Bible Heaven/Bible Heaven.iso/online/mhcc00/v01650

Text File | 1994-03-02 | 5KB | 85 lines

01653
 #43-52 Because Christ appeared not as a temporal prince, but
 preached repentance, reformation, and a holy life, and directed
 men's thoughts, and affections, and aims to another world,
 therefore the Jewish rulers sought to destroy him. Peter wounded
 one of the band. It is easier to fight for Christ than to die
 for him. But there is a great difference between faulty
 disciples and hypocrites. The latter rashly and without thought
 call Christ Master, and express great affection for him, yet
 betray him to his enemies. Thus they hasten their own
 destruction.

01663
 #53-65 We have here Christ's condemnation before the great
 council of the Jews. Peter followed; but the high priest's
 fire-side was no proper place, nor his servants proper company,
 for Peter: it was an entrance into temptation. Great diligence
 was used to procure false witnesses against Jesus, yet their
 testimony was not equal to the charge of a capital crime, by the
 utmost stretch of their law. He was asked, Art thou the Son of
 the Blessed? that is, the Son of God. For the proof of his being
 the Son of God, he refers to his second coming. In these
 outrages we have proofs of man's enmity to God, and of God's
 free and unspeakable love to man.

01676
 #66-72 Peter's denying Christ began by keeping at a distance
 from him. Those that are shy of godliness, are far in the way to
 deny Christ. Those who think it dangerous to be in company with
 Christ's disciples, because thence they may be drawn in to
 suffer for him, will find it much more dangerous to be in
 company with his enemies, because there they may be drawn in to
 sin against him. When Christ was admired and flocked after,
 Peter readily owned him; but will own no relation to him now he
 is deserted and despised. Yet observe, Peter's repentance was
 very speedy. Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he
 fall; and let him that has fallen think of these things, and of
 his own offences, and return to the Lord with weeping and
 supplication, seeking forgiveness, and to be raised up by the
 Holy Spirit.
01683
 * Christ before Pilate. (1-14) Christ led to be crucified.
 (15-21) The crucifixion. (22-32) The death of Christ. (33-41)
 His body buried. (42-47)

 #1-14 They bound Christ. It is good for us often to remember the
 bonds of the Lord Jesus, as bound with him who was bound for us.
 By delivering up the King, they, in effect, delivered up the
 kingdom of God, which was, therefore, as by their own consent,
 taken from them, and given to another nation. Christ gave Pilate
 a direct answer, but would not answer the witnesses, because the
 things they alleged were known to be false, even Pilate himself
 was convinced they were so. Pilate thought that he might appeal
 from the priests to the people, and that they would deliver
 Jesus out of the priests' hands. But they were more and more
 urged by the priests, and cried, Crucify him! Crucify him! Let
 us judge of persons and things by their merits, and the standard
 of God's word, and not by common report. The thought that no one
 ever was so shamefully treated, as the only perfectly wise,
 holy, and excellent Person that ever appeared on earth, leads
 the serious mind to strong views of man's wickedness and enmity
 to God. Let us more and more abhor the evil dispositions which
 marked the conduct of these persecutors.

01697
 #15-21 Christ met death in its greatest terror. It was the death
 of the vilest malefactors. Thus the cross and the shame are put
 together. God having been dishonoured by the sin of man, Christ
 made satisfaction by submitting to the greatest disgrace human
 nature could be loaded with. It was a cursed death; thus it was
 branded by the Jewish law, #De 21:23|. The Roman soldiers mocked
 our Lord Jesus as a King; thus in the high priest's hall the
 servants had mocked him as a Prophet and Saviour. Shall a purple
 or scarlet robe be matter of pride to a Christian, which was
 matter of reproach and shame to Christ? He wore the crown of
 thorns which we deserved, that we might wear the crown of glory
 which he merited. We were by sin liable to everlasting shame and
 contempt; to deliver us, our Lord Jesus submitted to shame and
 contempt. He was led forth with the workers of iniquity, though
 he did no sin. The sufferings of the meek and holy Redeemer, are
 ever a source of instruction to the believer, of which, in his
 best hours, he cannot be weary. Did Jesus thus suffer, and shall
 I, a vile sinner, fret or repine? Shall I indulge anger, or
 utter reproaches and threats because of troubles and injuries?