To this important question, four times asked in the Word of God, God has but one answer-christ.
"What is man? 'Tis He who died, And all God's nature glorified."
But the question has had various answers from the sons of men. Some think that man like automobiles, is gradually improving as the years go by, evolving upward and onward through Science, culture, and research, until finally perfected. They are blind to one of the first facts revealed in the Word of God, one which the youngest child in God's family sees plainly because his eyes have been opened to see himself as God sees him, that man is a fallen being.
Man at the beginning was made "perfect," but all creation now witnesses to him, if only he had eyes to see and ears to hear, how far he has fallen. He was once head of all God's fair creation. Every herb and every tree were given him for food, for his ever-returning needs; the sun, the moon, the stars lighted and guided his steps; every beast was subject to and named by him; even the fish of the sea and the fowl of the air were under his authority. But-and it is an important but-do we see anything like the tranquil scene of Eden to-day? Only by powder, shot, and trap does man bring the wild beast into subjection. Does the fruit-tree yield her increase? To ask the question is to answer it. Only after incessant toil, spraying, pruning, and fertilizing, does a partial harvest scantily repay all the labor bestowed. In the field, on the sea, in every department, man is not ruling to-day.
Who, or what, then, is ruling over man? Let the Word of God answer:"Sin hath reigned unto death" (Rom. 5:21). If men deny it, it only more surely proves their blindness. Sin has been man's master ever since he disobeyed. God. It reigns over him. Six thousand years of history have proved it is utterly impossible for him to escape that dread dominion in his own power. All nature is in rebellion against her rightful lord. Every thistle that waves in the breeze in the field, every weed in the garden, reminds man of the sentence against sin, and is calling upon man to repent and own he is a fallen being. Every sweet babe that a fond mother ever nestled to her bosom, or crooned to sleep on her knee, had to be brought forth in travail and pain. All tell the same story from whence we are fallen.
The fish of the sea no longer own man's authority over them; he manages to capture some with hook, net, or harpoon, but. even the fish of the sea are preaching, Man has fallen!
Men's behavior one toward another witnesses still more strongly. In the poet's words:-
"Man's inhumanity to man,
Makes countless thousands mourn."
Do we not see it as we scan the newspapers and read of murders that appal the stoutest hearts? One, yet young in years, so hardened in sin and crime and so under the dominion of sin as to calmly immolate the body of a sweet young girl, the treasure of her parents' "hearts, for filthy lucre!
But what is man not capable of? Traveling by train, I met in the dressing-room a man who, apropos of shaving, described an excellent razor he once had. He ended his story by telling how he had befriended a homeless man, took him home, gave him a good breakfast, and then asked, "What do you think that villain did? He stole my good razor! Any man that would do such a mean trick as that is fit for any crime!" I said, "You seem to think he was a very wicked man; and that if he could steal your razor he was incorrigible. Let me tell you what man is fit to do. He is fit to take the holy, harmless Son of God, who gives him all things, who holds his breath in His hands, who raised his dead, cleansed his lepers, gave sight to his blind, unstopped deaf ears, fed his poor with bread and told him all the wonders of the love of God-he is fit to take such an One who is incarnate good, spit in His face, strip Him of His raiment, crown Him with thorns, lead Him away to nail Him hand and foot to a gibbet of shame, and then sit down calmly at the foot of the cross and gamble for His garment! That is what man can do. When he can do such a deed as that he will steal a razor!"
The worst crime that can be committed in this world has been committed – the murder of the Son of God. Anything else that may happen in the future must be secondary to that. It is the final, conclusive proof of what man is away from God-a fallen being.
How good it is that we can turn to the Man of God's counsels, our Lord Jesus, and see Him answering in every step He trod to what man should be, and will eventually become through the transforming power of our God.
See Him who could walk on the water as on dry land. View the shoals of fish coming to the net He commanded to be let down, even near the shore. See Him again in the wilderness, "with the wild beasts" (Mark 1:13). No weapon was in His hand, the wild beasts knew their Lord and Master had come. See Him ride the colt whereon man had never sat; it was subject to Him. Disease and death flee at His touch, and from His presence. Trees wither up to the roots at the word of His power, because they fail to answer to the Second Man in bringing forth fruit. Demons bow before Him, and own Him as the Son of God and their future Judge.
Sin and Satan had overcome all others, the most innocent, in the "best environment," the garden of delights. The wisest man, Solomon, was no match for the strong man armed. The strongest man, Samson, was shorn of his crown, and had to own himself defeated by Sin and Satan. We might go on through the inspired volume, and there see recorded and proved, "Sin hath reigned unto death." We find all overcome, gone into death, and held there. "Their sepulcher is with us to this day."
But there is a Second Man, the Last Adam, the Man Christ Jesus. He comes to meet the strong man and to bind him. He meets him in a garden, in a wilderness, and in Death! Blessed be God, He overcomes the strong man no matter where He meets him. And We see Jesus, who will eventually bring back all in the habitable world in subjection to man, crowned with glory and honor at the right hand of the Majesty on high, angels and all principalities made subject to Him. "He is worthy!" is the theme of all in heaven. Soon it will be the theme of all on earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea (Rev. 5:13).
"Hark ten thousand voices crying,
Lamb of God, with one accord;
Thousand, thousand saints replying,
Wake at once th' echoing chord.
Grateful incense this ascending,
Ever to the Father's throne;
Every knee to Jesus bending,
All the mind in heaven is one."
"What is Man?"we exclaim with the Scriptures. CHRIST is the answer; He is everything to God, and to all who believe.
Some day we shall be like Him; this is the purpose of God. He has predestinated us to be conformed to the image of His Son (Rom. 8:28, 29). "As we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly" (1 Cor. 15:49).
The Man Christ Jesus lives! Yes, lives to bring the many sons to glory-all like Him for His glory-and we shall be satisfied when we awake in His likeness.
"Like Him! Oh, grace supreme!
Like Him before Thy face,
Like Him to know that glory beam
Unhindered face to face.
Oh love supreme and bright,
Good to the feeblest heart;
That gives us now, as heavenly light,
What soon shall be our part."
A. H. Stewart