being
tempted so that He might be touched with the feeling of our infirmities
and succour them that are tempted. And all He was to be and is now, the
Second Man, the last Adam, the head of the church, the head of the new
creation, all and much else necessitated His incarnation.

What Incarnation could not Accomplish.

However, the great purpose of the incarnation of the Son of God was His
work of redemption. For this great purpose He came into the world. He
came that, after a life, which completely glorified the Father and
upheld His holy law and vindicated God's rights as the lawgiver, He
might accomplish the great work of atonement. John stated this great
work the Son of God came to do in a brief sentence, "Behold the Lamb of
God, which taketh away the sin of the world." Sin, that accursed thing,
had to be taken out of the way. Propitiation for sins had to be made. A
sacrifice had to be brought which would glorify a holy God and satisfy,
as well as exalt, His righteousness. Peace had to be made. The sins of
many had to be paid and the full penalty of them to be borne.

Incarnation in itself, the marvelous and ever blessed humiliation of the
Son of God by taking on the human form, His holy blessed life, His
loving words, words of life and peace, yea, all He did in deeds of love
and compassion could never accomplish this. Incarnation brought God to
Man, but could never bring man back to a holy God. Incarnation could not
make an end of sin, nor make it possible for a righteous God to show
mercy to the fallen and the lost, in a righteous way. This great work of
redemption could only be accomplished by His death on the cross. For
this He had come. He came to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.
The Author and Prince of Life came that He might give His Life a ransom
for many. The good Shepherd appeared to give His life for the sheep. By
His death alone, the great work of redemption could be accomplished.

III.

His work on the Cross and What has been Accomplished by It.

And now let us consider His work on the cross and what has been
accomplished by it. But who is able to speak worthily of this theme of
all themes? Who can fathom the solemn yet blessed fact, the death of the
Son of God on the cross? What tongue or pen can describe the sad, yet
glorious truth, that the Just One died for the unjust, that Christ died
for the ungodly! He who knew no sin was made sin for us! And what human
mind can estimate the wonder