Christ's Love for Us - Puritan Thomas Brooks

Summary

This transcript reflects on the profound love of Jesus Christ for humanity, emphasizing His sacrifice and willingness to endure suffering for sinners. Thomas Brooks marvels at how Christ chose to die for mankind rather than for the angels, highlighting the boundless, immeasurable love that surpasses human understanding. Through vivid imagery and biblical references, the script contemplates Christ's journey from glory to the cross, His patient suffering under God's wrath, and the immense love that should inspire believers to cherish and follow Him with unwavering devotion.

Takeaways

• ❤️ Christ's love for sinners is astonishing and beyond comprehension, as He chose to die for humanity rather than the angels.
• 😇 Christ's sacrifice for mankind, despite their sinful nature, is admired by angels and envied by devils.
• 🙏 The love of Christ is transcendent, reaching from heaven to the depths of hell, with no limits in time or place.
• 🤲 Christ's love extends to the ungodly, sinners, and enemies, embracing them with care and compassion.
• 👶 Christ humbled Himself by becoming human, enduring suffering and death for the sake of fallen humanity.
• 🔑 Christ, though powerful and divine, willingly accepted condemnation and death to offer salvation to mankind.
• 🌍 The extent of Christ’s love is unparalleled, beyond any created nature's ability to comprehend or express.
• 🔥 The immense sufferings of Christ from His birth to His crucifixion reveal the depth of His love for sinners.
• 🎁 Christ's love compels Christians to respond with superlative love, prioritizing Him above all other worldly attachments.
• 🌟 Christ's sacrifice transforms believers, turning them from enemies of God to sons of God and joint-heirs with Christ.

Q & A

What is the central theme of Thomas Brooks' sermon on Christ's love?

The central theme of Thomas Brooks' sermon is the immense and sacrificial love of Jesus Christ for sinners. It emphasizes how Christ's love surpasses human understanding and is demonstrated through His willingness to suffer and die for fallen mankind.

Why does Brooks find Christ's love for sinners astonishing?

Brooks finds Christ's love astonishing because Jesus chose to die for sinful humans rather than for angels, who were more noble creatures. Despite humanity’s sinful nature and unworthiness, Christ's love was unwavering and extended even to His enemies.

How does Brooks describe the contrast between Christ's nature and His suffering?

Brooks highlights the contrast by showing that Christ, who was divine and glorious, humbled Himself to become human, endure suffering, and die. He emphasizes the shocking reality that the eternal God, clothed in glory, was willing to be born in a manger, suffer immense pain, and die a criminal's death.

What role does Christ's suffering play in demonstrating His love, according to Brooks?

Christ's suffering is the ultimate proof of His transcendent love. Brooks notes that Jesus endured extreme physical and spiritual suffering, including the wrath of God, to save sinners. This self-sacrificial love highlights Christ's deep compassion for humanity.

How does Brooks compare Christ’s love to natural human love?

Brooks contrasts Christ's love with human love by pointing out that human nature struggles to love enemies, forgive offenses, or show kindness to those who wrong them. In contrast, Christ's love goes beyond nature, as He loves sinners, forgives them, and offers reconciliation despite their rebellion.

What examples does Brooks provide to illustrate the extraordinary love of early Christians for Christ?

Brooks gives examples of martyrs and saints who showed extraordinary love for Christ, even at the cost of their lives. He references individuals like Henry Vosges, who was willing to have his head cut off for Christ, and other martyrs who preferred death over renouncing their faith.

What analogy does Brooks use to explain Christ’s sacrifice for humanity?

Brooks compares Christ's sacrifice to a pelican feeding her young with her own blood to save them from serpents. In the same way, Christ shed His own blood to save humanity, who had been 'bitten' by sin and faced eternal death.

What does Brooks say about the eternal nature of Christ’s love?

Brooks emphasizes that Christ's love is eternal, stating that time neither began nor will end it. Christ’s love is limitless, transcending time, sin, and human understanding, making it incomprehensible yet constant.

How does Brooks encourage believers to respond to Christ’s love?

Brooks encourages believers to respond to Christ's love with a 'superlative' love, one that surpasses all other affections. He calls for them to love Christ above worldly possessions, relationships, and even their own lives, as a fitting response to His sacrificial love.

What does Brooks say about the effect of Christ’s love on believers?

Brooks asserts that Christ’s love should ignite a passionate love for Him in the hearts of believers. He compares it to fire, which transforms everything it touches, urging that Christ's fiery love should make believers' hearts burn with devotion and commitment to Him.

Outlines

00:00

💖 Christ's Astonishing Love for Sinners

This paragraph delves into the extraordinary and incomprehensible love of Christ for mankind, surpassing even His love for angels. Despite humanity’s fallenness and misery, Christ’s love remained steadfast and unfathomable. The passage reflects on Christ’s willingness to suffer for sinners, extending His embrace to those in rebellion against Him, highlighting the stark contrast between the Creator’s glory and His sacrifice. Through vivid imagery, the writer emphasizes the deep cost Christ endured from His birth to His death, all motivated by a love that transcends human understanding.

05:00

🌟 The Superlative Nature of Christ’s Love

This paragraph focuses on the limitless and eternal nature of Christ's love. It is described as immeasurable, boundless by time or place, and incomparable to any human love. Christ's love is remarkable for forgiving enemies and offering reconciliation to those who provoked Him. The passage urges believers to love Christ with a 'superlative love,' surpassing all other attachments and desires, as Christ endured immense suffering on their behalf. Historical examples of deep, sacrificial love for Christ are provided, encouraging the reader to match such devotion.

10:01

🔥 The Glory in Suffering for Christ

Here, the focus shifts to how suffering for Christ is the ultimate glory for believers. Saints throughout history have willingly endured trials, persecution, and even death out of love for Christ. Various examples from Christian history illustrate the strength of this 'overtopping love,' where believers prioritized Christ above all worldly attachments, including family and personal well-being. The paragraph challenges modern Christians to reflect on their own love for Christ, questioning whether it measures up to the sacrificial love shown by the saints of the past.

15:03

🌹 Christ's Fiery Love and Our Response

This concluding paragraph reflects on how Christ’s love, symbolized as a consuming fire, should ignite a passionate response in believers. Despite being surrounded by the 'fiery furnace' of Christ’s love, many Christians remain cold and indifferent. The author expresses astonishment that such immense love does not inspire greater devotion. The passage ends with a plea for believers to be profoundly affected by Christ’s suffering and love, urging them to keep Him close to their hearts and let His sacrifice inspire a life of passionate faith and worship.

Keywords

💡Christ's Love

Christ's love refers to the profound and self-sacrificial love that Jesus Christ has for humanity, as highlighted throughout the script. It is characterized by Jesus' willingness to endure immense suffering, including death on the cross, to save sinners. The script emphasizes that this love is beyond human understanding, transcending all natural boundaries, and is the central theme of the message.

💡Sacrifice

Sacrifice in this context refers to the ultimate act of Jesus Christ giving up His life for the salvation of mankind. The script describes the extent of Christ’s sacrifice, from His birth in humble circumstances to His suffering and death, portraying it as an unparalleled act of love. This concept underscores the theme of redemption and the cost of divine love.

💡Transcendent Love

Transcendent love refers to the idea that Christ's love surpasses all human understanding and earthly limitations. The script portrays Christ’s love as something that defies natural comprehension, being 'above all creatures, beyond all measure, and contrary to all nature.' This highlights the divine nature of Christ's love, making it a central element of the message.

💡Wrath of God

The wrath of God is described as the fierce, infinite anger that was placed upon Christ during His suffering, particularly during His crucifixion. The script illustrates how Christ bore this wrath on behalf of sinners, enduring it with patience to save humanity from eternal damnation. This concept emphasizes the severity of sin and the depth of Christ's love in taking on such punishment.

💡Depravity of Man

The depravity of man refers to the sinful and fallen state of humanity, which is depicted in the script as being so severe that no one else but Christ could redeem it. The script contrasts man’s worthlessness and misery with Christ’s immense love and sacrifice, reinforcing the theme of grace and redemption.

💡Reconciliation

Reconciliation in the script is the act of restoring the broken relationship between God and man through Christ’s sacrifice. It involves Christ offering forgiveness and embracing sinners, who were once enemies of God. This concept is crucial to the script’s theme of redemption and the transformative power of Christ’s love.

💡Eternal Life

Eternal life is the gift that Christ offers through His sacrifice, enabling believers to be saved from hell and granted everlasting life in heaven. The script emphasizes that Christ's love not only saves from eternal death but also secures a place in the heavenly realm, highlighting the ultimate reward of faith and love in Christ.

💡Suffering

Suffering in the script refers to the intense physical and spiritual pain that Christ endured throughout His life, culminating in His crucifixion. This suffering is depicted as a testament to His love for humanity, showing that He was willing to endure unimaginable torment to save sinners. The theme of suffering is central to the script, illustrating the cost of redemption.

💡Redemption

Redemption is the act of Christ saving humanity from sin and its consequences through His death and resurrection. The script presents redemption as the central outcome of Christ’s love and sacrifice, where through His suffering, believers are redeemed and granted eternal life. This concept is foundational to the Christian faith and is heavily emphasized in the script.

💡Divine Mystery

Divine mystery in the script refers to the incomprehensible aspects of Christ’s love, sacrifice, and the workings of God’s plan for salvation. The script frequently points to the fact that human understanding falls short of grasping the full extent of Christ’s love, which is described as 'above all creatures, beyond all measure.' This concept invites believers to marvel at the mysteries of faith and the depth of God’s love.

Highlights

Christ's love is so profound that he chose to die for sinners rather than angels, despite angels being more noble creatures.

Christ’s love surpasses all understanding and is admired by both angels and saints.

Despite humanity’s extreme misery and unworthiness, Christ’s love remained unshaken and even grew stronger.

Christ willingly embraced suffering, from the cradle to the cross, to save sinners.

The pure and infinite wrath of God was endured by Christ out of love for mankind.

Christ’s love is compared to that of a pelican feeding her young with her own blood, symbolizing his sacrifice for humanity.

The love of Christ fastened him to the cross and made him die willingly for sinners.

Christ left the eternal bosom of his Father to come to earth, experiencing suffering and death for mankind.

Christ’s love transcends all measures, beyond angels, time, and human understanding.

Despite being hated and provoked by humanity, Christ extended forgiveness and reconciliation.

The saints and martyrs of old have demonstrated superlative love for Christ, willing to sacrifice everything for him.

The extent of Christ’s sufferings for mankind should provoke a deep love and admiration in return.

Christ’s love turned wrath into salvation, offering the golden oil of salvation through his sacrifice.

Even in the face of immense suffering, Christ’s love for humanity remained fiery and unwavering.

Christ’s love should kindle a flame of devotion in the hearts of believers, leading to lives lived in praise and gratitude.

Transcripts

Christ's love for us by Thomas Brooks

let us stand still and admire and wonder

at the love of Jesus Christ

two poor sinners that Christ should

rather die for us than for the angels

they were creatures of a more noble

extract and in all probability might

have brought greater revenues of glory

to God yet that Christ should pass by

those golden vessels and make us vessels

of glory oh what amazing and astonishing

love is this this is the envy of devils

and the admiration of angels and saints

the Apostle holy admiring Christ's love

affirms it to pass knowledge that God

who is the eternal being should love man

when he had scarce a being that he

should be enamored with deformity that

he should love us when in our blood that

he should pity us when no I pitied us

know not our own Oh such was Christ's

transcendent love that man's extreme

misery could not abate it the deplored

nests of man's condition did but

heighten the holy flame of Christ's love

it is as high as heaven who can reach it

it is as low as hell who can understand

it heaven through its glory could not

contain him man being miserable nor

hells torments make him refrain such was

his perfect match love to fallen man

that Christ's love should extend to the

ungodly to sinners to enemies that were

in arms of rebellion against him yes not

only so but that he should hug them in

his arms Lodge them in his bosom dandle

them upon his knees and lay them to his

breasts that they may suck and be

satisfied is the highest improvement

of love that Christ should come from the

eternal bosom of his father to a region

of sorrow and death that God should be

manifested in the flesh the creator made

a creature that he that was clothed with

glory should be wrapped with rags of

flesh that he that filled heaven should

be cradled in a manger that the God of

Israel should fly into Egypt that the

god of strength should be weary that the

judge of all flesh should be condemned

that the god of life should be put to

death that he that is one with his

father should cry out of misery oh my

father if it be possible let this cup

pass from me that he that had the keys

of hell and death should lie imprisoned

in the Sepulcher of another having in

his lifetime nowhere to lay his head nor

after death to lay his body and all this

for man for fallen man for miserable man

for worthless man it's beyond the

thoughts of created nature's the sharp

the universal and continual sufferings

of our Lord Jesus Christ from the cradle

to the cross does above all other things

speak out the transcendent love of Jesus

Christ to poor sinners that wrath that

great wrath that fierce wrath that pure

wrath that infinite wrath that matchless

wrath of an angry god that was so

terribly impressed upon the soul of

Christ quickly spent his natural

strength and turned his moisture into

the drought of summer and yet all this

wrath he patiently underwent that

sinners might be saved and that he might

bring many sons unto glory Oh wonder of

love love enables Jesus to suffer it was

love that made

dear Lord Jesus lay down his life to

save us from hell and to bring us to

heaven as the Pelican out of her love to

her young ones when they are bitten with

serpents feeds them with her own blood

to recover them again so when we were

bitten by the old serpent and our wound

incurable and we in danger of eternal

death then did our dear Lord Jesus that

he might recover us and heal us feed us

with his own blood o love unspeakable

this made barnard cry out Lord you have

loved me more than yourself for you have

laid down your life for me it was only

the golden link of love that fastened

Christ to the cross and that made him

die freely for us and that made him

willing to be numbered among

transgressors

that we might be numbered among the

General Assembly and Church of the

firstborn which are written in heaven

Christ's love is like his name and that

is wonderful yes it is so wonderful that

it is above all creatures beyond all

measure contrary to all nature it is

above all creatures for it is above the

Angels and therefore above all others it

is beyond all measure for time did not

begin it and time shall never end it

place does not bound it sin does not

exceed it no estate no age no sex is

denied it tongues cannot express it

understandings cannot conceive it and it

is contrary to all nature for what

nature can love where it is hated what

nature can forgive where it is provoked

what nature can offer reconciliation

where it receives wrong what nature can

heap up kindness upon contempt

favor upon ingratitude mercy upon sin

and yet Christ's love has led him to all

this so that well may we spend all our

days in admiring and adoring of this

wonderful love and be always ravished

with the thoughts of it see that you

love the Lord Jesus Christ with a

superlative love with an overtopping

love there are none that have suffered

so much for you as Christ there are none

that can suffer so much for you as

Christ the least measure of that wrath

that Christ has sustained for you would

have broke the hearts necks and backs of

all created beings oh my friends there

is no love but a superlative love that

is suitable to the transcendent

sufferings of dear Jesus oh love him

above your lusts love him above your

relations love him above the world love

him above all your outward contentment

and enjoyments yes

love him above your very lives for thus

the patriarchs prophets apostles Saints

primitive Christians and the martyrs of

old have loved our Lord Jesus Christ

with an overtopping love they loved not

their lives unto the death

that is they slighted condemned

yes despised their lives exposing them

to hazard and loss out of love to the

Lamb who had washed them in his blood I

have read of one Killion a Dutch

schoolmaster who being asked whether he

did not love his wife and children

answered were all the world a lump of

gold and in my hands to dispose of I

would leave it at my enemy's feet to

live with them

in a prison but my soul and my Savior

are dear to me

than all if my father says Jerome should

stand before me and to my mother hang

upon and my brethren should press about

me

I would break through my brethren throw

down my father and tread underfoot my

mother to cleave to Jesus Christ had I

ten heads said Henry Vosges they should

all be cut off for Christ if every hair

of my head said martyr John Ardley were

a man they should all suffer for the

faith of Christ let fire racks pulleys

said Ignatius and all the torments of

hell come upon me so I may win Christ

love made you Rome to say o my Savior

did you die for love of me a love sadder

than death but to me a death more lovely

than love itself

I cannot live love you and be longer

from you George carpenter being asked

whether he did not love his wife and

children which stood weeping before him

answered my wife and children my wife

and children their dearer to me than all

the Varia yet for the love of Christ I

know them not that Blessed Virgin in

basil being condemned for Christianity

to the fire and having her estate and

life offered her if she would worship

idols cried out let money perish and

life vanish Christ is better than all

sufferings for Christ are the Saints

greatest glory

they are those things wherein they have

most glory your cruelty is our glory

says Tertullian it is reported of Babel

s that when he was to die for Christ he

desired this favour that his chains

might be buried with him as the incense

of his honor thus you see with what a

superlative love with what an

overtopping love

Saints have loved our Lord Jesus and can

you Christians who are cold and low in

your love to Christ hear these instances

and not blush certainly the more Christ

has suffered for us the more dear Christ

should be unto us the more bitter his

sufferings have been for us the more

sweet his love should be to us and the

more eminent should be our love to him

oh let a suffering Christ lie nearest

your hearts let him be your manna your

Tree of Life your Morningstar it is

better to part with all than with this

pearl of price Christ is that golden

pipe through which the golden oil of

salvation runs and oh how should this

inflame our loved to Christ

oh that our hearts were more affected

with the sufferings of Christ who can

tread upon these hot coals and his heart

not burn in love to Christ and cry out

with ignatius Christ my love is

crucified if a friend should die for us

how would our hearts be affected with

his kindness and shall the God of glory

lay down his life for us and shall we

not be affected with his goodness shall

Saul be affected with David's kindness

in sparing his life and shall not we be

affected with Christ's kindness who to

save our life lost his own oh the

infinite love of Christ that he should

leave his father's bosom and come down

from heaven that he might carry you up

to heaven that he that was the son

should take upon him the form of a

servant that you of slaves should be

made sons of enemies should be made

friends of heirs of Wrath should be made

heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ

that to save us from everlasting ruin

Christ should

but nothing but be willing to be made

flesh to lie in a manger to be tempted

deserted persecuted and to die upon a

cross Oh what flames of love should

these things Kindle in all our hearts to

Christ love is compared to fire in

heaping love upon our enemy we heap

coals of fire upon his head now the

property of fire is to turn all it meets

with into its own nature fire makes all

things fire the coal makes burning coals

and is it not a wonder then that Christ

having heaped abundance of the fiery

coals of his love upon our heads we

should yet be as cold as corpses and our

love to him ah what sad metal are we

made of that Christ fiery love cannot

inflame our love to Christ Moses

wondered why the bush consumed not when

he sees it all on fire and if you please

but to look into your own hearts you

shall see a greater wonder for you shall

see that though you walk like those

three children in the fiery furnace even

in the midst of Christ's fiery love

flaming around you yet there is but

little very little true smell of that

sweet fire of love to be felt or found

upon you or in you Oh

winch other sufferings of a dear and

tender-hearted Savior Kindles such a

flame of love in all our hearts as shall

still be a breaking forth in our lips

and lives in our words and ways to the

praise and glory of free grace oh that

the sufferings of a loving Jesus might

at last make us all sick with love oh

let him forever lie between our breasts

who has left his father's bosom for a

time that he might be in boozing by us

forever this concludes Christ's love for

us

by Thomas Brooks