Looking Unto Jesus

04 THE INCARNATION

THUS the divine Son of God came into this world - born of a woman. The mystery of his glorious incarnation is among the wonders which the angels desire to look into. 1 Peter 1:11, 12. Here the skeptic grows facetious, and the ribald scoffer waxes merry over his innuendos concerning the miraculous conception and birth of the Son of Man. Could such overcome the vacuity of their minds long enough to bestow a serious and sensible thought upon the subject, they might be asked, on the hypothesis that a plan of redemption was to be devised, how they would propose to accomplish that purpose. Given this condition to be met, that a divine being is to come into this world on the plane of humanity, taking upon himself the nature of man, how would they have this change effected? Could there be a member of the human family not born of a woman? Could a divine being become a man among men without being born into this plane of existence? And to this end, what kind of woman would be chosen? Would it be any other than a pure and lovely youthful virgin, as the Scriptures assure us the virgin Mary was, who was the mother of Jesus? Let, then, all cavilers retire abashed before the unavoidable conditions of the case, and the divine condescension revealed in its accomplishment. Instead of seeking some point at which to jeer and mock, as skeptics do, as the turkey-buzzard scans the landscape, not for its honeyed fruits and flowers, but for some putrid carcass on which to prey, the Christian enters rather into the spirit of the song which the angels sang, and the declaration made by the heavenly messenger when he said: “Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:10, 11. Pressed with a burden of sin, and a longing desire for freedom from its power, the thoughtful penitent is only too glad to know that a way was devised whereby a divine being, to be called “Jesus,” because he would “save his people from their sins,” could come to his help - too glad for this, to be tempted to stop and indulge in ribald quibble over the means by which God chose to bring it to pass. LUJ 25.1

And what a puzzling problem to a godless world is this same Jesus! Virtually the question concerning him, has ever been, like that raised by Pilate, “What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They look at his life, and find no flaw therein; no crevice in his character for the eye of suspicion to pry into; no spot on his garments for the tongue of slander, no lapse in word or deed for the sting of reproach. What can they do with that unimpeachable life, and yet justify their own course of action in rejecting him? If he was good, why not try to be like him? If his life was high and holy, devoted to deeds of kindness and mercy, why not follow in his steps, and make our lives a benediction to the needy, and a blessing to the world? Men rail at his earthly origin, as either fable or a crime, and yet pronounce him the best man that has ever lived, forgetting the inconsistency of supposing that from such a course would be likely to spring the most exalted character the world has ever seen. They pronounce him a most excellent man, of the very highest integrity and virtue, forgetting that if he was not what he claimed to be, which they will not admit that he was, then he was one of the most stupendous impostors that ever deceived mankind. Yes; what shall we do with Jesus, who is called the Christ? If he was what he claimed to be, no one will be found reckless enough to deny that every prompting of wisdom, every principle of the simplest understanding, demands that we accept and follow him as our Lord and Master; and he can be rejected only at our certain peril. But if he was not what he professed to be but was a most daring deceiver and impious impostor, asserting that he came down from heaven; that he was the Son of the Highest, holy, harmless, and undefiled; the way, the truth, and the life; the true vine and the true shepherd; the only way by which men could come to God, the only door into the heavenly fold; - if, putting forth such claims, he was all the while but a deluded, sinful, erring man, whence came his power to live the life he lived, and to attest his mission by the wonders he was able to perform? He was either the best or the worst of men. He could not be both at the same time. If he was the worst, how comes it that he was supreme in every virtue and every quality which links man with the divine? If he was the best, as even his bitterest foes are compelled to admit, why take a position concerning him, which makes him the worst? What shall we do with Jesus who is called the Christ? This question belongs to that class which never can be settled, till it is settled right; and he only settles this one aright who comes to him as a Saviour from his sins, takes his life for his example, his power for his strength, his righteousness for his merit, and his easy yoke and light burden upon his shoulders and upon his heart, and so finds rest unto his soul. LUJ 26.1

Taking upon himself our nature, he brought himself into a position where he can call us brethren. Hebrews 2:11. He can therefore be touched with a feeling of our infirmities, for he was tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin; and having been thus tempted, he is able to succor them which are tempted. Hebrews 4:15; 2:18. He came down to pass with us through the school of life and show us the way. He comes down among his pupils to work out in their presence the intractable problems by which they have been hopelessly baffled. He planted his feet in every spot which we can be required to tread. He was in all points tempted like as we are, and in all points was a victor in our behalf. He bore our griefs and carried our sorrows. He made himself of no reputation. He was despised and rejected of men, because they would not deny the carnal heart, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. They saw in him no form nor comeliness nor beauty, because the ways of virtue, purity, and peace, which only he could sanction, they would not follow. The darkness would not comprehend the light. His path did not lead to honor, luxury, or riches, and men turned their faces away from him. “A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief,” is not such a one as the world esteems. He was wounded, bruised and chastened; but it was for our transgressions and iniquities; and these are the stripes he bore by which we are healed. He had travail of soul, and resisted unto blood, striving against sin. (See Isaiah 53; Hebrews 12:4.) In all these experiences we are to “consider him,” and learn from him, lest we become weary and faint in our minds. “Wherefore,” says Paul, “in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people” (Hebrews 2:17); nd the assurance of chapter 4:15 naturally follows: “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” LUJ 28.1

Thus Christ left a life for our example. He taught us to do well, and then, if we suffer for it, to take it patiently; “for,” says the apostle Peter, “even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: who did not sin, neither was guile found in his mouth.” 1 Peter 2:20-22. His character and relationship as creator he did not lose by coming into this world on the great errand of redemption: hence this sinless life, lived in our behalf, may, by faith in him, be appropriated as his own, by any of the class he came to redeem, who are all his creatures. This life manifested here in our nature vindicates the government of God, and clears his throne from all charges of inconsistency in demanding of men, or as if he demanded of men, more than they could do, and condemning them for not meeting requirements which it was impossible for them to perform. This is very clearly stated by Paul in Romans 8:3, 4: “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.” God’s throne is charged with guilt. It is claimed that no man could keep the law God had laid upon him, by any possible power in himself or at his command; that it was not just that man should be required to keep such a law, and he never should have been condemned for breaking it. The law, as the apostle says, was “weak through the flesh;” that is, the flesh, man’s carnal nature, basely yielded to temptation, and broke the law; but there was no power in the law to redeem; and so, though ordained to life, that is to keep men in the path of obedience which is the path of life, it has no power to bring them back when they stepped over into the way of death; therefore, so far as the law only was concerned, man was then doomed to death. But God sent his own Son into the world to show that the whole trouble lay in the base surrender of the flesh to sin, and not to any injustice in the law. He came in the likeness of sinful flesh to demonstrate before all parties in the controversy that is was possible for men in the flesh to keep the law. He demonstrated this by keeping it himself. On our plane of existence, and in our nature, he rendered such obedience to every principle and precept, that the eye of Omniscience itself could detect no flaw therein. His whole life was but a transcript of that law, in its spiritual nature, and in its holy, just, and good demands. He thus condemned sin in the flesh, by living himself in the flesh and doing no sin; showing that it was possible for man thus to live. It was a complete and triumphant vindication of the fact that God is not unjust in his demands; that he required of man nothing more than he could do, nothing more than he should have done, and for the not doing of which he was justly condemned. If Christ here, as a man, could keep the law, fulfilling perfectly the Father’s will, man could have done so too, and therefore stands speechless before a throne which is shown to be a throne of equity, before a law which is shown to be holy, just and good, and before the blameless life of Christ, which is shown to be possible in a world like this, and in a condition vastly worse than that in which Adam was placed, when he basely yielded to temptation. LUJ 29.1