21. Jesus at the Temple. At the feast of Tabernacles, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. On the last day of the festival, as He stood and spoke in the temple courts, the multitude listened with rapt attention to His words. In their hearts they questioned: "Is not this the Son of God?" But they durst not pronounce Him publicly. The incident of Christ's forcible clearing of the temple is a contradiction of the traditional conception of Him as of One so gentle and unassertive in demeanor as to appear unmanly. Gentle He was, and patient under attestation by the priestly usage and clearing of the temple courts by force could not fail to impress with varied effect the people in attendance at the feast; and they, returning to their homes in distant and widely separated provinces, would spread the fame of the brave Galilean Prophet. Though we have many records of Christ having said that He would die and on the third day would rise again, the plainest of such declarations were made to the apostles rather than openly to the public. The learned of Jerusalem, who waited upon Pilate, almost certainly had in mind the utterance of Jesus when they had stood, nonplussed before Him, at the clearing of the temple courts. That the wonderful deeds wrought by Christ at and about the time of this memorable Passover had led some of the learned in profession and of the Pharisees, who occupied a high place as one of the rulers of the Jews, to believe on Him, is evidenced by the fact that Nicodemus, who was a Pharisee in profession and who occupied a high place as one of the rulers of the Jews, came to Him on an errand of inquiry. Jesus answered and said unto him: "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Nicodemus appears to have been puzzled; he asked how such a rejuvenation could be accomplished. The narrative of this interview between Jesus and Nicodemus constitutes one of the most important in the New Testament. It is here that Jesus sets forth the absolute necessity of a new birth, and that without it no man can see the kingdom of God. The doctrine of regeneration is thus introduced, and the possibility of men's receiving Christ as their Savior is made plain. From City to Country. Leaving Jerusalem, Jesus and His disciples went into the rural parts of Judea; there they tarried, directing souls unto baptism at their hands. The Pharisees observed with increasing apprehension the growing popularity of Jesus; but they durst not pronounce Him publicly. In Galilee, Jesus continued His work, directing souls unto repentance and baptism. The people listened with rapt attention to His words, and many believed on Him. Thus the fame of Jesus spread throughout the land, and multitudes gathered unto Him.