By:
Edited By Heyman Wreford
WHAT heart-felt pity and abounding grace does this looking after Israel, on the part of our God, bespeak! Jerusalem had killed all the prophets; yet the Son would come to them, if haply they might repent. Him they crucified; yet His love and pity they could not quench. Risen from His grave, He sought no revenge on His enemies, but in grace caused the word of faith in His name to flow abroad, “beginning at Jerusalem.” Three times rejected in His witnesses, and so driven as it were out of the city, His eye is still in pity upon His kindred according to the flesh: and His grace allows not even the servant, whom He had formed as the apostle of the Gentiles, to get into his proper sphere of service till Israel will have none of his testimony. The deep unwearied character of His love, while any door of hope remains untried, is very precious.
If we compare this scene and the auditory (presenting Jews out of the land and Gentiles), it is remarkable to see how much more full is the testimony to the blessedness of the Lord’s death and resurrection and the reality than where the testimony was given in Jerusalem. The reason is obvious. The facts are stated; and the sin laid home on Jerusalem, the people and rulers; but no charge of sin against those present (though all alike before God are guilty) is pressed, but the glad tidings of the fulfilled promise made to the fathers, announced, even of Jesus risen from the grave. Gladsome news to Israelites! for it was in this wise God said, “I will give you the sure mercies of David.” Though they knew it not, the blood of the covenant opening grace to them and securing every blessing of righteousness, dominion and power to them―that blood flowed in the veins of Jesus while on earth.
Gladsome news therefore to them that it had been poured forth, and yet Himself risen in the power of an endless life because He was the Son of David. And gladsome news to the poor Gentile, in whatever way looked at; for when David’s Son stands in glory, the distributer of these sure mercies, then shall be brought to pass the saying, “Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with His people.” And, even ere that, to Israelites and Gentiles alike, there is the blessed word, “Be it known unto you, therefore, men and brethren, that through this Man is preached the forgiveness of sins; and by Him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.”
How completely, how perfectly, does this, poor sinner whoever thou art, meet thy case! The only door of hope is the door into immediate present rest. What words could be stronger than these― “And by Him all that believe are justified from all things.” May God grant thee, reader, to know this as true of thyself! If thou believest in Him, “thou art justified from all things.” What blessed grace! And if one who professes faith in Him, but yet will not admit the value of belief in Him to be so great as this―even complete and present justification from all things, if one such reads this, let him attend to the word which follows: the sure result of unbelief, and the tendency of all those doubts which many so ungraciously cherish, and God’s sentence against them. “Beware therefore lest that come upon you which is spoken of in the prophets. Behold, ye despisers, and wonder and perish; for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.” G. V. W.