came out a triumphant conqueror. Hence His humanity
in order to enter in; His divinity in order to come out.

The scheme of redemption contemplated a sacrifice for the sins of the
world. Men must get rid of sin. They had no power of themselves to do
this. Sin must be remitted. This demanded a sacrifice for sin. "Without
the shedding of blood there is no remission." The blood shed must be
the blood of humanity. It must contain the life under condemnation.
Hence the "blood of bulls and of goats could not take away sin." It
could not reach and cleanse the conscience. It was used as an imperfect
type, but the perfection required the blood that courses in human
veins; but the victim must be innocent. It must be absolutely free from
sin. Only a sinless offering can meet the requirements of the divine
government. Hence, in order to offer the blood of the condemned race,
our mediator must be human; in order to offer it in innocence, He must
be divine.

The completion of the preparation of our mediator for His work as such,
required His death and resurrection. It is shocking to the mind of some
to speak of Christ having to be educated and perfected for His office
of mediator, but this He asserts Himself. "For it became him, for whom
are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons
unto glory, to make the author of their salvation perfect through
sufferings." "Though he was a Son, yet learned he obedience by the
things which he suffered; and having been made perfect, he became unto
all them that obey him, the author of eternal salvation." This
officiating for man as mediator and high priest, is the only thing, as
we now remember, in which Christ is said to have been specially
qualified by His life among men. This is significant. The reasons for
it are easily seen in the foregoing. He had to become a man, and these
things peculiar to humanity He had to learn.

In offering Himself a sacrifice for sin, our mediator had to die. In
order to His work as such, of which His death was only preparatory, He
had to live again. His death was voluntary. He said, "I have power to
lay down my life, and I have power to take it up again." In order to
lay down His life, He had to be human; in order to take it up again, He
had to be divine.

Having accomplished His preparatory work, Christ returned to the Father
to make an atonement, and to sit henceforth as a mediator between God
and men. He was equal with God before He l