Christology: the Study of Jesus Christ
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Bible Basics:
Essential Doctrines of the Bible
Part 4A
Christology: the Study of Jesus Christ
by Dr. Robert D. Luginbill
Everything in the heavens and on the earth was created by Him (Jesus
Christ), things invisible as well as those visible – whether thrones,
authorities, rulers or powers, everything was created through Him and
for Him. And He Himself is before everything, and everything subsists in
Him.
The unique Person and work of the Word of God incarnate,
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Colossians 1:16-17
Introduction: Any
study of this sort must of necessity fall short of absolute
completeness, for the written word of God is in its every particular
about the Living Word of God, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
The better one understands scripture and the completely integrated
tapestry of fundamental truth which runs through its entire warp and
woof, the more perspicuous this one essential truth becomes, that
Jesus Christ is the reason for the Bible, and the Bible is all about
Jesus Christ, the Word of God (Jn.1:1-14). The purpose of this
study therefore must be limited to explicating the major biblical
themes contained in scripture regarding our Savior, His unique
Person and His work of salvation on our behalf. For Jesus
is
the truth, the way and the life (Jn.14:6), and the fundamental
essence of the testimony of the entire Bible is the divine
revelation of Him, who He is and what He has done for us in giving
up His very life for us (Rev.19:10). All things were made
through our Lord Jesus Christ and for Him (Col.1:15-18). He is
thus the cornerstone of the entire plan of God for all of creature
history (Eph.3:11).(1)
The salvation of all members of the human race who turn to God, as
well as the victory over the devil (who had held human beings in his
power) have been won through our Lord's sacrifice of Himself on our
behalf and could not have been won in any other way (Col.2:14-15).
Therefore Jesus is our ultimate hope (Col.1:27), our highest love
(Phil.1:21), and the sole object of our faith (Acts 4:12).
Jesus Christ is our life (Col.3:4). Only in Him do we have a
full share in the resurrection to come and eternal life (1Pet.1:3-4;
cf. Tit.3:6-7), for He is the resurrection and the life (Jn.11:25).
Without Jesus we along with the entire human race would be lost, but
in Him we have been delivered from the wrath to come (1Thes.1:10).
Without Jesus all of human history and our lives in particular would
be essentially pointless and meaningless, but in Him we anticipate
eternal life and great reward (Rev.22:12). Without Jesus the
world is a hard, cold, and bitter place, but in Him we rejoice with
boundless joy, for as intimate and everlasting members of His Bride,
the Church, we exist for Him (Rom.8:8-39; Eph.1:9-10; cf. 1Cor.8:6;
2Cor.5:14-15; Gal.2:20; Col.1:17-20; Heb.12:2), and will ever be
with Him (Jn.14:3). Like all corrupt human flesh we are by
nature of our physical birth creatures of wrath, condemned to die,
but through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ we have been purchased
from our sins and eagerly anticipate an eternity with our Master
which will be glorious and exquisite beyond all earthly expression
or comprehension (Rev.21-22; cf. Jn.14:1-3). Although we were
His enemies, with nothing to recommend us and nothing to give Him,
He gave His all for us on the cross (Rom.5:8-10). Thanks be to
God for His indescribably wonderful gift of our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ, sacrificed on our behalf (2Cor.9:15)! 1. Jesus Christ is truly Divine: Because our Lord had to become
a true human being in order to die in our place, His genuine and
undiminished deity has, as a consequence, sometimes been falsely and
heretically denied. But this lack of faith on the part of some does
not change the fact that Jesus is indeed God as well as man. The
ultimate means of refutation for all heresies and heretics who would
deny the divinity of Christ is, as always, the Bible. For any
impartial observer is forced to admit that regardless of the
opinions of those who think otherwise, scripture loudly proclaims
the deity of Christ, so that to deny the deity of Christ is to
ipso facto contradict the Bible: a. As God, Jesus is explicitly called God (cf. Is.40:2; Rom.1:4;
Matt.22:41-46; 28:19; Lk.1:35; 5:20-21; Jn.1:1-18; 5:18; 2Cor.13:14;
Col.1:15-20; 2:9; Heb.1:3):
For a child is born to us, and a Son
is given to us. Dominion shall rest on his shoulder, and His name
will be called “He whose counsel is wondrous”, “Mighty God”,
“the Father of Eternity”, “the Prince of Prosperity”.
“Behold, the virgin will conceive and
will bear a Son, and they will call His Name ‘Immanuel', which is
translated ‘God is with us'”.
(3) For, [if I could save them
thereby] I would wish myself to be accursed [and] separated from
Christ on behalf my brethren according to the flesh (4) who are
Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption and the [shekinah]
glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the [temple]
rite and the promises (5) who are [descendants of] the patriarchs
and from whom is the Christ, as far as flesh[ly descent] is
concerned, the [very] One who is God over all
[things], blessed forever. Amen!
(5) You too should have this attitude
which Christ Jesus had. (6) Since He already existed in the
very form of God, equality with God was [certainly] not
something He thought He had to grasp for. (7) Yet in spite of this
[co-equal divinity He already possessed], He deprived Himself of His
status and took on the form of a slave, [and was] born in the
likeness of men. (8) He humbled Himself, becoming obedient to the
point of death, even [His] death on [the] cross [for us all].
[W]e who are awaiting the blessed
hope, namely the glorious and majestic appearance of our God
and Savior, Jesus Christ.
But to the Son [the Father says],
“Your throne, O God, is forever, and the scepter of
your Kingdom is the scepter of integrity”.
Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of
Jesus Christ, to those who have been allotted a faith of equal value
to ours in the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus
Christ.
And we know that the Son of God has
come and has given us a mind-set for coming to know the truth. And
we are in [the One who is] the Truth, even in [God's] Son Jesus
Christ. This One is the true God and eternal life.
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the
First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”
(50) And He led them out as far as
Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. (51) And it
came to pass as He was blessing them that He disappeared from their
[sight]. (52) Then, having worshiped Him of their own accord, they
returned to Jerusalem with great joy.
And he (i.e., the blind man whose
sight had been restored) said, “I believe, Lord”, and he worshiped
Him.
(9) Therefore God exalted Him to the
highest place and gave Him the Name that is above every name (10)
that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on
earth and under the earth (11) and every tongue confess that Jesus
Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.
(11) And I looked and heard, as it
were, the voice of many angels around the throne and [around] the
[living] creatures and [around] the [twenty-four] elders, and their
number was myriads upon myriads and thousands upon thousands, (12)
[and they were] saying in a loud voice, “The Lamb who has been slain
is worthy to take the power and wealth and wisdom and might and
honor and glory and blessing (13) and every created thing in heaven
and on the earth and in the sea and everything in them.” Then I
heard them saying, “To the One who sits upon the throne and to the
Lamb [be] the blessing and the honor and the glory and the power for
ever and ever!” (14) And the four living creatures were saying,
“Amen!”. And the [twenty-four] elders fell [down] and worshiped. c. As the Creator, Jesus is God, for God created the world(3)
(Heb.1:2; 1:10; cf. Gen.1-2):
Everything
came into being through Him,
(i.e., “The Word”, Jesus Christ), and without Him, nothing has come
into being which has in fact come into being.
He was in the world, and the
world came into being through Him, and [yet] the world did
not recognize Him.
(15) He (i.e., Jesus Christ; cf.
v.13) is the exact image(4)
of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. (16)
Everything in the heavens and on the earth was created by Him,
things invisible as well as those visible – whether thrones,
authorities, rulers or powers, everything was created through Him
and for Him. (17) And He Himself is before everything, and
everything subsists in Him (cf. Heb.1:3).
But for us there is [but] one God,
the Father from whom all things [have come into being] (i.e., the
Father as architect of creation), and we [now live] for Him, and
there is [but] one Lord, Jesus Christ through whom all things
[have come into being] (i.e., the Son as agent of creation), and we
[now live] through Him.(5)
Then Jesus came over and said to
them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me, so
go and make all nations my followers by baptizing them [with the
Spirit] into the Person (i.e., “name”) of the Father
and [into the Person] of the Son and [into the Person]
of the Holy Spirit, and by teaching them to observe
everything I have commanded you.”
I and the Father are one.
And now, glorify Me, Father, in your
presence, with the [same] glory I possessed in your presence before
the world existed.
There are different gifts, but the
same Spirit; and there are different ministries, but
the same Lord (i.e., Jesus Christ); and there are
different results, but the same God who brings about
all results in all cases.
May the grace of the Lord Jesus
Christ, and the love of (the [Father]) God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
There is one body and One Spirit – just as when you were called it was in one hope
that you were called. There is One Lord (i.e., Jesus
Christ), one faith, one baptism. There is One God and Father
of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
Peter, an apostle of Jesus
Christ, to those who, though outcasts dispersed throughout
Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, were yet selected
in the foreknowledge of God the Father, by means of
the Holy Spirit's consecration, for the obedience in
and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. Grace and
peace be multiplied unto you!
(4) John, to the seven churches which
are in Asia [Minor]: Grace to you and peace from the One who
is and was and is coming (i.e., the Father), and from the seven spirits (i.e., the Holy Spirit) which are before
His throne, (5) and from Jesus Christ, the faithful
witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the Ruler of the kings of
the earth.
Now once Jesus had been baptized, He
immediately came up out of the water, and, behold, the heavens
opened for Him, and He saw the Spirit of God coming down like a dove
and lighting upon Him. And, behold, a voice from heaven was saying,
“This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased”.
While [Peter] was still speaking,
behold, a cloud suffused with light enveloped them, and, behold, a
voice [issued forth] from the cloud, saying, “This is My
beloved Son with whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him!”
No one has ever seen God.
God
the one and only [Son] – the One who has always been at the
Father's side – He has made Him known.
(16) For God loved the world so much
that He gave [up] His one and only Son, [with the
purpose] that everyone who believes in Him should not be lost
[forever], but have eternal life [instead]. (17) For God did not
send His Son into the world to judge the world, but so
that the world might be saved through Him. (18) The one who
believes in Him is not being judged, but the one who does not
believe has already been judged on the grounds that he has not put
his faith in the Name (i.e., the Person) of God's one and only
Son.
For the Son of God, Christ Jesus, the
One who was proclaimed among you through us, through myself and
Silvanus (i.e., Silas) and Timothy, did not become “yes and no”, but
He became “yes!”. (20) For as many promises of God as there are,
are “yes!” in Him (i.e., Jesus Christ). And through Him the “amen!”
[is said] to God for [His] glory through us.
(4) But when the fullness of time
came, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, (5) in
order that He might redeem those under the Law, in order that we
might receive the adoption. (6) And since you are sons, God sent
the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, “Abba, Father!”
(5) For to which of the angels did He
ever say, “You are my Son. Today I have begotten you (Ps.2:7).” And
again, “I will be a Father to Him, and He will be my Son
(2Sam.7:14).” (6) But when He brings back the Firstborn into the
world, He says, “And let all the angels of God worship Him!
(Ps.97:7b)”. (7) And about the angels He says, “The One who makes
His angels spirits, and His servants flames of fire (Ps.104:4).”
(8) But of the Son He says, “Your throne, O God, is
from eternity to eternity, and rod of your kingdom is the rod of
uprightness. (9) You have loved righteousness and hated
lawlessness. For this reason God your God has anointed you with the
oil of gladness beyond your companions (Ps.45:6-7)”. (10) And, “From
the beginning, Lord, you founded the earth, and the heavens are the
works of your hands. (11) They indeed will perish, but you remain.
And they will grow old like a garment, (12) and like a cloak you
will roll them up, like a cloak, and they will [thus] be changed.
But you are the same, and your years will not come to an end
(Ps.102:25-27).” (13) And to which of the angels has He ever said,
“Sit down at my right hand until I make your enemies the footstool
of your feet (Ps.110:1)?”
In this
God's love has been revealed in us, that He sent His only Son into
the world that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that
we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atonement
for our sins.
And to the angel of the church in
Thyatira write: This is what the Son of God says, the One whose
eyes are like a flame of fire and whose feet are like
white-hot
bronze.
I and the Father are one.
(20) And I do not ask concerning
these only [Father], but also concerning all of those who believe in
Me through their word, (21) so that all [of them] may be one, as
You, Father, are in Me and I also am in You, so that they also
themselves may be one in Us, so that the world may believe that You
sent Me. (22) And I have given them the glory You have given Me, so
that they may be one as We are one.
The Word [Jesus Christ] existed at
the very beginning, and there was reciprocity (i.e., “face to face”
co-divinity) between the Word and God [the Father]. And the Word was
God. This One both existed and enjoyed reciprocity (i.e., was “face
to face”) with God from the very beginning (i.e., from
before the beginning of creation).
And the Word became flesh and tented
among us. And we beheld His glory, a glory like that of a one and
only Son from [the] Father, full of grace and truth.
No one has ever seen God. God the
one and only [Son] – the One who has always been at the Father's
side (i.e., in heaven from eternity past) – He has made Him known.
(27) For the Father Himself loves
you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I have come
forth from God. (28) I came forth from [being with] the Father and
have come into the world. I am leaving the world again and going
back to the Father.
(1) Jesus said these things and
having lifted up His eyes to heaven said, “Father, the hour has
come. Glorify your Son, so that your Son may glorify you, (2) just
as You gave Him power over all flesh, so that everything you have
given Him might have eternal life. (3) And this is the eternal
life, that they may know You, the only true God, and [Him] whom you
sent, Jesus Christ. (4) I have glorified You on the earth, having
completed the work you have given Me to do. (5) And now glorify Me,
Father, with your own glory, [that glory] which I had in your
presence before the world existed.”
(1) What we have seen from the
beginning, what we have heard and seen with our eyes, what we have
observed and touched with our hands – this is about the Word of
life[, Jesus Christ]. (2) And this life appeared, and we have seen
[it], and we bear witness [to it], and we proclaim to you the
eternal life which was in the presence of the Father and [then]
appeared to us.
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread
of life. The one who comes to Me shall not hunger, and the one who
believes in Me shall not thirst forever”.
And I am giving them eternal life,
and they will not perish forevermore, and no one will snatch them
out of my hand.
Jesus said to her, “I am the
resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me will live, even if
he dies. And everyone who lives and believes in Me will surely not
die forevermore.”
I am the way, the truth, and the
life. No one can come to the Father except through me.
[Jesus] is the [very] shining forth
of [the Father's] glory, the precise image of His essence, the One
who sustains the universe by His mighty Word . . .
But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, too
small to be numbered among the clans of Judah, from you I will bring
forth the One who is to rule over Israel. His goings forth are from
long ago, even from the days of eternity.
Jesus Christ, yesterday and today the
same, and unto the [end of] the ages.
Grass withers. Flowers fade. But
the Word of our God will stand forever.
In the beginning, there was the Word.
For who has known the mind of the
Lord, that he might instruct Him? But we possess the very mind of
Christ (i.e. the Holy Spirit illuminating the scriptures which are
Christ's very thinking).
For God who said, “Let light shine
forth from the darkness!”, is He who has shone forth [His light]
into our hearts to illuminate our knowledge of God's glory in the
Person of Jesus Christ.
(1) God, from antiquity having
communicated to our fathers in the prophets at many times and in
many ways, (2) has in these last days communicated to us in a Son,
[the One] whom He has appointed heir of all things, [the One]
through whom He created the universe. (3) He is the [very] shining
forth of [the Father's] glory, the precise image of His essence, the
One who sustains the universe by His mighty Word . . .
(13) I kept looking during my vision
of that night, and behold – with the clouds of heaven One like a Son
of Man was coming up, and He approached the Ancient of Days (i.e.,
the Father) and they brought Him before Him. (14) And to Him was
given dominion and honor and a kingdom, so that all nations and
peoples and tongues should serve Him. His dominion is an
everlasting dominion which will not pass away, and His kingdom one
which will not be destroyed.
Then Jesus came over and said to
them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me."
(22) For neither does the Father
judge anyone, but he has given all judgment to the Son, (23) in
order that all may honor the Son as they honor the Father.
[This examination of Rom.2:11-15 will
take place] on the day when God will judge the secret things of men
through Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
May it never be [that God be
considered unrighteous]! Otherwise, how will God judge the world?
But you, why do you judge your
brother? Or why do you also belittle your brother? For we will all
stand before God's tribunal as it is written: “As I live”, says the
Lord, “every knee will bow to Me, and every tongue will praise God”
[Is.45:23]. So then each of us will give an account to God
concerning himself.
For we must all stand before Christ's
tribunal, so that each of us may receive recompense for what he has
accomplished through this body, whether it be good or worthless.
(9) Therefore God exalted Him to the
highest place and gave Him the Name that is above every name (10)
that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on
earth and under the earth (11) and every tongue confess that Jesus
Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.
(57) So the Jews said to Him, “You
are not yet fifty years old, and you have seen Abraham?!” (58) And
[Jesus] said to them, “Truly, truly I say to you, before Abraham
existed, I AM” (cf. Ex.3:14).
You too should have this attitude
which Christ Jesus had. Since He already existed in the very form
of God, equality with God was [certainly] not something He thought
He had to grasp for. Yet in spite of this [co-equal divinity He
already possessed], He deprived Himself of His status and took on
the form of a slave, [and was] born in the likeness of men. He
humbled Himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, even [His]
death on [the] cross [for us all].
a. Christ's taking on of true humanity was necessary in order to
provide our salvation: Beyond all argument, everything in the
plan of God ultimately comes down to Jesus Christ, and nothing in
the plan of God can be disaggregated from Him and His sacrificial
work on the cross for our salvation. That is why, for example, the
“cross of Christ” can serve as an all encompassing symbol for the
gospel (e.g., Matt.10:38; 16:24; 1Cor.1:17; Gal.6:14; Eph.2:16;
Col.2:14), the good news about salvation and our eternal
relationship with Jesus through faith on the basis of His gracious
sacrifice (Eph.2:8-9). Simply put, for us who believe “Jesus is
everything”, all that He is for us is intimately and inseparably
tied up with His death for us on the cross:
(15) [Jesus Christ] is the exact
image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. (16)
Everything in the heavens and on the earth was created by Him,
things invisible as well as those visible – whether thrones,
authorities, rulers or powers, everything was created through Him
and for Him. (17) And He Himself is before everything, and
everything subsists in Him. (18) And He Himself is the Head of the
Body[, that is,] the Church. [Even] He who is [its] Ruler, the
Firstborn from the dead, [thus resurrected] to the purpose that He
Himself might become the One who occupies the first place in all
things. (19) For it was [God's] good pleasure for the fulfillment
[of His plan] to reside entirely in [Christ], (20) and so through
Him to reconcile everything to Himself, having made peace through
Him, through the blood of His cross, whether things on earth, or
things in heaven.
And having taken the bread and
blessed it, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is
my body which is being given on your behalf. Be doing this
to remember Me”.
The cup of blessing which we bless –
is it not fellowship in the blood of Christ? And the bread which we
break – is it not fellowship in the body of Christ?
For one bread, one body we many are, since we all partake of that
One Bread.
For He Himself is our peace, for He
has made both [Jews and gentiles] one, and has broken down the
middle wall of partition, that is, the enmity between us, by
discharging the Law of the commandments and its requirements in His [own] flesh, so that He might re-create the two into
one new Man by making [this] peace, and might reconcile both in one
Body to God through His cross, having by means of it abolished the
enmity [between God and mankind].
You were once alienated from God –
your very thoughts were hostile towards Him and your deeds were
evil. Yet God has now made peace with you through the death of
Christ in His physical body so that you may stand
before Him as holy, without blemish and free from accusation.
For in Him (i.e., Jesus Christ),
dwells all of the fullness of deity in bodily form.
Therefore
since these children (i.e., of v.13) have a common heritage of
flesh and blood, [Christ] too partook of these same
[common elements] in a very similar fashion (i.e., not identical
only in that He was virgin born and so without sin), in order that
through His death He might put an end to the one
possessing the power of death, that is, the devil, and might
reconcile those who were subject to being slaves their whole lives
long by their fear of death.
(5)
Therefore as [Jesus Christ] was coming into the world (i.e., at His
birth) He said, “You [Father] did not desire sacrifice or offering,
but you have prepared a body for Me.
(6) In burnt offerings for
sin you have taken no pleasure.
(7) At
that time (i.e., His birth) He [Jesus Christ in His deity] said,
‘Behold, I have arrived (i.e., been born) – in the scroll of a book
it is written of Me – to do your will, O God'”. (8) Above when He
speaks of sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings for sins [as
things which] “You did not desire nor take pleasure therein”, [these
are the things] which are being offered according to the Law. (9)
[But] “Then”, He has added, “Behold, I have arrived to do your
will”. [God the Father] is [thereby] taking away the first
[covenant] in order to establish the second one, (10) [and it is]
by [His] will [in this matter] that you have been sanctified, through the offering of
the body of Jesus Christ once and
for all.
He Himself
bore our sins in His body on the tree, in order that
we might die to sins and live to righteousness. By His wound you
are healed.
The one who is committing sin is of
the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning.
For this reason the Son of God appeared, that He might
put an end to the devil's deeds.
[For by means of the cross, God] has
stripped [demon] rulers and authorities [of their power] and
subjected them to public humiliation, having triumphed over them in
[Christ].
Therefore
since these children (i.e., of v.13) have a common heritage of
flesh and blood, [Christ] too partook of these same
[common elements] in a very similar fashion (i.e., not identical
only in that He was virgin born and so without sin), in order that
through His death He might put an end to the one possessing the
power of death, that is, the devil, and might reconcile those who
were subject to being slaves their whole lives long by their fear of
death.
For it was [God's] good pleasure for
the fulfillment [of His plan] to reside entirely in [Christ], and so
through Him to reconcile everything to Himself, having made peace
through Him, through the blood of His cross, whether things on
earth, or things in heaven.
These will make war with the Lamb,
and the Lamb will conquer them, because He is Lord of Lords and King
of Kings, and called, and elect – and faithful are those with Him.
(7) And to each of us this grace has
been given according to the measure of the gift of Christ. (8) For
it says, “When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive (i.e.,
He brought pre-cross believers to heaven). He gave gifts to men.”
(9) Now [as to] this [phrase] “He ascended”, what can it mean
except that He had also [previously] descended into the lower
reaches of the earth (i.e., Hades, from whence He brought the
pre-cross believers to heaven)? (10) The One who descended is also
the One who ascended above all the heavens (i.e., into the third
heaven, the place of the Father's residence), in order to fulfill
all things (i.e., complete the victory won at the cross; cf.
Ps.110:1).
The seventy returned and said with
joy, “Lord, even the demons obey us in your Name!” And Jesus said
to them, “I was watching Satan fall from heaven like a star”.
Now the God of peace will quickly
crush Satan under your feet.
[God the Father], who rescued us
from the power of darkness and delivered us into the kingdom of
His beloved Son.
(31) Now is the judgment of this
world. Now will the prince of this world be driven out. (32) And
when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to Myself.
(21) For since death [came] through a
man, resurrection of the dead also [had to come] through a man.
(22) For just as in Adam, all die, so also in Christ, shall all be
made alive. (23) But each [will be resurrected] in his own
echelon. Christ [is the] first-fruits (i.e., the initial person and
echelon of resurrection). Next [will be] those belonging to Christ
at His coming (i.e., all believers at the 2nd Advent). (24) Then
the end [of human history – the resurrection of millennial
believers], when He will hand the Kingdom over to the Father, after
He has brought an end to all rule, all power, and all authority
(i.e., hostile human and angelic control). (25) For He must rule
until He has placed all His enemies under His feet.
For I tell you that Christ became a
servant to the circumcision for the sake of God's truth, that is,
to confirm the promises (i.e., covenants) made to their
ancestors – and also so that the gentiles might glorify God for His
mercy (i.e., in providing salvation through Jesus).
As many promises of God as there are,
in Him, [Jesus Christ, they are] “Yes!” So also
through Him the “Amen!” [we say] to God results in [His] glory
through us (i.e., our faith in His promises ratified in Christ).
1) Jesus fulfills the promise of the
Prophet to come,
embodying in His Person the entire message of God's prophetic
revelation of salvation (He is the Prophet):
“The Lord Your God will raise up from
your midst, from among your brothers, a Prophet like me (i.e., the
Lord Jesus Christ). You must give heed to Him, just as you
requested from the Lord your God at Horeb (i.e., Sinai) on the day
of your assembly [there], when you said, ‘May I not hear the voice
of the Lord My God any longer, nor see this great fire lest I die!'
Then the Lord said to me, ‘They have done well in what they have
said. I will raise up for them from the midst of their brothers a
Prophet like you. And I will put My words in His mouth, and He will
tell them everything I command Him. And it will come to pass that
the person who does not listen to My words which He will speak in My
Name, that I will require it of that person' (i.e., hold him
responsible for rejecting salvation).'”
Philip found Nathaniel and said to
him, “We have found the One whom Moses wrote about in the Law and
[whom] the prophets [wrote about too], Jesus, the son of Joseph from
Nazareth.”
If you had believed Moses, you would
have believed in Me. For He wrote about Me.
So the people who saw the sign He had
performed were saying, “This is truly the Prophet who is [prophesied
to be] coming into the world.”
(19) So repent and turn back [to God]
for the blotting out of your sins, (20) so that times of refreshment
may come from the Lord, and so that He may send to you the One
acknowledged as the Christ [Messiah], [namely] Jesus, (21) who must
remain in heaven until the times of the restoration of all things of
which God has spoken through the mouths of His holy prophets from of
old. (22) For Moses said, “The Lord God will raise up for you from
among your brothers a Prophet like me”. 2) Jesus fulfills the promise of the
High Priest to come,
along with all of the prophecies and rituals which taught and
proclaimed the need for a “better sacrifice” (He is the
High Priest in the order of Melchizedek):
When He had accomplished the
cleansing of [our] sins, He took His seat (i.e., beyond the veil) at
the right hand of the Majesty on high.
For this reason He had to be like His
brothers in every way, in order to become a merciful and faithful
High Priest in the things relating to God in order to propitiate the
sins of the people (i.e., through the sacrifice of Himself).
Since we have, therefore, a Great
High Priest who has passed through the heavens (i.e., as through the
veil), [even] Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our
profession [of faith in Him].
(19) And this hope [truly] is what
“anchors” our lives, a secure and solid [anchor of hope] which
penetrates [behind] the veil (i.e., the heavens) into the inner
place (i.e., the heavenly holy of holies) (20) where our vanguard,
Jesus, has entered on our behalf, having become a High Priest
forever according to the order of Melchizedek.
(23) Now the others who have become
priests are [of necessity] many since they are prevented from
remaining [in office] because of their mortality. (24) But He,
[Jesus Christ], because He abides forever, possesses the priesthood
irrevocably. (25) For this reason He is able to save completely
those who come to God through Him, since He lives forever making
intercession for them. (26) This is just the sort of High Priest we
needed, holy, without fault, without imperfection, completely
separated from sinners, and having ascended higher than the heavens
[into God's presence]. (27) Unlike the [human] high priests,
[Jesus] has no need of making sacrifice day by day, first on behalf
of His own sins, and then for the sins of the people. For this
[latter] He did once and for all when He offered Himself [as a
sacrifice].
The sum of what we have said is this:
we have a High Priest of such [amazing] quality that He has
[actually] taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of Majesty
in heaven, a Minister of the holy things and of the true tabernacle
which the Lord has pitched, not man. For every priest is appointed
to present offerings and sacrifices. Wherefore it was necessary for
Him also to have something to offer. Now if He were [ministering]
on earth, He would not have been a priest, inasmuch as there are
already those who present offerings according to the law [of
Moses]. These minister in [what is a] copy and a shadow of the
[actual] heavenly [tabernacle], just as command was given to Moses
as he was about to complete the tabernacle. For He says, “See to it
that you make everything according to the pattern shown to you on
the mountain (i.e., Sinai).”
But Christ has already arrived [in
heaven] as [the true High] Priest of the good things to come,
[having passed] through the [veil of the] greater and more perfect
tabernacle, that is, the one which is not of this creation (i.e.,
through the heavens and into the third heaven). Nor was it through
the blood of goats and bullocks, but through His own blood (i.e.,
His death) that He entered once and for all into the [heavenly] holy
of holies, having wrought eternal redemption.
(23) For this reason (i.e., the
inability of the blood of animals to cleanse us from sin) it was
necessary for the heavenly exemplars of these earthly
representations to be cleansed with better sacrifices than these
[earthly ones]. (24) For Christ did not enter into a man-made
sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one. Rather, He entered
into heaven itself, so as to present Himself before God [the Father]
on our behalf. 3) Jesus fulfills the promise of the King and all of the
prophecies of the messianic kingdom (He is the King):
And the Lord declares to you that the
Lord will produce a house for you. When your days are fulfilled and
you sleep with your fathers, I will raise up your Seed after you,
[One] who will come from your own loins, and I will establish His
kingdom.
(12) And He said to me,
“Thus says the Lord of Hosts: Behold a Man – ‘Branch' is His
name (i.e., the Messiah; cf. Is.4:2; 11:1; 53:2; Zech.3:8). And
He will branch out from His place and will build [up] the temple
of the Lord. (13) For it is He who will build [up] the temple of
the Lord. And He will raise up [its] glory. And He will sit and
rule [as King] upon His throne. And He will [also] be Priest
upon His [kingly] throne. For there will be a [unity of]
consultation between the two [offices].”
(1) Now when Jesus was born in
Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, magi from
the east arrived in Jerusalem, (2) saying, “Where is the One who has
been born King of the Jews? For in the east [where we live] we saw
His star, and we have come to worship Him.”
(37) And as soon as He was nearing
the descent of the Mount of Olives the entire crowd of His disciples
began to rejoice and praise God, (38) saying, “Blessed is the One
who is coming, the King [who is coming] in the Name of the Lord”.
Nathaniel replied to Him, “Rabbi, you
are the Son of God, you are the King of Israel!”
Then Pilate said
to Him, “So you are
a king then?” Jesus replied, “You say [rightly] that I am a King.
For I have been born for this purpose, and have come into the world
in order to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth
listens to my voice.”
These will make war with the Lamb,
and the Lamb will conquer them, because He is Lord of Lords and King
of Kings, and called, and elect – and faithful are those with Him.
And He has a Name on His robe and on
His thigh: King of Kings and Lord of Lords. d. Christ's taking on of true humanity was necessary for Him to
become our Mediator:
For as God is One, so there is [only]
One Mediator between God and Man, Christ Jesus in His humanity, who
gave Himself as a ransom for all [mankind] . . . e. Christ's taking on of true humanity is proven by scripture:
The Bible's testimony as to this important teaching of Jesus' advent
in true human flesh is unmistakably clear. Despite heresies to the
contrary, if we put our faith in scripture, we are left in no doubt
as to the genuine humanity of our Lord, possessing a truly human
body (Heb.10:5-10) and spirit (Matt.27:50; Mk.2:8; 8:12; Lk.23:46;
Jn.11:33; 13:21; 19:30) just as all of us have (though in His case
apart from sin).
You too should have this attitude
which Christ Jesus had. Since He already existed in the very form
of God, equality with God was [certainly] not something He thought
He had to grasp for. Yet in spite of this [co-equal divinity He
already possessed], He deprived Himself of His status and took on
the form of a slave, [and was] born in the likeness of men. He
humbled Himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, even [His]
death on [the] cross [for us all].
(22) And all this has happened to
fulfill what was said by the Lord through the prophet [Isaiah],
saying, (23) “Behold, the virgin will conceive and will give birth
to a Son, and you shall call His Name ‘Immanuel'”, which translated
means ‘God [is] with us'.
And the Word became flesh and tented
among us, and we saw His glory, a glory like that of a father's one
and only child, full of grace and truth.
(10) And the angel said to them,
“Don't be afraid! For behold, I am giving you a message of great
joy which will belong to all the people. (11) ‘Today in David's
city a Savior has been born for you, [even Him] who is [the] Messiah
(i.e., “Christ”) [the] Lord'”.
(3) [The gospel] which is about
[God's] Son, the One who was born of the seed of David according to
His flesh, (4) and marked out as God's Son by the power of the
Spirit of Holiness through resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ
our Lord.
For to which of the angels did He
ever say, “You are my Son. Today I have given begotten you.”?
And having fasted for forty days and
forty nights later (i.e., since being led into the wilderness by the
Spirit), [Jesus] was hungry.
And [Jesus] Himself was in the stern
[of the boat], sleeping on the cushion.
"But the Son of Man has come
eating and drinking, and you say . . .
And having taken [Jesus' body]
down [from the cross], [Joseph] wrapped it in linen and placed Him
in a tomb [which has been] carved out [of the rock] where no one had
[ever] yet been lain.
And Jacob's well was in that place.
So Jesus, having become fatigued from the journey,
accordingly sat down at the well.
Jesus wept.
(33) And next, [the
soldiers] came to
Jesus. [But] when they saw that He was already dead, they did not
break His legs. (34) But one of the soldiers pierced His side with
a lance, and there came forth immediately blood and water
(i.e., “serum”).
“Behold, my
hands and my feet, [and
see] that it is [really] me. Touch me and see that a spirit does
not have flesh and bones as you see that I have”.
For we do not have
a High Priest who
is not able to sympathize with our weaknesses, since He too was put
to the test in all things just as [we are], [only] without sin.
(7) [Jesus our High Priest] who in
the days of His flesh[ly life] (i.e., while He was on earth prior to
the resurrection), having offered up prayers and petitions with
powerful shouting and with tears to the One who was able to save Him
from death, and having been hearkened to on account of His
devoutness, (8) although being [God's one and only] Son,
nevertheless came to understand [firsthand in His humanity] from
what He suffered [what] obedience to God [truly is] (i.e., what it
takes for a human being to be obedient to God), (9) and, once He was
perfected (i.e., perfectly completed His course), became the source
of eternal salvation for all who are obedient to Him (i.e.,
believers).
At the end of these times (i.e., of
verse one), God spoke to us by a Son, whom He appointed heir of
everything, and through whom He [the Father] made the ages.
(19) For it was [God's] good pleasure
for the fulfillment [of His plan] to reside entirely in [Christ],
(20) and so through Him to reconcile everything to Himself, having
made peace through Him, through the blood of His cross, whether
things on earth, or things in heaven.
For in Him (i.e., Jesus Christ),
dwells all of the fullness of deity in bodily form.
. . . . . in all wisdom and
understanding [God] has made known to us the mystery He has willed (according
to His own benevolent purpose which He determined in [Christ])
for administering this [present] fulfillment of the epochs: namely
the incorporation of all things in Christ, things in
heaven, and things on earth – a. That uniqueness is shown by the fact that only by being God and
man could Jesus be the Firstborn, the One who would
earn the privileges of rulership,
priesthood, and double portion (Rom.8:29; Col.1:18; Heb.1:6;
Rev.1:5; cf. section I.5.f.4.c below):
He is the exact image of
the
invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
I will also appoint Him
my firstborn, the most exalted of the kings of the earth. b. That uniqueness is shown by the fact that only by being God and
man could Jesus be our Sin-bearer, the One who would
pay the penalty for our sins on the cross
(Matt.16:21; 17:12; Mk.8:31; 9:12; Lk.9:22; 17:25; 22:15; 24:26;
24:46; Acts 1:3; 3:18; 17:3; 26:23; Rom.8:17; 2Cor.1:5; Phil.3:10;
1Pet.4:1):
My God, My God, why did You forsake
Me?
(3) He was despised and rejected by
men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with suffering. Like a person
people hide their faces from, He was despised, and we did not hold
Him of any account. (4) For He bore our sicknesses and He carried
our weaknesses. And yet we considered Him as [the One who had been]
punished, smitten and afflicted by God. (5) But [in fact] He was
made subject to torment on account of our transgressions, and He was
crushed because of our collective guilt (lit., “guilts”). The
punishment [required] for making peace [with God] on our behalf
[fell] upon Him. Because of His wounding, we have been healed.
(9) But now we do see Jesus crowned
with glory and honor on account of the death He suffered,
even He who became “a little lower than the angels” for a brief span
so that by the grace of God He might taste death on behalf of
us all. (10) For it was fitting for [the Father] to make
complete through sufferings Him on whose account all
things exist and through whom all things exist, namely, the Captain
of their salvation, even Him who has led many sons to glory, [our
Lord Jesus Christ].
For because He has suffered, He is
able to help those who are being tested, since He Himself was [also]
put to the test.
For we do not have a High Priest who
is not able to sympathize with our weaknesses, since He too was put
to the test in all things just as [we are], [only] without sin.
(7) [Jesus our High Priest] who in
the days of His flesh[ly life] (i.e., while He was on earth prior to
the resurrection), having offered up prayers and petitions with
powerful shouting and with tears to the One who was able to save Him
from death, and having been hearkened to on account of His
devoutness, (8) although being [God's one and only], nevertheless
came to understand [firsthand] from what He suffered [what]
obedience to God [truly is] (i.e., what it takes for a human being
to be obedient to God), (9) and, once He was perfected (i.e.,
perfectly completed His course), became the source of eternal
salvation for all who are obedient to Him (i.e., believers).
Therefore Jesus also suffered outside
of the gate, in order to sanctify the people through His blood
(i.e., His death on the cross).
For it is to this [sharing in the
sufferings of Christ] that you have been called, for Christ also
died on your behalf, leaving you an example so that you might follow
in His footsteps: He committed no sin, nor was any guile found in
His mouth. He did not return slander when He was slandered, did not
threaten when He suffered, but entrusted Himself to the One who
judges righteously.
But to the
degree that you are [truly] participating in Christ's sufferings, be
joyful about it, so that at His glorious revelation, you may also
rejoice with great gladness.
At that
time (i.e., His birth) He [Jesus Christ in His deity] said, ‘Behold,
I have arrived (i.e., been born) – in the scroll of a book it is
written of Me – to do your will, O God'”.
His status of anointing is unique both in terms of
its exceptional degree (Is.11:2-3;
Jn.3:34; cf. Matt.3:16; Mk.1:10; Lk.3:22; Jn.1:32), and also in that
it demonstrates the Father's
pleasure with Him in the undertaking of His earthly mission
(Matt.3:17; Mk.1:11; Lk.3:22; cf. Matt.17:5; Mk.9:7; Lk.9:35;
Jn.12:28). And it was essential for the Messiah, the Anointed One,
to be both God and man to fulfill His mission because 1) only the
God-man can be the sin-bearer who redeems mankind; 2) only the
God-man can be the Father's regent to rule over redeemed mankind
forever; and 3) only the God-man can mediate between the Father and
sinful mankind as high-priest. Thus our Lord was Ruler, Redeemer,
and Mediator by right of birth as the firstborn, won the right for
us to share with Him in these offices by being our sin-bearer, and
discharged (redeeming us at the cross), is discharging (mediating
for us even now), and will discharge (ruling the world at His
return) each of these offices in fulfillment of the Father's mission
in His status as Messiah, with each accomplished in its proper time.
a. The Three Primary Names: “Lord Jesus Christ”:
1) Lord: This primary name is the Greek word
kyrios (κύριος) which translates what is often called the
“tetragrammaton”, that is, the unpointed four consonant
Hebrew name “LORD”
(YHVH;
i.e.,
יהוה)
as explained at Exodus 3:13-15.
(8)
Therefore this title is clearly expressive of Jesus' divinity
(Matt.22:41-46; Jn.20:28; cf. Ps.110:1).
2) Jesus: This primary name is a transliteration of
the Hebrew name often vocalized “Joshua” (יהושע),
meaning “The LORD saves”, and is the name which Joseph and Mary are
instructed to use “because He will save His people from their sins”
(Matt.1:21; Lk.1:31). Therefore this name is clearly expressive of
the work which our Lord accomplished on the cross in dying for the
sins of the entire world. As such, it represents Him as both human
and divine, since only God could remit our sins, and only a human
perfect human being could die for them (cf. Matt.9:2-6; Mk.2:9-10;
Lk.5:20-24; 7:48-49).
3) Christ: This primary name is the Greek word
christos (Χριστός) which translates the Hebrew name “Messiah” or
“Anointed One” (meshicah:
משיח),
thus referring to our Lord's special commissioning by the Father as
the unique One who will fulfill prophecy and accomplish salvation.
Therefore this title is evocative of Jesus' unique Person, the
God-man, the very Son of God, who has been sent into the world to
save it (Jn.3:16; 1Jn.4:9-10; cf. Matt.3:16-17; Acts 4:27;
Heb.1.8-9). b. Other Names: This list makes no pretense at being complete.
To make such an attempt would require a separate study of its own,
and a lengthy one at that. For example, since Jesus is God, all of
the various and sundry names, appellations and unique descriptions
of God occurring in the Old Testament would need to be considered in
such a study (e.g., El, Elohiym, Yah, El `Elyon, El Ro`i, El
Shaddai, Jehovah-nissi, etc.), not to mention specifically
Messianic passages which refer uniquely to Jesus and His coming
millennial reign:
For a child is born to us, and a Son
is given to us. Dominion shall rest on his shoulder, and His name
will be called “He whose counsel is wondrous”, “Mighty God”, “the
Father of Eternity”, “the Prince of Prosperity”. In the New Testament as well, since Jesus is the revealed person of the
Trinity and the focal point of all scripture, one finds innumerable
descriptions of Him which, even if they fall short of being a “name”
or “title” in some precise sense of those words, are certainly
worthy of inclusion in any comprehensive treatment (as, for example,
where He is called in Hebrews 3:1 “the Apostle . . . of our faith”,
in Hebrews 2:10 the “Captain of their salvation”, and in Hebrews
12:2 “the originator and completer of our faith”), not to mention
the various self-descriptions our Lord uses for Himself in His
address to the seven churches of Revelation alone:
To the angel of the church in
Ephesus, write: “This is what the One who has the mastery over the
seven churches in His right hand says, the One who walks in the
midst of the seven golden lampstands.”
And to the angel of the church in
Smyrna write: “This is what the One who is the first and last says,
He who died and came to life.”
And to the angel of the church in
Pergamum write: “This is what the One who has the sharp two-edged
sword says.”
And to the angel of the church in
Thyatira write: “This is what the Son of God says, the One whose
eyes are like a flame of fire and whose feet are like white-hot
bronze.”
And to the angel of the church in
Sardis write: “This is what the One who has the seven spirits of
God and the seven stars says.”
And to the angel of the church in
Philadelphia write: “This is what the One who is holy and true
says, the One who has the key of David, the One who opens and no one
will lock, who locks and no one opens.”
And to the angel of the church in
Laodicea write: “This is what the Amen says, the reliable and
truthful Witness, the origin of God's creation.
1) Advocate: As the One who bought us by giving up
His precious life for us through His death on the cross on our
behalf, Jesus has earned the right to advocate on our behalf,
interceding with the Father before the throne of grace (Rom.8:34;
Heb.7:25; cf. Jn.14:13-14).
My children, I am writing these
things to you so that you won't sin. But if anyone does sin, we
have an Advocate to [approach] the Father [on our behalf], Jesus
Christ the righteous.
3) Arm of the Lord: As the second person of the
Trinity, Jesus is the One who carries out the plan of God directly
and personally (Lk.1:51): He is the One who made the universe
(Jer.27:5; 32:17; cf. Ps.8:3), and He is the One who has saved us
from eternal condemnation by personally coming into the world as a
human being and dying in our place for our sins (Is.53:1 in the
context of chapter 53; cf. Jn.12:37-38). He will also be the One
through whom the Father will retake direct control of the earth at
the second advent (Ps.98:1; Is.30:30; 40:10; 51:5; 51:9; 52:10;
59:16-20; 63:5-6; cf. Is.48:14-15; Ezek.20:33-34). As the
instrument by which the Father carries out His plan, the title “Arm
of the Lord” is very descriptive and appropriate (Ps.89:13). It
shows, moreover, how inextricably linked the purpose and the action
of the Trinity are as three Persons sharing a single essence,
especially visible in the redemption of the people of Israel from
Egypt, an action highly symbolic of our redemption from death (cf.
Deut.7:19; 9:29; 2Kng.17:36; Ps.89:10; Ps.136:10-15; Jer.32:21; Acts
13:17; cf. Ps.44:3).
Where is He [the Father]
who brought them (i.e, the Israelites) up from the [Red] Sea with
the leaders of His people? Where is He [the Father] who set among
them His Holy Spirit, who [also] made His Glorious
Arm of power [Jesus Christ (cf. Heb.11:27)] to go [along
with them] at Moses' right hand? 5) Bridegroom: Jesus is the Last Adam, and we, the
Church, are, so to speak, His “Eve” (1Cor.15:45; 2Cor.11:2-3; cf.
Rom.5:14). Jesus died for us, purchasing us from death with His
blood, His sacrificial work in dying for our sins on the cross
(1Cor.15:3; 2Cor.5:21; 1Pet.2:24). Having been purchased in this
unique way (1Pet.1:18-19), we belong to Him forever and will be
“wedded” to Him as His Bride forever on His return (Matt.9:15;
Matt.25:1-13; Mk.2:19; Lk.5:34; Jn.3:29; 2Cor.11:2-3; Eph.1:22-23;
5:22-33; Rev.21:2-4; 21:9ff.; 22:17; cf. 1Cor.15:23).
“Let us rejoice and be jubilant, and
let us give glory to [God], because the wedding of the Lamb has
come, and His Bride has prepared herself. And it has been given her
to wear a pure, resplendent [gown] of the finest material (now this
fine material represents the righteous acts of His holy ones
[believers]).” And [the angel] said to me, “Write this down: Happy
are those who have been called to the wedding of the Lamb”.
(3) This One [Jesus Christ] is worthy
of greater glory than Moses inasmuch as the One who builds the house
has greater honor than the house itself. (4) For every house is
built by someone, but God is the One who has built all things (i.e.,
creation). (5) And while Moses was faithful as a servant in all of
his house as a witness to the [truths] that would be spoken [in the
future], (6) Christ [was faithful] as a Son over His house – whose
house we are, if indeed we hold false to the hope [in which we]
boast firm until the end.
Thanks be to God for His inestimable
gift!
(15) But the offense [of the former,
Adam] is not at all like the favor [of the Latter,
Christ]. For though it is true that the human race is perishing on
account of the offense of that one man [Adam], how much more has the
grace of God and His gracious Gift of the one Man,
Jesus Christ, abounded to this same human race! (16) Indeed, the
Gift is not at all like [the universal death that came]
through [that] one person who sinned. For [in the former case] the
[divine] judgment [that resulted] from one [person led] to
[universal] condemnation, but the [divine] favor
[based upon the sacrifice of the One has led] to the accomplishment
of [universal] justification in response to many offenses. (17) For
though it is true that on account of the offense of the one death
reigned through that one (i.e., by Adam passing down his sin to his
progeny), how much more will those who receive this abundance of
grace, even this Gift of righteousness [through
justification] rule in [eternal] life through [the sacrifice of] the
One, Jesus Christ!
For you have been saved by (God's)
grace through faith (in Christ); and this did not come from you – it
is God's gift. Nor did it come from what you have done, lest anyone
should boast.
(22) And [the Father] subordinated
all things under [Christ's] feet and gave Him [as] Head over all
things in the Church (23) which is His Body, the fullness of the One
who fills up all things in all ways.
10) High Priest after the Order of Melchizedek: [see
section I.2.c.2 above]
11) The Holy One of God: This title, one used of
Christ even by the demons (in Mk.1:24; Lk.4:34), identifies Jesus as
the one and only specially sanctified One ordained by the Father
(cf. Ps.16:10; Is.5:19 with Is.6:10 compared to Jn.12:41), and sent
into the world by Him to save the world through faith in Him (cf.
Lk.1:35; Acts 4:27; 1Jn.4:9-10; Rev.3:7).
(67) Then Jesus said to the twelve,
“You don't wish to leave too, do you?” (68) Simon Peter answered
Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal
life, (69) and we have believed and have come to know that you are
the Holy One of God”.
(22) And all this has happened to
fulfill what was said by the Lord through the prophet [Isaiah],
saying, (23) “Behold, the virgin will conceive and will give birth
to a Son, and you shall call His Name ‘Immanuel'”, which translated
means ‘God [is] with us'.
Brothers, do not grumble against one
another so that you may not be judged [for it]. Behold, the Judge
[Jesus Christ] is standing in front of the door (i.e., His return
and our final judgment are imminent)!
For we must all stand before Christ's
tribunal, so that each of us may receive recompense for what he has
accomplished through this body, whether it be good or worthless.
15) The Lamb of God: The title “Lamb of God” reminds
us of the Old Testament sacrifices regarding sin (which all speak of
our Lord's death on the cross), and calls attention to Jesus as the
only perfect substitute and sacrifice for our sins, a “lamb without
blemish” (1Pet.1:19; cf. Is.53:7) who took away “the sins of the
world” (Jn.1:29). Jesus, of course, offered up His life, not
literally His blood (cf. Heb.8:3: “something to offer”). For “the
blood of Christ” is a symbol of Jesus' sacrifice just as “the Lamb
of God” is a title symbolic of His sacrifice in being judged for our
sins in the darkness on the cross (2Cor.5:21; 1Pet.2:24). This
title figures prominently in the book of Revelation because it is
through His sacrificial death on our behalf that He has won the
right to rule the world (Rev.5:6; 5:8; 5:12-13; 6:16; 7:9-10; 7:14;
12:11; 13:8; 13:11; 14:1; 14:4; 14:10; 15:3; 17:14; 19:7; 19:9;
21:9; 21:14; 21:22-23; 21:27; 22:1; 22:3).
16) The Last Adam: Through the first Adam, sin
entered the world, but through the Last Adam, grace for salvation
has been made available for all who believe in Him (Rom.5:12-14;
1Cor.15:21-22; cf. Gen.3:15; Gal.3:19). For Jesus is “a life-giving
spirit” for all who place their trust in Him for eternal life
(1Cor.15:45). Thus the name “Last Adam” not only calls attention to
our Lord's true humanity, but also to the fact that through His own
sacrificial death on our behalf He has solved the universal problem
plaguing humanity ever since Adam's fall, namely, the problem of sin
and resultant death. For only through faith in the Last Adam, will
we live forever and avoid the common heritage of our race of eternal
death following spiritual and physical death.(12)
Jesus Christ, the Last Adam, is the One who has taken away the curse
upon the first Adam and upon us his progeny, and made it possible
for us to reenter Eden, not a temporary, worldly Eden, but the New
Jerusalem where we shall live with Him forever (cf. Rev.22:1-5).
17) Life: As our Creator and Savior, the giver of
life and the only One in whom we have eternal life, Jesus Christ is
Life itself, the very source of the life we enjoy now and shall
forever enjoy in union with Him (Jn.5:26; 6:33-35; 6:48; 6:51; Acts
3:15; Rom.5:10; 8:2; 2Cor.4:10-11; 1Jn.5:11; cf. Deut.30:20b;
Ps.36:9; Jer.10:10; 1Thes.1:9). Because He gave Himself unto death
for our sakes, we have life eternal in Him, having been born again
through the Spirit by obedience to the gospel of life in Jesus
Christ (Matt.19:28; Jn.1:13; 3:3-8; 1Cor.4:15; Gal.4:29; Tit.3:5;
Heb.12:9; Jas.1:18; 1Pet.1:3; 1:23; 1Jn.2:29; 3:9; 4:7; 5:1; 5:4;
5:18).
(3) Everything came into being
through Him, [Jesus Christ], and without Him, nothing has come into
being which has in fact come into being. (4) In Him was life, and
this life was the light of men.
(25)
Jesus said to her, “I am the
resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me will live, even
if he dies. (26) And everyone who lives and believes in Me will surely
not die forevermore.”
I am the way: the truth and the
life.
For you are already dead, and your
[eternal] life has been hidden away with Christ in God. When Christ
– your [eternal] life – is revealed, then you too (i.e., with your
new eternal life) will be revealed in glory with Him.
What we have seen from the beginning,
what we have heard and seen with our eyes, what we have observed and
touched with our hands – this is about the Word of life[, Jesus
Christ]. And the Life appeared, and we have seen and testify to and
proclaim to you the Eternal Life who was face to face with the
Father and appeared to us.
And we know that the Son of God has
come and has given to us a means of thinking to know the truth. And
we are in the Truth, in His Son Jesus Christ. This One (i.e., Jesus
Christ) is the true God and Life Eternal.
It is I, the First and the Last, even
the Living One. And although I died, behold, I am alive forever and
ever! Indeed, I possess the keys to death and Hades.
18) Light: As God, Jesus is light
(1Jn.1:5; cf. Jas.1:17; Rev.22:5). Light is a very important
biblical symbol because it stands for life, for holiness, and for
truth, and does so in a way to which we human beings can easily and
thoroughly relate (cf. Jn.3:19-21). When the devil rebelled,
darkness, which had previously had no part in God's creation, came
into being. In contrast to darkness which symbolizes death, evil,
and the absence of truth, Jesus is the Light (Matt.4:16; Lk.2:32;
Acts 26:13; 1Jn.2:8; Rev.21:23), because He is the holy One
(Mk.1:24; Lk.1:35; 4:34; Jn.6:69; Acts 4:27; Rev.3:7; compare
Jn.12:40-41 with Is.6:1-10), and He is truth itself and life itself
(Jn.8:12; 9:5; 12:46).
In Him was life, and this life was
the light of men. And this light is shining in the darkness, and
the darkness has not quenched it.
I am the
light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness,
but will have the light of life.
I have
come into the world as a light, in order that everyone who believes
in Me may not abide in darkness.
I saw the Lord sitting on his throne
with all the host of heaven standing around him on his right and his
left.
(1) I want you to know what a great
struggle I am engaging in on your behalf and on behalf of those in
Laodicea and [on behalf of] as many as have not seen my face in the
flesh, (2) [struggling] that your hearts may be encouraged, being
strengthened by love and [led] into all the [spiritual] wealth which
confident understanding [of the truth brings], [led, that is,] into
the full acknowledgment (i.e., epignosis, “knowledge made
real through faith”) of the mystery of God the Father,
[namely] Christ, (3) in whom all the treasures of wisdom and
knowledge are hidden.
24) Rock: Jesus is the bedrock of all creation, the
Founder and Foundation of the universe and of our salvation. The
tangible qualities of solidity and dependability inherent in the
name “Rock” are obvious, and our Lord is the one and only Rock upon
which a secure foundation for eternity can be built (Matt.7:24-27;
Lk.6:47-49). The frequency with which this particular title and
metaphor is used in scripture of God in general and of Jesus in
particular highlights its importance (cf. Ex.17:6; Num.20:8;
Deut.32:4-37; 1Sam.2:2; 2Sam.23:3; Ps.18:2; 18:46; 19:14; 144:1;
Is.8:14; 17:10; 44:8; 51:1; Matt.7:24; Hab.1:12). We must
understand that everything depends and rests upon Jesus Christ. He
is the Rock upon which the Church is founded (Matt.16:18),(13)
and, individually, He is the Cornerstone of our existence, of our
faith, and of all our hopes.
The Stone
which the builders rejected has become the Cornerstone.
(44) And in the days of those kings
(i.e., in the end times), the God of Heaven will establish a Kingdom
which will not be destroyed forever. Nor will that kingdom be
surrendered to another people. It will crush and put an end to all
those other kingdoms, but this [Kingdom] will endure forever. (45)
And in that you saw that a Stone was cut out without [human] hands
from the [living] Rock [of a mountain] and that it crushed the iron
and the bronze and the clay and the silver and the gold [of the
statue], the Great God has made known to the king what will happen
after this [in the future[ (i.e., when Christ crushes the kingdom of
antichrist).
And I tell you that you are Peter
[the little rock] (petr-os), and upon this [mighty]
Rock (petr-a, i.e., upon Christ Himself; cf.
1Cor.3:11) I shall build My Church (cf. Dan.2:44-45), and the
gates (i.e., the fortified defenses) of Hades (i.e., the devil's kingdom)
will not [be able to] resist it.
Thus it has been written: “Behold, I
am placing in Zion a Stone of stumbling and a Rock of tripping up.
But he who puts his faith in Him will not be put to shame.”
For no one can lay [any] other
foundation (i.e., for salvation, spiritual growth and production)
[other] than the One which has [already] been laid, namely, Jesus
Christ.
And all of
them (i.e., the Exodus generation) drank the same spiritual drink
(i.e., divinely provided water). For all of them drank from the spiritual[ly significant] Rock which followed them – for that Rock
was Christ.
[It is Jesus] to whom you have come,
a Living Stone, rejected by men, but with God elect and highly
honored.
26) The Servant of God: This title for our Lord
demonstrates the height and the depth and breadth of the love God
has for us, for it focuses upon our Lord's self-accepted humiliation
in coming into this world as a genuine human being, without glory, to
drink to His fill the tears of this world and to suffer for us in
our place, even to His death for us on the cross, that we might not
die but live forever with Him (Is.41:8-9; 52:13 - 53:12; Rom.1:1;
15:8-9).
You too should have this attitude
which Christ Jesus had. Since He already existed in the very form
of God, equality with God was [certainly] not something He thought
He had to grasp for. Yet in spite of this [co-equal divinity He
already possessed], He deprived Himself of His status and took
on the form of a slave, [and was] born in the likeness of
men. He humbled Himself, becoming obedient to the point of death,
even [His] death on [the] cross [for us all].
(1) Behold my Servant –
I will support Him. My chosen One – my soul (i.e., heart) takes
pleasure in Him. I have placed my Spirit upon Him. He will bring
forth justice for the nations. (2) He will not cry out nor will He
lift up His voice in the street. (3) He will not shatter a reed
[which is already] crushed (i.e., He will be merciful to the faint
of spirit), nor will He extinguish a smouldering wick (i.e., He will
encourage the weak of faith). [But] He will bring forth justice in
truth. (4) He will not lose His ardor, nor will He proceed too
hastily until He establishes justice on the earth. And in His
teaching the islands will put their hope. (5)
Thus says
God the Lord, who creates the skies and stretches them out, who
fashions the earth and its produce, who gives breath to the people
upon it, even a spirit to those who walk upon it. (6) I, the Lord, have called You in
righteousness, and shall take You by the hand, and guard You, and
appoint You a covenant for the nations and a light for the gentiles,
(7) to open the eyes of the blind, to bring forth the prisoner from
the dungeon, and those who dwell in darkness from their place of
captivity (i.e., physical and spiritual redemption).
“[Joseph's] bow remained steady, his
strong arms stayed limber, because of the Shepherd, the Rock of
Israel.”
The Lord is the One shepherding me.
Therefore I will not be lacking [anything I need].
See, the Sovereign Lord comes with
power, and his arm rules for him. See, his reward is with him, and
his recompense accompanies him. He tends his flocks like a
shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close
to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.
(2) But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
too small to be numbered among the clans of Judah, from you I will
bring forth the One who is to rule over Israel. His goings forth
are from long ago, even from the days of eternity. (3) For He will
give them over until the time when she who is about to give birth
gives birth (i.e., His mother, Mary: the first advent), and the rest
of His brothers return to the sons of Israel (i.e., Jewish
repentance at the second advent). (4) Then He (i.e., the Messiah)
will arise and will shepherd His flock in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the Name of the Lord His God. And they will dwell
[in peace], for then He will be great to the ends of the earth. (5)
And He will be their peace.
I am the Good Shepherd. The Good
Shepherd lays down His life for the sake of the sheep.
(20) And the God of peace, the One
who led up from the dead the Great Shepherd of the sheep in the
blood of the eternal covenant, our Lord Jesus, (21) will fit you out
with every good thing in order that you may do His will, [even] as
He produces in us what is well-pleasing through Jesus Christ. To
Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen!
For you were once like sheep going
astray, but you have now turned back to the Shepherd and Overseer of
your lives.
“Because the Lamb who is in the midst
of the throne will shepherd them and will lead them to
fountains of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from
their eyes.”
“The Lord declares to you that the
Lord himself will establish a house for you: When your days are
over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring
to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will
establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my
Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.”
30) The Son of Man: This title hearkens back to
Genesis 3:15 and protoevangelium, the first promise of the
gospel in the prophecy of the coming Seed who would crush the
devil's head. Jesus is that Seed (Gal.3:16-19; cf. Lk.1:55; Acts
3:25; Rom.4:13-18), the “Last Adam” (Rom.5:12-14; 1Cor.15:21-22;
15:45; cf. Gal.3:19), and the title is a clear indication of His
perfect and genuine humanity (Mk.8:31), coming into the flesh in
Adam's line. The specific name under consideration here, “The Son
of Man”, marks out Christ as the Seed and the
unique “Son” (as opposed to all other human beings). As such, the
title is clearly prophetic of the Messiah (as was clearly recognized
by our Lord's contemporaries when He used this title for Himself
(Jn.9:35-38).
(13) I kept looking during my vision
of that night, and behold – with the clouds of heaven One like a Son
of Man was coming up, and He approached the Ancient of Days (i.e.,
the Father) and they brought Him before Him. (14) And to Him was
given dominion and honor and a kingdom, so that all nations and
peoples and tongues should serve Him. His dominion is an
everlasting dominion which will not pass away, and His kingdom one
which will not be destroyed.
And [God the Father] has given Him[,
Jesus Christ,] authority to render judgment [on the world] because
He is [the] Son of Man.
I am the Way: the truth
and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.
The true Light which
illuminates every human being was coming into the world.
And the Word became flesh and tented
among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of a one and only Son of
His Father, full of grace and truth.
For the Law was given through Moses,
but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
(1) I am the true vine and my Father
is the vine-dresser. Every branch [that is] in Me which does not
bear fruit (2) He removes, and every branch which does bear fruit He
prunes so that it might bear more fruit. (3) You have already been
pruned because of the Word I have spoken to you. (4) Stay part of
Me, and I will [stay] part of you. Just as the branch cannot bear
fruit by itself unless it remains part of the vine, so you too
cannot [bear true fruit] unless you stay part of Me. (5) I am the
vine, you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in Him, he
will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing. (6) If
anyone does not remain in Me, he is like a branch that is thrown
away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire
and burned.
I am the Way: the
truth and the life. No one can come to the Father except through
me.
The Word [Jesus Christ] existed at
the very beginning, and there was reciprocity (i.e., co-divinity)
between the Word and God [the Father]. And the Word was God. What this means is that there is absolutely no discrepancy or disparity
between Jesus and the Father, or between Jesus and any of the “words
of God”. For He is the embodiment of the truth, God's Word, and is
the Truth, manifest in God's written Word. For this reason, the
ministry of the Spirit to believers is described by our Lord as one
where the Spirit will “take what is mine and will make it known to
you” (Jn.16:15), and by Paul as the very “mind of Christ”
(1Cor.2:16). To know Jesus is know the Word of God; to know the
Word of God is to know Jesus Christ (Jn.5:39; cf. Jn.1:1-14;
Heb.1:1-4; 1Jn.1:1-4; Rev.1:2). Praise God for that blessed day of
days to come when we shall “know, even as we are known”
(1Cor.13:12).
And He was clothed in a cloak
splattered with blood, and His Name stands [forever]: “The Word of
God”.
Jesus is God, a co-equal, co-eternal, con-substantial member of the
Trinity. Jesus is also the Word of God, the Mind of Christ, God's
entire revelation meant for us in this life contained in the
completed canon of scripture and revealed to us through the ministry
of the Holy Spirit (1Cor.2:16). Therefore it is important to point
out at the commencement of this section that by “the life of Christ”
we are concerned not primarily with the deity of Jesus Christ but
with His humanity as it was foreshadowed in the Old Testament and
became a reality with His incarnation in the form of a genuine human
being in the New Testament. Few subjects in scripture are more
important than attention to our Savior's life, because it is only
through Him, through faith and faithful following of Him, that we
realize the promise of eternal life. And Jesus' life is, among many
other things, the ultimate exemplar for all Christians (Matt.8:22;
9:9; 10:38; 11:29; 16:24; 19:21; Mk.1:17; Lk.9:23; Jn.1:43; 13:15;
21:19-22; Eph.4:15; Phil.2:5; Heb.6:20; 1Pet.2:21-25; Rev.14:4).
Jesus is, after all, the archetypical perfect human being who did
God's will to the full without fail, and in this way was qualified
to bear our sins on the cross:
For just as through the disobedience
of the [first] man[, Adam,] the human race found itself sinful, so
through the obedience of the One[, Jesus Christ,] the human race
will find itself [accounted as] righteous (i.e., justified),
[through faith in Him].
Jesus
Christ is the revealed member of the Trinity. As such, just as He
is the One who is revealed in the flesh from the incarnation onward,
He is also the One who manifests the Person and presence of God to
believers before the incarnation (cf. Heb.1:1-2). Old Testament
appearances of God are often termed “Theophanies”, whereas those Old
Testament appearances which can clearly be shown to be of Jesus are
called “Christophanies”. Much of what we now know about the Trinity
was purposely veiled during Old Testament times for a variety of
reasons,(15)
however, as the following passage shows, many such appearances of
God in the Old Testament which one might assume on a casual reading
are of the Father were, in fact, of Jesus Christ representing the
Father:
(37) Even though He had performed so
many [miraculous] signs in their presence, they did not believe in
Him, (38) in order that the word of Isaiah the prophet
might be fulfilled which he spoke: “Lord, who has believed our
report? And to whom has the Arm of the Lord been revealed?” (39)
For this reason they were not able to believe, because [as] Isaiah
also says, “He has blinded their eyes and disabled their heart so
that they might not see with their eyes and understand in their
heart and turn and I would heal them.” (41) These things
Isaiah said because he saw His glory (i.e.,
“holy, holy, holy” in Isaiah 6:1-3) and spoke about Him (i.e., in
Is.6:1-10 since this second quote is from Is.6:10).
In
addition to the Old Testament appearances discussed immediately
above, the coming of our Lord, His incarnation, and His work for us
on the cross were foreshadowed in a variety of ways in Old Testament
times. Jesus has, in fact, always been the heart and soul of
prophecy (Rev.19:10), the message of God as the Word
of God (Jn.1:1-3).
God, from antiquity having
communicated to our fathers in the prophets at many times and in
many ways, has in these last days communicated to us in a Son,
[the One] whom He has appointed heir of all things, [the One]
through whom He created the universe. He is the shining forth of
[the Father's] glory, the precise image of His essence, the One who
sustains the universe by His mighty Word . . .
(6) Then Abraham took the wood for
the burnt offering and placed it on [the back of] Isaac his son.
And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. And the two of them
went [up Mount Moriah (i.e., the future place of Jerusalem)]
together. (7) And Isaac said to Abraham his father, “Father.” And
Abraham replied, “Yes, my son.” And [Isaac] said, “Look, here is
the fire and wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”
(8) And Abraham replied, “God will provide for Himself (lit., “see
for Himself”) the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And [so]
the two of them went [up] together.
(17) By Faith Abraham offered up
Isaac when he was tested, and was on the point of offering up [in
sacrifice] his one and only son, the one who [about whom he] had
received the promises, (18) about whom it had been said, “In Isaac
shall your seed be called”, (19) [for Abraham was] reckoning that God
was able to raise [him] from the dead, whence (i.e., from the dead)
he did receive [Isaac] back even metaphorically (i.e., Isaac was as
good as dead but God delivered him through the substitute of the
ram, a type of Jesus Christ). It is fair to say that the great majority of Old Testament prophecies
about our Lord coming in the flesh are focused on His Messiahship
and therefore at the very least include His second advent in their
purview. For this reason, the first advent of Jesus Christ as
distinct from the second was a matter of some mystery, even to the
inspired writers who penned the words given by God which do in fact
predict the first advent:(20)
The prophets diligently investigated
and inquired about this salvation, when they prophesied about this
grace [that was to come] to you. For they were eager to discover
the precise time the Spirit of Christ within them was signifying as
He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would
follow. For it was revealed to them that in prophesying these
things, they were not so much serving themselves as they were you –
and these same things have now been proclaimed to you through those
who gave you the gospel through the Holy Spirit, sent from heaven –
even angels want to look into these things.
As the Pharisees were gathering
together, Jesus put a question to them, saying “What do you think
about the Messiah? Whose son is he?” They answered Him, “David's
son.” Then He said to them, “Well then, how can David, speaking in
the Spirit, call Him Lord? For he says,
The Lord said to My Lord,
So if David calls Him Lord, how is He
his Son?” And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor did anyone
dare to question Him any longer from that day forward.
(4) For He bore our sicknesses and He
carried our weaknesses. And yet we considered Him as [the One who
had been] punished, smitten and afflicted by God. (5) But [in fact]
He was made subject to torment on account of our transgressions, and
He was crushed because of our collective guilt (lit., “guilts”).
The punishment [required] for making peace [with God] on our behalf
[fell] upon Him. Because of His wounding, we have been healed. (6)
We have all gone astray like sheep. Each of us has turned to his
own way. And the Lord caused the guilt of us all to strike Him.
(7) Though He was oppressed and afflicted, like a lamb led to
slaughter He did not open His mouth, and like a ewe before her
shearers He did not open His mouth. (8) By repressive judgment He
was taken away, and who gave any thought to His posterity? For He
was cut off from the land of the living. He was punished for the
transgression of my people. (9) And they assigned Him a grave with
the wicked (pl.) and with a rich [man] in His deaths (sic).
Not for any violence that He had done. Nor was there any deceit in
His mouth. (10) For it was the Lord's good pleasure (i.e., “will”)
to crush Him, to subject Him to torment. But though you make His
life a guilt offering, He will see His seed, He will lengthen His
days, and the good pleasure (i.e., “will”) of the Lord will prosper
in His hand. (11) [Released] from the trouble [inflicted] upon His
life, He will [again] see [the light of life] and be satisfied
(i.e., in resurrection). My righteous Servant will provide
righteousness for the great [of heart] (i.e., believers) through
the[ir] acknowledgment of Him, and He Himself will carry their guilt
(lit., “guilts”). (12) Therefore
I will allot to Him [the plunder] among [His] many [brothers], and
He will apportion plunder to the mighty [among them]. Because He
lay bare His life unto death, and was dealt with as transgressors
[are], so that He bore the sin of the many, and substituted
[Himself] for the transgressors.
(25) Then He Himself said to them “O
you ignorant men, and slow to believe all the things which the
prophets spoke. (26) Wasn't it necessary for the Christ to suffer
these things [first], and [then] come into His glory?” (27) And
taking His start with Moses and all of the prophets, He thoroughly
explained to them the things [written] about Himself in all
the scriptures. For the sake of illustration, a few more of the more well-known passages
prophesying the coming of the Messiah are included below, but an
all-inclusive treatment would require its own separate study nearly
as voluminous as in the case of Old Testament typology (cf.
Jn.21:25).
For a Star will march forth from
Jacob, and a [Ruler's] scepter [will arise] from Israel.
(6) You have taken no pleasure in
sacrifices and offerings, [but instead] You have pierced My ears
(i.e., “given Me a body and marked Me as a voluntary Servant”; cf.
Ex.21:5-6; Deut.15:16-17). You have not asked for burnt offerings
or sin offerings. (7) [But] then I said, behold, I have come [into
the world (i.e., as the true sacrifice)]. In the scroll of the Book
it has been written about Me. (8) It is My good pleasure to do what
pleases You, My God. For your Law is in My inmost parts.
Therefore the Lord will Himself give
you a sign. Behold, the virgin will conceive and will give birth to
a Son, and you shall call His Name “Immanuel” (i.e., “God is with
us”).
(6) For a child is born to us, and a
Son is given to us. Dominion shall rest on his shoulder, and His
name will be called “He whose counsel is wondrous”, “Mighty God”,
“the Father of Eternity”, “the Prince of Prosperity”. (7) To His
dominion and its prosperity there will be no limit or end. He will
establish it and lay its foundation on David's throne and over his
kingdom, in justice and righteousness, now and forevermore. The
zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.
But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, too
small to be numbered among the clans of Judah, from you I will bring
forth the One who is to rule over Israel. His goings forth are from
long ago, even from the days of eternity.
“And I
shall place hostility between you and the woman, that is, between
your seed and her Seed. He will attack you head-on, but you will
attack Him from behind” (lit., “crush His heal”, a reference to the
cross).
(12) [Like] many bulls they have
encircled Me. [Like] strong bulls from Bashan they have surrounded
Me. (13) They open their mouths against Me [like] roaring lions
about to pounce on their prey. (14) I am poured out like water, and
all My bones are being stretched apart. My heart has become like
wax. It is melting inside of Me. (15) My strength is evaporating
like a broken piece of pottery, and My tongue is sticking to the
roof of My mouth [with thirst]. For You (cf. vv.1-2) have set Me
ablaze in the dust of death. (16) For they have surrounded Me
[like] dogs. [This] congregation of evil-doers has encompassed Me.
They have pierced My hands and My feet. (17) I can count all My
bones. [While] they look on and stare at Me, (18) they are dividing
up My clothes for themselves, and for My garments they are casting
lots.
For they mixed gall with what they
gave Me to eat, and for My thirst they gave Me vinegar to drink.
Thus says to the Lord, “To Him who
despised His own life, to Him who became an abomination to His own
nation, to the Servant of rulers – kings will rise up when they see
You, even high officials will bow down [before You], on account of
the Lord who is faithful, even the Holy One of Israel, for He has
chosen You.
Marshal your troops, O city of
troops, for a siege is laid against us. They will strike Israel's
ruler on the cheek with a rod.
For You will not abandon My soul
(i.e., “life”) to hell (lit., sheol). You will
not give your
Holy One over to see decay.
[The Lord] will restore us, [Israel],
after two days (i.e., after the Church age), and will raise us up on
the third day (i.e., the Millennium), that we may live in His
presence (i.e., with the Messiah, who personifies this prophecy in
His resurrection on the third day).
(1) Why
are the nations forming into a mob and the peoples [of the earth]
grumbling idly. (2) The kings of the earth are assembling and its
princes are gathering together – against the Lord and His Anointed
One, (3) [saying] “Let us pull off Their chains, and cast Their
cords from us!”
But as for Me, I have anointed My
King upon Zion, My holy mountain.
The Lord said to My Lord, “Sit down
at my right hand, until I make your enemies a footstool for your
feet.”
And He said, “It is too small a thing
for you to be My servant, to establish the tribes of Jacob and to
restore the sanctified ones of Israel. Therefore I have appointed
you as a Light for the nations, to be My [instrument of] salvation
to the ends of the earth.
In those days and at that time, I
will make a Branch of righteousness sprout forth for David, and He
will accomplish justice and righteousness on the earth.
Thus says the Lord: I will return to
Zion and dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. And Jerusalem will be
called “the City of Truth”, and “the Mountain of the Lord, the
Mountain of Holiness”.
Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion.
Shout [for joy], daughter of Jerusalem. Behold, your King will come
to you. Righteous and victorious He is; humble and riding on a
donkey, even on a colt, a donkey's foal.
And the Lord will be
king over all
the earth. On that day the Lord will be the only One and His Name
the only Name.
“We have
found the One about whom Moses wrote in the Law and all the prophets
as well, Jesus, the son of Joseph, the One from Nazareth!”
(24) By faith,
Moses, when he grew
up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, (25) and
chose instead to suffer maltreatment with the people of God rather
than to enjoy the transitory pleasures of sin, because he considered
the reproach [suffered on behalf] of Christ greater
riches than the treasure vaults of Egypt. (26) For he was looking
to his reward.
Since the point of His birth, Jesus Christ, who has always been
true God, has also become a true human being. The
proper, orthodox understanding of the fact that Christ now possesses
both of these natures, divine and human, without any diminution of
the quality or quantity of either, and is yet a single, absolutely
unique Person, is often called in theology “the hypostatic union”.
The first word in this somewhat unhelpful phrase is taken from
Hebrews 1:3 where our Lord's unique Person composed of two natures,
human and divine, is described as “the [very] shining forth of [the
Father's] glory, the precise image of His essence”.
In this verse, “essence” is the Greek word hypostasis from
which the adjective “hypostatic” is derived. In Hebrews 1:3, since
Jesus is the “shining forth of the glory” of God, He is God and
possessed of the identical essence which the Father and the Spirit
share. As a true human being, however, Jesus is the “precise
image”
(Greek character, χαρακτήρ) of that essence, and by this is
meant that our Lord's humanity is a perfect mirror or representation
of that divine essence (the Greek word character meaning the
exact stamp or impression of a minted coin, for example). Thus
Hebrews 1:3 teaches that between the divinity of Christ and the
humanity of Christ there is complete harmony and integrity with no
rift of personality whatsoever in the One undivided Person of Jesus
Christ despite the fact that He now possesses two natures, human and
divine. While somewhat technical, this description is nevertheless
important, since failures to accept various parts of this complex
truth have resulted in many deadly heresies, past and present (and
no doubt to come in the future as well).(21)
However, it does go without saying that this is a somewhat difficult
concept for mere human beings to grasp, since in truth we are
incapable of fully comprehending God's divine nature and what it
really means (let alone being able to understand except in general
terms the wonder of the combination of the two natures in the Person
of Christ).(22)
What we should at least appreciate at the very outset here, however,
is the marvelous truth that by wedding Himself to the human race in
such a personal and irrevocable manner, our Lord has given us the
clearest and most convincing proof that we are special to Him in
ways that we can scarcely begin to fathom. While the fact of Jesus' divinity, humanity, and uniqueness in combining
the two natures since the incarnation may be relatively easier to
understand now that He has been glorified (see for example the
description of Him as He appeared to John at Revelation 1:12-20), it
remains to discuss what scripture has to say about the manner in
which these two natures coexisted during His first advent. For
while from the resurrection forward there is no limitation,
compartmentalization, or separation of His divine and human nature,
it is the case that, during His first advent, our Lord had to suffer
in the same fashion as we do (and indeed far beyond, not only in
every other aspect of His earthly life but especially when He was
judged for our sins on the cross). This self-imposed limitation of
deity in respect to the support given to His humanity is known in
theology as kenosis,(23)
another Greek word taken this time from Paul's discussion in his
letter to the Philippians of the subject of our Lord's sacrificial
life:
(5) You too should have this attitude
which Christ Jesus had. (6) Since He already existed in the very
form of God, equality with God was [certainly] not something He
thought He had to grasp for. (7) Yet in spite of this [co-equal
divinity He already possessed], He deprived Himself of
His status and took on the form of a slave, [and was] born in the
likeness of men. (8) He humbled Himself, becoming obedient to the
point of death, even [His] death on [the] cross [for us all].
As can be seen from the preliminary discussion above, kenosis is
essentially a set of “ground rules” wherein Jesus voluntarily
refrained from using His deity to help His humanity during the first
advent in accordance with the Father's will (Jn.4:34; 5:30; 6:38).
1) The reason why Christ's kenosis was necessary:
Being perfectly just, God could not as God forgive the sins of
mankind unless they were appropriately paid for. And only a perfect
human being would be able to pay the price for sin and have that
payment be acceptable to God's perfect justice. Jesus is that
unique, perfect sacrifice, the “Lamb without spot or blemish”
(1Pet.1:19), a reference to the symbolism of the Old Testament
sacrifices wherein no animal with a defect was acceptable as an
offering to the Lord (e.g., Ex.29:1; Deut.17:1; Mal.1:6-14). In the
analogy, the perfect body of the animal represents the fact that
Jesus was a perfect and perfectly acceptable substitute for us,
qualified in every way to be our sin-bearer. Part of this
perfection rested in the fact that, unlike all of the rest of us, He
lacked a sin nature, and, unlike all of the rest of us, He never
committed a single personal sin (subjects about which we shall have
more to say below). But in addition to preserving the perfection of
His body, our Lord was also required to demonstrate and preserve the
perfection of His human spirit as well, and that required complete
integrity in the exercise of His human free will from the moment of
physical birth to the moment of physical death. There is a principle of leadership which proclaims that a commander
should never require more of his men than he himself would be
willing to do in their place. Never has this principle been carried
out more completely or more faithfully than in the case of our Lord
Jesus, “the Captain” of our salvation (Heb.2:10), who not only lived
a perfect life of selfless sacrifice far beyond anything we are
capable of imagining, but who even more amazingly died on the cross
for all of our sinful failures. But without kenosis, it
would have been impossible for our Lord's human free will to be put
to the extreme and honestly unimaginable tests He had to endure (all
of which He accepted and passed in perfect fashion). That is
because with the help of His deity they would not have been tests at
all. And without kenosis, it would have been impossible for
our Lord to die on the cross at all, because on the one hand He
would not have been able to die physically (since deity cannot die),
and because He could not have come into contact with our sins
in order to die for them on the other (since deity can have no
contact with sin). In short, without kenosis, there would
have been little point to the incarnation in the first place. In
order to be an acceptable substitute for us, our Lord would have to
do more than “merely” refrain from sin: He would have to exercise
His human free will in this world just as we do, but do so in an
absolutely perfect way; then, having done so throughout His life, He
would have to go to the cross for us, suffer and die for us, all from
that same, genuinely human free will. So while it is common in theological treatments of this sort to
concentrate on our Lord's sinless life, it was His perfect, daily
response to the Father in carrying out all the positive
actions that were required of Him that was arguably something which
required far greater effort than “merely” avoiding the negative
ones. This is unquestionably true when it comes the most difficult
exercise of free will any human being has ever dreamed of
attempting, namely, our Lord's obedient willingness to go to His
death for us on the cross, a sacrifice which Jesus had to agree to
undertake every step of the way, a decision which was challenged
every step of the way, and an incomparably blessed wonder that
cannot be compared to any other event in the history of the
universe. Indeed, our Lord's free will acceptance of God's judgment
for our sins is history, the cornerstone event upon
which everything else depends (whether or not we fully appreciate at
present the extent to which this is true). Simply put, our Lord
took on true humanity for a purpose, namely, to carry out the
Father's plan of salvation, and since the carrying out of that plan
was impossible without Jesus' humbling of Himself as the Servant of
God, kenosis, the temporary state of living in humiliation
without the glory He possessed from before the world was created
(Jn.10:30), was necessary for us to be saved (Is. 49:7; 52-53;
Lk.22:27; 2Cor.8:9; Phil.2:5-11).
“Just so the Son of Man did not come
to be served but to serve, even to give His life as a ransom in
behalf [of the lives] of many”.
For you know the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ, that although He was rich (i.e., divine), He made
Himself poor (i.e., human and under the restraints of kenosis),
in order that you might become rich (i.e., have eternal life)
through His impoverishment (i.e., humble life and death on the cross
for us all).
For what
the Law could not accomplish (i.e., solving the sin problem) because
it was weak on account of [its dependence on sinful human] flesh,
God [did accomplish]: having sent His own Son in the likeness of
sinful flesh and for the purpose of [expiating] sin, [God] rendered
summary judged on [all] sin in [Christ's] flesh.
(10) For it was fitting for [the
Father] to make complete through sufferings Him on whose account all
things exist and through whom all things exist, namely, the Captain
of their salvation, even Him who has led many sons to glory, [our
Lord Jesus Christ]. (11) For the One who sanctifies and those who
are sanctified belong to One [Father], and for this reason [Christ]
is not ashamed to call them His brothers, (12) as He says: I will proclaim Your name to My
brothers. In the midst of the assembly I shall praise you.
(13) and elsewhere, I [too] shall put My confidence in Him (i.e.,
the Father).
For we do not have a high-priest who
is unable to identify with our weaknesses, but One who was tested in
every way in a similar fashion [to us] – [but] without sin.
2) The role of Christ's divine nature during the period
of kenosis: In Matthew's account of Jesus' arrest, there
is a passage which reveals much about the nature of the voluntary
restriction by our Lord of the use of His deity. After Peter in his
misguided zeal struck with a sword one of those who had come to
arrest Jesus, Matthew tells us that our Lord said, “Do you assume
that I am not able to entreat my Father, and that He will not
immediately bring more than twelve legions of angels to my aid?”
(Matt.26:53). Though God in His own right, even in this extreme
situation our Lord demonstrates deference to the Father, maintaining
His attitude of humble obedience in the carrying out of the Father's
plan. Jesus did not actually make this hypothetical request (to
which He gives voice only for the benefit of Peter and the other
disciples), yet we see clearly from the emphatic nature of His words
that He was in absolutely no doubt that as God's Son, co-equal,
co-eternal, and consubstantial with the Father, the request would
certainly have been granted, had He decided to make it. Given our
perfect Lord's absolute surety about this amazing potential
deliverance, we can ascertain that the only thing standing between
Jesus' humanity and the full use of His deity on behalf of that
humanity was at all times during the first advent the righteous
exercise of His human free will alone responding to the plan and the
mission on which He had been sent. We may therefore further discern
that the “barrier” between the two natures which we are calling
kenosis was not something imposed “from above” by His deity.
Rather it was a conscious limitation undertaken by His humanity in
consonance with His deity, a fact which makes our Lord's successful
completion of His life without violating the restrictions of
kenosis all the more amazing (for which of us if possessed of
any remotely similar “power” could realistically be expected to
refrain from using it?). Jesus knew full well that He was God, yet
He did not “access” His divine nature on behalf of His human nature
in violation of the principle discussed above, for to do so would
essentially have invalidated the acceptability of His sacrifice on
our behalf. Therefore our Lord's humiliation for our sake involved
far more than perfect separation from sin or even perfect use of His
human free will in all the ways with which we are familiar: it also
involved perfect self-restraint in voluntarily refraining from using
His deity day by day, moment by moment, test by test. Seen from the point of view of His divine essence, kenosis means
that, until His glorification, by becoming human Jesus took on a
material existence and eschewed the use of His omnipotence in that
material humanity. By becoming human Jesus subjected Himself to
time and eschewed the use of His omniscience in that humanity. And
by becoming human Jesus limited Himself to finite space and eschewed
His omnipresence in that humanity. The cost to Him and the
difficulty of the human life thus undertaken can scarcely be
appropriately described, let alone even marginally appreciated.
Suffice it so say that Jesus' love for us knows no bounds. As to
what these limitations meant in the playing out of His thirty three
years on earth, we shall limit ourselves to two examples which are
instructive in demonstrating the boundaries within which this
restriction on the exercise of His deity operated.
In His
temptation in the desert, Satan dared our Lord to turn stones into
bread (Matt.4:3). Now Jesus was extremely hungry, having just
fasted for forty days (Matt.4:2). From the context, it would appear
that the fast and ordeal to which He had been led by the Spirit
(Matt.4:1) had ended or was on the point of ending. Furthermore,
eating is legitimate in any case, and would certainly be so and be
all the more necessary at the conclusion of a lengthy and difficult
fast of this sort. And Jesus could indeed have called upon His
deity to do what the devil suggested. We know from our Lord's words
and actions here, however, that to do so would have been wrong. For
He was clearly not authorized to use His deity to aid His humanity
even under these abnormally stressful and trying circumstances. In
all such instances, our Lord endured far beyond the point where you
or I would no doubt have given in. And He did so because “man does
not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the
mouth of God” (Matt.4:4). In other words, God the Father's will was
paramount to our Lord, and He never violated the restrictions which
He was charged to observe. Throughout His earthly life, He suffered
through this life in the same way in which we must do – save of
course for the fact that what He endured and suffered even before
the gauntlet that led up to the cross is beyond our ken, even
without figuring in the strain of knowing He was God and yet
refraining from making use of His divinity.
A second
incident illustrative of the boundaries imposed by kenosis is
found in Luke 4:16-30, the story of His rejection at the hands of
his countrymen in Nazareth. After our Lord upbraided them for their
unbelief (Lk.4:23-27), they became enraged and dragged Him off to
the cliff upon which the town was built in order to throw Him down
to His death (Lk.4:29). But Jesus “passed through the midst of them
and went His way” (Lk.4:30). This certainly implies the use of
supernatural power, and the distinction between this situation and
that of Matthew chapter four could not be more clear. In the first
instance, Jesus would have been making His own lot easier when it
was not absolutely necessary. But in this case, had our Lord
allowed the crowd to throw Him down the cliff, the prophecies of the
manner of the Messiah's death would be negated – as would our
eternal salvation.
We see
then this basic principle at work throughout the first advent,
namely, of our Lord using the power and gifts given to Him only in
accordance with the Father's will in order to advance the Father's
plan of salvation (for example, all of His miracles, healing, and
raising of the dead in fulfillment of the scriptures), but
refraining from the use of His divinity in any way
whatsoever when it came to the possibility of relieving His own
inconvenience, need, fatigue, toil or suffering – all the way to and
through the ultimate suffering of the crucifixion and His death in
the darkness on the cross for us all. Thus our Lord is permitted to
turn wine into water for the benefit of others and a sign to His
disciples, but not to turn stones into bread for His own benefit.
He may walk on the water as a sign to others and in the furtherance
of the Father's plan (delayed by necessary work and prayer, and now
catching up to the disciples), but He still walks. He can
overturn the incredibly heavy tables in the temple with superhuman
strength to fulfill the prophecies, but He offers no defense
whatsoever to those who come to arrest Him in Gethsemane. He can
disappear through crowds to maintain His life to be sacrificed at
the proper time, but He does not seek to avoid the cross.
3) Kenosis and the cross: Our Lord
Jesus Christ “came into the world to save sinners” (1Tim.1:15), and
this overarching purpose of saving us by His death for us on the
cross constituted the single most important act of His human free
will in response to the Father's divine will.
(5) Therefore as [Jesus Christ] was
coming into the world (i.e., at His birth) He said, “You [Father]
did not desire sacrifice or offering, but you have prepared a body
for Me. (6) In
burnt offering and sin offerings You took no pleasure”. (7) At that
time (i.e., His birth) He [Jesus Christ in His deity] said, “Behold,
I have arrived (i.e., been born) – in the scroll of a book it is
written of Me – to do your will, O God”. (8) Above when He speaks
of, “sacrifices and offerings” and [says] “burnt offering and sin
offerings You did not desire” – which are things offered through the
Law's prescription – (9) then He has stated, “Behold, I have arrived
to do your will”. He removes the first [covenant] in order to
establish the second. (10) It is by this [free] will
[act of Jesus in dying for our sins] that we have been
sanctified, through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ, once
and for all.
In Gethsemane, Jesus prays that the “cup of the cross” might be taken
away “if it be Thy will” (Matt.20:39; Mk.14:35-36;
Lk.21:41-42; Jn.12:27). Now our Lord knew very well what the
Father's will was, that it was in fact “for this very hour and
purpose” that He come into to the world at all (Jn.12:27; cf.
Jn.3:16). Therefore this prayer, far from being an indication of
any doubt or second thoughts on our Lord's part, was prayed and
recorded entirely for our benefit, that we
might understand on at least some superficial level what an immense
thing it was to anticipate and then follow through on the Father's
will to die for the sins of the world on the cross. Secondly, when He had accomplished our eternal redemption through His
blood, that is, through the bearing of our sins in the darkness on
the cross, our Lord said, “My God, My God, why did your forsake Me?”
(Ps.22:1). This is also most definitely not a
statement of confusion or discouragement – far from it! Our Lord
quoted Psalm 22:1 just before He gave up His human spirit for
our benefit, in order that we might know that
He of His own free will in His humanity had voluntarily given
Himself over to be forsaken and to be judged in the darkness for
our sins in order that we might have
eternal life. For our Lord knew very well why it was that He had to
be forsaken and judged by His loving Father: in order that we
might have eternal life. Therefore these two statements of our Lord's immediately before and
after His suffering for our sins, though often misunderstood, are in
reality clear and deliberate proclamations of the fact that Jesus
did what He did entirely of His own genuinely human free will in
perfect responsiveness to the will of His Father and ours in order
that we might be saved through His righteous act of sacrificing
Himself on our behalf. From this we can see that our Lord's human free will was precisely the
same as ours – except that He used it perfectly and in perfect
response to His Father's will. In terms of our subject of
kenosis here, then, we may say that in His humanity Jesus' will
was completely consistent with the will of His divine nature and
with the Father's will, but that in His humanity He had to make
these perfect decisions at every step along the way throughout His
perfect life. This completely correct decision-making on the part
of His humanity is often termed “impeccability” (lit., “an inability
to sin”). However, that particular terms suffers from two flaws:
1) emphasizing the negative (i.e., not sinning) rather the much more
important positive (i.e., the necessity to keep doing all that was
required, moment by moment, day by day, no matter how difficult –
and in light of the difficulty of going to the cross, this makes the
avoidance of sin pale by comparison), and 2) the false implication
that our Lord was unable to make bad decisions had He chosen to do
so: while it is certainly true that our Lord's success was never in
doubt because of who He is, it is nevertheless a mistake to suggest
that His human free will was different from ours in any way, or that
His perfect record of good decisions from that human free will was
not difficult in the extreme. Indeed, it is precisely because His
humanity was genuine in every way that His suffering was likewise
entirely genuine, and it is precisely because He was tested and
tempted just as we are that He can sympathize with us perfectly as
someone who has actually gone through the very crucible we are now
negotiating (yet without sin, and to a degree beyond what we can even imagine,
culminating in the cross):
He humbled Himself, becoming
obedient to the point of death, even [His] death on [the]
cross [for us all].
(8b) For
in subordinating the world to him, He left nothing that was not
subordinate to him. However, we do not now yet see the world in
subordination to him. (9) But
now we do see Jesus crowned with glory and honor on account of the
death He suffered, even He who became “a little lower than the
angels” for a brief span so that by the grace of God He might
taste death on behalf of us all. (10) For it was fitting
for [the Father] to make complete through sufferings Him on whose
account all things exist and through whom all things exist, namely,
the Captain of their salvation, even Him who has led many sons to
glory, [our Lord Jesus Christ].
For we do not have a high-priest who
is unable to identify with our weaknesses, but One who was
tested in every way in a similar fashion [to us] – [but]
without sin.
1) The nature of the incarnation: Our Lord's
taking upon Himself of true humanity and thus becoming a genuine
human being as well as undiminished deity is often called “the incarnation”, a word based upon
the Latin caro / carnis meaning “flesh” (because Jesus came
into the world “in the flesh”). As we have already pointed out, our
Lord's irreversible wedding of Himself to our kind in this way, God
that He is, was in and of itself a stupendous event, especially when
one considers what that event necessarily entailed, namely, His
fulfilling of His mission and the Father's will by dying for our
sins. From the point of the incarnation onward, Jesus is both
God
and Man, the unique God-Man, undiminished deity and true humanity in
One perfect Person forever.
Scripture calls this time the “conjunction of the Ages” (Heb.9:26;
cf. Rom.5:6; Gal.4:4; 1Tim.2:6; Tit.1:3; Heb.1:1-2; 1Pet.1:20), and
so it is, for Jesus' physical birth marks the postponement of the
Jewish Age (cf. Matt.11:12; Mk.1:15; Lk.12:49ff.), while His death,
resurrection and ascension to heaven signal the imminent
commencement of the Church Age (Acts 1:4-5; cf. Matt. 27:51;
Mk.7:27; Jn.2:4; 7:8; Heb.9:10).(24)
2) The conception of Jesus' physical body and the
fact of the virgin birth: Both Jesus' conception and His birth
were absolutely unique in the history of the world. While Adam and
Eve were made directly by God, Jesus is the only human being who has
or will ever be conceived by the agency of the Holy Spirit and born
of a virgin. Both of these facets of our Lord's incarnation need to
be considered in their own right, and it is significant that the
first prophecy to address the issue directly mentions both aspects
of our Lord's entrance into the world as a true human being:
Therefore the Lord will Himself give
you a sign. Behold, the virgin will conceive and will give birth to
a Son, and you shall call His Name “Immanuel” (i.e., “God is with
us”).
“Behold, the virgin will conceive and
will bear a Son, and they will call His Name ‘Immanuel', which is
translated ‘God is with us'”.
Now the birth of Jesus Christ
happened in this way. While His mother, Mary, was engaged to
Joseph, [and] before the two of them had come together [as man and
wife], she was found to be pregnant from the Holy Spirit.
“Joseph,
son of David, don't be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For that
which has been conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit”.
“The Holy
Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will
overshadow you. For this very reason that which is going to be born
[of you] will be called holy, [the] Son of God”.
And the Word became flesh and tented
among us. And we beheld His glory, a glory like that of a one and
only Son from [the] Father, full of grace and truth.
(6) For a child is born to us, and a
Son is given to us.
(9) For
You are the One who cut Me out of the womb. You are the One who
made Me trust in You on my mother's breasts. (10) I was cast upon
(i.e., made to rely upon) You from the womb (i.e., immediately after
birth). [Since the moment I came] from out of the womb You have
been my God.
Therefore
as [Jesus Christ] was coming into the world (i.e., at His birth) He
said, “You [Father] did not desire sacrifice or offering, but you
have prepared a body for Me”.
At that
time (i.e., His birth) He [Jesus Christ in His deity] said, “Behold,
I have arrived (i.e., been born) – in the scroll of a book it is
written of Me – to do your will, O God”.
(6) You have taken no pleasure in
sacrifices and offerings, [but instead] You have pierced My ears
(i.e., “given Me a body and marked Me as a voluntary Servant”; cf.
Ex.21:5-6; Deut.15:16-17). You have not asked for burnt offerings
or sin offerings. (7) [But] then I said, behold, I have come [into
the world (i.e., as the true sacrifice)]. In the scroll of the Book
it has been written about Me. (8) It is My good pleasure to do what
pleases You, My God. For your Law is in My inmost parts.
But when He brings back the Firstborn
into the world, He says, “And let all the angels of God worship Him!”
So just as through one man
sin came into the world and, through sin, death, and thus
(i.e., Adam physically passing on his sin nature resulting in
universal spiritual death) death spread to all mankind
– for [obviously] everyone sins, . . .
Thus, by being Virgin-born, Jesus did not receive the transmission
of a sin nature in the manner of the rest of Adam's progeny.
a) The birth of Christ Prophesied: We have
already seen (in section 5.d.1 above) that the historical birth of
Christ was prophesied extensively in the Old Testament.
Therefore the Lord will Himself give
you a sign. Behold, the virgin will conceive and will give birth to
a Son, and you shall call His Name “Immanuel” (i.e., “God is with
us”).
As to the census, the first two points that need to be clarified here
are that the universal census described in Luke 2:1-3 is not
the census of Quirinius, and, secondly, that Luke does not
in fact equate the two. That Quirinius, Roman governor of Syria
from ca. AD. 6 to 11, held a census in A.D. 6-7 is well established
(cf. Josephus, B.J. 2.118; 2.433; 7.253; A.J.
18.4-10; 18.23-25; 20.102).(33)
It is therefore unfortunate that English versions of the Bible
inevitably mis-translate Luke's Greek to make these two separate
censuses appear to be one and the same. Properly translated, Luke
2:2 states that “this was a census which occurred prior
to Quirinius' governorship of Syria”.(34)
It was important for Luke to point out the distinction between the
census that took place at Christ's birth and the one held later by
Quirinius. For, being seven years more recent and also more notable
on account of the armed resistance it engendered, Quirinius' census
would have been easily confused by his readers with the earlier one
he describes at 2:2 (a confusion which, ironically, modern
interpreters have almost universally failed to avoid in any case).
The Roman Empire was a triumph of bureaucratic organization as well
as military might. Not surprisingly, accurate census data
(especially as it related to taxation) was essential for its
administrative and financial operation.(35)
In his res gestae, the synopsis of his most prestigious
accomplishments, Augustus devotes considerable space to his work in
census matters (CIL v.3, in loc., para.8). Secular
historians have been (unreasonably, in my view) skeptical about
extrapolating a regular, empire-wide census from Augustus' remarks
cited above. Indeed, Augustus' census of Roman citizens in 9/8 B.C.
is paralleled by evidence for a census taking place in the Roman
province of Egypt at the same time.(36)
This Egyptian census cycle is known to us primarily from
papyrological records, and that fact is significant, for papyrus has
generally only survived from antiquity in places with extremely arid
climates (i.e., conditions which did not obtain in most of the rest
of the Empire). Mundane records such as official census returns are
not likely candidates for preservation in climates where heroic
efforts were historically necessary to safeguard important literary
texts. In other words, there is much we simply will never know,
because the documentation has not survived. But when we add to the
9/8 B.C. and 6/7 A.D. censuses the further fact of a 13/14 A.D.
census under Augustus and Tiberius, the pattern of a seven year
cycle emerges, and 2/1 B.C. is the only gap within this otherwise
repetitive cycle.(37)
Rather than a slap-dash approach, it seems more in keeping with his
penchant for careful organization that Augustus would have begun the
systematic application of Roman census procedures (cited in his
res gestae above) not just to certain provinces, but to all
territories under Roman sway, exactly as the biblical record
indicates:
And it came about in those days that
a decree went out from Augustus Caesar to conduct a census of the entire civilized world (i.e., the whole Roman empire).
c) The place of the birth of Christ: Our Lord's
nativity in Bethlehem fulfilled the prophecies about the coming Son
of David, offering tangible proof of His Messiahship from the
instant of His unique birth (cf. Is.9:1-2; Matt.2:23; 4:14-16;
28:7):
But you, O
Bethlehem Ephrathah, too small to be numbered among the clans of
Judah, from you I will bring forth the One who is to rule over
Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, even from the days of
eternity.
As we have
already seen, the genealogies in Matthew 1:1-17 and Luke 3:23-38
serve slightly different purposes, with Matthew's genealogy giving
Jesus' legal line (through His “step-father”, Joseph), and Luke
giving Jesus' blood line (traced from Mary all the way back to Adam
in order to demonstrate beyond any question Jesus' true humanity).
Both lines go back to David through the royal family of Israel,
making both Mary (Jesus' blood line) and Joseph (Jesus' line of
inheritance) regal in every respect. This also means that Mary and
Joseph were distantly related, though not nearly so closely as to
provide any grounds for objection. This detail was in fact
something that recommended the match since it kept any inheritance
within the clan (a not uncommon thing in arranged marriages before
and since). Moreover, since they were each of the line and lineage
of David, both Mary and Joseph would have had their “official
inheritance” in Bethlehem and its environs, a fact important both
for Jewish genealogical recording (especially in the royal and
priestly lines, cf. Ezra 2:62), and also for Roman administrative
purposes.(39)
As discussed above, Rome carried out a regular sequence of the
census in the provinces (every seven years – the one at Jesus' birth
being the first “world-wide” one, though they had been held in some
provinces before this), and in each such case there was first a
“year of enrollment” wherein each individual had to register his/her
property in his/her official place of residence. This, of course,
was a much more crucial thing in that day and age than it is today,
for citizenship and civil rights were tied to localities for
non-Roman citizens (so that this would be analogous today to U.S.
citizens having to return to their original home states every so
often to maintain their rights and pay their taxes). Although we do not know anything
specific about Mary's immediate family, it is well to note that the
Law required women who were heirs to the ancestral inheritance in
their own right for want of male siblings to marry within their
tribe and within their immediate clan (Num36:6–9). So it may very
well be that Mary as well as Joseph were each heirs to their own
ancestral inheritances, giving our Lord in this instance (as well as
other; cf. section I.3.a above) a “double portion” symbolic of His
unique humanity.
Furthermore, if Mary no less than Joseph had reason to register for
the census in Bethlehem, it would explain why Joseph felt it
necessary to take her along, even though her pregnancy was by that
time very far advanced. In any case, all of these events worked
together to bring about our Lord's birth in Bethlehem, the city of
David, according to the prophecies.
d) The timing of the birth of Christ: Scripture
is clear that Christ's coming into the world occurred at exactly the
right time, the precise time, in fact, that God had ordained since
before the world began. Indeed, God has constructed history's true
timetable entirely around Jesus Christ who is the pivot of God's
plan and the central Person of history when correctly understood
from the divine point of view.(40)
[Jesus,
whose coming was] foreordained before the creation of the world, but
who appeared [in the flesh] at the end of times because of us (i.e.,
for our salvation).
(1) God, from antiquity having
communicated to our fathers in the prophets at many times and in
many ways, (2) has in these last days communicated to us in a Son,
[the One] whom He has appointed heir of all things, [the One]
through whom He created the universe.
2. Jesus came at the “proper time”: Romans 5:6
3. Jesus came in the “fullness of time”: Galatians 4:4
4. Jesus came when “the times had reached their
fulfillment”: Ephesians 1:10
5. Jesus came at the very “conjunction of the ages”:
Hebrews 9:26
e) The events surrounding the birth of Christ:
The coming of the Messiah did
not occur with the fanfare with which His arrival was expected by
the religious community of that day. Instead of being announced to
the reputed leaders of Judaism, Jesus' coming was announced to
shepherds at night, as light shining out of darkness (Is.9:1-7;
Lk.1:78-79), and good news being preached to the lowly (Is.61:1;
Lk.1:52). Instead of being revealed to His countrymen, His coming
was made known to foreigners, believers who followed God's word
instead of the traditions of mere men (Matt.15:9; Mk.7:7), and who
used the things of this world to worship the Savior rather than
worshiping the things of this world (Matt.23:1-36). And instead of
returning in resplendent glory, Jesus came as a true, as yet
unglorified human being through physical birth (Heb.2:14-17;
4:14-16), coming into this world in order to die for us
(Heb.10:5-10).
1.
The
proclamation to the shepherds:
(8) Now
there were shepherds in that area who were camping out and keeping
watches through the night to tend their flock. (9) And an angel of
the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone all around
them [so that they] were very frightened. (10) And the angel said
to them, “Don't be afraid. For, behold, I proclaim good news to you
[of] a great [occasion for] joy which will belong to your entire
people. (11) Today there has been born for you a Savior. [Even He]
who is Messiah (i.e., Christ), Lord – in the city of David. (12)
And this will be your sign [that the One you find is truly Him]:
You will find a [newly] swaddled baby lying in a feeding trough”.
(13) And immediately there was with the angel a multitude of [the]
heavenly army [of elect angels], [all] praising God and saying, (14)
“Glory to God in the highest [heavens]! And [also] on [the] earth
[let there be] peace among men of [His] good pleasure (i.e., “men
with whom He is well pleased = believers)”. (15) And it came about
as the angels left them for heaven that the shepherds were talking
with each other. “Let's go over to Bethlehem and see this thing
that has happened which the Lord has made known to us”. (16) And
they hurried and went, and they found Mary and Joseph, and the baby
[who was] lying in a feeding trough. (17) And when they saw [these
things], they let [everyone] know about what had been told them
concerning this child. (18) And everyone who heard was amazed at
what was told them by the shepherds. (19) And Mary remembered these
words of theirs, [and was] meditating on them in her heart. (20)
And the shepherds returned [to their flocks], glorifying and
praising God for all the things they had heard and seen [which
turned out] exactly like it had been told to them.
2. The babe in the manger (Lk.2:4-20):
In the place where Joseph and Mary stayed in Bethlehem, there was no
crib in which to lay our newly born Lord. For this reason, they
used a feed trough instead, that is, a movable wooden tray deep
enough to hold animal feed, normally employed in a barn, but used
here in place of a normal crib. This was the “sign” to the
shepherds that the baby they found in Bethlehem was indeed the
Messiah – not the fact that He was “swaddled”, that is, bound up in
the wrap normally used to dress newborn infants in that day and age,
but the fact that He, the Lord of the world, the One who created
everything and who holds everything together by His powerful Word,
was to be found lying in something so far from elegant that it was
worthy of note and comment. This sign was a clear indication of the
kenosis or humbling which coming into this world, becoming a
true, unglorified human being, and taking on the form of a servant
would entail for the Son of God. It was symbolic and representative
of the human life He would lead: not a life of privilege, luxury,
and appreciation for who He was and what He was about to do for all
mankind, but instead a life characterized by humility, by privation,
and by experience of the most outrageous ingratitude. Given the many popular misconceptions about this particular aspect of
our Lord's birth, a few further words of explanation are in order
here. The notion that Jesus was born in a barn and that this is
where Joseph and Mary had to stay because “there were no rooms at
the inn” is, while very popular today, entirely based upon a
misunderstanding of what the original text means in Greek as the
following translations demonstrate:
And [Mary] gave birth to her Son, her
first born, and she wrapped Him up, and she lay Him down in a
feed-trough (Greek phatne, φάτνη), because they did not have
a[other suitable] place [to put Him] at the inn.
And the [shepherds] hastened to come,
and they found Mary and Joseph and the baby [Jesus] who (singular)
was lying in the feed trough (i.e., the one explained in Lk.2:7 –
this is the sign they were looking for).
3.
Jesus' dedication and presentation in the temple
(Lk.2:21-38):
Our Lord
was circumcised on the eighth day after His birth in keeping with
the sign of the covenant given to Abraham (Lk.2:21; cf. Gen.17;
Ex.12:3; Jn.7:22; Acts 7:8; Gal.3:17), and given the name Jesus in
accord with the directions of the angel to Joseph and to Mary
individually (cf. Matt.1:21; 1:25; Lk.1:31). After the forty days
of separation and purification mandated for women upon the birth of
a first born son were completed (Lk.2:22; cf. Lev.12:1-4), the
family made the short journey from Bethlehem to Jerusalem in order
to present the required sin offering for Mary (Lev.12:6-8; cf.
Lev.5:7; 5:11), as well as to present Jesus in the temple in order
to consecrate Him to the Lord (Lk.2:23; cf. Ex.13:2; Num.3:13;
8:17), without doubt also paying the redemption price required of
all first born males, “five shekels of silver” (Ex.13:11-15; 34:20;
Num.3:13; 3:44-48; 18:14-16).(42)
Joseph and Mary fulfilled all of these details carefully, and given
this scrupulous approach, we can certainly conclude from the fact
that the sin offering they provided for Mary was the inexpensive
alternative to a lamb, namely, “a pair of doves or two young
pigeons” (Lk.2:23), that 1) they were not of people of great means,
and 2) the Magi had not yet come and presented Jesus with their
gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. As it would turn out, these
gifts would be very needful to support the family during their
flight to Egypt.
Finally,
the presentation of our Lord in the temple also provided an
opportunity for two further witnesses to His Messiahship in the
words of Simeon (Lk.2:29-32, also known as the nunc dimittis),
who had been told by the Holy Spirit that he would not die until he
had seen the Christ (Lk.2:26; cf. Lk.2:30: “my eyes have [now] seen
Your salvation”), and in the words of the prophetess Anna, which,
while not recorded verbatim, were directed to all those who were
“looking forward to the redemption of Israel”, a feat that only the
Messiah could accomplish (Lk.2:38).
4. The star and the Magi (Matt.2:1-18):
Following
our Lord's presentation in the temple, Joseph and Mary, along with
our Lord Jesus, returned to “their city” of Nazareth (Lk.2:39).
Then, though we are not told specifically why, the family returned
again to Bethlehem shortly thereafter. They may have received
divine direction to do so, or they may have concluded on their own
that the city of David, the ancestral town of both Mary and Joseph,
was the proper place for the Messiah to be raised. In any case, the
hypothesis that their brief return to Nazareth after Jesus'
presentation in the temple was for the purpose of closing down their
household there and collecting up their possessions for the move has
much to recommend it: in Matthew 2:11, the Magi find them in a
“house” rather than in an “inn”, and we may glean from this that the
family had secured what they may have hoped would be a permanent
residence in Bethlehem after traveling south this second time (also
implied by Joseph's first inclination to take up residence in Judea
rather than in Nazareth after the return from Egypt, a fact that
suggests that he had intended to return to the new household already
in place in Bethlehem).(43)
It was at this time that the Magi arrived, following the star which
portended the birth of the Messiah, the Light of the world.(44)
(78) Because of the compassionate mercies
of our God, through which the rising [Light] from on high will visit us, (79) to shine upon those
in darkness and dwelling in the shadow of death, to make straight
[paths for] our feet in the way of peace.
(6) I, the
Lord, have called You in righteousness, and shall take You by the
hand, and guard You, and appoint You a covenant for the nations and
a Light for the gentiles, (7) to open the eyes of the blind, to
bring forth the prisoner from the dungeon, and those who dwell in
darkness from their place of captivity (i.e., physical and spiritual
redemption).
In Him was
life, and this life was the light of men. And this light is shining
in the darkness, and the darkness has not quenched it.
For God
who said, “Let light shine forth from the darkness!”, is He who has
shone forth [His light] into our hearts to illuminate our knowledge
of God's glory in the Person of Jesus Christ.
The true
Light which illuminates every human being was coming into the world.
He came to
His own, but His own did not receive Him.
This is
the [basis for] judgment, that the light came into the world, and
that men loved darkness rather than light.
God guides them on their journey (Matt.2:1-2; 2:9-10; 2:12). They bestow extremely expensive gifts on the Messiah
(Matt.2:11). They “worship” Jesus when they find Him in Bethlehem
(Matt.2:3; 2:11). They respond obediently to the dream given by God which
warned them not to return to Herod (Matt.2:12).
The status
of the wise men as believers may also be seen from the means by
which they knew to come and had been motivated to come at all,
namely, through the diligent searching of the scriptures:
[The wise
men] were saying, “Where is the One who has been born King of
the
Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship
Him”.
For a Star
will march forth from Jacob, and a [Ruler's] scepter [will arise]
from Israel.
As to the
star itself, it is wrong to think of this object as a “star” in the
sense that modern astronomy defines stars, or even as an asteroid or
a comet. The description of this luminous object's behavior in
Matthew makes it very clear that it is not to be identified with any
such phenomenon and that we will search in vain for any secular
evidence of its appearance, ancient or modern. This particular
“star” has as its purpose not only the fulfillment of the prophecy
in Numbers 24:17 (quoted above) heralding the advent of the Messiah,
but also the directing of the Magi to Bethlehem. For this
particular “star” actually guides the wise men to the place of
Christ's birth – indeed it directs them to the very house in which
He and Mary and Joseph were staying (Matt.2:9-10). The star
appeared at Christ's birth, fulfilled the prophecy, brought the Magi
to Judea, and led them to Jesus – and then apparently disappeared,
its purpose having been accomplished.(46)
This was entirely a supernatural event, foreordained and
meticulously directed by God, not a predictable or otherwise
recognizable astronomical event of the sort that can either be
explained or rationalized by science. This was a miracle of the
highest order.
5.
The flight to Egypt and the second return to
Nazareth:
Divine
intervention in the form of another angelic warning (Matt.2:13-15)
prompted the family's rapid departure from their new home in
Bethlehem to seek refuge in a part of the empire not under Herod's
control, namely, Egypt (a Roman province at this time). The fact
that Joseph who had received the dream obeyed that very night is
ample evidence of his responsiveness to the Lord. Such rapidity of
response would be difficult for most if not all of us, having just
made several long, overland round trips under what were no doubt
very difficult circumstances, with Mary pregnant on the first leg, a
very young child in tow on the second, and loaded down with all of
the household possessions they could carry on the third. Having
just now settled in to a new home after all of that, it would
certainly be understandable if Joseph had been tempted to delay a
few days, at least to get organized for the trip and to make
arrangements for his new home during his absence – but he fled with
his family that very night in complete and humble obedience to the
Lord. From this and from Joseph's earlier considerate treatment of
Mary we may glean that our Lord Jesus was given two exceptionally
God-fearing and spiritually mature individuals to rear Him.
Herod's
command to destroy all of the male in Bethlehem who were “two years
old and under” (Matt.2:16) is a further indication that the visit of
the Magi did not occur immediately after Jesus' birth as the visit
of the shepherds had. For it was certainly Herod's understanding
after his conversation with them that the initial appearance of the
star had occurred at some time in the past, thus necessitating the
murder of many young boys who were clearly not newborns.(47)
Wherever specifically in the east the Magi had come from, it is
virtually certain that their journey and their preparations for it
must have taken many months at least.
Following
Herod's death, Joseph was once again told in a dream by an angel of
the Lord to return to “the land of Israel”. According to his by now
familiar pattern of obedience, he did so, intending to take up
residence now at last in the family's new homestead in Bethlehem of
Judea (Matt.2:22). En route, however, he discovered that Herod's
son Archelaus was the new ruler in Judea (not at all a certainty
before the fact as the popular expectation may well have been that
the Romans would dispense with the Herodian dynasty entirely after
Herod's demise).(48)
As a result, Joseph apparently decided on his own that it would be
more prudent to head for Nazareth instead, and this spiritually
laudable decision was graciously confirmed for him by a third dream
(Matt.2:19-23), thus relieving him of any nagging feelings that
abandoning the little they now had out of reach in Bethlehem might
have been a mistake. Nazareth thus becomes the place where Jesus
grows up (cf. Jn.2:1). And herein we also see the fulfillment of
the prophecy in Isaiah about light coming out of the darkness (i.e.,
the secular north country: Is.9:1-2 – completed with the beginning
and the end of Jesus' earthly ministry: cf. Matt.4:14-16; 28:7), as
well as the prophecy of Jesus being a “Nazarene” (Matt.2:23).(49)
The people
who were walking in darkness have seen a Great Light. [And for]
those dwelling in a land of the shadow of death, a Light has shone
upon them.
The only gospel
that even deals with our Lord's life before the time when He was on
the point of commencing His ministry at about age thirty is the
gospel of Luke, and even here we have only the account of His
Passover in Jerusalem at the age of twelve, framed with two general
statements which characterize His formative years on the one hand
and His years of further preparation on the other. This fact alone
should impress upon us the burden our Lord took on for us. For
though He is both God and man from the point of virgin birth, the
Savior of the world, yet for thirty years He walked through this
world in complete obscurity and anonymity, preparing for the
ministry of ministries which would end in His sacrifice of Himself
for the sins of that world.
(40) And the child grew up and was
being strengthened [by being] filled up with wisdom, and the grace
of God was upon Him. (41) And His parents went every year to
Jerusalem at the feast of the Passover. (42) And when He was twelve
years old, they went up according to the custom of the feast, (43)
but when they had completed their days [there] and as they were
returning, Jesus, their young son, remained behind in Jerusalem, and
His parents did not realize it. (44) But since they assumed that He
was in the traveling party, they went a day's journey before they
began to search for Him among their relatives and acquaintances.
(45) When they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem to look
for Him. (46) After three days, they found Him in the temple,
sitting in the midst of the teachers both listening to them and
asking them questions. (47) And all who heard Him were amazed at
His insight and His replies. (48) And when His parents saw Him,
they were astounded, and His mother said to Him, “Child, why have
you treated us this way? Look, your father and I have been
searching for you anxiously!” (49) And He said to them, “Why were
you looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My
Father's things?” (50) And they did not understand this statement
which He spoke to them. (51) And He went down with them and came to
Nazareth and was obedient to them. And His mother was pondering all
these things in her heart. (52) And Jesus [continued to] make
progress in His wisdom and His stature and in grace with God and
with men.
For you know the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became
poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.
It is also of
great significance that our Lord, whose understanding of the Word
was clearly light-years ahead of the most exalted scholars in
Jerusalem by the time He was only twelve years old, still had to
undergo a further 18 years of preparation before beginning His
ministry of ministries. Such was the importance of the task He
faced, such the magnitude of the degree of preparation necessary to
successfully negotiate the crucible ahead. As discussed
above, scripture makes it very clear that in His humanity Jesus was
not exempted from any of the normal trials, temptations, or
obligations that confront us all (cf. Is.52:13 - 53:12; 2Cor.8:9;
Phil.2:5-8; Heb.2:5-18; 4:15; 5:7-10). Without question this means
that in that aspect of human life which is indeed the most important
(though the least appreciated as such by humanity in generally),
namely, spiritual growth, spiritually maturity and the deep and in His
case perfect understanding of all the wisdom and counsel of God
revealed to man was not offered up to our Lord on a silver platter.
He had to learn truth and grow spiritually just as we do, only He
actually did so in a perfect way and to a perfect degree. Spiritual
growth is a process of seeking, learning, believing, and applying
the truth of God's Word (in deliberate thinking, speaking, and
active behavior), and it is a measure of just what it would take to
emulate our Lord's accomplishment of becoming perfectly spiritual
mature, having attained an absolutely complete and flawless
understanding of the entire revealed truth of scripture, that it
took Him nearly thirty years to do so (including the preparation
necessary for His ministry, on which see below). For our Lord never
involved Himself in any sinful waste of time. More to the point, He
was thoroughly dedicated to the purpose for which He had come, for
which He had been sent into the world, and love for the Father ruled
His every thought and action. Accomplishment of the essential
personal preparation of attaining complete spiritual maturity was
thus for Him “job one”, and a task moreover that had to be completed
by just the right time. Our Lord Jesus Christ did not have a minute
to lose or a moment to spare, and He set Himself to the task of
growing up spiritually from His earliest days, having gained a
measure of insight few of us could ever hope to achieve by the time
He was only twelve years old. That some eighteen additional years
of concentrated “graduate study” were required before He would
commence the most sublime ministration of God to man only goes to
show how difficult in truth those final three and a half years were
for Him (whether we fully appreciate that fact or not). So it is a fair
and indeed an important question to ask, “just how did
Jesus grow?”, especially since it is clear that His level of
spiritual maturity at age twelve surpassed that of most if not all
believers who have ever lived. The principle of kenosis (see
section I.5.e above) means that He did not have any sort of “unfair
advantage” but had to grow up spiritually in precisely the same way
as we all do. What advantages He did have as the Son of God, devoid
of a sin nature and empowered to an unlimited degree by the Spirit
from the moment of His birth, and as a prophet in His own right,
were more than balanced by the extraordinary satanic opposition He
faced throughout His earthly life, and the incredible difficulty of
the mission on which He had been sent for the salvation of us all.
For it was His challenge not only to grow up spiritually in a
perfect way while living a perfect and sinless life of complete
dedication to the Father, but also to conduct the perfect pre-cross
ministry, run the most horrific gauntlet of opposition to get to the
cross, and then bear the sins of the world while hanging there in
the darkness between heaven and earth. It was
prophesied about John the baptist, Jesus' herald, that he would be
“filled with the Holy Spirit from out of his mother's womb” (i.e.,
from the moment of life at birth; Lk.1:15). And we may be sure that
this was the case for the Messiah he heralded as well (Mic.3:8; cf.
Matt.3:11; 3:16; 4:1; 12:28; 12:31-32; Mk.1:8-12; 3:29; Lk.3:16;
3:22; 4:1; 4:14; 4:18; 11:13; 12:10; Jn.1:32-33; 7:39; 14:26; 15:26;
16:15).
(2) And the Spirit of the Lord will
rest upon Him (i.e., the Messiah), the Spirit of wisdom and
understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of
knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
(17) This was to fulfill what was
spoken through the prophet Isaiah: (18) “Here is my servant whom I
have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit
on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations.”
(34) For the One God sent speaks the
words of God. For the Father does not give [Him] the Spirit in a
sparing way. (35) He loves the Son and has given everything into
His hand.
And I saw in the midst of the throne
and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, a
Lamb standing [there, looking] as if He had been slain, with seven
horns and seven eyes (which are the seven spirits of God sent out
into the entire earth).
The passages in
Luke commenting upon His childhood both make reference to the
mechanics of the process of Jesus' Spirit-empowered spiritual
growth. Luke 2:40 tells us that He “grew and was strengthened
by being filled up with wisdom”, demonstrating
perspicuously the fundamental principle of spiritual growth:
learning, believing, and applying the truth of the Word of God (true
wisdom). Luke 2:52 further states that Jesus grew “in wisdom”
and (consequently) in “grace/favor with God and men”, showing us the
result of this consistent process of spiritual growth: God's
legitimate pleasure in those who respond to Him. For while God's
grace is astounding and truly unlimited, it is clear from this and
other passages that it is possible to “grow” in that grace, to
experience an increase in grace (Jas.4:6; 2Pet.3:18; cf. Acts 6:8;
Rom.1:7; 1Cor.1:3; 16:23; 2Cor.1:2; 9:8; 9:14; 13:14; Gal.1:3; 5:4;
Eph.1:2; 4:7; 6:24; Phil.1:2; 4:23; Col.1:2; 4:18; 1Thes.1:1;
2Thes.1:2; 1Tim.1:2; 1:14; 6:21; 2Tim.1:2; 2:1; 4:22; Tit.1:4; 3:15;
Philem.1:3; Heb.4:16; 12:15; 13:25; 1Pet.1:2; 5:5; 2Pet.1:2;
2Jn.1:3; Rev.1:5; 22:21). And the means to the increase in God's
favor, God's pleasure with us, is shown here by example on the part
of the One who accomplished just such a “growth in grace” to a
degree never to be matched before or since. It is important to note
that God's favor is not manifest in terms of overwhelming material
prosperity in this instance (and if not in the case of the perfect
response of His own Son, then we too would be wise not to look for
God's favor in purely material terms). But one important result
seen here to flow from Jesus prodigious spiritual growth is that He
also grew in grace concomitantly with men
as well as with God: when we do what God wants us to do, we not
only gain favor in His eyes, but He also gives us favor in the eyes
of all with whom we have to do, even our enemies (Prov.16:7).
(1) Who has believed our report? And
to whom has the Arm of the Lord (i.e., the Messiah) been revealed?
(2) For He grew up before Him like a suckling plant, like a root
[springing up] from dry ground.
(4) The Lord God has given Me a
tongue of those who have been [fully] instructed [in the truth],
that I may know the right words [of truth] to encourage (lit.,
“re-string” them like an unstrung bow) the weary . He arouses His
Word [within Me]. [And] every morning He awakens Me. He awakens My
ear[s] to listen like [the ears of] those who have been [fully]
instructed [in the truth]. (5) The Lord God has opened My ear[s],
and I have not refused [instruction] (lit., “rebelled” against it).
I have not turned away [nor gone] backward.
Nor should we
imagine that Jesus' spiritual growth was limited to
this important daily regimen, for we know that He spent much
additional time in prayer, fasting and scripture reading. And not
only that, of all who have ever lived, we may be assured that our
Lord perfected the technique of “walking with God” better than
anyone else (Enoch, Gen.5:22-23, included). This day by day, moment
by moment “Sabbath” depended upon a deep and in Jesus' case
undoubtedly perfect knowledge of the scriptures as they existed in
His day (i.e., the entire Old Testament canon). We know, for
example, that when He was tempted by Satan, He replied to all three
of the devil's ploys with precise and precisely appropriate quotes
from the book of Deuteronomy (cf. Matt.4:1-11; Lk.4:1-13).
Blessed is the man who does not walk
in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the way of sinners, nor
sit in the seat of mockers. But the teaching (Torah) of the
Lord is his delight, and in His teaching (Torah) he meditates day and
night.
I have kept the Lord always before
me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be moved.
beth
9 How can a
young man keep his way pure?
By living
according to your word.
10 I seek
you with all my heart;
do not
let me stray from your commands.
11 I have
hidden your word in my heart
that I
might not sin against you.
12 Praise be
to you, O Lord;
teach me
your decrees.
13 With my
lips I recount
all the
laws that come from your mouth.
14 I rejoice
in following your statutes
as one
rejoices in great riches.
15 I
meditate on your precepts
and
consider your ways.
16 I delight
in your decrees;
I will
not neglect your word.
heth
57 You are
my portion, O Lord;
I have
promised to obey your words.
58 I have
sought your face with all my heart;
be
gracious to me according to your promise.
59 I have
considered my ways
and have
turned my steps to your statutes.
60 I will
hasten and not delay
to obey
your commands.
61 Though
the wicked bind me with ropes,
I will
not forget your law.
62 At
midnight I rise to give you thanks
for your
righteous laws.
63 I am a
friend to all who fear you,
to all
who follow your precepts.
64 The earth
is filled with your love, O Lord;
teach me
your decrees.
Psalm 119:9-16 & 57-64 (beth and
heth
stanzas) NIV
“My teaching is not My own, but
belongs to Him who sent Me.”
(4) You adulterously unfaithful
people! Don't you know that friendship with the world means
hostility toward God? Whoever wants to be a friend of the world
establishes himself as an enemy of God. (5) Or do you imagine that
the scripture says (i.e., paraphrasing Gal.5:16-21) to no purpose
that the Spirit which dwells in us sets its desire against [this
sort of selfish] envy (i.e., selfish ambition and jealousy of others
through wrongful concentration on the world as the essential sin in
context; cf. vv.1-3). (6) For He gives grace [which is] greater
[than these things you desire]. That is why it says, “God opposes
the arrogant, but gives grace to the humble”. (7) Therefore
subordinate yourselves to God. Resist the devil and he will flee
from you. (8) Get closer to God, and He will get closer to you.
Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and sanctify your hearts, you
double-minded. (9) Lament and grieve and mourn. Let your laughter
turn to grief, and your joy to humiliation. (10) Humble yourselves
before the Lord, and He will exalt you.
(13) But the angel said to him: “Do
not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife
Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name
John. (14) He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will
rejoice because of his birth, (15) for he will be great in the sight
of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and
he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth. (16) Many
of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God.
(17) And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of
Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the
disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a
people prepared for the Lord.”
2)
The Temptation in the Wilderness: Rather than preparation
per se, our Lord's forty day trial in the wilderness was more to
demonstrate that He was in fact completely prepared to take on the
ministry of ministries which, after increasingly intense opposition
in its own right, would lead through even more intense trials to the
cross where Jesus would bear the sins of the world. Of this we can
be sure: this was not the first time that Jesus Christ had been led
to spend extensive time in fasting and prayer apart from other
people. Isolation and fasting, while extremely difficult for most
of us to endure except for very limited periods of time, do have the
potential of opening a person up to God, His voice and His will –
when they are done for the right motives. There are many, and the
Pharisees constitute an excellent example (cf. Matt.6:16-18;
Lk.18:12), who engage in this sort of behavior totally apart from
God and in order to appear pious rather than to seek God in truth.
Our Lord, quite to the contrary, was led into the wilderness by God
the Holy Spirit (Matt.4:1; Mk.1:12; Lk.4:1), and we can be assured
that while we know of this event after the fact (through the
revelation by the same Spirit), none of His contemporaries had any
idea that this particular trial was taking place (just as was the
case in all of the no doubt extremely numerous trials He had
undergone in His nearly thirty years of preparation), so that His
motives were entirely pure: not the seeking of human admiration,
but the willingness to respond to the Father even under the most
trying and difficult circumstances. The forty days of this trial on
our Lord's part are, moreover, deliberately parallel to the forty
days spent by Moses (a biblical type of Christ)(50)
on Mt. Sinai during his receiving of the Law. On Moses' receiving
of the second set of tablets (on account of his breaking of the
first set in response to the people's rebelliousness in worshiping
the golden calf) he also is said to have fasted for forty days
(Ex.34:28; cf. Ex.24:18; Deut.9:9). In Moses case, we are not told
that he was hungry (as was the case with our Lord at the conclusion
of this time: Matt.4:2; Lk.4:2; cf. Matt.4:11; Mk.1:13), and the
context strongly suggests that Moses was supernaturally provided for
during this special time of communion with the Lord. Thus while
Moses does represent a foreshadowing of the Messiah's experience,
the critical point of comparison is not the period of the fast. For
Moses' experience looks forward to the time when we shall have no
need of food whatsoever in our eternal fellowship with Jesus, while
our Lord's forty day fast demonstrates the exceptional degree to
which He was prepared to suffer in order to carry out the Father's
will. Rather, the true, critical point of comparison is between the
commencement of Moses' ministry and that of Jesus' ministry, the
latter of which would inaugurate a New Covenant through Jesus'
suffering and dying for the sins of the world which would replace
the Old Covenant mediated by Moses (which could only foreshadow this
wonderful reality which was yet to come just as Moses as a type of
Christ could only represent the Messiah, but the Messiah Himself,
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, would have to come in the flesh in
order for salvation to be provided in fact). These forty days of
privation also serve to set the tone for the public ministry and
further life of our Savior, for He would know nothing but ever
increasing opposition and suffering from this point forward. Just
as the “scapegoat” which was released into the wilderness
symbolically bore the sins of the people (Lev.16:8-26), so our Lord
Jesus would “suffer outside the camp”, bearing the sins of the world
(Heb.13:11-12), and this forty day period of genuine physical
affliction (fasting and along with the extreme discomfort of
exposure to the elements, insects, wild animals [cf. Mk.1:13], and
the like without anything more than the clothes He wore) is symbolic
of and indeed looks forward by way of anticipation to His act of
supreme sacrifice, the bearing and expiating of the sins of the
world in the darkness of those final three hours on the cross (not
to mention the ostracism from traditional religious society that His
ministry would entail). The three
specific temptations attempted on our Lord by the devil have been
covered in detail before in respect to Satan's overall methodology.(51)
What concerns us here is the meaning and significance of the devil's
threefold attempt to throw our Lord off stride. What we should
notice first of all is that after forty days of such intense
privation, our Lord's responses were beyond all question reflective
of His true inner heart. Some of us might put up a bold front in
the face of such an intense and diabolical assault if well-rested,
well-fed and otherwise under no particular pressure. It is another
thing entirely to resist Satan's appeals when ill, or in danger, or
in trouble, or in want (as Job's experience shows us very well,
i.e., the case of a man as perfect and righteous as mortal man could
be, yet eventually worn down by pressure of a similarly unique
sort). In order to endure trials even approaching this extreme
type, the Word of God has to be so deeply ingrained in
a person's heart that instead of being a factor in the inner person
it dominates the entire inner life. This was certainly the case for
our Savior, who, when refined like gold in the crucible, merely
reflected the exquisite quality of what was truly inside. It is
also not to be overlooked that the specific form in which this
shining forth of the perfection of His inner-self flawlessly
developed from His youth came out as direct quotation of the
scriptures, a fact which should remind us of the critical importance
of the Bible in everything we do or aspire to do as Christians,
followers of Jesus Christ: the Word of God is our spiritual
life-blood just as it was for Him who is our Model in all things. As we have seen
in the past (see the references in the previous note), the three
temptations directed at our Lord by the devil, the temptation to put
self-will over God's will (stones to bread), to reverse roles with
God substituting our will for His (jump), and to put personal
ambition over God's authority (kingdoms of the world), are all met
by our Lord Jesus with Bible verses which expose the subtleties with
which Satan has attempted to cloud the issue in each case. In
regard to the first temptation, the context of our Lord's first
response, Deuteronomy 8:3, “not by
bread alone”, is that of the testing of Israel by the Lord in
the desert , who Himself had deliberately and for good
reason “made them hungry”, “to humble you and test you so as to know
what was in your hearts, whether or not you would obey His commands”
(Deut.8:2). This privation was followed – after they failed the
test – by the gracious and supernatural provision of manna. In
regard to the second temptation, the context of our Lord's second
response, Deuteronomy 6:16, “don't put the Lord your God to the
test”, is the comparison which completes the verse “like you did at
Massah” in the desert, the place where the people
tested God by demanding of His spokesman, Moses, that they be
provided water, and were on the point of stoning him, asking “Is the
Lord among us or not” (Ex.17:1-7). Thus the demand for water was a
“testing of God”, reversing roles with Him. For it is He who tests
us, not the other way around (cf. Ps.91, quoted by the devil, where
the true context is that of our Lord being our dwelling place; only
then will “He give His angels charge” to protect us, i.e., when we
are trusting Him rather than testing Him). In regard to the third
temptation, the context of our Lord's third response, Deuteronomy
6:13, “Him only shall you serve”, is that of the Lord being the One
who brought the people out of slavery into the desert.
He is not to be forgotten but remembered as the only One who can
truly give us anything of value. He is the One who prospers us if
we prosper at all (cf. 1Sam.2:7; Ps.75:7). There is also a level on
which all of these temptations were more severe in the case of our
Lord than they could ever be for us. For, being God as well as a
true man, Jesus really could turn stones into bread;
He really would have been rescued by the angels were
He to have jumped; and He really was entitled to the
rulership of the entire world. But in all these things, through
perfect understanding and flawless application of the truth of the
Word of God, He who is the Living Word acquiesced to the Father's
authority, the Father's will, and the Father's glory in carrying out
His plan for the 1st Advent in all things and in all ways
and at all times. Thus these three temptations serve to show as
well the categories of humility perfectly adhered to by our Lord
throughout His time here on earth prior to the cross and His
subsequent glorification. Israel had spent
40 years wandering in the desert, one year for every day their
scouts spent reconnoitering the promised land (Num.14:34). They
failed the test of trusting in God in the wilderness (repeatedly),
but our Lord Jesus Christ, though He must have been down to His very
last reserves of strength after forty days of fasting in this
hostile environment, demonstrated perspicuously what had been and
would continue to be His pattern of behavior until the very end,
namely, the complete degree to which He relied on the Father in all
things, from His necessary needs, to the confidence of His faith, to
the plan for His life. In each thing and in everything, He put the
truth first, and there was not a sliver of daylight between His
perfect understanding of that truth and His flawless execution of
it. These forty days and the testing by Satan which followed
demonstrated beyond any doubt that our Lord was more than ready to
put the Father's will in place of His own will during His ordeal in
the desert of this world with all the forces of evil arrayed against
Him, culminating in His death on the cross for all mankind. i.
The
Course of His Ministry: Short of a complete exegesis of the
four gospels, it is impossible in this context to do more than give
a short synopsis of the ministry of ministries undertaken and
successfully completed by our Lord Jesus. What we can say here is
that His teachings preserved in the gospels are consistent with,
reflective of, and reflected by all of the truth found elsewhere in
scripture whether in the Old Testament or in the New. Further, His
miracles demonstrate His status and His authority as the Messiah,
the Son of God. Lastly, His deeds over the course of His ministry
reveal the love, the sacrifice, and the commitment of the One
willing to be sent into this corrupt world in order to do the
Father's will for the good of us all, an incomparable task wherein
He died to save us all from our sins. As to the
(possibly disappointing) brevity of this section, on the one hand,
the contents of the gospels are (or should be) well-known to all
Christians, while on the other hand many if not most of the
incidents, parables, and discourses of our Lord require detailed
exegesis in their own right (so that a brief consideration of them
here would be of little value). We shall thus have to content
ourselves with an overview of some of the major issues of Jesus'
three and half year ministry before moving on to His “passion” (that
is, the gauntlet He had to run to get to the cross), the crucifixion
itself, and the events which followed. 1)
Obstacles to Jesus' Ministry: Apart from the thirty years of
struggle necessary to prepare for it and the forsaking of any sort
of normal life (we should not underestimate, for example, the
sacrifice of refraining from marriage and the hope of any physical
progeny), our Lord's pre-cross ministry entailed the constant
negotiation of a number of serious hurdles most of which are unique
to His experience (certainly in intensity if not altogether in
type). The list given here is not meant to be exhaustive – we can
only hope to have a dim idea of what Jesus endured by coming into
this world for us, living the perfect life, and ministering the
perfect ministry (let alone what He went through before and most
particularly on the cross as He bore our sins). a)
Physical Obstacles: Traveling all over the territories of
Galilee and Judea for three and a half years, all the while
ministering intensely in the teaching of the Word and the
demonstration of its power through healing and the performance of
other miracles involved a level of physical effort and exertion, and
of mental and emotional fatigue that cannot be easily comprehended
merely by reading the gospels in the comfort of one's easy chair.
No matter how much of the burden His disciples and supporters were
willing or able to bear, of necessity the lion's share of that
burden fell upon Jesus as the One doing the teaching, the healing,
and the managing of the ministry on every important level. The
loneliness and the pressure of command, the energy necessary to
teach and minister, and the effort required to keep a careful eye on
every facet of His ministry had to be wearing and wearying beyond
what any other person in the history of the world was capable of
enduring, and that is especially true when we add the caveat that
Jesus did it all perfectly at every point, on every occasion, day
after day, year after year, without the slightest slip or oversight
or mistake in planning, teaching or general execution.(52)
And at the same time, of course, our Lord had to prepare constantly
during ever spare moment for the concentrated teaching that was the
hallmark of His ministry. Thus, however difficult His early life of
preparation, Jesus' public ministry involved an exponential increase
in the level of difficulty. We catch a glimpse of the stress and
strain it entailed both physically and emotionally as Jesus calls
those years “My trials” (Lk.22:28), a characterization which does
much to explain the tremendous demands made upon Him during that
time, especially in terms of the [potentially and ultimately]
violent opposition He constantly encountered from the hostile
religious establishment (e.g., Matt.12:14; Mk.3:6; Lk.6:11; Jn.5:18;
7:1; 7:19; 7:30; 7:32; 7:44; 10:39; 11:53):
Since then we too [like the believers
of chapter 11] have such a large audience of witnesses surrounding
us [both men and angels], let us put off every hindrance –
especially whatever sins habitually affect us – and run with
endurance the race set before us, turning our gaze unto Jesus, the
originator and completer of our faith, who, for the joy set before
Him, endured the shame of the cross, treating it with despite, and
took His seat at the right hand of the throne of God. Keep in
mind all the terrible opposition He endured against Himself at the
hands of sinful men, so as not to grow sick at heart and
give up.
The pressure of dealing with severe disrespect although being
the Son of God:
(1) Who has believed our report? And
to whom has the Arm of the Lord (i.e., the Messiah) been revealed?
(2) For He grew up before Him like a suckling plant, like a root
[springing up] from dry ground. He had no [particular] handsomeness
that we should take note of Him, no [obvious] charisma that we
should be taken with Him. (3) [On the contrary,] He was despised
and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with
suffering. Like a person people hide their faces from, He was
despised, and we did not hold Him of any account.
The pressure of coping with poor response to His ministry:
(60) On hearing it, many of his
disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?” (61)
Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to
them, “Does this offend you? (62) What if you see the Son of Man
ascend to where he was before! (63) The Spirit gives life; the
flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit
and they are life. (64) Yet there are some of you who do not
believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did
not believe and who would betray him. (65) He went on to say, “This
is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has
enabled him.” (66) From this time many of his disciples turned back
and no longer followed him.
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, she who kills
the prophets and stones those sent to her. How many times I wanted
to gather your children together like a bird [gathers] her own
chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!”
(37) And having taken along Peter and
the two sons of Zebedee (i.e., James and John), He began to be
distressed and sorely troubled. (38) Then He said to them, “My
heart is filled with distress to the point of death.”
(49) I came to cast a fire upon the
earth, and how I wish that it were already kindled! (50) But I have
a baptism to undergo [first], and how I am pressed until it be
completed!
The challenge of self-restraint:
Then Jesus replied and said, “O you
unbelieving and perverse generation! How long must I be with you?
How long must I put up with you?”
(14) After the people saw the
miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say, “Surely this is
the Prophet who is to come into the world.” (15) Jesus, knowing
that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew
again to a mountain by himself.
(1) Behold my Servant –
I will support Him. My chosen One – my soul (i.e., heart) takes
pleasure in Him. I have placed my Spirit upon Him. He will bring
forth justice for the nations. (2) He will not cry out nor will He
lift up His voice in the street.
When the devil had finished all this
tempting, he left him until an opportune time.
a)
Organization and Logistics:
As hinted at above, our Lord
probably prepared for this ministry on the home-front on the one
hand by taking steps to ensure Mary's well-being, and on the other
the family business was no doubt set on a stable footing sufficient
for the following three and a half years. By way of contrast, our
Lord's “organization for combat” in personal terms is striking. For
it would seem that other than the sandals on His feet and the
clothes on His back, He had very little if anything to bring to this
ministry in a material way.(54)
Spiritually, however, He carried more precious possessions in His
heart than anyone before or since, for He had put the Word of God
first in His life at all times, and was now thoroughly prepared to
minister it in the unique and glorious way that scripture records,
becoming the Father's “Light to the world”, and revealing the one
true way of salvation. There is certainly a lesson for us in this,
for the world assumes that without significant (or even prodigious)
logistical support, most efforts of ministry ought not even be
attempted. Jesus put the objective first, and let His heavenly
Father and ours take care of the details. Of course it should go
without saying that, for such an approach to be successful, both an
extremely close walk with God (so that there is no doubt about what
His will really is), and a high level of personal spiritual maturity
are absolutely essential. This approach of
traveling extremely light demonstrates a level of reliance upon God
reminiscent of the Exodus when the children of Israel were commanded
to leave Egypt in haste, an event memorialized in the Passover
command to eat that meal “with your cloak tucked into your belt,
your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in
haste” (Ex.12:11 NIV); and this indeed is same the attitude of mind
that all followers of Jesus Christ ought to have, prepared to serve
and follow Him apart from worldly hindrances “with your feet shod in
the readiness [to serve] the gospel of peace” (Eph.6:15). It also
demonstrates that even with exceptional support from God, we are not
meant to ignore earthly realities entirely, as if they didn't exist
(i.e., even the payment of the temple tax required Peter to “work”
after a fashion, doing what he knew how to do best in fishing for
it: Matt.17:27).(55)
The disciples had a common purse (which Judas kept, Jn.12:6; and
which was used to buy necessities such as the requirements of the
Passover: Jn.13:29), indicating that the ministry was supported by
others (most of whom were apparently women: Lk.8:3; 10:38-40;
Jn.11), who generously gave of their resources. We have suggested
above that our Lord “saved up” for this ministry, and we probably
see an example of this in the colt provided for His triumphant entry
into Jerusalem on “Palm Sunday” (i.e., our Lord had no doubt
provided for this necessity ahead of time in order to fulfill the
prophecy of Zechariah 9:9; cf. Matt.21:1-7). Even the 70 who are
sent out with deliberately negligible resources (Matt.10:9; Mk.6:8;
Lk.10:4) are told to rely on the provision of those to whom they
will minister (a situation which would change rather dramatically
during apostolic times: cf. Lk.22:35-36). Thus we see in our Lord's
ministry the proper balance we are to maintain during our own walk
through this world: utilizing the means of this world without being
subject to them, and in all things putting complete faith in the One
who provides them, our heavenly Father. b)
Plan and Purposes: The very plan of God for us all, of
course, can be summed up in Jesus Christ. We exist for Him and He
cast His lot with us, becoming a human being and dying for our sins
on the cross. Therefore on the most important level, the purpose
for His ministry is as obvious as the plan behind it, namely, the
offering of the Savior of the world to the world in order to save
the world. But our Lord could have come in glory, and glory so
blinding that denying who and what He was and is would have been an
impossible feat for any mortal human being to accomplish. Instead,
like the parables with which He often taught, our Lord's personal
truth and glory was shielded to a very great degree, so great in
fact that although He was and is the Son of God, it was (and still
is) possible for human beings to ignore that fact and even to deny
it.(56) More
than that, the reality of Him, who He really is, is still masked
today behind the noise and fury of this present decaying world to
such an extent that only those who choose to seek for the truth of
Him find it, responding to invitations God has placed at every
turning point in our lives, but which are nonetheless very easy to
pass by without response if the heart is not willing. For this reason
during His earthly ministry, Jesus came not in power but in
weakness, not in wealth but in poverty, not in glory but in
humility. Clearly, His coming and His teaching were signs, truth
whispered in the ears of all like a still, small voice, leading
those willing to listen to eternal life, but allowing those who had
no wish to do so to disdain Him and His message entirely. It is
ever thus. Jesus could have come as the King, but He came as the
servant, and the reason, the purpose behind this critical part of
the plan of God, was to separate the wheat from the chaff, just as
is the case today. Human history, God's plan and purpose for the
human race, is all about choice, all about free will exercised in
faith, and, specifically, all about separating those who truly do
want God from those who in truth do not. From the standpoint of the
things which appeal to the world, our Lord and His ministry had
nothing to recommend them. He was not attractive in the way
celebrities usually are (Is.53:2). He did not use persuasive
arguments to win over the crowd (Lk.11:27), but instead told them
truths which His listeners often found difficult or impossible to
accept (Jn.6:60). He offered neither economic nor political nor
social solutions or relief (Lk.19:11; Jn.6:26). In short, to hear
Jesus Christ and follow Him required, demanded a very definite and
definitive choosing of the invisible kingdom of God over all other
earthly concerns. That has always been the choice that confronts
every human being, and never was it made more clear than during our
Lord's ministry. For on the one hand no one after seeing the
prophecies about Him fulfilled so completely, after seeing the
miracles He accomplished so dramatically, after hearing the words of
truth that poured forth from Him so penetratingly, could seriously
doubt that this was the Messiah, God's own Son. On the other hand,
the commitment He demanded, the sinfulness He exposed, and the
dismissal of worldly concerns He required ran against the grain of
everything the world taught to be true then as now. As no ministry
before or since, Jesus' earthly ministry, like the entire Word of
God, which Word He is, was a touchstone which immediately and
unswervingly proved the quality of every heart, separating the
silver from the dross, and making the choice of choices clear:
“Follow Me” (Jn.10:27; 12:26; 21:19; 21:22; cf. Matt.4:19; 8:22;
9:9; 10:38; 16:24; 19:21; Mk.1:17; 2:13; 8:34; 10:21; Lk.5:27; 9:23;
9:59; 14:27; 18:22; Jn.1:43; Rom.15:5; 1Cor.11:1; 1Pet.2:21;
Rev.14:4).
(34) Do not think that I have come to
hurl peace upon the earth. I have not come to hurl peace upon the
earth but a sword (of divisiveness). (35) For I have come to divide
. . . ‘a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother,
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. (36) A man's
enemies will be the members of his own household'. (37) Whoever
loves his father or mother above Me is not worthy of Me, and whoever
loves his son or daughter above Me is not worthy of Me. (38) And
whoever does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of
Me. (39) Whoever has found his life will lose it, and the one who
has lost his life for My sake will find it.
(11) He came to what was rightfully
His, but those who were His did not receive Him. (12) But as many
as accepted Him, to them He gave the power to become children of
God, [that is,] to those who put their faith in His Person, (13)
[even those] who were not [born] of blood, or fleshly desire, or
human will, but [who] were born of God (i.e., “born again”).
(25) “I am not insane, most excellent
Festus,” Paul replied. “What I am saying is true and reasonable.
(26) The king is familiar with these things, and I can speak freely
to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice,
because it was not done in a corner.”
(42) And when it was day, he departed
and went into a desert place: and the people sought him, and came
unto him, and stayed him, that he should not depart from them. (43)
But he said, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to
the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.” (44) And he
kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea.
The man of Gadarene possessed by the legion of demons
(Matt.8:28ff.; Mk.5:1ff.; Lk.8:26ff.), the only one in his area
willing to come to Christ (Matt.8:34; Mk.5:17; Lk.8:37).
The Syro-Phoenician woman whose daughter was demon-possessed,
to our knowledge the only person in her vicinity who responded to
our Lord (Matt.15:21-28; Mk.7:24-30).
The centurion whose faith exceeded that of anyone in Israel
(Matt.8:5-13; Lk.7:1-10). The village of Samaritans whose faith response put Jewish
towns to shame (compare Jn.4:4-42 with Matt.11:21-23). A few words also
need to be said about the specific procedures adopted by our Lord in
the conduct of His unique ministry. First, from the early days
(though not from the very start; compare Matt.4:12 with Matt.4:18-20
and Matt.9:9), He was attended by disciples. These came in at least
three groups: 1) the twelve selected by our Lord (Matt.4:18-22;
Mk.1:16-20; Lk.5:2-11; 6:12-16; Jn.1:35-42); 2) the seventy
selected by our Lord (Lk.10:1ff.); 3) other seriously committed
believers who were “called” to follow Him with some degree of
consistency and dedication (Matt.8:18-22; Lk.8:57-62; cf.
Matt.5:1). These last were not members of the official inner
circle, but are to be distinguished from the crowds who showed up to
hear Him and to benefit from His miracles on any given day. The
possession of a cadre of disciples was certainly not an
unprecedented thing for a prophet (cf. John: Matt.9:14; and Elijah:
2Kng.2), so that we should not be surprised to see them attending
the Prophet. However, while it is certainly true that
part of the reason for the selection of the two innermost groups had
to do with ministry as in the sending out of the 12 (Matt.10:1ff.)
and the 70 (Lk.10:1ff.), our Lord's choice of all of
these individuals was for their benefit and the later benefit of the
Church as a whole (rather than to provide administrative or
logistical support for Himself). Simply put, Peter, James, John and
the rest, named and unnamed, benefitted greatly from their close
association with our Lord (although less than they should have but
undoubtedly more than we would have), and through their constant
attendance upon Him, hearing His every word and observing His every
deed, were being prepared for the apostolic ministries they would in
a few short years shoulder themselves. For the Church is built upon
the Rock, Jesus Christ (Matt.16:18), and He personally trained the
twelve apostles and these other early “pillars” who, in company
with the Old Testament prophets, embraced the Cornerstone and
provided the rest of the foundation for the Church of
Jesus Christ.
(57)
(19) So then, you are no longer
strangers and hangers-on, but you are fellow citizens and fellow
members of the household of God, (20) established upon the
foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Himself the
cornerstone, (21) in whom the entire structure is in the
process of being riveted together and is growing into a holy temple
in the Lord, (22) in whom you too are being built up into a dwelling
place of God by the Spirit.
(15) [Jesus] taught in their
synagogues, and everyone praised him. (16) He went to Nazareth,
where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into
the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. (17)
The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it,
he found the place where it is written: (18) “The Spirit of the
Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the
poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and
recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, (19) to
proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.” (20) Then he rolled up the
scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of
everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, (21) and he began by
saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
d)
Actions Reactions: Because He was unwilling to compromise
the truth in any way – indeed, He is the Truth – it
was inevitable that our Lord's ministry was not going to produce a
reaction in those who had long ago rejected the truth for the sake
of their own positions, whether secular or religious (and often a
violent one at that, Ps.119:161 with Jn.15:25; Ps.35:19; 69:4; cf.
Is.52-53; Jn.8:59).
For our Lord's ministry of undiluted truth threatened those
comfortable positions by stripping away their patina of false
authority and exposing their hypocrisy on every hand. Challenged as
to their true motivations, shown up to be false and dissembling, it
was little wonder that, like all of the false prophets who had
preceded them, these “wicked husbandmen” would soon seek to destroy
the source of that challenge (Matt.21:33-41; Mk.12:1-9; Lk.20:9-16). For our Lord's
authority came from the Father, but the religious establishment of
His day had become so completely divorced from the truth that their
only authority was a pseudo-authority based entirely upon the
positions they held and the legalistic traditions they maintained,
traditions which obscured the spiritual realities which the Law was
intended to teach (cf. Matt.23:1-26). Our Lord cut straight to the
heart of this particular point when challenged as to His authority
by asking His accusers about their position on John the baptist's
ministry, thus forcing them to plead ignorance rather than admit the
truth: they were not at all concerned with God, only with their own
positions (Matt.21:25; Mk.11:30; Lk.20:4). In fact, to
anyone with a solid understanding of the scriptures based upon the
truth, our Lord's authority was plain to see. The miracles He did
substantiated that authority completely (cf. Jn.10:25-38), and
everything He taught is paralleled in and by the Old Testament
scriptures (e.g., compare Matt.5:5 with Zeph.3:12). It is worth
considering for a moment just how brilliant Our Lord's perfect
teaching was. He was kind while at the same time completely
straight-forward and honest. He always found finds a way to say
what was right yet without at the same time casting “pearls before
swine” (cf. Prov.23:9). He had a perfect way of piercing the heart
of every listener without making the issue unnecessarily personal
(or having others take it that way). As in the example of the
Matthew 21:23-37 passages referenced above, our Lords words always
cut right to the quick, and in just a few words, Jesus
was ever able to unveil people's true motivations. This was true
because in everything He said, He always kept to the main issue at
hand, namely, of the need for turning to God and following Him
(through following the One He had sent). In facing the Person of
Jesus Christ come in the flesh and in hearing His perfect words
supported by undeniable miracles, all of His contemporaries were
made to face the issue of life and death with crystal clarity, for
He made that choice unmistakably clear in each and every case
without any possibility of an honest mistake. This perfect standard
of teaching required complete honesty on the part of the
Practitioner (and does much to explain why His simple words are so
much more powerful and so indescribably different than those of
anyone else). To accomplish this perfect presentation of the truth
of the Word required a complete rejection of flattery or any
personal agenda (Matt.22:15-22; Lk.11:27; Jn.6:15); it allowed for
no bitterness or for hurt feelings even when these were warranted
through foolish rejection of the truth and self-serving invective,
slander and mis-characterization of what our Lord was doing for us
all and was about to do on the cross. It required a complete
rejection of and mastery over the sorts of temptations to which the
rest of us would inevitably fall prey, desire for personal honor and
glory, desire for positive responses and the avoidance of negative
ones, and the urge to retaliate when wronged, slandered and bitterly
opposed (especially galling in His case since there was not a trace
of legitimacy to support anything but humble appreciation and awe).
Jesus had infinitely more claim to a worshipful response from
everyone than anyone else before or since, and yet He had to
repudiate His natural feelings when this was not forthcoming and
persevere in a completely professional way despite such
unprecedented “opposition by sinners against Himself” (Heb.12:3).
Our Lord's unique ministry required, in the face of the unique
reactions it engendered, perfect humility, wisdom, and self-control
in order to deliver what He did, the absolute truth about the
righteousness of God and how to attain it through faith in Himself. e)
Form and Content of Jesus' Teaching: Jesus is the Logos, the
living Word of God in Person (Jn.1:1-14). Further, the content of
God's truth is called in scripture “the mind of Christ” (ministered
by the Holy Spirit: 1Cor.2:16). So while “red-letter” editions of
the Bible which highlight Jesus' “own” words have their place, we
should not be misled by them so as to forget that every word of
scripture, every “jot and tittle”, is – as originally penned – the
precise message God intended the world to have about Jesus Christ,
through Jesus Christ, and for Jesus Christ. For Jesus Christ is the
Word, and all the words of scripture are His. As indicated above,
there is no teaching of Jesus from the gospels which is not
paralleled in the Old Testament (e.g., compare 1Kng.8:59 with
Matt.6:11 and Lk.11:3) and in the New Testament epistles (e.g.,
compare Jn.17:17 with Eph.4:24). While all three of these major
topical divisions of scripture have their own unique ways of
expressing things, the content of the truth they express is
completely consistent in every way. There is it is true a general
trend in scripture toward progressive revelation, so that, for
example, what we know about the end times from Daniel is greatly
expanded in our Lord's “Olivet Discourse” (Matt.24-25; Mk.13;
Lk.21), and then even more so by the book of Revelation (that is,
“The Revelation of Jesus Christ”). But this expansion
is one of detail only, not one of essential truth: Daniel, our
Lord, and John teach precisely the same things in every respect
(when these passages are correctly understood); it is only that
through God's plan of expanding revelation over time we are given to
know more details in each successive wave of the unveiling that
truth. Thus Jesus didn't “change” anything; rather He fulfilled
everything, and everything is fulfilled in Him:
Do not assume that I came to abolish
the Law or the Prophets: I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.
For what I say to you is the truth: Until heaven and earth pass
away, not one iota or one serif will pass away from the Law – until
everything has come to pass (i.e., the shadows of the Law fulfilled
on the cross).
For Christ is the fulfillment (lit.,
“end”) of the Law, resulting in righteousness for everyone who
believes [in Him].
(4) The Lord God has given Me a
tongue of those who have been [fully] instructed [in the truth],
that I may know the right words [of truth] to encourage the weary .
He arouses His Word [within Me]. [And] every morning He awakens
Me. He awakens My ear[s] to listen like [the ears of] those who
have been [fully] instructed [in the truth]. (5) The Lord God has
opened My ear[s], and I have not refused [instruction]. I have not
turned away [nor gone] backward.
“My teaching is not My own, but
belongs to Him who sent Me.”
(38) “I am telling you what
I
have seen in My Father's presence. So you also do what you
have heard from the Father!” (39) They answered and said to Him,
“Our father is Abraham.” Jesus said to them: “If you were children
of Abraham, you would be doing the things Abraham [did]. (40) But
as things actually stand, you are seeking to kill Me, a man who has
told you the truth which I have heard from God.
(44) He who believes in Me does not
believe in Me, but in He who sent Me. (45) And he who sees Me, sees
the One who sent Me. (46) I have come into the world as a light, in
order that everyone who believes in Me may not abide in darkness.
(47) But if anyone hears My words and does not hold on to them, I do
not condemn him. For I did not come to condemn the world but to
save the world. (48) He who rejects Me and does not receive my
words has someone who judges him. The Word which I spoke, that [is
what] will judge him on the last day. (49) For I did not speak of
my own accord, but the One who sent Me, the Father Himself gave Me
instruction as to what I should say and what I will [yet] speak.
(50) And I know that His instruction is eternal life. Therefore, as
to the things which I speak, just as the Father has spoken to Me,
that is how I speak.
“For the words You gave Me,
[Father,] I have given to them, and they received them and have come
to know truly that I came from you, and they have believed that You
sent Me.”
The Feeding
of the 5000 and the 4000 (Matt.14:15-21; Mk.6:35-44; Lk.9:12-17;
Jn.6:4-13; and Matt.15:32-38; Mk.8:1-9 respectively):
The King's power to provide for His subjects demonstrated.
Walking on
the Water (Matt.14:24-33; Mk.6:53-56; Jn.6:16-21):
The King's power over time and space demonstrated.
The
Transfiguration (Matt.17:1-8; Mk.9:2-8; Lk.9:28-36):
The glory of the King and His Kingdom prefigured.(61)
The Sending
of the 70 (Lk.10:1-24):
The Kingdom Proclaimed as Imminent; the 12 proclaimed and showed its
power; this is a “far and wide” proclamation (prefiguring Rev.14:6)
that takes away the argument “we never heard” (cf. Rom.10:18-21).
The Healing
of the Man Born Blind (Jn.9:1-41):
The King's revelation of the truth for all willing to see
demonstrated.
The Raising
of Lazarus (Jn.11:1-16):
The King's power over life and death demonstrated; His power to
grant eternal life in place of eternal death prefigured.
The
scriptural treatment of the final week before the crucifixion begins
with Mary's anointing of Jesus in Bethany (i.e., the “six days” of
Jn.12:1),(62)
and nearly everything that transpires serves to demonstrate ahead of
time the essential truth of which Jesus has been attempting to
forewarn His disciples throughout this final phase of His first
advent (e.g., Matt.16:21-26; 17:22-23; 20:17-19; Mk.8:31-37;
9:30-32; 10:32-33; Lk.9:22-25; 9:43-45; 18:31-34), namely, that the
Messiah had to come twice, a second time to reign in glory (as all
were expecting Jesus to do now in short order), but a first time as
well, in order to die for the sins of the world and purchase a
“people for Himself” to share His kingly reign forever (Rev.5:9; cf.
Rev.1:5-6).
1)
The
anointing at Bethany: The first of these events was Jesus'
anointing by Mary, sister of Martha and brother of Lazarus (similar
to but to be distinguished from an earlier occurrence related at
Lk.7:36ff.).(63)
As Jesus Himself tells us, this was very significant not only
because it prefigured His death and burial (i.e., anointed head
and foot as in burial preparations: Matt.26:6-13; Mk.14:3-9;
Jn.12:1-8; cf. the holy anointing oil: Ex.30:22-33), but because it
demonstrated that while none of His disciples seemed to understand,
at least Mary did realize full well that our Lord was about to give
His life on our behalf, so that “wherever in the entire world this
good news [of the Kingdom] is proclaimed, what this woman has done
shall also be mentioned to remind of her [faith]” (Matt.26:13; cf.
Mk.14:9). This incident and the outrage it initially caused among
the disciples (because of the “waste” of money involved) we may take
to be the “final straw” for Judas who realized great personal
monetary loss from the anointing (helping himself to the common
purse as he often did: Jn.12:4-6). For the nard employed was of
such high quality that it was actually liquid (and thus would have
fetched a princely price).(64)
2) The
triumphal entry (Matt.21:1-17; Mk.11:1-11; Lk.19:29-44; Jn.12:12-19):
On that glorious future day of days, our Lord Jesus Christ, the
Messiah, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, will enter Jerusalem
from the east in glory, mounted on a heavenly white charger,
spattered with the blood of His enemies just dispatched at the
battle of Armageddon (Rev.19:11-13). On the previous day being
considered here, only hours before He would pour out His life's
blood for the sins of the world (the symbol which encapsulates
Jesus' spiritual death in the darkness to atone for the sins of all
mankind), our Lord rode into Jerusalem in humility, mounted on a
donkey colt with an adult animal in tow, the pair of animals
symbolizing both the purpose of this present advent as being
different from the expectations of the populace, and also that it
would be followed in the future by the advent of glory the people
anticipated and yearned for then. In the symbolism here, our Lord's
being mounted on the colt indicates that the cross comes first since
a young and untrained animal would be unsuitable for battle (i.e.,
for Armageddon), but is on the contrary symbolic of purity and
innocence recalling our Lord's sinlessness and suitability for
sacrifice on behalf of the sins of the world.
(10) The
scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from
between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs and the
obedience of the nations is his. (11) He (i.e., Judah, and thus the
Messiah) will tether his donkey to a vine, his
colt to the choicest branch; he will wash his garments in
wine (2nd Adv.; cf. Rev.19:13-15), his robes in the blood
of grapes (1st Adv.; cf. Rev.7:15 with Lk.22:20).
Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion.
Shout [for joy], daughter of Jerusalem. Behold, your King will come
to you. Righteous and victorious He is (2nd
Adv.); humble and riding on a donkey,
even on a colt, a donkey's foal (1st Adv.).
(19)
[Messiah speaks:] “Open for Me the gates of righteousness (i.e.,
the eastern gate of Jerusalem and the gate of the temple facing
east)! I shall enter by them and praise the Lord. (20) This is the
Lord's gate. The righteous will enter by it (i.e., through Christ;
cf. Jn.10:1-9). (21) I shall praise You although You humbled
(66)
Me (i.e., 1st Advent sufferings), for You have brought me
deliverance (i.e., the victories of resurrection and Armageddon).”
(22) [The chorus of celebrants responds:] "The Stone which the
builders rejected has become the Cornerstone! (23) This has come
from the Lord, and it is wondrous to our eyes! (24) This is the Day
which the Lord has made (i.e., the 2nd Advent)! Let us
rejoice and delight ourselves in it! (25) Yes, Lord, deliver
us we pray (hoshi'ah na' = hosanna!)
[from the Tribulation]. Yes, Lord, bless us with prosperity (i.e.,
the blessings of the Millennial Kingdom)! (26) Blessed be the One
(i.e., the Messiah) who is coming in the Name of the Lord! We greet
you all (i.e., the Messiah and His retinue) from the house of the
Lord! (27) The Lord is God! And He has caused His Light to shine
upon us! Bind up the Sacrifice with ropes to the horns of the
altar (i.e., the inaugural memorial sacrifice of the
Millennial Kingdom meant to remind of the cross)."
While they
were coming back into the city from Bethany on the second day, our
Lord approached a fig tree beside the road in search of fruit,(67)
but, finding none, He cursed the tree which withered soon thereafter
(Mk.11:13-14; 11:19-25; Matt.21:18-22).(68)
The symbolism of this miracle is most important, for the tree
represents Israel and her lack of productivity (cf.
Micah 7:1).
At the very time she should have been welcoming the Messiah with
open arms and putting before His feet the fruits of her spiritual
labors, she was in fact bereft of all truly godly works, and was
about to crucify the One who had come to deliver her from her sins.
This demonstrative sign also has ramifications for every believer's
spiritual life as well, for while production for the Lord is the
normal and expected result of spiritual growth, a complete lack of
production is usually associated with apostasy (Jn.15:1-1-17;
Heb.6:7-8).
Another
symbolically important event we should note here which took place
during those final days in Jerusalem was the request from certain
Greeks to meet with Jesus and our Lord's response, that “unless a
grain of wheat falls to the earth and dies, it remains alone by
itself; but if it does die, it produces much fruit” (Jn.12:20-32).
Now that His prophetic ministry to the Jewish people was complete,
our Lord had His face “set like flint” (Is.50:7; cf. Lk.9:51) to
last through the gauntlet of abuse ahead in order to fulfill the
critical objective and primary purpose of His time on earth, namely,
His bearing the sins of the entire world on the cross. In the
manner of the grain of wheat in His illustration, Jesus' death would
produce abundant “fruit” in the streaming into the family of God
people of all nations (which these curious Greeks represent).
3) The
Olivet Discourse: This is the name by which our Lord's
extensive teachings about “the things to come” to His disciples on
the Mount of Olives in response to their question about the timing
of the coming of the Kingdom is commonly known (Matt.24:1 - 25:46;
Mk.13:1-37; Lk.21:5-36). It is important to note that since “the
Spirit was not yet given” (Jn.7:39), many essential details of
eschatology would have to wait until after Pentecost (Jn.16:12-15;
and compare the description given at pre-unction Acts 1:7 with the
later statements in 1Thes.5:1 and 1Jn.2:20).(69)
Nevertheless, on the cusp of His departure, our Lord gave the
disciples much critical information about the end times and the need
for believers to stay focused on the eternal realities in order to
safely negotiate the Tribulation of that future day. These same
truths, moreover, would prove to be essential for enduring the days
of personal tribulation ahead for all His disciples during the two
millennia of the Church Age to come on the other side of His passion
and resurrection. Indeed, the disciples themselves would have need
of remembering and applying them carefully in only a few short
hours.
4)
Judas and the Sanhedrin's Plot to Kill Jesus: Just as thirty
three years earlier Herod had attempted to have Jesus killed on
account of the threat he perceived to his own dynasty by a genuine
“King of the Jews”, so also those in positions of power in Judea's
political and religious establishment had long been concerned by the
“threat” posed to their status by our Lord and His ministry
(Matt.21:46; 26:4; Mk.12:12; 14:1; Lk.20:19; Jn.7:30; 7:44; 10:39).
Their thinking is best summed up by the report John gives us of the
council held just prior to our Lord's triumphal entry, where the
priests, Pharisees and Sadducees equate themselves with “the
nation”:
(47) Then
the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the
Sanhedrin. “What are we accomplishing?” they asked. “Here is this
man performing many miraculous signs. (48) If we let him go on like
this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come
and take away both our place and our nation.” (49) Then one of
them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, “You
know nothing at all! (50) You do not realize that it is better for
you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation
perish.”
What
Judas' original motivations were we can only speculate. Part of his
motivation was certainly financial, seeking to make a profit out of
this new phenomenon in the manner of Balaam (Jn.12:6; cf.
2Pet.2:15). In part he may also have been attracted to the
excitement and the clearly miraculous nature of Jesus' ministry.
But without any question Judas was deep into apostasy and open to
all manner of satanic influence – otherwise he would not have
betrayed the Lord of life (1Cor.2:8), and otherwise he never would
have been open to possession by the devil himself (Lk.22:3;
Jn.13:27). Therefore we may be sure that Satan had his hand on
Judas from the beginning, seeking to place a infiltrator into our
Lord's midst (and fulfilling a prophecy in the process: Jn.13:18).
Judas had never believed in Jesus as our Lord knew only too well
(cf. Jn.6:64; 6:70; 13:18), but the other disciples apparently
suspected him least of all as we can surely discern from the fact
that he does not even come under suspicion even after our Lord gives
John and Peter such a clear sign in the dipping of the sop
(Jn.13:26-28), and then essentially names him in response to his
question “Is it I?”: “You have said [yourself]” (Matt.26:23-25). We
may take from this that Judas put on a much more pious and
respectable appearance than any of the other twelve, and it is often
the case that those with the most intense corruption within have
taken the greatest care to “whitewash” the outside of the tomb (as
in the case of the scribes and Pharisees: Matt.23:27).
5) The
Last Supper: The final Passover the night our Lord was betrayed
also did much to foreshadow both His impending sacrifice on our
behalf and the significant changes His victory on the cross would
effect in God's administration of His grace and His plans for His
Church on earth. Passover, of course, is the premier ritual of the
Old Covenant, and our Lord's transformation of it into the one
legitimate ritual of the Church Age known to us as “communion” or
the “Lord's supper” demonstrates in a most vivid and concentrated
way the change of covenants which the cross was about to produce.
Partaking of the Passover lamb is clearly symbolic of belief in the
Lamb of God. But while this and all of the other Old Covenant
rituals which made use of animal sacrifice foreshadowed the death of
the Messiah for the sins of the world, Jesus' transforming of
Passover into communion transforms the shadows of ritual into a
partaking of the soon to be completed reality of salvation. For by
eating the bread, His body, we express our faith in His Person – who
He is, the God-man, undiminished deity and true humanity in one
person forever. And by drinking the wine we express our faith in
His work – what He has done for us, dying for the sins of the world
and washing all our transgressions away by that death on the cross
in Calvary's darkness. Thus by partaking of “communion”, we
demonstrate our faith in the “oneness” we have with Jesus Christ on
the basis of what He did for us and what only He could have done for
us as the perfect Messiah.
This new
ritual therefore proclaims in a brilliantly simple way the essence
of the difference between the two covenants. For while both the old
and the new are essentially promises from God made to all who would
seek Him, the old made use of shadows which looked forward to a
future reality whose exact details of fulfillment were not entirely
yet made clear (1Pet.1:10-12). But the new is completely open and perspicuous,
being founded upon a reality that is already eternally set in place
– indeed, the cross is the reality of human history,
for it is the ultimate purpose and the power of all that God has
ever done or will ever do in this creation (cf. Rom.1:16-17). The
cross is “the good news”, because through it we have eternal life,
not merely a promise from God of future deliverance (as wonderful as
that was), but the proclamation from God of His satisfaction with
the Person and work of His Son, through faith in whom we possess
that deliverance even now as we wait for our salvation “to be
revealed” (1Pet.1:5; 5:1). By giving the disciples this tangible
sign of the salvation He was about to accomplish and the eternal
fellowship that was about to be theirs then and is our now through
faith in Him – demonstrated to the world each time we “eat of the
bread and drink of the cup” – Jesus illuminated all that had gone
before, and explained the new and wondrous reality of the “better
promises” of the New Covenant (Heb.8:6), better because they are
based upon the actual sacrifice of Christ rather than its
anticipation. It is precisely because Christ has now actually and
historically paid the price for sin that Spirit could be “given”
(Jn.7:39), resulting in all the marvelous Church Age gifts, the
explosion of the family of God to the gentiles, and the revelation
of all the precious new truths of scripture embodied in the New
Testament.
(23) For
[on this matter] I received [directly] from the Lord what I passed
on to you, namely that on the night on which He was betrayed He took
bread, (24) and having blessed it He broke it and said, “This is my
body which is [offered up] on your behalf. Keep on doing this in
order to remember Me.” (25) And in the same way [after eating] He
took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant [made] by my
blood. Keep on doing this as often as you drink [it] in order to
remember Me.” (26) For as often as you eat this bread and drink
this cup (i.e., partake of communion), you are proclaiming the
Lord's death [on our behalf] until He returns.
k.
The Trials
of Christ:
When He had finished praying for the third time, Jesus came again to
Peter, James and John, found them sleeping, and woke them up, for He
knew full well that the time had come (Jn.18:4; cf. Matt.26:36-47;
Mk.14:40-43; Lk.22:46-47). Led by Judas to whom the chief priests
and Pharisees had detailed them (Jn.18:3), a large multitude of
Jewish irregular troops (Matt.26:43; Mk.14:43; Lk.22:47), and an
entire cohort of Roman soldiers (a unit whose regular T.O. and E.
complement was 600 soldiers), all armed with torches and weapons,
came upon our Lord and His small group of disciples, whereupon Judas
identified our Lord as the object of this illegal raid by greeting
Him as “master” and embracing Him (Matt.26:49; Mk.14:45; Lk.22:48;
and cf. 2Sam.20:9).(70)
In the middle of the night and in darkness, set upon by overwhelming
hostile forces with malicious intent, we can only imagine what fear
may have risen in the hearts of our Lord's companions. But in what
then occurred, Jesus demonstrated through His perfect walk with the
Father that He was beyond intimidation. He possessed true “four
o'clock in the morning courage” founded upon unshakeable faith as
can be seen from every aspect of His handling of this crisis, and
there can be no surer demonstration that the pressure our Lord felt
as demonstrated for our benefit in the Gethsemane prayers had to do
with bearing our sins alone. Since as followers of Jesus we truly
have nothing to fear from man (Ps.56:4; 118:6), beyond all doubt the
Son of God did not, and our Lord's responses to all of the events of
that night and indeed to all of the events that preceded His
judgment in the darkness of Calvary on our behalf show this most
perspicuously. God's will would be done and no human being or group
of human beings were going to be able to thwart Him.
(4) Jesus,
knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out
and asked them, “Who is it you want?” (5) “Jesus of Nazareth,” they
replied. “I am He,” Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing
there with them.) (6) When Jesus said, “I am He,” they drew back and
fell to the ground.
(51) With
that, one of Jesus' companions reached for his sword, drew it out
and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.
(52) “Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all
who draw the sword will die by the sword. (53) Do you think I
cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal
more than twelve legions of angels? (54) But how then would
the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this
way?”
When our
Lord had said these things, the flush of mis-directed bravery
exhibited by Peter in taking up the sword ebbed away, and the
disciples reacted with predictable and prophesied panic (Matt.26:31;
Mk.14:27; cf. Zech.13:7), leaving our Lord to be arrested and
dragged away, an eventuality He did not resist (Is.53:7-8).
(55) At
that time Jesus said to the crowd, “Am I leading a rebellion, that
you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I
sat in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest me. (56)
But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might
be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.
"It is
written: 'And he was numbered with the transgressors' (Is.53:12);
and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is
written about me is reaching its fulfillment.”
This
gauntlet of abuse, unprecedented in human history and never to be
remotely duplicated, constitutes the final prophesied humiliation of
the Messiah. The suffering and humiliation of our Lord Jesus is a
recurrent theme in Old Testament prophecy, and an unmistakable one
at that (cf. Is.52-53), even though, because it was so
“uncomfortable”, it was rejected by Jesus' contemporaries as they
rejected Jesus Himself, an outcome which was itself part of His
suffering and humiliation (Ps.22:6; 118:22; Is.53:3; Mk.9:12;
1Pet.2:4). Thus the portions of scripture which prophesy this were
later occasionally obscured deliberately as in the case of the
incorrect traditional vocalization of Psalm 118:21 (covered in fn.
#66 above under “Triumphal Entry”). We have already discussed the
betrayal of our Lord (prophesied: “my companion, my close friend”
Ps.55:13-14; cf. Ps.41:9), His abandonment by the disciples
(prophesied: “strike the shepherd”: Zech.13:7; and see below on
Peter's three denials), and are about to consider the trials our
Lord would have to endure which in terms of process and outcome
could not have been further removed from any notion of basic justice
(prophesied: “they hated Me without cause”: Jn.15:25; cf. Ps.35:19;
Ps.69:4; Is.52:13-53:12). All of these things contributed greatly
to the suffering or “passion” of our Lord to a degree that is easy
to miss when merely reading about them in the comfort of our homes.
Being betrayed unto death by someone you have cared about and sought
to help for years is no small matter, nor is being abandoned and
denied by your entire inner circle of closest companions in your
hour of greatest need. Finally, before
coming to the crucifixion itself, the six trials of Christ were
unquestionably a heavy load beyond anything any of us could ever
hope to bear – and especially beyond anything we could hope to bear
up under with perfectly sanctified behavior in the manner of our
Lord. For beyond the physical suffering, the beating and the
scourging, and beyond the mental anguish from the slander,
blasphemy, spitting and mocking, the very fact of being condemned by
a judicial proceeding, being found to be a wicked person, a
lawbreaker and someone to be shunned by any decent citizen, to be
set upon by an angry crowd maligning you and calling for your death,
are terrible things to have to suffer, especially if
completely untrue, unfair and unjust. For any of the rest of us,
complete innocence in any matter is problematic, sinners that we
are, but no one was ever more completely and demonstrably innocent
of all wrong doing or of even of the appearance of it than was our
Lord Jesus Christ. Yet He was condemned six times, rejected even
from the consideration of clemency in favor of a genuine criminal
(Barabas) by those He had come to save. We probably will
never be able to appreciate fully the emotional suffering of our
Lord in all that He endured before the cross, for in addition to the
physical suffering to which He was subjected throughout those final
hours before Golgotha, forced also to bear up under the temptation
to indulge in extreme bitterness and anger, rejected, abandoned and
abused by everyone as He was. When we add to this His
mental anticipation of dying for the sins of the world, a
consideration which His prayers in the garden of Gethsemane
demonstrate as being out of all proportion to any of these other
considerations to the point where they are not even mentioned
therein (i.e., His death for sin on the cross is the “cup” to which
He refers; see above under “The Last Supper”). Nevertheless, as we
consider this part of our Lord's “passion”, it is absolutely
critical for us who call ourselves Christians to understand that all
these things which Christ suffered before the cross and which
constitute His prophesied humiliation did not expiate
our sins. It was the judgment of our Lord Jesus in the darkness on
the cross which washed those sins away, and not the unimaginable
physical and emotional sufferings that preceded the cross, the event
which, from the proper divine point of view, is history.
Why, then, did
Jesus have to go through this gauntlet of gauntlets even to get to
the cross where He bore our sins “in His body on the tree”
(1Pet.2:24)? Without question all of this preliminary suffering
fulfilled a whole host of Old Testament prophecies (cf. Acts
13:27-29). And without question the devil did all that he possibly
could to prevent Jesus from reaching the cross, for that was where
the victory in the unseen conflict raging around us was finally and
definitively won with eternal results (Jn.16:33; Rom.14:9-10;
Eph.1:19b-23; Phil.2:9-11; Col.2:15; Rev.5:5-14; cf. Eph.4:8-10).(71)
What we can also say, moreover, is that our Lord's resolute and
unwavering negotiation of this final gauntlet serves to provide a
vivid demonstration of His boundless love for us, and for the entire
world.
Now before the feast of the Passover,
when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of
this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the
world, he loved them unto the end.
For God loved the world so much that
He gave [up] His only Son, [with the purpose] that everyone who
believes in Him should not be lost [forever], but have eternal life
[instead].
(13) Behold, My Servant will embrace
the truth. He will arise on high, be lifted up, and be greatly
exalted, (14) to a proportional degree that many had [previously]
been appalled at Him. For His appearance had been marred beyond
human [likeness], and His form more than [that of any] other man.
(15) As a result, He shall sprinkle [with salvation] many gentile
[nation]s. Kings will shut their mouths at [the sight of] Him. For
those [gentiles] who had not been told shall see, and those
[gentiles] who had not understood shall hear. (1) [But] who has
believed our report? And to whom has the Arm of the Lord (i.e., the
Messiah) been revealed? (2) For He grew up before Him like a
suckling plant, like a root [springing up] from dry ground. He had
no [particular] handsomeness that we should take note of Him, no
[obvious] charisma that we should be taken with Him. (3) [On the
contrary,] He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and
acquainted with suffering. Like a person people hide their faces
from, He was despised, and we did not hold Him of any account. (4)
For He took away our torments, and He shouldered our weaknesses.
And yet we considered Him as [the One who had been] punished,
smitten and afflicted by God. (5) But [in fact] He was made subject
to torment on account of our transgressions, and He was crushed
because of our collective guilt (lit., “guilts”). The punishment
[required] for making peace [with God] on our behalf [fell] upon
Him. Because of His wounding, we have been healed. (6) We have all
gone astray like sheep. Each of us has turned to his own way. And
the Lord caused the guilt of us all to strike Him. (7) Though He
was oppressed and afflicted, like a lamb led to slaughter He did not
open His mouth, and like a ewe before her shearers He did not open
His mouth. (8) By repressive judgment He was taken away, and who
gave any thought to His posterity? For He was cut off from the land
of the living. He was punished for the transgression of my people.
(9) And they assigned Him a grave with the wicked (pl.) and with a
rich [man] in His deaths (sic). Not for any violence that He
had done. Nor was there any deceit in His mouth. (10) For it was
the Lord's good pleasure (i.e., “will”) to crush Him, to subject Him
to torment. But though you make His life a guilt offering, He will
see His seed, He will lengthen His days, and the good pleasure
(i.e., “will”) of the Lord will prosper in His hand. (11)
[Released] from the trouble [inflicted] upon His life, He will
[again] see [the light of life] and be satisfied (i.e., in
resurrection). My righteous Servant will provide righteousness for
the great [of heart] (i.e., believers) through the[ir]
acknowledgment of Him, and He Himself will shoulder their guilt
(lit., “guilts”). (12) Therefore I will allot the great [of heart]
to Him [as His portion of the plunder], and He will apportion
plunder to the[se same] mighty [of heart]. Because He bared His
life to death and was numbered with the transgressors, thereby He
took away the sin of the great [of heart] and substituted [Himself]
for the transgressors.
(6) I gave my back to the smiters,
and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face
from shame and spitting. (7) For the Lord God will help me;
therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face
like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.
(1) My God, My God, why did You
forsake Me? [Why were You so] far from saving Me, [so far] from
[answering] the words I roared forth?
(6) But I
am a worm, not a man, the reproach of mankind and One rejected by
the people. (7) All who see Me, mock Me. They open wide their
mouths. They shake their heads [at Me]. (8) “He relies on God.
Let Him rescue Him! Let Him deliver Him, if He takes pleasure in
Him” (cf. Matt.27:39-43; Mk.15:27-32; Lk.23:35-37). (9) For You are
the One who cut Me out of the womb. You are the One who made Me
trust in You on my mother's breasts. (10) I was cast upon (i.e.,
made to rely upon) You from the womb (i.e., immediately after
birth). [Since the moment I came] from out of the womb You have
been my God. (11) Be not far
from Me, for trouble is near, for there is no one [else] to help
[Me]. (12) [Like] many bulls they have encircled Me. [Like] strong
bulls from Bashan they have surrounded Me. (13) They open their
mouths against Me [like] roaring lions about to pounce on their
prey. (14) I am poured out like water, and all My bones are being
stretched apart. My heart has become like wax. It is melting
inside of Me. (15) My strength is evaporating like a broken piece
of pottery, and My tongue is sticking to the roof of My mouth [with
thirst]. For You (cf. vv.1-2) have set Me ablaze in the dust of
death. (16) For they have surrounded Me [like] dogs. [This]
congregation of evil-doers has encompassed Me. They have pierced My
hands and My feet. (17) I can count all My bones. [While] they
look on and stare at Me, (18) they are dividing up My clothes for
themselves, and for My garments they are casting lots. (19) But
You, Lord, be not far off! O My God, hurry to My help! (20)
Deliver My life from the sword, My precious [life] from the power of
[these] dog[s]! (21) Save Me from the mouth of the lion! Answer Me
from amid the horns of these wild oxen!
Even my close friend, whom I trusted,
he who shared my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.
(12) If an enemy were insulting me, I
could endure it; if a foe were raising himself against me, I could
hide from him. (13) But it is you, a man like myself, my companion,
my close friend, (14) with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship as
we walked with the throng at the house of God.
For they mixed gall with what they
gave Me to eat, and for My thirst they gave Me vinegar to drink.
(50) Remember, Lord, how your servant
has been mocked, how I bear in my heart the taunts of all the
nations, (51) the taunts with which your enemies have mocked, O
Lord, with which they have mocked every step of your anointed one.
The Stone
which the builders rejected has become the Cornerstone.
For they have struck on the cheek
with a rod the Judge of Israel.
He made Him who had no [personal]
experience of sinning [to be] sin (i.e., a sin offering) for us, so
that we might have God's righteousness in Him.
. . . [Moses] considered the
reproach [suffered on behalf] of Christ greater riches than
the treasure vaults of Egypt. For he was looking to his reward.
Since then we too [like the believers
of chapter 11] have such a large audience of witnesses surrounding
us [both men and angels], let us put off every hindrance –
especially whatever sins habitually affect us – and run with
endurance the race set before us, turning our gaze unto Jesus, the
originator and completer of our faith, who, for the joy set before
Him, endured the shame of the cross, treating it with
despite, and took His seat at the right hand of the throne of God.
Keep in mind all the terrible opposition He endured against Himself
at the hands of sinful men, so as not to grow sick at heart and give
up.
So let us go outside the camp to Him,
bearing His reproach.
He Himself
bore our sins in His body on the tree, in order that
we might die to sins and live to righteousness. By His wound you
are healed.
1) The Trial
before Annas (Jn.18:12-24): In our Lord's day the
high-priesthood had become a largely political office. Annas,
though no longer holding the office, was Caiaphas' father-in-law and
the apparent power behind the throne, so it was to him that our Lord
was first brought after being arrested in the garden of Gethsemane.
Under intense interrogation, Jesus refused to answer questions about
His disciples and remained unintimidated in spite of physical abuse
(cf. Jn.18:21-23 with Is.50:8-9).
2) The Trial
before Caiaphas (Matt.26:57-68; Mk.14:53-65): From comparing the
accounts of John and Matthew, it seems likely that Annas' residence
shared an inner courtyard with the official residence of the high
priest. As in the first interrogation, this trial must have taken
place on the portico of the residence, for Peter is able to observe
its progress, and our Lord is able to see Peter immediately after
his third denial (Lk.22:61). While the first trial seems to have
been focused upon gathering intelligence in order to round up all of
our Lord's followers, this second trial seems to have served a
probouleutic function, having the purpose of concocting an
appropriate charge for a death penalty at once acceptable to and
persuasive for the Roman governor. None of the witnesses
interviewed provided anything convincing, however, and it was only
when our Lord affirmed His status as the Messiah under direct
questioning that His accusers became satisfied that they had enough
evidence to convict Him. In the process of this trial, Jesus was
spit upon, slapped, beaten, blindfolded, and mocked.
3) The Trial
before the Sanhedrin (Matt.27:1; Mk.15:1a; Lk.22:66-71; cf.
Jn.18:28): While the first two trials took place in close
geographic proximity, probably just before dawn our Lord was marched
to the council house where the Jewish senate or Sanhedrin met.
All
four of the gospels indicate that this third trial, coming very
shortly after the second and, with Peter's denials sandwiched in
between them, that it took place at day break.
The purpose of this trial before the most politically powerful
individuals in Jerusalem and Judea (outside of the Roman governor
and his staff) was merely to place a formal “rubber stamp” on the
charge prepared by the high priest. The details of this trial are
recorded only in Luke and the only accusation about which our Lord
is asked is the same one which caused Caiaphas to rend his garments:
And they all said, “Are you the Son
of God then?” And He said to them, “Yes I am.”
4) The Trial
before Pilate: First Phase (Matt.27:11-14; Mk.15:1b-5; Lk.23:1-5;
Jn.18:28-38): Bringing our Lord before Pilate was necessary
inasmuch as that in Judea, being a Roman protectorate, the power of
capital punishment was reserved for the Roman governor (Jn.18:31).
(72)
That was the sole purpose of the change of venue. For inasmuch as
the rulers of Israel had determined that Jesus should die, the only
thing left was effecting this decision, and that required persuading
the Roman governor to acquiesce in their sentence of death. For
this purpose, the priests, elders, scribes and Pharisees were
willing to resort to any sort of falsity, and were clearly irritated
that they had to provide any sort of rationale for a decision they
had already reached (“If this man were not doing wrong, we would not
have handed him over to you”; Jn.18:30). Luke records a threefold
indictment in response to Pilate's demand for a reason to execute
Jesus:
“We discovered this man [1]
misleading our people and [2] preventing [us from] paying taxes to
Caesar and [3] saying that he is Messiah, [that is,] king”.
“Are you the king of the Jews?”
“You say [so].”
“I find no guilt in this man.”
5) The Trial
before Herod (Lk.23:8-12): Sending our Lord to Herod must have
seemed to Pilate a perfect solution. It was a marvelous way of
passing the responsibility off. Herod's father, Herod “the great”,
had, after all, ruled Judea as king under a Roman protectorate which
had only been dissolved upon his death (following the malfeasance of
the eldest son, Herod Archelaus), and we may well imagine that this
other son also had some hopes of regaining his father's position.
If anyone was likely to take offense at someone else proclaiming
themselves “king”, it was surely Herod. Herod's father had
attempted to kill Jesus, and had killed the male children of
Bethlehem (Matt.2:1-19), while his son, the present Herod (Antipas),
had executed our Lord's herald, John the baptist (Matt.14:3-12;
Mk.6:17-30; Lk.9:9). Thus, sending Jesus to Herod was far from a
benign act, and that fact was surely not lost on our Lord. But
while Herod was pleased to be provided with this entertainment and
questioned our Lord at length (to no effect, since our Lord did not
respond to this illegal proceeding), he apparently had no desire and
no intention of becoming involved in any legal process. After
subjecting Jesus to more abuse, he sent Him back to Pilate.
6) The Trial
before Pilate: Second Phase (Matt.27:15-26; Mk.15:6-15; Lk.23:13-25;
Jn.18:39 - 19:16): Pilate interpreted Herod's return of our
Lord to him as ratification of his own previous acquittal
(Lk.23:15). Upon that return, Pilate made several further attempts
to prevent our Lord's crucifixion. There are no doubt several
reasons for this, but we need not attribute any deep respect for
justice on his part as one of them (cf. Jn.18:38: “What is
truth?”). The witness of our Lord and the power of His presence
caused the Roman governor some serious foreboding (cf., Jn.19:7-12),
and it is also likely that his wife's warning to him not to have
anything to do with our Lord had been the source of some further
unease (Matt.27:19). But Pilate is also likely to have been
motivated to spare Jesus out of 1) his desire not to lose this
“contest of wills” between himself and the Jewish authorities, and
2) a further desire to avoid becoming implicated in any way in what
he clearly saw as a political murder – not out of a sense of justice
but rather out of a desire to stay above the fray of Jewish party
politics in order not to alienate any faction unnecessarily (i.e.,
he recognized that Jesus had been arrested “out of envy”:
Matt.27:18; Mk.15:10; this also explains why he literally “washed
his hands” of the matter after being unable to convince the crowd
otherwise: Matt.27:24-25). When his attempt
to proclaim Jesus innocent based upon his own and upon Herod's
examination failed to persuade, in order to relieve himself of this
situation which was growing increasingly tense Pilate tried to find
an acceptable alternative to crucifixion, first by making use of his
politically astute custom of releasing some well-known prisoner
every Passover. But the crowd, egged on by the chief priests and
the elders, shouted for Barabbas instead (Matt.27:20; Mk.15:11). He
also tried humiliation and abuse, having our Lord beaten and whipped
further and ridiculed by the soldiers (Matt.27:27-30; Mk.15:16-19;
Jn.19:2-3), then presenting Him to the crowd dressed in purple but
wearing a crown of thorns (symbolic, though unbeknownst to Pilate,
of the curse He was about be made for the sake of the whole world:
cf. Gen.3:18)(74),
and providing the comic introduction himself: “Look, here's the man
[now]!” (Jn.19:5). When this overture too was refused, and when a
further interview with our Lord provided no insights or help to his
dilemma (“Don't you know that I have the authority to release you
and the authority to crucify you?” – “You would have no authority
over Me unless it had been given you from above; for this reason he
who delivered Me up to you has the greater sin”; Jn.19:10-11 NASB),
Pilate finally delivered Jesus over to crucifixion when the people
under the guidance of their Jewish leaders played their ace trump:
“If you release this man, you are no friend of Caesar; everyone who
makes himself out to be a king opposes Caesar” (Jn.19:12 NASB).
Pilate, the ultimate political pragmatist, knew that he had been
beaten at this point. Failing to give our Lord over to the people
and their will would now be very costly for him (even though it was
certainly within his power), and he was unwilling to suffer any
possible disadvantage (whether in terms of an immediate riot, future
instability, or a possible charge of malfeasance lodged with Caesar)
just for Jesus' sake. However, wishing to make it crystal clear
that he was only acquiescing in a decision of their making, he first
washed his hands to demonstrate his “innocence” (cf. Deut.21:6), and
the people responded: “His blood be on us and our children!”
(Matt.27:25 NASB). Then, to leave no doubt, and to gain some
political capital from this defeat, Pilate referred to Jesus as
their “King”, questioning whether or not they really wanted to
crucify their own king, until they responded “We don't have a king –
except Caesar” (Jn.19:15). Having made the best of a bad situation
(from his spiritually blind point of view), Pilate “handed Jesus
over to their will” to be crucified (Lk.23:25; cf. Matt.27:26;
Mk.15:15; Jn.19:16).
1) The
Events of the Crucifixion:
Ridiculed,
rejected, beaten and scourged, our Lord who by this time was nearing
the end of His physical strength (but not of His moral resolve) was
made to take up His own cross and carry it to the place of
execution, “Golgotha”, a Hebrew name meaning “skull”. John tells us
that on the initial leg of the journey Jesus was carrying His cross
Himself (Jn.19:17). Having received enough physical abuse over the
course of the preceding night and morning to kill most lesser men,
our Lord was apparently unable to move fast enough to suit the Roman
soldiers taking Him to the place of death, and so they “drafted”
Simon of Cyrene, father of Alexander and Rufus (cf. Rom.16:13) in
order to carry the cross for Him the remainder of the way
(Matt.27:32; Mk.15:21; Lk.23:26). As the procession made its way
along, with two criminals also slated for crucifixion in the column
(Lk.23:32), our Lord at one point turned to the large crowd which
was following to address the women who were beating their
breasts
and lamenting Him:
Daughters
of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your
children. For the time will come when you will say, “Blessed are
the barren women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that
never nursed!” Then “they will say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us!'
and to the hills, ‘Cover us!'” For if men do these things when the
tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?
When they
arrived at Golgotha, our Lord was offered wine mixed with some sort
of additive to deaden the pain. Mark calls it “myrrh” and Matthew
calls it “gall”. Both terms are somewhat generic in Greek (i.e.,
admissive of a wide variety of bitter, aromatic substances).
Matthew's choice of the word “gall” is clearly intended to emphasize
the fulfillment of part of the prophecy from Psalm 69:21, “They put
gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst” (where the Hebrew
word ro'sh [translated here “gall”] actually refers to a
specific bitter herb, “wormwood”, but is often used metaphorically
for things producing noxious effects). Mark's use of “myrrh” makes
this event more understandable for his Roman audience and also
demonstrates for us the reason behind Jesus' refusal to drink it:
certain types of myrrh were considered to have sedative properties,
and our Lord, though without question by now terribly thirsty after
this horrendous ordeal, was yet unwilling to drink anything that
would in any way compromise His free will decision to take on the
sins of the world – He had to be fully conscious when He bore our
sins for the sacrifice to count. As in all the events of this
gauntlet He ran for us even to get to the cross, everything He did,
He did for us – that we might have eternal life.
When they had crucified him, they
divided up his clothes by casting lots.
And they crucified him. Dividing up
his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get.
When they came to the place called
the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals – one
on his right, the other on his left.
Here they crucified him, and with him
two others – one on each side and Jesus in the middle.
(16) For they have surrounded Me
[like] dogs. [This] congregation of evil-doers has encompassed
Me. They have pierced My hands and My feet. (17) I
can count all My bones. [While] they look on and stare at Me, (18)
they are dividing up My clothes for themselves, and for My garments
they are casting lots.
But he was pierced for our
transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the
punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we
are healed.
And I will pour out on the house of
David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem a Spirit of grace and
repentance. For they will look upon Me whom they have pierced,
and they will grieve for Him like the grieving for an only son, and
they will [weep] bitterly for Him like the bitter [weeping] for a
firstborn son.
I. The
Person of Jesus Christ
1. Jesus
Christ is truly Divine
2. Jesus
Christ is truly Human
3. Jesus
Christ is truly Unique
4. The Names of Jesus Christ Reflect His Perfect Person and His
Perfect Work
5. The Life of Jesus Christ
II. The Saving Work of Jesus Christ
1. Our Need for
a Savior
2. The Substitutionary Death of Jesus Christ on our behalf.
3. Unlimited
Atonement
4. The Blood of
Christ
5. The
Spiritual Death of Christ
6. Propitiation
7. Redemption
8. Justification
9. Reconciliation
10. Summary of the Work of Christ in Effecting Salvation
Isaiah 9:6
Matthew 1:23
Romans 9:3-5
Philippians 2:5-8
Titus 2:13
Hebrews 1:8
2nd Peter
1:1
1st John
5:20
Revelation 22:13
(cf. Rev.22:16)
b. As God, Jesus is worshiped as God(2)
(cf. Zech.14:16-17; Matt.2:2; 2:11; 14:33; 28:9; 28:17; Jn.12:41
compared to Is.6:3; Jn.20:28; Heb.1:6; Rev.14:7 compared to
Col.1:13-16):
Luke 24:50-52
John 9:38
Philippians 2:9-11
Revelation 5:11-14
John 1:3
John 1:10
Colossians 1:15-17
1st
Corinthians 8:6
d. As One of the Trinity, Jesus is co-equal and co-eternal with the
Father and the Spirit (Jn.5:18; 17:5):
Matthew 28:18-20a
John 10:30
John 17:5
1st
Corinthians 12:4-6
2nd
Corinthians 13:13
Ephesians 4:4-6
1st Peter
1:1-2
Revelation 1:4-5a
e. Jesus is the one and only Son of God, a title which as it is used
in scripture clearly demonstrates His deity (cf. Lk.9:35;
Heb.5:5; 1Jn.1:3; 5:20; 2Jn.1:3):
Matthew 3:16-17
Matthew 17:5 (cf.
2Pet.1:16-21)
John 1:18
John 3:16-18
2nd
Corinthians 1:19-20
Galatians 4:4-6
Hebrews 1:5-13
1st John
4:9-10
Revelation 2:18
f. Jesus is One with God the Father:
John 10:30
John 17:20-22
John 1:1-2
John 1:14
John 1:18
John 16:27-28
John 17:1-5
1st John
1:1-2
h. As God, Jesus claims, shares, and demonstrates the divine
attributes of God (Matt.28:18; Jn.1:48; 10:31-39):
John 6:35
John 10:28
John 11:25-26
John 14:6
i. As God, Jesus is described as the “exact image of God”
(Col.1:15; cf. 2Cor.4:4):
Hebrews 1:3a
Micah 5:2
Hebrews 13:8
k. As the very Word of God, the embodiment of the message and truth
from the Father, Jesus is God (Deut.18:18; Jn.8:55; 14:10;
14:24):
Isaiah 40:8
John 1:1a
1st Corinthians 2:16
(cf. v.12-13)
2nd
Corinthians 4:6
Hebrews 1:1-3a
Daniel 7:13-14
Matthew 28:18
John 5:22-23a (cf.
Jn.5:27)
Romans 2:16
Romans 3:6
Romans 14:10-12
2nd
Corinthians 5:10
Philippians 2:9-11
In light of all of the above, whatever anyone may say, it is nonetheless
dishonest to claim that scripture at least is not altogether clear
on this subject. The Bible clearly proclaims the divinity of Jesus
Christ regardless of any other false representations. Indeed, it is
really not too much to say that the Bible in effect breathes forth
the divinity of Jesus Christ at almost every breath, and that it is
only by ignoring or diminishing its testimony that one can come to
any different conclusion. Thus Jesus Christ is the great divider
between those who are being saved and those who are perishing
(Matt.10:32ff; 1Jn.2:22). Unless one confesses “Jesus as Lord”,
which necessarily includes acknowledging His divinity and humanity,
His whole person and His work on the cross, there can be no
salvation (Rom.10:9). He is a true man but He is not only a man; He
is also God, for “in Christ all the fullness of Deity lives in
bodily form” (Col.2:9). Ultimately, no one who believes the Bible
can doubt that Jesus is God, for this we even have from our Lord
Himself:
John 8:57-58 (cf.
Lk.22:70; Jn.8:24; 8:28)
2. Jesus Christ is truly Human: Perhaps the most profound
wonder in universal history – of surpassing glory from the ages to
the ages and rivaled only by His dying for our sins on the cross
once He had become God in human form – is Jesus' taking on of true
humanity in the first place, a necessary step in order to accomplish
the Father's plan of redemption. In our present finite and limited
condition and until we “know as we are known” (1Cor.13:12), it is
impossible even to begin to grasp the wonder and the glory, the
graciousness and the mercifulness, the cost and the sacrifice
involved in our Lord Jesus becoming a true human being.
Philippians 2:5-8
Although we cannot this side of heaven truly understand the depths of it
or truly appreciate what He gave up for us, yet we should never fail
to willingly accept in faith the truth and reality of it, and to
stand in thankful awe of all this glorious act of becoming a man as
well as God implies. For the fact that God, our Lord Jesus Christ,
has become in addition to deity a genuine, living, breathing human
being has changed everything in the universe
forevermore. For through the incarnation Jesus has in His now
absolutely unique Person permanently wed undiminished deity to
humanity. The implications of this truth are at once staggering and
mind-boggling. When one considers the transcendent magnitude of the
divine and contrasts it with the physical universe which is so
pathetically puny and transitory by comparison, the news that God
has now irreversibly joined Himself to this material universe in the
Person of His one and only Son is breathtaking. While all of the
implications are at present impossible to digest, at the very least
we who have believed in the Son of God for salvation should never
fail to appreciate that while God in His good pleasure could well
have constructed a trillion times a trillion universes a trillion
times larger and more complex than the one we presently inhabit
without the slightest effort, He has in fact now through His Son
irrevocably committed Himself to us. This is a truth
which should never fail to humble and awe each and every one of us,
and cause us to fall to our knees in praise and thanksgiving. For
now that Jesus has become, in addition to God, one of us in every
way only without sin, we can know of a certainty that we are no
experiment or afterthought or one of many such developments, but
that we instead have always been a part of His unchangeable
purpose. We are absolutely unique because He, the
unique one and only Son of God, has cast His lot with us and for us
in this overwhelming, awe-inspiring and unchangeable way.
Colossians 1:15-20
While the wonder and the glory of Jesus in His eternal capacity as God
cannot be underestimated nor with our present limitations more than
dimly understood, scripture is very clear about the fact that He had
to take on true humanity in order to accomplish eternal salvation
for us. God cannot suffer; God cannot die; God cannot become a
sacrifice for sin or atone for sin or indeed in His perfect holiness
have direct contact with sin. Only a human being, a perfect human
being, could possibly fulfill the role of becoming our sin-bearer.
As sinful human beings, absent intervention by God on our behalf, we
were destined to face the “wrath to come” and the eternal damnation
final judgment inevitably entailed. But the indescribably good news
of the gospel is that Jesus incurred this judgment for us, bearing
all of our sins in His own body on the cross. To accomplish this
for us, He had to be a human being, and a perfect one at that, a
genuine human spirit in a genuine human body, wherein He would bear
the sins of the world on the cross (Jn.2:21; Rom.7:4;
1Cor.11:27;
cf. Matt.27:50; Lk.23:46; Jn.19:30-42):
Luke 22:19 (cf.
Matt.26:26; Mk.14:22; Jn.6:51-59; 1Cor.11:23-25)
1st
Corinthians 10:16-17
Ephesians 2:14-16
Colossians 1:21-22
Colossians 2:9
Hebrews 2:14-15
Unlike the [human] high priests,
[Jesus] has no need of making sacrifice day by day, first on behalf
of His own sins, and then for the sins of the people. For this
[latter] He did once and for all when He offered Himself
[as a sacrifice].
Hebrews 7:27
Hebrews 10:5-10
1st Peter 2:24
b. Christ's taking on of true humanity was necessary for victory
over the devil:
1st John 3:8
The cross and the crown are integrally related. Jesus had to endure the
cross in order to win the Messiah's crown, and the crown was won on
the basis of the cross.
Colossians 2:15 (cf.
Rom.16:20; Heb.2:14; 1Jn.3:8b)
Our Lord's sacrificial death in a genuine human body on Calvary's hill
for us all thus forms the necessary basis for His defeat and coming
removal of the devil, and that ultimate victory (along with all the
glories it entails for us) is no small part of the purpose of His
victory on the cross.
Hebrews 2:14-15
Evil had to be defeated at the cross in order for it to be removed from
God's universe so that the eternity of the New Heavens and New Earth
might begin, and only by Jesus' atoning for our sin could this
blessed victory be won and reconciliation effected between God and
those willing to turn to His mercy.
Colossians 1:19-20
Satan's rebellion had set in motion the string of events that
necessitated the creation of mankind, and, with our corporate fall
in Adam, the necessity of the Last Adam's substitutionary death in
our place as well. Only as a true human being could Jesus win the
victory of the cross, and it is as a true human being that He will
rule forever as a result of His ultimate victory over the devil when
our Lord Jesus Christ returns in glory at the second advent
(Rev.11:15; cf. Heb.10:11-13).
Revelation 17:14
It is as a result of His victory and His descent to Hades and subsequent
ascension into the presence of the Father in His resurrected and
thoroughly genuine human body that we, the Body of Christ, share in
that victory and the gifts and rewards that flow from it.
Ephesians 4:7-10
Although it is doubtful if the devil and his angels realized it, from
the very moment of the incarnation, salvation was assured and
Satan's defeat a certainty. Satan had corrupted a third of angelic
kind through their desire to know the pleasures of having physical
bodies,(6) but
Jesus took on a human body not for sensual experience but, after
having experienced the sorrows of this world beyond measure, to
suffer and die for us on the cross in order to save us (Is.52:13 -
53:12). This is the great victory upon which our salvation and our
adversary's dethronement depends, one which necessitated our Lord
coming to earth in the flesh.
Luke 10:17-18
Romans 16:20
Colossians 1:13
John 12:32 (cf.
Jn.16:11)
1st Corinthians
15:21-25 (cf. Psalm 110:1)
c. Christ's taking on of true humanity was necessary for fulfilling
God's prior promises and prophecies: In respect to the fulfilment of all of God's promises to us it was also necessary for
our Lord to take on true humanity. For indeed, all of God's
promises to us are dependent upon the ultimate promise of salvation
in Jesus Christ.
Romans 15:8-9b
2nd
Corinthians 1:20
God's promises are abundant, and they never fail (Josh.21:45; Rom.9:6;
Tit.1:2; Heb.13:5-6), because our Lord has empowered them through
His death for us as a true human being on the cross. For all of the
promises of God are based upon what Jesus did for us: grace of
every sort is a result of Christ's work on the cross (Rom.3:24;
5:15-21; Eph.2:5-8; Tit.3:7; cf. Jn.1:16-17). Time would fail us
if we attempted to relate here all of the promises of the Word of
God (cf. Jn.21:25; Heb.11:32ff.), for there is a promise on every
page of the Bible. What concerns us here is how those promises,
predictions, and prophecies of the Word relate to the incarnation of
our Lord. Herein we may focus on three particular areas of promise
that require the provision of a person who must of necessity be God
as well as man, but true man nonetheless: 1) to fulfill the promise
of a prophet greater than Moses whose words would be perfect in
leading to salvation; 2) to fulfill the promise of a priest greater
than any prior high priest, all of whom were all unable to do any
more than represent the sacrifice which would cleanse us from our
sins; 3) to fulfill the promise of a king who would rule forever, a
son of David who would somehow be greater than David and be David's
Lord as well. Only by Jesus Christ, true God come to earth by
taking on true humanity, could these promises be fully realized, for
each represents one of three critical aspects of God's plan of
salvation, announced through prophecy, effected through priestly
sacrifice, and realized in all its blessedness in the coming reign
of the Messiah.
Deuteronomy 18:15-19
John 1:45
John 5:46
John 6:14 (cf.
Matt.21:11; Jn.7:40)
Acts 3:19-22b (cf.
Acts 7:37)
The prophets spoke the Word of God, but Jesus is the Word
of God and the fulfillment of this and all of the rest of God's
promises prophesied in the scriptures.
Hebrews 1:3b
Hebrews 2:17
Hebrews 4:14
Hebrews 6:19-20
Hebrews 7:23-27
Hebrews 8:1-5
Hebrews 9:11-12
Hebrews 9:23-24
A priest ministers to God, but only Jesus in His humanity could present
Himself as the ultimate sacrificial offering and so fulfill the
promise of the High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek.
2nd Samuel
7:11-12
Zechariah 6:12-13
Matthew 2:1-2
Luke 19:37-38b (cf.
Jn.12:13)
John 1:49
John 18:37
Revelation 17:14
Revelation 19:16
Kings rules in God's stead, but only God's very own Son is qualified to
be His Regent over the entire world when He returns in glory at the
Second Advent.
1st Timothy 2:5-6a
The idea of a third party intervening to mediate a dispute between two
estranged parties is one to which we can all relate. Thus the
biblical concept of Christ the Mediator is inextricably linked to
the doctrine of reconciliation, where by Christ intervenes to
dissolve the barrier of enmity that separates God from sinful
mankind (Eph.2:14-18; cf. Col.2:14). But there are three point in
which the mediation accomplished by our Lord is vastly different
from the
resolution of most human conflicts. First, God and Man are nothing
like equal parties, with mankind moreover being entirely at fault in
this “dispute” so that the satisfaction required for resolution must
be directed toward God alone (i.e., we have no basis whatsoever for
complaint against God, something Job would have done well to
remember: Job 9:33). The role of Mediator between the King and His
offending subjects can only be played by someone who is on a par
with both the Father-King and His creature-subjects: only a Son
(incarnate) can be sent on such a mission of reconciliation (cf.
Matt.21:33-40). Second, since the problem requiring resolution is
the universal sinfulness of mankind, and, further, since mankind,
flawed because of sin, has absolutely no way of paying off the least
part of the debt for sin, the Mediator Himself had to be the one to
provide satisfaction to the offended party if reconciliation were to
occur. This our Lord did on our behalf when He was judged for all
or our sins in the darkness on the cross. Thus, thirdly, in order
to accomplish the payment of this “ransom”, Jesus had to become a
true human being, since only a true human being, and one sinlessly
perfect at that, could pay the price for all of humanity's sins. It
is by His work for us on the cross that Jesus has fulfilled His role
of mediation, opening up the offer of reconciliation for every human
being, an offer that is accepted through faith in the One who made
the offer possible through His blood (Rom.5:10-11; 2Cor.5:18-21;
Eph.2:16-17; Col.1:20-23). For it is by faith in His Son who died
for us that we accept and receive God's “peace offer” (Lk.2:14;
Jn.14:27; Rom.5:10; Eph.2:12-14; 2:17; Col.1:20; cf. Rom.5:1).(7)
Philippians 2:5-8
1)
This is shown by His genuinely physical birth:
Matthew 1:22-23
John 1:14
Luke 2:10-11
Romans 1:3-4
Hebrews 1:5a
2)
This is shown by normal human experiences of His life and
death:
Matthew 4:2
Mark 4:38
Luke 7:34
Luke 23:53
John 4:6
John 11:35
John 19:33-34
3)
This is shown even in His resurrection:
Luke 24:39
Jesus thus not only is truly human, having become a genuine man in order
to die for our sins on the cross, but He also knows precisely what
we are going through in this world, having endured the worst of it
and having drunk its tears by the bucket full (Is.53:3), yet without
sin:
Hebrews 4:15
Hebrews 5:7-9
3. Jesus Christ is truly Unique:
Hebrews 1:2
Here we see the uniqueness of our dear Lord unimpeded. He is God's one
and only Son, a title that at once embraces all of the human and
divine facets of His unique Person. And He is in His humanity the
heir of all things as a result of His victory at the cross, having
won the battle over Satan (Col.2:15; Rev.5:5), having won the hand
of His Bride, the Church (Eph.5:25), and having won eternal
redemption for all mankind, all who are willing to accept it
(Heb.9:12). And He is in His deity the One through whom the Father
brought about the creation of the universe, space and time. In His
unique Person, therefore, Jesus Christ, God incarnate, binds all
things together, whether they be of this creation or transcend it.
Colossians 1:19-20
Jesus is the unique “bridge” between all that is material and all that is
immaterial, and one can scarcely comprehend or appreciate the
graciousness of the Father in offering His own dear Son for this
role or our Lord's incomparable and ineffable sacrifice in accepting
it. Suffice it to say that through His becoming truly human forever
at the same time that He remains divine in an undiminished way,
Jesus has wed Himself and therefore has wed the divinity to saved
mankind forever, having poured out His life on the cross to
accomplish this merciful deliverance of us all. Thus the
fundamental transformation of what was before creation, what
creation meant (because of what in the grace of God it was going to
entail in terms of Jesus' sacrifice), and what now will endure to
the ages of the ages is completely bound up in the unique Person and
work of Jesus Christ, through whom we have become partakers of the
divine nature (2Pet.1:4), and because of Him God will forever, on
that blessed day of days when time ends and eternity begins, make
His abode with saved humanity forevermore (Rev.21:3).
Colossians 2:9
Here we see deity and humanity combined in an absolutely unique way.
Jesus Christ is truly a man (since His incarnation: Phil.2:6-11).
Jesus Christ is also truly God (Col.2:2 Greek). Only by having a
body could our Lord deliver us from our sins, because only in this
way could God die for our sins. This is the mystery of the gospel
(Col.2:2), the plan and power of God for saving sinful mankind
(Rom.1:16). Therefore Jesus is the plan of God, the
Cornerstone of all that God has purposed to accomplish (Matt.21:42;
Eph.2:20; ; 1Pet.2:6-7; cf. Rom.5:6; 8:29-30; 1Cor.8:6; Col.1:17-20;
Heb.9:26).
Ephesians 1:8b-10
As the ages were designed for our Lord Jesus Christ as
well as through Him (Col.1:16-17), there is scarcely
any respect in which the scriptures do not reflect this distinctive
uniqueness of the One who saved us through His death. While it is
thus not possible to comprehensively delineate every single way in
which our Lord's uniqueness is essential to the plan of God, the
mention here of a sample of some prominent areas in which that
uniqueness is critical is appropriate:
Colossians 1:15
Since Jesus is the one and only Son of God (Jn.1:14; 1:18;
3:16; 3:18; 1Jn.4:9), His status of firstborn refers not to any
order of birth but rather to the privileges that fall to the lot of
the firstborn, namely, rulership (Dan.7:13-14; Matt.22:41-45; 28:18;
Col.1:18; Heb.2:10; 3:1-6; Rev.2:27), priesthood (Heb.5:6; 7:13-14),
and double portion of inheritance (Rev.19:9; cf. Deut.21:15-17). As
with His priesthood and His Messiahship, Jesus' status of
“firstborn” is a privilege earned through His sacrificing of
Himself for us all on the cross, for He is the “firstborn from
the dead” (Col.1:18; Rev.1:5), indicating that it is His death
for us that forms the basis for His receiving all of the rights and
privileges of firstborn status (cf. Gen.49:4; and Heb.12:16, where
it is made clear that this privilege is based upon merit).
Psalm 89:27 NIV
We have discussed above Jesus' rulership and priesthood, the first two
benefits of firstborn status (and it a wondrous thing to contemplate
that we, His Church, share in all of these by virtue of our sharing
in His status of “firstborn”: Heb.12:23). As to the third, the
firstborn's double-portion of inheritance, in our Lord's case, this
consists of His dearest possessions, the Bride (i.e., the Church
consisting of all pre-second advent believers: Rev.21:9; cf.
Eph.5:22-33; Rev.19:7-8; 21:2; 22:17), and “the Friends of the Bride
(i.e., the equal number of millennial believers: Ps.45:14-15;
Rev.19:9). Our Lord's uniqueness is thus pellucidly clear in His
unprecedented rulership of the world which only the Messiah can
attain (Matt.22:41-45; Heb.3:1-6; Rev.1:5-7; 5:4-5; 11:15), the
eternal priesthood “according to the order of Melchizedek” which
required the sacrifice which only God's Son could provide (Heb.7:26;
cf. Heb.15-17), and in the fulfillment and possession of the Bride
and her Friends, which only the God-Man will achieve (Rom.8:29;
Heb.2:13).
Psalm 22:1
Isaiah 53:3-5
Hebrews 2:9-10
Hebrews 2:18
Hebrews 4:15
Hebrews 5:7-9
Hebrews 13:12
1st Peter
2:21-23
1st Peter
4:13
Hebrews 10:7
(Ps.40:7)
Jesus is the One whom the Father sent into the world to save it
(Lk.2:25-35; Jn.3:16; 3:34; 7:18; 7:28-31; 17:18; Rom.8:3; Heb.3:1;
1Jn.4:9-10; cf. Gen.49:10; Is.8:6; Zech.2:9; 2:11; 4:9; 6:15), the
Messiah (Hebrew: Meshiach,
xywm),
the One prophesied to come into the world and deliver it from sin by
dying in its place (the cross: Is.52:13 - 53:12), and to deliver it
from evil by reigning over it in perfect righteousness (the crown:
Ps.2; 45; 72; 110). The Hebrew title Messiah, translated into Greek
as “Christ” (Christos, Χριστός), means “Anointed One”, and
reflects the Hebrew custom of demonstrating through an anointing
with oil that a person had been officially commissioned into an
extraordinary office (as in Samuel's anointing of Saul: 1Sam.10:1;
of David: 1Sam.16:13; or Moses' anointing of Aaron: Ex.28:41). In
all such cases, this anointing with oil is symbolic and represents
divine empowerment through the anointing of the Holy Spirit
(Num.11:17-29; 1Sam.10:6; 10:9-10; 11:6; 16:13). While never
symbolically anointed with oil, Jesus was symbolically “anointed”
with our sins (the meaning behind His unique water-baptism: cf.
Mk.10:38-39; Lk.12:50), after which He immediately received a
special and dramatic symbol (i.e., the Spirit descending upon Him in
the form of dove) of the unction of the Holy Spirit He possessed
from birth by virtue of His unique status as the
Anointed One.
4. The Names of Jesus Christ reflect His perfect Person and His
perfect Work:
Isaiah 9:6
Revelation 2:1
Revelation 2:8
Revelation 2:12
Revelation 2:18
Revelation 3:1
Revelation 3:7
Revelation 3:14
In addition to the fact that a number of these names and titles are
covered elsewhere in this study, since many such appellations only
occur once or twice, or are largely expressive of doctrinal
principles which will be explained elsewhere, and are also in any
case deserving of a full-treatment best left to commentary on the
specific verses in which they occur, the list which follows will
restrict itself to some of the more common names and titles of our
Lord. As this standard of exclusion and inclusion is necessarily
subjective, the reader's indulgence is requested for any and all
cases of omission that may be deemed inappropriate.
1st John
2:1
2) Alpha and Omega: This title, used of our Lord at
Revelation 21:6 and 22:13, is also used for the Father (i.e., at
Rev.1:8), a fact which constitutes no contradiction since Father and
Son are “one” (Jn.10:30). Being the first and last letters of the
Greek alphabet respectively, the name Alpha and Omega stresses the
fact that Jesus is “the first and the last” (Rev.1:17), the One who
comprises all things from one end of the universe and from one end
of eternity to the other (Col.1:16-19; 2:3; 2:9).
Isaiah 63:11b-12a
4) Branch: This is essentially a Messianic title
which identifies our Lord as the promised offspring of David
destined to rule the world in righteousness (Is.53:2; Jer.23:5;
33:15; Zech.3:8; 6:12; cf. Ezek.17:22ff.; Rom.1:3; Rev.5:5),
unappreciated in His first advent (Is.11:1), but glorious in His
second coming (Is.4:2).(9)
Since the title is primarily Messianic, we should understand it also
to be connected to the use of the palm branch as a symbol of the
victorious Messiah as implied in the festival of Sukkoth,(10)
our Lord's final first advent entry into Jerusalem (cf. Ps.118:25-27
with Matt.21:8-9; Mk.11:8-10; Jn.12:13; cf. Lk.19:37-38), and the
martyrs with palm branches in hand at Revelation 7:9. Finally, it
is also important to see this title as tying our Lord to the
symbolism of the menorah, the seven branched lampstand which
illuminated the Holy Place in the Tabernacle and Temple. Jesus is
the light of the world and life itself (Jn.1:4; Jn.14:6). Since the
menorah connects the coming Messiah with the original tree of life,
it is likely that we are meant to see this symbolism of light and
life shining through in the title “Branch” as well.(11)
Revelation 19:7-9
6) Builder: In the Trinity's assumed roles, the
Father is the Architect of creation, and our Lord Jesus Christ is
the Creator or Builder through whom all things come to have their
being and in whom all things subsist (Col.1:16-17; Jn.1:3; see
section I.1.c above). We find a similar attribution in Hebrews
applied to the Church of Jesus Christ, whose building we are:
Hebrews 3:3-6
7) Firstborn: [see section I.3.a above]
8) Gift of God: This name needs little explanation.
Without God the Father giving us the inestimable gift of His own
dear Son to die in our place, instead of the eternal life we
anticipate, we would have only judgment in prospect. And Jesus agreed to
have Himself given over to be judged in our place (Gal.1:4; Ep.5:2;
5:25; 1Tim.2:6; Tit.2:14; cf. Rom.3:24; 6:23; Eph.4:7). Only
because of the glorious gift of Him do we have eternal life.
2nd
Corinthians 9:15
Romans 5:15-17
Ephesians 2:8-9
9) Head of the Body, the Church: The Church is often
referred to in the New Testament as “the Body of Christ” (e.g.,
1Cor.12:12), of which our Lord Jesus is “the Head” (1Cor.11:3;
12:21; Eph.4:15-16; 5:22-33; Col.1:18; 2:10; 2:19). This name
stresses the intimate connection between Jesus and those He loves,
being so close to Him as to be just as indistinguishable from Him as
the head is from the body.
Ephesians 1:22-23
John 6:67-69
12) Immanuel: This name, meaning “God is with us”,
demonstrates that Jesus is the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy of
the virgin birth of the Messiah, who is in every way “God with us”
(Is.7:14; cf. Is.8:8):
Matthew 1:22-23
13) Judge: In anticipation of His sacrifice and
victory on the cross (Lk.10:22; Jn.3:35; 17:2; cf. Matt.9:6;
Mk.2:10; Lk.5:24), and as a result of that sacrifice and victory
(Eph.1:22-23; Phil.2:8-11), all authority has been handed over to
Jesus Christ (Matt.28:18; cf. Dan.7:13-14; 1Cor.15:27). He is
therefore “the Judge”, both of the Church in time and in eternity
(Rom.14:10-12; 2Tim.4:8; cf. Jas.4:12; Rev.2:5-6; 3:1-3; 3:19-20),
and, at the last judgment, of all mankind, saved or unsaved (Acts
10:42; Rom.2:16; 2Tim.4:1; 1Pet.4:5).
James 5:9
2nd
Corinthians 5:10
14) King of Kings and Lord of Lords: As in the case
of “Alpha and Omega” this title found at Revelation 19:16 for our
Lord is also used of the Father (1Tim.6:14-16). Variations on this
title occur rather frequently in scripture (e.g., Deut.10:17;
Ps.136:2-3; Dan.2:47; Rev.17:14), a title which emphasizes the
totality of our Lord's authority over all human and angelic
authority as He returns to rule the world with a “rod of iron”
(Ps.2:9; Rev.2:27; 12:5; 19:15; cf. Ps.2:1-12; 110:1-2;
Phil.2:9-11).
John 1:3-4
John 11:25-26a
John 14:6
Colossians 3:3-4
1st John
1:1-2
1st John
5:20
Revelation 1:17b-18
John 1:4-5
In Jesus, the true Light (Jn.1:9), as “children of light” (Jn.12:36;
Eph.5:8; cf. Lk.16:8; Matt.5:14), we enter the kingdom of light and
exit the kingdom of darkness (Col.1:12-13; cf. Acts 26:18), having
put our faith in the life-giving truth of the One who came into a
world of darkness to bring us safely into the light of eternal life
(1Pet.2:9; cf. Acts 26:23).
John 8:12b
John 12:46
19) Lord of Hosts: As with the titles “Alpha and
Omega” and “King of Kings and Lord of Lords”, “Lord of Hosts” is
also a designation which may be applied to both the Father and the
Son. For while at times this title seems clearly to represent the
Father (Is.9:7; Zech.6:12-13), at other times we see it clearly
referring to our Lord Jesus Christ as the Father's visible
representative (Zech.2:8-9). At John 12:41, for example, John
attributes to Jesus Isaiah's vision of the Lord surrounded by the
Seraphs who cry out “holy, holy, holy” (Is.6:1-13). Along with
being Head of the Church (Eph.1:22; 4:15; Col.1:18), the Lord Jesus
Christ is also Head (and Creator) of all angelic kind (Eph.1:21;
Col.1:15-20; 2:10; Heb.1:1-4), and this title emphasizes our Lord's
status as Commander in Chief of the angelic armies (“host” being a
translation of the Hebrew tsabhah,
abj,
“army”; cf. Ps.84:3; Is.6:5; Am.5:14-16; Zech.1:3-17).
1st Kings
22:19 NIV
20) Mediator: [see section I.2.d above]
21) Messiah: [see section I.3.c above]
22) Mystery: Jesus Christ is the linchpin of human
history on which everything depends, but the full reality of this
was concealed before His first advent (cf. 1Pet.1:10-12), a
“mystery” before the cross, but revealed after the cross
(Eph.1:9-10; 3:9-10; Col.1:26-27). For although predictions of the
coming Messiah are frequent in the Old Testament, the exact
nature of the Messiah (i.e., that He would be human and
divine), and the exact manner of His coming (i.e.,
that He would come twice, first as the Servant to expiate sin,
second as the King to eradicate evil), were shrouded in mystery
until Jesus came in the flesh. The mystery of God's solution to
sin, and all of the other mysteries about which scripture speaks
(the mystery of the Church preeminently: Eph.3:1-11; 5:25-32), are
all revealed in the face of Jesus Christ come in the flesh, having
died for us on the cross for our redemption, and having been
resurrected on the third day for our justification (cf. Rom.4:25).
Colossians 2:1-3
23) The Prophet: [see section I.2.c.1 above]
Psalm 118:22
Daniel 2:44-45a
Matthew 16:18
Romans 9:33 (Is.
28:16; cf. Is.8:13-15)
1st
Corinthians 3:11
1st
Corinthians 10:4
1st Peter
2:4
25) Savior: In Greek, “Savior” is the word soter
(σωτήρ, cf. Soteriology), a word whose root means “safe” and whose
Latin adjectival equivalent is salvus (cf. “salvation”). The
key idea in the agent noun “Savior” is “He who makes
safe/delivers”. This Greek word (found at, e.g., Lk.2:11; Jn.4:42;
Tit.3:6) is thus a nominal equivalent to what we find where the
English word “Savior” is used in the Hebrew Old Testament (found at,
e.g., Ps.106:21; Is.60:16; 63:8; Hos.13:4) to translate the word
moshia', (i.e., the hiphil participle of yasha',
ישע). All this is a roundabout way of saying that the name “Jesus” (also
transliterated from the hiphil of yasha',
ישע) and the word “Savior”, while completely different in English, are
nearly identical in their ultimate derivation. For “Jesus” means
“He will save” in Hebrew, while the Hebrew participle translated
“Savior” in the English versions of the Old Testament (and
represented by the Greek soter, σωτήρ in the Greek New
Testament and also translated “Savior”) means “One who saves”. The
main difference is that while “Jesus” is a prophetic name, “Savior”
attributes the ability to save directly to our Lord. Jesus is the
One who has saved us from the lake of fire, from
eternal death and condemnation, and who has opened the gate to
eternal life for all willing to enter by faith in Him. In Jesus we
have been saved from our sins and their eternal consequences,
rescued from death by His sacrificial life and atoning death in our
place. A greater act of salvation and a greater Savior are truly
unimaginable.
Philippians 2:5-8
Isaiah 42:1-7
27) The Good Shepherd: We are all like sheep who
have gone astray (Ps.119:176; 1Pet.2:25), but our God has mercifully
gone out of His way to bring us back to Himself through the Good
Shepherd He has appointed to care for us and guide us. The powerful
image conveyed by the picture of the Shepherd who guards and guides
us is ubiquitous in the scriptures, conveying the truth that our
Lord is our merciful protector and provider, ever present to comfort
and take care of us (Gen.48:15; Ps.28:9; 80:1; Eccl.12:11;
Jer.31:10; 49:19; 50:44; Ezek.34:23; 37:24; Zech.13:7; Matt.2:6;
25:32; 26:31; Mk.14:27; Jn.10:2-16; 1Pet.5:2-4), even to point of
laying down His life in our behalf (Jn.10:11).
Genesis 49:24 NIV
Psalm 23:1
Isaiah 40:10:11 NIV
Micah 5:2-5a
John 10:11
Hebrews 13:20-21
1st Peter
2:25
Revelation 7:17
28) The Son of David: Jesus is David's literal “son”
as a direct descendant through the mother of His humanity (Luke's
genealogy: Lk.3:23-38), and legal heir as a direct descendant
through His step-father Joseph (Matthew's genealogy: Matt.1:1-17).
Jesus is also the prophetic “greater Son” of David, the Messiah, the
promised coming King who would provide the ultimate fulfillment of
the promises made to David by the Lord, the “Davidic Covenant”
(Ps.89:13-37). In His capacity of “Son of David”, Jesus is David's
“seed” (Rom.1:3) and the “Lion” of the tribe of Judah, and “the root
of David” (Rev.5:5; cf. “Branch” above #4).
2nd Samuel
7:11b-13 NIV
29) The Son of God: This title bespeaks our Lord's
divinity [see section I.1.2 above, “Jesus is the one and only Son of
God”]. The title “Son of God” also expresses Jesus unique role in
human history of being the Trinity's visible Person, the One sent
into the world to rescue and redeem sinful mankind, and to win the
victory of the cross whereby eternal life and the eternal kingdom to
come are provided for all who believe.(14)
Daniel 7:13-14
John 5:27
31) The Truth: Jesus not only speaks the truth, He
is the truth:
John 14:6
As this verse makes clear, Jesus is the only real truth worth knowing
(cf. Heb.13:8), and all that is genuinely true is at its core
fundamentally subordinate to Him who is the ultimate and
all-encompassing truth. For this reason, Jesus Christ
and His words are ubiquitously and regularly described in terms of
truth (Matt.14:33; 27:54; Mk.15:39; Lk.4:25; 12:44; 21:3; Jn.1:17;
4:42; 6:14; 6:32; 6:55; 7:40; 8:16; 8:40; 8:45; 15:1; 16:7; 18:37;
1Jn.2:8; 5:20; Rev.3:7; 3:14; 19:11):
John 1:9
John 1:14
John 1:17
32) The Vine: This highly descriptive image teaches
us about our organic connection to our dear Lord Jesus from the
point we first put our faith in Him (cf. Ps.80:8-11). We live in
Him and He lives in us so long as we continue to walk in faith.
John 15:1-6
33) The Way: Jesus is the only “way” to get to God.
In fact, He is the Way:
John 14:6
Comparing salvation to physical progress along a route is common in
scripture (e.g., Ps.84:5-7; 118:19-27; 119:176; Matt.7:13-14; 21:32;
22:16; Mk.12:14; Lk.13:24-25; Jn.14:4; Acts 9:2; 19:9; 19:23; 22:4;
24:22). But what all of these travel metaphors have in common is
the gospel: only through Jesus Christ can we approach God
(Eph.2:14-18; 4:7-10; Col.2:13-15; Heb.9:24). He is Gate through
which those who are truly His sheep enter (Jn.10:7-9). He is the
only true Door which leads not to death but to eternal life
(Rev.3:21; 4:1). Only through Him, and in Him, and by following Him
where He has gone (Heb.6:19-20; cf. Heb.2:10 [Greek]; 12:2), can we
too enter into the heavenly holy of holies for fellowship eternal
with the Father, the Son, and the Spirit forevermore (Matt.27:51;
Lk.23:43; Heb.10:19-20).
34) Word of God: Jesus Christ is the living Word of
God:
John 1:1
Revelation 19:13
Romans 5:19
b. Old
Testament Appearances of Jesus Christ:
John 12:37-41
Perhaps the most common Christophany is the appearance of “the
angel of the Lord”, where the word “angel” is used to express a
manifestation of Christ rather than an angelic creature per se.(16)
This can be clearly seen, for example, in passages such as Exodus
14:19 where the angel is called “God”, or Judges 2:1-5 where the
angel speaks of “My covenant”, or Zechariah 1:20 where the angel of
the Lord who has been speaking with Zechariah is described as “the
Lord”. Without indications to the contrary we should generally
understand appearances of God in the Old Testament, as in the case
of the “Lord God” speaking with Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden
in Genesis chapter three, to be Christophanies, that is, appearances
of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father's representative and the
revealed member of the Trinity.(17)
Jesus has always been the Savior of the world, and His centrality to
God's plan of salvation was just as crucial in the Old as it is in
the New Testament economy, despite the fact that before our Lord
took on true humanity and was thus revealed in the flesh many of the
particulars of salvation were obscured from view (Lk.24:25-27; Acts
2:23; 3:18; 7:52; 10:37; 17:3; 26:23; Eph.3:5; 3:9; 1Pet.1:11; 1:20;
cf. Rom.3:25-26).
Hebrews 1:1-3a
In
addition to specific scriptures and prophecies which taught about or
foreshadowed the Messiah and His two advents (see section I.5.d
immediately below), the coming of the Messiah and the sufferings of
the Christ were also taught via what we call “typology”, that is,
symbolic representations of the Person and the work of Jesus,
occurring occasionally in the lives of special individuals (e.g, the
kingship of David and of Solomon being symbolically applicable to
the millennial reign of Christ; cf. Zech.3:8-10), and ubiquitous in
the symbols behind the paraphernalia and practice of the Mosaic Law,
especially where sacrifices are concerned (as these always relate to
our Lord's death on the cross for our sins).(18)
One instance in which both of these two sorts of typology come
together is the sacrifice of Isaac, where Isaac represents or “is a
type of” Christ, being sacrificed for our sins (where Isaac's
impending physical death through the shedding of his physical blood
on the altar represents Christ's spiritual death in dying for our
sins in the darkness as He is judged for them in our place on the
cross):
Genesis 22:7-8
Later in this passage, Abraham is stopped by the angel of the Lord, the
pre-incarnate Jesus Christ, from actually sacrificing Isaac. But
the dramatic and poignant story in these verses of the father about
to sacrifice his one and only son gives us some small idea of the
sacrifice the Father actually did make in giving over unto death His
one and only beloved Son on our behalf, something at once so
terrible and marvelous that it could not even be contemplated were
it not absolutely essential to secure the salvation of all of His
other children.
Hebrews 11:17-19
For in the sequel, as Hebrews recalls, after preventing the sacrifice of
Isaac, the Lord provides a ram for Abraham to sacrifice in Isaac's
stead (Gen.22:13-14), and here we have a very clear picture of
Jesus, the Lamb of God, being sacrificed in Isaac's place (and in
the place of all mankind for the sins of all mankind). For this
reason it is said “On the mountain of the Lord (i.e., Mt. Moriah,
the same exact place as the future Jerusalem where our Lord died for
us) [God] will provide” (Gen.22:14). This same essential symbolism,
namely, of an animal shedding its physical blood representing Christ
being judged and dying for our sins, is behind all animal sacrifice
in the Bible (cf. Judg.13:19-20), from the sacrifice of righteous
Abel (Gen.4; Heb.11), to the millennial sacrifices which will
memorialize Jesus' work for us on the cross (e.g., Ezek.40-48). The
Old Testament is, in fact, replete with types to such a degree that
it would require several additional books to exhaust the study. To
take but a few prominent examples which are overtly referenced as
types in the New Testament, the tree of life in the Garden is a
picture of our Lord who died on Calvary's tree to give us life (cf.
Rom.11:11-24); Noah's ark is a picture of Christ in whom we are
saved (cf. 1Pet.3:18-22); Jonah in the whale presents a picture of
our Lord's resurrection (cf. Matt.12:39-41); Melchizedek is a type
of Christ as we have already seen (Heb.7:11-17). And these and
similar types are all notwithstanding the voluminous typology of
everything related to the Tabernacle, its furniture, its sacrifices,
and all of the other aspects of the Law (Rom.15:4; cf. Rom.10:6-7;
1Cor.9:9-10; 1Tim.5:18).(19)
1st Peter
1:10-12
Not unrelated to this issue of our Lord's coming to die on the cross
before He comes to take up the crown of world rulership is the fact
and necessity of His becoming a genuine human being in order to be
able to die in our place. The need to take on true humanity might
possible be argued as not theoretically necessary for a glorious
appearance of God's Messiah to rule the world, but our Lord most
certainly could not die for our sins without a human body in which
to bear them (1Pet.2:24; 4:1; cf. 2Cor.5:21; Heb.9:26-28). This is
the “stumbling block” which many Jews and the “folly” which many
gentiles have been unable to accept to their eternal harm
(1Cor.1:23; Matt.21:42 cf. Ps.118:22-23). But of the fact that the
Messiah would be a true human being (as emphasized in His first
advent) at the same time as He is truly God (seen so clearly in His
second advent) our Lord Himself made abundantly clear:
‘Sit down at my right hand,
until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.'
[Psalm 110:1]
Matthew 22:41-46
Indisputably, if the Messiah is literally a “son” of David, then He must
be a human being, while if He is “Lord”, as David calls Him in Psalm
110:1 which Jesus quotes, then He must be God as well. Both
elements of our Lord's unique nature, divine and human, are
essential for the accomplishment of God's plan to redeem humanity
and restore eternal peace to the universe. For the rulership of the
world on the part of the Messiah depends upon His prior removal of
the problem of sin, that is, His victory over death on the cross
which opens the way for the devil's removal and for our redemption
and salvation. That the Messiah's suffering – something which is of
course impossible without the fact of His possession of true
humanity – is taught in the Old Testament, is put beyond all
question by, for example, by Isaiah in chapters
52-53 (of which this
excerpt will suffice here to make the point):
Isaiah 53:4-12
Indeed, the entire message of the gospel and the necessity for the
Christ to suffer on behalf of the sins of the world was taught in
various ways throughout the Old Testament, even if that message was
reluctantly received and insufficiently understood before the
cross. Our Lord Jesus Himself makes this very point to the
disciples on the road to Emmaus (cf. Lk.24:25-27; Acts 2:23; 3:18;
7:52; 10:37; 17:3; 26:23; Eph.3:5; 3:9; 1Pet.1:11; 1:20):
Luke 24:25-27
Numbers 24:17b
(Matt.2:1-13; cf. Gen.49:8-12; Deut.33:7; Lk.1:78; Rev.12:5)
Psalm 40:6-8 (cf.
Heb.10:5-10)
Isaiah 7:14
(Matt.1:23)
Isaiah 9:6-7
Micah 5:2
Genesis 3:15
Psalm 22:12-18
Psalm 69:21
(Matt.27:34; 27:48; Mk.15:23; 15:36; Lk.23:36; Jn.19:29)
Isaiah 49:7
Micah 5:1 NIV
(Lk.22:63; Jn.18:22)
Psalm 16:10 (cf.
Acts 2:31; 13:35)
Hosea 6:2 (cf.
Lk.24:46; 1Cor.15:4)
4) His second advent foretold:
Psalm 2:1-3
Psalm 2:6
Psalm 110:1
Isaiah 49:6
Jeremiah 33:15
Zechariah 8:3
Zechariah 9:9
Zechariah 14:9
When we
combine the Christophanies or appearances of our Lord in the Old
Testament with the ubiquitous typology which teaches about His
Person and His work, and with the specific prophecies of His
Messiahship, incarnation, suffering, resurrection and second advent,
we see clearly that Jesus Christ has been the true message of
scripture since the very beginning of the Bible.
John 1:45
Hebrews 11:24-26
e. The Hypostatic Union and Kenosis:
Philippians 2:5-8
The word translated “deprived” above is the Greek verb kenoo
(κενόω), “to make void”, from which our technical term kenosis
is derived. This deprivation, as the next verse makes clear,
involved great humiliation for our sakes, even to the point of our
Lord's sacrificial death for us on the cross. Clearly, the
suffering and abuse Jesus took for us throughout His life,
accelerating through His extensive thirty year preparation, His
ministry “against such opposition by sinners against Himself”
(Heb.12:3; cf. Jude 1:15), the gauntlet He ran for us even to get to
the cross, and the death He died to sin for us in the darkness on
the cross, would have been incompatible with His deity apart
from the self-imposed limitation of its function on behalf His
humanity, a condition which, as mentioned above, is traditionally
called kenosis.
Matthew 20:28
2nd
Corinthians 8:9
Romans 8:3
One important result of our Lord's incarnation and of His walking
through this world in the complete humiliation of kenosis is
that He has personal experience of what it is like to be a human
being, and of what it takes to do the will of God in this world.
and elsewhere,
Behold, I and the children whom God has given
Me. (14) Therefore since “these children” (i.e., believers given to Christ by
God: v.13) have a common heritage of flesh and blood, [Christ] too
partook of these same [common elements] in a very similar fashion
(i.e., not identical only in that He was virgin born and so without
sin), in order that through His death He might put an end to the
one possessing the power of death, that is, the devil, (15) and
might reconcile those who were subject to being slaves their whole
lives long by their fear of death. (16) For it is certainly not
angels He is giving aid to, but He is giving aid to the seed of
Abraham (i.e., believing humanity). (17) For this reason, it
was essential for Him to be like His brothers in every respect,
in order for Him to be a merciful and faithful priest (i.e.,
go-between) in matters concerning God so that He could expiate
(i.e., “cover”) the sins of the people. (18) For in that He Himself
has suffered under [all the] testing [of His first advent], He is
able to help those who are being tested.
Hebrews 2:10-18
Hebrews 4:15
Now of course Jesus is God in His own right, and in His humanity He
perfectly fulfilled the will of the Father for His life in every
single respect (e.g., Is.42:19; Jn.10:30). And it must also never
be forgotten that the “testing” He underwent was in every way and on
every level far more intense than we can even conceive, right down
to the gauntlet of the cross and of His death on our behalf (things
the like of which we will never be called upon to endure). But in
all that He was called to do, Jesus did it perfectly in perfect
response to the Father's will. Jesus' earthly life was thus also an
example to us of what we ought to do as well: always putting the
Father's will, the Father's plan, ahead of personal plans, desires,
and weaknesses. Naturally, we will never come close to duplicating
what our Lord accomplished in exercising perfect Human will from His
humanity without the help of His deity (an area of temptation with
which we are not even able to identify), but we can and should
emulate Him to the best of our ability.
Hebrews 10:5-10
While every single decision our Lord made from His
humanity during His first advent was perfectly responsive to God the
Father, without His willingness to go to the cross and die for our
sins in our place we would still be lost. The difficulty of this
decision and the incredible load it placed upon our Lord may be seen
from two sayings of Jesus, both uttered and both recorded for
our benefit rather than for His (a fact often poorly
understood even in orthodox Christian circles). These are 1) His
prayer in the garden of Gethsemane on the night He was betrayed, and
2) His quotation of Psalm 22:1 just before He breathed out His
Spirit.
Philippians 2:8
Hebrews 2:8b-10
Hebrews 4:15
f. The
Incarnation and Virgin Birth:
Isaiah 7:14
Matthew 1:23
Without
divine agency, virgin conception is, of course, an impossibility.
Mary was therefore not rebuked for her questioning of the angel on
this point (Lk.1:34), whereas Zechariah was (since in his case, the
miracle was not only precedented but also fell within normal human
parameters: compare Lk.1:18-20 with Gen.18:10-14).
Unlike any other human being before
or since, the engendering of our Lord's human body came about not
through the agency of any created thing, not through any man or any
angel, but through the Creator Himself, specifically, the Holy
Spirit.
Matthew 1:18
Matthew 1:20b
Luke 1:35
As can be adduced from all three of these quotes, while the conception
of our Lord's human body was supernatural, as in the case of all
human beings it is His birth rather than His conception which marks
the beginning of His human life, the beginning, in His unique case,
of the incarnation.(25)
John 1:14
Isaiah 9:6a
Psalm 22:9-10
Hebrews 10:5
Hebrews 10:7
Psalm 40:6-8 (cf.
Heb.10:5-10)
Hebrews 1:6
3) The Necessity for the Virgin Birth:
In
addition to the need for fulfilling the prophecies discussed above,
it no doubt goes without saying that the virgin conception described
in quotations above (Lk.1:35 in particular) along with the virgin
birth that followed was also the only way for God to become man, for
our eternal Lord Jesus Christ to take on a genuine human body and
share in the flesh and blood we all possess. Since His coming into
the world was absolutely necessary for us to be saved, this is
certainly the primary reason that necessitated His conception and
birth take place in this miraculous way. But there is a secondary
reason as well, which, if not as primarily critical, would in and of
itself likewise necessitate Jesus being virgin born:
only a pure and sinless Jesus Christ
would be qualified to bear our sins and so atone for them on the
cross (2Cor.5:21; 1Pet.2:22-24; Heb.2:14-18; 4:15; 7:26; 1Jn.3:5; cf. Is.53:9). Without
a human father (Heb.1-2; cf. Jn.19:34-35; 1Jn.5:6-8), the potential
problem of the passing down of the sin nature through the line of
Adam could be and was thus avoided. Indeed, since the sin nature is
universally passed down from Adam through the male line, a virgin
birth was the only way in which our Lord could be at the same time
truly and completely human, and yet be born without a sin nature.
For Jesus' mother, Mary, an exceptional woman of exceptional
spirituality,(26)
was nevertheless human and thus possessed a sin nature as we all do.(27)
It was Adam who “brought sin into the world”, even though Eve too
had sinned, and since it was Adam who caused “death to spread to all
mankind”, not Eve, the sin nature is thus passed down through
the male line, not the female line:
Romans 5:12
Isaiah 7:14
(Matt.1:23)
b) The date of the birth of Christ:
To begin with, we know from Luke 3:1 that John began baptizing
“during the fifteenth imperial year of Tiberius” (i.e., from August
19th of A.D. 28 to August 18th of A.D. 29).(28)
Since Luke states that Jesus was “about thirty” at the commencement
of His public ministry (Lk.3:23), an event that post-dates the time
when John began baptizing, there can be little doubt that the birth
of Christ is to be fixed ca. 1-2 B.C. To place Christ's birthday
any earlier would make Him “twenty-something”, not “about thirty”.
Moreover, this phrase is best taken (and arguably can only be
properly taken, especially given Luke's penchant for precision: cf.
the precise dating of John's ministry at Lk.3:23) to mean that while
Christ had not yet reached His thirtieth birthday, He was very close
to doing so, that is, He was 29 and set to turn thirty that same
calendar year.(29)
If we accept December as Christ's birth-month, therefore, He will
then have been born in 2 B.C. (only one year earlier than supposed
by the Christo-centric calendar we now use, established by Dionysius
Exiguus ca. 525 A.D. at the behest of Pope John I).(30)
It is impossible within the scope of this study to detail all of the
chronological details and arguments connected with Christ's birth,
but the 2 B.C. date, in addition to being based on the only two
clear chronological references in the gospel (i.e., Lk.3:1 and
3:23), is also recommended by three other important factors. First,
it allows for a three year ministry of Christ (as required by the
chronological details of John's gospel).(31)
Secondly, it allows for a crucifixion date of 33 A.D., by far the
most likely date when independently derived.(32)
And, thirdly, it squares most precisely with the universal census
mentioned by Luke (Lk.2:1-3).
Luke 2:1
One of the characteristics of Roman provincial census procedures which
seems to be indicated by our admittedly incomplete data on the topic
is that results are recorded for the year preceding
the year of recording. (38)
The census process thus covered roughly two calendar years, with the
first year being the year of record and the second the year of
recording. But unlike in the U.S. today where we file income tax by
April the 15th of the year following the year being
officially recorded, under the Roman system the census was a
“snapshot” of assessable wealth and legal status, taken (and
officially registered) during the first year, thus giving the
imperial administration a further year to verify, validate, correct
if necessary, and record the information submitted by all residents
of the province in question. That, at least, is what the surviving
evidence strongly suggests. And coupling this last fact with the
likelihood that Joseph and Mary journeyed to Bethlehem to fulfill
the legal requirements of the universal census of 2/1 B.C., we would
come again to the proposition stated above that Christ was born in 2
B.C., the year of registration (as opposed to 1 B.C., the year of
official recording).
Micah 5:2
Being born in Bethlehem also has to do with the important issue of
demonstrating and validating our Lord's inheritance and claim to the
throne as the greater Son of David who was prophesied to come and
“rule over Israel” (cf. the importance of our sharing in an eternal
inheritance through Him: Rom.8:17; Gal.3:29; Eph.1:11-18; 3:6;
Col.1:12; 3:24; Tit.3:7; Heb.6:17; 9:15; 11:9; 1Pet.1:4; 3:7;
Jas.5:2; Rev.21:7). Bethlehem is of course David's city, and our
Lord's physical line (through Mary) and legal line (through Joseph)
both go back to David and were both therefore intimately connected
with Bethlehem as the geographic focus of the earthly inheritance of
David's progeny.
Being born
in Bethlehem was thus a prerequisite for anyone claiming a share in
the Davidic line, especially for anyone who claimed to be the
Messiah (cf. Matt.2:5; Jn.7:42). Additionally, the name Bethlehem
means “house of bread”, and this fact is certainly also meant to be
prophetically significant since Jesus, the true Messiah, is “the
Bread of Life” through the partaking of whom by faith we have
eternal life (cf. Jn.6:32-58).
1st Peter
1:20
Hebrews 1:1-2
1. Jesus came when “the right time was at hand”: Mark
1:15
Luke 2:8-20
In the
manner of His famous ancestor king David whom God prepared to lead
His people Israel through the experience of faithfulness in
shepherding, Jesus is the Good Shepherd of the sheep (Jn.10:14),
and our Lord uses this same analogy to show Peter and all “pastors”
after him what is really important in leading the Church of Christ:
feeding the flock and caring for their safety through the Word of
God (Jn.21:15-19; cf. Lk.10:38-42). As is obvious from their
positive response, these shepherds to whom the angels proclaimed the
coming of the Messiah were clearly believers who were awaiting the
“hope of Israel” (cf. Acts 28:20). Rather than being heralded in
Jerusalem to the assembled multitude and rulers of the people, our
Lord is announced instead to a group of men who would never enter
the thoughts of the rulers, priests, Sadducees, Pharisees, and other
powerful individuals of Judea. But these faithful believers prove
obedient to the angelic proclamation, and do not take umbrage at the
fact that the Messiah has been born as a lowly human baby in most
inglorious circumstances (as the worldly “persons of repute” would
most certainly have done, and in fact did throughout our Lord's
first advent).
Luke 2:7
Luke 2:16
The Greek word translated “place” (topos, τόπος) may be only
translated as “room” in the sense of “area” or “space” and does
not have the meaning here of a “room” in a
house (or inn) as, for example, the King James version seems to
imply. Secondly, the word translated feed-trough above (Greek
phatne, φάτνη), refers to just that, a relatively small oblong
wooden box used for feeding cattle, and it is highly doubtful
whether it can ever mean anything else.(41)
The KJV actually allows for understanding the passage as translated
above (i.e., in English, a “manger” may mean a feed-trough as well
as an entire barn), but once extrapolated from a misunderstanding of
the KJV's English, the “barn-manger” story has acquired an
unfortunate cultural momentum of its own, unfortunate because the
false focus on the “barn” and its putative menagerie of animals
takes away from what we are supposed to concentrate on, namely,
the fact that the sign of humiliation here belonged to and was meant
to be focused upon our Lord alone – it did not extend to His parents
or, still less, to the location. The feed-trough crib was a sign of
His Messiahship, and a symbol of the life of humility
and humiliation that He would endure on our behalf.
It was, moreover, a sign and symbol of the momentous nature of the
gift our heavenly Father was giving to the world by offering up His
one and only Son on our behalf. The Lord of life, Maker and
Sustainer of the universe, glorious God forever, was born to die.
He came into this world in a dirty wooden box resembling a coffin
and left it (before His resurrection) nailed to a rugged wooden
cross, having died in our place that we might not die but instead
have life eternal with Him.
Luke 1:78-79 (cf.
Is.9:2; Mal.4:2)
Jesus is
the Light of the world (see section I.4.b.18 above). Throughout the
Bible, light is a powerful metaphor, especially when contrasted with
darkness. Light is good (Gen.1:3); light is truth (Jn.3:21);
light is life (Jn.1:4). Darkness is the absence of all these
things, and it was into the darkness of this world that Jesus, the
true Light, did come. Thus the star of light that heralds His
birth, shining in the darkness, is a fitting symbol for our Lord's
first advent. He alone is life and light, clearly visible in the
darkness around us, drawing all who are willing to come to His
light.
Isaiah 42:6-7
John 1:4-5 (cf.
Jn.18:12; 12:46)
2nd
Corinthians 4:6
John 1:9
Sadly,
however, though He came to give light to the entire world, only a
handful are willing to open their eyes and see the Light of truth.
The star of Bethlehem was visible far and wide throughout Judea, yet
it was left to a small number of foreigners to recognize it for what
it was, the sign of the Messiah. Thus the star shining in the
darkness and leading the way to the Messiah, to salvation through
faith in the true Light of the world is an apt metaphor for the fact
that although Jesus came to His own, His own were, by and large, not
willing to receive Him.
John 1:11
John 3:19
The Magi
(a Persian word from which our “magic” is derived through Greek) are
traditionally known as the “wise men”. That these gentiles were
believers who were waiting for the kingdom of God is evident from
their actions:
They come from a long distance on a difficult trip
(Matt.2:1-2).
Matthew 2:2
Numbers 24:17b
(Matt.2:1-13; cf. Gen.49:8-12; Deut.33:7; Lk.1:78; Rev.12:5)
Given that
in Matthew 2:1 the wise men are said to have come “from the east”,
and given the fact that they know the scriptures and prophecies
about the Messiah and respond to them so wholeheartedly and
enthusiastically, it seems certain that these Magi are successors to
the guild of wise men of whom Daniel was put in charge and over whom
he unquestionably exerted considerable influence during his long
tenure as their head (Dan.2:48). At the time of Christ, moreover,
Babylon, while no longer an important political capital, was still a
center of such “higher learning”. While we would certainly not wish
to accord all who claimed the title “Magician” at that time the
truly blessed appellation of “believer”, this small group of gentile
men, dedicated to the scriptures, were rewarded for their faith in
the truth, and were used of God in this extraordinary way, being
privileged not only to experience the fulfillment of the prophecy
they had long studied even to the extent of seeing the Messiah with
their own eyes, but also to be allowed to contribute to God's plan
so significantly in the giving of the expensive gifts of “gold,
myrrh, and frankincense”, with the gold representing Jesus' deity
(as is often the case in symbolism of the temple, gold being rare,
precious, and glorious), the myrrh (a costly substance used in
making incense and in the process of embalming) representing His
humanity taken on in order to die for us, and the sweet savor of the
frankincense representing the acceptability of His sacrifice (cf.
the “sweet savor” of the Levitical offerings representing Christ's
work: Eph.5:2; cf. Heb.1:3). These valuable treasures almost
certainly funded the escape of our Lord and His family to Egypt and
supported them while they were there.(45)
Isaiah 9:2
g.
Early Life and Preparation for Ministry:
Luke 2:40-52
This passage,
though rather short considering it contains by far the bulk of our
information about our Lord's life until the commencement of His
ministry at about age thirty, is very revealing. For one thing, we
see immediately the load and the difficulty that our Lord had to
bear just in terms of His normal family life. He was God and the
Son of God, and His answer to His parents indicates that without any
doubt He was fully aware of these facts. And yet, since in order to
be qualified to be our sin-bearer He had to live an absolutely
perfect life, free from the slightest tinge of sin (a feat truly
beyond our comprehension which He did indeed accomplish), our Lord
had be the perfect son, even as He had to prepare to fulfill the
obligations of the Son perfectly. This meant obeying His parents
when they were right – and when they were wrong. As Jesus perfectly
negotiated the mundane hours, days, weeks, months and years until He
came upon the scene to fulfill the ministry of ministries many years
later, we can say without question that He never did wrong, either
by omission or commission, and thus was never in the wrong.
However, people being the imperfect creatures that they are, there
must have been countless occasions whereupon He had to endure the
faulty conclusions, impressions, and applications of others with
whom He necessarily had to interact, and, until His majority,
interact with in an obedient and submissive way – even on those
numerous occasions where He was in the right and they were in the
wrong. This would have been difficult enough for anyone to bear,
but considering that He was aware of His status as the Son of God,
and that He had to prepare with every spare moment and ounce of
energy for what was to come, what for the rest of us would
constitute mere “daily” life must have been for Him a gauntlet which
intensified with every step forward. We often fail to appreciate
the sacrifice that becoming a human being and enduring with perfect
patience the years of waiting must have entailed for our Lord, even
as He had to take maximum advantage of every opportunity to prepare
for what would be the most incomparably difficult three and half
year experience any human being would ever know culminating in the
passion and the cross, especially since, being God, His existence
before the incarnation was blessed to an infinite degree:
2nd
Corinthians 8:9 NIV
Although our
Lord's parents, Mary His mother and Joseph His stepfather clearly
did not entirely “get it” as this story shows, yet our Lord “got it”
and yielded to them on this and without a doubt on many other
occasions as well, maintaining perfect obedience in spite of
ignorance, lack of appreciation, and downright opposition to His
necessary course of spiritual growth (Lk.2:40). But before we are
too hard on Mary and Joseph it is well to reflect that Jesus had the
best possible parents, and we would be most unlikely to do as well.
For we all say that we “know” that Jesus is our life, and
say that we
believe in the resurrection and eternal rewards as far more
important than anything this earthly life has to offer, and yet we
have a tendency to live life as if such were not the case. Mary and
Joseph had seen the demonstrations of Jesus' Messiahship at His
virgin birth and had undoubtedly seen many other amazing
things since, but even though on some level they believed (Lk.2:51;
cf. Lk.2:19), it is safe to say that, like His future disciples,
even daily contact with the One who had come into the world to save
it was insufficient to melt through our human preoccupation with the
world, given that Jesus' refulgent deity was shielded from their
view (cf. Mk.6:52; 8:17). This too would be part of the daily
challenge our Lord would have to face throughout His earthly life
(cf. Matt.17:17; Mk.9:19; Lk.9:41).
Isaiah 11:2
Matthew 12:17-18 NIV
John 3:34-35 (cf.
Jn.6:63)
Revelation 5:6
As we are told
at John 7:39, the universal baptism of the Spirit was a gift from
the Father to the victorious Son, and was thus not poured out upon
all believers until after the cross, beginning on the day of the
first post-cross Pentecost. But our Lord possessed the Spirit
“without measure” (Jn.3:34), being filled from the moment of His
birth – precisely as we believers all are now as well from the
moment of our new birth (for the descent of the Spirit upon our Lord
in visibly “bodily” fashion as a demonstration of His
Messiahship
see section I.5.h. below). Thus our Lord's astounding spiritual
growth was not due to anything to which He had some unique or secret
access. We too have the Spirit given in an unlimited way, for He
now dwells in all of us as well (Rom.8:9; 2Tim.2:1), and as a result
we possess the very “mind of Christ” (1Cor.2:16; i.e., the
indwelling of the Spirit illuminating the truth of scripture, all of
which is accessible to us if we are willing to pursue it). The
difference is that our Lord Jesus made perfect use of
this wonderful Helper to learn and to grow and to live in precisely
the way the Father desired, doing so perfectly at all times. For
in Jesus Christ alone this unlimited portion of the Spirit met with
perfect responsiveness.
Isaiah 53:1-2a
Every plant
sprung from seed must grow in the natural way, from small to large,
and without passing any step of growth along on the road to
maturation as it pushes up against the resistance of the soil
towards the light, drawing strength and size from that light. Our
Lord would later repeat this image in the parable of the Sower
wherein He told us how to grow, to provide good soil for our seed of
faith, to grow apace, to rise above the weeds of this life, ever
stretching outward and upward towards the light of the truth of the
Word of God. And as the prophecy about Him in Isaiah above makes
clear, He had already accomplished this very process Himself when He
taught this lesson, and had done so to a perfect degree – in spite
of the fact that in His case the earth was dry, an image which is
meant to convey in a very vivid way the deprivation and the
resistance with which the Messiah would have to cope
even as He was
accomplishing His historically exceptional course of spiritual
growth.
Isaiah 50:4-5
Herein we see
the Messiah's approach of complete dedication to the process of
learning the Word of God. Jesus' spiritual growth was an
every day commitment, engaged in the very first thing in the
morning every morning precisely because it was His top
priority. If this was true of our Lord, should we not adopt
a similar approach as best we can? And there is something else of
importance to note in these verses as well. When it says that our
Lord Jesus “did not refuse” and “did not turn back”, it should
remind us that spiritual growth is often not an entirely easy
process. Despite the fact that the Word of God is the sweetest
thing on earth, it still takes discipline and fortitude to take it
in consistently, and that is doubly so whenever our good application
of consistency in this regard is challenged, whenever we are under
pressures of various sorts that have a tendency to knock us off of
our “game”, and especially whenever the Word touches a nerve,
perhaps finding fault in an area where we have issues with our
present or past behavior (whether of commission or of omission) or
for whatever reason find some truth difficult to accept or to face.
The Word of God challenges us all, reproves us all, refines us all
like the flames of a crucible. Staying with it, continuing to “take
the heat” day in and day out, not merely listening, but learning,
believing, and applying what we know to be true, takes a deep level
of dedication to God. Not only did our Lord never shrink or sink
back (as is often the case with us where frequently we find
ourselves taking three steps forward and two back), but He pressed
forward each and every day regardless of circumstances, pressures,
and opposition (often preferring His communion with the Father to
His necessary sleep: cf. Matt.26:36-46; Lk.6:12-13; Heb.5:7-9), and
in so doing showed us the way toward the high upward calling of
drawing closer to God, pleasing Him, and becoming fit to do what it
is He has called us to do. When the time came to take up the most
difficult ministry in the history of the world, our Lord Jesus was
ready. We see in all of Jesus' words in the gospels the truth of
the statement quoted above that He knew “the right words [of truth]
to encourage the weary”. And because of His dedicated pattern of
growth, when the time came He was ready for the gauntlet that led to
the cross and even for what came after: the bearing and expiation
of the sins of all humanity, the pivot point of all history and the
means of our eternal life.
Psalm 1:1-2
Psalm 16:8
We cannot know
all the details but His conduct in the synagogue suggests that He
made maximum use of the availability of the scriptures in Nazareth
(cf. Lk.4:16-20), and He must have been ever present and ever
listening with intent concentration whenever the scriptures were
read until He possessed them in His human heart forever. Further,
we may expect that in His day to day conduct, Jesus' mind was never
idle but that He kept His heart ever focused on the truths of the
Word and the Word itself. Many passages of Old Testament scripture
reflect the Messiah's experiences, and one in particular, Psalm 119,
sets the tone for His course of spiritual growth as a young man (cf.
Ps.119:161 with Jn.15:25), for example . . .
As a result of
this complete dedication and unswervingly righteous approach, though
He had no extensive formal education, Jesus Christ was better versed
in the Bible by the time He began His earthly ministry than anyone
else who had ever lived, in fact, He was perfectly
versed in it. This confounded His adversaries who were at a loss to
explain His complete command of scripture which far exceeded their
own, even in the case of the “professional” ministers and scholars
(Jn.7:15; cf. Matt.13:54-56; Mk.6:3). It also explains what it
means when we are told that He taught “with authority”
(Matt.7:28-29; Mk.1:22-27; Lk.4:32-36). Possessing a perfect a
knowledge and a perfect understanding of the Bible and what it
really meant, and being taught by the Spirit, Jesus, a prophet in
His own right, the Prophet in fact (Deut.18:15 with
Jn.2:45; Acts 3:22-23), could say without hesitation or doubt or
reflection that everything He taught was truly from God.
John 7:16
Although truly
God and in full knowledge of that salient fact (Jn.5:18; Jn.14:9;
17:5), our Lord, who had humbled Himself to take on true humanity,
also humbled Himself continually during His years of preparation,
learning truth as we all must, through observation of the world (cf.
Jn.2:25 for our Lord's perspicacity regarding human nature),
diligent study of the scriptures, humble attention to direct
prophetic revelation, and a dedicated approach of applying the truth
He had learned and believed in a systematic way. If we wish to draw
closer to God, we cannot ask for a better example than our Lord of
the best way, indeed, the only way to proceed.
James 4:4-10
h. The
Formal Inauguration of His Ministry:
Luke 1:13-17 NIV
The purpose of
John's ministry as seen very clearly from the passage above was to
prepare the hearts of His countrymen for the Messiah's imminent
return (cf. Mal.3:1; Lk.1:76-77). John is the King's herald; Jesus
is the King Himself. Without any question, therefore, the purpose
for Jesus' baptism was entirely different from that of the baptism
of those in Israel who chose to repent at John's proclamation of the
Kingdom. They were sinners; Jesus is sinless. They were waiting
for the King; Jesus is the King. They were helpless without Him;
He was their help – and is ours today as well. Thus we can well
understand John's reluctance to baptize Jesus (Matt.3:14), while our
Lord's response “Allow [this] now. For it is appropriate for us [to
act] in this way in order to fulfill all righteousness” calls for
some comment. As John correctly discerned, Jesus did not have to be
baptized, for there was certainly no need for Him to indicate any
repentance, since He was sinless. Jesus' baptism is unique and
demonstrates His acceptance of the cross. For after others had gone
down into the water to symbolically wash away their sins, our Lord
went down into the same water to symbolically die for those sins, so
that His baptism represents His satisfying of the Father's righteous
requirements of salvation = “fulfilling all [God the Father's]
righteousness” (i.e., His righteous requirements that had to
be met in
order for salvation to be made available to mankind, namely, the
propitiation of all of our sins by the blood of Christ, His work on
the cross in dying [spiritually] in our place). Jesus' coming up
out of the water (a picture of His resurrection just as going under
is a picture of His spiritual death on our behalf) is accompanied by
the visible coming of the Holy Spirit as an indication both of the
fact that He is the Messiah (and indwelt with the Spirit from birth
as we have seen), but also as a picture of the gift of the Spirit
which He would be given to give in turn to us after His
glorification (Jn.7:39).
Hebrews 12:1-3
b)
Psychological Pressures:
In addition to being divine, our
Lord was (and is) a perfect human being – but He was even so a
true human being during all of His years here on earth,
and that meant He had, in addition to a physical body that
experienced fatigue, genuine human emotions that experienced the
entire range of what we feel, albeit without sin. Our Lord learned
early on how to control His feelings and how to interpret (in terms
of the truth of the Word of God) the events which affected them.
This does not mean, however, that He did not experience emotional
pain, for He certainly did (and at times He expressed it
righteously; e.g., Matt.17:17; Lk.22:48; etc.). Therefore we should
not in any way imagine that life was somehow unreal for our Lord,
that He didn't know the pressures of the heart that full often bear
down upon us much more heavily than any physical pressure ever
could. Indeed, the emotional pressures with which He had to deal
were not only more intense than the ones we have to confront; in
many instances they were unique to Him.
Isaiah 53:1-3
The gospels of
course are replete with examples of this pressure. Jesus, who
might have punished His enemies severely on many occasions,
consistently and perfectly bore up under the completely unwarranted
disdain with which He constantly had to contend. Indeed, on one
occasion when His disciples asked to bring about what they felt to
be a just retaliation for an exceptional slight, He roundly rebuked
them (Lk.9:51-55). Although fully recognizing His truly exalted
status, Jesus walked through this world in complete humility,
refusing to react to the opinions or expectations of others, and
taking into account only what the Father thought (where we would be
almost certain to react; compare Mk.15:5 with Ps.39:1-3). In this
our Lord showed us by example what it really means to “not be
conformed to this world but to be transformed by the renewing of
your thinking” (Rom.12:2).
John 6:60-66 NIV
Luke 13:34
As can be seen
from these and many other like passages, while our Lord expresses
honest disapproval of all failure to accept the truth, He never
allowed Himself to get overly or unreasonable frustrated with
negative response (of which there was much; cf. Ps.118:22; Is.49:4),
nor was He ever carried away by the superficial and transient
positive responses His ministry often engendered (cf. Lk.11:27-28;
Jn.6:15). For thousands would sing “Hosanna” in His Name, only to
turn away very soon thereafter and demand His crucifixion (compare
Jn.12:37 with Acts 1:15). Jesus knew well what was truly in man
(Jn.2:25), and never allowed human responsiveness or lack thereof to
affect His following of the course His Father had laid out for Him.
Matthew 26:37-38a
(cf. Mk.13:33-34)
This verse
records the crushing anxiety bearing down on our Lord hours before
His arrest and crucifixion, but the burden of anticipation of the
cross – the bearing of the sins of the world in the darkness more
than the trials and crucifixion itself – was one which He had to
bear His entire life. And while we may not properly understand the
pressure this coming crucible exerted upon Him daily (since after
all we can only dimly appreciate what it took and what it entailed
to be judged for sins of the world), the fact is that scripture
records this aspect of our Lord's first advent as significant
(cf.
Mk.10:38; Matt.16:21; Lk.9:22; 9:44; 13:32-33; 17:25; 18:31-34;
Jn.12:27).
Luke 12:49-50
Matthew 17:17
This passage is
exceptional because it is one of the few places where our Lord gives
vent to legitimate and righteous indignation. Yet, as in the case
of His legitimate, necessary, and mild reproofs to His earthly
mother (Lk.2:49; Jn.2:4; cf. Lk.11:27-28), this correct assessment
of the situation is followed by gracious and miraculous
intervention, true testimonies to the incredible patience of our
Lord, who on innumerable occasions had ample reason to react
adversely. Unlike the rest of us, however, our Lord's testing in
this area of self-restraint was indeed unique. For not only would
the temptation to angry reaction and summary action in response be
understandable in His case (since He was and is perfect, and as a
result was always dealing with others being “in the wrong”), but
also He was capable of commanding the powers of God to redress any
injustice, slight, offense or attack that might come His way. This
sort of behavior was not in the Fathers plan for the first advent
(cf. Lk.9:51-55; the second will be quite another matter), but since
Jesus had the power at His finger-tips, restraining Himself on this
score moment by moment day by day throughout His entire earthly life
was an accomplishment indeed (for which of us if invested with such
power could refrain completely from self-vindication for even a
single day?).
John 6:14-15 NIV
Akin to the need
to show perfect self-restraint in regard to rendering judgment was
the similar necessity not to be swept up in the popular enthusiasm
which came His way as a result of His miracles. Even Herod desired
to see Him because “he hoped to see him perform some miracle”
(Lk.23:8). Rather than craving celebrity as the rest of the human
race does almost without exception, our Lord eschewed it as the
passage above shows, and went to great lengths to avoid it as far as
He possibly could (Matt.8:4; 9:30-31; 12:16; 14:13-14; Mk.1:43-45;
3:20; 8:26; 9:30; Lk.4:42-44; 5:15-16; 5:19).(53)
For Jesus knew full well that the approbation of human beings is
about as stable as the wind; He was looking not for human approval
but to please His heavenly Father (e.g., Matt.26:42; Lk.11:2;
Jn.4:34; 5:30; 6:38).
Isaiah 42:1-2
c)
Supernatural Assaults: Though little recorded outside of the
temptation in the wilderness (treated above), and the devil's role
in orchestrating Judas' betrayal (covered below), the intensity of
demon opposition in the case of our Lord (and no doubt
countervailing action by elect angels), must have been the most
intense in world history. In short, our Lord Jesus met with stiff
resistance in every good thing He did – and everything He did was
good.
Luke 4:13 NIV
2)
The Teaching Ministry of Jesus Christ: The first thing to
note about the three and half year public ministry of our Lord is
that Jesus was always teaching. His life was a perfect model
to all who cared to notice then and still is for all who care to
read about Him today. Everything He did and said, whether set in a
formal teaching venue or not, was perfectly considered in order to
communicate God's truth in a flawless fashion.
Matthew 10:34-39
Jesus Christ
came to earth at precisely the right time, at the “conjunction of
the ages” (Heb.9:26; cf. Rom.5:6). His life and death, His person
and His work, His ministry and His cross are the very pivot around
which human history actually turns, for they are and He is “the plan
of God”. In His three and a half year earthly ministry, the Word of
truth Himself confronted the entire cosmos, the devil and his
world system, along with the worldly power structure of His day,
political and religious, head-on. In Jesus Christ, mankind saw the
offer of the Messiah, God in the flesh not as imagined in
self-serving human fantasy, but as He actually was and is, the power
of God, the grace of God, the love of God. The heavenly kingdom of
God which Jesus preached was not the worldly kingdom of earthly
power and glory most men either expected or desired. Given the
chance and the ability to reject Him, most did so in a clear and
emphatic way as the willing crucifixion of the Messiah demonstrates
so perspicuously. Thus, in the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ, we
see the plan and purpose of God fulfilled but also encapsulated.
For never was the choice of God's kingdom or the devil's more
pellucidly presented than in the offer of the Son Himself to the
world. With very few exceptions, the world rejected Him decisively,
even though He had come into it to save the entire world, and, at
the end of these precious few years, He died on the cross to make
that salvation a reality available to all mankind. Jesus' ministry
therefore demonstrates the nature of the choice that faces
everyone: face the truth and yield to, gratefully accepting the
mercy of God in Jesus Christ through faith, or ignore or reject it,
hardening the heart to serve Satan instead. For Jesus Christ
is the plan of God; He is the New Covenant
which was promised in the Old and replaces the Old by fulfilling it
every way through true sacrifice, the death of the Son on the cross
for all sin. Jesus Christ is God offering Himself to
us, providing us with eternal life without cost to us but at the
dearest possible cost to Himself, the death of His one and only Son
on our behalf. In Jesus Christ's earthly ministry, therefore, we
see most clearly this offer of eternal life being placed before
those who ought by rights to have appreciated it the most and
understood it the best, and, even so, most chose to harden their
hearts against Him and the truth of His words. Yet for those few
who did turn to Him and for all those who turn to Him today, the
purpose and plan of His ministry is ever being fulfilled, the
demonstration of the true power and wealth and glory of God in
opening up the life-gate to the invisible kingdom of heaven for all
who choose to enter it.
John 1:11-13
c)
Procedures and Reception: Although the procedures our Lord
employed for broadcasting the offer of eternal life through faith in
His Person and work were designed to reach the entire nation of
Israel, even so as mentioned above the response was far from
universally positive, and the faith of most of those who did respond
positively at first, like the seed sown on the rocks, withered away
at the first sign of trouble. But the one thing that Jesus'
generation could definitely not say is “we never heard
the message”. The personal ministry of Jesus Christ served to
present the Messiah to the nation and to offer Israel their king –
on God's terms (rather than in terms of human expectations). One of
the things the perfect presentation of the perfect ministry of the
perfect Son of God makes clear is that the issue of salvation for
humanity has nothing to do with God's provision of the
message. He provides for all who seek Him, and perfectly so. The
Israelites of Jesus' day were yearning for a Messiah, and were in
fact offered the Messiah, the message of His kingdom
being delivered personally and in a dramatic and perfect way. But
even so, few were willing to respond to God on God's terms and
accept Him. No other period of history, no other series of events
related by scripture, documents so clearly how the hardness of the
human heart is a matter of free will choice pure and simple, and how
that God's provision of salvation and the information about it, the
gospel, has therefore been perfect and perfectly designed in the
case of every human being who has ever lived. For God knows what
everyone truly thinks in their heart, and how everyone will respond
to the truth. Even the provision of the Truth Himself in this
awesome way did not result in salvation for those determined to
reject God and follow their own course instead.
Acts 26:25-26 NIV
Our Lord Jesus
made Himself and the message of the Kingdom available to the Jewish
people far and wide. He taught in their synagogues where they
gathered on the Sabbath day (Matt.4:23; 9:25; 12:9; 13:54; Mk.1:21;
1:39; 3:1; 6:2; Lk.4:15; 4:44; 6:6; 13:10; Jn.6:59), He taught in
the temple and made Himself and His message available during the
major festivals when Jews from throughout Judea, Galilee, and the
entire world came to worship at Jerusalem (Matt.26:55; Mk.14:49;
Lk.19:47; 21:37; 22:53; Jn.18:20; cf. Matt.21:14; 21:23; Mk.12:35;
Lk.20:1; Jn.7:14; 7:28). He taught in the cities and towns
(Matt.11:21-23; Lk.10:13-15), taught on the lakeshore (Matt.13:2;
Mk.4:1; Lk.5:3) and by the river Jordan (Jn.10:40-42; cf. Mk.10:1;
Lk.3:3; Jn.3:22-26), taught inside and outside (Mk.6:56; cf.
Mk.2:1-4), taught even in the wilderness whenever and wherever the
people gathered (Matt.4:25 - 5:2; Mk.6:32-34; Lk.9:10-11; cf.
Matt.14:13-14; 15:29-32; Mk.8:1-4). He filled up the countryside
and the city streets with the words of God's truth, and through the
spectacular nature of His ministry, the unmistakable power of both
His words and His miracles, in those few short years He made the
truth available to all who were in any way willing to hear it or
even to give it a brief consideration, as well as to those who chose
to reject it out of hand. For our Lord did not restrict Himself to
a single area or a single venue or a single method: He traveled and
strove and labored to the end of His strength to make the good news
of the Kingdom of God available to all:
Luke 4:42-44
KJV
As the Messiah,
the One sent to the nation Israel to fulfill the promise of her
coming King (and the prophecy of His rejection at her hands), His
ministry was primarily one of offering the Kingdom of God to His
fellow countrymen. But in spite of this, wherever worthy gentiles
were to be found, that is, those who “thirsted for righteousness”
and the truth of eternal life, our Lord made sure through the
guidance of the Spirit that they too were not denied, as can be seen
from the cases of . . .
Ephesians 2:19-21
As would also be
the case with the apostles, the synagogues throughout Judea and
Galilee were an important venue for our Lord's propagation of the
good news of the coming kingdom of God and the salvation that was
about to be provided to all through faith in Himself (Matt.4:23;
9:25; 12:9; 13:54; Mk.1:21; 1:39; 3:1; 6:2; Lk.4:15; 4:44; 6:6;
13:10; Jn.6:59). Since these “places of coming together” (the
meaning of the Greek word) were to be found in every major
community, with no distinction made between the people of God as is
the case with so many churches and denominations in our present day
(except of course for the distinction still operative at that time
between Jew and gentile), it was imperative for the message to be
disseminated in these formal local assemblies as much as it was
necessary to do so during the major collective assemblies in
Jerusalem. For by proclaiming the truth of salvation in local and
national gatherings, and in settings formal and informal, all excuse
was removed: no one alive and of age during Jesus' day will be able
to say at the judgment “but I didn't know”. In contrast to present
day Jewish practice and in great distinction to that of almost all
Christian churches, the synagogues of Jesus' day offered a prime
opportunity for addressing the local body of Israel whose custom it
was to gather twice every Sabbath (and often at least once during
the week as well), but without the presence of any formal teaching
or sermonizing (apart from the regular reading of the Law and the
Prophets). As Schürer remarks, “Strangely enough, [in the
synagogues of Jesus' day] no one was nominated to conduct worship
proper: the reading of the Scriptures, preaching and public prayer
were still performed by the members of the congregation themselves,
which accounts for Jesus (and Paul) being able to speak in various
synagogues . . .”(58)
Thus, unlike today, it was possible for our Lord and later for His
apostles to make at least an initial presentation of the truth
without prior vetting of their message by the ruler or elders of the
congregation. So while later rejection was possible (and typical),
no claim could be made of a lack of information.
Luke 4:15-21 NIV
Our Lord was of
course unique in every way, and one of the ways He gained a hearing
outside of the formal assembly of the synagogue for His unique
ministry was through His performing of miracles. Jesus' raising of
the dead, His curing of leprosy, His expulsion of all manner of
demons, His restoring of sight to the blind, His multiplication of
the loaves and the flesh, His turning of the water into wine – the
world would not be able to contain the books which could be written
about all the wonders He wrought (Jn.21:25)! Yet the performance of
such exceptional miracles was for Him problematic. For Jesus did
not seek His own glory but the glory of the One who sent Him
(Jn.7:18; 8:50; 8:54). He did not do miracles to call attention to
Himself, but only to gain a hearing for Word of God,
and in His perfection kept Himself from all arrogance and pride that
might attend such marvelous gifts were you or I in possession of
them. Thus His only desire in accomplishing these miraculous works
of healing and the like was the furtherance of the Father's plan,
giving authority to the message of the Kingdom with which He had
been entrusted (Matt.13:58; Mk.1:39). Therefore the celebrity and
enthusiasm which inevitably tended to accompany these dramatic
happenings had a great potential downside as well (as when those who
had eaten of the miraculously multiplied bread and fish wanted to
make Him king by force: Jn.6:15), so that on more than one occasion
our Lord instructed beneficiaries of His miracles not
to bruit abroad the wonders He had performed, precisely so that
over-ebullient false enthusiasm might not hamper His true purpose
(cf. Lk.8:56). Even so, we see clearly enough in the stark contrast
between the loud shouts of “Hosanna!” when He entered Jerusalem
before that last Passover and the roars of “Crucify him!” a few days
later the true value of celebrity-induced enthusiasm. Our Lord
understood this only too well (cf. Jn.2:25), and there is certainly
a lesson to be learned from this for all who minister the Word of
God: it is the Word received in the heart which is important; all
superficial expressions of response no matter how enthusiastic are
likely to be as ephemeral as the morning mist.
Matthew 5:18
Romans 10:4
So whether it be
the Law which foreshadowed Christ, the teachings of Jesus, the
incarnate Word, or the detailed exposition of the truth ministered
through the Spirit in the rest of the New Testament (cf. Jn.14:26;
15:26; 16:13-15), the message is one message, unified, indivisible,
unchanging, and complete, the words of God Himself which witness to
the Word, the audible proclamation of the truth and the only means
by which men can know the truth.(59)
Isaiah 50:4-5
John 7:16
John 8:38-40a
John 12:44-50
John 17:8
j.
The
Last Passover: The final year of our Lord's three and a half
year ministry is often referred to as “the year of opposition”,
since it was between the penultimate and final Passovers that our
Lord experienced a noticeable intensification of hostility from the
Judean political and religious ruling classes (i.e., the Sadducees
and the Pharisees). It should be noted that John was put to death
by Herod just before that penultimate Passover (Jn.11:55ff.),(60)
and that this event was one important factor in the increased
resistance to our Lord. For during his lifetime, even while in
prison for its final two years), John's “celebrity” served to run a
sort of “interference” on behalf of our Lord (Matt.11:10; Mk.1:2-3;
Lk.7:27), giving Jesus a freedom of action he would not have had
otherwise (since, without the “cover” John provided, He and His
ministry would have been the sole focus of the ire of the religious
establishment toward the spiritual revival then underway). A second
major factor in the intensification of the resistance was the
intensified nature of our Lord's ministry. It is no accident that
the bulk of the content of the gospels deals with this final year
(i.e., roughly speaking, everything from Matthew 10, Mark 5, Luke 9
and John 6 forward), and it is in this final year that the most
dramatic miracles take place (i.e., the feeding of the five and the
four thousand, walking on the water, the transfiguration, the
healing of the man born blind, the raising of Lazarus), and that the
widest and most obvious evangelism takes place on the part of Jesus'
disciples (i.e., the sending out of the twelve [at its inception]:
Matt.9:35-11:1; Mk.6:6-13; Lk.9:1-6; and of the seventy:
Lk.10:1-20). This period of the most intense and growing resistance
in the face of the most dramatic miracles and teaching on the part
of our Lord and his disciples serves to demonstrate the implacable
hostility of the world (in ultimate service to the present ruler of
the world, Satan) towards the truth: the clearer the truth is made,
the more threatening the source of truth is seen to be. Moreover,
the amazing events of that final year brought home vividly the truth
of Jesus' proclamation that “the Kingdom of God is near!”, a kingdom
of light which is destined to sweep away the kingdom of darkness to
which our Lord's opponents had given their allegiance, and whose
defeat they fearfully understood meant the loss of their exalted
positions (cf. the parable of the tenants: Matt.21:33-44;
Mk.12:1-11; Lk.20:9-18; cf. Matt.27:18; Mk.15:10; Lk.13:17):
Genesis 49:10-11 NIV
Zechariah 9:9
As our
Lord made His way down the descent from the Mount of Olives into the
Kidron valley and towards Jerusalem, the populace, many of whom
would soon be calling for His crucifixion, turned out to see the
prophet they hoped might be the conquering Messiah (cf. Matt.21:11),
strewing palm branches in His path (symbolic of the Millennial
Kingdom Messiah would bring)(65),
and singing a victory Psalm which indeed spoke of Him, but missing
entirely the symbolism even therein which spoke of the necessity for
the Messiah first to suffer and die for the sins of the world.
Psalm 118:19-27
Immediately upon entering Jerusalem that first day, our Lord went up
to the temple mount and swept the court of the gentiles clean of the
commercial enterprises that had turned the worship of God into a
human system of monetary transactions, exactly as He had also done
at the beginning of His earthly ministry (Matt.21:12-13;
Mk.11:15-18; Lk.19:45-48; cf. Jn.2:13-22). This is a striking foreshadowing of what will
happen in the Millennium (cf. Zech.14:21; Dan.12:10), and therefore
another prophetic sign of Jesus' Messiahship.
John 11:47-50 NIV
Shortly
following this conference, orders were given for informers to be
cultivated in order that Jesus might be arrested “on the sly” in
order to avoid any confrontation with the crowd (Jn.11:57: cf.
Matt.26:4; Mk.14:1). This explains why they were so “delighted”
when Judas responded to the appeal (Mk.14:11; Lk.22:5). For, once
armed with “inside information” about our Lord's whereabouts and
habits when not surrounded by the crowds, they were confident of
arresting Him without instigating a possible insurrection.
1st Corinthians
11:23-25 (Matt.26:26-29; Mk.14:22-25; Lk.22:15-20; cf.
Jn.6:51-59)
When they
had finished, Jesus and His disciples sang a hymn and went out into
the night toward the Mount of Olives and Gethsemane (Matt.26:30;
Mk.14:26). There in the garden our Lord offered up His last prayers
of preparation before the ordeal of ordeals He was about to endure.
The details of these prayers as recorded in John chapter 17 show
that our Lord was most concerned about His disciples – and about us
who would one day be so as well (Jn.17:6-26). The shorter versions
preserved by the synoptic writers are often misunderstood. Jesus'
request for the “cup” of the cross (cf. Matt.20:22; Mk.10:38) to be
taken away “if it be thy will” is made for our
benefit, not for His. Peter's previous protestations
(Matt.16:22-23; Mk.8:32-33; Lk.4:7-8) and many heresies since
necessitated that our Lord make very clear that this cup could
not be taken away – not if we were to be saved. The
unmistakable distress our Lord demonstrates is also for our benefit
and should be carefully contrasted with the remarkable coolness
under pressure He demonstrated throughout the trials and the torture
that preceded the crucifixion. For our Lord Jesus was anticipating
the death He was about to die for sin (Rom.6:10) in the darkness on
the cross, a weight of suffering we cannot even begin to comprehend
or imagine, and one which made the sufferings He would endure prior
to the redemption about to be achieved by this spiritual
death light affliction in comparison. This is the message of the
Gethsemane prayers, namely, to show us the necessity of Him going
through what He was about to go through if we were to have eternal
life, and to emphasize that it was His death for sin that would be
the truly impossible task He was about to make possible.
John 18:4-6 NIV
Matthew 26:51-54
(cf. Jn.18:11) NIV
Despite
the impending burden of the cross and the death for the sins of the
world He was about to endure, our Lord's actions and comments above
reveal His complete confidence in who He was, the Son of God
Himself. The mere mention of His deity caused the entire groups of
attackers to fall before Him, and but a word from Him was necessary
to summon an irresistible angelic force to His aid. But our Lord
was determined to die on our behalf, and nothing in this world could
dissuade Him from accomplishing the Father's will to our great and
eternal benefit.
Matthew 26:55-56 NIV
(cf. Mk.14:48-52; Lk.22:52-53)
Luke 22:37 NIV
The Seven
Trials of Christ:
In
biblical symbolism, while seven is the number of perfection and thus
the number of God (e.g., the seventh day, the Millennium, and the
seven Edens), six is the number of Man (i.e., created on the sixth
day and being incomplete without the addition of the One, Jesus
Christ). It is thus no accident that our Lord was made to undergo
six trials at the hands of human beings before being judged in the
darkness on the cross by the Father in our place.
In each of these trials, Jesus was irrefutably innocent but
nonetheless condemned, the perfect Lamb of sacrifice without spot or
blemish being condemned to death as a substitute for our sins. And
in each of the trials conducted by human agency, our Lord was not
only condemned but also abused physically and mentally.
Nonetheless, though we would be hard-pressed to endure any one such
of these six trials, for our Lord they were but a prelude designed
to demonstrate His mettle and His perfection before the trial of
trials began on the cross itself.
John 13:1 KJV
John 3:16
But short of
Satan's physically prevention of our Lord (something he was clearly
not allowed to do), nothing could stop Him from carrying out the
Father's will to the end, no matter how hard, how painful, how
emotionally or physically searing it proved to be, and not even when
what lay beyond the gauntlet of pain and humiliation was something
so incredibly impossible and horrifying that we are incapable of
even dimly understanding it this side of heaven – standing judgment
and dying for our sins, and for those of the entire world. In this
as in everything important, Jesus is our role model, and just as He
did, so we too are to carry our cross and do whatever God puts in
front of us. But we can rest assured that whatever this may be it
will never approach what Jesus went through, and that on the other
side of whatever gauntlet we may face, even if martyrdom be our lot
in the midst of the Great Tribulation to come, rather than
undergoing anything like the ultimate sacrifice made by our Lord, we
instead will be liberated from any further suffering and find
ourselves standing before Him there in the third heaven with a “well
done” for following Him and His example, “sharing the sufferings of
Christ” (1Pet.4:13; cf. Rom.8:17; 2Cor.1:5; Phil.3:10; Col.1:24).
Isaiah 52:13 - 53:12
Isaiah 50:6-7 KJV
Psalm 22:1
Psalm 22:6-21
Psalm 41:9 NIV
Psalm 55:12-14 NIV
Psalm 69:21 (cf.
vv.19-21; Matt.27:34; 27:48; Mk.15:23; 15:36; Lk.23:36; Jn.19:29)
Psalm 89:50-51 NIV
Psalm 118:22
Micah 5:1b
In addition to
the beating, spitting, mocking, lying, cursing, betrayal, rejection
and all of the other things He had to endure, it should be noted as
well that besides being a particularly painful form of execution,
the fact that our Lord was crucified (as opposed to being stoned to
death or beheaded), constituted a part of His humiliation as well.
For there was a certain amount of shame involved in this type of
death (cf. Heb.12:2), since it proclaimed the person in question as
being “under a curse” (Deut.21:23; Gal.3:13).
2nd Corinthians 5:21
Hebrews 11:26
Hebrews 12:1-3
Hebrews 13:13
1st Peter
2:24
But before the
ultimate trial of the crucifixion itself and the death for sin He
would die on our behalf in the darkness while hung on the cross, our
Lord, though completely innocent, would be made to undergo six prior
trials at the hands of sinful human beings, and be abused, rejected
and condemned by mere men for whom He was about to die.
Luke 22:70 NASB
The outcome of
this apparently very short trial was a rapid sentence of
condemnation, after which our Lord was led, bound, to the praetorium
or headquarters of the Roman governor (Matt.27:2).
Luke 23:2b
The idea that
they had only just now “come upon” our Lord acting in a criminal way
is designed to prejudice the entire proceeding (by removing any
suspicion of jealousy for one thing). “Misleading the people” is an
entirely generic charge and meant to give Pilate a reason to agree
in case he might be inclined to give them a blank check without
further ado. “Preventing the paying of taxes” is, of course, a
complete canard, for the command of our Lord to “render unto Caesar
what is Caesar's and unto God what is God's” had unquestionably
become very well known. Resentment over the paying of tax to
gentile occupiers and conspiring to avoid and resist such taxation
was actually a crime of which these men were likely to have been
guilty themselves. This second charge did, however, furnish Pilate
with an appropriate rationale for granting an execution in case he
were inclined to do so but not without at least a fig leaf of
respectability. Finally, almost as an afterthought, they include
the charge upon which the Sanhedrin had actually agreed: Jesus
claimed to be the Messiah.(73)
This was blasphemy in their unbelieving eyes, and they add the word
“king” by way of explanation, no doubt because they knew very well
that any claim of kingship as an alternative to Caesar, and
especially one which claimed a divine mandate, was likely to be
viewed as a traitorous threat by the Roman administration. They did
not, however, count on Pilate's seeing through and
dismissing the
first two charges out of hand and concentrating on the third.
Matthew 27:11; Mark
15:2; Luke 23:3; John 18:33
Matthew 27:11; Mark
15:2; Luke 23:3; John 18:37
Only John
records Jesus' more extended explanation. He is indeed a king, but
His kingdom is not of this world. He has come to testify to the
truth, not to replace any earthly rule (at this time). Pilate's
infamous answer, “What is truth” (Jn.18:38), indicates that he
understood quite clearly that our Lord was not instigating any sort
of earthly rebellion. As a result, Pilate's first and just verdict
was an easy one for him to render:
Luke 23:4 (cf. John
18:38)
But this verdict
was met with a vigorous appeal by the accusers against the
acquitted. Contrary to every standard of justice, Pilate allowed
this verbal onslaught to continue for some time and was “amazed”
that our Lord did not respond to any further charges (Matt.27:14;
Mk.15:5): Jesus had cooperated with all the prior legal process to
which He had been subjected despite its overwhelming unfairness.
But having been officially acquitted, He was not longer bound by any
standard of justice no matter how perverse to answer further, thus
giving Pilate no further avenue of approach (despite his attempt to
elicit one: “Don't you hear what terrible things they are accusing
you of?”; Matt.27:13; Mk.15:4). This explains why Pilate seized on
the fact that Jesus' ministry had begun in Galilee as soon as he was
apprised of that fact (Lk.23:5-7).
Luke 23:28-31
The second quote
from Hosea 10:8 is a prophecy of the response of the wicked and
unregenerate to the return of Messiah at His second advent. With
this quote and with these words our Lord shifts the focus of the
mourners from His circumstances to their own spiritual danger.
Within a few decades (A.D.
68), Jerusalem would be completely destroyed by the Romans without
doubt on account of her overall unwillingness to accept her
Messiah. No amount of mourning for Jesus' crucifixion would be able
to save Jerusalem from her fate, nor would this mourning save any of
the crowd who were also unwilling to believe in Jesus, accepting Him
as the Messiah, the one and only Son of God who was about to die for
their sins and for the sins of the entire world.
Matthew 27:35 NIV
Mark 15:24 NIV
Luke 23:33 NIV
John 19:18 NIV
What has always
struck this author about the actual description of the act of
nailing our Lord to the cross is that seems almost to be glossed
over by the gospel writers, especially in comparison to the
prominence it has been given in Christian art, literature and music
over the millennia. I believe that this fact alone should serve to
indicate to us that it is not the physical death our
Lord which is to be emphasized in considering His sacrifice on our
behalf. After all, as we shall see below, Jesus died physically by
voluntarily exhaling His spirit, not from exposure or shock or
trauma or any loss of blood. He lay down His own physical
life once His work on the cross in dying spiritually for us
had been accomplished. That “work”, that [spiritual] death, was to
be judged in our place, to stand judgment for the sins of the world
that the world might be saved through faith in Him.
Psalm 22:16-18
Isaiah 53:5 NIV
Zechariah 12:10