Hebrews 2:14-18 Since
therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of
the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power
of death, that is, the devil, 15 and deliver all those who
through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. 16 For
surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. 17 Therefore
he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a
merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation
for the sins of the people. 18 For because he himself has
suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
God,
who is everywhere present, strengthened His relationship with mankind by coming
to earth to be born as a human. God had planned before the creation of the
universe to create and redeem mankind. The Gospel of John tells us that the
Word was with God in the beginning and that the Word was God. Jesus is God in
human flesh! In the Gospel of Luke we are told that Jesus once said, “the Son of Man came to seek and to save
the lost.” (Luke 19:10) In order to accomplish that purpose He was born as
a man, was perfectly obedient to God the Father, obedient even to death on a
cross (Philippians 2:8).
Before
His birth on earth, the human race had existed for thousands of years. During
that time Adam was the representative head of the human race. I quote,
“Adam, our first
representative sinned — and God counted us guilty. But Christ the
representative of all who believe in him, obeyed God perfectly — and God
counted us righteous. That is simply the way in which God set up the human race
to work. God regards the human race as an organic whole, a unity, represented
by Adam as its head. And God thinks of the new race of Christians, those who
are redeemed by Christ, as an organic whole, a unity represented by Christ as
head of his people.” (Grudem’s Systematic Theology pages 495-496)
Now
we see that…
He came as the new head of a
Christian race. Let me read for you Romans 5:17-19. For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned
through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace
and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus
Christ. 18 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for
all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all
men. 19 For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made
sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.
God
came to earth in the Son and displaced our representative head — Adam! Because
we are born descendants of Adam we are born separated from God. Our nature
includes a disposition to sin. All mankind are by nature children of wrath.
Part of the responsibility of parents is to teach their children to do right.
During our early years the selfishness bred into us has to be brought under
control. The expectations of family and society as well as the conviction of
human conscience and the restraints of civil law help to make us socially
acceptable.
Because
of the sin of Adam death overshadows the whole human race at birth and remains
over us throughout our life. The penalty on our sin nature is to die physically
and, being dead spiritually, to separate us from God forever. Jesus came to
change that situation…
He came to pay the penalty for
our sin. Let me read Romans
3:21-26. But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the
law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the
righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For
there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short
of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a
gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom
God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This
was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had
passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at
the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has
faith in Jesus.
The
Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ brought the righteousness of God into our lives
by faith. The law and the prophets pointed ahead to the coming Son of God. All
mankind are subject to death, physical and spiritual, because of the
representative acts of our first ancestor Adam. Without some serious action on the
part of God all mankind was subject to God’s wrath. That big word
“propitiation” means, “a sacrifice that bears the wrath of God against sin and
thereby turns God’s wrath into favor.” If Christ had not come to pay the
penalty for our sins, God could not be shown to be righteous. You see, he had
passed over sins of the past and had not punished them therefore, he could be
charged with unrighteousness. God had stored up the punishment due to previous
sins and then, in perfect righteousness, He imposed that penalty onto Jesus on
the cross. This proves that God is righteous and that He is the justifier of
all who put their faith in the Lord Jesus. In order for this to be done…
It was necessary that He
become a man. On the road to Emmaus Jesus had engaged in
conversation with two disciples walking away from Jerusalem on the night after
His resurrection. During that conversation he spoke of the necessity of the
humanity of the Christ. Let’s look at Luke
24:25-26. And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe
all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that
the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?”
The
tone that Luke places on Jesus’ words seems to indicate a certain level of
disappointment. These were people who knew the words of the prophets and yet
did not understand what the prophets had to say about the Christ. It was
absolutely essential for the Christ to be born, live a perfect life, and die on
the cross for our sins. Before Jesus came…
Mankind
needed a mediator. Job expressed his frustration in Job 9:32-33. For he is not a man, as I am,
that I might answer him, that we should come to trial together. 33 There
is no arbiter between us, who might lay his hand on us both.
Job
could see the hand of God in all the things that had happened to him. But he
could not understand why! He desperately needed a mediator! Job wanted someone
to stand between him and God. In the dark days represented by the book of Job
and much of the Old Testament the “arbiter” or “ombudsman” could not be found.
In the years after Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, the apostle Paul could
see what Job could only hope for. Let’s look at 1 Timothy 2:5. For there is one God, and there is one
mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
Our
mediator came to earth. The Bible tells us that God cannot look upon sin and,
in order to relate to mankind on a personal basis, required a way to remove our
sin. It was necessary for Jesus to be fully man in order to pay the penalty of
our sin. Only an infinite God could bear the full penalty of all the sins of
those who would believe in Him. No human being could ever pay the price. And at
the same time, only one who was fully God could take that position between God
and man as a mediator. Jesus came to earth to be the representative head of the
Christian race and to be the mediator between God and man but also He came…
To
rule over the creation. Let’s look at Hebrews 2:7-9. You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you
have crowned him with glory and honor, 8 putting everything in
subjection under his feet.” Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he
left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in
subjection to him. 9 But we see him who for a little while was
made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because
of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for
everyone.
Jesus
came to earth to pay the penalty for our sins and purchase authority over
everything. We can rejoice in the fact that God raised us up with Christ and
seated us with Him in the heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6). Somehow, God has
given us a share in Jesus’ authority. When he returns to earth we will see that
authority come to its completion. In the meantime we are able to fight
spiritual battles — and win them — because of the work that Christ has done for
us. Among the last words of Jesus on earth are found in Matthew 28:18. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in
heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Jesus
recognized that all authority had been given to Him and if we go ahead with
what He said we can see that our disciple making is based on Jesus’ authority.
We can be very grateful that…
He is able to identify with us. Let’s look at Hebrews 4:15-16. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to
sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted
as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw
near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help
in time of need.
Jesus’
came to earth as God and man. As a result He is able to identify with us in
every way. He has been tempted in every way that we have. It should give us
great comfort to know that everything we experience He has experienced already!
We know that we can come to the throne of grace with our prayers and He will be
sympathetic to what we are going through.
He
identifies with us allowing us to identify with Him because He paid the price
for our sins and has begun to work in our lives to help us grow to maturity in
Christ. Jesus is the God who lives among us even today and as a result…
Jesus is our example. Let’s
look at 1 John 2:6. whoever
says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.
How
can we walk in the same way He did? Jesus himself said, “whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater
works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.” (John
14:12) Earlier Jesus had said, “the Son
can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the father doing.”
The implication is that we can do what He did the way He did it. Just as He
relied upon the Father we are to rely on Him. He is our example and we should
in every possible way seek to be like Him. We should strive to be holy (Hebrews
12:14); and abstain from immorality (1 Thessalonians 4:3). We are to purify
ourselves as He is pure (1 John 3:3). We are to make every effort to add
positive character traits to our life (2 Peter 1:5). In every possible way we
are to build up patterns of holiness in our lives. When we follow our example…
We will be like Him. Let’s
turn to 1 John 3:2-3. Beloved, we are
God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that
when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3 And
everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.
We
shall be like Him when he appears. Often people have taken this passage to mean
we will have the same kind of physical appearance Jesus has. Yes, we will have
a resurrection body like His when He returns but we also should seek to be like
Him in character and attitude. There are no shortcuts to growing into His
image. We need to follow the time-honored means of Bible reading, meditation,
prayer, worship, witnessing, Christian Fellowship and self-discipline
Jesus
did not give up his identity as God when he was born in human flesh. Neither
did He give up his humanity when he ascended into heaven. It is hard to wrap
the mind around the idea that Jesus, God in human flesh, not only became human
but remains human forever. After His resurrection His body showed the scars of
the nail prints in His hands and the spear in His side. (John 20:25-27) When
Stephen saw Jesus he recognized Him easily. Jesus will continue forever as
Prophet, Priest, and King. His divine nature was permanently united to His
human nature. Jesus lives forever as both the Son of God and the man born of
Mary. Therefore He is able to settle our sin debt. Do you believe in the Lord
Jesus Christ? Today may be your day of salvation.
All
scriptures quotes are from: The Holy Bible: English standard version.
2001. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.
No comments:
Post a Comment