CHRIST IN REDEMPTION
Christ Has the Preeminence in Redemption
The aim behind God’s plan is twofold: (1) that all things might manifest the glory of Christ so that Christ could have the preeminence in all things; and (2) that man might be like Christ, having both His life and glory. Colossians chapter 1 informs us of these very aspects—namely, (1) that in all things Christ might have the preeminence (v.18), and (2) that Christ is the head of the church (v.18). Ephesians chapter 1 also tells us the same thing, (1) to sum up all things in Christ, both things in the heavens and things upon the earth (v.10), and (2) that in Christ also, the church is made a heritage (v.11). Revelation 4 and 5 likewise describe these two sides, telling us (1) what becomes of all the created things, and (2) what becomes of the redeemed.
God creates to accomplish His plan. He created all things and man with the intent that all things might manifest Christ, especially man—who would be like Christ, having His life and glory. But Satan rebelled and brought in such an interference that all things became discordant and man fell into sin. God reacted with redemption in order to regain the purpose of His creation. Consequently, the redemption of Christ must (1) reconcile all things to God, and (2) redeem fallen mankind by imparting His life to man. It also needs to solve two of God’s problems—(1) solve the rebellion of Satan, and (2) resolve the sin of man. In total, then, the redemption of Christ is aimed at settling these four matters: to realize God’s double purpose of reconciling all things back to himself and giving His life to man, and to resolve God’s twin problems of the rebellion of Satan and the sin of man. The first two of these four are positive and affirmative, whereas the other two are negative in nature.
Christ’s Redemption Realizes God’s Double Purpose
Before the foundation of the world the Father and the Son held a council, the result of which was that the Son was to come to the world as a man for the sake of accomplishing the work of redemption. Hence redemption was not God’s contingent measure but on the contrary was an action which had been fore-planned. Moreover, we can see from this that it is not a case of Christ coming to the world to be a man after the likeness of Adam, for it must be noted that Adam was created after the image of Christ. Genesis 1.26 lays down the plan of God, while Genesis 1.27 describes God’s execution of the plan. Verse 26 says "let us" plan, verse 27 is its execution: "created man in his own image"; verse 26 reveals the council of the Godhead, verse 27 tells of the creation of man in the image of the Son. Only the Son in the Godhead has an image. Accordingly, Adam was created after the image of Christ. Adam is "a figure of him [Christ] that was to come" (Rom. 5.14). The coming of Christ to this world was not an emergency act; it came out of the foreplan of God. Even before the foundation of the world, Christ was anointed. Christ is a universal man who is not restricted by time and space. He was the Anointed before the foundation of the world, and He is the Christ who fills the universe. The Four Gospels view Christ as the universal man.
The first event in the redemption of Christ is His birth. In becoming a man He steps down from the position of the Creator to the place of the created. By taking upon himself the body of the created He is able to die for man and for all things. With Bethlehem there can be Calvary. With the manger there can and will be the cross.
(1) The redemption of Christ is to reconcile all things to God. Since all things were created in Christ (Col. 1.16), God is able to deal with all things when He deals with Christ. In Christ, therefore, all things have been dealt with by God. Just as Levi paid tithes when still in the loins of Abraham (Heb. 7.9,10), so all things tasted death in Christ (Heb. 2.9 reads: ". . . so that by the grace of God he should taste death for every thing"—Darby). On the cross He reconciles all things to God (Col. 1.20). The scope of the redemption of Christ reaches not only to mankind but to all things as well. All things—they not having sinned—need not be redeemed but need simply to be reconciled.
(2) The redemption of Christ imparts His life to man. In the work of redemption Christ not only reconciles all things to God but also gives life to man that the latter might be like Him. This is the release of His life. While He was on earth His divine life was imprisoned within His physical body and thus was greatly restricted. While He was in Jerusalem He could not be in Galilee. His death, though, sets His imprisoned life free.
The grain of wheat mentioned in John 12.24 is God’s only begotten Son. The life of the wheat is hidden inside the husk. If it does not fall into the ground and die, it abides alone. But if it dies, the husk is decomposed and the inner life is liberated so as to bear many grains. Each one of the many grains resembles the first grain. Yet it can also be said that each one of the grains is in that one grain. Christ dies to beget us. Before death He is the only begotten Son. After resurrection He becomes the firstborn Son among many sons. By the resurrection of Christ God begets us and gives us His life.
The "fire" mentioned in Luke 12.49 is the life of Christ. During His days on earth His life was straitened within His body. Through baptism, that is to say, through the death of the cross, His restricted life was set free. So that after His life was liberated it was cast upon the earth. Since that day when it was cast upon the earth it has been kindled. Hence the death of Christ is the great emancipation of the life of Christ! Through His death He distributes His life to us.
Christ’s Redemption Resolves God’s Twin Problems
We have just seen how the redemption of Christ realizes the double purpose of God. Now we will see how it resolves God’s twin problems.
(1) The redemption of Christ solves the problem of Satan’s rebellion. It is not just the cross of Christ that overcomes Satan; it is His blood. Satan well knew that if he could inject his poison into the first married pair, this poison would propagate itself in all who would be born by them. Consequently, Satan and our forefathers committed spiritual fornication by which the lying poison of sin entered the soul of our forefathers. Since the soul life is in the blood (see Lev. 17.11 mg.), therefore this sinful human life has been reproduced throughout the generations ("he made of one blood every nation of men"—Acts 17.26 Stephens’ Greek Text, 1550). The sinful poison injected into the first couple has flowed into our life through the blood.
The blood of Christ contains no poison. It is the precious blood and is incorruptible. On the cross He bore the sins of many and poured out all His blood in death. When Christ was raised from the dead He had no blood. After His resurrection He has bones and flesh but no blood, "because he poured out his soul unto death" (Is. 53.12). In Christ our blood has already been poured out. Hence Satan has no more ground of operation in our lives. The blood of Christ has destroyed and finished Satan and all who are his.
(2) The redemption of Christ also resolves the problem of the sin of man. Our sins require the death of Christ. His substitutionary death dismisses our criminal case before God. His representative death delivers us from the dominion of sin.
Thus, the death of Christ realizes God’s double purpose and at the same time resolves God’s dual problem. This is the victory of Christ. And this victory is already won. God leaves us on earth to maintain this victory and to proclaim throughout the whole creation concerning this victory (Col. 1.23). In baptism and the breaking of bread we perform and exhibit the victory of the death of Christ before the holy angels and the evil spirits, before the nations and the whole creation.
The Purpose of Redemption
The purpose of the redemption of Christ is to make us a people for His own possession (Titus 2.14) that we might be a living sacrifice to Him (Rom. 12.1): living and dying for Him (Rom. 14.7-9, 2 Cor. 5.15) and serving as the Temple of the Holy Spirit to glorify God (1 Cor. 6.19,20)—so that Christ might be magnified in us whether by life or by death, because for us to live is Christ (Phil. 1.20, 21).
The aim of redemption is to let Christ have the preeminence in all things. In order to have this first place in all things, Christ must first have the preeminence in us. And why? Because we are the firstfruits of all creation (cf. James 1.18). After we are in subjection to Christ, all other things will follow in subjection. The cross works in our lives to enable God to realize this aim in us. Is it not the cross that decreases us and increases Christ? The cross seeks out for Christ the place of preeminence. God uses the cross, which in turn works through circumstances to dig deeply into our lives so as to make us know Christ and be filled with Him for the sake of obtaining for Him the preeminence in us. The redemption of Christ is to realize God’s plan which was laid before the foundation of the world so that Christ might have the first place in all things. How we need to disregard our personal gain or loss and to regard God’s foreordained will in order for Christ to have the preeminence in all things. As we see the Messiah, we will cast away the waterpot in our hand! (see John 4) When we see Christ we will forsake all things!
