Works of John Bunyan — Volume 02

by John Bunyan

Fourth, Another argument that doth prove this Jesus to be the Christ, is this, namely, he to whom it was revealed, that he should see him, though he waited long for him. So soon as ever he did but see that sweet babe that twas born of the virgin Mary, he cried out, 'Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people'; as it is in Luke 2:26-31. The prophetess Anna also, so soon as she had seen him, 'gave thanks to the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem' (vv 36-38).

Fifth, Another argument is, the sign of the prophet Jonah. He, even Jonah, was three days and three nights in the whale's belly (Jonah 1:17) and Jesus makes this very thing an argument to the Jews, that he was the true Messias, where he saith, 'An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign'; that is, they would have me to show them a sign, to prove that I am the Saviour, 'And there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonah: For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth' (Matt 12:39,40). And this, the Apostle makes mention of to be accomplished, where he says, The Jews slew Jesus, and hanged him on a tree (Acts 10:39) and laid him in a sepulchre (Matt 27). But God raised him up the third day, and shewed him openly (Acts 10:40).

Sixth, Another scripture argument to prove that Jesus is the Christ, is this, that there was not one of his bones broken; which thing was foretold and typed out by the Paschal Lamb, where he saith, 'They shall leave none of it unto the morning, nor break any bone of it' (Exo 12:46; Num 9:12), which thing was fulfilled in the Son of the virgin, (though contrary to the customs of that nation,) as it is written, 'Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they break not his legs' (John 19:32,33): 'that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken' (v 36).

Seventh, Another scripture demonstration is, in that they did fulfil the saying that was written, 'They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture' (Psa 22:18). But this was also fulfilled in Jesus, as it is written; 'Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam,—They said therefore among themselves, let us not rend it, but cast lots for it whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots' (John 19:23,24).

Eighth, Again, The scripture saith, 'they shall look upon me, whom they have pierced' (Zech 12:10). But the soldier thrust a spear into his side, That it might be fulfilled which was written, 'they shall look on him whom they pierced' (John 19:34-37).

Error 1. Now then, seeing this is the truth of God, that Jesus that was born of the virgin, is the Christ of God; how horribly are those deceived who look on Jesus the Son of Mary, to be but a shadow or type, of something that was afterward to be revealed; whereas the scriptures most lively hold him forth to be the Christ of God, and not a shadow of a spirit, or of a body afterwards to be revealed, but himself was the very substance of all things that did any way type out Christ to come; and when he was indeed come, then was an end put to the law for righteousness, or justification to every one that believeth; 'Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth,' as it is written (Rom 10:4). That is, he was the end of the ceremonial law, and of that commonly called the moral law, the substance of which is laid down (Exo 20:1-17) though that law, as handed out by Christ, still remains of great use to all believers, which they are bound to keep for sanctification, as Christ saith (Matt 5:19 to the end of the chapter). But Christ Jesus hath obtained everlasting righteousness, having fulfilled all the law of God in the body of his flesh, wherein he also suffered on the cross without the gates, and doth impute this righteousness to poor man, having accomplished it for him in the body of his flesh, which he took of the virgin (Gal 4:4). 'God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, [that is, born of the virgin] made under the law,' that is, to obey it, and to bear the curse of it, 'being made a curse for us' (Gal 3:13); to redeem them that were under the law, that is, to redeem such as were ordained to life eternal, from the curse of the law. And this he did by his birth, being made or born of a woman; by his obedience, yea, by his perfect obedience 'he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him' (Heb 5:8,9); and by his doing and suffering, did completely satisfy the law and the justice of God, and bring in that glorious and everlasting salvation, without which we had all eternally been undone, and that without remedy; for without shedding of his blood there was no remission.

Error 2. Seeing Jesus Christ, the Son of the virgin Mary, was and is the Christ of God: and that salvation came in alone by him, for there is salvation in no other (Acts 4:12), then how are they deceived, that think to obtain salvation by following the convictions of the law, which they call Christ (though falsely) when alas, let them follow those convictions that do come from the law, and conscience set on work by it; I say, let them follow all the convictions that may be hinted in upon their spirits from that law, they shall never be able to obtain salvation by their obedience to it, 'for by the law is the knowledge of sin' (Rom 3:20; Gal 3:10; John 10:15; Heb 9:12). And 'It is not of works lest any man should boast,' as those fond hypocrites called Quakers would do. And again, 'If righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain' (Gal 2:21). 'But that no man is justified by the works of the law, in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith' (Gal 3:11). Which living by faith, is to apply the Lord Jesus Christ his benefits, as birth, righteousness, death, blood, resurrection, ascension, and intercession, with the glorious benefits of his second coming to me, as mine, being given to me, and for me, and thus much doth the Apostle signify, saying; 'The life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me' (Gal 2:20).

Error 3. Again, Seeing God's Christ, which was with him before the world was (John 17:5) took upon him flesh and blood from the virgin Mary, (who was espoused to Joseph the carpenter) and in that human nature yielded himself an offering for sin, (for it was the body of his flesh by which sin was purged [Col 1:22]). I say, seeing the Son of God, as he was in a body of flesh, did bring in salvation for sinners, and by this means, as I said before, we are saved, even by faith in his blood, righteousness, resurrections, &c. How are they then deceived who own Christ no otherwise than as he was before the world began, who was then without flesh and blood (for he took that in time of the virgin [Gal 4:4; Heb 2:14]). I say, they are wickedly deluded, who own him no otherwise but as he was before the world was: For in their owning of him thus and no otherwise, they do directly deny him to be come in the flesh, and are of that antichristian party which John speaks of (1 John 4:3) 'Every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come, and even now already is it in the world.' Now because the enemy doth most notably wrest this scripture, as they do others, to their own damnation, I shall speak something to it; and therefore, when he saith, every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is not of God, his meaning is, Every spirit that doth not confess that that Christ that was with the Father before the world was, did in the appointed time of the Father come into the world, took on him a body from the virgin, and was very man as well as very God, and in that body of flesh did do and suffer whatsoever belonged to the sons of men for the breach of the holy law of God, and impute his glorious righteousness which he fulfilled in that body of his flesh, to the souls that shall believe on what he hath done, and is adoing in the same body.

Consider 1. And that this is the mind of the Spirit of God, consider, first, he himself saith, handle me and see, for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have, when his disciples had thought he had been but a spirit (Luke 24:39,40).

Consider 2. Now that in this flesh he died for sins: consider, secondly, that scripture which saith, 'Who his own self, [that is, the Christ that was born of the Virgin] bare our sins in his own body on the tree' (1 Peter 2:24). See Colossians 1:22 'in the body of his flesh,' saith he, 'to present you holy and unblameable, and unreprovable in his sight.' Now that he arose again from the dead, with the body of flesh wherewith he was crucified, consider, that forenamed scripture (Luke 24:39,40) spoken after his resurrection.