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| In the First Three Gospels the Passover is Spoken of Only at the Close of the Ministry; In John at the Beginning. Remarks on This. Heracleon on the Passover. PREVIOUS SECTION - NEXT SECTION - HELP
14. In the
First Three Gospels the Passover is Spoken of Only at the Close of the
Ministry; In John at the Beginning. Remarks on This.
Heracleon on the Passover.
We must not, however, fail to enquire into the statement
that the passover of the Jews was at hand, when the Lord was at
Capernaum with His mother and His brothers and His disciples. In
the Gospel according to Matthew,5045 after being
left by the devil, and after the angels came and ministered to Him,
when He heard that John was delivered up He withdrew into Galilee, and
leaving Nazara He came and dwelt in Capernaum. Then He began to
preach, and chose the four fishermen for His Apostles, and taught in
the synagogues of the whole of Galilee and healed those who were
brought to Him. Then He goes up into the mountain and speaks the
beatitudes and what follows them; and after finishing that instruction
He comes down from the mountain and enters Capernaum a second
time.5046 Then He embarked in a ship and crossed
over to the other side to the country of the Gergesenes. On their
beseeching Him to depart out of their coasts He embarked5047 in a ship and crossed over and came to His
own city. Then He wrought certain cures and went about all the
cities and the villages, teaching in their synagogues; after this most
of the events of the Gospels take place, before Matthew indicates the
approach of the time of passover.5048 With the
other Evangelists also, after the stay at Capernaum it is long till we
come to any mention of the passover; which may confirm in their opinion
those who take the view about Capernaum which was set forth
above. That stay, in the neighbourhood of the passover of the
Jews, is set in a brighter light by that nearness, both because it was
better in itself, and still more because at the passover of the Jews
there are found in the temple those who sell oxen and sheep and
doves. This adds emphasis to the statement that the passover was
not that of the Lord but that of the Jews; the Father’s house was
made, in the eyes of those who did not hallow it, a house of
merchandise, and the passover of the Lord became for those who took a
low and material view of it a Jewish passover. A fitter occasion
than the present will occur for enquiring as to the time of the
passover, which took place about the spring equinox, and for any other
enquiry which may arise in connection with it. As for Heracleon,
he says, “This is the great festival; for it was a type of the
passion of the Saviour; not only was the lamb put to death, the eating
of it afforded relaxation, the killing it pointed to what of the
passion of the Saviour was in this world, and the eating it to the rest
at the marriage.” We have given his words, that it may be
seen with what a want of caution and how loosely he proceeds, and with
what an absence of constructive skill even on such a theme as this; and
how little regard in consequence is to be paid to him.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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