nd the widow's mite; (d) The Gentiles seeking and the Jews
rejecting Jesus; (e) a discourse on the destruction of Jerusalem and
the end of the world; (f) the last prediction of his death and the
conspiracy of Judas and the chief priests.

(2) Christ's last hours with his disciples. (Matt. 26:17-35; Mk.
14:12-31; Lu. 22:7 end; John chs. 13-17). Jesus has now withdrawn from
the crowd and is alone with his disciples giving to them his final
words of instruction and comfort. The whole of the material of this
section seems to be surrounded by an atmosphere of sacredness that
almost forbids our looking in upon its little company. This last
evening that Jesus and the little group of disciples were together,
is, however, so important that it is reported by the apostles. All the
incidents of the evening seem to center around the institution of the
last or Paschal Supper. But for the sake of study and as an aid to
memory the events may be divided into three groups, (A) The supper.
The order of events in connection with it seem to be: (1) the strife
of the disciples for the place of honor; (2) the beginning of the
Passover meal; (3) the washing of the disciples' feet; (4) the
pointing out of the betrayer; (5) the departure of Jesus from the
table; (6) the institution of the Lord's upper.

(B) The final instructions to the disciples. It is difficult to
analyze these discourses. There are running through them one thread of
teaching and one of comfort. In some sections one element seems to
predominate and in other the other, To illustrate; chapters 13 and 15
of John seem to be more largely taken up with teaching, while chapters
14 and 16 have a larger element of words intended to comfort them. The
effort seems to be to convince them that it is better for them for him
to go away, that their spiritual fellowship with him would be more
complete and their understanding and power more perfect because of the
Comforter whom he would send.

(C) The final or intercessory prayer for them. With the close of this
prayer, in which he prayed for their preservation, their preparation
for service and their final union with him in his glory, and which he
prayed that they might have fullness of joy (John 17:13) his ministry
with them ended till after his death.

(3) _Christ's suffering for the sins of the world_. (Matt. 26:36-27
end: Mk. 14:32-15 end; Lu. 22:39-23 end; John chs. 18-19). From some
good text on the Life of Christ or from the critica