"By the which will we are sanctified through the _offering of the_ BODY _of_ Jesus Christ once for all" (Heb. x. 10).

"For by one offering He hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified"

(Heb. x. 14).

The Apostle Paul uses language equally explicit in Eph. v. 2:-"And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, _and given Himself for us_, _an offering_ and a _sacrifice to G.o.d_, of a _sweet smelling savour_." {46}

Having thus shown how, on the _principles_ of the _priesthood of Aaron_, the Lord Jesus had proved Himself to be a priest, although of the higher and more perfect order of Melchisedec-the order of righteousness and peace, and everlasting endurance-this epistle points out in a very conclusive manner the defects of the Mosaic inst.i.tutions, which were enjoined for a time only, to prepare the way, and lead up to the enduring realities of the Gospel of Christ. And here we cannot but notice again how completely the Christian mind of the author had pa.s.sed from all the Jewish prejudices and predilections of his former training, to regard everything in the light and spirit of Christ; while far from disregarding or repudiating that which he showed to be past, worn out, and abolished, he draws from it his most powerful arguments in favour of the New Covenant as required to complete the first, by making good its typical meaning, and securing to all who had pa.s.sed from earth to heaven under the provisions of the Law, those blessings which they had already entered on, upon the promise of the sacrifice of Christ to come.

"For the Law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto G.o.d" (Heb. vii. 19). That better hope is stated to be the "blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to G.o.d," purging our conscience, &c. (Heb.

ix. 13, 14)

"For the Law having a shadow (or shadowing forth) of good things to come, and not the very image (or substance and reality) of the things, can never by those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect" (Heb. x. 1). It was "therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens, should be purified with these, {48a} but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices {48b} than these" (Heb. ix. 23).

The pa.s.sage last quoted follows verse 22, which declares, "without shedding of blood is no remission" (See also Lev. xvii. 11). But if it was impossible that the blood shed under the law of Moses (Heb. x. 4), should take away sins, it is evident that other blood _must be_ shed of which that was typical, and which should be effectual for the purpose, agreeably to Heb. ix. 15, referring to Christ; "For this cause He is the Mediator of the New Testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first Testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance." In the former sacrifices there was a remembrance again made of sins every year (Heb. x.

3). But after the one Sacrifice for ever it is said, "their sins and iniquities will I remember no more" (x. 17).

"And having made peace _through the blood of His cross_, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself, whether things in earth or things in heaven" (Col. i. 20).

"In _the body of His flesh through death_, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in His sight" (Col. i. 22).

Thus we are given to understand that the sins of future generations, should be atoned by the one offering of Christ, as well as those of past generations, so that all generations alike owe their salvation to the one Mediator between G.o.d and man, Jesus Christ, in whom "all are made alive, and who is the one only hope of glory. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ shall all be made alive" (1 Cor. xv. 22) in such manner that if we are united to Him we partake of what is His, and shall find in Him all that we can need as a Saviour, Mediator, Intercessor, and Redeemer.

Nothing is of us; all from Christ. In Him is all the fulness of the G.o.dhead bodily (Col. ii. 9); full of grace and truth (John i. 14). All power is committed to Him in heaven and in earth (Matt. xxviii. 18). As maker and upholder of all things, blessings, spiritual and temporal, are in His hand (Heb. i. 2, 3); and in Him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Col. ii. 3), and "He is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto G.o.d by Him" (Heb. vii. 25).

Can we not now with reverent feeling enter into somewhat of the deep meaning of those few words of our Lord, "_That thus_ IT MUST BE" (Matt.

xxvi. 54)? and of that awful scene which had just pa.s.sed in the garden of Gethsemane, when He had thrice prayed-"_If it be possible_, let this cup pa.s.s from Me; nevertheless not as I will, but as Thou wilt"-when His soul was "exceeding sorrowful even unto death" (Matt. xxvi. 38, 39); and when "there appeared an angel unto Him from heaven strengthening Him (Luke xxii. 43); when His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling to the ground" (Luke xxii. 44).

The words referred to were spoken when Peter had made an attempt at resistance, and smitten off the ear of the High Priest's servant, who came with others to take Jesus, and when He had rebuked Peter, saying, "Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and He shall presently give Me more than twelve legions of angels? _But how then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled_ that _thus it must be_?" (Matt. xxvi.

5154). "The Lord" had "sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec" (Ps. cx. 4). And then to show that He needed not even the legions to rescue Him, but had still all power in His hands, when about to be "brought as a lamb to the slaughter"

(Isa. liii. 7), as soon as He had said to the band of men and officers who came with Judas to take Him, "_I am He_" they went backwards and fell to the ground (John xviii. 37), signifying that they had no power to touch Him until again encouraged by Jesus. And so at each step of His trial, mocking, scourging, until by wicked hands He was crucified and slain (Acts ii. 23)-it was: "Thou couldst have no power against Me except it were given Thee from above" (John xix. 11). At each step it was His voluntary submission to ignominy and insult, and a cruel death, that He might redeem us from death, and from the power of the grave and of h.e.l.l by His own blood.

CHAPTER IV.

TESTIMONY OF THE OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECIES TO JESUS CHRIST AS THE MESSIAH.

We have thus endeavoured to point out in how comprehensive a sense Jesus fulfilled the Law, so that one jot or one t.i.ttle should not fail or be lost.

The Apostle Peter, in the third chapter of Acts, says, "Those things which G.o.d before _had showed by the mouth of all His prophets_, that Christ should suffer, He hath so fulfilled" (ver. 18).

It was the beneficent design of our Heavenly Father that so many rays of light, pa.s.sing through varied channels, and spread over all past time, should concentrate upon Jesus as the Lamb of G.o.d that taketh away the sin of the world, that there might be no excuse for rejecting Him. Let us recall some of the princ.i.p.al pa.s.sages in which the Old Testament Scriptures refer to our Lord and His kingdom.

1. His coming was prophesied from the fall of Adam and Eve, in the Lord's address to the serpent, thus, "The seed of the woman shall bruise thy head, but thou shalt bruise his heel" (Gen. iii. 15), a prophecy obscure at first, but abundantly explained by subsequent history and prophecy.

2. The promise was made to Abraham and renewed to Isaac and Jacob, that in their seed, all the families of the earth should be blessed (Gen. xii.

3, xxii. 18, xxvi. 4).

3. The family of Jacob was chosen to be a peculiar people to the Lord.

Laws, sacrifices, and inst.i.tutions were given them to be as a schoolmaster to lead them to Christ, and it was declared the sceptre "shall not depart from Judah until Shiloh come" (Gen. xlix. 10).

4. As time progressed the covenant was further confirmed and limited to the tribe of Judah, and the family of Jesse, and, again, of David.

5. The _time_ of the Messiah's advent was closely indicated by the prophecy of Daniel; seventy weeks of years, or 490 years from the rebuilding of Jerusalem (Dan. ix. 24, 25).

It was to be during the continuance of the second Temple, and when there should be a general expectation and desire in all nations for Him (Hag.

ii. 69). He would be preceded by a forerunner, who would prepare His way (Mal. iii. 1).

6. The _place_ of His birth was pointed out by Micah (v. 2) as Bethlehem of Judah. He was to be born of a virgin, and called Immanuel-"G.o.d with us" (Isa. vii. 14). He was to commence His teaching in Galilee (Isa. ix.

1, 2).

7. The _character_ of His mediatorial coming; His humble origin; His lowly, suffering life, and His cruel death-were described with singular accuracy by the Prophet Isaiah;-as well as the ultimate glory of His Kingdom and reign. And the Psalms abound in references to the sufferings of Christ, often spoken as of David, but having their full accomplishment in Him who was emphatically "the Son of David."

It was natural that the _worldly-minded Jews_, in antic.i.p.ating their Messiah, and looking for one greater than Solomon, should expect to see one exceeding him, not only in wisdom, but in that outward display of wealth and grandeur which the world so much admires, as indicating the royal power and pomp of kings. But it was not so to be: "He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground; He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see Him there is no beauty that we should desire Him." He would bear our griefs and carry our sorrows while He was "despised and rejected of men," and numbered with the transgressors (Isa. liii.).

He should be the mighty G.o.d, the Everlasting Father (Isa. ix. 6), whose goings forth have been from of old-from everlasting (Micah v. 2). "A prophet like unto Moses, him shall ye hear" (Deut. xviii. 15, 18).

8. Subsequent to the close of the Old Testament prophecy, some very remarkable incidents marked, to the believing Jews, the near approach and the actual coming of their Messiah.

The angel Gabriel appeared to Zacharias as he ministered in the priest's office, to announce the approaching birth of John the Baptist, who should "go before, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord" (Luke i. 17).

This visitation was made on a very public occasion, on the great Day of Atonement, while "the whole mult.i.tude of the people were praying without at the time of incense" (Luke i. 10). The angel Gabriel appeared also to the Virgin Mary to tell her that she should be blessed among women in giving birth to the Messiah (ver. 28), and "all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judea" (Luke i. 65).

_The actual birth_ of our Lord was next announced by an angel to the shepherds, saying, "Unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord" (Luke ii. 11); "and suddenly there was with the angel a mult.i.tude of the heavenly host, praising G.o.d and saying, Glory to G.o.d in the highest and on earth peace, goodwill toward men"

(Luke ii. 14).

While G.o.d in His providence provides abundant evidence for the believing heart, yet it is not so redundant that none can reject it. It is the eye of faith which discerns G.o.d in prophecy, or providence, or nature, and the opening of that eye is the effect of grace in the heart, at first comparatively small and mixed with more or less of misgiving, as when Nathanael said, "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?" (John i. 46) but growing with the increase of Divine grace as when he was able afterwards to say, "Rabbi, thou art the Son of G.o.d, thou art the King of Israel" (John i. 49).

Let us consider two examples ill.u.s.trating this principle.

1. That of Simeon, a righteous and devout man, looking for the consolation of Israel, waiting for and expecting the fulfilment of prophecy, who finding the infant Jesus in the temple, received Him into his arms, and blessed G.o.d, and said, "Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy word; for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people; a light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of Thy people Israel" (Luke ii. 2931).

2. That of Herod, and the people of the Jews generally, when the wise men came to Jerusalem, saying they had seen the king's star in the east, and were come to inquire where he was to be born. The chief priest and scribes, who with the people generally were also in expectation of the promised Messiah, said he should be born in Bethlehem, and referred to the prophetic declaration in that respect; but their unbelieving hearts were aroused, and all Jerusalem was in an uproar, prepared to say, as they did at last, "We will not have this man to rule over us." Herod also, fearing a rival king, sent forth his soldiers to destroy the child, by killing with undistinguishing cruelty, all the children from two years old and younger.

In addition to the prophecies which marked the _descent_ of our Lord, and the _time_ and _character_ of His coming, there are numerous references made in the Old Testament to circ.u.mstances of His personal history while He dwelt amongst men.

He should preach good tidings unto the meek, bind up the broken-hearted, proclaim liberty to the captive, and comfort all that mourn (Isa. lxi. 1, 2).

He should open the blind eyes, unstop the deaf ears, make the lame to leap as a hart, and the tongue of the dumb to sing (Isa. x.x.xv. 5, 6; xxix. 18).

He should feed His flock like _a shepherd_ (Isa. xl. 11); "I will set one _shepherd_ over them, even My servant David" (Ezek. x.x.xiv. 23). "A king shall reign and prosper, and this is the name whereby He shall be called, the _Lord our Righteousness_" (Jer. xxiii. 5, 6).

He was "to be a priest for ever, after the order of Melchesidec" (Ps. ex.

4). "He shall be a priest upon His throne" (Zech. vi. 13).

He should be for a "sanctuary" (Isa. viii. 14); a "rock and place of refuge" (Ps. xci. 1).