MPC
25th November 2018.November 25 - Hebrews 2:5-18 - "Fully Man, Fully God - Our Mediator"
MPC
25th November 2018.
Phil Campbell
Earlier this year the researcher Peter G Christenson put out the results of a computerised study that analysed the lyrics of top 40 pop songs in the last 50 years. To identify the themes.
I don't think anyone was surprised.
73% of them. Had love. As the major theme. Boy meets girl. Boy and girl fall in love. If it's a country song, boy breaks up with girl. And the dog dies.
Every now and then though, there's a pop song that breaks through. And talks about something different.
Like the Joan Osborne song you might remember from 1995 when it topped the charts around the world. By asking the question what if God was one of us.
If you're a certain vintage you'll probably remember it.
If God had a name what would it be?
And would you call it to His face?
A song full of questions. And not many answers.
What if God was one of us?
Just a stranger on the bus, trying to make his way home.
If God had a face... what would it look like?
And would you want to see?
If seeing meant you'd have to believe.
What if. God was one of us?
Of course the thing I always wanted to shout at the radio every time the song played was but God has become one of us. With everything that involves.
I mean, that's the claim of Christianity, anyway. That's the claim of Christmas.
And I apologise if you're thinking that November 25 is slightly too soon to embrace the spirit of Christmas, but as we head into the home stretch of the year, in these five Sundays leading up to the big day, we're going to dig deep into this most foundational Christian doctrine that's always been known by the Latin term the incarnation...
We're criticised as a church sometimes by people who say we're not a church that uses enough big Latin theological words. That we don't cover enough topical systematic theology.
Five weeks on the incarnation should help.
Because in answer to the song, since the earliest times, Christians have been convinced that God indeed was one of us.
That he had a name, and that name was Jesus of Nazareth. That he was. Just a stranger in a stable. Making his way like the rest of us. Fully human in every way. And yet fully God.
The word incarnation come from the Latin word caro; means flesh. And literally means make into flesh. Like a lot of technical theological words, incarnation is not a word you find in the bible. But it's drawn directly from the concept in John chapter 1 verse 14: "And the word was made flesh."
The same idea in Colossians 2 verse 9: "For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form... "
Funny. Incarnation is maybe not a word we use much these days, and yet we live in a world that's pretty comfortable with the idea of re-incarnation. Where you apparently get to come back as somebody else. Or in the Buddhist version, come back in the flesh of a rat if you haven't built up enough positive karma. Or likes on Instagram.
Incarnation. God. The eternal word. Becomes flesh. One of us.
Which was a thought that as it rippled through the first two or three centuries after he came created all kinds of discussion and debate and reflection. As people grappled with the implications. Asked the what if question. From every different angle. Trying to put words to what had happened. Which is where the practice of what we call theology comes from.
How. If God became one of us. Was God still God?
How. If Jesus had a genuine human nature... could he be divine?
How. If Jesus was in very nature God. Could he claim to be human?
On the 8th of October in the year 451, Christian leaders from all over the world met in Chalcedon. Which is now in the suburbs of Istanbul. To debate some of the issues. And there were teams.
The Arians argued that if Jesus was human he couldn't possibly be divine.
The Ebionites said he was just an ordinary man.
The Gnostics, and this was a strong view, argued Jesus was a spiritual being who was only pretending to be human. Because there's no way God would get his hands dirty. By becoming truly human. That there's no way. God would actually become one of us. In filthy flesh.
And so for three solid weeks they debated it. And in the end came out with a press release. A creed, that mainstream Christianity has agreed on ever since. That Jesus was indeed fully human. Which in no way detracts from the fact he's at the same time fully God.
That in Christ fully man; there's all the fullness of deity as well. The humanity not compromising the divinity. And the divinity not compromising the humanity. A fully human person. A fully God person. One person.
Which if you go back and read that stuff in detail which you can, starts to make your head hurt in about the first two sentences. as it should.
Because if it's true, this is the biggest thing that's ever happened. And ultimately, in terms of doctrine, in terms of theological understanding... that understanding hammered out at Chalcedon, that way grappling with what the bible says and trying to come to terms with it; it's still held in common even across the Roman Catholic/Protestant divide.
And so in the Westminster Confession of Faith that formed the Presbyterian church in 1646, you get the same kind of words. In Chapter 8.
ii. The Son of God, the second Person in the Trinity, being very and eternal God, of one substance, and equal with the Father, did, when the fullness of time was come, take upon him man's nature, with all the essential properties and common infirmities thereof; yet without sin: being conceived by he power of the Holy Ghost, in the womb of the Virgin Mary, of her substance. So that two whole, perfect, and distinct natures, the Godhead and the manhood, were inseparably joined together in one person, without conversion, composition, or confusion. Which person is very God and very man, yet one Christ, theonly Mediator between God and man.
So here we are. In the run up to Christmas. Asking the question in the song. what if. God was one of us. What difference would it make?
What if God actually did become one of us and he has become one of us in the incarnation of Jesus Christ; what's the point and the pay-off?
One key answer to that question is right there in the last line of that statement from the Westminster Confession of Faith.
That being in one person very God and very man; it means he's uniquely qualified to be mediator. To stand between God and us. As a bridge. As a go between.
Which is profoundly, whether you realise it or not, what humanity needs.
Take a look again at our passage. The final sentences. Hebrews 2 verses 17 and 18. Because it's a fundamental part of the puzzle in understanding why God became flesh in the first place. And why it had to be for real.
Hebrews 2. From verse 17.
17 For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, 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. 18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
If you think back through the section we read, maybe it sounded kind of complex. But the bottom line is, he had to become part of humanity to help humanity. To mediate for humanity. Because humanity has a problem.
Let's step back and pick up the detail.
It's a passage that opens as a reflection on an Old Testament psalm. Psalm 8, verses 4 to 6. Which is packaged as kind of a puzzle.
Because it's a Psalm that speaks so highly of humanity. In all our potential.
Donald Trump's slogan is make America great again.
The catch cry of Hebrews 2 in the light of the potential spelled out in the Psalm is make humanity great again.
Because the Psalm paints a picture of us; of humanity; over and above every created thing. And yet the reality is we're not.
It's the Psalm that starts and ends with the words, "Lord our Lord how majestic is your name in all the earth."
And then in the middle talks about the astonishing way God designed us... to be crowned with glory and honour. The way we've been made rulers over all the works of God's hands. That he's put everything. Under our feet. All of creation.
And yet I don't know if you've bumped into the fact yet; we're not the masters of every domain. If you still think you are, just wait a while. Until your sand-castle starts to crumble a bit.
Because the reality is, we're living in a world that since Genesis 3 has been fallen. Has been broken. a world where we saw a little while back at the start of the Ecclesiastes series that because we set out to take God's place and decide good and evil for ourselves; we're constantly faced with the consequences.
And so as Hebrews 2 verse 8 quotes Psalm 8 and says what is mankind that you've put everything under their feet, and that God in his original design left nothing that's not subject to the crowing glory of his creation; and you'll see there at the end of verse 8 the reality.
Yet at present we do not see everything subject to them.
We're broken. In every way you can think of. At present. Right now. The idea that everything is subject to us, we kid ourselves that it's true, and we swagger around as if it's true, and we want to think of ourselves as lords of the universe, or at least as Lord of the Lounge Room; and yet we're so easily brought undone. The smallest virus. a single cancer cell. One punch in Fortitude Valley on a Saturday night. One car coming out of your blind-spot. One investment that goes wrong. One bad business decision. Whatever it is. at present. We don't see everything subject to humanity.
But verse 9, we do see Jesus. Which means we've caught at least a glimpse. Of what true humanity is meant to look like. We've seen at least a glimpse of what it looks like when one man calms a storm with a word. When one man stares down illness. And broken-ness. And sin. And death.
Humanity as humanity was meant to be. And friends, it looks fantastic.
And especially the fact that he's tasted death himself. And then walked out of it. Just take a look at the rest of verse 9.
9 But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honour because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
And look, there's a string more Bible quotes. That make the point that God's intention is that Jesus in his full humanity reverses the curse. That Jesus brings many sons and daughters to glory. Verse 10. The glory we were intended for. By suffering in our place. By dying as our fully human sacrifice; and by sharing in our humanity and sharing in our experience of death and then in his humanity overcoming death. He's ultimately bringing everything under submission. Like it was always meant to be from the beginning. And bringing us along in that. As his brothers and sisters. Same family. Verse 11. Pick up in verse 14.
Here's why. God became one of us. Because the Devil who brought the first temptation constantly holds our failures over us; constantly keeps us in fear of judgement; constantly brings accusations against us; and Jesus says "I've taken the penalty for all that already." The Devil has thrown everything he's got at me. And nothing stuck. Not even death.
You might be thinking it's the God-ness of Jesus that's done all that. Hebrews 2 says the important thing is that he's done that in his full humanity. Which I think is mind blowing.
Read it yourself from verse 14.
14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death-that is, the devil- 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.
Look, it's no help to us if an angel dies for us. And then rises again. It's no help to us if a spirit being does that. What's death got to do with them?
But when Jesus as one of us takes on the power of death and wins, he really does break us free from being slaves to the fear of death.
Which brings us back to the verses we started with. From verse 16.
16 For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham's descendants. 17 For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, 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.
The mediator. Between God and man.
Fully God. Fully and completely and perfectly man.
Bridging the gap between creator and creation.
The High Priest; he's faithful. And more than that, merciful. Because he knows exactly what it's like to be us.
And ride the bus.
And get dirt under his fingernails.
And get hungry.
And catch a cold.
And feel the pull of temptation.
Which is why. He can help.
Take a look at verse 18. Because it's one of the first keys to understanding the beauty of the incarnation. What if. God could actually know what it meant to feel like you feel?
What if. God was one of us? Get a load of this.
18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
His suffering. Turns into our help.
So you think sometimes in the dark of night God can't know your struggles? That he can't relate to what it's like to carry the anxiety. Of what tomorrow's going to bring with a medical report. Or prognosis?
In the Garden of Gethsemane, God in the flesh... literally sweated blood. Cried out in desperation.
You think God can't know what it means to be hurt or injured? Or feel physical pain?
God incarnate has felt the welts on his skin from whips. The sensation of sharp thorns ripping through skin. The searing pain of iron nail. Hammering through flesh and bone.What it feels like to struggle for every breath.
You think God can't grieve like we do?
God as one of us; stood by the grave of his dead friend. And he wept. Real tears.
You think he doesn't know the struggle of temptation? Being tested? I mean, this is astonishing. He does!
You know, the docetists, a sect back in the third century... they said there's no way God would subject himself to that stuff. That the man Jesus only seemed to be divine while the spirit rested on him. But as he hung on the cross dying; the divine spirit left him. Because God wouldn't want to get his hands dirty. God's impassable, they said. God's not able to suffer or experience pain. God's beyond that.
Guess what. That's fully wrong. It misses the whole point. That God in the person of his Son became one of us. Exactly so he would get his hands dirty. As he wiped ours clean.
So here's a tip. When you're tempted. Remember. Jesus, because of his full humanity. Can actually help. That Jesus. Because of his full humanity. He knows what it's like. And because of that, he's able to stand between you and the father as mediator. And speak on your behalf. In your defence.
He's atoned for you in his death. And he'll stand for you before God. And stand with you in every struggle.
Our priest; our mediator. The God we can know.
The God who knows us. Which person is very God and very man, yet one Christ, the only Mediator between God and man.
Let's give thanks for that now.