17. The God-Man
17
The God-Man1
Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David.
—Matthew 15:22
“O Lord, thou Son of David.”
1. The word “Lord” holds forth Christ’s Godhead; the other, “Son of David,” holds forth His manhood. Here is the perfection of our Mediator—that He is the substantial covenant and Emmanuel, God with us or “God us,” in a personal union; this is the substantial marriage and alliance between the two houses of heaven and earth, God and clay.
2. “He is not ashamed to call them brethren” (Heb. 2:11). And for what other reason would He take part of flesh and blood, except that He would be a child of our house (Heb. 2:14)?
3. He would be of blood like us. Not only would He come to the sick and to our bedside, but He would also lie down and be sick, taking on Himself sick clay, and be, in that condition of clay, a worm and not a man, that He might pay our debts. He would borrow a man’s heart to sigh for us; man’s eyes to weep for us; His spouse’s body, legs, and arms to be pierced for us; our earth, our breath, our life, and soul that He might breathe out His life for us; a man’s tongue and soul to pray for us. And yet He would remain God, so that He might perfume the obedience of a high priest with heaven and give to justice blood that chambered in the veins and body of God, in whom God had a personal lodging.
1. Trial and Triumph, sermon 9, 98–99.