heaven." a Here for the first time is the word "church" used, and it occurs only twice more before the death of Jesus. While the word church occurs only three times in the gospels, the word "kingdom," as applied to the government of Christ, which He was about to establish, is used some eighty times. It is spoken of as the "kingdom of God," "kingdom of heaven," "his kingdom," "my kingdom," "Gospel of the kingdom," and "my Father's kingdom." In the Acts of the Apostles and in the Epistles the word "church" is more frequently used than the word "kingdom."

When Peter here confessed the messiahship, Jesus says, "Upon this rock"-this truth-this confession, "I will build my church." Not have built, but will build. And we have seen before that the kingdom was at hand-approaching. So the Church is spoken of here as still in the future, not yet an established fact. After He had taught His disciples thus plainly in regard to the foundation of His church He charged them "That they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ." He then began to show them how He must go to Jerusalem, suffer many things, be killed and raised up again the third day. He then took Peter, James, and John up into a high mountain and was transfigured before them. "And his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light," while they beheld the king in His glory. Moses, the great lawgiver, and Elias, the great prophet, came from the unseen world to lay down their

a Matt. xvi. 13-19.

a

commissions at His feet, and God recalled them with the solemn injunction, "This is my beloved Son, hear ye him." Moses said: "A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things." This prophet is here. He came to fulfil the law and demonstrated His right to reign as Prophet, Priest, and King, and will reign until "the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the saints of the Most High."b

The next day, after Jesus had come down from the mount of transfiguration, His disciples having failed to cast out a demon, Jesus rebuked their want of faith and healed the demoniac, and when He had come to Capernaum He paid tribute. "At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" He placed a little child in their midst as the model of His greatest subject, and was the first on earth who taught humility as the true road to greatness. According to Luke: "After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come." c Having instructed them how to treat those who would not receive them He then said: "And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you: and heal the sick that are therein, unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh "a As John the Baptist had preached that b Dan. vii. 27. c Luke x. I. d Luke x. 8-9.

say

and unto you.

"d

a Acts iii. 22.

the kingdom of heaven was at hand, and as the twelve apostles had preached the same truth, so the seventy now proclaimed its near approach-"The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you." When the seventy had fulfilled their mission, had proclaimed the approach of the long-expected kingdom to the Jews, they returned "again with joy, saying, Lord, even the demons are subject unto us through thy name. And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven," a indicating the breaking of the power of him who had so long held unbounded sway over the vast dominions of death. But He told them to "rejoice not that the spirits are subject unto you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.'

Shortly after this the Pharisees and Scribes murmured, saying, "This man receiveth sinners and eateth with them,' "b which calls forth the ever memorable parable of the lost sheep, and shows that the great Shepherd follows with yearnings of tenderness those who stray from the fold, and that there is more joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth than over ninety and nine just persons who need no repentance. This principle of the Father's love is still further unfolded by the touching story of the prodigal son. A son who had gone far from his parental home, wasted all the substance bestowed upon him by a kind father in riotous living and in the most debasing habits, and finally in poverty and distress hired himself to feed swine, yet when he came to himself, as he was about a Luke x. 17-18.

b Luke xv. 2.

to perish with hunger, he said, "I will arise and go to my father and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee and am no more worthy to be called thy son, make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose and came to his father, but when he was yet a great way off his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him," and received him to his home with joy and gladness, saying, "This my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found." a Thus it is shown how willing the Father is to forgive the returning penitent. This story will be told wherever the gospel is preached until the latest ages of time to show His deep, tender, and abiding forgiveness and love.

go

if he shall

But if he

Not only did Jesus here teach how willing God is to forgive, but following this He taught His disciples how to forgive each other in His kingdom or church. "If thy brother shall trespass against thee, and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican." This is the second and last use of the word "church" by Jesus during His personal ministry, and shows the principle of forgiveness that was to predominate in it in succeeding a Luke xv. 18-20, 24. b Matt. xviii. 15–17.

ages. "Father, forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us,” is the prayer He taught His disciples. "Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him, till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times but, Until seventy times seven."a Even this would not be as frequent as God forgives many who trespass against Him.

"When Jesus had finished these sayings He departed from Galilee, and came unto the coast of Judea beyond Jordan." Here, after giving the brethren a lesson on divorcement, "Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me; for of such is the kingdom of heaven. And he laid his hands on them and departed." Jesus was the first on earth who gave such eminence to the innocence and purity of children. Earth's great teachers selected their models from the great, the strong, the wise, the mighty; He from the innocent and pure. He is preeminently the children's friend. He took them in His arms and blessed them and said: "Of such is the kingdom of heaven."

This brings us to consider the first sincere inquiry in regard to eternal life. One came and said unto Him: "Good master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" Prior to this, as recorded by Luke, "a certain lawyer stood up and tempted him, saying, Masa Matt. xviii. 21, 22. b Matt. xix. 13-15. c Luke xviii. 25.

C