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Chapter 45—The Foreshadowing of the Cross
This chapter is based on
Matthew 16:13-28
;
Mark 8:27-38
;
Luke
9:18-27
.
Even before Christ took humanity upon Him, He saw the whole
length of the path He must travel to save that which was lost. Every
pang that rent His heart, every insult heaped on His head, every
privation He was called to endure was open to His view before He
laid aside His crown and royal robe and stepped down from the
throne to clothe His divinity with humanity. He knew the anguish
that would come upon Him, and yet He said, “Lo, I come: in the
volume of the book it is written of Me, I delight to do Thy will, O
My God: yea, Thy law is within My heart.”
Psalm 40:7, 8
.
His earthly life, so full of toil and self-sacrifice, was cheered by
the prospect that by giving His life, He would win back the world
to its loyalty to God. Although the baptism of blood must first be
received; although the sins of the world were to weigh upon His
innocent soul; although the shadow of an unspeakable woe was upon
Him; yet for the joy set before Him, He chose to endure the cross.
The time was near when the chosen companions of His ministry
must see Him whom they loved and trusted hung upon the cross
of Calvary. Soon He must leave them to face the world without
the comfort of His visible presence. Bitter hate and unbelief would
persecute them, and He desired to prepare them for their trials.
Jesus and His disciples had now come into one of the towns
about Caesarea Philippi. They were beyond Galilee, in a region
where idolatry prevailed. Around them were represented forms
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of superstition that existed in all parts of the world. Jesus desired
that a view of these things might lead the disciples to feel their
responsibility to the heathen.
He was about to tell them of the suffering that awaited Him. But
first He prayed that their hearts might be prepared to receive His
words. He did not at once communicate that which He desired to
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