death of Christ. Even after entering upon His earthly mission, the
Saviour, wearied with the stubbornness and ingratitude of men, might have
drawn back from the sacrifice of Calvary. In Gethsemane the cup of woe
trembled in His hand. He might even then have wiped the blood-sweat from
His brow, and have left the guilty race to perish in their iniquity. Had
He done this, there could have been no redemption for fallen men. But when
the Saviour yielded up His life, and with His expiring breath cried out,
"It is finished," then the fulfilment of the plan of redemption was
assured. The promise of salvation made to the sinful pair in Eden was
ratified. The kingdom of grace, which had before existed by the promise of
God, was then established.

Thus the death of Christ--the very event which the disciples had looked
upon as the final destruction of their hope--was that which made it forever
sure. While it had brought them a cruel disappointment, it was the climax
of proof that their belief had been correct. The event that had filled
them with mourning and despair, was that which opened the door of hope to
every child of Adam, and in which centered the future life and eternal
happiness of all God's faithful ones in all the ages.

Purposes of infinite mercy were reaching their fulfilment, even through
the disappointment of the disciples. While their hearts had been won by
the divine grace and power of His teaching, who "spake as never man
spake," yet intermingled with the pure gold of their love for Jesus, was
the base alloy of worldly pride and selfish ambitions. Even in the
Passover chamber, at that solemn hour when their Master was already
entering the shadow of Gethsemane, there was "a strife among them, which
of them should be accounted the greatest."(579) Their vision was filled
with the throne, the crown, and the glory, while just before them lay the
shame and agony of the garden, the judgment-hall, the cross of Calvary. It
was their pride of heart, their thirst for worldly glory, that had led
them to cling so tenaciously to the false teaching of their time, and to
pass unheeded the Saviour's words showing the true nature of His kingdom,
and pointing forward to His agony and death. And these errors resulted in
the trial--sharp but needful--which was permitted for their correction.
Though the disciples had mistaken the meaning of their message, and had
failed to realize their expectations, yet they had preached the warning
g