PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2
Arthur Lukyn Williams [1853-1943] · 606,924 words · 664 reading sections
The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 601
Vers. 26----,34.-Preparations for the Orucifixion. I. '1'1IE SOOUR<lING, 1. le had beien predicted. "I gave my back to the smiters," Isaiah said in the spirit of prophecy; and again, in words very solemn and very precious to sin-laden consciences "By his stripes we are healed." The Lord himself had told his disciple…
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III. THE WAY OF sonnows. 1. Simon of Oyrene. 'l.'he heavy cross was laid npon the Lord. " He, bearing hie cross, went forth," He was worn and wearied. 'l'he awful agony of Gethsemane, the cruel scourging, the many sufferings, bodily and mental, which in hie bleeeed love he endured for ue, had utterly exhausted his etre…
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but G0d himself. It mast involve issues deep-reaching and mystrrious, vory blessed and sacred, but very, very a~ful. And oh, it sets before us a lovo beautiful above all beauty, holy above al~ holiness, render, compassionate, intense, above all that our selfish hearts c:m conceive of sweet.est pity and most entire E…
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hie dleoiplee should take him down. They sat there and watched, whiling a.way the tedious hours with vulgar jest& and rough talk and idle games. Not for a. long time did the awful scene l;oucb their stem uncultured hearts. It seems to us a marvellous thing that that great sight should have had at first so little inflne…
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in silence; his followel'II must learn of their dying Lord the Christian lesson of mcok- n0ss. " When t.hou art reviled," says Chrysostom, "sot the sign of the cross' upou thine heart; think how the Lord upon the cross endured that cruel scorn, nnd learn of him.• The piiseers-by reviled him; tl1ey fulfilled unconsci…
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for tho Lord of rniture, whom man, hi& noblest creature, was thuR maltreatin.~. The eupernntuml blackneee of the eky figured the black wickedness of that fearful crimo. The great darkneee wrnpt the dying Lord like a funeral pall, hiding from unsym- pathizing oyee _that moat awful spiritual conflict by which the loving …
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Vers. 51-56.-Witness to the Lord's Divinity. I. THE WITNESS OF PORTENTS. 1. The 'rending ef the temple veil. " Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us." It may be that Christ, the Lamb of God, yielded up the ghost on the day and at the hour when they killed the Passover. It was the hour of evening prayer. The priests …
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Lord. 2. The earthquake. "The earth did quake, and the rocks rent." It might well be expected. Prodigies such ae these are nothing in comparison with that greatest of all wonders which bad just taken place. These lesser signs attested the tremendous power of that moral earthquake which the death of Christ would cause…
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the like. But Pile.te commanded the body to be delivered. He ha.n wMhed his handl! before consenting to the Saviour's death. Perhaps he thought that respect for the lifeless body might help, like that poor outward form, to atone for his guilt. 2. The sepulchre. The holy body was to receive no more innignities. It wa…
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HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Ver. 4..-Jwlas's C011j'ession. The wretched traitor got no satisfaction out of his crime, No sooner had he committed it than he was horrified at the enormity of the deed. Covetous as he was, he could not hold the blood-money, and he flung it down as though the very touch of it burnt his fi…
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rection WBB covered with the ignominy of failure, and hie patriotism was et&ined with the l&wlessness of brigande.ge, Yet he w&s chosen and Christ rejected. So intense was the passion of hate in the mob under the influence of their unprincipled lenders in the Jewish hierarchy I It is strange that any could hate the gra…
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Ii. 9). There is no merit in mere pain, but there is great honour in suffering for a noble en.use. Christ went further; he was more than a martyr. He drank a more bitter cup than any other man has tasted, and he took all this suffering upon him for the saving of the world. Such a crown of thorns worn for the good of ot…
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would be a we.sted e.nd miete.ken sentiment. How, then, should we to-day rege.rd tha crucifixion of our Lord? I. IT IS THE ?ONDEMNATION OF BIN. 1. Sin killed Christ. . (1) The immediate cauee was the wickedness of the Jews, who would not submit to bis reforming e.nd spiritual reign. Judas's treasou, Ce.iaphas's rag…
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dreadful consequences, by submitting to ite curse. Such feelings might blot out the vlaion of God for a season. IIL OBRl8T AS THE HOLY SoN 01!' GoD WAS UNUTTERABLY GRIEVED AT LOSING TBl!I OONSOIOUSNESS 01!' BIS FATHER'S PRESENCE. There are men who live without any thought of God, and yet this is no trouble to them. On…
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real duty and the sacred trust that is laid upon them ehowing a reasonable kindness in small things. But this cannot atone for their great, black wickedness. IV. THE MARYB AT THE TOMB. Sorrowful and loving, they sit and watch by the tomb. It is all they can do for their Lord, and they cannot bear to leave him, Their f…
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still God often thue speaks to men; and some woman's anxious look or word, or some child's innocent question, will give the conscience new strength or arm it with new weapons, The moments given to ponder this message are not neglected by the leaders. 'l'hey wind throu~h the crowd, and prompt the people to ask for Barab…
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The qnestion is-How WBS this belief produced? There arc three answers. (1) Tho ,fociples snw onr Lord alive after crucifixion, but he had nevel' been dead. (2) They only thought they saw him. (3) They did see him alive after being dead and buried. The first is scarcely worthy of attention,-it is so obviously inadequ…
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wns conquered by Pompey, and made tributary to the Roman~, yet it was not until about two years before this that it was made part of the province of Syria. Then the power of capital punishment was taken from the Jews. Surely the sceptre had now departed, nnd Shiloh must have come (see Gen. xlix. 10). Doubting whether t…
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"King of the Jews." (3) The true bonds which bound Jesus were those of hla wondrous love to man. Other bonds could not have held him, Ho suffered himself to be bound, that man might be loosed from the ba.nds of sin (see Prov. v. 22; Lam. i. 12-14). So likewise "by his stripes we are healed." 2. They could not purchas…
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King of the Jewe (see Luke xxiii. 2), He shrinks not from the avowal without explanation or qualification. He is King over Jews and Homans, over angels and devi!A, over heaven, earth, e.nd hell. (2) But he explains the spiritual nature of the kingdom he co.me there to establish (see John xviii. 33-37). While asserti…
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Ill. 'l'HE GOVERNOR IN THE JUDGMJ!:NT-IIEAT. 1. He lMI coovinced of the inno~ of Jesus. (1) His good sense showed him that nothing was proved against him. The best men often have be,·n accused of the 'Worst crimes. He saw that " envy" h11,d inst.igated the rulers. This is worse than hatred; for it is hatred without a c…
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hanged upon 1.1 tree was accounted accursed of God (cf. Gea. iii. 12-19; Dent. xx. 22, 23; Josh. viii. 29; x. 26, 27). Those curse-bearers were types of Christ (see Gal. iii. 13). (2) Crucifixion amongst the heathen ie trace,! back to the age of Semira.mis. H was cbioCTy inflicted on slnves; on free persons only when c…
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T's.lent to" Saviour." (2) "If thou a.rt the Son of God, come down from the cross." Had he not by many miracles proved himself the Son of God? Ho would not sa.ve himself by coming down from the cross, his !(racious purpose being to sa.crifice himself in order to save sinners. The sign he had given them was not his com…
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sentiment is put into the mouth of Dionysius the Areopa;Pte, who, witnessing a wonderful eclipse of the sun at Heliopolis, in Egypt, said to his friend Apollophanes "Either God himeelf suffers or sympathizes with the sufferer." ' II. BY THE BENDING 01' THE TEMPLE'& VEIL. 1. Thia also was preternat'll.ral. (1) The m…
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it to his mouth, but the kindness we.s interrupted by others who, in the same obdure.te spirit-, Mid, " Let be; let us see whether Elijah cometh to save him." 'l'he heart is desperately wicked. (4) The prodigies which followed made them IC smite theil' bNle.llts" (see Luke xxili. 48), The wicked will wail amid the conv…
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greo.t atone to the door of the tomb, they departed. God can find fit instruments for hie work. Hie providence ho.d reserved these two secret disciples for thi1 solemn duty. Secret disciples e.re more genero.lly employed in rendering service to tile body c,f <..:i,r.~r, dr material interests of his Church. (2) God h…
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heeitaui not "1e1D1elves to be busied with a work of malice on it. Neither do the? heBitat.e to procure soldiers to mount guard upon it. Again they !ay, "We remember, eto. Thus these base hypocrites made it evident that they well enough knew that the words of Christ, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will ra…
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have sinned," does but lightly pass the llps. Judas would have done it again, if he could have been sure of succeeding the second time. Remorse includes no self-revela- tion, no humbled feeling. There is anger with one's self, but not shame or humility. Bo there is no chance of betterment for a man while his feeling ke…
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au,1 accused him of every crime-maladministration, cruelty, and robbery." "Pilate understood their pretended zeal for the Roman authority." He may not have known the precise occasion for their strong feeling against Jesus ; but he saw plainly that it was a caae of malice Rnd revenge, and they were prepared to humiliate…
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Ver. 31.-0hrist as King of the Jews. It is not difficult to understand Pilate. He is a commonplace, and in no sense a complex character. His act in potting this inscrip- tion above Christ's head reveals the mean-souled man who, because he cannot have his way, will have his revenge in a paltry, petty way. Not an outrag…
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he bad saved anybody. To them his imposture and bis helplessness were llt onoe shown i.n this-" himself he cannot save." Those mockers were wrong every way. I. CHRIST DID BAVB OTHERS. Illustrate, by specimen cases, the following three points: 1. He did save from disability and disease. lie gave sight to the blind, anc…
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will. The will of Christ was eet, not on submission only, but on active obedience to the will of the Father. In Gethsemane the resolve had no present actual pain to battle with, only tho nnticipation of it. At Calvary the will wae borne upon by actnal intense, overwhelming, physical pain; it had to struggle to hold it…
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Ver. 6L-Womanly deuotWII,. "Last at the cross, first at the grave." It does not appear that the women dared do any more than watch our Lord's death, watch his taking down from the cross, and watch where they took his body. But that watching wa.-; devotion. They did not feel that the men could do what was really need…
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EXPOSlTION. sa.bbe.th, and Ohristian1 at first carrying c,n OHAPTER XXVIII. the same practice, as we see in Acts xx. 7; Vere. 1-10.-JeRU8 ri8e8 from tM dead, 1 Oor. xvi. 2. Later Christians named the and appear8 to tl1e holy women. (Mark xvi. days of the week in sequence from the Sun- 1-8; Luke xxiv. 1-12; John xx. …
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LRznrus the stone had to be removed t.o give angels were thronging around, n.nd one or e>xit to the resuscitRted body-a natural 0 more bece.me visible to certllin pcraons 61 body (John xi. 39, 41); in the 00.se of Jesus they were ce.pable of receiving spiritunl im- such remove.I we.s not necess1ny, as his we.s pre…
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nngol we.s e.t first not eeen by the women ; Cor. xv. 6), when he was seen by more t.han the.t Mnry Mo.gde.lene, observing the stone five hundred brethren at one timo, may l,av 9 removod, o.t once hurried to the city to tell occurred in Galilee. If this ia the CI\Ae, it Peter and John; thnt, the rest of the women would…
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held him by the feet (look hold of his feet). Into the city, in order to find the disolplea As soon e.e they ee.w him, they went to him and to deliver to them their Lord's message. with glad eurpriee, and yet with such awe, This eocount takes up the narrative of oh. that they oould only fall down before him xxvii. 6…
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answer inquiries in this wo.y. The le.et snob a oondemnntory lo.le. Beoure you· rirJ resource of e.n infatuated obstinacy I If they you of care. They promise the ~ard were asleep, how could they know the.t the indemnity and freedom from all penal con- disolples stole the body? St. Olirysoetom sequences. Pilate, however…
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nated at the time when Obrist appointed witnesses. We m11.y suppose that Jesus, who the meeting. Some have fixed on Tabor &B had been standing ap11.rt, now drew near to the scene of this revelation, others on the the company, so tb11.t 11.ll, espeoi11.lly the Mount of Beatitudes; bot where nothing ia doubting, might…
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propagation of the gospel 11 11 work for all Gholt. Our veniion follows the Vnlgate, ,,. in their aeveral apheres. Te11ch ; dooeUJ nomine, which does not give the right foroe (Vulgale). These are unfortunate render- to the expression. The phrase does not ings of the verb µa.811.,.,6,,.a.,,.,, which means, mean merely i…
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me.de." All mUBt be taught the {,'hrietie.u God andMe.n, who am (uot "will bo ")heuoe- faith e.nd duty, and how to obtain God's forward ever present among you, with you help to enable them to please him, and to as Companion, Friend, Guide, 811.viour, God. continue in the way of sRlvation, so that I am with you in al…
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rection of him whose cross had borne the tiUe which the Wise Men from the East had attributed to the holy Child Jesus. But if that sabbath had been a disturbed and anxious day to the enemies of our Lord, what must it have been to hi8 disciples? They had watched, some few of them, the awful scene on Calvary. Most of the…
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the likeness of his death, we shall be also hy the like:iess of hie resurrection." 2. The descent of the angel. The women had said among themselves, " Who shall roU us away the stone from the door of the sepulohre?" It was a task beyond their strength, and they were troubled. There was no need for their anxiety. So …
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moment, they saw the gracious form of their bellived Master; they looked once more upon that holy face, no longer stained with bluod or fixed in death, but gazing on them wHh hie wonted look of heavenly love in the full majesty of manifest Deity. "All hail I" he so.id; "rejoice I" l/'ear and joy were struggling in thei…
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he eaid, " Rejoice ! " May we share that holy joy I 6. They worshipped him. Let ua learn to worship here, that we may one day worship in heaven. Vers. 11-15.-The watch and the chief priests. I. TIIE REPOBT OP TIIB WATCB:l!lRB. 1. Thefr flight. They were all nghast with terror ; they knew not well what had hap- pene…
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sin. One sin forces a tnan (or seems to force him) to commit another; each wilful sin slrongthens the grasp of Satan upon hie soul, and brir,gs him nearer to that awful state when repentance becomes impoeeible. Let us bewarEJ, and take heed to ourselves. 3. The conduct of the soldiers. They did as they were taught, In…
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LESSONS. 1. Guilt conce&ls itself by falsehood. Hate sin, love the truth. 2. To offer bribes or to receive them is alike evil. Covetousness is idolatry. 3. The fact of the Lord's resurrection is incontrovertible. Let us cling to it as the ground of all our hopes ; let WI seek to realize its sp ritual power. Vers. 16-2…
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the Obrist, the Son of God ; and 1.hat believing we might have li(e through his No.me." 2. The mediaforial lcingdom. "All authority was given to me," said the risen Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, perfect God and perfect Man. It was given long ago in the eternal purpose of the blessed Trinity. It had been announced in…
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follow. Christ's apostlos, Christ's ministers, must teach, not by word only, but by holy example, and that continually, perseveringly. They must teach all thinga whatsoever the Lord oommanded; not merely this or that favourite doctrine, but the whole range of Scripture truth. They must keep nothing back, but "declar…
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h11s suggested that Mary Magdalene c11rried the body 11way 11nd hid it. Even if we can think the daring deed practically possible, psychologically it is impossible. Such an ugly fraud would certainly have been found out; for still the body would need to be disposed of. But in their despair none of the disciples were …
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Vers. 18-20.-'l?ie great commission. This is the grand missionary charter. Here i'B more than our justification for urging on missionaty work, more than our encourage- ment for maintaining it; here is our positive duty to evangelize the world. Let us look at the source, the object, and the encouragement of this grea…
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In the end all nations will be won, and "the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea."-W. F. A. Vera.1-10.-Le,eon, of the Rea!M'f'eceioo. The f'our evangelists concur in settina forth the three successive steps in the evidence by which our Lord's incredulou~ followers were at lengt…
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upon the watch. The BCCOunts in Mark and Luke may be harmonized to thia view, Then, deecending from the stone, he conducted them into the tomb, where they BBW a second angel, but otherwise a vacant sepulchre. "He is not here: for he is risen 0 I\S he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay," The stone was not r…
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(cf, A~te I. 15; 1 Oor.. xv, 6?, (5). He calls hie ~sciples hie "br_ethren." Here for the first time we find him usmg th1e condescend.fog and endeanng appellation. The Reeurreotion, which declared him the Son of God with power, declared also all the sons of God to bo his brethren. 'l'he spirit of the servant now gives …
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are with an aggravating epeed (soo Pa. lxu. 27). If the wicked give "large money" to promote a lie, the good should not give small money grudgingly to propagate the 88ving truth. (2) His confusion will be all the more signal. (a) The disciples were not likely to attempt the stealing of the body. For had they thought…
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inclu<lee three particulars: (1) 'The universe.I publication of the gospel. (2) Tb, baptizing of such ne ehoulll embrace it. (3) Their instruction in its doctrines and precept&. We she.II now direct particular attention to two points, viz.- I. 0oNBIDEB BAPl'ISM AB A BIGN OJ!' CHRIBTIAN DIBCIPLEBHIP. 1. Thi, it e,,inwJ…
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lllrth are the permanent members from amongst those that are visible (see Rom. ii. 28, 29). ~ut t~ey cannot be certainly_ known ;until the judgment. (3) The Ohurch ,)f the bapt1zed 1s a very noble corporat1on. It 1s a great honour to be connected with ,t. To be permanently so connected, we must have vital union with Ch…
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JI. 'l'mNK OF CALVARY. There the conflict was renewed. The first victory, which had been altogether oue of the soul, of feeling, must be yet again proved in a conflict whose main element should be bodily, physical suffering. Shame, weariness, pa.in, death-agony, all tested the reality of the triumph that had been ga…
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Ver. 13.-The helplessness of afodish excuse. If ever there was a foolish excuse offered, this was it. 11 they were Roman soldiers who composed the watch, everybody must have known it was untrue, for sleeping on duty was punished by death,. li they were part of the temple-guard, everybody would know that they had bee…
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body olse'a living after death, When a man dies his life-work {a done. He lives, but he cnnnot cnrry on his work. Moses dies on Mount Nebo; nay, Moses lives; but he cannot carry on his work, and lead Israel through into the Promised Land. The artist is visited by the angel of death with the half-finished picture on his…
867 wordsSource & rights
Public domain historical Pulpit Commentary. Source page identifies the volume as Public Domain; text extracted from its historical PDF.
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Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.