Welcome toΒ Part 4Β of Philβs series.
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So why is the arrival of the God/Man such good news? The kingdom of God has come. God and Man are rejoined. God has come in person to accomplish it. But the barrier of sin must be dealt with.
The Greek philosopher Socrates made a very insightful observation. He said to his student Plato, βIt may be that the Deity can forgive sins, but I do not see how.β
The problem of sin is, how can God forgive it? If God just dismisses it, then itβs not really sin and God would be a liar. If God forgave some people and not others then God is unfair and playing favorites therefore a hypocrite. Sin must be justly dealt with.
If someone is punished for sin, then they suffer for themselves. Thatβs not forgiveness. Neither can forgiveness come by another person taking someone elseβs punishment because βall have sinned, fall short of the glory of Godβ and deserve their own punishment. For forgiveness to happen, there must be a sinless substitute to accept the judgment and condemnation of death.
Everyone is born under the broken covenant of Adam. So there is no suitable sinless substitute, even among all the animals. Remember what happened when God brought all the animals to Adam? βBut for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him.β This is why animal sacrifice is insufficient and not permanent. But it did point to what would come.
The God/man is different and unique, yet at the same time a comparable helper. He was not born under the broken covenant of a man, because he was fathered from outside the covenant of Adam. He was the only other man directly begotten by God, yet unlike Adam He was also God. Because the Woman Eve was not the representative of the first covenant, her Seed βthe Seed of the Womanβ would be qualified, but the seed of the Man would not. Because Jesus is born of a woman, He is related to us. He is the Kinsman Redeemer.
Jesus lived a sinless life. His only purpose was to remain obedient to doing His Fatherβs will. Godβs will is known by His Ten Commandments which are summarized as βLove God, Love One Another.β Jesusβs only desire was to remain obedient to His Father.
Jesus remained obedient to all the Law to demonstrate His humanity, and performed miracles to demonstrate His divinity.
As with Adam, the forces of darkness tried to get Jesus to fail in remaining obedient. He was tempted. (The devil tried to get Him to eat while He was fasting, to commit the same sin as Adam). He was ridiculed and falsely accused. He was arrested and tortured. They eventually killed Him with an excruciating death on the cross. But through it all He remained obedient to His Father. They couldnβt get Him to disobey God. He kept the terms of the Covenant even unto the exit, which is death. This is why He declared with His dying breath βIt is finishedβ.
The punishment for breaking covenant is separation from God and that separation is death. The exit from the covenant is death. Because Jesus remained obedient to God until death He didnβt deserve death. He was the only one to ever accomplish this. Therefore death has no legal claim on Him. Ever. Itβs why He was resurrected.
Romans 6:9 β¦knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him.
His perfect obedience canβt be undone. He fulfilled the covenant of obedience to God and exited the covenant. It was the path which was known only by Him that βTo conquer death you only have to die.β
If Adam hadnβt eaten the forbidden fruit he would have been the Savior because nothing happened to Eve and Eve is the mother of all living. Adam could have interceded for her and God could forgive her. All downstream from them would have been protected by Adamβs obedience. However, there would always remain the possibility of Adam disobeying. Mankind would be eternally vulnerable, totally dependent on his obedience. The words βIt is finishedβ could never have been spoken so long as Adam remained alive.
Jesus was killed for His obedience. His perfect obedience is permanently sealed in His blood. There is now no risk or vulnerability of disobedience by the New Covenant Representative.
Romans 8:1-2 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death
He alone paid the price of death which was undeserved. He completed the covenant and exited it. Because His death, which is separation from God is undeserved, He has conquered death not just for Himself but all who are under the New Covenant.
Romans 5:18-19 Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.
Genesis 3:6-7 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to makeΒ oneΒ wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings.
