Jesus: Up Close & Personal

(57) The Mercy Seat

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Berner) — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 04:19:00 +0000

God instructed Moses to construct a cover for the Ark of the Covenant. It is called the mercy seat or the atonement cover. It was made of solid gold and had two solid gold cheribim who stood over it, looking down on the cover, with their wings stretching across and touching each other.

The Tyndale Bible Dictionary explains that “The Hebrew word (kapporeth) is a term referring to the removal of wrath by the offering of a gift.” So, while the contents of the chest were a reminder of man’s sin and failure, the covering is a place of mercy, forgiveness, redemption.

The significance of the atonement cover is seen in glorious beauty on the annual Day of Atonement. John J. Parsons (www.hebrew4christians.com) writes:

The biblical name for the day of Atonement is Yorn Kippurim, meaning "the day of covering, canceling, pardon, reconciling” Yom Kippur was the only time when the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies and call upon the Name of YHVH [Yahweh] to offer blood sacrifice for the sins of the people. This "life for a life" principle is the foundation of the sacrificial system and marked the great day of intercession made by the High Priest on behalf of Israel.

On the Day of Atonement, the High Priest began by bathing and dressing in very basic linen garments. He would begin by offering a bull for himself and his family and would then sprinkle its blood on the Mercy Seat. He would then take two goats and cast lots to determine the role of each one in the next rituals. One goat would be chosen to be sacrificed for the atonement of the nation. The blood of this goat would then be taken into the Holy of Hollies and its blood was also sprinkled on the Mercy Seat, the atonement cover. Next, the High Priest would turn his attention to the second goat.

And Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the people of Israel, and all their transgressions, all their sins. And he shall put them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who is in readiness. The goat shall bear all their iniquities on itself to a remote area, and he shall let the goat go free in the wilderness. (Leviticus 16:21-22)

Do you see it? The high priest would place two hands on the head of the goat and confess the sins of the people. Then, the goat would be led outside the camp to a remote place, carrying the sins of the people outside the camp where the goat was released. The sins were now atoned for by the blood sprinkled on the Mercy Seat and also removed through by means of the scapegoat.

The Day of Atonement was a yearly reminder that sin must be atoned for. Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness (Heb. 9:22). The annual repetition of this sacrifice was a reminder that it was incomplete, only a shadow, pointing forward to the perfect and permanent sacrifice for sin. The scapegoat was a shadow looking forward with hope to the complete removal of sin. And Jesus is the real thing. Jesus is the fulfillment of hope.

For the law possesses a shadow of the good things to come but not the reality itself, and is therefore completely unable, by the same sacrifices offered continually, year after year, to perfect those who come to worship. 2For otherwise would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers would have been purified once for all and so have no further consciousness of sin? 3But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year after year. 4For the blood of bulls and goats cannot take away sins.

10By his will we have been made holy through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11And every priest stands day after day serving and offering the same sacrifices again and again– sacrifices that can never take away sins. 12But when this priest had offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13where he is now waiting until his enemies are made a footstool for his feet. 14For by one offering he has perfected for all time those who are made holy. 15And the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us, for after saying, 16"This is the covenant that I will establish with them after those days, says the Lord. I will put my laws on their hearts and I will inscribe them on their minds," 17then he says, "Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no longer." 18Now where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin. (Heb. 10:1-4, 10-18 NLT)

Jesus is the fulfillment of the Day of Atonement, the atoning sacrifice providing a complete and permanent covering for sin and the removal of sin. The Ark of the Covenant is a sobering reminder of sin a reminder of utter hopelessness. It is a reminder of man's continual failure. The Mercy Seat is a place of confident hope, a place of complete forgiveness. Jesus is the reality. Jesus is the fulfillment of hope.

To know Jesus up close and personal is to know complete and permanent forgiveness for all sins, no matter how great or how often repeated. That’s grace! That’s mercy! That’s Jesus, up close and personal. Far greater than all the models, all the portraits. More than wishful hoping. Reality!
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Next: (58) Jesus: The Passover Lamb - Introduction

(56) The Ark of the Covenant

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Berner) — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 14:16:00 +0000

Now, its time to enter the Most Holy Place or the Holy of Holies. We enter through a thick curtain or veil. Only the High Priest could enter into this sacred place and then, only once a year. It is a place of exclusive and unique fellowship with God. This is where the Ark of the Covenant sits representing the manifestation of God’s presence and glory.

The ark measures 45 inches long, 27 inches wide, and 27 inches high. It is made of acacia wood and overlaid with pure gold inside and out. It has gold molding around it, four gold feet with gold rings on the corners, and gold covered acacia poles passed through the rings for carrying the ark.

Three items were placed inside this chest. First, there was a jar of manna. Of course we remember that manna was the miraculous provision of God for the sustaining of Israel during their 40 years of wondering in the wilderness. This food was given to them after they complained against God saying they would rather have died in Egypt (Exodus 16). Later, they complained of their boredom with mana and desire for greater variety in their diet (Num. 11). So, the mana would be a lasting reminder of God’s gracious and miraculous provision. But it would also be a reminder of the people’s reoccurring sin of complaining and rebelling against God’s dealings with them.

The second item in the Ark of the Covenant was Aaron’s rod or walking stick that sprouted and produced almonds. Perhaps you remember the significance of this walking stick. Israel was questioning the authority of Moses and Aaron. It all began with one man who incited others to rebel.

One day Korah son of Izhar, a descendant of Kohath son of Levi, conspired with Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth, from the tribe of Reuben. 2They incited a rebellion against Moses, along with 250 other leaders of the community, all prominent members of the assembly. 3They united against Moses and Aaron and said, "You have gone too far! The whole community of Israel has been set apart by the LORD, and he is with all of us. What right do you have to act as though you are greater than the rest of the LORD's people?" (Numbers 16:1-3 NLT)

God had established the authority of Moses and Aaron. Now, the people were rebelling against God’s established authority. God killed the rebels but then there were more who questioned the authority of Moses and Aaron. So God told Moses to have each tribe bring a staff with their leader’s name carved into it. He placed these along with one representing Aaron in place of Levi in front of the Ark. The next morning, Aaron’s walking stick had budded, blossomed, and had almonds on it. God did this to confirm Aaron in His authority over the nation.

This stick, later placed inside the Ark of the covenant, reminded Israel of God’s leadership and guidance through Moses and Aaron. God always raised up leaders to lead his people. But, God’s people continually rebel against authority so Aaron’s staff also reminded the people of their sin of rebellion against God’s authority.

The last item placed in the chest was the stone tablets containing the ten commandments. They were not the whole of God’s law but were the core, representative laws on which the others were built. They were a reminder of God’s holiness, morality, and their sin. God’s people continually sinned against these commandments. Over and over, God confronted and rebuked the nation for disobedience and rebellion against His commandments. There would be times of repentance and revival but it was incomplete and short lived. After the exile, Nehemiah looked back over Israel’s history:

But they became disobedient and rebelled against You, And cast Your law behind their backs and killed Your prophets who had admonished them so that they might return to You, and they committed great blasphemies. (Neh. 9:26)

So, the Most Holy Place contains three reminders of man’s failure and sinfulness. First, we are reminded of the sins of complaining and discontent with God’s gracious provision and care in our lives. And aren’t we all often guilty of complaining and finding fault with how God chooses to provide for us, care for us, and orchestrate our lives?

Second, there was the reminder of rebellion against authority. This seems to be one of the most ingrained sins in our fallen nature. We don’t like to be told what to do. Who can claim innocense in this area of sin?

Third, there was the reminder of our many sins against the commands of God. If we felt like we might be off the hook with the first two, we certainly would be foolish to claim our perfect obedience to all God’s commands. The truth is every one of us disobey God many times each day if only in thought.

The ark of the covenant is a beautiful reminder of God’s faithfulness, provision, wisdom, authority, power, mercy, and grace in the lives of His people. But it is also a very sobering and grim reminder of our absolute failure in being faithful to Him. The ugliness and disgust of our sin is seen in glaring contrast against the glory and perfection of God. It is humbling. It hurts. But we need to honestly and intently look in the chest.

If the Ark of the Covenant only contained these three items, it would only be a place of complete despair and hopelessness. It would only be a place of condemnation; a reminder of what blocks man from fellowship with God. But there was a cover on the chest.

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Next: (57) The Mercy Seat

(55) The Altar of Incense

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Berner) — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 09:16:00 +0000

Directly ahead of us in the Tabernacle is the altar of incense just outside the entrance to the Holy of Holies. It is 1 ½ feet square and 3 feet high. It was also made of acacia wood and overlaid with gold. The priests burned incense on the altar every morning and evening, the same time that the daily burnt offerings were made.

This offering of incense was a visible representation of two vital aspects of relationship with God: prayer and worship. The incense was burned continually throughout the day and night as a pleasing aroma to the Lord. It was made of an equal part of four precious spices.

The Altar of Incense points forward to Jesus in two respects. First, it looks froward to Jesus’ high priestly work of interceding for believers in prayer. In the New Testament we see Jesus declaring to Peter that Satan is trying to destroy him but that He would pray for him (Luke 22:32). In John 17 we see Jesus praying for us that we would also be protected from the attacks of Satan (Jn. 17:15). And so, Paul can boldly say that believers are protected from any condemnation with the Father because Jesus stands as our intercessor, petitioning for us. Or, as John puts it, Jesus is our advocate, our defense attorney in the court of Heaven.

Who is the one who will condemn? Christ is the one who died (and more than that, he was raised), who is at the right hand of God, and who also is interceding for us. (Romans 8:34 NET)

But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous One. (1 John 2:1 NET)

Do you realize that as a believer, the only thing that can keep you from intimate fellowship with the God of glory is your own disinterest and refusal to approach Him? Someone might object to that bold statement and assert that our sin keeps us from fellowship with God. This is true, but at the instant we confess our sin, God is “faithful and just to forgive our sin (1 Jn. 1:9)” and our fellowship is renewed. And so we come back to the issue of refusal. Our fellowship is only broken when we refuse to confess our sins.

And so, with Jesus as our intercessor and advocate in Heaven, we can come to the Father with our petitions with complete confidence that God will grant our requests when we ack in keeping with the name of Jesus.

Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. (John 14:13 ESV)

This is a powerful statement, but we must understand what it means to pray in the name of Jesus. To pray in Jesus’ name is not simply a statement tagged on the end of our prayer. To pray in the name of Jesus is to pray in keeping with His character, His desires, His will. In his book, The Path of Prayer, Samuel Chadwick explains.

To pray in the name of Christ is to pray as one who is at one with Christ, whose mind is the mind of Christ, whose desires are the desires of Christ, and whose purpose is one with that of Christ . . . Prayers offered in the name of Christ are scrutinized and sanctified by His nature, His purpose, and His will. Prayer is endorsed by the name when it is in harmony with the character, mind, desire, and purpose of the name.

This understanding of praying in Jesus’ name is supported by John’s own understanding of Jesus’ statement as He explains the conditions for answered prayer in His first epistle.

And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him. (1 John 5:14-15 ESV)

We have an intercessor and advocate in Heaven, Jesus, the righteous one, who is at the right hand of the Father. When we come to God in Him, through Him, according to His heart’s desires, in unity with Him, our prayers are granted.

One last point of comparison between the Altar of Incense and the ministry of Jesus is important.. The altar of incense was a continual recognition of God as the focus of worship. The rising smoke would remind the priest that all praise belongs to God. The sweet aroma would remind him of the goodness and kindness of God and the sweetness of relationship with God. The incense was burned as an act of recognition that God is the source of life, help and hope. It reflected the truth that all genuine worship is directed toward giving God glory.

And we see this flawlessly portrayed by Jesus. The story of His life was, “I do not seek my own glory (Jn 8:50)” Jesus lived His life, continually, to direct all worship to the Father. What’s your life about? Seeking recognition, position, praise, approval? Or giving it to God alone? To know Jesus up close and personal is to continually pour out your life in worship, declaring and demonstrating the glory of God alone for the glory of God alone.

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Next: (56) The Ark of the Covenant

(54) The Menorah

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Berner) — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 05:58:00 +0000

To our left in the Tabernacle is the lamp-stand, the menorah. It had seven oil fueled lamps and was made of pure gold. The menorah illuminates the Tabernacle. It is the only light to guide in the acts of worship within the Tabernacle. Without this light, worship could not take place.

We need light. Those of us who have the blessing of sight depend on light to see what we are doing and where we are going. We need the light of truth from God to guide us in discernment and living as God designed. But the menorah suggests another specific kind of light. Light for the purpose of worship. It teaches us that we cannot offer God genuine worship that honors Him unless we worship according to the light of truth. We are reminded that worship must guided by God’s Word. Worship must be rooted in an accurate, biblically correct view of God.

How does this point us to Jesus? John tells us that, “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men (John 1:4).” Jesus Himself declared, “I am the light of the world (Jn. 9:5).” We cannot worship without the truth we receive from the source of truth, Jesus. Jesus is not just the way, He is also the embodiment of truth. It is only through life in Him that we are given the ability to see the light, to understand truth.

Darkness is the great equalizer. Sight or no sight, when the lights go out we’re all in the same boat. We can no longer see where we’re going and so we resort to feeling our way around. Unfortunately many people are the same in worship. Indifferent to the light of God’s Word many feel their way through worship. It is all about what I feel, rather than an expression of worship that is rooted in biblical truth.

Certainly we should feel something when we worship. God created emotion in us and so He certainly expects us to honor Him and worship Him with emotion. Scripture is full off commands to worship God with emotion. But an emotional experience that is not an intelligible expression of biblical truth about the character and ways of God is not worship. Worship must be guided by the light of truth.

So, where does your concept of truth come from? Where do your beliefs regarding worship come from? Are you relying on the thinking of man and what seems or feels right or are you tuning to the light of the world? Is your worship guided by truth and the Lord of truth?

Next: (55) The Altar of Incense

(53) The Table of Showbread

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Berner) — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 12:24:00 +0000

Now, we move from the outer court and enter into the Tabernacle itself. Again, there is only one door. You must stoop under the curtains, humbling yourself as you enter. Only the priests could enter into the Holy Place.

To the right is the table of showbread.. It was 3 feet by 1 ½ feet and was 2 feet high, made of acacia wood covered with brilliant fine gold. On it sits 12 loaves of bread, representing the 12 tribes of Israel. It is also known as the bread of the presence because this bread is always in God’s presence. Every Sabbath day the priests would replace the bread on the table with fresh bread.

The table of the presence has focused our attention on God’s presence with His people. God had promised to be with His people. He is the God who is a “very present” or abundantly found help in the midst of distress (Ps. 46:10). God goes before us and behind us (Isaiah 52:12).

Here, we are reminded of what we saw so vividly in our previous study. God came near in the person of Jesus. Jesus stepped down from Heaven to be Immanuel, God with us. The eternal Word “became flesh and lived among us” (Jn. 1:14). Jesus promised, “I am with you to the end of the age” (Mt. 28:20).

What a comfort. We don’t have to get into God’s presence, we are always in God’s presence. He is the right here, right now God. And all this because of Jesus.

To know Jesus up close and personal means just that. We must know Him as God. Glorious, holy, infinite God. But remember also that Jesus said, “You are my friends.” We should know Him as friend. A close friend, an intimate friend. We should know Jesus up close and personal. Personal, present, here, now. It is not a matter of a mystical experience. It is a matter of believing in the very real truth of a very real person who is in every aspect of reality, present. It is simply a matter of faith, of believing the truth. Are you that close to Jesus? If not, why not?

(52) The Bronze Basin

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Berner) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 13:49:00 +0000

We return to the Tabernacle. Behind the altar is the bronze basin or laver. Here the priests had to wash their hands and feet before entering the Tabernacle and then again when they came out. So, the bronze basin was the place of ceremonial cleansing before entering the Tabernacle. The priests had the guilt of their sins dealt with at the bronze altar. Now they had to be ceremonially cleansed from the defilement of sin. It was a symbol of the removal of the presence of sin in the life of the priest.

(Note: video refers to copper as the metal for the basin. I could find no explanation for this deviation from all other sources of information)

The sacrifices dealt with the guilt and penalty that comes with sin. The cleansing at the alter was a ceremonial act of cleansing from the presence of sin. The guilt removed must lead to the actual presence of sin being removed.

The one who comes into God’s presence must be clean, free from the defilement of sin. After the guilt of sin is removed, the acts of sin must be confessed, forsaken, and forgiven before fellowship with God can take place.

Of course it is easy to see how the bronze basin points forward with hope of Jesus. Jesus fully identified with humanity and was tempted in every way we are and yet, He was sinless (Hebrews 4:15) Paul tells us that Jesus “knew no sin (2 Cor. 5:21).” He was perfectly qualified to represent man to the Father without any need for personal cleansing.

There’s another way the bronze basin instructs us. Not in relation to Jesus, but in relation to ourselves. Remember we noted that the priests cleaned their hands and feet when they went into the Tabernacle, and when they came out? This is a lesson for us in the approach to God in worship and the response to God when genuine worship has taken place in His presence.

In order to come before God in true, genuine worship, we need to cleanse ourselves. This isn’t an issue of relationship. That is settled by the once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus. No, this has to do with fellowship and worship. When we come before God to worship Him either in personal worship or in public worship, our first act of worship must be to search our hearts and confess any sin to God in repentance. Then, we can worship God with clean hands and a pure heart. This is what is required to “ascend the hill of the LORD and stand in his holy place” (Ps 24:3).

Then, as we spend time in God’s presence, we will certainly see more sin in our lives, if it is only an error in thinking. And so, as we leave God’s presence, we again need to cleanse ourselves through confession and repentance.

How’s your cleansing routine? I’m not talking about how often you bathe. I’m talking about your routine of evaluating yourself against the standard of Jesus’ character. How often are your thoughts, attitudes and actions washed clean by the Word of God? Are you quick to come clean?

Next: (53) The Table of Showbread

(51) The Bronze Altar - Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Berner) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 06:07:00 +0000

Let’s pause for a moment and consider the symbolism behind the sacrifices. In Leviticus, God instructed the people on the specifics of five main personal offerings. In His instructions regarding the burnt offering He instructs:

When you present an animal as an offering to the LORD, you may take it from your herd of cattle or your flock of sheep and goats. 3"If the animal you present as a burnt offering is from the herd, it must be a male with no defects. Bring it to the entrance of the Tabernacle so you may be accepted by the LORD. 4Lay your hand on the animal's head, and the LORD will accept its death in your place to purify you, making you right with him. (Leviticus 1:2-4 )

The instruction of putting the hand on the head of the sacrifice is repeated for the Peace offering and the Sin offering. Notice that God says that this act of putting your hand on the head of the offering designates the offered animal as a substitute. By laying his hand upon the head of the offering, the person was identifying with the sacrifice. His sin and guilt was being moved from himself to the animal. The death of the animal is accepted by God as a substitute for the life of the sinner. The sin is atoned for, the guilt is removed.

But could an animal sacrifice really pay for the sins of man? The writer of Hebrews answers this question with a resounding and emphatic “No!” “It is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins (Heb. 10:4).” All these sacrifices, repeated day after day were only a shadow, a picture pointing forward with hope to the complete and permanent sacrifice of Jesus.

For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. 27He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself. (Hebrews 7:26-27 NLT)

The continual, endless sacrificing of animals for the sins of the people was completed and fulfilled by the once-for-all sacrifice made by Jesus. Those who believed God and practiced the Old Testament sacrifices according to God’s instruction were forgiven through these sacrifices. But it is important to note that Jesus’ sacrifice was the only sacrifice that could satisfy God’s justice. All of the Old Testament sacrifices depended on and looked forward with hope to the atoning value of Christ’s future sacrifice. Even in the Old Testament, people were forgiven only on the basis of Christ’s sacrifice, even though that sacrifice had not yet been offered. When they trusted in God to forgive them, God did so on the basis that Christ would eventually die for their sin.

Think of it. Endless, repetitive, bloody sacrifice of thousands of animals was needed to provide a picture of Jesus’ once-for-all sacrifice. That’s the glory of Jesus’ sacrifice. That was the great hope of Old Testament believers.

To know Jesus up close and personal is to know the one who is holy and pure; a God who takes sin seriously. To know Jesus up close and personal is to know that sin is unacceptable and must be eradicated from our lives because it demanded the brutal suffering and bloody death of Jesus. Even what we consider the smallest, insignificant sins!

Next: (52) The Bronze Basin

(50) The Bronze Altar - Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Berner) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 15:19:00 +0000

We continue our guided tour of the Tabernacle. As soon as we enter the outer court we begin to notice the furniture. The furniture that went inside was also meticulously designed by God. And every piece was a model, pointing forward to Jesus, the real thing. Every piece was a message of hope.

The first piece of furniture we come across in the courtyard is the bronze altar. It is 7 ½ feet square, 4 ½ feet high. It is made of Acacia wood, overlaid with bronze. This is the center of activity in the Tabernacle. On it, the sacrifices take place. Multiple sacrifices, every day. Take a look at the great number of animals sacrificed on this altar.

This total does not include personal sacrifices made by one million adults! The altar is a place of death. It is a bloody place. It is a place where there is the constant reminder of sin. The altar reminds us that sin always leads to death. Before anyone could approach God, there had to be confession and forgiveness of sin. Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness (Heb. 9:22).

Day after day in a never ending repetition, bloody sacrifices had to be made to deal with the sins of the people. It was a continual and never ending reminder of sin and their need of a permanent and perfect sacrifice.

Next: (51) The Bronze Altar - Part 2

(49) The Door

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Berner) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:42:00 +0000

Let me take you on a tour of this amazing Tabernacle. We enter the courtyard through the door in the outer court. The only door. Immediately we are reminded that Jesus said that He is the door. He is the only way to God.

"I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.” (John 10:9 NAU)

Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (John 14:6 NAU)

Man may try to come up with his own ideas about God and find his own path to God, but they are all a dead end. There is only one way. In a world where we are expected to be tolerant of the views of others, God’s Word is clear, Jesus is exclusive. There is no room for other religions no matter how sincere. Denying this truth or shying away from this message only leads to death. Eternal death. Jesus is the one and only way to God.

And this truth has profound implications for us as believers too. We easily fall prey to the distorted and even devilish philosophies and reasonings of the world around us. We listen to unbelievers regarding the meaning of life, life values, and what a successful life looks like. We listen to the gurus and pundits of pop culture that propagate their world view through T.V., magazines, music, movies, and books. And we neglect the ultimate standard of truth, the Word of God. Most don’t even begin to realize how influenced they are by the thinking and values of the ungodly. We listen to everyone else. Are we listening to Jesus? He is the way, the truth, the life. To know Jesus up close and personal is to know His mind, His heart, His way of living. How well do you know Him?

Next: (50) The Bronze Altar

(48) Jesus: The Old Testament Hope - Introduction

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Berner) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 15:48:00 +0000

If you ever had the privilege of visiting the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas and walked around the lobbies, you would see a model of one of their buildings in a lobby. These models are pretty amazing in their craftsmanship and detail. I like the little cars and people they put on the parking lots and walkways. Incredible detail! But, these incredible models are really pretty insignificant when you start looking at the real thing.

When the Royal Towers were being built at Atlantis, one my students was one of the contractors. He took me for a “behind the scenes” tour when it was nearly finished. It was amazing. He showed me some of the high tech aspects of the building. He also showed me some of the special suites, including the exclusive $25,000 per night (at that time) Bridge Suite. That model I thought was so great now seemed so inadequate to capture the true beauty of the real thing.

There are many “models” in the Old Testament that are just like those models of the Atlantis buildings. They are meticulously designed and detailed, but they look so insignificant when you look at the real thing.

The Tabernacle

The Tabernacle was a central part of life for the Jewish people for nearly five hundred years. It was a political center, a judicial center, and it was the center of worship. Generation after generation lived life centered around the Tabernacle.

God established a very intricate and detailed plan for the Tabernacle. That plan included exact specifications for every part of its design and construction. The type of wood, the types of fabric and animal skins used, the types and colors of thread, and how everything was to fit together was all specified for the structure.

For when Moses was getting ready to build the Tabernacle, God gave him this warning: "Be sure that you make everything according to the pattern I have shown you here on the mountain.” (Hebrews 8:5)

Gary DeLashmutt explains that:

Everything had to be made exactly as commanded, because it was a copy or shadow of something very real—namely, the way God is, the problem God has with us, and the way God solves our problem.

It was an elaborate and lavish design. The value of the metals used in the construction of the Tabernacle and its furnishings would be worth over thirty million dollars at today’s prices. That doesn’t include the value of fabrics, animal skins and wood. Beautiful fabrics and animal skins, lustrous bronze, brilliantly shining silver and gold. Intricate design. An incredible model. And it was all but a shadow, a sign-post, designed to point forward to Jesus.

Next: (49) The Door

(47) Conclusion

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Berner) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 11:51:00 +0000

.

So what? I’m sure you knew that question had to be coming! How do we make all this practical? How should we be changed by these truths? First, we should have a change in our thinking that leads to a change in our approach to life and leads to worship.

The more I study and come to understand these glorious truths about the person of Jesus, the more I am convinced that I don’t even begin to understand. What I am saying is that even though I believe I understand the uniqueness of the person of Jesus far better than I ever have before, I am left feeling utterly ignorant. That’s right, ignorant. I am left bewildered, overwhelmed. Words fail me to express how humbled I feel before the glory of my Jesus. It leaves me with an intense awe and wonder. It leaves me with a heart of profound reverance. It leaves me broken before His glory. Tears stream from my eyes as I am convicted of the way I have allowed my view of the glories of Jesus to slip from my view.

I am convinced that my view of life, my life, and the world around me has been so distorted by my small view of Jesus. I am inspired to greater trust in Him who is so gloriously complex and amazing. I realize my most complex and confusing circumstances don’t even make Him break a sweat! He can handle it. I am spurred on to greater reliance on Him who is so incredibly unique rather than on myself, my thinking, my ideas, my solutions, my abilities. I am challenged to believe Him for strength, victory, and great accomplishments according to His glory and for His glory. I am challenged to stop thinking simple and small.

I am captivated by a passion to bow before Him and worship Him. In my heart I prostrate myself before His glory that I cannot begin to comprehend. I am filled with a passion to give my life to Him in complete surrender. Oh Jesus, may I be completely Yours for the honor and glory of your name!

How about you? Do you approach life with your mind and heart filled with a view of our glorious Jesus? I mean, is there a vision of God doing glorious things in and through your life? Or are you defeated, discouraged, just getting by? Isn’t your Jesus bigger than that? He is.

How do you approach life? Do you make your plans and decisions based on your thinking and knowledge, or are you passionate to see the plans your glorious Jesus has for you? Do you approach life with confidence, hope, expectation? How great is your Jesus? He is beyond comprehension!

The real Jesus is gloriously amazing and beyond comprehension. He wants to lead you to a life that is gloriously amazing, even beyond comprehension to the world around you. A life that springs from the life of the One who lives within you who is so amazing!

But there’s another incredibly profound truth for us to apply in all this. To really understand the “so what?” of these doctrines, we need to go back to one of our key passages, Philippians two. Paul did not talk about Jesus giving up the glories of Heaven just to teach a doctrinal truth. He taught it to bring about a change of thinking, attitude and action in his readers.

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Philippians 2:5-8 NAU)

“Have this attitude” that Jesus had. What is that attitude? It is an attitude of humility, self-sacrifice, servant-hood. We need to look closely at this attitude.

It is an attitude of humility. Jesus rightfully had a position of great exaltation. He resided in a place of incredible wonder, majesty, beauty, and perfection. He continually received the adoration and worship of the angelic hosts. He was ministered to day and night. This was His rightful position. He deserved it. He was worthy of it. He gave it up.

Again I remind you, Jesus went from glory to grime. He went from worship to wagging fingers. He went from words of adoration to words of accusation. He went from perfection to imperfection. He went from comfort to conflict. He went from mansion to manger. He went from supreme to servant. These are not just poetic thoughts, this is truth!

Who am I? When I stand before such majesty it becomes all to clear. And I am indeed humbled. You know, we are so mixed up and so devoid of worship and passion for God just because we don’t get this one truth right. We are nothing, He is everything. I must remind you who we are apart from the infinite grace of God in Christ. We are vapor, dust, worms, grasshoppers. Feeling small? You should – apart from grace. Apart from God’s grace in Christ, we are dead, dumb, darkness, defiled, depraved. Felling lost? You should – apart from grace.

But God – those are the two most beautiful words I know of. I was nothing BUT GOD made me His child and showers His love and blessing upon me. I was dead BUT GOD made me alive.

Now, if Jesus could step down from glory to take the position of a servant, what’s stopping me from being a servant? Simple. Pride and selfishness. See the amazing difference? He had it all and deserved it all. I had nothing and deserved nothing and was given everything. He stepped down to serve. And I am proud and selfish. Who do we think we are? Be humbled before the glorious Jesus, up close and personal.

What happens when we have the attitude of humility? It leads to self-sacrifice and service. Are you willing to give up your desires for others? Are you a servant? Want to know if you have a pride problem? Answer the questions, “Is there anyone I won’t serve?” “Is there any task I won’t do?” Get to know Jesus up close and personal. Be Jesus to someone, up close and personal.

Next: (48) Jesus: Old Testament Hope - Introduction

(46) Summary

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Berner) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 06:00:00 +0000

Let’s try to wrap all this up and summarize it. There are three main doctrinal concepts we have looked at in this study that are very important. We can summarize them as follows.

Paradox: A paradox is a statement or idea that seems illogical or seems to present two opposite ideas that are in fact both true. It is when there are two ideas that seem to be opposite or it seems like they can’t both be true but they really are. It is when scripture clearly teaches two things that seem to be opposite.

Hypostatic Union: The two natures of Christ (deity and humanity) are united and cannot be separated. They are united without being mixed and without a loss of separate identity. He remains forever the God-man, fully God and fully man, two distinct natures in one Person forever.

Kenosis: Jesus eternally existed in Heaven possessing all the nature, glory and position of God demonstrated in the visible display of that glory. Jesus did not regard this position as something to be held tightly to for His own benefit. Instead, He acted in unison with the triune God-head and for the glory of the triune God-head. He gave up this position of exalted glory and added humanity to His deity. He did not give up any attribute of divinity, only the external display of His deity. He chose to act primarily within the confines of humanity. He took on the state of pre-fall humanity. He entered into humanity in a low position of poverty, obscurity, and servant-hood.

Next: (47) Deity in Humanity - Conclusion

(45) Deity in Humanity

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Berner) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:29:00 +0000

How could Jesus be omnipresent God, yet not be in more than one place at a time? How could Jesus be eternal God and yet clearly be limited by time? How could He be omniscient yet learn? Omnipotent but tired? Tempted yet untemptable. How could Jesus be sovereign God, yet be beaten & crucified?

You may have some answers for some of these. Some are easier to deal with than others. But stop and really think about these questions. They really are quite amazing in what they show us without our even answering them! What I mean is this: When we really think about these questions. When we recognize the truth of each of the realities addressed, we should at bare minimum be filled with awe and wonder over what we contemplate – the glorious Christ! While we will try to make a little sense out of these things, in the end, we will still be shaking our heads in bewilderment over thoughts that are truly too glorious to fully understand. But that's OK, just let the remaining bewilderment spur you on to worship the glorious Christ who is beyond the scope of our human understanding!

So, how could Jesus continue to be omnipresent God and yet not be in more than one place at a time? A human body can only be in one place at a time right? But then, Jesus stated when He ascended to Heaven that He would be with us to the end of the age. How can He be with each of us in a physical body when we are not all in the same place? But you object, “It was His glorified body, it was different.” But, recognize that it was still a physical body that could be touched!

Perhaps we need to think of it this way. God chose to demonstrate His presence in unique, physical ways in the past. He met with Moses at the burning bush. Latter, God put Moses in the cleft of a rock and passed by Him, covering Moses with His “hand” as He passed by. This may not have been a literal physical hand, but in both cases, there appears to have been some physical demonstration of the presence of God. God uniquely demonstrated His presence. He did this other times. When He uniquely demonstrated His presence in these locations, did He cease to exist elsewhere? Of course not. And perhaps this is how we can correctly understand how Jesus could be physically located in a human body while remaining omnipresent. It makes it a bit more understandable but I know we still can’t really get our heads around it. But, that should not stop us from embracing the belief that Jesus retained His divine attribute of omnipresence during the incarnation and beyond. Maybe we just need to accept it as two truths that seem contradictory (omnipresence and a human body), a paradox.

How could omniscient (all-knowing) God learn? He can’t. But man can. How could Jesus not know something? He chose not to know it. In fact, there were times when Jesus demonstrated His ability to know all things. Really, Jesus demonstrated His omniscience many times. Remember that Jesus “saw” Nathaniel under the fig tree when He was not physically there with Nathaniel (John 1:48)? This is either a demonstration of divine omniscience or divine omnipresence. Jesus knew that Judas would betray Him and that Peter would deny Him. (Mat. 26:26-31)

A third issue that has received quite a bit of attention is how Jesus could be tempted as man and yet, “God cannot be tempted with evil (James 1:13).” Certainly scripture makes it clear that Jesus was absolutely sinless. But the question is whether it was even possible for Him to sin. If it was impossible for Him to sin, would any temptation even be real. If you can’t do it, where is the temptation? But Hebrews tells us, “For we do not have a high priest incapable of sympathizing with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way just as we are, yet without sin.”

Were the temptations real? This verse seems to answer that quite clearly. Yes, they were real temptations Jesus faced. So, could Jesus have sinned? Millard Erickson answers that question this way. As God, Jesus could not sin; it was impossible. As man, Jesus could have sinned. The unique combination of deity and humanity assured that Jesus would not sin.

What does this mean? It means that Jesus really does know what it is like to face intense temptation. He really can understand what you’re going through when you are tempted, and He can enable you to resist as He did. You don’t have to sin any more than He did.

Next: (46) Summary

(44) Steering Clear of Error

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Berner) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:44:00 +0000

[Jesus,] who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. (Philippians 2:6-7 NAU)

Let me go back for a moment and deal with some of the error that has come out of this passage. One error is stating that Jesus actually emptied Himself or gave up some of His divine attributes when He took on humanity. This must be rejected. If He gave up any attribute of deity, He would have ceased to be fully God. In Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form (Colossians 2:9).

Again, the explanation of William MacDonald is right on the mark:The

Lord Jesus did not lay aside any of the attributes of God when He came into the world. He was still omniscient (all-knowing). He was still omnipresent (present in all places at one and the same time). He was still omnipotent (all powerful). What He did was to empty Himself of His positional equality with God and to veil the glory of Deity in a body of human flesh. The glory was all there, though hidden, but it did shine forth on occasions, such as on the Mount of Transfiguration. There was no moment in His life on earth when He did not possess all the attributes of God.

Jesus was not limited by His humanity, He limited Himself or chose to act within His humanity. For a period of time, Jesus chose to limit Himself to act within the confines of human existence.

Neither Christ's divinity, nor His Divine attributes, nor the use of those attributes, nor His glory, was in any way emptied. Rather, these were "concealed under a veil of flesh." There is a distinct difference between emptying and concealing. The answer is that Jesus cooperated with the limitations of humanity and voluntarily did not exercise His attribute of omniscience. He still was divine but was moving and living completely as a man. – Matthew J. Slick

Jesus chose to act within the limitations of humanity in cooperation with the Father and the Spirit. The incarnation and the Kenosis of Philippians two is not focused primarily on Jesus giving up anything of deity, but rather, on His taking on humanity and servant-hood.

One of my favorite theologians is Millard Erickson. He does an excellent job of helping us understand this more clearly.

Picture the following analogy. The world’s fastest sprinter enters in a three-legged race, where he must run with one of his legs tied to a leg of a partner. Although his physical ability is not diminished, the conditions under which he exercises it are severely circumscribed. Even if his partner in the race is the world’s second fastest sprinter, their time will be much slower than if they competed separately; for that matter it will be slower than the time of almost any other human running normally. Ability is not in essence diminished, but the conditions imposed on its exercise limit actual performance.

This is the situation of the incarnate Christ. Just as the runner could unloose the tie, but chooses to restrict himself for the duration of the event, so Christ’s incarnation was a voluntary self-chosen limitation. He did not have to take on humanity, but he chose to do so for the period of the incarnation. During that time his deity always functioned in connection with his humanity.

Next: (45) Deity in Humanity

(43) Kenosis

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Berner) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:45:00 +0000

There is one last theological term we need ot understand. It is the word, “Kenosis.” The doctine of Kenosis takes the doctrine of the hypostatic union one step forward in trying to explain what happened when Jesus left heaven to take on humanity, and what is the practical relationship between His deity and humanity.

The doctrine of Kenosis is largely built on just two verses. Many books have been written just on the interpretation of these two verses.

[Jesus,] who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. (Philippians 2:6-7 NAU)

Obviously, these verses are critical to understand. We’ll take it one step at a time, looking at the important words or phrases.

First, this verse teaches us that Jesus existed “in the form of God.” This word “form” literally refers to the visible, external shape. Since God Himself is Spirit and does not have a physical form, it is obvious that there is something more to this. Most theologians and Greek scholars see this as a reference to God’s nature. William Hendriksen believes it refers to the “inner, essential, and abiding nature of a person or thing.” Greek scholar Martin Vincent says it is the, “expression of being which carries in itself the distinctive nature and character of the being to whom it pertains, and is thus permanently identified with that nature and character.” He is saying that it is an outward expression that demonstrates the true nature of the being. Perhaps that is the best way of understanding this. Form is speaking of a visible, outward expression that demonstrates the true nature of the being

God is spirit (Jn. 4:24, He is invisible (1 Tim. 1:17) But, God’s glory does have a visible aspect clearly demonstrated in Heaven, perhaps this is what Paul is referring to. Fausset says the “form” is, “the external self-manifesting characteristics of God, the form shining forth from His glorious essence.” So, it is the visible manifestation of God’s glory which is the radience of His glorious nature. Remember, Hebrews teaches us that Jesus is the “radience of the glory of God.” So, what Paul is teaching here in Philippians is that Jesus existed with all the nature and glory of God in Heaven. The emphasis is on the visible expression and the position of glory. Jesus existed with the same glory as God. This was His condition, His state of being.

These verses also teach us that Jesus “did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped.” Notice that Jesus had equality with God. In the context, this would refer to equality with God in terms of the condition of exalted glory in Heaven. Then, notice that Jesus did not see this as something to be “grasped”. This word has also been translated “robbery” or “held on to.” It is a word that first referred to robbery and then the thing robbed. Then, it was also used to refer to a “prize.” It was also a figure of speech which spoke of holding on to something for one’s own benefit.

So what Paul is saying here is that Jesus did not consider His exalted position of glory in Heaven as something He must hold on to at all costs. It implies that He would not be selfish in holding on to this position for His own good, but acted as one person of the triune God. No person of the triune God-head acts independently for His own welfare. This is impossible because they are three distinct persons, but one God.

Jesus acted as one person of the triune God-head and acted for the good of the tri-unity, not for His own personal welfare. So, He did not insist on holding on to His exalted and glorious position in Heaven. Instead, the next phrase tells us, “[He] emptied Himself.” That’s the Greek word, kenosis. But, we must ask, “Emptied Himself of what?” Clearly, in the context, it means that He emptied Himself of His glory. Strong and valid arguments have been made for translating this phrase, “He made Himself nothing or of no value.” Perhaps this clears it up a bit. Jesus did not selfishly hold tight to His position of glory in Heaven, but rather, let go of this glorious position and became nothing. He did not give up His person, He gave up His position.

When Jesus “emptied Himself” of the glories of Heaven, He became nothing, and more than that, He became of little value in humanity as He took on the “form of a bond-servant.” Jesus did not regard existing in a manner equal to God, in all the glories of Heaven, absent of the effects of the curse, something He must cling to and be unwilling to give up. Jesus joined with the Father and Spirit willed to lay aside His place in Heaven and the glories of Heaven to come to earth and even willingly placed Himself in unity with humanity. The moment He was conceived, He began to take on the burdens of the fall and sin.

William McDonald expresses this so beautifully:

Thus He was willing to come into this world to endure the contradiction of sinners against Himself. God the Father was never spit on or beaten or crucified. In this sense, the Father was greater than the Son – not greater as to His Person, but rather as to His position and the manner in which He lived. Jesus expressed this thought in Jn 14:28: “If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, ‘I am going to the Father,’ for My Father is greater than I.” In other words, the disciples should have rejoiced to learn that He was going home to heaven. While on earth, He had been cruelly treated and rejected. He had been in lower circumstances than His Father. In that sense, His Father was greater. But when He went back to heaven, He would be equal with the Father in His circumstances as well as in His Person.

Please don’t miss the significance of this. Jesus lived in all the glories of Heaven as God. He was part of the glorious radiance of the triune God brilliantly illuminating Heaven. He was continually receiving the magnificent, jubilant, unbridled worship of the angels. And He gave it all up. To take on humanity. From the glories of Heaven to simple humanity. Servant-like humanity. About as low as you can go. Poor, outcast, homeless. From receiving the worship of the Heavenly hosts, to being mistreated, rejected, condemned. That my friend is the glory of the Kenosis! That’s the glory of my Jesus!

Next: (44) Steering Clear of Error

(42) Hypostatic Union

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Berner) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:32:00 +0000

The next theological idea we should get familiar with is what is called the “hypostatic union.” That’s not another way of describing a marriage in a science fiction movie. It is a very important theological title for the doctrine that explains how Jesus is both God and man. It literally means “union of persons.”

The doctrine of the hypostatic union states that the two natures of Christ (deity and humanity) are united and cannot be separated. They are united without being mixed and without a loss of separate identity. He remains forever the God-man, fully God and fully man, two distinct natures in one Person forever.

The hypostatic union emphasizes three main facts:

● Jesus has two distinct natures: humanity and deity.

● There is no mixture or combining of the two natures.

● Although Jesus has two natures, Jesus is one Person.

Why does this matter? First, it matters because we must hold firmly to the biblical teaching that Jesus always was and is God. We need to be careful that in our thinking about Jesus, we don’t think that He became less God when He became human. In fact, the last part of that statement isn’t even a very good way of expressing this. Jesus, the eternal Son of God, did not go from being God to becoming human. I prefer to say that He took on or added humanity to His deity. Do you see the subtle difference? Deity was not replaced by humanity or even put into humanity. Humanity was added to deity.

It is important that we hold firmly to the truth that Jesus was, is, and always will be 100% God. We must also hold firmly to the truth that Jesus did take on true, pre-fall humanity. He was 100% man. In fact, remember with me what Hebrews says about the importance of Jesus’ humanity.

Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil . . . Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. (Hebrews 2:14, 17 ESV)

It is critical that we realize that Jesus is 100% God and that Jesus is 100% human. But then, we must also realize that these can’t be mixed. It may not seem clear to us why this is so critical for deity not to mix with or affect humanity, but, if humanity mixes with deity, it is no longer deity. Ok, a bit confusing? Think of it this way. If the humanity of Jesus mixed in anyway with the deity of Jesus, than deity would be diminished by humanity. Infinite would be polluted by finite. Omnipotence would be mixed with weakness. We could go on. If you don’t get anything else, get this: If Jesus humanity was mixed in anyway with His deity, it would have polutted His deity. Deity is deity. Humanity is humanity. God is God. Man is man.

There is one last important point that Paul Enns states.

Jesus must be viewed has having these two distinct natures, but, He must be viewed as one person. Jesus is 100% God and He is 100% man, and He is 100% one person. How do I make this clear? Well, I can’t. At least not completely. But I must hold on to these truths. Jesus was fully, 100% God. He was fully, 100% man. Jesus was one person. He acted as one person. He did not act sometimes as God and sometimes as man. Every word and action came from the one person, Jesus in the unique combination of deity and humanity.

Next: (43) Kenosis

(41) Understanding Paradox

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Berner) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:55:00 +0000

Let’s get started. Step one in gaining an understanding of Jesus’ deity and humanity is to get acquainted with a few unique theological terms. First, is the term paradox. This is not strictly a theological term, but it is very important to theology. A paradox is a statement or idea that seems illogical or seems to present two opposite ideas that are in fact both true. It is when we consider two ideas that seem to be opposite or it seems like they can’t both be true but they really are. For those who like mental games, consider this paradoxical statement: “Everything I say is a lie.” (Is that true?) Or, try this one: “There is an exception to every rule.” (Isn’t that a rule?) Don’t get it? Don’t worry, some people love this kind of stuff. The rest of us can get on with our study.

Understanding paradoxes is very important when we, who are finite, try to understand the infinite God. Consider just a few Biblical paradoxes:

● There is one God in three persons.

● The Bible is a book, a thing, and yet it is “living”.

● We see truth by believing in what we can’t see.

● God has decreed the future yet man makes choices that determine his future.

● Mary was a virgin who had a baby.

Why does all this matter? Because when we consider Jesus, we are presented with a number of paradoxes that raise questions for us. We can and will explore the answers to some of these questions, but we must keep in mind that they are paradoxes – two truths that seem to be opposed to each other but are in fact both true. The problem is not in them making sense, the problem is in our ability to make sense of them. The problem is with our minds. It all makes perfect sense to the God of all knowledge and wisdom. So don’t forget – if scripture clearly teaches two things that seem to be opposite, we must find fault with our ability to understand. We should try to understand as best we can. But, whatever we cannot understand, must be accepted as a paradox to us.

Next: (42) Hypostatic Union

(40) Jesus: Deity in Humanity - Introduction

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Berner) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 06:01:00 +0000

Sometimes its just hard to see things clearly. I experienced this for nearly two months after losing my glasses. I need glasses so I can clearly see things that are more distant than about twenty feet. I also have an astigmatism. When I was without my glasses, I had to squint and struggle to see people in the back of the church clearly when I was preaching. But I didn’t even realize how bad my sight really was until I got off a plane at the Orlando airport and couldn’t read the signs to tell me where to go pick up my luggage. Then, when I put on my new glasses for the fist time, it was like everything around me came into sharper focus. I actually was stunned and said, “Wow!”

I have another sight problem. I have trouble seeing things clearly really close up. The best way for me to really concentrate when I am studying is to lay on my stomach and put my notes and books right under my nose! But if I don’t prop myself up on enough pillows, the writing is too close and I can’t read it.

We can experience similar problems when we approach some aspects of theology. If we don’t look at things closely enough we can have an unclear or, shall we say inaccurate view of what we are considering. But, if we try to get too close, and try to make sense of things too much, we can also get an inaccurate view. We need to get as close as we can without forgetting that God is beyond our full understanding. If we forget this vital truth, we can fall into imbalance or even error.

This is certainly true when it comes to understanding the uniqueness of Jesus’ nature. We declare our belief in the deity of Jesus. Jesus is God. 100% God. And, we also declare our belief in the humanity of Jesus. Jesus is a man. 100% man. And in embracing these two truths we already have a vision problem. We’re seeing doubles! 100% + 100% usually equals 200%. But not when it comes to Jesus. To comprehend Jesus, we need a new math where 100% + 100% = 100%

Ok, so maybe those last words still got your head spinning. Understanding the nature of Jesus in the combination of deity and humanity is mind boggling but important for us to understand – as much as we can anyway.

Next: (41) Understanding Paradox

(39) Jesus: Perfectly Human - Conclusion

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Berner) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 06:40:00 +0000

What if Jesus were to walk in your shoes for one day? What if He were to face your temptations, your disappointments, the hurts you've experienced. What if He were to face the discouraging ministry you're involved in? What if He were faced with the heart-wrenching challenges before you?

Maybe you've felt at times like no one understands your troubles, sorrows, your life struggles? Maybe right now you wish Jesus would walk in your shoes for a day so He could really understand your struggles.

The truth is, Jesus did walk in your shoes. Jesus does understand your temptations, your disappointment in ministry, the way people have hurt you, the difficult situations you have to face. In fact, Jesus faced more trouble, more sorrows and struggles, and greater ministry challenges than you ever will. And He has showed you how to be perfectly human.

Next: (40) Jesus: Deity in Humanity - Introduction

(38) Jesus: Pain & Perfection

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Berner) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 06:35:00 +0000

Jesus set the example of perfect humanity in facing problems and mistreatment. Jesus endured unkindness, insults, false accusations, rejection, betrayal and desertion. And what makes all this so incredible is who treated Jesus this way. Just before Jesus went to the cross, He faced a barrage of mistreatment. The disciples fell asleep when they were supposed to be praying for Him. Judas betrayed Him with a kiss of all things. His other friends ran from Him. His close friend Peter denied knowing Him, even when Jesus was looking right at him. The religious leaders who were supposed to be leading the people to worship God were calling for His death. The government which should protect its citizens from injustice brutally beat Him. And then, He went to the cross to die for them. He died to pay the price for these sins! And He cried our, “Father, forgive them!”

How did He do it? “When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly (1 Peter 2:23 ESV). Jesus surrendered His will to the will of the Father. Jesus had unwavering trust in the Father’s plan. This doesn’t mean it was easy. Jesus was in emotional agony in the garden and physical agony on the cross. But, He chose to surrender His will, His comfort. He chose to put His life in the hands of the One who always does right. He chose to trust.

There it is, the key to honoring the glory of God in the face of the most horrible circumstances, even betrayal. This is what it takes to be the human God created you to be – entrust yourself to the one who does right. It takes an unwavering surrender to God’s plan for your life even when it hurts and a firm grip on the sovereignty of God.

You don’t try to retaliate and get even. You don’t fight back. You don’t get angry, resentful, or bitter. You don’t even threaten them with the judgement of God even though they may deserve it. You follow Jesus’ example of perfect humanity, let God take care of it, and trust God to do it right in His way and perfect timing. This is what it looks like to be perfectly human. This is Jesus, up close and personal. Do you want to be truly human?

Next: (39) Jesus: Perfectly Human - Conclusion

(37) Perfect Priorities

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Berner) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:43:00 +0000

Jesus set the example of perfect humanity in his priorities & values. Jesus had some seriously focused priorities and values. So much so that He forgot about eating because He was involved in ministry! When Jesus fed the multitude of five thousand men plus women and children it was because the disciples came to Him in the middle of ministry and told Him they needed food. When He fed the four thousand, they had gone three days without food. This was not because Jesus was some super human who didn’t need food. He explained this to the disciples, “Meanwhile the disciples were urging Him, saying, "Rabbi, eat." 32But He said to them, "I have food to eat that you do not know about." (John 4:31-32 NAU). William MacDonald comments, “The Lord Jesus had found food and support in winning worshipers to His Father. Compared to this joy, physical nourishment was of little importance to Him.”

That’s what it looks like to be perfectly human! You are so passionate about serving the purposes of God that you forget to eat. Your values and priorities are focused with laser-like precision on the values and priorities of advancing God’s kingdom.

Want to be perfectly human? Stop living like the average human! Stop getting distracted and diverted to living for anything other than the kingdom of God. Get focused on Christ. Remember how Paul expressed it? “One thing I do!” “For me to live is Christ.” “Christ who is your life.”

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:1-3 NIV)

If we are going to be like Christ; if we are going to become perfectly human, we need to be freed from our bondage to our earthly, temporal, and inconsequential values until all that remains is what God values. While we may have temporal affections such as the love of family and friends, in these affections, we must value what God values, pursue what God values, promote what God values. May all our priorities be purified by the one ultimate and governing priority of perfect humanity, the demonstration and declaration of the glory of God. Everything in life must contribute to this one grand purpose of all creation. This is what it looks like to get your priorities in order. This is Jesus, up close and personal.

Next: (38) Jesus: Pain & Perfection

(36) Jesus: Perfectly Sinless Pt. 4

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Berner) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 06:01:00 +0000

Satan now pulls out the big guns. The third temptation Satan threw at Jesus is a temptation to take detours toward the will of God. It is a temptation to go for the crown without the cross.

Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; and he said to Him, "All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me." Then Jesus said to him, "Go, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'" (Matthew 4:8-10)

Jesus’ response is from Deuteronomy six. Moses is preparing the people to go into the promised land.

"Then it shall come about when the LORD your God brings you into the land which He swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you, great and splendid cities which you did not build, and houses full of all good things which you did not fill, and hewn cisterns which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant, and you eat and are satisfied, then watch yourself, that you do not forget the LORD who brought you from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. "You shall fear only the LORD your God; and you shall worship Him and swear by His name. "You shall not follow other gods, any of the gods of the peoples who surround you, for the LORD your God in the midst of you is a jealous God; otherwise the anger of the LORD your God will be kindled against you, and He will wipe you off the face of the earth. (Deuteronomy 6:10-15)

Satan tempts Jesus to take the easy way out and get what was promised by the Father without taking the path of self-denial and suffering. Satan offers an easy way to get what is really a counterfeit of what God promises. Satan tempts Jesus to worship him in order to achieve greatness. The context of Jesus’ answer shows that finding our delight outside of God is a very real danger.

Jesus is determined to be obedient to the Father, no matter how much it hurts. Jesus, the perfect human is not going to do things to get worship and praise for himself. He is living His life to direct all praise to the Father. He’ll let the Father take care of the rest.

The temptation here is to take the easy way out and get what was promised by the Father without taking the path of self-denial and suffering. It is a temptation to become distracted from worshiping God by finding our delight in things that feed our desires. It is an appeal to do things to get recognition and praise for ourselves.

This is not the portrait of the perfect human. The perfect human is obedient to God and doesn’t take the easy way out that leads to sin, just to avoid difficulty. The perfect human directs all worship to God.

Temptation is most intense when it is prolonged – the longer you resist temptation, the more intense it becomes – Jesus never gave in! The perfect man gained victory over temptation through reliance on the Holy Spirit and firm belief and commitment to the principles of Scripture. Jesus is our example, demonstrating for us how we too can have victory over even the most intense temptation.

Next: (37) Jesus: Perfect Priorities

(35) Jesus: Perfectly Sinless Pt. 3

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Berner) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 06:32:00 +0000

Jesus’ second temptation is a test of demands.

Then the devil took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, 'He will command His angels concerning you'; 'on their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'" Jesus said to him, "On the other hand, it is written, 'you shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'" (Matthew 4:5-7)

In His response to Satan, Jesus quotes from Deut. 6:16, “You shall not put the LORD your God to the test, as you tested Him at Massah.” Here, Moses is reminding the people of a time when they complained about not having water. They were questioning whether God was really leading them and taking care of them. Moses says that “they tested the LORD, saying, "Is the LORD among us, or not?" (Exodus 17:7)”

The context of Jesus’ response refers to the time when the Israelites had tested God at Massah by refusing to accept that God was among them until He performed a sign for them. They were demanding that God prove His presence and provision in the way they wanted in order to trust Him and follow Him.

Satan is trying to raise doubt, “Is God really with you? Are you sure? What proof do you have? Hey, if God is really with you, let Him prove Himself? Jump, if He’s with you, He’ll keep His promise and won’t let you get hurt.”

The temptation here is to demand that God provide for us as we desire to prove His care in the present. It is the temptation to put conditions on our trusting God for the future by demanding that He do something we desire to prove Himself. It is a demonstration of a lack of faith. It leads to the sin of unbelief.

To be perfectly human is to trust God even when we can’t see Him. When it looks like He’s abandoned you, you keep trusting and obeying Him. The perfect human will not say, “God if you’re real, prove yourself by doing . . .” This in itself is a statement of unbelief.

Next: (36) Jesus: Perfectly Sinless Pt. 4

(34) Jesus: Perfectly Sinless Pt. 2

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Berner) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 06:30:00 +0000

Jesus' temptation begins. “And the tempter came and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” “But He answered and said, "It is written, 'man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.'" (Matthew 4:3-4)

If we are really going to understand these temptations, we need to look at the context of the verses Jesus recites in response ot Satan. In response to this verse temptation, Jesus quotes from Deuteronomy eight.

"You shall remember all the way which the LORD your God has led you in the wilderness . . .. "He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD. (Deut. 8:2-3 NAU)

This temptation was a test of Jesus’ desires. Who’s desires would He live to satisfy? Satan attempts to appeal to Jesus at the point of a seemingly legitimate desire for food and physical well being. In an off-handed way, Satan is suggesting, “God is holding out on you! Your life will be better if you have some food. God is not giving you what you need physically. You need to make sure you are comfortable, taken care of!” And doesn’t Satan say these same things to us, tempting us to focus our desire on physical things and personal comfort?

This is also a test of dependance. This temptation of Jesus centered around an issue long since settled, and undisputably proved, that man may live without bread, as Israel in the wilderness lived forty years on manna but man cannot truly live without God. It is true, God usually provides through usual means; but he can, if he please, make use of other means to keep men alive. Jesus was being led by the Spirit of God. He believed God would provide everything He needed and He was determined to trust the Father.

This is a temptation to live life pursuing physical and temporal satisfaction rather than living exclusively to fulfill God’s will. This is a temptation to take our physical well-being into our own hands even to the point of violating God’s Word to take care of ourselves. It is the sin of failing to trust God to take care of me no matter how desperate my situation appears.

If it is God’s will for me to live, no lack of physical provision can snuff out my life. If it is God’s will for me to die, no abundance of physical provision will keep me alive. Read that again. Believe it! God determines life and provision for life. No matter how hard we work to get for ourselves, the reality is if God wants to take it away or withhold it, it is out of our control. We can work our fingers to the bone to get what we WANT, or we can obey God and trust Him to provide what we NEED. It is better to be hungry in the will of God than satisfied out of the will of God.

What do we learn from Jesus first temptation about how to live as a perfect human. It teaches us that perfect humans submit their desires to the will of God and His choice in how He chooses to provide. Even the perfect human must depend on God to provide rather than taking ir upon oneself to make it happen.

Next: (35) Jesus: Perfectly Sinless Pt. 3

(33) Jesus: Perfectly Sinless Pt. 1

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Berner) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 04:43:00 +0000

Jesus set the example of perfect humanity in facing temptation. I heard Charles Stanley once say that the most intense temptation comes at the moment just before you give in. What he was saying is that the more you resist, the more intense the temptation until you give in. He didn’t take into account God providing victory or the temptation being removed but he makes a valid point. When temptation is right in your face, it just get’s harder and harder to resist.

Satan got right up in the face of Jesus! This would be an intense attack, a fierce battle. From Jesus’ temptation, we can learn a lot about what it looks like to be perfectly human. We start with the critical step to victory that Jesus took before the battle even got started.

Luke tells us that “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led around by the Spirit in the wilderness. (4:1 NAU)” This is important. First, Jesus was “full of the Holy Spirit.” This means that Jesus was under the control of the Holy Spirit. Jesus did whatever the Holy Spirit directed Him to do. Second, note that Jesus was continually “led around by the Spirit.” This is the literal Greek here. Step by step, Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit.

We must not miss the significance of this. When Luke tells us about Jesus victoriously facing temptation, he begins by making a big deal about the role of the Holy Spirit in Jesus’ life. How did Jesus, the perfect human walk in victory over temptation? By living under the control of the Holy Spirit. By being led by the Holy Spirit in everything He did, step by step. That is where we will find victory too. The more we are controlled by and led by the Holy Spirit in every decision no matter how insignificant it may seem, the more we will have victory over sin. Whenever we are walking in step with the Spirit, we will not sin.

Next: (34) Jesus: Perfectly Sinless Pt. 2