BOOK 5. THE MESSAGE.
CHAPTER 1.
5.1.1. Of the First Year of Christ's Ministry, and therein of the beginning of the Gospel.
Jesus in His Life: Of the First Year of Christ's Ministry, and therein of the beginning of the Gospel.
For the Life was manifested, and we have seen it.
1 John 1:2
In this piece, as in the former, we must first lay down the object, and then direct you how to look upon it.
The object is Jesus carrying on the work of man's salvation, during the time of his life. Now, in all the transactions of this time, we shall observe them as they were carried on successively in those three years and an half of his ministerial office, or if you will in those four complete years before his passion and death.
For the first year, and his actings therein, the evangelist Mark i. 1. begins thus, "The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God," q.d. The beginning of that age of the world, which the prophets pointed out for the time of the good things to come; or the beginning of the exhibition and completion of that gospel, which in respect of the promise, figures and signification was from the beginning of the world. This beginning of the gospel, the prophets sometimes expressed by the term of the last days. "And it shall come to pass in the last days," Isa. ii. 2. Micah iv. 1. Sometimes by the term of the acceptable year of the Lord, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, Isa. lxi. 1, 2. Sometimes by the term of the kingdom of God, "And in the days of these kings, shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed," Dan. ii. 44. Sometimes by the term of a new heaven, and a new earth, "Behold I create new heavens, and a new earth, and the former shall not be remembered, nor come in mind," Isa. lxv. 17. Howsoever it is called, this is concluded, that the beginning of the gospel is not to be reckoned from the birth of Christ, but from the beginning of the ministry and preaching of John the Baptist; "From the days of John the Baptist, (saith Christ) the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence; for all the prophets, and the law prophesieth until John," Matt. xi. 12, 13. And when the apostles were ready, in the room of Judas, to choose a new apostle, it is said. That "of those men which companied with them all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out amongst them, beginning from the baptism of John, unto the day that he was taken up, must one be ordained to be a witness," Acts i. 21, 22. And Peter preaching to Cornelius, and his friends, he tells them, "That the word (or gospel) was published throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached," Acts x. 37. And see but how immediately these words follow, "The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; as it is written in the prophets. Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare the way before thee," Mark i. 1, 2. I know, that John's ministry was six months before Christ; and yet that now was the beginning of the gospel:--
1. It appears, in that baptism, (which was only used amongst the Jews for the admission of proselytes or Heathens to their church) is now published, and proposed to the Jews themselves showing,
(a). That now they were to be entered and transplanted into a new profession. And,
(b). That the Gentiles and they now were to be knit into one church and body.
2. And, it appears, in that the doctrine and preaching of John, was in a differing strain from the literal doctrine of the law, as it is taken in the sense of the Jews; for that called all for works, and for exact performance, "Do this and live;" but John called for repentance, and for renewing of the mind, and for belief in him that was coming after, disclaiming all righteousness by the works of the law; so that here was new heavens, and a new earth begun to be created, a new commandment given, a new church founded, justification by works cried down, and the doctrine of faith and repentance advanced and set up.
Hence one observes. (Lightf. Har. of the four Evan.) That the evangelist Luke iii. 1, 2. points out this year in a special manner; it was the fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar, at which time (says he) Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, Philip was tetrarch of Iturea, Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, and Annas and Caiaphas were high priests. And then, even then, The word of God came unto John the Son of Zacharias in the wilderness. See how exactly the evangelist seems, that so remarkable a year of the beginning of the gospel might be fixed and made known to all the world. In this respect I shall begin the first year of Christ's life, with the beginning of John's preaching, which was six months current before the ministry of Christ; and in the compass of this first year, I shall handle these particulars.
1. The preaching of John Baptist.
2. The baptism of Christ Jesus.
3. The fasting and temptation of Christ in the wilderness.
4. The first manifestation of Jesus by his several witnesses.
5. Christ's whipping the buyers and sellers out of the temple.
Observe, that every of these four years, I shall end at one of the passovers, of which we read during Christ's ministry; as of the first passover, John ii. 13. Of the second passover, in John v. 1. Of the third passover, John vi. 4. Of the fourth passover. John xiii. 1.
And first, of the first year to the end of the first passover.