The last days of Jesus

Front matter

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Introduction

Ezekiel was required to bear tbe iniquity of Israel forty days, and forty days were granted to guilty Nineveh for repentance. At the opening of the New Testament, we meet it again in the duration of the fast and temptation of Jesus in the wilderness. And as his public ministry opened with this period of forty days, so it closes with the great forty days that elapsed between the resurrection and ascension, the most wonderful of them all.

It is perhaps impossible for us to understand all the reasons for the re-appearance of a particular number in this way. The mystical conjectures, and extravagant fancies of recent German writers show how easy it is to wander in the mist, and mistake a cloud for a crag, when we give loose to mere fancy in explaining facts. But there is at least one thing that is common to nearly all these periods of forty days. They were periods of preparation. The first forty days of Noah introduced the first great display of God’s wrath that was made to the world. The second ushered in the second great chapter of human history, the dealings of God with the race of man since the flood. The forty days of Moses prepared him for setting up his Divine Institute. The forty days on the banks of Jordan, prepared Israel for their entrance into the promised land. The forty days of Elijah were a proper prelude to the solemn scenes of Horeb, and the close of his prophetic ministry. The forty days allowed to Nineveh prepared them to avert the wrath of God by repentance. The forty days of fasting and temptation in the wilderness prepared Jesus to enter on his public work as Mediator. Hence when we reach the last forty days in this long series, we are prepared to find it a period of

INTRODUCTION*.

preparation for what was to follow. Such accordingly was the fact. It was an introduction to the opening of the New Dispensation, for it was spent by Jesus in “ speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.” It was to Jesus himself a season of preparation fbr the. glories of the ascension, and the return to heaven, when the everlasting doors were lifted up, to let the King of Glory in. And it was especially so to his disciples, for in the interviews accorded to them during this interval, they were fully instructed on many points concerning which they had hitherto been but imperfectly informed. And these forty days were the preparation for the wonderful scenes of Pentecost.

There are few ordinary readers of the Scriptures, who are aware of the riches of this portion of our Lord’s life on earth, or the number of important doctrines and principles that were brought to view during these interviews. There are few doctrines of the New Testament that do not come legitimately under the scope of this period of the life of Jesus. It furnishes to a remarkable degree an epitome of Christian doctrine and practice, even in the brief records we have of the facts. Doubtless there are many points that have not been recorded. The brevity of the record has left some things in obscurity, and created difficulties in the interpretation of this portion of our Lord’s life, that every careful reader has encountered. It is in the hope of drawing attention to this wonderful and rather neglected portion of the earthly life of Jesus, and of throwing some light on the various points included in it, that this volume has been prepared. In its preparation these difficulties have not been avoided, and whilst 1 *

INTRODUCTION.

all formal criticism and learned discussion have been omitted, as far as possible, yet the results of the most careful and laborious investigation have been embodied in the presentation of the successive subjects. There is one feature that may require some apology, as it is a departure from the usual method of treatment. It is the discarding of all attempts to make a harmony of the four records of the Apostolic commission. The difficulty of doing this has been felt by every student, and the marvel is, that we should not conclude that there was a reason for having four forms of this commission, and that it was never intended that they were to be clipped and mosaicked into one. The advantage of taking the facts as they stand, rather than trying to make a harmony of them, as is usually done, will appear in the sequel. The gospel is a harp with four strings, and the attempts to twist them all into one string really destroy the harmony, instead of creating it.

In the preparation of this work, use has been made freely of every available help, and especial obligation should be acknowledged to the writings of Grierson, Trench, Adams, J. A. Alexander, Stier, Bengel, and others, whose labours have been greatly useful in casting light on these wonderful interviews. Should Christians be led to study the life of Jesus with a new interest, to draw out the less obvious facts of his wonderful history, and to investigate the inspired writings with more care and satisfaction, the labour bestowed on the preparation of these pages, itself a delightful pleasure, will be richly rewarded.

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INTRODUCTION.

Chapter I. The Dark Hour Before The Dawn

The Picture — The Smitten Flock — Keeping the Sabbath — The Darkness ever before the Dawn. 13

Chapter II. The Dawn

The rising from the dead not recorded — Why ? The resurrection not witnessed by any mortal eye — Advantage to us of this arrangement — The dawn of the great morning. ... 19

Chapter III. The Angelic Annunciation

The great morning — The early visit — The angelic annunciation. I. The proof of the resurrection. The empty tomb —

The dilemma — The evidence complete. II. The importance of the resurrection. It set God’s seal to the Messiahship of Christ — It declared him divine — It opened the dark valley —

Its connection with justification, regeneration, holiness, and comfort to the sorrowing — The light cast on the believer’s grave from the place where the Lord lay 24

Chapter IV. The First Appearance — Love Weeping At The Sepulchre

The first appearance, why to Mary Magdalene — The order of events — The unspoken name — The two words — “ Touch me not” — The brother’s message. I. The spiritual mourner. The cause of spiritual gloom — The cure — The test — Rabboni. II. The natural mourner. The bereaved — The disappointed — • The fearful — The cure of all earthly sorrow.

Contents

CHAPTER Y.

TIIE SECOND APPEARANCE — OBEDIENCE REWARDED.

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Chapter VI. The Third Appearance — The Penitent Backslider

The gradation — Why appear first to Peter ? I. The successive steps of the backslider. (1) .An unsubdued will. (2) Undue self-confidence. (3) Neglect of prayer. (4) Neglect of warnings.

(5) Following Christ afar off. (6) Tampering with temptation —

The avalanche. II. The sorroios of the backslider. The look in the palace and the bitter weeping — The backslider’s musings —

The starless crown. III. The restoration of the baclcslider. The three steps — Penitence, Hope, Assurance — The two kinds of repentance. ...

Chapter VII. The Fourth Appearance — The Perplexed Doubters

The gradation. I. The circumstances. The sad disciples — The love of Jesus — The sin of unbelief — The key of the Old Testament — The burning of heart — Christ made known in breaking of bread. IL The lessons to the doubter. (1) Honest doubts in regard to the Divine origin of Christianity — “ It speaks to my heart.” (2) Doubts concerning doctrines. (3) Doubts regarding personal experience. (4) Doubts in reference to the Providential dealings of God. “ Abide with us.” ... 76

CONTENTS.

Chapter VIII. The Fifth Appearance — The Lord’s Day Evening

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The circumstances of this meeting — The physical properties of Christ’s risen body. I. The inauguration of the Lord’s Lay.

The Lord’s day is the Christian Sabbath — Its beautiful significance. II. The blessings connected with the Lord’s Lay by the words of Jesus. (1) Fears relieved — Why do we dread a spirit ? — w Peace.” (2) Faith confirmed — Evidences of the resurrection — Transubstantiation. (3) Light cast on the objects of hope — The same body that dies rises — The physical properties of the risen body — Recognition in heaven. (4) Errors corrected. (5) The Holy Ghost given. (6) Apostolic power. III. JThomas absent. Why ? — What he missed — Missing at the last. 90

Chapter IX. The Sixth Appearance — The Sceptical Disciple

The second Lord’s day — The dark disciple — I. The causes of the scepticism, of Thomas. (1) The original structure of his nature — Living in the shadow. (2) A wrong standard of belief — The credulity of unbelief. (3) Absence from the meeting of the disciples — God honours his appointed means. II. The consequence of his unbelief. Wretchedness of soul — The sceptic wretched, whether right or wrong. III. The removal of his scepticism. (1) The awaking of his faith by a sight of Christ. (2) The confession of his faith — Did he blaspheme ? (3) The personal

character of his faith. (4) The benediction of Jesus — Goethe. 106

Chapter X. The Seventh Appearance — The Shore Of Galilee

How the third meeting. I. The circumstances. The fishing party — The night of unsuccessful toil — The morning vision —

The fire on the shore and the food. II. The meaning of this scene. The pic-nic interpretation — Connection with the first miraculous draught of fishes — The meaning of the first miracle — “ Toiling all right and taking nothing” — The inefficiency of the pulpit — The difference of the miracles and their meaning —

The second miracle shadows the final glory of the Church —

The repast on the shore, its meaning — Lessons to the Church now on the sea — Comfort to the individual Christian. . 122

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XL

THE SEVENTH APPEARANCE — LOVEST THOU HE ?

PAOE.

Peter reinvested with the apostolic office — The fire of coals. I.

The Questions. (1) The name by which Peter was addressed.

(2) The two words for love. (3) The contrast with the other disciples. (4) The gradual relenting of Jesus to Peter. II.

The charges. Feeding and governing the flock — No primacy of Peter here — The girding of old age. III. Lessons from this scene. (l)The essence of the Christian life is love to Christ. (2)

The test of love is obedience — The German pastor and the picture. (3) Love to Christ is made perfect through suffering —

The girdings and carryings of the Christian — Not loving Christ — Maranatha 1.38

Chapter XII. The Seventh Appearance — What Is That To Thee ?

The walk on the shore — Silent love — uncertainty of tradition —

The breathing grave. I. The question. Peter’s possible motives. (1) A momentary pang of repining — The feelings of the afflicted — A target for the Almighty. (2) Mere curiosity — Intimacy of Peter and John — Anxiety to pry into the future — Wisdom of the veil that hides it. II. The answer. (1) The events of life ordered by the will of God — Predestination a doctrine full of comfort. (2) The Christian’s life on earth is a tarrying for the summons home — The aged and invalid — The Dairyman’s Daughter. (3) The cure of all anxiety for the future is the discharge of present duty — Follow Jesus. . . 153

Chapter XIII. The Eighth Appearance — The Five Hundred Witnesses

I. Place of this meeting. Probably the mount of transfiguration — Why in Galilee. II. Importance of this meeting. Thrice predicted — A meeting of the whole church then on earth — Preparation for coming conflicts by a revelation of Christ’s glory — Why some doubted. III. Comparative silence of scripture concerning it. Reason for this silence — The transfiguration, why so little alluded to — Meeting Jesus on earth — Meeting him hereafter in heaven 166

CONTENTS.

Chapter XIV. The Ninth Appearance — James The Lord’s Brother

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The three Jameses — James the Just, the brother of our Lord —

His character by Hegesippus — Apocryphal traditions — His childhood and Nazaritic dedication — Not a disciple of Jesus at first — His position in the church — The significance of this appearance to him — The silence of scripture — General teachings. 176

Chapter XV. The Tenth Appearance — The Apostolic Commission In Matthew

The place J erusalem and Olivet — The four forms of the commission — Why ? — Their distinctness — Meaning of the commission — Not the original authority to preach and baptize. I. Authority of the commission. The mediatorial kingdom of Christ — All power. II. The commission. (1) To make disciples.

(2) To baptize disciples — Subject of baptism — Baptismal formula — Trinity. (3) To teach disciples— Inspiration — The three offices of Christ. III. Encouragement. The presence of Christ — I am — “ All days” — Days of worship, of toil, of trial, and of death 187

Chapter XVI. The Tenth Appearance — Apostolic Commission In Mark

The difference between Matthew and Mark, just such as we would expect — The Roman gospel. I. The commission. Its extent —

Are infants excluded from baptism by its terms ? — The illogical inference — Why infants are not named in the commission —

The real warrant of the commission. II. The authenticating seals. The miracles of the soul. III. The consequences gf accepting or rejecting. The awful words — Eternity the only interpreter. 212

Chapter XVII. The Tenth Appearance — Apostolic Commission In Luke

Differences between Luke and the other evangelists — The Greek gospel. L The Holy Scripture the only final and unerring rule of faith and practice. Popery and infidelity— Jesus endorsing the scripture. II. The central doctrine of revelation, an atoning and suffering Messiah. The law, prophets, and psalms — The cross of Christ the centre of all human history.

III. A divine power needfxd to enable man to comprehend the gospel of Christ. “ Opening the understanding” — The new

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light. IV. The salvation of the gospel for all, however remote their habitation, or great their guilt. “All nations” — “ Beginning at Jerusalem” — Bunyan’s Jerusalem Sinner. . 222

Chapter XVIII. The Tenth Appearance — Apostolic Commission In Acts

The gospel of the Holy Ghost. I. Waiting for the promise of the Father. Gorgeous dreams of the kingdom — Curiosity about the future — Almanac makers of prophecy — Waiting for the vision — Creation groaning — How must we wait ? II. The promise of the Father. Meaning of baptism — Mode of baptism — The dispensation of the Spirit — Christ’s ascent the condition of the Spirit’s descent — Intercession of the Holy Ghost, how it differs from that of Christ. III. Effects of the fulfilment of the promise.

All Christians witnesses for Christ — Passive witnessing — Martyrs — Cecil and his mother, Addison — The unconscious witness. 236 CHAPTER XIX.

THE ASCENSION.

Why the Ascension is so little alluded to in scripture. I. The fact of the Ascension. (1) The time. (2) The place. (3) The attendant circumstances. II. The reasons for the Ascension.

(1 ) Tho Priesthood of Christ. (2) The entrance into glory after suffering. (3) To display his Divine nature. (4) Connection with the descent of the Holy Ghost. (5) His intercession. (6) Preparing a place for us. (7) Our forerunner and example — His Ascension the picture and pledge of ours. (8) Sitting at the right hand of God — The Pilgrim. • 255

Chapter XX. The Parting Promise

The lingering benediction. I. The appearance of the Angels. Angelic agency — Its reality and blessedness — Its nature. II.

The Angelic Message. (1) The rebuke — Gazing too long into heaven — “ Oh ! to be wi’ thee, Richie !” — Pining sinfully for heaven. (2) Tho comfort — “This same Jesus” — The unchanging Friend. (3) The warning — The second coming of Christ — The Old Testament Prophets — The New Testament Prophets — Why such obscurity around the time and manner of this coming — The great Epiphany — Conclusion — The fulness of instruction during the forty days — The coming Era — Signs of the times — The Pentecost of the future. .... 280

Chapter I. The Dark Hour Before The Dawn

The Picture — The Smitten Flock — Keeping the Sabbath — The Darkness ever before the Dawn.

* When we in darkness walk,

Nor feel the heavenly flame,

Then is the time to trust our God,

And rest upon his name.

Soon shall our doubts and fears Subside, at his control,

His loving-kindness shall break through The midnight of the soul.”

“ And there was Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulohre.” — Matt, xxvii. 61.

These words present to us a picture as suggestive as it is beautiful. As a mere picture, it is exquisitely lovely, so vivid is the outline and so impressive the grouping it presents. In the background stands the Holy City, beginning to grow still with the quiet of the approaching Sabbath ; and the mountains that stand round about Jerusalem, glowing in the light of the setting sun. As that light begins to fade away over the distant 2 ( 13 )

summits of the mountains of Moab, the last objects that it illumines are those in the foreground of the picture, — the two weeping Marys, as they sit with bleeding hearts, gazing on the closed and silent sepulchre of Jesus. As that dark and dreary night goes down over the battlements of the guilty City, the last forms that are visible to us, are those of these loving disciples, who are sitting in mute and motionless agony, looking through their tears on the grave of their crucified Master. It is often said that woman was “ last at the cross, and first at the sepulchre.” It should also be remembered that she was likewise last at the sepulchre ; that when Joseph, Nicodemus, and John had all returned to their homes, and when the infuriate rabble of the city might well be dreaded, even by men, that even then, as that awful night of the crucifixion came down upon the guilty city, the Marys were the last to leave the spot, where the Lord lay. Hence, as a picture of woman’s heroism, and woman’s fidelity, it is one of most exquisite and touching beauty.

But it is as suggestive, as it is beautiful. The weeping Marys, gazing on the silent sepulchre, are but a striking type of the rest of the disciples on that mournful and memorable evening. The Shepherd had been smitten, and the flock was scattered. It is very difficult for us, with the light we have, to understand the feelings of the disciples at that time, or appreciate their conduct. We see so clearly that Christ ought to have suffered these things, before entering into his glory, that we can hardly comprehend their bewildered and staggering state of mind at that period. They evidently did not understand either that Christ must die, or that his death was to be followed by a resurrection. These things had been announced to them, it is true, but they doubtless regarded them as symbolical, and could not think that he who had raised others from the grave must himself enter it. Hence when he was arrested, mocked, scourged, and crucified ; when the heavens grew dark, and the earth quaked, and all nature gave token of some fearful utterance of wrath, they were bewildered, and unable to see why Jesus should be the subject of such manifestations. They had painful misgivings that all was lost; that he in whom they trusted had for some unknown reason failed in the hour of trial, and been forsaken of God ; that all their fond dreams of the return of Israel’s ancient glory were now dashed, and they left lonely and orphaned, the victims of some strange delusion, or some fearful failure. They were realizing the first utterance of the prophet Isaiah, We did esteem him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted,” and had not yet reached the next, “ He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities,” and hence their souls were unutterably dark. They saw only the descending night and the unopened grave, and felt themselves in the valley and shadow of death, without the comforting rod and the supporting staff of the Shepherd.

Hence this Sabbath eve was the darkest that ever fell on the earth, since the closing of the gates of Eden. He who seemed to be the hope of Israel and the world, was cruelly murdered, and God appeared to have abandoned the church and the world to their fate. The dawn of the next morning brought no relief to their darkened souls. The stillness of the Sabbath must have had a sepulchral oppressiveness to their souls, for it could only remind them of the dead Jesus. Even to an ordinary mourner there is something grating in the bright sunlight and glad skies, so mournfully in contrast with the darkness of the sorrowing heart ; but to them with such a grief, having lost such a friend, under circumstances so unparalleled and appalling, the sweet light of the Sabbath must have seemed like a mockery of their gloom.

It is not unworthy of note, that in spite of the eager desire of the Marys to return to the sepulchre, “ they rested the Sabbath day according to the commandment.” With many the Sabbath is peculiarly the day for visiting the resting-place of the dead, and the cemeteries of our cities and villages are commonly thronged on that day by crowds of visitors, with many of whom it is to be feared affection for the dead is the least powerful motive for the excursion. It is often but part of that general disposition to take the time of the Sabbath for doing that which can be postponed during the week, and thus to save time which is money, by using time which is only holy. With many the Sabbath is the day for taking medicine, for visiting sick friends, for making up lost sleep, and for performing miscellaneous duties, that would cost more time than they are willing to give during the working days of the week. It is in touching rebuke of this effort to rob God of his time to do our own work, that we find the Marys resting on the Sabbath according to the commandment. We have no desire to see a Jewish austerity infused into the Christian Sabbath, nor is there the least danger of such an extreme. But we have a desire to see it observed as a day of holy rest, and neither as a day- which is saddled with the odds and ends of things for which men are unwilling to give the working time of the week, nor as a day in which release from the control and demands of labour gives a leisure that is used in education for hell, if it is not used for education for heaven. Between the Sabbath as a holy day, and the Sabbath as a holiday, we have no hesitation in making a choice ; and were it observed 2 * more frequently as the Marys did it, 11 according to the commandment,” men would more frequently enjoy such visions as they had, when the darkness of the sorrowing night gave way to the dawn of the blessed morning.

It will be seen that, in this time of deep gloom, the disciples were nearing the rise of a brighter light than had ever yet appeared on their path. Then, as ever since, God was bringing light out of darkness, joy out of sorrow, life out of death, pearls of the richest glory out of tears of the bitterest sorrow, and making the very facts that caused the sadness to be the means of working out the good. This is the Divine plan, and is needed in a world of sin, and ought not therefore to be regarded with surprise when it comes upon us. We shall find, as the disciples did, that the cloud is big with blessing and not with wrath, and that the darkest hour is that before the dawn.

THE DAWN.

Chapter II. The Dawn

The rising from the dead not recorded. Why ? — The resurrection not witnessed by any mortal eye — The advantage to us of this arrangement — The dawn of the great morning.

“ How calm and beautifnl the morn,

That gilds the sacred tomb,

Where once the Crucified was borne,

And veiled in midnight gloom !

Oh, weep no more the Saviour slain,

The Lord is risen — He lives again.”

“ In the end of the Sabbath as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, * * * behold there was a great earthquake ; for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow. And for fear of him the keepers did shake and became as dead men.” — Matt, xxviii. 1 — 5.

It is a remarkable fact, that the actual scene of the resurrection of our Lord, not only was not witnessed by any human eye, but is not recorded by any of the evangelists. This is a strikingfact, the significance of which is commonly overlooked. Indeed the fact itself has not been noticed, and yet it is a fact of no small interest. They record the closed grave, the watch, and the seal, on the evening of the sixth day. They then record the open and empty grave on the morning

THE DAWN.

of the first day, but that mysterious and stupendous event by which the grave was emptied is not recorded. It is announced immediately by the angels as having taken place, and afterwards established by the most unanswerable evidence ; but its actual occurrence is not recorded by any of the sacred writers. The omission is a very remarkable one, considering the momentous importance of the occurrence itself. Had these writers been inventing a fiction, such an omission would have been incredible. This fact being the main fact of the story, it would have been narrated with details of time and attendant circumstances in the most careful manner, so that all cavil should be excluded. But inasmuch as there was really no eyewitness to the fact itself, in its actual occurrence, they refrain from recording that occurrence, with a strict and scrupulous regard to historical accuracy that is very striking ; and that is one of those minute marks of absolute verity that would never occur to an inventor, but which, when brought to our notice, illustrates the conscientious and careful truthfulness of the writers in the most convincing manner.

The nearest approach to such a record is in the words of Matthew above, but this only records the opening of the grave by the angel, an event of which there were eye-witnesses in the keepers, but not the actual rising from the dead and coming

THE DAWN.

forth from the grave, of which there was no eyewitness. It is obvious from the record, that the resurrection must have taken place about the dawning of the day, and was perhaps coincident with the rolling away of the stone by the angel ; but this fact is matter of inference and not of record. Hence, to attempt a description of this sublime and stupendous scene, would be to attempt what the evangelists have not attempted, and to supplement the records of inspiration. A veil of deep mystery and awe is hung over the actual event, which it were presumption in us to endeavour to remove.

But the question may naturally be asked, Why was it thus left ? Why were the death and the ascension made to occur in the presence of witnesses, whilst the resurrection, an event that is declared to lie at the foundation of the whole system of Christianity, was witnessed by none? Why did not Christ rise in the presence of a crowd, as he had died, and thus compel their belief in his divine mission, and their recognition of his claims as Messiah?

It might be sufficient to reply, that it is no part of the scheme of redemption to compel belief, and that we have no right to either expect or demand more than sufficient evidence to warrant belief. And there were reasons of fitness that doubtless required that this august and awful scene should

THE DAWN.

take place, not in the presence of a clamorous crowd, but in the sublime solitude of that silent dawn, when the keepers were as dead men. But there is another reason usually overlooked, that has no small force. Whether it was so arranged for this special purpose, we will not affirm. Bat it is obvious that, by this arrangement, this fundamental fact of the Christian system, in which all have exactly the same interest, comes to all with exactly the same proof. To the first disciples, with the doubtful exception of Mary Magdalene, it was brought as it is to us, a matter of testimony supported by subsequent proof. The women were called to believe it on the testimony of the angels, the disciples on the testimony of the women, and the world on the testimony of the disciples. The women had subsequent corroboration of the testimony of the angels, the disciples of theirs, and we of the disciples ; but in each case, the first demand to believe is on the same ground, the testimony of competent witnesses, and not ocular demonstration. The subsequent proofs in the case of the women and disciples include this ocular demonstration ; but they were required first to believe on the testimony of competent and credible witnesses, just as we are, and not on the evidence -of their own senses. Hence it is apparent that in this fundamental fact, all are placed on the same level; and the only question that can be raised is

THE DAWN.

whether we possess corroborating proof of the testimony handed down to ns, that ought to satisfy us, and that by the ordinary laws of human belief warrant and require an assent. This will be discussed when we reach the testimony.