Now my eye rests on Jesus: I find the Lord from heaven a Man. Afterward, do I look at myself? At all around? If I do, what do I see? Enough to break my heart, if there is in me a heart to be broken. But a rest is here — a Man who satisfied God. This blessed Man was on earth, in the presence of God, looking to God, and He was an object to God! He was not at that moment the Messiah purging His floor, but the One in whom God’s thoughts and purposes are all enveloped. He was Jesus, the Son of Man, not merely coming down from Abraham and David, but traced up — “which was the son of Adam, which was the Son of God.” He was the second Man — the last Adam — the quickening Spirit. What a relief: for what is man? What am I when the heart’s sin is known? We would be just as prone as our first parents to give up God for a piece of fruit. But now a Man, a blessed Man, appears, and “He is praying.” He was the dependent Man, for dependence is the essence of a perfect man. Truly we see God shining all through, but yet shining in Jesus the dependent Man, in the place and condition of perfectness as man. The root of sin in us is self-will, independence. Here in Him my heart has rest! A dependent Man in the midst of sorrow, but perfectly with God in all; in humiliation or in glory, it makes no difference as to this: the dependent One is ever there in perfection. And when His blessed heart expressed its dependence, did He get no answer? On the contrary, “The heaven was opened.” Does heaven open thus on me? It is open to me indeed, no doubt, but I pray because it is open; it opened because He prayed. I may come and look up because the heavens were opened on Him.
God’s Beloved Son
It is indeed a lovely picture of grace, and we may be bold to say that the Father loved to look down, in the midst of all sin, on His beloved Son. Nothing but what was Divine could thus awaken God’s heart; and yet it was the lowly, perfect Man. He does not take the place of His eternal glory as the Creator, the Son of God — rather, He stoops and is baptized. He says, “In Thee do I put my trust ... Thou art my Lord” (Psa. 16:1-21<<Michtam of David.>> Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust. 2O my soul, thou hast said unto the Lord, Thou art my Lord: my goodness extendeth not to thee; (Psalm 16:1‑2)). Then the Holy Spirit descends like a dove on Him — fit emblem of that spotless Man! — fit resting-place for the Spirit in the deluge of this world. And how sweet, too, that Jesus is pointed out to us as God’s object. I know the way the Father feels about Him. I am brought into this intimacy, and admitted to hear Him expressing His affection for His Son, to see the links reformed between God and man.
Thus I get rest, and my heart finds communion with God in His beloved Son. It is only the believer who enjoys it, but the link is there. And if I find in and about me that which distresses the soul, I have that in Him which is unfailing joy and comfort. With Him let heaven and earth be turned upside down, and still I have a rest. What blessedness for the heart to have the Object with which God Himself is occupied!
J. N. Darby (adapted)