▼ed " therefore that 8o it should he. If Christ had not suffered and risen again, Scripture would not have heen fulfilled. The chief reference here, no douht, is to Isaiah liii. Psakn xxii. and Dan. ix. 26.
[Rise from the dead the third day.] The question has been raised here, "Where does the Old Testament say that Christ should rise again the third day f " Fearce remarks that it does not appear, unless in Hosea vi. 2, and Jonas i. 17. — I am not however convinced that either here or in 1 Cor. xv. 4, it was intended that we should lay stress on the third day, in under- standing the sentence. The meaning of the verse seems to me to be simply, "that it was written, and was therefore necessary, that Christ should suffer and rise again.'* I cannot see that the sense obliges us to find an Old Testament prediction about the third day. Even if it did, I feel no doubt that there are more passages to prove it than any one has yet discovered. Ther» is a depth of meaning in the Old Testament, I suspect, with refer- ence to Christ, which no one has yet fully fathomed.
47. — [And that.] The governing words here, we must remember, are still, " it is written, and was therefore necessary that," &c.
[Repentance and remission of sins^ These words are a brief summary of the main doctrines of the Gospel. The necessity of repentance, and the possibility of remission, — the willingness of God to grant repentance unto life, and the full provision made by Christ for the pardon of man's sins, were to be proclaimed and published like a notice given publicly by a herald. And all was to be done " in Christ's name." That expression is the leading one in the whole sentence. It signifies, " By the authority of Christ," and " Through the merit and mediation of Christ." Both ideas are included.
No Christian teaching, be it remembered, is scriptural and sound, which does not give the principal place to these two great doctrines.
[Among all nations^ The Greek words here would be equally well translated, "Among all Gentiles." And considering? that "Jerusalem" is brought in at the end of the verse, it is highly probable that this was the idea intended to be conveyed. The Gospel was to be preached to Gentiles as well as Jews.
[Beginning at Jerusalem^ This expression taught two things. One was, that the apostles and first preachers of the Gospel should not shrink from offering salvation to the worst and great- est sinners. They were not to regard even the city where their Master was crucified as hopelessly wicked, and too bad to be benefited by the Gospel. The result showed that this command was not given without cause. The greatest triumph ever won by the Gospel, perhaps, was the conversion of three thousand
LUKE, CHAP. mv. VEK. 44 — 49. 523
Jerusalem hearers on the day of Pentecost. — ^The other lesson was that the first offer of salvation should alwavs he made to the Jews. Hardened, unhelieving as they were, they were still " heloved for the Father's sake," and were not to he despised. (Rom. xi. 28.)
The Acts of the Apostles, in instances too many to he quoted, as well as St. Paul's words in the Epistle to the Romans, (Rom. i. 16.) show how faithfully the apostles discharged the duty of preaching to the Jews.
The duty of Christians to care specially for the souls of Jews seems plainly pointed out in the expression hefore us.
Let it be noted, that the conclusions of Peter's two first ser- mons at Jerusalem, in Acts ii. and iii., exactly carried out the command of the verse hefore us. He preached " repentance and remission in Christ's name."
48. — [Te are witnesses of these things.] The ** things " here spoken of must he the '* things concerning Himself," which our Lord had just been expounding.
The office which the first disciples, and, after them, all ministers and believers were to fill, is stated in the word " witnesses."
Stier remarks, " It is not the Lord's will to appoint and send forth orators, or enthusiasts, or even simple teachers, but before all, and in all, witnesses. The idea contained in Luke i. 2, ' which from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word,' is here found once more."
49. — [/ send the promise of my Father.] This expression means the Holy Ghost, whom the Father had promised in the Old Testament prophecies to send, and who came down on the day of Pentecost. (See Isai. xliv. 3 ; Joel ii. 28 ; Jerem. xxxi. 83 ; Ezek. xxxvi. 27.)
Let it be noted, that our Lord here speaks of "sending the Holy Ghost." We see in this His equality and unity with God the Father. We also see that the Holy Ghoat proceeds from the Son, no less than from the Father.
Let it be noted, that the Holy Ghost is evidently a Person, and not an influence. The words " I send " can only be used of a " person."
Let it be noted, that our Lord says, " I send," — ^not " I will Bend." This shows the certainty of the coming of the Holy Ghost, and the speedy approach of His coming. May it not also show that even from the very time at which our Lord spoke, the disciples would begin to receive grace and power from the Holy Ghost?
i Tarry ye in the city.,. until, dc] This expression is remark- e. It seems to denote that our Lord woula have His disciples