Episode Transcript
Consider the Lord Jesus Christ. Consider who he is. God, the son, who took on flesh. Truly God, truly man, with a nature like ours yet without sin. Tempted and tried in every way that we are, yet He never failed. The second Adam, who, just like Adam, was tempted by the evil one, but unlike our father, Adam, Jesus was victorious.
Consider what he did in addition to that. He lived a life meditating on God's law day and night. He never walked in the way of sinners or sat in the seat of scoffers. He obeyed God's law always. The personal, perfect, perpetual obedience that God requires to his law; Jesus did it, and he did it in our place.
Consider him. Consider his suffering. He suffered his whole life. He was perfected by suffering. Through suffering, He learned obedience as a man. This is the language of Hebrews. And then, most pointedly, he suffered in his death. He was obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross, to satisfy the perfect justice of God in the place of lawbreakers who should receive that justice themselves.
So when we get warped out of our frame over mercy and justice and all of that, consider Christ. If we have trouble with some of these things - that we are counted with Adam’s sin. If we have trouble with being represented by Adam, we should have trouble being represented by Christ. Christ represents all those who trust in him.
He has accomplished our righteousness and made satisfaction for our sins. But consider what he did beyond his life and his death. We thought about this some in recent weeks. Christ came as a conqueror. We live in fear, the fear of death, fear of harm, fear of judgment. He conquered all of it. Because the children share in flesh and blood, he too partook of the same things so that through death, he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil so that he might liberate us because we've been living in lifelong slavery. He set us free. He conquered death. He conquered the strong man who is the devil. He set the captives free. Having done that, He ascended to heaven and sits at the right hand of the father, where he reigns.
He’s so in control. Having done the work so adequately and sufficiently that he sat down. He's not scrambling. He’s seated and reigns and upholds the universe by the word of his power. He's building his church that he tells us the gates of hell will not prevail against. You and I are evidence of that. He's building his church. Two thousand years after he ascended here, we sit covered in his blood and righteousness, singing praises to his name, encouraging one another to trust him.
Why? Because he's building his church, he's saving his people. He intercedes for us. The father delights to save us, and Christ delights to intercede for us. He advocates for us when we sin, not once we're better. All authority in heaven and on earth is his, and we belong to him. So whenever you think about the ebbs and flows in the world and things that are fearful, and you're afraid of death, remember that all authority in heaven on earth has been given to Christ, and you've been united to him.
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Trust him.
Everyday Grace 032
