The two missions.
Notice—
I. THE MISSION OF HUMAN SELFISHNESS. We are taught by Christ that there is such a mission in the world. It is as old as the temptation of our first parents by that evil and selfish spirit, the devil. It was active in the world before and at the time of Christ, and to a greater extent afterwards. Every false teacher, every one that assumes Christ's position, or leads souls from Christ and God either intentionally or unintentionally, is pronounced by Christ a thief, and his mission is that of selfishness.
1. Its spirit and aim are selfish.
2. Its spirit and aim are murderous. "And to kill."
3. Its spirit and aim are destructive. "And to destroy." If the thief cannot steal and kill, he will destroy valuable property. The mission of selfishness in the time of our Lord had not only killed the very life of the nation, but also had destroyed the spiritual food of the sheep with an admixture of human tradition and the devilish spirit of selfishness and murder. Thus in every age this mission poisons the living water and the bread of life, and adulterates the milk of the Word; and if it cannot kill the sheep, it will as far as possible destroy their pasture and spiritual supplies.
4. Its spirit and aim are entirely self-seeking, cruel, and destructive. "The thief cometh not, but," etc. The genius and history of the mission of selfishness are spiritual robbery, murder, and destruction.
II. THE MISSION OF DIVINE LOVE. In contrast with the mission of selfishness, we have the mission of Divine love in Christ. "I came," etc.
1. It is a mission of Divine authority. The mission of selfishness was unlawful, and existed by stealth, robbery, and unrighteousness. The mission of Christ was legal and Divine. He came not as a thief, but as a Divine messenger, openly, according to the Divine plan, to fulfill the Divine promise and purpose. He came in the volume of the book written of him. He came in the fullness of time, in the open day. His appearance was heralded, and he carried with him all the credentials of Divine power and authority.
2. It is a mission of Divine benevolence.
3. It is a mission of Divine abundance. It is not merely benevolent, but most abundantly and overflowingly benevolent. "Have it abundantly."
LESSONS.
1. We are surrounded in this world with religious thieves. These characters are not confined to the material and social worlds alone, but to a greater extent they are found in the religious world. Some things more valuable than silver and gold are stolen. There are thieves of souls, consciences, wills, and life.
2. We are greatly indebted to Christ for the revelation of the fact. In the light of him who is the Light of the world, the powers and works of darkness are revealed, and the mission of human selfishness is manifested in its self-seeking aims, its cunning and cruel character and destructive results. Thus we are put on our guard, and furnished with the means of defense.
3. The mission of human selfishness serves as an effective background to the mission of Divine love in Christ. At the back we see the dark shadows of the arch-thief of souls with his deluded emissaries, and their spoliations of cunning and cruelty. In the front, surrounded with a halo of glory, stands Jesus, offering eternal life to a perishing world. By contrast how beautiful and welcome his appearance, and how calculated to inspire gratitude and a hearty acceptance of his life!—B.T.
The death of Christ.
I. IT INVOLVES THE GREATEST SACRIFICE.
1. It was a sacrifice of life. "I lay down my life." It was his own life, and not that of another. Thousands of lives are sacrificed during war by the existing government; but these are the lives of others, and not their own. But the death of Christ involved the sacrifice of his own life. It was personal.
2. It was a sacrifice of the most precious life. Every life is very precious—that of the flower or that of the animal; but human life is more precious still. Personally considered, every human life is equally precious; but relatively, some lives are more precious than others. The life of the general is thus more precious than that of the common soldier. But of all the lives that have graced this world, the life of Christ was the most precious and valuable.
3. It was a sacrifice involving the greatest sufferings.
II. HIS DEATH WAS PURELY SELF-SACRIFICING. To prove and illustrate this, consider the following things.
1. His life was absolutely his own. "My life." No other man can absolutely call his life his own. With the exception of Christ's, every man's life is borrowed; he is a tenant at will, and not from year to year, but from breath to breath. But Christ's life was absolutely his own.
2. He had an absolute control over it. Not merely it was his own, but he could dispose of it as he wished. "No one taketh it from me."
3. His death was purely voluntary.
4. His death wets purely vicarious. Every-man must die for himself. It is the debt of nature. But Christ had no debt of his own to pay. He came under the law of death to pay the debts of others, and. redeem them from the curse.
III. HIS DEATH CALLED FORTH THE SPECIAL COMMENDATION OF THE FATHER. "Therefore doth," etc. For this:
1. As it was for the noblest purposes. "That I might take it again." These purposes were:
2. As it was the fulfillment of Divine will.
3. As it was a special act of obedience to the Divine will.
4. Jesus throughout was ever conscious of his Father's approbation. This was felt:
LESSONS. We have here:
1. The highest example of pastoral fidelity and devotion.
2. The highest example of a noble and self-sacrificing life.
3. The highest example, of filial obedience.
4. The royal road to God's special approbation. Follow the footsteps of Christ, in his self-sacrificing life, in his loving obedience; and this will result in our Father's special commendation and love.—B.T.