Long ago, there ruled in Persia a wise and good king. He
loved his people. He wanted to know how they lived. He wanted to know
about their hardships. Often, he dressed in the clothes of a working man
or a beggar and went to the homes of the poor. No one whom he visited
thought that he was their ruler. One time he visited a very poor man who
lived in a cellar. He ate the coarse food the poor man ate. He spoke
cheerful, kind words to him. Then he left. Later he visited the poor man
again and disclosed his identity by saying, “I am your king!” The king
thought the man would surely ask for some gift or favor, but he didn't.
Instead, he said, “You left your palace and your glory to visit me in
this dark, dreary place. You ate the course food I ate. You brought
gladness to my heart! To others you have given your rich gifts. To me
you have given yourself!” *
The Son of
God clothed Himself in human flesh (called the incarnation) and came to
this Earth, and “we beheld His glory” (John 1:14) and His love.
The inspired
author of the book of Hebrews wrote about the importance of the
incarnation of Christ: “Since therefore the children share in flesh and
blood, He Himself likewise partook of the same things… 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” (Hebrews 2:14,
17a ESV).
Since Jesus
“became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14), “Jesus knows all about
our struggles,” in the words of Johnson Oatman, Jr. in the song,
“There’s Not a Friend Like the Lowly Jesus.” He knows, He cares, and He
can help (Hebrews 2:18).
But Jesus’
incarnation was more than just “identifying” with us and showing us that
He cares.
Jesus came to
save us from sin so that we can have eternal life with Him in heaven.
Observe the
truth of the last phrase of Hebrews 2:17: “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” (ESV).
Propitiation
has been defined as “averting the wrath of God by the offering of a
gift.” It refers to the turning away of the wrath of God as the just
judgment of our sin by God’s own provision of the sacrifice of Jesus
Christ on the cross.
Why is God so
angry about sin? Because sin separates us from Him (Isaiah 59:1-2).
But God loves
sinners – and that’s all of us (Romans 3:23) – and He gave His Son to
die on the cross for our sins (1 John 4:9-10). Jesus endured the wrath
of God against sin on our behalf so that we can be saved and live with
Him forever.
God will save and give eternal life to those who
place their faith
and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from sin
in repentance
(Acts 17:30-31), confess
Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are
baptized
(immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). He will
continue to cleanse from sin those who continue to walk in the light of
His Word (1 John 1:7-9).
Jesus “became
flesh and lived among us” to become our merciful and faithful High
Priest as well as the atoning sacrifice that unites us with God. He
gave Himself for our sins so that we might live with Him forever.
Won’t YOU
give yourself to Him through your trusting obedience?
-- David A.
Sargent
* Brett Blair, Sermon Illustrations, 1999, as qtd.
in
www.sermonillustrations.com
David A. Sargent,
Minister
Church of Christ at Creekwood
1901 Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, Alabama 36695
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