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OUR SAVIOUR’S DEATH
NOTHING but Divine grace can change the hearts of men. Signs and wonders may alarm and terrify, and may produce a momentary conviction on the mind; but unless the Spirit of God work in and by them, they will leave the soul unhumbled and unrenewed. It is probable that the darkness which prevailed during the three last hours of our Saviour’s life, produced an awe upon the minds of all; but yet it wrought no permanent change on any: for, when our blessed Lord poured out his complaint respecting the dereliction of his soul, his enemies mocked and insulted him, pretending to understand him as calling Elijah to his aid, when they could not but know that he was crying to his God. We might as easily mistake the sense of the words, “My God, My God,” as they could mistake the import of “Eli, Eli:” the resemblance of the sounds was merely a pretext for venting the malice that reigned in their hearts. One more opportunity only remained for them to shew the enmity that was in their minds against him; and they gladly embraced it: but in that very conduct they added another testimony to the truth of his Messiahship. Their conduct towards him in this particular had been the subject of prophecy; and, when that prophecy was fulfilled, there remained no further occasion for his continuance in the world: he therefore left the world, and went immediately to the bosom of his Father.
Two things are here presented for our consideration;
I. The completion of prophecy—
There remained now but one prophecy to be accomplished—
[Every thing relating to the incarnation, life, and death, of the Lord Jesus Christ had been foretold in the minutest manner; and every thing, except that which is spoken in our text, had been fulfilled. The drought occasioned by his long and excruciating agonies both of body and mind, and the method used by his enemies to allay his thirst, had been particularly foretold by the Psalmist [Note: Psa_22:14-15; Psa_69:21.]. To look for the accomplishment of these things in David is in vain. They never were fulfilled in David, or in any other person whatsoever, except the Lord Jesus Christ.]
That prophecy now received its accomplishment in Christ—
[The thirst predicted, came upon him: he complained of it: and the people filled a spunge with vinegar, and put it on a stalk of hyssop to his mouth. The vinegar was there at hand; it being, when mixed with water, the common drink of the Roman soldiers. Before his crucifixion, his friends had offered him a drink of wine mixed with myrrh, as a cordial to support him under his sufferings; or rather as a stupifying potion, to allay his pain. But of that he would not drink; because he would endure all that was necessary to make satisfaction to Divine justice for the sins of men [Note: Compare Mar_15:23. with 36]. The vinegar was presented to him by his enemies, who had no desire to sooth his anguish, but only to protract the period of his sufferings, and increase their weight. In this, however, they unconsciously fulfilled the prophecy concerning it, and thereby enabled our Lord to say, “It is finished.” All was now finished; all that was necessary to be done or suffered for the sins of men — — — and nothing remained, but to surrender up that life, which had answered all the ends for which it had been given.]
Immediately upon this followed,
II. The dissolution of our Lord—
Two things are here particularly to be noticed;
1. The voluntariness of his death—
[He had before expressly declared, that “no man could take away his life, but that he should lay it down of himself [Note: Joh_10:17-18.].” And here the correspondence between the prediction and the event is clearly marked. Had the separation of his soul and body been occasioned altogether by his sufferings in a natural way, his strength would have gradually decayed, till he had sunk under them: but behold, immediately before his departure he cried out repeatedly with a loud voice; shewing thereby, that his nature was not exhausted, but that he resigned his soul voluntarily into his Father’s hands [Note: Mat_27:50.]. The Centurion, who superintended his execution, was particularly struck with this, and was convinced by it that Jesus was indeed the Son of God, the Saviour of the world [Note: Mar_15:37; Mar_15:39.]. The very terms used by St. Matthew to express his death confirm this idea. What we translate, “He yielded up the ghost,” is literally, “He dismissed his spirit [Note: ἀ ö ῆ ê å ô ὸ ð í å ῦ ì á .]:” so clearly did he manifest, even in death itself, that he was truly “the Lord and Prince of life [Note: Act_3:15.].”]
2. His confidence and composure—
[Though he had just complained of the hidings of his Father’s face, yet he did not lose the consciousness that God was his Father: on the contrary, with dignified composure he committed his soul into his Father’s hands [Note: Luk_23:46.]. Often had he spoken of going to his Father, just as a man would have spoken of going to a distant land [Note: Joh_16:16; Joh_16:28; Joh_17:11; Joh_17:13.]: and now that his time was come, he meekly “bowed his head,” and surrendered up his soul, having discharged his appointed office, and filled up his destined measure, both of active and passive obedience. How beautiful does death appear, when thus disarmed of its sting? O that we may be enabled thus to meet this king of terrors, and to welcome his arrival as the best of friends!]
Let this affecting subject be improved by us,
1. For the confirmation of our faith—
[The wonderful minuteness of prophecy, surveyed as it must be in the accomplishment of the predictions, affords the strongest ground for our faith and hope. St. Peter laid great stress upon it in his addresses to the Jewish people, and urged the consideration of it as an encouragement to them to expect from Christ all the blessings of grace and glory [Note: Act_3:18-19.]. To you then would we make our appeal: in whom were these things ever verified, if not in Christ? or what room is there for doubt respecting his Messiahship, when he has fulfilled every thing which the Messiah was either to do or suffer? I may add too, what doubt can exist respecting the accomplishment of all the promises to those who truly believe in him? Let us view him thus as “the Foundation which God has laid in Zion;” and let us expect from him whatever his grace has promised, and our necessities require.]
2. For the regulation of our conduct—
[We have seen the Saviour’s example both in life and death: and in conformity to that we should desire both to live and die. Let us not be anxious to depart from life, till we have completed the work which God has given us to do — — — On the other hand, let us not be afraid of death, but regard it as a departure to our Father’s house. The words of David seem to have been referred to by our Lord on this occasion, and they are admirably suited to the case of a dying believer [Note: Psa_31:5.]: and to one who can use them in faith, death is nothing more than falling asleep in the bosom of our Lord [Note: Act_7:59-60.] — — —]