Chapter V.
The Exaltation of the Redeemer.

When the Saviour had "given up the ghost" on the cross of agony and shame, and the grave had closed over his lifeless remains, his enemies triumphed in the thought that he who had been the object of their hatred and envy, would trouble them no more, and his followers mourned over the prostration of their hopes in sadness and despair. But the wonderful work was then completed which laid the foundation of his future glory, and the deadly blow was then struck which laid prostrate for ever the power of his foes. When he had endured the cross, and had been laid in the grave, his work of humiliation was at an end. The penalty due to man's transgression was fully borne; the law's demand, whether for suffering or for service, was amply fulfilled; Jehovah's government of the rational creation was honoured and confirmed; justice and mercy rejoiced together in the atonement that had been wrought. The poisoned fangs of the serpent had wounded the heel of the woman's seed; but "the teeth of the ungodly" were broken, and the destroyer's head was "bruised." Death had triumphed over the noblest victim its terrible dart had ever pierced, and the grave had gloried over the noblest prisoner its bars had ever confined; but by submitting to the stroke of death, and to the imprisonment of the tomb, the Saviour triumphed over those whose victim he had been; death was deprived of its sting, and the grave of its victory. Having descended to the very lowest depth of that abyss of wo, which to created conception, and created endurance, is "the bottomless pit," the Redeemer thereby acquired a claim to reward, by which he was borne upward to the pinnacle of glory, and through his deep degradation has become entitled to sit on the throne of the Majesty on high.

The various steps of this exaltation we shall now proceed to enumerate.

Jesus rose from the dead.—While Christians commemorate the death of the Redeemer, and make it the subject of frequent discourse and meditation, they seem in some measure to forget the importance of keeping continually before them the doctrine of Scripture in reference to his resurrection. His death is the great foundation of all our faith and hope; but it is his resurrection that effectually proves to us the value and efficiency of the sufferings which he endured. "He was delivered for our offences, and he was raised again for our justification," (Rom. iv. 45.)

The Scripture narrative informs us, that in the morning of the third day after he had been laid in the tomb, "as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. And, behold, there was a great earthquake; for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: and for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. And the angel answered and said to the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here; for he is risen, as he said." Amidst these manifestations of heavenly power, the Redeemer arose, and though it would appear that no human eye was permitted to witness the scene, he afterwards appeared to his disciples, and, "by many infallible proofs," gave them evidence of the reality of his resurrection.

When Jesus died, his soul, dissevered from his mortal form, departed to the abode of the dead, and his lifeless remain were laid in the tomb. When he arose, the spirit returned again from its sojourn in the realms of darkness, and was reunited to his bodily frame, and he appeared to his disciples, in form and feature the same as they had seen him before. Scripture does not inform us what change his death and resurrection had made upon him. The weaknesses of our fallen nature had passed away; sorrow and suffering were to be endured no more; but anything further we cannot affirm. At the same time, the description given of his sudden appearance in the midst of his disciples when the doors were shut, and of his "vanishing out of their sight," while no mention is made of his dwelling amongst them, as he was wont to do, or of his passing a night in their company, would almost lead us to suppose that his bodily frame had been transformed into that "spiritual body," of which the Apostle speaks in the Epistle to the Corinthians, though its outward appearance continued unchanged, in order to encourage his disciples to approach him without fear.

This resurrection of the Redeemer is represented as having been effected by the united and harmonious work of all the persons in the Godhead. The Saviour said, "I have power to lay down my life, and I have power to take it again," (John x. 15.) We are also told, that he was "put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit," (1 Pet. iii. 18.) It is said again, "Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly; not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead," (Acts x. 40.)

The resurrection of Christ, after he had died as the surety for men, is referred to as the evidence of the atonement having been completed and accepted. "If Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. They also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first-fruits of them that slept." The Redeemer's coming forth from the prison of the grave, is the evidence that the sinner's debt has been paid.

His rising again is moreover, a token of our restoration to favour, and leads us to expect that, as the Saviour has ascended from the grave, so, in a future time, his people shall also arise. "If we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him." "If we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection," (Rom. vi. 5.) It is also spoken of as the earnest and pledge of the glory which shall hereafter be bestowed on the Saviour: "God hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness, by that man whom he hath ordained, whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead," (Acts xvii. 31.)

He ascended up into Heaven.—After his resurrection, we are told that the Lord "gave commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen, to whom he shewed himself alive by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God." "And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands and blessed them. And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God."

He who is now seated on the right hand of the Majesty on high, is that same Jesus who walked on earth as the man of sorrows, and who died in agony on the accursed tree. Through eternity he continues to be God and man in one, and, though exalted above every name that is named in heaven above or on earth beneath, he yet retains the body and the soul of a man, and is clothed in human form, while he sits on the throne of God.

In our stead he endured the cross and descended to the grave; in our stead he bore the Father's wrath, and went down into the deepest depths of wo; and, continuing to partake of our nature, he burst the fetters that confined him, he rose from the tomb, he has ascended into heaven, and now he reigns as King over all. When the debtor sees the friend who has undertaken to be his security, come forth from the prison and walk at large, he knows that his debt has been paid. Were he to see him taken from the bar at which he had been arraigned, arrayed in the robes and seated in the chair of the judge, while he who had formerly possessed these insignia of office welcomed him as his successor, and retired to a private station, the debtor would immediately conclude, that his friendly substitute had not only paid the debt for which he became responsible, but had commended himself in a most extraordinary degree to the confidence and esteem of the judge. In like manner the believer, when he contemplates the Redeemer's exaltation as Head over all, rejoices in the thought that his glorious substitute has not only satisfied the law's demands, but has rendered it a service for which he is entitled to reward; that he has not only procured for his people pardon and peace, but an abundant claim to favour.

The Saviour has all power given to him in heaven and in earth.— "The Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all Judgment unto the Son, that all men should honour the Son even as they honour the Father; and hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man," (John v. 22, 27.)

The dominion thus conferred on the Mediator is not that which belongs to him as the eternal Son of God. That dominion is originally and inherently his own, and could not, there­fore, be spoken of as given by another. The authority now bestowed is the gift of the Father, and it is given to him as Immanuel, God and man in one.

At the same time, the dominion thus bestowed is a universal dominion. Though he who now sits on the throne be in outward form a man, and be in very deed bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh, "all power is given unto him in heaven and in earth." Those who disown his authority, and deny his name, are put under his sway, as well as those who willingly subunit to his law. Devils, trembling beneath his rod, and hating him from their inmost soul, are as completely under his rule as the angels who delight in doing his will, and who adore around his throne. That power which, of inherent right, belongs to the Great Creator, has been transferred to the Redeemer. By him the material universe is continuously sustained: he has not only earth and its inhabitants put under his feet, but he makes the sun to know his times of rising and of going down, and upholds the stars as they roll in their course. In him all the tribes of animated creation, from the reptile that crawls in the dust, to the highest seraph before the throne, "live and move and have their being." His power is absolute and unlimited; he may turn and overturn as seems to him good; he may destroy or keep alive, according to the pleasure of his will; none may stay his hand from working, or say unto him, What doest thou?

As man, upheld by the Divinity within him, he endured a load of wo, under which the highest of created intelligences would have been crushed; as man he performed a task which angels dared not attempt; and, as man, he is now exalted to be universal King, and upholdeth all things by the word of his power! Well might we exclaim, "How can these things be?" When the storm is fiercely raging, and the gallant vessel drifts before it; when the billows roll along in their terrible might, and the foaming breakers dash on the rocky shore; when the iron cable can no longer endure the strain, but snaps asunder; shall a silken thread resist the fury of the waves, and moor the stately barque? Equally incredible does it appear that a man should not only endure the wrath, but should perform the office of God as ruler and upholder of all! But if Omnipotence lends its aid, the silken thread will endure when the strength of iron fails; and "the man Christ Jesus," upheld by the indwelling power of the Son of God, now sways the sceptre of the Supreme, and holds the universe in awe.

The exaltation of the Redeemer is the appropriate reward of his humiliation and suffering.—In the passage formerly referred to, the apostle says that "he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross: wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name." And Jesus says of himself, "The Father hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man."

The authority and glory now possessed by the Redeemer have not been usurped by fraud or acquired by violence; they have been freely given. Satan is called "the prince of the power of the air," and "the god of this world;" his power, however, rests on usurpation, not in right; but the Saviour is Head over all, by the good will and pleasure of the Father. His exaltation has been conferred on him as a mark of favour and esteem. Again and again the Lord declared that with him he was well pleased. But a mere declaration, even though repeated from time to time, was not sufficient; and, therefore, as a permanent and visible token of the Divine approbation, the Lord has made him King over all.

The exaltation thus bestowed on Christ is also to be regarded as a proof of the confidence which is placed in the wisdom, power, and faithfulness of the Saviour, by the great proprietor and governor of all. Pharaoh, we are told, set Joseph over all the land of Egypt, because there was none so "discreet and wise" as he. "Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him;" and, in consistency with the ordinary maxims of prudence, it is "the faithful and wise steward whom his lord shall make ruler over his household." When we, therefore, remember that the government of the universe demands the exercise of infinite power, that the regulation of all its multitudinous concerns requires the guidance of unerring wisdom, and that the preservation of the living creatures with which it is filled requires the unwearied tenderness of boundless love, it is evident that, in giving all things into the Saviour's hand, Jehovah manifested a confidence such as could only be reposed in him who, in every perfection, was "the fellow" of "the Lord of hosts."

How different, how widely different, is the estimation in which Jesus is held by the omniscient God, from that in which he is held by man! Jehovah, tenderly interested in the welfare of His creatures, and continually solicitous for their preservation in happiness and peace, fearlessly commits the universe, the wide and mighty universe, into the Saviour's charge, while the unconverted man refuses to put in him any confidence at all, and the believer mingles distrust and hesitation with his faith. Though Jehovah regards the Redeemer as worthy to rule over all, the vast majority of men regard his offers with scorn, and the few who listen to his solicitations receive his proposals with apprehension and doubt.

The Saviour is also the Head of the Church, the Prophet, Priest, and King of those who believe in his name.—It is evident to the most careless reader of the Word of God, that while the Saviour is spoken of as the Head over all things, and has ascribed to him a "name that is above every name," he is represented as exercising another and very different dominion over the redeemed. The universe is His empire, over which he sways the sceptre of sovereign power; but the members of the spiritual Church are his family, for whom "all things work together for good." They are his "friends," his "brethren," the "members of his body," and they are one with him, as he is one with the Father.

The dominion which he possesses as King of kings has no limit or exception. Matter and mind, the living and the dead, angels blessed and demons damned, are alike put under his rule. "All the angels of God worship him," and "the devils also believe and tremble." The inhabitants of earth, whether they belong to the number of his willing people, or to the company of those that deny his name, are given into his hand, and "must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ."

On the other hand, regarded as Head of the Church, his dominion is circumscribed, his authority is limited to a few. His people are as yet feeble and despised, and are but "a little flock," though a glorious destiny be before them.

The sovereignty which he possesses, as Lord of all, is given to him by the Father, because he humbled himself, and became obedient even unto the death. It rests, as its sole foundation, on the simple and unconditional decree of God. His Headship over the Church is originally derived from the same source, that is, the decree of God; but while the Lord of all has been pleased to give him the sovereignty over creation, as a free and absolute gift, without any reference whatever to the wishes or inclinations of the subjects put under his rule, in appointing him Head of the Church, he has seen meet to make the consent of those committed to his care an essential prerequisite to the establishment of the Redeemer's authority over them. The Father declares his willingness to pardon and adopt, the Holy Spirit assures them of his readiness to sanctify and bless, and the Saviour proclaims his anxiety to redeem; but, until those to whom the offer of mercy is made are induced to accept of it, they cannot become members of Jesus' mystical body, nor can he, as Head of the Church, exercise any of his offices over them. The Redeemer beseeches and pleads; he sends his servants to persuade, and gives ordinances to instruct; but until the heart of his people be moved to agree to his proposal, he cannot act towards them as their spiritual and mystical Head.

The authority which Christ exerts over his Church is, at the same time, much more intimate and tender in its nature than that which he exercises over those who are merely his subjects as Lord over all. He is said to be the Head of his Church, and not merely Head over it. He is the "Head," his Church is the "body." He is the husband, the Church is the "bride." He is to his people their "brother," their "friend." They are "members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones." He prays for them, "that they all may be one, as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee; that they also may be one in us." They partake of all his gifts; the glory that the Father hath given him, he hath given unto them. He, for their sakes, became man,—they, for his sake, are "called gods;" he took on him human infirmity,—they, for his sake, shall be made "partakers of the divine nature;" he became "the Son of man," that they through him might become the "children of God, and if children then heirs, heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ." His dominion over his people is peculiarly and essentially a government of love. They are brought, at first, to submit to his law by the influence of persuasion, and they are kept from rebelling against him, by the renewing of the heart and the enlightening of the mind. They are bound to him by the cords of love. Over believers the Redeemer rules as a father over a family. He bestows on them his rich rewards, not because their service is profitable, but because he loves them; and he chastens them, not in judgment, because he is angry, but in tenderness, because he desires their good.

In exercising the authority which belongs to him, as Head of the Church, the Redeemer executes the offices of Prophet, Priest, and King. As Prophet, he made known to them, in former dispensations, the character and counsel of God, by prophecy and vision, by the appointment of sacrifices and emblematical services. In the present dispensation, he gives to his people the written word, ordinances, and means of grace. In a future time, we are led to expect a more explicit declaration of his will: and in all times, he sends the Holy Spirit to enlighten the mind, and convert and sanctify the heart. As Priest, he offered himself as a sacrifice on the cross; and, during all the period of man's probation, he pleads for them at the right hand of God. As King, he subdues the heart of the sinner to himself, he directs the path of those who submit to his rule, and defends them from every foe. These offices he continues to execute, not only in the present time, but also in that which is to come. He is "a priest for ever, after the order of Melchisedec." He is "King of peace," and "King of righteousness," throughout eternity; and, at the same time, "He hath an unchangeable priesthood, wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him; seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them," (Heb. vii. 24.)

The dominion over all, which is conferred on the Redeemer, is exercised, in the first place, for the good of his people, and, ultimately, for the glory of God and the wellbeing of the Universe.—In examining the varied dominion given to Jesus, we find a gradual progression of means and objects.

God has bestowed the sovereignty of the universe on his Son, For the good of his people, for perfecting the work of their redemption and glorification. In Eph. i. 22, it is said, that "He is head over all to the Church," We are elsewhere told, that all things work together for good to theme that love God," that "all things are theirs." And Jesus says, in his address to the Father, which we find in the seventeenth chapter of John, "As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him." The dominion given to Jesus, therefore, as King of kings, is, if we may so express it, a subordinate one; it is only intended as a means for advancing an end, and that end is the perfecting of the Church.

But this end, this perfecting of his Church, is not his great and ultimate object. The Church is said to be "the body of Christ." What does this expression imply? It does not merely indicate that there is a close and endearing connexion between him and his people, it leads us distinctly to understand that there is a relationship between believers and their glorified Head, similar to that which subsists between the body of man and his soul. The Church being Christ's body, must, therefore, imply that it is the instrument by which he accomplishes his designs, and the means by which he manifests his power, and makes known his will. It is the arm with which he works, and by which he carries on his varied operations; it is the tongue by which he holds intercourse with his creatures, and communicates to them his counsel. "God, who created all things by Jesus Christ, to the intent that now, unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places, might be known, by the Church, the manifold wisdom of God." The Church is also called "the fulness," or completing, as the word should rather be translated, "of him that filleth all in all;" the fulness, that is of Christ, as the appointed agent, who perfects the whole system of God's dominion. The passage plainly intimates, that he who is exalted to be the ruler of the universe, has the members of his Church associated with him as partakers of his kingdom and glory." The Redeemer is spoken of as the mighty agent by whom the Divine Government is exercised and maintained, while his people are the delegates whom he employs in the execution of his office. If we may so express ourselves, he is the workman, and his people are the implements by which he carries on his operations. The mass of mankind are the impure and earthly ore out of which the metal is extracted, the trials and afflictions of the present time are the furnace in which it is purified, and gospel ordinances and providential arrangements are the means by which it is formed into instruments fit for their Master's use. And the great object of his work, for aiding in the accomplishment of which his elect are thus fashioned and prepared, is the "filling" or completing, "of all in all." It is the perfecting the government of God; the confirming of the divine law, which Christ, by his work of redemption, has magnified and made honourable. It is the manifestation of the character of God, for "by the Church" is made known "his manifold wisdom," that his creatures may render him a willing service, and therein be blessed. And it is the manifestation of Jehovah's sovereignty, for "He hath chosen the weak things, and things that are despised, that no flesh may glory in his presence." The great and ultimate design is, to make the perfections and counsel of Jehovah known to his intelligent creatures, that they may understand the nature of the duty that is required of them, and be led to glorify the Creator and to enjoy him. "It pleased the Father, that in him should all fulness dwell, and (having made peace by the blood of his cross) by him to reconcile all things to himself, whether they be things on earth, or things in heaven."

This subordination of all things to the will and glory of God, will be perfected when the work of Christ as Mediator has been completed. In regard to the condition of the universe, when this event takes place; when Christ the Head of creation, openly appears to render his homage; when he, who is the object of universal worship, appears himself, as a worshipper, little is revealed in the sacred record. The fact, however, is plainly and distinctly revealed. "Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign till he hath put all things under his feet. ... And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all." (1 Cor. xv. 24, 25, 28.)