By Rev. D. M. Macdonald, Edinburgh
Mount of Olives
This mountain might be regarded as sacred and interesting because of its association with the Saviour during his ministry on earth. It was situated outside Jerusalem to the east and splendid views can be obtained to Jericho on the north and east to the mountains of Moab. Jesus was often there for rest and solitude and spent nights in prayer and communion with his Father. Gethsemane was on its lower slopes and to reach Bethany one had to walk over it. The home of Lazarus and his sisters Martha and Mary was in that village. Christ was frequently their honoured guest and their souls were greatly uplifted by the wonderful and precious statements He made. Their fellowship with Him was intensely satisfying. It was Mary who poured the expensive ointment of spikenard, very costly, on His feet and wiped them with her hair. In this manner she manifested her great devotion to her Redeemer and when found fault with for her extravagance by Judas, Christ commended her action saying she did it for his burial. Money spent for Christ and his Cause is well spent, and no one will lose by supporting generously Scriptural methods of witnessing for God and for the promotion of righteousness in the earth. That home must be a happy one where Christ is truly worshipped and honoured. In it there will be peace and souls will find rest in the Saviour himself.
Two world wars have not brought about a change in the moral and spiritual welfare of the people. Despite the fact that they have never had it so good, according to politicians, materially, vital religion has not been at such a low ebb as it is now for many years.
On one occasion after leaving the Mount of Olives for Jerusalem the whole multitude of the disciples with Christ began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying “Blessed is the King that cometh in the name of the Lord, peace in heaven and glory in the highest.” They proclaimed Him their King and so do all believers, the language of their hearts being “Thine we are and for Thee we shall be, O thou eternal Son of God and glorious King of Sion.” The Pharisees urged Him to rebuke his disciples and his reply to them was, “If these should hold their peace the stones would immediately cry out.” When drawing near the city He wept over it, manifesting his compassion for its citizens for their unbelief and rejection of Himself, thereby bringing terrible judgments on themselves. Thousands of them were slain and led into captivity, their magnificent temple and city destroyed by the Roman army, and they ceased to exist as a state.
Sinners who reject Christ are destroying themselves. It is written, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life but he that believeth not the wrath of God abideth on him.”—John 3, 36. The only way to be delivered from that wrath is to rest on Christ by faith, for all who do so are justified and for them there is no condemnation. It is recorded of Mr Marshall, author of a treatise on Sanctification, that in his early years he was under great distress for a long time through a consciousness of guilt and a dread of the divine displeasure. At last mentioning his case to Dr. Thomas Goodwin, the great Puritan divine, and lamenting the greatness of his sins, that able theologian replied, “You have forgotten the greatest sin of all, the sin of unbelief, in refusing to believe in Christ and rely on his atonement and righteousness for your acceptance with God.” This word in season banished his fears. He looked to Jesus and was filled with joy and peace in believing.
The Martyr Stephen
The view has been expressed that it was near Gethsemane that the martyr Stephen was stoned to death. It is on one side of Olivet. He was, according to one of the early fathers of the Church, a Greek Jew converted to the faith of Jesus of Nazareth and elected as one of the seven deacons who were to have the administration of the fund for destitute Christian widows. The great enemy of souls began to do his utmost to prevent the Kingdom of Christ from being advanced by means of the traitor Judas who sold his Master for the price of a slave and some of those who followed the Apostles. They were hypocrites and liars. There have been such in every age of the Church. Some of the bitterest enemies of the Covenanterers were themselves Covenanterers to begin with but when they saw they could get high positions and riches by serving the Government they became turncoats and in the end died in their sins unless they truly repented. To offset any gloom that might have been caused by the conduct of false professors, Stephen is mentioned as a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, who did great wonders and miracles amongst the people. The Jews who opposed him were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spoke. As his hearers found his arguments irresistible they resorted to the base plan of bringing a charge of blasphemy against him. The Sadducees hated the new doctrine of the resurrection and the Pharisees with great animosity opposed a sect who were bold in stating that there was no further need for the Mosaic ritual because the Gospel knew neither Jew nor Greek and made God’s house to be a house of prayer for all Nations. They suborned witnesses who said that they heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God. The elders, scribes and people were roused up against him and brought him before the Sanhedrin or ecclesiastical board of seventy-two judges. Stephen begins his defence calmly and reminds his hearers of their own historical records. Beginning with Abraham, he descends from age to age till he reaches the era of Solomon when the temple was built. They may now have become restless and in an outburst of righteous indignation he denounced them as being murderers and betrayers of the Just One, with the result that they were cut to the heart and gnashed on him with their teeth. When they heard him say, “Behold I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God,” they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears and ran upon him with one accord and cast him out of the city. He was then stoned, and his last words were, “Lord Jesus receive my spirit and lay not this sin to their charge.” After that he fell asleep. It is mentioned and there must have been a strong reason for it, that the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man whose name was Saul and who was consenting to his death.
Stephen’s Vision and Character
In the midst of his enraged persecutors the holy martyr sees a wonderful vision that gave him strength and consolation. Turning his face upwards from his fierce earthly judges he sees, “The glory of God.” It might have been impossible for him to describe fully the magnificence of the vision but one part was clearly defined—one Person stood forth in this divine picture. That glorious Redeemer that he himself may have seen hanging on the cross as a criminal was now standing on the right hand of God. He describes Him as the Son of Man who because of his humanity and sufferings could enter into his feelings and sympathise with him and all believers in their trials. For as much as He himself suffered being tempted He is able to succour them that are tempted. It is noticeable that the Saviour was seen standing. It appears that He is spoken of in Scripture thirteen times as being seated but only once spoken of as being standing, and that is here. Why, one might ask, did He change his posture at this time? We may venture to say that it was to show his particular interest in his servant and his intense sympathy with him in the cruelties inflicted on him as if they were inflicted on Himself. He heard the taunts and saw the dreadful malice of those around his suffering witness that followed His own example closely and now as the great and tender Shepherd of his flock He was comforting and supporting this choice sheep as he entered the valley of the shadow of death with His rod and staff. How like his Master he was in his fond prayers! In calmness and meekness he said “Lord Jesus receive my spirit” and then prayed for his murderers. “Lord lay not this sin to their charge.” There was a splendid combination of qualities in Stephen’s character. He was manly and courageous in re proving what was wrong while at the same time showing love and tenderness towards those who were offending. Being full of the Holy Ghost implied that the graces of the spirit were in full exercise in his soul. His Christ-like conduct might have made some impression on a few of the bystanders. We know there was one there who might have remembered his dying prayer and the great Augustine is of opinion that was answered in the conversion of Paul. On the Damascus road when Christ charged him with persecuting Himself and kicking against the pricks the Apostle might have recollected the dying prayer of Stephen and his gracious end in forgiving his enemies. These things might have been pricks in his conscience. God often overrules evil for good and Saul the persecutor becoming Paul the Apostle is a remarkable instance of it. What a noble confession he makes in 1st Timothy, chap. 1. “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who hath enabled me for that he counted me faithful putting me into the ministry who before was a blasphemer and a persecutor and injurious but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.”
The Believer’s Death as Sleep
The departing of Stephen is described in the word, “He fell asleep.” The Saviour said in connection with the death of Lazarus, “Our friend is not dead but sleepeth.” So that sleep may be regarded as a beautiful image of death in the case of all believers when they depart from this world. In the midst of circumstances so dreadful, the inspired writer describes the end as one of peace, his spirit passing away gently to glory. His great support at this time was the vision he obtained of Christ’s glory so that he could not resist proclaiming it to those hard-hearted haters of his Lord surrounding him. That smoothed his death pillow and the feeling that he would be welcomed by his ever loving Saviour.
The image of sleep so far as Christians are concerned might be considered first from the viewpoint that they are finally at rest like a traveller weary after a journey. He may have had troubles from various causes but they cease when he arrives at his destination. Believers have trials arising from sin and their outward circumstances. They know they have come short of the glory of God and are therefore under condemnation. They have realised they cannot give the Law the perfection it demands and being quickened by the Holy Spirit they were led to see that Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to all who believe. By faith in Him they were justified. They now live unto Christ hating sin and loving holiness. Their own shortcomings and original sin give them much trouble and their constant desire is to be found in Christ not having their own righteousness which is of the law but that which is through the faith of Christ. The life of God’s people is a struggle against evil to the end. They may be placed in trying circumstances in their families, business or profession when it may be very difficult to maintain their integrity but they must constantly strive to do so in the strength of grace. Satan will try to mislead them but they must resist him continually. Now all these troubles will end when believers fall asleep. Sin and earthly trials shall pass away forever, when they lay aside their bodies they lay aside a sinful nature and will no longer be disturbed by a law in their members warring against the law of their minds and when they part for ever from their greatest enemy they may be said to sleep rather than to die.
Here a redeemed soul may be disturbed in various ways and lose congenial frames but as soon as it parts with the body it enters glorious liberty and is employed in contemplating that one Person on which all the attention of all the heavenly inhabitants is fixed—Jesus Christ, the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. It is fixed on the deep things of God, acquiring clearer insight into his character and ways. It enjoys a most blessed society. The Christians who in the world inspired and strengthened others by their faith and deeds will be seen as well as the Patriarchs, Prophets, Apostles and martyrs by the ransomed soul sitting down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of heaven. These words shall be fulfilled, “Ye are come into Mount Sion and into the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the first born which are written in heaven and to God the Judge of all and to the spirits of just men made perfect.” Praise will be one of their delightful enjoyments.
The Resurrection Hope
The image of sleep suggests the idea of rising again and this holds good with regard to all the people of God. When men retire to rest after a hard day’s work they hope to rise the following morning with renewed strength and so believers are told with certainty that after their labours are ended in the world their bodies shall rise from their sleep in the grave renewed and united again to their souls. Their bodies are to be fashioned like unto the glorious body of Christ according to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself. The Saviour proves this by taking Lazarus out of the grave and He himself also left the tomb empty. That was a pledge of his infinite love to all his members for the Head having risen the members shall also rise. “I would not have you to be ignorant,” Paul says, “for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.” Job had the assurance that his Redeemer lived and that in his flesh would he see God. We bury our Christian friends in hope. They shall arise with glorified bodies to meet their Lord in the air and shall be with him for ever. One object the Lord has in removing his people from the world is to show those of them who are left more and more the emptiness and vanity of it and to make them lean less on earthly props and more on a heavenly one. It is a call to them to be more in earnest in making their calling and election sure. To die Christless is to perish for ever and the Gospel call is to all that they come to Him and live by trusting in Him alone for salvation. The Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.