SUNDAY READING

Taranaki Daily News, 9 April 1927, Page 17

SUNDAY READING

By

REV. A. H. COLLINS

THE SWAN SONG OF JESUS. It is finished.”—Saint John xix. 30. ‘ ’ The mark of incompleteness rests on all huilian endeavour. The chisel of . Thorwaldsen never gave the finishing touches to his masterpiece in marble. Matthew Henry's commentary was completed by another hand. On the study table at Gad’s Hill Dickens left the unfinished MSS.‘ of his last novel. Goethe’s unfinished poem was burled with his body. There are unfinished houses in the street, unfinished pictures on the easel, unfinished plans on the anvil of the brain, and unfinished lives go down to the dust of death But from Bethlehem to Calvary Jesus said, over a flawless life, “It is finished.” The word “finished,’ in this place, means more than ended; it means finished in the sense of accomplished. Christ was not speaking of a thing concluded, but of something perfected. It was not that His earthly life was closed, but crowned. The word is used five times, and in four instances out of the five it is rendered “accomplished.” Jesus said: .“I have a baptism to be baptised with, and now am I straightened until it be accomplished.” He said in another place: “All things that are written of the Son of Man must be accomplished.” and this: “I say unto you-, that this which is written must be accomplished.” Once more: “Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, said, ‘I thirst.’” THE THOUGHT ENSHRINED. The fifth example is our text, where the word is translated “finished.” There is no need to change the word, so long as we keep in mind the thought it enshrines. “It is finished” means “It is completed.”. The chief interest centres in the impersonal particle, “It',” for the whole meaning of the passage lies in that particle. “It is a small word,” says Dr. Stanford, “but it holds a great glory.” What., does “it” mean ? “It” means the sum total of the world’s redemption. It is the sublime Amen of Jesus to the world’s spiritual rescue, but the sum is made up of several parts. Bishop Faber once said that the object of Christ’s coming into the world was "ioteach the creature how to behave himself .inthe presence of the Creator.” Man had forgotten his manners towards his Maker. People who are careful of their conduct to their fellows are rude to God. Men and women who are courteous and polite to each other live in indecent disregard of the Father of their Spirits. If our friends acted towards us as we act towards our Best Friend we should never speak to them again. If our sons treated us as we treat our Heavenly Father we should turn them out of doors. If our investments paid no better than the Creator’s investment in man, we should have “cut the loss” long ago. IRRELIGION ISN'T DECENT. Irrcligipn isn’t decent, and Jesus came “to teach the creature how to behave himself.” To live in God's world, on God’S* bounty, and ignore Him, simply isn’t decent. For, see. Men misconceived thee- Character of God. They said He was “hard,”, “far off,” an absentee living in isolated splendour, a spectator rather than a helper. Men still misconceive God’s character, and attribute to Him deeds a devil would not do. But our Elder Brother revealed the Father in forms that satisfy the mind and rest the heart; a God so kind, so wise, so good that'it is safe and wise to live in His sight and die in His hand.

! MAN’S' MISCONCEPTIONS. Men misconceived the will of God. They thought, and they still think, the will of God is something to bo avoided, or at best, lendured —a burden to be borne, a cfdes to be carried. Charlotte Elliott's pensive' hymn, with its sad refrain, “Thy will be done,” seems to suggest that ‘‘pining sickness’” the loss of friends, Mid swift decay are a part of God’s will and a disagreeable necessity. But that was not Christ’s way. He said the will of God is delightsome, not a disagreeable necessity, but the best possible m our: life. “Lo I come in the volume of the book it is, I delight to do Thy will.” Men misconceived the service of God. They called the Sabbath a weariness and worship a task, Christ called God's service “perfect freedom,” and said it was His meat and drink. He served without stint or stain. Other lives have been splendid and fine, but His life rvas perfect,

TASKS FINISHED. When the Saxon Bede had nearly finished his translation of Saint John’s gospel, he was seized with mortal sickness. Turning to his faithful amanuensis he said: “Write quickly, for it is time for me to go to Him who made me.” “Dear Master, one sentence is still wanting,” said the scribe. “Write faster,” answered the dying man, and the pen flew faster and faster still. “Dear master, it is finished,’ 1 said the penman. Bede answered, “Thou hast well said.it is finished," and he fell on sleep. So used, the word “finished” meant the raptourous tranquility of a task complete, and the toiler had nothing to do save to die. Christ came to translate the will of God into living epistles, and this being accomplished He cried. “It is finished.” When Janies Stewart, the engineer of the African Lakes Company, had almost completed the road along' which the Gospel would find its way into the Dark Continent, he was laid low with fever, and lay in a hut near the northern end of the road. He was racked with pain, but his spirit was elated. Time and again he had been tempted to give it up in face of the difficulties, but held on and died in sight of an accomplished task and whispered, “It is finished.” JESUS’ MISSION. Jesus came to open the new and living way back to God and rejoiced as He saw the end accomplished. Four centuries before the advent of Christ, an army of Greeks marched out cast ten thousand strong, in the service of an ambitious ruler, and won a fruitless victory. Then, leaderless and halt-starved, harassed by th© enemy but unbroken in spirit, they turned homewards. Their way back lay across desolate mountains, through a foul Sea. There lay the cool waters and they tramped on. At last they reached a chain of hills that overlooked the Black Sea. More Jay the cool waters and they cried, "The sea! Tlie sea! The sea!”|

I Tears welled up in their tired eyes. The journey had ended. The hunger and thirst were passed, and the thought of home made their hearts leap. Jesus had travelled a hard road and endured a great fight of affliction, but now the . wounds and the exile were over. Home , was in sight and, turning His face to : the Father within with a sigh of relief, Jesus said: “It is finished.” CALVARY’S MESSAGES. Each ery from the cross has its own ; message, and the whole meaning is only : reached by a study of the several parts. His mercy to His murderers is example in our treatment of our enemies. His ■ response to the dying robber’s prayer ■ forbids such absorption in our own sorrow as excludes all thought in others’ grief. His care for His mother points our duty to the good angel of our cradle. His trust in the darkest hour bids us do the same. His acceptance of succour at the hand of an enemy leaves us an example that we should follow in His steps. His finished and perfected life supplies the ideal that every man : should eherish, for life will never go right until it is patterned on the plan of Jesus Christ. THE HOLY ART OF DYING. But we need something more. We need to learn “the holy art of dying,” and the secret lies with Jesus. "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.” Soon or late, we too shall pass hence, and we need to learn how to meet the end when it comes. Friends ask, “How did He die?” and if there was the semblance of quietness at the last we are satisfied. But the question is not how did he die, but how did he live? I would not narrow men’s hope, or limit God’s mercy, but facts are facts, and the art of dying well is to live well, and then expire our spirit into the hands of God, as Jesus did. Do you recall the story of Sir Walter Scott’s passing? He had been ill, but had recovered. “Take me to my room and fetch the keys of my desk,” he said. His daughter went to his study, opened his writing desk, laid paper and pen in order, then moved him to his chair, where he had been used to work. “Now give me my pen, and leave me here for a little to myself.” His daughter put the pen in his hand and he tried to grasp it, but his fingers had lost their cunning. The pen dropped, he sank back on his pillows, silent tears rolled down his cheeks. He was taken out of doors and dropped into sleep. When he wakened, Laidlaw said to him, “Sir Walter has had a little repose.” Tears again rushed to his eyes. “Friends,” said the great wizard, "don’t let me expose myself. Get me to bed. It is the only place.” JESUS OUR SAVIOUR. If I ended here you would not be satisfied. The best would be left unsaid. Jesus is not our example alone. He is our Saviour. He came not alone to teach us good manners in the presence of God, and instruct us in “the holy art of dying,” to quote Jerry Taylor’s great phrase. He came to make His soul an offering for sin. His life and His death were sacrificial. It was the ninth hour, the hour of the evening offering, and maybe, the wind carried the sound of the silver trumpets, and the song of the priests, to the crosscrowned hill, and Jesus, knowing all was now accomplished, cried, “It is finished.” Finished all the types and shadows of the ceremonial lbw, finished all the prophetic words of all the Psalmists and prophets. Christ had made an end of sin and brought in an everlasting righteousness. Eternal justice and eternal grace had joined hands in wedlock, and their bridal home is the cross.

CHRIST’S FINISHED WORK. I do not pretend to have fathomed all this cry means, but there is a phrase which our fathers coined and loved to use, for they spoke of “Christ’s finished work,” and found comfort and joy. In that phrase which told of God’s mercy and Christ’s redemption. They expressed the truth that God does not need to be placated for His anger is turned away, and He waits to be gracious, to all those who came in faith and penitence. Nor is the message a personal,one only; it is cosmic. There is a legend of the. early centuries which says that when Jesus was dying on the cross three hours’ darkness spread like a pall over the: earth. A boat was crossing the Aegean Sea. Its sailors were silent with terror. Suddenly out of the darkness , came the cry: “Pan is dead! Great Pan is dead! Pan, Pan is dead!” The cry rose slowly and sank slowly, and the shuddering boatmen realised that the false gods of the pagiln world had yielded up their authority to Christ. ’Twas the hour when one in Zion, Hung for love’s sake on a cross, When His brow was chill with dying, And His soul was faint with loss; When the priestly blood dropped downward, And His , kingly eyes looked throne-, ward. Then Pan was dead. That is more than legend. The cross is prophetic, its praises ring round the world with growing volume, and to Him every knee ehall bow and every tongue confess Him Lord. “As in Adam all died, so in Christ shall all be made alive.” “It is finished.”