essiah. Only through this self-consciousness can we
explain his mission and the career of his disciples. The prophets up to
John foretold the coming of the kingdom (Matt. xi. 11-13; Luke xvi. 16),
but Jesus opened its doors and made possible entrance into it. Where he
is there it is, and hence those who follow him are God's children, and
those who refuse his message are left outside in darkness. He is to sit
as enthroned, judge and king, and by him is men's future to be
determined (Matt. xxv. 31 f.; Mark xiii. 26). Indeed it was his presence
more than his teaching which created his church. Great as were his
words, greater was his personality. His disciples misunderstood what he
said, but they trusted and followed him. By him they felt themselves
freed from sin and fear--and under the influence of a divine power.

His Messianic claims.

Though his claims to authoritative pre-eminence thus took him out of the
class of prophets and put him even above Elijah and Moses (Mark ix. 2-7;
Luke vii. 28; Luke x. 23-24), and though naturally this self-assertion
seemed blasphemous to those who did not accept him, yet as he had
transformed the traditional notion of the kingdom, so did he the current
thought of the Messiah. The pre-eminence was not to be of rank and glory
but of service and self-sacrifice. In his kingdom there can be no
strife for precedence, since its King comes not to be ministered unto
but to minister and to give his life in the service of others (Mark ix.
33 f., x. 42-45). The formal acknowledgment of the Messiah's worth and
position matters little, for to call him Lord does not ensure entrance
into his kingdom (Matt. vii. 21-23). It is those who fail to recognize
the spirit of sympathy and self-sacrificing service as divine and
blaspheme redeeming love, who are in danger of eternal sin (Mark iii.
28-29). All who do the will of the Father, i.e. who serve their fellows,
are the brethren of Christ, even though they do not call him Lord (Mark
iii. 31-35; Matt. vii. 21): and those are blessed who minister to the
needy even though ignorant of any relation to himself (Matt. xxv.
37-40). Finally, membership in his own selected company, or a place in
the chosen people, is not of prime importance (Mark ix. 38-40; Luke
xiii. 24-30).

Jesus also refuses to conform to the current ideas as to the
establishment of the kingdom. He wrought miracles, it is true, because
of his divine sympathy and compassion, but he refused to