A HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS
FOR STUDENTS OF THE
LIFE OF CHRIST

Based on the Broadus Harmony
in the Revised Version

BY

A. T. ROBERTSON, M.A., D.D., LL.D., LITT.D.

CHAIR OF NEW TESTAMENT INTERPRETATION
SOUTHERN BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY

"Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me."

HARPER & BROTHERS PUBLISHERS
NEW YORK AND LONDON

COPYRIGHT, 1922,
BY HARPER & BROTHERS
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

TO
ELIZA S. BROADUS
ELDEST DAUGHTER OF JOHN A. BROADUS
AN ELECT LADY BELOVED IN MANY LANDS

PREFACE

It is now just thirty years since one day his young assistant suggested to Dr. John A. Broadus that he prepare a harmony of the Gospels that should depart from the old plan of following the feasts as the turning points in the life of Jesus. He acted on the hint and led the way that all modern harmonies have followed. The book has gone through a dozen large editions and has become the standard harmony for many thousands of students all over the world. Broadus was concerned to bring out "the inner movements of the history, towards that long-delayed, but foreseen and inevitable collision, in which, beyond all other instances, the wrath of man was made to praise God." This he succeeded in doing with marvelous power.

A generation has passed by and it is meet that the work of Broadus should be reviewed in the light of modern synoptic criticism and research into every phase of the life of Christ. So I have made a new analysis that preserves Broadus's real purpose, but with new sections and new notes. The notes at the end of the old volume, written by me for the first edition, have been thoroughly revised and brought up to date. The Old Testament passages referred to in the Gospels are given in the text. The Gospel of Mark appears in the first column, then Matthew, Luke, and John. It is now known that Matthew and Luke made use of Mark for the framework of their Gospels. This change simplifies amazingly the unfolding of the narrative.

There is still dispute concerning the historical worth of the Gospel of John, but the Johannine authorship is not disproved. It still holds the field in my opinion. Dr. C. F. Burney's theory of an Aramaic original is already giving a new turn to Johannine criticism.

A harmony of the Gospels cannot meet every phase of modern criticism. The data are given, as free from bias as circumstances allow, so that all students can use the book and interpret the facts according to their various theories. Numerous historical items call for notes of various kinds that throw light on the passage in question. No effort is made to reconcile all the divergent statements of various details in the different Gospels. The differences challenge the student's interest as much as the correspondences and are natural marks of individual work. The notes and appendices at the end of the volume are meant for students who wish help for historical study of the life of Christ. A harmony cannot give all the aid that one needs, but it is the one essential book for the serious study of the life of Jesus. Students in colleges, theological seminaries, Young Men's Christian Association and Young Women's Christian Association classes, Sunday School teachers and pupils, preachers, all who read the Gospels intelligently must have a modern harmony of the Gospels. One who has never read a harmony will be amazed at the flood of light that flashes from the parallel and progressive records of the life of Jesus Christ.

Broadus began teaching the life of Jesus in 1859 and kept it up till his death in 1895. I began like work in 1888 and have kept on without a break till now. I count it one of the crowning mercies of my life that I have led so many successive classes of young ministers and young women (some five thousand in all) through the study of Christ's life. If only one can pass on to others in all their freshness and power the teachings of Jesus, he cannot fail. There was a time when men hung in wonder upon the words of Jesus, listening with awe and rapture as he spoke. The Figure of Christ fills the world today as never before. Back to Christ the world has come, the Christ of Faith and of Experience, the Jesus of History, the Man of Galilee, the Hope of Today, the Jesus Christ of the Four Gospels, in the full blaze of modern critical and historical study.

A. T. ROBERTSON.

Louisville,
Kentucky.

CONTENTS

CHIEF DIVISIONS OF THE HARMONY

ANALYTICAL OUTLINE OF THE HARMONY

TABLE FOR FINDING ANY PASSAGE IN THE HARMONY

MARK

MATTHEW

LUKE

JOHN

NOTE:—The verses that are omitted in the Canterbury Revision do not appear in this Harmony. They are Mark 7:16; 9:44, 46; 11:26; 15:28; Matthew 17:21; 18:11; 23:14; Luke 17:36; 23:17; John 5:4.

In addition to the Gospels use is made of
Acts 1:3-8 in [§ 183].
Acts 1:9-12 in [§ 184].
Acts 1:18-19 in [§ 158].
1 Cor. 11:23-26 in [§ 148].
1 Cor. 15:5 in [§ 177].
1 Cor. 15:5 in [§ 179].
1 Cor. 15:6 in [§ 181].
1 Cor. 15:7 in [§ 182].

A HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS
FOR STUDENTS OF THE LIFE OF CHRIST

PART I
THE SOURCES OF THE GOSPELS

§ 1. IN THE DEDICATION LUKE EXPLAINS HIS METHOD OF RESEARCH^a

Luke 1:1-4

1 Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to draw up a narrative concerning those matters which have been ¹fulfilled among us, 2 even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word, 3 it seemed good to me also, having traced the course of all things accurately from the first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus;^b 4 that thou mightest know the certainty concerning the ²things ³wherein thou wast instructed.

¹ Or, fully establish.

² Gr. words.

³ Or, which thou wast taught by word of mouth.

^a Luke is the first critic of the life of Christ whose criticism has been preserved to us. Others had drawn up narratives of certain portions of Christ's work. Others still had been eyewitnesses of the ministry of Jesus and gave Luke their oral testimony. Luke sifted it all with care and produced an orderly and reasonably full narrative of the earthly ministry of Jesus. We cannot reproduce all the sources that Luke had at his command, but it is clear that he followed in the main our Gospel of Mark, as any one can see for himself by comparing the two Gospels in this Harmony. Both Matthew and Luke made use of Mark. But they had other sources also. See [note 2] on Synoptic Criticism at the close of the Harmony. See also Chapter IV, "Luke's Method of Research" in my Luke the Historian in the Light of Research.

^b Luke alone follows the method of ancient historians in dedicating his Gospel, as also the Acts (1:1), to a patron who probably met the expense of publication. So Luke as a Gentile Christian writes an historical introduction in literary (Koiné) Greek after the fashion of Thucydides and Plutarch. Mark had no formal introduction. Matthew's introduction is genealogical because he is writing for Jewish readers to prove that Jesus is the Messiah of Jewish hope. John, writing last of all, has a theological introduction to meet the Gnostic and philosophical misconceptions concerning the Person of Christ. Thus he pictures Christ as the Eternal Logos, with God in his pre-incarnate state, who became flesh and thus revealed the Father to men.

PART II
THE PRE-EXISTENT STATE OF CHRIST AND HIS INCARNATION

§ 2. IN HIS INTRODUCTION JOHN PICTURES CHRIST AS THE WORD (LOGOS)

John 1:1-18

1 In the beginning was the Word,^a and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made ¹by him; and without him ²was not anything made that hath been made. 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness ³apprehended it not. 6 There came a man, sent from God, whose name was John. 7 The same came for witness, that he might bear witness of the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came that he might bear witness of the light. 9 ⁴There was the true light, even the light which lighteth ⁵every man, coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made ¹by him, and the world knew him not. 11 He came unto ⁶his own, and they that were his own received him not. 12 But as many as received him, to them gave he the right to become children of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 which were ⁷born, not of ⁸blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word^a became flesh, and ⁹dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, glory as of ¹⁰the only begotten from the Father), full of grace and truth. 15 John beareth witness of him, and crieth, saying, ¹¹This was he of whom I said, He that cometh after me is become before me: for he was ¹²before me. 16 For of his fulness we all received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given ¹by Moses; grace and truth came ¹by Jesus Christ. 18 No man hath seen God at any time; ¹³the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

¹ Or, through.

² Or, was not anything made. That which hath been made was life in him; and the life &c.

³ Or, overcame.

⁴ Or, The true light, which lighteth every man, was coming.

⁵ Or, every man as he cometh.

⁶ Gr. his own things.

⁷ Or, begotten.

⁸ Gr. bloods.

⁹ Gr. tabernacled.

¹⁰ Or, an only begotten from a father.

¹¹ Some ancient authorities read this was he that said.

¹² Gr. first in regard of me.

¹³ Many very ancient authorities read God only begotten.

^a The Fourth Gospel makes no further use of the term Logos (Word) for Christ. No other Gospel employs the term, but in 1 John 1:1 we find "the Word of life" in this sense and in Rev. 19:14 we have: "and his name is called the Word of God." The Greek word has a double sense (reason and speech) and John seems to have both ideas in mind (1:18). Christ is the Idea of God and the Expression of God. The Stoics followed Plato in the philosophical use of Logos. Philo took it up and made it familiar to Jewish readers who were already used to the Hebrew Mêmra (Word) in a personal sense. But John carried the term further than any of his predecessors and placed it on a par with Messiah, Son of God, Son of Man, and other phrases that portray aspects of the Person of Christ. John writes his Gospel to prove the deity of Jesus ([John 20:31]) against Gnostics (Cerinthian) who denied it, as he wrote his First Epistle (1 John 1:1-4) to prove the humanity of Jesus against Docetic Gnostics who disclaimed it. See [note 3] at end of Harmony.

PART III
THE TWO GENEALOGIES IN MATTHEW AND LUKE

§ 3. APPARENTLY JOSEPH'S GENEALOGY IN MATTHEW AND MARY'S IN LUKE^a

¹ Or, The genealogy of Jesus Christ.

² Or, birth: as in [ver. 18].

³ Gr. Aram.

⁴ Gr. Asaph.

⁵ Gr. Amos.

⁶ Or, removal to Babylon.

⁷ Gr. Salathiel.

⁸ Some ancient authorities write Sala.

⁹ Many ancient authorities insert the son of Admin; and one writes Admin for Amminadab.

¹⁰ Some ancient authorities write Aram.

^a This view is not accepted by all scholars, though it is found as early as Eusebius (Hist. Eccl. i, 7). See [note 5] at end of Harmony.

^b The Sinaitic Syriac, against all the early Greek manuscripts, reads in Matt. 1:16: "But Joseph, to whom the Virgin Mary was betrothed, begat Jesus." This ancient Ebionitic text is followed by Von Soden in his Griechisches Neues Testament and by Moffatt in his New Translation of the New Testament, but it is difficult to believe it genuine, for in [Matt. 1:18-22] the writer pictures Joseph as on the point of putting Mary away privily. The two reports in the Sinaitic Syriac flatly contradict each other. Those who accept it say that the writer of the Virgin Birth view in [1:18-20] overlooked 1:16 (certainly a serious oversight). It is easier to think that an Ebionitic scribe in copying altered 1:16, but passed by [1:18-20]. The Ebionites denied the deity of Jesus. Both Matthew and Luke ([1:26-38]) give the Virgin Birth of Jesus, but they preserve separate traditions on the subject.

^c Observe that Matthew's three divisions of the genealogy represent three great periods in the history of Israel. See [note 5] at end of Harmony for discussion of the differences between the genealogies in Matthew and in Luke.

PART IV
THE BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD OF THE BAPTIST AND OF JESUS

Probably B.C. 7 to A.D. 7

§§ 4-19. These sections include the annunciations, the birth, infancy, and childhood of both John and Jesus.

§ 4. THE ANNUNCIATION^a OF THE BIRTH OF THE BAPTIST TO ZACHARIAS

Jerusalem, in the Temple. Probably B.C. 7
Luke 1:5-25^b

5 There was in the days of Herod, king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abijah: and he had a wife of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. 7 And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now ¹well stricken in years.
8 Now it came to pass, while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course, 9 according to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to enter into the ²temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the hour of incense. 11 And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And Zacharias was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: because thy supplication is heard, and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. 14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. 15 For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and he shall drink no wine nor ³strong drink [see Num. 6:3; Judg. 13:4-6; 1 Sam. 1:11]; and he shall be filled with the ⁴Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb. 16 And many of the children of Israel shall he turn unto the Lord their God. 17 And he shall ⁵go before his face in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children [see Mal. 3:1; 4:5-6], and the disobedient to walk in the wisdom of the just; to make ready for the Lord a people prepared for him. 18 And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife ⁶well stricken in years. 19 And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God [see Dan. 8:16; 9:21]; and I was sent to speak unto thee, and to bring thee these good tidings. 20 And behold, thou shalt be silent and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall come to pass, because thou believedst not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season. 21 And the people were waiting for Zacharias, and they marvelled ⁷while he tarried in the ²temple. 22 And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the ²temple: and he continued making signs unto them, and remained dumb. 23 And it came to pass, when the days of his ministration were fulfilled, he departed unto his house.
24 And after these days Elisabeth his wife conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying, 25 Thus hath the Lord done unto me in the days wherein he looked upon me, to take away my reproach among men.

¹ Gr. advanced in their days.

² Or, sanctuary.

³ Gr. sikera.

⁴ Or, Holy Spirit: and so throughout all the Gospels.

⁵ Some ancient authorities read come nigh before his face.

⁶ Gr. advanced in her days.

⁷ Or, at his tarrying.

^a There are three annunciations: (1) to Zacharias [§ 4], (2) to Mary [§ 5], (3) to Joseph [§ 9]. Luke gives the first two and Matthew the third. The Angel Gabriel is named by Luke (1:19, 26), but Matthew simply has "an angel of the Lord" ([1:20]).

^b It is certain that Luke tells the infancy stories from the standpoint of Mary while Matthew writes from the standpoint of Joseph. Matthew gives the public account while Luke tells the private story from Mary herself (Ramsay, Was Christ Born at Bethlehem? p. 79). Luke could have seen Mary, if still alive, or could have obtained it from one of Mary's circle either orally or in manuscript form. Some scholars even suggest "Gospel of Mary" and even, "Gospel of the Baptist" as a written source for Luke in 1:5-2:52. Sanday (The Life of Christ in Recent Research, p. 166) says: "These two chapters—whatever the date at which they were first committed to writing—are essentially the most archaic thing in the whole New Testament." Certainly Luke reveals the use of Aramaic or Hebrew sources by the sudden changes in his style from 1:1-4. Luke, if familiar with the current account as seen in Matthew, apparently felt that he owed it to Mary to record her story of her great experience.

§ 5. THE ANNUNCIATION TO THE VIRGIN MARY OF THE BIRTH OF JESUS

Nazareth. Probably B.C. 7 or 6
Luke 1:26-38

26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. 28 And he came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art ¹highly favoured, the Lord is with thee.² 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this might be. 30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found ³favour with God. 31 And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS [see Isa. 7:14]. 32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David [see 2 Sam. 7:12-17]: 33 and he shall reign over the house of Jacob ⁴for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. 34 And Mary said unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? 35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee: wherefore also ⁵that which ⁶is to be born ⁷shall be called holy [see Ex. 13:12], the Son of God. 36 And behold, Elisabeth thy kinswoman, she also hath conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her that ⁸was called barren. 37 For no word from God shall be void of power [see Gen. 18:14]. 38 And Mary said, Behold, the ⁹handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

¹ Or, endued with grace.

² Many ancient authorities add blessed art thou among women. (See [ver. 42].)

³ Or, grace.

⁴ Gr. unto the ages.

⁵ Or, the holy thing which is to be born shall be called the son of God.

⁶ Or, is begotten.

⁷ Some ancient authorities insert of thee.

⁸ Or, is.

⁹ Gr. bondmaid.

§ 6. THE SONG^a OF ELISABETH TO MARY UPON HER VISIT

Hill Country of Judea
Luke 1:39-45

39 And Mary arose in these days and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Judah; 40 and entered into the house of Zacharias and saluted Elisabeth. 41 And it came to pass, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost; 42 and she lifted up her voice with a loud cry, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. 43 And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come unto me? 44 For behold, when the voice of thy salutation came into mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. 45 And blessed is she that ¹believed; for there shall be a fulfilment of the things which have been spoken to her from the Lord.

¹ Or, believed that there shall be.

^a This hymn or psalm springs from the omen to Elisabeth.

§ 7. THE MAGNIFICAT OF MARY

Hill Country of Judea
Luke 1:46-56

46 And Mary said,

56 And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned unto her house.

¹ Gr. bondmaiden.

² Or, by.

§ 8. THE BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD OF THE BAPTIST, AND HIS DESERT LIFE

Hill Country of Judea. B.C. 7 or 6
Luke 1:57-80

57 Now Elisabeth's time was fulfilled that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son. 58 And her neighbours and her kinsfolk heard that the Lord had magnified his mercy toward her; and they rejoiced with her. 59 And it came to pass on the eighth day, that they came to circumcise the child; and they would have called him Zacharias, after the name of his father. 60 And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John. 61 And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name. 62 And they made signs to his father, what he would have him called. 63 And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all. 64 And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, blessing God. 65 And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judea. 66 And all that heard them laid them up in their heart, saying, What then shall this child be? For the hand of the Lord was with him.

67 And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,

80 And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel.^a

¹ Or, heart of mercy.

² Or, Wherein.

³ Many ancient authorities read hath visited us.

^a Dwell on this summary statement as to John's retired life in the wild regions of Judea, whence he will come forth thirty years later.

§ 9. THE ANNUNCIATION TO JOSEPH OF THE BIRTH OF JESUS

Nazareth
Matt. 1:18-25

18 Now the ¹birth ²of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found with child of the ³Holy Ghost. 19 And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. 20 But when he thought on these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is ⁴conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. 21 And she shall bring forth a son; and thou shalt call his name JESUS; for it is he that shall save his people from their sins. 22 Now all this is come to pass, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying,

which is, being interpreted, God with us. 24 And Joseph arose from his sleep, and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took unto him his wife; 25 and knew her not till she had brought forth a son: and he called his name JESUS.

¹ Or, generation: as in ver. 1 in [§ 3].

² Some ancient authorities read of the Christ.

³ Or, Holy Spirit.

⁴ Gr. begotten.

⁵ Gr. Emmanuel.

§ 10. THE BIRTH OF JESUS

Bethlehem. Probably B.C. 6 or 5
Luke 2:1-7

1 Now it came to pass in those days, there went out a decree from Cæsar Augustus, that all the ¹world should be enrolled. 2 This was the first enrolment made when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to enrol themselves, every one to his own city.^a 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David; 5 to enrol himself with Mary, who was betrothed to him, being great with child. 6 And it came to pass, while they were there, the days were fulfilled that she should be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn son; and she wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

¹ Gr. inhabited earth.

^a Observe how the ruler of the civilized world is unconsciously bringing it about that the Messiah, the son of David, shall be born at Bethlehem, though his mother's home was Nazareth. All the previous history of Rome and of Israel gathers about this manger. As to Quirinius, and as to the probable time of the Saviour's birth, see [note 6] at the end of the book. The vindication of Luke's historical statements in these verses is one of the triumphs of modern research, as is shown in that note.

§ 11. THE PRAISE OF THE ANGELS AND THE HOMAGE OF THE SHEPHERDS

Near Bethlehem
Luke 2:8-20

8 And there were shepherds in the same country abiding in the field, and keeping ¹watch by night over their flock. 9 And an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 10 And the angel said unto them, Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all the people: 11 for there is born to you this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is ²Christ the Lord. 12 And this is the sign unto you; Ye shall find a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, and lying in a manger. 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising^a God, and saying,

15 And it came to pass, when the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this ⁵thing that is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. 16 And they came with haste, and found both Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in the manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known concerning the saying which was spoken to them about this child. 18 And all that heard it wondered at the things which were spoken unto them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these ⁶sayings, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, even as it was spoken unto them.

¹ Or, night-watches.

² Or, Anointed Lord.

³ Many ancient authorities read peace, good pleasure among men.

⁴ Gr. men of good pleasure.

⁵ Or, saying.

⁶ Or, things.

^a The Gloria in Excelsis.

§ 12. THE CIRCUMCISION OF JESUS

Bethlehem
Luke 2:21

21 And when eight days were fulfilled for circumcising him [see Gen. 17:12; Lev. 12:3], his name was called JESUS, which was so called by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

§ 13. THE PRESENTATION IN THE TEMPLE WITH THE HOMAGE OF SIMEON AND ANNA

Jerusalem
Luke 2:22-38

22 And when the days of their purification according to the law of Moses were fulfilled, they brought him up to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord) [see Ex. 13:2, 12, 15; Lev. 12:1-8], 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons. 25 And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed unto him by the Holy Spirit, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, that they might do concerning him after the custom of the law, 28 then he received him into his arms, and blessed God, and said,^a

33 And his father and his mother were marvelling at the things which were spoken concerning him; 34 and Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the falling and rising up of many in Israel; and for a sign which is spoken against; 35 yea and a sword shall pierce through thine own soul; that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed. 36 And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher (she was ⁴of a great age, having lived with a husband seven years from her virginity, 37 and she had been a widow even for fourscore and four years), which departed not from the temple, worshipping with fastings and supplications night and day. 38 And coming up at that very hour she gave thanks unto God, and spake of him to all them that were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.

¹ Gr. bondservant.

² Gr. Master.

³ Or, the unveiling of the Gentiles.

⁴ Gr. advanced in many days.

^a The four New Testament psalms, given by Luke, breathe the atmosphere of Old Testament piety, quite in contrast to the formalism of the Pharisees and yet thoroughly Jewish in background and Christian in sentiment. But it is primitive Christian feeling. [Section 7] gives the Magnificat of Mary in response to the song of Elisabeth in [§ 6]. In [§ 8] we have the Benedictus of Zacharias and in § 13 The Nunc Dimittis of Simeon.

§ 14. MAGI VISIT THE NEW-BORN KING OF THE JEWS

Jerusalem and Bethlehem
Matt. 2:1-12

1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, ¹wise men from the east [see Num. 24:17] came to Jerusalem, saying, 2 ²Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we saw his star in the east, and are come to worship him. 3 And when Herod the king heard it, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ should be born. 5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judea: for thus it is written ³by the prophet,

7 Then Herod privily called the ¹wise men, and learned of them carefully ⁴what time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search out carefully concerning the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word, that I also may come and worship him. 9 And they, having heard the king, went their way; and lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. 10 And when they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. 11 And they came into the house and saw the young child with Mary his mother; and they fell down and worshipped him; and opening their treasures they offered unto him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12 And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

¹ Gr. Magi. Compare Esther 1:13; Dan. 2:12.

² Or, Where is the King of the Jews that is born?

³ Or, through.

⁴ Or, the time of the star that appeared.

§ 15. THE CHILD JESUS CARRIED TO EGYPT, AND THE CHILDREN AT BETHLEHEM SLAIN

Probably B.C. 5
Matt. 2:13-18

13 Now when they were departed, behold, an 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 tell thee: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. 14 And he arose and took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt; 15 and was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt did I call my son [see Hos. 11:1]. 16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the ¹wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the male children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the borders thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had carefully learned of the ¹wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken ²by Jeremiah the prophet, saying [see Jer. 31:15],

¹ Gr. Magi.

² Or, through.

§ 16. THE CHILD BROUGHT FROM EGYPT TO NAZARETH

Probably B.C. 4

¹ Or, through.

^a Cf. Isa. 11:1 where the Messiah is called Netzer, a Branch, though Nazareth is not mentioned in the Old Testament.

§ 17. THE CHILDHOOD OF JESUS AT NAZARETH

Probably B.C. 4 to A.D. 7
Luke 2:40

40 And the child grew, and waxed strong, ¹filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.^a

¹ Gr. becoming full of wisdom.

^a This simple statement of Luke tells more in one sentence than all the apocryphal Gospels of the Infancy, with their silly legends about the miraculous prowess of the child Jesus.

§ 18. THE VISIT OF THE BOY JESUS TO JERUSALEM WHEN TWELVE YEARS OLD

Probably A.D. 7 or 8
Luke 2:41-50

41 And his parents went every year to Jerusalem at the feast of the passover [see Ex. 23:14-17; Deut. 16:1-8]. 42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up after the custom of the feast; 43 and when they had fulfilled the days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and his parents knew it not; 44 but supposing him to be in the company, they went a day's journey; and they sought for him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance: 45 and when they found him not, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking for him. 46 And it came to pass, after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the ¹doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions: 47 and all that heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 And when they saw him, they were astonished: and his mother said unto him, ²Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I sought thee sorrowing. 49 And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be ³in my Father's house? 50 And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them.

¹ Or, teachers.

² Gr. Child.

³ Or, about my Father's business.

§ 19. THE EIGHTEEN YEARS^a AT NAZARETH

Probably A.D. 7 to A.D. 26 (or 6 to 25)
Luke 2:51-52

51 And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth; and he was subject unto them: and his mother kept all these ¹sayings in her heart.

52 And Jesus advanced in wisdom and ²stature, and in ³favour with God and men [see 1 Sam. 2:26].

¹ Or, things.

² Or, age.

³ Or, grace.

^a After the return to Nazareth, we know nothing of Jesus' life at that place beyond the general statements of Luke 2:52, with the knowledge and dispositions indicated in the narrative of [§ 18] and the fact that he was a carpenter, until he comes forth to be baptized by John, his forerunner. The social and political conditions of this period in Galilee are described by Edersheim, D. Smith, and other writers on the Life of Jesus, and briefly stated in Broadus's Commentary on Matthew, p. 30 f. Dwell on the general statement of Luke 2:52. Other passages throw light on the life in Nazareth as to habits of worship ([Luke 4:16]), the family group of brothers and sisters ([Mark 6:3 = Matt. 13:55 f.]), work as carpenter (ibid.). A helpful book on this obscure period is Ramsay's The Education of Christ.

PART V
THE BEGINNING OF THE BAPTIST'S MINISTRY

Probably six months and in A.D. 25. In the Wilderness of Judea and beside the Jordan, §§ 20-23

§ 20. THE TIME OF THE BEGINNING

¹ Some ancient authorities omit the son of God.

^a See [note 6] at end of Harmony.

^b See [note 6]. Luke follows the custom of ancient historians in dating events by the names of the rulers. As the son of a priest John was probably thirty years old when he came forth.

§ 21. THE MESSAGE AND THE MESSENGER

¹ Some ancient authorities read in the prophets.

² Or, through.

^a See [Mark 1:15 (= Matt. 4:17)]; [Matt. 10:7]; Acts 2:38.

§ 22. A SPECIMEN^a OF JOHN'S PREACHING

¹ Or, your repentance.

² That is, collectors or renters of Roman taxes.

³ Or, Teacher.

⁴ Gr. soldiers on service.

⁵ Or, accuse any one.

^a Here we see Matthew and Luke preserving a non-Markan section, as so frequently hereafter, an example of the so-called Logia (Discourses).

§ 23. THE FORERUNNER'S PICTURE OF THE MESSIAH BEFORE SEEING HIM

¹ Or, in.

² Gr. sufficient.

³ Or, Holy Spirit.

⁴ Or, the gospel.

^a One can easily put together all that we are told of John the Baptist in [John 1:6-15] and in Sections [4], [6], [8], [20], [21], [22], [23], [24], [26], [27], [28], [33], [34], [49], [57], [71], [86], [132]. See also [Acts 1:5], 22; 10:37; 13:24; 18:25; 19:1-7. For a full discussion of the Baptist see my John the Loyal. These months of John's ministry prepared the way for the Messiah.

PART VI
THE BEGINNING OF CHRIST'S PUBLIC MINISTRY

THE YEAR OF OBSCURITY^a
Probably Part of A.D. 26 and 27

In all parts of the Holy Land (the first Perean Ministry, the first Galilean Ministry, the first Judean Ministry, the first Samaritan Ministry). §§ 24-36. This early ministry includes the baptism, the temptation, John's witness to Jesus, the first disciples, the first miracle and work in Galilee, the first work in Judea, the arrest of John, the work in Samaria, and the return to Galilee.

^a The precise duration of this early ministry cannot be determined. Our Lord's baptism must have been at least two months before the Passover, and may have been some weeks or months earlier. Then the highly successful ministry in Judea after the Passover must have lasted several months ([John 3:22]; [4:1-3]). If the "yet four months" in [John 4:35] be understood to be not a common saying as to the usual interval between seedtime and harvest, but a statement that it was then just four months before harvest, that would make the Judean ministry extend eight months after the Passover. But this interpretation is upon the whole improbable, and we can only say that the opening ministry lasted several months. The time occupied makes very little difference for our understanding the events and discourses. All of the incidents during this period after the temptation are given in John's Gospel. But for the Fourth Gospel we should not know that Jesus did not plunge at once into the great Galilean Ministry.

§ 24. JESUS BAPTIZED BY JOHN IN THE JORDAN

Bethany beyond Jordan. Probably A.D. 26

¹ Or, me.

² Some ancient authorities omit unto him.

³ Or, This is my son; my beloved in whom I am well pleased.

⁴ Gr. into.

^a The Gospel of the Hebrews (one of the apocryphal gospels) is quoted by Jerome (adv. Pelag. iii, 2) as having the following: "Behold, the Lord's mother and His brethren were saying to Him, John the Baptist baptizes unto the remission of sins; let us go and be baptized by him. But he said unto them, What sin have I done, that I should go and be baptized by him? unless perchance this very thing which I have said is an ignorance."

^b The Gospel of John does not describe the baptism of Jesus, but refers to the event in a way that shows knowledge of the Synoptic Gospels.

^c Codex Bezae (D) reads in Luke: "Thou art my beloved son, to-day have I begotten thee." The Gospel of the Ebionites has: "Thou art my beloved son, in thee I am well pleased, to-day I have begotten thee."

See [§ 85] for similar language at the Transfiguration.

§ 25. THE THREE TEMPTATIONS^a OF JESUS

The Wilderness of Judea. Probably A.D. 26

¹ Gr. loaves.

² Gr. wing.

³ Or, in.

⁴ Or, a loaf.

⁵ Gr. the inhabited earth.

⁶ Or, until.

^a Mark gives only a summary account while the Logia (the oldest known record) tells the temptations in detail. This early document reveals the Messianic consciousness of Jesus as distinctly as it appears in the Gospel of John. The record of the baptism in [§ 24] and of the temptation in § 25 goes back to the two oldest strata of the Gospel sources (Mark or the Memoirs of Peter and the Logia of Matthew) and shows that Jesus enters upon his Messianic work knowing that he had his Father's approval and the power of the Holy Spirit upon him.

§ 26. THE TESTIMONY OF THE BAPTIST TO THE COMMITTEE OF THE SANHEDRIN

At Bethany beyond Jordan
John 1:19-28

19 And this is the witness of John, when the Jews sent unto him from Jerusalem priests and Levites to ask him, Who art thou? 20 And he confessed, and denied not; and he confessed, I am not the Christ. 21 And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elijah? And he saith, I am not. Art thou the prophet? And he answered, No. 22 They said therefore unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself? 23 He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said Isaiah the prophet [see Isa. 40:3]. 24 ¹And they had been sent from the Pharisees.^a 25 And they asked him, and said unto him, Why then baptizest thou, if thou art not the Christ, neither Elijah, neither the prophet? 26 John answered them, saying, I baptize ²with water: in the midst of you standeth one whom ye know not, 27 even he that cometh after me, the latchet of whose shoe I am not worthy to unloose. 28 These things were done in ³Bethany beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.