Exposition of the Apostles Creed, Exposition · Part 2 · Section 8
Suffred vnderunder Pontius Pilate.
Teſtimonies out of the Prophets Apoſtles, whereby it is ſhewed, that Chriſt muſt not die by tumult: but muſt ſuffer vnderunder a iudge: and that when a ſtraunge magiſtrate ſhould exerciſe iudgement.
Iſai. 53.HE was reckoned amongest the wicked. Therfore, be muſt not periſh by tumult, but muſt be iudged or reputed amongeſt the wicked. Wherto alſo that belongeth: He was woūded for our iniquities, & ſmitten for our wickedneſſes. The chaſtiſemēt of our peace was vponupon him, and in his ſtripes we were healed. And in the ſame place, He was taken away by iudgement: Therefore he muſt come into iudgement. With theſe Propheticall ſayinges, agreeth truely that Propheticall explication of Chriſt, which is extant in the 18. of Luke. Beholde we goe vppe to Hieruſalem, and all thinges ſhalbe fulfilled that are written by the Prophetes concerning the ſonne of man. He ſhalbe deliuered vp to the nations, and ſhalbe mocked, and euill entreated of them. And after they ſhall hauehave whipped him, they ſhall kill him, and the third day he ſhall riſe againe. And Luke the 24. To thoſe that went to Emaus, he ſaith, O fooles and ſlowe of hearte to beleeue all things, which the Prophets hauehave ſpoken. Ought not Chriſt to hauehave ſuffered theſe thinges, and to enter into his glorie? And beginning from Moſes and all the Prophets; he interpreted in all the ſcripture, thoſe thinges which were concerning him. Acts 4. They gathered themſelues truely together againſt thy holy ſonne Ieſus whom thou anointedst. Herode alſo and Pontius Pilate with the nations & people of Iſrael, to doe whatſoeuer thy hand and Counſel had firſt determined ſhould be done. Now that he must ſuffer, when a ſtraunge magistrate executed iudgement (the which thing the very mention of Pontius Pilate ſheweth) theſe Propheſies witneſse: Geneſ. 49. The Propheſie of the Patriarch Iacob. The ſcepter ſhall not depart from Iudah till Schiloh come, is throughly fulfilled when the ſcepter was tranſlated from Iudah, and when Pilate in the name of Caeſar executed iudgement. And the Propheſie of Zachary in the 6. cap. that a braunch ſhall builde a Temple, the glory wherof ſhould become greater, then the glorie of the firſt Tēple. And then muſt altogether be fulfilled, as Ezechiel alſo in the 21. Cap. & the 26. ver. hath plainly propheſied, when the golden crownes ſhould be taken from the heades of the Kings of Iudah. But when Pilate was preſident, the Iewes acknowledge that they hauehave no other king but Caeſar: and ſo they profeſſe that the crowne was taken from the heades of the Kinges of Iudah: therefore now the time was come, that they ſhould deſtroy the temple of the bodie of Chriſt, and that that ſame branch ſhould reedifie it againe, or that he ſhould raiſe it vp the 3. day. The glorie of which temple (namely of the body of Chriſt raiſed vp from the dead, in which the Deitie dwelleth bodily) doth ſurpaſse at this day, and ſhal doe euerlaſtingly, the glorie of the firſt temple, according to the propheſie of Haggai in the ſecond Chap.
Why Chriſte muſt be condemned by a iudge before the iudgement ſeate?
THou muſt looke vponupon God him ſelfe the Iudge exerciſing iudgement by the mouth of Pilate. Chriſte is ſet before the tribunal ſeate of GOD here in earth, laden with thine and mine wickedneſſes ready to receaue the ſentence of the iudgement of GOD, and to beare the paine of condemnation. For ſeeing that we muſt hauehave beene ſet before the tribunall ſeate of the heauenlie iudge, and there be condemned▪ it behoued Chriſte for as much as he tranſlated all our guiltineſſe from vsus to him ſelfe, to be ſet in our perſon, as a wicked perſon, before the tribunall ſeate, and to be condemned by God, exerciſing iudgement by Pilate, thinking nothing leſſe. Now the end of this is, that all our ſinnes being condemned at once of God himſelfe, exerciſing a righteous iudgement, and being puniſhed in his ſonne, with the greateſt rigor of righteouſnes: wee might not be farther called into iudgement for them, before Gods iudgement ſeate, and much leſſe be condemned for them. The ſcripture teacheth vsus that our mindes are to be lifted vp to God himſelfe the preſident or Iudge of this moſt heauie ſentence, that we might hauehave ſure conſolation, that wee (if we beleeue in Chriſt) are fully exēpt from the iudgement of GOD. And that thing doeth that horror of Chriſte declare, when he crieth: Let this cuppe paſſe from mee, &c. becauſe he knewe that hee muſt appeare before the iudgement ſeate of God, & muſt drinke of that cup of condemnation for vsus. Iſay 5.3. God woulde by weakening him bruiſe him, and treade him vnderunder. To the Romans 8. For that which was impoſſible to the lawe, inaſmuch as it was weake becauſe of the fleſhe, this did God, ſending his ſonne, in the ſimilitude of ſinnefull fleſhe, and for ſinne condemned ſinne in the fleſhe. And againe in the ſame place. God ſpared not his owne ſonne, but gaue him for vsus all. And 2. Cor. 5. Him who knewe no ſinne, God and made ſinne for vsus, that we might bee made the righteouſneſſe of God in him. God made Chriſt ſinne, that is to ſay a ſacrifice for ſinne: Loe, God made him: And Act. 4 28.
Why Chriſt by the mouth of the Iudge was condemned as an euil doer, and by the ſame iudges mouth, was pronounced innocent.
BOth theſe make for a notable confirmation of our faith. For in that he is condemned and accounted amongeſt the wicked, our heauenly father doth wittneſſe vntounto vsus, that he doth beare our perſon, and in the ſame is made guiltie of the father, for vsus, to the ende that hee taking that condemnaon vppon himſelfe that laie vppon our heades, hee might deliuer vsus from it. Againe, whileſt he is declared innocent by the ſame iudges mouth, by which he was condemned, the father witneſſeth by the mouth of the iudge that he ſuffered not for his owne faults, but for ours. Ioh. 8. verſ 21.24. For the father would not that his ſonne ſhould ſuffer in vaine: but either for his owne, or for others ſinnes, to witte for ours. But he ſuffered not for his owne which were none, by the teſtimony of the iudge him ſelf, and by the teſtimonie of the Prophets: Pſal. 69 he paid that which he toke not: and Eſay 53. Why therefore doe wee diſtruſt, ſeeing Chriſt ſuffered not in his owne ſinnes, but in ours?