Honored in Humility

Man, created in God's image, endowed with wondrous capacities, and placed upon earth as God's representative, was also made a feeble and dependent being. His feebleness among many creatures much stronger than he, yet over whom he was to rule, indicated that he was to hold and exercise his rule as delegated authority; his personal feebleness would serve to remind him that it was by the will and power of his Creator that he was to exercise this authority. Behold him in lovely Eden, the blest, happy ruler of earth's vast domain, as God's representative !

Debased by Self-exaltation

Through Satan's subtlety this place of dependence and obedience was broken through; fidelity to God was trampled upon; and like his deceiver, in rebellion, man fell into the guilt and condemnation of the devil (i Tim. 3:6), involving in his fall the creation over which divine love had placed him. Subsequently, through various periods of trials, or testings, man was manifested as irretrievably depraved – utterly unable to regain what he had forfeited; and every new trial manifested him as " sold under sin" – utterly unable to extricate himself.

Triumphant in Weakness

It was in this scene of ruin that the gon of God! the Second Man, came in human weakness; in perfect obedience and dependence upon God to deliver fallen man from his bondage to sin and Satan. According to God's ways this deliverance must be by the triumph of good over evil – not by power, which would leave the true character of sin not fully manifested, but by the intrinsic worth of good in contrast with evil, and thus to overcome it. God's nature, as Light and Love, with all His glorious attributes, was thus to be revealed to all moral, intelligent creatures in the universe.

According to divine counsels, therefore, the Second Man came in human weakness. The blessed Son of God took up human nature at its very beginning. "The Word became flesh,"-beginning afresh a human history according to God-a babe on His mother's breast, while in His divine power sustaining the worlds His hands had made. His genealogy therefore in Luke runs back and up to God; in Him humanity is brought back to its source -to God. A strong argument, this, that in Luke the genealogy is through His mother; while in Matthew, where the fulfilment of the promise to Abraham is in view, and the King, the Son of David, is presented to Israel, His genealogy is given in the descending line to its fulfilment. Let us note, in passing, that if the Messiah -were not already come, no Jew could now establish his title to the house of David; all genealogical records being lost or destroyed since the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans. But the genealogy, virgin birth, place of nativity according to prophecy, are all carefully given in Matthew.

The infancy and youth of Jesus, as the tender plant of God's delight growing in the wilderness, is all for God's appreciation ; the Father's seal upon those thirty years of hidden life is given by the voice from heaven, "This is My beloved Son in whom I have found My delight," and He is anointed by the Spirit at His baptism as He enters upon His public life of service and ministry. Thus far His precious life had been for God alone, as the meal-offering at the high priest's consecration was wholly burnt upon the altar (see Lev. 6:19-23). The meal-offering representing the perfect humanity of our Lord, as a sweet offering of delight to God.

This ministry has been given us in a fourfold record by the Holy Spirit, as a great monument is viewed from its four sides. It is in this ministry that the Father is manifested to us in Jesus-His words, His works, are all what the Father gave Him to do and say. It is food for Him to do the Father's will and to finish His work (Jno. 4:34). His divine power is not for Himself, though He will use it for the need of His creatures; and when at last the time for the offering of Himself in sacrifice for sin is come, the supreme hour for which He had come into the world (Jno. 12:27), He takes the cup as from His Father's hand (though all the power of hell assail) and drinks it to the dregs. "It is finished," and He delivers His spirit to God.

One thing remains to complete the victory:the fear of Death must be annulled for His flock, and He enters the gloomy grave to leave open its portals on the third day, while all heaven and hell behold THE VICTORY.

"By weakness and defeat
He won the meed and crown,
Trod all our foes beneath His feet
By being trodden down.

Bless, bless the Conqueror slain,
Slain in His victory;
Who lived, who died, who lives again-
For thee, His Church, for thee! "