Requirements For Sacrifice

All right, let's pray and we will get started Lord Jesus again as we open up your word.

We confess our complete need for you.

We need you for our life our breath our food our health.

And we also need you and your spirit to help us understand your word.

We ask that you would Humbly as as your servants, we humbly ask that you would send your spirit so that we

may rightly Understand what you have revealed in your word all of this to the praise of your glorious grace.

We ask in Jesus name.

Amen.

We are about to launch into a study of the book of

Leviticus and Leviticus is not a book that

modern Christians spend a lot of time in and it is one that they should be

spending a lot of time in the the the tie -ins back to Jesus are

profound the implications as it relates to the Lord's Supper

the sacrament of the altar again or profound and the way in which God

changes up his idioms in his phraseology in regards to what he will refer to as

food offerings the requirements for people to eat the Sacrifices that are offered in the

tabernacle which will eventually become the temple and then later in the book of Leviticus We'll see this in

chapters 21 and 22 God himself will refer to the flesh

of animals as bread.

Which is a very fascinating thing.

You just sit there you go.

What is he up to?

So this is a book that the ancient church when you read the church fathers the church fathers

spent a lot of time in this text and It really helped them flesh

out the concepts of types and shadows.

And there's a text I want to show you real quick that will begin to frame our study of this

book, which is one of the least.

It's a diamond in the rough as best way I can put it is that people are they they do not recognize?

Or understand the gem that we have but in Colossians chapter 2 I want to show you a passage

real quick that will help us frame this because so much of what we're gonna be dealing with is going to be

the Ceremonial laws in regards to the people of Israel and in Colossians chapter

2 We get this very interesting text

talking about the Levitical ceremonial Requirements festivals and feast days and

stuff like that Colossians 2 6 therefore let no one pass

judgment on you in questions of food and drink.

With regard to a festival or a new moon or a Shabbat Sabbath.

These are a shadow of the things to come but the substance belongs

to Christ.

So you've heard me say it many times Old Testament types.

Shadows substance Christ you can think of it another term for is

Tupas and anti -tupas types and anti types.

So in the Old Testament, we have all of these very.

Rich.

Types very rich shadows that you cannot properly understand apart

from Christ and you have to see how it all plays in.

That being the case as we get into the book of Leviticus we are going to be

looking at some very.

Bloody.

Gory.

Requirements there's going to be blood.

There's going to be burnt offerings.

There's going to be incense there's going it's just all of the substantial bells and

smells of Well Mosaic Covenant Judaism and all of

them are in one way or another pointing to Christ.

If you miss it, it just sounds like a bunch of Minutia, it

sounds like something that is just gonna trigger the people of PETA the people, you know.

People for the ethical treatment of animals and we're going to get into some kind of a weird Discussion now about

animal rights and things like this.

God Doesn't care about any of that in these senses.

Remember he's the creator.

So as we work our way through this what we're going to start with is We're going to look at the

terminus.

We're going to look at The book of Hebrews, we're going to start partway through chapter 6 and we're

going to note that when it comes to Priestly

activity that Jesus is our great high priest and in the

Levitical priesthood In order to be a priest you have to be a member of

a genetic descendant of Aaron.

That means you are of the tribe of Levi Jews today still keep track of who's related to Aaron if you know anybody

who's Jewish and their last name is Cohen.

You've heard of the Cohen brothers Cohen.

Cohen means priest.

So somebody with a last name of Cohen, that's just a simple easy way to remember.

You're a Levite.

Now all of that being said the Levitical priesthood is kaput.

It does not exist to this to this day it ended Almost 2 ,000 years ago.

Not quite 70 AD is when it was brought to an end.

Totally.

Stopped and you remember last week in our gospel text Jesus prophesied the destruction of the temple and

then Connects it to and kind of smooshes it with together with the end of the world and the Great Tribulation

That is still coming.

And we do find ourselves in tribulation even in this day.

But there's you'll note that the devil's little season is yeah is quite violent at the end.

But all that being said it's important for us to note this if Jesus is our priest.

How is he our priest?

Now for some of you this is going to be review.

For some of you this might be review and then kind of a deeper look in this there is a story

given in Scripture of a king of the tribe of Judah.

Who.

Attempted to do priestly duties.

Does anyone know the story off the top of their head?

Mm -hmm.

Nope, not Cora.

This is going to be in the times of the kings of Judah.

Let me do a little.

I did not create a tab for this ahead of time.

So let me do it this way.

The.

Person in question is Uzziah and If you

remember the the story and I think I want this one from 2nd Kings our second Chronicles.

Yeah, 2nd Chronicles 26 if you want to turn over there 2nd Chronicles.

26.

Now if you know the one of the famous chapters of The book of Isaiah in the king

that in the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord high and lifted up and the

train of his robe filled the temple and then he saw the Seraphim the burning ones crying

Kadosh kadosh kadosh.

Holy.

Holy.

Holy is the Lord God of Sabbath oath of armies.

However Uzziah is mentioned positively and negatively in

Scriptures in 2nd Chronicles 26.

Keep in mind Uzziah is a direct descendant of King David and Here's what it

says about him.

Let's look at his start all the people of Judah took Uzziah who was 16 years old made him

the king instead of his father Amaziah he built a lot Restored it to Judah

after the king slept with his father's.

Uzziah was 16 years old when he began to reign and he reigned for 52 years in Jerusalem.

His mother's name was Jekaliah of Jerusalem and he did what was right in the eyes of Yahweh.

According to all that his father Amaziah had done He set himself to seek God in the days of

Zechariah who instructed him in the fear of God.

And as long as he sought Yahweh God made him prosper.

As far as teachers go Zechariah is a man of note.

I mean you could not ask for a better Person to study the scriptures under at this

time than Zechariah and so, you know that he got off to a good start now starting in verse

6 and concluding with verse 15 we get some of the exploits of

King Uzziah in the early part of his reign and now it takes a very dark turn in

verse 16 when Uzziah was strong He grew proud to his destruction.

For he was unfaithful to Yahweh his God and he entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the

altar of incense.

Now.

We've read in Exodus that the it was the sons of Aaron who are the ones who were given to

burn the incense.

And so you'll note That despite the fact that Uzziah has been catechized

very well by Zechariah He is not staying within his limits and

you'll note his desire is to participate.

In.

The worship of Israel.

He has not asked for the privilege of going behind the veil to put the blood of the

of the sacrifice on the mercy seat at All.

That's not what he's asking.

He's merely asking for the privilege of actually taking for himself the privilege to offer Incense

which is offered several times a day and you know You think of the psalmist where he says let my prayers rise

before you as incense the lifting up of my hands as the evening Sacrifice and so you'll note

that on on a just a cursory look at this.

One could try to make the argument that King Uzziah was only seeking to

worship God.

But note he was doing so in a way that was forbidden by God because of his

lineage.

He is of the house of Judah.

You cannot offer these Even incense in the temple of the Lord.

Unless you are a consecrated and ordained Son of Levi put into the office

to do these priestly duties.

So what he's doing he can't do by virtue of several facts.

But most importantly he's of the tribe of Judah, which is where the king comes from.

So he grew strong to his destruction.

He was unfaithful to the Lord he entered the temple of Yahweh to burn incense on the altar of incense as

Uriah the priest went in after him with 80 priests of Yahweh who were men of valor and I

love the fact that here you've got these priests who are opposing the king and

Historically, especially in the ancient world in the ancient Near East those who would oppose a king

or a monarch Generally found their lives cut very short.

This would oftentimes be the last thing they ever did and so you'll note

then that the priests are Opposing the king at the risk of losing

their own life and God commends them by calling them men of valor.

They withstood King Uzziah they said to him it is not for you Uzziah

to burn incense to Yahweh.

But for the priests the sons of Aaron who are consecrated to burn incense Go out of the

sanctuary for you have done wrong and it will bring you no honor from Yahweh Elohim.

Then Uzziah was angry.

Now he had a censer in his hand to burn incense and When he became angry with the priest leprosy broke

out on his forehead in the presence of the priests in the house of Yahweh by the altar of incense.

Nazariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him and behold he was leprous in his forehead

and they rushed him out quickly and he himself hurried to go out because Yahweh had struck him and

King Uzziah was a leper to the day of his death and being a leper.

He lived in a separate house for he was excluded from the house of Yahweh and Jotham.

His son was over the king's household governing the people of the land.

Pretty severe punishment.

He's lucky to actually be alive.

But he's a leper the rest of his life, which means nobody can come into his presence without becoming ceremonially unclean.

This leprosy forbids him then keeps him from Participating in the worship

life of Israel for the rest of his life.

So he is from the tribe of Judah.

He cannot do the priestly functions.

How is it then that Jesus Christ?

Who is a direct descendant of David he is the lion of the tribe of Judah.

How is it that he is our priest?

Different priesthood.

Yeah.

Malky's the deck, correct.

Yeah, so this is where we got to pay attention to this.

So the Aaronic priesthood is type in shadow and It's pointing to the true

priesthood, which is Christ now.

We talked about this up, you know, maybe six eight weeks ago that there is this strange doctrine that

that runs around.

Out in.

Evangelicalism today and and Don Conveyed at the time that he had heard that recently on the radio this

idea that when Jesus is bleeding on the cross.

That somehow some of his blood trickled down from the cross into a crevice,

you know on the hill of Golgotha and hidden underneath the Cross

on Golgotha was the actual Ark of the Covenant and his blood touched the mercy seat.

No, no text says that.

I know.

You.

Tom's like Yeah, no that that's an actual popular

teaching.

But that that's not true at all.

So in reviewing all of this we have to keep in mind the fulfillment and I know again some for some

of you.

This is going to be review.

But I'm trying to provide a little bit more of an expanded look at this review as we consider then.

The fact that Jesus Christ is our high priest and he serves his priestly functions.

And we noted this in the book of Exodus.

He serves his priestly functions not in the tabernacle.

Not in the temple in Jerusalem.

And the reason we noted this when we were working our way through the book of Exodus is Specifically because the tabernacle and

the temple were copies.

They were not the real.

Thing.

The real thing is in heaven and so now we'll consider his priesthood and Again,

consider the appearance of this strange fellow in Scripture.

So.

That being said Hebrews 6 will start in

verse 13 and Slowly work our way back through it.

Get this as a kind of head of steam as we get into the book of Leviticus.

When God made a promise to Abraham since he had no one greater to buy whom to swear He swore by himself saying

surely I will bless you and multiply you and thus Abraham having patiently waited

obtained the promise.

For people swear by something greater than themselves and all their disputes and oath is final for

confirmation.

So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of

his purpose He guaranteed it with an oath so that by two unchangeable things in which it is

impossible for God to lie.

We who have fled for refuge might have strong Encouragement to hold fast to the hope that is set before

us.

And so you'll note if you ever any of you seen like one of those movies like Bruce Almighty or Remember

George Burns in the movie Where he played God.

What is it called?

Oh God.

Yeah, I have a hard time with that name, but you know, there's always a throwaway line when when

God appears in a movie and God will make us promise and he says I swear by myself.

You know and everyone chuckles and thinks that's hilarious.

But the funny thing is is that that's actually what happens is that when God gives a promise There's no one greater that he can

to make an oath by so he makes an oath by his you know.

By his on his own name on his own authority.

There is no one greater and that's kind of the idea and then you'll note then that it is impossible for God to

lie.

And that when God makes these types of promises They're given so that we who have fled for refuge

into him to him that we might have strong Encouragement to hold fast to the hope that is set before

us.

And then you'll note that one of the Undercurrents major themes if you would of

the book of Hebrews is this idea that faith is confidence in God a

growing confidence growing encouragement that he will make good his promises.

And We live in a day where if you express confidence and certainty

in your own salvation in the death resurrection of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins

or if you are Confident enough to say that I am forgiven that Christ has

bled and died for me.

There are some who will hear that and say you are the most arrogant person on planet Earth.

Who do you think you are and.

I get it.

But the problem is is they've misidentified it.

We as Christians. We have no confidence in ourselves.

We have confidence in the promises of God.

We have confidence in the mercy of Christ.

And so you'll note that this is encouraged for us to do and when we speak thus when we speak in that

way with that Confidence and certainty and all this type of stuff people are gonna mishear it and think that you are

totally arrogant.

And you just sit there and go.

Yeah.

No.

No, I I don't have any confidence in me.

I'm the problem.

Jesus is the solution and I'm confident that he's the solution.

That's kind of the idea.

So That being said you'll note that it's right there in our text for us verse 19 we have this

as a sure and a steadfast anchor of the soul a Hope that enters into the

inner place behind the curtain.

We're kind of invited behind the curtain where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our

behalf.

Having become a high priest forever after the order of

Melchizedek.

Melchizedek.

All right.

Now we like I said, we've done this fairly recently.

So we remember Melchizedek after Abraham rescued Lot

and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah and the five kings that went against the four Melchizedek

shows up out of nowhere and Melchizedek is

the guy whom Abram tithed to.

He is the priest of God most high Melchizedek and

when he arrives, what were the two things that he had with him that were of note?

Bread and wine.

You're gonna be shocked how many those two things come together in the Old Testament bread wine

a priest that nobody has even heard of he makes a cameo appearance and then

Whoosh disappears and you'll note then that in the Psalms

Particularly, let me see if I can find this real quick Psalm 110, I believe

Psalm 110.

Yeah, here it is.

And you'll note this.

This is a this is a Psalm of David and it's a Messianic Psalm and I love this the interplay

here in the Hebrew of the you know.

And this is one of the reasons that actually this psalm is one of the reasons why I do not like the fact that our

English Bibles follow the tradition that was created by the Pharisees and

That tradition is is that when God's name appears we don't say his name We

say Lord instead but interesting thing in the Hebrew the Lord

Yahweh said to my.

Adonai.

Yahweh said to my Adonai I.

Know.

But.

Two different words.

So the first Lord capital L capital O capital R capital

D.

That is the name of God Yahweh.

The second Lord Adonai is What we think of when we think

of like a Lord or a master or a king or something like that.

And what's funny is we lose it.

We kind of lose the impact of what's being said here because Jesus himself quotes this psalm

against the Pharisees.

He quotes him against them.

You know, how is it the David says?

That the Lord said to my lord.

He uses this exact theology this phrase ology here.

So Yahweh says to my Adonai sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool.

We're dealing with Jesus Christ here.

So Yahweh sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter rules rule in the midst of your enemies.

Your people will offer themselves freely on the day of your power in Holy garments from the womb of the morning

the dew of your youth will be yours.

Yahweh has sworn and will not change his mind.

You are a priest forever after the order of

Melchizedek.

So, you know David prophesying regarding Christ.

This is clearly about him and This is kind of a fascinating.

Two words together, you know, it's hyphenated.

See if I can point this out to you.

It's hyphenated.

Melchi hyphen is a deck king of righteousness.

Melchizedek literally means the king of righteousness.

Right.

I wonder who that could be so he shows up in Genesis the king of righteousness and

it also just so happens that he's also the king of Salem the king of Shalom.

The king of peace.

We so you got the strange thing going on here.

And so you'll note then the prophecy of Psalm 110.

Is that the Messiah?

The Lord who Yahweh said sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool.

That he is a priest not according to Aaron, but he's a priest according to the order

of Melchizedek.

So Jesus has a different priesthood and the Aaronic priesthood all.

That time that it was up and running was pointing to Jesus's priesthood.

Chapter 7 of Hebrews.

This Melchizedek the king of Salem priest of the Most

High God met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and he blessed him and

to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything.

He talking about Melchizedek is first by translation of his name king

of righteousness.

Melchizedek and then he is also king of Shalom of Salem that

is the king of peace.

He is without father or mother or Genealogy

having neither beginning of days nor end of life.

But resembling the Son of God he continues as a priest for

ever.

Who does that sound like?

Hmm.

Hmm sounds a lot like Jesus.

Now.

It's from here that I want to launch into a slightly more complicated topic

and that is rightly understanding the incarnation of Christ and I

feel that this is Absolutely necessary to do a little bit more of an in -depth study yes at the beginning of our

introduction into the book of Leviticus because when we talk about Jesus

So many people have a false understanding of Christ that their

Christology if not Overtly heretical is coming really

scarily close to becoming heretical.

So when we say that Jesus is The son of David, what are we referring

to?

Say it louder.

Genealogy, okay, so he's the son of David.

Let's take a look at a text real quick and we'll come back to Hebrews 7 in a while.

But Romans chapter 1 consider what the Apostle Paul writes Verse 3 concerning

his son God's Son who was descended from David according to the flesh and

He was declared to be the Son of God in power According to the Spirit of Holiness by his

resurrection from the dead Jesus Christ our Lord.

So when we talk about Jesus Jesus is God

and he is man.

How many Jesus's are there?

One.

Now here's the analogy when any of us

Dies, it is the ripping apart of our body and our soul and

You'll note then that while we are alive We have both a soul and a body

and they interact with each other in a way.

That is so they interpenetrate in a way that there's only one of you.

There's not two of you.

There's one of you and So the body doesn't become the soul the soul doesn't become the body

but they are united in the one Person and I'll use the Greek word here hypostasis.

Into the one person that you are.

There's not two.

Maryland's Maryland the soul Maryland the body there is only Maryland the

person who is comprised of a body and a soul.

You with me so far now when it comes to Jesus Christ Jesus

Christ is one person and he has a full

human nature, which is going to include a body and a soul and

so it's important to note that he has a human soul and the divine nature come

together in the one person who is Jesus Christ and they interpenetrate in

such a way that there is only one person and yet There's not two of them.

There's only one of them and they do not become like a third substance.

Like if you were to take the color blue add it with the color yellow you gal get the color green.

So the idea here is is in the coming together in the incarnation.

There is one Lord Jesus Christ who is both God and man

which the the unity of the person is so complete that Nothing that

Jesus does and I mean that's not a single thing that he does.

Can he do apart from his divine nature?

Including blowing his nose combing his hair.

Brushing his teeth working with his dad in the carpenter's shop.

You kind of see what I'm saying here.

So everything that Jesus does he does by virtue of the fact that he is the one

person.

With two natures that make up that one person.

It's with me so far just like you have a body and a soul now there is a

very deadly teaching that is running rampant through evangelicalism today

and this teaching says that Jesus performed all of his

miracles by in one way or another laying aside his divinity and

All of the miracles that he performed he did by virtue of the fact that he was a man.

Who was indwelt by the Holy Spirit the same way we Christians are?

Now.

If you haven't heard this Chances are you will give it time.

This is like the heresy of the day that's running through the church right now and What

this doctrine does is it turns Jesus into and I mean this like the ultimate

example of what it looks like to be a spirit -filled charismatic Pentecostal Christian.

And By him being it showing us What's possible?

We are supposed to now operate in miracles the way he did.

But here's the issue can Jesus lay aside his divinity.

Did he lay aside his divinity.

No, and so here's where it's going to get interesting.

We're going to take a look at some passages in light of the fact that scripture reveals that in the one Lord

Jesus Christ There are two natures.

And you'll note then one of the things we know about God from what the Old Testament says about God is

that God is.

Unchangeable.

The.

Highfalutin theological phrase we use for God in that sense is then God is immutable.

God doesn't change.

God doesn't mutate God stays the same.

So the question then is is that when it comes to the virtue of the fact that you have the

divine in the human nature in the one person of Jesus Christ How then are the attributes of

each of those natures kind of distributed or work within you work with each each other.

So the best way to put it then is is that Jesus who has a divine nature the divine nature cannot change

so none of the attributes of the humanity that Christ has can be imputed to

the divine nature instead.

The human nature is the one that receives the benefits of being united with the divine.

Does that make sense?

So the the attributes of divinity they can be shared by the humanity.

But it doesn't go the opposite way just goes one way and so in that regard I want to show you

a couple of passages.

Because this has everything to do again with Melchizedek and we'll talk about this in a minute we're gonna look

at.

I Want John Chapter

to John chapter 2.

By the way.

If in order to disprove this idea that Jesus didn't do any of his miracles by virtue of his divinity.

How many vert how many?

Examples do you need to prove the whole thing bunk?

You just need one and this will be the one We're familiar with this one

on the third day.

There was a wedding at Cana in Galilee.

The mother of Jesus was there.

Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples.

When the wine ran out the mother of Jesus said to him they have no

wine.

And Jesus said to her woman What does this have to do with me?

My hour has not yet come.

His mother said to the servants do whatever he tells you now.

There were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification each holding 20 or 30

gallons.

Jesus said to the servants fill the jars with water.

They filled them up to the brim and he said to them now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.

So they took it.

When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine and did not know where it came

from.

Though the servants who had drawn the water knew the master of the feast called the bridegroom and said to him

Everyone serves the good wine first and when the people have drunk freely then the poor wine.

But you have kept the good wine until now this the first of his signs.

Jesus did at Cana in Galilee and manifested his glory

and his disciples believed in.

Him.

According to verse 11 who performed the miracle.

Jesus.

He did this in order to manifest whose glory His own it says his own.

He did this to manifest his own and As a result of him manifesting his

own glory by him performing this miracle the disciples believed in.

Him.

How was Jesus able?

To.

Take water and a lot of it and turn it into the best wine

ever.

He did this by virtue of his divine nature and.

This text is.

Unmistakably.

Clear.

Now in the incarnation then we have some strange things That happen as far as our

language is concerned.

I want you to take a look at Luke chapter 1.

Luke chapter 1 and We're gonna note the account of

when Mary who was pregnant at this point with Jesus comes to

visit Elizabeth and Here's what it

says and you'll note strange language here Luke 139 in those days Mary arose went with

haste into the hill country to a town in Judah.

She entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth and when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary the

baby leaped in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and She exclaimed with a loud cry.

So you're gonna note that what is going to come next is an ecstatic response.

Literally by virtue of the fact that the Holy Spirit had filled her so you can think of this as a prophetic utterance

on Her part.

Blessed are you among women?

Blessed is the fruit of your womb and why is it granted to me that the mother of my

Lord? Should come to me.

Does God have a mommy?

No, and Now yes.

You see you see how this is kind of interesting one of the ways in which you can detect an ancient heresy

the The ancient church came up with a phrase and they would refer to Mary as the

Theotokos the God -bearer.

And or you can say mother of God, you know, that's kind of how it gets translated today and we hear a phrase like that.

We go.

You know this this smacks of Roman Catholicism's false Mariology.

But it isn't.

So there's Jesus Christ as a fetus in the womb of

Mary and He is already.

Both.

God and man.

So when Mary gives birth in One sense you

can say Mary gave birth to God it's

incomplete.

Because she didn't give birth to God she gave birth to the God -man.

She gave birth to Jesus Christ who has both a human nature and a divine nature.

He's one person.

So you'll note then that there's strange language that occurs in scripture that if

you don't properly understand how the incarnation works and how within the one

man Jesus Christ There are two natures and they do not co -mingle in a way where they create a third

substance.

But they interpenetrate each other in such a way that you can literally say there's only one Jesus.

That that this is going on and now you can Elizabeth can say.

An ecstatic utterance under the unction of the Holy Spirit.

How is it that the mother of my Lord which is a term of deity?

Should come and visit me.

You see the Something's really changed here and it's important for us to see this

now another example.

Yes. Yes.

She she uses the word courios.

She uses the word curious, which is the Greek word.

This is not out and I this is curious.

Right and.

For a Jewish lady.

To refer to someone as her Lord in this sense is not talking about I

don't I.

It's actually goes back to the concept of Yahweh my Lord.

Yeah.

Mm

-hmm.

No, no, no, he had done he had done a single one

yet.

We don't know.

Yeah.

I said this this is this isn't all of the exegetes kind of work through this and have to Really struggle with it because

here's the thing it doesn't say we don't know if Jesus winked at her.

You don't know.

We don't know what's going on.

If we I kind of like to think of it in those terms because it doesn't say how she knows he's gonna do

something.

But she knows he's gonna do something and yet he says to her Gune woman,

you know, my time is not yet.

Come.

I almost think Jesus said woman. My time is not yet come.

Yeah, you know right he just do what he says, you know.

There's some kind of nonverbal communication going on here and we don't know if it's of the Holy Spirit.

We don't know if it's between mother and son, you know, and that's a tight connection, you know,

so We don't know.

We just we honestly have no we do not have the definitive answer.

We just know that she knew.

Yes.

Yes, exactly.

Now.

We're coming up on Advent and our church is already wonderfully decorated for the upcoming

Holiday season and so we will again hear the prophecies regarding Christ.

The Virgin shall conceive and give birth to a son and call his name.

What?

Emmanuel yeah, God with us and

That's who Jesus is.

He is God with us and Yet he's

also the son of David.

You see this is not an either or this is a both and and you can't mingle the two.

In fact, it's almost improper theologically to talk about Jesus in the

abstract by Kind of tearing up his his two natures.

You have to keep them together.

But you can note where the divinity clearly is having an impact on the

humanity.

You know that by virtue of the fact so we call that by the way the communication of the attributes.

So, you know Elizabeth says Why is it granted to me that the mother of my Lord?

Term of deity in this case should come to me which is a strange way to talk.

Now another passage I want to pull this one in while we're doing this is in John chapter 8

one of my favorite passages of Scripture and one that is ultimately very politically incorrect today

because Jesus is having a.

Heated discussion.

With the Pharisees and the Jews Let's just say that things are they're not getting along so well.

And so the dialogue is just a wee bit on the combative side.

Shall we say.

But Jesus does something here that also Clearly demonstrates kind of how in

the one Messiah in the one man Jesus Christ.

There are two natures at work and this is another example of where we can see Jesus is divinity

at work.

Which means he didn't lay it aside.

So we'll start.

In verse 31 Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him if you abide

in my word You are truly my disciples and you'll know the truth and the

truth will set you free.

Now.

When Jesus talks this way of his words Who's he sounding like?

God and Remember.

The Jews are a people of a book.

You know, they have the Torah the Nevi 'im.

They have the Ketchuvim.

They have history the writings the prophets the Torah.

The right, you know.

Right.

So they they're fully I on board with this concept of the Word of God and Jesus is talking about his words

in a way that is.

Well.

Getting them a little uncomfortable.

And so if you know my words, you are truly my disciples.

You'll know the truth and the truth will set you free set you free in the sense of you were slaves.

They immediately kind of jump on him at this point.

So they answered him.

We are the offspring of Abraham.

We've never been enslaved to anyone.

How is it that you say?

You will become free.

See that they're not buying it so Jesus answered truly truly I say to you Everyone who practices

sin is a slave to sin.

The slave does not remain in the house forever.

The Sun remains forever.

So if the Sun sets you free you will be free.

Indeed, I Know that you are the offspring of Abraham yet.

You seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you.

I speak of what I have seen with my father and you do what you have heard from your father.

So they answered him again, this is a fascinating interchange.

Abraham is our father.

Jesus said to them that Abraham is our father.

Jesus then said to them Well, if you were Abraham's children, you'd be doing the works that Abraham did.

But now that you seek to kill me a man who's told you the truth that I heard from God.

This is not what Abraham did.

You are doing the works your father did now a little bit of a note here.

Anyone find it a little bit odd that Jesus is talking about Abraham in such familiar

terms.

He's talking as if he knows Abraham like really well.

Yeah.

Yeah, at least.

Yeah, yeah.

Jesus did have dinner with Abraham at least once right.

But see here's the thing.

How old is the body of Jesus Christ at this point

30s?

Yeah, he's in his early 30s.

Has the physical body of Jesus Christ live long enough to have dinner with

Abraham.

No.

So, how is it the Jesus with his physical mouth?

Is speaking to these people as if he Knows Abraham.

The only way this is possible is by virtue of what's called the communication of the attributes the

divine nature in the one man.

Jesus Christ is Communicating to the human nature and the one person then is speaking

as if he knows Abraham.

Does that make sense?

So clearly Jesus is Speaking in a way that he could only speak by virtue of the fact that he

in the one person.

He is united with the divine nature as well.

And this is where it gets so interesting.

So they answered and so he said alright if you were Abraham's children.

You'd be doing the works that Abraham did.

Now they get a little upset.

So they said to him we were not born of sexual immorality.

We have one father even God Jesus said to them.

All right, if God were your father, you would love me for I came from God and I

am here.

I came not of my own accord, but he sent me.

Why do you not understand what I say?

Well, it's because you cannot bear to hear my word.

You are of your father the devil and your will is to do your father's desire.

Yeah, that's right.

Jesus actually said to them they were children of the devil.

Yeah, could you imagine social media would blow up on this, you know.

You think people hate Trump.

If this happened today, oh man, you know people would forget about Trump for a while.

All right.

So you are of your father the devil and your will is to do your father's desire.

He was a murderer from the beginning does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him.

And when he lies he speaks out of his own character.

He is a liar and the father of lies, but because I tell you the truth, you do not believe me.

So which of you convicts me of sin if I tell the truth, why do you not believe

me?

Whoever is of God hears the words of God.

The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.

And you'll note how Jesus now is talking about his words and God's words interchangeably.

So not you know.

There's practical synonyms and he's just woven them together in this last part as equals his words and

God's words are the same.

Now this does not go well for him.

So the Jews answered him are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and that you have a demon?

Why this is getting personal, right?

So Jesus answered I don't have a demon but I honor my father and you dishonor me.

Yet I do not seek my own glory.

There is one who seeks it and he is the judge truly truly.

I say to you if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.

So the Jews said to him now, we know that you have a demon.

Abraham died as did the prophets yet.

You say if anyone keeps my word He will never

taste death.

Are you greater than our father Abraham who died and the prophets

who died.

Who do you make yourself out to be legitimate question?

So Jesus answered if I glorify myself, my glory is nothing.

It is my father who glorifies me of whom you say he is our God.

But you have not known him and I know him.

If I were to say that I do not know him I would be a liar like you.

But I do know him and I keep his word.

Your father Abraham Rejoice that he would see my day.

He saw it and was glad.

Where's that in Genesis?

It ain't there.

That ain't in Genesis.

Where did Jesus get this information from his human nature

hasn't met Abraham and Here Jesus is giving straight -out information about Abraham.

That is extra biblical and Is quite personal and So now

the Jews capitalize on this.

So the Jews said you are not yet 50 years old and you've seen Abraham.

The light goes on.

There's just no there's no mistaking it.

Has the flesh of Christ seen Abraham?

No.

But has Jesus seen Abraham?

Yes.

So you can see here in this exchange Where there's information

attributes of the divinity that are shared with within the one man who is Christ so that

Jesus the God -man is speaking as if he knows Abraham.

You can see how the uniting of the two natures in the one person then is is interchanging.

And it's in the language I know this is complicated.

Is everyone's head blowing up.

Yes, and he's man.

Yes.

Yes, this is kind of demonstrating how in the incarnation the two natures

that make up the one Christ are Interacting with each other so that we don't end off

without the conclusion of this story.

So the Jews said to him you are not yet 50 years old yet You've seen Abraham.

And the answer is yeah, actually he has but not with his physical eyes.

Jesus said to them truly truly I say to you before Abraham was I.

Am.

And.

You're gonna note here.

It's unmistakable what Jesus is saying because he's invoking the divine name of God.

From the burning bush Moses is all alright.

So you want me to go and tell the people of Israel that?

God's gonna rescue from slavery and I'm supposed to go to Pharaoh and say let my people go

says Yahweh, right?

What's your name.

God.

And the name that God gives is I.

Am.

So you'll note before Abraham was I Am

but Jesus is not yet 50 years old.

How can he?

You see I'm saying it's just wonderful Christology, but you have to see it in light of the two natures that

are the one Christ.

You have a question.

All right.

Correct.

That's that's a succinct way of putting it.

Yeah.

Yes.

So this is where the cross -references are going to help them.

Okay, is that prior to the incarnation God does not have a body.

The Son of God does not have a body.

He appears in the form of a body.

Yeah.

He appears in the form of body.

But it is it is only it is only the divine nature that is appearing there.

The one man Christ does not appear in human history.

Until he is conceived in the womb of the Virgin.

Yeah, he's got real.

We'll talk about this more next week.

This was like chapter one.

There's more to discuss and believe it has everything to do with Leviticus.

But I want to make sure we get this milk is a deck fellow kind of sorted out which by the way come back now To our

text that we were looking at in Hebrews.

Let me find it real quick.

I guess I have to go back Hebrews 7.

And we'll kind of end here to kind of frame it.

Listen to this discussion about Melchizedek in his appearance and ask yourself.

Is this the God man or is this only the deity?

So watch for this Melchizedek King of Salem priest of the Most High God met Abraham returning from the

slaughter of the Kings blessed him.

And to him Abraham a portion a tenth of everything.

He is first by translation of his name king of righteousness.

He's also king of Salem.

That is king of peace.

He is without father or mother or genealogy having neither beginning of days nor end of life.

But resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever.

So you'll note then that will Melchizedek shows up.

All of the attributes that are described regarding Melchizedek in his appearance in Genesis are that he is

without father mother Genealogy neither having beginning in days or end of life.

That's the divinity and He resembles the Son of God.

But he is not yet God incarnate you see how that works.

He's the pre -incarnate Christ and emphasis on pre -incarnate.

Okay.

Right.

Right.

Yeah, all of the descriptors for Melchizedek.

No genealogy, no beginning of days.

No father mother.

That's all that's deity and.

Then we'll take a look at some other theophanies next week in the Old Testament to kind of flesh this out

pun intended.

So, all right, we'll leave it there.

All right.

Thanks.