Walks and Words of Jesus Part 1

Walks and Words of Jesus.

by M. N. Olmsted.

INTRODUCTION

The happy thought of this volume was suggested by the incidental reading of this fact, in the life of JOHN QUINCY ADAMS: He was one day engaged in his usual study of the New Testament, (a practice he kept up daily throughout life, even amid the most urgent State duties,) when being particularly impressed by some words of Jesus, he conceived the idea of abstracting all his words from the body of the sacred text, that he might see them in their unity and wholeness. He immediately procured a suitable blank book, and beginning with the first Gospel, wrote down every word of Christ, as given by each of the Evangelists. This most precious _excerpta_ he continued to read and devoutly study with great profit and comfort.

If the publisher had done nothing else but carry out this idea, he would have performed a good service, for many devout students of the Word of G.o.d; but he has done much more and I doubt not, by a very simple method, will become the instrument of good to thousands.

The several things aimed at and accomplished, in the plan of the book, are these

FIRST. A complete harmony of the several Evangelistic narratives, in a consecutive chronological order, thus presenting in one view a complete and perfect picture of our Saviour's life and ministry. Every word of each Gospel is given, (except that which is embraced in the two opening chapters,) but in continued and unbroken flow, and not in the fragmentary and disjointed order of chapter and verse, as found in the ordinary form.

SECOND. The words spoken by Jesus himself are raised out of the page, in relief, by means of larger type; so that if the reader is desirous, he can peruse at a single sitting all the words of the Master left on record, in the order of their utterance, and apart from the words of others, without the labor of selecting.

THIRD. While the main intent is to present the Gospels in a harmonious arrangement, and especially to give prominence to the divine speaker himself, the author has furnished two preliminary and a concluding chapter of real interest and value, in the first of which, by a judicious collocation of pa.s.sages from the Old and New Testaments, he traces Christ as he appeared in Creation and Providence, as set forth by the Prophets and Apostles. In the second he sketches a brief account of his childhood with appropriate reflections, and in the concluding chapter ending the volume, he gives his words uttered after the ascension, as found in the Epistles and the book of Revelation.

FOURTH. Accompanying the volume, is a geographical and historical chart, ingeniously contrived to ill.u.s.trate the general idea of the book.

This chart is ent.i.tled "The Walks of Jesus; a Pictorial Chart of the Antediluvian and Patriarchal Periods, and of the Holy Land; for Sunday Schools and Families." It is published in neat and attractive form, and of various sizes, and cannot fail to be a useful accompaniment of Bible study.

I am so pleased with the general plan of this work, and with the manner in which the publisher is executing his idea, that I take great pleasure in commending it as a helpful and convenient companion to all Bible lovers and students.

Among the many books which are appearing, concerning the Christ, this, after all, is the truest and best. It may be WELL to read them--it is INDISPENSABLE to read this. Whatever gives interest to the sacred page, and especially, whatsoever shall give prominence to the simple word and truth of Jesus, cannot fail to be fraught with blessings to the world.

The holy Evangelists were inspired men. All their words are the words of G.o.d, and not one of them to be lightly esteemed, or to be held as of questionable authority; and yet the precise sentences that fell from the lips of the Only Begotten rise in importance and dignity, and come to us with more direct authority and divinity. Let us remember the voice that dropped from the open heaven: "This is my beloved Son: hear ye him."

R. S. FOSTER.

=Walks and Words of Jesus=

CHAPTER I.

JESUS IN CREATION AND PROPHECY.

When we open the HOLY BIBLE, the very first sentence unfolds to us the creation of worlds by the Word and power of Jehovah: "In the beginning G.o.d created the heaven and the earth."

In the NEW TESTAMENT Jesus is presented as the "Creator of all things."

The inspired writer opens the subject in these words: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with G.o.d, and the Word was G.o.d. The same was in the beginning with G.o.d. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made."

Paul, in one of his epistles, speaks of this same Jesus as the image of the invisible G.o.d, the first born of every creature: "for by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether _they_ be thrones, or dominions, or princ.i.p.alities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him; and he is before all things, and by him all things consist."

Again, John, in his vision of the future glory of the Church, saw the Eternal Throne, and Jesus the Mighty Conqueror seated upon it; and heard voices chanting in angelic strains, "Holy, holy, holy, Lord G.o.d Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come."

And four-and-twenty elders, clothed in white robes, with crowns of gold, fell prostrate before him, and wors.h.i.+pped him that liveth for ever and ever, saying, "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, and honor, and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created."

When Adam had ruined himself and his posterity by eating the forbidden fruit, Jehovah, in his infinite love, gave him the promise of a MESSIAH, in the words addressed to the serpent: "I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel."

As we trace along the stream of time, we see this faint promise oft renewed, brightening with every repet.i.tion.

When Jehovah had destroyed the world by a flood, on account of its wickedness, preserving only the family of Noah to repeople it, and had scattered the builders of Babel, confounding their language, he said to faithful Abram: "Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will show thee: and I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee; and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed."

Jacob, on his way to Padan-Aram, slept, and saw in the night-visions, a ladder, with its foot upon the earth, and its top reaching to heaven, and lo! angels were ascending and descending upon it. And he heard the voice of the Lord from the top of the ladder, saying unto him: "I _am_ the Lord G.o.d of Abraham thy father, and the G.o.d of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; and thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth; and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed."

[Ill.u.s.tration: Bethlehem--Birthplace of Jesus.]

Thus from time to time was the promise of a coming Saviour renewed, until, on the plains of Bethlehem, a glorious light burst upon the watching shepherds, and an angel appeared, saying; "Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." And suddenly there was with the angel a mult.i.tude of the heavenly host praising G.o.d, and saying, "Glory to G.o.d in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."

And when the angels had departed, the shepherds said one to another, "Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pa.s.s, which the Lord hath made known unto us." And they came with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising G.o.d for all the things that they had heard and seen.

Eight days after, at the circ.u.mcision of the child, he was called Jesus, which signifies Saviour, a name given before he was born: "for" said the angel, "He shall save his people from their sins."

CHAPTER II.

THE CHILDHOOD OF JESUS.

The Incarnation of the Son of G.o.d, presents us with an example of condescension and humiliation, only equalled by the exaltation of its subjects. He came to earth, that he might exalt us to heaven. His sufferings and death, clothe us, who are dead in sin, with immortality, and secure to us the bliss of an eternal Paradise. To trace the footsteps of Jesus, G.o.d Incarnate, and to present the words that dropped fresh from his wise and holy lips, while on his mission of mercy to this sin-stricken world, will be the object of these pages.

The child grew and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of G.o.d was upon him. But his first _word_, on record, was uttered at the age of twelve years. A mult.i.tude had a.s.sembled at Jerusalem. The eight days' wors.h.i.+p being ended, the crowds disperse and scatter to their homes in the distant countries round about. The parents, supposing "the child Jesus" to be among their relatives and acquaintances in the great throng, pa.s.s on a day's journey, when they seek him but find him not.

They return, anxious and sorrow stricken, to Jerusalem, where they find him still in the Temple, sitting with the Doctors of the law, and astonis.h.i.+ng the mult.i.tude with his understanding and answers. His mother, though amazed at his wisdom, gently chides her son for his lack of filial fidelity, saying, "Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us?

behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing." And he said unto them,

How is it that ye sought me? Wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?

And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them. And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them; but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.

Eighteen years now pa.s.s away without the record of another word. While he honored his earthly parents, and was diligent in his daily toil, he was doubtless ever busy in the work a.s.signed him by his Father in heaven. Mult.i.tudes may have been charmed by his youthful eloquence, confounded by his wisdom, and melted under his sweet spirit of love. But to us it is one great blank. This brief sentence among the doctors in the temple, in answer to the question of the anxious mother, is like some blazing comet, which for a brief s.p.a.ce lights the starry vault with its radiance, and then shoots off, in its eccentric course, to be seen no more for years to come. During these silent years, mult.i.tudes had pa.s.sed to their reward. "Seed time and harvest, summer and winter, day and night," had succeeded each other, in regular order; while the "bow in the cloud" had constantly reminded the world of the gracious promise of G.o.d to Noah. But not a word is preserved from the lips of this wonderful child. Not a footprint marks his journeyings.

At the age of thirty he suddenly appears again on the page of history.

Let us now follow his footsteps, and listen to his words.

CHAPTER III.