to be typical of all the rest,
and relate to: 1. Unlawful use of his miraculous power for himself. 2.
Dramatic display of his power as Messiah. 3. Absolute turning from his
life-purpose for the sake of self-aggrandizement. All these, it is
worthy of note, are resisted, by the use of the written Word, which in
Jesus' hands is a mighty sword. The fundamental reason for this
assault on the part of Satan may be found in the undoubted fact that
the Adversary knew that Jesus had come to this world to destroy his
works. Demons knew who Jesus was long before men did. On that account
the great assault was made, for if Jesus could be stumbled into sin,
then he could not be Saviour, since he himself would need to be saved.
Had Jesus yielded in the wilderness, Calvary would not have been of
any avail.

#123. The First Disciples.#--During this first year Jesus gained many
disciples, though he himself did not, like John the Baptist, baptize
them. This he left to his chosen disciples. This shows that the
popularity of the Baptist had at this time already begun to wane, as
he himself predicted that it would. Not many miracles are recorded
during this period, though we know that the one in Cana of Galilee was
the first of a series. The gathering of disciples, who later became
apostles, begins in this year. In one day the record indicates that he
gained six of these (John 1:35-51).

#124. The Cleansing of the Temple.#--A most dramatic event in this
year is his first cleansing of the Temple. The extortion practised in
the court of the Temple filled him with indignation and he drove out
the money changers, and dealers in cattle and doves, declaring that
his Father's house was a house of prayer, while they had made it a den
of thieves. This drew on him the antagonism of the rulers under whose
fostering care, or at least through whose negligence, these abuses had
grown up. This antagonism never ceased until they had worked on him
their will on Calvary.

#125. Interview with Nicodemus.#--It was during this first year that
we have two most remarkable dialogues of our Lord. The first is that
with the ruler Nicodemus. At this interview either John the evangelist
must have been present, or else Jesus or Nicodemus must have told John
what was said. In this dialogue occurs the most significant sentence
that the world has ever heard, having within twenty-four words more of
Divine truth than any other similar number of words ever
uttered,--John 3