The Great Doctrines of the Bible Part 7

3. HIS ASCENSION AND EXALTATION.

THE DOCTRINE OF JESUS CHRIST.

A. THE PERSON OF CHRIST.

The close kins.h.i.+p of Christ with Christianity is one of the distinctive features of the Christian religion. If you take away the name of Buddha from Buddhism and remove the personal revealer entirely from his system; if you take away the personality of Mahomet from Mahommedanism, or the personality of Zoroaster from the religion of the Pa.r.s.ees, the entire doctrine of these religions would still be left intact. Their practical value, such as it is, would not be imperilled or lessened. But take away from Christianity the name and person of Jesus Christ and what have you left? Nothing!

The whole substance and strength of the Christian faith centres in Jesus Christ. Without Him there is absolutely nothing.--_Sinclair Patterson._

From beginning to end, in all its various phases and aspects and elements, the Christian faith and life is determined by the person and the work of Jesus Christ. It owes its life and character at every point to Him. Its convictions are convictions about Him. Its hopes are hopes which He has inspired and which it is for Him to fulfill.

Its ideals are born of His teaching and His life. Its strength is the strength of His spirit.--_James Denney._

I. THE HUMANITY OF JESUS CHRIST.

1. THE SCRIPTURES DISTINCTLY TEACH THAT HE HAD A HUMAN PARENTAGE: THAT HE WAS BORN OF A WOMAN--THE VIRGIN MARY.

Matt. 1:18--"Mary ... was found with child of the Holy Ghost."

2-11--"The young child with Mary his mother." 12:47 --"Behold, thy mother and thy brethren." 13:55--"Is not his mother called Mary?"

John 1:14--"The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us." 2:1--"The mother of Jesus was there." Acts 13:23--"Of this man's seed hath G.o.d ... raised ... ..Jesus." Rom.1:3--"Of the seed of David according to the flesh." Gal. 4:4--"Made of a woman."

In thus being born of a woman Jesus Christ submitted to the conditions of a human life and a human body; became humanity's son by a human birth. Of the "seed of the woman," of the "seed of Abraham," and of line and lineage of David, Jesus Christ is undeniably human.

We must not lose sight of the fact that there was something supernatural surrounding the birth of the Christ. Matt. 1:18--"On this wise," and Luke 1:35--"The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee; therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of G.o.d." "On this wise" indicates that this birth was different from those recorded before it. Luke 1:35 is explicit about the matter. To a.s.sail the virgin birth is to a.s.sail the Virgin's life.

He was of "the seed of the woman," not of the man. (See Luke 1:34--"How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?") No laws of heredity are sufficient to account for His generation. By a creative act G.o.d broke through the chain of human generation and brought into the world a supernatural being.

The narrative of the virgin birth need not stagger us. The abundance of historical evidence in its favor should lead to its acceptance.

All the ma.n.u.scripts in all the ancient versions contain the record of it. All the traditions of the early church recognize it. Mention of it is made in the earliest of all the creeds: the Apostles'

Creed. If the doctrine of the virgin birth is rejected it must be on purely subjective grounds. If one denies the possibility of the supernatural in the experience of human life, it is, of course, easy for him to deny this doctrine. To one who believes that Jesus was human only it would seem comparatively easy to deny the supernatural birth on purely subjective grounds. The preconceptions of thinkers to a great degree determine their views. It would seem that such a wonderful life as that lived by Christ, having as it did such a wonderful finish in the resurrection and ascension, might, indeed should, have a wonderful and extraordinary entrance into the world. The fact that the virgin birth is attested by the Scriptures, by tradition, by creeds, and that it is in perfect harmony with all the other facts of that wonderful life should be sufficient attestation of its truth. [Footnote: _"The Virgin Birth,"_ by James Orr, D.D., deals fully and most ably with this subject.]

It has been thought strange that if, as is claimed, the virgin birth is so essential to the right understanding of the Christian religion, that Mark, John, and Paul should say nothing about it.

But does such silence really exist? John says "the Word became flesh"; while Paul speaks of "G.o.d manifest in the flesh." Says L.

F. Anderson: "This argument from silence is sufficiently met by the considerations that Mark pa.s.ses over thirty years of our Lord's life in silence; that John presupposes the narratives of Matthew and Luke; that Paul does not deal with the story of Jesus' life.

The facts were known at first only to Mary and Joseph; their very nature involved reticence until Jesus was demonstrated to be the Son of G.o.d with power by the resurrection from the dead; meantime the natural development of Jesus and His refusal to set up an earthly kingdom have made the miraculous events of thirty years ago seem to Mary like a wonderful dream; so only gradually the marvelous tale of the mother of the Lord found its way into the Gospel tradition and the creeds of the church, and into the innermost hearts of the Christians of all countries."

2. HE GREW IN WISDOM AND STATURE AS OTHER HUMAN BEINGS DO. HE WAS SUBJECT TO THE ORDINARY LAWS OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT IN BODY AND SOUL.

Luke 2:40, 52, 46--"And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of G.o.d was upon him. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with G.o.d and man.

And....they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions."

Just to what extent His sinless nature influenced His growth we may not be able to say. It seems clear, however, from the Scriptures, that we are to attribute Jesus' growth and advancement to the training He received in a G.o.dly home; to the instruction given at the synagogue and the temple; from His own personal study of the Scriptures, and from His fellows.h.i.+p and communion with His Father.

Both the human and divine element entered into His training and development, which were as real in the experience of Jesus as in that of any other human being. We are told that "Jesus grew, and increased in wisdom and stature." He "increased," i.e., He kept advancing; He "grew," and the reflective form of the verb would seem to indicate that His growth was due to His own efforts. From all this it seems clear that Jesus received His training along the lines of ordinary human progress--instruction, study, thought.

Nor should the fact that Christ possessed divine attributes, such as omniscience and omnipotence, militate against a perfectly human development. Could He not have possessed them and yet not have used them? Self-emptying is not self-extinction. Is it incredible to think that, although possessing these divine attributes, He should have held them in subjection in order that the Holy Spirit might have His part to play in that truly human, and yet divine, life?

3. HE HAD THE APPEARANCE OF A MAN.

John 4:9--"How is it that thou, being a Jew." Luke 24:13--The two disciples on the way to Emmaus took Him to be an ordinary man. John 20:15--"She, supposing him to be the gardener." 21:4, 5--"Jesus stood on the sh.o.r.e; but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus."

The woman of Samaria evidently recognized Jesus as a Jaw by His features or speech. To her He was just an ordinary Jew, at least to begin with. There is no Biblical warrant for surrounding the head of Christ with a halo, as the artists do. His pure life no doubt gave Him a distinguished look, just as good character similarly distinguishes men today. Of course we know nothing definite as to the appearance of Jesus, for no picture or photograph of Him do we possess. The apostles draw attention only to the tone of His voice (Mark 7:34; 15:34). After the resurrection and ascension Jesus seems still to have retained the form of a man (Acts 7:56; 1 Tim.

2:5).

4. HE WAS POSSESSED OF A HUMAN PHYSICAL NATURE: BODY, SOUL AND SPIRIT.

John 1:14--"And the Word was made flesh." Heb. 2:14--"For asmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same." Matt. 26:12--"She hath poured this ointment on my body." v. 38--"My soul is exceeding sorrowful." Luke 23:46--"Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit."

24:39--"Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have."

By his incarnation Christ came into possession of a real human nature; He came not only unto His own, but came unto them in the likeness of their own flesh. Of course we must distinguish between a human nature and a carnal nature. A carnal nature is really not an integral part of man as G.o.d made him in the beginning. Christ's human nature was truly human, yet sinless: "Yet without sin" (Heb.

4:15).

5. HE WAS SUBJECT TO THE SINLESS INFIRMITIES OF HUMAN NATURE.

Matt. 4:2--"He was afterward an hungred." John 19:28--"Jesus....saith, I thirst." 4:6--"Jesus....being wearied with his journey." Matt.

8:24--"But he was asleep." John 19:30--"He bowed his head, and gave up the ghost." He mourns over Jerusalem (Matt. 23:37); weeps over His dead friend Lazarus, (John 11:35); craves for human sympathy in the garden (Matt. 26:36,40); tempted in all points like as we are (Heb. 4:15). There is not a note in the great organ of our humanity which, when touched, does not find a sympathetic vibration in the mighty range and scope of our Lord's being, saving, of course, the jarring discord of sin. But sin is not a necessary and integral part of unfallen human nature. We speak of natural depravity, but, in reality, depravity is _un_natural. G.o.d made Adam upright and perfect; sin is an accident; it is not necessary to a true human being.

6. HUMAN NAMES ARE GIVEN TO HIM BY HIMSELF AND OTHERS.

Luke 19:10--"Son of Man." Matt. 1:21--"Thou shalt call his name Jesus." Acts 2:22--"Jesus of Nazareth." 1 Tim. 2:5--"The man Christ Jesus."

No less than eighty times in the Gospels does Jesus call himself the Son of Man. Even when acquiescing in the t.i.tle Son of G.o.d as addressed to Himself He sometimes immediately after subst.i.tutes the t.i.tle Son of Man (John 1:49-51; Matt 26:63,64).

While we recognize the fact that there is something official in the t.i.tle Son of Man, something connected with His relation to the Kingdom of G.o.d, it is nevertheless true that in using this t.i.tle He a.s.suredly identifies Himself with the sons of men. While He is rightly called _THE_ Son of Man, because, by His sinless nature and life He is unique among the sons of men, He is nevertheless _A_ Son of Man in that He is bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh.

II. THE DEITY OF JESUS CHEIST.

1. DIVINE NAMES ARE GIVEN TO HIM.

a) He is Called G.o.d.

John 1:1--"The Word was G.o.d." Heb. 1:8--"But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O G.o.d, is for ever." John 1:18--"The only begotten Son (or better "only begotten G.o.d")." Absolute deity is here ascribed to Christ. 20:28-"My Lord and my G.o.d." Not an expression of amazement, but a confession of faith. This confession accepted by Christ, hence equivalent to the acceptance of deity, and an a.s.sertion of it on Christ's part. Rom. 9:5--"G.o.d blessed forever." t.i.t. 2:13--"The great G.o.d and our Saviour Jesus Christ." 1 John,5:20--"His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true G.o.d." In all these pa.s.sages Christ is called G.o.d.

It may be argued that while Christ is here called G.o.d, yet that does not argue for nor prove His deity, for human judges are also called "G.o.ds" in John 10:35--"If he called them G.o.ds unto whom the word of G.o.d came." True, but it is then used in a secondary and relative sense, and not in the absolute sense as when used of the Son.

b) He is Called the Son of G.o.d.

The references containing this t.i.tle are numerous. Among others see Matt. 16:16, 17; 8:29; 14:33; Mark 1:1; 14:61; Luke 1:35; 4:41.

While it may be true that in the synoptic Gospels Jesus may not be said to have claimed this t.i.tle for Himself, yet He unhesitatingly accepted it when used of Him and addressed to Him by others. Further, it seems clear from the charges made against Him that He did claim such an honor for Himself. Matt. 27:40, 43--"For he said, I am the Son of G.o.d." Mark 14:61, 62 --"Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed" (Luke 22:70--"Art thou then the Son of G.o.d? And Jesus said, I am." In John's Gospel, however, Jesus plainly calls Himself "the Son of G.o.d" (5:25; 10:36 11:4). Indeed, John's Gospel begins with Christ as G.o.d: "The Word was G.o.d," and ends with the same thought: "My Lord and my G.o.d" (20:28). (Chapter 21 is an epilogue.)

Dr. James Orr says, in speaking of the t.i.tle Son of G.o.d as ascribed to Christ: "This t.i.tle is one to which there can be no finite comparison or a.n.a.logy. The oneness with G.o.d which it designates is not such reflex influence of the divine thought and character such as man and angels may attain, but ident.i.ty of essence const.i.tuting him not G.o.d-like alone, but G.o.d. Others may be children of G.o.d in a moral sense; but by this right of elemental nature, none but He; He is herein, the _only_ Son; so little separate, so close to the inner divine life which He expresses, that He is in the bosom of the Father. This language denotes two natures h.o.m.ogeneous, entirely one, and both so essential to the G.o.dhead that neither can be omitted from any truth you speak of it."

If when He called Himself "the Son of G.o.d" He did not mean more than that He was _a_ son of G.o.d, why then did the high priest accuse Him of blasphemy when He claimed this t.i.tle (Matt. 26: 61-63)? Does not Mark 12:6--"Having yet therefore one son, his well-beloved, he sent him also last unto them, saying, They will reverence my son," indicate a special sons.h.i.+p? The sons.h.i.+p of Christ is human and historical, it is true; but it is more: it is transcendent, unique, solitary. That something unique and solitary lay in this t.i.tle seems clear from John 5:18--"The Jews sought the more to kill Him....because he....said....also that G.o.d was His Father, making Himself equal with G.o.d."

The use of the word "only begotten" also indicates the uniqueness of this sons.h.i.+p. For use of the word see Luke 7:12--"The only son of his mother." 9:38--"For he is mine only child." This word is used of Christ by John in 1:14, 18; 3:16, 18; 1 John 4:9, and distinguishes between Christ as the only Son, and the "many....children of G.o.d"

(John 1:12, 13). In one sense Christ has no brethren: He stands absolutely alone. This contrast is clearly emphasized in John 1:14, 18--"only begotten Son," and 1:12 (R. V.)--"many....children." He is the Son from eternity: they "become" sons in time. He is one; they are many. He is Son by nature; they are sons by adoption and grace. He is Son of the same essence with the Father; they are of different substance from the Father.

c) He is Called The Lord.