The Man Christ Jesus (part 10)

Our Father in heaven father, we thank you that we have the blessing the opportunity To study your word to see what it says about the incarnate Jesus Christ the second person of the Trinity. Come to earth taking on a second Nature a new nature an additional nature as a man father all the implications of that Lord we pray that you'd bless our time that we would come to love Jesus all the more as we study what he went through and How he lived life just as we do but without sin.

Lord bless our time in Christ's name. Amen. Well last week we were talking about the centrality of penal substitution. P E N A L Substitution and I wanted to just say something. I remember this years ago.

I don't know If you've heard this phrase before but the the death of Jesus the atonement of Jesus is Sufficient for all and Efficient for the elect you ever heard that Sufficient for all meaning the death of Jesus could have paid for the sins of an Infinite number of people on an infinite number of planets.

Is that true? And then the second part of it is. But it is efficient only for the elect. In other words, it only has an effect on those that God chose. Is that true? So both parts of it are true and yet I reject the statement.

Thank you. Thank you very much. Let's close in prayer. Why do I object to that? Why should you object to it? That's a better way of putting it. If you're thinking rightly, why would you object to it Bruce?

Go ahead get out on that limb and then saw it off behind you. I Agree with what you said. I Like to make it a little pithy er. Yes, Cory. Okay. So then the question is Cory asked would it be unfair for God the Father to punish Jesus?

For the sins of those who are going to hell because that's what we would be saying that he you know, it in effect It had enough value we could argue about that. But I I mean you guys are both dancing around the issue, which is this is the central issue.

What was? The purpose of the Atonement was the design of the Atonement was the design of the Atonement and here's the problem with that statement. It's sufficient for all. That is true, but it misses the point did God have any kind of plan When he sent Jesus into the world.

You know, did he say, you know, I'm just going to write a blank check. And we'll just see who cashes it. That's the problem. I have with that. It's you know, it's what our good friends the Four-point Calvinists.

I like to say that they're Calvinists. Four point seven five Calvinists with three and a half twists in the pike position, you know, they. It's an Olympic sport you should try it. But the point is was there a purpose, you know, so in Matthew 121.

Which pastor Mike? Taught on a little bit Friday night the concert when the Bible says that You shall name the Son Mary you shall name it or you shall name is you shall name the child Jesus. Because it is he who will do what?

Save his people from their sins not. Make it possible. For anyone who's willing to be saved so we get into you know. The purpose of the Atonement, but I I wanted to just bring that up because that particular phrase I just find it's it's not it doesn't sufficiently describe the design of the Atonement.

You know did God have a purpose the answer? Yes, and how do we know that? Well, we can go through Ephesians 1 we can go to a bunch of different places. But did God have a plan did the triune God Father Son and Spirit have a plan or were they just you know?

We'll just kind of see how it happens and the answer is you know, the the former the first one. So centrality of penal substitution penal substitution being this that Jesus Christ is our substitute and he took the penalty that we deserve.

I Think in life, that would be a wonderful thing, you know to have somebody else say I'll pay that traffic tickets. I'll do this. I'll do that. We don't get that. You know, you don't worry about it. I'll pay your credit card bills.

There there would have been several times in my life where I would have said rejoice, you know, that would be awesome. We talked about he died for our sins and he paid for our sins both of them. He actually paid the penalty.

And I mentioned this last week this I Hate to call him a a minister or a pastor this man. Hmm of the cloth I wish his name I wish he was referred to as Reverend. It always makes me feel good when people want to be called Reverend and they're false teachers.

I don't know why. Because I don't want to be known as Reverend for the record. It's because Reverend means Feared one and I'm like don't fear me, you know but this British Baptist said this he said The Fact is that the cross isn't a form of cosmic child abuse.

I talked about it a little bit last week and how he says what it really shows is How far God is willing to go to demonstrate his love for us? And I said, well, I think it really shows what? What does the death of Jesus show that God loves us?

Well, that's true. But what does it really demonstrate? He punishes sin it shows how much he hates in how much does he hate sin? Well, this is the price that has to be paid to redeem God's people from their sin so we talked about that Jesus came to destroy the works of Satan that he came to Destroy in essence sin.

We talked about the necessity of Jesus being fully man where said that nothing less than human flesh and blood could atone for sin and and Bring victory over Satan. Well, imagine, you know, the Old Testament is full of all these animal sacrifices and we read in Hebrews that the blood of bulls and Lambs or bulls and goats or whatever it is animals Could never atone for sin.

Well if we think about it this way in Genesis we are described as well when God says let us make man in our own Image so we are image bearers. That is we reflect God. He didn't say that about any other animal.

Not one. So when they're taking these other animals and sacrificing them, there's not a there's no soul there. They're not image bearers. There's no equality so they they were never intended to do anything but remind people of the severity of their sin the the cost of sin and the fact that sin would demand a blood sacrifice to pay but the the animals were just signs of Foreshadowing of the price that Jesus ultimately would pay and we talked about how God would basically take the the death of these animals and apply it to the sins of the Jews why it was kind of like on the Credit card plan the installment plan.

However, you want to look at it the Saints of old looked Toward the cross and they did the things that God commanded in faithfulness to him but they were saved not by the sacrifices not by their works, but by faith.

Christ as the Second Adam and the Meaning of Imputation

So we got to the point last week where we were talking about We're just wrapping up the section talking about how Jesus had to be human in order to succeed where Adam failed. We talked last week about Romans 5 1st Corinthians 15.

What are those chapters tell us Romans 5 1st Corinthians 15, what do they have in common? There's a theme there. Through one. You guys are really on top of it through one man. Okay through Adam. Sin came into the world all the human race is plunged into sin and the ultimate outcome which is death.

Then God sends Jesus who's also known as the second Adam. That's a D a .m. And not a t .o .m. Sends the second. Well, you know, sometimes my enunciation may not be all that great. The second Adam. To undo.

What the first Adam did to make things right and he had to be a man. To do that where it says Christ had to be human in order for this imputation of our sin imputation being God accounts or reckons our sin to Jesus.

That's one imputation. The other one is Jesus or His righteousness being imputed to us, right. If he were divine where it continues if he were divine only God. It is inconceivable and impossible that our sin would be imputed to him.

Why if Jesus was only God and not man. Why would it be impossible for our sin to be accounted to him? Well because he wouldn't be the second Adam and because He couldn't be God. That's kind of a disqualifier for God to have sin.

I kid, you know as we heard this morning for those of you who weren't there in the first hour God is holy. Holy. Holy separate from sin can't be tainted by sin. So whereas how could his eternal sinless and holy nature take on sin?

He couldn't so his humanity had to. The imputation could not have taken place unless Jesus was fully human, but he also could not have paid the natural consequence of our sin. What's the natural consequence of our sin.

What happens because we are sinners who sin? We die. The sentence is death and We know that from Romans 6 23 the death had to occur to Jesus for him to be our substitutionary propitiatory Sacrifice. And what is propitiatory class?

He turned his his wrath is satisfied right when God when it in Romans 3 it talks about his that Jesus is the propitiation for our sins. He's the satisfaction. God's wrath is satisfied by the death of Jesus Christ.

Let's turn to Romans or I'm sorry 1st Corinthians 15. We're gonna see this passage several times this morning. So Listen what I'm about to say. We're gonna look at this passage several times this morning.

So you might as well just turn there and we'll get it out of the way. That's what I was gonna say. I Need a better script writer. 1st Corinthians 15 verses 1 to 4 when somebody read that place verses 1 to 4.

1st Corinthians 15. Going once going twice sold to the front row. This is it's not just the heart of the gospel. This is the gospel. He says These things are primary importance. Where says this he says Christ died for our sins, which would be Impossible without his human nature, right?

Because God not only can he not be tainted by sin, but he cannot die. The sinless Son of God came in human form bore our sin in his body on the cross and died listen as a result. Why did he die because he bore sin?

Because he bore our sin in his humanity. It was the humanity of Jesus that was subject to death. And he writes and I think this is great and I would encourage you to do this when you think of the song and Can it be we like to sing that song?

It's a great song by Charles Wesley. He says. This is the sense in which we must sing the refrain from Charles Wesley's glorious hymn. And can it be That thou my God should die for me. Now just think about that line for a moment.

We must have in mind that this is true. But only because in this case God the Son has been joined with human nature. So that only the human nature of the God-man dies. That thou my God should die for me.

Well God doesn't die. The God-man the humanity of Jesus Christ is put to death. Jesus the second person Eternally of the Trinity doesn't cease to exist. There's no spiritual death for or there's no there's no end of existence for Jesus.

So he had to be fully Man to died and to take on our sin. And now we're going to get into the last section of the book which I entitled raised in other words resurrected reigning and returning in victory and thankfully He focuses on 1st Corinthians 15 1 2 4 so we're right there.

He says. Surely his resurrection is clearly related to his human nature. Now. These are just things that I don't We might think of but we don't think about them in the depth that where puts it. For he died in his humanity and was raised bodily from the dead his return.

His second coming is also related to his humanity. But what of his reign? And I think our tendency might be if we think about Jesus Christ ruling and reigning we say well, of course he's reigning because He's God.

But there's more to it than that and we're gonna see that this morning. First we'll talk about his resurrection. Where writes this he says is the humanity of Jesus that was raised from the dead and it is in the humanity of Jesus that He is exalted to the Father's right hand to reign over all and it will be in his humanity that he returns to earth.

Just as the disciples watched him go remember in Acts. He ascends and he says Yeah, you know he just goes up in heaven he's coming back the same way he tells him first let's look at the fact that he was raised from the dead which Where sites as proof of the here we go again with the big words efficacy.

Just means it was effective the efficacy of Jesus sacrifice. The proof of it is that he was raised from the dead. How do we know that Jesus Christ's death actually paid the price for our sins and The way that we know that it actually paid the price is he was raised from the dead.

Let me put it another way. Why is it that Christians do not go to hell? Why is it that Christians do not go to hell? Yes. 2nd Corinthians 529. Because Jesus our sin bearer, right. That's true. Other thoughts.

Okay, because. Okay, because there's no double jeopardy. The penalty of our sin is placed on Jesus as Janet was saying and so we don't go to hell because Jesus already paid it but listen to how. Where phrase is this?

Because I some people say, you know, if you're not gonna go to hell why is it. Well, it's because Jesus died for my sin. Okay, listen. Why does Paul insist in 1st Corinthians 15 17 that if Jesus is not raised from the dead?

We are still in our sins. Why does he insist on that? Let's look at 1st Corinthians 15 17 or somebody can read it because you guys are already there. 1st Corinthians 15 17. Cory. So it's not his death.

That keeps us out of hell, right? Well. It's his death that pays for our Sins, but how do we know that it's paid for our sins? Where goes on and he says sin presents us with a penalty right when the price for sin is death.

How would we ever come back to life? We can only do that by the power of God, but he talks about the power of sin. He talks about how it compels us. It urges us to do a variety of sins. Says we can resist it, but we cannot and here's a key word defeat it.

We of our own cannot defeat sin. We can't escape the penalty or the power of Sin, the penalty for sin is death and its power is death. Recurrent returning to verse 3 of 1st Corinthians 15. Where notes that Christ died for our sins he says if Christ died for our sins, he must conquer both the penalty and the power of sin if He paid the penalty for our sins.

What is the proof? He says if he remains in a grave dead, then the penalty of sin is still being paid if Jesus is still in the grave. The payment is not fully paid and he's still paying it. Unless payment has not been made fully.

The payment was not enough. It wasn't sufficient. He's still being punished for our sins by remaining in the grave. He is in the grasp of death. Thus death has not been defeated. Similarly if Jesus remains in the grave dead He has not defeated sin, but is still and it's not just he is he paying the penalty.

But he's also still in the power in the grasp of death. Where says the resurrection that is Jesus Christ being raised from the dead is the only way in Which the efficacy of Christ's atoning death for sin can be demonstrated in other words.

You want to know? That Jesus actually paid for sin that you're actually going to go to heaven that you're not going to go to hell the proof is the empty tomb. He must be raised from the dead to show that he has defeated both death and hell, you know when we say Death where is thy victory?

Grave where or vice versa grave where's I victory death? Where's I sting? The answer is they're gone. Why is that because Jesus Christ has removed that penalty? And he says we must realize again how critical it is that Jesus was fully human.

Just as God or his being deity Jesus being God Cannot die so God being God cannot be raised from the dead. In other words if he wasn't really actually physically dead then he couldn't be raised and we would have no Confirmation we would have no proof that our sins were paid for The penalty being fully paid the power being broken.

But because he is fully human and because he has been raised from the dead. So will those who are in Christ be raised from the dead look at verses 20 to 22 of first Corinthians 15? But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.

That's just a euphemism for dying for as by a man. There we go that man being Adam the first Adam came death by a man the second Adam Has come also the resurrection of the dead for as in Adam all die.

So in Christ shall all be made alive. Why is he the victor over death and over hell because he's been raised from the dead. Now let's talk about Jesus ruling in his humanity. This has some eschatological overtones some What theologians like to call already not yet?

Jesus is ruling and reigning but not as fully as he will be one day. Listen what where says he says it seems clear that one must conclude that he is reigning as a man. Who has won the right to rule over the world he has purchased and conquered.

And again, I think our first, you know, our kind of reflex is when we think of Jesus ruling and reigning we think well, of course he is he's God, but there's more to it than that. We're gonna see him develop this scripturally.

How could we say that the ever-existing second person of the Trinity has been granted Authority over the world or that he has been given the nation's as an inheritance. If we think about him being eternally God him being the creator.

Well, how does it how do these other scriptures come to be? Applied to him. Let's look at Psalm 2. Psalm 2 I think this one is really fascinating. I'm gonna read verses 5 to 9 then he will speak to them in his wrath and Terrify them in his fury.

This is the father saying this in his fury saying as for me I have set my king on Zion my holy hill. I will tell of the decree the Lord said to me you are my son. Today I have begotten you ask of me and I will make the nation's your heritage and the ends of the earth your possession.

You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. Now that's it's just interesting because when you look at that you go. Well, how is it possible that the creator of the universe?

Jesus Christ is the creator of everything the the father having created things through him. How is it that he is going to? Receive the nation's as a heritage and the ends of the earth as a possession.

How can we say of him that he has been begotten how are these things true and we think well, okay. What's the beginning? Maybe it's you know as a baby. Well, we'll talk about that in a moment. First I want to read Verses 1 to 4.

Would somebody read those please? Psalm 2 verses 1 to 4. Bruce so I mean essentially, you know when I start when we start talking about Psalm 2 I get kind of a Tower of Babel feel to me. You know, it's like all the nations are gonna get together and they're gonna send to the Most High only in this case.

They're not going to build a structure. They want to gather together and Rebel against God and what does he say? He laughs. It's like child, please. Why you know, what's his response and his response there was in verses 5 to 9.

He's gonna set up his own King who's gonna deal with these other people. So, what is this beginning today I have begotten you. Now where argues that it can't be an eternal begetting either in a Traditional theological sense that he is eternally begotten that he is eternally begotten of the Father that would be Orthodox or this other idea that there's a time where he goes from being the second person of the Trinity to being the second person the Trinity and the Son of God or Where also argues that it can't be at the time of the incarnation.

Today I have begotten you. He argues instead for a third time a third point in time the time of the resurrection and the Ascension. I just think I think this is very interesting. Listen what he says about Psalm 2 verse 9.

Jesus brings condemnation and destruction. Right, that's that's what happens. He gives him ask me of me and I will make the nation's your heritage in the ends of the earth your possession you shall Break them, you know, etc, etc.

He says where it says, but this was not. This was not true of the Son of the Eternal or True of the Son or as the Eternal Son in other words the second person of the Trinity who created the nations nor was it true of the Incarnate Son who came to save the nations.

Instead he argues he will come to those nations in judgments Executing the fury and anger of his father so the sonship. Today I've been got begotten you this begotten Situation here is not of his eternal sonship nor of his incarnate.

Excuse me sonship meaning when he was born as a baby but rather the sonship granted him as the risen ascended exalted and Reigning Lord of Lord King and King of Kings. Let's turn for a moment to Acts 13.

Because where says Paul affirms this very thing and I think this is a again in very interesting passage Acts 13 verses 30 to 33 Paul's preaching here and he says but God Raised him speaking of Jesus from the dead and For many days he appeared to those who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem.

Who are now his witnesses to the people? I? Mean that shades of the Great Commission there right verse 32 and we bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers. This he has fulfilled to us Their children by raising Jesus as also it is written in the second Psalm.

You are my son today. I have begotten you. How did he fulfill that? Today I have begotten you by raising him from the dead. Paul says. So that's a part of the argument that where I think said I think it's a pretty good argument and he says That the father makes the nations and inheritance of the son tells us what well, what does that tell us that the father?

Makes the nations of the world and inheritance to the son. What does that tell us about the father if I say? Okay, the son is inheriting what the father already has. He is. I mean that'd be difficult right for me to say, you know what?

I'm filling out my last will in Testament. And by the way, each of you is gonna be given a billion dollars in my last will in Testament. You know, you might all think oh, that's great. I can on the way for Steve to die.

I Wouldn't go out and borrow a billion dollars expecting to receive that or you know said about plotting my murder. You can only he can only give it as as an inheritance that which you have charge over.

And so the point where makes is he says listen Jesus was a creator. He set up everything but At a later time The father gives the son authority Over these nations he gives them as an inheritance. So there's a sense in which the son did not previously own them.

Well, what is that? It's the sense that in his humanity He didn't own them and we're gonna discover why we're going to discover why in a moment. But first notice that this father will have his victory he will be victorious over these rebels through his son and You'll notice if you just think about it this way Jesus said in John many times in other places that he came to do The father's will and this is another case where he's going to do the father's will and Psalm 9 You shall speaking father speaking to the son.

You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel and he's talking about of course His enemies those who have declared war against him. Well, when do you suppose that's going to happen, you know, the Old Testament talks about what the great and Terrible day of the Lord, you know the day of judgment the final day.

Well, let's look at Revelation 19 and See if this doesn't sound familiar to us Revelation 19 verses 15 to 19. See if there aren't images here that we can just readily see it right out of Psalm 2. Revelation 19 verses 15 to 19 and what somebody read that place?

It's not gonna end. Well, but you know, I think we lost our Pg -13 rating right when the birds were Eating all that flesh, sir. I Can't see that going very well. But this is a picture of The father having the victory that he wants deserves Putting down the rebellion of mankind through his son but notice also back to Psalm 2 That it's not like God just says, you know what I've had it with these people I'm going to judge them and it happens right.

Away, what does he do? Instead? He makes a plea at the end of Psalm 2. What does he say? Kiss the son. Kiss the son. Love him. Repent stop rebelling against God. Where says nevertheless that is second coming the fury of God's judgment is Manifest is shown as his son the one and very same son who died for the nation's Now takes up his sword and smites the nation in their ongoing Idolatry and rebellion against their creator.

God will have the victory in Psalm 2 and he's going to have it through his son who is going to he's their creator and now he's going to Smite he's going to judge the nation's. Where says now all of these observations are reflections on the reigning and ruling of the Triumphant son who is fully and truly human, right?

He's raised from the dead. Look at all the language there. Well, we read it on Revelation 19 on a horse, etc, etc. This is not Symbolic language. This is talking about a real battle that will take place and how he's going to smite them.

It is the human Jesus who who is given the nation's as his inheritance. The human Jesus who takes up the sword of judgment and the human Jesus who comes again To break those nations with a rod of iron.

Then he says marvel if you will that all of this is true of one who is fully and truly Human, although sent by the father and although possessing the divine nature. He nonetheless carries out his work in the power of the Spirit and does so as the man the second Adam Whom God made him to be.

I think that's so weighty. I mean, this is this is the perfect man. God empowers him and he does exactly what God has designed for him to do. Now the next Section he says talking about his authority. Jesus authority is granted in his humanity.

Let's look at Matthew 28. I briefly mentioned the Great Commission and now we're gonna read it very familiar passage Matthew 28 Verses 18 to 20 and Jesus came and said to them. All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations. Baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you and lo or and behold.

See I want to just Sorry and behold I am with you always to the end of the age. Well. What do we know about just from that passage there? What do we know about the authority of Jesus? It's been given to him which means Means a couple things.

He didn't have it and it was given to him obviously by another but by the father. And with that in mind, well, I'll just read quickly what where says then I want you to while I'm reading this. You can turn over to Luke for Luke chapter 4 Where it says as God Jesus cannot be given authority over heaven and earth for he possesses it.

So this is in his humanity. And he says that this particular Section of Luke is helpful to illustrate this. Luke chapter 4 verses 5 to 7. Talking about the temptation that he undertook With Satan and The devil took him Jesus and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time and he said to him To you I will give all this authority and their glory.

For it has been delivered to me and I give it to whom I will if you then will worship me. It will all be yours. Where did Satan get the authority over the nations? Given to him and he offers it what? To Jesus if there's one condition.

If you then will worship me it will all be yours. So follow this if somehow Jesus is there and Satan's there and he's trying to tempt him and he says something that. That Jesus knows he can't deliver if he doesn't have the actual authority to do that then Jesus would just say what you can't give me that.

Who died and made you in charge of everything? Something snappy like that. I'm sure. Or how about this? Excuse me, buddy, but you can't give me what is already mine, right? Everything's mine. I created everything.

Psalm 24. But Jesus doesn't challenge the authority of Satan to offer this. Instead he challenges the terms of the offer. What do I mean? Well, what's the term of the offer? He says Satan says, you know what if you want all that all this authority.

All you have to do is Worship me and I'll give it to you so Jesus response in verse 8 is You shall or you know, it is written. You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve. In other words?

I'm not gonna worship you. If that's your condition forget it. Where. Yeah, Charlie, I don't know if it was more satanic but There is a there is a sense in which Jesus is given well, and we'll get there he's given a He's elevated.

He's exalted. He's given new authority. You know, it has Satan been dethroned Completely. No, but he's been defeated so I mean there's a there's an I guess I was saying earlier. There's an already Jesus already ruling and reigning but it's not to the extent that he will be someday, you know.

And you say well, how is it that he's ruling and reigning since Satan's running the world? I Can't really quantify that for you. I could just say that it says That he's reigning and that his reign will be fuller and greater and complete later.

But I think certainly. You know was it more satanic back then right take. Well, I don't know about that but I will say this. Listen, listen to what where says he says but the pathway that the father designed for Jesus Receiving the nation's getting his inheritance was the pathway of the cross.

He must live a fully obedient life. Take upon himself the sin of the world and die a death of unspeakable torment and pain. Now listen to this part and this is this is the killer clause. All of this the cross everything could be avoided simply by bowing before Satan and receiving the nation's in a quick easy painless way.

And he concludes he says so. Yes, this was a real and forceful temptation. It's a shortcut. Listen, you don't have to go to the cross. You don't have to go through all that. I've got the authority I'm speaking, you know, of course in my role as Satan I've got the authority to give you the nation's.

I've got the authority to give you everything that the father's promised all you have to do is Worship me. All you have to do is sin. And that's what Jesus would not do. That's what he would not do but I mean imagine I mean, you know He may not have known everything at this point.

I I don't know of everything that was gonna happen. He knew it was not gonna be easy. He knew it was gonna be very difficult and very painful. Yes, Tom. Well, I I think he was always going to by the father.

I mean, that's the answer. That's the answer your question, you know. Did he did he think that Satan was just blowing smoke and that him I that he wouldn't fall through on the offer. Is that what you mean?

I mean, I think it's a. Well, I I you know, I would just say this to that. If we look at Jesus response. You know, he doesn't say you're lying. He doesn't say anything like that. He just says I'm not gonna worship you the condition that you're giving me.