ItwasonceafavouritetheorythatbothJohntheBaptistandJesusweremembersoftheEssenianbrotherhood；butthattheoryisnowgenerallyabandoned。WhatevermayhavebeenthecasewithJohn，whoissaidtohavelivedlikeananchoriteinthedesert，thereseemstohavebeenbutlittlepracticalEssenisminJesus，whoisalmostuniformlyrepresentedascheerfulandsocialindemeanour，andagainstwhomitwasexpresslyurgedthathecameeatinganddrinking，makingnopresenceofpuritanicalholiness。
Hewasneitherapuritan，liketheEssenes，noraritualist，likethePharisees。Besideswhich，bothJohnandJesusseemtohavebeguntheircareersbypreachingtheun-Essenedoctrineofthespeedyadventofthe“kingdomofheaven，“bywhichismeantthereignoftheMessiahupontheearth。Nevertheless，thoughwecannotregardJesusasactuallyamemberoftheEsseniancommunityorsect，wecanhardlyavoidtheconclusionthathe，aswellasJohntheBaptist，hadbeenatsometimestronglyinfluencedbyEsseniandoctrines。Thespiritualizedconceptionofthe“kingdomofheaven“proclaimedbyhimwasjustwhatwouldnaturallyandlogicallyarisefromaremodellingoftheMessianictheoriesofthePhariseesinconformitytoadvancedEsseniannotions。ItseemshighlyprobablethatsomesuchrefinedconceptionofthefunctionsoftheMessiahwasreachedbyJohn，who，stigmatizingthePhariseesandSadduceesasa“generationofvipers，“calledaloudtothepeopletorepentoftheirsins，inviewofthespeedyadventoftheMessiah，andtotestifytotheirrepentancebysubmittingtotheEssenianriteofbaptism。ThereisnopositiveevidencethatJesuswaseveradiscipleofJohn；
yettheaccountofthebaptism，inspiteofthelegendarycharacterofitsdetails，seemstorestuponahistoricalbasis；
andperhapsthemostplausiblehypothesiswhichcanbeframedis，thatJesusreceivedbaptismatJohn’shands，becameforawhilehisdisciple，andacquiredfromhimaknowledgeofEsseniandoctrines。
ThecareerofJohnseemstohavebeenverybrief。HissternpuritanismbroughthimsoonintodisgracewiththegovernmentofGalilee。HewasseizedbyHerod，thrownintoprison，andbeheaded。AfterthebriefhintsgivenastotheintercoursebetweenJesusandJohn，wenexthearofJesusaloneinthedesert，where，likeSakyamuniandMohammed，hemayhavebroodedinsolitudeoverhisgreatproject。YetwedonotfindthathehadasyetformedanydistinctconceptionofhisownMessiahship。
Thetotalneglectofchronologybyourauthorities[20]rendersitimpossibletotracethedevelopmentofhisthoughtsstepbystep；
butforsometimeafterJohn’scatastrophewefindhimcallinguponthepeopletorepent，inviewofthespeedyapproachoftheMessiah，speakingwithgreatandcommandingpersonalauthority，butusingnolanguagewhichwouldindicatethathewasstrivingtodomorethanworthilyfilltheplaceandaddtothegoodworkofhislatemaster。TheSermonontheMount，whichthefirstgospelinsertsinthisplace，wasperhapsneverspokenasacontinuousdiscourse；butitnodoubtforthemostpartcontainstheverywordsofJesus，andrepresentsthegeneralspiritofhisteachingduringthisearlierportionofhiscareer。InthisiscontainednearlyallthathasmadeChristianitysopowerfulinthedomainofethics。Ifalltherestofthegospelweretakenaway，ordestroyedinthenightofsomefuturebarbarianinvasion，weshouldstillherepossessthesecretofthewonderfulimpressionwhichJesusmadeuponthosewhoheardhimspeak。AddedtotheEssenianscornofPharisaicformalism，andthespiritualizedconceptionoftheMessianickingdom，whichJesusmayprobablyhavesharedwithJohntheBaptist，wehavehereforthefirsttimethedistinctivelyChristianconceptionofthefatherhoodofGodandthebrotherhoodofmen，whichultimatelyinsuredthesuccessofthenewreligion。ThespecialpointoforiginalityinJesuswashisconceptionofDeity。AsStrausswellsays，“HeconceivedofGod，inamoralpointofview，asbeingidenticalincharacterwithhimselfinthemostexaltedmomentsofhisreligiouslife，andstrengthenedinturnhisownreligiouslifebythisideal。Butthemostexaltedreligioustendencyinhisownconsciousnesswasexactlythatcomprehensivelove，overpoweringtheevilonlybythegood，whichhethereforetransferredtoGodasthefundamentaltendencyofHisnature。“FromthisconceptionofGod，observesZeller，flowednaturallyallthemoralteachingofJesus，theinsistenceuponspiritualrighteousnessinsteadofthemeremechanicalobservanceofMosaicprecepts，thecalltobeperfectevenastheFatherisperfect，theprincipleofthespiritualequalityofmenbeforeGod，andtheequaldutiesofallmentowardeachother。
[20]“Thebiographers[ofBecket]arecommonlyrathercarelessastotheorderoftime。Each……recordedwhatstruckhimmostorwhathebestknew，onesetdownoneeventandanother；andnoneofthempaidmuchregardtotheorderofdetails。“——Freeman，HistoricalEssays，1stseries，p。94。
Howfar，inadditiontothesevitallyimportantlessons，Jesusmayhavetaughtdoctrinesofanephemeralorvisionarycharacter，itisverydifficulttodecide。Weareinclinedtoregardthethirdgospelasofsomeimportanceinsettlingthispoint。TheauthorofthatgospelrepresentsJesusasdecidedlyhostiletotherich。WhereMatthewhas“Blessedarethepoorinspirit，“
Lukehas“Blessedareyepoor。“Inthefirstgospelweread，“Blessedaretheywhohungerandthirstafterrighteousness，fortheywillbefilled“；butinthethirdgospelwefind，“Blessedareyethathungernow，foryewillbefilled“；andthisassuranceisimmediatelyfollowedbythedenunciation，“Woetoyouthatarerich，foryehavereceivedyourconsolation！Woetoyouthatarefullnow，foryewillhunger。“TheparableofDivesandLazarusillustratesconcretelythisviewofthecase，whichisstillfurthercorroboratedbytheaccount，giveninboththefirstandthethirdgospels，oftheyoungmanwhocametoseekeverlastinglife。Jesusheremaintainsthatrighteousnessisinsufficientunlessvoluntarypovertybesuperadded。Thoughtheyoungmanhasstrictlyfulfilledthegreatestofthecommandments，——tolovehisneighbourashimself，——heisrequired，asaneedfulproofofhissincerity，todistributeallhisvastpossessionsamongthepoor。Andwhenhenaturallymanifestsareluctancetoperformsosuperfluousasacrifice，JesusobservesthatitwillbeeasierforacameltogothroughtheeyeofaneedlethanforarichmantoshareinthegloriesoftheanticipatedMessianickingdom。Itisdifficulttoescapetheconclusionthatwehavehereaveryprimitiveandprobablyauthentictradition；andwhenweremembertheimportancewhich，accordingtothe“Acts，“theearliestdisciplesattachedtotheprincipleofcommunism，asillustratedinthelegendofAnaniasandSapphira，wemustadmitstrongreasonsforbelievingthatJesushimselfheldviewswhichtendedtowardtheabolitionofprivateproperty。Onthispoint，thetestimonyofthethirdevangelistsinglyisofconsiderableweight；sinceatthetimewhenhewrote，thecommunistictheoriesofthefirstgenerationofChristianshadbeengenerallyabandoned，andintheabsenceofanydogmaticmotives，hecouldonlyhaveinsertedtheseparticulartraditionsbecausehebelievedthemtopossesshistoricalvalue。Butwearenotdependentonthethirdgospelalone。Thestoryjustcitedisattestedbybothourauthorities，andisinperfectkeepingwiththegeneralviewsofJesusasreportedbythefirstevangelist。Thushisdisciplesareenjoinedtoleaveall，andfollowhim；totakenothoughtforthemorrow；
tothinknomoreoflayinguptreasuresontheearth，forintheMessianickingdomtheyshallhavetreasuresinabundance，whichcanneitherbewastednorstolen。Onmakingtheirjourneys，theyaretoprovideneithermoney，norclothes，norfood，butaretoliveattheexpenseofthosewhomtheyvisit；andifanytownrefusetoharbourthem，theMessiah，onhisarrival，willdealwiththattownmoreseverelythanJehovahdealtwiththecitiesoftheplain。Indeed，sincetheendoftheworldwastocomebeforetheendofthegenerationthenlivingMatt。xxiv。34；1
therecouldbenoneedforacquiringpropertyormakingarrangementsforthefuture；evenmarriagebecameunnecessary。TheseteachingsofJesushaveamarkedEsseniancharacter，aswellashisdeclarationthatintheMessianickingdomtherewastobenomoremarriage，perhapsnodistinctionofsexMatt。xxii。30。ThesectofEbionites，whorepresentedtheearliestdoctrineandpracticeofChristianitybeforeithadbeenmodifiedbyPaul，differedfromtheEssenesinnoessentialrespectsaveintheacknowledgmentofJesusastheMessiah，andtheexpectationofhisspeedyreturntotheearth。
Howlong，orwithwhatsuccess，JesuscontinuedtopreachthecomingoftheMessiahinGalilee，itisimpossibletoconjecture。
Hisfellow-townsmenofNazarethappeartohaveridiculedhiminhispropheticalcapacity；or，ifwemaytrustthethirdevangelist，tohavearisenagainsthimwithindignation，andmadeanattemptuponhislife。Tothemhewasbutacarpenter，thesonofacarpenterMatt。xiii。55；Markvi。3，whotoldthemdisagreeabletruths。OurauthorrepresentshisteachinginGalileetohaveproducedbutlittleresult，butthegospelnarrativesaffordnodefinitedatafordecidingthispoint。WebelievethemostprobableconclusiontobethatJesusdidattractmanyfollowers，andbecamefamousthroughoutGalilee；forHerodissaidtohaveregardedhimasJohntheBaptistrisenfromthegrave。ToescapethemaliceofHerod，JesusthenretiredtoSyro-Phoenicia，andduringthiseventfuljourneytheconsciousnessofhisownMessiahshipseemsforthefirsttimetohavedistinctlydawneduponhimMatt。xiv。1，13；xv。21；xvi。
13-20。Already，itappears，speculationswererifeastothecharacterofthiswonderfulpreacher。SomethoughthewasJohntheBaptist，orperhapsoneoftheprophetsoftheAssyrianperiodreturnedtotheearth。Some，inaccordancewithagenerally-receivedtradition，supposedhimtobeElijah，whohadneverseendeath，andhadnowatlastreturnedfromtheregionsabovethefirmamenttoannouncethecomingoftheMessiahintheclouds。Itwasgenerallyadmitted，amongenthusiastichearers，thathewhospakeasnevermanspakebeforemusthavesomedivinecommissiontoexecute。Thesespeculations，comingtotheearsofJesusduringhispreachinginGalilee，couldnotfailtoexciteinhimatrainofself-consciousreflections。Tohimalsomusthavebeenpresentedthequeryastohisownpropercharacterandfunctions；and，asourauthoracutelydemonstrates，hisonlychoicelaybetweenaprofitlesslifeofexileinSyro-Phoenicia，andaboldreturntoJewishterritoryinsomepronouncedcharacter。Theproblembeingthuspropounded，therecouldhardlybeadoubtastowhatthatcharactershouldbe。JesusknewwellthathewasnotJohntheBaptist；nor，howevercompletelyhemayhavebeendominatedbyhissublimeenthusiasm，wasitlikelythathecouldmistakehimselfforanancientprophetarisenfromthelowerworldofshades，orforElijahdescendedfromthesky。ButtheMessiahhimselfhemightwellbe。SuchindeedwasthealmostinevitablecorollaryfromhisownconceptionofMessiahship。Wehaveseenthathehad，probablyfromtheveryoutset，discardedthetraditionalnotionofapoliticalMessiah，andrecognizedthetruththatthehappinessofapeopleliesnotsomuchinpoliticalautonomyasintheloveofGodandthesincerepracticeofrighteousness。Thepeopleweretobefreedfromthebondageofsin，ofmeaninglessformalism，ofconsecratedhypocrisy，——abondagemoredegradingthanthepaymentoftributetotheemperor。ThetruebusinessoftheMessiah，then，wastodeliverhispeoplefromtheformerbondage；itmightbelefttoJehovah，inhisowngoodtime，todeliverthemfromthelatter。Holdingtheseviews，itwashardlypossiblethatitshouldnotsoonerorlateroccurtoJesusthathehimselfwasthepersondestinedtodischargethisgloriousfunction，toliberatehiscountrymenfromthethraldomofPharisaicritualism，andtoinauguratetherealMessianickingdomofspiritualrighteousness。Hadhenotalreadypreachedtheadventofthisspiritualkingdom，andbeeninstrumentalinraisingmanytoloftierconceptionsofduty，andtoahigherandpurerlife？Andmighthenotnow，byagrandattackuponPharisaisminitscentralstronghold，destroyitsprestigeintheeyesofthepeople，andcauseIsraeltoadoptanoblerreligiousandethicaldoctrine？Thetemerityofsuchapurposedetractsnothingfromitssublimity。Andifthatpurposeshouldbeaccomplished，JesuswouldreallyhaveperformedthelegitimateworkoftheMessiah。Thus，fromhisownpointofview，JesuswasthoroughlyconsistentandrationalinannouncinghimselfastheexpectedDeliverer；andintheeyesoftheimpartialhistorianhiscourseisfullyjustified。