The Estates of Christ
Good Reformed theology usually includes a discussion of the estates (or states) of the Mediator, Jesus Christ. The Westminster Shorter Catechism, for example, says: “Christ, as our Redeemer, executeth the offices of a prophet, of a priest and of a king, both in his estate of humiliation and exaltation” (Q. & A. 23). What are these “estates” of Christ—the estate of humiliation and the estate of exaltation?
The word “estate” or “state” refers to one’s legal status, that a person is either guilty or innocent before the law. Here it has to do with Christ’s work. During the first part of His work His legal status before God was that of a guilty sinner and during the second part that of one justified before God.
In the estate of humiliation, the time from His birth to His death, He was counted guilty before God. In the estate of exaltation, including His resurrection, ascension, His glory at God’s right hand and His return for judgment, He is counted as one justified or innocent.
Understand, Christ Himself was never guilty of any sin nor did He ever need to be justified personally. But as the sin-bearer, the one upon whom the Lord laid the iniquity of us all (Isa 53:6), He was counted and dealt with as a guilty sinner, suffering the full punishment for sin.
Isaiah 53 indicates this when it says that He was “numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many” (12). So also Christ says in Psalm 69:5: “O God, thou knowest my foolishness; and my sins are not hid from thee”—not as having any sin personally but as the one who bore our transgressions.
Because He was “numbered with the transgressors” He was also “smitten of God, and afflicted” (Isa. 53:4). “It pleased the Lord,” a Judge, “to bruise Him” and to “put Him to grief” (10). In His suffering, His trial and His death on the cross He was treated by His own Father as though He Himself were the sinner whose place He had taken, until finally He cried out, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46).
As the sin-bearer He also needed to be justified, not for His own sake but for ours, whose sins He bore. Of this, too, the word speaks in Isaiah 53:11 when it calls Him God’s “righteous servant,” for righteousness and justification are the same thing. He was “made unto us … righteousness” (I Cor. 1:30).
This is the heart of the gospel and one of the most amazing truths of Scripture—that the Son of God was willing to be “numbered with the transgressors” for our sake (Isa. 53:12) and that His own Father was willing to deal with Him on that basis in order that we might be redeemed. Wonderful Saviour indeed! Wonderful the love that sent Him! Rev. Ron Hanko
Secret and Revealed Things
“The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law” (Deut. 29:29).
The reader who submitted this text for consideration in our newsletter appended a question: “I would like you to explain the secret and revealed will of God—how they relate and how they differ in the light of texts like Eph. 1:11, Isa. 46:10, Ps. 115:3, Matt. 7:21, Luke 12:47 and Ps. 143:10.” The reader can consult these texts himself.
It is interesting that this text is often quoted as justification for ignoring the great doctrines of election and reprobation. It is argued that the biblical truth of sovereign predestination “ought not to be mentioned or preached” because predestination belongs to the “hidden” things of God. What is revealed, so it is argued, is God’s desire to save all men. Predestination may be true but we have nothing to do with it for it is “hidden.” Thus this argument becomes a convenient way to ignore a truth that stands at the heart of the gospel and is used as a means to introduce into the church some bad theology.
This is an erroneous line of argumentation and does grave injustice to the text itself. As far as the context is concerned, it is clear that the Lord, through Moses, connects this passage with the judgments which shall surely come upon Israel if they forsake His holy law and despise His good commandments.
From the point of view of the context, therefore, the Lord is saying to His people: “Many things which I purpose to do in my counsel are hidden from you but this is made very clear: If you break my law, judgment shall surely come and that judgment will be terrible.” All of this is simple enough and it ought to impress upon us the crucial importance of explaining any passage in Scripture in the light of the context. Without explaining verses in the light of the context it is possible, as Luther already observed, to make the Scriptures teach anything one wants.
I had a Bible teacher in high school many years ago who, in impressing upon us the importance of explaining texts in the light of their context, said once: “Look what can happen if you do not do this. I will quote three texts: ‘And [Judas] went and hanged himself,’ ‘Go, and do thou likewise’ and ‘That thou doest, do quickly.’”
Nevertheless, there is an important truth underlying this passage which can give us some good and necessary instruction concerning our relation to the will of God.
God’s will or counsel is all-determinative: for all that happens in all the history of the world, in all the history of heaven and in all the history of hell. It is determinative for all that happens from the time of creation to the end of the world. It is also determinative for all that happens into all eternity. Nothing happens by chance. All is according to God’s eternal purpose.
Concerning that purpose, God has revealed many things to us in holy Scripture. He has told us many things which He has done, is doing and intends to do. He has told us of His own great purpose to glorify Himself through the salvation of the church in Jesus Christ in the new heavens and the new earth. He has told us in some detail how He works that purpose in time. And He has also revealed to us what is His will for us in our lives. We are to live according to His commandments and glorify Him through obedience. But many things God has not chosen to reveal. They remain “secret.”
For example, God has not revealed to us the details of our lives in the world. The future for each of us remains hidden behind the veil of the future. They are made known to us only step by step as we walk in the way God has planned. Whom we shall marry, how many children we shall have, what afflictions and sorrows shall be our lot, what joys and triumphs shall characterize our ways—all these things and many more we do not know.
What becomes clear from God’s revealed will for us is that we must suffer, yet He does not explain how He fulfils His purpose through that suffering. We know that “all things work together for good to them that love God” (Rom. 8:28), but we are not shown how any particular affliction produces that good.
As far as God’s words in Deuteronomy 29:29 are concerned, God revealed that disobedience would bring judgment. But He did not reveal—for that is part of the secret things—how the judgment that did in fact come upon Israel worked salvation for the elect.
We are called to “walk by faith, not by sight” (II Cor. 5:7). To walk by faith means simply that in all our way we trust in our heavenly Father, believe that He knows what is best, wait upon Him and submit ourselves to His will. One of the chief petitions which we are commanded to make is: “Thy will be done” (Matt. 6:10). Nor must this petition be made grudgingly and hesitantly, saying all the while to ourselves: “Well, we might just as well make the best of a bad situation, we can do nothing about it at all.” We are called to bear whatever God sends with joy and confidence, trusting that it will serve our salvation.
This, however, is certain: as God’s people we are called to live in humble and cheerful obedience to His will and we have the promise that whatever befalls us will issue in blessing. These revealed truths are given to us and to our children and they must be handed down to them continually. They are ours and our children’s “that we may do all the words of this law.” Prof. Herman Hanko
To Whom Are the Promises of the Gospel Addressed? (3)
The question we are answering can be found in the previous issue of the News. We are concerned this time especially with the first part of the question: “I may be reading too much into it but I notice that you do not read into Matthew 23:37 the free offer of the gospel, as I would.” We continue our answer, therefore, with special reference to Matthew 23:37.
This passage is often used as proof for the “well-meant offer of salvation in the gospel” (i.e., a desire of God for the salvation of all humans). Many see Christ here weeping with pity and compassion over those whom He tried and failed to gather and who were about to be destroyed by the judgment of God. The passage is taken, then, to show both that Christ offered salvation to reprobate Israel and that He did this in compassion and love for them.
The same thing is supposed to take place when the gospel is preached. God in Christ, so it is said, loves and has compassion on everyone, wants to save everyone and so offers and tries to give salvation to everyone.
Even if Jesus’ words do show love and compassion, the interpretation that finds in this verse proof of a “universal love of God” is based on a serious misreading of the passage. Indeed, in listening recently to a tape defending the “well-meant offer of the gospel,” the speaker, a minister, misquoted the passage three times. Nor is this uncommon. More than once I have heard the passage misquoted as though it said, “How often would I have gathered thee together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings and ye would not.”
Anyone who does not know what the verse actually says should look it up and see. If the passage is read carefully it will be clear that Jesus is talking about two different groups of people: those identified as “Jerusalem” and those identified as Jerusalem’s “children.” This is of utmost importance in interpreting the passage.
All Jesus says about “Jerusalem” is that they tried to frustrate His purpose in gathering the “children.” He does not say that He tried to gather “Jerusalem” or that He loved “Jerusalem.” Indeed the rest of the passage shows that He is angry with Jerusalem and pronounces judgment against her: “Behold, your house is left unto you desolate” (38).
This “Jerusalem” is the same as the Jerusalem of Galatians 4:25, the Jerusalem “which now is, and is in bondage.” This Jerusalem, Jesus tells us in Matthew 23:27, has always killed God’s prophets and stoned those who were sent to her. Jesus shows no desire to gather her nor any love and compassion for her.
Indeed, if Jesus had tried to gather “Jerusalem”—which the text does not say—He would here be expressing a frustrated compassion. Do those who hold to the “well-meant offer of the gospel” really believe that the Son of God can be frustrated in His love and compassion? I, for one, prefer to believe in a sovereign Saviour who does what He desires and insures that not one whom He seeks is lost. An impotent and frustrated Saviour who cannot do what He wants and is frustrated by man’s stubbornness is no help. If He cannot save, who can?
Jerusalem’s “children,” then, are a distinct group. They are those whom Christ came to gather and whom He truly gathers, so that not one of them is lost—despite the resistance of unbelieving and wicked “Jerusalem.” He effectually seeks and saves every one of them. By the power of irresistible grace He draws them in, keeps them and at last brings them home to dwell with Him. Rev. Ron Hanko
