INCARNATION, HUMILIATION, GLORIFICATION.
By H. A. St. John
A BIOGRAPHY is the history of a person’s life. There are many such on the shelves of our book stores and libraries. Generally that which gives existence to these accounts of a human life is the fact that the individual whose life is recorded was specially noted for the achievement of some one or more great things,—a great king, emperor, ruler, astronomer, explorer, preacher, writer, or something else. Now we have among the children of men a brief history of a brief portion of a life so grand and glorious in every feature that it entirely eclipses every other life, as the bright shining sun eclipses the light of a tallow candle. The life of Jesus Christ has been translated into many languages, and scattered abroad everywhere among the children of men. While the lives of some men might be worthy of imitation in some things, the life of Christ is eminently worthy of imitation in all things, all the time. He was always true to the grand and immutable principles of eternal truth, and hence was the very personification of truth. He was always obedient to the laws that govern spirit, soul, and body. This is all expressed in the words, “I delight to do thy will, O my God.” This Christ was one with the eternal Father from the days of eternity. He was dead in the sepulcher for three days, when He was called to life again by his Father, and is alive forevermore. Three events in His marvelous life tower above all others, and will ever be gratefully remembered by all the universe of God, as the events most of all that shine brightest in His biography, and entitle Him to an exaltation by the everlasting Father above every other creature, and to a name above every other name. These three things are expressed by the words incarnation, humiliation, and glorification. Let us briefly consider each in their order. 1. INCARNATION.—Divinity clothed with humanity. This would begin when the divine Son of God laid aside, of His own free will, all His authority and glory that He had with His Father before the world was. The culmination of His incarnation was reached when Jesus was born of a virgin, in a manger, in the village of Bethlehem. Above the hills and plains of Bethlehem a multitude of heavenly angels sang His cradle song, saying to the shepherds, and through them to all mankind of every age, “Unto you is born this day . . . a Saviour.” The fathomless mystery of the incarnation has been unfolding to the universe from that glad day to this, and will continue to unfold throughout eternity, ever revealing more and more, to the redeemed, to angels, and to all the inhabitants of the universe, of the infinite love of God and of Christ; every new revelation awakening a new wonder, admiration, and praise. The song of the angels at the birth of Jesus will be reproduced again and again, with ever new inspiration, even after the Sun of Righteousness has fully risen with healing in His wings. The mystery of the incarnation, being the first lesson in the study of the cross, will be an elementary part of the science and song of the redeemed, and of all the universe, worlds without end. 2. HUMILIATION.—The humiliation of Christ began with His incarnation, but did not reach its culmination until He was nailed to Calvary’s cross. He “made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant. . . . And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” Phil. 2:7, 8. True humiliation could not descend lower—could not be greater. To submit to die such an ignominious death, the just for the unjust, was such an expression of the character and wonderful love of God, as to constitute the cross of Christ the science and song of all intelligent creatures in the universe of God, through the ceaseless ages of eternity. It may be truly said that the crucifixion of Christ was a crowning manifestation of condescension and humiliation, never again throughout eternity to be surpassed, equaled, or repeated. Hence that significant statement, “The Lamb that was slain,” will eternally constitute an unfolding and inspiring strain in the harmonious and melodious songs of a clean universe of immortal and supremely happy intelligences. 3. GLORIFICATION.—Jesus is exalted now above every other creature. He has already received a name above every other name. For long centuries, in answer to His prayer, He has been glorified with the glory that He had with His Father before the world was. Nevertheless His glorification is not yet complete. He is not yet satisfied—is waiting, is expecting. All through the period of His incarnation and humiliation there was a certain joy set before Him which He has not yet attained. This will come when He shall behold all the travail of His soul and be satisfied. When He shall come to be glorified in His saints, and to be admired in all them that believe. When He shall stand in the midst of His church triumphant, all of whom have been changed to immortality, their vile bodies fashioned like unto His glorious body, made possible for them by His incarnation and humiliation; then and not till then will the glorification of Christ reach its climax. Not until the church of Christ are all completely saved, completely glorified, and all gathered together unto Him, will Christ Himself be completely satisfied and glorified. Then, standing in the midst of His glorified church, Himself superlatively glorified, He will sing a solo of praise to His Father so full of power, and meaning, and melody, and sweetness, and victory, that a clean universe will listen with rapture, and then all will break forth in a responsive chorus of praise. O, I want to hear Jesus sing,—He who spent long nights in Gethsemane, and in the mountains4in prayer, pouring out strong cries and tears; He who was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, who went about doing nothing but good to the bodies and souls of men; He who gave His life for me; He who has, for long centuries, been pleading for sinful men, and is still touched with the feelings of our infirmities. O, when this is all forever past, and the divine soul of Jesus is filled and thrilled with complete satisfaction, and He is glorified in His glorified church, I want to hear Him sing. H. A. St. John.