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furnished. It is evident that the act of baptism was accompanied by something decisive. According to Mk., Jesus then had a vision of the Spirit descending upon Him Uke a dove, and heard a voice from heaven, ' Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased ' (110. 11). This is more probable than the statement that it was a public revelation (Lk 3^- 22), or that it was the Baptist to whom the vision was vouchsafed (Jn 1'^). We shall hardly err if we suppose that Jesus spoke to the disciples of His baptism as the time when His Messianic consciousness became clear, and He received an endowment of strength for the task to which He was called.

8 . The Temptation .—The view taken of the significance of the Baptism is confirmed by the narrative of the Temptation, which would naturally follow closely upon the acceptance of the Messianic vocation (Mk 1'^-", Mt 4'-", Lk 4'-i3). Like the scene at the Baptism, the temptations probably came to Jesus in the form of a vision, which He afterwards described to His disciples. It has generally been agreed that the temptations must be understood as growing out of the Messianic com-mission, but there is wide difference of opinion as to their precise significance. The view which seems most probable to the present writer may be briefly set forth, it being premised that Luke's order seems to answer best to the logic of the situation. Assuming that in the Baptism Jesus accepted the Messianic call, the possibiUties of the ensuing ordeal of temptation were three — that He should recoil from the task, that He should misconceive it, or that, rightly appre-hending it. He should adopt wrong methods. The first temptation, accordingly, may very naturally . be sup-posed to have consisted in the suggestion that He should choose comfort rather than hardship — that He should turn back, while there was yet time, from the arduous and perilous path, and live out His days in the sheltered Ute of Nazareth. This He rejected on the ground that there are higher goods than comfort and security; 'man shall not live by bread alone' (Mt 4<). The heroic course resolved on, the great question to be next faced was if He was to aim at establishing a king-dom of the political land which the people generally expected, or a Idngdom of a spiritual order. To found and maintain an earthly liingdom. He knew, meant the use of violence, craft, and other Satanic instruments; and of such means, even if the end had approved itself to Him as His vocation. He refused to make use (Mt 48^). This decision taken, the question remained as to the way in which He was to win belief for Himself and His cause. For one with perfect trust in God it was a natural suggestion to challenge God to own Him by facing risks in which His life could be saved only through the interposition of a stupendous miracle (4"). But this He put aside as impious, and cast upon the Father the care of making His path plain, while He awaited, prudently as well as bravely, the gradual disclosure of His call to work and danger.

9. Duration of the Ministry (cf. art. Chbonoloqy above and in DB). — The Synoptics give no certain indi-cation of the length of the period. It is argued that the incident of plucking the ears of com (Mk 2?') points to April or June of one year, and that at the feeding of the five thousand we are in the spring ('green grass,' Mk 6'») of the year following; while at least another twelve months would be required for the journeys which are subsequently recorded. The chronological scheme usually adopted is based on the Fourth Gospel, which has the following notes of time: — a Passover (2"), four months to harvest (4=>), a feast of the Jews (5'), another Passover (6'), the feast of Tabernacles (72), the feast of Dedication (10^), the last Passover (1155). The first four 'can be combined in more than one way to fit into a single year — e.g. (o) Passover — May — any lesser feast^Passover; or (6) Passover — January — Purim (February) — Passover.' 'From 6' to

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11" the space covered is exactly a year, the autumn Feast of Tabernacles (7'), and the winter Feast of Dedication (lO^^), being signalized in the course of it' (art. 'Chronology' in DB i. 409% 408").

It was a wide-spread opinion in Patristic times, sup-ported by the phrase 'the acceptable year of the Lord' (Lk 4"), that the ministry lasted only one year; and in the opinion of some modern scholars it can be main-tained that even the Fourth Gospel includes its material between two Passovers (Westcott and Hort, Greek Test.; Briggs, New Light on the Life of Jesus). On the other hand, it was asserted by Irenjeus {adv. Hwr. ii. 22) on the ground of Jn 8", and of an alleged Johannine tradi-tion, that from ten to twenty years elapsed between the Baptism and the Crucifixion. Jn 8" is quite incon-clusive, and the best authority for the Johannine tradi-tion must be the Gospel, the evidence of which may be summed up by saying that 'while two years must, not more than two years can, be allowed for the interval from Jn 2"- =» to Jn 11"' (art. 'Chronology' in DB).

10. Periods of the Life of Christ. — The divisions are necessarily affected by the view which is taken of the value of the chronological scheme of the Fourth Gospel.

Keim, who generally follows the guidance of the Synoptics, divides as follows: —

Preliminary period of self-recognition and decision.

1. The Galilsean spring-time, beginning in the spring of A .D. 34 [certainly much too late] , and lastingf or a few months . Characteristics: the optimism of Jesus, and the responsive-ness of the people.

2. The Galilsean storms, extending over the summer and autumn of a.d. 34 and the spring of the following year. Scene: Galilee and the neighbounn^ regions. Character-istics: increasing opposition, and intensification of the polemical note in the teaching of Jesus.

3 . The Messianic progress to Jerusalem, and the Messianic death at the Passover of a.d. 35. Scene: Persea and Jerusalem (Jesus of Nazara).

The Johannine material can be combined with the Synoptic in two periods, each of which lasted about a year. The following is the scheme of Hase: — Preliminary history.

1. The ' acceptable year of the Lord,' marked by hopeful-ness, active labour, and much outward success. Scene: Judsea and Galilee. Time: from the Baptism to the Feeding of the Multitude (some months before Passover of the year A.D. 30 or 31 to shortly before Passover of the following year).

2. The year of conflict. Scene: Gahlee, Penea, Judsea. Time; from the second to the last Passover.

3. The Passion and Resurrection. Scene: Jerusalem. Time: Passover (Gesch. Jesu).

The months between the Baptism and the first Passover may be regarded as a period with distinct characteristics, and we may distinguisn (1) the year of obscurity, (2) the year of public favour, (3) the year of opposition (Stalker, Life of Jesus Christ, 1879).

The division into sub-periods has been most elaborately carried out by Dr. Sanoay (.Outlines of the Life of Jesus Christ) . —

A- Preliminary period — from the Baptism to the call of theleading Apostles. Sources: Mt 31^", Mk II-", Lk 3i-4;3, Jn 1^—4". Scene: mainly in Judaea, but in part also in Galilee. Time: winter a.d. 26 toafew weeks before Passover, A.D. 27.

B. First active or constructive period. Sources: Mt 4"-13", Mk l"-6", Lk 4"-9», Jn 5. Scene: mainly in Galilee, but also partly in Jerusalem. Time: from about Pentecost, A.D. 27, to shortly before Passover, a.d. 28.

C. Middle or culminating period of the active ministry. Sources: Mt 14i-18», Mk 6"-95°, Lk 9'-", Jn 6. Scene: Galilee. 'Time: Passover to shortly before Tabernacles, A.D. 28.

D . Close of the active period— the Messianic cnsis in view. Sources: Mt 191-20M, Mk lO'-ss, Lk 9"-1928, Jn 71-II". Scene: Judaea and Peraea. Time: Tabernacles, a.d. 28, to Passover, a.d. 29.

E. The Messianic crisis — the last week, passion, resurrec-tion, ascension. Sources: Mt 21'-282», Mk ll'-16» [16=-2»], Lk 19"-24«, Jn 121-2123. Scene: mainly in Jerusalem. Time: six days before Passover to ten days before Pentecost, A.D. 29.

Weiss's scheme agrees with the above so far as regards the duration of the ministry (from 2 to 3 years) , and the date of the Crucifixion (Passover, a.d. 29). His periods are:

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