CHRIST OUR PASSOVER

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Oct 13, 1859

CHRIST OUR PASSOVER.

"For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us." 1 Cor. v, 7. What was the dignity of the sacrifice that was offered for our race? Was it human or divine? Says the Scripture, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Jno. iii, 16. Again: "But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son," &c. Gal. iv, 4. "So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many." Heb. ix, 28. We need not quote more testimony to show that it was no less a being than the Son of God who gave himself to reconcile man to his Father, and bring back a revolted province into allegiance to its Maker.

Did Christ exist before his mission to this earth? He did. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." Jno. i, 1. "And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am." Id. viii, 58. And he speaks of the glory which he had with the Father before the world was. Id. xvii, 5.

But in what sense was the Word, God? In the same sense that he and his Father are one. Jno. x, 30. We have still to enquire in what sense this is? Does it mean that they are one in person? We answer, No; for Christ uses the same expression and in the same sense when he prays for his disciples that they may be one. "That they may all be one," says he, "as thou Father art in me, and I in thee. That they all may be one, as we are one." Jno. xvii, 21, 22. Christ could not certainly mean that all believers in him should be consolidated into one huge and massive person! The oneness then does not refer to identity of body, but only to that unity of Spirit which the apostles every-where exhort the brethren to maintain. "Keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace," "Be perfectly joined together in the same mind," "Fulfill ye my joy that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind," are exhortations of the apostle, in perfect keeping with the prayer of Christ that his disciples might all be one. Just so with Jesus and his Father: they are one in Spirit, one in purpose, and one in action; but not identical in body and person. This view, and this only, is consistent with the scripture which represents Christ as a created being, ["the beginning of the creation of God," Rev. iii, 14], and that large class of texts which speak of Christ as distinct from the Father, in as plain terms as language can employ, and declare him to be subordinate to him, sent forth by him, dying to reconcile the world to him, &c., declarations utterly at variance with the popular idea of a triune God.

And this Word, this divine Son of God, was made flesh. "And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth," Jno. i, 14. "But we see Jesus who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death;" i. e., for the purpose of suffering death in carrying out the great plan of salvation. A question may here arise concerning the immortality of Christ previous to his incarnation. How could he have been immortal, it may be asked, and yet die? And from the fact that he did die, some have been led to the conclusion that he was not previously immortal. But we cannot believe that he was lacking in any divine attribute previous to his mission to this world. Immortality is exemption from death. That Christ was in such a condition when enjoying that glory which he had before the world was, we have no doubt. But we must remember that the maker of law can suspend law; and though the possessor of inherent life, he could, if he chose lay down that life; though the possessor of immortality, strictly speaking, he could, if so disposed, lay aside that attribute for the suffering of death; he could take on him our nature; and this, the Bible assures us he did. "For verily he took not on him the nature of angels, but he took on him the seed [i. e., the nature of the seed] of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high Priest, in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people." Heb. ii, 16, 17.

In Jesus, the Saviour of men, we behold, then, a perfect humanity. It was necessary that he should take upon him this nature, that man in his present state might imitate and assimilate himself to a perfect pattern adapted to his condition. And we behold him following man down into the dark prison house of the grave, but bursting the bonds of death and opening a way whereby all who would believe in him might be brought back again with an everlasting salvation. And yet, while here on earth in the condition, and with the nature, of the seed of Abraham, while passing his life of toil and privation, while expiring upon the cross, he was no less the Son of God, no less the divine personage, than he was when enjoying that glory which he had with the Father antecedent to the world's creation; no less than he is now while pleading his blood before the Father, in the repentant sinner's behalf; no less than he will be, when in a little from this, he shall be seen coming in the clouds of heaven with the glory of the Father, and with all his holy angels.

It is simply this: The Son of God is still the Son of God in whatever condition he may be. He was made flesh and came down to earth and died for men. The term God is sometimes applied to him, as in Isa. ix, 6; Tit. ii, 13. God was in him reconciling the world unto himself. 2 Cor. v, 17. And to all else we have only to say in the language of the apostle: "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory." 1 Tim. iii, 16.