the desire of ages-第41节

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e　pattern；〃　even　Him　who　〃suffered　for　us；　leaving　us　an　example；　that　ye　should　follow　His　steps。〃　Heb。　8：5；　1　Peter　2：21。

The　words　of　Christ　teach　that　we　should　regard　ourselves　as　inseparably　bound　to　our　Father　in　heaven。　Whatever　our　position；　we　are　dependent　upon　God；　who　holds　all　destinies　in　His　hands。　He　has　appointed　us　our　work；　and　has　endowed　us　with　faculties　and　means　for　that　work。　So　long　as　we　surrender　the　will　to　God；　and　trust　in　His　strength　and　wisdom；　we　shall　be　guided　in　safe　paths；　to　fulfill　our　appointed　part　in　His　great　plan。　But　the　one　who　depends　upon　his　own　wisdom　and　power　is　separating　himself　from　God。　Instead　of　working　in　unison　with　Christ；　he　is　fulfilling　the　purpose　of　the　enemy　of　God　and　man。

The　Saviour　continued：　〃What　things　soever　He　＇the　Father＇　doeth；　these　also　doeth　the　Son　likewise。　。　。　。　As　the　Father　raiseth　up　the　dead；　and　quickeneth　them；　even　so　the　Son　quickeneth　whom　He　will。〃　The　Sadducees　held　that　there　would　be　no　resurrection　of　the　body；　but　Jesus　tells　them　that　one　of　the　greatest　works　of　His　Father　is　raising　the　dead；　and　that　He　Himself　has　power　to　do　the　same　work。　〃The　hour　is　coming；　and　now　is；　when　the　dead　shall　hear　the　voice　of　the　Son　of　God：　and　they　that　hear　shall　live。〃　The　Pharisees　believed　in　the　resurrection　of　the　dead。　Christ　declares　that　even　now　the　power　which　gives　life　to　the　dead　is　among　them；　and　they　are　to　behold　its　manifestation。　This　same　resurrection　power　is　that　which　gives　life　to　the　soul　〃dead　in　trespasses　and　sins。〃　Eph。　2：1。　That　spirit　of　life　in　Christ　Jesus；　〃the　power　of　His　resurrection；〃　sets　men　〃free　from

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the　law　of　sin　and　death。〃　Phil。　3：10；　Rom。　8：2。　The　dominion　of　evil　is　broken；　and　through　faith　the　soul　is　kept　from　sin。　He　who　opens　his　heart　to　the　Spirit　of　Christ　becomes　a　partaker　of　that　mighty　power　which　shall　bring　forth　his　body　from　the　grave。

The　humble　Nazarene　asserts　His　real　nobility。　He　rises　above　humanity；　throws　off　the　guise　of　sin　and　shame；　and　stands　revealed；　the　Honored　of　the　angels；　the　Son　of　God；　One　with　the　Creator　of　the　universe。　His　hearers　are　spellbound。　No　man　has　ever　spoken　words　like　His；　or　borne　himself　with　such　a　kingly　majesty。　His　utterances　are　clear　and　plain；　fully　declaring　His　mission；　and　the　duty　of　the　world。　〃For　the　Father　judgeth　no　man；　but　hath　committed　all　judgment　unto　the　Son：　that　all　men　should　honor　the　Son；　even　as　they　honor　the　Father。　He　that　honoreth　not　the　Son　honoreth　not　the　Father　which　hath　sent　Him。　。　。　。　For　as　the　Father　hath　life　in　Himself；　so　hath　He　given　to　the　Son　to　have　life　in　Himself；　and　hath　given　Him　authority　to　execute　judgment　also；　because　He　is　the　Son　of　man。〃

The　priests　and　rulers　had　set　themselves　up　as　judges　to　condemn　Christ's　work；　but　He　declared　Himself　their　judge；　and　the　judge　of　all　the　earth。　The　world　has　been　committed　to　Christ；　and　through　Him　has　come　every　blessing　from　God　to　the　fallen　race。　He　was　the　Redeemer　before　as　after　His　incarnation。　As　soon　as　there　was　sin；　there　was　a　Saviour。　He　has　given　light　and　life　to　all；　and　according　to　the　measure　of　light　given；　each　is　to　be　judged。　And　He　who　has　given　the　light；　He　who　has　followed　the　soul　with　tenderest　entreaty；　seeking　to　win　it　from　sin　to　holiness；　is　in　one　its　advocate　and　judge。　From　the　opening　of　the　great　controversy　in　heaven；　Satan　has　maintained　his　cause　through　deception；　and　Christ　has　been　working　to　unveil　his　schemes　and　to　break　his　power。　It　is　He　who　has　encountered　the　deceiver；　and　who　through　all　the　ages　has　been　seeking　to　wrest　the　captives　from　his　grasp；　who　will　pass　judgment　upon　every　soul。

And　God　〃hath　given　Him　authority　to　execute　judgment　also；　because　He　is　the　Son　of　man。〃　Because　He　has　tasted　the　very　dregs　of　human　affliction　and　temptation；　and　understands　the　frailties　and　sins　of　men；　because　in　our　behalf　He　has　victoriously　withstood　the　temptations　of　Satan；　and　will　deal　justly　and　tenderly　with　the　souls　that　His　own　blood　has　been　poured　out　to　save；because　of　this；　the　Son　of　man　is　appointed　to　execute　the　judgment。

But　Christ's　mission　was　not　for　judgment；　but　for　salvation。　〃God　sent　not　His　Son　into　the　world　to　condemn　the　world；　but　that　the

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world　through　Him　might　be　saved。〃　John　3：17。　And　before　the　Sanhedrin　Jesus　declared；　〃He　that　heareth　My　word；　and　believeth　Him　that　sent　Me；　hath　eternal　life；　and　cometh　not　into　judgment；　but　hath　passed　out　of　death　into　life。〃　John　5：24；　R。　V。

Bidding　His　hearers　marvel　not；　Christ　opened　before　them；　in　still　wider　view；　the　mystery　of　the　future。　〃The　hour　cometh；〃　He　said；　〃in　which　all　that　are　in　the　tombs　shall　hear　His　voice；　and　shall　come　forth；　they　that　have　done　good；　unto　the　resurrection　of　life；　and　they　that　have　done　ill；　unto　the　resurrection　of　judgment。〃　John　5：28；　29；　R。　V。

This　assurance　of　the　future　life　was　that　for　which　Israel　had　so　long　waited；　and　which　they　had　hoped　to　receive　at　the　Messiah's　advent。　The　only　light　that　can　lighten　the　gloom　of　the　grave　was　shining　upon　them。　But　self…will　is　blind。　Jesus　had　violated　the　traditions　of　the　rabbis；　and　disregarded　their　authority；　and　they　would　not　believe。

The　time；　the　place；　the　occasion；　the　intensity　of　feeling　that　pervaded　the　assembly；　all　combined　to　make　the　words　of　Jesus　before　the　Sanhedrin　the　more　impressive。　The　highest　religious　authorities　of　the　nation　were　seeking　the　life　of　Him　who　declared　Himself　the　restorer　of　Israel。　The　Lord　of　the　Sabbath　was　arraigned　before　an　earthly　tribunal　to　answer　the　charge　of　breaking　the　Sabbath　law。　When　He　so　fearlessly　declared　His　mission；　His　judges　looked　upon　Him　with　astonishment　and　rage；　but　His　words　were　unanswerable。　They　could　not　condemn　Him。　He　denied　the　right　of　the　priests　and　rabbis　to　question　Him；　or　to　interfere　with　His　work。　They　were　invested　with　no　such　authority。　Their　claims　were　based　upon　their　own　pride　and　arrogance。　He　refused　to　plead　guilty　of　their　charges；　or　to　be　catechized　by　them。

Instead　of　apologizing　for　the　act　of　which　they　complained；　or　explaining　His　purpose　in　doing　it；　Jesus　turned　upon　the　rulers；　and　the　accused　became　the　accuser。　He　rebuked　them　for　the　hardness　of　their　hearts；　and　their　ignorance　of　the　Scriptures。　He　declared　that　they　had　rejected　the　word　of　God；　inasmuch　as　they　had　rejected　Him　whom　God　had　sent。　〃Ye　search　the　Scriptures；　because　ye　think　that　in　them　ye　have　eternal　life；　and　these　are　they　which　bear　witness　of　Me。〃　John　5：39；　R。　V。

In　every　page；　whether　history；　or　precept；　or　prophecy；　the　Old　Testament　Scriptures　are　irradiated　with　the　glory　of　the　Son　of　God。　So　far　as　it　was　of　divine　institution；　the　entire　system　of　Judaism　was　a　compacted　prophecy　of　the　gospel。　To　Christ　〃give　all　the　prophets　witness。〃　Acts　10：43。　From　the　promise　given　to　Adam；　down　through

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the　patriarchal　line　and　the　legal　economy；　heaven's　glorious　light　made　plain　the　footsteps　of　the　Redeemer。　Seers　beheld　the　Star　of　Bethlehem；　the　Shiloh　to　come；　as　future　things　swept　before　them　in　mysterious　procession。　In　every　sacrifice　Christ's　death　was　shown。　In　every　cloud　of　incense　His　righteousness　ascended。　By　every　jubilee　trumpet　His　name　was　sounded。　In　the　awful　mystery　of　the　holy　of　holies　His　glory　dwelt。

The　Jews　had　the　Scriptures　in　their　possession；　and　supposed　that　in　their　mere　outward　knowledge　of　the　word　they　had　eternal　life。　But　Jesus　said；　〃Ye　have　not　His　word　abiding　in　you。〃　Having　rejected　Christ　in　His　word；　they　rejected　Him　in　person。　〃Ye　will　not　come　to　Me；〃　He　said；　〃that　ye　might　have　life。〃

The　Jewish　leaders　had　studied　the　teachings　of　the　prophets　concerning　the　kingdom　of　the　Messiah；　but　they　had　done　this；　not　with　a　sincere　desire　to　know　the　truth；　but　with　the　purpose　of　finding　evidence　to　sustain　their　ambitious　hopes。　When　Christ　came　in　a　manner　contrary　to　their　expectations；　they　would　not　receive　Him；　and　in　order　to　justify　themselves；　they　tried　to　prove　Him　a　deceiver。　When　once　they　had　set　their　feet　in　this　path；　it　was　easy　for　Satan　to　strengthen　their　opposition　to　Christ。　The　very　words　that　should　have　been　received　as　evidence　of　His　divinity　were　interpreted　against　Him。　Thus　they　turned　the　truth　of　God　into　a　lie；　and　the　more　directly　the　Saviour　spoke　to　them　in　His　works　of　mercy；　the　more　determined　they　were　in　resisting　the　light。

Jesus　said；　〃I　receive　not　honor　from　men。〃　It　was　not　the　influence　of　the　Sanhedrin；　it　was　not　their　sanction　He　desired。　He　could　receive　no　honor　from　their　approbation。　He　was　invested　with　the　honor　and　authority　of　Heaven。　Had　He　desired　it；　angels　would　have　come　to　do　Him　homage；　the　Father　would　again　have　testified　to　His　divinity。　But　for　their　own　sake；　for　the　sake　of　the　nation　whose　leaders　they　were；　He　desired　the　Jewish　rulers　to　discern　His　character；　and　receive　the　blessings　He　came　to　bring　them。

〃I　am　come　in　My　Father's　name；　and　ye　receive　Me　not：　if　another　shall　come　in　his　own　name；　him　ye　will　receive。〃　Jesus　came　by　the　authority　of　God；　bearin