Question 30

And was it requisite that he should do so?

Yes. For thus it was written and thus it behoved Christ to suffer,^b

Did he humble himself in his birth?

Yes. He took upon him the form of a servant,^c

Was he born of a poor stock?

Yes. He was a root out of a dry ground,^d

And in a poor place?

Yes. Bethlehem was little among the thousands of Judah,^e

Was he poorly provided for?

Yes. She brought forth her first born, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger,^f

Was this widely different from his former estate?

Yes. For he was rich, though for our sakes he became poor,^g

Was he circumcised?

Yes. He was circumcised the eighth day,ⁱ

Was he thereby obliged to keep the whole law?

Yes. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law,^j

And did he actually keep it?

Yes. Which of you convinceth me of sin?^k

Did he observe the ceremonial as well as the moral law?

Yes. Then went he up also unto the feast,^l

And did he not only obey the precepts of the law, but bear the penalties of it?

Yes. He was made a curse for us,^m

Were his temptations a trouble to him?

Yes. He suffered, being tempted,^o

And his little success?

Yes. He was grieved for the hardness of their hearts,^p

And the sorrows of his friends?

Yes. For when he saw Mary weeping, he groaned in spirit and was troubled,^q

And the contradictions of his enemies?

Yes. He endured the contradictions of sinners against himself.^r

Was his doctrine opposed?

Yes. They said he deceiveth the people,^s

Were his miracles slandered?

Yes. He casteth out devils by Belzebub the prince of devils,^t

And were his best actions misrepresented?

Yes. Behold a gluttonous man a wine bibber, a friend of publicans and sinners,^u

Was he despised?

Yes. He was despised and rejected of men.^w

Was he reproached?

Yes. He was a reproach of men,^x

Was he persecuted?

Yes. The Jews took up stones to stone him,^y

Had he any fixed abode?

No. The son of man hath not where to lay his head,^z

Had he any certain maintenance?

No. For he was hungry and had nothing to eat,^aa

Were his countrymen unkind?

Yes. He came to his own and his own received him not,^bb

Did many of his friends prove false?

Yes. Many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him,^cc

And were those on whom he bestowed favours unthankful?

Yes. Were there not ten cleansed, but where are the nine,^dd

Was his death a painful one?

Yes. It was the death of the cross,^ff

Was it a shameful one?

Yes. For he endured the cross, despising the shame,^gg

Was it a cursed one?

Yes. For cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree,^hh

Did he suffer in his body?

Yes. For we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all,ⁱⁱ

Did he suffer in his feeling?

Yes. They pierced his hands and his feet,^jj

And in his taste?

Yes. They gave him vinegar mingled with gall,^kk

And in his sight?

Yes. They wagged their heads at him,^ll

And in his hearing?

Yes. They that passed by reviled him,^mm

And in his smelling?

Yes. They brought him to Golgotha, that is to say, the place of a skull,ⁿⁿ

Did he also suffer in his soul?

Yes. Now is my soul troubled,^oo

And was this the sorest of all his sufferings?

Yes. He was in an agony,^pp

And from Satan?

Yes. Thou shalt bruise his heel,^rr

And from men?

Yes. This is your hour and the power of darkness,^ss

Was he betrayed by one disciple?

Yes. The devil put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot to betray him,^tt

And forsaken by the rest?

Yes. All his disciples forsook him and fled,^uu

Was he falsely accused?

Yes. They sought false witness against him,^vv

And unjustly condemned?

Yes. For Pilate said, I find no fault in him,^ww

And inhumanly executed?

Yes. For he was scourged, crowned with thorns, and made to bear his own cross,^xx

And to represent the great evil and malignity of sin?

Yes. For sin he condemned sin in the flesh,^zz

And to set us an example of patience and resignation to the divine will?

Yes. For as much as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind,^aaa

And to glorify that law which man hath broken?

Yes. He hath magnified the law and made it honourable,^bbb

And to destroy Satan?

Yes. That through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, even the devil,^ccc

And to break the power of sin?

Yes. Our old man is crucified with Christ, that the body of sin might be destroyed,^ddd

And to bring in a justifying righteousness?

Yes. By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many, for he shall bear their iniquities,^eee

And to procure us a title to heaven?

Yes. For the saints shall reign in life by one, Christ Jesus,^fff

Was it for the elect that Christ thus suffered and died?

Yes. For he loved the church and gave himself for it,^ggg

Was he buried at another’s expense?

Yes. And when Joseph had taken the body he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own tomb,ⁱⁱⁱ

Did he continue under the power of death for a time?

Yes. So shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth,^jjj

And was this a part of Christ’s humiliation?

Yes. Thou hast brought me into the dust of death,^kkk

And the saints rejoice?

Yes. God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,^mmm