Exodus 21:1-6.
[1879 321] We have here in a lovely picture set forth the ways of grace as seen in Christ rising above righteous title to stop short of them. The Lord indeed came into this world for the purpose of displaying both in perfection. He did show us a Man born of a woman, born under the law; and this too undoubtedly in its perfection. It was never seen before, sin having made it impossible, even if the first man had otherwise been capable of it. But in Him was no sin; and our Lord Jesus Christ, living on account of the Father, displayed the astonishing spectacle of a man who never in one single act or way sought His own will, but God's — a man, therefore, who was the perfect pattern of a servant, who had but one purpose that filled His life, doing the will of God. He was the true Hebrew servant; He was the only One that could have challenged even God Himself to find a single particular in which He had not brought Him glory.
But in the type before us there was another thing. First may be viewed in it the righteous claim of God on man: and when once the Son of God had been pleased to become a man, He owed that entire allegiance in all things small or great. The Lord Jesus showed His subjection to His mother and to him who was only by legal repute His father. He was subject to them both; much more intimately and absolutely was He to God Himself. I say much more, not as if there was any difference in the perfectness of Christ: but only that God had a still fuller and more indisputable claim; and this He Himself expressed, as a youth of twelve years of age, long before His entrance on the public service of God. "Wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?" said the Lord Jesus, when His mother and father had sought Him sorrowing. This was always to Him what governed. But then it was not merely to Him a governing motive. There was this in it, and in the very highest respect it was in it. Even in death itself, in laying down His life, though it was His own delight to glorify His Father and His God, yet even there He could say, "This commandment have I received of my Father." He was the servant; He obeyed unto death — yea, death of the cross.
Nevertheless there is another character of service that the Lord Jesus fulfilled, which belongs to Him alone. As the Hebrew servant serving six years with the title to go out at the end of the time, He only shows us the perfection of a man in human circumstances and acting according to that place of righteous subjection into which He had put Himself with God. But scripture is never satisfied with showing us this alone, because it would derogate from the glory of Christ. Hence we have another part of the Lord's service of a wholly different nature, and here we pass out of all that is merely human. He is a man, but we pass into the region of divine motives, and where nothing but divine love could stoop to fulfil human duty, and rise into what is no question of duty at all — nothing but grace; and this was true of Christ even when He was here below, in all His service. Our Lord never was merely a man, or simply meeting a claim. In everything He did He was displaying God to man as truly as He was showing what is the perfection of man before God. Further, this came out in a transcendent manner in His death.
And this is what we come to next. The Hebrew servant could go out free for nothing, after six years. So Christ had completely fulfilled all possible claim on Him. But it is added, "If the servant shall plainly say, I love my master." Henceforth it is no question of law in any way, this He really had been under, but now opens out another thing. "If the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife and my children, I will not go out free: then his master shall bring him unto the judges, he shall also bring him to the door or unto the doorpost." The doorpost was the sign of personal limits; by it the family entered, and none else had the right. It was not therefore a thing that might pertain to a stranger, but pre-eminently that which belonged to the household. This too was the reason why it was on the doorpost that the blood of the paschal lamb was sprinkled; it was staying the hand of God, as far as that house was concerned, on the first-born there, but on no one else. So here "he shall bring him unto the doorpost, and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall serve him for ever."
Thus it is that the Lord Jesus Christ coming down into death and rising again still takes the place of the servant of God forever. He will never cease to be man any more than He will ever cease to serve. Is it not the very opposite of what had been shown by every other man? Who naturally chooses to be a servant? The first man who was at best God's servant, sought to be as God when he was only a man. He that was truly God, and who of course never ceased to be God, became so perfectly a man that, even carrying it through death into resurrection and into glory, He is a man for ever and the servant for ever. And this He beautifully shows Himself. I do not dwell on what our Lord is doing now. We all know that He is serving us in heaven, interceding and cleansing us on earth from every defilement. This He set forth in washing the disciples' feet. They did not in the least understand its import then any more than the great mass of believers do now; as He said to Peter, "What I do thou knowest not now, but thou shalt know hereafter." He is now by the word, applied in the Holy Ghost, cleansing His own in the world, that they may have part with Him on high, not life but communion with Him; for this is the object of the Lord's advocacy with the Father.
But besides there is another word in the Gospel of Luke (Luke 12), which shows us that in the day of glory He will still serve us. It is not only when He is in the glory; for there are these three steps.
First here below in grace He would not give up the place of serving. It is no question of law, but though under law, still in Him there was this full power of grace. Indeed in our case it is only grace that fully accomplishes the right of law. But grace does not terminate there.
Next He goes up to glory, and carries this on up in glory. We are still in the place of need, and, as long as there is need in the saint of God, there is service on the part of the Saviour. It is impossible that Jesus should not serve as long as there is a want to be met. But what of the day when there will be no need to be met? If there is no need on our part, there is love on His part, and love will always serve even when there is no question of need. And this is what He brings before us. "Blessed are those servants whom the Lord when he cometh shall find watching! Verily I say unto you that he shall gird himself and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them." No longer will there be need, no question of the feet being washed, when we are in the presence of God; but yet the Lord Jesus has such love that He will serve, as He says, "I love my master, my wife, and my children." And so it will be. As the witness of the perfect love of God, He will serve in glory; as the witness of love to the bride He will still serve; as the witness of love to those who are not in that position, His heart goes out to others. "I love my master, my wife, and my children, I will not go out free." He serves forever. It is the activity and delight of divine love in man, though this Man be the true God and eternal life.