Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,
The one who speaks is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, declaring in heaven after Adam's fall, in counsel with the Father, His purpose to leave the heavenly courts and come to a cursed, fallen earth to do God's will. His coming was wholly voluntary, for though free from the law's claims and foreseeing insults, trials and the path from the manger to Calvary, He willingly accepted the mission to seek and save the lost. To come He laid aside His royal glory, robe, crown and throne and clothed His divinity with humanity, living about thirty years among men as a poor man in the likeness of fallen humanity yet without sin. That His coming was written in the volume of the book means it was already foretold in Scripture, which He knowingly came to fulfill. With delight He kept God's law within His heart in perfect obedience, upholding rather than abolishing the law given at Sinai, and by making Himself of no reputation He offered Himself as humanity's substitute and surety to atone for sin, redeem the world and exemplify how fallen humanity may overcome through given grace.
Speaker, Words and Setting
The one who says Lo, I come is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, announcing His purpose to come to earth to do God's will. The words were spoken in heaven, from the throne of God and the throne of the Infinite, when He left the heavenly courts to come to earth. That coming was nearly two thousand years ago, to a world seared and marred with the curse and to visit a guilty world as its Light. He announced His mission and work in the world to the heavenly host when He left the courts of heaven and His position of dignity and throne of highest command.
The declaration was made after Adam fell, when He entered upon the work of redeeming men and offered Himself as humanity's substitute and surety. It was spoken in counsel with His Father as a deliberate plan to redeem the world, not a chance event and no chance coming. In that counsel He accepted the human life and body prepared for Him, because sacrifice and offering were not wanted. What is written of Him in the volume of the book points to His appointed work, already foretold in Scripture.
He knowingly came to carry out the work appointed for Him and to fulfill what was written beforehand of His coming. His coming was fully voluntary, a willing and cheerful announcement and assent. Though free from the law's claims, He chose to take the form of a servant. Before leaving His throne and taking humanity He saw the suffering, insults and trials ahead, even the path from the manger to Calvary, yet willingly accepted His mission to seek and save the lost.
To come He laid aside His royal glory, His royal robe and kingly crown, His dignity and throne, and the display of His glory. He disguised His holy mission by assuming the likeness of man, when in reality He was the Son of the infinite God. He clothed His divinity with humanity and made Himself of no reputation, taking human nature upon Him. He came as a babe and for about thirty years lived here as a man among men, living the life of a poor man, yet He was heaven's Prince. He took the nature of man with the shameful infirmities of fallen humanity, yet without spot or stain of sin. So clothed, He was exposed to the fiercest assaults of the enemy, the sharpest temptations, and the keenest sorrow.
Mission, Work and Application
His delight was to do the will of God with the law of God within His heart, living on earth a perfect, consistent, blemishless life of obedience in conformity with the will of His heavenly Father. “Not My human will but Thy will be done” was uppermost in His mind and heart as the infallible principle actuating Him in all His words and works and molding His character. Through that perfect obedience blemishless righteousness is available to sinners through His imputed righteousness.
He came not to abolish the law given at Sinai but to uphold it and restore it to its original dignity and purity. Because God’s law could not be changed to accommodate fallen humanity, He took human nature and bore the sins of the fallen race, that people might be made righteous in Him. He fulfilled the types and shadows that had prefigured Him and became the only One able to redeem the world.
Sacrifice and offering were not desired, so a body was prepared for Him. By clothing His divinity with humanity and making Himself of no reputation He entered upon the work of redeeming men in a sacrifice perfect in every part so He could make atonement for sin. His coming was no chance event but willing and deliberate, planned in counsel with His Father to lay aside kingly glory, accept poverty and humiliation, and stand with fallen humanity.
After Adam’s fall He offered Himself as humanity’s substitute and surety. As Captain of salvation and as God’s servant He took the form of a servant and took humanity upon Himself to suffer and die, to redeem and purify the sinful world. In His human life He fulfilled the Father’s will, bringing peace and reconciliation and turning people from iniquity.
Standing at the head of the fallen human family and living on earth as the head of humanity, He exemplified what humanity must do and be in order to overcome the enemy and to sit with the Father upon His throne. As Captain of salvation He entered the conflict and took the field in humanity to teach His followers how to fight the battles of the Lord. Though without spot or stain of sin yet bearing the shameful infirmities of fallen humanity and exposed to the fiercest assaults of the enemy, sharpest temptations, and keenest sorrow, He suffered being tempted and was made like His brethren to show that through given grace humanity can overcome, so all who stand in Christ may have abundant evidence that the Saviour will be with them in their struggle against sin.
The One who speaks is the promised child born and Son given — Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. He came because He loves the human race, to bring men a knowledge of God and heaven, with Calvary showing how much He loves.
His declaration is the foundation rock on which all can stand in unity, calling for burying the dead carcasses of the past so enemies have nothing to triumph over, and for bringing self into unity with Jesus Christ in order to understand matters aright. Christ’s followers are to serve Him by doing God’s will and working with Him as His messengers. In self-denial He gives ministers and medical missionaries an example against outward display and for self-denial in the expenditure of means in proclaiming the truth. The verse is applied as a willing personal response to God — “Here I am,” ready to do His will — a call to come to Jesus and to replace passionate words with mild ones.
The one who speaks is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, declaring in heaven after Adam's fall, in counsel with the Father, His purpose to leave the heavenly courts and come to a cursed, fallen earth to do God's will. His coming was wholly voluntary, for though free from the law's claims and foreseeing insults, trials and the path from the manger to Calvary, He willingly accepted the mission to seek and save the lost. To come He laid aside His royal glory, robe, crown and throne and clothed His divinity with humanity, living about thirty years among men as a poor man in the likeness of fallen humanity yet without sin. That His coming was written in the volume of the book means it was already foretold in Scripture, which He knowingly came to fulfill. With delight He kept God's law within His heart in perfect obedience, upholding rather than abolishing the law given at Sinai, and by making Himself of no reputation He offered Himself as humanity's substitute and surety to atone for sin, redeem the world and exemplify how fallen humanity may overcome through given grace.
Speaker, Words and Setting
The one who says Lo, I come is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, announcing His purpose to come to earth to do God's will. The words were spoken in heaven, from the throne of God and the throne of the Infinite, when He left the heavenly courts to come to earth. That coming was nearly two thousand years ago, to a world seared and marred with the curse and to visit a guilty world as its Light. He announced His mission and work in the world to the heavenly host when He left the courts of heaven and His position of dignity and throne of highest command.
The declaration was made after Adam fell, when He entered upon the work of redeeming men and offered Himself as humanity's substitute and surety. It was spoken in counsel with His Father as a deliberate plan to redeem the world, not a chance event and no chance coming. In that counsel He accepted the human life and body prepared for Him, because sacrifice and offering were not wanted. What is written of Him in the volume of the book points to His appointed work, already foretold in Scripture.
He knowingly came to carry out the work appointed for Him and to fulfill what was written beforehand of His coming. His coming was fully voluntary, a willing and cheerful announcement and assent. Though free from the law's claims, He chose to take the form of a servant. Before leaving His throne and taking humanity He saw the suffering, insults and trials ahead, even the path from the manger to Calvary, yet willingly accepted His mission to seek and save the lost.
To come He laid aside His royal glory, His royal robe and kingly crown, His dignity and throne, and the display of His glory. He disguised His holy mission by assuming the likeness of man, when in reality He was the Son of the infinite God. He clothed His divinity with humanity and made Himself of no reputation, taking human nature upon Him. He came as a babe and for about thirty years lived here as a man among men, living the life of a poor man, yet He was heaven's Prince. He took the nature of man with the shameful infirmities of fallen humanity, yet without spot or stain of sin. So clothed, He was exposed to the fiercest assaults of the enemy, the sharpest temptations, and the keenest sorrow.
Mission, Work and Application
His delight was to do the will of God with the law of God within His heart, living on earth a perfect, consistent, blemishless life of obedience in conformity with the will of His heavenly Father. “Not My human will but Thy will be done” was uppermost in His mind and heart as the infallible principle actuating Him in all His words and works and molding His character. Through that perfect obedience blemishless righteousness is available to sinners through His imputed righteousness.
He came not to abolish the law given at Sinai but to uphold it and restore it to its original dignity and purity. Because God’s law could not be changed to accommodate fallen humanity, He took human nature and bore the sins of the fallen race, that people might be made righteous in Him. He fulfilled the types and shadows that had prefigured Him and became the only One able to redeem the world.
Sacrifice and offering were not desired, so a body was prepared for Him. By clothing His divinity with humanity and making Himself of no reputation He entered upon the work of redeeming men in a sacrifice perfect in every part so He could make atonement for sin. His coming was no chance event but willing and deliberate, planned in counsel with His Father to lay aside kingly glory, accept poverty and humiliation, and stand with fallen humanity.
After Adam’s fall He offered Himself as humanity’s substitute and surety. As Captain of salvation and as God’s servant He took the form of a servant and took humanity upon Himself to suffer and die, to redeem and purify the sinful world. In His human life He fulfilled the Father’s will, bringing peace and reconciliation and turning people from iniquity.
Standing at the head of the fallen human family and living on earth as the head of humanity, He exemplified what humanity must do and be in order to overcome the enemy and to sit with the Father upon His throne. As Captain of salvation He entered the conflict and took the field in humanity to teach His followers how to fight the battles of the Lord. Though without spot or stain of sin yet bearing the shameful infirmities of fallen humanity and exposed to the fiercest assaults of the enemy, sharpest temptations, and keenest sorrow, He suffered being tempted and was made like His brethren to show that through given grace humanity can overcome, so all who stand in Christ may have abundant evidence that the Saviour will be with them in their struggle against sin.
The One who speaks is the promised child born and Son given — Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. He came because He loves the human race, to bring men a knowledge of God and heaven, with Calvary showing how much He loves.
His declaration is the foundation rock on which all can stand in unity, calling for burying the dead carcasses of the past so enemies have nothing to triumph over, and for bringing self into unity with Jesus Christ in order to understand matters aright. Christ’s followers are to serve Him by doing God’s will and working with Him as His messengers. In self-denial He gives ministers and medical missionaries an example against outward display and for self-denial in the expenditure of means in proclaiming the truth. The verse is applied as a willing personal response to God — “Here I am,” ready to do His will — a call to come to Jesus and to replace passionate words with mild ones.