"The Miracle"

"The Miracle"

Thanks to my brother and friend Randy R. for sending this poem to me, and now, to you.

"It Is My Sweetest Comfort, Lord"

Edward Caswall (1814–1878)

It is my sweetest comfort, Lord,

And will forever be,

To muse upon the gracious truth

Of Thy humanity.

Oh joy! there sitteth in our flesh,

Upon a throne of light,

One of a human mother born,

In perfect Godhead bright!

Though earth's foundations be removed,

Down to their lowest deep;

Though all the trembling universe

Into destruction sweep;

Forever God, forever man,

My Jesus shall endure;

And fix'd on Him, my hope remains

Eternally secure.

   The poet's sublime offering beautifully illuminates the truth that someone, Someone, exists in whom Heaven and earth perfectly unite.  Or, we might consider the union of the Infinite and the finite, Divinity and humanity, the Eternal and the temporal, and in the words of the poet, "forever God, forever man."  Indeed, the Lord Jesus Christ dwells alone as a Being unlike any other.  One with the Father and Holy Spirit, He nevertheless occupies a substance of identity unlike the other persons of the triune Godhead.  He is human.  He remains Divine, however, to the degree that His Father addresses His Son in the most direct terms possible regarding Deity: "Thy throne, o God, is forever and ever!" (Hebrews 1:8).  Our Savior is the God who became man, and the man who remains God.  His very existence as this holy amalgam of Deity and humanity is a miracle of mystery.  How can He even be?  Indeed, long ago, Solomon wondered how God could dwell in an earthly temple - "the Heaven of heavens cannot contain Thee!  How much less this house that I have builded!" (I Kings 8:27).  How perplexed would Solomon have been if he had know that a God too big for a material house of brick and mortar foreshadowed the Lord's dwelling in a humanity of spirit, soul, and body?

   In Heaven and earth, there is no one like the Lord Jesus Christ.  This does not preclude the Biblical truth that believers "shall be like Him" in character, nature, and way on that Day when "we shall see Him as He is" (I John 3:2).  It does, however, reserve for our Savior a place that He alone occupies both now and forever.  Again, He is the God who is man, and the man who is God.  Of no one else will this ever be true.  Yes, the Lord Jesus is a miracle.  He is the miracle against which all other mighty acts of God pale in comparison.  Thus, God the Father and God the Holy Spirit love and direct attention to the Son who constitutes the essence and expression of the Divine "eternal purpose in Christ" (Ephesians 3:11).  And thus, we must do the same because in both Heaven and earth, there is no one like the Lord Jesus.  Nor will there ever be.

"Great is the mystery of godliness.  God was manifest in the flesh."

(I Timothy 3:16)

Weekly Memory Verse

    For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the government shall be upon His shoulder.  And His name shall be called wonderful, counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the prince of peace.

(Isaiah 9:6)