have started from Galilee some time before the beginning of the Feast. These

circumstances fully e xplain the details of the narrative. They also afford another most

painful illustration of the loneliness of Christ in His Work. His disciples had failed to

understand, they misapprehended His teaching. In the near prospect of His Death they

either displayed gross ignorance, or else disputed about their future rank. And His own

'brethren' did not believe in Him. The whole course of late events, especially the unmet

challenge of the Scribes for 'a sign from heaven,' had deeply shaken them. What was

the purpose of 'works,' if done in the privacy of the circle of Christ's Apostles, in a

house, a remote district, or even before an ignorant multitude? If, claiming to be the

Messiah, He wished to be openly28 known as such, He must use other means. If He

really did these things, let Him manifest Himself before the world - in Jerusalem, the

capital of their world, and before those who could test the reality of His Works. Let Him

come forward, at one of Israel's great Feasts, in the Temple, and especially at this Feast

which pointed to the Messianic ingathering of all nations. Let Him now go up with them

in the festive company into Judæ , that so His disciples - not the Galileans only - but all,

a

might have the opportunity of 'gazing'29 on His Works.30

Rigla, in distinction to the Beney Khallah, who attended the regular Sabbath lectures.

As the challenge was not new,31 so, from the worldly point of view, it can scarcely be

called unreasonable. It is, in fact, the same in principle as that to which the world would

now submit the claims of Christianity to men's acceptance. It has only this one fault, that

it ignores the world's enmity to the Christ. Discipleship is not the result of any outward

manifestation by 'evidences' or demonstration. It requires the conversion of a child -like

spirit. To manifest Himself! This truly would He do, though not in their way. For this 'the

season'32 had not yet come, though it would soon arrive. Their 'season' - that for such

Messianic manifestations as they contemplated - was 'always ready.' And this naturally,

for 'the world' could not 'hate' them; they and their demonstrations were quite in

accordance with the world and its views. But towards Him the world cherished personal

hatred, because of their contrariety of principle, because Christ was manifested, not to

restore an earthly kingdom to Israel, but to bring the Heavenly Kingdom upon earth - 'to

destroy the works of the Devil.' Hence, He must provoke the enmity of that world which

lay in the Wicked One. Another manifestation than that which they sought would He

make, when His 'season was fulfilled;' soon, beginning at this very Feast, continued at

the next, and completed at the last Passover; such manifestation of Himself as the

Christ, as could alone be made in view of the essential enmity of the world.