Thank you Jim for your ministry of music. The young people who played earlier had another engagement to get to by 7 o'clock and that's why they had to slip out the side and we wanted you to know that. What a person or a church believes about Jesus Christ is crucial. It is not a give it, a leave it or take it rather doctrine. It is one of those matters of theology that is absolutely essential.
I was talking with someone recently who said that he was going to a fine Christian church and I asked him which it was and he named it here in the city, and I won't give you the name, but it was one of the Unitarian churches. Well I didn't realize that my friend was as confused as he exposed himself to be at that point because a Unitarian church is in no sense a Christian church.
There is a denial of the deity of Jesus Christ as an essential part of their doctrine that puts them utterly opposed to what we teach regarding the word of God and the person of Jesus Christ. Of course the same would be true regarding the Jehovah's Witnesses or the Mormons. We completely disagree with them regarding what they teach about the Lord Jesus Christ.
The same would be true regarding liberal churches who talk about Jesus Christ in their doctrinal statements but who denigrate him, who lure him to a position of being merely a moral teacher, a good example. If that is all that a church believes about Jesus Christ, it ought to change its name and call itself a country club or a social club or anything else it wants to call itself, but it should not call itself a church of Jesus Christ.
What do we at Grace Church Roosevelt teach regarding the person of Jesus Christ? Our doctrinal statement puts it this way, we believe in Jesus Christ, God's only begotten Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit. We believe in his virgin birth, sinless life, miracles, and teachings. We believe in his substitutionary atoning death, bodily resurrection, ascension into heaven, perpetual intercession for his people, and personal, visible return to earth.
I'd like to expand a little bit upon that statement tonight as we think about where we stand regarding this doctrine of Christology or the theology of Jesus Christ. I'd like to examine four areas, first of all who Jesus Christ is. Let me say that to do this, we're going to limit ourselves to the book of Hebrews. If you brought only the book of Hebrews with you tonight, you're in good shape.
We could probably do this with several books in the New Testament, but we're going to choose the book of Hebrews tonight and limit our discussion regarding what it teaches concerning Jesus Christ. That will save you from wearing out other parts of your Bible. It could be that Hebrews is under-exercised anyway. It is in a lot of people's Bibles. Let's look in the book of Hebrews as we think about, first of all, who Jesus Christ is. That statement can be answered with two sub-statements.
First of all, he is God. Secondly, he is man. In saying that, I am not saying that he is 50 percent God and 50 percent man. I'm not saying he's 90 percent God and 10 percent man. What I am saying is that he is 100 percent God and 100 percent man. He is the theanthropos, the God-man. In him is the fullness of deity, he is God. The fullness of humanity, he is man. As you open the book of Hebrews, turn to chapter 1.
If you were to find some paragraphs in the New Testament regarding the person of Jesus Christ, you would turn to this passage as one of the key ones. Also John 1, Colossians 1, Philippians 2, Revelation 1. Hebrews 1 fits in the list. It says, God, after he spoke long ago to the fathers and the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in his Son. Now notice what it says about this one who has the title, the Son.
It says, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the world. That last word is not the earth, the inhabited earth, but it means the ages. That is everything that exists in the universe and all of its organization and its flow of history. The Lord Jesus Christ is the agent of that. Not only is he the agent of creation, but he is also the heir of all that has been created. That goes on to say in verse 3, and he is the radiance of his, of God's glory.
That means the outshining of the glory of God so that in the person of Jesus Christ we see shining forth the very nature of God himself. Not just a moral teacher, not just a good example, but we see in him the very shining forth of God, the very radiance of God's glory is in him, his teaching, his miracles, etc. And then it says, and he is the exact representation of God's nature.
That word representation there is used in the book of Matthew, the 22nd chapter of the 30th verse, where it is translated image. Jesus held up the coin and said, whose image is on this coin? He was using a word there that refers to the process of stamping a die on a piece of metal. If any of you have worked with metal, you know something about that process.
A die is used and when the metal is heated, the die is pressed into the metal, and in the case of Matthew 22, it leaves the impression of Caesar on the coin, the image of Caesar. Now what it says here is that the invisible God can be seen in Jesus Christ for all that the invisible God is, was impressed into the person of Jesus Christ so that he is the exact representation of the invisible deity. When you look at Jesus Christ, you are looking at God himself as he is in his nature.
So he is God. Hebrews chapter 1 teaches that. It goes on to say, he upholds all things by the word of his power. When he had made purification of sins, he sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high, the place of supreme authority. So he is God. But secondly, he is man. Turn over a page or two to chapter 2 and look at verse 14, where it says, since then the children share in flesh and blood. He himself likewise also partook of the same.
That phrase flesh and blood is a way of expressing human nature, humanity. What the writer of Hebrews is saying is this, since we, those who are the children of God now through faith in Christ, since we share humanity, he himself, who? The son. He himself likewise also partook of the same what? Humanity. So that not only is he God, but he is man. All that man is, except for his sinterhood, is found in Jesus Christ. He is not only God, he is fully, completely human. Who is Jesus Christ?
He is God and he is man. One cannot be an orthodox Christian. One cannot be a Bible-believing Christian and deny either of those truths. They are essential. One must believe that he is fully God and fully man. The second area that we want to talk about is what Jesus Christ did. There are really six sub-points to this if you're writing them down, so leave room for six. What Jesus Christ did. In the first place, he came.
Now I'm putting it that way because I want you to notice that I'm not saying he began. He came. He pre-existed before he came. He always was as God the Son, but he came into the world through the incarnation, the miracle of the virgin birth. Now we're here in Hebrews 2, begin with me in verse 5 where it says, for he did not subject, God did not subject to angels the world to come concerning which we are speaking, he says. But one is testified somewhere and that somewhere is psalm.
I kind of like that. Did you ever get to the point of saying, well it says in the Bible somewhere. Now why he did not know the exact text, I don't know. There's a similar phrase found again a couple of chapters later, but I kind of identify with him when he says one is testified somewhere. But then of course he quotes it. He says, what is man that thou rememberst him, or the son of man that thou art concerned about him? Thou hast made him for a little while lower than the angels.
Thou hast crowned him with glory and honor and hast appointed him over the works of thy hands. Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. He said, who's it talking about? Man. Man was created to rule and to reign over God's creation. That is what David says in psalm 8. Now it goes on to say in verse 8 here, for in subjecting all things to him, who? Man. Only God left nothing that is not subject to him. But he says, we do not yet see all things subjected to him.
One part of God's glorious plan of redemption is that someday, redeemed humanity is going to rule and to reign under Jesus Christ over what God has created. Our father and mother lost that for us, namely Adam and Eve. They lost the right to reign, although God had given it to them. Jesus Christ, who comes now as the last Adam, has restored to humanity, redeemed humanity, what our father Adam lost in his disobedience and sin. But we do not yet see all things subjected to man.
While we do not see that, he says in verse 9, we do see him, Jesus Christ, who has been made for a little while lower than the angels, namely Jesus. So notice it says that while we do not see yet the full consummation, the full purpose of redemption, we do see Jesus. Now it does say about him here that he was made for a little while lower than the angels. He came as a man to a position in creation that was lower than the angels, where man is as God has created him in this world. So he came.
In verse 14, we've already pointed out the fact that he shares our flesh and blood. So he came. Secondly, he lived without sin. That's important. Not once did he sin in all of his life. As a child, as an adult, not one thought, not one word. There was nothing about him that was sinful. Turn to the fourth chapter of Hebrews in verse 15, where it says, we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses.
Or to put it another way, we do have a high priest who can sympathize with our weaknesses. But it goes on to say, but one who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. So please notice the distinction between temptation and sin. It is not a sin to be tempted. Jesus was tempted, but he did not sin. Indeed, he could not sin because he was God as well as man. And because he could not sin, when he was tempted, the tempter gave him the fullest possible temptation.
He sunk his fangs into him and gave him all the venom there was, so to speak, to try to get him to sin. Because he could not sin, he did not sin. Sometimes, we get the feeling that because we have been tempted, that we have already failed God. There are people who are laboring under a load of guilt. That guilt has been produced not by sin, but by temptation.
They feel that by going through the temptation, by the thoughts that have come into their minds, by the urge that they had, that that itself was sin. It is not sin. If we play with it, if we yield to it, it's sin. But the Lord Jesus Christ was tempted, just as we are tempted. But he was without sin. None of us can say that. Sin has never given us, or rather the tempter has never given us, the fullest of temptation because we yield before that. But Jesus Christ never yielded once to temptation.
A similar thing is said in chapter 7 and verse 26. It says, it was fitting that we should have a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. He's innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, holy. That is our Savior. So he lived without sin. And therefore, he could be the sin bearer in our place. Thirdly, he revealed God to men.
We've already read the verses in Hebrews 1 where it says, while God spoke in the past in portions and pieces of revelation, and through many various ways, he has now put it all together. He has finished his revelation. He has fully and finally spoken in his Son. So what did Jesus Christ do? He came to reveal God to us. And we've already expressed some of those words, explained some of those words and expressions that deal with how he revealed to God the exact representation of all that God is.
Fourthly, he died a substitutionary sacrifice for man. Let's go back again to chapter 2 of Hebrews and finish the verse 9. Says we see Jesus, because of the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor, that by the grace of God, he might taste death for everyone. Notice that it's for everyone. He did it on behalf of others. He tasted death on our behalf. Now this is expanded upon in the first few verses of Hebrews chapter 10 where it says that his offering was once and for all for us.
And by that offering on our behalf, we have been sanctified. Hebrews 10.10. So what did Jesus Christ do? He died a substitutionary sacrifice for us. Number five, he rose from the dead. Now this morning as we closed the service, I read that benediction to the book of Hebrews, which is my favorite benediction of all of those in scripture, where it mentions the God of peace who brought up from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep.
So you see again in the book of Hebrews, we find this truth about him, that he rose from the dead. It's emphasized in other places. It says, for example, he ever lives to make intercession for us. He is not dead. He has been raised from the dead and ever lives on our behalf. And finally, number six under this title of what Jesus Christ did, he ascended to heaven. Now from the viewpoint of earth, we see it in the gospels, we see it in the book of Acts.
And Jesus being taken up from the Mount of Olives into the very presence of God. But here in Hebrews, we have a different vantage point. We see it not from the viewpoint of earth, but from the viewpoint of heaven. Notice with me Hebrews chapter four and verse 14. The writer puts it this way, talking about his ascension. We have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the son of God. He passed through the heavens of the clouds, the atmosphere of the earth.
He passed through the starry heavens of the universe and into the heaven of heavens, the very presence of God himself. And so we have in the book of Hebrews from heaven's viewpoint, the fact that he passed through the heavens to intercede in the very presence of God for us, as it says in the next couple of verses. Now look in chapter six and verse 20. It speaks about the veil in the heavenly sanctuary. And it says this, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us.
Now you would not know that from earth's vantage point. You do not see that in the gospels, in the first chapter of Acts, because all they saw was him being taken up into heaven. And then a cloud took him out of their sight. But here from heaven's vantage point, it says that he came into the heavenly sanctuary after he disappeared from earth. He came into the heavenly sanctuary and he entered in behind the veil to the very holy of holies in the heaven.
And it says there he has been a forerunner for us and has become a high priest forever. You say, what is a forerunner? Have you ever watched the president speak to Congress? There's that dramatic point. The commentators are chattering away talking about the fact that we're in Congress and the president's about to enter. And then they cut away and you get a view of the sergeant arms in Congress. And he comes into the chamber and he says, ladies and gentlemen, the president of the United States.
And then we have the march is played and the president enters and he is greeted by Congress. Now you see what that sergeant arms does is to act like a forerunner. He goes in there to announce the coming of the president. Now folks, I tell you that's what this word means. It means that our savior has entered into heaven itself and there he has announced that we are on the way. He is the forerunner, the announcer who has gone before us to represent us before God and to say that we are coming.
Chapter 8 in verse 1, it says, now the main point and what I've said is this, we have such a high priest who has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of the majesty in the heavens. Where is he in the heavens? Where is he there? He's seated at the right hand of God, an expression that means he has given the place of supreme authority and power.
Then in chapter 9 in verse 24, it says, Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, but into heaven itself now to appear in the presence of God for us. That's where he is tonight. He's ascended to heaven. That explains from the language of the book of Hebrews what Jesus Christ did. Thirdly, let's talk about what Jesus Christ is doing. We have that before us here in verse 24 that we've just read and we've read several other verses that tell us. What is he doing?
He is there representing us. He is appearing in the presence of God on our behalf. He is acting as our intercessor so that we have one who perpetually prays for us. Our doctrinal statement puts it this way, perpetual intercession for his people. That's what he's doing. The Virgin Mary is not there interceding on our behalf. There are no saints in heaven interceding on our behalf. There is one intercessor, one great high priest, and that is Jesus Christ. He appears there for you and for me.
He acts not only as our intercessor, but as our advocate, which means our defense attorney, our lawyer. First John 2 verses 1 and 2 uses that term of him. When we sin, we have one who stands in the presence of God as a literal reminder that the price has been paid for our sin so that when the accuser comes to attack us, there is one in heaven who acts as the defense counsel and who says the price has been paid. The price has been paid.
Thank God for that advocate of ours who stands there on our behalf. Not only is he interceding and advocating, but thirdly, he is preparing a place for us. Now, of course, we think of John 14 when we think of this and Jesus' words, but I think we see a suggestion of it here in Hebrews 2. Look in Hebrews 11 and verse 10. When talking about Abraham, it says he was looking as he was walking as a pilgrim through life, living in tents in a foreign land.
It says he was looking for the city which has foundations, not a tent that's thrown up or even a city of tents, but the city that has foundations. In other words, it's permanent. He says, whose architect and builder is God. The designer, the construction agent is God himself. Now, it goes on to say in verse 16, they, the patriarchs who died before, verse 16, they desire a better country, that is a heavenly one.
Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. And we have another word about that city in chapter 12 and verse 22 where he says, not only the patriarchs, but we too, we too who follow after them in the train of faith. He says, you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. That is none other than the same heavenly city that John describes to us in the last two chapters of the book of the Revelation.
But again in chapter 13 and verse 14, it says here, we're just like the patriarchs. Here we do not have a lasting city. Minneapolis, St. Paul is not a lasting city. There is no lasting city on this earth. We do not have a lasting city, but it says we are seeking the city which is to come. Now, what is that place? That's the place that Jesus is preparing for us right now. That's heaven, the Father's house, what David called the house of the Lord. So what is he doing?
Well, that answers the question. Now, I want to close with this area of study. What Jesus Christ will do. We've talked about what he's done. We've talked about what he's doing. Now in closing, let's think about what Jesus Christ will do. And again, keep our remarks to the book of Hebrews. The very next thing that Jesus Christ will do in terms of this earth is to return for his church, to return for his people. Turn to Hebrews chapter 9 and verse 28.
It says, so Christ also having been offered once to bear the sins of many, shall appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin to those who eagerly await him. When he comes the second time, he is not coming to deal with sin. He has already done that in his first advent. He thoroughly dealt with sin then at his cross. The next time that he appears, he is appearing for his people, those who eagerly await for him. And he is appearing to catch us away.
The following that will be judgment. Judgment for the church, the judgment seat of Jesus Christ. When we as people will be examined for our lives, how we've served him in this world. Turn over page to chapter 10. I was going to start reading in verse 26, but for time's sake, just look on down to verse 30. You say, does this passage talk about Christians? Yes, it does. That is my conviction that it does talk about Christians. But in verse 30, I want to just pick out this phrase.
We know him who said, vengeance is mine, I will repay. And again, the Lord will judge his people. It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God. The previous verses talk about a believer. Not who loses his salvation, but who is so careless and so carnal and fleshly in this world, that he commits the atrocities that are mentioned in verse 29. And the warning is of the terrible judgment, not the judgment of hell, but the awful judgment that that believer is in for.
For the Lord will judge, not the world here, notice, but his people. And then he says, and especially with regard to people who live that way during their lifetime, it is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God. It will be a terrible experience to face the Lord at the judgment seat of Christ, having wasted life's day, abused the opportunities that he's given us in this world. So there is that warning in the book of Hebrews.
And it's a warning that appears time and time again in the book of Hebrews, regarding being careless in our attitude toward the things of God. What will Jesus Christ do? Not only will he judge his church, but the Lord will send tribulation and judgment upon the earth. That is described in detail in Revelation chapter 6 and following, up through chapter 19. But take a look here in Hebrews at chapter 12 and verse 25. He says, see to it that you do not refuse him who is speaking.
For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less shall we escape who turn away from him who warns from heaven. And his voice shook the earth then, but now he has promised, saying, yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heaven. Now he says in verse 28, we have a kingdom which cannot be shaken and therefore we should serve God acceptably with reverence and awe.
But notice that he warns in the context here that there is a day that is yet to come when our God is going to shake not just the earth, but the heavens as well. I can't help but believe that this is a passage prophesying of those things that will take place in the tribulation period on the earth.
When there will be a shaking of everything that is, that men call secure, that the heavens and the earth themselves will be shaken by the authority and the power and the judgment of God in that tribulation period that shall come upon the earth. And as a result of that, Jesus Christ will, number four, destroy the world system and Satan by his return in glory. Now it won't all happen at once. We know from the book of Revelation.
But I've already read to you Hebrews 2, 14, where it mentions that he came that he might destroy the works of Satan, that he might render Satan inoperative. And then it says in 1 John that he might destroy also the works of Satan, the devil. That includes the world system as it is. That order of things that is now anti-Christ. By the way, an order of things that is becoming more and more prominently anti-Christ in our society.
The ugliness of it, the anti-God aspect of it is more and more exposed. It's just like there are curtains going up all the time in our society. And we're able to see through them more and more and more clearly the real nature of the world system. While Jesus Christ will come and one day all of that is going to be done away with. And then finally, what will Jesus Christ do? He will establish his righteous eternal kingdom.
Go back to chapter 1 again of Hebrews where it says in verse 8, but of the Son, he says, thy throne, O God, is forever and ever. Please understand that this is God the Father who is speaking to God the Son. And notice that he calls him God, a statement of his deity. But as he remarks about that, he says, thy throne, O God, is forever and ever and the righteous scepter is the scepter of his kingdom. Our Lord is going to establish a literal earthly kingdom.
During the millennium, the thousand years that will come upon the earth, there will be peace and righteousness through the reign of the Lord Jesus Christ. What will he do? He will establish a righteous kingdom. And not just for a thousand years, but that thousand year kingdom will then give way to the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Now in a nutshell, in a brief, in summary, that is what we as a church believe regarding Jesus Christ.
So much more could be said, but shan't be said tonight because of the time. What if we believe these things? So what is the bottom line? We say we believe them. What is the implication for us? Well, I believe it's threefold. In the first place, if we say we believe these things, it must affect our lifestyle. If we say that we confess what is written in our doctrinal statement and those things that we have exposed in the book of Hebrews tonight, then it has to affect the way that we live.
If we believe what we do about Jesus Christ, we cannot go on living as sovereigns of our own lives. But he must have in our lives what he deserves, the right to rule and to reign as Lord, to sit upon the throne, not just of a kingdom that will come upon the earth, but of your life and my life tonight. And the question is, is he Lord? Is he reigning in that place of authority in us? If we say that we believe what we do, folks, then it must affect our lifestyle.
We cannot any longer live selfishly, but we must live for him who died for us and rose again. And secondly, it must affect our world view. If we say that we believe what we do about Jesus Christ, it has to affect the way that we look at our world. It tempers the way that we see world events. As history unfolds, rather than becoming anxious and worried, you and I who believe what we do about Jesus Christ can relax.
And we can know that it is in his hand and it is moving in the God-old, ordained direction where Jesus Christ will return to earth. As we see the collapse of the United States of America, which I believe is imminent, I am sorry to say. I believe it is imminent morally and I believe it is imminent economically. I don't know what's going to come next. I am not a prophet. But the United States of America, as we have known it, has but years at the most to exist.
As we look at that and think about it and what its implications are for us individually and for our children and our grandchildren, the lordship of Jesus Christ and the fact that these things must come to pass so that he can come again can give us assurance and comfort. It is not out of his control. The Lord will provide for his people. I tell you what, we do not have a lasting city here.
And if our security in this world is wrapped up in the Constitution of the United States or in the democracy or the republic actually under which we live now, if that is our security, then we are going to be miserable people shortly. Our security had better be in the city which is to come and the Lord which is soon to return. And finally, if we believe what we do about Jesus Christ, it must affect our priorities. What is really important in life?
In the decisions that we make, the way that we spend our money, the way that we spend our time in the world. The priorities of life must be impacted if we say that we believe what we do about Jesus Christ because there is nothing then, there is nothing more important than that his will be done in us and through us. That must claim every priority in every area of life, Jesus Christ first, preeminent above all. So you see this is a practical doctrine we are talking about.
If we believe what we say we do, then we cannot live like other people live. I think Francis Schaefer had the right question, how should we then live? Important question to ponder. And as we say we believe what we do about Jesus Christ, let's allow that to trickle down beyond the doctrinal statement and beyond our mental understanding of what it says into our hearts and into our lives.
So that all that we have, all that we are, and all that we hope to be in life's brief day under his Lordship, let's bow together. And now Father, I pray that you will seal to our hearts the application of the word we've studied tonight. I pray that we will follow in the train of the patriarchs of old, that we will set before ourselves the hope, the blessed hope of our Savior's return.
That we would gird up the loins of our minds and live holy lives to make a difference in our generation, because it could be the last one in this age. And as we think about the shaking of everything that the world counts as permanent and as secure, may we tonight find our rest and our comfort and our security in the kingdom which cannot be shaken. In the kingdom of our Lord, Jesus Christ. We pray in His name, amen.