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The opening addresses of this new series dealt with the three-fold promise of a "Seed".
(1)
The SEED of the woman who should bruise the serpent's head.
(2)
The SEED of Abraham, limiting the channel of this promise to Israel, and
revealing both the place that Israel must play in the outworking of the purpose of
mercy, and also revealing the evangel that was "preached before unto Abraham".
(3)
The SEED of David, with its emphasis upon crown and throne, and also in the
light of New Testament references to the foreknown sufferings and resurrection
that would precede His accession and reign.
This threefold promise finds a threefold fulfillment in the opening of the New
Testament.
(1)
"Time" was fulfilled.--The testimony of prophecy was examined, the historical
references of Luke 2: 1, 2; 3: 1, 2 scrutinized, the fact of Gal. 4: 4 realized,
and the testimony of Mark 1: 15 noted.
(2)
"Place" was fulfilled.--Both the birth-place of Bethlehem and the upbringing at
Nazareth fulfilled the prophets.
(3)
"Person" was fulfilled.--Matthew and Luke give us two genealogies. One going
back through Solomon to David and Abraham, the other going back through
Nathan to David, Abraham and Adam. Matthew's was seen to be the direct
genealogy of Joseph the husband of Mary, Luke's the line of Mary herself, her
husband being the son-in-law, or legal son of his wife's father. The appearance in
both genealogies of Salathiel and Zorobabel (Matt. 1: 12 and Luke 3: 27),
suggesting a marriage between the Solomonic and Nathanic lines, was noted.
This threefold cord of evidence is supplemented by,
(4)
The authority of His word as the "Sent One".--He spoke with authority and not as
the Scribes, and eight times in John's Gospel He declared that the doctrine and the
words He spoke were not His but the Father's that sent Him.
(5)
This authority is supplemented by the working of miracles, which were not only
wonders and mighty works, but signs. The Lord appealed to these miracles,
saying "believe Me for the very works' sake" (John 10: 38).
(6)
Yet in spite of the fact that the fullness of time had come, and that Time, Place and
Person all adhered; in spite of words of authority and miracles without precedent,
the shadow of rejection is seen in Matt. 11:, and becomes more pronounced as
"parable" and "mystery" are introduced in Matt. 13:
(7)
This led us to the great prophecy of the second coming, Matt. 24:, the very fact
of there being a "second time" speaking of original rejection, as in the typical
cases of Joseph and Moses (Acts 7: 13 and 35).
The crucifixion of the Saviour was viewed from the twofold aspects of Acts 2: 23:
(1) "Delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God", and (2) "Taken
by wicked hands, crucified and slain". "The last word" (Prov. 16: 1-4, literal rendering)
however is always with the Lord, and His last word is seen in operation when He raised
the Lord from the dead.
In the Gospels the historic facts of the crucifixion and of the resurrection are given,
but it is reserved for the succeeding speeches of the Acts and the doctrine of the epistles
to show their true significance.