Tag Archives: humanity

THE GOSPEL IN HEBREWS – 4

Bible Study, ,

The writer to the Hebrews has given us an overview of the Father’s plan in chapter 2, for redeemed humans to reign with Jesus forever. Jesus is the head and blueprint of this human family. He became a man and qualified to be an atoning sacrifice for our sin by His perfect obedience to the Father.

Hebrews 2:9-11, 14-15 NIV
[9 “But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. [10] In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered. [11] Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters…

[14] Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— [15] and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.”

The writer now begins to unpack the salvation, pictured in the Old Covenant, that prepares His sons and daughters to reign with Jesus.

Step one…Jesus had to be fully human both to qualify as an acceptable sacrifice to pay sin’s debt, and a suitable high priest to support us in our times of weakness and temptation.

Hebrews 2:14, 16-18 NIV
[14] Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—…
[16] For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. [17] For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. [18] Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.”

The writer affirms Jesus’ true humanity as did John in his first letter. (To deny that Jesus was not human is the spirit of antichrist – 1 John 4:2-3). If Jesus was not truly human like us, He would not be qualified to atone for our sin. The animal sacrifices of the Old Covenant, as the writer will go on to explain, have no power to deal with sin and our sin nature. They can only cover ceremonial transgressions. Only the blood of a perfect human can atone for sin.

(How important this is when we consider what other religions offer! Every other religion depends on self-help which can never deal with sin and a guilty conscience. God alone can forgive sin on the basis of the full payment of our debt by a perfect sacrifice).

Step two…Jesus had to suffer to test and prove His perfect obedience to the Father.

Hebrews 2:10 NIV
[10] “In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered.”

Hebrews 5:8-9 NIV
[8] “Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered [9] and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him… “

What was the nature of Jesus’ suffering? Was it the suffering of leaving heaven and the Father to live a human life on a fallen planet? Was it the excruciating physical agony of the cross event?

We find the answer in Isaiah’s prophecy and the affirmation in the prologue to John’s gospel.

Isaiah 53:3 NIV
[3] “He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain (Hebrew – “choli”, meaning sickness or grief). Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.”

John 1:11 NIV
[11]”He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.”

Rejection… The worst that any human can do to another. The Hebrew word for reject… “chadel”, means lacking or vacant. Empty, unoccupied…imagine calling someone “vacant”! The very people He loved, chose, nurtured, protected and gave a land flowing with milk and honey, rejected Him and eventually killed Him.

Our writer also included the suffering of temptation. How did Jesus suffer through being tempted? The gospel reveals the suffering He experienced when He was tempted to give up and go home.

He was tempted in the wilderness to disobey the Father by acting on His own instead of in union with the Father’s will. He countered the test with, “It is written…”

The pressure of His impending death could have turned Him from obeying the Father…

John 12:23-24, 27 NIV
[23] “Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. [24] Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds…
[27] “Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour.”

Just moments before His arrest and hours before His death, He agonised over the coming horror.

Mark 14:33-36 NIV
[33]”He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. [34] “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.” [35] Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. [36] “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”

How did Jesus respond to the suffering to which His Father subjected Him?

Isaiah 53:10 NIV
[10] “Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer… “

1 Peter 2:23 NIV
[23] “When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.”

No anger, bitterness, hatred, resentment, revenge…only mercy and forgiveness…

Naked, bleeding, nailed to a Roman torture stake for no crime but being the Son of God, He cried out…

Luke 23:34 NIV
[34]… “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.”

Did Jesus qualify to be God’s perfect sacrificial Lamb to take away the sins of the world? Was He really human? Was He obedient to the Father to His last drop of blood and His final breath?

Scripture heartily affirms and endorses His qualification as does the entire heavenly host.

Revelation 5:2-3, 6-10 NIV
[2] “And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” [3] But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it…
[6] Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. [7] He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. [8] And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people. [9] And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. [10] You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.”

To those who were contemplating a return to the old system of animal sacrifices, the writer to the Hebrews pleads, “Don’t do it!” No money or animal blood can forgive sin, restore us to the Father, and rescue us from eternal damnation. Only the blood of Jesus, a lamb without spot or blemish, can atone for and forgive sin, make us clean, righteous, and acceptable to the Father, and deliver us from the penalty, power, and eventually, the presence of sin.

1 Peter 1:18-19 NIV
[18] “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, [19] but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.”

To be continued…

No Fear Of Death

Bible Study, , , ,

NO FEAR OF DEATH

Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters. He says:

‘I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters; in the assembly I will sing your praises.’ And again, ‘I will put my trust in Him.’ And again He says, ‘Here I am and the children God has given me.’

Since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity so that by His death He might break the power of Him who holds the power of death – that is, the devil – and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. (Heb. 2: 11-15)

No fear of death! Wow!

Why does the believer in Jesus no longer need to fear death? Because he no longer fears punishment! Jesus shared our humanity and took our punishment so that we are free to come home to the Father and to His perfect love.

There is no fear in love. But perfect loves drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. (1 John 4: 18)

Death has lost its terror since Jesus faced death for us and overcame. Death was the devil’s trump card because he knew that death was final and sealed the fate of all humanity. There was no escape and no return from death. Jesus took death on the chin for us and came back in a resurrection body that can never die again to tell us that He conquered death once and for all.

The devil went one step too far by having the Son of God put to death. He thought he would destroy Him forever and the chance for mankind to be rescued from his clutches. Death is the penalty for sin, but Jesus did not sin. Therefore death could not hold Him forever. He passed through death and returned to declare that God’s estranged children were free to return home. The Father’s wrath against sin had been satisfied. Satan no longer had the power to hold us in death.

This was God’s final and most powerful act of perfect love. What seemed to be folly and weakness was the most powerful power in the universe – the power of love. Love accepted the worst that sinful people could do to an innocent man without retaliating. Jesus bore the injustice, the insults, the physical agony and even the horror of being abandoned by the Father with nothing but perfect love. He forgave in the midst of His pain and died without a murmur or a word of rebuke or a threat of revenge.

When they hurled their insults at Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats. Instead, He entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly. (1 Peter 2: 23)

Everything Jesus accomplished through the cross culminated in one thing – God’s children are free to return home. The implications are huge. Home! That means back to the Father’s dwelling place where we are safe in the Father’s care and eligible to participate in all the benefits and blessings of family life together with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

God is a family. He made us to be part of His family. He gave us His name; we are free to live with Him in His home; we have an inheritance with the Son; we share in all the resources, privileges and blessings of life in the family of God and we have the responsibility of representing the Father to the unbelieving world by demonstrating what it is like to live in God’s kingdom.

How amazing that we are actually brothers and sisters of Jesus and, what’s more, He’s proud to call us His brothers and sisters! How can that be? Because, through His death He has made us holy! Holy? Yes, holy, set apart for and belonging to God. We have share in the nature of God (2 Peter 1: 4). We have the same nature as the Son. We are part of a new race made in the image of the last Adam, our elder brother Jesus.

And we are free! Free to live life to the full because we have no fear of punishment or death. When death comes, we go home to the Father’s house to dwell with Him forever. And we die in the hope of resurrection because our Brother, Jesus, rose from the dead – and He is the firstfuits of the resurrection and the guarantee that we, too, will rise again.

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

 

Humanity On Display

Christian Life, , , ,

HUMANITY ON DISPLAY

“The men in charge of Jesus began poking fun at Him, slapping Him around. They put a blindfold on Him and taunted, ‘Who hit you that time?’ They were having a grand time with Him.” Luke 22:63-65 (The Message).

The arrest, trial and crucifixion of Jesus put humanity on display like no other event in history. For a few hours men had God in their power, so they thought, and they showed Him exactly what they thought of Him. They were unaware that He had purposely given Himself over to them so that they could show their true colours.

Every level and category of human being was represented there, from the highest civil and religious authority in the land to the ordinary people; they all had a hand in exposing the depth of wickedness in the human heart.

Judas, a close and trusted follower, set the ball rolling. He treacherously sold Jesus out to His enemies by leading the soldiers and temple police, sent by the religious leaders, to arrest Him at His favourite spot in the Garden of Gethsemane.

The disciples’ loyalty to their Master was paper-thin. When the chips were down, they fled to save themselves and Peter denied that he even knew Him. They forget everything He ever taught them and all their protests that they loved Him and left Him to suffer alone.

The religious leaders harboured a grudge against Him because He clashed with their greed and power over the people, cloaked in religion. They hated Him for His goodness; they used their position to manipulate the justice system for their own ends and to force Pilate to sentence Him to death.

The Sanhedrin, the highest judicial court of the land, was made up of the Chief Priests, Caiaphas and his father-in-law, Annas, and the religious hierarchy. Of all the people in Israel, they should have had the strictest code of justice. Jesus’ trial was such a mockery of justice that it made Pilate look like a saint.

They had tried and sentenced Him before His arrest. It was their intention to find Him guilty, no matter what, and to kill Him even If He were innocent, not because He was a dangerous criminal but because they hated Him. They were even prepared to let a rabble-rousing murderer by the name of Barabbas loose on society again, rather than release Jesus.

The ordinary people were so fickle that they switched from celebrating His arrival on a donkey the week before to becoming a menacing mob, supporting their religious leaders and baying for Jesus’ blood so forcefully that Pilate gave in to prevent a riot and to save his own skin.

King Herod tried to turn Jesus into an entertainer, taunting Him into doing miracles to tickle his fancy. When Jesus refused to capitulate, he became nasty, using his own royal robe to mock and insult Him. He discarded Jesus with contempt, sending Him back to Pilate to do as he pleased with Him.

The soldiers callously played with Jesus like a cat plays with a mouse. They tortured and tormented Him with words and cruelty to try to get a response out of Him. His calm and submissive demeanour enraged them so much that they “lost it” with Him but they could not bend Him to retaliate to their vicious behaviour. These men had nothing personal against Jesus. They simply joined in the fight and made it their own.

Against the backdrop of the worst of human prejudice, Jesus was unmoved. He was serene, polite and gentle. When the women bewailed His fate on His way to the cross, He dismissed His own suffering by warning them of theirs. He submitted to the nails; he spoke welcoming words to the repentant thief by His side and He forgave His tormentors.

It is no wonder that the Roman centurion who had observed many crucifixions, burst out, “Surely this man was the Son of God.”

“When they hurled their insults at Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats. Instead He entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly. He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by His wounds you have been healed.” 1 Peter 2;23-24 (NIV).