Involved God

Posted on Dec 2, 2017 in Faith Focus |

Emmanuel – God with us. Jesus came to be with his creation. He came to be with us. The incarnation is hard to fathom, even for those who are mature in the faith. For me, there are several verses in the bible that really bring home the significance of Jesus coming to earth. Here are some of them

 14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.16 For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. 17 For this reason he had to be made like them,[a] fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. 18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

 

When I read these verses the phrase, “God doesn’t sit on the sidelines” comes to my mind. Why? Because it is clear from the above verses that Jesus had some very important work to do and it couldn’t be accomplished from his throne in heaven. No, the work that Jesus accomplished here on earth required that He “made Himself nothing, by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.” (from Philippians 2).

 

So what do we learn from these verses? We learn that Satan held a great power over mankind that struck a deep-seated fear in every human. There was no escape from it. There was no deliverance. Satan wielded this powerful weapon and rubbed it in the face of all who looked upon it with dread. Before Jesus came, people’s lives were enslaved by their fears of death. So, how could the awesome power of Satan be broken? Jesus had to leave. He had to leave His throne and come down and get bloody. He had to experience death as we do. To share in the most painful part of humanity as our bodies give way to the dark-visitor that takes our very lives from us. But then…….to overcome it (Hallelujah!). To break death’s chains. To encounter Satan’s greatest weapon and be victorious over it. To show that His power was far greater than the evil-one. To allow us to now say, “Death is not the end, for when I will be absent from the body I will be present with The Lord.”

 

For this reason He had to be made like us…fully human in every way. Why? Look at what the verse says. “That he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.” God The Father had a job for His son. Atonement needed to be made by a merciful and faithful high priest. This priest could not serve humanity from heaven. The Son would have to go and be with those He would make atonement for. There was no other way. And in so doing Jesus showed His Father and His creation that He was merciful and faithful. Merciful because the death that hovered over us was the wages we became required to pay with our sin. Faithful, because Jesus showed that He would do His Father’s will and redeem those who The Father would give to Him. So, now, Jesus can do something else that He could have never done if He just stayed on His throne. He, “

Because He himself suffered

 when he was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted.” The temptation that we face Jesus faced, and He was never going to experience that in Heaven. He had to come. And now He can help you and I to stand strong in Him.

 

Emmanuel – God with Us. Five verses. Look how much God has revealed to us in five verses about the significance of His coming.

 

This Christmas season, in the midst of all the hustle and bustle, keep before you these awesome truths. It will help all of us to “Keep Christ in Christmas” and praise His name over and over again.

 

For Him,

Rob

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