How Did Christ Get His Glory?     

Isaiah 53:12

 

     Our Savior's divine glory, the glory which he possesses as God the Son, the second Person of the Holy Trinity, that glory which is essential to the Divine Being is underived. Like himself, it is eternal. He who is God over all and blessed forever is infinitely, immutably, and unapproachably glorious (I Tim.6:14-16).

     However, the glory which the Lord Jesus Christ, the incarnate God, now possesses as a man, as the God-man Mediator, our Covenant Surety is a derived glory (John 17:2, 5; Rom. 14:9; Phil. 2:8-11; Heb. 1:1-3). What is that glory and how did he get it? Isaiah 53:12 answers those questions.

     CHRIST'S MEDIATORIAL GLORY IS A TWOFOLD GLORY. It is the glory of his exaltation and the glory of his saving power. First, our Savior's glory is the glory of his sovereign dominion over all the universe. "Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great." God the Father promised his Son a great portion of mankind as the reward of his obedience to him. He promised to make him higher than the kings of the earth and to give him an elect multitude to be his portion forever. And he has done it! Christ is exalted (Rev. 5:9-10). Second, our Savior's glory is to be seen in the sovereign exercise of his saving power and grace. "And he shall divide the spoil with the strong." Christ Jesus led captivity captive in the mighty conquests of his death (Psa. 68:18; Eph. 4:8; Col. 2:14-15). And when he sends his Spirit to sinners in saving grace,he delivers his redeemed ones from the captivity of sin and satan into the glorious liberty of the sons of God (Lk. 11:22). How did he get such glory? Why does he have these spoils of victory, these trophies of grace, to show forth his praise?

     THESE EXTRAORDINARY GLORIES HAVE BEEN EARNED AND WON BY OUR GOD-MAN MEDIATOR, AND HAVE BEEN GIVEN TO HIM BY GOD THE FATHER BECAUSE OF HIS CONNECTION WITH SINNERS IN THIS WORLD IN THE ACCOMPLISHMENT OF REDEMPTION - "Because he hath poured out his soul unto death; and was numbered with the transgressors;and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors."

 

Don Fortner