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148
S.D.A. Bible Commentary Vol. 5
(
John 14:30
;
Luke 1:31-35
;
1 Corinthians 15:22, 45
;
He-
brews 4:15
.)
Be careful, exceedingly careful as to how you dwell
upon the human nature of Christ. Do not set Him before the people
as a man with the propensities of sin. He is the second Adam. The
first Adam was created a pure, sinless being, without a taint of sin
upon him; he was in the image of God. He could fall, and he did fall
through transgressing. Because of sin his posterity was born with
inherent propensities of disobedience. But Jesus Christ was the only
begotten Son of God. He took upon Himself human nature, and was
tempted in all points as human nature is tempted. He could have
sinned; He could have fallen, but not for one moment was there in
Him an evil propensity. He was assailed with temptations in the
wilderness, as Adam was assailed with temptations in Eden.
Bro. _____, avoid every question in relation to the humanity
of Christ which is liable to be misunderstood. Truth lies close to
the track of presumption. In treating upon the humanity of Christ,
you need to guard strenuously every assertion, lest your words be
taken to mean more than they imply, and thus you lose or dim the
clear perceptions of His humanity as combined with divinity. His
birth was a miracle of God; for, said the angel, “Behold, thou shalt
conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his
name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the
Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his
father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever;
and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the
angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel
answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee,
and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also
that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of
God.”
These words do not refer to any human being, except to the Son
of the infinite God. Never, in any way, leave the slightest impression
upon human minds that a taint of, or inclination to, corruption rested
upon Christ, or that He in any way yielded to corruption. He was
tempted in all points like as man is tempted, yet He is called “that
holy thing.” It is a mystery that is left unexplained to mortals that
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Christ could be tempted in all points like as we are, and yet be
without sin. The incarnation of Christ has ever been, and will ever