The Sinfulness Of Sin - Preach The Word

The Sinfulness Of SinRalph Venninga desertion which made him cry again, My God, my God, why, or how, hast thouforsaken me? Now to cry, and to cry with a loud voice, argues an extremity ofsuffering. And after this he gave up the ghost, he poured out his soul an offeringfor sin. And so he suffered all kinds of sufferings both in soul and body.(b) He suffered from all kinds of persons. Christ Jesus suffered from the Devil, forthough Christ bruised his head yet he bruised Christ's heel. No sooner had Christthe testimony from heaven that he was the Son of God, but he was immediatelycarried into the wilderness to be tempted of the Devil. The thing which wasquestioned and disputed about was whether he was the Son of God or not, andthough Christ worsted him and beat him out of the field, yet he departed but for aseason. So when Christ was about to suffer, the Prince of this world mustered upall his forces again and came upon him with much violence. He made men of alltypes his agents to add to the sufferings of Christ. For as is stated in Scripture(Acts 4.26) he did not suffer from bad men only, which was a fulfilment ofprophecy (Psalm 22). He was often tempted by the Pharisees, and he endured thecontradiction of sinners. Yet this was not all, for he suffered from his own disciplesand his nearest relations. Peter was once a Satan to him, and denied him thrice.The rest grieved him with their slowness and littleness of faith. Judas betrayed him.His brethren did not believe on him. And the heaviest of all was that he sufferedfrom his Father: he put the cup into his hands and took pleasure to bruise him, andhe laid upon him the iniquities of us all. God did not spare him nor abate himanything, but hid his face from him as if he had been angry with his only and mostbeloved Son.(c) He had all kinds of aggravating circumstances united in his sufferings. He wasmade of a woman; now, that he who made the woman should be made of awoman, and become and be made a son to the work of his own hands, was adegree of suffering. He who was Lord of all was made in the form of a servant, andthough equal to God, came in sinful flesh and so obeyed as a servant. It is this thatis referred to as Dr. Jackson points out, when he says: I came not to do my ownwill but the will of him that sent me. He also suffered as a sinner, for so he wasjudged and as such put to death, though his judge confessed he found no fault inhim. Indeed, more than this, he became a curse (Galatians 3.13) and which is theworst of words, he became sin for us (2 Corinthians 5.21).There are still more circumstances which added to his sorrow and suffering. Hecame to his own and they received him not, he had least honour among his own inhis own country. Indeed, he was wounded in the house of his friends, and one ofhis own betrayed him, devil that he was (John 6.70). He did good to many but hadlittle thanks from any. Of ten lepers cleansed only one returned to give him thanks.What insincerity and ingratitude! And what aggravating circumstances there wereat the end! He was taken and apprehended as a sinner. They came against himwith swords and staves, as they would to take a thief. They charged him withblasphemy for speaking the truth. They preferred Barabbas, the son of their fatherthe Devil, before him. The disciples left him and his Father forsook him, as wasmentioned before. Who can reckon up the aggravating circumstances of hissufferings? He was crucified between two thieves and upbraided by one of them.His death was painful and shameful. Thee is much more, but I will pass on.56