to which we have to submit compared to the insults which were heaped on our Master P Yet "when He was reviled He reviled not again. When He suffered He threatened not/' He left us an example that we should walk in His steps. Let us go and do likewise. (1 Peter ii. 21—23.)
We shoidd notice, secondly, in these verses, the strik- tng prophecy tphich our Lord delivers about His oum coming glory. He says to His insulting enemies, *' Hereafter shall Ijie Son of man sit on the right hand of the power of God." Did they find fault with His lowly appearance, and want a glorious Messiah P They would see Him in glory one day. — ^Did they think He was weak, powerless, and contemptible, because at present there was no out- ward majesty about HimP They would behold Him one day in the most honourable position in heaven, folfiUing the well-known prophecy of Daniel, with all judgment committed to His hands. (Dan. vii. 9, 10.)
Let ns take heed that the future glory of Christ forms a part of our creed, as much as Christ's cross and pas- sion. Let it be a first principle in our religion, that the same Jesus who was mocked, despised, and (sncified, is He who has now " all power in heaven and earth," and will one day come again in His Father's glory with all His angels. We see but half the truth if we see nothing but the t^ross and the first advent. It is essential to our own comfort to see also the second advent, and the crown. That same Jesus who stood before the bar of the high priest and of Pilate, will one day sit upon a throne of gloiy and summon all His enemies to appear before Him. Happy is that Christian who keeps steadily before his
444 EXP06nx)BT thoughts.
mind that word " hereafter 1 " Now in this present time believers must be content to take part in their Master's sufferings and with Him to be weak. " Hereafter " they shall share in His glory, and with Him be strong. — ^Now like their Lord they must not be surprised if they are mocked, despised, and disbelieved. " Hereafter " they shall sit with Him on the right hand of God.
We should notice, lastly, in these verses, tchat a fall and hold confemon our Lord makes of His oum Messiahskip and divinity. We read that in reply to this question of His enemies, "Art thou the Son of God," — "He said unto them. Ye say that I am." The meaning of this short sentence may not be clear at first sight to an English reader. It signifies in other words, " Ye speak the trutL I am, as ye say, the Son of God."
Our Lord's confession deprived His enemies of all excuse for unbelief. The Jews can never plead that our Lord left their forefathers in ignorance of His mission, and kept them in doubt and suspense. Here we see our Lord telling them plainly who He was, and telling them in words, which would convey even more to a Jewish mind than they do to ours. And yet the confession had not the least good effect upon the Jews ! Their hearts were hardened by prejudice. Their minds were darkened by judicial blindness. The veil was over the eyes of their inward man. They heard our Lord's confession unmoved, and only plunged deeper into the most awful sin.
The bold confession of our Master upon this occasion, is intended to be an example to all His believing people. Like Him, we must not shrink from speaking out when occasion requires our testimony. The fear of man, and
tUKE, CHAP. XXII. VER. B3 — 71. 445
the presence of a multitude, must not make us hold our peace. (Joh xxxi. 34.) We need not blow a trumpet before us, and go out of our way, to proclaim our own religion. Opportunities are sure to occur in the daily path of duty, when, like St. Paul on board ship, we may show "whose we are and whom .we serve.'* (Acts xxvii. 27.) At such opportunities, if we have the mind of Christ, let us not be afraid to show our colours. A. confessing Master loves bold, uncompromising, and confessing dis- ciples. Them that honour Him by an outspoken, courageous testimony, He will honour, because they are walking in His steps. "Whosoever," He says, "shall confess me before men, him will I confess before my Father which is in heaven." (Matt. x. 32.)
Notes. Luke XXII. 63—71.
63. — [Moched Him, Sc!] We must understand that this took place after our Lord's first examination hefore the priests, of which St. Luke gives no account. That there were two separate ex- aminadonS) will be seen in the next note.
66. — \_As soon as it was day.] Some little explanation is necessary at this point in St. Luke's history of our Lord's passion. It is clear, from the account of the evangelists Matthew and Mark, that as soon as our Lord was taken prisoner, He was brought at once before Caiaphas, the high priest, and examined. — It is also clear from the same evangelists, that Peter's thrice-repeated denial of his master took place after this examination. — How then are we to explain the fact that St. Luke speaks of St. Peter's denial, as having taken place before any examination of our Lord at the High Priest's bar?
The most satisfactory reply to this inquiry, is the explanation given by Gerhard, Scott, Burgon, and Stier. They maintain that after the council had condemned Jesus the first time, they separated, and met a^ain early in the morning, and that the words used by St. Luke, " as soon as it was day," refer to this second meeting of the council. — "Nor is it improbable," says Scott, ''that the high priest should again put the same questions to our Lord, as he had done the night before ; both to see, whether he would stand to what he had said, and also that such members of the council as had been absent, might hear his answers."
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