The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1904, Page 67

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The State of Exaltation.

During the past months we have considered the
humiliation of our Saviour and the work of redemp-
tion which He performed in the State of Humilia-
tion. We shall proceed to consider our Saviour’s
exaltation. We shall see Him no longer poor and
lowly, but clothed with divine power and majesty.
Itis the same Jesus, but with the sepulchral shrouds
He has cast off His lowliness and presents Himself
as the mighty victor over all His enemies.

In His epistle to the Philippians Paul, after de-
scribing Christ’s State of Humiliation, proceeds to
speak of the Saviour’s glorification: ‘‘Wherefore
God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him
a name which is above every name: that at the
name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in
heaven, and things in earth, and things under the
earth; and that every tongue should confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father,”’
Phil. 2, 9—11.

The same Jesus who so deeply humiliated Him-
self is now highly exalted. Having humbled Him-
self for us unto death upon the cross and having
thus redeemed us, God has now exalted and glo-
rified our Saviour above every thing, and given Him
glory, honor, and power which surpasses every other
honor, power, and glory. With His return to life
Christ passed from the State of Humiliation to the
State of Exaltation.

When speaking of Christ’s State of Humiliation,
we said that in this state the Saviour, according to
His human nature, did not always and not fully
use the divine majesty communicated to His human
nature. Christ’s State of Exaltation consists in this,
that He, according to His human nature, fully and
continually uses the divine majesty communicated
to His human nature. Having cast off His lowliness,
Christ now manifests Himself as the very God, the
equal of His Father in glory and majesty; He now
no longer hides or obscures His omnipotence, omni-
presence, and omniscience. The form of servant
has now given place to the form of King and Lord
overall. The divine majesty with which His human
nature was invested is now fully and continually
displayed. The glorious Sun has dispelled all ob-
scuring clouds and shines in noonday splendor.

All things must now bow before Jesus, willingly
or unwillingly. It matters not what powers, forces,

and energies they be — they are all subject to Christ. ‘

That heel of the woman’s seed has crushed the
serpent’s head and holds‘it down upon the ground.
Death and hell lie in subjection to the exalted Lord.
And though rebellious creatures refuse to accept

The Tautheran Dione 67

the fact now, and while unwillingly bowing before
Him, and denying that He is their Lord, the day
of judgment, when the Lord of glory will appear,
will make it all plain.

As we distinguish five steps, or stages, in the
State of Humiliation, so also in the State of Exalta-
tion: Christ’s descent into hell, His resurrection,
ascension, sitting at God’s right hand, and His re-
turn to judgment. The Apostles’ Creed describes
this state with these words: ‘‘He descended into
hell; the third day He rose again from the dead,
He ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right

hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He |

shall come to judge the quick and the dead.’’
F.J.L.

The Great Treasure.

‘*A great treasure I have laid up for you, my
dear children, a very great treasure.’’? Thus spoke
a poor Christian mother many, many years ago,
as she lay dying. ‘‘Seek it, dear children, in the
Bible; there you will surely find it.”’

The little orphans were cheered and delighted at
the thought of a treasure, for they were very poor.

So they searched for the hidden treasure, andfound -

in that Holy Book something which was far better
than silver, and better than gold.

One of these children, Bartholomew Ziegenbalg,
was not satisfied to be the happy possessor of the
‘pearl of great price’’ for himself, he longed to pro-
claim the blessed tidings to the world. Faithfully
he studied, and, eventually, was appointed teacher
in the university at Halle. In the year 1705, the
King of Denmark sent him to India as the first
missionary to bear the good news of pelyation to
that pagan land.

Comfort in Trouble.

Conflict makes us live in the fear of God, walk
circumspectly, pray without ceasing, grow in grace
and in the knowledge of Christ, and learn to under-
stand the power of the Word. Therefore, be not
faint-hearted, nor dismayed, but take such conflicts

for a sure sign that thou hast a gracious God, since _

thou .art being fashioned into the likeness of His

Son; and doubt not that thou belongest to the great
and glorious brotherhood of all the saints of whom’

St. Peter says, ‘‘Resist the devil, steadfast in the

faith, knowing that the same afilictions are accom- ~

plished i in your brethren which are in the world.”
_ Luther.

Haas