This is a solemn question for the heart, dear friends. It is Christ’s own question. The Sadducees, and the Pharisees, had been asking Him questions. It was now His time to ask one. And, oh! how pointed, personal, and important it is! “What think ye of Christ?” Everything connected with the soul’s condition before God, and the solemn realities of eternity, are involved in the answer, It comes direct home to the heart. The Jews, in place of receiving Him as “David’s Son, and David’s Lord,” were reasoning, questioning, and speculating upon abstract points. In place of embracing Him with joyful hearts as their true Messiah, and great Deliverer, they were seeking how they might betray and crucify Him. “He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But to as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” (John 1:11, 1211He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 12But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: (John 1:11‑12).)
The question, beloved friends, as addressed to us, this evening, is a deeply solemn one. It is addressed to us by God Himself, and we must give an answer. And oh! how solemn! your eternal happiness or misery hangs upon it. Oh! answer to God, my friends, and may you be enabled, from the heart to say, “He is all my salvation, and all my desire.” It is not, observe, “what think ye, of this, or of that denomination?” or “how much do you know about Christ, educationally, or intellectually,” but, what are your thoughts of Himself? Are your hearts drawn to Him? Will your consciences not let you get away from Him? I know most of you could answer me almost any question I could ask, about Christ, in His twofold character, as “David’s Son, and David’s Lord;” but mere intellectual accuracy will never satisfy the loving heart of Jesus. He wants a place in your hearts, and not in your heads merely. He is worthy—infinitely worthy, of the chief place in all our hearts.
Let me speak to you, dear friends, closely, pointedly, and affectionately, on this subject. And may the true state of your hearts towards Christ, be fully revealed this evening, in the light of God’s presence. All depends on the state of the affections towards Him. Thousands in our day, are occupying the place of Christians, who have nothing more than mere head knowledge of Him, and outward conformity to the rules of their place of meeting. But will this save the precious soul? Will this satisfy the mind of God? Will this meet the desires of the heart of Jesus? Oh, no, beloved friends! “If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha.” (1 Cor. 16:2222If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha. (1 Corinthians 16:22).) Oh! how many, think you, would this searching word condemn, and lay eternally low, beneath the awful Anathema of Almighty God? There must be heart work to please Him. All is heart work with God, and if it be not heart work with you, it is good for nothing. “For the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.” (1 Sam. 16:77But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart. (1 Samuel 16:7).) And “with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Rom. 10)
Well, now, my dear friends, let us look at this vital subject, a little more in detail; and gladly will I travel with you, step by step, from the darkness of nature, to the bright regions of truth and eternal day, pointing out, as we go along, the wonders of redeeming love.
And, first, let me ask you, as in God’s holy presence, “What think ye of Christ” as the SENT ONE? Do you see in the lowly Jesus, the manifestation of God’s love to you? “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life:” and again, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” “ For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (John 3:16; 5:2416For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)
24Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (John 5:24). Luke 6:1010And looking round about upon them all, he said unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he did so: and his hand was restored whole as the other. (Luke 6:10).) Do you then, as “lost,” “perishing” sinners, see in Him, the one sent of God to seek and to save you? Can you make a personal application of God’s love in Jesus to your own soul? You are not making the proper use of Christ unless you do. For God so loved the world—ruined, rebel sinners in the world—that He sent His Son to seek and to save them, and whosoever believeth in Him, is immediately, and eternally saved. Oh! can you now say, in the light of these scriptures, I believe He came to save “lost,” “perishing” sinners, and that is just what I am, so that I see from the testimony of God Himself, that He came to seek and to save me? Now, is this what you think of Christ as the lent one of God? Well, this is faith—true faith—because your thoughts of Christ are according to the testimony of God. This is essential to genuine faith. Because it gives the heart confidence in God Himself, and this is the character of true faith. When I see the blessed Jesus in the Gospels, as the expression of God’s love to the lost, how can I, as a lost one, doubt His love to me? Was there ever such an expression of love as this, and all this love to me? It fills the poor heart with confidence in Himself, so that it can draw near in the assurance of His love, and hear Him preaching peace, by Jesus Christ, to the weary soul.
But oh! what a dreadful thing is unbelief! How cruel! how wicked! It gives the lie direct to the God of truth. It dashes from the hand of love, the cup of eternal blessing. It shuts the door of mercy in the sinner’s face, and turns the flowing stream of life into the stagnant waters of death.
Beloved friends, let all such unbelief be withered up, this evening, in the presence of such burning love. Believe God’s word! He says He loves you, and so loved you as to send His Son to die for you. Can you for a moment doubt it? “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world”—this is “the Christ, the Son of the living God.” What think ye of Him? Is He, to you, the chiefest among ten thousand—yea, altogether lovely? Oh! then, make a direct, personal application of Jesus to your hearts, as the sent one of God, and be happy in His changeless love.
Secondly. “What think ye of Christ” as the CRUCIFIED ONE? What are your thoughts of Him, as suffering and dying on the cross? Do you see Him there, suffering for your sins, and dying to put them all away? Passages of Scripture bearing on this point are so numerous, that the difficulty is in the selection, but take the following: “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.” (Rom. 5:88But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8). 1 Cor. 15:3, 43For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: (1 Corinthians 15:3‑4).) Here, we learn, that the love of God towards us, as sinners, shines conspicuously in the cross of His dear Son; and that all Scripture bears witness to the precious truth that Christ suffered for sins, that He died for sinners. Now, what are you and I, in the sight of God? Are we not sinners—utterly lost sinners? Why, we are nothing else. If we are on this ground, through firm faith in the word of God, then the whole truth of Scripture as to the work of Christ on the cross, is true and applicable to us. We may gaze upon that suffering One there, and say in truth “He loved me, and gave Himself for me!” Nothing can be plainer than this, beloved friends. I read, in God’s word, that “while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.” Am I not warranted then, being a sinner, on the direct authority of that word, to believe to say— “He loved me, and gave Himself for me?” Most assuredly I am! And no enemy can ever rob me of this glorious—glorious truth, but the unbelief of my own heart. God says it, and it must be true—true to every poor sinner in this world, who believes this word, and takes this ground.
Oh! what blessed-heart stirring-soul transporting views of the crucified One this truth gives the sinner. When the question is asked, “What think ye of Christ” as the crucified one? Faith’s ready answer is, “He loved me, and gave Himself for me.” It was love that brought Him down,—that led Him to the cross; where, by the shedding of His precious blood, all my sins were forever put away.” Now, my beloved friends, let me plainly ask you, Is this what ye think of Christ on the cross? or, are some of you still saying, “I know that I am a guilty, condemned sinner, and that Christ died on the cross; but I cannot say—I cannot believe, that He died for me.” Well, this state of mind may be connected with a good deal of tenderness, and earnestness, but we must treat it as a wrong state of mind, and as plain, positive unbelief. God says, in plain terms, Christ died for sinners. Now, if I say, That is just what I am, but I cannot believe that He died for me, I contradict the word of God, and as John says, “make Him a liar.” “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.” “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God.” (Rom. 5:66For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. (Romans 5:6), 1 Pet. 3:1818For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: (1 Peter 3:18).) What can be plainer, beloved friends? Acknowledge to God, that this is your condition-that you are ungodly, and unjust before Him, and believe, on the authority of these holy scriptures, that Christ, in His great love, once suffered for your sins, and put them away by the sacrifice of Himself. Then will you join the Church in heaven, and the Church on earth in their new eternal song, “Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever, Amen.” (Rev. 1:5, 65And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, 6And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. (Revelation 1:5‑6).)
Thirdly. “What think ye of Christ” as the GLORIFIED ONE? Do you think of Him as a perfect man in glory? As “David’s Son,” and at the same time as “David’s Lord,” “God over all, blessed for evermore.” Do you think of Him as the tender and compassionate Jesus? as ready to forgive and bless as when He was down here? We read that, “When he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high.” (Heb. 1:33Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; (Hebrews 1:3).) He who was once on the cross, is now on the throne for us. But He is the same Jesus still; scenes and circumstances are changed, but He is not changed, He is “the same yesterday, to-day, and forever.” (Heb. 13:88Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. (Hebrews 13:8).) In the past, the present, and the future, Jesus is the same. What an unspeakable mercy this is, beloved friends! Change who will, or what will, our Jesus changeth not! What confidence this gives the heart. To know Him on the cross, is peace of conscience; to know Him on the throne, is peace of heart.
All who came to Him when He was down here, under a sense of their need, instantly received blessing, according to the grace and love of His own heart. He sent none away without having first met their need. Individuals came to Him, and were blest; others were brought by their friends, and they were blest. None were ever told, either that He could not, or would not bless them. Streams of healing, restoring, refreshing, saving grace, flowed from His heart of love, as from their native fountain. But what is to me, the most touching in all those scenes of blessing, is the mothers bringing their little children to Him, that He might lay His hands on them and bless them. And when His disciples would have hindered them, “He was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not,... And he took them up in His arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.” (Mark 10:13-1613And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them. 14But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. 15Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. 16And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them. (Mark 10:13‑16).) Oh! what a touching scene this is. The Lord Jesus, the God of heaven and earth, stooping, in perfect grace, taking little children into His arms and blessing them. Oh! how well fitted is such grace, to strengthen our faith, and to encourage our hearts, with regard to the spiritual blessing of our dear children. He is the same now as He was then, and we must just do what the mothers in Israel did, namely, bring our children to Him in the arms of our faith. Bring them all, every one; His grace is boundless; and let us come in the full assurance of faith, nothing doubting. The children that were brought to Him then were blessed. Let us believe that the children that are brought to Him now shall be blessed. Then, it was seen, because He was on the earth; now, it must be believed, because He is in Heaven. Is there an instance of one coming, or being brought to Him, either in faith or need, that was not blessed? Not one! What we want, is more faith in Him, and more waiting on Him.
And, now, oh! my dear fellow sinners, what are your present thoughts of Jesus, now in heavenly glory? Are not your hearts drawn to Him, as with the cords of love? Rest assured that He sees the very first uplifting of the heart to Him, and though amidst the glory, He will meet you in the richest, fullest blessing, the moment your hearts are really turned to Him.
“A little while,” and He who is now the glorified one will be the coming one, and the reigning one. Oh! embrace the heavenly Saviour now! He is saying to every one of you this evening, “Come unto me and I will give you rest.” Oh! believe the glad tidings of His love, delay not to flee to the arms of His mercy, flee to Himself as your refuge, and then you will be ready to greet Him at His coming, with a joyous welcome, and enter into the joy of your Lord, and share with Him His throne, and crown, and glory. “Worlds without end. Amen.