the Third Week after Easter
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Daily Devotionals
The Poor Man's Morning and Evening Portions
December 26—Morning—2 Timothy 2:8
"Jesus Christ of the seed of David."—2 Timothy 2:8.
Sweet thought! Jesus will have regard to both sexes in his incarnation. He will be of the seed of the woman. He will be also truly and properly man. As both the man and woman had sinned, so redemption shall be for both. But in the holy nature, in which as Redeemer he will come, he will partake of none of their sins. The man shall have no hand in his generation. And the womb of the woman shall be but the deposit of that holy thing so called, (Luke 1:35.) by the miraculous conception of the Holy Ghost. So that the body which God the Father prepared him, belonged to both, but was unconnected with either. He must be truly man; for the law had said, "Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy unto the Lord." He must be a priest; and no woman could minister in that office. He must be a prophet; and no woman could exercise that province, for it is not permitted for a woman to speak in the church. He must be a king; and the kingly office belongeth not to the weaker vessel. But both sexes shall be equally at the same time concerned in the blessed event of his incarnation. The woman is saved in the child-bearing of this Redeemer, and the man brought into favour and reconciliation; "for as by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead." So that, as the apostle strongly and satisfactorily concludes, "there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female, but ye are all one in Christ Jesus."
December 26—Evening—1 Peter 2:8
"A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence."—1 Peter 2:8.
O my Lord! how wonderful is it, that thy coming should have given such offence to thy people? The prophet, indeed, said it should be so, and thereby gave one among the many testimonies to thy character. "He," saith the prophet (Isaiah 8:14.) "that shall be for a sanctuary, shall be but for a stone of stumbling, and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel." But what was there, my Lord, in thee, and the gracious purpose for which thou came, that could have furnished occasion for stumbling? Thy birth, indeed, was humble, thy life marked with sorrow, thy death ignominious, and every thing about thee debased. But under all these things, did not the Godhead burst forth in acts which none but God could perform? And is the offence of the cross ceased in the present hour? Alas! what multitudes of sinners now, as much as then, still live to despise salvation by thy blood and righteousness? Precious Jesus! who made me to differ from another? Why was I constrained to look unto thee as the Rock of Ages, the precious stone that Jehovah hath laid in Zion for salvation, while thousands refuse that thou shouldest reign over them? Oh! for grace to praise thee, and to love thee! Now, Lord, do I discover a preciousness in that divine scripture, and thank thee for it as my own; "Blessed is he (thou hast said) whosoever is not offended in thee!"
