spectacle afforded by the Christians: perhaps because of _this_ curious exhibition alone the wretched little planet called the earth deserves a glance from omnipotence, a show of divine interest.... Therefore, let us not underestimate the Christians: the Christian, false _to the point of innocence_, is far above the ape--in its application to the Christians a well-known theory of descent becomes a mere piece of politeness.... [14] So in the text. One of Nietzsche's numerous coinages, obviously suggested by _Evangelium_, the German for _gospel_. 40. --The fate of the Gospels was decided by death--it hung on the "cross."... It was only death, that unexpected and shameful death; it was only the cross, which was usually reserved for the canaille only--it was only this appalling paradox which brought the disciples face to face with the real riddle: "_Who was it? what was it_?"--The feeling of dismay, of profound affront and injury; the suspicion that such a death might involve a _refutation_ of their cause; the terrible question, "Why just in this way?"--this state of mind is only too easy to understand. Here everything _must_ be accounted for as necessary; everything must have a meaning, a reason, the highest sort of reason; the love of a disciple excludes all chance. Only then did the chasm of doubt yawn: "_Who_ put him to death? who was his natural enemy?"--this question flashed like a lightning-stroke. Answer: dominant Judaism, its ruling class. From that moment, one found one's self in revolt _against_ the established order, and began to understand Jesus as _in revolt against the established order_. Until then this militant, this nay-saying, nay-doing element in his character had been lacking; what is more, he had appeared to present its opposite. Obviously, the little community had _not_ understood what was precisely the most important thing of all: the example offered by this way of dying, the freedom from and superiority to every feeling of _ressentiment_--a plain indication of how little he was understood at all! All that Jesus could hope to accomplish by his death, in itself, was to offer the strongest possible proof, or _example_, of his teachings in the most public manner.... But his disciples were very far from _forgiving_ his death--though to have done so would have accorded with the Gospels in the highest degree; and neither were they prepared to _offer_ themselves, with gentle and serene calmness of heart, for a similar death.... On the contrary, it was precisely the most unevangelical of feelings, _revenge_, that now possessed them. It seemed impossible that the cause should perish with his death: "recompense" and "judgment" became necessary (--yet what could be less evangelical than "recompense," "punishment," and "sitting in judgment"!). Once more the popular belief in the coming of a messiah appeared in the foreground; attention was rivetted upon an historical moment: the "kingdom of God"