perform a work in the world of ideas that the Lord of glory came forth from Heaven to take up His abode in the virgin’s womb. It was in order that He might have a body that could be pierced with a spear, hands and feet that could be nailed to the cross, a brow that might be crowned with thorns. This was the reason why there had to be a definite, physical incar nation. And the necessity of His death constitutes the third point in His Christmas teaching. He announces that the preparation of His body was in definite contrast to those bodies of animals which God had prescribed for sacrifice under the former covenant. This is to be seen in the use of the word but which separates the two thoughts. “ Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me.” For Christ looked back over the years, saw all of the worship in the temple and ' tabernacle, heard every dying moan of lamb or goat or bul lock, and said to the Father, “ Sacri fice and offering thou wouldest not.” And lest there be any misunderstand ing, the thought was restated with added emphasis, “ In burnt-offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.” There is no room for discussion; God did not like the of ferings that were slain upon the al tars of Israel. Yet, mark well, there is not the slightest suggestion that God had not commanded these very offerings in which He had no pleasure. He says so in no uncertain terms. In the tenth of Hebrews we read, “ It is not pos sible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.” “Not all the blood of beasts On Jewish altars slain, Could give the guilty conscience peace, Or wash away the stain.” Why then, did God command them? The whole context of our Lord’s mes sage to the Father assumes that the Old Testament offerings were indeed commanded by God. The reason given is that men had to be taught the sinfulness of sin; and required some object lesson that could teach them the holiness of God; remind them that He hated sin, that sin was more repugnant, even, than the horror of the spilled blood. If, indeed, we are disgusted with the sight of the blood sacrifice, God must turn away, with infinitely greater horror, from the stench of our unclean hearts. Even “ our righteousnesses are as filthy rags” in His sight (Isa 64:6). Every (Continued on Page 28) T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
decreed and promised in the eternal councils of the Godhead was now come to pass. What joy it must have been to the Lord Jesus Christ to know that the first step was taken on the actual road to redemption! And this is the Scripture passage which contains Christ’s own Christ mas message. “Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: In burnt-offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the vol ume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, 0 God’’ (Heb 10:5-7). To this the Holy Spirit adds in the record, “When he said, Sacrifice and offering . . . for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein ; which are offered by the law; Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, 0 God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all” (Heb. 10:8-10). It is our studied opinion that if those six verses were thoroughly un derstood. there could be no difficulties within the heart of Christendom. If the Christmas message of the Lord Jesus Christ were properly under stood, there could be no such thing as the differences which lie between Catholicism and Protestantism. Such a work as that of Mrs. Mary Baker Eddy would not exist. There would be no such a thing as Unitarianism. Jewry would have lost all raison d’etre. In fact, the whole of the great Christian message is contained in this statement which the Lord Jesus Christ made upon coming into this world in such a way that, were it understood and believed, Christians would be at one on the underlying facts of the Person and work of our Lord. First of a’l. this passage teaches the pre-existence of the Lord Jesus Christ. Unless He had existed eter nally as the Second Person of the Godhead. He con’d not thus have spoken when He came into the world. This word is, then, another great claim to deity. Secondly, we find the definite teach ing of a material incarnation. When He came into the world He said, “ A body hast thou prepared me.” It is necessary to emphasize this fact to day. There are those who deny the fact that Jesus Christ had a mate rial body. To this Jesus Christ re sponds categorically, “ A body hast thou prepared me.” It was not to
Cïjrtsitmag Jfflatm Upmn
By C . I. Black ♦ t WAS in the morning cold, when earth Was desolate and wild, That angels welcomed at His birth The everlasting Child. From realms of ever-brightening day And from His throne above He came, with humankind to stay All lowliness and love. T HEN in the manger the poor beast Was present with his Lord; Then swains and pilgrims from the east Saw, wondered, and adored. And I this morn would come with them This blessed sight to see And to the Babe of Bethlehem Bend low the reverent knee. B UT I have not— it makes me sigh— One offering in my power; 'Tis winter all with me, and I Have neither fruit nor flower. O God, O Saviour, let me give My worthless self to Thee; And that the years which I may live May pure and spotless be; G RANT me Thyself, O Saviour kind, Thy Spirit undefiled, That I may be in heart and mind As gentle as a child; That I may tread life's arduous ways, As Thou Thyself hast trod, And in the might of prayer and praise Keep ever close to God. forth her first-born Son and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, laying Him in the manger, we do not know, and we cannot know. But the fact remains that the divine record states definitely that these words were spoken by the Lord Jesus Christ at the time of His entry into the world. The baby lips were undoubtedly still, but within His be ing there was the eternal Son who exulted with glory and praise that at last the long-awaited day of re demption was beginning to run its actual course. That which had been
Page Eight
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs