After Cain killed Abel his brother, the Lord said to him, "Where is Abel thy brother?... What hast thou done?" (Gen. 4:9, 109And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper? 10And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground. (Genesis 4:9‑10)). This was a searching question, for Cain was of that wicked one, and killed his brother because Abel's more excellent sacrifice was accepted by God, while his own bloodless offering was rejected. Cain was responsible, but he said to God, "I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?" This reply in effect threw the blame for Abel's death on God, as though God had accepted him, and it was up to Him to look after Abel.
After this, God tried fallen man in various ways-without law, under law, with priests, prophets, kings-but mankind under every test only proved that he was bad. Israel under the promises and best culture brought forth no fruit for God. He sent servants to receive the fruits of the vineyard; but these were beaten, stoned, murdered, and generally ill-treated.
At last God "sent unto them His Son, saying, They will reverence My Son." But the sequel to this final effort to get man to, be fruitful was the saddest result of all. Instead of reverencing God's beloved Son when He came into the world, they conspired against Him; for "when the husbandmen saw the Son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill Him, and let us seize on His inheritance. And they caught Him, and cast Him out of the vineyard, and slew Him." (See Matt. 21:34-3934And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. 35And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. 36Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise. 37But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. 38But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. 39And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him. (Matthew 21:34‑39).)
Mankind went astray from their Creator from the very beginning, and every effort of God's for man's recovery was fruitless. Then the supreme gift came when God, having tried everything else, sent unto them His beloved Son. This brought out the ultimate of human hatred; for as the Son said when He was here, "They... hated both Me and My Father." And God's love and the Son's love were manifested as He went about doing good; but prophetically we hear the Son say, "They... hate Me without a cause" (Psalm 69:44They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of mine head: they that would destroy me, being mine enemies wrongfully, are mighty: then I restored that which I took not away. (Psalm 69:4)). Thus God's Son was cast out of the world after He came into it in love and kindness. This was the end of the trial of man. He has been proved not only godless, but a positive rebel against God come in goodness.
God may well ask of mankind today, Where is My Son? He sent Him out of the goodness of His heart, but He is not here. What is the answer to the challenge, Where is My Son? He was cast out in cold indifference, and generally today there is no concern about Him. We may use the word which was once true of Joseph-a type of Christ in His coming-as he said, "I seek my brethren"; but "They are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph."
One thing that is overlooked today is that God has not forgotten what was done to His Son. The wrath of God is decreed from heaven; and while He has been long-suffering, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance, judgment is sure and certain. And every one who has not confessed his sin and bowed to the blessed name of Jesus, is going to perish in his sins eternally.
There have been many recent attempts to absolve man of his guilt of the crucifixion of Christ. Some Gentiles have excused themselves and charged all of the guilt against the Jews. These in turn are seeking to absolve themselves of this guilt, while Protestants and Catholics are not adverse to aiding and abetting the Jews in this matter. The great ecumenical group of the National Council of Churches has been running printed articles taken from the B'nai B'rith Jewish organization which seeks to exonerate the Jews of this guilt, and charge that the linking of that people with the rejection of Christ produces anti-Jewish bias, and has even been guilty of bringing on foul deeds against them. Let us examine these allegations in the light of the sure Word of God-the Word of Him who cannot lie. Furthermore, the Word of God tells us of the future blessing that is in store for this people who are beloved for the fathers' sakes. God has said that the one who touches the Israelites, does so with damage to himself. God has decreed, "He that toucheth you, toucheth the apple of His eye" (Zech. 2:88For thus saith the Lord of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye. (Zechariah 2:8))-he injures himself. Search history and see how many nations have sought to damage, if not to utterly exterminate, the Jews; and see how many of them have suffered for their folly.
Let us look into the Old Testament and observe what God has to say about blood-guiltiness. When God put government into the hands of man after the flood, He decreed that "whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed." This was God's firm decree then, and He has never altered it. Some men take it on themselves to change this, but they go contrary to divine decree when they do so.
When God took up the seed of Abraham and gave them His law, He gave them just and right laws. He decreed not only that the man who commits murder must be put to death, but that for accidental manslaughter, no blood should be shed. And in order that no one in the heat of avenging the blood of one who died under the hand of another should take the life of one who was only guilty of accidental manslaughter, God ordered the Israelites to set aside 6 cities in their land-three on each side of the Jordan River-to be known as "cities of refuge." These were for 'the refuge of one who had not wantonly and accidentally killed a man, "As when a man goeth into the wood with his neighbor to hew wood, and his hand fetcheth a stroke with the ax to cut down the tree, and the head slippeth from the helve, and lighteth upon his neighbor, that he die; he shall flee unto one of those cities, and live.... That innocent blood be not shed in thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and so blood be upon thee." The law was precise, and great care was to be observed lest an innocent man be put to death.
On the contrary, if a truly guilty man who had murdered his neighbor sought to avail himself of the use of a city of refuge to escape his just reward, "If any man hate his neighbor, and lie in wait for him, and rise up against him, and smite him mortally that he die, and fleeth into one of these cities; then the elders of his city shall send and fetch him thence, and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die."
When the time came for the Lord Jesus to be condemned to death, we find that mankind in general rose up against Him. Rich and poor, high and low, ruler and ruled, priest and people, Jew and Gentile, and pagan all alike were arrayed against the Lord of glory. The 69th Psalm is a prophetic utterance of the Lord's. There we see, "They that sit in the gate [the judges] speak against Me; and I was the song of the drunkards [those of low degree].... Reproach hath broken My heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none." vv. 12, 20. Even His disciples forsook Him and fled. One of His own betrayed Him to the enemy, and bold Peter fled at the challenge of a servant girl in the High Priest's court. Truly the thoughts of many hearts were revealed at that scene. Well may we inquire of the reader, What is your thought of Christ? There is no neutrality in this matter-each one is either for Christ or against Him.
Judas not only betrayed his Lord, but he sold Him for a little paltry silver, and then betrayed Him with the sign of friendship-a kiss. O act of infamy!
After His unlawful arrest in a mob scene, "They... led Him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled." Matt. 26:5757And they that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. (Matthew 26:57). These were the highest authorities of religion in the land. Surely justice, righteousness, and fairness should be expected there; for they claimed to be acting for God.
Now let us read how this august body acted toward the Lord Jesus: "Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put Him to death." Matt. 26:5959Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death; (Matthew 26:59). Now let us contrast this conduct with the divine instructions of the law: "If a false witness rise up against any man to testify against him that which is wrong; then both the men between whom the controversy is, shall stand before the LORD, before the priests and the judges, which shall be in those days; and the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, and hath testified falsely against his brother; then shall ye do unto him, as he had thought to have done unto his brother: so shalt thou put the evil away from among you." Deut. 19:16-1916If a false witness rise up against any man to testify against him that which is wrong; 17Then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before the Lord, before the priests and the judges, which shall be in those days; 18And the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, and hath testified falsely against his brother; 19Then shall ye do unto him, as he had thought to have done unto his brother: so shalt thou put the evil away from among you. (Deuteronomy 19:16‑19). The divine record shows that those rulers and priests who were to make "diligent inquisition" to be sure that no man was convicted on the basis of false testimony became the actual leaders in seeking perjured witnesses. The whole transaction against Jesus was a conspiracy from the beginning. It shows us the reprehensible character of fallen man; he is not only estranged from his God, but wants it that way.
The most despicable thing that one man can do to another is to spit in his face, but this was deliberately done more than once to the blessed, meek, and lowly Jesus of Nazareth. When the High Priest (God's representative among the people) asked the assembled Jews what they thought of Jesus, they "answered and said, He is guilty of death. Then did they spit in His face" (Matt. 26:66, 6766What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death. 67Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands, (Matthew 26:66‑67)). But the High Priest had prepared the crowd for this blasphemous verdict by putting Him under official oath to tell the whole truth about whether or not He were the Christ, and by rending his own official robes in mock shock, as though he were standing up for the truth.
It was not only the hostility of the Jewish people which vented itself in spitting on the Son of God, but the soldiers of the Roman government dared to display their utter contempt for Jesus. "And they spit upon Him, and took the reed (that symbol of mock royalty), and smote Him on the head." Chap. 27:30. Could human degradation sink lower? And all this was (lone to the Son of God! And what thief dying for his crimes would stoop to rail on one who was being crucified beside him? Only a degenerate heart of hatred toward God could do such a thing, but it was done. We can praise God that the other thief condemned himself and justified Jesus as one who had done nothing amiss, thus giving the lie to religious greatness.
We do not have time to go into the details of this shocking scene. Let us turn to the Lord's attitude toward His persecutors. "And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left. Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." Luke 23:33, 3433And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left. 34Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots. (Luke 23:33‑34). 0 what grace beyond measure! Here the blessed Son of God intercedes for His murderers, as in Isa. 53:1212Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. (Isaiah 53:12) we read that He "made intercession for the transgressors." If He had not done this in that cruel hour on the cross, there would have been no forgiveness for the Jewish people according to their law. For there was no escape for the murderer who plotted and lay in wait for his victim. No one but the One who came in grace and in goodness to the lost-His enemies- could treat such a heinous crime as one of manslaughter and not one of deliberate murder. In thus praying, the blessed Lord made their crime a sin of ignorance. They thus became eligible to the city, or cities, of refuge. O the marvelous grace of the Son of God which thus laid open a means of escape!
Before the Lord went to the cross, He commanded that after His resurrection the gospel was to be preached by the disciples, beginning at Jerusalem. When the day of Pentecost came, this was done; and Peter preached boldly, telling them of repentance and a way of escape. In substance, he was flinging open the gates of the city of refuge. 3000 believed, repented, and entered the city of refuge that day.
By believing in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Savior, they escaped the wrath that hung over the nation. They had said, "His blood be on us, and on our children," but the Lord's intercession opened the way of escape. Each Jewish person who accepts Christ as his Savior thus flees to that place of refuge. The Church of the living God is the place of safety, of refuge.
And how long must each one remain therein? This is a very singular provision: "And he shall abide in it [that city] unto the death of the high priest, which was anointed with the holy oil.... But after the death of the high priest the slayer shall return into the land of his possession." Numb. 35:25, 2825And the congregation shall deliver the slayer out of the hand of the revenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to the city of his refuge, whither he was fled: and he shall abide in it unto the death of the high priest, which was anointed with the holy oil. (Numbers 35:25)
28Because he should have remained in the city of his refuge until the death of the high priest: but after the death of the high priest the slayer shall return into the land of his possession. (Numbers 35:28). This is a strange stipulation-not for one year or ten years, or for any specified term. While the high priest remains in the holy place and functions as the high priest, the one who fled for refuge must remain in the city of his refuge. So the Lord Jesus is our great High Priest who is in the very presence of God for us. And during the time of His office on high, the Jewish people are safe in the Church. The day is coming when the Lord will call His Church home, and then He will come out to exercise His office as Priest and King (Zech. 6:1313Even he shall build the temple of the Lord; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both. (Zechariah 6:13)); then Israel will return to their possession. They will pass through the great day of atonement in a very real way, and be cleansed from their sins. They will say, "This is our God; we have waited for Him." Isa. 25:99And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation. (Isaiah 25:9).
Well may we praise God for His gracious provision for guilty Jews, and now for guilty Gentiles as well. There is one more item concerning the death of the Lord Jesus which should be noticed. God took special care lest the land wherein He dwelt should become defiled by blood. In Deuteronomy 21 we read of God's provision for a case where "one be found slain in the land,... lying in the field, and it be not known who hath slain him: then thy elders and thy judges shall come forth, and they shall measure unto the cities which are round about him that is slain: and it shall be, that the city which is next unto the slain man, even the elders of that city shall take a heifer, which hath not been wrought with, and which hath not drawn in the yoke; and the elders of that city shall bring dawn the heifer unto a rough valley, which is neither eared nor sown, and shall strike off the heifer's neck there in the valley.... And all the elders of that city, that are next unto the slain man, shall wash their hands over the heifer," etc. This was a test to ascertain which city was to be held responsible for the murder of a man who was found slain. Great care was to be taken in such a case. Now let us read John 19:19, 2019And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS. 20This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin. (John 19:19‑20). With so many seeking to absolve themselves of the heinous crime of crucifying the Lord of glory, the law from Deuteronomy comes into force in a remarkable way. The distance from the dead man to the nearest city was to be measured, and that city was held responsible. Now read this: "And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS. This title then read many of the Jews; for the place where Jesus was crucified was NIGH TO THE CITY: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin." Now God has noted for us that the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to Jerusalem. God has left us in no uncertainty as to this city. People need not work so hard to exonerate themselves; God has already measured it for us.
When Pilate questioned Jesus and said that His own nation had delivered Him unto him, the Lord gave a concise and powerful answer. "He that delivered Me unto thee hath the greater sin." John 19:1111Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin. (John 19:11). There was no extenuation of Pilate's guilt, who said he had the power to release Jesus. There were some who clamored for His death who had augmented their guilt. Let Gentiles and Jews take heed to these words. All mankind stands condemned for rejecting Christ Jesus, but there are measures of guilt. Those who had the Old Testament scriptures, and yet cried out for His death, had the greater guilt. They chose Barabbas, a murderer, to Jesus; they also chose Caesar to Jesus, saying, "We have no king but Caesar"; but God had decreed that they should not set up a king over them who was not of Israel. We did not invent these matters -"Thy word is true from the beginning." Psalm 119:160160Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever. (Psalm 119:160). All mankind stands condemned-some more and some less. Reader, where do you stand?
Another striking bit of evidence, both of the purity and innocence of Christ and the blood-guiltiness which lay on the people, is found when Judas who betrayed Him returned to the chief priests and elders in the temple with the thirty pieces of silver, saying, "I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood." The priests and elders in cold-blooded indifference said, "What is that to us? see thou to that." (Matt. 27:3, 43Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, 4Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. (Matthew 27:3‑4).) Judas then cast the silver down in the temple and went and hanged himself. Then again religious scruples came into action, and they would not put the silver into the temple coffers, but in fulfillment of Zech. 11:1313And the Lord said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the Lord. (Zechariah 11:13) bought the potter's field to bury strangers in. And that field was called in truth, "Aceldama," or "the field of blood." O solemn fact! This world is guilty of shedding "the innocent blood," and guilty enough to commemorate the fact by the word "Aceldama." Is not this an appropriate name (Acts 1:1919And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue, Aceldama, that is to say, The field of blood. (Acts 1:19))?