Jesus Christ and Him Crucified

Whatever was characteristic in the preaching of the Apostles, whatever gave it originality, was connected with the death of Christ. They did not incessantly repeat that He died. Their range was large: their aspiration was lofty. How diversified their illustration!

How re-doubled their argument! How exploring their research! But their theme, their vocation, their mission, was distinct from that of other great teachers and moralists.

They were witnesses of the death of Christ; they were promulgators of the death of Christ; they were expounders of the death of Christ; they raised the whole scheme and system of their announcements, instructions, appeals, upon the death of Christ. Far as they travelled, whatever the nations they visited, this was their paramount testimony and exhibition. “Jesus Christ and Him crucified,” was, in their esteem, the truth of truth, the model truth, the centrical truth, the foundation truth. Some statements they may have withheld, but this was never withheld; some sentiments they may have cursorily touched, but this was never cursorily touched; some positions they may have reserved, but this was never reserved.

They presented it with such vividness, that it was not only seen by the peoples, most distant from the actual theatre of the event, as in the power of description and the force of representation—those peoples who had not heard of Calvary until now, beheld the awful wonder of Messiah’s death as localized in their countries, as perpetrated to their senses, “Before their eyes Jesus Christ was evidently set forth, as crucified among them.”