Merciful and Faithful

Have you ever wondered why God chose to do something the way He did? Christians claim that God is all-powerful and imply that He can do anything. So one may ask, why was the Incarnation part of our salvation? Could not God have achieved our salvation in some other manner? That question is valid, but it misses the point that we should consider. What does the Incarnation teach us about God’s history of revelation and showing mercy and faithfulness to His creation? Although this is our final sermon in this series, we can continue to thank God for his love toward us daily. Today we will look at the necessity of the Incarnation in God’s plan for our salvation and consider the continual blessing we have because Christ took on flesh.

Incarnation: The act of grace whereby Jesus came to earth and took on a human nature into union with his divine nature becoming “God incarnate” for the purpose of our salvation.

Hebrews 2:14–18 ESV

14 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, 15 and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. 16 For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. 17 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. 18 For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

Context

In the preceding verses, the writer of Hebrews has made a case for who is the object of God’s salvation. And it is humans. While God is the Creator of all things none are the focus of the ministry of Jesus Christ through the Incarnation. Those people who were once outsiders, separated from God, are now brought into a new relationship. Through faith, they have become children of God.

A Flesh and Blood Solution

When we read the Old Testament, we will consistently come across the concept of a sacrifice for sin. The first mention of a sacrifice occurs in Genesis and may slip our notice.

Genesis 3:21 ESV

21 And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.

There is no mention of any living creature dying in the preceding verses. Adam and Eve were given the warning of death for disobedience but had never seen anything dead. But soon after their sinful rebellion, God allowed an animal to die to become a covering for the once naked couple. Their innocence was lost, and they needed to be covered for their sin.

The need for a sacrifice for human sin became clearer by giving the law and the system of sacrifices. Living creatures such as lambs, bulls, rams, birds, etc., had their bodies and blood given for sin. And God culminated this sacrificial plan in a once-for-all solution through Jesus Christ. But this final sacrifice could not be another animal. This time it would be a being of “blood and flesh”. For Jesus, the second person of the Trinity, to offer himself as a sacrifice, he would have to take on blood and flesh, for only a flesh being can have his blood shed.

The Incarnation provided the means by which Jesus could offer a legitimate sacrifice of flesh and blood for sin. But it also gave us the perfect sacrifice and substitute for humans. Do you remember what it was like to have a substitute teacher? The substitute is primarily meant to be there in the classroom to hopefully keep things under control and get some things accomplished so that the school day is not a waste. But often, the person who is the “sub” is rarely as good or better than the regular teacher. When we consider the need for the Incarnation, we learn that Jesus was the perfect substitute for sinful humans, not just because He had flesh and blood, but that He was a perfect human. Even when Christ was tempted, He fully obeyed and therefore is the Perfect Substitute.

Victory through Death

The Bible describes death as the reasonable consequence for sin. When an animal’s life was taken in a sacrifice, its death (body and blood) showed that sin produced this consequence and that the substitute took it instead. But death is also the tool of our adversary, the devil. His goal is to keep us separated from God and does so through enslaving us through temptation and fear of death. But the death of Christ brings the concluding judgment to sin and reverses it. Although Jesus died, he resurrected from the dead showing us that death could not defeat Him. The death of the Incarnate Lord and the Perfect Substitute became the full and final sacrifice that would solve sin and give us life.

C.S. Lewis, in The Lion, the Witch, and Wardrobe fiction and allegory of Christian truths, described this concept. Edmund was one of the four children brought into Narnia. But Edmund betrayed his family and friends when he took sides with the Evil Witch (representation of the Devil). And because of this, she was entitled to take any traitor into her control to kill. But Aslan, the Lion, was willing to exchange places with Edmund (Aslan is, of course, a picture of Jesus). So the Witch and her minions took Aslan, killed him upon a stone table, and rejoiced over the victory. But the next morning at dawn, the table broke in two, and Aslan became alive again. Look at how Aslan describes the reversal of the curse of sin and death.

“...the Witch knew the Deep Magic, there is a magic deeper still which she did not know…when a willing victim who had committed no treachery was killed in a traitor’s stead, the Table would crack and Death itself would start working backward...”

In Christ, the God-Man, we have the One who could reverse the curse and bring us life. He was the perfect substitute who willingly gave himself. We, the traitors, have the privilege of becoming sons and daughters of God because of His great sacrifice.

Merciful and Faithful

The writer of Hebrew gives us another reason why the Incarnation was necessary. Jesus served as a merciful and faithful High Priest. In the Old Testament, God called many men to serve in the Temple as priests, but only one person could be the High Priest at a time.

The Lexham Bible Dictionary High Priests in the Old Testament

In the Old Testament, the primary purpose of the high priest was to serve as a representative and mediator between the people and Yahweh.

The Lexham Bible Dictionary High Priests in the Old Testament

The high priest served several purposes that were crucial to Israelite worship. It was the high priest’s responsibility to see that the covenant was enforced, and to direct people to complete the duties of the temple and the law of Moses.

But the unique responsibility of the High Priest was to enter the Most Holy Place to offer sacrifices for himself and the nation on the Day of Atonement. This sacred act contained many procedures for the High Priest, who had to change his typical priestly garments into more elaborate clothes after bathing ceremonially before entering the sacred space. He then had to offer a sacrifice for himself before offering a sacrifice for the people. The highlight of this sacrifice was the sprinkling of the blood on the Mercy Seat of the Ark of the Covenant. The Greek term translated as the Mercy Seat is “propitiation.” This was the primary function of this action.

What is propitiation?

Dictionary of Theological Terms Propitiation

The appeasement or turning away of God’s wrath against sinners by means of an atoning sacrifice.

What is atoning (atonement)?

The Lexham Bible Dictionary Introduction

Atonement is one of the few theological terms with roots in the English language. It is the process by which two (typically estranged) parties are made “at-one” with each other.

From these two terms, we can see the goal of our salvation, which is to be reunited with God. Without atonement or propitiation, we would remain distant and at odds with God. But the Good News is that the barrier has been removed by God who destroyed the barrier and reached over to take us to His side through faith in Jesus Christ.

Sympathy, Empathy, and More

The writer of Hebrews mentions the blessing of knowing that our Savior, Jesus Christ, knows us because He knows what it is like to be us. You may know the great relief to know that you were not the only one who had a particularly negative experience but that others knew what it was like. But some people will never know what it is like to go through some of the experiences you have endured. And this can be frustrating, especially in a relationship. But our Saviour Jesus Christ knows first hand of the human experience with all its high points and low ones. Consider the following common issues that Jesus experienced.

Rejection

Loneliness

Being misunderstood

Enemy threats

Loss of loved ones

Tiredness

Frustration

Hunger

Separation

Stress

How many of these are things that you have felt or are currently enduring? Are these the things that can potentially bring you to a fearful or destructive state? The Bible comforts us by reminding us that our Savior knows what it is like and can help us when we are tempted and when we suffer and are tested. Look at what else the book of Hebrews tells us about our Savior.

Hebrews 4:14–16 ESV

14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Look at the blessings we have in Christ. He is a High Priest who sacrificed the final sacrifice that brings us to God and puts away Gods wrath from us forever. He makes us children of God through faith. He sympathizes with our weakness and knows the powerful pull of temptation and testing. But He overcame it without sin. And he gives us the invitation to confidently come to God to receive what we need in our time of need.

Our society is in desperate need of sympathy. In the social sciences and counseling, sympathy is “to feel with” others. And the similar term, empathy, is “to enter into the suffering of another”. While these are important and helpful to relationship building, they are limited in what they can accomplish. They can foster friendship and intimacy, but they can never solve the problem that plagues humanity. Only God can do this. And this is what we have in the Incarnation. We have a God who understands and a God who saves.

A man put up a sign in his yard that read: "Puppies for Sale." Among those who came to inquire was a young boy. "Please, Mister," he said, "I'd like to buy one of your puppies if they don't cost too much." "Well, son, they're $25." The boy looked crushed. "I've only got two dollars and five cents. Could I see them anyway?" "Of course. Maybe we can work something out," said the man. The lad's eyes danced at the sight of those five little balls of fur. "I heard that one has a bad leg," he said. "Yes, I'm afraid she'll be crippled for life." "Well, that's the puppy I want. Could I pay for her a little at a time?" The man responded, "But she'll always have a limp." Smiling bravely, the boy pulled up one pant leg, revealing a brace. "I don't walk good either." Then, looking at the puppy sympathetically, he continued, "I guess she'll need a lot of love and help. I sure did. It's not so easy being crippled." "Here, take her," said the man. "I know you'll give her a good home. And just forget the money."

Our Daily Bread.