BLESSINGS OF THE CROSS - DAY 8

BLESSINGS OF THE CROSS - DAY 8

And being in agony He prayed more earnestly; Then His

sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the

ground. LUKE 22:44

It was the corruption and wickedness of men

that contrived and affected His death. It was by men’s

wickedness that He was reproached, mocked, buffeted,

and spit upon. It was by men’s wickedness that Barabbas

was preferred before Him. It was men’s wickedness that

laid the cross upon Him to bear, and that nailed Him to it,

and put Him to so cruel and ignominious a death. This

tended to give Christ an extraordinary sense of the greatness

and hatefulness of the depravity of mankind. Because hereby

in the time of his sufferings He had that depravity set before

Him as it is, without disguise. When it killed Christ, it

appeared in its proper colors. Here Christ saw it in its true

nature, which is the utmost hatred and contempt of God;

in its ultimate tendency and desire, which is to kill God;

and in its greatest aggravation and highest act, which is

killing a person that was God. But yet at the same time, so

wonderful was the love of Christ to those who exhibited this

hateful corruption, that he endured those very sufferings to

deliver them from the punishment of that very corruption.

J O N A T H A N E D WA R D S ( 1 7 0 3 - 1 7 5 8 )