First_Baptist

Pastor Lars Larson, PhD                                                                                     FBC Sermon #637
First Baptist Church, Leominster, MA                                                                  November 20, 2011
Words for children: Passover, Judas,                                                                   Text: Matthew 26:1-5
Scripture reading: Exodus 12:1-20

The Gospel of Matthew (101)
Preparing for Jesus’ Death

Our current progress through Matthew:

I. Prologue (chs. 1, 2)
II. The Kingdom Comes (chs. 3-7)
III. The Works of the Kingdom (chs. 8-10)
IV. The Nature of the Kingdom (chs. 11-13)
V. The Authority of the Kingdom (chs. 14-18)
VI. Kingdom Blessings and Kingdom Judgments (chs. 19-25)
VII. Passion and Resurrection (Chs. 26-28)
         A. Betrayal and Arrest (26:1-56)
                  1. Preparing for Jesus’ Death (26:1-16)
                  2. Last Supper and Gethsemane (26:17-56)

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We arrive to the last section of Matthew’s Gospel, which in our outline that we have been using, is entitled, “Passion and Resurrection” (chs. 26-28). Under that heading are the events of our Lord’s “Betrayal and Arrest” (ch. 26). And then under that subheading we have in the first 16 verses of chapter 26, “Preparing for Jesus’ Death (26:1-6).
It is sometimes difficult to sort through the order of events when considering all four Gospel accounts. I included a harmony of the Gospels in the Passion Narratives, which is at the end of your notes. This was provided from the ESV Study Bible.[1]

The subject to which we will now give our attention through the remaining three chapters of this Gospel is our Lord’s arrest, trial, and crucifixion, commonly referred to as His Passion, and then we will also consider our Lord’s resurrection. In the opening 16 verses of Matthew 26, we read of the preparations for our Lord’s arrest, trial, and death. But let us first recognize…

I. The Passion account as the climax of the Gospel story.

This passion account and the resurrection is the climax of the Gospel of Matthew. The entire story of the Gospel of Matthew has been leading to this event. We can see this first, through the occasions in Matthew’s Gospel when our Lord had told His disciples of His destiny in Jerusalem and secondly, through the occasions when the Jewish leaders showed increasing hostility and opposition to Jesus. Let us rehearse these occasions.

A. Occasions when our Lord had told His disciples of His destiny in Jerusalem.

Our Lord had intimated His destiny of the cross at various times as His ministry to His disciples unfolded. We read the following occasions when our Lord spoke of His end in Jerusalem.
The first announcement that our Lord made to His disciples that was recorded in Mathew’s Gospel, was in Matthew 16, on the occasion that Peter confessed openly of his recognition that Jesus was indeed the Christ, the Son of the living God (Matt. 16:16). You will recall that the disciples, particularly Peter, refused to even consider such a thing. We read in Matthew 16:

         20Then He strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that He was the Christ.
         21From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.
         22And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.”
         23But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
         24Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26For what will it profit a man if He gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?” (Matt. 16:20-26)

What is suggested is that our Lord began to teach His disciples about this matter. From this time onward it must have been a regular subject of His teaching to them.
The second occasion that our Lord spoke of His suffering and death at Jerusalem is found in the next chapter of Matthew’s Gospel. It was on the occasion that Jesus and His disciples were coming down from the mountain of our Lord’s transfiguration. We read in Matthew 17.

         9And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.”
         10And the disciples asked Him, “Then why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?”
         11He answered, “Elijah does come, and he will restore all things. 12But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands.” (Matt. 17:9-12)

And then farther down we read of another time, which is the third recorded occasion, in which our Lord spoke of His Passion.

22As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men, 23and they will kill Him, and He will be raised on the third day.” And they were greatly distressed. (Mat 17:22f)

Then we read the most detailed account of our Lord’s instructions in Matthew 20. This is the fourth recorded occasion in which our Lord taught His disciples of what awaited Him at Jerusalem.

         17And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, He took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way He said to them, 18“See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death 19and deliver Him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and He will be raised on the third day.”
         20Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to Him with her sons, and kneeling before Him she asked him for something.
         21And He said to her, “What do you want?”
         She said to Him, “Say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at Your right hand and one at Your left, in Your kingdom.”
         22Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?”
         They said to him, “We are able.”
         23He said to them, “You will drink My cup, but to sit at My right hand and at My left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by My Father.”
         24And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers. 25But Jesus called them to Him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 26It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 27and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, 28even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” (Matt. 20:17-27)

Aside from these direct words of our Lord to His disciples informing them of His Passion, the crucifixion is also intimated in Matthew’s Gospel through…

B. Occasions when the Jewish leaders showed increasing hostility and opposition to Jesus

We see even in the infancy narratives the efforts of King Herod the Great to kill Jesus as an infant. The hostility of the Jewish leaders continues throughout the Gospel.
The first suggestion of resistance of the Pharisees is in Matthew 9. In reaction to them seeing Jesus eating with “tax collectors and sinners”, they approached His disciples, “

10And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and His disciples. 11And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
12But when He heard it, He said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Matt. 9:10-13)

Later in Matthew 9 we read of the reaction to our Lord healing a man, the Pharisees sought to discredit Him.

32As they were going away, behold, a demon-oppressed man who was mute was brought to Him. 33And when the demon had been cast out, the mute man spoke. And the crowds marveled, saying, “Never was anything like this seen in Israel.” 34But the Pharisees said, “He casts out demons by the prince of demons.” (Matt. 9:32-34)

And then we turn to Matthew 12 in which Jesus angered the Pharisees for healing on the Sabbath:

9He went on from there and entered their synagogue. 10And a man was there with a withered hand. And they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”--so that they might accuse Him.
11He said to them, “Which one of you who has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? 12Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” 13Then He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And the man stretched it out, and it was restored, healthy like the other. 14But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy Him. (Matt. 12:9-14)

Their hostility is growing and they are now plotting how to overthrow Him. Later in Matthew 12 we read of another incident of their opposition:

22Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to Him, and He healed him, so that the man spoke and saw. 23And all the people were amazed, and said, “Can this be the Son of David?”
24But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.” (Matt. 12:22-24)

The Pharisees challenged Jesus directly in Matthew 15. Prior to this event they would speak to Jesus’ disciples or to some within the crowds gathered to Jesus, but now they are confronting Him directly.

1Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, 2“Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat.” (Matt.15:1f)

         In Matthew 16:1 we read of another challenge that the Pharisees along with the Sadducees posed to Jesus: “And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test Him they asked Him to show them a sign from heaven.”
         And then there is yet another challenge leveled by the Pharisees in Matthew 19:1. “And Pharisees came up to Him and tested Him by asking, ‘Is it lawful to divorce one’s wife for any cause?”
         After our Lord and His disciples arrived in Jerusalem the hostility of the Jewish leaders became open and intense. Matthew 21:23ff read:

         23And when He (Jesus) entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to Him as He was teaching, and said, “By what authority are You doing these things, and who gave You this authority?”
         24Jesus answered them, “I also will ask you one question, and if you tell Me the answer, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things. 25The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man?”
         And they discussed it among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 26But if we say, ‘From man,’ we are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold that John was a prophet.” 27So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.”
         And He said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.” (Matt. 21:23-27)

And then at the end of Matthew 21, we read of the thoughts and efforts of the Jewish leaders upon hearing Jesus teach parables in the temple courts:

45When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking about them. 46And although they were seeking to arrest Him, they feared the crowds, because they held Him to be a prophet. (Matt. 21:45f)

The Jewish leaders became relentless in their efforts to discredit the Lord Jesus before the crowds/ We read in Matthew 22:15-17:

15Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle Him in His words. 16And they sent their disciples to Him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that You are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and You do not care about anyone’s opinion, for You are not swayed by appearances. 17Tell us, then, what You think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”

Later in the same chapter we read of the other Jewish groups in Jerusalem who seemed to be cooperating with one another to challenge and attempt to either marginalize or eliminate Jesus and His influence that He had with the people of the city.

23The same day Sadducees came to Him, who say that there is no resurrection, and they asked Him a question, 24saying, “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies having no children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up children for his brother.’ 25Now there were seven brothers among us. The first married and died, and having no children left his wife to his brother. 26So too, the second and third, down to the seventh. 27After them all, the woman died. 28In the resurrection, therefore, of the seven, whose wife will she be? For they all had her.” (Matt. 22:23-28)

Our Lord answered the Sadducees in such a manner that He discredited them before the crowds. The Pharisees, who had always been enemies to the Sadducees, step forward in their effort to confound and discredit Jesus.

         34But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35And one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question to test him. 36“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”
         37And He said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38This is the great and first commandment. 39And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
         41Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, 42saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is He?”
         They said to Him, “The son of David.”
         43He said to them, “How is it then that David, in the Spirit, calls him Lord, saying, 44 “The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand, until I put Your enemies under Your feet’? 45If then David calls Him Lord, how is he his son?” 46And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask Him any more questions. (Mat 22:34-46)

And so, we see that Matthew told His story with repeated references throughout his account to our Lord’s suffering and death at the hands of wicked men in Jerusalem. As the other Gospels do as well. That is why one once penned rightly that the Gospels are essentially Passion Stories with extended introductions.

II. The plot to kill Jesus (Matt. 26:1-5)

1When Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said to his disciples, 2 “You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.”
3Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, 4and plotted together in order to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him. 5But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people.”

A. Our Lord’s death and the observance of the Jewish Passover.

Our Lord Jesus connects His death with the annual Passover celebration that took place in Jerusalem. The Passover is the great Old Testament event that brought about Israel’s deliverance from bondage in Egypt. It was a demonstration of God’s power that through God passing judgment upon the Egyptians. Through the events that occurred at the first Passover, Pharaoh of Egypt was finally persuaded to allow Israel to depart from his land. God had purposed to slay the first born of every family dwelling in Egypt, but the Israelites escaped from suffering the fate of the Egyptians by slaying the Passover lamb and feasting upon that roasted lamb through the night. God spared all of the Israelite first born children, for the Passover Lamb was a substitutionary sacrifice provided by God for His people.
The Passover was the Old Testament type of Jesus Christ; Jesus Christ is the New Testament antitype of the Passover. The Passover was itself an annual feast. It also signaled the Feast or week of Unleavened Bread. The Feast of Unleavened Bread was a seven day celebration that began with the Passover.
The Jewish women would search out their house each year at this time to remove every trace of leaven from their homes, scrubbing it down from ceiling to floor. This was done in preparation for the Passover Meal celebration.

B. The New Testament antitypes of the Old Testament observance Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Passover.

When we speak of “types” in the Bible, we are referring to actual events, persons and things in the Old Testament that foreshadow New Testament spiritual realities. Even though the Old Testament types are visible, physical, and historical realities, they are but “shadows” of New Testament spiritual truths and realities. The Old Testament is filled with types. The realities to which they pointed are called their antitypes.

One of the classic books that addresses the types and antitypes of the Bible was written by Benjamin Keach. Benjamin Keach was a Baptist pastor and theologian of the 17th century. He was also the leading drafter of both the First and Second London Baptist Confessions of Faith, of 1646 and 1689 respectively. When we cite our own confession, we should recognize it was the work of a number of Baptist ministers building on the work of the reformed Presbyterians and Congregationalists, but these Baptist leaders were themselves lead by Benjamin Keach.
In his book, Preaching from the Types and Metaphors of the Bible, Keach lists many Old Testament types of Christ and their New Testament antitype truths. These include:

1. Adam as a type of Christ
2. Noah as a type of Christ
3. Melchizedec as a type of Christ
4. Abraham as a type of Christ
5. Isaac as a type of Christ
6. Jacob as a type of Christ
7. Jacob’s Ladder a type of Christ
8. Joseph as a type of Christ
9. Moses as a type of Christ
10. Joshua as a type of Christ
11. Sampson as a type of Christ
12. David as a type of Christ
13. Solomon as a type of Christ
14. Elisha as a type of Christ
15. Jonah as a type of Christ
16. Zerubbabel as a type of Christ
17. Aaron as a type of Christ
18. The High Priest as a type of Christ
19. The tabernacle as a type of Christ
20. The Vail of the Holiest of Holies and what is figured forth
21. The ark as a type of Christ
22. The Mercy seat as a type of Christ
23. The Table of Shewbread as a type of Christ
24. The candlestick as a type of Christ
25. The altar of perfume (incense) as a type of Christ
26. The altar of burnt offering as a type of Christ
27. The brazen laver, what it is a type of
28. The sacrifice of beasts a type of Christ
29. The burnt offering a type of Christ
30. The daily sacrifice as a type of Christ
31. The sin offering as a type of Christ
32. The meat offering as a type of Christ
33. The peace offering as a type of Christ
34. The solemn yearly sacrifice of the bullock as a type of Christ
35. The scapegoat as a type of Christ
36. The sacrifice of the red heifer as a type of Christ
37. Circumcision what it is a type of
38. The rock which was smitten, out of which came water, was a type of Christ
39. The pillar of cloud and fire a type of Christ
40. The Passover a type of Christ.

Of this last entry on types in the Old Testament, the Passover, Keach addressed these spiritual lessons illustrated to us in the Old Testament and explained clearly in the New Testament

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The Passover a Type of Christ
by Benjamin Keach
“Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us” (1 Cor. 5:7)

The Passover, or paschal Lamb, was a most lively figure or Type of Christ; nay as a worthy divine observes, this one legal sacrament preached, not obscurely, to the ancient Jews the whole doctrine of the Gospel. This will appear in five things: (!) In the choice of the sacrifice. (2) In the preparing of it. (3) In the effusion of blood, and actions about it. (4) In the eating, and conditions therein. (5) In the fruits and use. Ephesians 3:21.

Parallels

I. In the choice of the sacrifice. The Lord appointed it to be a lamb without blemish; signifying the most absolute perfection of Jesus Christ who (John) the Baptist called, “The Lamb of God taking away the sins of the world.”
II. It was to be a lamb without blemish; signifying the most absolute perfection of Jesus Christ.
III. The paschal lamb was to be taken out of the field; signifying that Christ should be “Taken from amongst men, or from among his brethren,” Deuteronomy 15, one of the seed of Abraham according to the flesh.
IV. The lamb was to be a year old, and also it must be slain; signifying, that Christ in His full vigour and strength should be put to death.
V. The lamb was to be roasted with fire; which might signify the manner of Christ’s death: He was crucified and pierced; He endured the fires of affliction, and the fire of God’s wrath that was due us for our sins.
VI. The lamb was roasted whole; to signify, saith Dr, Taylor, that Christ bore the whole wrath of God, both in soul and body. Not a bone of the lamb was to be broken; to show, that not one bone of Christ should be broken, John 19:36.
VII. The blood of the lamb was to be saved in a basin; it must not be shed upon the ground, not trodden under foot; signifying the preciousness of Christ’s blood, and that great esteem God the Father, and all true Christians have of it.
VIII. The blood of the lamb must be sprinkled on the lintel, and the side of the doors of the Israelites: which held forth, that the blood of Christ must be applied by faith; for our justification stands not only in the shedding of Christ’s blood, but also on the sprinkling of it on our consciences.
IX. It must be sprinkled upon the posts and the doors, so that the Israelites could neither go out of doors, nor come in, but they must see all sides of the blood of the Lamb; signifying, that they and we should, both at home and abroad, going forth, and coming in, and on all occasions, have the passion of Jesus Christ before our eyes, in holy meditation and contemplation.
X. It was not enough for the Jews to have the lamb slain, and the bloodshed within the house, but the blood must be sprinkled without the doors; signifying as some observe, if Christ’s blood, i.e. the merits of it, be received in our hearts for justification, the sprinkling of it will appear, and be outwardly seen in a holy life, and real sanctification.
XI. The blood of the lamb was to be sprinkled with a bunch of hyssop dipped in it, Exodus 12:22, which might signify, that such who would be sprinkled with Christ’s blood must obtain true faith; the hyssop bears resemblance to faith in three things: (1) It is the ground, low, weak herb: faith in itself, and as it is in believers, is weak, and teacheth humility. (2) It will grow on a rock or a wall: so faith roots itself in Christ that true spiritual Rock. (3) Hyssop hath a cleansing and healing quality: so faith purifies the heart and life of a sinner, and heals all the sores of a wounded conscience.
XII. They were to eat of the flesh of the lamb: to signify, that we must spiritually feed upon Jesus Christ, viz, believe on Him, which is called an eating of His flesh, and drinking His blood.
XIII. Every particular lamb was to be eaten in one house; signifying the unity of the church of God, or the spiritual conjugation and agreement of all the faithful, in one bread and one body, 1 Corinthians 10:17.
XIV. Only Israelites, and not strangers, were to eat of it; to show, that none but the true seed, viz. believers, have right to Christ, and the blessed rites of His house.
XV. They were to eat it with bitter herbs; to signify, that repentance and godly sorrows for sin, ought to be in those who come to receive and partake of Jesus Christ, and that they should remember with grief of soul what their sins brought upon their Savior, and what the filthy and bitter nature of sin is.
XVI. They were to eat it with unleavened bread; to signify that those who come to the true Passover, should keep the feast with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth, hating false doctrine, hypocrisy, and every evil work.
XVII. They must eat in remembrance of the deliverance out of Egypt: so those who came to the true Passover, ought to remember how God hath by Christ’s blood delivered them from wrath and hell.
XVIII. They were to eat it with their loins girt, and their staves in their hands, and their shoes on their feet; to show, that we are to feed upon our Passover, should have the girdle of truth, and our feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, and that we are but strangers and pilgrims here.
XIX. They were not to eat the paschal lamb, until they had purged all leaven out of their houses; which shows what care every Christian should take, to purge out the leaven of malice and wickedness out of their hearts. The Jews were to search for leaven, and not suffer a crumb or small morsel to remaining their houses; so careful should all those be to purge out every sin, and let no iniquity remain in them, who come to the Lord’s table
Wherein the brazen serpent was a type of Christ, of also the manna, and divers other types, we have shown. And the parallels of the first and second temple we have insisted upon under the head of metaphors concerning the church of God, to which we refer you.

And finding to what a bigness this work is swollen, I must be forced to break off, and leave these my poor labours to the blessing of God, praying they may prove to the advantage of his despised and afflicted church; desiring, what profit any Christians may receive here from, they would not forget to give honour to God, who only deserves it: to whom be glory in the church, by Christ Jesus, throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

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Now, when considering the events of the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Passover, they were Old Testament types of New Testament realities. This Feast of Unleavened Bread was the Old Testament type; the New Testament antitype is the Christian or perhaps better, the local church, searching itself in order to purge from itself sin in anticipation of having fellowship with Jesus Christ. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:7 of the spiritual application of the Feast of Unleavened Bread to be the activity of the church to practice church discipline. “Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.” Here Paul was urging the church not to fail to excommunicate a sinning member of their church. If they failed to do so, the church would become increasingly defiled. They were to remove flagrant sinners from their midst as a Jewish woman was to remove all traces f leaven, or yeast, from her house. She was to do this in preparation of the Passover meal. The church is to do this in order to have the blessing of true fellowship with its God.

We read that the Jewish leaders conspired to arrest Jesus and have Him put to death. But they were concerned not to do it during the feast, lest they disturb the people. They were not concerned about pleasing God, they were concerned about losing the favor of the people.

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Benjamin Keach

         Here is a brief sketch of some events in the life of and ministry of Benjamin Keach. Keach worked as a tailor during his early years. He was baptized at the age of 15 and began preaching at 18. He was the minister of the congregation at Winslow before moving in 1668 to the church at Horse-lie-down, Southwark, where he remained for 36 years as pastor (1668-1704). This congregation later became the New Park Street Church and then moved to the Metropolitan Tabernacle under the pastorship of Charles Spurgeon. And so, Benjamin Keach pastored this church in the 17th century. John Gill pastored the church ion the 18th century. And Charles Spurgeon pastored the church in the 19th century. Keach was his church’s representative to the 1689 General Assembly and subscribed to the Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689. Spurgeon later republished the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith for use in the congregation.
         Keach wrote 43 works, of which his Parables and Metaphors of Scripture may be the best known. He wrote a work entitled The Child's Instructor which brought him under persecution by the Church of England. He was fined and pilloried in 1664. What was it to be pilloried? It was somewhat like the lesser punishment called the stocks. To be pilloried was to be publicly humiliated .The pillory was made of a post and hinged wooden boards forming holes through which the head and/or arms and legs were inserted and then locked down. Pillories were set up in public places. The one punished would be forced to bend forward, having their head and hands out in front of them. The main intent of the pillory was to publicly humiliate the “offender.” Those who watched would join in making his hours in the pillory most uncomfortable and shameful. The crowds would commonly taunt him and humiliate him. They would often gather about and taunt and laugh and tease the one being shamed. They would often use the pilloried person as a target for their objects thrown at him. “Those in the pillory might be pelted with moldy fruit and vegetables, rotten eggs, bad fish, mud, offal, and animal excrement. As a result, criminals were often very dirty by the end of their punishment, their faces and hair begrimed with the smelly refuse with which they had been pelted.”
         But apparently, when Keach was placed in the public pillory, he defended himself and the truth with great boldness. The jailer frequently interrupted him and finally the sheriff himself threatened to have Keach gagged. The people, surprisingly, did not mock Keach, and nothing was thrown at him. A Church of England minister who attempted to rebuke and refute each was shouted down by the crowd. “He was immediately reproached by the people with the ungodliness of his own life, and his voice was drowned in laughter.” Keach was pilloried on one other occasion.
         Keach also introduced something new to Baptist congregations, in fact, it was rather new to all evangelical churches; he promoted the introduction of hymn singing in the Baptist churches. Prior to that time churches sang the Psalms only. His church, Horslydown, was probably the first church in England to sing hymns, as opposed to psalms and paraphrases. Keach’s hymnbook, published in 1691, provoked heated debate even among the Particular Baptists.

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Footnote:

[1] The ESV Study Bible (Crossway, 2008), p. 1866.