Immanuel -- God with Us
Bibliography
Chapter Seven
1 Review and Herald. 04.25.1895.
2 The Desire of Ages p459.
3 Signs of the Times. 05.10.1899.
4 1 John 2:22.
5 1 John 5:4.5.
6 1 John 5:10.11
7 1 John 2:23.
8 1 John 5:12.
9 Mark 2:5.
10 2 Spirit of Prophecy p297.
11 Matthew 9:6.
12 The Desire of Ages p567.
13 The Desire of Ages p751.
14 Ibid p139.
15 Ibid p272.
16 2 Spirit of Prophecy p187.
17 The Desire of Ages p291.292.
18 Conflict and Courage p286.
19 Ibid p285.
20 Review and Herald. 10.05.1897.
21 Signs of the Times. 05.13.1889.
22 The Desire of Ages p533.
23 Signs of the Times. 05.12.1898.
24 The Desire of Ages p140.
25 Ibid p381.
26 Ibid p400.
27 Ibid p268.
28 Luke 4:34.
29 Redemption p70.
30 Luke 4:35.
31 Luke 4:41.
32 Redemption p69.
33 Luke 4:36.37.
34 Redemption p69.70.
35 The Desire of Ages p162.
36 Review and Herald. 10.29.1895.
37 The Desire of Ages p591.592.
38 Review and Herald. 08.27.1895.
39 Review and Herald. 01.07.1890.
40 Signs of the Times. 11.27.1893.
41 Medical Ministry p116.
42 Ibid.
43 Christ’s Object Lessons p22.23.
44 Daniel and the Revelation. Uriah Smith p314-216.
45 Story of Daniel the Prophet. Stephen N Haskell p260.
46 The word ‘outdated’ does not mean some of these inventions are no longer in use, but they have been updated to a degree that would hardly be recognised by those who used the original ones.
47 Signs of the Times. 05.01.1893.
48 Review and Herald. 01.07.1890.
49 Fundamentals of Christian Education p236.237.
50 Signs of the Times. 01.20.1890.
51 1 John 1:1-4.
Chapter Seven
THE GOD-MAN
Let us look at our wonderful Saviour in His life on earth, not in a theological way, but in the glory of His Godhood, as God manifest in the flesh.
When the common people listened to Christ teaching in the temple, and on the mountainside, they saw His divine character shining “through the disguise of the flesh”. Many rejoiced; others inquired, ‘Is this the Messiah?’ 1
Even the hardened temple officers were “so filled with this thought, so impressed by His words that to the inquiry, ‘Why have ye not brought Him?’ they could only reply, ‘Never man spake like this Man’.” 2
Church leaders refused to declare it.
“When Christ’s indwelling glory flashed forth, it was too intense for His pure and perfect humanity entirely to conceal. The scribes and Pharisees did not speak in acknowledgment of Him, but their enmity and hatred were baffled as His majesty shone forth.
The truth, obscured as it was by a veil of humiliation, spoke to every heart with unmistakable evidence. This led to the words of Christ, ‘Ye know who I am’. Men and devils were compelled, by the shining forth of His glory, to confess, ‘Truly, this is the Son of God.’ Thus God was revealed; thus Christ was glorified.” 3
It is the spirit of Antichrist that refuses to acknowledge Jesus Christ as the Son of God.
While in heaven, this spirit inspired Lucifer to refuse to submit to Him, causing rebellion and chaos in the eternal realm. On earth, his agents still refuse to confess Him.
The Bible poses the question, “Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ?” 4 The text does not say, ‘Who is deceived?’ but ‘Who is a liar’. Only those who know the truth can tell a lie.
Christ’s words continue to speak to men and women who have the same Satanic spirit, ‘Ye know who I am.’
Dear Reader, do not resist God’s Spirit when He speaks, for only those who believe Jesus is the Son of God will overcome the world and be prepared for heaven. 5
“He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself; he that believeth not God hath made Him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of His Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.” 6
Take special note of these verses. If we say Jesus Christ is not God’s only begotten Son, we make God a liar!
To resist this truth, is to deny ourselves the only means of salvation, for the divinity of Christ is our assurance of eternal life. “Whoso denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father…” 7 “He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.” 8
Only as Christ possessed the divine nature could He portray in Himself the Father’s glory.
If Jesus were simply a man, there could be no revelation. The Son did all things that His Father might be glorified.
* The divinity of Christ is seen – to the glory of God the Father – when He forgives the sins of the penitent.
“ ‘Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.’ 9
The Pharisees caught at these words as an assumption of infinite power, a blasphemy against God, and conceived that they could present this before the people as a crime worthy of death. They did not express their thoughts, but these worshipers of forms and symbols were saying in their minds, He is a blasphemer! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 10
Jesus made it clear to the leaders of Israel that His power to heal the sick gave evidence of His power to forgive sins – “that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins….” 11
When Mary was criticised for lavishing her gift of spikenard upon Christ, He could have extinguished every spark of hope, but He did not.
“The Heart-Searcher read the motives that led to her actions, and He also saw the spirit that prompted Simon's words, "Seest thou this woman?" He said to him, "She is a sinner; I say unto thee, her sins, which are many, are forgiven… And he said unto her, ‘Thy sins are forgiven’.” 12
On the cross, the thief called Jesus ‘Lord’, thus acknowledging Him as the Sin-Bearer. “Men may exercise power over His human body… but they cannot rob Him of His power to forgive sins. In dying He bears testimony to His own divinity and to the glory of the Father.” 13
* The divinity of Christ is seen when He reads the hearts and minds of men.
When Simon Peter approached Jesus, His omniscient eye read “his character and his life history.”
He saw his “impulsive nature, his loving, sympathetic heart, his ambition and self-confidence, the history of his fall, his repentance, his labors, and his martyr death – the Saviour read it all….” 14
In choosing Levi-Matthew as a disciple, Christ “saw in this man a heart open for the reception of truth….” 15 The Jews regarded it as degrading to associate with a publican, but “the mind of Jesus was not molded after the prejudices of the Pharisees.
He looked below the surface and read the heart. His divine eye saw in Matthew one whom He could use for the establishment of His church.” 16
“The Saviour knew the character of the men He had chosen; all their weaknesses and errors were open before Him; He knew the perils through which they must pass…” 17
When Judas joined the disciples, the Saviour “read his heart as an open book” 18 “He knew the depths of iniquity to which, unless delivered by the grace of God, Judas would sink…” 19 “He knew that Judas was not converted.” 20
The rich young ruler asked, “Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He did not know that “Christ could read his heart as an open book.” 21
At Bethany, while Lazarus lay in the tomb, Mary and Martha cared for the crowd who had come to honour the dead. Jesus witnessed their sorrow, and looked upon them with human and divine pity.
He “read the hearts of all assembled. He saw that with many, what passed as a demonstration of grief was only pretence. He knew that some in the company, now manifesting hypocritical sorrow, would erelong be planning the death, not only of the mighty miracle worker, but of the one to be raised from the dead. Christ could have stripped from them their robe of pretended sorrow. But He restrained His righteous indignation….” 22
While passing through His own suffering, Jesus pitied His disciples. “His eye read every phase of their future experience….
His eye was upon them, and that at this trying moment, He was guiding, upholding, and caring for them. O, if they could have looked into that heart of infinite love.” 23
* The divinity of Christ is seen when He watches those afar off.
Philip told Nathanael they had found the Messiah, with the words, ‘Come and see’. “Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him and saith of him, ‘Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!’ In surprise Nathanael exclaimed, ‘Whence knowest Thou me?’ Jesus answered and said unto him, ‘Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.’ 24
When the disciples struggled in the darkness of the storm-tossed sea, Jesus had not forgotten them. “The Watcher on the shore saw those fear-stricken men battling with the tempest. Not for a moment did He lose sight of His disciples. With deepest solicitude His eyes followed the storm-tossed boat with its precious burden.” 25
On the borders of Phonecia, a woman longed for the healing of her child. “Christ knew this woman’s situation. He knew that she was longing to see Him, and He placed Himself in her path.” 26
Jesus understood the plight of the paralytic, and before he was brought to the house for healing, the Saviour knew all about Him. “He understood the case; He had drawn (him) to Himself… While the paralytic was yet at home, the Saviour had brought conviction to his conscience.” 27
While dwelling among men, only those who were in Christ’s immediate presence were benefited by the sound of His voice and the joy of His personal charm and teachings.
However, no one was disadvantaged by the Spirit-mind of Christ. He knew the needs of every soul and was able to work
towards being physically in their presence to heal them. Not that He needed to be in their actual presence, but it was necessary for the sick person to request healing, or for someone to do it on their behalf.
* The divinity of Christ is seen when He displays His divine authority over evil angels and men.
In His incarnation, Christ was still the Commander of the heavenly host, but He had laid aside His right to use His authority. However, in relation to the fallen angels, He still spoke with that rightful sovereignty.
On one occasion a demon entreated Jesus not to disturb him. He said, “Let us alone; What have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? Art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art: the Holy One of God.” 28
“What can we do to resist thy power?” 29
Jesus rebuked the demon, saying, “Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the devil had thrown him in the midst, he came out of him, and hurt him not. ”. 30
When the devils were cast out “of many”, their cry was, “Thou art Christ, the Son of God.” Jesus refused them permission to speak any further. 31
The multitude listened with amazement to the words of command from Christ. “They were astonished at His doctrine; for His lessons of instruction were given with power. Here He cast out devils with His divine power…” 32
The people said among themselves, “What a word is this? for with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out. And the fame of him went out into every place of the country round about.” 33
“Demons were unable to resist the power of Christ. They surrendered to him, and in the presence of the astonished multitude, acknowledged him to be the all-powerful Son of God.” 34
To the leaders of Israel, “Christ spoke with the authority of a king, and in His appearance, and in the tones of His voice, there was that which they had no power to resist. At the word of command they realized, as they had never realized before, their true position as hypocrites and robbers.
When divinity flashed through humanity, not only did they see indignation on Christ’s countenance; they realized the import of His words. They felt as if before the throne of the eternal Judge, with their sentence passed on them for time and for eternity.” 35
When Satan brought his temptations upon Christ, divinity flashed through humanity and “the evil one could not resist the authority of the divine voice….” 36
In the temple court, Christ’s authority flashed forth “with a dignity and glory He had never manifested before…. The displeasure of His countenance seemed like consuming fire. With authority He commanded, ‘Take these things hence.’… There were none who dared question His authority. Priests and traders fled from His presence, driving their cattle before them.” 37
When divinity flashes forth, the “people are spellbound… Such dignity, such authority shone forth in the countenance of Christ, that they were convicted that He was clothed with the power of heaven…” 38
“The world’s Redeemer was equal with God. His authority was as the authority of God….
The authority by which He spoke, and wrought miracles, was expressly His own, yet He assures us that He and the Father are one…” 39
When Satan aroused evil men to take His life, Christ stood “as a god before His adversaries. Their scowling faces, their hands filled with stones, did not intimidate Him. He knew that unseen forces, legions of angels, were round about Him, and at one word from His lips they would strike with dismay the throng, should they offer to cast upon Him a single stone. He stood before them undaunted.
Why did not the stones fly to the mark? It was because divinity flashed through humanity, and they received a revelation, and were convicted that His were no common claims. The hands relax and the stones fall to the ground. His words had asserted His divinity, but now His personal presence, the light of His eye, the majesty of His attitude, bore witness to the fact that He was the beloved Son of God.” 40
* The divinity of Christ is seen when He chooses to refrain from revealing scientific facts.
A minister once said that he thought Christ must have known something about science. Sister White replied, “Science! Christ could have opened door after door of science. He could have revealed to men treasures of science on which they might have feasted to the present time.” 41
Why did He not do it? His hearers would not have been brought closer to heaven, and they “would have appropriated (it) to unholy uses…” 42
Christ might have “unlocked mysteries which have required many centuries of toil and study to penetrate. He might have made suggestions in scientific lines that would have afforded food for thought and stimulus for invention to the close of time.” 43
He could have disclosed all the inventions of the nineteenth century, a time when there was a burst of knowledge in scientific lines -- harvesting machinery, battleships and mechanical warcraft, the steam railway, ocean steamships, automobiles, typewriters, modern printing press, photographic cameras, air navigation, the telephone, typesetting machines, typesetters, suspension bridges, gas lighting, steel pens, friction matches, electrotyping, the sewing machine, anesthesia by ether and chloroform, ocean cables, automatic air brakes on trains, the seismograph, steam turbines, x-ray, radium, transcontinental telephones. 44
In 1904, one author wrote, “The multitude of inventions astonishes the world. Every day witnesses the birth of some new convenience….
The increased knowledge of the present generation is marvellous and beyond description. There is no realm of science left unexplored.” 45
If we compare the discoveries of the twentieth century with these outdated inventions, there is no question man’s eyes have been opened far beyond his greatest imagination. A glance around your own home will discover many of the wonders undreamed of one hundred years ago. 46
Christ understood “every subject” -- all that has been invented and all that will be in the future.
He could have put “imagination to the stretch”, and “opened doors into mysteries that the human mind had sought in vain to open…” 47
But it was not essential for the soul’s salvation.
* The divinity of Christ is seen when He teaches the mysteries of the kingdom.
Christ is the Author of truth. He did not gain His understanding from humanity, for He is the divine Originator of all truth. But “when He came to earth, He found the bright gems of truth which He had entrusted to man, all buried up in superstition and tradition.
Truths of most vital importance were placed in the frame-work of error…. Christ swept away erroneous theories of every grade.
No one save the world’s Redeemer had power to present the truth in its primitive purity, divested of the error that Satan had accumulated to hide its heavenly beauty.” 48
No finite mind could teach truth in its original purity. It needed omniscience.
“Only the divine Hand could take the truth which, from its connection with error, had been serving the cause of the enemy of God and man, and place it where it would glorify God, and be the salvation of humanity.” 49
Men and women who had an appreciation of Christ’s character and mission were filled with reverence and awe. Even those who were sent to arrest him, when they “heard the words of divine wisdom that fell from His lips, were charmed, and the power and excellence of His instruction so filled their hearts and minds that they forgot the purpose for which they had been sent. Christ revealed Himself to their souls.” 50
The apostle John wrote in his epistle, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen, with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life (for the life was manifested, and we have seen it and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us),
That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.
And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.” 51