The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1904-04-08

Matt. NNl, lO commentary IFe-
pared by Rev. ID. M. stearns.
copyright 1904, 10y American Press Association
This lesson is recorded in Matt. xvi
and Luke TX, as well as i'm Mark, and
contains the first particular prediction
concerning the rejection, the death and
the resurrection of the Christ Luke
SAYS that He was alone. praying, and
His disciples with Him, when He asked
them this question. Whom do men say
that | am? He was evidently leading
up TO the following question: Whom
say we that am? The people had va
rious opinions about Him, some think
ing Him to be John the Baptist and
others Elijah or jeremiah or one of the
other prophets, but Peter, answering
for himself, said Thou art the Christ,
the Son Of the living God" Matt. xvi,
16). To this Jesus answered. blessed
art thou, Simon Barjona, for flesh and
blood hath not revealed ii unto thee,
but My Father which is in heaven"
(Aatt xvi, 10
Man cannot of himself know God or
recognize Christ. God only can reveal
Himself TO any one, and this He does
by His Spirit, but there is no him
drance TO our knowing God except on
our part, for all who will may acquaint
themselves with Him dob xxi, 21;
John vi, 30. In the words following.
spoken by our Lord, Thou art Peter,
and upon this rock | will build My
church." If our teachers had told us
that our Lord said, Thou are 'Petros,'
and upon this petra | will build My
church." and had also told us that
'petros" signifies a piece of rock,
stone. while petra" signifies a solid
rock, ledge according to any Greek
dictionary, how much idle talk and
controversy we might have been saved
from concerning the church being built
upon such a piece of stone. a rolling
stone. as Peter.
Did your heart ever say, THANK God,
neither the wisdom nor the power of
hell shall ever prevail against the
church of Christi" AS Peter was priv
ileged to open the door to the Jews at
Pentecost and to the gentiles in the
house of Cornelius acts ii; X; XII we
must bear in mind that while the
kingdom includes the church the
church is not the kingdom. Whoever
heartily believes that Jesus is the
Christ and understands il cannot but
rejoice to be used TO the utmost to help
complete the church and hasten the
Kingdom.
fCh al
Him as their Christ or Messiah and
having determined to kill Him. the dis
eiples are forbidden to declare to any
one that He is the Christ He then de-
clares plainly that not only have the
elders, chief priests and scribes reject
ed Him. but He is to suffer many
things at their hands and be killed by
them at Jerusalem Matt. xvi. 2D. but
the third day He will rise again.
When He, the third time told them
that He was to die and rise again He
told them more fully of His sufferings
and also the manner Of His death; that
He would be Knocked and scourged and
crucifed Matt. xvii, %; Xxx. 19). They
do not receive His sayings, and impul-
sive Peter says that it must not be.
According TO Matt. xvi, %. Peter said.
"Be it far from Thee. Lord margin.
pity Thyself; this shall not be unto
thee" From this rejection of the cross
on TO Peters denial he seems TO be in
creasingly out Of fellowship. but the
love Of Christ was unchanged toward
him (John xiii y. The Lord Jesus
told him that now he was representing
Satan and not God. How strange that
from the same mouth may come bless.
ing and cursing, sweet water and bit
ter Gas. fiji, S-12l. but Peter, although
saved, was not yet a Spirit filled man.
There was much Of Peter When we
are Spirit filed self is reckoned dead.
and the Lord Jesus alone has the right
OF way in us, and Gal. ii, 20, is our ex-
perience.
He now called the people to Him and
gave them a message as well as the
disciples. | will quote it from Luke
TX, %. for the sake of one word not
given 10y the others, "If any man will
come after Me let him deny himself
and take up his cross daily and follow
Ne" This certainly means following
fully, like Caleb and Joshua. and not
following afar off like Simon Peter; not
merely denying something to oneself,
but actually denying ones own self
and treating it as dead and buried
The cross never suggests flowers or jet
or jewelry. but always prolonged suf-
fering daily dying QI Cor. iv. IL; Rom.
viii, so. The saying concerning losing
or saving ones life was often used by
our Lord See two other occasions i'm
Matt. X. 80: John xii. % There is the
present and there is the future of glory
or of torment To insist on plying and
pampering and induging and living
unto self in this present life may mean
eternal poverty and torment and surely
will mean that If the precious blood Of
Christ is despiSed and not trusted i'm.
To wean us from self and present
things and lead us to seek treasure in,
heaven and have our affections there
lie sets before us His glory and His
kingdom, assuring us Of His desire to
have us share and that He has given
II to us Gohn xvii. %. pa ! John iii. ..
3: Phil. fiji. 20. 21. We must distin-
pukh between orr meeting Him i'm tho