March 23
Morning
"His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the
ground." — Luk_22:44
The mental pressure arising from our Lord's struggle with temptation,
so forced his frame to an unnatural excitement, that his pores sent forth great
drops of blood which fell down to the ground. This proves how tremendous must
have been the weight of sin when it was able to crush the Saviour so that he
distilled great drops of blood! This demonstrates the mighty power of his love.
It is a very pretty observation of old Isaac Ambrose that the gum which exudes
from the tree without cutting is always the best. This precious camphire-tree
yielded most sweet spices when it was wounded under the knotty whips, and when
it was pierced by the nails on the cross; but see, it giveth forth its best
spice when there is no whip, no nail, no wound. This sets forth the voluntariness
of Christ's sufferings, since without a lance the blood flowed freely. No need
to put on the leech, or apply the knife; it flows spontaneously. No need for
the rulers to cry, "Spring up, O well;" of itself it flows in crimson
torrents. If men suffer great pain of mind apparently the blood rushes to the
heart. The cheeks are pale; a fainting fit comes on; the blood has gone inward
as if to nourish the inner man while passing through its trial. But see our
Saviour in his agony; he is so utterly oblivious of self, that instead of his
agony driving his blood to the heart to nourish himself, it drives it outward
to bedew the earth. The agony of Christ, inasmuch as it pours him out upon the
ground, pictures the fulness of the offering which he made for men.
Do we not perceive how intense must have been the wrestling through
which he passed, and will we not hear its voice to us? "Ye have not yet
resisted unto blood, striving against sin." Behold the great Apostle and
High Priest of our profession, and sweat even to blood rather than yield to the
great tempter of your souls.
Luke 22:44
being: Gen_32:24-28;
Psa_22:1-2, Psa_22:12-21, Psa_40:1-3,
Psa_69:14-18, Psa_88:1-18, Psa_130:1-2;
Psa_143:6-7; Lam_1:12, Lam_3:53-56;
Jon_2:2-3; Joh_12:27; Heb_5:7
his: Isa_53:10;
Lam_1:12; Rom_8:32
Evening
"I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones
would immediately cry out." — Luk_19:40
But could the stones cry out? Assuredly they could if he who opens the
mouth of the dumb should bid them lift up their voice. Certainly if they were
to speak, they would have much to testify in praise of him who created them by
the word of his power; they could extol the wisdom and power of their Maker who
called them into being. Shall not we speak well of him who made us anew, and
out of stones raised up children unto Abraham? The old rocks could tell of
chaos and order, and the handiwork of God in successive stages of creation's
drama; and cannot we talk of God's decrees, of God's great work in ancient
times, in all that he did for his church in the days of old? If the stones were
to speak, they could tell of their breaker, how he took them from the quarry,
and made them fit for the temple, and cannot we tell of our glorious Breaker,
who broke our hearts with the hammer of his word, that he might build us into
his temple? If the stones should cry out they would magnify their builder, who
polished them and fashioned them after the similitude of a palace; and shall
not we talk of our Architect and Builder, who has put us in our place in the
temple of the living God? If the stones could cry out, they might have a long,
long story to tell by way of memorial, for many a time hath a great stone been
rolled as a memorial before the Lord; and we too can testify of Ebenezers,
stones of help, pillars of remembrance. The broken stones of the law cry out
against us, but Christ himself, who has rolled away the stone from the door of
the sepulchre, speaks for us. Stones might well cry out, but we will not let
them: we will hush their noise with ours; we will break forth into sacred song,
and bless the majesty of the Most High, all our days glorifying him who is
called by Jacob the Shepherd and Stone of Israel.
Luke 19:40
Psa_96:11, Psa_98:7-9,
Psa_114:1-8; Isa_55:12; Hab_2:11;
Mat_3:9, Mat_21:15-16;
Mat_27:45, Mat_27:51-54; 2Pe_2:6
Daily Devotions.
Extract from
e-Sword- the sword of the LORD with an
electronic edge.
Through the Bible Day by Day.(F.B Meyer)
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