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December 23, 2021 7:00 am
We needed a God man to be our mediator to bridge the gap. In essence, in guilt between us and God.
Christ, we needed a human sacrifice for sin that we were qualified to offer no one else was ever going to be qualified to offer Christ stepped into the gap. We welcome you again to the truth pulpit with Don Greene, founding pastor of truth, community church in Cincinnati, Ohio.
I am Bill Wright and were concluding our series, the most blessed birth. Don has part two of a message titled the reasons for Christ's humanity. Last time Don revealed the first two of four main reasons Christ came to be our mediator and a human sacrifice needed because we are hopeless sinners by birth only one who is fully human, can fulfill those qualifications. On today's program. Our teacher will provide two more reasons to have your Bible open as we join Pastor Don Greene now in the truthful chapter 2 it says. Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, since they share in humanity Christ himself, he himself likewise also partook of the saying he he shared in our humanity.
God the son took on human flesh, with the goal toward death.
It says that through death he might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil in my free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives for assuredly, he does not give help to angels.
Christ did not become an angel, so he wasn't coming to redeem fallen Angels came to redeem fallen men in the order of creation. That's amazing. In verse 17 it says therefore he had to be made like his brethren, in all things, so that he might become a merciful full and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people propitiation that he might offer a sacrifice that would satisfy the wrath of God against your sins and he took on human flesh in order to himself be that sacrifice the wonderful thing about Christ is he's the priest that offered the sacrifice and he was the sacrifice himself. He offered up himself. For your redemption and he had to be a man to do that and so we find that in Christ.
Why did he become a man.
What were the reasons for the humanity of Christ, we needed a God man to be our mediator to bridge the gap in essence in guilt between us and God. Christ did that we needed a human sacrifice for sin that we were qualified to offer no one else was ever going to be qualified to offer Christ stepped into the gap. Christ is the only one with the essence in the qualifications to be able to do that gladly stepped into the gap gladly offered that sacrifice on the cross.
Look at first Peter chapter 3 verse 18 where this idea of sacrifice and mediation. Although the words aren't used is present in this signature text about our Lord Jesus first Peter chapter 3 verse 18 for Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust substitution. In other words, so that he might bring us to God. Mediation he mediates he substituted for us.
He's he sees the most wonderful one ever. There is no one better than Christ in our estimation, there was no one higher in our affections than this one who did that for us now that's at the core of our redemption. Now we come to Christ. Now, those of us that are in Christ we have this remaining period of time. The life that the Lord gives us on earth and how are we then, to live where do we look to find our example will that brings us to the third aspect of the reasons for Christ's humanity. He came in part, to be our pattern for life to be our pattern for life point number three because Jesus was a man his life gives men who have been redeemed by him an example to follow. You are in first Peter turned to chapter 2 first Peter chapter 2 oldest barely touch on this will briefly bounce on this here because Jesus was a man his life gives you an example that you can follow. First Peter chapter 2 verse 21, for you have been called for this purpose. Since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in his steps.
An example for you to follow in his steps. Verse 22 who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in his mouth and while being reviled. He did not revile in return while suffering he uttered no threats, the captain, trusting himself to him who judges righteously gees us, who was a man responded to unjust mistreatment with patience and without retaliation. He entrusted his situation to his heavenly father and what Scripture is saying in a simple principal whose application and ramifications go everywhere says you look to Christ for your example you find yourself frustrated in your immediate earthly circumstances, you find people that are mistreating you, perhaps even in the most intimate of your relationships, you find others disappointing.
You with their actions with their words with their lives. I do alone illustrated not within my median household but people disappoint me, just like they disappoint you, and what are we to do with that when we encounter it in life becomes difficult. As a result, first of all, you look to Christ for your example you don't retaliate against those who personally wrong. You but here's the point that I want you to see. Above all else from this text and from this pattern. The pattern for Christ for you in those times of human disappointment that I know are so real and profound for some of you and this is really really immediate and the nature of life today for you. Look at the end of verse 23 as you feel afflicted is your waiting is things are working out on your timetable. Verse 23 what did Christ do that gives you the pattern for where you go where you respond to those things today.
He kept entrusting himself to him who judges righteously.
Christ in his earthly life in the midst of his affliction looked to his father and entrusted himself to his heavenly father. Beloved, do you understand do you see that that is your pattern as life is making you wait is life is being difficult as people are being difficult as circumstances are robbing you of your joy. Don't you see beloved the pattern of Christ.
As you look to that as you look to those things as you feel the weight of that affliction is to go to your father and say father you have loved me enough to send Christ father you are in perfect control of every circumstance.
Father, I know that you love me and I know that you intend good for me even though I don't feel it, or see how it could work out that way right now.
Father rather than collapsing in regret or frustration or anger or retaliating or striking out against those that have put me in this position of infliction father.
I'm just going to entrust myself to you. I know who you are. I know the citizens why Christ came.
I see that this is what Christ did in his earthly life he trusted you during the time of his affliction, father, that's exactly what I'm going to do. I trust you.
I submit to you.
I accept this affliction. I accept this disappointment. In this time that you've appointed for me and I am going to trust you that you will work this out in a way that pleases you and is good for me in your time and in the meantime. Father, I want you to know I'm content that Christ loves me and gave himself up for my soul.
I'm content to be reconciled to you. I'm grateful for that.
And that's enough to satisfy the longing of my heart. Now, beloved, that's kinda convicting. Isn't it the joy of that arrest and that the piece of that which is what our Lord deserves.
As is our response. I realize it's convicting to realize that that's not always the condition in which our heart operates.
What I want you to see today is that this is where you move from your sense of disappointment or discouragement and you move in this direction, Christ entrusted himself to the father during a time of earthly affliction.
God, that's what I want to do to. I want you, by the power of your spirit to move me into the living reality of what Christ did before me right right now as you do that beloved, as you do that there's a final thought. That is especially sweet and it is one that I understand it is so easy to fall short of this, you could you could be with me Christian you can be with me in all that I've said in these first three points I get I get the fact that Christ is my mediator. I get his substitute sacrifice. I get that. In the meantime is an example of trusting the father during my time of affliction and I said these four are all woven garment together that that clothe you, but here's what I want you to see. Here's what I want you to remember as we contemplate the table in just a few moments. Here's what I want you to think better yet, here's how God would have you think about his son in the midst of those afflictions that your trusting him for what your perspective on the way the Christ responds when you come to him like that you come to him confessing your sin, you come to him confessing that you've been dissatisfied with life. My own mind is convicting me as I say these things I'm preaching to myself. Now you're just listening in, except I am preaching to you. How are we to think the Christ receives us when we come like that and we come laying our guilty and trusting souls before him and say I want to move in the direction of of trust. I know of fallen short with what spirit with what attitude does Christ receive his people when they come to him like that. Don't trust your feelings on it because your feelings will tell you he still mad. He still angry release they might here's the fourth point. Why did Christ come in human flesh.
He came to be our sympathetic helper. He came to be our and I emphasize the word today are our sympathetic helper that he receives human sympathy and empathy in kindness and mercy with a sense of understanding and the desire to comfort you in the midst of it because Christ lived as a man, he can sympathize with your experiences of sorrow and frustration with the realities of life. Look at Hebrews chapter 2 again. Hebrews chapter 2 and you know some texts are familiar for a reason some text you go back to again and again because they're just so central because they're so foundational because they shape your worldview in a way that that flavors all of life. Those of you that have been under the weight of various kinds of affliction here the word of God right here in chapter 2, verse 18. For sense he himself was tempted in that which he has suffered. Christ was tempted Christ suffered what does that mean for you and me as we come to him trying to entrust ourselves in the midst of our weakness and affliction and sometimes failing often in the process of verse 18 means that he's able to come to the aid of those who are tempted, he has the ability to understand he has the ability to sympathize because he has been a man to he is lived in the midst of the contradiction of sinners against himself.
He was on the receiving end of hostility of rejection. He was on the receiving end of the dusty roads of Jerusalem was on the receiving end of the crown of thorns. He was on the receiving end of the spit. It was on the receiving end of the beating fests against him was on the receiving end of the mocking he knows better than us the fullness of what sin unleashes against those trying to live for God so he knows what it's like in his humanity. He felt the pain of that he felt the betrayal of Judas prophesied in the Psalms beforehand is you a man that I shared Brad with its betrayed me. Well, those of you that been betrayed. You have a sympathetic helper in Christ. He knows what that materials like and so what that means is when you come to him. He receives you in kindness. He receives you and mercy, he receives you with the perspective that that he himself has been there. He himself knows what that's like. He knows that that's difficult and therefore he receives you as a sympathetic friend. What a friend we have in Jesus all our griefs and sins to bear look at chapter 4 of Hebrews Hebrews chapter 410 so we picture ourselves in our in our frail fallen feeling humanity failing. As Christians coming to Christ, weary from the load weary of our own failure, weary of what the world is flat, inflicts upon us and we and we calm and we lay it out before Christ. What is his response verse 15 of Hebrews chapter 4.
We do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in all things as we are yet without sin, then the command the exhortation. Understand that this is more than just a general invitation to take or leave as you wish. This is the command of God for the comfort of your soul that we read here in verse 16.
This exhortation says.
Therefore, because Christ has been a man in his suffered. The reason for his humanity leads to this conclusion, therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Are you tempted today so was Christ. Are you suffering so did Christ. Are you in physical need, so was Christ.
Are you slandered so was Christ. Have you been betrayed by friends so was Christ. Is it a season of weeping in your life. There's been some serious loss in our congregation over the past year over year times and seasons of weeping. Are you weeping, so did Christ. Charles Spurgeon found comfort in the humanity of Christ when he said this in his exposition of Psalm 88 and I gone back to this text again and again and again in my own heart and in my own life. Realizing that the prince of preachers found in the humanity of Christ. That which comforted him in the midst of his affliction and depression.
Spurgeon had the humility to say this about himself.
He said this and I quote.
He said he who now feebly expounds these words knows within himself more than he would care to tell of inward anguish. This is Charles Spurgeon I know more about inward anguish and I would care to say, he said, continuing the quote he says it is an unspeakable consolation that our Lord Jesus knows this experience having with the exception of the sin of it, felt it all in Gethsemane when he was exceeding sorrowful, even unto death." You know, we don't say this tribally, and we don't say this in a flippant casual manner. We say this is an earnest summary of the teaching of Scripture that God would have you take and reflect and meditate on to be the strength and comfort and encouragement for you, even in the midst of the worst of your times. Jesus understands. Jesus cares Jesus will help. It's why he came. Now why would God bother.
Why would God bother.
Why not use his celestial foot. I speak in metaphor and hyperbole. Why not use his celestial foot and kick the earth like a soccer ball and kick it away for all of its manifest rebellion against him. Why bother because he is a God of love for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son so that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Why did Christ become a man know you came to be our mediator, or substitute sacrifice, he came to offer his life as an example to us. He came to be our sympathetic helper you probe just a little bit more to say but why, why, what's in it for him that he doesn't already have. Why that for sinners like you and me. Why because it's his nature to love his nature to sacrifice on behalf of his people. It's his nature to love and comfort those who are like sheep without a shepherd.
Two years.
Those of you in the midst of great affliction in Christ out of Christ. I invite you to come to the sympathetic one. Those of you not in Christ. I call upon you to repent of your sin and receive this gracious Savior. There is no justification anywhere in the universe.
In the course of infinity for any center to spurn an offer like that. There is nothing lacking in Christ there is no willingness lacking in Christ. He calls you to comment. He will receive you and save you. Why would you not do that and struggling Christian. I would just remind you, you know these things.
We've rehearsed them to realize that in Christ you have one, just as he receives you and you came to him in the first instance and cried out for mercy.
Knowing your center.
Now you find yourself having stumbled again. He hasn't changed his loving, gracious disposition is just the same.
You can come to him confessing your sin and know that he will receive you well. What a wonderful Savior bow together and prayers are young men come our father, we thank you that in Christ you've given us the fullness of your blessings. This Christ is one of us and he is near. We thank you for the goodness of Christ toward us. We thank you that we can trust him for all things in Jesus name we pray.
Amen. To summarize, Christ came to be our mediator, a sacrifice in our place. A pattern for our lives and a sympathetic helper but above all, our Lord came for all those reasons because it's his very nature to love us and sacrifice on our behalf. And so we wrapped up our series. The most blessed birth here on the truth pulpit and with Christmas upon us here once again is Don with his Christmas tidings. Well thank you Bill for this opportunity to just address everyone on the little more personal way.
Perhaps my friends. I know that the Christmas season has for a lot of us a lot of emotion. There's a lot of perhaps a little bit of artificial excitement to it. My prayer and my desire for you is that the true things. The real reasons behind the birth of Christ would become a living reality in your heart that you would understand that God in love sent his son to be the Savior of sinners just like you and that through simple faith in Christ to repentance from sin and faith in Christ you can receive a righteousness is a gift from God that satisfies what he requires. And you can live with him in heaven forever and ever. Despite your sins, Christ is a perfect Savior. For those who come to him by faith I ask you and love my friend, you know him like that. If so, rejoice. If not let this Christmas be the occasion of your birth. Thank you, Don, and friend. Remember also to visit the truth.
Pulpit.com where you can learn more about podcasts and free CDs of John's teaching on Bill right. Merry Christmas. See you next time on the truth pulpit