THE GIFT OF GIFTS by H. A. St. John

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Apr 4, 1906

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 32, No. 14.

THE GIFT OF GIFTS.

By H. A. St. John

JESUS is not only the Servant of servants, the Prince of princes, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords; but He is also the Gift of gifts. In the beginning, when the Lord made the world and all things therein, He constituted man the ruler of the beautiful dominion. Adam, together with Eve his lovely wife, was crowned with glory and honor. While the form of government was theocratical and kingly, it was also paternal in the highest sense.

The first human pair were enjoined to multiply and replenish the earth. Hence, the subjects of their kingdom, scattered abroad over all the beautiful earth, would have been the legitimate offspring of the king and queen, and for any of them to go to Paradise to see the king in his beauty and glory would have been simply a visit to the old homestead to visit father Adam, and mother Eve. And who can imagine a world thus governed, and thus peopled. It would be but one vast family, all dwelling together in love, and in the purity of holiness. All governed by the one great law of life, namely: "With love serve one another."

God's Plan Perverted.

This glorious plan was early thwarted by the sin of the first pair. But through Jesus, the second Adam, the grand purpose of God with relation to this world will eventually be accomplished. Immediately after the failure of Adam the first, Jesus, the beloved Son of the Almighty Father, gave Himself for the redemption of a lost and sinful world. At the very gates of Paradise Jesus began to reveal Himself as the unspeakable gift of God to man. For four thousand years the gift of the Son of God was manifested in type by priests and sacrifices. And His manifestations for the salvation of man were continually seen in the many revelations of His will through holy men and holy angels.

At the end of that long period of giving His life in glory for man, we come to the mystery of incarnation, at Bethlehem, when Jesus laid down His life in glory, and took upon Himself the form of a servant, and in sinful flesh humbled Himself as a man. Then, through infancy, childhood, youth, and manhood, He gave His entire life for man. We may be enabled by the grace He giveth, to do the works that He did, teach the Gospel of salvation that He taught, and live the life that He lived. It is thus that the gift of His life in mortal guise is made of infinite value to us.

The Crowning Act of the Gift.

Then on Calvary Jesus laid down His mortal life for us. As our great and good Shepherd, He then and there laid down His life for the sheep.

On the third day Jesus took up His life again. But it was a glorified life, in the glory that He had with the Father before the world was. Now He is in the presence of God for us. Even in glory, at the right hand of the eternal Father, He is ministering His life for us. Through the instrumentalities of holy truth, holy angels, and the Holy Spirit, Jesus is freely giving us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, all things necessary to our moral redemption.

The Eternal Reign.

At no distant day His life of mediatorship, and intercession for us will end. He will deliver up His priestly work for sinners, and lay down His life as Priest-King, which life has been given freely to us, a gift which will bring eternal loss to all who reject it, and eternal gain to all who have accepted it. But when Jesus leaves His mediatorial throne, He will immediately enter upon a reign of greater glory and exaltation. His Father will give Him dominion, glory, and a kingdom, and seated upon His own throne of glory, He will begin His eternal reign in Paradise restored, the New Jerusalem. His kingdom and dominion will embrace the whole earth made new. It will be the first dominion as given to the first Adam, recast, redeemed, and glorified. No more curse, hence, no more sin, sickness, or death. This glorious reign of Christ as King of Kings in the kingdom of glory, will be without end. But that kingdom, together with its all-glorious King, will be given to the people of the saints of the Most High.

For the last time, and for all eternity, Jesus, as the Morning Star, will give Himself to His people. In that eternal state it will be seen that Jesus, the second Adam, has a great multitude of children who have been made His by being "born again," "born from above," and thus becoming new creatures in Christ Jesus. He is their "everlasting Father," and with this innumerable host of redeemed ones He has replenished the new earth. Then forevermore it will be the supreme joy of our adorable Redeemer to give Himself to all the heavenly family in the ministration of life, and knowledge, and peace, and bliss, without alloy, through the endless cycles of eternity. Jesus, the Gift of gifts, is ours, all ours. Let us accept and cherish the Gift; then, with Him, we shall receive all good things. O, how can we keep from singing? H. A. ST. JOHN.