Westminster Larger Catechism # 49
Commentary by Dr. Chuck Baynard
Q49. How did Christ humble himself in his death?
Answer: Christ humbled himself in his death, in that having been betrayed by Judas,
forsaken by his disciples, scorned and rejected by the world, condemned by Pilate, and
tormented by his persecutors; having also conflicted with the terrors of death, and the
powers of darkness, felt and borne the weight of God’s wrath, he laid down his life
an offering for sin, enduring the painful, shameful, and cursed death of the cross.
References: Mt. 27:4; Heb. 4:15; Isa. 52:13-14; Mt. 27:4; Mt. 26:56; Isa. 53:2-3; Mt.
27:26-50; John 29:34; Luke 22:44; Isa. 53:10; Phil. 2:8; Heb 12:2; Gal. 3:13.
I hesitate to say more concerning the issue of the humility of Christ. The Divines
chose to put much emphasis on this subject using some five questions with an unusual
profusion of references compared to their proof texting of other topics. I have had more
difficulty completing these five questions because I find myself contrary to the wisdom of
the Divines in this area. Our Presbyterian standards are secondary to the Scriptures,
however these were not off the cuff creations. Men of God with an abundance of prayer and
thought gave to us these standards that have been proven to be both faithful to the Bible,
and withstood the test of time. They are not to be lightly set aside, or diminished.
Nonetheless, with much thought and prayer my opinion has not changed. I do not
understand the emphasis by the Divines, but continue to disagree and think they perhaps
misunderstood the Scriptures in this area. For example they choose to use the statement,
"...and cursed death of the cross." We have all heard that verse in this context
from our beginning in the church. Yet this isn’t exactly the truth of the Scripture.
I struggled for a long time with the fact that God could attach a curse to the method by
which one died. If this was so, what form was this curse to take? If this was a truth why
were not all of the martyrs hanged as further humiliation and shame by their persecutors.
The conflict comes from Scripture and from none other than the pen of Paul in Galatians
3:13 where we read "...cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree." However we
cannot have a conflict in God’s word except in our own understanding, so we need dig
a bit deeper and see what Paul meant by what appears to be a very clear and concise
statement. Paul is making reference to Deuteronomy 21:23. Now we find that the
"hanging" was not the mode of death, but came afterwards. This isn’t true
with the crucifixion, Christ was nailed to the cross alive, and died there. The sense of
Deuteronomy then is that when a man has committed a sin worthy of death, after execution
the body is hung on a tree for public display. The curse comes from the sin not the use of
the dead body to present an object lesson to the nation. In no way then is the method of
death to be connected to the sacrifice of Christ. As I understand it, this would have been
a sentence of death by the Jewish Priests (judges) for gross sin, worthy of death. This
isn’t true of Christ either. It was Roman hands that nailed Him to the cross and a
Roman sword that pieced His side. Since only God can curse or bless in the true sense,
then the statement "cursed death of the cross" isn’t precise.
The simple truth as I understand it is contained in this statement, but with some
histrionics I disagree with. Christ said that He laid down His life (and He would take it
up again). Why? To provide the atonement. Hebrews is clear on this point. Betrayed by
Judas, no surprise, Christ foretold this event, as well as the Old Testament. Conflicted
with the terrors of death. Yes, but I submit it was no terror to Christ. If it were, how
then may we be comforted with the after knowledge that He removed the sting of the grave.
Christ knew this. I think to deny He had knowledge of the full route he would travel,
including the resurrection is unbiblical and requires a separation of the divine/human
nature that cannot be. The martyrs to follow were enabled to embrace the flames because He
went before them. He was enabled in His human nature to embrace the cross because of the
sure knowledge of the resurrection to follow. His own words testify to this fact.
"This day you will be with me in paradise" were Christ’s words to the
repentent thief at His side on Calvary.
Indeed He endured the painful (fully man) and even shameful death of the cross. Not in
humility, for he knew He had the power to come down from that cross. His real trial was
not on the cross but in the garden before the event, when we see the real human nature
seek God’s mercy in removing the cup. However I believe the cup to be removed was not
of physical death, which He knew would only be for a limited time (as we should know) but
of the separation from God that had to come when He took upon Himself the sin of man. He
who had always existed in the Godhead, had to feel the fear and terror of that separation
from God. Here He felt the weight of God’s wrath, not in death, but at the separation
from God, which occurred prior to His actual moment of death (My God, My God why have your
forsaken me)..
Humble wouldn’t be my choice of word to describe the "human" courage
based on a deep and profound faith in God. Fear? Only in that moment of separation from
God. Some would have that separation continue through out the time of death until
resurrection. I think it was momentary, for we see a rational mind return to the human
side of our Savior prior to His death whereby He serenely commends His spirit to God as He
exits this temporal world. That He was dead in human form and terms cannot be denied, for
Scripture is clear that the body is dead when the spirit is no longer present. Again we
enter into the metaphysical in the resurrection, for though it is the same body bearing
the marks of the cross, it is not the same. Physical in that He partakes of food in that
resurrected body, yet not, in that it appears to be able to pass through walls. We will
deal with this in more depth in the next question concerning His death.
If I could bypass the one verse of Scripture where it says He humbled himself in the
English Bible, I would make no concession to His humility, but rather point to the quiet
courage that belongs to him who knows God’s perfect love. This sureness, this courage
is available to all men, and has been demonstrated countless times in history by the
faithful, how much more then would this sureness and courage belong to the Son of Man? In
concession to the inability to bypass even one word given to us by God, I let the word
humble stand. Nonetheless, would hasten to point out that being humble, meek, and mild in
no way point to weakness or fear. Christ knew He would walk out of that tomb. Can we be as
sure and struggle not to hang onto this body of flesh when it is God’s will for us to
do otherwise? I think the answer is a resounding yes. He humbled Himself not to the world,
but in perfect obedience to God the Father, and by being His, we are called to do the
same. God has never required of man, what He did not first provide. By God’s grace we
can walk this same path of obedience, and have the comfort and courage to face even death.
Scorned and rejected by the world? Yes, but this has nothing to do with humility. Man
has rejected God and His messengers from the beginning. That the Son of Man did not call
down the fire from heaven testifies not to his humility, but to patience and love, as He
continues to exercise the mercy shown by God from the beginning of the history of man. His
words of forgiveness on the cross give powerful testimony to this truth. How the first
petal raises to its glory in view of the loving embrace of the Son of Man of not only
physical death, but separation from God, that man might live. Here is love undeserved, and
without limit, as Christ unconditionally obeyed God, in dying once for all. Here the
covenant of grace is paid for, that it might be unconditional to man. The contract
fulfilled, that Christ’s own could know they have life and that everlasting, as the
fifth petal bursts into view in the death of our Lord. As before, where we find one petal,
the others will flow from the same point by necessity. How beautiful the reformed faith
then, resting in the midst of this heavenly garden.
Dr. Chuck Baynard - April 1998
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