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Topic: Why Jesus Christ Is Not Inferior
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Eden
unregistered
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posted
Howbeit, Jesus was not like humanity descended from sinful Adam. Jesus was instead like the first Adam before the first Adam sinned.
In history thus far, there have been only two such Adams thus far: the first Adam and the last Adam. Only two; not 6 billion.
So Jesus's "humanity" was special: a miraculous Holy Spirit implantation of a fertilized egg in the uterus of Mary (Miriam). Jesus did NOT come up through the earth line.
Jesus had to BYPASSS the earth line to avoid being contaminated by Mary's sin body. Which is why Jesus said, "I am from above, you are from below; I am from heaven, you are from earth".
love, Eden
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Zeena
Advanced Member
Member # 7223
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posted
![[clap2]](graemlins/clap2.gif) YAY JESUS!!!!
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Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
But I trust that ye shall know that we are not reprobates.
Posts: 749 | From: Toronto, Canada-EH! | Registered: Jun 2008
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Carol Swenson
Admin
Member # 6929
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posted
Why Jesus Christ Is Not Inferior Because Of His Humanity (Heb. 2:5-18)
The fact that angels are “ministering spirits” without human bodies would seem to give them an advantage over Jesus Christ who had a human body while He ministered on earth. (Today He has a glorified body that knows no limitations.) The writer gave four reasons that explain why our Lord’s humanity was neither a handicap nor a mark of inferiority.
His humanity enabled Him to regain man’s lost dominion (vv. 5-9).
The quotation here is from Psalm 8:4-6, and you will want to read that entire psalm carefully. When God created the first man and woman, He gave them dominion over His Creation (Gen. 1:26-31). David marveled that God would share His power and glory with feeble man! Man was created “a little lower than the angels” (and therefore inferior to them), but man was given privileges far higher than the angels. God never promised the angels that they would reign in “the world to come” (Heb. 2:5).
But we have a serious problem here, for it is obvious that man today is not exercising dominion over creation. Certainly man cannot control the fish, fowl, or animals. In fact, man has a hard time controlling himself! “But now we see not yet all things put under him” (Heb. 2:8).
“But we see Jesus!” (Heb. 2:9) He is God’s answer to man’s dilemma. Jesus Christ became man that He might suffer and die for man’s sin and restore the dominion that was lost because of sin. When our Lord was here on earth, He exercised that lost dominion. He had dominion over the fish (see Matt. 17:24-27; Luke 5:1-11; John 21:1-11), over the fowl (Luke 22:34, 60), and over the wild beasts (Mark 1:12-13), and the domesticated beasts (Mark 11:1-7). As the last Adam (1 Cor. 15:45), Jesus Christ regained man’s lost dominion. Today, everything is under His feet (Eph. 1:20-23).
Man was “crowned … with glory and honor” (Heb. 2:7, NASB), but he lost his crown and became the slave of sin. Jesus Christ has regained that “glory and honor” (Heb. 2:9), and believers today share His kingly dominion (Rev. 1:5-6). One day, when He establishes His kingdom, we shall reign with Him in glory and honor. Jesus Christ did all of this for us—for lost sinners—because of “the grace of God” (Heb. 2:9). If He had not become man, He could not have died and “taste[d] death [experienced death] for every man” (Heb. 2:9). It is true that angels cannot die; but it is also true that angels cannot save lost sinners and restore man’s lost dominion.
His humanity enabled Him to bring many sons to glory (vv. 10-13).
Christ is not only the Last Adam, but He is also the Captain of salvation. That word Captain literally means “pioneer—one who opens the way for others to follow.” Christ gave up His glory to become man. He regained His glory when He arose and ascended to heaven. Now He shares that glory with all who trust Him for salvation (John 17:22-24). He is bringing many sons and daughters to glory!
Christ is united to us, and we are united to Him: we are spiritually one. In fact, we are His “brethren” (Heb. 2:12). The writer quotes Psalm 22:22—a messianic psalm—in which Christ refers to His church as His brethren. This means we and the Son of God share the same nature and belong to the same family! What a marvel of God’s grace!
The writer of Hebrews also quoted Isaiah 8:17-18 from the LXX. The immediate reference, of course, is to the Prophet Isaiah and his unique sons who were given significant names (see Isa. 7:3; 8:1-4). But the ultimate reference is to Jesus Christ. Not only are believers His brethren, but we are also His children: “Behold I and the children which God hath given Me” (Heb. 2:13). If Jesus Christ had not come to earth and become man, He could not take us from earth to share in His glory. The Incarnation, Crucifixion, and Resurrection must go together. They all lead to glory.
One phrase in Hebrews 2:10 ought to be discussed before we move on: “Make the Captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.” This statement does not suggest that Jesus Christ was imperfect when He was here on earth. The word translated “perfect” means “complete, effective, adequate.” Jesus could not have become an adequate Saviour and High Priest had He not become Man and suffered and died.
His humanity enabled Him to disarm Satan and deliver us from death (vv. 14-16).
Angels cannot die. Jesus did not come to save angels (note Heb. 2:16); He came to save humans. This meant that He had to take on Himself flesh and blood and become a Man. Only then could He die and through His death defeat Satan. The word “destroy” does not mean “annihilate,” for it is obvious that Satan is still alive and busy. The word means “render inoperative, make of none effect.” Satan is not destroyed, but he is disarmed.
In what sense did Satan have the power of death? The final authority of death is in the hands of our God (Deut. 32:39; Matt. 10:28; Rev. 1:18). Satan can do only that which is permitted by God (Job 1:12; 2:6). But because Satan is the author of sin (John 8:44), and sin brings death (Rom. 6:23), in this sense Satan exercises power in the realm of death. Jesus called him a murderer (John 8:44). Satan uses the fear of death as a terrible weapon to gain control over the lives of people. His kingdom is one of darkness and death (Col. 1:13). We who trust in Jesus Christ have once and for all been delivered from Satan’s authority and from the terrible fear of death. The death, burial, and resurrection of Christ have given us victory! (1 Cor. 15:55-58)
Jesus Christ did not take on Himself the nature of angels in order to save the fallen angels (2 Peter 2:4; Rev. 12:7-9). Instead, He stooped lower than the angels to become Man! And not just “man” in general; but He became a Jew, a part of the “seed of Abraham” (Heb. 2:16). The Jews were a despised and hated race, and yet our Lord became a Jew.
His humanity enables Him to be a sympathetic High Priest to His people (vv. 17-18).
Being pure spirits who have never suffered, the angels cannot identify with us in our weaknesses and needs. But Jesus can! While He was here on earth, Jesus was “made like unto His brethren” in that He experienced the sinless infirmities of human nature. He knew what it was to be a helpless baby, a growing child, a maturing adolescent. He knew the experiences of weariness, hunger, and thirst (John 4:6-8). He knew what it was to be despised and rejected, to be lied about and falsely accused. He experienced physical suffering and death. All of this was a part of His “training” for His heavenly ministry as High Priest.
If you want an example of a man who was not a merciful and faithful high priest, then read the account about Eli (1 Sam. 2:27-36). Here was a high priest who did not even lead his own sons into a faithful walk with God. Eli even accused brokenhearted Hannah of being drunk! (1 Sam. 1:9-18)
Jesus Christ is both merciful and faithful: He is merciful toward people and faithful toward God. He can never fail in His priestly ministries. He made the necessary sacrifice for our sins so that we might be reconciled to God. He did not need to make a sacrifice for Himself, because He is sinless.
But what happens when we who have been saved are tempted to sin? He stands ready to help us! He was tempted when He was on earth, but no temptation ever conquered Him. Because He has defeated every enemy, He is able to give us the grace that we need to overcome temptation. The word “succour” (Heb. 2:18) literally means “to run to the cry of a child.” It means “to bring help when it is needed.” Angels are able to serve us (Heb. 1:14), but they are not able to succour us in our times of temptation. Only Jesus Christ can do that, and He can do it because He became a man and suffered and died.
It might be good at this point to explain the difference between our Lord’s ministry as High Priest and His ministry as Advocate (1 John 2:1). As our High Priest, our Lord is able to give us grace to keep us from sinning when we are tempted. If we do sin, then He as our Advocate represents us before the throne of God and forgives us when we sincerely confess our sins to Him (1 John 1:5-2:2). Both of these ministries are involved in His present work of intercession; and it is this intercessory ministry that is the guarantee of our eternal salvation (note that in Heb. 7:25 it is “to the uttermost”—i.e., eternally—and not “from the uttermost”).
As you review this section, you cannot help but be amazed at the grace and wisdom of God. From a human point of view, it would seem foolish for God to become Man; yet it was this very act of grace that made possible our salvation and all that goes with it. When Jesus Christ became Man, He did not become inferior to the angels, for in His human body He accomplished something that angels could never accomplish. At the same time, He made it possible for us to share in His glory!
He is not ashamed to call us His brothers and sisters.
Are we ashamed to call Him “Lord”?
(Wiersbe)
Posts: 6787 | From: Colorado | Registered: Dec 2007
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