Part 7 of 7
What wonderful truths have been vividly shown to us by the Holy Spirit, lovingly speaking via the writer to the Hebrews! What compelling confirmation has been established! We have observed the many overwhelming proofs of Jesus' deity as proposed to the Hebrews, many of whom seemed to be on the fence about their Christian beliefs. We have seen the manifest attestation of Jesus' superiority over mere human prophets and heavenly angels. And we have seen the sensible signs of Godly Sonship, and it's great triumph over mere human sonship. Godly Sonship far surpasses common human sonship in rank, permanence and spiritual virtue, and therefore cannot be wisely adopted as evidence against Jesus' divinity and equality with the Father.
Furthermore, we have seen the Hebrew's tendency to use Jesus' "rugged humanity" as a proposal of His utter inability to complete His atoning mission. His lack of carnal grandeur was a stumbling block to them because they expected a powerful earthly king to be their Messiah, not a suffering servant.
Thankfully, the writer to the Hebrews uses such blasphemous accusations to rightfully explain WHY Jesus humbled Himself, being clothed with our deplorable human flesh. Firstly, we saw that it was to become the "last Adam", and repair the damage caused by the first Adam's sin. Secondly, we saw that it was to overthrow and defeat Satan as a man, the last Adam. Such a defeat was an effect of Him becoming the last Adam. So what is the final reason given by the author as to WHY Jesus became a man? Reader, it concerns Jesus' relation to mankind as High Priest. He condescended so that He could be touched with the weaknesses and infirmities of the common man! Observe...
"Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted" (Heb 2:17-18).
Such loving-kindness is at the very core of God's being! How lovingly admirable of Him to be born with the purpose of suffering the death of the cross as a man, so that He could relate to us in our temptations, our infirmities, and our weaknesses. Mercy is a prime requisite in a priest, since his office is to help the wretched and raise the fallen: such grand mercies are only able to be found in One who has an identical feeling with the humanly afflicted, having been so once Himself: "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin" (Heb 4:15). God, in order to save us, needed to take upon Himself our manhood with all its sorrows, thereby qualifying Himself, by experiential suffering with us, to be our sympathizing High Priest. Such merciful relation to us is our certainty that He is able to relieve ("succor") us when tempted (2 Cor 6:2; Mk 9:22). Thus, He knows, via experience, how to be compassionate toward poor, afflicted, suffering man. He did this for you and I!
Not only was He merciful as High Priest toward us, but He was faithful as High Priest toward God the Father. God's holy justice required the punishment of transgressors, or a suitable expiation to be made for the sins of the people. Jesus understood this, and thus faithfully offered Himself!
So we see the very reasons WHY Jesus humbled Himself in His human condescension. It was to (1) become the last Adam, and provide federal restitution; (2) to defeat Satan as a man, and (3) to enable Himself, as God, to become a relate-able (touchable) High Priest, possessing a genuine and experientially common relation to mankind. It amazes me that Jesus' suffering condescension to our deplorable human flesh was SO THAT He could be "touchable" and genuinely merciful toward the one He will spend eternity with, His bride! WOW!
We truly could meditate on these glories for eternity! What a uniquely precious personification of mercy God is! In the light of such wonders, let's do as the Hebrew writer has encouraged: press in and COME UP HIGHER!
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