The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 570

thing tb11t is strange in this. These men were genuine. There could not be any affectation in their question. .A real, live fear came over them at Jesus' prophecy. .And it was a good sign, no doubt, that the first thought of each of them was about the possibility of his own sins." This, however, is what lies on the surface; closer study of char11eter reveals something thnt is not eo commen<lable. The turning of these dis- ciples to question their Lord concerning themselves illustrates the constant disposition of men to shift their responsibilities, and especially the responsibility of searching into and duly appraising themselves. No doubt, self-examination is difficult work, unplea- sant, humbling work; but if a man is to be a man, he will have to do it. Over the Greek temple they wrote, "Know thyself." It is man's hanlest, it is man's noblest, work. l. REFERENCE TO CHBIBT OF WHAT WE CANNOT DECIDE OURSELVES IS GOOD. H would have been all right if these disciples had done a little self-examination first, and then, bewildered and uncertain, had sought their Lord's help. Instead of that, impulsively, inconsiderately, exciting one another, hardly knowing what they said, they all said the same thing at once. II. CHRIST WILL BE BURE TO THROW SUCH QUESTIONERS AB THESE BACR ON THEM• BELVEB. There was no answer fo,r each one. There was a general answer for all. " He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish." But they all did that. That told nothing save to a very keen observer, who might notice that Judas's hand went into the dish at the same moment as the hand of Jesus. Jesus, in effect, bade them ask themselves the question which they were so impulsively asking him. ill DISCIPLES MIGHT HAVE ANSWERED TREIB QUESTIONS THEMSELVES. Suppose they had begun to examine their own motives, what would the eleven have found? and what would Judas have found? The eleven might have gained satisfaction; for treachery was no natural fruitage of the relations in which they were standing with their Master.-R. T. Ver. 28.-Blood for remission. "This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins." The word "covenant," not "testament," is almost everywhere the best equivalent for the Greek word. It is manifest that our Lord was using a figure of speech. The liquid in the cup was wine, not blood; our Lord made it represent his blood-the outpouring of his life-which was to be the seal of the new covenant. This is a subject whose treatment must depend on the theo- logical school to which the preacher belongs. The suggestion now made is not intended to fit to any theories, nor is it antagonistic to any other views. It is but one of the sides of a many-sided subject; but it is possible that it may prove suggestive and helpful to some minds. The incident recalled by our Lord's figure is en.Jently that recorded in Exod. x.xiv. 4-8. Moses sealed the covenant between God. and the people by sprinkling the representative pillars and altar with blood, which involved the life of a victim. So Jesus undertook to negotiate between God and the people, in order to secure the remission of sins. He conducted that negotiation; he brought it to a satisfactory conclusion; he secured the acceptance of the covenant; he sealed it, signed it, in the name of God and in the name of man, with his own blood. Jesus was the Mediator of the new covenant, as Moses had been mediator of the old. Moses could not seal hie covenant with his own blood. He sea.led it with the representative blood of living creatures. Jesus could, and did, seal his covenant with his own blood. He could, for God and for man, pledge life upon faithfulness. I. COVENANTS BETWEEN Goo AND HAN ABE ll.ADE TllBOUGH MEDIATOBS. See cases -Noah, Abraham, Moses. So Christ mediated a covenant. II. CoVENANTB INVOLVE THE TAKING OF MUTUAL PLEDGES. In the new covenant, the pledge on God's side is forgiveness and life; on man's side, the obedience of faith. Christ took the pledges, both in the name of God and in the name of man. III. BLOOD WAB THE PBOPEB BEAL OF TIIE COVENANT. It meant the dedic11tion of the life to faithful keeping of the covenant. Christ stamps the seal in his bloodshed• ding; his yielding life in keeping covenant. IV. DBINKING THE WINE IB SYMBOLICAL BENEWAL OP COVENANT, This is needed only on man's side. We take, ever afresh, the solemn pledge that we will stand to the covenant Christ baa m11de in our name.-R. T.  6i6 THE GOSPEL ACCOilDING TO ST. MATTIIEW. [oR, xxv1. 1-75.