God had spoken by prophets. At different times and in many ways, one prophet after another, according to his measure, had testified of the coming of the sinless and guileless Redeemer. The woman's seed, the prophet which Jehovah would raise up like unto Moses, the Child born and Son spoken of by Isaiah, the suffering and reigning One spoken of by David, and other holy men of God pointed to Him in whom God would be well pleased.
When the time came that the Word should become flesh and dwell among us, His coming into the world was triumphantly announced by a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." The Holy Ghost, who until then had been speaking of Him in types and other ways by prophets, now revealed to Simeon that this was "the Lord's Christ," so that in Him he saw God's salvation. Others, who looked for redemption in Jerusalem, also spoke of Him, and were filled with praise and thanksgiving to God. After thirty years of trial in this world, like a grain of wheat alone, when even His brethren did not believe on Him, we find that the heaven was opened over Him, the Holy Ghost came down in a bodily shape and abode upon Him, and the Father declared concerning Him, "Thou art My beloved Son; in Thee I am well pleased." Luke 3:21, 2221Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, 22And 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 3:21‑22). Thus, as the Son of man He was sealed because of His own personal and moral perfections (John 6:2727Labor not for the meat which perisheth, 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. (John 6:27)). Here we have perfection indeed, both human and divine.
It had been revealed to John the Baptist that the One upon whom he should "see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him," was not only the Lamb of God, but the Son of God, and the One who "baptizeth with the Holy Ghost." John 1:3333And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. (John 1:33). What glory we have presented to us here! Who but a divine person could baptize with the Holy Ghost? Who but One who was man-perfect man- could be God's Lamb, a sacrifice for sin, suited to God? Who could this mysterious One be but "the Son of God"? What adoring and praising hearts we should have as we contemplate this perfect One- divinely perfect, perfect man, personally perfect, morally perfect. He is the same yesterday, and today, and forever. Though "in the likeness of sinful flesh," those taught of the Spirit could discern glory in Him which was infinitely beyond anything of created glory, and could only describe what they saw in such words as, "We beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:1, 14, 33, 341In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1)
14And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)
33And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. 34And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God. (John 1:33‑34). May we reverently and with worshiping hearts ponder a little further God's word concerning Him.
In the epistle to the Hebrews, where those addressed were enjoined to "go on unto perfection," we find the deity of the Son announced in the very opening verses, for, without doubt, it is the glory and perfection of His Person that gives such eternal value and efficacy to what He did on the cross, as well as to all the offices He now sustains. Not only is the Son here set forth as the One by whom the universe was made, and the upholder of everything, but as the One who after sitting on His own throne and reigning as Israel's king will fold up this old creation as a vesture; yet He Himself is the same and His years shall not fail.
It is God who has spoken in the Person of His Son (Heb. 1:11God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, (Hebrews 1:1)). He had spoken in the prophets, having used their mouths to speak and their hands to write, so that the instrument so employed could truthfully say, "Thus saith the Lord," or, "The word of the Lord hath come unto me, saying," etc. Holy, men of God had spoken "as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." The Father, too, had spoken and given testimony from heaven to the personal perfections of the Son of man on this earth, saying, "This is My beloved Son: hear Him." And again we read, "For Him hath God the Father sealed." It was God who spoke through the prophets by the Holy Ghost; it was God the Father who gave testimony to the Person of the Son. But in these last days God has spoken to us in the person of the Son. It is the Son who declared the Father, the Son by whom all things were created, the Heir of all things, the Upholder of all things, who did by Himself purge our sins. He was so above created things that He could truly call God Father, and the Father could own Him as His only begotten Son. It is the Son who is now seated on the Father's throne, and crowned with glory and honor; the Son of whom it will be said, when He comes into the world as the first begotten, "Let all the angels of God worship Him." Again, it is the Son of whom it can be truly said, "Thy throne, 0 God, is forever and ever: a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Thy kingdom." It is the Son concerning whom, when speaking of the created heaven and earth, it is said, "They shall perish, but Thou remainest: and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; and as a vesture shalt Thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but Thou art the same, and Thy years shall not fail." These surely are nothing less than varied glories of the perfection and deity of the Son.
In the Son, God was manifested in the flesh. Though He was the Son eternally in the bosom of the Father and before the universe was formed was the central Object of divine counsels and grace toward man according to eternal purpose, yet He was also the Son in incarnation as born of Mary, according as it was said to her by the angel Gabriel, "That holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God." Luke 1:3535And the angel answered and said unto her, 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 God. (Luke 1:35). This fulfills also the prophecy of Psalm 2, "Thou art My Son; this day have I begotten Thee." And again He was "declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead." Rom. 1:44And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: (Romans 1:4). He now sits on the Father's throne as righteously exalted above all creatures, and expecting to come forth to judge, for to which of the angels said He at any time, "Sit Thou on My right hand, until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool"?
Until the fullness of time came when God sent forth His Son, God had been revealed as God who created, as the Lord God who was in relationship with man, as the Almighty who could do everything and from whom no thought could be withholden, as Jehovah in covenant relationship with Israel. The Father, however, had not been revealed. In John 1:1818No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. (John 1:18) we read, "No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him." In this way the Father was made known; the Father was seen in the Son. The words He uttered were of the Father; He said, "The Father which sent Me, He gave Me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak." John 12:4949For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. (John 12:49). Again, the Son said, "He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father.... Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of Myself: but the Father that dwelleth in Me, He doeth the works. Believe Me that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me." John 14:9-119Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father? 10Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. 11Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake. (John 14:9‑11). Thus, while the Son was so truly one in divine essence with the Father that He could say, "I and My Father are one," yet there was such distinction of persons between the Father and the Son that the Father sent and commanded, and the Son came and obeyed. Moreover, He could speak of leaving the world and going to the Father, of finishing the work the Father gave Him to do, of glorifying the Father on the earth, and of obeying the commandment of the Father in laying down His life for the sheep. We can therefore praise God with our whole heart that the Son came and declared the Father as none else could.
We have thus the revelation of God-Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. We have seen how God the Father has testified of the perfection of the Son, and we know that God the Holy Ghost is the testifier and the glorifier of the Son. But in these last days God the Son has spoken to us of God the Father, and has assured us who, through grace, have believed that the Father Himself has revealed the Son to us, drawn us to Him, brought us into the everlasting relationship of children, that He loves us as He loves the Son, purposes to conform us to the image of His Son, to the praise of His glory, and would have us now know it and enjoy it. When we ponder the words of the Son, let us never forget that it is that Person speaking who is the Son. As another has forcibly put it, "It is God Himself who speaks, not by another, not as the Father nor in the Person of the Father, not merely by the Holy Ghost using a person not divine, but as Himself a divine Person and that Person the Son."
It is no marvel that God speaks of the Son as the brightness or effulgence of His glory, the express image of His Person, or rather an exact expression of His substance or essential being. Such surely He was and is; "for in Him all the fullness [of the Godhead] was pleased to dwell." Col. 1:1919For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; (Colossians 1:19) J.N.D. Trans. And, "In Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily." Col. 2:99For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. (Colossians 2:9). It is the infinite perfection of the Person of the. Son we have here. So that as the Son, He is the raiser of the dead, and life giver, and all judgment is committed unto Him, which only a divine person could carry out. "What things soever He [the Father] doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.... 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 honoreth not the Son honoreth not the Father which hath sent Him." John 5:19-2319Then 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 things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. 20For 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. 21For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. 22For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: 23That all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honoreth not the Son honoreth not the Father which hath sent him. (John 5:19‑23). He therefore "knew all men, and needed not that any should testify of man; for He knew what was in man." John 2:24, 2524But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, 25And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man. (John 2:24‑25). And yet He delighted to tell out the love of God to the world in giving "His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." 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).
The Son, divinely perfect, and perfect as man- personally perfect-without a taint or a flaw, was morally the expression of the glory of God. Not only was He apart from sin, but in His every step and every word was perfect obedience, love and faith. He always did the will of Him that sent Him, and it was His meat to do so. He never uttered a word which needed correction, nor took a step He had to retrace. He was inwardly pure, so that He could say, "Thy law is within My heart," and outwardly "holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners." How truly we can say, when considering the pathway of the Son on earth-
"Thy name encircles every grace
That God as man could show;
There only could He fully trace
A life divine below."
With the unutterable agony and shame of the cross immediately before Him, He could challenge His bitterest enemies with "Which of you convinceth Me of sin?" Devils spoke of Him as "the Holy One of God." Luke 4:3434Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art; the Holy One of God. (Luke 4:34). Pilate took water and washed his hands before the multitude saying, "I am innocent of the blood of this just Person; see ye to it." Judas also, His betrayer, brought the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, "I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood." The Roman officers exclaimed, "Never man spake like this man." The centurion glorified God, saying, "Certainly this was a righteous man." The thief hanging by His side gave his testimony saying, "We receive the due reward of our deeds: but this Man hath done nothing amiss." The perfect One, to whom angels had ministered, had only to ask His Father and He would presently have given Him more than twelve legions of angels, but He added-for He came for the suffering of death- "How then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?" But above all the testimony of these men was the Father's voice from heaven saying, "This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." At the last He is raised from among the dead by the glory of the Father, and set on His right hand in righteousness. He is there, having so glorified God in life and death as to merit the glory of God-the glory into which, as the crucified, risen, and ascended Son of man He entered. Language fails to give utterance to the personal, moral, and official glories of this perfect One. Well might an apostle exhort those who were dwelling on rudimentary truth and typical things to "go on unto perfection."