We’ve been talking about the person of Christ Jesus.  Looking into his nature.  The makeup of his person.  The substance of his being.  If there’s no other name by which we can be saved.  If he died on the cross for the sin of the world.  It might help us to know exactly who he is.  We use the name Jesus so much when we talk about the Son of God, that’s it’s easy to lose sight of who He is, and what it means about the gospel message.  

John says Jesus is the only begotten Son of God.  Jesus is not the Son of God in the sense of having a beginning, and his generation being declared by someone who was before him or after him.  Hebrews 7 say Jesus is without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life.  Jesus is the Son of God because he is of the same being and essence as the Father.  We say our children are chips off the old block.  Meaning they are exactly like us.  They are the same substance as us; The same nature as us.  They are the same type of being as us.  The same species if you will.  Jesus is the same species as the Father.  They are by nature the same type of being.  John tells us the generation; the bringing forth; the sending of “The Son” is not according to a mere natural conception like our children, where our kids did not exist prior to their conception, but only came into being when they were conceived.  John calls the Son, the Word, and says the Word is God, demonstrating the generation of the Son is not in the sense of coming into being, but is instead in the sense of having always been, and then brought forth from the Father, whom He was always with.  The Son is the Word because in being the express image of the Father, and the brightness of the Fathers person, He declares the Father.  The Son is eternally begotten; he has always been emanating from the Father, seeing he is the express image of the Father; the brightness of the Fathers person, and there’s never a time when the Fathers person was not bright, and theres never a time when the Father is without expression.  

This Word; the eternal Son; the image of the invisible God; God Himself, was manifested in the flesh; God was born as a man; God assumed human form; God partook of flesh and blood, and its God who was crucified for the sin of the world.  It’s the body of God that was broken on that cross.  It’s the blood of God that was poured out for us on the cross.  

In the apostle Pauls final address to the leaders at Ephesus in Acts 20:28 he says “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost has made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he has purchased with his own blood.”

Col 1:14  In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
Col 1:15  Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
Col 1:16  For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
Col 1:17  And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

 It’s not the man Jesus who was crucified for the sin of the world.  It’s the creator of the universe who was crucified.  It’s the Son of God; the Godman who was crucified for the sin of the world.  It’s not the hands and feet of a mere man that were pierced, it’s the hands and feet of God Himself.  God himself bore about in his own body the wages of our sin; declaring to us he’s not the one who punishes for sin, he’s the one who takes our sin into Himself, to make it white as snow, with His own blood.  We’re supposed to see God on the cross  allowing himself to be crucified to cause death to pass over us.  No one takes his life he lays it down of his own desire.  The idea of a crucified God is foolish to the religions in the world.  Every other god, demands a sacrifice, which makes them no gods at all.  The one true God offers Himself for the sin of His people.

Heb 10:4  For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.
Heb 10:5  Wherefore when he comes into the world, he says, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:

1st Peter says we weren’t redeemed with corruptible things like silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Jesus.  

The blood of bulls and goats can’t redeem us.  Its been said only the blood of a perfect man can take away the sin of the world, and theres some truth to that.  But then we define the perfect man as someone who never did anything wrong.  As if the blood of a man who did everything right can destroy the power of death in the flesh.  The blood of a mere man can’t redeem one person from death much less the entire creation.  Even should we have a man who was born without any blemishes, and we took that man and kept him from ever being exposed to any corruption.  You know like, see no evil; hear no evil; speak no evil.  Even should the Virgin Mary who the scripture says was blameless and righteous.  Even should her body have been broken and her blood shed, that could never cleanse anyone from the defilement of death.  When Cain spilled the blood of righteous Abel it didnt redeem anyone from the curse, but instead it brought a curse.  The broken body of a mere man; the blood of a mere mortal has no power to cleanse mankind or creation from the defilement of death.  The blood of a mere man/mortal has no power to deify anyone.  It had to be the blood of God.  It’s the precious blood of the Godman, Christ Jesus, that redeems us from the curse of death, turning the curse into a blessing through his blood.  Only the blood of God Himself can sanctify to the deification of the flesh.   Only the blood of a man, who is by nature immortal is sufficient for the forgiveness of sin. 

Yes Jesus is the perfect man, but he’s the perfect man because He’s God manifested in the flesh. At the moment of conception his humanity; his entire spirit soul and body, were dignified by his divinity.  Thats why the scripture says Jesus came in the Likeness of sinful flesh.  The Father prepared a body for Jesus.  He begat the Son, and sent the Spirit to fashion a body.  The moment the Spirit and the Son fashioned a body in the virgin Mary’s womb, the flesh was deified because it’s the body of God.  Whatever is assumed by God is God.  This is why the scripture says God was manifested in the flesh.  The perfect man is the archetype of man, the one who is the image of the invisible God.  

Kenosis:  Self Emptying:  the self emptying of Jesus.  Philippians 2 says Jesus is equal with God; he’s of the same substance as the Father; he is both the divine nature, and the 2nd person in the Godhead.  He shares in the same essence and being as the Father. He’s the express image of God, and the brightness of God’s person.  Philippians tells us saying Jesus is equal with God is not robbery.  Its takes nothing away from the majesty of God, to say Jesus is equal with God.  Partaking of flesh and blood does not make Jesus less God.  Philippians 2 says Jesus fashioned himself in the form of a slave on the cross.  Meaning he humbled himself to the death of the cross.  Jesus remained free while suffering the death of the cross.  Not thinking he needed to grasp after his divinity.  He remained free not exercising his divinity on the cross.  He allowed himself to be put to death in his flesh.  He allowed his body to be broken and his blood to be poured out.  Knowing that in his flesh being torn what would be unveiled is his divinity.  Jesus emptying himself isn’t about him ceasing to be divine.  It’s about the divine lowering himself to our estate for the suffering of death, so that when his body is broken and his blood is shed; it’s the pouring out of his divinity in the earth.  God resisted sin in his own body on the cross.  When Gods body was broken; when Gods blood was shed; death met his divinity, and his immortality consumed the death in his flesh. 

Heb 2:11  For both he that sanctifies and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, 

The one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are both human.  Jesus, God, that is, wasn’t ashamed to be found in our estate.  The eternal Son condescended to our estate to lift us up in his humanity.  He lowered himself to us, so we can be exalted in him.  He humbled himself, allowing himself to partake of the shame of the cross, counting the shame as having nothing against his humanity.  All so he can dignify our humanity with his divinity.  God endured the death of the cross as a man, through the strength of his divine nature.  That through his enduring, his body might be broken, and his blood poured out for our deification.  God in his own humanity partook with us in our suffering.  He wasnt ashamed to call us brethren.  He wasnt ashamed of our humanity.  He wasnt ashamed to identify with us in the frailty of our flesh.  He wasnt ashamed to be seen with us in the weakness of dying flesh.  He did not think our humanity and its ability to be moved, and to change, was something to be despised.  Jesus, God, that is, humbled himself to the death of the cross.  He esteemed the life of sinners over his own.  He looked not on his own things, but on the the things that pertained to our redemption.  

Only the humanity of God has the power to deify mortal man.  Only the body and blood of God being sowed in the earth has the power to both redeem us from death, and deify us.  

“Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”  John 6:49-51 KJV

God wanted to prepare a table for the deification of his people.  He wanted there to be meat in His house that could provide for His people.  He wanted to serve them with His divine nature. He’s the only one possessing a life that deifies, so the eternal Son, Christ Jesus, is brought forth, along with the Holy Spirit, to fashion a body to bring to the altar.  The cross is the altar.  The cross is God preparing a table for you.  He sets the table with His body and His blood.  And because it’s not the body and blood of a mere man.  Because it’s the body and blood of God himself, when his body is broken and his blood is shed, when his flesh is torn, what’s plated there is his divine nature.  The crucified God is our daily bread.  The body and blood of the Godman is our redemption; our salvation; our deification.  It’s in beholding God crucified that theosis occurs.  The crucified God is our lamb.  God provided himself a lamb.  He gave his own body to be broken; he let his own blood be shed; so there might be meat in the house that gives us communion with his divine nature.  Only the body and blood of God can give communion with the divine nature.  

“And in this mountain The Lord of hosts will make for all people A feast of choice pieces, A feast of wines on the lees, Of fat things full of marrow, Of well-refined wines on the lees. And He will destroy on this mountain The surface of the covering cast over all people, And the veil that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death forever, And the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces; The rebuke of His people He will take away from all the earth; For the Lord has spoken. And it will be said in that day: “Behold, this is our God; We have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the Lord; We have waited for Him; We will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.””  Isaiah 25:6-9 NKJV

Prayer