OBJECTIONS TO THE CONTRARY ANSWERED.
‘OF THIS MAN’S SEED HATH GOD, ACCORDING TO HIS PROMISE, RAISED UNTO ISRAEL A SAVIOUR, JESUS’—ACTS 13:23.
These words are part of a sermon that Paul preached to the people who lived at Antioch in Pisidia, inhabited by many Jews. The preparation to his discourse, he thus begins—’Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience’ (v 16); by which, having prepared their minds to attend, he proceeds and gives a particular relation of God’s peculiar dealings with his people Israel, from Egypt to the time of David their king, of whom he treated mainly—
That he was the son of Jesse, that he was a king, that God raised him up in mercy, that God gave testimony of him, that he was a man after God’s own heart, that he should fulfill all his will (v 22).
And this he did of purpose was both to engage them more to attend and because they knew that of the fruit of his loins, God hath promised the Messiah should come.
Having thus therefore gathered up their minds to hearken, he presented them with his errand—to wit, that the Messiah was come, and that the promise was indeed fulfilled that a Saviour should be born to Israel—’ Of this man’s seed,’ saith he, ‘hath God, according to his promise, raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus.’
In this assertion, he concluded—1. The promise had continued in presenting a Saviour to Israel—to wit, in David’s loins—’ Of this man’s seed.’ 2. That the time of the promise was come, and the Saviour was revealed—’ God hath raised unto Israel a Saviour.’ 3. That Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph, was he—’ He hath raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus.’
From these things, we may inquire about the explication of the words, First. What is this, Jesus? Second. What was it for this Jesus to be of the seed of David? Third. What was it for Jesus to be of this man’s seed according to the promise? And, Fourth, what it was for him to be raised unto Israel? These things may give us light into what shall be spoken after.
Quest. First. What is this, Jesus?
He is God and had personal being from before all worlds; therefore, not such a one as took being when he was formed in the world; he is God’s natural Son, the Eternal Son of his begetting and love—’ God sent forth his Son.’ He was, and was his Son before he was revealed—’What is his name, and what is his Son’s name if thou canst tell?’ (Prov 30:4; Eze 21:10). He hath an eternal generation, such as none can declare, not man, not angel (Isa 53:8). He was the delight of his Father before he had made either mountain or hill. While as yet he had not made the earth or the fields, or the highest part of the dust of the world, all things were made by him, and without him was not anything made that was made, and he is before all things, and by him, all things consist. It is he with whom the Father consulted when he was about to make man when he intended to overthrow Babel, and when he sent Isaiah to harden the hearts of Israel (Prov 8:26; John 1:3; Heb 1:2,3; Col 1:17; Gen 1:26, 11:7; Isa 6:8). This is the person intended in the text. Hence, he also testifies that he came down from the Father and had glory with him before the world was. And ‘what and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?’ (John 6:62, 16:28, 17:5).
Quest. Second. What was it for Jesus to be of David’s seed?
To be of David’s seed is to spring from his loins, to come of his race according to the flesh; therefore, as he is David’s God, so likewise is David’s Son, the root and offspring of David. And this the Lord himself acknowledged, saying, ‘I am the root,’ or God, ‘and the offspring,’ and Son, ‘of David, and the bright and morning star’ (Rev 22:16). This is indeed the great mystery, the mystery of godliness. ‘If David then call him Lord, how is he his Son?’ (Matt 22:45; Luke 2:4; Rom 1:3; 2 Tim 2:8). And hence it is that he is said to be ‘wonderful,’ because he is both God and man in one person—’ Unto us, a child is born, a Son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder. His name shall be called Wonderful (Isa 9:6). Wonderful indeed! Incredible God, Wonderful man, Wonderful God-man, and a Wonderful Jesus and Saviour. He also hath incredible love, bore wonderful sorrows for our excellent sins, and obtained for HIS a wonderful salvation.
Quest. Third. What was it for Jesus to be of this man’s seed according to the promise?
This word ‘promise’ doth sometimes comprehend all the promises which God made to our fathers, from the first promise to the last, and so the Holy Ghost doth call them—’ The promise made unto the fathers, God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children’ (Acts 13:32,33). But the word ‘promise’ here doth, in particular, intends that which God made to David himself—’Men and brethren,’ said Peter, ‘let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulcher is with us unto this day. Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; he, seeing this before, speaks of the resurrection of Christ,’ &c. (Acts 2:29,30).
Quest. Fourth. What was it for Jesus to be raised thus up of God to Israel?
Here, we have two things to consider—1. Who Israel is. 2. What it was for Jesus to be raised up unto them.
1. Who Israel is. By ‘Israel’ sometimes we should understand the whole stock of Jacob, the natural children of his flesh; for that name, they have of him, for he obtained it when he wrestled with the angel and prevailed, and it remained with his seed in their generations (Gen 32). By ‘Israel’, we are to understand all those that God hath promised to Christ—’The children of the promise are counted for the seed,’ the elect Jews and Gentiles. These are called ‘the Israel of God’ and the seed of Abraham, whom Jesus especially regarded in undertaking the work of man’s redemption (Rom 9:8; Gal 6:16; Heb 2:14-16).
2. What it was for Jesus to be raised up unto them. This word ‘raised up’ is diversely taken in the Scripture. (1.) It is taken for ‘sending’; as when he saith he raised them up judges, saviors, and prophets, he means he sent them such, and thus he raised up Jesus—that is, ‘he sent him’ (Judge 2:16,18, 3:9,15; Amos 2:11). ‘I have not spoken of myself; but the Father who sent me, he gave me a commandment’ (John 12:49). (2.) To be raised up, one must be intimately invested in power and authority. Thus, he raised David to be the king of Israel, anointed him, and invested him in kingly power (1 Sam 16:13; Acts 13:22). Jesus Christ was raised. Hence, he is called ‘the horn of salvation’—’ He hath raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David’ (Luke 1:69). (3.) To be raised up, intimated quickening and strengthening, to oppose and overcome all opposition. Thus was Jesus raised up from sin, death, the rage of the world, and hell that day that God raised him out of the grave.
Thus, Jesus was raised up to Israel—that is, he was sent, authorized, and strengthened to, and in the work of, their salvation, to complete it.
The words thus opened lay before us these two observations: FIRST, that in all ages, God gave his people a promise, which is so ground for a believing remembrance, that he would one day send them a Saviour. SECOND, that when Jesus came into the world, that promise of God was fulfilled.
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