May 17, 1905

A Teacher Sent From God

EGW

At the time of Christ's first advent darkness had covered the earth, and gross darkness the people. Truth looked down from heaven, and nowhere could discern the reflection of her image. Spiritual darkness had settled down over the religious world, and this darkness was almost universal and complete.ST May 17, 1905, par. 1

The scribes and Pharisees professed to explain the Scriptures, but they explained them in accordance with their own ideas and traditions. Their customs and maxims became more and more exacting. In its spiritual sense, the sacred Word became to the people as a sealed book, closed to their comprehension.ST May 17, 1905, par. 2

All things proclaimed the urgent necessity on the earth of a Teacher sent from God,—a Teacher in whom divinity and humanity would be united. It was essential that Christ should appear in human form, and stand at the head of the human race, to uplift fallen human beings. Thus only could God be revealed to the world.ST May 17, 1905, par. 3

Christ volunteered to lay aside His royal robe and kingly crown, and come to this earth to show to human beings what they may be in co-operation with God. He came to shine amidst the darkness, to dispel the darkness by the brightness of His presence.ST May 17, 1905, par. 4

When in the fulness of time the Son of the infinite God came forth from the bosom of the Father to this world, He came in the garb of humanity, clothing His divinity with humanity. The Father and the Son in consultation decided that Christ must come to the world as a babe, and live the life that human beings must live from childhood to manhood, bearing the trials that they must bear, and at the same time living a sinless life, that men might see in Him an example of what they can become, and that He might know by experience how to help them in their struggles with sin. He was tried as man is tried, tempted as man is tempted. The life that He lived in this world, men can live, through His power and under His instruction.ST May 17, 1905, par. 5

From the beginning God had spoken through Christ, laying the foundation of the Gospel in the Jewish economy of types and shadows. Before the coming of Christ this economy was unfinished. The ceremonies of the unfinished economy pointed to the reality. God would not leave the plan incomplete. He would work out to its end the plan for the redemption of the race. By sending His Son into the world, He would carry out to its fulfilment the plan ordained in heaven before the world was made.ST May 17, 1905, par. 6

The apostle Peter declared: “Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass, that every soul which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people. Yea,” Peter continues, “and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days.”ST May 17, 1905, par. 7

Patriarchs and prophets have predicted the coming of a distinguished Teacher, whose words were to be clothed with invincible power and authority. He was to preach the Gospel to the poor, and proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. He was to set judgment in the earth; the isles were to wait for His law; the Gentiles were to come to His light, and kings to the brightness of His rising. He was “the Messenger of the covenant,” and “the Sun of Righteousness.”ST May 17, 1905, par. 8

The Jewish teachers, claiming to give instruction in the things of God, turned minds to things that eclipsed the revelation of God. They gave the things of earth the first consideration and the greatest thought. God beheld in these teachers an ignorance that is death to true godliness. Under the education they gave, virtue and purity grew feeble, and self-sufficiency and pride ruled the life.ST May 17, 1905, par. 9

Those who loved God and who realized the danger that lay in the struggle for wealth and power, longed for Heaven's enlightenment. They longed for a message direct from the heavenly courts. The heavenly inspiration was begotten, and men began to feel after God, if haply they might find Him.ST May 17, 1905, par. 10

And “when the fulness of time was come, God sent forth His Son, ... to redeem them which are under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.”ST May 17, 1905, par. 11

Wonder, O heavens, and be astonished, O earth. The heavenly Teacher had come. Who was He?—No less a being than the Son of God Himself. He appeared as God, and at the same time as the Elder Brother of the human race. “The word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.” Christ must come as a human being. Had He come in the glory that He had with the Father, men could not have lived in His presence.ST May 17, 1905, par. 12

Nearly two thousand years ago a voice of mysterious import was heard in heaven, from the throne of the Highest, “Lo, I come.” “Sacrifice and offering Thou wouldst not, but a body hast Thou prepared Me.... Lo, I come, ... to do Thy will, O God.” In these words is announced the purpose that had been hidden from eternal ages. Christ was about to visit our world, and become incarnate.ST May 17, 1905, par. 13

Who is this that thus announced His purpose of visiting a guilty world?ST May 17, 1905, par. 14

We ask Isaiah, and he answers, “Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder; and His name shall be called, Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”ST May 17, 1905, par. 15

We ask John, the beloved disciple, and he replies: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.... All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made.... And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, ... full of grace and truth.”ST May 17, 1905, par. 16

We ask Paul, and he breaks forth into words of adoring transport: “Without controversy great is the mystery of godliness; God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”ST May 17, 1905, par. 17

We ask Him, “Who art Thou?” and the answer comes, “Before Abraham was, I Am.” “I and My Father are one.” “As the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom He will. For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son.”ST May 17, 1905, par. 18