burn with fire unquenchable. 18 And many other things in his exhortation preached he unto the people. 'In expectation.' Expecting the Messiah. Mused in their hearts.' Thought of his character, his preaching, and success, and anxiously inquired whether he did not do the things which were expected of the Messiah. See notes, Matt. iii. 11, 12. 19 But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias his brother Philip's wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done, 20 Added yet this above all, that he shut up John in prison. See Matt. xiv. 1-12. 'Added yet this above all.' To all his former crimes he added this. The event here mentioned and not take place until some time after this, but it is mentioned here to show what was the end of John's preaching. 21 Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, 22 And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased. See Matt. iii. 13-17. 'Jesus being baptized.' Or, Jesus, having been baptized. This took place after the baptism, and not during its administration, Matt. iii. 16. Praying,' This circumstance is omitted by the other evangelists, and it shows that Jesus was in the habit of prayer; and that it is proper to offer up special prayer at the administration of the ordinances of religion. a bodily shape.' This was a real visible appearance, which was doubtless scen by the people. In 23 And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli, 24 Which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Janna, which was the son of Joseph, 25 Which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Amos, which was the son of Naum, which was the son of Esli, which was the son of Nagge, 26 Which was the son of Maath, which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Semei, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Judah, 27 Which was the son of Joanna, which was the son of Rhesa, which was the son of Zorobabel, which was the son of Salathiel, which was the son of Neri, 28 Which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Addi, which was the son of Cosam, which was the son of Elmodam, which was the son of Er, 29 Which was the son of Jose, which was the son of Eliezer, which was the son of Jorim, which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, 30 Which was the son of Simeon, which was the son of Juda, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Jonan, which was the son of Eliakim, 31 Which was the son of Melea, which was the son of Menan, which was the son of Mattatha, which was the son of Nathan, which was the son of David, 32 Which was the son of Jesse, which was the son of Obed, which was the son of Booz, which was the son of Salmon, which was the son of Naasson, 33 Which was the son of Aminadab, which was the son of Aram, which was the son of Esrom, which was the son of Phares, which was the son of Juda, 34 Which was the son of Jacob, which was the son of Isaac, which was the son of Abraham, which was the son of Thara, which was the son of Nachor, 35 Which was the son of Saruch, which was the son of Ragau, which was the son of Phalec, which was the son of Heber, which was the son of Sala, 36 Which was the son of Cainan, which was the son of Arphaxad, which was the son of Sem, which was the son of Noe, which was the son of Lamech, 37 Which was the son of Mathusala, which was the son of Enoch, which was the son of Jared, which was the son of Maleleel, which was the son of Cainan, 38 Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God. 'Jesus began to be,' &c. This was the age on which the priests entered their office, Numb. iv. 3, 47. As was supposed.' As was commonly thought, or perhaps being legally reckoned as his son. See, on this genealogy, Matt. i. 1–16. CHAPTER IV 1 AND Jesus, being full of the Holy Ghost, returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2 Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended he afterward hungered. 3 And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. 4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. 5 And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, showed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. 7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. 8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence: 10 For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee: 11 And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. 12 And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. 13 And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season. 6 9 On the temptation of Jesus, see notes, Matt. iv. 1-11. 'Being forty days tempted.' That is, through forty days he was tried in various ways by the devil. The temptations, however, which are recorded by Matthew and Luke, did not take place until the forty days were finished. See Matt. iv. 2, 3. 'He did eat nothing.' He was sustained by the power of God during this season of extraordinary fasting. Departed for a season.' For a time. From this it appears that our Saviour was afterwards subjected to temptations by Satan. But no particular temptations are recorded after this. From John xiv. 30, it seems that the devil tried him about the time of his agony in Gethsemane, but in what particular way we are not told. Yet, out of all temptations, God delivered him; and so he will make a way of escape for all that are tempted, and will not suffer them to be tempted above that which they are able to bear, 1 Cor. x. 13. 14¶ And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit E into Galilee and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about. In the power of the Spirit.' By the influence or direction of the Spirit. A fame.' A report. See Matt. iv. 24. 15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all. 'Glorified of all.' Praised by all; all were pleased with his instructions, and admired his wisdom. 16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath-day, and stood up for to read. From this it appears that our Lord regularly attended the service of the synagogue. In that service the scriptures of the Old Testament were read, prayers were offered, and the word of God was explained. See note, Matt. iv. 23. From this we may learn that it is our duty regularly to attend public worship. It is of vast importance that the public worship of God should be maintained; and it is our duty to assist in maintaining it, to show by our example that we love it, and to win others also to love it. See Heb. x. 25. The synagogue.' See Matt. iv. 23. Stood up for to read.' The books of Moses were so divided that they could be read through in the synagogues once in a year. To these were added portions out of the prophets, so that no small part of them were read also once in a year. 17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The sacred books were kept in an ark or chest, not far from the pulpit, and the minister gave them to whomsoever he chose, to read them publicly. The book.' The volume containing the prophecy of Isaiah. It would seem, from this, that the books were separate, and not united into one as with us. 'When he had opened the book.' Literally, when he had unrolled the book. Books, among the ancients, were written on parchments or vellum, that is, skins of beasts, and were rolled together on two rollers, beginning at each end; so that while reading they rolled off from one to the other. Different forms of books were indeed used, but this was the most common. 'The place where it is written,' Isa. Ixi. 1, 2. 18 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 recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. 6 'The Spirit of the Lord is upon me.' Or, I speak by Divine appointment. I am divinely inspired to speak. I speak by the command of God. There can be no doubt that the passage in Isaiah had a principal reference to the Messiah. Our Saviour directly applies it to himself, and it is not easily applicable to any other prophet. "Hath anointed me.' Anciently kings and prophets, and the high priest, were set apart to their work by anointing with oil, 1 Kings xix. 15, 16. Ex. xxix. 7. 1 Sam. ix. 16, &c. This oil or ointment was made of various substances, and it was forbidden to imitate it, Ex. xxx. 34-38. Hence those who were set apart to the work of God as king, or prophet, or priest, were called the Lord's anointed, 1 Sam. xvi. 6. Ps. lxxxiv. 9. Isa. xlv. 1. Hence the Son of God is called the Messiah, a Hebrew word signifying the Anointed; or, the Christ, a Greek word signifying the same thing. And by his being anointed is not meant that he was literally anointed; but that God had set him apart for this work, that he had constituted or appointed him to be the Prophet, Priest, and King of his people. To preach the gospel to the poor." The 'gospel' means good news, the good news of salvation. By 'the poor' are meant all those who are destitute of the comforts of this life, and who, therefore, may be more readily disposed to seek treasures in heaven; all those who are sensible of their sins, or are poor in spirit, Matt. v. 3; and all the miserable and the afflicted, Isa. Iviii. 7. Our Saviour gave it as one proof that he was the Messiah, or was from God, that he preached to the poor, Matt. xi. 5. The pharisees and sadducees despised the poor; the gospel seeks to bless them. The poor feel their need of comfort that the world cannot give. Our Saviour met with his greatest success among the poor; and on them the gospel has shed its richest blessings and its purest joys. It is also one proof that the gospel is true. If it had been of men, it would have sought the rich and mighty. But it pours contempt on all human greatness, and seeks, like God, to do good to those whom the world overlooks or despises. "To heal the broken-hearted.' To console those who are deeply afflicted, or whose hearts are broken by external calamities, or by a deep sense of their sinfulness. Deliverance to the captives.' It does not literally open the doors of prisons, but it releases the mind, captive under sin; it gives comfort to the prisoner, and it will finally open all prison doors, and by preventing crime prevent also the sufferings that are the consequence of crime. Sight to the blind.' This was often literally fulfilled, Matt. xi. 5. John ix. 11. Matt. ix. 30, &c. 'To set at liberty them that are bruised.' The word 'bruised,' here evidently has the same general signification as the broken-hearted or the contrite. It means those who are pressed down by great |