suffer these things. How could Peter take upon him to say, "this shall not be unto thee"? Because he thought such sufferings inconsistent with the power and glory of the Messiah. Did not Peter and his fellow apostles yet see the necessity for the Messiah to suffer and to die? No. When did they fully understand the necessity and design of the death of Christ? When the Holy Spirit was poured out upon them, after our Lord's resurrection. Can you show the necessity and design of our Lord's death? why was it necessary? 1. To fulfil the Scriptures concerning him.* 2. To atone for sin.† And, 3. To glorify the perfections of God.1 Did the death of Christ render God merciful, or dispose him to show mercy? No; it was owing to the mercy of God, that he spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all.§ Is the character of God, the Father, more merciful since the death of Christ, than before? No; that cannot possibly be, Is He less just or less holy in his administration than he was before the death of Christ? No; He ever is and ever must be perfectly just, and perfectly holy. Is sin as displeasing to him now, as it was before the death of Christ? Undoubtedly. If, then, the Ideath of the Lord Jesus Christ has not rendered the Almighty more merciful, or less just, or less opposed to sin-what has it done? It has opened the way for our pardon and acceptance, without any disho + Heb. ix. 26. Luke xxiv. 26, 27. Rom. iii. 25, 26, "righteousness" is here used in the sense of justice, Rom. viii. 32. nour to the law of God. If we had been par doned without an atonement, would that have cast dishonour upon the law of God? Yes; and also upon his justice and holiness. What is the sen tence of the law against transgression? Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things written in the book of the law to do them.* Have you and I continued in all things written in the law of God? No; we have broken his law. And, by breaking the law of God, to what have we exposed ourselves? To the threatened curse. How can we escape that curse? Only through Jesus Christ, who, by his death, became a curse for us.t 23. Was it possible to dissuade our Lord from his purpose of suffering for sinners? No; "he turned and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me Satan." What is the meaning of "Satan"? See iv. 10. Why did our Lord call Peter an adversary? Because Peter would have persuaded him to lose sight of the great ends for which he came into the world. What were the great ends, to accomplish which the Lord Jesus came into our world? The glory of God, and the salvation of sinners. How were those ends to be accomplished? By the Son of God being obedient unto death Was Peter wrong in opposing our Lord's intimation of his sufferings? Yes. What more did Jesus say to him? "Thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that nour to the law of God. If we had been par doned without an atonement, would that have cast dishonour upon the law of God? Yes; and also What is the sen upon his justice and holiness. tence of the law against transgression? Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things written in the book of the law to do them.* Have you and I continued in all things written in the law of God? No; we have broken his law. And, by breaking the law of God, to what have we exposed ourselves? To the threatened curse. How can we escape that curse? Only through Jesus Christ, who, by his death, became a curse for us.† 23. Was it possible to dissuade our Lord from his purpose of suffering for sinners? No; "he turned and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me Satan." What is the meaning of "Satan"? See iv. 10. Why did our Lord call Peter an adversary? Because Peter would have persuaded him to lose sight of the great ends for which he came into the world. What were the great ends, to accomplish which the Lord Jesus came into our world? The glory of God, and the salvation of sinners. How were those ends to be accomplished? By the Son of God being obedient unto death Was Peter wrong in opposing our Lord's intimation of his sufferings? Yes. What more did Jesus say to him? "Thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men." What is an offence? A stumbling block, or obstacle. What are termed, in the New Testament, offences? Temptations to sin, or hindrances in the way of obedience. Was our Lord And hindered in his course? Not for a moment; but he would have been, if he had listened to Peter's advice. What are we to understand by "the things of God"? Such as are spiritual and eternal. what are "the things of men"? Such things as are earthly and sensual. What is it to savour the things of God? To have a taste for spiritual things. And what is to savour the things that be of men? To take delight in the honours and pleasures of this world. What spirit did Peter discover, on this occasion? A worldly spirit. How does that appear? He was unwilling that his Lord should suffer, and coveted for him the splendours of an earthly kingdom. Did not our Lord reprove Peter very severely, in thus calling him " Satan," or an enemy? Yes. Why did our gracious Redeemer speak so severely? Because a worldly spirit must be checked, or it will ruin the soul. 24. Whom did our Lord then address? "His disciples." Were any other persons present? Yes; Jesus had called the people unto him, with his disciples.* Why had our Lord called the people to him? That they, also, might learn an important lesson about discipleship. What was that lesson? "If any man will come after me, let him deny him Mark viii. 34. |