THERE is a beautiful Rabbinic saying that, “In every passage of Scripture where thou findest the majesty of God, thou also findest close by, His humility.” In proof of this, there is cited from the Law (Deut. 10:17, 10:8) the words, “The Lord your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords,” &c., followed by, “He doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow”; from the Psalms (68:4, 5), “Extol Him that rideth upon the heavens by His Name JAH,” followed by, “A Father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows”; from the Prophets (Isa. 57:1515For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. (Isaiah 57:15)), “The high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity,” followed by, “I dwell... with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit.”
To the believer this unfolding of the grace of “the God of glory” is very beautiful, nor is it less precious to find on turning from the Old Testament to the New that the quotation given above holds true also of the Lord Jesus Christ. Close by His majesty thou wilt find His humility. If He is declared to be the Word who was God, we soon read, “The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.” When it is stated that He thought it not robbery to be equal with God, it is followed by, “He made Himself of no reputation.” Very blessed is this, for in this identity of character we discover the identity of Person of JEHOVAH of the Old Testament and Jesus of the New.
But our opening quotation will bear to be put in a slightly altered form: “lose by the humility of Christ thou wilt find His glory.” We read that “The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us”; it is followed by, “And we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father.” Weary and hungry in the wilderness, the object of Satan’s temptation, the Tempter yet confesses Him as Son of God: “If Thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.” There is not any doubt implied in the word “if”; Satan simply assumes the fact without denying it, and calls for an exhibition of power worthy of the Person. In the Garden of Gethsemane, surrounded and bound by His captors, it was only so after the declaration of His Name “I Am” — had caused them to fall backward to the ground. Rebuffed by a poor, sinful woman at the Well of Sychar, the glory of Christ was shown as the Revealer of Secrets— the true Zaphnath Paaneah — the promised Messiah and Saviour of the world.
We should find this association of glory and humility to be true throughout the entire Word if we had but eyes to discern it. Generally, this glory cannot be hid. In this paper, however, we wish to follow only one branch of the subject, namely, that whenever the Lord Jesus Christ is by an inspired writer called “Man” — a name which itself, as applied to Him, speaks of a wondrous depth of humility — it is connected with glory which is peculiarly His, which none other man could by any means share with Him.
That God should become Man is surely a stupendous fact, the meaning of which our thoughts little conceive, yet nothing less than this took place when the Babe was born in Bethlehem. What is involved in those words, “He made Himself of no reputation,” it will take eternity for us to learn, for the incarnation was the prelude to the cross. Yet even so, humbling Himself thus, becoming true and very man in this world — and a man of sorrows, too — it could not be otherwise than that glories should be His, which none other could have. He was Man among men, knowing weariness and hunger and thirst as other men — yet in other ways how different!
As our review is limited to passages where the inspired writer uses the term “Man” of our Lord Jesus Christ, the whole of the Gospels and Acts are placed on one side, for in none of these do the evangelists use the word, only as reporting it from the lips of others. We may say, briefly, that its use in the historical books is much less frequent than we should imagine. It occurs in Matthew three times, in Mark twice, in Luke (the gospel of the Son of Man) six times, and, rather singularly, in John’s Gospel of the divine glory of the Son of God, it occurs twelve times. In the Acts it is once used; different word translated “man” occurs twice.
We pass on to the Epistles, and discover that in the whole of them the expression is used only four times of our Lord, and these all in the writings of St. Paul. In our English translation it may indeed be found in other passages―for instance, in the Epistle to the Hebrews, as, “This [Man], because HE continueth ever,” “This [Man] when He had offered one sacrifice for sins,” &c. —but in all such passages there is no corresponding word in the original, and it is merely inserted (generally in italics) to help the sense.
We turn, then, to the four places mentioned, premising again that our only object now is to draw attention to the glories which distinguish the “second Man” from all others.
(1) Rom. 5:1515But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. (Romans 5:15): If through the offense of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one Man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.” Here, as in two other passages to be mentioned, the contrast is between Christ and Adam. By the man Adam disobedience and sin entered, and death followed in the train of the offense—all partook of this consequence of Adam’s sin: the many (which really is all) were made sinners — one only excepted, the Man Jesus Christ, and His glory it is that through Him God’s grace and the free gift in grace has abounded unto the many. By Adam, disobedience: by Christ, obedience; — by Adam, condemnation: by Christ, justification; by Adam, death: by Christ, life. And it will surely be seen that though we, believers, share in the blessings brought by “the Alan Jesus Christ,” we cannot share in the glory of bringing them — His alone that is; His, blessed be His Name! it ever will be.
(2.) 1 Cor. 15:21, 2221For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. (1 Corinthians 15:21‑22): “For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” Again we have the contrast of Adam and Christ — by the former, death; by the latter, resurrection. And again we would say, this is a glory which none can share, and this distinguishes Him from every other man. By Him is resurrection; in Him is the making alive; we are those who, by and in Him, are raised and quickened.
(3,) 1 Cor. 15:4747The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. (1 Corinthians 15:47): “The first man is of the earth, earthy [i.e., ‘formed of dust,’ not ‘earthly’]; the second Man is the Lord from heaven.” Though Christ and Adam are here again contrasted, it is not (as in the two former quotations) the result of actions which form the subject of discrimination, but rather personal distinction. The passage speaks of origin. Adam’s was from the earth, and he was, as we learn in Gen. 2:77And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. (Genesis 2:7), formed of the dust of the ground. Our Lord Jesus came not from such an origin; He is not of earth, but is the Lord from heaven. Of Him only can this be said: though we, having borne the image of the earthy, shall also bear the image of the heavenly. “From heaven” is Christ’s alone, and, as we learn from another scripture, “He that cometh from above is above all.”
(4.) 1 Tim. 2:55For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; (1 Timothy 2:5): “There is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, [the] Man Christ Jesus.” This, our last passage, is the only one in which Christ is not contrasted with Adam. It is glory, not exactly personal, but pertaining to an office He has taken upon Himself—that of Mediator. There is but one Mediator, as there is but one God, and that Mediator is the Man Christ Jesus. Let us turn to the Old Testament Scripture with which it is connected. In the ninth chapter of the Book of Job, Job laments that he is brought to contend with God, and he sighs out, “He is not a man, as I am, that I should answer Him, and we should come together in judgment. Neither is there any daysman [or, as the Greek translation used by the apostles has it, any mediator’] betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both. Let Him take His rod away from me, and let not His fear terrify me: then would I speak, and not feat Him; but it is not so with me.” How many, like Job, have sighed for that daysman― that Mediator! For, if God be approached in all His majesty and glory, how can it be otherwise than that His fear will terrify the soul? Not that it was ever thus, though soon, alas! man’s sin turned God’s glory into a consuming fire. Is there, then, no Mediator? Yes, it is answered at last, there is One who in His Person answers all Job’s desires: He can “lay His hand upon us both.” For this same epistle, which speaks of Him as Man, declares Him also God, in that great mystery of godliness — God manifested in flesh. Thus in virtue of His divine personal glory He can be with God on our behalf, and on the other hand, He can be with us, for He is truly Man, and Elihu’s words to Job are true of the Lord: “My terror shall not make thee afraid.” Although in glory now, we remember that He is the “same Jesus” who lived on earth, and we recall the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth — words like unto which none other man ever spake. There was nothing in Him to alarm the troubled heart; there was everything to attract and to win. He it was who said to the weary, “Come unto Me, and I will give you rest.” God has drawn near to us, in and as Man, that He may bless us; and by that Mediator, Jesus Christ, true Man, we draw near to God.
We may not linger over this theme, blessed as it is: we are content to point out to those who love Christ this association of peculiar glories with the Lord’s name of humility — that, as “Man,” by Him come justification, and God’s gift of grace; by Him is resurrection and life from the dead, Personally He is the Lord from heaven, and to the troubled heart, trembling like Job at the majesty of God (and indeed to the saint at peace as well) He is the Mediator between God and men.