Whatever title Jesus had as Creator over the world, He could only have the treasure by buying it, and to buy that He must buy the world also. Mere creation title could not avert judgment; could not turn aside the inflexible justice of God which had decreed death to the sinner. The treasure in the field must be given up to destruction, as well as the field at large, unless the Creator acquire a new title to possess it, beside that of creation. The treasure, albeit a treasure, must share the fate of the field. The question was, how to secure it. Could it be secured without reference to the field? The wisdom of God declares that the best way, perhaps the only way, was to buy all the field, as well as the treasure; and thus, in the new character of buyer, have unlimited control over the whole field, and secure possession of what He so prized. The Lord Jesus has thus a new title over the world, and which in no way weakens His rights as the One by whom, and for whom, all things consist. The rights and title of purchase are superadded, and they are stronger than those of creation. Otherwise, the whole field would have been destroyed. Now by the right of purchase this world still goes on. I think it is an inexpressibly solemn thought that this earth bears a relation to God, which no other part of the whole universe does. Men have bowed down to the sun, have worshipped the moon, and the stars. Poets have sung the beauties of the starry heavens, and all men have more or less been moved with the sight. Nay, the inspired psalmist sang, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth his handy work.” Yet amid all their glory I venture to say that not one of these vast masses of matter, to which the earth is comparatively small has the place in the counsels of God, and upon which His eye is so intently fixed, as this very earth. The reason is manifest. What other planet or star has been bought? In what other sphere has a treasure been discovered? and a treasure which could be bought only by giving up all else? Impossible that there can be more than one such treasure. The price that was paid for this could only be once paid. For none but the Son could redeem. There is but one way of redemption, the blood of Jesus. And He having once died, dieth no more. And it is here that He died, in Calvary. That one spot, Pre-eminent far above all other spots where man makes his little display. It was here God made His display, when His glory, His truth, holiness, hatred of sin, love of the sinner, yea, where Himself was displayed as no creative act could. The sun was ordained to give light by day, the moon and the stars to rule the night, to mark the seasons. But the earth was the center of the created universe, not even the center of a system, only a poor planetary attendant of the sun, the earth was ordained to be the platform upon which God would work His greatest work, which can never be undone, never repeated; even exacting the uttermost farthing from Him who had voluntarily become liable, asserting Himself to be God in delivering up His well-beloved and only begotten Son to death.
Now, such a display as this must have its peculiar consequences for man, the inhabiter of this earth. We repeat, it must bring him nearer, or drive him further from God. Everything is affected, every relationship is modified. For this display of wisdom, love, and power, on the cross of Christ, is in another aspect the buying of the field. If Christ glorified God when He hanging upon the cross He also acquired titles and powers which only the cross could confer, and His rights over the world, as the buyer, are far more terrible to the unsaved than His right as creator. For great as the sin is of rebelling against the Creator, much more terrible is the sin of despising the blood and denying the authority of Him who bought them. It is this which aggravates their guilt, which must intensify their punishment. As the buyer, and having unlimited authority over the field, the Lord Jesus sends his servants into all the world to announce, authoritatively that “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, and he that believe not shall be damned.” It is the Lord Jesus, who having acquired new glory by the cross will judge the world, and pronounce the doom of each soul unsaved.
But to acquire these glories and power was not the motive for buying the field. At least that which the Spirit here gives as the motive, is the desire to possess the treasure. All the other glory and power necessarily follow. If nothing less than His blood-shedding could secure the treasure, His blood once shed must secure for Him every other possible glory. The things invisible as well as visible, in heaven as well as in earth, all must be placed under the lordship of Him who died on the cross.
It is from that cross that the present long suffering of God flows, involving the continuance of the present age. And although men of the world seem to have things pretty much their own way, the eye of the purchaser is upon His treasure; and all things being now in His Hand, He secretly overrules all for this one object—the treasure. When that is taken away out of the field and brought into His Father’s house, then the long-deferred sentence will overtake the guilty world.
The truth that the field is bought as well as the treasure, is sometimes overlooked. Buying is sometimes confounded with redeeming. The world is bought, the Church is redeemed. No redeemed soul can perish. Every man, saved or not, is bought, and as such owes allegiance to the master that bought him. Just as a slave that is purchased owes service and obedience to his new master, in whom are invested all the rights of the former. So here all the rights of God, as Creator, arc made over to and vested in the Lord Jesus as buyer.
Peter who, through fear (never through want of love or faith), denied his Lord, speaks more strongly than any other of the sin of denying. In his first sermon he charged the Jews with denying and killing the Just One. And in his epistle he warns the brethren of the false teachers who bring in damnable heresies, and deny the Lord (the Master) that bought them, and thus bring upon themselves swift destruction. In a word, Redemption clears us from all guilt and condemnation; purchase does not break one fetter, but increases the guilt of those who reject and deny the Lord that brought them.
“Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things such as silver and gold.... but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish, and without spot.” (1 Peter 1.18-19.) His blood, so precious in God’s sight, is the price paid for us. And it is the same price which was paid for the field. There is nothing so precious in heaven as the blood. Nothing of such value in God’s estimation without blemish, without spot. Our words and thoughts fail us, we cannot conceive the immensity of the price. Well may we boast in that which God makes His boast.
Such is the view given us here of the kingdom of the heavens. In that vast mass of things which is presented to the world, there is, to the eye of faith, hidden from sense the secret thing which moved and stirred the depths of His heart, and to develop which He allowed the formation and growth of that evil thing which claims the homage and admiration of the world. These alone, the true heirs, own the sovereignty of Jesus, and because they own it now, while the world rejects and scorns, they shall, when the kingdom is set up in glory and power, by and by, reign with Him. “And they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” “Blessed and holy is he that has part in the first resurrection; on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.”