One more trial awaits him.  It is his last and great conflict with the “king of terrors” and the powers of darkness.  Will his spirit of obedience and his resistance of sin bear the strain of this final test?  Glory to his blessed name, it does.  He says:  “The prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.”  Ah, there is our salvation.  The prince of this world found no place in his sanctified heart.  Throughout his trial before the Jewish, as well as civil authorities, he was the same.  No change from that meekness and lowliness of heart that characterized his whole life was visible now.  He even bore his own cross; and I sometimes think that he voluntarily laid himself down upon it, placed his hands and adjusted his feet for the nails; for he had said before:  “I lay down my life of myself:  no man taketh it from me.  I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.”  The nails are driven.  The foot of the cross, with Jesus upon it, is firmly fixed in the ground.  The sun has veiled his face; and darkness broods over the land.  With a loud voice he cries:  “It is finished,” and he gave up his spirit.  This is the consummation of the suffering by which the Captain of our salvation was perfected, and by which he obtained all power in heaven and earth.

I can imagine there was now a shout of joy and a high jubilee in heaven, and a growl of disappointment and defeat in hell.  His body is taken from the cross.  Not a bone of him is broken.  Joseph’s new tomb becomes its receptacle.  Not long does it remain there.  The bands of death are loosed, and the glorified Lord forsakes the tomb.  “Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?”

Notice, further, the glory and honor with which his obedience is rewarded.  In addition to the declarations bearing upon this subject already quoted, I here add what Paul says to the Philippians:  “Wherefore, God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:  that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

We have now before us in the person of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ an example of perfect obedience.  We have also noticed some of its rewards.  But when we attempt to speak of the rewards of obedience, thought and language both fail; for heavenly bliss is ineffable, and celestial glory eternal.  Christ’s glorification is past comprehension.  Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard.  But let us rejoice greatly this day in the excellency of this knowledge of Christ.  “He is able to save to the uttermost all who come unto God by him.”  “He has become the author of eternal salvation to all them that obey him.”