Jesus; and that their own names will be remembered only because John was
their son. Only God sees in the boy playing on the seashore, and in the
fisherman of Gennesaret, the true greatness and honor into which He will
guide him.




_CHAPTER VII_

_John's View of the Coming Messiah_


In our thoughts of Jesus we have chiefly in mind the things that
happened at the time of His birth and afterward. We read of them in the
Gospels. John had the Old Testament only, containing promises of what
was yet to happen. We have the New Testament telling of their
fulfilment.

Thus far we have spoken of Jesus as John knew Him--as a boy in Nazareth,
the son of Mary, and his own cousin. We have also spoken of John's ideas
of the Messiah. As yet he has not thought as we do of Jesus and the
Messiah being the same person. It is not easy for us to put ourselves in
his place, and leave out of our thoughts all the Gospels tell us. But we
must do this to understand what he understood during his youth and early
manhood, respecting the Messiah _yet to come_.

Let us imagine him looking through the Old Testament, especially the
books of Moses and the prophets, and finding what is said of Him; and
see if we can what impressions are made on this young Bible student of