March 25
Morning
"Betrayest thou the Son of Man with a kiss?" — Luk_22:48
"The kisses of an enemy are deceitful." Let me be on my guard
when the world puts on a loving face, for it will, if possible, betray me as it
did my Master, with a kiss. Whenever a man is about to stab religion, he
usually professes very great reverence for it. Let me beware of the sleek-faced
hypocrisy which is armour-bearer to heresy and infidelity. Knowing the
deceivableness of unrighteousness, let me be wise as a serpent to detect and
avoid the designs of the enemy. The young man, void of understanding, was led
astray by the kiss of the strange woman: may my soul be so graciously
instructed all this day, that "the much fair speech" of the world may
have no effect upon me. Holy Spirit, let me not, a poor frail son of man, be
betrayed with a kiss!
But what if I should be guilty of the same accursed sin as Judas, that
son of perdition? I have been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus; I am a
member of his visible Church; I sit at the communion table: all these are so
many kisses of my lips. Am I sincere in them? If not, I am a base traitor. Do I
live in the world as carelessly as others do, and yet make a profession of
being a follower of Jesus? Then I must expose religion to ridicule, and lead
men to speak evil of the holy name by which I am called. Surely if I act thus
inconsistently I am a Judas, and it were better for me that I had never been
born. Dare I hope that I am clear in this matter? Then, O Lord, keep me so. O
Lord, make me sincere and true. Preserve me from every false way. Never let me
betray my Saviour. I do love thee, Jesus, and though I often grieve thee, yet I
would desire to abide faithful even unto death. O God, forbid that I should be
a high-soaring professor, and then fall at last into the lake of fire, because
I betrayed my Master with a kiss.
Luke 22:48
betrayest: 2Sa_20:9-10;
Psa_55:21; Pro_27:6; Mat_26:48-50;
Mar_14:44-46
Evening
"The Son of man." — Joh_3:13
How constantly our Master used the title, the "Son of man!"
If he had chosen, he might always have spoken of himself as the Son of God, the
Everlasting Father, the Wonderful, the Counsellor, the Prince of Peace; but
behold the lowliness of Jesus! He prefers to call himself the Son of man. Let
us learn a lesson of humility from our Saviour; let us never court great titles
nor proud degrees. There is here, however, a far sweeter thought. Jesus loved
manhood so much, that he delighted to honour it; and since it is a high honour,
and indeed, the greatest dignity of manhood, that Jesus is the Son of man, he
is wont to display this name, that he may as it were hang royal stars upon the
breast of manhood, and show forth the love of God to Abraham's seed. Son of man-whenever
he said that word, he shed a halo round the head of Adam's children. Yet there
is perhaps a more precious thought still. Jesus Christ called himself the Son
of man to express his oneness and sympathy with his people. He thus reminds us
that he is the one whom we may approach without fear. As a man, we may take to
him all our griefs and troubles, for he knows them by experience; in that he
himself hath suffered as the "Son of man," he is able to succour and
comfort us. All hail, thou blessed Jesus! inasmuch as thou art evermore using
the sweet name which acknowledges that thou art a brother and a near kinsman,
it is to us a dear token of thy grace, thy humility, thy love.
"Oh see how Jesus trusts himself
Unto our childish love,
As though by his free ways with us
Our earnestness to prove!
His sacred name a common word
On earth he loves to hear;
There is no majesty in him
Which love may not come near."
John 3:13
no man: Joh_1:18,
Joh_6:46; Deu_30:12;
Pro_30:4; Act_2:34;
Rom_10:6; Eph_4:9
but: Joh_6:33,
Joh_6:38, Joh_6:51,
Joh_6:62, Joh_8:42,
Joh_13:3, Joh_16:28-30,
Joh_17:5; 1Co_15:47
even: Joh_1:18;
Mat_28:20; Mar_16:19-20; Act_20:28;
Eph_1:23, Eph_4:10
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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