to arrest Him, but are held back by some hidden influence, nobody seeming willing to take the lead.  Then the clique of chief priests send officers to arrest Him.  But they are so impressed by His presence and His words, that they come back empty-handed, to the disgust of their superiors.  Great numbers listening believe on Him, but some of the leaders, mingling in the crowd, stir up discussion so sharp that with hot passion, and eyes splashing green light, they stoop down and pick up stones to hurl at Him and end His life at once.  It is the first attempt at personal violence in Jerusalem.  But again that strange restraining power, and Jesus passes out untouched.

As he quietly passes through and out, He stops to give sight to a blind man.  Interestingly enough it occurs on a Sabbath day.  Instantly the leaders seize on this, and have a time of it with the man and his parents in turn, with this upshot, that the man for his bold confession of faith in Jesus is shut out from all synagogue privileges, in accordance with a decision already given out.  He becomes an outcast, with all that that means.  It’s a fine touch that Jesus hunts up this outcast and gives him a free entrance into His own circle.

After this feast-visit to Jerusalem, Jesus probably returns to Galilee, as after previous visits there, and then one day leads His band of disciples up to the neighborhood of snow-capped Hermon.  Here probably occurs the transfiguration, the purpose of which was to tie up these future leaders of His, against the events now hurrying on with such swift pace.  From this time begins the preparation of this inner circle for the coming tragedy so plain to His eyes.

Then begins that memorable last journey from Galilee toward Jerusalem through the country on the east of the Jordan.  With marvellous boldness and courage He steadfastly set His face toward Jerusalem.  The ever-tightening grip of His purpose is in the set of His face.  The fire burning so intensely within is in His eye as He tramps along the road alone, with the disciples following, awestruck and filled with wondering fear.  Thirty-five deputations of two each are sent ahead into all the villages to be visited by Him.  What an intense campaigner was Jesus!  He was thoroughly, systematically stumping the whole country for God.

As He approaches nearer to the Jerusalem section the air gets tenser and hotter.  The leaders are constantly harrying His steps, tempting with catch questions, seeking signs, poisoning the crowds—­mosquito warfare!  He moves steadily, calmly on.  Some of the keenest things He said flashed out through the friction of contact with them.  A tempting lawyer’s question brings out the beautiful Samaritan parable.  The old Sabbath question provokes a fresh tilt with a synagogue ruler.  There is a cunning attempt by the Pharisees to get Him out of Herod’s territory into their own.  How intense the situation grew is graphically told in Luke’s words, they “began to set themselves vehemently against Him, and to provoke Him to speak many things; laying wait for Him to catch something out of His mouth.”