Passion Meditation

Rev. P. Van Ruitenburg, Chilliwack, BC

Take a moment to read these words one more time. We have to do with an all-seeing God whose eyes are never closed. He sees everything the way it is, no matter how good it looks on the outside. God sees our hearts, and nothing is hidden from Him. We may deceive others and even try to deceive ourselves, but the omniscient God with whom we have to do will bring everything into account. Every idle word, fantasy, dream, inclination, and every secret sin will appear before God’s holy eyes. We ourselves do not see half of our own sin, but God knows and remembers all. Oh, what will it be to fall unreconciled into His hands? Some day we will have to stand before Him to give an account of all we have said, thought, and done. Then we will find out with whom we have to do.

Yet, what a wonder it is that God has thought out and opened a way of salvation. It is a special way—a way which has been opened for mankind but not for angels. “For verily He took not on Him the nature of angels; but He took on Him the seed of Abraham” (Hebrews 2:16). Christ was willing to take a mortal human nature and make Himself, temporarily, a little lower than the angels, and place the seed of Abraham above the angels. Why, oh, why? Christ did not take the nature of angels but of His brethren. Christ is the Head of the angels; He created them, sustains and uses them, but He did not take their nature. Angels cannot die. He took upon Himself our human nature in order to take the fear of death away and to destroy the devil—to take away his power and authority.

How great was God’s free and sovereign love to go so far as to send His only begotten Son in the flesh. The Lord Jesus took upon Himself flesh and blood through the Virgin Mary in order to be able to die. The work of salvation did not stop with the birth of Christ. It was not sufficient for Him simply to live and preach. A propitiation needed to be made. He needed to conquer death and Satan. The entire book of Hebrews is about this theme. A sacrifice was needed in order to save the seed of Abraham, of the brethren, of the people (Hebrews 2:17). Let us consider a few details:

Death—an enemy

Death is an enemy; we all fear it. Death is a consequence of our rebellion against God, and sin deserves God’s wrath. Not only is God provoked to anger and holy indignation, He must punish sin with death, for it is treason against His holy majesty. Death can only be defeated and destroyed through the death of Christ. It is for this reason that Christ was born upon this earth. As a child in the manger He had a body and soul. The Child in the manger had blood flowing through His holy veins. He was made equal to His brethren in all things, sin excepted. Therefore, let us never separate Christmas from Good Friday. This Child was born to die! His children were partakers of flesh and blood; therefore, He Himself likewise took part of the same so “that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil” (Hebrews 2:14). Power of death? Does Satan have the power of death? Satan has the right to destroy us if we remain in our sin. Are we still living in our sin? That is the point, for Satan is a murderer from the beginning, and if our sins are not taken away, we will die the eternal death. Christ, however, assumed our human nature, the same nature we all have, in order to die Himself and to deliver His people from death and its fear.

Fear of death

One must distinguish between the fear of death itself and the process leading to it. There can be fear as a result of pain, being alone, tired, not being able to communicate, shortness of breath, and other discomfort. There is also a fear of death itself, of encountering our Maker, of being unprepared. Some suffer from that fear more than others. Some want not to fear and refuse to think about it, but subconsciously they have a fear of death and the process leading to it. Christ had to take upon Himself our human nature to suffer and die in order to take the cause of fear away. Therefore, He became equal to His brethren.

Brethren

Brethren? Yes, brethren, or brothers, for His entire elect Church. Christ calls the ones He received from the Father not only children but also sheep, branches, and His bride. They are also His family. In a way He came down to the same level of their human nature. God’s children are the brothers of Jesus, or as we read in Matthew 12:50, “For whosoever shall do the will of My Father which is in heaven, the same is My brother, and sister, and mother.” That is a very close relationship. As close as we can be to a brother or sister? Being children of one Father, fellow heirs? That is tender. In what sense is this the case? God’s children are not only legally brothers and sisters of the Lord Jesus but also in appearance. God’s children show a little of the image of God. In a small way they resemble Christ as they are also partakers of the Holy Ghost. True, God’s dear ones must still fight against all sin and have only a small beginning of being like Him, yet in Christ they have an Elder Brother. He was made like unto His brethren. Think of how close this is; how condescending is God’s love! He has not only servants, disciples, and friends but family. The Child in the manger and Jesus on the cross are related to the living Church. Little ones in faith can hardly see this and for those who are led further, this begins to become a wonder. “Me, they ask; a brother, a sister?”

Reconciliation–propitiation

We read of another reason why Christ took the human flesh of His brethren, namely, “that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people” (Hebrews 2:17). Reconciliation, in this case, could also have been translated as propitiation. Propitiation is the payment made to make reconciliation, and, of course, propitiation is first. Christ took upon Himself the nature of man in order to pay the price. Do we have any idea of the measure of God’s anger against sin? Even God’s children, who experience some understanding of God’s anger, have just begun to realize the enormity of it. God has made us a people to His glory; take note of what happened: we dishonored Him, made Him a liar, pulled away, and divorced ourselves from God. Who can possibly measure God’s anger or probe the depth of the gulf we have made? There are no words to describe our Fall. We were required to love and obey God, but we failed to do so. In fact, who is willing today? Oh, what a hopeless case!

We need a substitute, someone who is able to do and obey God’s will, an image-bearer of God, a true prophet, priest, and king. God sent one, the Messiah in the human flesh, a merciful and faithful High Priest, in the first place, to do things for God. In order for the debt to be cancelled someone had to live, pay, and die. How ever could God ignore sin and simply forgive? We are disappointed in judges that acquit abusers, yet we are not willing to understand that God needs to maintain His justice.

Christ fulfilled the two tables of the holy law. He satisfied His Father’s demands and made reconciliation for the sins of His people. Christ did not do this for all people in general, not for all individuals but for His people, for the brethren. He satisfied God’s justice and fulfilled the law. He never disappointed His Father and so became the Substitute for His brethren, for the seed of Abraham. Therefore, they not only can be saved, but will be saved. Think of what we read in Galatians 3:7, “Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.” It does not state the seed of Adam, for this is not about the natural seed of Abraham but about the true believers.

It was fitting for Christ to make reconciliation. He was neither obliged, nor was it His duty. He was willing to be a propitiation for His people. Have we come to need more of Christ as the Child in the manger than Christ as the One who has assumed our human nature? May the Lord grant us more insight into why Christ needed a human nature to do things pertaining to God. Be convinced that He was and is different from us. He was kind to publicans and sinners, and no guile was found in His mouth. He sacrificed Himself in more than one way. He not only obeyed the commandments but also suffered and shed His blood. Remember, I have already stated for whom Jesus Christ paid the price. I again commend Him to you, point to Him, call you, invite you, and warn you. He is the only propitiatory sacrifice. Only through Him we can be reconciled to God. We have to do with God, and without Christ as the

We have to do with God, and without Christ as the Sacrifice applied to our souls, matters do not stand well with us. Do not think lightly of God’s enormous anger. It is real and just. Therefore, you need to find this Saviour and pray that His righteousness may be imputed unto you. Outside of Him, God is a consuming fire. We often think that bygones are bygones, but God is not like us. He cannot overlook sin. Christ came to effectually save the spiritual seed of Abraham. However, dear reader, we may still point all of you to Him. Have you come to treasure the Son of God? p

A Crown of Life

Christ is a King to reward His people. There is nothing lost by serving this King. He rewards His subjects in this life. He gives them inward peace and joy, a bunch of grapes by the way, and oftentimes riches and honor. Godliness hath the promise of this life (1 Timothy 4:8). These are, as it were, the saints’ veils, but the great reward is to come, an “eternal weight of glory” (2 Corinthians 4:17). Christ makes all His subjects kings. “I will give thee a crown of life” (Revelation 2:10). This crown will be full of jewels, and it will never fade (1 Peter 5:4). —John Owen

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