“It was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin.” (John 19:20).
In the cross the world is judged in its religious, scientific and political features, as was typified of old in “the cedar wood, the scarlet and hyssop” (Lev. 14:4; Num. 19:6)—the world in the whole range of its glory. All for God and for faith is judged in the cross of Christ, and in His resurrection. God began a, or rather the, new creation in which all things are new, and all things are of Him (2 Cor. 5:14-20; Gal. 6:14,15; Rev. 3:14), and when the Lord Jesus arose from the dead, He as it were, rose into a new world, founded on His sufferings, death and resurrection.
Of this new creation, this new world, this new realm, He is the head, center and glory, according to the purpose and counsels of God (Eph. 1:10; Prov. 8:23) as Redeemer. He is the second man and last Adam.
This new creation is founded on redemption. His glory as Redeemer is an acquired glory—a purchased glory. His glory as Creator is rather His personal and inherent, not acquired or purchased; and creation is His because He created it; it is the fruit of His creative power and glory as Creator (John 1:1-3; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:1-3).
In the first of these scriptures, it is His proper Godhead glory.
In the second, He creates and sustains as the Son of the Father’s love, and all is by Him and for Him.
In the third, it is He as the appointed heir of all things; the brightness of God’s glory and the express image of His person, the maker and sustainer of all things by the word of His power; and the One who has by Himself made purgation for our sins, and is now seated at the right hand of the Majesty on high, the ever and all glorious Son, in whom God has spoken to us in these last days.
How blessedly and fully these scriptures bring before us our, blessed and wondrous Savior in His person and in His works! How outshining all His works, is that work of making purgation for our sins! How truly we can say with one of old, “My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior!”
Jesus! how much Thy name unfolds
To every opened ear!
The pardoned sinner’s memory holds
None other half so dear.
Jesus—the One who knew no sin,
Made sin to make us just;
Thou gav’st Thyself our love to win
Our full confiding trust.
The mention of Thy name shall bow
Our hearts to worship Thee;
The chiefest of ten thousand Thou,
Whose love has set us free.