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Our Perfect Pattern, April 15
He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter
answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Matthew 16:15, 16
.
To human eyes Christ was only a man, yet He was a perfect man. In His
humanity He was the impersonation of the divine character. God embodied
His own attributes in His Son—His power, His wisdom, His goodness,
His purity, His truthfulness, His spirituality, and His benevolence. In Him,
though human, all perfection of character, all divine excellence, dwelt.
And to the request of His disciple, “Shew us the Father, and it sufficeth
us,” He could reply, “Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou
not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and
how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?” “I and my Father are one”
(
John 14:8, 9
;
10:30
)....
The strong denunciation of the Pharisees against Jesus was, “Thou,
being a man, makest thyself God” (
John 10:33
), and for this reason they
sought to stone Him. Christ did not apologize for this supposed assumption
on His part. He did not say to His accusers, “You misunderstand me; I am
not God.” He was manifesting God in humanity. Yet He was the humblest
of all the prophets, and He exemplified in His life the truth that the more
perfect the character of human beings, the more simple and humble they
will be. He has given to men a pattern of what they may be in their
humanity, through becoming partakers of the divine nature....
The centuries that have passed since Christ was among men have not
lessened the confidence of our testimony that Christ is all that He claimed
to be. Today the question may be repeated, “What think ye of Christ?”
(
Matthew 22:42
), and without a moment’s hesitation the answer may be
given, “He is the light of the world, the greatest religious thinker and
teacher the world has ever known.” All who hear His voice today, all who
study the principles set forth in His teaching, must say, in truthfulness, as
did the Jews of His day, “Never man spake like this man.” “Is not this the
Christ?” (
John 7:46
;
4:29
)
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22
The Youth’s Instructor, September 16, 1897
.
112