[In three days I will raise it up.] This is a prophecy of our Lord's resurrection. Bat it is a very remarkable one, from the fact that our Lord distinctly asserts His own power to raise Himself up. It is like the expression, '' I have power to lay down my life, and I have power to take it again." (John x. 18.) Both the expressions deserve particular notice, because many now-a-days assert that our Lord's resurrection was owing to the operation of God the Father and of G-od the Holy Ghost, and that He did not rise by His own power. This is a dangerous heresy. That the Father and the Holy Ghost co-operated in the resurrection of our Lord's body there can be no doubt. It is clearly 'taught in many places. But to say that our Lerd did not raise his own body, is to contradict the text before us, and the other which has been already quoted.
Hurrion, quoted by Ford, observes, '* The efficient cause of Christ's resurrection was the infinite power of God, which being common to all the Persons m the blessed Trinity, the resurrec- tion is sometimes ascribed to the Father, sometimes to the Son, and sometimes to the Holy Ghost. Christ's being raised by the Father and the Spirit is not inconsistent with His raising Him- Belf ; for ' what things soever the Father doeth, these also doeth the Son,' (John v. 19,) for being one in nature, they are also one in operation."
The questions naturally arise in many minds, Why did Jesus not work some miracle at once, as a sign, to convince the Jews ? Why did He not at once proclaim Himself the Mes.siah ? Why did he give the Jews so dark and mysterious a reply as the one before us? — The answer to these questions is this. For one thing we must remark, it was a leading principle in our Lord's dealings with men, not to force conviction on them, but to speak to them according to what He saw was the state of their hearts. He answered fools according to their folly. (Prov. xxvi. 5.) If He had given the Jews a more direct reply. He knew that it would have brought His ministry to an abrupt end, and would have led to His being cut off before the time. — For another thing, we must remember, that however dark our Lord's saying seemed when it was spoken, it did in effect tell the Jews of the greatest and most im'oortant sign which could be given them as a proof of His Messiahship. It told them of His future resurrection. It was equivalent to saying, "You ask me for a sign, and I will give yon one. I will rise again from the dead the third day after my crucifixion. If I do not so rise from the dead, you need not believe that I am the Messiah. Bat if I do so rise, you will be without ex juse if you do not beUeve on me." In effect our Lord staked the truth of His mission on His resurrection. He did the same when He said that He would give the Jewish nation no sign but that of the prophet Jonas. (Matt. xii. 39.) When