the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again."
The events here announced must have sounded strange to the disciples. To be told that their beloved Master, after all His mighty works, would soon be put to death, must have been heavy tidings and past their understand- ing. But the words which convey the announcement are scarcely less remarkable than the event : " He must suffer — -He must be killed — He must rise again."
Why did our Lord say " must ?■" Did He mean that He was unable to escape suffering — that He must die by compulsion of a stronger power than His own ? Im- possible. This could not have been His meaning. Did He mean that He must needs die to give a great example to the world of self-sacrifice and self-denial, and that this, and this alone, made His death necessary ? Once more it may be replied, " Impossible." There is a far deeper meaning in the word " must" suffer and be killed. He meant that His death and passion were necessary in order to make atonement for man's sin. Without shed- ding His blood there could be no remission. Without the sacrifice of His body on the cross, there could be no satisfaction to God's holy law. He "must" suffer to make reconciliation for iniquity. He " must" die, because without His death as a propitiatory offering, sinners could never have life. He " must" suffer, because without His vicarious sufferings, our sins could never be taken away. In a word, He " must" be delivered for our offences, and raised again for our justification.
Here is the centre truth of the Bible. Let us never forget that. All other truths compared to this are of