Evening, January 16
Go To Morning Reading
“The Messiah shall be cut off, but not for himself.”
Daniel 9:26
Blessed be his name, there was no cause of death in him. Neither original
nor actual sin had defiled him, and therefore death had no claim upon
him. No man could have taken his life from him justly, for he had
done no man wrong, and no man could even have lain him by force unless
he had been pleased to yield himself to die. But lo, one sins and
another suffers. Justice was offended by us, but found its satisfaction
in him. Rivers of tears, mountains of offerings, seas of the blood
of bullocks, and hills of frankincense, could not have availed for
the removal of sin; but Jesus was cut off for us, and the cause of
wrath was cut off at once, for sin was put away forever. Herein is
wisdom, whereby substitution, the sure and speedy way of atonement,
was devised! Herein is condescension, which brought Messiah, the Prince,
to wear a crown of thorns, and die upon the cross! Herein is love,
which led the Redeemer to lay down his life for his enemies!
It is not enough, however, to admire the spectacle of the innocent
bleeding for the guilty, we must make sure of our interest therein.
The special object of the Messiah’s death was the salvation of his church; have we a part and a lot
among those for whom he gave his life a ransom? Did the Lord Jesus
stand as our representative? Are we healed by his stripes? It will
be a terrible thing indeed if we should come short of a portion in
his sacrifice; it were better for us that we had never been born.
Solemn as the question is, it is a joyful circumstance that it is
one which may be answered clearly and without mistake. To all who
believe on him the Lord Jesus is a present Saviour, and upon them
all the blood of reconciliation has been sprinkled. Let all who trust
in the merit of Messiah’s death be joyful at every remembrance of him, and let their holy
gratitude lead them to the fullest consecration to his cause.