o
overturn the Law of Moses. (Talm. of Jerus., _Sanhedrim_, xiv. 16;
Talm. of Bab., _Sanhedrim_, 43 _a_, 67 _a_.)]

[Footnote 2: Matt. xi. 12; Luke xvi. 16.]

The boldness of such a conception ought not to surprise us. Long
before this, Jesus had regarded his relation to God as that of a son
to his father. That which in others would be an insupportable pride,
ought not in him to be regarded as presumption.

The title of "Son of David" was the first which he accepted, probably
without being concerned in the innocent frauds by which it was sought
to secure it to him. The family of David had, as it seems, been long
extinct;[1] the Asmoneans being of priestly origin, could not pretend
to claim such a descent for themselves; neither Herod nor the Romans
dreamt for a moment that any representative whatever of the ancient
dynasty existed in their midst. But from the close of the Asmonean
dynasty the dream of an unknown descendant of the ancient kings, who
should avenge the nation of its enemies, filled every mind. The
universal belief was, that the Messiah would be son of David, and like
him would be born at Bethlehem.[2] The first idea of Jesus was not
precisely this. The remembrance of David, which was uppermost in the
minds of the Jews, had nothing in common with his heavenly reign. He
believed himself the Son of God, and not the son of David. His
kingdom, and the deliverance which he meditated, were of quite another
order. But public opinion on this point made him do violence to
himself. The immediate consequence of the proposition, "Jesus is the
Messiah," was this other proposition, "Jesus is the son of David." He
allowed a title to be given him, without which he could not hope for
success. He ended, it seems, by taking pleasure therein, for he
performed most willingly the miracles which were asked of him by
those who used this title in addressing him.[3] In this, as in many
other circumstances of his life, Jesus yielded to the ideas which were
current in his time, although they were not precisely his own. He
associated with his doctrine of the "kingdom of God" all that could
warm the heart and the imagination. It was thus that we have seen him
adopt the baptism of John, although it could not have been of much
importance to him.

[Footnote 1: It is true that certain doctors--such as Hillel,
Gamaliel--are mentioned as being of the race of David. But these are
very doubtful allegations. If the family of David still for