Fifth Title of Christ: The Lord of Glory
“Which none of the princes of this world knew; for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” 1 Cor. 2:8.
In this chapter the apostle discourses to the Corinthians of the excellence of his ministry, both to obviate the contempt which some cast upon it for want of human ornaments, and to give the greater authority to it among all; and as the spiritual simplicity of his ministry brought it under the contempt of some, he removes that by showing,
That it was not suitable to the design and end of his ministry, his determination being to know nothing among them, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. Verses 1, 2.
Neither was it for the advantage of their souls; it might please their fancy, but could be no solid foundation of their faith and comfort. Verses 4, 5.
Though his discourses seemed dry to carnal hearers, yet they had a depth and excellency which spiritual and judicious Christians saw and acknowledged. Verses 6, 1.
Therefore this excellent wisdom which he preached far transcended all the natural wisdom of this world, yea, the wisdom of those that were most renowned and admired in that age. ‘“‘Which none of the princes of this world knew.” Verse 8.
In these words we have, first, a negative proposition: none of the princes of this world knew that spiritual wisdom which he taught. By princes of this world, or rather, the princes of that age, he means the learned rabbies, scribes, and Pharisees, renowned for wisdom and learning among them, and honored upon that account as so many princes. But he adds a diminutive term which darkens all their glory: they are but the princes of this world, utterly unacquainted with the wisdom of the other world. To which he adds a clear and full proof: ‘For had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” In which words we find one of Christ’s glorious and royal titles, the Lord of glory, on which title my present discourse will be founded. The words being clear, with nothing of ambiguity in them, give us this doctrine:
Christ crucified 1s the Lord of glory.
Great and excellent is the glory of Jesus Christ. The Scriptures everywhere proclaim his glory; yea, we may observe a notable clmazx or gradation in those scriptures that speak of his glory. The prophet Isaiah, speaking of him, calls him glorious: “In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious.” Isaiah 4:2. John, speaking of his glory, rises a step higher, and ascribes to him a “glory as of the only begetten of the Father,” John 1:14, that is, a glory becoming the Son of God; proper to him, and incommunicable to any other. The apostle James rises yet higher, and not only calls him glorious, or glorious as the only begotten of the Father, but the glory — glory in the abstract: “My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glory, with respect of persons,” James 2:1; for the word Lord in our translation is a supplement. Christ is glory itself, yea, the glory emphatically so styled; the glory of heaven; the glory of Sion; the glory of our souls for ever. The epistle to the Hebrews goes yet higher, and calls him the brightness of the Father’s glory, Heb. 1:3; as though he should say, he is the beaming forth of his Father’s glory — the very splendor or refulgency of divine glory. O what a glorious Lord is Jesus Christ; the bright, sparkling diamond of heaven, who shines in glory there above the glory of angels and saints, as the glory of the sun excels the lesser twinkling stars. The glory of Christ must be unspeakable, who reflects glory upon all that are with him, John 17:24, and stamps glory upon all that belong to him. His works on earth were glorious works, Luke 13:17; the purchased liberty of his people a glorious liberty, Rom. §: 21; the church, his mystical body, a glorious church, Eph. 5:27; the gospel which reveals him is a glorious gospel. 1 Tim. 1:11.
But more particularly let us consider the glory of Christ as it is distinguished into his essential, or his mediatorial glory.
I. Tur EssentTIAL GLoRY oF Curist, which he has, as God, from everlasting, is unspeakable and inconceivable glory; for he “being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God,” Phil. 2: 6; that is, he has equality with the Father in glory: “I and my Father are one.” John 10:30. And again, “All things that the Father hath are mine,” John 16:15; the same name, the same nature, the same essential properties, the same will, and the same glory.
IJ. THE mepiaTorraL GLtory or Curist is proper to him as the head of the church which he hath purchased with his own blood. Of this glory the apostle speaks: ‘‘ Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name,” Phil. 2: 9; the original means, exalted above all exaltation. Now the mediatorial glory of our Lord Jesus Christ consists,
1. In the fulness of grace inherent in him. The humanity of Christ is filled with grace as the sun with light: “Full of grace and truth.” John 1:14. Never was any creature filled by the Spirit of grace as the man Christ Jesus is filled; for God gives not the Spirit to him by measure. John 3:34. By reason of this fulness of grace inherent in him, he is “fairer than the children of men,” Psalm 45:2; excelling all the saints in spiritual lustre and gracious excellencies.
2. In the dignity and authority put wpon him. He is crowned king in Sion; all power in heaven and earth is given unto him. Matt. 28:18. He is a lawgiver to the church, James 4: 12; all acts of worship are to be performed in his name — prayer, preaching, censures, ordinances, all to be administered in his name. Church officers are commissioned by him. Eph. 4:11. The judgment of the world in the great day will be administered by him. Matt. 25:31.
3. Jesus Christ shall have glory and honor ascribed to him for evermore by angels and saints on account of his mediatorial work. ‘And when he had taken the book, the four beasts, and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odors, which are the prayers of saints. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof; for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us unto our God kings and priests.” Rev. 5; 8-10.
Inrerence 1. How wonderful was the love of Christ the Lord of glory, to be so abased and hwmbled for us vile and sinful dust! It is astonishing to conceive that ever Jesus Christ should strip himself of his robes of glory to clothe himself with the mean garment of our flesh. If the sun had been turned into a wandering atom, if the most glorious angel in heaven had been transformed even into a fly, it had been nothing to the abasement of the Lord of glory. This act is everywhere celebrated in Scripture as the great mystery, the astonishing wonder of the whole world. 2 Tim. 3:16; Phil. 2:8; Rom. 8:3. The Lord of glory looked not like himself when he came in the habit of a man — ‘we hid, as it were, our faces from him,” Isaiah 53:3; nay, became “a reproach of men, and despised of the people.” Psalm 22:6. The birds of the air and’ beasts of the earth were provided with better accommodations than the Lord of glory. Matt. 8:20. O stupendous abasement! O love unspeakable! ‘Though he was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor, that we through his poverty might be rich.” 2 Cor. 8:9. He put off the crown of glory to put on the crown of thorns. And as said Bernard, ‘‘The lower he humbled himself for me, the dearer he shall be to me.”
2. How transcendently glorious is the advancement of. belevers by their union with the Lord of glory! This also is an admirable and astonishing mystery; it is the highest dignity and glory of which our persons are capable, to be mystically united to this Lord of glory; to be bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh. Christian, dost thou know and believe all this, and does not thy heart burn within thee in love to Christ? This is the great mystery which the angels stoop down to look into. Such an honor as this could never have entered into the heart of man. It would have seemed blasphemy in us to have thought or spoken of such a thing, had not Christ made first the motion thereof. Wilt thou not say, Lord, what am J, and what is my father’s house, that so great a King should stoop so far beneath himself to such a worm; that strength should unite itself to weakness, infinite glory to such baseness? O grace, grace for ever to be admired!
3. Is Jesus Christ the Lord of glory? Then let no man count himself dishonored by suffering the vilest indignities for lus sake. The Lord of glory puts glory upon the very suffering you undergo in this world for him. Moses esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt, Heb. 11:26; he left a kingdom to be crowned with reproaches for the name of Christ. The diadem of Egypt was not half so glorious as self-denial for Christ. This Lord of glory freely degraded himself for thee, and wilt thou stand hesitating with him as to what he requires of thee? It is certainly your honor to be dishonored for Christ. Acts5:41. To you it is given in behalf of Christ, not only to believe, but also to suffer for his sake. Phil. 1:29. The gift of suffering is there matched with the gift of faith: it is given as a badge of honor to suffer for the Lord of glory As all have not the honor to wear the crown of glory in heaven, so few have the honor to wear the chain of Christ upon earth. Thuanus reports of Ludovicus Marsacus, a knight of France, that being led to suffer with other martyrs who were bound, and he unbound because a person of honor, he cried out, “Why don’t you honor me with a chain too, and create me a knight of that noble order?” “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations,” James 1:2; that is, trials by sufferings.
4. Is Christ the Lord of glory? How glorious then shall the saints one day be, when they shall be made like this glorious Lord, and partake of his glory in heaven. ‘The glory which thou gavest me I have given them.” John 17:22. Yea, the vile bodies of believers shall be made like to the glorious body of Christ. Phil. 3:21. What glory then will be communicated to their souls! True, his essential glory is incommunicable; but there is a glory which Christ will communicate to his people. When he comes to judge the world, he will come “to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe.” 2 Thess. 1:10. Thus he seems to account his social glory which shall result from his saints, a great part of his own glory. As we have now fellowship with him in his sufferings, so we shall have fellowship or communion with him in his glory: when he shall appear, then shall we also appear with him in glory; then the poorest believer shall be more glorious than Solomon in all his royalty. It was a pious saying of Luther, that he had rather be a Christian clown than a pagan emperor. The righteous is more excellent than his neighbor, though he live next door to a graceless nobleman. But it does not yet appear what they shall be. The day will come, for the Lord hath spoken it, when they shall shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.
5. How hath the devil blindfolded and deluded them that are affrighted off from Christ by the fears of beng dishonored by him! Many persons have half a mind to religion, but when they consider the generality of its professors as persons of the lowest rank in the world, and that reproaches and sufferings attend that way, they shrink back as men ashamed, and as Salvian says, they choose rather to remain wicked than to be esteemed vile. But to them that believe, Christ is precious — an honor, as the word might be rendered. 1 Peter 2:7. Till God open men’s eyes, they will put evil for good, and good for evil. But O, dear-bought honors, for which men stake their souls and everlasting happiness! Paul was not of your mind: in birth he was a Hebrew of the Hebrews; in dignity and esteem a Pharisee; in moral accomplishments touching the law blameless; yet all this he trampled under his feet, counting all but dross in comparison of Jesus Christ. Moses had more honor to lay down for Christ than you, yet it was no temptation to him to conceal or deny the faith of Christ. Noble Galeacius would not be withheld from Christ by the splendor and glory of Italy; but O, how does the glory of this world dazzle and blind the eyes of many. ‘‘How can ye believe, who receive honor one of another?” John 5:44. Saints and sinners are, on this account, wonders one to the other. It is the wonder of the world to see Christians glorying in reproaches; they wonder that the saints run not with them into the same excess of riot; and it is a wonder to believers how such poor toys and empty titles should keep the world from Jesus Christ and their everlasting happiness in him.
6. If Christ be the Lord of glory, how careful should all be who profess him, that they do not dishonor him whose name as called wpon by them. Christ is a glory to you; be not you a shame and dishonor to him. The more glorious Christ is, the more circumspect and watchful ye had need to be. How lovely would Jesus Christ appear to the world, if the lives of Christians adorned the doctrine of God their Saviour in all things! Remember, you represent the Lord of glory to the world; it is not your honor only, but the honor of Christ, which is involved and concerned in your actions. O let not the carelessness or scandal of your life make Jesus Christ ashamed to be called your Lord. When Israel had grievously revolted from God, he commanded Moses, ‘Arise, get thee down quickly from hence; for thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of Egypt, have corrupted themselves,” Deut. 9:12; as if the Lord were ashamed to own them for his people any longer. It was a cutting question, apt to startle the consciences of loose professors, ‘Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by which ye are called?” James 2:7. Your duty is to adorn the gospel by your conversation, Titus 2:10; the words signify to deck or adorn the gospel, to make it neat and lovely to the eyes of beholders. When there is a beautiful harmony and lovely proportion between Christ’s doctrine and our practice, as there is in the works of creation, in which the comeliness and elegance of the world much consists, then do we walk suitably to the Lord of glory.
1. What delight should Christians take wm their daily converse with Jesus Christ in the way of duty. Your interviews in prayer, hearing, and meditation are with the Lord of glory. The greatest peers in the kingdom count it more honor to be in the presence of a king bareheaded, or upon the knee at court, than to have thousands standing bare to them in the country. When you are called to the duties of communion with Christ, you are called to the greatest honor and dignified with the noblest privilege creatures are capable of in this world. Had you but a sense of the honor God puts upon you by this means, you would not need so much pressing and striving to bring a dead and backward heart into the special presence of Jesus Christ. When he saith, Seek ye my face, your hearts would echo to his call, Thy face, Lord, will we seck. But, alas, the glory of Christ is much hid and veiled by ignorance and unbelief from the eyes of his own people; it is but seldom the best of saints by the eye of faith do see the King in his glory.
8. If Christ be so glorious, how should believers Long to be with hum, and behold him m las glory above. Most men need patience to die; a believer should need patience to live. Paul thought it well worth enduring the pangs of death to get a sight of Jesus Christ in his glory. Phil. 1: 23. “The Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ,” says the apostle, 2 Thess. 3: 5, intimating that the saints have great need of patience to enable them to endure separation from Christ so long in this world. ‘The Spirit and the bride say, Come; and let him that heareth say, Come; and let him that is athirst come: even so, come, Lord Jesus.”
Blessed be God for Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.