The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-03-15
"WHAT DID JESUS MEAN ?"
a Prelude From the Grove Avenue
Pulpit OH Sunday.

nouncing his text Rev. Dr. J. G. Hiden
gave his Grove-Avenue Baptist flock the
following prelude TO the sermon from the
text:
J A study OF Matthew xvi. "a. Then
said .esus un,o has uisciples. II any man
viii come after me. let Inn deny him
self and take UP his cross ana follow
me"
John A. Broadus. who was one Of the
ablcst and best-equipped New Testament
scholars in America. used 10 be tond OF
telling The following story: When he was
/ boy. his la.Ler once said 10 him'
John. ] can prove from tue Bible mat
there is 70 God" So he opened the Bible
I al the 05d isa.m. Isl Csc. ana cover
/ ing with his tnger the words, Ihe 1901
hath said In his heart" he said. "head
1 here And there. as pain as PRINT coa.d
make them. were the woras. "lnere IS
no God John was surprised and ger
/ picked. Presently biz father removed ms
! Lngcr from tie concealed WORDS. ana the
/ mystery was solved.
From that day" said Or. Broadus'
/ Il have known that I'm reading the Bio!e'
/ l must attend TO the connection
! let US look then at the conLocton In
which our passage occurs. In the l.th
verse. Jesus has asked the Disciples
whom DO men say that l, the son OF
man. am? They report the various ar
swers current among the peop'e OF tha'
/ day Euiah. jeremiah. one cf the pro-
phets. lie then asks. Put whom say we
! that ! am? Peter as spokesman OF the
company. then makes MS memorable con-
/ fesslon Of the Mess.ahship OF Jesus ana
Is applauded for it by the Lord
But the Master then proceeds TO predict
his own suMerings ard deaih. Peer IS
shocked. and boldly and ignoranuy re-
/ Dukes his Master. and gees 50 Tar as 10
say This shall not be unto 20 thee.
/ ne wishes f, 10 be distinctly understood
| that a suffering and dying Christ Is not
the Messiah whom he has just confessed.
| our Lord rebukes him sharply for this
purely human view OF the Messiah, ana
! then comes our text
lie, us first settle the meaning OF the
words.
III any man" The warning Is not
10 nor for the disciples alone Mark tells
us $50 that he called the people unto
him with his disciples also Not only
Is Jesus himeslf determined to go Tor
ward IN a path which leads to suffering
and death. undetorred by Peters remon-
! STRANGE and not only must his twelve
discip'es he willing TO follow IN SUCH q
oath. but this holds true Of any and
every one who wishes 20 be his follower
al ALL" Broadus' commentary on the
?. "Win come after me- The will
here is not the mere sign OF the future
tense In the original 10 Is a separate
verb. Nor does n mean merely 10 nave
/ a disposition. or desire Ii Is stronger
word and expresses will combined WIN
/ choice and purpose. II you will 70
/ follow the Master. you have the deter
mined TO DO it-vou nave made q choice.
No mere general cesire 80 do better Is
meant here but distinct purpose ann
! dcterminat.1 10 follow Christ "hi'her-
soever he may lead.
3. Deny himself To deny state
nont. to deny a request, are both COM
mon IN classical Greek. The heather
knew how 10 do both. But TO deny
oneself" is unknown 10 the Greek clas-
/ sizes and this use OF the verb ito deny
Is found only IN the New Tesia1 eft
| Christianity invented the duty Of self
denial. as Il invented the virtues or
meekness and poverty Of spirit. Inc
word here used for deny IS an lRten-
sive" form OF the Greek verb. meaning
20 danv utterlv-to renounce entirely @"
| You must sweep self celan out OF the
wav. The dearest end most binding or
earthly ties must 10 utterly dissolved
when trev como IN conflict with your
LOYALTY 10 Christ Father. mother. son.
daughter brothers. sisters, the wife OF
vour bosom and the mother OF
( your children. must Ell stand aside in the
rrcverce OF the claims Of YOUR Lord.
/ Matthew 1921. and Luke 1926 are deci-
eive or these OBLIGATIONS; and Matthew
1925. ard divers other passages settle the
point that life Itself is not TO be allowed
10 stand IN the way or your loyalty
l. "Taking % the cross embassies the
! DUTY OF self-denial CrUcihXion was 40
novelty IN Judea. Long before this time
| eight hundred rebels bad boon crucined az
Jerusalem by King Alexander Janueus
while he was publicly feasting. Thai
monster. Antiochu5 Eplphanes. crucihed
many Jews and the Proconsul. Warts.
crucifed two thousand. True. 1t was
foreign mode Of punishment unknown
20 the Jewish law. and hence would he al
The more abhorrent TO Jewish feeling
Chrysos,um puts 1t finely: 'Ile saith
also how FAR one ought to renounce one
self that Is. unto death. and that re-
nroachful death" and Jerome: And fol-
/ low their teacher In the spirit Of the dy-
/ ing"
5"Fo'low ne" No one should imagine
| hat we are called 10 reproduce in our
| lie the events OF lut tNltl Aal oNAH va Wv
| life OF Jesus In these matters the life OF
Iesus was 10 a larTe extent. unique. But
| The spirit Of that life mon are called 10
! entertain and TO exercise, the spirit OF
! se'f-renuncia ion and self-sacrifce.
| Christ pleased not himself. The
! reproaches OF them that reproachei thee
] fell on me-" Romans XIV. g.
In the light Of our passage. as thus ex-
pounded. what a word IS loyalty The
| superint endent OF the sunday school. sad
ly lacking in competent teachers. begs yo1
| an educated" young rnan-to take
| charge Of c'ass. You reply: 1T Is MOI
| convenient for me 10 get breakfast and
Get To Sunday school ty half past nine.
| Ny dear brother. consider. Was Il conve-
| nient tor the Son of God to leave His
home in glory. to live a weary life upon
| his sin-cursed earth: 10 he arrested and
! insulted by rufilans; 10 wear that crown
| Of tho-ns: to have coarse rowdies spit IN
| His face: 10 be scourged revIled. Knocked
| deserted by God and man. and. with q
| wild wall OF anguish. perish on that Ro-
| man cross that you-a poor ruined soul
| might Re saved? ] confess tfat / am
| ashamed Of or mOiern. self-ln1ulFent
essy-eolng Christianity 90 when ! hear
| church members talking about "conve-
| nience' in the presence or the cross
1
with tho Sick.
DR. Grorge c. Vanderslice. though very