Whither are we led, if we trace upward the river of eternal life which flows in the channel of the church to its source? The church is of God, but it is in Christ the Son, in God.
We must, then, leave the bounds of time, and go back, be it only in thought, to the glory which was before the foundation of the world. Here, doubtless, it becomes us to take our shoes from off our feet and to worship. God alone is from eternity and to eternity; and He alone is in Himself ETERNAL. It is, then, He alone who can instruct us in the truths which belong to eternity. Now, in His grace, He has already given to us His word; and this word shows us two great blessings which belong to the church; both of them are as wonderful as the truth, the fact, that the first thought of the church was found in God, in His counsels before the foundation of the world. And both these turn (as the wheel on its pivot) around the Son. He is the center of their action. They proceed, indeed, from what God saw in Him. Oh, how this precious Savior is all glorious in Himself, and how happy is God to have such a Son!
The two blessings of which I speak are, first, being blessed by God as the Father; and, second, that our blessing is in His Christ (Eph. 1:33Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: (Ephesians 1:3)). Now our Lord is the Son of the Father; and He is the Servant, the Anointed One of God. How plainly do we see this at the moment He declares Himself through Mary to His disciples (John 20:1717Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God. (John 20:17)). Jesus saith to her, " Touch me not, for I am not' yet ascended to my Father; but go to my brethren, and say to them; I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; to my God, and your God."
Supposing I say to any one " My father," it is evident I take the place of a child towards the one to whom I so speak. In this relationship, the word child is correlative with the word father; and the name father is correlative with that of child. The names father and child are correlative terms. There is a reciprocal, a corresponding relationship between the two positions as to nearness, between the two ideas conveyed by the names father and son.
I may be. the only child of my father, really his child; or, perhaps, I am only an adopted child, a captive taken in war the son of an implacable enemy of the one to whom I give the name of "my father." Nevertheless, the moment I call any one by the name of father I put myself in the position towards him of being his " child"; for the name father, the thought conveyed by this name, places me towards him in the relationship of child. In this relationship it is not wages given by the one who is the superior to the one who is the inferior which unites them together (though such might be given and received without destroying the relationship); no, there is a closeness of relationship; one of the highest degree between the two. Liberty in love reigns between them, and the interest of the one is the interest of the other. The one is the head and the protector. The other is in the- place of protected and dependent. The service is both mutual and one of love. The service of him who is a son and heir is free, and not like the service of him who is a, slave and serves because he is forced to it. My only son is my second self. I do not give to him as I do to a slave, to a mere hireling. Supposing I have slaves, upon the principle of self-interest I might give to them, looking upon them as part of my property, it becomes my own interest to take care of them: or, perhaps, I do not like that any one dependent on me should be seen to want while I have more than enough. If I have hired servants, the motives which influence me in my conduct towards them may be justice, or the relations which I feel ought to exist between man and man in a free country. But with regard to my son it is quite another thing: it does not become me as father to act towards my son upon the same principles which govern my conduct towards my slaves or hired servants. It would be my shame to do so-my heart would revolt from it; and the same holds good as to my son's conduct, it would be shameful for him to act towards me upon the same motives on which a hireling would act towards his master.
Now to turn to the thoughts which we find in scripture connected with the name "the Son of God."
1. The scripture calls Adam the son of God. "Jesus being, as was supposed, the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli.... son of Seth, son of Adam, son of God" (Luke 3:3838Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God. (Luke 3:38)).
2. When it was the purpose of God to deliver Israel out of Egypt, he first began to work in their behalf by providence (Ex. 1:17, 2017But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive. (Exodus 1:17)
20Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty. (Exodus 1:20); ch. 2). Then, He heard their groanings, and He remembered the covenant which He had made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Thus He had pity on the children of Israel and remembered their estate. Afterward He revealed Himself to Moses in the midst of the bush (3:6), saying to him, " I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob;" and (ver. 7) he says, " I have seen the affliction of my people which is in Egypt," etc.; but, not long afterward, He calls them by another name, "Israel is my son, my first-born. And I said to thee, Let my son go that he may serve me; but if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy first-.born" (iv. 22, 23).
3. Solomon, the king, is called by God " my son" (2 Sam. 8:14;22. 10; 28:6). God had before
given to him the name of Jedidiah (Beloved of Jah). The meaning of Solomon is PEACE; blessed name of Him whose type he was, who shall establish peace! The " Prince of Peace" is Jesus the Son of God.
If I were writing about Israel as a type of Jesus, I could hardly forbear from dwelling at length upon one passage, " When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt" (Hos. 11:11When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt. (Hosea 11:1); and Matt. 2:1515And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son. (Matthew 2:15)). But now I must content myself with observing, that it proves that both the nation Israel, and the child Jesus, are called by God "my son" in one and the same passage.
4. The Lord Jesus is called "Son".
Before presenting a few verses on this subject, I desire to turn to a passage containing a warning as to the spirit in which we should come to search the scriptures on this precious doctrine; precious in itself, and precious to us, because it is united (as we shall soon see) with all the blessing of the church.
What is said here is most plain. No one (οὐδεις)knoweth the Son but the Father. What heresies! What errors! have there not arisen from the neglect of this short sentence.
The Son reveals, makes known, the Father: but no one save the Father knoweth the Son. But though we cannot know the Son; nevertheless, that which is written is for us, and we find there much revealed to us concerning Him whom no one knoweth but the Father:-truths without the revelation of which, perhaps, the Son could not have revealed the Father. To study these things is, without doubt, our duty if only done in the spirit of dependence.
I remark then first, that the Jews evidently knew and connected the name of Son of David and Son of Abraham with the Messiah whom they were looking for.
Jesus was hailed (at least by those who believed on Him in His day) as "Son of David."
For example (Matt. 9:27; 12:23; 15:22; 20:28, 3027And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us. (Matthew 9:27)
23And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David? (Matthew 12:23)
22And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. (Matthew 15:22)
28Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. (Matthew 20:28)
30And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David. (Matthew 20:30).) Read the two following passages. "And the multitudes.... cried, saying: Hosanna (save, we beseech thee) to the son of David I Blessed be He that cometh in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the Highest...."
The children cried in the temple, saying:-
"What think ye of Christ? Whose son is He? They say unto Him, The son of David. He saith unto them, How then doth David in Spirit call Him Lord, saying, The Lord said unto my Lord, sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? If David then call him Lord, How is He then His son?" (22:42-45.)
I notice here, that the unconverted Jews boasted of being the children of Abraham: "We be Abraham's seed (John 8:3333They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? (John 8:33)); Abraham is our Father" (39). "Think not to say within yourselves: We have Abraham to our Father. For I say unto you, that God is able even of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham" (Luke 3:88Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. (Luke 3:8); see also Matt. 8:1111And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 8:11)). Again in Luke 16:22-2422And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; 23And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. (Luke 16:22‑24).
of Abraham is plain: but though Jesus is declared by the Spirit of God in the Gospels to be son of Abraham as well as son of David (Matt. 1:11The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. (Matthew 1:1) etc.); yet, though the receiving of this truth is of faith, I do not see that believing Jews ever hailed Jesus as " the seed of Abraham," as they did as "son of David."
The name by which the Lord always called Himself was Son of man (see Matt. 8:20;9. 6; 10:23; 11:19; 12:8, 32, 40; 13:37-41; 16:13, 27, 28; 17:9, 12, 22; 18:11; 19:28; 20:18, 28; 26:2, 24). As Redeemer, it is the name peculiar to Himself. I quote the epistle to the Heb. 2:8-108Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him. 9But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. 10For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. (Hebrews 2:8‑10), as explaining the meaning of this name. "We see not yet all things put under Him; but we see Jesus who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor, that He by the grace of God should taste death for every man. For it became Him for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through suffering." This is the reason which God pleases to give us, for such or such a thing-His why. "It becomes Me"; higher we cannot go. But we may well observe, that if the Son of God became Son of man because we were such, and became also the chief one in suffering, crucified through weakness, this name, " Son of Man" has also for him quite another aspect-that, namely, of glory. And through means of it, His Glory becomes likewise ours. The glory in the Transfiguration pre-figured the coming glory of the Son of Man (Matt. 16:27, 28; 19:28; 24:27, 37, 39, 40, 44; 25:13, 3127For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. 28Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom. (Matthew 16:27‑28)
28And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. (Matthew 19:28)
27For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. (Matthew 24:27)
37But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. (Matthew 24:37)
39And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 40Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. (Matthew 24:39‑40)
44Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. (Matthew 24:44)
13Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh. (Matthew 25:13)
31When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: (Matthew 25:31).)
This name "Son of Man," is often joined to another, "the Son of God." Take for example (Matt. 26:63, 6463But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. 64Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. (Matthew 26:63‑64)); the high priest adjures Him, " by the Living God, that thou tell us if thou be the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus saith to him: Thou hast said. 1 say to thee, that hereafter ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of Heaven" (agreeing with Dan. 7), see also John 1:52.
Here I would remark, that it is evident that the high priest acknowledged that the Christ or Messiah whom they expected was the Son of God. He says not "Son of the Father," but, " Son of God."
And further, Jesus was honored as the Son of God by the God of Israel. Both at His baptism and transfiguration, He owned Him to be "my Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." (Matt. 3:17; 17:517And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. (Matthew 3:17)
5While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. (Matthew 17:5); Mark 9:77And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him. (Mark 9:7); Luke 3:22; 9:3522And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased. (Luke 3:22)
35And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him. (Luke 9:35)).
John the Baptist (John 1:3434And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God. (John 1:34)), Nathanael (1:50), Satan and those possessed by him (Matt. 8:2929And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time? (Matthew 8:29); Mark 3:11; 5:711And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God. (Mark 3:11)
7And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not. (Mark 5:7)).-They who were in the ship with Him (Matt. 14:3333Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God. (Matthew 14:33)); Peter (Matt. 16:1616And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. (Matthew 16:16)); the centurion at the cross (Matt. 27:5454Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God. (Matthew 27:54)); all united to own this Glory of Son of God to be His.
And, moreover, He claimed for Himself the right as the Son of man who is in Heaven (John 3:1616For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)); to be Lord of the Sabbath (Mark 2:2828Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath. (Mark 2:28)); and to have power upon earth to forgive sins (Luke 5:2424But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house. (Luke 5:24)); that is to say, to have the same power as God Himself (see also John 3:16, 17, 18, 35, 3616For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (John 3:16‑18)
35The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand. 36He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. (John 3:35‑36)).
And here let it be repeated what has been said already, that the high priest acknowledged that the Messiah must be none other but the Son of God Himself; and Jesus in His character of God's witness to Israel was distinguished and owned in divers ways to be the Son of God.
As to this title of the Lord Jesus, there are two things which I would desire to point out. First, it is most plain that this name was given expressly to the seed of the Virgin (Luke 1:31, 32, 33, 35). "Thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and thou shalt bring forth a son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God shall give to Him the throne of His Father David: And He shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of His kingdom there shall be no end. Then Mary said.. how shall this thing be, seeing I know not a man? And the Angel said to her: The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall over-shadow thee; therefore also that Holy Thing which shall be born of thee shall be called THE SON OF GOD." This passage is of the utmost importance, whether we consider the child Jesus or the man Jesus. But on the other hand let it never be forgotten that this name "Son of God" belonged BEFORE the World was to Him who we know became "Jesus." The evidence in support of this truth is as perfect as its importance is inexpressible. To deny it would be to destroy (though perhaps without knowing what one was doing, still it would be doing so) the whole work of redemption and to nullify salvation by grace.-The Glory of the "Son of God" is distinctly recognized in Proverbs, as likewise in the same book, chap. xxx. It is not the child, the man of Nazareth which is here described, but it is He who, being Son of God before the world was, stooped to become the Son of the Virgin -the Son of man.-There are three things which it would seem to me are true of all that is, in its most positive sense, eternal. It is not only eternal, first, as to what is to come, but it is so likewise, secondly, as to that which is past. It never had a beginning, and, as there is none but God of whom this can be said, it has necessarily, thirdly, the character of the eternal. The body of our adorable Master (blessed be God that it is so I) has an eternal future, as also our glorified bodies shall have. His human body was always perfect, never knew anything but perfection; alas! it is not so with ours!-But God was not manifest in the flesh, until "The Holy Ghost came upon the Virgin Mary, and the power of the Highest over-shadowed her"; and then it could be said, "therefore also that Holy Thing which shall be born of her shall be called the Son of God" (Luke 1); but God who was manifest in flesh (1 Tim. 3:1616And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. (1 Timothy 3:16)), is THE SON (as we shall see); and so there is at least a double application of this name of Son of God to the Lord Jesus..
In the eighth chapter of the Proverbs, we find "Wisdom Divine" as the subject of it; and Christ is " the wisdom of God" (1 Cor. 1:3030But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: (1 Corinthians 1:30)), " for in Him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Col. 2:33In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. (Colossians 2:3)). "22. The Lord possessed me in the beginning of His way, before His works of old. 23. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning or ever the earth was. 24. When there were no depths I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water. 25. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth. 26. While as yet He had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world. 27. When He prepared the heavens I was there, when He set a compass upon the face of the depth. 28. When He stablished the clouds above: when He strengthened the fountains of the deep: 29. When He gave to the sea His decree, that the water should not pass His commandment: when He appointed the foundations of the earth: 30. Then I was by Him as one brought up with Him: and I was daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him; 31. Rejoicing in the habitable part of His earth, and my delights were with the sons of men. 32. Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children; for blessed are they that keep my ways. 33. Hear instruction and be wise, and refuse it not. 34. Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. 35. For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favor of the Lord. 36. But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death."
What a beautiful description this is! I passingly remark, that I should prefer to render ver. 23, " I was anointed from everlasting, from the beginning or ever the world was [Gentil renders it thus-" I received the anointing from everlasting, from the beginning or ever the world was "]; and it is absolutely necessary that "I was there" (אׇגִי שׇם) should be put in after " the heavens" in ver. 27, if the Hebrew is faithfully rendered. Some translators omit it.
It is not my wish to reason about these verses, nor even to analyze them in detail. When the glory of God passed before Moses, hidden in the rock (Ex. 33 and 34), Moses hasted and bowed his head to the earth and worshipped. Light, when it shines, is its own evidence, at least for those who have eyes and see (2 Cor. 4:3-63But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. 5For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. 6For 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 4:3‑6)). As to boasted Reason, I have but one observation to add; namely, that as well to it as to him who wrote the scriptures do we give the lie, if vivid descriptions which, necessarily pre-suppose a person to whom they belong, and giving us the thoughts, the words, the acts, the reasonings of that person, are looked upon merely as descriptive of some attribute or quality, or some feature of character.
The Jews, in the time of Christ, never thought of so despising the glory of their nation, as to deny that their expected Messiah was to be Son of God as well as Son of Man. I know that they now deny both. But what then can this people understand by such passages as the following; for instance, these two as to the name of Son of Man (Gen. 18 and Dan. 7)
The worship which Abraham rendered to one alone of his three visitors, how will they explain that; or, this name of Adonai, by which Abraham calls Him? They dare not say that this name may be given to any other than to Him to whom the Tetragrammaton belongs (even יחיה). Do they then dare to accuse Abraham of lightness, profaneness, or ignorance? No: Abraham was right; it is they who call themselves his children that are wrong. Abraham worshipped, Abraham addressed Him who was before him under the form of a MAP as Jehovah. And what is meant by the Son of Man in Daniel (chap. vii.) The Son of Man who came with the clouds of heaven, and he came to the ancient of days, and they brought him near before Him; and there was given to Him a kingdom and glory and dominion, and all people, nations, and tongues shall serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom that which shall not pass away (13, 14).
But infidelity finds no difficulties. It can pass over everything, it fears nothing, unless to be blessed by grace.
And as to the name "Son of God": Who is the Son of God who walked with the three children of the faith of Abraham in the fiery furnace. "Behold, I see four men* bound, walking in the midst of the fire, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God?" (Dan. 3:2525He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. (Daniel 3:25)).
Who is He who has ascended up into heaven, or descended? (comp. Deut. 30:13, 1413Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? 14But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it. (Deuteronomy 30:13‑14), and Rom. 10:6,76But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) 7Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) (Romans 10:6‑7)). Who is He that hath gathered the winds in his fists, who hath bound the waters in a garment, who hath established all the bounds of the earth? (comp. Job 38:4141Who provideth for the raven his food? when his young ones cry unto God, they wander for lack of meat. (Job 38:41)) What is His name, and what is His Son's name, if thou knowest it? (Prov. 30:44Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou canst tell? (Proverbs 30:4)).
And how do the Jews explain Jehovah being sold in His temple for thirty pieces? (Zech. 10:12, 1312And I will strengthen them in the Lord; and they shall walk up and down in his name, saith the Lord. (Zechariah 10:12)). The pieces which were cast to the potter? And who is this One with the wounds in His hands, wounds which he received in the house of His friends? Nevertheless, it is to Him that this wonderful address is made, which we read in Zech. 13:77Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones. (Zechariah 13:7)," Awake, O sword, against my shepherd and against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of Hosts; for it is written, Smite the shepherd and the sheep shall be scattered, and I will turn my hand upon the little ones." The history of the life of Jesus is a master-key which opens all these difficult passages. Who is there who will find a second key to them?
We have now looked at four different applications of this name, "the Son of God." First, as to Adam in his place in the kingdom of the creation; then to Israel in its place as a nation in the kingdom of Divine Providence upon the earth; then to Jesus the Savior, first as to His human body, and secondly to Himself as God over all. From eternity Son, and in Himself, He is eternal; eternal and from eternity and to eternity. It is God alone that can say " I am"-and Jesus said so of Himself.
It has been well said, as to the Bible, that the best principle for understanding it is by the context. This is always the case, whether it be in the sacred scriptures, or in human productions; but this principle is much more applicable to the word of God, by reason of one thing which distinguishes it as the word of God from everything which merely proceeds from a creature. God is infinite; He sees everything as it is in itself, but in its relationship with Himself who is infinite. When then He presents His thoughts to us (and the Bible is the book in which He does so) we have the exact thoughts of Him who is infinite about things which, though they be in themselves finite, are nevertheless seen in their relationships with Him who is infinite. When it is a man who speaks to us, or that we have to do with the words of man, he does not show us things just as they are-he wants to show us things as he sees them; he gives us his definitions of them. By reason of infirmity he must necessarily do so, and he can only look at them as in a limited sphere, because he himself is finite.
Who is able to bring down the divine thoughts found in the scriptures, so as to present them correctly in a human dictionary. We have only to make the trial with this name, " the Son of God," or with this expression, " Thou art my Son, to-day I have begotten thee" (found in Acts 13:32,3332And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers, 33God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. (Acts 13:32‑33); Heb. 1:55For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? (Hebrews 1:5) and 5:5), or with this other (in Hab. 2:44Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith. (Habakkuk 2:4)), " The just shall live by faith," quoted in Rom. 1:1717For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. (Romans 1:17), Gal. 3:1111But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. (Galatians 3:11), and Heb. 10:3838Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. (Hebrews 10:38), and what, say you, will be the result of the effort? The result, I say, will be one of two things-either you will find yourself powerless in the presence of the truth which judges you, and which will force you to feel that you are not capable of judging it (for it is the word of Him who is infinite), or else you will lower down the word of God, who is infinite, to the limits of the capacity of one, not merely finite, but a sinner. That word which is enough for God, as the expression of His thoughts, who is infinite, must be enough for me. It addresses itself plainly enough to my conscience, in all my littleness, to show me my state of separation from God and to condemn me. If I have faith, then I have also the Spirit of God; and thus this word becomes the life eternal of my soul, my food; but, as to understanding it, as to the thought of bringing it down to the limits of the mind of man; I do not look upon myself as capable of attempting even to do so. Much sooner should I think of comprehensively grasping, or of bringing down to the bounds of man, the physical atmosphere of our globe.
The reception of the word, according to the purpose of God in giving it to us, and the reception of it to use it for our own lusts, are two things directly opposite:-the first is faith's use of it, the second is proud reason's, and has been the source of every heresy.
But there is yet another expression which we have to consider; and it is this, "the Son of the Father." A revelation which God the Father in His grace has made to us, and which stands in contrast with the glory promised to His people Israel. There is not, that I know of, a single expression in the gospels which would lead us to suppose that any Jew as such had even an idea of the glory of the Son of the Father, which nevertheless belongs to Him who is the Second Adam; the Son of Man, the God-man, the Son of God as Man; and Son of God, according to the glory of His person as God.
The Son of the Father.
Chapter 5:17. Jesus said: " My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill Him, because he not only had broken the Sabbath, but said also that God was His father, making Himself equal with God. Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He seeth the Father do; for what thing soever He doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. For the Father loveth the Son, and showeth Him all things that Himself doeth: and He will show Him greater works than these, that ye may marvel. For as the Father raiseth up the dead and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom He will. For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: that all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honoureth not the Son, honoureth not the Father which hath sent Him As the Father hath life in Himself; so hath He given to the Son to have life in Himself."
Chapter 6:27. " Labor not for the meat which perish-Oh, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of Man shall give unto you; for Him hath. God the. Father sealed."
Ver. 44. "No an can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day."
But our best instruction in this so deep subject, is found in the Lord's own words in chaps. 14 and 17 of the gospel of John. In chap. 14, Jesus is speaking to His disciples, whom He was about to leave; but the prayer, in chap. 17 was addressed to the Father, though it was uttered in the presence of the eleven disciples. Chapter 13 of the Gospel of St. John is a description of the wilderness and the sorrows which there await the faithful disciple-it is in contrast with the picture of the Father's house and the blessings inside it of chap. 14. In the wilderness, the glory of Him who is of God is to be servant, and to be so of His own choice; and the humiliation of each one, is according to the measure of his rank.
The One, who is Head of all, as to His personal glory, is the one who was chiefest of all in humiliation and suffering (as the man of sorrows and acquainted with grief). The smallest measure of affliction and of suffering is for the least of the servants; and this principle, which ordains for the wilderness, that the glory of a servant should be inseparably linked with humiliation and suffering, holds good in all the degrees which lie between these two extremes; that is to say, the same rule applies to every degree between the first and the last of the servants. According to the balance of the sanctuary, humiliation in service is the counterbalance in the scale of the rank of each individual. The one balances against the other. The service of the disciples is one of humiliation-it is to wash one another's feet; and it is one likewise of deep sorrow; perils of false brethren (such as Judas); afflictions which spring up from true brethren (such as Peter) when the flesh is not judged, as well as the world, Satan, and the flesh to harass us. In contrast with this, chap. 14 speaks of the Father, the Son, and the Spirit; and the scene opened before us is the Father's house with the blessings, positions and happiness of the children inside it.
But upon this second subject, it is not difficult to see that no one had knowledge save the Master Himself.
The disciples could not understand His instructions,-the subject was quite new to them, He met with no response within them. It was not so (as we have seen) when it related to the title of the Son of God belonging to their Master. No; as Jews, they well knew that the Messiah must be no other than the Son of God; but the moment that Jesus begins to speak to them of " my Father" and the glory which belonged to Him as Son of the Father, they were completely puzzled. When Jesus said, " I go to my Father's house," Thomas wishes to be taught the way to it. Philip, a little after, asks, " Lord, skew us the Father, and it sufficeth us." When Jesus was speaking of Himself as the Son of God, was Thomas ignorant of the way to God, or then could Philip have said, " Show us God." No; all in the category of divine glory was too well known to them to allow of their asking so ignorant a question: but the heavenly Father of Jesus was a thought quite new to them-they understood nothing about it. Chapter 14 of John is the heavenly Father's house and the blessings which belong to His adopted children; chap. xv. is this family standing in face of the world. The Father seeks for Himself fruit from those who are shown to the world as inseparably united with the true vine. Chapter 16 tells us of the strength which abides with this family, even the power of God opposed to the world. And chap. 17 lets us into the thoughts of the Lord about His own, and these thoughts poured forth in the presence of His Father.
It is the heart of the Son of the Father which is shown to us in this chapter, regarding those whom the Father had given to Him. He had molded His conduct towards His disciples by the love which God had towards Himself and them; but all through, it is the glory of Jesus as the Son of the Father which we find here.
Perhaps the attention of some one may be struck by another thought. The glory of the Father is evidently the glory of God, but the glory of God is not necessarily the glory of the Father. The name of God is applicable to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and so to every manifestation of glory of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, whether in heaven or on earth, whether the manifestation supposed is moral or physical, in heaven or on earth, it does not matter. It is the manifestation of God. But take the statement the other way; and it is not sufficient to prove that such or such a glory is of God, in order to be able therefore to say that it is the glory of the Father. There are most glorious manifestations of God, such as that in creation, that in providence, that of Sinai, and even that which is to come upon the earth,-which are not manifestations of the glory of the Father-which are not revelations of His glory as the Father of the Lord Jesus.
I have said enough to present my thoughts. The Spirit of God must act upon the heart through means of the word, for His truth to find entrance into the soul of each one individually. When the Lord Jesus said " My God," He took the place of the servant of God: when He said " My Father," He took the place of the Son of the Father, according to the glory which He had with Him before the world was, "O Father, glorify thou me with thine ownself with the glory which I had with thee before the world was." He has given us to say (what the world cannot say), " His God is our God. But likewise by His grace we can say that His Father is our Father. The glory of the Father and of the Father's house is infinitely more precious in itself than that of any other; and let it be well observed, that, in the divine wisdom, it has been reserved for Jesus Himself to be the one who reveals to us the Father.
The prayer of the apostle Paul at the close of the first chapter of the epistle to the Ephesians, is based upon the name " God of our Lord Jesus Christ" (chap. 1:16).
But His prayer in chap. 3 is addressed to God as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (ver. 14-21).
May God grant to us to feel on the one hand what is the length and breadth and depth and height of which He tells us in this prayer: and on the other, all the condescension of that grace which has added (in the 20th) that all is according to the power which already worketh in us.