-21 Chapter 21. Of the Life of Christ being humbled.

1-21 Chapter 21. Of the Life of Christ being humbled.

1. The parts of Christ’s humiliation are two: his Life, and Death.
2. Of his LIFE there are two parts: the first in his Conception and Birth; and the second, after he was Born.
3. As for his CONCEPTION, there were two principles that worked together: one active, and another passive.
4. The PASSIVE PRINCIPLE was the blessed Virgin Mary. This is called a passive principle, not because she did nothing of herself, but that she administered that matter from which the flesh of Christ was formed. Nor could she administer it immediately fit (for she had no pure matter); but it was made fit by a certain supernatural preparation and sanctification. Luke 1:35, Because that which shall be born of you is holy.335 Yet Christ was truly and really the Son of Mary, and the Seed of the Woman promised from the beginning.336 Nor therefore are there two Sonships in Christ, really distinct, or two sons joined together; for that temporal Sonship by which he is referred to his Mother, was in respect to reason only. Indeed, the human nature of Christ had a real relation to Mary as to its cause, but the Sonship in no way agrees to his nature, but only to his person. Yet there is that relation of the human nature to his person, and a relation of Mary to that nature, that it may truly and rightly be said, Mary was the Mother of God.
5. The ACTIVE PRINCIPLE of this conception was not a man (which is why blessed Mary was a Mother and Virgin together, Matthew 1:23; Isaiah 7:14 337), but the Holy Spirit. Nor can Christ be called the Son of the Holy Spirit, in as much as he is man; for as he is man, he is neither of the same nature as the Holy Spirit, nor does he agree to that nature; but he agrees to a person who is to undergo the respect of a Son.
6. In the first instant of his conception, Christ received, according to his human nature, fulness of all grace as touching the first act. John 1:14, Full of grace and truth. Luke 2:40, He was filled with wisdom, yet in such a way that it might be increased as touching secondary acts, and by spreading out to new objects. Luke 2:52, He grew in Wisdom.
7. Hence Christ was indeed enriched with blessedness from the very instant of his conception, but it was as travellers do, so as to proceed in it until he came to highest exaltation.
8. In the birth of Christ there was the humility of greatest poverty, with an attestation of greatest glory: so that both natures, and both parts of mediation, might be declared from the beginning.
9. All the earthly things which belonged to the birth of Christ were most humble. But the Angels and Stars of Heaven declared that glory with which all kinds of men, Shepherds, wise men, Herod and the Priests, along with all the people, were moved, Luke 1:18-19; Matthew 2:2-23; Matthew 3:1-17
10. By reason of this birth he was, according to the flesh, the Son of the Patriarchs of all the world, yet specially, he was that Seed of Abraham in whom all Nations would be blessed;339 and he was that Son of David who was to possess a Kingdom, not of this world, but of another forever. John 18:36, My Kingdom is not of this world. Luke 1:33, And he shall reign in the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
11. The time, place, and like circumstances accompanying his Birth, made the same truth manifest.
12. AFTER THE BIRTH of Christ, his life was Private and Public.
13. He lived a PRIVATE life before a public one, because the condition of man, to which he had subjected himself, so required it; and because the Law of God so determined it; and so also the infirmity of man required that the Son of righteousness would appear to them by degrees, and that they would be led, as it were, by the hand, from every imperfect thing to what is perfect.
14. In his private life there was his infancy and his subjection to his parents.
15. In his INFANCY there were, 1. His Circumcision and offering;340 and 2. His flight into Egypt and returning from there.341
16. Christ was CIRCUMCISED and OFFERED, because he subjected himself not only to the eternal and moral Law, but also to the Ceremonial Law, and every Law of God.
17. Those ceremonial observations were so many confessions of sin. Therefore Christ, who was made sin for us, was fitly made conformable to them.
18. Also, they were certain outward means belonging to Divine worship; therefore Christ observed them, so that he might fulfill all righteousness.342
19. Lastly, they were certain types foreshadowing Christ; he would apply them to himself now, so that he might fulfill those, and by this means sanctify them.
20 CIRCUMCISION was the Seal of the Covenant of God.343
21. OFFERING him was a presenting and dedicating of the firstborn unto God;344 therefore Christ was fitly both circumcised and offered, because he was to confirm that saving Covenant by his blood; and among the firstborn, only he was perfectly holy to God, of whom all others were only types.
22. His FLIGHT INTO EGYPT and his return from there was, 1. That he might show from the beginning of his age, that he was born to undergo misery. 2. That according to the condition to which he had submitted himself, he might provide for his life in the manner of men. 3. That he might show with this that he was the man that would bring us out of spiritual Egypt into the Promised Land.
23. In his subjection to his parents, which pertains to the fifth precept of the Decalogue,345 he showed that he was subject to the whole Moral Law: 1. Because there is the same reason for one precept as there is for all. 2. Because there is no part of moral obedience from which Christ, the Lord of Heaven and Earth, might seem to be more free, than from subjection to men.
24. This legal obedience was required of Christ, now made man by right of Creation; yet because he was made man not for himself, but for us, it was part of that humiliation, satisfaction, and merit, which God required and accepted from him for us.
25. In this subjection, these two things are to be observed: the exception which he suffered, and the effect it brought forth.
26. The EXCEPTION was the disputation which he had with the Scribes when he was but twelve years old.346
27. This disputation was a foregoing testimony of that public calling to which he was ordained and sent to be a master and teacher of Israel.347
28. It was also to teach that the knowledge and wisdom with which Christ was endued, was not gotten by progress of time, but conferred or infused by God from the beginning.
29. The EFFECT of this subjection was his labouring with his hands; that is, enduring that curse of ours whereby it comes to pass that we eat our bread with that labour of the sweat of the face.348
30. His PUBLIC life is that by which he openly manifested himself to be the Messiah. In this life there was, 1. The entrance. 2. The progress. 3. The conclusion.
31. 1. To the ENTRANCE pertains his Baptism and Temptation.349
32. The BAPTISM of Christ was his public inauguration350 to the public performance of his office; therefore the three offices of Christ are affirmed and confirmed in it.
33. They are affirmed by the testimony of the Father, publicly pronouncing that Jesus Christ is his Son, and that he is appointed by him as that King in whom he is well pleased: that he is a chief Priest who, by his intercession, would take away the sins of the World; and a chief Prophet. Matthew 3:17; Matthew 17:5. This is my Son in whom I am well pleased; hear him.
34. The same offices are confirmed by signs; namely, by the opening of Heaven, the descending of the Holy Spirit in the bodily shape of a Dove resting upon Christ, and by an audible voice sent down from Heaven whereby the testimony of the Father was signified.351
35. They were also confirmed by the testimony of John the Baptist who was appointed as a witness, preacher, and forerunner of Christ; and being certified by Christ partly by the revelation of the Spirit, and partly by those signs mentioned before, he testified of Christ before others.
36. Moreover, by the Baptism of Christ, our Baptism was confirmed and sanctified; and with this, it is declared to the person to whom the Baptism so adheres, that its entire force is to be sought in Christ.352
37. Christ was tempted that he might show he was much stronger than the first Adam, and that he could also overcome temptations, and also help us with a fellow-feeling.353
38. 2. The PROGRESS of his public life was in poverty and labour.
39. The POVERTY of Christ was without a singular vow, and without beggary.354
40. The LABOUR of Christ was in travelling through various countries, in watchings,355 and in the greatest intention to do good with all his strength.
41. This public life of Christ was performed in preaching and working miracles. To the preaching of Christ were always joined grace and authority in respect to himself. In respect to others was always joined either the opening, or the hardening, of the heart.
42. The object of his PREACHING was properly the Gospel, or Kingdom of Heaven. Mark 1:14, Preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God.
43. The end of his MIRACLES was, 1. To demonstrate the person of Christ. 2. To confirm his doctrine. 3. To signify his spiritual operations.
44. Christ worked miracles in the Angels, in men, in brute creatures, in things without life; in Heaven, on Earth, in the Air, and in the Sea; in things corporeal and spiritual — that he might show his universal and Divine power to be of equal force in every kind of thing.
45. 3. The CONCLUSION of the life of Christ was in the very preparation for death.
46. His preparation for death was in his instructing his Disciples and comforting them.
47. This INSTRUCTION and CONSOLATION was partly exercised in his transfiguration. Luke 9:30, Moses and Elijah appearing in glory told of his departure. Partly by those Sacraments which look to the death of Christ with a certain special respect: namely, the Passover and Supper of the Lord.356 Partly by example: John 13:15, I have given you an example, that as I have done to you, so also should you do. Partly in his last Sermon, John 14:1-31; John 15:1-27; John 16:1-33. And partly in his prayer, John 17:1-26.