Study in the 1689 Second London Baptist Confession of Faith

In the betrayal and arrest of Jesus, it appears as though evil is having its way. yet through the lies, deception, mockery, and ill-intentions we can see that Jesus was never overpowered, but willingly submitted Himself to the authorities in accordance with the Scriptures. He was betrayed by a close friend, treated as a vile criminal, falsely accused, and abandoned. Despite the devil's greatest attempts to silence the truth, every move he made worked to bring about the greatest act of salvation to ever occur. In divine providence providence, God's decree is sure, and His glory is certain. Therefore, may we be firmly committed to the Word of God, knowing that even the most sever storms in our lives are for His glory and our good. In this we can find comfort, that in the most turbulent and difficult times God has never lost control. Though we may not see the reason in the trial, for those who believe in Christ, there is a purpose that will be more wonderful than we could ever imagine. We can trust the One who kept His Word even unto death, that He will complete the good work that He started in us.

Study in the 1689 Second London Baptist Confession of Faith

Christ suffered under the wrath of both God and man, was raised upon a cross, and died a sinners death though he was pure and innocent. His death is truly the only sacrifice that is acceptable to the God who either calls us justified or condemned. in light of this truth we must never run to any other than the one who has bled for us and died for us, his sacrifice must be our only hope.

In taking a crown of thorns, by following Jonah into the heart of the earth for three days and three nights, by having His heel bruised as He crushes the head of the serpent, Christ is finalizing the war his grandfather David started. In experiencing the trauma of having body and soul torn apart, Jesus assumes every covenant curse that God ever threatened against His people. Because his payment was perfect, and because death and the men who sentenced Jesus to death couldn't have the final say, the Spirit vindicates Jesus by knitting His body and soul back together, resurrecting Him out of the grave. By stepping out of the world of sin and corruption, and into a garden of new life, Jesus establishes the new order in which death no longer reigns. He is pleased to work this new reality out gradually and slowly, starting with the new birth of the soul, and culminating in us following our older brother out of the grave and into a new heaven and new earth, body and soul knit back together, to glorify Him and enjoy Him forever.

The religious leaders tried to pin Christ as a political threat, but instead of defending himself, in order that He may lay His life down for us, He went willingly. Christ suffering under Pontius Pilate was no accident of history; the plan of redemption has Christ coming at the appointed time, to fulfill all that the prophets had spoken. Don't think too little of the price that has been paid for our sins. We are forgetful people who are quick to undervalue Christ and the significance of all that He went through in dying for His people. Christ's kingdom is not of this world. We don't spread the Word like Islam through forced surrender at the end of a sword, but we take part in the advance of the kingdom through the spreading of the gospel.

Study in the 1689 Second London Baptist Confession of Faith

Christ continues to advance redemptive history as He transforms the Passover meal into the Lord's Supper, a sacrament which continues to connect His people to both the past and the future. Christ feeds His people to prepare them for the night of testing, that they may prevail not because of their ability but because of His provision. In the story God tells, the way to life is through death. The way to day is through the night. The way to gathering is through scattering. There is no way for us to navigate this on our own; we will invariably lose heart and fail. In His kind pleasure, Christ's courage is more contagious than our cowardice, and He is able His people through. We must acknowledge our weakness and lay hold of Jesus Christ, who is our wisdom, our righteousness, our sanctification, and redemption. Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord (1 Cor. 1:30, 31).

In the Passover meal, we see the building anticipation, the layering, and the rhyming of redemptive history. Passover reminded the people of God that they must be covered in the blood of the Lamb if they are to escape judgment, and that the old leaven must be purged so a fresh start can be made. Getting Israel out of Egypt proved to be much faster than getting Egypt out of Israel and so often this remains the case today. We too must be killed by God's law and brought to life by His gospel every Lord's Day. We have the solemn responsibility and the great honour to gather with His people and draw close Him. We too may struggle with a dark night of the soul, of questioning and doubting, but in due time, He comes to feed us, to strengthen us, and to finally remind us that He is ours, and that we are His.

Study in the 1689 Second London Baptist Confession of Faith