I. The Messiah is "fairer than the children of men" as the Son of God. Children of men are born in time; the Messiah was in the beginning with God. They have only a creature nature; He has the nature of God. He is absolutely one with God, and in every respect equal with God.
II. Christ is "fairer than the children of men" as the Son of man. They are born with a sinful taint, but He was born without sin. They go astray as soon as they are born; He was a holy and harmless Child. The children of men fail chiefly in love, but the love of our Saviour surpasseth knowledge.
III. Christ is "fairer than the children of men" in three things which He shared with men work, suffering, and temptation. (1) Work. (a) He knew His work. He knew what it was. Some people spend their whole lives in finding out their work; hence they never do any work which is worth doing. (b) Christ made His work His meat and drink. He did not call work a curse. He did not account it a hardship. (c) Christ finished His work. (2) In suffering, too, Christ endured completely all that He was appointed to suffer. He also bore it patiently, and His patience had her perfect work. (3) Look at temptation. Christ was undefiled by temptation. Thoughts of wrong-doing were cast into His mind like firebrands thrown into some dwelling formed of combustible material, but those thoughts never tainted Christ.
IV. Christ is "fairer than the children of men" in His official characters of Prophet and Priest.
V. Christ is "fairer than the children of men" in four things in which good men notably fail: (1) in the harmony and variety of His excellencies; (2) in the unbroken consistency of His actions; (3) in the perfection of His manifold works; (4) Christ's influence was in all respects superior. Hence the variety of metaphors used to represent Him.
S. Martin, Westminster Chapel Pulpit,4th series, No. 12.
References: Psalms 45:2. G. Brooks, Outlines of Sermons,p. 80; Preacher's Monthly,vol. iv., p. 71; Spurgeon, Morning by Morning,p. 173.Psalms 45:3. Expositor,3rd series, vol. v., p. 312; C. Wordsworth, Sermons at Harrow School,p. 188; G. Brooks, Outlines of Sermons,p. 377.