Psalm 40:6-7 Sacrifice and offering you did not desire; my ears have you opened: burnt offering and sin offering have you not required.… I. WHY IT OUGHT TO BE A PLEASANT AND GRATEFUL THING TO CHRIST TO TAKE A BODY OF FLESH AND LAY IT DOWN BY DEATH AGAIN FOR THE REDEMPTION OF SINNERS. 1. It became Christ to go about this work with cheerfulness and delight, that thereby He might give His death the nature and formality of a sacrifice. 2. It ought to be so in regard of the unity of Christ's will with the Father's. The work of our redemption is called "the pleasure of the Lord" (Isaiah 53:10), and what was the Father's pleasure could not be displeasing to Him who is one with the Father. 3. This was necessary to magnify and commend the love of Jesus Christ to us, for whom He gave Himself. That He came into the world to die for us is a mercy of the first magnitude, but that He came in love to our souls, and underwent all His sufferings with such willingness for our sakes, this heightens it above all apprehension. 4. It was necessary to be so for the regulating of all our obedience to God according to this pattern, that seeing and setting this great example of obedience before us, we might never grudge nor grumble at any duty or suffering that God should call us to. II. WHENCE IT CAME TO RE SO PLEASANT AND ACCEPTABLE TO JESUS CHRIST TO COME INTO THE WORLD AND DIE FOR POOR SINNERS. 1. That in His sufferings there would be made a glorious display and manifestation of the Divine attributes; yea, such a glorious display of them as was never made before to angels or to men, nor ever shall be any more in this world. (1) For though the wisdom of God had made itself visible to men in the creation of the world, yet there it shone, but in a faint and languishing beam compared with this. (2) The love of God had appeared before in our creation, protection and provision, yet nothing to what it doth in our redemption by the death of Christ. (3) God had given several sad marks of His justice before, both upon the angels that fell, and in the overthrow of Sodom, etc.; yet never was the exactness and severity of justice so manifested before, nor ever shall be any more, as it was at the death of Christ. 2. Another delightful prospect Christ had of the fruit of His sufferings was the recovery and salvation of all the elect by His death; and though His sufferings were exceeding bitter, yet such fruit of them as this was exceeding sweet; upon this account He assumed his name Jesus (Matthew 1:21), yea, and His human nature also (Galatians 4:4, 5). 3. The glory which would redound to Him from His redeemed ones to all eternity; for it will be the everlasting pleasant employment of the saints in heaven to be ascribing glory, praise and honour to the Redeemer. ( John Flavel.) Parallel Verses KJV: Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. |
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