“The Lord your God will raise up unto you a Prophet,” etc. Deut 18:15.
Having spoken of the PERSON of Christ, we are next to speak of the OFFICES of Christ. These are Prophetic, Priestly, and Regal.
“The Lord your God will raise up unto you a Prophet.” This is spoken of Christ. There are several names given to Christ as a Prophet. He is called “the Counselor” in Isa 9:6. “The Angel of the covenant.” Mal 3:1. “A Lamp.” 2 Sam 22:19. “The Morning Star.” Rev 22:16. Jesus Christ is the great Prophet of his church. The woman of Samaria gave a shrewd guess. John 4:19. He is the best teacher; he makes all other teaching effectual. “He opened their understanding.” Luke 24:45 He not only opened the Scriptures—but opened their understanding. He teaches to profit. “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit.” Isa 48:17.
How does Christ teach?
(1.) Externally, by his Word. “Your word is a lamp to my feet.” Such as pretend to have a light or revelation above the Word, or contrary to it—never had their teaching from Christ. Isa 8:20.
(2.) Christ teaches these sacred mysteries, inwardly, by the Spirit. John 16:13. The world knows not what this teaching is. “The natural man receives not the things of God, neither can he know them.” 1 Cor 2:14. He knows not what it is to be transformed by the renewing of the mind, Rom 12:2, or what the inward workings of the Spirit mean; these are riddles and paradoxes to Him. He may have more insight into the things of the world, than a believer—but he does not see the deep things of God. A swine may see an acorn under a tree—but he cannot see a star. He who is taught of Christ sees the the secrets of the kingdom of heaven.
What are the lessons which Christ teaches?
He teaches us to see into our own hearts. Take the most soaring wits, the greatest politicians, who understand the mysteries of state, they know not the mysteries of their own hearts, they cannot believe the evil that is in them. “Is your servant a dog—that he should do such a thing?” The heart is a great deep, which is not easily fathomed. But when Christ teaches, he removes the veil of ignorance, and illuminates the way for a man to see into his own heart. And now that he sees swarms of vile and vain thoughts, he blushes to see how sin mingles with his duties, his stars are mixed with clouds; he prays, as Augustine, that God would deliver him from himself!
The second lesson Christ teaches is the vanity of the creature. A natural man sets up his happiness in earthly things, and worships the golden image; but he who Christ has anointed with his eye-salve, has a spirit of discerning; he looks upon the creature in its night-dress, sees it to be empty and unsatisfying, and not commensurate to a heaven-born soul. Solomon had put all the creatures into a still, and when he came to extract the spirit and quintessence, all was vanity. Eccles 2:11. The apostle calls it a show or apparition, having no intrinsic goodness. 1 Cor 7:31.
The third lesson is the excellency of unseen realities. Christ gives the soul a sight of glory, a prospect of eternity. “We look not at things which are seen—but at things which are not seen.” Moses saw him who is “invisible.” Heb 11:27. And the patriarchs saw a better country, namely, a heavenly one, where are delights of angels; rivers of pleasure; the flower of joy, fully ripe and blown. Heb 11:16.
How does Christ’s teaching differ from other teaching?
Several ways.
(1.) Christ teaches the heart. Others may teach the ear, Christ teaches the heart. “Whose heart the Lord opened.” Acts 16:14. All that the dispensers of the word can do is but to workknowledge; Christ works grace. They can but give the lightof the truth; Christ gives the love of the truth. They can only teach what to believe, Christ teaches how to believe.
(2.) Christ gives us a taste of the word.Ministers may set the food of the word before you, and carve it out to you; but it is only Christ, who can cause you to taste it. “If so be you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.” “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” It is one thing to hear a truth preached, another thing to tasteit; one thing to read a promise, another thing to taste it. David had got a taste of the word. “You have taught me: How sweet are your words unto my taste! yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth.” The apostle calls it the savor of knowledge. 2 Cor 2:14. The light of knowledge is one thing, the savor another. Christ makes us taste a savouriness in the word.
(3.) When Christ teaches, he makes us obey.Others may instruct—but cannot command obedience. They teach to be humble—but men remain proud. The prophet had been denouncing judgments against the people of Judah—but they would not hear. “We will do whatever goes out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven.” Men come as it were, with thick armor, which the sword of the word will not enter; but when Christ comes to teach, he removes this obstinacy; he not only informs the mind—but inclines the will. He does not only come with the light of his word—but the rod of his strength, and makes the stubborn sinner yield to him. His grace is irresistible.
(4.) Christ teaches easily. Others teach with difficulty. They have difficulty in finding out a truth, and in inculcating it. “Precept must be upon precept, and line upon line.” Some may teach all their lives, and the word take no impression. They complain, “I have spent my labor in vain!” I have plowed on rocks! But Christ the great Prophet teaches with ease. He can with the least touch of his Spirit convert; he can say, “Let there be light;” with a word he can convey grace.
(5.) When Christ teaches, he makes men willing to learn. Men may teach others—but they have no mind to learn. “Fools despise instruction.” They rage at the word, as if a patient should rage at the physician when he brings him a remedy; thus backward are men to their own salvation. But Christ makes his people a “willing people.” They prize knowledge, and hang it as a jewel upon their ear. Those who Christ teaches say, “Come let us go up to the mountains of the Lord, and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in them;” and “We are all here present before God, to hear all things commanded.”
(6.) When Christ teaches, he not only illuminates but animates. He so teaches—that he quickens! “I am the light of the world: he who follows me shall have lumen vitae—the light of life.” By nature we are dead, therefore unfit to be taught. Who will make an oration to the dead? But Christ teaches those who are dead! he gives the light of life. As when Lazarus was dead, Christ said, “Come forth,” and he made the dead to hear, for Lazarus came forth. Just so, when he says to the dead soul, “Come forth of the grave of unbelief!” he hears Christ’s voice, and comes forth! The philosophers say, “heat and light increase together.” Where Christ comes with his light, there is the heat of spiritual life going along with it.
Use one: Of INFORMATION.
(1.) See here an argument of Christ’s Divinity. Had he not been God, he could never have known the mind of God, or revealed to us those secrets of Heaven, those deep mysteries, which no man or angel could find out. Who but God can anoint the eyes of the blind, and give not only light—but sight? Who but he, who has the key of David, can open the heart? Who but God can bow the iron sinew of the will? He alone who is God, can enlighten the conscience, and make the stony heart bleed!
(2.) See what a cornucopia, or infinity of wisdom is in Christ, who is the great teacher of his church, and who gives saving knowledge to all the elect. The body of the sun must needs be full of clearness and brightness, which enlightens the whole world. Christ is the great luminary; in him are hidden all treasures of knowledge. Col 2:3. The middle lamp of the sanctuary gave light to all the other lamps; so Christ diffuses his glorious light to others. We are apt to admire the learning of Aristotle and Plato; alas! what is this poor spark of light, compared to that which is in Christ, from whose infinite wisdom both men and angels light their lamps!
(3.) See the misery of man in the state of nature. Before Christ becomes their prophet they are enveloped in ignorance and darkness. Men know nothing in a sanctified manner, they know nothing as they ought to know. I Cor 8:2. This is dreadful. Men in the dark cannot discern colors; so in the state of nature they cannot discern between morality and grace they take one for the other. In the dark the greatest beauty is hidden. Let there be rare flowers in the garden, and pictures in the room, in the dark their beauty is veiled over. Just so, though there is such transcendent beauty in Christ as amazes the angels, man in the state of nature sees none of this beauty. What is Christ to him? or heaven to him? The veil is upon his heart. A man in the dark is in danger every step he takes; so man in the state of nature is in danger, at every step, of falling into hell. Thus it is before Christ teaches us; nay, the darkness in which a sinner is, while in an unregenerate state, is worse than natural darkness; for natural darkness affrights. “A horror of great darkness fell upon Abraham.” But the spiritual darkness is not accompanied with horror, men tremble not at their condition; nay, they like their condition well enough. “Men loved darkness.” This is their dreadful condition, until Jesus Christ comes as a prophet to teach them, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God.
(4.) See the happy condition of the children of God. They have Christ to be their prophet. “All your children shall be taught of the Lord.” “He is made to us wisdom.” One man cannot see by another’s eyes; but believers see with Christ’s eyes. “In his light they see light.” Christ gives them the light of grace, and the light of glory.
Use two: Labor to have Christ for your prophet.He teaches savingly: he is an interpreter of a thousand, he can untie those knots which puzzle angels. Until Christ teaches, we never learn any lesson; until Christ is made to us wisdom, we shall never be wise to salvation.
What shall we do to have Christ for our teacher?
(1.) See your need of Christ’s teaching. You cannot see your way without this morning star. Some speak much of improving the light of reason; alas! the plumb-line of reason is too short to fathom the deep things of God; the light of reason will no more help a man to believe, than the light of a candle will help him to understand. A man can no more by the power of nature reach Christ, than an infant can reach the top of the pyramids, or the ostrich fly up to the stars. See your need of Christ’s anointing and teaching in Rev 3:18. “I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.”
(2.) Go to Christ to teach you. “Lead me in your truth, and teach me.” As one of the disciples said, “Lord, teach us to pray,” I, so say, “Lord, teach me to profit. Light my lamp, O great prophet of your church! Give me a spirit of wisdom and revelation, that I may see things in another manner than I ever saw them before; teach me in the Word to hear your voice, and in the sacrament to discern your body. Give light to my eyes!” Psalm 13:3.
That we may be encouraged to go to our great Prophet:
(1.) Jesus Christ is very willing to teach us. Why else did he enter into the calling of the ministry—but to teach the mysteries of heaven? “Jesus went about teaching and preaching the gospel of the kingdom.” Why did he take the prophetic office upon him? Why was Christ so angry with those who kept away the key of knowledge? “Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering.” Luke 11:52. Why was Christ anointed with the Spirit without measure—but that he might anoint us with knowledge? Knowledge is in Christ, for us as milk in the breast for the child. Oh then go to Christ for teaching. None in the gospel came to Christ for sight—but he restored their eyesight; and surely Christ is more willing to work a cure upon a blind soul, than ever he was to do so upon a blind body.
(2:) There are none so dull and ignorant, but Christ can teach them. Everyone is not fit to make a scholar of; but there is none so dull but Christ can make him a good scholar. Even such as are ignorant, and of low abilities, Christ teaches in such a manner that they know more than the great sages and wise men of the world. The unlearned men rise up, and take heaven; they know the truths of Christ more savingly than the great admired Rabbis. The duller the scholar, the more is his skill seen that teaches. Hence it is, that Christ delights in teaching the ignorant, to get himself more glory. “The eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.” Who would go to teach a blind or a deaf man? Yet such dull scholars Christ teaches. Such as are blinded with ignorance, shall see the mysteries of the gospel, and the deaf ears shall be unstopped.
(3.) Wait upon the means of grace which Christ has appointed. Though Christ teaches by his Spirit—yet he teaches in the use of ordinances. Wait at the gates of wisdom’s door. Ministers are teachers under Christ. “Pastors and teachers.” We read of pitchers, and lamps within the pitchers. Judges 7:16. Ministers are earthen vessels—but these pitchers have lamps within them to light souls to heaven. Christ is said to speak to us from heaven now, by his ministers, as the king speaks by his ambassador. Heb 12:25. Such as wean themselves from the breast of ordinances seldom thrive; either they grow faint in their head, or lame in their feet. The word preached is Christ’s voice in the mouth of the minister; and those who refuse to hear Christ speaking in the ministry, Christ will refuse to hear speaking on their death-bed.
(4.) If you would have the teachings of Christ, walk according to the knowledge which you have already. Use your little knowledge well, and Christ will teach you more. “If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it is of God, or whether I speak of myself.” A master seeing his servant improve a little stock well, gives him more to trade with.
Use three: If you have been taught by Christ savingly, be THANKFUL. It is your honor to have God for your teacher, and that he should teach you, and not others, is a matter of admiration and congratulation. Oh how many knowledgeable men are ignorant! They are not taught of God; they have Christ’s Word to enlighten them—but not his Spirit to sanctify them. But that you should have the inward as well as the outward teaching, that Christ should anoint you with the heavenly unction of his Spirit, that you can say, “One thing I know, that whereas I was blind, now I see.” Oh, how thankful should you be to Christ, who has revealed his Father’s bosom secrets unto you! “No man has seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he has revealed him.” If Alexander thought himself so much obliged to Aristotle for the philosophic instruction he received from him—oh, how are we obliged to Jesus Christ, this great Prophet, for opening to us the eternal purposes of his love, and revealing to us the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven!