Our Lord had now âgone about all Galilee,â (Matt. 4:23,) beginning at the time âwhen John was cast into prison,â (Matt. 4:12,) not only âteaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom,â but likewise âhealing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.â It was a natural consequence of this, that âthere followed him great multitudes from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judea, and from the region beyond Jordan.â (Matt. 4:25.) âAnd seeing the multitudes,â whom no synagogue could contain, even had there been any at hand, âhe went up into a mountain,â where there was room for all that came unto him, from every quarter. âAnd when he was set,â as the manner of the Jews was, âhis disciples came unto him. And he opened his mouth,â (an expression denoting the beginning of a solemn discourse.) âand taught them, saying.ââ
Let us observe, who it is that is here speaking, that we may take heed how we hear. It is the Lord of heaven and earth, the Creator of all; who, as such, has a right to dispose of all his creatures; the Lord our Governor, whose kingdom is from everlasting, and ruleth over all; the great Lawgiver, who can well enforce all his laws, being âable to save and to destroy,â yea, to punish with âeverlasting destruction from his presence and from the glory of his power.â It is the eternal Wisdom of the Father, who knoweth whereof we are made, and understands our inmost frame: who knows how we stand related to God, to one another, to every creature which God hath made, and, consequently, how to adapt every law he prescribes, to all the circumstances wherein he hath placed us. It is He who is âloving unto every man, whose mercy is over all his works;â the God of love, who, having emptied himself of his eternal glory, is come forth from his Father to declare his will to the children of men, and then goeth again to the Father; who is sent of God âto open the eyes of the blind, and to give light to them that sit in darkness.â It is the great Prophet of the Lord, concerning whom God had solemnly declared long ago, âWhosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him;â (Deut. 18:19;) or, as the Apostle expresses it, âEvery soul which will not hear that Prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.â (Acts 3:23.)
And what is it which He is teaching? The Son of God, who came from heaven, is here showing us the way to heaven; to the place which he hath prepared for us; the glory he had before the world began. He is teaching us the true way to life everlasting; the royal way which leads to the kingdom; and the only true way,âfor there is none besides; all other paths lead to destruction. From the character of the Speaker, we are well assured that he hath declared the full and perfect will of God. He hath uttered not one tittle too much,ânothing more than he had received of the Father; nor too little,âhe hath not shunned to declare the whole counsel of God; much less hath he uttered anything wrong, anything contrary to the will of him that sent him. All his words are true and right concerning all things, and shall stand fast for ever and ever.