Page images
PDF
EPUB

THE THIRD LECTURE.

OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST.

JOHN, CHAP. XVIII.

13. And led him away to Annas first; (for he was father-in-law to Caiaphas, who was the high priest that same year ;)

14. And Caiaphas was he that gave counsel to the Jews, that it was expedient that one man should die for the people.

15. Now Simon Peter followed Jesus, and another disciple, and that disciple was known of the high priest; therefore he went in with Jesus into the hall of the high priest.

16. But Peter stood at the door without. Then went out the other disciple, which was known unto the high priest, and spake to her that kept the door, and brought in Peter.

17. Then said the maid that kept the door unto Peter, Art not thou also one of this man's disciples? He said, I am not.

18. And the servants and officers stood there, who had made a fire of coals, for it was cold, and they warmed themselves; and Peter also stood among them and warmed himself.

WE have heard (brethren) the first part of the suffering of Christ, which was in the garden by the brook Cedron, into the which the Lord, as he was accustomed, entered with his disciples. In this garden, after that a communing passed betwixt him and them that came to take him, the Lord Jesus is taken and bound. This is that outward suffering in the garden, besides the inward agony in the soul with the wrath of the Father, for our sins, which he did bear.

Now, brethren, to pass by all things which we have already spoken, we enter into the second part of his suffering, which

was in the hall of the high priest Caiaphas. It is said, when he is taken and bound, they "led him away, first to the house of Annas, who was father-in-law to Caiaphas, who was high priest for that year."

The rest of the Evangelists, before they come to this part, they report some things done before; and namely, they make mention of a gentle reproof which the Lord gave to these that took him, and handled him so roughly, being the justest man in the world; he says, "What needeth all this, that ye should come out against me as a thief and an enemy? Might ye not have had me daily whilst I was teaching in your temple in Hierusalem, for I avowed my doctrine before the world?" Then he adviseth himself, and says, Whereto should I speak this? This is your hour, and this the time that the Father hath granted to you to work the work of darkness for a time, and as the Lord hath ordained, so it must be. But say what he would say, the miserable creatures are so blinded, that they go on furiously against the Lord. Another thing likewise they report; in the meantime that they were binding the Lord, the disciples are scattered and fled. Another thing also, (Mark xiv. 51, 52,) whilst they were leading him to Hierusalem, there followed a young man, clothed with linen upon his bare body, and certain of the young men followed him, and sought to have caught him, but he left his linen cloth, and fled from them naked. This seemeth to have been one who, in the night being in his bed, and hearing a noise and a din, cometh hastily to see what it was. Ye see here the insolency of these men who will run upon the Lord, they will take all the world if they might; they spare none.

Now to come to our matter; they lead the Lord Jesus to Hierusalem, and they bring him first to the house of Annas, because perchance it was the first house in the way that they came to that was an house of estimation; and again, because Annas was fatherin-law to Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, and they would gratify him to see this miserable spectacle, for he was a wicked man. Woe is them that delight to see the bands of Jesus Christ! They led him before the world to an open spectacle, after they had onee caught him. In these words (to speak this by the way) ye

may mark and perceive a great corruption at this time in the Church of the Jews; for, before the coming of Christ, immediately all the estates of churches and commonweals were confused and troubled, and the estate of the high priest being a most notable estate among them, was corrupted. By the law of God it was appointed, that only one high priest should be at once, and he, all his days, should brook it; yet such was the corruption then, that they chose moe high priests together, and every one of these served their course about in the office, and this was the year that Caiaphas served, but it had been better for him he had never served, for in his time the most mischievous fact was done that ever was in the world, to wit, the crucifying of Jesus Christ, the God of glory. So it was not for his good that he served. I might tell you moe corruptions in the high priesthood among them; the high priest was wont to be chosen by the people, and by the mouth of God; this power was taken from them, and given to ethnic princes and presidents that ruled the people, they chose them. And then the high priests were wont to be chosen of the tribe of Levi, and posterity of Aaron only; but then, any man was taken in by bribery; it was bought and sold, and when they would shoot in one, they would shoot out another; this was the confusion of the high priest's estate immediately before Christ came. There is nothing mentioned what was done with Jesus in the house of Annas, they took him in here to drive over a piece of time, till Caiaphas should gather his council, before whom Jesus was to be accused; and it appears here, that there he was bound more straitly than before. Annas sends him to Caiaphas, his son-in-law, straiter bound than he was in the garden. It is marked what Caiaphas was, not to his praise, but to his shame. "This Caiaphas was he that gave counsel, that one should die for the people ;" ye heard of this in the 11 chapter and 49 verse. This was both a prophecy and a counsel. When the scribes and Pharisees were in doubt what to do with Christ, he says, "It is expedient that one should die for the people." In giving counsel, the Lord guides the foul tongue of him, as he did Balaam's tongue, for, when Balaam was purposed

to curse God's people, the Lord made him to bless them; even so the Lord used the tongue of Caiaphas; he shall never have commendation of that prophecy; he was seeking the blood of Jesus Christ, yet the Lord ruled the tongue of him to prophesy of that which came to pass. But whereto is this repeated here, that Caiaphas gave them counsel? These words are not in vain. John would let us see by this description, that they who took the Lord, they brought him to the greatest enemy he had, to him that gave counsel that he should die; all men would have their counsels put in execution, and namely, a wicked man, if he gave counsel, he would gladly have it put in execution, albeit it were never so wicked, if he should do it himself, he had rather hang himself than it went back, as ye may see in Achitophel.

John, the writer of this history, leaves Christ, and he returns to Peter, and makes rehearsal of a thing that befel to Peter in the meantime, of that foul fall of Peter, who boasted so fast of his strength, to be an example to the whole posterity never to trust in the power of man; he got a worse fall than any of the rest of the disciples, for he denied the Lord with an execration, the rest fled only. In this fact of Peter's we have, first, how he tempts God; then next, because he tempted the Lord, the Lord tempts him again; he who tempts God, God will tempt him; thirdly, we have the foul denial of Peter by a light temptation. Then Peter first tempts the Lord, for when as they led away the Lord to the hall of the high priest, "there followed him Peter," (albeit the Lord had forewarned him of his weakness,) "but afar off," as Matt. xxvi. 58; Mark xiv. 54; and Luke xxii. 54, do note, " and another disciple." What this disciple was, his name is not mentioned; some think it was John, for John, when he speaks of himself, he uses commonly to suppress his name, as ye see often in this book. Others think it was not John, nor any of the twelve, but some other godly man who loved the Lord Jesus well, to see what issue should follow upon that taking; and this is more proveable,' for I think John had not such an acquaintance and

1 i.e. Probable.

court with the high priest, being but a simple man, a poor fisher, namely, a disciple of Jesus Christ; but whosoever it was, it is not much to the purpose. When they come to Caiaphas' hall, the Lord is taken in, amongst the rest," this other disciple getteth in, because," says John, " he was known to the high priest." As for Peter, because he was not known, he stands at the door, which was straitly kept at this time. The other disciple pities Peter's case and estate, (but it was a preposterous pity,)" and he entreateth the doorkeeper to let in Peter." Take heed to friendship, and look, that in pleasuring thy friend, thou be not an instrument of his destruction. Now Peter cometh in, and warmeth himself amongst the rest. This, for Peter's tempting of God. Now let us examine here what is commendable, and what is not. Indeed, there is no man that will not like of this love which Peter did bear towards his Master, Christ Jesus, and of this zeal, and of this his unwillingness to depart from his Master, for he loved him so well, that he would follow him to the death: and would to God, in this cold age, there were but a piece of this zeal in us that Peter had; we have no zeal, and if it were but this inconsiderative zeal, yet it is better to have it than no zeal. So this love is commendable, for albeit he did well to love his Master, yet he faileth in this, that in receiving advertisement out of the mouth of the Lord that he was not able to suffer for him, yet he would go forward; and when Jesus said to his takers, If ye seek me, let these go their way, Peter might have perceived by this that he was not able to suffer; he might have retired to some private place with prayer and mourning, but he would step forward, and would not accept of that that the Lord said to him, thou art not able; so he faileth here very far.

We all have our lesson here, the day of our trial may come ; let us therefore ever have our eye on the will of God, and that which he will have thee to do, that do thou, and what the Lord requireth not of us, that do not. Thou canst do nothing better than this, to take up thy cross and to follow Christ; but if the Lord bid thee not do it, do it not; if he require not at thine hand that thou suffer, enter not to suffer; if he forewarn thee

« PreviousContinue »