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The Holiness of Jesus Christ
(1) The
Fact of Christ’s Holiness
Acts 4:27,
30—“For
of a truth against thy
holy child Jesus, whom
thou hast anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the
people of Israel, were gathered together. By stretching forth thine hand to
heal; and what signs and wonders may be done by the name of the
holy
child Jesus.”
Mark 1:24—“Saying,
Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? Art thou
come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the
Holy One of God.”
Luke 4:34—“Saying.
Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? Art thou
come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art; the
Holy One of God.”
Acts 3:14—“But
ye denied the Holy One
and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you.”
1 Jno. 2:20—“For
ye have an unction from the
Holy One,
and ye know all things.”
FIRST PROPOSITION:
Jesus Christ is Holy, absolutely Holy. He is “The Holy One.”
Note.—In
the Old Testament it is Jehovah God who is called the Holy One. Jehovah is
called “The Holy One of Israel” about thirty times in Isaiah. (Compare Lecture
on the Holiness of God.)
(2) What
Does Holy Mean?
Lev. 11:43–45—“Ye
shall not make yourselves abominable with any creeping thing that creepeth,
neither shall ye make yourselves unclean with them,
that ye should be defiled
thereby. For I am the
Lord
your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves and ye shall be holy; for I
am holy; neither shall ye
defile yourselves with
any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. For I am the
Lord
that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt to be your God: ye shall
therefore be holy,
for I am holy.”
Deut. 23:14—“For
the
Lord
thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp, to deliver thee, and to give up
thine enemies before thee; therefore
shall thy camp be
holy: that he see no unclean thing
in thee, and turn away from thee.” (Study context.)
Holy means
free from defilement. To say that
Christ is absolutely holy, is to say that He is absolutely pure.
(Compare 1 Jno. 3:3—“Every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself,
even as he is pure.”)
Note the many ways in which the Bible brings out this
absolute purity of Christ:
Heb. 7:26,
R. V.—“For such a high priest became us
holy, guileless, undefiled,
separated from sinners,
and made higher than the heavens.”
Heb. 9:14,
R. V.—“How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the Eternal Spirit
offered himself without
blemish unto God, cleanse
your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”
1 Pet. 1:19—“But
with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb
without blemish and without spot.”
1 Jno. 3:5—“And
ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and
in him is no sin.”
2 Cor. 5:21—“For
he hath made him to be sin for us, who
knew no sin;
that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
Heb. 4:15—“For
we have not a high priest which cannot betouched with the feeling of our
infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet
without sin.”
1 Jno. 3:3—“And
every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as
he is pure.”
SECOND PROPOSITION:
The Bible multiplies expressions and figures to produce an adequate conception
of the absolute holiness or moral purity of Christ. Nothing in nature with
which to compare it except light.
1 Jno. 1:5—“This
then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God
is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” (Compare
Jno. 8:12—“Then
spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that
followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”)
The
dazzling white light that glorified the face and garments of
Jesus on the Mount of
Transfiguration (Matt. 17:2; Luke 9:29) was the outshining of the moral purity
within.
(3) How
the Holiness of Jesus Christ Manifested Itself
(a)
Heb. 1:9—“Thou
hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity;
therefore God, even thy God, hath
anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.”
FIRST PROPOSITION:
The Holiness of Jesus Christ manifested itself in a love of righteousness and
hatred of iniquity.
It is not enough to love righteousness; iniquity must be
hated as well. On the other hand it is not enough to hate iniquity;
righteousness must be loved as well. There are those who profess to love
righteousness, but they do not seem to hate iniquity. They are strong in
applauding right, but not equally strong in denouncing evil. There are also
those who profess to hate sin, but they do not seem to love righteousness.
They are strong in denouncing evil, but not equally strong in applauding
right. Jesus Christ’s holiness
was full-orbed as well as spotless; he loved righteousness and hated iniquity.
(b)
1 Pet. 2:22—“Who
did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth.”
Jno. 8:29—“And
he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always
those things that please him.”
Matt. 17:5—“While
he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out
of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased;
hear ye him.” (Compare
Jno. 12:49—“For
I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a
commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.”)
SECOND PROPOSITION:
The Holiness of Jesus Christ manifested itself in deed and word;
Negatively, in His never doing
sin or speaking falsehood; Positively,
in His always doing what was pleasing to God and always speaking the things
which pleased God.
The holiness of
Jesus manifested itself not merely negatively in not doing nor speaking
wrong, but positively also in speaking all that God desired, all that was
right to do or speak. A full manifestation of holiness does not consist merely
in doing nothing wrong, but in doing all that is right.
(c)
Heb. 4:15—“For
we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our
infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”
THIRD PROPOSITION:
The Holiness of Jesus manifested itself in constant and never-failing victory
over temptation. It was not merely the negative innocence that results from
being shielded from contact with evil, but the positive holiness that meets
evil and overcomes it.
(d)
The entire Sermon on the Mount (Matt.
5–7), especially
Matt. 5:48—“Be
ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”
FOURTH PROPOSITION:
The Holiness of Jesus Christ manifested itself in demanding absolute
perfection of His disciples and refusing any compromise with evil.
(e)
Matt. 23:13—“But
woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of
heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them
that are entering to go in.”
Matt. 16:23—“But
he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offense
unto me: for thou savorest not the things that be of God, but those that be of
men.”
Jno. 4:17,
18—“The
woman answered and said, I have no husband.
Jesus
said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband: For thou hast had five
husbands; and he who thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou
truly.”
Matt. 23:33—“Ye
serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?”
FIFTH PROPOSITION:
The Holiness of Jesus Christ manifested itself in the stern and scathing
rebuke of sinners.
(f)
1 Pet. 2:24—“Who
in his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead
to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.”
1 Pet. 3:18—“For
Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he
might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the
Spirit.”
2 Cor. 5:21—“For
he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the
righteousness of God in him.” (Cf.
Jno. 10:17,
18—“Therefore
doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it
again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to
lay it down and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I
received of my Father.”)
Phil. 2:6–8—“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, and
was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he
humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”
Gal. 3:13—“Christ
hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: For it
is written, cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.”
SIXTH PROPOSITION:
The Holiness of Jesus Christ manifested itself in His making the greatest
sacrifice in His power to save others from the sin He hated and to the
righteousness He loved.
This was the crowning manifestation of His holiness. He so
hated sin and loved righteousness that He was not only willing to die rather
than sin Himself, but even to give up His Divine glory, and be made in fashion
as a man, and die the death of a malefactor, and be rejected of man and
separated from God, that others might not sin.
He was willing to make any sacrifice to do away with sin.
(g)
Matt. 25:31,
32,
41—“When
the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then
shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered
all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd
divideth his sheep from the goats: Then shall he say also unto them on the
left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the
devil and his angels.”
2 Thess. 1:7–9—“And
to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed
from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them
that know now God, and they that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the
Lord, and from the glory of his power.”
SEVENTH PROPOSITION:
The Holiness of Jesus Christ will manifest itself in the awful, irrevocable
punishment of those who refuse to be separated from their sin.
He died to separate men whom He loves from sin which He
hates. If men refuse this separation, He leaves them to their self-chosen
partnership and the doom which it involves. Men talk much of the holiness of
God and love of Jesus, but
Jesus is just as holy as God,
and God is just as loving as Jesus.
(Jno. 3:16; Eph. 2:4, 5.) In this as in all else
Jesus and the Father are one. (Jno.
10:30.)
Let us remember that first of all our Saviour is Holy.
Until we have an adequate conception of His Holiness we can have no adequate
conception of His love.
(4) Witnesses
to the Holiness of Jesus Christ
(a)
Acts 3:14—“But
ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto
you.”—Peter.
(b)
1 Jno. 3:5—“And
ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.”—John.
(c)
2 Cor. 5:21—“For
he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might he made the
righteousness of God in him.”—Paul.
(d)
Acts 4:27—“For
of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod,
and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the People of Israel, were gathered
together.”—The whole
Apostolic Company in Concert.
(e)
Acts 22:14—“And
he said, the God of our Fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldst know his
will, and see that Just One, and shouldst hear the voice of his mouth.”—Ananias.
(f)
Luke 23:41—“And
we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man
hath done nothing amiss.”—The
Dying Thief.
(g)
Luke 23:47—“Now
when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this
was a righteous man.”—The
Roman Centurion.
(h)
Matt. 27:19—“When
he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have
thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this
day in a dream because of him.”—Pilate’s
Wife.
(i)
Jno. 18:38—“Pilate
saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again
unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find no fault in him at all.”
Jno. 19:4,
6—“Pilate
therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to
you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him. When the chief priests
therefore and officers saw him, they cried out, saying, Crucify him, crucify
him. Pilate saith unto them, Take ye him, and crucify him: for I find no fault
in him.”—Pilate, himself,
three times.
(j)
Matt. 27:3,
4—“Then
Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned repented
himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests
and elders, saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent
blood.”—Judas Iscariot.
(k)
Mark 1:23,
24—“And
there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out,
saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth?
Art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.” —The
Unclean Spirit.
(l)
Jno. 8:46—
“Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not
believe me?”
Jno. 14:30—
“Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh,
and hath nothing in me.”—Jesus
himself.
(m)
Jno. 16:8,
10—“And
when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and
of judgment: Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no
more.” —The Holy Spirit.
(n)
Heb. 1:8,
9—“But
unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of
righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness,
and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the
oil of gladness above thy fellows.”
Matt. 17:5—“While
he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out
of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased;
hear ye him.”—God the
Father.
Torrey, R. A. (1898). What the Bible teaches a thorough and comprehensive study of what the Bible has to say concerning the great doctrines of which it treats (97). New York, Chicago [etc.: Fleming H. Revell company. |
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