While waiting for our Lord from heaven, the blessed portion of God's people is to "consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself" (Heb. 12:3) and feed upon Him as "the Bread that came down from heaven"-our Jesus as He walked here upon earth, and of whom the Holy Spirit has given us a four-fold record. It is both sweet and sanctifying to follow Him in spirit amid the circumstances of this world as we find them around us. He thus becomes more precious to us as with the Holy Spirit's help we retrace His path and observe His ways recorded in the Word.
Comparing some of the circumstances related in the four Gospels, we often find marked differences. It is the same Person in the four records, but from different points of view, as a great monument viewed from its four sides.
John's Gospel contrasts with all the others, especially with Matthew. The glory of the Eternal Word, Creator of all things, contrasts with a genealogical descent from Abraham, as the One in whom the promises are fulfilled, and as David's Offspring, certified by His genealogy, with title to the kingdom.
Consider the closing scenes connected with the Cross, John gives no glimpse of agony in Gethsemane, nor even upon the cross. The band that comes with torches and weapons to take Him, fall backward to the ground at the word, "I am He," but He gives Himself up into their hands, while in love and compassion for His own He delivers them in saying, "If therefore ye seek Me, let these go their way." No darkness shrouds the cross in John, and no cry of abandonment:His death bears the aspect of the "whole burnt offering of sweet savor unto Jehovah." He commits His mother to the care of "the disciple whom He loved," He receives the vinegar "that the scripture might be fulfilled," and says, "It is finished . . . and He gave up his spirit." He is laid in the grave, and in divine majesty overcomes it by His own power.
How different is the view which is presented in Matthew, and even more in Mark. It is the same scene but it is in the trespass and sin offering aspect. Matthew tells us of the thrice-repeated prayer in the garden. Falling on His face, "with strong crying and tears" (Heb. 5:6), He says, "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as Thou wilt." He is heard, indeed, and delivered, not from death but out of it; for "though He were a Son, yet learned He obedience by the things which He suffered; and being perfected (as our Saviour), He became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey Him" (Heb. 5:7-9).
In Mark, the sin offering aspect of the Cross is especially marked. While in Matthew the vindictive hatred of the Jews, the brutality of the soldiers, the bitter mockery of the priests, elders and scribes are more pronounced against "the King of the Jews," Mark gives the fullest darkness of the Cross. He alone mentions the six hours upon the cross, and marks out the last three hours from the first three by the darkness covering the whole land, together with the cry of forsaken sorrow, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani," which he interprets for us as "the words of my roaring" in the 22nd psalm-the Holy One of God in the depths where there is no standing-the Sin-bearer, alone and forsaken! O my soul, with feet unshod and uncovered head, bow before the awful mystery!
"Darkness there shut Him in-
God judged Him for my sin!
Jesus my soul to win,
Died there for me!"
Now, in Luke, a difficulty may at first appear. The agony in Gethsemane is intensified:His sweat became as it were "great drops of blood falling down to the ground," and an angel from heaven comes to strengthen Him. Yet at the cross there is no cry of agony, no distress is seen. Why is this? we may reverently inquire. Is it not because in Luke we see Him as the perfect Man? -the Holy One of God? He has gone through the trial and sorrow with His Father in the garden, from which He has come forth in peace, victorious over the enemy. Then on the cross He prays for His murderers:"Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do;" and to the dying thief at His side He gives the answer of peace and assurance of rest with Himself in the paradise of God
What a pattern for the child of God in self-surrender, with the resulting "peace of God which passeth all understanding" to keep the heart and mind (Phil. 4:6, 7)!
In Luke especially we see Him, the Leader or "Captain of our salvation," as the man of prayer. At His baptism it was while "praying" that the Spirit as a dove rested upon Him (ch. 3:21). In ch. S:16, "He withdrew Himself into the wilderness and prayed." In ch. 6:12, "He went out into a mountain to pray and continued all night in prayer to God." In 9:29, again, "He went up into a mountain to pray; and, as He prayed, the fashion of his countenance was changed," and Moses and Elias speak with Him of His decease to be accomplished at Jerusalem. So here, as the cup He was to drink was pressing upon Him, "He prayed more earnestly."
How often with us the trouble that confronts us absorbs our minds, instead of turning us to more earnest prayer. So it was with the disciples:they had not been able to "watch and pray" as He bade them do, and when He returns to them He finds them "sleeping for sorrow," He had gone through the great conflict in an agony of prayer; He had vanquished the enemy in prayer, taking from His Father the cup He was to drink; hence He comes forth in the peace of God to meet the wicked Sanhedrim, the insults, the buffetings, the mock trial, the Roman ruler's base conduct, the brutal and heartless soldiery, and finally, the cross. So far it was martyrdom, and all endured in the peace of God!
Then, finally, when the three hours of darkness cover the land and Divine Justice must needs smite our glorious Substitute, man's wicked doings fall out of sight. It is the Deep then answering to the Deep. Mark and Matthew point us to this. We worship here, but cannot follow.