The Son of Man
Jesus is not only the Son of God, He is also the Son of Man. That name, Son of Man, points to the real humanity of our Saviour.
It is the name Jesus used most often of Himself and it appears most often in the gospel according to Luke, just as we would expect. In the same way John stresses the glorious truth that Jesus is God and therefore uses the title Son of God so frequently, Luke stresses that Jesus is like us in all things except sin and therefore uses the title Son of Man most often. That focus on Christ’s humanity also explains why Luke tells the story of Christ’s birth and childhood more fully than the other gospels.
That He is the Son of Man means that He was born into this world as we are, lived and died here, that He is “one bone and one flesh” with us and that He belongs to the human race as truly as we do. It also means that He was “in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Heb. 4:15).
That Jesus is fully and truly man is as necessary as the truth that He is God. If He were not a man like us in all things He could not be our Saviour. As a man He takes Adam’s place (I Cor. 15:45-47) and represents us before God. As our representative He takes our sins upon Himself, assumes full responsibility for them and makes atonement for us.
If He were not man He could not have suffered and died. If He were not fully human He could not in justice have taken our place on the cross and been punished for our sins. If He had not been made like us in all things He could not be a merciful and sympathetic High Priest who is touched with the feeling of our infirmities (Heb. 2:17-18; 4:15).
As a man He is the one in whom dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Col. 2:9). He is therefore the one through whom and by whom we know the invisible and all-glorious God, the one in whose face shines “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God” (II Cor. 4:6). “He that hath seen me,” Jesus says, “hath seen the Father” (John 14:9).
There is great comfort for believers in the name Son of Man. It is Jesus’ own way of telling His people that He has lived here on earth, suffered what they suffer even unto death and been tempted in all points as they are. It assures them that He knows their needs not only as the one who knows all things but as the one who Himself had those same needs in the days of His flesh. It also assures them that He is able to help them in all their weaknesses and infirmities because He knows them first-hand. Truly, as the Son of Man, He is our brother (Heb. 2:17). Rev. Ron Hanko
Loving Our Neighbour
“And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself” (Luke 10:27).
The reader who submitted this text for discussion was very specific in the question added: “How can God command us to love our neighbour, that is all men, if He is selective in His love and admits His love differs in depth and time?”
Two or three things ought to be established before we try to answer this rather interesting question.
In the first place the questioner is quite clear on the fact that God’s love is particular. He is selective in His love. This is clear from the whole of Holy Scripture and we are thankful that our correspondent recognizes this. We could only hope that this great and important truth were more widely believed in the church.
In the second place this passage is a quotation taken from the Old Testament (Deut. 6:5; Lev. 19:18) and is quoted here in our text by a lawyer who had come to tempt Jesus. He had rather hypocritically inquired of the Lord what to do to inherit eternal life. The Lord had asked him concerning the contents of the law and this was the lawyer’s response.
The lawyer was apparently embarrassed and attempted to justify himself with the further question, “Who is my neighbour?” In response the Lord told the moving parable of the Good Samaritan.
But it is interesting that in telling the parable the Lord turned the question of the lawyer around from “Who is my neighbour?” to the more important question, “To whom am I neighbour?”
It is true the question states that our neighbour really means all men but this is never quite the point when we face the solemn command of the Lord to love our neighbour as ourselves. It is very easy for me to love my neighbour across the sea in some remote South Pacific island. It is very simple even to love him to the point that I send money to an organization that sends food there in times of famine.
But it is clear from the law that my neighbour is much nearer. My neighbour is my wife, whom I must love as myself, or my children or my fellow saints in the church or even the one who said nasty things to me the other day. My neighbour is the man next door who is always borrowing my tools and never bringing them back or the man up the street who is mean to my children. My neighbour is the fellow in the ditch who needs help with his car even though he looks like someone who could easily rob me if I got too close.
That is why it is so hard to love my neighbour.
It must also be remembered that “love” in this context means to seek one’s salvation. I must help the one in need as the Samaritan helped the one who had fallen among thieves. But I must give such help as I can in order that through that help I give him witness to the truth and urge him to forsake sin and believe in Christ.
That is after all God’s love for us. And that is the love we must emulate.
Now to answer the question: Why must we love all men when God’s love is particular?
The first answer is simple. We must do this because we are commanded to do it. Even if we do not know the reason why or understand the purpose of God, simple childlike obedience requires it. That is enough. God may graciously tell us why He wants us to do something, but that explanation is grace. Obedience is required of us always, for obedience is better than sacrifice.
Further if to love someone means to seek that person’s salvation and if we were to love only those whom God loves we would have to know whom God intends to save. God does not tell us that. We do not need to know that. It is in fact far better that we do not know that. We must love our neighbour, for God will use our love to save His people.
While Scripture does not tell us a great deal more it is also true that we must love our neighbour because it is through loving our neighbour that we are faithful witnesses of God’s cause and truth. In this way God will have His cause and truth defended in the world. Whether men hear or not makes no difference. God is interested in people testifying to the glory of His name. Loving our neighbour does that.
Finally it is not amiss to mention that God wants us to have an earnest interest in the salvation of our fellow men. Even Paul wished himself accursed for his brethren according to the flesh if only they could be saved even though he knew it was not God’s purpose to save them all (Rom. 9:1-3; 10:1). Equally we must not delight in the destruction of men but we must be earnest in their salvation.
The Reformed faith and a solid Calvinism are not the enemies of fervency in evangelism or anxious desires on the part of the saints to see the salvation of their neighbours.
Let us get on with the important business of loving our neighbours as ourselves. Prof. Herman Hanko
Should Christians Vote?
The question one of our readers has asked, and that we have chosen to answer in this issue, is “Should Christians vote?” Of course, the question applies only where Christians live under an elected government.
Different answers are given. Some say it is obligatory for Christians who have the opportunity to vote. Others insist that in certain circumstances, especially when the government is wicked and does not acknowledge Jesus Christ as King, it is wrong for Christians to vote.
We believe this is a matter on which Scripture does not speak directly and therefore it must be left to the conscience of each Christian. We do not believe it is wrong to vote, and we would even say that one who does not vote has little right to speak against the evils he sees in high places. At the same time, we find it difficult to vote, especially when one must choose between two wicked persons. Nevertheless, we refuse to make rules where Scripture does not make them, lest we fall into legalism.
It is striking that Jesus, who lived under an oppressive and wicked government, showed a complete disinterest in the question of who governed and what kind of government was best. He paid His taxes and, beyond that, He largely ignored the matter.
Is this not because His kingdom, the only kingdom that ought to command our chief interest, is not of this world? It is not a political kingdom and it is not established as the kingdoms of this world are, by the sword or by political manoeuvring and compromise (John 18:36; II Cor. 10:4-5).
This needs strong emphasis today, since many no longer look for a heavenly kingdom but for an earthly one, turning from the gospel to politics and other earthly means to establish that sort of kingdom.
One thing is certain: whether or not a Christian votes—and some do not even have the opportunity to do so—he must not put his trust in politics or in politicians but in the Lord Jesus Christ alone. “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God” (Ps. 20:7).
Christians are pilgrims and strangers on the earth (I Pet. 2:11; Heb. 11:13). We must remember that here we have no continuing city (Heb. 13:14). We desire and seek a better country, that is, an heavenly, and a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God (Heb. 11:10, 16). Rev. Ron Hanko
