The Suffering Substitute

In His High-Priestly prayer, Jesus had spoken unto His Father, “Those that Thou gavest Me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition” (John 17:12). This word He now fulfills in our text. Judas was the son of perdition, and he had come with a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees. To provide light on their way through the darkness, they carried lanterns and torches, but, says Scripture, they also had weapons. It was a multitude armed with staves and swords. They came to seek Jesus.

No, they did not come as needy sinners, as guilty wretches; rather, they came to capture the Messiah. Even after they fell backward, when the almighty power of Christ was displayed for a moment, they were not humbled. They did not step back, but in proud contempt they continued to say that they sought Jesus of Nazareth. They did not fall down to beg for mercy, but in enmity they despised Him still.

That is man by nature. We will not and cannot and do not seek Him for mercy. Instead, we seek Jesus as Saul sought David, “as when one doth hunt a partridge in the mountains” (1 Samuel 26:20). We may speak fair words, shed many tears, and make a confession of sin with our lips, but Saul also did these things, and he sought to kill David nevertheless. What is needed? It is that we receive in our heart, by the operation of the Holy Spirit, the matter of which Christ spoke here to His pursuers. Jesus said, “If therefore ye seek Me, let these go their way.” Here our feet tread upon holy ground.

There He stood, the Shepherd of His sheep. Before Him were the threatening wolves, behind Him the disciples, His sheep. Then He said, “Smite the Shepherd.” He will give His life for the sheep. With divine authority He commands, “Touch not Mine anointed, and do My prophets no harm” (Psalm 105:15). He will not allow His sheep to be hurt or destroyed. Whatsoever the enemies would want to hurl at them, He would be their Shield and Defense. He would keep those given Him by His Father.

What love He displays to adorn His Father's perfections!

How willing is this Savior! He steps forward as the greater Judah to go voluntarily into bondage, yes, even into death, so that His Benjamins may go free and have their lives preserved. With what authority He speaks! “Where the word of a King is, there is power” (Ecclesiastes 8:4). He speaks and it is done. What love He displays to adorn His Father's perfections! What love He shows for His chosen Zion! He loved His own even unto the end. Here He stood in Gethsemane and took the place of His followers. He would walk His course of suffering to the judgment and to the cross. Oh, He is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand! Yea, this precious Surety is altogether lovely.

And for whom did Christ do this? For whom did He substitute? Just read it in the context. He did it for blind disciples, who had not discerned the betrayer. He did it for sleeping disciples, who could not watch with Him one hour. He did it for a Peter, who was stepping ahead of the Lord in his love to defend his Master, but meanwhile was trying to work deliverance in his own strength. He did it for fleeing disciples, who were offended at the Lord Jesus and who deserted Him. Even this had been foretold, because in Zechariah 13:7 we read: “Smite the Shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered.” And in spite of all this, and more, the Surety said, “Let these go their way.” He would suffer for such.

“If therefore ye seek Me.” How else did Jesus say this? In essence, He spoke this with regard to the law and justice of God. He spoke, and His Father heard it as the Maintainer of divine justice. In eternity God the Father had asked that question in the counsel of peace: “How shall I put thee among the children, and give thee a pleasant land?” (Jeremiah 3:19). Then the Son engaged His heart, became Surety with His heart, and said, “If therefore Thou seekest Me.” “Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of Me, I delight to do Thy will, O My God: yea, Thy law is within My heart” (Psalm 40:7-8). He engaged Himself under the obligation to pay the debt of the people of His choice.

In time He drew near to God on behalf of His own to fulfill what He had undertaken. He was the greater Judah, who was Surety, not for one, but for all His brethren. He atoned for their sins, He satisfied God's justice, He cleared their debts, He brought in an everlasting righteousness. The handwriting of sin that was against them was now blotted out.

Oh, there is a blessed inheritance who are not strangers to these Surety-dealings, who are not strangers to His taking their place. Willingly He let Himself be bound so they might go free. Voluntarily He submitted to death to give them life. He let the arrows of God's justice be shot at Him so that they would be safe behind the shield of His merits. He let the curses of the law storm at Him so that they might inherit the blessing. He became sin for them so that they would become the righteousness of God in Him. His sacrifice of obedience fully answers the demand of justice to wipe out all their rebellion. They are made partakers of His merits because He suffered for them.

However, there is also a people who, indeed, have learned that they deserve to be struck by that sword of God's justice, who know that God will by no means clear the guilty, who are worthy of hell. “This hath been thy manner from thy youth, that thou obeyedst not My voice” (Jeremiah 22:21). In a dying life they find out that by the works of the law no flesh is justified before God. Ah, they have been encouraged in times past; they have sung out of the fullness of their heart; they have received a promise; they even may have received a view outside of themselves upon the Mediator; they may have received instruction in the suffering of Christ as did the disciples — yet they miss the conscious application of that blood to their soul. Their anxious question is: Has He laid down His life for me? Are they comprehended in what Christ says and does: “Let these go their way”? It comes so low with that people with all which has happened: the Surety hides Himself behind divine justice, they are blind to His Person and for His work, their debt is not paid, justice demands its course, and death pursues them. Oh, then they groan with the poet:

All unprotected, lo, I stand,
No friendly guardian at my hand,
No place of flight or refuge near,
And none to whom my soul is dear.

Truly, such a people must perish. And when they must righteously perish, they do not oppose it anymore. Then there has come a holy agreement with the Lord, from love to God and to all His attributes. They would rather perish than tarnish one of those perfections. They love God's justice above their own salvation.

Those highly favored people receive the benefit of safety and freedom in their journey through the wilderness here below.

However, at the very moment when they perish, the Surety intervenes. He steps in as the Substitute for them. “If therefore ye seek Me, let these go their way.” He answers that divine justice of His Father, whose “anger endureth but a moment,” and no longer. And then “in His favour is life” (Psalm 30:5). Christ takes the place of that guilty people and satisfies for them, and on the basis of His perfect sacrifice He demands their life and liberty.

In olden days when a king wanted to protect someone during his travels to the court, he would grant such a person an official letter of safe conduct. Such people were under the personal protection of the king. It is the same here: “Let these go their way.” Those highly favored people receive the benefit of safety and freedom in their journey through the wilderness here below. No enemy can harm them. When Satan harasses them, they may show him that letter of safe conduct. Yes, they will pass through the Jordan of death and one day appear before God in Zion. There they may show the letter of safe conduct, and they will be privileged to enter into the heavenly mansions prepared for them above.

Is that freedom only for the established Church? Is it only for those who have received a conscious assurance in their soul? No, just look at the disciples. The Lord speaks for them, “Let these go their way.” They could go freely, and surely no enemy could harm them. However, therein lies the difference, that when they were fleeing away, they did not have the comfort of it. In the standing of life they also by moments tasted something of that liberty, but the certainty, the firmness, was lacking for their soul.

The disciples closed the doors for fear of the Jews. Although in Gethsemane Christ took their place and became their Substitute, yet, for these concerned disciples, the subjective application was still missing in their hearts. When faith is not in exercise and hope is not lively, such people miss everything, according to their own observation, until it pleases the Lord to grant this blessing and consciously acquit their souls; then they come to know what Christ has done for them. “Let these go their way.” Their state is established, life and liberty are granted, and inexpressible joy and comfort experienced. Still, such people need to go daily to that Fountain, for in the standing of life they can come no further than being a poor sinner. They must experience that the way becomes constantly narrower, and they have to be kept unto the very end.

Should it not be your aim, children of God, to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ? To make your calling and election sure? To know Him and follow on to know Him? To know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His suffering, being made conformable unto His death, if by any means you might attain unto the resurrection of the dead? To be enabled to come with Paul to the glorious liberty of the children of God? To have that daily communion with the Lord? Church, are we not guilty of being satisfied with mercies past? They are a blessing, to be sure, and the Lord ought to be acknowledged for this. But the last visit is still the best assurance. May the Lord graciously fulfill in this passion season what He gave as encouragement to His Church:

Hope in the Lord, ye waiting saints, and He will well provide,

For mercy and redemption full and free with Him abide;

From sin and evil, mighty though they seem,

His arm almighty will His saints redeem.

Are you unconverted? Do you miss saving grace? Ah, then you stand outside of this blessed portion. Then you miss everything, for you miss the Substitute, you miss the Lord. Beg then whether it might please the Lord in sovereign mercy to convert you. Your day of grace is not yet at an end, but who can tell how soon it will be?

Christ keeps His people against the onslaughts of Satan, even in the fiercest strife, because He has taken their place. When all the weary nights are past, it will become manifest that of all the Father has given Him, He did lose nothing but will then raise them up again at the last day. He spoke and He carried out, “If therefore ye seek Me, let these go their way.” He has been their Shield, and God will forever be their exceeding great Reward.

Deze tekst is geautomatiseerd gemaakt en kan nog fouten bevatten. Digibron werkt voortdurend aan correctie. Klik voor het origineel door naar de pdf. Voor opmerkingen, vragen, informatie: contact.

Op Digibron -en alle daarin opgenomen content- is het databankrecht van toepassing. Gebruiksvoorwaarden. Data protection law applies to Digibron and the content of this database. Terms of use.

Printen