He shall grow up before Him ...

The Father had not before

Seen a holy Babe, a holy Child

Or a holy Youth, at each stage displaying

Wisdom perfect to His growth.

"He shall grow up before him ..."

In goodness that was perfect, perfection

That was divine.  Straight to the light

The sapling grows; straight too

To its source of moisture, for He

Was "as a root out of dry ground".

Not straight saplings but parts of His creation still! 

11/05/20

PERFECTION.

O Man! God's Man; Thou peerless Man!

Jesus, my Lord! God's Son:

Perfection's perfect in its height,

But found in Thee alone.

Of Abba's love — of God's great claims —

Thou com'st not short at all;

Perfect in everything art Thou

Alone, since Adam's fall.

O matchless, peerless Man! shall we

Begrudge to Thee this praise?

Perfect alone, Thou cam'st in love,

To glory us to raise.

Peerlessly spotless Man! 'twas Thou

The wrath did'st bear for me,

Peerlessly righteous Man! I'm made

God's righteousness in Thee.

Peerlessly glorious Man! how soon

Shall I be like to Thee?

Thy very glory then reflect,

Thy perfect beauty see.

G.V.Wigram

OPENED HEAVENS

Heaven had observed
Thirty secret years; perfection
In a Man.  Heaven saw
The Accomplisher of righteousness
Baptised.  Confident in Him
And what He would achieve the heavens
Were opened to Him.

That Man now stood, glorified:
Accomplished righteousness, heaven's
Celebration.  But on the earth Stephen
Suffered - suffered but beheld
The heavens opened.  Steeled
By his view of the Son of Man
His dying breath initiated
The address, "Lord Jesus".

And it came to Peter's vision
From the opened heavens, a vessel
In heaven's grip: including,
Cleansed and made righteous
The persons who would enliven
Heaven's view, the vessel
Of a heavenly character.

When the vessel has been caught up,
Responsive to the Lord's voice,
The heavens will be opened.  The Accomplisher
Of righteousness will go out
To execute righteous judgement -
His saints following Him clad
In white, fine, pure linen.

OBEDIENCE

Where human sinfulness displayed
Unprincipled expedience
God's heart rejoiced as Christ portrayed
The glory of obedience.

His moral excellences shone
In freshly-shining beauties
As He, to do God's will, took on
A bondman's form - and duties.

Eternally His saints shall know
His graces in perfection;
Eternally the Son will show
The radiance of subjection.

PERFECTION

Perfection towards God - Jesus portrayed,
The root and fruit, obedience and praise;
Perfection towards man - He would amaze
Men by the wealth of blessing He displayed;
Perfection towards duties - so He made
Arrangements for His mother’s coming days;
Perfection towards Himself - He in His ways
Showed how a saint of God should be arrayed.

And all was evenness, as when a tree
In the best light, and ideal soil grows round,
Presenting the same look at every side;
But He was like this though the soil might be
Dry, and although men’s roughness might surround.
In God alone, in rest, He could confide.