Those who oppose the vicarious offering of Christ, admit, of course, that he died, and to give an explanation of the cause of His death falls upon them, and it is attempted. They deny that in any sense He died in our stead, and one statement made in explanation is:

Christ became one of us, to share with us the ills of life, and die like us for the same reason that we die, because being flesh, and the flesh life being forfeited, he must die.

The same teacher says: “A little Scripture is worth more than a great deal of reasoning.” We accept this as true, because God’s word is based on the infinite philosophy, which is not always revealed, and even if it were stated in words would be so far above the grasp of finite minds, that it would still remain unrevealed. He withholds the philosophy of some facts which are clearly revealed.

If it be true that Christ died as one of us merely, we must infer that it was as necessary that he should die for himself, as that we should die for ourselves, on the principle of the same philosopher (?): “Each one must suffer his own penalty.” Against such reasoning we are willing to set the word of the Lord and abide the issue.

“And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off (Die) BUT NOT FOR HIMSELF.” Dan 9:26.

It has been attempted to make it appear that Christ’s sacrifice consisted in giving up his glory with the Father, in becoming a man. But even if it could be proven (which it cannot) that the Word becoming flesh was a cutting off, or a death, still that imaginary death could not be the one referred to in the above text. Those weeks, as has often been shown, reached to the baptism of Jesus, where he being Christ-ened or more properly, in English, Anointed, he was manifested as the Messiah. And AFTER the threescore and two weeks Messiah shall be cut off.

“He was cut off out of the land of the living: (not for himself) for the transgression of my people was he stricken.” Isa 53:8.

“For His life is taken from the earth.” Acts 8:33.

His voluntary condescension in laying aside His glory and riches, to become a man, or to take the body prepared for sacrifice, is an important fact, and as an expression of the love of Christ, one which we delight to see and present to others; but the taking of the body to be offered, is surely not to be confounded with the “offering of the body of Jesus Christ.” Heb 10:10. “Being found in fashion as a man, he became obedient unto death even the death of the cross.” Phil 2:8.

We are lower than the angels, “And we see Jesus made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, that he by the grace of God might taste death for every man” (but not for himself). Heb 2:9. The man died, he became a man for that purpose.

“There is one God and one Mediator between God and men – the MAN Christ Jesus, who gave himself (the man) a ransom for all,” and etc. (but not for Himself). 1 Tim 2:5, 6.

The ransom or price of anything always takes the place of the thing bought, and in that sense, Christ gave his flesh life (human life) for the deliverance of man from death. Heb 2:14, 15. In the same sense that He is our Price, He is our Substitute. If a man knows not in what sense He was our Ransom or Price, he cannot see in Christ our Substitute.

Adam is the natural man. He lost his life, the natural life. When he forfeited his life, we being in him forfeited ours, and “so death passed upon all for in him all have sinned.”

To redeem Adam, secures the recovery of all. Christ takes Adam’s place, and thus the place of all, for Adam represents all. As Adam was a natural man and lost his natural or flesh life, the Redeemer must become a man in order that he might have a flesh life to give as Ransom. Hence, He took our nature, and for the purpose named. Heb 2:14, 15.

Here is the point where Christ needed more than Adam. Adam had but one nature – the human, while Christ had two – the human and Divine.

Note: this should not be misconstrued. Our Lord was not a Divine being cloaked in a human body, he actually became flesh. I believe the thought being presented here is that he was human, but at his baptism was begotten of a new nature, the divine nature, thus the idea of Christ’ two natures. 

In Christ’s earth life the human was manifest in form, but the Divine indwelling (the new nature in him) was the power, and “glory as of the only begotten of the Father.” John 1:14. In Christ’s risen and glorified life He wears the Divine form or image of His Father. The flesh life of Christ satisfied the claim as a Ransom, but the Divine secured the resurrection and change to a spiritual body or form.

Had Christ been merely human his death would have been as Adam’s (Adam having never been begotten of a new nature, as was our Lord), but a Mighty One is provided who could give away all that Adam, and all in him, had lost, and yet have an infinite fullness of life. “He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive by the Spirit.” 1 Pet 3:18. The Ransom secures man’s recovery or reconciliation, but Christ’s Divine life imparted to us (the Church) secures eternal salvation. “Reconciled by His death, saved by His life.” Rom 5:10.

Thus, Christ is the Redeemer (of all mankind, including ourselves), and also the second Adam, or head of a new and Divine race. Oh, the fullness of Christ! Man’s life lost, if not redeemed must have been lost eternally, and man’s life is redeemed, but Christ’s flesh life WAS NOT REDEEMED, IT WAS GIVEN UP FOREVER. He gave it as man’s Substitute.

But was not Christ’s flesh preserved and made alive?

Yes, but not made alive by the flesh life, but by the Spirit as shown above.

The foregoing statement likewise could be misconstrued giving the impression that the body prepared for sacrifice was preserved and did not see death. This would contradict the previous statement that the flesh was given up forever as a corresponding price for Adam and all in him. It was not the man Christ Jesus, the human or fleshly being that was raised, it was the new creature in him, begotten of the Father.

When it was raised it (the new creature, the divine being) was made spiritual, for He was the “First Born (of the new creation) from the dead.” “And that which is born of the spirit is spirit.” John 3:6. As of Him so are all who are made partakers of His Divine nature, their mortal bodies will be made alive, but like His, “it is raised a spiritual body.”

If a mortal body quickened is of necessity mortal still, then indeed an enemy reconciled may be an enemy still, (Rom 5:10) as is claimed by some. But if that is true then a vile body changed must be vile still, and when God converts the unconverted, they will be unconverted still.

Where then is our hope? How strange that men will reason so strangely.

We continue with our next post.