WSC Question 27:

Of Christ’s Humiliation

QUEST. 27. Werein did Christ’s humiliation consist?

Answ. Christ’s humiliation consisted in his being born, and that in a low condition; made under the law, undergoing the miseries of this life, the wrath of God, and the cursed death of the cross; in being buried, and continuing under the power of death for a time.

Q. What is Christ’s estate of humiliation?

A. The vailing of his divine glory for a time, and appearing in this world as a man of sorrows and suffering.

Q. What moved Christ to humble himself?

A. His great love to elect sinners, Galatians 2:20.

Q. Wherein did Christ humble himself?

A. In his birth, life, death, and after his death.

Q. How did he humble himself in his birth?

A. In his being conceived, and born in a low condition.

Q. Was it great humiliation in Christ to be thus born?

A. Yes: how wonderful for the great God to become man! the Father of eternity a creature of time! the Holy One of Israel to assume the likeness of sinful flesh!

Q. In what low condition was Christ born?

A. He was born of a mean [poor] woman, in Bethlehem a mean place, in a stable, and laid in a manger.

Q. Was he not descended of the family of David king of Israel?

A. Yes: and to show this, the evangelists give us the history of his pedigree.

Q. How then was be born in such a low condition?

A. At that time the family of David had lost its lustre, and was sunk into a very low state.

Q. How was Christ humbled in his life?

A. In being made under the law, and undergoing the miseries of this life, Galatians 4:4.

Q. Under what law was Christ made?

A. Under the ceremonial and judicial, but especially under the moral law, Matthew 3:15.

Q. Why was he especially made under the moral law?

A. Because this was the matter of the covenant which Adam broke, and we in him, Galatians 4.

Q. For what end was he made under the law?

A. To redeem them that were under the law.

Q. Are then believers not bound to obey God’s law?

A. They are bound to obey it as a rule; but not as a covenant, to procure life by it, Galatians 2:19.

Q. Whether was Christ made under the law as a covenant, or as a rule of life?

A. As a covenant of works; for he was made under that law which he intended to redeem his people from, Galatians 4:4.

Q. Why might he not intend to redeem us from the law as a rule?

A. Because that would make his righteousness the price of licentiousness.

Q. Under what of the law as a covenant was Christ made?

A. Under the command and curse of it.

Q. Why was he made under the command of it?

A. That he might perfectly obey it in our stead.

Q. Why was he at the same time made under the curse of it?

A. That he might satisfy the justice of God for our disobedience, Daniel 9:24.

Q. If Christ was made under the curse, how is it that he was not brought under the defiling strength of sin?

A. The infinite holiness of his person prevented it.

Q. Was it not great humiliation in Christ to be made under the law?

A. Yes: it was astonishing for the great Lawgiver to become the law’s bond-servant; and God blessed for ever, to be made a curse for us.

Q. What miseries of this life did Christ undergo?

A. Such as were sinless and common.

Q. If Christ did not undergo sinful plagues, how did he suffer the same punishment which we deserved?

A. Sinful plagues are not of the essence of punishment, but only spring from the curse as it lies on a sinner.

Q. How then was Christ made sin for us ?

A. All the sin of an elect world was laid on, and punished in him.

Q. Did Christ undergo the sinless infirmities of deadness, blindness, etc.?

A. No; these are not common, and would have hindered him from duly executing his office.

Q. Wherein did Christ undergo the miseries of this life?

A. In his soul, body, name, estate, and relations.

Q. What miseries did he undergo in his soul?

A. The temptations of Satan, with much grief and sorrow from the world, Matthew 4; Isaiah 53.

Q. What chiefly occasioned this grief and sorrow?

A. The wickedness of men, and their opposition to his ministry, Hebrews 12:3; Luke 19:41, 42.

Q. What bodily miseries did he undergo?

A, Cold, hunger, thirst, weariness, sweating, bleeding, etc.

Q. What misery did he undergo in his name?

A. The vilest calumny and reproach, Luke 23.

Q. How was he reproached?

A. He was called a glutton, drunkard, blasphemer, sabbath-breaker, a seditious person, a companion of profligates, and one in compact with the devil, Matthew 11:19, etc.

Q. How did he undergo misery in his estate?

A. Though the foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, yet he had not where to lay his head.

Q. What misery did he undergo in his relations?

A. His own friends and countrymen disbelieved, despised, hated, and otherwise injured him, Luke 4.

Q. Was it not astonishing humiliation for God infinitely rich, glorious, and happy, to become thus poor, reproached, and miserable?

A. Yes, 2 Corinthians 8:9.

Q. Why did Christ undergo these miseries of this life?

A. That he might unsting them to his people, and the better sympathise with us in trouble.

Q. How was Christ humbled at his death?

A. By undergoing the wrath of God, and the cursed death of the cross, Isaiah 53:10; Philippians 2:8.

Q. Had not Christ undergone the wrath of God all his lifetime?

A. Yes; but he suffered it more severely at his death, Philippians 2:8; Matthew 26 & 27.

Q. From whom did he suffer at his death?

A. From devils, disciples, malicious men, and an angry God.

Q. What did he suffer from devils?

A. Great harassment of his sinless soul, John 14:30; Luke 22:53.

Q. What did he suffer from his disciples?

A. Judas betrayed, Peter thrice denied, and they all forsook him, Matthew 26.

Q. What did he suffer from malicious men?

A. They preferred a thief and murderer to him; crowned him with thorns; reviled, buffeted, scourged, condemned, and crucified him, Matthew 26 & 27.

Q. What did he suffer from God?

A. The hiding of his face, and direful effects of his wrath.

Q. Where did he especially suffer the wrath of God?

A. In the garden, and on the cross, Matthew 26 & 27.

Q. How know you that he then suffered the wrath of God?

A. By his bloody sweat, and the words he spake at these times, Luke 22:44.

Q. What did the pressure of God’s wrath make Christ cry out in the garden?

A. He cried out in an agony, My soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death; and, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me.

Q. What did it make him cry out upon the cross?

A. My Cod, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

Q. How could God thus lay his wrath upon Christ, his holy and well-beloved son?

A. Because he was now standing in the law-room of elect sinners.

Q. Did God spare Christ any more than he would have done sinners?

A, No, not in the least; but delivered him up to the death for us all, Romans 8:32.

Q. To what death did God deliver Christ up?

A. To the death of the cross, Galatians 3:13.

Q. What kind of death was that?

A. A cursed, shameful, and painful death.

Q. How was the death of Christ a cursed death?

A. God, to testify his displeasure at man’s sin by the fruit of a tree, had said, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree, Galatians 3:13.

Q. How was it a shameful death?

A. He was hung up naked, as a vile slave and malefactor.

Q. How was it a painful death?

A. His hands and feet were nailed to the cross; his bones drawn out of joint; and he expired, in a lingering manner, in these tortures.

Q. What was the type of Christ’s death on the cross?

A. Moses lifting up the brasen serpent in the wilderness, John 3:14.

Q. How did this typify his death?

A. This symbol of the serpent, a cursed creature, was lifted up on a pole for the healing of Israel; so Christ, made a curse, was lifted up on the cross for the healing of sinners.

Q. Why did Christ die a cursed death?

A. To redeem them that were under the curse, Galatians 3:13.

Q. Did Christ’s death separate his soul or body from his divine nature?

A. No, Rev. 1:18.

Q. What became of his soul when it was by death separated from his body?

A, It went to heaven.

Q. Why did not Christ suffer eternal wrath?

A. The divinity of his person gave infinite value to what he suffered; and therefore the law could not require the eternity of suffering.

Q. How was Christ humbled after his death?

A. In his being buried, and continuing under the power of death for a time, Psalm 16:10.

Q. How could Christ say on the cross, It is finished, when he was humbled after his death?

A. His meaning was, that his sensible and soul-sufferings were just then finishing.

Q. Why was Christ buried?

A. To show that he was really dead, and perfume the grave for his people.

Q. Who buried Christ’s body?

A. Joseph of Arimathea, and Nicodemus, John 20.

Q. Where did they bury him?

A. In Joseph’s new grave in his garden near mount Calvary.

Q. Why did God so order it, that Christ was buried where never man was laid?

A. That there might be no room to say, another had risen in his stead.

Q. Why did he suffer his agony, and was buried in a garden?

A. Man first sinned in a garden.

Q. What gave death and the grave dominion over Christ?

A. His being made sin for us.

Q. How long did Christ’s body continue in the grave?

A. Till the third day after his death, 1 Corinthians 15.

Q. What was the type of Christ’s lying so long in grave?

A. Jonah’s being three days and three nights in the whale’s belly, Matthew 12:40.

Q. How can it be said, Christ was three days and three nights in the grave, when be lay only about thirty-four hours in it?

A. He was in it a part of three natural days.

Q. Did he see corruption in the grave?

A. No.

Q. Why so?

A. Because he had never sinned, and his body was still closely united to his divine nature.

Q. Was it not infinitely amazing, that the Lord of life should thus die, and he buried?

A. Yes.

Q. What are the glorious properties of this humiliation and death of Christ?

A. It was voluntary, acceptable, meritorious, and victorious.

Q. How was it voluntary?

A. Christ undertook and underwent it with the utmost cheerfulness.

Q. How was it acceptable?

A. God took infinite pleasure and delight in this service of Christ.

Q. Whence did the acceptableness of Christ’s death flow?

A. From its being infinitely valuable and voluntary; and its being commanded of God.

Q. How was it strictly meritorious?

A. He never owed it for himself; and it was as valuable as the reward
of our eternal life, and his own glorious exaltation.

Q. How was it victorious?

A. Christ hereby vanquished and triumphed: over sin, devils, and death; and opened an abundant vent for God’s love to us.

Q. How should we improve the humiliation of Christ?

A. By believing and admiring his love; by humility and contentment under the heaviest afflictions; and by boldly craving and expecting the blessings our brother Christ has, by his humiliation, purchased for us.