42. What Think Ye of Christ?

Sermon 42

In the busy scenes of human affairs, it oft-times becomes necessary to ask what we think of certain men. We have under consideration an example unequaled in all the history of man in which a young man steps out at the age of thirty and asks, "Who Am I?" As this is a question propounded by the Son of God it is before the world today, and must be answered by intelligent people to their harm or eternal happiness.

As Christ stands before us as an extraordinary character, and as we should examine the life and teaching of any man before we can properly draw conclusions as to what we think of him, it will be well to examine the Son of God from different standpoints, that we may see him as he is, and profit by him if we can.

Then I call attention to—

1. Christ in promise.

The seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent's head. To Adam and Eve this promise was made. A simple thought only this may be. Two thousand years have passed and gone, man by floods has been swept away, and still we find the promise renewed to Abraham, when the angel came and proclaimed that in him and his seed should all the nations be blessed. Thus we have the Savior of the world promised to man almost from the time he wandered from his Father's home. We find these promises renewed to different people under different circumstances till Jesus, the Son of God came.

But we look again and from a different field we survey another line of proofs opening up to impress us, and all are tending to the same end.

2. Christ in sacrifice.

Our minds today will wander back amid the scenes of ancient ruins, and there we'll find the Son of God before us brought in sacrifice. From year to year the Jews came from all their wanderings to offer up their sacrificial lambs. ( 1 ) They had to offer think of the sun giving light, and Christ would be brought to him as the Sun of righteousness with healing in His wings. He would think of a soldier, and Christ was brought to him with His garments all stained with blood. He thought of the innocent lamb, and Christ was brought to him as such. "He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter," yet He opened not His mouth. Thus we find that for fifteen hundred years men inspired of God foretold the coming of His Son.

3. Finally the last prophet, Malachi, had laid his prophetical pen aside. Three hundred and ninety-two years had passed and gone, and many were anxiously waiting and looking to see the new-born King. But alas, how different was his birth from that of earthly rulers!

He was not born in a palace, neither surrounded by earthly wealth nor fame; but in a manger could be found the new born King, while angels proclaimed the story to the lonely shepherds who watched their flocks by night, that Jesus wee born who should save his people from their sins.

We have traversed the line of thought till Jesus was born. Now we consider.

4. His life among the children of men.

At the age of thirty we find him coming to be baptized of John in Jordan, from which time His life, as a public teacher, began. He demonstrated himself as the Son of God by the miracles He performed. We see Him, in His journey, causing the blind to see, the lame to walk, the cleat to hear, the sick to be healed, and even the dead to hear His voice and obey His commands.

He demonstrated Himself the Son of God by showing his power and authority over winds and waves and even the condemned spirits of the wicked world cried out to Him as the Son of God, and desired of Him that He would torment them not before their time. He demonstrated Himself the Son of God by the knowledge he possessed while here. He could meet the woman by the way and tell her how many husbands she had. He could tell people the thoughts of their hearts, and who should betray Him, and the conduct of Peter at that critical time.

He demonstrated Himself as the Son of God by the lessons He taught while here. No wonder that when certain men were sent out to arrest Him they returned and reported that no man had ever spoken as this man speaks. While His lessons were deep and full of interest to the greatest minds, they were 80 simple in their application that the common people could understand them.

He demonstrated that He wee the Bon of God in all His walks among the children of men, and in the trial for His life.

5. Christ crucified.

He comes down to the last sad scene of His life, His friends having left Him one by one. I see Him standing, weeping over Jerusalem, saying, "O. Jerusalem, Jerusalem . . . how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!" Think of the Son of God standing, looking at the city of Jerusalem, the most sacred place in all the history of the Jews. He could see Mount Moriah, where Abraham had gone with a sad heart to offer Isaac two thousand years before this time. He could look over on the western hills and see the very place where Joshua stood and commanded the sun and moon to stand still while he fought the battles of the Lord. He could look away to the north and see where Saul sounded the trumpet and summoned the Israelites to come to battle while he went forth to meet the Amalekites. He could look away to the southeast and see the place where Isaac laid Rachel to rest when her spirit had crossed the river of death. He could look to the south and see Bethlehem, the place where He was bow. Then He could call to memory that for twelve hundred years God had been looking down on the wickedness of that city, and had sent prophets to warn them.

But finally His own familiar friend had turned his heel against Him, and He was betrayed into the hands of sinners. They came out against Him with swords and staves. He is arrested, taken before the courts, tried for his life, judged worthy of death, and by soldiers led to where He should. be crucified. The nails are driven through His hands and feet, the cross is lifted up, and Jesus dies for our sins, while perhaps the very vaults of hell rang with exclamations of joy to know the Son of God was put to death.

We even find the world of nature could not look upon the sad scene. The sun refused to shine, and the heavens were draped in mourning, and for three hours time darkness brooded over the earth. But Jesus, to demonstrate His love for us, died, tasted death for every man.

6. His triumph.

The bleeding body of Jesus was laid in the new tomb; the door was sealed with the Roman seal, and for fear all things were not well they demanded a guard should be placed around the tomb, for they remembered that Jesus had said in three days He would rise from the dead. The governor instructed them to make it as sure as they could. Sixty soldiers were placed there, not to neglect their duty, nor to go to sleep under the penalty of death according to the Roman law. Time rolls on. The soldiers watch, and all things are thought to be secure. But, alas! On the morning by the prophets foretold, an angel came to set the captive free. He had fought the foes of death, the grave could not claim to keep her own, the bars of death were torn asunder; the watchers became as dead men; angels rolled the stone away, and Jesus came as a conqueror over hell and the grave, planting the rose of immortality over the same.

Even Job, of old, had asked the question, "If a man die shall he live again?" Jesus now answers the question, and comes forth with all power in earth, and heaven given into His hands. Then He commands the apostles to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature, promising that he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.

He then became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him. He established a system of religion that makes good men out of mean ones, and makes all love each other as members of one family. He established a system of religion that has taken the drunkard from the street, and made a good man, a good husband and a good father of him—a religion that is for the upbuilding of all the poor and oppressed in this life, bring joy where there was sadness, peace where there was sorrow, and finally promises us a home whose builder and maker is God, a country whose pleasures forever last, and a home in which peace and happiness shall forever dwell.

Then I ask, in conclusion, to think of life and its disappointments and sorrows here, and know that above all these Christ wants to save you, and ask yourself the question, "What do I think of Christ?" Hear His voice, obey His commandments, and finally be saved; for whosoever cometh to Him, He will in no wise cast out.