Our Wonderful God | |||||||
Christ is fully Divine Col. 2.9 Christ--
in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
"God was manifested in the flesh," 1 Tim 3:16
"We speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory. Which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory." 1 Cor. 2:7,8
He grew tired and needed sleep. Matt. 8:24 He willingly gave up human comforts to engage in His work. Luke 9:58 After a hot day of travel He was weary and thirsty. John 4:6 He longed for sympathy and comfort. Luke 22:39-46 He enjoyed special friendships. John 11:1-3, Luke 10:39-42 He was tempted. Hebrews 4:15 Matt. 4:3-10 He resisted temptation until blood formed upon His brow. Hebrews. 12:4, Luke 22:44 His greatest temptation was to give up the mission and return to heaven. Luke 22:42 Hebrews 5.7-10 Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;
He Overcame: Revelation 3.21 He was without sin! Hebrews 4:15 Christ, took the position at the head of humanity by taking the nature but not the sinfulness of man. In Him was no guile or sinfulness; He was ever pure and undefiled; yet He took our nature to identify with us. He did not "develop" a sinless character, He was sinless. But He learned "submission" -- He Who was the commander of heaven, He Whom angel's delighted to serve, lowered Himself to the form of an obedient servant, seeking and following the will of His heavenly FATHER, even to the death of the cross.
1. To reveal God to mankind Matthew 11:27 "No One knows the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. John 1:14,18 "We beheld the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. ...No one has seen God at any time, only the Son, He has declared Him. John 12:45 "He who has seen me (Jesus) has seen the Father. 1 Timothy 3.16 God was manifest in the flesh Jesus was the Word Who was with God and was God in eternity. He took upon Himself humanity, but humanity does not have glory. When John with the others said they saw the GLORY, they recognized that here was SOMEONE divine, the Son of God born a human being. They saw His divine attributes manifested themselves through the veil of his human flesh. God made manifest to mankind.
2. That He might die to redeem the fallen race.
Isaiah 53:5-12 "We have all gone astray, and the Lord God has laid upon HIM the iniquity of us all...He was wounded for our transgressions..He was lead as a lamb to the slaughter..He was cut off from the land of the living... He made His soul an offering for sin...He shall see the labor of His soul and be satisfied. He...shall justify many, for He shall bear their iniquities...He bore the sin of many and to make intercession for the transgressors."
Hebrews 2:9
"We see Jesus, made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone."
Philippians 2:6
"Christ Jesus who, existing in God's form, did not consider his being equal with God a thing to be grasped but emptied himself in that he took the form of a servant in the likeness of men, lowered himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."
Hebrews 9.22
Without shedding of blood is no remission. 1 John 2.2
And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
For without the shedding of blood there is no remission from sin, and only Christ's own precious blood can cleanse us from those sins. The blood of created creatures can never cleanse us. ONLY CHRIST'S ONCE AND FOR ALL sacrifice can cleanse us.
3. To Show that God Himself is Willing to Obey in the Same Way Man is asked to Obey.
Hebrews 5.8-9
Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;
Christ willingly accepted a dependent relationship with God the Father, the same relationship, which humans have to God. This was an inconceivably large condescension for Jesus Christ. He is God in the fullest and highest meaning of the word.
Now it is no longer possibly for angels or humans to accuse God-- and say, "For you it is an easy thing to be make the highest moral requirements of your subjects while you, yourself live above obedience and are all sufficient in yourself . You cannot understand our situation and all our difficulties, with which we have to fight, you don’t know what it’s like to be a created being that is "commanded" to obey, we do not trust you." His most severe temptation was to maintain complete humanity when He could have called upon His Divinity. This was the most severe discipline He faced. "If you are the Son of God, show your power by relieving yourself of this hardship", these were the temptations Satan hurled at our Savior. In the recorded temptations, Satan assailed Christ with his strongest temptations in the wilderness. Jesus was "forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days He did eat nothing; and when they were ended, He afterward hungered. And the devil said unto Him, If Thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread." Luke 4:2 Would the Son of God, the world's Redeemer, take up the challenge and prove to the apostate that He is indeed the Son of God, the Prince of heaven? At first it may seem that we aren't tempted in that line, but then ... Isn't that really the basis of sinfulness in created beings, this striving to be one's own god, rather than yielding to the God's will? Therefore, yes, Christ faced our same temptations, only for him it was "His rightful" place to be God, He had the ability, whereas we do not have that "rightful place" we are every bit dependant upon God for everything, yet we still want to be our own gods. It is the temptation to walk outside of God's will that is sin. Christ overcame that temptation on a much greater level then we will ever face. But He overcame and is His strength, we to must overcome the greatest temptation which is to be our own gods.
4. That He might show how One connected with God can live a godly life.
Matt. 11:29 Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me.
John 13: 15 For I have given you an example that you should do as I have done to you. ...If you know these things blessed are you if you do them.
2 Peter 2:21 For this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth, who when reviled, did not revile in return, when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously.
1 John 2:6
He that says he abides in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
1 John 3:8,9
The Son of God was manifested, ...whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him, he does not continue in sin because he has been born of God
He still reaches out and calls us to come to Him, and follow Him.
Luke 6.12
And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.
The Majesty of heaven, as a human being on this earth, was often in earnest prayer. He was unsullied with corruption, a stranger to sin; yet He prayed, and that often with strong crying and tears. He prayed for His disciples and for Himself, thus identifying Himself with our needs, our weaknesses, and our failings, which are so common with humanity. He was a mighty petitioner, not possessing the passions of our human, fallen natures, but compassed with like infirmities, tempted in all points even as we are. Jesus endured agony which required help and support from His Father. Christ is our example.
Christ, the beloved Teacher told us:
5. To save us from our sins
Matthew 1:23 Call His name Emmanuel, for He will save His people from their sins.
1 Peter 2:24 Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness, by whose stripes we were healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and OVERSEER of your souls
Luke 19:10 The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.
John 1:29 Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
John 8.34,36
Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the slave of sin.
Romans 6.16-18
Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants you are whom you obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
Sin is bondage. Like Paul declares in Romans 6, --we were slaves to sin, but now we are freed from sin and become the servants of Christ. In Him is liberty and freedom from the guilt and bondage of sin. He will save FROM SIN's hold and power over us. He will write His law upon our hearts, so we serve Him in newness of life, if we are willing and follow Him
6. So He could be our HEAVENLY HIGH PRIEST.
Hebrews 4.15-17
For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Hebrews 10.19-21
Therefore brethren we can come with boldness and enter into the holy place by the blood of Jesus,
Rev. 5.9
And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
With His blood He is now interceding for us. He is our representative, He is our salvation through His sacrifice, and He is our salvation through His intercessory ministry as our High Priest. Let us human beings, as temptations assail us, remember that we have a high priest in the heavenly sanctuary, who is touched with the feeling of our infirmities, because he himself was tempted. He too, in His humanity, was temptated to step outside of "God's will" and become His own god, outside of the will of the Father.
7. To destroy the devil, death and sin.
Hebrews 2:14,15
That through His death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
1 John 3:8
The devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested that He might destroy the works of the devil
8. To Demonstrate God's True Character to the Whole Universe
Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea and all that are in them I heard saying:
Blessing and honor and glory and power be to HIM who sits on the the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!"
Rev. 19:1 "Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God! For true and righteous are His judgments..: |