the Third Week after Easter
Daily Devotionals
Bowen's Daily Meditations
" They shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn." - Zechariah 12:10.
Think not that they who were personally concerned in the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ, were sinners above all the sinners of the world. Christ on the cross, the righteous Advocate, was able to find something extenuating in their conduct. " They know not what they do." Afterwards, when they saw what they had done, when the Spirit of Pentecost made him known as the Prince of life, many of them repented of their sin, and made haste to believe upon him. The measure of knowledge is an important element in determining the measure of sin. The measure of the means of knowing, let us say rather. There are thousands who are every day guilty of conduct as odious in the sight of heaven as that of the parties who nailed Christ to the cross, and thrust a spear into his side. These indeed, were mere Roman soldiers, having no personal animosity to Christ, whose language even they did not understand; the guilty parties of that scene did not themselves lift a finger against Christ. And their guilt falls immeasurably short, as we have said, of many who now live, read the Gospel, speak about it, profess to look to Christ for salvation, and yet utterly falsify his religion in their practice. When men attributed his blessed works and words to satanic influence, the heart of Christ was pierced; but it is even more pierced when men profess to be his disciples, and by continuance in sin teach the world that Christ has no objection to sin. These are engaged in crucifying the Son of God afresh. They crucify his love with their contentions; his holiness with their profane conduct; his justice with their unrighteousness; his mercy with their unmercifulness; his truth with their deceit; his generosity with their selfishness. They crucify him by falsifying him. Some pierce him by denying his divinity; some by teaching that he will save all, whether they repent or not; some by withholding his Gospel from the multitude; some by exalting a mere ceremony to a glory above that of Christ; some by substituting a crucifix for him; some in one way, some in another. All whose life, teaching, conversation, go to. misrepresent or degrade Christ be they as numerous as they may, as admired as you please, they are piercing Christ, and they shall mourn. The thing which will fill Christ’s meek ones with ineffable joy, will fill the hearts of these professors with anguish that no tongue can describe.
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