The first question in the NT comes from man and concerns the
Saviour: “Where is he that is born King of the Jews?” (Matt. 2:2,
AV). The first question in the OT was “Where art thou?” (Gen. 3: 9)
and came from God to the lost sinner. These two questions give the
key to understanding the difference between the Old and the New
Testaments. The prime object of the OT was to deal with its first
question, and to make known to the sinner his ruin and guilt. The
main
object of the NT is to
reveal the Saviour to the sinner, who has been thus convicted and
taught his need of salvation.
The birth of the Lord Jesus in Bethlehem was the
fulfilment of many promises and prophecies. Yet when “He came to His
own … his own received Him not” (John 1: 11). Thus the first
question in the NT, “Where is he?”, only served to expose the
hostility of mankind to God’s only begotten and well–beloved Son.
This antagonism came out in Herod and “all Jerusalem with him” who
were “troubled” (Matt. 2: 3) at the prospect of the Christ being in
their midst—just as many are troubled now. Today Christ is a trouble
to the schemes of Christendom and the world, who together are
seeking to bring about a millennium without Him, and to bring peace
to this earth without the “Prince of Peace” (Is. 9: 6). But such
trouble does not come from a work of God in the souls of men. It
comes from self, from the natural enmity of the heart to Christ, and
brings neither safety nor deliverance. Only when trouble comes from
God does it lead to salvation and peace.
The state of the chief priests and scribes was also
manifested, for their knowledge of the Scriptures was placed at the
service of Herod, and used in the attempt to destroy the child
Jesus. They certainly knew the Scriptures well, and could readily
turn to Micah 5:2 where it speaks of a ruler coming forth from
Bethlehem, but they would not have that Ruler, or His rule. They
thus stand out in marked contrast with the wise men. The magi wanted
this Ruler. They wanted to find Him, but they did not find Him at
Jerusalem. They had to turn their backs on the city
in
order to find Him at Bethlehem. Thus, while the head knowledge of
those who knew the Scriptures was used against Christ, those who had
love in their hearts were found at His feet worshipping Him.
This then is the
interpretation of the
question “Where is he?” in line with the context. However, it can
also be applied more generally.
We may look on it as being put by God to the world
now. ‘Where is HE?’ He asks ‘Where is the Saviour Whom I sent? Where
is My beloved Son? I sent Him, what have you done with Him? He is
not here! Where is He that was born King of the Jews?’ Where is He
indeed? The Scriptures do not keep the answer from us: “against thy
holy servant Jesus … both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with [the]
nations, and peoples of Israel, have been gathered together” (Acts
4: 27) and “by [the] hand of lawless [men]” He was “crucified and
slain” (Acts 2:23). The whole world (and not merely the Jews) was
involved in putting that Blessed One to death. That is why there
were three languages on the inscription on the cross: Hebrew the
language of religion, Greek the language of culture and Latin the
language of political power. Every type and class of man was
represented. Jew and Gentile, king, priests, rulers and people—all
were gathered together, and said with one voice ‘We will not that
this man should reign over us’.
Yet the world dares to make merry over the
commemoration of the Lord’s birth! What mockery! What profanity!
What blasphemy! Heaven must break in upon all the insulting
merry–making with the solemn question, ‘Where is He?’ Yes He was
born at Bethlehem, yes He did come unto this world, but where is He
now? Have you ever thought what Christmas Day must mean in heaven?
What
it must be in the
sight of God? On this day more than any other, we might expect Him
to specially demand ‘Where is He?’—while the world is celebrating
His great gift which it has rejected, and will not have. By their
presents to one another at this season, men witness against
themselves by their rejection of God’s “unspeakable free gift” (2
Cor. 9: 15). The fact that “He is not here” (Luke 24: 6) speaks
volumes to the world. Why is He not here? He was here once. Where is
He? Ah! The answer is the condemnation of a world which is under
judgment. It proves the guilt of the world, and demands the
execution of that sentence of judgment which has been already
passed. Yes, God holds the world guilty of the blood of His Son
and He will yet demand an answer to His question, ‘Where is He?’
God hears the voice of that blood which cries aloud to Heaven, and
calls for a vengeance more terrible than that of Abel, and soon He
will answer its cry, and recompense the world for its awful deed.
If men put Him to death, God has “highly exalted him” (Phil.
2: 9). He is not here because He is risen and ascended: “But
he,
having offered one sacrifice for sins, sat down in perpetuity at
[the] right hand of God, waiting from henceforth until his enemies
be set [for the] footstool of his feet” (Heb. 10: 12–13). That is
where He is, seated
in heaven, and
waiting.
That is the answer to the question “Where is he?”
And then the first question of the Bible comes again
to the saved sinner, as it once did to the lost sinner, “Where art
thou?” When it first came, it showed me how far away I was from God,
and how unsuitable I was for His holy presence: “And Jehovah Elohim
called to Man, and said to him, Where art thou? And he said, I heard
thy voice in the garden, and I feared, because I am naked; and I hid
myself” (Gen. 3: 9, 10). Now the question comes again to me as saved
by grace, and tells me how near I am to God in Christ, made nigh by
that very blood which cries from the ground for vengeance on the
wicked hands which shed it. “Where art thou?” comes the question,
and the answer now is—where He is, for “even as
he is,
we
also are in this world.” (1 John 4:17). Once I was far off but now I
have been made nigh and can sing:
A
mind at ‘perfect
peace’ with God, Oh! What a word is this;
A
sinner reconciled
through blood, This, this indeed is peace.
By
nature
and by practice far – How very far from God!
Yet
now, by
grace,
brought nigh to Him, Through faith in Jesu’s blood.
So
nigh, so very nigh to God, Nearer I cannot be;
For,
in the Person of His Son, I am as near as He.
So
dear, so
very
dear to God, More dear I cannot be;
The
love wherewith
He loves the Son, Such is His love to me.
Yes! “Even as he is, we also are
in this world”. Is He seated?
So are we, at perfect rest as to sin and sins, entered with boldness
within the veil, made to “sit down together in the heavenlies in
Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2: 6). Is He waiting?
So are we: expecting Him, looking for Him, “awaiting the blessed
hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour Jesus
Christ” (Titus 2: 13). At rest, and yet reaching out with all our
hearts for His coming again. Thus for the Christian, the answer to
this question “Where is he?” is full of blessedness and peace.
