Divine Prerogatives.

J. A. Trench.

Article 40 of 55 from 'Truth for Believers' Volume 2.

As dependent upon the Father for the object of His coming the Lord Jesus acted again and again in divine prerogative of will, knowledge and power. Scripture connects attributes which are exclusively divine with divine Persons viewed in their distinctness; as, for instance, "will" (Matt. 11:27) with the Son expressly distinguished from the Father: "His oneness with the Father made known in his competency to reveal and supremacy of will in revealing the Father." So again John 5:21. So also as to the Spirit, 1 Corinthians 12:11, "dividing" (all these manifestations of spiritual power) "to every man severally as he will."

Then as to power, "Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up again." John 2 and John 10:18 — though only exercising will or power in carrying out the will He came to do; in no way independently, yet as possessing all, which was His perfection. He who could say "I Am," John 8, and before whom the cohort of soldiery that came to take Him fell to the ground powerless, cannot be limited to a vessel to set forth what God was. He was God manifest in the flesh. The simple soul will turn to Scripture and find abundant proof that the humanity of the Lord Jesus consisted of spirit as well as body and soul, and this as distinct from the Holy Ghost given to Him: Mark 2:8, "knowing in His spirit"; Mark 8:12, "groaned in His spirit"; Luke 10:21, "rejoiced in spirit": "Into thy hands I commend my spirit" — exactly as His servant "Lord Jesus receive my spirit," — Matthew 27:50, John 19:30; John 11:33, "deeply moved in spirit"; John 13:21, "troubled in spirit."