July 4

Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God; but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant. - Philippians 2:6-7.

HERE is a combination of grandeur and humiliation, and this may be traced through the whole of the Saviour’s ministry. Nothing could have been attended with more obscurity and privation and hardship and abasement than the circumstances of his birth. And yet was there ever son so honoured and dignified? At the birth of what other son did the heavens assume a new star, did wise men come from the east to worship him, did the angel of the Lord descend from heaven and assure the shepherds of glad tidings of great joy which should be to all people, of “a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, and goodwill towards men?” At the birth of what other child did God say, “I will shake the heavens and the earth, and the sea and the dry land, and I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come?”

We often find him praying, and prayer argues an inferior nature-prayer is the exercise and expression always of dependence and indigence. But we find him also receiving adoration and prayer too without rebuke. The Apostles prayed, “Lord, increase our faith.” Stephen died invoking him, saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.” As he came into the world, “all the angels of God,” and they were commanded to do it, “worshipped him.” We find him at sea; wearied nature required repose, and he was asleep even in the storm, and it required an effort of his disciples to awaken him. But he arose, and stood upon the deck, rebuked the wind and the waves, and said, “Peace, be still, and there was a great calm.” Unable to pay the temple tribute, he commanded a fish to furnish it. He was hungry in the morning, and found no fruit on the fig-tree; he cursed it, and in a moment it withered away. He was thirsty when he came to the well of Samaria. He asked the woman for a draught of cold water, but he promised her the water of eternal life. When he was in the garden he was “exceeding sorrowful even unto death;” he was “sore amazed;” his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground, and yet there an angel ministered unto him; there he healed the ear of Malchus; there he but said to the Roman guard who came to apprehend him, “I am he,” and “they went backward and fell to the ground.”

He was “crucified through weakness,” yet at the same time what grandeur was displayed! The earth shakes; the heavens rend; the veil of the temple is rent in twain from the top to the bottom; the graves are opened; the dead are raised and appear to many in the city; the sun hides his face in darkness; the centurion watching there exclaimed, “Truly this was the Son of God.” The dying thief addresses him as if he had been upon his throne, to whom he said, “This day thou shalt be with me in paradise.” He descends into the lowest parts of the earth. He is entombed, but again the earth rends, and the angel of the Lord comes down and sits upon the stone of the sepulchre, his face like lightning, his raiment white as snow, his looks make cowards of the Roman veterans who had made the world to tremble, and they flee, and He undresses himself from his grave clothes, and folds up the napkin that was about his head, and lays it in a place by itself, and opens the door, and comes forth the “Resurrection and the Life.”