/2001_08

DECEMBER 2001-JANUARY 2002

Once staggering, blind with folly, on the brink of hell, Above the everlasting fire-flood’s frightful roar God threw His heart before my feet, and, stumbling o’er That obstacle divine, I into heaven fell.

• The Word in the Word • Loyal Gifts to a Royal Person • Is Jesus God?

EDITORIAL

INCARNATE LOVE The journey between the worlds.

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o you think we could sum up the message of the Old Testament in just three words? If so, I think they would be: Jesus is coming! You can see it on almost every page.

THE PATRIARCHS PONDERED IT. Job longed for a daysman between God and men “…that might lay His hand upon us both” (Job 9:33); in so doing he anticipated the “one mediator between God and men” (1 Tim. 2:5). Said the Saviour in divine retrospect, “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day: and he saw it, and was glad” (Jn. 8:56).

And what did Jacob behold at Peniel when he confessed, “I have seen God face to face” (Gen. 32:30)? Was it anything like what Paul described as “…the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Cor. 4:6)? Moses saw God’s glory from the cleft of the rock at Sinai when the Lord said to him, “I will…cover thee with My hand while I pass by: and I will take away Mine hand, and thou shalt see My back parts: but My face shall not be seen” (Ex. 33:22-23). But how did that compare with what he saw on Transfiguration Mountain?

THE TYPES AND SHADOWS ANTICIPATED IT. Like a thousand fingers, they pointed beyond a distant horizon; like a myriad of eyes, they peered through the mists of the uncertain years; like a chorus of voices, they called out into the long night, “He is coming!”

Surely God would not merely mock His people with a Moses who could lead his people out, but could not lead them in; with a Joshua who led them in but could not give them rest; with a David who gave them rest from their enemies, but could not win the battle for the citadel of his own heart. There must be Someone greater than Moses the Lawgiver, better than Joshua the Captain, more dependable than David the Prince.

Indeed there was, and He was on the way.

He would answer to the serpent on the pole, the lion who prevails, the lamb on the altar, the sparrow alone on the housetop, and the hind chased to the death by the dogs. He would be the light in the darkness, the fountain in the wilderness, the covert in the storm, and the corn of wheat that became through death a harvest so great that only heaven’s granary could hold it.

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UPLOOK • DECEMBER 2001/ JANUARY 2002

Root and Branch, Lamb and Shepherd, Star and Sun, Cornerstone and Headstone, Servant and Sovereign, Babe and Father of Eternity—Jesus had to come!

THE PROPHETS SEARCHED FOR IT (see 1 Pet. 1:10-11).

He is Isaiah’s Sufferer (53:3), Jeremiah’s Balm of Gilead (8:22), Ezekiel’s Plant of Renown (34:29), Daniel’s Ancient of Days (7:9-11), Hosea’s Dew (14:5), Haggai’s Desire of all Nations (2:7), Zechariah’s Shepherd and Malachi’s Sun of Righteousness (4:2) among hundreds of others. If you have eyes to see it, you can watch the white light of divine truth refracted into a rainbow of exquisite types, messianic psalms, and prophetic portraits.

But if the Old Testament is described by the statement, Jesus is coming! the New Testament surely is encompassed in the triad of statements, Jesus did come! and Jesus is come! and Jesus is coming again!

He came the first time not only to fulfill the prophetic scriptures, however. Here in His own words He clarifies the reasons for the mission: “For I came down from heaven, not to do Mine own will, but the will of Him that sent Me” (Jn. 6:38). “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill” (Mt. 5:17). “…I came not to judge the world, but to save the world” (Jn. 12:47). “…the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mt. 20:28). “…I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Mk. 2:17). “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword” (Mt. 10:34).

As can be seen, the complexity and number of the issues to be resolved could only be accomplished by one solitary Figure, and He, thankfully, was willing to do it.

The cost of this campaign was so astronomical that the Owner of everything became poor in the process. The journey He took in coming “down from heaven” had never been traversed before. He came—for you and me.

J. B. Nicholson Jr.

CONTENTS

UPLOOK Volume 68

DEC. 2001/ JAN. 2002

Number 8

Features LOYAL GIFTS TO A ROYAL PERSON George Hucklesby

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THE CAESAR AND THE KING James Stalker

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RISE UP AND WORK Conference Report

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MARY’S MAGNIFICAT David Gooding

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THE TRUE HUMANITY OF JESUS Alan M. Stibbs

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SOME HERESIES REGARDING THE CHRIST

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CAN YOU EXPLAIN IT? Earl H. Tschudy

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LAYING A GOOD FOUNDATION Various

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THE SOFT MAN FROM ROCK John A. Bjorlie

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A DOCTOR LOOKS AT THE VIRGIN BIRTH A. T. Schofield

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IS JESUS GOD? William MacDonald

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THE WORD IN THE WORD W. Graham Scroggie

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HAIL THE INCARNATE DEITY Herbert Lockyer

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Departments EDITORIAL FRONT LINES WHAT’S GOING ON? BOUQUET OF BLESSINGS The Word became flesh Subscription Information: The Uplook magazine mailing list is maintained on a subscription basis. There is no charge for a subscription, however you must renew your subscription annually in order to continue receiving the magazine. An initial subscription is for six issues.

Thereafter any time you renew, your subscription will be extended a further eleven issues. There are three ways to renew: 1) by using the reminder envelope sent to facilitate your renewal; 2) by using the form on our website at: http://www.uplook.org/magazine_uplook/subscribe/ 3) by contacting our office at any time, by phone, fax, mail or e-mail.

Please advise us of any address changes at least six weeks in advance and include your customer number from your mailing label.

Poem on cover translated by W. R. Alger Digital painting on cover by John Nicholson III

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UPLOOK Founded in 1927 as Look on the Fields, UPLOOK is published monthly except January and August by Uplook Ministries, 813 North Ave., N.E., Grand Rapids, MI 49503.

Phone: (616) 456-9166 Fax: (616) 456-5522 Website: http://www.uplook.org E-mail: uplook@uplook.org ISSN #1055-2642 Printed in USA. © Copyright 2001 Uplook Ministries UPLOOK magazine is intended to encourage the people of God in fidelity to His Word, fervency in intercessory prayer, labors more abundant, and love to the Lord.

Believing in the practical Headship of Christ and the local autonomy of each assembly, this is not intended to be an official organ of any group or federation of local churches.

The editor and authors take responsibility for materials published. For any blessing which accrues, to God be the glory.

UPLOOK is copyrighted solely for the purpose of maintaining the integrity of the material. It is not intended to limit the proper use of articles contained in the magazine. Please include the words: “UPLOOK magazine, by permission” on photocopies made for personal use. For large quantities or other purposes, contact UPLOOK. Submissions Please enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope with all unsolicited material.

News items must be submitted at least two months in advance of issue requested. Selected news items will be carried for two issues (if time permits). The editor reserves the right to determine those items best suited for the magazine.

Editorial decisions are final. Photos accepted. Please enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope for photos you wish returned.

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Donation Information: Uplook Ministries is a tax-exempt corporation looking to the Lord to provide for the needs of this ministry. This magazine is sent freely to those who request it, but evidently is not freely produced. Donations may be made by check or money order denominated in US $, Canadian $ or £ sterling. All checks should be made payable to UPLOOK and sent to one of the above addresses. Donations may also be made by VISA, Mastercard/ACCESS or Discover in US dollars, either by mail or at our website: http://www.uplook.org/home/about_us/contributions.html We do not advise sending credit card numbers by e-mail. Please include your card number, expiry date and the amount in US dollars you wish to donate. Receipts are issued for all donations received and are valid for tax purposes in the US and Canada.

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www.uplook.org • DECEMBER 2001/ JANUARY 2002

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D AV I D ’ S G R E AT S O N

GEORGE HUCKLESBY

Loyal gifts to a royal Person The ancestry and acknowledgement of the King of kings.

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enrolled in the list, and on some a reproach was resting, thus proving that our blessed Lord made Himself of “no reputation.” Proud human nature would have omitted these entirely; not so the Holy Spirit, the faithful Chronicler.

He had also a mortal ancestry for all these ancestral patriarchs and priests, these sovereigns and subjects died. The Life Giver and LifeSustainer was thus linked with a dying place. But He had also an immortal ancestry, for He is declared to be the Son of God, “Emmanuel…God with us,” and from Him springs a new race of heavenly people who will never die.

This unique birth was thus ushered in by a long train of prophecies.

It had been longed for by multitudes of hearts; it was heralded by a new star being placed in the heavens by God. Angels announced His arrival.

Thus God gave these special signs and proofs that He was the longpromised One, the God-sent Man. This is the royal Person for whom these wise men made the important inquiry: “Where is He that is born King of the Jews?” The first question in the Old Testament was, “Where art thou?” The first in the New Testament is, “Where is He?” In the former we have God seeking the sinner, in the latter we have sinners seeking God. These seekers for Christ were learned in the world’s wisdom, and

UPLOOK • DECEMBER 2001/ JANUARY 2002

versed in the world’s science, yet they wanted something this world could not afford. They were in search for a personal Saviour who could meet the deep longing of the human heart. It was a search which involved leaving home and friends, taking a long journey, and encountering difficulties and dangers.

The sign God had given to encourage them was the star in the East, as they said, “We have seen

New Tribes Mission

T

he Old and New Testaments are one organic whole. The opening verse of Matthew 1 is the golden link which unites these two divisions of the inspired volume.

Then follows the genealogy of the glorious Person so long expected and now introduced to us.

The inspired Book is thus the history of two men. In Genesis 5 we have the genealogy of Adam, the first man, which we might call “the sinner’s book.”

Then in Matthew 1 we have the genealogy of the Second Man—the Lord from heaven, and this one introduces us to the Saviour’s Book.

The former ends with a solemn “anathema;” the latter closes with a glorious “maranatha.”

The Holy Spirit is thus careful to give us the genealogy of our blessed Lord, and what a genealogy it is! It shows that our Lord had a human ancestry for He was Perfect Man. He is declared to be the child of the virgin Mary and proved to be the Son of Adam.

He had a Jewish ancestry, for His pedigree is clearly traced to Abraham. As such He is the Jewish Messiah, “the Hope of Israel.” But He also had a Gentile ancestry for there are Gentile names included in the list: Rahab the Canaanitess, Ruth the Moabitess, and Bathsheba the Hittite. This links Him with the Gentiles, and as such He is “the Hope of the nations.”

Then it is a royal ancestry for He is proved to be David’s son, and as such He is the legal heir to David’s throne. Even so it is a lowly ancestry. The names of four woman are

His star.” God thus encouraged these earnest seekers, and He never fails to meet the individual need.

Then we have their success. They found the object they sought, and gazed upon this royal babe, “Emmanuel.” They had diligently sought, and they joyfully found the great mystery of godliness—deity linked with humanity. For that sight patriarchs had looked and prophets had longed. They had no doubt as to the royalty of that child, for they poured their loyal and costly gifts at His feet, and they ascribed to Him what was due to God alone. “They… worshiped Him.”

FRONT LINES

Horton Haven conference A commitment to purity and holiness.

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oung adults, ages 14 and up, are invited to attend a purity and holiness weekend at Horton Haven Christian Camp in Chapel Hill, TN January 25-27. The theme of the weekend will be a biblical perspective on sexuality and relationships. How do we teach our youth to abstain when the world cries out, “Be one of us”? They know the “no” but not the why. The goal of this program is to bring a young person to an understanding of why God calls us to lead a holy life, and then to set standards and commitments to gain a life of purity and holiness.

For more information: 931-364-7656 ISRAEL, ISLAM AND THE MIDDLEAST CONFLICT Bible and Life Ministries will be sponsoring a conference on “Israel, Islam and the Middleast Conflict” with J. B. Nicholson at North 56th St. Bible Chapel, Tampa, FL on Jan. 26, Saturday, from 10 AM to 4 PM. There will be four sessions and a question time. Contact: David Dunlap at 813-996-1053 d.dunlap@juno.com SKI RETREAT Young people and families from the southeast are invited to the annual ski retreat and fellowship January 18-21 (Martin Luther King holiday weekend) at Camp Living Water in Bryson City, NC, in the heart of the Great Smoky Mountains. The Word will be presented by Jamie Hull of Colorado Springs. There will also be opportunities for snow-tubing, hiking, basketball and volleyball.

Joel Sasscer at 828-488-6012 dclw@juno.com BC WORKERS & ELDERS CONF. A first-time BC Workers’ and Elders’ conference is planned with the theme, “Caring for God’s Flock

Today.” The purpose is to encourage all who desire to see spiritual health and growth in New Testament assemblies in BC. Lord willing, this 3-day conference will be held at the Executive Hotel in Harrison Hot Springs, BC. The dates are Monday, Feb. 25 (evening) through Thursday, Feb. 28 (noon). The invited speakers are J. B. Nicholson (MI), Jack Spender (CT), Elie Nessim (BC), and Ron Hampton (MB). The format will include plenary sessions, panel discussions, and prayer sessions.

Peter Anderssen at 250-477-5919 Don Street at 250-395-4230 dvstreet@bcinternet.net TORONTO EASTER CONF. The Toronto Easter Bible Conference is scheduled to be held March 29-30, 2002, hosted by some of the Toronto and area assemblies.

The conference will be held at Port Credit Secondary School, 70 Mineola Road, Mississauga, ON (south of QEW, off Highway 10).

The invited speakers are Randy Amos (NY), James Cochrane (BC), and Arthur Dixon (ON). Meeting times are 2:00 PM and 6:00 PM with supper served at 4:00 PM both days.

Childcare will be provided. A young people’s meeting with Arthur Dixon is planned for Friday, March 29 at 8:00 PM. For more info: Ted Willis at 905-845-0584 PARK OF THE PALMS Park of the Palms is a Christian retirement community and conference center in North Central Florida.

It offers eight weeks of excellent Bible ministry: Steve Herzig (NJ) Jan. 12-18; Paul Irwin (ON) Jan. 1925; Jack Spender (CT) Jan. 26-Feb. 1; Joe Mikhael (ON) Feb. 2-8; Daniel Smith (IA) Feb. 9-15; David MacLeod (IA) Feb. 16-22; James Cochrane (BC) Feb. 23-Mar. 1; Roy Hill (UK) Mar. 2-8. Excellent conference accommodations are available as well as duplexes for retirees.

Park of the Palms 352-473-4926 pop@techcomm.net YOUTH CONFERENCE A youth conference is planned for teens, ages 13 and up, at Oak Lawn Bible Chapel, (Oak Lawn, IL) on Saturday, March 16, 2002. Chuck Meyers (MN) will be the speaker for the day. The conference will begin at

www.uplook.org • DECEMBER 2001/ JANUARY 2002

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Front Lines TEACH AND TESTIFY (TNT) TEAMS IRELAND Teach and Testify (TnT) Teams Ireland is an authentic cross-cultural missions opportunity (May 28-June 20) which doesn’t require learning another language in order to be effective. After three days of cross-cultural orientation and evangelism training, the team members are involved in a concentrated 17-day program of evangelism and ministering to Irish assemblies. The teams use various methods of evangelism including door-to-door, open air, children’s and friendship evangelism. The teams serve the local assemblies through many means including special singing, testimonies, speaking, teaching children, and working with the Irish young people. The program concludes with a 3-day team sight-seeing tour. The cost is $1250 CDN or $850 US, not including airfare to Ireland.

If you are 18 years or older, in good health, and believe that the Lord would have you get involved with TnT Teams this summer, with the recommendation of your home assembly, contact Ron Hampton: TnT Teams E-mail: TnTTeams@mts.net 874 London St. Phone: 204-663-9628 Winnipeg, MB, Canada R2K 3P7 204-669-6026 9:30 AM and conclude at 3:30 PM. Lunch will be provided and there is no charge for the conference.

Bring money for candy, pop and snacks during the breaks. Books and videos will also be on sale. Contact: Dan Peterson at 815-485-7009 incrediblebats@earthcafe.com LAKE GENEVA SUMMER CONF. The Lake Geneva Summer Conference (Williams Bay, WI) will be held July 20-28, 2002, Lord willing. Ted Grant and Dan Smith will be ministering to the adults. Graham Marshall will be taking the teen meetings. Dave Brown will be working with the elementary age boys/girls and Jenny Coxhead will work with the pre-schoolers.

This is a great place to take the whole family for a week of spiritual feeding from the Word. For additional information or brochures, contact: 414-248-5511 donnelson3@excite.com WORD ALIVE WEEKENDS Several assemblies in the Winnipeg area are again hosting a series of ministry-intensive weekends, including a youth rally on Friday evening, an all-day seminar on Saturday, and along with regular Sunday morning meetings, a joint gospel meeting on Sunday evening.

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Speakers expected: Harold Summers (BC) Nov. 30–Dec. 2; Jonathan Brower (VA) Jan. 25–27; Willie Burnett (ON) Feb. 22–24; Joe Mikhael (ON) Mar. 29–31.

If you are from out of town, and would like to attend, please contact: Ron Hampton at 204-669-6026 rhampton@attcanada.ca COMMENDATIONS/CHANGES Jim and Marti Sushereba The believers at North Augusta Bible Chapel, North Augusta, SC, commend to the work of the Lord Jim and Marti (with their children) at Camp Hope, Gainesville, GA. The Sushereba family has been involved with construction projects, maintenance and assistance with the operation of this assembly camp and conference grounds, and have been in happy fellowship for several years at the assembly in North Augusta.

Mark Wainwright The Northeast Bible Chapel in Colorado Springs, CO have commended this brother to the work of the Lord as editorial director of Christian Books Melanesia in Papua New Guinea for three years (until December 2004). Mark has been in happy fellowship with Northeast for the past twelve years, including two years with his parents in PNG.

UPLOOK • DECEMBER 2001/ JANUARY 2002

Bruce and Debbie Langevin Bruce and Debbie Langevin have been serving the Lord in the Ottawa Valley for a number of years; many have appreciated their ministry.

After prayerful consideration and discussions with Bruce, the elders of Rideauview Bible Chapel are withdrawing their commendation at this time. It is their prayer that the Lord will continue to use the ministry of Bruce and Debbie for His glory.

SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES Logos School in Limassol, Cyprus The LOGOS School of English Education in Limassol, Cyprus, requires a teacher of English literature. Must be a born again believer with university degree in English and classroom experience. The Limassol Gospel Hall gathers to the Name of the Lord at Logos School’s assembly hall.

Contact the principal: Mr. Peter Ross P. O. Box 51075 3501 LIMASSOL, CYPRUS Phone: 00 357 5 336650 pr@logos.ac.cy Park of the Palms Park of the Palms, a Christian Retirement Community and Conference Center in NE Florida, is seeking an Administrator. In addition

Front Lines to residences, a 34-room Assisted Living Facility is available for residents who need some help.

The position requires that the candidate be a committed Christian with a desire to serve the Lord by serving older believers. In addition to a salary, housing will be provided.

James Harvey 352-473-4926 pop@techcomm.net Rest Haven Homes Rest Haven Homes (Grand Rapids, MI) currently has an employment opportunity for a nurse (LPN or RN) who would like to serve the Lord by ministering to His elderly saints. Contact Brian Wilson: 616-363-6829 sanctifiedsurfer@hotmail.com Guelph Bible Conference Center Guelph Bible Conference Center requires a full-time manager/team leader to oversee all aspects of the work. We are a Christian all-season conference center/camp work in the city of Guelph (about 1 hour west of Toronto). Information and job description available on request: J. Faulkner Stewart 519-824-2571 panstew@interlog.com

CHANGE OF ADDRESS Jim and Elizabeth Paul In the October issue of Uplook, the wrong phone number was listed for Jim and Elizabeth Paul. Please note the corrected number: 905-835-0125 jimpaul@sympatico.ca

the Lord as coordinators for the Emmaus Prison Work in Iowa.

CHAPEL DEDICATION A dedication service was held January 28, 2001 for the new addition to North Augusta Bible Chapel

Forest Hills Bible Chapel The correspondent at Forest Hills Bible Chapel, Grand Rapids, MI, has changed: Rick Larman 4637 Ada Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 Phone 616-942-5550 HOMECALLS Deyonna Bennett Deyonna Bennett, 61 of Davenport, Iowa went home to be with her Lord on October 27.

Many knew Dee the years she and her husband of 40 years, Pat, set up book tables at conferences and camps throughout the Midwest.

She was also a tireless worker as she, along with her husband, served

(SC) with over 200 in attendance, including saints from 11 local assemblies. T. S. Morgan and Lee Lohre shared in the ministry and Gerald Tice, Emmaus Prison Ministry director, spoke about the correspondence work serviced from this facility. There are about 700 active students.

The building was designed by Norm Entwistle, a member of the local assembly, who has designed 65 church buildings in his architectural career. In the Lord’s will, it is also the assembly’s desire to see a retirement village develop on the 14-acre site where the building is located.

Looking for a New Outreach Tool?

Sample of New York card (shown actual size)

Jim and Beth Helmly began a family business over a year ago with their desire to reach the many foreigners visiting their city of Washington, DC. They design, print, and sell simple gospel literature with easily identifiable photos from different countries and cities.

Custom printing options allow you to specify the verse and language you wish to distribute.

A variety of sizes are available, but they report good reception of the wallet cards (shown).

MountainFeet, Inc. 703-406-1282 mountainfeet@bigfoot.com

www.uplook.org • DECEMBER 2001/ JANUARY 2002

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SOVEREIGN at WORK

JAMES STALKER

The Caesar and the King The ruler in Rome was outmaneuvered by the Sovereign of the skies.

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ugustus was sitting on the throne of the Roman empire, and the touch of his finger could set the machinery of government in motion over well-nigh the whole of the civilized world. He was proud of his power and wealth, and it was one of his favorite occupations to compile a register of the populations and revenues of his vast dominions. So he issued an edict, as the Evangelist Luke says, “that all the world should be taxed,” or, to express accurately what the words probably mean, that a census, to serve as a basis for future taxation, should be taken of all his subjects.

One of the countries affected by this decree was Palestine, whose king, Herod the Great, was a vassal of Augustus. It set the whole land in motion, for the census was taken, not in the places where the inhabitants were currently residing, but their ancestral homes to which they belonged as members of the original twelve tribes.

Among those whom the edict of Augustus from afar drove forth to the highways were a humble pair in the Galilean village of Nazareth— Joseph the carpenter of the village, and Mary, his espoused wife. They had to take a journey of nearly a hundred miles in order to inscribe themselves in the proper register. For though peasants, they had the blood of kings in their veins, and belonged to the ancient and royal town of Bethlehem in Judea.

Day by day the emperor’s will, like an invisible hand, forced them southward along the weary road, until at last they climbed the rocky

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ascent that led to the gate of the town—he terrified with anxiety, and she well-nigh dead with fatigue.

They reached the inn, but found it crowded with strangers, who, bent on the same errand as themselves, had arrived before them. No friendly house opened the door to receive them, and they were forced to claim for their lodging a corner of the inn-yard, otherwise occupied by the beasts of the numerous travellers.

There, that very night, she brought forth her firstborn Son; and because there was neither womanly hand to assist, nor couch to receive Him, she wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger.

Such was the manner of the birth of Jesus. I never felt the full pathos of the scene until standing one day in a room of an old inn in the market town of Eisleben, in Central Germany. I was told that on that very spot, four centuries ago, amid the noise of a market day and the bustle of a public house, the wife of the poor miner, Hans Luther, who happened to be there on business,

UPLOOK • DECEMBER 2001/ JANUARY 2002

being surprised like Mary with sudden distress, brought forth in sorrow and poverty the child who was to become the hero of the Reformation.

Next morning the noise and bustle broke out again in the inn and inn-yard. The citizens of Bethlehem went about their work; the registration proceeded; and in the meantime the greatest event in the history of the world had taken place.

We never know where a great beginning may be happening. Every arrival of a new soul in the world is a mystery of possibilities. Joseph and Mary alone knew the tremendous secret—that on her, the peasant maiden and carpenter’s bride, had been conferred the honor of being the mother of Him who was the Messiah of her race, the Saviour of the world, the Son of God. It had been foretold in ancient prophecy that He should be born on this very spot. “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall He come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel” (Micah 5:2). The proud emperor’s decree drove southward the anxious couple. Yes, but another hand was leading them on—the hand of Him who overrules the purposes of emperors and kings, of statesmen and parliaments, for the accomplishment of His designs, though they know them not. He who hardened the heart of Pharaoh, called Cyrus like a slave to His foot, made the mighty Nebuchadnezzar His servant, in the same way overruled for His own far-reaching purpose the pride and ambition of Augustus.

W H AT ’ S G O I N G O NN ? ?

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at nb Christia hristian books nd Damascus, C im to nd aq, a Bibles a in Baghdad, Ir le societies cla ib ld fairs he month. Local B 0 Bibles and 00 istians st Syria la more than 35, cities. For Chr k o oo ld have so books in the tw international b tian ris n al Christia b world, annu to buy new Ch n s ra ow in the A ide opportunitie s well as their a v fairs pro ished in Arabic tament. bl Tes u titles p or New e l b i B a copy of

FOREIGN AID WORKERS FREE The eight foreign aid workers held by Taliban authorities and charged with spreading Christianity were freed November 14 after three months. They were safely flown to Pakistan by American military helicopters. According to U.S. government officials, the Taliban militia had agreed to release the aid workers but left them behind as they fled from Northern Alliance rebels, paving the way for their rescue in a field near Ghazni, about 50 miles southwest of Kabul.

All of the detainees—Australians Peter Bunch and Diana Thomas, Americans Dayna Curry and Heather Mercer, and German nationals Georg Taubmann, Katrin Jelinek, Margrit Stebner and Silke Durrkopf—are reported in good health despite their ordeal.

On the window sill in the jail cell where the group had been held a piece of paper was found, with Heather Mercer’s name on it. It said: “What a friend I’ve found. We serve a God of miracles. I cry out. God is good all the time. My hope is in You, Lord, faithful one, so unchanging,” —P & P Alert; www.canoe.ca

NEW TURKISH TRANSLATION The first modern Turkish translation of the complete Bible was released in early October to the Turkish public. The new millennium edition represents the first complete Bible translation since the 17th century in the Turkish language.

—Compass Direct LOIZEAUX-EMMAUS MERGE The board of trustees of Loizeaux Brothers, Inc, and of Emmaus Bible College announced in November plans to merge their publication ministries.

Founded by Paul and Timothy Loizeaux in 1876, and based in Neptune, NJ, Loizeaux Brothers is one of the oldest evangelical publishers in North America.

Emmaus Bible College, (Dubuque, IA) was founded in 1942.

Their publication ministry, Emmaus Correspondence School, is one of the largest Bible correspondence ministries in the world, with courses published in 116 languages and offices in 85 countries.

The new non-profit publishing ministry will operate out of Emmaus’ facilities in Dubuque.

Trade publications will appear under the Loizeaux imprint and an expanded line of educational materials will carry the Emmaus name.

PHILIPPINES HOSTAGE UPDATE New Tribes Mission is encouraged by a letter from kidnapped missionaries Martin and Gracia Burnham, and from speaking with people who have recently been freed by the group holding the Burnhams.

In the letter, Martin says that he and Gracia are “very weary, but God has protected our health and (we) have not suffered major sickness or injury…”

Both said food is often scarce, with little protein. “But God always sends a provision and we’ve always had water,” Gracia wrote.

“We think about everyone so often—and I’ll admit that I cry a lot,” Gracia shared. “It doesn’t mean that I’ve lost my faith—I’m just incredibly sad, especially to be separated from the kids.”

Martin said he and Gracia have not been separated.

One of the recently released hostages said that she is “so proud of Martin. He regularly taught us Bible stories, led us in songs and prayer. He has been engaged by the [kidnappers] on numerous occasions in discussions concerning Christianity and Islam, but he has always been so kind to them.”

Please pray for the health of Martin and Gracia; for God’s provision for them; and that they would soon be released.

www.uplook.org • DECEMBER 2001/ JANUARY 2002

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CONFERENCE REPORT

RISE UP & WORK This is your last chance to get in on it!

RISE UP & WORK

The Lord is Coming!

Time is almost out! Register now if you plan to attend the conference!

December 26-29, 2001 ( DV ) The Indianapolis Marriott Indianapolis, Indiana

Conference registrations keep coming in every day, but there is still room for you! Final deadline: DEC. 15! Call, e-mail, or check out our website (www.risework.com) for answers to your questions.

37 seminars are being offered under the categories of assembly life, doctrine, evangelism, gift/ministry and personal/devotional. Here is a sample of some of the topics: • Pre-Marriage and Marriage Relationships (John and Bobbie Heller) • Searching the Scriptures: a woman’s perspective (Anne Barnett) • Make Full Proof of your Ministry (Joe Mikhael) • The Servant’s Life (Harold Summers) Keynote speakers are Roy Hill (UK), William MacDonald (CA) and J. B. Nicholson (MI).

Rise Up and Work P. O. Box 2041 Grand Rapids, MI 49501-2041 10

UPLOOK • DECEMBER 2001/ JANUARY 2002

Phone: 616-456-9166 Fax: 616-456-5522 risework@uplook.org www.risework.com

DAVID GOODING

The SONG of the SON

Mary’s Magnificat Luke 1:46-55 records Mary’s wonderful response to her unique honor.

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ary’s story, as given [in Luke 1], is in fact two stories: the annunciation and the Magnificat. The one is Mary’s explanation of how she became pregnant before marriage; the other is her reaction to that pregnancy…

Mary knows for sure that she is to be the mother of the Son of God. How will she react? We cannot but scrutinize her reaction very carefully since it is part of the evidence presented to us for the truth of her story. If she does not show herself emotionally aware of the immeasurable greatness of the honor she claims, we shall feel uneasy: does she even understand the claim she is making? If on the other hand she shows the slightest trace of pride or self-centeredness, we shall feel uneasy again: how could a woman who claimed to be about to become the mother of the Son of God be proud and arrogant on that account without totally undermining her claim? As therefore Mary breaks out into praise and prophecy we must try to listen critically.

Her phraseology, we notice, is formal, archaic and poetic, drawn in great part from the Old Testament.

This is not grotesque, as some have suggested, a sign that Luke is here concocting an artificial story.

Anyone who has attended meetings where non-literary people of moderate education engage in extemporary prayer, will know that such people generally use language laced with archaic expressions taken from some old translation of the Bible which they have heard read ever since they were children, and mixed with words

A tantalizing excerpt from the soon to be released

ACCORDING

TO

LUKE

by David Gooding Available from Gospel Folio Press Spring 2002, DV

of hymns written a century or more ago. And so with Mary now. This is for her an exalted and intensely spiritual moment. Probably the only exalted language she knows is biblical language. We are not surprised by its style, though presently we may be by its contents.

She begins by praising God (see 1:46)—a normal opening to any prayer. Then at once (see 1:47) she confesses to great joy (the Greek word Luke uses to translate her original Aramaic indicates exultant, overwhelming, religious joy). She is, then, emotionally aware of the stupendous wonder of the thing that is happening to her. Aware also of the immeasurable contrast between her present obscure, humble state, and the immense publicity and honor which inevitably shall be hers throughout all succeeding generations (see 1:48).

What effect, we wonder, will all this have on her personality, on her

concept of herself and of her status, on the relationship, as she now feels it, between herself and all other people, between herself and God? Here a very striking thing meets us: never once in all the Magnificat does she mention the fact that she is going to be the mother of the Son of God. Of course that is the reality which underlies her joy and praise; but the way she refers to this great fact shows us what, as she sees them, are the implications of it for her.

Her joy arises, she explains, because in acting as He is towards her, God is acting as her Saviour (see 1:47). We note with more than interest that she still regards herself as someone who needs to be saved like the rest of mankind.

“All generations shall call me blessed”—but she does not add “because I am to be the mother of the Son of God” but “because the Mighty One has done great things for me” (1:49). In other words, what God has done, rather than what she is, is the aspect of the matter that is filling her mind.

But what, in the light of these great things which God has done for her, is her relationship with God as she now sees it? The Old Testament

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MARY’S MAGNIFICAT had always insisted on the impassable gulf that separates the name of God from any other name: God’s name alone is holy. Have the great things elevated her to a position where, for all practical purposes, the distance and distinction between her and the Divine Persons reduce to vanishing point? Not in Mary’s estimation. Even in these moments of intense spiritual exultation, she has no illusions, no incipiently blasphemous thoughts. All generations of creatures shall call her blessed; but she immediately takes her stand as a creature with all those other creatures: for Mary, still “Holy is His name” (1:49).

She has now spoken three couplets. In all three she has said something about herself, though without either self-importance or self-centeredness. And this is the last we shall hear from Mary about herself. There are twice as many couplets still to come, but Mary will not speak of herself personally and explicitly again.

This may strike us as remarkable humility, but actually it arises naturally from the way she looks at the event itself. Utterly unique though it is in one sense, in another it appeals to Mary as nothing unusual. It is an act of God’s mercy. But then, “God’s mercy comes to generations after generations for those who reverence Him” (1:50). Anyone of the millions in these innumerable generations could tell a tale of God’s mercy just as she could. She does not feel the specialness of her case, because her eye is not on herself but on the constancy of God. In the infinite class of God’s merciful acts, her case, however large, is but a single member.

But surely humility can sometimes arise out of ignorance, and if so, it is not the genuine article. Could it be that Mary, in first claiming to be the mother of the Messiah and Son of God, and then in regarding the whole affair as simply one more example of God’s common mercy to all generations, is giving the game away?

Never having known anything outside her own humble artisan class, could it be that she has no concept of what is involved in being, say, the high priest of her nation, or the Caesar Augustus of the Roman world, let alone Messiah of the royal house of David and Son of God; and therefore sees nothing incongruous in the notion that God should bypass the rich, noble, educated and powerful families and choose a little artisan-class girl from some obscure family to be the mother of the King of kings and Lord of lords?

It is almost stupid to have asked the question; but it is important to see why the answer is no. Mary is aware of the great differences in ability, resources and power which separate the philosophers, the rich and the aristocrats from the uneducated, the poor and the weak, and

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she herself observes that, for the purposes of the incarnation, God has deliberately bypassed the former class and chosen someone from the latter. But to explain it she launches into a string of verbs in the aorist tense (see 1:51-53), which have the exegetes undecided whether she is describing God’s action in the past, God’s action in the future viewed prophetically as though already accomplished, or God’s habitual action.

We need not decide the exegetes’ question. Mary means all three. She sees God’s choice of her as merely one example of what God always does, has done, and will do. And the reason for this is that, as she has told us in her very first couplet, what is happening to her is an activity of God as Saviour. In salvation He always scatters the proud, puts down princes, sends the rich away empty, but exalts the lowly and feeds the hungry.

That is why she uses the poetic language of the centuries to describe her own experience, for this has always been the experience of any who have at any time experienced any aspect of God’s salvation. Hannah (see 1 Sam. 2) found it so in her domestic situation, very different though it was from Mary’s. Paul was to observe that this is the principle, in the highest sense of the term, on which God’s salvation works (1 Cor. 1:18-31).

And finally Mary puts what has happened to her in another larger context. “He has helped Israel, His servant, remembering to put into action His mercy (as He promised to our fathers) to Abraham and to his seed for ever” (1:54-55). Hundreds of times since her childhood, in the home, in the synagogue, at the religious festivals, Mary had heard of God’s calling out of Abraham, of the formation of her nation from him, of God’s great covenants to him and to his seed: of the way God had honored those covenants in the past, and how He would do so again. When, therefore, the mighty event happened to her, she had its proper context already imprinted on her mind. What was happening to her, was happening to her as part of her nation, not because she personally and individually was special but because of God’s faithfulness to Abraham and to his seed.

This context would not detract from the uniqueness of what was being done in and through her; but it would help her to see herself in true perspective as part of God’s ways with her nation, its election, history and destiny. That awareness of context doubtless both sustained her faith and at the same time kept her, in her exalted office, from any exaggerated sense of selfimportance. And, by pointing it out, Mary helps our faith too. Seen as part of that unique nation’s unique history, the unique event of the virgin birth and the incarnation looks almost natural.

ALAN M. STIBBS

WONDER of WONDERS

The true humanity of Jesus When God became Man.

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he Gospel records of the New Testament make abundantly plain that their chief character, Jesus of Nazareth, was a real man, an actual figure of earthly history.

This truth is not open to doubt or to serious question. From the standpoint of the ordinary reader who comes to these records with no preconceived ideas—no religious prejudices—the claim that is difficult to believe is not the claim that Jesus was a man, but rather the claim that this Man was God incarnate. For His appearance on the field of history is not just an abnormal passing theophany. He is not merely a man in superficial appearance only, nor is He some superhuman spirit temporarily possessing a man other than Himself in order thus to manifest His presence in human deeds and human words. He is clearly Himself completely and naturally Man. So we read, and there is no reason to doubt, that He was conceived in the womb of a woman, who gave

birth to Him as His human mother.

He began His earthly life as a dependent infant, needing to be carried and cared for by others. He passed through the stages of normal human growth and development. So Luke records, “the child grew” (2:40); and “Jesus increased in wisdom and stature” (2:52). He knew what it was to be weary, to sleep, and to rise early. He experienced hunger, thirst and temptation. He felt pleasure, anger, and grief, even unto tears. He continually sought God in prayer. At the end He died and was buried.

For the mind that is eager to know how things work—an interest so dominant in the present age of great scientific discovery—the problem is not to understand how Jesus functioned as a man; for that seems normal enough. The problem is rather to understand how He could still be functioning as God. Surely to make such a genuine human experience possible, He must have completely abandoned His supernatural

It’s a wonder the planet could stand the shock of His arrival

divine powers?

Here Christian reverence, humility and faith prefer to recognize a mystery, which the enquiring human mind cannot thus scientifically penetrate and analyze. Just because it is unique, it is beyond logical definition, it cannot be classified or compared with similar phenomena; for there are none. It is sui generis.

Also, because it is from above, a supernatural divine achievement, it is beyond the grasp of man’s finite comprehension.

Before this mystery, the superior scientific investigator, looking down on evidence which he is determined to analyze and explain, is forced to become a submissive worshipper, looking up in awe and reverence to acknowledge a mystery far bigger than his mind can grasp—but an unmistakable fact nonetheless.

Here, at any rate, men must choose between submissive faith and self-confident conceit. Here men must confess a mystery beyond the grasp of the human mind, or still hold fast to the fancy that the human mind is bigger than this mystery and well able accurately to theorize about it. Here all who would thus bring Jesus under their criticism must ultimately find themselves brought under His judgment. We sometimes do well not to forget that Jesus Himself said, “For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind” (see Jn. 9:39-41).

On this subject of the incarnation of God the Son the New Testament writers do offer some light to those

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The TRUE HUMANITY of JESUS who are minded thus to be taught of God. When God the Son became Man, it involved a new and special subordination of His Person to God the Father, with the result that He who could say eternally as God, “I and My Father are one” (Jn. 10:30) could now say on earth as Man, “My Father is greater than I” (Jn. 14:28, RV).

He who, as God the Son, was equal with God the Father and one with Him in substance or Godhead, in order to become true Man like other men, took upon Himself the position of a slave or bond-servant in relation to God the Father. He humbled Himself in order to become as Man in all things—both dependent on His Father’s giving and obedient to His Father’s guiding.

This is how, as Paul says, “He emptied Himself” (see Phil. 2:5-8). This is what His “kenosis” meant.

As Man, the things He had to give were still the things of God, for He Himself was God, the One from above. But He did not as Man use for Himself all that was still His as God. This complete dependence on His Father’s giving and guiding He personally recognized as Man, by continually seeking God the Father in prayer.

This complete dependence on His Father’s giving and guiding He openly acknowledged in explicit testimony concerning His own speech and behavior.

Let us quote some of His statements, “I can of Mine

own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge” (Jn. 5:30). “As My Father hath taught Me, I speak these things” (Jn. 8:28). “I speak that which I have seen with My Father” (Jn. 8:38). “The Father which sent Me, He gave Me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak” (Jn. 12:49). “Whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto Me, so I speak” (Jn. 12:50).

This means, therefore, that, on the one hand, He lived a genuine human life within divinely controlled limits. But it means also, on the other hand, that what He did and said as Man had the perfection, authority and infallibility of His own divine Person, and of the direct divine giving of His heavenly Father.

Finally, while Jesus was unquestionably a real Man, it is important to recognize His radical difference from other men just because other men are all sinners. For Jesus did not partake of the sinfulness of the human race. He “did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth” (1 Pet. 2:22). Such is the testimony of an eyewitness of long and detailed experience. Consequently Jesus never repented of sin. While He taught all other men to pray for forgiveness, He never asked forgiveness for Himself. In Jesus, therefore, we see revealed not only full deity but also perfect humanity. This is man as the Creator originally made him and meant him to be.

• SOME HERESIES REGARDING THE CHRIST • APOLLINARIANISM: named after Apollinarius of Laodicea (b. circa 310 AD) who taught that the human mind leads men into sin; therefore Christ (who could not sin) was not a true man but partook of only part of our nature.

ADOPTIONISM: An umbrella term for a number of theories according to which Jesus was a man on whom divine qualities were conferred and who was “adopted” as the Divine Word and Son of God, perhaps at His baptism.

ARIANISM: condemned at Nicea (325 AD); the views of Arius that if the Father “begat” the Son, He was the first of God’s creation, and in turn created everything else. Christ viewed as demi-god, neither fully God nor fully man.

DOCETISM: that Christ was not a real man, historical but only seemed to be (from the Gk. dokeo¯, to seem). An influence on Islam, it taught that the divine Christ descended on Jesus at His baptism and left before the cross.

EUTYCHIANISM: Eutyches (c. 378-454) acknowledged “two natures” in Christ “before the union” but only one nature after—when, in effect, the human nature was subsumed in the divine. Condemned at Chalcedon (451 AD).

GNOSTICISM: from Gk. gno¯sis, meaning “knowledge,” a peril in the Church for 150 years. It taught 30 emanations between God and man, of which Christ was one. The Gnostic claimed secret knowledge available only to a few.

KENOTICISM: or semi-Kenoticism, where the Son “emptied” (kenoo¯, translated “made Himself of no reputation,” Phil. 2:7) Himself of some or all divine attributes at His birth, making the exhortation of Phil. 2 meaningless.

MONARCHIANISM: Overemphasis in safeguarding the unity of the Godhead; the view that Christ and the Spirit are merely functions of the one God. Tertullian said they “put to flight the Paraclete and crucified the Father.”

MONOPHYSITISM: from monos “single” and physis “nature,” the heresy that the incarnate Son had only a single, divine nature, clad in human flesh; also denies that Christ’s body was the same in essence as that of other men.

NESTORIANISM: Nestorian (Bishop of Constantinople, 428), in attacking the extravagant emphasis on the phrase theotokos (“mother of God”), taught the unity in Christ’s person is a conjunction of will rather than true union.

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EARL H. TSCHUDY

GOOD QUESTION!

Can you explain it?

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e must believe, according to certain critics of the Scriptures and the founders of false religions, that men are sufficient unto their own salvation—there is no need for a virgin-born Saviour.

Others declare that the virgin birth is a mystery beneath the acceptance of modern minds. There can be no controversy with those of the first century for adhering to it, say such critics, because they did not enjoy the enlightment that we possess. Then, too, they were perhaps rather zealous about their beliefs.

With great authority and finality, remarks such as these come from the lips of those who would reduce His birth to a rational basis, but it cannot be done. It must be accepted purely as a matter of faith. The human mind simply cannot understand it, and therein lies the license for some men to express their refusal to believe it.

Several years ago the writer met a young man who at the time was a medical student in one of our large eastern universities. After dinner the conversation turned to spiritual things. Presently he made the following remark: “What I cannot explain, I will not believe.” That was his attitude toward a personal God and all of His marvelous works. The writer asked the student what he had eaten for his dinner, Each item was promptly named.

“What is happening to it?”

At once came the reply, “It is being digested” “What will happen after that?”

“It will be absorbed and circulated throughout the body.”

“And what after circulation?”

Fully a minute elapsed with no reply forthcoming. The young man suddenly became strangely evasive and attempted to dodge the issue that he himself had raised. He was keen enough to foresee how his answer would involve a refutation of his original statement and boast.

Then appealing to the student’s own sense of veracity, the writer said, “Young man, if you have never been honest in your life, please be honest now. You surely have had sufficient scientific training to know what will take place next.” That was about the only way in which he could be restrained from evading the question and changing the subject.

With great reluctance he answered, “It will be assimilated.”

When urged for a definition of assimilation, he said that it was the changing of food into living matter, the process by which the food we eat is converted into the tissues of the body. Dead food becomes bone, nerve, heart, lung, etc.

The student was asked to explain it. Again he became very reticent about the matter. Finally he dropped his head and rather painfully said, “I can’t.”

“You believe it to be a natural process, Do you not?”

“Yes.” “Does it operate in your body?”

“Yes.” “How long has it been taking place?”

“Ever since birth.” He might have added, “Even before birth.”

“And you believe it?”

“I must believe it,” he answered.

Dynamic Graphics

The virgin birth must be accepted by faith alone.

“Yet you cannot explain it.”

“No, not at all.”

What I cannot explain, I will not believe. This mental device constituted what the student felt was an impenetrable defense against his own responsibilities toward the overtures God was making in his life.

A Christian cannot help but feel deeply sympathetic toward a young person who comes to realize the absurd position into which such boasting has inveigled him. Neither the medical student, nor any other individual on the face of the whole earth understands the intricacies of assimilation. Research has not yet revealed how the various cells of the body are able to take digested meat, and bread, and potatoes, and milk, or any other food, and convert it into matter like themselves. May we reiterate with vehemence that it lies completely within the realm of faith.

There are, furthermore, hundreds of items in man’s daily experience to which he gives credence, and for which he has no adequate explanation. Yet he resigns himself to them as contributing factors of an established order, and seldom considers the mechanics of their functions.

Just so it is with all things divine, including the virgin birth of Christ.

No one can fathom the complexity of a human birth, much less the birth of the Son of God. It is a mystery, a marvel. Faith bows and worships at His feet.

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VARIOUS AUTHORS

QUOTE UNQUOTE

Laying a good foundation Some careful thinkers help us grapple with this crucial issue. here are not lacking today servants of the devil in the livery of heaven to deny all this. But what does such a denial involve? It puts them in the company of those blaspheming Jews of old who, evidently familiar with the story of the virgin birth, had the baseness to insinuate the horrible alternative when they cried, “We are not born of fornication, we have Abraham to our Father;” as though they would intimate that He who said that in this special way God was His Father was but covering His mother’s sin. In such company do they walk who deny the Scripture doctrine of the virgin birth. To still accredit them as Christians is to insult Christ Himself. They are to be reckoned in the camp of His enemies. It will always be found that with this base denial are linked the denials, equally base, of His true deity, His vicarious atonement, the inspiration of His Holy Word and kindred truth.

—H. A. IRONSIDE

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ith regard to such a mystery as the Incarnation, our part is to keep to the very words of Holy Scripture; and the language of Scripture is unequivocal and plain as to His human birth. The Lord was “the Seed of the Woman.” But it will be asked, how is that possible?

The answer is supplied by Matthew 1:20 and Luke 1:35. The virgin birth was altogether miraculous.

The truth of His Sonship as implied in the virgin birth is merged in the truth that He was the Son of God in a vastly higher sense: and that great truth is in the warp and woof of every part of the New Testament.

—SIR ROBERT ANDERSON, KCB, LLD

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y statement publicly made and printed has never been confuted, that those who accept a full doctrine of the incarnation—that is, of a true entrance of the eternal Son of God into our nature for the purposes of man’s salvation— with hardly an exception, accept with it the doctrine of the virgin birth of Christ, while those who repudiate or deny this article of faith either hold a lowered view of Christ’s Person, or, more commonly, reject His supernatural claims altogether.

—PROFESSOR JAMES ORR

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he virgin birth is not, as some would have it, a mere question as to whether I, as a scientific man, may accept such a doctrine, because no similar phenomenon has come within the experience of the human race in any authenticated instance. Indeed, if in rare occasional instances a virgin birth could be shown to have occurred, then the Scripture claim as to Christ’s divine descent would at once lose all value. Back of this much discussed subject, inseparably connected with it, lies the fundamental question whether God, having made man, and seeing another way of saving him, could become his Redeemer by taking man’s nature upon Himself, in order—as the champion and new head of our race—to meet and overcome man’s great adversary. It is, in brief, after all, the question whether God is in the matter at all or not. He who denies the virgin birth of our Lord offhand commits the gross logical error of begging the question, for he assumes at the outset as impossible that which is to be proved.

—HOWARD A. KELLY, MD, LLD, former professor at John Hopkins University

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G R AC E AT WO R K

JOHN A. BJORLIE

The soft man from Rock The life and passage of Benjamin F. “Pat” Yeadon. was manager of Upper Peninsula Bible Camp from C A N A D A the fall of 1963 until 1968.

They then came to a town with a simple, solid name Isle Royale befitting the rugged north— L a k e S u p e r i o r Rock, Michigan. They came to help John and Earlene Small (now serving the Lord in Washington). The Smalls, Marquette who had seen an assembly established there, became Ironwood M I C H I G A N their dearest friends and spiriRock tual mentors.

John Small had been the public school superintendent and had wisely used his influWISCONSIN ence in the community as a Green Bay platform for gospel witness.

Rock, in the heart of the copper and iron mines, had been Oshkosh settled by the Finnish. These Finns fit the picture of the C If a Communist died in Rock, his rugged northwoods men. family would often not have a Finland, which borders Russia, church burial, and that was when had a strong Communist influence, John Small and Pat Yeadon would and Rock, being a mining communiget their opportunity. Being nonty, had a strong labor union and denominational, Small discovered became a headquarters for the that he was considered safe for the Communist party. The Communist job of “putting down” a lifelong thinking was so dominant in that Communist. He recalled times when region that during World War II preaching a funeral, that the dead dozens of Finnish families uprooted man’s atheist friends would sit at the from Michigan to help the Russians back and talk loudly while the funerin the war effort under Stalin. These al message was in progress. But is Finns lost everything in Russia. not God’s Word like a hammer that The Communist slogan, “Workers breaks the rock in pieces? of the world unite; you have nothing It is the gracious persistence of to lose but your chains, and the truth spoken in love that has thawed whole world to gain” is answered by out hard hearts in the Upper a rhetorical question from One Peninsula. greater than Marx, “What shall it When the Smalls moved on from profit a man if he gain the whole Rock, the Yeadons with their family world and lose his soul?”

Lake Mich igan

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he Upper Peninsula of Michigan has a persona of toughness. The mining and logging history of the region have made it the land of austere, hardbitten men. But the servants of Christ who have been sent there have often been gentlemanly folk.

Leonard Sheldrake worked out of Sault Ste. Marie. The bookish Joe Balsam came from far north at Laurium. Louis Smith and Jim Beattie have regularly worked with the assembly in Pelkie. Jonathan Brower and Don Welborn also have an open door there. John Duckhorn, Ed Burdick and others have encouraged the work in Little Lake near Upper Peninsula Bible Camp.

One unique and honored servant of Christ in the region was Benjamin “Pat” Yeadon. He understood the gentle part of being a gentleman. He was born February 9, 1931, at Carlshend, Michigan of sturdy stock.

When God saved him, he wanted to be all for Him. So with his wife and baby daughter, he enrolled in Prairie Bible Institute (1957-1962).

Pat graduated at the top of his class.

L. E. Maxwell, founder and president (author of the books, Crowded to Christ, Abandoned to Christ, Born Crucified, and World Missions: Total War) instilled the principles of faith in the students there. When Maxwell began the institute, he had no money to pay teachers’ salaries, so he advertised for teachers to apply using the phrase “hoping for nothing” from Luke 6:35 to describe the pay arrangement.

After graduation, the Yeagers moved back to Michigan where Pat

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The SOFT MAN from ROCK moved into the Smalls’ house and carried on the work.

Perhaps the success of Pat’s witness is best seen from the events that surrounded his homegoing. “A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.” God had put Pat and Carol Yeadon in a public place, and the light was hard to miss.

When Pat was diagnosed with cancer in November of 1997, he was sent to Milwaukee to have most of his stomach removed. A half-dozen doctors and interns gathered around his bed and the spokesman informed Pat of the severity of his condition. A bit puzzled by Pat’s serenity, they wondered if he understood. He said, “Yes, I understand what you’re telling me. I have enjoyed serving the Lord all these years, and I will keep on serving the Lord for as much time as I have left. I understand that my condition is serious, but you have to know that God is in control of whether I live or die.”

Pat’s last full preaching message had been given in October 1997. He spoke that day on the will of God. Pat sensed, as he shared that day, that he was in the middle of God’s plan, the only happy place to be.

After surgery, the cancer went to his liver. He was given six weeks to live. When the oncologist informed Pat and Carol that he was dying, Pat sat quietly, and then turned to Carol and gently said, “Well, I will just get my things together and let God have all the glory.”

It seemed over the next nine months, as he slowly lost weight and strength, that his ministry proved to be his strongest. People from all corners of the Midwest came to see Pat and he presented Christ daily to all comers. On one occasion he presented the gospel one after another to the local Roman Catholic priest, his barber, a grocer, the gas station owners, and several farmers, in a steady procession. This mild man was so strangely bold.

Pat participated in a weekly Bible study till the end.

One night, a young man showed up. He said he was once a long-haired hippy. He wanted to drop by and tell Pat that because of his influence he was now a devout believer involved in ministry at his home congregation.

In February of 1998, as Pat came into the final stretch, he told Carol, “I have no regrets.”

Carol responded, “Not many can say that,” but she didn’t doubt Pat’s sincerity in saying it.

Pat began to leave on Thursday, July 16. Carol, his daughter Faith, and a nurse named Tracy were present at 3:30 PM. Suddenly Pat sat up in bed. Raising his hands, with a loud voice he shouted, “Hallelujah! Praise be to the Lord! I see Jesus; I hear music!” He had glory in his face, his eyes were alert, he was smiling. At this point in his illness, Pat barely had the ability to speak audibly,

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Death, the old serpent’s son, Thou hadst a sting once, like thy sire, That carried hell and ever-burning fire; But those black days are done; Thy foolish spite buried thy sting In the profound and wide Wound of our Saviour’s side: And now thou art become a tame and harmless thing; A thing we dare not fear, Since we hear That our triumphant God, To punish thee, For the affront thou didst Him on the tree, Hath snatched the keys of hell out of thy hand And made thee stand A porter at the gate of life, thy mortal enemy.

O thou who art that gate, command that he May when we die, And thither fly, Let us in the courts of heaven through thee!

—Bishop Taylor no strength at all. But that afternoon he began singing “That will be glory for me.” He said, “I’m in heaven. I can’t figure out how I can be talking with you. I’m with Jesus. No pain, no tears, only joy…peace…glorious… beautiful…no fear! I don’t need any more treatment. I don’t need anything.”

Later he said, “I failed God, but He never failed me.”

Son-in-law Bill Ducote came at 4:30 and asked Pat to describe heaven. Pat said he couldn’t describe it, but speaking directly to Bill, he said, “God is so gracious— we are much too hard on ourselves.”

He hung onto life throughout Monday, July 20—long enough to see the Smalls, his long-time friends and companions in labor. He went to be with the Lord on Tuesday morning, from the sofa in his living room in Maple Ridge Township. The soft man from Rock, Michigan, was Home.

The two funeral homes in Gladstone both applied for the privilege of handling the funeral. Pat was regularly called to conduct funerals in the area, and never accepted money from the funeral homes for his services.

The funeral was the largest within memory in the community of Rock. The number of those in attendance at the funeral exceeded the entire population of the town! The entire first level of the chapel was filled with chairs. There were speakers in all the other rooms. The foyer was filled to overflowing, and chairs were set up on the lawn outside for people to hear the singing and preaching through the open window. They sang with emotion, “O, that will be glory for me!”

John Small preached the gospel at the funeral. At the graveside committal service those weeping, those rejoicing, those in amazement, all mingled in the throng. Pat Yeadon, had caught the heavenly fire that L. E. Maxwell always spoke and wrote about, and it seemed like the whole county had come out to warm their hands around the glow.

A. T. SCHOFIELD

PRECEPT ON PRECEPT

A doctor looks at the virgin birth A medical doctor examines one of the world’s greatest mysteries.

I

do not propose to discuss this question from a biological or a medical standpoint, fascinating beyond description though such a study would be. The times are too stern for trifling with a subject which is one of the essential foundations of Christianity. It is therefore as a Christian physician, a humble follower of Luke, that I would seek to set forth certain points in due order so as to prove the certainty of those things wherein we have been instructed. I do not seek to adduce any a priori argument as to the desirability, or indeed the necessity, of the virgin birth if we are to have a Saviour of the world. I only adduce Scripture evidence that bears on the fact of the virgin birth.

THE HISTORIAN OF THE EVENT I would first of all call your attention to the suitability of Luke the physician in being the historian of this event. We do not get the account from the pen of a woman, though none can doubt that the record in Luke is that given by the Virgin herself. We do not get it from the pen of an ordinary evangelist—nor, remarkable to say, do we get it from the pen of a Jew, who might be thought to have some bias for or against, in the matter. We get it from a Gentile, a beloved physician. All will understand the propriety of the choice.

We are not, therefore, surprised at the marvellous beauty, reticence and, at the same time, accuracy of the description, telling us every small detail that we need to know, and advancing nothing that does not concern us, thereby contrasting so favor-

ably with all the pseudo-gospels.

DETAILS ONLY IN TWO GOSPELS The details of the virgin birth are only given us in Matthew and Luke, not in Mark or John. The reason is obvious. In the New Testament we have not so much four Gospels as one four-sided Gospel of Christ.

Look at one side, that of Matthew, and you have a King with His birth and genealogy.

Look at another side, that of Luke, and you have a Man with His parentage and lineage. On another side, that of Mark, you have a Servant; but who would care about a servant’s birth or origin? Mark is therefore silent as to these. On the fourth side—that given in John—we get the Son of God, whose existence is co-equal with the Father through all eternity. There is therefore no detail of birth or genealogy.

It is thus left to Matthew and Luke, the historians of the King and of the Man, to give us in the one Gospel a kingly descent and in the other the ascent to Adam.

The account given in Matthew may be called the exoteric or outside narrative. It is Joseph’s story, and his genealogy corresponds to the genius of that Gospel. Luke’s may be called the esoteric or inside story of Mary herself, and the genealogy corresponding with it is that of Mary and not that of Joseph, in accordance with the genius of Luke’s Gospel.

THE GENEALOGIES EXAMINED First of all, then, let us look at the genealogies. There is one in Matthew and another in Luke. In Matthew it begins with Abraham to trace the kingly line of the Jews, and carries the genealogy through the kings down to Joseph. But Joseph and all his blood line fall under the curse of Jechoniah (Jechonias, Mt. 1:12, Jehoiachin, or Coniah) mentioned in Jeremiah 22:24-30. There we read God’s decree: “Thus saith the Lord, Write ye this man childless, a man that shall not prosper in his days: for no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah” (Jer. 22:30). This seems to

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A DOCTOR LOOKS at the VIRGIN BIRTH effectively and permanently cut off the royal line of Judah and neutralize the Lord’s promise to David: “Then I will establish the throne of thy kingdom upon Israel for ever, as I promised to David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man upon the throne of Israel” (1 Ki. 9:5).

The virgin birth seems the only solution. If the Messiah could trace His legal line through Joseph and the royal line of David (Mt. 1) but have His physical line through Mary (who was of the family of David but whose line sidesteps Jechoniah) He could fulfill the Lord’s promise to David and avoid the curse on Jechoniah. But one question remained. Could Messiah inherit through a woman?

With regard to Luke, we must understand that no genealogy was allowed among the Jews to end with the female. There was no such thing as a woman’s genealogy. If the line did end with a daughter, her husband’s name was always inserted in place of her own, and the husband was described as her father’s son. This is the case with Joseph. We read (Lk. 3:23) of Jesus, “being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli.” By this is meant that Joseph was the son-in-law of Heli, though called the son.

THE GENEALOGY OF MARY There can be no reasonable doubt that Luke’s listing is Mary’s genealogy. Now Christ was only heir physically through Mary, and therefore her genealogy must be inserted in Scripture if He were not the Son of

Joseph; otherwise He would not be heir to the throne of David at all. There are many who would say that Christ only inherited the throne through Joseph. Such is not the case. If Mary had never married at all, Christ was the heir to David’s throne through His mother, Mary, as I shall show later. This is the first point, relating to the respective genealogies.

My second point relates to Matthew 1:16, “And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary.” It never says that Heli begat Joseph. The word “begat” is not in Mary’s genealogy at all, only in Joseph’s. Jacob begat Joseph, and it does not go on to say that Joseph begat Christ, but there follows this remarkable sentence, which to my mind it would have been impossible to have written had there been no virgin birth: “…the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.” Such a roundabout way of describing the birth of Christ is absolutely without meaning or sense unless Christ were virgin born.

THE VIRGIN BIRTH PREDICTED If this is compared with Genesis 3:15, it will be found to be a fulfillment of that wonderful scripture. It is a little startling to find, in the first book in the Word of God, the virgin birth predicted: “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed.” Her seed! Such a thought as a woman’s seed, as stated here, is not found elsewhere. Over a hundred times or more, when we read of the seed and seeds, of Abraham’s seed, and so forth, it is always the seed of

A new book on the deity of Christ John Williams of Vancouver has produced an important book, Lord of Glory: Reflection on the Deity of Christ, issued by Walterick Publishers. This is in the tradition of H. P. Liddon’s Bampton Lectures of 1866, which were published as The Divinity of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Over the 135 years since, we have seen several sly attempts made to sabotage this cardinal doctrine of the deity of Christ. And so we thank God for raising up men like brother Williams.

His book is just 168 pages. It has a useful Scripture Index. Williams does use his vocabulary. I notice he likes to sprinkle in some Latin, and he makes reference to the original languages, but this book is not out of reach for the young believer. The arguments and conclusions are drawn straight from Scripture. He does a good job of showing the truth so that you set the book down and say, “Well, that was clear and plain.” After Williams earlier books, Blessed Trinity and The Holy Spirit: Lord and Life-Giver, he is obviously a man with matured convictions and is well up to handling such a giant theme. This is a useful book. —J. Bjorlie Call 1-800-952-2382 to order item # X-8137. $10.99 US / $16.49 CDN

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UPLOOK • DECEMBER 2001/ JANUARY 2002

(Shipping, handling and taxes may apply)

A DOCTOR LOOKS at the VIRGIN BIRTH the man. But the seed of the woman is a unique concept, and, can only be interpreted as a foreshadowing of the virgin birth. If our Lord had not been born of a virgin, it would be Adam who would be addressed, and his seed that would be referred to (see Mt. 1:18).

My next proof is in Matthew 1:23: “A virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth—or bear—a son.” But in Luke, when the account tells us of the birth of the Baptist, it runs, “Thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son.” The word “thee” is left out in Matthew because Mary did not bear the son to Joseph, whereas Elisabeth did bear a son to Zacharias. That single word thee, omitted in the one case and inserted in the other, is worthy of our attention.

Next we have, in Matthew 1:23, “Behold, a virgin” Now, it is true and most interesting that the Hebrew word in the Old Testament, almah, does not necessarily mean “virgin,” but the translators of the Septuagint took it to denote a virgin; for they translated it parthenos, which is “virgin.” The fact of the word almah not necessarily meaning a virgin bears out the strong contention of Harnack and other scholars that a virgin birth was never predicted of the Messiah, and that it was never believed by the Jews that the Messiah would be born of a virgin. It was, therefore, not a belief fostered

by Jewish credulity. At the same time, almah usually means a virgin, and Luther offered a hundred thalers for a single instance of its application to a married woman, “though,” he adds, “God only knows where I can find the money.”

If the idea of a virgin birth did not originate among the Jews, still less did it originate among the Gentiles.

Weber says it formed no part of the current Messianic expectation. It is all the more remarkable, therefore, that the Scripture should be quoted by Matthew as perfectly fulfilled in the birth of our Lord.

THE VIRGIN BIRTH AND THE THRONE I now come to some evidence which I think will startle many readers. In Matthew 2:2 we read, “Where is He that is born King of the Jews?” Now, no woman could inherit. The throne of David might descend to Mary, but Mary could not inherit it according to ordinary law; it would pass to the next male-of-kin.

Therefore in any case, it seems our Lord could not be the inheritor of the throne of David, neither through Joseph, for He was not born of Joseph, nor through Mary, because a woman could not inherit it. But for one remarkable circumstance it would be impossible for Him to be King of the Jews. In fact, the virgin birth in

itself would appear to bar Him from the throne.

In the writers of the Bible, the compilers of this library of sixty-six books, we have, as it were, some fifty performers, and yet one may trace the Master Mind behind them all, making them all combine in one harmonious whole. To find a solution as to why Christ could sit on the throne of David we must go back to Numbers 27. That is the only solution of this problem.

THE CASE OF THE FIVE WOMEN Moses, as you know, had to settle thousands of disputes among the Israelites during his forty year’s trial with them in the wilderness. But of all the legal questions and quibbles that were brought to him only one is recorded for our instruction. That is given in the book of Numbers. It is a remarkable fact that here when five women came before Moses their names are given: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. These five women—their father Zelophehad being a rich man who had died—ask why his name should be taken away because he had no son, as was the custom; up to that time woman could not inherit. In ordinary cases Moses could answer the questions put to him, but in this instance he felt the point of such supreme importance that he took it to God. God answered him as follows (v.

8): “And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a man die, and have no son”—as in the case of Heli, the father of Mary—“then ye shall cause his inheritance to pass unto his daughter.” That law was there made for the first time, and it it had not been made, Mary could not have inherited. So that Christ’s position, His inheritance of the throne of David, depends on an ancient legal decision in the Pentateuch.

But that is not all, as we find on turning to Numbers 36. These irrepressible daughters come up a second time. On this occasion the question is, “The decision is all very well so long as we remain single, but what happens if we marry?” It would confuse all the tribes of Israel if women could bring their inheritance to men of another tribe. Moses, answer was (v. 6): “This is the thing which the Lord doth command concerning the daughters of Zelophehad, saying, Let them marry to whom they think best; only to the family of the tribe of their father shall they marry.” Therefore Mary was obliged to marry in the tribe of Judah if the inheritance was to be maintained. I submit that the references I have given in Genesis 3 and in Numbers 27, as connected with the birth of our Lord, must fill the reverent mind with awe, as it finds itself in the very presence of God, as the real Author of the Inspired Word.

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BOUQUET of BLESSINGS

The Word became flesh The Lord Jesus is God translated into our language.

For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6 Stop your ears when anyone speaks variance with the truth that Jesus Christ was conceived by the Virgin Mary, of the seed of David, but by the Holy Ghost.

—Ignatius, a companion of the Apostle John

Who could forget— The time when all the world in slumber lies, And heaven awakened all its eyes, To see another sun at midnight rise On earth? Was ever sight of equal fame When God, who the first man did frame, Himself now like a mortal man became?

—Giles Fletcher God can form man in four ways: from a man and woman, as constant custom shows; from neither man nor woman, as with Adam; from a man without a woman, as with Eve; or from a woman without a man, as with the Son of God. —Anselm

In his book entitled When Iron Gates Yield, author and missionary Geoffrey Bull tells of spending Christmas Eve in a Tibetan inn, en route to a communist prison camp. As he walked into the stable to feed the horses and mules, he says, “My boots squashed in the manure and straw. The horrible smell of the animals was nauseating, and I thought, ‘to think Christ came all the way from heaven to some wretched, eastern stable, and what is more, He came for me.’”

The Lord Himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.

Isaiah 7:14 22 UPLOOK • DECEMBER 2001/ JANUARY 2002

It is not merely the virgin birth of our Lord that is called into question. It is also the doctrine of original sin, the sinlessness of Jesus, His bodily resurrection and ascension, the whole nature of the atonement and salvation…

Those who give up the virgin birth will be compelled by logical and irresistible impulse eventually to give up all of these. —Dr. Briggs

As with gladness men of old Did the guiding star behold; As with joy they hailed its light, Leading onward, beaming bright; So, most gracious Lord, may we Evermore be led by Thee.

As with joyful steps they sped To that lowly manger-bed There to bend the knee before Him whom heaven and earth adore; So may we with willing feet Ever seek Thy mercy seat.

As they offered gifts most rare At that manger rude and bare, So may we with holy joy, Pure and free from sin’s alloy, All our costliest treasures bring, Christ, to Thee, the heavenly King.

—William C. Dix

WILLIAM MacDONALD

THINK IT THROUGH

Is Jesus God? On this question hinges the fate of the whole universe.

T

he question before us is, “Is Jesus God?” I have purposely worded the question that way.

If I had asked, “Is Jesus the Son of God,” there are many who would readily say “yes.” But what they are saying is that He is “a son of God in the same way everyone else is.”

They do not believe that He is the Son of God in a unique way. In other words, they do not believe He is equal with God the Father.

In this study I would like to show that Jesus is God, first of all by producing Scriptures that say so directly. Then I wish to show that there is a large body of Scriptures that imply His deity. Finally, I would like to examine verses that are used to disprove His deity, and show that they actually prove what they are alleged to disprove.

Here then are some Scriptures where the deity of the Lord Jesus is directly stated. The one that first comes to the minds of most believers is John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” The Word is clearly identified in verse 14 as the One who was made flesh and dwelt among us. In other words, the Word is the Lord Jesus Christ. The verse we have quoted above teaches us three things about Him. First, He was in the beginning.

He Himself never did have a beginning. In what we might call the beginningless beginning, He already was. The second thing is that He was with God, that is, He was a distinct Person, living with God the Father.

Then thirdly, we read that the Word was God. This puts the absolute

deity of Christ beyond reasonable question.

Of course I realize that a certain false cult has issued a version of the Bible in which the last part of verse 1 reads, “and the Word was a god.”

But this translation is fraudulent; there is nothing in the original language of the New Testament to support it.

A second strong proof text for the full deity of Jesus is John 5:23, “That all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honoreth not the Son honoreth not the Father which hath sent Him.” Here is a divine decree that equal worship and honor should be accorded to the Son as to the Father. The honor of Jesus and of God the Father are so inextricably bound together that failure to honor the former is counted as failure to honor the latter.

If Jesus were not God, such language would be preposterous.

When false cultists come to my door to peddle their pernicious doc-

trines, I like to ask them, “Do you honor the Son as you honor the Father?” Usually they try to change the subject but I won’t let them.

There’s no use talking about any other subject if they are wrong on this one.

The third verse I would like to bring before you is John 10:30, where Jesus said, “I and my Father are one.” Those who are opposed to the doctrine of the deity of Christ try to explain this away by saying that He and His Father were one in spirit, one in outlook, or one in purpose.

But the Jews of Jesus’ day knew better. They knew that Jesus was claiming equality with God, vv. 31-32. If the Jews were wrong, Jesus could have easily escaped their malice by saying that it was all a misunderstanding. But He did not; they understood perfectly what He meant.

Now turn to John 14:8-9. “Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known Me, Philip? He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?”

If Jesus were only a man it would be the height of impertinence and blasphemy for Him to say, “He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father.”

But the sober truth is that as the only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus fully declared the Father (Jn. 1:18). When men looked upon the Lord Jesus Christ, they looked upon God, manifest in the flesh.

Next, we should consider Romans 9:5, “Whose are the fathers, and of

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IS JESUS GOD? whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.” This passage describes the great privileges that were entrusted to Israel as a nation. To them were given the adoption (as God’s own people), the glory (the cloud that signified God’s presence), the covenants, the law of Moses, the temple service, the promises and the patriarchs. But greatest of all, it was from this nation that the Messiah came “who is over all, God blessed for ever.” A wonderful verse in which the humanity and deity of the Saviour are inseparably combined!

If the opposition is still unconvinced, I wonder what they will do with Colossians 2:9, “For in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.” Notice the care with which the Spirit of God sets forth and guards the deity of Christ. All the fullness of the Godhead resides in Him bodily. There is a pyramiding of evidence here: the Godhead bodily the fullness of the Godhead bodily all the fullness of the Godhead bodily If words mean anything, then these words teach that the Lord Jesus is God in a body of flesh.

A further convincing verse is Hebrews 1:8: there God the Father is quoted as saying to the Son, “Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Thy kingdom.” God the Father addresses the Son as God. Those who quibble with the verse and who come up with alternate translations still have to contend with verses 10-12 where God the Father acknowledges the Son as the Creator and as the changeless and eternal One. Finally we should mention 1 John 5:20, “And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know Him that is true, and we are in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.”

At the time John wrote, there was a false sect called Gnostics who denied, among other truths, the deity of Christ. In this verse, John warns his readers to steer clear of any conception of Christ that denies His absolute deity. Referring to God’s Son, he says, “This is the true God, and eternal life.”

In addition to these verses which clearly state the deity of Christ, there is a great body of texts where that truth is implied in one way or another.

Ephesians 1:2 for example. There grace and peace are said to come from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. It would be absurd to suggest that both Persons are the fountainhead of grace and peace if they were not equal. (See also Phil. 1:2; 2 Thess. 1:2; 1 Tim. 1:2.)

In Ephesians 1:3 God is described as the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. As to His humanity, Jesus recognized God as His God. As to His deity, the Lord Jesus acknowledged God as His Father in a unique way that is not true of any other. (See also 1 Thess.

3:11; 2 Thess. 2:16-17).

In John 15:24 Jesus puts Himself on the same level as God the Father, “… now have they both seen and hated both Me and My Father.” (See also Mt. 28:19; Jn. 5:17-18; 16:15.)

In Titus 2:13, the correct translation is “the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ” (RSV). There are not two Persons here. The same One who is our great God is also our Saviour Jesus Christ.

Jesus received worship as God, Mt. 14:33; 28:9, 17; Luke 24:52; Jn. 20:28-29. If He were not God, this would be a violation of the law, Ex. 20:3; Lk. 4:8. But the New Testament teaches that Jesus should be worshiped, 1 Cor. 1:2; Phil. 2:9-11; Heb. 1:6; Rev. 1:5-6, 12-14.

There are numerous verses where the attributes of God are ascribed to Jesus. For instance, we have His omnipresence in John 1:18, “The only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father...”

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IS JESUS GOD? Jesus was on earth when John spoke these words, yet He was also in the bosom of the Father. (See also Mt. 18:20 and 28:20.)

We have His omnipotence in Matthew 8:26 where Jesus rebuked the storm and there was a great calm.

(See also Mt. 28:18 and Phil. 3:21.)

Then we have the omniscience of Christ in numerous passages where He knew what others were thinking before they uttered a word. In Luke 5:22, for example, He perceived the thoughts of the Pharisees. In Matthew 16:8 He read the minds of His disciples. (See also John 11:13-14; 16:30; 21:17.)

The eternity of the Lord Jesus is clearly set forth in John 1:1; Col. 1:17a; Heb. 1:8-12; Rev. 1:8.

Then you have the miracles of the Lord Jesus. He performed miracles that no one else had ever done, Jn. 15:24, and not only so, He conferred the power to perform miracles on others, Mt. 10:8. But a word of caution is necessary here. The fact that Jesus performed miracles is not in itself a proof of deity. Miracles are only a proof of some supernatural power at work. That power may be God—or it may be the devil. The two reasons why the miracles of Jesus attest Him are: 1. They were the miracles prophesied of the Messiah in the Old Testament, and those same Old Testament scriptures predicted that the Messiah would be divine (Isa. 9:6—“His name shall be called…Mighty God”).

2. The nature of His miracles was such that only God would perform them. If the devil had performed them, he would have been consistently defeating his own purposes.

The works of God are said to be done by Jesus— • Creating, Jn. 1:3, 10; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:2 • Sustaining, Col. 1:17; Heb. 1:3 • Forgiving sins, Mk. 2:5-7 • Raising the dead, Jn. 5:21; 6:40, 54 • Raising Himself from the dead, Jn. 2:19; 21:1; 10:18 • Saving, compare Isa. 43:11 with Mt. 1:21; 1 Tim. 1:15.

Then there is another line of proof pointing to the deity of Jesus, namely, some verses that refer to God in the Old Testament refer to Christ in the New. In Isaiah 44:6, for example, Jehovah speaks of Himself as the first and the last; in Revelation 1:17, the Lord Jesus takes the same title to Himself. In Isaiah 6, the prophet saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and His train filled the temple. In verse 3 a seraph says, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord (Jehovah) of hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory.” The Apostle John tells us that this Person is Jesus: “These things said Esaias

(Isaiah) when he saw His (Christ’s) glory, and spoke of Him,” Jn. 12:41. (Also compare Isa. 8:13-14 with 1 Pet. 2:8; 3:14-15; Isa. 40:3 with Mt. 3:3; Isa. 48:12 with Rev. 22:13; Mal. 3:1 with Mk. 1:2.)

Jesus applies one of the Old Testament names of God, the I AM, to Himself several times in John’s Gospel: see 4:26; 6:20; 8:24, 28, 58; 13:19; and 18:5-8.

Finally we want to examine some of the verses that are used by the false cults to deny the deity of Christ.

One of their favorites is John 5:19, “The Son can do nothing of Himself .” They say, “See! That proves Jesus is not omnipotent. He admits He can do nothing of Himself. He is just a man like the rest of us.” But the verse backfires on those who use it this way. First of all, none of us can truthfully say that we can do nothing of ourselves. We can wander away from God, we can disobey Him, we can act in self-will and we can even deny Him. But Jesus couldn’t. He was so morally perfect and so yielded to the will of God that He could do nothing apart from the instructions He received from His Father.

Then the verse goes on to emphasize His deity by saying, “…for what things soever He (God) doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.” So that this turns out to be one of the strong statements in the Bible that Jesus is equal with God the Father.

John 5:30 is another verse used by the opposition.

Jesus said, “I can of Mine own self do nothing.” Does this prove that He is not God? No, it proves that He is an absolutely perfect Person, utterly incapable of sin, of wilfulness, of independence of His Father’s will. All His judgments and decisions were based on what He heard from His Father.

Then there is John 14:28 where Jesus said, “My Father is greater than I.” The cultists pounce on this verse as incontrovertible evidence that Jesus is not God. But they wrench these words from the context and thus miss the true meaning.

“Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved Me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for My Father is greater than I.” When Jesus spoke these words He was on earth and subject to the abuse of sinful men. The Father, on the other hand, was in heaven where no creature could ever spit upon Him or crucify Him. If the disciples loved Jesus, they would rejoice at the thought that He was soon going back to heaven where men would never be able to buffet Him again. As long as Jesus was on earth, the Father was greater than He— that is, greater as to His position, but not greater as to His Person. When Jesus went back to heaven, the Father was no longer greater than He.

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IS JESUS GOD? Another controversial passage is John 10:32-36.

“Jesus answered them, Many good works have I showed you from My Father; for which of those works do ye stone Me? The Jews answered Him, saying, For a good work we stone Thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that Thou, being a man, makest Thyself God. Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? If He called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the Scripture cannot be broken; say ye of Him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?” Here the Lord Jesus takes His enemies back to Psalm 82:6 where God addressed the judges of Israel as gods or mighty ones. Jesus picks up that use of the word “gods” and argues from the lesser to the greater.

The judges were only men, and the best that could be said of them was that the word of God came to them.

Yet God called them gods. Much more could be said of the Son. The Father sanctified Him and sent Him into the world. This implies His pre-existence with God the Father and His incarnation. Now if God called judges by the name of gods, how much more worthy is Jesus to be called God. A favorite verse of those who deny that Jesus is God is Colossians 1:15 where our Lord is called “the firstborn of every creature.” They take this to mean that Jesus was a created being like the rest of us. How do we answer them? First of all, the phrase should probably be translated “the firstborn of all creation” (RSV). Now that word “firstborn” is used in two different ways in the Bible. It is used to indicate first in time; thus, Jesus was the firstborn child of Mary, Mt. 1:25. Or it is used to indicate first in rank; God said of David, I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth, Ps. 89:27. David was the lastborn son of Jesse, not the firstborn. But God decreed to make him His firstborn and immediately explains what He means—“higher than the kings of the earth.” Now it is in this latter sense that Jesus is the firstborn of all creation. He has been given a place over all creation. But that He Himself is not a part of that creation is clear from verse 16 of Colossians 1 where He is described as the Architect, the Active Agent and the Object of all creation.

The cultists also use Revelation 3:14 where the Saviour speaks of Himself as “the beginning of the creation of God.” Those who twist the Scriptures to their own destruction use this verse to show that Jesus was the first created Being. But they forget that “beginning” can also mean that He is the One who initiated creation, the One who brought the worlds into being. Jesus is the

26 UPLOOK • DECEMBER 2001/ JANUARY 2002

Originator or Active Cause of creation, beginning it all.

CONCLUSION The evidence for the deity of Christ is mountainous.

Those who seek to deny it are in a terrible position.

They have to change the translations to suit their own whims, they have to take verses out of their context, and they have to misinterpret the Word all along the line.

They face this terrible choice: either the Bible is true and Jesus is God or the Bible is a fraud and Jesus is an imposter.

The consistent testimony of the Word of God is that the Lord Jesus Christ is God manifest in the flesh, and that as such He is equal with God the Father and the Holy Spirit. Faith bows adoringly and sings: Thou art the Everlasting Word, The Father’s only Son, God manifestly seen and heard, And heaven’s beloved One. Worthy, O Lamb of God, art Thou, That every knee to Thee should bow!

In Thee, most perfectly expressed The Father’s glories shine, Fullness of Godhead, too: the Blest, Eternally Divine!

Worthy, O Lamb of God, art Thou, That every knee to Thee should bow!

True image of the Infinite, Whose essence is concealed; Brightness of uncreated light, The heart of God revealed.

Worthy, O Lamb of God, art Thou, That every knee to Thee should bow.

But the high myst’ries of His Name The creature’s grasp transcend; The Father only (glorious claim!)

The Son can comprehend.

Worthy, O Lamb of God, art Thou, That every knee to Thee should bow!

Throughout the universe of bliss, The center Thou, and Sun, Th’eternal theme of praise is this, To heaven’s beloved One. Worthy, O Lamb of God, art Thou, That every knee to Thee should bow.

—JOSIAH CONDER

Article reprinted from God the Son with permission from EPI.

W. GRAHAM SCROGGIE

TEXT & TEACHER

The Word in the Word Christ is the key to Scripture

Luther asks concerning this verse: What Book and what Person?

The answers should be obvious: the Bible and Christ. These are two Words which man must never separate: the written Word, and the Incarnate Word, for these God has joined together. The orthodox are sometimes charged with being guilty of Bibliolatry, and although nothing could be further from the truth, it were better to run the risk of being so misunderstood than to err on the other side. Scores of things are predicated similarly of both Words, and the study of these would bring seed to our basket, and sustenance to our souls.

For example, both are called the Word of God (Rev. 19:13; 1 Pet. 1:23), and are spoken of as Truth (Jn. 1:14; Ps. 119:151), Light (Jn. 1:4; Prov. 6:23), Life (1 Jn. 5:20; Phil. 2:16), precious (1 Pet. 2:7; 2 Pet. 1:4), wonderful (Isa. 9:6. Ps. 119:129), tried (Isa. 28:16. Ps. 18:30), and everlasting (Ps. 9:7; 1 Pet. 1:25). We are said, by both, to be born again (1 Jn. 5:18; 1 Pet. 1:23), saved (Heb. 12:25; Jas. 1:21), cleansed (1 Jn. 1:7; Jn. 15:3), sanctified (Heb. 10:10; Jn. 17:17), and healed (Mt. 4:24; Ps. 107:20).

Hence it is, as Joseph Hart puts it, The Scriptures and the Word Bear one tremendous name, The Living and the Written Word In all things are the same.

It is the incarnate Word whom we worship, but except for the written

Word we could not know Him to worship Him. The dictum, “Never mind the Bible; hold on to Christ” is as foolish as it is false. It would be as reasonable to say, “Never mind the sun; bask in the light,” and imagine that the light would come without the sun. It is not the light which derives its brightness from the sun, but the sun its brightness from the light. So, likewise, with Christ and the Bible. It is not the Bible that gives value to Christ, but Christ who gives value to the Bible. But if we would know Him, we must study it.

The Bible deals with hundreds of subjects of the very first importance, such as the origin of the universe, the creation of the race, the history of sin, the divine principles of government, the rise, history, and future of Israel, the incarnation of God, the life and death of Jesus the Christ, the institution, progress, and future of the Church, the evangelization of the Gentile world, the future of the race, the issue of the conflict between darkness and light, and other subjects innumerable.

The method of presentation of these is also most varied. There is: law, history, wisdom, poetry, doctrine and apocalypse.

And this great literature came into existence, not in one age, but slowly throughout a period of sixteen or seventeen hundred years; all is collected together and called simply “The Book.” Yet as we read it the thing which impresses us is not its great diversity, but its sublime unity.

What is the secret of this structural, historical, prophetical, doctrinal, and spiritual unity of the Bible?

There is only one answer: Christ.

That the whole Bible, from Genesis to Revelation is about Christ there is no room left to doubt. The witness of Christ Himself is sufficient: “In the volume of the Book it is written of Me…” (Heb. 10:7). “Beginning at Moses, and all the Prophets, He expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself…all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of

Photo: Dan Spoelstra

“I

n the volume of the book it is written of Me” (Heb. 10:7).

Moses, and in the Prophets, and in the Psalms concerning Me” (Lk. 24:27, 44).

No line of Bible study is more fruitful than that which regards all the Scriptures as a progressive revelation to man of God in Christ. All other studies in the Bible must find their place in relation to this: The appearance of Christ on earth is only the visible and temporary manifestations of a timeless purpose, of which the whole Bible is the revelation.

With this fact before us, let us behold the unveiling of Christ in all the Scriptures.

www.uplook.org • DECEMBER 2001/ JANUARY 2002

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W H AT A M I R AC L E !

HERBERT LOCKYER

Hail the incarnate Deity When you can’t reason, believe God; when you can’t explain, adore Him.

W

hat Reason rejects, Faith accepts—when it has the clear declarations of God—and bows in holy wonder at the work of the Trinity in the preparation of a Saviour for the world.

Mary as a virgin was a “young, unmarried woman who had preserved the purity of her body,” to use Cruden’s phrase. And not only so, but that Mary remained a virgin until after Christ was born is the revealed fact of Scripture, as anyone can prove by reverently examining passages like Matthew 1:8-21, 1:2425; and Luke 1:27-34. Thereafter she lived in the usual relations of wedlock with Joseph, having children born to her (Mt. 13:56).

As virgin born, Christ had no human father. He is thus the only fatherless Babe the world has ever known. For the historic witness that our Lord was not born in wedlock but of a virgin we can turn to Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:27-34; 2:7; Colossians 1:15-18; Hebrews 1:5-6; and 12:23.

A PREDICTED BIRTH

During the four centuries before Christ’s birth, different voices heralded His first advent. In fact, one could preach a very profitable sermon beginning with the first intimation of His coming, far back in Genesis 3:15. Mark the specific language of this first redemption promise, “her seed.”

Further, the great evangelistic promises of Genesis 12:1-13 and 15:18 need Christ for their fulfillment. Also passages like Matthew

They looked and waited for Him, who was the center of their hope, the desire of their souls.

A MIRACULOUS BIRTH The birth of our Lord was a creative act of God and not of man.

While we often use the word “incarnation” in connection with the birth of our Lord, it is nevertheless a somewhat broad one and covers His entire life on earth. Meaning “to embody in flesh” as used of Christ, it tells us what really happened in Mary’s child.

1:1-2; John 8:56-58; and Galatians 3:16 prove that Jesus made possible the realization of the Abrahamic covenant.

Limiting Himself to one particular tribe of Israel, we have the wonderful comparison of passages like Genesis 49:10 with Matthew 2:5-6; and Hebrews 7:14 with Revelation 4:4. Then from a tribe we come to a family, and so place 2 Samuel 7:1213 alongside Matthew 1:1 and Romans 1:3.

As the Son of a virgin, the great Immanuel prophecy of Isaiah 7:14 agrees with Matthew 1:22-23.

Other Old Testament predictions belonging with their New Testament fulfillments can be summarized thus: birthplace, Micah 5:2 with Luke 2:14-15; birth name, Isaiah 7:14 with Matthew 12:23; worship at His birth, Isaiah 60:6 with Matthew 2:11; forerunner, Isaiah 40:3 with Matthew 3:1-3.

Thus by the birth of Christ the hope of holy men and women of old, century after century was realized.

28 UPLOOK • DECEMBER 2001/ JANUARY 2002

Veiled in flesh the Godhead see!

Hail the incarnate deity!

Christ’s birth was not a natural generation. It was momentous, seeing Mary bore Him as a result of a direct divine creative act.

A HOLY BIRTH A reverent perusal of passages like Job 15:14, 25:4; Psalm 51:5, 58:3; and John 9:34 impresses our minds with another aspect of our Lord’s wondrous birth. Everything about it breathes the air of holiness.

The Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary, and the Angel of the Lord declared that the body about to be formed within her womb was—that holy thing—to be called the Son of God. Had Christ been born according to the laws of natural procreation, He would have been defiled, for all who are born after the ordinary course of nature have the tincture of sin within. But Christ appeared absolutely sinless—“holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners.”

HAIL the INCARNATE DEITY In order to redeem, His substance must be pure and immaculate. Hence the necessity of the virgin, holy birth. Commenting on the birth narratives, Professor Sweet observes, “The narratives exhibit a profound reverence, a chaste and gracious reserve in the presence of a holy mystery, a simplicity, dignity, and self-contained nobility of expression which are the visible marks of truth, if such there are anywhere in human writing.”

Some there are some who become holy after their birth—Christ was holy before His. “That holy thing which is….” A study of the above passages will prove that Christ was the pre-existent One who brought His holy nature with Him. A LOWLY BIRTH A casual glance at the birth genealogies reveals the fact that He who was the highest stooped to the lowest.

He who was so holy made Himself of no reputation, as is evidenced by the pedigree of Christ. Tamar, Ruth, Rahab and Bathsheba are mentioned as being in the line from which Jesus came.

And then the circumstances of His birth likewise speak of His lowliness. Mary was a poor maiden. Her Son was born in a stable. Lowly shepherds were the eyewitnesses of the sublime miracle of God becoming Man. They knew that the first Adam was made in the likeness of God. Now they witness God the Son being made in the likeness of man.

Child of humanity, Son of the lowly, Gift of the Father—unspeakably holy.

Christ came from glory to darkness and danger, Born in a stable and laid in a manger; Child of humanity, Son of the lowly, Gift of the Father—unspeakably holy.

A ROYAL BIRTH Matthew sets out to prove the kingly descent of Him who was “born King of the Jews.” This is why our Lord’s royal or legal descent is traced back to King David. But being “born King” is something more than the establishment of Christ’s earthly claim to the throne of Israel as the successor of David. A prince becomes a king on the death of his royal father. But Jesus was born a King, which means that He was King before His birth. Paul speaks of Him as “the King eternal.” Thus as Christmas comes round again multitudes of loving hearts will join in the carol, “Glory to the newborn King” (see Lk. 2:7, 12-16; Gal. 4:4).

A BENEFICIAL BIRTH What a dark world this would have been if Jesus had not come! His birth changed the calendar, and has enriched civilization. But why did He wrap Himself around with the garment of our humanity? Well, here are a few key passages on which to meditate: Proverbs 17:17; Matthew 1:21; Galatians 4:4, 6; 1 Timothy 1:15.

Man is born to live; Christ was born to die. It was for His death for sinners that— “The Ancient of Days became a Babe. He who thundered in heaven cried in a cradle. The mother was younger than the Child she bore! He who girdled the heavens was wrapped in swaddling clothes! The mighty God became a dependent Infant!”

One old writer exclaims, “I can scarce get past His cradle in my wondering to wonder at His cross. The infant Jesus is in some ways a greater marvel than Jesus with the purple robe and the crown of thorn” Christ was born of a virgin, that we might be born of God. He lay in a manger that we might lie in Paradise.

He came down from heaven that He might take us there.

By His birth our Lord became the daysman between God and man, with His hand upon both (Job 9:33). As Dr. A. T. Pierson has so finely expressed it: The daysman betwixt us both, who can lay his hand upon us both, because He is of us both! The way of God to man—the way of man to God; the true Jacob’s ladder between heaven and earth, God above it, to come down— man beneath it, to go up! The God-man is Himself our pledge that as God in Christ became a partaker of the human nature, so man in Christ becomes a partaker of the divine nature. Born of a woman, made like unto Him! The God-man is not only a mystery and a miracle but a prophecy and a promise…They used to say of Mozart that he brought angels down; of Beethoven, that he lifted mortals up. Jesus Christ does both, and here lies the central mystery of the God-man, a mystery which is blessedly revealed to him who by faith has personal experience of His power to save.

And the truth that is uppermost in our mind as we leave the consideration of our holy theme is that it matters little whether Jesus was born in Bethlehem 2000 years ago, if He has not been born again within our hearts by His Holy Spirit: Mild, He lays His glory by, Born that man no more may die, Born to raise the sons of earth, Born to give them second birth.

www.uplook.org • DECEMBER 2001/ JANUARY 2002

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“Occupy Till I Come”