Study to shew thyself approved unto God . . . 2 Timothy 2:15

The Hebrew Words

The Old Testament records several ways by which the spotlessness of the Son of God is emphasized.  The perfection of the soon to be offered animals is indicated by two repeated expressions, “no blemish” and “no spot”.  When God gives commands about the red heifer (Num. 19), the Israelites were told: “Bring thee (Moses) a red heifer without blemish wherein is no spot”.  This is the only time in the Old Testament where both words are used governing one offering.  The literal wording is: “In her there is no spot”.  In the New testament when Peter speaks of the Lord as a Lamb, he will also say He is without blemish or spot.               

The Hebrew clause translated “wherein is no spot” is spoken of Coniah and Israel.  Concerning Coniah, God said: “Wherein is no pleasure?” (Jer. 22:28).  He was cast aside as a broken vessel because of his wickedness in cutting and burning the scroll of the Lord, indicating his rebellion against the government of God (Jer. 36:20-23; 25; 28-32).  The same concerning Israel who transgressed the commandments of the Lord and the covenant of their betrothal to Him (Hos. 8:8). 

It is when considering the perfections of the Lord against the background of these two references that the perfection of the Lord shines out.  Unlike Coniah, the Lord Jesus never disobeyed the word of God, never   rebelled against the will of God, and never complained about the ways of God.  In contrast to Coniah, the will of God was fulfilled perfectly by Him.  Speaking to John at His baptism He said: “Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness” (Matt. 3:15).  To the religious leaders He said: “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill (Matt. 5:17).  Unlike Israel, His pledge to “do thy will” was never violated.  Again, just prior to the cross He said: “I have finished the work which Thou gavest me to do” (Jn. 17:4).

“What Is The Difference Between No Blemish And No Spot”?  

What is the difference? 

“M'uwm" emphasizes His absence of any unsightliness before God, a man utterly void of any blemish in any way and there was no internal sin (the heredity effect of original sin).  The emphasis is on what He was not and what He did not, carrying the thought of His imperviousness to blemishing from within or from without.  Living in this vale of tears and sorrow He saw sin but was never defiled, heard sinful talk but was never defiled and knew man’s sinful thoughts but was never defiled.  Furthermore, all which He was morally He was physically, having a body utterly impervious to disease as His spirit was to sin.  He could touch the leper and not be contaminated, He could touch the dead and not be defiled, He could live surrounded by sin on every hand and yet never be contaminated.

            Illustration:  Like the sunlight, it can shine into the dirtiest places, shine upon the most corrupt wickedness, and never be contaminated.

“Tamiym” emphasizes perfection, His holiness, what He was in himself, perfection of integrity and emphasizes what He was. “Tamiym, means to be complete, having an untroubled human relationship with God (Deut. 18:13) and is translated “perfect” concerning Noah (Gen. 6:9); “without blemish” concerning the lamb (Ex. 12:5); “sincerity” concerning the people (Josh. 24:14), and “undefiled” (Psa. 119:1).  It indicates a life in conformity with God (Duet. 18:13); His work (Deut. 32:4); His service (Josh 24:14); and His ways (2 Sam. 22:31).  Because the Lord was perfect He was totally opposite to the wicked, who are like the troubled sea, always stirring up mire.  His perfection is seen when as the physician He was present to spiritually heal those who thought themselves spiritually healthy.  “And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judaea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them” (Lk. 5:17). 

From my studies, apart from our Lord there is only one group of men and one individual of whom it is recorded that they were without blemish.  In Dan. 1:4 there were a group of the children of Israel who physically had nothing organically deficient in them.  The same was true of Absalom (2 Sam. 14:25).  The infinite difference is that in the Hebrews and Absalom it was physically and outwardly as seen by men, but with the Lord, was morally and inwardly as evaluated by God. 

The difference can be illustrated by Mrs. Jones who has a beautiful tablecloth, it is perfect, (without blemish, without taimyn) in its coloring, texture and smoothness, it is positively perfect.  Now, being a clumsy fellow, I spill some orange juice on it.  Now it has a spot, it has a m’uwn.  It is still perfect but it is not without a spot.  When Mrs. Jones bought it the tablecloth was tamiym and m’uwn. 

To assist in the differentiating between the words, following is a list of the places where:

In the New Testament, Peter, the inspired apostle, uses an expression (1 Pet. 1:19) that is only found once in the Old Testament.  The Holy Spirit takes a statement that is used only of the red heifer (Num. 19:2), that “they bring thee a red heifer without spot, wherein is no blemish”.  While it is true that Peter reverses the terms and applies them to Christ as the Lamb, it has pleased the Holy Spirit to use them relative to two different pictures of the Lord.  In the Old Testament they are used of the heifer and in the New Testament of Christ as the Lamb. 

Of these, only two are used regarding the Lord.  These are “Amōmos” (Heb. 9:14; 1 Pet. 1:19) where it is  translated, “without spot” in Heb. 9:14, but “without blemish” in 1 Pet. 1:19.  The other word, “Aspilos”, is only used in 1 Pet. 1:19.  Archbishop Trench, in his “Synonyms of the New Testament”, writes the following: “When amōmos is used with aspilos, amōmos refers to the absence of internal blemish and aspolis to the lack of external spot.  Thus when it is said “no blemish” it indicates nothing external had marred the animal.  “No spot” indicates no marring on the inside.  Thank God this is wonderfully true but it is not the fullest meaning.

The Impeccability Of The Lord

When considering the impeccability of our Lord, His person or His work, there can be no room for error or human rationale.  He was, is and ever will be absolutely impeccable in every way.  Perhaps the biggest single error of the majority, if not all cults, either state that while the Lord was holy yet he could have sinned and would not, that His life was a constant struggle between the divine nature which found sin contrary to His essential character and the flesh nature which was attracted to sin.  One has said: “Every suggestion Satan made was appealing to Jesus and opened up to him real possibilities ⃰ ”.  Let it be clearly stated, the Lord did not refuse to sin because of the enabling grace of God, but because being Holy it was obnoxious to Him.
  ⃰  Dr. R. Crook, Southern Baptist Convention’s “Sunday School Young People” Jan. - Mar. 1965

Some Evidences For The Impeccability Of Our Lord Are:

The Prevention Of The Holy Becoming Common

The reality is the sacred can become common!

The Vastness Of The Glory Of Christ

One has said that our worship of the Lord is not due to the smallness of the object but the tininess of our appreciation.  When David considered the heavens grasping a little of the vastness of God’s creating, sustaining and developing creation, he worshipped.  We marvel at the brilliance of the stars, then musing on the vastness of space between them the question comes to mind: “Why did God make it all so big”?  It seems to me that God wants us to understand that every attribute and feature of Divine Persons is like the heavens, far beyond our comprehension.  We can speak of their mercy, love, grace, holiness and perfections but the glory of each is unfathomable in fullness.  Therefore, when musing on the glory of the Lord we discover that our highest thoughts are superficial understandings of the outshining of His glories. 

It is in the depths of His essential being that we find holiness intensified.  John will make it plain: “In Him is no sin” (1 Jn. 3:5).  When the writer of Hebrews speaks of the outshining of glory, it is not a reflected glory, but His own inherent glory streaming out from His person in multi levels and situations (Heb. 1:3). 

That Which He Never Knew             

The Son of God could not sin and never knew the dark experience of distance from God due to his own iniquity.  The fellowship He and the Father enjoyed was never interrupted by suspicion, never marred by a disagreement, never was there an uncomfortableness between them and never hindered by foolishness. Superlative in-depth fellowship, completely void of any animosity, was all that was ever known.  During the three hours of darkness the Lord experienced that which He had never known before, being forsaken by God!  There is a difference between being left and being forsaken.  To say that the Lord was “left” by God, or “rejected” by God, is doctrinally wrong and too shallow, but due to our sins, He was forsaken by God!  He died to that experience and will never know its darkness again.

Romans 6

One could quickly answer that He died once for our sins and give ample verses to prove that reality.  However, the passage does not say, “He died for sins once” but “He died unto sins”, or “He died to sin”.  There is a difference between the Lord dying “for sin” and dying “unto/to sin”. 

When Christ died for sins, he died vicariously for us, that He did once for all.  The main truth is that of His sufferings as a substitute.  When Christ died to sin, that also He did once for all, but the emphasis is on His death ⃰  to the consequences of sin, knowing the judgment of God for sin being experienced by Himself.
       ⃰  When we speak of the Lord dying it must be understood that it is due to English that we speak thus. The Lord was never a dying man, never can there be a medical reason given for the death of the Lord, death did not slowly creep over
           that sacred body.  His death was a deliberate act of committing his spirit to God.  The blood of the Lord is never mentioned in the entire narrative of the beatings by man and nailing to the cross.  It is after He is dead that there is any
           mention of His blood.  The only time the word “dying” is used in connection with the death of our Lord is 2 Cor. 4:10 in which it is literally, “the being made a corpse”, and its immediate context is to the experience of Paul.

The following verse says: “Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin” (Rom. 6:11).  If verse 10 is interpreted to indicate when the Lord suffered for sins, then verse 11 means that vicariously I am to do the same?  Such an idea is blasphemy.  The passage signifies the way Christ died and I am to die the same way!  In what way did the Lord die unto sin?  He died unto its results, that is separation from God.  The argument is that life is to be lived in such a way that separation from God, due to sin, is something I would never know after conversion.  This is perfection and idealism but God is a realist so we have an Advocate and High Priest.  Being perfect His standard is very high and cannot be lowered.                        

The Glory Of Christ’s Sovereignty

Yet, this is the One who in Gethsemane, with bitter tears cried: “Not my will but thine be done”.  Our Lord lived in giving to God His rightful place, living in the fulness of Rev. 4:11: “For thy pleasure they are and were created.”  From his birth He could say in truth: “Thou art my God”, “I was cast upon thee from the womb”.  He always gave God the fulness of love and perfection of service that He was worthy of.

Meditations On 1 John 3:5 

The Wording Of The Text.

“And ye know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him is no sin”. In a literal translation the wording is  “kai hamartia en autos ouk estin”, “and sin in Him is not”.  Darby translates this as: “And in Him sin is not”.  Young’s literal translates it as: “And sin is not in Him”.  Compare Jn. 7:18.

Learned scholars indicate that the emphasis is on the word sin, so that the passage more accurately reads: “sin in Him, there is none”.  In 1 John the Lord is holy (ch 2:20), pure (ch 3:3), sinless (ch 3:5), and righteous (ch 3:7).  It is a fact that while the expressions, “He did no sin”, “He knew no sin”, are normally quoted correctly, yet 1 John 3:5 is often misquoted.  It does not say, “In Him was no sin” but “In Him is no sin”.  The tense of the word “is” is present, indicating active, which indicates an action happening right now.  Being indicative, it indicates a true reality.  Therefore the clause means that He is always without sin.                         

Because God is light, He could never act with favouritism toward Christ.  If anything, His evaluation had to be more exacting, His observation with more scrutiny because of the works He was doing and that He was to do. 

The work He was doing was revealing the Father and God, conveying to the disciples the Word and Name of God.  The name and glory of God was at stake and His character must not be impugned upon.  That which He had to do was be the sacrifice for sin, the mighty victor over Satan and his citadel of death. 

There could not be the slightest infringement in error, nor could the slightest divergence from the will of God be tolerated.  In Him there must never be any characteristic of the natural heart of man.  From without there must be nothing within Him that would respond to fleshly misplaced sympathy, fleshly evaluations from external stimulia.

Salient Points in 1 John 

Having Never Sinned, Christ Never Needed:

There Are Statements In The Book of 1 John That Christ Knew In a Deeper Way Than Any Other.

That Which Typified Christ in Contrast To Us 

That Which Christ Could Say Without Reservation and in Truth             

When an individual grows spiritually and not just intellectually by abiding in Christ, then sin becomes an increasing awareness in ones heart.  Things which other saints will do without a thought, attitudes shown will be seen in all their repulsiveness for that individual will assess things in the light of divine holiness and Calvary’s cross.  At the same time, there will not be a ridiculing spirit toward them for such an one is deeply conscious of their own sinfulness.  There is never a point of time when one is so holy in essential being that they could say: “I have not sinned” or “I have no sin” in me.  It is concerning this that John writes: “If we have no sin, we deceive ourselves” and “If we say we that we have not sinned” (1 Jn. 1:8, 10). 

However, away and beyond all these witnesses is that of God when He opened the Heavens and declared: “This is my beloved Son” (Matt 3:17; 17:5). 

The Lord was the Truth, that is, in His essential being and when He came, truth came (Jn. 1:17).  In contrast, with all the hypocrisy around Him, He alone was able to point out their transgressions.  He is the True Light (Jn. 1:9); the True Bread (Jn. 6:32); and the True Vine (Jn. 15:1).  Truth does not change with the passing of time for truth is perfect in its exactness and consistency.  In truth man can only speak of any scientific data etc. as being the truth, to the extent of his knowledge.  In time that data can change and then that which was understood to be truth is shown not to be so true.  

Only Christ could have said: “I have never sinned” or “there is no sin in me”, and in gazing on the Lord we are faced with an intensity of perfection which had a depth unfathomable, and a height unreachable. 

When we read about the sacrifices in the Old Testament we must be careful not to think that they were nothing other than heathen practices adopted by the Israelites, or a spiritual butcher shop.  There are some who teach such things. These sacrifices were God’s sacred pictures of the person and work of the Lord and therefore every mention of a body part has its own significance.  God is much too jealous for the glory of Christ than to allow sloppy or pagan festivals to prefigure his beloved Son.             

God told the ancient Israelites to cut the sacrifice in its pieces.  Some were washed, others put directly on the altar and others we are not told.  When lifted to the antitype then we are on ground most sacred for we are taking apart the person of the Lord and looking into the deepest parts of His being and personality. They foreshadowed the inward perfection of Christ. 

Regarding those sacrifices, the Hebrew word “qereb” is translated “inwards” in sixteen verses and indicates the moral internal perfection of the Lord.  This is not what the Lord did or said, but it is how and why He said or did things.  It is the looking into His motives and learning His holy perfection. This is intensely sacred, an experience such as Moses had at the burning bush. 

The root word from which “qereb” comes is “qarab” and it is translated: “He shall offer” (Lev. 1:3); “when it is presented” (Lev. 2:8); and “to approach” (Lev. 21:18).  It therefore indicates the approaching, the presentation and the offering.  When this is lifted to the Lord then the first level of the shadow is the Lord offering Himself to God.

1 Chron. 29:17 records an interesting statement by David: “In the uprightness of my heart I have willingly offered all these things”.  David offering things, the Corinthian saints offered money but first offered themselves, the Lord offered Himself.  In 1 Chron. 29:17 David spoke of presenting his service willingly, but he was outshone by the Lord.  In His inwards He lived in dependence on God, His was a life of faith, serving God for the glory of God and from a heart filled with love for God.  

How different to the reluctance of Moses and God’s gracious compromising, or the blatant disobedience of Jonah and the sovereign activity of God to make him go to Nineveh.  He is beautifully prefigured by Joseph and David, for both of them went not knowing what lay ahead and both fathers sent the sons not knowing what lay ahead. One cannot help but wonder had they known what lay ahead would they have sent them? Joseph went and ahead of him lay hatred by his brethren, rejection and imprisonment.  David went and ahead of him lay ridicule, mockery and the valley of death. 

The Lord knew that which lay ahead yet offered Himself.  Prophetically and in type He says: “Here am I send me” (Isa. 6:8).  Before He ever left the regions of glory He was seen to be the Lamb of God by whose precious blood humanity could be redeemed. 

He offered himself to glorify God by doing His will.  The Lord said: “My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.” (Jn. 4:34); again, “I come to do thy will” (Heb. 10:9).  This lovely man listened for the will of God: “Morning by morning, He wakeneth mine ear.” (Isa. 50:4).   He sought the will of God: “I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.” (Jn. 5:30).  He did the will of God: “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me” (Jn. 6:38).  He brought himself near to God for His glory and service before the cross for we can read: “I sanctify myself” (Jn. 17:19). 

The ancients used bodily parts much the same way as we do, for we speak of someone being a “pain in the neck”, to a beloved one may say: “I love you with all my heart”.  They are used to describe emotions and attitudes.  Thus when we look at the inwards of the Lord we are looking at the inward perfections, emotions and attitudes of Christ.

The Heart of The Lord

The Kidneys

Putting these together the “kidneys” indicate the aspects of Christ that only God can see, that only God can make an assessment of. 

Springing from the purity of the motives of the Lord He could say: “I do always those things which please the father” (Jn. 8:29); again, “I have glorified thee on the earth (Jn. 17:4).  What an example He gives to us of humility, for as we read in Phil. 2:2: “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus”.   His mind was ever thinking of others, His will was always willing and yielded to the will of God.  Never was there a need for God coercing Him, nor restricting Him, but of His own will He gladly and perfectly fulfilled the will of God. Twice over it is recorded that God was glorified in Him (Jn. 13:31-32).  He loved righteousness, that is conformity to God (Heb. 1:9). 

Such was His glorification of God that it had an effect on others for the scriptures record: “When the people saw the miracles they glorified the God of Israel” (Matt. 15:31); “They glorified God which had given such power unto men” (Matt. 9:8); “They were all amazed and glorified God” (Mk. 2:12; Lk. 5:26, 16); “He (the centurion) glorified God” (Lk. 23:47). 

The man Jesus never did anything which impeded His availability to fully do the will of God, but more, He never behaved or said anything for which His conscience was aroused.  Paul, in recording his experience, informs the saints that: “When the commandment came, sin revived and I died” (Rom. 7:9).  The Lord alone could live in the blaze of the holy law and with its beaming upon Him He lived without a flaw.  His heart never condemned Him. 

The Holy Spirit directed Paul to write concerning the wrong motives of some who were preaching: “Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife” (Phil. 1:15).  Added to this, we can be wrong in the motives for our speaking, activities, demonstrations of our faith and devotion (1 Cor. 13:1-3).  James was led to tell us that we can be wrong in the motive for our praying (Jam. 4:3).  None of these wrongs could ever be laid against the Lord. 

The Lord had people coming to Him constantly with their concerns, sometimes they were genuine and other times spurious but He was never sarcastic or humiliating.  Such behaviors would have shown motivations contrary to God.  How did He respond?  Ever revealing God and the Father His response to criticism was always God glorifying.  The religious leaders accused Him of blasphemy when He told the man his sins were forgiven (Mk. 2:7).  The law of sin in us would have been to lash out in self vindication, protecting our reputation.  How did the Lord respond?  He fulfilled the miracle after having made them aware of his knowledge of their thoughts.  It was self condemnation and He did it in love for He was still calling them to Himself. 

When the disciples were discussing who should be greatest His response was twofold.  He spoke telling them of true greatness and then washing their feet.  These were more convicting than ever verbally chastising them for lack of thinking when He was facing such darkness (Jn. 13).  How beautifully this showed the motive of humility and the desire for peaceableness among His own. 

In the glorifying of God he had to make people aware of their inabilities and spiritual deficiencies and He, in gentleness, asked questions.  To Philip: “Whence shall we buy bread”?  On at least one occasion He ignored the petitioner (Matt.15:23).  On other occasions the Lord recognized a deeper motive in individuals.  One of them being when He knew they were only following Him because of the bread He provided (Jn. 6:26).  When the disciples, apparently led by Judas, criticized the woman with the alabaster box, He revealed to them their wrong motive of judging the activity of the woman without knowing her heart (Matt. 26:10-13).  In all these ways the Lord had to be sterling in His motivations or else He could never have judged them. 

Finally, because the Lord not only had pure motives but the highest of motives, He was able to rebuke those who followed Him after He provided bread and exhorted them to "labor not for the food which perisheth, but for that food which abideth unto eternal life." (See Jn. 6:25-27.) 

The Caul

The caul is mentioned in twelve verses of the Old Testament and is the translation of two different Hebrew words.  The only reference outside the Pentateuch is Hos. 13:8 where the Hebrew word is “cěgowr”.  All other references are in Exodus and Leviticus.  In those cases the word is “yothereth” and indicates an appendage, overhang, the caudate lobe of the liver, like a little tail that hangs over.” 

This being so, it indicates the superabundance of that which the “liver” indicates.  The liver is the heaviest of the internal organs. In Ezek. 21:21 it was used for divination by the king of Babylon. In Lam. 2:11 it indicates abundance of sorrow. 

Taking the thought of heaviness and sorrow it pre-shadows the grief and heaviness the Lord experienced in the days of His earthly sojourn.  Three of the gospel writers inform those who read of the sorrow of the Lord in Gethsemane.  Taking Peter, James and John it is recorded that, He “Began to be sorrowful and very heavy” (Matt. 26:37; Mk. 15:33).  While the word translated “sorrowful”, sore troubled, is obscure, and seems to be similar to the thought of being away from home, indicating extreme discomfort.  It also indicates to be concerned excessively or at a loss.  Mark speaks of the Lord being greatly amazed and troubled which signifies the feeling of intense surprise. 

Prophetically the psalmist could write: “Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked [for some] to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none (Psa. 69:20).  One can feel the plaintive cry of Isa. 63:5: “I looked, and there was none to help”, and feel sympathy for the one of whom it is prophetically written: “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief” (Isa .53:3).  The caul, being the overhanging, would signify the deep unspeakable superabundance of those griefs and sorrows.  Who can comprehend the forlorn depths when He wept over Jerusalem and from the depths of His heart the words, “But ye would not” were wrung out.  Or what measurement could calculate the love, mercy and pity that can apply the words, “I am like a pelican of the wilderness, I am like an owl of the desert. . . And am as a sparrow alone upon the housetop” (Psa. 102:6-7).  In holy wonder we hear the words, “My heart is smitten”; “I have . . .mingled my drink with weeping” (Psa 102:4 & 9).  No saint could ignore the personal pronouns of Psa .22, “I am poured out like water,” then the words, “My heart is like wax”; “My bowels”; “My strength”; My tongue cleaveth to my jaws”; “My hands”; My feet”; “My bones”; “My garments”; “My vesture”; “My soul”. Going beyond this we observe that no other man felt the sharp edge of rejection as He did, “He came unto His own and His own received Him not”, and knowing that they would “scourge Him and put Him to death” (Lk. 18:33). 

There is another consideration which must be delighted in.  Since the liver indicates heaviness then we must consider His weight of glory and with it the caul, the super abundance of the glories of Christ.  

There is no language that can exegete on the expressions of exaltation that God gives to Christ.  They are far and beyond the comprehension of all created beings, whether they are celestial, terrestrial or infernal.

Paul writes concerning the saints: “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory (2 Cor. 4:17).  Since that is true of us and the afflictions we have, how much greater will be His.  How majestic is the glory of His ascension, which taking the words of Psa. 24 and applying (not the interpretation) them to His ascension.  The cry goes forth: “Lift up your heads O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in”; “Lift up your heads O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the king of glory shall come in”.  Then glorious truth, the powers of the prince of the power of the air all must stand aside in shame, every rank of celestial government must stand in recognition and wonder as He, the King of glory, enters the realms of bliss.  He goes up, through the heavens, into heaven, above the heavens, above all principality and power to the right hand of God and there sets Himself down!  What does God think of this, a man sitting at His right hand.  The answer is clear: “My Son, sit thou”.  He is given a name above every name, a priesthood above every priesthood, a kingship above all kingships and a prince-hood above all princes.  He is the Prince of Princes (Dan. 8:25); the Prince of Life (Acts 3:15); and the Prince of the Kings of the earth (Rev. 1:5).  His sacrifice eclipses all others for His alone has the power to cleanse the guilty, redeem to God and liberate forever.

This is all because He was a man who was abundant in the beauty of His perfections.  One perfection will suffice, that being His meekness. The Servant of Jehovah will not lift up his voice (Isa. 42:2).  He had power yet deliberately living as if not having it.  Never was He forceful in His speech (Matt. 11:20), compliant with error (Matt. 15:2-6), nor coerced into any thing (Mk. 3: 1-5; Lk. 14:1-4, 20:20).

Our Lord’s integrity in this is beyond reproach, for God Himself, He of whom it is said: “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right (Gen. 18:25), and God has appointed Him as Judge and executor of judgment (Jn. 5:22, 27).  As such he does not judge by appearance but by that which is in the heart.  No jury is needed for decision making for He is perfectly accurate in all knowledge and assessment, has perfection of character and insight.  His motives are without reproach for He always seeks the glory of God.  The Lord assesses a situation precisely and gives perfect judgment.  For instance, in Matt. 15:1-9, there is a hostile environment created by the religious rulers when they found fault with the disciples for eating with unwashed hands.  It was an attempt to discredit His character by that which others had done, namely the disciples.  As the perfect Judge, He does not back off and say that He did not do it, or that He cannot control what others have done.  Facing the situation His words convict as He shows the deeper problem.  “Why do ye transgress the commands of God by your tradition?”  The question comes piercing their conscience and convicting.  He then declares the command of God, follows this by another convicting statement regarding the setting aside the commands of God and then seals the statements by the Old Testament.  It was perfect and their mouths were shut for in Him is no sin.

How is it possible that at crucial times in life the Lord could lift His eyes up to Heaven?  It was not a mere bodily posture, much less due to ignorance of the glory of the majesty on high and His triple holiness.  How well He knew God, but it was possible because there was no spot, no sin in Him.  Men, when made conscious of their sin and distance from God, hold back from looking into the face of God.  A little child is told by mother not to touch the chocolate, but he does.  Then hearing mother coming he seeks to hide, for at this moment he does not want to see mother or look at her.  Man, with the law of sin within, realizes that like Paul he must confess: “In me dwelleth no good thing” (Rom. 7:18); that “sin that dwelleth in me” (Rom. 7:17).   There was never a moment in the person of Christ when there was sin and a severed fellowship between He and God, consequently He could ever lift His eyes to God. 

There is (to my knowledge) only one other occasion when there is the concept of a man lifting up his eyes to Heaven and that is Nebuchadnezzar (Dan 4:34), but what a contrast between these two men.  

The individual who has iniquity, “m’uwm” in his heart is consequently marked by hypocrisy (Isa. 32:6).  This could never be said of Christ.  Never in the Lord was there any iniquity or deceit but He was the “True”.  Of Him alone it can be said that He is the True Light (Jn. 1:9); the True Bread (Jn. 6:32); the True Vine (Jn. 15:1); the True Witness (Rev. 3:14); and He was True and Faithful (Rev. 19:11). 

The Fat

Beyond comprehension is the thought that the One whom the winds and seas obeyed (Matt. 8:27), the unclean spirits obey (Mk 1:27), was Himself the supreme example of obedience. 

This was not just the obedience that was seen by man, for instance, the chief priests and elders did not know that in His subjection to them in the accepting of their condemnation, He was being obedient to God.  In His baptism it was an act of obedience to God as was every step He took and attitude shown.  Man only saw His journeying as one simply moving from place to place, but they failed to see that these were the results of harkening to the voice of God and wholeheartedly obeying. 

He learnt the pathway, the downward pressuring of Satan and the price to be paid for obedience to God.  To Him, not accepting the profferings of Satan was not simply an act of overcoming but the response of an obedient heart.

The graces of Christ were magnified by the situations.  For instance, in 1 Cor 13: “Love suffereth long” and in itself patient endurance is a beautiful characteristic, how often this is seen in Christ.  But 1 Cor. 13 goes beyond this and states: “Love suffereth long and is kind”.  That is totally different.  It is one thing to be patiently enduring with an attitude of someone which is hateful and awkward, but then to be kind to such a one is grace being magnified by the situation. 

The grace of mercy was shown with cheerfulness.  How hard it is when someone is spiteful to us to be merciful to them much less doing it with cheerfulness. When our Lord was on the cross, the jeering of the mocking crowds sounding in His ears, the searing pain of the driven nails in His hands and feet, it was then He prayed repeatedly: “Father forgive them for they know not what they do” (Lk. 23:34).  Surely this was done in cheerulness. There was not an iota of animosity in the Lord.  John records: “He came onto His own”, but their attitude was, use Him for our benefit and then their cry was “Crucify Him”.  He knew they would reject Him but yet He came.  Surely He was showing mercy with cheerfulness. 

His very coming was an activity of love manifested in grace and mercy.  But it was not just a cold act of obedience as a servant sent, but He came to do the will of God from His heart and with every fiber of His being.  He came to reveal the Father and God, to glorify Him, to declare His love for the Father and God and to do this with every perfection (cheleb, suet) He possessed and every iota of energy (the fat being stored up energies).  God is light and in Him is no darkness at all and for the Lord to reveal God and the Father there must not be in Him anything which is contrary to God’s perfections. 

Being perfect before God and Satan in every iota of His personality, activity and inward perfections; He was able to make righteous assessments on the activities of others.  How fully this is seen in the woman with the alabaster box (Mk 14: 6-80).  

The fragrance of the inwards of Christ were as a fragrance without imbalance, fat that never went rancid and as ointment poured forth (Song of Sol. 1:3).  It was as an ointment without a dead fly causing a stench (Ecc. 10:1), an ointment that rejoiced the heart of God (Prov. 27:16), an ointment the fragrance of which will permeate heaven for all eternity and an ointment beyond all earthly evaluations (Jn. 12:5).  On Him and with Him the Holy Spirit was perfectly at home. Glorious man.

Because of His holy essential nature, He is the only one who could sing in truth: “Thy sympathies and hopes are mine”.  He wept for He felt the grief of God over rejected love, the damage sin does.  He in heart rejoiced at the righteous judgment of God.
 

 
May God grant us good understanding as He, by His Holy Spirit, deigns to guide us into all truth.
John 16:13

Copyright © 2010 by Rowan Jennings, Abbotsford, British Columbia