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I. CHRIST HONOURS THE FATHER; THE DEVIL DOES NOT (ver. 49).

1. How does Christ honour the Father?

(1) By a faithful representation of the Father's character. The revelation of the Infinite in the material creation is dim compared with His who is the "faithful and true witness" and "the express image of" the Father's "Person."(2) By supreme devotion to the Father's will. He came to this world to work out the Divine will in relation to humanity, to substitute truth for error, purity for pollution, benevolence for selfishness, God for the devil — in one word, to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.

2. Now this is what the devil does not do. He seeks to dishonour God —

(1) By misrepresenting Him, calumniating Him.

(2) By opposing His will.

II. CHRIST SEEKS NOT HIS OWN GLORY; THE DEVIL DOES (ver. 50).

1. Ambition and self-seeking had no place in Christ. "He made Himself of no reputation," etc. Love to the Infinite Father seemed to swallow up His ego-ism. He was self-oblivious. Often does He say, "I seek not my own will." Had He sought His own glory, He would have been the Leader of all armies, the Emperor of all nations, instead of which, He was born in a stable, lived without a home, and died upon

2. All this is Anti-diabolic. Ambition is the inspiration of Satan. His motto is, "Better reign in hell than serve in heaven." He cares for no one else, and would kindle hells for a thousand generations in order to maintain his own dominion and gratify his own ambition.

3. Just so far as a man loses his own ego = -ism in love for the Infinite, he is Christlike. Just so far as he is self-conscious and aiming at His own personal ends, he is devil-like.

III. CHRIST DELIVERS FROM DEATH; THE DEVIL CANNOT (ver. 51). What does He mean by death here?

1. Not the dissolution of soul and body, for all the millions that "kept His sayings" have gone down to the grave.

2. Does He mean extinction of existence? If so, it is true, All genuine disciples of Christ will inherit perpetual existence. This He Himself has taught (John 6:40).

3. Does He mean the destruction of that which makes death repugnant to man's nature? If so, the dying experience of millions demonstrates its truth. The sting of death is sin. Take sin away, and the dissolution of soul and body becomes the brightest prospect in the pilgrimage of souls. It is a mere step over a river from a wilderness into a Canaan; the mere opening of the door from a cell into a palace. Now the devil cannot deliver from death; and if he could he would not. Destruction is the gratification of his malignant nature. He goes about seeking whom he may devour.

(D. Thomas, D. D.)

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KJV: Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?

WEB: Then the Jews answered him, "Don't we say well that you are a Samaritan, and have a demon?"