Part 4 (2/2)
2. The apostle next concentrates attention upon one leading _branch_ of this great theme.
Having put the whole subject before us in the word salvation, he now fixes our thought upon _the relation which Christ sustains to it_.
”Searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.” The testimony which is here said to be borne to Christ, is by the Spirit, and the signification of the Spirit in the testimony is that which the prophets sought. He who in the text is called ”the Spirit of Christ,” in the following verse is designated the Holy Ghost, so that there can be no doubt as to the person referred to. He is variously spoken of as ”the Spirit of G.o.d”--”the Spirit of the Father”--”the Spirit of the Son”--”the Holy Spirit,” and He is the third person in the Holy Trinity. ”In the entire and undivided unity of the G.o.dhead, there is a Trinity of personal subsistences; consubstantial, co-equal, and co-eternal.” It was this ”Spirit of Christ” who inspired the prophets; for these ”holy men of G.o.d spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”
(i.) They sought the signification of the Spirit as to the _Saviour's person_. ”Searching _what_.” This expression is said to mean either what _time_; or what _people_; or what _person_. But looking at the whole pa.s.sage it seems most naturally to refer to Him who is the subject of these predictions. They therefore diligently enquired as to who He was, of whom they, under inspiration, had been speaking.
(ii.) They also studied the prophecies as _to the time of his coming_: ”What manner of time?” This phrase has a twofold application. It may refer to that particular period of the world's history when the Saviour should come to endure his sufferings and enter into his glory. So Daniel reckoned up the number of the weeks, and sought to understand the time.
It may also have reference to ”the character and condition of the age”
when He should become incarnate. ”What _manner_ of time?”
We are now brought to the testimony itself which the Spirit beforehand gave.
(iii.) _The Saviour's sufferings_, in their relation to our salvation.
”The sufferings of Christ.”
We limit ourselves to two thoughts: these sufferings _were predicted_, and those predictions _were fulfilled_. Nearly the whole of the Old Testament has a connection with them. They are predicted by the very page which records the fall. ”And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed: it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” Under the patriarchal economy there was a significant allusion to them in the offering up of Isaac. The Mosaic types were prophecies. The paschal lamb; the smitten rock; the brazen serpent; and the scape-goat on the day of expiation, exhibited this feature of Messiah's character. Well nigh every page of the prophets is marked by blood and sorrow. The Psalmist, in thrilling tone, enquires, ”My G.o.d, my G.o.d why hast thou forsaken Me?” And in the last struggles of death Jesus quoted the pa.s.sage in its application to himself. The fifty-third chapter of Isaiah is an unapproachable description of a suffering person. Its reference to Christ has been extorted from the Jew, and is confidently believed by every Christian. The notion of two Messiahs--the one suffering and the other conquering--is an unworthy subterfuge, and stands opposed to both fact and Scripture. Daniel is second only to Isaiah in his minute and powerful description of the Redeemer's sufferings. Zechariah almost closes the book by the startling cry, ”Awake, O sword, against my Shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts: smite the Shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered; and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones.”
That these Scriptures have been fulfilled who can doubt that believes the gospels? Just before the Saviour's ascension, and while yet partaking of the valedictory feast with his disciples, ”He said unto them, these are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses, and in the Prophets, and in the Psalms concerning Me. Then opened He their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures, and said unto them, thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day.” We pa.s.s by the pain and hunger and thirst which are the attributes of humanity; but from his very incarnation may it be said that his sufferings began. Mark the meanness of his birth; the poverty of his circ.u.mstances; the persecution which drove Him from his infant-home, and think of his manner of life prior to the public announcement of his character, and you say with the prophet--”A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.”
Now look into Gethsemane's innermost recess and you see an amount of suffering unendurable except under heavenly strengthening; ”And, being in an agony, He prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. And there appeared an angel unto Him from heaven, strengthening Him.” Betrayed by a disciple, He is apprehended by the ”mult.i.tude with swords and staves:” then arraigned before the high priest; then before Pilate: then taken before Herod and clothed in the purple; then bound and dragged again before Pilate: then smitten by the ruffianly attendants, and forsaken by his followers He is condemned to die. After the Roman fas.h.i.+on He is led away bearing his own cross to the fated hill. Here is the consummation of their cruelty, of his suffering, and of heaven's suspense. The leader of an army to the battle-field looks with anxiety to that moment of the day which decides the conflict; and either covers him with a nation's glory, or overwhelms him in a nation's disgrace. The fate of empires has hung on the actions of an hour; and the liberties of a continent have trembled for an instant in the balance. But the salvation of a world was hanging on Calvary till the Sufferer exclaimed: ”It is finished.”
You will not suppose that we have exhibited all, or even a princ.i.p.al part of ”the sufferings of Christ.” We do not wish to underrate this bodily distress; but oh, compare it not with the depth of the soul's agony. The hand of man which smote Him was malignant and painful too; but the hand of G.o.d with the sword of justice in it, fell in dreadful weight and pierced his spirit. His being betrayed and forsaken by the disciples was a source of pain; but it was when the Father hid his face that his sufferings were complete. ”My G.o.d, my G.o.d, why hast thou forsaken Me?”
In addition to the general scope of prophecy, there are many minute and particular predictions of suffering which were fulfilled. The Psalmist says--”Yea mine own familiar friend in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.” And you call to mind the betrayal of our Saviour. David says again, ”They pierced my hands and my feet.” And when He was crucified the nails were driven through these parts of the body. Isaiah says, ”He was numbered with the transgressors;” and we know that He was crucified between two thieves.
Prophecy says, ”They part my garments among them, and casts lots upon my vesture.” History says, ”And they crucified Him, and parted his garments casting lots.” Prophecy says, ”A bone of Him shall not be broken.”
History says that when the soldiers ”came to Jesus and saw that He was dead already, they brake not his legs.” Prophecy says, ”They gave me also gall for my meat, and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.”
History says, ”They gave Him vinegar to drink mingled with gall,” when He said ”I thirst.” You are not surprised then, that after the fulfilment of so many and varied predictions, Jesus should have spoken to the two doubting disciples with a somewhat sterner voice than was his wont: ”O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken, ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory.”
(iv.) See the connection between this salvation and the Saviour, with regard to _the glory_ resulting from his pa.s.sion and death. ”And the glory,” or glories, ”that should follow.” We distract not your mind with the many meanings of the word ”_glory_.” In the text it signifies the honour accruing to the Redeemer himself, and the benefit resulting to the world from his sufferings. It will apply to _his resurrection_; for even of this the prophets had some knowledge. ”Thou wilt not leave my soul in h.e.l.l; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.” It has also reference to the Saviour's _exaltation to_ and _session at the right hand of the Father_: for this is the result of his humiliation. ”We see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that He by the grace of G.o.d should taste death for every man.” But it has another meaning. The glory resulting from ”the sufferings of Christ,” is to be seen in _the carrying out of his own scheme of mercy_, and _the universal happiness of man_.
Nothing short of this can satisfy the scope of the text; the expectation and claims of the Messiah; or the call of the Church. It was no less an object than this--the saving of a whole world--that brought Christ from heaven and raised up the Church on earth. If you look or labour for anything short of this, you degrade your Master and dishonour yourselves.
You have got too large a machinery at work for anything less than this.
You will cripple the energies and damp the ardour of our Captain's embattled hosts, if you are satisfied with anything short of the conquest of a world. The question therefore is, have we any fair prospect of, and guarantee for, universal glory?
The text itself affords ground of hope that in the Scriptures we shall find all we desire. An intimation is given that the prophets themselves not only predicted it, but by their diligent search, apprehended and believed it. And let us not suppose that our faith in a happy world rests on a few dark or obscure expressions thinly scattered over the Bible, and requiring more than ordinary penetration to find them at all.
Science by gigantic strides seems almost to have reached its perfection.
We are told that by its light the philosopher can, from a single bone put into his hands, discover the existence of a ”great wingless bird” of another hemisphere, and can construct ”its skeleton so exactly, that when all the bones” arrive in this country ”the correspondence between them and their conjectural portraits” is complete; that the astronomer is able by his calculations to tell the existence of a planet, which observation proves to be strictly true. But wonderful as is all this, we are not reduced to any such necessity with regard to the future of the gospel.
We have not to take a few dark sayings, or enigmatical expressions, or hieroglyphic inscriptions, and as we best may spell out the universal spread of truth. As with the light of a sunbeam, or with ”the point of a diamond,” is it revealed. He that runs may read. Abraham saw it: ”And in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.” Jacob saw it: ”The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until s.h.i.+loh come; and unto Him shall the gathering of the people be.” David saw it: ”Ask of Me, and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.” Isaiah saw it: ”The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf, and the young lion, and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.” Oh what a state of security and peace!
”Lift up thine eyes round about, and see; all they gather themselves together, they come to thee; thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side.” Let the Church no more hang down her head with grief. Look up, and see what is approaching. ”All they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side.” A general confluence of the nations is at hand, and all will flow into the church.
”Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee.” The vast-swelling mult.i.tude with their wealth shall come and beg admission.
”We have now to beg people to come into the church: the day is coming when they shall ask permission. ”Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows?” Who _are_ these myriads making their way to Christ? ”And as the doves to their windows?” There is a storm at hand: the people foresee it, and run for refuge. ”Thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day or night; that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought.” So constant is the pouring in that the doors must be kept open. It is now a rare thing to see a convert approaching; but then the stream will be continuous, and the houses of prayer open night and day.
”Thou shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles, and shalt suck the breast of kings: and thou shalt know that I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.” The very wealth which is now in heathen hands shall be consecrated to the further spread of the gospel.
”And thou shalt suck the breast of kings:” for they shall become ”nursing fathers and queens nursing mothers;” and the reign of the Messiah shall be one of peace. ”Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders: but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise. The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy G.o.d thy glory. Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the Lord shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended. Thy people also shall be all righteous; they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified. A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: I the Lord will hasten it in his time.”
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