1. Jesus Christ had to be God
Only as God was Christ able to claim and redeemed the lives of every human being. He was and is the Word Who was in the beginning with God, and Who Himself was God, through whom all things were created, and without Him was nothing made that was made. He is the very image of the invisible God, the first born over all creation.
For by him all things were created; things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. God the Father was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross. But as God it was impossible for Him to die, so the next obvious chain of event had to occur.
2. God became flesh
The Word Who was God, and by whom all things were created, divested Himself of His glory and became flesh and made His dwelling among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
Since as God He could not die to pay the penalty of sin in man’s place which is death, He was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, that He by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.
For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the author of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
For both the One Who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers. He says; “I will declare Your name to my brothers; in the presence of the congregation I will sing your praise.” And again, “I will put my trust in Him.” And again He says, “Here am I, and the children God has given Me” (Hebrews 2:12-13).
Now since the children whom God has given Him have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death – that is the devil – and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. For this reason He had to be made like His brothers in every respect, in order that He might become a merciful and faithful High Priest in service to God, and that He might make atonement for the sins of the people.
He was tempted in all points as we are being tempted, but did not sin, and because He Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted. Because, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered: Thus, setting us an example that we should follow His steps.
3. Redemption through His blood
It should be an indisputable fact, that the law requires nearly everything be purified with blood: for without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. Therefore in order that our sins could be forgiven, it was imperative that Jesus Christ shed His blood. For the life of every creature is in the blood, and God has given it to make atonement for the soul on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life. It is through the process of these three inseparable chains of events that God the Father drew man to Christ, like He said; “But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.” He said this to show the kind of death He was going to die. (John 12:32-33).
It is also by a similar process that Christ draws man to the Father, for He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” The way to the Father is through the flesh of Jesus Christ, represented by the unleavened bread, the truth is Jesus Christ Himself, Who is the word of God and now officiating as our High Priest, and the life is the blood of Jesus Christ represented by the wine, for we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.
The apostle Paul stated it quite clearly when he wrote; "Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water" (Hebrews 10:19-22).
This is our only pass word to the throne of Grace, to the most holy place in the inner court. God has overlooked this time of ignorance and now commands all men everywhere to repent. It is time that professing Christians understand that the life which is in accordance to the Spirit is as literal and practical as that of living in accordance to the flesh.
Hence the reason we have been duly admonished saying, "And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness" (Romans 6:18-19).
Our ultimate goal is to be holy and to obtain everlasting life, which is not the same as eternal life. Eternal life is a gift from God, but everlasting life, or immortality is a reward which one has to work for. Therefore, he who sows to the flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit, will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.
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© 2017 by Lucius Joseph
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