All along the way in which the Lord Jesus Christ walked on earth, He manifested the Godhead in the perfection of humanity; yet His divine glory was hidden, except to faith, from which “He could not be hid.” There was the Eternal Son, in human form; full—full of grace and truth. “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” As though the Father said to us, “I have found My pleasure in Him, and now I set Him before you to find your pleasure in Him.” The object heaven could look down upon, is the object we can look up to. Here is the meeting point for God and man. In Him there is for man true fellowship with God.
The great discovery for the soul of man is, “God was in Christ,” “God was manifest in the flesh.” His unclothed excellence it was not possible for man to see, to look upon; but yet, to faith, the Lord walked here as the bright shining sun, illuminating all around, and the path before. As He passed among men, the question raised was, “Who has eyes to see Me?” I do not believe that His Glory would ever dazzle or put the believing soul at a distance from Him; but to be at ease in the presence of His Glory—of His person—we must know the grace of His heart. We may walk about in the joy and comfort of the light which He sheds upon us, not regarding often the source, from which it comes. If we would contemplate the source, we must stop and look upon Him. “Behold the Lamb of God!” “Consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus.” “A great High Priest!”
The Lord was always the, perfect Servant; and as the perfect Servant He was the lover of the saints—the people of His God. “Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.” How familiar He was with those who knew Him, He calls them by their names: He called Philip by his name— “He calleth His own sheep by name.” Are you prepared to be called by name? What nearness—and what beauty in being exercised with the tenderness of the mind of Christ. “We have the mind of Christ.” But what discoveries are there for our souls to make in the display of His grace and His affections. What a thing (in man’s esteem) it is to find a gold mine: a field of diamonds! How much more to find Christ! Nothing can compensate the soul for the lack of a personal knowledge of Christ. I speak of the secret which the soul of every saint should possess, the secret of personal communion.
The journey through this world is as a journey through a long dark path with glorious light above you and before you. Christ is that light. You want a lamp before your feet and a light for your path. The Word which speaks of Christ is that light. Christ in glory is the end to be attained. As we pass along a dark and narrow passage, with light at the far end, we get more light every step of the way we go. “The path, of the just is as the shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.” His Word is, “I go to prepare a place for you.” He is our Forerunner.