May 1, 1893

“Never Man Spake Like This Man”

EGW

Jesus Christ was the light of the world; for “by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all things were created by him, and for him; and he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church; who is the beginning, the first born from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell; and, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight; if ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven.”ST May 1, 1893, par. 1

If Christ had thought it necessary, he could have opened to his disciples mysteries which would have eclipsed and put far out of sight all the discoveries of the human mind. He could have presented facts concerning every subject that would have gone beyond human reasonings, and yet not misrepresented the truth in any particular. He could have revealed that which was unknown, that which would have put imagination to the stretch, and attracted the thoughts of successive generations to the close of earth's history. He could have opened doors into mysteries that the human mind had sought in vain to open. He could have presented to men a tree of knowledge from which they might have plucked from age to age; but this work was not essential to their soul's salvation, and the knowledge of the character of God was necessary to their eternal interests. As it is, men have devoted their time and talents to the pursuit of certain kinds of knowledge merely for the gratification of curiosity, and have neglected the momentous subjects that have been plainly revealed, which concern their eternal interests.ST May 1, 1893, par. 2

Jesus, the Lord of life and glory, came to plant the tree of life for the human family, and to invite the members of a fallen race to eat and be satisfied. He came to reveal to them what was their only hope, their only happiness, both in this world and in that which is to come. “For this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” He would allow nothing to divert his attention from the work which he came to do. He knew that men would seek out many inventions, and follow the imagination of their own hearts. He knew that they would use their God-given intellect to please and glorify themselves, that they would forget God, and lose the knowledge of his way and will. Jesus saw that men needed to have their minds attracted to God, that they might become acquainted with his character, and obtain the righteousness of Christ represented in his holy law. He knew that it was necessary that men should have a faithful representation of the divine character, that they might not be deceived by the misrepresentations of Satan, who had cast his hellish shadow athwart men's pathway, and to their minds clothed God with his own Satanic characteristics.ST May 1, 1893, par. 3

Jesus came to the world to reveal, in their beauty, original truths that had been lost sight of through the misconception of men, and had been buried beneath a mass of tradition and error. He severed the old familiar truths from the companionship of error, that they might no longer be clouded and hidden by the customs and superstitions of men, but stand forth in their original, purity. For ages truth had been thrust from its true position, and Jesus reinstated it, reset it in the framework of truth, and established it anew upon the basis of its own eternal merit. The principles of justice and right that through the working of Satan upon the human mind had become powerless in their influence upon men, he revivified, and commanded them, like the stars in the firmament, to stand fast forever and ever.ST May 1, 1893, par. 4

The Redeemer of the world did not come to encourage curiosity, to stimulate human speculation, but to show the real character of truth, so long falsified by Satan, and set before the world in a distorted light. The suggestions of Satan had been received by the depraved human heart, had been repeated by human agents, and traced by human pens; but Jesus restored the jewels of truth to the world, and made them shine before the eyes of men in all their original splendor and beauty. The Son of Man, our Lord, possessed an intellect of the highest order, and nothing before or since his appearance has been presented that approached to the elevation of the themes which he presented in his lessons to his disciples, which by their testimony have been transmitted to us. Apparently he borrowed the thoughts of minds inferior to his own, but this was not the case in reality, for he was the originator of all truth, and he had given to men all the light they had upon all mysteries, all the knowledge they had in every branch of science. In him were hid all the treasures of wisdom and truth, both of heavenly and earthly things. In quoting the utterances of patriarchs and prophets, he quoted that which he himself had imparted. The uttermost stretch of the human mind can embrace but a fractional part of the infinite whole, and even that fractional part is the outworking of the mind of Him who comprehends all science, all mystery and knowledge. All the wisdom of men should roll back glory and praise to the great Originator.ST May 1, 1893, par. 5

The Redeemer of the world gave evidence of his superiority over the men of the world in the way in which he presented truth to the human mind. However great and wise the teachers of the world might have been regarded in his day or may be regarded in our day, yet in comparison to him they are not to be admired; for all the truth they uttered was but that which he originated, and all that came from any other source was foolishness. Even the truth they uttered, in his mouth was beautified and made glorious; for he presented it in simplicity and dignity. Such attractiveness was in his words that not only the common people heard him gladly, but wise and noble men declared, “Never man spake like this man.”ST May 1, 1893, par. 6