The Desire of Ages - Christian Freebies

tered as the dust before the wind. And what was
it that destroyed the Jews? It was the rock which,
had they built upon it, would have been their
security. It was the goodness of God despised, the
righteousness spurned, the mercy slighted. Men
set themselves in opposition to God, and all that
would have been their salvation was turned to
their destruction. All that God ordained unto life
they found to be unto death. In the Jews' crucixion
of Christ was involved the destruction of Jerusalem.
e blood shed upon Calvary was the
weight that sank them to ruin for this world and
for the world to come. So it will be in the great
nal day, when judgment shall fall upon the rejecters
of God's grace. Christ, their rock of offense,
will then appear to them as an avenging
Chapter 66
Controversy
[is chapter is based on Matt. 22:15-46; Mark 12:13-40; Luke 20:20-47.]
e priests and rulers had listened in silence to
Christ's pointed rebukes. ey could not refute
His charges. But they were only the more determined
to entrap Him, and with this object they
sent to Him spies, "which should feign themselves
just men, that they might take hold of His
words, that so they might deliver Him unto the
power and authority of the governor." ey did
not send the old Pharisees whom Jesus had oen
met, but young men, who were ardent and zealous,
and whom, they thought, Christ did not
know. ese were accompanied by certain of the
Herodians, who were to hear Christ's words, that
they might testify against Him at His trial. e
Pharisees and Herodians had been bitter enemies,
but they were now one in enmity to Christ.
e Pharisees had ever chafed under the exaction
of tribute by the Romans. e payment of tribute
they held to be contrary to the law of God. Now
they saw opportunity to lay a snare for Jesus. e
spies came to Him, and with apparent sincerity,
as though desiring to know their duty, said,
"Master, we know that ou sayest and teachest
e Desire of Ages. 288
mountain. e glory of His countenance, which
to the righteous is life, will be to the wicked a
consuming re. Because of love rejected, grace
despised, the sinner will be destroyed.
By many illustrations and repeated warnings, Jesus
showed what would be the result to the Jews
of rejecting the Son of God. In these words He
was addressing all in every age who refuse to receive
Him as their Redeemer. Every warning is
for them. e desecrated temple, the disobedient
son, the false husbandmen, the contemptuous
builders, have their counterpart in the experience
of every sinner. Unless he repent, the doom
which they foreshadowed will be his.
rightly, neither acceptest ou the person of any,
but teachest the way of God truly: is it lawful for
us to give tribute unto Caesar, or no?"
e words, "We know that ou sayest and
teachest rightly," had they been sincere, would
have been a wonderful admission. But they were
spoken to deceive; nevertheless their testimony
was true. e Pharisees did know that Christ said
and taught rightly, and by their own testimony
will they be judged.
ose who put the question to Jesus thought that
they had suciently disguised their purpose; but
Jesus read their hearts as an open book, and
sounded their hypocrisy. "Why tempt ye Me?"
He said; thus giving them a sign they had not
asked, by showing that He read their hidden
purpose. ey were still more confused when He
added, "Show Me a penny." ey brought it, and
He asked them, "Whose image and superscription
hath it? ey answered and said, Caesar's."
Pointing to the inscription on the coin, Jesus
said, "Render therefore unto Caesar the things