Lastly, the Christ of the Gospels thought and taught that His death had world-wide power.
He says here, A ransom for many: Now that word is not used in this instance in contradistinction to' all,' nor in contradistinction to few.' It is distinctly employed as emphasising the contrast between the single death and the wide extent of its benefits; and in terms which, rigidly taken, simply express indefiniteness, it expresses universality. That is so seems to me to be plain enough, if we notice other places of Scripture to which, at this stage of my sermon, I can but allude. For instance, in Romans v. the two expressions,' the many' and the all,' alternate in reference to the extent of the power of Christ's sacrifice for men. And the Apostle in another place, where probably there may be an allusion to the words of the text, so varies them as that he declares that Jesus Christ in His death was the ransom instead of all.' But I do not need to dwell upon these. Many' is a vague word, and in it we see dim crowds stretching away beyond our vision, for whom that death was to be the means of salvation. I take it that the words of our text have an allusion to those in the great prophecy in the fifty-third chapter of Isaiah, in which we read, By His knowledge shall My righteous Servant' (mark the allusion in our text, Who came to minister ) justify many, for He shall bear their iniquities.'
So, brethren, I believe that I am not guilty of unduly widening out our Lord's thought when I say that the indefinite many' is practically all.' And, brother, if all,' then you; if all, then me; if all, then each. Think of a man, nineteen centuries ago, away in a little insignificant corner of the world, standing up and saying, My death is the price paid in exchange for the world!' That is meekness and lowliness of heart, is it? That is humility, so beautiful in a teacher, is it? How any man can accept the veracity of these narratives, believe that Jesus Christ said anything the least like this, not believe that He was the Divine Son of the Father, the Sacrifice for the world's sin, and yet profess --and honestly profess, I doubt not, in many cases--to retain reverence and admiration, all but adoration, for Him, I confess that I, for my poor part, cannot understand.
But I ask you, what you are going to do with these thoughts and teachings of the Christ of the Gospels. Are you going to take them for true? Are you going to trust your salvation to Him? Are you going to accept the ransom and say, O Lord, truly I am Thy servant; Thou hast loosed my bonds'? Brethren, the Christ of the Gospels, by all means; but the Christ that said, The Son of Man came to give His life a ransom for many.' My Christ, and your Christ, and the world's Christ is the Christ that died; yea, rather, that is risen again; who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.'
