Welcome to today's edition of the Weekend Sermon. I am happy to be able to post this sermon today, and I thank God that you are able to join me.
I want to start today by giving thanks to the Lord for allowing me to finally be accepted for a job. After looking for a long time and having little success, I was accepted for a position. It is only part-time, but with my writing income, I will be in better financial shape eventually. There are still one or two steps to go through for the job, but I am assured that they are formalities. I want to thank all of you who prayed for me about this situation. I am going to try to find more writing work. I am also still searching for more ministry opportunities, so keep me in your continued prayers.
Last week, I asked people to pray for countries where there were few Christians. This week, I would like our prayer focus in this regard to be for the nation of Gambia in western Africa. Only ten percent of the population is Christian. Let us pray for a move of God in this land.
In our last sermon time, I talked about the divinity of Jesus as recorded in the book of Hebrews. Jesus is the heir of all things. When we see Jesus, we have seen the Father. Jesus created all things, and He sustains all things by the word of His power. Jesus was the once for all sacrifice for our sins. When Jesus completed the work of redemption, He sat down at the right hand of the Father. From His position at the Father's right hand, Jesus serves as our advocate and High Priest.
Today, we will focus on the humanity of Jesus. If you read my book review on Wednesday, you know that I recommended an excellent book on this subject. There is great confusion on the entire idea of how Jesus was both fully divine and fully human. The book of Hebrews addresses this in chapter 1:4 -- chapter 2. We will look at this extensive passage today.
In keeping with the theme in Hebrews of the superiority of Jesus, the writer of Hebrews says that Jesus is greater than the angels. This is very important, and it has great relevance to us today. There are some groups who claim that Jesus was an angel who came down from Heaven in the appearance of a man. Some equate Jesus with the archangel Michael. The book of Hebrews makes it clear that this idea is totally false. Jesus was not an angel. He is superior to the angels. The writer of Hebrews lists several passages of Scripture taken from the Old Testament declaring the superiority of the Son to the angelic beings. One of these is stated in Hebrews 1:13 that says, "But to which of the angels has He said: Sit at my right hand, till I make your enemies your footstool." The answer is that God said this to no angels. He said it to Jesus.
The book of Hebrews does make it clear that Jesus was made a little lower than the angels for a time when He was on the earth. Hebrews 2:9 says, "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone."
This verse clearly puts to rest another heretical doctrine about the person of Jesus. Some claimed that Jesus was not human, He only appeared that way. They denied the humanity of Jesus while only claiming his divinity. Hebrews, I John and the Gospels clearly demonstrate that this idea is completely wrong.
Jesus was the God-Man. He was fully God and fully man. Jesus had to become a man in order to accomplish the work of redemption for us. Let me explain if I can. Jesus is called in Scripture the Second Adam. The first Adam was created and placed in the Garden of Eden. Adam failed the test that was given to him. Adam ate of the forbidden fruit and rebelled against God. As a result, all of the first Adam's descendents were born into sin apart from God and at enmity with God. Jesus is the Second Adam. He was born into this world, and He committed no sin. Jesus lived a holy, sinless life in perfect obedience to the Father in all things including death on the cross.
Jesus bore our sins in His body on the cross as the spotless Lamb of God who took away the sins of the world. He took our place and our punishment on Himself at Calvary. He then conquered over the consequences of sin which are death and hell when He rose from the dead to newness of life.
Those who put their faith and trust in the death and resurrection of Jesus, are placing themselves under the Second Adam. We are no longer identified with the first Adam who failed but with the Second Adam who is the firstborn of new creation.
While He was here on earth, Jesus suffered many of the things that we as humans suffer. Jesus knew what it was like to be a human being on this sin-filled planet. Because of this, Jesus is able to aid us in our sufferings. He is able to be the great High Priest who is touched with the feelings of our infirmities. We will study more about this when we look at the superiority of Christ's priesthood in a later message.
Because Jesus was faithful in carrying out the mission of redemption, Jesus has been highly exalted by the Father. The Apostle Paul tells us about this in the great section of Scripture found in Philippians 2:5-11 that says, "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Therefore, God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in Heaven and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
One day every one will worship Jesus Christ as King of King and Lord of Lords. May His name be praised. Jesus is greater than all. He is highly exalted. He is majestic, and His name is wonderful.
Now, here is the question. We see that Jesus is King and Lord. We see that He died and rose again to provide salvation. What will you do with that information. As the author of Hebrews says in 2:3, "How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation." Jesus is the Way. He is the only Way. Please, turn to Him. Receive His forgiveness and life today.
I know that it is hard to understand many of the ideas behind the divinity and the humanity of Jesus. If you would like to know more about this subject, I urge you to read the sections about Christology in Millard Erickson's Systematic Theology. This is a fine resource for all theological matters.
Next week, I will post a review on Wednesday. For the Weekend Sermon, we will see how Jesus is superior to Moses. May God bless you. Amen.
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