The world is full of questions, and more so since education has made such advancement; but no question has ever been put from one lip to another which has such importance as this one, put in the land of Palestine nineteen hundred years ago. Important in those days, it has never lost its importance as it comes now to you and me. It is important because of the Person about Whom it is; it is important because our eternity is involved in our answer to it. “What think ye of Christ?”
Let us see what the world thought of Him when He was down here.
When He was only about twelve months old, as we see in Matthew 2, wise men came from the East inquiring, “Where is He that is born King of the Jews?” For they had seen the star in the East which linked up their thoughts with this blessed Person, appointed to be the Anointed One, the Messiah, the King of Israel. But when they came, Herod was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Herod demanded where Christ should be born; they told him from the Scriptures where it should be, and he desired the wise men to find out where He was that he might worship Him also. But was that the truth? Nay; murder was in his heart. His desire to know where He was was only in order to kill Him; and he sends forth the decree that all the male children under two years should be killed, to be sure of the death of the Messiah, the Christ of God!
Go on to the later part of the Lord’s life; and in Matthew 26 we find a consultation held by those looked up to as leaders in the nation, a consultation to take Jesus by subtlety and kill Him! Murder was in their hearts, not only in the heart of Herod, but of those professedly religious leaders of the people! But they said, “Not on the feast day”; not while religious observances were going on, “for fear of the people.”
What then was their appraisement of the Lord’s Christ? Nothing more than a common slave, for they covenanted with Judas for thirty pieces of silver, the price of a slave, Exodus 21:3232If the ox shall push a manservant or a maidservant; he shall give unto their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned. (Exodus 21:32).
Go on again to the judgment hall, where Pilate puts two questions to them concerning this same blessed Person. First, what is their choice, Christ, or one who for sedition and murder had been cast into prison; Barabbas? “Bar” means “son”; “abbas,” “of the father”; the devil’s counterfeit of the Son of the Father! Would they have the counterfeit, already under sentence of death, or Christ? What is your choice? The devil’s counterfeit, or the Saviour God has sent? What think ye of Christ?
Then Pilate asks the second question: “What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ?” “They all say unto him, Let Him be crucified.”
Come now to another scene at Caesarea Philippi (Matthew 16:1313When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? (Matthew 16:13)). The Lord asks His disciples, “Whom do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” They tell Him there is a difference of opinion about Him; and the Lord turns round and says, “Whom say ye that I am?” Simon Peter answered and said, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God!” A wonderful answer that! When murder was in the hearts of men, the Father had revealed to Peter that this outcast, despised One is THE Christ, THE Son of THE living God! God, the living God, had sent His own beloved Son, speaking words of grace and truth, and bringing salvation to all who would come to Him. Again let us go back to our question; What think ye of Christ? It matters not what others think: what are THY thoughts of that blessed Person?
Ah, blessed be He, God over all, blessed forever! That is what we think of Him, the Sent One of God, Who came to seek and to save that which was lost. Did He not say, “He that heareth My word, and believeth Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life?” (John 5:2424Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (John 5:24)). Are your thoughts in accordance with what God has declared through His word, that He is His beloved Son, Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, the Creator, the Sustainer of all life, yet seen in a body amongst men?
Ah, but He might have passed through this scene as He did, every word, every action bringing glory to God; but had it finished there, there was no salvation for you or me.
Go to Calvary, and see that blessed One nailed to the cross. Hark to the cry from His lips, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do!” Hark to that loud voice, “It is finished!” as He dismisses His Spirit, and passes into Paradise. What think ye of Christ? He Who knew no sin while on that cross was made sin for you and for me: He, the Holy and the Just, died for us the unjust, to bring us to God.
“Oh, ‘twas love, ‘twas wondrous love,
The love of God to me;
It brought my Saviour from above
To die on Calvary.”
What think ye of Christ? Read in Acts 2, and find that He who was upon the cross, is now up there in the glory, having passed through death. Hades could not contain Him; His body saw no corruption; God has raised Him up, and put Him at His own right hand, and given Him glory; having made that same Jesus which was crucified both Lord and Christ. He is the center of all that scene, the Glory of all the glories there, the Son of God, highly exalted, Head over all, blessed forever! He is up there as having been unto death, the Risen Man, Christ Jesus. He died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and rose again according to the Scriptures. All the word of God witnesses to the fact He died for our sins, and rose again. Wondrous truth for God to send forth, and for you to believe!
But we have a hope; He is coming again! We know not the day or the hour, but He is bound to come, for He has never broken His word yet! And He is coming soon, for “yet a little while, and He that shall come, will come, and will not tarry.” And we who believe on Him, shall behold Him, and be like Him! But He is going to reign as David’s Son, and David’s Lord, the coming Monarch Whom all nations will serve. The Son of Man has been given authority; and He Who would give peace to the troubled conscience today will then sit as Judge of those who reject Him according to their works. Oh, again we ask, “What think YE of Christ?”
QUARTUS.