Luke 19:1-10 And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.… 1. "The Son of man."(1) His humanity. What the fulness of time was come, "God sent His Son, made of a woman" (Galatians 4:4). As the flowers are said to have solem in caelo patrem, solum in terra matrem; so Christ hath a Father in heaven without a mother, a mother on earth without a father. Here is then the wonder of His humanity. The "Everlasting Father" (Isaiah 9:6) is become a little child. The Son of God calls Himself the Son of man. (2) His humility. If your understandings can reach the depth of this bottom, take it at one view. The Son of God calls Himself the Son of man. The omnipotent Creator becomes an impotent creature.So greater humility never was than this, that God should be made man. It is the voice of pride in man, "I will be like God" (Isaiah 14:14); but the action of humility in God, "I will be man."(1) Esteem we not the worse but the better of Christ, that He made Himself the Son of man. Let Him not lose any part of His honour because He abased Himself for us. He that took our flesh "is also over all, God blessed for ever, Amen" (Romans 9:5). (2) The other use is St. Paul's: "Let the same mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 2:5). What mind is that: Humility. 2. "Is come." We understand the person, let us come to His coming. And herein, ecce veritatem — behold His truth. Did God promise a son of a virgin; Emmanuel, a Saviour? He is as good as His word; venit, "He is come." Did the sacrificed blood of so many bulls, goats, and lambs, prefigure the expiatory blood of the Lamb of God to be shed? Ecce Agnus Dei — "Behold that Lamb of God, that taketh away the sins of the world." 3. "To seek." He is come; to what purpose? Ecce compassionem — "to seek." All the days of His flesh upon earth He went about seeking souls. When the sun shines, every bird comes forth; only the owl will not be found. These birds of darkness cannot abide the light, "because their deeds are evil" (John 3:19). Thus they play at all-hid with God, but how foolishly! Like that beast that having thrust his head in a bush, and seeing nobody, thinks nobody sees him. But they shall find at last that not holes of mountains or caves of rocks can conceal them (Revelation 6:16). Secondly, others play at fast and loose with God; as a man behind a tree, one while seen, another while hid. In the day of prosperity they are hidden; only in affliction they come out of their holes. Thirdly, others being lost, and hearing the seeker's voice, go further from Him. The nearer salvation comes to them, the further they run from it. 4. "To save." Ecce pietatem, behold His goodness. Herod sought Christ ad interitum, to kill Him; Christ seeks us ad salutem, to save us. " This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners" (1 Timothy 1:15). 5. "The lost." There ecce potestatem, behold His power. He is that "strongest man" that unbound us from the fetters of sin and Satan. "Lost!" But where was man lost? There are diverse losing-places. (T. Adams, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. |
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