THERE were three things which the Lord Jesus had to encounter, and to triumph over, and which were ever before Him-Death, Guilt, and the power of Satan. The union of these against Him was the "power of darkness," which He acknowledges to the multitudes who came to apprehend Him, "This is your hour, and the power of darkness."

Now, these were the three great enemies which were against us. We had sinned, and God had declared, "The wages of sin is death." We were guilty, and condemnation could not be put away, but by removal of the occasion of it; and Satan was manifestly against us, as an adversary to our final freedom. Now, the Lord Jesus Christ had just to meet all these, as the federal Head and representative of His people; then there was liberty-glorious and everlasting liberty. We find, then, that Christ had really these three to contend with. He came to be the sin-bearer; and bearing sin, He must necessarily subject Himself to its wages, which was death. Thus bearing sin, guilt was necessarily imputed to Him, and He must suffer its condemnation, until God was satisfied; and, finally, He must, as the Head of His people, overcome him under whom Adam, and all mankind in him, had failed. This Christ did; these He met, took, sustained, remained steadfast under, and overcame him under whom Adam, and all mankind in him, had failed. This Christ did; these He met, took, sustained, remained steadfast under and overcame; conquered them all, obtained the victory-with wounds and bloodshed indeed; but, having triumphed, He rose with the full blessedness of the enjoyment of God’s countenance, death having passed, and guilt removed, and Satan overcome by Him, in the name and for the eternal blessedness of His people.

This was fully manifested at His resurrection, which was a seal of His perfect accomplishment and acceptance, when He rose, a living witness to the full satisfaction for sin having been asked and obtained, and God’s faithfulness being manifested. "Thou hast heard me," said Christ, "from the horns of the unicorns," and then without any delay, He immediately adds, "I will declare thy name unto my brethren," as if the enjoyment He possessed was incomplete until the knowledge of it was communicated to those whom He had made part of Himself.

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