The Pulpit Commentary — Hebrews — Section 45

As G-Od, Christ has an inalienable property in the universe, and cannot be "appointed" heir to it ; so, too, he is better than the angels, and cannot be " made" better. He who can be "appointed heir" and " made better" must be a creature, Here, then, is a great mystery ; there must be a sense in which Christ who was God, was also, at some time, a creature. This would be inexplicable but for our knowledge of the Incarnation. See what this points to. 1. The assumption by him of human nature. We depend for our knowledge of that entirely on Scripture; but there it is stated plainly, "The Word was God .. , the Word was ma.de flesh." He who creates and upholds and is Heir of all things, he who is "the effulgence," etc., was born, and lived, and suffered, and worked, and obeyed, and died, and was buried as man. 2. The necessity for the union of these two natures for his mediatorial work. Apart from the Incarnation Christ could be no Saviour. Since the Law had been given to man, man must keep it if God's moral government is to be vindicated ; and since man had broken the Law, by man must the penalty be endured. The Saviour, therefore, must be man. But the race had sinned; no man, therefore, could redeem his brother ; none, moreover, who was not under personal obliga• tion to fulfil the Law. The Saviour, therefore, must be God. The Incarnation alone met the necessity. 3. The reassumption of Divine glory in the capacity of Mediator. Christ ascended to the throne of the universe as God-Man; that explains his being" appointed" to that position. As God he had an inalienable right to it; hie appointment to it was in that twofold nature he had adopted as Redeemer ; he was always " Head over all things," but on his ascension he wa.s made " Head over all things to the Church." He has now received his eternal glory for the good of his people. All he is and has as God, he holds in pursuance of his redemptive work. What a future for the world, when the glory and resources of the Godhead are given over to secure its salvation! What security and benediction for the people of God! Ill. Tms PASSAGE SETS FORTH THE RELATION 01!' Tffi8 GLORIOUS PERBON TO A SINFUL WORLD. The worth of dwelling on the glory of Christ is in the fact of the relation be has entered into with regard to men; to cherish the thought of his greatness is to find redemption glow with a new meaning. What is Christ to man as Redeemer? The Old Testament speaks of him as Prophet, Priest, and King. All these are in our text. "God hath spoken unto us by his Son "-there is Christ our Prophet. "He made purification of sins "-there is Ohrist our Priest. "He sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high "-there is Ohrist our King. 1. Think of his prophetic work in the light of his glorious nature. What does he teach? He is not merely the voice, he is "the Word." He himself is what God says to us; the substance of the gospel is just Christ. How much we hear in him when we know that he who, as Jesus of Nazareth, was humbled, sorrowful, bruised, accursed for us, was the God of such surpassing glory ! In proportion as we understand that glory will be the force and sweetness of the messaii:e heard in beholding Jesus, that" God is love," 2. Think of his priestly work in the light of his glori<Yus nature. The expression, " he made purification of sins," was used in the sense in which the Hebrews would naturally understand it--the sense of cleansing of sin by sacrifice-and evidently refers to Christ's 1mbstitutionary sacrifice, "the offering of hill body once for all." But what wonderful light beams on that redemption when we know the glory of him who m~de it I What grace is in it then! what security! It ill the glory of J eeua that makes him able to save the worst. It ia because he is God that his blood cleanseth us from all sin. 3. Think of his kingly work in the light of his glorious nature. The sitting down on the right hand of the Majesty on high must refer to his mediatori,a,l kingship, for it was after he had made purification of sins. But think of the glory of that kingship. Christ "Heir of all things "for us. For us he is Lord of providence; then providence is on our side. For us he is Lord of all temporal resources; then the supply of our needs is assured. For us he is Lord of the spiritual world ; then no foe above our strength shall assail us. He who on the highest throne is crowned with glory is as truly there for us as for us he was crowned with thorns. 'l'he hand which now wields the sceptre of the universe, wields it as truly for us as for us it was pierced at Calvary, What safety, what blessing, that means for the Church I We cannot speak of the glory of the Son of God as we would, nor think of it as it is ; but we may meditate on it, rejoice in it, try to understand it better, and praise him fof it, till in the fuller light and with the fuller powers of tb.e higher world- CH, I, 1-14], THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 35