Sermons of Ralph Erskine 4. The Sum of the Gospel or God in Christ

Extract

Sermons of Ralph Erskine

4. The Sum of the Gospel or God in Christ “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” Matthew 3:17.

This chapter shows us two things principally: 1. The rising of the morning-star, John the Baptist, to prepare the way for Christ’s appearing. 2. The more glorious rising and shining of the Sun of righteousness himself, particularly in Christ’s baptism. Here is an objection John makes against baptizing Jesus, when he came to him to be baptized: “But John forbade him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?” (verses 13-14). Here is Christ’s over-ruling objection, insisting upon the being baptized of him, and giving the reason of it; “And Jesus, answering, said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness,” (verse 15). We have here the solemnity of the baptism; and here is from heaven a special display of heavenly glory, both to encourage Christ in his undertaking, now when entering upon his work, his public ministry, and to encourage us to receive him, in and through whom the heavens are opened to us. And hereupon we have,

First, a messenger from heaven, and then a voice; “He saw the Spirit descending like a dove,” (verse 16). If there must be a bodily appearance, it must not be that of a man; for the being seen in fashion as a man, was peculiar to the second person: none, therefore, more fit than the shape of one of the fowls of heaven, and of all fowls, none so significant as the dove. Why? The Spirit of Christ is a dove-like Spirit; not a silly dove, without heart; but an innocent dove, without gall, and harmless, inoffensive. The dove was the fowl offered in sacrifice; and Christ, by the eternal Spirit, offered himself without spot unto God. The tidings of the falling of the flood was brought by the dove, with an olive branch in her mouth: fitly, therefore, is the glad tidings of peace with God brought by the Spirit as a dove, by the voice of the turtle heard in our land; by which the Chaldee Paraphrase understand the voice of the Holy Spirit. …