He that hath the Son hath life
“Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant.” (Is. 53:1,2).
“Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.” (Ps. 85:10).
Satan is a warrior, a mighty general ahead of a ravenous army. “And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle. And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men …. And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit,” “a man of war from his youth.” (Rev. 9:9-11;1Sam 17:33).
In contrast, the Son of God was a tender plant. Like young David who was a man after God’s own heart, and whom Abner called a “stripling,” (1Sam. 17:56) Michael, the Son, has ever hidden His glory under creation’s garb and taken the lowest place in the lowest form of intelligent life wherever He went. “He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him.” (Is. 53:2).
From the earliest reckoning, the angel hosts knew Him in angelic form. Subservience had ever been His position with His Father, the Ancient of Days. This had brought the greatest joy to heaven; and it had brought the greatest joy to the Son Himself. Thus He revealed the true character of the great King, which was cloaked in mysterious silence. The Son of God had been the outworking, by living object lesson, the revelation of the deepest, most private and intimate thoughts of Him whose name was Reverend, whose thoughts were only of peace, to give all creation hope throughout eternity.
Like the intense valence bond in the nucleus of the hydrogen atom, which when split apart releases tremendous force, the exceedingly tenderest and most affectionate ties tightly bound Father to Son. “And there was the hiding of His power.” (Hab 3:4). The atmosphere of infinite love washed all heaven in gentleness and self-negation. Self-exaltation and self-service could never appear in the presence of such an example of giving and care in the Godhead.
In divine council, Both were in perfect agreement of the subservient position of the Son. Thus, when Earth became Satan’s territory, the Son willingly stepped down a little lower to be made in the likeness of man. A mortal body “hast Thou prepared Me.” (Heb. 10:5).
“But [He] made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.” (Phil. 2:7). “For verily He took not on Him the nature of angels; but He took on Him the seed of Abraham.” (Heb. 2:16). It infinitely contented Him to accept the inglorious “flesh of men,” a “terrestrial” “natural body,” a body “sown in corruption… sown in dishonour… sown in weakness…earthy”. (1Cor. 15:39,40,44,42,43,48).
And in our weakened flesh, He laid claim to that same unchanged eternal relationship that He had had from everlasting, that of a humble toddler looking up to His Father. “My Father is greater than I.” (Jn. 14:28). “And He said unto him, Why callest thou Me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.” (Matt 19:17). “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” (Matt. 27:46).
Listen to His conversation with His beloved Father. Do you hear anything but loving reverence? “These words spake Jesus, and lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify Thy Son, that Thy Son also may glorify Thee: as Thou hast given Him power over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as Thou hast given Him. And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent.” (Jn. 17:1-3).
His innate, childlike love for His Father reconciled the loyal angelic army to our fallen world. His depth of love for this rebel and morally worthless human race was as a child’s response to the infinite love only He, as the divine Son, could perceive in His Father, a natural outgrowth as Heir and of knowing the great King. The loyal angels were ready to defend the holy Creator against all the dishonor that Adams’ race had slung at Him. And they have, ever since, been prepared to bring devastation upon this planet after witnessing our bankrupt moral worth.
They said, “Cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?” But their Lord said, “Let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: and if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.” (Lk. 13:7-9). They were anxious to blot this place from their memories, but He said, “As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one saith, Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it: so will I do for My servants' sakes, that I may not destroy them all.” (Is 65:8).
And now, because of His incarnation, “With a deeper and more tender interest the holy beings from the world of light are drawn to the earth.” Desire of Ages, p. 47. “For He is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us.” (Eph 2:13,14). Now, it is Jesus our Lord, by whom alone “the whole family in heaven and earth is named.” (Eph 3:15).
His infinitely tender love for His Father was the hiding of His power over Satan. In His impenetrable connection with His great God was His victory over the destroyer. No unfallen angel could have passed the tests the evil one so surrounded the Son in His human form. As a 2-year-old looking up to its daddy, so Christ looked up to His Father. That same focus of attention and love, that same surrender and perfect trust, that same pride and endearment imbued the Anointed One—and even now does as He intercedes for us in the Most Holy Place beside His Father.
Can we, too, have that powerful faith of a 2-year-old toward the Father and Son? A resounding “Yes!,” comes back from the Most Holy Place in heaven, “that is the only victory over sin.” A most holy experience awaits those 144,000 before Jesus comes—a toddler’s confidence in Jesus, following the Lamb withersoever He goeth. An army of a 2-year-old's love and trust will comprise the innumerable children of God’s Israel.
“Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.” (Ps. 85:10).
Satan is a warrior, a mighty general ahead of a ravenous army. “And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle. And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men …. And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit,” “a man of war from his youth.” (Rev. 9:9-11;1Sam 17:33).
In contrast, the Son of God was a tender plant. Like young David who was a man after God’s own heart, and whom Abner called a “stripling,” (1Sam. 17:56) Michael, the Son, has ever hidden His glory under creation’s garb and taken the lowest place in the lowest form of intelligent life wherever He went. “He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him.” (Is. 53:2).
From the earliest reckoning, the angel hosts knew Him in angelic form. Subservience had ever been His position with His Father, the Ancient of Days. This had brought the greatest joy to heaven; and it had brought the greatest joy to the Son Himself. Thus He revealed the true character of the great King, which was cloaked in mysterious silence. The Son of God had been the outworking, by living object lesson, the revelation of the deepest, most private and intimate thoughts of Him whose name was Reverend, whose thoughts were only of peace, to give all creation hope throughout eternity.
Like the intense valence bond in the nucleus of the hydrogen atom, which when split apart releases tremendous force, the exceedingly tenderest and most affectionate ties tightly bound Father to Son. “And there was the hiding of His power.” (Hab 3:4). The atmosphere of infinite love washed all heaven in gentleness and self-negation. Self-exaltation and self-service could never appear in the presence of such an example of giving and care in the Godhead.
In divine council, Both were in perfect agreement of the subservient position of the Son. Thus, when Earth became Satan’s territory, the Son willingly stepped down a little lower to be made in the likeness of man. A mortal body “hast Thou prepared Me.” (Heb. 10:5).
“But [He] made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.” (Phil. 2:7). “For verily He took not on Him the nature of angels; but He took on Him the seed of Abraham.” (Heb. 2:16). It infinitely contented Him to accept the inglorious “flesh of men,” a “terrestrial” “natural body,” a body “sown in corruption… sown in dishonour… sown in weakness…earthy”. (1Cor. 15:39,40,44,42,43,48).
And in our weakened flesh, He laid claim to that same unchanged eternal relationship that He had had from everlasting, that of a humble toddler looking up to His Father. “My Father is greater than I.” (Jn. 14:28). “And He said unto him, Why callest thou Me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.” (Matt 19:17). “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” (Matt. 27:46).
Listen to His conversation with His beloved Father. Do you hear anything but loving reverence? “These words spake Jesus, and lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify Thy Son, that Thy Son also may glorify Thee: as Thou hast given Him power over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as Thou hast given Him. And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent.” (Jn. 17:1-3).
His innate, childlike love for His Father reconciled the loyal angelic army to our fallen world. His depth of love for this rebel and morally worthless human race was as a child’s response to the infinite love only He, as the divine Son, could perceive in His Father, a natural outgrowth as Heir and of knowing the great King. The loyal angels were ready to defend the holy Creator against all the dishonor that Adams’ race had slung at Him. And they have, ever since, been prepared to bring devastation upon this planet after witnessing our bankrupt moral worth.
They said, “Cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?” But their Lord said, “Let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: and if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.” (Lk. 13:7-9). They were anxious to blot this place from their memories, but He said, “As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one saith, Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it: so will I do for My servants' sakes, that I may not destroy them all.” (Is 65:8).
And now, because of His incarnation, “With a deeper and more tender interest the holy beings from the world of light are drawn to the earth.” Desire of Ages, p. 47. “For He is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us.” (Eph 2:13,14). Now, it is Jesus our Lord, by whom alone “the whole family in heaven and earth is named.” (Eph 3:15).
His infinitely tender love for His Father was the hiding of His power over Satan. In His impenetrable connection with His great God was His victory over the destroyer. No unfallen angel could have passed the tests the evil one so surrounded the Son in His human form. As a 2-year-old looking up to its daddy, so Christ looked up to His Father. That same focus of attention and love, that same surrender and perfect trust, that same pride and endearment imbued the Anointed One—and even now does as He intercedes for us in the Most Holy Place beside His Father.
Can we, too, have that powerful faith of a 2-year-old toward the Father and Son? A resounding “Yes!,” comes back from the Most Holy Place in heaven, “that is the only victory over sin.” A most holy experience awaits those 144,000 before Jesus comes—a toddler’s confidence in Jesus, following the Lamb withersoever He goeth. An army of a 2-year-old's love and trust will comprise the innumerable children of God’s Israel.
posted by David | 7:58 AM
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