The Excellency of Christ (Part 4)

Jonathan Edwards

SECTION 2
To show how this comparison of Christ’s excellencies appears in Christ’s life.

APPLICATION

1. From this doctrine we may learn one reason why Christ is called by such a variety of names, and represented so many ways in Scripture. It i right to signify and show us the variety of His excellencies together. Many are mentioned together in one verse: Isaiah 9:6, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, The mighty God, the everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” This shows a wonderful contrast of excellencies: that the same person should be a son, born and given, and yet be the everlasting Father, without beginning or end; and that He should be a child and yer be He whose name is Counselor, and The mighty God. His name is “Wonderful.”The same contrast shows Christ as represented by a great variety of earthly things. In one place He is called the Sun (Malachi 4:2). In another place, He is called a Star (Numbers 24:17). He is represented by the morning star that exceeds all other stars in brightness and is the forerunner of the day (Revelation 22:16). And, as in our text, He is compared to a lion in one verse and a lamb in the next. Sometimes He is compared to a doe or young buck, creatures very different from a lion.In some places He is called a rock; in others He is compared to a pearl. In some places He is called a man of war, and the Captain of our Salvation; in other places He is represented as a bridegroom..In the second chapter, first verse of Song of Solomon, He is compared to a rose and a lily, sweet and beautiful flowers. Later He is compared to a tree bearing sweet fruit. In Isaiah 53:2, He is called a Root out of a dry ground. In Revelation 2:7, He is called the Tree of Life that grows (not in a dry or barren ground, but) “in the midst of the paradise of God.”
   
2. Let the consideration of this wonderful meeting of different excellencies in Christ induce you to accept of Him, and take Him as your Savior.As all manner of excellencies meet in Christ, so there are concurring in Him all types of arguments and motives to move you to choose Him for your Savior. Everything that tends to encourage poor sinners to come and put their trust in Him, His fullness and all-sufficiency as a Savior, gloriously appears in the diversities of His excellencies. Come and trust Him.* Fallen man is in a state of great misery, and is helpless in it. He is a poor, weak creature, like an infant cast out in its own blood the day it is born.. But Christ is the Lion of the tribe of Judah. He is strong, though we are weak; He has prevailed to do for us that which no other creature could do.* Fallen man is a despicable creature and a contemptible worm, but Christ, who has undertaken for us, is infinitely honorable and worthy.* Fallen man is polluted, but Christ is infinitely holy.* Fallen man is hateful, but Christ is infinitely lovely.* Fallen man is the object of God’s indignation, but Christ is infinitely dear to Him.We have dreadfully provoked God, but Christ has performed that righteousness which is infinitely precious in God’s eyes.Here is not only infinite strength and infinite worthiness, but also infinite humility, love and mercy. If you are a poor, distressed sinner, whose heart is ready to sink for fear that God never will have mercy on you, you need not be afraid to go to Christ. Do not think that He is either unable or unwilling to help you. He is a strong foundation and an inexhaustible treasure. He will answer the necessities of your poor soul.Here is infinite grace and gentleness to invite and welcome a poor, unworthy, fearful soul like you to come to Him. If Christ accepts of you, do not worry. You will be safe, for He is the strong Lion for your defense. If you come, you need not far. You will be accepted! He is the Lamb to all who come to Him. He receives them with infinite grace and tenderness.It is true He has fearful majesty; He is the great God, and is infinitely high above you. But there is this to encourage you poor sinner: Christ is man, as well as God. He is a creature, as well as the Creator. He is the most humble and lowly in heart of any creature in heaven or earth. This will make the poor, unworthy creature bold in coming to Him. You need not hesitate one moment! Run to Him, and cast yourself upon Him! You will certainly be graciously and meekly received by Him!Though He is a Lion, He will only be a Lion to your enemies; He will be a Lamb to you. It could not have even been conceived, had it not been so in the person of Christ. Whatever your circumstances, you need not be afraid to come to such a Savior as this. Be you ever so wicked a creature, here is worthiness enough. may you never be so poor and ignorant a creature. There is no danger of being despised, for although He is so much greater than you, He is also immensely more humble.Any one of you that is a father or mother will not reject one of your own children that comes to you in distress. There is much less danger of Christ rejecting you if you come to Him in your heart.Let me ask of your soul some piercing questions:1. What are you afraid of, that you dare not venture your soul upon Christ? Are you afraid that He cannot save you? Is He not strong enough to conquer the enemies of your soul? How can you desire one stronger than the “mighty God” as Christ is called (Isaiah 9:6)? Is there need of greater than infinite strength? Are you afraid that He will not be willing to stoop so low as to take any gracious notice of you? Look on Him, as He stood in the ring of soldiers, exposing His blessed face to be beaten and spit upon by them!! See Him bound with His back uncovered to those that whipped Him! See Him hanging on the cross! Do you think He that had humility enough to stoop to those these things and for His crucifiers, and then would be unwilling to accept you if you come to Him?
   Are you afraid that if He does accept you, that God the Father will not accept of Him for you? Consider this, will God reject His own Son? Christ is God’s infinite delight, and has been from all eternity. God is so united to Christ that if He should reject Him He would reject Himself.

2. What is there that you can want in a savior that Christ does not have? Could you even desire a savior that would be different from Christ? What could Christ possibly be missing? What is there that is adorable or endearing or encouraging that is not to be found in Christ? Would you have your savior to be great and honorable, because you are not willing to be beholden to a common person? Is not Christ a Person honorable enough to be worthy that you should depend on Him? Is He not a Person high enough to be appointed to so honorable a work as your salvation? Would you want a savior of high degree, who was also of such low degree that He might experience the afflictions and trials that you have? Has not Christ been made low enough for you? Has He not suffered enough?

Would you not only have your savior experience of the afflictions you now suffer, but also experience the terrible wrath that you fear? Then he could know how to pity those that are in danger and are afraid of it. Christ has done this and a thousand times more.

Would you have your savior be one who is near to God, so that his mediation might be effective? Can you desire him to be nearer to God than Christ is, who is His only-begotten Son, and of the same essence with the Father?

Would you not only have him near to God, but also near to you, that you may have free access to him? And would you have him nearer to you than to be in the same nature as yourself? Christ is so close as to be fitly represented by the union of the wife to her husband, the branch to the vine, of the member to the branch. So He will be united to you, if you accept Him.

Would you have a savior that has given great testimony of mercy and love to sinners by something that he has done, as well as by what he says? Can you think or even conceive of greater things than Christ has done? Was it not a great thing for Him, who was God, to take upon Him human nature for all eternity? Would you look upon His suffering for sinners to be a greater testimony of love to sinners? Would you desire that a savior should suffer more than Christ has suffered for sinners? What is there left? What could you possibly add if you could, to make Christ more fit to your Savior?

But further, to induce you to come to Christ and take Him as your Savior, consider two additional things.

(a) How much Christ appears as the Lamb of God and invites you to come to Him and trust in Him.

With what sweet grace and kindness does He, from time to time, call and invite you. Proverbs 8:4, “Unto you, O men, I call, and my voice is to the sons of men.” And Isaiah 55:1-3, “Ho, every one that thirseth, come ye to the waters, and He that hath no money, come ye, buy and eat; yea come, buy wine and milk without money, and without price.”

How gracious is He in inviting everyone that thirsts, and in so repeating His invitation over and over, “Come ye to the waters, come, buy and eat; yea come!” Mark the goodness of His offer, “Come, buy wine and milk!” Your poverty and bankruptcy are not a hindrance. “Come, he that hath no money, come without money, and without price!”

What gracious invitations! He is inviting you! “Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? Why do you work for that which does not satisfy you completely? Hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.” (*Highlight added by WP4Y)

He says that He has made abundant provision for you, and will fully satisfy your desires. What is your answer?

You need not be afraid. If you will come to Christ. He will make sure that all your needs will be supplied. He promises in the third verse, “Incline your ear, and come unto me: Hear, and your soul shall live, and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.” And in Proverbs 9 at the beginning, how gracious and sweet is the invitation there! “Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither.” You could never be so poor, ignorant, and blind a creature that you would not be welcome. And in the following words, Christ sets forth the provision that He has made for you, “Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled.”

You are in a poor, famished state, and have nothing to feed your perishing soul. You have been seeking, but yet remain destitute. Listen to how Christ calls you to eat of His bread, and to drink of the wine that He has mingled! See how much like a lamb Christ appears in Matthew 11:28-30, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest to your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

O you poor distressed soul, whoever you are!

Consider that Christ mentions you by name when He calls to them who labor and are heavy laden! He repeatedly promises you rest if you come to Him! In the 28th verse He says, “I will give you rest.” And in the 29th verse, “Ye shall find rest to your souls.” This is what you want. This is the very thing you have been seeking! O how sweet would rest be to you if you could get it! Come to Christ, and you will get it.

Hear how, as a Lamb, Christ encourages you! He tells you that He is meek and lowly in heart. Are you afraid to come to Him? And again, Revelation 3:20, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and I will sup with him and he with me.”

Christ reaches out not only to call you to Him, but He comes to you.(Highlighted WP4Y)

He comes to your door and knocks. He could have sent an officer of the court to seize you as a rebel or criminal, but instead He comes and knocks at your door, seeking your soul as your Friend and Savior. He not only knocks at your door, but He stands there, waiting while you are unwilling. He not only makes promises of what He will do for you, but He promises to sup with you, and you with Him. Again, Revelation 22:16-17, “I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth, say, come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely.”

He is declaring to you not only His own invitation, but the invitation of the Spirit. He is using all means to encourage you to come! He invites every willing person to “take of the water of life freely,” that they may take it as a free gift, however precious it be, and though it be the water of life.

(b) If you come to Christ, He will appear as a Lion, in His glorious power and dominion — as your defender!

All those ways in which He appears as a Lion, will be yours, and will be employed for you in your defense, for your safety, and to promote your glory. He will be as a Lion to fight against your enemies. He that touches or offends you will provoke His wrath, just as one stirs up a lion. Unless your enemies can conquer this Lion, they will not be able to destroy or hurt you. Unless they are stronger than He, they will not be able to hinder your happiness. Isaiah 31:4, For thus hath the LORD spoken unto me, Like as the lion and the young lion roaring on his prey, when a multitude of shepherds is called forth against him, he will not be afraid of their voice, not abase himself for the noise of them; so shall the LORD of hosts come down to fight for mount Zion, and for the hill thereof.”

3. Let what has been said be improved to induce you to love the Lord Jesus Christ, and choose Him for your friend and portion. As there is such a great contrast of excellencies in Christ, so there is everything in Him to render Him worthy of your love and choice. Everything there is or that can be desirable in a friend, can be found in Christ.

Would you choose for a friend a person of greater dignity? Men enjoy friends of dignity and prestige; they look for friendship of such. How would it be with an inferior maid or servant to be the object of the dear love of some excellent prince?

Christ is infinitely above you and all the princees of the earth, for He is the King of kings. This honorable person offers Himself to you in the nearest and dearest friendship possible.

Would you like to have a friend that is not only important, but truly good? In Christ infinite greatness and infinite goodness meet together, and receive luster and glory from each other. His greatness is rendered lovely by His goodness.

The less goodness there is in a man, the greater the potential evil. However, when infinite goodness is joined with greatness, it renders a glorious greatness. Indeed goodness is excellent wherever it is found. The very same excellent quietness of gold make anything that it fills or covers more precious. How glorious to see Him, the great Creator and supreme Lord of heaven and earth, full of love, tender pity, and mercy towards the mean and unworthy!

His almighty power, infinite majesty, and self-sufficiency render His exceeding love and grace the more surprising.

Would you not want your friend, even though he is great and honorable, to give you access to him? If not, would this not hinder the friendship? Would it not be wonderful if your great and powerful friend were also a kind gentle and nice person? That is Christ.

Although He is a great God. He has brought Himself down to your level. He is not only your Lord, but your brother as well. Would it not be more fit for Him to be a companion of the dust? This is one way that Christ takes man’s nature upon Him. This is why the ancient Church longed for Christ’s incarnation. Song of Solomon 8:1, “O that thou wert my brother that sucked the breast of my mother! when I should find thee without, I would kiss thee, yea, I should not be despised.”

One design of God in the gospel is to bring us to Him, so that He may be our All in All. It is natural for the creature to admire and worship the Lord and Sovereign, but not natural to have such a one as a friend, to love and delight in as a companion. But this is how God has designed our redemption. He had to come down to us, take our nature, and become one of us. Then He could become our friend, brother, and companion. Psalms 122:8, “For my brethren and companions’ sake, will I now say, Peace be within thee.”

It is not enough to invite and encourage you to free access to a friend so great and high. He is one of infinite grace. He has taken your own nature, and is a man! He has done this to further convince you to come to Him. Who is such a person? Why, such a one is Christ!

He is not only become man for you, but the meekest and most humble of all men. These, indeed, are no proper addition to His divine attributes. Christ has no more excellency in His person since His incarnation than He had before. Nothing can be added to His infinite, divine excellency. Yet His human excellencies are additional proofs of His glory. And yet the reflection shines not without its proper advantages.

The glory of Christ in the qualifications of His human nature appears to us as perfect to draw our affections to Him.

The glory of Christ appears in His divinity, though far brighter, dazzles our eyes, and is incomprehensible. But as it shines in the humanness of Christ, it is brought to a level of our understanding and appreciation. As both divine and human natures of Christ meet together, they set off and recommend each other. It endears the divine majesty and holiness of Christ to us. These are our attributes and our own nature … but perfected. This One who is our brother is the meekest and most humble. This encourages us to look at His divine perfections, however high and great, and feel free to enjoy them. On the other hand, how much more glorious the humility, obedience, resignation, and other human traits of Christ appear, when we consider that they are in so great a person as the eternal Son of God, the Lord of heaven and earth!

The benefits’ of choosing Christ. By your choosing Christ for your friend and portion, you will obtain these two infinite benefits..

1. Christ will give Himself to you, with all the excellencies that we have discussed. These are for your full and everlasting enjoyment. He will forever treat you as His dear friend. You will be where He is; and you will see His glory. You will dwell with Him in free and intimate communion and enjoyment.

When the saints get to heaven, they will not merely see Christ, and serve Him as subjects and servants. This same Christ will entertain them as friends and brothers. We can see from Christ’s talking with His disciples here on earth that although He was their sovereign Lord, He did not refuse, but required their supreme respect and adoration. Yet at the same time he did not treat them as His earthly subjects. He did not keep them at a distance, but all along talked with them as a friend and a father among a company of children.

He did this with the twelve, and also with Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. He told His disciples that he did not calll them servants, but friends. We read of John leaning on His breast. Without a doubt He will not treat His disciples with less freedom and endearment in heaven.

He will not keep them at a greater distance because He is in an exalted state. Rather, He will take them into a state of exaltation with Him. This will be the improvement Christ will make of His own glory, to make His beloved friends partakers with Him, to glorify them in His glory, as He says to His Father. John 17:22-23, “And the glory which thou hast given me, have I given them, that they may be one, even as we are one I in them …”

We are to consider that although Christ is greatly exalted, He is not a private person out for Himself only, but acts as His people’s Head. He is exalted in their name and upon their account as the first fruits. He represents us all.

He is not exalted so that He will be a greater distance from us, but that we may be exalted with Him. The exaltation and honor of the Head is not to make a greater distance between the Head and the members, but the members have the same relation and union with the Head they had before. They are honored with the Head! Intead of the distance being greater, the union will be closer and more perfected. When believers get to heaven, Christ will change them to be like Himself. As He is sitting down at His Father’s throne, so will they sit down with Him on His throne.

When Christ was going to heaven, He comforted his disciples with the thought that after a while, He would come again and take them to Himself, that they might be with Him.

He took them and led them into His house, and showed them all His glory, just as He prayed in John 17:24, “Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me.” He led them to His living fountains of waters, and made them partake with Him of His delights, as He prayed in John 17:13, “That my joy may be fulfilled in themselves.” He set them down with Him at His table in His kingdom, and made them partake with Him of His delights, according to His promise in Luke 22:30, and led them into His banqueting house, and made them to drink new wine with Him in the kingdom of his heavenly Father, as He foretold them when He instituted the Lord’s supper (Matthew 26:29).

Yes, the saints’ lives with Christ in heaven will not only be as intimate, and their access to Him as free as that of the disciples on earth, but in many respects much more so!

In heaven the union will be perfect! While the saints are in this world, sin remains and is a constant source of pain and loss of intimacy. This will all be removed! This will not be like it was with Mary Magalene, when she was ready to embrace Him when she met Him after His resurrection. John 20:17, “Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father.” He will fully embrace them!

When the saints shall see Christ’s glory and exaltation in heaven, it will melt their hearts with love and adoring respect. It will not awe them into any separation, but will serve only to heighten their suprise and joy. They will find Christ admitting them to such intimate access, and freely and fully communicating with them. If we choose Christ for our friend and portion, we will hereafter be so received by Him that there shall be nothing to hinder any enjoyment of Him. It will truly satisfy our souls.

We will fully satisfy all our longings of ouro spiritual appetites. We will fully enjoy these holy pleasures. Christ will then say, as in Song of Solomon 5:1, “Eat, O friends, drink, yea, drink abundantly O beloved.” And this shall be our entertainment and enjoyment for all eternity! There shall never be any end of this happiness, or anything to interrupt our enjoyment of it!

2. By your being united to Christ, you will have a more glorious union with and enjoyment of God the Father, than otherwise couold be possible.

Now the saints’ relation to God becomes much nearer. They are the children of God becomes much nearer. They are the children of God in a higher manner than otherwise could be. Being members of God’s own Son, they are partakers of Christ’s relation to the Father. They are not only sons of God by regeneration, but by a kind of communion in the sonship of the eternal Son.

This seems to be intended in Galatians 4:4-6, “God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that are under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.” The Church is the daughter of God, not only as He has begotten her by His Word and Spirit, but as she is the spouse of His eternal Son.

Think of this. We, being members of the Son, and complacence in Him. John 17:23, “I in them, and thou in me … Thou hast loved them as thou hast loved me may be in them.” John 16:27 “The Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God.” So he shall, according to our capacities, be partakers of the Son’s enjoyment of God, and have His joy fulfilled in ourselves (John 17:13).

By the same means we shall come to an immensely higher, and more intimate and full enjoyment of God than otherwise could have been possible. For there is an infinite intimacy between the Father and the Son which is expressed by Christ’s being in the bosom of the Father. The saints, being in Him, will partake of this closeness with God.

So our redemption has been ordered! We will be brought to an immensely more exalted union with God, and enjoyment of Him. This includes both the Father and the Son. Because Christ is united to the human nature, we will have a more free and full enjoyment of Him than would be possible if He were not a man. So again, being unitd to a divine Person, as His members, we can have a more intimate union and relationship with God the Father. By being in Christ, a divine Person, we ascend up to God through the infinite distance, and have the blessings and full enjoyment of Him also.

This was the design for Christ! He desires that He and His Father and all His people ight be united in one. John 17:21-23, “That they all may be one, as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee; that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou hast given me, I have given them, that they may be one, even as we are one; I in them and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one.” Christ has brought it all to pass! Those whom the Father has given Him should be brought into the household of God so that He, His Father, and His people should be as one society, one family — that the Church should be admitted into the very society of the blessed Trinity.