as they pondered the prophecies relating to His advent.  When they attempted closely to grapple with the amazing truths there presented to their contemplation, and thought of “the Word made flesh,” well might they be overwhelmed with a feeling of giddy and dubious wonder.  Even after the resurrection had illustrated so marvellously the announcements of the Old Testament, the disciples still continued to regard them with a species of bewilderment; and our Saviour himself found it necessary to point out in detail their meaning and their fulfilment.  “Beginning at Moses and all the prophets he expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.” [195:1] The whole truth as to the glory of His person now flashed upon their minds, and henceforth they do not scruple to apply to Him all the lofty titles bestowed of old on the Messiah.  The writers of the New Testament say expressly that “Jesus is the Lord,” [195:2] and “God blessed for ever;” [195:3] they describe believers as trusting in Him, [195:4] as serving Him, [195:5] and as calling upon His name; [195:6] and they tell of saints and angels, uniting in the celebration of His praise. [195:7] Such testimonies leave no doubt as to their ideas of His dignity.  Divine incarnations were recognised in the heathen mythology, so that the Gentiles could not well object to the doctrine of the assumption of our nature by the Son of God; but Christianity asserts its immense superiority to paganism in its account of the design of the union of humanity and Deity in the person of the Redeemer.  According to the poets of Greece and Rome, the gods often adopted material forms for the vilest of purposes; but the Lord of glory was made partaker of our flesh and blood, [196:1] that He might satisfy the claims of eternal justice, and purchase for us a happy and immortal inheritance.  In the cross of Christ sin appears “exceedingly sinful,” and the divine law has been more signally honoured by His sufferings than if all men of all generations had for ever groaned under its chastisements.  The Jewish ritual must have made the apostles perfectly familiar with the doctrine of atonement; but they were “slow of heart to believe” that their Master was Himself the Mighty Sacrifice represented in the types of the Mosaic ceremonial [196:2] The evangelist informs us that He expounded this subject after His resurrection, shewing them that “thus it behoved Christ to suffer.” [196:3] Still, the crucifixion of the Saviour was to multitudes a “rock of offence.”  The ambitious Israelite, who expected that the Messiah would go forth conquering and to conquer, and that He would make Palestine the seat of universal empire, could not brook the thought that the Great Deliverer was to die; and the learned Greek, who looked upon all religion with no little scepticism, was prepared to ridicule the idea of the burial of the Son of God; but the very circumstance which awakened such prejudices, suggested to those possessed of spiritual discernment