The Pulpit Commentary — Hebrews — Section 415

Ver. S.-The unchangeableness of Jesus Olirist. "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever." The Lord Jesus Christ is nnchangeabl11- I. IN HIS PERSON. "Our Lord's Godhead is the seat of his personality. The Son of Mary is not a distinct human person mysteriously linked with the Divine nature of the eternal ,vord. The Person of the Son of Mary is Divine and eternal. It is none other than the Person of the Word." 1 This personality is immutable. This has been already asserted by the writer of this Epistle : "Thou, Lord, in the beginning bast laid the foundation of the earth," etc. (eh. i. 10-12). He is "the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever" in bis great attributes-his eternity, spirituality, omniscience, omnipotence, etc. He is the same in his perfect and blessed character-in bis right- eousness and faithfulness, his love and mercy, his forbearance and tenderness, etc. In this respect how vast is the difference between him and us! We are ever changing in many respects. Our outward appearances, the particles of which our bodies are com- posed, the opinions which we entertain, the experiences which we pass through, the characters which we are forming,-all these change. But he is sublimely unchangeable, eternally and infinitely perfect. II. IN HIS Wonn. 'l'he teaching of our Lord, like his personality, continues and changes not. His words are true, vital, suited to the conditions and needs of human nature and life. More than eighteen centuries have passed away since they were uttered; but they have lost none of their clearness, or freshness, or force. They are still the great fountains of religious light to our race. And the noblest human spirits still say to him, " Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou bast the words of eternal life." It has been well said by Dr. Parker, " Plato's definitions are practically forgotten, but the Nazarene's words intermingle with universal civilization. A great composer said he was spending a long time over bis work because he intended it to live long, but this Galilean peasant talks extemporaneously, as if simply answering the question of the hour ; yet his words float over all generations, and are prized by men to-day as if they bad been addressed exclusively to themselves. These 'sayings' are not local lamps, but suns set in the firmament commanding the range of all nations. . . . In Christ's 'say in us' there was al ways something beyond-a quickening sense that tho words were but" the surface of the thought; there was nothing to betoken conclusion, much less exhaustion; there was ever a luminous opening even on the clouds that by deepest alon11: the horizon, which invited the spectator to advance and behold yet fuller visions" (' Ecce Deus'). How different is the teaching of JeHus Christ from the changing opinions, speculationi;, and theories of men-even of distinguished men I Of every province of human thought and investigation we may truthfully say- " Our little systems have their dny ; They ha,·e their day, o.nd cease to be." But Jesus said,'" Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away." "The Word of God liveth and abideth . . . . The Word of the Lord abideth for ever." III. IN HIS wonK. Part of his great work was perfectly and splendidly accomplished while he was upon earth. The work which was given him to do upon earth, says Dr. Wardlaw, "was the expiation of human guilt, and the provision of a righteousness for the justification of the UDgodly; the laying of the groundwork of man's redemption -the foundation on which might rest together the glory of God and the hopes of sinners. But his mediatorial work did not cease then. It does not properly terminate • Dr. Liddon'e 'Divinity of our Lord.' CH. XIII. 1-26.] 'l'HE EPISTLE TO 'l'HE HEBREWS. 1-11