February. 1937
T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
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upon the fact that the Lord Jesus’ accusers charged Him with making Himself the Messiah, and the charge of blasphemy is discussed in that Gospel (Matt. 26:63-65); in John’s record, it is shown that they charged Him with the blasphemy of claim ing to be the Son of God ( v. 7) . Whatever modern teachers may believe, the Jews who heard Jesus certainly knew He claimed equality with God, that is, essential deity. But when this charge was made, Pilate became greatly disturbed (v. 8), and he went in again to Jesus with the question, “Whence art thou?” Jesus was silent (v. 9), thus fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy, “As a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth” (Isa. 53:7). II. T he C rucified K ing (14-18) Pilate brought Jesus forth once more, but this time with the cry, “ Behold your king!” (v. 14). Once again these Jews should have recognized Him as a king indeed. His . words and acts had demonstrated what the prophets had declared would occur when Messiah came to earth. But, blinded by their hatred of true righteousness, the peo ple demanded His execution (v. 15). They rejected their rightful King, denied their connection with God, and cried, “We have no king but Caesar.” They turned away from God’s appointed King as they had in olden days rejected divine leadership in their demand for an earthly king (cf. 1 Sam. 8:6-8). At last they had their way, and Pilate delivered Jesus into thfir hands “to be crucified” (v. 16). The Lord Jesus wen i forth bearing His own cross, which soon became overheavy for His shoulders, and another was taken to carry it for Him. In His crucifixion between two thieves (vs. 17, 18) at Golgotha, or Calvary (the former being the Hebrew name, and mean ing “ the place of a skull” ), Christ once again fulfilled the prophet’s words (cf. Isa. 53:9). Jesus is still ready and willing to save all who turn to Him, even as He saved the one who called to Him from the cross. As a Man, Jesus was despised; as the King of the Jews, He was rejected; but as the chosen of God, He fulfilled all that the prophets had written, adding this evidence to the proof that all His claims were true. III. T he T houghtful S on (25-27) There is a touch here that brings our Lord close to every human heart. We should remind ourselves that there ought to be nothing in the Christian’s manner of life which would set him apart from earthly things to the extent that human affection is dried up and human sympathy is absent; true love should be heightened and deepened by the fact that Christ dwells in the heart. While there were being wrought out the eternal decrees concerning the Lamb of God and His sacrifice for the sin of the world, there was still in the heart of the Lord Jesus a thought for the welfare of His mother. As He beheld her standing by the cross, He instructed His beloved dis- ciple, John, to take her to his home. Evi dently our Lord’s brethren were not yet believers, or He doubtless would have left
His mother in their care. Or possibly there had been such dissension in the home be cause of lack of understanding of our Lord’s words and His seemingly strange conduct that He felt His mother would be happier with the disciple to whom He en trusted her than she would have been anywhere else. What an honor it would be for any man to obey the commission of the Lord, given at Calvary! IV. T he S u f f ic ie n t S a c r if ic e (28-30) The physical agony associated with the death of the Lord Jesus on the cross could not^ dull our Lord’s mind to the Scriptures which were being fulfilled. Centuries be fore Christ’s coming to earth, David had written: “ They gave me also gall for my meat; and in npy thirst they gave me vin egar to drink” (Psa. 69:21). David was writing prophetically of Jesus of Nazareth, who, on the cross, fulfilled what had been written. There are some men of whom it may be said, “They know the Scriptures.” But no man ever knew the Scriptures fully, as Jesus did. When He said, “ I thirst” (v. 28), His enemies’ actions were in accord with the predictive Word, for these men immediately gave Him vinegar to drink (v. 29). All attacks upon the Word of God, from whatever source they may come, ate being used by God for the further fulfillment of His Word. Having fulfilled all that was written concerning the provision of salvation through the death of the Lamb of God, the Lord Jesus said, “ It is finished” (v. 30). The work given Him to do—the work of redemption which He came to perform— was now completed. By His death, the sin of the world was taken away. Nothing now stands in the way of the sinner’s approach to the presence of God, except the sinner’s own desire to remain far from God. Our Lord’s death was voluntary: “ He bowed his head, and gave up the ghost” (v. 30; cf. John 10:17, 18). Through this yielded life, redemption is provided for all who will receive it as the gift from God. Points and Problems Since the lesson of this week deals in part with the most noted legal trial in human history, a few general observations may be helpful as an approach to the lesson. 1. It should be understood that there were really two trials. The first proceedings be fore Annas, Caiaphas, and the Sanhedrin, t Continued on page 62]
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