Of the active obedience of christ
in his state of humiliation
John Gill
The humiliation of Christ may be
seen in his obedience to God, through the whole course of his life, even unto
death; in order to which,
1. First, He took upon him the
form of a servant, #Php 2:7 and really became one; even the Servant of God: and
this is an instance of his amazing humility and condescension; that he, who was
the Son of God, of the same nature with God, and equal to him, the brightness
of his Father's glory, and the express image of his person,
should voluntarily become the Servant of him; which the apostle observes with
astonishment; "though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the
things which he suffered!" #Heb 5:8. He was chosen of God, in his eternal
purposes, to be his Servant; and therefore is called, his Servant elect, #Isa
42:1. He called him to the work and office of a servant; and said unto him, in
the everlasting council and covenant of grace and peace,
"Thou art my Servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified", #Isa
49:3. And Christ, the Son of God, accepted of this office; agreed to be the
Servant of God, to come into the world, and do his will and work, #Ps 40:7,8.
And accordingly, he was prophesied of as the Servant of the Lord, that should
come, #Zec 3:8 Isa 42:1. In the fulness of time he was sent, and came not to be
ministered unto, as a monarch, but to minister as a servant;
and he quickly appeared to be under a law, and was subject to the law of
circumcision; and being had in his infancy to Egypt, the house of servants; to
his ancestors, according to the flesh, was an emblem of that servile state he
was come into: and very early did he declare, that he must be about his
Father's business: as a servant, he had work to do, and much work,
and that very laborious; which lay, not only in working miracles, which were
works his Father gave him to finish, as demonstrations of his Deity, and prods
of his Messiahship; nor only in going about from place to place, healing all
manner of diseases, and so doing good to the bodies of men; nor only in
preaching the gospel, for which he was qualified and sent, and thereby did good
to the souls of men; but chiefly in fulfilling the law of
God, both in the preceptive and penal part of it, in the room and stead of his
people; and thereby wrought out the great work of all he came to do, the
redemption and salvation of men; for this was the work assigned him by God his
Father, as his servant; "to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore
the preserved of Israel"; that is, to redeem and save the chosen people:
this was the work his Father gave him to do; this was the work
which was before him when be came; and this is the work which he has finished;
for he has obtained eternal redemption; and is become the author of eternal
salvation. Now throughout the whole of his work, as a servant, he appeared very
diligent and constant; very early he discovered an inclination to be about it;
very eager was he at it; when in it, it was his meat and
drink; and he was continually, constantly employed in it, #Joh 4:34 9:4. Nor
did he leave working till he had completed the whole. In all which he was
faithful to him that appointed him; and very justly did he obtain the character
of God's "righteous Servant", #Isa 11:5 53:11.
2.
Secondly, When Christ became incarnate, and took upon him the form of a
servant, and really was one; he, as such, was subject to the law of God: hence
these two things are joined together, as having a close connection with each
other; "Made of a woman; made under the law", #Ga 4:4.
2a. First,
Christ was made under the judicial, or civil law of the Jews; he was by birth a
Jew, and is called one, #Zec 8:23. It is manifest that he sprung from the tribe
of Judah; which tribe, in process of time, gave the name of Jews to the whole
people of Israel; and because our Lord was of that tribe, he is called the Lion
of the tribe of Judah, #Heb 7:14 Re 5:5. He was born at Bethlehem, in the tribe
of Judah, and was of the seed of David, who was of that
tribe; and is therefore said to be the root and offspring of David, #Re
22:16. Wherefore, since he, the
salvation of God, and Saviour of men, as to his human nature, was of the Jews;
it was fit and proper he should be subject to their civil government, and to
the laws of it, as he was: for though he was charged with sedition, yet
falsely, for he was subject to their government, though it
was then in the hands of the Romans; and not only paid tribute himself, but
directed others to do the same, saying, "Render unto Caesar the things
that are Caesar's, #Mt 17:24-27 22:17-21. And to this law he submitted,
2a1. That it
might appear he was of the nation of the Jews, as it
was
prophesied of, and promised he should; as, that he
should be of
the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Judah, and
of the Jewish
fathers, according to the flesh; all which he
was, #Ge
22:18 49:10 Mt 1:1 Ro 9:5.
2a2.
That it might be manifest that he came before the Jewish
polity was at
an end; as it was foretold he should,
#Ge 49:10.
And Christ being under and subject to the civil
law, showed
that the sceptre and lawgiver had not departed, but
civil government
yet continued; though now, for many
hundreds
of years it has wholly departed, and is not, in any
form or
shape, among that people; which has fulfilled the
prophecy in
#Ho 3:4. "The children of lsrael shall be many
days without
a king"; and therefore the Messiah must be come
long ago,
before they were without one, as he did; for Herod
2a3. Christ
became subject to the civil law, to teach his
followers
subjection to civil magistrates; and this is the
doctrine of
his apostles, frequently inculcated by them, to
be
subject to the higher powers, to obey magistrates, and
submit to
every ordinance of men, #Ro 13:1 Tit 3:1 1Pe 2:13.
2b. Secondly,
Christ was made under the ceremonial law, and became subject to that; he was
circumcised when eight days old, according to that law; and
was presented in the temple at the time of his mother's purification, as the
law required: at twelve years of age he came with his parents to Jerusalem, to
keep the passover; and when he had entered on his public office, it was his
custom constantly to attend synagogue worship; and it was one of the last
actions of his life, to keep the passover with his disciples. Now he became subject to this law,
2b1. Because
it looked to him, and centred in him; it was a
shadow of
good things to come by him: the feasts of
tabernacles,
passover, and pentecost; the sabbaths of the
seventh
day of the week, and of the seventh year, and of the
seven times
seventh year, were shadows, of which he is the
substance:
all the ablutions, washings, and purifications
enjoined by
it, were typical of cleansing by his blood: and
all the
sacrifices of it, daily, weekly, monthly, and
yearly,
all pointed to his sacrifice.
2b2. He was
made under this law, in order to fulfil it; for it
became him to
fuifil all righteousness, ceremonial as well
as moral
righteousness; and all things in it were to have an
end,
and had an end, even a fulfilling end in him.
2b3. He was made
under it, that by fulfilling it he might abolish
it, and put
an end to it; for when it was fulfilled, it was
no longer
useful; and there was a necessity of the
disannulling
of it, because of its weakness and
unprofitableness;
and accordingly, this law of commandments
was
abolished; this handwriting of ordinances was blotted
out; this
middle wall of partition between Jews and Gentiles
was broken
down; and the rituals of it pronounced weak and
beggarly
elements; and believers in Christ were directed to
take care
they were not entangled with this yoke of bondage;
nor should
they judge and condemn one another for any neglect
of it; Christ
has answered to the whole, by being made under
it.
2c. Thirdly, Christ was made
under the moral law; under this he was as a man; being "made of a
woman", in course he was made under the law; for every man, as a creature
of God, is subject to him, its Creator and Lawgiver; and to his law: to fear
God, and keep his commandments, is the whole duty of man; and is the duty of every man; and was the duty of Christ, as man. But besides
this, Christ was made under it, as the surety and substitute of his people; as
he became their surety, he engaged to fulfil the law in their room and stead;
this is a very principal part of that will of God, which he declared his
readiness to come and do; saying, "Lo, I come to do thy will, O God! thy
law is within my heart", #Ps 40:7,8.
2c1. He was
made under it, in order to fulfil the precepts of it;
which to do
is righteousness, #De 6:25 and is that
righteousness
which he undertook to work out in perfect
agreement
with the commands of the law; and which he
perfectly
obeyed; for he always did the things which pleased
the Father,
and all that was pleasing to him; even every
command of
his righteous law; nor did he fail in anyone
instance; he
never committed one sin; and so did not
transgress
the law in anyone particular; but was holy and
harmless
throughout the whole of his life and conversation.
2c2. He submitted
to the penal part of the law; the law
pronounces a
curse on all those that do not perfectly
observe its
precepts; Christ being the Surety of his people,
was
made a curse for them; or endured the curse of the law
in their
stead, that he might redeem them from it,
#Ga 3:10,13.
The penal sanction of the law was death; it
threatened
with it, in case of sin or disobedience to it; the
wages of sin
is death; Christ therefore, as the substitute of
his
people became obedient to death, even the death of the
cross, for
them.
2c3. All this
he became and did, to fulfil the law in their room;
and that the
righteousness of it might be fulfilled in them,
and
so deliver them from the bondage, curse, and
condemnation
of it; that being, through Christ, dead to
them, and
they to that, that they might live unto God in a
spiritual and
evangelic manner.
3.
Thirdly, Christ taking upon him the form of a servant, in human nature, and
being made under the law, he was obedient to it, throughout the whole course of
his life, to the time of his death; which is meant by that phrase, "Became
obedient unto death"; that is, until death, as well as in it, and by
submission to it. And,
3a. There
is the obedience of Christ to men; he was obedient to his earthly parents; he
not only lived in a state of subjection to them in his childhood and youth, but
continued his filial affection for them, and regard to them, particularly to
his mother, when a grown man: his words to her in #Joh 2:4 do not express
irreverence towards her; nor did she so understand them, showing no resentment
at them; but the contrary: nor do those in #Mt 12:48,49
signify any disrespect to her, nor want of affection to her; but his great
affection for his spiritual relations: and that he retained his filial duty and
regard to her to the last, appears by his bequeathing her to the care of one of
his disciples, #Joh 19:27. Christ also yielded obedience to civil magistrates,
as before observed, by paying the tribute money; hence in prophecy he is called, the Servant of rulers, #Isa 49:7. But,
3b. There is the obedience of
Christ to God; for his Servant he was; and it was his law he was made under;
and to which he yielded obedience; and is that obedience by which his people
are made righteous; though there are many things in which Christ was obedient to God, which do not come into the account of his
obedience for the justification of men. As,
3b1. The
miraculous actions which were performed by him: these
were
necessary to be done, for they were predicted of him,
and
were expected from him; hence the Jews said, "When
Christ
cometh, will he do more miracles than these which
this man hath
done?" #Joh 7:31 Isa 35:5,6. And these were
done to prove
his proper Deity, that he was truly God; that
he was in the
Father, and the Father in him; that is, that
he
was of the same nature with him, and equal to him; for
the truth of
which he appeals to those works of his,
#Joh 10:38
14:11. These were also proofs of his being the
true Messiah;
and were given by him as evidences of it to the
two disciples
John sent to him, to know whether he was the
Messiah
expected or not, #Mt 11:3-5. Now these were done in
obedience to
his Father; he gave him those works to finish,
and because
they were done by his direction, and in his
name, and by
his authority, they are called the works of his
Father, #Joh
5:36 10:25,37. And yet these are no part of
that
obedience by which men are made righteous; these were
done to
answer the above ends; and they are recorded, that
we might
believe in the Son of God, and in his
righteousness;
but, as Dr. Goodwin observes {1}, they are
not
ingredients in that righteousness in which we believe.
3b2. His
obedience in the ministration of the gospel: he had from
God his mission
and commission to preach the gospel; he was
qualified for
it as man, through the unction of the Holy
Spirit;
he was sent of God to preach to this and the other
city; to
these and the other people: he became the minister
of the
circumcision, or a minister to the circumcised Jews;
both for the
truth and faithfulness of God, to confirm the
promises made
to the fathers; and in obedience to the will
of
God, who gave him a commandment what he should say, and
what he should
speak; and accordingly he said and spoke what
was delivered
to him; not his own doctrine, but his
Father's, in
which he sought, not his own, but his glory;
and so showed
himself to be true, and no unrighteousness in
him,
#Ro 15:8 Joh 8:28 12:49,50 7:16-18. But now it was not
his faithful
execution of this his prophetic office, nor of
the whole of
his office as Mediator, which is the obedience
or
righteousness by which a sinner is justified; for though
it is the
righteousness of the Mediator; yet not the
fidelity
and righteousness he exercised in the execution of
his office,
is that by which men are justified. Nor,
3b3. His
obedience to the ceremonial law, which he was under,
as has been
shown; and to which he yielded obedience; of
which
many instances have been given; but this is no part of
our
justifying righteousness; for the greater number of
those that
are made righteous by Christ's obedience, were
never under
this law; and so under no obligation to yield
obedience to
it; nor their surety for them. But,
3b4. It is
Christ's obedience to the moral law, which he was
under, and to
which he was obedient throughout his life,
unto death;
and is what all men are subject, and ought to be
obedient to;
and for lack of which obedience, Christ has
yielded
a perfect one, in the room and stead of his people;
concerning
which may be observed, his qualifications and
capacity for
it, his actual performance of it, and the
excellency of
his obedience, whereby it appears to have
answered the end
and design of it.
3b4a. First,
The qualifications and capacity of Christ to yield
perfect
obedience to the law.
3b4a1. His
assumption of human nature, which was necessary to his
obedience:
as God he could not obey; he therefore took upon
him a nature
in which he could be subject to God, and yield
obedience to
him; and which was fit and proper to be done in
that nature
in which disobedience had been committed.
3b4a2.
He was made under the law, for this purpose; which has
been
particularly explained and enlarged on.
3b4a3. He had
a pure and holy nature, quite conformable to the
pure, holy,
and righteous law of God; clear of all irregular
affections,
desires, motions, or lusts; is called, "the holy
Thing",
said to be "without spot or blemish", harmless and
undefiled;
entirely free from both original and actual
transgression,
and so fit for pure and perfect obedience to
be performed
in it.
3b4a4. Was
possessed of a power of free will to that which is
holy, just,
and good, agreeable to the law of God. In the
state of
innocence the will of man was free to that which is
good only: in
man fallen, his will is only free to that
which
is evil: in a man regenerate, there being two
principles in
him, there is a will to that which is good,
and a will to
that which is evil; so that he cannot do
oftentimes
what he would: but the human will of Christ was
entirely free
to that which is good; and as he had a will
and
power to do, so he always did the things which pleased
his Father.
3b4a5. He had
a natural love to righteousness, and an hatred of
sin, #Ps 45:7
and from this principle flowed an entire
conformity
to the law, throughout the whole of his life, and
all the
actions of it.
3b4b.
Secondly, His actual performance of it; for as he came to
fulfil it, he
has fulfilled it; and is become the end of it,
for
righteousness, to everyone that believes. The moral law
consists of
two tables; and is reduced, by Christ, to two
points, love
to God, and love to our neighbour; and both have
been exactly
observed and obeyed by Christ.
3b4b1.
The first table of the law; which includes,
3b4b1a. Love
to God; "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all
thy
heart", &c. #Mt 22:37,38 and which was never obeyed and
fulfilled to
such perfection and purity as by Christ; and
which
he has fully shown by his regard to the whole will of
his Father,
to all his commands, even to the laying down of
his life for
men; and therefore voluntarily went forth to
meet the
prince of this world in the garden, and deliver up
himself into
the hands of his emissaries, in order to suffer
and
die, according to his Father's will; hence he said,
"That
the world may know that I love the Father---Arise,
let us go
hence", #Joh 14:31.
3b4b1b. Faith
and trust in God; for to believe God, and to
believe
in him, is to have him before us, as the law
requires:
Christ very early exercised faith and hope on him
as his God;
even when he was upon his mother's breasts; and
when in the
midst of his enemies, and in suffering
circumstances,
he expressed the strongest degree of
confidence
in him; "The Lord God will help me, therefore I
shall not be
ashamed", #Ps 22:9,10 Isa 50:7-9.
3b4b1c. The
whole worship of God; not only internal, which lies
in the exercise
of faith, hope, love, &c. just observed; but
external,
as prayer and praise; both which Christ was often
in the
exercise of, #Lu 6:12 10:21 and who not only directed
to the
worship and service of God, and of him only; but set
an example by
his constant attendance on public worship on
sabbath days;
and he showed his regard to it, by inveighing
against
all innovations in it, the doctrines, traditions,
and
commandments of men, as vain and superstitious; and by
resenting
every degree of profanation, even of the place of
public
worship, #Mt 4:10 13:54 15:3,6,9 21:12,13.
3b4b1d.
Honour and reverence of the name of God; and though
Christ
himself was dishonoured by men, he was careful to
honour his
God and Father, and not take his name in vain; "I
honour my
Father", says he, "and ye dishonour me". With what
reverence
does he address him in his prayer; saying, "Holy
Father,
and righteous Father?" see #Joh 8:49 17:11,25.
3b4b1e.
Sanctification of the sabbath; for though Christ was
charged with
breaking it, by doing acts of mercy on it;
which he
vindicated, and so cleared himself from the
aspersion
of his enemies; yet he was constant in the
observation
of it for religious service; it was his constant
custom to go
to the synagogue on sabbath days, and there
either hear
or read the scriptures, and expound them,
#Lu 4:16,31.
3b4b2. The
second table of the law; which includes,
3b4b2a.
Honouring of parents, and obedience to them; the first
commandment
with promise, and the first in this table; and
which,
how it was observed by Christ, both in youth and
manhood, has
been remarked already; see #Lu 2:51 and in
which he was
a pattern to others of filial obedience.
3b4b2b. Love
to our neighbour as one's self, and which is the
second
commandment, and like to the first, #Mt 22:39. And
this was
never fulfilled by any as by Christ; who has shown
the greatest
love, pity, and compassion, both to the bodies
and souls of
men: greater love hath no man, than what he has
expressed to
men, by suffering and dying for them, and
working
out their salvation, #Joh 15:13.
3b4b2c. Doing
all good to men the law requires: and no injury to
the persons
and properties of men, which that forbids; and
which Christ
punctually observed: he went about continually
from
place to place, doing good to the bodies of men, by
healing all
manner of diseases; and to the souls of men, by
preaching
wholesome doctrine to them: nor did he ever, in
one single
instance, do any injury to the person of any man,
by striking,
smiting, or killing; nor to the property any
one;
he did "no violence", committed no act of rapine or
robbery, or
took away any man's substance by fraud or force,
#Ac 10:38 Isa
53:9.
3b4b2d. As
all malice, impurity, and evil concupiscence, are
forbidden
in this table of the law; none of these appeared in
Christ; no,
not the least shadow of them; no malice
prepense, nor
hatred of any man's person; no unchaste
desires,
looks, words, and actions; no evil covetousness, or
lust after
what is another's; nor after any worldly riches
and
grandeur: so that the law, in both its tables, was
precisely
obeyed by him.
3b4c.
Thirdly, The obedience which Christ yielded to the law, has
these
peculiar excellencies in it.
3b4c1. It was
voluntary; he freely offered himself to become man,
to be made
under the law, and yield obedience to it; or, in
other words,
to do the will of God; saying, "Lo, I come to
do thy will,
O God!" and when he was come, it was meat and
drink;
or, he took as much delight and pleasure in doing the
will and work
of God, and went about it as willingly and as
cheerfully,
as a man does in eating and drinking, #Heb 10:7
#Joh 4:34.
3b4c2.
It is perfect and complete; there is no command but what
Christ
inviolably kept; no one, in anyone instance, was
broken by
him; "He did no sin": whatever was commanded, he
did; and
whatever was forbidden, he avoided: hence those
that are
justified by his obedience and righteousness, are
all
fair, without spot, perfectly comely through his
comeliness
put upon them.
3b4c3. It
excels the obedience of men and angels; not only the
obedience and
righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees,
who
pretended to a strict observance of the law, but of the
most truly righteous
persons; for "there is not a just man
upon earth,
that does good and sinneth not", #Ec 7:20. But
Christ did
all that was good, without sin: the obedience and
holiness of
angels is chargeable with folly, in comparison
of
the purity and holiness of God: but the obedience and
righteousness
of Christ is without any blemish, weakness, or
imperfection.
3b4c4. It was
wrought out in the room and stead of his people; he
obeyed
the law, and satisfied it in all its demands, that
the righteousness
of it might be fulfilled in them, or for
them, in him,
as their head and representative; hence he,
being the end
of the law for righteousness unto them, it is
unto them,
and comes upon them.
3b4c5. It is
the measure and matter of the justification of them
that believe
in him; "By the obedience of one shall many be
made
righteous", #Ro 5:19 that is, by the imputation of this
obedience, or
righteousness, unto them; see #1Co 1:30
3b4c6. It is
an obedience well pleasing in the sight of God;
because
voluntary, perfect, superior excellency, performed in
the room and
stead of his people, and by which they are
justified.
God is well pleased with his Son, and with his
people,
considered in him; and with his righteousness and
obedience
imputed to them; because by it the law is
magnified and
made honourable; Christ always did the things
which pleased
his Father; his obedience, in all the parts of
it,
is acceptable to him; and so are his people on account
of it, in
whose room and stead it was performed; this is
what is
commonly called the active obedience of Christ,
which he
performed in life, agreeable to the precepts of the
law.
{1} Works, vol. 3. part 3. p.
336.