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The First Christmas Carol by C. H. Spurgeon

January 7, 2010 by ADMIN

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, good will toward men.”—Luke 2:14.

It is superstitious to worship angels; it is but proper to love them. Although it would be a high sin, and an act of misdemeanor against the Sovereign Court of Heaven to pay the slightest adoration to the mightiest angel, yet it would be unkind and unseemly, if we did not give to holy angels a place in our heart’s warmest love. In fact, he that contemplates the character of angels, and marks their many deeds of sympathy with men, and kindness towards them, cannot resist the impulse of his nature—the impulse of love towards them. The one incident in angelic history, to which our text refers, is enough to weld our hearts to them forever. How free from envy the angels were! Christ did not come from heaven to save their peers when the fell. When Satan, the mighty angel, dragged with him a third part of the stars of heaven, Christ did not stoop from his throne to die for them; but he left them to be reserved in chains and darkness until the last great day. Yet angels did not envy men. Though they remembered that he took not up angels, yet they did not murmur when he took up the seed of Abraham; and though the blessed Master had never condescended to take the angers form, they did not think it beneath them to express their joy when they found him arrayed in the body of an infant.

How free, too they were from pride! They were not ashamed to come and tell the news to humble shepherds. Me thinks, they had as much joy in pouring out their songs that night before the shepherds, who were watching with their flocks, as they would have had if they had been commanded by their Master to sing their hymn in the halls of Caesar. Mere men—men possessed with pride, think it a fine thing to preach before kings and princes; and think it great condescension now and then to have to minister to the humble crowd. Not so the angels. They stretched their willing wings, and gladly sped from their bright seats above, to tell the shepherds on the plain by night, the marvelous story of an Incarnate God. And mark how well they told the story, and surely you will love them! Not with the stammering tongue of him that tells a tale in which he hath no interest; nor even with the feigned interest of a man that would move the passions of others, when he feeleth no emotion himself; but with joy and gladness, such as angels only can know. They sang the story out, for they could not stay to tell it in heavy prose. They sang, “Glory to God on high, and on earth peace, good will towards men.” Methinks, they sang it with gladness in their eyes; with their hearts burning with love, and with breasts as full of joy as if the good news to man had been good news to themselves. And, verily, it was good news to them, for the heart of sympathy makes good news to others, good news to itself! Do you not love the angels? Ye will not bow before them, and there ye are right; but will ye not love them? Doth it not make one part of your anticipation of heaven that in heaven you shall dwell with the holy angels, as well as with the spirits of the just made perfect? Oh, how sweet to think that these holy and lovely beings are our guardians every hour! They keep watch and ward about us, both in the burning noontide, and in the darkness of the night. They keep us in all our ways; they bear us up .in their hands, lest at any time we dash our feet against stones. They unceasingly minister unto us who are the heirs of salvation; both by day and night, they are our watchers and our guardians, for know ye not, that ‘the angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him.”

Let us turn aside, having just thought of angels for a moment, to think rather of this song, than of the angels themselves. Their song was brief, but as Kitto excellently remarks, it was “well worthy of angels expressing the greatest and most blessed truths, in words so few, that they become to an acute apprehension, almost oppressive by the pregnant fumes, of their meaning”—”Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, good will toward men.” We shall, hoping to be assisted by the Holy Spirit, look at these words of the angels in a fourfold manner. I shall just suggest some instructive thoughts arising from these words; then some emotional thoughts; then a few prophetical thoughts; and afterwards, one or two preceptive thoughts.

I. FIRST THEN, THERE ARE MANY INSTRUCTIVE THOUGHTS.

The angels sang something which men could understand—something which men ought to understand—something which will make men much better if they will understand it. The angels were singing about Jesus who was born in the manger. We must look upon their song as being built upon this foundation. They sang of Christ and the salvation which he came into this world to work out. And what they said of this salvation was this: they said, first, that it gave glory to God; secondly, that it gave peace to man; and, thirdly, that it was a token of God’s good will towards the human race.

  1. First, they said that this salvation gave glory to God.

    2. They had been present on many august occasions, and they had joined in many a solemn chorus to the praise of their Almighty Creator. They were present at the creation: “The morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy.” They had seen many a planet fashioned between the palms of Jehovah, and wheeled by his eternal hands through the infinitude of space. They had sung solemn songs over many a world which the Great One had created. We doubt not, they had often chanted, “Blessing and honor, and glory, and majesty, and power, and dominion, and might, be unto him that sitteth on the throne,” manifesting himself in the work of creation. I doubt not, too, that their songs had gathered force through ages. As when first created, their first breath was song, so when they saw God create new worlds, then their song received another note; they rose a little highar in the gamut of adoration. But this time, when they saw God stoop from his throne, and become a babe, hanging upon a woman’s breast, they lifted their notes higher still; and reaching to the uttermost stretch of angelic music, they gained the highest notes of the divine scale of praise, and they sung, “Glory to God in the highest,” for higher in goodness they felt God could not go. Thus their highest praise they gave to him in the highest act of his godhead. If it be true that there is a hierarchy of angels, rising tier upon tier in magnificence and dignity— if the apostle teaches us that there be “angels, and principalities, and powers, and. thrones, and dominions,” amongst these blest inhabitants of the upper world— I can suppose that when the intelligence was first communicated to those angels that are to be found upon the outskirts of the heavenly world, when they looked down from heaven and saw the new-born babe, they sent the news backward to the place whence the miracle first proceeded, singing:

    “Angels, from the realms of glory,

    Wing your downward flight to earth,

    Ye who sing creation’s story,

    Now proclaim Messiah’s birth;

    Come and worship,

    Worship Christ, the new-born King.”

    And as the message ran from rank to rank, at last the presence angels, those four cherubim that perpetually watch around the throne of God—those wheels with eyes—took up the strain, and, gathering up the song of all the inferior grades of angels, surmounted the divine pinnacle of harmony with their own solemn chant of adoration, upon which the entire host shouted, “The highest angels praise thee.”— “Glory to God in the highest.” Ay, there is no mortal that can ever dream how magnificent was that song. Then, note, if angels shouted before and when the world was made, their hallelujahs were more full, more strong, more magnificent, if not more hearty, when they saw Jesus Christ born of the Virgin Mary to be man’s redeemer—”Glory to God in the highest.”

    What is the instructive lesson to be learned from this first syllable of the angels’ song? Why this, that salvation is God’s highest glory. He is glorified in every dewdrop that twinkles to the morning sun. He is magnified in every wood flower that blossoms in the copse, although it live to blush unseen, and waste its sweetness in the forest air. God is glorified in every bird that warbles on the spray; in every lamb that skips the mead. Do not the fishes in the sea praise him. From the tiny minnow to the huge Leviathan, do not all creatures that swim the water bless and praise his name? Do not all created things extol him? Is there aught beneath the sky, save man, that doth not glorify God? Do not the stars exalt him, when they write his name upon the azure of heaven in their golden letters? Do not the lightnings adore him when they flash his brightness in arrows of light piercing the midnight darkness? Do not thunders extol him when they roll like drums in the march of the God of armies? Do not all things exalt him, from the least even to the greatest? But sing, sing, oh universe, till thou hast exhausted thyself, thou canst not afford a song so sweet as the song of Incarnation. Though creation may be a majestic organ of praise, it cannot reach the compass of the golden canticle—Incarnation! There is more in that than in creation, more melody in Jesus in the manger, than there is in worlds on worlds rolling their grandeur round the throne of the Most High.

    Pause Christian and consider this a minute. See how every attribute is here magnified. Lo! what wisdom is here. God becomes man that God may be just, and the justifier of the ungodly. Lo! what power, for where is power so great as when it concealeth power? What power, that Godhead should unrobe itself and become man! Behold, what love is thus revealed to us when Jesus becomes a man. Behold, ye what faithfulness! How many promises are this day kept? How many solemn obligations are this hour discharged? Tell me one attribute of God that is not manifest in Jesus; and your ignorance shall be the reason why you have not seen it so. The whole of God is glorified in Christ; and though some part of the name of God is written in the universe, it is here best read—in Him who was the Son of Man, and, yet, the Son of God.

    But, let me say one word here before I go away from this point. We must learn from this, that if salvation glorifies God, glorifies him in the highest degree, and makes the highest creatures praise him, this one reflection may be added—then, that doctrine, which glorifies man in salvation cannot be the gospel. For salvation glorifies God. The angels were no Arminians, they sang, “Glory to God in the Highest.” They believe in no doctrine which uncrowns Christ, and puts the crown upon the heads of mortals. They believe in no system of faith which makes salvation dependent upon the creature, and, which really gives the creature the praise, for what is it less than for a man to save himself, if the whole dependence of salvation rests upon his own free will? No, my brethren; there may be some preachers, that delight to preach a doctrine that magnifies man; but in their gospel angels have no delight. The only glad tidings that made the angels sing, are those that put God first, God last, God midst, and God without end, in the salvation of his creatures, and put the crown wholly and alone upon the head of him that saves without a helper. “Glory to God in the highest,” is the angels’ song.

  2. When they had sung this, they sang what they had never song before.

    3. “Glory to God in the highest,” was an old, old song; they had sung that from before the foundations of the world. But, now, they sang as it were a new song before the throne of God: for they added this stanza—” on, earth, peace.” They did not sing that in the garden. There was peace there, but it seemed a thing of course, and scarce worth singing of. There was more than peace there; for there was glory to God there. But, now, man had fallen, and since the day when cherubim with fiery swords drove out the man, there had been no peace on earth, save in the breast of some believers, who had obtained peace from the living fountain of this incarnation of Christ. Wars had raged from the ends of the world; men had slaughtered one another, heaps on heaps. There had been wars within as well as wars without. Conscience had fought with man; Satan had tormented man with thoughts of sin. There had been no peace on earth since Adam fell. But, now, when the newborn King made his appearance, the swaddling hand with which he was wrapped up was the white flag of peace. That manger was the place where the treaty was signed, whereby warfare should be stopped between man’s conscience and himself, man’s conscience and his God. It was then, that day, the trumpet blew—” Sheathe the sword, oh man, sheathe the sword, oh conscience, for God is now at peace with man, and man at peace with God.”

    Do you not feel my brethren, that the gospel of God is peace to man? Where else can peace be found, but in the message of Jesus? Go legalist, work for peace with toil and pain, and thou shalt never find it. Go, thou, that trustest in the law: go thou, to Sinai; look to the flames that Moses saw, and shrink, and tremble, and despair; for peace is nowhere to be found, but in him, of whom it is said, “This man shall be peace.” And what a peace it is, beloved! It is peace like a river, and righteousness like the waves of the sea. It is the peace of God that passeth all understanding, which keeps our hearts and minds through Jesus Christ our Lord. This sacred peace between the pardoned soul and God the pardoner; this marvelous at-one-ment between the sinner and his judge, this was it that the angels sung when they said, “Peace On earth.”

  3. And, then, they wisely ended their song with a third note. They said, “Good will to man.”

Philosophers have said that God has a good will toward man; but I never knew any man who derived much comfort from their philosophical assertion. Wise men have thought from what we have seen in creation that God had much good will toward man, or else his works would never have been so constructed for their comfort; but I never heard of any man who could risk his soul’s peace upon such a faint hope as that. But I have not only heard of thousands, but I know them, who are quite sure that God has a good will towards men; and if you ask their reason, they will give a full and perfect answer. They say, he has good will toward man for he gave his Son. No greater proof of kindness between the Creator and his subjects can possibly be afforded than when the Creator gives his only begotten and well beloved Son to die. Though the first note is God-like, and though the second note is peaceful, this third note melts my heart the most. Some think of God as if he were a morose being who hated all mankind. Some picture him as if he were some abstract subsistence taking no interest in our affairs. Hark ye, God has “good will toward men.” You know what good will means. Well, all that it means, and more, God has to you, ye sons and daughters of Adam. Swearer, you have cursed God; he has not fulfilled his curse on you; he has good will towards you, though you have no good will towards him. Infidel, you have sinned high and hard against the Most High; he has said no hard things against you, for he has good will towards men. Poor sinner, thou hast broken his laws; thou art half-afraid to come to the throne of his mercy lest he should spurn thee; hear thou this, and be comforted. God has good will towards men, so good a will that he has said, and said it with an oath too, “As I live, saith the Lord, I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, but had rather that he should turn unto me and live.” So good a will moreover that he has even condescended to say, “Come, now, let us reason together; though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as wool; though they be red like crimson, they shall be whiter than snow.” And if you say, “Lord, how shall I know that thou hast this good will towards me,” he points to yonder manger, and says, “Sinner, if I had not a good will towards thee, would I have parted with my Son? If I had not good will towards the human race, would I have given up my Son to become one of that race that he might by so doing redeem them from death? Ye that doubt the Master’s love, look ye to that circle of angels; see their blaze of glory; hear their song, and let your doubts die away in that sweet music and be buried in a shroud of harmony. He has good will to men; he is willing to pardon; he passes by iniquity, transgression, and sin.

And mark thee, it Satan shall then add, “But though God hath good will, yet he cannot violate his justice, therefore his mercy may be ineffective, and you may die.” Then listen to that first note of the song, “Glory to God in the highest,” and reply to Satan and all his temptations, that when God shows good will to a penitent sinner, there is not only peace in the sinner’s heart, but it brings glory to every attribute of God, and so he can be just, and yet justify the sinner, and glorify himself.

I do not pretend to say that I have opened all the instructions contained in these three sentences, but I may perhaps direct you into a train of thought that may serve you for the week. I hope that all through the week you will have a truly merry Christmas by feeling the power of these words, and knowing the unction of them. “Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, good will toward men.”

  1. NEXT, I HAVE TO PRESENT TO YOU SOME EMOTIONAL THOUGHTS.

    2. Friends, doth not this verse, this song of angels, stir your heart with happiness? When I read that, and found the angels singing it, I thought to myself, “Then if the angels ushered in the gospel’s great Head with singing, ought I not to preach with singing? And ought not my hearers to live with singing? Ought not their hearts to be glad and their spirits to rejoice?” Well, thought I, there be some somber religionists who were horn in a dark night in December that think a smile upon the face is wicked, and believe that for a Christian to be glad and rejoice is to be inconsistent.

    Ah! I wish these gentlemen had seen the angels when they sang about Christ; for if angels sang about his birth, though it was no concern of theirs, certainly men ought to sing about it as long as they live, sing about it when they die, and sing about it when they live in heaven forever. I do long to see in the midst of the church more of a singing Christianity. The last few years have been breeding in our midst a groaning and unbelieving Christianity. Now, I doubt not its sincerity, but I do doubt its healthy character. I say it may be true and real enough; God forbid I should say a word against the sincerity of those who practice it; but it is a sickly religion.

    Watts hit the mark when he said, “Religion never was designed, To make our pleasures less.” It is designed to do away with some of cur pleasures, but it gives us many more, to make up for what it takes away; so it does not make them less. O ye that see in Christ nothing but a subject to stimulate your doubts and make the tears run down your cheeks; O ye that always say, “Lord, what a wretched land is this, That yields us no supplies.” Come ye hither and see the angels. Do they tell their story with groans, and sobs, and sighs? Ah, no; they shout aloud, “Glory to God in the highest.” Now, imitate them my dear brethren. If you are professors of religion, try always to have a cheerful carriage. Let others mourn; but “Why should the children of a king, Go mourning all their days?”

    Anoint your head and wash your face; appear not unto men to fast. Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say unto you rejoice. Especially this week be not ashamed to be glad. You need not think it a wicked thing to be happy. Penance and whipping, and misery are no such very virtuous things, after all. The damned are miserable; let the saved be happy. Why should you hold fellowship with the lost by feelings of perpetual mourning? Why not rather anticipate the joys of heaven, and begin to sing on earth that song which you will never need to end? The first emotion then that we ought to cherish in our hearts is the emotion of joy and gladness.

    Well, what next? Another emotion is that of confidence. I am not sure that I am right in calling that an emotion, but still in me it is so much akin to it, that I. will venture to be wrong if I be so. Now, if when Christ came on this earth, God had sent some black creature down from heaven, (If there be such creatures there) to tell us,” Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men,” and if with a frowning brew and a stammering tongue he delivered his message, if I had been there and heard it, I should have scrupled to believe him, for I should have said, “You don’t look like the messenger that God would send—stammering fellow as you ate—with such glad news as this.” But when the angels came there was no doubting the truth of what they said, because it was quite certain that the angels believed it; they told it as if they did, for they told it with singing, with joy and gladness. If some friend, having heard that a legacy was left you, and should come to you with a solemn countenance, and a tongue like a funeral bell, saying, ” Do you know so-and-so has left you £10,000?” Why, you would say, “Ah! I dare say,” and laugh in his face. But if your brother should suddenly burst into your room, and exclaim, “I say, what do you think? You are a rich man; So-and-so has left you £10,000! Why you would say, “I think it is very likely to be true, for he looks so happy over it.”

    Well, when these angels came from heaven they told the news just as if they believed it; and though I have often wickedly doubted my Lord’s good will, I think I never could have doubted it while I heard those angels singing. No, I should say, “The messengers themselves are proof of the truth, for it seems they have heard it from God’s lips; they have no doubt about it, for see how joyously they tell the news.” Now, poor soul, thou that art afraid lest God should destroy thee, and thou thinkest that God will never have mercy upon thee, look at the singing angels and doubt if thou darest. Do not go to the synagogue of long-faced hypocrites to hear the minister who preaches with a nasal twang, with misery in his face, whilst he tells you that God has goodwill towards men; I know you won’t believe what he says, for he does not preach with joy in his countenance; he is telling you good news with a grunt, and you are not likely to receive it. But go straightway to the plain where Bethlehem shepherds sat by night, and when you hear the angels singing out the gospel, by the grace of God upon you, you cannot help believing that they manifestly feel the preciousness of telling. Blessed Christmas, that brings such creatures as angels to confirm our faith in God’s goodwill to men!

  2. THERE ARE SOME PROPHETIC UTTERANCES CONTAINED IN THESE WORDS.

    3. The angels sang “Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, good will toward men.” But I look around, and what see I in the wide, wide world? I do not see God honored. I see the heathen bowing down before their idols; I mark the Romanist casting himself before the rotten rags of his relics, and the ugly figures of his Images. I look about me, and I see tyranny lording it over the bodies and souls of men; I see God forgotten; I see a worldly race pursuing mammon; I see a bloody race pursuing Mulch; I see ambition riding like Nimrod over the land, God forgotten, his name dishonored. And was this all the angels sang about? Is this all that made them sing “Glory to God in the highest?” Ah! no. There are brighter days approaching. They sang, “Peace on earth.” But I hear still the clarion of war; and the cannon’s horrid roar: not yet have they turned the sword into a ploughshare, and the spear into a pruning hook! War still reigns. Is this all that the angels sang about? And whilst l see wars to the ends of the earth, am I to believe that this was all the angels expected?

    Ah! no, brethren; the angels’ song is big with prophecy; it travaileth in birth with glories. A few more years, and he that lives them out shall see why angels sang; a few more years, and he that will come shall come, and will not tarry. Christ the Lord will come again, and when he cometh he shall cast the idols from their thrones; he shall dash down every fashion of heresy and every shape of idolatry; he shall reign from pole to pole with illimitable sway: he shall reign, when like a scroll, yon blue heavens have passed away. No strife shall vex Messiah’s reign, no blood shall then be shed; they’ll hang the useless helmet high, and study war no more. The hour is approaching when the temple of Janus shall be shut for ever, and when cruel Mars shall be hooted from the earth. The day is coming when the lion shall eat straw like the ox, when the leopard shall lie down with the kid; when the weaned child shall put his hand upon the cockatrice den and play with the asp. The hour approacheth; the first streaks of the sunlight have made glad the age in which we live. Lo, he comes, with trumpets and with clouds of glory; he shall come for whom we look with joyous expectation, whose coming shall be glory to his redeemed, and contusion to his enemies. Ah! brethren, when the angels sang this there was an echo through the long aisles of a glorious future. That echo was— “Hallelujah! Christ the Lord God Omnipotent shall reign.”

    Ay, and doubtless the angels heard by faith the fulness of the song, “Hark! the song of jubilee, Loud as mighty thunders’ roar, Or the fulness of the sea, When it breaks upon the shore.”

    “Christ the Lord Omnipotent reigneth.”

  3. NOW, I HAVE ONE MORE LESSON FOR YOU, AND I HAVE DONE. THAT LESSON IS PRECEPTIVE.

I wish everybody that keeps Christmas this year, would keep it as the angels kept it. There are many persons who, when they talk about keeping Christmas, mean by that the cutting of the hands of their religion for one day in the year, as if Christ were the Lord of misrule, as if the birth of Christ should be celebrated like the orgies of Bacchus. There are some very religious people, that on Christmas would never forget to go to church in the morning; they believe Christmas to be nearly as holy as Sunday, for they reverence the tradition of the elders. Yet their way of spending the rest of the day is very remarkable; for if they see their way straight up stairs to their bed at night, it must be by accident. They would not consider they had kept Christmas in a proper manner, if they did not verge on gluttony and drunkenness. They are many who think Christmas cannot possibly be kept, except there be a great shout of merriment and mirth in the house, and added to that the boisterousness of sin. Now, my brethren, although we, as successors of the Puritans, will not keep the day in any religious sense whatever, attaching nothing more to it than to any other day: believing that every day may be a Christmas for ought we know, and wishing to make every day Christmas, if we can, yet we must try to set an example to others how to behave on that day; and especially since the angels gave glory to God: let us do the same.

Once more the angels said, “Peace to men.” Let us labor if we can to make peace next Christmas day. Now, old gentleman, you won’t take your son in: he has offended you—Fetch him at Christmas. “Peace on earth;” you know: that is a Christmas carol. Make peace in your family.

Now, brother, you have made a vow that you will never speak to your brother again. Go after him and say, “Oh, my dear fellow, let not this day’s sun go down upon our wrath.” Fetch him in, and give him your hand. Now, Mr. Tradesman, you have an opponent in trade, and you have said some very hard words about him lately. If you do not make the matter up today, or tomorrow, or as soon as you can, yet do it on that day. That is the way to keep Christmas, peace on earth and glory to God. And oh, if thou hast anything on thy conscience, anything that prevents thy having peace of mind, keep thy Christmas in thy chamber, praying to God to give thee peace; for it is peace on earth, mind, peace in thyself peace with thyself, peace with thy fellow men, peace with thy God. And do not think thou hast well celebrated that day till thou canst say, “O God, With the world, myself, and thee, I ere I sleep at peace will be.’”

And when the Lord Jesus has become your peace, remember, there is another thing, good will towards men. Do not try to keep Christmas without keeping good will towards men. You are a gentleman, and have servants. Well, try and set their chimneys on fire with a large piece of good, substantial beef for them. If you are men of wealth, you have poor in your neighborhood. Find something wherewith to clothe the naked, and feed the hungry, and make glad the mourner. Remember, it is good will towards men. Try, if you can, to show them goodwill at this special season; and if you will do that, the poor will say with me, that indeed they wish there were six Christmases in the year.

Let each one of us go from this place determined, that if we are angry all the rear round, this next week shall be an exception. That if we have snarled at everybody last year, this Christmas time we will strive to be kindly affectionate to others. And if we have lived all this year at enmity with God, I pray that by his Spirit he may this week give us peace with him; and then, indeed, my brother, It will be the merriest Christmas we ever had in all our lives. You are going home to your father and mother, young men; many of you are going from your shops to your homes. You remember what I preached on last Christmas time. Go home to thy friends, and tell them what the Lord hath done for thy soul, and that will make a blessed round of stories at the Christmas fire. If you will each of you tell your parents how the Lord met with you in the house of prayer; how, when you left home, you were a gay, wild blade, but have now come back to love your mother’s God, and read your father’s Bible. Oh, what a happy Christmas that will make! What more shall I say? May God give you peace with yourselves; may he give you good will towards all your friends, your enemies, and your neighbors; and may he give you grace to give gory to God in the highest. I will say no more, except at the close of this sermon to wish every one of you, when the day shall come, the happiest Christmas you ever had in your lives.

Edited and excerpted from a sermon preached by Spurgeon on December 20, 1857.

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Posted in C. H. Spurgeon |

The Glory of Christ’s Humbling Himself by John Owen

January 7, 2010 by ADMIN

‘There is one God,’ says Paul, ‘and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus’ (1 Tim. 2:5). In that great separation between God and man caused by our sin and apostasy which of itself could result in nothing but the utter ruin of the whole human race, there was none in heaven or earth who was fit or able to reconcile them and bring about a righteous peace between them. Yet this must be done and could be done only by a suitable mediator.

This mediator could not be God himself, as God only, for a mediator does not mediate for only one. But if he was God then he could be said to be biased, for there is only one God and man is not God. Man needs a mediator to represent him just as God needs a mediator to represent him (Gal. 5:20). So whatever God might do in the work of reconciliation, yet as God he could not do it as mediator.

As for man, there was no creature in heaven or earth fit to undertake this work. For ‘if one sins against another, God will judge him. But if a man sins against the Lord, who will intercede for him?’ (1 Sam. 2:25). As Job said, ‘Nor is there any mediator between us who may lay his hand on us’ (Job 9:33).

In this state of things, the Lord Christ, as the Son of God, said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God’ (Heb. 10:7). By taking our nature into union with himself, in his own divine person, he became in every way fit and able for this work and so undertakes it. How then may we behold the glory of Christ as mediator? We may behold it in his humbling himself to take up this office of mediator, in his carrying it out, and in its results.

Infinite Humility in His Incarnation

We may behold the glory of Christ in his infinite willingness to humble himself to take this office of mediator on himself, and uniting our nature to his for that purpose. He did not become mediator by chance. Nor was it imposed on him against his will. He did not have to become mediator. He freely chose to become mediator. He willingly humbled himself in order that he might make a righteous peace between God the Judge and man the sinner.

Christ, being in the form of God, says Paul, willingly took on himself the form of a servant. He willingly humbled himself. He willingly made himself of no reputation and was obedient even to the death of the cross (Phil. 2:5-8). It is this willingness to humble himself to take our nature into union with himself which is glorious in the eyes of believers.

Such is the transcendent glory of the divine nature, that it is said of God that he ‘dwells on high’, and yet ‘humbles himself to behold the things that are in the heavens and in the earth’ (Ps. 113:4-6). God is willing to take notice of the most glorious things in heaven and the lowliest things in the earth. This shows his infinite humility.

Consider the infinite distance between God’s essence, nature or being, and that of his creatures. So all nations before him ‘are as the drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance.’ Indeed, they are as nothing. They are counted to him as less than nothing and foolishness. Who can measure the distance between that which is infinite and that which is finite? It cannot be done. So, the infinite, essential greatness of the nature of God, with his infinite distance from the nature of all creatures, means that God has to humble himself to take notice of things infinitely below him.

God is so infinitely high and lofty, so inhabits eternity in his own eternal being, that it is an act of mere grace in him to take notice of things infinitely below him. Therefore he does it in a special way. He does it by taking special notice of those whom the world despises, ‘the humble and contrite ones’ (Isa. 57:15).

God is infinitely self-sufficient both in himself and in all that he does. Man is continually seeking for self-satisfaction. But no creature can find eternal blessedness or satisfaction in itself, for no creature is self-sufficient. Not even Christ’s human nature in heaven is self-sufficient. It lives in God and God in it. It continues to exist in full dependence on God and continually receives blessed and glorious communications from him. God alone lacks nothing and stands in need of nothing. Nothing can be added to him to increase his blessedness, seeing he ‘gives to all life, breath and all things’ (Acts 17:25). No creature can contribute one mite to God’s eternal blessedness. He is infinitely perfect in his own nature (Job 35:6-7).

How glorious then is this willingness of the Son of God to humble himself to be our mediator. What heart can conceive, what tongue can express the glory of that mind of Christ which brought him down from infinite glory to take our nature into union with his so that he could mediate with God on our behalf?

In order to behold the glory of Christ as mediator better, let us consider the special nature of this willingness of his to humble himself. In doing this we must first consider what he did not do when he humbled himself to be our mediator,

  1. Christ did not lay aside his divine nature.

    2. He did not cease to be God when he became man. The real glory of his willingness to humble himself lies in this great truth, that ‘being in the form of God, he did not consider it robbery to be equal with God’ (Phil. 2:6). That is, being really and essentially God in his divine nature, he declared himself to be equal with God, or with the person of the Father. He was ‘in the form’ of God, that is, he was God. He was partaker of the divine nature, for God has no form or shape. So he was equal with God, in authority, dignity and power. Because he was in the form of God, he must be equal with God, for though there is order in the divine persons, there is no inequality in the Divine Being. So the Jews clearly understood his meaning when he said God was his Father. They knew he meant that he was equal with God. For when he said this, he also claimed equal power with the Father in all his divine works. He said, ‘My Father has been working until now, and I have been working’ (John 5:17).

    Being in the form of God, he took the form of a servant, and was found in fashion as a man (Phil. 2:7). This is his infinite humility. Paul does not say that he stopped being God, but though continuing to be God, he took ‘the form of a servant.’ That is, he took our nature upon him. He became what he was not, but he did not cease to be what he always was (see John 3:13). Although he was then on earth as Son of man, yet he was still God, for in his divine nature he was still also in heaven.

    He who is God, can never not be God, just as he who is not God can never be God. The difference between us and the Socinians (disciples of Faustus and Laelius Socinius in the 16th century who, like the Unitarians and Jehovah’s Witnesses, denied the true and eternal deity of Christ) and is this, that we believe that Christ, being God, was made man for our sakes, whereas they teach that Christ, being only a man, was made a god for own sake.

    This, then, is the glory of Christ’s willingness to humble himself. This is the life and soul of all heavenly truth and all heavenly mysteries, namely, that the Son of God, becoming in time what he was not, that is, Son of man, did not cease thereby to be what he was, even the eternal Son of God.

  2. Christ did not convert his divine nature into the human.

    3. This was what some Arians of old taught, and some still say today that the ‘Word which was in the beginning,’ by which all things were made, was in the fullness of time turned into flesh, that is, the substance of the divine nature was turned into flesh as the water in Christ’s miracle was turned into wine. By an act of divine power, it ceased to be water and was now wine only, not water mixed with wine. So these men suppose a substantial change of the one nature into the other, that is, the divine nature was changed into the human in the same way that Roman Catholics imagine the bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ by transubstantiation.

    But this doctrine destroys both of Christ’s natures, and leaves him a person who can no longer be our mediator. For, according to this teaching, that divine nature in which he was in the form of God ceased to be God. Indeed, it was completely destroyed because it was substantially changed into the nature of man as the water ceased to be water when it was turned into wine. And that human nature which was made by the transformation of the divine nature into the human has no relationship to us, seeing it was not ‘made of a woman.’ but of the substance of the Word.

  3. The humbling of Christ to be our mediator did not change or alter the divine nature.

    4. Eutyches (378-454) and those that followed him taught that the two natures of Christ, the divine and the human, were mixed and compounded as it were into one. But this could not happen without the divine nature being altered, for it would be made to be essentially what it was not, for one nature has but one and the same essence.

    But as we said before, although the Lord became what he was not before, in that our nature was made to be his, yet his divine nature always remained the same. In the divine nature there is neither ‘variableness nor shadow of turning.’ It remained the same in him, in all its essential properties and in all its blessedness as it was from eternity. The Lord Christ did and suffered many things both in his life and in his death as a human being. But all that he did and suffered as a human being was done and suffered by his whole person, even although what he did and suffered as a human being was not actually done and suffered by his divine nature. Because his human nature was part of his whole person, what he did as a human being could be said to have been done by himself as God, e.g., God purchased his church ‘with his own blood’ (Acts 20:28).

  4. What did the Lord Christ do with his divine nature when he willingly humbled himself to become man?

    5. Paul tells us that he ‘humbled himself, and made himself of no reputation’ (Phil. 2:7-8). He veiled the glory of his divine nature in ours, so that there was no outward appearance or revelation of it. The world could not see that he was the true God, so it believed he was not a good man in claiming to be God. So when Christ said, ‘Before Abraham was, I am,’ which asserted his pre-existence from eternity in another nature than what they could see, they were filled with rage, and ‘took up stones to cast at him’ (John 8:58-59). They gave as the reason for their madness that ‘he, being a man, should make himself to be God’ (John 10:33). They could not understand that one and the same person could be both God and man. It was beyond their fleshly reason. Nothing in creation had two natures.

    But this difficulty is solved by the glory of Christ in his humiliation, for although in himself, in his own divine person, he was ‘over all, the eternally blessed God’ (Rom. 9:5), yet he humbled himself for the salvation of the church. To the eternal glory of God, he took our nature and was made man. Those who cannot see a divine glory in his doing this neither know him, nor love him, nor believe in him, nor in any way belong to him.

    So, because these people cannot behold the glory of Christ in this humbling of himself to take our nature, they deny the foundation of our religion, namely the divine person of Christ. If he is willing to be made man, then he shall be treated only as a man and no more. So they reject the glory of God’s infinite wisdom, goodness and grace which concerns him more than does his whole creation. And they dig up the root of all evangelical truths which are nothing but branches growing from it.

    To the world, our Lord Jesus Christ is a ‘stumbling block and a rock of offence.’ If we should say he was only a prophet, no more than a man sent from God, there would be no opposition from the world. The Moslems and the Jews both say he was only a man, a prophet sent from God. The hatred of the Jews for Christ was because he professed himself to be God, and as such was believed on in the world. And today, there are many who are willing to say he was a prophet sent from God, who do not, who will not, who cannot, believe the mystery of his willingness to humble himself to take our nature into union with his divine nature, nor see the glory of it. But take this away, and all our religion is taken away with it. Farewell to the mystery, the glory, the truth and the power of Christianity! Let a refined heathenism be set up in its place. But this is the rock on which the church is built, and against this rock the gates of hell shall not prevail.

  5. Christ’s humbling of himself to be our mediator was not by means of some ethereal substance forming a phantasm or an appearance only.

One of the first heresies that assailed the church was the Docetic (from the Greek word, “to appear, or seem”) heresy. The Docetics taught that all that was done or suffered by Christ as a man was done or suffered by one who only appeared to be a man. His appearance as a man was like the appearance of angels in the shape of men, eating and drinking under the Old Testament. So there was only an appearance of Christ in the man Jesus at Jerusalem, in whom he suffered no more than in other believers. But this heresy was dealt with by the early church telling these heretics that an imaginary Christ gives an imaginary salvation.

We must, then, consider the true nature of this glorious divine humiliation that Christ willingly undertook in order to be our mediator. The essence of the biblical teaching is as follows: The eternal person of the Son of God, or the divine nature in the person of the Son, did, by a wonderful act of his divine power and love, take our nature into union with himself that is, to be his own even as the divine nature is his own.

This is the infallible foundation of faith, even to those who can understand very little of these divine mysteries. They can and do believe that the Son of God took our nature to be his own, so that whatever was done in that nature was done by him as a true human being would do it. The Lord Christ took that nature which is common to all men into union with his divine nature in his own person, so that it became truly his and he was truly the man Christ Jesus. This was the mind that was in him.

In this assumption of our nature in which he lived and suffered, by which he was found in fashion as a man, the glory of his divine person was veiled, and he made himself of no reputation. But this I have already dealt with.

We must also take note, that in taking human nature into union with his divine nature, Christ did not change it into a divine, spiritual nature, but preserved it in its entirety, with all its essential human properties and abilities. So Christ really lived and suffered, was really tried, tempted and forsaken in his true human nature, just as any other man might have so lived and suffered. He was exposed to all earthly evils just as every other man is.

The glory of Christ’s humiliation was the result of the divine wisdom of the Father as well as of the love of the Son. It was the highest evidence of God’s loving care towards his sinful human creatures. What can be compared to it? It is the glory of Christianity and the life-giving power of all evangelical truth. It lifts up the mystery of the wisdom of God above the reason or understanding of men and angels so that it becomes the object of faith and wonder only. It is a mystery that exalts the greatness of God. Considering the infinite distance between God and his creation, it is not surprising that all his works and ways cannot be understood by his creatures (Job 11:7-9; Rom. 11:33-36).

A Great Mystery—A Great Refuge

It is of this great mystery that that great promise concerning him is given to the church. ‘He will be as a sanctuary’ (namely to all believers as Peter tells us, 1 Pet. 2:7-8), ‘but a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence.’ To whom? To those who ‘stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed’ (Isa. 8:14; 1 Pet. 2:8).

Christ is a sanctuary, a sure refuge to all that put their trust in him. And what would a troubled man fleeing to a safe place be looking for? He would look for all his needs to be met, to be delivered from all his fears, to be protected from all dangers. Such is the Lord Christ to all sin-distressed souls.

Christ is a refuge to us in all our spiritual sorrows and troubles (Heb. 6:18). Are you burdened with a sense of sin? Are you weighed down under the oppression of any spiritual enemy? Do we, as a result of any of these things, ‘walk in darkness and have no light?’ One look at the glory of Christ will strengthen and comfort us.

When we go to someone for help, two questions arise. The first is, Is the person to whom we are going for help willing to help us, and secondly, Is he able to help us? We need to know that Christ is both willing and able to help us and to meet all our needs.

We may well ask, What will Christ not do for us? He who emptied and humbled himself, who came down from the infinite height of his glory to take our finite nature into union with his infinite nature, will he not meet all our needs and answer according to his infinite wisdom all our prayers for help? Will he not do all that is necessary for us to be eternally saved? Will he not be a sanctuary for us? We have no reason to fear his ability and power, for in becoming man he lost nothing of his power as the Almighty God, nor of his infinite wisdom and glorious grace. He could still do all that he could do as God from eternity. So Christ is indeed most willing and able to help us. And if we do not see his glory in this, it is because we have no faith in us.

But to unbelievers and the disobedient who stumble at the Word, Christ is a ‘stone of stumbling and a rock of offence.’ They cannot, they will not see the glory of Christ’s infinite willingness to humble himself to take our nature upon him. They have no desire to see it. They hate and despise it. It is offensive to them. So they choose to deny completely that he is God rather than admit that he humbled himself for our sakes. Rather than admit this glory, they will allow him no glory. They say he was merely a man and that this was his only glory. This is the principle of darkness and unbelief which works so effectively in the minds of many. They think it absurd that one person can be both man and God. So they see no glory in Christ and find no refuge or safety in him. But it is just here that faith triumphs against them. Faith sees that to be a glorious sanctuary which unbelief cannot see.

So I exhort you to spend much time meditating on the glory of Christ in his humiliation. Unless we are diligent in this, it is impossible to keep our faith steadily fixed on Christ or be ready for self-denial and taking up our cross, for the humbling of Christ is the chief motive for this duty (Phil. 2:5-8). And no man denies himself rightly, who does not consider the self-denial of the Son of God. For what are the things of which we are to deny ourselves? Is it not our goods, our rights and freedoms, our relations and our lives? They are perishing things from which, whether we like it or not, death will separate us. But the glory of Christ is forever. Believers will never be separated from it. So if you find yourself at any time unwilling to part with this world, then lift up your eyes and by faith behold the glory Christ who ‘made himself of no reputation.’

Slightly edited from The Glory of Christ,, the abridged and edited edition by R. J. K. Law, printed by Banner of Truth. This book is an excellent introduction to John Owen for modern readers. We highly recommend it!

Posted in John Owen |

CHRIST, THE WORD INCARNATE by A. W. Pink

January 7, 2010 by ADMIN

We first submit a brief analysis of the passage which is to be before us —John 1:14-18. We have here: —

1. Christ’s Incarnation — “The word became flesh”: John 1:14.

2. Christ’s Earthly sojourn — “And tabernacled among us:” John 1:14.

3. Christ’s Essential Glory — “As of the only Begotten:” John 1:14.

4. Christ’s Supreme excellency — “Preferred before:” John 1:15.

5. Christ’s Divine sufficiency — “His fulness:” John 1:16.

6. Christ’s Moral perfections — “Grace and truth:” John 1:17.

7. Christ’s Wondrous revelation — Made known “the Father:” John 1:18.

“And the word was made (became) flesh, and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). The Infinite became finite. The Invisible became tangible. The Transcendent became imminent. That which was far off drew nigh. That which was beyond the reach of the human mind became that which could be beholden within the realm of human life. Here we are permitted to see through a veil that, which unveiled, would have blinded us.

“The word became flesh:” He became what He was not previously. He did not cease to be God, but He became Man. “And the word became flesh.” The plain meaning of these words is, that our Divine Savior took upon Him human nature. He became a real Man, yet a sinless, perfect Man. As Man He was “holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners” (Hebrews 7:26). This union of the two natures in the Person of Christ is one of the mysteries of our faith — “Without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh” (1 Timothy 3:16).

It needs to be carefully stated: “The word” was His Divine title; “became flesh” speaks of His holy humanity. He was, and is, the God-man, yet the Divine and human in Him were never confounded. His Deity, though veiled, was never laid aside; His humanity, though sinless, was a real humanity; for as incarnate, He “increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man” (Luke 2:52). As “the word” then, He is the Son of God; as “flesh,” the Son of man.

This union of the two natures in the Person of Christ was necessary in order to fit Him for the office of Mediator. Three great ends were accomplished by God becoming incarnate, by the Word being made flesh.

First, it was now possible for Him to die.

Second, He can now be touched with the feeling of our infirmities.

Third, He has left us an example, that we should follow His steps.

This duality of nature was plainly intimated in Old Testament prediction. Prophecy sometimes represented the coming Messiah as human, sometimes as Divine. He was to be the woman’s “seed” (Genesis 3:15); a “prophet” like unto Moses (see Deuteronomy 18:18); a lineal descendant of David (see 2 Samuel 7:12); Jehovah’s “Servant” (Isaiah 42:1); a “Man of sorrows” (Isaiah 53:3). Yet, on the other hand, He was to be “the Branch of the Lord, beautiful and glorious” (Isaiah 4:2); He was “the wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Father of the ages, the Prince of peace” (Isaiah 9:6). As Jehovah, He was to come suddenly to His temple (see Malachi 3:1). The One who was to be born in Bethlehem and be Ruler in Israel, was the One “whose goings forth had been from the days of eternity” (Micah 5:2).

How were those two different sets of prophecy to be harmonized? John 1:14 is the answer. The One born at Bethlehem was the Divine and eternal Word. The Incarnation does not mean that God dwelt in a man, but that God became Man. He became what He was not previously, though He never ceased to be all that He was before. The Babe of Bethlehem was Immanuel — God with us.

“And the word became flesh.” It is the design of John’s Gospel to bring this out in a special way. The miracles recorded therein illustrate and demonstrate this in a peculiar manner. For example: He turns the water into wine — but how? He, Himself, did nothing but speak the word. He gave His command to the servants and the transformation was wrought. Again; the nobleman’s son was sick. The father came to the Lord Jesus and besought Him to journey to his home and heal his boy. What was our Lord’s response? “Jesus said unto him, Go thy way, thy son liveth” (John 4:50), and the miracle was performed. Again; an impotent man was lying by the porch of Bethesda. He desired some one to put him into the pool, but while he was waiting another stepped in before him, and was healed. Then the Lord Jesus passed that way and saw him. What happened? “Jesus saith unto him, Rise,” etc. The word of power went forth, and the sufferer was made whole. Once more: consider the case of Lazarus, recorded only by John. In the raising of the daughter of Jairus, Christ took the damsel by the hand; when He restored to life the widow’s son of Nain, He touched the bier. But in bringing Lazarus from the dead He did nothing except speak the word, “Lazarus, come forth.” In all of these miracles we see the Word at work. The One who had become flesh and tabernacled among men was eternal and omnipotent — “the great God (the Word) and our Savior (became flesh) Jesus Christ.” (Titus 2:13).

“And dwelt (tabernacled) among us.” He pitched His tent on earth for thirty-three years. There is here a latent reference to the tabernacle of Israel in the wilderness. That tabernacle had a typical significance: it foreshadowed God the Son incarnate. Almost everything about the tabernacle adumbrated the Word made flesh. Many and varied are the correspondences between the type and the Anti-type. We notice a few of the more conspicuous.

1. The “tabernacle” was a temporary appointment. In this it differed from the temple of Solomon, which was a permanent structure. The tabernacle was merely a tent, a temporary convenience, something that was suited to be moved about from place to place during the journeyings of the children of Israel. So it was when our blessed Lord tabernacled here among men. His stay was but a brief one — less than forty years; and, like the type, He abode not long in any one place, but was constantly on the move — unwearied in the activity of His love.

2. The “tabernacle” was for use in the wilderness. After Israel settled in Canaan, the tabernacle was superseded by the temple. But during the time of their pilgrimage from Egypt to the promised land, the tabernacle was God’s appointed provision for them. The wilderness strikingly foreshadowed the conditions amid which the eternal Word tabernacled among men at His first advent. The wilderness home of the tabernacle unmistakably foreshadowed the manger-cradle, the Nazarite-carpenter’s bench, the “nowhere” for the Son of man to lay His head, the borrowed tomb for His sepulcher. A careful study of the chronology of the Pentateuch seems to indicate that Israel used the tabernacle in the wilderness rather less than thirty-five years!

3. Outwardly the “tabernacle” was mean, humble, and unattractive in appearance. Altogether unlike the costly and magnificent temple of Solomon, there was nothing in the externals of the tabernacle to please the carnal eye. Nothing but plain boards and skins. So it was at the Incarnation. The Divine majesty of our Lord was hidden beneath a veil of flesh. He came, unattended by any imposing retinue of angels. To the unbelieving gaze of Israel He had no form nor comeliness; and when they beheld Him, their unanointed eyes saw in Him no beauty that they should desire Him.

4. The “tabernacle” was God’s dwelling place. It was there, in the midst of Israel’s camp, He took up His abode. There, between the cherubim upon the mercy-seat He made His throne. In the holy of holies, He manifested His presence by means of the Shekinah glory. And during the thirty-three years that the Word tabernacled among men, God had His dwelling place in Palestine. The holy of holies received its anti-typical fulfillment in the Person of the Holy One of God. Just as the Shekinah dwelt between the two cherubim, so on the mount of transfiguration the glory of the God-man flashed forth from between two men — Moses and Elijah. “We beheld his glory” is the language of the tabernacle type.

5. The “tabernacle” was, therefore, the place where God met with men. It was termed “the tent of meeting.” If an Israelite desired to draw near unto Jehovah He had to come to the door of the tabernacle. When giving instructions to Moses concerning the making of the tabernacle and its furniture, God said, “And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee. And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee” (Exodus 25:21, 22). How perfect is this lovely type! Christ is the meeting-place between God and men. No man cometh unto the Father but by Him (see John 14:16). There is but one Mediator between God and men — the Man Christ Jesus (see 1 Timothy 2:5). He is the One who spans the gulf between deity and humanity, because He is Himself both God and Man.

6. The “tabernacle” was the center of Israel’s camp. In the immediate vicinity of the tabernacle dwelt the Levites, the priestly tribe: “But thou shalt appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of testimony, and over all the vessels thereof, and over all things that belong to it: and they shall minister unto it, and shall encamp round about the tabernacle” (Numbers 1:50), and around the Levites were grouped the twelve tribes, three on either side — see Numbers 2. Again; we read, that when Israel’s camp was to be moved from one place to another, “Then the tabernacle of the congregation shall set forward with the camp of the Levites in the midst of the camp” (Numbers 2:17). And, once more, “And Moses went out, and told the people the words of the Lord, and gathered the seventy men of the elders of the people, and set them round about the tabernacle. And the Lord came down in a cloud and spake unto him” (Numbers 11:24, 25).

How striking is this! The tabernacle was the great gathering center. As such it was a beautiful foreshadowing of the Lord Jesus. He is our great gathering-center. And His precious promise is, that “where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20).

7. The “tabernacle” was the place where the Law was preserved. The first two tables of stone, on which Jehovah had inscribed the Ten Commandments were broken (see Exodus 32:19); but the second set were deposited in the ark in the tabernacle for safe keeping (see Deuteronomy 10:2-5). It was only there, within the holy of holies, the tablets of the Law were preserved intact. How this, again, speaks to us of Christ! He it was that said, “Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me; I delight to do thy will, O my God; yea, thy law is within my heart” (Psalm 40:7, 8). Throughout His perfect life He preserved in thought, word and deed, the Divine Decalogue, honoring and magnifying God’s Law.

8. The “tabernacle” was the place where sacrifice was made. In its outer court stood the brazen altar, to which the animals were brought, and on which they were slain. There it was that blood was shed and atonement was made for sin. So it was with the Lord Jesus. He fulfilled in His own Person the typical significance of the brazen altar, as of every piece of the tabernacle furniture. The body in which He tabernacled on earth was nailed to the cruel Tree. The Cross was the altar upon which God’s Lamb was slain, where His precious blood was shed, and where complete atonement was made for sin.

9. The “tabernacle” was the place where the priestly family was fed. “And the remainder thereof shall Aaron and his sons eat: with unleavened bread shall it be eaten in the holy place; in the court of the tabernacle of the congregation they shall eat it… The priest that offereth it for sin shall eat it: in the holy place shall it be eaten” (Leviticus 6:16, 26). How deeply significant are these scriptures in their typical import! And how they speak to us of Christ as the Food of God’s priestly family today, that is, all believers (see 1 Peter 2:5). He is the Bread of Life. He is the One upon whom our souls delight to feed.

10. The “tabernacle” was the place of worship. To it, the pious Israelite brought his offerings. To it, he turned when he desired to worship Jehovah. From its door the Voice of the Lord was heard. Within its courts the priests ministered in their sacred service. And so it was with the Anti-type. It is “by him” we are to offer unto God a sacrifice of praise (see Hebrews 13:15). It is in Him, and by Him, alone, that we can worship the Father. It is through Him we have access to the throne of grace.

Thus we see how fully and how perfectly the tabernacle of old foreshadowed the Person of our blessed Lord, and why the Holy Spirit, when announcing the Incarnation, said, “And the word became flesh, and tabernacled among us.” Before passing on to the next clause of John 1:14, it should be pointed out that there is a series of striking contrasts between the wilderness tabernacle and Solomon’s temple in their respective foreshadowings of Christ.

(1) The tabernacle foreshadowed Christ in His first advent; the temple looks forward to Christ at His second advent.

(2) The tabernacle was first, historically; the temple was not built until long afterwards.

(3) The tabernacle was but a temporary erection; the temple was a permanent structure.

(4) The tabernacle was erected by Moses the prophet (which was the office Christ filled during His first advent); the temple was built by Solomon the king (which is the office Christ will fill at His second advent).

(5) The tabernacle was used in the wilderness — speaking of Christ’s humiliation; the temple was built in Jerusalem, the “city of the great King” (Matthew 5:35) — speaking of Christ’s future glorification.

(6) The numeral which figured most prominently in the tabernacle was five, which speaks of grace, and grace was what characterized the earthly ministry of Christ at His first advent; but the leading numeral in the temple was twelve which speaks of government, for Christ shall rule and reign as King of kings and Lord of lords.

(7) The tabernacle was unattractive in its externals — so when Christ was here before He was as “a root out of a dry ground;” but the temple was renowned for its outward magnificence — so Christ when He returns shall come in power and great glory.

“And we beheld his glory.” “We beheld” refers, directly, to the first disciples, yet it is the blessed experience of all believers today. “But we all… beholding, as in a glass (mirror) the glory of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 3:18). The term used in both of these verses seems to point a contrast. In John 12:41 we read, “These things said Isaiah, when he saw his glory, and spake of him,” the reference being to Isaiah 6. The Old Testament celebrities only had occasional and passing glimpses of God’s glory. But, in contrast from these who only “saw,” we — believers of this dispensation — “behold his glory.” But more particularly, there is a contrast here between the beholding and the non-beholding of God’s glory: the Shekinah glory abode in the holy of holies, and therefore, was hidden. But we, now, “behold” the Divine glory.

“We beheld his glory.” What is meant by this? Ah! who is competent to answer. Eternity itself will be too short to exhaustively explore this theme. The glories of our Lord are infinite, for in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. No subject ought to be dearer to the heart of a believer. Briefly defined, “We beheld his glory” signifies His supreme excellency, His personal perfections. For the purpose of general classification, we may say the “glories” of our Savior are fourfold, each of which is capable of being subdivided indefinitely. First, there are His essential “glories,” as the Son of God; these are His Divine perfections, as for example, His Omnipotence. Second, there are His moral “glories,” and these are His human perfections, as for example, His meekness. Third, there are His official “glories,” and these are His mediatorial perfections, as for example, His priesthood. Fourth, there are His acquired “glories,” and these are the reward for what He has done. Probably the first three of these are spoken of in our text.

First, “We beheld his glory” refers to His essential “glory,” or Divine perfections. This is clear from the words which follow: “The glory as of the only begotten of the Father.” From the beginning to the end of His earthly life and ministry the Deity of the Lord Jesus was plainly evidenced. His supernatural birth, His personal excellencies, His matchless teaching, His wondrous miracles, His death and resurrection, all proclaimed Him as the Son of God. But it is to be noted that these words, “we beheld his glory,” follow immediately after the words “tabernacled” among men. We cannot but believe there is here a further reference to the tabernacle. In the tabernacle, in the holy of holies, Jehovah made His throne upon the mercy seat, and the evidence of His presence there was the Shekinah glory, frequently termed “the cloud.” When the tabernacle had been completed, and Jehovah took possession of it, we read, “then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle” (Exodus 40:34).

It was the same at the completion of Solomon’s temple: “The cloud filled the house of the Lord, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of the Lord” (1 Kings 8:10, 11). Here “the cloud” and “the glory” are clearly identified. The Shekinah glory, then, was the standing sign of God’s presence in the midst of Israel. Hence, after Israel’s apostasy, and when the Lord was turning away from them, we are told, “And the glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city” (Ezekiel 11:23).

Therefore, when we read, “The Word… tabernacled among men, and we beheld his glory,” it was the proof that none other than Jehovah was again in Israel’s midst. And it is a remarkable fact, to which we have never seen attention called, that at either extremity of the Word’s tabernacling among men the Shekinah glory was evidenced. Immediately following His birth we are told, “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid” (Luke 2:8, 9). And, at His departure from this world, we read “And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight” (Acts 1:9) — not “clouds,” but “a cloud! We beheld his glory,” then, refers, first, to His Divine glory.

Second, there also seems to be a reference here to His official “glory,” which was exhibited upon the Holy Mount. In 2 Peter 1:16 we read, “For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.” The reference is to the Transfiguration, for the next verse goes on to say, “For he received from God the Father honor and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” It is the use of the word “glory” here which seems to link the transfiguration-scene with John 1:14. This is confirmed by the fact that on the Mount, “while he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them” (Matthew 17:5).

Third, there is also a clear reference in John 1:14 to the moral “glory” or perfections of the God-Man, for after saying “we beheld his glory,” John immediately adds (omitting the parenthesis) “full of grace and truth.” What marvelous grace we behold in that wondrous descent from heaven’s throne to Bethlehem’s manger! It had been an act of infinite condescension if the One who was the Object of angelic worship had deigned to come down to this earth and reign over it as King; but that He should appear in weakness, that He should voluntarily choose poverty, that He should become a helpless Babe — such grace is altogether beyond our ken; such matchless love passeth knowledge. O that we may never lose our sense of wonderment at the infinite condescension of God’s Son.

In His marvelous stoop we behold His glory. Greatness is never so glorious as when it takes the place of lowliness. Power is never so attractive as when it is placed at the disposal of others. Might is never so triumphant as when it sets aside its own prerogatives. Sovereignty is never so winsome as when it is seen in the place of service. And, may we not say it reverently, Deity had never appeared so glorious as when It hung upon a maiden’s breast! Yes, we behold His glory — the glory of an infinite condescension, the glory of a matchless grace, the glory of a fathomless love.

Concerning the acquired “glories” of our Lord we cannot now treat at length. These include the various rewards bestowed upon Him by the Father after the successful completion of the work which had been committed into His hands. It is of these acquired glories Isaiah speaks, when, after treating of the voluntary humiliation and death of the Savior, he gives us to hear the Father saying of Christ, “Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death” (Isaiah 53:12). It is of these acquired glories the Holy Spirit speaks in Philippians 2, where after telling of our Lord’s obedience even unto the death of the Cross, He declares, “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name” (Philippians 2:9).

And so we might continue. But how unspeakably blessed to know, that at the close of our great High Priest’s prayer, recorded in John 17, we find Him saying, “Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me” (verse 24)!

Before we pass on to the next verse, we would point out that there is an intimate connection between the one which has just been before us (John 5:14) and the opening verse of the chapter. Verse 14 is really an explanation and amplification of verse 1. There are three statements in each which exactly correspond, and the latter throw light on the former. First, “in the beginning was the word,” and that is something that transcends our comprehension; but “and the word became flesh” brings Him within reach of our sense. Second “and the word was with God,” and again we are unable to understand; but the Word “tabernacled among us,” and we may draw near and behold. Third, “and the word was God,” and again we are in the realm of the Infinite; but “full of grace and truth,” and here are two essential facts concerning God which come within the range of our vision.

“John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me” (John 1:15).

Concerning the ministry and testimony of John the Baptist we shall have more to say in our next chapter, D.V., so upon this verse we offer only two very brief remarks:

First, we find that here the Lord’s forerunner bears witness to Christ’s supreme excellency: “He that cometh after me is preferred before me,” he declares, which, in the Greek, signifies Christ had His being “before” John.

Second, “For he was before me.” But, historically, John the Baptist was born into this world six months before the Savior was. When, then, the Baptist says Christ “was before” him, he is referring to His eternal existence, and, therefore, bears witness to His deity.

“And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace” (John 1:16). The word “fulness” is still another term in this important passage which brings out the absolute Deity of the Savior. It is the same word which is found in Colossians 1:19 and 2:9 — “For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell… For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.” The Greek preposition “ek” signifies “out of.” Out of the Divine fulness have all we (believers) “received.” What is it we have “received” from Christ? Ah, what is it we have not “received!” It is out of His inexhaustible “fulness” we have “received.” From Him we have “received” life (see John 10:28); peace (John 14:27); joy (John 15:11); God’s own Word (John 17:14); the Holy Spirit (John 20:22). There is laid up in Christ, as in a great storehouse, all that the believer needs both for time and for eternity.

“And grace for grace.” Bishop Ryle tells us the Greek preposition here may be translated two different ways, and suggests the following thoughts. First, we have received “grace upon grace,” that is, God’s favors heaped up, one upon another. Second, “grace for grace,” that is, new grace to supply old grace; grace sufficient to meet every recurring need.

“For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ” (John 1:17). A contrast is drawn between what was “given” by Moses, and what “came” by Jesus Christ; for “grace and truth” were not merely “given,” they “came by Jesus Christ,” came in all their fulness, came in their glorious perfections. The Law was “given” to Moses, for it was not his own; but “grace and truth” were not “given” to Christ, for these were His own essential perfections. On looking into this contrast we must bear in mind that the great point here is the manifestation of God: God as He was manifested through the Law, and God as He was made known by the Only Begotten Son.

Was not the Law “truth?” Yes, so far as it went. It announced what God righteously demanded of men, and therefore, what men ought to be according to God’s mind. It has often been said, the Law is a transcript of God’s mind. But how inadequate such a statement is! Did the Law reveal what God is? Did it display all His attributes? If it did, there would be nothing more to learn of God than what the Law made known. Did the Law tell out the grace of God? No; indeed. The Law was holy, and the commandment holy, just, and good. It demanded obedience; it required the strictest doing and continuance of all things written in it. And the only alternative was death. Inflexible in its claims, it remitted no part of its penalty. He that despised it “died without mercy,” and, “every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward” (Hebrews 10:28; see Hebrews 2:2).

Such a Law could never justify a sinner. For this it was never given. The inevitable effect of the Law when received by the unsaved is just that which was produced at Sinai, to whom it first came: “And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die” (Exodus 20:19). “Now therefore why should we die? for this great fire will consume us: if we hear the voice of the Lord our God any more, then we shall die” (Deuteronomy 5:25). Why such terror? Because “they could not endure that which was commanded” (Hebrews 12:20). This terror was the testimony which the Law extorts from every sinner, to whom it is brought home as God’s Law; it is “the ministration of condemnation, and of death” (2 Corinthians 3:7, 9). It has a “glory,” indeed, but it is the glory of thunder and lightning, of fire, of blackness, and of darkness, and the sound of the trumpet, and of the voice of words, which only bring terror to the guilty conscience. But, blessed be God, there is “a glory that excelleth” (2 Corinthians 3:10).

“Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” The “glory that excelleth” is the glory of “the word that became flesh, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth.” The Law revealed God’s justice, but it did not make known His mercy; it testified to His righteousness, but it did not exhibit His grace. It was God’s “truth,” but not the full truth about God Himself. “By the law is the knowledge of sin;” we never read “by the law is the knowledge of God.” No; the “law entered that the offense might abound,” “sin by the commandment became exceeding sinful.” It made known the heinousness of sin; it condemned the sinner, but it did not fully reveal God. It exhibited His righteous hatred of sin and His holy determination to punish it: it exposed the guilt and corruption of the sinner, but for ought it could tell him, it left him to his doom. “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” (Romans 8:3, 4).

“Grace and truth.” These are fitly and inseparably joined together. We cannot have the one without having the other. There are many who do not like salvation by grace, and there are those who would tolerate grace if they could have it without the truth. The Nazarenes could “wonder” at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth, but as soon as Christ pressed the truth upon them, they “were filled with wrath,” and sought to “cast him down headlong from the brow of the hill whereon their city was built” (Luke 4:29).

Such, too, was the condition of those who sought Him for “the meat that perisheth.” They were willing to profit from His grace, but when He told them the truth some “murmured” at Him, others were “offended,” and “many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him” (John 6:66). And in our own day, there are many who admire the grace which came by Jesus Christ, and would consent to be saved by it, provided this could be without the intrusion of the truth. But this cannot be. Those who reject the truth, reject grace. There is, in Romans 5:21, another sentence which is closely parallel, and really, an amplification of these words “grace and truth” — “Grace reigns through righteousness, unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.” The grace which saves sinners is no mere moral weakness such as is often to be found in human government. Nor is “the righteousness of God,” through which grace reigns, some mere semblance of justice. No; on the Cross Christ was “set forth a propitiation (a perfect satisfaction to the broken Law) through faith in his blood, to declare his (God’s) righteousness for the remission of sins” (Romans 3:25). Grace does not ignore the Law, or set aside its requirements; nay verily, “it establishes the law” (Romans 3:31): establishes it because inseparably linked with “truth;” establishes it because it reigns “through righteousness,” not at the expense of it; establishes it because grace tells of a Substitute who kept the Law for and endured the death penalty on behalf of all who receive Him as their Lord and Savior; and establishes it by bringing the redeemed to “delight” in the Law.

But was there no “grace and truth” before Jesus Christ came? Assuredly there was. God dealt according to “grace and truth” with our first parents immediately after their transgression — it was grace that sought them, and provided them with a covering; as it was truth that pronounced sentence upon them, and expelled them from the garden. God dealt according to “grace and truth” with Israel on the Passover night in Egypt: it was grace that provided shelter for them beneath the blood; it was truth that righteously demanded the death of an innocent substitute in their stead. But “grace and truth” were never fully revealed till the Savior Himself appeared. By Him they “came:” in Him they were personified, magnified, glorified.

And now let us notice a few contrasts between Law and Grace:

1. Law addresses men as members of the old creation; Grace makes men members of a new creation.

2. Law manifested what was in Man-sin; Grace manifests what is in God-Love.

3. Law demanded righteousness from men; Grace brings righteousness to men.

4. Law sentences a living man to death; Grace brings a dead man to life.

5. Law speaks of what men must do for God; Grace tells of what Christ has done for men.

6. Law gives a knowledge of sin; Grace puts away sin.

7. Law brought God out to men; Grace brings men in to God.

“No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him” (John 1:18). This verse terminates the Introduction to John’s Gospel, and summarizes the whole of the first eighteen verses of John 1. Christ has “declared” — told out, revealed, unveiled, displayed the Father; and the One who has done this is “the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father.” The “bosom of the Father” speaks of proximity to, personal intimacy with, and the enjoyment of the Father’s love. And, in becoming flesh, the Son did not leave this place of inseparable union. It is not the “Son which was,” but “which is in the bosom of the Father.” He retained the same intimacy with the Father, entirely unimpaired by the Incarnation. Nothing in the slightest degree detracted from His own personal glory or from the nearness and oneness to the Father which He had enjoyed with Him from all eternity. How we ought, then, to honor, reverence, and worship the Lord Jesus!

But a further word on this verse is called for. A remarkable contrast is pointed. In the past, God, in the fulness of His glory, was unmanifested — “No man” had seen Him; but now, God is fully revealed — the Son has “declared” Him. Perhaps this contrast may be made clearer to our readers if we refer to two passages in the Old Testament and compare them with two passages in the New Testament. In 1 Kings 8:12 we read, “Then spake Solomon, The Lord said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.” Again, “Clouds and darkness are round about him” (Psalm 97:2). These verses tell not what God is in Himself, but declare that under the Law He was not revealed. What could be known of a person who dwelt in “thick darkness!” But now turn to 1 Peter 2:9, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

Ah, how blessed this is. Again, we read in 1 John 1:5, 7, “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all… but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another.” And this, because the Father has been fully “declared” by our adorable Savior.

Once more: turn to Exodus 33:18 — “And he said, I beseech thee, show me thy glory.” This was the earnest request of Moses. But was it granted? Read on, “And the Lord said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shall stand upon a rock: and it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a cleft of a rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by: And I will take away mine hind, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.” Character is not declared in a person’s “back parts” but in his face! That Moses saw not the face, but only the back parts of Jehovah, was in perfect accord with the dispensation of Law in which he lived. How profoundly thankful should we be that the dispensation of Law has passed, and that we live in the full light of the dispensation of Grace! How deeply grateful should we be, that we look not on the back parts of Jehovah “for God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6).

May grace be given us to magnify and adorn that superlative grace which has brought us out of darkness into marvelous light, because the God whom no man hath seen at any time has been fully “declared” by the Son.

We conclude, once more, by drawing up a number of questions on the passage which will be before us in the next chapter (John 1:19-34), so that the interested reader, who desires to “Search the Scriptures” may give them careful study in the interval.

1. Why did the Jews ask John if he were Elijah, John 1:21?

2. What “prophet” did they refer to in John 1:21?

3. What are the thoughts suggested by “voice” in John 1:23?

4. Why did John cry “in the wilderness” rather than in the temple, John 1:23?

5. “Whom ye know not,” John 1:26 — What did this prove?

6. What are the thoughts suggested by the Savior’s title “The Lamb of God,” John 1:29?

7. Why did the Holy Spirit descend on Christ as a “dove,” John 1:32?

The current formatting and editing is copyrighted by Jim Ehrhard, 2000. You are permitted to reproduce and distribute this material in any format provided that: (1) you credit the author; (2) any modifications are clearly marked; (3) you do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction; and (4) you do not make more than 100 copies without permission. If you would like to post this material to your web site or make any use other than as defined above, please contact Teaching Resources International

Posted in A. W. Pink |

From Our Hearts by Jim & Debbie Ehrhard

January 7, 2010 by ADMIN

The Doctrine of Sin is certainly one of the most neglected in preaching today. Whereas preachers of old preached the depravity of man and saw many brought to conviction and conversion, preachers today seem content to place emphasis on God’s love and grace and ignore preaching on man’s sinfulness. To do so is a serious mistake. Not only does such an emphasis distort the message of salvation which, of necessity begins with “the bad news,” it also diminishes the greatness and glory of God in salvation. A proper understanding of our dreadful condition and our utter helplessness restores the biblical emphasis on the power of God in making dead men alive and in rescuing men from the kingdom of darkness.

In this issue, we have included a number of articles that address the sin nature of man. In articles from A. W. Pink and Asahel Nettleton, the results of the fall and the depravity of man are discussed. Those by Edwards and Charnock remind us of the greatness of God’s grace. We are not saved because we are better in any way. God’s choice is not determined by anything in us or any act by us, but only because of His great love and mercy toward us. These articles humble us as we remember our condition and God’s grace that rescued us. Finally, we have included two articles (one by A. W. Pink and another by William Gurnall) that speak about the work of the Spirit in bringing dead men to conviction of sin.

One idea has stood out in my mind while researching and editing these articles—the goodness of God. As I have been reminded of how wicked I am, I have been brought anew to see how good God is. I have seen this goodness in a number of areas. First, God’s goodness is revealed in that He has been unbelievably patient toward us all. His justice would not have been questioned had He destroyed everyone one of us. His goodness is especially evident in that He continues to “endure with patience the vessels prepared for destruction.” That is, He continues to bear with those that will never come to saving faith. Second, I am constantly reminded that, even if God never gave me anything else in life but Christ, I would have to say, “God is so good to me.” But the Scriptures (and our experiences) remind us that “He who did not spare His own Son but offered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things” (Romans 8:32)? In light of our sin and rebellion, what more can we say other than “God is so good to us.”

By His Grace, Jim & Debbie

Posted in Uncategorized |

The Day of Judgment by John Newton

January 7, 2010 by ADMIN

Day of judgment, day of wonders!
Hark! the trumpet’s awful sound,
Louder than a thousand thunders,
Shakes the vast creation round!
How the summons will the sinner’s heart confound.

See the Judge, our nature wearing,
Cloth’d in majesty divine!
You who long for his appearing
Then shall say, “This God is mine!”
Gracious Savior, own me in that day for thine!

At his call, the dead awaken,
Rise to life from earth and sea:
All the pow’rs of nature shaken
By his looks prepare to flee:
Careless sinner, what will then become of thee?

Horrors past imagination
Will surprise your trembling heart,
When you hear your condemnation,
“Hence, accursed wretch, depart!
“Thou with Satan and his angels have thy part!”

Satan, who now tries to please you,
Lest you timely warning take,
When that word is past, will seize you,
Plunge you in the burning lake:
Think, poor sinner, thy eternal all’s at stake.

But to those who have confessed,
Lov’d and serv’d the Lord below,
He will say, “Come near, ye blessed,
“See the kingdom I bestow;
You for ever shall my love and glory know.”

Under sorrows and reproaches,
May this thought your courage raise
Swiftly God’s great day approaches,
Sighs shall then be chang’d to praise:
We shall triumph when the world is in a blaze.

Copyright Jim Ehrhard, 1999. You are permitted to reproduce and distribute this material in any format provided that: (1) you credit the author; (2) any modifications are clearly marked; (3) you do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction; and (4) you do not make more than 100 copies without permission. If you would like to post this material to your web site or make any use other than as defined above, please contact Teaching Resources International

Posted in John Newton |

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