The People of God 01 What Think Ye of Christ — James K. Boswell

The joy of being with you again is mellow. And of course, I'm good at the West Coast dick. You know what they say about mellow, don't you? It's overripe, it's rotten, it's half-tippedy. So there it is.

Christ’s Question About Himself

Matthew, Chapter 22. Matthew and the 22nd Chapter. It's just a real joy, Mrs. Barnes, and I being back with you here at Park of the Paths. We always look forward to coming. The joy of being with you again.

Meeting again, the time of beauty. You know, folks, we've met for many years now, known for a long, long time. Some of you are meeting for the very first time. We're glad to meet you, too, before we get home to heaven, eh?

You know, that may take place today. Then when we go home to heaven today, wouldn't that just be wonderful? Amen? Oh, the joy. We're looking for the Lord to come back at any moment. God, I know about you.

I am. And I ascribe a little bit on the tip of expectancy. So, Matthew 22, verse number 41. While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, saying, What think ye of Christ, whose son is he?

Say unto him, The Son of David. He says unto them, How then does David in spirit call him Lord, saying, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on thy right hand, Until I make thine enemies thy foes too.

And David then called him Lord, how is he his son? And no man was able to answer him a word. Ne 'er doth any man from that day forth ask him any more questions. The question is found in verse 22. What think ye of Christ?

Peter’s Confession of Christ

Now, go back to Matthew 16. Sixteenth chapter of Matthew, and reading at verse 13. Matthew 16, verse 13. When Jesus came to the coast of Caesarea Philippi, he answered his disciples, saying, Whom do men say I, the son of man, am?

And they said, Some say thou art John the Baptist, some Elias, and others Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. He says unto them, But whom say ye that I am? Simon Peter Anson said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood is not revealed unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And the word is found in verse number 15. Whom say ye that I am?

One last scripture again. Matthew, chapter 27. Matthew, and the 27th chapter. Matthew 27, verse number 19. When Pilate was sat down on the judgment seat, his wife said unto him, saying, Hath thou nothing to do with that just man?

For I suffer many things as in a dream because of him. For the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should answer Barabbas and destroy Jesus. The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of this rain will he not release unto you?

They said, Abarabbas. Pilate said unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? The all see unto him and let him be crucified. The governor said, Why? What evil has he done? For the cry of the Lord saying, Let him be crucified.

Now, Lord, that is plenty in that short reading from this word. Your hearts are this morning. If you notice in our reading, we looked at the three realms of our personality. First of all, what think you Christ has to do with our mind?

What say you Christ has to do with our speech? What shall I now do with Jesus which is called Christ has to do with action? Our mind, our speech, our action. What think you of Christ? The psychologists and others today say that the greatest thing in life is personality.

Be that what may, the supreme personality of all his strength is Jesus Christ, but none so attractive nor unique as the man Christ Jesus. What think you of Christ is a question that confronts each and every one of us, for the Lord Jesus is not only magnetic in his personality, he is unavoidable and inescapable in his demands.

Christ will provide you. If you look backward, he is there. In the beginning, God created the heaven and earth. If you look forward, he is there. From everlasting to everlasting, he is God. If you look upward, he is there.

On the right hand of the majesty of the heart. If you look around you, you'll find him right here. In the affairs of man, in the corporate life of his church, for he says, where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

What think you of Christ? William Branson, the prime minister of the United Kingdom, some three times, speaking to a crowded house, the Lord and the commons were packed with capacity, and these were the days before women got into politics.

Sir Winston Churchill never go over the tragedy of women getting into politics. His about enemy was Lady Astor, the first lady ever in politics, and those two were sitting opposite each other one day at a conference table.

Lady Astor looked across. Churchill said, if you were my husband, I would poison your tea. The old bulldog looked across and said to her, if I were your husband, I would drink it. Anyway, William Branson addressing that great crowd of wonderful statesmen and politicians said, gentlemen, the question confronts us today, both as a people and as a nation, is this.

What think ye of Christ? He said, our whole destiny depends upon our answer to that one question. Now, I know this, beloved. I said a moment ago, this question confronts each and every one of us here this morning, and our destiny depends upon our answer to that one question.

Not as what you think of this picture, or that picture, this religion, or that religion, this political party, or that political party. It's what thinking of Christ. As intelligent thinking congregate this morning, I want us to face to face with all the important questions thy pre-God, that's been sealing fairly and squarely, will answer this question this morning, and be able to speak with many of us here.

The Virgin Birth and the Mystery of the Incarnation

He's my Lord, he's my soul, he's my all and all. He's the very light of my life. What think ye of Christ? Writer, what do you think of his virgin birth? There are many today who are denying the virgin birth of our adorable Lord Jesus.

My friend, there are those who think it doesn't matter whether you believe in the virgin birth or not, as long as you believe in the cross work of the Lord Jesus. Now, my friend, you see what's going to leave you, too?

A savior is not like God. The ball of the virgin is not a savior at all. We must believe in the virgin birth of God's beloved son. God's word is very clear about this. He says, unto you a son is given, proving his divinity.

Unto you a child is born, proving his humanity. The only time you ever read of the seed of the woman in the Bible is in relation to the birth of the Lord Jesus. Other times, it's the seed of the man. The seed of the man.

When it comes to the birth of Christ, it's the seed of the woman. If you take your Bible through your laser and go down through Matthew chapter one, there is expression, soul shall be God, soul shall be God, soul shall be God.

When you come down to Jacob, it says, I'm Jacob agat Joseph, the husband of Mary. It does not say, I'm Joseph agat Jesus. Oh, no. Jacob agat Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Christ. We bow before him.

We worship and we adore. It was that great theologian of the day gone by, the late John Wesley, who said, as he meditated upon the Virgin's birth, the great Creator contracted to a stand, indescribably made man.

And Paul could say, great is the mystery of godliness God manifest in flesh. Our heart singeth, thou art the everlasting Word, the Father's only Son, God manifested in her in heaven's beloved one. Worthy, O Lamb of God of God, every knee to thee I should bow.

We bow before him. Furthermore, as you think of Matthew chapter one again, you read it from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, from David to Babylon fourteen generations, from Babylon to Christ fourteen generations.

In the first few, you'll find fourteen. In the last one, you'll only find thirty names, and yet the Bible says there are fourteen. Is there a contradiction? Is there a discrepancy? A thousand times no.

The fourteenth one is the Holy Spirit. We bow again. We worship and we adore. As we hear in John one, one, in the beginning was the Word, His Eternity, and the Word was with God, His Personality, and the Word was God, His Deity, thus quoting, and the Word became flesh, and tabernacled among us, and we beheld His glory.

Oh, I pray we're going to do that this morning, as we continuously walk thinking of Christ. What do you think of this virgin verse? Yes, we love to hear this wonderful word, for God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son.

In Agent Paul, verse number four, when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman. Not only do I think of this virgin verse, may I ask again the question? Forget all about your neighbor.

What do you personally think of the virgin verse of the Lord Jesus? Do you believe it? Amen? That's a pretty weak amen, but I know you always say, aren't you? That's right. All right, the next part, then.

Christ’s Virtuous and Sinless Life

What do you think of His virtuous life? Not only His virgin verse, but His virtuous life, His vicarious death, and so on, His wonderful character. First of all, then, His Father said, This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

His friend said, He did no sin, He knew no sin, there was no sin found in Him. The Lamb, referred to in Exodus, chapter 12, had to be without blemish. It was taken upon the tenth day, set aside on the fourteenth day, put in ice very carefully, washed, and one little blemish, one little pimple appeared, the Lamb was set aside.

His life could not be applied to the two-sided, nor the upper lintel of the doorway. The Lamb had to be without blemish. But John the Baptist says, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

Let's go into God's Lamb, the darling of His own heart, His own Jesus. Well, what about His head? Well, let Paul answer that, the intellectual genius. He said, He knew no sin, no impure thought ever passed through the holy mind of the Son of God.

Well, what about His legs? Classical Peter answers that by saying, And He did no sin. Well, what about His inward? John the Beloved, who leaned upon His breast, said, And in Him no sin. His head, His legs, His inward, absolutely all pure.

The holy sinless Son of God lay upon His throat. I say three times over, I find no fault in the sin. Here the king says, I find nothing worthy of death in this man, Judah, the man who betrayed Him. He said, I have sinned, in that I betrayed, notice the definite article here, the innocent blood.

Not just innocent blood, but the innocent blood. The only blood that is innocent, the only blood that is sinless, the only blood that is all pure. What about the very things from hell? When they came, they cried, We know who thou art, thou holy one of God.

So, Father, strength and truth, heaven and earth and hell, angels, men and demons, the all-pointed, adorable Lord Jesus, I may declare a sinless, a perfect man. Now, listen, what do you think of his character?

What do you think of his virtuous life? Were those who keep the date of the cross for Christ to sin, but he did not sin? I hardly disagree with that. There is never anything in my adorable Lord Jesus to respond to sin.

He's a holy, sinless, son of God. Had he been able to sin here on earth, he's still a man in the glory this morning. Had he been able to sin, he could never have been your Savior, nor my Savior. You take a pile of steel filings, you bring the magnet down over those steel filings, and it jumps towards the magnet.

And I put my gold watch down, and I bring that magnet down ever so little, right down towards that watch. It never moves towards the magnet. Why? Because it's gold. Nothing in it will ever respond to the magnetism.

Nothing will ever. And my adorable Lord Jesus is all pure gold. A holy, sinless, son of God. And nothing in it will ever respond to an attraction to sin. Do you believe that? Amen? Oh, my friend, I want to get that today.

God demanded a blood sacrifice, but he must be a sinless blood sacrifice, and it's only one with that type of blood with a darling in his own heart, the Lord Jesus Christ. Say, what do you think of his power over the creation?

Christ’s Authority Over Creation and Human Distress

Remember that particular day, this holy, sinless, son of God? Was there in that boat? Remember how the waters were mounting his heart? The disciples thought their lives were in jeopardy, and they're going down to watery graves.

They said, Lord Jesus, tears are not for me to perish. He went beside the boat and said, He is still. He really said, Be muzzled. The muzzling of a ferocious dog. And what manner of man is this that even the winds and the seas obey him?

You love it? Is there some heart here this morning storm-tossed? And there's a terrible storm raging in that little breath of yours? There is discord. There is unrest. There's a lack of harmony. The one who could save these beasts still to that great storm is beside you in your narrow pew.

He wants to say peace to you this morning. And, my friend, if you only allow him to come into your heart, out of discord there shall come harmony. Out of unrest there shall come rest. Out of distress there shall come tranquility.

My friend, he will always bring this into your heart. May I just rephrase for one moment? His Father prays and says, Heaven and earth and hell, angels, men and demons, found nothing whatever but perfection in the Lord Jesus.

What fault did you find with Christ you've never yet trusted Him? Be honest. As a wise-thinking man, a wise-thinking woman, what fault, what blemish have you found in Christ that you've not yet trusted for salvation?

Christ’s Power Over Sin, Disease, Demons, and Death

What thinking of Christ? Remember he could say to Peter, Peter, the cock will not crow until you deny me Christ. The third time Peter denied the law, the cock crowed, he plowed over the plow. Peter goes down this way, crowing the hoop, and bring out the fish.

You'll find a coin in the fish's mouth. He plowed over the fish, the spear goes down, he brought out the fish. What did he find? The coin in the fish's mouth. He said, he prepared the fish for Jonah. He plowed over the fish.

He plowed over the dumb animal. He goes riding into Jerusalem upon the back of that donkey, bareback. It had never been broken. It never had the yoke. Way back at Exton Downs in England, there was an evangelistic service each year called the Jockey.

This particular day, the evangelist giving the message, was preaching on these words, Loose him and bring him, for the Lord hath need of him. Preparing a person, a donkey. Sitting in that great congregation that day was a man called Frank Benford, a man internationally known as a jockey.

As he sat there and listened, he said to himself, That man must have wonderful hands. If he could ride bareback and control that ass, that had never been broken, it never had the yoke, and all the people yelling around him, and he could control that ass, that man must have wonderful hands.

And he said, if he could control an unbroken ass, he could control me. On their name, that man yielded his life to the Lord Jesus Christ in that service that morning. He placed himself in the all-powerful hands of the Lord Jesus.

Frank Benford became one, a father-in-law of three outstanding British evangelists. One was Fred Elliot, well-known across the North American continent and different parts of the world. That man said that day, If he can control that ass, he can control me.

And he gave his life to Jesus Christ. That same Christ is here this morning, nearer to you than your neighbor. Will you hand your life over to him right now? What about his power over disease? There is no cure, no disease comes insurable for the Lord Jesus concerned.

The blind may deceive, the deaf may hear, the dumb may talk, the lame may need to walk, crooked, bent, and incestuous. Never shall my faith give it flight, never shall it drop to the heel. No peace comes insurable for the Christ concerned, and his cures were complete.

Instantaneous, he was complete. What about his power over demonization? The demon came into him, and he asked, Lord, what has come out of him? And he said, legions came out. And the very demon said to Christ, let us go into the swine.

The demon can't act without his permission, his power over demons, his power over death. Not only over demons, but over dead cells. Judas' daughter is dead. He goes into the hole, he takes his father's hand and says, little girl, your eyes can be arrived.

She's brought back to life, he said, give her to eat. She's only twelve. A young man, the only son of a widow, being carried to the place of burial, the Lord Jesus meets a few processions. He goes up, he saw the widow there, he's had a compassion move toward her, he touched the deer, the calf, and said, young man, eyes have been arrived, he sat up, and I love this about the Lord Jesus.

The man began to speak, and the Lord did something, it refills my soul. He delivered him to his mother. Isn't that just like the Lord Jesus? Oh, how compassionate, how sympathetic, how understanding is our adorable Lord.

He gave him back to his mother. I love that, don't you? Something so human about that, something so understanding about that. There's something more. And Lazarus, four days in the grave, and by this time he's sinking.

For heaven, the Lord goes along and says, Lazarus, come forth. He has a dead king for his own hand has put the grave clothes. The Lord said, loose him and let him go. She's only a little girl, aged twelve.

Just as vicious as the priest, but she's in life. Corruption not set in. Maybe some young person here this morning, and you need life. Maybe some young man, some young woman, full-blooded, full of vitality, bigger, big, bursting my brain with activity.

But, friend, you need Christ. You need life. You need all the sins that I can give you, bound me with my praise, but you need Christ. You may be an old man this morning. You may be an older woman. And corruption has set in.

And corruption, my friend, has set its fist to stamp upon your covenant. And sin, my friend, is in rows and wrought havoc in your life and every feeling of pain. And you need life. You need life. Older than twelve, but you need life.

A young man, but he needs life. An old man, but he needs life. And this morning, listen, friend, walk into your Christ. He's power over the beast. He's power over sin. He's power over death. This mighty, conquering, victorious Lord is right here before you.

The Vicarious Death and Atoning Blood of Christ

Right here at this very moment. What do you think of Him? I'm sorry. What do you think of His vicarious death? His own death. His death upon that rugged cross. Now listen. He, at whose voice death prays, He's death's champion.

He's death's victor. He's the Prince of Life. Death, no disease, no demons, my friend, just stay in His presence. Let it go. He heard and He responded to the call of death. That we might hear and respond to the call of life this morning.

Death had no claim upon the Lord. He was a sinner of His own. But we need the Lord. And blessed be His name. He died for you. And He died for me. I thank Him. Have you? Have you? A doubler this morning.

What do you think of His death? Why was the Lord Jesus there upon that cross? Did He die? Why, my friend, were those nails placed through His loving hands and feet? Why was there a crown of that cruel crown of thorns?

Why was His whole body veiled in rich and royal plague of blood? Why? There was none other good enough to pay the price of sin. He only could allot the dear heaven a ransom. God looked round among the mankind.

He could not find one without sin. No man can, by any means redeem his sin or give the God a ransom for his soul. God demanded His blood sacrificed. It was yet sinless blood sacrificed. Now, what do you think?

What do you think, beloved, this morning of the death of the Lord Jesus? What do you think of that precious blood? And remember, the only time you ever read of precious blood is in reference to the blood of Jesus Christ.

You read of blood throughout the Scripture, the only time you read of precious blood is in blood. And it's precious because that precious blood of the Son of God. Precious, precious blood of Jesus shed on Calvary, shed for us.

Oh, heavenly Father, shed for us. You too? Amen? Oh, bleed from His head, His hand is deep. Sorrow and love flow, mingled down. Did e 'er such love and sorrow meet? Or thorns come through through the crown?

Were the whole realm of nature mine? That were an offering far too small. Love so amazing, so divine. Be that my heart, and I trust your heart and mind says, shall have my heart, my life, my own. Isn't he worthy?

Oh, ten thousand times, ten thousand, dear Lord, is there worthy one of all the living? We thought a little of this physical suffering of the Lord Jesus. They were acute, they were intense, and my friend, all the physical suffering could never bring about the work of the atonement.

Christ Forsaken on the Cross

In this hour of darkness, when He who knew no sin became sin for us, His whole being was distorted out of recognition. This is marred more than any man, this poor moon asundered me. I will hear the cry, pierced in the darkness.

Remember, so awful was that sight, the sun refused to shine, while God the incarnate maker died. For man is rich in sin. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Now, sir, and God cannot look upon sin, God cannot tolerate sin, on the very darling of His own being.

God, as God, not as a father and son, God, as God, turn His back upon us. We hear the awful cry, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Why dost thou far from helping me, after all my wrongdoing? Now, listen, I said a minute ago, He's dead, champion.

He's dead, victor. Now, listen, as He was laid upon the rugged cross, His whole body veiled in blood, He cried, Father, forgive them, they know not what they do. How does love beat your heart? How does love conquer within your brain?

Listen, He summons death. He summons death to be His servant. He wills as He wills to die, and when He wills to die, man could not kill the Holy Son of God. Sin was allowed to use then to put upon that ruined cross, but He could not kill Him.

He went and repented, remembered to the dying thief, his eggs were broke, his mother her legs were broke, and the King of Christ said, My wife is dead already. He summons death to be His servant, and He died as He wills to die, and when He wills to die, and He died for you, and He died for me.

Will you thank Him this morning? What do you think of the death of the Lord Jesus? Can you truthfully say, bearing shame and scoffing bruise, in my place condemned He stood. Feel my pardon within you.

Hallelujah. Thank God this morning, that cross is empty. The tomb is a kidney, and what do you think of His bodily resurrection from out among the dead? Not a mere phantom, not a mere spirit, but a bodily resurrection.

The Bodily Resurrection and Second Coming of Christ

He arose, Lord, on the grave you laid Jesus my Savior, waiting to come in day, Jesus my Lord, and up from the grave He arose, and the mighty cross over His head. Hallelujah, Christ arose. And this morning, for this delightful congregation, I don't present a code, not a creed, not a baptism, not a covenant, not a church membership, not the Sermon on the Mount, not the Ten Commandments, not a golden rule.

I present a living Lord. One who became dead, who is alive forevermore, and He is all conquering, all His Christ, over day and day, and heaven and heaven, and right at your very heart, you are saying now, if I could so close the cross this morning, would you close it, Lord, and save us a day?

That's because I am not sure He does. What do you think of His coming again? He's gone away, but not to stay. He's coming back again, and it may be this very morning the lifting sky is now down, for hear the bright and voice saying, rise up, my love, my dear one, and come away far above the clouds.

Oh, won't that just be wonderful? Surely your heart is my heart, joyous morning, Christ. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. Even so, come today. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. Catch up thy bride away. Oh, how my heart is yearning, longing for thy returning.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus. Even so, come today. Friend, He's gone, but He's coming back, and by His Spirit, He's right here this morning, nearer to you than your neighbor, and asking you that question.

What do you think of Christ? And you must answer that question, and your destiny depends upon your answer to that one question. Will you do it? Theme number 312. The fourth thing, theme, of Christ. To many of us, He's the very life of our lives.

The Call to Trust Christ and Respond

He's absolutely everything to us, for Him alone can be compared. Our heart says, Lord, Thou art worthy. 312. Thoughtfully, prayerfully, the signature of majesty, and real challenge. Jesus, our Lord, the joy we adore Thee.

Is that the language of your heart this morning? Do you mean that? God bless you. 312.

Catch up thy bride away. Then humble thyself to be taken, laid by thy creatures, and nailed to the cross. He is of name,.

And of God, true, forsaken, shunning not darkness, the curse, and the law. All for you, all for me. Will you thank Him this morning? Ye only, Lord and Savior. There's no undue pressing, there's no button-pulling in these meetings, but your concern this morning and three will go away.

While the others go, you come forward to stop here, and the village here is only too happy to help you. I meet some who are present here, and the best three are only too happy to help you. Be of yourselves for Christ's sake.

Please don't go over your concern if you're in a back-spinning condition. Please come back to Him this morning. Don't you think He's worthy? He wants to bring more supreme in your heart. Make this last day of PMR of your whole-hearted dedication.

This sangamonga will provide me a stop right here. God bless you. If you sing the last verse now, you're doing so well in that chorus. It's so softly, the first part, a little louder, and a little louder, it's spelled right out on the place.

Can you spread the last verse now? Oh, how hast thou triumphed! Thank you.

Oh, how hast thou triumphed! And triumphed with glory! Hey! Hey!

Hey! We're going to be left off this morning on the theme, What Sayeth Christ? This morning, What Thinketh Christ? And tonight, What Sayeth Christ? Be much in prayer. Your local friends are on the throne.

Tell others about the meeting. Come back to yourself. You are the best beings of the world, as much as you know. You have been blessed by them, so tell others of it, and bring them along with you. Will you?

Shall we pray? Not unto us, not unto us, but unto thine name be honor and glory and power and blessing both now and forevermore through Jesus Christ, the wonderful Lord. Amen.