The Example of Christ.

"Come unto Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden—and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am gentle and humblein heart—and you shall find rest unto your souls." Matthew 11:28-29

It has been pointed out in the preceding remarks upon this passage, that the Lord Jesus began by uttering a gracious invitation which is accompanied by a precious promise, and then He proceeded to make known the conditions on which that promise is made good. To those whose consciences are weighted down by a felt and intolerable burden of guilt, and are anxious for relief, He says, "Come unto Me—and I will give you rest." He and He alone is the Giver of spiritual and saving rest. But His rest can only be obtained as we meet His requirements: these are that we take His "yoke " upon us, and that we "learn" of Him. It was shown that this taking of Christ's yoke upon us, consists of surrendering our wills to Him, submitting unto His authority, and consenting to be ruled by Him. We will now consider at more length, what it means to "learn" of Him.

"Learn of Me." Christ is the antitypical Prophet, to whom all the Old Testament Prophets pointed, for He alone was personally qualified to fully make known the will of God, "In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways—but in these last days he has spoken to us by His Son" (Hebrews 1:1, 2). Christ is the grand Teacher of His Church, all others being subordinate to and appointed by Him: "He gave some Apostles, and some Prophets, and some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers—for the perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the Body of Christ" (Eph. 4:11, 12). Christ is the chief Shepherd and Feeder of His flock, His under-shepherds learning of and receiving from Him. Christ is the personal Word in whom and through whom the Divine perfections are most illustriously displayed: "No one has ever seen God. The One and Only Son—the One who is at the Father's side—He has revealed Him" (John 1:18). Thus it is to Christ we must come in order to be instructed in the Heavenly doctrine—and be built up in our most holy faith.

"Learn of Me." Christ is not only the final Spokesman of God, the One by whom the Divine will is fully uttered—but He is also the grand Exemplar set before His people. Christ did more than proclaim the Truth—He was Himself the living embodiment of it. He did more than utter the will of God—He was the personal exemplification of it. The Divine requirements were perfectly set forth in the very character and conduct of the Lord Jesus. And therein He differed radically, essentially, from all who went before Him—and all who come after Him. In the lives of the Old Testament Prophets, and in the New Testament Apostles—we behold broken and scattered rays of light—but they were merely reflections and refractions of the Light—Christ is in His own blessed and peerless Person, "the Sun of righteousness." Therefore is He fully qualified to say, "learn of Me." Not only was there no errorwhatever in His teaching—but there was not the slightest blemish in His character—or flaw in His conduct. Thus, the very life that He lived presents to us a perfect standard of holiness—a perfect pattern for us to follow.

When His enemies asked Him, "Who are You?" He answered, "I am altogether that which I spoke unto you" (John 8:25). In replying to their interrogation, the incarnate Son of God affirmed that He was essentially and absolutely that which He declared Himself to be. I have spoken of "light": I am that Light. I have spoken of "Truth": I am that Truth—the very incarnation, personification and exemplification thereof. Wondrous declaration was that! None but He could really say I am Myself that of which I am speaking to you. The child of God may speak the Truth and walk in the Truth—but He is not the Truth itself—Christ is! A Christian may let his light "shine," but he is not the light itself. Christ is, and therein we perceive His exalted uniqueness. "We know that the Son of God has come, and has given us all understanding, that we may know Him who is true" (1 John 5:20). That is, not "Him who taught the truth," but "Him who is true."

Now it is just because the Lord Jesus could make this claim, "I am altogether that which I spoke unto you" —I am the living embodiment, the personal exemplification of all which I teach—that he is a perfect Pattern for us to follow—that He can say "Learn of Me." "He has left us an example, that we should follow his steps" (1 Peter 2:21). As we bear His name (being called Christians) it is fit that we should imitate His holiness. "Be followers of me (said the Apostle), as I also am of Christ" (1 Corinthians 11:1). The best of men—are but men at the best. They all have their errors and defects, which they freely acknowledge, and therefore, wherein they differ from Christ—it is our duty to differ from them. No mere man, however wise or holy he may be—is a perfect rule for other men. The standard of perfection is found in Christ alone. He alone, is the rule of every Christian's way and walk. "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me" (Phil. 3:12). Though we fall far short of reaching such a standard in this life—yet nothing short thereof must be our aim!

"He who says he abides in Him—ought himself also so to walk even as He walked" (1 John 2:6). Many reasons might be given in proof of that "ought." It is utterly vain for any man to profess he is a Christian—unless he furnishes evidence that it is both his desire and endeavor to follow the example which Christ has left His people. As one of the Puritans put it, "let him either put on the life of Christ—or put off the name of Christ; let him show the hand of a Christian in works of holiness and obedience—or else the tongue and language of a Christian must gain no belief or credit." God has predestined His people "to be conformed to the image of His Son" (Romans 8:29). That is, a work which is begun here on earth, and perfected after death. But that work is not consummated in Heaven—unless it is commenced on earth. "We may as well hope to be saved without Christ—as to be saved without conformity to Christ" (J. Flavel).

This experimental and practical conformity between God's Son and His sons—is rendered indispensably necessary by their relation in grace: this relation is that which exists between body and head. Believers are made members of a living organism of which Christ is the Head. Of the members we read, "By one Spirit are we all baptized into one Body, whether we are Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit" (1 Corinthians 12:13). Of Christ we are told, "and God gave Him to be the Head over all things to the Church, which is His Body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all" (Eph. 1:22, 23). The two together— members and Head—form Christ-mystical. Now as Christ, the Head, is pure and holy, so also must be the members.

An animal with a human head would be a monstrosity. For the sensual and godless to claim oneness to Christ—is to misrepresent Him before the world, as though His mystical Body were like unto the image of Nebuchadnezzar, with the head of fine gold and the feet of iron and clay (Dan. 2:32-33, etc.).

This resemblance and conformity to Christ appears necessary from the communion which all believers have with Him in the same Spirit of grace and holiness. Not only is Christ the "Firstborn among many brethren," but it is also said of Him that God anointed Him, "with the oil of gladness above Your fellows" (Psalm 45:7). That "oil of gladness" is an emblem of the Holy Spirit, and God gives the same unto each of the "fellows" or partners which He more abundantly communicated to Christ. Now where the same Spirit and principle are, there the same fruits and works must be produced, according to the proportions and measures of the Spirit of grace bestowed. This is the very design for which the Holy Spirit is given to believers, as it is written, "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord—are changed into the same image from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord" (2 Corinthians 3:18).

To name but one other reason—the very honor of Christ demands the conformity of Christians to His example. In what other way can they close the mouths of those who despise and reject their Master, and vindicate His blessed name from the vile reproaches of the world? How can Wisdom be justified by her children—but by regulating our lives by His example? The wicked will not read the inspired record of His life in the Scriptures, and therefore is there all the more need that they should have His excellencies set before them in the lives of His people. The world has eyes to see what we practice—as well as ears to hear what we profess. Unless we manifest consistency between our profession and practice—we cannot glorify Christ before a world which has cast Him out.

Let us next point out—that there must be an inward conformity to Christ—before there can be any external resemblance. There must be an experimental oneness with Christ—before there can be a practical likeness to Him. How can I possibly be conformed to Him in external acts of obedience, unless there is a conformity to Him in those springs from which such actions proceed? We must live in the Spirit—before we can walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5:25). "Let this mind be in you," says the Apostle, "which was also in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 2:5), for it is the mind which should regulate all our other faculties, and therefore are we told, "for to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace" (Romans 8:6). And what was "the mind which was in Christ Jesus?" The verses that follow tell us: it was that of self-abnegation and devotedness unto the Father. That we must begin with inward conformity to Christ is evident from our text, for after saying "learn of Me," He at once added, "for I am gentle and humble in heart."

In our last article, we emphasized the need of attending closely to our Lord's order in this passage, insisting that we cannot possibly "learn" of Him (in the sense meant here) unless and until we have taken His "yoke" upon us; that is, until we surrender ourselves to Him and submit to be ruled by Him.

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