‘The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet,’ &c. Deut 18:85.
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 thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet.’ Enunciatur hic locus de Christo. ‘It is spoken of Christ.’ There are several names given to Christ as a Prophet. He is called ‘the Counsellor’ in Isa 9:9. In uno Christo Angelus foederis completur [The Messenger of the Covenant appears in Christ alone]. Fagius. ‘The Angel of the covenant.’ Mal 3:3. ‘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. ‘Then opened he their understanding.’ Luke 24:45 He not only opened the Scriptures, but opened their understanding. He teaches to profit. ‘I am the Lord thy God, who teacheth thee to profit.’ Isa 48:17.
How does Christ teach?
(1.) Externally, by his Word. ‘Thy word is a lamp to my feet.’ Psa 119:905. Such as pretend to have a light or revelation above the Word, or contrary to it, never had their teaching from Christ. Isa 8:80.
(2.) Christ teaches these sacred mysteries, inwardly, by the Spirit. John 16:13. The world knows not what it is. ‘The natural man receives not the things of God, neither can he know them.’ I 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 arcana imperii [state secrets], 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 mercurial wits, the greatest politicians, that understand the mysteries of state, they know not the mysteries of their own hearts, they cannot believe the evil that is in them. ‘Is thy servant a dog?’ 2 Kings 8:13. Grande profundum est homo. Augustine. The heart is a great deep, which is not easily fathomed. But when Christ teaches he removes the veil of ignorance, and lights a man into his own heart; and now that he sees swarms of 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 here, and worships the golden image; but he that 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: I1. The apostle calls it a show or apparition, having no intrinsic goodness. I Cor 7:71.
The third lesson is the excellency of things unseen. 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.’ 2 Cor 4:18. Moses saw him who is ‘invisible.’ Heb 11:17. And the patriarchs saw a better country, viz. an heavenly, 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 the heart. ‘Whose heart the Lord opened.’ Acts 16:14. All that the dispensers of the word can do is but to work knowledge, Christ works grace: they can but give the light of 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 can cause you to taste it. ‘If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.’ I Pet 2:2. ‘Taste and see that the Lord is good.’ Psa 34:4. It is one thing to hear a truth preached, another thing to taste it; one thing to read a promise, another thing to taste it. David had got a taste of the word. ‘Thou hast taught me: How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth.’ Psalm 119:902, 103. The apostle calls it the savour of knowledge. 2 Cor 2:14. The light of knowledge is one thing, the savour 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 judgements against the people of Judah, but they would not hear. ‘We will do whatsoever goeth out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven.’ Jer 44:17. Men come as it were, armed in a coat of mail that the sword of the word will not enter; but when Christ comes to teach, he removes this obstinacy; he not only informs the judgement, 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.