No pictured likeness of my Lord have I;
He carved no record of His ministry
On wood or stone
He left no sculptured tomb nor parchment dim,
But trusted for all memory of Him
Men’s hearts alone.
Who sees the face but sees in part; who reads
The spirit which it hides sees all; he needs
No more. Thy grace–
Thy life in my life, Lord, give Thou to me;
And then, in truth, I may for ever see
My Master’s face.
The title of the chapter is important. It is not, “What Christ Is,” but “What Christ is to Me.” He may be, in our thought, a most glorious person, with all the honour claimed for him in the New Testament, and yet be nothing at all to me personally. He may be a great Saviour, and not be my Saviour. He may be a wonderful Friend, and yet his friendship means nothing whatever to me. The twenty third psalm is an exquisite little poem. It is dear to the hearts of millions of believers. But it would not be the same if it began, “The Lord is a Shepherd.” It is the word “my” that gives it its dearness. So it would not be the same if the title of this chapter were, “What Christ Is.” It might depict his character in glorious words. He is the Son of God, deity shining in every line. He is the King of kings, worthy of the worship and adoration of the highest beings in the world. He has all divine excellences. It was no robbery of God for Jesus Christ to claim to be equal with God. But we may believe all that the creeds of Christendom assert regarding him, and yet receive no blessing from him.
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