In this message we shall consider further God’s work in the new dispensation, in His new administrative arrangement.
God’s work in the new dispensation includes His passing through death in the Son. The phrase “the blood of Jesus His Son” in 1 John 1:7 indicates this. The blood shed on the cross for our redemption was not only the blood of Jesus, but also the blood of the Son of God. This implies that while Jesus was dying on the cross, God went through death in Him.
It is significant that 1 John 1:7 speaks of “the blood of Jesus His Son.” The name “Jesus” denotes the Lord’s humanity, which was needed for the shedding of the redeeming blood for men, and the title “His Son” denotes the Lord’s divinity, which is needed for the eternal efficacy of the redeeming blood. Thus, the blood of Jesus His Son indicates that this blood is the proper blood of a genuine man for redeeming the fallen men with the divine surety for its eternal efficacy, an efficacy that is all-prevailing in space and everlasting in time. Thus, the redemption accomplished by the God-man is eternal (Heb. 9:12).
Another verse which indicates that God passed through death in the Son is Acts 20:28: “Shepherd the church of God, which He obtained through His own blood.” God obtained the church by paying the price of “His own blood.” “His own blood,” as the blood of God, proves the fact that God died on the cross.
More than two centuries ago, Charles Wesley wrote a hymn that speaks of God dying for us. In this hymn Wesley says:
Amazing love! How can it be
That thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
In this hymn Wesley goes on to say, “’Tis mystery all! The Immortal dies!” Here Wesley declares that God died for us. Charles Wesley saw the vision concerning this and declared in his hymn that God died for us.
The God who died for us is not the God before incarnation. Prior to incarnation, God certainly did not have blood, and He could not have died for us. It was after the incarnation, in which God was mingled with humanity, that He died for us. Through incarnation, our God, the Creator, the eternal One, Jehovah, became mingled with man. As a result, He was no longer only God-He became a God-man. As the God-man, He surely had blood and was able to die for us.
Home | First | Prev | Next