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God Spoke And Still Speaks

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GOD SPOKE AND STILL SPEAKS

In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom He also made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. So He became as much superior to the angels as the name He has inherited is superior to theirs. (Heb. 1: 1-4)

The letter to the Hebrews is a treasure; it contains many gems of truth to encourage us. At the same time, it is a thoroughly Hebrew book, steeped in the traditions of the Old Testament and giving us many insights into its religious thought and practice. What was the intention of the writer, and why did he write it?

We know that Jesus was a Jew, born into a pious Jewish family and raised as the eldest son of Joseph and Mary, a young couple who were faithful to their responsibilities as Jewish parents and who gave their Son every opportunity to became a faithful Jew Himself.

But Jesus was much more than the eldest son in a Jewish family. He was also uniquely the Son of God. His upbringing in a human family served its purpose for a season, but had to give way to His greater person and purpose as the Son of God. He did not come into being at His conception in the womb of Mary. That was the beginning of His mission on earth, but before He came to earth He was always God.

God has always spoken. Creation is His silent voice (Psa. 19: 1-4) and still speaks an eloquent testimony to His power and divine nature. (Rom. 1: 20) He also spoke through His chosen vessels, the prophets. Who were they? They were ordinary humans who were chosen and called into a unique relationship with Him. They were His messengers to His people and to the surrounding nations who needed to hear God’s warnings.

The prophets were God’s confidantes. He shared His secrets with them. (Amos 3: 7)He told what would happen before it happened so that His word would be proved true. He took them into His confidence so that they could pray His purposes into being as His partners and representatives on the earth. They were to declare His word to His people as warnings and encouragement to keep His people on track with Him. (Jer. 23: 22) It was their responsibility to heed His word and stay with Him in the fulfilment of His purposes.

The prophets were also God’s representatives to the kings. They accompanied the kings on their journey as rulers of His people. They were beside them in times of crisis, giving them God’s instructions, directing them through times of trouble, rebuking and correcting them when they lost their way, and teaching them the word of God so that they would rule wisely according to God’s ways.

But the prophets were only men. Their ability to represent God to the people was limited by their humanity. God’s plan was to send a representative to the earth who was an exact replica of Himself. In the fullness of time, He sent His Son (Gal. 4: 4) who was exactly like Him, ‘the radiance of His glory’ to speak for God and as God. As His obedient and submissive Son, Jesus had the authority to speak what the Father spoke because He was in perfect harmony with the Father.

He spoke for the Father in His words and actions, but most eloquently through His death through which He made atonement for the sin of the world and reconciled the human race which was alienated through sin, to the Father.

Jewish Christians were having second thoughts about leaving their Jewish religion and trusting in Jesus as their Messiah because of persecution. The Jews were tolerated and left to pursue their religion in peace but Christians, whom the Jews rejected as well as the Roman government, were hated because they challenged the emperor’s claim to deity.

The writer to the Hebrews informed them that to do that was to deny who Jesus was and what He had done and to leave the plan of God unfinished if they rejected their Messiah. Jesus is God’s last word – because He is God’s Son. God speaks through Him as the completion of everything He has to say. If they rejected Him, God the Father had nothing more to say and likewise, to us.

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.

 

Forgiven And Justified

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FORGIVEN AND JUSTIFIED

“The words, “it was credited to him” were not written for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness – for us who believe in Him who raised our Lord Jesus from the dead.

“He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.” Romans 4:23-25.

How did the Apostle Paul know what the death of Jesus Christ meant? After all, He could have been any poor criminal who died at the hands of Roman cruelty. Why did they have to execute wrongdoers in such a barbaric way? Why put them through such inhumane suffering? Was it really a deterrent to others who chose to commit crimes?

How could Paul write these words with such conviction and confidence, “He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification?”

If Jesus was to die as a perfect Passover lamb, He had to fulfil the requirements of God for that lamb in order to be an acceptable sacrifice.

Firstly, the Passover lamb had to be chosen from the flock on 10th day of Nisan and scrutinised for three days for any blemish or defect. Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey on 10th of Nisan, a clear bid to be king of the Jews. He was welcomed by an excited crowd who accepted Him as the one who came in the name of the Lord. For three days He was questioned by the religious leaders who were finally silenced because they could find no fault in Him.

Secondly, the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed on the 14th day of Nisan. Jesus was crucified on 14th Nisan and He died at the exact hour when the first Passover lamb was slaughtered in the temple. He did not die as a victim of the Jews or the Romans. Those who were sent to arrest Him could not lay a finger on Him until He handed Himself over because of the power of His name. He willingly laid down His life. No one took it from Him.

Thirdly, the Passover lamb was sacrificed to protect the people of Israel from the angel of death who took the lives of the firstborn sons of the Egyptians; a lamb for the firstborn. In Adam, they were all firstborn and deserved to die but they were redeemed by the blood of the lamb. Jesus was God’s firstborn Son. He gave His life to redeem us who, in Adam, are the firstborn and deserve death because of our sin.

Fourthly, because Jesus was without sin, His death was acceptable in our place. He was our substitute and God accepted His offering as an atoning sacrifice for our sin.

Fifthly, because He was without sin, death could not hold Him. Jesus rose from the dead on the first day of the Feast of Firstfuits by the power of the Holy Spirit as proof that His sacrifice was acceptable to God. He became the firstfuits of the resurrection, guaranteeing that all who believe in Him will also be raised to everlasting life in an incorruptible body like His.

Jesus satisfied the demands of the law, lived in perfect obedience to His Father, died as a lawbreaker in our place, was raised from the dead by the power of God and is alive forever to stand as mediator between us and God. He presents His blood as an atoning sacrifice for our sin. He is the guarantee that we have been justified by His death, declared “not guilty” because our debt has been paid.

Yes, Paul, you are absolutely correct when you said, “He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.”  Jesus was condemned by both Jew and Roman. He died for the sins of the whole world. All who believe in Him are justified and can say with assurance that they have been made righteous by His blood and have been given the gift of eternal life.

Acknowledgement

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