I want to direct you this evening
to words that we find in the Old Testament in the book of
the Prophet Zechariah, what we call one of the minor prophets
at the end of the Old Testament Scriptures, minor not because
he was less inspired than others, but minor because the writings
of these men are shorter than what we find in those better
known books like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel. In Zechariah I'm turning
to the 12th chapter and I want to read from verse 10 through
to the end of the chapter. Zechariah 12 10 And I will pour upon the house
of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace
and of supplications. 11 And they shall look upon Me
whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him as one mourneth
for his only Son, and shall be in bitterness for Him as one
that is in bitterness for his firstborn. In that day shall
there be a great mourning in Jerusalem as the mourning of
Adadrimon in the valley of Megiddon. And the land shall mourn every
family apart, the family of the house of David apart, and their
wives apart, the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their
wives apart, the family of the house of Levi apart, and their
wives apart, the family of Shimei apart and their wives apart all
the families that remain every family apart and their wives
apart and the words that I really want to center our attention
upon for a while are found here at verse 10 the 10th verse in
Zechariah 12 and I will pour upon the house of David and upon
the inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of grace and of supplications
and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced and they shall
mourn for him as one mourneth for his only son and shall be
in bitterness for him as one that is in bitterness for his
firstborn and The subject matter is that of gospel mourners. These
are gospel words and those who are being spoken of who behold
this remarkable scene are in bitterness and mourning people.
Gospel mourners then is really the theme because the person
being spoken of is truly the Lord Jesus Christ, isn't the
testimony of Jesus the spirit of prophecy, as we're told there
at the end of the book of the Revelation, of which salvation
the prophets have inquired and looked into. The prophesying
of the sufferings of Christ and the glory that would follow,
says Peter. Gospel mourners or spiritual
repentance is what we have in these words. And I want to divide
the subject matter into some three parts. First of all to
speak of the piercing of the Lord Jesus Christ Secondly, to
speak of the promise of the Holy Spirit, and then thirdly, to
speak of the repentance of Israel. That's the division that I trust
we'll be able to follow for a while this evening. First of all, the
piercing of Christ. They shall look upon Me, it says,
whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him. as one mourneth
for his only son." Now, there's no disputing the fact that this
verse or these words refer directly to the Lord Jesus Christ. We
are told quite plainly in that portion that we read in John
19 The 37th verse, another scripture says, "...they shall look on
him whom they have pierced." Well, this is that scripture
that John, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, is referring
to. This is that other scripture
that has its accomplishment, its fulfillment, in the sufferings
of the Lord Jesus Christ. But before we come to the spiritual
significance then of the words, and the literal fulfillment of
the words, Let me just say a little bit with regard to the historical
context and the meaning of the words as we see them here. The language in some ways is
figurative language that's being used. We read of one who has
been pierced and the Jews in a sense had goaded their God,
they pierced God by their wicked ways, their rebellion against
God, their idolatrous practices. And God had sent them into exile. God had sent a terrible judgment
upon them. But that judgment was only for
a time. It was to be some 70 years, of
course, that they would spend in Babylon, exiled from Jerusalem,
taken away from that land that God had promised to their fathers. They were to return after 70
years. And Zechariah is one of the prophets
associated with that restoration of the Jews under the decree
of Cyrus, the great Persian emperor. God had said that they would
return, they would be in command in a sense to return in the language
of another prophet in Isaiah 48 and verse 20, God gives a
very direct commands, go ye forth, go ye forth to Babylon, he says,
free ye from the Chaldeans with a voice of singing, declare ye,
tell ye, this utter it even to the end of the earth, say ye,
the Lord hath redeemed his servant Jacob. What a day it was then!
And yet, would they not also be recalling why it was that
they'd been in such sad circumstances, how they had how they had grieved
God, how they had pierced God with their sins. But then God
fulfills His promise and Cyrus appears. And this Gentile emperor
is to be their deliverer in a sense. Again, there in the language
of Isaiah 48, that saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall
perform all my pleasure, even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt
be built. and to the temple thy foundations
shall be laid." And so in the historic book of Ezra there in
the opening verses of Ezra we read of Cyrus and the decree
of Cyrus how they were to return and they were to engage in the
rebuilding of the temple of the Lord and it was the ministry
of Zechariah to be a great encourager of them as they undertook that
great work. And you might remember what we
read previously in chapter 4 of the building of the temple under
Zerubbabel. Who art thou, O great mountain?
Before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain, and he shall
bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace,
Grace unto him. Moreover, the word of the Lord
came unto me, saying, The hands of Zerubbabel hath laid the foundation
of this house. His hands shall also finish it,
and they shall know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me unto
you, for who hath despised the day of small things? for they
shall rejoice and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel
with those seven they are the eyes of the Lord which run to
and throw through the whole earth or the day of small things and
yet God works you see and the temple was rebuilt and all was
prepared for the coming then of the Lord Jesus Christ who
is the fulfillment of that temple and Christ is that one who is
really the spiritual the robber bull who comes to build his church
and the gates of hell he says shall not prevail against it. Here then we have this message
that is to be proclaimed by Zachariah the prophet and the chapter,
this twelfth chapter begins the burden of the word of the Lord
for Israel saith the Lord which stretcheth for the heavens, and
layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit
of man within him. Behold, I will make Jerusalem
a cup of trembling unto all the people round about." Boy, it's
a burden, you see. And it concerns Jerusalem. Jerusalem
is going to be rebuilt. When we read in the prophets
of the burden of the Lord, so often that burden is associated
with God's threatening. It is so in the book of Nahum. Nahum, the prophet, begins a
burden of the word of the Lord, and God's burden is word for
Nineveh. But here we have a burden that
concerns Jerusalem. Oh, there will now be safety
in Jerusalem. Although Jerusalem had been destroyed,
Jerusalem is going to be rebuilt. Jerusalem is going to be re-peopled. That's what God is saying, is
He not? In that second verse, Behold,
I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people
round about, when they shall be in the siege, both against
Judah and against Jerusalem. And in that day I will make Jerusalem
a burdensome stone for all people. All that burden themselves with
it shall be cut in pieces, that all the people of the earth be
gathered together against it. And again, in verse 18, In that
day shall the Lord defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and
these of his feeble among them, that that day shall be as David,
and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the
Lord before them. And it shall come to pass in
that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that
come against Jerusalem. But of course, we have to remember
that ultimately we're to understand these things in a spiritual sense.
As I've already intimated, these things are really referring not
to the physical Jerusalem, not to ethnic Israel. The spiritual
significance, the literal fulfillment has to do with the Lord Jesus
Christ and His spiritual Israel. And that's what we come to here
in the words of the text. I will pour upon the house of
David and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace
and of supplications and they shall look upon me whom they
have pierced and they shall mourn for him as one mourner for his
only son and shall be in bitterness for him as one that is in bitterness
for his firstborn. It's speaking of those who will
behold the Lord Jesus Christ and be brought to a spirit of
real, true repentance. It's not just a matter, you see,
of God dealing with sinners in terms of law. Yes, there is that. By the law is the knowledge of
sin. Whatever things the law said, it said to them who are
under the law that every mouth may be stopped and all the world
become guilty before God. But that's not enough. It's law
and terrorists. And what the law and terrors
do, they only harden. Oh, it's the sight of the Lord
Jesus Christ. This is what's being spoken of
there. And observe the language that is being used. Repeatedly
it says, in that day. Verse 3. Verse 4. Verse 6. Verse 8. Verse 9. Verse 11. And then again at the beginning
of the next chapter, chapter 13, in that day there shall be
a fountain open to the house of David and to the inhabitants
of Jerusalem for sin and uncleanness. What is the reference in that
day? That is speaking of the day of grace. Behold now is the accepted time. Behold now is the day of salvation. This book speaks so clearly of
the Lord Jesus Christ. He is that branch. And He will
come and He will build His church. It's not so much a rubber ball
rebuilding the temple of the Lord. No, look at chapter 6 and
verse 12. Speak unto Him, saying, Thus
speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is
the branch. and he shall grow up out of his
place and he shall build the temple of the Lord. Who is this
man whose name is the Branch? This is the Lord Jesus Christ
himself. Previously he is also spoken
of as that man who is the branch. Chapter 3 and verse 8, Here now,
O Joshua, the high priest, thou and thy fellows that sit before
thee, for thou art men wondered at. For behold, I will bring
forth my servant the branch. The Lord Jesus, He is that branch
out of the root of Jesse. He is that one who is David's
greater son. And it is Christ, I say, who
is spoken of, spoken of here in our text that one who is pierced that
one who is so sore wounded verse 6 there in chapter 13 what are
these wounds in thine hands then he shall answer those with which
I was wounded in the house of my friends or the pierced Saviour,
the crucified Lord. And though there is to be that
mourning over Him, that weeping because of Him, they shall look
upon Me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him,
it says. And when He comes, and He is
to come again the second time, without sin, unto salvation,
to come again as that great Judge. And how John speaks of Him, there
in the opening chapter of the Revelation, Behold, He cometh
with clouds, and every eye shall see Him, and they also which
pierced Him, and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because
of Him. Even so, Amen. Oh, it's the Lord Jesus Christ
that we are to consider then here in the words of our text,
but as he speaks of the Lord Jesus Christ, see how the verse
is really couched in the language of promise. There's a promise
here, and what is the promise? The promise is that of the gift
of the Holy Ghost. I will pour upon the house of
David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace. and of supplications, and they
shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall
mourn for him," and so forth. In many ways we have to recognize
that the verse, it's a strange verse, the way in which the pronouns
keep changing, we certainly have different people, distinct persons,
we read of I, we're rid of Him, we're rid of the Spirit. It's a Trinitarian verse. Here
we see the Holy Spirit Himself, the Holy Ghost, God, the third
person in the Triniton. We also have the Father, and
we also have the Son, and yet it is but one God that is speaking,
and one God that is being spoken of. And now we need that ministry
of the Spirit if we're to understand anything of these mysteries.
And the mystery of that great salvation which is the work of
the Triune God. The work of Father, Son, and
Holy Spirit. And here, see how the Spirit
is spoken of. He is the Spirit of grace. And
He is the Spirit of supplications. All what it promises is the Spirit
of grace. And immediately that tells us
that this verse is a gospel verse. Because the gospel of the Lord
Jesus speaks of the grace of God, speaks of salvation solely
by grace. And if by grace, Paul says, then
is it no more of works. Otherwise, grace is no more grace. If it be of works, then is it
no more of grace. Otherwise, work is no more work.
These things, grace and works, they're mutually exclusive, one
of the other. You can't mix these things together.
You can't mix together law and gospel. They're distinct, they're
different things. and here we have him who comes
as the blessed spirit of grace and now it is sovereign that
grace of God as we see it being outworked and when we consider the coming of
the Spirit into the soul of the sinner and the way in which the
Spirit works. The Lord Jesus Christ himself in that third
chapter of John where he tells of the great doctrine of regeneration
and how it's the sovereign work of the Spirit. A man has to be
born again. But the margin says that that
literally means the man is born from above. He's not born of
the flesh. He's not born of man. No, it's
the sovereign work of the Spirit of God. And the Spirit is likened
to the wind, and the wind says, Christ bloweth where it listeth,
and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it
cometh or whither it goeth. So is everyone that is born of
the Spirit. How there's this emphasis there
upon the sovereignty of the Spirit when He comes, the Spirit of
Grace. But then ultimately He is the
Spirit of Grace because He comes very much as the Spirit of Christ. Doesn't the Lord say that? in
those familiar chapters of John, John 15, John 16 the Lord speaks of how when he
comes he doesn't speak of himself but he takes of mine and he shows
these things he shall testify of me it's remarkable really
because his ministry is so self-effacing he doesn't show himself though
he be God And as God, of course, He is to be worshipped. Or the
Holy Ghost, He is equal to the Father and equal to the Son.
And yet, when He comes in this day of grace, when He comes as
the Spirit of grace, His ministry so much centres in the Lord Jesus
Christ. And His mission is to take of
those things of the Lord Jesus Christ and to show them unto
sinners. Why? He is the gift of the Lord
Jesus. It is remarkable how we see salvation
being worked out in the Great Covenant of Christ. Though the
persons Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are co-eternal and co-equal,
yet it is the Father who sends the Son, and the Son comes, as
we know, as the servant of God. When the fullness of the time
was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under
the law, But then when the Son has accompanied His great work,
we see how it is the Son who gives the Spirit. On the day
of Pentecost, what does Peter say? He speaks of Christ, whom
the Jews had rejected and crucified. But what does Peter say, being
by the right hand of God exalted? Having received of the Father
the promise of the Holy Ghost, He hath shed forth this, which
ye now see and hear. All that blessed ministry of
the Spirit and how we need Him. How we need the Spirit if we're
going to understand anything of what salvation is. We need
that blessed ministry. We need the fulfillment of this
promise. I will pour upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants
of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and of supplications. and they
shall look upon me whom they have pierced. We can only look
upon Christ with any profit to our souls. Only consider that
Gospel. We read that 19th chapter in
John's Gospel, the account of the crucifixion of Christ. But
what is it to us? Except the Spirit comes and opens
our eyes and causes us to see the wonder of what is recorded
there. It is by the Spirit that they
look upon me whom they have pierced and mourn and mourn for Him. Oh, the necessity of the Spirit,
how we need Him. And how the Lord Jesus Christ
encourages us to ask for Him. Oh, when we come together like
this and we come in this regular fashion Lord's Day by Lord's
Day the stated hours of worship, we see the importance of being
in our place, we don't want to be absent, we want to be there,
but do we pray? And do we pray for the Spirit?
What does the Lord say to His disciples? If ye, being evil,
know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more
shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that
ask Him? Or do we ask, and ask, and ask,
and ask that we might know that ministry, the Blessed Spirit?
And what is it? He's not only the Spirit of Grace,
He's the Spirit of supplications. Here is the promise, He comes
also as that Spirit of supplications. He comes, as it were, to minister
in our hearts. There's one in heaven who makes
supplication, that's the Lord Jesus Christ. That's another
part of his great priestly office. He comes into this world as a
priest, and he comes to make the great sin-atoning sacrifice. Oh, we mentioned it this morning,
his coming, his appearance, in the fullness of the time and
the work that he accomplishes, the shedding of his precious
blood and the remission of sins, by the shedding of blood, But
now having accomplished that part of his priestly office,
he has risen and ascended, and he is in heaven. He has entered
into that within the veil. And there he ever lives to make
intercession for all that come unto God by him. Oh, but God
sees that we also need one to come into our hearts. Likewise
the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities. For we know not what to pray
for as we ought, but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for
us with groanings that cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth
the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, for he maketh
intercession for the saints according to the will of God. What a ministry.
Oh, what a ministry. We don't know how to pray. We
don't know what to say. He helps our infirmities. helps
us even in our groanings, our sighs, and all the time is making
intercession according to the will of God. Oh, it's all according
to that will, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth as
it is in heaven. Oh, what a ministry. What a ministry
is that ministry of the Blessed Spirit. In that day, we read
in verse 11, there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem as the
mourning of Adadrimon in the valley of Megiddon. In that day, a great mourning. Weeping prayers, you know. Is that sometimes how we find
we have to pray? We have to weep in our prayers?
Now, it's interesting to take account of what the historical
reference is here. It speaks of mourning in the
valley of Megiddon. The mourning of Adadrimon in
the valley of Megiddon. And it's that that's recorded
concerning the death of Josiah. in the valley of Megiddo recorded
in 2nd Kings 23 and 2nd Chronicles 35 Josiah and we are told there
in 2nd Chronicles 35-25 that there was a great mourning there
was a great mourning over the death of that godly king and you know when God intends
to do some great thing for his people he brings them to to that
sort of praying that earnestness in crying that real mourning
over sins if he intends to do something
remarkable he will bring his people to the place of prayer
and we see it of course we see it in The language that we have at
the end of Ezekiel 36. I will yet for this be inquired
of by the house of Israel to do it for them says God. I will
increase them with men as a flock. That's what we read at the end
of that 36th chapter. It's the time of the captivity. Ezekiel is ministering to those
in exile in Babylon. That's the scene of his prophetic
ministry. and he is speaking of how God
will yet restore them and Zechariah, as I've said, is a prophet of
the restoration after the 70 years exile. But what does God
say? I will yet for this be inquired
of by the house of Israel. They must pray. I will do it
for them. But they must come and inquire
of me. They must pray to me. They must seek my face. and God hears the prayer and
then well you know the context here, how it goes on in the following
37th chapter, that great 37th chapter that speaks of the vision
of the valley that's full of bones and they're dry bones it's
an army that's been slain on the battlefield and they're dead,
they're well dead the valley's full of bones, well we can't
we can't read all of that but you can read it at 37th chapter but I think particularly of two
verses there verses 9 and 10 he's prophesied to the bones
bone has come to bone they're covered with sinews and with
flesh, but there's no breath in them. Verse 9, Ezekiel 37,
9, Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son
of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord God, Come
from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain,
that they may live. So I prophesied as he commanded
me, and breath came into them, and they lived. and stood up
upon their feet in exceeding great armour. Oh God is going
to restore his people you see. A great army will be restored. I will make Jerusalem a cup of
trembling. unto all of the people round
about says the Lord God as he fulfills that word but how Ezekiel
has to prophesy he prays to the four winds and the word wind
it's the same word that many times is rendered spirit he's
praying for the spirit and how we need that spirit and how we
need him to come to us as that spirit of grace yes but that
spirit also of supplications to help us to pray Oh, remember
Daniel. How Daniel was one who was brought
to pray. Daniel chapter 9, he's reading,
he's reading there in the book of the prophet Jeremiah, probably
chapter 29 it seems he's reading, where God speaks of the restoration. And what does he do? He reads
the words. And they're great words that
God had given, that word of promise in Jeremiah, Jeremiah 29. verse 10, Thus saith the Lord,
that after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon, I will visit you,
and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return
to this place. For I know the thoughts that
I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace and not
of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon
me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto
you, and ye shall seek me and find me, when ye shall search
for me with all your heart, and I will be found of you, saith
the Lord, and I will turn away your captivity." Or that we might know that ministry
then of the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of supplications. That's what
Daniel knew as he read those words and he sets his face. Oh, he sets his face to pray
unto the Lord his God and we have the record of his prayer
in that ninth chapter. How he turns God's words, God's
promises into petitions. And isn't that what we're to
do? We're to thicken our prayers. with God's promises were to surround
God with his own words. The ministry of the Spirit and
that's what we need. What is the consequence of all
this? There's Christ, Christ crucified, there's the Spirit,
Showing these things and there is genuine mourning, grieving
over sins, real repentance. They shall look upon me whom
they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him as one mourneth
for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him as one
that is in bitterness for his firstborn. Well, finally, to
say something with regards to the repentance of Israel. And isn't mourning such an expression
of repentance I love that opening hymn and
thinking of the words there in hymn 29 and the prayer conduct
blessed guide thy sinner train to Calvary where the lamb was
slain and with us there abide let us our love redeem and meet
we pour his pierced hands and feet and view is wounded side
how we want the spirit you see to come and to see that that
side and what mournings or what mournings what grievings why
why all this suffering why all this blood without the shedding
of blood no remission who needs a remission I need
the remission of sins I need to know my sins are forgiven
my sins have gone blotted out You need to see that too. And
how does he come? There must be that great mourning. That's what we have here. That's
what we have. Not only a parent mourning over
a beloved child, but as we've said, there's that mourning over
a godly king. In that day there shall be a
great mourning in Jerusalem. as the mourning of Adadriman
in the valley of Megiddon. God did Josiah go on. Here is a great mourning, here
is a general mourning. The land shall mourn. The whole
land in great grief. And you know when we think of
the death of the Lord Jesus Christ Was there not a real sense in
which all of creation was mourning? We're told how there was darkness
over the whole earth from the 6th hour till the 9th hour. The
6th hour, that's noon, high noon, when the sun is at its zenith. And suddenly at that hour, darkness. Darkness over the face of the
whole earth, that's what he says. and dark for those three hours
as Christ hangs there bleeding to death, pouring out His soul
unto death. The land's mourning in that day shall there be a great mourning
in Jerusalem and the land shall mourn And then he goes on to
speak of how though it's general it's also particular and personal. Every family apart. The family of the house of David
apart, and their wives apart. The family of the house of Nathan
apart, their wives apart. The family of the house of Levi
apart, and their wives apart. the family of Shimei apart and
their wives apart all the families that remain every family apart
and their wives apart 11 times 11 times it says apart oh friends
how personal it is if we have a personal interest in the doing
and the dying of the Lord Jesus Christ will be a part that will
be very personal to you and to me if we really have an interest
remember how the Lord says when thou prayest enter into thy closet
and shut thy door about thee and pray unto thy father which
is in secret and thy father who seeth in secret will reward thee
openly but real religion says William Tiptoe is a personal
thing it's between you and God It's between me and God. It's
every family apart. Their wives apart. They're not
couples, you see. We might say, well, man and wife,
that's one flesh, but no, it's David apart, their wives apart.
It's that personal. Oh, is it that personal with
us? I was drawn strange really you know you pick a book up and
you read it I did that this afternoon and I was directed to this hymn
in the book and I don't ever remember choosing this hymn of
John Fawcett's John Fawcett's Hymn on Repentance you're probably
familiar with it 238 listen to the language With melting heart and weeping
eyes my guilty soul for mercy cries What shall I do or wither
flee to escape the vengeance due to me? That's the opening verse of the
hymn. There are six verses in all.
Let me just read also verses 3 and 4. But when, great God,
thy light divine had shone on this dark soul of mine, then
I beheld with trembling awe the terrors of thy holy law, outreadful
now my guilt appears, in childhood, youth, and growing years, before
thy pure discerning eye, Lord, what a filthy wretch am I! Oh,
it's personal, isn't it? And it's all the years of our...
of our lives. And it's repentance. It's repentance. And isn't that what we have here?
And it's gospel repentance. It's gospel repentance because
it centers in the Lord Jesus Christ. That's what gospel repentance
does. It centers in the Lord Jesus
Christ. Where does false repentance center? It centers in self. And that
was the repentance of Esau. He's spoken of, remember, in
Hebrews 12 Hebrews 12 and verse 16 lest there be any fornicator
or profane person, as he saw, who for one morsel of meat sold
his birthright, for ye know how that afterward, when he would
have inherited the blessing, he was rejected. For he found
no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears."
He had no real gospel repentance. How does he plead with his father?
there in Genesis 27. Oh, he says, bless me, even me,
it's me, it's me. Godly sorrow worketh repentance
to salvation not to be repented of. The sorrow of the world worketh
death and that was the sorrow of the world, it all sent us
in me. But you see the difference with David's repentance. David
had sinned, Oh, David had sinned so grievously. But what does
he say in Psalm 51 against thee? Thee only have I sinned, and
I'm this evil in thy sight. Is repentance centers in God? That's the difference. That's
gospel repentance, and that's the repentance that we have here
this morning. They shall look upon me whom
they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him as one mourner
for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him as one
that is in bitterness for his firstborn." How intimacy to all
is, you see. It's like the death of an only
son. The death of the firstborn child.
I can't imagine what it must be like to you to lose a child. We don't expect our children
to die before us. We think they'll outlive us.
How grievous it must be! And yet this is the mourning
over the dying of the Lord Jesus Christ. Why? The Lord himself
says, Blessed are all they that mourn, for they shall be comforted. Are we those then who know what
it is to be gospel mourners? Gospel mourners, every time we
consider the Lord Jesus Christ Oh, what a favour, what a blessing
to be in the church and to sit there at the Lord's table and
to remember His dying. Oh, to remember all that it cost
Him to save our souls, all the sorrows. and not just that that
He suffered at the hands of men, but all that He suffered at the
hands of His Father, all that He bore of the wrath of God against
our sins. Oh, we need then to know that
gracious ministry of the Blessed Spirit and the fulfilment of
God's promise, I will pour upon the house of David and upon the
inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and of supplication. And they shall look upon Me whom
they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him, as one mourneth
for his only Son, and shall be in bitterness for Him, as one
that is in bitterness for his firstborn. O God, grant that
we might know that that Spirit of real compunction, that gift
of true repentance. The Lord Jesus exalted the prince
and the Savior, it says, to give repentance, to give repentance
to Israel and the forgiveness of sins. Amen. Including him. Is him 806, the
first part. Gene Grasmere, 591.