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Scripture Reading: 1 Tim. 2:5; John 1:1, 14; Matt. 1:21-23; Isa. 9:6
Beginning with this chapter, we will have four chapters on the truth of the gospel. When a person first receives the gospel, he usually is not very clear concerning the truth of the gospel. Therefore, after preaching the gospel, we need to declare the clear truth of the gospel to those who have believed so that they may truly know the gospel. When they are clear about the truth of the gospel, the salvation of the Lord that they have received will be clearer.
The most important thing to know concerning the gospel is who Jesus is, because Jesus is the center of the gospel. Without the Lord Jesus, there would be no gospel. The meaning of the word gospel is “glad tidings.” These tidings are blessed because they tell us about our Savior. Without the Savior these tidings would not be a matter of blessing. We need to know the Savior who is spoken of in the gospel. If we do not know who He is, it will be very difficult for us to understand the truth of the gospel.
The Savior spoken of in the Bible is truly wonderful. The Bible even says, “His name will be called / Wonderful” (Isa. 9:6), because He is so wonderful. He is wonderful in His being, that is, in what He is, in who He is, and in what He does. We need to spend time to see who He is because He is such a wonderful Savior.
Throughout the last two thousand years of human history, many have studied Jesus. Even when Jesus was on the earth, the disciples who followed Him were studying Him, and even though they were with Him for three and a half years, they still did not understand who He really was. The Lord Jesus even asked His disciples, “Who do men say that the Son of Man is?” (Matt. 16:13). They responded, saying, “Some, John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets” (v. 14). These opinions showed that many did not know who He was.
Throughout the generations historians have studied Jesus, but many people still do not know who Jesus really is. Even when people look in secular books, they can find many different views about Him. One early Chinese dictionary says that Jesus is merely the founder of the Christian religion. Later versions speak of Him as a revolutionary in Judaism, and other dictionaries say that Jesus is a Western saint. These different views show that it is not easy to know who Jesus is. In spite of this, almost everyone is willing to admit that Jesus is a special and extraordinary person. Over the last two thousand years of history, it is difficult to find another person who is more revered or respected. Countless people on earth praise the excellence of Jesus. His wonderful excellence is related to who He is.
In order for us to know the Lord Jesus, we must consider the matter of sovereignty in the universe; that is, we must speak of God in the universe. When we use the word God, we understand this to mean that God is the unique sovereign Lord in the universe; this is the highest denotation of the word God in the Chinese language. In order for us to know the Lord Jesus, we must know the sovereign Lord in the universe. The sovereign Lord in the universe is God. In the universe there is only one God. While this is clearly spoken of in the Bible, the principles and laws of the universe also point to this.
If we look at hundreds and thousands of different matters and things in the universe, we will realize that this universe is in harmony because it is one in nature. Many scientists have considered whether the universe is monistic or dualistic in nature. After much study, the majority of scientists conclude that the universe is monistic in nature. Even though there are myriads of matters and things in the universe, the universe is one because everything is altogether in oneness, not in confusion. This oneness proves that the universe is monistic in nature. For example, when a country has two governments, there will be confusion rather than oneness, and if a city has two mayors, there will be confusion because there is a dual government. When there is only one administration, confusion is avoided. Hence, a country has only one government, and a city has only one mayor.
The entire universe is governed by this principle of oneness. The principles and laws of the universe are not in confusion but in order. The administration of the universe is monistic in nature, and this monistic administration proves that there is only one God. If there were two Gods, there would be two sovereign Lords, and with two sovereign Lords, there would be two administrations, two sources. If the universe were dualistic in nature, I am afraid that it would not be safe to live on the earth. Many scientists have shown that the distance between the earth and the sun is just right for human existence. If the earth was just a little closer or just a little farther from the sun, it would be impossible for human beings to exist on the earth. This order in the universe proves that the universe is one.
There is only one God in the universe because the administration of the universe is one. If we extend this logic to all the matters in the universe, whether big or small, the same principle applies. For example, there can be only one leader in a country. No country in the world has two leaders. Whether the leader is a king, a president, or called by another title, there can be only one leader. There can be only one father in a family. If a family has two fathers, this would be a serious problem. Likewise, there can be only one principal in a school. There can be only one general manager in a company. This is an unchangeable principle. These examples illustrate the principle that there is one sovereign Lord in the universe.
It would be terrible if there were many sovereign Lords in the universe, because everyone could be God. If a Chang could be God, then a Lee can also be God, and a Wang and a Liu can be God as well. This would be terrible. If everyone in the universe is God, the universe would be in utter chaos. Thankfully, there are not many Gods in the universe. There is not a God who has a last name of Chang or a God who has a last name of Lee. In the universe there is only one God, the sovereign Lord, the Creator of the universe. Today mankind is building spaceships to go to the moon. Even though landing on the moon would be a marvelous matter, it would not change the fact that God is the sovereign Lord. God created the sun, the moon, the heavens, and the earth. This wonderful universe came into being through Him, not through any human being.
We should also consider our wonderful body. Many biologists, medical experts, and chemists have endeavored to study the human body, but in the end their studies produce more questions than answers. I once asked a medical expert what is missing in the body of a dead human in comparison to the body of a living person. He said that the same elements that are in a living body are present in a dead body. So then I asked, “Why does a man die? Something must be missing after he dies.” He said, “The only difference is that a living person can breathe.” When I pressed him for a further explanation, he could only say that more research was needed. If we do not fully understand our own body, how could we be God?
Even our lack of understanding of the human brain shows that we are not qualified to be God. We do not know how many hairs are upon our head or how many cells are in our body. If we do not know even these things about ourselves, it is foolish to think that we could be equal to the sovereign Lord in the universe. Only the Creator and Administrator of the universe can be the sovereign Lord and God. Only He is God, and in the universe there is only one unique God.
What is the relationship between Jesus and God? This is a wonderful question. Although the existence of one sovereign God in the universe can be inferred from the things in the universe and the order in the universe, no man has ever seen God. Nevertheless, we should not think that something does not exist if we cannot see it. Science has become so advanced that everyone knows that our physical eyes cannot see many things that actually exist. For example, we cannot see radio waves in the air, but we know that these waves exist because they can be heard with a radio. Likewise, we cannot see the electricity that powers a fan. Consequently, everyone realizes that many things exist beyond our ability to see with our eyes.
Nevertheless, it is hard for many to accept the fact that God exists, because He cannot be seen. However, the Bible says that one day the sovereign Lord in the universe, the one God, the unique God, became flesh; God became a man (John 1:1, 14). He was manifested in the flesh (1 Tim. 3:16). He emptied Himself, becoming in the likeness of men (Phil. 2:7). The One who was abstract became embodied in a human being, Jesus Christ.
In our consideration of radio waves, it is clear that the radio waves, which are being broadcast by radio stations, are abstract and intangible. However, when we turn on a radio, the waves in the air are received and even “embodied” for our ears. Although we cannot see them with our eyes, our ears can hear them. When abstract radio waves are received by a radio, they are embodied, or we can say that they are manifested. When they become embodied and manifested, people can hear and understand them.
According to our limited human feeling, God is too abstract, and we have no way to feel Him, see Him, or touch Him. In order for man to touch Him, to contact Him, to be able to know Him, and to understand Him, God emptied Himself and was embodied in a man. The infinite God of the universe became a wonderful man named Jesus.
As far as outward appearance is concerned, a radio is only a wooden box, but a radio is different from other wooden boxes because it can receive radio waves. It can receive radio waves that convey many different languages, such as English, Japanese, Taiwanese, and Mandarin. We can also hear many different kinds of sounds, such as the sound of a piano, the sound of singing, the voice of a man, or the voice of a woman. All these different sounds manifest the radio waves that are received by the wooden box.
In all human history, there has been only one man who was more than a mere man. Jesus is something very wonderful. He is a man, yet He is also the incarnated God who became flesh. The Lord Jesus is God incarnate as a man. Jesus Christ is the God who created the universe. He is God, and God is in Him. When the universe was created, He was God. However, when He became flesh, God entered into man and put on humanity.
The putting on of humanity is like the putting on of clothes. When a baby comes out of his mother’s womb, he is not wearing a suit; only his human body can be seen. Very quickly, however, some clothes are put on the baby, and then a different expression is manifested. Instead of seeing the color of his skin, we see the color of his clothes. Before the Lord Jesus was clothed with humanity through incarnation, He was God. But through incarnation He entered into man and put on humanity. God put on humanity just as man puts on clothing. When people saw Jesus, they saw a man, but inwardly He was also God. The Lord Jesus was in the likeness of men and was found in fashion as a man because He put on humanity through incarnation (vv. 7-8). When He became a man, He did not cease to be God; instead, He became God in humanity. When a person puts on clothes, he does not cease to be a man; rather, he becomes a man in clothes.
Jesus Christ is God putting on humanity. Jesus Christ is the sovereign Lord, the Creator of the universe, who entered into humanity to be a man. Hence, as a man, He is truly man; as God, He is truly God. He is man, and He is God. When He was born in the city of Bethlehem, He was born of a human virgin called Mary. Although many people celebrate Christmas to remember the birth of Jesus, many do not know the significance of His birth. The real significance is that God became a man to be among men.
Although He is a man, He is also God. This fact is seen in the wonderful words of the Bible: “She will bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for it is He who will save His people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21). Verse 23 then says, “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel.” Jesus means “Jehovah the Savior,” and Emmanuel means “God with us.” The child who was born of a virgin was God coming to be man’s Savior and also God entering into man to be with man. Although outwardly He appeared to be only a man, He was God with man. The Old Testament speaks of this in Isaiah 9:6: “A child is born to us, / A Son is given to us; /...And His name will be called / Wonderful Counselor, / Mighty God, / Eternal Father, / Prince of Peace.” The child who was born in a manger in Bethlehem was the mighty God, the eternal Father; He was the sovereign Lord in the universe. In this child was the source, the Father, of the universe. In other words, He was the eternal Father, the mighty God.
During the thirty-three and a half years that He lived on the earth, the Lord Jesus manifested both His divinity and His humanity. In His humanity He was the same as all men: He became hungry when He did not eat, He became thirsty when He did not drink, He slept when He was tired, and He shed tears when He was sad. He was exactly the same as man because He truly put on humanity. In the many different situations that He encountered, He manifested His divinity. He could calm the winds and the sea, command demons, and cause the blind to see, the lame to walk, the dumb to speak, and the deaf to hear. He could raise men from the dead, and He knew the intentions within men’s heart because He was the omnipotent and omniscient God. This wonderful One was truly God yet man and man yet God.
If we want to know God, we need to look at Jesus; if we want to know man, we also need to look at Jesus. In Him we see the true God; in Him we see a real man. If we want to know God, we must know the Lord Jesus; if we want to know man, we also must know the Lord Jesus. He is truly a man, and He is truly God. In Him God and man are mingled as one. This Jesus, whom we preach as our Savior, is the sovereign Lord in the universe, the God who created all things, who has become a man. On one hand, He is man, and on the other hand, He is God.
At the end of His thirty-three and a half years on earth, Jesus died on the cross. His death is related to His flesh, to His being a man. If He had not become flesh, there would have been no way for Him to be put to death on the cross, and He could not have sacrificed His body or shed His precious blood for us. He was able to give up His body and shed His blood because He became a man and put on humanity; He died on the cross for us with a body of flesh and blood. Then three days after His death, He resurrected. His resurrection involved more than just His spirit; He was resurrected bodily. When He died, His physical body was hung on the cross. When He was buried, His physical body was laid in a tomb, and when He rose on the third day, His physical body was resurrected. More than His spirit and soul came out from Hades because He was resurrected with a body.
When the Lord came to the disciples after His resurrection, they were frightened and thought that they had seen a spirit. He said to them, “See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you behold Me having” (Luke 24:39). After saying this, He showed them His hands and His feet and said, “Do you have anything here to eat? And they handed Him a piece of broiled fish; and He took it and ate before them” (vv. 41-43). When the Lord Jesus resurrected, He still had a human body, but this body was transformed. Before His crucifixion His body was a body of humiliation, a body that was limited and restricted by time and space, but after His resurrection His body was a glorified body, a body that was unlimited and unrestricted by time and space.
Today it is difficult for us to understand much about His glorified body. However, the Gospel of John illustrates this matter when it speaks of a grain of wheat falling into the ground and dying (12:24). When a grain of wheat is planted into the ground, its outer shell decomposes, and then a new sprout of wheat comes forth from the earth. This sprouting is the resurrection of the seed. In its sprouting, even the outward form of the grain of wheat changes. Initially, it was yellow in color, but it comes forth as a green shoot. This process of transformation can be seen in a butterfly also. A butterfly is originally an ugly caterpillar, but after being transformed in the “tomb” of its cocoon, it becomes a beautiful butterfly. This is also an illustration of death and resurrection.
The human body that Jesus put on when He became flesh was a body of humiliation; it had no outward comeliness or beauty (Isa. 53:2). After His death and resurrection, however, His glorified body was without limitation. Even though His body was glorified, it still was a human body with the human nature. After His resurrection He was still God and still man, just as He was both God and man when He became flesh through incarnation before His resurrection. In His incarnation He was still God even though He became a man. After His death and resurrection He was still man even though He had been transformed, had entered into glory, and was manifested as the mighty God. When He became a man, He was still God with the divine nature, and after He manifested Himself as God in His resurrection, He was still a man with the human nature. This is our Savior. He is still the sovereign Lord who created and governs all things, and He is still a man who passed through death and resurrection to bring man into glory. As such a God-man, He is both God and man. He is God yet man, man yet God. This is our Savior.
We need to see these three stages. In the first stage God created all things and governed all things, and all things were out from Him. Nevertheless, as the sovereign Lord in the universe, He had no relationship with man. In the second stage God put on humanity and lived on the earth for thirty-three and a half years. Even though He put on flesh through incarnation to become a lowly man, He did not cease to be God. In the third stage this incarnated God in humanity died and resurrected to bring His human body into glory and to manifest Himself as the God of glory. Although He is the God of glory, He still has humanity. In glory God and man now are mingled together; divinity has been fully mingled with humanity. This is the mingling of man with God as one in God’s glory. This is our Savior. This is the One in whom we believe today. He created the universe; He rules over all things. He also died on the cross to bear our sins. Then He resurrected from the dead with both His divinity and His humanity, having a glorified human body, to be man’s living Savior.
This is the One whom we preach, this is the One in whom we believe, this is the One whom we worship, and this is the One on whom we call day by day. He is a great and glorious Lord. He cannot be compared to animals that people often worship, nor can other idols or so-called gods be compared to Him. God, the sovereign Lord, has become our Savior. He is so glorious. He is the One who created the universe and the One who rules the universe. He is the One who created all humans and the One who redeems repentant sinners. He is God entering into man; He put on humanity to become a man and to bring man to God. He is God, and He is also man. He possesses humanity in order to be man’s Savior and the Lord of all. This is the Lord whom we preach, whom we believe in, whom we petition, and whom we worship.
I believe we all can understand that the Lord Jesus is the sovereign Lord, the God who created and rules the heavens and the earth, who became a man to mingle God with man, and who died on the cross and resurrected to bring man into God. He is God yet man, and He is our Savior. We believe in Him, and we worship Him. This is a glorious matter. We can believe in, worship, and call on such a Savior. He is the wonder of wonders. His name is truly Wonderful. He is the almighty God, but He is also God with man.
