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The Consecrated Way
by A.T. Jones
He Took Part of the Same
The first chapter of Hebrews reveals that Christ's likeness to God is
not simply in form or representation but also in very substance, and the
second chapter as clearly reveals that His likeness to men is not simply
in form or in representation but also in very substance. It is likeness
to men as they are in all things, exactly as they are. Wherefore, it is
written: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and
the Word was God....And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us."
John 1:1-14.
And that this is likeness to man as he is in his fallen, sinful
nature and not as he was in his original, sinless nature is made certain
by the word: "We see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels
for the suffering of death." Therefore, as man is since he became
subject to death, this is what we see Jesus to be, in His place as man.
Therefore, just as certainly as we see Jesus lower than the angels,
unto the suffering of death, so certainly it is by this demonstrated
that, as man, Jesus took the nature of man as he is since death entered
and not the nature of man as he was before he became subject to death.
But death entered only because of sin; had not sin entered, death
never could have entered. And we see Jesus made lower than the angels
for the suffering of death. Therefore we see Jesus made in the nature of
man, as man is since man sinned and not as man was before sin entered.
For this He did that He might "taste death for every man." In becoming
man that he might reach man, He must come to man where man is. Man is
subject to death. Therefore Jesus must become man, as man is since he is
subject to death.
"For it became Him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all
things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their
salvation perfect through sufferings." Heb. 2:10. Thus, in becoming man,
it became Him to become such as man is. Man is subject to sufferings.
Therefore it became Him to come to the man where he is--in his
sufferings.
Before man sinned he was not in any sense subject to sufferings. And
for Jesus to have come in the nature of man as he was before sin
entered, would have been only to come in a way and in a nature in which
it would be impossible for Him to know the sufferings of man and
therefore impossible to reach him to save him. But since it became Him,
in bringing men unto glory, to be made perfect through sufferings, it is
certain that Jesus in becoming man partook of the nature of man as he is
since he became subject to suffering, even the suffering of death, which
is the wages of sin.
And so it is written: "Forasmuch then as the children are partakers
of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same."
Verse 14. He, in His human nature, took the same flesh and blood that
men have. All the words that could be used to make this plain and
positive are here put together in a single sentence.
The children of men are partakers of flesh and blood, and because of
this He took part of the same.
But this is not all. He also took part of the same flesh and blood as
that of which the children are partakers.
Nor is this all. He also Himself took part of the same flesh and
blood as that of which the children of men are partakers.
Nor yet is this all. He also Himself likewise took part of the same
flesh and blood as that of which men are partakers.
Thus the Spirit of inspiration so much desires that this truth shall
be made so plain and emphatic as to be understood by all, that He is not
content to use any fewer than all the words that could be used that just
as, and just as certainly as, "the children are partakers of flesh and
blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same" flesh and blood.
And this He did in order "that through death He might...deliver them
who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage."
He took part of the same flesh and blood as we have in the bondage of
sin and the fear of death, in order that He might deliver us from the
bondage of sin and the fear of death.
And so, "Both He that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all
of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren."
This great truth of the blood-relationship, this blood-brotherhood of
Christ with men is taught in the gospel in Genesis. For when God made
His everlasting covenant with Abraham, the sacrifices were cut in two
and He, with Abraham, passed between the pieces. Gen. 15:8-18; Jer.
34:18, 10; Heb. 7:5, 9. By this act the Lord entered into "the most
solemn covenant known to the Oriental" or to Mankind,--the blood
covenant,--and thus became blood-brother to Abraham, "a relation which
outranks every other relation in life."
This great truth of Christ's blood-relationship to man is further
taught in the gospel in Leviticus. In the gospel in Leviticus there is
written the law of redemption of men and their inheritances. When any
one of the children of Israel had lost his inheritance or himself had
been brought into bondage, there was redemption provided. If he was able
of himself to redeem himself or his inheritance, he could do it. But if
he was not able of himself to redeem, then the right of redemption fell
to his nearest of kin in blood-relationship. It fell not merely to one
who was near of kin among his brethren but to the one who was nearest of
kin who was able. Lev. 25:24-28; 47-49; Ruth 2:20; 3:9, 12, 13; 4:1-14,
with the marginal readings.
Thus in Genesis and Leviticus there has been taught through all these
ages the very truth which we find here taught in the second chapter of
Hebrews--the truth that man has lost his inheritance and is himself also
in bondage. And as he himself can not redeem himself nor his
inheritance, the right of redemption falls to the nearest of kin who is
able. And Jesus Christ is the only one in all the universe who is able.
But to be the Redeemer he must be not only able, He must be a blood
relative. And He must also be not only near of kin, but the nearest of
kin and the nearest of kin by blood-relationship. Therefore, "as the
children" of man--as the children of the one who lost our
inheritance--"are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise
took part of the same"--took part of flesh and blood in very substance
like ours and so became our nearest of kin. And therefore it is written
that He and we "are all of one: for which cause He is not ashamed to
call us brethren."
But the Scripture does not stop even yet with the statement of this
all-important truth. It says, further: "For verily He took not on Him
the nature of angels; but He took on Him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore
in all things it behooved Him to be made like unto His brethren," whose
blood-brother He became in the confirming of that everlasting covenant.
And this He did in order that wherein "He Himself hath suffered being
tempted, He is able to succor them that are tempted." For He was
"touched with the feeling of our infirmities;" being "in all points
tempted like as we are, yet without sin." Heb. 4:15. Being made in His
human nature in all things like as we are, He could be and He was
tempted in all points like as we are. The only way in which He could
possibly be tempted "like as we are" was to become "in all things" "like
as we are."
As in His human nature He is one of us, and as "Himself took our
infirmities" (Matt. 8:17), He could be "touched with the feeling of our
infirmities." Being in all things made like us, He, when tempted, felt
just as we feel when we are tempted and knows all about it and so can
help and save to the uttermost all who will receive Him. As in His
flesh, and [as] Himself in the flesh, He was as weak as we are and of
Himself could "do nothing" (John 5:30); so when He bore "our griefs and
carried our sorrows" (Isaiah 53:4) and was tempted as we are, feeling as
we feel, by His divine faith He conquered all by the power of God which
that faith brought Him--in our flesh He has brought to us.
Therefore, His name is called Emmanuel which is "God with us." Not
God with Him only but God with us. God was with Him in eternity and
could have been with Him even though He had not given Himself for us.
But man through sin became without God, and God wanted to be again with
us. Therefore Jesus became "us" that God with Him might be "God with
us." And that is His name, because that is what He is. Blessed be His
name.
And this is "the faith of Jesus" and the power of it. This is our
Saviour--one of God and one of man--and therefore able to save to the
uttermost every soul who will come to God by Him.
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