Tag Archives: Christ

Sermon Shorts from Spurgeon – Sermon 11: The People’s Christ

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Christ was chosen out of the people—that he might know our wants and sympathize with us. You know the old tale, that one half the world does not know how the other half lives; and that is very true. I believe some of the rich have no notion whatever of what the distress of the poor is. They have no idea of what it is to labor for their daily food. They have a very faint conception of what a rise in the price of bread means. They do not know anything about it; and when we put men in power who never were of the people, they do not understand the art of governing us. But our great and glorious Jesus Christ is one chosen out of the people; and therefore he knows our wants. Temptation and pain he suffered before us; sickness he endured, for when hanging upon the cross, the scorching of that broiling sun brought on a burning fever; weariness—he has endured it, for weary he sat by the well; poverty—he knows it, for sometimes he had not bread to eat, save that bread of which the world knows nothing; to be houseless—he knew it, for the foxes had holes, and the birds of the air had nests, but he had not where to lay his head. My brother Christian, there is no place where thou canst go, where Christ has not been before thee, sinful places alone excepted. In the dark valley of the shadow of death thou mayest see his bloody footsteps—footprints marked with gore; ay, and even at the deep waters of the swelling Jordan, thou shalt, when thou comest hard by the side, say, “There are the footprints of a man: whose are they?” Stooping down, thou shalt discern a nail-mark, and shalt say. “Those are the footsteps of the blessed Jesus.” He hath been before thee; he hath smoothed the way; he hath entered the grave, that he might make the tomb the royal bedchamber of the ransomed race, the closet where they lay aside the garments of labor, to put on the vestments of eternal rest. In all places whithersoever we go, the angel of the covenant has been our forerunner; each burden we have to carry, has once been laid on the shoulders of Immanuel.

From the Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Volume 1, Sermon 11 by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

https://ccel.org/ccel/spurgeon/sermons01/sermons01.x.html

Sermon Shorts from Spurgeon – Sermon 7-8: Christ Crucified

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The gospel to the Christian is a thing of power. What is it that makes the young man devote himself as a missionary to the cause of God, to leave father and mother, and go into distant lands? It is a thing of power that does it—it is the gospel. What is it that constrains yonder minister, in the midst of the cholera, to climb up that creaking staircase, and stand by the bed of some dying creature who has that dire disease? It must be a thing of power which leads him to venture his life; it is love of the cross of Christ which bids him do it. What is that which enables one man to stand up before a multitude of his fellows, all unprepared it may be, but determined that he will speak nothing but Christ and him crucified? What is it that enables him to cry, like the war-horse of Job in battle, Aha! and move glorious in might? It is a thing of power that does it—it is Christ crucified. And what emboldens that timid female to walk down that dark lane in the wet evening, that she may go and sit beside the victim of a contagious fever? What strengthens her to go through that den of thieves, and pass by the profligate and profane? What influences her to enter into that charnel-house of death, and there sit down and whisper words of comfort? Does gold make her do it? They are too poor to give her gold. Does fame make her do it? She shall never be known, nor written among the mighty women of this earth. What makes her do it? Is it love of merit? No; she knows she has no desert before high heaven. What impels her to it? It is the power of the gospel on her heart; it is the cross of Christ; she loves it, and she therefore says—”Were the whole realm of nature mine. That were a present far too small; Love so amazing, so divine, Demands my soul, my life, my all.”

From the Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Volume 1, Sermon 7-8 by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

https://ccel.org/ccel/spurgeon/sermons01/sermons01.vii.html

The Image of the Invisible God

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The doctrine of Jesus’ divinity is not limited to just the Gospels. The Apostle Paul also affirms Jesus’ divine nature. Here is one such passage which demonstrates this.

Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: 13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: 14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: 15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: 16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. (Colossians 1:12-17)

Here Jesus is the One through Whom redemption comes. (vs. 14) Then in verse 15, we see why–Jesus is “the image of the invisible God”. Only the God-man can provide redemption through His blood, because His blood alone is pure–untouched by sin. As 1 John 3:5 states, “And ye know that he [Jesus] was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.” Jesus’ blood was “precious blood” because He was “a lamb without blemish and without spot”. (1 Peter 1:19)

The word translated “image” is the Greek word from which we get the term “icon”. It communicates that Jesus is the physical form of God who is “invisible” (vs. 15) As John 4:24 states, “God is a spirit”. We cannot see him physically, but Jesus is the physical representation of God. He is truly God in the flesh.

Jesus’ divinity is further supported by verse 16, where He is identified as the Creator of “all things”. Genesis 1:1 is clear that “God created the heavens and the earth” which is certainly included in “all things”. So it logically follows that if God is the Creator and Jesus is the Creator, then Jesus is God.

Verse 17 also speaks to Jesus’ divine nature. Jesus is “before all things”. He is not created. He simply exists. He is the great I AM–the self-existent One, Who we call “God the Son.”

Equal with God

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Several times in the Gospels, Jesus said or did things which demonstrated to others that He is truly God in the flesh. As we have seen in previous articles, sometimes it was a direct statement of Jesus or others affirming His divinity. However, in the passage today, it was the implication Jesus’ hearers perceived which showed His divine nature. In addition, He then claims to have the ability to do something which only God could do—raise the dead.

But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. 18 Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God. 19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. 20 For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel. 21 For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. (John 5:17-21)

These two words, “My Father”, caused offense among the Jews. They understood this as Jesus stating that He and God were equal. In Greek, it’s the word isos, which can mean equal in either quantity or quality. Here, it is obviously quality. That’s why the Jew were upset.

In verse 19, Jesus goes on to explain that the Father’s work and His work are the same. Then Jesus tells them that they haven’t seen anything yet! (vs. 20) As a matter of fact, Jesus tells them that He can raise the dead! (vs. 21) That was something only God Himself could do. Since God created life, He can give life to whoever He wills. Likewise, Jesus said that He could do the same thing. Notice in verse 21 that Jesus states that He can quicken (make alive) whoever He (Jesus) wills.

Do not miss the significance of this. The Jews accuse Jesus of making Himself equal with God, then Jesus goes on to state that (1) the Father and the Son do the same things, (2) the Father reveals His works to the Son, and (3) the Father and the Son both have the power to accomplish them. Essentially, Jesus was telling the Jews that they were absolutely correct—He is equal with the Father.

Sermon Shorts from Spurgeon – Sermon 2: The Remembrance of Christ

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Let Jesus come; let the poor heart remember Jesus, and steadily then the ship shall sail, for Christ has the helm. The winds shall blow no more, for Christ shall bid them shut their mighty mouths, and never again disturb his child. There is nothing which can give you strength in temptation, and help you to weather the storm, like the name of Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of God. Then again, what comfort it will give you on a sick bed—the name of Christ! It will help you to be patient to those who wait upon you, and to endure the sufferings which you have to bear; yea, it shall be so with you, that you shall have more hope in sickness than in health, and shall find a blessed sweetness in the bitterness of gall. Instead of feeling vinegar in your mouth, through your trouble, you shall find honey for sweetness, in the midst of all the trial and trouble that God will put upon you, “For he giveth songs in the night.”

From the Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Volume 1, Sermon 2 by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

https://ccel.org/ccel/spurgeon/sermons01/sermons01.ii.html