A WORD IN SEASON

WHILE Jesus was here upon earth He went about doing good. And great multitudes followed Him everywhere He went. He taught them concerning God and the promised Messiah by words and deeds, even performing miracles in their midst. Yet, they remained a stubborn unwilling people. They obstinately refused and rejected Him as the promised Messiah sent to them from God.

One day Jesus asked His disciples, “Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?” They answered Him: “Some say that thou art John the Baptist; some, Elias; and others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.” Hereby the disciples gave proof concerning the public opinion of Jesus which the people shortly afterwards confirmed by their deeds and actions. This, Jesus knew being also God, but He was now in the form of a servant of God, serving in the office of Mediator between God and man. And whereas Jesus did not come into this world to save every person, but rather, came to call and save His own people; whom His Father did give unto Him to be an everlasting kingdom unto Himself: even as He prayed—“I pray not for the world, but for those Father whom thou hast given unto Me”—therefore, be the public opinion as it may, Jesus being more concerned about the sheep of His own pasture puts His question pointedly to His own disciples, saying: “But! But! whom say YE that I am?” Ah, my friends, this means everything for the disciples of Jesus. What does it matter what other people say of Him, whether it be good or evil? He has come as a Servant to redeem His Father’s and likewise His own sheep unto eternal life. He has come to redeem them with His own body and blood as the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world. And very shortly He was to offer Himself up as that only Sacrifice for the remission of sins. Knowing this He thus enquires of His disciples, for their benefit and profit, concerning their personal interests in Him. Never mind the public’s opinion, what is yours?

What is your interest in Jesus, dear reader? Can you answer as Peter did: “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Blossed confession indeed. You say: “Oh but I dare not, I cannot make such a bold confession; I am so confused in my mind, I am so unbelieving, I do not even know whether I am truly one of His sheep, I am a goat always running backwards away from Christ in my thoughts, words, or deeds,” and you may so enumerate many, many more of such inward strugglings and strivings of your own heart, as God the Holy Spirit is pleased to reveal to you your own corrupt heart polluted with sin and guilt.

Well, if you are not able to make that confession can you confess such a real true deep heart felt love to Jesus as Peter did? Even this one: “Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.” Can you trace any such desire towards Jesus in your heart? Remember, Jesus never rebuked Peter for those expressions of true love, but He did Satan because Satan only savourest the things of men, but not of God, and Satan was trying his utmost to break down this great Savior of Peter and of the whole Church of Christ by this cunning deceitful temptation. But he did not succeed. If he had, then Peter would have been lost forever too, but thanks be to God for His unspeakable love in the Gift of His own dear Son Jesus. Through the love of Jesus manifested in the heart of Peter, the confession of Peter and his hearts desire—for these awfully sad things, of which Jesus spoke to them, not to take place,—were both good, nevertheless, it must be so or there can be no hope for the soul. There is no salvation without a propitiation for sin; and there can be no life without a death. For that reason Jesus was instructing His disciples about, “how that He must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.”

Do you think that Peter’s heart and desire—not to have those things happen to his dear, precious, and loving Master—were wrong? Well, if they were not, (for they were not) is yours? that is, if you have such doubts, fears, strugglings, and questionings within you, as I just mentioned, accompanied by such true desires of love, where did you get them from? Where did you obtain such a desire for Jesus? Did you go to your own garden to pick that grace or was it the Father of Jesus who did reveal it unto you? Oh, flesh and blood, or nature, nor Satan, never reveals anything comely of Jesus.

But, and if, you still cannot and dare not claim any interest in Jesus for your own soul, can you not, nay, must you not, (and if you are a true disciple I know you must make this confession) confess with His disciples: “and they were exceeding sorry?” Poor seeking, tempest tossed soul, can you find at times an exceeding sorrow and sadness in your heart when you read or hear of Jesus’s betrayal by one of His own disciples. Does this ever cause your breast to heave sorrowfully and under the burden of your own sins and manifold betrayals of your dear Master whom you have a love for? A peculiar love which you cannot explain but which has been created and planted within you. Where do you then go with your sorrowful spirit and heavy laden soul, with Judas or with Peter? The true love of God humbles the soul into real contrition and sorrow with Peter and a pleading for forgiveness upon the ground of mercy. Are your hearts moved to grief and sadness as you hear of His maletreatment, abuse, and agony in Gethsamene, and arrangement before earthly courts in mock clothing, buffeted and spit upon, and at last nailed to the cross where He poured out His body and blood and soul unto death? Have you ever heard the voice within your own soul, saying: you, whom you have taken, despised and rejected, and have crucified? Ah, what grief of soul when one may experience such. May the Spirit grant us more of it. Then there is an exceeding sorrow felt and realized and the soul is most unworthy of but nevertheless is in the greatest need of this Jesus. And how can such a soul think of parting with its Jesus and witness Him go through all that suffering, shame and death? “O Lord, Be it far from thee,” cried Peter in deep sorrow and grief, and likewise does every true disciple. But, alas, it must be so for there is no other name whereby men must be saved than by the name of Jesus.

The name of Jesus means Savior and the name Christ means anointed and appointed by God. And so God has appointed Christ to be the Head over His Church, but also anointed Him with the Holy Ghost to be a Prophet, Priest, and King over His Church. So Jesus came and taught the people with words and miracles until the appointed time arrived for Him to satisfy the demands of justice with the price of His own soul, body and blood. He had to suffer according to His human nature because sin was committed by our federal head Adam in our human nature. And as Adam was our covenant head in human nature so Christ is the Covenant Head in divine nature over all the family of God according to divine appointment or electing love. So it is that Christ suffered, bled, and died, only for His own peculiar people and not for all the world of mankind. God has anointed Him to be High Priest over His people.

And the duties of the High Priest were to offer sacrifice unto God for the sins of the people. So Christ has been slain as the Lamb of God for the remission of sins. Every person entertaining any hope then for eternal life can and must find an interest in this Lamb of God or all our hopes are in vain. He is the fountain opened for sin and uncleanness and all vile, polluted, black sinners, (made so by the Holy Spirit) must come to this fountain of the blood of Jesus which is ever springing up streams of living waters for a poor dead sinner. By nature we are spiritually dead and lifeless; by grace we are made partakers of a new life by faith in Christ Jesus. The Spirit of God quickeneth our dead soul by creating a new heart within us; not renewing our old corrupt Adam heart, but by implanting a new divine principle within us which strives against old Adam nature. Well this is by the merits of Christ’s sufferings and death; and although it may appear as if all is lost even as the dear disciples thought perhaps, still we are comforted with the hope of a resurrection to a new and glorified life through the resurrection of Christ. He died for our transgressions but He was raised again for our justification.

If such is the hope of a poor trembling sinner, where will the ungodly appear? Oh sinner, remember, this Jesus whom ye crucified will one day stand in the clouds of heaven to judge the world in righteousness. Where shall you then hide yourself? Neither the hills, mountains, nor seas, shall be able to cover you from the great Judge. Therefore, repent ye from your sins and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out through the blood of Jesus Christ. May the Spirit of God enable you to come unto Jesus for pardon and forgiveness.

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