CHAPTER IV – The Redeeming Work of the Son
CHAPTER IV – The Redeeming Work of the Son Of those things which are uniquely ascribed to the person of the Son in the work of redemption.
SECONDLY, The Son was an agent in this great work. He concurred in it by a voluntary or willing undertaking of the office imposed on him. For when the Lord said, "Sacrifice and offering he would not accept: he had no pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin," then Christ said, "Behold,
I come – in the volume of the book it is written of me – to do your will, O God," Heb. 10:6, 7. All other ways being rejected as insufficient, Christ undertakes the task, "in whom alone the Father was well pleased," Matt.
3:17. Hence, he professes that "he did not come to do his own will, but the will of the one who sent him," John 4:38. He professes that it was his meat and drink to do his Father's will, and to finish his work, John 4:34. The first words that we find recorded of him in the Scripture are the same, "Do you not know that I must be about my Father's business?" Luke 2:49. And at the close of all he says, "I have glorified you on the earth; I have finished the work which you gave me to do," John 17:4. Everywhere he calls what he did his Father's work, or his Father's will which he came to accomplish, referring to the imposition which we treated before.
Now, this undertaking of the Son may be considered in three parts. The first is a common foundation for the others. It is the means, where the others are the end. And yet in some way being a distinct action, with a goodness in itself in reference to the main end, we will consider it apart; and that is,
First, His incarnation His incarnation, as it is usually called, is his taking on flesh and pitching his tent among us, John 1:14. It is "being made of a woman," Gal 4:4. For this was "the mystery of godliness, that God should be manifested in the flesh,"
1Tim. 3:16. Thereby he did not assume any singular person, but took our human nature itself into personal union with himself. "For as much as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he likewise took part of the same himself; that through death he might destroy the one who had the power of death, that is, the devil," Heb. 2:14. It was the children that he considered, the "children whom the Lord gave him," Heb. 2:13. Their participation in flesh and blood moved him to partake of the same. He did so not because
all the world, all the posterity of Adam, were in that condition, but because the children were in that condition; he sanctified himself for their sakes.
Now, this emptying of the Deity, this humbling of himself, this dwelling among us, was the sole act of the second person, or the divine nature in the second person. The Father and the Spirit had no involvement in it except by their liking, approval, and eternal counsel.
Secondly, His Oblation His oblation is "offering himself up to God for us without spot, to purge our consciences from dead works," Heb. 9:14. "For he loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood," Rev. 1:5. "He loved the church, and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it," Eph. 5:25, 26. He took the cup of wrath, due to us, from his Father's hands, and drank it all, "but not for himself," Dan. 9:26. "For our sakes he sanctified himself," John
17:19, to be an offering, an oblation for sin. For "when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly," Rom. 5:6. This is what was typified by all the institutions, ordinances, and sacrifices of old. When they were at an end, Christ said, "Behold, I come to do your will." Now, the perfecting or consummating of this oblation is set out in the Scripture chiefly with regard to what Christ suffered, and not so much with regard to what he did. This is because it is considered chiefly as the means used by these three blessed agents to attain a further end. Yet without voluntarily giving himself up to be an oblation and sacrifice, it would not have had any value. For if the will of Christ had not been in it, it could never have purged our sins. Therefore, in regard to his oblation, I refer to his actions.
He was the "Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world," John 1:29. He was the Lamb of God that he himself had provided for a sacrifice.
And how did this Lamb behave himself? With unwillingness and struggle?
No. He did not open his mouth: "He was brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth,"
Isa. 53:7. He says of this, "I lay down my life. No man takes it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again," John 10:17, 18. He might have been cruciated on the part of God, but his death could not have been an oblation and offering had not his will concurred in it. "He loved me," says the apostle, "and gave himself for me," Gal. 2:20. Now, that alone deserves the name of a gift which
comes from a free and willing mind, as Christ's was when "he loved us, and gave himself for us; an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour," Eph. 5:2. He does it cheerfully: "Behold, I come to do your will, O
God," Heb. 10:9. And so "he bore our sins in his own body on the tree,"
1Pet 2:24.
Now, I would not tie this oblation or offering of Christ to any one thing, whether action, passion, performance, or suffering. Instead, it comprises the whole economy and dispensation of God manifested in the life lived among us. It includes all those things that he performed in the days of his flesh, when he offered up prayers and supplications, with strong cries and tears.
He continued in this way until he had fully "by himself purged our sins, and sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high," Heb. 1:3. He waited
"until his enemies were made his footstool," Heb. 10:13. He waited to complete the whole dispensation of his coming and ministering, until he had given his soul as the price of redemption for many, Matt. 26:28.
His entering into the holy of holies, sprinkled with his own blood, and appearing for us before the majesty of God, considered by some as the continuation of his oblation, we may assign to his intercession instead.
Thirdly, His Intercession His intercession is for everyone of those for whom he gave himself as an oblation. He did not suffer for them, and then refuse to intercede for them.
He did not do the greater, and omit the lesser. The price of our redemption is more precious in the eyes of God and his Son than to throw it away on perishing souls, ignoring what becomes of them afterward. This care is imposed on Christ, with a promise annexed: "Ask of me," says the Lord,
"and I will give you the nations for your inheritance, and the furthest parts of the earth for your possession," Ps. 2:8. Accordingly, Christ tells his disciples that he has more work to do for them in heaven. "I go," he says,
"to prepare a place for you, that I may come again and receive you to myself," John 14:2, 3. Just as "the high priest went into the holy of holies alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and the errors of the people," Heb. 9:7; so "Christ having become a high priest of good things to come, by his own blood entered once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us," Heb. 9:11,12.
Now, what was this holy place into which he entered, sprinkled with the blood of the covenant? And for what purpose did he enter it? "He has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but heaven itself, to appear now in the presence of God for us," Heb. 9:24.
And what does he appear there for? To be our advocate, to plead our cause with God, to apply the good things procured by his oblation to all those for whom he was an offering. As the apostle tells us, "If any man sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous," 1Jn. 2:1. How does that come to pass? "He is the propitiation for our sins," 1Jn. 2:2. Being a propitiatory sacrifice for our sins is the foundation of his intercession.
Therefore, both propitiation and intercession belong to the same person.
Now, by the way, we know that Christ refused to pray for the world, in opposition to his elect. "I pray for them," he says: "I do not pray for the world, but for those you have given me," John17:9. Thus there was no foundation for interceding for others, because he was not a propitiation for them. Again, we know the Father always hears the Son (" I knew," he says,
"that you hear me always,"John 11:42). And he hears in order to grant his request, according to the fore-mentioned engagement, Ps. 2:8. Therefore, if Christ interceded for all, then all would undoubtedly be saved. For "he is able to completely save those who come to God by him, seeing he ever lives to make intercession for them," Heb. 7:25. Hence, the apostle is confident in that intercession of Christ. "Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is the one who condemns? It is Christ who died, rather, who is risen again, that is at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us," Rom. 8:33, 34.
We cannot help but observe that those for whom be died may assuredly conclude that he makes intercession for them, and that none will lay anything to their charge. This breaks the neck of any theory of a general ransom. For, according to that theory, he died for millions who have no interest in his intercession. They will have their sins laid to their charge, and they will perish under them. This may be further cleared up by the very nature of this intercession. It is not a humble, dejected supplication, which does not befit the glorious state of someone who sits at the right hand of the Majesty on high. Instead, Christ authoritatively presents himself before the throne of his Father, sprinkled with his own blood, to make out to his people all the spiritual things that are procured by his oblation. He says,
"Father, I will that those whom you have given me be with me where I am,"
John 17:24. He appears in heaven on behalf of whomever he suffered for, with his satisfaction and merit. Here we must call to mind what the Father promised his Son upon undertaking this employment. There is no doubt that this alone is what Christ intercedes with him about: in sum it is that he might be the captain of salvation to all who believe on him, and effectually bring many sons to glory.
Hence, having such a high priest over the house of God, we may draw near with the full assurance of faith. For by one offering he has perfected forever those who are sanctified, Heb. 10:14. But more of this must be said later.