the desire of ages-第99节

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id；　〃If　God　were　your　Father；　ye　would　love　Me：　for　I　proceeded　forth　and　came　from　God。〃

Their　works　testified　of　their　relationship　to　him　who　was　a　liar　and　a　murderer。　〃Ye　are　of　your　father　the　devil；〃　said　Jesus；　〃and　the　lusts　of　your　father　it　is　your　will　to　do。　He　was　a　murderer　from　the　beginning；　and　stood　not　in　the　truth；　because　there　is　no　truth　in　him。　。　。　。　Because　I　say　the　truth；　ye　believe　Me　not。〃　John　8：44；　45；　R。　V。　The　fact　that　Jesus　spoke　the　truth；　and　that　with　certainty；　was　why　He　was　not　received　by　the　Jewish　leaders。　It　was　the　truth　that　offended　these　self…righteous　men。　The　truth　exposed　the　fallacy　of　error；　it　condemned　their　teaching　and　practice；　and　it　was　unwelcome。　They　would　rather　close　their　eyes　to　the　truth　than　humble　themselves　to　confess　that　they　had　been　in　error。　They　did　not　love　the　truth。　They　did　not　desire　it；　even　though　it　was　truth。

〃Which　of　you　convicteth　＇Revised　Version＇　Me　of　sin？　And　if　I　say　the　truth；　why　do　ye　not　believe　Me？〃　Day　by　day　for　three　years　His　enemies　had　been　following　Christ；　trying　to　find　some　stain　in　His　character。　Satan　and　all　the　confederacy　of　evil　had　been　seeking　to　overcome　Him；　but　they　had　found　nothing　in　Him　by　which　to　gain　an　advantage。　Even　the　devils　were　forced　to　confess；　〃Thou　art　the　Holy　One　of　God。〃　Mark　1：24。　Jesus　lived　the　law　in　the　sight　of　heaven；　in　the

468

sight　of　unfallen　worlds；　and　in　the　sight　of　sinful　men。　Before　angels；　men；　and　demons；　He　had　spoken；　unchallenged；　words　that　from　any　other　lips　would　have　been　blasphemy：　〃I　do　always　those　things　that　please　Him。〃

The　fact　that　although　they　could　find　no　sin　in　Christ　the　Jews　would　not　receive　Him　proved　that　they　themselves　had　no　connection　with　God。　They　did　not　recognize　His　voice　in　the　message　of　His　Son。　They　thought　themselves　passing　judgment　on　Christ；　but　in　rejecting　Him　they　were　pronouncing　sentence　upon　themselves。　〃He　that　is　of　God；〃　said　Jesus；　〃heareth　God's　words：　ye　therefore　hear　them　not；　because　ye　are　not　of　God。〃

The　lesson　is　true　for　all　time。　Many　a　man　who　delights　to　quibble；　to　criticize；　seeking　for　something　to　question　in　the　word　of　God；　thinks　that　he　is　thereby　giving　evidence　of　independence　of　thought；　and　mental　acuteness。　He　supposes　that　he　is　sitting　in　judgment　on　the　Bible；　when　in　truth　he　is　judging　himself。　He　makes　it　manifest　that　he　is　incapable　of　appreciating　truths　that　originate　in　heaven；　and　that　compass　eternity。　In　presence　of　the　great　mountain　of　God's　righteousness；　his　spirit　is　not　awed。　He　busies　himself　with　hunting　for　sticks　and　straws；　and　in　this　betrays　a　narrow　and　earthly　nature；　a　heart　that　is　fast　losing　its　capacity　to　appreciate　God。　He　whose　heart　has　responded　to　the　divine　touch　will　be　seeking　for　that　which　will　increase　his　knowledge　of　God；　and　will　refine　and　elevate　the　character。　As　a　flower　turns　to　the　sun；　that　the　bright　rays　may　touch　it　with　tints　of　beauty；　so　will　the　soul　turn　to　the　Sun　of　Righteousness；　that　heaven's　light　may　beautify　the　character　with　the　graces　of　the　character　of　Christ。

Jesus　continued；　drawing　a　sharp　contrast　between　the　position　of　the　Jews　and　that　of　Abraham：　〃Your　father　Abraham　rejoiced　to　see　My　day：　and　he　saw　it；　and　was　glad。〃

Abraham　had　greatly　desired　to　see　the　promised　Saviour。　He　offered　up　the　most　earnest　prayer　that　before　his　death　he　might　behold　the　Messiah。　And　he　saw　Christ。　A　supernatural　light　was　given　him；　and　he　acknowledged　Christ's　divine　character。　He　saw　His　day；　and　was　glad。　He　was　given　a　view　of　the　divine　sacrifice　for　sin。　Of　this　sacrifice　he　had　an　illustration　in　his　own　experience。　The　command　came　to　him；　〃Take　now　thy　son；　thine　only　son　Isaac；　whom　thou　lovest；　。　。　。　and　offer　him　。　。　。　for　a　burnt　offering。〃　Gen。　22：2。

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Upon　the　altar　of　sacrifice　he　laid　the　son　of　promise；　the　son　in　whom　his　hopes　were　centered。　Then　as　he　waited　beside　the　altar　with　knife　upraised　to　obey　God；　he　heard　a　voice　from　heaven　saying；　〃Lay　not　thine　hand　upon　the　lad；　neither　do　thou　anything　unto　him：　for　now　I　know　that　thou　fearest　God；　seeing　thou　hast　not　withheld　thy　son；　thine　only　son　from　Me。〃　Gen。　22：12。　This　terrible　ordeal　was　imposed　upon　Abraham　that　he　might　see　the　day　of　Christ；　and　realize　the　great　love　of　God　for　the　world；　so　great　that　to　raise　it　from　its　degradation；　He　gave　His　only…begotten　Son　to　a　most　shameful　death。

Abraham　learned　of　God　the　greatest　lesson　ever　given　to　mortal。　His　prayer　that　he　might　see　Christ　before　he　should　die　was　answered。　He　saw　Christ；　he　saw　all　that　mortal　can　see；　and　live。　By　making　an　entire　surrender；　he　was　able　to　understand　the　vision　of　Christ；　which　had　been　given　him。　He　was　shown　that　in　giving　His　only…begotten　Son　to　save　sinners　from　eternal　ruin；　God　was　making　a　greater　and　more　wonderful　sacrifice　than　ever　man　could　make。

Abraham's　experience　answered　the　question：　〃Wherewith　shall　I　come　before　the　Lord；　and　bow　myself　before　the　high　God？　Shall　I　come　before　Him　with　burnt　offerings；　with　calves　of　a　year　old？　Will　the　Lord　be　pleased　with　thousands　of　rams；　or　with　ten　thousands　of　rivers　of　oil？　shall　I　give　my　first…born　for　my　transgression；　the　fruit　of　my　body　for　the　sin　of　my　soul？〃　Micah　6：6；　7。　In　the　words　of　Abraham；　〃My　son；　God　will　provide　Himself　a　lamb　for　a　burnt　offering；〃　（Gen。　22：8）；　and　in　God's　provision　of　a　sacrifice　instead　of　Isaac；　it　was　declared　that　no　man　could　make　expiation　for　himself。　The　pagan　system　of　sacrifice　was　wholly　unacceptable　to　God。　No　father　was　to　offer　up　his　son　or　his　daughter　for　a　sin　offering。　The　Son　of　God　alone　can　bear　the　guilt　of　the　world。

Through　his　own　suffering；　Abraham　was　enabled　to　behold　the　Saviour's　mission　of　sacrifice。　But　Israel　would　not　understand　that　which　was　so　unwelcome　to　their　proud　hearts。　Christ's　words　concerning　Abraham　conveyed　to　His　hearers　no　deep　significance。　The　Pharisees　saw　in　them　only　fresh　ground　for　caviling。　They　retorted　with　a　sneer；　as　if　they　would　prove　Jesus　to　be　a　madman；　〃Thou　art　not　yet　fifty　years　old；　and　hast　Thou　seen　Abraham？〃

With　solemn　dignity　Jesus　answered；　〃Verily；　verily；　I　say　unto　you；　Before　Abraham　was；　I　Am。〃

Silence　fell　upon　the　vast　assembly。　The　name　of　God；　given　to　Moses　to　express　the　idea　of　the　eternal　presence；　had　been　claimed　as

470

His　own　by　this　Galilean　Rabbi。　He　had　announced　Himself　to　be　the　self…existent　One；　He　who　had　been　promised　to　Israel；　〃whose　goings　forth　have　been　from　of　old；　from　the　days　of　eternity。〃　Micah　5：2；　margin。

Again　the　priests　and　rabbis　cried　out　against　Jesus　as　a　blasphemer。　His　claim　to　be　one　with　God　had　before　stirred　them　to　take　His　life；　and　a　few　months　later　they　plainly　declared；　〃For　a　good　work　we　stone　Thee　not；　but　for　blasphemy；　and　because　that　Thou；　being　a　man；　makest　Thyself　God。〃　John　10：33。　Because　He　was；　and　avowed　Himself　to　be；　the　Son　of　God；　they　were　bent　on　destroying　Him。　Now　many　of　the　people；　siding　with　the　priests　and　rabbis；　took　up　stones　to　cast　at　Him。　〃But　Jesus　hid　Himself；　and　went　out　of　the　temple；　going　through　the　midst　of　them；　and　so　passed　by。〃

The　Light　was　shining　in　darkness；　but　〃the　darkness　apprehended　it　not。〃　John　1：5；　R。　V。

〃As　Jesus　passed　by；　He　saw　a　man　which　was　blind　from　his　birth。　And　His　disciples　asked　Him；　saying；　Master；　who　did　sin；　this　man；　or　his　parents；　that　he　was　born　blind？　Jesus　answered；　Neither　hath　this　man　sinned；　nor　his　parents：　but　that　the　works　of　God　should　be　made　manifest　in　him。　。　。　。　When　He　had　thus　spoken；　He　spat　on　the　ground；　and　made　clay　of　the　spittle；　and　He　anointed　the　eyes　of　the　blind　man　with　the　clay；　and　said　unto　him；　Go；　wash　in　the　pool　of　Siloam；　（which　is　by　interpretation；　Sent）。　He　went　his　way　therefore；　and　washed；　and　came　seeing。〃

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It　was　generally　believed　by　the　Jews　that　sin　is　punished　in　this　life。　Every　affliction　was　regarded　as　the　penalty　of　some　wrongdoing；　either　of　the　sufferer　himself　or　of　his　parents。　It　is　true　that　all　suffering　results　from　the　transgression　of　God's　law；　but　this　truth　had　become　perverted。　Satan；　the　author　of　sin　and　all　its　results；　had　led　men　to　look　upon　disease　and　death　as　proceeding　from　God；as　punishment　arbitrarily　inflicted　on　account　of　sin。　Hence　one　upon　whom　some　great　affliction　or　calamity　had　fallen　had　the　additional　burden　of　being　regarded　as　a　great　sinner。

Thus　the　way　was　prepared　for　the　Jews　to　reject　Jesus。　He　who　〃hath　borne　our　griefs；　and　carried　our　sorrows〃　was　looked　upon　by　the　Jews　as　〃stricken；　smitten　of　God；　and　afflicted；〃　and　they　hid　their　faces　from　Him。　Isa。　53：4；　3。

God　had　given　a　lesson　designed　to　prevent　this。　The　history　of　Job　had　shown　that　suffering　is　inflicted　by　Satan；　and　is　overruled　by　God　for　purposes　of　mercy。　But　Israel　did　not　understand　the　lesson。　The　same　error　for　which　God　had　reproved　the　friends　of　Job　was　repeated　by　the　Jews　in　their　rejection　of　Christ。

The　belief　of　the　Jews　in　regard　to　the　relation　of　sin