The True Aim of Preaching
(No. 3191)
A SERMON PUBLISHED ON THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 1910.
DELIVERED BY C. H. SPURGEON,
AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON.
"Be it known unto you, therefore, brethren, that through this Man is
preached unto you the forgiveness of sins." Acts 13:38.
PAUL'S mode of preaching, as illustrated by this chapter, was first of
all to appeal to the understanding with a clear exposition of doctrinal
Truths of God and then to impress those Truths upon the emotions of his
hearers with earnest and forcible exhortations. This is an excellent
model for revivalists. They must not give exhortation without Doctrine,
for if so, they will be like men who are content with burning powder in
their guns, but have omitted the shot! It is the Doctrine we preach,
the Truth we deliver which God will make a power to bless men. However
earnest and zealous we may be in speaking, if we have not something
weighty and solid to say, we shall appear to be earnest about nothing
and shall not be at all likely to create a lasting impression. Paul, if
you notice through this chapter, first of all gives the history of
Redemption, tells the story of the Cross, insists upon the Resurrection
of the Savior and then he comes to close and personal dealings with the
souls of men and bids them not neglect this great salvation!
At the same time, it was not all Doctrine and no exhortation but,
whenever Paul wound up his discourse and left the synagogue, he made a
strenuous, pointed, personal appeal to those who had listened to him!
Let such of our brethren as are passionately fond of mere Doctrine–but
having little of the marrow of Divine Mercy or the milk of human
kindness in their souls, do not care to have the Word pressed upon the
consciences of men–let them stand rebuked by the example of the
Apostle Paul! He knew well that even the Truth of God, itself, would be
powerless unless it is applied. Like the wheat in the basket, it can
produce no harvest till it is sown broadcast in the furrows. We cannot
expect that men will come and make an application of the Truth of God
to themselves. We must, having our heart glowing and our souls on fire
with love to them, seek to bring the Truth to bear upon them, to
impress it upon their hearts and consciences as in the sight of God and
in the place of Christ.
The subject to which Paul drew attention–the target at which he was
shooting all his arrows–was forgiveness of sins through the Man,
Christ Jesus. That is my subject tonight. And when I have spoken upon
it briefly, I shall then have a few words to say about his audience and
what became of them.
I. PAUL'S SUBJECT was superlative–the Subject of subjects–the great
master Doctrine of the Christian ministry–"Be itknown unto you,
therefore, brethren, that through this Man ispreached unto you the
forgiveness ofsins."
"The forgiveness of sins" is a topic which will be more or less
interesting to every hearer here in proportion as he feels that he has
committed sins, the guilt of which appalls his conscience. To those
good people among you who fold your arms and say, "We have done no
wrong either to God or man," I have nothing to say. You need no
physician, for you are not sick. You, evidently, would not be thankful
for the heavenly eye-salve, for you are not blind. The wealth that
Christ can bring you will not induce you to bow the knee to Him, for
already you think yourselves to be rich and increased in goods. But I
shall be quite sure of the ears of the man whose sins have been a
burden to him. If there is one here who needs to be reconciled to God,
who says with the prodigal, "I will arise and go to my Father," I shall
not need to study how to fit my words–let them come out as they may,
the theme, itself, will be sure to enlist the attention of such an one
who says–
"How can I get my sins forgiven? How can I find my way to Heaven?"
While we attempt to tell him that, we shall ensure his attention. This
is our aim–and this we will do if God permits.
The Christian minister tells men the ground of pardon, the exclusive
method, (for there is a monopoly in this matter)–the exclusive method
by which God will pardon sin. "Through this Man," says the text. That
is to say, God will pardon, but He will only pardon in one way–through
His Son Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus has a monopoly on mercy! If you
will depend upon the uncovenanted mercy of God–the mercy of God apart
from Christ–you shall find that you have depended upon a reed and
built your house upon sand! Into the one silver pipe of the atoning
Sacrifice, God has made to flow the full current of pardoning Grace. If
you will not go to that–you may be tempted by the mirage, you may
think that you can drink there to the fullest, but you shall die
disappointed. You must die unless you come for salvation to Christ!
What does He say, Himself? "I am the Door: by Me if any man enters in,
he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture." He that
believes on the Son of God is not condemned! But he that believes
not–may he go right, too? No, he is already condemned because he
believes not! "He that believes and is baptized shall be saved." These
are Christ's own words, not mine! He that believes shall be saved, "but
he that believes not shall be"–what? Pardoned for his unbelief? No,
he–"shall be damned!"There is no other alternative. The expression
might seem harsh if I were the inventor of it, but as it came from the
lips of Christ who was the gentlest, meekest and most tender of men,
God forbid that I should make up a charity of which the Lord, Himself,
made no profession! "He that believes not shall be damned." God
presents mercy to the sons of men, but He has chosen to present it in
only one channel–through that Man who died for sinners, the Just for
the unjust, that He might bring them to God!
Why is it that forgiveness comes to us only through Jesus Christ? The
whole economy of Redemption supplies us with an answer. The Man Christ
Jesus is a Divine Person. He is the Son of God. You will never doubt
that reconciliation is an effect of Infinite Wisdom if you once clearly
understand the condition that made it requisite. Though His people were
objects of God's everlasting love, their sins had kindled His fierce
anger as if it were an unquenchable fire. Inasmuch as God is just, He
must from the necessity of His Nature, punish sin! Yet He willed to
have mercy upon the fallen sons of men. Therefore it was that Christ
came into this world. Being God, He was made Man for our sakes. He
suffered from the wrath of God that which we, the offending sinners,
ought to have suffered. God exacted from the Man, Christ Jesus, that
which He would otherwise have exacted from us! Upon Christ's dear
devoted head was laid the curse. Upon His bare back fell the scourge
that would have tortured our souls throughout eternity! Those hands of
His, when nailed to the tree, smarted with our smart. That heart bled
with our bleeding. "The chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and
with His stripes we are healed; surely He has borne our griefs and
carried our sorrows." Substitution, then, is the cause of it all! God
will forgive sin because the sin which He forgives has been already
atoned for by the sufferings of His dear Son!
You know, many of you, the story, in old Roman history, of the young
man who had violated discipline and was condemned to die. But his elder
brother, a grand old soldier who had often been to the front in the
battles of his country, came and exposed his chest, showed his many
scars and exhibited his body covered with the orders, insignias and
honors of his victories. And then he said, "I cannot ask life for my
brother on account of anything that he has ever done for his country.
He deserves to die, I know, but I set my scars and my wounds before you
as the price for his life. And I ask you whether you will not spare him
for his brother's sake." And with acclamation, it was carried that for
his brother's sake he should live. Sinner, this is what Christ does for
you! He points to His scars. He pleads before the Throne of God, "I
have suffered the vengeance due to sin. I have honored Your righteous
Law–for My sake have mercy upon that unworthy brother of Mine!" In
this way, and in no other way, is forgiveness of sins preached to you
through this Man, Christ Jesus!
It is our business to also preach to you the instrument through which
you may obtain this pardon. We read the question in your anxious eyes,
"I can understand that Christ, having stood as a Substitute, has
received from God power to pardon human souls, but how can I obtain the
benefit, how can I draw near to Him?" Did you ever read that Moses
described the righteousness of faith–and Paul endorsed his
description? "Say not in your heart, who shall ascend into Heaven, or
who shall descend into the deep?" You have no reason to climb so high
or dive so low. "The Word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart;
that is, the Word of faith which we preach." You have no need to go
home to get at Christ! You have no need to even come here to find Him!
He is accessible at all hours and in all places–the ever-present Son
of God." But how shall I come to Him?" asks one. Oh, you need not
torture your body! You need not afflict your soul! You need not bring
your gold and silver–you need not even bring your tears! All that you
have to do is to come to Him as you are and trust in Him! Oh, if you
will believe that He is the Son of God and is able to save to the ut-
termost–and if you will cast yourself upon Him with your whole
weight–falling upon Him, leaning upon Him, resting upon Him with that
whole trust which needs and lacks no other support, you shall be saved!
Now cling to the Cross, you shipwrecked Sinner, and you shall never go
down while clinging to that! If you are enabled by the Holy Spirit to
put your sole and simple reliance upon Christ, earth's pillars may
totter and the lamps of Heaven be extinguished, but you shall never
perish, neither shall any pluck you out of Christ's hands! Trust
Jesus–that is the way of salvation! "What?" asks one, "If I trust
Christ tonight, shall I have my sins forgiven?" Yes, forgiven tonight!
"What? If I just rest in Christ and look to Him?" Even so! "Your faith
has saved you. Go in peace."–
"There is life for a look at the Crucified One, There is life at this
moment for thee! Then look, Sinner, look unto Him and be saved– Unto
Him who was nailed to the tree!" You will be saved, not by repenting
and tears! Not by wailing and works! Not by doing and praying, but
coming, believing, simply depending upon what Jesus Christ has done!
When your soul says by faith what Christ said in fact, "It is
finished," you are saved and you may go your way rejoicing!
We have thus preached God's way of pardon and man's way of getting at
God's pardon. But we are also enjoined to preach about the character of
this forgiveness of sin. Never had messengers such happy tidings to
deliver! When God pardons a man's sins, He pardons all of them–He
makes a clean sweep of the whole! God never pardons half a man's sins
and leaves the rest in His Book of Remembrance. He has pardon for all
sins at once! I believe that, virtually, before God, all the sins of
the Believer were so laid to the account of Christ that no sins ever
can be laid to the Believer's door. The Apostle does not say, "Who does
lay anything to the charge of God's elects," but, "Who shall?" as
though nobody ever could! I am inclined to think that Kent's words are
literally true–
"Here'spardon for transgressions past– It matters not how black their
cast! And oh, my Soul, with wonder view, For sins to come, here's
pardon too!" It is a full pardon. God takes His pen and writes a
receipt. Though the debt may be a hundred talents, He can write it off!
Or be it ten thousand, the same hand can receipt it! Luther tells us of
the devil appearing to him in a dream and bringing before him the long
rolls of his sins. And when he brought them, Luther said, "Now write at
the bottom, 'the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanses us from all
sin!'" Oh, that blessed word, "all"–"from all sin!" Great sins and
little sins! Sins of our youth and sins of our gray hairs! Sins by
night and sins by day! Sins of action and sins of thought– they are
ALL gone! Blessed Savior! Precious blood! Omnipotent Redeemer! Mighty
Red Sea, that thus drowns every Egyptian!
It is a full pardon and it is, likewise, a free pardon. God never
pardons any sinner from any other motive than His own pure Grace. It is
all gratis! It cost the Savior much, but it costs us nothing! It is a
pardon freely given by a God of Grace because He delights in mercy.
There is, too, this further blessing about it, that while it is full
and free, it is also irresistible Whom God pardons, He never condemns.
Let Him once say, "Absolvo te," "I absolve you," and none can lay
anything to our charge! We have heard of men who have been pardoned for
one offense, but who have committed another–and have, therefore, had
to die. But when the Lord pardons us, He prevents our going away to our
old corruption. He puts His Spirit in us and makes new men of us so
that we find we cannot do what we used to do! That mighty Grace of God
is without repentance! God never repents of having bestowed His Grace.
Do not believe those who tell you that He loves you, today, and hates
you tomorrow! O Beloved–once in Christ the devil cannot get you out of
Him! Get into the sacred clefts, Sinner, of that Rock of Ages which was
cleft for you, and out of it the fiends of Hell can never drag you! You
are safe when once you get into that harbor. Get Christ and you have
Heaven!
All things are yours when Christ is yours–full pardon, free pardon and
everlasting pardon! And let me also tell you, present pardon. It is a
notion still current that you cannot know you are forgiven till you
come to die. O Beloved, when people talk thus, it shows what they know,
or rather, what they do notknow about it. There are some here who can
bear witness–no, there are millions of God's people who, if they could
speak from Heaven, would tell you that they knew their pardon long
years before they entered into rest.
If you had ever been shut up in prison, as some of us were, and had
been set at liberty, you would know what present pardon is. Five long
years it was with me a bitter agony of soul when nothing but Hell
stared me in the face–when neither night nor day had I peace, and oh,
what joy it was when I heard that precious Truth of God, "Look unto Me,
and be you saved, all the ends of the earth." I felt the pardon really
fall on me! I was as conscious of pardon as this hand is conscious of
being clean after I have washed it–and as conscious of being accepted
in Christ, at that moment, as I am now sure that I am able to stand
here and say as much with my mouth! A man may have this Infallible
Witness of the Holy Spirit! I know that to some stubborn minds, it will
always seem as fanaticism, but what do I care whether it seems as
fanaticism to them or not, as long as it is real to my heart? We count
ourselves as honest as others and have as much right to be
believed–whether they credit our sanity and our sincerity or not does
not affect us a straw, as long as we know that we have received the
Grace! If you reckoned a clear profit of ten thousand pounds upon some
speculation and somebody said to you, "It is all foolery"–the proof
would be unanswerable if you had received the amount and had the bank
notes in your house. Then you would say, "Ah, you may think as you like
about it, but I have got the cash." So Christians can say, "Being
justified by faith, we have peace with God…and not only so, but we
also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now
received the Atonement."
When someone tells a Christian that he is not forgiven, he says, "Oh,
you may say what you like about it, but I have the witness within that
I am born of God. I am not what I used to be–if I were to meet myself
in the street, I would hardly know myself, I mean my spiritualself–my
inner self–for I am so changed, so renewed, so turned upside down that
I am not what I was! I am a new man in Christ Jesus." The man who can
say this can bear to be laughed at. He knows what he is doing and at
the coolest and most sober moment of his life, even when lying on his
bed sick and ready to die, he can look right into eternity, soberly
judge of Christ, and find Him to be worthy of his confidence and,
thinking of the blood-washing, find it to be a real fact! There are a
thousand things in this world that look well enough till you come to
look upon them in the prospect of the grave–but this is a thing that
looks better, the nearer we get to eternity and the more solemnly and
deliberately we take our account of it in the sight of God!
Oh, yes, there is a present pardon! But what I want to say most
emphatically is that there is a present pardon for you. "Who is that?"
you ask. Oh, I am not going to pick and choose from the midst of you.
Whoever among you will come and trust Christ, there is present pardon
for you! What? That gray-headed man there, 70 years old in sin? Yes,
blessed be the name of the Lord, if he this night should rest in
Christ, there is instantaneous pardon for him! Is there a harlot here?
Is there a drunk here? Is there one here who has cursed God? Is there
one here who has been dishonest? Is there one here over whom all these
sins have rolled? Why, if you believe, your sins, which are many, are
all forgiven you! And though there should be brought before us one so
guilty that we might well stay away from him, yet if he can but trust
Christ, Christ will not stay away from him, but will receive him! Oh,
was not that a wonderful moment when the Savior wrote on the ground as
the woman taken in adultery stood before Him–when all her accusers,
being convicted by their own consciences, went out, leaving the sinner
and the Savior alone together–and when Jesus Christ, who hated all
kinds of sin, but who loved all kinds of sinners, lifted Himself up and
said, "Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more"? Ah, poor Sinner,
Jesus Christ does not condemn you! If you condemn yourselves, He will
never condemn you. He will only condemn your sin, for that is what He
hates, but He does not hate you. If you and your sins part, Christ and
you shall never part! If you will but trust Him right now, you shall
find Him able to save you even to the very uttermost from all these
sins of yours which have become your plague and your burden! God help
you, then, to trust Him at once and to find this present pardon–this
pardon which will last you forever–and which you may have right now!
Now, as I said before, all this will be good news only to those who
want pardon, but not to those who do not require it. I have nothing to
say to those who do not want it. Why should I? They that are whole have
no need of the physician, but they that are sick." God will have
something to say to you one of these days. I recollect and I hope you
have not forgotten the story of the rich man. It is more than allegory,
it is fact. You know that while he was in this world, he had fared
sumptuously every day. He was clothed in purple and fine linen and as
for God's child Lazarus, he thought he was a poor miserable beggar,
only fit to be with the dogs–and he despised him. He looked at him and
said, "Oh, I am a gentleman. I am dressed in purple and fine linen. I
am none of your beggarly saints lying on the dunghill, though they call
themselves saints, and all that. I am rich." Now it so happened that he
did not see himself–he had scales over his eyes. But he found out the
Truth of God one day. You remember Christ's words, "In Hell, he lifted
up his eyes!" Ah, and he saw, then, what he had never seen before! All
that he had ever seen before had been a glamour over his eyes–he had
been dazed and benighted. Hehad been the beggar, all the while, if he
had but known it! While Lazarus, who had won the beggars garb, was
waited on like a prince and carried by angels into Abraham's bosom. So,
the poor beggar, covered with wounds and sores, who thinks he is only
fit for the dunghill–he is the man Christ will save! He is the man
Christ will take up to Heaven at last! As for your self-righteous men
who think themselves so good and excellent, they will be like the
tinsel and the gilt–and will all be burned up in the fire–the varnish
and paint will all come off! God will knock the masks off their faces
and let the leprosy that was on their brow be seen by all men. But,
Sinner, you who are such, and who know it–unto you is preached this
night forgiveness of sins through the Man, Christ Jesus!
II. We shall now proceed to remind you of THE CONGREGATION TO WHICH
PAUL ADDRESSED HIMSELF, AND WHAT BECAME OF THEM.
The text says, "Unto you is preached forgiveness of sins." Never mind
the Jews and Gentiles Paul preached to–the verse is quite as
applicable here as it was there. " Unto you is preached the forgiveness
of sins." My dear Friend, it is no small privilege to be where the
message of the forgiveness of sins can yet be heard. Unto you i s
preached the forgiveness of sins, but not to the tens of thousands and
millions who have gone the way of all flesh, unpardoned and unsaved!
How is it that you are spared? Your brother is dead. Your children
have, some of them, died–but you are spared. You have been at sea. You
have been in peril. You have had the fever. You have been near death
and yet here you are, kept alive, with death so near! Is not this a
privilege that unto you is preached the forgiveness of sins? What would
they give to hear it once more? What would they give to have another
opportunity? But it has been said of them–
"Too late, too late! You cannot enter now."
"Unto you is preached the forgiveness of sins." I said that this was a
privilege, but it is a privilege which some of you have despised. Those
who heard Paul had never heard the Gospel before–many of you have
heard it from your youth up. Alas, I cannot help saying of some of you
that I already to despair of your conversion! You do not improve. All
the exhortations in the world are to you as if they were spoken to an
iron column or to a brazen wall! Why will you die? What shall be done
to you? What shall be said to you? Unto you is preached the forgiveness
of sins. When you die, careless, Christless, unsaved–when we throw
that handful of dirt upon your coffin, we shall have to think, "Ah,
that man is lost, and yet unto him was preached the forgiveness of
sins!"
Well, but it is still preached to you! Notwithstanding that you have
neglected the privilege, the Gospel is still preached to you! Gladly
would I point my finger at some of you and say, "Well, now, I really do
mean you, personally. You people under the gallery whom I cannot see
and you upstairs, here, everyone of you–unto you is preached the
forgiveness of sins! God has not sent us, tonight, to preach to your
neighbors, but to you–you Mary, Thomas, George, John, Sarah–you, you
personally–unto you is preached the forgiveness of sins and it is with
you, now, tonight, to consider what reception shall be given to the
message of mercy! Shall a hard heart be the only answer? Oh, may the
Spirit of God come upon you and give instead thereof a quickened
conscience and a tender heart that you may be led to say, "God be
merciful to me a sinner!"
Do you ask, " What became of those to whom the Word was preached with
such thriiling earnestness?"
Some of them raved at a very great rate. If you read through the
Chapter, you will find that the Jews were filled with envy and they
spoke against those things that were declared to them by Paul,
contradicting and blaspheming, and so on, until Paul shook the dust off
his feet against them and went his way. But there was another class.
The 48th verse says, "When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and
glorified the Word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal
life believed.''" Ah, that is the comfort! There are some, whenever the
Gospel is preached, who do not like it. A person was once very angry
with me because in preaching on the natural depravity of man, I had
charged man with being depraved and I had said that man was proud. The
man would not confess it and there he was–proving the truth of the
assertion regarding himself that he was proud, because he could not
bear to hear the truth told him about it! If he had said he was proud,
I would have thought I had made a mistake, but when he bridled up and
got into an angry temper, I knew that God had sent me to tell him His
Truth. Outspoken Truths of God makes half the world angry! The Light of
God blinds their eyes!
When the Jews kicked against Paul's preaching, did Paul feel
disappointed? Oh no, or if he did feel depressed for a moment, there
was a strong cordial at hand–that very cordial by reason of which
Jesus rejoiced in spirit as He saw the goodwill of the Father in
revealing unto babes those things that are hidden from the wise and
prudent! Here was Paul's comfort–there were some upon whom there had
been a blessed work! There were some whose names were written in the
Book of Life! Some concerning whom there had been Covenant
transactions! Some whom God had chosen from before the foundation of
the world! Some whom Christ had bought with His blood and whom the
Spirit, therefore, came to claim as God's own property because Christ
had bought them upon the bloody tree–and those "some" believed!
Naturally they were like others, but Grace made the distinction and
faith was the sign and evidence of that distinction!
Now, you need not ask tonight whether you are God's elect. I ask
another question–Do you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ? If you do,
you are His elect–if you do not, the question is not to be decided by
us yet. If you are God's chosen ones, you will know it by your trusting
in Jesus. Simple as that trust is, it is the Infallible proof of
Election! God never sets the brand of faith upon a soul whom Christ has
not bought with His blood. And if you believe, all eternity is yours!
Your name is in God's Book, you are a favored one of Heaven, the Divine
decrees all point to you–go your way and rejoice!
But if you believe not, you are in the gall of bitterness and in the
bonds of iniquity. May eternal mercy bring you out of that state, yes,
bring you out of it tonight! Oh, that I had the time and power to plead
with some here who know that Christ died, who know that He can save,
who know the Gospel–but who still do not trust in that Gospel for
their salvation! Oh, may you be led to do it and to do it now, before
this day is over! We want and pray for the conversion of many more
beside you. If we had these souls given to us, what a token for good
would it be, and what a comfort! May the Lord bring you in, and bring
you in tonight! Oh, trust Him, Soul, trust Him! May God help you to
trust Him, and His shall be the praise, world without end!
EXPOSITION BY C. H. SPURGEON: LUKE24.
Verses 1-11. Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the
morning, they came to the sepulcher, bringing the spices which they had
prepared, and certain others with them. And they found the stone rolled
away from the sepulcher And they entered in and found not the body of
the Lord Jesus. And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed
thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments: and as
they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, theysaid to
them, Why do you seek the living among the dead?He is not here, but is
risen. [See Sermon #1106, Volume 19–
"THE LORD IS RISEN, INDEED."] Remember how He spoke to you
when He was yet in Galilee, saying, The Son of Man must be delivered
into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise
again. And they remembered His words, and returned to the sepulcher,
and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest It was
Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other
women that were with them, which told these things unto the Apostles.
And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them
not What an emptying power unbelief has! No news could ever be more
full of solace than the news of a risen Savior! But to the ears of
unbelief, this news, which made all Heaven glad, seemed to the Apostles
but as idle tales! Unbelief tied the hands of Jesus once when he was at
Nazareth for, "He did not many mighty works there because of their
unbelief." And unbelief seems often to tie our heart-strings, too, so
that they can give forth no sweet music! O Lord, help us to overcome
our unbelief and enable us to always confidently believe the Truth that
comes to us supported by such testimony as these good women gave to the
Apostles!
12-14. Then arose Peter, and ran to the sepulcher; and stooping down,
he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering
in himself at that which was come to pass. And, behold, two of them
went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem
about three score furlongs. And they talked together of all these
things which had happened.As was most proper, they that feared the Lord
spoke often, one to another. Just as Elijah and Elisha talked with each
other as they went towards the Jordan where Elijah was to be
translated, so these two disciples were talking together of the great
events that had recently happened–and especially talking of the death
and the reported Resurrection of Christ. This was most natural, for
what is uppermost in the heart will soon be uppermost upon
the tongue. They had had their minds greatly exercised concerning the
departure of their Lord and it was only natural that they should speak
of it. If we never talk of Christ, we have great reason to suspect
whether He is really in our hearts at all. Christ's declaration to His
disciples, "Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there
am I in the midst of them," was literally fulfilled in the case of
these two disciples going to Emmaus!
15. And it came to pass that while they communed together and reasoned,
Jesus, Himself drew near and went with the . And, Beloved, if you would
have communion with Christ, have communion with one another! If my Lord
will not reveal Himself to me, perhaps He will reveal Himself to
others–therefore let me get into the company of His chosen and then,
surely, when He appears in the midst of their assembly, I shall have a
share of the fellowship that they will enjoy!
16-19. But their eyes were restrained that they should not know Him.
[See Sermon #1180, Volume 20–jesus near but unrecognized.] And He said
to them, What kind of conversation is
this that you are having with one another as you walk and are sad? And
the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said to Him, Are You
a stranger in Jerusalem and have not known the things which are come to
pass in these days? And He said to them, What things? And they said to
Him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a Prophet mighty in deed
and word before God and all the people. What little advance these
disciples had made in the knowledge of Christ! He had been their
Teacher. They had seen His miracles and yet, though they had been
constantly under His superintendence, they had not learned enough to
know that He was Divine! The Holy Spirit had not yet been given and,
without the Holy Spirit's Divine instruction, these disciples could
only say that Christ "was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God
and all the people."
20-25. And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be
condemned to death, and have crucified Him. But we trusted that it had
been He which should have redeemed Israel: and besides all this, today
is the third day since these things were done. Yes, and certain woman
of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulcher;
and when they found not His body, they came, saying that they had also
seen a vision of angels, which said that He was alive. And certain of
them which were with us went to the sepulcher, and found it even so as
the women had said: but they didnot see Him. Then He said to them, O
fools, andslow ofheart to believe all that the Prophets have spoken.
[See Sermon
#1980, Volume 33–FOLLY OF UNBELIEF.] Supposing Him to be a stranger in
Jerusalem, yet one who was well acquainted with Jewish prophecy, they
had told Him exactly what the prophecies had foretold concerning the
Messiah! If they had meant to refer to the various prophecies
concerning Christ, they could not have detailed facts which would have
more accurately fulfilled them and, therefore, Christ said to them "O
fools, how slow of heart you are to believe all that the Prophets have
spoken!"
26. Ought not Christ to have suffered these things."Are not those just
the very things which the Prophets said that the Christ, the Anointed,
must suffer? 'Ought not Christ to have suffered these things'"–
26-28. And to enter into His glory? And beginning at Moses and all the
Prophets, He expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the thing
concerning Himself And they drew near unto the village, where they
went: and He made as though He would have gone further For Christ never
forces His company upon anyone. And if we are willing to let Him go, He
will go–nor will He return until we are heartily sick of having
treated Him coldly. When we can no longer bear the absence of Christ,
then He will speedily return to us. There is an instance of this in the
life of Christmas Evans which impressed me very much when I read it.
Sandemanianism had spread very much through Wales and he had been very
busy attacking it. But it seemed as if, in doing so, his sermons had
lost all their former power and unction–and his own soul also grew
very dry and barren–he had little or no fellowship with Christ. He
said that, at last, his soul grew utterly weary of being absent from
his Lord and he could not endure it any longer, but felt that he must
once again enjoy communion with his Lord and experience the power of
the Holy Spirit in his preaching. So he stopped at the foot of Cader
Idris and spent some three hours in an intense agony of prayer. And the
result was that when he next preached, he did so with all the unction
and power which had formerly rested upon him. He had grown weary of the
absence of Christ and therefore Christ returned to him! O brethren, if
Christ makes as though He would go further, do not let Him go, but hold
Him fast!
29-33. But they constrained Him, saying, Abide with us: for it is
toward evening, and the day is far spent And He
went in to tarry with them. And it came to pass, as He sat at the table
with them, He took bread, and blessed it, and broke it, and gave it to
them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew Him, and He vanished
out of their sight. [See Volume 56 www.spurgeongems.org 7
Sermon #681, Volume 12–EYES OPENED.]
Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the way,
and while He opened to us the Scriptures? And they rose up the same
hour, and returned to Jerusalem. This shows their zeal and also their
courage! This news was too good to be kept to themselves and although
it was nearly night, and they had a good distance to go, in a country
that was far from safe for travelers, they "returned to Jerusalem"–
33-36. And found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with
them, saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon. And
they told what things were done in the way, and how He was known of
them in breaking of bread. And as they spoke, Jesus Himself stood in
the midst of them, and said unto them, Peace be unto you [See Sermon
#1958, Volume 33–THE FIRST APPEARANCE OF THE RISEN LORD TO THE
ELEVEN.] No more appropriate greeting could have been given to the
troubled disciples!
37-53. But they were terrified and frightened, andsupposed that they
hadseen a spirit. AndHe said to them, why are you troubled? And why do
thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold My hands and My feet, that it is
I, Myself: handle Me and see: for a spirit has not flesh and bones, as
you see I have. And when He had thus spoken, He showed them His hands
and His feet. And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, He
said unto them, Have you here any food? And they gave Him a piece of a
broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. And He took it, and did eat before
them. And He said to them, These are the words which I spoke unto you,
while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were
written in the Law of Moses, and in the Prophets, and in the Psalms
concerning Me. Then opened He their understanding, that theymight
understand the Scriptures. AndHe said to them, Thus it is written, and
thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third
day: and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in
His name among all nations, beginning in Jerusalem. And you are
witnesses of these things. And, behold, I send the promise of My Father
upon you: but tarry you in the city of Jerusalem until you be endued
with power from on high. And He led them out as far as to Bethany, and
He lifted up His hands, and blessed them. And it came to pass, while He
blessed them, He was parted from them, and carried up into Heaven. And
they worshipped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy: and were
continually in the Temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.
–Adapted from The C. H. Spurgeon Collection, Ages Software,
1.800.297.4307
PRAY THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL USE THIS SERMON TO BRING MANY TO A SAVING
KNOWLEDGE OF JESUS CHRIST.