Glory of Christ by John Owen (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read Chapter 4 (The glory of Christ in his susception of the office of a mediator - first in his condescension).
(i) the susception of this office;
(ii) the discharge of this office;
(iii) the event and consequence thereof, or what ensued thereon.
This week we begin the first point, the glory of Christ in the susception of the office. Owen has two subpoints:
(i) in his condescension;
(ii) in his love.
And this week we will only look at the first subpoint: how the glory of Christ is beheld through his condescension of the office.
Firstly we see Christ's glory in the greatness of his condescension as it is an act of infinite condescension, considering:
(i) the infinite distance between his essence and that of the creatures;
(ii) his infinite self-sufficiency.
Secondly we are taught about the especial nature of the condescension. Owen initially shows us what the nature of the condescension is not, and then declares that the condescension doth consist in that 'he eternal person of the Son of God, or the divine nature in the person of the Son, did, by an ineffable act of his divine power and love, assume our nature into an individual subsistence in or with himself; that is, to be his own, even as the divine nature is his.'
To close the chapter Owen tries to take what view we are able of the glory of Christ. But appears, understandably, a little lost for words.
Owen continues to help us see Christ shine: 'How glorious, then, is the condescension of the Son of God in his susception of the office of mediation! For if such be the perfection of the divine nature, and its distance so absolutely infinite from the whole creation, — and if such be his self-sufficiency unto his own eternal blessedness, as that nothing can be taken from him, nothing added unto him, so that every regard in him unto any of the creatures is an act of self-humiliation and condescension from the prerogative of his being and state, — what heart can conceive, what tongue can express, the glory of that condescension in the Son of God, whereby he took our nature upon him, took it to be his own, in order unto a discharge of the office of mediation on our behalf?'
No heart can conceive, no tongue can express, the glory of Christ in all its fullness.
Next week's reading
Read Chapter 5 (The glory of Christ in his love) and Chapter 6 (The glory of Christ in the discharge of his mediatory office).
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
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