These miracles give point and emphasis to His teaching. In 

 the Sermon on the Mount He assumes a place above Moses. 

 Moses in his legislation always claimed the authority of Jehovah 

 behind him: The Lord spake unto Moses, saying " but Jesus 

 enunciated His decisions with I say." But He goes further. In 

 the parable of the Drag-net, and still more in the parable 

 with which He closes His ministry, the Sheep and the Goats, He 

 represents Himself sitting on the Throne of the Most High and 

 judging all men at the last day. Matthew, as the other Apostles, 

 had come to realise that He, their Master. Who had eaten and 

 drunk with them, was Divine. He knew how difficult it was for 

 anyone to grasp this mysterious truth; he knew that it was 

 onl}- gradually that those who had been with Him had reached 

 the comprehension of the nature of then- Lord; hence he en- 

 deavours to lead those he is addressing by steps similar to those 

 by which he himself and his brother Apostles had been led, to 

 say each for himself, as Thomas did: " My Lord and my God." 



Knowing that the Cross was above all the stumbling-block 

 which hindered beUef in the Messiahship of Jesus, Matthew 

 dwells specially on it. The mockery of the soldiers; their crown- 

 ing Him, if only with thorns ; their thmsting into His hands a 

 sceptre, if only a reed; their enwrapping Him in a purple robe, 

 was a recognition, if only in mockery, that He had claimed Mes- 

 siahship. Above all, was the title on the Cross, in Hebrew, Greek 

 and Latin: " This is Jesus the King of the Jews." It was 

 because he was the Anointed King that He was crucified. His 

 miracles had marked Him out as being more than man. Matthew 

 relates how marvels accompanied Him to the end. He, hke the 

 other Synoptists, tells of the mysterious darkness that enveloped 

 the land for three hours ; and of the veil of Temple rent as by a 

 mighty hand " from the top to the bottom," so that the watching 

 centurion was constrained to say: " Tiialy this was the Son of 

 God." Matthew alone tells how the rocks were rent and the 



